THE END OF AN ERA:
The Talents of Graduating The stage may be their home, but their futures are limitless. Meet the seniors of the theater department.
After almost 80 combined years, two long time teachers are stepping into retirement.
Seventy-seven years of teaching experience will come to an end when the last bell of the school year rings. Science teacher Robert Wells and Social Studies teacher Charles Appelhanz have made the decision to close the chapter of their teaching careers. Both teachers started teaching at Heights in the 1980’s and have spent their entire career in this building. “I am about to complete my 40th year of teaching, all at Shawnee Heights. Most of the time I feel like I have gotten paid to do something I truly enjoy,” Wells said. Along with being the Honors Chemistry teacher, Wells is also stepping away from the basketball court after coaching for 26 years. Wells announced his retirement through the Topeka Capital- Journal on Feb. 11, just one day after the girls basketball team’s 62-40 win over Seaman. Wells has enjoyed the relationships he has made through athletics.
“All the teams have worked so hard and bought into what we are doing as a team. It doesn’t matter if I was coaching volleyball, basketball, or track. It’s the relationships with all the athletes over the years that I cherish the most,” Wells said. With 37 years of teaching, Appelhanz has not shared his retirement plans with students. “I have honestly tried to put retirement in the back of my mind. I have not mentioned it to my current students on purpose, because I want them to know that the focus has been on them and not my last year,” Appelhanz said. Appelhanz’s favorite part about teaching World History is helping students get a better knowledge of events and people in history. “Every lesson I have taught this year, I have tried to make it my best knowing it will be the last. Every story that I tell I have tried to make it my best knowing it will be the last. I have enjoyed every moment of it,” Appelhanz said.
A day before announcing his retirement, Coach Wells gives a celebratory high-five to junior KK Emmot during the girls home basketball game against Seaman. The team won 62-40. Photo couresty of Topeka Capital-Journal Photographer Evert Nelson
Dylan Bunce, senior, has done theater for 10 years and has contributed in six to eight productions. His journey into theater began when he attended the Helen Hocker summer camp. He joined this camp after moving to Kansas because he needed to be in a camp for the summer. Bunce enjoys theater for the community and the lasting friendships he’s made. He emphasized the importance of working with an amazing group of people. Whether a person is cast for a role or helps with the technical side of the production, the experience is what matters most. “There’s always a chance you won’t be in the show. You may be assigned a small role or something similar. There was six roles and thirty or forty auditions. I guess my advice would be, even if you don’t get a role, it’s fine. You’ve got more years to do tech and learn,” Bunce said.
Photo by Wyatt Lindecrantz
Markell Rice, senior, has been involved in theater for a year, and he’s performed in two shows. His first role was Walter Hobbs in “Elf the Musical”. The role of Hobbs made him want to audition for the next show. He has made a lot of friends along the way. With him being new to the theater department, nerves has developed and helped him learn how to calm them. “When you’re getting anxious about auditions or performing, take some deep breaths and clear your head. If you go onto the stage anxious, it’s easy to tell, so just put your best foot forward,” Rice said.
Post Retirement Plans
Photo by Cesar Esparza
Laura Sobba, senior, has done seven shows over the past six years. She’s done four at the high school, two at the middle school and one at Topeka Civic Theater. She enjoys the community and the friends that she has made along the way. Her favorite character she’s played was the manager in “Elf the Musical”, however she wishes she could have done Legally Blonde. She realized that she liked theater during her junior year as the member of as Welcoming Committee in “Emma! A Pop Musical”. When she goes out to audition, she finds something to laugh about, calling it “therapeutic.” “If someone wanted to audition for a show, but was too scared to, I would encourage them to audition. I have found that the more opportunities you take advantage of, the happier and more successful you will be. If anything, you are just putting your name out there and showing initiative,” Sobba said.
Photo by Cesar Esparza
Robert Wells Science teacher
Charles Appelhanz Social Studies teacher “I have honestly tried to put retirement in the back of my mind, but I plan on taking a bit of time off for myself to let life slow down. Like a lot of retirees I have some projects to do, but I am sure that I will seek out another opportunity doing something that I enjoy.”
Fiona Stevenson, senior, has been in theater for six years with 10 shows done in that time frame. Her favorite show was Rumors. Her favorite role she played was Susan Hendrix in “Wait Until Dark”. She wished she could do “Shrek the Musical”, because of how her name matches up with Princess Fiona and she says that she looks similar to the princess. Her parents encouraged her to start theater, and so did her friends. She realized how much she liked it after the first show because of all the friends she made along the way. Stevenson has expressed her love to help other students prepare for their audition. “I would tell that person to go ahead and audition anyway. It doesn’t hurt to put yourself out there, and if they needed help, any upperclassman would be very glad to help,” Stevenson said.
“I have spent so much time teaching and coaching, I have not had time to do a lot. I plan to spend more time with my family and grandkids, hopefully learn to golf. I want to go to some of K-State’s road football games. Spend some time traveling with my wife, overall relax and have some fun.”
Preparing sophomores for the upcoming AP World History exam, Social Studies teacher Charles Appelhanz explains a lesson over the Treaty of Versailles. Photo by Nick Prater
Photo by Wyatt Lindecrantz
12 | Drama Seniors Written and designed by Kayleigh Gerdes
Retirement | 13
Written and designed by Mia Harper
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