UHS Graduation 2012
The 2012 Urbana High School (UHS) graduating class is the largest since the school opened — a total of 469 students. The commencement ceremony was held June 7 at Mount St Mary’s University in Emmitsburg. Commencement speakers included Kathy Campagnoli (who is leaving Urbana for Frederick High School next school year); Donna Crook, vice president of Frederick County Board of Education; Dr. Theresa Alban, superintendent of Frederick County Public Schools; and two student speakers — Alexander Erdman and Rebecca Kneebone.
UHS senior Miranda Byers sang the National Anthem. The commencement even included a very talented boy who did a back flip on stage — UHS senior A.J. Chmelik.
Graduates Attend Safe and Sane
On June 7 after the Urbana High School graduation ceremony, the 2012 graduates enjoyed a fun-filled evening at the Frederick Indoor Sports Center in Walkersville. More than 300 graduates were safely “locked in” the building with friends and fellow students from 9 p.m. until 5 a.m. to socialize with friends, play games, and enjoy a large array of food throughout the night. The popular graduation-night event is substance-free and keeps students off the road at one of the most statistically dangerous times of the year for young adults.
Popular activities included sports games such as inflatable surfing, basketball and gladiator activities; carnival games such as darts, bingo, casino and game show-type games, plus dance competitions and musical chairs. The fortuneteller’s tent had long lines for most of the night. Students were given play money as they entered the complex to play games and to try to win more “money” to enter end-of-night raffles for various prizes.
Safe and Sane is organized and run entirely by parents and volunteers, with funding exclusively through donations. For more than a year, and with the help of many parents and volunteers, 2012 committee leaders Kim Wolf and Leslie Whitestone have worked to organize fundraising events, solicit donations throughout the community, and manage every facet of the monumental task of putting on the event. Formerly sponsored by the National PTA until recent years — when the organization decided they are no longer students after graduating — the committee has now had to incur the costs of setting up and running a nonprofit; renting a facility; paying for the inflatable rides and other equipment; hiring a disc jockey; and paying for food, drink and raffle prizes that graduates can win at the end of the night from play money earned from some of the games. Many local businesses donate money, food or raffle items.
“The economy has definitely hurt a lot in the past few years,” said Wolf, in her fourth year as leader. “The business donations are at maybe a quarter of what they were last year.
“We always pull it off somehow, but it’s always a struggle. We couldn’t do it without the help and support of the Urbana community.”
For more information, visit http://urbanasafeandsane.shutterfly.com.
New Market Lions Invest in Education
Education is an important investment for the New Market Lions Club. At its May 18 meeting, the club had a presentation about Frederick County Public Schools (FCPS) and made its own presentation of three $1,000 scholarships to local students to attend Frederick Community College (FCC). Two Linganore High School seniors will be first-year students at FCC while the third student, a Linganore graduate, is currently in his first-year at FCC and received a scholarship to continue there next year.
The student recipients of scholarships for the 2012-2013 year were selected based on their character, school performance and participation in the community.
Local Farmers’ Market
On a Sunday in mid-June, farmers and locals gathered for the weekly Urbana Library Farmers’ Market. A really hot day, the attendance was sparse but the farmers gathered nonetheless offering locally grown vegetables, summer flowers, plants, baked goods and more. The farmers are known to offer cooking advice and more, as well.
The market runs every Sunday through the beginning of October, held in the back parking lot of Urbana’s library from noon to 3 p.m. For more information, the Urbana Library Farmers’ Market can be found on Facebook or at www.theurbanalibraryfarmersmarket.com.