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Brandon High Has Latin Success

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By BARBARA ROUTEN

Tribune correspondent

Published: March 11, 2009

TAMPA - Whoever said Latin was dead should have attended the Region 7 Latin Forum with 13 Brandon High School Junior Classical League members and their sponsor, Latin teacher Bill Seaman, Jan. 31 at Robinson High School.

Hundreds of students from five Hillsborough County public schools, including Brandon and Newsome, and 10 private, Catholic or Episcopal preparatory schools breathed life into the all-day Latin competition.

The Junior Classical League encourages interest in and appreciation of Latin and Greek languages and cultures.

Guy Earle, department head of foreign languages at Robinson High School, hosted the students, who competed in three categories - academic, creative arts and Olympika.

The academic category was organized by Linda Mishkin, modern and classical languages chairwoman, and teacher Geoff Revard of St. Stephen's Episcopal School in Bradenton.

Each academic category participant took one or two tests in 22 areas, Seaman said. Subjects included vocabulary, grammar, mythology, history, art, geography and derivatives.

Revard and Mishkin also planned the Certamen, a trivia contest that pitted teams of four students from one school against four from another.

The creative arts category was sponsored by Julia Roper of Tampa Preparatory School. Students recited and interpreted Latin, gave Ciceronian speeches, displayed homemade period costumes and presented paintings, posters, pottery, charts, maps and games.

"Authenticity is a major part of it," Seaman said. "A boat model made of plastic would not count as much as one made out of wood."

The Brandon High School team and parent volunteers Donna and Marvin Kelley were in charge of the Olympika category. In this, "Roman" athletes competed in 100-yard and 1-mile races and a discus toss and divided into Hercules events for guys and Hippolata events for girls. There also were two-person team events, such as an egg toss, a foot race, a tug of war and a Bellum catapult competition that evaluated students' accuracy, distance and design.

Brandon's team won the Olympika division.

Brandon senior Rhonda Robeel, co-consul - or co-president - of the school's Junior Classical League, took first place in both advanced Greek derivatives and declamation, which is memorized, dramatic recitation.

Other Brandon High School participants who placed were seniors Tam Huynh, pro-consul of the Junior Classical League; Luis Prado, centurion; and Kim Kelley, co-consul. Juniors who placed were Matt Knight, Greg Ayres and Mackensie Thies.

Other Brandon students present were Chelsea Waak, historica; Trey Guerro, Nick Hutchinson, TreBora Robinson, Elliot Stoeckinger, Terry Dawson and Brian Benton.

Rabbi To Answer Parents' Questions

BRANDON - Congregation Beth Shalom of Brandon, 706 Bryan Road, will offer a free parents workshop by Rabbi Betsy Torop called "How to Answer Some of Your Kid's Toughest Questions" from 10 to 11:30 a.m. Sunday at the temple.

Lawyer Connie Durrence also will present "Honoring Our Elders: How to Be Prepared" from 7 to 9 p.m. Sunday at the synagogue.

For details, contact the synagogue office at (813) 681-6547.

Brandon Elks Honor Top Members In January

BRANDON - The Brandon Elks Lodge 2383 chose Marissa C. Ciesla as the January Teenager of the Month.

Ciesla, with a 5.91 grade-point average, is ranked second in her senior class at Brandon High School. She is a member of the National Honor Society and Mu Alpha Theta, has been class president all four years at Brandon High, plays soccer and trumpet, SCUBA dives and has been a Girl Scout for 10 years.

The Elks also honored Puppet Sexton as Elk of the Month for January. Sexton organizes the yearly Elks Adopt-a-Family project, helps with the Thursday night snack bar and steps into other jobs when needed.

The Brandon Ladies of the Elks selected C.J. McKinney as the Lady of Distinction for January based on her use of creative talents for the good of the lodge.

Tickets are on sale now for a fundraiser for the Willis Peters Exceptional Student Center and the Simmons Career Center beginning at 4:30 p.m. April 26 at the lodge, 800 Centennial Lodge Drive.

Dinner will be catered by Outback Steakhouse. Music for dancing will be provided by Dennis Lee and his band. The event is for adults only, not students.

Tickets are $15 per person and are available from Don Morris at (813) 689-0173 or from the lodge office at (813) 654-2968.

Proceeds will fund a prom for students of the Simmons Career Center on May 9 and for students of the Willis Peters Exceptional Student Center on May 16.

Newcomers Display Arts, Crafts At Meeting

BRANDON - The Brandon Newcomers Club invites the public to a meeting and Arts and Crafts Display at 9:30 a.m. March 18 at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Center, 619 Vonderburg Drive. A display table will be set up for attendees to showcase their hobbies and talents.

Anna Hensley and Re Dangremond will be greeters at the gathering, and Kay White will provide the program.

A lunch at O'Brien's Irish Pub and Restaurant, 701 W. Lumsden Road, will continue the fun after the meeting.

For information about joining the Newcomers Club, call Dangremond at (813) 643-3281.

Children Invited To Lunch With The Easter Bunny

BRANDON - Tickets are on sale now for Lunch with the Easter Bunny, sponsored by the Brandon Newcomers Club and Pat's Corner, the Gift Shop at Center Place Fine Arts and Civic Center.

The lunch, for young children and their parents, will be held at 11 a.m. March 28 at Center Place, 619 Vonderburg Drive. After lunch, kids will hunt for eggs.

The Newcomers Club donates the money to Brandon Regional Library, said Mary Ann Hartman, publicity coordinator for the club.

A club member "dresses up as the Easter Bunny, and goodies are handed out to the children," Hartman said. "The children have a good time."

Tickets are $5.50 for members, $6.50 for nonmembers and must be bought in advance.

For information, call Center Place at (813) 685-8888.

Valrico Resident Leads West Tampa Chamber

VALRICO - Rick Russo of Valrico was installed as president of the West Tampa Chamber of Commerce Feb. 20 at a banquet in Tampa.

Russo, who graduated from Tampa Catholic High School and works in Tampa, wants to help the chamber revitalize West Tampa and increase the chamber's membership.

Send news and photos of community interest to Barbara Routen at The Tampa Tribune, 505 W. Robertson St., Brandon FL 33511, e-mail neighbors@tampabay.rr .com or call (813) 657-4531.

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