Gristle Butter #15
Click here to read Gristle Butter #15, featuring the combined talents of Daniel A, Louis F, Wilson K, Avery M, Tsula A, Odessa M, Maddox B, Miles C, and the Poetry Class.
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Zoe Marches in D.C. for Women’s Rights
Zoe J. has developed a strong passion for activism through her participation in rallies organized by the Women’s March in Washington, DC. Her journey began with her first protest in June advocating for abortion rights, where she gained media attention and realized the power of her voice. In November, she attended her second protest focused on women’s rights alongside her family, creating a memorable experience that further fueled her commitment.
Motivated by these experiences, Zoe plans to continue her activism journey, potentially taking on an organizing role at future rallies. She aspires to pursue gender studies and advocacy, actively engaging with organizations, and raising awareness among her peers. Zoe’s dedication to making a meaningful impact on society is inspiring, and we look forward to her future contributions in gender studies and activism.
Band Class at Jefferson Center Music Lab
The band class recently got a tour of the Jefferson Center Music Lab. They learned about the various studios, equipment, and programs available to high school students, and also had a chance to get a behind-the-scenes look at the Shaftman Performance Hall.
Eva Rose Is Passionate About Being Onstage
Eva Rose’s passion for theatre started at a very young age because her family was so involved in the theatrical community. She participated in her first production at the age of eight months old as the “Baby Princess” in The Boys of Draken Street and has taken part in all sorts of productions ever since. By the time she was a junior in high school, she had been in over 25 productions!
For years she’s taken advantage of a variety of theater educational opportunities at the June Bug Center for Arts and Education, the Mill Mountain Theatre, the Virginia Children’s Theatre, the Floyd County High School and the New River Stage. She’s also been in productions with all of the aforementioned, as well as HaeBo Productions, Summer Musical Enterprise, and New River Community Theatre Guild.
Her favorite roles she’s played are “Wednesday Addams” in The Addams Family, “Duffy” in Annie, “Mayzie La Bird” in Seussical Jr., and “Helena” in an abridged Midsummer Night’s Dream. She was also featured in the film Wish You Well when she was just six years old, and has won several acting awards through One Act and Forensics competitions. She’s also been part of Mill Mountain Theatre’s Musical Theatre Conservatory for several seasons.
Eva Rose’s favorite place to be is on stage, and she is excited to make her debut with CHS as “Mrs. Webb” in the Fall 2024 Community High School’s production of Our Town while also performing in Annie at Mill Mountain Theatre!
She is thrilled to be able to take the stage in so many different shows and circumstances, and can’t wait to see what comes next for her in the theatrical community. Eva Rose shares that her passion for theater has helped hone her skills in public speaking, connecting with others, and being a more outgoing person overall.
Russian Tea Party
The History of Tea class recently hosted a Russian Tea Party in the yard. The menu showcased classic Russian dishes, including borscht, dense Baltic rye bread, round pretzels, marinated herring, and caviar cream.
Mock Immersion
As our students prepared for their exchange trip to Spain, they participated in an overnight mock immersion experience. Designed to enhance their Spanish-speaking skills, the event involved a strict rule of communicating only in Spanish. During the immersion, students participated in various activities such as playing games, enjoying shared meals, discussing food and cultural customs, and exploring their surroundings without using English. Key lessons learned included the importance of bonding and collaboration, a critical assessment of what is actually essential to pack for the trip, and a significant boost in confidence as students navigated new cultural settings. Overall, the experience enhanced their readiness for the challenges and experiences they would face during their study abroad in Spain.
Handwriting Analysis
Rachel visited our Sherlock Holmes & the Dawn of the Information Age class to give them a lesson in handwriting analysis.
Improv Workshop with Jack Wright and Ben Bennett
CHS hosted an Improvisation workshop by touring musicians Jack Wright (saxophone) and Ben Bennett (percussion). Wright and Bennett play some of the most experimental, free-form music out there, pushing beyond free jazz into what Wright, in his scholarly book on the practice and history of improvisation, calls “Free Playing”, using instruments and voice against the ways we are taught to play them “correctly”.
The workshop was a lot of fun and explored new relationships with sound, play, and rhythm. Students and faculty brought instruments to experiment with, including their own voice!
Jack and Ben have had a 15-year-or-so musical friendship, which persisted through the pandemic with a lot of playing sessions, duo and trio with Zach Darrup, sometimes recorded, sometimes not. To say anything at all about the music always feels reductive, but we can say that playing music like this pretty consistently renews and adds to our enthusiasm for living.
The two met through Ben’s dad, John M. Bennett, well known in the underground poetry scene and a partner of Jack’s since the 80s. The three formed the group Rotty What, documented on two recordings, “Naming the Dust,” and “Ohio Grimes and Misted MeaSnies.”. Together with Evan Lipson, bassist, Ben and Jack played as Wrest, which toured the US six times over the past ten years and produced two CDs, “Wrest” and Ingress. and a duo Tangle on Public Eyesore Records. In 2016 Ben moved from Columbus Ohio to Philadelphia, where they collaborate regularly as a duo and trio with Zach Darrup (Never), and with various musicians who come through.
Enjoy this video of Jack and Ben playing locally at Art Rat Studios. Jonathan Falls has also performed in another ensemble on the set with Jack & Ben at Art Rat Studios.
Jack and Olchar also performed an east coast tour together in 2019 with Olchar on vocals and Jack on his sax).
Aidan Skye Jameson (’20) – Professional Costume Designer
Aidan Skye Jameson (‘20) received her BFA in Costume Design from SCAD in 2024. As a student at CHS, Aidan Skye found her passion in all of the film history and film analysis classes available.
“As a high schooler, I didn’t realize that film could become a career until a teacher at Community showed me all the avenues in the film industry. Once he confirmed this for me, I started to deep dive into all the jobs behind the scenes. Of course, I landed on Costume Design because it combined everything I loved. I applied to over 10 colleges with Costume Design programs and chose SCAD in Savannah, Georgia.”
Once at SCAD, Aidan Skye began participating in student film productions outside of the classroom to get hands-on experience. She was able to make film connections that would last her through college and beyond. During her academic career at SCAD, Aidan Skye costume designed for seven senior thesis films and two theater productions. As a sophomore, Aidan Skye was recommended by her department to work in the costume department on a local professional film, May December, directed by Todd Haynes. Here, she was able to get professional experience as a student, working for industry professional supervisors and designers. As a graduate of SCAD, Aidan Skye has been making local connections in the Georgia area. She has costume designed for a local professional short film and has more projects lined up in the future!
“I think there is only so much you can learn about how a film is made in the classroom… At some point, you just have to go out and do it. I learned so much by collaborating with other students and professionals. On May December, our Costume Supervisor was so incredible by letting me ask questions and showing me a lot of what goes on behind the scenes. I was even able to shadow the costumers on set. That was such an eye-opening experience to be able to work in the office around the designers and supervisor and to see how the costume department ran on set. That experience helped me transition out of college into the professional world as a Costume PA. I have also been able to costume design for a professional film in Savannah post-grad!”
As a senior at SCAD, Aidan Skye began an internship with Amy Parris, the Costume Designer for Stranger Things. After graduating from SCAD in June 2024, she started working in Atlanta as a Costume PA. She continues to work with Amy Parris today!
“Working for such an incredible designer has been so informative. I was able to connect with Amy Parris as a senior in college, and I was lucky enough that she offered me my first job in the industry post-grad!”
After reflecting on her academic experience at CHS and SCAD, Aidan Skye hopes that CHS students who want to pursue a career in the film industry will do so!
You can follow Aidan Skye on instagram as well as through her website.
Goethe Intersections of Poetry and Science
Dr. Bryan Klausmeyer, Assistant Professor of German at Virginia Tech, gave an engaging presentation to the German Romanticism class. They explored the intersections of poetry and science in the work of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, an important figure in the class. Students contemplated how poetic devices may help us examine the relationship between humans and nature. Dr. Klausmeyer has published several texts on Goethe and is an editor of the Goethe-Lexicon of Philosophical Concepts.
