What’s recently happened?
Many Lake Station residents spent their final days of summer preparing to go back to school. River Forest High School (RFHS) opened its doors for its annual sixth grade orientation. Incoming middle school students were welcomed to a tour of their new school to meet teachers, staff, and potential new friends. Students who were not in sixth grade but were also new to RFHS were welcomed to join in on the fun and get a feel for their new school as well.
The Lake County Fairgrounds hosted its annual summer fair from August 4 through August 13. There were daily horse shows, carnival rides, motor sport events, and so much more. Many Lake Station residents enjoy going to the fair and spending time with friends and loved ones. These fairs are an annual tradition for many.
On August 4 at 6 p.m., the Gary SouthShore RailCats hosted its annual Union Night where the team celebrated the strong union presence across Northwest Indiana. Many were there to enjoy snacks, quality time with family and friends, post game fireworks hosted by Fifth Third Bank, and of course a good baseball game.
What's coming up?
As football season continues, students and staff begin to count down the days until the annual Homecoming game. This year, RFHS will be competing against Bishop Noll High School. Spirit Week is going to be Monday, September 25 through Friday, September 29.
The RFHS Student Council will be selling popsicles, two for $1, and the World's Finest Chocolate for $1 each. The money raised will go towards the annual RFHS Homecoming dance.
RFHS's Class of 2024 will be holding elections for class officers. Students will be able to nominate themselves or fellow classmates. The elections will take place Friday, September 8 during student resource time (SRT).
The RFHS Girls Volleyball team will be hosting its senior night against the team’s rivals, the Thomas Edison Junior/Senior High School Eagles. Everyone is welcome to come out to support and show appreciation to the Class of 2024 volleyball players. This game will take place at RFHS on September 14. Junior varsity will begin at 5:30 p.m. followed by the varsity game.
Staff spotlight:
Omar Vazquez is RFHS's new varsity volleyball coach. Vazquez has coached volleyball for roughly 42 years starting at the age of 17. He has played volleyball since his freshman year of high school up until his late 20s.
“It's a game in which you have to play hard in every play and, because of the rally score, you always see effort on the floor. You can't say that about many other sports,” Vazquez said.
Vazquez is never one to shy away from a challenge, so when he was offered the position as head coach at RFHS, he took up the offer. Vazquez is looking forward to raising the volleyball IQ and helping athletes gain a better work ethic. He sees a lot of potential in RFHS and looks forward to building the program up. He has had a passion for volleyball for many years and strives to spread that passion around.
Vazquez has learned to connect with players that are new to the sport.
“Be patient. It takes roughly a year to learn the skills needed for volleyball, and once you have those skills, you will be alright,” Vazquez said.
Student spotlight:
Katy McKim is a junior at RFHS. McKim is the current Miss Kosciusko's Teen 2023 in the Miss America Opportunity and will be the last one to hold this title as it will no longer remain after McKim. Through her title, McKim promotes safe driving and serves as an inspiration to girls all over the world. McKim is also People's Choice for Miss Duneland 2023 which is voted for by the audience.
Among many other things, McKim is an athlete. She has been participating in cheerleading since the age of 5. She began this journey with Pop Warner and then moved to All-Star and has fallen in love with it since. Her favorite thing about cheerleading is getting to spend quality time with her best friends and learning something new every practice. McKim is never one to shy away from a challenge as she is also taking multiple Advanced Placement (AP) and dual-credit classes.
“It hasn’t always been a constant love. I've had a love-hate relationship with cheerleading because I don't get much time to myself, but I know it will all be worth it in the end,¨ she said.
With McKim being so involved at RFHS, she enjoys so many things, especially the community.
“My favorite thing about RFHS is the community behind it. We might not all love each other, but at the end of the day, we all support each other's journeys and wish the best for each other. I have never experienced that before. It's like breathing fresh air everyday,” McKim said.