#1StudentNWI: Hijab Day, Mardi Gras and more at Crown Point High School

February recap:

Muslim Student Association holds first-ever Hijab Day Challenge

The Muslim Student Association held their first-ever Hijab Day Challenge on Feb. 20, challenging girls to wear a hijab, the Muslim headscarf and full body covering, for a full school day. Participants attended an informational earlier in the week to address common misconceptions of the hijab, including that it is a sign of oppression and submission to men. "A lot of people assume that, because Muslim women have to cover themselves, that they are oppressed, which isn't true," junior Muslim Student Association member Dina Hussein said. "My sisters and I wear the hijab, and that doesn't stop us from being ourselves and doing what we love."

Participants like senior Simone Siew took on the challenge head on, ready to develop a new perspective of Muslim practices and learn to understand those of a different faith.

"I chose to participate because I had the opportunity to stand up for all of the peaceful Muslims out there, to raise awareness about the Islamic religion and to help my peers become more open to diversity," Siew said. "It felt good to help raise awareness and break down negative stereotypes."

Despite some harsh feedback from fellow peers, Siew believes her experience was worthwhile and encourages others to participate in the future.

"Although I was nervous to wear the hijab all day, doing so made me confront my own anxieties," Siew said. "Now I am ready more than ever to continue working towards a world of acceptance. This experience was so valuable because it exponentially expanded my life perspective. The benefits to this are endless, and I would greatly encourage all to join in in the future. I'd do it again in a heartbeat."

Key Club partners with Aeropostale for Teens for Jeans jean drive

Key Club partnered with Aeropostale for the second-straight year for a Teens for Jeans drive, an effort to collect gently used jeans for those less fortunate within the community.

This year's efforts proved to be more successful, as the club collected more than twice the amount of jeans they did last year.

"This year, we collected 138 pairs (of jeans)," senior member Sam Ruder said. "We only got 75 pairs last year. It was nice to see the number double this year."

Ruder is proud of her group's efforts to help the community around her. Although she knows their efforts may not directly impact the entire community, Ruder is pleased with the outcome.

“I think it is a big contribution to the homeless shelters," Ruder said. "Even if everyone isn't helped, it is going to benefit a lot of people. As much as you can raise counts."

National Honor Society holds third annual Mardi Gras Festival

The National Honor Society held their third annual Mardi Gras festival on Feb. 18. Money raised from the event was donated to St. Jude House, a shelter for victims of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The festival featured a series of small games and stations for students to participate. Senior Jordan Embry led the cake walk for elementary students to play, where kids jumped on various numbers that were placed on the floor as music played and won a dessert if their numbers were called.

“The kids loved it,” Embry said. “We had kids who came just to play the cake walk and stayed all night to play over and over again.”

Embry enjoyed the experience as much as the participants did. More than it being just fun, the Mardi Gras festival was a way for Embry to give back to a good cause, something she values from the experience.

“I loved contributing to the event just because it feels great to give back and place value in somebody else’s life besides your own,” Embry said. “I love working with kids, and so it felt amazing being about to enjoy what I was doing while giving back.”

Upcoming events:

Crown Point Theatre Department to perform “Once Upon a Mattress

After weeks of rehearsal and preparation, the Crown Point High School theatre department is set to perform the musical “Once Upon a Mattress” on opening night Sat. March 13.

The musical chronicles the journey of Prince Dauntless finding himself a bride despite his mother’s disapproval. The cast and crew have been working for their first performance since the start of 2015.

Despite long nights of rehearsal and endless preparation, senior Gianna Kujawski values her experiences on the production’s crew.

“We’re all friends, all family, all working together towards the same goal,” Kujawski said. “The experience is beyond valuable, and I’m really excited for the show.”

For those looking for a night full of laughter, Kujawski believes “Once Upon a Mattress” is the perfect show for them.

“I definitely encourage people to come to one of the performances,” Kujawski said. “The show is so funny and definitely worth seeing.”

Tickets to the musical are $12 for adults and $8 for students and senior citizens. The show will also be performed on March 14, 19, 20, and 21.

Group of seniors to be honored at Roots and Wings banquet

Seniors graduating with a 3.75 grade point average or higher will be honored at the Crown Point Roots and Wings annual banquet on March 24.

After spending her high school career working towards earning a high grade point average, senior Olivia Elston looks forward to being honored for her efforts.

“I’m excited to be able to be around others who have earned the same achievement and to finally breathe after working so hard during my high school career,” Elston said. “I’m proud to have been able to make it through my classes and get good grades while doing it.”

Shout outs Assistant Principal Russ Marcenik builds bridge between administrators, students through The Pulse

In a school of over 2,000, it's easy for students to go unnoticed, their dreams and passions undiscovered. Yet, despite the unlikelihood of reaching every student, assistant principal Russ Marcenik was up for the challenge.

Marcenik, who had been sponsoring LEAD council for over five years, had a vision to create a group that would help students use their determination to build a better high school environment. After changing the group's name to The Pulse, inviting students and teachers to a series of meetings and communicating with other administrators, Marcenik turned his vision into a reality.

"The question was: how do you increase student participation in school activities with a school this big? Outside of clubs and activities which are kind of compartmentalized, how do you get students involved within the school on various levels? Typically we are a school where students get involved in a club and then stick to that one group," Marcenik said. "The idea of The Pulse was to bring all of those groups and turn it into one collective unit and encourage new people to become a part of something."

With his mission in mind, Marcenik hopes to make The Pulse more than just a club. Marcenik hopes to attract students with various interests and ideas, regardless of class ranking or grade point average, to work with teachers and administrators to create a better school environment, a feat that Marcenik deserves recognition for.

"There's nothing wrong with getting students' opinions on how to improve resource period or how to better community service," Marcenik said. "In a school this big, it's easy for adults to start driving all of the decisions, whereas I felt like our greatest resource is our students, and I wanted to give them an outlet to voice their opinions."

The Pulse will officially roll out the week of March 23, and Marcenik hopes his efforts prove worthy.

"I think this has the potential to be something positive to our school and our community," Marcenik said. "Anyone and everyone is invited. With big participation, we can do great things."

Connor Keaveney inspires students to visit local nursing homes

For a long time, junior Connor Keaveney thought it was a good idea. Residents in nursing homes often times feel lonely, and Keaveney was attracted to the possibility of filling their days with the presence of others. He wasn't sure, however, if the idea was possible. Students were busy studying for exams, doing homework or training at practice. Despite his initial hesitation, Keaveney still strove to turn his ambition into an act of good, gathering students to visit local nursing homes every first Thursday of the month.

“I was given a little details that Colonial Nursing Home wanted to have high school kids get involved in their nursing home, and I fell in love with the idea,” Keaveney said. “With the help of Nichole Doty, she and I were able to put together a really great event.”

Keaveney believes the experience of being around those in the nursing home outweighs any stress or pressure that comes with planning for the visit. His time with elders has made his efforts worthwhile.

“The best part about it is that you know that just simply being there makes the members feel like superstars,” Keaveney said. “It’s just a euphoric feeling in which you know what you are doing is right, and everything feels right, and you know that you are improving the spirit and lives of all of the members there.”