What’s recently happened?
The month of December was filled with extracurricular activities at Morgan Township High School (MTHS), putting everyone in the holiday spirit.
The MTHS Drama Club hosted its second mystery dinner this school year. These dinners are opportunities for Drama Club members to join their friends in solving mysteries as they are each assigned a character and a backstory. The theme was “Who Stole the Silver Bells” with students dressing as holiday characters. This took place on December 5 within the MTHS cafeteria.
MTHS’ Interact Club also had an important event: the Yuda Bands fundraiser. Yuda Bands are handmade bracelets, made in Guatemala, that the Interact Club sold to support the educations of two students from Zimbabwe. The students were Rachel Machakaire and Blessed Marufu. The fundraiser lasted from December 2-17.
“I was really happy to see our MTHS community come together to support education for children around the globe. I want to thank our sponsors and members for helping put on the fundraiser and those in the Interact Club for volunteering,” Clint Lemmons, president of the Interact Club, said.
Two extracurriculars at MTHS are also just starting. The MTHS DECA Club and Academic Super Bowl both started this December. The DECA Club had its State Career Development Conference (SCDC) qualifying test on December 11. Students in the club took a test with 100 questions, all related to their DECA event. This test, along with an in-person role play, will decide which students qualify for SCDC, which will be in Indianapolis this March.
The Academic Super Bowl had its call out meeting on December 12. During the meeting, students interested in joining the different Academic Super Bowl teams came together and learned about what the extracurricular entails. This year’s topic is Ireland, and the different teams include Social Studies, Science, Fine Arts, English, and Math.
What’s coming up?
January will also be jam-packed with activities and events, such as competitions, practices, and more. Most of these extracurriculars carry over from December, but there are a few new events.
Homecoming is one such event and will take place on January 11 at MTHS. It is open to all high schoolers at MTHS, and the theme will be enchanted forest.
Another activity that will start in January is the MTHS Drama Club. The Drama Club will have its call out meeting on January 13 at 7 p.m. A new Drama Club addition will be Drama for a Day, wherein middle and high school students who are in Drama Club can mentor fourth and fifth graders in a short production. The call out for Drama for a Day helpers will also be on January 13, but at 6 p.m.
The Drama Club will also continue its mystery dinners, having its last one on January 9 at MTHS inside the cafeteria. Like the previous dinners, it will be open to all Drama Club members.
The DECA Club will have its district competition on January 11 at Westville High School. This distinct competition, along with the scores from the December 11 test, will decide what students in the DECA Club will go to SCDC.
While Academic Super Bowl doesn’t begin its competitions until March, study materials will be released on the website in mid-January. The teams will be starting their practices in January as well.
“The call out meeting went well! I'm excited to hang out with friends at the competitions and learn about the Irish jig in Fine Arts,” said Emma Short, a member of the MTHS Academic Super Bowl team.
Staff spotlight:
Carl Patz has been a business teacher at MTHS for three years. During that time, he has taught a multitude of different business classes to both middle and high school students.
“I originally went to college to be a teacher but then switched to business. I had amazing teachers in high school who influenced me towards this profession. After many years in banking I needed a change, and it was good timing to finally become a teacher,” Patz said.
Patz is the DECA Club Advisor at MTHS as well as the Head Varsity Girls Basketball coach. He can be found intently watching or coaching from the sidelines at all Girls Basketball games and goes with DECA State qualifiers to Indianapolis. Patz supports his students inside and outside of the classroom, attending other events as well. His favorite concession food is a pretzel with cheese.
“I love to attend as much of everything as I can. Whether it’s sports, music, drama and recognition nights, it is always to see the students in their element and being successful,” Patz said.
Patz is also involved in the school outside of his classes. For example, he was recently the food taster for a competition held in the nutrition and wellness class and will gladly answer any business questions anytime.
“Each year has been a huge learning experience,” Patz said. “I am always looking forward to the new things I learn day to day and see how the students grow each year.”
Student spotlight:
Garret Stavitzke is a junior at MTHS. He is currently the Class of 2026’s president and a member of the MTHS National Honor Society, Student Council, German Club, DECA, and the Boys Soccer team.
“Some of the greatest achievements I have made so far in high school are being part of the Morgan Boys Soccer team last year when we won sectionals, going down to Anaheim with the DECA team at the International Career Development Conference (ICDC), and going even further by finalizing at ICDC,” Stavitzke said.
Stavitzke plans on attending Purdue University in West Lafayette for Integrated Business and Engineering once he graduates from high school. Currently, his favorite classes are the business classes taught by Patz and AP Chemistry.
“Always try towards whatever you are working for. Whether it's school or a sport, it is always worth pushing yourself to reach your full potential. Most importantly, it is okay if it doesn't work out because at least you can say you put your best forward and gave it all you could,” Stavitzke said. “It is okay to fail at things, but don't beat yourself down too much because you're still living life for the first time, and it's the best of what you make it. Work hard and give it your best, but don't be afraid to live a little.”
Stavitzke enjoys the personable atmosphere of a small school like MTHS and the subsequent connections with teachers and fellow students. He not only excels at academics but can also be found at sports events such as basketball games, cheering on the team with the rest of the student section.
“I am always willing to help anyone, no matter what. Whether it's related to school or not, I really enjoy being able to help people with whatever they need,” Stavitzke said.