Congratulations Class of 2019
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| May 2019 | Showcase Magazine 3
CONTENTS
Showcase Magazine
May 2019
The Senior Issue @showcaseDVA
Showcase Magazine
showcasemagazineva @ info@showcasemagazine.com
Features Elizabeth Durham
If A Task is Begun, Never Leave It Till’ It Is Done 10
Grace Holland The Rewards of Hard Work 14
Also Inside PG.
Rooster Walk
22
Confessions of a 30 Something The Golden Rule 20
specializes in ‘family-friendly’ festival feel
PG.
10
Also Inside Editor’s Letter
Kid, You’ll Move Mountains 6 From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife Roasted Smoked Bratwurst and Summer Squash
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Paws for a Cause
The Institution of Motherhood By Paulette Dean
19
Rooster Walk
By Angie Barrett
Specializes in ‘familyfriendly’ festival feel
16
22
Facts on the Sly
Nine Grams
By Sly Strader Milam
Instagrams From Our Area
16
26
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PG.
14
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showcase
Editor’s Letter
Kid, You’ll Move Mountains You’ll probably recognize the title of this month’s letter from Dr. Seuss’s Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. I remember high school. It was a long time ago, but I’ll never forget the feeling of sharing the graduation experience with friends, walking across the stage and receiving my diploma, and letting out a deep breath when it was all over. High school graduation is a big deal. C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind.” This quote should be a motivation for graduating high school seniors. Life is about to change. You’re going to be given more freedom, make new friends, and explore new surroundings. You’re about to embark on a journey that will shape you for years to come. This month, we’ve featured the graduating seniors from the 2019 G.W. Eagles varsity basketball team on our cover. The team was crowned state champions earlier this year. Being a state champion is a big deal as well. In this issue, we recognize several graduating seniors who not only excel in school, but they are having a positive impact on the community through volunteerism. Grace Holland is the valedictorian of this year’s graduating class at George Washington High School. She is also an avid soccer player and heavily involved in giving back to the community. Elizabeth Durham will graduate this month from Chatham High School. Durham has been captains of the varsity basketball team and the football cheerleading squad. Also, as a key member of the Youth Advisory Council, she created the slogan, “It’s our HOME. Let’s keep substance abuse out,” which can be seen on billboards in Danville. Our youth dedicating their time and knowledge to make our community stronger is a very big deal. To all graduating seniors, Showcase wishes you success and happiness in the next chapter of your lives. Now, go out there and move mountains. Enjoy the issue.
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CEO Andrew Scott Brooks scott@showcasemagazine.com Editorial Director Paul Seiple | paul@showcasemagazine.com G r ap h i c D e s i g n e r Kim Demont | demontdesign@verizon.net F i n a n c e M a n ag e r Cindy Astin | cindy@showcasemagazine.com Advertising Lee Vogler | Director of Sales and Marketing lee@showcasemagazine.com | 434.548.5335 Ashley Schultz | Marketing Consultant ashley@showcasemagazine.com C u st o m e r S e r v i c e Subscribe to Home Delivery for $24 per year 753 Main Street #3, Danville, VA 24541 Phone 434.709.7349 info@showcasemagazine.com www.showcasemagazine.com contriButinG Writers Angie Barrett | Anna Brooks | Johnny Buck Paulette Dean | Sly Strader Milam | Lee Vogler contriButinG PhotoGraPherS Stefanie Anderson | Angie Barrett Tynesha Breedlove | Brooke Klauss Rooster Walk | Lee Vogler Cover The seniors of the 2019 GW Eagles Varsity Basketball State Champions. L to R: 24 Jaiden Frankiln, 13 Meco Wiggins, 25 Tamasjai Reaves, 20 Nyrek Wheeler, Jermaine Parker, Head Coach, 11 Shunta Wilson, 3 Carlos Poole 10 Nisere Waddell, 5 Carl Poole Jr., 1 Cadrein Cunningham photographed by Brooke Klauss Scan with your smart phone for
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Sponsored Content The ARc of Southside
Direct Support Professionals:
W
A Changing Profession
hen we hear the term caregiver, we often associate it with people who provide care for our children, our elderly, and until recently people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. This may seem fitting to many people because people with intellectual and developmental disabilities are often perceived as sick, pitied, and incapable. Historically, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities have been devalued by society and often, so have those who provide their support. We still have a long way to go in dispelling the myths and misconceptions regarding people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, however, we are making progress. A large piece of that progress is recognizing that the role of the people who provide the support has evolved. Their role is much more than just the basic caregiving. They are supporting people to live, work, and play in their communities and have A Life Like Yours. Their role has transformed and their title has changed to reflect that transformation. The people who provide the support, who are advocates, mentors, teachers, and facilitators of life in the community are now called Direct Support Professionals (DSPs). The Arc of Southside’s Direct Support Professionals are responsible for helping individuals achieve goals and providing the support and guidance necessary for them to be productive, integral members
of their communities. This revised role requires more skills and greater judgment than ever before. They also find themselves providing more individualized support in less congregate settings to individuals. Our DSP’s work tirelessly to assure that individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities are respected and included in their community. Community inclusion can be required through legislation and law but how do we really gain acceptance in the hearts and minds of people? Inclusion is not just about being present; it’s about being a part of something. The role of the DSP is not just about assisting in navigating the community but more importantly about facilitating the community’s interactions with people with developmental and intellectual disabilities. Although there is a week set aside every September to recognize Direct Support Professionals, The Arc of Southside wants to thank and recognize all of our DSP’s, all year long, for their hard work and dedication. They have a very important role in supporting people to have A Life Like Yours. They respect the uniqueness in the people they support and they assist them in leading lives full of purpose and value. We could not have been successful in our journey toward inclusion without their dedication and commitment. We appreciate our Direct Support Professionals and thank them for all they do!
For More Information on The Arc of Southside call 434.836.3272. www.showcasemagazine.com
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HAVE YOU SEEN US
LATELY? 1-800-AVERETT • www.averett.edu
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Feature Elizabeth Durham
Elizabeth Durham If A Task is Begun, Never Leave It Till’ It Is Done By Anna Brooks Photo By Stefanie Anderson
D
etermination has led Elizabeth Durham to be the dedicated student, dancer, violinist, and philanthropist she is today. “Once I start something, I am committed. This is the way that my mother has raised me,” states Durham. Durham will graduate from Chatham High School this May having been a member of the Beta Club, the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, the Student Council Association, and the Interact Club for a consecutive four years. In each of these clubs, she gained both leadership and presidential roles. Additionally, Durham has been a devoted student to the Meredith Gravely School of Dance for thirteen years, a committed violinist for fourteen years, and the captain of both Chatham’s Varsity Basketball and Football Cheerleading teams. Durham has not only been a vital source of success to her high school, but she has also played a large role in the Danville community’s continuous pulse. As busy as she keeps herself, Durham always makes time for community service. Volunteer work is something that she holds close to her heart. A passionate member of the Youth Advisory Council, Durham is a part of the effort urging Danville’s youth to remain, or become, substance-abuse free. The association most recently partnered with the SAFE Deposit Campaign. This is a campaign designed to inform the public of the importance to safely dispose and store their prescribed drugs from surrounding youth. Durham created the campaign’s slogan, “It’s our HOME, Let’s keep substance abuse out.” She was inspired by Downtown Danville’s crimson “HOME” sign. Durham’s slogan for Danville’s youth was placed on three billboards across the city. As a part of the Youth Advisory Council, she has also played a role in the campaign against drinking and driving. The effort was promoted heavily on Chatham High School’s prom night. Durham is an exemplary model of what it is to be a community involved youth. She advises any youth who desires to get involved with the
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community, as wholeheartedly as she has, to simply begin with one service project. “Soon enough, the feeling of helping others will become undeniably addictive and the urge to volunteer will become irresistible,” says Durham. When asked to describe why volunteering is so important, Durham answers, “How does it feel when someone helps you without you asking them to? Good? This is why volunteerism is important.” Durham believes the fate of our community lies in the hands of today’s youth. She feels that it is important for today’s youth to set an example to younger and older generations as to what an involved citizen resembles. Durham was accepted early admission into Virginia Tech on her mother’s birthday, who is a Virginia Tech alumnus. “It was the best birthday gift I could have ever given my mom,” exclaims Durham. With plans of majoring in biology, she hopes to one day become a forensic pathologist. Durham’s chosen career path will require her to attend medical school in addition to her undergraduate studies at Virginia Tech. She desires to attend medical school at either Duke University or University of Virginia. Once again, Durham’s dedication to her personal success is portrayed, as her ambitions will require thirteen to fifteen additional years of schooling. Regardless, she is willing and ready to face her studies for the sake of her future. For the sanity of her roommates’, Durham does not know that she will practice her violin quite as heavily once at Virginia Tech. However, she does promise to carry out her passion for community service no matter the surrounding community. Durham intends to continue what she has so feverishly started: bettering the world around her. Durham recalls wisdom she once received from her grandfather that she has always, and will always, implement within her own life. “If a task is begun, never leave it till’ it’s done. Be the labor great or small, do it well or not at all.”
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Feature Grace Holland
Grace Holland
The Rewards of Hard Work By Anna Brooks Photos By Tynesha Breedlove
G
race Holland, being the fourth Wahoo in her family and George Washington High School’s 2019 Valedictorian, is a success to her family and to the city of Danville. An immensely self-motivated citizen in the community and a model student when held to any standard, Holland serves as a testament for hardwork and respecting the value in education.
these clubs. Holland has consecutively played soccer from a young age. She has been captain of both GW’s school soccer team and the traveling soccer team, Blast. Holland plans to carry out both her love for community service and soccer, as a volunteer for a youth mentor program, and as part of an intermural soccer league during her time at UVA.
“Even though you may not recognize how important your education is now, one day you will. Even when school is taxing, know that [the work] will be worth the reward,” says Holland, explaining her motivation to strive in school. She advises all students to embody this mentality while attaining their educations.
Uncertain of a specific career path, Holland plans to explore UVA’s rigorous curriculum in order to find her purpose. Accepted into UVA’s Echols Scholars Program, Holland will be exempted from all general-education classes as a reward for her exemplary work as a student. This will allow Holland to more thoroughly engulf herself in the knowledge that UVA has to offer. She was also named a Jefferson Scholarship finalist; this scholarship is one that holds great honor within UVA’s academic community.
Holland never ceases to push herself to earn A’s in the hardest classes accessible to her. She believes this is why she is the valedictorian of her class. To her, education has always been a challenge of self, rather than an obligation. Being the second valedictorian in her family, Holland states, “Although being valedictorian was not my sole drive throughout school, watching my sister, Elizabeth, attain first in her class inspired me to also be the best I could be. Elizabeth made being valedictorian seem more attainable than it had before.” Holland comes from a family of high-success. However, she reveals her family pushes success with more of a “hands-off” approach. She is thankful that reaching her upmost potential has not been pushed upon her, but encouraged of her by her parents, Carol and Mark Holland and sisters, Elizabeth and Kate. Similarly, although Grace has grown up cheering on the Hoos, she believes her decision in applying to UVA was in no way swayed by her family. “I’ve always wanted to go to UVA. When both of my sisters followed my father’s footsteps in attending UVA, I thought it was admirable, but it did not impact my decision. Regardless, I have always hoped to go to UVA,” says Holland. Alongside her passion for education, Holland understands the mass importance of community involvement. For four years, she has been an avid member of GW’s Student Council Administration, Key Club, Spanish Club, and the National Honor Society, as she holds leadership in most of 14 Showcase Magazine |
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While reading, the question most prominent in most minds will be, “How is it that Grace has been so successful up to this point in her life?” Holland’s secret to success is to maintain a sense of time-management, well-roundedness, and activism. She strategically keeps herself busy so she may have no option, but to complete her work within a timely manner. “I prioritize my studies during the week, so I can prioritize resting and socializing on the weekends,” states Holland. With this secret, all students entering high school, or currently enrolled, can now strive to possess this mentality that Holland so consistently personifies. She encourages all students wishing to graduate as distinguished as she will in May to get involved in as many clubs and organizations offered, study and take the SAT as soon as possible, take challenging classes, and all the while, make time for friends. “Make high school fun,” says Holland. Let Holland’s eager attitude and appreciation towards education and community involvement be an inspiration for all students to strive to reach their personal-best before, during, and succeeding high school. Holland concludes, “Always strive to be the absolute best at everything you do because no matter your career, or your future, hard-work is unfailingly notable and rewarding.”
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Feature Big Bear’s Wife
From the Kitchen of
Big Bear’s Wife
Roasted Smoked Bratwurst and Summer Squash Written by Angie Barrett of BigBearsWife.com Photo by Angie Barrett
Roasted Smoked Bratwurst and Summer Squash is a Farm to Table meal that everyone will love! Plus, it’s all roasted together on one pan in the oven. This meal is a simple, fresh and delicious lunch or dinner. Prep Time: 5M; Cook Time: 30M; Serves: 4 INGREDIENTS 14 ounces pack smoked bratwurst (about 6 links) 2 medium zucchini 2 medium yellow squash 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 teaspoons Tajin seasoning 2 teaspoons fresh parsley. minced
on the Sly
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by Sly Strader Milam
Facts
INSTRUCTIONS • Preheat oven to 400F. • Slice bratwurst into 1/2 inch coins. • Slice zucchini and yellow squash into 1/2 inch pieces. • In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, garlic and Tajin seasoning. Mix well. • Toss in bratwurst, zucchini and squash to the olive oil mixture and toss well to coat everything. • Lay on a baking sheet in one layer and roast in the oven for 30 minutes. • Sprinkle with fresh parsley.
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• May’s birthstone is the emerald which is emblematic of love and success. • The bat is the only mammal that can fly. • The leg bones of a bat are so thin that out of the 1,200 species of bats, only 2 can walk on ground. These are the Vampire bat and the Burrowing bat. of the Valley is the traditional flower for the month of May, a symbol of • Lily sweetness.
• On May 1, 1931, the Empire State Building was officially opened.
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Paws for a Cause
Paws for a Cause By the middle of April, the shelter had already started to receive litters of kittens and puppies. It actually is the saddest time of the year at an open-admission animal shelter, but it is very sweet to witness the interaction between a mother dog or cat and her babies. There is something special about good mothers.
Written by Paulette Dean Executive Director Danville Humane Society
trusting dogs and cats become nervous when a human picks up their young. In the wild, most fights with a female are caused by a protective mother. Wild animal poachers and collectors know that in order to capture a baby or a young animal, the mother first has to be killed.
Many years ago, an obviously nursing mother dog was brought to us as a stray, and we knew we had to do something. We put a leash on her and took her to the area where she had been found. As soon as she jumped out of the car, she started running to an abandoned house that had a storage shed in the back. There, we found her young puppies. It was a happy reunion.
Cows are very maternal and dairy cows suffer greatly because their calves are taken from them soon after birth so the milk can benefit the dairy industry. Mother chickens can recognize their chicks’ peeps, and sheep and goat mothers make sure their offspring play with others in their own age group.
Puppies and kittens adjust easily and quickly to shelter life if they come in with their mother. As long as they have her, all is right with their world.
Even some species of insects are raised by their mothers!
Two of our nursing mother cats have accepted other newborn kittens that have been found under bushes or in window wells. When they immediately begin licking the babies and letting them join her kittens for milk time, we know that the kittens will be taken care of.
Meet Mr. Butterscotch
People know to exercise caution approaching a mother animal that has her babies with her. Even some very
This big boy is only three months old. He is a Rottweiler/ shepherd mix; when he grows up he will need a big couch, not a little lap, to cuddle in!
There are bad mothers, to be sure, but the vast majority offer unconditional love. Heaven alone can help us if bad mothers ever outnumber good mothers. How grateful the earth and its creatures should be for the institution of motherhood. I know I am grateful for my mother. Danville Humane Society
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| May 2019 | Showcase Magazine 19
Confessions of a 30 something
Confessions of a 30 Something
The Golden Rule Written by Lee Vogler Photo By Lee Vogler
I like to think of myself as a pretty young guy. For me, graduating high school still seems like it was just yesterday. In reality, it was 2005 and in those fourteen years, so much has changed for high school students. What students are learning today, and how they learn it, has obviously changed, oftentimes for the better. But there have been other changes, as well, and unfortunately these aren’t for the better. Bullying. We’ve all heard the term. The origin of the word can be traced back to the 1600s and is defined by MerriamWebster as the “abuse and mistreatment of someone vulnerable by someone stronger.” These actions have been around since the dawn of time, but it seems we hear more about bullying now than ever before. Why is that? As I mentioned in my March column, we are living in the age of social media. We are more connected to each other than at any other time in history. While this can be a useful tool, it can also be a frightening prospect, especially for a teenager. Being a teenager is rough. I know, that seems like a silly statement. Teenagers, for the most part, have very little “real-world” responsibilities. “It’s the best time of your life!” people will tell you. And it can be. But it can also be a time of great confusion. I don’t intend to delve deep into human biology and all of what is happening physically to people as they become teenagers, but needless to say, they can often be hormonal wrecks. It’s also around the age 20 Showcase Magazine |
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where you begin to think you have everything figured out. I say this as someone who, as a teenager, thought he had it all figured out, and actually had figured out very little. Adding to this all confusion is social media. Snapchat, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and probably a dozen other platforms that this 31-year-old doesn’t even know about, all fight for our attention. They create this illusion that we are all supposed to be perfect. That our lives are like a reality TV show. We all have an audience now. When I was in high school, social media was still a few years away from really taking off. So, when I left school, the only way people from school could interact with me was to literally be with me or call me on the phone. Texting had started but was very limited (and costly), so we largely didn’t do it. Tell that to a high school student today and they would laugh. From the time they wake up to the time they go to sleep, they are bombarded with comments from their peers. For someone who is being bullied, it can be a nightmare. Imagine being picked on at school, for whatever reason. That’s bad enough. But until the last decade or so, that bullying typically ended when the final bell rang. Today, it’s just getting started. Every socialmedia platform is another opportunity for a bully to harass a fellow student. It can feel never ending. What is the solution? I don’t have the definitive answer but sometimes the simplest thought is the most effective: “Treat others as you would like to be treated.” That seems like a good start.
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Explore Martinsville
Rooster Walk
specializes in ‘family-friendly’ festival feel Written byJohnny Buck Photos Provided by Rooster Walk
Over the past 10 years, the Rooster Walk Music & Arts Festival, located in Martinsville, Va., has steadily gained a reputation for bringing in some of the country’s hottest nationally touring “roots music” bands. With a mix of rock, blues, bluegrass, funk, jambands and folk, Rooster Walk offers something for a wide swatch of musical tastes. This year’s event is no different, and will take place at the Pop’s Farm music venue over Memorial Day weekend (May 2326, 2019). Quietly, the festival has also gained a different reputation among the thousands who attend: That of an incredibly family-friendly, kid-friendly event that music fans of all ages can enjoy. Rives Coleman is a real estate agent in Martinsville and a veteran of countless concerts and festivals, but he’s also a father of two girls who love the festival.
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“It’s their second Christmas. It really is,” said Coleman of his girls, ages 14 and 11. “As soon as Christmas is over, they start looking forward to Rooster Walk. They just have so much fun reconnecting with friends and having some freedom at the event.” A well-developed kids’ area in the center of the venue, called the Kids’ Coop, has its own stage, a giant Slip’N Slide, a playground and four days’ worth of arts, crafts, drum circles, painting, magic acts, a ‘Mommy & Me’ tent for new and expecting mothers, and a kids’ parade led by adult musicians. The Kids’ Coop, sponsored by American National Bank, has been led by Bruce and Emily Burgess the past four years. The Danbury, N.C., couple has an impressive background in early childhood education, summer camp instruction, and youth music education.
“We want the Kids’ Coop area to be interactive,” Bruce explained. “The craft tent, we kind of set that up like a ‘Maker Space’ with a lot of different activities kids can do, but without necessarily telling them what to do with their creations. We try to create some guidelines but let the children be creative. But it’s not just for the kids. It’s a space, we hope, where the parents can be spending quality time with their children.” “My kids always look forward to the face painting, Slip’N Slide, and the arts and crafts. There are shows tailored specifically towards kids such as magic shows and marching with a band around the festival grounds,” said Martinsville resident Anna McClain, who’s been bringing her two daughters to the festival for the past seven years. “I always feel they are in a safe but fun environment.” That safe feeling is one of the things that Rives Coleman likes the most about Rooster Walk. “I like the safety of Rooster Walk, that my kids know the areas they can go to, go have fun, and I don’t ever feel that they’re in harm’s way. They can have a good time, not just in the kids’ area, but also at all the stages and all parts of the venues,” he said. “I think Rooster Walk should be thanked for making it a family-friendly event. I’ve gone to
these events for 30-plus years, and it’s by far the safest and the most family-friendly event that I’ve attended.” For more information, including ticket prices, visit www.RoosterWalk.com.
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Instagrams from our area
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