MHS drama students have taken out the people’s choice award at the Dramatic Minds Festival held at the Young Town Hall recently. Performing a piece entitled “We are Coping” which was based on different issues regarding mental illness, it was the culmination of 5 weeks work and rehearsals. Teacher Nicole Buttris said, “We were the last group to perform on the night and the crowd voted us the people’s choice award. I was very proud of all the students as they performed their monologues perfectly.” Students Maria Raptis, Maddie Emms, Thomas Stone and Deanna Minogue from Year 9 along with Emily Stanfield, Brooke Beeson and Tara McGrath-West from Year 10 made up the group. They competed against Young High School, Hennessey Catholic College and Cootamundra High School. The students were rather bewildered and amused when during the performances the hall had to be evacuated because steam from an urn had triggered the fire alarm. Congratulations to all involved.