#1StudentNWI: Griffith springs through March

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During mid-February, Griffith High School (GHS) Juniors Emily DeYoung and Hailey-Marie Guajardo competed in the Indiana High School Dance Team Association (IHSDTA) State Competition in the Senior Duet category. The two performed the song “Ode to a Love Lost” by Finn Rossdorf. Throughout the year, this duet has performed very well. Its peak during the regular season was at the Homestead High School Invitational where DeYoung and Guajardo received a 67 for their duet.

Despite the regular season’s success, this duet faced some adversity during their season. At the Lake Central High School Invitational, Sophomore Ja’Nessa Wheatley had to replace a sick DeYoung and had to learn the routine on very short notice. Overcoming this made them a stronger duet this season.

Back down at Homestead for their duo of performances at Semi-State and State, DeYoung and Guajardo placed in the top ten to secure their qualification for the state finals, but what surprised them more was their ten-point jump in score from their 67 at Homestead Invitational to a 77 at Semi-State.

Later in the day, DeYoung and Guajardo mirrored that performance with another score of 77 securing an eighth-place finish at the IHSDTA State Finals, and DeYoung was pleased with their performance.

On March 15, National Honor Society (NHS) is hosting its annual springtime Trivia Night. This event is used as a fundraiser to help fund the cords and tassels needed for graduating members of NHS.

This time around the categories include TV shows, society, literature, games/hobbies, and sports. Questions will be provided by members chosen within NHS.

The event is town-wide and is open to any community members and/or students and staff. The groups of competing teams, which must include four or more people, are split between student and non-student teams. Each group’s biggest winner and biggest loser is rewarded with candy and other assortments of prizes.

Julie Larson, an English and Language Arts teacher at GHS, is from the same area she teaches in now. Her family is from Hammond, has been there for three generations, and attended Hammond Gavit High School for the majority of her education. She graduated from Purdue University Northwest with a Bachelors in English.

At GHS, this is her first year and she teaches Speech, Composition, Journalism, English 10 Honors, Panther Press Publications, and Yearbook.

“I teach because I love teaching, I love seeing students’ growth and I love interacting and learning from students,” Larson said.

While in class, Larson wants her students to take away some key elements that will help them in the real world.

Ja’Nessa Wheatley is a sophomore at GHS, and she is an involved student-athlete and has a great positive impact on the school as a whole.

Wheatley is in Book Club, International Club, Best Buddies, Unified Sports, Theatre, Booster Club, and both Student and Class Council along with her sports of Pantherettes, volleyball, and track. While she enjoys all of the activities she participates in, her favorite one is Pantherettes.

“I’ve been dancing for six years, and I also just really enjoy the family-like dynamic on the team. I also love our coach, Becky Starks. I think she makes it all that much better,” Wheatley said.

Along with dancing, Wheatley has some more serious focuses in life, primarily surrounding her success and achievements.

“I want to lead a very successful life,” she said. “I want to go to college and continue getting good grades, two things that are really important to me.”

Wheatley also prioritizes dance outside of Pantherettes, going to the gym, and reading in her spare time.

Wheatley’s star characteristic, however, is her positive and infectious personality.

“I firmly believe there is more to life than the negative side of things in all aspects of life,” Wheatley said. “If you always look through a negative lens, you will never see the beautiful positive things in life.”

Wheatley’s radiant positivity and personality are much loved by everyone at GHS, and she has a great impact on those around her.