GhostatOdysseyMiddle School

Somethingparanormalmayrestwithinthe stainedceilingsofOdysseyMiddleSchool

By:IvanFrazee&TerrenceGillespie

Odyssey Middle School appears to be a great school for students from different backgrounds to share their ideas and collaborate. However, since at least 2019, strange disturbances have been happening there. Flickering lights and randomly appearing stains in a school may seem not too out of the ordinary, but others believe it to be something paranormal.

Phuongthanh Stalheim, an Odyssey middle school teacher first experienced encounters with this ghost many years ago.

“There was a stain in the ceiling, that’s all I remember,” Stalheim said.

The ghost, believed to be named Daniel, seems to react well to specific things and specific people

“[He] responds to nice things and good spirited people,” Stalheim said.

Stalheim seems to be the only teacher that had experiences with Daniel the ghost, as most teachers have not reported any paranormal activity within the school. Many students remember experiencing Stalheim talk about the ghost, but few, if any, have had an experience with Daniel.

“I love a good crystal, so cute,” Stalheim said.“[I enjoy] energy and love. I love a good incense. In Vietnamese culture, you light incense on the death anniversary of a loved one to call them down from the spirit realm, using the incense, and you put out a feast.”

By:BradenTricola&WillowNusbaum

Some felt that the recent budget cuts to Discovery and reactions to the district-wide budget cuts have taken a negative toll on the school’s environment.

“The ‘Save Our Staff’ thing, I get the idea but I feel that as a student, the march and the drama around the subjects whether it's a fight between ‘Save Our Staff’ or the school board is getting a little erratic because I hear students fighting over the topic all the time,” said freshman Max Yoshida.“And I think that some staff are definitely biased, which is understandable, but I think that it affecting the learning is where the line should be drawn.”

Another student, freshman Willow Fazio, who is considering a transfer to Hayes Freedom High School, expressed similar opinions.

“I feel like ever since the budget cut the community has gotten a lot less peaceful, which is expected, but it also does take a toll to the staff’s mental health, but also cause then the students have to deal with it,” said Fazio.

Fazio also expressed her concern about the rumored attitude Discovery students have towards some of the other schools in the district.

“I’ve heard there have been people talking bad about the other programs, and that’s not the kind of school I want to be in—cause this school

Ngày giỗ, the death anniversary of a loved one, is a very important date during the year in Vietnamese culture.They are sacred times that focus on the loved ones that have passed, remembering the love and happiness they brought into life. Many families celebrate several ngày giỗ a year, remembering their loved ones dating back three generations.

“[Daniel’s] not positive or negative, it’s just a being,” Stalheim concluded.

“We had this room, I think it’s still the art room, but it didn’t have all the shelves in it or anything, where we all made animal costumes for the project,” Imogen Frazee, a senior at Discovery said.“We all had [the costumes] lined up on this one shelf, and for some reason there’s a projector in there, because [Odyssey] used to be an old office building I guess. I turned off the lights, and this projector started coming down on all of the projects.” itself on diversity, and yet we’re bashing other schools for having different thinking,” said Fazio.

Frazee was holding up the projector, which spontaneously started moving downwards, with both hands above her head, trying to push the extremely heavy projector upward while yelling for someone to come help her.When, suddenly, Sofia Montovino, a former student at Odyssey, ran into the room. Frazee yelled at her to press the button to raise the projector, and she reached towards it, pressing the button, moving the projector back upwards, leaving the costumes in safety.

Frazee remembers Aaron Smith, the current principal at Discovery High School, telling her the experience was likely Daniel.At the time, Imogen recalls, Daniel enjoyed pressing the buttons within Odyssey—especially when someone didn’t know what they did.

Next time you’re at Odyssey, pay respect to the stains on the ceiling and let Daniel bask in your good spirits.

Other reasons students are wanting to transfer include a dislike of Discovery’s standards-based grading system, a lack of clubs that interest students and less accessibility for sports.

“I initially didn't want to switch but a big catalyst is definitely how the coordination of the school and its staff were unrealistic for the students,” said Yoshida. He also took time to highlight how he believed the integrated curriculum for some classes did not feel smooth in execution.

Yoshida also mentioned that a lack of AP classes was a factor in his decision to transfer schools. DHS has always had a reduced number of AP classes, and with the budget cuts and the departure of 11th and 12th grade English teacher Mackenzie Streissguth—who currently supplements students with information to take the AP English test during WIN periods—that number is becoming even smaller.

Changes in general at Discovery have had an impact on some students' choices to transfer schools, though some were already considering changes regardless.

“I was already pre-set on going to Clark, but with the things happening with Mr. Smith and the teachers, it’s even more of a reason to go to Clark,” said DHS sophomore Thinh Ngo.

Chilton also mentioned that he sees lots of things that have changed about Discovery since he started here which have given more small reasons that have made him decide to transfer schools.

Whatever the reason for students leaving, we will miss them in the upcoming years and wish them well on their educational journey.