What’s recently happened?
For students at Morgan Township High School (MTHS), January was full of exciting events, from Homecoming to various academic and sporting competitions.
Homecoming (HOCO) took place on January 11 in the MTHS cafeteria. It went from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., with snacks and drinks available to the students. The HOCO Court was presented and the HOCO King, Queen, Prince, and Princess were all announced. The HOCO King was Kaleb Pepper and the HOCO Queen was Vanessa Parsons while the Prince was Mesay Taylor and the Princess was Isabella Bryan.
“I am really happy for the opportunity that I was given and I had so much fun dressing up with my friends,” Parsons said.
On the same day as HOCO, the MTHS DECA Club traveled to Westville High School for its DECA district competition. 11 students qualified for the State Career Development Conference, which will be held in Indianapolis. Each club member did their best, and their placing at the district competition was determined by the combined score of their event and the DECA district test.
Also in January, the Varsity Girls Basketball team and the Varsity Boys Basketball team competed in the Porter County Conference (PCC) tournament. In the championship game of the PCC, the Varsity Girls Basketball team fought hard, but ended up falling to Westville High School. The Varsity Boys Basketball team also lost a well-played first round PCC tournament game to Washington Township High School.
Jett Gheaja, a senior at MTHS and member of the Varsity Boys Basketball team, received the M.E. Dinsmoore Mental Attitude Award on January 25. The award is given to one player, who is chosen by all of the PCC coaches.
What’s coming up?
With February comes many practices for countless extracurricular events.
The MTHS Drama Club will begin its practices for “Haphazardly Ever After” on February 18. The play is about a fairytale that should have gone just fine, filled with princes and princesses--all adults living at home, who need a little help from the king and queen to get their happily ever after.
“I feel more confident going into this year's play than I have before. It's nice to be able to see all my friends again too,” Mason Koch, a junior in Drama Club, said.
The MTHS Morgan Minis will have practices throughout February. The Morgan Minis is an opportunity for fourth and fifth graders to have a taste of the MTHS Drama Club experience. They are directed by middle and high school members of the Drama Club, and are guided through several short scenes. The play will be on February 8.
The MTHS Academic Super Bowl teams will also be holding practices. All teams have already gotten the material they will need to study, and practices are scattered throughout the month of February, in the mornings and afternoons.
Staff spotlight:
Dave Burns has worked as a custodian at MTHS for four years. He is a beloved member of the MTHS staff who always takes the time to talk to students and teachers alike.
“My favorite part about MTHS is being able to help the students and staff with anything they need and the interaction with everyone,” Burns said.
Burns will often attend sporting and extracurricular events at MTHS, encouraging students and asking them about their sport or club. When at these events, he always makes sure to grab a pop and a candy bar--his favorites being Baja Blast Zero and peppermint patties.
“My favorite sports to watch are basketball, baseball, volleyball, and track,” Burns said.
Burns was the employee of the month at MTHS in October. He is always working hard, but takes the extra time to be a familiar face and friendly person to everyone in the building.
“I look forward to continuing to keep the school clean, the floors shiny, and to make sure the classrooms are ready for the next day of school,” Burns said.
Burn's attention to detail and his dedication to his job does not go unnoticed, especially by the students and staff. Burns may be humble, but students always know he will go the extra mile by doing things such as helping with a water bottle spill to finding a missing item.
“Some of the best advice I’ve received is this: do not procrastinate, put one hundred percent into everything you do, always tell the truth, be on time and work hard, set goals for yourself, and always be kind to others,” Burns said.
Student spotlight:
Abby Wilson is a senior at MTHS, she is currently involved in DECA and the MTHS Dance and Cheer teams. She is also a member of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) and the Varsity Girls Soccer team.
“My favorite thing about MTHS is the relationships that I have made with all of my peers and teachers. Because this school is so small, we all know each other,” Wilson said.
Wilson’s favorite class is currently ceramics and sculpture. However, she also enjoyed taking business classes as well as anatomy and physiology earlier in her high school career.
“I am planning on attending Olivet Nazarene University, and studying exercise science. I hope to become a Physical Therapist assistant,” Wilson said.
Wilson enjoys watching soccer games, as well as playing in them. She held the position of Junior Varsity JV captain her freshman year, and also received the Mental Attitude Award and the MTHS Cherokee Award during her soccer career.
“My most memorable moments so far have been being with my friends before and after games, and cheering for those big, important games. It's so much fun seeing everyone get so excited,” Wilson said.
Wilson enjoys talking to others and is always friendly to underclassmen, whether it be on the soccer field or during an FCA meeting.
“My advice to underclassmen would be to enjoy the time that they get in high school because it goes by extremely quickly,” Wilson said. “I remember people telling me the same thing and not believing it, but truly it feels like just yesterday I was going into my freshman year.”