As of April 20th, the La Porte Starbucks location has been closed for a remodel for six weeks. This brief closure has been a hot topic among LPHS students and teachers. One teacher was especially affected by the coffee drought. 

Erin Parker, English teacher here at LPHS, is an avid Starbucks coffee drinker and relies on it as her pick-me-up almost every morning. 

Parker didn’t see the six-week closure sign in the window until the day before the closure, which left her little time to adjust and find a new option. She tried Dunkin and Biggby coffee and was not fond of either, so she had to resort to other options. 

“My best friend brewed a whole thermos of coffee and gave it to me to make it through. Then I bought Keurig pods to make coffee here at LPHS downstairs. While this was happening, I remembered I had an old Keurig in my classroom, so I ordered a new water tank and took it home, only to find out that it didn't fit. I needed to figure out a solution fast, and I just caved and bought a coffee pot, and at the ripe age of 38, I learned how to make a pot of coffee via Google and YouTube. I have been making it each morning before work, and I am proud of myself and how it's turned out,” Parker said. 

Parker, along with many other La Portians, have driven to the Michigan City location to obtain their well-loved drinks.

Starbucks employee and LPHS student Alexis Hall had to adjust to this change and work at the Michigan City location during the LP closure. 

“Working at the City location wasn’t too bad. I feel like that store is less busy than LP overall,” Hall said.  

Dunkin in La Porte has seen an increase in customers, judging by how busy the parking lot has been. Starbucks reopened on May 16th. If you're looking for a splash of coffee, you can try out other locally owned locations such as A Whole World Of Good, Rocky Mountain Cafe, HotSpot Cafe, and Cafe Trilogy. All of those locations open at 7 a.m. except for Cafe Trilogy, which opens at 8 a.m.

Did you survive the Starbucks remodel of 2025?

Prom season is in full swing, and it is currently the hottest topic among high school students.

Prom is a huge event for the majority of high school students and also a stressful one. Between buying a dress, suit, shoes, accessories, booking hair, nail, and makeup appointments, prom can not only become incredibly expensive but also unsustainable. Most items are bought for one magical night and then shoved into the back of a closet never to be worn again and thrown away in 40 years. 

Many prom dresses are made out of polyester and contain beads, sequins, and glitters, which are all plastic materials that are not biodegradable. 

According to The Environmental Defense Initiative, “Microplastics are shed each time polyester fabric is worn, continuing to wreak the same havoc other microplastics do as they go. Polyester, though a cheap fabric that allows for a budget-friendly prom dress, is not environmentally friendly. Its large participation in the prom industry is damaging to the environment.” 

Rather than buying a brand new prom dress/suit, there are multiple options that are more environmentally friendly. Renting is always an option. Although, if you are as sentimental as I am, you don’t get to keep the article/s of clothing, which is a factor to consider. There are a multitude of gently used prom dresses across the internet and scattered through thrift and secondhand stores. 

Sustainable online sites are Depop, Facebook Marketplace, eBay, or any other online platform shops that sell secondhand clothing. Knowing your size is crucial when buying online, as you don’t get to try the item on before buying. Make sure to take your measurements with a tape measure to ensure your purchase will fit. 

There are many local places to search for secondhand prom dresses such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, Hoosier Mama, Hoity Toity, Coachmen, and other various secondhand/antique shops. Although it takes an effort to find a gem, it is worth it in the end. 

There are other things you can do to avoid fast fashion and prom waste as well. Rewear heels/shoes from past events; no one is going to notice that you're wearing the same black heels you wore to homecoming. 

“I always try to get my dance dresses secondhand. There's so much fast fashion waste in the world, and even though this is a small effort, it is still one way to keep textiles out of landfills. I got my prom dress from Bodega Vintage in Chicago. It's just off of Milwaukee Ave, and there are so many secondhand shops, so there's something for everyone,” sophomore Nova Lear said. 

La Porte High School’s prom is on May 3rd at the Civic Auditorium from 7 to 10 p.m.

La Porte City Park Foundation is hosting an Earth Day Family 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, April 26th at 9 a.m. at the Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater. 

The eco-friendly event will be timed, feature family-friendly activities for all ages, offer complimentary water and donuts, and award sustainable medals to race finishers. 

The 5K course is a loop around scenic Clear Lake with a bit of Chessie Trail. The race starts and ends at Dennis F. Smith Amphitheater. 

“The Earth Day 5K came from a desire to bring the community together around a shared love of our parks, while also raising awareness about the La Porte City Park Foundation. The Foundation has been quietly working behind the scenes for 40 years to support and enhance our parks. While city budgets have to cover many critical services, there are times when funding for parks and recreation can be limited. The Foundation helps ensure that our parks don’t fall through the cracks—that they remain places of beauty, connection, and well-being for everyone in La Porte, now and for future generations,” assistant director of the La Porte Park and Recreation Emily Archambault said. 

Park and Recreation hopes to make this an annual tradition in La Porte. So far the event has raised over $6,000 to benefit the parks from habitat preservation to eco-friendly upgrades and accessibility improvements.

“Whether you're running, walking, pushing a stroller, or cheering someone on, there's something really powerful about coming together in a shared space. Our parks are for everyone—high schoolers, kids, parents, grandparents—and events like this remind us how lucky we are to have them,” Archamabult said.

If you want to run/walk for a greener future, you can register anytime between now and race day.  Register here

LPHS English teacher Ben Pitts is hosting his third Poetry Night open to the La Porte community from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the La Porte County Public Library, in meeting room B on April 16th. 

Pitts has held two previous poetry nights at Books and Whimsy. Live poetry readings are done by high school students and community members. 

“My ambition is to bring more art creativity to the community. I think poetry is a really great way to reignite creativity in others. Everyone can write and we should be encouraging that as much as we can. High school students write such amazing, beautiful poetry, I don't think people realize how good they can be and my goal is to show the community that,” Pitts said. 

Special guest, writer, and poet Shawnte Orion will be sharing a poem at this upcoming poetry night via Zoom. Orion lives in Surprise, Arizona, and has published two books of poetry. Orion is also an editor for Rinky Dink Press and has performed in bookstores, bars, hair salons, museums, and laundromats. 

“Poetry can make you feel connected to someone else and their experiences, across geographical, generational, and cultural divides. Much of the worst parts of this world thrive on that disconnect, so poetry is a subversive way to undermine the disintegration of society,” Orion said. 

Students are eagerly waiting for the upcoming spring event.  

“I think it's important to have poetry nights because it allows students at LPHS to be creative and be able to take the step out of the classroom and share something they truly enjoy,” sophomore poet Natalie McGhee said.

Be sure to mark your calendar for this event. Come listen to the words of talented Slicers bloom into beautiful poems.

“A Complete Unknown,” a Bob Dylan biopic, struck the big screens on December 25th, 2024.

When I first heard of this film, I was instantly interested in learning more about Bob Dylan’s uprising, and I was especially intrigued to see how Timothee Chalemet portrayed Dylan. Over winter break, my social media platforms boomed with advertisements and opinions on “A Complete Unknown,” and I became immensely eager to get into the theater to experience it for myself. I personally have a wide music taste, and I really enjoy music from the ‘60s and ‘70s so Dylan has shuffled around my playlists from time to time, but I never fully immersed myself into his discography, especially because it's so large. 

As I walked into the theater, I was curious to see what the audience would look like. My best friend and I sat in between an older couple and a middle-aged couple who were incredibly attentive to the film, just as I was. All I could think about was how amazing it was that we were all sitting there to watch this movie, we all shared one common thing: love for music. It’s not often that the primary audience of a film showing is so diverse in age. 

The film begins with the start of Dylan's career and the connection he built with his role model, Woody Guthrie. As the story of Dylan's uprising unfolded, the audience was put into the shoes of a successful musician, the ups and downs, and navigating the fame. 

This film showed Dylan's “situatonship” with folk singer and activist Joan Baez (played by Monica Barbaro). While singing for good causes and writing music, Dylan and Baez had an intensive back-and-forth, difficult relationship. Their intense connection was captured beautifully as they inspired each other often and had difficulties getting along. The way Dylan (in this movie) acted toward the women in his life really washed away the whole appeal of loving a famous musician. 

The film also emphasized Dylan's relationship with Sylvie Russo, a character based on Suze Rotolo (played by Elle Fanning), Dylan’s first love interest when moving to New York. Sylvie was Dylan's girlfriend in the midst of his falling for “co-worker” Baez. Dylan cheated on Russo multiple times with Baez all the while using Russo as a muse for his music. 

Chalemet and the other actors spent five years preparing for their roles in “A Complete Unknown” with only three months to shoot. Chalemet was fully immersed into his role and it was very apparent in his performance on screen. 

Since watching “A Complete Unknown,” I have become a larger fan of both Bob Dylan and Joan Baez’s music and history. I will be seeing Bob Dylan in concert in April, and I could not be more excited. 

It is no doubt that Dylan made a significant contribution to the music industry and music production over the years. He is a Nobel Prize winner after all. Chalemet’s execution of his role and dedication were brilliant and refreshing. I haven't stopped thinking about this movie since I watched it, and experiencing it in theaters was amazing. I recommend anyone and everyone to watch this movie.

Pop princess Sabrina Carpenter released her sixth studio album, Short n’ Sweet, on August 23rd 2024. This album followed Emails I Can’t Send (2022), which was many people's reawakening to her talent after leaving Disney Chanel. The new album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Charts and has earned her six Grammy nominations. 

Short n’ Sweet is a pop/R&B album with each song having its own unique twist. If you're looking for an album with the perfect mix of heartbreak and upbeat, this is the one. 

My top favorite songs are: 

“Good Graces”- 

This song is upbeat compared to my other top four songs. Carpenter expresses her independent and confident personality. In this song, Carpenter explains that she wastes no time when it comes to bad relationships as she knows her worth and will act upon that. She explains that although she is sweet, she won’t be if someone does her wrong. 

“Dumb and Poetic”- 

Along with the rest of us, Carpenter has had her fair share of heartbreak. This song explains a boy who portrays himself as smart and charming but is terrible at relationships and hurtful to other's feelings regardless of the act he puts on from the perspective of the girl who loves him. Carpenter sings this song with a slow deep tone, which captivates the listener to not only relate to the lyrics but feel the emotion she's grappling with. 

“Don’t Smile”- 

This is arguably one of the saddest songs on this album. Carpenter expresses the theme of jealousy and heartbreak perfectly in this song with the use of a slow instrumental and her angelic voice. 

“Slim Pickins”- 

This song has an unexpected country twang to it that took the media by surprise, coming from the pop princess. The song perfectly captures the feeling of settling for below your standards because you can’t find anyone good enough to meet them. With her word choice, Carpenter fully expresses the feeling of not being able to find anyone to accompany you through life whether that's because no one matches up with you correctly or simply just because there isn't anyone interesting where you are. 

The top songs on the charts with this album were “Espresso,” “Please Please Please,” and “Taste.” “Espresso” was the first song to be released and quickly became a hit, especially across social media such as TikTok. Although “Espresso” is an amazing summer tune, it rapidly became Carptener’s “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift; overplayed.

Everywhere I would turn, “Espresso” would be blaring from someone's phone, car stereo, or grocery store speaker. I personally think that “Espresso” shouldn't have been released as early as it was, and I often skip it in annoyance now. “Please Please Please” was also overplayed but just the right amount to keep me listening even now. "Taste" was a heavily played song as well, but did not get as much praise as “Espresso”. All three of those songs were accompanied by music videos. “Please Please Please” features Barry Keoghan, Carpenter's current boyfriend, and “Taste” features Jenna Ortega, a widely known actress.  

The album's overall aesthetic and “vibe” are completely based around summer and I slightly wish the album would have been released a month or so earlier than it was so I could soak it all in before the end of summer approached. 

I was gifted this album on vinyl for my birthday and then gifted the CD for Christmas and I was incredibly excited both times to receive it. I find myself going back to this album often, and I am excited to see where Carpenter goes in the future with her growing fame and talent.

Mr. Turner’s Advanced Drawing classes are mastering the art of figure drawing to close the first semester. 

Turner has recruited other students to live model for his classes to help give his art students a real idea of perspective and proportion. 

“I thought it was fun, and it's nice to see everyone's drawings from different angles. The different models help the art students practice different things,” Dalian Anderson, senior volunteer model, said.

The art students are given a short time period to observe the model and draw them with as much detail as possible. Turner has challenged them with anywhere between two to 15 minutes. 

“Throughout history, the human figure has been considered by some to be the pinnacle of the artistic expression. I incredibly enjoy watching my students grow artistically through this lesson,” Turner said.

Students have advanced greatly through the past couple lessons and must turn in their three best drawings at the end of the unit. 

“I think it's a great experience to draw people in real life and gives you a sense of perspective,” senior Hannah Harnisch said.

From here its only more sunny skies ahead for Turner's classes. Their last unit of this semester will be landscapes.

The LPHS FFA Chapter is hosting a Fall Festival at the LPHS Lacrosse field on November 1st from 5-7 p.m.

It will cost a $5 entry fee and all the proceeds will go to hurricane relief. The hurricanes and tropical storms in 2024 have caused $30.5 billion and $47.5 billion in total wind and flood losses across 16 states. LPHS FFA wants to make an impact and help raise money for residents. They are donating the money to the National FFA Crisis Relief. 

“The La Porte FFA Chapter is very excited to host an event that will help those who are in need. We are hoping to have a good turnout of community members as we also love to extend our hand in community events. Please come out and have a great time for a great cause,” FFA advisor Amber Ernsperger said. 

There will be a pumpkin smash, where participants can bring in their old carved Halloween pumpkins and smash them for $1-5 a pumpkin. 

There will also be face painting ($1) and a corn pool for young kids. A corn pool is a kiddie pool filled with corn kernels and toys for little ones to play in like a sandbox but half the mess. There will also be a donut on a string contest.

There will be a hot chocolate bar ($2) and a bake sale with homemade treats such as cookies, brownies, and more (prices vary).  

There will be a cornhole game and craft station. There will be a picture station that will cost $1. 

“I am very excited that we are holding the fall festival, and I am glad to see so much effort from different clubs at the school coming together to put together this event,” LPHS junior FFA Historian Ella Spencer said.