What’s recently happened?
For the first time in over a decade, the MHS Thespian Troupe #1692 will be advancing to the state competition. The Thespian Troupe took second place at the Indiana Thespians Regional competition, only falling two points short of first place. Individual rewards were received for three out of the six categories.
The MHS Youth Enriched by Service (Y.E.S) Interact Club volunteered for the Salvation Army bell ringers. The Y.E.S Interact Club participated from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. December 10 to raise money for the cause. The community service had many dedicated club participants out to help.
What’s coming up?
Merrillville High School (MHS) will be wrapping up the 2022 calendar year for students on December 22, the last day for MHS students before the two week holiday break.
MHS will be having Winter Holiday from December 23, 2022-January 8, 2023 with school resuming on January 9. The third grading period will also be swiftly approaching after the return of break, marking the school year as halfway done.
Staff spotlight:
The 2022-2023 school year at MHS welcomed new staff members, especially in the athletic department, including Strength and Conditioning Coach Brady Willard.
“I teach the strength and conditioning class at Merrillville,” Willard said. “I do lifting after and before school with teams. I work with the athletes and people that sign up for my strength and conditioning class that want to become better athletes, build a little muscle, and become a little healthier.”
Willard, after completing his first trimester with students, is already creating memories.
“For the time I’ve been here so far, I have actually enjoyed our testing week. We tested before Thanksgiving, and we had a lifting test this past week, and it was pretty cool to see the kids compete and get excited about numbers they were hitting and telling me, ‘I got this number, but I’m going to do better in 12 weeks,’” said Willard. “It tells me that kids are hungry to succeed.”
Willard was always drawn to give back, and by choosing to explore the mix of physical practices with teaching others, he was able to find a career.
“It’s been my first career choice. I didn’t really start thinking about what I wanted to do until late in high school. I realized I was a three sport athlete, and I was always doing sports. I fell in love with the process of getting better that took place in the gym. When I got to college, I didn’t really know how to make it a career,” said Willard. “Later on, I figured out it could be a legit career, so I pursued that as much as I could because I wanted to give back to kids that were in my shoes.”
He feels that physical health is a path that will continue benefiting students even after leaving high school.
“Lifting weights is kind of a lifelong journey. It doesn’t stop after high school; it really picks up after high school, but it can be a confusing thing to learn about," Willard said. “I am a professional in this field, so I am able to give kids good guidance on how to do it the correct way, how to do it safely, and how to make it lifelong on top of it.”
Willard hopes to further himself alongside his students.
“The high school level is super cool because I get to work with a vast range of kids from freshmen that have never touched a weight before to seniors that are on their way to play in college,” said Willard. “It gives me good practice working with a big group of kids. As I mature in age in this field, I don’t really know what it has for me. I would love to work with college or professional athletes, but working with the high school level athletes is honestly very fulfilling because they come from such a humble beginning in terms of lifting and training. I can make such a great impact.”
Student spotlight:
MHS swim season has begun, and with new roles of leadership having to be filled, junior Kahlari Stipe has embraced the role of captain. Stipe had been working to further her athletic career, and the role of captain definitely made her feel the dedication had paid off.
“I feel very honored and grateful to become a captain this swim year,” Stipe said. “I feel it shows that I am a leader to my fellow teammates as well as being an influence to their mindset or their work ethic inside the pool.”
Stipe has been on the MHS swim team since her freshman year and feels immense progression since the beginning of her journey.
“My growth as an athlete has grown tremendously from freshman year to this year's season,” Stipe said. “Freshman year, I was not pushing myself as hard as I could've. I was doing the minimum, but my coaches, Traci Musalski and Tyler Jasso, have been teaching us to genuinely push ourselves in a more mental approach in practice so we can see the proper outcome at our swim meets.”
Stipe feels swimming provides a sense of mental wellbeing, being able to focus and have a sense of calmness. She hopes to take this feeling of calmness with her as the season continues towards some of the moments she is excited for.
“Some moments I am looking forward to this season are the Duneland Athletic Conference (DAC) and the Indiana High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) Sectional because those are where it shows how much work you've put in throughout the season the most,” Stipe said.
She hopes to be an example to younger athletes and lead them to the success she is able to experience.
“For people who are looking to start their athletic career, I suggest being mentally strong,” Stipe said. “The majority of being an athlete is mentally pushing yourself. Being able to find something to push yourself and dig to find something to keep you pushing is a workout in itself.”