JEFFERSON — The Jefferson Area High School treble choir, concert choir and band went to the Howland School District to compete in the District V Large Group Adjudicated Event. Both of the choirs came out of the contest with a II (two) out of a possible V (five), which is considered to be excellent, and band received the same rating.
“I think we did really well. I kind of wanted to go to state my senior year, but that’s okay,” said Stephanie Edge, senior, who is in both choir and band.
Contest rules state that each choir and band will perform three pieces, chosen by the director; and based on that performance, they are given a rating that ranges from a I to a V, a I being the best. A I (one) would qualify a choir or band for the state competition.
“I am very proud of the students in both choirs,” said Kelli Olesky, choir director. “They performed very well and conducted themselves in a way that should make Jefferson proud.”
The treble choir chose to perform, “Pie Jesu,” arranged by John Leavitt; “Kookaburra,” arranged by Carolee Cartright; and “Psalm 67,” by Julie Knowles, she said. The treble choir’s performance of these three songs earned them an excellent II rating.
The concert choir chose different songs, but scored the same results. They performed “Going Over Home,” arranged by Sonja Poorman; “Song of the Sea,” by Raymond Hannison; and “Sing Ye, Merrily,” by George L.O. Strid.
“All the choir members worked really hard and most wanted to get a I,” said Shandi Dufresne, junior. “Our final rating was a II. I was happy with our rating but I think we could have done better. Overall I think we had a good performance.” The concert choir score of II reflects their strong efforts, she said.
The band chose to perform “A March,” by Karl L. King (General Lee), then a required selection, “Seagate Overture,” by James Swearingen, and a select piece by Pierre LaPlante entitled “English Country Settings.” Their performance earned them a II.
“Fred (Burazer) and I are very proud of the band for their hard work preparing for the event,” said Dennis Lawrence, band director. “We trust that students will continue to improve their individual musicianship and technique which will enable our band to continue to set higher standards and goals next year.”
Band members have mixed feelings concerning the results.
“I honestly thought we were going to do worse than we did,” Kaitlyn Gucik, junior, said. “So, it’s a relief that we got the II rating.”
Yet, others were disappointed. “I feel that the outcome was very much deserved in comparison to how hard we prepared prior to the contest,” said Stephanie Kranich, senior. “However, I think we did a lot better in sight reading than the judge gave us credit for.”
Creative writing is another JAHS news focus. Writing for pleasure is not a hobby in which many high school students take part. However, new Jefferson junior, Sonja Ratchko, has picked up on the unique, intriguing hobby. Ratchko said she has been writing short stories since about ninth grade. Five short stories have been written so far, and she does not plan on stopping. Being a fan of reading, sometimes Ratchko becomes inspired by books she encounters and tries to recreate similar plot situations when creating her own stories. But there is another advantage to writing. Ratchko said that writing is a form of stress relief that she can perform anywhere, though she usually writes in her bedroom so she can concentrate.
“Red Moon Night” and “Maria and the Medallion” are only two of the short stories Ratchko has written. She said her favorite piece so far is “A Walk through an Angel’s Life,” which is about a little girl who has been abused.
People have been very supportive of Ratchko’s writing. “My mom’s really interested. She thinks it’s really cool,” she said.
And Ratchko’s Honors English teacher is thrilled. “Whenever a student shows interest in writing, I probably offer more support than they want,” said Karen Klein. “I have a feeling we have a lot more writers in our school who aren’t sharing their talent with us.”
Though she gets positive feedback, Ratchko doesn’t plan on making a career of her story writing. “I don’t want to have a deadline because my writing might not be as good. I like to do it as a hobby,” she said.
While she is working on a piece, Ratchko said she feels as if she is in her own little world, and when the story is done, she creates a title. “I write the story and then I pick out major points and try to come up with a good title.” Wrapping up a project can sometimes be as difficult as starting, she said.
Though Ratchko is a new student at Jefferson, she is winning the hearts of those around her.
“Sonja is a fine writer. I have read some of her writings, and I didn’t want to stop. They are so good. She writes with ease and really enjoys it. She herself is a great person and I love her,” said Nicole Gau, junior.
Guidance counselor Lisa Newhart feels Ratchko is a positive addition to JAHS. “From what I know of Sonja, she is a very sweet girl. She takes pride in her academics and presents herself very well,” she said.
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