Read this article to find out about what the Iowa degree is and who is applying as well as who is going to sub districts and for what!

Earlham’s band and choir performed at Earlham High School for their winter concert on Monday, December 8th, 2025, marking one of the final major performances of the first half of the school year. This year’s concert stood out because the band did something different from previous years. Instead of performing entirely as one large ensemble, the band split into smaller sections, allowing each group to showcase its individual sound and strengths. This change gave the audience a clearer understanding of how different instruments contribute to the overall performance and highlighted students who may not always stand out in full-band pieces. Because it was the winter concert, the program featured a variety of Christmas and holiday-themed songs, creating a festive atmosphere throughout the auditorium. Traditional classics mixed with more modern arrangements kept the audience engaged and reflected the range of styles the students have worked on this season. For many members of both the band and choir, this concert represented an important milestone, as the number of performances begins to wind down with the school year already halfway complete. Seniors, in particular, recognized that opportunities like this are becoming more limited, adding extra meaning to the night. Despite the pressure that can come with performing, both groups demonstrated confidence, preparation, and strong musical ability. The choir delivered well-balanced harmonies and expressive vocals, while the band’s sectional performances emphasized precision and teamwork. Family members, friends, and community supporters filled the seats, responding with enthusiastic applause after each piece. Overall, the winter concert was a reminder of the dedication and talent within Earlham’s music programs and showed how creativity and hard work can turn a traditional school concert into a memorable and enjoyable experience for both performers and the audience.

After years without a cheer/dance team, Earlham High School is bringing back our cardinal pride and school spirit. This fall season, we launched a new dance team to bring energy and excitement to our games and events. 

The dance team was created by coach Tammy Doud, who has a strong passion for dance and wanted to bring her passion for it into the High school district for others to enjoy alongside her. The dance team gives students who may not participate in sports, such as basketball, another way to get involved and represent Earlham High School, and feel connected. 

So far, the new team has performed during half time of our boys basketball game, they plan on performing during pep rallies, football games, and other school events. Coaches, administration, and students have already recognized the fun and positive impact that their talents have brought to our school morale and spirits. 

Our dancers include: Peyton Tiemeyer, Emma Hayes, Ava Smith, Kinsley Canoyer, Lilah Gebhart, Elery Berkley, and Macy Coon. They have been putting in tough work and effort during practices to learn new dance routines, build teamwork, and help better prepare for their performances. The return of a dance team helps promote confidence and leadership skills among its members. These dancers learn responsibility, time management, and how to collaborate and work together effectively. These skills extend beyond performances and into everyday life!

Overall, the launch of the Earlham High School Dance team marks an exciting new chapter for our school. By bringing back spirit and students' involvement, the team has quickly become a meaningful part of the school's culture and a new source of cardinal pride.

On Saturday, November 8th, and Sunday, the 9th. Earlham Performing Arts put on the musical The Newsies. The Newsies is a popular 1992 Disney musical film that tells the fictional story of the 1899 New York City newsboys’ strike. Some important characters were Jack Kelly, played by Landon Sheffield, Joseph Pulitzer, played by Alex Kosloske, and Katherine Plumber, played by Valerie Meyer. The show on Saturday went well. Sunday had a few mishaps with some of the music being deleted. But as Director of the musical, Mrs Maiers said, “Those theater kids came out swinging like you wouldn't even believe. They took care of each other, they took care of the story, they took care of me.” The cast and crew were able to overcome the adversity and finish the show. We asked senior Darby Moore, who participated in the musical for her first time, what she thought about it and what her favorite part was. Darby got to play the character Splasher and said, “ Being in the musical for the first time, it was a little bit overwhelming since I didn’t know what I was doing or how things worked. But I had a lot of people around me for support and encouragement. The best part was just hanging out with everyone and blasting songs while getting ready for the shows or rehearsal.

11/14/25

On October 18th, our Earlham Marching Band headed to Waukesha for the state competition. Students learned many skills, including showmanship and time management. When you’re in the marching band, you have to have a positive mindset and desire to grow as a leader. Ike Gittins explained, "I think the state this year was really fun. I really enjoyed seeing the bigger bands performing. Overall, everyone seemed very excited to play one last show for the 2025 season. " This year, they had a fantastic leadership team that tried to make a difference in our band. The team tried many different things this year, including new warm-up stretches, learning the drill first before adding in music, and having drill charts instead of dot sheets. Even though we only had so many practices, we still performed our very best. If you’re looking to be in the Earlham Marching Band, learn to be kind and determined. Always come to band practice ready to learn.

On October 26th and 27th, Student Council took a trip to Hilton Coliseum in Ames for State Conference. On the first day, they listened to state officers speak and then exchanged ideas with other student council members from different schools. They learned who their district officers were, then later, some members got to perform in a talent show. Dancing to the song Let it Grow from The Lorax. Although there were no winners in the talent show, their performance went very well. Monday, students did breakout sessions and listened to speakers advise on failure and how its ok to fail sometimes because it helps you in the long run. Overall, members report that the conference was successful and enabled them to adopt new ideas and implement them in their own club.

Newsies is a musical set in 1899 New York City about a group of young newspaper sellers, called “newsies,” who fight back when powerful newspaper publishers raise the price they must pay for papers. Led by the spirited Jack Kelly, the kids organize a strike to stand up for their rights, facing danger and authority but ultimately inspiring change. The shows are November 8th at 7pm and November 9th at 2pm so come support Earlham's performing arts!!

The Earlham FFA Chapter hosted its Annual Farm Safety Day to educate children in kindergarten through 5th grade about the safety necessary on and around a farm. They had a successful day interacting with our young kids and being leaders for our Elementary students. 

Camryn Sly - What is your role in FFA, and how long have you been involved in it?

Lucy McClure - My role in FFA as a freshman is to participate and learn more about all the activities and opportunities that FFA offers. I’m still new, so I'm focusing on getting involved. 

Camryn Sly - What inspired you to join FFA, and what has been your favorite experience so far?

Lucy McClure - I joined FFA because I wanted to meet new people and find some more job oppertunties. My favortie experience so far is the Farm Saftey Day at the Reynolds. I loved to see the whole communty come together to help teach the elementary students on how to be safe.  

Camryn Sly - How has being part of FFA helped you develop leadership or career skills?

Lucy McClure - FFA has helped me step out of my comfort zone and practice speaking and working with others. It's teaching me responsibility and how to be a good team member. 

Camryn Sly - What is your favorite FFA event or competition, and why?

Lucy McClure -  My favortie competition would be the fundraising activity where we go all around town in groups to see who could raise the most money. It was fun to see what the members would do to try and sell, and to see how many people get into the challenge. 

Camryn Sly - What advice would you give to someone considering joining FFA?

Lucy McClure - I'd tell them to definitely join if you are looking for a way to make some new friends and definitely to learn new life skills. 

Camryn - What made you want to join a book club in the first place, and how long have you been a part of the club?

Alex Kosloske - I have been a part of the book club for 3 years. I joined the club because I wanted to vibe with Mrs. Lindholm. I help make the newsletters.

Camryn - What kind of books do you personally enjoy the most?

Alex Kosloske -Mystery, Sci-Fi

Camryn - How does your club decide which books to read next?

Alex Kosloske - Our book club doesn’t read books together. We are a group that tries to promote reading in our club school and eventually community. We are a new club so we are still trying to figure things out. We have different committees that do different things. They are split into a different way to spread reading. One is to promote reading in our club by doing a fun activity. One committee makes the newsletter to promote to the school, and the last runs the social media to promote to the community

Camryn Sly: How do you get selected for an honor band/choir?

Valerie Meyer: For both honor band and choir, they can be either director nominated or audition-based. Most that we attend are director nominated.

Camryn Sly: What was the most fun part of the experience?

Valerie Meyer: I enjoy the experience, as a whole. It’s really fun to get to meet new people and bond over interests.  By the end of the day it’s rewarding to perform with people who were total strangers, and know that we were all brought together by our love of music.

Camryn Sly: What was the hardest part of the whole process?

Valerie Meyer: The hardest part is the rehearsing. We rehearse, for both band or choir, for 4-5 hours. It’s tiring, but worth it in the end.