The first thing you see when you walk into Dr. Lofton’s office is a large framed poster of Olympic runner Steve Prefontaine with his famous words, “To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift,” written in script across the top. It can most definitely be assumed that Dr. Lofton has lived by these words, especially with having created Spring Hill up from the ground. When asked on what his recent awards of being named South Carolina’s Secondary Principal of the Year, as well as the 2018 National Principal of the Year, mean to him, he replies with pride in his, “7 years of hard work.” However, he dedicates much of this success to the cooperation of teachers, adults, and students who continue to help Spring Hill grow and gain recognition.
He describes this task of early growth as, “not easy, but one that was focused.” He says he’s happy he received these awards; however, “it’s because of the hard work that everybody has done.” He went on to describe the hardship that the school has faced in order to grow and be its best. He says, “every year I try to tweak and make it better for the kids.” The main struggle Spring Hill has faced so far is dealing with increasing popularity and interest in the school. This being “a whole nother thing to juggle.” Popularity and positive interest don’t seem to be bad consequences, and Dr. Lofton is able to meet and succeed these demands by hiring and training more staff in order to ensure Spring Hill has the most qualified teachers. |
He describes the process of ensuring that new groups of teachers meet his standards as, “not easier, but quicker” as they grasp the concept of what Spring Hill is meant to be and what it is meant to do for students. He says, “I want teachers to like their kids first, and then be an expert in their content area,” which really stands apart from many schools. In a normal setting, the goal would be to have employees who are able to teach their students important content, while here Lofton really focuses on the best interest of the student. He also says, “I want teachers, students and adults to have a collaborative connection. I want kids to like coming to school.” In first making sure that teachers are able to interact with their students, he is able to watch this goal become a reality.
As he holds these high standards and works extremely hard to keep the school going, Dr. Lofton is able to live up to the words hanging in his office. In no situation would he sacrifice this gift and opportunity to mold the foundation for lives of thousands of students who go through Spring Hill. He states,“I do think that Spring Hill is a major part of me.” This is assumed of him as he has really given it his all and has been able to put his best self into creating, with his own dedication, perseverance and hard work, this school. |
The Miss Spring Hill Pageant is an annual Spring Hill tradition. The idea of pageants started in the 1920s, and Spring Hill started our pageant tradition in 2013. Every year, girls of all grade levels get together for one night to show off their creative theme wear, amazing talents, and gorgeous formal wear. Mrs. Mauldin, who has been running the pageant for five years, said this pageant is “not a typical beauty contest.” This pageant focuses on the strong young women of Spring Hill and their amazing talents, as well as their contributions to the school and community. “We have a lot of girls here who have a lot to offer,” said Mrs Mauldin. The school didn’t want to do an average “who's the prettiest?” beauty pageant. She said, “Beauty can be found anywhere.”
This year’s theme is “I’m Every Woman,” like the song by Chaka Khan, which was later covered by Whitney Houston. The girls’ theme wear will represent their academy and career pathways. This will allow the contestants to show not just their beauty, but their academic talent and intelligence. |
This year more than ever, all of the young women who attend Spring Hill High School should feel included and recognized. One of the contestants, Megan Tapley said, “I learned a lot about how friendly people can be and how supportive the girls are of one another even though we are all competing.” Although it is a competition, the pageant is a great way for girls to come together and support each other despite wins or loses. Megan also commented on the amount of self-worth and self-confidence that she has gained from participating in the pageant. A major part of this competition is the staff who are involved. Mrs. Mauldin plays an extensive role in the preparation and functioning of the pageant. First-time pageant participant, Faith Whisman said, “I’ve [gotten] to know some of these people, and Mrs. Mauldin is extremely nice, so she’s made it enjoyable.”
|
These pictures should not be copied or reproduced for any reason. Pictures should only be used for publication with permission.
Miss Spring Hill High School Winners
Saquoia Harris - Miss Congeniality Lauren Herring - Miss Freshman & People’s Choice Faith Whisman - Miss Sophomore Kourtney Dunlap - Miss SHHS Maggie Grace Lisle - Miss Junior Mina Heidari - Miss Senior Madison Burrows - Miss Stellar Stallion |
In Much Ado About Nothing, Shakespeare creates another comedy through the plot of four main characters- maybe even similar to A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The plot revolves around the love stories of Claudio and Hero and Benedict and Beatrice as they navigate their way to finding love through the twists and schemes inserted by Don John, the story’s antagonist.
This story about betrayal, deceit, and wit took stage in the Spring Hill Drama production in March. Playing Claudio was Rollins Mosley, most known for his role of the Baker in the Fall production of James Lapine’s and Stephen Sondheim’s Into the Woods. As Claudio, Mosley had to flip on the turn of a hat and had no struggle doing so bringing about the duality of Claudio’s character to the theatre. Serenity Klauk played Hero, the doting and quintessential women of the 15th century. Although she speaks little words, she played the character to a T through her body language and passion shown through her reactive lines. Benedict is played by Mikey Williamson, also in Into the Woods as Cinderella’s Prince. The character of Benedict is both witty yet sensitive, and Williamson phenomenally portrayed that combination as Benedict, almost completely separate from himself, which gives Benedict a life of his own. Beatrice is played by Alli Chin, known for her role of the Witch in Into the Woods. |
Beatrice had many layers throughout the show and was perhaps the most complex character. She may be the closest a character is to a real person, so illustrating that role was very difficult. However, Chin did so with poise and added an extra depth to a seemingly misunderstood character.
The show was ran by drama teacher Ms. Bender who was simultaneously directing the district musical Willy Wonka. Although it can seem like she’s very busy, she pours so much into her shows, and no doubt this was another great one. As mentioned in her director’s note, Bender states that plays are the foundation of theatre but are sometimes underestimated. With the contemporary mix on a traditional script, Much Ado about Nothing is given an innovative lens that transforms the Shakespearean characters. The other cast and crew members also worked diligently and passionately on the show, creating a whole new world within the small stage. With the comedy and nuance that these minor characters add, the story blossomed into a astonishing play. The set was comprised of a stone floor, columns, benches, and boxes. Perhaps the limited stage transformed the show even more using the set as symbols in the show itself. The music and lights also added a depth to the show, illustrating emotion, archetypes, and motifs throughout. Much Ado About Nothing was performed with seeming effortlessness and, especially with a cast that had many who had never been in theatre before, was beautifully rendered through the actors’ both complex and simplistic portrayals. |