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SYRACUSE - Students at Wawasee High School got to be a part of the ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday morning for the new Wawasee Performing Arts Center.
Not only did the choir sing and the band play, but two students got to cut the ribbon and three students spoke about the new facilities.
Choir student Elliana Stewart said, “I’m so excited to be here today, and I’m very honored that Mr. Walmer asked me to speak. The new choir room is absolutely gorgeous. I can not think of a better space that we get to practice all of our different pieces and all of our different dances.”
Callie Brown, Wawasee senior who’s a part of the band and theater programs, but spoke on behalf of the band, said, “We are so grateful for the countless community members who came together to make this performing arts center possible.”
She said in the last five years, the band has had “tremendous” growth and earned a state title last year. “We can’t wait to see how this program grows in our new space and just thank you, everyone, for making this possible,” Brown stated.
Alicea Miller, president of the Wawasee Theatre Troupe, said, “Me and all the students in theater are so grateful to be able to have this opportunity to have a brand-new space. Our last auditorium was a lot older and we didn’t have amazing space, but we get so many opportunities with the new PAC and I’m just grateful for everybody who was able to help with this in the community and in our school. We get to do a (blackbox) production this fall, which is amazing. I’ve been wanting to be able to do this for a long time, and we get so many opportunities with this.’
In kicking off the ceremony, Wawasee High School Principal Geoff Walmer said, “It’s hard to believe that three years ago our school board made the decision to move forward with building this incredible facility. Since then, there have been countless meetings, conversations, decisions, changes and details that have gone into bringing us to this moment today.”
He said for him, watching the building go from an idea on a paper to the facility it is now has been “incredibly rewarding, both professionally and personally.” The team at WHS feels the same way, he said.
“I’m extremely grateful for the partnership we’ve had with our architects at Garmann Miller, and the team at Weigand Construction,” Walmer said. “But one of my favorite parts of this project has been seeing so many people with Wawasee connections having a hand in building it. From recent Wawasee graduates working on the project to community members like Scott Richey and Andy Knox serving in important roles, this truly has become a community effort. In a lot of ways, this building has Wawasee written all over it.”
Walmer said he’s developed “a tremendous appreciation for the performing arts, and even more importantly, for the students who dedicate so much of themselves to them. Our students spend countless hours learning an instrument, perfecting a song, tossing a flag or a rifle in the air, rehearsing a scene, building a set, running lights and sound and doing all the work behind the scenes that most people never see. They find something they love and they pour themselves into it, and I absolutely love watching that.”
He thanked Theater Director Kristin Bonner, Band Director Tony Pawlicki and Choir Director Devin Van Lue - all of whom are Wawasee graduates - and all the adults who pour so much into the students in Wawasee’s programs.
“But most importantly, to our students, this building is for you. Fill the stage. Fill these seats. Make music. Tell stories. Take chances. Create memories and make this place, our community as proud to call its own,” Walmer stated. “Today, we get to cut a ribbon and officially open the Wawasee Performing Arts Center. Tomorrow, you begin creating history. So let’s make this the best first year the Wawasee Performing Arts Center will ever have.”
Wawasee Superintendent Kent Myers said, “While I am new to the district, that doesn’t change my excitement for the opening of the Wawasee Performing Arts Center. Throughout my life, I’ve had the opportunity to sing, play and perform in a variety of performance halls, and I can tell you that we’re getting a top-notch facility. This space will offer our students far more opportunities to participate in the arts. Not only are the classroom spaces spacious and intentional to support growth in our arts programming, but our auditorium is first class.”
He said students will have access to larger sets, an orchestra pit, better sound and a “great” viewing experience for the audience.
“It’s important to note that a project like this can not happen on its own,” Myers said. “As Mr. Walmer mentioned, we are thankful for the partnerships we have established and those that we will strengthen with the use of our facility.”
Wawasee has big hopes for their students, but they also want to find opportunities for the community to utilize the space as well, whether that’s the lobby, blackbox multi-purpose area or the auditorium, he said.
“Speaking of the auditorium, we want to highlight our partnership with Interra Credit Union. We are thankful to share that Interra will be sponsoring the auditorium, and in doing so, they will be continuing to support the arts at Wawasee, both now and in the future. Thank you, Interra,” Myers announced.
Chris Faurote, Weigand Construction senior project manager, stated, “On behalf of Weigand Construction, I want to congratulate Wawasee Community Schools’ leadership, staff, students and the entire Wawasee community on the opening of this brand new performing arts center. Today represents a culmination of a tremendous amount of planning, teamwork, attention to detail and craftsmanship. We’re incredibly grateful for the opportunity to play a role in bringing this beautiful facility alive.”
After thanking a number of people and organizations, Faurote stated, “The performing arts center is a significant investment in Wawasee students, the arts and the surrounding community. Students involved in band, orchestra, choir and theater now have their own space to foster their creativity, develop their talents and build confidence in their craft. The facility will also serve as a gathering space for family, friends and the greater community to experience theatrical productions, concerts, programs and many other special events.”
Amy Sink, CEO of Interra Credit Union, said, “Interra is uniquely invested in the communities that we serve, and I think as a community partner and the things that we do, it is really with a lot of great joy and blessings that a center like this, that’s going to support the children and the community for years to come.”
She noted she played in the band, sang in the choir and also did theater. “So, I have a very unique perspective on loving that this is something that this community is going to benefit from for so long. These types of activities create leadership, create opportunities, give these students the opportunities to be the adults that we know we want them to be as they go forward and be able to come back and work in our communities and love the places that we live.”
She said Interra was “so glad” to be a part of it.
Bonner said, “I’m very excited to see this building get open. My theme for this year is ‘Celebrating Community,’ and I think there’s no better way than using the arts to do that, and this building is really going to make a big difference.”
She noted Wednesday was her birthday and she could think of nothing better than to celebrate it with the ribbon-cutting.
Pawlicki said from the beginning, the vision for the band program was to create a state-caliber program that engenders a sense of pride for the students, the families and the alumni of the community.
“When we started five years ago, six years ago, down this path, that was significantly easier in our facility that we had, and as the band has grown and improved, a larger facility became necessary, and we are so thankful to our school board for seeing that vision early on and investing in it for our community, for seeing that vision, and allowing this facility to move forward,” he said.
Van Lue noted he graduated from Wawasee in 2022, and he was involved in band, choir and theater in high school.
“I can just say that the space we used to have was so limited, but this opens up so many more doors for our performing arts department. Allows us to go to more competitions, more rehearsal spaces, more storage spaces for all the things that we need. So I’m so thankful to all of you for making this happen. Our students are also so very thankful on their part as well,” he stated.
The grand opening of the Wawasee PAC is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 27. The facility will be open in the afternoon for anyone in the community to walk through the space.
The first school performances will be in October and November.
“I have shared this before, but I believe deeply that it is our responsibility at Wawasee to find ways for each of our students to participate in activities that drive them to become the best student and person that they can be. This facility will certainly help us get closer to reaching that goal,” Myers said.
