After much time spent planning, promoting, and attempting to recruit performers, the decision was made. This year’s Senior Showcase at Middletown High School was canceled on April 22.
As the annual fundraiser for the senior class picnic, the show, originally planned for April 27, was intended as a chance for MHS seniors to show off their known –or hidden– talents to the public in a way that was both fun and productive in raising money for the class.
Unfortunately, the show was unable to fulfill these goals for several reasons.
MHS senior and executive board member Amy Hoffman said that at the time of the cancellation on Monday, 18 acts were signed up; falling short of the numeric goal that was set, which Hoffman said was “intended to be over twenty.”
Hoffman and other Executive Board members were extremely active on the “Class of 2013” Facebook page during the weeks leading up to the event, consistently reminding and encouraging classmates with messages such as, “Please make this happen!” and “We are talented, so let’s stop being modest.”
Though the humor from that last comment may have brought other students on board, the showcase was still short on a key element: variety.
MHS English teacher Debbie Leonard, who organizes senior class events and works closely with the Executive Board, made it clear that variety was a determining factor in the fate of the show.
“Nine (of the eighteen) acts were students singing. When you say showcase, you’re talking variety. We had very little variety. It was supposed to have some funny things in it.”
Even some other important details left questions that still needed to be answered. Leonard said that she had no one to help with the “technical aspects” of the show, such as the sound and lights in the auditorium. There was also no one able to create a program for the event.
For MHS seniors that are under the impression that without a showcase there will be no end-of-the-year event, Leonard would like to clear up the misconception.
“I don’t want the word getting out ‘no showcase, no picnic’ because those were the original announcements. That’s because that’s where the money comes from. It costs over $3,000 to have a picnic for 300 seniors.”
“We are still exploring a celebratory alternative that will bring the (Class of 2013) together. We are going to do something.”
Though the experience with this year’s fundraising has taken a few twists and turns, it did provide some worthwhile insight for Leonard on future fundraising pursuits.
“We have begun to think about ways to change, and perhaps thinking that the showcase idea has run its course. We’re investigating other ideas.”
