9 minute read
Setting a Course for Teaching Success
Capturing the Hearts of the Community
This team was full of scorers, and yet, they played together unselfishly. It made the games very fun to watch. The Emporia community and Emporia State fans filled White Auditorium during that season, setting a then school record average of 2,233 fans per game. The Lady Hornets went 18-0 in White Auditorium to start an MIAA record 62 game home court winning streak. “It was amazing; they were such die-hard fans,” Carpenter said. “It’s funny. When you’re a player, you love it. The noise, the crowd, the cheering, the signs. It’s when you graduate, and you become a fan yourself, you realize wow, it took a lot of commitment as one of those fans.”
“To succeed, you need a village,” Jurgita Kausaite said. “You can’t do it on your own. It was a once in a lifetime experience to do something for the town. We experienced the feeling of ‘what can we do for the community?’ It’s unique to do something that hasn’t been done before. Every success is unique, and it brings people together. That’s what you remember—the feeling. You forget the trophies, but you remember the feeling of what it did for people and what people did for you, how they touched your heart.” The fan support didn’t stop when the Lady Hornets played outside of Emporia, either. The players remember an atmosphere like no other at the National Championship game in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. “We walked into that Championship game in Pine Bluff, and you would have thought we walked into White Auditorium,” Gutierrez said. There were so many Emporia State fans there. As an adult now, I look back on it, and I’m even more appreciative. It meant a ton. Those fans gave you everything they had every game, so we wanted to give the same back.” “A hotel full of fans and crazy support,” Aneta said. “I have never experienced such unity before. I am very grateful to all of the people who supported us and gave wings to reach for more.”
What They Remember Most
The accolades on this team are too many to count. From the many individual player awards to the team being inducted into both the Emporia State and the MIAA Hall of Fame, it is one that will be talked about for years to come. However, the awards aren’t normally the topic of conversation. “I was just telling Coach Stein how much she taught me about competitiveness, and the pride you take when you are a part of something,” Carpenter said. “Because you’re a reflection of whatever you’re a part of, so in that sense, I was a part of the Lady Hornets. I hope I’m teaching my kids as a mother that you represent a part of me. That goes for anybody. You’re a reflection of your parents, of your grandparents. If I would take away anything from my freshman year, it would be what Coach Stein taught us, and that is to take pride in what you’re a part of.” “I’m very proud of what we accomplished with these girls,” Aneta Kausaite said. “Very grateful to Cindy and Brandon (Schneider) for giving me the opportunity.” “It was special,” Coach Stein said. “The job never felt like a job to me. It was just a great group of people that all came together to make it the best that it could be. That included when you ran down the street to the bank, to the Chamber of Commerce, to all the different places. Whether it was seeing the community at Bruff’s or Coach’s, everyone was all in on making this place the best that you could make it.”
The Present
Since graduating from Emporia State, they have seen how the experiences and skills they developed as players have benefitted their lives and careers. Some have gone on to become coaches themselves, carrying forward what they learned as Lady Hornets to new generations of players. Coach Cindy Stein, current head coach at Southern Illinois University, plans to retire after this season following a prosperous career. “I hope people remember me as someone who worked really hard,” Stein said. “Someone who really enjoyed getting to know them and getting to know the community. I hope people remember me as someone who put my heart and soul into it, more than just that we won. Those kids are very special to me. There were so many great young ladies that are now leading great lives.”
A Different Kind of Spotlight Shines Behind the Scenes
Kara McCormick is a Theatre Education major at ESU, but you’ll never see a performance of hers on stage—not as an actress, anyway. What you will see is Kara’s touch on numerous other aspects of the production, from set builder to props master to stage manager.
Her first stint as stage manager was as a sophomore at ESU. In a world where the actors usually get the spotlight, Kara has since made a backstage name for herself on campus, demonstrating that there is a place for those who love theatre but don’t like to act. Soon to be a fourth-generation educator, Kara never thought of going anywhere but Emporia State to earn her education degree. “It’s the only college I had in mind,” she says. “I knew ESU was known for education, and after the campus tour, it just felt right. Plus, the theatre kind of sold me.”
Following graduation, Kara wants to put her education and theatre skills to use in a low-income or underfunded school district, largely because of her own theatre experience in a Title I high school. She was first exposed to theatre when she acted as assistant director of “Steel Magnolias” as a sophomore, and she never missed involvement in another high school production. “I know the impact having a spot in theatre can make,” says Kara. “When I first thought about theatre, I looked at it and said, ‘No, I hate every part of being on stage’ because I didn't know there was a technical side.” Once she got involved behind the scenes, however, Kara discovered a benefit of being in a low-income school district. “Because the theatre program was very underfunded, I learned to do everything in theatre,” she says. “Things other schools would hire people to come in and do, we would do ourselves. I learned to build my own sets, to do lights, to run sound boards, to create our own costumes—everything. Without going to my high school and without learning what I learned, I don't think I could have done anything that I have accomplished in the past three years.” Now, she wants to pay it forward. “I want to bring that to a high school really badly,” she stresses. “If you hire out, you don't get those students who want to build; you just get the ones who want to act. But, the technical side provides such a rich environment for hands-on learning. What I can do is teach students skills they may think they could never do. I truly think it gives those students a leg up in college.” Kara has been involved in theatre productions at ESU every semester of her tenure as a student, including as stage manager during her sophomore and junior years. In October of 2020, she served as house manager for the production of “Medea” and its COVID-friendly performances on the steps of ESU’s Memorial Union. Interjecting her love of history into the production process, Kara took it upon herself to research the history and backstory of the play. She developed an information packet with mini lesson plans that were distributed to area schools, which made the play more relatable to students and piqued their interest in attending the performance. Besides stage management, Kara’s other favorite contribution to play production is building sets and scenes for the shows. As a scene shop hire, Kara is making minimum wage on campus to do what she loves and gain practical experience she can pass on as a teacher. “Those two opportunities—to stage manage and work in the scene shop—I think are huge things for a Bachelor of Science in Education major, and they're going to help me so much.” ESU is committed to helping students like Kara achieve their dreams, and our generous donors make that possible. Kara is the recipient of several ESU scholarships, including the George L. & Fern T. Imthurn Scholarship for theatre. “I’ve had theatre scholarships since I was a freshman,” says Kara. “I feel like getting those scholarships shows they value what I bring to the table. Also, I’m a triplet, with all of us living on a teacher’s salary and all three of us going to college. So, those scholarships have allowed me to do everything I’ve done. Without them, I couldn’t have afforded to work in the scene shop—my favorite job— for minimum wage, or to work in The Teachers College Resource Center. I would have had to get a job off campus that paid more. So, yes, the scholarships are very, very meaningful to me.” Emporia State University began producing theatre in 1913, making it one of the oldest theatre programs in the country, with well over 1,000 graduates. Like Kara, many benefited from the department’s privately funded endowed scholarships, which help recruit and retain talented students who wish to major or participate in theatre. At ESU, students can earn a BFA or BA in theatre, or gain certification to become a secondary education teacher in the BSE program in speech and theatre. Our graduates are succeeding in careers across the country in both professional and academic theatre.
Together, Forward, The Campaign for Emporia State is focused on providing students the opportunity to dig into the kinds of real-life work their careers will require. Kara’s story is a perfect example of how having the financial flexibility to pursue high-impact learning experiences prepares a student for career success on day one. At ESU, our vision is for every student to have access to these life-changing experiences.
