Slicer Newsroom - La Porte Community School Corporation

Not a typical English teacher

By: Haley Fengya

Pitts is one of the many hardworking teachers at LaPorte High School. He leads the AP Seminar class for sophomores and Honors English for freshmen. He has been a part of the Slicer family for three years.

“Being a Slicer means you are never alone. I consider myself lucky to be able to teach in such a supportive environment,” Pitts said.

Pitts is new to the area, as he has lived in Arizona his whole life. It was there his path to becoming an educator started.

As a kid, Pitts struggled in school. He could not read until he entered middle school, and this caused him to dislike school.

“I could not read until I was around 10 so I faked my way through most of elementary school by guessing what the stories were about based on their pictures and the words I could read. I was right about 60% of the time,” Pitts said.

Once Pitts entered high school, he joined the Theater Club. He followed this throughout his high school years because he was passionate about it; the theater became the first place within a school that he felt included and appreciated. Pitts followed his passion and was accepted into American Musical and Dramatic Academy (AMDA).

After attending AMDA, Pitts performed in a few professional shows in Arizona. Later on, he realized that he wanted to live a more stable lifestyle and began looking for jobs. He started teaching young adults acting, and that was what influenced Pitts to go back to school and earn a degree in education.

“I took a job teaching acting to young people, and it was then that I knew I wanted to teach. I enrolled at my local community college and started at the very bottom while working full time,” Pitts said.

After Pitts received his degree in education, he landed his first teaching job as a high school teacher in Arizona. After teaching there for 9 years, Pitts and his family made the big decision to move back to his wife’s hometown La Porte, Indiana in 2021. Pitts then started teaching at LPHS, unaware of the impact that he was soon to make on his new students.

Pitts isn’t a typical English teacher. He helps students learn to love aspects of writing that most students wouldn’t. He isn’t a by-the-book type of teacher, he makes classes entertaining and engaging.

“Typical English classes are sometimes hard to follow. Mr. Pitts is anything but a normal teacher, when he teaches he has the excitement you see in a child playing with their favorite toy. His lessons are so much fun to listen to because of the way he carries them out. Overall Mr. Pitts would be one of the teachers I would have time and time again without hesitation,” Pitts’ former student Nataleigh Creech-Smith said.

Overall, Pitts has taught AP Seminar, Pitts taught Senior Technical Communications, ninth grade English, and Honors English for freshmen. His favorite grade to teach is ninth grade.

“Freshmen enter my class scared and timid, and by the time they leave, each one evolves into an open-minded, compassionate human person with limitless potential. It’s such a privilege to play a small role in that journey,” Pitts said.

Even as a teacher, Pitts still spends his days off living his best life. In his free time, he loves to go out.

“I love to go to concerts (Taylor Swift Eras Tour Chicago, Night 1). I love to travel. I golf poorly. I write. I read compulsively. I love to cook. And I love to play jazz guitar. I have watched an unhealthy amount of movies,” Pitts said.

Whether in the classroom or out in the real world, Pitts has an undeniable spark and influence. LPHS is a lucky beneficiary of it.

Epple ushers in new era

By: Evie Yeaney

The “Epple Era” is officially underway at La Porte High School, as the former Slicer standout has now taken over as head coach of the football program.

Summer vacation was no break for Austin Epple and his team. From evening to early morning practices, camps, and lifting in the Slicer weight room, the team grew individually and together under the summer heat.

“Summer was a grind for all of us. We found our identity at Trine Camp, we came together and we have been all gas no breaks ever since!” Epple said.

After all the training during the summer months, the Slicers were ready for Friday night games under the lights.

The Friday Night Lights beamed exceptionally bright during La Porte’s opening showdown against New Prairie on August 18th. It was a close game for the Slicers, but they prevailed 21-18, topping a team that was in the state finals last year. It was the Slicers first win against the Cougars in six years, bringing the Milk Jug home.

This electrifying win was even more meaningful to the Slicers and the community as a whole because it was Play for Jake Night.

“I was without words. To win that game, in that way, at our place, honoring Jake West was the greatest Slicer Football memory I have to date. I will never forget that night or this team because of it,” Epple says.

The team was ecstatic to have won this game as well. Julie West and her family shined bright on the field in Jake's honor that night.

“I will never forget how I felt when Coach Epple shared with me what they wanted to do for Jake and his legacy. I felt this rush of warmth and gratitude. Sometimes I can’t put into words how I feel. Walking out on the field with my daughter Courtney, my family, and Jake’s teammates and classmates took me back to the night we all lit lanterns into the sky for Jake almost 10 years ago… Being a part of La Porte Football has brought me a lot of joy… When they called me in for the picture after their victory I could feel Jake among us and those are the moments I cherish because he touched so many in his life and now in his death. I am so very proud to be his mother.” Julie West said.

On August 25th, La Porte lost against Lowell 26-7 and then again on September 1st against Valparaiso 49-0. Despite these losses, Slicer Football has much time on the field ahead of them.

“My hope for the season is that each of our kids gain a renewed sense of love for the game, confidence in themselves, and personal growth to take with them into next year, and into the rest of their lives,” Epple said.

Epple isn’t only an inspirational football coach, he is also the School Resource Officer for LPHS. Each day he is tasked with keeping students and staff safe so they can learn comfortably at the high school and four elementary schools. Both jobs are time consuming for Epple, and trying to balance all with his personal life is tasking.

“It is a daily battle. In my office, I have a poster that says W.I.N. - What's Important Now. I look at that poster daily as a reminder to myself to prioritize the things that need to be done immediately, place on hold the things that can wait, and ground myself among the things that cannot be changed. La Porte Football has a saying, 'Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove the unacceptable.' I try to balance my work, personal, and coaching life in the same way,” Epple says.

The Slicers hope to turn the tide as they take on Lake Central at home. The final home games of the season will be against Michigan City on October 6th (Homecoming) and Portage on October 13th.

With Epple leading the team, the Slicers are sure to have a memorable end to the season.

Peterson's apparel business thrives

By: Michael Pham

Preston Peterson is a senior at LaPorte High School (LPHS) who has had a productive four years–a runner for the cross country and track teams, a leader for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes club, and an involved member in other local groups. Even with a packed schedule, he’s made his mark yet again as the owner of Inner Strength, a clothing company that has found recent success in the La Porte community.

Peterson’s brand, Inner Strength, can be found being worn by many Slicers around the school and throughout town. A boutique store in downtown La Porte, A Whole World of Good, even agreed to sell his winter collection in their store.

“I think it is a very good quality hoodie and print and it is great to see the high school kids getting involved early with business, especially when I get to wear the amazing clothes that come from it,” LPHS senior Ravi Pillai said about his Inner Strength purchase.

His business venture was inspired by teachers from LaPorte’s business classes, Ms.. LaRocco and Mr. Ruiz, and the initial idea was sparked from a project that he had to do in LaRocco’s business class.

Starting the business was one of the most difficult parts of his whole venture. As a minor, it can be difficult to obtain things like an LLC, tax ID, and a business bank account. Peterson was determined though and had many people inside and outside of the school to help him.

On top of the legal documentation, the creative process of a business is one of the more difficult aspects of it, but Peterson has his ways of finding inspiration and making his own art. He has many brands that he finds inspiration in such as Jesus Loves You or Elevated Faith. He also keeps an eye out for what’s trendy but also follows his heart on what feels like he should design.

Naming the brand took much longer than he expected. The initial plan for the business was to be an athletic clothing brand, hence the “Strength” in the name. The “Inner” part of the name stems from the religious and lifestyle characteristics of the brand.

Peterson has learned a plethora of things over his time with the business. He has developed skills on how to take smart risks, how to market and advertise, and how to manage a work-life balance. The biggest lesson that LPHS has taught him came from his coaches, and it is the idea that hard work always pays off.

In the future, Peterson wants to work in the marketing aspect of a business and plans to proceed to go to school in the field. He will be going to a college in Tennessee in order to study marketing and hopefully also be able to carry on his running career.

“I see myself succeeding by continuing my education in the business field. It’s just something that comes naturally to me. I have always had that entrepreneurial mindset even from a young age. I think by continuing my education in business I will be setting myself up for a successful future,” Peterson said.

Peterson’s biggest advice for a successful four-year career as a high school student is to experiment and try to explore passions inside and outside of the classroom. He also wants people to think about how to make a career out of doing what you love and go for the goal, no matter what.

The Inner Strength brand can be found in multiple ways, both online and in-person. It can be found online by searching “@innerstrengthapparel” on Instagram or Threads. The business also has a website, innerstrengthapparel.net, or can be found in other small businesses throughout La Porte.

Clark to perform clarinet recitals

By: Gavin Shaw

LaPorte High School's band teacher Mr. Clark is gearing up for his second year of clarinet performances in the Performing Arts Center for the LaPorte community

Clark, a musician of 20 years, wants to be able to perform at least twice this year, hopefully once per semester, but shows might get pushed together depending on how his schedule works. Clark will try to perform two recitals: a clarinet duo with partner Elisabeth Waldburger, who is his partner in the LaPorte County Symphony Orchestra, and a Eb clarinet and piano performance.

He hopes to play Harlekin by Karlheinz Stockhausen. It is a 45-minute solo clarinet piece that is performed with choreography from memory. Clark hopes in the future he can perform all the instruments he teaches in band, but for now, he has a backlog of clarinet recitals.

His performances will be free and open to the public, so that everyone can have the chance to enjoy Clark’s musical performances.

“Always take advantage of the opportunity to hear great live music, no matter what genre. Music is part of being human!” Clark said.

Clark’s passion for the clarinet first started in fourth grade in Massachusetts. His district had a tutor program where fourth grade students were matched with high school students. For the first year, Clark was getting high school lessons. From fifth to eighth grade, he was in the middle school's private lesson program.

Clark originally wanted to play percussion, but his band director told him about how heavy the snare drums were and how hard it would be to carry them from home to school. He ended up choosing the clarinet because it reminded him of the recorder he had played the year before.

His passion for music only continued to grow, and it eventually led to his career choice of music education.

During his undergraduate years at the prestigious Eastman School of Music, he learned one of the perks of playing clarinet -its different sizes. The clarinet can go from the minute Ab all the way down to contrabass. Clark liked to specialize on the misunderstood alto clarinet.

While he was getting his masters degree at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Clark continued to play clarinet even though it wasn't required. He played in small and large ensembles and even did his own solo recitals. While at the university, he performed a great deal of music by Eric Mandat, a clarinet professor at Southern Illinois University-Carbondale. Clark even met him on a couple of occasions.

Clark teaches many classes here at La Porte High School including: Jazz Band, Music Theory, Piano and Electronic Keyboard, Independent Study, Music History, Concert Band, Wind Ensemble, and Symphonic Band.

If students are looking for after school musical activities he also teaches Marching Band, Clarinet Choir, and Pep Band.

Mr.Clark dedicates a great deal of his time teaching students here at LPHS, and it is an honor to also have his personal music talents on display. More information will be given as dates and times are decided.

Join Quiz Bowl

By William D. Tallackson

Have an interest in trivia? A fan of the game show Jeopardy? Want to learn more random facts? Have a competitive spirit? If so, Quiz Bowl is the extracurricular activity to join for the 2023-2024 school year.

Students will each be on teams of up to three or four people, and like Jeopardy, competitors will have buzzers to ring in and answer trivia-based questions about various topics such as literature, mathematics, science, history, geography, classical music, art, and pop culture.

Students will travel across Northwest Indiana to participate in competitive matches against other teams of different schools.

Practices will begin on September 26 to prepare for competitions. Students will meet every Tuesday after school in Mrs. Niksch's room, C.11. Practices are important for students to understand the format, improve their knowledge in particular areas, and develop strong buzzer techniques.

Matches will cumulate in late November. If students have any questions, go to room C.11 or email Mrs. Niksch at jniksch@lpcsc.k12.in.us for more information.

Counselor shortage affects LPHS

By: Memphis Biller

According to the Indiana Capital Chronical, Indiana has the highest student-to-counselor ratio in the country–694 to 1–when it is recommended per the American Counseling Association that the caseload be 250 to 1

A counselor shortage has hit Indiana and America as a whole because of this and other contributing factors. A significant number of mental health problems have arisen in students. Counselors are attempting to combat this alongside fixing scheduling issues, conducting juniors and seniors interviews, checking graduation requirements, and college and career support.

This national issue is currently affecting LaPorte High School.

Most LPHS counselors have above the recommended average of 250 students on their caseload and are dealing with a higher number of needs.

“With these large caseloads and extra mental health needs, some counselors are feeling burned out and are leaving the profession or looking to go to schools where the caseloads are lower,” Mrs. Suppinger, lead counselor at LPHS, said.

The current counselors at LaPorte High School are as follows Mrs. Witherow for students 9-12th grade with last name of G and all special education students, Mrs. Suppinger for students 9-12th grade with last name of H-L and for seniors with last name of SL-Z, Mrs. Knop for the students 9-12th with last name of M-SK, and Mrs. Smith for students 9-11th grade with the last name of SL-Z. As of publication, the counseling staff is short a counselor and half.

LaPorte High School has advertised the position with hopes for more to join. To become a school counselor one will need to graduate from a master-level program in education and obtain licensure through the state they are practicing in.

Due to the shortage of counselors, it has impacted things around the school community such as troubles with schedules and College GO Week potentially having fewer activities taking place. To counteract some of the effects of the shortage, social workers have been hired for mental health needs.

The counselors currently at LaPorte High School are trying to remain positive through these new challenges and continue their goals of serving the students as best as they can.

LPHS book club to start soon

By: Megan Lambert

For years Jenna Johnnson and Cynthia Toth have dreamed of having a book club. They are both ardent about reading and wanted to reach out to other avid readers. They had a plan to start during the 2022-2023 school year but Johnson had some medical problems that caused them to have to postpone until this year.

They want to call the book club Slicer Readers. The mission of the book club is to encourage students to develop and grow their own love of reading.

“Reading has provided me with so many benefits in my life and is one of my favorite pastimes. What’s better than having a place to talk about books with your friends?” Johnson said.

There are eighteen students interested so far and there will be a callout meeting soon to get more students interested. At the callout meeting, students will brainstorm books to get the club going. Once the club is started, there will be meetings every other Wednesday after school until 3:45.

Students will have the option to read the same book at one time or split into smaller groups and read separate books. After students choose what books they want, a reading schedule for the titles will be made and sent out to them.

While Toth and Johnson are the sponsors of the club, other staff members are welcome to read along with the group. Additionally, they hope to invite faculty speakers to club sessions to give talks about their favorite books.

Crash course of the college process - Naviance & Common App By: Michael Pham

College application season is one of the most exciting, confusing, infuriating, and emotional rollercoasters of a high school career. At LaPorte High School (LPHS), the school uses many tools to try to make a student’s process more seamless and much more convenient.

There are two main tools that students need to be familiar with: Naviance and Common App.

Common App is used nation-wide and is a site to make college applications and submit them to a large number of colleges in order to save time on individual applications.

Naviance is a less universally used tool and is a junction between the information the school has of a student and the colleges they are applying to. Students will use this application to request transcripts, request letters of recommendation, and discover plenty of information about scholarships and colleges.

”Naviance can be described as a one-stop shop for college and career preparation. It provides a single source for students to research colleges, request transcripts and letters of recommendation, and track their college application progress. Students can also match their interests to careers, research careers through various career inventories/assessments, and search for scholarships. It is easy to use (and actually fun to explore its many capabilities),” lead counselor Sheryl Suppinger said.

These two programs go hand-in-hand and can be synced with each other for a smooth cross-platform experience. This is where the process may get confusing and many people do not even know about Naviance, and this article will help seniors figure out these tools.

Every school email is connected to a Naviance account through Clever, which students use as a login site to many online textbooks as well. This makes the setup process for many people much easier.

For Common App, students must use their own personal email account to create an account. These accounts can be made usually during the August of their rising senior year. Students will go to www.commonapp.org and press on their “Create an account” option on the top-right of the page.

Once a Common App account has been created, students have to sign in with their email and password and enter the dashboard of the site. From there, there are multiple tabs on the top of the page and the “Common App” tab must be filled out in order to start applying to colleges.

The “Common App” tag will require information that has to be given by the school. This includes a student’s own transcript for their own usage that has to be ordered from the LPHS website with the “Transcript Request for Alumni” on the right of the page.

This transcript will be received through a student’s email and once obtained, they can start filling out the “Courses & Grades” section of the “Common App” tab.

A student can then start adding colleges to their Common App list by going to the “College Search” tab and these colleges will be moved to the dashboard, and students can access applications on each institution through their page.

Once an institution has been added to a student’s Common Application, they will be able to access their individual requirements for consideration for admission. Each school will have different requirements and will ask questions first once they start the application on the school’s profile.

Each school will have questions that are required in order to get through the application process. After a student has finished these initial questions, the next big step will be being able to get transcripts and recommendations for these schools.

This is where Naviance is added in, students have to go back to the site through their Clever and set up the link between it and Common App. This should be done relatively easily through going to the top of the Naviance home page and going to “Colleges” then to “Colleges I’m Applying to.”

When a student gets to this page, there should be a banner telling them to link their Common App profile to their Naviance, where they will proceed to select and enter their Common App information to successfully put them together.

Once they are synced together, all of the schools students chose to apply to on Common App should appear on their “Colleges I’m Applying to” tab in Naviance and students will be able to start requesting transcripts and teacher recommendations.

Students will be able to request transcripts by pressing the “Colleges” tab on Naviance and clicking on the “Manage Transcripts,” from which they can click the blue plus button and request transcripts to be sent to all their schools.

Letters of recommendation can be found under the same “Colleges” tab as well through the “Letters of Recommendation” button. Once on this page, students can make a request to a teacher by pressing “Add Request” and inserting the correct teacher email and who they want the letter to go to. Always do this soon into the season, and ask first before requesting a recommendation.

On Common App, there is a tab on each college called “Recommenders and FERPA,” this tab can be used to also add other recommendations from non-teachers, like coaches or employers.

Another important thing is that the FERPA may be required by some schools to be waived in order for the letter of recommendation to be used. Waiving the FERPA means that students will not see the letter before its submission in order to allow for less tampering from these letters.

Hopefully, the online application process could be more easily digested in this article, and good luck on your journey on this college application process and where it will lead you in the future. This is the most important process in high school, so pat yourself on the back for doing your due diligence on it.

Join Creative Writing Club By: Jack Komasinski

An aspiring author? A slam poet? A script-writer? All of these, or, perhaps, simply an avid listener and reader? Whether there’s any interest—large or small—in writing, Creative Writing Club welcomes all with open arms.

This is a club centering around creative writing. Short stories, novella excerpts, poetry, scripts—everything and anything can be scribbled down and performed to this group. There are no rules, no guidelines, aside from respecting boundaries and being non-discriminatory. If someone does not ask for constructive criticism, then do not give it. If there is nothing nice to say, do not say whatever else. Listen well, compliment, and share if inclined.

Meetings will be held every other Tuesday after school in Ms. Scanlan’s room J.20, and each Friday during SRT in Ms. Parker’s room J.12. Each Tuesday meeting will last from after school to 3:30-4:00. Students do not have to attend both meetings, but they are more than welcome to if desired.

Friday SRTs are not only for students who are unable to attend Tuesday meetings, but they are also there so students can have one-on-one help for constructive criticism, editing, and even submissions to websites and journals. Above all else, though, these meetings are here so students can have a safe area to create and to have fun.

The first meeting will be held September 8th in J.12 during SRT. More information will be given then. If students have any questions whatsoever, contact Jack Komasinski in G.17 or at jkomasinski761@gmail.com.