An Eventful Month
February was a month of excitement, filled with tournaments, tests, challenges, lockdowns, and preparation for all the festivities that were and are soon to come. Most of the hype had to be Spirit Week and the pep rally before the first sectional game on March 2. During Spirit Week, students dressed up in camo, NBA attire, as well as dressed up like tourists, and in comfy and cozy clothes. It was Friday that students sported the school’s colors to show their spirit.
Following the “Penny War” the school was having for charity, World Language and Culture Teacher Mr. Ford came to the pep rally sporting a green wig resembling the hair of a troll doll. Ford had pledged to wear a wig to school for the pep rally if he finished the war with the least amount.
The rally showed off members from all winter sports, and there was so much anticipation for the basketball shooting competition! The Booster Club had set up a 3-point shooting contest, taking one boy and one girl from each grade, setting them head to head, and then placing the teachers against each other. The teachers had the crowd laughing and even made some flawless shots.
Ford, along with his wig, were named the winner between the teachers. Spirits were high after following the band around the school, up and down the staircase into the pep rally at the end of the day. When pep rally concluded, it was announced that the Class of 2020 was the winner of the first ever “Spirit ball.” The class had an overwhelmingly happy response.
After the pep rally, the boys faced Bishop Noll at home in Whiting’s Memorial Gymnasium. Unfortunately for Whiting, they ended the game with a 76-52 loss and ended Whiting’s contention in the first round. With the season at its close, the reported record for the season is 0-7 in Conference and 5-19 overall. The team will grow as they prepare for the 2018-2019 season.
The girls basketball team had a similar finish to their season, although sooner. The girls had their season come to a close on February 3 against Bishop Noll as well, but their 54-26 loss took place in Sectional, round 3, after a 41-22 win against River Forest and a 41-35 win against Bowman Academy. The girls had some major moments to be proud of within their Conference record of 5-2 and overall record of 13-13.
What’s still currently going on is Science Olympiad, which has fought to keep their streak of making it to State for over a decade straight. Whiting, among many other schools, were set to compete at the Regional hosted at Purdue University Northwest. Tensions rose quickly as harsh weather led to a delay and ultimate cancellation of the event, meaning Whiting would no longer have the chance to advance to state.
Whiting’s Coaches Dan Nichols and Jeremy Long weren’t satisfied seeing the students’ efforts go unnoticed and their yearly state qualification streak die, so they fought to have the event rescheduled, offering that Whiting could host the event. The offer was accepted and two weeks later on February 24, Whiting High School hosted Regional and found themselves winning big, earning 2nd place overall out of more than 24 schools.
On the same day, band students had advanced to the ISSMA state competition for instrumental music. The Saxophone Quartet player and Junior Flutist Brianna Irvine both achieved a silver medal at the event and Junior Drummer Ethan Harbin achieved a gold medal. A week prior, ISSMA had State for choir and vocalists and Whiting earned 8 gold medals and 3 silver medals.
If competitions isn't impressive enough, the overwhelming success of the popcorn fundraiser put together by band and choir should satisfy that appetite. Raising hundreds of dollars, band and choir were able to raise plenty to purchase a nice selection of music to be heard at the next concert.
Also within the month was “Bandentine’s” and “Choirtine’s” Day where students would bring in candy and small cards for each other, creating a lighthearted and fun memory for all participating students.
The Up-and-Coming
Upcoming on March 19, band will be performing their Jazz Concert. The event is again opening with the middle school band, playing five songs they have spent the month preparing, before the high school takes the stage.
The high school band alone has prepared eight songs for the event, each with their own style and speeds, sure to create a fantastic experience for the audience no matter their preference. Several of the songs also are paired with soloists from the choir, such as Hope Huss singing with the band for Skyfall, and Oscar Figueroa’s solo in At Last.
Students of Whiting are now preparing for spring. With the third quarter ending just around the corner on March 9, students are rushing to make sure their grades are as best as they can be, but of course there is still excitement for the upcoming season.
With the snow finally fading away and the sun coming back as bright as ever, spring sports will be starting! Tennis has already had opening hitting at the courts, golf has made its call-out, and softball and baseball teams have both been conditioning for weeks now, with official tryouts for the season coming very soon.
Teachers will be reviewing applications of prospective sophomore and junior students looking to join National Honor Society.
The auditorium will be open to the public as students put on the Addams Family on March 9 and 10, a show that’s been four months in the making. The play is speculated to be a grand success after all the dedicated work of sponsor and choreographer, Scott Allen, who was also named as Whiting Robertsdale Chamber of Commerce Educator of the Year.
Outside of athletics and clubs, the junior class is working hard to plan for Prom in April, students are planing trips to the senior center in town alongside STAND and HuRA, and Mr. Lies invites students to the first Board Game Club in an effort to implement a multi-week Dungeon and Dragons event.
The Cardinal Rules: Mr. Trevor Reece
This month, the special teacher to recognize is Mr. Trevor Reece. Mr. Reece is a relatively recent addition to Whiting High School, this year being only his second year teaching at the school and as a whole. Mr. Reece chose Whiting as his first job in the field after interviewing all around the state following his graduation from Ball State University in 2016, where he earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Studies Education, concentrating in World History, United States History, and Sociology.
Reece is also a class sponsor and has been at the head of some fundraisers since his arrival, including the recent fundraiser for the junior class selling Krispy Kreme donuts to help pay for Prom. Reece is also one of few teachers that were selected to attend conferences with Google to learn more about Google sites to bring that information back to the classroom. Reece is very proud of his Google site.
While Reece is intelligent, he’s also proven to be brave. Reece’s class had gained some notoriety during a lockdown situation recently. Though no threat had made it into the building, the threat was closest to the entrance nearest to his class. What made this so different and demanding of attention was the complications that arose as his door to the class would not lock. With that, the door could not be secured should someone dangerous have made it in.
Reece responded quickly and prepared his class to go on the offensive, contrary to how drills were typically presented within the school. Reece waited closest to the door ready to defend his class and his bravery is what made a fearful situation as safe as possible for his students in his Sociology class that hour. Despite sparking some controversy for the proposals of fighting back as well as the failure of the door lock, Reece’s selfless actions and quick thinking have left positive impacts on his students.
Thank you, Mr. Reece!