Pirate Press_March 2024 (Vol. 10, Issue 4)

Month 2024

P IRATE PRESS

Chuck-a-Duck Fundraiser Senior Ava Laury

Many students throughout the school have expressed their desire to leave as much of a positive impact on the world as possible. At Earth Club, they have the opportunity to begin this mission with the introduction of an initiative that began in the early winter last year.

This new project is the revitalization of the courtyard. The members of the club have been working to choose new plants for students to tend to, hoping to keep the project alive for many years. This will give current and future students a new way to build a close community and show their school spirit by becoming an active part of the school’s improvement. Many students and staff see promise within the plans for this endeavor; this includes adviser Jessica Overocker who said, “While it is still early on in the project, I am very excited for [Earth Club] to make more progress. The fact that we will have to get rid of some of the plants makes me sad, but I am so glad that we will be able to participate in the improvement of them.”

In order for this proposal to be successful, many students have taken initiative and have planned to set up multiple fundraisers to ensure that the club maintains a substantial amount of financial support to allow them to choose the best possible plants for the courtyard. The first fundraiser took the form of the Earth Club’s regular Chuck-a-Duck event that is held annually at a home basketball game.

Many of the club’s members gathered in Kingman Lobby after school on Feb. 6 to aid in the fundraiser’s setup and stayed to help sell rubber ducks, which were sold at a rate of one for $2 or three for $5, for attendees to throw at a target at halftime. The person whose duck was closest to the center of the target received a cash prize, with Earth Club gaining a profit to help with future expenses as well.

The event was deemed a success, with the club receiving a total of $150.

Earth Club’s Vice President senior Bianca O’Shea found promise in the fundraiser, stating, “I’d say [the fundraiser] went extremely well. It was really sweet seeing a kid win the other half of the pot and the money we raised is a good start for building up the courtyard to be more beautiful than ever.”

The club also hopes to find success in its flower sale, in which they sold daffodil, tulip and hyacinth bulbs for $20 each. The profits will also help fund the plants the students choose for the courtyard.

The next task the club wishes to take on is the collection of seeds to germinate, with the hopes of planting new trees by the spring.

Science teacher John Atchley has aided in this process as well, commenting, “I consider the courtyard to be a jewel for our school and a very focal centerpiece for our students and our community and should be an area of pride and appreciation … I am excited to be allowed to use my own skills and knowledge of landscape design to work together with students to make it an awesome part of our school community.”

The Earth Club gathers in Kingman Lobby to host their Chuck-a-Duck fundraiser. The event took place on Feb. 6 and raised $150 that the club is putting towards the revitalization of the courtyard. The students advertised their flower bulb sale there as well.

FFA Book Donations

Junior Maddie Kerestes

It’s clear that Ottawa’s FFA is living up to the line in the National FFA Organization motto “Living to Serve” as the chapter has taken on their latest community service initiative. In an effort to support a local business, the club has been collecting used book donations from around the school to donate to Prairie Fox Books.

FFA adviser Sierra Walters has been optimistic about the initiative and the experience it has given chapter members saying, “My hope is that with every community service our members participate in, they hold on to the feeling of giving to others and serving someone else.”

The Vice President of FFA, Connor Fulkerson, is an employee at the bookstore and has helped coordinate the project. Rather than throwing away used books, Prairie Fox Books collects and resells used books for a discounted price. FFA has generously contributed to their supply by obtaining hundreds of used books from staff and students.

While acting as the bridge between FFA and Prairie Fox Books, Faulkerson says, “Management was very insightful into the project, as this took months of planning with a few setbacks. The support from other employees including other members of staff was all the support necessary.”

The collection ran from January 8 to January 22.

“Living to Serve.” Junior FFA members Wyatt Redding and Allen Trumbo are seen helping Prairie Fox Books at an event earlier this year. FFA’s connection and service to local businesses has been an active part of their club’s mission for a long time.

IDTA Competition

Sophomore Gianna Jacobs

Dancing to the top of the state. Senior Pom Sophia Fernandez performed her solo at the IDTA competition in Springfield and earned second place in the state

“It was an amazing experience.” Fernandez said. “I was really nervous for prelims, but by the time it was finals, I felt more confdent.”

Her award-winning performance was a lyrical routine that she choreographed herself.

Photo Credit: OHS FFA Instagram

How Does Caffeine Affect Your School Day?

Senior Gwynn Eisert

Caffeine is good to drink for your school day, but one should take breaks, or it will have a negative effect on you. I have done my own personal experiment for the past few days to find whether caffeine is beneficial or harmful for you during your school day. I took six days and dedicated three days to drinking caffeine and three days without.

I am a person that will have drinks with caffeine. I have always hated the taste of coffee since I was a little child. I can only tolerate it if it’s heavy in sugar. However, soda is something I drink regularly during lunch at school.

I chose to go three days without caffeine first. I woke up that Monday morning, and I immediately felt tired. I always struggle to wake up in the morning, so this was not a surprise. When I got to school, it was no different. I was tired, and I felt that I could not focus on anything.

Although the first hour of my day was the worst, the rest of the day was brutal. I had trouble concentrating and being motivated to do anything. Though, this could be the result of not drinking any soda during lunch. When I got home, I passed out on my bed to take a two-hour nap. The next few days felt the same, fatiguing and difficult, but I did not crash like I had the first day. This is heavy evidence why it’s so important to take breaks with caffeine.

An article from the Cleveland Health Clinic shared wrote on how caffeine can affect your body and stated some effects that were similar to my symptoms. “For adults, consuming as little as 300 milligrams of caffeine (that’s roughly four cups of coffee) in a day can increase your risk of nausea, anxiety, sleeplessness, restlessness and other side effects.” This explains why I had felt so worn out for those three days.

The following three days were now with caffeine. After this break without caffeine, I felt amazing. I had started my day with a cup full of caffeinated tea and was in an enthusiastic mood. I felt energized, and I had even written down in my notes that “I had a pep in my step after the first sip of tea.” As the day continued, I felt that I was more productive and significantly more motivated than I was without caffeine.

This line of evidence ties in well with the research done at the National Center for Biotechnology Information. NCBI said, “Caffeine also has many well-described psychopharmacological effects, including increased energy, increased alertness, improved mood and enhanced cognitive performance.” This shows how the caffeine took effect after the break I had with the caffeine.

As my experiment went on, I drank what was once my regular soda at lunch and felt the hours had become longer. When I got home, I felt that I had the energy to clean up the house and do homework. Although I had the energy to do these activities, I felt jittery and anxious about things. I had so much energy, in fact, that I could not sleep until 12 a.m.

Taylor Martin, a writer for the website Todoist.com, wrote about how coffee and caffeine affects your productivity and makes a very compelling point. “You might feel a burst of energy and laser-like focus, and you may find yourself getting a lot more done than usual. Too much caffeine and you may meet the less desirable side of the drug, otherwise known as the jitters.” This helps show that drinking so much caffeine in one day was too much and that it’s always good to remember to take breaks. Your body just might need them.

Athlete of the Month: Juliana Thrush

Sophomore Gianna Jacobs

With a 24-3 record this year and finishing sixth at state, sophomore Juiliana Thrush is on her way to being the most decorated women’s wrestler in OTHS history.

Thrush started wrestling her freshman year and continues to improve. While wrestling, Thrush has not only showed true dedication but also love for the sport. “She is natural to wrestling. There are certain things that you cannot teach that she processes. She has body awareness and willingness to learn. She’s having a great year so far,” wrestling coach Peter Marx said.

To stay motivated and on track, especially on the days when motivation is lacking, all Thrush must think about is her competition. “My motivation is definitely my competition and knowing that there are girls that are better than me,” Thrush said.

Thrush has had lots of wrestling meets and tournaments, but one sticks out to coach Marx: “Probably when she won her first match down at state, and just seeing the smile on her face when she won.”

Through these last few years of wrestling, Thrush has overcome adversity and learned some lessons along the way, “The biggest challenge is the guys being jerks,” Thrush said, “and people underestimating you.”

All and all, Thrush has a great support system behind her. “My biggest supporters are my parents,” Thrush said.

Music Fest Senior Ava Laury

Seasonal Sounds. The annual Music Fest took place on Feb. 4 in Kingman Gym. It once again helped to display the many wonderful talents of students in the local elementary and high school districts, with performances from the musical programs of three different schools and students ranging from ages 11 to 18. The school’s band, Concert Choir and Crimson choir were among the many featured, with the band being conducted by Andrew Jacobi and the choir being directed by Ali Stachowicz.

Juliana Thrush winning a women’s wrestling match.

Photo credit: Parents of Juliana Thrush

Art Club’s Valentines Day Party

Senior Gwynn Eisert

Drawn to Telephone Pictionary. Art Club hosted their annual Valentine’s Day party on Monday, Feb. 12. Members voted and chose to play Telephone Pictionary. Telephone Pictionary is where you write something to draw, the next person draws it, then the next guesses what it is. Freshman Eugenia Craig, who participated in the game, loves Art Club and considers it her safe place. “It is a fun way to talk to people and to get to know people, even if half the drawings ended up as William Afton,” she said.

O’Fallon Wall of Fame

Junior Maddie Kerestes

O’Fallon Wall of Fame. If ever taking a stroll on the east side of the 600 floor, you can’t miss the montage of newspaper clippings featuring students displayed by social studies teacher Tracey O’Fallon. O’Fallon has been cutting out student stories from the paper for over ten years, originally starting with just displaying members of her homeroom and growing her collection of stories to displaying all students featured in the local newspapers. “I love it because I see kids stop in and seeing and reading and recognizing kids they know,” O’Fallon said. “It’s become this sort of thing now, and I can’t ever stop.”

Edna Mode Look-alike Senior Ethan Sallee

“No capes!” Attendance Secretary Lisa Woodyer is now being referred to as Edna Mode, which is a character from “The Incredibles” franchise. Officer Katie Passini was the first to notice the similarity between Woodyer and Mode. As a result, Woodyer made a photo collage of herself and Edna Mode, making it a popular joke around the school.

Woodyer said, “The day she made the reference, I created this photo collage and sent it to her. We laughed until our sides hurt.”

Although Woodyer appreciates being compared to the “formidable, creative, and assertive” Edna Mode, her advice is “Never take yourself too seriously. Always look for the humor in every situation--especially when it’s aimed right at you.”

Many students have expressed the benefits of education outside of the classroom, citing a desire to learn hands-on concepts and wanting to know more about a certain field of study as the most common reasons. An example of this type of learning being implemented at school was the field trip that Journalism and Yearbook went on in the fall, having the opportunity to look into our rich local history with a tour around town. “[Field trips] would be beneficial because they could expand knowledge on a certain subject, making you progress further knowing what you do in class,” freshman Baileigh McIntyre said.

Benefits of Field Trips

Senior Ava Laury

A favorite memory for many students in elementary school is the annual field trip. It is noted that after middle school and well into high school, these fondly remembered group activities are not nearly as common. Is there any benefit to more frequent trips for higher grade levels?

According to the American Alliance of Museums, field trips have been shown to contribute to an increase in comprehension of certain subjects, such as math, science and the arts. This, in turn, may help students to receive better test scores.

Many students find that being able to observe a lesson out in the world is very beneficial for their learning. This is especially a common trend for students in various science classes. “A Physics field trip could really allow students to not only understand concepts on paper or in the lab, but explore content firsthand,” senior Mika Moreland said. “With a field trip, students would truly be about to comprehend concepts in context.”

For high school students, a concern that many face is that they have not fully decided on a career path. According to junior Billie Partridge, putting class concepts into a real-world context may help some students decide what they would like to study in the future.

Despite the positive effects field trips are shown to have, they have been on a steady decline, with one of the most frequently expressed reasons for this being financial concerns.

However, these educational experiences do not have to be grand. Several students have expressed the desire for a simple demonstration to explain certain concepts they are not familiar with. A great way to learn without spending money is to have the opportunity to explore the world for oneself.

Artist of the Month: Gretchen Hauger

Senior Ethan Sallee

“My art is usually based on stuff I’ve done or observed,” junior Gretchen Hauger said.

When pieces of art are displayed throughout the school, many students just walk on by without any acknowledgement of the paintings. But Hauger should not be ignored, as her art is remarkable, and she is just getting started.

Since she was seven, Hauger has been making art as a way of expressing herself. Although she stopped for a while, Hauger really started getting back into it at thirteen.

Hauger’s inspiration is strictly herself. She is motivated by her desire to improve on her previous artwork and continues to make breathtaking pieces.

“All the time I receive compliments ... from random teachers or students,” Hauger said. Art teachers at the school are amazed by Hauger’s artistic abilities. “The sky is the limit for her,”art teacher Paula Carroll said. “She just does a great job. She invests the time, she is teachable and just an all-around great kid. She has an eye for attention to detail.”

Although she does not need anybody to give her inspiration or encouragement, those compliments motivate her when she wants to give up on a complicated piece.

Unlike other artists, Hauger does not put “emotion” into her art. Instead, her art tends to be based on her life experiences. “My art is usually stuff I’ve done or stuff I’ve observed,” Hauger said.

Hauger is thinking about becoming a tattoo artist to display her creative skills, but if an art scholarship came her way, she would end up going to college to pursue an art career.

Junior Gretchen Haugen poses for a picture as she holds up a self-portrait in an art class.

Art pieces by Gretchen Hauger