Pirate Press_December 2023 (Vol. 10, Issue 3)

PIRATE PRESS othspiratepress.com

December 2023

Vol. 10, Issue 3 Winter Festival Senior Ava Laury

Festival of Lights. On November 24, the city of Ottawa held their winter celebration to ring in the holidays.

Spectators enjoyed the finale at the Jordan Block’s Chris Kringle Market, which includes a firework show after the annual lighting of the tree. Other festivities enjoyed throughout the night were the parade, which included a routine performed by the Poms, and a choral performance.

Speech Team

Junior Maddie Kerestes If the walls could talk, they would tell you how great the speech team is.

A common practice with the team is talking towards walls or facing corners to practice their lines for speech competitions.

Junior Lindsey Fabris is preparing for an upcoming speech at the team’s first competition on December 9.

“It’ll be fun to see friends from other schools again,” Fabris said, “and I’m so excited to show off all the hard work the team has done so far.”

Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

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Holidays in the Past

Sophomore Brooklyn Byone Ottawa hasn’t always had the same attractions during the holidays as it does now. The past of Ottawa highlights how much this town has changed and continues to better itself.

Before the 80s, Ottawa used to have many department stores that were the main attraction downtown: JC Penny, Carson’s, Montgomery Wards and Sears. Many people would shop in Ottawa, which kept the town alive and thriving, but during the 80s many of them closed.

Awesome Ottawa Tours tour guide Tom Aussem said, “The closure of the department stores is what killed downtown Ottawa.”

People started going to outside towns for almost all of their shopping during the holidays. In the 80s, everyone went to malls like Fox Valley and Peru, or they went shopping in downtown Chicago.

Shopping now is vastly different from shopping in the beautiful department stores Ottawa used to have. There are now many locally owned businesses within Ottawa, including the Chris Kringle Market, that provide shopping for the holidays, but many still shop within other towns. It is also extremely popular to buy items online instead of physically buying them.

Ottawa has many new businesses downtown, and people love to walk around and shop. English teacher Julie Brown said, “My kids and I love to shop to shop downtown. We usually start at RPS Toys, then go to Jeremiah Joe for a delicious drink, then head to Prairie Fox Books.” Chris Kringle market is also open every weekend until Christmas, which provides opportunities for shoppers to find unique gifts.

Ottawa has been coming alive again during the holidays.

There are many events that have brought the community together, such as parades and the Chris Kringle market, that give people a chance to have a town full of holiday spirit. Ottawa may never return to the famous shopping center it once was, but this town has still made Ottawa a special place during the holiday season.

Gracie’s First Snow

Sophomore Brooklyn Byone Gracie the therapy dog plays in the snow for the first time and falls in love. She has been working hard at training and will continue training over winter break. Teacher Doug Shumway said, “Students come to see her all the time.” It’ll be a long winter break for students without seeing Gracie, but Gracie will have a fun time relaxing with her family.

Photo Credit: Doug Shumway

Blast of the Past. Pictured is Lucy’s Clothing store in Ottawa during the 1920s. It is currently the location of Turk’s Furniture Store.

Photo Credit: Dave Mumper

Sophomore Felicity Johnson

Free for all. No one wants to spend the holiday season in a cramped store in a foul mood. Stay home with family and friends and get the most out of Christmas together not fighting off someone for the last TV. Photo Credit: ABC News

Christmas Consumerism Junior Maddie Kerestes

It’s the most wonderful time of the year for corporate big wigs who wanted to pad their pockets, not for your poor, stressed grandmother spending her retirement fund on Christmas presents.

It is estimated that the average American will spend upwards of a thousand dollars on Christmas presents annually.

That’s a lot of money for a holiday that is supposedly about peace on Earth and good will to men. This just shows how in modern society the emphasis on the true meaning of the holidays has become largely overshadowed by greedy consumerism and capitalism alike.

The rise of capitalism really took off at the turn of the 20th century, and companies took the opportunity to profit from the holidays as well. Department stores like Macy’s and Gimbles became known for their extravagant window displays and over glorification of the holidays, which launched the market’s excessive advertising campaigns to reel in consumers. The shopping season is kicked off with major sales like Black Friday and Cyber Monday pulling customers away from the turkey and to the stores with the promise of incredible deals. The placement of these sales around Thanksgiving, a holiday of gratefulness, points out the irony and selfishness of how the mad dash for sales completely diminishes the holiday ideals of giving and togetherness.

Though marketing and large corporations play a large part in excessive consumerism at Christmas, consumers are largely to blame as well. The rise of materialism in our society is only amplified at Christmas as we associate the value we hold in a person in proportion to the cost of the gifts we give to them or receive from them. There is so much pressure from modern society to center holiday celebrations around commercial traditions that the importance of the holidays is lost on so many stressed shoppers.

This holiday season try shopping small, making homemade gifts and spending quality time with loved ones, all of which are great alternatives to expensive or unwanted gifts that create a

What makes Christmas feel like Christmas? For some people, it may be presents or the snow, but for senior Brandon Wilson, the most important part of the holiday season is the decorating.

When he was younger, Wilson would go with his family to his grandpa’s house on Christmas Eve to decorate for Christmas, which sparked his love for decorating. Since then, he has started his own business decorating local businesses.

“I always looked forward to decorating at my grandpa’s, and that desire of decorating kept growing and growing until it became part of my everyday life,” Wilson said.

Starting your own business with many struggles, yet in Wilson’s case, it all seemed to come so easily to him.

Wilson mentioned that he has been decorating for Ottawa River Rescue for as long as he can remember. The next place he decorated for was Tone’s Dog House when he was 17. “I mainly just do Christmas, but other holidays are definitely in the works,” Wilson said. “In the past I was hired to decorate Tone’s Dog House for Halloween, which was my first non-Christmas decorating.”

This year has been a bit different for Wilson. He hasn’t been able to do much business decorating this year because he has been busy making custom commercial wreaths for customers. You can see Wilson’s colorful decorations at many popular places in downtown Ottawa, including Jeremiah Joe, Open Spaces, Tone’s Dog House and many more.

After high school, Wilson plans to go to IVCC so he can stay close to home and manage his assortment of hobbies.

This, of course, includes his decorating business. “After high school I do somewhat plan on continuing to decorate for local businesses, but my main focus will be on manufacturing my own line of holiday products,” Wilson said.

Wilson also mentioned that he eventually wants to start his own company where employees will get hired by businesses to decorate for them. “I plan to expand by starting a company of people who will get hired by businesses to work on decorating their building, store or office into a professional hallmark feel,” Wilson said.

Open Spaces art gallery is shining bright with Christmas decora tions designed by senior Brandon Wilson. /ƚΖƐ ďĞŐŝŶŶŝŶŐ ƚŽ ůŽŽŬ Ă ůŽƚ ůŝŬĞ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ͘ KƉĞŶ ^ƉĂĐĞƐ Ăƌƚ ŐĂůůĞƌLJ ŝƐ ƐŚŝŶŝŶŐ ďƌŝŐŚƚ ǁŝƚŚ ŚƌŝƐƚŵĂƐ ĚĞĐŽƌĂƚŝŽŶƐ ĚŽŶĞ ďLJ ƐĞŶŝŽƌ ƌĂŶĚŽŶ tŝůƐŽŶ͘

3 PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

It’s Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas

Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

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Benefits of Reading and Writing Senior Ava Laury

In an age of rapidly increasing technology usage where there are so many different things one can do, it may feel like the number of people reading and writing has decreased. However, there is an abundance of students who believe doing these things can be beneficial.

Overall, a survey of students indicated that there are more students who read outside of class than students who write their own works. The genres students read range from fantasy to romance to realistic fiction. The diverse selection that interests them shows that there are still many people who actively seek out different genres and are hungry for new experiences in literature.

This still begs the question: in what ways are students benefiting from this, exactly? While being a great source of entertainment, reading also has proven physical and mental health benefits. According to a Reading Agency study, reading for leisure was associated with better sleeping patterns. Adults and adolescents who read for just 30 minutes a week are 20 percent more likely to report greater life satisfaction.

As for writing, similar benefits have been shown in a Northern Illinois University study. Along with generally greater satisfaction, some positive effects that avid writers have reportedly experienced are improved memory function and even decreased symptomatic effects of disease.

Many students have cited personal benefits to these activities they have discovered as well. Some simply read to be immersed in the world of the story. As freshman Adaleine Kuffner said, “Reading helps me get my mind off things sometimes.” The idea that reading allows one to escape reality, even if only for a little while, is a common theme amongst busy students looking for entertainment in between assignments.

A few students mentioned how writing has impacted them as well, stating the correlation between reading and writing. “The more I read, the better I am at writing,” freshman Margaret Weigman said. Some even cited that they feel reading gives them inspiration for their written works, and both are a great way to pass the time and improve their vocabulary.

While many students enjoy being on their phone as a means for socializing and entertainment, one of the greatest benefits of reading and writing students have mentioned is that these activities allow them to express their creativity without the use of screens.

“Reading definitely helps me get ideas for writing, and it’s just a good way to pass time without being on my phone,” sophomore Zureen Voigt said. “Writing helps me express creativity and improve my storytelling abilities.”

So much information is currently available to us, and it can be accessed any time online. While it can be helpful to search the Internet for answers or log onto forums to share ideas, many students still believe it can be beneficial to unplug and let your mind wander; you never know what you may come up with when you pick up a book or pen.

Reading and writing have been shown by students to have many benefits, some of which include better vocabulary, increased productivity and enhanced creativity. It may also simply serve as a means of entertainment. “Writing is a good creative outlet to help get emotions out,” senior Eternity Biggs said. “Both reading and writing are wonderful ways to escape reality, even if it’s just for a short period of time.”

Athlete of the Month: Ashlynn Ganiere

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One of the best parts of winter is basketball season.

Amazing players get a chance to showcase their skills, and fans have a place to rally their support. Fans at the girls varsity basketball games should be watching freshman Ashlynn Ganiere.

Ganiere has plenty of experience with basketball because she has been playing since she was five years old. There is a lot of pressure when playing a sport, but as a freshman on varsity, there are certain expectations for Ganiere. She plans to make her team proud and live up to those expectations. Ganiere said, “It’s very nerve wracking, but it’s such an honor to be able to play with them.”

When doing something new, like playing on varsity, it is intimidating without guidance. Junior Marlie Orlandi has been a role model for Ganiere. Orlandi gives advice to Ganiere, and she encourages Ganiere to push herself to be the best she can.

“She has a big role this year and she’s stepped up a ton,” Orlandi said. “She’s proven herself and next year is going to be fun.”

Ganiere dedicates much of her time to basketball. She has played travel basketball for many years, and since the school season has started, she spends weekends and afternoons playing. Juggling a high school schedule is hard, but Ganiere likes to use her free time to hang out with friends and family.

Ganiere doesn’t only play basketball; in the fall she is a part of the girls volleyball team. All athletes should strive to be the best version of themselves like Ganiere. Ganiere is fully dedicated to basketball, but she takes the extra step to play other sports and experience different things. This winter, focus on girls basketball and keep an eye out for Ashlynn Ganiere.

With the change in the season comes the opportunity to enjoy new activities, especially when the weather changes as well.

Traditional winter festivities are among the things that students enjoy, including sledding, having snowball fights and building snowmen.

Winter Break Ideas Senior Ava Laury

Imagine this: you are on break, but all the traveling and activities for the holidays will not start for a while and you need a fun way to pass the time. If you are having trouble coming up with ideas, you may be wondering what to do in this situation.

Luckily, because of the number of people who have dealt with this, a plethora of solutions have been suggested.

Some students have shared their traditions and hobbies that they enjoy during the holiday season, so their ideas may be something to consider.

Overall, one of the most popular activities for students was watching holiday movies. Many people have made this a tradition in their family to spend time together, even setting aside specific movies that they only watch during the season.

Some more students mentioned other special traditions they have within their family as well. “My mom, sister, aunt, cousin and I all go up to Chicago to go ice skating,” sophomore Giana Chiaventone said. “We all have a gingerbread building contest on Christmas Eve.” If it gets cold enough, many like to take advantage of the weather. Senior Baylee McCurdy said, “I like to build snowmen with my little sister, make hot cocoa and have snowball fights.”

Many people have expressed their desire to spend their free time trying new hobbies, with crocheting and doing yoga being some examples.

Other activities students enjoy include baking, reading, sledding and simply using their time off from school to relax.

With the introduction of the new season, there are so many activities to get involved with. Whether you celebrate a holiday, visit family or enjoy spending your break recharging before the new year, there is enough to do for just about anyone

Star of the court. Ashlynn Ganiere dribbling the ball in a varsity game at Morris High School.

Photo credit Delightful Pears Photography

PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

Sophomore Brooklyn Byone

Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

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Got a sweet tooth. Author of the article Maddie Kerestes shares her favorite type of cookie to make during the holidays that’s “a dream to anyone who loves candy canes and all things peppermint this time of year.”

Christmas Cookies Junior Maddie Kerestes

To quote everyone’s favorite gluttonous blue Muppet, “C is for cookie,” but during this time of year, that “C” stands more specifically for Christmas cookies.

The Christmas season is filled with cookie consumption. In fact, 93% of Americans make cookies during the holiday season, and it is estimated that on Christmas Eve Santa Claus will consume roughly 336,150,386 cookies from all over the world.

Because this holiday season is largely based on these little desserts, there is a wide variety of traditions and opinions surrounding holiday cookies and which ones are the best. In a poll conducted to determine the community’s favorite Christmas cookies 6 percent voted gingerbread, 13 percent voted chocolate crinkle, 38 percent voted sugar cookies and 43 percent voted peanut butter blossoms.

Though the simple peanut butter blossoms were said to be the overall favorite of the Ottawa masses, every family has a different tradition regarding the cookie-baking process and appreciates some of the less popular treats because of their emotional significance. Hall monitor Barbra Cheli, also known as “Grandma Barb,” has a unique cookie-making tradition in her family. “I have so many favorite Christmas cookies,” Cheli said, “but my favorite is an Italian cookie called zuccherini. It’s a tradition in my family to make them every year.”

If you’re looking for a change in your cookie repertoire, check out Katie Olesen’s, wife of art teacher Kevin Olesen, website wheatbythewayside.com for fun, gluten-free recipes for the holidays.

Christmas cookies are such a diverse group of desserts ranging from well-known crowd favorites to unique family recipes; however, what matters most is not the taste or the type, but the love baked into them during this time of year.

Junior Kira Wheeler Looking for a career can be hard, especially if you’re unsure of which college to go to or if the job you desire will pay enough. It’s what some adults still think about today, but the career fair opens new opportunities for young adults. It gives them options to choose from, and students can talk to someone in that career and ask them questions. Students get ideas from it, and it helps them not feel alone in their job decisions.

The career fair started last year and the best part about the fair, according to teacher Ashley Carls, is “that it is planned by the students for the students.” They will have around 60 employers and have military and IVCC. All juniors and seniors can attend.

The students in Carls’ Secondary Prep classes prepare the fair along with herself and counselor Heather Dorton This year students are also doing small adulting workshops with family and consumer sciences teacher Kellee Granados and her classes. The students are involved with everything from designing the logo, asking for sponsorships and directing parking on the day of the event.

“I’m happy to be a part of the career fair, just doing simple things like handing out candy canes is awesome,” senior Jesse Price said.

Carls also said, “We couldn’t do it without the help and donations from the community.”

One of their biggest donations this year was $500 from 10Xpools, where senior David Scott is employed. Scott said, “This is my first year being in the career fair, and I was more than glad to involve my job.”

The fair will take place March 6, 2024, from 9-11 in the cafeteria.

This year’s Career Fair logo along with one of its biggest donations in 2023 from 10Xpools. Senior David Scott said, “I love my job, and enjoy working.

It’s the best part of my day knowing I’m doing what I love.”

Photo credit: OHS Pirate Nation

7 PIRATE PRESS Ottawa High School Student Publication • December 2023

Career Fair

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Student art located on the 200 floor.