MERRILLVILLE – After enduring a direct hit from a tornadic storm, Andrean High School’s campus was transformed into a scene filled with toppled trees and broken glass. In the hours that followed, a wave of prayerful support materialized and has buoyed the 59ers family.
Part of a powerful storm front that passed through Northwest Indiana on the evening of June 11, the tornado that traveled westward over Broadway left Andrean’s most important qualities intact, according to Principal Jaycob Knazur.
“Our staff, our programming, our curriculum, our goals will still be there,” said Knazur, who has been at the helm of the Diocese of Gary school since 2019. “Our mission and our faith endure.
“Andrean took a hit in terms of its physical campus, but it did not take a hit in terms of its resolve and ambition for the future,” he added.
On June 11, dozens of severe weather watches and warnings were issued for Indiana and Illinois by the National Weather Service, whose personnel later surveyed and categorized the tornado that passed through the school grounds as EF2, or an event that produced the third-highest wind speed on the Enhanced Fujita Scale.
Knazur had been monitoring the weather developments on Chicago TV news channels from his Cedar Lake home. WGN-TV was among outlets that broadcast footage showing power lines strewn across Broadway. As the camera panned to the school grounds, the Home of the 59ers was shown missing a large part of its roof.
“The news mentioned 61st and Broadway and my initial thought was, ‘Oh, my, Andrean isn’t going to make it through,’” said Knazur, of the school located in an area where thousands of residents also lost electrical power for days. “And then we started to get calls from people who live close by who said (the school) took a pretty bad hit.”
According to Athletic Director Neil Dimos, all athletes, from baseball players preparing for a semi-state game, to football players conditioning, had been sent home about an hour before the storms rolled in.
“Zero people were on campus,” said Knazur. “Before we knew of the damage of the storms, I knew no one was there. That was a blessing.”
Within hours of the devastation, utility crews secured the site and contractors, including Tonn and Blank Construction of Michigan City, began placing tarpaulins over damaged roof sections. Insurance adjusters arrived to assess the property, of which Knazur said nearly every corner was affected.
He noted that approximately 90 windows were broken, mostly by the debris tossed about by the tornado. Water entered much of the facility. However, the steel and cinder block construction of the school that opened in 1959, held up “like a bomb shelter”.
The uprooting of several mature trees created a sense of loss for the principal, who suggested it was like cutting ties to those who originally built the school. “It’s sad,” Knazur said.
Flooding receded, but damage to the baseball scoreboard and fencing remain as a reminder of the severity of the storm cell. Andrean made use of the U.S. Steel Yard in Gary and Crown Point High School for practices, courtesies extended by the SouthShore RailCats and the public school. On June 13, the 59ers clawed to a 5-1 win over the NorthWood Panthers in the semistate championship.
Coach Dave Pishkur’s 30-3 Andrean squad continued to prepare for the state final game set for June 19. They battle for the class 3A crown with Guerin Catholic (27-3-1) at Victory Field in Indianapolis.
Though they have largely relocated to other parts of the state, the Dravet family’s favorite colors remain red and gold. Former Crown Point residents Rick and Tina Dravet sent each of their seven children through Catholic schools, the last of whom graduated from Andrean in 2022.
Mary Dravet, of Indianapolis, said information about the storm devastation in Merrillville, including messages from Region friends, all hinted at the condition of her old school that made her “really upset.”
“I was really praying hard, hoping that they wouldn’t have been affected,” Mary Dravet explained.
The youngest of the Dravet Seven said she cannot forget the kindness of her school mentors, the rigors of her studies, or excitement of 59ers athletics.
“I really hope they can rebuild … it really shows how much community we have – that the alumni and all the people are willing (to help),” she said.
Though the Dravets could not immediately return to their alma mater, numerous local residents began showing up – some with tools in hand – to help with the recovery. Andrean officials, though appreciative, cautioned against visiting the grounds. Instead, they established a secure website to manage the reception of monetary donations in the wake of the tornado.
Portage resident and Nativity of Our Savior Director of Faith Formation Jason Yurechko, Andrean Class of 1996, printed numerous yard signs at his business, complete with QR codes so neighbors could scan and learn how to support AHS.
Starting with his 59ers parents, continuing with he and his siblings, and following through with his daughter, among the Class of 2025, and son, who is a Class of 2027 member, supporting Andrean is a cardinal virtue.
“It’s a great sacrifice that my grandparents and parents made to make sure that we could have those opportunities,” Yurechko explained. “God is with us.”
Online posts by outside groups – some apparently using AI image generation to exaggerate the storm damage – focused on what miraculously remained standing after the storm. Resembling the line from the National Anthem, “…that our flag was still there…,” the large campus crucifix erected decades ago by the Knights of Columbus stood undamaged among the debris.
Knazur said another monument to the faith of the Andrean family, the stony Marian grotto, also withstood the fury of the estimated 111-135 miles-per-hour winds undisturbed.
“There are windows blown out all around that grotto from the cafeteria and hallways, but there is not one single glass (votive) candle that is broken.”
A question on the minds of many is, “Where do we go from here?”
School administrators, diocesan officials and leaders of the philanthropic Big Shoulders Fund Northwest Indiana have made the most of their recent meetings to formulate a plan that is both concrete and aspirational.
Knazur explained that a date for the start of the fall semester will be a “data-based decision” that presently lacks all pieces of the puzzle. He added that all concerned parties should bear in mind that the primary goal is “to have in-person instruction at Andrean High School as quickly as we can.”
“The prayers of everybody have given us a lot of comfort and support,” he said. “That feeling of solidarity that we’re not facing this alone gives us a lot more strength.”
Despite being blistered by the fury of Mother Nature, Andrean leaders pointed to several metrics – from academics, to athletics, to enrollment, to Catholic identity and alumni engagement – that bolster the argument that there is a strong future for faith-driven education and extracurricular excellence in Merrillville.
“We are committed to rebuilding and crafting a campus at 5959 Broadway that is deserving of our students,” Knazur promised.
For more information about Andrean High School, or to make a donation, visit www.andreanhs.org/support/donatenow.cfm.
