LEFT- Craig Ihnen, Executive Director of IHSSA, Mary Fasse-Shaw and Gary Zmolek upon both retired South Tama High School teachers being inducted into the Iowa State Speech Coaches Hall of Fame. -Photo provided

Marry Fasse-Shaw

By Deb Plantz

Special to The News-Herald

With the theme “Super Heroes” for their annual convention and banquet, the Iowa High School Speech Association inducted two of South Tama High School’s own super heroes into the Iowa State Speech Coaches Hall of Fame on Friday, Oct. 3 at the Gateway Conference Center in Ames.

Former STCHS speech coaches Mary Fasse-Shaw and Gary Zmolek received these honors with their friends, families, former colleagues, and many speech coaches from throughout the state in attendance.

Jeff Shaw, Connor Fasse-Shaw, Mary Fasse-Shaw

It was the first time in the history of the IHSSA that two coaches from the same school received the award at the same time.

In order to be considered for the award, accomplishments in coaching and contributions to IHSSA by holding offices, hosting contests, and serving on committees are taken into consideration. In addition, coaches and former students can write to the state office and nominate individuals. These nominations are considered and then selected. The state is divided into four districts, and nominees can come from any district in the state.

Very few speech coaches have received the award while actively coaching.

he evening ceremony began with Liz Hansen, Grinnell speech coach and member of the Iowa State Speech Executive Committee introducing Fasse-Shaw followed by former STCHS speech and drama students Danny Yuska and Carrie Fattig Tinkham introducing Zmolek.

Hansen began by telling the audience of how their friendship began in the late 80’s and has continued to this day.

Danny Yuska, Carrie Fattig Tinkham, Liz Hansen, MaryFasse-Shaw, and Jeff Shaw. Yuska and Tinkham were former students of both Fasse-Shaw and Zmolek who became speech coaches. They introduced Zmolek while Hansen, Grinnell High School speech coach and member of the IHSSA Executive Committee, introduced Fasse-Shaw at the banquet on Friday, Oct. 3.

Fasse-Shaw then entertained the audience with a speech that included a segment entitled, “Mistakes I’ve Made and the Things I’ve Learned.” Two points that Fasse-Shaw said she learned over the years was to have a master key to the school and keep with her everything that the kids might leave in their lockers such as scripts and clothes. Another bit of advice she said she learned was to be the first one at contest with the bus leaving at 5 a.m. or sometimes 4:30 a.m. This earned a few groans from the audience members.

Fasse-Shaw concluded by thanking her friends who have shown support over the years and her family. Fasse-Shaw said nothing would have been possible for her if it were not for the support and help from her husband Jeff who was her partner at home as well as at the theater. He was her co-director and technical director for many performances. She said she was able to bounce ideas and opinions off Jeff which she said helped her immensely.

“Jeff was better than I at blocking; he had the artistic visual sense,” said Fasse-Shaw.

The Journey

Mary Fasse-Shaw first arrived at South Tama County High School as a long term sub in January of the 1976-77 school year. She then accepted a job at Gilmore City-Bradgate for the ’77-’78 school year but returned to South Tama as a full time English teacher and speech coach in August 1978.

TIMES-REPUBLICAN PHOTO BY MIKE DONAHEY Gary Zmolek of Marshalltown is shown working on his acceptance speech at the Marshalltown Public Library recently. He was honored by the Iowa High School Speech Association Coaches in Ames Friday.

During her tenure at STCHS, Fasse-Shaw coached speech for 37 years 35 years as head coach and two years as assistant coach.

Highlights from those years for her include seven All-State performances in 2007 and four All-State performances in 2001. She also noted the plays that she directed as highlights of her career such as All My Sons, Guys & Dolls, and The Boys Next Door.

Fasse-Shaw said that she believes that part of her job was theater education, and theater reflects life. Through performances she said she wanted to expand people’s horizons especially when dealing with controversial topics.

“I wanted to teach my students to stand up for what they believed in,” said Fasse-Shaw.

Many of Fasse-Shaw’s students went on to become involved in speech and theater as careers. Those former students include the following: speech coaches Danny Yuska, Carrie Fattig Tinkham, Chris McCune McFate, Dan Quigley, Shelley Hagerty Leiser, Ellen Coleman Moran, Carol Gary Meyer, and Nate Shepard. Working as speech judges are Allison Townsley Graham and Matt Walz. Shannon Patterson Giese teaches acting classes in New York while Angie Grant McCaffrey works as a television producer. Nick Chizek is working on his doctorate in theater.

Although her career was filled with many rewarding experiences, there still remains one disappointment, the lack of a high school theater.

“I hope people will understand that the arts are important in people’s lives and that they do make a difference just as athletics do,” said Fasse-Shaw.

She said that her hope for the community is that it sees that having a high school theater is a necessity for future generations.

It is her firm belief that well-rounded students make better human beings.

Gary Zmolek:

By Mike Donahey

Marshalltown Times Republican

After years of teaching high school students how to write and deliver speeches, Gary Zmolek found himself preparing one for himself at the Marshalltown Public Library, recently.

“It had better be good,” he said.

And it was special, as it was given before his former peers at the Iowa High School Speech Association in Ames Friday evening, Oct. 3.

Zmolek brought his father, an Ames resident, which made the evening even more memorable.

The long-time Marshalltown resident was one of two people named to the 2014 IHSSA Hall of Fame.

The honor was conferred on him at the IHSSA Coaches Convention in Ames Friday.

His passion for education, specifically in teaching high school youth the skills in public speaking among others, were recognized by others.

Zmolek taught speech and other subjects for 35 years at the South Tama High School before retiring in 2010.

He coached hundreds of students and of course, there were a number who stood out.

Several were special needs students, who, initially struggled, but kept working and later advanced, one to the highest rank.

Zmolek credited Julie Bousum, a retired Marshalltown High School speech teacher for giving him the idea to work with special needs students.

“Julie had done a remarkable job with special needs students first at East Marshall,” said Zmolek. “She found a way to get them involved. Her work motivated me to do more with special needs students.”

One student who excelled in news broadcasting, a part of speech competition, later was employed at WOI-TV in Des Moines/Ames before moving on.

Jeff Stein, an attorney, broadcaster, professor, and syndicated columnist, was a student.

“He excelled in broadcasting at the University of Iowa,” said Zmolek. “Ironically, while a student at South Tama, he told me he did not want to go on to college. I told him college was nothing like high school. He listened.”

Since retiring, Zmolek has pursued a second career as a “storyteller” or “spoken word artist” as he said.

He has done storytelling at the Brucemore Historical Site in Cedar Rapids, at art festivals, at the Marshalltown Public Library and elsewhere.

Zmolek started storytelling with his students.

“Even my high school kids at South Tama would ask: ‘Tell us a story …’ he said.

“So I am doing in my second childhood what I coached people to do.”

Despite retiring four year ago, Zmolek has remained in education as a substitute at South Tama, East Marshall and the Marshalltown Community School District.

He know works exclusively for MCSD.

Nearly every day since school started, Zmolek said he has been called to substitute in one of Marshalltown’s schools.

It is more than a job, it is an opportunity for him to be with kids, which he thoroughly enjoys.

“It is fun and interesting,” he said. “I will substitute for anything, as long as the teacher has good lesson plans. I’ve done kindergarten and elementary physical education.”