What’s recently happened?
Recently, Crown Point High School (CPHS) hosted its annual winter formal, also known as Turnabout. This year’s theme was “Enchanted Forest”. The dance included food, music, and, of course, plenty of dancing. Aubria Harris, a student at CPHS, enjoyed attending the formal with a group of her friends this year.
“My favorite part about this year's turnabout dance was taking photos with my friends beforehand at one of their houses because I really love the atmosphere there,” Harris said. “As the night went on, it definitely got a lot more fun, and the vibe there was really cool. I hopefully will be attending next year.”
The CPHS Turnabout comes with the tradition of the girls asking the boys to the dance, creating a fun and interesting atmosphere. This dance is a staple for many students to attend at CPHS and seems to hold many highlights for the year.
What's coming up?
This year’s CPHS play will be “The Play That Goes Wrong.” Many of CPHS theatre members, along with other students, are anticipating this year’s play. Yearly, CPHS theatre performs a musical and a play. The 2024-2025 school year’s musical, “Matilda,” was a huge success for CPHS theatre back in November, and there is no doubt that this play will be equally successful.
Vanessa Cervantes is a part of CPHS theatre’s crew and is looking forward to this year’s play. This year’s play was chosen for its humorous nature.
“I think we chose this play to change it up this year because our past plays have been very serious or straightforward while this play is very comedic,” Cervates said.
Along with this excitement and buzz about this new play comes lots and lots of preparation. Since Cervantes is a part of the crew, her job entails many of the main aspects for this play to function.
“To prepare for this play, actors have to practice these scenes much more than normal, and costume design people have to be prepared for clothing malfunctions,” Cervantes said. “Our biggest challenge will be making sure all the clothes stay intact while running intense scenes.”
CPHS’s “The Play That Goes Wrong” will hold performances on March 7, 8, 9, 14, and 16, 2025. Students are ready to buy tickets and come show their support.
Staff spotlight:
Matthew Barno teaches DC U.S. History and AP Psychology at CPHS. Along with teaching, Barno runs the school’s Mock Trial team. While Barno was not involved in Mock Trial before, many have said Barno runs the club excellently.
“I like seeing the kids grow through building arguments and building confidence along with it,” Barno said. “Whether it’s helping them project their voice more or critically think through a problem, helping them with that process is important.”
This year, one of CPHS’s Mock Trial teams has advanced into State competition. This accomplishment is from the hard work of the members, but also from Barno’s amazing mentorship.
“My biggest goal now that we have made it to State is honestly to just keep on improving. Every team is different, and every year is different,” Barno said. “Every coach or teacher wants to see their students succeed and grow, whether that be in sports or a club like Mock Trial, so that’s my biggest goal.”
Overall, Barno’s dedication to his students and his club is what makes him a commendable teacher. He helps his students overcome obstacles and motivates them to continue improving. These factors are what makes Barno an inspiration to students.
Student spotlight:
Emmanuel Estrada wrestles at CPHS. Wrestling gives Estrada motivation and discipline during high school.
“My favorite part about wrestling is the team and the work ethic it gives me. It has definitely taught me things I can carry on with throughout life,” Estrada said.
Balancing school and sports can be a struggle for many students, but Estrada has learned to maintain a healthy balance for himself. Playing for a school team can also be very demanding, which has given Estrada a sense of purpose.
“The biggest struggle I have with being a student-athlete is the amount of work I have with school and practice. I honestly just make sure to try and get a good amount of sleep to have a better mindset and push through,” Estrada said.
This year, Estrada has advanced to the State competition for wrestling. This is a big accomplishment for Estrada and is something he has been working towards since starting wrestling.
“I’m very excited to be going to state this year. Last year I did not qualify, so seeing my progress has been really great,” Estrada said. “I’m definitely proud of my performance thus far and hope to keep improving.”
The balance between high school and playing a sport is difficult to maintain, but Estrada does it well. Estrada’s dedication and discipline show others how they can persevere to achieve their goals.
