2022 The Odyssey Senior Edition

THE Vol.XLIV SENIOR EDITION

ODYSSEY Westerville North High School

COVER PHOTO

May 2022

2

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Senior Life: Destination Day

Photographer: Cori Bohan

Follow us on social media!

@WNHSOdyssey Visit our website for additional content wnhsodyssey.com

Staff Page

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Editor-in-Chief Assistant Editor News Editor

3

Donovan Varney Jolie Helt Sophie Bordron

Sports Editor

Erin Mayle & Kai Dages Cori Bohan

Social Media Editor

Ellie Bernard

Feature Editors

Photo Editor

Brittany Abston

Odyssey staff on the first day of school.

Photographer Tyra Crummine

Editors on our block Donovan Varney and Jolie Helt, Editor-in- Chief and Asst. Editor-in-Chief We’ve both been a part of The Odyssey since our sophomore year of high school, and Ms. Hines was our instructor. She helped us get our foot in the door with journalism and ultimately inspired us both to want to study it in college. As we both prepare for the next chapter of our lives and continue our academics at Ohio University, we’d like to think the impact we’ve left on the newsroom is one that will last.

This year we’re sharing the title as Editor-In-Chief of The Odyssey and had big plans for the newspaper going into this year. Our Warrior Installments have been our latest addition to the school newspaper, which you can find in bathrooms across Westerville North. We’ve also enhanced our social media presence by engaging with students and staff more frequently through Instagram, Snapchat, Youtube, and our website. In order to expand our reach to a new audience, we’ve added a podcast and broadcast section to our newsroom. The Podyssey Live features podcasts and videos on our Youtube channel every issue. The episodes feature student life, sports, and local events. We’ve been able to enhance our sports department by experimenting with play-by-play sports announcing, post-game interviews, and sideline photography.

With Ms. Hines retiring, The Odyssey welcomed Mrs. Gaffney as the face of our school newspaper. Under Mrs. Gaffney’s leadership we’ve been able to continue progressing as writers, reporters, and editors while also creating a family dynamic within the newsroom. The staff is closer than ever this year, and we’re more than excited to be back together after COVID-19 changed things around the school.

We’re so grateful for our wonderful staff this year and all that they’ve been able to accomplish through their hard work and sacrifice. To those of you that have kept up with The Odyssey this year, we appreciate your commitment to our paper and look forward to having you guys see what’s next.

REPORTERS Brittany Abston Erin Mayle Ellie Bernard Sophia Rentschler Cori Bohan Donovan Varney Sophie Bordron Emily Widman Tyra Crumrine With contributions from: Kai Dages Idil Hasan Carli Godorhazy Alexandre Hedrick Jolie Helt Hailey Tessman Zachary Knight

ADVISER

Rebecca Gaffney

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Odyssey will print letters-to-the-editor, provided they are signed by the writer. The Odyssey reserves the right to edit submitted materials for style. All rules for law and ethics will be observed with regards to submitted materials.

All non-by-lined editorials reflect the opinions of The Odyssey staff and are not necessarily shared by WNHS faculty or administration. The by-lined editorials and columns reflect the opinion of the writer only. All advertising is subject to a pre-set rate. For more information, contact the business manager.

The Odyssey Westerville North High School Room 124 950 County Line Road Westerville, Ohio 43081 614-797-6259 Tel 614-797-6201 Fax

4

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Sports

Baseball with the boys Trevor Newtz, Captain, SS/P helped the program in the past two When reflecting on the four years years. I also hope I’ve shown the playing baseball for Westerville younger guys what it takes to be a North, it truly has been one of the leader and to make sure to do things best experiences of my life. Starting the right way. off my freshman year on Junior Varsity (JV) I met some of the guys who I’d grow close with as high school went on such as Donovan Songs of the year Varney, Rocco Thomas, and Wyatt Buxton. As well as, some of the Back In Black - AC/DC upperclassmen who helped along the way like Cooper Crawford and Kraig Lowe. I’ve grown very close Knock Knock - Mac to the coaching staff—Coach Ring Miller and Stacey have been the coaches James McCreery (12), Trevor Newtz (12), who I’ve worked with the most Donovan Varney (12), Aiden Dickinson (11), Papi’s Home - Drake throughout my four years. I can’t and Lance Preston (11).

Photo courtesy of Gamebreaker Magazine thank them enough for being not Outside - Twenty-One just great coaches, but also great people to work with.

Pilots About half-way through my freshman year I was brought up to varsity and got to play in some games. I As It Was - Harry Styles ended up lettering after and am now one of our only 4 year lettermen. I think it’s pretty cool to say that I have four letters because not many people can say they have done that. Another big thing that I’ve experienced since being here is COVID-19 and how that affected us. My sophomore year is when it really hit and it sucked because we had a really good chance to compete in the Ohio Capital Conference (OCC) that year and could’ve done some serious damage. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but looking back on it I’m really sad that I lost a season of baseball.

My junior year I had a lot of fun and we had a somewhat successful, but also disappointing season. We started off hot but cold down and ended as a .500 team. I had a good season but not good enough for my expectations and I’m determined to have a better senior season. Today we’re 3-2 and 1-0 in the OCC, and I hope to end my senior year with a big season. I want to have a good year for myself since this is likely the last time I will play baseball. But I also want to have a great team season as well—to win an OCC championship is the goal, and I think our team can get it done this year. I Seniors Rocco Thomas, Trevor Newtz, Donovan really do think we can be successful with our mix of Varney, and Wyatt Buxton at the Ripken Experience in veterans and younger guys. I’ve been a captain my Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Photo courtesy of Maria Varney junior and senior year, and I think as a leader I’ve

Sports

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 5

Keeping the ball rolling Zoey Ward, center mid For the past four years I have been part of the girls soccer team at Westerville North. I have always loved to play the game of soccer, but until I reached high school, I didn’t realize the effect a single team could have on me. I have made some of my best friends and best memories with the team.

From playing together on the field to Girls soccer celebrates a win after a win against Newark. hanging out off of it, we were connected Photo courtesy of Kerri Ward through a single sport. We shared the misery of having conditioning every single morning in the summer, and the good times of team sleepovers.

One of the best memories was when we tied Olentangy Orange my senior year. Orange is one of our biggest rivals, as well as one of the best teams we would play. Up until that game, the season had not been going well. We weren’t winning the games we wanted, we had lots of injuries, and paired with COVID-19, we were having a rough time. In the first ten minutes they scored a header off of a corner kick. Five minutes later I went out with a head injury, but our morale didn’t change. Another five minutes passed and Patricia Moore headed the ball into the back of their net off a corner. We had done exactly what they had done to us and the game was tied. I remember sitting on the bench, head pounding, and being The seniors of the girls soccer team were celebrated at their senior night against DeSales.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Layne so incredibly proud of the team. Although we had so much time left, we fought the entire game and no more goals were scored. No one gave up and so many people My favorite memory is… stepped up and we didn’t lose. After the game, we celebrated like we won a national championship, while the “Walking in on the last first day of high other team stormed out of the stadium, and that game was school and everyone just being so a turning point for us. We won the following couple of ready to take on the year together. ” games. This past season was definitely my favorite. Being Samantha Borghese a senior playing the sport you love is a different feeling, especially knowing it will be your last at this school. You play every game with all you have, and make the best of “Tying Olentangy Orange in soccer ” every moment. Thinking back to freshman year, I never Jolie Helt thought that I would be a senior, but time flies so fast. The underclassmen look up to you and rely on you for “Getting to be Color Guard Captain and leadership. This year we had 11 seniors, and each of them were great. Some of them are playing in college and I have a lasting effect on the members of can’t wait to watch them play, and the rest of them, I can’t the marching band. Also having 3 solos wait to see what their future holds. The underclassmen in our show was very cool.” - Staci have so much talent and I’m so excited to see where they Tomblin can go in the next few years.

6 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Sports

Student of the game Emily Bartholomew, PG/SG My four years of playing basketball for Westerville North have left me with so many memories, good and bad, and life lessons that I will carry with me for many years to come. I started playing basketball in first grade and absolutely loved it. I wasn’t super avid on doing AAU devoting my life solely to basketball, but it gave me enjoyment. As I got older, I still enjoyed the game, but there definitely were times where I fell out of love with the game—it almost felt like a chore.

As a freshman, I was a little timid, not that strong or aggressive, and wasn’t super confident in myself. I was on JV, and I felt so distant from the varsity team, almost as though they were in a league of their own. However, as the season went on, I made great relationships with my coaches and started the process of working to better my game, both physically and mentally. As each season passed, I started to gain a little more confidence and became more comfortable with my teammates, both on JV and Varsity. It definitely helped getting to go on a summer retreat to Shawnee State and have a team lock-in in the aux gym. Now as a senior, I feel as though I am much more of a leader and have more confidence in myself on and off the court.

Senior year of basketball has taught me more about myself than any other season. This year, our team went through so much inconsistency and uncertainty that it was hard to keep track of. We had to deal with COVID-19 constantly, juggle a multitude of injuries (including when I broke my wrist and missed a good portion of the season), and worry about people missing games for personal reasons. When you combine all of this together, you get our team having a different starting lineup every game as well as going into these games underhanded (like our game versus Big Walnut when we played with only one substitute). While it might sound like I’m ranting on how awful of a season we had, I actually think that all of this adversity had its benefits.

Our team got a lot closer this year, and tried to keep things light hearted when everything around us seemed to fall to pieces. We learned how to roll with the punches, and focus on what we could control. This year showed me how to step up into bigger roles, how to have more confidence in myself and helped me find a new joy for the game that first grade me fell in love with.

The starters for the Warriors Girls Basketball team.

Photo courtesy of Midwest Photos

Emily Bartholomew posing in the new black uniforms the Girls Basketball team debuted this season.

Photo courtesy of Gamecertified

My favorite memory is…

“Having decade days in Dr.Hartnell’s class” -Delaney Roush

“Playing with the best ultimate frisbee team” -Jaden Knasinski

“Opening Night of Steel Magnolias” -Sophie Bordron

Sports

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Racquet science

7

From the tennis court, with love

Matthew Lake, varsity player I played a lot of sports when I was younger just to try them out. I thought I didn’t like most of them but that was just because I was bad. I finally started playing tennis in middle school and my mom said I had potential. My parents encouraged me to play freshman year just for fun and to develop a competitive mindset, which I would need in later life. I went to practices nervous and not really outgoing like I usually am. I was honestly scared of how horrible I was going to be and how the team would look at me. And yes, to tell the truth, I was horrible. I slowly and surely became more outgoing, but we didn’t even win a single match that year. I wanted the team to improve and I wanted myself to improve so I started working more and more to improve for the next year.

I went to lessons and played with my family to get better and I thought I was ready to face the next season.

I was so excited for sophomore year to roll around so I can showcase what I’ve been working on and how I’ve improved. Then COVID-19 hit. That was a blow to my confidence and the practice I’ve put in and it just frankly made everything worse. We didn’t even get to play that season at all. It was really hard coming back from that for me because I lost the groove of everything I was doing in the off-season.

Junior year rolled around and I walked in there almost like my freshman year. But after that first practice, I wanted to continue to get better and I told myself that I needed to be more confident and outgoing. We began winning and my attitude and mindset improved greatly.

Nevertheless, my mindset changing helped my game dramatically. My teammates that year were so fantastic and supportive and I just had a good time around them. I loved Coach Chellis’s little rants about the most random things and I loved the backhand winners I scored. That year was so awesome. It was because I changed my attitude towards the game and myself. Mentality is such a big thing about sports and in general. To keep pushing through and having optimism is huge as is surrounding yourself with a support system and good people is one of the best things ever.

Matthew Lake on the tennis court.

Photo Courtesy of John Hulkenburg

Haylie DiCarlo (12) and Liz Amici (12) talk on the tennis court before a match.

Photo Courtesy of Haylie DiCarlo

Haylie DiCarlo, varsity player I played on the Westerville North tennis team for three years. It ended up being a great part of my life.

I joined my sophomore year solely so I could play with my sister. It was her senior year, so we thought it would be fun, and it was—I ended up loving it. There was never a day that I dreaded going. That says a lot because I have never had that feeling playing a sport before.

Being on the team gave me one of my closest friends and doubles partner, Liz Amici. Our coach, Max Quinton, was amazing. He is my favorite coach I personally ever had. He coached me all three years and helped me train to be the player I am today. It’s amazing because I had never picked up a tennis racket in my life before I started at North, and he had me playing in sectionals my senior year. Tennis isn't as easy of a sport as I thought it would be when I started, but the commitment and time my coach put into me and other players to get to the level I am at is truly great.

I loved the entire program, including the coach and players which to me in my opinion never happens. I feel like that says a lot about a team. Everyone is so supportive of one another. We all push each other to be better but have fun doing it. The tennis team was one of my favorite parts of high school. I'm so glad I stepped out and tried something new because it gave me great experiences and enjoyment. The team itself grew in size by so much since I started playing. In my first year, we started with not too many girls. But over the past three years, more and more people have wanted to join. My favorite part about the team is how accepting it is to everyone and anyone. You can truly be yourself when you're at practice, on the court, or just around the players. I love being able to be in an environment like that. The tennis team will always feel like home, and I truly will miss it. I encourage anyone to go out and try a sport you've never played before whether it's the girls' tennis team or not.

8 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Sports

Huddle up Wyatt Buxton, QB our first win of the season, 30 Over the past four years as a minutes away from home. student of Westerville North High These memories are just a glimpse School (WNHS), I have created of my football career at WNHS, and countless memories with my peers, I know my teammates would say the teachers, and coaches. These same. It was unbelievable joy to mental and emotional reflections play football as a Warrior, even Former quarterback Wyatt Buxton(12) have taken place in the classroom when things didn’t always go how playing against South high school. at times, but more often than not we wanted them to. We can all Photographer Aaron Layne for me, the field.When I replay my cherish these moments because they academic and athletic career at encapsulate the unity of our student WNHS in my head, I see body, making us all Warriors! a lot of moments that took place in Jim McCann Stadium.When I replay my academic and athletic career at WNHS in my head, I see a lot of moments that took place in Jim McCann Stadium.

The game of football brought a sense of unity into our student body, whether it was the players on the team or the students that watched. This is one of the qualities of the game I enjoy so much. Running out onto the field with the teammates I worked so hard with or standing in a line on senior night with my fellow 2022 grads—these moments are truly one of a kind.

To my teammates who have been involved all four years, or maybe only played for one. We have seen Wyatt Buxton (12), Donovan Varney (12), James McCreery (12), and players come and go, we have practiced for six hours a Nathan Dunfee (12) walking up to the coin toss. day, we have seen wins and losses, and we have even Photographer Aaron Layne slept on the solid floor of the auxiliary gym while waiting for a 7 a.m. practice. It was an honor to participate in a sport we love together, and I will never Songs of the year forget it.

To the students who met up at your friends houses before the games, painted your entire body to match Levitating - Dua Lipa feat. the theme, and screamed until your voices were DaBaby hoarse, thank you! Your involvement made our experience.

Pursuit of Happiness I will never forget my teammates and I greeting our classmates, amidst a sea of white, as we rang the (Nightmare) - Kid Cudi victory bell in honor of our first win of the 2021 season.

All Too Well (10 Minute The Westerville South game in 2020, where there Version) (Taylor’s Version) were not supposed to be student sections formed due to COVID-19, but glancing over at the fence and - Taylor Swift seeing a large group of classmates that had come together to cheer on the Warriors in an intense game.

Poison - Dr.V and The Even in 2019, as a sophomore, when a small mass of Bu$$ Driver students sang our fight song with us as we captured

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 9

Sports

Woodshed mentality

Bowling highs

Nick Tener, center-mid I have been a part of the boys soccer program since my freshman year. In that time, a lot has happened. We have had three different head coaches on the varsity level and even more changes on the Junior Varsity (JV) level. Despite all of this, this program has given me some of the best moments and some of the best friends.

It holds moments I will never forget and cherish forever.

My freshman year, I was so excited that I finally got to play a sport for Westerville North and feel that pride.

Now three years later, I think of how lucky I am to have had that opportunity.

This program allowed me to grow as a player and as a person. As a player, the coaches have always been there for me and the program. The current coach, Nate Hartnell, cares very much about his players and the program. He was always checking up on us to make sure we were okay physically and mentally. He also checked in to make sure how we were doing in school.

When observing a practice you can tell he cares for his players in the way he interacts with us, while still pushing us to give our best.

In the program, we developed a culture that accepts a certain mentality. We would call this mentality ‘the woodshed’. We also called our stadium the woodshed, because when a team walked in we wanted to enforce our play on them. This mentality was all about hard work and passion. You give everything your best shot, you go into every tackle, if it’s a 50/50 tackle, then it’s a 70/30 tackle in favor of us. It taught us some big lessons. You might not always be the most talented, but what matters is if you work harder in your spare time and work harder come game time. So, although my time physically in the woodshed has come to an end, I wouldn’t trade the four years I had in it for the world—mentally the woodshed will always be with me.

Westerville North boys soccer celebrating a goal against rival, Westerville South.

Photographer Mark Scholl

The Westerville North bowling team.

Photo courtesy of Midwest Sports

Pasha Krantz, bowler Looking for a fun winter activity you can enjoy with classmates and friends? Did you know that Westerville North has an amazing bowling team? I have had the opportunity to be part of the bowling team for the last three years. Bowling is a winter club sport that starts in November and wraps up in February/March. Sequoia Lanes is the home of the Westerville North Bowling Team, we practice and host matches there in the afternoons.

My bowling highs include when I bowled over 100, 150, and 200 because when I started I was bowling around 90 pins a game. My 200 happened during practice and the whole place watched as I bowled my last frames. I felt like I had truly accomplished a great deal of success and improvement. The highest I have ever bowled is a 212.

Bowling is an individual sport with the benefit of a team environment. The team supports you in your individual development, but ultimately you own your own personal bowling experience. I really enjoyed hanging out with the guys eating pizza and snacks, and just shooting the breeze in between turns. It was really awesome when we won matches and met people from other schools. Coach Haageman is always there with help or guidance. He has been one of my favorite coaches in high school and helped me succeed in this wonderful sport.

As a senior, I have been encouraged and was successful at being a team leader - helping others, and providing encouraging feedback. Following the Warrior Way by exhibiting good sportsmanship and bringing three years of team bowling experience helped me succeed.

10 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Sports

Get your head in the game We were all acknowledged for Lee Rwema, G/F the hard work we put in over the These past four years past four years and the way we all playing basketball at developed as players and men.

Westerville North High We all walked on the court with School, have been full of ups our family and got a picture taken and downs, triumphs and which later got turned into a tragedies. From the first time I plaque and was presented to us at stepped foot into the weight the end of the year banquet.The room for the first summer senior night game went great as workout my freshmen year, to Lee Rwema and his family on Senior Night vs we trampled our opponent and Dublin Scioto. the last time. I walked off our found a way to have a lot of fun.

Photographer Aaron Layne home court in my senior year.

I am here to tell you about what these past four years We all hung out after the game to reminisce on the have taught me, the memories we created, and the past and talk about life after basketball. That memory disappointments we had to go through. will always have a special place in my heart.

That day in the summer when I first stepped foot in I want to thank Westerville North Basketball for all the locker room for my first workout, my heart was the memories that it presented and all the hardships we beating a mile a minute. I was worried that I wouldn’t had to overcome that made us who we are today. impress the coach and worried that I wasn’t going to get along with the rest of the other players. I started to get a lot more comfortable when I started talking to some of the other freshmen. That’s where I met Caleb Iheukwu, Noah Lawrence, Andrew Scurlock, and Malachi Peacock. We have been good friends since then and it translated onto the court.

Our high school basketball career started rocky as our JV team only won a total of one game. Fast forward four years later, and we had the best and most exciting season of all four years. Finishing with a record of 15 wins and only fives losses. We played in games that were sold out against our rival Westerville South.

Hearing the gym explode celebrating a shot you made was truly an amazing moment that will be with me forever.

However, we went through a lot that defined who we were as players. Andrew suffered a horrific back injury that kept him sidelined for a month. We lost a couple of games that we weren’t supposed to lose and it hurt. But none of those losses hurt as much as the last loss did.

We lost our last game in the playoffs and the locker room was full of tears. We couldn’t believe that our high school basketball career was over just like that.

Throughout the whole year, we would always get food after Saturday morning practices and we would talk for Lee Rwema going up for dunk during senior night hours about our future plans. The night that meant the game.

Photographer Aaron Layne most to me though was our senior night.

Sports

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

11

Connected by blood, sweat, and tears Ansley Endres, Cross Country Athlete Being a part of the Westerville North’s Girls Cross Country team has been one of the best experiences of my high school career. I can wholeheartedly say that I would not be the person I am today if I had not joined this team. Through running cross country, I have met some of my best friends, made some of my best memories, and learned lessons that will stick with me for the rest of my life. Cross country is so much more than running countless miles each day at practice and competing in 5k races on the weekends. It is the relationships you form and the memories you make that keep you coming back year after year. Some of my favorite memories include our team dinners on Thursday nights, going to the retreat each year to kick off the season, our weekly team bondings, and celebrating with teammates after a good race.

One of my favorite things about cross country is that it does not matter if you are the fastest runner or the slowest runner, you will still be valued as an athlete and member of the team.

The girls cross country team at North is truly a family. We lift each other up in good times and bad. We show endless support for one another no matter the outcome of a practice or race. As someone who has played a variety of sports throughout my life, I can honestly say that although cross country has been one of the hardest, it is by far the most rewarding. Nothing compares to the feeling of crossing the finish line and looking at the clock to see that you ran a personal record (PR). The tiredness and pain you felt just a moment before cannot compare to the joy that you feel after running a race and setting a PR. I am beyond thankful for the experiences I was able to be a part of during my time on the cross country team. More so, I am thankful for my coaches and their unwavering support, my teammates for pushing me to be the best I can be, and my parents for never missing a single meet during my four years on the team; their cheering and support got me through even the toughest of races. I am confident that I will be able to face whatever challenges are thrown my way in the future because of the lessons I learned and the mental toughness I developed through cross country. My heart is full of love for this team!

Athletes celebrate a homecoming proposal for Paige Miracle. They are joined at the Jim Mccann Stadium at the Westerville North Cross Country Invitational.

Photographer Sophie Bordron

Mia, CONGRATS! You make us crazy proud! Our little Mees Bees is ready to be an Ohio University Bobcat, we have zero doubts you will crush it. Can't wait to watch you make your own path!

Love, Mom and Dad

12

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Sports

Coaches who care Alyssa Ciroli, dancer I have had the great honor to come to Westerville North for my senior year. Ever since my sophomore year I have always wanted to be a part of this school for many reasons. My junior year I started taking action and decided to reach out to Megan Hoover who was the head cheer coach at the time to find out more information about how her cheer program works since being involved is very important to me. Little did I know, a week later I received a call asking if I wanted to be a part of a new dance team she was starting to add to her program. Even though I was attending Westerville South at the time I was still able to be a part of this team since it is considered “club” dance. I have been dancing since I was three years old and I have always danced at a dance studio so I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to be able to dance for a school. I took this opportunity and started my first practice in October of 2020, and I knew right from the start that this was one of the best decisions I could have made to have joined this team.

From practices to competitions I was enjoying every single minute of my first season on this team. Despite all of the covid guidelines that were still going on my Junior year Megan did everything she could to make everything happen for all of us to make every competition no matter if it was in-person or virtual special in more ways than one. Once the season ended in March, a month later I was delivered exciting news that I was accepted and able to come to Westerville North for my senior year. I was beyond excited to be able to partake in another year of the

Alyssa Ciroli with family and Warrior mascot, WALT. Photographer Aaron Layne

dance team with Megan as my coach and that I was able to be a part of this school 100%. From football season to competition season Megan gave us all such amazing opportunities that truly opened my eyes about dance teams in college, and how being part of this team can give you a good outlook on how dance would be like after high school depending on the routes you decide to go. Even though this program has only been going for two years and is still developing I have learned a lot of things that I do not think I would have ever learned if I would have never joined this team. This coach does not only make all of us laugh but she teaches us so many valuable lessons that I will never forget. She teaches us how to believe in ourselves and how to be confident in our dancing.

I will never forget the time when we had our first in-person competition my Junior year. We had some challenges that we were facing and she told us that we were all of our worst enemies. She told us that we are so hard on ourselves and that we are not giving ourselves the credit we deserve and honestly she was right. She completely uplifted all of us and told us that we can do this routine and nail it because we are great and I was so appreciative of that.

Megan teaches us that hard work pays off and when you work hard and try your best at something no matter how challenging it might be, the results you want will eventually come in the end no matter how

many times it might take you to accomplish. Megan also teaches us that no goal is ever too far to reach and that sometimes you have to do things out of your comfort zone to see how far you can go. She challenges us to the best of our ability because she believes in us and that is really important to me.

Everything Megan has taught and done for me has helped me in many ways to where it has been proven. I am attending Bowling Green State University in the Fall and I wanted to be able to dance on their dance team. Megan helped me gain the confidence to try out for the dance team and before I knew it I made the team and I was more than happy about it. This coach is one of the most caring coaches I have ever had and she is truly one of a kind. I have been so honored to have been able to partake in this team from its very first year starting till now.

As my dance team season comes to an end for Westerville North and with graduation around the corner I am excited to continue to see all of the growth within this program. One thing I know for sure is that I will cherish all of the memories and incredible things Megan has taught and done for me forever.

Sports

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 13

Born to Lax I now know that last year was Ali Gruber, Captain/Attacker necessary for us to collectively see Lacrosse has been my escape what success is and isn’t. I’ve since second grade. No matter the learned that success is less about changes happening in my life, it has having a winning record than it is always been the one constant that I about having a strong team culture, could count on. My freshman year, I where we develop every day as a was one of two freshmen to make team—as one unit. As I approached varsity, and we had a fairly my senior season, I knew that I successful season. At the time, I had wanted this year to be a building also been playing club lacrosse for Ali Gruber (12) during a scrimmage vs season. I wanted to be the best Olentangy Orange. about three years. By the beginning Photographer Janel Jacobs leader I could be to serve my team of my sophomore year, we had a and contribute to the program so new head coach and our team was preparing for the spring season that we all that going forward, there is a anxiously awaited, especially because we seemed to be strong foundation set for years to come. As I write this better than ever. We played two scrimmages before our we have a little over half of our season left, and I can season was put to a stop because of the pandemic. This already say that we’ve made drastic improvements. was devastating, considering I had secured a starting The first game of the season we played Chillicothe at spot along with my best friends on the team that were home, and it was a pretty even match. The game was seniors. It was my last chance to play with them, and it back and forth the whole time, and it was tied with ten was taken from us. seconds to go.

Last year, we were finally able to have a season again.

My teammate and co-captain, Sarah Rubadue, scored However, it looked a little different. We once again had with three seconds left on the clock, meaning we won. a new head coach and had lost around ten seniors plus As we celebrated our first win in two years, and I rang some other players that decided not to come back, so the victory bell for the first time, I instantly remembered our numbers were slim. As the season progressed, we why I didn’t give up on the sport that I have loved since only faced more trials and tribulations. We only had one I can remember. I was overcome with the same sort of team, we were trying to connect with a brand new coach passion and excitement that I had when I first began yet again, players were getting injured, and we missed a playing, ten years ago. couple of games due to COVID-19 related issues. We While the majority of my team is new to lacrosse, and ended up losing every game. Overall, the team was we still have things to work on, I can already say this panicking and tensions were high. That wasn’t how we season is a success. Not only did we beat Chillicothe, imagined our season going, so it was disappointing. but we also beat Wellington and have played many other Throughout the season, I lost myself as a player and a hard-fought games. Our team culture is improving, and leader. I allowed my emotions to take over my behavior, each and every player has come a long way. This season I became selfish and was not performing my best. Last has not only brought the love I have for lacrosse back to season was the most “failure” I’ve ever experienced as me, but it has also taught me more about leadership than an athlete. any other life experience I’ve had, which I am forever After our season I had a lot of reflecting to do. I was thankful for. I know that I will carry these lessons with mentally drained and heavily affected by the season, as me for the rest of my life. was most of the team. To be completely honest, I Finally, I want to say thank you to my teammates and wanted to quit. I thought I would be better off if I coaches. I am so grateful for the memories I’ve made stepped away from playing. Eventually, I concluded that and the relationships I’ve built these last four years. I this was because I had a distorted view of what success cannot begin to express how much I care about this is, and what makes a good leader. Since then, I’ve had to team, and I have never been prouder to call myself a completely alter my outlook on leadership and my team. member and Captain of the Westerville North Girls Lacrosse Team.

14

Sports

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Setting up volleyball

Stunt on ‘em

Grace Link, right side hitter Throughout the years I've played high school volleyball, it has been a whirlwind of ups and downs but also a lot of lessons learned while exhibiting leadership.

I started playing volleyball at North as a freshman on varsity. Once I made the team I remember thinking to myself once I walked out of tryouts, that this is the start.

Looking back on memories I think of how I was once a little freshman who looked up to some of the seniors who created a long lasting impact on my life. With memories of going to Insomnia at three a.m., dance parties before games, and having conversations set me up on how to treat the freshman once I was their age. I thought that time in my life would last forever. Until life caught up with me and now we are here writing a journal reflecting four years that felt like last week.

While unfortunately suffering an injury my junior year, I was able to play my senior year on the night we played South. This was one of my proudest moments as an athlete, emotionally and physically. With missing 356 days of the sport I loved, and working hard for since I was a freshman, coming back my senior year and contributing as a leader and a player on the court made coming back to play so worth it. In the end, I look back on this girl who was fresh out of middle school, brace face and all. I had the world in front of me. Now, I am about to walk the stage as a Westerville North graduate.

Volleyball was a chapter in my life where I showed my God-given ability to my school. Ending as a grown woman going off into the real world with a great four year memory that I will never forget.

Grace Link (12) and Savanna Gurr (11) during their volleyball season this past fall.

Photo courtesy of Grace Link

Westerville North High School cheer team in the home stadium.

Bringing their energy to the white out theme game.

Photographer Aaron Layne

Carli Devanna, cheerleader Coming into Westerville North as a freshman I was set on trying out for soccer and sticking to it for all four years. However, when sophomore year came around I decided to try something different, and that led to me cheerleading. After making it on the team I was ecstatic, to say the least. At first, I was very nervous and scared to meet new girls but once I got to that first practice I was instantly welcomed by everyone. Being on the cheer team during sophomore year meant morning football games. At times I wasn’t too fond of that but after a while, those games came to be what I looked forward to the most. Especially away games because the girls would bring a speaker and we would jam to the song, “No Hands” all the way to the game.

During my junior year I finally got to cheer on Friday nights, considering it was during COVID-19, we didn’t get that same experience as before but it was still fun no matter what. I also decided to not just cheer for football games that year, but also for the competition team we have at North. I never knew how much I was going to love cheer until I found out what a non-tumble team was. My favorite thing about North cheer was the non-tumble competition cheer team. I met amazing girls through it and also got closer to them as well. Our practices were my favorite thing because we would have dance parties together but also work super hard to achieve second at states.

Cheer did take up most of my time during school and it wore me out at times but I also got to experience things I never would have if I didn’t switch from soccer.

Another favorite memory of mine is going to UCA camp my sophomore year. We were able to go to the University of Akron and stay in the dorms during our cheer camp. This experience was like no other and we learned so much and got to perform at the end as well.

Cheer might have taken a lot out of me at times but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 15

Sports

Strangers to family

For the common goal

Andrew Scurlock, varsity golfer When I was entering high school as a freshman, I didn’t know what to expect going to play golf. I injured my leg playing basketball and even joined the team late, more than half way through the season. However, immediately I noticed everyone bringing me into a family. For the part of the year I played my freshman year, my peers made me feel welcomed and I enjoyed being around them nearly everyday. This was the same for all four years. I took what the seniors showed me when I was a freshman, and helped create a tight-knit group that is enjoyable to be around.

My favorite part about being a part of this team wasn’t even playing the actual sport, but was the Wendys run we would make after a long day out on the course.

These were so enjoyable because Wendy’s hit differently after being out in the sun all day, and because the people I was surrounded with were my friends.

Coach would pay for our food, and over time, every year, we bonded into a great group of friends.

Whenever someone on our team would have a great score, everyone would congratulate them. Most of the time, other players on the team would be more excited than the individual was who shot a low number. Either my sophomore or junior year, Rocco shot his best score on the last match of the season. I still remember how excited everyone was for him, and how hopeful we were for him to move on. Although he didn’t end up moving onto another match, it was probably one of my favorite moments within the sport.

Overall, I started Boys Golf with a bunch of strangers.

As time went on, and as I graduated within the next couple of months, I ended my golf career with a bunch of friends. I’m able to use what I gained from the sport for the rest of my life and now I can beat all my friends at golf when I am all old and retired! Great experience, and I don’t regret a single thing.

Andrew Scurlock and fellow golfer Rocco Thomas (12) between holes during a golf tournament.

Photographer Tara Scurlock

Senior lacrosse players before their season opener.

Photo courtesy of Janel Jacobs

Jack Bichsel, goalie Lacrosse has really been fun these past four years and I can’t believe it is almost over. My freshman year we were all learning how to play as a team. I personally had to learn a new position because we didn’t have a goalie and I thought why not try it, and it was the best decision of my life. I loved being in goal but it sure can sting when balls hit you at 90+ miles per hour. The best memory from our freshman year was when we beat Westerville South on their home field. Our sophomore year is what we would like to forget the most. We kept hoping to get to play but eventually the season got canceled because of COVID-19 which was a huge bummer. Junior year was our most successful year. We had a new coach and a lot of great seniors to learn from.

We were so excited to actually play again and realized that any game could be our last one because of COVID-19. This made us play each game with more intensity knowing that it might be our last one again.

We got through the season and ended up winning our play-off game which was awesome.This year is off to a really great start. We have a lot of new players and we are all playing well together as a team. It hasn’t been about what grade anyone is in or the experience each player has – it has been about THE TEAM. It is hard to believe we are seniors, and this is our last year. The seniors this year are Noah Sherrard, Hayden Arrasmith, Jack Lykins, Aiden Kirjak and me. We have played every year together while at North. The thing I will miss the most are all the friends I have made throughout the years, but I have great memories from practices in the snow, team meals, the nicknames we give each other, mulch delivery day, but most of all the games we have played together. It has been real boys and always remember to hit the muffler!

16

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Diving Deep Iliona Thaci, varsity diver Westerville City Schools Dive team was memorable to say the least. After going through many new coaches all of whom had various coaching styles, it was for sure a little hectic. Our first coach was Coach Jane Lockehart.

If forgiveness was a coach it was her. My first year diving she was so patient and willing to genuinely teach you on the proper way of going about certain dives.

Coach Ron Kontura was our coach who joined after Coach Jane left, he was more intense than her. After months of training with him you learn to pick up on his humor, and can eventually laugh along with him. But when you first meet him and he says you look like a Raggedy Ann doll while diving, it will definitely make you do a double-take. But after a while you learn to just shake it off and laugh with him.

Some memorable moments were definitely failed dives. As a diver you sign up to smack, which is basically when you mess up a dive mid air and crash into the water. Everytime you smack you get these long bruises that go all the way down your legs, back, or arms depending on how you land. I remember one time Coach Ron had me do a front flip double in the tuck position, which is basically just a front flip with two spins that turns into a dive. I smacked every single time I did it, it was miserable. Ron made me do it at least twelve times before I was allowed to stop. Seeing others smack on the water always conjured up feelings of empathy. Everyone would always sit on the edge of the pool after a bad dive before they could get up and start walking again. But the dive wasn’t all bad. One thing I loved about diving is that feeling you get when you execute a dive perfectly. There is no better feeling than cutting perfectly into the water. Westerville Dive will always have good and bad times. I’m grateful I chose to join the team my Junior year and continue with it into my Senior year. I hope the future generation of divers have the same experiences I did, but hopefully with less smacking, as it truly does have some of my best memories tied to it.

Sports

Volleyball teaches teamwork

The WNHS Boys Volleyball team huddling up before a home game.

Photo courtesy of Damou Sakho

Anthony Pyles, defensive specialist My experience as a senior on the volleyball team has been very impactful on my life. First, I would like to say that volleyball is an amazing, fun sport. It truly is a great way to make friends throughout your high school career.

But it also teaches you how to work with a team and keep improving as a team. Second, I love playing volleyball alongside my fellow seniors and my younger brother. They push me to be better in class and on the court everyday. My experience as a whole has been positive. If you want to have fun and in my opinion just be an overall cool person, play volleyball for Westerville North High School.

My most embarrassing moment was…

“Dropping one of Mrs. Morckel’s chicks in front of her face my freshman year” - Diana Humbert “Losing homecoming court to 614 Darrel” - Donovan Varney

Way to go Zachary! From Pioneer to Bulldog to Warrior and now a Bobcat - we're so proud of you!

Love always, Mom, Dad & Jacob

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 17

Sports

Airbenders take action Paige Welsheimer, player I joined the Ultimate Frisbee team my junior year, and had never played before. Going into the practices, I was terrified of making a mistake. My engineering teacher Mr. Whistle convinced me to join even though I knew nothing about it.

As practice went on I met my teammates, and learned all about the complex sport. While learning the basics, I also learned first hand the bonds that it can create. With this team being a westerville team, we play with kids from all three high schools.

I have gotten to know many people that I would’ve never met without ultimate frisbee. This sport is also a very unique sport because of the way it ends. In a circle, people on each team give out awards to other players that stood out to them. It truly is a sport that shows effort and respect on another level.

The Westerville Airbenders after their game. The team meets often for frisbee practices and games.

Photo Courtesy of Paige Welsheimer

Congratulations Caleb! We are so proud and love you so much! Love, Mom, Dad, Bodhi, and Quinn

When in doubt, swim it out Niki Osterberg on her senior night.

Photo courtesy of Niki Osterberg

Niki Osterberg, swimmer I started swimming when I was about six years old. I swam for the Highlands otters swim team during the summer. When I first started swimming I loved it instantly. It made me feel good all around and was a great form of exercise. I also felt like the coolest person in the world when I could hold my breath longer than all my older cousins.

I swam on the summer team till I was about 10 years old.

The only reason I stopped is because the older you got, the earlier practices were; and I hate waking up early.My sophomore year came around and I was between cheering for basketball or starting up swimming again. I chose swimming. When the season started I realized how much I missed it and how much it cleared my mind.

Everytime I swim my mind goes to a different space. All I think about is my race. It is such a good and freeing feeling and I don’t even try to clear my head, it just happens on its own. Swimming has become one way I deal with stress. I tend to overthink constantly so when my mind is clear on its own it is such a reliving feeling. Each time I get out of the water after a workout I’m in a better mood than I was before I got in. Overall it has greatly impacted my mental health. It calms me down and makes me remember that not everything is in my control; But that my swimming and my races are something that are in my control so it takes my focus directly to that.

When my senior year came around I was so excited to swim my last season with my coach from when I was little. She was my coach at the start of my swim career and now my coach at the end of my swim career. Along with that this season I bonded a lot more with my teammates. They were always either at the bottom of my lane cheering me on or at the top of my lane watching my time and congratulating me when I finished.

This made my love for swimming grow 10 times more.

It made me feel so supported and I definitely wouldn’t have enjoyed my last season the same without them.

18

Clubs

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Breaking the glass ceiling Katie Boyd, Young Feminist Club member I am so glad Young Feminist Club has returned to Westerville North. This club is a group of highschool students, that anyone can join, where we try to create change within the school and community. We advocate for women's rights and equality. I love the community aspect of this club, it is a safe space where everyone can say their opinion and be who they are without being judged.

One of my favorite projects we have done is the Dear Me project. The intentions behind it were to spread positivity and show everyone that they are valued. This project was inspired by a Facebook post of a concerned mother, where her daughter was having body image issues in the fifth grade. Sra. Henman, the club’s advisor, created the idea to make a project where we wrote a letter to our younger selves and wrote advice or words we wish we could say to them. After the letter writing, we each chose a section that we wanted to read out of our letters. The portions of our letter were then used to create a video, sending a message of body positivity to young people in the Westerville City School District. This video will be sent out to teachers and posted for others in the community to see. I think this project is a great way to make something good out of a negative situation and that is a big goal of the group.

Other things we are starting to do consists of selling t-shirts and collecting period products for the school.

The money from the t-shirts will go towards an organization that helps women in need. For North, specifically, we are helping to collect period products for the bathrooms in the school. This will help to make sure that these products are always available for those who need it.

I love feeling the support of everyone in the club and what we are doing to help the school and community.

Young Feminists club is important because it helps empower woman and create unity and change. It helps to add value and diversity to Westerville North. I can’t wait to see what the plans of the club are in the future.

CONGRATULATIONS EDWIN!! I'M GOING TO MISS YOU BROTHER. - Jaylen

Young Feminist Club members oustide of their stand in the cafeteria for the period products drive that they’ve organized.

Students have been donating period products to be distributed throughout the school for easier access to them.

Photo courtesy of Katie Boyd

Spreading hope Zuhur Sofe, Hope Squad member Being apart of Hope Squad for me is a great way to bring light towards teen suicide and help peers know what to do in tougher situations. Universally, mental health has been a huge taboo. Up until recently, a typical highschool student was never educated on suicide, its causes or warning signs. Now as times are changing, it's important to educate yourself and others in case difficult situations arise where someone's life is on the line.

When Hope Squad reached out to me I was honored to be on the team. It first started with a course on what to do if someone you know is showing signs of suicidal thoughts, along with how to identity those signs in the first place. After learning these important lessons, the team started their first project, Hope Week. Hope Week was an event designed to involve the student body into the discussion of suicide. This was done with themes, artivities and decor all designed to show that hopesquad is there to listen and to educate others on how to do the same.

The goal within all of Hope Squad is the same, to protect students. To do this, it’s imperative to educate others and open the conversation to all to end previous decades of silence. Creating a space where students can comfortably speak on mental issues is a top priority.

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 19

Clubs

Into the universe

Act it out

Chase Nixon, member I’ve had a great time being a part of the Astronomy Club this year. It’s my first year going to meetings, but I wish I had started sooner. Personally, I’m really interested in physics and I’m going to college for astrophysics, but the club has so much cool stuff to offer for everyone, even if you’re not going to major in physics.

We’ve learned about everything from exoplanets and moons in our solar system to black holes and the farthest known depths of the universe. Even though we tackle some really daunting subjects, Mr. Johnston does a great job of explaining everything in a way simple enough that we understand it, yet complex enough that we can understand just how cool it is. For example, one of my favorite things we’ve learned is how astronomers extrapolate how far away galactic bodies are by measuring the frequencies of light that they emit.

We’ve even had discussions about theoretical physics and about the present and future of astronomy. We’ve had discussions about the possible existence of dark matter, other universes, parallel universes, and intergalactic traveling and human expansion. We’ve also talked about current missions going on and missions that are starting soon and planned for the future.

The community is also part of what makes the club such a great experience. The classroom is always full during meetings and we get all kinds of students from all over the school. We’re all eager to learn and have a good time, and we have great student leaders who help run the club. It’s a great environment and the group is always positive and interactive with every meeting.

Another great factor about the club is the possibility for field trips. In years past, the astronomy club would choose a night and would all go somewhere, maybe a planetarium or a nice area with low light pollution to look at the stars as a group.

Mr. Johnston visualizes planetary orbits for the group gathered at the last meeting.

Membership in Astronomy Club has increased since COVID. Photographer Luke Haman

The 2021-22 Westerville North Drama Club officers attend the Gala.

Photo Courtesy of Sophie Bordron

John Brown, President of Drama Club I wanted to be involved in theatre since the start of ninth grade. Coming into drama club freshman year, I had no expectations. It’s mind blowing to see what I have been able to accomplish over the past four years.

One of my fondest theatre memories was being in the cast of Newsies my freshman year. It was an amazing production and the experience was spectacular. Every cast member gave it their all. It was one of the best shows I’ve been a part of in my career at Westerville North. All of the late-night rehearsals and time dedicated to the production paid off.

The other side of theatre at North is drama club. The purpose of this extracurricular is teaching students about the art of theatre, such as: improvising, costumes, theatre after high school, and more. I’ve had the opportunity to help plan these meetings for the past three years as a member of the drama club board. It has been a pleasure to conduct and run meetings for our club.

Senior year stands out as the most eventful of the past four years. I’ve been all over the place: from the crew to the directorial team to performing on stage. Getting more involved has opened my mind and showed me how each aspect of theatre collaborates with one another. Every role in a show is needed for a production to be successful.

Speaking from my own experience, theatre is a prime example of people coming together to work towards a common goal. When we performed The Little Mermaid, there were many moving parts that needed everyone to be a success. Things like the giant ship set or the ensemble moving on and off of the stage required all hands on deck.

Theatre has truly changed my life, and I have no one else to thank for it except our director, Mrs. M. She is one of the most dedicated, loving, and motivated people I know, and I have loved working by her side the past four years. Leaving the department after our spring play, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, will not be easy in any regard, but I have full faith that it will be left in good hands.

20

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Shout Outs

Congratulation Kai! We wish you well as you head off to University of Cincinnati.

So proud of you!! Photo by Jo Ford.

Congratulations Donovan! Look at all you’ve accomplished, and you’ve barely scratched the surface!

“Be so good they can’t ignore you” - Steve Martin

Congratulations John! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what your future holds. Love, Mom and Dad

Shout Outs

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Congratulations Emily!! So proud of you!

Excited to see what’s next!

Proud of you, Cap! Love, Bucky

Congratulations Sarah! We are so proud of everything you have accomplished and we couldn't be prouder of you! Good luck on your next adventures at Capital!

We love you! Mom, Dad, Katie, Grandma, Nana, Papaw, Mom-maw, and Mia and Ziggy

21

Congratulations Nick! We are so proud of you and can’t wait to see what your future holds! Love you so much, Mom, Dad, Joseph

Congratulations Joe and Jess!

So proud of you both.

Love, Mom & Dad

Congratulations Luke! We are so proud of the man you are becoming! Love, Momma, Pops, Caiti, Jordin and Zoey!

22 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Class of 2022

Class of 2022

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

23

24 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Shout Outs

From the bundle of joy we met so long ago to the man you are today, you continue to exceed our expectations!

We love you!! Mom & Dad

I am so proud to be your mom. You are amazing, inside and out.

I love you the mostest!

Shout Outs

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

25

Congratulations, Wyatt! We love you!

Dad, Mom, Sam, Zach, Tori, Scott and Cam!

Congratulations Nia! We Love you and wish nothing but the best for you❤

Kenzie we cannot wait to watch you make a difference in this world! So proud of who you are.

We love you so much! Mom & Dad

We are so proud of you Bry! Love, Mom, John, Dad & Brandy

Congratulations! We celebrate bravery.

Now go learn something. Love, Mom & Dad

26

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Clubs

It’s all about the climb

Students at Vertical Adventures climbing the rock wall.

Photo courtesy of Warriors_Climb (Instagram)

We are so proud of you, Maya P. Love and hugs as you move onto new adventures.

Alex Lowery, climber This school year I decided that I wanted to try out the Rock Climbing Club at Westerville North High School (WNHS). I think this was one of the best decisions I have made in my career at WNHS because I ended up getting some of my friends to come with me and this was a great time to just hang out outside of school. When we go there you can either do what is called bouldering, which is technical skills on a shorter wall with no harness. Or, you can do belay climbing which is with a harness and a rope, climbing up a tall wall.

I am personally scared of heights so I thought this would be a great opportunity to try and beat that fear. I love to boulder because I think it is a great challenge, so I am pretty biased to bouldering. Sometimes, near the end, we have friendly competitions to see who can scale a wall the fastest and we will time each other.

All of the students that go to the club are super nice and when you have a question they will always answer it. The staff that attends are great climbers with lots of experience and they all have a passion for climbing.

It doesn’t matter how good you are at climbing because who knows, you may surprise yourself. It is a great physical and mental challenge that is fun for everybody. If you are thinking of joining the rock climbing club you should definitely come and try it because it is a great time with an inviting atmosphere.

Interact Club Bonnie Wu, VP Having been part of Interact Club for all four years I’ve been at Westerville North, it’s a great way to help out your school and community. I was Vice President my sophomore year and President the following two years and could not have a better experience. Our club continues to grow and become more diverse. As a club, just this year we were able to donate more than 3,000 items to W.A.R.M. with the “food fight” food drive against central. We were able to keep the club running despite of COVID-19 and even altered projects to be able to do them with restrictions in place still. We were still able to do annual projects such as the My Very Own Blanket project where we make blankets for orphans while adding new projects such as “Letters to the Elderly”. It’s a mainly student run club and we really get to do projects most important to us. For example, we donated money raised from Boo-Grams this year to the Westerville Special Olympics. Overall, it’s a great club and I will miss being in it!

My most embarrassing moment is…

Interact Club organizing Boo-Grams this past Halloween.

Photographer Bonnie Wu

“I was one of the stunts in Newsies and on show night I didn’t land my back flip” - Delaney Roush “My friend and I getting caught skipping a class by the teacher as they were also leaving the school” - Staci Tomblin “Being late to the basketball game because I got pulled over for speeding and everyone there knew before I even walked into the gym!”

- Samantha Borghese

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 27

Clubs

The Silhouette’s stride to success Sophie Rentschler, Editor-In-Chief Connecting with a small, start-up club at school enhanced my senior year in ways I never imagined.

When I joined the group, its members and I had a large vision in transforming its meaning. From the start, the club began solely for print-focused and traditional art pieces. But, as the club grew, I began to aim for some goals, one being the creation of an end-of-year art brochure along with the development of the club’s digital presence.

It all flourished with some simple advertising, like announcements and posters strung across the school. My co-editor, Caroline Kauh, helped to guide this club to victory. I couldn’t thank her enough for the consistent effort, whether it was sorting through submissions or having an upbeat, jazzy mood in the midst of the chaos: Caroline was there.

Caroline and I, alongside the help of Mr. Taylor, The Silhouette club advisor, created something beautiful: Art Hour. On one to two Thursdays of the month, we would host art sessions with various creating mediums available. Our first Art Hour had to be one of the best. I recall students enjoying eachothers company, finally slowing down, after a stressful day of school. The Nightmare Before Christmas played in the background and laughter filled the room. Art Hour, for the leaders of The Silhouette, grew to be a reflection of how far the club has come. Going from a room filled with empty desks to seeing many joyful faces on Thursdays was something to be proud of.

Westerville North has some incredible artistic talent, and I can’t wait to see how next year’s group takes The Silhouette to the next level. I’m confident in Caroline’s leadership skills, as the responsibilities of editor-in-chief will rest on her shoulders next year. Thank you for the opportunity to create something bigger: a platform for students to share art together.

Silhouette members took part in a photoshoot as a part of their photography lesson. Pictured, Sophie Rentschler.

Photographer Aaron Taylor

Poetry Club

A poem by Sage Hyde (11) titled, Hope is Serenity in a World on Fire.

Michael Samukai My name is Michael Samukai, and I'm the only senior in the Poetry Club. I joined the Poetry Club sometime after it was started by Sage Hyde and Jeffrey Siefker, with that being the first session after I learned about it during the activity fair.

Thinking back to the day Sage and Jeffery convinced me to come and have a look, I never would have thought that they'd make me promise to try to go to a session in exchange for a starburst. I however, took the deal and over the course of several hours while waiting for my ride home, brought more people to their little spot at the fair in exchange for more starbursts.

Poetry club has been both an escape and release from my stress because it lets me express myself and put my feelings into words. Words that were sometimes straightforward or most of the time metaphors, alluding to the things I felt and wanted to let out without telling all the details of or being judged for.

Between theater and color guard, I was very busy earlier in the season, causing me to only stay for half the duration of the meets even though it was once a month, but everyone in the club has been very accommodating and friendly about it. Poetry Club means a lot to me and I wouldn't trade it for anything, from the freedom to come and go, to the freedom to explore and learn more about poetry through writing about different themes and various forms of it, to basically everything in general.

I've come to like everything about it and haven't found anything to not like about it, making this one of the best decisions I've ever made and one of the memories I’d like to hold onto forever.

28

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

The key to school dances Tyra Crumrine I’ve been to five dances at Westerville North. The administration held a gala to resemble a school dance junior year, but I didn’t go. This year was my second time at prom thanks to a senior friend inviting me my freshman year. I had fun the first time around, but enjoyed prom this year more. It was a lengthy process figuring out where to eat and how many people would need to ride in my car; thankfully, it all worked out. With my own experience in mind, I can confidently share the key to a memorable prom night.

Step one: go in a group. Even if you have a date to go with, it is always more fun to go with a group. No matter how well you get along with your date, sharing the experience with multiple people is the best way to go.

Step two: if you decide to eat before, pick a restaurant that is versatile.

Going to a place that strictly depends on one food group doesn’t play to everyone’s taste buds.

Step three: have fun! It’s a school dance, it is your night to enjoy yourself.

Don’t do anything stupid and make sure you have a dependable driver.

School dances will stand out amongst your high school memories, so don’t let them pass you by. Even if your aren’t much of a dancer, there’s always a good time to be had.

Tyra Crumrine (right) posing with fellow senior prom attendee Jessica Owusu.

Photographer Debbie Crumrine

Cali Halliwell and Noah Lawrence are this year’s senior Prom King and Queen!

Photographer Stephanie McGeorge

Zach Buss (12) and Grace Link (12) at The Lakes Golf and Country Club before Prom.

Photographer Ellie Link

King and Queen candidates Nick Bagby (12) and Bonnie Wu (12).

Photo courtesy of Bonnie Wu

29

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Senior Prom Collage

30

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Signing Day Collage

Extracurriculars

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 31

My home away from home

Maya Chaffin, Director When I was first chosen to lead this program during my sophomore year, I had no idea what the next three years would hold. Little did I know, this show would shape me into the person I am today.

Growing up, I always looked up to my mom and her siblings who founded the Black History Month Show at Westerville North in 1989. I also had the opportunity to watch my older cousins perform in it when I was younger. Years later, it was my turn to carry the torch. I can recall the first meeting that we had, and how I was extremely shy. Our incredible advisor, Mrs. T, had us make a circle by linking our arms together. As awkward as this was, it helped us form the inseparable bonds that we have today. From that day on, I found a home in my school’s Black History Month Club.

As a minority who has grown up in a predominantly White community, I have never really fit in. In this group of Black, White, Hispanic, and Muslim students, stereotypes that were often assigned to me were eliminated so I could truly be myself. Despite my background, the way I wore my hair, or how I spoke, I was welcome.

I have met so many people in this program that I love dearly, and I will cherish our friendship forever. Every year, our cast and crew are tremendously talented. This show gives people of color an opportunity to showcase our creativity and I am beyond grateful to be a part of it.

Personally, this show has also always given me stress.

My friends always joke about the faces I make when I get frustrated because being a director is not easy! From organizing agendas to scheduling conflicts, it takes a huge mental toll on someone. However, these challenges allowed me to increase my confidence and grow as a leader. Through this club, I discovered how passionate I am about speaking up for those whose voices often go unheard. I even got involved with the Black Lives Matter Movement, and I spoke at local protests within my community. These activism and leadership opportunities helped me find my voice. In college, I plan to major in Film and Media Studies to be a director. The community of Black History Month inspired me to attend a Historically Black College, Howard University, in the fall. I am looking forward to being surrounded by even more Black excellence.Out of all of the extracurriculars I’m involved in at Westerville North High School, I will miss this program the most.

Every year for five months, we put our hearts and souls into a performance that lasts for only one night.

Students performing a dance routine at the BHM play on Feb. 17, 2022.

Photo courtesy of @wnhsbhm Instagram

But after taking the final bow, the hard work and dedication is all worth it.

As I continue to follow my dreams, I will never forget this program. I will never forget the echoes of the crowd cheering to a familiar song or laughing at a part of the script that I wrote. I will never forget the memories of doing “The Wobble” during rehearsals, the lip sync and rap battles, and going to IHOP at 12 a.m. after our performance. I will never forget the lessons that I’ve learned and the pain that I’ve endured. I will never forget the bonds that I have made. I will never forget my home away from home.

The crew for the BHM play.

Photo courtesy of @wnhsbhm Instagram

CONGRATULATIONS EDWIN!! YOUR FUTURE IS WAITING FOR YOU, GO AND ACHIEVE YOUR DREAMS. -Dad & Mom

32

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

Engineering careers

PHOTO/SIDEBAR

Delaware Area Career Center engineering classroom.

Photographer Sydney Urban

PHOTO/SIDEBAR

Ellie Bernard and Ali Gruber attending the 2021 NHS induction ceremony.

Photographer Carolyn Bernard

Sydney Urban, student at Delaware Area Career Center I've been going to the Delaware Area Career Center (DACC) for three years. I started in the engineering program which is now known as the robotics automation and design program. The transition from Westerville North to DACC has had its ups and downs.

Engineering has been something I've loved my whole life. When I got the opportunity to attend the DACC engineering program, it was a dream come true. I signed up as soon as I was eligible. The engineering program has a three-year plan whereas most DACC programs last two years. In hindsight, this decision would change my life.

Going to the career center was different than any other school I've been to.

The teachers are well respected so there are little to no problems with students.

Thanks to the small classes, students' individual learning styles, and interests were accommodated. I spend most of the day working on Industrial Computers (PLCs), robots, 3D software, and the engineering process.

The whole school's focus is on career readiness. Students are taught how to put together their resumes, prepare for a job interview, and attain internships.

The downside of the career center was leaving things behind at Westerville North. For me, it was my friend group. While this was hard to face, I have no regrets about my decision to go. I miss my friends but attending DACC was the best thing for me, and I've made tons of new friends. Going to DACC has helped me invest in my future and I would recommend it to all students at North.

NHS creating character Hannah Li, member I grew up in an extremely philanthropic family. So, volunteering has been a foundation of character to me. There is a Martin Luther King Jr. quote that has been framed on our living room wall for as long as I can remember, "Somewhere along the way, we must learn that there is nothing greater than to do something for others.” What most don’t know is that the National Honor Society (NHS) is so much more than a “feather in your cap.” It’s all about selfless action, respect, compassion, and commitment. Every member has and continues to change the world for the better. It was an honor to get in and has been an even bigger honor to serve.

At North, NHS, Key Club, and Hope squad work hand in hand to better the community and student body. One of the coolest things we have done so far was the Thanksgiving food drive to help provide food for everyone over the holidays. It really showed just how much we can get done when we work together. Everyone who pitched in, even in a small way, truly helped make a huge difference. It was amazing to see the amount of food that we had accumulated by the end of the drive that went to ensure that we could all have a happy holiday. It was just one of the many “restoring faith in humanity” moments that I’ve witnessed this year. Every time an email is sent out from Mrs. Mattioda, dozens of students jump to action. It’s been amazing to be able to work with North’s students to come together and help change the world with each and every fundraiser, food drive, service, and opportunity within the NHS. It has been a call to action, a reminder, and an amazing experience that shows how there really is nothing greater than what we can do for others.

Extracurriculars

Note by note Lucy Grilliot, member Over my last four years at Westerville North I have been fortunate to be involved in choir. The past three years I have been a part of our school's audition-based show choir, the Notables. The Notables are a select group of students that perform various types of music including, but not limited to, choral, broadway, and pop music. This group has been a huge part of my high school experience, allowing me to grow and develop as both a person and a student.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Notables has been a very unique experience. There were very few in-person community performances and very atypical Heart and Music shows. Heart and Music is a Notables only concert put on at WHNS. During Heart and Music there are many special acts (solos, duets, etc.) along with short skits written and performed by the seniors before each performance. Having been in Notables during all of COVID-19, I unfortunately never had the opportunity to experience a standard Notables school year. During the time of cohorts and remote school, choir was very different and Notables lacked so much of what sets this class apart from the others. This year has been the closest to a normal year. The Notables have performed at many events around Westerville and we are able to provide a normal Heart and Music show this spring.

A few of my favorite songs we have sung over the past few years are Take on Me (Pentatonix), Dear Theodosia (Hamilton), and Mary Did You Know? (Pentatonix).

One of my favorite moments in Notables this year has been being able to work with our student teacher, Mr. Ross, and putting together our Heart and Music show. In addition, serving as our Notables President this school year has allowed me to take on a more active leadership role, particularly while Mrs. Brosius was out for maternity leave. From what I have experienced, Notables is truly one of the best things to come out of my time in high school.

The Westerville North Notables performing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the girls soccer senior night.

Photo courtesy of Aaron Layne

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 33

The In The Know team experience

The Westerville North In The Know team with their coach, Mr. Johnston.

Photo courtesy of Nick Bagby

Nick Bagby, member I tried out last year and I am now on the varsity team for In The Know, and I’m grateful that I took the opportunity to try out, because this experience has opened my eyes and allowed me to join a small but very tight-knit community where team members can test our knowledge during practice and share our memories and experiences with each other. I remember going to tryouts and being completely taken aback by another student who answered every single one of the history questions.

That student, Ali, is also on the varsity team, and he can answer many of the questions I’ve never even heard of after hearing only a few words. Our matches are some of the most fun I’ve had as a member of this team, although we’ve only had a handful of matches in person this year because of the pandemic. Most of our matches are online, and we have a very strong record this year, with our varsity team having over a dozen wins and only one loss, while our JV team is undefeated.

Typically there is a tournament at the end of the year through WOSU that is broadcast on TV, but it’s unlikely that we’ll have any kind of tournaments this late in the year. We’ll be holding tryouts soon for new members to join, and we always have a party at the end of the year to celebrate with pizza and drinks. I’m excited to see what kind of members our team will have next year, and I hope plenty of people decide to try out. I’m glad that I was able to make these memories before leaving high school, and I want to wish next year’s team luck and hope that their experiences will be just as positive as mine have been!

34 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

Marching through the years

Miah Bey during one of the marching band competitions in the 2021 season.

Photo courtesy of Miah Bey

Miah Bey, Drum Major I’ve been doing marching band since my freshman year, I started on clarinet and had an amazing section.

In our first show, Full Circle, the clarinet section had a feature and we had to stand on this big circular stage that we had to spin before we played on it. It was really intimidating at first because we only had four people, two freshmen and two sophomores. It was my first time being a part of a dedicated ensemble that I had an important role. I loved it so much and made so

many amazing friends, so I came back for a second year but I switched to bass clarinet which was a big mistake.

I play bass clarinet in concert band, but doing marching with a longer instrument like that wasn’t the best idea.

We also got a new band director my sophomore year and she is one of my favorite teachers I’ve ever had. For my junior year, she asked me to switch to tenor saxophone since we would have so many new people in the sax section. COVID-19 definitely had a huge impact that year too, we didn’t have any competitions and we weren’t able to do a full show. But even then it was still so much fun because the people made it worth it.

My senior year I was one of the drum majors, which is basically the person who stands in the front and conducts. That was probably one of the best learning experiences of my life, I got to learn how to manage a large group of people and lead them to succeed at competitions. If given the chance I would 100% do it all over again, I’ve made some of the closest friends I’ll ever have and it helped me break out of my shell and find my voice.

Band in a nutshell Mary Tenny, member My band experience started in middle school but freshman year was a pivotal experience in my concert band career. I was very nervous to start a new year but I got to meet students from every grade during marching band the summer before. Having concert band during the day was my favorite part because I got to be with those friends from the marching band and the people I knew in the middle during a day full of change. Many of my best friends were in band with me.

The band director my sophomore through senior year is easily my favorite teacher ever. I have learned so much under her and I can go to her with anything that I may need. Concert band is so different from any other classes that I take. This is one of my favorite parts because of how it works my mind, it is different from all my other classes. Every single year the people have

truly been what makes the program. Ms. Loney and all of the students are some of the best people I have met. I love making music with the Westerville North concert band. I am so glad that I have stuck with concert band all through high school; I will forever be thankful for the lessons I have learned and the lifelong friends that I made.

Congratulations Joe and Jess!

So proud of you both.

Love, Mom & Dad

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 35

Extracurriculars

Warriors fight against pediatric cancer Joey Endres, Warriorathon Volunteer Some people will remember Warriorathon this year for the dodgeball tournament, others will remember it for the countless meetings and snacks in Mrs. Baumann’s room, but I will remember my time in Warriorthon for another reason. I will remember it for the initiative that some of my classmates took to not only get involved with the community, but also to help more high schoolers get involved with the community.

A common conception of volunteering in one's community as a high schooler often brings to mind images of teenagers going around picking up trash, helping their neighbors, or visiting the elderly, but Warriorthon is completely different from that, which I love. While all of those other things are still important, we as Warriorthon members volunteer in a way much different than that. We volunteer in a way that helps kids our age or even younger, kids with pediatric cancer. To me this is so much more fulfilling than the other means of volunteering I mentioned previously as children are our world’s future, but pediatric cancer should not be theirs.

While neither my family or I have been personally affected by pediatric cancer, there have been other battles with cancer that we have faced. When I was only four years old, my grandfather passed away from stage four pancreatic cancer. I regret to say that I hardly remember him, as I was just too young when he was taken from this world. The stories that my family have told me about him make him seem like a sincere, first-class man. They say he was hardworking, but that he knew how to play around, and that he was kind and generous, a family man.

However, these will remain stories to me, as I will never get to know him. He did not live as long a life as he should have, but he lived a whole life. In comparison, kids with pediatric cancer who end up passing away don’t get to live either a long or whole life. This is devastating because they were unable to leave their mark on the world, so this is why I joined Warriorthon.

While I have only been part of Warriorthon for this last semester (since its creation), it has still been a very fulfilling experience. I will forever remember my time spent helping this amazing cause, but I will also use this experience as a lesson to take with me later on in life.

Some people will remember me as the worst

dodgeball referee who cost them the game, but I hope others will remember the good work that not just I have done, but that this whole organization has done to help in the fight against pediatric cancer.

The 2021-2022 Warriorathon team during their Dodgeball tournament this year.

Photo courtesy of Joey Endres

Congratulations Kaia! We are so proud and wish you success in all your future endeavors!

Love, Turner and Calhoun Family

36

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

Orchestra strikes a note in memory making Hannah Dunbar, Viola player The last four years that I’ve been involved in Westerville North’s orchestra have brought me more memories, friendships, and experiences than I ever imagined as a freshman. I met some of my best friends, enjoyed fun opportunities, and expanded my knowledge about music.

When I first started orchestra, there were two separate classes, one for freshmen, and one for upperclassmen called Sinfonia. I remember playing for the first time with Sinfonia and how it sounded so much louder than our freshman group, it also sounded a lot better too. Through Sinfonia, we learned to play a lot more challenging music and we also got to participate in OMEA contests.

OMEA contests are events where a music group performs in front of a panel of judges who then rate the group on a scale from one to three, with one being the highest and three being the lowest.

During my sophomore year, Sinfonia was able to perform in person and we scored a 2, while the next year we recorded our songs and earned a 1. Performing at OMEA in person was a really fun experience even though we didn’t take the stage till after 9 pm and everyone was really tired. My friends and I passed the time waiting by making tik-toks, taking timer pictures, and probably annoying everyone else in the room.

That same year, the orchestra took a trip to the Ohio Theater to watch

Westerville North 2022 Orchestra class practicing for one of their showcases this year. Their performances this year have been successful.

Photo Courtesy of Erin Mayle

the Columbus Symphony perform which was really cool, and beforehand we had a group dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse. I remember they had really good breadsticks and our table polished off many baskets of them.

Shortly after all this, COVID began which definitely changed the way things were for a while. We played online during remote school, and in person we played in separate rows instead of side-by-side. We also recorded our concerts in class for the first semester of junior year instead of being on the stage. Another big change is that there is no longer a separate freshman orchestra, which makes our class a lot bigger, but the bigger the better!

Because of all this, I’m very thankful to have had as close to a normal senior year as possible.

We’ve been able to have all four concerts in person and practice in a normal way.

Back in 2019, our class was

lucky enough to play at graduation along with the upperclassmen in Sinfonia. Usually, the orchestra plays at the graduations every year, but because of COVID our class was only able to play once during our freshman year. I really liked playing at graduation and I thought it was a really cool experience for us to play some background music and watch the seniors cross the stage. I remember thinking that everyone looked so old and I couldn’t comprehend how in only a few more years my friends and I would be at that point in our lives as well.

It’s really crazy to think of how quickly time passed, and that we’re going to be the ones walking the stage this year while my classmates play at graduation for their first time.

I’m very thankful for Mrs. Brosious for teaching our class for the past four years and for all the different experiences she gave us in the orchestra, all of the memories I’ve made from this class are something I won’t soon forget.

Extracurriculars

Leaders love WALT Hannah Hutto, WALT member I have been a part of this program since the end of my sophomore year, and I have loved every minute of it.

WALT has taught me so much about not only being a good leader, but also being a good teammate, peer and friend. In my first WALT meeting, we were taught that being a leader doesn’t mean that you’re the best athlete or the coaches favorite, but it means that you put your team first above yourself, you lead by example, and when you see something that’s not right you tell them, “Hey, that’s not how we do things here.” That message has stuck with me ever since, and I have remembered to do my best to keep to it every single practice in all three of my sports.

One of my favorite memories in WALT was helping run the Warrior Way Leadership Summit where we spent all day with a large group of students and did many fun activities with them. One of the activities was to do a skit where we only had about ten minutes to prepare and we were only given one word to act out. It was so fun to see other groups get up on stage and try and act out their single word, and I was laughing along with everyone else the entire time. I have loved being on WALT and becoming friends with the other members and sharing many wonderful moments with them. We grew together as leaders and I think that WALT has had a very positive impact on every one of us. I’m sad to leave, but I look forward to seeing what the new members can do, and what a great impact they will have on their teammates and teams as a whole.

WALT members Hannah Hutto (12), Colleen Lynch (11), Alex Hendon (12), and Ryan Washburn (11).

Photo courtesy of Wes Elifritz

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22 37

Warrior Mentoring matters

Senior mentors Lily Hammer and Sophie Bordron work with Mrs. Green’s freshman advisory.

Photographer Sophie Bordron

Lily Hammer, Warrior Mentor I have truly cherished my time at Westerville North High School and some of the most impactful moments and memories are from my time working as a Warrior Mentor. Each week I was given the opportunity to visit an assigned freshman advisory with Sophie Bordron and lead stress relieving activities. Although not everyone was completely excited to participate, it was very rewarding the days that the students were very eager to learn how to manage their mental health. I was very fortunate that I was able to help students understand how important it is to not just physically care for yourself but also mentally.

I am very fortunate that I was able to participate in this experience because I think that Sophie and I had a positive impact on these students. I really desire to see this program continue because I think the transition into high school can be difficult and we should be doing as much as possible to make it as easy as possible. I think if I had this same experience when I was a freshman it would have made high school much less intimidating and led to a much quicker and easier transition. I think I would have loved getting to do all of the uplifting and positive activities as a freshman. Such as the activity where we spent the period journalling. We were all able to relax and get out all of our negative emotions and then our positive and grateful feelings.

This experience has motivated me to look into different clubs and organizations that focus on similar mentorship relationships in college.

38 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

Coocoo for composting

Grace Burke, Global Scholars Diploma Recipient When I first heard about Global Scholars, it was a no-brainer to sign up. At the end of my freshman year, a student came into my class to tell us about her experience in Global Scholars. She mentioned the perks of the program like field trips and standing out on college applications. I was curious about the adventures this program would bring and filled out the form to sign up.

Global Scholars went as expected for the sophomore year.

There were field trips to inform students about global issues.

Students got to take part in activities and hear from speakers involved in the global community. One field trip involved exploring the Honda Heritage Center.

Global Scholars got put on hold junior year because of COVID-19. Instead of field trips, students were expected to complete online activities and assignments. With the stress of online school, I put the program on the back burner. I didn’t accomplish much. Global Scholars continued to be online until the end of 2021.

Over the course of senior year, students worked on the Take Action project. The project syllabus follows students taking action against an issue facing the local, national, or global community. Peers approached this extensive project with differing attitudes. The struggles other students faced working on their projects were prominent; some decided that the effort wasn’t worth their time and quit the program.

My project involved getting people to compost food waste.

Other students promoted recycling or educating children about the importance of bees. The program will end in May with students presenting their Take-Action project at school and at events sponsored by Global Scholars.

Quarantine threw a wrench in the initial idea of Global Scholars and resulted in expectations for the program not being met. I am glad I stuck with this program despite doing more online assignments than originally planned. I learned how to initiate change in my community and the challenge of staying on top of a daunting task. With COVID-19 in the rearview mirror, I would definitely recommend that freshmen sign up for Global Scholars.

Global Scholars participants attend their graduation for the completion of their end-of-year project on April 19th, 2022. The celebration was hosted at Otterbein University.

Photographer Brandon Allen

Kendra Polito, Angela Ann, and Sophie Rentschler attend the Global Scholars project gallery. Senior students involved in the organization shared tri fold projects with the younger group members.

Photographer Chris Richey

My most embarrassing moment is…

“Not making my backflip in newsies on show night ” - Delaney Roush “Walking into school with purple ears after the little mermaid” - Paige Welsheimer

“When I challenged Coach Jackson as a joke to run the two mile and he actually made me run it ” - Darrel Nzzegge “Darrel spilling redbull on me in class by accident” - Haylie DiCarlo

Extracurriculars

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

39

Welcome to the Warrzone Max Lee, SSL Have you ever had someone pour Gatorade down your back? Well, this is what makes the student section such a magical place. Not really. The real phenomenon of student sections, in general, is the amount of hype that is perpetually generated regardless if their team is losing or winning. This is what made me enjoy the Westerville North Student Section so much this year and all of the years before.

I’ve been a part of the student section since I was a freshman but because of a world pandemic, my freshman and senior years were the only years I was fully able to experience it. This also proved to be an interesting challenge to the student section this year because all underclassmen and even a lot of the upperclassmen had very little experience in student section etiquette and were unfamiliar with chants. I saw this merely as an opportunity to develop new chants and a better student dynamic.

Step one was obviously to ensure the safety of the student section but after that, there was a chance to revive something people had been waiting for two years. This year we used every theme imaginable and even started new traditions. Some of my favorite themes this year were of course Gold Rush, College Gameday, Neon Night, Camo, and tie-dye. I loved the participation of all of the students this year, especially the number of underclassmen that participated in the themes as well. We are still in uncertain times which didn’t give us the chance to publicize our ideas at pep rallies but utilizing our Instagram, the announcements, and doing Pep Marches with the band helped encourage support for all of our sports teams. All of the fall sports were a blast this year, carrying the spirit into the basketball and volleyball seasons.

Being at the front of an army of students as you cheer on your favorite team is an amazing experience and I hope that for years to come students experience that same feeling.

This year definitely flew by but it’s not over yet. I have high hopes for our spring athletes as we continue this season and I encourage people to cheer on their fellow students as much as they can. A supportive student body can really change a sports outlook and drive people to be the best athletes they can be. I can confidently assure you that being a part of the student section has created no ambitions toward pursuing a career as a ref but respect for all of the refs out there. In all seriousness though, through respect and cooperation, a student section is a driving force within any school and I hope to continue to see growth within the Westerville North Student Section. I’ve had a great time this year as part of the student section and I look forward to seeing the hype continue. Go North!

Westerville North student section cheering on the basketball team vs Westerville South.

Photographer Aaron Layne

My favorite memory is…

“Getting two interceptions and a coring my first varsity touchdown against Delaware Hayes in 2020” - Donovan Varney “The white out game this year and the after celebration at Ali Gruber’s house” - Haylie DiCarlo

Westerville North student section at Football Friday Night for North’s home opener.

Photographer Aaron Layne

40 The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Extracurriculars

Leading by faith Ansley Endres, member Throughout my past four years at North, our chapter of Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) has grown exponentially. We brought FCA back to Westerville North during the winter of the 2020-2021 school year when we were in the hybrid learning model. Some weeks, we would meet via Google Meet, and other weeks we would meet in Mr. Elifritz’s office. It was a small group of people, no more than five or six students on a given week along with the leaders, Mr. Elifritz and Mrs. Cameron. Once we returned to school full time in March, there was an increase in attendance at our weekly meetings. Upwards of ten students were in attendance, and we had to move our meetings to the Champions Room to accommodate everyone. It wasn’t until this school year that we started to see the program truly grow.

In the beginning of the year, we had a brainstorming meeting to come up with ways to spread the word about FCA. We hung posters around the school, we created an instagram page (go follow @wnhsfca), and we made sure to announce our weekly meetings on the morning announcements. Each week, more and more students would attend and after the first few weeks of school, the Champions Room was full almost every meeting. It truly feels as if we have created a community where we can uplift each other and grow in our love for Jesus. The growth that we have seen in FCA has allowed us to give back to the community.

This year, we were able to participate in various community service projects, such as creating snack bags for the Ronald McDonald House, making blankets for My Very Own Blanket, and we helped to host a Christmas Party for the other FCA chapters in the area.

It has been amazing to be a part of the growth of FCA, and I hope this program can continue to impact the lives of those at our school and in the community. It has been an honor being a part of this organization the past two years, and I cannot wait to see all the amazing things FCA does in the future!

A group selfie of the members of the Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Their meetings happen before school where donuts are always present.

Photo Courtesy of the @wnhsfca instagram

Noah, The past 13 years have been a fun and exciting adventure with many wonderful accomplishments.

I can’t wait to see what the future holds for you.

Congratulations!

Love you, Mom

Extracurriculars

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

41

North’s oval office Damou Sakho, Senior Class Officer I’ve been a Class Officer since my junior year and it’s introduced me to so many different experiences that I never thought I would be part of. I remember two years ago when COVID-19 was more severe I submitted my video to run for the Class Officer position. I got out of bed in my pajamas and said a few motivational words and a couple of days later I got an email saying I was selected as part of the group. I remember being excited and then nervous because I wasn’t sure what I got myself into.

We’ve worked on a number of different projects since then, but I think the biggest one and my personal favorite was planning prom last year. We had met a few times earlier in the year and we knew that prom was going to take the bulk of our time. The year before us there was no prom so there wasn’t a lot of money to work with, and we had to figure out how to do it in a way that followed COVID-19 guidelines. We ran through a bunch of ideas and decided that we were going to do a talent show/gala. Next, came deciding how we wanted to decorate and set it up. We weren’t able to use the venue that we normally would have so we needed to use the school. Where was the dance floor gonna be? Did we want a red carpet? How did we want the talent show to work? Were we even allowed to have a dance? These were the questions that we grappled with administration over for weeks on end.

There was a lot of back and forth and a lot of starting over. Amazon Prime really pulled through for us and we ended up being able to put together a decent prom considering the circumstances. We held auditions and incorporated the senior superlatives and the four of us essentially hosted prom, kind of like an Oscar's night.

This year our schedule isn’t as rigorous but we’ve spent a lot of time promoting senior destination information and senior spotlights, really just hyping up the senior class. Our Cedar Point trip is coming up soon and the class is excited about that. If I’m being honest I’m really just excited for senior week with skip day and our prank so stay tuned for details about that.

I’m grateful to have been chosen by the class as a leader and I can’t wait to see the things to that we accomplish.

The senior class officers were re-elected from their junior year. They help plan the Cedar Point senior trip, destination day as well as presenting speeches for the Yellow Rose Ceremony and graduation.

Photo Courtesy of Sophie Bordron

Senior class officers Brittany Abston, Sophie Bordron, Damou Sakho and Donovan Varney present their speeches for the Yellow Rose Ceremony.

Photographer Charlie Boss

Congratulations Maya! We are so proud of you! To whom much is given, much is required. Thank you for using what you have been given to bless others. Even greater things are ahead! We love you!

Mom, Dad, and Mariah

42

Extracurricular

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

Mock Trial creates passion for law Tyler

Congratulations, Andre! We are so proud of you! Best Wishes at BGSU! Love, Mom, Grandma, & Poppy (photo credit: Cathy Blackstone Photography)

Congratulations Koltyn!!! I am so proud of you and I love you so much.

Love, Mom

Otterbach

For me, Mock Trial was the perfect blend of the creativity expressed in theater, while still being intellectually challenging. Every trial I have participated in has been unique and challenging, and I can remember vivid experiences from all of them. I was first introduced to Mock Trial in 8th grade and stuck with it all throughout high school. Before my participation in Mock Trial, I was horrible at public speaking and was way less assertive. However, Mock Trial allowed me a safe space to continually experiment with public speaking by asserting my side of the case. Westerville North’s Mock Trial program is one of the few public school mock trial programs that consistently performs well. This is due to the sheer amount of passion for the activity by everyone involved in it. The amount of effort that the coaches put into it is astounding. The coaches instill in their students a drive to succeed and win, while still impassioning them with knowledge of the judicial system. This created my passion for the political field and was one of the main inspirations to pursue political science [in college].

Mock Trial is an extracurricular activity that imitates the experiences of being in a real judicial trial. The competitions’ organizer, the Ohio Center for Law-Related Education (OCLRE), devises a unique made-up trial based on landmark cases within the Supreme Court. Oftentimes, choosing cases that could relate to current issues within society.

Essentially, students all over Ohio are given the opportunity to competitively experience a trial and educate themselves on the process of the judicial system much more closely than they would experience in the classroom.

The OCLRE gathers experienced professionals in the field of law to judge competitions, leading to greater experiences and competitions for all students. Students who choose to participate primarily take the roles of witness and attorney. Both of which have unique roles within the competition. A witness boiled down to its most essential parts is the person who pushes the case forward, providing explanations of events in the trial and explaining their side of the case. An attorney acts as the one creating the arguments for their side of the case. Creating themes, questions for their witnesses, openings and closings. Mock Trial is an amazing resource for those interested in going into law, and I am super thankful for everyone who provided me the opportunity to participate in Mock Trial.

Shoutouts

The Odyssey ● SENIOR EDITION ‘22

43

Bequeaths I, Staci Tomblin, do bequeath playing music no one wants to listen to on the band bus to Kendyl Laucher.

I, Paige Welsheimer, do bequeath my sunglasses to Bernard Paul.

I, Diana Humbert, do bequeath the spikeball club to Patricia Moore.

I, Donovan Varney, do bequeath my position as Editor-In-Chief of The Odyssey to Cori Bohan.

I, Jolie Helt, do bequeath my leadership and my love for soccer to Patricia Moore.

I, Darrel Nzzegge, do bequeath BSU to Tahira Johnson and Dezmond Howard

Congratulations, Erin! We could not be more proud of you and all your accomplishments! Love, Mom & Dad

Favorite Teachers Mrs. Morckel- Delaney Roush Mr. Lingrell- Donovan Varney Mrs. Gaffney- Jolie Helt Mr. Pelzer- James McCreery Mr. Bracken- Gavin Marshall & Cohen Sharp Mr. Trusley- Samantha Borghese Dr. Hartnell- Paige Welsheimer Mrs. Baumann- Sophie Bordron, Kai Dages & Staci Tomblin Mrs. Stathulis- Diana Humbert Mr Sands- Haylie DiCarlo Mr. Hall- Ethan Weaver Mrs. Young- Pasha Krantz & Jaden Knasinski

Logan Adams, Greatest. Son. Ever. We're proud of you for graduating high school, but we're even more proud of you for growing up to be such an amazing person.

Love, Mom, Dad, and Hayley

The Odyssey ● Senior Edition ‘22

CLASS OF 2022 Damou Sakho

BEST ALL-AROUND

Sophie Bordron

Nick Bagby

MOST LIKELY TO SUCCEED

Sophie Rentschler

Andrew Kowski

CLASS CLOWN

Nick Bagby

Samantha Borghese

BEST SMILE

Nick Tener

Nick Bagby Nunaa Tsikata

BEST SCHOLAR

Ansley Endres

FUNNIEST LAUGH

Sophie Bordron

Brittany Abston

MOST DRAMATIC

Haylie DiCarlo

Connor Euton

MOST ATHLETIC

Ashley Kisor

Darcy Lawson

MOST STYLISH

Sophie Rentschler

John Brown

MOST MUSICAL

Paige Welsheimer

Madelyn Beck

MOST ARTISTIC

Abigail Raubenolt

Jaydn Sano

WORST DRIVER

Pasha Krantz

MOST LIKELY TO GO

Luke Harvey

Grace Freeman

VIRAL

Maya Chafin

GOOD SAMARITAN

Samantha Buckley

Damou Sakho

FUTURE PRESIDENT

Maya Chafin

Luke Harvey

MOST LIKELY TO BE LATE TO CLASS

Emily Bartholomew

BEST SCHOOL SPIRIT

Samantha Borghese

BIGGEST FLIRT

Zuhur Sofe

LIFE OF THE PARTY

Grace Link Diana Humbert

FUTURE STAFF MEMBER

Cali Halliwell

BEST SENIOR COUPLE

DYNAMIC DUO

Darrel Nzzegge Max Lee Alex Lowery Darrel Nzzegge Will Marty Jolie Helt Noah Lawrence