What's recently happened
The dance team recently won their invitational at Marian High School in Mishawaka, Ind. Though they did well, they also noted areas of improvement as well.
“Varsity did score first place, and we scored well at the competition," said Student Marianne Gerona.
Gerona has been on the high school’s dance team since her freshman year.
“It was really an eye-opener for a lot of us to start taking the competition seriously since nationals are in a few weeks, so we really needed to get our act together," Gerona said. "We hope to improve it to hopefully win nationals in Florida,” Gerona said.
Even with this concern, Crown Point High School has no doubt that the dance team will do great at nationals.
What’s coming up
Crown Point High School’s wrestling team gears up for sectionals on Saturday, January 29. The team's season started on November 1, and they have been going strong ever since. With all the work the wrestlers and managers have put in the team is on a sure-fire track to victory. One manager in particular, Student Emilee Lucht, has put in a lot of work to make this happen.
“I was inspired by my friend Amanda Bengston to become a wrestling manager," Lucht said. "In middle school, I took pictures for the wrestling team and I thought it was interesting."
Lucht joined the wrestling team’s panel of managers because she wanted to spend more time with her friends, but she came out with so much more than that. Starting next season, Lucht will be promoted to co-head manager.
“I’m honored to be able to be chosen for this position. I worked really hard and I’m looking forward to years coming up,” Lucht said.
It’s especially exciting for Lucht since this is her first year managing wrestling.
“I am so excited for sectionals! We have a good team this year after winning state. It was so much fun being with this great group of people. I have no doubt we will do well.” Lucht stated.
Like Lucht mentioned previously, she joined the wrestling team’s management because of her friend, Senior Amanda Bengtson.
Bengtson became a wrestling manager in their junior year of high school.
“I managed the team at my middle school and I had wanted to manage the team my freshmen and sophomore year. My junior year was the COVID year for me, so I decided I wanted to be a manager so It would give me something to do,” Bengtson said.
Bengtson is thankful for all the memories and personal development managing a wrestling team has given her over the years.
“In a way, it's helped me learn how to work with people better," she said. "I've always loved working with people, but wrestling makes it fun. I've also learned how to organize things a lot more. I think the organization should help me a lot, not only in college but in my real life after college. This is my final high school season, and I've enjoyed it so far. Not only is our team doing fantastic, but my fellow managers are competent and dedicated."
Bengtson will miss the friends that she's made through managing, but is comforted knowing that she is leaving the team in good hands.
“It's bittersweet. I haven't managed for very long, but I'm going to miss it. I won't only miss the younger managers, but also the wrestlers; they've always been so kind to us. The other managers have become a family and we all love each other. I'm excited to see how Emilee Lucht and Madi Staples do as co-head managers next year. The two of them are going to make phenomenal head managers,” Bengtson said.
With all the memories that Bengtson has made so far this season, she is most excited about adding sectionals to that list.
“I am excited about sectionals. There is a chance that sectionals could be the last meet I go to, so, again, it's a bittersweet feeling. I have loved my time as a manager and will always cherish it. I have faith that our Crown Point boys will make it to state, and even some to nationals. I am ecstatic,” Bengtson stated.
Bengtson and Lucht can’t wait to see what the future holds for Crown Point’s Wrestling team on Saturday’s Sectionals.
Staff Spotlight
The month’s staff spotlight is Crown Point High School’s very own Lisa Keene. Keene is the leader of the Excalibur Yearbook Staff but also teaches speech and debate, and photojournalism classes. Keene first got interested in working with the yearbook staff when she was in high school.
“I had a great journalism advisor in high school, Barbara Mayor, and worked on the newspaper and yearbook, and I just fell in love with the yearbook. There have been several role models for me going into this field, but it started with Barbara Mayor, and then I would say Susan Taylor, who was my yearbook rep in high school, and whom I ended up working for as a sales rep for a publishing company,” Keene said.
After high school, Keene continued to work as a sales representative for the yearbook publishing company.
“For 12 years I was a sales rep for the yearbook publishing company, which is kind of like being an aunt. You come in, you check on their deadlines, you give them donuts and tell them they're doing a great job, and then leave. But when I had my own kids, it was kind of like I wanted to have more of a home base and be a part of it from start to finish, so that's when I transitioned into teaching. Now I get to be there every day with the staff and have a bigger impact and it's more fun,” Keene said.
Even with all of the ups and downs the community has faced the past two years, Keene has still found a way to build an environment that promotes the creative minds of her students to assemble the yearbook.
“It's much better that we are all in person so we have more work consistency, but we still have people coming and going as we're managing the challenges of COVID. We need to continually keep re-training, but at least we are all here together,” Keene said.
With all of the work aside, Keene and her students are excited for their annual trip on Thursday, January 28, to Indiana University. Last year they could not make this trip, but Keene is thrilled to be able to share this memorable experience with her newer students.
“I am so excited to be able to take students somewhere in person because for the past two years we've had all the work but a limited part of the fun. I think it is so important to have the energy and camaraderie of being with other like-minded student journalists and of course winning awards is also fun,” Keene said.
Even with all of the challenges, they have faced, Keene and her class of young journalists have still found a way to make the yearbook function so that not only they but the rest of the school can share and exchange the memories that they have made throughout the school year.
Student Spotlight
This month’s student spotlight is Crown Point High School's Junior Varsity Girls' Basketball Team’s Jillian Brown. Brown is actually on the freshmen team, but thanks to her skills she is able to play on junior varsity.
“I originally joined basketball because my dad played and he told me that I should. He signed me up for a little kids league when I was very young, and I have been doing it ever since,” Brown said.
Brown has always had a talent for basketball. Even in middle school, she found herself always beating the other teams in her gym class. Crown Point High School is excited to see what she had in store next for her high school career.