Neighborhood News Bureau

Tag: Lakewood High School

  • Jazz band benefit helps musicians make it to New Orleans

    BY SARAH MASON
    NNB Reporter

    DOWNTOWN — Friends, family, and teachers came together Saturday night at the Museum of Fine Arts to show support for the Lakewood High School Jazz Ensemble and the 54th Ave South Jazz Combo’s Black and Gold Benefit Concert.

    Special guests John Brown, Belinda Womack, and Butch Thomas also performed with the students as well as rub some of their knowledge and talents off on them.

    The concert was created to fund the ensemble’s trip to New Orleans in March for the Crescent City Music Festival, a national music competition. This event benefits the students by introducing them to other musicians and helping them improve their chops.

    Lakewood High School Jazz Band director Michael Kernodle said the students will also get the chance to go to Loyola University in Chicago.

    “They will do a master class and meet with musicians,” Kernodle said.

    This would be the second year they get to attend this event.

    “Last time we went, it changed their whole lives,” Kernodle added.

    David Deister, a Lakewood High School senior, plays lead trombone in the ensemble and can’t wait to get to New Orleans.

    “I’ve heard we will tour schools and maybe I’ll get to audition,” Deister said.

    After he graduates, Deister plans to join the Army. He hopes to keep playing music, by auditioning for the Army band.

    But even though the money was an important factor, it wasn’t the main goal of the event, according to Kernodle.

    “The biggest thing is exposure to the community and to let them know what we are doing,” he said.

     

    In order to make the trip more affordable, Kernodle hopes to raise around $13-$15,000 by March. Tickets for the performance were $20. There was also a silent auction, which raised $950.

    The event kicked off with a New Orleans style entrance. Kernodle lead the ensemble playing the trumpet while the band followed behind him passing out beaded necklaces as they performed.

    Everyone appeared to enjoy the event dancing in their seats as the jazz rhythms filled the room. The students on stage were having fun and playing with enthusiasm.

    “[I] thought they were amazing,” said Kristie Dowling, an English teacher at Lakewood High School. “I’m really proud of them.”

  • ‘Champions of Peace’ honored in MLK high school essay contest

    BY LAURA MULROONEY
    NNB Reporter

    ST. PETERSBURG — The excitement builds as the parents, grandparents, guardians and supporters of this year’s finalists file in for the 35th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. High School Essay Contest Finals held at the Enoch Davis Community Center Thursday, January 14.

    Tasina Taylor 1st Place

    Alexandra Givins 2nd Place

    Amber Seay 3rd Place

    The excitement is amplified by the rhythmic beats overhead from African Tribal Orchestra’s album “Sounds Like Africa.” The stage is empty, save for an oversized portrait of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. awaiting the start of the contest with an inquisitive yet solemn gaze.

    As the contest commences the support can be felt through the words and emotions displayed on stage during opening remarks by Virginia Scott and Jarish Jones, Master of Ceremonies.

    For the first time since the contest’s inauguration, all six contestants were African American females; a proud accomplishment acknowledged by Virginia Scott, EDC Senior Advisory Council and Leontyne Middleton, both members of the SPC of MLK, Jr. CO, Inc.

    Diversity among the contestants is always welcomed and has been the norm throughout the existence of the contest, but with this year’s finalists being all female it has shown the community that women are no longer supporters in the background but front running leaders.

    The prompt for this year’s contest was to identify a ‘Champion of Peace’ and why? After experiencing an increase in violent protests, mass shootings, and terrorist attacks around the world over the last few years, the words of these future leaders lingered heavily amongst the more than 45 attendees.

    As stated by Leontyne Middleton in her closing remarks these powerful, young women “spoke about our world today – multinational.” The champions mentioned in the student’s essays spanned the globe from Pakistan, Kenya, Liberia, and the United States.

    Contest winner and Lakewood High School Senior Tasina Taylor’s tenacious presentation defined a champion as “a person or figure that fights, argues, and defends greatly for a cause on the behalf of something or someone.” Her champion of peace is President Barack Obama.

    With over 50 top accomplishments Taylor believes the defining act that made President Obama the ultimate champion of peace was when he “ordered Special Forces to raid a secret compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan to assassinate the calamitous leader Osama Bin Laden” bringing America great peace, a justice former president George W. Bush could not serve.

    Taylor won a $200 cash prize and a seat at the VIP table for her and an accompanying adult at the 30th Annual MLK Leadership Award breakfast being held at the Coliseum Mon., Jan 18. Taylor and her guest will enjoy breakfast with members of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s family.

    First runner up Alexandra Givins, a junior at Gibbs High School gave an emotional speech on Malala Yousafzaoi, a young woman in Pakistan who survived an assassination attempt by the Taliban for bringing education to young females in a country where women are forbidden to learn. Yousafzaoi won Pakistan’s first National Youth Peace Prize for her efforts. Alexandra won a $100 cash prize.

    Leymah Gbowee was third place winner Amber Seay’s champion. Gbowee is a Liberian peace activist known for stepping up to protect the lives of women and children in a civil war ridden country. Amber attends Lakewood High School and won a $75 cash prize.

    Fourth place winner Tatjana Simmons from Lakewood High School chose Tegla Loroupe, a Kenyan long distance and roadrunner who was the first African American female to win the New York City Marathon. Tegla is a spokeswoman for a peaceful coexistence across the globe.

    Fifth place winner Brittany Matthews spoke of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and his accomplishments that advanced the civil rights movement in the United States.

    Finalist Deonnie J. Brown was unable to attend.

    Jacquilin Wallace, Shelia Lamb, and Arcilous Mincey

    Virginia Scott poses with finalists

    Tatjana Simmons 4th Place

    Brittany Matthews 5th Place

    Carlos Walker, Jr. an 8th Grader at John Hopkins Middle played Lift Every Voice on the violin. GLP Inspirational Dance Team provided the entertainment while the judges discretely tallied their scores.

    Jacquilin Wallace, Shelia Lamb, and Arcilous Mincey, all educators, took on the challenging role as judges. Jarrish Jones, from St. Petersburg Youth Build, maintained his role as Master of Ceremonies for the 7th year. Charlie Williams, of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and Virginia Scott of SPC of MLK, Jr. CO, Inc. presented the awards to the finalists.

    This event was sponsored by the St. Petersburg Chapter of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Commemorative Organization, Inc. Committee (SPC of MLK, Jr. CO, Inc), in cooperation with the Theta Eta Lambda Education Foundation of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.,

    Laura Mulrooney is a reporter in the Neighborhood News Bureau at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg.

    GLP Inspirational Dance Team