What’s recently happened?
November had been a busy month for Morgan Township High School (MTHS). With countless school events, all students have been kept busy and active in their school and community.
On November 11, the MTHS Student Council hosted its annual Veterans’ Day Program. At the program, the MTHS choir and band performed the National Anthem and an assorted collection of other patriotic tunes. Josh Koch, a veteran and Morgan Township resident and parent, was this year's guest speaker and described his service. Veterans in the Morgan Township community were honored through a slideshow presentation and those in attendance were recognized by their branch of the military.
The MTHS Art Club also hosted its annual Cookies and Canvas fundraiser. During this fundraiser, members of the community came and participated in a painting tutorial, which was guided by Julie Zendzian, the MTHS Art Club president. The money raised during Cookies and Canvas will be put towards a $500 art scholarship.
“Cookies and Canvas, for me, was a very nerve-wracking but delightful experience. This is my first time instructing it rather than helping it out, and I'm overjoyed to see that everyone in attendance had a fun time and was happy with the results,” Zendzian said. “I'm also glad that the Art Scholarship for MTHS was completely paid for as well. All in all, I'm elated with the results of this year, and I'm excited to do it next year.”
However, the Veterans’ Day Program and Cookies and Canvas were only part of the several events that occurred during November at MTHS. For example, the MTHS Key Club hosted a sock drive for a local homeless shelter throughout the month, with several boxes for donations scattered throughout the school. The MTHS Interact Club also delivered cookies to staff members in time for Thanksgiving.
What’s coming up?
While basketball season has already started at MTHS, December will be jam-packed with countless games both at the school and away for Boys Basketball and Girls Basketball. These games, along with finals and winter break, will make December a hectic time at MTHS.
MTHS Cheer, Dance, Drumline, and Pep Band all started alongside basketball this November but will be reaching their peak season in December. The students in the Pep Band and Drumline may only play for the Boys Basketball games, but the MTHS Varsity and Junior Varsity (JV) Cheer and Dance teams will attend both Girls Varsity and Boys Varsity Basketball games.
The MTHS Girls Basketball team will have games on December 3, December 7, and December 10 along with several other games later in the month. The game on December 3 will be at North Judson High School while the game on December 7 will be at MTHS and the game on December 10 will be at South Central High School. Both the JV and Varsity teams will play all three dates, but their games will be at different times.
The MTHS Boys Basketball team will play on December 6, December 7, and December 10. The game on December 6 will be at Bethany Christian High School while the game on December 7 will be at MTHS, and the game on December 10 will be at South Central High School. Like the Girls Basketball team, the JV and Varsity Boys Basketball teams will both play all three games at different times.
Staff spotlight:
David Atwood is among the few teachers who can claim they've taught in the same high school that they graduated from. He has taught at MTHS for 33 years, spending his entire career as a teacher helping and guiding the students and staff of MTHS.
“My favorite parts about MTHS are the interactions that I have with my students and that I get to work with some great colleagues every day,” Atwood said.
Atwood teaches biology, anatomy and physiology, and AP Biology. He has taught every student that has attended MTHS and is a student favorite for his in-depth lessons and interests in the subjects he teaches. Although he hadn’t planned on being a teacher after his high school graduation, his impact on the school and its students speaks for itself.
“In the fall after I graduated, I got a call from my former JV Boys Basketball coach at Morgan, Paul Bauer. He asked me if I wanted to coach the Freshman Boys Basketball team and be his JV assistant. I said yes and had a great time doing it,” Atwood said. “During that season, Coach Bauer, my guidance counselor Harry Pettibone, and my principal Paul Knauff, convinced me to go to college. I owe a lot of my success as an educator to those three men.”
Atwood later went to Purdue University to major in animal science and then transferred to Valparaiso University and changed his major to secondary education before getting a job at MTHS. As a testament to his success in teaching, many previous students often go into science careers after spending time in Atwood’s classroom.
“Science Teacher Amber Dippo and I have been inviting former science students to come back and speak to our AP Classes for about 15 years right before Thanksgiving break,” Atwood said. “These former students talk about their experiences in college, give advice, and answer student questions. They impress me so much with their maturity, their determination, and their drive for success. This is without a doubt the favorite part of my job.”
Student spotlight:
Ireland Hanna is a senior at MTHS. She is an active and well-rounded student and is a part of the Interact Club, German Club, Debate Team, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. She is also a volunteer firefighter at the Morgan Township Volunteer Fire Department and a dedicated member of the Calvary Church; furthermore, she has spent four years in both Varsity Girls Soccer and Varsity Cheer, being the captain of the Varsity Cheer Team for one year along with being an All American Cheer Qualifier.
“I'm more than proud to say I'm a current member of the Morgan Township Volunteer Fire Department and the first high school graduate from the Multi-Agency Academic Cooperative Emergency Medical Technician course,” Hanna said.
Hanna plans to go to college and major in nursing and participate in Army Reserve Officer Training. She has her options open but hopes to go to Purdue University. Her favorite classes at MTHS have been anatomy and physiology along with AP Biology.
“Working in the emergency room, I had a specific experience with a deaf, elderly patient. Using basic American Sign Language, I was able to communicate with her more effectively than the other staff members. I'll never forget that interaction I had,” Hanna said. “Her gratefulness and other experiences had made me realize I want to pursue nursing.”
Hanna enjoys music and can play two instruments, one of them being the drums, and musical art has always caught her attention. She also can’t wait for what the world has to offer and loves to spend time outdoors in nature.
“When given the chance, be kind. Being unkind to fit in is not cool. Have fun in school activities and don't be afraid to enjoy things,” Hanna said. “We're all human beings, no one's perfect and it's O.K. to act like it.”