What’s recently happened?
Juniors and seniors at Boone Grove High School recently celebrated their Prom. The event took place on April 14 at the Design Barn in Hebron. With an enchanted forest theme, the scene was aglow with fairy lights and intricately decorated with small woodland objects, such as miniature bushes and mushrooms.
Festivities included the Prom Court presentations, a photobooth, a temporary tattoo station, an ice cream bar, and the DJ set featuring all of the school dance favorites.
This month, the Boone Grove academic teams participated in the Porter County Academic Invitational at Purdue University Northwest. The Math team placed second, the Fine Arts team placed third, and Boone Grove placed second overall against the eight competing schools.
What’s coming up?
The Boone Grove Drama Club will be putting on their production of the 2024 musical “Hadestown: Teen Edition.” “Hadestown,” adapted from the Broadway musical, is a modern retelling of the ancient Greek myth of Orpheus and Eurydice through the genres of jazz, folk, rock, and blues.
“There’s something incredibly powerful about witnessing raw talent take shape,” Director Stacy Davis said. “These students don’t just perform what they feel. They bring an honesty and passion to the stage that is deeply moving. Every rehearsal, every note sung, and every line delivered has been a reminder of why storytelling matters. The realism they bring to these timeless characters is breathtaking.”
The musical will make its premiere on Friday, May 2, with two more performances following on Saturday and Sunday.
The Class of 2028 is hosting a “Tat a Teacher” event to raise money for its Prom. The promotion offers students the opportunity to put a temporary tattoo on a teacher in exchange for a donation to their class fund. Prices range from $3 to $10 depending on the size of the tattoo, and the list of participating staff includes most teachers.
Staff spotlight:
Paul Belleville is the band director at Boone Grove High School and Boone Grove Middle School, serving in his role since the beginning of the 2017-2018 school year. His instrument of choice is the trumpet, but he’s able to play other instruments as well. Belleville went to Butler University to achieve his bachelor’s degree in music education.
His passion for music came from various places. His mother was a piano performer and teacher, so he took piano lessons from the age of three. He also credits his high school band directors for teaching him to be more organized and showing him that music could save him from bad times.
“It originated with the family, but it cultivated with the school,” Belleville said.
His advice to current high schoolers is to keep the important things in mind like family, friends, happiness.
“A lot of times, people don’t keep in mind that high school is a gateway towards finding happiness in your future,” Belleville said. “People who know what their focus should be tend to build towards that, and then when they have their job they’re doing something they actually want to do. Don’t be discouraged if it takes longer to find your way than others, because everybody’s journey is different.”
Student spotlight:
Mariana Pavon is a junior at Boone Grove, hailing all the way from Spain. Pavon is at Boone Grove as part of a student-exchange program, and she’s been enjoying her time here in America. Her favorite part about living here is going to school, making friends, and the majority of her classes.
Pavon was born in Mexico and lived there until about 2012 when her family moved to Miami, Florida. She doesn’t remember much about her time there, except for how hot it was. From there, she moved to Spain, where she has lived for the past seven years.
The experience of coming back to America after living in Spain for so long was a unique readjustment for Pavon to make.
“I feel like it’s different,” Pavon said. “I don’t think it’s the same, because I was little and I don’t remember a lot, so I feel like it’s my first time coming here.”
The high school experience is pretty much what Pavon expected, especially with the clubs and dances. With Prom being the biggest dance of the year for upperclassmen, she had to make an appearance.
“I was actually very nervous to go because I knew it was a very big deal, and I honestly didn’t know how it was going to be. It was very fun though,” Pavon said.
She participates in a variety of extracurriculars including Games Club, Art Club, Spanish Club, and Drama Club, where she helps around backstage.
Pavon feels that the experience of being an exchange student is a little strange, but it’s definitely worth the experience. For her, it’s worth seeing an entirely new environment, just going with the flow, meeting new people, and doing things she wouldn’t normally do.
