The La Porte High School Marching Band (LPMB) has officially started its summer season.

 This year's field show is called “Off The Rails” and will feature selections from composers John Fannin, Harry Warren, and heavy metal pioneer Ozzy Osbourne. 

The LPMB practices diligently throughout two camps in the summer and during the school year. The first is parade camp, where students learn the parade tune, the school song, and how to march properly. The drumline learns the yearly cadence, and the color guard learns flag work for the parade songs. 

The second camp is show camp, where students learn show music, dots, which tell where they are in formations, and visuals that enhance the performance. Members will also perfect “The Star-Spangled Banner” for upcoming football games, as they continue to work on technique and tone quality.

During the school year, they continue to work on these aspects to fine-tune their personal and group performance for competitions. These competitions prepare the band for prelims and, depending on how they score, finals. The LPMB had the opportunity to go to State in 2023 and placed 10th overall. Members are excited to put forth their best to try and make it once again. 

Their upcoming performances are at the La Porte 4th of July Parade and a Fox Park performance on August 14. The band also performs at home football games, pep rallies, and at competitions around the area.

As the school year comes to a close, summer is rapidly approaching. In other words, it's Sublime season!

To begin, I cannot make a summer playlist without mentioning Sublime, and more specifically, “Slow Ride.” Released in 1991 on the album Jah Won’t Pay The Bills, “Slow Ride” is a stoner rock anthem that carries my summer every year. Sublime is notorious for its laid-back and upbeat sound, and for a long time after the lead singer, Bradley Nowell, passed away in 1996, they didn’t tour. Now, Sublime is touring again with his son Jakob, and they have brought the Sublime sound to stages around the world once more. 

The 1990s were a great decade for music, pop culture, and fashion, and some of the most iconic albums and trends came from this era. But one thing that is notorious from the 1990s is rap music. From Notorious B.I.G., Outcast, and Ice Cube, it was a great decade for that classic '90s movie sound. One song in particular embodies this nicely: “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube is from the album The Predator, which was released in 1992, right at the beginning of the decade. This song is truly a song of the summer, again with its laid-back style, talking about a good day, it embodies a chill day where everything just seems to go right. 

`To continue on the '90s train, “Around the World” by Red Hot Chili Peppers is an unforgettable anthem. From Californiacation, released in 1999, this song opens the album with an unforgettable bassline that keeps the upbeat vibe throughout the song. Red Hot Chili Peppers are a rock powerhouse that is synonymous with summer. The late nights and early mornings on the lake with a large fountain drink in hand, and the waves crashing on the shore. 

My next song goes in a completely different direction. “Incinerate” by Sonic Youth is an American rock band formed in 1981 in New York. This song comes from the album “Rather Ripped,” and it features a driving guitar riff that carries throughout the whole song. Sonic Youth is the sound of my summer nights, the nights watching the stars or wandering downtown Chicago. On a similar note, “Tonight, Tonight” by The Smashing Pumpkins is another song that is synonymous with late nights in the dead of summer. From the 1995 album Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness, this song is a classic ‘90s rock anthem that has been on my playlists for years.

Finally, my current favorite summer song is “Take It Easy” by the Eagles. Released in 1972 on their self-titled album, this song embodies the laid-back summer experience. This is the song to listen to when cruising down county roads with all of the windows down. This song is deeply rooted in my soul, and it is extremely nostalgic to my time growing up in the Midwest. 

This summer, I want to live life like a Baja Blast because you never know when it will be your Baja last. Overall, summer is a time of joy, whimsy, and fun, and I can’t wait to see what new music I will discover.

Are we living in a coming-of-age movie? Because there’s a Battle of the Bands in Michigan City on Saturday, May 24, 2025.

This event is at the Michigan City Food & Music Fest at the Guy Foreman Amphitheater, and it is from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday. The Battle of the Bands is held from noon to 6:40 p.m. on Saturday.

The bands that are playing are Here for Today, La Porte’s own Hard Copy, 9 Months Later, CXPITAL, Massasauga, Yold Buzzard, Carroll Ave, Rebel Noire and the Accomplices, Geddy Trezak Band, Ashlyn, and Mayor’s Kids. 

Hard Copy features members from La Porte High School, both current and graduated. They have developed their unique sound through their experiences in and out of school, performing in Northwest Indiana. They cover music from punk to jazz to alternative rock. Hard Copy has captivated audiences through the performance of older music with a modern perspective. Their performance is a must-see and is a testament to the band’s energy and passion for music.

Each band will have a 20-minute set to perform any songs of their choice, either originals or covers. This is the first year this event is happening, and it is a worthwhile festival to attend.

The Guy Foreman Amphitheater is on 115 Lakeshore Drive.

Come be a part of this coming-of-age story and support local high school students!

L.S. Dunes is an American Rock powerhouse that has been sweeping America since 2022. With vocals by Anthony Green from Circa Survive, guitar by Frank Iero from My Chemical Romance, guitar by Travis Stever from Coheed And Cambria, bass guitar by Tim Payne from Thursday, and drums by Tucker Rule also from Thursday.

L.S. Dunes originally started as a project called Dad Bods, but it changed soon before their debut performance at Riot Fest in 2022, which I attended. I was also at their 2024 Riot Fest performance and their most recent concert at The Outlook in Chicago. 

The openers from this most recent show were Plague Vendor and From Indian Lakes. Plague Vendor is an American post-punk and post-hardcore band that has been active since 2009. They have a similar sound to bands such as She Wants Revenge, Christian Death, and Death From Above 1979. Their high-energy performance and charismatic stage presence made for an unforgettable set.

 In my recent listening, my favorite songs from them are “Black Sap Scriptures,” “I Only Speak In Friction,” and “Jezebel.” Their discography has a wide variety of songs with powerful basslines and dramatic vocals that are definitely worth a listen.

From Indian Lakes is a shoegaze and indie rock band from, ironically, Indian Lakes. They have been active since 2009, and they have taken influence from Radiohead, The Dodos, and Mew. Their set was like a dream, and Joey Vannucchi’s vocals made their songs sound almost angelic. Some similar artists are LSD and the Search for God, Panchiko, and Turnover. Overall, their set was a sight to behold and a must-see again in the future. 

Some of my favorite songs from their discography are “Blank Tapes,” “Did We Change,” and “Label This Love.” Their dream-pop and shoegaze sound is unique and a refreshing listen from most modern shoegaze music and is a band I’d highly recommend to anyone.

L.S. Dunes has been described as a rock supergroup, with members from all different post-hardcore and hardcore bands from the ‘90s and the 2000s. Out of the three times I have seen L.S. Dunes, this was easily their best performance and not just because it was a longer set. The energy was unbelievable, and the crowd picked up on it. Nearly every song someone was crowd surfing, including me, and there wasn’t a moment of boredom.

 Finally, some of my favorite songs were “Violet,” which is from their latest album, “Sleep Cult,” and “Benadryl Subreddit.” Their discography combines post-punk and hardcore from the ‘90s and puts a modern spin on it. With all of their members being pillars in the emo scene of the 2000s, they really know how to make good modern hardcore.

The Outlook is a smaller venue on the North side of Chicago with an open floor, nearly everyone had a good spot to see the stage, and the bands were able to interact with the crowd more easily. This meant a close-knit show that I’ll never forget and may even be one of my favorite concerts I’ve been to.

The 2025 LPHS Variety Show was a night packed with unique acts from singing, color guard, and poetry.

Each act on the stage went through auditions with teachers from the music department to find the best performers, then dress rehearsals to run the show, and then the final performance was the next day.

The Variety Show was not just for students but also teachers. Both Mr. Stewart and Mrs. Brown had vocal performances, and the teacher's act was a hit with the audience. Mr. Pitts, Mr. Ruiz, Mr. Ruff, Ms. Santana, Ms. Hartson, and Mr. Coe all went on stage without knowing what they were going to do. 

“This was my first time doing the Variety Show, and I had no idea what I was going to do. In the future, I would prepare something myself, maybe musical or Shakespeare,” Pitts said.

Vocal performances were the most prevalent act of the night with showcases by Molly Cooper singing “On My Own” from Les Misérables, Elise Eldridge singing “Reflection” from Mulan, Halyn Pumroy singing “Your Daddy’s Son” from Ragtime, and Jaden Medina singing “Desesperado.”

One duet was performed by Camryn Ruiz and Nick Oss, and they sang “Seventeen” from Heathers, and Layna Hannon sang “Spring Into Summer” with her guitar.

There were many unique acts, including Henry Danger–The Uke King– performing his song “Tropical Midwest,” Hard Copy, featuring Ellie Hopper, Pierce Arnsbarger, Amazie Huffman, Nova Lear, and Felix Goff, performed “The Night Begins To Shine” from Teen Titans Go! Emily DeGarmo performed and sang “Heather” by Conan Gray on piano, and Madelyn Crawford recited her original poem “Thorns.” Finally, Madison Davis choreographed a color guard solo with “Tiny Star” from Over The Garden Wall. 

“I practiced for weeks on end after school with my friend; we created the routine together, and then I made it come to life. Overall, I loved it, it helped me get over my fear of performing in front of people. I’m so happy I did it because I had so much fun,” Davis said.

Some classes and extracurricular activities also had performances. The Show Choir performed “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen, and the Jazz Band performed “Welcome To The Jungle” by Guns N’ Roses. The varsity dance team, who recently performed at State, performed “I Look Good.” 

Finally, the guest MCs, Mrs. Cooper and Ms. Parker, carried the show along and announced all of the acts.

Pope Francis passed away due to a double pneumonia and other health complications on April 21. Now, the process of finding a new Pope is in place. 

Pope Francis was widely known for his progressive views. He often criticized wars, was tolerant of other faiths, and opposed the death penalty. These views are not common among modern religious and political figures, and his passing is extremely unfortunate in the Catholic Church.

To elect a new Pope, the College of Cardinals meets in the Vatican and discusses the candidates in the Papal Conclave. Together, they vote until they reach a ⅔ majority. Black smoke will rise if one is not selected, and white smoke will rise from the Sistine Chapel, thus showing that a new Pope has been elected. 

Now, the full process to get to be a candidate to be Pope is much harder. One must be male and become a catholic priest. A priest runs his church or runs it with another priest. Education is a must, and many major in Catholic Philosophy and Divinity or other similar majors. One thing to note is that as a priest, one must stay celibate and single. 

The next step is to become a bishop, which is much more selective. By becoming a bishop, they now oversee a cathedral and local churches. To become a bishop, one must be a priest for at least five years and have a PhD in theology. One must then be approved by the local bishops, the council of bishops in Vatican City, and then the Pope.

Finally, one must become a cardinal, which to do this, one must be appointed by the current Pope, which in this case is not currently applicable. In the future, one will be selected by having a ⅔ majority vote, which can take months and even years. Finally, the new Pope selects a name, typically one after another Pope in the past.

With a new papal election in process, many have been theorizing about who the new pope will be, but some say that Pope Francis was the last pope. In the Prophecy of the Pope, it states that Peter the Roman is the last pope before the end of the world or Judgement Day. Many speculate this is implying Pope Francis because of his more modern views on politics and his open-minded nature. This theory has little accuracy; this is because the prophecy has not been accurate since 1590, so this is extremely unreliable.

Overall, becoming the next Pope is difficult and time-consuming; in the meantime, the College of Cardinals assumes temporary government authority.

As summer rapidly approaches and the school year begins to wind down, the tunes of summer begin to emerge. One of the main artists in my summer playlist is Jimmy Buffett.

Jimmy Buffett was a singer, songwriter, businessman, philanthropist, and creator of Margaritaville. His tropical persona has captured hearts across generations. Born in Mississippi in 1947, Buffett was exposed to sailing at a young age, but later on in 1961, he realized he wanted to be a musician after seeing a folk ensemble perform. After he graduated from college in 1969, he began doing street performances to kickstart his music career. 

His first record deal was two albums with Barnaby Records, and neither of the albums was very successful. Later in 1973, Buffett signed a contract with ABC/Dunhill Records, which at the time was run by Don Gant. His next few albums slowly began gaining traction with A White Sport Coat and a Pink Crustacean released in June 1973, and later on Living and Dying in ¾ Time released in February 1974. In March 1978, Buffett released Son of a Sailor. In addition to the title track), it featured “Cheeseburger in Paradise,” which reached number 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 and is still one of his most popular songs today. After the mid '70s, Buffett’s success was immeasurable, from singles to albums to live shows, he gained more success after every release.

His style of music was often described as tropical rock, with other subgenres such as calypso, folk, and gulf rock. In an interview with ABC, Buffett described what his unique rock genre is to him.

“It's pure escapism, is all it is...I'm not the first one to do it, nor shall I probably be the last. But I think it's really a part of the human condition that you've got to have some fun. You've got to get away from whatever you do to make a living or other parts of life that stress you out. I try to make it at least 50/50 fun to work, and so far it's worked out,” Buffet said.

Aside from music, Buffet wrote four books, all of which placed on the New York Times Bestseller list. These are A Pirate Looks at Fifty, Where Is Joe Merchant?, Tales from Margaritaville, and A Salty Piece of Land.

His business ventures were just as successful as his music. The chain restaurant Margaritaville has locations all over the world and has found a home in casinos, tourist traps, vacation spots, and big cities. Buffett had a second chain called Cheeseburger in Paradise, but all locations were shut down in 2020. Aside from restaurants, Buffett also had a record label creatively named Margaritaville, and it was distributed through MCA Records. This deal ended in 1996, and later in 1999, he started Mailboat Records to release live albums. 

Buffett has been working since 1981 to help with environmental conservation. He has worked with the Save The Manatee Club, and he lobbied to save the Endangered Species Act of 1973. He also assisted with disaster relief for hurricanes in Key West and the 2010 Haiti earthquake.

Buffett passed away on September 1, 2023, due to a rare skin cancer. He was surrounded by friends and family, and his last words were, “Have fun.” After his death, former president Joe Biden called him a “Music Icon,” and his tribute concert was a sight to behold. 

There will be a Jimmy Buffett tribute concert at the La Porte Civic Auditorium on Saturday, August 9. Tickets are $20 for balcony seating and $30 for standing room. Doors will open at 6 p.m. and the show will start at 7 p.m.

Little Chocolates is a family-owned and operated chocolate shop downtown La Porte, and has been a sweet treat staple for years and is the go-to place for holiday chocolates. Little Chocolates is located at 916 1st St. and is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

This family-owned business has been making chocolate in La Porte for about 15 years, and the risk has paid off. Little Chocolates is the heart of the town and is a fan-favorite spot for a sweet treat. They specialize in chocolates, truffles, and chocolate-covered strawberries, but they also have chocolate-covered s’mores, gummy bears, and many more items dipped in chocolate.

One student at La Porte High School is the daughter of the owners and has done many great things. Allison Little is a 4.0 GPA student who will be graduating one year early with academic honors. Her success is not just academic, but musical as well. She is a viola player in the high school symphony orchestra and a member of Tri-M Music Honors Society. Little is a varsity member of the debate team who specializes in Congress and Public Forum.

“All my academic achievements are to make a better future for myself. I want to be able to pay my mom back for all the sacrifices she has made to raise me and my brothers,” Little said.

Little plans to take a gap year after high school to build her resume with jobs, one is possibly interning at local therapy clinics to gain experience and help for college. To help pay for college and other things, she is working at Little Chocolates with her two brothers. In the future, she plans on going to IU South Bend to get a doctorate in psychology to then pursue therapy.