The Michigan City High School (MCHS) Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (MCJROTC) conducted numerous community service projects during October. On October 2, the cadets marched in the rescheduled Homecoming Parade. The cadets had been formed for the original parade on September 18th that was postponed due to inclement weather. Cadets assisted the United Way by helping with a car wash sponsored by Michigan City Area Schools on October 9th. The JROTC worked to restore the MCHS gym to its normal state after the Preliminary Scholastic Aptitude Tests on October 14 and 21.
The Porter County Parks Department was the recipient of the cadets' labor at their Haunted Trails exhibit at Sunset Hill Farms in Valparaiso on October 16, 17, 23, and 24. Cadets supported MCHS with its Parent-Teacher Conference night and then went to Ames Field to assist with the MCHS Athletic Department's Trick and Treating on October 29th.
November is a very busy month for the cadets. They end October with a military drill competition at the University of Illinois at Chicago on October 31st. They will be participating in 8 different ceremonies to honor veterans, to include the Veterans Day Ceremony at the MCHS gym at 1:30 pm on November 11th. This ceremony, which is a modified military parade featuring the MCHS band and choir, will have State Representative Scott Pelath as its guest speaker. Representative Pelath will also present the Naval Honor School plaque to MCHS principal Wendel McCollum.
The JROTC earned this award, which places MCHS in the top 20% of all schools nationally, by extraordinary work in community service, parades and ceremonies, their drill and marksmanship teams, summer leadership camps, and participation in CyberPatriot, the national computer security competition. MCHS will have their first CyberPatriot competition on November 14th, the day after their military ball to honor the 237th birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps. The cadets will host a military skills competition on November 21st at the high school. 10 schools from Indiana and Illinois are expected to compete.