Page 6B
The Kings Mountain Herald | www.kmherald.com
Wednesday, June 3, 2015
| © Carpenter credits ‘teamwork’
for many high school feats
DAVE BLANTON
One could probably
make the case that Erica
Carpenter is the busiest kid
in town.
She sings (Kings
Revue), she acts (major
parts in KMLT productions
of “Liberty Mountain” and
“Mary Poppins”) and she
literally runs all over the
place (that would be cross
country, indoor track and
track and field throughout
high school).
That’s not to mention
the numerous mission trips
she’s made with members
of her church to Greens-
boro, New York City,
New Jersey and Jamaica
and the fact that she’s a
Cleveland County Youth
Commissioner, and is cur-
rently serving as Teen Miss
Cleveland County and Gas-
ton County.
Carpenter is an honor
student who is a member
of the Beta Club, The Na-
tional Honor Society , Am-
bassador Club, the Drama
Club, the International
Thespian Society and Fel-
lowship of Christian Ath-
letes. She’s also a five-time
winner of a Daughters of
the American Revolution
essay writing contest.
But if all that activity
dave.kmherald@gmail.com
might lead folks to think
she’s simply too busy to
also be a popular student at
the high school, they’d be
wrong about that. To wit,
.Carpenter managed to get
elected class president of
her sophomore, junior and
senior classes.
“Track, school, ‘Mary
Poppins’ complete
chaos,” she says with a
spontaneous laugh and
quick smile when she
dropped by The Herald for
a chat before graduation,
conceding that her sched-
ule can be a bit much at
times.
“People see me as a
leader,” she said. “They
say ‘Erica can do it -- she’s
got it under control.” But
the fact is you’ve got peo-
ple helping you. It’s team-
work and I definitely have
support.”
As senior class presi-
dent, Carpenter is tasked
with presenting her fellow
classmates at KMHS’ grad-
uation Saturday, June 6.
“In a nutshell, my mes-
sage to those graduating is
what we must learn from
what we’ve done, take
something positive away
from the high school expe-
rience. Then I’m going to
wish everyone good. luck
and find a (memorable)
way to say farewell.” :
Carpenter isn’t the only
Erica Carpenter is the 2015 senior class president. She says
she’ll advise her fellow seniors on graduation day to take
something positive from their high school experiences.
one in her family who’s had
to prepare for a big gradu-
ation-themed address. Her
father, Scott Carpenter,
who is pastor at Temple
Baptist in Kings Mountain,
delivered the baccalaureate
address to seniors and their
family on Sunday. And
Carpenter himself was his
senior class president at
KMHS when he graduated
from the school in 1976.
So, where does young
Erica get the energy?
“Good genetics maybe,”
says dad with hearty laugh.
“Seriously, she is hard to
keep up with at times for
my wife (Linda) and I.”
If there’s one thing
you learn when talking
to Carpenter it’s that she
genuinely loves Kings
Mountain, its history, its
pace and its people. That
devotion to her hometown
is part of the reason that
when it comes time for
many to ship off to colleges
in Boone, Chapel Hill,
Greensboro or destinations
out of state, she’s keeping
it local with plans to attend
Cleveland Community
College.
She thinks she’ll study
there for a year or two,
picking up credits toward
an eventual program in
dental hygiene. Later on,
she plans to attend Cen-
tral Piedmont Community
College in Charlotte to get
her formal dental hygiene
training and licensure.
“I love teeth!” she
chirps brightly.
But don’t think that as
Carpenter ascends past
the teenage years that’s
she dropping some of the
fun stuff that’s consumed
so much of her time in
school. Since she was very
young, she’s been involved
in drama, with many roles
in the Children’s Theater
at Shelby High School,
including “Big Bad Musi-
cal, “101 Dalmations,” and
“Winnie the Pooh.”
“I have to get my sing-
ing and theater out of me
somehow,” she said, add-
ing that her interest in ‘local
theater productions will re-
main high. “I might try out
for Little Theater of Gas-
tonia productions. There is
supposed to be one about
the life of Johnny Cash,
and I might try out for the
part of his wife, June.” She
also said she’s also got her
eye on a Kings Mountain
Little Theatre play called
“Born Yesterday.”
Erica Carpenter and her father Scott.
Graduation ceremony
survival tips
School commencement
ceremonies are right around
the corner, meaning thousands
of students and assorted friends
and family members will par-
ticipate in celebrations littered
with life-affirming speeches
and the distribution of well-
earned diplomas.
Graduation can certainly be
a momentous event that is re-
membered for years to come.
But some ceremonies are re-
membered for all the wrong
reasons. Lengthy run-times and
uncomfortable conditions can
turn commencement celebra-
tions into exercises in survival.
Nerves may run high, and bore-
dom may set in. But there are
ways to make the best of the
situation. :
* Get adequate rest before
the ceremony. Soon-to-be
graduates should go to bed
early the night before the cer-
emony in preparation for their
big day. Some commencement
ceremonies begin early in the
morning, and feeling rushed or
exhausted from a poor night's
rest can only compound nerves
and anxiety. Graduation eve
should be a low-key night
when grads and their friends
and family enjoy a quiet meal
and some time to reflect on the
last several years.
* Dress accordingly. Grads
should watch the weather re-
port and dress for the weather
under the gown. Many schools
opt to hold the preceedings out-
doors because the open space
can accommodate more people.
This subjects participants to the
weather, whether that means
blazing sun or wet and rainy
conditions. Be sure to dress
comfortably. If the ceremony is
indoors, realize it may be hotter
than normal in the auditorium
or they may have the air condi-
tioning turned up to overcom-
pensate. Dressing in layers is
may be your best option.
* Leave young kids at
home. Graduation ceremo-
nies can last for several hours,
during which the audience is
expected to remain quiet and
attentive. Such expectations
may prove challenging to
youngsters. Encourage family
members to keep young chil-
dren at home; they can always
enjoy the post-ceremony party
later on.
* Protect your skin when
attending outdoor ceremo-
nies. Even if the meteorologist
warns of thunderstorms, play it
safe and coat yourself in sun-
screen. This will protect your
skin if you're sitting out in the
sun and afterward when stand-
ing outside as well-meaning
family members insist on tak-
ing photos on campus.
* Eat before the ceremony
and stay hydrated. Don't skip
breakfast on graduation morn-
ing. Eat a hearty meal that will
hold you over until after the
commencement. Make sure to
stay hydrated and bring a bottle
of water with you to the cere-
mony.
A graduation ceremony is
a special event, but one that
can be lengthy and tiresome.
But there are ways to make it
through the ceremony more
manageable.
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