articles
EG class to host recording artists
By Bryan Lucier/Independent Staff Writer
EAST GREENWICH - It may not be the Dunkin' Donuts Center, but the high school will be rocking Tuesday night as the Class of 2006 tries to raise money for a cure for cancer and have a little fun at the same time.
Definitely not a conventional fund-raiser, recording artists Ari Hest and Off Peak Fare will be performing a concert at the school, with all proceeds from the event going to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. The concert will start at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $15.
While most schools may be happy with putting together a much simpler project, one with less work and fewer risks, junior class president Mark Zito said he has not let any negative thoughts creep into his mind as he has worked on the show.
"You need to take a chance on things like this," he said. "It's not a bake sale, it's something we wanted to do even though we were putting ourselves out there."
Although the students were taking a risk, they were also asking a lot from school officials, who Zito said have been very understanding and helpful throughout the whole process. In fact, he said, he was grateful for all of the support.
"When a group of kids comes up to you and asks to spend thousands of dollars and put a concert on at the school and they support it, that's amazing," he said.
High School Principal Robert McCarthy said he was impressed with the level of maturity the class has shown in putting the concert together. While he did have some concerns about the show, he expressed them to the students and asked them to address the problems, rather than automatically putting down the idea.
That meant everything from getting the bands to the school to meeting with the fire marshal to confirming that the auditorium could hold such an event under the state's new fire codes fell on Zito and his classmates. McCarthy said the students handled it with ease.
"It's a wonderful way for the junior class to make some money, but it's also an excellent learning opportunity for the kids," he said. "I am impressed with the initiative that Mark and all of the students involved have taken to make this possible."
McCarthy said his major concern was that the class might be taking too much of a risk financially. The concert is a costly benefit that could put the class at a loss if enough tickets are not sold. McCarthy said he wanted to make sure that everyone in the class was aware of the risks associated with the plan.
"I wanted to make sure that, even if they lost money, it would not jeopardize the money for graduation activities and other projects," he said. "Mark is a fairly persuasive guy and he was able to convince everybody that this was a worthwhile thing to do, and I agree."
While he did have the ringing endorsement from the principal, Zito said he soon found out exactly how hard it was to put on a show like this, even if it is just at a local high school. Zito said there were a number of things that he was not expecting to have to deal with, from finding the right kind of bands to play the show to providing lodging and catering once they agreed to come.
"I pride myself on being smart, but there were just some things that I was not expecting to have to do," he said. "But we handled everything every step of the way and here we are."
While Zito has enjoyed a lot of the process, he said being a concert promoter is not something he could see himself doing in the future, even though some have suggested that he may have found his niche. One manager he dealt with for the show, impressed by the way Zito handled himself on the phone, offered him an internship with his company.
Zito said the benefit was for cancer research primarily because a student at the high school, Marc Uustal, was diagnosed with the disease last year. While he said he does not know Uustal well, he thought people would be more willing to donate money to the cause because they knew someone personally affected by the disease.
"Leukemia has been on everyone's mind since that happened and it seemed like it would be a benefit that people in the school would be open to," he said.
As far as the artists go, Zito said he was excited to get Hest, whom he compared to John Mayer, and Off Peak Fare, which he described as having a Dave Matthew's Band sound, to come to the school at this point in their careers.
"Wouldn't it be great to look back in a couple of years when they are huge and say 'I saw them at the high school,'" he said.
The show is general admission, meaning that seats will be given out on a first-come first-served basis. For information on the artists or on ordering tickets, see the show's Web site at www.egconcert.com. Tickets will be available the day of the show and doors will open at 6 p.m.
PENDULUM
One group of East Greenwich High School students is hoping their innovative idea will pay off.
As is the case each year, the junior class has the responsibility of planning the prom, an event which is shared among the high school's close to 350 juniors and seniors.
As is also the case each year, the juniors must devise a plan to raise money for the festivity, a night most students will treasure as one of their most treasured high school memories.
This year's junior class, the Graduating Class of 2006, has however broken tradition, doing away with the humdrum bake sales and car washes. Instead they decided to add some pizzazz to fundraising efforts, while also adding a beneficiary aside from themselves.
On Tuesday, October 5th Columbia Records recording artist Ari Hest will perform at the high school. As the event will help students plan a spectacular prom at the Newport Marriott, the students have opted to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
"By bringing a top-level artist in, we can help many people out. It seems like a good combo," said 2006 Class President Mark Zito. "There are a lot of people in the school whose lives have been touched in one way or another by cancer."
In fact the high school and the East Greenwich community was impacted last year, when then sophomore Marc Uustal was diagnosed with leukemia.
Last spring, the community orchestrated a 5K Run to benefit Uustal, who returned to the high school at the start of the school year.
The concert is somewhat of an extension of the students' efforts, in terms of reaching out to those in need.
"This community was saddened when one of our students was diagnosed with leukemia, last spring, and when Mark came up with this idea, we thought it was awesome," said Junior Class Advisor Heather Wardwell.
Mark, the point person or brainchild of the event, first introduced his idea last spring as one of his platforms in the run for Class President 2006.
"I knew we could do a lot of prom fundraisers, but this is something really different," he said.
Ari Hest, an independent artist for the majority of his career, released his first major label album last month. The album, "Someone to Tell", features such songs as "Anne Marie", "Aberdeen" and the first single off the record: "They're on to me".
RollingStone.com referred to Hest as having an "...efficient, vivid songwriting and rich, mature voice... Hest sounds like a man who has lived much longer than his twenty-four years."
Hest fits in the genre, says Mark, of the Dave Matthews Band and Singer/songwriter John Mayer.
"He's got that vibe," said Mark. "It's a perfect time for us, we can still get him to the high school, and he will put on a great show," said Zito.
Also on the bill will be New York rockers Off Peak Fare, whose first album, which mixes both jazz and rock, was also released last summer.
"Everyone is under the impression that prom just happens, but we have to raise money somehow," said Mark Zito. "Instead of the car wash and bake sale [venues], this is something people can get excited about."
The concert as a fundraiser, demands quite a few more details when compared with say recipes for a bake sale or buckets and soap of a car wash.
As the concert is their idea, the junior class appointed themselves with such responsibilities of printing ticker, finding sound technicians and hiring security officers.
The students promoted the concert by posting fliers around the community and through the website www.egconcert.com.
Wardwell says she applauds the efforts of the students.
"When he first told us (herself and Junior Class Advisor Craig MacKenzie) we obviously were taken back a bit, but it's a wonderful idea," she said. "Mark dreams big."
The class advisors were surprised by the concert as a fundraising venue because of its magnitude and the risk involved but ultimately believe in its success.
"It's a risk but that's what life is about," said Wardwell. "We embrace school spirit and try to get the students excited and this is one more thing to get excited about."
East Greenwich High School welcomes all ages to the show, a show that has the potential to be a hit in many different facets.
"It seems like something that could hopefully become a staple in years to come...with a portion of the proceeds going to the Leukemia Society or other organization that helps the community," said Mark. "It's a chance to rock out for a great cause."
The concert will take place at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) on Tuesday, October 5th.
Tickets are on sale now for $15 and will be sold at the door the night of the concert.
Visit www.egconcert.com for more details and to purchase your tickets. Tickets can also be purchased by calling Ticketweb at 1(866) 468-7619.
Individual artist info. can be found at www.arihest.com and www.offpeakfare.com
Mark Zito thanks all those who are helping to make the event a success.
Joanna Procopio
Jamie Farrell
Sarah Davies
The Rest Of The 2006 Executive Board
Heather Wardwell
Craig MacKenzie
Mr. Robert McCarthy
Mrs. Barbara Cullen
Mrs. Barbara Lindsay
Mr. Bob Houghtaling
My Parents
The Entire EGHS Office Staff:
Mrs. Ann Caito
Mrs. Eileen Murphy
Mrs. Susan Verdon
By Bryan Lucier/Independent Staff Writer
EAST GREENWICH - It may not be the Dunkin' Donuts Center, but the high school will be rocking Tuesday night as the Class of 2006 tries to raise money for a cure for cancer and have a little fun at the same time.
Definitely not a conventional fund-raiser, recording artists Ari Hest and Off Peak Fare will be performing a concert at the school, with all proceeds from the event going to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society. The concert will start at 7 p.m. and tickets cost $15.
While most schools may be happy with putting together a much simpler project, one with less work and fewer risks, junior class president Mark Zito said he has not let any negative thoughts creep into his mind as he has worked on the show.
"You need to take a chance on things like this," he said. "It's not a bake sale, it's something we wanted to do even though we were putting ourselves out there."
Although the students were taking a risk, they were also asking a lot from school officials, who Zito said have been very understanding and helpful throughout the whole process. In fact, he said, he was grateful for all of the support.
"When a group of kids comes up to you and asks to spend thousands of dollars and put a concert on at the school and they support it, that's amazing," he said.
High School Principal Robert McCarthy said he was impressed with the level of maturity the class has shown in putting the concert together. While he did have some concerns about the show, he expressed them to the students and asked them to address the problems, rather than automatically putting down the idea.
That meant everything from getting the bands to the school to meeting with the fire marshal to confirming that the auditorium could hold such an event under the state's new fire codes fell on Zito and his classmates. McCarthy said the students handled it with ease.
"It's a wonderful way for the junior class to make some money, but it's also an excellent learning opportunity for the kids," he said. "I am impressed with the initiative that Mark and all of the students involved have taken to make this possible."
McCarthy said his major concern was that the class might be taking too much of a risk financially. The concert is a costly benefit that could put the class at a loss if enough tickets are not sold. McCarthy said he wanted to make sure that everyone in the class was aware of the risks associated with the plan.
"I wanted to make sure that, even if they lost money, it would not jeopardize the money for graduation activities and other projects," he said. "Mark is a fairly persuasive guy and he was able to convince everybody that this was a worthwhile thing to do, and I agree."
While he did have the ringing endorsement from the principal, Zito said he soon found out exactly how hard it was to put on a show like this, even if it is just at a local high school. Zito said there were a number of things that he was not expecting to have to deal with, from finding the right kind of bands to play the show to providing lodging and catering once they agreed to come.
"I pride myself on being smart, but there were just some things that I was not expecting to have to do," he said. "But we handled everything every step of the way and here we are."
While Zito has enjoyed a lot of the process, he said being a concert promoter is not something he could see himself doing in the future, even though some have suggested that he may have found his niche. One manager he dealt with for the show, impressed by the way Zito handled himself on the phone, offered him an internship with his company.
Zito said the benefit was for cancer research primarily because a student at the high school, Marc Uustal, was diagnosed with the disease last year. While he said he does not know Uustal well, he thought people would be more willing to donate money to the cause because they knew someone personally affected by the disease.
"Leukemia has been on everyone's mind since that happened and it seemed like it would be a benefit that people in the school would be open to," he said.
As far as the artists go, Zito said he was excited to get Hest, whom he compared to John Mayer, and Off Peak Fare, which he described as having a Dave Matthew's Band sound, to come to the school at this point in their careers.
"Wouldn't it be great to look back in a couple of years when they are huge and say 'I saw them at the high school,'" he said.
The show is general admission, meaning that seats will be given out on a first-come first-served basis. For information on the artists or on ordering tickets, see the show's Web site at www.egconcert.com. Tickets will be available the day of the show and doors will open at 6 p.m.
PENDULUM
One group of East Greenwich High School students is hoping their innovative idea will pay off.
As is the case each year, the junior class has the responsibility of planning the prom, an event which is shared among the high school's close to 350 juniors and seniors.
As is also the case each year, the juniors must devise a plan to raise money for the festivity, a night most students will treasure as one of their most treasured high school memories.
This year's junior class, the Graduating Class of 2006, has however broken tradition, doing away with the humdrum bake sales and car washes. Instead they decided to add some pizzazz to fundraising efforts, while also adding a beneficiary aside from themselves.
On Tuesday, October 5th Columbia Records recording artist Ari Hest will perform at the high school. As the event will help students plan a spectacular prom at the Newport Marriott, the students have opted to donate a portion of the proceeds to the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society.
"By bringing a top-level artist in, we can help many people out. It seems like a good combo," said 2006 Class President Mark Zito. "There are a lot of people in the school whose lives have been touched in one way or another by cancer."
In fact the high school and the East Greenwich community was impacted last year, when then sophomore Marc Uustal was diagnosed with leukemia.
Last spring, the community orchestrated a 5K Run to benefit Uustal, who returned to the high school at the start of the school year.
The concert is somewhat of an extension of the students' efforts, in terms of reaching out to those in need.
"This community was saddened when one of our students was diagnosed with leukemia, last spring, and when Mark came up with this idea, we thought it was awesome," said Junior Class Advisor Heather Wardwell.
Mark, the point person or brainchild of the event, first introduced his idea last spring as one of his platforms in the run for Class President 2006.
"I knew we could do a lot of prom fundraisers, but this is something really different," he said.
Ari Hest, an independent artist for the majority of his career, released his first major label album last month. The album, "Someone to Tell", features such songs as "Anne Marie", "Aberdeen" and the first single off the record: "They're on to me".
RollingStone.com referred to Hest as having an "...efficient, vivid songwriting and rich, mature voice... Hest sounds like a man who has lived much longer than his twenty-four years."
Hest fits in the genre, says Mark, of the Dave Matthews Band and Singer/songwriter John Mayer.
"He's got that vibe," said Mark. "It's a perfect time for us, we can still get him to the high school, and he will put on a great show," said Zito.
Also on the bill will be New York rockers Off Peak Fare, whose first album, which mixes both jazz and rock, was also released last summer.
"Everyone is under the impression that prom just happens, but we have to raise money somehow," said Mark Zito. "Instead of the car wash and bake sale [venues], this is something people can get excited about."
The concert as a fundraiser, demands quite a few more details when compared with say recipes for a bake sale or buckets and soap of a car wash.
As the concert is their idea, the junior class appointed themselves with such responsibilities of printing ticker, finding sound technicians and hiring security officers.
The students promoted the concert by posting fliers around the community and through the website www.egconcert.com.
Wardwell says she applauds the efforts of the students.
"When he first told us (herself and Junior Class Advisor Craig MacKenzie) we obviously were taken back a bit, but it's a wonderful idea," she said. "Mark dreams big."
The class advisors were surprised by the concert as a fundraising venue because of its magnitude and the risk involved but ultimately believe in its success.
"It's a risk but that's what life is about," said Wardwell. "We embrace school spirit and try to get the students excited and this is one more thing to get excited about."
East Greenwich High School welcomes all ages to the show, a show that has the potential to be a hit in many different facets.
"It seems like something that could hopefully become a staple in years to come...with a portion of the proceeds going to the Leukemia Society or other organization that helps the community," said Mark. "It's a chance to rock out for a great cause."
The concert will take place at 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) on Tuesday, October 5th.
Tickets are on sale now for $15 and will be sold at the door the night of the concert.
Visit www.egconcert.com for more details and to purchase your tickets. Tickets can also be purchased by calling Ticketweb at 1(866) 468-7619.
Individual artist info. can be found at www.arihest.com and www.offpeakfare.com
Mark Zito thanks all those who are helping to make the event a success.
Joanna Procopio
Jamie Farrell
Sarah Davies
The Rest Of The 2006 Executive Board
Heather Wardwell
Craig MacKenzie
Mr. Robert McCarthy
Mrs. Barbara Cullen
Mrs. Barbara Lindsay
Mr. Bob Houghtaling
My Parents
The Entire EGHS Office Staff:
Mrs. Ann Caito
Mrs. Eileen Murphy
Mrs. Susan Verdon