Moments at the Mount

Students, staff keep maintain momentum
Following Homecoming Week, MSM students and staff found plenty of opportunities to foster Rocket pride outside the classroom …

PSAT v. Food Bank
On Oct. 3, the freshmen, sophomores and juniors had the pleasure of arriving on campus at 8 a.m. sharp to take the PSAT test. Well, “pleasure” may be an overstep. 

It was certainly a much more enjoyable day for the senior class. After some group photos for the yearbook on the football field, the seniors piled into buses to head to their Senior Service Day at the Regional Food Bank of Oklahoma. There, they spent their morning doing warehouse work as well as filling and sealing hundreds of bags containing frozen potato chunks. 

For those who had been filling bags, in less than three hours they were able to pack more than 1,000 meals for those in the local Oklahoma City community. An additional bonus for those in the packing area: an impromptu dance party to classic rock bands, namely, Queen.

One-act play: “My Broken Doll”
MSM’s performing arts team has been hard at work this semester. They debuted this year’s one-act play on Oct. 8. “My Broken Doll,” based on the book of the same name by Beatrice Karp and Deborah Pappenheimer, tells the story of Karp’s childhood during the Holocaust.

The play follows Karp as she navigates having to move away to the United States after World War II. As she packs for her journey, each item that is placed in her suitcase brings a flood of memories from her life during the war. 

Mica Harkey directed the production of the show, while Linda Brown followed suit as the technical director. Other members of the crew included MSM students assisting with aspects such as set design, lighting and sound. 

Some notable cast members of the show include Chaeli Herd as Beate Stern, Alesana Rodriguez as Rosa Stern, Jonah Gert as Moritz Stern, and Camila Medrano as Susie Stern. The remainder of the cast included Lucy Rosenhamer, Diego Cardenas, Diego Rivera, Logan Mountford and Zavier McGoy. 

On Oct. 15, the team hit the road to attend the OSSAA Regional One-Act Competition. There, teams are given only 45 minutes to complete their show, including bringing set pieces on and off stage, and costume changes. While the team did advance to state, members of the cast received individual awards.

Open House and Fall Concert
On Oct. 6, the MSM community hosted an Open House event for prospective students and their families. Students, known as “Mount Ambassadors,” led tours with teachers around the campus. Visiting students were given a “passport” that listed different spots to visit. At each stop, the passports were stamped. 

During the Open House, the Instrumental Music Ensemble (MSM Band) hosted a Fall Concert. With a repertoire consisting of various pep tunes, the event was a less-formal showcase of what the class has been working on during the first half of the semester. The music at the concert can be heard live at pep rallies and home football games. 

The Holy Wars continue …
While there was a noon dismissal for students and staff on Oct. 10 for Fall Break, the varsity volleyball team wasn’t yet done with its week. The team took the court later that afternoon for the annual Holy Wars against Bishop McGuinness Catholic High School. Arguably the most energetic game (in the stands) aside from the state tournament, the Rockets have held a stand against the Irish for at least three years (two at home and one at BMCHS in three straight sets). 

The Lady Rockets went on to host the OSSAA 5A Regional Volleyball Tournament with a 32-1 record for the season. In the last four years, the ladies have never lost a home game. Their record for that stretch: 152-12.

With a regional championship, the Lady Rockets advanced to state.


Photo: Chaeli Herd (left) and Lucy Rosenhamer (right) performed in the “My Broken Doll” play. Photo MSM Performing Arts Department.