What's recently happened
On December 21, 2021, Portage High School (PHS) went on winter break. Over break, students and faculty of PHS made the most of their breaks.
Allison Conrad, a senior at PHS, spent a lot of time with her friends and family over break. Conrad’s favorite activity over break was spending time with her boyfriend during Christmas.
“When I saw my boyfriend’s reaction to opening the presents we exchanged, I was super happy. His reaction really made my break memorable,” Conrad said.
Conrad’s favorite gift she received from her boyfriend was a necklace with his initials and her birthstone on it.
Mark Marvin, a history teacher at PHS, went to Florida over break. Going to Florida for winter break is a yearly ritual for Marvin due to the fact that he has gone there for break for so many years in a row. While in Florida, Marvin enjoys spending time with his wife, mom, and dad doing various activities. Marvin especially enjoys eating fresh seafood and visiting with his dad when he is down in Florida.
“I enjoy spending time with my dad because he's 75 and I don’t know how much longer I’ll have with him,” Marvin said.
What’s coming up
Later this January, PHS students involved in band, orchestra, or choir will perform for judges at Indiana State School Music Association's Solo and Ensemble event. Solo and Ensemble has been a tradition at PHS for many years and consists of students who are in a music class performing as a group or individually to get scored by judges. After performing, students can earn a bronze, silver, or gold medal and the experience of musical competition.
Sydney Gardner is a junior at PHS and has been doing Solo and Ensemble since middle school. In Gardner’s opinion, Solo and Ensemble is very enjoyable and easy as long as you practice.
This year Gardner has decided to do both solo and ensemble performances. Gardner’s solo piece is titled "The Little Rose" and was written by William Roy.
“I chose to do 'The Little Rose' because it was such a pretty song to me, I just could not resist," Gardner mentioned.
For most, competition can be both nerve-racking and exhilarating. In Gardner’s point of view; she finds Solo and Ensemble to be super exciting and rewarding as long as she practices.
A senior at PHS, Maya Lavendusky, will also be performing at Solo and Ensemble. Lavendusky will be performing an orchestra ensemble piece titled "DMO Movements I and II" by Shirl Jae Atwell.
Lavendusky has been a part of the PHS orchestra since middle school and, in turn, has been playing the cello for six years. Solo and Ensemble is also not a new concept to Lavendusky due to the fact that she has participated in it quite a few times.
One thing that Lavendusky wants new participants of Solo and Ensemble to know is that it takes a lot of dedication and perseverance.
“I believe other people should know more about the art and craft of music, especially basic knowledge of the instruments such as their names” Lavendusky said.
For Lavendusky, Solo and Ensemble is a great activity for her and her friends to socialize at as well as a great atmosphere to develop and craft the art of music.
Teacher spotlight
Tom Erickson is a history teacher, cross country coach, and track assistant coach that has educated children at PHS since 2006. Erickson teaches a variety of history classes such as World History, Ethnic Studies, and Current Events. All of the classes Erickson teaches are available for all grade levels.
From the beginning, Erickson knew he was passionate about education but was unsure until his sophomore year of high school that he wanted to become a teacher. Erickson’s reasoning as to why he fell in love with teaching was due to his influential teachers at PHS and Fegely Middle School.
“I wanted to have the same impact on young people that they had on me,” Erickson stated.
As for Erickson’s passion for social studies, he got his inspiration from his parents and grandparents at a young age. Erickson’s love of social studies also stemmed from learning geography and state capitals in elementary school.
Aside from social studies, Erickson also has a passion for running. He has been running since his eighth-grade year and never intends to stop. In the beginning, Erickson had never planned to coach cross country or track, but during a student teaching job at Merrillville High School, Erickson fell in love with coaching. When he applied to work at PHS, he also saw an opening for coaching cross country and track. Erickson applied and fell in love with being an educator in the classroom and on the track.
“I love coaching the cross country and distance guys. It’s a lot of work, but it is definitely a blast. Being around like-minded people and helping them turn our sport into a lifelong endeavor is pretty fulfilling. Seeing the guys achieve things that maybe they didn’t think were possible never gets old. Never,” Erickson related.
Student Spotlight
Jocelyn Serrano is an 18-year-old senior that attends PHS. Although born and raised in Portage, Serrano travels to Mexico quite regularly. Throughout Serrano’s lifetime, she has visited Mexico around 30 times and is always happy to return. This past year, Serrano visited Mexico four times.
One of Serrano’s earliest memories from Mexico was traveling down to spend Christmas with her family.
“Living so far away from my family was always hard, but the bond we all had made it seem like no time had passed whenever we saw each other,” Serrano said.
While in Mexico, Serrano always stays with her family in a little town called Momax, Zacatecas. In Momax, Serrano regularly attends bailes (dances) with her family and friends. Serrano considers bailes to be one of her most favorite activities while vacationing in Mexico.
“I love dancing. I’m there having a blast,” she said.
Aside from partying in Momax, Serrano and her family regularly ride horses. Since Serrano was born she has been riding horses and attending rodeos. For many generations, Serrano and her family have owned horses and are even considered to be vaqueros and charros (cowboys).
Since Serrano visits Momax quite frequently, she likes to tell her friends that she will be out of the country. Serrano has found that when she tells her friends or others about her leaving for Mexico they always assume she is going to a beachy resort. For Serrano, that is quite the opposite, but she likes it that way.
“Momax is little; it has a population of under 1600. The norm is horses and chickens just walking around. There are no beaches insight, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Serrano said.
To Serrano, her second home, Momax, is a place with a generational community: a place that’s home where everyone helps each other out.
“My town is one of those towns where everyone knows everyone. There is not a Walmart, or a Target. It’s full of small businesses, stands, or markets. We all support each other no matter what, and we’re always there for one another. If something happens to one of us, it happens to all of us. In times of need, the town comes together, and I think it's beautiful,” she said.
Serrano loves everything about Mexico and never intends to quit visiting there. To her, both Mexico and America have a special place in her heart.
“I never want to stop going to Mexico or forget where I am from," she said. "It's where my family and friends are, it's my roots, and it's part of who I am. There is not a day that goes by that I don’t think about Mexico or talk to my friends and family from out there. In Mexico, I can celebrate my heritage and culture and it’ll always keep me connected to it."