European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - February 08, 1993, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 12 the stars and stripes education monday february 8,19$3 students face real worries in school play Ron Jensen Nurnberg Bureau Bamberg Germany the stage door usually swings open into an unreal world it is an escape Hatch from reality and into fantasy and make believe. But Richard Luken thinks theater need not be Only an entertaining excursion from life. I try to select plays that Are relevant to the teen agers said Luken an English teacher at Bamber High school. Two years ago while students were Deal ing with the ongoing persian Gulf War the High school play was the girl in the Mirror which dealt with the subject of teen suicide. An earlier play babies having babies discussed teen pregnancy. I like to put students in a situation where they Are comfortable playing themselves or assuming roles they can put some meaning into he said. This year s play pomp and circumstance which has been performed five times since tuesday and was to end sunday night at the stable theater on Warner Barracks revolves around the stress a High school senior faces before graduation with some Domestic tur Moil thrown in. I have a Friend now who s going through the something the leading character is going through said Michele Schnabel one of the performers. Before the play began wednesday night for an Audi ence of High school students being rewarded with special performance for their academic efforts the stress was More on applying makeup before the approaching curtain than the impending graduation of six of the play s 10 performers. Where Are my Bobby pins does anybody have any eyeliner i m a girl. I know what i m  the leading character Lorraine Montgomery played by Amy Picazo is dealing with the stress of graduation at the same time she comes to grips with her parents divorce. Schnabel said she can relate to part of the charac Ter s anxiety. I m going Back to the states on my own after graduation said the senior who is headed to North Carolina state University. My parents Are staying  sets Ron Jensen from left Michele Schnabel Monique Margra Fand Nakia Shaw work on a scene from Bamberg High school s pomp and circumstance a play entering on graduating seniors. At one Point in the play Picazo As Montgomery says i wish i could hide in the school closet All summer and be Here next  Montgomery chastises another student played by Chris Pangman telling him grow  when the Stu Dent replies who wants to Montgomery concedes Good  that part of her character s life at least Picazo can identify with she admitted before the curtain Rose. Yeah i m kind of worried about it she said. She plans to stay one More year in Europe with her parents before going with them to the states where she will at tend a Junior College. Picazo likes this play from an actress standpoint. It s very relevant she said. It s like things that Hap pen in a teen Ager s life. When you do things like a comedy that Are not really real life it s harder to  Tyk Illies Grant who plays Debbie Stark the leading character s Best Friend said a play keeps a performer set on reality. It s not like you re playing a  and she too admits that the approaching graduations a time for anxiety she will stay in Bamberg for one year with her parents before returning to the states. Just watching my brother go across the Street and into school will Hurt she said because i m with  not going Brussels Pupil is headed in right direction with contest win. T T _ _. _ i do feb i by Rosemary Sawyer Brussels Bureau Brussels Belgium sometimes it does t pay to be a Nice Guy or at least that s what passed through the mind of 12-year-old Doug Richards at the close of his school s geography  s Friend and fellow seventh grader Ruben Cito of Quinones edged him out of first prize in the Brussels american school Competition for pupils in grades four through  gave him my almanac so that he could study All during Christmas break Doug who came in second said after he and Ruben had shaken hands and received their prizes. Did Doug regret having helped his buddy win the school title and a Chance to Advance in Competition not really Doug said noting that he had loan Druben 13, the 1992 edition of the almanac while keep ing the 1993 Book to pore Over. He still probably. Would have , Doug and third place finisher Jay love ii 10, were among a dozen Brussels pupils competing in the contest that covered subjects such As earthquakes oceans and  National geographic society sponsors the con test for schools throughout the United states its Terri tories and the five regions that make up the depart ment of defense dependents  Middle school teacher Christina judge praised the 4-year-pld  hear horror stories All the time about How american kids have a poor knowledge of geography and i think it s important with things Tike contests and incentives to emphasize to them that it s an important area of knowledge to work on judge said. She has helped sponsor the program for three  each school holds its Oral geography Bee the Winner takes a written exam that is graded by nationals a Foo Hwy Sawyer. Ruben Cito Quinones receives a congratulatory hand shake from his Friend Doug Richards for capturing firs place in the geography Bee at Brussels american school in Belgium. Geographic society officials. The pupils with the High est scores in each of Dodds regions take another test in april to determine who will represent the overseas schools in a National Competition in May at the nation Al geographic Headquarters in Washington. Results of the 70-question exam will be known some time in March judge said. About is schools in Dodds Germany Region 10schools in the Atlantic Region and 12 schools in the Mediterranean Region Are talking part this year. They rejoined by schools in Dodds Pacific and Panama re  National Champion will receive a $25,000 College scholarship. Second and third place winners will receive$15,000 and $10,000 scholarships respectively. Here Are five questions from the championship round of the geography Bee Competition which involves contestants in the fourth through eighth grades. 1. The number of countries that make up the Balkan Peninsula in Europe almost doubled in 1992 As a result of the breakup of which country in Eastern Europe 2. The Lewis and Clark expedition of 1604 to 1806 began at the Mouth of one River and ended at the Mouth of another. Name one of these two Rivers. 3. Antwerp because of its location near the North sea has become the chief port and commercial Cen Ter of which country in Europe 4. The Tigris and euphrates Rivers have their sources in which Eastern Mediterranean country 5. The Canadian government s efforts to protect Northern cod by imposing a two year ban on cod fish ing will have the greatest Impact on the Economy and lifestyle of which Canadian province g to big Eunjoo " sj3msuv source National geographic society is