If you missed my edition of Summer Vacation you can check it out
here! Now on to Olivia's summer experience...
This past spring Olivia was selected as an Empire Girls State delegate from Newark. Girls State is a program that teaches young women about the legislative process via the means of a mock state legislation. All of the delegates from the various municipalities are placed in districts with girls from all over the state. Once in the district, they are further separated into counties. Girls can run for positions within their counties, districts, all the way up to governor of the state. Olivia was placed in the Keller county with about 30 other girls. She was elected Treasurer of her county. Girls are also placed on committees and tasked with a piece of legislation to take through committee and present to the floor-like a real bill would. Other than the legislative process the young women also learn about American traditions, such proper care of the American flag, the raising and lowering ceremonies, and the traditions behind the pledge of allegiance. Click
here if you want to read more about Empire Girls State.
Olivia was one of about 400 young women who stayed on the SUNY Brockport campus for a week. She wasn't thrilled about the strict dress code (Girls State T-shirts with either navy, khaki, or black pants, long shorts, or long skirts) but she LOVED meeting girls from around the state. She made some great friends that she still keeps in touch with. One was also a dancer so they had quite a bit in common.
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| Olivia and her dancer friend Katie |
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| Girls in her county on Red White and Blue Day |
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| Girls at final ceremony |
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| getting reading to work on legislation! |
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| final ceremony/formal day |
Liv had to miss a week of rehearsals for the community theatre production of
Damn Yankees she was a part of.
Damn Yankees featured kids from around the county freshman through recent high school grads. Olivia played the infamous employee of Mr. Appelgate (aka The Devil), the seductress Lola. Olivia vamped it up singing "Whatever Lola Wants" and dancing to "Two Lost Souls" in Fosse style ala Gwen Verdon. :) There were a bunch of kids from Newark but Olivia really had a great time meeting kids from Lyons, Marion, Clyde, and Sodus! She had so much fun with her leading man that their showmance turned into the real thing after the show closed! Matt is from Marion so they only get to spend time together on the weekends and sometimes once or twice during the week. They have quite a bit in common. Matt is very involved in his high school theatre program and is also the Student Council President, like Olivia! Since the summer Olivia has spent time with the nice group of friends she met doing the show. They've been bowling, out to see each other's shows, and heading to a Christmas party this weekend! I posted some video clips at the end of this blog if you're interested!
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| Publicity photo that made it into the newspapers |
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| Lola and Mr. Applegate |
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| She has a little brains, a little talent with an emphasis on the latter... |
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| Hello Joe! |
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| Whatever Lola wants... |
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| Who's got the pain when they do the mambo... |
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| Two lost souls on the highway of life... |
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| Lola! |
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| Give in! |
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| Mambo dance (you may recognize Curtis from Fame or The Nutcracker!) |
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| Lola and Joe! |
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| Matt and Olivia |
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| Applegate, Lola and the Washington Senators |
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| Liv and Matt |
Rehearsals were in the evening which left Olivia time during the morning and afternoon for some additional projects. She was busy with her summer reading for AP Literature and AP Psychology. Olivia thinks she may want to study elementary education in college, along with dance, so she decided to volunteer in a summer school classroom. She went into a Kindergarten/1st Grade classroom 3 mornings a week and helped students with their reading and writing.
There is a summer day camp in our town called "Park Program". Chances are if you grew up in Newark you went to, volunteered at, or worked at Park Program. You probably have memories of playing kickball, SPUD, and Octopus Tag--or if you were me--performing "Born With a Mic in Our Hands" as Barbie and the Rockers in the annual talent show. Olivia and Grant both attended the Tots program (ages 4-7) and Kreative Kids (up to 5th grade). Olivia volunteered a few summers ago but was happy to have a paying gig as a "counselor" with the Tots program this summer. She came home with funny stories and had lots of little ones asking if she could "come over and play". To round out Olivia's summer experience she also volunteered as a Vacation Bible School teacher. Many of the kids were also from Park Program or from the dance studio so they were thrilled to see Olivia again!
We went on a
family vacation last December so this summer we didn't do any family traveling. However, Mom, Dad, and Olivia made a few college visits; meeting with dance departments, taking campus tours, and interviewing with admissions. Applications are in, but no decisions will be made until the spring...stay tuned!
This summer was a fun start to Olivia's senior year...hopefully I'll update with fall activities soon! Watch for Grant's summer update next...
A little snippet of "A Little Brains"...
Lola meets Joe
"Whatever Lola Wants"
"Who's Got the Pain" and some dancing from "Two Lost Souls"
