The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
School Comedy, "Who's The Loser?"
by Dessa Rodeffer, Quill Publisher
What a finale Friday and Saturday evening for Cathy Good, AFS Play Director at West Central High School.
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In the hilariously funny two-act comedy "WHO'S THE LOSER?", the title seemed to ironically state the dilemma at the final curtain call: Good, who had lead the plays for 16 years was hanging up her Director's hat for the fall AFS productions.
After handing out gifts to the cast, senior performers surprised their director with their own unique gifts, hugs, and words of appreciation for her giving ways.
Good has directed AFS plays since 1989.
AFS (American Field Service) was first started after World War I by American and French field ambulance drivers as a way to promote world understanding among young people.
Since January 1989 when Union began hosting students, 39 AFS students representing 23 countries has come to Henderson County, and also 1 AFS teacher from China. There have been 15 host families with 2 full year students at Southern High School, who stayed with Dale and Gloria Short.
Five girls have been sent abroad, 4 for summer programs, and one for the year:
Jenny-May Olson to Spain
Stacey Avery to Italy
Jennifer Good to Russia
Martha Weir to Sweden (year)
Emily Good to Hungary
Good became more involved in 1996 as a "Hosting Coordinator" training foreign students with the basic survival skills upon arrival into the states like using the phone, combination locks on their locker, money exchange, etc.. After six weeks they meet together again, to answer questions and deal with any problems they might have.
Good said, "At the end of the year all AFS students leave their host families and travel to another community for 1 or 2 nights to sort of "decompress" and discuss their experience before returning to Chicago and flying home. ÊWe have hosted 2 of these summer bus stops, and all of the kids stayed with area families.
"Our club has made spring trips to Chicago twice, New York twice, Boston, Texas, New Jersey twice, Wisconsin, Kansas (where we got stuck in a snow storm in the wrong town and got taken in by strangers for the first night!), Ohio, Iowa, Decatur, IL, and London, England. ÊThis year's final trip will be to Florida."
Over the years Good has had over 200 students actively involved in her AFS plays and club activities.
"WOW!! no wonder I am so tired!!" Cathy said.
"Doing these plays has brought me moments of stress, anxiety, hilarity, joy and amazement. I'll cherish the memories these students have given me," Good said.
Paul and Cathy got involved in AFS because their own high school (Aledo) was very active in AFS, and it was just something they wanted kids here to have access to and enjoy, which I think they have.
In Who's The Loser, the high school guys were sitting in a restaurant and came up with a contest to take the nerdiest girl to the school homecoming.
They found four perfect "Geeks" who were so excited when the hottest guys in school asked them out.
This caused one hot beauty to be livid when she found out "her guy" was asking a nerd to homecoming instead of her.
Other student council members and graduates were concerned that the girls would be extremely devastated when they found out it was a joke and decided to teach them how to be hot cheeks.
The challenge was very difficult transforming these four nerds into appealing dates. Makeup, hair, dress, walking in high heels, no snorting when you laugh, eating like a lady, and dancing without looking dorkie...
It was funny and the geeks ruined the boys contest by looking great....but the guys didn't seem to mind their "hot dates."
Cast
Emily Good, Kyle Keever, Lene Lox, Tina Miller, Elizabeth Ackermann, Olivia Crandall, Jacob Sanning, Chase Gray, Nick Burg,
Chianne Hartman, Jessica England, Michael Bradshaw, Jessica Chandler, Jourdan Evans, Kayla Whiteman, Damon Acland, Jordan Allaman, Claudio Lauchli,
Amy Hull, Cody Postle, Rachel Earp, Torri Gray, Lindsey Dilsaver, Morgan Hubbard, Katie Cole, Lyndsay Griepentrog, Rachel Sams, Kayla Burgess, and Mr. John Siebken.
Two AFS students, Damon Acland from New Zealand and Claudio Lauchhli from Switzerland, took part in the play with funds used to help with the AFS Spring trip.