What’s recently happened?
Wheeler High School’s (WHS) Girls Swim team recently had its first swim meet on November 19. This meet was held in La Porte. Captain Demi Tasicas, a senior, is very excited for this season.
“Swim has always been my sport and I’m so honored to be the captain. I’m excited for this season, but sad that it is my last,” said Tasicas.
Although WHS did not win this meet, all of the girls worked very hard. La Porte High School is a tough team.
WHS’ newest swimmers – Freshmen Rowan Kruszka, Jena Wotherspoon, and Payton Arney – debuted their first meet. The nerves were high, but they all swam their best and did so well. The whole team is so proud of them.
“I knew I could do it, but I didn’t really know what to expect. That’s what made me the most nervous,” said Kruszka.
What’s coming up?
On November 26, the Boys Basketball team will be having its first game. It is home against South Central High School. The boys junior varsity (JV) team will be playing first at 5:30 p.m., and the varsity team will follow, usually beginning around 7 p.m.
The starters for varsity the first game are Seniors Carter Blane and Marek Barton, Juniors Nick Scott and Caleb McLaughlin, and Sophomore Connor Welch.
The WHS Basketball team won against South Central last year, so it will be exciting to see if they can win again.
“South Central has more drive to win since we won last year. It should be a good game,” said Scott.
Staff spotlight:
Natalie Mills teaches English and Digital Media at WHS. She is also the sponsor for World of Wheeler (WOW), WHS’s school newspaper club.
Although she loves all her classes, her favorite is Digital Media. She loves the artistry of it and being able to teach her students about how to use cameras and edit videos.
“Oh, I love that class! We came up with creative ideas,adjusted new lenses, and figured out how to adjust to different lighting and how to focus the camera,” said Senior Reagan Luedtke.
At the end of the year, Mills has her Digital Media students make documentaries on someone they find interesting within their school community. The documentaries are played in the auditorium one night and it is a spectacular experience.
“I love being able to have a day to present all of the students’ hard work,” said Mills.
Mills started WOW last year and it has only grown since. The club releases a newspaper every two weeks, and the students get to choose what they want to write about. Landon Good, a senior, has his “Top 7” section, where he picks a category and ranks seven things within it.
The students not only write, but set up the format and take the pictures for the newspaper. Mills and Good are in the process of creating a website that will allow access to all of the past issues and spotlight all the members of the club.
“A lot of work is put into these issues, and it’s sad that there’s no way to go back and read them again. The club members put a lot of effort into them, they deserve to be known,” said Mills.
Mills favorite part about teaching is creating lasting bonds with her students. She loves making an impact on their lives. She hopes graduating students will do what they love and what makes a difference in their future. She hopes incoming students join WOW and keep preserving even when school becomes tough.
Student spotlight:
Luke Richardson is a junior at WHS. He participates in many art centered extracurriculars, tennis, and National Honors Society (NHS). Luke is part of choir, show choir, and any musical or play the Bearcat Theater Company puts on.
He was most recently in “Goosebumps the Musical.” His role was Brian throughout the musical and the phantom in the final scenes.
“This had to have been my favorite musical I’ve been in. I loved the cast and the show itself,” said Luke Richardson.
He especially loved that his twin brother, Jude Richardson, was a lead alongside him.
Luke and Jude Richardson are not only actors together, but they are doubles partners when playing tennis. This began their junior season, as they played singles their freshmen and sophomore seasons.
“It may be because we’re twins, but I love doing things with my brother. It’s extra special to experience these moments alongside him,” said Luke Richardson.
Luke Richardson was inducted into NHS this year. This is a tough feat, as you have to maintain a 3.5 GPA or higher. He has kept up his academics and is an outstanding student.
Luke Richardson hopes incoming students aren’t afraid to be themselves and wants them to try new things. The friends he has met in his classes and extracurriculars have really shaped who he is and he believes they are the best part of school.