What’s going on?: Stray Dogs Improv Club has first show of the year
Crown Point High School’s Stray Dogs Improv Club kicked off 2016 with a bang, as the group had its first show of the both the new year and the 2015-16 school year on Thursday.
Club adviser Don Bernacky felt the opening act of the school year went well and said he was proud of how his students performed.
“I thought the show went very well,” Bernacky said. “As a director who has been doing this for a long time, working with kids in improv, you never know how the first show is going to go. It’s always interesting and informative to me to watch my students the first time because it’s almost like being a coach during the first game,”
The club donates all its proceeds to charity and the receiving charity changes with each and every show. The Lake County Animal Shelter received the proceeds from Thursday’s performance.
The cost of admission is $5, and Bernacky said that those who have not had come out for a show should come to a future show because of how the performance is centered around the audience members.
“The show doesn’t happen without the audience's participation,” Bernacky said. “It’s unlike that (in different places). You go to a movie, the movie plays. You go to a play, the play just goes on, and they’re not worried about your participation until you applaud at the end. We can’t start until the audience gives us something to spark with.”
What’s coming up?: Student council prepares for Dance Marathon
The annual Dance Marathon may still be months away, but the Crown Point High School Student Council is busy preparing for the charitable event.
Hundreds of students will dance from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on April 8, with proceeds going to Riley’s Children’s Hospital, and students involved “standing for those who can’t,”
“We (student council) work with Purdue University West Lafayette, and they have a committee, and we just work with them and Riley’s Children’s Hospital as well to help plan the event,” Student Council adviser and English teacher Colleen Fano said.
This will be the ninth year of the event at Crown Point. Students who take part dance in the school’s fieldhouse, raising money for children through Riley’s Children’s Hospital.
“We have a dance; we also have dodgeball and basketball,” Fano said. “The whole point is that we’re standing for kids who can’t. We spend five hours on our feet and no one is allowed to sit down. All the proceeds go towards Riley’s Children’s Hospital.”
Fano invited students who had never come to the event to come to the event and have fun with other students.
“It’s a great cause, and it’s a lot of fun,” Fano said. “And all the proceeds go to Riley’s Children’s Hospital, and the money goes towards research and families who can’t afford medicine to even stay in the hospital.”
Teacher shoutout: John Lambersie
English teacher John Lambersie is impacting lives at Crown Point High School through his service to students in and out of the classroom.
Lambersie is a coach of the Academic Decathlon team and an assistant coach for the Academic Super Bowl team at the high school.
The competition season for Academic Decathlon starts next week, as Lambersie and Crown Point will look to defend their state title from last season.
“This year we aren’t doing our competitions until next week, but last year we were the state champions in large school for Academic Decathlon, a first for Crown Point,” Lambersie said.
Lambersie said he enjoys teaching, as it something he has wanted to do since he was a student himself. He is entering his ninth year teaching at Crown Point.
“I was a big nerd in school, so I liked school, and I wanted to continue to be a part of school. I also enjoy being around young people. That way I feel connected to youth, and I also got the chance to help people, which is driving factor too,” Lambersie said.
Lambersie is a graduate of Purdue University Calumet.
Student shout out: Rayne Charters
Junior Rayne Charters is making an impact at Crown Point High School through her work in two activities, Excalibur Yearbook and the Gymnastics team.
Charters is the manager of the gymnastics squad and is the co-photo editor when it comes to the school’s yearbook.
“I participate in gymnastics, and I’m in Yearbook,” Charters said. “This year I’m a manager for gymnastics.”
Gymnastics is a sport Charters has taken part in since she was young, with her mother being a coach playing a large role in why she got started in the sport, and why she enjoys it.
“I’ve been doing it my whole life (gymnastics), because my mother is a coach. She has been a coach for almost 15 years, so I’ve been in gymnastics since I was 7. I just love the sport,” Charters said.
Charters is managing this season due to health concerns but said she may be back next year depending on how things play out.
“Gymnastics is probably one of the worst sports for joints and backs, so I’m just taking a break this year,” Charters said. “I’m not sure though if I’m going to come back next year yet. I’m really hoping that I’ll be able to.”
Overall, Charters enjoys coming to CPHS because of the opportunities the school provides to every student.
“It’s definitely better than a lot of other schools in the region,” Charters said. “It’s a lot cleaner, safer, the teachers are better and the academics are better, which is a plus. I feel that there're some classes at our school that other schools don’t have that help you prepare for later on in life.”