NOVEMBER
2020 | ISSUE 2
THE EAGLE EYE Oak Grove High School
Graphic from The Eagle's Eye Newsletter in 2018 by former journalism student, Daisy Vallesfino.
1. The Eagle Eye, The Past and Present 2. The Eagle Eye Committee Reveal 3. Aprons On For International Day 4. 2021 College Webinar #2 5. Logging Straight on to Social Gaming 6. Color Me a Smile! 7. Striving Towards Virtual Success 8. Yemen Crisis 9. ASB Message 10. The Eagle Eye Message 11. Upcoming Events + Interactive 12. Thanksgiving Comic 13. TEE Social Medias + Committee Information
Table Of
Contents
The Eagle Eye, The Past and Present Written by Trang Ly and Vivian Pham Calling all eagle history fanatics! The Eagle Eye committee was fortunate enough to get in contact with the most recent former news publication advisor, Mr. Kick. Having a long history with the journalism community at Oak Grove, he was able to share the origin of Oak Grove’s newsletter with us. The first school news publication at Oak Grove came to life in the same year Oak Grove opened back in 1967. At that time, the news was distributed campus wide through a physical newspaper titled, The Eagle's Eye. As time passed, The Eagle's Eye eventually faded out from Oak Grove's soaring culture. With the former experience Mr. Kick had with The Eagle's Eye as a student, he was able to return as a teacher and reestablish its legacy with the support of Oak Grove’s original principal.
Heavily influenced by the past works of The Eagle's Eye, Oak Grove’s The Eagle Eye receives much of its inspiration from the history that has developed throughout time. Hence our name, The Eagle Eye. We hope to make a great impact similar to how The Eagle’s Eye once did on its community. From insightful articles that shine on Oak Grove’s school culture to informational and interactive pieces, we strive to reach all aspects of what an ideal newsletter should include. We aim to release monthly issues that will add to create an amazing Oak Grove experience. As a way to stay updated with school activity and real life events, please continue to support The Eagle Eye and look forward to future releases!
I suppose it was inevitable that a digital platform OG related news site would replace the printed pages of The Eagle's Eye, and I wish the best of luck and hard work so that the stories written now will Paul Kick (right) and Coach Young, a reporter for the stand the test of time for accuracy Eagle's Eye in 1984-1985 (left) at Paul's retirement celebration in May of 2018. and relevance.
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Hello Oak Grove students, staff, and more! We are so excited to be able to finally introduce ourselves to you all. We look forward to continue coming out with future entertaining yet informational newsletters. Thank you for your continuous support towards The Eagle Eye!
Written by OGHS ASB Have you heard? International Day just turned into International Week this year! ASB has been working hard to keep Oak Grove’s traditions alive even if we are learning from home. During a typical school year, International Day is a oneday event where various clubs will sell foods, drinks, and desserts from all around the world during our 30 minute lunch period. You may see clubs selling conchas, bánh mì, Filipino spaghetti, and much more. Due to distance learning, the Oak Grove staff and students have submitted both fun and informative cooking and baking videos to share with the community!
We have club videos such as BSU’s blackeyed peas and ham hocks with cornbread, VSU’s bánh xèo, LSU’s Colombian empanadas, and much more. The staff’s videos consist of Ms. Johnson’s scones made from an old family recipe, Madame Jacobsen’s Madeleines (filmed in French!), and Ms. Lynch’s favorite kettle corn recipe. The Oak Grove Community is filled with a variety of cultures, and we hope we have inspired you to try a new dish and explore the many delicious dishes from around the world. In addition to this, you can also find some non-traditional videos, such as PreMed Club’s twist on Grey’s Anatomy or Key Club’s ASMR video. We have aired 2-3 videos each day of Thanksgiving week on the @OGHSASB Instagram. Now, we challenge you to pick a recipe to make with your families this holiday season!
Check Out All International Week Videos!
2021 College Webinar #2 Written by 2021 Class Board HEYA EAGLES! Since we have started distance learning, we (the ℅ 2021 board) decided to host these two webinars to substitute for College Week. College application due dates are right around the corner and because of high requests, the senior class hosted another college webinar for those who were interested in lastminute tips! This time around, we were fortunate to have Ms. Nguyen, our past DCAC advisor, answer students’ last-minute questions to improve their UC and CSU applications. We are super grateful for Ms. Nguyen, and it is amazing to see her give our fellow seniors tips for their personal questions. It was also helpful for underclassmen who wanted to get an early education on the application process.
It is never too early to learn about the college application process! We hope everybody had a wonderful time and learned new things to improve your application. For those who missed the webinar, do not fret! Ms. Nguyen left us some amazing links and resources, and anyone can DM her via Instagram @dcac_oghs. Feel free to ask her any questions regarding college and applications! We cannot wait to host more events for everyone soon and we welcome more students to attend!
Logging Straight onto Social Gaming Written by Jacob Sayos Interested in playing games? Oak Grove recently just opened its very own Social Gaming Assets Class! Mr. Shimshock’s interest in playing games sparked the idea of bringing students, staff and Oak Grove’s community together through gaming. The inspiration came from his transition from playing board games with his friends to playing games virtually when the pandemic hit. At Oak Grove, Mr. Shimshock wanted to create an enjoyable place for students to socialize and make connections with each other.
A regular meeting at Oak Grove’s Social Gaming ASSETs class consists of playing Jackbox Party Games as an icebreaker to start off the meeting. Ending the meeting typically includes a few rounds of Among Us. Meetings are held Tuesdays after school, from 4:00-5:30PM! Mr. Shimshock strives to create an uplifting environment for students to look forward to after their tiresome classes. Hoping to have an impact on Oak Grove, he wishes for a better student-teacher connection and a place for others to get to know each other. We’ll see you there!
GOOGLE CLASSROOM CODE: eihyibo
Color Me a Smile!
Written by Lan Nhi Pham Key Club’s Color Me a Smile was a super casual, fun event! I attended the November Key Club meeting where we got club updates and announcements, then we did a service project together where we chilled and listened to music while coloring for senior citizens to brighten up their days!
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As The Eagle Eye strives to spread awareness and educate the student body on various topics that fall out of the daily school news, we are opening up a segment dedicated to covering real world occurrences. The future is in our generation's hands, and the most efficient method in making a change in the world is educating oneself on the society we live in. The Eye Opener serves as a stepping stone for those ready to take action.
Coloring was really relaxing and it was nice to know that we were bringing joy to someone else’s day while earning service hours too. I liked how it wasn’t just a meeting but it was also an opportunity to earn service hours. We got info on upcoming events and just updates on the club in the beginning and then we relaxed with some coloring at the end. It was super laid-back as well, which I really enjoyed, because everyone was just doing their own thing and coloring. This is one of the clubs at our school that can provide you opportunities for service hours, which also looks good for colleges, and I would highly recommend anyone to come out to Key Club’s meetings since it’s such a fun club too! I would definitely attend this kind of event again because I think it’s such a great and easy opportunity to just relax and earn service hours.
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Creating a community bonding and service opportunity for our Eagles, OGHS Key Club hosted their Color A Smile event on November 13th, after their general meeting. Participants were able to earn up to one hour of service and brought happiness to senior citizens, troops overseas, and many others who may have needed a smile!
Striving Towards Virtual Success Written by Frank Pfeilsticker Ever since the implementation of distance learning, I’m sure it can be agreed that day-to-day life has been far different than what we may have been predicted in early March. Staying on top of things is a goal that has grown exponentially difficult as the weeks go by. With obstacles such as distractions from our other devices, conflicts at home, an unhealthy workspace, and lots more, it’s hard to center our focus on learning. Despite the challenges we are facing now, one thing remains crucial: maintaining a healthy mindset. Amidst the chaos surrounding us every day, building a functional learning environment for one’s self seems like an excruciating task; however, the further you look into it, the easier it becomes. The very first step to take when trying to promote a healthy, ready-to-learn mentality is decluttering and organizing your current workspace! Clearing out unnecessary items like an extra set of highlighters or used mugs will limit your distractions and further increase your bond between you and the virtual classroom. Speaking of distractions, the number one thing that should be tucked away during your time of class is your phone.
EAGLE RESOURCES: Eagle Support Center Page Eagle Support Center Instagram Counseling Team
I’ve noticed, along with my fellow peers, that our secondary smart devices are the most distracting when trying to stay productive. Leaving your phone tucked away for a large amount of time truly benefits you in and out of the classroom! Another factor that can build towards a successful journey with distance learning is utilizing those 15minute breaks to set time for yourself. Whether it’s continuing a morning stretch routine or cooking up an afternoon snack, creating timed blocks of personal comfort makes distance learning so much more rewarding with an end goal of enjoyment waiting for you. One final thought to keep in mind when involving yourself in this tough battle with learning through a screen is that many people (including your pals!) are facing similar challenges that you are. Never hesitate to contact a friend when you need a helping hand on an assignment or want some time to take a breather and discuss things outside of school. Stay strong y’all and remember that distance learning can be taken on easily with the right measures taken!
Yemen Crisis Written by Aditi Jha History of the Yemen Crisis The Yemen crisis has been ongoing for approximately nine years. It all started with the Houthis, a rebel group, who were (and are currently) wreaking havoc over the country. The public and mainstream media have not been aware, and light needs to be shed on this crisis. According to the United Nations, eighty-five percent of the country’s population is in need of humanitarian aid. The situation in Yemen is officially labeled as “the world’s worst humanitarian crisis.” However, there were times when the nation was known as the “Happy Land”. From its prosperous agriculture to the sky-high buildings, the Yemenis used to live in peace. The fall of their president and dictator Ali Abdullah Saleh brought Yemen's central government to ruins, where during the ensuing chaos, the Houthis rebelled and assumed power after rejecting an offer of the transitional government that was supposed to benefit the Yemenis. While taking the country city by city, the Houthis amassed great power. Evidence gathered by nearby governments indicates Iran fueled the group’s campaign. With word of the Houthis’ hostile takeover, Saudi Arabia, long-time enemies of Iran, began an anti-Houthis campaign with their allies (such as Egypt and several Gulf states).
Whether the Houthis have the resources to conquer the nation remains debatable. Yemen has unfortunately entered into a civil war, which began in late 2014, and has plunged the country into further distress resulting in the people's worsened suffering. Its predicament is one to remember but also something that we can abolish— only if we take advantage of our resources and come together not as citizens of our country, but as citizens of the world. Yemen Today Given Yemen's situation in the past couple of years, coronavirus has devastated the already vulnerable nation. After reporting its first COVID19 case back on April 10th, Yemen placed many restrictions and closings in an effort to better the situation. Due to their government's failure to provide for its citizens, hospitals have to depend on themselves for the necessary medical attention to patients. The health system in the country has collapsed, which makes it even harder to get the essentials needed to treat the sick. Since there is a short supply of testing kits, the number of COVID-19 cases in Yemen remains unknown. Furthermore, the rebels that control the major cities regulate the number of cases instead of the government, which increases the difficulty in determining accurate and unaltered statements. The coronavirus is not the only health crisis plaguing the country.
Outbreaks of cholera have resulted in the unfortunate deaths of a thousand Yemenis. According to the ICRC (International Committee of the Red Cross), “More than 80% of Yemen's population lacks food, fuel, drinking water and access to health care services, which makes it particularly vulnerable to diseases that can generally be cured or eradicated elsewhere in the world”. Not only do Yemen citizens suffer from poor health, they are slowly, but surely, losing their own humanity. The amount of damage done to this country is only going to snowball into something bigger unless we take a stand. We have the resources and responsibility to help out, whether it be through charity or just raising awareness because every little thing helps. Our Duty A great way for contributing to charity is by donating to UNICEF (United Nations Children’s Fund) at https://www.unicefusa.org/.
UNICEF utilizes this money to gather food, water, clothing, and other necessities needed to help the suffering. Aside from donating your money, it’s always good to educate those around you and yourself as well. Take some time to read credible and resourceful articles to learn more indepth on what’s going on in Yemen and if there is anything you can do in your own country that would be directly beneficial to those in the nation. As humans, it is our duty to help others with the gift of empathy. From financial contributions to increasing awareness, you can help Yemen escape the situation they are in.
Amnesty International
Critical Threats
Resources: yemencrisis.carrd.co & yemenhumancrisis.carrd.co
Principal Message Hello Eagles, I hope you had a relaxing Thanksgiving Break. I want to take a moment to welcome you back for the final three weeks before Holiday Break, and encourage you to reach out to your teachers to make sure you are on-track to finish the semester strong. Remember that we are here to help and support you along the way, so reach out to us if there is anything we can do for you. Take care of yourself, Mrs. Brazil Prinicpal
ASB Message
Hey Eagles! ASB hopes you had a safe and happy Thanksgiving! This year, we would like to give a huge thank you to all of our teachers who dedicate so much of their time and effort to making distance learning as smooth as possible and always offering us help when we need it! Can you believe that we are only a few short weeks away to the end of the first semester? Time really flies! Keep up the great work in your classes, reach out for help when you need it, and we can’t wait to show you what we have in store for the month of December!
The Eagle Eye Committee Message Once again, thank you for tuning in to our November issue. We would also like to thank our amazing writers! !This month we included an exciting Instagram story interactive that you all can participate in! Feel free to screenshot and post on your story for everyone to see. We hope you all stay safe during this upcoming holiday season. Wear your mask, social distance, and we'll see you next month's release!
All the love, ~QUARANTINE~ ASB 2020-2021
UPCOMING EVENTS End of Semester One
Interactive Story Game Screenshot or visit our Instagram to share your answers!
Holiday Spirit Week Holiday Rally Holiday Break December Issue Release And much more!
A TURK-NNIBAL Surprise By Kaelyn Nguyen and Mailan Vuong
Happy Happy Thanksgiving! Thanksgiving!
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OGHS The Eagle Eye 2020