What’s recently happened
On November 28, Crown Point citizens came together at the town square to celebrate the life of Kelly Hume. Hume was a student at Robert A. Taft Middle School, who passed away on November 21, 2020. On that day, Crown Point lost one of its most creative and kind minds, a loss truly felt by all who Hume was close to.
“Kelly was a kind and genuine person. She was very creative and lone of the nicest people I have ever met,” Crown Point student Iris Balderas said.
Balderas met Hume in sixth grade, and they had been friends since.
“Kelly was the kindest soul I have ever known, it was a very hard loss for everyone I know, including people that didn’t know her that well,” Crown Point student Isabel Egner said. “She always had an amazing smile on her face and was there for you whenever you needed her. Grief is a very hard emotion to handle but when I feel that grief, I know she’s with me.”
Egner was invited by Hume to her birthday party in the sixth grade and grew up very close as a result.
“Kelly was the kindest person I ever knew, maybe that’s why I loved having her as my friend,” Crown Point student Ava Ivezic stated. “Being at the memorial for her made me feel grief but also happiness because the outcome was amazing and to see all of those people celebrating her life is important to me and her being remembered in the best ways makes the grief easier to manage.”
“She was my best friend of eight years, so it was very hard losing her, but I try to focus on the memories we were able to make rather than the memories we can’t make,” Vivian Keene said.
Keene met Hume in kindergarten and became close through Girl Scouts. Hume always had a knack for art and creativity. To honor this, student Bridget Godsen painted a mural that was unveiled during the ceremony.
What’s coming up?
Crown Point High School’s Excalibur Yearbook Staff is getting ready to take its annual trip to Indiana University. The crew couldn’t make the trip last year, so they intend to make this trip a memorable one.
“When I went to the state convention, I learned a lot more about journalism and I still use the skills I learned during my classes,” Kylie Fajman said.
This year, Fajman is a senior editor on the staff.
The group goes to Indiana University every year to take classes on journalism, to learn tips on making yearbooks, and to meet yearbook staff from other schools, and the state yearbook convention.
“Going to Indiana University was an amazing experience, it was a lot of fun for being my first yearbook trip. I got to spend so much time learning in some amazing classes, and I got to make tons of new friends while I was out there,” Payton Carlson said.
Carlson has been on staff for three years now.
The class leaves for its trip on January 27, after their January deadline. With all the work they do put aside, the yearbook class at Crown Point High School has created a tight-knit family of students, where creativity is shared and encouraged.
“I love designing spreads,” Amanda Bengston said. “Seeing the book at the end of the year gives such a rewarding feeling. I also love the family I have created. I’m a senior this year and the thought of leaving my friends in that class is bittersweet,”.
Staff spotlight
Johann Sletto is the director of Crown Point High School’s Band Program. Sletto is also the President of the Indiana Music Educators Association (IMEA).
“I have been everything from a collegiate member to a first-year teacher to a teacher that attends events with experience. I'm serving my first year as president-elect of the organization,” Sletto said.
Sletto also runs the Crown Point High School’s Royal Regiment Marching Band.
“The IMEA represents music teachers in grades Kindergarten through College. We also have programs that help students' grades in k-college. We offer advocacy for music education in our schools,” Sletto said.
The IMEA is a program designed to help the music programs of Indiana to gain more recognition and to get the funding they deserve.
“Band has helped me become more confident. It’s really helped with my fear of presenting or performing in front of others,” Lauren Mount said.
Mount has been in band since sixth grade.
Moreover, the IMEA is about creating an environment for youth to cultivate their love and skill for music.
“I like working with teens in a way that allows you to create music and at the same time can be an avenue for learning life skills,” Sletto stated.
Student spotlight
This month’s student spotlight is Crown Point High School Speech and Debate Team’s Natalie Morris. Morris joined Speech and Debate during her freshman year.
“I first got into speech and debate randomly. The president at the time approached me and I found him interesting. He left an impression on me. He had a calm and confident demeanor. I realized that I could attain that same confident persona by joining the club,” Morris said.
That same year Morris won her first competition.
"When I won, I was very shocked. When I first went into the competition, I didn't know what was going to happen, I went in with an open mind. It went really well, and I ended up winning. When they called second place and it wasn't me, I knew I had won, and I was almost in denial that I pulled that off,” she said.
On December 11, 2021, Munster held a Varsity Speech event. Morris came in first out of all the finalists.
“I won first place in Discussion at the Munster Competition. Since it was a tournament of champions there were different schools were around the country,” Morris said. "Winning that was kind of a big deal in the sense that it was larger than the normal competition.”
“I was stressed because last year I was a finalist and I didn’t know what was going to happen,” she continued. “I kept thinking, ‘How can I go from being a finalist in the state to not winning?’ When I won, I was so relieved.”
Crown Point Speech and Debate members are excited to see what Morris has in store next.