A Shining Light

OCHS freshman honored with prestigious award at the Alamo Bowl

Article by Aundrea Koger

Over winter break, the OCHS marching band took a trip down to San Antonio, Texas, to play in the halftime show of the Alamo Bowl.  While there, the band experienced a multitude of emotions, ranging from excitement about the adventures at hand in San Antonio, to dread caused by persistent cold and rain.  Most notably though, the band experienced a feeling of pure, unadulterated, and for some, even tear-filled joy and pride in a fellow OCHS band member.

The evening before the Alamo Bowl, there was a banquet for all of the high school bands participating in the halftime performance.  The occasion was very characteristic of banquets, with a dinner served, speeches recited, and awards given.  And there was one award in particular that aroused a mutual feeling of surprise, followed by delight, amongst the members of the Osage City High School Band. The Spirit of the Alamo award is given to a student nominated by his/her band director that has demonstrated leadership, dedication, and positivity during the marching season. This year that award was given to none other than OCHS freshman, Justin Davis, a trumpet player for the Marching Indians, who was chosen out of the array of 1200 other band students from various high schools around the country.

At first, some may think that Davis received the award because of the challenges he must overcome on the marching field, due to his visual impairment.  But it is really Davis’s personality that sets him apart.  Not only does he work diligently to overcome his challenges, but he also strives to be just another inconspicuous member of the band, which is important in marching, as one of the main goals is to perform as a well-balanced unit, without any one member standing out from the rest.  “Even though he can’t see what he’s doing, he never wants to stick out,” said OCHS band director Mrs. Melissa Askren.  And this team-player mindset is not the only thing that makes Davis such a prime choice for the Spirit of the Alamo award.  No matter what, rain or shine, at an early morning rehearsal or seconds before performing at a marching competition, Davis always has an upbeat, “We’re going to rock this,” type of attitude that can spread throughout the whole band.  Even during the most dreadful practices he keeps fellow band members smiling with his sense of humor and words of encouragement, all while constantly working to improve his ability to march and play the show.

With Davis being such a shining light in the OCHS band, it’s no wonder his receipt of the Spirit of the Alamo award brought about such a strong emotional reaction from his fellow Marching Indians.  A cacophony of cheers erupted from the Osage City students when his name was called, and many of them couldn’t help but cry tears of joy and pride.  “When he won the award, the whole band was pretty much in tears.  It was a cool moment for everyone,” noted Askren. Davis, especially, was overjoyed by the honor, walking through the standing ovation and up to the stage with his trademark smile lighting up his face.  “I was really proud of what I did and really proud to receive the award,” expressed the well-deserving freshman.

Not only did Davis have a significant impact on the OCHS band, but his story even inspired other schools that attended the banquet, with Askren saying, “People were emailing me back about how amazing it was.”  And the whole situation truly was amazing.  Davis is a reminder that even when something is challenging, perseverance and a positive attitude can take someone further than they ever expected, and inspire others along the way.

Growing in Fellowship

OCFCA strives to influence its school and community through God’s glory

Article by Jake Butterfield

One of the newest clubs to be added to Osage City High School’s list of clubs is Fellowship of Christian Athletes. The organization is a nationwide association with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. FCA holds eight national conferences each year totaling with 47,000 attendees. According to its website (fca.org), the FCA mission is, “To present to coaches and athletes, and all whom they influence, the challenge and adventure of receiving Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, serving Him in their relationships and in the fellowship of the church.”

When asked about the goals of FCA in Kansas, East Kansas FCA Director Kevin Wade commented, “The biggest goal for FCA in eastern Kansas is to establish great events and opportunities for coaches and athletes to grow in their spiritual leadership, facilitate existing huddle groups, and help new groups off to a great start and see them grow.” Wade is in charge of establishing funding resources in order to allow FCA to grow in Kansas. “Without a doubt the best part of my job is to grow relationships with coaches and athletes and be part of spiritual growth through FCA. It’s such a pleasure to share a vision for the ministry and see that vision slowly start to come through and see the impact God can make through coaches and athletes,” Wade said about the privileges of his job. The organization is constantly growing and has expanded greatly since becoming a club at OCHS just three years ago.

OCFCA is a student-led organization sponsored by USD 420 teachers Lucas and Kate Boss. Prior to moving back home to Osage City, both Lucas and Kate taught in the Santa Fe Trail school district, where they also started an FCA club and were involved in it for 10 years. When asked about his favorite part of being the OCFCA huddle leader, Lucas said, “Getting to be a part of kids’ lives and influencing them in a positive way. God has blessed me with a great family, school, and hometown. I’d be letting Him down if I didn’t give all I have for His glory!” Since FCA has come to OCHS, the group has developed into a continually growing organization. The huddle began with just a handful of weekly meeting attendees, but sent a bus load of student-athletes to this fall’s FCA Conference held at Rock Springs Ranch.

FCA meets every Sunday at 6 p.m. in Mrs. Wilkins room. The group also hosts 5th Quarter events after home football and basketball games. Upcoming 5th Quarters include February 6th at the Community Building and February 13th hosted by Community Covenant Church. FCA will also be holding its third annual dodgeball tournament February 27th. Dodgeball teams can be made up of three boys and three girls. FCA is a group open to anyone and all high school students are welcome to attend any of these events.

Photo courtesy of http://spartanburg2.k12.sc.us/

Preparing for the Future

FBLA works toward the future generation’s success

Article by Sarah Thompson

If anyone ever wanted to run a business, then this organization is for them. FBLA: Future Business Leaders of America. The basics of running a business are what members learn in this club, along with how to work well with others.

The club’s sponsor, Miss Becky Fraker, has been involved in FBLA since college. “It’s exciting to see these kids compete in an organization I’ve been a part of for a long time,” she affectionately says of her pupils.

Competitions are a big goal for the organization. Fraker is hoping for a placing at districts, and maybe a chance to attend and place at Nationals. Sophomore member Trey Tomlinson stated that they’ve been, “preparing for regionals, along with fundraisers.” Fundraisers are a big part of the club’s future successes. Money for trips and competitions can be earned with these fundraisers. Without them, FBLA wouldn’t be able to continue to teach kids the skills they’ll need.

If all goes well, Miss Fraker says she will continue the organization. Tomlinson says he will continue his involvement, as this club prepares members for the real world.

FBLA helps kids learn skills needed to be ready for the world, giving them a better chance at being successful and prosperous. Without this club, kids wouldn’t have advantages when they attend colleges and go through life.

Photo courtesy of fbla.org

San Antonio, Here We Come!

The OCHS band takes a trip to the Alamo Bowl

Article by Hannah Mondragon

Over winter break, the Osage City High School band took a trip to San Antonio, Texas. The students performed in the Alamo Bowl, played pep band, and got to explore a new environment in Texas.

The bus ride to San Antonio was about 12 hours, and it wasn’t much of a teenage party. Junior Brooklynn Milam was asked about the ride and said, “On the bus we watched movies, listened to music, and slept. Nothing really too special.”

When the students reached Texas, they joined approximately 1,200 other students there from 14 schools all over the country. The practices were four to six hours long with very few breaks. It was drizzling during rehearsal on the day before the performance, so the students went into a gym, practiced in a group, and then broke up into sectionals. Then on game day at the Alamo Bowl, the OCHS Marching Indians and their peers from around the country performed “Bruno Mars Medley.” But this wasn’t the only thing the students did in Texas.

During the trip, the students went to visit Natural Bridge Caverns and SeaWorld. They were also able to go to the mall and have a relaxing time, as well as see other sites around San Antonio. Some members, such as senior Samantha Smith, even made new friends on the trip.  “The [trip] was still good overall and even though I didn’t know anyone there, I met some new friends and I still talk to them regularly,” said Smith.

The band was able to pick five pep band songs to perform on the Riverwalk the day before the game. They chose Samba (during which they shouted, “Go, Wildcats!” instead of the usual, “Go, Indians!”), Hey Baby, Sail, and Shout it Out. Milam was asked about the OCHS band compared to the other bands and she said, “The other pep bands just played cadences and played their marching band music. On the other hand, the OCHS pep band did horn moves and we were a really peppy group. People were looking at us like we were from a different planet, but we had fun and that’s all that matters.”

The students were exhausted when they returned home, but they talked about the trip for weeks. The OCHS band got a wonderful opportunity to participate in the Alamo Bowl after all those long pep band performances to support OCHS throughout the year.

What’s On Your Mind

What is your opinion on New Year’s Resolutions, and what are some of your resolutions if you have any?

Senior Amy Stromgren- People never stick with it, but I will. My resolution is to watch every episode of Friends. I’ve already watched 75 episodes in 5 days so I think I’m on a roll!

 

 

Senior Aundrea Koger- To be completely honest, I am against New Year’s Resolutions.  It’s not that I am adverse to bettering yourself, but I feel that making self-improvement shouldn’t be reserved for one time of the year.  If you want to be a better person don’t wait to make the necessary changes. Have the willpower to start working toward a better you immediately.  Stop coming up with excuses to put it off until a new year rolls around.

Senior Kelsey Lawless- In my opinion, New Year’s Resolutions are pointless because no one ever sticks to their “changes.”  People always quit around February anyway.  Plus, people should want to change as soon as they have challenges, not wait until January 1st.  To me, it’s a waste of energy, money, and quite frankly, mental sanity.

Senior Jake Butterfield- Hmmm… New Year’s Resolutions… I don’t have one; you shouldn’t have one.  I’m done.

Sophomore Sarah Thompson- I think they’re a good motivator, for the first month. If you keep yours for more than a month, kudos to you. For me, I know it’s useless as I can’t keep it going, and then I get guilty around summertime and try to achieve the goals. It’s easier to not participate, to save yourself from the guilt-ridden conscience so many of us end up feeling.

Sophomore Hannah Mondragon- The goals people set for New Years are accurate for about a week and then we miss the lazy, chocolate days and go about our business like we used to before our New Year’s Resolutions. So in my opinion, New Year’s Resolutions are deceiving and useless.

Sophomore Susan Stromgren- I think that making New Year’s Resolutions are fine.  I personally don’t make New Year’s Resolutions, and probably won’t start now.

Sophomore Baeh Gill- They’re kind of pointless. Only 8% of people actually follow through with them.  Also, I’ve never had one so…

Title photo courtesy of cdn.history.com