What's recently happened:
On Friday, February 4, students of Portage High School (PHS) attended their first winter formal since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to safety precautions, only 400 students were able to purchase a ticket and attend the long-anticipated return of school dances. This year's winter formal theme was Valentine's Day due to its closeness to the holiday, and featured a DJ, dance floor, photo booth, and smiling students.
One attendee of the dance was Jordyn Lockett, a junior at PHS. In Lockett’s opinion, formal was an amazing experience. Lockett especially admired the photo booth because she felt the props and backgrounds were adorable. In terms of music, Lockett found her favorite song of the night to be “Wobble” by V.I.C. because everyone was on the dance floor.
Lockett attended formal with her best friends and had an amazing time.
Another attendee of the formal was Landis Prince, a senior at PHS. He attended with his girlfriend and friends, and enjoyed his time at the dance. In Prince’s opinion, this year’s formal blew every other year out of the water. Prince especially enjoyed dancing on the dance floor and having fun. When thinking back, Prince is happy he attended his last high school formal and knows he left his mark.
What’s coming up:
Next month is PHS’s spring break from March 21 to 25. Over spring break the students of PHS go on vacation, pick up extra shifts at work, sleep in late, hang out with their friends and family, or spend time relaxing and resting. Spring break is significantly different for every student, but one thing is constant among them all: no school!
Angelina Gonzalez is a senior at PHS and intends to spend this spring break with her family in Clearwater, Florida. Gonzalez and her family are going to Clearwater to see and spend time with her aunts. While in Clearwater, Gonzalez and her family intend to spend plenty of time on the beach and visit Disney World.
Prior to this upcoming vacation, Gonzalez has only been to Florida once and has never been to Disney World. This new adventure and experience of Disney World will be exciting for her.
“I’m excited for all the roller coasters and to finally see the princess castles.” Gonzalez said.
When considering her upcoming vacation, Gonzalez is excited to soak up the sun and not have any pressing school work on her mind.
Another PHS senior, Autumn Turner, plans to make the most of her spring break by vacationing and learning new skills. Over the break, Turner plans to take a three-day vacation to Chicago with her sister and enjoy the city life. Turner also hopes to begin learning how to play the guitar over break, due to her lifetime wish of learning the skill. For Turner, spring break could not come faster. She is looking forward to fun, new experiences, and relaxation.
Teacher spotlight:
Jordan Dollins is the choir director at PHS and has educated and conducted there for four years. Before being an educator at PHS, Dollins spent his time as a choir director at John Glenn High School, Urey Middle School, Harding Academy, and Ball State University.
As he grew up, Dollins often pondered if being an educator was the right fit for him. In college, Dollins originally majored in biochemistry and molecular biology, but soon realized that being an educator was for him.
“I found out that I needed more interactions with people than lab work, so I decided to become a music education major,” said Dollins.
For eight years, Dollins has been an educator of music in Indiana. His experience has allowed him to learn his favorite parts about teaching it.
“My favorite part about teaching music is watching students grow over long periods of time. It’s so exciting to see a timid freshman blossom into a star performer by their senior year," said Dollins. "Making music with others is so great because it allows the group to achieve so much more than the individual could alone."
Aside from being a choral high school director, Dollins also takes part in various musical programs and boards. Dollins serves as the music director for the PHS’s yearly spring musical and the set designer for both the fall and spring plays. Dollins also sits on the Indiana State School Music Association board and is currently the Co-Chair for the Midwest American Choral Director Association of the 2022 High School Honor Choir. He is also the director for the upcoming “Matilda” play at the Memorial Opera House in Valparaiso.
To Dollins, music is a gift. He believes that students deciding whether to join one of PHS’s choirs have nothing to fear.
“Everyone can sing. People laugh when I say this because a lot of people aren’t confident with their voices. Your voice is the only thing that you are born with, so it’s incredibly personal and can make people feel vulnerable. However it’s my job to help students learn how their voice works and how to use it alone and with others,” Dollins said.
In Dollins' opinion, being an educator is one of his greatest and proudest accomplishments.
“I am very proud to be an educator. I believe that we as a profession are the backbone of our society. Every profession has to be taught before they can succeed,” said Dollins.
Student spotlight:
Recently, a senior at PHS, Ethan Howard, was accepted into the United States Naval Academy (USNA). For Howard, this success was just as important as his journey there.
Howard has been a part of the PHS Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) since his freshman year of high school. He joined ROTC because he wanted to learn more about the military and become a better person.
This year in ROTC, Howard received the title of Cadet Sergeant Major. The title made Howard responsible for guiding and coordinating the drill team, and it showed other members that he was someone they could go to with any questions or issues about the ROTC. Howard’s title also reflects that he is one of the top three cadets in the ROTC.
Aside from being a leading component of ROTC, Howard is involved in several school clubs, sports, and advanced placement classes. Some of Howard's extracurriculars include cross country, track, drill, student council, National Honors Society, Academic Super Bowl, and the Student Athletic Advisory Committee (SAAC).
The SAAC was a recent opportunity given to Howard due to his title as captain of the Portage Cross Country Team.
“I was accepted into the SAAC because I was a captain of the cross country team. It is an honor and It has given me more opportunities to help my community,” said Howard.
Howard decided to apply for the USNA because it would provide him a free education and the opportunity to serve his country as an officer in the Navy or Marine Corps if he was accepted.
“I intend to serve in the military because I believe I have a duty to protect my nation and repay my country for all it has done for me,” Howard said.
With only a nine percent acceptance rate at USNA, Howard was beyond thrilled when he found out he was accepted.
“At first, I was extremely giddy, there is not a better word for it. I was jumping up and down hysterically laughing. Then after I calmed down, I started thinking about how this was a momentous part of my life and a completely new stage of my life was about to begin in a few months. Once that feeling settled in, I felt unusually calm and knew in my heart this was supposed to be the next step in my life,” said Howard.