What’s happened:
On December 2, students who were a part of the La Porte High School (LPHS) Spanish Club and AP Spanish IV were able to experience a trip of a lifetime.
Departing early in the morning, students headed east to the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago. This museum presents unique and historical pieces that showcase Mexican culture.
One main exhibit in this museum is the Day of the Dead altars. This year, the exhibit is dedicated to those who have lost their lives to COVID-19.
When asked why she felt it was important for students to participate in this trip, Esmeralda Guzman – Spanish teacher and leader of Spanish Club – discussed what students gain from the trip.
“To teach them about different cultures and take them out of their comfort zone. Chicago is one of the best areas we have for Hispanic culture,” said Guzman.
After exploring the museum, students were then taken to an authentic Mexican restaurant where the student’s knowledge would be put to the test. Students were to only speak in Spanish while ordering.
In doing this, they not only tested their knowledge but expanded their horizons to cultural foods that may be unfamiliar to them.
On December 11, Mannheim Steamroller hosted a holiday concert at the Rosemont Theatre. The LPHS Symphony Orchestra was able to watch this once in a lifetime performance.
Mannheim Steamroller was founded in 1974 by Davis and Jackson Berkley, but Chip Davis composes the music. They have sold over 41 million albums and are known for their New Age music, which is associated with 18th century classical rock.
Emma Mitchellen, a senior violinist in the orchestra, brought this idea to their teacher, Elizabeth Cravens, with hopes that this trip would be approved. Cravens instantly fell in love and sent in the request.
It was not only accepted, but they were granted an amount of money that was able to reduce the ticket price from the original $40 to $30.
When asked why she felt students would benefit from going on this field trip Cravens shared a few reasons.
“Field trips involving a live performance by professional musicians are both educational and inspirational. The experience increases awareness of the opportunities available in the performance industry and raises the standards by which we evaluate our own music performance abilities,” said Cravens. “Just as importantly, it's fun and motivates students to push themselves further in their musical endeavors.”
Coming up:
Students are bustling in the holiday spirit, waiting in anticipation for winter break.
Winter break starts Saturday, December 18 and ends Sunday, January 2. The first day of the new semester starts out with an e-learning day where students will complete classwork from home.
The end of the semester also brings finals. Teachers are working diligently to find a schedule that works for all students and staff. On Wednesday, December 15 students tested in classes 1, 3, 5, 7 and 2, 4, 6 on Thursday, December 16.
While some students will be savoring their sleep over break, some are on the playing field. Winter sports, including basketball, wrestling, and swimming, are still in full swing over break. Home or away, there is no doubt that these students are committed!
Teacher spotlight:
Michael Tuholski, or more commonly known as Mr. Tski, is December's teacher spotlight! Tski teaches a variety of subjects such as biology, principles of biomedical science, human body systems, and AP research.
He has led many students to success, and many have even received the highest score of a five on their AP project.
Tski received his undergraduate degree in biology at Indiana University and his master's degree in genetics in Wisconsin. Years following graduation, he worked in Wisconsin at a genetics lab.
Prioritizing family as one of the most important things in his life, Tski moved back to La Porte to support his family farm. After coming back, he realized genetics was not offered in areas around La Porte, so he decided to try teaching.
“My great grandparents came over from Poland and farmed their whole lives on a dairy farm, but today we just farm soybeans and popcorn,” Tski said.
Tski has learned to love the opportunities brought to him every day through teaching.
“My favorite part is seeing people getting excited about the activities,” Tski said.
Outside of school, Tski can be found engaging in fitness and working on his farm. Tski and his wife have created a business selling their vegetables and fruits grown locally. They can be found at nearby farmers markets on Saturday mornings!
Another favorite activity of his is to travel. He has traveled all around the world creating memories with his family. Some of his favorite places visited were Australia, New Zealand, California, and Hawaii.
Student spotlight:
Allison Bender, senior at LPHS, is making history! She recently received nominations from a member of congress to attend West Point Military Academy and United States Air Force Academy.
The application process for an academy is not like any other college. Consisting of things such as essays, medical testing, fitness testing, and nominations from a member of Congress, the chance of receiving a nomination is below five percent.
“Getting accepted into an academy would be a huge honor. It would show that everything that I have done to hopefully get there would pay off,” said Bender. “One of my biggest goals in life is to serve and make an impact, and I feel that attending an academy and serving after would be such a great way to accomplish that goal. I would be overjoyed to be accepted into such a prestigious school.”
Bender dreams of going into the dental or medical field after service. She also loves traveling and has aspirations of traveling to Germany, especially.
“I would love to be able to go to Germany to serve since I want to minor in German at the academy. My dad is from Germany and I love the culture there, so being immersed in the country would be a great experience,” Bender said.
Bender has already sent in her athletic testing and is awaiting approval from the academies themselves.
More hobbies of Bender’s include running cross country and track, thrifting, and hanging out with her friends.
Bender is making La Porte proud, and we can’t wait to see her success in the future.