St. Pat’s refreshes its gym
Also, park band presents a musical Valentine; Ivy Tech hosts College Goal Sunday
This article is brought to you by Freedom Financial.
Parishioners packed the house on Feb. 6 to commemorate the “refreshing” of the St. Joan of Arc and Patrick School gymnasium. The venerable venue received a facelift over the winter, and the church welcomed the community to share in the celebration.
“It is truly a joy to celebrate the gymnasium here at St. Patrick’s,” said Rev. Fr. Christopher Shocklee. “This is the face of our school and our parishes, in many ways, to non-parishioners. Many in our community only see this gym, and it has served us well since 1963.
“It is a beautiful thing to recognize what this gym means with its place in the community, how many people were involved in games over the years, and how many people were involved in making this refresh happen.”
Rev. Fr. Shocklee explained that the gym floor is the same one installed in 1963. However, the process of stripping away years of wear and refinishing the surface made the wood appear new again. The new bleachers were purchased by the school’s trust fund, and individual donations covered the cost of repainting the walls as well as the purchase of new scoreboards which will be installed later.
“All of it is thanks to the parishioners and everyone else who supported St. Patrick’s,” said Rev. Fr. Shocklee. “Thank you to everyone who helped make this happen. This is an important part of the church and of Sts. Joan and Patrick School.”
The “yellow” and “blue” exhibition teams included parishioners, staff, and returning former students of the school. Even St. Pat’s associate pastor, Rev. Fr. Stephen Duquaine, suited up to play. Kokomo Mayor Tyler Moore served as the announcer for the game, and former Howard County Commissioner Paul Wyman stepped in as a referee.
The Greater Kokomo Chamber of Commerce joined the festivities and held a ribbon cutting to welcome the gym’s reopening.
Park band presents ‘A Musical Valentine’
On Sun., Feb. 12, at 3 p.m., the Kokomo Park Band will present “A Musical Valentine” in Havens Auditorium on the campus of IU Kokomo. The free concert will feature violinist Joshua Facello, vocalists Cherresa Lawson and Sally Duke, and the IU Kokomo Cougar Choir.
Works include Tchaikovsky’s Overture to “Romeo & Juliet '' along with compositions by Leroy Anderson, Rogers & Hammerstein; Puccini, Rodriguez, Sousa, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Aaron Copland. Jay Gephart, Director of Purdue Bands and Artistic Director of the KPB will conduct. The concert is free.
Coordinated Assistance Ministries (C.A.M.) will be accepting donations of shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, shaving cream, razors, 3-in-1 body wash, feminine hygiene items and/or money. Those attending are invited to visit their display in the lobby celebrating 30 years of serving the community.
Violinist Joshua Facello will perform the beautiful and compelling “Love Theme” from “Cinema Paradiso” by Ennio Moriconme. Josh currently serves as the concertmaster of the Purdue Philharmonic Orchestra. He is also a member of the Lafayette Symphony and is the founder of the Purdue Soli, a student performance organization which provides opportunities for Purdue musicians to network and share their talents with the West Lafayette/Lafayette community at local retirement homes. He is currently a Junior at Purdue University studying Industrial Engineering.
Other selections in the concert include the famous “La Cumparsita Tango” by Gerardo Rodriguez; “The White Rose” by the immortal John Philip Sousa, selections from “The Sound of Music’ by Rodgers and Hammerstein; “O Mio Babbino Caro” from the opera “Gianni Schicchi” (1918) by Giacomo Puccini; “Clarinet Candy” by Leroy Anderson; and “My Funny Valentine” by Rodgers and Hart.
Sally Duke, who is known for her singing roles in Kokomo Civic Theater, Christian recordings, and appearances at Music at the Fairgrounds and in area churches, will perform “But Not for Me” by George and Ira Gershwin. Cherresa Lawson, Director of Choirs at Kokomo High School, will sing “My Heart Will Go On” (Love Theme from “Titanic”). She has been both a performer and director with Kokomo Civic Theater, is a Gospel soloist at Second Missionary Baptist Church and is an accomplished jazz artist of regional acclaim.
Two selections will feature the IU Kokomo Cougar Choir under the direction of Wendy Grice: “Andrew Lloyd Webber-Concert Celebration” includes “The Phantom of the Opera”; “Music of the Night”; “Don't Cry for Me Argentina” (Evita); “Superstar”; “King Herod's Song” (Jesus Christ Superstar); “Memory” (Cats); and “Go Go Go Joseph” (Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat). "The Promise of Living" is by Aaron Copland.
This Kokomo Park Band concert is produced in cooperation with The Allen Whitehill Clowes Foundation, Center Township Trustee, Community Foundation of Howard County, the Arts Federation, the Indiana Arts Commission with the support of the National Endowment for the Arts, and Indiana University Kokomo. The majority of the band's funding depends on donations from individuals. Contributions may be sent to Kokomo Park Band; PO Box 6039; Kokomo, IN 46904-6039. More information can be found on Facebook and its website www.kokomoparkband.org.
Indiana students to get free FAFSA filing help at College Goal Sunday
Financial aid professionals will be volunteering at Ivy Tech’s Logansport campus and various other sites in Indiana to help college-bound students and their families open the door to financial aid during College Goal Sunday. The event is set from 2-4 p.m., Feb. 26, and will take place in Computer Lab 212 in the facility at 1 Ivy Tech Way in Logansport.
The free program assists Indiana students in filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in less than one afternoon. The FAFSA form is required for students to be considered for federal and state grants, scholarships, and federal student loans at most colleges, universities, and vocational/technical schools nationwide. Due to state deadlines, the FAFSA must be filed by April 15, 2023, to be eligible for most Indiana financial aid.
“We want students to capitalize on every opportunity they can that makes going to college affordable, no matter what field or industry they pursue or where they find themselves on their educational journey,” said Dr. Sue Ellspermann, president of Ivy Tech. “Ivy Tech is proud to host events like College Goal Sunday that align with the goals of the State of Indiana and the Commission for Higher Education, as we strive to achieve a statewide FAFSA completion rate of at least 60 percent this year.”
“College Goal Sunday is one of my favorite events that we host at Ivy Tech Logansport,” said Rachel McHenry, director of Financial Aid for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “We love serving the community in this way and have a fantastic team of volunteers each year that helps with FAFSA filing, 21st Century Scholars, and financial aid questions. Spanish-English translation services will be provided.”
Now in its 34th year, College Goal Sunday has helped more than 94,000 Indiana students and families complete the FAFSA properly and on time. College Goal Sunday is a charitable program of the Indiana Student Financial Aid Association (ISFAA).
Students should attend College Goal Sunday with their parent(s) or guardian(s), and parent(s) should bring completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax returns, W-2 Forms and other 2021 income and benefits information. Students who worked should also bring their income information. Students 24 years of age or older may attend alone and bring their completed 2021 IRS 1040 tax return, W-2 Form or other 2021 income and benefits information. Students and parent(s) are encouraged to apply for their U.S. Department of Education FSA IDs at www.studentaid.gov before logging in to the event.
Volunteers will walk through the online form line-by-line and answer families’ individual questions as needed. All sites offer FAFSA online capabilities, and many have Spanish interpreters. A complete list of sites is available at www.collegegoalsunday.org.
Students may also win one of five $1,000 scholarships. Students who attend College Goal Sunday and submit a completed evaluation form will automatically be entered in a drawing for a $1,000 scholarship. The winners will be notified in spring and scholarships will be sent directly to the higher education institution selected by the winning students.
For more information about College Goal Sunday visit www.collegegoalsunday.org.