Speech team makes mark in National Tournament

By Carol Anders
Correspondent 
 
PLYMOUTH — Several Plymouth High School Speech and Debate Team members traveled over the Memorial Day holiday weekend to compete in the NCFL (National Catholic Forensic League) tournament in Baltimore, Md. The contest, which attracted students from 775 high schools all across the country making up 2,705 competitors, is a difficult tournament that challenges all competitors through four preliminary rounds. There were 2,114 entries with over 250 per event.

After the results first four rounds are tallied, the top 48 in each event advances to one round of octa-finals. Twenty-four of the 48 advance to quarter-finals for one round before the survivors are narrowed down to 12 in semi-finals. Only the top six compete in the final round for the national championship titles.

Travis Tredway (sophomore) competed in Declamation at the quarter-finalist level and placed 13th in the event in the nation.

Octa-finalists for Plymouth included: Pauline Dagaas (junior)-Oral Interpretation - 25th in the nation; Rebecca Brumbaugh (senior) and Shelby Pratt (sophomore) Duo-31st in the nation; Ellen Smith (sophomore)-Original Oratory-35th in the nation; April Bowen sophomore)-Declamation-40th in the nation; Jason Pickell (senior) and Kyle Barry (sophomore)-Duo-40th in the nation.

Other PHS competitors included: Olivia Hilliard (senior) - Oral Interpretation-75th in the nation; Kelsey Shaffer (senior) - Extemp - 78th in the nation.

Michaila Nate (junior) competed in Congress. There are three preliminary sessions that last three hours each in the competition. The top 56 students advance to one semi-final session where they compete for an additional three hours. The top 24 advance to the final session. Nate placed 33rd in the nation.

Coaches traveling with the team included David McKenzie, Jane Faulstich, Daphne Stapleton, David Stapleton, and Regina Warren.

Building community has been her calling

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - You could say that Suellen Glaub-Long had service in her blood.

Suellen is a member of the Plymouth High School class of 1959 and the daughter of Walt Glaub. Walt was one of the driving forces of Plymouth's growth and development during his lifetime and himself a member of the Plymouth Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame. Suellen grew up with a perfect role model in community service.

"Growing up in Plymouth was really the best of times," said Suellen, now President of Bridgeview Bank in uptown Chicago. "The world was at peace, the economy was good, those were great years and I have exquisite memories of growing up. Sitting on my porch in the summertime with all my friends - who've all stayed close friends to this day - nothing that any of us have done could have happened without the foundation that growing up in Plymouth gave to us all."

Part of that foundation was helping others and being deeply involved with community.

"I remember Saturday night's in the summer at (G&G Grocery) and my father would mark down food items or have specials," said Suellen. "That was the night the migrant workers would come in the store to shop and he wanted to be sure they'd be able to afford food for their families. Being around those people who would come to the store gave me a real desire to experience other cultures."

She was also exposed to many ideas during those years.

"Dad had something they called 'Discussion Club' where all his friends would come over they had a topic and they would sit and discuss it," she said. "I always wanted to be a part of it but I was too young so my mom would send me to bed and I would sneak out to the stairs and listen in secretly to everything they were talking about. I learned a lot listening to those conversations."

Continuing to learn Suellen pursued a career in design attending the Chicago School of Design and falling in love with the city that has become her second home.

"I got hooked on the vitality, the mixed cultures and economics of uptown," said Suellen. "That was the point of entry for nearly all immigrants back then and it was addicting to learn about other cultures. I got involved in everything."

It's also where she met Chip Long - himself a transplant from Erie, Pennsylvania and her husband for 45 years.

"I remember we met on a sub zero night and two weeks later he proposed," she said. "It was just meant to be."

The two have raised three children - Doug, Allison and Edward - and spent a lifetime revitalizing uptown Chicago - it's buildings and it's community.

With a little help from home - namely the Culver State Exchange Bank and Billy Osborne - the couple bought and refurbished their first building. All the while Suellen was deeply involved in helping build the community their buildings were in.

She has won numerous awards for her work with her company The Long Promotional Group for outstanding campaigns for nonprofit partnership. She began incubator style plans to lease space to non-profit organizations. She is a Board member and past Chair of the Heartland Alliance working to create viable communities for immigrants to seek their fortunes, raise families, nurture and fulfill the dreams that brought them to America and has been extremely active in the uptown Chamber of Commerce.

"Community building is a real passion for me," she said. "It's a combination of watching people like my father, or Father Sheridan and all the time they spent building community when I was growing up. It's in my blood. Bringing people together to create wonderful communities like the one they have in Plymouth."

Suellen will be honored along with Dr. Robert Vore and Dr. Arthur Becknell Jr. as the latest inductees to the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at this year's Alumni Banquet slated for Friday June 15 at the Plymouth High School cafeteria and will feature a concert by 1995 graduate Denver Bierman in the PHS Auditorium. Tickets for the banquet are $35 and include VIP seating for the show. You can purchase tickets online at http://plymouthalumni.blogspot.com/ by email at plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com or phone 574-952-4444 or mail your check made payable to the Plymouth Alumni Association to 611 Berkley St., Plymouth, IN.

Service to others is Vore's legacy

By Rusty Nixon
Correspondent

PLYMOUTH - The city of Plymouth has changed a lot since the days Dr. Robert Vore played football in the open fields just off of North Michigan Street near Centennial Park.

"I remember those football games and Dick and Bob Averill and I riding our bikes all over town," said Vore. "The hospital was there in that field. Plymouth is a really great place to live and a really great place to grow up."

Sports was and continues to be a great diversion for Vore who attended Manchester College and was a key member of the tennis team there that won a conference championship. By his junior year Vore was the team's number one singles player and had an opportunity to take on some big challenges.

"I remember one time when - I think it's Trine University now but then it had a different name - came in to Manchester for a match and I was playing a guy who was a member of the Israeli Davis Cup team," he said. "I really did pretty well, I was beating him after the second set but for some reason before the third set he went in and took a shower. Our coach Bill Sayers was fuming that they let him go take a shower before the third set. Of course he came back and beat me after that, but I guess I must have made him sweat a little bit if he had to take a shower."

Vore graduated with a degree in chemistry and went to work for GE for several years before enrolling in Indiana University's School of Optometry. The rest, as they say, is history, and that history - for Vore - is a long one in caring for others and serving the community.

"My dad was a physician and he gave a lot to his patients," said Vore. "He would stop by people's homes to find out how they were after he'd treated them. I remember he even used to stay all night in some patients homes if they were particularly ill, just to be sure. He was a great example of what it means to care for people."

Vore has been a driving force in the Indiana Optometric Association and the American Optometric Association serving in many capacities over the years including President, Vice President and Secretary/Treasurer. He was Secretary and President of the North Central Optometric Society and was past Director of the IOA's Continuing Education Department.

Not stopping with his profession, Vore has also been a key figure in service to the Plymouth community, serving as a member of the Plymouth City Council and the Marshall County Council. He was President of the Aviation Board of Commissioners, on the Board of Directors of the Plymouth Chamber of Commerce and served as President and Regional Vice President of the JayCees, receiving that organizations Keyman Award. He was District Chairman of the Boy Scouts and received that organizations Order of the Arrow.

He is an active member of the Plymouth Church of the Brethren, at various times singing in the choir, teaching Sunday School, acting on the Finance Committee and serving as the Chair of the church's Ministerial Committee.

His love of sports has not diminished either. Vore continues to teach racquetball at the LifePlex in Plymouth.

"I have to say that my wife (Marabelle) has had every bit as much to do with my success as I have," said Vore. "To do all the things that I've been privileged to have a chance to do takes time - time away from your family. She was always there, willing to do more, giving more of her time to support me and allow me to serve. I can't tell you how much I appreciate her and what she's done for our family."

Most residents in Plymouth came to know Vore personally. He was the driving force and face of yearly free vision screenings for all students in the Plymouth Schools.

"When I first started my practice in Plymouth I remember the State Association had been talking about a need for school screenings for children," said Vore. "I felt it was extremely important because you never know what you will find. I remember finding one young girl who had a tumor in her eye. Its a very rare condition and one that you have to catch very early. We were able to start her on treatment immediately."

Dr. Vore will be honored along with Suellen Glaub Long and Dr. Arthur Becknell Jr. as the latest inductees to the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at this year's Alumni Banquet slated for Friday June 15 at the Plymouth High School cafeteria and will feature a concert by 1995 graduate Denver Bierman in the PHS Auditorium. Tickets for the banquet are $35 and include VIP seating for the show. You can purchase tickets online at http://plymouthalumni.blogspot.com/ by email at plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com or phone 574-952-4444 or mail your check made payable to the Plymouth Alumni Association to 611 Berkley St., Plymouth, IN.

PHS Band members in All State Band and Indy 500 Parade

PLYMOUTH - The Plymouth High School band was recently notified that six members of the Pride of Plymouth Marching Band were selected to march in the Indiana All-State Marching Band at the Indianapolis 500 Festival Parade on Memorial Day.

Students from high school band programs throughout Indiana are selected for this event based on teacher recommendation and student applications.   Plymouth has one of the largest numbers of students involved in the band.   Students will spend Friday rehearsing on the Butler University campus and then perform in the Festival 500 Parade in downtown Indianapolis on Saturday morning. 

"This is very exciting to have this many kids from one school representing our community in the Indy 500 Parade," said band director Bryan Ames, "These are outstanding students in our program and I am very pleased to have them representing our school at this event."

The 500 Festival Parade is a televised parade and band members in the parade can be identified by their school uniforms.  Each participant in the parade wears their individual schools uniform for the parade.

Representing Plymouth H.S. will be: Elizabeth Wolford and Nicole Splix - Flute, Jack Garrison - Trombone, Rinda Scott, Jessica Celmer, Colleen Scarborough - Color Guard.

Distinguished Alumni named

PLYMOUTH - Final voting is complete and the Plymouth Alumni Association will induct three new members into the Plymouth Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame at the annual Alumni Banquet on June 15.

Suellen Glaub-Long

This year for the first time the Hall will welcome three inductees - from the class of 1945 Dr. Arthur Becknell Jr., from the class of 1949 Dr. Robert Vore, and from the class of 1959 Suellen Glaub-Long.


The format for inducting members was revised this year with the Alumni Association Board of Directors voting to revise the process to allow more than one member to be inducted per year without diminishing the difficulty of obtaining the honor.

"We have literally hundreds of nominees that are more than deserving of being in the Hall and many were nominated as far back as the 1990's or late 80's and are still waiting," said Rusty Nixon Director of the Plymouth Alumni Association. "We made the process a little more like the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame, where you can have more than one inductee per year but it is still difficult to gain the honor."

Dr. Robert Vore

Under the new process an initial screening brings the list of nominees down to a ballot of 10 finalists that are then submitted to the final Selection Committee. Once on the ballot finalists will remain there for a period of five years and if they are not inducted during that time will have to be renominated for induction. Those inducted will be replaced by other nominees in the next year's screening process.

The Selection Committee is made up of local Plymouth graduates with a wide range of ages and occupations and the Board of Directors of the Plymouth Alumni Association. Members may vote for any number of finalists - just one or up to five - or may choose to vote for none if they feel that none are worthy of induction.

Dr. Art Becknell

In order to be inducted a finalist must appear on at least 60 percent of the ballots or wait for the next year for induction.

"The Pilot News and WTCA-AM have given us a big hand this year by publishing the bio's of our 10 finalists," said Nixon. "I think the community can see what our problem had been. We really have an extraordinary amount of worthy graduates and Plymouth Schools continues to turn out worthy candidates every year. Its incredibly difficult to choose just one inductee."

The new members of the Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame will be introduced and honored at this year's Alumni Banquet to be held at Plymouth High School on June 15. Reservations for the event can be made online at http://plymouthalumni.blogspot.com/ or by email at plymouthschoolsalumni@gmail.com or by calling 574-952-4444.

Plymouth Building Trades to unveil 34th home

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - One of Plymouth High School's most successful programs will unveil it's handiwork this weekend as the Plymouth Building Trades class holds its open house for the program's 34th home on Sunday, May 20 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The home is located at 937 Ohio Street in Plymouth.

The class is built entirely by area students giving them first hand experience in nearly all aspects of the construction trade.

"You get hands on experience," said Ben Smith one of the students in the program. "You learn by doing there's no doubt about that."

"You learn about putting all the things together in construction," said Jovanny Luva. "Putting up the walls, the electric, everything that puts it all together."

"They (students) can also earn college credit for the class," said P.T. McKinnis, Plymouth Building Trades instructor. "Ivy Tech offers three credits for their Introduction to Construction class for being a part of this."

They learn something else by taking part in the program.

"Team work," said Oscar Aguilar.

"It takes hard work and a lot of sweat to put a wall up," added Fabian Baca.

Many of the students plan on attending college on graduation and some look forward to having careers in construction. While all have their favorite part of the class there was one part of the build that brought some enlightenment.

"I have a lot more respect for plumbers," said Smith.

Last week the class had their recognition luncheon. Carter Lumber, Lowe's, Mid City Supply, Trim-A-Door, D.C. Garage Doors, and Espich-Siddall Plumbing all showed their continued support for the program by donating door prize items for the students.

Building Trades Students; front row l-r  Braxton Moore, Cody Bennett, Jovanny Luva, Emanual Vargas, and Stephen Abair.  middle row l-r  Chase Peters, Oscar Aguilar, Jaime Martinez and Fabian Baca.  back row l-r  Ben Smith, Jacob Segraves, Jordan Sheetz, Ian Horvath, and Donnie Boyd.

PHS Senior one acts this weekend

PLYMOUTH - Next Saturday, May 19, the Plymouth High School Acting Class will be holding their 16th annual Senior Directed One-Act Competition.

Three seniors have taken on the challenge of directing.  In doing so they have left their comfort zone of being "on stage" to now begin in charge and having all of the responsibilities "off stage."  Three One-Acts will be presented during the afternoon, with awards afterwards.

The performances will be in the PHS Studio Theatre, just behind the auditorium, and are FREE.  The first show starts at 1:30 PM  the shows are about 40-45 minutes each with an intermission between each to allow for set changes. This also allows the audience to come and go as they wish.

The directors and cast lists are;

 1:30 p.m. Show Directed by Christina Krozel
Cast includes: Cristina Chavez, Maicee Evans, Markee Farler, Kristen Gergely, Christie Gorka, Cinthia Lua and Jason Pickell

2:30 p.m. Show Directed by Kelsey Shaffer
Cast includes: Haley Adams, Briana Gantz, Miranda Hurford, Clayton Lenig, Katherine Peters, Shelby Pratt and Aimee Ringer


3:30 p.m. Show Directed by Rebecca Brumbaugh
Cast includes: Emily Gadziola, Michael Gray, Breanna Morrow, Anna Piazza and Madison Woods

4:45 p.m. Awards

Cafe Jazz 2012

PHS grad receives national honor

BLOOMINGTON, IN -- Indiana University Bloomington junior and Plymouth High School graduate Kasey Greer is a 2012 Beinecke Scholar, one of only 20 students nationwide to receive the honor.

A Hutton Honors College scholar majoring in history who will graduate in 2013, Greer will also receive a certificate from the College of Arts and Sciences' Liberal Arts and Management Program offered in cooperation with the Kelley School of Business.

She is the eighth IU student to win the award, established in 1971. Each Beinecke Scholar receives $4,000 immediately before entering graduate school and an additional $30,000 while attending graduate school. There are no geographic restrictions on the use of the scholarship, and recipients are allowed to supplement the award with other scholarships, assistantships and research grants.

"To know that I'm able to compete at the national level, among other students in the humanities, is incredible," said Greer, who plans to obtain a doctoral degree in military history. "Being a Beinecke Scholar provides me with a sense of confidence when applying for graduate programs."

Greer began her studies at IU intending to pursue a career in law after graduation, but she fell in love with history after delving into personal letters, government documents and oral histories during a course dedicated to learning about the people of the World War II era.

That led to stints as an intern at the Smithsonian Institution's National Museum of American History in Washington, D.C. -- where, among other tasks, she helped photograph a suit worn by President Lincoln and watched archivists work with the Jefferson Bible -- and as under-editor-in-chief of "Primary Source," IU's undergraduate history journal.

A Wells Scholar, Greer was one of 30 undergraduate students chosen from across the nation in 2011 to participate in a Civil War seminar at the New York-based Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

She's currently completing her honors thesis, which draws on archival materials to explain the experiences and motivations of Navy WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) at the Storekeeper's School on IU's campus during World War II.

One of the first three such academies in the nation, the school provided special training for Navy women learning to procure and maintain supplies for the military branch, studying subjects such as bookkeeping, typing, mathematics and English composition.

"The stories these individuals had to tell in the historical moment, that's what excites me and interests me in a way that I really haven't found in any other discipline," Greer said. "I'm focusing on the Navy Storekeeper's school that was associated with the business school for a portion of the war. They trained Navy personnel, and I'm interested in how those personnel interacted with the campus and community and how the campus and community interacted with them."

PHS grad Van Herk to lend a hand on May 5

PLYMOUTH - Manager of Culver’s First Farmers Bank and Trust, the singer-songwriter, hopes to bring together local citizens, co-workers, friends and family members for an afternoon of mellow acoustic rhythms live at the Young Amphitheater in Plymouth.

On Saturday, May 5^th from 2-4 PM at the Young Amphitheater in Plymouth’s Centennial Park, 1997 Plymouth High School graduate Chad Van Herk has organized a fundraising concert.


   Chad has organized this performance to raise monies for the Ingram family whose youngest son, Trek Atlas has been diagnosed with Niemann Pick Type A, a rare, incurable genetic disease which claims the life of those who are so-diagnosed by the age of three.

Now friends of Chad and his wife Liz, the Ingrams, who are from Hawaii, had begun selling their personal belongings in order to finance a journey across various international boarders and, as the family’s favorite Chad Van Herk song goes, “…leave footprints all over the world” in a year-long sabbatical with their three sons (hence little Trek’s fitting name).  The Ingrams had gone so far as to purchase one-way tickets to Asia to begin their globe-trekking adventure just weeks before little Trek Atlas would be diagnosed with the disease.

As a result of the diagnosis, the Ingrams had multiple flights to visit specialists in Colorado, which rapidly depleted their savings and dashed their dreams of world travel.  Meanwhile, the Hard Rock Café in Maui began making plans to hold a private family benefit for the Ingrams.  That’s where Chad comes in.

“I received an email from the Hard Rock Café in Maui with several attachments and image files and, without reading it, I immediately thought it was junk mail,” Chad laughs.  “But they followed up with another email to convince me to come out for the benefit.  I was both moved and humbled by the invitation.  This will be, essentially, a farewell party for Trek as his health continues to decline.  We will be celebrating his short but hopefully not uneventful life.”

Chad and his wife Liz have been planning this fundraising concert with hopes of raising a sizable amount to deliver to the Ingrams at the Hard Rock Café event in Maui. “That’s what the concert is for.  All profits will go to the Ingram family in hopes that Trek Atlas Ingram can live a comfortable life for the short time he is with us, and even get a few stamps in his passport before he disembarks on his trip to the Great Beyond,” said, Chad Van Herk.

Tickets can be purchased directly from Chad at the Culver bank, or at his website www.chadvanherk.com, where donations can also be made.  You may also learn more about the Ingrams at www.babytrekatlast.com where donations can also be made.

Printed with permission of AM1050 WTCA

Beauty and the Beast onstage this weekend

By Rusty Nixon
Director of Development and Alumni Affairs

PLYMOUTH - A classic comes alive on the Plymouth High School stage this weekend as the performing arts department presents the Disney's Beauty and the Beast Friday, May 4, and Saturday, May 5.

Shows begin at 7:30 PM each evening are are in the PHS Auditorium Doors open at 7:00 PM for festival seating. All seats are $7.00 and tickets can be purchased at the door before the show. The show is produced through arrangements with Music Theatre International.

"I really enjoy this show because it's a chance for all the performing arts kids to come together," said Charlotte Tyree, director of the production. "We have the instrumental music kids, the choir and the theatre kids all working together on the same show and really it's always a lot of fun and exciting for me to have them all together for a show."

As the Beast, Blake Miller is a veteran of music, but acting is something a little different.

"I'm in Crimson Connection so I know about singing but I've never had an acting class," said Miller. "Mrs. Glaub (PHS Choir Director) encouraged me to give it a try and I thought it would be a lot of fun and it is."

There are some key differences, such as stage directions - always keeping your face forward.

"It is a little harder than I thought it would be," said Miller. "They're always after me to face the audience when I'm singing or speaking. Staying in character is a little tougher than I thought it would be too."

For Belle (Jenny Dudash) and the Beast's Entourage - Priscilla Hammonds, Becca Houser, Cassie Gaines, Jason Pickell and Kelsey Shaffer - the show has been a lot of fun, and one scene in particular lives up to a PHS tradition - the musical number "Be Our Guest".

"Through the years the tradition is that we are all responsible for our own costumes and we take a lot of pride in that," said Gaines who plays Mrs. Potts. "You have all the characters out there in the costumes they've made and it really lives up to that tradition over the years."

Kelsey Shaffer as "Cogsworth" had another highlight of the show.

"I can't believe how lucky I am," she said. "I'm getting to play my favorite clock in a Disney movie."