What's recently happened?
As 2025 starts, the new year greets Hoosiers with freezing January weather. While that should be expected from this area, the problems the cold weather causes don’t get old. Cars at risk of failures, limited hot water, and frozen hair are all the trademarks of winter in Northwest Indiana.
However, there are still some positives about the weather. While the waves of storms hit the area, there is no better time to take advantage of the abundance of snow and have fun in it.
Winter is also an aesthetically pleasing period of time, and offers another side of nature that is pure visual eye candy. The possibilities are endless when it comes to things such as photography, sledding, or just having plain fun in the snow.
However, it is best to practice safety, as the area is expected to have temperatures drop to as low as the negatives, which is when the weather becomes life-threatening.
What's coming up?
On Friday, February 7, Portage High School (PHS) is celebrating its annual Winter Formal. The dance is being held in the Duneland Falls Banquet & Meeting Center in Chesterton, Indiana. Tickets will be $25 each from January 13-24. As the demand for the tickets gets higher, so will the prices. From January 27-31, the ticket prices will be raised to $30.
The price of admission isn’t the only thing a student needs to get through the banquet doors. A student must also pass a requirement of proper attendance, meaning that if a student has missed so many classes/days, the chances of them being accepted into the dance are quite slim. Especially with the school facing an attendance issue, a lot of students could have another thing coming if they plan to spend their Friday night in the banquet.
The dance will start at 7 p.m and end at 10 p.m., with doors opening 30 minutes prior to the start. Students are expected to dress semi-formally at the bare minimum, with suits and dresses being the standard expectation for dance attire. Hurry, because the dance operates in a “first come, first serve” fashion, with only 600 tickets being sold before it sells out.
Staff spotlight:
Celebrating her 14th year as an educator, Shay Travis has left an undeniable impact on the Portage community. Her down-to-earth attitude leaves each classroom she teaches with an atmosphere of humility and a sense of welcome.
Pressured by their teachers, peers, and parents to succeed academically, students often struggle with things such as burnout. Travis prefers a different approach when it comes to struggling students.
“The best approach for a struggling student is patience and compassion. If a student struggles academically and is receptive to assistance, the struggles more easily become successes,” said Travis.
Every student has the potential to be great in school, and Travis understands while that is true, students will have setbacks due to different circumstances and struggles. Her humble beginnings living in a small town make her character all the more admirable.
“My upbringing could be described as wholesome and supportive,” she said. “I had a stability growing up that I’ve learned to appreciate even more in my adult life.”
Travis is known for her more evenly-paced classrooms with easily digestible information during each lesson. With the ever-growing impatience for students among teachers, each of her classrooms feels like a genuine, heartwarming, therapeutic environment.
Student spotlight:
Truly ahead of his peers, Greg Campbell is a student who has his mind set on the world around him and how it works.
“Recently, I’ve found myself captivated by two seemingly disparate hobbies: weather forecasting and photography. It’s a fascinating combination that has unexpectedly enriched my life. I’ve always been drawn to the dramatic beauty of the natural world, and learning to interpret weather patterns has allowed me to anticipate the perfect conditions for capturing those moments,” said Campbell.
Halfway through his high school career, Campbell already has his mind on weather forecasting as a likely future career. Campbell’s charisma and charm are bound for the smaller screens, as those qualities are clearly abundant through his presentation.
Not only has Campbell learned his values from years of active participation in sports, but he also inherited his values from the people he idolizes, such as his parents and especially his grandmother.
“My hero is my family, but my grandma holds a special place in my heart. She has not only raised me with love and care but also sparked my interest in meteorology and baseball,” said Campbell.
Campbell is no stranger to concepts such as teamwork either.
“I want to express my gratitude to my teammates and throwing partners. They have been beside me through thick and thin, especially on my tough days when I’m not performing my best. They remind me that I’m part of a team, and together, we can face challenges,” said Campbell.
Whatever environment he finds himself in, Campbell and his values will prevail, making his success in fulfilling his goals almost a certainty.
