The Bear Facts
January 5, 2019

Good morning! I’m Reese Rosenmeyer!

I’m Gabe Trainer!

And I’m Laurel Degen! Welcome once again to the “Bear Facts”. Happy New Year from everyone here at Bishop Garrigan High School.

Speech season is well underway. Rehearsals started before Christmas, and they’re speeding up now. Coaches Jake Rosenmeyer and David Burrow have been working with dozens of students who are preparing six different events for the district large-group contest, which will be held in Manson two weeks from today.

Among the events students are working on is the one-act play “The Girl in the Mirror”, the readers’ theatre “What Are We Going to Do with Mama”, and the choral reading “The World of Animals”. There are two ensemble acting selections called “Flag Girls” and “Communication”, and there’s also an improvisation group.

At the core of the speech group are seniors Caroline Bradley, Laurel Degen, Aidan Koob, Emma Thul, Logan Heying, Ashlyn Harringtion, San Vaske, Madison Illg, Megan Bronk, and Lauren Kenyon. Others in speech include Jordan Hansen, Cade Winkel, Joey Trainer, Amanda Miller, Kelle Bormann, Abbi Heying, Jenna Heinen, Katie Noonan, Maddie Meister, Tara Kron, and Bailey Kollasch.

The speech group also features Grace DeLage, Noah Bronk, Ava Eisenbarth, Mya Kemna, Reese Rosenmeyer, Gracie Elsbecker, Anna Berke, and Bailey Meister. Rounding out the speech participants are Molly Bormann, MaryAnne Capesius, Isabel Casey, Amanda Thilges, Emily Lappe, Meredith Tigges, Katelyn Cink, Lillee Deike, Riley Rosenmeyer, Ella Muller, Allison Kramer, Meredith Illg, Marguerite Fakler, Lexi Galligan, and Emma Grandgenett. Good luck, speech!

Toward the end of this month ten Garrigan students will be headed down to Mississippi for a mission project at a site run by Franciscan sisters. Billy Erpelding, Eric Thul, Bryce Garman, Emma Thul, Sam Vaske, Caroline Bradley, Lauren Kenyon, Laurel Degen, Jordan Hansen and Lucas Hough will making the trip. We’ll give you more information on the Mississippi mission project as the time gets closer.

Tomorrow is the North Central Iowa Bandmasters Association honor band, and two Garrigan students will be part of the festivities. Senior Sami Darling and junior Jordan Hansen will both be honored for their excellence in instrumental music. Congratulations to Sami and Jordan, and also to band director Katherine Wiemers!

In winter the biggest part of the band’s activates is pep band. The pep band performs whenever there’s a home basketball quad—with JV and varsity girls and boys games being played. Sometimes alumni and staff members will join in with the pep band to help them have a fuller sound. Check the calendar for the home quads, and be sure to catch the pep band performaces.

Semester tests are coming up next week. Garrigan students. Cramming for tests is nobody’s favorite time of the year, but the good news is that we have open campus whenever we don’t have tests going on. Tests at Garrigan will be next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There’s three tests each day in the high school, with longer periods and extra time between the classes.

Our Senior Spotlight this week shines on Caroline Bradley. Here to tell you about her is Preston Kohhaas.

Caroline Bradley is one of the students who comes to Garrigan from the Bancroft area. We already mentioned Caroline among the large group speech students and as one of the students who will be making a mission trip to Mississippi. Caroline is active in Christian Leadership in Action, and last fall she was installed as an Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. She has also been in cheerleading throughout school. Caroline will be off to college next fall, and we wish her all the best in the future.

Thanks, Preston. On our Golden Bear calendar this week, there’s the North Central Iowa Bandmasters Association honor band today. Tomorrow is the Feast of the Epiphany.

Tuesday there’s a basketball quad with the Bears traveling east to play Belmond—Klemme. Then Wednesday morning we’ll start the day with a student mass.

Semester tests are next Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. There’s three tests each day, with a lengthy lunch break and extra time between the tests.

Thursday night the JJV, JV, and varsity boys basketball teams host Pocahontas, while the girls JJV team plays at Humboldt. The second quarter ends next Friday.

Finally next Saturday there’s math team at Johnston. There’s a basketball quad that afternoon, with the Bears hosting Mason City Newman, and that night we’ll have the Sadie Hawkins Dance.

That’s our first “Bear Facts” for 2019. Thanks for joining us, and be sure to tune in again next week for more news from Bishop Garrigan High School.