OXFORD – An Oxford Middle schooler had the surprise of her life last week, when a visiting theater group performed a skit based on a piece she had submitted as part of a creative writing contest.
Seventh Grader Evangeline Westergaard said she was both excited and a little scared when she learned her submission titled, “Teaching of Tolerance” was one of those selected to be showcased in Merry Go Round Playhouse’s ECHOES 2010 project.
The Auburn-based professional theater troupe presented a skit based on Westergaard’s work, which she said was based on a situation she and her friends encountered in the school’s lunchroom, before the entire Middle School last Wednesday. Even the seventh grader’s parents were present.
“They didn’t tell me,” she said, explaining that her parents had known her work had been selected, but managed to keep it a secret from her.
Westergaard’s submission was part of a voluntary assignment given by her 7th Grade English Teacher, Jay Bohannon. According to the educator, the submission guidelines are very broad.
“It could have been anything,” Bohannon said, explaining that some students chose to write essays or short stories, while others submitted poetry. Westergaard actually missed the school’s deadline for submissions, he added, but was still able to meet the final deadline set by the creative drama writing project.
A second Oxford seventh grader, Sadie Gregory, was also recognized during the production. Gregory received honorable mention for each of two submissions. According to the young author, the first was a poem titled, “I See,” which reminded readers to take time to “stop and smell the roses” of life. The second, she explained, was an invention called the “No-Nutri Pouch” which would allow kids to deceive adults by disguising junk food as healthier snacks.
“I was extremely nervous,” Gregory said, regarding her reaction to the recognition.
According to the Merry Go Round Playhouse website, the theater company has been challenging middle school students with the writing contest on an annual basis since 1991. Each year, the group’s professional actors create skits around the winning submissions and perform them at schools across the state.
“The heart and hope behind our ECHOES program is to encourage young people to write and offer them an unrivaled vehicle for self expression,” ECHOES Producing Director Ed Sayles explains in the program literature.
The musical variety show produced as a result of these student submissions is a popular one. Gregory said it is an event she looks forward to every year, because it gives her a chance to hear what other students around the state are thinking.
“The kids are really invested in it,” reported Oxford Middle School Principal Kathleen Hansen, explaining that the production centers around many aspects of middle school life. This year, she explained, topics included friends, family, gossip, sports, pets, tolerance and dealing with the loss of a love one.
“It’s very meaningful,” Hansen said.
According to Superintendent Randy Squier, the performance was made possible through a cooperation with the Cayuga-Onondaga BOCES and grant funding obtained by the Merry Go Round Playhouse.