Foreign Friday

Schubert's Last Serenade cast members
Back: David Wall, Tony Dennie, Sally Eichorn
Front: Ray Eichorn, Dirk Steinmeier, Sherry McMillan, Enzo Schiovo
Misawa, Japan
April 1980
Language Arts, Drama, and Speech were the classes that I taught at Robert D. Edgren High School on Misawa AFB, Misawa, Japan from Fall 1979 until Spring 1981. The spring of 1980 was Edgren's year to host the Pacific Drama Festival, an enormous task. In addition to scheduling the plays and finding qualified judges, I had the responsibility of finding housing for teams, representing several military schools throughout the Pacific. Families on-base volunteered to provide meals, beds, and transportation for the students over the three-day weekend. It was a huge task for someone who had only been on base for seven months.


My drama students prepared a cute one-act play, called Shubert's Last Serenade, for the competition.

I don't remember much of the actual festival because the weekend and all the activities was a blur. I do remember being exhausted and relieved when the last plane load of students left on Sunday evening. Since the students were military dependents, their sponsors obtained orders for them to fly to Misawa on military planes: C-130s commonly brought passengers to the base.


Comments

  1. I bet the students still remember the festival fondly though. Bravo!!

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  2. What fun the students must have had. They probably even enjoyed flying in a C-130. LOL! I know it was a huge effort on your part, but teachers like you are a real blessing to kids!! Those memories stay with them for a lifetime. I know because I still remember times like that! I know you are a treasure to so many Nancy!!

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  3. PErhaps this should be Fascinating Foreign Friday

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  4. Great post, Nancy! What an undertaking for someone new to the base and the region! I know what a lot of work that was to get everything organized and scheduled for a smooth-running festival; however, you're the perfect one to do it! Good pictures of your students!

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  5. Just thinking about all you had to do makes my head spin.

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  6. You continue to amaze me with all the experiences you have had in your life. What a big responsibility for a young woman in a foreign country.
    Rebel Follower

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