November 17, 2025
Volume 5, Issue 9
Embedded Files
Feature
Feature
50th Anniversary Since the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
50th Anniversary Since the Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald
By Aidan Isabelle
Half a century ago when the gales of November came early, the Pride of the American Side vanished beneath the waves of Lake Superior shortly after 7:10PM, November 10, 1975. The legend of the Fitzgerald is still talked about today, and the risks of the Great Lakes haven't changed since. The waves reached a staggering height of 60ft tall, large enough that they crashed over the ore holds of the freighter and possibly above the pilot house. Weather like this on the Great Lakes isn’t all uncommon, but when the depth of the bottom lies at 530 feet, the length of the vessel becomes a major problem. At a length of 729 feet, just one foot shorter than the maximum length of the lochs of the Great Lakes at the time, the vessel could theoretically stand out of the water from tip to stern. The most widely accepted theory is that the powerful waves of Superior crashed down upon the bow of the ship, and pushed it all the way down to the sea-floor. Once hitting the bottom, the intense pressure of the thousands of tons of iron in the hull, and the bending of the bulkheads, split the Fitzgerald in two and likely drowned all 29 men aboard very quickly. The story of the Fitzgerald takes hours of listening, but let it remain in our memory of the great service the ship held to the lakes, and the men aboard who tragically lost their lives to the lake who never gives up her dead.
Typhoon Kalmaegi Destroys Philippines
Typhoon Kalmaegi Destroys Philippines
By Johnathon Schonter
On Monday, November 2, 2025, Typhoon Kalmaegi went through the central Philippines, and it was catastrophic. At least 26 people have been killed and hundreds of thousands forced to flee their homes. Typhoon Kalmaegi destroyed a bunch of homes on the island Cebu, where most of the fatalities occurred, and casualties may rise. People have been sheltering themselves on rooftops while vehicles and shipping containers have been floating through the streets. A military helicopter that was deployed to assist relief efforts crashed, killing all six members. "Communication with the helicopter was lost, which immediately prompted the launch of a search and rescue operation," the PAF said. Later, a spokeswoman said six bodies had been recovered, believed to be of the pilot and crew. The typhoon is locally named Tino, and thankfully is weakening, but the winds are still powerful. It is said to be moving to the Visayas islands region and out over the South China Sea by Wednesday. Most of the deaths were due to drowning. The Philippines is hit by an average of 20 storms and typhoons each year. Damage to buildings in Cebu was extensive. Don del Rosario, 28, was among those in Cebu City who sought refuge on an upper floor as the storm raged. "I've been here for 28 years, and this is by far the worst we've experienced," he told the AFP news agency. In total, almost 400,000 people were moved from the typhoon's path, Rafaelito Alejandro, deputy administrator at the Office of Civil Defence, told a news conference. Picture and image source:
Profile
Profile
Carson Dearth
Carson Dearth
By Joshua Saylor
Junior athlete Carson Dearth has made a name for himself as a dedicated and driven competitor across multiple sports. Known primarily for his contributions on the football field, Dearth has become a key player for his team, demonstrating both physical strength and leadership. His ability to stay focused under pressure and his commitment to improving his performance have helped him stand out among his peers. As the football season comes to a close, Dearth’s attention is already shifting toward another sport he excels in—track and field. With shot put season approaching, Dearth is eager to build on his past successes and push his limits in the throwing circle. His work ethic, honed through years of football training, translates naturally into the power and precision required for shot put. The combination of strength, balance, and technique that he brings to the event gives him the potential to reach new personal bests this spring. Balancing two demanding sports is no easy task, but Dearth approaches it with discipline and enthusiasm. He spends hours in the weight room and on the practice field, determined to refine every aspect of his performance. Coaches and teammates recognize his effort and the positive energy he brings to every workout. As the new track season nears, Dearth remains focused on his goals, motivated to represent his school with pride. Whether on the football field or in the throwing ring, he continues to prove that hard work and determination can lead to success. His competitive spirit and commitment to growth make him a standout athlete and an example for others to follow.
Brandi Smittle
Brandi Smittle
By Johnathon Schonter
Brandi Smittle is an amazing junior at Oak Hill Middle High School. She has been at Oak Hill most of her life, and she is one of the cheerleaders who help cheer on our football team. Brandi is also in FFA. In FFA, she is the reporter, so she works on the school's FFA Facebook and scrapbook. Brandi is an awesome reporter for the Oak Hill FFA Chapter and helps us keep morale high despite some kids being gloomy. She helps others when she can and is a good role model. She also is a part of the yearbook staff, so she helps put together the school’s yearbooks. Brandi can be looked up to when you need help, or just a friend to talk to. Brandi is a great person when you want to talk about something, whether it be homework, school, or just personal issues you want to talk about. For Brandi, the hardest thing in school is balancing school work with extracurriculars, since she loves to do everything that she is able to do, yet it is difficult to find the time in her schedule while balancing homework on top of it. She wants to be remembered for being a hard worker and having a positive attitude. For her, the greatest influence in her life is Jesus, because He is there to support her and guide her whenever she needs guidance. Her hobbies include FFA, yearbook staff, church, reading, fishing, hunting, and shopping. She is an awesome friend, FFA member and officer, and most of all, she is a wonderful student at Oak Hill.
Meet The Staff
Meet The Staff
Jasmine Dunaway is currently a senior at Oak Hill High School. She was born on August 5th and is 18-years-old. As the eldest sibling, Jasmine has 3 brothers: Jacob, Diesel, and Brayden. She also has two French bulldogs, Athena and Oreo; her family affectionately refers to Athena as "Tina." Jasmine considers herself an honest and loving individual—qualities that have significantly influenced her character. Her friends describe her as funny, honest, energetic, and sympathetic, traits they admire in her. Outside of work and school, Jasmine enjoys sleeping, playing Roblox, keeping in touch with friends via text or FaceTime, and cooking or baking. She aspires to travel to destinations such as the Bahamas and Florida, and is particularly interested in exploring haunted and abandoned locations. After graduation, Jasmine plans to take time off to travel and experience new places before deciding on her long-term goals.
Shyann Hart is a Senior at Oakhill Middle and High School. Shyann is in choir and enjoys singing with her fellow choir members. Shyann loves to drive around and hangout with her friends and family. Another thing Shyann really enjoys is being outdoors.She enjoys being in nature and playing with her nine dogs. Shyann hates being inside and you'll never see her home. Shyann works at Walmart and loves her job. Shyann listens to music and reads when she doesn't have anything else to do at that time. Shyann also wants to become a hairdresser after she graduates High School.
Aidan Isabelle is an 18-year-old Senior at Oak Hill High School who has spent his entire academic career with Oak Hill Schools. The youngest child with only one brother who graduated from Oak Hill as soon as he started Kindergarten, his time in school has been a relatively solo experience, besides for his good friends. He considers himself to be solemn on an average day, a no-frills human being, until there’s an interesting conversation. Music and the Marching Oaks play a vital role in his life, but the memory of running track, and five years of playing football for the Oaks hasn’t left his mind. His hobbies include: Road cycling, mountain biking, and motorcycles, computers new and old, fishing and aviation, as well as cars and modern history, as well as many more. After graduation, Aidan plans on attending a major college as an aviation major, on the path to becoming an airline pilot, and living the rest of his life seeing the world.
Torie Scott is a senior in high school and has been in choir since she was in sixth grade. She loves reading and has watched every episode of the “Simpsons” and can quote “Supernatural” episodes word for word. She is in the musical, NHS, and NSHSS, which she loves. She has always had a passion for academics, especially history and science. She could probably tell you a fact from every time period and tell you a good book to read that's based during that time. She spends most of her free time reading or writing stories or taking pictures on her camera for her photograph profile. Writing and reading is more than a hobby for her; it's an escape from her hectic and busy life. It's her safe place when she's upset, it’s her friend when she's lonely, it's her home when she feels she has none and her best friend when she needs to vent. She will always have a smile on her face no matter what she's going through and if you ever need someone to listen, come find her in the hall or at lunch. She will listen without judgement; she promises. :)
Blaise Barger is a Junior at Oak Hill High School. Blaise focuses mainly on video games and sports. Throughout the year, he will be writing articles about different kinds of video games, Ohio sports teams, and Oak Hill baseball. Blaise has been associated with the Oak Hill band since the 6th grade while also playing baseball since first grade. Blaise’s favorite video game is “Donkey Kong Bananza.” His favorite sports teams include the Ohio State Buckeyes, Cincinnati Bengals, and Chicago Cubs. Furthermore, Blaise’s favorite subject in school is math, but he also enjoys reading as well. Blaise is excited to join our writers this year in making our school’s newspaper and hopes to inform people about many different topics throughout the year.
Joshua Saylor is a junior at Oak Hill High School; he was born and raised in southern-Ohio spending his entire time as a student within the Oak Hill Union Local school district. Joshua has been involved in baseball since the age of four when he began playing tee-ball for the Cubs. He has enjoyed hunting and watching sports as well; his life has been filled with sports due to his siblings involvement in Oak Hill sports. He only had interest in baseball until the eighth grade when he decided to try football; from the moment he stepped in the weightroom, he fell in love with the sport. Joshua dedicates much of his time outside of school to practicing football or watching the Cincinnati Reds. Joshua’s dream is to play college football while on the road to becoming an anesthesiologist.
Johnathon Schonter is a 15-year-old student at Oak Hill Middle/High School. He has been in Oak Hill most of his life and loves collecting military supplies and vintage items. Johnathon is a Sophomore, and is taking Journalism and Vo Ag 1, which means he is in FFA(Future Farmers of America). Also, Johnathon loves going fishing, junking, and all kinds of outdoor activities with his step-dad. He is well known at Oak Hill Middle/High School as the student who does the worm at all the school dances. Johnathon has a younger brother, Bradley Moore, who is in 7th grade. Johnathon chose Journalism because he wanted to work on the school newspaper. He also chose FFA because of all of the trips and information.
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