Payson High featured on national radio show By Lana Hiskey The national radio show “This American Life” came to Payson High School recently to spotlight some amazing “Grand Gestures” going on at one of Nebo’s high schools. Miki Meek, the producer and reporter for “This American Life” who also graduated from Payson High School in 1997, said the Payson High School spot was scheduled to kick off the “Grand Gestures” show on Feb. 18. Producer Meeks said, “I selected Payson High School and this particular story about kids going all out when asking dates to dances because it seemed like the perfect way to kick off what’s basically a Valentine’s Day show. Also, it’s a tradition that a lot of my co-workers had never heard about, so we wanted to shine a spotlight on it.” The show’s host and executive producer Ira Glass flew out from New York to personally interview Payson students. Glass collected stories from Payson students in two different ways. First, Glass set up a studio in Clint Peery’s room and interviewed students who Meek had previously interviewed and knew the students had interesting stories. After the interviews at school and with the help of students like
Ira Glass, host and executive producer of the national radio show “This American Life,” visited Payson High School recently to interview students about their tradition of “going all out” when asking dates to dances.
Ivan Webber, Kylee Wharton, Ezri Staheli and Max Bennion, Glass walked through the hallways at lunch time and talked to some random students to see if they had any interesting stories about asking others
to dances as well. Not only did Glass get to hear about all the interesting dancing stories, he experienced first-hand how to answer a girl for a dance at PHS! Glass actually rode along
in the car with Webber as he answered his date to the Sweethearts Dance and experienced a funny story of his own. Webber was going to answer Makadie Richman by burying a treasure chest in the snow with his answer inside. Glass, Wharton and Staheli were to stay in the car and witness the answer process. Webber attached a microphone so he could communicate back to those in the car. When Ivan was burying the chest in the snow outside Richman’s house, Kylee accidentally leaned on the horn of the car creating a loud, long honk. Richman came running outside while Webber was still answering preparing the treasure chest answer. Quickly, Webber finished and sprinted back to the car as the group sped away. The show will start airing on radio stations on Feb. 18. The times are listed here: www.thisamericanlife.org/listen/stations/ ut. It will also be available on podcast. To listen, go online at www.thisamericanlife. org or podcast: https://itunes.apple.com/ us/podcast/this-american-life/id20167113 8?mt=2&uo=4&at=11l6oU. PHS Assistant Principal Jesse Sorenson said, “To have a national radio program that is broadcast to over 500 NPR stations nationwide and millions of weekly listeners around the country is a really big deal. Ira Glass is a National Public Radio icon, See PHS on page A3
Wesley Ruff inducted into Nebo district’s Hall of Fame By Lana Hiskey Spanish Fork Junior High School music teacher Angela Harman has been honored by the Utah Music Educators Association with the Superior Accomplishment Award in recognition of her outstanding work in educating music students in Spanish Fork and around the world.
Spanish Fork music teacher honored By Lana Hiskey Nebo School District’s Angela Harman was recently honored by the Utah Music Educators Association with the Superior Accomplishment Award. Harman teaches orchestra at Spanish Fork Junior High School in Nebo School District where she has helped the orchestra program grow by over 440 percent. Harman is passionate about music education and is the founder of www.orchestraclassroom.com where she posts ideas and methods that she uses in her classroom. Her recent books, “Be An Amazing Note-Reader” and “The True Beginning:
Before the Method Book” have sold many copies worldwide through her website and her books are use to teach students in many countries. She has been contacted by string programs in Palestine and Costa Rica regarding the positive influence of her method on their students. Since the SFJHS program has grown so much, there is constantly a need for additional school instruments. SFJHS has been fortunate to receive grants from the Nebo Education Association and the Classics For Kids Foundation to help purchase violas and cellos for students to rent from the school. Harman frequently seeks out special
opportunities for her students. In 2015, her program was selected for “The World We All Deserve Through Music” through which renowned Time for Three bassist Ranaan Meyer composed a piece for the Spanish Fork orchestra and visited in person to do a workshop with students. The Spanish Fork Junior High orchestra won the Give A Note Foundation/Radio Disney “Music In Our Schools” tour in 2016 which included an Ardy and a grant. Representatives from the Disney Channel visited Angela’s classroom and filmed a one-minute commercial promoting music education that aired on the Disney ChanSee MUSIC on page A3
Local sports broadcaster Wesley Ruff was inducted into the Nebo School District Hall of Fame at a Springville High School boys’ basketball game in February. Wesley Ruff was born and raised in Springville. He attended Westside Elementary School, Springville Middle School and Springville Junior High School and graduated with honors from Springville High School in 1976. He was also named the social studies student of the year his senior year. Ruff won five varsity letters while at SHS, lettering in basketball twice, lettering in golf twice and lettering in track. He was co-captain of the basketball team and co-captain of the track team, both in 1976. He also received a golf scholarship from the Utah Golf Association. Ruff was awarded several academic scholarships and attended Southern Utah State College (now Southern Utah University) where he was a member of the SUSC golf team in the fall of 1976. See NEBO on page A3