Mr. Deal is the man!Read about him on..

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Read the interview with Norm from Norm’s Pumpkin Patch!

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Thursday, October 27, 2011

New SeaSoN, New SerieS, New GirL

New Girl is a new series this season on FOX. The show stars Zooey Descha-nel, who has entertained us in (500) Days of Summer, Yes Man, and Elf. She plays an a-dork-able young woman named Jess, who, after a bad breakup, with her long time boyfriend moves into a loft with three single guys. Meet the roommates: Nick, the prickly bar-tender, Schmidt, the womanizer, and Coach, the hardcore personal train-er. They all find Jess’ behavior very unusual, but they agree that is what makes her who she is. New Girl is full of witty humor. Zooey Deschanel(Jess) is quirky and entertaining. Check out New Girl on FOX Tuesdays at 9/8c.

-Nikki Sierzputowski

Marching Band ‘Trapped’ At Semi-State!

The crisp autumn evening

of October 15 set the stage for the Lowell Marching Red Devils’ Region-al performance at Lafayette Jefferson High School. Spirits were high and the weather couldn’t have been better.

“ C o n c e n t r a t e on one week at a time. You have to have your best show today. One day to prove it.” encouraged Mr. Killion (LMRD Director). Soon af-ter Lowell’s performance, hundreds of anxious band students from all over Northern Indiana listened with bated breath as judging began, judging that would determine which bands would advance on to the semi-state competition. The emcee began announcing semi-state fi-nalists, finally confirming Lowell’s advance. Faces lit up with joy and excitement as the Lowell band and gaurd cheered, greatful for an-other chance to prove that they had the talent, endurance, and drive to compete with the big league marching bands. For the 3rd time in Lowell’s history, the Marching Red Devils will participate in the semi-state competition on October 22 at Pike High School in Indianapolis!

read more about the baNd oN paGe 14!-Rebecca Greaney

Senior band members celebrate after their regional performance

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25 Banned Books That You Should Read Today, Excerpted from The Professors Blog at Degree Directory

Since the dawn of pub-lishing, people have found reasons to ban books. Books might get banned for being religious, un-patriotic, obscene. The list goes on and on. Of-ten, however, books get banned because they are

ahead of their time. And, year in and year out, when lists of “The Most Banned Book of Such and Such Year” come out, it’s always the most popular books. For a book to even be on that list, it has to be popular. So, borrowing some notes from The Professor’s Blog on Degree Directory, here are the books that we teach at Lowell High School that make his list of “25 Banned Books that You Should Read Right Now.”

1. To Kill a Mockingbird. Yep. To Kill a Mockingbird was once thought to be “unsafe for children.” Almost every high school student in the country now reads this important novel.

4. The Awakening. Sign up for AP Lit when you’re a senior, and you will read this novella by Kate Chopin. The ending is a doozy, which is what has led to its controversy.

6. Candide. A French Enlightenment text at number six. Rebellious! Junior AP English Language students might be scratching their heads as to what could possibly be objec-tionable about Voltaire’s tale about a young man’s journey.

7. Cat’s Cradle. Novels, and formerly Themes in Literature, teach this gem by Indiana’s own, Kurt Vonnegut.

8. Fallen Angels. This novel has landed on the AP US His-tory reading list from time to time.

10. Frankenstein. Another senior year staple. Too scary for 12th graders???

11. Harry Potter. LHS teaches the Sorcerer’s Stone to freshmen.

12. I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings. Not often taught by freshmen teachers, it is on the back shelves. Maya Ange-lou’s autobiography doesn’t pull any punches.

14. Lord of the Flies. A sophomore year favorite.

15. Of Mice and Men. Perhaps the most beloved book with LHS students. Nobody will ever forget Lenny and George.

16. The Grapes of Wrath. Another Steinbeck novel. Leave him alone! This was the decathlon novel just last year.

17. Beloved. This novel is the last American work to win the Nobel Prize. Both AP English classes have offered it.

20. The Catcher in the Rye. Sophomore year.

23. The Giver. It won the Newberry Medal, which is given by the Association of Library Services for Children. But, it’s on the banned list. It’s also a wonderful part of the 8th grade English curriculum.

So, not all books are for all people, but keep an open mind. Reading is great.

Classic Fall FoodsPut away the lemonade pitchers and ice cream! In case

the sudden blast of chilly air and the leaves changing color didn’t give it away, Fall is officially here. With Fall comes the desire to create warm and seasonal dishes that couldn’t possibly taste any better at any other time of the year. Here are some great ideas for a scrumptious fall treat-

- Pie, of any kind. Pumpkins are in season, as well as apples. What’s more American than apple pie?

-Soup. A hearty ladel full of chicken and dumpling soup can do wonders for the soul on a chilly fall day.

-Apple Cidar or Hot Chocolate. Both are warm and good to sip while cuddling under your favorite blanket.

-Turkey. It’s never too early to get ready for Thanksgiving!

-Macaroni and Cheese. Bake it in the oven after completion to warm your house and finish off this classic comfort food.

-Katie Wilkey

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Spell Bowl Finishes First at NJSP InviteThe academic spell bowl team kicked off the academic competi-tions season by finishing first at the North Judson-San Pierre Invite. The Red Devils defeated North Newton, Knox, NJSP, Renssalaer, Kankakee Valley, River Forest, and Lake Station.

Top spellers for Lowell included Mikayla Blievernicht, Ariana Ramon, and Ana Villareal. Spell bowl in Indiana does not take on the class spelling bee format. Instead, spellers sit at a desk on a stage and spell ten words, one at a time. This format is much less intimidating than that which most people know. The cumulative count of all ten spellers comprises the team score.

Blievernicht was the lead off speller. She came out of the gates quickly, spelling six of her nine words right. Ra-mon and Villareal were spellers nine and ten. They spelled a combined fifteen out of eighteen words correctly.

Spellers are given a list of about 1,500 words to memorize. At NJSP, some of the tougher words included Reykjavik, pteridine, dermatomyositis, Eniwetok, bouillabaisse, and Gloucestershire.

“We try to make it more about learning good vocabulary words, words that might help them on their SAT,” said coach, Joe Gianotti. “In this day and age, spelling is pretty over-rated, but I think that our kids are learning good vocab that will improve their test scores and make them better writers.”

Vicki Miley, Nikki Sierzputowski, Brianne Manley, Hayley Kontol, Megan Suarez, Patrick Hetler, Eric Brady, Jeannine Linskens, Andi Burns, Christina Borsilli, Emily King, Jacob Long, and Veronica Miller round out the 2011 Spell Bowlers.

After winning the NJSP Invite, the Spell Bowl team partied down at the Demotte Dairy Queen.

Freshman Patrick Hetler threatens to fire his Dairy Queen, catapult style.

Ana Villareal shows off the ribbon that proves she is the greatest speller who has ever lived.

U.S. News and World Report Col-lege Rankings

Smaller, Regional Colleges (ranked out of 247)53. DePauw, Greencastle, Indiana (Home of Brian Bales)57. Wheaton, Wheaton, Illinois60. Beloit, Beloit, Wisconsin68. Earlham, Richmond, Indiana68. Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo, Michigan (Home of Austin Richie)86. Augustana, Rock Island, Illinois90. St. Mary’s, Notre Dame, Indiana116. Hanover, Hanover, Indiana

Larger, National, Research Based Universities (Ranked out of 280)5. University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois12. Northwestern, Evanston, Illinois19. Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana28. Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan62. Purdue, West Lafayette, Indiana75. Indiana, Bloomington, Indiana119. Loyola, Chicago, Illinois (Home of Whitney Magley)132. DePaul, Chicago, Illinois

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Mustangs and Niners Bring Out RDP

Our Red Devil football team has given their fans and them-selves win after win for quite a few weeks in a row. How-ever, everyone knows RDP would not be possible without facing obstacles. When standing face to face with a brick wall, Lowell is never one to walk away without making their best attempt at breaking through. Weeks of October 7 and 14 brought two huge challenges to our fighting Red Devils.

The Munster game ended in a 27-8 loss. Contributing to the score was senior Austin Magley (25) who scored in the fourth quarter. Andrean won for the first time since 2006 ending the night with a score of 35-7. Despite the score however, Lowell “never gave up a fight defen-sively” reported Coach Kilmer. He continued, “We came out offensively and had a nice drive.” This offen-sive success was reflected in the exciting touchdown in the first quarter. The early touchdown from Lowell tied the game at 7-7 and set the tone for a fight night.

Although both games ended in a loss, the team show-cased what RDP is truly about. Anyone could be proud when things are going well, when we end with a victory. But it takes a certain person to maintain pride through the toughest nights, especially after a loss. That person best exemplifies Red Devil Pride.

-Kelsie Roadruck

Wildman Leads JV Volleyballers in Kills, BlocksJV Lady Red Devil Volleyball

The Lowell Red Devil JV Volleyball team ended their season on a high note. The team went 15-16 for the year. Each girl contributed to the success of the team throughout the year by overcoming adversity when in-juries occurred. Some girls reached new heights by playing new and challenging positions. One of the big-gest highlights for the year came with a victory at the JV Tournament held at Lowell High School. The girls went 4-0 and beat Griffith in the championship game.

Stats for the girls on their season are as followed:

Anna Wildman—88 kills, 27 BlocksKaitlyn Henson—69 kills, 11 BlocksHannah Tucker—26 killsTori Nida—39 killsAshley DeBoer—34 killsAshley Hudgens—16 killsNicole Sharkey –21 killsBri Cherven—8 killsMallory Slavis—237 AssistsMorgan Roberts—89 digsAlyssa Cory—101 digsCambria Wynsma—40 digsSam Hammer—22 digsAnnie Kenelly—18 digs

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Mr. Deal Finishes Chicago Marathon in 3:54:59 The horns sounded at 7:30 a.m. on Sunday, October 11th. Mr. Deal, along with his close friend, Kanishka Mapa, were off to the races. Literally. Having trained for six months, they began their first Chicago Marathon. Mr. Deals’ parents, wife, daughter, in-laws, and friends were there to support him.

The weather was beautiful. The sun shone and the wind stayed down throughout the duration of the marathon. Deal said that it really helped to hear so many fans cheering and playing music as he ran the 26.2 mile course that took him up and down the city’s north and south sides. Sport-ing bright green t-shirts, Deal and Mapa maintained their pace. A GPS strip on their shoes sent instant text messages to their families every time they went past a mile marker.

It should also be noted that Mr. Jeff Mescal, a school board member and long-time runner, ran with one of the pace teams during the race.

Deal and Mapa are already committing to the 2012 Chica-go Marathon. Deal plans on running for charity next year.

Congratulations Mr. Deal on an incredi-ble accomplishment.

The team stands poised to take on Crown Point in the sectional final after defeating Renssalaer in the first round.

Boy’s Tennis Enjoys Solid SeasonThe boys’ tennis team had a solid season this year. Harris Rosenbaum anchored the team at number one singles. Jacob Cook played a solid three singles for the Red Devils. Head coach and new LHS teacher, Dustin Hudak, has a lot to look forward to as he was able to start two talented freshmen at the varsity level. Ben Roesel and Jayson Savich have playing tennis to-gether since they were in elementary school, and they proved this year that they will be a force in the future.

The Devils defeated Renssalaer in the first round of sectionals, but then fell to Crown Point in the fi-nal. Still, Lowell has a lot to be proud of with sol-id showings at the Crawfordsville Invite, the Mer-illville Invite, and the Highland Doubles Tourney.

Good luck with your off season preparation.

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The cheerleaders perform their routine for a packed house during the Homecoming Pep Rally.

The woodwinds ready their instruments during the pep rally.

This year’s annual homecoming pep rally went off without a hitch. The band flawlessly per-formed the school song, while the cheerleaders built pyramids, tumbled, and showed off their agility. Tucked in the northeast corner of the gym, color guard, under the direction of Liz Hilt, waved flags and through rifle butts. Vo-cal Flare, the highest performing choir at LHS, sang a song, and Mr. Deal, as always, orches-trated the activities. The homecoming court was announced and the football captains spoke on behalf of their team. Coach Kilmer thanked the many groups and students who have helped make RDP a success.

The LHS Marching Red Devils have become a perennial powerhouse in Northwest Indiana. This year, they again

made it to semi-state, as they have done time after time under the direction of Mr. Andrew Killion. One of the largest extra-curriculars at Lowell, the band represents

about every demographic in our high school. In addition, Mr. Killion has always enjoyed incredible alumni and par-

ent support. Long hours in the parking lot equal success in performance and learning. And hey, those uniforms look

great, too.

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Tri-Creek Special! Save $2.50 on a Half Platter OR Save $5 on a Full Platter Call:219-696-5300

Freshmen Larz Stanford and Andrejas Duerig dressed up like Mr. Gianotti during Spirit Week. They never looked so good!

Color guard performs their routine under the direction of Liz Hilt. Spin that rifle, Jamie Stinnett.

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The History of HalloweenAmerican Halloween traditions originate from the ancient Celtic festival, Samhain (pronounced “Sow-en”). This holi-day signified the end of summer and the harvest season. Sam-hain took place on October 31st because they believed that on that day the living and dead worlds overlapped and that mischievous spirits would destroy crops. To prevent this, the Celts would leave out food and gather together with huge bon-

fires, as light was believed to keep away evil spirits. Costumes were worn in later years to please the spirits.

In the 1800s Irish and Scottish im-migrants helped shape early Hal-loween traditions in America. They brought stories, fireworks, games and tricks with

them, for example, young women were often told that if they sat in the dark and stared into a mirror, the face of their future husband would appear to them

By the 1900s Halloween was no longer a religious holi-day, but a widely accepted communal celebration. Par-ties were very common among friends, and a very small amount of children would go “guising.” Guising was a practice from the Middle Ages in which beggars would go door to door performing for money or food. However, by the 30s people began using the holiday as an excuse for vandalism and schools began encouraging the idea of Trick or Treating to children in efforts to prevent mischief.

Today, Halloween has become the second largest com-mercial holiday, seconded only by Christmas, and it is a widely celebrated holiday in many countries. Crimi-nal activity is still a concern, but many safety measures are in place to keep everyone safe on the night of fun.

Smashing Pumpkins is a Band, Not a Past Time For This Holiday

1. Go trick or treating!2. But please dress up, show your Halloween spirit! (otherwise you look like a lame teenager who isn’t having any fun)3. Unless frostbite is part of your outfit, please wear a warm costume. This is Indiana, it will be in the 40s.4. Don’t dress inappropriately, its not really a costume if you wear it every day.5. Watch classic Halloween movies and relive your child-hood! (or take an adventure through cinema history…?)6. Diets are not important on Halloween. Its a fact.7. Shakespearian character costumes are a great idea! Why not get creative?8. Remember when you were little and you put more ef-fort into carving that pumpkin than any amount of effort you put into school now? So respect the Jack-o-lanterns, no smashing.9. If you don’t want candy from strangers (that has possibly been poisoned or made by overworked oompa-loompa’s), have your own Halloween Party! Nothing says a party like a Monday night before school.10. I’m sure the top of your priority list for this holiday weekend, is religious holidays! Reformation Day on the 31st (Lutheran, Protestant) and All Saints Day on the 1st (Catholic). ha.11. Buckets and buckets of Candy Corn!!!12. And wonderfully, Show Choir is doing the Haunted Trail Massacre this year!! You don’t even have to drive far to go, and you know you want to see your classmates covered in fake blood, being chased by murders (who will you cheer on?), and hanging from trees! Have a safe and Happy Halloween!

-Mikayla Blievernicht and Maureena Miller

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Are You Feeling SAD?

It’s that time of year again. When the warm summer air is replaced by the chill of winter, and sunshine is concealed be-hind a cloud cover, it’s hard not to feel a little un-der the weather. SAD, or Seasonal Affective Dis-order, is a mood disorder in which people that have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depres-

sive symptoms in the winter, summer, spring or autumn year after year. Seasonal affective disorder seems to devel-op from inadequate bright light during the winter months.

SAD is a branch of classic depression, though the symp-toms which include, tendency to oversleep, over eat, crav-ings for carbohydrates, weight gain, lack of energy, dif-ficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities, are often confused with depression. The condition in the summer is often re-ferred to as reverse seasonal affective disorder. People who experience spring and summer depression show symptoms of classic depression including insomnia, anxiety, irritabil-ity, decreased appetite, weight loss, and social withdrawal.

There are many different treatments for SAD. Light therapy is the main treatment for SAD, and it has been found that regular exposure to light that is bright, particularly fluo-rescent lights, significantly improves depression in people with this disorder when it presents during the fall and win-ter. Many people benefit from increased social support during vulnerable times of the year. In severe cases, antidepressant medications have been found effective treatment for SAD. Also, outdoor work has been used successfully as a therapy to treat those with mood difficulties during the winter season. Similarly, outdoor walking can provide a “therapeutic effect” to individuals with SAD that is on par with light therapy.

So the next time you feel SAD, don’t let it get the best of you. Dig up some bright lights, take a stroll outside, or take on some social activities. You’re sure to feel better in no time.

-Megan Suarez

Beyond The PagesIn LibraryLand

The Lowell High School Media Center now has access to Grolier Encyclopedia! Lowell High School is fortunate to have access to this fantas-tic resource. Whereas Wikipedia is a reasonable source to use to satisfy a casual curiosity, it is not an appropriate source for school research. Any-one can write or edit a Wikipedia article. Accord-ing to U.S. News, “This is precisely why college professors almost universally bar students from citing any information they glean from Wiki-pedia” (Burnsed, 2011). Grolier makes citing sources easy. If students need to cite a source for a school project or paper, Grolier Encyclope-dia actually cites it automatically in MLA format.

Students and staff can access Grolier Encyclope-dia from the library’s homepage. At school, there is no need to login. At home, the login is “trilow-ell” and the password is “grolier”. Students who only use the internet to research find a lot of out-dated pages, broken links, and inaccurate infor-mation. With Grolier, students can guarantee that the information is current, reliable, and accurate. Students can spend less time searching and more time researching. Even Google cannot take you inside Grolier Encyclopedia. Grolier is only avail-able through a subscription. Take a look at the li-brary’s homepage and click “Research, Resources, and Helpful Sites” for all of your study needs.

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Tri-Creek Studies New Tech Model at Huntington North

A team of teachers, students, administra-tors, and business leaders numbering nineteen met in the Lowell High School parking lot at 5:00 a.m. on October 18th to travel and visit Vi-king New Tech High School in Huntington, Indiana. Mr. Magley, Mrs. Magley, Mrs. Hudak, Mr. Gianotti, Mrs. Smith, and Mr. Harker represented the high school.

When the team arrived at Viking New Tech, they were greeted by Principal Kelly Re-nier, Todd Hurst from the Center for Excellence in Leadership of Learning (CELL), and Theresa Shafer, a representative from the New Tech corporation. Shafer then led the team through a brainstorming session, establishing the needs for the day.

Student Lea Gamble then led the team through a demonstra-tion of Echo, New Tech’s answer to our Harmony. Through Echo, Gamble explained, students can check grades, retrieve classroom agendas, create study and project groups, and track progress. Gamble said that every student at Viking New Tech checks Echo several times a day, and it is the first page they open up on their computers at the beginning of each class. Teachers usually have some prompt or bell ringer activity, so students can get right to work.

Gamble also talked about grading practices at Viking New Tech. She explained that students receive seven different grades for each class that revolved around Learning Outcomes. Those grades are then funneled into a formula to produce one grade for the student’s transcript. Gamble mentioned col-laboration, technology, and content as three of the Learning Outcomes. Principal Renier commented that her staff decided on the learning outcomes together, and Shafer said that each school has the autonomy to create their own.

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The Tri-Creek team gets debriefed at the end of the visit.

Norm’s Pumpkin PatchWhat would a Lowellian Halloween be if we didn’t have Norm’s Pumpkin Patch? If you’ve ever found yourself in Lowell during Halloween time, then you’ve most likely been to Norm’s Pumpkin Patch, a great place to prepare for your Halloween fun. Perhaps you’ve strolled through Norm’s front lawn, looking through the rows and rows of great orange pumpkins for just the right one, or taken a terrifying hayride at night through Norm’s haunted paths. Maybe you’ve taken a peek into Norm’s shop where you can find all kinds of Halloween trinkets, like spooktacular Hallow-een decorations or delicious candy treats. Whatever the fun, Norm’s Pumpkin Patch has been a great attraction for Lowellians for years, and will be for years to come!

I recently caught up with the man behind all the scares, Norm himself, for a quick interview on his thoughts on his pumpkin patch and how it all began.

--So, where did the inspiration to create your own pumpkin patch come from?Norm: “In 1987 I grew one acre of pumpkins for my nieces and nephews. I had so many left over pumpkins I started letting my neighbors, one family at a time, come pick pumpkins from the surplus. With the help of a borrowed tractor and wagon I would pull the families back to the pumpkins, that was the beginning of my hayrides.”

--Is it a lot of work to pull off a great pumpkin patch full of treats and scares?Norm: “Absolutely. I usually wake up early in the morning, and sometimes don’t get to sleep until early the next morning, it’s all day work. I also do things all year-round. In the summer I do landscaping, and in the winter I help plow snow all over Lowell, especially by Stracks and the library. Then in the fall, I have my pumpkin patch. I’m always busy.”

--Do you enjoy what you do?Norm:“Of course! Over the years I’ve made a lot of lifelong friends, which makes it all worth it. I’ve been able to see kids who’ve come here and peeked their little heads over the sides of the hay wagon, now come back years later with their kids who peek their little heads over the sides of the hay wagon.”

Continued On Next Page

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RDP Pizza Hut NightEat at Pizza Hut on November 7th. Proceeds help benefit the RDP Scholarship fund. You can eat-in, carry out, or get delivery, but you must have the RDP Pizza Hut Flyer.

--Thank you so much for taking the time to do an interview for us!Norm: “My pleasure.”

So if you find yourself pumpkin-less and in need of a scare, I suggest going to Norm’s Pumpkin Patch, where you’re sure not to be disappointed. Maybe you’ll even be able to catch a glimpse of Norm as he works to bring us all a great Halloween attraction. As he says, “Norm’ is here to make people happy.”!

Norm is also holding a special event on Octo-ber 30th at 6:00 pm. The event is a Sky Lan-tern Night to release Sky Lanterns for all hopes, wishes, and prayers for all causes. In conjunc-tion with this event, Norm is also running a Food Drive. Be sure to make your calendars!

-Emily King

Norm’s, Continued

--Have you always been interested in owning a pumpkin farm?Norm: “I haven’t always been interested in owning a pumpkin farm, but ever since the age of five I knew I wanted to have a farm. When I was fourteen I started working on a farm and worked there until I was twenty five. Then, I was able to get my own farm. Now twenty five years later, here I am.”

--What’s your favorite thing about your patch and your job?Norm: “My favorite part would have to be the people and making them happy. The friends I make are the true reward, not the money I make. My philosophy is, ‘Norm’s is here to make people happy.’, and I like to live by that.”

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Shafer also noted that Echo allows students and teachers to create groups between schools from around the country, and soon Australia. As if that were not enough, Echo also comes along with Google Applications embedded in. Every Viking New Tech student and teacher have gmail, reader, docs, and all other like accounts. Echo’s collaboration piece seemed extensive and much more user friendly than other models.

Students then led teachers on a tour of classes. They vis-ited a class called Chemlit, a two block class taught by two teachers, one a chemistry teacher and one an English teacher. They toured Global Perspectives, which combines freshman English with world history. And, teachers ob-serves Biochem. New Tech schools frequently mix tradi-tional class structures with these interdisciplinary hybrids.

Mrs. Hudak asked her sophomore tour guide what his fa-vorite project has been, since another feature of New Tech is project based learning. He said that he has enjoyed “Culinary Cuisine,” a project in Chemlit. Students are creating their own restaurants. The chemistry side of the project will look at the chemical reactions that happen during cooking. The English side will look at writing a business plan. Business leaders and chefs from Huntington have been brought in as guest speaker, and they will play a role in the students’ grade.

The day ended with a student panel. The nineteen member contingency asked four New Tech students questions and received honest, articulate feedback.

When asked if he likes New Tech more than “regular” school, Dale Buff said that it’s hard-er but more helpful and more challenging.

Angel Medsker said, ”There’s three words we always re-member: trust, respect, and responsibility. If we need help with anything we just think about those words.”

A lot was learned about the New Tech model from our gra-cious hosts at Viking New Tech. Superintendent Howe has emphasized that New Tech is one of several models that Tri-Creek is looking at to keep improving our services.

FaLL FaShioN

Fall is a tricky season. It’s in between the hottest and coldest seasons of the year and Northwest Indiana seems to make it very ambiguous at times. One day it will be a high of 75 and the next it will be pouring down rain and so cold you’re won-dering why it’s not snowing. It’s a tough season to dress for, however here are some “do’s” and “don’ts” for autumn 2011.

DO go “old Hollywood” with your accessories. Jazz up your everyday look with a fancy hat or a vintage printed scarf!

DON’T wear open-toed shoes. The nurse will not know what to do with a frost bitten toe! Also, the halls of LHS will be slippery from rain and snow (soon) so save yourself the trip and stay safe in your fall.

DO go back! The 70’s is a returning era! Hippies were constantly dressing in earthy tones, which in turn have the perfect amount of warm tones that autumn is full of!

DON’T wear a dress or skirt without leggings, tights, or nylons. Northwest Indiana feels like it skipped fall and went straight for winter temperatures! It is cold! The major-ity of boys that will be staring at you will not be “checking you out” rather than the enormous mounds of goosebumps you are suffering from.DO get patriotic! Bold blue hues were a hit on the runway and romantic red lips were as well. Paired together might become a bit overwhelming, however do not be afraid to pick and choose!DON’T leave your jacket in the car. Blazers are classic and suiting for the warmer fall days while pea coats become more fitting on the colder days. Lowell’s forecast really knows how to mix it up so be prepared for both!

-Rilee Witt

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Spellers Finish Season in 2nd At GavitThe LHS spellers competed at the Gavit Regional on Octo-ber 15th finishing second in their division and third over-all. It’s Lowell’s best showing in three years. Munster and Andrean finished first in class one and class two, re-spectively. Lowell spelled 49 words correctly out of 90.

Academic spell bowl teams consist of ten students plus al-ternates. Each student spells nine words as they sit at a desk with a proctor. Indiana spell bowl does not re-semble the famous Scripp’s spelling bee aired on ESPN.

Mikayla Blievernicht spelled first for Lowell. While lais-sez faire tripped her up, she nailed assassination in route to a score of six. Vicki Miley spelled second, and matched Blievernicht’s score. Miley had to spell metalliferous, which means anything containing a metallic element. Not to be outdone, Nikki Sierzputowski spelled valetudinarian cor-rectly. When asked how she knew the word, Sierzputowski said “I associated the word with valedictorian and got lucky.”

Megan Suarez spelled fourth. Suarez was able to spell beau geste, the last word on her list. Jacob Lang, a new-comer to the squad, spelled fifth and was successful with six words. Lang missed the word pteridine, but not be-cause of the dreaded silent p; the back up i sunk him. Bri-anne Manley spelled sixth. Always prepared, Manley was reading words in the line at Wendy’s before the competition.

Emily King got bombarded with words like rheumatism and poin-tillism, but did a great job. Hayley Kontol, a freshman, sported rainbow suspenders with her Red Devil jersey. Kontol put her skills ahead of her fashion, however, nailing words like Gloucestershire.

Lowell’s big two spellers finished it off and cemented sec-ond place. Freshman Ariana Ramon and junior Ana Vil-lareal, the Doble Sombreros, totaled twelve words correct.

With no seniors on the team, spell bowlers are looking forward to next year and learning hun-dreds of words that will improve their SAT scores.

FFA Attends National ConferenceTen members of the Lowell HS FFA attended the 84th Na-tional FFA convention in Indianapolis. They attended the opening session with 47,500 members, advisors, and guests. They enjoyed opening ceremony, a welcome from FFA National president, Riley Pagett, the grand entry of the FFA band and chorus, heard from our new national Advisor, Dr. Steve Brown (National Department of Educa-tion), and keynote address from motivational speaker Dave Roever. In addition, the conference featured a laser light show and officer reflections. The members also attend-ed the Agriculture Career Fair and leadership workshops.

Top Searched Celebrity Costumes 2011

1.Lady Gaga: Hit up your local deli.2.Nicki Minaj: Wear a bad wig and tons of bright colors.3.Katy Perry: Buy a blue wig and glue cupcakes to a bra.4.Justin Bieber: Hair. And skinny jeans.5.Snooki: Paint yourself orange a la Oompa Loompa and “pouf” your hair.6.Dog the Bounty Hunter: Please don’t cut your hair into a mullet. Go out and buy a wig for this one and don black leather and handcuffs.7.Taylor Swift: Getting your hair right for this one is key. The best way to get your locks looking like Swift’s is to use hot rollers.

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Senior Statement The Devil’s Dispatch sat down with senior marcher, Stephanie Proud, and asked her a couple of questions. Here’s what she had to say about her band experience:

Q: What instrument do you play?A: “Clarinet.”

Q: If you could pick any other instrument to play, which would you choose?A: “Drums!”

Q: What’s your favorite part about marching?A: “Winning!”

Q: Did this year’s marching show live up to your expec-tations?A: “It’s starting to. Now that we passed regionals and are at semi-state, it’s beginning to.”

Q: What is the best memory you’ll take from your march-ing band experience?A: “Making it to semi-state my freshman year!”

Drum Major DialogSenior Stephanie Desimini shared a bit of her experience as a Drum Major for the marching band. Here’s what she said:

Q: Why did you want to become a Drum Major?A: “Because I love band and I love being there for all the other band students!”

Q: What’s the hardest part about drum majoring?A: “Having the responsibility of every band member on your shoulders.”

Q: When you first started, was it harder than you thought it’d be?A: “You know, it actually got harder as time went along. Last year, I was able to follow Alyssa’s (one of LMRD’s previous Drum Majors) lead. Now that I’m the senior, I have more responsibilities and the pressure’s greater.”

Q: Any closing thoughts on your marching experience?A: “It’s been a great 4 years and I’ll miss it very much!”

Everyone was very excited to make it to semi-state!

-Rebecca Greaney

The band performed before their competition at the pep rally.

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Supernatural ShowstopperCan’t get enough of that Halloween Spirit? This year Lowell’s theatre department has a ghost of their own! (no it isn’t the ghost of seniors past) In the production, Grammercy Ghost, we’re running amok with ghosts, ambulance drivers, and George Washington’s orders. Casey Zaberdac feels right at home in the hectic 1950s setting, playing Nancy Willard, a young woman who inherits an old house and its haunting oc-cupant, Nathaniel Coombes (played by Jordan Rowe). Nancy attracts all types of men it seems, ghosts, journalists such as Charlie Stewart (played by Nathan Muha), and Parker Bur-nett her fiance (played by Jacob Cook). As the stakes and rivalry heat up, the comic relief comes from characters such as Augusta Ames (played by Maddie Pyke). Adding to the fun is fellow ghosts and comedy duo, Irv and Rocky (played by Matt Fletcher and Zach Rickert), and the lovely Ghost Girl, Kaley Lewis. Proving their worth to our Theatre Department this year also are newcomers, Brannon Geist (Ambulance Driver), Aubrey Flynn (Assistant Ambulance Driver), Katie Stinnet (Margaret), and David Nodalski(Officer Morrison). Creating a 1950s set is something Lowell Theatre’s crew is well prepared for. This year our student director, Taylor Sch-upp, has been working round-the-clock from helping actors with lines to directing construction crew on building the set. This year our paint crew is busy stenciling and texturizing our walls to look like a real 1950s house. Says Megan Su-arez of paint crew,”The stencils look great! Its so satisfying to see our work paying off”. Emily King and the props girls are visiting local antique shops and coming up with fabu-lous finds for an authentic set. Costumes and make-up is re-ally excited about all the tailed suit jackets we have! Maddie Zaberdac is busy tailoring and making 1776 army uniforms as well. Advertising director this year, Trevor Nantais, says,”The whole community is so excited to see the produc-tion, I hope they like the program design!” The new director, Mr. Kyle Yung, is showing us all his experience and talent although I’m sure some of the theater traditions may seem a bit odd to him, such as buying all the seniors toliet seats. All the cast and crew are ecstatic for this production. We encourage everyone to come see the show, and we prom-ise it will be a performance that will haunt you forever!

-Mikayla Blievernicht

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StaffKelsie Roadruck, Editor-in-Chief

Katie Wilkey, Layout Editor

StaffRebecca Greaney

Cristina BorsilliMikayla Blievernicht

Emily KingMaureena Miller

Nikki SierzputowskiMegan Suarez

Jacob LangTyler Munjas

Alison Johnson

Faculty AdvisorsMr. Gianotti

Mrs. PastuszakMr. IngramMrs. Brugh

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Halloween CraftIt’s that time of year again, time to pull out the window stickers of dancing skeletons and witches mixing their brews, time go visit your local pumpkin patch and find the perfect festive gourd, and most important of all, cre-ate your own Halloween decorations!

If you’re the craftiest person in school, or don’t have a creative bone in your body, these quick and easy Hal-loween crafts are doable by anyone! All you’ll need are a few basic tools and a few friends to enjoy making these spooktacular crafts with!

EGG CARTON BATS

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:1 Egg carton (makes four bats)Pairs of goggle eyes, or you can draw your ownWhite glueScissorsBlack craft paintA paintbrushAny kind of thread or yarn of your choosing

INSTRUCTIONS:•Cut each egg cartons into four pieces with each piece having three egg holder sections. •For each bat, cut out a half circle on the front of each end of a row of three egg holders. Then repeat on the back.•Paint the bats inside and out with black paint and let dry.•For each bat, poke a small hole into the top of each middle egg holder, insert thread or yarn into the hole and tie off so that the string will hold up the bat. •Glue on goggle eyes. If you choose to make your own eyes, draw them onto a piece of white paper and glue them onto the bat.•Lastly, hang your bats proudly where everyone can see!

IF YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND A STEP IN THIS CRAFT, OR NEED MORE INFORMATION, GO TO: http://www.allfreecrafts.com/halloween/bat.shtml

-Emily King