Pirate Press_November 2023 (Vol. 10, Issue 2)

PIRATE PRESS othspiratepress.com

November 2023

Vol. 10, Issue 2

The Stars of the Stage Junior Maddie Kerestes

The deep and disturbing history of Ottawa is coming to life by the shining stars of the drama department in their enactment of the story of the Ottawa Radium Girls. The fall play, “These Shining Lives” by Melanie Marnich is made up of a small cast of 14 students who perform a historical fiction adaptation of what it was like to be a radium girl in the city of Ottawa.

The play is narrated by the character Catherine Donahue, played by junior Sadie Johnson, and follows the story of four main characters who work at the Radium Dial Company. After their employers put the women’s health at risk to paint the dials of clocks using a radium compound to make the paint glow, the women file a lawsuit against the Radium Dial Company. With Catherine Donahue pursuing the case as lead plaintiff, the women won.

Junior Molly Ewen says, “This story is an important part of our history that is often overlooked and the chance to tell the story of these brave women is an inspiring opportunity.”

This poignant story of the perseverance of Ottawa’s women was chosen to be the fall play by new director Susan Walters. The drama department transitioned to Walters as their new director this past year, and according to junior Sadie Johnson, “It’s going very well with the new director, and I’m excited for the future of the program.” The performance of “These Shining Lives” will take place in the auditorium on Nov. 17 and 18.

Haunted Camp

Sophomore Brooklyn Byone Beware Campers. Camp Tuckabatchee has hosted a successful haunted camp for over 35 years. The haunted camp is a fundraiser, and the proceeds go into their summer camp program. This camp is an amazing opportunity for volunteer work for students, such as junior Ava Wagner. Her favorite part is creating a fun environment for the kids. To get involved send a message to their Facebook page.

Photo Credit: Camp Tuckabatchee Facebook page

Work hard, play hard. Cast members of the fall play are seen conversing with director Susan Waters and other cast members during one of their rehearsals. The students have been rehearsing almost every day after school in preparation for their performance.

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Staff Feature: Oggie

Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

PIRATE PRESS

Junior Maddie Kerestes

Play time. Student teachers dress up in dramatic play time costumes that the preschoolers will be able to try on and play in. Having this play time is essential for a child’s development. It allows them to work on their social skills, imagination, and mimic what they see and hear in their everyday life.

Preschool Program

Sophomore Felicity Johnson The preschool program is not new for students taking the vocational childcare class, but it is returning after a oneyear break. The students are more prepared than ever.

“Preparing for the preschoolers is a very important and busy time for the students. From the first day of class all the way up to when preschool starts and then after it starts the students in Vocational Child Care class are busy learning about child development, what skills need to be taught, and what children need to learn at this age,” Vocational Child Care teacher Chase Riva said.

Although you may think that due to this break it may not be the same, Riva stated that it will not be any different from how it was in the past, and she is thrilled to have the class back.

While this class does come with plenty of responsibilities, it can also be very beneficial for any students who think they might want to work with people of any age in the future.

“I plan to major in Communication Sciences and Disorder to eventually become a Speech Language Pathologist.

Speech Language Pathology has a wide variety of different fields to enter, such as working with young children in a school setting or a hospital with adult patients,” senior Caroline Cooney said.

“I’m planning on going onto HVAC but maybe working with children as a side job. I might have kids one day.

VCC is good practice for that,” senior Alan Sifuentes said.

Not only can this two-hour class be beneficial for your career, but it also gives students the chance to gain some college credit and hands-on experience with kids.

So even if you aren’t planning on going into Early Childhood Education, this class will still teach you valuable life skills and help in your future endeavors.

He is the culprit of the perpetual sound of a lawn mower heard daily around campus. The behind-the-scenes organizer of sporting event set ups. Owen Hampson, more fondly known as “Oggie,” is a beloved custodian and groundskeeper.

Oggie has been a member of the custodial staff for 12 years and is a native of the community, having attended Marquette High School. Oggie does a variety of jobs on campus to help keep the school clean and functional. An average day in the life of Oggie involves cutting the grass, trimming weeds, picking up any garbage in his assigned area and helping his coworkers.

He also takes part in the set up and clean up for any events at the school.

Oggie’s impact and work ethic does not go unnoticed by his coworkers. Fellow custodian says, “Oggie is definitely fun to work with. He is always willing to help and is a hard worker.”

Oggie is glad to “come into work every day with a great staff,” but his favorite thing about working here is the students. “I like to see the students grow from little freshman to big seniors and give advice or help them when needed.”

Many students truly do not understand the work and dedication it takes as a custodian to keep the school running, but Oggie is a true testament to his occupation because of how much he truly cares about OTHS.

Go, Fight, Win! Oggie, pictured wearing Pirate Poms fan gear, is a supporter of all student athletes in the school, making sure that practice and game spaces are unlocked, clean and prepped for athletes. Oggie himself played football, basketball, baseball, and did track in high school. Junior Pirate Pom Macie Hart said, “Whenever Oggie comes into our practices, he’s always on a mission to get a job done, but he still always finds the time to talk and joke and make us laugh.”

3 Senior Ava Laury

“Why do so many modern musicians just write breakup songs?” is a question I have asked myself on many occasions. I know of many people who have asked this question as well.

As someone who listens almost exclusively to older rock music for this specific reason, I had decided to listen to a newer album that has gotten a lot of very good reviews; that album being “GUTS” by Olivia Rodrigo.

The first thing that can be noticed about this album is that it sounds very instrumentally different from her first. It has moved further away from the poppy sound that a lot of her older songs have and has primarily retained the grunge aesthetic that, personally, I think some of her strongest songs had.

This change in sound seems to work well and make sense, as Rodrigo has matured since the release of “SOUR.” Instead of this album being about teenage heartbreak like its predecessor, the themes of this album are different. She has said, according to Genius Lyrics, that this album “is about ‘growing pains’ and figuring out who she is at this point in her life.”

This theme for her newest album is certainly expressed throughout her songs. Her most popular single, “vampire,” fully displays how some of the topics from Rodrigo’s last album remain but that she has gained a new perspective on them. She acknowledges mistakes that she has made in her past and how a toxic relationship had affected her during that time, but now that she is away from that situation, this song feels like a last reflection on it to help her move on.

In fact, this whole album has songs throughout in which she details growing and moving on from her past. In “the grudge,” she says, “It takes strength to forgive, but I don’t feel strong/Do you think I deserved it all?” In these lines, she expresses how hurt she is by being manipulated and acknowledges that she is trying, but she is not completely ready to move on yet. It feels like a step in the right direction for her so that she can make peace with her past.

Another step in maturing for Rodrigo has been knowing that she does not have to try to meet a standard that society holds for her. In “pretty isn’t pretty,” she talks about how she could try to change things about herself, such as her appearance, to appease others. However, doing so would end up making her unhappy. This is described when she says, “You can win the battle, but you’ll never win the war/You fix the things you hated and you’d still feel so insecure.”

Overall, the album feels like an extension of “SOUR,” but it is handled very well. The themes of heartbreak, love and insecurity are still there, but it feels as though Rodrigo has further come to terms with her experiences with these topics and is more aware of how they affected her. In interviews she has said, “I never want to stop learning and growing as a person,” and “Life is something to be explored and embraced.” Her current music reflects these ideals.

This album has themes that many teens may relate to or have related to at some point. Whether you are a fan of Olivia Rodrigo or not, this album is worth a listen.

The cover art for Olivia Rodrigo’s “GUTS” is shown here. The album was released on Sept. 8, and has been very popular since its release.

The songs “vampire” and “bad idea, right?” peaked at number one and number seven, according to Billboard.

It uses unique instrumentals and beautifully descriptive lyrics to detail topics many go through in their transition from their teenage years to adulthood, such as, love, heartbreak, insecurity and growth.

PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

Album Review

Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

PIRATE PRESS

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Fall Books

Decked Out In Purple

Junior Kira Wheeler

Sophomore Felicity Johnson

Every season brings different activities and evokes different feelings in a person. Say, for instance, the season fall where your feelings are more towards that of hibernation because of the cold wind and rain. But who does not love the fall?

Autumn includes thankful people, homemade food, beautiful leaves and interesting books. The best part are the books, from horror and mystery to classics that have amazing storylines.

Some books could give you more than just this overwhelming feeling. For example, they could bring traditions like making Thanksgiving food or watching classic movies.

My father and I watch “Lonesome Dove” to remember one of my grandfather’s favorite books. We watch it on Thanksgiving while the turkey is being made. Simple things like books can have a big impact on people.

Around Halloween season, people often read horror to feel the spook of Halloween. Even Librarian Kelley Getzelman always reads horror during fall. “It is my favorite genre, and this is the perfect time of the year for it” Getzelman said. She recommends reading “The Weight of the Blood” by Tiffany Jackson, a “Carrie” retelling in the present-day South, and “The Girls are Never Gone” by Sarah Glenn Marsh, which she says is pretty much “The Conjuring,” but with a teenage podcaster. She also recommends, if you’re looking for more of a classic, “The Fall of the House of Usher” by Edgar Allen Poe, which is being adapted into a Netflix miniseries.

I will always feel books are better because of the more detail you receive. In movies they leave most of it out. But, which is truly better, books or movies? Even Micheal Archambault said, “When it comes down to an analysis, the majority of books score higher than their film adaptions. It appears readers win this argument over film buffs.” But he also said, “Then again, who says you can only enjoy your entertainment a single way? Work your way through a series of novels, then hit up Netflix.” He says this in his article “Is the book better than the movie?” This proves that books are for the win.

Why are all the counselors wearing purple? Character Counts, also known as C3, is a service club that focuses on building ethical values and character for students. During C3 week, students and faculty dressed up in colors that coincided with qualities and challenges for each day. For example, Tuesday, October 17, the quality of the day was citizenship. Students and faculty had the chance to wear purple and challenge themselves to clean up the school. The club also received a shoutout from guest speaker David Edward Garcia for the chalk work they did outside of the school.

“We draw with chalk around the school to spread positivity,” sophomore Laurel Fisher said.

Counseling staff poses during Character Counts week to show off their purple outfits, representing the quality of citizenship.

Librarian Kelley Getzelman holding classic “Goosebumps” and “The Girls are Never Gone.” Getzelman said, “Looking for a childhood throwback? Check out some of your old Goosebumps.”

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Senior Ava Laury

Autumnal Acoustics. The Concert Choir sang for the Fall Concert on Oct. 19. The event compiled the performances from the Jazz Band, Concert Choir, Treble Choir, Overboard and Crimson Choir to produce the first major concert of the year. It gave students of all skill levels the opportunity to display their musical talents.

“I say this about every concert, but our fall concert this year has been my favorite program ever,” choir director Ali Stachowicz said. “The students in every ensemble were fully bought into the message of the piece, and things just clicked into place. I believe the evening was just as moving for the audience as it was for us.”

Gracie the Golden Doodle Junior Maddie Kerestes

Welcome aboard! Ottawa Township High School has welcomed its first canine staff member, therapy dog Gracie. Gracie is a nine-week-old golden doodle who currently resides with staff member Doug Shumway and family. Throughout the school day, she is under the care of her handlers, Shumway and administrator Sally Taliani.

Shumway, enthusiastic about Gracie’s presence at school said, “She’s been so great to have here, and I love seeing all the smiles on the kids’ and staff members’ faces

PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

Fall Choir Concert

Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

PIRATE PRESS

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Artist of the Month: Leah Green Sophomore Brooklyn Byone

There are plenty of outlets for creative minds at this school.

There are classes, clubs and the Fine Arts program that shed light on the many talented students. Senior Leah Green is a great example for students who want to explore their creativity and use that for their career.

Green has used many different art styles, but she works in abstract the most. She uses colored pencils to create her artwork, and she likes layering. She is inspired by old classical paintings, especially Monet. Her artwork is also influenced by fashion. Art teacher Leah Kuhn said,” She is an excellent student. She always comes to class with authentic and original ideas.”

Green has been practicing art for seven to eight years now.

She started around fifth grade by drawing characters she liked.

Green’s interest was piqued because of the process of creating art.

She enjoys figuring out how to make things look good together, such as the form of the body and color theory.

She plans to go to school to become an art teacher. She has always wanted to be a teacher, but she decided in eighth grade she wanted to include her passion with her career. Kuhn has been a major influence for Green. “Ms. Kuhn’s easy flowing attitude and positivity really helps me when deciding what kind of attitude I want as a teacher,” Green said. She plans to attend IVCC for two years to achieve her basic classes, and then from there she plans to go to Columbia in Chicago.

Not everything has been easy, though. Keeping up her grades and motivation is a challenge as a senior, but she perseveres to accomplish her goal. Being an artist means struggling to produce fresh ideas and maintaining creativity. Despite these struggles, Green has worked towards a future she is excited to pursue.

Green’s most recent works from her sketchbooks.

Photo Credit: Leah Green

View of Student Council Junior Kira Wheeler

Oftentimes teens feel unheard, not understood and completely frustrated because of that outcome. They go from school, home and the world hoping that just maybe their voice will go out instead of always feeling as though it is left in. That is why schools have a Student Council. The students in the club can direct how students feel and how they think. We all know that not all students are the same, but this club speaks volumes about the school, and what they do is even more amazing.

This club is not only serious and represents the student body, but also full of friendship and fun activities. One of the fun activities they do is plan and set up the dances. Senior Cabella DeBernardi said, “I love being a part of student council, because we get to plan and set up homecoming and prom.” Senior Rylee O’Fallon feels the same way. She said, “I love everything about student council, especially decorating for the dances.” In addition, they also brainstorm theme ideas, make votes on their theme plan and decorate. The Student Council is also fun because of the friendships that they form in the club. “The people I’ve become closest with have been a part of the club since sophomore year, so we’ve been together every year,” DeBernardi said.

They do a rummage sale to clean up twice a year for child welfare at the VFW. Not only does Student Council do that, but they also create opportunities for connection and belonging, opportunities that positively affect school culture. They even have meetings that help members brainstorm events they’d like to plan. They went to the IASC last spring. Senior Emma Cushing said, “It was such a fun experience to learn new leadership techniques and spend time with friends.” Friendships are not only just with students. It is also with their Adviser Kellee Granados.

Student Council has friendships, has humor and, most importantly, is helping with the school.

All excited to help with the Child Welfare Guild rummage sale and seen all smiling in the picture. Rylee O’Fallon said, “We all do this two times a year, and I can tell you we all get thrilled to be there.”

Hiking Trails

I do not know about you, but I love hiking when I can see my breath in the air. Hiking in the cold does come with some additional danger due to icy paths, but if you choose the right trail and stick to the path, you are sure to have a great time.

We are lucky to live in a place where there is such a wide range of places to go and enjoy the outdoors. Many students and teachers mentioned favoring Starved Rock when choosing somewhere to go hiking.

“I like going to Starved Rock with my friends and our dogs and hiking the trails there,” junior Madison Towne said.

Starved Rock is a great place to go when it is cold and you are looking for a nice place to hike. It includes many different canyons and even more trails. It offers a good range in difficulty, length and views.

Senior Kemimayla Ragan says the best way to serve mashed One of my personal favorites at Starved Rock is Lover’s potatoes is with gravy.

Leap Outlook. It has beautiful views and great accessibility year Photo Credit: Elena Veselova, Stock Photos round. It is an easy hike that will not take you very long. However, it is a very popular trail amongst hikers, so you will most likely run Favorite Thanksgiving Food into other people.

Sophomore Brooklyn Byone Hiking in the snow is not for everyone, but lots of people enjoy hiking in the fall. Once the leaves start to change colors and Roughly 165 billion dollars of food is thrown away every the air gets cooler, the beauty of these views doubles. year in America, and of that number, 277 million dollars of it is “I like going places with tons of trees. I love observing the from Thanksgiving turkey alone. That is a considerable amount of food wasted from one day of the year for only one dish. What dish different fall-colored leaves,” senior Mary Heermann said.

If you are like Mary and prefer woody places, you will sureis thrown out the least and eaten the most in Ottawa? The answer is ly enjoy Buffalo Rock’s Effigy Trail. It’s a 1.7 mile loop that should side dishes. But what side dish is ranked number one? only take around 30 minutes to complete. The view mainly consists Out of 137 participants, 42% chose side dishes as their of prairie and wooded areas, so it gives hikers a great opportunity to favorite food course. There are plenty of side dishes, from stuffing see beautiful fall foliage. to rolls to casseroles, but what food is everyone wishing for this “I enjoy going to Buffalo Rock. It’s quiet and beautiful,” Thanksgiving? Forty-eight percent chose a side dish that involved potatoes. Out of all the ways potatoes could be prepared--scalloped, social studies teacher Tracey O’Fallon said.

If you are ever at a loss on how to spend your fall or winter with corn, gravy or cheese, in a casserole, even along with marshday, give some of these amazing trails a chance. mallows--mashed potatoes were ranked the number-one dish.

Not everyone agrees with mashed potatoes being the top answer, though. Sophomore Mario Gerena said, “I don’t like it.

Mashed potatoes are gross.” Gerena’s top choice was ham, saying, “It’s just so good. I love it.” While most people believe mashed potatoes deserve the top spot, some would rather choose turkey.

Turkey was the runner up with 20% of people voting for it.

When math teacher Derek Broadstone found out mashed potatoes were the top choice he said, “I think they’re missing out on good turkey.” Senior Kate Landers originally picked turkey as favorite food, but Landers supports the mashed potatoes’ ranking. Nationwide, the top food choice is turkey according to a poll taken in 2020. Turkey was chosen by eighty-three percent; however, mashed potatoes trail closely behind that, coming in at seventy-eight perFrozen Falls. Once the weather gets cold enough, this waterfall cent. as St. Louis Canyon will freeze over, creating a beautiful ice Everyone has different preferences when it comes to sculpture. It is nice to observe how the frozen ice still captures Thanksgiving, but when it boils down to it, mashed potatoes holds a the movement of the water. spot in the Ottawa Pirates’ hearts. Mashed potatoes are an essential part of Thanksgiving, but now you know to prepare plenty of extra Photo Credit: Flickr.com to satisfy everyone.

PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

Sophomore Felicity Johnson

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Ottawa High School Student Publication • November 2023

PIRATE PRESS

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Art Club Events and Activities Senior Ava Laury

If you are a student who enjoys art, wants to explore their creative side or is simply looking for something new and fun to do outside of school, Art Club may be the solution. Throughout the year, Art Club is involved in many things, including simple studio activities, school events and even community projects.

Art Club’s first event outside of school was on Oct. 1 at the Fall Festival where they set up a booth in which they did face painting.

Overall, the students and various volunteers involved had a blast and did an amazing job with the constraints that they had. “The Art Club is very interested in getting more involved with school and community events, so when the opportunity came to volunteer at the Ottawa Fall Festival, club members were happy to join in,” art teacher and club leader Leah Kuhn said. “I’m hoping we can continue to use our creative abilities in the future for various things happening.”

If students can work under pressure in a crowded setting, volunteering at an event such as a festival is incredibly fun and rewarding. It also provides community service hours. Do not worry, though. If this kind of work does not sound very appealing, Art Club has so many other activities that it is involved in annually.

On their own, the club is currently collaborating on ideas for a mural. The theme is “What gives you wings?” This mural will highlight various subjects, items or activities that inspire students. A few students have been working to draw the outline for the wings, which will have sketches of the ideas from students on them. “I am really looking forward to seeing how this project will turn out,” a senior Art Club member said. “This is one of the biggest projects we have done so far, and I think directing our focus on what specifically inspires us is a really fun idea for a mural. Everyone gets to add something different to it.”

Art club members face painting during Fall Fest.

Photo credit: Leah Kuhn