CHS Helps Joplin “After the Storm” Tuesday, January 24, 2012 By Senior Faith Roberts [ArticleImageHyperLink] Advertising Nearly everyone in Missouri knows the story of the tragedy that was the Joplin tornado. On May 22, 2011, the world turned upside-down for a lot of people. Hundreds of lives were lost,  and even more took a serious hit. People were lost, hurt, and angry. But now, over six months after the fact, the Cameron High School Drama Department is stepping in to show not only the town of Joplin, but everyone, that there is always hope After The Storm. Some of the acting talent at CHS is going to be used for a greater purpose than entertainment in the next few months. It has been decided that they will not only be performing a show about Joplin and the tornado of 2011, but writing it first. Roughly 15 students are a part of the cast, and over 40 others are involved in various facets of writing, advertising, and other behind-the scenes roles. Director Mrs. Melisa Harper said she is hoping to touch hundreds of lives in various ways by putting on this show. “Everyone really seems to be really on fire and really excited,” she said. This certainly seems to be the case among the students involved. Senior Kayla Bayne feels this show will be a rewarding experience for all involved. “I really hope this reaches the community of Joplin. I also really hope we can raise a lot of money for for them, and that we can show our community something worthwhile,” Kayla said. With everyone being as eager for this show as they are, it’s hard to believe it wasn’t the original plan. “I had made a decision to do another show that was published. At the last minute, due to unforeseen circumstances, we ended up not going for that show. I ran across a show that was about 12 teenagers and how they dealt with the aftermath of a tornado. And I thought, wow, that’s a really powerful idea. I thought, oh my gosh, we could write something like this. I looked at the kids I had that I thought were going to try out, and there were enough gifted writers there to actually write this. It kind of took off from there,” Mrs. Harper revealed. As much as this seems like a last-minute show, a lot is being done to make a big impression on individuals and communities alike. The proceeds from ticket sales of this show will all be donated to Joplin, and to supplement that money, there will also be a silent art auction held after the shows. Art for this auction can be made by anyone willing to contribute, and it will be displayed in the second floor of the Goodrich Auditorium in the temporary Images of Hope Art Gallery. Artwork being submitted has to have some overall or underlying message of hope. This production is continuing to grow every day. In the words of Senior Matthew Duncan, “I’m hoping this will create more awareness about what happened over there, and that it will help make life better for some of the people affected in the storm. I hope the people of Joplin can get a little bit of closure, knowing that other people are out there, and that other people love them.”

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