“The silent cries of a blank page/ Waiting for words for an age” writes Western Wayne freshman Lillian Maros in her poem “Rushing Words” which won an Honorable Mention award from Scholastic Art & Writing Awards from The Alliance for Young Artists & Writers.
Lillian entered the contest after having heard about it in one of her classes last year. She is thrilled to have been recognized for her poetry. She has been writing fiction for a number of years now and truly enjoys crafting stories.
She explained the meaning of her poem, “It is about writing a book during COVID times and the pressure of all of that. The poem summarizes my life in general.”
Although Lillian enjoys writing full length stories best, she explained how writing poetry is a fun new challenge for her.
“Poetry is interesting because of all of the rhymes,” she explained. “It is a challenge to come up with many specific words. You have to have a large vocabulary. When I write fiction, I concentrate more on what I would want to read in a book and then try to put that in my stories.”

The full length poem is below:

“Rushing Words”
Blocked by the pain of a lightning-struck tree
Beaten and battered by winds from the sea
Screaming thoughts of inspiration whizzing by at blazing speeds
Small ideas and breakthroughs alike peaking through the weeds
The silent cries of a blank page
Waiting for words for an age
Water slamming against the rocks at the Point
The still, quiet sigh of the glistening pond
The whisper of the Lord’s sweet voice in my ears
The mind screaming of the horrors of school work, health, and all fears
Dreaming of words painting a story
While fears of failure come to worry
Goals upon goals of awards and approval
The dismay of the words they said would come cruel
The hoping and praying for an adventure of my own
The wish for a journey beyond that of my home
Could such exploits only exist in the brain?
Or is it just my want to dance in the rain?
The gift of thoughts flowing like a river
The pride of a medalist who has just won a silver
The confidence of a glorious choir
The constant need to reach higher and higher
The scratching and scraping of a pen on the paper
The paint soaked brush on a canvas is my nature
Words billowing like a raging cascade
Rushing words from which I am made

Western Wayne sophomore Carly Schott recently had the opportunity to have her artwork published in a children’s book called A Butterfly Called Bennie. Carly is a member of Western Wayne’s National Art Honor Society and will donate any profits she makes from this project to a charity of her choosing.
Nichole Laub, Director of Nursing at Aventura at Creekside in Carbondale saw some of her artwork through Carly’s mother. Laub then asked if she would like to work on doing some illustrations for the book project. The theme of A Butterfly Called Bennie is accepting the differences of others.
Carly worked closely with the author in creating her illustrations. She was asked to create colorful images for the book. She used the medium of colored pencil to create her pictures.
Having really enjoyed working on her artwork since the sixth grade, Carly jumped at the chance to use her art skills in this new way.
“I enjoy the process of creating and being able to see the finished product that I create,” Carly explained. “ I want to be an artist someday.”
The book is currently available at all local bookstores and the publisher: Dorrance Publishing Co. In addition, it can be purchased at Amazon, Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and BAM. Copies of the book also will be donated to all the local libraries and to all buildings within the Western Wayne School District. Pictured is Carly with a copy of the book she illustrated.

Western Wayne senior artists have been selected to be a part of the Scranton Times Artists of the Month Exhibit.  They include Carleigh Galliford, February artist; Adelaide Treibley, May artist; and Ella Dougher, November artist.

The students’ artwork will be featured in the Scranton Times for their designated month.  Carleigh’s acrylic painting titled “Beacon of Hope” will be featured for February.  The picture depicts a lighthouse by an ocean and a cabin.  Carleigh has been accepted at Marywood University for the fall.  She wishes to pursue an art therapy degree.  

She explained that most of her pieces are based on self expression.

“I enjoy art because it helps me to express things that can’t be expressed through words,”  Carleigh explained.

Fellow senior Adelaide Treibley also enjoys the aspect of creative expression in her art work.  Adelaide’s acrylic piece titled “ A Moment with Monet” will be featured for May.

She explained how her piece is a very detailed nature scene that took her a lot of time to work on all of the coloring throughout it.

In addition, Adelaide has artwork featured in the December  issue of Happenings Magazine.  The issue can be found at the following link:   https://issuu.com/happeningsmagazinepa/docs/dec_2021_issuu

“I like to create artwork with animals, wild life, and nature the most,” Adelaide explained.

Senior Ella Dougher’s artwork also features nature.  Her Scranton Times acrylic piece is called “Autumn’s Arrival.”  Ella is excited to have already received a scholarship to Mount Saint Mary’s.  She enjoys doing art and hopes to pursue it in some capacity in her college studies.

“I like having the freedom to create whatever I choose,” Ella said in regards to her art work.

The students look forward to having their pieces featured in the Scranton Times and are all currently working on creating more artwork for their upcoming spring art show which will be the culmination of their high school art careers.

Elaine Ort, band director for Western Wayne High School, will join band directors from across the country next January 1^st in the annual Pasadena Tournament of Roses® Rose Parade.

    A custom-designed animated float will lead a “marching band of band directors” up to 300 strong from across the country. The Michael D. Sewell Memorial Foundation, based in Pickerington, Ohio, is the sponsoring organization behind the project. The foundation was created to recognize and carry on the work of the late Mike Sewell, who dedicated his life to the school and community music programs in Pickerington and the Central Ohio area for more than 38 years.

    The parade entry will convey the theme, “We teach music. We teach life.” The extraordinary dedication and accomplishments of band directors are well known to their students, to parents and to school teachers and administrators. No matter where they teach and work—public and private schools, colleges and universities, the military, community bands—dedicated music educators and leaders work long hours to not only teach and direct music, but to teach life itself. Students’ lives in particular are positively changed by a motivational leader who taught, inspired and mentored them.

     “I am so incredibly excited for this experience, and so grateful to have had such wonderful colleagues and friends who have helped prepare me for this adventure,” Ort said. “ I hope that I will make all of you proud in Pasadena.  Go Wildcats, and Go Band!”

    Elaine Ort has devoted much of her life to the study and performance of music.  A native of New England and graduate of Marywood University, Elaine is a member of the Scranton Brass Orchestra, the Providence Brass, the Schützengiggles Oompah Band, the Marywood University Wind Symphony, and performs often in musical pit orchestras throughout the region.  As an educator, Elaine serves as the director of instrumental activities in the Western Wayne School District since 2014.  At Western Wayne, her teaching responsibilities include sixth grade brass instruction, eighth grade band instruction, and the Pride of Western Wayne, the Wildcat High School Band.  Under her direction and guidance the school continues to invest heavily in its music program, and was recently named a KHS America Academic Alliance Platinum school for its investment in instrumental education.  It is the only school in Pennsylvania, and one of only 39 in the United States to have received that honor.

     Complete details on the project are available on the Saluting America’s Band Directors website, BandDirectorSalute.org.