24-25 Issue 4

Sandra Day O’Connor High School Kyrin Abella

25250 N. 35th Ave. Phoenix, AZ 85083

Luca Calero

Nico DeSantis

Savanna Garrett

Daya Jones

Nathan Marke

Volume 23. Issue 4. May 2025.

Michael Osgood

Andrew Sampley

Ruei-Ti Tu

Daria Abney

Jordyn Camilli

Tanner Despain

Conner Gellings

Andrew Joseph

Aiden Marquez-Potter

Logan Ostler

Jacob Sampley

Talen Turnage

Maria Abuaitah

Dawson Campbell

Amber Devore

Natalie Gilbert

Braedan Judge

Hayden Martin

Milani Ovadia

Angelo Sanchez

Alexander Vahary

Olutito Adelakun

Garrick Canady

Macen DeVries

Kyle Gillman

Katelyn Kai-Thomas

Zachary Martin

Izabella Page

Joshua Saunders

Vyncent Van Atta

William Adkins

Payton Carberry

Kellan Dew

Madison Godlewski

Connor Kalafus

Arianna Mason

Laleeta Pal

Cooper Schemel

Alexis Van Brunt

Nasir Ahmadi

Madeline Carey

Shoumik Dhar

Alaina Gonzales

Noah Kaoni

Tyler Matson

Jennifer Paredes Silvestre

Keera Schmidt

True Van Dyke

Cade Allen

Anna Carleton

Brady Dinbokowitz

Allen Gonzalez

Sanjana Karra

Thomas Matti

Ryde Park

Caelen Schneider

Sarah Vaughn

Ashton Alvarado

Draven Carlson

Aydin Dinkha

Mia Gonzalez

Paahul Kaur

Weston Mattice

Kevin Pasinski

Nathan Schrock

Desiree Venero

Mercediz Alvarado

James Carr

Isaac Dixon

Brady Gould

Amaya Kelly

Jacob Maxey

Jayneal Patel

Jaya Amoako-Agyei

Kailyn Carter

Ivana Djukic

Kaylie Grace

Anneliese Kennan

Dalia Mayer

Krish Patel

Zayne Anderson

Alexander Castro

Jelena Djukic

Ria Granic

Omar Khan

Payton McCall

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Logan Andrew

Josemaria Castro

Connor Dobis

Hudson Gray

Kayden Kidwell

Dylan McCarthy

Aaron Patterson

Julian Angulo

Michael Cauley

Bradin Dockall

Isabella Griego-Brauer

Taewon Kim

Cigi McCune

Meredith Patton

Destiny Antillon

Yu-Hsuan Chang

Taylar Dodge

Kaden Grindey

Carter King

Alec McDonald

Maggie Paulsen

Faith Applegate

Byron Chapin

Rhoan Dogar

Sydney Guan

Colby King

Sienna McElwain

Carsen Pavey

Austin Ashdown

Shay Chappell

Sofia Doneski

Juan Guevara De La Cruz

Kaitlyn Kirberg

Blake McGaughey

Mark Pearson

Sophia Asimakopoulos

Lilly Chartier

Xaevan Doucet

Aubriana Gutierrez

Anabel Kleckner

Kate McKenzie

Jalicea Pelham-Bridges

Karlie Auger

Jack Chasteen

Macey Doyle

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Brooklin Klein

Kennedy McNair

Piper Pendleton

Blake Sheinin

Ryan Wang Destiny Wanta Dani Warde

Charleigh Schuettler

Noah Voda

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Rylan Wagner

Nola Schulze

Samantha Wakeman

Isabell Schwartzkopf

Lindsay Walk

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Dallin Walker

Wesleigh Seguritan

Kendall Walker

Jami Shaver

Pierce Walker

Avery Sheets

Mary Wallace

Benjamin Azurin

Chieh-Hsin Cheng

Cailey Draper

Randee Hall

Karis Klindtworth

Kadie Menefee

Ashley Pereira

Wui Silentwalker

Joshua Baber

Hsin-Tung Cheng

Angellina Duffy

William Halliday

Autumn Knapp

Angelina Meyer

Roen Phillips

Lauren Silhol

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Vedansh Chokshi

Tara Duncan

Gavin Hammer

Julia Koch

Carter Meza

Bailey Pimienta

John Simcoe

Thomas Warne

Alexander Bakkila

Lukas Ciolek

Colin Easterday

Lennon Hammond

Mythri Konatham

Sedona Miller

Hagar Pingitore

Michael Simcoe

Stephanie Warren

Hyrum Bale

Audrey Clark

Esmerald Eddleman

Ashlyn Hansen

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Annalisa Mills

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Hannah Simmons

Cooper Wayne

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Holland Harris

Kylie Kovac

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Ekam Singh

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Yousef Elkholy

Aubrey Haught

Brithney-Shine Kuete

Ruth Mioc

Kayden Popescu

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Mason Weiss

Savannah Bare

Jesse Claycamp

Macy Ellis

Braylee Hausmann

Ashlynn Kunath

Fernando Miranda-Cervantes

Bryce Pozo

Connor Skinner

Hayden Welborn

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Savannah Helms

Allie Lawler

Ryan Moore

Jada Pruitt

Taylor Bateman

Sydney Conner

Cameron Ervin

Alyssa Henderson

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Bianca Morales

Anabella Puentes

Jaxon Beals

Siena Cook

Madelyn Evans

Talon Henriques

Cai-Yu Lee

Reagan Mordka

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Sophie-Anne Beaudry

Savannah Cool-Landon

Brynlee Evanson

Madison Her

Rachel Lee

Kevin Moreno

Ethan Pulver

Jocelyn Beck

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Yi-Hsuan Fang

Travis Hernandez

McGuire Lennon

Yoshiko Moreno

Robert Pulver

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Jaylin Cooper

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Alexander Bell

Francesca Coppola

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Ryan Morris

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Glory Bergen

Frank Coppola

Tristan Fattu

Jackson Hileman

Brady Levake

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Genevieve Rakozy

Jayden Bertsch

Bentley Corbin

Connor Fedina

Andrew Hirani

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Dominic Rangel

Blake Bethke

Liam Corder

Angel Fernandez

Raegan Holtorf

Joscelynn Lewis

Stephen Mosley

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Joseph Fineberg

Allison Hood

You Cih Li

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Tyler Spivey

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Blake Stafford

Taylor Wick

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Colton Wiggins

Luca Stancu

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Bailey Reed

Isaac Suaava

Colin Wilson

Molly Blom

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Benjamin Fletcher

Derrick Housley

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Collin Reisner

Siddharth Sukumar

Landon Wilson

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Elena Murrietta

Gage Revere

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Shiloh Hsieh

Brooke Little

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Felicity Szarek

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Daisy Cruz

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Charles Tamasiunas

Landon Wittbrodt

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Ryan Rhinehart

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Kaitlyn Cullum

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Avery Hufford

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Nicole Riccelli

Cody Tanner

Nathan Wolochuk

Michael Bozner

Michael Cummings

Miguel Rafael Fragata

Gavin Hunt

Andrew Lopez

Samuel Negreanu

Isabella Richardson

Addisyn Tapp

Gage Woolford

Lindsey Brandt

Jake Cutler

Nathaniel Frederick

Chase Hunter

Marcelo Loya

Chloe Nelson

Kyle Rihela

Nolan Terrozas

Aiden Woolwine

Dakota Bretoi

Jackson Cuzick

Skyler Freeman

Nathaniel Igna

Rylan Lozier

Isabella Nerone

Zoe Rinaldo

Kyla Thomas

Sophia Worley

Hannah Bridge

Acees Dadiala

Nathan Freymuller

Jacob Imboden

Presley Luck

Phoenix Newsome

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Carter Daly

Aubrey Frugone

Tana Ingram

Madison Ludwig

Peter Nguyen

Chase Robinson

Amelia Thompson

Aaron Worthington

Shane Bringhurst Alexa Broome

Braydon Darling

Terry Fryery

Dennis Ionica

Kaiden Lugo

Jessica Nichols

Gabriel Robinson

Ryan Thompson

Cassandra Yanez Delgado

Conner Brown

Addison Darr

Jira Fujitani

Rylee Irpino

Ava Lundgren

Savannah Nielsen

Grant Robinson

Spencer Thompson

Chieh Jui Yang

Hayden Brown

Addyson Davern

Audreyana Gabriel

Andrew Irwin

Landon Luyt

Ty Nielsen

Carter Robison

Nolan Brown

Cara Davidson

Cameron Gaines

Zaria Islam

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Katarina Rocha

Tristan Buell

Christian Davis

Erik Galati

Brooke Jackson

Aakarsh Mahey

Zachary Noblitt

Letecia Rocha

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Troy Jackson

Kierstyn Malig

Chase Norton

Adam Rodowski

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Jasmine Yao

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Yu-Chieh Yeh

Madelyn Tillisch

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Kennedy Timmer

Cadence Young

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Waylan Young

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Abel Garcia

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Makenna Nuttall

Peyton Rough

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Thais Garcia

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Parker Mannon

Ella Ormsby

Julia Ryback

Fivi Trif

Noah Butorac

Preston Deal

Jaeda Garner

Cole Johnson

Sophia Manuel

Luke Ortiz

Austin Salow

Jasmine Trinh

Brianna Zinici

Jairus Cachola

Elijah Deming

Callie Garraway

Gabriel Johnston

Seth Maresco

Christian Osborn

Johnathan Salow

Anthony Tsang

Tatum Zollinger Zollinger

thetalonohs.com

News

5Page 2

thetalonohs.com

May 2025

New graduation venue: a change for the better?

By KENDALL WALKER Copy Chief

Graduation is a momentous occasion for seniors in high school who are moving on to a new chapter of their lives. Everything about graduation, from the speech to the gowns to the location, becomes a tradition in itself.

OHS has typically held its graduation ceremony at State Farm Stadium, where size and familiarity have provided several lasting benefits.

However, for 2025, OHS was required to change locations to the Desert Diamond Arena due to scheduling conflicts.

“A lot of us have been looking forward to graduation, and State Farm is a big stadium, and now we’re not doing it there, so it was kind of surprising,” said Mythri Konatham, senior.

Students, along with staff, have been questioning the reason behind the conflict, especially with it being a relatively short-notice change.

“They won’t give us the reason why we were bumped,

and I’m curious myself because O’Connor is the best school, and our seniors deserve the best,” said Justin McLain, assistant principal.

Graduation is a celebration of the students and their accomplishments, so naturally, any sudden changes can cause a spark of surprise and possible concern.

“You spend 12 years in school, so it is a build-up, and graduation is talked about so much that automatically you just kind of look forward to it,” Konatham said.

Although a location change can elicit various emotions, it is vital to remember the true meaning and importance behind graduation.

“The most important part of graduation is the ceremony and recognition of the seniors’ accomplishments and getting to this moment in time,” said Kelly Simon, English teacher.

“I don’t think location dictates how good the ceremony is going to be.”

The OHS faculty is facing some obstacles with the difference in size of the new

location, but they continue to remain optimistic and excited to experience a new place and the benefits it might offer.

“It does create some more logistical challenges with trying to squeeze everyone in there with the students and then the smaller stage, so the smaller venue is not as convenient, but it might work out better,” McLain said.

Staff members who have attended graduation ceremonies in the past are expecting the Desert Diamond Arena to possibly provide an even better experience for attendees.

“I think it is going to be more intimate. I think the football stadium is great because of the size and not having to worry about numbers of seats, but even with the number of attendees we have, it is not going to fill that whole arena, and I think it is going to make it more intimate and not seem so expansive,” Simon said.

For many people, a major concern for the Desert Diamond Arena is the fact that it is smaller than State

Farm Stadium. However, OHS is confident that there will be plenty of room for all of the students, staff, friends, and family.

“We like to keep the seating open so that the students can invite as many friends and family that they want, because it is a really big deal and special celebration to honor all the hard work that the students have done academically at school, and all of that is still possible at the new location,” McLain said.

Although there was an initial shock to the news of a shift in location, students are beginning to see that change can be beneficial, and they

are excited to finally walk across the stage.

“Now that we’ve known about the venue change, it’s not too big of a deal. It was a surprise, but it’s ok,” Konatham said.

It is important to continue to preserve the traditions of graduation so that seniors can have the full experience they have dreamed of since starting school.

“The family, the friends, the photos, the cap, the gown, the throwing of the cap at the end, the moving the tassels, the senior speech, the graduation song, the national anthem, the speech by the principle; all of that is the same,” McLain said.

planning meetings leading up to the summit.

“I’ve grown to love being a leader for the district and setting examples of its mission and vision by making sure each person’s voice is heard,” said Soli Tibebu, an executive member from Deer Valley High School.

The summit takes place every March and is something that over 300 DVUSD students attend. The ages range from fifth grade all the way up to 12th.

“SSAC is a very good program that helps kids of any age to be more socially aware of what happens,” said Samantha Blay, junior OHS attendee.

Every year the summit has a main objective with multiple stations that support the idea. With this year’s theme of ‘Wellness Wonderland,’ many activities were about how to keep yourself and others happy.

“I thought the summit was really good. It definitely made me more aware of things that happen around me, like how fast rumors spread for the communication station. The activities definitely helped me with that,” Blay said.

The 2025 Summit featured six main groups to expand under the Wellness topic: Physical, Mental, Relationships, Hygiene, Communication, and Tech.

The Advisory council members all created different activities for each subtopic in order to captivate attendees’ attention for the duration of

the Summit.

“SSAC members strive to educate DVUSD students in an engaging and enlightening event, held annually where relevant, inspirational activities are presented to over 300 attendees, who then share what they’ve learned with their school,” said Setasha Bybee, organizer and head of the student leadership council.

Many of the advisory students put their all into planning their station, as they know the potential impact it can have on someone.

“I like teaching life lessons and incorporating the ideas that other schools in the district need to improve for the long haul,“ Tibebu said.

For members, just being part of the council can create new paths that otherwise would not have been discovered for them.

“With a little bit of guidance and opportunities to fail in an encouraging and structured environment,

students learn that they can work with kids from other DVUSD schools to be a contributing member of society. SSAC allows students to work on a project that is bigger than themselves for the betterment of the entire school district and its 34,000 students,” Dr. Finch said.

The biggest issue with SSAC, however, is how little information is known to most DVUSD students. Even attendees often don’t know what it is for, they are just invited to go.

“I didn’t know anything about SSAC. I got the information about it about a week before, and then I was given the shirt and told that I was going,” Blay said.

In more recent years, the council has been trying to expand its outreach.

As announced at the past summit, there is now an Instagram account (@ ssac.2024) available for the public to be able to see some of what happens throughout

the year.

“More work is yet to be done to further expand the message of SSAC so that all DVUSD students benefit from the councils’ work,” Bybee said.

That being said, SSAC is popular among those who know about it, and the executive spots are a very competitive position that most high school members strive towards.

“SSAC has grown its reach to all DVUSD students quickly over the past several years. More students than ever are eager to join and participate,” Bybee said.

Overall, the Superintendent Student Advisory/Executive Council is an underrated organization that provides students with numerous opportunities to blossom in their leadership skills and is unique to Deer Valley Unified School District.

“The members will impact learning and leading for years to come,” Bybee said.

PHOTO BY KENDALL WALKER

Students becoming leaders at OHS

By AVERY MASSIE

Staff Writer

One great thing regarding OHS is the number of opportunities it has for students to succeed. However, with multiple clubs, sports, and classes, it can be easy for some activities to be overlooked. One of these is SSAC: Superintendent Student Advisory Council.

SSAC is a district-wide organization that includes students from every DVUSD elementary, middle, and high school, and teaches the concept of student leadership. The point is to take students who are close to their potential of becoming a leader and bring it out of them.

“The SSAC has been in existence for the past 25 years. It has evolved over time to be less of a ‘District Student Council’ and more of a ‘student-leadership development’ pipeline. Each DVUSD Superintendent develops the concept when they take over. I like where the concept is today because of the quick and strong development of the students into school and community leaders,” said Dr. Curtis Finch, Superintendent of Deer Valley Unified School District.

Along with SSAC, there is a board of 10 students, two from each high school in the district, that make up the Superintendent Student Executive Council. SSEC helps run SSAC, keeping members on track and

PHOTO BY AVERY MASSIE Attendees put on a fashion show for the “Relationship” station at summit.

3

The Talon

May 2025

thetalonohs.com

Trials of zero hour and online classes

By AMBER HAYDEN Arts and Entertainment Editor

At OHS, most students are familiar with the schedule of arriving at school for first hour and staying until the final bell rings. However, some juniors and seniors have the opportunity to alter the typical school schedule by taking on either online classes or a zero hour.

The appeal of signing up for these classes opposed to the default schedule is the prospect of having an early release. Although students who make the choice to enroll in online classes or a zero hour must be willing to put in extra work, for them, having an early release is worth it.

Students often fill up their time after an early release by doing schoolwork or going to an after school job.

“The best part about having an early release is I go to work after school so it’ll push me ahead in life [by] having more money and having education,” said Jaren Anderson, junior.

One of the ways students can have early release is by signing up for online classes.

By enrolling in these courses,

students in a variety of grade levels have the opportunity to get an early release which permits them to have more control over their time.

“I honestly would recommend it because I get out of here so early. I could honestly just go to work and make money and do my classes on the side so it does give me more time. I really do enjoy it because I can focus more and perform better and I don’t get distracted as easily,” Anderson said.

Another way students may get an early release is by

choosing to have a zero hour.

By getting their school day started an hour early, many seniors have the opportunity to get out of school early even if it is by just one class.

“I have five classes and I start at zero hour and then end at fourth hour. I would say I like it because I have more classes than the average senior but I still get out with most of them,” Anabella Puentes, senior.

Arguably the biggest reason many seniors elect to have a zero hour is to have more time during their day.

With many seniors being involved in extracurriculars, having an early release allows them extra time to complete work.

“Honestly [the best part is] that I get out earlier. I’m a swimmer so I start practice at three but it’s in Anthem so it’s a longer drive for me so it gives me time to go home and actually do my homework before I have to go to practice,” said Laleeta Pal, senior.

For some students who participate in sports, having a zero hour might assist them

PHOTO BY AMBER HAYDEN Seniors participate in a work day during zero hour to finish their assignment.

with finding more time in the day for themselves.

“Going into senior year I knew that I wanted a shorter schedule just because of sports and everything else and being a senior I wanted more time to myself so I knew that I was not going to take a full load. I wasn’t sure about a zero-hour but then I ended up just picking it anyways,” Pal said.

Though waking up early to go to class may seem like a drawback at first, it does have unexpected benefits.

“I think the best part is that I feel really productive waking up early in the morning and it kind of pushes me to get a head start in my day. By the time I get to first hour, I’m already awake and ready to do work,” Puentes said.

Since signing up to have a zero hour has its benefits, before choosing to have one, students should consider if it is the right decision for them.

“I feel like you have to be committed to it because if you’re not going to show up, then there is really no point to it but if you want to get up early and put in the work to have fun then I’d say it’s worth it,” Pal said.

Stay Classy tickets: the underrated achievement of OHS

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BUCKNER The Stay Classy ticket turn in box is located in the conduct office. of these tickets. In order

By ALYSSA BUCKNER to make this program more Staff Writer well known, those who run it are working on new ideas Here at OHS, there are to attract more popularity many ways students can get within OHS. validated for their hard work “We’ve done it every year and dedication, whether that for the past couple of years, be through earning awards at least as long as I’ve been such as Student of the Month here,” said Makenna Luby, or by receiving a Stay Classy teacher and peer facilitator.

Ticket.

“We recently just did where The Stay Classy Ticket you can win as a class and program has been around at you get a donut party; that OHS for a while, yet many was kinda our newest idea, students are unaware of and [we’re] always thinking the perks of receiving one of new prizes and gifts for

people to get through Stay Classy.”

When students receive Stay Classy Tickets, they can turn them into the conduct office.

By doing so, they have a chance to win a prize if their name is pulled from the raffle.

“I do [a raffle] once a week, we have gift cards, homecoming and prom tickets, yearbooks, a couple shirts and cups, and then again that donut party for if you win as a class,” Luby said.

Students must demonstrate

in some way that they are going out of their way to make an impact at OHS in order to receive a ticket from their teachers or other staff members.

“When students receive a Stay Classy or Stay Healthy Ticket, it’s a way for staff to acknowledge their efforts in demonstrating learning, leading, or contributing above and beyond,” said Justin McLain, assistant principal. “These behaviors contribute to a strong school culture where students feel valued and encouraged to do their best, both academically and socially.”

Students who have received tickets and turned them into the raffle appreciate that their excellence is being recognized by their teachers.

“I’ve received about six to seven [tickets] this quarter,” said David Cizmar, sophomore. “Mostly from Mr. Ticknor, he’s a really big Stay Classy giver.”

Winning the raffle allows students to be directly rewarded for their positive actions which in turn encourages them to continue working their hardest.

“From the Stay Classy Ticket raffle I won a 15 dollar gift card to Starbucks, I was very happy. I got [tickets] for completing my work in a timely manner and submitting it,” said Mandy Hoglund, sophomore.

Stay Classy Tickets are not

super well known throughout campus since some teachers restrain from regularly giving them out to students who excel in their classes.

“Absolutely they should hand out more. I think my other teachers are really holding back on it,” Cizmar said. “I would say that they’re worth it; they’re really fun.”

This program is a wonderful way for students to be recognized on a day-today basis, and it is vital for OHS staff to make sure they acknowledge their students’ hard work.

“More teachers should hand out Stay Classy Tickets because it could be a good motivator for students to keep on doing their work; it can feel nice to get a little bit of validation and appreciation but no harm no foul if they don’t,” Hoglund said.

Nevertheless, the Stay Classy Ticket program is influencing OHS as a whole to work towards being the best and most positive environment possible for staff and students alike.

“Our hope is that this program not only rewards students for their positive actions but also inspires others to follow their lead,” McLain said. “At O’Connor, we believe that small, everyday choices make a big difference in shaping the kind of community we want to build.”

4

OHS CLASS OF ‘25 Top 5 most popular post grad destinations:

Top 5 most popular majors within OHS:

1. University (334) 2. Community College (111) 3. Trade School (39) 4. Work Full-Time (33) 5. Military (12)

1. Business/Finance (79) 2. Nursing (39) 3. Biomedical Engineering (24) 4. Psychology (22) 5. Medical Science (17)

Where will the Class of 2025 be?

Colleges by State *Results taken from a survey given to the senior class; 537 seniors completed the survey.

3 1 11

3

5 12 310

6

2 1

2 1

1 1 3 1

2

2 2 1 1 1

2 1 1

1

1

Senior OC Captured May 2025

Page 5

thetalonohs.com

Aakarsh Mahey

“

Majoring in Leadership and Management

I believe that whatever negatives come your way, you can overcome them.

“

Rutgers University

Sarah Vaughn Take pride in what you do, and have integrity.

“

Luca Barriga Loyola Marymount University Major undecided

Majoring in Economics

“

“

Arizona State University

““

I just realize that you have to get uncomfortable and get better every day to see the improvements that you want to have in life.

“

“

I love making other people feel beautiful and feel confident in themselves, so I want to do that in a more medical aspect.

Danica Davis

Clear Skin and Laser Institute and Gateway Community College

“

Senior OC Captured 4Page 6

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May 2025

thetalonohs.com

I would say my biggest advice is just to stay where your feet are; I feel like a lot of times during high school, I kind of got caught up with looking forward to the future rather than staying in the present.

Callie Garraway Colorado Christian University Majoring in Criminal Justice

“

“

[I’m proud of myself] for getting out of my comfort zone, talking to new people I’ve never talked to, and being able to express myself more than I used to be able to do.

“

Ryan Wang Arizona State University

Majoring in Mechanical Engineering

“

When you just surround yourself with good people, it gets easier to [deal with] the stress of high school because when everybody’s doing bad things, you have good people to lean on.

Jada Pruitt

“

Carrington College Majoring in Dental Science

“ University of Arizona Majoring in Biomedical Sciences

“

Krish Patel

[HOSA] definitely helped me with communications skills and working with a team, and also delegating different jobs to different people.

Senior OC Captured May 2025

Brooke Little Grand Canyon University

Page 7

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Majoring in Nursing

I’m looking forward to meeting new people, being independent, and just being in a new environment.

“

“

Being able to be in a [good] learning environment where teachers want their students to do the best they can and learn to their fullest has helped me succeed.

Lennon Hammond UC Berkeley Majoring in AstroPhysics

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Anthony Tsang Arizona State University Majoring in Mechanical Engineering

“

My advice would be to step out of your comfort zone because freshman year, I was definitely more shy. I was kind of bad at making friends, and now I can definitely say I’ve improved [at] talking and being more social.

“

“

STUGO has really pushed me outside of my comfort zone through many opportunities, like hosting the [winter] assembly. I absolutely would not have been able to do that my freshman year.

Noah Bolland Northern Arizona University Majoring in Business

“

Senior OC Captured Page 8

May 2025

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Frankie Coppola Arizona State University Majoring in Finance

Student Government’s been a blast for all four years. I made so many new friends through the program, and it’s just fun doing these extra things to help the school.

”

“

We need to be embracing our uniqueness while also maintaining a sense of empathy for each other.

”

Maya Bustos Arizona State University Majoring in International Relations and Business

“

I’ve had a lot of good teachers. Joshua Colehe’s been a father figure to me for years, [and] Ms. Maxwell, who’s one of the most amazing people I have ever met.

Luke Jeffery Arizona State University Majoring in Elementary Education

”

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I’ve played softball my whole life. I want to continue glorifying God through my sport and impacting others.

”

Rachel Davis Colorado Christian University Majoring in Business Management

May 2025

thetalonohs.com

Page 9

Newspaper Class of 2025: Senior Spotlight

Ruth Mioc: Smith College

True Van Dyke: Point Loma Nazarene University

Amber Hayden: Paradise Valley Community College

Matthew Hood-Hunt: Arizona State University

“Said she knows she lived through it to get to this moment” - Phoebe Bridgers

“One must always be careful of books and what is inside them, for words have the power to change us”

Skyler Freeman: Northern Arizona University

“I finally found my peace, so peace” - Tyler. the Creator

“The Longest Goodbye” 1:35-42 sec. - Role Model

Kendall Walker: University of Northern Colorado

Don’t be sad it’s ending, smile because it happened.

Ashley Pereira: Glendale Community College

“We gon’ be alright” - Kendrick Lamar

“I Don’t Want to Talk” 3:05- 3:17 sec. - Wallows

Amaya Kelly: Arizona State University

Nicole Purdy: University of Arizona

“Don’t let your dreams go to waste.” - Future

Crossword

“Carpe Diem”

4Page 10

Features thetalonohs.com

May 2025

Church of LDS on a mission for success

By AMAYA KELLY

Sports Editor

This year’s graduating class at OHS contains many students that practice the Mormon faith, who have accumulated extensive knowledge and a refined sense of morals from the church, including them in their plans for the future. Additionally, they are ready to make a difference in the world and serve on various missions over the world.

To these individuals, being a part of the church has shaped their lives and made their experience in high school more enjoyable.

“I think being a member of the church has helped me so much in high school, just to always make the right decisions. I love the way I have been able to lead my life,” said Sam Mosley, senior.

Going to church can also help build strong relationships with like-minded people who share their faith and passion.

“I have good morals from all of my religion, and I have made really good friends from the church. They all

PHOTO COURTESY OF AARON NUFFER make good decisions and help influence me in a good way, so that has helped me a lot in high school,” said Kennedy Koshar, senior.

These morals that are taught to these individuals by the church will guide these students when they are getting ready to serve on their missions. When registering to depart to serve, students have some options when trying to determine where they will end up.

“You can usually pick if you want to go out of

the country, but you won’t necessarily get that,” Koshar said.

However, having a sense of self that is built on the foundation of a strong faith allows these Mormons to feel prepared when going to serve their missions even if they will be far away from home.

“Following graduation, this summer I am going to start my two-year mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I am going to be serving in Managua, Nicaragua,” said

Connor Skinner, senior.

It is important to put in the work before departing so the missionaries know their purpose and are able to get the most out of their time serving.

“I am just increasing my knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, learning more about how much he loves me and the sacrifice he has made, and I am preparing to share that with the people of Nicaragua,” Skinner said.

Part of being prepared to serve in a different

country is being open to new opportunities and embracing change and potentially difficult situations, such as language barriers.

“I need to learn Spanish, but a lot of that will come once I get there in a more immersion [process],” Skinner said.

Resources offered here by the church also help Mormon students feel more equipped to become missionaries.

“I have been going to mission prep, which is a class every Sunday, that definitely has helped me [prepare] on a spiritual aspect,” Mosley said.

Ultimately, for these individuals, putting in the work to better themselves through their own dedication to the church is going to make their missions more meaningful and impactful not only for themselves but for the people they will be enlightening.

“If you value your [testimony] and it means a lot more to you personally, then it’s going to be a lot easier to share [on your mission] and you’re going to have a reason to do it,” Skinner said.

Coach Kullos: a new legacy for OHS football

By EMERSON LIHN

Features Editor

For the remainder of the 2024-2025 school year, the OHS football team is under the leadership of new head coach Ben Kullos, former head coach at Raymond Kellis High School and former defensive coordinator at Mountain Ridge High School. Behind the scenes, the team has been putting in the work to make next season the best it can possibly be.

With his eyes looking toward the future, Coach Kullos is spending all the time he can with the juniors to build up the OHS football team.

“My job is to go fill those holes, and then once everything’s nice and level, now we can start building.

We’re still at that point where I’m kind of still: ‘Okay, what do we need?, ‘What fine tuning do we need?’, and then we’ll really start going this summer,” said Ben Kullos, new OHS football head coach.

Coach Kullos values the first senior class he will have as the OHS head coach, and the impact they will have on the entirety of the team

during, and after their time at OHS. “What I’m trying to hammer home to all these [incoming] seniors is: ‘hey, I only get you guys for one year, but your effects can be known for as long as I’m here.

You can really help lay the foundation for what we want the next five, ten, 15 years to look like here,’ and I’ll always give those guys the credit,” Kullos said.

Although Kullos sees a possibly major impact being left on the team, he believes it is essential to be prepared for the future, starting with junior varsity, then the freshman team, and even the 14U Junior Eagles, OHS’s feeder team.

“I’m super hands-on with all levels, freshman and JV. I’m out there helping coach the 14U kids, those kids aren’t even on our campus yet, but it’s just those investments, that time spent, that pays dividends later on,” Kullos said.

Coach Kullos developed many of his philosophies as a result of his time as head coach at Raymond Kellis High School.

“No one really wanted to play football for a school that had won one game, so what I learned was how to get kids to

PHOTO BY EMERSON LIHN Head coach Kullos watches his OHS football boys scrimmage. come out and get excited and “We’re so early on in this rally the whole school behind and I take the slow cooker a program. I just learned approach. I turn it on low how to flip the script,” Kullos heat and we make small said. “By the time I left, we’d changes to where when we won the first playoff game in look back like a few months school history.” from now, our kids are gonna It is important to acquire be like, ‘do you remember this experience on a team when we were doing XYZ that climbed their way up to and like, we’re not doing that eventually winning a playoff anymore?’” Kullos said. football game in order to The new methods that know the amount of work Kullos is using is something that is vital for a 6A team. unusual for the boys that

they will have to get used to, but the organizational skills being implemented into the team will have a lasting impact on the players.

“We already have ten different squad leaders. We divide the team by ten and that’s how many squads we have, and so those kids all report to their squad leader and then the squad leader reports to me,” Kullos said.

Jump to page 13

The Talon

thetalonohs.com

May 2025

11

The selective but distinguished communities of OHS

By NICOLE EOM

News Editor

From career-related interests to minor hobbies, OHS is home to a variety of clubs, two of which are prestigious in name: National Honor Society (NHS) and Society of Female Scholars (SOFS).

As national organizations, NHS and SOFS have a list of criteria students must fit into before being accepted. One major factor is that the student must be an upperclassman, while the other is that the student must be in good standing with the school, academically and behaviorally.

“The criteria is based off of those 4 pillars: scholarship, service, leadership, character.

The application requires a minimum amount of points based on their high school experience,” said Carrie Anderson, NHS advisor.

NHS and SOFS differ from other organizations and clubs in that they are communityoriented. Instead of working to better themselves and their skills, they focus on giving back to their respective communities.

“I think NHS is just different in the focus. I think a lot of clubs here are focused on socialization and getting students to interact with each other and have fun, which is so great, and I think it’s awesome for clubs. But NHS is a little different, and the focus is more that service and being a good student as opposed to getting the students together,” said Savannah Nielsen, secretary of

NHS. SOFS, in particular, has a unique goal of bringing female scholars together within OHS. This allows a tighter bond in the club and allows them to plan events that are special just for girls.

“SOFS is a club to connect all these women in our school and promote learning and the role of women,” said Paras Dadiala, secretary of SOFS. These institutions offer a variety of service opportunities, and although NHS focuses on society while SOFS participates in more female-oriented activities, they both strengthen students’ perspectives towards the community.

“We go around Arizona trying to help people from impoverished communities: [from] foster care homes to donating to children impacted by the LA wildfires,” said Maya Bustos, president of NHS and SOFS. “So the main mission of NHS is just to be able to spread positivity, give back to the

community, and give someone a smile at the end of the day.”

NHS and SOFS allow students to develop lasting life skills individually. By holding monthly meetings instead of weekly ones, the organizations push students to be accountable for themselves in getting in service hours and events while also holding strict policies on attendance.

“It definitely keeps you accountable as a student, pushes you to make sure you’re maintaining your grades and being a good student because you have to be in good standing with the school in order to join.

It also just pushes you to find those service opportunities and make sure you’re giving back,” Nielsen said.

By hosting events and community service, NHS and SOFS also enable students to meet more communityminded individuals and make connections with each other.

This strengthens relationships within the clubs even if they do

not get the chance to connect during meetings.

“We had a SOFS picnic.

It just connected everyone in the club. There’s so many people, but it gave people the opportunity to introduce themselves and learn about each other. I also liked our one event we did was restocking pads and tampons in the bathroom because I know that it isn’t available for everybody, so it was just important to have,” Dadiala said.

Maintaining and running large organizations is difficult for both the advisors and the officers of the club, especially as these clubs continue to expand over the years. However, membership also allows them to arrange events and activities that are impossible to do in smaller institutions.

“The biggest challenge is mobilization, which is both a pro and a con. Because NHS has so many people, it’s very easy to both coordinate everyone into one event and

PHOTO BY NICOLE EOM SOFS gathers for a photo at their end of the year banquet to celebrate senior members.

also hard to get everyone to go,” Bustos said. “We know that people are obviously going to go to any event that we create because someone out of that 150-60 range is going to need service hours somewhere.

But also… everyone is on their independent schedule because NHS is a more independent club than others, [which] poses a little bit of a challenge to our group event activities.”

This difficulty of mobilization may also limit the organizations from doing things outside of the box and force them to stick to more ordinary service opportunities.

While just keeping the clubs running successfully itself is a difficult task to undertake, it is crucial to continue to expand the program as leaders.

“For me, one of my biggest goals was being able to one, collaborate with a different NHS school, and two, being able to go to impoverished communities to read books, which I guess for a lot of us, due to time restraints, was hard to coordinate. So that would be my biggest regret,” Bustos said.

While classrooms develop students intellectually, organizations like NHS and SOFS prepare students for the real world, molding them into empathetic individuals for the coming generations.

“The students that are in NHS are really good students, they are just good people with good hearts that want to make a difference, they want to be a leader, so it’s nice working with them,” Anderson said.

Meet Jackson Hileman: a senior with lots of love to spread

By ABIGAIL BRYAND

Staff Writer

Jackson Hileman is a senior at OHS with down syndrome, and he has found countless ways to win over the hearts of students and teachers alike - whether it is through his infectious energy, sense of humor, or kindness, he has undoubtedly become a familiar and beloved presence at OHS. Recently, Jackson was brought into the spotlight at a momentous basketball game in February, capturing the attention of not only the OHS community but also of the news.

“I made a half-court shot, and I won a $100 gift card,” said Jackson Hileman, senior.

Basketball is not the only sport that Jackson enjoys participating in as he loves to engage in all things active.

“I like basketball, baseball, golf, and softball.

I play with my friends,” J. Hileman said.

Jackson’s mom is a teacher at OHS, and has many stories to tell about Jackson. She was present when Jackson made the shot.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DEBRA HILEMAN Jackson Hileman, senior, brightens everyones day with his smile.

“I could not believe he went down there…I just thought he ran down there and was putting himself into that situation because that’s not unlike him,” said Debra Hileman, math teacher.

When the half-court shot was made, the students at OHS went ballistic, surrounding Jackson with rallying support while cheering him on.

“It was a super proud moment as a mom, and of course my husband was there too. All the students were chanting ‘one more, one more,’ so they were doing that same kind of encouragement in that moment that I have been trying to do his entire life. They were as excited

as he was and it was one of those emotional, heartfelt moments,” D. Hileman said.

Another activitiy besides sports that Jackson loves is hanging out with his friends, and he gets to see them on a daily basis when he goes to school. “[My friends and I] hang out in school and we always hug each other,” J. Hileman said.

One of the reasons people love Jackson is because he is extremely humorous and energetic, and he loves to make friends with all kinds of people.

“When I get time with him one on one, he is really funny and he loves everyone.

He knows no enemies,” D. Hileman said.

When it comes to Jackson’s free time, he engages in a wide array of activities.

“My hobbies are playing Fortnite and hanging out with my friends…on the weekends, me and my dad go and play golf,” J. Hileman said.

Another activity Jackson enjoys is spending time with his family, which consists of his mom, dad, and two siblings- an older sister and younger brother.

“His dad is his ultimate best friend, and they love to do things like mini golf, shoot hoops, and play games,” D. Hileman said.

Jackson is also an animal

lover and has pets at home, which are a big part of his family as well.

“We have three pets named Chloe, Max, and Simba…they are all dogs,” J. Hileman said.

Jackson also enjoys his classes at school; his favorite class is powerlifting where he gets to build his strength with his favorite teacher, Coach Dueling.

“I like ELA, TSW (Transition from school to work), econ, weight training, dance, and math,” J. Hileman said.

Jackson is a senior here at OHS, meaning that he will be graduating in a few short weeks, and he has very specific plans for his future.

“I might go to college at Grand Canyon University…I want to be a singer/songwriter; I want to be a rapper,” J. Hileman said.

Jackson is the definition of a social butterfly, hopping from one friend’s group to another, always bringing smiles and laughter wherever he goes.

“He is a total goofball. He loves attention, and he is very much an extrovert who loves to be social,” D. Hileman said.

The Talon

12 May 2025

thetalonohs.com

The final word from the 2ENIOR5

By EMERSON LIHN

Features Editor

The graduating class of 2025 is experiencing the final weeks of their senior year.

With many farewell events lined up, the final moments are becoming surreal for each and every senior. OHS has set up each senior for a future catered to their own visions. From going off to college or preparing for trade school with an explicit career in mind, OHS seniors view their memories gathered from freshman to their final year of high school as an important part of what has developed them as a student and person.

These valuable four years are a time for reflection and development in every student’s life. Experiences– academic, extracurricular, good, and bad–have set students up for success within their social life, teaching them to expand their horizons.

“Go make those friends.

You obviously make friends throughout your four years of high school, but I would definitely start talking to anybody in your classes,” said Kaitlyn Kirberg, senior.

Students also emphasize the importance of participating in extracurricular activities such as sports in order to meet new people. “[My favorite part of high school has been] baseball and sports, same with getting to know the people and coaches,” said Talen Turnage, senior.

Getting to build bonds and relationships with others who share a common hobby is something that expands the friend pool for those in extracurriculars and sports.

“I’ve met so many people through high school soccer.

I would never expect myself to be friends with all these people. The program has made us all so close together.

Just walking around school it’s like, ‘oh my gosh, I played soccer with this girl for my

PHOTO COURTESY OF NOAH KAONI A group of seniors pose for a photo on the fields for senior sunrise. four years of high school and scholarships, there is a now we are best friends,’” responsibility that is easy to Kirberg said. ignore.

As incoming seniors, OHS “It’s not a year to slack students not only have great off because many people’s memories that will last a scholarships are on the line,” lifetime, but also inevitable said Acees Dadiala, senior. regrets.

Focusing on “First semester is really rough academics from the moment but don’t let it drain you.” students take their first step Although regrets are hard on the OHS campus is more to let go of, seniors believe it important than it may seem is far more important to live for some at first. the last year in preparation “Make sure you stay up on for the future. all your work, because you “Try to balance the good don’t want to fall behind. and the bad, don’t let the bad [During] my freshman year, stuff consume you and don’t I fell behind a lot, which let good things distract you,” affected my GPA for the rest said Elena Murrietta, senior. of high school,” said Jonah For some, the future is Schule-Cuadra, senior. defined by the ability to be The famous senior slump independent. Developing this is something that almost skill is something that many every senior falls for. Even students focus on starting in though people are committed high school. to colleges and celebrating “It’s good if you want to

start a business since it’s a great learning experience.

Start now when you’re living with your parents; it’s been teaching me a lot,” said Noah Voda, senior.

Many students at OHS will find their way to college or go into trade school with a specific career in mind.

Accepting that each person has their own journey is something that many seniors have learned throughout the 2024-2025 school year.

“I’m going to the Air Force next year…After that, I’ll probably get out here and be a firefighter,” Turnage said.

“There’s so many options, especially in today’s day and age. Just look around.”

When looking back at the beginning of senior year, it was almost unbelievable for many that certain memories

Adviser:

Cindy Garraway Editor-in-Chief:

True Van Dyke* Copy Chief:

The Talon is published as a forum for student opinion at Sandra Day O’Connor High School: part of the Deer Valley Unified School District.

The Talon is an award winning publication with dozens of awards for its staff members as well as ranked the

top online publication and one of the top print publications in the state. Letters to the editor must be signed and dropped off in Room 508, e-mailed to thetalonohs@gmail. com or mailed. Letters may be edited for content and/or space

consideration. Obscene or libelous statements will not be printed.

Opinions reflected here are of those of The Talon staff and do not reflect the Deer Valley Unified School District.

Visit The Talon online at thetalonohs.com to see stories weekly.

Kendall Walker* Design Chief:

Ruth Mioc* Editorial Chief:

Matthew HoodHunt* Sports Editor:

Amaya Kelly* Staff Writer:

Nicole Purdy*

would capture the last events of their high school career.

The classic high school experience is something that will be missed most by many.

“For the first month, I didn’t really fully grasp the fact that I was a senior. When October, November, football season, and homecoming came around, I started to realize the last of everything is happening,” said Shoumik Dhar, senior.

Recognizing that the lasts of every event are coming right around the corner has seniors in a strange position where they realize that they carry the most wisdom among the students of OHS. “Be ready to let go of anything in a heartbeat.

You never know how much you’re going to miss it, so be prepared,” Dhar said.

News Editor:

Staff Writer:

Nicole Eom

Taylor Moon

Features Editor:

Staff Writer:

Emerson Lihn Arts & Entertainment Editor:

Amber Hayden* Staff Writer:

Alyssa Buckner Staff Writer:

Skyler Freeman* Staff Writer:

Abigail Bryand

Matthew Wetherbee Staff Writer:

Avery Massie Staff Writer:

Daniel Yohannan Equipment Manager:

Colin Robison Photography Chief:

Ashley Pereira*

*Denotes member of editorial board.

The Talon

thetalonohs.com

May 2025

13

Behind the scenes of AP exams: the role of teachers

By Nicole Eom

News editor

As May rushes closer, the stress of national Advanced Placement (AP) exams piles up with frantic last-minute studying and sleepless nights. In two months, as the results appear on Collegeboard, students will feel a rush of disappointment or relief, but are these scores truly a reflection of students’ hard work or merely their educators?

Teachers who teach AP classes play a significant role in shaping students’ education. Not only are they required to teach contentheavy college-level material, but they also prepare the students for the national exam in May. This requires teachers to run over exam strategies, conduct practice tests, and even hold study sessions after school, putting an extra burden on the teachers to better prepare their students for exam day. Students rely on their teachers to score better on their AP exams in order to qualify for college credit.

Because the material and workload are so demanding, it is nearly impossible for students to self-study all the material outside of school without the guidance of an instructor. This means that teachers are crucial in

Uriah Cross, history teacher, gives alecture next to his wall of fives.

their GPA. When the GPA is higher compared to the AP tests, it reflects the true ability of the teacher and if they are just handing out shiny grades on paper.

However, students do play a part in the success of their scores. Students have to take the initiative to listen in class, complete their school work, get their notes done, and maybe participate in the study sessions the teacher offers. Nevertheless, for most students, there is a limit to the studying students can do outside of the classroom. Educators boost students’ chances of success by teaching their students effective studying tips and strategies to excel in their class and even by offering online resources.

Without a hardworking teacher, students must spend more time outside of class to prepare for their tests voluntarily and find the resources on their own.

Although educators play a major role in students obtaining high AP test scores, it does not imply that students should not participate in extra studying or give up completely. Teachers can offer resources and teach to the best of their ability, but students should care about their grades more than their teachers do. Students need to absorb that information and thoroughly process it to make it their own. Although frantic last-minute studying and caffeine may not work, thorough preparation will pay off on exam day.

directing students to success in their AP classes.

The AP exams, like the national SAT and ACT exams, are a reflection of how well students and teachers perform compared to other schools in the nation. It is also reflective of the quality of the school as a whole. The stress of performing well on AP exams is immense for students and the school alike. Because AP courses generally contain harder content to teach, teachers are given incentives to boost their students’ scores. In many Arizona school districts, for example, the “College Credit

by Examination Incentive Program” provides bonuses for teachers for each four and five score achieved

by their students. The district recognizes this role and motivates teachers to increase students’ chances of achieving a higher score on this test.

Although many teachers do fulfill their duty and make students feel thoroughly prepared, some teachers express an uninterested attitude in teaching. A poll from the Pew Research Center states that only one in three teachers feel very satisfied or extremely satisfied with their jobs.

Learning difficult material under these teachers can further unmotivate the students to learn the material. Most students find AP courses daunting in the first place, but without

one percent or less of those play for many years beyond high school or beyond college.

Everyone stops playing at some point and we’re just trying to make sure that we’re creating good people and good leaders for tomorrow,” Kullos said. “It’s the person that matters more than the player.

You get into some trouble when you start sacrificing character and bad behavior for what you think is talent.”

Coach Kullos hopes to leave a mark on the OHS football team for many years to come.

The many changes he is making leaves him hopeful that the team will be left better than he found it.

“We model it first as coaches, so if I’m running around cussing kids out, if I’m treating women poorly, if I’m talking about people in a derogatory way, like that is an automatic pass for my players to do the same thing. I have to be the role model for all these kids,” Kullos said.

Coach Kullos walks around various drills coaching players for the nexr season.

an engaging teacher and learning environment, most students simply cannot keep up with the amount of work they have to complete in front of them.

Teachers who are uninterested in teaching are more likely to give generalized instead of stricter grades.

Most teachers want their students to simply pass their classes and have a good GPA. Students scoring a high A in a class can score low on an AP test. In this scenario, AP scores are a better reflection of the students’ actual ability and performance than GPAs. The AP score reflects the teacher’s capacity because it reveals students’ actual standing under the mask of

Jump from page10: Coach Kullos: a new legacy

By EMERSON LIHN

Features Editor

Kullos appreciates the yearround preparation that OHS values with not just football, but every athletic team.

“Dr. Miller has really done some things here too that are helpful for all athletics. Having three weightlifting classes during the school day. That’s absolutely huge. The facilities here are just incredible,” Kullos said. “It’s really what we do in the off season that determines our success during onseason.”

One major aspect that is being focused on during the offseason is the attitudes and values that are being passed around by the team.

“Five percent or less play for another four years, but then

PHOTO BY EMERSON LIHN

Opinions 4Page 14

thetalonohs.com

May 2025

Editorial: we were lied to about scholarships By the time teens enter their senior year of high school, they have burned into their memory the idea that a ‘good’ GPA and a ‘good’ ACT guarantee scholarships and college admission. Counselors, teachers, misguided parents, and students all assume that those two basic measures of success used in high school will carry over into college, and that universities, federal and state governments, and private institutions will be throwing money at the students who achieve those 30s on their ACT or a 3.8 or more GPA. The fact is, as many seniors find out on their own that is not enough.

Neither are certificates, awards, and other accolades.

College costs are well understood by many, but the bill oftentimes is too large to be grasped fully in terms of how much in loans a student may have to take out. And the way to pay for it is to ‘just hunt for scholarships.’ That’s all students hear: ‘just apply’ for scholarships, win, and like that a college education is virtually attained.

Many scholarships are not as ‘merit-based’ as counselors, teachers, and even college graduates will

have you believe. A vast majority of them have a demographic requirement, require membership in a club or organization, or have family-income requirements.

Those few scholarships which truly do not depend on those outside factors are applied to en-masse, diminishing students’ chances of winning them. For example, a common place to find and apply for scholarships is through the College Board, who has a program/website called ‘Big Future.’ Big Future has a monthly drawing for a $40,000 scholarship. While $40,000 is a substantial amount of money, the scholarship being more of a lottery attracts thousands of applicants, so the chances of winning are slim. As for merit-based scholarships on Big Future, a huge majority of them are open only to students of certain majors, ethnicities, income statuses, religions, etc.

Most colleges have “scholarship universe” websites.

However, the same problems persist: the scholarships open to everyone are hard to win, and other scholarships, which are technically

merit-based, are open to a narrow group of students.

For example, the website shows that it has multiple thousand scholarships, but after filling out the extensive application for the website, students only match with a few dozen at most. When first viewing these remaining scholarships, the large dollar amount seems very attractive to students in need of college money, but once a student attempts to apply, they are hit with numerous internal requirements from the company or institution offering the scholarship, and the most common type of requirement is an essay.

After students go through the tedious process of finding the scholarships they meet the bare requirements for, students are then hit with an essay prompt. To be fair, these essays range from 300 to 600 word minimums, however, are students not busy with school or work?

Furthermore, most private scholarships are worth $500$2,000, which compared to the cost of college, is almost meaningless.

Luck is another factor to this equation. A student might find the perfect

PHOTO COURTESY OF BOLD.ORG scholarship: it is worth thousands of dollars, is open to students of all demographics, but still has a GPA or ACT requirement keeping it merit-based so that only students who put in greater effort are able to apply and win, but filling out the application and writing the essay does not guarantee anything. This student spent years in high school getting their A’s, some of which scored over a 30 on the ACT, but has nothing to show for it because

another student won all of the dozen or so scholarships that the student was able to apply for. Scholarships, and college in general, is more luck-based than it is meritbased. A student has a few options in life, very few of which they have control over.

They can 1: be born into a rich family who can pay for college outright, 2: be one of the lucky few who win a private scholarship, 3: go into crippling debt, or 4: not go to college.

The physical media renaissance

By RUTH MIOC

Design Chief

In an era dominated by streaming platforms and digital convenience, a quiet revolution is unfolding. At OHS, it is becoming rare to attend social events without a digital camera being present. Young adults, often stereotyped as digital natives, are increasingly turning to vinyl records, DVDs, and other physical formats, not just out of nostalgia, but also as a deliberate act of cultural preservation and personal agency. This resurgence is not merely for aesthetics, it is a response to the vulnerabilities of our digital age. While concerns about data loss and corporate control persist, the revival of physical media reflects a deeper desire for ownership, intentionality, and connection in an impermanent world.

The fragility of digital content is undeniable.

Services like Spotify and Netflix offer vast libraries, but users do not truly own what they stream. Licensing

PHOTO BY RUTH MIOC CDs and vinyls displayed at Zia Records. disputes or platform closures resists these risks. A Blu-ray can erase access overnight, as disc does not vanish when seen in 2019 when MySpace a subscription lapses and lost 50 million songs. Even a vinyl record cannot be personal memories are not “deleted” by a server error. immune as cloud storage For Gen Z and Millennials, failures or abandoned raised amidst streaming’s accounts can wipe out years rise, this reliability is of photos and messages. increasingly appealing.

Physical media, by contrast, Beyond practicality,

physical media fosters a richer relationship with art and culture. Streaming’s infinite scroll often encourages passive consumption, but owning a record or DVD demands intentionality.

The tangible experience of sliding a record from its sleeve or flipping through a

photo album creates rituals that deepen engagement.

The resurgence also reflects a rejection of corporate gatekeeping and ownership.

Physical media can be shared, resold, or inherited freely.

This autonomy resonates with younger generations who value sustainability and community. Record stores, for instance, have become hubs for connection.

Critics might dismiss this trend as niche or nostalgic, but the numbers tell a different story. Vinyl sales have grown for 17 consecutive years, with Gen Z now the primary drivers. It is not a rejection of technology but a balancing act: streaming for convenience, physical media for permanence. By embracing both, young adults are crafting a more resilient cultural ecosystem, one where art endures not as pixels in a cloud, but as tangible artifacts to hold, share, and cherish. The physical media revival isn’t just a trend, it is a manifesto for a generation determined to leave footprints that will not fade.

Arts and Entertainment

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Page 15

“Severance”: The hidden gem of Apple TV+

By ASHLEY PEREIRA

Photography Chief

“Severance,” Apple TV+’s workplace drama and sci-fi thriller, is arguably one of the best shows currently being produced, so why has nobody heard of it?

The plot follows four employees at a megacorporation who are uncertain about the nature of their work. These employees have agreed to a procedure that separates their personal memories from their work memories.

The entire first season of this show takes place in an LED-lit office, with very few scenes set outside of it. While many shows might struggle to convey a compelling plot and keep viewers engaged in such a limited setting, that is not a concern for those watching Severance.

With the majority of the show filmed in the office building, each episode of season two costs around 20

million dollars to produce, making it one of the most expensive television projects ever.

The first season was released in February 2022, and the second season was scheduled for release shortly after. However, due to the SAG-AFTRA strikes, episodes only began releasing every Friday in January 2025.

The crew’s dedication and persistence, despite the show’s lack of popularity, depict the passion this oneof-a-kind crew has.

The actors who portray severed characters essentially play two different roles, which is a unique challenge.

Adam Scott’s portrayal of Mark S. is captivating in every episode, it is hard to imagine another actor in this role.

Britt Lower, who plays Helly R., delivers an outstanding performance, taking on one of the most challenging roles in the series.

Although the show was nominated for fourteen Emmys during its first season, it has not yet become a global phenomenon.

However, season two has gained more recognition than the first, as fans shared theories online, capturing the interest of non-viewers. As a result, “Severance” will likely receive many more Emmy nominations this year, with many fans even predicting an “Emmy sweep.”

Given its high production value, original plot, and extremely talented cast, it raises the question of why more people are not tuning in.

While Apple TV+ may seem like a substantial platform, only 11% of American

households subscribe to it, which partially explains why “Severance” has not gained the mainstream popularity it deserves.

This makes viewers wonder, if “Severance” chose a different streaming platform, would it finally get its well-deserved recognition?

Would its intricate storytelling finally captivate a larger demographic? As the discussion around this show continues to grow, there is hope that Severance will become a staple in modernday television.

PHOTO COURTESY OF APPLE TV+

OHS Radium Girls: corruption in the workplace

By NICOLE PURDY

Sports Editor

As the school year nears its end, OHS proudly performed its last play entitled Radium Girls, which tells the story of female factory workers in the early 20th century who painted luminous dials on watches and clocks using paint that contained radium.

Radium is a radioactive element, and the girls faced serious health issues as a result of their exposure to it.

The OHS theater department once again has chosen a play to entrance audiences. Radium Girls will open on April 10th and continue until April 12th.

The crew has added a flourish to the play, making it one not to miss. They are planning to include special effects and costumes set in the 1920s.

The OHS cast is thrilled to see their roles played out during the show. Many people dedicate countless hours to understanding and memorizing their characters.

“Grace’s [The character I play] resilience through the entire thing or how all of the characters interact with each other [is my favorite],” said Mandy Hoglund, sophomore.

Many theater students have found an outlet for their love of acting. The choice to pick one’s character inspires the students to get involved

PHOTO BY NICOLE PURDY OHS theater puts on a jaw dropping performance. and dedicate themselves to the role.

“Every day I go into rehearsal and I feel happy to be there,” said Diego Arevalo, sophomore.

The community that the students have built in the theater program is unbreakable. Many look forward to rehearsing and performing with their friends.

“There’s a scene where I’m arguing with the other lawyer; it’s fun to do,” said Jonah Schule-Cuadra, senior.

For many, one of the best parts of theater is seeing their hard work pay off.

The transformation from rehearsing to seeing their character come to life on the stage is the most rewarding part.

“We have two different casts, so in rehearsal, we switch off,” said Sophia Sampley, sophomore. “It’s fun seeing what your double in the other cast is doing.”

The process of learning the ins and outs of their character with their doubles provides cast members with a valuable learning and team-building experience. In the play,

students have counterparts in the other cast, and not every play provides them the opportunity to learn techniques or character traits from their counterparts.

Hopefully, experiences like these will be helpful for the students in the long run.

“This is my first show. I like getting to see everyone shine on stage,” Sampley said.

16 May 2025

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Song reviews: Summer 2025

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

By DANIEL YOHANNAN

Staff Writer

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

PHOTO COURTESY OF SPOTIFY

“Dumb Dumb and Dumber”

by Lil Baby

“Nokia”

by Drake

“CRUSH”

by Playboi Carti

“Final Warning”

by Glokk40spaz

“Dumb Dumb and Dumber” off Lil Baby’s most recent album WHAM features artists Future and Young Thug which is Young Thug’s first musical appearance and verse since being released from prison after beating a serious RICO case which almost landed him life in prison. The track has also received a music video recently that marks Young Thug’s first public appearance since beating his charges. Lil Baby provided his best performance in years on this song. It seems as though working with two close colleagues on a song for an album brought the best out of him. This album was also Lil Baby proving to the public that he still has it in him to make good music. Young Thug’s first verse being free from jail was extraordinary. He flows on this track like no other, showing the world that he is hungry coming back from jail and is ready to make some music but he only has the second-best verse on this track. Future comes in at the song’s finish and spits a ten out of ten verse overshadowing everyone else on this song, almost making it his own work.

One of the biggest hits from Drake’s latest album $$4U which is a collaboration with Toronto artist Partynextdoor. On the album is the song “Nokia” which plays into Drake’s strengths making it a stand out track. The song starts with a solid verse from Drake where he uses a club beat that he can easily float on. The beginning verse takes up about a quarter of the song’s run time and then transitions into the part of the song that made it a hit. The hook for the second half of the song was sung by underground artist Elkan and he makes great use of his limited verse chorus on the track with his singing voice tying the song together. One thing that does not add up on this song is the absence of Partynextdoor.

Since this is a collaboration project between him and Drake. An additional verse from him would have added some much-needed variety in this track, cutting the repetition from the repeating hook by Elkan. This song does make its inclusion well worth it on the 21 song tracklist making it one of Drake’s best received songs in the last couple of years.

On March 15, 2025, Playboi Carti released his long-awaited album I AM MUSIC, which is his second album of the 2020s coming after his previous album Whole Lotta Red that was released five years prior in December of 2020.

“CRUSH” is the second song on I AM MUSIC and it comes directly after the song “POP OUT” that started the album in a jarring way. “CRUSH” serves as a sort of polar opposite to “POP OUT” with “CRUSH” featuring a choir in the background singing the hook and featuring less screaming, making it an easier listen than “POP OUT.” The song does have some issues however with threefourths of the song just being adlibs from Playboi Carti with him only actually giving the song a verse in its later half. The song also claims to have Travis Scott featured on the song but he only provides a couple of adlibs in the middle of the song and then fails to make an appearance after that.

All in all, this song is a highlight of the album due to its unique qualities that make it stand out and encourage most listeners to revisit after an initial listen.

Glokk40spaz is an up-andcoming rapper from Georgia and is now on a run releasing mixtapes and albums after serving two years in prison. Shortly before being released from jail he was almost signed to artist Playboi Carti’s record label but officially turned Carti and the opium record label down on Instagram announcing that he was signed to Columbia Records. Throughout Final Warning’s runtime, he delivers a pulverizing performance that borders on screaming half the time but this is not necessarily a bad thing since the Glokk40spaz is in his natural element when he is giving performances such as this. This track alone is good when the listener gives it a spin once in a while but when that listener looks at the rest of his discography they will soon discover that is discography is really one-note with no variety in the type of songs he makes.

He has proven that he can deliver more somber chill performances but has not released anything like that yet. Hopefully he can prove that he has more than one note in the future.

“Invincible” Season 3: the best season yet?

By COLIN ROBISON Equipment Manager

Amazon Prime’s hit superhero show “Invincible” recently released its third season and it was met with high praise from fans and critics alike. Many viewers called it the best season of superhero television ever and it is near the top on most review sites. This season picks up a little bit after season two and shows our main character, Mark, also known as Invincible, dealing with the trauma of his actions from the end of season two.

The beginning of the season focuses on the relationship between Mark and his newly discovered brother, Oliver.

Mark has to act as a teacher similar to how his dad taught him how to control his powers. The difference is that Mark doesn’t want Oliver to end up like his dad so he makes sure to keep him from doing so. The struggle of Mark trying to balance his new relationship with Eve

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROTTEN TOMATOES and his relationship with his family takes a massive toll on him.

Mark then has to juggle a new relationship with Cecil, the leader of the GDA. The GDA is the organization that runs all the superheroes and they continue to wrong Mark.

This time they decide to bring back some superheroes that turned bad but Cecil claims they are good now, but Mark does not believe them.

This leads to Mark ending his alliance with the GDA, but Cecil continues to spy on Mark and his family.

The season ends strong with the last three episodes being some of the highest-

rated episodes of the entire show. The third to last episode focuses on a new villain introduced named Powerplex. This character was voice acted by Aaron Paul, most famous for his role as Jesse in Breaking Bad. Aaron Paul does a great job with this character and delivers on all the emotional parts. Powerplex’s whole motivation is getting revenge on Invincible for him and his dad accidentally killing Powerplex’s sister and niece during their battle. What makes this villain so good is that it blurs the line on whether his motivations are right or wrong. Due to his

family being killed some might argue he is justified in his actions while others might say he is being extreme and going about it wrong.

The end of this episode is probably one of the sadder moments of the series and is shocking.

The next two episodes are arguably the best of the entire series and were some of the most anticipated.

The last two episodes were adaptations of the “Invincible War” and the “Conquest Fight.” These are two of the most loved parts of the comics and fans were very excited to watch these episodes. The Invincible War is when all the different variants of Invincible come down to Earth and try to take out the Invincible of this world. This episode showcased all the different Invincibles, who all have different personalities and even different costumes.

At the end of this episode when it seems like everything was clear and there were no more Invincibles left, a new

character never seen before in the show comes down to talk to Mark.

The finale is the fight between Conquest and Invincible and it is arguably the best fight of the entire show. The series has been criticized a lot for its poor animation, but they seemed to put all that to rest in this episode. The whole episode is just the fight, and while some might say that is boring, many would also disagree with that statement just due to how emotional this fight was. There were countless moments where it seemed like beloved characters were going to die. The finale hit home with a lot of fans and even critics and is currently rated as a 9.9/10 on IMDb. The only complaint of the episode is that it did not feel like the end credit scene set up any storylines for the future.

Even though the credit scene left a lot to be desired, this episode and season were near perfect. This show sets the bar for superhero television and is going to be hard to top.

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OHS baseball teams spring into action with high hopes

By TAYLOR MOON

Staff Writer

Varsity: OHS’s varsity baseball team is springing into action this season with high intensity. After ending last season just short of a championship win, the team is back and ready to take back what they lost.

Not only is baseball a hard sport to compete in physically, it is also a mental game because players have to learn to push through the challenges that come with playing.

“No matter what happens you have to keep going, you have to keep playing through and just realize everything is going to even out,” said Jacoby Noble, sophomore.

The varsity team is tapped into good team chemistry.

Which is key to playing well

together.

“We try to play with more energy and pick each other up instead of trying to tear each other down,” said Brent Sollars, junior.

There is no bond stronger than one created from sports, and the OHS baseball team is no stranger to a good team connection.

“We’ve been hanging out almost every single day and we try to get together on the weekends and we have team dinners, and my favorite is when we play poker together,” Noble said.

The varsity team has many goals for this season to help motivate them to get far in this season. These goals are the foundation to the team’s success.

“The goal is always to play in the stadiums and at some point for them to play the perfect game,” said Jeff

Baumgartner, head varsity coach.

Baseball is a highly competitive sport in the state of Arizona and in order to find success on the field it’s important to hold yourself to a high standard.

“I have a certain amount of standards that all the guys are trying to live up to and I’m constantly nagging that standard into them so we find success on the field,”Baumgartner said .

JV: Last season the OHS JV team had a successful year and the players stepping up this season are carrying that momentum into the new year.

“I love getting to go out there and work hard while playing the game [baseball],” said Griffin Gregory, sophomore.

Similarly to the varsity level, at the JV level you still

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MOON Tommy Pascanu, junior throws a pitch to strike out the opposing batter. play an intense mental game. head,” said Clayton Sheets, “You have to have a short sophomore. memory, if you go 0-4 you The team dynamic of the have to be able to come back JV team is what sets them and do better,” Gregory said . apart from other teams they In order to have a successful face. game, having self discipline is “There is a lot of effort, key to keep pushing yourself everyone is working hard past mistakes. and ready to compete even “Baseball is a challenging during practices,” said Tyson game, when you do bad you Gorder, sophomore. have to control your emotions Contine reading at and you can’t let it get in your thetalonohs.com

OHS softball aims for the win with unbeatable companionship

By ALYSSA BUCKNER

Staff Writer

Varsity: The 2025 softball season has taken off and the girls and coaches on the team are working extremely hard to solidify more wins for OHS. Varsity softball continues to crush their goals and improve with the help of teamwork, hard work, and their genuine camaraderie.

“It’s been going pretty well. We just took third place at Bullhead, which was better than last year, and I feel like we have a really good team [this season],” said Malawni Snyder, sophomore.

Even though there have been some losses, the girls continue to keep high spirits and positivity present throughout their team.

“We lost against Hamilton, although, I think if we bring our spirits up we can still beat them,” said Imani Williams, sophomore.

The OHS softball team practices almost every day of the week to work on what they need to improve.

“We do a lot during practice, we get a lot done,” said Chloe Holbrook, sophomore. “We field, then we hit, and then we do more fielding; there’s a lot of moving parts to it and it really works.”

In order to prepare for games, the girls on the team each have their own personal ways to get both mentally and physically ready.

“Personally, I like to listen to some good music. I put my headphones in and listen

PHOTO BY ALYSSA BUCKNER Charleigh Schuettler, senior, scores an RBI during the winning game against Perry. by myself; I think about how love being around each other the game is going to go and all the time. It’s sometimes visualize it,” Holbrook said. hard to get that with high These small rituals help school girls,” said Charleigh to get the girls’ minds in the Schuettler, senior. “We’re game and lay the groundwork developing connections and for a win. relationships that aren’t “I always do bubble braids softball related.” because it’s my game-day In order to get closer to one hair and game-day ritual, but another, the softball team we also always pray before works on bonding and doing games,” Snyder said. fun activities on a social level The OHS softball team puts instead of solely focusing on their faith first and it’s one of softball. the most important things “Our team bonding could for many of the players on be team dinners after practice the team. or even organized bonding at “I like how faithful we are. someone’s house,” Snyder We pray with the other teams said. “It provides a really before and after every game, good community. It’s open we do bible studies together, and is also a great way for and that’s my favorite people to connect through [aspect],” Holbrook said. softball and school since we Even if it can get stressful talk about everything.” sometimes, the girls on the Some of the girls have team make sure to have fun been on the varsity softball while playing and getting team their entire high school to know each other, which career.Through it they’ve outweighs any difficulties been able to be a part that may be present. of the outstanding team “I think we have a really community as it continues to special group of girls, we just improve year by year.

“I tried out my freshman year just because I love playing softball,” Schuettler said. “I’ve been on varsity all four years. It was an incredible feeling [making varsity]; I was super excited to play and learn from all the upperclassmen.”

OHS varsity softball is overall working towards one goal and are doing all in their power to achieve it.

“We want to win, we want to win the state title,” Holbrook said.

JV: The JV softball team at OHS is also in the midst of their season and have been working on improving their team as a whole.

“So far it’s been great, as a team we’ve really connected and it looks like we’re only getting better from here.

I can already tell that this team is a lot more ready to play and get better than last season,” said Sydney Barbian, sophomore.

Practices are similar to those of varsity, focusing on basic softball skills in order to improve for games.

“We go from hitting to fielding and sometimes we do base running and stuff; we’re having a lot of fun,” said Emmalyn Bruning, freshman.

Students may decide to try out for softball for different reasons, but it’s a common incentive that they have heard of the great program OHS provides.

“Even when I was in middle school and elementary I heard of all the alumni [from OHS]

and I was just so excited to play with some of those future softball superstars,” Barbian said.

The OHS JV softball team also works towards being closer to one another through different team bonding activities.

“We do team dinners where we can sit and talk as people and not just softball players.

We try to connect with each other whenever possible and then lock back in [for games],” Barbian said.

The strong sense of friendship throughout the team tends to develop due to how often the players are with each other.

“A lot of my best friends play [softball] and I just love it,” said Addison Walker, sophomore. “Every practice we all get really close because we talk a lot.”

Although there have been some obstacles this season for JV, the girls have tried their best to work past them.

“We’ve had a lot of girls on our team who have been hurt and haven’t been able to play,” Barbian said. “It’s definitely been difficult trying to get spots for everybody when they’re experiencing injuries or still healing from them, but we’re getting better thanks to athletic training.”

In the end, OHS softball keeps striving for success and continues to keep their wonderful companionship present.

“Our focus is just getting a little bit better every single day and trying to improve as much as we can,” Barbian said.

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18 May 2025

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OHS Boys Volleyball is serving success

By AVERY MASSIE

Staff Writer

Varsity: Boys volleyball is back at it, once again projected to go far in their season. Already at 20 wins at the time this is written, they’ve managed to maintain a name for themselves.

After losing six seniors at the end of last season, many assumed that the team would have a hard time keeping their excellence. However, boys volleyball has had no problem working past that.

“I think there’s been a lot of guys that have been waiting for their turn, so it hasn’t been that big of a transition.” said Troy Dueling, head coach.

In comparison to their previous season, the team has done nothing but grow. Their connections have flourished, along with their skills.

“We’re even more together as a team compared to last year. Last year we were great, but this year we definitely all love each other and that helps our team dynamic,” said Hayden Williams, senior.

This team dynamic comes from both playing together, and hanging out outside of practice.

“Since off the court we get along, on the court we all work well together,” Williams said.

Overall, the team’s compatibility is a driving factor to accomplishing their goal this season.

“I’m confident that we can make a big run in the

playoffs, and all of our goals are winning the state championship,” Williams said.

Luckily, OHS is the team to be on in order to make that desire happen.

“I joined this team because I knew this was a winning program and I love winningI hate losing- so it’s always been a thing for me to be on the best program that I could be on,” said Diego Garcia, senior.

Throughout the season, the team has suffered some unusual losses, but they won’t let that hold them back.

“I think it’s been a good season so far, we’ve had some ups and some downs, but overall I think we’re headed in the right direction,” Dueling said.

However, that struggle is just part of playing, and after a loss is when teams learn what to work on.

“We just have to make sure we stay disciplined, especially against lower level teams,” Williams said.

Luckily, the biggest challenge that this team faces comes from within, while trying to choose between everyone for a lineup that will win. “[The biggest struggle of our season is] trying to find a lineup that is going to be consistent. We’ve run a couple different things just looking for who’s going to be productive in certain moments,” Dueling said.

But if issues like that are the team’s largest struggle, they’re doing something

PHOTO BY AVERY MASSIE Noah Kaoni, senior, serves the ball for OHS. right. Players know that if have the love for it like I do,” they put forth the effort that Garcia said. the coach is looking for, it will It’s the little things like this be no problem. that make the team a family, “I feel like we’re getting and help them to create a a lot better as a team, and successful season.

I’m definitely excited for the “I love every single one of playoff run,” Williams said. those guys on the court and A driving factor to the I know I could always go and team’s success is the amount talk to them. It’s always been of time multiple players have a blessing to be on the team,” spent together as members Garcia said. of the OHS team. With eight seniors this year, the team JV: has seen these connections As another season of grow a lot over the course of volleyball goes by at OHS, their high school careers. there is once again a new boys “I’ve known these guys for JV team. Over the years, JV quite some time, and being has been known to change able to play with them for my very frequently, with players last year is great,” Williams often staying on for only one said. or two seasons.

Along with that comes the This season, freshman role of welcoming the players dominate the team, with who are new to the team. there only being three “Being a senior on the team, sophomores and one junior. it’s definitely a leadership However, those with more role where you have to be experience have no problem there for the younger kids welcoming everyone to the and show them what this team. sport is all about- make them “We’re all pretty close,

even with the new kids we’ve all formed a close relationship with each other,” said Gunner Mullins, sophomore.

These new relationships mean new opportunities for the players to bond, and they are doing a good job making sure that the team is able to run smoothly.

“We’re doing as much as possible to ensure that we have really good communication,” said Matteo Duran, freshman.

The team has done a great job of hitting it off, and while they’ve had many big wins, they also make sure to stay humble.

“Just because we’re O’Connor doesn’t mean we’re going to automatically be the best out of everyone, so we definitely have to work for it no matter what team we play,” Duran said.

Continue reading at the talonohs.com

OHS Beach Volleyball; unbeaten streak on the line

By TAYLOR MOON

Staff Writer

Varsity: OHS is full of driven and dedicated sports teams; a definite standout is the girls beach volleyball team. The team is jumping right into the season with enthusiasm after coming off a 3 peat championship win and is full of hard working girls who will stop at nothing to bring OHS the 4 peat title.

Beach volleyball is a sport in which you must have drive and determination to be successful. With there only being two players on the court at once it can be difficult to stay in the game, which is why the OHS beach team works hard on their mental game.

“It [beach volleyball] has taught me that you can’t take yourself out of the game because there is no sub so you have to work through it,” said Kaiya Kearney, junior.

Beach volleyball is a sport that requires athletic skill and being able to overcome the mental parts of the game.

“Beach has been a really mentally challenging sport because there aren’t as many people so it really drives me to be a stronger individual,” said Mckenna Smith, freshman.

In order to be successful on the court it’s important to learn the strategy required to find triumph.

“It’s a lot of strategy because it’s 2v2 so if you figure out the other person’s game and how they play, you can pretty much beat any team,” said Delaney Singleton, junior.

More importantly, to find success during games it’s important to have good team chemistry.

“We have a really good culture, we are really unified and everyone likes each other on the team,” Singleton said .

With beach volleyball being a team that is very competitive it could mess with the team bond; but not for the OHS beach team.

“Even though not everyone can be in the line up, everyone supports each other and cheers each other on and everyone wants everyone to

succeed,” Kearney said.

JV: Stepping up to play on such a competitive team can be a challenge, but the OHS JV team partakes in intense training to help them prepare for the difficult matches they will face. “[Beach volleyball] has taught me to not get in my head because if you get in your head you will mess up more,” said Kara Hoppenworth, freshman.

Similar to the varsity team, the mental game that beach players must face is not easy and takes serious grit to overcome.

“You need to be able to control your emotions, because it’s really hard and it does take a big toll on your body,” saidAddison Duckwiler, sophomore.

Not only does beach teach both mental and physical skill, it also is a community that lasts a lifetime.

“It’s really fun and you meet more people and you learn so much while also making friends at the same

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MOON Beach Volleyball strives to add another trophy to their collection. time,” Hoppenworth said. expectations and hopes as For the future of the time goes on.

JV team they share the “In the future I hope to win same goals and drive as the a lot, and win the 4-peat,” varsity team and have high Hoppenworth said.

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May 2025

19

Girls tennis serves up success

By SKYLER FREEMAN

Staff Writer

Varsity: OC varsity girls tennis is off to an amazing start to their season. With amazing players and coaches, it is going to be a great season to support this team.

“The thing that most inspired me was everyone around me motivating me,” said Aditi Mahesh, sophomore.

The team never fails to support each other through every game.

“It’s all based on your mental and physical strength,” Mahesh said.

Playing well under pressure is a great trait held by the team. By supporting each other, they can go into games confident, knowing they tried their hardest whether it’s a win or a loss.

“We all look after each other so if we lose or we win it doesn’t matter,” Mahesh said.

The girls treat the team like a family and bring each other up. Their coaches and teammates are people they value immensely.

“My coach Brad knows

PHOTO COURTESY OF GIRLS TENNIS Girls tennis poses for a group photo after a game. how to motivate a room,” is going very far this season Mahesh said. regarding wins.

The coaches make it a “This is the best the girls priority to bring motivational team has ever been and we energy to the team. The team have a strong chance of collectively agrees that their making it to state,” Stewart coaches are a big part of their said. overall success.

The team has many “The season has been great supporters that celebrate so far,” said Viviana Stewart, them every game. The team sophomore. and their families bring a The season has held many positive energy on and off great accomplishments the court. for players. With great “My family are my biggest teamwork and dedication, supporters when it comes to they are confident that OHS sports, and they try to help

me along the way,” Stewart said.

JV: Varsity has welcomed the JV girls tennis team with great leadership and it is very evident on the courts.

“The environment of the team was so welcoming and everyone just had a ton of fun there,” said Aubrey Baker, sophomore.

Having fun while also working hard is a great example of the greatness of JV. Showing up to every

practice and game with a strong mindset is a very valuable skill they have.

“You have to work super hard but it’s worth it,” Baker said.

The team always keeps their heads up no matter the circumstance. With the help of their coaches, players have been able to make the environment a positive space for themselves.

“The coaches make the environment so fun and everyone’s super nice,” Baker said.

Supporting each other and being kind is a very present aspect from the team.

Bringing their teammates up through everything is something the team really values.

“Through the wins and losses, we support each other,” Baker said.

No matter how many wins or losses they may encounter, the team is always there for each other. Through positive mindsets, individuals are able to handle the ups and downs flawlessly.

“Don’t think about the point that you just played, think about the point you are about to play,” Baker said.

Boys tennis takes “advantage” of their season

By KENDALL WALKER Copy Chief

Varsity: The OHS tennis season is in full swing, and the varsity boys team is serving up success as they strive to meet their goals and make the season memorable.

Student athletes can choose what they want to get out of high school sports, and this year the tennis team is training hard to compete, win, and improve.

“So far this season, I would say that the players have had some of the most off season work that they’ve done, and that is starting to show up on the courts,” said Lance Gephart, boys tennis coach.

It is important for teams to implement goals and standards for themselves throughout the season, and the tennis team is focusing on improvement and getting better every year.

“Our goal this year is to make the playoffs because we haven’t made it in three years, so that’s our main goal this year,” said Jayneal Patel, senior.

While team goals are essential, it is also very valuable for players to create expectations for themselves in order to put their best effort into the season.

“A personal goal for me was that I wanted to play varsity one or two, and that went well,” said Michael Poortstra,

junior.

The tennis team is focusing on their wins and finding success this season, and they are proud of what they have been able to accomplish in comparison to previous years.

“Right now we’re 5 and 3, which is a way better record than last year, and we almost beat Basha which is really

good because we got crushed by them last year. So, it hasn’t been a bad season so far, and we’ve gotten good,” Patel said.

An important part of building up the tennis team and maintaining a positive environment has come from the friendships formed through the sport, as well

as the fun events that they have had the opportunity to participate in.

“We went on a field trip this year to a tennis tournament in Palm Desert, which was really fun,” Poortstra said.

“The boys team is very close and it has been a really fun year.”

JV:

PHOTO BY KENDALL WALKER Sohan Limaye, sophomore, winds up for a volley at practice.

The JV boys tennis team is following in varsity’s footsteps as they approach the season with a strong sense of competitiveness and drive to win.

“Their work ethic has definitely gotten better on the court, and they are taking each of the practices a lot more seriously,” Gephart said.

The JV team is focusing on creating a sense of community as a whole, and are working together to face any challenges that might arise.

“It doesn’t matter if someone is a freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior, it is a collective vibe that’s going on,” Gephart said.

Due to this positive team environment, they are able to make their relatively small team seem much larger and more welcoming.

“There are six players on varsity and six players on JV, but we also have extra people,” said Sohan Limaye, sophomore. “The team is really fun to be a part of and everyone gets along really well.”

The positivity, competitiveness, and drive to improve are traits that have formed and surrounded the OHS tennis program, effectively encouraging players to come back in following years.

“I’ll definitely keep doing tennis for the next two years,” Limaye said.

20 May 2025

The Talon

thetalonohs.com

The many lanes to OHS track & field

By TRUE VAN DYKE

Editor-In-Chief

Being the largest sport at OHS, with close to 400 kids on the team, Track and Field has earned plenty of gold medals and a name brand to match them. Success is not only a goal but is also attainable with new records broken every year, 2025 not an exception, and athletes are already earning new plaques.

With a multitude of coaches, volunteers, and excited community members, the 2025 Track and Field season is the culmination of years of hard work built into one.

“It says a lot because O’Connor has the biggest team in the state, so it says a lot about the coaches and the community,” said Cory Beckman, senior [400 and 200 sprinter].

With such a large and established program, it is easy to feel intimidated and nervous when starting out and trying to figure out where you belong among the team.

“When you’re starting out, trying to compare yourself to just yourself, not comparing yourself to those elite level,

state level, and even national level sprinters, jumpers, throwers, and just trying to improve yourself instead of looking for the medals,” said Tanner Larsen, senior [Thrower].

With a sport made up of many outlets of interest and several various events, finding where one fits within it is not only important but necessary to work towards moving forward.

“Our [event] is a little longer than most, it’s more endurance based for sure, with also speed. The 800 is a mix, sprinting just two laps, and the 1600 is all endurance, so you have to have iron lungs for that,” said Ariana Mason, senior [800 and 1600 runner].

To outsiders looking in, the sport may seem straightforward, but in reality there are nuances that OHS athletes have to learn and work at in order to be successful.

“I think a lot of people don’t know that it’s actually hard. Running in a straight line is not easy. There’s a lot more than just running fast and sprinting,” said Ava Hannosh, junior [100, 200,4x1,4x4 sprinter].

No matter what event within the sport, the effort

PHOTO BY TAYLOR MOON

Lani Faison, senior, jumps at OHS’ track senior night. put forward outside of the Track and Field team. With meets is what pushes those to the new talent also comes break records and make it to hindrances, such as transfer state. rules mandating the athletes “The hardest part is to sit out for half of the indefinitely the workouts season meets. behind the scenes, because “It’s been hard; most of the easiest part is competing. the sprinters right now are So as long as you get all of injured anyways, but there’s the hard workouts in before a difference [between] being the meet, the meet should be injured and not being able to easy for you,” Hannosh said. run, and then being able to The 2025 season came run but not being allowed to with a multitude of athletes run,” Beckman said. transferring to the OHS Regardless of technicalities

within the sport, OHS has built a name not just on numbers and medals, but unity, drawing in athletes who aspire to be a part of its renowned culture.

“Here [at OHS], just the community, everyone is always supportive and we’re more of a team…here we ride the bus there [and] ride the bus back, we support each other and we’re the best teammates we can for each other,” Beckman said.

OHS E-Sports Club: where gaming passion meets competition

By ASHLEY PEREIRA

Photography Chief

E-sports, also known as electronic sports, is a rapidly growing activity at OHS. What began as a club has now entered its third official year as a sport.

“It is just like any other sport, it’s a fun place where we meet up, hang out, and do what we’re all passionate about as a team,” said Taewon Kim, senior.

E-sports primary purpose is to create a space for students to explore various video games while competing against one another and against other schools, ultimately bonding students through their shared passion for gaming.

“There are three different categories of games. There is the fighting game which is Super Smash Bros, then team-based strategies games for League of Legends, and then Rocket League which is also a fun team-based strategy game,” Kim said.

Since the club is divided into these three sections, members get to choose which game they feel most passionate about and then go on to compete within that category.

“So it’s separated by the three groups and you stay in

PHOTO COURTESY OF FREEPIK.AVIF

your little group; it’s kind of segregated into things,” said Angelo Sanchez, junior.

Joining E-sports offers numerous benefits, and students can develop advanced skills while engaging with like-minded gamers.

Furthermore, colleges have even started providing E-sports scholarships, granting students millions of dollars annually.

“This club has definitely made me look at video games in a completely different

way. I used to think it was just a pass-time activity, but playing here this year and last year has made me seriously consider doing something with it after high school,” Kim said.

It is likely that the more

schools embrace this sport and provide funding, the more opportunities, and competitions will be held around the country.

“At the end of the day, it’s just playing games and having fun,” Sanchez said.