What's recently happened?
Andrean High School (AHS) Girls Golf team may be small, but they are mighty. The six team members have begun to set an impressive record for their impending season. With only two losses against Kankakee Valley High School and Munster High School, the girls are making Coach Robert Ochi proud.
In response to a triumphant victory against Highland, Ochi stated that the team had, “an awesome night on Monday for our girls as they shot a season low of 179 to defeat Highland’s team!” according to the AHS athletics website.
Most recently, the girls carried home another win against Highland High School with a team season low of 179. Junior Samantha White shot her own season low of 47, and senior Peyton Mori was awarded Medalist at Wicker Park with an impressive score of 41.
Mori has been playing golf since she was 5, and was welcomed into the world of golf by her dad. Her “golf idol” would be her older brother, Dillan, who golfs at Holy Cross College in Notre Dame, IN. She admires his dedication and passion for the sport and hopes to continue his legacy as a member of the AHS girls varsity golf team. Although she does not plan on playing after high school due to career demands, she will always cherish her time on the golf course as a Niner.
Andrean athletics will continue to wish the girls varsity golf team good luck at their sectional tournament on Friday, September 15.
What’s coming up?
The student council executive board and members at AHS are working hard to plan this year’s homecoming dance. Although a school dance is time consuming and possibly stressful to plan, the students and staff members alike are working hard to make the dance a memorable event.
The responsibilities of the club extends far beyond the organization of this event. Student Council is responsible for creating spirit week ideas, organizing pep rallies, planning other dances, assembling fundraisers for the school, and working with other clubs to support other extracurricular organizations outside of the school. The work conducted by the student council makes the club a rewarding one to join.
To plan the upcoming dance, students were asked to join together and create a list of decorations, pick a time slot for decoration set up, organize a pep rally and homecoming court and plan the homecoming spirit week themes.
None of this would be possible without the club sponsors, including Campus Minister Liv Sensenbrenner. She has been working alongside other club sponsors to coordinate homecoming as well as other dances and events for the school.
“Student council is rewarding to me because it allows me to help students realize their gifts and talents and witness them come to fruition,” Sensenbrenner said. “It helps me assist students in accomplishing their goals.”
With the help of staff members like Sensenbrenner and the cooperation of the club members, homecoming planning has been simple and it is predictable that the rest of the year will be enjoyable for the student body.
Staff spotlight
Liv Sensenbrenner, or “Sensei” as referred to by most AHS students, has her hands full being the Campus Minister.
Sensenbrenner attended The Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C., as an undergrad student. She completed her graduate studies at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, IN and is currently an Echo Campus Ministry Apprentice through Andrean.
Despite being the Campus Minister, Sensenbrenner has a plethora of other titles at AHS. She considers herself an “energy bunny”, amping up the school culture and getting students excited about school, as well as a “service guru”, “prayer warrior” and “advice giver”. She was previously the school’s choir director and briefly the spell bowl team’s sponsor.
She encourages the student body and teachers to get involved in the school culture.
“Having a cooperative and growth-oriented student council helps encourage other students to get involved,” she said. “Inviting teachers, who can sometimes get caught up in their day-to-day life, to get involved makes all parties feel needed and wanted.”
Sensenbrenner puts a large emphasis on student involvement and makes sure to set an example. She makes it a priority to learn all students’ names, visit each grade’s religion class regularly, and be a shoulder to lean on for any student who needs it.
She finds importance in placing an emphasis on religion in everyday school life at Andrean because it gives education a purpose.
“School can get mundane for students. Many students just come to school to get the A and leave,” Sensenbrenner said. “Religion is important for Andrean because all of the students share a love for God and it creates a community. It allows students to hone in on their gifts and talents, create leadership opportunities, and overall gives them a purpose for coming to school.”
Student spotlight
Elizabeth “Libby” Voliva has been an integral member of Andrean’s student body since she was a freshman in 2020. Since then she has involved herself in a plethora of sports, clubs and activities. These include the Vice President of Andrean’s National Honor Society, the President of the Andrean Ambassadors, a member of the Student Council, a teammate of the Andrean Softball team and a Girls Varsity Golf team member.
Despite being involved in these activities at school, Voliva puts an emphasis on managing her time wisely and trying to stay calm amidst all of her commitments.
“It's important to focus and simplify on the things that matter, and when I get stressed out, I know I need to take a step back and refocus,” Voliva said.
Within the next year, the senior plans on attending Purdue University in West Lafayette, IN. She is currently working in many AP and dual credit classes and hopes to keep her grades up throughout the rest of the year.