Peter and Wendy: GK Upcoming Magellan

Musicals, now synonymous with Lin Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton and probably a middle school phase of yours, have now hit Graham Kapowsin (even if it does so annually). The captivating Peter and Wendy is being produced by a wonderful company of students here at GK at this very moment. In this lyrical, atmospheric interpretation of Peter Pan, Jeremy Bloom strips the familiar story down to its emotional essence. Peter lures Wendy away from her nursery to the world of Neverland, where she joins his adventures with TinkerBell, the menacing Captain Hook, and many others! A low-tech, inventive adaptation that pays homage to the darker themes of J. M. Barrie's original, and captures the true imagination of child’s play. As captivating as the play sounds, the cast and crew are equally as enchanting.

Why should a student take the time out of their day to go see Peter and Wendy? (speaking from an objective point of view)

“Well, obviously we spend a lot of time working really hard on putting the play together and it's supposed to be a fun thing to do for all of us. It would be really cool if all the other people came to see what we spent so much time working on. OH- and there's a lot of seniors in this play and so it's their last show at the school. I feel like there's a lot of people who should come support our seniors!”

-Mackenzie, Freshman at GK, Prop Crew.

How impressional do you believe the play to be? How would it change someone who came to watch it?

“Oooh. I'm hoping that the play will allow the folks watching to reminisce a little bit cause I think most people have a familiarity with the story Peter Pan, but i'm also hoping that when they watch it (since it's not the same story) they'll be able to remember but also build off of those child memories that they have when they see the bigger messages within the play.”

How does it feel to be so crucial in the expression of the arts for kids at GK...a vessel of sorts?

“I wouldn't necessarily say I'm the center of that, I have two roles: I'm the director of the play and the advisor of the Drama club, and I think both of those are me pointing people in the right direction and letting them be creative! So, I always really enjoy watching the process happen, because I choose the play and have my own ideas of what the product is going to be. But I really try to give the tech crews and the actors creative license to do what they want to do with it, and whatever happens at the end is so much better than what I initially imagined.”

-Mrs. Doyle, Theater Teacher, Drama club Advisor, and Director of Peter and Wendy.

By shadowing a tech day, it made it possible to gather engaging interviews and overall, watch the magic happen behind the scenes. Though, amongst the indistinctive creative chatter of the workplace, the words “Levy budget cut” murmured across the empty GK hallways. It was unavoidable, with the celebration of a new play, came the sadness of the end. Many students in theater mourn the idea of a cut in extracurriculars, which include the theater department. With this comes the death of the arts, the killing of creative expression and safe spaces. Kids find commonality on the stage and refuge in the theatrics, why must we strip this from those who need it? Kids involved with musical arts and art communities within school are more likely to devote themselves to school work and attendance. By cutting theater, aren’t we limiting that? Amidst the bitter-sweetness of it all, Peter and Wendy is a tremendous breakthrough. With all the blood, sweat, and tears of students who all drink the same Darigold chocolate milk cartons as you do. On May 6th, 7th, 13th, and 14th (7pm for all showings), Peter and Wendy will be FREE to see in the auditorium of Graham Kapowsin. Even the kid who walks slowly in the hallways and makes everyone late will be able to see this memory inducing masterpiece.

Student Athlete Highlight: Robert Dryer in Football

We’ve decided to start highlighting some of our amazing student athletes and talking about their achievements, because as we all know, we love sports here. To start off this series, which will feature as many players from as many sports as possible, we have Robert Dryer, a varsity football player.

Robert has played football for seven game seasons, and has played three seasons for the school as a lineman. Under Coach Kurle’s supervision, Robert, and the rest of the Eagles team have played an undefeated season (again, of course) This last season, the team carried through a series of constant wins, all the way up to an interstate championship, the GEICO bowl, where they won against another highly ranked team.

Robert was also asked a series of questions about his time and football, here are his answers.

1. Why did you start playing football?

Robert: Because football is like a battlefield of a sport, it’s like having ten brothers out on the field working for the same thing

2. Can you explain the role you play on the team?

Robert: I’m a linemen so my job on offense is to block for the quarterback and make sure the ball gets out

3. Do you think your team performed well in their last season? Why or why not?

Robert: Obviously we performed really well because we got all the way to Vegas, and it was a phenomenal season for individual players as well. We had a lot of senior star players, but underclassmen got to the spotlight as well.

The Aftermath of Covid

Awesome, two weeks of no school! Now it’s been two months since the lockdown and we’re in online school. Wow. Two years later and we’re actually going back to school but the school divided the students in two different sections. But Hey! We’re finally doing full in person school after 3 years, yet we still have to wear masks. Until on March 12, 2022 when GK finally lifted the mandatory mask rule.

Graham Kapowsin High School, a place where young minds come to learn and get that high school experience, but we were in a pandemic. Now that Covid is somewhat out of the way, we can not change the fact that the global pandemic changed everyone’s perspective and attitude in life. Most students and staff at GK now suffer from social anxiety because of the isolation we endured over the past years. It became even more difficult when we had masks because with the masks it came with insecurities. After the mandatory mask rule was lifted, some students kept their masks on. They could have other reasons, but a few developed some self consciousness. We’ve developed insecurities through the isolation and the masks. Not only that but, people at GK still get Covid, even with the masks.

Now let’s talk about the 6 Foot Rule. In 2021, when the school was doing hybrid learning. The students and staff members were not allowed within sniffing distance from each other. No one was allowed to touch anyone. No high-fives. No hugs. No nothing. But did anyone listen? No they did not. Most students did all of those things. Why do you ask? Because who wouldn’t? Teenagers should be able to show public affection to their friends or partners, because of how long they were alone for and were not able to hangout with them. Now that Covid is out of the way, there is now the 3 Foot Rule at GK, and no one even bothered to follow that rule. Not even most teachers. Classroom chairs were 5 inches away from each other. It was not the fault of the students nor staff, it was because of how we were cramped in an unfinished school that still needs some work, since Covid struck.

Online school was just not it for most people. Some might prefer online, but in person helps you learn more and helps you comprehend what you’re actually learning. No distractions at all. Whether you like In Person or Zoom, In Person is the way to go. Whereas in Zoom, you can have your camera off, microphone muted, and you can be in a complete other room when your teacher is trying to teach.

The Before and After of Covid at GK is a complete difference. Before the school was somewhat organized. Not many problems were going on. Well except that, students stole soap dispensers, but that was pretty much it. Now the aftermath of Covid. GK is falling somewhat apart. No levy’s are getting approved, Bathrooms are a problem now for many reasons, Drama spreading like wildfire, Anonymous students making instagram accounts, some can be good, some can be inconvenient. Students are pushed to do their very best to actually graduate but we’re so tired all of the time, and the list goes on. Was this supposed to be the High School experience we wanted when we as students wanted for the shows we watched? Or was this just a way to show what GK is like after the aftermath of Covid? You choose, Make a change.