Student Spotlight
Courtney Rhomberg is a senior at Lake Central. Rhomberg is the Lake Central Publications Editor in Chief of the school magazine, The Scout. Rhomberg has been on staff for three years now, and she has learned a lot about leadership and life.
“High school has been pretty enjoyable; I went in thinking it would be horrible. It would be full of drama and classes would be impossible. Don't get me wrong; there was drama and classes did require hard work, but I made a lot of great relationships with teachers, staff, and students here. I am grateful for all the opportunities Lake Central has offered me,” Rhomberg said.
Rhomberg got started by taking Intro to Journalism, and from there she made her way into Lake Central Publications as a staffer. Rhomberg loved what she did in the class, and she was able to learn to take pictures and how to make them look stunning. During her second year she became a team leader and had six staff members work under her.
“The biggest growth I had was my junior year. That was one of the opportunities that I feel that shaped me now as a EIC (Editor in Chief). I know how difficult it can be to finish pages. The management skills and leadership skills that I was able to learn made me want to continue into my senior year,” Rhomberg said.
Rhomberg has completed three issues of The Scout so far. Being The Scout EIC, a student, and holding a job, Rhomberg has had to learn to multitask and make sacrifices.
“A lot of it involves sacrificing my sleep. I personally work better under stress and under pressure. I have found it to be easier. There have been times when I have to understand that I may not be able to sleep six hours tonight, and I am willing to make sacrifices for my classes,” Rhomberg said.
Though Rhomberg will only hold this position for a year, she has learned a lot and will be taking loads of information with her when she goes off to college.
“Just being able to be understanding with my peers is what I will take with me. I will be going into nursing, and I know I will not be the leader anymore and that I will be below and above people. Publications has taught me how to be understanding of my peers and has made me a better person. If I am to give any advice it would be that you have to have an open mind and an open heart. You never know what challenge is going to influence you, and, if something doesn’t go your way, embrace it. Everything happens for a reason,” Rhomberg said.
Teacher in the Spotlight: Kelsey Becich
Kelsey Becich is an English teacher at Lake Central. Becich has worked at Lake Central for seven years now. She also makes the curriculum for 10th and 11th grade for Lake Central’s English Department.
“I tossed around the idea of being a lawyer and a number of things, but once I got into the classroom early in college I realized that there is a certain energy that you have with people that you won't find anywhere else in certain work fields. I also had some very influential teachers in high school, and I think they influenced that decision as well,” Becich said.
Becich is also the teacher representative for N-Teens at Lake Central. The club and Becich plan the school’s Winter Formal. Becich mostly takes care of vendors and payments, but she also oversees the project all together.
“I appoint students as the Winter Formal coordinator and I put a lot of planning and responsibility on them. I give them feedback and advice on their ideas, but a lot of the decisions do come from the students,” Becich said.
The planning process can be stressful and it starts early. Planning begins as early as October, and Becich makes sure students choose the DJ and the venue around that time.
Between teaching and taking care of her family, Becich has learned how to manage her time wisely and manage the stress of planning well.
“The job has changed since I first started. Since becoming a mom, I don’t have a lot of free time to commit outside of school, and the most stressful thing that I do is trying to get everything done within the actual work day. I try and devote as much time to my students as possible. I don’t really have time set aside to work on other things, because I try and focus on my students who are in the room at that time,” Becich said.
Though the hours can be long and the work stressful, Becich has still found time to enjoy herself and has found that the relationships with her students have been very rewarding.
“All the hard work that you do can be incredibly rewarding. You spend a great deal of energy and feel exhausted at the end of the day, but it's something you’ll be excited for every new day,’ Becich said.
What’s Happened and What’s Coming Up?
With Lake Central’s immense size, there are always events going on to keep the public interested. Here’s what happened this month and what’s coming up next month:
- January 20 Science Olympiad (doors open at 6:30) @Lake Central
- January 20 Winter Formal @Halls of St. George
- January 22 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- January 22 School Board Meeting 7:30 @Lake Central
- January 24 8th grade Parent Night
- January 24 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- January 26 Winter Pep Rally
- January 29 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- January 31 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 5 School Board Meeting 7:30 @Lake Central
- February 5 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 7 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 12 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 12 Lake Central Education Foundation 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 14 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 19 NO SCHOOL Presidents Day
- February 20 School Board Meeting 7:30 @Lake Central
- February 21 Field House for Walkers 6:00 @Lake Central
- February 23 Human Genetics Update Conference 8:00a.m. @Lake Central
Students Dance the Night Away at Winter Formal
Hair? Check. Nails? Done. Flowers? They were paid in full, and the limo is just arriving. Yes, it is time for the 2018 Winter Formal!
Lake Central held the dance at the Halls of St. George with close to 900 students attending. The night started with optional pictures at Lake Central, where students paid for professional pictures. Pictures at school were from 4:00-6:00, and the dance began at the banquet hall at 6:00 and lasted until 10:00.
The theme this year was Enchanted Forest, and decorations were made and tables were set to match the theme as close as possible. Food and drinks were provided to the students and staff attending the event. Towards the back of the hall by the entrance there was a photo booth where students took pictures for free.
Students danced and laughed the night away until about 9:00 when the King and Queen were crowned. As if out of a movie, the King was Angel Vargas (12) and the Queen, who happened to be his girlfriend, was Danielle LaGreco (12). The two received cheers and praise from their peers in the crowd. The night ended around 10:00.
"I thought Formal was memorable and a night that I will not soon forget,” Camille Bereolos (11) said.