What’s Going On:
The 2018-2019 school year is officially in session as of August 15! The school has some brand new teachers, as well as a brand new trades building to expand the vocational program.
Fall sports have began their official seasons as well.
The Red Devil Football Team started off their first week with a 17-7 win over their rivals, the Crown Point Bulldogs. Junior John Alessia had a 51 yard punt return late in the third quarter to solidify the win. The following week, Lowell lost a hard fought defensive battle against Portage 7-3. In the third game of the season, they won 38-0 over Hammond Morton, resulting in a 2-1 record so far.
The volleyball program gained three new coaches this year, two of which are former Lowell players, Chloe White and Jessica Monos. The JV team is showcasing a lot of potential with a 4-1 record on the season.
The 99th annual Lowell Labor Day celebration took place on September 2nd and 3rd. Starting off the celebration was the Kiddie Parade, followed by the Spectacular Fireworks Display at 8:00 pm that night. The popular Labor Day Parade was on the 3rd, which always draws in a huge crowd with nearly 100 float entries.
Student Spotlight:
Girl’s golf has been having a standout season, surpassing the achievements of the past 10 years. Senior Alyssa Harkness is the captain of this rising team, and has received plenty of first place medals to lead her team.
The team is an impressive 8-1, which is a huge improvement compared to previous years.
“Last year we had a very new, young team which sometimes made playing difficult. This year, the team has grown closer and is better established, which allows us all to feel more supported and comfortable.” said Harkness.
Throughout her three season golf career, she has improved her score by around 20 strokes. Alyssa also holds this year’s record for lowest 9-hole score of 40. Some of her first place matches were against Merrillville at Pheasant Valley and Hanover at South Shore.
Even with all these achievements, Alyssa feels her biggest accomplishment throughout her golf career is the improvement she’s seen in her mentality. Golf is a very mentally demanding sport, and Alyssa says she focuses on making her next shot rather than dwelling on a past mistake.
This mentality carries over into her everyday life, showing the lasting impact of the sport.
Staff Spotlight
Sometimes, accidents happen that change your life. In the case of Lowell teacher Mr. Garling, he accidentally stumbled upon a teaching opening at Lowell, and has stayed for 33 years. He is the teacher for the agricultural program, which consists of Introduction to Agriculture, Horticulture Science, Natural Resource Management, and Landscape Management.
Mr. Garling has helped shape the program into what it is today, which has included a lot of advancements in the past few years. Lowell has a state of the art 30x36 automated ventilation system greenhouse and an aquaculture center with 5,400 gallon tanks using a closed system to raise perch, tilapia, and bluegill, where students can learn about sustainability, water quality and nutrition.
“I believe our facilities and opportunities that are available for LHS students are far ahead of many in the State,” Garling said of the new facilities.
The facilities aren’t the only thing that makes the program so successful. Mr. Garling is an extremely passionate teacher who genuinely cares about his students. He forms bonds with the students that help his effectiveness as a teacher.
Mr. Garling explained that his favorite part of his job is that every topic is interesting, special, and challenging. Each topic changes with the season and allows for practical applications year round. Every student seems to get something different out of each class which is extremely gratifying.
What’s Coming Up:
The boy’s Varsity Soccer team has their next game on September 10th at home. This is a non-conference game against Hammond Clark.
The Varsity Volleyball team’s next game is September 6th, away against Andrean.
Homecoming weekend is approaching in late September. The weekend is kicked off on September 28 with the football game against Munster. The following day is the homecoming formal dance in the Lowell High School cafeteria.