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Mundelein High School Notes
Chris Cygnus and Ben Nicholson brought home their awards after competing in the Future Business Leaders of America national competition held in San Antoniio, Texas.
Updated: August 20, 2012 6:05AM
Students earn awards at
competition
Mundelein High School’s Future Business Leaders of America [FBLA] returned from national competition in San Antonio, Texas July 3 with awards for their performances. With more than 9,000 students nationwide taking part in the competition, FBLA is the world’s largest student business organization in the world. MHS has 100 members in its chapter.
Ben Nicholson, competing nationally for the third time, earned third place in Business Procedures. Chris Cygnus, new to FBLA this past year, placed ninth in Introduction to Technology Concepts.
Three other students also were finalists in their events. Stephen Ferro was one of 14 in Public Speaking I and the team of Adam Vander Ploeg and TJ Maple was one of 12 in Digital Design and Promotion.
MHS welcomes new band director
Mundelein High School welcomed its new band director, Keith Pitner, at a reception in his honor held at the high school July 12.
Pitner replaces Matt Farmer, who has joined the MHS science department to teach physics.
Pitner will join the other director, Adam Gohr, where he will teach jazz ensemble, jazz lab band, symphonic band, and beginning and intermediate guitar. He will also team teach marching band. Pitner is a recent University of Illinois graduate with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He has experience in both concert and jazz bands and is also a skilled trombonist who stays active playing as well as teaching.
Alumni return for Mundelein Summer Theatre
For seven years, alumni of Mundelein High School Theatre have been returning to the MHS stage for a summer production. This summer’s offering is Fifth of July, by Lanford Wilson. The show will be presented on July 19 - 21 at 7 p.m. in the MHS Auditorium. Tickets for the show are $8 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. Tickets can be purchased at the box office 30 minutes prior to each performance. The play contains adult content and language.
Pulitzer Prize-winning author Lanford Wilson wrote this serio-comic family drama in 1978. It serves as a metaphor for the United States just after the Vietnam War, with a disabled gay veteran at the center of a conflict over family, loyalty, duty, love and the lure of money. Fifth of July is the first play in Wilson’s “Talley Trilogy.” The second installment, Talley’s Folly, was performed at MHS Theatre in the fall of 2010, and was selected to perform at the Illinois High School Theatre Festival.
Katie Finch, who has worked on every summer show since the program started in 2006, is the show’s Director. Max Gonzalez plays Ken Talley, the Vietnam vet who is at the center of the story.
Rounding out the Fifth of July cast are Jordan Gonzalez, Megan Henricks, Kailey Martin, Jennie Santeler, Zac Traughber, Robbie Van de Motter and Shannon Wittenberger. The production team consists of Maryn Munley (set designer), Angie Jorgensen and Lee Delehoy (;ight designers), Jori Pulver (production stage manager) and Arika Egan (costume and make-up coordinator). Jonathan Meier, Director of Theatre at MHS, is the show’s producer.
