The Bear Facts
March 5, 2011
Good morning! I’m Aimee Dahlhauser!
I’m Kelsie Berke!
And I’m Kristin Berte! Thanks for joining us for the “Bear Facts”, the weekly
radio show from Bishop Garrigan High School.
Last weekend Garrigan hosted the Iowa High School Speech Association district
individual contest. The Bears were among the schools competing in their home
tournament, and they had just about the best day they could possibly have
imagined. Garrigan students earned twenty-six Division I or “excellent” ratings,
plus four Division II’s and one III. Only two area schools—Spencer and Spirit
Lake—had more I’s than Bishop Garrigan.
Students earning Division I ratings included Michael Fakler in Public Address;
Philip Detrick, Craig Kohlhaas, and Matthew Fakler in Improvisation; Jake
Rosenmeyer, Michael Fakler, and Philip Detrick in After Dinner Speaking; and
Alissa Kirsch in Expository Address. Also earning I’s were Anna Kollasch, Jenny
Broesder, Levi Bernhard, Anna Hohmeister, and Lizzy Hohmeister in Storytelling;
and Craig Kohlhaas and Lizzy Hohmeister in Acting.
Excellent ratings also went to Levi Bernhard, Drew Magill, Erica Carlson, and
Michael Hellman in Poetry; Jake Rosenmeyer, Amelia Golwitzer, and Rachel Berte
in Literary Program; Anna Kollasch in Solo Musical Theatre; and Andrea Altman,
Melanie Mergen, and Anna Hohmeister in Prose. All of these entries now advance
to the state individual speech contest, which will be held March 12th at Algona
High.
Just two weeks from now on March 18, Garrigan’s varsity quiz bowl team will be
hosting a community trivia event. The team seniors have been entirely
responsible for planning the tournament, including organizing the schedule and
preparing hundreds of questions. Eight different teams have already registered,
but more spaces are available for interested participants. The cost is $25, with
the proceeds helping with the expenses of the quiz bowl trip to nationals this
summer. If you’d like to be part of the event, you can call Jake Rosenmeyer at
341-6160.
Today nine Garrigan students are at Dordt College in Sioux Center for a Great
Plains Math League competition. In math team competitors work individually and
in teams of three to solve challenging problems. Competing today are Michael
Fakler, Alex Hamilton, Anna Kollasch, Jenny Broesder, Craig Kohlhaas, Austin
Salz, Allison Frideres, Brittany Kirsch, and Jake Hamilton. Good luck, math
team!
Next Friday a large group of middle school students from Seton and from the
Catholic schools in Emmetsburg and Humboldt will be visiting Garrigan. It’s
traditional this time of year for eighth graders to come here to tour the
building and learn about the classes and activities we offer at the high school.
This year younger Seton students will also be visiting Garrigan as part of the
preparation for the seventh and eighth grades to move out here next year.
Because of the middle school move there has been lots of construction going on
at Garrigan. Seventh and eighth graders will be in a self-contained area in the
north wing of the Garrigan building. To make room for them Mr. Brosnan, Miss
McCall, and Mrs. Miller will be moving their classrooms to other parts of the
school. In preparation for this several areas of the building are being
remodeled—with fresh paint, new carpet, and additional storage being added.
The intramural basketball season is continuing. So far the top scorers have been
Luke Eischen and Daniel Gelhaus, each of whom has scored over 100 points. Staff
members Mark Meister, Scot Miller, Beany Bode, and Lynn Miller have made their
presence known, and with 43 points Abbey Reding is the top girls player. There
are two more weeks in the regular season, and then the final four will advance
to playoffs.
The majority of our “Bear Facts” audience listen to our broadcast Saturday
morning on KLGA. More and more people, though, check out the “Bear Facts”
podcast online. At last check there were around two hundred “Bear Facts”
listeners each week. Each week’s “Bear Facts” is archived in .mp3 format on the
school website at bishopgarrigan.org. If you miss the show you can check it out
on your own time, and you can also listen to old episodes going back as long as
fifteen years ago. That’s just one small part of what you’ll find on our website
at bishopgarrigan.org.
Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Miranda Gisch and Rachel Beletti. Here
to tell you about them are Anna Kollasch.
Miranda Gisch’s biggest activity is golf. She was part of last year’s state
runner-up team, and she’s also out for golf this year. Miranda is a Bancroft
native who has studied to work as a nurse’s aide. She plans to enter the
military after high school, and we wish her all the best in the future.
Rachel Beletti keeps busy with publications and in the Christian Leadership in
Action group. She challenges herself with classes like Human Anatomy, and she
was also honored last year as part of the Kossuth Garden of Poets. Rachel will
be a college girl next year, and we wish her good luck.
Thanks, Anna. On our Golden Bear calendar this week, the math team is in action
today at Dordt College in Sioux Center. Intramural basketball resumes tomorrow,
with two more exciting games.
Monday the Golden Bear cheerleaders will be performing at the state boys
basketball tournament. Wednesday the juniors will attend a college day at Algona
High.
Wednesday is also the start of Lent, and we’ll also have an Ash Wednesday prayer
service that day.
Garrigan and Seton do have school next Friday, though the Algona Community
Schools are not in session. The high school will dismiss early on Friday so the
middle schoolers can have their orientation.
Next Saturday there’s state speech contest at Algona High. Then we’ll set our
clocks ahead to get ready for Daylight Saving Time.
That’s the “Bear Facts” for this week. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to
tune in again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.
JR3311
