RELEASED: July 17, 2003

DANVILLE, KY—When Mary Daniels began working with the Governor's Scholars Program last year, Aris Cedeño, academic chair for GSP, told her to teach the scholars something they wouldn't learn in high school or in college.

Daniels, an associate professor of Spanish at Centre, has made good on that request.

She came up with the idea for a "Puppetistas" class, a study of art and Latin American culture with puppet making and puppet show performances.

With the help of 2002 Centre graduate Katherine Knight, who has extensive experience with puppet making and performance, Daniels' class and Lee Look's class of visual art, drama and community service put together a performance for a GSP convocation. The performance preceded visitors Jeff Carroll and Chuck Baird, who Tuesday spoke on the deaf arts movement.

In two days, the classes pooled all of their skills, chosing two poems, creating puppets, making their own instruments and putting the production the together.

The students chose two poems, "Shadow Wash" and "Invisible Boy," by Shel Silverstein from the book The Sidewalk Ends. The poems were signed and read aloud, accompanied by the puppets and music from the students' handmade instruments.

"They did great. They put this together in such a short time—pushing their bounds of security," Daniels said.
Daniels said that she, Knight and Look gave the students different materials including recyclables and asked the students to make puppets.

"We took trash and made it into something we could use," Scholar Kelly Bowles said.

In addition to entertaining their peers and guests, the puppeteers took their skills on a trip to the Mattingly Center for Continuing Education in Louisville, an adult day facility that provides services for people with severe disabilities.

"The trip to the Mattingly Center was the best part because we got to interact with the people," Scholar Mariel Milan said.

Megan Funk added, "We got to help them and they seemed happy to see us."

Puppetry is a multifaceted art. The students in these courses expanded their boundaries of security, creativity and expression.

"Students this age are self conscious. This gives them a vehicle to open up and express themselves," Knight said.

Scholar Scott Anderson said, " I'm learning things and different ways to express myself as I would've never done before."

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