What’s Happening
School is back in full swing and September has been a month of transitioning from summer back into education. With the new school year comes new opportunities to get involved in the school and community through clubs and activities. Both long-standing clubs and new clubs are looking for members in order to build up their programs, such as the Environmental Club, American Sign Language Club, and The Red Devil Fencing Club.
Lowell attracted a crowd of hundreds at it’s annual Labor Day Parade, the oldest-running Labor Day parade in Indiana. This parade is a hit within the community and draws people from all around the area. Many students from Lowell High School took part in the parade and represented different community organizations.
Sophomore Lexie Markiewicz was on the Tri-creek Historical float and dressed in traditional clothing to represent the past of Lowell. Many community members, including the entire football team, took part in the Fallen Heroes tribute and carried signs with information on those who have lost their lives while serving our country. The Lowell Marching Band perfomed Sweet Caroline and the school song to represent Lowell High School.
Homecoming weekend began on September 22, and the theme was ‘United as Red Devils.’ The weekend was kicked off by a pep rally in which students got excited for the upcoming festivities. Later that night, the Red Devils faced off against the Highland Trojans under the Friday night lights. They shut down Highland with a final score of 27-0.
The following night was the homecoming dance. A total of 671 tickets were sold. Our homecoming king and queen were seniors Nick Bank and Kiana Chandler, beating out three other senior couples. They said “We’re shocked but happy that we won.” Everyone dressed up to look their best and danced the night away.
What’s Coming Up
The leaves are beginning to change and the end of the first grading period is approaching. The students are working diligently to start off with good grades. The beginning of school has been rigorous and students are looking forward to fall break.
The fall sports teams continue to thrive as they work toward a successful end to their seasons. The Girl’s Cross Country team has placed top three in all of their meets so far. They will fight to defend their conference championship title in the upcoming NCC meet. Football is on track for a successful post-season, as they are currently undefeated 6-0 and ranked #1 in the state for their class (4A).
Also next month, the theater department will be putting on their production of Anne of Green Gables November 9, 10, and 11!
Staff Spotlight
After teaching at LHS for 13 years, Mr. Brandush has established himself as a teacher who gets involved with his students. His teaching style gets students engaged through creative projects and intriguing subject material. Not only does he get involved in the classroom but outside as well. He is the sponsor of 4 clubs; Gamers' Guild, Improv Club, Film Club, and occasionally, the Ping-Pong Club.
Brandush was excited to talk about Gamers' Guild and explain how the club works for the students involved.
“In this club, we play all manner of games. Most of the club is dedicated to tabletop games - board games, card games, and role-playing games. Some students bring in video game systems and play on one of the televisions.”
Improv club is another favorite, and something he enjoys for the comedic natuer of the meetings.
“In this club, we play improv games in the style of the show Whose Line is it Anyway? Members learn improvisational skills while performing mini-scenes with the ultimate goal of creating comedic scenarios. Basically, this is a generic "Acting 101" club.”
Lastly, Film Club: “In this club, we watch and analyze classic films. This club is academic in nature - we learn all about practiced film techniques and how to apply them in our own film-making endeavors.”
There’s also a ping-pong club which is pretty straight-forward, students can face off in ping pong in Mr. Brandush’s room.
When asked why students should join his club he responded, “The one constant for all of my clubs is camaraderie. Students in my clubs typically make new friends and forge strong bonds with their fellow club-goers. Of course, each club caters to a different interest, but in all of them, we focus on fun. Also, none of my clubs have attendance requirements, so everyone can come and go as they please!”
Student Spotlight
Ryan Farmer has always had a passion for playing soccer and spent 10 years of his life doing so. During this time, he became very skilled and participated in high level club teams. But when high school came around, he opted to play football instead, stepping up to fill the role of kicker.
Ryan is able to use his experience in soccer to his benefit. After years of perfecting his craft, he carried over certain skills from the soccer field to the football field. He thinks the most important skills he’s carried over are “endurance, speed, and footwork.”
Now as a freshman, Ryan Farmer plays an important role in varsity games. It all started out at the first football game of the season, against rival team, Crown Point. The tension and pressure was high, with a roaring crowd on either side of him. When asked what was going through his mind during his first varsity game at such a young age he said he thought “I better not mess up.”
He has been successful so far with 10 field goals made out of 13 attempted. He’s also improved greatly on his kickoffs, accumulating a total of 825 yards in six games. He’s become an important asset to the team and is only expected to get better from here.
He stated that his goal for the remainder of the season is to “get a blue ring” which referrs to a state ring. This goal may not be too far out of reach, as long as the team continues to work hard.