What’s recently happened?
Lowell High School (LHS) recently started school on Wednesday, August 16.
The students experienced a bittersweet feeling now that their summer has officially come to a close but also anticipation for what this new school year will bring.
“I’ll miss summer, but I’m excited to finally be an upperclassman and to see what types of material will be taught in my classes,” said LHS Junior Audrey Roge.
The halls were filled with many new faces between new teachers, foreign exchange students, and incoming freshmen. LHS welcomes all newcomers with open arms and makes sure that everyone feels they have a place in the community.
These first days of school weren’t very action-packed seeing as the teachers wanted to give the students a feel of how everything will work this year. That said, the second week will entail jumping straight into the coursework and picture day.
With this, many clubs and sports teams have started back up. For example, extracurriculars like the Student Council and the Culture and Diversity Club will soon host call-out meetings to encourage students to join.
The Red Devil Football team made its Friday Night Lights (FNL) debut on Friday, August 18.
The team played against its rivals, the Crown Point High School Bulldogs, at 7 p.m. Unfortunately, the Devils took home a loss in this FNL, but the student section still cheered the team on the whole way.
What’s coming up?
Lowell is widely known for its yearly Labor Day Festival, which takes place during the holiday weekend.
This festival has been a tradition for over 100 years and incorporates the longest-running Labor Day parade in the state of Indiana. It is hosted by the American Legion Post 101.
These festivities allow the community to come together to celebrate and enjoy activities for the whole family.
During the festival, an assortment of local vendors set up and sell all types of handmade crafts as well as vendors from both Illinois and Indiana that offer food of all kinds. Rides and inflatables for kids are also set up.
Some of the other attractions include fireworks, live music, a petting zoo, and a car show.
That being said, the most anticipated attraction is the parade that takes place on Labor Day, which this year is Monday, September 4 at 10 a.m. For days leading up to the event, the citizens of Lowell set up lawn chairs all along the parade route in an attempt to ensure a good spot.
Additionally, something new that the Labor Day Festival LTD will be offering this year is a scholarship to some students of LHS.
Community member spotlight:
Polly Franklin is a Spanish teacher at LHS and has been for the past four years.
Franklin graduated from LHS in 1984 and later attended Purdue University in West Lafayette studying Spanish education.
After graduating, she spent a year abroad in Madrid, Spain, studying at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and then attended the University of Wisconsin-Madison intending to get her master's degree. While she did not finish then, she is now starting to get her Masters of Liberal Studies through Indiana University (IU) Northwest.
“I have wanted to be a teacher since third grade. My teacher helped me so much after I struggled a lot in second grade. She gave me confidence in myself,” said Franklin.
Franklin has always wanted to be a teacher, and she loves everything about teaching her students. This is shown by the fact that she has been a teacher for 30 years and has taught in Georgia, Wisconsin, and Indiana.
“I love the energy, hope, and curiosity of my students. There have been many times over the last six years that my students have given me a new perspective,” said Franklin.
Additionally, Franklin says that she heavily enjoys the environment of LHS. She thinks that the friendliness conveyed by both the faculty and students is something that has lacked in the other schools she’s taught at.
Another large part that she plays in LHS is being the staff representative for the Culture and Diversity Club.
Outside of being a teacher, Franklin enjoys reading, watching movies, and watching soccer with her husband.