Written by: Audrey Rogan
The Wheatley Fine & Practical Arts Dinner of 2024 was held on Monday, May 20th, at the New Hyde Park Inn. This evening is a particularly memorable occasion for members of several creative arts and musical clubs and classes to gather together and celebrate their accomplishments during the 2023-2024 school year. The evening was held to honor numerous students who have contributed to Wheatley by providing new art works, musical entertainment, newspaper articles, and an overall desire to study and participate in music and art. Every student who was invited to the dinner contributed significantly to our school. The number of students who attended the dinner demonstrates Wheatley’s abundance of talent among its students.
During dinner, representatives from the clubs and classes delivered speeches that were very enjoyable to hear. These representatives included Dr. Ho, Mr. Orlovsky, Mr. Watts, Ms. Calio, and Mr. Hoefling. Dr. Klapper also talked throughout the night, demonstrating her enthusiasm and gratitude for Wheatley’s artistic community.
Additionally, there were a few performances. Overall, it was a great chance to observe our peers demonstrating their talents to everyone. Alexa Herson sang a song from the musical Beauty and the Beast. Next, Ophelia Ching, Aaron Chang, Lauren Shin, and Derek Zhang performed a piece on their orchestral instruments. Lily Eshaghoff sang a beautiful song. Finally, Willow Grosskopf performed a present day song by Ariana Grande. The singers were accompanied by Jacob Ferraro on piano. Derek Zhang was recognized with an award at the end of the night. Known as the Eve & Jerry Jerome honor, this award is the most prestigious honor granted by the music department.
I am grateful that I was able to participate in this dinner. I received the opportunity to experience something new and learn more about the people around me and their talents. I’m looking forward to the future of these events and Wheatley’s success in both the artistic and practical arts!
