GreatNews.Life Student Voices: Whiting’s summer fun closes as school doors open

What’s recently happened?

The 2025 summer tennis camp in the Region has officially ended. The annual tennis camp, hosted by Coach Arthur Young, took place from June 2-27, then continued again from July 7 to August 1. This camp is for children ages 5 to 19. Young has been hosting this camp for over 18 years.

As the coach of the Whiting High School (WHS) Girls Tennis team, Young started the camp because he knew it is not easy to learn to play tennis. While he noticed players at other schools get into the sport because of other family members and can take private lessons, he wanted others to have equal opportunity. It can also get his future players more invested in the sport.

This was a great summer activity for kids in the community. Not only was it good for their skills, but it allowed others to work with the youth and brought everyone together as a team. 

If parents are looking for something fun to get their kids involved in during the remainder of the summer or the upcoming school year, Young encourages them to look into the tennis camp. He notes it is fun and promotes an activity for the kids at a low cost, all while supporting the WHS tennis team.

“It’s important for kids to try new things whether it’s food, sports, or activities, because it broadens their experience and opportunities,” Young said.

What’s coming up?

As summer break finishes, students are getting ready to come back to school. WHS starts the 2025-2026 academic year on August 13, and it ends on May 29. With the school year approaching fast, some students are sorting out what they would like this year to look like for them, as well as adjusting to how new teachers may run their classrooms. Other students are most excited to see and catch up with their friends.

“I feel great about going back to school because I get to see friends and make new ones as well,” Sophomore DiNyah Marshall said.

Along with seeing friends, there are many other things for students to look forward to. This includes extracurricular activities, sports, and surprises they don’t know about yet.

“I can’t wait for the surprises that await us this school year. It’s always fun waiting for the suspense of school starting around,” Junior Isabella Vega said.

This year is the year for everyone to accomplish goals they have. The new board staff brings promising success for the school and its students.

“I just want to do my best. I want to strive for the highest grades and spend my last year having fun with all my friends,” Senior Ling Nhol said.

Community member spotlight:

Adrienne DeLuna is a long-time member of the community and a youth services librarian at the public library. She was born and raised in Whiting, graduating from WHS.

After high school, DeLuna went to Indiana University Northwest and Calumet College of St. Joseph to earn her bachelor’s degree in media and fine arts. She then later earned her master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) from Indiana University, Indianapolis.

“I’ve always loved art and being creative, so media and fine arts felt like the right fit,” said DeLuna.

For 18 years before working in the library, DeLuna worked in Chicago as a data analyst and director of customer service for many start-up companies. In 2019, she began to work part-time at the library as a desk clerk. In 2021, when the position for youth services librarian opened, she took the chance and fell in love with it.

“When the position became available, I went for it and absolutely fell in love with librarianship. That’s when I decided to go back to school and get my MLIS degree. It was the best decision I ever made,” said DeLuna.

DeLuna is a very involved member of the community. Being the youth services librarian, she sees many students after school coming into the library. This gives her the chance to learn their names, things they like, and hear about their day. Through this, she can shape the youth group into what it is today.

With so many students coming in after school, the library offers free snacks and activities for children to do while they’re there. One of DeLuna’s favorite library events is the annual Back to School Bash. Here, the library offers free haircuts, school supplies, games, and more for families to come enjoy a stress-free time before school begins. Another thing DeLuna has worked hard to do is support teens. Starting a Teen Advisory Board gives teens a place to feel safe and give their input on library functions.

“We offer free programs for every age – babies, kids, teens, adults, and seniors. All you need is a library card, and the whole community opens up to you. If you haven’t stopped by in a while, now’s the perfect time to see what you’ve been missing.” DeLuna said.