What’s recently happened?
Catholic Schools Week (CSW) is one of the most anticipated events of the school year at Bishop Noll Institute (BNI). BNI began celebrating on the last Monday of January with Decades Day. Seniors dressed in ’00s, juniors dressed in ’90s, sophomores dressed in ’80s, and freshmen dressed in ’70s. On Tuesday, almost 50 alumni presented their careers and answered questions from sophomore to senior students for the first Alumni Career Day. Bishop Robert McClory celebrated Mass with BNI students and surrounding Catholic grade school students on Wednesday.
On Thursday, seniors wore black, juniors wore pink, sophomores wore gray, and freshmen wore neon to represent their class color. Students played against the teachers in a volleyball game to celebrate teacher appreciation day. Finally on Friday, was the annual Peanut Butter Drive. Students needed to bring in three or more jars to dress in their airport attire and watched “Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules” to celebrate Student Appreciation Day.
The Class of 2025 Graduates with Distinction were announced during CSW. Anna De La Torre, Zekiel Zukley, Augustus Matushek, Maisie Wragg, Jasmine Sarkanovich, Joshua Fierros, Megan Virosztko, Hailey Wojtaszek, Gianna Gaal, Evelyn Hernandez, Julian Villagomez, Samantha Ortiz, Janice Flores, Daniella Zvonar, Alexandra Magallanes, Sergio Meza, April Sepulveda, Karyme Rosas, Francisco Hermosillo, Dusan Knezevic, Anais Reyna, Arianna Gonzalez, and Angel Wilson all had a grade point average of a four or higher throughout their time at BNI. De La Torre was named the valedictorian and Zukley as the salutatorian.
“I wasn’t aiming for a top spot, I was just trying my best. I am excited, not just for me but for De La Torre as well because she has worked hard. I hope my speech is impactful and I want to let my classmates know they are appreciated and will go far in whatever they choose to do,” said Zukley.
BNI held the Winter Formal on February 8. The theme, which students voted on, was Vintage Valentine. One of the highlights on the night was getting glow sticks during the dance and getting to light up the dance floor. Songs like “Cha-Cha Slide” had everyone dancing and making it a memorable night.
“I had a blast. Last year was fun, but this year’s dance was even more enjoyable,” said Sophomore Janelle Craig.
What’s coming up?
The Boys Swim team is preparing for Sectionals Finals on February 22 at Munster High School. The team has been practicing on tightening starts, turns, and anything that could give them an extra edge against the opposing schools.
The team made a fun bet with one of the teachers at BNI, so they hope at least one student can qualify for Regionals. The swim team has been grateful for the support from the school and hope people give the sport a try.
“It feels bittersweet since I have been with the team all four years. I have been reminiscing about all the good times, failures, and lessons I have learned from this sport. It’s my last time I will be swimming competitively, and I want to make the most of it by qualifying in the 500 freestyle,” said Senior Brandon Jimenez.
The BNI speech team has been working hard this past season. Wrapping up the season, the last regular tournament was at Purdue University Northwest in Westville on February 8. Sectionals will be held at Crown Point High School on February 22, and the team hopes to have students make it to State.
Staff spotlight:
Jennifer Florek has been working at BNI for nine years as the communications specialist. She works in the advancement department which involves alumni communication, social media pages, newsletters, and admissions. She is the Prom Committee sponsor and Yearbook Club sponsor. Florek graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette where she studied English literature.
“Being able to get to know the staff and students’ unique stories is one of the best things about working here,” said Florek.
Florek has always wanted to be a writer. She was interested in writing in middle school, in high school she helped with the yearbook, and in college she did the newspaper.
Before coming to BNI, Florek did community news for five years at “The Times of Northwest Indiana.” She came to BNI because President Paul Mullany and her worked together at “The Times.” Florek has always liked school and looked for new opportunities.
“I like the community at BNI. Getting to tell the stories of the different students, teachers, and alumni is cool,” said Florek.
In her free time, she likes to hang out with her kids and dogs. Florek also loves to listen to Taylor Swift. “Midnights” is her favorite album because it came out as a total surprise.
Student spotlight:
Sebastian Zuwala can be found on the field and the court. Zuwala is a senior at BNI and is excited to bring the school year to an end. He is planning on being a criminology major. His interest in the criminology field was sparked while taking Forensic Science. He has looked into different colleges and universities and is thinking about going to a school in Nebraska.
During his time at BNI, he has been on the football, soccer, swimming, and volleyball teams. He also plays the drums in marching and concert band. In volleyball he plays outside hitter and defensive specialist.
“Volleyball has been my favorite sport. I enjoyed achieving memorable wins with my team,” said Zuwala.
This school year, he had the opportunity to be a Kairos retreat leader for the required upperclassmen retreats. He wanted to be a leader so he could help grow his classmates closer to God like he did on his retreat.
Zuwala is excited to graduate. He is hoping to finish the school year strong with good grades. His favorite memory at BNI has been winning volleyball Sectionals. His favorite class has been Forensic Science.
“I enjoy doing case studies, dissecting murder scenes, and getting into the psychology behind it. I really like the class because that is what I want my career to be,” said Zuwala.
In his free time, he plays sports, sleeps and plays video games. Zuwala also likes listening to music. His favorite genre is country.