\n\t\t\t\tOne of the founders of Mount Carmel School, Fr. Arnold Bendowski, second from left, oversees the construction of the school\u2019s historic auditorium and stage in the 1950s. (Contributed Photo)\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\u201cBank of Guam has always done what it could to support our community, in whatever small way that we can,\u201d Leon Guerrero shared with school officials.\u00a0 \u201cWe are very happy to help bring this historical landmark back for the Saipan community.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mount Carmel School\u2019s chair, Joseph L. G. Taijeron, was likewise very happy to receive the donation on behalf of the school.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis generous donation will not only help rebuild the brick and mortar of our stage and solidify a historical landmark, it will also reinforce the school\u2019s proud tradition of theatrical excellence and its dedication to the arts,\u201d said Taijeron. \u201cI humbly thank the Bank of Guam for making a pledge and then honoring its commitment.\u201d<\/p>\n
Joining Taijeron to thank Bank of Guam were school Apostolic Administrator for the Diocese of Chalan Kanoa, Fr. Ryan Jimenez, incoming school board member Mark Rabauliman, school president Galvin Deleon Guerrero, director of Institutional Development John Blanco, business manager Keiko Yamagata, vice principal for Curriculum and Instruction Bobby Baldazo, vice principal for Student Affairs Ida Bahillo, and Student Council president Maria Fe Andrea Lazaro.<\/p>\n
The \u201cSave the Stage\u201d Campaign<\/strong><\/p>\nSince the 1950s, the school\u2019s stage and auditorium had hosted several historic events in the growth of the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.\u00a0Throughout the 1960s, while under U.S. trusteeship after World War II, the islands held important meetings with visiting United Nations officials in the auditorium.\u00a0Eventually, both the CNMI Covenant and Constitution would be signed in same auditorium. The stage has also been the home of the longest continuously running performing arts program on island, the school\u2019s annual Christmas pageant.<\/p>\n
Over the years, however, the stage fell into disrepair, forcing the stage to close in the early 2000s.\u00a0Upon returning to the school as its president in 2012, Galvin Deleon Guerrero, a 1991 AlumKnight and known performing arts producer, worked with other AlumKnights to launch a \u201cSave the Stage\u201d campaign.\u00a0The campaign was divided into five phases, the first of which was to provide minimal repairs to at least make the stage usable for the annual Christmas pageant. \u00a0<\/p>\n
Several fundraising events followed, including an AlumKnight production of Jane Martin\u2019s Talking With, a Drive-In Student Film Festival, the MCS Theatre Club\u2019s production of Disney\u2019s The Little Mermaid, and an online fundraising drive for AlumKnights\u2019 participation in the 2014 Tagaman and Saipan Marathon. With these fundraisers and several donations from AlumKnights, the school was able to complete phase one of the campaign, thus making the stage available for the recent 2014 Christmas Pageant.<\/p>\n
With phase one completed, phase two remained, which is the critical phase to actually renovate the stage into a professional stage with theatrical flooring, a functional backstage area, and proper sound and lighting equipment.\u00a0 Bank of Guam\u2019s donation will fund the entire second phase of the campaign, which the school anticipates will be completed before the start of the next school year, 2015-2016.<\/p>\n
Bank of Guam\u2019s Leon Guerrero challenged other local businesses to do their part. \u201cWe call on others on island to also help,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
The three remaining phases of the \u201cSave the Stage\u201d campaign will convert the current open-aired auditorium into an enclosed, air-conditioned area with a refurbished roof retrofitted with acoustic paneling for theatrical shows.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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