What’s the Big Deal?: Reagan Holderby wins homecoming queen
As the Homecoming Queen nominees walked onto the field, senior Reagan Holderby did not expect to receive the crown, so winning it made the experience one that will be hard to forget.
“It felt pretty good to win, just seeing everybody stand up and cheer and everybody screaming, it was a really good feeling,” Holderby said.
Senior Natalie Brigham took home the Sophomore and Junior princess crowns the past two years, so Holderby was surprised to win the award.
“I did not expect to win, just because Natalie (Brigham) has won in the past, so I really thought she would win it for the third straight year again,” Holderby said.
Holderby is also an active member of several school clubs and activities as well, including yearbook, The wide variety of options Crown Point High School provides is one of the reasons why she enjoys the student experience at CPHS.
“I really like how Crown Point High School has something to offer for every student,” Holderby said. “You can be a part of yearbook, you can be a part of Yu-Gi-Oh Club, you can be a part of CPTV, like everybody does their own thing, and I am just impressed with how many options our high school gives us.”
Holderby plans to go onto IUN or IUPUI to study physical therapy and hopes that she will someday earn a doctorate degree.
“I plan on going to IU or IUPUI for physical therapy, and to get my doctorate in that field of study,” Holderby said.
What’s coming up: Risk Club looks set for another successful school year
With the school year already a quarter-complete, many clubs that start later on are preparing for their first meetings. Chris Rekitzke, the co-founder and co-leader of Risk Club is looking forward to the club’s launch next month.
“We are hoping that we have a bigger following this year than we did last year, hoping to get together and play Risk,” Rekitzke said.
At Bulldog Rush, the annual freshman orientation, Risk Club saw interest from plenty of students, which is why Rekitzke is hoping for a bigger following.
“We had a lot of kids sign up for it when we did Bulldog Rush at the school, we had at least 30-to-40 signatures,” Rekitzke said.
Rekitzke said that students who do not know what the board game Risk is should try it out because the club presents students with an opportunity to meet new people.
“It is just a good way to talk to people, meet people you normally would not see, and then get competitive on a board game that will last you about an hour,” Rekitzke said.
Risk Club will meet in Mr. Bazin’s room after school starting in November. Those who would like more information can contact Chris at his school email: rekitzkechr@students.cps.k12.in.us.
Teacher shoutout: James Twardy takes on new role with Exceptional Learners program
As the school year settles down, Exceptional Learners teacher James Twardy is settling down to his new classroom and is happy to be helping students at CPHS.
“It is very rewarding (teaching in the Exceptional Learners program). I like to change things up every couple of years, so it is something new, but this is my first time teaching in this classroom, and it is exciting, you really get to see where your effort pays off I guess. I enjoy it. This was an area I wanted to get into,” Twardy said.
Twardy has taught at both middle schools, as well as the high school in his time in the Crown Point school system, and he said that he has wanted to work at CPHS since he did his student teaching there.
“I did my student teaching here (CPHS), and ever since that time I have worked to get back here,” Twardy said. “I taught at Calumet High School for a while, but ever since then I have always liked the community here, so the first chance I got to come back here I jumped at. I have been at Taft and Wheeler (middle school) and now at the high school, so I am really attached to it.”
Twardy also praises those who he works with and the Crown Point community as a whole.
‘The values of the people at this school are something I believe in, I think we have a really good staff and faculty, I think the community is really supportive, so they have always been involved since the first day I have been here, it is noticeable and you do not get that everywhere else,” Twardy said.
When it comes to goals for the rest of the school year, Twardy said it is about helping students achieve their full potential.
“I want to see my students do well, I want to see them all graduate with a diploma, and not just that, but that they meet their postsecondary goals, and that they feel like they have succeeded this year,” Twardy said.
Student shoutout: Taylor Smith stars at CPHS
Sophomore Taylor Smith has been doing the thing she loves since before she entered Kindergarten.
“I’ve been playing soccer since I was four. It was my favorite sport ever since I was little, I played a lot of sports when I was little, but that (soccer) was the one I stuck with,” Smith said.
Even though she loves playing soccer, Smith says that going to the school of her choice is more important than playing on the pitch after high school.
“I think my career is more important than that (soccer),” Smith said. “I’m not going to go onto professional (soccer) at all. So, I think that (going to the college of my choice) is way more important.”
Smith is involved in several clubs and activities at Crown Point High School, including playing junior varsity soccer, throwing shotput and discus for the girls’ track team, helping Creating a Safer School, setting up the props for the fall and spring plays and being a member of the Excalibur Yearbook staff.
After attending a One Direction concert at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Smith now knows she enjoys the city. That played a large part in where she wants to go to school when she graduates in 2018.
“I would like to go to IUPUI for physical therapy, and I like Indianapolis and that area,” Smith said.
More so, Smith says that the reason she would like to go into medicine because it is what she developed an interest from playing sports.
“I’ve always wanted to go into medicine, I’ve always known that,” Smith said. “Just seeing the athletic training and all that, it really interests me, and I want to do something in that general area,”