Collegiate students share talents at 1st show

Charleston Collegiate School held its first talent show March 5 in the gym. CCS senior and show organizer Shareef Elkady said he is happy with the show and hopes it's the first of many to come.

"This event was difficult to organize, but it turned out to be really fun, and I'm thankful that CCS gave me the opportunity to help organize an event as big as this," Shareef said.

He was helped by teachers Jenny Pringle and Randy Neale.

There were about 15 acts by students in grades 1-12, and the performances ranged from piano recitals to magic tricks. A large crowd of students and parents gathered to see the performances. The prom committee sold snacks at the show as a fundraiser.

The Lower School's winners included Riley Potter and Grace Christoph in first place, Melissa Linder in second and Walker Pitts in third. Middle and Upper School winners were Christian Elias in first place, Laney Miller and Mallori Lazich in second, and Kyra Westerberg in third.

"I hope it's a new CCS tradition," Pringle said.

CCS supports 'Haiti Houses'

After the earthquake in Haiti, the school sought a creative way to aid victims.

Valerie Shears, CCS art teacher, was interested in the idea of "Haiti Houses," and wanted to bring the fundraiser to Charleston Collegiate.

The initial program was started by two art instructors in Florida, Ellen McMillan and Ann Ayers.

The program, which was operating before the quake, involves students personalizing their miniature dwellings as magnets and pins. Money from the sales of the pins and magnets is sent to Haiti for various charities.

"I think it's important for students to talk the talk and walk the walk. They made these and are involved," Shears said. Shears used resin to cover the little houses.

She says CCS students have made more than 200 houses and are looking for a local business or center to allow the pieces to be displayed and sold. She said the funds from the sales can be sent to any Haiti-related charity, and she specifically mentioned Water Missions International.

Project brings students together

The school held a Renaissance Fair last year as a way to get students in all grades working together on a yearlong project. This year, the school decided to do a more modern fair, the City Project, on March 11.

The City Project involved 10 groups of first- through 12th-graders, with seniors leading the groups. The mission was to collaborate and create a model city.

The mission appeared simple at first glance but proved to be a complex task.

Randy Neale, one of the teacher-coordinators of the City Project, said, "It was a very exciting contest, and all of the groups did excellent work. It's very exciting for all, especially the Lower School because they worked with older students."

The City Project creators had to show off their towns with a brochure, banner, reproduction of the metropolis, map, regional food for the team to eat and sport or game for residents to play. The idea of the project was to allow all types of talents in the school to collaborate on one multigrade effort.

Names of the metropolises included "Treetopia" and "Burn City."

The friendly competition (and more or less the desire to win the prize of a dress-down week) inspired them to give the competition their all. In the end, the winners were the cities of "Bouyan-city" and "Purpoplis."

Classes honor eras of '50s, '60s

On Feb. 12, some CCS students had the opportunity to pay tribute to the 1950s by re-enacting a "Beatnik Cafe" for humanities class.

The junior class, led by humanities teacher Melody Sharpe, shared Beatnik poems with classmates to the rhythmic pounding of drums.

Sharpe said she wanted the students to "fully experience the Beats' era as a historical movement," so she "turned the classroom into a coffee shop."

CCS headmaster Dr. J. Robert Shirley shared some of his own poetry as a guest who remembered the era as a college student. "After reading Beat Generation giants such as Kerouac, Ferlenghetti, Ginsberg, Snyder and Burroughs, students wrote their own Beat style poetry. We wanted to make (the era) real for the students," Sharpe said.

The students were creative and supportive of fellow classmates' literary talents.

On March 15, the humanities classes had a similar event based on their 1960s historical curriculum. The students wrote their own hippie-style protest songs and performed them for the classes.

Guitars and applause accompanied each song. The songs covered various present-day "injustices" the students were compelled to protest, such as war, the treatment of women, etc.

The class was assembled on the grounds of the school and many passers-by joined in and even tried playing the guitar.

"I felt like we captured the true spirit of the era -- the '60s spirit of unity and spontaneity and social awareness -- when other people ... started gravitating toward our group and joined the circle," Sharpe said.

The students also wore attire from the era, including sunglasses, flowers in their hair and tie-dyed shirts.

While the Vietnam War is not a current subject as it was in the 1960s, the students still felt as if they were participating in a period event.

Got feedback? Reach our young journalists through their editor at janegreen@postandcourier.com or comment at www.postandcourier.com/yourlowcountry.