DMHO take first Dove Award

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

NASHVILLE, TN - Christian music has handed out it's version of the Grammy's - known as the Dove Awards - and a Plymouth High School graduate walked away from the event with his first honor.

Denver Bierman and the Mile High Orchestra took their first Dove Award in the category of 'Best Children's Album of the Year' won by the bands latest offering entitled "Groovy". The project is a collection of kids songs written and performed in the bands distinct style that is as popular with parents as it is their children.

"We worked with 'Go Fish' on this album and they're really the rock stars of kids music these days," said Denver from his home in Nashville. "It was a lot of fun and I think it really helped us."

The songs are personal for Denver and come from experience.

"Having kids changes you and I think being a Dad made me realize I wanted to have a musical opportunity of encouraging the next generation," said Denver. "I remember the artists and songs I used to sing when I was five or six years old and I still sing them. I wanted to do some kids songs that were inspired by our band, that the lyrics were definitely for kids but had some musical maturity that their parents could enjoy too."

It also gave the band a chance to put their stamp on a song by a music icon - putting their unique take on an old Bob Dylan song 'Man Gave Names to all the Animals'.

"That was a really cool thing to be able to take a song from a legend like Bob Dylan and put our stamp on it," said Denver. "I think we had a really jazzy, cool feel to it. I was really happy with it I think it came our really well."

The Dove Award is the first industry award for DMHO that has garnered critical praise and a devoted fan base over the years.

"First of all I'm just delighted that they would consider us," said Denver. "We've been at this a long time and it really is a chance to be confirmed in what we're doing. We've never really been a mainstream, pop radio band we've just tried to be a band that everybody could enjoy - a band for the American family. What could be better than being a band for the American family?"

Listen to "Groovy" at http://www.denvermho.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=137.

PHS club hopes to have impact with mock crash

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - Sometimes there is nothing like a visual example to help learning. The Plymouth High School Leaders Eliminating Alcohol and Drugs (LEAD) club hopes that will be the case on Thursday.

The club will be holding a mock crash at 10 a.m. in front of the High School to be witnessed by the student body. Students, teachers, sheriff's deputies, firefighters and emergency medical technicians will be participating in the event, which will include real wrecked automobiles, an ambulance, deputy cruisers, fire trucks and a helicopter.

Knowing that every 50 minutes somebody dies in a car accident due to drinking and driving each year LEAD tries to make the point especially during prom season. The mock crash is a tool they have used several times in the past.

"We've been doing something for at least 12 years or so," said Gene Skirvin, teacher at PHS and sponsor of the club. "We don't do this each year and the last time was three years ago."

"The Mock Crash is meant to discourage teens from drinking and driving not only on prom night, which will be held the following Saturday, but also throughout their lives," said Skirvin. "Since it's so close to prom we want to make an effort to show teens the seriousness in making the right choices. Teens can destroy their own lives, and lives around them just by using bad judgment one night."

The reaction has been positive.

"The students witnessing the mock crash have even very serious and sober in the past," said Skirvin. "If we can save the life of just one person, because they don't drink and drive it was a success.  It is just like a lot of things in education, in the fact, that you may never know the impact that was made."

The Mock Crash will be based on a young driver who is under the influence of alcohol. Rescue workers will then re-enact what happens at the crash scene.

Riverside student making a difference

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - A Riverside Intermediate student is taking the fight against cancer personally.

Jewel Brown lost her grandmother to ovarian cancer four years ago. Now she's raising money at her school to help fight the deadly disease. She has been holding a raffle for items that she purchased herself to contribute to the fight against cancer.

"She came in and presented the plan to me completely mapped out from beginning to end exactly how she was going to do it," said Riverside Principal Donna Burroughs. "I was very impressed and I told her we would do what we could to help her."

She knew she'd need more than a few helping hands to carry off the task so Jewel also enlisted her friends; Jenna Downs, Sam Carroll, Selena Cunningham, Katlin Jones, Chelsea Baca, Jennifer Moreno, Jenny Mendez, and Maria Gonzalez who is herself a cancer survivor.

"My friends have been such a big help to me, doing this with them has been great, I couldn't do it alone," said Jewel. "My teacher Miss (Kim) Burns really helped me and encouraged me."

On special days at Riverside teachers are allowed to wear jeans to work and in return for the privilege they donate money to support certain charities. Jewel's teacher convinced the group to donate their jean's money to her during her fundraiser.

She's been able to raise several hundred dollars, one student alone contributed $20 to purchase tickets. For Jewel it appears that it is just a start to a lifetime plan to help others.

"I always knew I wanted to have a fundraiser and I'm sure I'll do another one next year, maybe for another cause," she said. "I just like to see the joy in people's eyes and the surprise when you do something to help them. It makes me feel bad when I see people depressed because there's nobody there to give them any help.

"I think my grandma would be proud of me. Even when she was sick she never wanted any of us to worry or feel down. She always did whatever she could to make us feel good."

PHS grad named Ms. America

ANAHEIM, CA – Nicole Rash from Plymouth, Indiana was crowned Ms. America 2012 at the national pageant held Sunday, April 15, 2012 at the Doubletree Suites by Hilton Anaheim Resort in Anaheim, California.

State and regional titleholders from across the United States competed in five categories including interview, sportswear, fashion wear, evening gown and on-stage question.

Rash was Miss Indiana 2007, and received first runner-up in the Miss America Pageant in 2008. She is currently employed as a model, actress, and corporate spokesperson, and will complete her bachelor’s degree in Spanish from Ball State University in May.

Rash is also a philanthropist and is especially passionate about her platform of service "Breath Easy - Keeping our Youth Smoke and Tobacco Free." After losing 3 of her grandparents to smoking related illness, her cause is close to her heart and she has spoken to over 25,000 students so far about staying smoke free. She is a Presidential Scholarship Winner and will graduate with an overall 3.85 GPA.

As Ms. America 2012, Rash is honored to represent an organization that enriches the lives of women across the country and is passionate about continuing to give back to others through philanthropic endeavors and being the inspiration that helps others achieve their dreams.

Medieval tradition continues for PHS club

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - It's a step back to the future as Plymouth High School's Alpha Delta Rho is having their annual Medieval Dinner this Friday. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Show starts at 6 p.m. Tickets are $5 in advance, $6 at the door.

The dinner is a long standing tradition for the club and includes a play written, directed and performed by the student members. While the theme is medieval, the plot usually includes some more modern references.

"We found over the years that comedy works best for this setting," said PHS teacher Kyle Coffman who took over advising the club from Ann Leichty the founder of the tradition. "And while we stay with the medieval setting we usually incorporate some things that parody modern events. Last year instead of the H1N1 (flu) epidemic we had the B1P1 which of course stood for black plague.

"This year we parody the Occupy Wall Street movement with Occupy the Castle. They all have their iQuills instead of iPads and there is a parody of our society's fascination with bounty hunters."

Members start writing the show in November each year - a natural for a literary club.

"It's a lot of fun to see those seeds of ideas start and watch them grow," said Coffman.

The show also includes the Crimson Connection performing the songs "Peg Leg Pete" and "Scarborough Fair." The play and dinner is a fundraiser for the group and the menu includes chicken, potatoes, scones, and lemonade.

Tickets are available at the door or from an Alpha Delta Rho member.

Jeffirs brings a passion for her work back "home"

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - She's hardly a newcomer to the area, but it has been quite awhile. And on her return she comes very well recommended.

In 1980 Milene (Ferrazza) Jeffirs spent her senior year at Plymouth High School as an exchange student from her native Brazil. At the end of that year she returned home to pursue what would be a very illustrious career in psychology.

Several years ago she reconnected with old friends from the PHS Class of 1980, and struck up a friendship with one in particular. Earlier this year she married Greg Jeffirs and moved back to the town that she admits had always been a special place to her.

"I'm still re-discovering Plymouth," she said. "A lot is the same, a lot has changed. I love living in a small town, I love living in the countryside and the way people will stop and say hello to you on the street. I'm still learning things and wondering how people will respond to what I do."

And what she does, she does very well.

Milene's spent much of her career working with a non-profit peace education organization, serving as it's International Director. With her specialty in group process - helping groups of people to work well and effectively with each other - she soon found a passion and a need in her own country.

"Nobody was doing any work to stop bullying in Brazil," she said. "There was no work on conflict resolution and it was something that I knew was very much needed."

While bullying amongst school age people gains a lot of attention, it's a problem across all groups in society. Milene's program became effective not just in schools but in the workplace.

"It happens everywhere, I think I get more requests and emails from adults in the workplace than anywhere else," she said. "It happens everyday, everywhere. It's a power struggle issue and many people who experience it are afraid to say it happened."

The program called "Connections; An Anti-Bullying Program" works on just that concept - helping members of large groups to come together and make the connections necessary to solve the problem.

"Bullying has to do with power and misused power. We all have power and choices on how we use it," she said. "So often in our world there is such a huge space between us all and that space gives us room for judging and labeling others. When we relate to each other we break down those barriers and have empathy and compassion for each other and that doesn't leave room for those negative attitudes."

The program has been wildly successful in schools and businesses in Brazil gaining national media attention and just before she returned earlier this year Milene won the "Prêmio Nossa Gente" (An Award for Our People) given by the Jornal de Londrina for her work in the field.

"I was so very happy the day I found out, I never dreamed I would be honored that way," she said. "I just remember how hard it was to start, and so hard to get people to listen to me. It made me feel so glad that somebody finally heard me.

"This is my cause. I know what it feels like to be bullied and nobody should ever have to feel that way. I'm very happy about all the people I've been able to help. I have a real drive to end this behavior because we just can't do that to people."

She also hopes to bring her program to this country.

"It's the kind of program that translates to any language and culture," she said. "I've done some work here with groups already and it's been amazing. The program has tools and I want to get those tools in people's hands."