Verbatim issue 4 15-16

Brownell-Talbot School • 400 North Happy Hollow Blvd • Omaha, NE 68132 • Volume 9, Issue 4• May 19, 2016 CLOCKWISE: Bailey DiNucci dances with lower school students following the walk run. The runners of the walk run get ready to sprint.

Following the race, a group of middle schoolers hug. Sophomore cheerleader Zoe Gaupp leads a dance circle of lower and middle school students to boost school spirit. Photos by Shelby Gibbins

Walk/Run Fun

This year Brownell Talbot’s Walk/ Run was held in honor of third grader, Maddie Shumaker. To show support for her, the Brownell Talbot community helped raise $10,000 to go towards cancer research. In addition, the Walk/Run T-shirts for this year featured a panda bear on them because Maddie’s favorite animal was a panda. In the pep rally, prior to walk run, Maddie’s parents gave a speech, and there was a performance from an accapella group, featuring senior Elise Siffring.

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May 19, 2016

After 21 years at BT

‘Madame’ Conrath says Au Revoir

By Denisse Navarro Verbatim Feature Editor

The first period bell rang as I entered her office. In her lilac collared wired oval glasses, and polished shirt, hair, she sat down across from (me) with a warm smile appearing on her face while she adjusted her seat.

Clasping her hands together on the table she prepares herself for the first question.

“Oh geez, that was a long time ago.

I mean that’s forty-two years ago. I don’t know if I could,” Brownell-Talbot French teacher Carolyn (Madame) Conrath said. “I mean, I think I was probably terrified. I think I was.”

Conrath came to this conclusion when asked to describe her very first day of teaching. She is retiring this year after 21 years of teaching at Brownell-Talbot.

“Well, originally when I was in high school I wanted to be a science biology major and save the world,” she said.

“I didn’t decide absolutely I wanted to teach until I first walked into a classroom and realized that it was really enjoyable to teach the kids something that they’ve never had before.”

Madame Conrath graduated from college in 1973 with a double major in French and English. After tackling an unpleasant student teaching experience, Conrath wasn’t entirely sure if she wanted to teach.

“I never thought I’d get a job teaching French but once I got into it, I loved it,” Conrath said.

She began teaching at Ralston High School that same year until 1980.

Conrath started teaching at Brownell in 1995 after coming back from her break in teaching to raise her daughter.

During that hiatus, Conrath tutored adults who were trying to get their G.E.D. at Metropolitan Community College. There, Conrath learned how

Mrs. Carolyn Conrath gets a big hug from a student at the conclusion of the Faculty Appreciation Day. Photo

by Rod Howe

much she truly loved teaching and what a profound effect teachers have on students.

“When they say or do something, it can really affect a person the rest of their life,” Conrath said. “Because criticism or ridicule by someone can just burn so deep.”

Wanting to make a return to teaching, Conrath began looking for a job.

She encountered some difficulties in her search but one day after returning from vacation, Conrath looked in the

newspaper she had previously disregarded and set aside.

“There was an ad for Brownell saying they wanted a part-time French teacher,” Conrath said.

Conrath thought the job would be perfect since it allowed her to continue leading her Girl Scout troop and to still be able to pick up her daughter from school.

She first began teaching first through fourth grade and then over

Continued on Page 3

May 19, 2016

Quiz Bowl

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Quiz Bowl team dominates competition • Season: September 15 to April 19 • Attended 11 tournaments in the Omaha area and Lincoln • Most tournaments had at least 30 teams competing • Awarded 15 different trophies • Nine first places • Three second places • Several fourth places • Brownell-Talbot A team: Lily Haas (8th), Ben Su (8th), Maddie Whitmore (7th), and Jack Cenovic (6th)

- Nine first places

- One second place

- Invited to participate in a National Junior Quiz Bowl Competition sponsored by Qunlimited in late May

Front: Chris Schinzel (6th Grade); Row Two: Lily Haas (8th), Maddie Whitmore (7th), Meg Wightman (6th), Mary Schinzel (6th); Row Three: Ben Su (8th), Ava Van De Graaff (8th), Akshay Mehta (6th); Back Row: Carson Propst (8th), Mrs. Carolyn Conrath, Kylie Haney (8th), Neal Agarwal (8th), Josh Randolph (6th), Jack Cenovic (6th)

Conrath leads Quiz Bowl team the years eventually expanded to teaching pre-school to eighth grade.

“It’s fun since you get to watch the kids grow up and improve their skills with them,” said Conrath.

Because Conrath teaches such a broad range of students, she has impacted and influenced a substantial number of students, including Brownell-Talbot sophomore Taylor Schuett.

“She was one of the first teachers I’d had at Brownell, and probably the one I had the longest,” Schuett said.

“My fondest memory of Madame Conrath was when she gave us personal typed notes at the very end of eighth grade. They were so nice that I still have mine to this day.”

Similarly to Schuett, Conrath has also kept mementos from her students over the years and hung them up on her walls both at home and her

office.

“I have a lot of priceless memories of the little kids drawing pictures and running up to me and giving it to me like it’s their most prized possession,” Conrath said. “But, I always make them sign it so I know who it’s from.”

Conrath smiled while recalling her favorite moments as a teacher.

“I love to see the, as I call it, light in their eyes when something clicks and they understand it,” said Conrath. “Or the kids who think my name is Madame and call me Mrs. Madame and then assume that I’m married to Mr. Madame.”

Conrath has also helped with Quiz Bowl and she organizes the annual French Market, as well. At this market, students set up booths like a fromagerie, a sorbet stand, crepes, and more.

Then students in grades below come in and order food with poker chips.

Continued from Page 2 Both students and faculty will miss Madame Conrath’s presence in the Brownell-Talbot community.

“It probably just won’t feel the same without her,” Schuett said.

However, students have wondered what exactly Madame will do next.

“I have beaucoup d’idées! I will volunteer more often at the food pantry and as an usher at the Holland and Orpheum. Perhaps I’ll even work as a barista at the coffee shop in the early hours.”

Additionally, Conrath explained she plans on spending more time with her grandsons in Baltimore and will continue to teach to some extent by tutoring middle school students at the local school. She has many plans for her retirement but stated that she will miss her students and the school.

“It’s definitely going to be hard,” Conrath said.

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May 19, 2016

Senior Julia Fiksinski (center) poses for a photo with teammates Lindon Liu and Laura Liu after the team won second place for math bowl at the state tournament. In addition to math, Fiksinski is also involved in a variety of other activities, including science research, piano, academic decathlon, and robotics. Photo by Jessica Ryan

Senior Julia Fiksinski achieves academic success

By Anjana Srikumar Verbatim Editor-in-Chief

At night, she can be found leaping mountains of homework with a single bound as she attempts to take down all of the challenges that stand in her way.

However, during the day, she discards her cape and spandex suit in favor of her plaid skirt, green shirt, and glasses.

Here’s a clue; it’s not superwoman; instead, it’s the mild-mannered and incredibly sweet senior Julia Fiksinski. During the day, she might not be a superhero, but that doesn’t make her accomplishments in math, science, Spanish, and music any less impressive.

This year, Fiksinski received the second highest score in Brownell Talbot history on the American Math Competition (AMC) 12. In addition, her score was high enough to qualify her to take the AIME exam, for which the results are still pending. Earlier this year at the state math competition, Fiksinski also achieved a high enough score on the Probe I exam, to qualify

for the next round of testing. Fiksinski believes her love of math is part of the reason she does so well at math competitions.

“Simply put, I enjoy solving math problems. Math is objective, and so I’ve found it more understandable than most subjects,” Fiksinski said. “Not only that, but math affects everyone — it’s a universal language and has countless applications.”

In addition to math, Fiksinski is interested in both Spanish and music.

Last year, Fiksinski took AP Spanish and is currently in the level above that, AP Spanish Literature, otherwise known as Spanish 6. As for music, in prior years she has played the piano at the district and state level and is currently learning how to play guitar. Her love for music is a passion that she doesn’t plan on letting go of soon.

“When I go to college, I’d like to find a way to bring music into my future major, so I can keep on learning and improving,” Fiksinski said.

For three years, Fiksinski has been

the writer of the log book and co-engineer of the 1028A robotics team, and for all three of those years, her team has qualified for the world robotics tournament. Because of her exposure to engineering, she intends to major in computer engineering at MIT, while still utilizing her music skills and learning more about guitar. Following her undergraduate graduation, she intends to go to graduate school, where she aspires to be a software engineer.

In her spare time, when she isn’t working on her own interests and talents, she’s doing whatever she can to help other people. Fiksinski volunteers at different hospitals and organizations; in addition, she recently started researching at UNMC to find possible cures for cancer.

“Ultimately, I’d like to help others and make the world a better place.

That goal is fairly nebulous, but I think it’s more important than any other plan I could consider for my future,” Fiksinski said.

May 19, 2016

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Profile

Student rises as local chess celebrity

By Victoria Lei

Verbatim Copy Editor

He plays for the Brownell-Talbot chess team, he plays chess competitively on his own time, and he could probably win a game of chess in his sleep.

Senior Abhinav Suresh is perhaps one of the most well-known chess players in the Omaha community.

With a chess rating of 1983, he is currently in the 95th percentile nationwide, as the average high school chess player has a rating of 1100.

Chess players gain or lose points from winning or losing against other players.

He is currently ranked fourth in the state of Nebraska, and he has been a Nebraska State High School champion twice. Suresh, however, is not only good, he truly enjoys the game of chess.

“I like chess because of the community,” Suresh said. “It doesn’t matter who you are, where you come from, what kind of car you drive, how much money you make. You just play.

And it’s all about you. Nothing else determines your success except you.”

He wasn’t always brilliant at chess.

In fact, it took a lot of hard work to get to where he is now.

“I studied famous games of the old masters, studied endgames, did practice positions, played blitz, and did calculation exercises,” Suresh said.

Now, Suresh has made a name for himself. The Gambit, Nebraska’s chess journal, frequently mentions Suresh’s name, and even brands him as a “chess superstar.”

Suresh can often be seen in the commons, playing a game of chess on his phone or laptop. He considers constant practice to be crucial in determining success.

“Your brain slows down if you don’t keep up. That’s why people that play once a year don’t really get bet-

Senior Abhinav Suresh, the two-time Nebraskan state champion, took time out of his schedule to teach third grade students how to play chess. Suresh has one of the highest rankings in both Nebraska and the nation, as he is ranked in the 95th percentile nationwide. Photo by Yumi Yu

ter,” Suresh said. “The better people you play, the more you study, and the more you work, the better you play.”

He plans on continuing to improve his chess skills in college at Columbia University, which has one of the best chess teams in the country.

“Abhinav will move into wider chess circles that will continue to improve his game. I expect he could earn the rank of Master in a couple years after leaving BT, if he continues to play, and Grand Master shortly after graduating college,” said Mr. Robert Goetschkes, one of Suresh’s chess mentors. “This is significant because a Grand Master can typically earn a living at playing chess full time.”

Suresh, however, likes to play all positions on the field. His diversity of interests and talents is evident in that, in addition to chess, he participates and excels in speech, competition math, and academic decathlon.

As a seasoned speech veteran with

three state speech gold medals for Extemporaneous Speaking, he has become widely known in the speech community and has carried the speech team through its many ups and downs the past four years.

Likewise, Suresh’s success in extracurricular activities is apparent in his academic endeavors, with major accomplishments under his belt. He was named as a National Merit Finalist, an AP Scholar, and a Presidential Scholars candidate. The Omaha World-Herald recognized him with honorable mention for his academic success, and he received the Believers and Achievers Award for his achievements in NSAA activities.

Suresh’s hard work is clearly reflected in both his feats in chess and in his involvement in countless other activities. His hard work has contributed significantly to Brownell-Talbot and exemplifies the highest ideals this school holds.

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May 19, 2016

Left: Libby Garfoot strikes a graceful pose in the middle of a floor routine.

Below: Garfoot performs on bars at a competition Photos Courtesy of Libby Garfoot

Sophomore raising the bar in elite sport

By Ryan Ehresman Verbatim Sports Editor

Ever since the age of 4, sophomore Libby Garfoot has been competing for Premier Gymnastics. Garfoot credits her parents for her start in gymnastics.

“My parents were tired of me climbing up the counters and getting into the cabinets of our kitchen, so they put me in gymnastics,” Garfoot said.

Garfoot is a Level 10 gymnast and competes in the Senior A division during meets, which includes mostly older sophomores and younger juniors in high school. Her favorite gymnasts are Nastia Liukin from the United States and Viktoria Komova from Russia. Garfoot also participates in regional meets where she is part of the team for Nebraska and in national meets. At these meets, Garfoot is part of multiple categories.

“I compete in all-around, vault, bars, beam, and floor, but my favorite is bars, and my best is probably vault,” Garfoot said.

Garfoot says that male and female gymnastics are very different. There are different events, requirements, equipment, and skills. She is currently in the middle of her gymnastics season.

“I’ve gotten my highest score ever as a level ten gymnast this year, and I have several new and very difficult skills in my routines,” Garfoot said.

Through the years, Garfoot has developed a collection of gymnastics memories formed with her teammates and coaches during trips and competitions.

“The best parts are just getting to travel all over the place with your friends and having the opportunity to be independent and meet so many incredible people,” she said. “I love summer workouts because I’m around my teammates all the

time. We just become so close, and we get to work on new skills.

Coaches are a lot more laid back, but travelling is just so awesome. I also enjoyed catching my first geinger, which is a laid out flip with a half turn, then catching the bar again,” Garfoot said. “It is my hardest skill on bars, but also the coolest.

I was very happy because it was the last day before my coach moved to Montana, and I finally got it after multiple missed attempts.

The time requirements for gymnastics can be rigorous.

The tough schedule makes balancing school life a little more difficult for Garfoot.

“I practice five days a week for about five hours. On Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays, I go after school and then get home at about 9:15p.m. On Saturdays, I practice 8a.m. to 12:30p.m., and on Sundays it’s 11a.m to 4p.m. In the summer, we practice Monday-Friday, for five to seven hours,” Garfoot said. “I miss a lot of school for competitions, but stay on top of my work because if I want to compete in college, I need to have the grades to get a scholarship. We compete from January through May, and I miss about two to three days of school for each competition. We have about eight to ten competitions.”

All the hard work takes Garfoot a step closer toward her personal goal of being able to compete at the collegiate level.

College athletics is a tough field to participate in, but Garfoot has set goals to get herself there.

“I would like to compete for a Division 1 school for college on a full scholarship in a couple years. This year, I would like to go to nationals again and place in the top 15 all around and top 5 in a single event,” she said. “I also have many goals, including new skills I would like to achieve to increase the difficulty of my routines.”

May 19, 2016

Profile

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Jeff Chubb, Assistant Director of Facilities & Campus Safety, discusses school parking with Joe Rotert, Director of Facilities & Campus Safety, Photo by Yumi Yu

Jeff Chubb strengthens campus security

By Rana Isaczai

Verbatim Feature Editor

Weaving in and out through traffic on the highway, Jeff Chubb puts his foot on the accelerator and is now zooming past cars in an attempt to catch the felon speeding. He can almost taste the victory as the car in front of him slows down to a stop at the edge of the highway.

Chubb slowly opens the car door and exits. He walks smoothly to the window of his culprit and grabs his pen and pad. The window steadily rolls down to expose a fellow in white face makeup, crazy hair with tufts flying everywhere and a red nose. The man gives an exasperated sigh and says, “Oh no, I’m going to be late to the party.”

Mr. Chubb has to blink his eyes a few times before registering that he just pulled over a clown. Disbelievingly, he stifles a laugh and lets him off with a warning.

“Now the kids don’t want a sad clown at their party do they?” thought Mr. Chubb, now the Assistant Director of Campus Safety at BT. Although working with the police force has crazy moments like these, Jeff Chubb still loves it. Getting his inspiration from his father who worked in the Air Force as a missile launch officer, Mr. Chubb said, “I always had a drive to serve for my country; it was

always a big dream of mine.”

After high school Mr. Chubb went to college for a few years, then pursued his first job in Germany. He worked in the Air Force like his father.

Mr. Chubb then decided to settle in Omaha and joined the Offutt Air Force Base. There, he was in charge of training for the MP’s.

A captain and reserve officer in charge of the reserve program at Offutt soon recruited Mr. Chubb to join the Omaha police department after 15 years working in the military. His previous jobs in the Air Force were very similar and this allowed him to apply for a position in the Omaha Police Department where he had his comic encounter with the clown.

While on the police force, Mr. Chubb worked with the children who came to the police station.

“Children have always been a passion for me,” Mr. Chubb said.

Mr. Chubb and his wife currently have seven children with whom he loves spending his spare time.

Chubb previously had the experience of working with children before Brownell-Talbot by working in the special victim’s unit in the Omaha Police Department.

This included situations ranging from child abuse and neglect cases to child death. He enjoyed working with children, even in difficult circumstanc-

es, and has always had a soft heart for helping kids.

“I am always overcome with a feeling of joy when I see the lower school kids saying good morning to me,” Mr. Chubb said.

Mr. Chubb’s drive to serve and protect comes from his passion for children. Although working with the military and police force before, he is now an essential part of the BT faculty in maintaining the safety and security of the school.

Mr. Chubb was hired this year for a new position that is still undergoing the process of being developed. He currently handles everything from the security of access cards to the safety of playground equipment and ice on the road as well as other more tedious tasks. His work is never done and his previous experience makes him a great asset to the community.

“I have contacts who work for Warren Buffett and Berkshire Hathaway as well as myself working at Ameritrade,” Mr. Chubb said.

He has acquired many skills through the jobs he has done; and because of this experience in the security world he believes he can develop a position for him and Brownell that has a drive. Mr. Chubb especially likes his job because it presents him with a challenge and occupation he hasn’t done before.

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May 19, 2016

David Bredthauer poses with his favorite bass. This photo was done to promote one of his bands, Us and Them.

Bredthauer: The man behind the music

By Jack Bydalek

Verbatim Business Manager

Junior David Bredthauer has a passion for music and a love for all things bass. He participates in the blues band Us and Them and the jazz band Escape from Alcajazz. His passion for the bass burns brightly, easily bearing the title of the best bassist in Brownell, and it all started from a peculiar place.

“This is kind of embarrassing, but when I was in first and second grade I played a lot of Guitar Hero with my brother, “ Bredthauer said. ”He always took the guitar part, so I always played the bass part. Eventually I just liked the idea of playing bass, so I signed up for it when I got the form for fifth grade band.”

On top of being a great musician, he excels at the skill of performance. He has high energy and is always trying to entertain the audience while on the stage or preforming in chapel.

“I absolutely love the fact that each performance is unique,“ he says. “Nothing is played the exact same way every time. It’s a special, one time moment for both the performer and the audience. I also really like the adrenaline rush from being on stage.”

Bredthauer treasures the time he has spent working with all of the people he has met in the music business, with one of his favorite moments being from his first gig.

“I’ll always remember my first real gig with my blues

band, Us and Them,” he said. ”I was in seventh grade at the time, with three weeks to learn two hours worth of songs, a skill which I hadn’t ever had to use before. It was intense and I messed up a few times, but it really opened up my eyes to how awesome playing live music could be.”

Just like all juniors, he is revving up to apply to college in the coming months. While most are trying to figure out where to go and what to do with their life, Bredthauer seems to have it all figured out. Even with the expected workload, he still intends to pursue his passion of performance and playing music.

“I definitely plan to continue playing music in college. In terms of majors, I’m still researching what I would like to do. Currently thinking of broadcast journalism, with an emphasis on production aspect, and either a minor or double major in music, as well as a minor in Music Technology,” Bredthauer said. “But really it’s all up for debate. In terms of colleges, I’m thinking about UNL, Brown University, Carnegie Mellon, Oberlin, Northwestern, and University of Michigan, among others.”

Regardless of where Bredthauer lands, you can bet that he’ll be playing music for whoever will listen.

“I have an extremely emotional connection to music,” he says. “Playing music has allowed me to meet some of the greatest people I know. The communal and cooperative aspect of music is amazing. Music is something I can, and will continue to do, for the rest of my life.”

May 19, 2016

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Students bring voices to Pirate Radio

By Yumi Yu

Verbatim Photo Editor

It’s four o’clock after school, appealing melodies float from Mr. JR Gould’s room. Different voices of Upper School students blend with one another. This is Brownell-Talbot School’s accapella group.

Pirate Radio was formed in the spring of 2014, to fill the need for an extracurricular vocal ensemble for those students who looking to pursue more singing and a greater performing challenge than what school can offer in the regular concert choir class.

“I wanted to join PR (Pirate Radio) because last year at the Gala and pitch perfect event I thought it looked like a lot of fun,” said junior Shelby Gibbins, who is a member of Upper School choir and also plays the major roles in school musicals.

In the auditions, Mr. Gould, the Middle School and Upper School music teacher and the director of Pirate Radio, looks for people who can sing harmonies, have good control over their voices.

“I am also looking for people who can perform like white-hot grease fires of pure entertainment,” Mr. Gould said.

“I listened to a lot of different songs and decided which would be the easiest to sing along to or find a harmony for. Afterwards, I asked my dad (Mr. Gould) for help,” said freshman Jamie Gould, who is also participating in the Golden Tones, the Upper School jazz band.

During the last winter season, Pirate Radio won a Gold Award, which is a top rating at the Midland University Festival of the Arts, and secured the Audience Choice award at Nebraska Wesleyan University’s Youth In Harmony competition. In this spring season, Pirate Radio also won the top rating at the District Music Contest in April.

During the final rehesal before the spring Upper School concert, Emma Kuhn, Maya Mathews, Wyatt Smith (LEFT), Delaney Fitzgerald, Claire Hickman, Audrey Graves, Elyse Davis, Maddy Vovk, Jamie Gould, Olivia Powers (BELOW) sing out the notes. Pirate Radio performed three songs at the concert. Photos by Yumi Yu

“With a larger group and an improvement in music-reading skills, we’re able to do arrangements with more complex rhythms and thicker harmonies,” said Mr. Gould. “The winter lineup of Pirate Radio worked hard at performing with energy and fun, not just singing the notes. I think that will probably be a major point of emphasis for the spring group as well.”

In addition to the Midland, Wesleyan, and district music contests, the winter and spring schedules also included singing for the eighth

grade choir recruiting performance, a Kindergarten admissions event, the spring upper school concert, and the annual Pitch Perfect Gala event where this group first debuted in 2014.

“This year’s singers are definitely fast learners; they are very skilled musicians, able to read their voice parts right off the page without a lot of help,” said Mr. Gould. “We’re lucky to have some really killer soloists in the group as well. They all really gel socially, so we have a lot of fun in rehearsal.”

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May 19, 2016

Below: Mr. Jules DeSalvo works on samplers to be used in the Spring Play. Photo by Yumi Yu Right: The soundboard used to operate sound effects and background music during the Spring Play. Photo by Rod Howe

Sound effects shape spring performance

By Roman Constantino Verbatim Entertainment Editor

“The overhead mics are going crazy right now,” says junior Taylor Stuke as she observes the flashing theatre soundboard. “I think it’s from the fan that’s drying the paint on the wardrobe.”

The theatre is humming with commotion as the tech crew for the 2015-2016 spring play is buzzing around the theatre, scrambling to get set pieces and equipment perfectly functional.

The actors are backstage getting makeup and costumes on, preparing for the final dress rehearsal. Everyone is working together to put on a performance for the books.

The Theatre Department held a three-day performance of C.S Lewis’ The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe. The mesmerizing show featuring sophomore Tess Foxall and eighth grader Trent Hollis was put on in the Swanson auditorium.

The audience encountered the characters the students have played firsthand during the performance, but a job equally as important as the responsibility the actors hold to memorize lines and stage cues, is the task that most likely went unnoticed by the audience: the task of memorizing stage cues and developing sound effects that keep the show on track and even help it make sense.

To help better understand the work behind the scenes for the 2015-16 spring play, Music Teacher Jules Desalvo has taken time to answer questions that the audience might have for the audio engineers who develop sound effects for the play in BT’s own Music Technology class.

“It starts with reading the script several times and making notes,” Desalvo says.

After the engineers are well versed in the lines and cues of the play, the director then gives advice and requests to “shape” the sound effects to how she feels is fit for the performance.

During this process, the engineers have to be able to visualize for themselves what the director means when they want the effect

to sound a certain way to make the performance happen exactly the way the director originally imagined. During this project, various adjectives and onomatopoeia such as “round,” “zippier,” or even “whoosh” are used to describe the sound desired.

The sounds are then made via computer programs such as Audacity and Garageband. Sound effects can be found online, or recorded live. A sound effect you may have heard during the performance is the sound of a stone table breaking, courtesy of sophomore Peter Rice and Art teacher Colby Wheelock. The effects, once performed, are then converted into the appropriate format to be put into a sampler. With a sampler, various sound effects can be made with the touch of a button in real-time. This means sound effects can be played live during the play, making the performance seem more realistic and believable.

Some sound effects, however, were difficult to attain. An example of a difficult sound effect to perfect is when Aslan the Lion roars. Due to the fact that Aslan is a supernatural lion, Mr. Desalvo wanted a roar that sounded “larger than life.”

To get the sound Mr. Desalvo and director Aileen Zeigler wanted, Mr. Desalvo dug through his library of hundreds of Lion sounds. However, none of them fit quite like they wanted. The solution, according to Mr. Desalvo, was to “blend several animal sounds together to get something that sounded more like a cinematic lion.” Sound effects were then added in the background to make the sound more cinematic. This method of blending numerous animal sound effects together to form a new sound was used in the Steven Spielberg movie E.T. Sounds heard during the performance were controlled from the back of the auditorium from a soundboard that is connected to a live sampler controlled by a Novation Launchpad, so effects can be played to sync to the actor’s movements and dialogue.

Brownell Talbot’s performance of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe, based on the Novel by C.S Lewis, was performed April 15-17.

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May 19, 2016

Theatre director produces summer musical at Elkhorn

By Shelly Zhang Verbatim News Editor

“We all dream a lot — some are lucky, some are not. But if you think it, want it, dream it, then it’s real. You are what you feel.” — Prologue “You are what you feel,” Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

A musical that will keep your toes tapping and will make you laugh out loud, this is a story in which dreams become true.

This summer, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat will be performed at the Elkhorn Community Theatre, directed by BT’s very own theatre arts teacher, Mrs. Aileen Zeigler.

“I was contacted by a BT parent [who is] a member of the board of Elkhorn Community Theatre,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “Some of the members have seen shows here [BT]. Based off the works they have seen me produced, they wanted to ask me to direct this year.”

Despite Mrs. Zeigler’s busy schedule of teaching middle and upper school theatre arts classes and directing the spring play, the production of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat still fits within her schedule, since the work begins in late April and runs through June. Most importantly, working with the Elkhorn Community Theatre is a unique opportunity for Mrs. Zeigler because the auditions are open to both youth and adult actors.

“Directing the show with an 8-year-old and maybe a 75-year-old is going to be a very neat experience,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “I like that there are lots of families that do the show together.”

The story of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat is adapted from the Bible story of “The Coat of Many Colors.” The musical is filled with infectious music and thrilling plots.

“It is a classic story. A lot of people recognize it,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “And it is also fun.”

Starting with involvement in a community theatre as a child, Mrs. Zeigler has developed a lifelong passion to tell stories on stage. According to her, she can’t recall anytime that she has not been involved in the theatre.

“I love the collaborative nature of theatre,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “I like to do educational theatre because I like the relationship built with the students and opportunities we have for learning.”

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Mrs. Zeigler joined the BT community in the fall of 2014, teaching all the theatre classes and producing four shows: Shrek, The Game Is Afoot, The Addams Family, and The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe. Before that, Mrs. Zeigler was a Spanish/Drama teacher at a high school in Atlanta, Georgia for five years. Mrs. Zeigler established the first theatre program there and created opportunities for students who loved theatre.

“There were a handful of kids that wanted to do theatre,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “In four years, we got to a point that we raised $20,000 one school year and put on a musical.”

Mrs. Zeigler brought Thespian Society to BT in 2015, of which sophomore Audrey Graves is a member. She has taken Mrs. Zeigler’s acting class and performed in three productions.

According to Graves, Mrs. Zeigler is a considerate and understanding teacher who has expanded the theatre department at BT enormously over the past two years.

“Mrs. Zeigler definitely knows her stuff.

She has a knack for getting kids to listen but better yet understand what she is teaching,” Graves said. “She has transformed the theatre program into so much more than a show. I can’t wait to go to college, come back, and see what excellence she is sculpting.”

Mrs. Zeigler also has aided incoming freshmen in gaining an excitement for BT’s theater arts program. Freshman Jade Griffin has grown her interest in technical theatre as she has helped with productions this year.

“She knows how to put everyone into a hardworking set of mind when you need to get a big job accomplished in a small amount of time,” Griffin said. “If it wasn’t for her I would have never joined theater and I wouldn’t have gotten as involved into theatre as I am now.”

With a student body full of talent on campus, Mrs. Zeigler is seeking the involvement of the BT community for her production Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat at Elkhorn Community Theatre. She hopes to bring freshness to the BT theatre arts program by her own directing experience outside the school as well.

“Any experience directing and working with different people gives you new ideas and different information,” Mrs. Zeigler said. “Working in a different space, I will see how they’ve done things and might be able to bring ideas back.”

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Living

May 19, 2016

Local Music Scene

Waiting Room Love4OneAnother: A Tribute to Prince- 5/26 at 8 Mandolin Orange- 5/31 at 9 Satchel Grande with CJ Mills- 6/4 at 9 CeeLo Green- 6/16 at 9 JAGAJA Album Release Show- 6/24 at 9 Blitzen Trapper- 6/27 at 8 Twin Peaks with NE-H1 and Eric in Outerspace- 6/29 at 9 Electric Six with In The Whale- 7/5 at 9 The Black Lips- 7/11 at 9 The Tallest Man On Earth with Lady Lamb- 7/18 at 8 Saint Motel with MUNA- 7/25 at 9 Deerhoof- 8/4 at 9 BluesEd Season Finale- 8/7 at 2 PM*** Dick Dale- 8/9 at 9 The Fall of Troy with ‘68 and Illusrations- 8/15 at 8 Juniors Gabi Basile and Elyse Davis perform as part of the blues band, Voodoo Vinyl. Photo by Shelby Gibbins

Slowdown Dreamers with The Young Wild and The Way Out- 5/30 at 8 The Superbytes Album Release Show- 6/3 at 9 Sam Beam and Jesca Hoop with Marlon Williams- 6/8 at 8 Andy Black with Colours- 6/10 at 8 The Strumbellas- 6/15 at 8 Sokol Purity Ring with Lydia Ainsworth- 5/31 at 8 Tyler the Creator with Taco- 6/5 at 8 Blue October- 6/18 at 7:30 Maha Music Festival- 8/20 Passion Pit Grimes Vince Staples The Joy Formidable Matthew Sweet Jay Farrar Trio Diarrhea Planet Car Seat Headrest Diet Cig See Through Dresses Josh Hoyer and Soul Colossal

LEARN. THINK. ACT.

Lead

***Featuring Brownell Talbot’s own David Bredthauer, Elyse Davis, Wyatt Smith, Gabi Basille, Roman Constantino, and Ethan Foxall