Jovian Pham
Pirate Competitor of the Week – November 29, 2021
Senior musician Jovian Pham is this week’s Pirate Competitor of the Week sponsored by Galena Culver’s and the Galena Gazette. For the second time, Jovian has been invited to represent our school and participate in the ILMEA All-State Composition Workshop that takes place in January at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria, IL. In October, Jovian submitted original compositions for review by esteemed music educators from around the state. After reviewing hundreds of student submissions, the winners of the state-wide ILMEA Composition Contest were announced, and Jovian’s piece, “Soot Walk”, placed 3rd in the Jazz Instrumental/Vocal category, earning him a coveted spot in this year’s All-State Composition Workshop. Band Director Mike Vaschur commented, “We are very proud of Jovian’s hard work, dedication, and the positive impact he’s had on the music programs in Galena. Congratulations Jovian!” Jovian was honored with a gift basket from the Galena Culver’s, as well as a newspaper courtesy of the Galena Gazette.
Senior musician Jovian Pham is this week’s Pirate Competitor of the Week sponsored by Galena Culver’s and the Galena Gazette. For the second time, Jovian has been invited to represent our school and participate in the ILMEA All-State Composition Workshop that takes place in January at the Illinois Music Education Conference in Peoria, IL. In October, Jovian submitted original compositions for review by esteemed music educators from around the state. After reviewing hundreds of student submissions, the winners of the state-wide ILMEA Composition Contest were announced, and Jovian’s piece, “Soot Walk”, placed 3rd in the Jazz Instrumental/Vocal category, earning him a coveted spot in this year’s All-State Composition Workshop. Band Director Mike Vaschur commented, “We are very proud of Jovian’s hard work, dedication, and the positive impact he’s had on the music programs in Galena. Congratulations Jovian!” Jovian was honored with a gift basket from the Galena Culver’s, as well as a newspaper courtesy of the Galena Gazette.
Also Nominated:
Freshman basketball player Abby Merritt led the Pirate in points and steals over three games at the Galena JV Tournament. She was the high scorer in 2 of 3 games with a total of 28 points. Coach Joe Engle offered, “as a freshman she has become a great team leader both at practice and games! Constantly working hard and always looking for ways to improve her game. Abby has taken on the role of point guard for the JV team which is a new position for her. She is doing a great job and improving every day!”
Sophomore Addie Hefel helped the varsity Pirates go 3-1 at the Warren Tournament. Through the first four games she averaged 7points, 4 steals, and 3 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50% from the field. According to coach Jamie Watson, “Addie has been our most consistent player early on this season. As our point guard, she has the responsibility to have the ball in her hands the majority of the time. Addie has a knack for making a splash play, but maybe more importantly she knows when to slow things down and get our offense set to where we need to be. She is a really smart player and is going to be hugely important to us as the season continues.”
