Discus Awards

The 90s were arguably one of the best decades in recent history, especially when it comes to music.  Coolio was living in his Gangsta's Paradise, Aqua was lost in their Barbie world, and Alanis Morissette just thought all that was so Ironic.  But let us not forget the contribution of one of those bands that stood the test of time and pushed through the threat of Y2K, and continues to make sweet, sweet music today. Many of you may know them as the band that sang "Hey Soul Sister", but those of us who think back and appreciate this band's roots like Discus Award winner Stephi Verhage, remember Train's earlier hits like "Meet Virginia" and "Drops of Jupiter".

Stephi has taken it upon herself to relight the fire that Train sparked in 2001, when they released the latter of their first two hits.  Here, performing with a drummer wearing fly shades, is Stephi serenading us with her rendition of "Drops of Jupiter".

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Winner Video of the Day

The show goes on at the Discus Awards Blog, and thanks to the tremendous talent of our Discus Award winners, we have another fine set list for your viewing and listening pleasure.  We begin with Christine Hillmann, a country music starlet ready to break out.  Check out the music video for her single "Boy Behind the Radio," a story about a young country girl finding love through the airwaves.

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Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Winner Video of the Day

Have you ever taken a test to show which side of your brain is more dominant? If not, here’s a quick and crude description of each.

Can you clearly lean towards one or the other? Most people can. But what do you do when – like me – you are split between the two? It can be challenging and difficult to deal with what sometimes feel like “competing” characteristics…over time, however, you learn which characteristics are best for particular situations and learn to adapt accordingly.

For instance, in most tests that I take, I always seem to score right down the middle – dominated by neither half, but sharing traits of both. The left brain, for instance, is a great help to me in math and science and allows me to focus on the task at hand. My right brain side is what allows me to be creative and spontaneous – to flourish at musical theater and drama.

When I was deciding what major to pursue in college, I really struggled. I have so many different interests it was hard to narrow it down to something I could see myself doing as a career for the rest of my adult life. I recalled which classes I enjoyed the most, and at the top of my list was Marine Biology. It was unlike any other class I’d had before; because my school is located on an island, we actually got to put on hip waders and go out into the water to conduct experiments. I loved learning about all different kinds of marine life and the ecosystem in general. Perhaps this was my calling?

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Filed under: Kaeleigh Thorp • All-Around High School Students • Meet the Winner

 Abigail Cline is a junior in high school from Florida who has already accomplished some amazing things in the attributes of arts, community service, and green.  One of her most impressive projects involves her work in the arts.  About 3 years ago, Abigail started learning American Sign Language (ASL) through her Drama program.  During her junior year, Abigail was charged with the task of leading her Drama program's performance of Hairspray; the catch was that the entire performance was to be both signed and voiced by the entire cast so the hearing-impaired members of the audience could also enjoy the performance.  As Abigail describes her experience, "I translated the lyrics and script, taught it to the 60-person cast, and we all performed it for thousands of people, many of which were Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing."

In addition to her great theater project, Abigail has done research and participated in programs focused on environmental conservation and also been recognized for her acting performances.  Read more about Abigail's impressive work in her winner's profile.

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Winner of the Day

 Jacob Mingus is a Discus Award winner, and a mighty impressive one at that.  One of his amazing talents is his art, which ranges from his terrific trumpet talent to his movie-making mastery.  Today's Winner Video of the Day exhibits the latter in the form of an action-packed explosion of special effects.  Lights, camera...ACTION!

Filed under: Discus Dan • All-Around High School Students • Winner Video of the Day