Bonner explains need for performing arts center at Wawasee

“It’s always been my vision, but it’s not for me. It’s for the community,” explained Kristin Bonner, a language arts teacher at Wawasee High School.

That vision is to have a performing arts center for the Wawasee School Corporation. “The possibilities are endless,” she said.

At the school board meeting, held Tuesday, Feb. 14, Bonner gave a 20-minute presentation on why the school corporation needs a PAC. She also included a information packet which included approximately 12 letters from alumni and their parents supporting the need, a wish list for a PAC and potential rental revenue.

While Bonner has wanted a PAC for years, she believes now is the time to make that dream a reality. She credited Geoff Walmer, Wawasee High School principal, with doing “an amazing job finding employees who give their all to the arts.”

That includes Ben Essick, the “new guy in the tech department who has a degree in music technology” and the new art teachers who would love a facility to do art shows.

Jeremy VanLue works closely with the fine and performing arts department, helping with sound and promotion. Students often do promos in the radio studio. Dan Wray has been teaching students how to build sets. And there are several other teachers involved.

“We literally have all the right people (to do this),” Bonner said.

“If we had a performing arts center we would have a place for the theater kids and tech kids and a place to teach people how to sew (costumes),” Bonner said. It would also provide a larger space for the band, which is also growing.

It starts with having a location and she believes there is space on the high school property where a facility with 1,000 seats and a balcony could be built.

The current auditorium is extremely limited. Both the boys’ and girls’ dressing rooms are the size of a large walk-in closet, able to accommodate about four students, although the mirrors are not outfitted to do theater makeup. There are over 50 involved in this year’s spring musical. There is no space to build sets except on the stage. And even if sets could be built off-site and brought to the school, the doors leading to the stage area aren’t wide enough to accommodate them.

Due to the school’s flat roof, there are height restrictions when it comes to raising and lowering the curtain, meaning it is often damaged. Props and costumes are stored in closets throughout the school, not together where they are easily accessible.

There is also no orchestra pit, so musicians have to set up in the space between the stage and first row of seats to perform during shows.

The auditorium has 58 broken seats and not enough slope to allow everyone to see the performance. The tech booth is not enclosed, so those sitting near it hear the kids working.

Bonner’s dream of a PAC would address those issues.

“In the summer, our town doubles in size. We could offer concerts,” Bonner said. The PAC would also offer opportunities for dance and theater classes. Bonner hopes the school board reviews her information and visits schools such as Warsaw and Concord High Schools that have PACs to see the benefits they bring to the community.

“It’s time to invest in academics,” Bonner said, noting classes would be held during the school day.

A PAC would also allow for potential partnerships within the community for a variety of events, from concerts and art shows to dinner theater and more.

Wawasee girls gymnastics finishes 3rd at Plymouth, 1st at home

The Wawasee girls gymnastics team finished 3rd in a meet with Plymouth, New Prairie and Westville, Tuesday, Feb. 21, at Plymouth High School.

Wawasee senior Trinity LaJoice placed 5th on vault with 8.5 points and tied for 5th on bars with a score of 7.1. Wawasee senior Olivia Ousley tied for 5th on beam with a 7.9 and 5th on floor with a 8.5. Ousley was 6th allaround with 30.65 points. Plymouth finished 1st, scoring 104.9 points. New Prairie came in 2nd, scoring 89.55. Wawasee was 3rd with 87.45. Westville was 4th with 84.6.

Wawasee finished 1st in a meet with Huntington North and Columbia City, Thursday, Feb. 16, at Wawasee High School.

Wawasee sophomore Morgan Reel placed 2nd all-around with a score of 31.18. Reel placed 2nd on vault with 8.7 points. She went on to finish 3rd on bars with a score of 6.85 and 2nd on beam with a score of 7.45. Reel didn’t disappoint on her floor exercise, scoring 8.18 points, good for 2nd place.

LaJoice finished 4th place allaround with a score of 29.08. She

Wawasee boys swimming sectional runners-up

500 free, clocking in at 5:16.29. Kompagne took home 10th, finishing in 5:30.15

Ousley performed magnificently on her floor exercise, taking home 1st place, scoring 8.38 points. She also placed 4th on beam with a score of 7.25. Ousley came in 5th all-around with 28.88 points.

Wawasee freshman Alyssa Kunish came in 7th place allaround, scoring 27.33 points.

“Wawasee accomplished a season-high team score, breaking 90 points. Morgan Reel had a personal record on beam with 7.45, placing third,” said coach Molly Liston.

Wawasee came in 1st with 90.3 points. Huntington North was 2nd with 88.575. Columbia City finished 3rd with 32.775.

Next meet: 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Indiana High School Athletic Association Sectional at Wawasee High School.

The Wawasee boys swim team finished as sectional runners-up Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Concord High School Aquatics Center.

The 200 medley relay team of Nathan Harper, Keegan Hurst, Zack Kryder and Nate Kryder finished in 5th place, clocking in at 1:41.60.

Cade Garden finished 5th and Noah Mettham finished 8th in the 200 freestyle. Garden finished in 1:50.12 and Mettham in 1:54.66. Luke Kompagne finished 13th, clocking in at 2:00.05.

Hurst placed 9th, Coltin Bucher, 12th and Joe Hackleman 16th in the 200 individual medley. Hurst finished in 2:12.75 and Bucher in 2:15.09. Hackleman clocked in at 2:25.28.

Nate Kryder took home 4th in the 50 free, clocking in at 22.09. Dakota Nguyen placed 12th, finishing in 24.12. Issac Winters finished 5th in 1-meter diving with a score of 315.85. Will Long finished 9th with a score of 276.20.

Nate Kryder finished 3rd in the 100 butterfly, clocking in at 53.82.

Nate’s brother, Zack Kryder, finished 9th, with a time of 57.77.

Ivan Meier finished 11th, clocking in at 1:00.19.

Harper took home 3rd in the 100 free, finishing in 47.91. Garden was close behind, finishing in 49.60, good for 4th place. Nguyen finished 11th, clocking in at 52.31.

Mettham finished 8th in the

The 200 free relay team of Meier, Nguyen, Mettham and Garden finished 5th with a time of 1:34.32.

Harper was sectional runnerup in the 100 backstroke, finishing in 52.50. Zack Kryder took home 6th, clocking in at 57.08. Stone Shipley finished 8th in the 100 breaststroke, clocking in at 1:06.17. Bucher finished 12th and Hurst 13th. Bucher clocked in at 1:06.84 while Hurst finished in 1:07.03.

The 400 free relay team of Nate Kryder, Garden, Zack Kryder and Harper were sectional runners-up, finishing in 3:17. Concord took home the sectional championship with 447 points. Wawasee was runner-up with 319 points. Northridge finished in third place with 293.5 points.

“The guys had a great meet with lifetime and season bests. We came home with a second place team placement. I’m looking forward to next week at State in Indianapolis. Great season from the guys,” said coach Jason Scott.

Next meet: 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, Swimming Preliminaries at the IUPUI Natatorium in Indianapolis.

9 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Diving Preliminaries, Semifinals. 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 25, Championship and Consolation Finals in all swimming events; Diving Finals.

Wawasee wrestling team finishes in 50th place, Miller finishes 6th

The Wawasee boys wrestling team concluded their season at the Indiana High School Athletic Association State Finals Friday, Feb. 17, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.

Wawasee had four wrestlers qualify for this year’s State Finals: Kaleb Salazar, 106; Cameron Senter, 113; Hunter Miller, 152; and Donovan Blair, 195. Salazar (36-6) squared off against Milan’s Matt Baylor (48-4) in round one of the State Finals. Baylor defeated Salazar by decision (11-7) in what was a very hard fought match. Senter (31-11) took on Kokomo’s

Jalen May (45-2) in the 1st round, losing a very close match by decision (5-3).

Miller (37-8) competed against Hamilton Southeastern’s Zach Lang (34-8) in his 1st round matchup, winning by decision (3-0). Miller faced Evansville Mater Dei’s Hunter May (39-2) in the quarterfinal round, losing by fall. Miller was victorious by decision (5-0) over Merrillville’s Adrian Pellot (38-7) in the 1st round of the consolation round and was defeated by decision (6-2) by Tell City’s Tyce DuPont (41-5) in the 5th place match. Blair (29-14) was defeated in the 1st round match by major decision (17-6) by