Windham leads in bid to compete in PBS Quiz Show Tournament

Windham High School's Quiz Show Team is going strong
as they compete academically at the state and national levels.
Members include from left, Bryce Vance (senior); Co-Advisor
English Teacher Nicole Densmore; Co-Advisor Math Teacher
John Ziegler; Al Potter (junior); Victoria Lin (junior);
Will Stuart (sophomore); Rosie Lydon (sophomore); Kaitlyn
Farrin (sophomore); Team Captain Greta Paulding (junior); and
Francesca Lomonte (freshman). Not shown are Xavier Bowman,
Alex Pooler, Browin Dieumegard and Logan Alcott.
PHOTO BY LORRAIN GLOWCZAK  

By Lorraine Glowczak

While most prepared to watch the showdown between the Los Angeles Rams and the Cincinnati Bengals on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 13, members of the Windham High School Quiz Show Team were in an intellectual battle of their own, competing against top academic high schools throughout Maine and Massachusetts in a Maine Online Winter Tournament.

Like the Rams, the HSQST came out as top contenders in this virtual competition. The team competed again on Feb. 16 in hopes of qualifying for the popular PBS Quiz Show Tournament this spring and results from that event will be known Feb. 28. 

If they qualify, they will compete against 16 other high school teams with a chance to win $1,000 toward their Project Graduation. Runner-ups will receive $500.

The HSQST also competed two weeks ago in the Nationwide Novice Tournament scoring high against top schools from the Midwest to the East Coast. This high-scoring academic group is a relatively new team to Windham High School and consists of scholarly and trivia-loving students. Members include Greta Paulding (captain), Kaitlyn Farrin (alternate captain), Al Potter, Victoria Lin, Francesca Lomonte, Will Stuart, Rosie Lydon, Ralph Leavitt, Bryce Vance, Xavier Bowman, Alex Pooler, Browin Dieumegard, and Logan Alcott.

“The High School Quiz Show Team was founded here at Windham High School in the fall of 2018,” HSQST co-advisor and math teacher John Ziegler said. “Mr. Caron (WHS Principal) put out a call to see who would be willing to sponsor a team, and I, along with Nicole Densmore took over as co-sponsors.”

The HSQST was only a little over one year strong and hadn’t had the opportunity to compete yet when the pandemic hit. Yet, despite the challenges of online learning, the team continued to meet and compete virtually to strengthen their intellectual prowess, preparing to be the team they are today.

Densmore said the weekly meetings not only offered academic fortitude but contributed to much-needed social connections during a time of isolation.

“Our weekly meetings during the height of the pandemic sustained, entertained, and engaged me intellectually and socially,” co-adviser and English teacher Densmore said. “The team often said the meetings were a highlight of their week, and they were for me. They would stay on a Meet for hours after, talking, connecting, and sharing. Those late Friday afternoon conversations and the purpose they gave staff and students alike provide many sweet memories.”

Densmore and Ziegler state that all HSQST members have made profound intellectual contributions to the team’s success this year, adding that Paulding, Farrin and Lin have consistently placed high in all competitions so far. In Sunday’s tournament, Paulding placed 13th, Lin placed 24th, and Farrin placed 40th, out of 100 teams, each consisting between four to seven members.

For many reasons, the HSQST members have come to be a part of and enjoy participating in this intellectual group. Farrin, who the team relies on for her Greek Mythology, pop culture, and the Bronte Sisters knowledge, shares the story of how she became involved with this group.

“Last year during homecoming week I decided to compete for the Class of 2024 in the trivia competition,” Farrin said. “I was only a freshman at the time. The team consisted of one other girl and me, and we managed to beat all of the upperclassmen. That by itself was super cool, but later in the day, while I was in health class, I got a visit from Mr. Ziegler. He had hosted the earlier competition, but I had no clue who he was - I actually thought he was a guidance counselor. He ended up inviting me to join the team, which consisted mostly of seniors at the time. I was a little nervous before joining the first meeting, but when I did, I had a blast and never looked back.”

All HSQST members believe that their greatest success lies in teamwork and their individual strengths.

“One of the most important teamwork aspects of quiz show is accurately evaluating what everyone's strengths are compared to yours,” Lin said. “If there's a Greek mythology question, I'm more careful to ring in because I know there are others on my team who by far will know more than I will. If it's a physics question I'm more confident because I know I'm most likely going to answer for my team.”

Paulding, who excels in history and literature, said that her strengths come from good memory and a love for learning. “I’m constantly seeking out more topics to learn about. As my team’s captain, I also work to encourage my teammates and help them see their strengths,” she said.

Ziegler concurred with the students' views of teamwork, stating that he and Densmore work well together as co-advisors, acknowledging their individual assets.

“It has been a great combination, with us both bringing different strengths to the table. Nicole is more organized and more supportive, while I’m the more competitive side of the duo.”

Team Captain Paulding applauds the work of the whole team and the co-advisors for their dedication and a job well done.

“I can’t thank my team enough,” she said. “Their astounding knowledge base, support, and sense of humor keep me going through wins and losses. I am privileged to stand by their side. Our coaches, Mr. Ziegler and Ms. Densmore are incredible. Thanks to them, we continued to practice over Zoom last year when other teams stopped meeting altogether. We are so blessed to have such dedicated leaders.”

Densmore notes that the HSQST share lots of laughs and love for all things trivia.

“Ask any HSQST team member about Cleveland, Emu Wars, The Great Molasses Flood, or modern musicals and you'll see what I mean,” she said. “They are very passionate and curious, and they inspire me both in the club setting and in my classroom to go deeper and be more playful with teaching and learning.”

And speaking of trivia, the next time you visit Portland Pie in Windham and answer the “Fun Fact of the Day” correctly, you will have Paulding, who works at the restaurant, to thank as she is the individual who brought the phone trivia competition to her pizza-loving customers. < 

Project Graduation 2021 fundraising efforts greatly affected by COVID-19

By Ed Pierce

Parents and volunteers for Windham High School's
Project Graduation 2021 are exploring new ways
to fundraise as a result of event cancellations
because of the pandemic. To support the effort,
send a check made out to WHSPH2021 to
2 Whispering Pines Road, Windham, Maine
04062 or they have a VENMO account at
windhamprojectgrad2021.
COURTESY PHOTO

For more than four decades, Project Graduation has captured the imagination of graduating high school seniors and that includes making a significant and positive impact on the lives of graduates from right here at Windham High School.  

Each year, the Project Graduation program provides graduating seniors with a safe, drug and alcohol-free event to celebrate their academic accomplishments. Plans for next spring’s event are already underway by the Windham High School Class of 2021 Project Graduation Committee, a dedicated group of volunteers and parents of senior students.   

However, like many other community activities, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has created a challenge for the Project Graduation committee to fundraise for the annual event, although organizers say that they are committed to continuing this long standing tradition even in the face of a global pandemic. 

“These unprecedented times have impacted all our lives. It has impacted Project Graduation fundraising plans and events, most of which were either cancelled or postponed,” said Kathy Pepin, president of the Windham High School Class of 2021 Project Graduation Committee. “The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted our students as they enter their Senior year. There has never been an incoming class of high school seniors who have faced such uncertainty, and unimaginable challenges. Students gain many life skills during their senior year as they prepare for the next chapter of their lives.”

Pepin said that Project Graduation does not receive public funds, it relies solely on fundraising, and kind and generous donations from the Windham and Raymond residents and business community.

“As we began our fundraising efforts in April of this year, the pandemic cancelled the Windham Youth Soccer (WYSA) recreation program, and therefore cancelled Project Grad’s proceeds from running the concession stand,”  Pepin said. “The WYSA fall season is in swing however the decline in registrations and the reconfiguration of games due to the pandemic has meant a decline in concession sales.”

According to Pepin, last fall the Class of 2020 raised more than $1,300 dollars from WYSA concession sales, but so far the Class of 2021 is only on track to make less than half of that amount.

“We also lost fundraising events such as Summerfest, Windham High School Football 50/50 raffle, the homecoming dance, the craft fair pie sales and cash raffles, and most likely the Windham High School Basketball 50/50 raffle,” she said. “We are usually able to have several restaurants and businesses host a night-out event with a percentage of the sales being donated to Project Graduation, yet due to the pandemic affecting so many business, they are not financially able to help as in years past.”

The group also has seen significantly less sponsorships and donations for the Annual Project Graduation Golf Tournament that will be conducted at Spring Meadows on Nov. 1.

“While it has been a huge struggle to find creative ways to raise money, we are doing our best to rise to the task,” Pepin said. “Gale Savard and I have been making face masks since May and have raised close to $4,000 for Project Graduation. “We have also donated masks to Windham Primary School, Manchester School, Windham Middle School and Windham High School at the start of the year to assist our community.”

She said that the group just had a very successful mum sale with the assistance of Skillins Greenhouse in Falmouth where they sold more than 1,200 mums. And last weekend they hosted a small fundraising gathering for Scrapbookers at North Union Church in North Windham and was able to socially distance and provide a safe environment to craft.

“We hope to do another scrapbooking event next March,” Pepin said. “For upcoming fundraisers, we will continue our face mask sales, we are selling Windham Eagle Pride Stainless Steel 32-ounce tumblers for hot and cold drinks, a Silent Auction will be held Oct. 5 through Oct. 12, we are hosting a Paint Night on Sunday, Sept. 27 at the North Union Church, and the Annual Golf Tournament on Nov.
1.”

For more information regarding these events please visit WHS-Project-Grad.com; its Facebook page WHS Project Graduation 2021; send an email to WHSprojectgrad2021@gmail.com.

“The Class of 2021 has faced and will continue to encounter many challenges due to the pandemic,” Pepin said. “However, with the support of the Windham/Raymond community, the Class of 2021 will make it through and be a strong, resilient, shining beacon of future business owners, civic leaders, healthcare workers, first responders, members of our Armed Forces, and most of all caring citizens who will someday say they grew up during a pandemic. The caring and generosity of their community will leave a lasting mark on their lives.”  

Pepin and members of the Windham High School 2021 Project Graduation Committee are asking the public to please consider contributing to Project Graduation 2021, and no amount is too small.

“We do have a Venmo account, windhamprojectgrad2021, or checks can be made out to WHSPG2021 and mailed to Dana McKenna at 2 Whispering Pines Road, Windham, ME 04062,” Pepin said. <

Despite warm weather, Project Graduation Golf Tournament was a hit by Lorraine Glowczak

WHS Seniors Cory Hutchison left and Kyle Herzig

The Windham High School’s Project Graduation 2018 Golf Tournament Fundraiser was a success, with over 50 players who joined in the competition at Point Sebago Golf Course on Sunday, September 24. The extraordinarily, warm, fall day did not deter the participants from competing and raising funds for the class of 2018. Funds raised will provide the graduates a chemical free alternative post-graduation celebration.

“We had a great tournament [on Sunday] with 55 players and raised over $7000 for Project Grad. 2018,” stated Project Graduation 2018 Chair, Elaine Herzig. 

Success was also had by individuals who participated, which included the following winners: First-place team included Mike Coffin, Steve Sargent, Ryan Sargent and Brett Turenne. The second-place team included Jerry Gilbert, Jay Gilbert, Larry King and Chris King. The third-place team consisted of Kevin Savard, Mark Garredy, Joe Richard, and Greg Savard.

The winners in other categories included, Jerry Gilbert who won the Closest to the Pin, Ryan Sargent for winning the Long Drive (male) and Lila Theriault, the Longest Drive (female).

Briefly, Project Graduation is a national program that began in the Oxford Hills Maine area in 1980.
The concept of the organization came to be as a result of 18 students who died due to alcohol and drug related crashes following graduation celebrations in 1979. Since 1980, Project Graduation has grown to include many schools throughout the United Stated to provide fun, chemical free graduation celebrations.

According to the George Washington High School Project Graduation website in Charleston, WV, “The number of fatalities occurring among 15 to 19-year-old Maine residents during the graduation period, that involved teenagers driving under the influence of alcohol, decreased from 12 in 1979 to one in 1984.” www.gwprojectgraduation.com.

In keeping with the mission of Project Graduation, Herzig stated that it is the committee’s goal to send all Windham High School seniors who would like to attend, to their post-graduation and chemical free celebration, free of charge. The golf tournament fundraising event was a big help in meeting that goal.  “We have 248 students in the class of 2018 and the event will cost an estimated $150 per student to attend,” explained Herzig.

1st Place team members included:  Michael Coffin, Stephen Sargent, Ryan Sargent and Brett Turrene photo by Meg Curtis

There were many individuals, organizations and businesses who provided the manpower or monetary support to assist in the accomplishment of this fundraiser. “The golf tournament fundraiser would not have been a success without the generosity of many local businesses and the players who came to play,” Herzig said. “We’d like to extend special thanks to Point Sebago for allowing us to hold the tournament on their beautiful course and to Quinn Allen, Head Golf Professional at Point for directing the players and helping things run so smoothly,” Herzig said. (For the list of sponsors and donors, see end of article.)

Herzig also expressed her appreciation to Michele Farwell, who acted as the Tournament Director.

The golf tournament is one of many Project Graduation 2018 fundraising events that are presently occurring and will occur throughout the year.

“We are sponsoring this year's Homecoming Dance on October 7 which is a fundraiser for us,” stated Herzig.

Other fundraisers include a cash raffle. Tickets are $5 each and three prizes are offered, (1^st/ $250, 2^nd/ $150, 3^rd/ $100) which will be drawn at the Athletic Booster's Holiday Craft Fair on Sunday, November 12, where Project Graduation 2018 will also have its annual pie table and a Windham apparel table.

There is also a 50/50 raffle at home football games as well as running the concession stand on Saturdays during the Windham Youth Soccer's fall season (through the end of October).

The next fundraising event to benefit Project Graduation 2018 is the Project 5K Fun Run Walk which will be on Sunday, October 8 with a start time of 8 a.m. at the Mountain Division Trail, Gambo Field in Windham. The cost is $20 plus $2.75 online pre-registration through  runsignup.com or race day $25 cash only. For more information, contact Brenda Caouette at 207-615-2379 or email at brenda.caouette@gmail.com. 

To donate to Project Graduation 2018, monetary or otherwise: mail to WHS Project Grad 2018, 406 Gray Road, Windham, ME  04062.

Project Graduation 2018 thanks the following donors and sponsors for the Golf Tournament fundraiser:

Maine Orthodontics, Aging Excellence, Hall Implement, Tricia Zwirner of State Farm, Cumberland County Federal Credit Union, Armstrong Advanced Dental Concept, Pear Tree Dentistry, Windham Weaponry, Time4Printing, Raymond RediCare, Pleasant Hill Disc Golf, Symonds Foundations, Center Stage Performing Arts, BettyReeZ WhoopieZ, Homestead Mortgage, The Good Life Market, Lee's Family Trailer Sales & Service, All Med Staffing, Gorham Savings Bank, Tricorp Federal Credit Union, PTG Properties, Windham Automotive, Arbonne, NextHome Northeast Realty, Delano Architecture LLC, Megin Hatch Photography, Pike Industries, Windham Millwork, Perspective Construction Management, Island Cove Building & Development Inc., Michael F. Cook & Associates, Preti Flaherty, CVS, Sebago Lake Automotive, Gray Family Vision Center, Amato’s, Heaven & Earth Day Spa, PTG Properties, Applebee’s, Sebago Trails, Tee’NTee Golfland, Binga’s Windham, Sunset Ridge Golf Course, Smitty’s Cinema, Windham Dairy Queen, Orchard Ridge Farm
& Specialty Food Market, Essentials Gift Shop, Windham Walmart, Point Sebago Golf Resort.

“The Price is Right” is a huge hit by Stephen Signor

Youngsters picking out prizes they have won.

Those iconic three words, “Come on down!” echoed inside the Windham High School Performing Arts Center over and over - complete with the show’s theme music last Friday. The game show, “The Price is Right” took to the stage in an effort to raise money in support of Project Graduation 2017; a project in which all the seniors and their parents got together to raise money. 

“Karen Petcher, Windham High School (WHS) math teacher, came up with the idea of ‘The Price is Right’ from a town she grew up in, so she pretty much ran everything that went on tonight,” explained Robin Mullins, co-chair for the Windham High School class of 2017 Project Graduation.

WHS has been doing projects like this for as long as Mullins can remember. “As a graduate of the high school in 1986, they had similar projects, but it wasn’t quite the same. We paid for it as a class and it was a little cruise around Casco Bay. This year will be something really special.” Usually kept as secret, students will not know what it is until graduation day. Keeping it a secret requires great willpower. “My daughter is graduating and I can’t even tell her, although several attempts have been made,” continued Mullins laughingly.

“We have to raise $30,000 for the trip and I am pretty sure that we are not only going to meet that goal but exceed it,” stated Mullins. 

A year is all that Project Graduation committees have to raise funds because fundraising efforts cannot begin until the previous class is done with their projects. “So you literally have about nine to 10 months: plenty of time when parents contribute,” continued Mullins. “I think we have a really good group of kids and parents. If anything is needed they have been stepping up.”  To this end Kudos also went to class advisor Kelly Anne Rush.

Among the contributors of donated time, was one of the announcers for items up for bid, Miss Maine 2017 Marybeth Noonan, who is no stranger to the limelight and speeches. “Part of my job is to represent the State of Maine,” Noonan explained. “How amazing is it to represent my high school? When in school, I was always in the theater and with the Chamber Singers, so this auditorium we’re standing in was like a second home. It’s so cool to be back here, giving back to the community.”

One of the exciting games to play

It was also her respect for producer Karen Petcher that prompted her participation. “Mrs. Petcher is putting this on and she is a great lady,” Noonan explained. “I wanted to support my class. I like to volunteer for most of the things for my class. I think it is important.”  Noonan also credited her success to the school system.

In all, there were eight games played. Two wheel segments, with the top winning contestants and, the cream de la crème, the showcase showdown. 

In between each of the eight games, the names of five children over the age of eight were called out. Excitement and applause ensued as they ran to a separate table where they could take a prize of their choice. While there was a sign held up during the event to encourage applause, clearly it was wasn’t necessary, right up until the very end.

Obviously enjoying her first ever attendance of a show like this, Debbie Payne who walked away as the overall winner of the evening, took home the coveted showcase, a five-night stay for a family of four at Point Sebago, a tube to be pulled behind a boat, two beach chairs, a cooler, S’more snacks, two beach towels, and a remote controlled boat.

“I was really excited about winning,” said Payne. Battling through a bit of nerves, she managed to make the bid without going over, but not before also scoring a few raffle drawings earlier. If there is another show again next year Payne will be there. “I absolutely will be back again,” she confirmed.

There were 150 donating businesses, encompassing most of Cumberland County that also made this event possible by providing the prizes. All of them that were not won, including the showcase, were raffled off at the end of the show. All proceeds from admission, concession and raffles will be applied to the project’s goal. “We are pretty close to hitting our goal right now so we are sure it will be exceeded from this night and the upcoming events,” shared Mullins. 

Two more events are on tap with Project Graduation. One is Smitty’s Movie Night on April 13. As Mullins explains, “People basically receive a ticket. When they go to the movies the theater will receive $5 and we will receive $5. So it is pretty easy. All we do is hand out the tickets.” The other event is a Fun Run/Walk-5k and takes place on April 30.

Anything over and above the target goal of $30,000 will be donated to charities in the names of two students who will not be present. “There was a student who passed away while in fifth grade and another one more recent. Both would have been seniors this year. They’re in our hearts,” concluded Mullins.

FMI and to register for the 5k visit: www.facebook.com/events/303758143360715/

FMI on movie night visit: www.facebook.com/events/379385719095795/ and look in this or a future issue of The Windham Eagle for a coupon to clip out.