Fourth Edition - April 2025
The Mustang Messenger
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Rugby Dinning Cup Memorial Tournament in Honour of Matthew Dinning
By Laura Dawson
The fields at F.E. Madill Secondary School were filled with energy and school spirit last Wednesday as Wingham hosted the annual Dinning Cup Memorial Tournament, honouring the late Matthew Dinning — a respected rugby player, coach, and local figure.
Now in its seventeenth year, the tournament welcomed twelve teams from across Huron County and beyond for a full day of competitive rugby. Since its founding in 2008, the event has grown into a powerful tribute to Dinning’s legacy and a celebration of youth and amateur sport in the area.
The day featured a full schedule of matches, with players of all levels showcasing their skills, teamwork, and sportsmanship. Madill’s team battled hard throughout the tournament, earning their spot in the final game. In a dramatic and closely contested match, Madill came up just short, falling to their opponents in the closing minutes.
The Dinning Cup remains more than just a tournament. It stands as a lasting legacy.
Undefeated
By Lily Verbeek
The Grade 7/8 girls basketball team stands victorious after their 25 wins of the season.
They wrapped up the season by winning their last 2 games in Mitchell on April 12, earning them the title of Huron-Perth Intermediate Girls Basketball Champions.
Their team's high spirits have led them through all the way to the end of the season. The team has played many different schools and teams from Huron, Perth, Bruce, and Grey counties.
The team's coach, John McFarlane, is very proud of them and has believed in them from day one.
Summer Opportunities for Students
By Rowan Gaspirc
Earlier this month a spokesperson for Summer Company came around FE Madill to talk to students and co-op classes about its exciting program.
This program is made to get young people around Huron County to use their entrepreneurial skills to create their own business. Summer Company, true to its name, runs throughout the summer providing chosen participants aged 15-29 a grant up to $3,000, business training, and support to get their business off the ground.
The spokesperson, Trish Denomme, shared that participants are “supported all along to make sure you are successful.” Trish also stressed that the focus of Summer Company is “based on effort not outcome.” The hope is that students will put in the work to create and run their business, and will receive support regardless if the business takes off or not.
Many of Madill’s own students have recently participated in this unique opportunity very successfully! One example being Casey Bernard’s KC Krafts and Constructions. Casey started her business with Summer Company, and still sells her creations at school and craft markets.
Trish ended the presentation with how beneficial this program is and urges students to use their creativity to start their own business.
Madill’s Annual Plant Sale Set for Mid-May
By Alaina Scheurwater
It is almost time for F.E. Madill's annual plant sale! It is happening at the school on May 13th-16th, from 3 pm to 5:30 pm each day.
There are a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, succulents, vines, flowers, and ferns available for purchase at affordable prices.
The Green Industries class has been working hard this semester by watering, transplanting, fertilizing, pruning, pest control, and more to ensure all plants are sale ready.
Proceeds from the sale will go back into the horticultural program to ensure this sale can continue happening in the years to come. The Madill plant sale began in 1967, and has been going every year since.
Loss of a Loved Mustang
By Rowan Gaspirc
Our school lost a cherished member of our community on March 21, when recently retired teacher Kenton Klassen passed away. Mr. Klassen was more than just a teacher. In his time teaching at Madill, he brightened students' lives with extravagant stories and a unique outlook on life.
Mr. Klassen was known for his stories of his travels around the world. He introduced students to new experiences and ways of thinking. The way Mr. Klassen taught is not one to be forgotten.
A former student still feels the impact being in Mr. Klassen’s class years ago. This student said that they “spent a lot of time seeking a sense of belonging”, and Mr. Klassen “helped open [their] eyes to a whole wide world of possibilities.”
His positive and expansive view of the world continuously helped countless students discover themselves and live a happy life, true to themselves.
Mr. Klassen made a lasting impact not only on his students, but on anyone who had the chance to meet him.
One of Mr. Klassen’s colleagues, Mrs. Mercer, said, “Mr.Klassen was always friendly and helpful, and created a sense of community among the teaching staff. He was a lot of fun to be around. He will be greatly missed by his Madill family.”
Mr. Klassen will be fondly remembered by staff and students at F.E. Madill, and his impact will be felt for many years to come.
Anime Club
By Madison Forster
F.E. Madill has a new club. The Anime Club has just formed within the past month, and already we are seeing a lot of fun.
Every Friday at lunch, the seminar room turns into a makeshift theatre thanks to the SMARTboard, and using the president’s Crunchyroll account, the members of the Anime Club have been enjoying lunch and a show.
“We were wanting to watch Demon Slayer, but since the youngest members are twelve years old, we couldn’t because Demon Slayer’s rating is sixteen plus,” says Madison Forster, president of the Anime club. “However, we have been watching Yu-Gi-Oh! for the past few meetings, and everyone seems to be really into it, so I think that is what we’ll stick with!” In the time it takes for lunch to happen, the members are able to watch at least one full anime episode, and then the starting of the next episode. However, there may be more to the Anime Club than what meets the eye.
“I’m thinking about introducing the idea of cosplay,” Forster stated, “It’s like Halloween, except without candy. We would be able to dress up as our favourite characters and have a good time pretending to be them.”
No matter what, at the end of the day, the members of F.E. Madill’s Anime Club will be sure to greet new members with open arms, as Forster has also said that the Anime Club is “like a family.”
The Story of Hades and Persephone
By Lydia Jefferson
In Greek mythology there are many myths that help explain how things in the world work. To celebrate spring finally arriving, it’s a great time to go over the Greek myth that explains spring.
The story of Persephone and Hades begins with Persephone herself. Persephone is the daughter of Demeter, the goddess of agriculture. One day while Persephone was out in the fields with her nymph friends, she saw a beautiful flower, and when she went to go pick it, the ground opened up and Hades kidnapped her and took her to the underworld.
Now after this kidnapping, Demeter was very upset because she couldn’t find her daughter; she searched for her for several days. At some point Demeter talked to Helios, the god of the sun; he told her that her daughter was living with Hades in the underworld and that Zeus, who is Persephone's father, had allowed this arrangement. Demeter was devastated over this so much so that she left the other gods to live amongst mortals and neglected her duties, so the world became barren and famine appeared.
Eventually Zeus decided to send Hermes to the underworld to compromise with Hades about Persephone returning to the surface. Hades let Persephone go back to the surface; however, first he convinced her to eat some pomegranate seeds, and she did, and because she did that, she was now bound to have to return to the underworld for some of the year.
Now every year Persephone lives on the surface with her mother, but when she has to go to the underworld, winter begins because Demeter misses her daughter so much that she stops doing her job for a few months.
That is the story of Hades and Persephone. Now just like any other Greek myth, this version will most likely differ from other versions that have been told.
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