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Misericordia presents scholarship awards

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Beyond the Byline: Remembering my alma mater

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; It started around 7:45 a.m., intended &#8212; according to some &#8212; as a brief protest before heading back to class. But the chants of &#8220;We want art&#8221; and &#8220;Learning is more than common core&#8221; sparked an energy that pushed far beyond the Coughlin High School facade.</p><p>About half of roughly 80 current and former students protesting program cuts Wednesday morning decided to march from Coughlin to the steps of the Wilkes-Barre Area administration building, more than a mile and a half away.</p><p>The Wilkes-Barre Area School Board voted 8-1 Monday to eliminate industrial arts, art, library sciences and family and consumer sciences. The school board can revisit its decision anytime before officials cuts are made.</p><p>The group arrived at the administration building at 10 a.m., received brief safety instructions from Security Director Brian Lavan and settled in.</p><p>Any thought of brevity evaporated. Enthusiasm was never a problem. They chanted and shouted for hours. Hunger was not a problem. Hot dogs with condiments, snacks, bottled water and Gatorade appeared as the morning wore on.</p><p>And as to risking the consequences of missing school?</p><p>Superintendent Bernard Prevuznak emerged to praise the crowd&#8217;s respectfulness, tout their right to assembly and free speech, and urge the students back to class. &#8220;Your voice, your passion has been heard,&#8220; he said. &#8220;Please go back to school, and I will tell you why: Realistically, this is an unexcused absence.&#8221;</p><p>Thirty minutes later one young man shrugged it off. &#8220;They say we&#8217;ll be charged with illegal absences,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Oh well.&#8221;</p><p>Desiree Fisher, 17, a senior at Coughlin, said the idea of a protest stemmed from her first-period art class on Tuesday. Students voiced frustration at the school board&#8217;s vote Monday to <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/545846/w-b-area-agenda-votes-on-cutting-4-programs-borrowing-up-to-150-million" target="_blank">suspend the four programs</a>. The suspension will result in furloughs for up to 37 teachers. Teachers have until June 10 to attain additional certifications which could affect whether or not they keep their positions in the district.</p><p>Initially, the movement had only two students, Fisher said.</p><p>&#8220;I would have been happy if five people showed up,&#8221; she said. &#8220;It&#8217;s bringing us together.&#8221;</p><p>Coughlin senior Emily Glycenter, pointed to by many as one of the organizers, said the initial intent was a short protest, but by the end of the day she and others were discussing the best way to continue the action Thursday.</p><p>Katrina Sennett, a senior who frequently started some of the cheers, said the protest was needed because the programs being cut are vital.</p><p>&#8220;Extracurriculars aren&#8217;t extra,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Math, music, science, everything is the same.&#8221; She added that the protests should continue everyday &#8220;until they get the message.&#8221;</p><p>Art and inventiveness abounded. &#8220;This would be more creative but you stopped funding the arts,&#8221; one sign read. &#8220;EARTH without art is just EH,&#8221; another offered.</p><p>Charles Blakeslee went shirtless, classmate Paige Karpien writing &#8220;Art is not Dead&#8221; on his chest.</p><p>Deanna Richards brought both clarinet and saxophone, occassionally launching into a lilt as background to the chants, or as an interlude during rare moments of relative silence.</p><p>Richards, 17, said she has been playing the clarinet for eight years and the saxophone for three. &#8220;I like how I can just express myself through them,&#8221; she said. &#8220;Even if I&#8217;m not showing it to anyone, if I&#8217;m just in my room playing, I can make it my own.&#8221;</p><p>It may have been an unexcused absence, but some parents approved. Richards sat thumbing her phone, then turned to a fellow student and smiled. &#8220;I told my grand mom I&#8217;m protesting,&#8221; she said. &#8220;She said &#8216;you&#8217;re making me proud&#8217;!&#8221;</p><p>Gabriella Prula&#8217;s mother stood by her side, questioning how Wilkes-Barre Area could be the only local district in such dire straits.</p><p>As the sun climbed, students worked their way gradually up the steps into shade provided by the building. By 1 p.m. talk of leaving began.</p><p>Auhmeer Mims collected any trash in a large bag, and recommended daily protests after school in front of the administration building.</p><p>Glycenter agreed the protests should continue but wasn&#8217;t sure how. &#8220;I&#8217;m just playing it by ear,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Kevan Whalen Jr. didn&#8217;t mince words, calling for students to wait outside of all three high schools in the morning in protest, and then meet at the administration building.</p><p>By 1:30 p.m., the shrinking group was back downtown, still chanting as they walked past Dunkin Donuts heading for Public Square.</p><p>After everything settled, Prevuznak again praised the students for their passion and respectfulness.</p><p>But he also noted those who skipped classes will be deemed as having an unexcused absence and could face discipline. &#8220;We treat unexcused absences on an individual basis,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They may face either detention or suspension.&#8221;</p><p>&#8220;We understand their frustration,&#8221; he added. &#8220;To many, their favorite teachers are being furloughed. We&#8217;re trying to be very sensitive.&#8221;</p><p><em>Reporter Geri Gibbons contributed to this report.</em></p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest5-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Paige Karpien &quot;Art is not Dead&quot; on the chest of  classmate Charles Blakeslee while protesting the funding cuts to the Arts programs at Wilkes-Barre Area. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest5-5.jpg</photo0><caption0>Paige Karpien &quot;Art is not Dead&quot; on the chest of  classmate Charles Blakeslee while protesting the funding cuts to the Arts programs at Wilkes-Barre Area. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_IMG_2651-9.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Students of Coughlin High School stand on the sidewalk in protest of the recent decision to approve program cuts. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_IMG_2651-9.jpg</photo1><caption1>Students of Coughlin High School stand on the sidewalk in protest of the recent decision to approve program cuts. Aimee Dilger | Times Leader </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest1-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest1-5.jpg</photo2><caption2>Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest2-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo3>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest2-5.jpg</photo3><caption3>Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption3><photoCredit3></photoCredit3></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest3-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo4>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest3-5.jpg</photo4><caption4>Current and former students of the Wilkes-Barre Area School District protested the cuts in funding for the arts at their schools. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption4><photoCredit4></photoCredit4></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest4-5.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Deanna Richards, 17, a senior at Coughlin plays The Star Spangled Banner on a sax outside of the Coughlin High School during a protest about the cuts in Arts at the schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area school District. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo5>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/web1_TTL0502616Protest4-5.jpg</photo5><caption5>Deanna Richards, 17, a senior at Coughlin plays The Star Spangled Banner on a sax outside of the Coughlin High School during a protest about the cuts in Arts at the schools in the Wilkes-Barre Area school District. 5/25/2016 Aimee Dilger|Times Leader</caption5><photoCredit5></photoCredit5></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com and Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews. Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><videoMeta><p><table class="mceItemTable" style="border:none;width:98%;"><tbody><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoID:</td><td id="videoid" style="width:50em;font-size:90%;">MOfn78idkkM</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">VideoType:</td><td id="videotype" style="font-size:90%;">YOUTUBE</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">URL:</td><td id="url" style="font-size:90%;">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOfn78idkkM</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Embed String:</td><td id="videoembedstring" style="font-size:90%;" class="mceSelected">&lt;iframe width=&#8221;560&#8221; height=&#8221;315&#8221; src=&#8221;https://www.youtube.com/embed/MOfn78idkkM&#8221; frameborder=&#8221;0&#8221; allowfullscreen&gt;&lt;/iframe&gt;</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Caption:</td><td id="videocaption" style="font-size:90%;">Students of Coughlin High School protest recent cuts made to programs of the school.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Credit:</td><td id="videocredit" style="font-size:90%;">Video shot by Aimee Dilger.</td></tr><tr><td style="font-weight:bold;font-size:100%;vertical-align:top;text-align:right;border:none;">Video Position:</td><td id="videoposition" style="font-size:90%;"> </td></tr></tbody></table></p><p style="margin-top:10px;font-size:70%;color:#555;">(use the &#8220;for files&#8230;&#8221; link above to associate attached files with this source)</p></videoMeta></div>

School’s out: Wilkes-Barre Area students protest program cuts