What’s recently happened?
Lowell High School (LHS) recently celebrated homecoming on Saturday, September 16.
Homecoming is a grand event at LHS and the Student Council makes sure the whole week is activity-packed.
As tradition continues, the council decorated the school Friday before homecoming week to start the spread of Red Devil Pride (RDP). The student parking lot, bus doors, lunch room doors, and main hallways were all decorated with streamers, paintings on the glass, and much more. Since the dance theme was Bejeweled, there were also Taylor Swift song quotes spread out in the decor.
Additionally, there was a theme to go with each day of the week. Monday was color wars, where each grade had a different color to wear, Tuesday was Barbie versus. Ken day, Wednesday was squad day, Thursday was Eras Day and as always the theme before the homecoming game was RDP.
That Friday had an adjusted schedule because the last hour was for the pep session. This includes one of the student council teacher representatives, Dustin Hudak, getting the student body into the spirit of the big game and homecoming dance.
The pep session starts with a schoolwide walk through the whole school with the marching band leading everyone to The Pit, where Hudak is ready to get everyone excited.
This hour of pep includes a variety of activities, but the most important one is where all the grades compete for the spirit belt. The cheerleaders from each grade start the chant for their grade with, for example, “Juniors, juniors, what do you say?” Then the juniors would respond with “Devils, devils, all the way.” Each grade is measured by a loudness meter, and the loudest grade wins the spirit belt that year. This year, the seniors won.
The homecoming game was also one of the most attended football games all year, this year’s theme was neon. The Red Devils beat the Highland High School Trojans 41-12.
The homecoming court was also announced at this game and walked across the field.
The homecoming dance in itself was very eventful this year with a DJ, 360 photo booth machine, and neon decorations.
What's coming up?
The week of September 25 is College Go week at LHS.
The purpose of this week is to help all students, but especially seniors, navigate the admissions process and to help ensure that those who want to pursue a higher education get the chance to apply to colleges. This week is also beneficial because many universities in Indiana waive their application fee for these five days.
Similarly, it can also help get students thinking about what career they want to pursue after high school, and what is offered in Indiana.
LHS includes a spirit week for College Go as well.
Another approaching event is the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT). Students from seventh grade up until junior year are required to take this test on October 11.
Staff spotlight:
Chris Werling has been a social studies teacher at LHS for 17 years.
He is originally from Fort Wayne, Indiana having attended Manchester University in North Manchester, Indiana.
“Believe it or not, I am one of the lucky people who knew they wanted to be a teacher early on. I've always enjoyed working with kids and young people,” said Werling.
Werling always knew he wanted to teach young minds, and has had a major interest in history for as long as he can remember. He spent much of his young life traveling to different places with his family; visiting national parks, historical museums, and much more, which piqued his interest to learn more about the past.
“My greatest personal accomplishment in my profession would be a toss-up between starting up two different AP history classes during my career and successfully leading eight different spring break trips for students domestically and internationally,” said Werling.
He prides himself on being able to provide a wide variety of history classes to the LHS students.
Similarly, Werling exposes students to different cultures and environments through the spring break trips that he has hosted for the past few years. The most recent was the trip to Germany last spring break which many students enjoyed. Werling takes the time to plan an activity-packed trip that makes sure students get to experience the real environment wherever they go.
“I love it when students discover they can succeed in something they originally believed they couldn't. I love opening up students to new ways of thinking about the world around them. I love getting to help students learn the ‘story’ of humans through history,” said Werling.
Werling’s favorite part of being a teacher is when students truly grasp the idea of what he’s teaching. For him, nothing is better than seeing the lightbulb go off in his students’ heads when they learn something new about history.
Outside of LHS, Werling enjoys traveling with his family, both domestically and internationally. His love for traveling has taken him to many great places. Apart from this, he spends much of his time with his two kids doing a wide variety of activities. He also likes to read.
Student spotlight:
Zoe Terry is a junior at LHS who devotes much of her time to her schoolwork. Terry has received all A’s since her freshman year and appears to be on the same track this year.
She is a first-year mentor in the Red Devil Mentor Program, is a part of the LHS Student Council, and is a member of the Culture and Diversity Club.
“I love being a mentor, we just recently started groups but it's such a rewarding feeling to be there for the freshmen and guide them with whatever they need,” said Terry.
While it is only her first year as a mentor, she is already enjoying everything that comes with it. A big part of being a mentor is just wanting to help others, and Terry prides herself in her care for those around her.
She is a very selfless person, which shines through in her day-to-day life.
Further, while Terry doesn’t know exactly what she wants to do after high school, she knows she wants to help people. She also knows that she wants to receive a higher education.
Through taking a variety of science classes, she has developed a love for the medical field, so, she thinks that she will likely pursue something in that realm.
“Making time for loved ones is something that I live by. I think making memories and spending time with friends and family is very important,” said Terry.
Outside of school, Terry spends much of her time working at her job, hanging out with friends, and spending quality time with her family.