Kendal Vogelgesang with her award winning dress.
Submitted by Kendal Vogelgesang
SHAWNEE TOWNSHIP — When finished reading the local newspaper many may recycle the print edition tossing it in a recycle bin. Some may use it to line the bottom of the bird cage or wrap what’s left over from cleaning fish.
Recycling newspaper involves collecting used paper products and processing them to produce new paper products. The benefits of recycling newspaper include reducing waste, conserving natural resources, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and saving energy.
But one young lady has used old newsprint to design a dress for a class project and is earning awards for her efforts.
Kendal Vogelgesang, a junior at Shawnee High School, has designed a dress that was entered into the Scholastic Arts competition and has won a “Gold Key” in the northeastern Indiana and northwest Ohio regional level which means that it will now be judged on a national level. Inspiration initiated in a global science class where the students were working with upcycled materials.
Vogelgesang said, “I was working with newspaper in there so that I got the idea, ‘Let’s just do a dress out of newspaper.’”
She had a lot of advice on her fashion project. Shawnee art teacher Brian Krawetzke suggested that because of the delicate nature of the dress it would be better to make it short rather that a longer gown.
Vogelgesang started the brainstorming ideas in November and she finished the project the day before it was due on December 19th. She explained the dress-making process, “I did some origami folds at the very top of flares of the dress. I then took a paintbrush and painted mod podge into it and then to keep it all together. I used a hot glue gun underneath.”
Vogelgesang is one of 19 students who won awards in the regional Scholastic Arts competition. In total 22 creative works were honored. The following students received awards:
Gold Key: Grace Freiberger, photography; Olivia Miller, photography; Gracie Monday, photography; Kendal Vogelgesang, fashion; Silver Key: Sydney Burris, photography; Carter Kohli, critical essay; Lauren Niesen, photography; Maggie Stoddard, Honorable Mention and Silver Key, jewelry; and Honorable Mention: Thomas Cover, jewelry; Berkley Fisher, jewelry; Brady Gabes, photography; Jonathan Grylls, Honorable Mention, Mixed Media; Heather Hartzog, Honorable Mention, photography; Aitana Lopez, photography; Chelsea Manuel, photography; Lena Parsley, photography; Nick Pasion, photography; Adam Rigali, photography; Jazmyn Scott, photography.
The four students who won Gold Key awards will have their art works judged on a national level.
Reach Dean Brown at 567-242-0409
