The LPHS basketball teams have recently celebrated the annual Senior Night.
The boys basketball team celebrated their Senior Night on Friday, January 10th vs Lake Central. The many seniors on the team were called individually as they walked on their courts with their family members before they played the competitive game against Lake Central.
The Slicers boys won the Friday night game, and the seniors couldn’t have loved winning on such a special night more.
“The past 4 years have taught me what it means to truly trust your teammates and to put others before yourself. The brotherhood that has grown over the past 4 years will last the rest of my life,” Garrott Ott-Large, senior boys varsity basketball player, said. “It has been a pleasure being able to put that La Porte jersey on and be able to compete with my best friends for our community.”
In addition to the Friday night boys basketball Senior Night, the LPHS Dance team members were also recognized. Since the Poms team transformed into the Dance team, the performers have gotten significantly better and closer as a team.
“I believe it [dance] made me a better leader. I found my true personality and learned how to work in a group,” Kiara Dukes, varsity dancer, said. “Tenbusch has taught me as a dancer and a person that if you want something, then go for it. Strive for your absolute best and then go further.”
Unfortunately, the girls basketball team fell short of the win on Saturday, but they played hard until the end.
However, the Pep Band has yet to have their Senior Night, they are always an important addition to the Slicer Main Gym.
“They Pep Band has truly shown me how to enjoy things while they last,” Matt Knouse, senior saxophone player, said.
LPHS is thankful for all of the dedicated seniors and the impact they have made over their four years of shining.
What’s Coming Up
LPCSC will be hosting a showing of “The Story of Eva” in the Performing Arts Center on January 27th at 6:30 p.m.
Eva Kor was a woman who lived some of the worst days in human history during the Holocaust and somehow survived and--even more impressively--thrived.
A familiar face and his wife experienced the true depth and magnitude of Kor by taking a trip to Auschwitz with Kor as the leader.
Mark Francesconi, LPCSC superintendent, and his wife Laura took a leap and explored one of the most known locations in the world.
“My wife Laura had been reading about the Jewish Holocaust and learned of Eva Kor and her story,” Francesconi said. “Laura wanted to go and thought I would like to know more about the Holocaust since I am sort of a history buff.”
The Francesconi’s left for Auschwitz, and they had one of the most rewarding trips of their life.
“Getting to know her on the trip led to appreciating her spirit and the way she maintained her focus on getting the word out about the Holocaust,” Mr. Francesconi said. “More impressive though was the way she grew herself by learning that hate was not resolving anything and that forgiveness was the way for victims to heal themselves. This was not a well accepted approach by her own people and many couldn't accept what she was doing. She stood firm despite her many struggles including surviving Auschwitz.”
Since LPCSC’s very own superintendent was able to experience her love and forgiveness of her life, he decided that it was necessary to host a night to honor her bravery and heart. With the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz and the recent death of Kor, Francesconi wanted to shine a light on the incredible light that was Eva Kor.
Kor was taken to Auschwitz when she was 10 years old. She had lost most of her family in the gas chambers: her mother, father, and two older sisters. However, her twin sister, Miriam survived and were tested with Dr. Josef Mengele’s mixtures, not knowing if they were dangerous.
When Kor moved to Terre Haute, Indiana, she wasn’t understood by anyone. No one could completely grasp the trauma Kor had been put through during the Holocaust, so it took her a while to finally find her home in America.
In the 1970s, the Holocaust was becoming more talked about in the United States, which opened up Kor’s world and she began opening up about what she had been through.
She founded CANDLEs--Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiments Survivors-- in 1984. 11 years later, a museum with the same meaning was opened.
In addition to the CANDLEs foundation and museum, Kor enjoyed touring people around Auschwitz, telling her story and helping them see the magnitude of the Holocaust.
Kor’s is a story that should be honored and remembered. Join LPCSC on the 27th to hear why Kor’s legacy will live on forever.
Student Spotlight
LPHS Sophomore Parker Peterson won Student of the Year for the Leukemia Lymphoma Society.
The Student of the Year challenge is an event that can be participated in once, and it’s only for high school students.
In order to be involved with the program, the student must be nominated by someone. Peterson was nominated by Kingsbury Elementary School Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Ribordy.
When Peterson was a young girl, she would always ask for money to donate to the Kent’s Run fundraiser instead of birthday presents. The fundraiser is a Leukemia Lymphoma Society that honors Mrs. Ribordy’s son, Kent who had passed away when he was 16 years old with Leukemia.
Ribordy came across the Student of the Year challenge, and she immediately remembered Peterson’s efforts for Kent’s Run. She asked Peterson if she would be interested, and with that, Peterson was interested.
There are three required events that Peterson had to attend. She had to go to a Fundraising Workshop to be given tips on how to fundraise better, then the kickoff began, which meant the 7 weeks of fundraising started, and the grand finale which was the end of the competition.
As part of the goal, she is challenged to gather a team of 10 people and to go out in the community to try to raise money and get people involved to raise money.
Peterson was accompanied by her mother, Amanda Peterson, kindergarten teacher who nominated her, Mrs. Ribordy, current public relations teacher and major inspiration, Miss Parker, freshman and close friend at LPHS, Norah Gartland, her aunt, Cindy Hoehne, sophomore and close friend at LPHS, Jayme Noll, her uncle, Matthew Mrozinski, sophomore and close friend at LPHS, Haleigh Miller, her grandma, “Mimi,” and lastly sophomore and close friend at LPHS, Cole Antrim.
Her end goal is $20,000 and anyone can help by attending Give Back Nights within the coming months. There is a give back night coming up on February 12th at Buffalo Wild Wings, February 25th at Culvers, and March 10th at Enzo’s.
If there is any way the community could be involved in helping Peterson get closer to her goal, any amount is appreciated.
Teacher Spotlight
LPHS’ Family and Consumer Sciences teacher, Mrs. Pritchard is one of the most creative and dedicated teachers in LPCSC, and her recent success in a project has made her even more known and recognized.
Pritchard attended Holy Cross College and Ball State University right out of college, but then she decided she would head back to school and pursue her Masters from Indiana Wesleyan University,
From a little girl, she was taught how to cook, clean, sew, and take care of children. Growing up this way taught her patience and made her realize how much she wanted to teach. She wasn’t exactly sure what she wanted to teach, but she decided on Family and Consumer Sciences when she thought about what she would love to teach for the rest of her life.
One of her favorite parts of the broad subject is fashion. She loves seeing how proud students are of their work when it’s completely finished.
“Most fashion students come in shy and lacking confidence because they are worried about using the sewing machine. When I teach them to take their time, have confidence, and take pride in their work, it makes me really happy,” Pritchard said.
After establishing the confidence of the students over the course of the semester, Pritchard decided to stray away from a pencil and paper exam. She decided to have her classes make Ugly Dolls for the LPHS preschool kids. The preschoolers drew what they wanted their doll to look like.
In doing so, the fashion students demonstrated the skills they had learned during the semester: blanket stitching, running stitch, ladder stitch, zig zag stitching, sewing a button.
The project ended up being a total success. An anonymous person ended up reaching out to WSBT news to tell them about the project. A few days later, Pritchard received the call that they were interested in coming to LPHS to showcase their Ugly Dolls.
“I am happy that my students received recognition for their accomplishments in Fashion class. I am also happy that we were able to share something positive happening at LPHS with the community,” Pritchard said.