A Trip to Greece
No, we did not do the musical again! A group of South Central students took a trip to Greece mid-June for an educational tour of the beautiful country. Former teachers Mrs. Barkow and Mr. Johnson chaperoned alongside SC alumni James Lockridge to show the kids a new culture. The group was alongside schools from Oregon, LA, Louisiana, and their favorites, Pennsylvania, for a grand total of 55. For 9 days, these newfound friends fought the Mediterranean heat to see the beautiful sites that Greece had to offer. The groups toured Olympia, Hydra, Delphi, Athens, and a number of other cities. Each day brought a new adventure to the 12 lucky students. One day, the group got to go on a cruise to three European islands.
If you ask them about the most memorable aspect of the trip, one attendee is bound to bring up the clear, strikingly blue water. Most of them being a majority of drama club members would tell you of the beautiful stages that ancient plays took place on. Maybe one would speak of the Temple of Poseidon or the houses they walked through in Hydra. No matter what they say, you are bound to envy the experiences and memories that were made. Being one of the lucky travelers, I have to comment that the 12 hours of flying, countless hours on a bus, and the amount of sweat that came out of my body were worth it. Greece has so much history and culture to show to everyone. The food, the archaeological sites, the history of the stray dogs that are citizens of Athens, all of it was an eye-opening experience that I am so grateful to experience. ‘
Moral of the story: do not wait to travel, go out and do it!
Student Spotlight
Everyone knows Mikayla Eaton as a star athlete and as a beautiful person in general. Mikayla took off her cleats, kind of, to show everyone that pageants are not just for the stereotypical “pageant girl”. Mikayla took on the LaPorte County Fair Pageant and won the title of 2016 Fair Queen!
In the pageant, Mikayla had to interview with the judges, model hobby wear as well as formal wear, answer an onstage question, and have a one minute speech prepared about the LaPorte County Fair. I think it is safe to say that she rocked every single one of the categories thrown at her. Mikayla graced the stage with all of the elegance and beauty that everyone should want in the person representing their county. She then spent the week of the fair by doing all of the responsibilities that a queen would do. Mikayla passed out ribbons to livestock winners, kissed a lot of babies, and even won a goat milking competition.
I do not know about you, but I know I respect a queen who knows how to milk a goat in record time! Mikayla will take on the state pageant at the beginning of next year. Everyone is wishing our third queen all of the luck in the world at State Fair! We are proud of you Mikayla! We will all be cheering you on.
4-H
It is everyone’s favorite time of year: fair season! The LaPorte County Fair just wrapped itself up this past week and was a major success to many South Central students.
To start it off, the LaPorte County Fair Queen and Princess were named to two more South Central attendees. Reigning Queen and Princess Kyleigh Werner and myself, Madison Wolff, crowned the 2016 royalty, Mikayla Eaton and Janelle Mitzner. All Queens and Princesses have been from SC thus far. Nice work girls! Other SC students competed in various projects. You could find a South Central student in almost every project. From beef to goats and sewing to engines, teens from all over LaPorte put their heart and soul into their projects. There were also a few 10 year members from school who completed their final year of 4-H. The Porter County Fair is also open at this point in time, holding a handful of South Central students.
You can also catch some students making their way to the Indiana State Fair in August to compete at a higher level! Way to strive for excellency and wonderful job on all of your projects everyone. South Central is proud of all of you!
Teacher Spotlight
Whether she was your favorite or the words “minus two” haunt your dreams, we are all going to miss Mrs. Barkow. The fun-loving math and English teacher will no longer be with us at South Central. While retirement was inevitable, many of us wish she would have stuck around for one more year. But that is all okay! Mrs. Barkow left an impression on everyone she ever met.
This upcoming year is going to require a lot of adjusting without the “Friday Song” and seeing a Calvin and Hobbes cartoon on a projector as you walk in the room on days that she does not feel the greatest. Let us not forget about reading “Fountainhead”, “Anthem”, and “Atlas Shrugged” a week before school starts so you can say you completed your summer reading. She taught all of us that second chances do mean something, Shakespeare is hard to understand but is relevant to life now, and that the Decades Project is probably worse than any college project we will ever complete. Our high school years would not have been complete without your vast knowledge on all subjects.
So, Mrs. Barkow, we really will miss you these upcoming years. South Central will not be the same without your smile and love of literature. We love you very much!