The Shining Light Shines On

OCHS freshman nominated for prestigious KSHSAA award

Article by Aundrea Koger

Recently, the name, “Justin Davis,” has become synonymous with prestigious awards.  The OCHS freshman has now been honored as a nominee for the Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) “Heart of the Arts” award, in addition to receiving the “Spirit of the Alamo” award a couple of months ago.  Like the award he was honored with while in San Antonio, this statewide accolade is given to an individual who demonstrates exceptional leadership, enthusiasm, and excellence in the arts and does so while overcoming adversity.  The honoree is selected by the twelve-member KSHSAA Student Advisory team, and announced at a state-sanctioned event later this March.  In receiving the award, the honoree will also be in the running for national recognition by the National Federation of State High School Associations.

If Davis is selected, that would make him the first recipient of the “Heart of the Arts” award from Osage City High School.  That’s an impressive feat to accomplish but not unfamiliar territory for this hardworking freshman.  His definition of a normal day would be considered an impressive feat for anyone else.  Even with his sight impairment, Davis is a vital component of the OCHS band.  He has played the trumpet since 5th grade, and learns every music piece by ear.  Davis even marched in the OCHS marching band this year.  It seems as if nothing can stop him.  With his impressive work ethic and positive attitude, he is the epitome of what KSHSAA would be looking for in a nominee of the “Heart of the Arts” award.

When Mr. Tony Heward, the OCHS principal, was asked about what made this inspiring freshman stand out as a prime candidate for this nomination, he said, “Gosh, everything about him, from his smile all the time, to never giving up.”  He then went on to talk about how Davis’s awareness of space must be phenomenal, being that he was able to march with little to no idea where he was on the field.  It’s quite astounding what he does every day.  Most people couldn’t even begin to fathom accomplishing the things Davis does.  And he doesn’t just accomplish them.  He accomplishes them to the best of his abilities, with a positive attitude that’s infectious enough to lift anyone’s spirits.

It’s apparent that Davis is more than qualified to be the recipient of the “Heart of the Arts” award; however, the decision is at the jurisdiction of the KSHSAA Student Advisory team.  If this phenomenal freshman is selected as the honoree, it will be an amazing accolade that is well deserved.  But even if he’s not, Davis is still a shining light at OCHS, where he continues to brighten the hallways one smile at a time.

Photo courtesy of http://www.ihigh.com

Coins for Cancer

USD 420 raises money for Leukemia and Lymphoma Society

Article by Sarah Thompson

Students of OCHS, OCMS, and OCES compete against each other every year to raise money, in the form of coins, for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society.  This annual fundraiser, put on by the OCHS National Honor Society, is called Pennies for Patients.

USD 420 had a combined goal to raise at least $600 this year to donate to the organization, and they easily surpassed that, earning $634.60 for the 2015 fundraiser. Each branch of Osage City Schools competes against one another to raise the most money, in a friendly competition of course. The rules are different in each school though. For OCMS and OCES, dollar bills are acceptable donations, but for OCHS that isn’t the case. Dollar bills will deduct points from class totals, which makes the competition harder and more exciting, and you can put dollar bills in other classes’ boxes to bring their points down.

According to the high school secretary, Mrs. Patty Brenner, last year’s combined earning between the schools was a staggering $675.69. Second grade won, but this year 4th grade took the lead with $198.69. The juniors were victorious in the high school, raking in $82.38 to combat cancer.

Senior Sarah Peterson, the National Honor Society president, stated that the fundraiser only lasted three weeks. Even though it’s short, Pennies for Patients brings out a competitive spirit in students, and promotes donating to charity and helping others.

A New Teaching Experience

Emporia State University student-teacher spends her time at OCHS

Article by Hannah Mondragon

This year at OCHS there is a new student-teacher in the midst. Mr. J.T. Crawford, the World History and American History teacher in the high school, and Mr. Matt Marple, the Economics, World Geography, and U.S. Government teacher, are getting some time off from teaching those classes because Miss Kaylynn Anderson has accepted the challenge of student-teaching at OCHS.

Though Miss Anderson has other obligations outside of student-teaching, such as a job in Emporia at the Quick Shop, teaching is her passion. “I decided I was going to be a teacher since sixth grade, but I wasn’t sure what kind of teacher I wanted to be until I reached high school. Then I fell in love with history,” expressed Anderson. She is teaching three freshman geography classes, two sophomore classes in World History, and one senior government class here at OCHS.

The soon-to-be ESU graduate attended high school at Washburn Rural in Topeka. Now, after her long four-year journey, she has chosen little Osage for student-teaching, but why? Anderson replied, “I chose to come here because I went to a 6A school and I wanted to get the experience of teaching in a smaller school to see how it differs.” So far the experience has been worthwhile, she said.  “Teaching is great here. I love it a lot because it’s a big learning experience and such a huge interest to see what it’s like teaching here at a small school.”

Anderson will be student-teaching until May.  Once she finishes her student-teaching credit she will return to ESU to wrap up schooling and graduate.  Hopefully she will find the passion, drive, and experience she’s looking for here at OCHS.

You Know You’re From Osage If…

1. The hallway smells like Krispy Kreme donuts because of the baseball fundraiser.

2.  Paint flakes off the wall in the junior high gym when a ball hits it because the gym has been there since the dawn of time.

3. There are twitter fights with random guys from Britain.

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.

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

“Bend and Snap”

“Legally Blonde: The Musical” performed at OCHS

Article by Aundrea Koger

Every fall, during Dead Week, a group of students at Osage City High School puts on a production for all to see.  This year “Legally Blonde: The Musical” was performed.  And despite it being the first musical put on by OCHS in eight years, the recently released broadway adaptation was a major success, not only in the opinion of the audience, but also in the eyes of the cast and crew.

“This was by far the best play we’ve had, while I’ve been here at least,” said senior Paige Pearson, who played Elle Woods, the star role in the hilarious but touching story of a typical California sorority girl, who suddenly finds herself in law school at Harvard.  The seasoned performer, who has participated in the play for three out of her four years in high school, thinks that some of Legally Blonde’s success is due to the fact that it was a musical, not just a play.  “I think musicals just add a lot more pizzazz to the whole thing,” noted Pearson.  However, the cast and crew couldn’t have brought on all the “pizzazz” without the endless hours of practice that they put in.

Rehearsals started in early October, and endless hours of work were put in until opening night on Friday, November 14th.  “I thought Friday night went perfect,” said Mrs. Kathy Camarena, the director of the play this year.  So it’s apparent that the cast and crew truly worked their tails off to make “Legally Blonde: The Musical” one of the best performances ever put on by OCHS.

 

Dream College and a Side of Fries

A go-to guide for college and scholarship applications

Editorial by Aundrea Koger

For many high school seniors, college is just around the corner.  Before we know it we will be off on our own, trying to make ends meet with Ramen noodles and hamburgers off the dollar menu.  But before that happens, we have to get accepted to college.  Unfortunately, the daunting task of filling out one college application after another is imperative for those wishing to receive a post-secondary degree.  However, with a little prior planning, applying for college can be a breeze.

College applications often require you to provide a slew of personal and academic information, so it’s good to know what you may need in order to fill out the application, and have those things ready when you start.  You will need a copy of your high school transcript, so that you may either fill out the classes you have taken on the application, mail or fax it to the university, or attach it to the application as a PDF file.  An official transcript will need to be sent to the college following graduation.  You will also need all of your ACT and SAT scores.  Most universities just ask for your best score, but some will ask for the scores from every ACT or SAT that you have taken, so be prepared to provide them with those.  Also have your social security number handy, as well as contact information for you and your parents, and even a rough estimate of your family’s annual income, because you will have to fill out a fairly in-depth personal information section.  Some other things to have on hand when filling out applications, not only for college but also for scholarships, is a list of your achievements and awards in high school, a list of your current and past involvements, a total number and description of your community service hours, and an idea (even if you don’t actually know yet) of what you want to major in and why.  Colleges are looking for students who will be active and successful at the university and beyond, so knowing what you want to study, being involved in school, being active in your community, and being goal-oriented in and out of the classroom is very appealing to admissions offices. Once you’ve finished your application, be sure to double, or even triple check it to make sure all of the information is correct.  If you had to write an essay, have a teacher, parent, or trusted friend read over it and give you pointers.

So you sent in your application for admission, and you were accepted.  It’s time to kick back and relax until move in day, right?  Unfortunately, that’s not the case.  I wish I could say that once us seniors are accepted we don’t have to lift a finger until graduation, but that is sadly not true, unless you want to finish college with an unfathomable amount of student debt.  The next task that we have to tackle while also trying to live our busy high school lives is applying for scholarships.  Now, some colleges already have their scholarship applications built into their admissions apps, but many don’t so be sure to find out which schools require a separate application.  And don’t stop there.  Check with the high school guidance counselor about local scholarships, and even get online and find scholarship search engines.  Some great websites to start your search on are https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/scholarship-search and https://colleges.niche.com/scholarships/.  There are literally thousands of scholarships out there.  They can be anything from $50 for someone who participates in underwater basket-weaving every third Tuesday, to a $10,000 award from a random company for any kid willing to apply.  Even if the scholarship sounds ridiculous, or you think that you have no chance of getting it, still go ahead and fill out the application!  There’s no harm in trying.  And who knows, maybe you’ll end up earning more scholarships than you thought you could!  You don’t need to have a 4.0 GPA, and for many scholarships you don’t even have to write an essay.  However, it is good to have a general scholarship essay typed up.  You can modify it slightly to satisfy the prompt for just about any scholarship application that requires an essay, and it saves you from having to type up a whole new one for every application that you fill out.  And just like with the college application essay, have someone you trust look over what you wrote up.

Hopefully, with a little effort and prior preparation, not only will you have been accepted into your dream college, but you will also have the beginnings of the relentless college expenses paid for with scholarships.  Then maybe you can treat yourself to an extra package of Ramen noodles, and the occasional side of fries with your hamburger off of the dollar menu once you’re living on your own.

Works Consulted: http://www.universitylanguage.com/guides/applying-to-college/

Photo courtesy of wdde.org

 

Decades of Diligence

USD 420 custodian reaches 40th year of service

Article by Aundrea Koger

It is difficult to find someone who is completely dedicated to working hard day in and day out for the entirety of his/her career, through the exciting moments and the dull ones.  Few people want to put forth 100% effort all the time, but thankfully, USD 420 has at least one staff member who is more than happy to work hard in any situation, and has been this amenable for an incredibly long time.

Jerry Cellar, one of the custodians who works the day shift at USD 420, has been employed by the Osage City School District since 1974.  He’s helped keep the school spotless and running smoothly for 40 years, which is longer than many district staff members have even been alive.  You will often see him dutifully sweeping the hallways at regular intervals, or cleaning up the messes unwittingly left by inattentive students. But despite their tendency to make the tidy school vexingly untidy, Cellar still enjoys the students’ presence.  In fact, he even said that being around the kids and seeing them do well is what he enjoys most about his job.

Cellar has been a vital aspect in the day to day functioning of the Osage City School District for four decades, and it will be a shame to see him go when he decides to retire.  However, it’s hard to deny that he deserves a break after the years of service he has put in.  When asked about how much longer he plans on staying at it before hanging up his work clothes for good, he said with a chuckle, “Three more years, maybe, if I make it that far.”  And when that three years is up, he will be missed.

Cellar’s diligence has truly shone through in his 40 years of service as a custodian for USD 420. Without his hard work every day, the school would be in shambles.  There would be no one there to make sure the halls are tidy and everything is running smoothly.  Quite literally, it would be a mess.  When he does decide to retire, the district may have a hard time finding someone as dedicated and reliable as Jerry Cellar.

Stories to Tell

Getting to Know the New Teachers at OCHS

Article by Sarah Thompson

New staff is a regular occurrence in OCHS; almost every year either a new paraprofessional or teacher joins on. These teachers and paras, whether brand new or experienced, have stories to tell. Their backgrounds aren’t widely known, though most would gladly share their story. Kids normally don’t take the initiative to get to know the teachers, missing out on the opportunity to hear about previous schools, college life, or good childhood memories. New teachers, Mr. J.T. Crawford and Miss Becky Fraker willingly shared some of their backgrounds with the PowWow.

PowWow: What college did you attend?

Mr. JT Crawford: Emporia State University.

Miss Becky Fraker: Emporia State.

PW: How many years have you been teaching?

JC: 21 years.

BF: This is my first year teaching.

PW: What is your favorite part about teaching at OCHS?

BF: It’s a smaller school, so its easier to get to know the kids, and the fact the school is all under one building.

JC: Teaching the kids in middle school, then seeing them again when they’ve grown.

PW: Have you always wanted to teach?

BF: Yes, I have.

JC: No. I started in college, but I always wanted to play in a band. I wanted to tour the nation playing music.

PW: Why did you chose your subject?

JC: I have always liked old things, antiques, and found wars fascinating.

BF: I chose business/computers because it wasn’t a typical girl career, and it always changes and has new teachings. Also, I’ve always been fascinated by it.