#1StudentNWI: Lake Station Strings Together a Strong Community

#1StudentNWI: Lake Station Strings Together a Strong Community

Bring the Family and Press Play
The F.I.G.H.T. organization holds Movie Night at the City Hall every other Tuesday night.

F.I.G.H.T paired up with Adrian Vera and started the showing of movies at the City Hall. They play recent releases and ask for residents to reward themselves with a night of family fun. The organization even invites individuals that are not from the area to come enjoy the fun. The purpose of the Movie at the City Hall is to reward and cause a substantial amount of citizens to associate with one another.

There is no fee to attend these movies, but snacks and drinks are for sale as the movie is played. They are also sold before the movie. So far, they have played Lego Batman II and Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. After the movies are over, some residents stick around to help pick up garbage and clean up the equipment that is used for the movies. Among those residents, there are two vigorous, young ladies who love to help. Alida Springer, a fifth grader at Bailey, and Brooklyn Malenky, a third grader at Bailey, happen to always come to the rescue after the lights turn off and everyone has headed home.

These ladies help in the community a lot, and they especially love to help with the movies. F.I.G.H.T. is working to help make Lake Station a happier and more beautiful city, and of course, super measures call for super people.

Thomas-Edison-1Student-July-2017_02 It Takes a Community
There are many barriers that hold people from one another. People have to adapt to these barriers in order to overcome them. Richard Spencer and a massive amount of Lake Station residents have shown that a community will overcome such barriers for the greater good. No person deserves to be left out, and that is the picture these Lake Station residents are trying to get across.

Richard Spencer is instructing a class at the Lake Station City Hall. The class meets seven p.m. to nine p.m. twice a week for four weeks, and it is $25 to take this class. He is teaching the basics in American Sign Language: the ABC’s, numbers, self introduction, emergency signs, colors, and about the deaf culture. Richard was introduced to ASL when he was in elementary school. From that point on, he continued to practice ASL through high school and college.

Spencer stated, “A lot of people need to learn sign language, but they don't know where to turn to get these classes. And, I will accommodate to those that are serious about learning this language and culture.”

His purpose is to show people what he went through in his life and spread knowledge to bring the community together. Spencer also stated that his current class is the fastest learning and the most eager class he has ever taught.

Spencer added “This class is learning faster than any of my previously taught classes. They want to learn; they are always asking me to teach them more!”

Thomas-Edison-1Student-July-2017_03 A Real Life Superman
Eluides Pagan is man who is always working. He is an English teacher at Thomas Edison Jr. Sr. High School, but he does not just teach. Mr. Pagan runs yearbook, conducts blood drives, teaches Summer school as well as school in the Fall, and work on union issues. This man is always bending over backwards for his family and students.

He is a very energetic and dependable person. He keeps his classes on track, and he tries to make learning fun. Mr. Pagan always figures out new ways to connect his students to his projects and help them actually learn. He is very active in his surroundings, and with all of that, he still has time to be an amazing dad to his two boys and a wonderful husband to his wife. This Summer, Mr. Pagan has been constantly working at the High School and preparing for this upcoming school year. He also has been doing Martial Arts training with his sons, collecting comic books, collecting Doctor Who memorabilia and autographs, and finding time to read. Eluides Pagan wanted to be a teacher because he wanted people to realize their potential and tap into it.

He described, “It was a way to help kids prepare for the world. I care about kids and want to help them succeed, and I want to help many of them realize how amazing they really are and what they can be capable of, even when they do not believe in themselves.” Mr. Pagan is a phenomenal person and a spectacular teacher.