#SocialStudies v9.0
April 12, 2012
While thousands of high school students return to class this week after Spring Break -- surely ready to regale their friends, teammates and teachers with tales of their adventures on vacation (or "stay-cation" for some), I thought it might be fun to show you what we've been privy to over the past week.
Welcome to #SocialStudies, the Back-to-School-In-Spring Edition.
As usual, it's a hodgepodge of ridiculous, funny and sporty. Enjoy, and don't forget that a little moisturizer makes that tan last a lot longer.
1. Stayin' Alive in the Magic Kingdom
For the marching band at Dexter High School, Spring Break meant traveling to Orlando, Fla. -- and performing before the Main Street Electric Parade at the Magic Kingdom in Walt Disney World. Congratulations to the Dreadnaughts Band, who clearly enjoyed its time down south, and gave the Mickey & Minnie-loving crowd a sweet Bee Gees jam.
2. Buckle up
Any adrenaline junkies out there? Yeah, I figured as much. If you haven't ridden this coaster at Cedar Point in Sandusky, Ohio -- think about making the trip. Just try not to get all amped up around 50 seconds into this front-row POV vid from the spectacular Erie-lakeside Millenium Force. Keep your hands and arms inside the car at all times, and enjoy your ride.
3. Even the pros do it once in a while
We've all been there. If you've played a sport, you know that sometimes the desire to try something spectacular can sometimes end in sheer disaster. This is why coaches tell you to take the "easy two." In that spirit, I give to you a sure-fire NBA Hall-of-Famer, Vince Carter, missing a wide-open layup.
4. Lots of Laughs
To be perfectly honest, when schools are out of session, our office gets a little too quiet. The phones ring less, several staff members take vacations to coincide with Spring Break, and it's typically the week after our winter tournaments (read: CRAZY TIME!) conclude.
As such, those of us left in the office need to get creative with how we stay engaged. Here's one way we got through last week without you all. I make no excuses. (As an aside, big congratulations to our Assistant Director of IT, Jordan Cobb, on the birth of his first child, Zoey!)
As always -- if you find something worthy of us watching, send it over. Links, photos, stories ... whatever strikes your fancy that week. Make it part of our #SocialStudies!
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Wounded Warrior Project: DeWitt vs Portland
December 16, 2011
DEWITT -- The meeting of two state-ranked teams always will ratchet up a typical football night. Both communities, naturally, want to see which is better on the field.
But during the hour before the opening kickoff Oct. 14 of DeWitt’s game against Portland, those teams and their supporters together recognized a grander cause. The night was dedicated to the Wounded Warrior Project, which aids U.S. soldiers (and their families) who have suffered service-related injuries and illnesses.
Rain washed out some planned attractions, but the evening certainly was memorable. Both teams wore camouflage jerseys and each sent its captains to the pre-game coin toss with an honorary captain representing the military. A number of other service personnel were involved – including a local color guard that presented a 30-foot flag for the national anthem.
It’s understandable if people’s visions of wars and our military are focused an ocean away. But connections hit close to home. DeWitt’s honorary captain, Lansing’s U.S. Army Spc. Jacob Shumway, recently returned from a deployment and has been in the service for two and a half years. He’s a 2003 Lansing Everett graduate, and his mother Susan Land is the principal at Lansing Eastern. His cousins Ethan and Collin Rennaker start for DeWitt, and he walked alongside them for the pregame flip. Shumway plans to attend Lansing Community College and study digital graphic design.
Both teams are considered contenders for their respective state titles next month; DeWitt is ranked No. 7 in Division 3, while Portland is No. 4 in Division 5. And they played like it – Portland prevailed 22-20 in overtime.
A great game, no question. But similarly significant was a preliminary figure of more than $11,000 raised for the WWP.
For more about the Wounded Warrior Project visit http://www.woundedwarriorproject.org.