Weare News : high school

John Stark Regional and GHS invited to state drama event

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 19:39:00 GMT

BY DARRELL HALEN

The false moustache, beard and bushy sideburns that he glued to his face helped Ben Carignan, a John Stark Regional High School student, transform his appearance to that of Crutch Collins, a man living in Gray, Ind., in 1892.

Carignan, 17, and other members of his school’s drama club, brought their production of the play “Anatomy of Gray” to the New Hampshire State Drama Festival. Their performance, which included both solemn and funny moments, drew a loud, enthusiastic applause from the audience when it was done.

It was one of a dozen shows performed at the festival, which drew about 500 participants from 12 high schools, including Goffstown High School. The event, held April 11 and 12 in Gilford, featured one show from each school.

“It’s definitely a fun atmosphere,” said Goffstown High junior Brendan Bertagnoll, 16. “The goal is to present the best show possible and enjoy theater. It’s educational. We can take a lot away from this.”

At the state festival, an annual event, two schools are selected to move on to the New England Drama Festival. Last March, about two dozen New Hampshire high schools performed at regional festivals and 12 of them were chosen for the state event.

“It’s a great opportunity to celebrate (theater) in a fairly noncompetitive environment, which is nice,” said Jennifer Matzke, who directed John Stark Regional’s show. “The students are extremely supportive of each other.”

The festival’s emphasis on education, rather than competition, is an important element of the event, according to its organizers. Each show is critiqued by adjudicators, and students and directors share feedback in forums.

“It’s nice to sit back and look at a play and see how we can improve ourselves,” said Ellen Comeau, 16, who performed several roles in Goffstown Theatre Company’s production of “Metamorphoses.”

“I think it definitely makes me a better actor. I learn. I listen. It’s a good experience.”

Festival rules require that each show not exceed 40 minutes, so the John Stark actors performed only the first act of their play. Schools that exceed the time limit are disqualified from advancing to the New England festival.

The shows ranged from serious pieces to performances that drew big laughs. “Metamorphoses,” a play featuring vignettes based a Greek poem, featured ancient and modern characteristics.

Like the state festival, shows performed at the regional level were judged by adjudicators. Actors, technical workers and directors used that feedback to improve their show before bringing it to the state event.

“You do the things you can to make your show better,” said Goffstown’s director, Lee Mannion, who serves as president of the New Hampshire Education Theatre Guild. “You get that critical eye. There is a huge benefit to having constructive criticism in your life. There’s always something more to think about.”

John Stark’s performance at the state festival drew praise from adjudicators for its look, pace and attention to detail. But the actors were also encouraged to speak more clearly.

Neither John Stark nor Goffstown was chosen to advance to the New England festival – the top honors went to high schools in Laconia and Plymouth – but several local students were among the recipients of All Star Company awards for exceptional acting and technical work.

John Stark student Courtney Perron was given the Robert A. Stuart Award, named after the late leader in New Hampshire theater, in recognition of her excellent acting. During the festival, students bond with other kids who love theater, applaud loudly at each others’ shows and enjoy a dance together.

“I love being with people who share the same passion,” said Comeau. “It’s so neat that so many kids come together and we’re one theater family.”

When a student from Newport was recognized at the awards ceremony for his acting performance, Goffstown High’s Pat Sheehy, a light and sound worker, gave him a high-five. When an actor from Wolfeboro won an award, Sheehy gave him a thumbs-up.

“There’s a tremendous amount of support,” said Dan Pare, the technical director of the Goffstown show. “You don’t see any contention between kids. They have an art, a craft they’re sharing.”

Weare assault gets national exposure

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:08:00 GMT

BY GRETA CUYLER

The New Hampshire high school student arrested after having sex with his girlfriend says he never knew he was breaking the law.

“I didn’t know there was a certain age you had to be to have sex,” said 18-year-old Damon Hadley of Henniker. “I thought if I told the truth, it’d all just go away.”

Hadley is set to tell his story on national television in an upcoming edition of ABC-TV’s “20/20” news show, according to his family and attorney. A spokesman for the show said it may air in March.

Hadley said he didn’t know he had committed a crime when he slept with his 15-and-a-half-year- old girlfriend last fall.

But he had.

And following what he said was his first sexual experience on Sept. 10, Hadley was charged with sexual assault and beaten by the girl’s father after she falsely claimed Hadley raped her.

Although she later admitted to police she lied about the rape allegation, Hadley had already admitted to a crime because, under state law, a person cannot consent to sex until the age of 16.

“When the (police) detective came to collect the bed sheets, Damon said ‘I knew the first time would be memorable, but I didn’t know it would be that memorable,’” said Lisa Hadley, Damon’s mother.

According to the Weare police prosecutor, the girl’s parents pushed for Hadley’s prosecution.

Last month in a plea deal, Damon Hadley pleaded guilty to simple assault, ending the legal case against him. The girl’s father – Gilberto Soto, 38, of Weare -- has also pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault.

“I didn’t learn about (these laws) until this all took place,” said Lisa Hadley. “I don’t want anyone else to have to go through this.”

Damon Hadley said he agreed to the ABC television interview so people would hear his side of the story.

It started on Monday, Sept. 10. Hadley said he was taking a friend to get his driver’s license.

On the way, they picked up his girlfriend at school and later the two went back to Hadley’s house and had sex, he said.

Trouble began when Hadley and the girl tried to sneak back into school later that day. He said officials knew the girl had skipped school and the two students were separated and questioned.

Hadley said he was later told to return to class.

When he left school that afternoon, he saw his girlfriend’s father and brother waiting in a car. Hadley said the two jumped out and ran toward him.

“I didn’t move at all, I just froze,” Hadley said. “I didn’t know what to do. Her dad hit me. I was on the ground, I just remember him standing on top of me and hitting me.”

“He kept saying, ‘Did you (have sex with) my daughter?’” Hadley said as Soto hit him, the man’s son stood behind him watching. Hadley’s mouth filled with blood.

As other students left the building, some kept walking, others stopped to stare. Eventually, one of Hadley’s friends came and took him to the nurse’s office while the school resource officer pulled Soto away.

Hadley was later treated at the hospital for cuts and bruises and received two stitches to his face.

When Hadley went to the police station the next day to document his injuries, he learned the girl he’d been dating since June - the one he’d professed his love to - had accused him of rape.

The couple had been seeing each other in secret, he said, because her parents didn’t allow her to date.

After Soto and Hadley both pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault, Soto was sentenced to 12 months in jail and Hadley to three months. Both sentences were suspended on condition of good behavior. Hadley said he’s not mad at his former girlfriend.

“There were parts when I was mad at her about the whole thing - why is she doing this, why is this happening to me,” Hadley said, then paused. “I don’t think I’m mad at her anymore. I hope she has a good life.”

He’s moved on, is dating someone new and supports his mother’s efforts to lobby both the state Legislature and local school boards.

Lisa Hadley wants schools to explain to students the laws regarding sex among minors.

She supports inviting police and lawyers into high schools to explain the consequences of engaging in underage sex.

“The work Lisa is doing and Damon is assisting her with, to educate the public, especially young people, is crucially important,” said Hadley’s lawyer, George Campbell, a Concord attorney with Robert Stein and Associates. “If the law is important enough to be enforced, it’s important enough that people be educated to not commit the act that’s been criminalized.”

Hadley will graduate from high school in the spring. He plans to take a year off and then pursue a degree in motorcycle mechanics at a technical college.

Local schools get FIRST challenge

Goffstown Editor — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 21:51:00 GMT

By Jenn McDowell

WEARE – The FIRST robotics season kicked off for teams around the world with the announcement of this year’s challenge: FIRST Overdrive.

Through a Web simulcast from Southern New Hampshire University on Saturday, Jan. 5, 3, 500 high school teams from the all over the world, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, the U.K., Brazil, Chile, Israel and the Netherlands viewed the national FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Board of Directors’ presentation of this year’s challenge – to construct a robot that operates under “supervisory control” incorporating both autonomous and manual power.

Dean Kamen, president of DEKA Research and Development Corporation in Manchester, founded the FIRST program in 1991. Today, New Hampshire alone has 28 FIRST Robotics teams as well as many FIRST

Lego League teams supported through schools, community volunteers and corporate sponsorship.

This year’s challenge game field was a 27- by 54-foot race track with red and blue lanes and had a 6-foot-6-inch high metal frame that went over it, similar to monkey bars. Red and blue “track balls,” two for each robot, sat on the frame.

Teams could score points by making laps around the track or by carrying or pushing the track balls.

Teams have six weeks to design and build a robot for competition using a kit provided by FIRST, including batteries, a controller, motors and other parts.

Jeff Beltramo, the FIRST mentor at John Stark Regional High School, which has about 12 students participating in the Oz-Ram team with Hopkinton and Derryfield High schools, said they were very excited about the challenge.

“When I first saw it, I thought it was kind of easy,” he said. After the team brainstormed ideas over the weekend, he realized it was a bit harder than he originally thought because of the difficulty in maneuvering the track balls, which are 40 inches in diameter.

“It’s a classic FIRST competition. They try to put a little bit in for the basic teams that don’t have that much experience, but they also throw in very challenging things,” he said.