Norwalk students shine

Norwalk High School is preparing to showcase students' hard work made throughout the year. "May 9th will be an exciting evening for Norwalk High School," the school said. "We cordially invite the community to attend these free events." From 6-9 p.m., the school's art department is hosting an art show in the Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center Art Gallery and the Industrial Education Department will have many different projects on display. The Spring Band Concert will take place at 7 p.m. in the Ernsthausen Performing Arts Center. Students in ninth through 12th grade students will be showcasing the beautiful work they created during the 2023-2024 school year at the art show. A variety of mediums such as oil, acrylic and watercolor painting, printmaking, ceramic sculpture, digital work, photography, animation, weaving, glass fusing, copper enameling, colored pencil, graphite and ink artwork will be featured. The Industrial Education Department is proud of the different class offerings and will showcase the diverse talents the students have. Advanced woodworking students will have a combination message board and coat rack on display. Two advanced woodworking students will have concrete-top coffee tables to show off. The Industrial Education 2 class will be showcasing wooden drums that were part of a cross-curricular activity with the schools' music department's mariachi band concert from March, which featured Mariachi Garibaldi de Columbus. "Both of these classes also have stained glass projects on display in the windows," the school said. "The Industrial Education 1 classes have tool boxes and string art projects on display." The Spring Band Concert will feature the music of composer Jorge L. Vargas, a middle school band teacher in Eagle Pass, Texas who composes orchestra, concert and mariachi band pieces for students to perform. He has written two new pieces: "Ritmo Y Sabor," composed for the 8th grade band to premier; and "Mi Mexico," written to be premiered by Norwalk High School's wind ensemble. "These commissions were made possible through a generous grant from the GeoTrac Foundation," the school said. "During the concert, Mr. Vargas will conduct one of his pieces with each of the district's five concert bands." In addition to the new works, he will conduct "Summer Thunder" with the sixth grade band, "Paso Del Aguila" with the seventh grade band and "The First Day of Summer" with the high school concert band. Other composers whose works will be performed are Tyler S. Grant, James Swearingen, Steve Hodges, Steve Parsons, and Yukiko Nishimura.