What happened recently
During the 4th of July festival there were many bright and sunny days to celebrate. Those days consisted of five fun filled days of carnival rides, food, arts and crafts booths, and a diverse line-up of musical talents. The Kiddy Parade on July 1st, as well as the Twilight Parade on July 3rd were also held in fair weather.
When it came time for Highland’s annual firework show the clear skies passed and were replaced with storms. The rain lasted most of the night and hit the town with about three inches of rain. The rain also made some Highland residents lose power for some time at the end of the night. At precisely 9:34 on the 4th the decision was made to cancel the fireworks.
At the time nobody knew when the fireworks would be rescheduled for. Highland leaders tried to correlate a closer time to reschedule the firework show like many other nearby communities did. Instead it was decided several days later that the show would be called off for this year. It has been announced that the fireworks will be used to make next year’s end of the 4th of July festival even bigger and brighter.
Even though Highland did not get to light their annual show, residents still bought fireworks to light up the skies in the following nights.
What’s Coming Up: Changes to Highland Schools
Over this past school year there has been district-wide construction to better the schools and the community. The construction started last summer after school ended.
While speaking to site manager Larry Gutierrez, of the Skillman Corporation, it was said that the construction has been on schedule and will finish with the major projects before school starts, but there will be some finishing touches during the school year. From the beginning of the construction there has been around 140 construction workers helping to move the project along.
The elementary schools have gotten new floors and ceilings installed, while the high school and middle school had their gym floors redone. The high school has also had the press box for the football field renovated as well as the track last summer. In the elementary schools new boilers were installed, and Southridge Elementary also renovated the gym floor. The high school and middle school got an updated NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) approved fire alarm system. New strobe lights and pull stations had to be added to the schools.
The construction cost was $30 million to renovate all of the schools. This will also bring property values up in Highland. Each year though the schools will save $40-$60 thousand through a NIPSCO incentive program that was started this year. During the construction new LED lights were put in and from that Highland receives money back. Although all of the major construction has been done, Gutierrez said that they will still be seen in the years to come to fix and improve the schools.
Student Spotlight
This coming school year Katy Bedka will start her senior season and her third year as varsity libero. Bedka has played volleyball for about 7 years including club teams and school teams. Despite the years she's spent on the court, Bedka explained that there is still an adreneline rush each time she plays.
“It’s the best feeling,” Bedka said.
Bedka has been playing as libero for three years. She wasn’t always a libero though, for four years she played as an outside hitter. Since freshman year she says she has done a complete 180 and loves the person she has become. Bedka has noticed and seen the changes from her freshman to senior year, not only in her but in the program also.
“The team dynamic has changed a lot and I feel like we’ve become more united as one big team instead of three separate ones,” Bedka said.
This is including the Junior Varsity and C team. During the season Varsity coach Abbey Strohl creates a “family” for each of the girls on every team. The family consists of a mother from varsity, a big sister from junior varsity, and a little sister from the c team. Each member of the family gives the others a gift to cheer them up before or after the game. Bedka thinks that these families are what have brought the program closer together in the last couple of years. As a senior she sees the potential coming in from the younger players. She thinks this season the team will grow more and come together as a program. Bedka is excited for her senior season and can’t wait to start playing.
Teacher spotlight
This year the Highland volleyball coach, Abbey Strohl, will start her second year as varsity coach. She started coaching varsity volleyball in 2016 and has continued to be head coach since. Even though she has only been coaching Highland for three years she has been playing for seventeen years and still continues to play. She has coached club teams and one other high school teams for eight years.
At Munster High Strohl played varsity for three years, then received a full ride to play at Lynn University in Boca Raton, Florida.
“Coaching is very different from playing,” Strohl said, “you’re not just focusing on your one position, you are looking at every player on the court as well as the other teams players.”
She focuses on her girls on the court to help them, but she also looks at the opponents to see how they are setting up their defense.
“There is a lot of pressure on coaches,” She said.
Everyone is counting on her to bring the team up and help when the girls are down on themselves. As for the upcoming season Strohl wants to get the volleyball players IQ of playing the game up. She said when you know more of what’s going on it’s easier to gain the points on your opponent. That’s one reason that she made changes to the defense, she wants it to help the players make better plays.
Strohl also wants to build on last year’s season and try and make it further in conference matches than last year. Strohl also sets up camps at the beginning of the summer for the younger volleyball players so they can get to know the game and program more as they grow and become Trojans. During the camps Strohl had the high school volleyball players help so the younger girls could see where being on the team could lead. To help the program all around she has also helped get new and improved equipment that the girls can use for years to come. Strohl is making changes to help not only the program, but the girls playing for the program.