Red Devil Post, Vol. 2, Issue 8

RED DEVIL POST

Construction Trades:

PBL the way it was meant to work

by Hailey Baran

This 2023/2024 school year, the construction trades program has accomplished something they have never done before- building a house. The Red Devil Post has interviewed Mr. Becich and Mr. Ganzeveld to do an end-of-theyear update on the house and reflect on the growth from constructing it.

“The idea of building a house was inspired by other schools that had already started a project similar to what LHS had in mind,” Mr. Becich states.

Both he and Mr. Ganzeveld thought that building a house would be a good opportunity for students who are currently in the construction pathway to gain experience and help them later on down the road, as LHS has partnered with the

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Staff

Hailey Baran

Brooke Bretzinger

Jonathan Budz

Hannah Carlson

Josh Cornell

Lily Cruz

Hailey Fox

Naveah Hurtado

Jayden Jansma

Trinitie Lintner

Allie Lukasik

Allie Mecha

Julia Monix

Gabby Morache

Taylor Rothrock

Emma Sampias

Addi Umfleet

Sponsor

Joe Gianotti

IN THIS ISSUE

Construction Trades, p. 1

Environmental Club, p. 3

School Year in Review, p. 4

Prom, p. 5

Academic Super Bowl, p. 6

Theater Banquet, p. 7

Editorial, p. 8

Officer Draco, p. 9

Mental Health Awareness, p. 10-11

Big Road, p. 12

Trinitie Lintner, p. 13

Girls Track, p. 14

Boys Track, p. 15

Athletic Training, p. 16

Red Devil Pride Environmental Club becomes a program

by Brooke Bretzinger

The LHS environmental club has been hard at work this school year. We have completed many projects, and have helped to better the community one project at a time. We started our year with many booth sales. These included selling temporary tattoos, croc charms, and stickers. Around the end of January, we started our first annual thrift sale. We allowed students, teachers, and staff to bring in their new and gently used clothing that they no longer have a use for to resell. For one week before and after school, students were able to shop for whatever clothing matched their vibe. The items included shirts, hoodies, shorts, hats, dress clothes, and athletic clothing. The prices ranged from $0.50-$5.50. Students were seen showing off their newest fashion items while helping the community by saving clothes from landing in dumpsters. Our most recent project was spreading awareness for Earth Day. The club was hard at work providing a fun-filled school-wide scavenger hunt, and fun engaging spirit days. Both of these events took place the week of April 22nd-26th. The days included the classic hat and pajama days, a season’s day, and wearing green

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Red Devil Pride It’s been a great 2023-2024

by Jonathan Budz

With the end of the school year within sight, the senior class of 2024 is preparing to depart LHS and many of them Lowell itself. With this in mind many of them decided to share some of their favorite memories from their time at LHS.

“My favorite memory was winning sectionals with the girl's soccer team. We were the first Lowell team to ever win NCC. We even signed a ball as a memory!” - Maggie Shultz

“My favorite memory is probably junior year, my second period class. All I did was laugh in that class.” - Allie Mecha

“My favorite memory would be form this year. In my first hour I share a class with 4 of my close friends. If we had any free time we always find ourselves play a different card game. Trust me, we get competitive.” - Madaleine Walker

“Setting the 400 free relay record with Seth, Kayden, and Peyton.” -Peter Kotlin

by Taylor Rothrock

As students and staff reach the end of the school year for 2023-2024, it's time to look back on all the awesome stuff we've accomplished together at LHS. From fun events and projects to building strong relationships, there are numerous memories to be held. It's time to celebrate all the hard work and creativity that has made our community at Lowell High School so special this year.

Amazing things happened throughout the classes at LHS. To start off, students from the trades building had the opportunity to work on house building. Lowell High School told the Red Devil Post, “It was great seeing students work on this project! We are so grateful we can offer this opportunity to our students.” House building will most likely be a continuing trend in the following years just like the investigation of Anna Garcia.

In the PLTW Principals of Biomedical Science pathway, students investigated and documented the evidence and sketched a crime scene. Even on days when students and staff experienced bad weather, everyone came up with ways to learn and grow together. On September 8th, the

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Red Devil Pride Student Council’s prom: Out of the fields and into the Big City

by Lily Cruz

On Saturday, April 13, 2024, both juniors and seniors at LHS attended a prom hosted at Sts. Peter and Paul Macedonian Banquet Hall from 6 pm to 10 pm. The theme for the 2024 LHS prom was Big City Lights, Big City Nights. At prom, there were several decorations of cities and each table was assigned as a different major city. For example, table 3 was Washington D.C. There also

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Red Devil Pride

Academic Super Bowl defeats Crown Point in all four head to head

Purdue State Tournament matchups

by Jaidyn Jansma

On Saturday, May 4th, four Lowell High School academic teams competed at the state competition at Purdue in West Lafayette. This was the first time that four teams made it all the way to state. Lowell sent the fine arts, math, english, and interdisciplinary teams to Purdue. The theme this year was 80’s and 90’s.

The fine arts team of Jaidyn Jansma, Dezmarie Mago, and Peter Kotlin finished second. The math team of Jonathan Budz, Micah Ambrose, and Mikey Vitols finished second as well. The english team of Bella Funk, Hailey Baran, and Jack Brugos placed fourth. And finally, the interdisciplinary team of John Tsoukalis, Jonathan Budz, Mikey Vitols, and Jack Brugos finished in third place.

These teams, along with the science and social studies teams, have been practicing outside of school since the first semester. They have all competed in two invitationals and one regional competition as well. Their work paid off in the end, demonstrating pride for our school and community. Let’s hope for a similar, or better, result next year as well.

by Josh Cornell

Red Devil Pride

Theater announces their “Tony Awards”

On Friday, May 3rd, the theater department got together at Mi Ranchito to celebrate the end of the year with their theater banquet. Before any of the more major events of the night, the department ate their meals and talked and hung out with each other in the first chunk. There were between 6-8 tables with 8 chairs each for people to go to diferent groups and talk to each other. The next part of the evening was theater letters, which a few cast members earned including Jude Estrada, Natalie Linskens, and Alison Habath. After the letters had been handed out, senior awards were done. For the fall play awards, Claire Benton earned the Best Actress Award for the play, Quinton Cripe earned the Best Actor Award for the play, and Bradley Miller and Cadence Fleager took home Supporting Actor Awards. For the musical, Lillian Gleason earned Best Chorus Member Award

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Devils’ Advocate

Allie Mecha delivers a little RDP advice

by Allie Mecha

With the school year ending merely 30 days away, now's the time for a lot of reflection on the last 4 years of high school.

Advice from a senior:

1. Don’t be afraid to branch out and try new things: you’re only in high school once and you will regret it if you don't. Even if you suck, at least you gave it a go.

2. Put in the extra effort to keep your grades up: when it comes to your senior year and you want money awarded to you in scholarships, you have to look impressive. Yes, it might be hard at the moment, but your effort will be rewarded. But with this being said, don’t beat yourself up because you’re not doing as great as you want to.

3. You will never please everyone: the most important person to keep happy is YOU.

4. Go to the events and participate: You can always go home if you’re not having fun but you never know what will happen if you don’t go.

5. Remember to drink water and eat lunch: I understand. You might think the school lunch is bad. But, class will be worse if you feel like crap because all you ate that day is a couple of goldfish you stole from your friend.

6. The teacher you think is “so mean” probably isn’t mean at all: We all have had a teacher that we think is evil and wants to make us suffer. But in the long run, they wouldn’t be here if they didn’t want to be. They’re trying to make YOU better, and that isn’t a mean characteristic if you ask me.

7. Don’t be afraid to be the first person to say hi: Don’t close yourself off and stick with the same people. You might think that the girl who has been your best friend since elementary school will be at your wedding but something might happen to where you cannot stand to be next to each other.

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Community Pride

Lowell “police officer” Draco looking for furry partner

by Brooke Bretzinger

The Lowell Police Department has been hard at work purchasing a k-9 officer. K-9 officers help to assist in detecting drugs and other illegal substances. Lowell has one K-9 already named Officer Draco, but since k-9 dogs often cost $30-40,000, the town has been hard at work fundraising. On April 26th, The Brown family hosted a benefit called “10 pins for K-9s” at Lowell Country Lanes. This event included bowling, raffles, silent auctions, face painting, a balloon artist, a bake sale, a photo booth, and the arcade was open. Many local businesses and organizations donated several prizes and silent auction items. While most businesses donated their items free of charge, many also donated money that went straight to the K-9 fund. Those items included Yeti coolers, a continued on page 20

Community Pride

Mental Health Awareness Month needs to be on everyone’s radar

by Emma Sampias

Mental Health Awareness Month is celebrated between May 4irst and May thirty-4irst. The color used to represent this awareness month is green. The color is green to signify new life, new growth, and new beginnings. This month is dedicated to addressing mental health challenges that millions of Americans encounter every single day. This month was established in 1949 to raise awareness of the importance of mental health and to celebrate the recovery of those who have or are recovering from mental illnesses. During the span of this month, mental health resources are promoted to the public above the average amount of promotion. These resources include helplines, online counseling, in-person counseling, support groups, treatments and more. Promoting these resources allows individuals to feel as if they have the available tools to better their mental health and better themselves overall. Although not everyone needs these resources, it can be useful to suggest these to individuals that you believe may bene4it from them. This month as a whole may not affect every individual personally, but the importance of it makes an impact on all. Raising awareness for mental health breaks down stigma and discrimination regarding mental health issues. While also spreading the message that seeking out help does not make an individual week. Seeking help for mental health issues makes an individual stronger. This allows for new life, new growth, and new beginnings.

SAMHSA’S National Helpline: SAMHSA’s National Helpline, 1-800-662-HELP (4357) (also known as the Treatment Referral Routing Service), or TTY: 1-800-487-4889 is a con4idential, free, 24hour-a-day, 365-day-a-year, information service, in English and Spanish, for individuals and family members facing mental and/or substance use disorders. This service provides referrals to local treatment facilities, support groups, and community-based organizations. Also visit the online treatment locator, or send your zip code via text message: 435748 (HELP4U) to 4ind help near you. Read more about the HELP4U text messaging service.

by Allie Lukasik

Community Pride

May means Mental Health Awareness Month

If you weren’t aware, April is Mental Health Awareness Month. In America, there are about 50 million people who struggle with mental illness. About 20% of that are teenagers in America who struggle with mental illness. The most prominent issues that teens deal with are anxiety, depression, ADHD, and eating disorders. Many teenagers now more than ever need help developing healthier coping mechanisms and how to be able to get through life while dealing with an issue like this. Many people who struggle with a mental issue like the ones mentioned previously try to cope using unhealthy coping strategies because it is simply easier. In some cases, people have gotten into substance abuse because it can take away their feelings for a limited period. People also choose to overwork themselves because it can help them deal with the sense of loneliness when all it truly does is cause more issues like causing the person to burn out. Some healthier coping mechanisms that can truly make a huge and positive difference are journaling, going to therapy, exercising, meditating, and finding a hobby. Of course, it is a lot of work to get better from a mental health problem using a positive coping strategy but it is worth it in the long run. Even if you aren’t struggling with a mental illness, someone you know may be struggling. Checking in on the people you love the most is always a good thing. Make sure to always make it known you are there for others who could be struggling.

by Trinitie Lintner

Modern Minute Big Road: The next big band

On Saturday, May 4th, Big Road made its first public debut, at Oodles of Noodles church even at First United Methodist Church in Lowell Indiana. The group features Lead guitarist and lead singer, Owen Lahm; bass player, Jenna O’Connor; and drummer, Cael Wimberly. The three try to practice as much as they can, making sure they are always ready for any gig that is thrown their way Even when drummer, Cael, broke his wrist, he still agreed to come out and play the event with the group. Even though they are young, they like to take the audience back in time to play some old rock and blues. During their performance on Saturday night, the group had a great start by playing Big Rail Road Blues by Grateful Dead, and they played a great rendition of it. Even though it sounded very similar to the original they put some of their style into it Owen Lahm has a great singing voice and was able to put his twist on it. He put a lot of emotion into the song, and it showed The next song they played was Wild Thing, by The Troggs. This song was right up their alley. Each member of the group gets into the song in their own way. Whether it be full emotional, or blank stare, each person was very different in expressing themselves Bass player Jenna O’Connor had a lot to say about this great opportunity. “I’ve always wanted to be in a band and being a part of this experience is great. I don’t really play with others for this style of music, and it is nice to finally be able to do that ” Drummer Cael also

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Courts and Fields Lintner signs with IUN to continue her volleyball career

by Brooke Chandler

On May 3, Trinitie Lintner signed her letter of intent to continue her academic and athletic career at Indiana University Northwest.

Trinitie has been playing volleyball for most her life and it has become an integral part of who she is. Recently, she just ended her fourth and final season with Epic United VolleyballClub, to whom she had dedicated countless hours and days practicing and attending tournaments with, traveling locally and across numerous states.

During her time at IUN, Trinitie will be majoring in

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by Addison Umfleet

Courts and Fields

Girls track running through changes

Girls track has gone through some major changes this year but that has not stopped them from giving it their all. The reconstruction of the athletic fields could have been a huge setback, but the girls still trying their best. They have been limited with their time and space. The girls’ commitment continues to truly show when they have gone from last year with practice after school every day to having practice almost every morning at 6:30 before school. Getting up bright and early has helped them gain determination and perseverance to be better. Their most recent meet was against Hanover on Tuesday, April 30th on both team's senior night. The lady devils pushed through and all tried their best. The next meet for the girls and boys are both on Tuesday, May 7th, with the Varsity’s conference meet. JV’s conference is on Thursday, May 9th. Varsity will go back to Hanover where JV is at Munster. Everyone on the track team has been trying their hardest and will continue to put their best foot forward during this final stretch. After the conference are sectionals, regionals, and state. No matter what happens, the devils always keep their heads held high. Good luck Devils!

Courts and Fields Boys track has tremendous season

by Gabby Morache

At the conclusion of the regular season on Tuesday, April 30th in their dual against the Hanover Wildcats, the Lowell Boy’s track team showed major promise in their future endeavors in the upcoming Northwest Crossroads Conference championship on May 7th. Recapping the past few meets for the boys, here's what we know and what we can look forward to in the exciting and upcoming postseason.

On April 20th, the team traveled to LaPorte to compete in the annual Dick Deardruff Classic. Running, throwing, and jumping

against a field of nine teams, the devils were able to secure a third place finish. Hurdles, jumps, sprints, and throws, there was no doubt that each event had a stand out devil. Sophomore Brody Kalwinski took 1st place in a field of fourteen in the 110 meter hurdles and was also crowned runner up of the 300 meter hurdles. Sophomore Daniel Frevert also won the 800 meter run in a blistering time of 2:01.80 while freshman Will Kala secured a 5th place finish as well. Freshman Jose Vasquez’s 3200 meter race resulted in a sprint out in the last 100 meters, Vasquez missing 1st place by 0.01 seconds. Senior Seth Rindfuss finished third in the boy’s discus, throwing 129’ 8. Lowell’s 4x100 meter relay team of Brody

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Courts and Fields

Trainer, Mark Pullara, the Bossman, joins LHS Athletics

by Hailey Fox

As many people may or may not know, Lowell High School’s athletic department recently hired a second athletic trainer who has quickly become part of the LHS family. His name is Mark Pullara, or as known by the student trainers, Bossman He acquired this nickname when Baldo announced that there was going to be a second athletic trainer. Some of the student trainers took the news and ran quickly with it. They created the nickname, Bossman, because he was older than Baldo. When Mark arrived on his first day he instantaneously found this out and it stuck Here is some basic information about Bossman to get to know him better:

1.) What made you want to become an athletic trainer?

I became an athletic trainer because I enjoy working with people, and being around sports

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Construction Trades, continued from page 1

Carpenters Union in Merrillville so students have a chance to go right into the union as soon as they graduate.

The building process throughout the year has gone great. Students have made great progress on the house in Lowell and have learned so much throughout all of it. Every day, students drive themselves to and from the building site during their designated class period and work hard on building. In the construction trades program, there are three classes in the pathway that students are allowed to take, depending on their grade level. Intro to Principles of Construction is for Freshman, Construction Trades General Carpentry is for Sophomores, and Juniors/Seniors take Framing and Finishing, which is what the house building class is.

Now that it is the end of the year and the house is nearly finished, it is time for it to be sold and for a new house to be constructed next year. Lowell High School does not own the house the construction trades have been working on; contractor Jim Brooker owns the property and is planning on selling it at the end of the year.

Because the house building has gone so well this year, LHS plans on building a house every year for students in the construction program to learn about. The main goal in starting a project as serious as having students construct a house is to give students a hands-on opportunity for learning purposes. Students have been able to grow and learn greatly from the start of the year until now, and the building process has come with many great benefits for all of the construction trades program at LHS. As stated by Mr. Ganzeveld, the program initiated at the start of the year can help “give students more opportunities to learn all the different types of trades that exist with building a house. It also provides life-long skills that they can use on their own house in the future even if they don’t pursue a career in the trades.”

Environmental Club, continued from page 3

to share our love for the Earth. The scavenger hunt consisted of several environmentally-themed facts, and statistics to engage and educate our school. Many teachers even got involved and helped out with passing out clues, as the students would go up to them with the previous clue, and the teachers would have to say whether the answer was right or wrong, and would provide them with their next clue. These were just a couple of things that the environmental club was able to do, but we're hoping to expand our club next year by completing more projects. We could always use more members, anyone can join at any time! We meet every Monday in Mrs. Schoon’s room, we can’t wait to see how your ideas can benefit the club. If you have any questions regarding membership or what else we do in the club, feel free to contact any cabinet member or Mrs. Schoon for more information.

2023-2024 Budz, continued from page 4

“When I was playing pit during world history with Mr. Werling.” - Trinitie Lintner

“My favorite memory was getting to teach the underclassmen in theatre this year, and overall getting to work in the LHS Theatre Crew.” - Nyx Jennings

“The special olympics basketball games.” - Daisy Ray

“My favorite memory was during my soccer senior night when the U12 girls soccer team I coach came out to celebrate the night with me.” - Mckenzie Colson

As shown many seniors have been able to make memories both in and out of the classroom, with students, and with the staff. The senior class of 2024 had a fantastic four years at LHS filled with memories that they’ll treasure forever.

2023-2024 Rothrock, continued from page 4

Principles of Digital Design class used their phones to explore light composition and the rule of thirds. They did this in the auditorium lobby. Although this wasn't their original plan, they learned and had fun! The principles of Computing class created different “network” connections using string and teamwork. Mrs Witkowski's class learned about the circus during the first week of October. The class had different activities, one being setting up games in the classroom and serving cotton candy. The Peer Mentor group got to join in on the games and cotton candy created by Mrs Witkowski's class! On February 27th Mrs Patrick and Corporal Burkus participated in a hands-on lesson with the trades classes. On April 9th all LHS students got to go outside to experience the eclipse.

Many students got to experience field trips this year. On September 7th 2023, the construction trades pathway had an amazing time at IKORCC Construction Trades Union. On September 14th the Small Business Operations and New Venture Development pathways made a trip to Tippecanoe Vally High School. They brought back valuable information on how the students there ran a coffee shop. With this information, LHS students successfully opened a student-operated coffee shop called the LHS Bistro. Mrs Hinchy, the business pathway teacher guided the students in launching the Bistro. Mrs Hinchy also took her dual credit economics students to the Federal Revise Bank in Chicago. The class received discussions on topics they were learning in class that included money supply, the history of FED, its functions and purpose, and more. Mrs Hinchy took her New Venture Development class to PMW to collaborate with students from other schools on how to fix real issues faced by Indiana Dunes. In addition, she took two of her entrepreneurship classes to Valparaiso University to interact with other students and problem-solve. Students in the Healthcare courses attended the 2nd Annual Youth Healthcare Expo. The Peer Mentor Program got to spend a day at the elementary schools teaching students primarily about kindness.

So many awards were given at Lowell High School. On September 10th the Red Devil Racing Team came home with new awards. The team attended the Hobart ET Grand Prix Test/Tune Event. While there, they won the Fast Lap Award. Corporal Butkus and Mr. Becich won the student-created scavenger hunt in pristine machining on October 10th. Around October 10th, the LHS Spell Bowl Team won their conference competition for the 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR IN A ROW! In October and November Mrs. Mize, the athletic secretary, and Mr Govert the special education teacher received the Reliability Award. On December 2nd the Distinguished Young Woman of Lowell program participated in the Lowell Parade of Lights. Later on this year, Abigail Pflughoeft went to state for the Distinguished Young Woman of Lowell program. Bringing it back to December, the Red Devils Give Back Project was a great success! Students and Staff raised over 7000 dollars to provide 46 kids in the community Christmas presents. Some of the students in Mrs. Witkowski's class performed a holiday service project at Cedar Creek Health Campus to give back and spread Christmas cheer. Ethan Wulitch got 3rd, Jason Ardnt got 6th and Vincent Albino got 8th at the local 597 Pipe fitters competition. It's important to mention that these young men were competing against college students and adults.

Prom, continued from page 5

was a backdrop and a photo booth where you would stand in front of a green screen, and select the background of your photo. Another thing that LHS provided for the 2024 prom was a dessert table that consisted of brownies and different types of candy.

The Banquet Hall provided both drinks and dinner for everyone attending the event. The two options of soda were Sprite and Pepsi along with water as well. For the dinner, they first handed each table salad and bread. Then, the waiters and waitresses gave out the chicken, green beans, baked potatoes, and pasta as the official dinner course. Many students enjoyed their meals and had lots of fun dancing with their friends along with having a good time and creating a memory.

Theater, continued from page 7

Abigail Pflughoeft earned “Best Actress” and Bradley Miller earned the “Best Actor”. Nolan Mears earned the “Best Supporting Actor” and Claire Benton earned the “Best Supporting Actress”. For the overall full year awards, Navaeh Hurtado earned “Outstanding Crew” and Nolan Mears earned “Outstanding Techie”, Claire Benton earned “Most Valuable Thespian”, Cadence ‘CJ’ Fleager earned “Most Dedicated”, and the final award for “Rookie of the Year” went to 8th grader Hannah Mishlove. After the awards, to wrap up, the juniors gave the gifts to seniors, which including candy, notes, polaroid pictures, and a bracelet.

Advice, continued from page 8

8. Don’t waste your free time: You will be busy. There are 7 teachers on top of extracurriculars and jobs. There’s a lot going on. Whether you spend your free time working on past assignments or working a head, use your time wisely. But also, with that free time, don’t be afraid to use it on yourself. You need attention too.

9. Try classes that interest you: You might think that you are too stupid to be in a class or you might really want to try a trade class but think you’ll suck at it. Try them! It’s never a bad thing to struggle in a class and there is always a teacher or an advanced student there who can help you (NHS offers tutoring, just as an FYI) . Plus, you might end up being really good at it and really enjoying it.

10. No questions are dumb questions: Don’t be afraid to ask for help. Don’t sweat it. Don’t overthink it. Communicate with your teachers if you have any questions at all, even if you think the question is dumb. If you communicate with your teachers, they will be understanding most of the time.

Overall, high school might not seem important but it really is. You will learn a lot about yourself and the people around you over the course of these 4 years. In the long run, you might not even remember a lot of high school but you will remember the things that are special to you. Be yourself and take my advice with a grain of salt. Be who you want to be and I hope that person is open to the world around them and a good person.

Lintner, continued from page 13

nursing, with an eventual career goal to become a psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner.

Trinitie has loved her time playing volleyball and is so grateful that she has been given the opportunity to continue her athletic career into the collegiate level. She would like to thank her family, friends, and teammates for always being there for her and helping her develop into the person and player that she is today.

Congratulations, Trinitie!!

K-9, continued from page 9

55-inch TV, an American flag, a police flag, amusement park tickets, railcar games tickets, custom-made cutting boards, and several unique raffle baskets. People were seen bowling, socializing, and having fun with each other. This was a great event because not only did people socialize and have fun, but it also raised money for a great cause. This event went from 6-10, and there were still many very happy bowlers at 10 pm when the event ended. People could be seen walking out with their newest items, and feeling good about themselves that they donated to such an amazing cause. By the end of the night, over $16,000 was raised just from this one event. Three Creeks Elementary has also helped in this effort, by competing in a quarter war, and the winning class will receive a pizza party. Once again, all the money raised will go towards the Lowell Police Department for their K-9 efforts. After speaking with Officer Burkus, the department should be able to put these funds towards a second K-9 officer shortly. When you see Officer Draco, don’t be afraid to come say hi! If you have any questions about the K-9 effort, contact the Lowell Police Department. Lastly, I would like to shout out to Addison, Savannah, and the rest of the Brown family for their strenuous efforts to make this event a success.

Big Road, continued from page 12 also mentioned his experience with Big Road. He was asked if he ever got stage fright, and this is what he said, “I don’t necessarily get stage fright, maybe just a little nervous before we start playing, but after that it’s fine.” Lastly, Owen Lahm talked about his aspirations for the group and his goals going forward, “I hope we achieve enough success to make a living off of music, but usually that isn’t the case. I think I just want to be able to gig, and record some albums, and have some fans. I wouldn’t want to be too popular because that’s when the big record labels sign you and turn your music into something calculated and contrived.” Each of these very talented musicians has so much potential for their future and it is shown in their words and actions. You would think that all every musician wants is fame, but these young individuals just want to change the lives of the people around them. They always are willing to do a gig, and if you are ever interested in having them play for one of your events, you can reach them at their Instagram: @Bigroadbandin.

Boys track, continued from page 15

Kalwinski took 1st place in a field of fourteen in the 110 meter hurdles and was also crowned runner up of the 300 meter hurdles. Sophomore Daniel Frevert also won the 800 meter run in a blistering time of 2:01.80 while freshman Will Kala secured a 5th place finish as well. Freshman Jose Vasquez’s 3200 meter race resulted in a sprint out in the last 100 meters, Vasquez missing 1st place by 0.01 seconds. Senior Seth Rindfuss finished third in the boy’s discus, throwing 129’ 8. Lowell’s 4x100 meter relay team of Brody Kalwinski, Lincoln Schneider, Nathan Vujaklija, and Joshua Harmston also secured a first place finish. The 4x4 relay team Nathan Vujaklija, Trevor Shirley, Zakary Hudak, and Daniel Frevert also finished with a second place behind Laporte High School.

At the Hanover v.s. Lowell dual meet, there were also many standout performances from all events. Junior Isiah Sanchez and senior Josh Harmston secured 1st and 3rd in the 100 meter dash, respectively. Senior Seth Bakker and freshman Will Kala took 1st and 2nd place respectively in the 800 meter run. Brody Kalwinski swept the competition again in the 110 meter hurdles and took 2nd place in the 300 meter hurdles. Seth Rindfuss took the win in shot put and placed third in the discus against a tough field of Hanover Wildcats. Daniel Frevert and Ethan Wulitich both took 1st and 3rd in the 1600 meter run, both boys dipping under five minutes. Lowell’s 4x100 meter relay team of Brody Kalwinski, Lincoln Schneider, Nathan Vujaklija, and Joshua Harmston also secured another 1st place finish.

With a relatively young team and many strong assets in all specialities, there is no doubt that the boys will make some noise in the very fast approaching competition season. Good luck to the Boy’s Track team at conference and we wish you an extra speedy postseason!

Pullara, continued from page 16

as I grew up around sports my entire life, and as much as I do not like to see anyone get hurt, it is interesting to see some of the injuries that athletic trainers see. Every athletic trainer has their story/stories about injuries. This was actually my fifth major in college before I settled on something.

2.) What is your medical background?

My medical background is that I am a Certified Athletic Trainer (ATC). I have a bachelor’s degree in athletic training. As an athletic trainer, I am also required to be licensed (LAT). I am licensed in two (2) states. I am a Basic Life Support (BLS) instructor. This means I teach CPR/AED and first aid through the American Heart Association (AHA). I hold numerous certificates and endorsements for various techniques in the world of athletic training. I am also an educator in the field. I am currently working on my doctorate. I am pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy Degree (Ph.D) in Health and Human Performance. I am currently working on my dissertation to complete the degree. My previous position prior to working at Lowell, via Franciscan Health, was as a Graduate Program College Professor for Athletic Training where I taught the Assessment Course, Anatomy and Physiology Lab, Nutrition, Biomechanics/Kinesiology, and Medical Terminology. Previous to that position I was a full-time athletic trainer at a small college in Illinois where I was the Head Football Athletic Trainer and an adjunct professor teaching First Aid and Emergency Care, Physical Education (P.E.) assessment, and a student teacher supervisor