Teacher Spotlight
Being one of the most honest and enjoyable teachers here at VHS, Mr. Davis is more than deserving of this recognition. He has been a VHS teacher for 24 years now, and we are so thankful to have him.
When asked what he enjoys most about teaching, Davis responds with, “I love to engage the students with my passion for History and Government, and I also greatly enjoy being involved in extracurricular and athletic activities, such as football and Model United Nations.” Davis is not only a teacher here at VHS, but also a football coach, and he has made a great impact on each of these.
He has taught AP US history, AP Government, and World History. As you can see, he has a strong passion for teaching social studies and other history subjects. He is very involved in his teaching methods and his students find themselves learning more and more everyday.
One student, Robert Kreloff, was asked what was most memorable about being in his class, and responded with, “Mr. Davis would connect similarities between current presidential candidates to a student in the class and provide some jokes with it to make for lots of laughs, pretty much on a daily basis.”
As you can see, VHS would not be the same without him and the welcoming atmosphere that he brings. So thank you, Mr. Davis, for being both a spontaneous and encouraging teacher!
Student Spotlight
Having brought so much talent and encouragement to VHS, Patrick Kelly is the epitome of a hard working student.
I think it says something considering how there is not a single person in the school who doesn’t like Patrick. He is such an enjoyable person to be around and always has so much positivity surrounding him.
During his junior year football season, Patrick was successfully able to score a 70-yard touchdown in a game against Gary West Side. Not only is he a hard-working player in football, but he also continues to show Valpo’s talents in basketball as well. Also during his junior year, and being a new-comer to the Varsity Team, Patrick started his first game and earned himself 14 points, which included making 4 of 4 three-point shots, just in the first quarter.
While he tackles his opponents both on the field and on the court, Patrick never loses sight of his schoolwork. He is also very involved as he includes himself in football, basketball, team LEAD, and National Honor Society.
He says his favorite teacher is Mr. Kerezman because, as he says, “he does a great job of teaching Latin material while also teaching life lessons and current issues within the country.” Mr. Kerezman is known to be a very involved teacher and many of his students find themselves enjoying every minute of his class.
Overall, I am so thankful to be around people like Patrick at VHS, for they truly do make our school a better place because of their compassionate and kind personalities!
ASAP Concert
Brought to you by Valparaiso’s favorite ice cream shop, Valpo Velvet successfully raised hundreds of dollars to help ASAP club. This club, Alliance of Students Against Poverty, has goals to help raise money to benefit Hilltop House.
Senior Kareen Billetter recalls, “The concert was so LIT that I sang too hard and lost my voice!”
It is fundraisers like this each year that can mean so much and although small, can help the community in such tremendous ways. We are so thankful for people like the Browns, and the countless other families who contribute to the community in ways I can not even put into words.
The kids overall were able to join together and sing and dance to music played by their peers, and without a doubt were able to eat some of their favorite ice cream while doing so.
Thank you ASAP for pleasing us every year with not only some amazing music, but also for encouraging us to get out there and change the world. Make music fight poverty!!
Debate Nationals
The VHS speech and debate team successfully traveled to Salt Lake City, Utah, where they were able to showcase their talents to all of the country.
Along with other fellow students, Christian Sayers was able to successfully place 12th in the country in the International Extemporaneous category.
Throughout their season, the VHS Speech and Debate Team was highly successful and were able to showcase their talents at each and every competition. This year, at the National Competition, students from our school were able to connect with others around them, and the inspiration was spread as students shared in their devotion for speaking and encouraging others.
Speech and Debate is a great outlet that allows students to express themselves and fully emerge in specific areas of information. Thank you VHS Speech and Debate for allowing our students to have a voice, and a congratulations to not only Christian Sayers, but also all other students involved who represented VHS with high regards.