GreatNews.Life Student Voices: La Lu spirit starts the year off strong

What’s recently happened?

La Lumiere School’s (La Lu) fall athletics season is off to a strong start across the board. Girls’ Volleyball is currently undefeated with a 4-0 record and has the team looking ahead to a promising rest of the season. Their early success has brought a lot of excitement to home games, with more students coming to watch and support the team.

That same energy has carried throughout the student section for every sport. La Lu’s student section, named “The Lake Effect,” has had a strong presence throughout the fall sports season so far, especially during All School Games.

All School Games, a new requirement for the year, is where every student attends a game that day centered around a specific game theme, cheering on their classmates and showing off school spirit. It’s one of those days that reminds the whole community what makes La Lu feel like La Lu. Boys’ Soccer won against Portage Christian School, and Girls’ Soccer stopped Morton High School during their All School Games, giving Lakers two more reasons to celebrate.

After such a fast start to the year, students finally got a chance to slow down over Labor Day weekend. The short break gave everyone time to rest and recharge before jumping back into the busy rhythm of classes, sports, and everything else that comes with being a student at La Lu in the fall.

What’s coming up?

Family weekend, one of La Lu’s most beloved traditions, is back the week of September 26, and this year’s schedule is packed from start to finish.

The weekend kicks off Friday night with a volleyball game that will draw the whole school out to cheer on the team. From there, everyone heads over to Sullivan Field, where a large tent is set up for a community dinner, bringing together students, families, friends, and faculty. The night wraps up with a Head’s Cup volleyball game, adding some friendly competition to the celebration.

Saturday starts early with a Laker 5K and a cross country meet, followed by lunch under the tent. The afternoon is full of athletic events with Boys’ and Girls’ Soccer games alongside Head’s Cup competitions, where parents get to join their students’ teams to participate in the school spirit.

The weekend closes out with one of La Lu’s most meaningful traditions: the senior bonfire. Seniors walk together through the woods carrying torches before lighting a huge bonfire at the end, where the whole school gathers and takes photos together to close out the weekend on a memory students will have forever.

Staff spotlight:

Nichole Rupp is one of La Lu’s staff members who strives to bring experience and humor to everything she does on campus.

Rupp was born in Anchorage, Alaska, and earned her first degree from California State University, Northridge. Before coming to La Lu, she spent eight years teaching in London, working with students ranging from fifth grade through university level. She later taught at a boarding school in Arizona, this time with students in eighth through 12th grade.

Teaching has always been Rupp’s dream career. She jokes that if she weren’t a teacher, she would have a completely different and unrealistic lifestyle.

“I’d hire someone to fly me around on a private jet so I could review hotels and restaurants,” Rupp said.

This year, Rupp is teaching AP Human Geography, a subject she’s excited about as her second area of focus alongside English. She’s also looking forward to basketball season this winter. Rupp is always willing to help when students are struggling, and that kindness has made her someone students feel they can trust.

She’s become a favorite teacher for many, and a genuine part of what makes the La Lu community feel like home.

Student spotlight:

Camden Tegt is a senior from Chesterton, serving as La Lu’s Spirit Prefect this year. He’s spent all four years of high school at La Lu, and school spirit runs in the family. His older sister, Avery, also attended La Lu, where she served as Activities Prefect before graduating in 2025 and heading off to Fairfield University in Connecticut.

Tegt finished off a standout golf season by winning the Uebele Orange Coat in La Porte on May 15. The Uebele Invitational is one of the longest continuously run high school golf tournaments in the country, and in recent years, tournament organizers started awarding the winning team an orange jacket, similar to the green jacket tradition at the Masters Tournament. Taking home the Orange Coat means Tegt’s team beat out the rest of the field to win the whole tournament.

Off the course, Tegt makes just as big of an impact. As Spirit Prefect, he brings unmatched energy to campus, especially at home games, where he’s known for painting himself head to toe to rally support for the Lakers. 

This year, he’s taken things a step further by wearing a full construction cone costume to match the school year’s theme, “All In, All the Time”. Tegt embodies that mindset in everything he does and has been successful in spreading that school spirit throughout the student body.

“Every opportunity you have it is important to give it your all and live every intention like it is your last,” Tegt said.