By Lindsey Rowland
lrowland@wbcowqel.com
4-H may be the first thing that comes to one’s mind when watching a steer enter a ring or a horse trot a track, but the program extends much further than that, and on Sunday evening, the projects that take a step out of the barn were duly celebrated.
The venue for such spotlights began with the 4-H Style Review, during which participants who have dedicated their time to projects based on sewing got the chance to walk across the Youth Building stage and showcase what they’ve done. Eleven categories in various age ranges and skill levels were represented, including such titles as “You Can Quilt”, “Sew Fun”, and “Creative Costumes”. Each model walked across the stage while a short biography, a description of their pieces, and a comment on what they believed the most challenging part of the project was read.
In the end, of the 19 students in the running, Bella Walter of the Dairy Maids and Gents, and Cassandra Kurek of the Holmes Liberty Royal Lions were chosen as the best Senior and Junior models, respectively.
For Walter, the project was extremely practical, as she is a dancer and chose to make her own leotard in the “Active Sportswear” category. Despite the fact that the fabric she used was really hard to work with, she was ultimately very satisfied and excited to win.
“I tried really hard,” Walter said, “It was really neat to do something new.
Kurek agreed that the honor felt wonderful. Cassandra participated in the “Sew Fun” section, modeling a bright pink and yellow pair of shorts, complete with matching headband. Kurek says that she got the idea for a headband from items she had seen online and on the street. What made Kurek stand out, however, was her creativity.
“We looked at a lot of different patterns,” she said, proudly, “And I don’t like plain things, so I decided to put ruffles on mine.”
Kurek went on to sum up the heart behind the project when she said, “Sewing is a life skill that you should always know, so I’m planning on making a lot of other clothes.”
In addition to the accolades handed out not only for the style review, but also for the myriad other projects within the classification of Family and Consumer Sciences, annual 4-H scholarships were also awarded. This honor gives $500 directly to each student’s school for their tuition charges, and is officially given after a transcript from a first quarter or semester is provided.
This year, the scholarship was given to Tessa Starner, Hannah Kocher, CeCelia Von Stein, Ray Stahl, and Sarah Cornell.
Many of the sewing projects, as well as other endeavors from the Family and Consumer Science Projects, will be on display in the 4-H booths throughout the week.