What’s recently happened?
Earlier this month, Chesterton High School (CHS) hosted the IHSAA Girls Basketball Sectional Tournament. In the first round, Valparaiso High School (VHS) and Hobart High School went up against each other. VHS took the victory at 64-33 and proceeded to the next round where they went up against and beat Portage High School, 62-22. That same day, CHS beat the Merrillville Pirates in a close game, ending with a score of 58-54.
The following day, VHS and CHS, the semifinal winners, battled for the title of Sectional Champions. In what was an extremely tough game, the CHS Trojans fell to the VHS Vikings, 33-26. Despite not advancing to Regionals, the team worked effortlessly all season to maintain a winning record of 15-9 and left Trojan fans proud. The team will now enter the off-season, filled with training and preparation for next year.
“Throughout this season, I sensed that it took us some time to understand each other and adapt to the new coaching style, but by the end, I was truly happy to see our team beginning to mesh and gel. Our talent is undeniable, and I am confident that with dedicated off-season training, we can bring our best selves to the court next year,” said CHS Girls’ Basketball Team Member Kenedi Bradley.
What’s coming up?
The CHS Boys and Girls Lacrosse teams will be hosting a pancake breakfast on Saturday, March 1, to raise money for the upcoming season. Fundraisers like this one help cover the costs of uniforms, gear, transportation to games and trips, and any additional expenses that come up throughout the season.
“The pancake breakfast is our biggest fundraiser, and it helps us get most of our funding because we are a nonprofit organization,” said CHS Girls Lacrosse Team Member Jocelyn Ringler.
The fundraiser will be held from 7 a.m.-10 a.m. at The Original George’s Gyros Spot in downtown Chesterton. Here, guests can pick up pancakes for $10 a person, served by various members of both lacrosse teams.
Another way to continue to support the teams throughout their seasons is to attend games. The girls’ team will have its first game on March 8 against Crown Point at Culver Academy. The boys’ team will have its first game on March 29, with more specific information to come. Be sure to come and support the Trojans as they take on new opponents throughout the season.
Staff spotlight:
Cary Knauff is a German teacher at CHS. He currently teaches German levels 1, 4, and 5 to students, and he has been at CHS for all 14 years of his teaching career.
Knauff’s deep appreciation for the German language inspired him to start teaching and share his love with others, but he wasn’t initially interested in being a teacher. He comes from many generations of educators and didn’t realize it was his passion until later on in life.
“I wanted to travel to Germany, and perhaps the world, but I graduated college right after 9/11, and no one was traveling. I tried many other jobs before I realized that teaching was what I should be doing,” said Knauff.
Knauff stays busy outside of school by participating in multiple extracurriculars. He is a co-sponsor of the CHS German club, a public address announcer for football and basketball games, and a co-facilitator for Natural Helpers. He also sponsors the German American Partnership Program (GAPP) exchange with Justin Martinson, the other CHS German teacher. This program allows CHS students the opportunity to travel across the world and experience a different culture.
“Every summer, we exchange with a partner school in Germany. It gives our students an unforgettable opportunity to make new friends halfway across the world and also experience life in Germany for three weeks in the summer. It is such an important time on this earth to foster connections with others, try to make the world feel a little bit smaller, and learn the lesson that no matter where someone is from, they could be a friend. I love being a part of that,” Knauff said.
Knauff’s favorite part about teaching is the students he has. He enjoys teaching upper-level German because of the conversations he can have with students who are becoming more fluent in the language. One hope he has for all of his students is that, with the help of the German language, they will become more open to the world around them.
“I hope my students learn that the world is a bigger place than the United States and by learning another language, you open up more of the world to yourself,” said Knauff.
Student spotlight:
Olivia Sundquist is a senior at CHS. She has been going to Duneland schools since she moved here to Chesterton in 2017 and will be attending Indiana University (IU) Bloomington this coming fall. There, she will study to get her Bachelor of Science in human biology and minor in business or Italian.
“After high school, I am going to be majoring in human biology at Indiana University. At this moment, I would like to go on the pre-med track, leading me into the anesthesia field. I have always had an interest in anesthesia because it deals with many aspects of math and science that I enjoy learning about,” said Sundquist.
Sundquist has already been working towards her career in the medical field as a student intern at the Northwest Health - Porter. Through this internship, she gets to shadow different jobs in the medical field and get an understanding of the profession as a whole.
Outside of school and her internship, Sundquist stays busy with her job at Banana Republic Factory Store at the Lighthouse Outlet Mall in Michigan City. She is also involved in the National Honor Society and participates in many volunteer opportunities through the organization. She is a member of the Trojan Guard and has been playing the trumpet for four years. In her free time, she keeps busy with different hobbies.
“In my free time, I love to go to the gym, hang out with friends, bake, and when it's warm, I love to walk at the Dunes,” Sundquist said.
Sundquist is looking forward to life after graduation and becoming a new student at IU Bloomington. She is excited to go to school, specifically for the career she would like to pursue and take classes that target the goals she has created for herself.
