Polk County Education
16A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • November 11, 2015
College application week
helps 70 students sign up
Itemizer-Observer staf report
INDEPENDENCE —
More than 70 seniors at
Central High School spent
time last week filling out
applications for college.
Students got 90 minutes
outside class time working
with help from college rep-
resentatives and mentors.
The efforts were part of
Gear Up, a nationwide ef-
fort to get kids to commit
to their futures earlier in
the school year.
“A lot of the college
deadlines are in early
spring,” said Prindi Flug,
career development coor-
dinator.
Having kids apply earlier
puts legs on their dreams
of going to college, she
said.
Many Oregon universi-
ties waived application
fees for the event.
Students had access to
computers and had an op-
portunity to complete a
worksheet meant to help
fill in the holes for the gen-
eral questions on college
applications.
A separate session was
held by representatives
from Western Oregon Uni-
versity because so many
CHS students apply there.
Flug said it was a great
success, but that some stu-
dents needed more than
the alloted 90 minutes to
fill out applications.
“Overall, students were
enthusiastic about having
time to apply to schools,”
she said.
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Fagin, played by Emma Poston, directs her gang of thieves in a dance during a musical sequence in “Oliver!”
OLIVER!
Dallas middle, high schools team
up for Dickens’ musical production
By Jolene Guzman
The Itemizer-Observer
JOLENE GUZMAN/Itemizer-Observer
Nancy, played by Amelia Poston, dances while singing
“Oom Pah Pah.” in the second act of “Oliver!” The show
runs Wednesday through Saturday at Dallas High School.
DALLAS — Dallas High
School’s fall play “Oliver!” —
a musical telling of Charles
Dickens’ Oliver Twist open-
ing Wednesday (today) — is
a product of teamwork be-
tween DHS and LaCreole
Middle School.
Last school year, because
of the lack of a choir program
in years past, DHS couldn’t
stage a musical, said “Oliver!”
co-director Blair Cromwell.
But some DHS students still
wanted to perform in musicals.
To offer that opportunity
this year, Cromwell asked if
LaCreole Middle School
choir and drama teacher
Anna Jackson wanted to col-
laborate on the fall produc-
tion, bringing her drama stu-
dents and musical expertise
to the table.
“We didn’t want to take
away from her students, but
also wanted to provide op-
portunities for high school
students,” Cromwell said.
So far, the partnership has
worked beautifully — a few
logistical speed bumps
notwithstanding. LaCreole’s
school day ends later than
DHS’, so middle school ac-
tors had to rush to rehearsals
and get in costume quickly.
As performers in a pro-
duction at the high school,
they are being held to the
same standard as the older
actors.
“They’ve risen to the chal-
lenge,” Jackson said of her
students.
She added they’ve been
excited to learn from older
performers.
See OLIVER, Page 15A
More teams added to TMS sports
Itemizer-Observer staf report
INDEPENDENCE — Dale Cutsforth, athletic director at
Talmadge Middle School, said this year, 241 students par-
ticipated in athletics, up from 208 last year.
“We were nine off our goal,” he said at the Nov. 2 Cen-
tral School District board meeting. “We wanted 250.”
With the increased numbers, a second boys soccer
team was added. Cutsforth said the numbers put a strain
on available facilities at Talmadge, but he and administra-
tors were able to find room for all the teams to practice in
fall.
TMS sports teams compete in the Mid-Valley Central
Coast League, Cutsforth said, adding that he is working to
eliminate competition between coastal teams, as that’s “a
long trip.”
Sports has been a great experience for students, he
said, but facilities are lacking.
“We just started girls basketball and wrestling,” he said.
“We just don’t have a place to put them. We don’t have
space to have two large basketball teams and wrestling.”
Board chairman Steve Love asked Cutsforth what the
board could do to help him in his program.
“We need a gym,” he replied. “Right now we have a
game at the high school, Panther Stadium for football,
Ash Creek (Elementary School) for soccer. We had three
different locations with three different sports participat-
ing, and usually volleyball going on. Facilities is a big
thing.”
Love said the board would discuss facilities needs dur-
ing its board retreat, of which the date was not set by
press time.
“It’s important you bring that up,” Love said. “I don’t
know how we would compare to districts of our size.
That’s something we’re looking at, a strategic facilities
plan.”