What Happened in November
November often leads people to remember all the things they are thankful for. Lately, Lowell’s had more than ever to be grateful for. Our varsity football team finished out an excellent season playing undefeated until regionals. Though they lost 6 to 7, no fan was let down by their team. Each player did their best and gave us a season we won’t soon forget. Cross Country also achieved amazing accomplishments this season. Three runners qualified for state and did and finished with outstanding times. The whole team worked incredibly hard and left the entire school very impressed.
Academic areas of Lowell also shined this month. Lowell’s spell bowl team held their regional invite on November second. The team memorized over 3,000 words of different lengths and languages over the course of two months in order to prepare for the event. Overall Lowell placed first in their division earning a blue ribbon. National Honor Society also inducted 39 new members to their charter. Junior and senior members show determination and hard work in scholarship, leadership, service, and character.
Exciting Events to Look Forward To
Lowell High School’s students have accomplished many great things in the past, this year is no different. Lowell’s varsity cheer leading team has accomplished a first in Lowell’s history by placing fourth in the state and qualifying for nationals.
Brylee Carter states on the experience, “It’s incredible to think as a freshman on varsity my team has made it to nationals for the first time. That was one of our main accomplishments.”
Regardless of how the girls do when they get to nationals, they have already made their school proud.
Lowell’s fencing club has started their three state conference season. They began with a three event home invite facing many teams such as Culver Military Academy, New Trier, Homewood-Flossmoor, and more. The team will continue their season throughout January fencing in Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin.
Lowell’s academic decathlon team will also continue its season through out the winter. This year’s students are studying India in subjects like economics, music, art, literature, math, history, and science. They will also learn public speaking and interview skills. The team completed its first invite of the year on the twenty-first at Kankakee Valley High School. They will also compete at a home invite in December as well as a regional and state competition. If all goes according to plan the team hopes to attend nationals in Anchorage, Alaska in the spring.
Teacher Shout Out: Sergeant Davis and Major Eller
This year, in honor of Veteran’s day Lowell High School’s JROTC classes, honored veteran’s in a memorial walk for those who walked in the Bataan Death March. Sergeant Davis and Major Eller both worked to make the event possible at Lowell.
“It gives remembrance,” says Major Eller, “it was for more than just Bataan but other wars.” JROTC students marched fourteen miles in their walk this year.
Though the memorial walk could never compare to the real thing it served a reminder of our country’s past.
Sergeant Davis explains the purpose was to give students “a reflection on what those POW’s went through. We wanted to do it on veteran’s day to honor all veterans, but specifically we wanted to make sure the history of what happened stays alive.”
Student’s who participated in the event received the Bataan Death March Memorial ribbon for their time, they plan to continue honoring our veterans every year alternating between placing red bows on veterans grave markers and participating in the memorial march.
Student Shout Out: Sara Townsley
Each year Lowell’s theater department produces a fall play and spring musical. This year the play, Murder For Dummies, stared sophomore Kyle Rickert and junior Sara Townsley. Sara has been involved in the theater for five shows. Her roles have ranged from a fork in Beauty and the Beast to Cinderella’s step sister in Cinderella. Her role as Marge in Murder for Dummies is her first lead role with the program.
“I relate to Marge because she was a perfectionist and sassy,” Sara says. “My freshman year I was a silent fork and then I was a loud, obnoxious stepsister. But it was insane to have people clap just for me, people knew my name.”
Sara’s love for theater and performance begins with her father.
“He participated in every show when he was a high school student at Lowell High School.”
She plans to continue with theater in the future possibly landing her dream role as Christine from Phantom of the Opera.
Though she may not pursue acting as a major she says, “I can’t imagine my life without theater I refuse to give up on something so valuable to me.”
Her passion for perfuming was evident in her performance on stage and helped to make Murder For Dummies another successful Lowell Play.