HHS students celebrate iconic women in history

By Joseph Cyr
Staff Writer
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
FREEZE FRAME — Using a photo prop for their skit on Mary Lou Retton are, from left, Ethan Bouchard, Blake Bagwell and Jill Howland
    HOULTON — Seventh-grade students from Houlton High School celebrated iconic women in history with a pageant Thursday morning. The event marked the ninth year that the school has celebrated “Women in History.”
    According to event coordinator Karen Bouchard, the students were organized into cooperative learning groups and were then challenged with researching famous women in history from one of four groups — athletes and sportswomen; artists and humanitarians; authors and journalists; and politicians and reformists.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
QUESTIONS PLEASE — Conducting an interview for their presentation on Queen Noor are from left, Emily Murphy, Makala Miller, Jacob Jones, Sabastian Walton and Leanna Cummings.
    Those chosen for this year’s pageant were: Martha Washington, Phyllis Wheatley, Sojourner Truth, Susan B. Anthony, Emily Carr, Agatha Christie, Martha Graham, Mildred Didrikson Zaharias, Lucille Ball, Shirley Temple Black, Barbara Buttrick, Billie Jean King, Wilma Pearl Mankiller, Queen Noor, Cheryl Miller and Mary Lou Retton.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
BASKETBALL— Performing a skit on Cheryl Miller is Keegan Fitzpatrick, front, while accompanied by Kyle Bouchard, left, and Daniel Howe.
    “The students are given a series of projects to do over the course of a month,” Bouchard said. “For instance, they utilize figurative language in the form of a well-written simile or metaphor to depict the woman they are portraying.”
    Students must create an interview portion for the pageant and then work together to create a large collage depicting the woman’s various accomplishments. The students must also write an original poem, song, or skit to educate their classmates about their chosen woman.
    “In addition, they choose a pre-recorded song that they feel fits the accomplishments and/or personality of their woman,” Bouchard said. “This song is played as they make their way up on stage. On the day of the performance, the kids perform in the birth order of the women they are portraying to give the students a sense of the time periods in which they lived. They compete in an interview and talent piece, which are both about three minutes in length.”
    The master of ceremonies for the event was Dawn Dougan, curriculum coordinator for the district. The judges were: Renae Foley, Jason Tarr, Steve Fitzpatrick and Betty Fraser. The official scorer was Fred Ludwig.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
HIGH FIVE —Bayleigh Rowe, left, and Seth Hannigan slap hands during their skit on Billie Jean King Thursday at the Houlton High School auditorium. Seventh graders portrayed various “Women in History” during a pageant at the school.
    The second runner-up was the group portraying Wilma Pearl Mankiller, who died this past Tuesday. The students in this group were Emma Gallop, Nick Guy, Amber Hulstrunk, Becca Tanner, and Jacob Drew.
    In a closely contested pageant, there ended up being a three-way tie for first runner-up — something that has never happened in the nine years the pageants have been held. The tying groups were: Lucille Ball (group members Hayley Flewelling, Ian Goetsch, Lexi Ponder, Lucas Peabody and Delaney Corthell), Shirley Temple Black (represented by Noah Holmes, Madelene Anderson, Mark Lewis, Devin McLaughlin, Noah Blake and Haven Rhoda), and Cheryl Miller (portrayed by Emily Mooers, Keegan Fitzpatrick, Stephanie Taylor, Daniel Howe and Kyle Bouchard).
    The winning group depicted Agatha Christie. Members were Payton Porter, Connor Bulley, Josh Edgerton, Taylor Graham and Daniel Hermann.
Houlton Pioneer Times Photo/Joseph Cyr
CRASH — HHS seventh graders Emma Gallop, left, and Becca Tanner simulate a car crash for their presentation on Wilma Pearl Mankiller.