Primary cast performs "Guys and Dolls, Jr." tonight

By Emily Worrell

A single spotlight shines on the stage of Clay’s auditorium. A table with two chairs, one of them occupied, sits on the stage, along with a backdrop of a 1950’s style street. The crowded auditorium falls silent as Sophie Miller, eighth grade, stands from her chair and begins to sing.

This year’s musical is “Guys and Dolls, Jr.,” in which Miller played the role of Miss Adelaide.

Sophie Miller, eighth grade, and the Hot Box Girls perform “Bushel and a Peck.” Photo by Sean Kim 

“Guys and Dolls is about gambling in New York City,” Miller said. It is about Nathan Detroit and Sky Masterson, who gamble in an event called a crap game, but Nathan’s fiancé Adelaide and Sky’s girlfriend Sarah Brown dislike the game and  the men’s focus on the game instead of on their relationships. 

“I was very excited to find out that I was directing the musical because I’ve been in many musicals, and I know that they are tons of fun,” choir teacher and director Miss Miranda Macgregor said. 

“I chose to audition because I thought it would be a great experience and a good way to meet new people,” Miller said.

Emily Southworth, eighth grade, also auditioned for “Guys and Dolls, Jr.” and landed a spot as a Hot Box Girl. “I like to sing and dance and act, so I thought, why not audition? It’s also a great way to hang out with friends after school,” Southworth said.

Lauren Alexander and Mick Clark, both eighth grade, perform “I’ve Never Been in Love Before.”  Photo by Sean Kim

Shortly after they were cast, Miller and Southworth began attending rehearsals. 

“The most difficult thing about directing ‘Guys and Dolls’ has been scheduling all of the rehearsals that we need. Since the show was moved to the spring, many people who were easily able to be involved in the fall now had conflicts,” Macgregor said. “Also, there were so many snow days that the start date for rehearsals had to be pushed back, and one rehearsal even had to be cancelled.”

Even though Miller and Southworth agreed that being involved in Guys and Dolls, Jr. was fun, Southworth said it was not without difficulty. “Sometimes rehearsals got a bit long, and learning the music was hard,” Southworth said.

Macgregor also said that there are difficulties to putting together a stage production. “When producing a musical, there are many pieces that must be brought together, such as acting, singing, lights, sound, set, props, and costumes. With every rehearsal, we add in a few more of the elements, which brings us closer and closer to a fantastic final product,” Macgregor said.

Lauren Alexander, Mick Clark, Sophie Miller, and Shawn Horrocks take their bows. Photo by Sean Kim

Despite these hardships, Macgregor said, the cast pulled through to make a great show. 

“I definitely feel that the cast has improved. For many of the students, this is the first stage show they have been in. So, at first, many of the students didn’t know the first thing about how to move on stage, deliver lines, or bring a character to life. Now, everyone is really getting the hang of acting and you can look at the stage and see all of the fun characters they are portraying and the story they are telling,” she said.

Southworth has also noticed the cast improving. “Everything improved a lot,” she said, “We started out as just a group of students that wanted to perform, and now we are ready to put on a great show.”

Miller also said the cast has improved, but they have also bonded. “We’ve bonded through getting together and performing together,” she said.

The understudy performances of "Guys and Dolls, Jr." was last night, while the primary cast performs tonight and Saturday. 

“The best part about directing Guys and Dolls has been seeing how much the students enjoy being involved in the show. I always love being involved in a musical, so it’s awesome to work with students who share that passion,” Macgregor said.

Jakob Salisbury and Ali Crawford enjoy dinner in the Havana scene. Photo by Sean Kim

Shawn Horrocks and Mick Clark perform their first scene. Photo by Sean Kim

Tanner Horrocks and ensemble perform “Sit Down, You’re Rocking the Boat." Photo by Sean Kim

Sports Update: 7th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/23/14

Opponent:  
Noblesville West

Score:  
Clay 8 - Noblesville West 7

Sports Update: 8th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/23/14

Opponent:  
Noblesville West

Score:  
Clay 16 - Noblesville West 3

Art currently showcased in the media center, front office

Artwork currently on display in the media center and front office, created by seventh and eighth grade drawing and painting students. "I think it (drawing and painting) is very relaxing,"

 Jacqueline Street, eighth grade drawing and painting student, said.

Artwork by Katie Elliot

Artwork by Chelsea Dai

 Artwork by Jessica Mo

Artwork by Isiah Baxter

  

Artwork by Patrick McCalley 

Art Work by Hannah Martin

Sports Update: 7th Grade Softball

Date of Competition:  
4/22/14

Opponent:  
Noblesville East

Score:  
Clay 5- Noblesville East 4

Sports Update: 7th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/22/14

Opponent:  
Mount Vernon

Score:  
Clay 8 - Mount Vernon 4

Coach Quote: 
According to Coach Derek Dial, Akira Nagamine, seventh grade, did an outstanding job during the game, while Drew Olssen, seventh grade, had six strikeouts.

Sports Update: 8th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/22/14

Opponent:  
Mount Vernon

Score:  
Clay 8 - Mount Vernon 4

Coach Quote: 
"Great bounce-back win after a disappointing loss on Monday. I'm proud of the guys who got in the line up for the first time today," Coach Craig Dragash said.

Player Quote:  
"The game was well-played by our offense and defense. It was great to see the comeback after a rough game yesterday," Jake McDonald, eighth grade, said.

Sports Update: Boys Track

Date of Competition:  
4/21/14

Opponent:  
Zionsville and Riverside

Score:  
Riverside - 60, Clay - 59, Zionsville 37

Coach Quote: 
"Last night we had a great showing," Coach Scott Kenney said. "The athletes are pushing themselves, and it is great to see."

Sports Update: 7th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/21/14

Opponent:  
Zionsville

Score:  
Clay 0 - Zionsville 10

Coach Quote: 
Coach Derek Dial said he was proud of his pitcher's performance, seventh grader Garrett Jones.

Sports Update: 8th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/21/14

Opponent:  
Zionsville

Score:  
Clay 0 - Zionsville  1

Coach Quote: 
"We had many chances but couldn't score," Coach Craigh Dragash said. "Our pitching and defense were outstanding. I'm confident, if we played them again with our 'A game,' we would have come out on top."

Player Quote:  
"We did not have our greatest game," Luke Barnes, eighth grade, said. "We left a lot of runners on base, and if we would have hit the ball better, we would have had a better chance."

Seventh grade softball kicks off their season

by Ashley Matheis

Seventh grade softball has kicked off their season.

“I am excited because I haven’t played in a while, and it will be fun to see how I do,” Olivia Karpinski, seventh grade, said.

Lenna Gottschild, seventh grade, said, “I am very excited because it will be my very first softball game.”

Although there are some players on the team that have never played, there are also some experienced team members.

“I played for five years when I was younger, and then I stopped for a while to focus on tennis. Now, I’m back at it,” Karpinski said.

The girls work well together, even though they didn’t know each other before the season started.

“It’s very fun to work together because they are all nice and energetic,” Karpinski said.

During practice, the girls will run a lap around the school through the halls or outside. Then, they stretch and work on their technique and progression for throwing and batting. Finally, they play games to help with speed and accuracy. Sometimes, they even play a wiffle ball game to practice playing an actual game.

They played their first game on April 17, 2014 against Creekside.

According to these girls, they like softball.

“It’s fun because you get to be with your friends and enjoy the fresh air,” Karpinski said.

Gottschild also enjoys it. “I think it’s fun because it keeps you moving, and it puts you in a good mood,” she said.

The seventh grade teams plays again on Monday, April 21 at Noblesville West Middle School.

Seventh grade athlete exudes pride for soccer team

By Grace Chuck

Crack!  The soccer ball flies several feet in the air before landing with a thud.  

Elizabeth Hargis’ foot stings, but she couldn’t be more proud. The Carmel United team cheers wildly chanting, “Hargis!”, “Hargis!”, “Hargis!”

The opposing team is disappointed, but sets it aside, congratulating Elizabeth on her game winning kick.  Hargis just stands there, a goofy smile on her face thinking, ‘I love this.’

Elizabeth Hargis, seventh grade, not only loves scoring, she loves the game of soccer, and  her team.  

Hargis plays for Carmel United Soccer Club (CUSC). She’s on the top team for the club called ECNL and plays middle defense.  

All of the teams travel several times throughout the year, visiting Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, and Chicago. Hargis loves playing in all of the different places and all of the different fields.  

Another favorite for her are the coaches.  

“The coaches are one of my favorite parts of playing,” Hargis said. “They’re all so nice and understanding.”

“Playing soccer is amazing. Playing for CUSC is an honor. I love what I do, and I love the team I play for.  Representing my team, and doing all I can to win the game and to finish strong, is what I look forward to every day,”  Hargis said.  

Seventh grade baseball teams plays first game

By Josie Pierce

Baseball season has just begun here at Clay Middle School. All the players are ready to get out on the field and show Clay pride. Getting to the first game has not been easy though. Struggling with the occurring weather, the boys have had to practice inside do to the weather conditions.

"It's very different from practicing outside. We have many restrictions inside, and you don't get the same feeling. We also can't work on many vital skills because of space," Michael Aikman, seventh grade, said .

But nothing will stop the Clay Trojans.

"Even though we have had to practice inside, this will not affect our mental or physical game. We have all played baseball before, and we know just how to get the job done," Carlton Webb, seventh grade, said.

The boys were thrilled to begin the season. According to Aikman, "All five days of tryouts were very nerve-wracking. You could tell all of us just wanted to make the team."

The boys received the news after tryouts about who made the team.

"When I found out that I made the team, I was really happy and relieved. I was proud that all my hard work had paid off. I was also happy for all my other buddies who made the team as well," Webb said.

The Clay Trojans played their first game on April 16, against Noblesville Middle School.

"I am confident we will win our first game. Each one of us have worked really hard during practice to prepare for our first game," said Aikman.

Already, the Trojans have developed a cohesive team.

"We are all really good friends and get along well. I think that this chemistry will be an advantage to our team," said Webb.

Sports Update: Boys Track

Date of Competition:  
4/17/14

Opponent:  
Fall Creek Valley

Score:  
Clay 70 - Fall Creek Valley 39

Sports Update: Girls Track

Date of Competition:  
4/17/14

Opponent:  
Fall Creek Valley

Score:  
Clay 82 - Fall Creek Valley 32

Sports Update: 7th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/17/14

Opponent:  
Carmel Middle School

Score:  
Clay 6- Carmel 3

Coach Quote: 
"We had a strong defensive performance by Garrett Jones. Our team played well as a unit," Coach Derek Dial said.

Player Quote:  
"I thought we played well. Our defense was very good," Luke Heady, seventh grade, said.

Sports Update: 8th Grade Baseball

Date of Competition:  
4/17/14

Opponent:  
Carmel Middle School

Score:  
Clay 9 - Carmel 3

Coach Quote: 
"We played well for our first time out.  Our defense had no errors, and we had 13 hits.  Looking forward to getting into the meat of our schedule," Coach Craig Dragash said.

Player Quote:  
"I really enjoyed winning the game especially because it was Carmel," Dylan Page, eighth grade, said.