Knee problems don't stop student from singing, dancing
By Tim Gallagher Journal staff writer | Posted: Sunday, March 09, 2008
Westwood High School senior Amanda Towe talks about a dance squad practice in which she dislocated her left knee for the fourth time. (Photo by Tim Hynds
SLOAN, Iowa -- Amanda Tower turned 18 in a hospital emergency room.
"I remember it because I got to sign all the papers, the first time as an adult," she says.
She also remembers because it darn near cost her a chance to sing and dance in this, her senior show choir campaign. Of a dozen school activities, this is her favorite.
What's the saying? Wild horses couldn't keep her away? Neither could the left knee she dislocated for the fourth time on Nov. 4, her birthday.
"We were at drill team practice learning choreography," she said. "My body went one way, my leg went the other. My kneecap made a cracking, tearing sound. It was horrible."
The senior homecoming queen known as the "Tower of Power" to classmates crumbled the floor. As she reached with her hands to slide the kneecap back into place, she fretted about the upcoming show choir season.
Tom Gerking, vocal instructor at Westwood High School, felt like he was watching a rerun.
"I remember when she injured her knee her freshman year," said Gerking, now in his 18th year of directing the Rebelaires show choir unit. "Back then she was shuddering and crying, saying, 'I will not miss Rebelaires! I will not miss Rebelaires!'"
Heck, she didn't miss the state dance competition. Tower spent a week in a wheelchair while taking codeine for the pain. She graduated to crutches the following three weeks. During that time, she danced two of Westwood's four routines at the state dance competition in Des Moines. The two in which she appeared earned high marks, helping the group claim a state title in the show production category.
She didn't stop there.
Tower, the football cheerleading captain, directed the basketball cheerleaders. She even overcame a severe ankle sprain during the season, an injury she suffered during a conference game in Ida Grove.
The show choir season started with her limping to practice on both legs and taking plenty of aspirin, sometimes 800 milligrams at a time.
The physical pain didn't prevent her from taking a seat in the auditorium's front row to help direct younger show choir members as the season commenced. Tower noted when beginners didn't stand tall enough or straight enough. She noticed footwork and asked young performers to stretch their arms straight into the air.
"The dance captains are asked to 'clean' every move," she said.
"She's very patient with younger dancers," said Gerking. "And the kids love her because she's so positive and so nice to everyone."
Rebelaire with a cause
Tower brings a wealth of show choir experience to the 2007-08 Rebelaires. She began attending rehearsals for the Westwood group as a second-grader, dragged to the early-morning workouts by her older sister, Erin, a four-year Rebelaire who graduated from Westwood in 2001.
"My dad (Steve) teaches social studies here and I could have come to school with him, but I always wanted to come to school earlier with my sister," Amanda said. "I'd sit here and watch them practice."
Like her older sister, Amanda Tower loves to sing and dance. She has a passion for the artistic expression show choir demands. You see it with every crisp move, every note of her solo in "Proud Mary."
Her efforts and the leadership provided by six senior classmates and other upperclassmen helped Gerking's group claim a first-place finish among Class 1A and Class 2A schools at the Bishop Heelan Quad-State Showcase last Saturday. The competition marked the 10th straight time Westwood has earned a spot in the finals at Heelan.
Tower earned outstanding performer accolades.
She celebrated by icing her knee and ankle while joining a portion of the 58-member squad for a victory meal at Perkin's Restaurant, per tradition.
Following the Rebelaires' own showcase in Sloan yesterday (Saturday), the group performs with dozens of other show choir units Tuesday in Slagle Hall at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. The Hinton High School invite takes place Saturday.
After a late-season meet in Norfolk, Neb., the season -- and Tower's show choir career -- will come to an end. At that time, she'll refocus her energy on maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She'll also look ahead to additional singing involvement at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she plans -- like her older sister -- to study medicine.
Actually, she's going to deviate a bit from Erin by going into pediatric medicine. In fact, she wants to use her voice and expression to make her dentist's office a fun place for children to visit.
Show choir, then, will have set an incredible foundation for her.
"I will really miss it," she said. "I love everything about show choir."
Her instructor will miss the alto who is front and center throughout much of the 18-minute show.
"You can't replace a person like Amanda," Gerking said. "You just hope someone steps up. And, yes, we'll have people step up. But she's just sooooo incredibly positive. I know I've had other directors this year tell me they can't believe she's still around."
Like Gerking, they enjoy seeing the Westwood alto bring it all together.
Bum knee and all.
About Amanda
Name: Amanda Tower
Age: 18
Parents: Steve and Karla Tower
Hometown: Sloan
High School: Westwood
GPA: 4.0
High School activities: Class president, student council president, cheerleading captain for football and basketball, vice president of National Honor Society, four-year member of show choir, homecoming queen
Future: Attend Central College
"I remember it because I got to sign all the papers, the first time as an adult," she says.
She also remembers because it darn near cost her a chance to sing and dance in this, her senior show choir campaign. Of a dozen school activities, this is her favorite.
What's the saying? Wild horses couldn't keep her away? Neither could the left knee she dislocated for the fourth time on Nov. 4, her birthday.
"We were at drill team practice learning choreography," she said. "My body went one way, my leg went the other. My kneecap made a cracking, tearing sound. It was horrible."
The senior homecoming queen known as the "Tower of Power" to classmates crumbled the floor. As she reached with her hands to slide the kneecap back into place, she fretted about the upcoming show choir season.
Tom Gerking, vocal instructor at Westwood High School, felt like he was watching a rerun.
"I remember when she injured her knee her freshman year," said Gerking, now in his 18th year of directing the Rebelaires show choir unit. "Back then she was shuddering and crying, saying, 'I will not miss Rebelaires! I will not miss Rebelaires!'"
Heck, she didn't miss the state dance competition. Tower spent a week in a wheelchair while taking codeine for the pain. She graduated to crutches the following three weeks. During that time, she danced two of Westwood's four routines at the state dance competition in Des Moines. The two in which she appeared earned high marks, helping the group claim a state title in the show production category.
She didn't stop there.
Tower, the football cheerleading captain, directed the basketball cheerleaders. She even overcame a severe ankle sprain during the season, an injury she suffered during a conference game in Ida Grove.
The show choir season started with her limping to practice on both legs and taking plenty of aspirin, sometimes 800 milligrams at a time.
The physical pain didn't prevent her from taking a seat in the auditorium's front row to help direct younger show choir members as the season commenced. Tower noted when beginners didn't stand tall enough or straight enough. She noticed footwork and asked young performers to stretch their arms straight into the air.
"The dance captains are asked to 'clean' every move," she said.
"She's very patient with younger dancers," said Gerking. "And the kids love her because she's so positive and so nice to everyone."
Rebelaire with a cause
Tower brings a wealth of show choir experience to the 2007-08 Rebelaires. She began attending rehearsals for the Westwood group as a second-grader, dragged to the early-morning workouts by her older sister, Erin, a four-year Rebelaire who graduated from Westwood in 2001.
"My dad (Steve) teaches social studies here and I could have come to school with him, but I always wanted to come to school earlier with my sister," Amanda said. "I'd sit here and watch them practice."
Like her older sister, Amanda Tower loves to sing and dance. She has a passion for the artistic expression show choir demands. You see it with every crisp move, every note of her solo in "Proud Mary."
Her efforts and the leadership provided by six senior classmates and other upperclassmen helped Gerking's group claim a first-place finish among Class 1A and Class 2A schools at the Bishop Heelan Quad-State Showcase last Saturday. The competition marked the 10th straight time Westwood has earned a spot in the finals at Heelan.
Tower earned outstanding performer accolades.
She celebrated by icing her knee and ankle while joining a portion of the 58-member squad for a victory meal at Perkin's Restaurant, per tradition.
Following the Rebelaires' own showcase in Sloan yesterday (Saturday), the group performs with dozens of other show choir units Tuesday in Slagle Hall at the University of South Dakota in Vermillion. The Hinton High School invite takes place Saturday.
After a late-season meet in Norfolk, Neb., the season -- and Tower's show choir career -- will come to an end. At that time, she'll refocus her energy on maintaining a 4.0 grade point average. She'll also look ahead to additional singing involvement at Central College in Pella, Iowa, where she plans -- like her older sister -- to study medicine.
Actually, she's going to deviate a bit from Erin by going into pediatric medicine. In fact, she wants to use her voice and expression to make her dentist's office a fun place for children to visit.
Show choir, then, will have set an incredible foundation for her.
"I will really miss it," she said. "I love everything about show choir."
Her instructor will miss the alto who is front and center throughout much of the 18-minute show.
"You can't replace a person like Amanda," Gerking said. "You just hope someone steps up. And, yes, we'll have people step up. But she's just sooooo incredibly positive. I know I've had other directors this year tell me they can't believe she's still around."
Like Gerking, they enjoy seeing the Westwood alto bring it all together.
Bum knee and all.
About Amanda
Name: Amanda Tower
Age: 18
Parents: Steve and Karla Tower
Hometown: Sloan
High School: Westwood
GPA: 4.0
High School activities: Class president, student council president, cheerleading captain for football and basketball, vice president of National Honor Society, four-year member of show choir, homecoming queen
Future: Attend Central College
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