Sports stories of 2024-2025
Sports stories of 2024-2025
Pictures by Kyleigh Tye
The Odessa Bulldog's baseball team went down swinging against Harrisonville in the first round of districts 5/21. Harrisonville was able to edge out a 4-2 victory to put an end to the Bulldog's season. Enjoy some photo highlights from the game.
By June Mueller
Picture by Bachman-Twombly
Written May 2025
The Growler staff conducted an interview with our state track bound athletes before they left. Here is what they had to say!
What were you thinking and feeling when you realized you had qualified for state? Explain!
Brooklyn Burks, junior, shot put: When I first realized I had qualified for state, it didn't feel real until I heard who else was going with me and saw that everyone who made it to sectionals was also going to state. I also started to think about how much more work I needed to put in. My throws that day weren't my best, but I can only go up from there. I felt very lucky to be a part of such a talented team, and felt very grateful to have my teammates and coaches to cheer me on.
Wylie Smith, junior, member of 4X100 relay team: It was such a surreal feeling making it with our team. We had all wanted to make it so bad and it was one of our biggest goals. When we found out we did, we couldn’t stop smiling and it was such a sweet moment all together
Kiley Thomas, junior, member of 4x100 relay team: I was in shock because it was such a close race and I couldn't tell if we had made it or not. It was such a relief after all the hard work we’ve put into this season.
Levi Neel, freshman, pole vault: When I realized I qualified for state it was really a relief because that meant all the hard work paid off.
What has helped to prepare you to be successful the most this season? Explain!
Burks: What helped me the most this season was taking care of my mind and body, and really focusing on what I can do for myself to make me successful, whether that was an ice bath or taking to Mackenzie to see what I need to implement into my warmups to keep me free from injury. I also made sure that I made time for myself and my family, so that I could be in the best mental space possible to be able to compete my best. I really focused on not letting the little things get to me like I have in years past.
Smith: My teammates. We have encouraged each other all season and always showed up for each other
Thomas: My teammates are very motivating and create a positive atmosphere which pushes me to want to succeed even more.
Neel: Staying consistent having my coach there with me.
Did you every doubt that you would make it to the state track meet?
Burks: There were a few meets this season that I would do good in javelin but not in shot put or vice versa, so there were a few times I was a little nervous. I was especially nervous after finding out that districts would be held at Holden, because when we competed there for the regular season, I had one of my worst meets, so I think that kind of got to me a little. Also, when I had been stuck in a slump and not hitting a personal best in a few meets then I started to worry a little bit more.
Smith: I was a little unsure. We were seeded 5th but after we said a prayer together right before we ran, we all had such a relief and we just wanted it so bad.
Thomas: Yes I was a little nervous because we were seeded 5th, and anything could have happened.
Neel: For a little portion of the season I didn’t think I was gonna make it because I had a step back.
How are you currently preparing for the state track meet?
Burks: I am currently making sure I am fueling my body correctly and getting enough sleep. This week we are going harder earlier in the week and then going lighter as we get closer to the meet.
Smith: We have focused on our handoffs and every little thing together. We have talked a lot about placing and trying to manifest it.
Thomas: We have been focusing on handoffs and reducing time within our handoffs to shave off a few seconds.
What are your expectations for yourself at the state track meet? Explain!
Burks: I expect to see myself on the podium and hit a personal best, even with the conditions that will be there. I expect to be and place top 3.
Smith: I am hoping to do my best for my team and all of us help us to place.
Thomas: My expectations for myself are to run to the best of my ability and do whatever I can to help us place.
Story and Picture by Kyleigh Tye
Written March 2025
The OHS Boys Golf team has some tight competition to start this year.
Dusk Anderson, sophomore, said that his favorite part of the golf team is being able to play with all of his friends. Anderson also said that, “[The golf team] is pretty solid,” and, “[The team’s] starting 5 looks pretty decent.”
Kason Moody, freshman, said that his favorite part of the golf team is, “getting free access to the courses and playing with friends that are on the team.”
Drake King, sophomore, said that his favorite part of the golf team is all of the people on it.
Cameron Clubine, senior, said that there is more competition within the team than ever and, “this helps keep the team competitive and generally produces better golfers.”
Kirby Whitehead, senior, said his favorite part is being able to get out and play so often.
Moody said that, even though he's a freshman, he can see that they have a pretty solid team.
King said that, “we’re all closer together, not even as a team, but more like a family.”
King said that he likes to “lock in” on the bus with music to mentally prepare for a match or tournament.
Moody said that he likes to listen to a type of upbeat music, such as DaddyYankee or Pitbull, to mentally prepare for a match.
Overall, the teams' favorite golf course to play at is Adam’s Pointe in Blue Springs.
Ayden Williams, sophomore and Tristen Janes, sophomore, earned themselves a spot in the State championship.
The State championship was Monday, May 19-Tuesday, May 20, 2025 in Joplin, MO.
By Luke Ellison
Written in March 2025
In April, OMS Track starts to take off.
Cory Smith OMS Track Coach said students need to have good grades and attendance to compete at meets, per our school and district policies. Students also need to have a valid physical uploaded on PRIVIT, and students need to have at least 14 practices completed to attend any meets, per MSHSAA regulations. Otherwise, there are no specific requirements or prerequisites to join track. We encourage any students to join if possible as track really can be a beneficial and memorable experience for our young student athletes.
Smith also gives a reason why he coaches Track.
“I coach track because I enjoy getting to know so many awesome students and having the opportunity to help them become better overall athletes. Our Odessa Middle School Track and Field team has consistently been high in participation the past few seasons, and I think we've really built a great competitive culture during these recent years. We have a large team again this season, and we are looking forward to another positive and successful season,” said Smith.
Track does take place in a certain time of year.
“Track takes place every spring sports season, beginning either in late February or early March, depending on the calendar and official season start date,” said Smith.
Rachel Begemann, OHS assistant track coach and parent of an oms track athlete, explained track in her own words and said, “Track is the original sport born from times when a test of men's strength and abilities was his
greatest measure. It is a family of people who endure the elements every day to become better at their craft.”
Begemann helps with the middle school track because high school coaches help with OMS meets and often help at practice due to close proximity with athletes.
Tinley Maschmeier, 8th grader at OHS said she joined track to run and Emma Whitaker, 8th grader at OHS said she joined track because she wanted to be active and always been good at running.
Both Whitaker and Maschmeier said the most popular event is sprinting.
Begemann said, “Being a coach and a parent at the same time is very exciting because I get to share my love of the sport with my daughter all day every day. Track has been a part of her life for a long time due to both her father and I being coaches.”
What do the students do though?
Whitaker does the 4x4 4x8 and 4x2 and high jump and Maschmeier does sprints such as the 4x1, 200m, and the 4x4.
Track is going to be a fun run.
By Claire Fieth
Picture by Bachman-Twombly
Written March 2025
OHS girls' soccer locks in before games to play their best against their opponents.
Players listen to music as a strategy to lock-in.
“I lock in with headphones, and stretch every possible muscle possible,” Ali Cain, junior, said.
Amyia Powell, junior, says she listens to music and stretches while trying to be positive before games.
“I usually just listen to music, try and talk to my friends, stay calm. Physically I drink water and stretch and pass around a bit,” Faith Harvey, sophomore, said.
Addison Jowett, junior, said she tries to laugh and get the team into good spirits before the game.
Gracie Harget, senior, enjoys doing her hair before games to feel good before she plays.
“I like to do my hair in different hairstyles. I feel better when I do something to my hair instead of just throwing it in a ponytail,” Harget said.
Throughout the season players have different challenges they overcome.
“Last year I had 2 knee surgeries, so trying keep keep it from swelling with ice,” Harvey said.
Powell has been experiencing hip pain that she has been trying to overcome.
“I think once that gets resolved, I'll be great,” Powell said.
Cain has more mental challenges she has been overcoming this season.
“Mental block, stress, or being overwhelmed. I overcome them by taking a nap or just having a day to myself,” Cain said.
Jowett has to remind herself it's just a game and to take one game at a time.
“I lose confidence and I have to remember it's never as deep and it's just a fun game,” Jowett said.
Harget struggles playing against good forwards.
“Some challenges that I face from being a defender is having to defend players that are really good offensively,” Harget said.
These players have different goals they plan on accomplishing throughout the season.
“I would like to win districts as a team, that would be super cool. Personally, I would just like to go out and have fun because it’s my last time playing with this team,” Harvey, who will be transferring schools this summer, said.
Powell plans to give it her all this season.
“To give it my all and take advice from others and just go out and succeed to my best ability, but to also help those who need it and just to be positive and uplifting,” Powell said.
“I want to be a better teammate, talk on the field, and dive for the ball,” Cain said.
Jowett wants the team to get past the first round of districts and grow as a team and as an individual.
Harget hopes for a winning record.
“I hope the team has a winning record and I hope I get an after season award,” Harget said.
Players all had reasons for starting soccer.
“My mom put me in it when I was 3 and I’ve played every year since,” Harvey said.
Powell started soccer because she wanted to try something new.
Cain and Harget both started soccer to stay active.
“I started playing soccer just because I wanted to do something in the spring. I didn't want to do track because I personally hate running. I also started because my friends were playing,” Harget said.
Throughout the years the girls have made unforgettable memories.
“Hanging out with my friends, the laughing, going to eat after games,” Cain said.
Powell’s favorite memory was making a candy salad before one of the games.
“Definitely hanging out with my best friends everyday,” Jowett said.
Harvey’s was making new friends this season and also making goat noises (if you know you know).
By Kyleigh Tye
Written in March 2025
OHS Track and Field Team is striving to achieve some big goals this season.
Avery Marble, junior, is hoping to improve her pole vault by an entire foot over her personal record. Marble has previously cleared 8 feet on the pole vault, which was a big achievement for her in her sophomore season of track.
Marble participates in long jump and pole vault. She said that she enjoys long jump because, “it’s something that I don’t stress about a lot, and it also helps me with my main event, which is pole vault.”
Brooklyn Burks, junior, also found success in her sophomore season, throwing into the 30 meter range in javelin. Unlike Marble, Burks faced a setback with a shoulder and back injury. Burks is working to get back to her personal record and not pass it. Burks participates in shot put and javelin throwing and enjoys seeing her improvement throughout the season.
Mackenna Pierson, freshman, has been battling bad shin splints and working at pushing through that pain.
Pierson, who runs the 4x1, 4x2, 4x4, and open 100, said that track helps her build endurance and speed for her other sports.
Burks said that a big achievement that she has accomplished is, “making it out of districts the past two years.”
Burks not only made it out of districts this year, but went to the state track meet for the shot put. At state, Burks marked a second place finish at shot put.
Burks was joined on the podium by teammates Emily Bischoff, Kiley Thomas, Wylie Smith (all juniors), and Makenna Bass (freshman) for their 4th place finish in the 4x100 relay. Natalie Doney, sophomore, had a podium finish as well placing 7th in the mile.
By Gracie Harget
Picture by Claire Fieth
Written February 2025
This year, girls wrestling had a great turnout at districts and state.
They took six girls to state, Emily Bischoff, junior, Aaliyah Sanders, junior, Isabella Palmer, junior, Brooke Butler, senior, Addison Eddleman, Senior, and Wylie Smith, junior.
The team also had a new head coach this year, Dayton Brown.
The girls worked hard at districts to be able to have the opportunity to wrestle at state.
“I didn’t know if I was gonna make it after I lost my second match on the first day. It was a really good feeling especially since I wrestled Oak Grove, so it was a good rival match,” Smith said. The match Smith wrestled versus Oak Grove was for 3rd place at districts and let her advance to state.
“Making it to state is always a good feeling. You’re technically the top 16 in the state at that point, so it was really rewarding and pretty cool,” Palmer said.
Wrestling to go to state was a lot of pressure for some girls.
“It felt really good making it to state. I was going to be more mad at myself if I didn’t go. I felt like I had to go, so making it was a relief and just knowing no matter what I placed, I was going to make it, but I was more worried about my seedings for state,” Bischoff said.
After they won at districts, they were excited. When Smith won, she jumped in the air and ran to her coach.
“After I won, I got really happy and then I saw my coach and a lot of my team and the guys' team cheering me on, so it just felt really rewarding and I had a lot of people supporting me in my corner,” Palmer said.
At state, Bischoff was the only girl to make it to the finals. She won and became a two time state champion.
“When I won for the second time, I was really nervous that I would even get to that spot. I was scared I couldn’t repeat it because I had all that pressure, so when I did it was such a relief to kinda have that feeling over and just know I did it,” Bischoff said.
The girls each are doing many things to improve and keep getting better for next season.
“I try to go to the gym every morning before school,” Bischoff said.
“I’m going to do a lot of off season wrestling and get back in the gym to try to become a better version of myself,” Palmer said.
The wrestling program is like a family. They all support and are there for each other.
“We became a family. We all worked together really well and we did what it took to have the best season as a team we could,” Palmer said.
The girls that placed at state were Bischoff, first place, Eddleman 4th place, and Sanders 6th place.
By Kyleigh Tye
Picture by Claire Fieth
Written February 2025
The OHS Boys' wrestling team went to State despite setbacks that some of the wrestlers experienced over the season.
Brady Jones, senior, said that he doesn't really think about competing at this level.
“We have seen much tougher competition with the tournaments we go to and the bigger schools that we see,” Jones said.
Jones said that a big achievement for him this year was the Bobcat Classic Tournament.
“We faced bigger-sized schools out of Kansas, and I went into the tournament unseeded. I ended up fighting my way to the finals, upsetting many on my way there,” Jones said.
Jones placed 2nd at the Bobcat Classic Tournament.
Jones said that the biggest challenge for him this year was “definitely getting my mental side of the sport straightened out. We are trained to sprint the mile, but without a relentless mindset, it’s easier said than done.”
Blaine Wallace, sophomore, said that it feels good to compete at this level.
“There are many good wrestlers on this team and in our class, and to be at the top of our class means a lot,” Wallace said.
Wallace said that he's had to deal with some injuries this season.
“The hardest part is trying to get healthy, stay in the room, and keep it at 100%,” Wallace said.
Wallace got 1st in the 132 weight class. Jones got 2nd in the 126 weight class. Kamden Hooper got 2nd in the 138 weight class. Jet Brown got 1st in the 144 weight class.
Caiden Davison got 5th in the 150 weight class. Michael Scott placed 3rd in the 175 weight class. The Dawgs took 1st in their State class as a team.
By Luke Ellison
Edited by Bachman-Twombly
Pictures by Faith Harvey and Holly Tittsworth
Written February 2025
Captain X Games is at Main Event for the first time March 12.
“We have Captain X Games to promote inclusion by bringing people with and
without disabilities together,” T’Quia Bandy, OHS librarian and Unified Club Sponsor, said.
This is the second time Bandy has been involved in organizing Captain X Games.
“I have been involved in Captain X Games for 4 years,” Tammy Jumet, OHS paraprofessional, said.
Jumet's job is to go around checking on other groups to make sure they are having fun and that they don't need anything. Jumet is also responsible for groups getting to the next part of the games.
Lilli Martin, junior, participated because
she wanted to learn more about being herself.
There was Laser Tag, Bowling, Ropes, and drawing.
“Fun stuff to do for everyone, because you hang out with friends and other people from different schools.” Jefferey Inman, junior, said.
Jumet is excited about Captain X Games because it is going to be at a different venue this year and Martin is excited to see her friends compete and see herself improve.
Students are very excited and it was a different experience.
By Kyleigh Tye
Pictures by Kyleigh Tye
Written January 2025
The JV Boys Basketball team’s motto is “WE>ME”, meaning that they are better as a team than individually.
Brock Barker, freshman starter, said that they want to grow as a team.
“A lot of people are saying that this is a building year. Teamwork is a big part of building the team,” Barker said.
With the new coaching staff, this year was about the players connecting with the coaches.
“We have multiple kids that are freshmen now and have something to work on so we can be at our best for next year and moving forward,” Barker said.
Mark Crowley, boys JV basketball coach, said some of the team's goals are to improve skills and teamwork.
“[The boys] have done a really good job of learning how to play like a team and have been doing a great job of playing for each other,” Crowley said.
Parker Nye, sophomore starter, said that another goal they have is to go undefeated.
”Last year, some of us were on C Team, so it is a chance to show how much we have improved,” Nye said.
Crowley said that the end of the season went well. “Our players continued to play really hard and improved their game over the length of the season,”.
The JV Boys finished their season 6-6.
Story and Pictures by Claire Fieth
Written February 2025
OHS senior basketball player Landon Linkhart struggles, knowing his last season has come to an end.
“It sucks, ending basketball. I don't sleep to be completely honest. I don't sleep. I loved basketball, and now it's no more. I’m lying awake at 1:28 am,” Linkhart said.
Basketball has always impacted Linkhart.
“It's my favorite thing ever. When I get mad, it helps and it keeps me from doing a lot of dumb things, like if I am sad, I grab my ball, if I am mad, I grab my ball, if I am happy, I grab my ball. I love basketball and love my boys,” Linkhart said.
On the other hand, Aiven Miller senior is sad about basketball, but ready to graduate.
“It was pretty good, and a lot of fun. I have played it since I was a little kid. I was never really good at it, but it's helped me make a lot of friends. I am so excited to graduate and get out of here with my boys,” Miller said.
Linkhart is scared about his life after graduation.
“It's scary. I'm going to be an adult soon, and I'm going to have to do adult things like bills, taxes, and all that stuff. It's a little scary because what if I mess it up and I get tax evasion,” Linkhart said.
Will Fox, new head basketball coach at OHS, is admired by his players.
“He was chill, I liked him a lot, he has a good personality, and he knows the sport very well. He is a good coach all around, and he is pretty easy to get along with, someone who has a good personality. You have a good season when you get along with your coach,” Linkhart said.
Miller agreed that Fox was a good coach that helped players and the basketball culture at OHS.
Linkhart and Miller are going to continue their education after high school.
“I am going to college, study something in psychology or sports medicine. Depending on where I go, will decide if I do psychology, because some schools don't have a psychology program or sports medicine, and if they only have one, it's an easy decision,” Linkhart said.
“I am going to play football at Ottawa, it's in Kansas,” Miller said.
To end their last season, these players made unforgettable memories.
“This season was probably hugging my dad after we lost. I didn't want to lose and then we lost. It was very sad. My dad and I both shed a tear. We talked about the game and he said I played good,” Linkhart said.
“Air balling my half-court shot on senior night and whenever Landon hit that tough buzzer beater at half time vs Oak Grove,” Miller said.
Linkhart said this was his favorite season out of all four.
“I enjoyed this season. This season was probably my favorite out of all four,” Linkhart said.
By Luke Ellison
Written January 2025
OHS students participated in unified basketball at Lexington High School on January 30.
“In winter, there aren't many sports that we can do inside at this time. It is also basketball season,” Melinda Armstrong, special education teacher, said.
Unified Basketball is an annual event for area athletes with mental and physical disabilities.
“In the past, they have always done around Valentine's Day. Valentine's Day is on a Friday, so they chose a date that was close to Valentine's Day and a day that Lexington's school is available,” Armstrong said.
OHS unified athletes compete in three main events throughout the school year. Basketball at Lexington has been one of those three main events for the past 4 years.
Cody Alkire, junior, has played for 3 years and Lilly Edwards, freshman, has played for only 1 year. Both are members of the OHS unified basketball team.
“I like the skills test because it’s just fun,” Alkire said.
Students practice during gym class, 3 days a week. Edwards did not get to practice much this year, but still enjoyed playing.
“You meet new people and make new friends,” Edwards said of why she enjoys unified basketball.
Overall, students enjoyed playing in the Lexington tournament. Edwards was excited to go to meet new people.
“We got out of school and I like to hang out with Coach Wolfe,” Alkire said.
The next unified event is scheduled on Valentine's Day in Higginsville.
By Claire Fieth
Pictures by Claire Fieth
Written January 2025
OHS JV wrestling is building bonds on and off the mat.
“Creating bonds with everyone like Jet Brown, sophomore, and Kamdom Hooper, sophomore, and Michael Scott, sophomore, we all have a great bond, and it's amazing with everyone,” Jansen Todd, junior, said.
Wrestlers make friendships during the seasons that can last a lifetime.
“The biggest connection I have had was with Kamdon Hooper. I just got close to him this year and we created a very strong bond with each other. It sounds like we are a couple but we are not,” Todd said.
Bob Uhrlaub, a freshman, said he became good friends with Will Scott, freshman, through wrestling.
“I got close to Jansen Todd through wrestling. I have also made a ton of other friendships through wrestling,” Lucas Martin, junior, said.
Along with creating bonds, the team has individual reasons to wrestle.
Todd said the best thing about wrestling is winning.
“The hard work builds character. It's a really good sport. I enjoy it,” Martian said.
Affolter said he enjoys the physical part of wrestling.
“I like that it's a challenge and gives you something to work and improve on,” Uhrlaub said.
The wrestlers all had different reasons for starting.
“I mainly started because of Kamdon Hooper. He was forcing me to and I didn't want to, but I have had a blast so that's why I started wrestling because of Kam,” Todd said.
Martian said he started when he was little while Uhrlaub started in middle school.
“I started in middle school and my coaches really talked me into it. They had been for a while,” Uhrlaub said.
Affolter used to wrestle his friends until his parents signed him up.
“When I was little, I used to take my friends down, and then my mom and dad just signed me up for wrestling,” Affloter said.
Throughout the seasons, the wrestlers have made good memories. Todd's favorite memory is winning.
“At one tournament, I was wrestling this kid who was so mad that he lost, and he goes into the bathroom, slammed the stall door shut, screaming. You can see his coach walk in after him and it was the funniest thing ever. I have never laughed so hard in my life,” Todd said.
Martian said that winning and winning a lot is his favorite memory.
Uhrlaub’s favorite memory was getting his first varsity win.
“I had my first varsity win last week at 215 that was pretty cool,” Uhrlaub said.
Affolter's favorite memory was pinning a state champion.
To end the season Martian only lost two matches one in varsity and one on jv.
“The season was alot of fun and it was a very successful season with only two losing matches, I can’t wait to keep improving and see what next season has in store” Martian said.
Todd said it was cool watching his friends win state
“It was pretty cool watching my friends go to state, it was fun going down there to watch them wrestle,” Todd said.
By Aliyah May
Picture Courtesy of Brea Ray
Posted 12/27/24
Almost everyone has heard about cheer and what it is, but not everyone knows what goes into cheer and how hard the members work.
“I wish people knew that cheer is definitely a sport. Just because we don't have a ball, doesn't mean we’re not a sport. We put in the same effort and work as any other sport does,” Emmalyn Montes, a freshman cheerleader, said.
The cheerleaders spend hours performing at assemblies, games, parades, helping with little league and having many competitions throughout the year.
“One of the toughest challenges is the high stakes of the sport. You only get one chance to deliver a flawless routine,” Brea Ray, cheer coach, said. “It’s a humbling reminder of the dedication, resilience, and grace required in this demanding yet rewarding sport.”
Cheerleading, just like any other sport at a school, has its ups and downs and tough moments.
“The bad part about cheer is not getting the recognition we deserve from out school even though we put in endless hours of cheering on the sideline for almost every sport on top of practicing for our competitions,” Marley Prado, senior cheerleader, said.
Cheerleaders still put in their all and try their hardest to do their best to entertain and pump up the crowd.
“It sets you up for success because you're working hard, you're pushing yourself to be the best, and you're with people who are doing the same. It really is a great environment,” Montes said.
The positive environment continues to grow in the ongoing year as more kids from the middle school join cheerleading.
“This year of cheer is a rebuilding year. We have a very young team, but we have improved so much since the beginning of the season,” Prado said.
There is always room to improve individual members and team skills, but the team has also improved a lot from the years before.
“Compared to last year, I’ve noticed improvements in skills and confidence, athletes are executing more advanced stunts and tumbling skills. There’s also been significant growth in teamwork and communication.” Ray said.
The cheer team will be performing at the next home boys varsity basketball game on January third.
By Makayla Cole
Photos Courtesy of Melissa Hundley
Posted 12/27/24
OHS FFA is home to a variety of events, but the most precise is Trap Shooting.
While practicing they shoot 50 Clay pigeons, and at competitions, they shoot 100. Along with precise shooting, members have a strict set of requirements they need to meet.
“For a student to participate on the OHS Trap Team, they must be a current FFA Member, meet OHS eligibility requirements, and have obtained a Hunter Safety Certification from the Missouri Department of Conservation,” Gene Collins, head Trap coach, said.
According to Collins he appreciates being the coach for trap shooting
“As the Head Coach, I enjoy the opportunity to work with the athletes to develop safe practices and advance their shooting skills,” Collins said. He takes pride in his shooting athletes.
“The coaches know what they're talking about they know how to teach kids with the proper angles,” Jonathan Ostermeyer, FFA Trapshooter in squad 1, said.
“I like shooting, it's my happy place,” Kayla Jeffers, FFA Trapshooter in squad 1, said.
For practices the Trap Shooters meet “once a week on Tuesdays,” Ostermeyer said.
“Every month, we have a competition,” Jeffers said. “During the competition, we switch places every 10 Clay pigeons for 5 rounds.” After 5 rounds, they take a break and come back and do the same thing again, bringing them to a total of 100 Clay pigeons.
“Athletes earn their spots on the squads based on their average shooting scores,” Collins said.
“I enjoy hunting and shooting guns, and began Trap Shooting as a hobby before becoming the trap coach at OHS,” Collins said.
Join FFA and see if you have what it takes to be in Trap Shooting.
By Kyleigh Tye
Pictures by Emma Jones and Faith Harvey
Posted 12/27/24
The Girls Wrestle team is already four weeks into their season. Last season, the team finished 3rd in the state.
Matthew Van Hoecke, assistant coach, is optimistic about this season.
“This season, our team has continuously improved. From placing third at state last year, we can see improvement in our technique, effort, and accountability,”
Van Hoecke said. “We have performed well at our last two tournaments and duals. We are now healthy and, I feel, more acclimated for success this year.”
According to Van Hoecke, the team's goals are the same as last season.
“Our goals remain the same. We want to win the team title at state. We practice for success in February,” Van Hoecke said.
Faith Harvey, sophomore, and Isabella Palmer, junior, both agreed that they are ready for the season and have a great staff to support them.
When Harvey was asked if she had any goals for herself, she replied that she would like to qualify for state. With a major setback injury in middle school, this is Harvey’s first season back.
“[The injury was] very stressful. Definitely scared in the beginning; just trying to get back in the flow of things and can’t wait to see what I can accomplish this season,” Harvey said.
“[Coach Dayton Brown is] an amazing addition to our team! He is going to help us reach our goals and make us better every day,” Palmer said.
The girls are striving for a Team state title this season.
Last season, the girls sent 8 wrestlers to compete in state: Emily Bischoff, junior, Addison Eddleman, senior, Brianna Ford, alumni, Wylie Smith, junior, Isabella Palmer, junior, Brooke Butler, senior, and Emma Mahan, junior. Bischoff placed 1st in the 130 weight class.
By Claire Fieth
Photo Courtesy of Blaine Wallace
Posted 12/27/24
OHS Boy’s wrestling team kicked the season off with a varsity tournament in Iowa which showed the players tough competition from other states.
“It was good to see where you were at starting for the season. We had a lot of tough competition from Minnesota, a lot good teams from Iowa like Bendorf and a couple of good teams from Michigan,” Caiden Davidison, junior, said.
Gabe Studdard, senior, thought it was a good experience and it was a tough competition. “It was so cool to see people from other states wrestle,” Studdard said.
“It was a good tournament to start off the season, it showed us a lot of things we needed to work on and fix going through the rest of the season. It wasn't easy getting to the finals match, all the kids I wrestled were ranked top 3 from Illinois or Iowa. I took 2nd,” Blaine Wallace, sophomore, said.
Ethan Kimmel, junior, had a rough time at the tournament, but it showed him the tough competition from the surrounding states.
With the season beginning, athletes have things they’re excited for.
“I'm most excited about growing and learning with the team and becoming closer to each other and becoming a big family,” Wallace said.
Jet Brown, sophomore, is excited to be with his great team and better himself everyday.
“I am excited for growing closer as a family and as a team,” Kamdom Hooper, sophomore, said.
Jansen Todd, junior, is excited to wrestle with Brown and Hooper, and also improving every day.
Studdard is looking forward to going back to back at state and improving everyday at practice.
“I am most excited for state, of course. To get to compete with my group of friends; we won it last year and hopefully we win again this year,” Davidson said.
Brady Jones, senior, is excited to compete at a higher level this season.
Players have individual improvements in mind that they want to achieve to improve their team as a whole.
“We are going to improve by having leadership and keeping people in the right mindset throughout the season and always working on getting better and getting ready for the next things ahead of us,” Wallace said.
Brown is going to improve by wrestling people that challenge him working hard everyday doing stuff before and after practice. Hooper is improving by working hard everyday and giving one hundred percent effort every time he steps on the mat.
“Trusting the process and working hard with my brethren throughout the room,” Studdard said.
Jones isn't going to focus on winning all the time, but focusing on the process.
“I am gonna improve by staying after practice, working on my footwork and my shot development,” Davidson said.
With last year ending with a state championship, the team wants to achieve this again.
“I think we have a really good chance to repeat as state champs and bring it all home again. We have a lot to work on, but I think in the end we can get it done,” Wallace said.
Hooper said the team is going to grow more together and hopefully win state again.
“I think this season is going to be very exciting. I am just grateful to be out here and be able to compete with all my friends and family,” Brown said.
Todd thinks they're all going to do well individually and he is excited to see what everyone is capable of doing.
“We're gonna beat everybody and gonna beat everyone’s face in and win every match and we're not gonna lose a single match,” Studdard said.
Jones thinks the season is going to be good and thinks the team has to set some things straight and keep practicing hard.
“I feel like we are gonna win it all conference districts and state,” Kimmel said.
Davidson predicts that the team will take conference, districts and state again.
By Luke Ellison
Photo Courtesy of OHS Admin.
Posted 12/27/24
This year in Winter Esports, Pokemon Unite is being played for the first time.
“I do not pick the games that are played. The Missouri Scholastic eSports Federation (MOSEF) decides what titles to offer during each season and we play those,” Wittman said.
Jasper Lunceford, senior, played eSports in the past.
“I don’t know much about Apex but I do know Pokemon Unite is just like League of Legends but with Pokemon, you score points in your opponents goals,” Lunceford said.
Here is how long it takes to play a match of Pokemon Unite.
“Matches of PU last about 10 minutes and the series is best of 3 so in total matches should take about 45 minutes with setup time,” Wittman said.
Pokemon Unite is played in Teams of 5.
“Teams of 5 compete and rosters can be up to 9 players. With a Varsity and a JV team, we can have up to 18 students,” Wittman said.
ESports is scheduled to play games on Mondays for JV and Tuesday and Thursdays for Varsity according to Wittman.
Lunceford is considering playing Pokemon Unite this upcoming season.
“I've been gaming since I was 4, my mom gave me her SNES and a Wii. My first video game played was Super Smash Bros. Brawl, or Super Mario World, I can’t remember(which one),” Lunceford said.
OHS Football Surpasses Expectations, Aiming to Win Districts Back-To-Back
By Claire Fieth
Photos Courtesy of John Carmody
Posted 12/27/24
OHS Football had two main goals in mind: surpass expectations, and win districts back-to-back. In the end, this was achieved.
“As a team, we decided we wanted to win districts at the beginning of the season. We thought that was a very doable goal and we got it,” Gabe Studard, senior, said.
“We exceeded the expectations that everyone had for us this year and that was really good,” Dalton Cates, senior, said.
“A lot of people doubted us at the start of the season and they didn't think we would be as good as we were and we made it to the quarter finals, so I felt like it was a great season for us as a young team,” Amaury Powell, junior, said.
With these main goals in mind, players also set personal goals for themselves to achieve this season.
“Mine was to get more varsity yards than I did last season and more tackles than I did the year previous,” Cole Westerhold, sophomore, said.
Cates wanted to kick his field goals farther than he did the previous year, succeeding.
“My personal goal was to get first in all state and then as a team really was to be back to back district champs and we got it,” Kade Caroll, junior, said.
Drake King's sophomore goal was to win districts and get more playing time.
“I just wanted to have a successful senior season and impact my team in a positive way and lead well,” Studard said.
“I am just gonna keep working on my craft and getting better and as a team I think next year they just need to step up as leaders and just keep doing their thing they're gonna win state,” Avien Miller, senior, said.
Powell said some of his goals included making the all-conference first seed and have at least ten touchdowns. He felt he accomplished a lot of his goals making it a pretty good season.
Winning districts became most players' favorite memories from the season, along with the Harrisonville game.
“Favorite memory was beating Harrisonville cause they missed the field goal, absolutely shanked it and that was pretty lit cause it was just a solid game overall,” Studard said.
“My favorite was when we beat Oak Grove twice and beat them for the district championship,” Mason Rider, senior, said.
“Favorite memories were the first game of the season, a big third down stop at the goal line. I got a sack that was probably my favorite memory and also beating Harrisonville and the district championship vs Oak Grove,” Carol said.
Cates's favorite memory was when he ran for a first down. He thought it was pretty epic since he was a punter.
OHS Cross Country
By Claire Fieth
Pictures by Faith Harvey
Posted 12/27/24
OHS Cross Country had a lot of improvement from last year.
“As a team, it went pretty well and better than last year,” Jaden Hollingsworth, junior, said.
Aailyah Sanders, junior, also says as a team they were very successful and made a lot of improvements. Throughout the season Hollingsworth and Sanders had personal goals they wanted to achieve.
“My goal was to run a time in the 22's and to make it to state. I did not have many goals for the team because the girls did not have a full team, but my goal was to make sure everyone on the team was enjoying the sport and having a good time,” Sanders said.
“My goal was just to be on varsity again which I barely did. As a team it was to go to state,” Hollingsworth said.
During the season the team made fun memories along the way.
“My favorite memories would be running with Brodie and Gabby and gossiping and also running at Gans Creek where I got my pr,” Sanders said.
Hollingsworth said when they played ultimate football on the field the spaghetti dinner was his favorite.
By: Claire Fieth
Photo courtesy of Evan Pingel
12/27/24
OHS girl's golf ended this year with a 6-8 record, improving from the previous season.
“I think that this season was great personally and as a team. We only won 1 match last year and this year we won 6,” Kyleigh Tye, sophomore, said.
“This year I did great and placed first in a few matches and our team did as well,” Anna King, junior, said.
Emelia Unruh, sophomore, also felt they played well and was excited about the wins. This season the team had team goals and personal goals. Unruh had the team goal of placing 5th at conference as a team.
“My personal goals were, getting my PR and just getting better at my game overall. As a whole team, our goal was to win more matches and to get 5th at conference,” Tye said.
“As a whole our goal was to place at conference and we did,” King said. The team placed 5th at the conference meet.
“I was able to accomplish my PR goal at I think the last match of the year,” Tye said.
Throughout the season the team made good memories together along with their progress. Tye says her favorite memory was “when we went to Eldon for districts, we went bowling and had dinner which was super fun.”
King’s favorite memory was getting first and going to districts as a team. Unruh says her favorite memory was the practice round day at districts.
By: Gracie Harget
12/5/24
Photo Creds: Gracie Harget
The OHS girl’s tennis team had a great season. They had a talented group of 13 girls.
Kaylyn Seals, sophomore, and Lily Bellis, sophomore, both thought the season went well.
“As a team we were pretty successful, and individually I did pretty good,” Seals said.
“I believe the season was a success. We were able to have an amazing team and coach throughout the season. Our records were also great. I believe this was a great season for my last year in high school,” Yasamine Carter, senior, said.
The team had two major goals this year. They wanted to do well at conference and districts.
“One of our goals was to do good at conference as a team, and we did. Everyone placed and received a medal,” Seals said.
“We had the goal to make it further in districts, which was achieved. We also wanted to be successful with having a great time playing a sport we all are passionate about and I think we achieved this goal as well,” Carter said.
The team improved incredibly and grew throughout the season this year.
“I think we all grew in communicating with our partners in the match and just obviously getting better throughout the season,” Seals said.
“We improved on our play styles a lot due to our amazing coach's guidance. Our doubles play also improved exponentially. Overall everything was improved I feel,” Carter said.
Even though the team has improved tremendously during the season, they still have things they wish to improve on in the future.
“I hope we’re able to get more girls next year, because our varsity this year was only sophomores and seniors, so they’ll be gone. But I’m very excited for next year and hopefully making it to state,” Seals said.
Carter has a lot of emotions about this year being her last.
“If anything I hope to hear that some made it to state next year because I see the potential and them making it truly. I’ll miss being a part of such a wonderful team,” Carter said.
By: Rollie Platt
Photo Creds: TJ Wittman
12/2/24
Jasper Lunceford, senior, has won the sectional bracket for eSports and is now the Sectional Champion, meaning he will soon be going to the state championship, MOSEF's Fall Brawl, on December 6th in Union, Missouri.
“I’ve been playing since I was like 4, and then going to state for it? feels pretty good,” Lunceford said.
Lunceford has said that his personal favorite part of being in eSports is getting to play video games in a competitive way.
“My favorite part about eSports is knowing that some of the students that aren't involved in any other activity here found a place where they can be involved and be a part of something,” Travis Wittman, eSports coach, said.
Esports are video game competitions. The Odessa team competes against other schools in various games, such as Overwatch, Super Smash Brothers Ultimate, Pokémon Unite, Valorant, and Apex Legends.
The state championship will be held at Piccadilly Palace in Union, Missouri on December 6th. Tickets cost 10 dollars per person.
By: Dawn Anderson
Photo Creds: Claire Fieth
11/22/24
Micheia Gutierrez, head girl's basketball coach, tells us what her goals are for this girls basketball season.
“My goals for this season is to improve some of the building that we did last season, my goal is to also try to win a couple more games this season then we did last.”
Gutierrez is looking forward to, “getting more girls on the team, and all the great returning players, and some good seniors and freshmen coming in.”
Makenna Bass’s goal for this season is, “To get better and hopefully build a better bond with some of the other girls on the team."
Bass is very involved with basketball and is a very positive player.
Bass begins to inform us on why she chose the play this year.
“Honestly the coaching and coaches are really good, they are very positive and uplifting and also my friends are on the team who are very good,” Bass said.
Gutierrez and Bass both want to have lots of wins and good sportsmanship this season.
Come watch the OHS girls play their first game on 12/5/24 at HOME against Wellington.
By: Gracie Harget
11/21/24
Photo Creds: Claire Fieth
The OHS softball season went extremely well this year.
“I feel like this season was extremely successful, and just overall just a very fun season. It was also super fun to make history this season,” Brooklyn Burks, junior, said.
Micheia Gutierrez, head softball coach, felt really good about this season.
“I felt the season went great! I wasn’t nervous about how the team would perform more so just extremely excited to see what all they would accomplish this season. The girls worked so hard and it made it really easy and fun to coach this season,” Gutierrez said.
Before the season started, the team got together and decided on a few team goals they wanted to achieve this season.
“Our first goal was to win conference. To achieve this goal, we focused on one game at a time, one play at a time,” Kiley Thomas, junior, said.
Brena Rider, senior, said another goal the team had was to win districts. The team unfortunately fell short to the Oak Grove Panthers and got second place.
“The girls had a lot of goals this season. They wanted to break records, win conference, win districts, even go to state. Although we didn’t reach all those big goals, we did meet quite a few. We broke several records this year and as a team we had the highest winning record in softball history here at OHS so far,” Gutierrez said.
As the season progressed, the team improved on many things.
“As a team we were able to keep the field errors low, which helped us win games,” Burks said.
“Our team improved a lot on our defense and limiting errors,” Thomas said.
“We improved on a lot of stuff, but I think the main one was learning to play as a team and not as individuals on the field,” Rider said.
“I definitely think we improved in every aspect of the game. Our offense was something we struggled with last year that we really improved on this year. We were hitting consistently throughout the whole lineup, we didn’t have any dead spots,” Gutierrez said.
The team plans to keep on improving and keep their momentum going into next season. They already have many plans on how to improve as a team.
“I would like to see our hitting be better, and for the whole team to be able to put together some hits, and not just a few people. We need everyone to hit to win games,” Burks said.
“I think we can always improve no matter how good we get. I would particularly love to see even more improvement on the offensive side. If we lessen strikeouts, that gives us more opportunities to get on base,” Gutierrez said.
With Rider being a senior, she won’t be able to join the team next year. She still plans on being at the games and wants to watch them win districts next year.
The girl’s season was extremely successful this year. They made history and broke a lot of records. They ended the season with a 23-6 record.
By: Aliyah May
10/28/24
Photo Credits: Kaylyn Seals
With a record of nine wins, two loses, and one tie, the 2024 season has been one of the best for the JV girls tennis team in years.
“I think we really condensed this year into a group of people who actually take the sport seriously, I also think doubles were better paired than they were in the previous years,” Sierra Thompson, senior tennis player, said.
The JV team believes that having a smaller team helped them to be more united this season.
“We have a lot less drama on the team since it’s smaller, and all the girls seem to get along a lot better,” Lukia Hunter, junior tennis player, said. “Also we’ve had more practice drills targeted to each skill we use in tennis and it has made it way easier to be better at each individual thing.”
The team has not just improved individually, but as a team as well.
“My goal is to keep my record with MacKenzi of being undefeated and continue to win and end on a good point,” Danica Johnson, junior tennis player, said.
The team also has the goal of improving enough to win at districts.
“My goal as a team is for everyone to achieve their goals and we can win districts,” Johnson said.
The team hasn’t just thought of the past improvements but in ways to improve for the future years.
“I think being more positive during practice and cheering on teammates could help.” Thompson said, “But I think practicing the same way you play could really help the team improve.”
The record was not the only exciting thing that happened to the tennis team this season. They also got a brand new coach, Kody Wells.
“Kody is wonderful. He has a lot of coaching experience which is nice and I feel like he listens to all of us” Makennah Sophy, a senior tennis player, said, “We have a really good coach and I think he’s setting everyone up for varsity”
Wells is working to build more than just a varsity tennis team, he is working on building sportsmanship and growing good athletes of good character.
“I love to see the growth and progression of other athletes and always make an attempt to instill more than just how to play tennis but how to be a good person to all those I coach. When it comes to playing tennis, I enjoy the thrill of playing for a crowd and being an entertainer that makes the sport fun and exciting” Wells said.
At districts against Clinton, three seniors, Kelsie Rathert, Haley Burke, and Yasmine Carter, and three sophomores, Kaylyn Seals, Lola Walter, and Lillian Bellis all competed. The team ended up sweeping Clinton, winning all singles and doubles matches. In the district tournament doubles, Majorie Muller and Addison Odle from Father Tolton won overall. In tournament singles Seals lost in the semi-finals, and Zaylee Rose from Columbia Independent won overall.
By: Adalyn Dietrich
10/28/24
Photo credits: Megan Distler
Lanyn Sisk, OHS senior, set her 2,000th career assist in volleyball.
Sisk achieved this goal with lots of practice and years of playing.
“She worked hard for it, and deserves to be celebrated,” Kinley Clancy, freshman varsity volleyball player, said.
“Lanyn has worked hard to improve her communication skills. She never gets down and encourages her teammates." Tatum Shipley, senior varsity volleyball teammate, said.
“She’s well deserved this and [I’m] proud,” Shipley said.
Shipley has been Sisk’s teammate since 8th grade and said Sisk had improved throughout her volleyball career.
Sisk has played for 12 years she got into volleyball from her sisters and camp, Sisk has good communication and a good connection with her teammates
They celebrated with flowers and a home game announcement
By: Gracie Harget
Photo credits: Sherri Bagshaw
This year the Odessa Softball team has a new record breaking player on their team. Brena Rider, senior pitcher, just broke the Odessa record for the most strikeouts in a career. Rider beat this record while the team was playing against Harrisonville. The team went on and beat Harrisonville 11-1.
When Rider broke the record her whole team ran to the field and congratulated her. Rider was swarmed with emotions after her record breaking pitch.
“I felt very overwhelmed with excitement and I was just really proud of myself,” Rider said.
Micheia Gutierrez, softball head coach, wasn’t shocked when Rider broke her record.
“Genuinely I wasn’t surprised, she’s been pitching varsity for four years and has helped us tremendously. I knew it was only a matter of time, but the biggest emotion I felt was pride. I’m so so proud of her,” Gutierrez said.
Last year, Rider had a great season. She brought herself closer to the strikeout record. She knew her goal was a possibility.
“I knew it was achievable at the end of last year because I was only like 20 strikeouts away,” Rider said.
Rider has always had a good support system around softball. Her coaches have helped and supported her along the way.
“These past couple years Coach Abby, our pitching coach, has helped me a lot to be able to learn new pitches and perfect/correct the pitches I already had. But also my dad has pushed me so much to be as good as I can be,” Rider said.
“Honestly, her success is all on her own, as well as our pitching coach Abbie Nicas. Brena has worked so hard all four years and I can’t take credit for her reaching these goals. All I did was try to support her and push her because sometimes she just needed a little reminder that she can do more than she thinks,” Gutierrez said.
Rider has been playing softball for as long as she can remember.
“I started playing softball ever since I was old enough to,” Rider said.
While Rider has been playing softball for a long time, Gutierrez only started coaching Rider from freshman year, but she’s seen a lot of improvement from her.
“She’s improved in every aspect of her game. She’s improved her pitching, fielding, hitting, and even her mental game. It’s really special to get to see a kid like Brena, all shy and nervous her freshman year, grow into this strong confident athlete her senior year,” Gutierrez said.
Softball’s record is 16-3 this year and they plan to keep working for as long as they can.
Club stories of 2024-2025
By Aliyah May
Picture courtesy of NHS
Written March 2025
The NHS 2024-2025 year has been packed with many new projects and ideas for the future of the club.
“NHS is a club for people who are wanting to make an improvement in their community and are willing to spend their time to make a better place for all,” Lily Heflin, junior, said.
NHS is not about just being willing to spend time doing community and service projects, It’s also about the impact it can have on the members and how it makes them feel.
“I like being a part of the community because we are able to give back to the community a lot and be able to do a lot of different service projects,” Haley Burke, senior and vice president, said. “It feels good to do that type of stuff for people.”
Many of the students find it fun and enjoyable to help out on different projects, give back to the community and people in the school.
“I’m helping out with the prom dress drive right now and it’s really fun to help out,” Ayana Brown, junior, said. “We had to ask different businesses if we could put a box inside their building to collect the dresses.”
The members who were a part of the Prom Dress Drive put collection boxes in Second Street Nutrition, the Trails Regional Odessa library, and LifePoint Church.
“Someone in my group made a flyer to post on social media and give out. We went to the school before the donkey basketball game and started to give out flyers,” Brown said.
NHS has had a lot of new projects this year including, the prom dress drive, powder puff football, and Mr. Odessa.
“We’ve never had Mr. Odessa so we wanted to bring it because a lot of other schools do it and we thought it would be fun and thought people would like it so this is our first year doing it,” Burke said.
Even though NHS seems like an already packed club with doing projects, getting donations, and finding places to put donation boxes, members have many ideas and hopes for the future.
“I’m hoping we get supported money wise by the school because we used to but now it’s just up to us to make the money, so we can provide more scholarships,” Brown said.
While some matters are outside of the NHS member’s control, there are still plenty that members can do to improve the future of the club.
“I think it would be great for them to continue doing more service projects, in the past years we’ve only done one or two big projects, but this year we’ve done a lot more,” Burke said.
Although the projects are interactive and fun to help out on, NHS is a very high standard club to get invited into. NHS leader Whitney Bachman-Twombly stated that students must have a 4.0 GPA throughout all years and have a certain amount of hours of community service.
“We go through those GPAs at the beginning of junior year, and I invite a list of people. We invite juniors and seniors to join and from there you come in and see if you want to do service,” Bachman-Twombly said.
Even though the NHS is a tough club to be in, it can be very rewarding and can help you in the future.
“There is a scholarship NHS offers and you get a badge when you graduate and you put it on your jacket. It looks really good with colleges,” Brown said.
Coming up, the NHS still has a few events left to do this year including, Mr Odessa on Sunday, May 4, the easter egg hunt on Saturday, April 19, and voting for officers on Wednesday, April 16.
Seniors Bella King, Yasamine Carter (NHS president), and Gretchen Kimmel show of a few of the prom dresses they collected from the community to donate. Donations went to the local clothes closet for students or individuals needing a prom dress. Members were able to collect 50+ dresses this spring.
Senior NHS leaders Yasamine Carter, president, and Haley Burke, vice president, presented the powder puff trophy to the purple junior team at the conclusion of the Sunday showdown. Carter helped run the event by greeting community members, taking donations, and running the sidelines. Burke helped maintain the sidelines as well as participated in the event. The project was taken over by NHS in February and was run by Tatum Shipley, Rylee Adams, and Lanyn Sisk (all seniors). Shirts for participants were printed by HD Graphics and Activities Direct Sherri Bagshaw provided the trophy. Crisa Seals, OHS business teacher, and Will Fox, OHS teacher and coach, were the referees for the game. Barry Blank, OHS coach and ISS teacher, ran the score board and Derek Twombly announced for the event.
By Adalyn Dietrich
Written April/May 2025
OHS FFA chapter sent five teams to the state convention on April 23-25.
At the District CDE (Career Development Event), the Poultry Judging team placed 2nd out of 31 teams. Livestock placed 6th out of 32. Entomology placed 4th out of 32, and Nursery and Landscaping got 9th out of 20. All of these teams qualified for state.
At the District LDE (Leadership development event), FFA Knowledge team was the only one that competed and placed 3rd out of 33 other teams. Knowledge qualified for state.
Knowledge team placed 11th out of 52 teams at state. The team included Andrea Pfetsch, Grace Harvey, Norah Eaton, and Adalyn Dietrich, all freshmen.
The Poultry Judging team, which included Abigayle Lett, senior; Aubrey Rider, junior; Evalynn Miles, freshman; and Tenley Edwards, freshman, placed silver in group 2 at state.
Livestock Judging team includes Kaylee Robinson, junior; Schyler Gates, junior; Jonathan Ostermeyer, sophomore; and Mirandah Turner, junior.
“My favorite part about state was opening ceremony. It was fun to try and practice my lines for when I get inducted as vice president,” Robinson said.
Entomology. This team includes Nathan Knowles, senior; Norah Eaton, freshman; Bella Newman, sophomore; and Ethan Rider, freshman.
“I was at state because I got fifth individually at districts, and our team got a gold rating, so we got to go to state. At state, we were missing a teammate, and so our alternate person had to step up,” Knowles said.
Nursery and landscaping team includes Addisyn Green, sophomore; Harper Dickey, sophomore; Grace Harvey, freshman; and Kinley Clancy, freshman.
“I liked meeting new people and meeting retiring state officers,” Harvey said.
At state, the nursery and landscaping team got group 3 bronze.
Overall, these teams did well, and are excited for our new state vice president, Lett.
Written by Engel Maun
Edited by Bachman-Twombly
Written April/May 2025
OHS FCCLA sponsored “Kiss a Senior Goodbye” where students can purchase a gift of Hersey’s kisses and notes to be delivered to seniors before their last day.
“It all started with an idea — a simple, yet meaningful way to say goodbye to the seniors who have shaped our school community. The FCCLA chapter is always looking for ways to support our school and give feedback, and wanted to do something special for our outgoing seniors. We knew we wanted to raise funds for our chapter, but we needed a unique, fun, and impactful idea,” Ann Skelton, FFCLA Advisor, said.
“We brainstormed ideas, discussing possibilities that ranged from the usual candy cane grams to something different that could capture our school’s spirit. We quickly realized that the Student Council already had the candy cane grams covered, so we decided to get creative,” Norah Eaton, freshman, said.
That’s when the concept of "Kiss a Senior Goodbye" was born.
“We weren’t talking about a literal kiss, but a fun, symbolic
gesture to show how much our seniors mean to us. The idea was simple: we wanted to create a way for everyone to come together and show appreciation for the seniors who had made a lasting impact on our school,” Eaton said.
With the support of our advisor and a team of passionate members, FCCLA launched the first Kiss a Senior Goodbye event during the 23-24 school year. After last year’s success, FCCLA made sure to bring back the event this school year.
“The fundraiser wasn’t just about saying farewell to the seniors but celebrating everything they’d contributed to our school. We wanted to send them off with something special and meaningful,” Skelton said.
FCCLA will use funds raised from “Kiss a Senior Goodbye” to support future projects and attend conferences next school year.
“Our goal wasn’t just to raise money — we wanted to make sure our chapter could continue to provide opportunities for leadership development, community service, and career exploration for all students,” Kylee McElmurry, junior, said.
“Kiss a Senior Goodbye” was a hit in the school. Many students and teachers took the opportunity to send a note to seniors.
“The response was incredible. Students, teachers, and staff embraced the idea. It quickly became a way to connect with our seniors and make them feel appreciated,” Eaton said.
As we say goodbye to another class of seniors, we’re reminded of the power of community, leadership, and giving back.
By Andi Pfestch
Picture Courtesy of Jessica Wade
Written in March 2025
Odessa DECA Chapter is back from State and getting ready for Nationals.
Their state competitions were March 23-25 in Kansas City, MO at Crown Center.
Jessica Wade, chapter sponsor, says that she is content with how State ended up.
“I think that State went really well. Of course, I want everyone to place, but I was happy with the results,” Wade said.
Many of the upperclassmen became finalists for IDCD – International Career Development Conference – which will be held in Orlando, Florida. One of those finalists, Ella Smith, had qualified for ICDC for her third time, which has never happened before in the OHS chapter. Smith placed third in Business Services Research.
Wade claims that the team this year is a strong group as many of them have had experience in DECA. This makes the team more independent, as they know the ropes and are able to plan things such as writing their papers and researching projects.
There was an array of different experiences across the board for the team.
Sarah Booth, freshman, was an alternate for state. This means that she would compete in place of the person above her if they were to not compete. When she competed at districts, she was more anxious than she was at state.
“So when I competed I wasn’t really stressed out or anything. I just felt very chill about it,” Booth said.
Gretchen Kimmel, senior, was a finalist for state and is going to ICDC. She reported a relatively enjoyable time this year as she had the chance to talk to more people.
“Them implementing sticker trading this year got me talking to people who I have never talked to before,” Kimmel said.
DECA is an organization that works with marketing education. To join you have to be in a marketing class with Wade.
They do different community service projects, such as the Halloween costume drive which was run by Scarlett Purrinton, senior. They also teach students how to present and become professional for the future.
There are many opportunities to travel and do different things with the team. In 2024, they went to New York for SCC and this year they get to Orlando, Florida for the ICDC.
That will be their next competition which will be held this April 26-29 and mark the end of this year's competition season.
Book It!
Interviews by Engel Maun
Story edited by Bachman-Twombly
Pictures Courtesy of Pure Life Photography
Written March 2025
Book club was very focused on murder mysteries this year, kicking off with Death on the Nile by Agathan Christie. Other books include: The Neverending Story by Michael Ende, Dracula by Bram Stoker, and Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige.
OHS Book Club went to the Children’s Literature Festival for a second year in a row to meet new authors and learn how some of their favorite books were written.
“I liked how you got to meet a bunch of others and learn about their pasts and how they became an author,” said Faith Thomas, freshman.
Students were able to meet Tom Phillips, Erin Stewart, Jeff Zenter, and Roland Smith this year. Many of these authors had pasts that were interesting to the book club students.
“They were all unique in their own ways, and what their stories were about seemed cool to me,” Thomas said. “Especially when they write about what they did before becoming an author.”
Many authors spoke about their personal writing process and how they incorporated their experiences.
“The speakers were fantastic, and I loved their perspectives on children’s literature,” Grady McMahon, junior, said. “They talked about their life and how they go to become a writer. I would like to see those speakers again.”
Violett Purinton, freshman, and her sister, Scarlett Purinton, senior, would also like to see the authors again.
“All the speakers knew how to make an interesting presentation and inspire young authors,” S. Purinton said.
“I enjoyed getting to hear such passionate people talk about their life’s work,” Norah Eaton, freshman, said. “The topics of anxiety and mental health from one of the speakers were really interesting to hear about.”
Listening to the personal struggles of some of the authors also resonated with Chloe Robinson, freshman.
“Listening to some of them felt as if I wasn’t the only person who dealt with hard times and being excluded,” Robinson said.
Robinson would like to be an author in the future. She enjoyed hearing that her dreams were something achievable and about the publishing process.
“I would love to see those speakers again one day because what they have to say feels like it's helped me with my writing, from the suggestions and how I view failures and hardships in life,” Robinson said.
“I love how the authors were very open,” Emily Robertson, freshman, said. Robertson also enjoyed taking time to stop by the campus Starbucks.
Between listening to authors speak, students are able to use campus amenities at UCM and visit the book fair, featuring guest authors.
Book club meets every Tuesday in Kim McMahon’s, OHS health teacher, room. The club is sponsored by McMahon and Whitney Bachman-Twombly and works to connect students through reading, conversation, and exposure to relatable authors.
By Aliyah May
Written in February 2025
Cooper Jiron, Sadie Booth, and Lola Walter are a few of the many Speech and Debate members who went to districts. Member’s thoughts, emotions and feelings towards districts are all different.
“My schedule is kinda crazy right now, but if it were in a more calm time of year I think I would be excited. Right now, I’m just stressed,” Booth, a junior, said.
While some members are nervous, stressed and anxious, on the other side, many members feel more confident and prepared.
“I think varsity will do great since everybody has been doing well at previous tournaments,” Walter, sophomore, said.
Although the team as a whole seems ready, OHS’s main rival, Oak Grove, is also at districts and is also strong. Booth stated that Oak Grove’s team is good, but Odessa has more natural talent.
“I think we have a good chance against Oak Grove, but they have won against us in the past. So, going into districts, I am cautiously optimistic,” Jiron, senior, said
For the Speech and Debate team and individuals to be talented and win competitions, they have to be ready and practice. The ways members prepare for competitions depends on what event they are doing. Both Speech and Debate JV and Varsity practise and have to put in work to prepare, but the JV and Varsity teams also have differences.
“JV is competitors feeling out their first pieces and learning basic things like events, time limits, blocking, and room etiquette. Varsity, on the other hand, is experienced competitors trying to rehearse their piece at each tournament and learning what does and doesn’t work,” Jiron said.
On February 28 and March 1 Speech and Debate had districts, held at Odessa High School. Jiron got third place in Original Oratory, Booth got third place in Informative Speaking, Walter got 2nd place in Radio, Kaylee Brown got 2nd in Dramatic Interpretation, Rylee Hicklin got 2nd in Humorous Interpretation, and Brooklyn Brown and Katelyn Hollingsworth got 3rd in Duo Interpretation.
Out of Hicklin, Booth, Brown, Jiron and Walters, Walters was the only one to place in state on Saturday, April 26. She stated that she was really grateful and excited to continue Speech and Debate next year. Walter placed 3rd in Radio for state competition.
By Andi Pfestch
Written in February 2025
Odessa Future Business Leaders of America chapter competed in districts February 7, where 14 students made it to state.
A few of which, Grace Smith, Norah Eaton, and Alivia Davis, are excited to compete on a state level for FBLA.
Smith has been in FBLA from freshman year to senior year, competing all four as well as making it to state each year. Smith says that she enjoys it and that it's a great learning opportunity.
“I have had so much fun in FBLA every single year and have learned a lot,” Smith said.
She's competed in many different contests. This year she made it 4th in Organizational Leadership, and in earlier years competed in Intro to Business Presentation twice, Graphic Design, Future Business Educator, Public Service Announcement, and Data Analysis.
Smith predicts there is a great chance that some students will make it to Nationals this year.
Davis, freshman, and this is her first year in FBLA. She competed in Intro to Social Media Strategies and placed fourth.
She says that she's content about her placement and was rather nervous about competing for the first time.
“Competing wasn’t really that hard, it was just me being nervous that I was going to screw everything up,” Davis said.
Davis says that she wants to continue to do FBLA next year.
Eaton is also a freshman who competed for FBLA and placed 1st in Intro to Business Communications. She’s very pleased with her results.
“I am very excited that I got first place. As a freshman, it is accelerating to excel and see just what I can achieve,” said Eaton.
Eaton claims that the snow days were the hardest part of competing, as it got in the way of the testing time frames and caused a large struggle.
But due to the snow, she was able to take the test at home which reduced the stress she had.
Eaton says that she will be coming back to FBLA next year.
“I think I will definitely be continuing FBLA next year. I really enjoyed competing, I like their events, and the competition system is easy to manage and use,” Eaton said.
State was held on April 13-15 in Springfield, Missouri, and we had four students qualify for Nationals in Anaheim, CA: Smith, Jackson Baker, Ella Smith, Robert Kuntze. All of them were first place other than Kuntze who placed 3rd.
By June Mueller
Edited by Bachman-Twombly
Written in Febraury 2025
Bookclub etches their own Neverending Story through shared literature, field trips, and community.
“My favorite thing about book club is our discussions, they get wild and we love to stray off topic into relating things,” Bitha Seward, freshman, said.
Seward said the club was currently reading The Neverending Story by Michael Ende.
“I love the book, it has extreme lows, but also extreme highs,” Seward said.
The group meets every Tuesday, at 4 in Kim McMahon’s, OHS health teacher, classroom.
“I enjoy book club; I enjoy getting to discuss books, picking what to read, and I love being able to see some of my friends and discuss the books we read,” Seward said.
By Adalyn Dietrich
Written in February 2025
Snow postponed the majority of FFA week in school activities, but OHS FFA chapter found ways to celebrate outside of school.
OHS FFA chapter was planning to go to Sunday Church, Sky Zone, Bowling, Top Golf, and the Farm Show. Sky Zone and Top Golf were canceled. FFA held Barnwarming and the annual appreciation breakfast.
Grace Harvey, freshman, went to Barnwarming, church, appreciation breakfast, and farm show. “I had a blast; I can't wait till the dress-up days get rescheduled,” Harvey said.
FFA had to cancel dress up days, but will reschedule. The dress up days included: Dress like your favorite teacher, Camo, Anything but a backpack, and bulldog gear.
FFA week is the week of George Washington's birthday to honor his legacy as an agriculturist and a farmer. FFA members celebrate nationally. FFA chapter and members have events and spirit week.
FFA week is special because, “It gives our members an opportunity to celebrate their organization and spend time with one another while advocating for our industry in the public,” said Gene Collins, FFA advisor.
“It's a time to celebrate the organization's members and its mission to develop leaders in agriculture,” Harvey said.
“I love watching the students enjoy time spent together and growing as individuals,” Collins said.
Despite some cancellations due to snow days, FFA members still had fun during FFA week.
DECA PREPARES FOR DISTRICTS
by Cooper Jiron
Pictures by Jessica Wade
Written January 2025
February 18, DECA members at Odessa High School competed at the district conference held on the UMKC campus.
Depending on their performance placement, they will be able to proceed to the DECA state conference. Forty members of DECA competed in multiple categories throughout the year.
Many members are excited about the opportunity to go to the state conference.
Lola Walters, sophomore Deca member, is one of them. Her goal is “to Win.”
Two older members, sisters Ella and Grace Smith, seniors, are equally excited and determined to get to state.
E. Smith has already had the opportunity to go to the most competitive conference for DECA, ICDC. This is an international DECA conference held in Anaheim, California.
E. Smith's sister, G. Smith shares the same goal.
“I really want to get to stage at state then ICDC,” Smith said.
DECA members' projects are often sourced from the class and planned with Jessica Wade, DECA advisor, so they can have the best strategic plan at districts.
“First, students brainstorm ideas and discuss them with me. We try to spread out our projects among different competitive event categories so that we have the best advantage going into districts,” Wade said.
This is especially important with the large size of DECA this year.
“This year, we have 22 projects with a written and presentation component. We have several other events as well,” Wade said.
This year, after competing at the state level, six members including E. and G. Smith, qualified for ICDC.
Scholar Bowl: Where Knowledge Meets Competition
Story and Picture by Makalya Cole
Written January 2025
Macey Begemann, senior scholar bowl captain, wants to increase her team's numbers and have fun.
Cerise Friedrich, freshman scholar bowl member, explained the difficulties of competitions.
“They are just random questions. You don't know what you're going to get. They’ll ask you a question, and you just have to buzz as fast as possible,” Cerise Friedrich said.
“The hardest part of Scholar Bowl is the literature questions,” Colton Friedrich, junior scholar bowl member, said.
Scholar Bowl is “a battle of what you learn at school and pop culture. It's very competitive, very knowledgeable,” Begemann said.
Average competitions are between at least 3 different schools. Scholar bowl practices weekly to prepare for these competitions.
For some students, Scholar Bowl provides an opportunity to stay engaged beyond their usual activities
Scholar Bowl “is something that I can fill my time up with especially since all my school spots are taken by Band and Choir,” Cerise Friedrich said.
Begemann, a member since her freshman year, also enjoys the time spent with teammates.
“Once I came here and saw that they had a scholar bowl, I was intrigued and joined. I gained a lot of new friends through it,” Begemann said.
“Macey has shown us what it means to be a good team player along with a good team captain,” Colton Friedrich said.
Faith, Fellowship, and Fun
by June Mueller
Pictures by Kyleigh Tye
Posted: 4/4/2025 (Written January 2025)
FCS, Fellowship of Christian Students, comes together to pray and read testimony.
FCS sponsored a morning service open to the Odessa community February 2.
“It’s student-led and it’s like a church service, but it’s like student testimony,” Kyleigh Tye, sophomore, said. “Usually we have a teacher or a guest speaker that comes and shares their testimony with us.
”Members meet on Thursday mornings to plan events and read scripture together.
“We start by praying and whoever is leading that week will lead us in a devotional and then we all get in a circle and pray for the day,” Tye said.
Students lead more than meetings, they also lead their larger events like Courts for Christ.
“My favorite thing is definitely the student speaker because you get to hear their testimonies and how they got through it,” Jordyn Loehr, junior, said.
Loehr also likes to hear the main speaker talk about their troubles and what they have been through at Courts for Christ.
“Court For Christ is so fun to attend and we have multiple other schools because we reach out to multiple that are surrounding us,” Loehr said.
"It’s just nice to see everyone join and have some of the adult’s come too and we have some kids and you can interact and you can also create friendships that can last from your school,” Loehr said.
Unified Esports, What is it?!
Story and Pictures by Isabella Smith
Posted 4/4/25 (written January 2025)
T’Quia Bandy, OHS librarian, and Melinda Armstrong, special education teacher, work together as advisors for Unified Esports.
Esports practices are held on Tuesdays and competitive game days are on Wednesdays in room 50 from 3:00 to 4:00 P.M at the Odessa High School.
“Unified Esports is a competitive gaming experience that unites people of all abilities on the same team,” Bandy said. “Our Unified Esports team is made up of Special Olympics athletes and Unified Partners, and the purpose of Unified Esports or any unified activity is to foster understanding, inclusion, and friendship through shared sports experiences.”
After school, Unified eSports set up MarioKart on the TV and computer screens for students to practice and enjoy.
Armstrong helps out with Unified Esports because it's where her students participate.
“The benefits of helping Unified Esports is bringing students together and watching students interact with each other, “ Armstrong said.
Neveah Hillburn, freshman, Tristan Worts, sophomore, and Nick Hales, senior all participate in Unified Esports. They would all recommend Unified Esports to kids that like to play games, relax, and hang out with friends.
“Yes, I do like Unified Esports. You get to hang out and compete with friends, meet new people, and after everyone is done playing the rounds we get gold medals for winning,“ Hillburn said.
These kids have different points of view for their favorite map, character, and car in MarioKart.
Hilburn's favorite map is Underwater, favorite character is Rosalina, and favorite car is motorcycle. Worts's favorite map is Rainbow Road, along with Hale’s favorite map is Rainbow Kart, favorite character is custom Miis, and favorite car is 2 wheelers.
Students of Unified Esports are looking for new members and welcome everyone.
eSports is About Students Playing Games
by Engel Maun
Pictures by Whitney Bachman-Twombly
Published 4/4/25 (written January 2025)
Esports participants enjoy staying after school to game and chat with their teammates.
Joining an esports team offers fun, but demands a significant time commitment.
"The hardest and easiest are practically impossible to choose. For me personally, it's time that's the hardest. Because of my family, certain weeks will leave me with only two days of actual free time after school and the easiest is simply playing the games itself,” Izen Sprague, freshman, said.
The social aspect is a plus, building friendships and a sense of teamwork, is crucial for success in these multiplayer games.
“I have friends in there and we all get stuff done, so in the end at least something is accomplished,” Sprague said.
However, limited free time can make it challenging to excel both academically and in the games. The decision to join hinges on whether you can manage your time effectively and prioritize accordingly.
By June Mueller
Photo Courtesy of Missouri Department of Transportation
Posted 12/27/24
Traction is about safety behind the wheel.
Kim McMahon, OHS health teacher, took over as co-sponsor of Traction after the previous sponsor, Angie Sallee, left OHS. McMahon is passionate about bringing the lessons from her classes to students’ everyday lives with a club.
“I have came across too many who have been involved in accidents who have either not survived or have survived with serious injuries due to not wearing their seatbelt, as well as my grandfather was killed by somebody who was a distraction driver,” McMahon said.
Traction participates in the Buckle Up, Phone Down campaign with the Missouri Department of Transportation. They work to have students and staff pledge to use safer driving practices and bring awareness to the dangers if they do not.
McMahon and her co-sponsor Kyra Walsh, Odessa Schools Instructional Coach, are working on shaping the club in their vision this year.
“So right now we are just kinda transitioning. It’s a building area for us because our original sponsor had moved on, so me and another teacher actually took over and this is our first year. We’re just trying to build members as well as like just trying to get some events,” said McMahon.
Traction is a student led organization. McMahon and Walsh are working to guide students into not just joining, but developing creative activities to interest and educate their peers.
“We are currently setting at about 33 members of all grades so we have sophomores, freshmen, joiners so all across. So, if anyone is interested in helping in making our community a little bit safer and getting the word out and having fun and being a part,” McMahon said.
Story by Engel Maun
Pictures by Whitney Bachman-Twombly
Published 12/2/24
NHS inducted 25 new members on Wednesday, November 13th.
“The process of getting into nhs is kinda challenging. First you have to get 50 service hours and also have a GPA above 3.5. You also have to fill out an application and get chosen by a group of teachers with the application,” Claire Fieth, senior NHS historian, said.
This year, students were asked to make a presentation that represented them for the faculty council.
“After submitting the application, the officers reviewed them as well as their teacher recommendations to see if they are a good standing student. After that they were sent to the faculty council for further review and then sent their acceptance letters,” Yasamine Carter, senior NHS president.
Rylee Adams, senior NHS secretary, felt completing the application was time consuming and the most difficult part of the process.
“I would say it is an extensive process, you have to be a well organized and determined student to want to pursue NHS, and those people are the ones who get in and are the best in our school,” Haley Burke, senior NHS vice president, said.
All NHS officers interviewed said they were happy to have gone through the process. They enjoy the community involvement, service projects, and leadership opportunities.
“I absolutely love being a part of this prestigious organization. This club allows me to be more connected with my school and community. I have the opportunity to make a difference for my community and school. Offering our amazing service projects is absolutely wonderful. I also love being able to lead such a great group of students that work hard to give back as well,” Carter said
By: Aliyah May
Photo Creds: Faith Harvey
11/22/24
DECA projects not only help the Odessa Community, they also fundraise for DECA and helps students build skills for the future
“They are a way for us to learn project management but above that to me it is a way to help give back to the community.” Scarlett Purinton, a senior DECA member said.
Many students and staff who aren’t in DECA may wonder why DECA projects are important. Well they aren’t just important because they help out the community but also because they help out the students as well
“Personally, I think if a student goes through my DECA program, once they graduate they’ll have experience with any kind of coming up with a marketing plan for a business, conducting a full scale marketing research, (and) study. it’s important to me because when students can leave high school with all the skills, they definitely have a kind of advantage over other people who haven't done those things.” Jessica Wade said.
There are a lot of different types of DECA projects so students have a lot of choices for their projects, all that will help the students in the future.
“There are different types. Community service, awareness, community giving, financial literacy, business solutions and career development and sales.” Haley Burke, senior DECA member said.
Students have DECA projects that have many uses, from community service to raising money.
I'm hosting a veteran days breakfast project, on november 8th. I knew I wanted to do a community service project of some sorts and I knew the school didn't have a veterans day since covid and I thought it would be a good way to bring veterans back into the community.” Burke said.
Purinton had a Halloween costume drive for those who can’t afford them.
“My project had two main points, getting costume donations to bring to Helen's house so they can disperse them to the people in the community and then the bake sale to help provide for halloween.” Purinton said.
DECA projects aren’t something that are just thrown together quick and easy. In reality a lot of work goes into creating DECA projects.
“It’s a lot of work and people don't realize that. We do a whole list of planning, so we have to do a paper and a project so we have to make sure we know what the problem is and make goals. And for the planning and organizing we have to makes sure we have a schedule and management plan as well as figure out our risk management to prepare for any situation to happen, also having a budget” Burke said.
DECA projects can’t just thrive on only the hard work of the DECA students. They also need support from students and staff outside of DECA.
“A good way that people can help is when there is a DECA project either asking for donations or for volunteers in to help provide the times and items they may need” Purinton said.
It is simple to support DECA projects.
“Just by participating, like whenever we have the dodgeball tournament, to sign up and have a team for dodgeball. Or when we have any kind of a drive, to bring in pet supplies or clothing or whatever it is, whenever we ask for stuff like that. Or you know, sign up to be in the pickleball tournament,” Wade said.
This year's DECA projects have been very promising and very good. Burke stated that this year’s projects are all very diverse and unique.
“I do feel like we put out pretty quality projects in all honesty, but obviously there is always room for improvement, so I would just say, especially when I have students who come back year after year and they do projects they can reflect on how their projects went in previous years and build on what they think is good for them personally, and to improve themselves personally,” Wade said.
Next time there is a DECA project at the school, you can go down and support, even just being there can help the members and community.
FFA Barnwarming
By Adalynn Dietrich
Published 12/2/24
Odessa High School FFA’s barnwarming on Nov 8 was canceled due to too many schools participating in district football.
“Barnwarming is homecoming but FFA style,” Harper Dickey, sophomore FFA vice president, said. “All of Area 6 comes to it”.
Missouri is split into different areas and our area is 6.
300 people were supposed to come. It was at McQuerry and the theme was disco cowboy.
The theme is going to be the same still when they reschedule.
The FFA chapter is planning to reschedule during FFA week in February.
Gene Collins, chapter advisor, saw that only a few people RSVPd, so he and Austin Ray, co-chapter advisor, decided to cancel it.
“The majority of schools no longer had students want to come due to football” Ray said.
In the December meeting of the FFA Chapter, they will decide when they want to reschedule it.
By: Dawn Anderson
10/28/24
OHS Deca students are fundraising their way to competitions by selling snacks at the Deca Diner.
OHS Deca Diner is led by Jessica Wade, a marketing teacher who is also in charge of Deca.
OHS Deca students don't get their field trips and or competition trips paid for, so they found a solution by selling food and drinks at the Deca Diner.
Brady Glynn, an OHS senior chapter president of Deca tells us what is sold at the Diner.
“We sell lots of things, anything from frozen microwavable goods, to bags of chips, breakfast foods, drinks, such as coffee, soda, tea, energy drinks, and all types of candy.” Glynn said.
Glynn also told us about the hours.
“The Deca Diner is available everyday of the week, before school and after school for a short amount of time. It's also open between each passing period and lunch. It is also open during bulldog block.”
The Deca Diner, as most of you may know, was originally located where the new ISS room is. The Diner is now located where the art room hallway is at.
If you are interested in becoming a part of Deca, Mrs. Wade and Glynn could tell you about the process.
By: Lexi Snyder
Picture Courtesy of Kameron Walker
Published 10/30/24
Improvement of leadership skills, and placing in competitions are the top two goals for OHS FCCLA chapter this year.
Many members of the officer team have high expectations for this season. Kyana Purcell’s, FCCLA Public Relations Officer, goal is, “to win in competitions.”
“My goal is to be engaged in as many school activities as my schedule allows and FCCLA is a great way to improve communication and leadership skills. You can get scholarships through FCCLA and it looks amazing on transcript and college applications,” Kameron Walker, FCCLA Secretary, said.
Patricia Skelton is the advisor for FCCLA. She said that her goal for FCCLA is, “to have a successful, productive, FCCLA chapter.”
FCCLA has a different meaning for everyone. “Developing leadership in our current and future families and in our current and future careers and in our current and future community,” Skelton said.
“FCCLA is like my second family, our adviser is so great when it comes to asking for help or guidance and always gives the best advice,” Walker said. She really enjoys working with the other members of FCCLA because they have common interests and are easy to work with.
“FCCLA is a safe place for people to have fun and improve on yourself,” Purcell said.
FCCLA has influenced Purcell to be a better person. Skelton feels like the organization has helped her to be a better leader and hopes it is equally influential for her students.
“I hope it influences you to make good decisions as a leader and not be a follower,” Skelton said.
FCCLA has positively influenced Walker by giving her “courage to try new things”
Purcell hopes that she has an impact on her members by helping, “other people become more comfortable and reach their goals.”
Walker wants to, “encourage others in FCCLA to try more things they haven’t done and to work better in groups even if you are not too fond of the people or even new people. I want to encourage our new members to get involved and speak out with any ideas they have because that’s what FCCLA is all about.”
There are multiple different reasons why you should join FCCLA. “I joined FCCLA because I wanted to be more involved and this club just seemed like a great way to do so. I also wanted to strengthen my leadership and team work skills,” Walker said. Purcell joined FCCLA because, “I want to improve my leadership skills and compete.”
By: Claire Fieth
Picture: Yasamine Carter
This year’s National Honor Society (NHS) raffle made over $135 for their club’s future projects as well as future expenses. Yasamine Carter, senior NHS president, was thrilled.
“This was beyond my expectations and I’m so grateful for the amount of people that participated in supporting NHS. I hope that we can do this again or that whoever takes over NHS next year will participate in this amazing project,” Carter said.
To get the prizes for the raffle, NHS students went to local businesses.
“The NHS officers and I went to businesses a few weeks before the raffle began to talk to businesses about what they would be willing to offer. Donating to our cause would not only promote their business but also show that they are involved in giving back to the community. With the winners going to these services they are more likely to come back,” Carter said.
“We went around businesses in Odessa and asked them if they would like to donate something towards our NHS raffle,” Haley Burke, senior said.
The businesses that help with the raffle were Ultimate Image Fitness Center (UIFC), OG Donuts, and 2nd Street Nutrition.
To promote the raffle Carter and Burke did a couple of different things.
“The raffle was promoted during Open House, announced during the first day of school assembly, throughout all lunch shifts for the first week, and sent to Mr. Shepard to send to the faculty,” Carter said.
Burke said that the announcement was during school and during open house. They also told the staff and students at the first day of school assembly.
They had a total of 4 winners
“UIFC 3mo free gym- Freddie Ogilvie, UIFC 1mo tan- Andy Schram, OG Donuts- Mr.Carmody, 2nd st nutrition- Kaylee Ford, I’m happy for everyone who participated and glad for the winners who won these amazing prizes” Carter said.
Fine Arts stories of 2024-2025
By Isabella Smith
Pictures by Jazmine Lopez
Written April/May 2025
Odessa High school held the art show April 24, 2025 from 4 to 6 P.M. Hannah Hill, OHS art teacher, had students take their art work and hang it up on the walls in the commons for the public to see.
The purpose of the art show is the students get to take a look at their progress over the year. It shows the talent of students, they put their time, effort, and commitment into art projects.
The art show became an idea by Hill, “I have done an art show at many of the schools I have worked at. It's a lot of work but it's a great way to showcase what the art classes have been working on all year long.”
“Every student that was in an art class this year had the opportunity to have their art displayed at the art show! That is something I'm really proud of. To me, a student's talent level doesn't necessarily determine if they should have artwork in,” said Hill.
A question that gets asked a lot is why do we have an art show at the end of the school year instead of the beginning or middle?
The answer is it gives students a chance to improve their skills, and they get to see their progress. They get to be proud of themselves to have their work shown off.
Carrera Kuntze and Jadia Starchman, juniors, had their artwork featured in the commons.
Kuntze said, “My favorite piece of artwork that I did for the art show was my scrapbook. It’s the first time I've used this technique and I’m super glad that Ms. Hill showed us it.”
Similarly Starchman said, “My favorite piece of art I had in the art show was probably my watercolor landscape of the northern lights.”
In addition Kuntze said, “I loved the art show this year! It’s for sure the best turnout in a few years, and I think Ms. Hill did a fantastic job, as always.”
“I really like that we have an art show here. It was nice that we had so much art this year as compared to last year, when we only had selected pieces. I thought it was nice that Ms. Hill allowed us to have some freedom as to what we hung up,” Starchman said.
According to Starchman and Kuntze, they are inspired by how hardworking Hill is and how much potential the art show had.
Life is the Bubbles Under the Sea
By Adalyn Dietrich
Pictures by Bachman-Twombly
Written March 2025
OHS students worked hard for three months to prepare for “The Little Mermaid” play.
Dallin Dawson, senior, had to prepare a minute-long Disney piece to sing, and he had to do a dance session in front of Aaron Larsen, choir director, and Emily Pastore, theater director, for his audition.
KiLynn Moody, senior, “worked on [her audition song] 'I see the Light' from Tangled, then practiced the dance videos Mrs. Pastore sent out till I got it down.”
“I'm super excited and blessed with the opportunity, and being able to perform on stage, which is what I love to do most,” Moody said.
Behind the scenes, seasoned stage manager Kelsie Rather, senior, is getting prepared for the responsibilities that come with a smooth performance.
“I have to make sure all the pieces are where they should be, all the props are on the correct side, making sure cast members are quiet and know where they are and when they come on,” Rathert said.
Another veteran of the stage, junior Sadie Booth, is also preparing for the show.
“I’ve always thought it would be a fun role, so I was excited,” Booth said of her role as Ursula.
The show will feature: Moody as Ariel, Dawson as Prince Eric, Booth as Ursula, Makennah Sophy, senior, as Sebastian, Isabella King, senior, as Flounder, and Elaina Kolie, sophomore, as Scuttle as well as one of the largest supporting casts Odessa drama club has had.
By Isabella Smith
Written March 2025
Choirs from every building in the Odessa School District participated in the 29th annual Spring Fling that was on Friday, March 28, 2025 at Odessa Middle School.
Spring Fling is an event where everyone gets to be united, have fun, and communicate about the school building expectations.
Preston Fry, OMS choir teacher said, “Spring Fling allows a particular demographic to be given information about district needs such as buildings and equipment that could translate into bond issues voted on at elections.”
However, Spring Fling wasn’t only about talking about building expectations, it's also about the effort that students put in.
Aaron Laron, OHS choir teacher said, “We have a spring fling to celebrate the wonderful work and effort of all the music programs in the Odessa school district and to bring that work and effort to the community.”
The theme for Spring Fling was Disco fever and featured a variety of music.
First OHS performed "Ubi Caritas” and “Measure Me, Sky.”
OMS performed several selections next. “Rhythm of Life,” “Sisi Ni Moji,” “Howdidowdididdlumday“ were their songs.
OUE also performed multiple songs including: “I Will Survive,” “Dancing Queen,” “Funky Town,” “High Hopes,” and “We Are Family.”
Last, McQuerry also performed several songs in a medley titled “Disco Inferno.” The medley included melodies from: “Disco Inferno,” “September,” “ABC/123,” “Car Wash,” and “Turn the Beat Around.”
From the information we have gathered Spring Fling was spectacular this year, with dance and excitement
By Makayla Cole
Written February 2025
Sweets and friendly competition will fill the OMS gym on March 21 as students, parents, and staff gather for the annual Pie Auction.
The Pie Auction is a fundraiser benefiting the band program that is primarily organized and run by the Band Boosters.
“The Band Boosters are a group of amazing parents that work hard to support the band program through donations, lending their time in person, and helping with events like OMI,” Travis Wittman, OHS band director, said.
The funds raised during the pie auction help to support the band in multiple ways.
“It is used to help the band raise money and fix and repair old instruments,” Alyssa Marten, junior, said.
Last year, the event raised over $10,000, and the boosters hope their hard work will help them to meet that goal again. That money is raised through concessions, donations, and a silent auction all organized by the Band Boosters.
“The boosters are a well-oiled machine and have this down to a science, there isn't really anything that is difficult about planning the Pie Auction!” Wittman said.
The diversity of the music adds another layer of excitement to the event.
“The band plays a bunch of different types of music. There is jazz, there are the middle school bands, and they all have different ranges in different music,” Marten said.
Despite the significant planning, the event is free to attend.
“It's completely free, but we encourage contributing at least something to help support all 5 of our bands!” Bella King, senior drum major, said.
Along with raising money, the band kids have their tradition they do every year.
“We try and raise the most money to pie one of the band directors in the face. Usually, it's the high schoolers because we're just better,” Marten said.
However, not everything goes as planned, as Marten humorously recalled.
“One time we went to go pie a band director in the face and the pie slipped out and went over their head,” Marten said.
The event has a flexible schedule, often running late into the night.
“The latest it has ever gone was 11 at night, but we usually try and stop it around 9-10,” Marten said.
At the end of the night, the total raised came to a little over $8,000, and the high schoolers got to pie both band directors in the face.
By Makayla Cole
Pictures Courtesy of Lori Jiron
Written March 2025
OUE students are preparing for Alice in Wonderland Jr., with 40 cast members rehearsing despite snow day setbacks.
Fifth-grade teachers and theater leaders Lori Jiron and Deena Tate guide them from auditions to full run-throughs.
Many involved in the production have a deep appreciation for the play. “We did this play years ago, and I loved it,” Jiron said.
Auditions were held at the end of the first semester, allowing students to showcase their talents and earn their roles.
“Students had to go through an audition process. After the audition, students were selected and given parts. As a group, we have been practicing lines and acting out our characters,” Tate said.
However, the journey hasn’t been without its difficulties.
“The hardest part is having to tell great kids that they didn’t make it this year,” Tate said.
Despite these challenges, the students remain dedicated, attending rehearsals twice a week.
The unpredictable weather this year has added an extra layer of difficulty to the rehearsal process.
“The students have had many challenges—learning their lines, getting to know each other, and learning how to act with all these snow days has been a lot of work,” Tate said.
The effort pays off when students begin to truly embrace their roles.
“The part of rehearsal that I like the most is watching the actors when they ‘get it.’ There is that light bulb moment when you know they got it. I feel so happy for them and so proud of them,” Tate said.
With a cast of 40 students, the production is a collaborative effort. Students take an active role in bringing the show to life, contributing to both costume and set design.
“Students get to put together their own costumes, and we will make the sets together in a few weeks,” Jiron said.
Behind the scenes, high school students and teachers lend a hand in making the production run smoothly.
“High school students usually help us by being the stage crew, and some of the upper elementary teachers run the lights and sound,” Jiron said.
For the students, theater is about more than just performing; it’s about teamwork and friendship.
“The kids work really hard to learn the lines and do their best at their part. They are very positive and do a great job of cheering each other on,” Jiron said.
Rehearsing takes dedication both in and out of practice.
“I practice a lot. I listen to the songs and try and memorize when I have to walk out and talk,” Kaylee Cole, 4th grader, said.
Each scene brings something special to the performance.
“‘Zippity Do Da’ has a very upbeat sound and feel to the song. I may not be in it, but it's still one of my favorite songs,” Cole said.
Cole, who has performed before, shared how this play differs from past productions.
“My friends from last year aren’t here to perform with me, and it’s a whole different play and storyline,” Cole said.
For students considering joining the theater, Tate offered encouragement.
“At least audition. Be serious about trying out, work hard, but mostly have fun. The best part of being in theater is the people you meet and the friendships you make,” Tate said.
With weeks of preparation still ahead, the cast and crew continue working hard to bring Alice in Wonderland Jr. to life on May 3rd, ready to share their passion for theater with the audience.
By Makayla Cole
Written February 2025
Sweets and friendly competition will fill the OMS gym on March 21 as students, parents, and staff gather for the annual Pie Auction.
The Pie Auction is a fundraiser benefiting the band program that is primarily organized and run by the Band Boosters.
“The Band Boosters are a group of amazing parents that work hard to support the band program through donations, lending their time in person, and helping with events like OMI,” Travis Wittman, OHS band director, said.
The funds raised during the pie auction help to support the band in multiple ways.
“It is used to help the band raise money and fix and repair old instruments,” Alyssa Marten, junior, said.
Last year, the event raised over $10,000, and the boosters hope their hard work will help them to meet that goal again. That money is raised through concessions, donations, and a silent auction all organized by the Band Boosters.
“The boosters are a well-oiled machine and have this down to a science, there isn't really anything that is difficult about planning the Pie Auction!” Wittman said.
The diversity of the music adds another layer of excitement to the event.
“The band plays a bunch of different types of music. There is jazz, there are the middle school bands, and they all have different ranges in different music,” Marten said.
Despite the significant planning, the event is free to attend.
“It's completely free, but we encourage contributing at least something to help support all 5 of our bands!” Bella King, senior drum major, said.
Along with raising money, the band kids have their tradition they do every year.
“We try and raise the most money to pie one of the band directors in the face. Usually, it's the high schoolers because we're just better,” Marten said.
However, not everything goes as planned, as Marten humorously recalled.
“One time we went to go pie a band director in the face and the pie slipped out and went over their head,” Marten said.
The event has a flexible schedule, often running late into the night.
“The latest it has ever gone was 11 at night, but we usually try and stop it around 9-10,” Marten said.
At the end of the night, the total raised came to a little over $8,000, and the high schoolers got to pie both band directors in the face.
By Aliyah May
Written January
Props, makeup, lights, and sound are necessary parts of any musical provided by members of the cast and stage crew, The Little Mermaid cast and crew will showcase their skills this April.
“You don’t know a lot of the behind-the-scenes stuff they do. I mean before and after every single show, they map out where things were at the top of the show and end.” Sadie Booth, junior cast member, said. “It’s a lot of behind the scene work that goes unappreciated.”
A lot of work goes into being a part of the stage crew.
“I do multiple things like listing what props we need, how many props we need if we require multiple and which table on which side of the stage a prop will go,” Phineas Worley, freshmen stage crew, said.
Stage crew is generally thought of as only doing a few tasks including props and costumes but they are involved in a lot of parts of the show.
“Stage crew members can work on props, costumes, hair, makeup, publicity lighting, sound like music and microphones, and stage management,” Emily Pastore, speech and drama adviser, said.
Even with such a long list of tasks, the stage crew is in charge of, not many people understand why stage crew is important. Kelsie Rathert, senior crew member in the musical, said that without the stage crew, the musical would be boring because there wouldn’t be anyone to set the scene.
“There wouldn’t be organization. We’d show up on stage late. Once we hit the show I feel like the cast alone is very dysfunctional,” Booth said.
For any musical or play to work out, a good cast and crew has to work together and support one another.
“I feel like a big part of supporting the crew is just being patient especially during tech week because that’s when we have rehearsal with tech the most,” Booth said.
Along with the hard work and supporting each other, there are also fun things to being crew and cast.
“Most shows will have a cast party after the final performance,” Pastore said.
Cast parties are not the only fun part of being cast and crew, it’s the getting to know the other members.
“Getting to know the whole cast and their personalities and making the show magical are some fun parts of being in the crew,” Rathert said.
The cast’s and crew’s hard work and close friendships will come together on April 17-19 when The Little Mermaid will be performed.
Winter Season with the Odessa Winter Guard
By Andi Pfestch
Written January 2025
Odessa winter guard has been working hard this season and is excited for championships on March 29.
At the beginning of the season, Paige Bockes, coach, and some of the members had strong feelings that the team would place higher than past years at their first competition – which was at Belton High School – because of the skill level this season.
“I think we’ll place maybe 5th place because throughout the years we’ve placed lower, but I think this year will be different because of the skill level increase,” Cheyanne Strader, junior captain, said.
The team has been practicing since the beginning of December, every Wednesday and Thursday from 6-9 pm, as well as two 8-hour camps.
Unfortunately, there were a few practice cancellations due to the snow in January and February but that didn’t stop them. The team scored 4th place at Belton, marking above expectations from the team.
They’ve had competitions at many different high schools in the area, those being Blue Springs South, Lee's Summit West, and Oak Park.
The team has continued to grow at every competition. From their very first score of 55.7, they've gained roughly 4 points every competition from then and came out of Oak Park with a 72.
Not all memories are made at competitions. Evie Miles, freshman, says that her favorite memories are from their practices because of the positive energy all of the members radiate.
That is one of the things that keeps the guard working hard and pushing through, positive energy from others.
“The guard thrives off positive energy during the show and knows that there are people out in the crowd there to support them,” Bockes said.
The team does feed off that positive energy, as they have been placing at least top four every competition.
The Winter Guard is hoping to take that energy to Nixa High School on March 29 and place top three at championships
By Gracie Harget
Pictures by Whitney Bachman-Twombly
Posted: 4/4/2025 (Written February 2025)
This year's winter percussion’s theme is called Tree Of Life. Director Joey Carter wrote it this year and the band really enjoys it.
“This year's theme is really cool because our director wrote it and it’s bringing back life from the trees,” Caiden Gibson, junior, said.
The theme is different from past years. The band usually leans towards darker themes, but this year they decided to make a change.
“I feel like all of our themes create a story because one previously the school did was “Society”, in which they ended up murdering someone. Then there was “Toxic City” where there was a toxic spill and people died. Last year we did a show and it was called “Buried Alive.” It was about demons haunting the person and technically he got buried alive, so it’s a good step to go to more happy stuff,” Natalie Doney, sophomore, said.
Winter percussion is a great way for the students who don’t have a lot of things to do during the winter.
“I decided to join winter percussion because I don’t really do much during the winter time because all my spots aren't going on,” Doney said.
“It’s fun being about to do what is effectively a second marching season,” Daniel Porter, junior, said.
Joining winter percussion can be beneficial in plenty of ways.
“My favorite part is probably the relationships you can make with people,” Doney said.
Porter likes being in winter percussion because it allows him to focus more on music than in marching season.
Winter percussion students are in band year round. Some of the students play a different instrument during the regular season, but join winter percussion to expand their skills.
Gibson plays trumpet and mellophone during marching season, but decided to join winter percussion anyway.
“I joined so I could advance my instrument knowledge in percussion since I play a brass instrument,” Gibson said.
The winter percussion performed their show at a concert at the end of the season.
By Rollie Platt
Picture Courtesy of Lanyn Sisk
Posted 12/27/24
Hannah Hill, 2009 OHS alumni, has filled the art teacher position for the 24-25 school year, coming full circle in her career by returning to the place that inspired her to teach.
Hill teaches Art I, II, III, graphic design and drawing.
“My favorite part of teaching high school art is the relationships that I'm able to build with my students,” Hill said.
She thinks that showing her students that she cares for them is one of the most important parts of her job, and she enjoys how students don't have to be perfect artists to grow, have fun, and improve.
“She always asks me about how I’m doing and her kindness and generosity has a bigger impact on each student that she may not realize,” said Lanyn Sisk, senior art II student. Hill has a special place in her heart, and she loves spending time with her while improving her skills.
For Art I and II students, they have an assignment due at the end of each quarter. Examples include embroidery, an album cover, a collage, and a jewel painting. The final for Art II involved making a gift for a loved one
“I have so many amazing students that have shown me love and respect this year. It's been fun to get to know my students, build a classroom community, and get back into teaching higher level art,” Hill said.
By The Growler Staff
Photos Courtesy of the Band Staff
Posted 12/27/24
OHS Band of Distinction was invited to perform in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day parade this year.
The parade was televised so friends and family in Odessa could enjoy and cheer on the band.
“I know my second graders were looking for me and it was so exciting to watch the recording in my classroom when we came back to school. But the parade was more for the students and I was so proud to see their faces on TV and for them to have such a unique experience. I loved getting to hype them up right before the cameras and watch all of them become this amazing performer for their families that were watching,” Paige Bockes, color guard coach, said.
Even though students and staff were away from family for the holiday, TJ Wittman, head band director, felt the parade was a great opportunity for students.
The band was invited to play last school year and had been making preparations for the trip through fundraising and practicing their songs, including their televised performance piece Winter Wonderland.
“We took a lot of things into consideration when choosing our parade tunes. Ultimately it came down to tunes that we were more familiar with and had prepared. This took a lot of the stress off of the parade since we didn't have to learn something totally new before we left,” Wittman said.
Practice for the parade had to be fit in around the busy fall marching season. The Band of Distinction used warmups for football games and class to practice. During first hour band, color guard members spent time walking the track, spinning their flags to build up their stamina.
Practice paid off and the band was able to brave the cold of Chicago during their time in the parade.
“The waiting before the parade was the coldest part because we weren't moving. Once we started marching it was like there was no more cold, we were all so excited to be in the parade,” Bockes said. “I warned all the kids to wear lots of layers under their uniforms including thermal shirts and leggings. Most listened, a few learned the hard way but were really tough that day and pushed through.”
The parade route took the band through downtown Chicago. They were filmed as they passed the grandstand, but that was only a small portion of the parade.
“I enjoyed seeing Chicago from the street and getting to say hi to all of the people that came to see the parade and just kept thinking about what the band students must be feeling to get to perform in front of a very large crowd and be on national TV,” Wittman said.
Most students interviewed agreed that the experience was special, even if it was cold. Several students were amazed by the crowd size as they marched.
“Walking in the parade was something like I've never done before, the crowd was almost louder than us. There were too many people to count,” Kason Moody, freshman, said.
“It was very cold and surreal. Being able to walk in the middle of the street through Chicago while being on national TV was an incredible feeling. It was also a little scary because I have to walk backwards and there were horses in front of us so there was a lot of "obstacles" we tried to avoid,” Grace Smith, senior drum major, said.
Students enjoyed time with the other bands in attendance, including a play off battle.
“My favorite part was probably getting to just walk through downtown Chicago, they had it all decorated for christmas and it was really pretty. Also the other floats and bands we got to see while we were waiting to step off,” Jaida Starchman, junior, said.
Other students appreciated the family and community members that traveled to support them.
“My Favorite part was walking past my mom, grandma, and my sister who made a sign saying Go Odessa! This really meant something in my heart and made me think of how they traveled almost 9 hours just to see us in the parade,” Lynklyn McElmurry, junior, said.
Band students were able to participate in various activities during their week in the Windy City. There was a dance for all of the high schools participating, the Field Museum, the Shedd Aquarium, the Skydeck at Willis Tower, Gino;s Pizzeria, the Hard Rock Cafe, and Broadway.
“We certainly weren't ever bored, that's for sure! Of those experiences, I wish we had more time at Shedd Aquarium. Seeing all the marine life in person is always really interesting and I wish I would've had time to see everything,” Wittman said.
After the parade, the Skydeck at Willis Tower was a favorite among the band staff and students.
“It was so cool to look out over all of Chicago. As well as the Ledge! They have these windows that stick out of the building and you can see almost 360 around! It was crazy to look down and see the street below your feet,” Bockes said.
Lily Heflin, junior, also enjoyed the Skydeck despite having a fear of heights. “Seeing Chicago from that high up was gorgeous, I got to take a few photos which were both cute and funny! The sky deck had some cute souvenirs. I got a bean keychain which I love looking at every day,” Heflin said.
By: Makayla Cole
11/22/24
Auditions for the OHS production of The Little Mermaid will be held on December 16th and 17th. Kelsie Rathert, a senior and 4-year drama club member, hopes for a good turnout. " If we have a good cast, I think it would be super fun.”
Emily Pastore, OHS Speech and Debate, Drama and Public Speaking teacher, and Aaron Larson, OHS Choir teacher, are in charge of the production of The Little Mermaid
“I've been a teacher for 12 years and enjoy it,” Pastore said.
Many kids have said they are excited about having Pastore in charge. “There's no favoritism,” said Elaina Kolie, a sophomore who has been doing theater for eight years.
“Everyone feels included; she makes sure everyone, no matter what part you get, still feels important,” Rathert said.
As anticipation grows for the auditions Kolie shared her thoughts on the buzz surrounding the main roles
“Areal, Ursula, Sebastian, or Flounder will be the most popular,” said Kolie. “I don't know, I'm fine with any role though. We have a lot of really talented singers.”
Sign-ups are available December 16 and 17 after school in Pastore’s room
“It forces you to be out there and get confident, talk bigger,” Kolie said. “Just getting to tell a story and perform something live thats cool.”
Photos by John Carmondy
By: Makayla Cole 10/28/24
Saturday, October 12 OHS hosted the 20th annual Odessa Marching Invitational to raise money for the band's trip to perform in the Chicago Thanksgiving Day trip.
Travis Wittman, Odessa band director, was in charge of organizing and setting up OMI.
“We have to find a date that works with our facilities on campus, announce the date, and advertise to other bands who are willing to come,” Wittman said
Afterward, Whitman makes his schedule and list of what each band member is in charge of,
“And when the day comes, we hope it goes well,” Wittman said
OMI had 24 bands including Olathe West who won the grand championship.
Along with 12 judges including Dr. Brad Snow, a music effect judge.
Bella King, Senior drum major, said, “I like going to other bands' competitions, so I want to make ours a fun competition for other band students.”
Jobs the band students helped with included Holding quiet signs, concession stands, the hospitality room, setting up tables, being an ambassador, and judging runners
One of these band students, Fiona Reynolds, senior clarinet section leader, said, “I find it fun. I have been an ambassador before, and I loved helping take other bands where they needed to be.”
All band staff, band kids, band booster parents, and OHS staff helped at OMI.
The parade started in downtown Odessa and went from 8:30 to 10:40 A.M.
Around 3:50 FEILD shows began
Coming on top in our FEILD department was Olathe West
Then the day ended with OHS’s FEILD show at 9:15 and awards right after at 9:45
“We made at least $4.” Johnny Rotolo, band director, said
The band fundraised about $13,000 for their Thanksgiving Chicago trip.
Student Life stories of 2024-2025
By Kyleigh Tye
Written April/May 2025
McQueery’s Field Day has been a staple in the spring since 1974, with many different names, including GOOFY Games, Bulldog Bonanza, and currently, Bulldog Games.
Matthew Klamm, physical education teacher, said that he starts planning Bulldog games in January. He said that this is when he sets the date and the rain date. He also starts, “to go through all of the games that I have used in the past and try to come up with new games for the day.”
Klamm said that over the past 19 years, he has been in charge of the Bulldog games, and there have been many different ways that the games have been played. This includes, where each grade has its own day, where the whole school goes out at the same time, and half of the school goes in the morning and the other half goes out in the afternoon, this is the way that they did it this year.
Emma Vaughn, second grade teacher, who experienced her first Bulldog Games day, said that she loved it. “Although we did have a few sprinkles on us, we were still able to get most of our games played,” Vaughn said.
Christine Furney, first grade teacher, got to experience her 25th Bulldog games. Furney said that she likes to watch her kids play together at the Bulldog Games.
Vaughn said that if she could play one game, it would be Connect 4 relays, while Furney said that she would pick stomp and punch, “where you stomp on the button and see how far you can launch the ball.” Klamm said that some of the kids' favorite games include long jump, kayak pull, and slingshot.
Bulldog games this year were on May 2, 2025.
By Aliyah May
Picture courtesy of Lori Jiron
Written April/May 2025
Cooper Jiron, Growler editor-in-chief, graduated May 8, at UCM.
He was in many clubs in the school including stage crew, speech and debate, journalism, and was in Youth Court and an intern at the Odessan outside of the school.
“I am excited for his next adventure, going to college at Mizzou, because I know he is going to love it,” Lori Jiron, C. Jiron’s mother, said.
C. Jiron is going to University of Missouri for journalism.
“I’m thinking about doing radio journalism or just writing, so I’ve also looked at some indie publications,” C. Jiron said.
High Country News, a publication that focuses on climate change, the American West and Indian country, is something C. Jiron has in his mind. He’s also interested in Radio Journalism. C. Jiron already has some experience in journalism because he is the Editor and Chief for the school Growler newspaper site.
“I think Cooper is going to do amazing things within his lifetime. Whether it’s in journalism or something else,” Kelsie Rathert, senior, said.
C. Jiron is a creative and fun person stated by Rathert. Being creative and being able to think outside of the box are traits that can help out in journalism fields, but C. Jiron didn’t always want to be a journalist.
“When he was in daycare he wanted to be a dog petter. He loves animals and wanted to work with animals,” L. Jiron said.
Besides his dreams of wanting to be a dog petter, C. Jiron was a handful growing up and a “chaotic” kid.
“When he was little he always had to have a superhero mask on when we left the house. He was always a different character!” L. Jiron said.
There is no doubt that whether it's journalism, being a dog petter, or being a superhero, C. Jiron is going to go far in life.
By Dawn Anderson
Picture courtesy of Faith Harvey
Written March 2025
Friends, family, and fun is what spring break is all about at OHS.
Grace Harvey, freshman, spent her weekend at the Pomme De Terre Lake with her family.
Harvey and her sister, Faith Harvey, sophomore, enjoyed a high school girls’ soccer match between California and Blair Oaks before settling in for a show.
“We also had a movie night watching the show Riverdale and eating snacks,” G. Harvey said.
G. Harvey enjoyed having time to relax and connect with her family. While the Harvey family was relaxing at the lake, Tammy Jumet, high school para, was relaxing in the comfort own home.
Jumet spent her break with her mom and brother.
Jumet and G. Harvey had a similar method of relaxing during their break.
“I watched lots of movies like the Good Witch series, and had some snacks,” Jumet said.
After relaxing, Jumet took time to catch up on chores.
“I did some yard work and cleaned my house, checked on my mom and brought her her mail since she lives next to me,” Jumet said.
Along with Jumet spending time with family, Adalynn Jones, freshman, decided to spend time with friends.
Jones spent her spring break at the Lake of the Ozarks with her best friend.
“Me and Adalyn Dietrich went to my lake house with my dad and drove the golf cart around all night,” Jones said.
As they hung out at her lake house, they decided to play with Jones’s newest kittens that her cat Kitty, just gave birth to, not even 6 weeks beforehand.
While Jones and Dietrich played with kittens, Crisa Seals, Business Education teacher at OHS went on a yearly vacation with her family.
“We are planning to travel to Mountain Hope, Arkansas. We have done that every year during spring break for the last four or five years, maybe six,” Seals said. “Usually we do it during March Madness time because then the four of us, we go through and we fill out the bracket and start watching the game and whoever wins gets to pick out where we go out to eat at, like a special dinner type thing.”
Seals explains why she enjoys her spring break.
“I enjoy being about to sleep in and stay up and there's this ice cream store that is like individually owned and they make homemade ice cream and it's so creamy and good,” Seals said.
By Isabelle Smith
Written February 2025
Converse, Uggs, and Hey Dudes are some of the most popular shoe brands for OHS students per a survey conducted by Growler staff.
OHS students spend a lot of money on shoes like Nike’s Dunks, but there are other shoe brands students choose to invest in as well.
Some students spent $770 dollars on shoes like Lily Homer, junior.
“The most expensive shoe I have bought is Golden Goose's which cost $770, " Hotmer said.
Why get so expensive shoes if you don’t wear them that often you might ask.
“These shoes were gifted to me by my grandma but I spent this much because it’s almost like a prize possession. Although I don’t wear them a lot, shoes have insane value especially when they are vintage. Golden Goose shoes are a vintage shoe brand that used to be pretty popular, they are considered “luxury” because of the craftsmanship they use,” Hotmer said.
“My most expensive shoes are my cleats for soccer. I can’t wear them around school so I have my cheapest pair of shoes because they were my old shoes,” Ali Cain, junior, said.
On the opposite end of line, some kids are looking for good deals like Izzabeau Wells, freshman.
“My cheapest pair of shoes are Hey Dudes, I bought them to be comfortable and they were on sale for only $2. I found these at a thrift store in Higginsville. You can pay $2 for a Walmart bag and you can fill it full,” Wells said.
There is always a time and place to wear your favorite shoes. Every shoe that you buy whether it's cheap or expensive has many values and you never know what deals you might find or if you might need them for special occasions.
Second Break
by Adalyn Dietrich
Picture by Freddie Ogilvie
OHS students had fun on their 6-day snowcation from January 7 to 14.
Freddy Ogilvie, senior, had a couple of eventful snow days in which he turned 18 and got a new tattoo.
This tattoo is of a dagger piercing a vibrant red rose, surrounded by bold black leaves. The dagger has a detailed design on the handle.
“It means you must see the beauty through the chaos,” Ogilvie said.
Ogilvie also read and started a painting, but he did not like being at home with his brothers because they were “aggravating.”
Makenna Bass, freshman, was aggravated by something other than siblings. She was frustrated by the TikTok ban.
TikTok ban aside, Bass liked her break from stressful school days, so she played Minecraft and built her house in the game, and participated in the snow challenge.
Makenna Pierson, freshman, started her snow days by jumping in the snow off her deck, which her friends nominated her to do as part of the snow challenge.
Pierson stayed up until 4 o’clock playing Roblox and watching TikTok. She hung out with her family and sat in her hot tub.
Overall OHS students had a fun break and enjoyed the extra days off.
By Izzy Smith
Pictures by Harper Dickey
Posted 12/27/24
OHS student council is putting together the annual Christmas assembly to kick off Christmas break at the end of finals week, Friday, December 20th.
Robbie Shepherd, OHS principal will be announcing games, clubs, and winter sports at the assembly.
Students work tirelessly during finals week and at the end they are celebrated by a student assembly.
“We have this assembly to celebrate with our students, because the first semester is always tough. It's a great way to end the semester,” Shepherd said.
Haley Burke, senior student council vice president, is in charge of the assembly games.
“Some activities and games that will be going on at the assembly are the Dress a Teacher Tree fashion show and a Christmas song trivia game,“ Burke said.
The classes leading up to this are shortened to only 20 minutes, once in Bulldog block there will be Christmas parties for an hour followed by the assembly. Christmas break starts the 20th at 12 P.M and students will get 2 weeks off.
After finals week students are excited to spend time away from school, open presents, and spend time with family. Burke agreed with this.
“I am excited about Christmas break, I am definitely excited to be done with finals by then and enjoy some family time,” Burke said.
If you are faculty like Shepard you are looking forward to playing Call of Duty.
“I am very excited for the break! I am looking forward to hanging out with my family and playing Call of Duty,” Shepherd said.
Monday, January 6 is a professional development day so school will resume on Tuesday, January 7th.
Story and Image by Dawn Anderson
Posted 12/27/24
This year is coming to an end and here's how our OHS students and staff celebrate their Christmas and New Years.
Crisa Seals, OHS business teacher, has many favorite holiday traditions with her family.
“I love to watch Christmas movies, shows like classic ones, cooking traditional meals, building gingerbread houses, matching pjs with my family, going to look at Christmas lights, drink lots of hot chocolate, and to play with our new elf on the shelf, Snoop on the Stoop, and our baby elf,” Seals said.
Seals favorite side dish is cheesy potatoes and sugar cookies. Her favorite Christmas song is “Hallelujah” By Pentatonix, which she listens to while playing games with her family.
Donnavynn Southall, junior, celebrates his New Years by hanging with family and friends. Top of his list is to play Fortnite and get a victory royal.
Southall wishes, “To get better grades and get better at fortnite,” for his New Year’s resolution. He is also looking forward to both becoming a senior and turning 17 in 2025.
Adalyn Dietrich, freshman, goes to her dad’s for Christmas in Mississippi with her older sister Maranda Dietrich, senior, and her youngest brother, Wyatt Dietrich.
Jacey Brown, sophomore, goes to the Fun House Pizza place in Independence around Christmas time to see everyone in her family.
OHS students and staff sound like they will be having plenty of fun this holiday season.
By Engel Maun
Photo by Claire Fieth
Posted 12/27/24
Kids adore going to a Unified Prom because it gives them somewhere to be themselves and not be worried about being judged.
“Only certain people, special needs kids because it gives them [a place] to be able to be themselves and dance how they want and not be worried about ´normal´ kids,” Victoria Murphy-Maun, junior, said when asked who would be in attendance.
Unified Prom has become an annual event. It is a project organized by DECA for Odessa students as well as students from area schools.
“It’s good for special needs kids to have a space for them to dance, to be themselves and have fun, not having to be worried about getting judged,” Samuel Kelley-Horton, senior, said.
Murphy-Maun enjoys helping students who attend Unified Prom to do this.
“I can hang out with friends and dance around with them, we can act funny and take pictures with each other and keep the pictures forever," Murphy-Maun, said.
Murphy-Maun also enjoys getting a break from schoolwork and classes to spend time with her friends.
“It is fun to get out of school. You don't have to deal with the drama at school or the class work you get one day free of doing no work,” Murphy-Maun, said.
Students like Kelly-Horton and Murphy-Maun participate in Unified Prom to bring all types of students together in a celebration. Kelly-Horton was present for one of the more entertaining moments of celebration with his friends.
“One of my friends fell over cause she was dancing really crazy and it made me smile. Cause she was acting crazy,” Kelley-Horton said.
The dance was held December 12, 2024. A special thanks to all students and staff who helped make this event a success.
By: Kyleigh Tye
12/3/24
Freshman Academy is a new program at OHS during Bulldog Block.
"Freshman Academy is a new program we are trying out this year to help teach freshmen important skills that will help them successfully manage their high school careers," Amber Deaton, ELA teacher and Freshman Academy advisor, said.
Jillian Martin, freshman has found herself enjoying Freshman Academy so far this year. "At the beginning of the school year, it helped us learn more about the school and where things are."
Alivia Davis, freshman, had a different perspective. "While doing Freshman Academy it prevents you from going to different classes to do assignments or work on projects."
Deaton said she prefers Freshman Academy over regular Bulldog Block. "The structure we provide them and te specific lessons we teach them that they won't necessarily receive in a regular classroom due to lack of time and not being content-specific for most teachers," are a few of the things Deaton appreciates.
"Our teachers wanted to have a curriculum that helped freshmen become better acclimated to high school," Robbie Shephard, principal, said.
There are currently 10 Freshman Academy advisors this year.
By: Luke Ellison
Photo Creds: The Chamber of Commerce
11/22/24
The Lighting Ceremony on Monday, November 25 provides an opportunity for the Odessa community to gather and celebrate the season.
“Preparing for the lighting ceremony starts early in the Spring when board members look at the condition of the decorations to see if any replacements are needed; whether bulbs, bows, bells, or ornaments. About 2-4 weeks before, the electric department begins to hang the decorations. On the days of, set up begins 3-4 hours before the ceremony. Set up includes stage setup, sound and instruments, Santa’s area, popcorn and hot chocolate booths, and parade lineup,” the Chamber of Commerce said.
The Chamber of Commerce works hard to advertise the lighting ceremony and invite groups to participate in the parade.
“This year, our goal is to have our biggest parade yet. We are also upgrading to a real stage with lights this year instead of a trailer bed. In the future, we’d like to add new elements like live reindeer or a themed photo op,” the Chamber said.
The Chamber is not the only group preparing for the lighting ceremony, Jaida Starchman, junior, is also preparing with the high school choir.
“I believe we started working on them [song] in the middle of August, if not at the start of school, but one of them we didn't start until a month or so ago,” Starchman said.
While choir is busy preparing and for many choir members, this marks the first time they have performed at the lighting ceremony since elementary school.
“Typically the concert choir doesn’t perform in the lighting ceremony, so I haven’t sung in it since 5th grade choir,” Rylie Shonfelt, junior, said.
Natalie Doney, sophomore, learned that she will perform in the lighting ceremony very early.
“I have known that we were going to perform in the lighting ceremony since we got our first piece for it, which was at the beginning of school year,” Doney said.
Starchman has performed in two lighting ceremonies with the band and has had the same favorite song to perform each year.
“Still, Still, Still because it's the song we perform every year and I was introduced to it my freshman year and have loved it ever since,” Starchman said.
By: Isabella Smith
11/22/24
Photo Creds: Isabella Smith
The Christmas Parade and Lighting Ceremony is an annual event in Odessa where the town officially turns on the Christmas lights and welcomes Santa. This year's event was postponed to Monday, November 25th at 6:30 P.M due to the weather. Don’t worry Santa will still be there at the four-way after the lights come on.
“Christmas time is a time for friends and family to come together, be happy and show those smiles,” John Carmody, OHS math teacher and friends with Santa, said. “Being [friends with] Santa is all about the memories and the special night, memories are everything and it means so much to see young folks who are now adults bringing their children to visit with the same Santa they once visited.”
Santa is not the only one making an appearance this year as several performing groups from across the Odessa School District will perform in the parade and at the lighting ceremony.
“We take 1 to 2 hour band classes to practice Winter Wonderland and other songs and parade review,” Travis Wittman, band director at OHS said.
“I'm kind of nervous but only because I know Chicago soon after but I think we are ready for the Christmas parade, it's one of the easier ones I feel like,” Jaida Starchman, Junior, said.
The band for the parade started playing at the old creamery on Dryden Street and ended at railroad park.
The band members such as Amber Salcido Garcia, Sophomore, Makayla Cole, Freshman and Norah Eaton, Freshman, said they are excited but also scared for the Christmas Parade and they all agree that the Christmas Parade is the easiest and funest parade that they have to do.
“I’m super excited! The Christmas parade is my favorite parade of the year! The song we spin to is one of my favorite Christmas songs and I love the choreo the guard does,” Lily Heflin, Junior color guard member, said.
Every year the Christmas Parade and Lightning Ceremony is a good way to bring the community together, and we look forward to seeing what other events are going to be happening.
By Kyleigh Tye 10/30/24
One million dollars in prizes is what OHS is competing for in the T-Mobile Friday Night Lights competition this fall.
This is a nationwide contest that T-Mobile has created to give away money and market their service. Jessica Wade, Marketing teacher, and DECA sponsor, gave the opportunity to her Sports Marketing class to get OHS the money.
“It was our project in marketing that we did trying to promote the school to get money for our football fields and we are trying to share how our Friday Night Lights are great,” Kaylyn Seals, sophomore, said.
Seals and Lily Bellis, a sophomore, decided to take on the responsibility of making videos and sharing the news about this competition with the community. Although this began as a project for the Sports Marketing class, anyone can create videos and participate.
Crest Ridge is one of 16 finalists for the large prize.
To spread the news, “you can tag T-Mobile in the posts that are made, repost, and share the videos that have been made,” Seals explained.
Crest Ridge is in 4th place at the time of publication with 67,955 likes.
By: Rollie Platt
10/31/24
Photo Credits: Claire Fieth
The Annual Homecoming parade took place Friday, October 4th, at 2 p.m. and featured floats with Under the Sea themes. Classes decorated floats under the direction of staff sponsors and class presidents.
“We need to figure out who’s all riding and who's going to help me put it together and decorate it,” said Anna King, junior class president, who was in charge of planning the junior float. The process includes finding a budget, getting a trailer, and a group of people to help “I love decorating things and being creative”
Floats kept with this year's theme while still being original “We want it to be its own kind of thing; we don’t want it to be exactly like the senior float” said Makayla Cole, freshman class president.
Many people helped out with the creation and planning of the floats. “Ms Sanders is like our lead helper,” said Makayla Cole, “she's a good teacher, and she likes planning things”. Ms Sanders assisted with planning and making forms to see who wanted to help out with the freshman float.
By: Izzy Smith
Pictures by Yearbook and Growler Staff
10/31/24
Under the Sea themed dress up days built up the Homecoming dance hosted by OHS on Saturday, October 5th. 8 pm to 10 pm in the gym.
Multiple people such as Kara Smith, a history teacher and the Student Council sponsor at OHS, Grace Smith, senior President of Student Council, and Adrienne Cole, Biology teacher of 17 years at OHS, and many others dressed up for this year's dress up days. Smith and the rest of the student council chose the Under the Sea theme because they thought it was a fun idea and would be a nice change from the themes in past years. It took 1 hour during bulldog block that week and 3 hours on Homecoming day to set up for the dance.
“I am excited for the ‘Under the Sea Scholars’, I can't wait to see what teachers dress up like students and what students dress up like teachers,” Smith said.
“The dress up days for this year are great and they are easy to participate with and promote school spirit,” Cole said.
Cole's daughter Makyala, freshman, said her eyes hurt after dressing up like her mom because she isn’t a cheetah print or dress person, but she did think it was fun to dress up like each other.
Cole said she thought it was fun and unique and she was comfortable.
Monday 9/30 dress up day was Fin-Tastic Duos; dress up with friends to show unique styles and make a splash. Tropical Tuesday 10/1 dress in bright, beachy colors with Hawaiian shirts! Wednesday 10/2 Under the Sea Scholars dress like a teacher or student. Thursday 10/3 Bikers vs. Surfers channel your inner teen beach Movie. Friday 10/4 School Spirit/ Under the Sea dress in either Bulldog Gear or Homecoming Gear.
"Homecoming is always a hit,” Smith said. “The hardest part about being a teacher and the student council instructor is maintaining everything at once, trying to balance out school and student council. The separation of home life and school life.”
Participation this year was at an all time high for Homecoming. We look forward to seeing what students come up with for Courtmat.
By: Claire Fieth
10/31/24
Picture credits: Emily Pastore
OHS Broadcasting teacher Emily Pastore has made drastic improvements to the broadcasting class by creating the BTV a weekly broadcast show.
“This year we have established a weekly broadcast show called BTV. We have not had anything like that at OHS the last year or so and the show has been very popular so far ” Pastore said.
Pastore loves keeping a connection with her media background.
“I love everything about the performing arts and I got my Master's Degree in Media and Performing Arts so teaching Broadcasting keeps me connected to the "media" part of my background,” Pastore said.
Pastore and her students have enjoyed the class so far this year.
“I like that every day is different! We are always being creative and putting together interesting segments which makes for a fun class period.” Pastore said.
Trenten Graham, senior, favorite part of broadcasting is watching the videos they have created.
Malakai Butler, a senior says his favorite part is “Going around with the fun questions and topics of the segments we do and turning them from decent topics into entertaining and funny skits,”
“It’s a simple class and it's enjoyable,” Jeremiah Carter, senior said.
The students had many different reasons to join the class this school year.
“I liked the thought of working with others,” Graham said. Butler joined because of his experience “I joined because of my history of talking abt the weather and I figured it’d be really fun to just be able to make people laugh as a reporter,” Butler said.
Most of their information in the videos is students' opinions on things in school life.
“Most of our information is opinion-based (as far I know) so we usually go around asking members of both the student body and faculty,” Butler said.
To create the videos they create scripts and then interview people says Carter
To edit the videos they use a certain software and clip the videos together.
“Currently, we use editing software called WeVideo but we also occasionally use Open Shot and students sometimes edit clips together on their phones or through social media apps to submit to the show,” Pastore said.
“We collect all of our clips put them into a folder on Google Drive and upload them. After they’re in the editing software, we file and compile the clips together while adding special effects,” Butler said.
By: Luke Ellison
Published 10/28
Photo by Harper Dickey
Oct. 9, the biggest Special Olympics in Missouri happened at OHS with 12 schools participating.
Ellie Port, Special Ed teacher said the reason for the Special Olympics was, “to get Special needs kids a day for them to show off.”
Host schools for the Special Olympics events get to decide if they would like to host according to Port. It takes about one month and around 100 people to set-up for the event.
“It's not that hard at all! It's very fun and interactive and we just love all events that take place,” Kylee McElmurry, OHS junior, said.
One of the coaches for events was Port.
“It was not very hard to be a unified partner,” Norah Eaton, OHS freshman, said. Eaton filled out a Google Form explaining why she thought she would make a good partner.
“I practice my events until I get the hang of it! And I also get myself motivated to prepare for the events I compete in!” said McElmurry.
McElmurry’s favorite event to get better at was not present at this year’s Special Olympics.
“My favorite is softball throw because you can show off how far you can get better and better each time and I think it’s fun and interactive events, and you can also try to beat your record and make records for yourself,” said McElmurry.
“My partner was kind. He and I really had fun,” Eaton said. Eaton and her participated in several events and played corn hole.
Other activities available included concessions and face painting.
By: Cooper Jiron
This year OHS has two foreign exchange students attending.
One of these foreign exchange students, Nina Mills, a sophomore, is from Rio De Janeiro, and is excited to attend OHS this year.
“I have always wanted to go abroad, and although Brazil is a cool place, I don't really like Brazil. I also wanted to learn the language, have this experience of high school, and meet new people,” says Mills.
At home, Mill's high school experience is very different from OHS.
“5:30 AM I get out of bed every day and go to school until 5:30 PM. Here I'm already passing all of my classes but, in Brazil, I have all of these exams… It's just harder,” said Mills.
OHS’s second exchange student, Izaro Echeverria, a sophomore, is from Bilbao, Spain. She has been to the US before on a trip to New York City and, like Mills, wanted to have a new experience in the States.
Although she was anxious at first about her new surroundings, now she is more well-adjusted.
“I was a bit scared, I didn't know anyone so I felt lost…now I feel better, I still sometimes feel lost because there are a lot of new things every day but I'm feeling better and more comfortable.” Said Echeverria
At home, her day-to-day life is also very different.
“Here you have to go by car to most places, and in Spain, I would mostly travel by public transport or walking. Also, everything is really spread out,” said Echeverria
She added to this by describing how walking is a much more viable option in Biabel than in Odessa
“In Spain, everything is really near because most of Spain lives in apartments. You can walk everywhere, to school, to the cinema, or the shopping center.”
While Echeverria went from different standards of life, Mills said she went from bad to much better.
“The standard of life is much better. Your soccer field is literally the size of my school and the opportunities I have here are much better” Said Mills
Despite living in a larger city in Spain, according to Echivierra, her school is much like Mills
“Because there are a lot of different schools, depending on where you are there are no schools, so mine is smaller than here”
While in some ways the standard of life has improved, in others they've gotten complicated. According to Mills, Americans have a very U.S.-centric point of view. Which leads to miscommunication.
“They're really brainwashed, they just think that America is the whole world. I don't really mind that much, but I really wished Americans didn't think they were the whole world” said Mills
Mills describes this USA-only mentality makes her Brazilian one seem overly extroverted.
“All Brazilians, as a cultural thing, they're just really welcoming, they're really physical, and like here some people don't hug, some people aren't welcoming…like the drama here is a lot. Like, let people live!”
Echeveria also felt this miscommunication. Coming from Spain, people in Odessa often equate her experiences with what they know.
“Spain isn't similar to Mexico. People often think they are similar, but the only thing they share is a language. Everything is really different.”
Although there have been ups and downs, Both Echeveria and Mills are thankful for the opportunity to be at OHS.
By: Gracie Harget
Photos: Robbie Shepherd
The senior parking spots this year were a hit. There were 68 seniors who signed-up to paint a parking spot. This tradition was led by the history club, advisors Lynette Williams and Evan Pingel, both OHS history teachers.
The history club provides the basic necessities for painting the parking spots. They bring only white, black, yellow, red, and blue paint. They also bring rollers, paint liners, paint brushes, and tape. If someone wanted a different color, they have to bring it themselves.
The seniors came up with some creative ideas for their parking spots.
Senior Clayton Tomlinson’s parking spot was inspired by Drake.
“It is Drake’s album cover, but it says if you’re reading this I’m late,” Tomlinson said.
Kylee Brown, senior, painted her parking spot after Tigger. “He’s my favorite stuffed animal,” she said.
“I painted different squares that represent different aspects of my life,” Lanyn Sisk, senior, said. She chose this because she wanted a lot of color and to have all the things that make her happy.
Micah Boyer senior decided to paint her parking spot yellow with a hazard sign saying “warning hazardous actions” with black footprints around it.
“I am a very clumsy person by nature and tend to act, well hazardous. Before I came up with the painting of the bottom of my shoes to create footprints, I already accidentally did it with the yellow paint,” Boyer said.
Some seniors painted their parking spots after things that helped them through high school.
“The album cover for the color and the shape by the Foo Fighters,” Jackson Baker, senior, said. “The Foo Fighters are my favorite band in the world and the songs on the album got me through high school,” Baker said.
Senior Kayla Hesterberg painted Winnie the Pooh. “School can be stressful, but when I have a character from my childhood telling me I’m strong enough it gets a little better every day,” Hesterberg said.
Senior Aiven Miller plays on the football team. He did his parking spot centered around football. “It has a black background with two red end zones. One says 'ATM' and the other says 'Miller.' It has an 'O' in the middle with the number two,” Miller said. “I play football and I am number two. I put 'ATM' in the top end zone because that’s what the guys on the team call me.”
Haley Burke, senior, did a Spotify cover of her senior year. “I made it on Canva and I really like music. I wanted to include a lot of things that represent me in the album cover section,” Burke said.
Abigail Bainbridge, senior, made her parking spot a Hollywood star sign.
“It’s pink and It’s an inside joke with my family because I’m the dramatic one,” Bainbridge said.
The senior parking spots were a great turnout for the history club.
Teacher stories of 2024-2025
By Cooper Jiron
Written in February 2025
Crisa Seals, a business and computer teacher, has been an advocate for computer literacy at OHS since she began teaching computer courses.
Starting her first year teaching computer classes in 2020, she inherited a Web Design class from her predecessor. She taught this class for a year before she wanted to bring back another class, Multimedia.
“I felt there was a gap in computer courses that would be something after Computer Apps but not a coding course. So I brought back Multimedia with the focus of providing students an education and knowledge base of product design that could translate into tasks they could do in a job or as a hobby,” Seals said.
Students in the Odessa school district have been using Chromebooks for years, modernizing their school work through Google Classroom, Infinite Campus, Edupuzzle, and others. So, classes such as these seem obvious for the ever-growing presence of technology in students' lives inside and outside of school.
A freshman, Avery Sanders, is in computer apps and feels she can use some of the skills she’s learned later in life when she pursues becoming a developmental disability nurse. Sanders also believes it's important to learn more about computers, even if you think you know enough to get by.
“People believe they know everything, but there's so much you don't know and should learn,” Sanders said.
Seals shares this line of thinking, saying, “Computer Apps are built on Google Workspace which is all online and appropriate for this generation of kids that use the internet for so many parts of their lives.”
Another one of Seals students, Lucas Tate, junior, is in web design. Tate wasn't immediately drawn to web design, only taking it after not being able to take psychology the year before, but over time grew to enjoy it.
Tate's original slight interest has since expanded into feeling satisfied with his online portfolio and is passionate about being articulate with coding.
“I think they [computer classes] are important because a lot of people turn to AI instead of coding and people who aren't ‘classically trained,’” Tate said.
Tate is referring to feeding code plugins and prompts into AI chatbots to code things like webpages and computer graphics.
Students in Seal's classes are becoming more interested in the devices that control much of their lives. It seems like it will only become even more important as time goes on. While OHS is a rural community, Seals has proven that computer education can happen anywhere and is important everywhere
By Dawn Anderson
Written in February 2025
OHS welcomes its new student resource officer (SRO), John Newman, Officer Greg Daniel, former OHS SRO, retired at the end of the first semester of the 24-25 school year.
“It was bittersweet to see Officer Daniel retire. I am happy for him and all of his accomplishments, but we will miss him,” Kaitlyn Grace, Assistant Principal, said.
Grace is happy about the addition of Officer Newman to the OHS team.
“Officer Newman is very approachable and takes a genuine interest in those around him,” Grace explained.
Staff is looking forward to the different programs Officer Newman can provide and assist with. He has different experiences he can share.
“He has CSI experience which is Crime Scene investigation. So that whenever there is a murder, he's like the guy that goes in there and investigates it,” Robbie Shepherd, High School Principal, said.
Officer Newman has already worked with Health classes to help students learn about substances and their dangers.
“I think officer Newman is doing a great job; he's good with kids as well and that seems to be a good fit,” Shepherd said.
So far, students seem to enjoy Officer Newman as the new SRO. Many kids claim that he seems very approachable and like a good fit. His kindness and willingness to help others were the top two attributes mentioned in a Growler survey of students.
By Engel Maun
Edited by Bachman-Twombly
Written in February 2025
Austin Mallot, OHS shop teacher, began covering classes for Natalie Powell, first semester shop teacher, in January.
“He is very energetic and fun to be around,” Austin Ray, agriculture teacher, said.
“Mr. Mallot is pretty cool,” Jasper Lunceford, senior, said.
The general opinion seems to be that Mallot is a good individual and has fit right into the fabric of OHS and the shop.
“I didn’t find it hard to transition [to a new teacher],” Will Feltrop, senior, said of his new bulldog block teacher.
Mallott stepped into a position slightly in disarray after the sudden departure of Powell.
“I think his background in the field and his previous work in school is helping him a lot,” Ray said.
Mallott, OHS alumni, is excited to be back, teaching at his alma mater. Previously, Mallott was the in-school-suspension (ISS) teacher. This has not prevented him from developing some exciting projects for shop students.
“He has some pretty good ideas for students to work on. Many of them are working on Chicken Coops, and it's nice to see them collaborate on these projects,” Ray said.
Other projects he has introduced include: diagnosing small engine problems, building CO2 cars, mudding and tapping drywall, and washer games.
Mallott is proving to be a knowledgeable asset to the shop and has adjusted well to the challenges of accepting a teaching position mid-way through the school year.
“Springtime in the Ag Department is a busy time so getting someone new and learning to work with them in such little time has been an adjustment,” Ray said.
By Cooper Jiron
Written in January 2025
Hunter Luttrell started at OHS earlier this year, teaching science.
Luttrell is familiar with Odessa and the community. Luttrell is originally from Oak Grove and graduated from GHS in 2016. After Luttrell's graduation, he attended the University of Iowa.
Post graduation Luttrell stayed in Iowa for two years, he taught in a small district near Iowa City, Iowa.
Luttrell’s district in Iowa was much more limited in resources compared to OHS.
“The district I came from, I was the only high school science teacher and so I had all high school science classes. With freshman we started with physical science the one year and biology the next – I also taught electives,” Luttrell said.
Now, teaching has changed for Luttrell. He is now on a team of science educators working together at OHS. This has its own challenges, but Luttrell always takes pleasure in teaching science.
“I always wanted to do something science-related. My mom is a teacher, so it was always kind of a thought, and then in my junior year of college when I was really excelling in my education courses and volunteering for classes and enjoying them more and more,” Luttrell said.
According to students, Luttrell's love for teaching comes out in his teaching style.
“He's a very fun teacher and he'll actually sit down and teach things to you, and I convinced him to do a marine biology class and he did,” Rylee Hicklin, junior, said.
According to Hicklin, Luttrell’s style of teaching is centered around students and what they would be interested in learning.
“He's really focused on students and listens to what we want to talk about and do in class,” Hicklin said.
By Dawn Anderson
Written in January 2025
Officer Daniel, Student Resource Officer (SRO) at OHS, retired after the first semester of the 24-25 school year.
“Officer Daniel was very serious about safety,” Robbie Shepherd, OHS Principal, said. Daniel was the only SRO employed by the Odessa School District for several years.
Shepherd had a good working relationship with Daniel. They frequently had morning hall duty where they could be found joking and talking. Shepherd also mentioned they had many tense moments together in neutralizing student disruptions.
“He had thought about retiring since the beginning of the school year but decided to retire after the first semester to be with his wife and grandkids,” Sheperd said.
“Officer Daniel was a very hard worker and loved working with kids, a lot of the kids loved him here,” Officer Sam Bell, OMS SRO, said.
“He was a very funny guy and I had lots of good memories working with him,” Bell said.
“One time we went to Chipotle and a student we knew was working and got his order wrong multiple times, so he kept getting more free food and it was so funny,” Bell said.
Lisa Dowell and Sarah Corder, the office secretaries at OHS had nothing but nice things to say about Officer Daniel.
The new SRO is Officer John Newman.
By Adalyn Dietrich
Photo Courtesy of Lindsay Barker
Posted 12/27/24
Austin Ray is the new Agriculture teacher at OHS.
“My high school ag teacher pushed me to get into agriculture and FFA and saw the potential to be an educator,” Ray said.
Ray has taught for eight years, seven at Macon County R-IV school district.
“It was a big change going from a school that only had around 100 students Pre-K-12, but the school staff, community, and students made me feel extremely welcome,” Ray said.
Abigayle Lett, FFA President, believes that having two teachers is better because you can learn skills from both.
“Ray is very helpful and has his own skills that help everyone,” Lett said.
Outside of teaching, Ray has a passion for livestock and the agricultural industry. This pushes him to help students find their new passions.
Ray earned his bachelor's degree from Northwest Missouri State University in 2017 and his master's degree in Educational Leadership K-12 in 2021.
By June Mueller
Published 12/2/24
T’Quia Bandy is the new OHS librarian.
“My love for books and information literacy is what made me become a librarian,” Bandy said.
Bandy wants to provide students with information about library resources and what books the library has to offer.
Although this is Bandys first year as a librarian at OHS, this isn't her first year in education.
Before becoming a librarian, Bandy was a special education teacher for ten years. Nine of those were at Osage Trail Middle School in Independence teaching math and ELA. When she joined the OHS staff last year, she focused specifically on ELA.
Bandy was a special education teacher for one year at OHS before taking over in the library.
“I have always had a passion for reading, but I didn't become serious about pursuing a career in librarianship until I started my Master's degree program in 2023,” Bandy said.
While enjoying her new role in the library, Bandy does miss working with her students in the classroom.
“I really enjoyed teaching special education and the best part of my job was seeing my students meet their goals,” Bandy said.
Bandy hopes to make the library more accessible for all students at OHS this year.
By: Engel Maun
10/30/24
Aaron Larson is the new choir director at Odessa High School for the 24-25 school year.
“I became a music teacher mainly because I love music. I know how it has helped me in my life and I want to be able to help people through music,” Larson said.
Teaching music to various students at different ability levels is one of the most challenging parts of being a choir director. Despite the challenges, Larson enjoys many things about music.
“I like everything about music. I like how everything has to come together perfectly to make music work,” Larson said. “It is a sense of order and stability that I believe is hard to find in life and with music it just happens and creates a sense of peace in the world.”
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Sports stories of 2023-2024
By Emma Musgrave
Volleyball season ends with Sectional Game loss to Savannah, October 26. Though the season is now over, Coach, Megan Distler, and the team’s players feel that they had a good season overall. The team is ready to get back to work preparing for next fall’s season.
Despite the loss of the Sectionals game, the girls are ecstatic that they won Districts for the 5th year in a row. The team celebrated the win, then went to work preparing for the next game.
To prepare for the Sectionals game, players Brooklynn Stevens, junior, and Lanyn Sisk, junior, studied Savannah’s district championship game to know what to anticipate in the upcoming match. The team took what they learned from studying the opposing team and practiced accordingly so that they would be able to react quicker and more effectively.
Though the Sectionals game was lost, and ultimately brought Volleyball to the end of its season, the team feels that the season went successfully overall. “I feel the season has been a highly successful one,” says Distler.
“It has been a very fun season and being able to create and strengthen bonds with teammates,” says Ella Smith, junior.
With the season ended, it is time to say goodbye to the two senior players: Trinity Alvested and Cheyanne Palmer. Their teammates are sad to see them go; “The seniors bring a positive energy to our team, and we will miss their enthusiasm next year,” says Sisk.
The team now focuses on preparing for next year’s season.
Seniors Look Back on Their Time at OHS
10/12/23
Senior Night For OHS football, band, and cheer will take place on October 13th. The ceremony for football and cheer will take place at 6:15 pm before the game. Band’s ceremony will take place during halftime.
Senior Night is a chance to honor how far the OHS student athletes have come, and what they plan to do moving forward.
Derrick Marble, Senior Football Player, has been playing the sport throughout his four years of high school. Since starting his freshman year Marble has improved on play assignments, technique, and strength.
Marble’s favorite memory is beating Oak Grove because of how great it felt. He really hopes to look back on the great moments with his friends.
“I hope to look back on all the times we came together as brothers and pulled through adversity as a team and came out victorious,” Marble said.
Riley Jerome, Senior Cheerleader, has cheered for Odessa for all of her four years of high school. Since her initial start with the team Jerome has become capable of filling in wherever she is needed when stunting.
Jerome really hopes to look back on “some amazing memories” because it all “goes so fast.”
“My favorite memory with the team was going to nationals for the first time, in Orlando, Florida! It was a really surreal moment,” Jerome stated.
Marilyn Forrest, Senior Bass Clarinet player, has been a member of The Band Of Distinction since she was in 6th grade.
“Band really helped me gain some confidence and come out of my shell. It's easier to get along with people and work with others,” Forrest said.
Forrest’s favorite memory is working at OMI because of all the people she meets who have the same interests as her. She also happily reminisces on section bonding. Forrest hopes to look back on, “how much the band was able to help her grow into a more confident and social person.”
Story by Emma Jones; Picture Courtesy of those pictured
You Got Served Story by Gracie Harget; MRVC Tournament Pictures by Claire Fieth and Gracie Harget
The OHS girls tennis team’s season is swinging by. This year they have a new head coach, Paul Klene, and their former JV coach, Jason Rathert.
“Coach Klene encourages everyone as much as possible, gives critical feedback so we can improve, and gives the team new drills to practice to help us focus on from,” said Kaylee Robinson, sophomore.
“He is very kind and understanding. Coach Klene is flexible especially with students who are participating in other school activities. His patience is very appreciated,” said Yasamine Carter, junior.
“He is super nice and friendly. He is super encouraging and makes it a good time,” said Haley Burke, junior.
Tennis is very busy every season. They have tournaments almost every week, mostly on Wednesdays.
“It is a short season, we have to get in so many matches in a season to qualify to play in districts and state,” said Rathert. This is Rather's second year of coaching girls tennis.
The tennis season is a crazy time for tennis players. On their tournament days, each girl plays a minimum or 1-2 games. Some girls can advance to 5-8 games, each game going for around an hour each. Not only do they have tournaments on Wednesdays, but they also have matches everyday weekday after school, except for Fridays.
The team finds it challenging sometimes to keep up with their school work during their season. They all come up with ways they make it work.
“I try very hard to make every second and minute count for me. I study between game breaks, as soon as I get home, and even on the bus and car,” Carter said.
“It can be very stressful, but I usually try to get my school work done early and make sure I’m on top of it at school, so I don’t have as much to worry about with matches,” Burke said.
The team tries to utilize bulldog block. They make sure their school work comes first.
“Tennis has its time to shine, every other time is devoted as necessary to schoolwork,” Robinson said.
The coaches give the player advice also.
“...breathe, don't overload yourself by not doing something early or procrastinating. Use your time wisely and make the most of your time for school, matches, practice and yourself…and have fun,” Rathert said.
The girls tennis team’s season is coming to an end soon, but they are working hard to make it memorable.
Season-Ending with Record Breaks
By Claire Fieth
The OHS softball season is coming to an end. The players and coaches have had an amazing season.
One of those players is Jaden Brewe, senior, who ended with breaking a record.
“I broke the single-season triple record. The previous record was 8 triples and I amassed 10,” Brewe said.
At the beginning of the season, Brewe wasn’t planning to break a record.
“I didn’t plan on breaking the record when the season started, although I did joke about it with my coaches. Once it became apparent that there was a possibility for me to actually break the record, I started to put a little bit of effort towards it,” Brewe said.
When Brewe broke the record her feelings were excitement and joy.
“I was elated. Britney Afolter, the previous holder of the record, has been my friend for several years and my teammate for 2 years prior. Therefore, I was happy to have beaten my friend. Moreover, with this record my batting average was high which, along with my fielding stats, resulted in me obtaining All-State 2nd Team,” Brewe said.
She wanted to break another record but didn't have the time.
“I would like to break the career triple record, however with the little time I have left with this season being my last as a senior, I’m not focusing on breaking it,” Brewe said.
Randy Florence head softball coach was proud of Brewe breaking this record.
“Any time you see a kid break a record it does your heart good because you know that they are doing something right,” Florence said.
Amanda Smith assistant coach was also proud of Brewe for breaking her record.
“I was extremely proud of her. Some of those records have not been broken for ten years, so it was awesome knowing that girls I coached have been able to put their names on the record board,” Smith said.
The triple record was not the only record broken. Keely Byrd, sophomore, broke the RBI season record with 38 total RBIs this season. Kiley Thomas, sophomore, broke the season stolen bases record with a total of 33 stolen bases. Brewe also tied the walks in a season with 27.
Season Ending with Getting Better
By Claire Fieth
The OHS softball season is coming to an end. The players and coaches have had much improvement throughout the season.
“I think this season is going really well and we have played some good softball at times and have beaten some good teams,” Randy Florence, head coach, said.
“I feel this season has gone pretty good. We have a great group of girls who are very talented and I am looking forward to districts next week,” Amanda Smith, assistant coach, said.
“I feel like this season has been going good and has shown a lot of improvement,” Abigail Bainbridge, junior, said.
“I feel really good about this season and am really excited to see how we do in districts,” Madison Lockhart, senior, said.
Both of these players have been playing before high school.
“I have played it sport since t-ball, so a long time ago,” Lockhart said.
“I have played for the school all three years but I've been playing for 8 years now,” Bainbridge said. “I started playing because my mom made me, but I continue to play because I've grown to love the sport.”
“My mom played when she was younger so I get my hunger from her and softball bring me excitement and happiness,” Lockhart said.
The coaches and players have made good memories this season, and seasons past.
“My favorite memory is just being in the dugout with the energy and the cheering it's always so hyped,” Bainbridge said.
“My favorite memory for this season was beating Clinton. Our second game against Clinton was a big one for us and we spread them in the 6th inning. The girls played a great game all around defensively and offensively,” Smith said.
Lockhart said her favorite memory from softball was winning districts her freshman year.
Florence’s favorite memory from this season has been the joy of seeing the team work hard and accomplish a lot.
“What made me play was not only the sport itself but the players and the energy of the team as well,” Bainbridge said.
Running to the Top
By Gracie Harget
The OHS cross-country team has been working to boost their skills. Coaches Zachary Meler and Heather Meler are doing everything in their power to help them. With districts coming up, they are really focusing on this.
“As we prepare for districts we maximize our mileage first and then let up on the distance while keep the paces up. Usually we more PRs as we back off and we are hoping for that to happen again,” Z. Meler said.
“We have been preparing for weeks. We have a couple phases to our season where we build volume (distances) and intensity (speed) in waves to (hopefully) peak at the right time during the season,” H. Meler said.
John Kuntze, junior, is putting in a lot of work preparing for districts. He’s running more hills to get ready for the hilly courses at districts.
“Through all of my activities, I am putting cross country first. I am pushing at all of my practice whether or not the other runners are trying their best,” Natalie Doney, freshman, said.
Before districts came along, the season was going great.
“The season has been going great. Our boys and girls teams have won plaques at multiple meets. The girls' team has been the best I have had as a coach, and the boys' team was supposed to have a building year after losing some important seniors last year but instead, we are right back in the hunt,” Z. Meler said.
H. Meler believes the season is going well also.
“We have a very fun group of runners out and they are great to be around which makes practice enjoyable,” H. Meler said.
“The season is going great. As far as I know, both the boys’ and girls’ team have taken home 2 plaques out of the 7 meets we have ran at. Plus we have several individual medals to add to that,” Blake Sullivan, senior, said.
Nathan Begemann feels the season is going well and has improved a lot over the season.
This year's team has bettered their PR, or personal record, during the season.
“...nearly everyone on our team has achieved a PR this season, and Natalie Doney is less than 20 seconds from beating the girls' school record that is over 20 years old,” Z. Meler said.
“The school record is 20:04 and Natalie ran a 20:44 this year. She still has a long way to go but it is exciting because Natalie is only a freshman and will undoubtedly improve throughout her high school career,” H. Meler said.
The team has made excellent accomplishments.
“Being a great team leader for my team which helps my teammates push themselves to their limits,” Kuntze said are his accomplishments this season.
“My biggest accomplishment happened at our very first meet of the season at St. Michael. I shattered my PR of 20:33 by running a 19:44 that day,” Sullivan said.
The cross-country season is coming to an end with districts coming up. They’re hoping to end it with a bang.
Secret Gift Giving with Footballers and Cheerleaders
By Claire Fieth
The OHS cheer team has given secret gifts to the senior football players every home game since the beginning of the season.
“Getting free candy and drinks is amazing,” Hunter Nye, senior football player, said.
Emma Hunter, senior cheerleader, loves giving gifts “I think the secret gift giving is something exciting and something both the senior football players and the cheerleaders look forward to each home game. I think it makes the seniors feel appreciated and recognized in a sweet way that also gets them excited for the game that night,” Hunter said.
“It’s definitely an experience to gift someone something when they do know it’s you and it’s fun to give gifts for people,” Kayla Hesterberg, junior, said.
The Players receive their gifts after their first hour.
“Cheerleaders drop bags of candy or something by the office and [the] office call[s] you down after 1st hour,” Nye said.
“Each football player receives their gift Friday morning after 1st hour. They all get called down to the office and given their gifts as well as the senior cheerleaders,” Hunter said.
To pick items in the gift bags the players send them a list of things they like.
“I do have certain snacks, candies, drinks, and personal items that the seniors choose,” Hunter said.
“They gave us a paper of the things that they like and we get it for them and drop it off in the office on Friday mornings,” Hesterberg said.
When picking the football players, the cheerleaders get to choose.
“We get a list of the footballers and the cheerleaders choose which one," Hesterberg said.
“We got to choose our players. the seniors choose first then so on then so on and so forth,” Hunter said.
The cheerleaders have favorite gifts that they have given the players.
“The best gift I've gotten my football player was for homecoming; it was a giant bag with everything he likes but recently I got him a Lego set for a really nice car,” Hesterberg said.
“My favorite gift so far that I have given would probably be any of them just because I know I'm putting a smile on my senior football player's face and making him feel appreciated before he goes and plays an important game,” Hunter said.
“My favorite gift so far was my senior night gift last year. It was a gift basket full of everything the color blue,” Riley Jerome, senior cheerleader, said.
By Gracie Harget
Photos by Gracie Harget and John Carmody
OHS volleyball has new leadership this year with head coach Megan Distler and C team coach Alicia Makings.
This year is Distler’s 9th year of coaching and 4th year as head coach. Makings has been coaching for 15 years.
Makings is an alumni at OHS. She started playing volleyball when she was in 8th grade at OMS.
“...the parochial schools where I am from start school volleyball in 5th grade. I also started playing club volleyball that same year, and really haven’t stopped playing since. I played through college and play in leagues as much as possible still to this day,” said Distler, who has been playing volleyball since the 5th grade.
Distler has wanted to coach volleyball since high school. She started by helping with youth camps in high school and loved it.
“I absolutely love getting to share the sport I love with all of my players, getting to teach them some valuable lessons through volleyball, and watching their growth as athletes and people throughout the season and beyond,” Distler said.
Makings’s feelings towards coaching are similar.
“I love sharing my knowledge and passion for the game with others to help them reach their full potential as a player, and to give them an amazing experience with the game like I had growing up,” Makings said.
The players love making experiences with the coaches as well.
“I love our new coaches. They are super supportive, kind, funny, and caring to each and every player. They make practices effective, and we have had success,” Lanyn Sisk, junior, said.
“I think that they bring so much energy and such a positive environment to our program,” Rylee Adams, junior, said.
The coaches do everything they can to help the girls become better athletes.
“They push me to do my best and give 100% at every practice. They help me with my technique, and I feel motivated to come to practice everyday,” Sisk said.
“Our coaches help me become a better athlete by giving feedback on what I can change to make myself and the team better,” Adams said.
When deciding teams and rotations, the coaches look for the main things they need in a player while staying unbiased.
“Some of my favorite players have had an infectious positive attitude and were never rattled by what was happening in the game. They also put the team and their needs first, and were the biggest supporters of each of their teammates,” Distler said. “I love the curious players, the ones who are willing to ask questions to understand and get better as they play, and the players who are willing to put the effort in. Being a great player requires a lot of sacrifice and a lot of extra work, and the best ones sacrifice without question or complaint every single day. Most of all, though, the players that are having fun and constantly giving 100% of themselves often turn out to be some of the best players over time.”
“I look for a good attitude, athleticism, the willingness to learn and listen, and positivity,” Makings said.
The coaches have good and big expectations for their teams.
“I expect my team to give their best each and every day, in their effort, their attitude, and their energy. I expect that they work every day to get better for themselves and for their team. I expect that they will be excellent teammates,supporting each other as we work together to achieve our goals,” Distler said.
“I always expect my team to be hard working, coachable, and great teammates on and off the court,” Makings said.
Since the players are succeeding the expectations, the team culture is thriving.
“We are mostly supportive of each other. We are also inclusive with one another, and we have found great success from this team dynamic,” Sisk said.
“I think that the team culture is super positive and everyone wants the best for the team,” Adams said.
The team helps build a positive atmosphere by doing team bonding. At the beginning of the season, the big sisters, upperclassmen, chose their little sisters, underclassmen. Before every game, the big sisters take their little sisters to go get something to eat. Sometimes the team meets and eats together as a team. The team also has team dinners in the commons almost every Monday.
Their record this year is 20-4-1, with their most recent win against Clinton. They start districts on Wednesday at Oak Grove, hopefully advancing to state.
By Emma Jones
Pictures by Wylie Smith and Emma Jones
The OHS Student Section, Football Team, Cheer Team, and Band hosted their annual “Pink Out” game on October 6th at Bulldog Stadium.
“Pink Out” is done in support of Breast Cancer Awareness. While the game has been held on Senior Night in recent years, the current OHS Student Section has decided to put its own spin on it.
“We as the student section leaders felt that pink out is a much bigger deal than just being ‘the senior night theme’ so we separated the two. Pink out gets its own night, and seniors for Football, Cheer, and Band get their own separate night,” Brandon Lorenz, senior and section leader, said.
Lorenz stated that he and Student Section Leaders Olivia Fieth, Senior, and Emma Jones, Senior, talked with seniors from all three organizations (Football, Cheer, and Band) and decided to make the change.
Fieth was excited to see everyone come together.
“I thought it was really cool to see so many people banded together to support such an important cause,” Fieth said.
Jones said that Pink Out had a special meaning to her because her mother, Lisa Jones, has been a Breast Cancer survivor for 2 years.
“In my house, Breast Cancer Awareness is something that we all really show up for,” Jones said. “It was really cool to see other people show up for it too.”
Softball Season Comes To A Close
By Kylee McElumurry
11/6/23
OHS Softball ended their season with a 6-10 loss to Holden in round 2 of districts on October 16.
Assistant Softball Coach Micheia Gutierrez mentioned, “I know we had high expectations for the season, and not all of them got met, but we have accomplished so much this season. I'm so proud of the girls for the season they had.”
Both Varsity and JV teams played with intensity all season. Their effort ended their seasons with 19-11 and 8-12 records, respectively. The Bulldogs ended with a strong effort against a good Holden team. Their well-rounded effort made their last game memorable.
“Even though we lost I got to see such high energy and intensity from our team. It was a really fun game and the girls performed amazingly,” Gutierrez said.
With their season over, that also means an end to the senior players' careers as Bulldogs. Gutierrez has coached these seniors since they were sophomores.
“They are a group of leaders that underclassmen should aspire to be. I’m so proud of the things they accomplished and I'm so excited to see the great things they do in life. We’re going to have three giant holes to fill on our team next season,” Gutierrez said.
Senior Jayden Brewe felt softball had made her a more vocal leader. “I'm introverted so being put in a leadership position was hard for me, but I stepped up and learned to relay my thoughts to my whole team,” Brewe said.
With the seniors moving on, softball looks to have a strong, but young team this year.
By Emma Musgrave
Photo Courtesy of OHS Staff
11/6/23
Volleyball season ends with Sectional Game loss to Savannah, October 26.
Though the season is now over, Coach Megan Distler, and the team’s players feel that they had a good season overall. The team is ready to get back to work preparing for next fall’s season.
Despite the loss of the Sectionals game, the girls were ecstatic that they won Districts for the 5th year in a row. The team celebrated the win and then went to work preparing for the next game.
To prepare for the Sectionals game, players Brooklynn Stevens, junior, and Lanyn Sisk, junior, studied Savannah’s district championship game to know what to anticipate in the upcoming match. The team took what they learned from studying the opposing team and practiced accordingly so that they would be able to react quickly and more effectively.
Though the game was lost, and ultimately brought Volleyball to the end of its season, the team feels that the season went successfully overall. “I feel the season has been a highly successful one,” says Distler.
“It has been a very fun season and being able to create and strengthen bonds with teammates,” says Ella Smith, junior.
With the season ending, it is time to say goodbye to the two senior players: Trinity Alvested and Cheyanne Palmer. Their teammates are sad to see them go.
“The seniors bring a positive energy to our team, and we will miss their enthusiasm next year,” says Sisk.
The team now focuses on preparing for next year’s season.
Freshman Natalie Doney competed at the State Cross Country Championships on November 4 and ran a personal best time of 20:33.
That was good enough for a 50th place finish. She had an awesome run and is now less than half a minute from breaking our school record which has been on the board for almost 2 decades.
By Emma Jones
11/30/23
Tressa Glazier, Odessa resident, is the mother of Ayden Agcopra, Junior right tackle. Glazier was recently diagnosed with Stage 4 Pancreatic Cancer but is not in this fight alone.
Upon hearing of Glazier’s diagnoses, Blake Gillespie, Senior center, started thinking of ways to help having known Agcopra for quite some time.
“I’ve known Ayden for quite a while and once I heard about his mom’s diagnosis I started thinking of ways to help,” Gillespie said.
When noticing that Agcopra had buzzed his hair to support his mom, he had the small idea to shave his head, however; the idea really started to take shape after the game that Friday when his dad suggested some of the team do buzz cuts to support Glazier.
“I never expected the turnout to be as big as it was. It was originally just going to be most of the seniors and a few juniors that were close to Ayden. But during the weekend the word spread and eventually we had a groupchat full of people wanting to support Ayden and his mom. “
Gillespie said that he was glad to help someone who had always been so supportive of him in the past.
“After all of my other teammates joined in I was extremely proud that all of them were willing to commit to something like that in support of a fellow teammate.”
Varsity football went on to win a district championship the same night they hosted a purple game in honor of Glazier.
Unfortunately, the good vibes did not keep the team rolling as they were stopped by St. Pius at quarterfinals. Great season Bulldogs!
By Gracie Harget
11/28/23
The OHS basketball program is ready to continue building this season. The girl's basketball team has new leadership, Jake Doyle, and he’s excited to start this season. The returning coaches, Micheia Gutierrez, JV coach, and Amanda Smith, C team coach, are also ready for this season to start.
“Personally, I am extremely excited to be back coaching at the high school level,” Doyle said.
“I am excited for a number of things. We have our returners and new freshmen that all look pretty solid. We have a new coach and he is very energetic and has taken the ball running. So I think that as long as the girls stay positive and give maximum effort then it will be a really good year,” Smith said.
“I’m excited for games and seeing how everyone plays. Also for the team bonding,” Brooklynn Stevens, junior, said.
Girls basketball has a young team this year. They are focusing on their growth throughout this season, with some new girls stepping up.
“I am looking forward to seeing the growth as a team, top to bottom as our season continues,” Doyle said.
“I am looking forward to what this new change will bring. I am also excited for this freshman class which will help fill some holes that we had from losing some players,” Smith said.
This season the girls are improving their fundamental skills.
“My plan is to build and improve our athletes’ fundamentals and overall basketball IQ. We are a very young team with a bright future ahead,” Doyle said.
“One thing I want to work on is being able to handle bigger bodies down low…because it would be helpful to the team if I was bigger down low…,” Stevens said.
The coaches want to work on the team’s approach to the game.
“My biggest goal is to get our girls to find their love for the game of basketball. Once we have found some love and excitement for the game, the success will quickly follow,” Doyle said.
“We plan on improving how the girls approach each game, which is to play hard, scrappy, and always go down fighting,” Smith said.
The boys’ basketball team is in a similar situation. They lost a lot of seniors last year and are looking for the younger players to step up.
“I don’t know what to expect. All of our previous varsity players have graduated, so it
feels like a new team. All I can expect is to not expect anything,” Nathanael Begemann, senior, said.
The team is run by head coach, Micah Lewis, JV coach, Grant Wolfe, and C team coach, Barry Blank.
The team had a great season last year and wants to start where they left off.
“I think the thing I’m most excited about this year is continuing on the product that we’ve been building as a program. We have set ourselves in a great position to be very successful once again and I think we are going to capitalize on that opportunity,” Lewis said.
Blank is excited to see this group’s progress while learning the fundamentals of basketball and competing every day.
Lewis wants the team to be more competitive.
“Our plan for this year is to maximize our competitiveness. We have a very difficult nonconference schedule which will lead us to some much needed adversity. Said adversity is necessary for the level of success that we are wanting to see when we get into conference and district play…People around us are going to focus on all that we lost with that year’s senior class. What they don’t realize is we have a bunch of hungry and capable athletes waiting behind them ready to pick-up and carry that mantle,” Lewis said.
This year the practices are going to be more intense and competitive. That way it can still be enjoyable, but also allows growth.
By Kylee McElmurry
12/1/23
The OHS Girls Wrestling team has been getting started on their season and they are looking great.
Head Coach LoriAnn Archuleta has been preparing these girls and is excited for the season.
“Oh man, I'm excited for this season like every other season, our team has grown exponentially every year, and I'm excited to have 25 girls on our team this year,” Archuleta mentioned.
Two weeks in and the practices are rolling. With all of the new additions to the team, Coach Archuleta is busy trying to divide up the girls between varsity and JV.
“Our varsity line-up will probably have 12 girls. We don’t have anyone bigger than 170. I would love to have a 190 or 235 pounder, unfortunately, we don’t have that so we can’t fill those spots in right now,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta and her four wrestling managers will be hard at work keeping track of their 14 weight classes this year as athletes battle it
out for positions on varsity and JV. Tanli Hall, senior, Kylee McElmurry, sophomore, Kaylee Ford, sophomore, and Ali Cain, sophomore, will be traveling with the team to each meet to help with records and more.
“The wrestling team is very excited for the season and has a lot to do. I have some pretty big goals this year. I would like to win more tournaments. I do want our JV to be just as good as our varsity so that there is no difference between the 2,” Archuleta said.
She would also like to see Odessa girls place higher at state this season. Every year, Archuleta has had girls place higher and higher with a 9th place finish last year as the current peak.
Junior Wrestler Addi Eddleman is also very excited for the season.
“I’m so excited to watch the girls do great this season,” Eddleman said.
This will be Eddleman’s 6th year wrestling and she is planning on making an appearance at the state finals again.
“Hopefully I win this year,” Eddleman said.
By Emma Jones
Photos by Coach Brown and Emma Jones
12/14/23
The Boys Wrestling Team started their season off with a bang at the Lee's Summit North Bronco Invitational Friday. They placed first as a team and many wrestlers found themselves a spot on the podium.
The team is stacked this year, having a wrestler in every weight class but two. Missouri Wrestle ranked the team #1 in their class. This has pushed many of the wrestlers to pursue big goals.
Brady Jones, junior, took 5th on Saturday at LSN and not only hopes to have a state medal around his neck by the end of the season, but his practice partner Gabe Studdard’s neck as well.
Blake Gillespie, senior, has been wrestling throughout his whole high school career and wants to end it on a positive note.
“My goal this season is to qualify for state,” Gillespie said.
Gillespie plans on improving his ability of setting up and taking shots to secure himself a state ticket. As a senior, he also hopes to see all his teammates succeed.
“I hope to see all of my freshman teammates do well this season because there is a lot of them in the lineup this year and they have a chance to help us win a state title,” Gillespie said.
Story and photo by Claire Fieth
2/3/24
Improvement and growth are the primary goals for the OHS JV boys basketball team.
Keeping the hype going for the JV team are some talented freshmen Tristan Janes, Braydon Kantnar, and Jackson Whitaker.
“I have improved a lot and it's gone pretty well for me,” Janes said.
Kantner says he has had fun, while also improving in different aspects.
“It's been pretty good. I think I've improved for the most part,” Whitaker said.
Coach Grant Wolfe, head JV boy basketball coach, agrees with the players.
“The JV season has been going great. We have only lost two games and have made a ton improvements on both sides of the floor,” Wolfe said. “They have exceeded my expectations. We have been playing really well lately.”
Wolfe thinks everyone has improved, but one of them grabs his attention.
“All of our players have improved from last year, but one that sticks out is Brett Peterson,” Wolfe said.
Peterson agrees with Wolf and thinks he has improved.
“Yeah I think I’ve just become a better player overall,” Peterson said.
Peterson has been playing since his 8th grade year and his main reason for playing is to stay in shape during the winter. The other players have been in love with the sport since a young age.
“I’ve been playing for 8 years. I started because my parents put me in basketball when I was little,” Kantner said.
Whitaker has been playing since he was 8. He thought the sport was enjoyable so he has continued it ever since.
“I started in 3rd grade, my mom made me,” Janes said.
All of these players have different motivations encouraging them to continue to play basketball.
“I stay motivated because I just love basketball,” Kantner said.
Whitaker says the games are fun and it encourages me to continue playing.
Whitaker is Janes’s motivation throughout the season.
“My teammates motivate me,” Peterson said.
As they continue throughout the season the players are creating good memories.
“My favorite memory is the bus rides because they are fun,” Kantner said.
Whitaker and Janes enjoy playing with their friends.
“Probably just winning the jv games,” Peterson said.
Coach Wolfe wants players to make improvements in life and basketball before they graduate high school.
“I want my players to be better basketball players when they leave this program, but most importantly, better human beings. We want to prepare our players to be the best men, husbands, and fathers they can be in life,” Wolfe said.
By Emma Jones
1/30/24
The Odessa Girls JV Wrestling Team competed in the “JV Wonder Woman” on December 28th.
Wonder Woman is notorious for being challenging and features competitors from at least 30 schools. Head Coach Loriann Archuleta emphasized the competitive aspect of the tournament in comparison to other tournaments the team attends.
”The JV Wonder Woman is one of our harder tournaments that our J.V. competes in because of the level of competition,” Archuleta said. “There are many schools from across the state that we don't normally see.”
Archuleta anticipated leading up to the tournament that her girls would “have some good matches and showcase their skills.”
The team finished the tournament with three medalists: Ava Sanders, Sophomore, 2nd, Tori Palmer, Sophomore, 3rd, and Maddy White, Senior, 5th. Archuleta was very impressed with her wrestlers.
“I feel great about having three girls place! I think they deserve it because they wrestled their hearts out,” Archuleta said.
Story by Emma Jones
1/30/24
The Odessa Boys Wrestling Team competed in the Winnetonka Tournament on January 19th and 20th.
The Winnetonka Tournament is known for being an extremely challenging tournament. Over 20 schools compete from all MSHAAA classes and some of the best wrestlers in the state compete.
Freshman Jett Brown made his Winnetonka debut this year.
“Before going into the tournament I was just extremely grateful that I was getting the opportunity to wrestle,” Brown said. "I knew it was going to be tough but I was looking forward to the challenge.”
Brown made it to the finals before losing 4-2 to his toughest opponent of the day Devon Harrison of Liberty High School. He walked away with a second-place medal.
”I really love the moments that truly make me dig deep and push through the tough points,” Brown said.
Freshman Blaine Wallace also showcased his talent for the first time at Winnetonka. Wallace placed third after a close match with his hardest opponent Hunter Taylor. Wallace was thankful to be able to perform well in such a hard tournament.
Brady Jones, Junior, returned to the Winnetonka mats for the third time in his career with a good idea of the tournament's competitiveness.
“I knew every match was gonna be a battle but it’s just something accepted and prepared myself for going into each match, “ Jones said.
Jones fought his way to a 5th place match before falling to his fiercest opponent, Chance Ruble of Seckman.
“My most challenging opponent of the tournament was the number 1 ranked wrestler in class 4 at 138, Chance Ruble. He is a very strong and physical wrestler and I knew beforehand he was a brawler,” Jones said.
Jones walked away with a 6th place medal and “great memory of being surrounded by his band of brothers in a nitty gritty tournament.”
The team took 7th out of 23 teams.
By: Claire Fieth
Photo by Micah Lewis
1/30/24
OHS Boys Basketball C team, now called the “A team,” is setting high standards for this season. According to Coach Barrett Blank, he thinks the name A team has motivated the players throughout the season.
“Just a motivation tactic, I was thinking about the show the A Team in the 80’s and realized that would be a cool name for our team and the players seemed to like it,” Blank said.
The team players agree with Coach Blank that the new name is better.
“The A team is better because it shows how much better we are,” Drake King, freshman, said.
“We don’t think of ourselves as c team players, we consider ourselves to be just as good as varsity,” Carter Kleppel, sophomore, said.
Tate Heitman, freshman, rejoined the team after a brief absence and completely agrees. He feels the name is fitting because the team is playing like the “big dawgs.”
“It puts the standards for success higher and in a way I feel like it pushes us more even if it’s just a little” Carson Tilden, sophomore, said.
Levi Fritz, freshman, feels similarly about raising the standards and said the team earned its new name with good effort and focus and positive energy.
“It makes us stand out and it shows that we're not as bad as people think,” Parker Nye, freshman, said.
The team made this name official at the Richmond Tournament when they won first place.
“During the Richmond Tournament, we were waiting for one of our games,” Coach Blank said. "You know, I hate being called C Team; it
makes me feel like we're way below everybody else." People on the team agreed and so the name has stuck around.
Winning the Richmond Tournament has been Coach Blank and the player's favorite memory from this season.
“Winning the Richmond Tournament has been enjoyable because everyone had a part in making that tournament successful,” Coach Blank said.
Kloeppel and Cole Chapman's favorite memory from this season was winning the tournament as well.
“My favorite game was the Richmond Tournament championship and my favorite memory was when Coach Blank wrote the letter A on the plaque and we celebrated,” Nye said.
Changing the team name has not been the only highlight this season, players listed traveling with the team and getting to know each other as some of their favorite moments.
King's favorite memory was the funny technical foul at Oak Grove and Tilden thought he played well against Clinton.
“Watching Mason try to dunk was [also] funny,” Tilden said.
As the players go through the transition between middle school and high school sports, they realize there is a big difference. The time commitment and intensity of the game is much higher at the high school level. Several players felt that while middle school was easier, high school is more rewarding.
“High school is way more important than middle school and I have had to put more time and effort into my time with sports,” King said.
“Middle school was a little slower- paced and high school is a lot faster,” Kloeppel said.
“How serious they are and how much work is put into improving and it makes you a better athlete and person in my opinion,” Tilden said.
As a way to end the year, Coach Blank created shirts for the players, coaches, and managers in support of the A team.
“The T-shirt idea was from high school. My head coach made all the back up players t-shirts for Christmas that said Thundercats because he liked how aggressive we were and helped push the starters everyday so I was inspired by that,” Coach Blank said.
The A team will round out their season with a home game against cross-town rivals Oak Grove on February 1, travel to Pleasant Hill February 9, and end it at home against Warrensburg on February 16.
By Gracie Harget
Photos by Kenzie Reynolds
1/30/24
The freshman of the OHS girls basketball team took a big step this season. Out of the 11 on the team, 8 sit varsity.
They had to make a huge adjustment from middle school to varsity high school ball. At the varsity level, you have to be tough mentally and physically. It’s more competitive than any other level.
“Middle school isn’t as competitive and high school you play bigger schools,” Haiven Alexander, freshman, said.
At the middle school level, the competition is less competitive.
“I think in middle school it was easier and now in high school, it's harder,” Kaylyn Seals, freshman, said.
“It’s more serious and there is better competition,” Emilee Hales, freshman, said.
Playing varsity as a freshman can be stressful.
“It is nerve-racking sometimes, but it's fun,” Lily Bellis, freshman, said.
“It's frustrating because you don't get even chances like the upperclassmen, but it pushes you to do better. It’s fun to be able to connect with the upperclassmen on a different level and the competition is way better than JV,” Alexander said.
Varsity brings a different type of energy on the floor and even bench.
“I don’t really play, but it’s a lot different coming from the bench. Everyone is cheering you on even if you’re the worst on the team or the best,” Hales said.
The incoming freshman, working to play at the varsity level, can learn from this year’s freshman.
“The freshman have to show up to every game or you will get sat or lose your spot easily. Don’t think you’re going to be the best out on the court and expect to play your hardest every game. Always have a good attitude even if we’re losing and go 110% in everything you do,” Alexander said. Seals advises the freshmen to try their best and continue to push themselves to become better. Hales advises “to not give up and keep working hard because they will have good results.”
The OHS freshmen work extremely hard with most of them playing on all three teams: C team, JV, and Varsity.
By Gracie Harget
Photos courtesy of Marley Prado
1/30/24
Marley Prado, junior, started the new year strong.
Prado traveled to London to perform in the All-American New Year's Day parade. She had to go through a long and stressful process to get there.
“The process was stressful, but so worth it. I tried out among girls from my school and different schools during UCA cheer camp. We had to perform the dance and chant they taught us as well as, our jumps,” Prado said.
At the UCA camp, Prado received a medal and certificate certifying that she was an All-American and was invited to the London New Year’s Day parade.
“I was very excited and honored to be an All-American,” Prado said.
Prado has been cheering for nine years and has been working for this moment.
“I wanted to go because I knew it would be a once-in-a-lifetime experience and I knew I’d meet many people,” Prado said.
Over 100 girls were attending the parade, so Prado got a video to learn the dance beforehand. When she arrived in London, she attended a large practice with everyone there.
Finally, the day of the parade arrived and Prado was extremely busy.
“On the day of the event, we woke up very early because we’re 4th in line of the parade. When we got to the parade we practiced in our uniforms for a couple of hours. When the parade started we stopped in front of multiple stands with judges and performed, it was so much fun! There were hundreds of people waving and smiling at us the whole time,” Prado said.
This is only Prado’s junior year. She plans on repeating this next year.
“The experience was so amazing it would definitely be something I would love to repeat next year,” Prado said.
Story and photos by Claire Fieth
2/27/24
The OHS boy's Court Mat game is in the fourth quarter with ten seconds left on the clock. The score was 39-42 with our rival Oak Grove in the lead. Landon Linkhert, junior, passes the ball to Hunter Nye, senior, who shoots the final three. BANG!! The crowd goes crazy, and the game will go into overtime. In the end, Odessa takes the win for the night.
Micah Lewis, head coach, had a mix of emotions during the game, but he was hopeful.
“I think I felt a large majority of emotions during the game. I was mad at times, but happy. I think one of the emotions I felt the most was hope. This season has been pretty tiring in a lot of ways but to play a team that you'd lost to by double digits earlier in the season and make it a dog fight on a night like that is a huge step for such a young team,” Lewis said.
To make a big shot like this, Nye shoots every day. He also shoots at morning practices offered to the players during the season.
“This season Hunter initiated our early morning shootings and has been to almost all of them. Having the character to get out of bed before you have to go do something you're already pretty good at but want to be great at says a lot about a person,” Lewis said.
“Take a lot of shots every day,” Nye said.
Lewis notices Nye's willingness to improve during the season.
“I think the biggest testament to Hunter's game and work ethic is his willingness to work when others aren't watching,” Lewis said.
Lewis thinks Nye is a huge piece of the puzzle during this season and last.
“Hunter has been a huge piece to our team this last season. He is very quiet, and goes about his business,” Lewis said.
To make the big turn around in the game Coach Lewis says the players were able to stay locked in.
“Obviously, we still made mistakes, but we kept them to a minimum and I think most importantly kept our reactions to them to a minimum,” Lewis said.
To stay motivated during the season Nye just has a good time.
“I play just because it’s fun and gives me something to do with friends,” Nye said.
To keep the players motivated during the season, Lewis uses success as their main goal.
“I think the biggest way we look to motivate our players is by looking at the successes and the growth that they're having. When you're working at something, sometimes you have to find positives in the process recognizing that results come down the line,” Lewis said.
With the season coming to an end Lewis wants the players to learn that their hard work always pays off. Lewis wants the players to see how hard school sports are and how sometimes players and coaches take advantage of that. Everyone has sports with players and coaches who care.
“The question is do you find ways to go above and beyond to distinguish yourself from others... I think that's a life lesson. Whatever field you're in, if you work as hard as everyone else then you're bound to reap the same rewards. If you find ways to out work everyone, ways to push yourself beyond your limits,” Lewis said. “Company that with good character and the right opportunity, You typically reach a higher payout.”
Reporting and Picture by Claire Fieth
2/19/24
With the OHS boy's basketball season at an end, players reflect on a good time hanging with friends and making improvements.
“I had a lot of fun this season and made a lot of improvements,” Tristan Janes, freshman, said.
Hunter Nye, senior, thinks the season could have gone a lot better, but he still had a good time.
Along with improving, they also made good memories along the way.
Hunter Nye's favorite memory from the season was making the overtime shot in the Courtmat game against Oak Grove. Janes had fun riding on the bus with his friends before and after the games.
Even though districts didn’t go according to plan, the team still had a good time playing one last time before the season ended.
“It's cool that we smacked Excelsior Springs. Sucks on how we ended the season versus KC Central,” Nye said.
“Districts didn't go the way as planned, but it was still fun,” Janes said.
Nye and Janes thought the coaches helped the team throughout the season. “I really like the coaches and they all helped me improve a lot,” Janes said.
“They are pretty cool to be around and always willing to give advice,” Nye said.
Both Nye and Janes are sad that the season has come to an end.
“I [will] miss playing with all my friends,” Janes said.
“Most of me wishes it would have never ended and some of me is glad,” Nye said.
Reporting and Picture by Claire Fieth
2/19/24
OHS girls' basketball season ends with them taking out the trash.
At districts, Odessa played against Marshall. For theme night Marshall chose “Trash the Bulldogs” and the student section at Marshall wore trash bags to support the team. This motivated the Bulldogs even more to get the win.
“It just motivated us more to beat them you know like take the trash out 'cause we're not trash they are,” Gracie Harget, junior, said.
Brooklynn Stevens, junior, thought the theme night was funny.
“I thought it was really funny honestly considering they had already lost to us before also so they were very cocky about beating us but they still lost it was so funny,” Stevens said.
“It was funny that they all showed up in trash bags because they just looked stupid. It was sad cause they lost at their own home which makes it kinda worse. At the end the student section ripped off their trash bags during the game and threw them at the ground,” Stevens said.
At the end of the game, the girl's team left a heartfelt message on the whiteboard in the Marshall locker room.
At the end of the game, the girl's team left a heartfelt message on the whiteboard in the Marshall locker room.
“After the game, we wrote, ‘take the trash out’ on their locker room whiteboard so we hope they see it and cry. Our quote is to make them cry,” Harget said.
With the end of the season, the girls had made a lot of improvements for themselves and also the team.
“The team made a lot of improvements, especially our shooting towards the end of the season, and my improvement was I was always awesome but my improvement was probably leadership,” Harget said.
Steven thinks the season has improved from last season, especially in rebounding and better team bonding. She also noticed the guards improving on their team.
“We did better at scoring our guards, especially on their three-point shots, especially Gracie Harget and I improved a lot on rebounding, and also switching from a guard to a post that's about all I did,” Stevens said.
Harget and Stevens both had a good time creating connections with their teammates throughout the season. Their favorite team bonding event was the lock-in.
“I think the lock-in that we did at the middle school from eight to midnight, it was fun because we just played a lot of games,” Stevens said.
“My favorite memory was probably the lock-in. I got to cook even though I probably took 11 Ls that day. The only thing I won was rock, paper, scissors and I beat Doyle in basketball. Make sure you tell him that. But he did beat me in a three-point competition with his left hand. We also had a lot of food. We also had a hot chips plate and I was super excited,” Harget said.
Next season will be Stevens and Harget's last season playing together; they are both excited.
“Next season I am excited because we are about to get that district win and go all the way to state and play,” Harget said. “Next season is going to be very fun because I am going to be practicing like never before and I am gonna make every three point shot. I am going to do the 20,000 shot challenge and make everyone.”
“I am looking forward to next season especially getting to play again with Gracie Harget as our senior season, sadly,” Stevens said.
Reporting by Kylee McElmurry
Photo by Brandon Lorenz
4/1/24
Odessa High School Special Olympics got their national banner-one of four schools in Missouri, 290 nationally-Feb 28, 2024.
Odessa has supported Special Olympics events and athletes for over 15 years.
Elizabeth Fagre, Director Of Special Education was very excited for Captain X Games.
“Makayla McCord, Josie Schreier, and members of Unified Club in conjunction with STUCO led by Angie Sallee,” Fagre said, when asked who had worked on this year’s event.
Fagre was glad to be helping with the 3rd annual Captain X Games Unified Leadership Day this year.
“Team parade, National Banner Assembly, inclusive leadership activity, rotations with a variety of games, eSports, and interactive group games,” Fagre said, when asked what were some of the events they had been planning for student athletes and unified partners.
STUCO Advisor/Librarian Angie Sallee was very emotional when it came to the banner because at the Special Olympics, we kids helped her and worked hard to get that banner and it was just so memorable for Mrs. Sallee to enjoy that moment.
STUCO/ Unified Club Member, Josie Schreier has also been a big part of the Special Olympics community.
“I wanted to choose to include everybody because I don’t want anybody to be left out,” Schreier said.
Schreier likes to be in big groups with people, she loves working with and she has been a huge help over the past few years
“I’ve helped for two years now. I’ve had fun doing it. I had fun planning it,” Schreier said.
Schreier enjoys helping out Special Olympics with everything that they do and she has had a big impact on it.
“Yes, because it is very fun and I love it includes your body and I love to see everyone's smiles on their faces even at the dance party,” Schreier said when asked if she has enjoyed her time working on Special Olympics events.
The dance was held in the auditorium and everyone had so much fun. Some STUCO members were helping out with the music and the activities were a fun thing to do too.
Towards the middle of the day, Odessa High School officially received a banner for the 2022-2026 school years. Alumni, Xavier Shaw, has also been a big part of Special Olympics and has worked hard for us to get that banner. In fact, Shaw is the original Captain X.
“Name is Lee. I have worked hard on getting the banner, so has a former student, Xavier Shaw, for three years to try to include people, cats, and games,” Schreier said.
Captain X Games 2024 was a huge success and we can't wait for all the fun we will have next year and have new kids get to enjoy this huge experience that is a huge part of everyone's lives for Special Olympics and everyone at Odessa High School thanks everyone for another good successful Captain X Games.
Check our gallery for more Captain X Games pictures!
Reporting and Pictures by Emma Jones
2/19/24
Odessa Boys Wrestling Team finished out the year with 4 State Champions and a first place team trophy at Mizzou Arena at the State Tournament on February 22nd.
Caiden Davidson, sophomore, took second; Landon Scarbourgh, senior, took third; and Michael Scott, freshman took 5th. Freshmen Blaine Wallace, Jett Brown, Kamden Hooper, and Lake Waters all took first, making their mark as State Champions.
Blaine Wallace had the most exciting match between the 5 finalists, going into overtime in order to secure his first state title.
“In my finals match, going into the 3rd period down 3-0, I knew I had to put it on him and I couldn't hold back, I knew I had to take him down multiple times to tie it up just to put it into overtime,” Wallace said. “Going into the overtime period I knew I still couldn't stop so I kept pushing and as the clock was ticking down I'm getting closer to taking him down until I finally got it done in the finals in overtime.”
Jett Brown, who was wrestling his finals match right next to Wallace, never let up throughout the whole tournament.
“For each match I planned on approaching it as if it was going to be the toughest match yet,” Brown said. “I told myself that no matter what I would move my feet and be physical with my hand. Winning or losing I would never give up.“
Brown also wrestled for more than just himself.
“I was wrestling for God! He is always there for me and has kept me on the right path. He helps me be the best I can,” Brown said.
Kamden Hooper, shared the same fire Brown did in his finals match, despite his emotion
“I felt nervous but didn’t let off the gas because anything can happen, so I kept the pace on my opponent and was confident,” Hooper said.
Lake Waters approached state as though it was just another tournament for him, pushed through, and prevailed.
In regards to the team’s first place win, Waters claims to have always anticipated the moment for them.
“I knew we would do it, no one else can do it like us,” Waters said.
Reporting and Pictures by Emma Jones
3/19/24
Emily Bischoff, sophomore, made history February 22nd, becoming the first OHS girl wrestler to ever become a State Champion.
Bischoff had a “historic feeling” walking into Mizzou Arena and seeing all of the wrestlers prior to competing. ”It was amazing, as soon as I walked in I knew I was ready,” Bischoff stated.
Going into the tournament, Bischoff planned to never let up.
“For each match, I planned on just giving it my all and trying to have fun. I knew I couldn't let the fear get into my head and I just had to wrestle like myself,“ Bischoff said.
Bischoff was wrestling for more than just herself this year, after nearly losing her beloved coach to heart issues.
“I'm wrestling mainly for one person, and that is Coach Lovelace. He helped me a lot not only learning moves but with learning to control my fear while I'm out there wrestling,” Bischoff stated. “Knowing he was in the stands watching I gave my all to every single match. And even though he couldn't be down there he gave me a lot of advice and pep talks before my finals match.”
LoriAnn Archuleta, Head Girls Wrestling Coach, sat in Bischoff’s corner throughout the tournament and coached her during her finals match. Archuleta was filled with many emotions during the final moments of the match, but was able to sum up her feelings.
“A great word to describe my feelings would be having a sense of euphoria. Being able to stand in Emily’s corner when she won her state title was both an honor and a privilege.” Archuleta said.
As Bischoff’s match ended, she was filled with nothing but “sheer enjoyment.” Once everything had set in, Bischoff took time to reflect on her year.
“All year long I kept telling my friends, ‘Wouldn't it be epic if my name was up on that wall?’,” Bischoff stated. “I kept imagining it, that feeling, and when it finally came I couldn't have been happier. I cried in my mom and dad's arms, and my coaches’, and all I remember saying was, ‘I did it, I really did it’.”
Senior Lorelai Burch scored the game winning goal in a shoot out after double overtime.
Video content provided by Brandon Lorenz
By Gracie Harget
4/23/24
Returners on the OHS track team are passionate about working hard and making it even farther this year.
Many of the players worked hard to prepare for the season.
“I worked on pole speed and technique,” Ty Steward, junior, said.
“To prepare for this season I worked on building a better, stronger, and positive mindset. I will also be preparing for this season by pushing myself to be my very best at practice,” Cheyanne Palmer, senior, said.
Kiley Thomas, junior, explained how the team has been weight lifting and training hard.
Many players have benefited from joining track.
Keely Byrd, sophomore, plays softball and basketball and joined track to get better for those sports.
“I decided to do track because it benefits me in my other sports and the people are fun to be around,” Thomas said.
Brena Rider ,junior, decided to join the track to be with her friends while Palmer joined to try something new. Stewart decided to because he wanted to break the school pole vault record.
The first track meet of the season went well.
“Our track season is going okay, but it is still pretty early. Our track athletes are still trying to figure out which events they are most comfortable with doing,” Mark Thomas, track coach, said.
“It went really well, overall we had great team effort and a lot of high places,” Stewart said.
“I was pretty good, but there is definitely a lot that everyone needs to work on,” Palmer said.
Track looks to place prominently at the MRVC tournament April 22nd in Warrensburg.
By Cooper Jiron
4/25/24
Golf has recently started their season with many new players.
Evan Pingel, golf coach, hopes to use new talent to improve the team with the help of older and more experienced players.
“We've got a mixed group of guys with experiences and some guys with not so much, so I hope to have that balance of experiences that makes this season really competitive,” said Pingel.
This happened on the golf team, with a second year player, Donavynn Southall, sophomore, being brought into the golf team by an older player, Brady Glynn, junior.
“He was showing me how to golf and I decided I wanted to play, you know?- during freshman move up day he was there, showing me how to play golf,” said Southall.
This role isn't coming without growing pains though. According to Glynn, adjusting to the new role has been jarring.
“It’s strange going from the younger guy one year to the older guy the next year,” said Glynn.
Glynn then said this is especially true with some of the incoming freshmen natural talents.
“I've been in the program for a long time so luckily I kinda know what's going on, but it's also weird that a lot of these younger guys are doing the same if not better, but you still have to be a leader,” said Glynn.
Another older player, Cameron Clubine, junior, has had to take on a leadership role as well. Clubine has high hopes for the upcoming season, hoping to guide the best he can.
“We have a lot of new talent so I think we're gonna do well, we have a lot new people and a lot new dedicated people than in the last couple years, so I’m gonna try my best to help that.”
Even with these jarring shifts in team dynamics, Pingel sees how Clubine and Glynn could still stand to bond the team together.
“They're guys (Cubine & Glynn) I could see being able to help some of the younger guys, show them the ropes and I'm not just talking golf skill you know? Making them feel a part of the team is just as important as the golf skill side,” said Pingel.
By Cooper Jiron
4/25/24
Klene, boys tennis coach, is hoping to have a competitive season this year for new and old players, but still has the same goals in mind.
“The goal is the same every season for me, 1. Finish with a winning record 2. Win Conference 3. Advance to State either as individuals or as a team,” said Klene.
One of the newer players, Zach Waddell, junior, was voted most improved and is hoping to honor the title this season.
“I realized I was a lot better than I thought I was - From where came from freshman year from a little tap serve to this really strong serve I have now,” said Waddell of one of his biggest personal improvements.
Waddell says even with the added pressure of knowing people will be keeping track of how he does this season he will be keeping focused on what he can do for the team.
An older player Ethan Corder, senior, was said to be one of the best players on the team, and has similar struggles.
“It definitely puts more pressure but it like it I guess it nice to be known for that but it definitely adds pressure,” said Corder.
Corder attributes being able to keep improving and being a great player to Coach Klene.
“Klene has absolutely improved the team this year. He has us work on consistency and drills and lets you know what you're doing wrong because he knows tennis. He lets you improve,” said Corder.
Waddell said something similar, attributing a large part of the team's success to the new coaching of Klene.
“Just having a better coach has helped me improve, Klene’s a great coach and I would love to keep being coached by him,” said Waddell.
The OHS Tennis Team will host their tournament April 26th.
By Claire Fieth
4/23/24
OHS baseball team is starting their season striving to improve.
Two players striving to improve are Gabe Studdard, junior, and Aaron Kolie, senior.
This season Studdard and Kolie are planning to improve their hitting. These players also have improvements for the team to make.
Studdard thinks the team needs to improve on defense errors.
“I think the team should improve our hitting as well,” Kolie said.
As the players are starting to play teams, they have a few competitors they are excited to play against.
“I look forward to playing Pleasant Hill and Fort Osage because I believe they will be good competition,” Kolie said.
“Pleasant Hill, I’m not nervous,” Studdard said.
The team played Pleasant Hill and won 6-4 bringing a dub home for the team.
Both of these players have been playing baseball for a long time and are experienced.
“I have been playing baseball for 14 years, and I started playing because my dad got me into
it, and I liked playing with my friends,” Studdard said.
“I have been playing since machine pitch. I started playing because I wanted to be Alex Gordon,” Kolie said.
In the game, these players have different roles to help their team succeed.
“I play in the outfield-they catch and throw the ball,” Kolie said.
“Catcher, I catch every pitch behind the base,” Studdard said.
Baseball has a busy end of the school year ahead of them with multiple opportunities to improve and bring home more wins.
Story by Claire Fieth
4/23/24
OHS girls' soccer started strong and got second place at this year's Clinton Cup. As the players reflect on the games they see strong connections being made.
“I think the team is starting to learn how to play together and starting to connect better,” Gracie Harget, junior said.
“I think we connect very well everyone is very sweet and supportive of each other,” Lorelai Burch, senior, said.
“The team connected well most of the time. There were a couple of times where we weren’t as connected as we could be,” Jaydn Brewe senior said.
While making connections, the team is also looking at making other improvements. Burch would like to see overall more shots on goal.
“Personally, I want to work on my footwork, so I can make some offensive plays,” Harget said.
Brewe is looking to improve her goal kicks and drop kicks from the box.
The team is off to a good start, sporting a record of 8-6 after some tough battles against strong opponents.
Up next, a matchup with 13-2 Marshall on April 23rd. After that, looking forward to districts. When asked if the team was expecting a good showing at districts this year, Harget responded with a confident: “Yes.”
Club Stories of 2023-2024
Claire Fieth Leaving Her Mark With Creativity
By Claire Fieth
Claire Fieth, junior here at OHS is leaving her mark around the school with her creativity, and painting skills.
Fieth has painted not one but two murals around the school. One in Jessica Wade's, marketing and DECA, room and another one in the agriculture building for Gene Collins, AG teacher.
“Last year I painted the mural in the AG building and I really enjoyed painting it and it was like I was leaving my mark on the school and I wanted to continue to do that around the school,” Fieth said.
“When Claire asked to paint the mural, I was very surprised! I said yes to Claire because this was actually an idea that I had several months earlier that I had no idea how I would accomplish, as I am not an artist! Claire’s offer had perfect timing and was a good way to accomplish our goals for the building while supporting a student project,” Collins said.
To design the DECA and AG murals, Fieth had a lot of steps.
“I used Canva and designed a DECA diamond with 'Odessa DECA' written on the inside of the diamond. To get the mural on the wall I used a baby projector and connected it to my computer then I traced the mural design on the wall and then I painted it,” Fieth said.
Fieth said it only took her a week to paint the DECA mural because is not that big, but with the AG building mural, it took her two weeks.
“For the mural in the AG building I designed the mural in my sketchbook and then I traced it on a clear folder then I put the design on this old printer and then I traced it on the wall and used Mrs. Smith's, the art teacher, paint brushes and pallet for the paint which was from Mr Collins,” Fieth said.
Wade and Collins were very pleased with Claire's skills.
“I love the mural It has been a much-needed and welcome addition to the Ag Building Lobby. It adds a touch of Odessa Bulldogs Pride to our building,” Collins said.
“Claire was very professional and took her time to make sure she did a great job,” Wade said.
Wade also says Fieth is a great student and she is super glad about her painting the mural.
"I wanted my room to have more character and the DECA diamond obviously makes sense,” Wade said.
Fieth says she wants to continue painting murals around the school with her creativity.
“Throughout this process, Claire has shown herself to be a talented and dedicated individual. Claire worked on the mural and made sure that I was satisfied with her progress and the way the mural was looking throughout the whole process. Claire’s talents and character will take her far in life after High School,” Collins said.
Guarding Angels Guiding the School
By Claire Fieth
Guarding angels, or as you know them freshman mentors, are guiding the freshmen through their first year here at Odessa High School. “Freshman mentors started as a part of student council in 2019 as Stuco members led CharacterStrong sessions in BEST (now known as Bulldog Block). We have freshman mentors as a way to build community in our school so that freshmen get to know upperclassmen,” Angie Sallee, OHS student council sponsor, said.
“The freshman mentor program also encourages relationship building among classmates and fosters mental health,” Sallee said.
Grace Smith junior, leader for freshman mentors has been a freshman mentor since her sophomore year. “I enjoyed my freshman year when we did freshman mentors and wanted to help give that experience to the next class,” Smith said.
Haley Burke, junior, is also a freshman mentor at OHS she has also been a freshman mentor since her sophomore year. “I wanted to be a freshman mentor because I thought it sounded fun and I thought the upperclassmen that were my freshman mentors were cool and I wanted to do that too,” Burke said.
Samantha Hall, senior, has been a freshman mentor since her sophomore year. The reason Hall wanted to be a freshman mentor was because she enjoys talking to the freshmen and likes to see what they are up to.
As freshman mentors Smith, Burke, and Hall have all made good memories.
“We did an activity where someone's back was against the whiteboard and everyone else wrote what they thought about that person. At the end the person got to turn around and see what everyone thought of them; it was funny to see all the responses and really boosted everyone's confidence,” Smith said.
Burke says her favorite memories from her class are the freshman being funny and making jokes.
“My former freshmen mentors will see me in the hallway and point at me and walk away so that's funny,” Hall said.
To be a freshman mentor join OHS Stuco. “The freshman mentors are upperclassmen in student council that apply for the positions. This year we have a few sophomores participating as well. Freshman mentors includes Digital4Good x #ICANHELP curriculum and pieces from CharacterStrong along with student-created content,” Sallee said.
“You can volunteer to be a part of a group this year. We had a ton of volunteers for freshman mentors and I ended up not being able to get everyone to a class since we have 3-4 mentors per class,” Smith said.
Smith says the idea of freshman mentors gets the freshmen involved and lets them know their bulldog block better.
Beyond the walls of classrooms and textbooks, there exists a space where creativity knows no bounds. Our high school craft club is more than just art; it's a community where students come together to create, inspire, and forge new friendships. Led by Rocchina Bruner, the OHS Craft Club meets once a week after school to craft exciting new projects within the company of close friends.
Craft Club has roughly 12 students participating every week. 3 teachers also participate, as well as their own children who range from grades 1 to 7. More students are expected once sports seasons begin to close.
The club takes place in Bruner’s class, room 12, from 3 to 4:30 in the afternoon on Thursdays.
The club was created, this year, by Bruner, and is joined by Ashley Fisher. Because the club needed authorization first, Bruner was required to write up the club and its purpose to be approved. She initially created the club for Career Ladder hours, but she finds herself thoroughly enjoying her time with the students in the club and is excited each week to return to the room of crafty people. Bruner wanted to create a club that kids enjoy being a part of.
“It’s fun hanging out with crafty people,” Bruner said.
So far, the club has created 2 finalized projects, and have learned a few crochet techniques. Club members have created “yarn gnomes”, and “t-shirt bags.”
A couple students tell what they are excited about for the club, and why they joined.
Mariah Malisheski says that she is excited, “to have the freedom to do badly in creating, but be in a space where it is still fun,” and she is excited to “spend time with my best friend.”
Carolynn Brown says she, “joined because it sounded fun.” She is, “looking forward to spending time with friends and learning new skills.”
The club not only provides a fun place to be freely creative, but also has educational advantages as well. Participants are learning new skills, like following instruction. It also encourages problem solving skills, builds communication skills, and builds community between the club members.
Upcoming events and projects include holiday themed crafts, wood burning, macrame, decorations for the school, and a fundraiser.
The club is not funded by the school. Rather, teachers and students donate materials to the club. It is encouraged by the club that anyone donate materials to keep the club going.
A fundraiser is currently being discussed within the club to help raise money for more crafts. The club plans to create crafts to sell within school for the money.
Also, the club hopes to begin creating decorations and other crafts to put up around the school. This would allow for a “homey feel” to the school, says Bruner.
Craft Club is a home for those who love to create and who enjoy the company of friends. Bruner says, “Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join.”
DECA TAKES ON NEW YORK
By Cooper Jiron
11/6/23
DECA’s yearly trip is again to NYC this year. It's scheduled from November 1st to November 6th.
DECA members were brimming with excitement, by posting countdowns or photos from last year’s trip on social media or by expressing their excitement vocally to peers.
Sam Hall, an OHS senior and DECA member, was especially excited.
“We're doing a lot more of looking at history this year and I'm a history nerd so I'm so excited for that because we're going to the Tenement Museum and Ellis Island and stuff like that, which is pretty amazing,” said Hall.
Eva Hawkins, a Junior and DECA member, shared her enthusiasm for the trip. Hawkins commented on her love for traveling and how she uses it to educate herself on what to do and where to go while traveling from place to place.
“I would feel confident traveling with DECA, like going through the airport and the whole process of navigating and learning how to be confident out there,” said Hawkins.
While in NYC DECA is planning to visit multiple landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 memorial, and the Empire State Building. Although this trip usually has educational seminars about marketing and business in between these visits, this year the trip is purely for student enjoyment.
Follow this story for an update on DECA’s trip.
OHS speech and debate is off to a good start with at least one student qualifying to compete in the semi-finals at each of their tournaments to date.
According to new speech and debate coach Michael Brown, Samantha Hall, senior, qualified for semi-finals at the Blue Springs South tournament; Brooklyn Brown, freshman, qualified at Park Hill; and Kylee Brown, junior, qualified at Grain Valley.
“I do Original Oratory which is a persuasive speech about a chosen topic. I do this because I am able to choose a topic I’m passionate about, and use my emotions to help me prove my point,” Hall said.
Freshmen on the team are also finding success and confidence. B. Brown is a first-year competitor in informative speech and was surprised at her break out into the semi-final round.
“Many students just missed breaking by a point. We had one competitor break out of preliminary rounds. Kylee Brown not only broke out but ended up taking 2nd place in Dramatic Interpretation for the whole tournament,” M. Brown said of the team's success at the Grain Valley Tournament on October 20.
M. Brown has been very happy with the program he inherited. The students are enthusiastic about speech and debate and willing to put in the work. M. Brown has not had to make many changes.
“The biggest change I have made is to attend and compete at bigger schools and at more tournaments. Since there is no class for MSHSAA I wanted the team to see more schools from bigger teams right away so they aren't surprised at district and state competitions,” M. Brown said.
Students, like Hall, have been mostly receptive to the challenge of facing bigger schools this year. The experience has helped students prepare for the other, smaller schools they will face at districts this year.
“I like to think I’ll be getting first at districts, but with judges' opinions varying so widely you never really know. It’s extremely hard to break to finals at state and no one in Odessa ever has,” Hall said.
Overall, the team does not record traditional wins and losses. Individual students have found success, but Odessa has yet to take enough students to a competition to compete for full group awards.
The team has tournaments every weekend from November 3rd until the end of the semester. Tournaments are Friday nights and Saturdays.
Odessa will host its own tournament at the end of February.
By Whitney Bachman-Twombly
Photo Courtesy of Michael Brown
11/6/23
By Kylee McElmurry
11/9/23
OHS Interact partners with the Rotary Club and is run by Crisa Seals, a computer apps teacher.
“We plan to help out with Harvesters in November and ring bells, do a shoe drive, read to some kids, and then we also have a couple of service projects,” Seals said.
Service projects will include working with the Rotary Club on making a trail for the community at the reservoir. Mrs Seals is also trying to plan 2 field trips for Interact.
Seals mentioned, “Going to be one to go throughout the town and be able to meet with different Rotary people and do a job shadow
type of thing. I know the field trip I want to do is go to Harvesters and let everybody have the opportunity to see how to pack food and help the KC area, help people who might need help with food options.”
Interact officers are hopefully going to help lead the charge on their activities this year. Officers include Bella King, president; Karmen Lattie, vice president; Ayana Brown, secretary; and Kaylnn Seals, communications officer. Communications officer is a new position this year to help the club “get our communications up a lil bit,” said Seals.
The Odessa Rotary Club is a service-based club for different people in the community. Community leaders and business owners can come together for the betterment of the world and people in the community overall.
“Interact is the high school version of Rotary, our main focus is to bring students
awareness to like the world around them here in Odessa, in the area of KC, in Missouri, U.S., internationally-like things that people need, and to help support them,” Seals said.
King has been the president of Interact for two years. King joined Interact because she was “hearing about what we do for people and the kindness we spread.”
King loves what Interact does: spreading kindness around people and the environment, and helping out others. King also loves the people she works with and how she bonds with them.
“By working together, last year we read to the kids, we took turns and it was really fun to get to know each other,” King said.
King’s favorite project so far was the clothing exchange for women and kids during last year’s winter concerts.
Odessa High School Student Council traveled to Center High School Friday to participate in MASC Stuco Districts.
MASC Districts is held every year. It is a conference that allows students to not only learn from speakers but from their peers as well.
Each school that attends is required to host a “flock talk.” During the talk the students must inform other students about traditions they do at their school. Grace Smith, Junior, is the vice president of Stuco and taught a flock talk with Haley Burke, Junior and talked about how homecoming is organized and planned here at OHS.
Smith’s favorite part was the ending ceremony.
“We did the chicken dance and found out we won administer and advisor of the year!” Smith said.
Brady Glynn, Junior, is the executive board director for stuco. Glynn did not teach a flock talk but “learned a lot about coordinating events.”
Glynn’s favorite part was listening to guest speakers.
“They had great advice for us students,” Glynn said.
Stuco President Trinity Alvestead, Senior, also had a lot to say about the speakers.
“During districts I was able to learn about ways that other people have gotten through rough times from the inspirational speakers,” Alvestead said. “I am really excited that the whole council was able to hear the speakers and I hope that Odessa High School is able to bring one of them to our school.”
By Emma Jones
Photos Taken by Emma Jones
11/2/23
DECA project, Vet’s Breakfast, was held in the OHS tile gym November 9. The project was led by Samantha Hall, senior, and Haley Burke, junior. Other DECA students contributed.
should be done to show their support and gratitude for our veterans, so the DECA project was set to be a breakfast for local veterans. Choir students joined to sing the veterans the national anthem.
Amber Deaton was grateful to the students who made the project. “Hosting events to honor local veterans is important and a great life lesson for kids today to see the people who have gone out into the world to defend our country.”
For the event to occur, the DECA students first needed the gym to host the breakfast. They also needed sponsors, which included the Bank of Odessa and other local businesses.
Several local veterans and their families attended the event; dining with fellow vets over breakfast and listening to the choir performance.
By Emma Musgrave
Photos by Lexie Abshier and Claire Fieth
11/17/23
By Emma Musgrave
Photos by Emma Musgrave and Mara Malisheski
11/30/23
National Honor Society inductees light the new year and take their oaths of honor on Induction night, November 8.
Surrounded by family, friends, and teachers, each student came forward and gave thanks to those who sponsored their NHS application. 20 total students were granted the membership this year.
Students who met the academic and behavioral criteria to apply to the organization were invited to fill out an application that would be further reviewed by the faculty council. The application itself included recording community service hours and leadership roles the student had.
“The process to joining was a bit tedious and taxing in remembering all the examples of community service,” said Yasamine Carter, junior.
Once reviewed, 20 final students were admitted to the club. The students are excited to be a part of the organization.
“I’m excited to be part of an elite club, with my fellow students that are dedicated to excellence. I’m most looking forward to our service projects,” said Brady Glynn, junior.
The students admitted are as follows: Rylee Adams, Macey Begemann, Kylee Brown, Haley Burke, Yasamine Carter, Claire Fieth, Kennison Friedrich, Brady Glynn, Easton Jenkins, Gracie Harget, Abigayle Lett, Marley Prado, Kelsie Rathert, Tatum Shipley, Lenin Sisk, Grace Smith, Gabe Studdard, and Madison Walters.
After the students were finalized, the NHS Induction ceremony had to be held to complete the membership.
“I’m a little nervous for the lighting ceremony, but otherwise excited to be there and celebrate a huge accomplishment in my life,” says Carter.
The event took place November 8, in the high school commons, where each student took an oath to serve others and maintain their high standards as a student in their leadership roles.
The students then recognized their membership sponsors, offered them gifts of thanks, and received their membership papers from principal, Robbie Shepherd.
The club's original and new members have their first official meeting on November 16.
FBLA TRAVELS TO TEXAS
By Emma Jones
Photos Courtesy of Avery Marble
8 FBLA members traveled to Dallas, Texas on November 16th to attend the FBLA 2023 National Fall Leadership Conference.
Trinity Alvestead, Senior, chose to join the trip because she
wanted to try something new. Alvestead stated that she “loved all of it,” and it was very hard for her to pick a favorite part.
“I would totally recommend traveling to Texas. Texas has lots of activists and adventures that are available,” Alvestead stated.
Avery Marble, Sophomore, attended the conference with
hopes of making “some amazing memories” and learning more about business.
“I chose to attend the FBLA Texas trip to help me further understand marketing and business strategies,” Marble said. “I attended the NFLC which taught me to be more successful as a leader.”
Grace Smith, Junior, had a hand in helping decide where the club would be staying on their way home and decided on camping. Smith described the camping part of the trip as an “interesting experience."
“It was cold so the first night we bundled up and it wasn’t too bad but the second night my roommates and I slept in the van because it was extremely cold and rainy,” Smith said.
By Claire Fieth
Photo Courtesy of Ann Skelton
FCCLA is a club at OHS helping families.
“The work of FCCLA helps students and teachers focus on various youth concerns, including parenting, family relationships, substance abuse, peer pressure, sustainability, nutrition and fitness, teen violence, and career preparation in four specific Career Pathways,” Skelton, OHS FACS(Family and Consumer Science) teacher and FCCLA sponsor, said.
Members in this club represent many different things in there community.
“Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) is a national Career and Technical Student Organization (CTSO) for students in Family and
Consumer Sciences (FCS) education in public and private schools through grade 12,” Skelton said.
This organization has been making a difference in the community for a long time.
“Since 1945, FCCLA members have been making a difference in their families, careers, and communities by addressing important personal, work, and societal issues through Family and Consumer Sciences education,” Skelton said.
This club not only helps their community, but also encourages members for their future life.
“To provide opportunities for personal development and preparation for adult life. To strengthen the function of the family as a basic unit of society. To encourage democracy through cooperative action in the home and community. To encourage individual and group involvement in helping achieve global cooperation and harmony. To promote greater understanding between youth and adults. To provide opportunities for making decisions and for assuming responsibilities. To prepare for the multiple roles of men and women in today's society. To promote Family and Consumer Sciences and related occupations,” is what FCCLA is all about Skelton said.
Club members are preparing for their first competition in January 2024.
“We are planning to attend our first regional competition on January 24, 2024! We have four students competing and the rest are registered to be volunteers. We will attend the spring leadership conference at Tan Tar A and depending on our advancement at regionals, we will attend state and national competitions as well. We continue to fundraise, donate goods and time to various events, and focus on growing OHS FCCLA chapter,” Skelton said.
Current member Jayda Snyder, junior, joined just this year.
“I have been in FCCLA since the beginning of this year and I joined because I wanted to apart of the community and learn how to be a great leader,” Snyder said.
With the many activities they do for the community Snyder has her favorite.
“I would say the affirmation posters we made for teachers. I am very big on positivity and bringing up others and I also enjoyed being able to show the teachers that we appreciate them and that we see the hard work they do,” Snyder said.
This club is also helping her with her future.
“It teaches me ways to be strong and be able to make good decisions and choices when I’m out on my own as an adult,” Snyder said.
FCCLA promotes many important skills that students need throughout life.
By Gracie Harget
11/28/23
The OHS Math Relays club is getting their season started. It’s run by John Carmody, math teacher, and assisted by Donna Gwodz, math teacher.
“I am grateful to be a sponsor of Math Relays as it brings back many fond memories. I am also very grateful for the assistance of Mrs. Gwodz. She is so much
help,” Carmondy said.
Carmondy has been involved with Math Relays for quite some time. He was a member of his high school’s team.
“When I was in high school at Moberly High School, we traveled to Northeast Missouri State University in Kirksville for our competitions. This university is now known as Truman State,” Carmody said.
Math relays have been around for awhile. The test used to be taken on paper and the results would take days to announce. Now, the tests are on computers and the results are immediately shown.
The topics on the test are Algebra,
Geometry, Algebra 2, Math Analysis, and Trigonometry.
The Math Relays competitions are an all day thing.
“Generally, the competitions start with an early morning meeting with teachers at the host schools. Rules and room assignments are discussed. Students then go to rooms for subject matter tests they chose to take. The testing lasts about 3-4 hours. After testing, we go out for lunch! We then return for the awards assembly,” Carmody said.
The team had their last competition on November 4, 2023 where they took 3rd place.
By Emma Musgrave
Pictures by Claire Fieth
12/14/23
DECA has been very busy, says Jessica Wade, OHS business teacher and DECA advisor, and indeed, they have. DECA has had several projects this year, the most recent being the Mission Money’s field trip December 7.
This past semester DECA has been to New York City, and have orchestrated several projects. This includes: Unified Prom, Decades of DECA, Hope Kids Walk, DECA Trivia Night, the Econ Project, Secret Santa with Second Street Nutrition, Study Snacks, Coffee Camp Project, Baking Competition, DECA Dodgeball Tournament, Veteran’s Day Breakfast, Raising Future Gems Scholarship Fund, Mobile DECA Diner, and several research projects with various local businesses. Busy, indeed!
The group is sponsored by Wade, but it is the officer team of elite students that pull the whole thing together. Brandon Lorenz and Samantha Hall, seniors, and Brady Glynn, Haley Burke, Eva Hawkins, and Makennah Sophy, juniors.
Through DECA, students have acquired essential life skills, as well as other benefits, from their experiences. “I have gained incredible networking skills and knowledge on appropriate professional attire,” says Lorenz, DECA president.
Lorenz also says that not only has his experiences through DECA allowed him to excel through the world of talking to strangers and gain knowledge of behind the scenes of marketing campaigns, but it has also allowed him to see other points of view on today’s hot topics.
Not only do the students gain skills such as these, but they also take on leadership roles within the club. These roles include president and vice president of various sections of the club. “I’ve been in DECA for 3 years; I’m an officer and vice president of Marketing,” says Burke.
Hawkins has also been in DECA for 3 years, is an officer, and is also the vice president of Career Development. Glynn has been in the club for 3 years; this is his second year on the officer team and is serving as vice president of Finance.
All projects for the year have been finalized. Now, DECA members write and prepare their presentation for District Competition February 7. This competition will dictate whether or not the Odessa DECA group qualify for state competition this year.
DECA has had a very successful run. Students, however stressed over finalizing their presentations, feel that District Competition will go well and that DECA has had a great year. Students are ready for the holiday break to complete their projects and return next semester for another great semester. That’s DECA, wrapped up.
By Kylee McElmurry
Edited by Emma Jones
Pictures Courtesy of Tia Saxon
1/30/24
FCS, also known as Fellowships Of Christian Students, is a group for students who would like to explore the Christian faith and find fellowship with their peers. It is sponsored by the First Baptist Church in Odessa, Missouri.
Tia Saxon, FCS sponsor and Technology Coach, has started to get this going again, and the students are really enjoying it so far.
“It had been in existence since I was in high school,” Saxon said. “I think when Coach Meyer left, it lacked someone willing to be the main sponsor. When I returned to Odessa to teach, it was one of the first things I wanted to get going again.”
Saxon is glad that she is doing this because she was very excited to do it when she came back.
“I was a part of the organization when I was in school and enjoyed it,” Saxon said. “I wanted to give students the opportunity to gather with other like-minded people to be able to have community and share their faith even if they didn't attend the same church."
Saxon is glad that students come in and share their faith even if they are not at the same church. This is the second year in its comeback.
“I don't know how many years it had been around previously. We have changed the name to FCS, Fellowship of Christian Students, so students didn't feel like they had to be an athlete to join.” Saxon said.
Saxon has really gained traction with students and said the club consistently has about 20 students that meet weekly.
Maddie Lockhart, senion, has also been going to FCS and enjoying it.
”I love FCS. It is a great way to share the love of Jesus to OHS,” Lockhart said.
Lockhart feels that FCS that its a great way to share the love of Jesus to our school. Lockhart has also been apart of many activities with FCS that she has enjoyed.
“We did Courts for Christ on the 24th which had an amazing turn out and we also meet every Thursday morning at 7:00 in Coach Wolfe's room,” Lockhart said.
Lockhart has been a FCS member since she was in middle school.
“I wanted to join because I love Jesus and want the share the joy I have with people in my school. FCS is a wonderful program and it would be really fun to join,” Lockart said.
By Emma Musgrave
Pictures Courtesy of Scholar Bowl Team
2/28/24
Scholar Bowl prepares for its MRVC Conference.
The club is sponsored by Rachael Begemann. The following students participate: seniors Chase Sullivan, Blake
Sullivan, Taryn McCarthy, Jadyn Brewe, Clayton Stevens, Alex King, and Carlee Johnson, and junior Macey Begemann.
“Most people like to think of Scholar Bowl as trivia with buzzers, which is true for the most part,” says Begemann. Events are made up of 22 questions, and two rounds per match. Teams are made of 4 competitors in a match. Every correct answer by a specific student earns points for the team and the student. The team with the most points at the end wins.
“Scholar bowl is all about acquisition of knowledge, the more you know, the more successful you are,” says Begemann.
To prepare for matches, members practice every Wednesday.
Members not only have fun competing but also feel impacted by every event. Senior, Taren McCarthy, says, “It makes me think more and lean more than I would normally.” At each event, members learn something new.
After the MRVC event, Scholar Bowl will move on to District competitions in April.
NHS is supporting a very important cause and hosting a Blood Drive Monday March 4th.
Our goal is 100 units of blood donated in partnership with the Community Blood Center!
Odessa community is not just welcomed, but encouraged to participate in our drive. We will be posting QR codes via social media today and have already posted flyers. If you know anyone who would be willing and able, have them sign up or community members can walk in the day of the event. Students will need to sign up prior to the event and all students under 17 will need a form signed by their guardian.
Per the Community Blood Center's guidelines, people should plan 45 minutes to an hour when donating blood to give time to recoup. Snacks will be provided for those in need of them and all participants get a free shirt as a thank you for their support!
Thank you so much for supporting our amazing NHS students and their cause!
Schedule an appointment by clicking here (this can be shared with students and community members) https://donate.savealifenow.org/donor/schedules/drive_schedule/82471
Reporting by Cooper Jiron
Photo Courtesy of Mike Brown
2/19/24
The speech and debate team went to districts last week with most of the team placing in the top 5.
Most notably, Kylee Brown, junior, placed first place in dramatic interpretation and was the only team member to qualify for state.
“I put in so much time and so much effort it's nice to be given validation,” Brown said.
Her teammates, while disappointed they weren't able to make the cut for state were still proud of their placement at conference.
Riley Hicklin, sophomore, and Lola Walter, freshmen, have both been honing their skills over the past season with Hicklin placing 6th in humorous interpretation and Walter placing third in radio.
“It's been pretty cool being able to do radio. It's also my first year to I have time to get better,” Walter said.
Walter participates in an event called radio that is given only 24 hours before competing to research, write, and memorize 5 minutes of a mock radio broadcast.
Walter says this has made her more able to think on her feet and to be prepared for things in her day to day life.
Hicklin shared a similar sentiment. Hicklin’s main activity before speech and debate was volleyball.
“It's been so much fun being able to do something different. Volleyball is a team on the court sport and speech and debate is something where I can individually compete,” Hicklin said.
The opportunity to branch out is something much of the speech and debate team expressed their thankfulness for.
Hailey Burke, junior, had much to say about how speech and debate lets you express yourself.
“I love speech and debate because every piece someone performs has bits of the performer in them. My piece is very personal to me, it talks about women led sports and as a female athlete it's close to me and im sure thats the case with everyone,” Burke said.
Regardless of their placement, the speech and debate team is still proud and ready for next season.
Reporting by Kylee McElmurry
Photo Courtesy of Rachel Begemann
4/1/24
OHS FBLA went to districts in Chillicothe, MO on February 9th, 2024.
21 Members went, and out of everyone, 13 qualified and they will be going to state in April. They Are, Jackson Baker, Macey Begemann, Haley Burke, Brady Glynn, Ezra Mills, Isaia Perez, Grace Smith, Blake Sullivan, Chase Sullivan, Jacob Tate, Lucas Tate, Collin Wade, Nate Witt.
OHS FBLA Advisor Rachael Begemann loves going to state and crushing it at districts every year she has gone.
“This is year 3 for me,” R. Begemann mentions.
R. Begemann is glad she has been doing this for so long because this is what she loves doing and having a good interaction with her students.
“I love the chance to see my students prove to the rest of the state how awesome they are,” R. Begemann said.
Begemann is pretty pumped up about how many kids are going to state this year.
Junior member Macey Begemann has also been a part of this group for the same number of years as her mom.
“I've been in FBLA since my freshman year, so this is my third year in FBLA,” M. Begemann mentions.
M. Begemann is also very excited to be attending State again this year. She also qualified for state her freshman and sophomore years.
“I'm excited for State. I like traveling and staying in a hotel for these competitions, and I like all the fun places we can go to and all the fun things we can do, like eating at Black Sheep,” M. Begemann said.
M. Begemann has 2 events that she will take to state with her. “I am going to state for Business Communication and Visual Design.”
Senior member Blake Sullivan is also very pumped to go to state.
“I have been in FBLA since my Sophomore year of high school,” Sullivan said. “This year will be my third time qualifying for the FBLA state leadership conference.”
Sullivan has been a big part of FBLA. He is the president of FBLA this year.
“I am excited to go to state. I've always enjoyed state and have experienced some great memories in years past. So I'm excited to go back and continue to add to those fun and memorable moments,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan will be competing in the I Surface and Risk Management tests this year at state.
Odessa FBLA is a good club to join so when you go to districts or state and you place well, you could have an opportunity for a scholarship, and the kids that are in FBLA and going to state have worked hard and they are very good kids.
Reporting by Gracie Harget
Photo Courtesy of Abigayle Lett
2/21/24
Abigale Lett, junior in FFA, went to Blue Springs High School where she ran for the FFA Area Officer team on March 6th.
She did this by filling out an application before going to her interviews. While at Blue Springs, she was interviewed by a group of student delegates. Lett ran against 14 other students from different schools.
“I was elected as the Sentinel. The Sentinel assists the President in maintaining order and keeps the meeting room and paraphernalias in proper order,” Lett said.
The Missouri Area Officer team consists of 9 people.
“In Area 6 we plan all leadership events and do other things like help at the state and county fair,” Lett said.
While Lett is starting to go to the state level, she still has a big role in Odessa FFA.
“My role in FFA is Vice-President. I see over committees and help the president in any way necessary,” Lett said.
Earlier this month, FFA held their annual FFA week. This week allows FFA to celebrate being members, agriculture, and all their accomplishments throughout the year.
“All throughout the week we went bowling, laser tag, and top golf. On the last day we went to a farm show and had our annual FFA breakfast, so it was really fun,” Brodie Barker, freshman, said.
“We also went to church on Sunday and the farm show and breakfast on Friday. Some freshmen got the chance to go to Jefferson City and celebrate FFA week with governor Mike Parson,” Lett said.
To end the week, FFA ran their annual community breakfast.
“The FFA breakfast is a breakfast when we feed business owners and the community. Anyone is welcome and it’s one of our favorite events of the year,” Lett said.
The breakfast is held in the FFA shop room. Many of the FFA members had to show up at 5 AM to get the breakfast started.
“I arrived at 5 AM for the breakfast. I was a door greeter this year and before I had to start door greeting I went around and made sure everyone was good and helped in any way I could,” Lett said.
The breakfast was a huge success for FFA.
“Tons of people showed up, like 3 huge waves of people. It was so good we almost ran out of food and had to go get more,” Barker said.
With seniors graduating, some FFA members plan on stepping up into more leadership roles.
“I don't have a role this year, except for showing up. I definitely plan on having one next year, no matter what it is,” Barker said.
By Gracie Harget
4/23/24
The NHS Easter egg hunt was a huge success.
The Easter egg hunt was held on March 30th, the day before Easter. It was held at the OUE playground. NHS hid over 300 eggs around the playground.
This is NHS’s first Easter egg hunt. They decided to do more service projects this year and came up with this one.
“The Easter egg hunt is something different from what the National Honor Society has done in the past, so by being a part of such a big thing in our community and providing a new opportunity to reach out to the community, I couldn’t pass it up,” Yasamine Carter, junior, said.
“We wanted to create a fun family friendly community project as a part of National Honors Society to create more student involvement with the organization, and more community involvement through families looking for something to do on spring break,” Brandon Lorenz, senior NHS President, said.
“We decided to do an Easter egg hunt because we thought it would be a fun way to offer something to our community that NHS had not done before, and a good time to do some good over our spring break,” Haley Burke, junior, said.
NHS tried to make the hunt as special as they could. They wanted it to be a special moment for the kids.
“Kids at this age will hold onto the memory of having their friends and family around them! They will also remember the impact of having a community such as the National Honor Society that may in turn make them encouraged to do and have the same care for the community in the future,” Carter said.
“It was 100% free and we provided candy, face paint, sidewalk chalk, and even the easter bunny flying in on a helicopter,” Lorenz said.
Half of the eggs were filled with candy while the other half was filled with stickers, erasers, or fidgets. At the hunt, they also had face painting and stickers the kids could wear. NHS also has Tatum Shipley, junior, dress up as an Easter bunny. At the beginning of the hunt, the bunny flew down in a helicopter, donated by Lanyn Sisk’s, junior, dad.
There were many jobs for the NHS students to contribute to.
“I took pictures with the Easter bunny and helped with face paint,” Burke said.
“I organized this event and I was able to get a group of students together to plan and discuss this project. We were able to successfully carry out this hunt with all hands on deck,” Lorenz said.
The Easter egg hunt was a huge success for the NHS with all the eggs being gone in the first 30 minutes.
By Kylee McElmurry
Photo Courtesy of Ann Skelton
4/30/24
OHS FCCLA went to the State Leadership Conference on March 17-19, 2024 at the Margaritaville Lake Resort in Osage Beach, Missouri.
Ann Skelton and 3 other FCCLA Members got to attend this fun conference and they got to learn what FCCLA meant and all the state preparation they need for the next school year.
Skelton, OHS Facs Teacher/FCCLA Advisor, was very excited to attend her first FCCLA state leadership conference.
“This is my 2nd year as an FCCLA advisor,” Skelton mentions. “FCCLA was at OHS once upon a time before 2017. When I agreed to take on the job at OHS, I also wanted to incorporate the CTSO FCCLA because of all the great leadership opportunities.”
Skelton was glad that she got to take some members with her so she could have them enjoy this trip and learn great things too.
“Because this was our first trip, I wanted to be sure it was a small group so we could become more familiar with the conference and what was to be expected of us. Kyana Purcell, Josie Schreier, and Kylee McElmurry attended the state conference and they were great examples of what an FCCLA member stands for,” Skelton said.
Skelton had a fantastic time on this trip and would love to attend again.
“This trip had a great impact not only on me but on the members as well. We were able to gain knowledge from the star events, official dress, informative workshop ideas, and just an overall sense of camaraderie,” Skelton said.
Junior Josie Schreier is a very new member of FCCLA. This is Schreier’s first year in FCCLA.
“I thought this would be a great opportunity for me so I can learn more about new skills and leadership skills, plus I get to hang out with Mrs Skelton,” Schreier mentions.
Schreier was pretty shocked at how big this conference was going to be.
“I was not expecting a lot of people and all the cheering made me happy to be there. I saw some of my friends from traction there too,” Schreier said.
Schreier would love to join on this trip again to learn more about FCCLA.
“From going there and learning what the rules were because this is OHS FCCLA coming back from a long time away,” Schreier said.
Sophomore Kyana Purcell is also a first-time FCCLA Member.
“I wanted to get into FCCLA for the opportunities and what it has to offer,” Purcell mentions.
Purcell enjoyed the conference as well.
“Meeting a lot of new people because they are very nice,” was Purcell’s favorite part.
OHS FCCLA is a wonderful opportunity for you to join because you can learn something new and you will get to go on a lot of fun trips with Mrs. Skelton and other FCCLA members.
By Emma Jones
Photo Courtesy of Grace Smith
4/30/24
FBLA will attend state competition on April 14th and return on the 16th. The organization is taking 13 qualifiers.
Grace Smith, junior, is returning to state for a 3rd time and can’t wait to attend the Springfield, MO, conference.
“I am always very excited to learn that I qualify. We have a tough district to compete in with presentations so I am always happy to know when I qualify!” Smith said.
Smith competed with 2 projects this year at district competition.
“I had 2 projects this year, a ‘Public Service Announcement Presentation’ where my partner and I created a video highlighting the opportunities FBLA offers other than competition, and ‘Future Business Leader’
where I created a lesson plan that I will teach to the judges,” Smith said.
Blake Sullivan, senior, is also returning to state competition for the 3rd time.
“I was very relieved when I found out that I qualified for state this year because I only competed in one event,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan was glad to see some familiar faces at districts.
“My favorite memory from districts was seeing the students I met at districts and state last year and interacting with them once again,” Sullivan said.
Sullivan will compete at state with the following peers Smith, Haley Burke, junior, Jackson Baker, junior, Lucas & Jacob Tate, sophomores, Brady Glynn, junior, Chase Sullivan, senior, Tavian Wilson, sophomore, Macey Beggaman, junior, Isa Perez, senior, Nathanial Witt, sophomore, Ezra Mills, sophomore, and Collin Wade, sophomore.
By Emma Jones
Photo Courtesy of Olivia Fieth
4/30/24
Odessa High School DECA will be traveling to Anaheim, California on April 26th. The club will be taking 5 national qualifiers and returning on May 1st.
Olivia Fieth, senior, and her partner Emma Hunter, senior, took fifth in Community Awareness. Both Fieth and Hunter will be attending the international conference for the first time and were both very ecstatic to be called to the stage.
”I was very excited but also surprised. We had some challenging competition but put our best out there,” Fieth said.
Fieth hopes to stay consistent and confident throughout ICDC to perform well.
”We have a pretty solid project just continuing to make sure we stay consistent and confident is definitely the key!” Fieth said.
Ella Smith, junior, is returning to ICDC for a second time and is not only excited to compete, but to travel to a place she has never been before.
Smith was extremely excited to find out she qualified for the national competition and is now more motivated to succeed.
”I was excited and proud to see all the time, effort and hard work pay off,” Smith said. “It also pushes me to want to do better next year in DECA and to be able to achieve the same level of success, but also know that just being in DECA and competing at any level is a huge challenge and accomplishment.”
Smith is competing with a business operations research project and knows exactly what to do to improve her presentation.
“I would like to improve how fast I talk, as really narrowing down the most critical parts of the project to not overwhelm the judge. I also hope to improve overall in all aspects of the presentation,” Smith said.
Brady Glynn, Junior is attending ICDC for a third time, but this time without a project.
Glynn was awarded Leadership Delegate at the District Conference this year, which sends him directly to ICDC.
Leadership Delegate is very different than a project when it comes to preparing for the event.
”Aspiring delegates must write a 250 word essay and conduct an interview instead of the typical paper and presentation project format. This makes it hard to practice or prepare for the event,” Glynn said. “You really just have to focus on being yourself and selling that to the judge. Also, as there are only two spots per district, it is important to stay calm under the pressure, which shows the judge you have the poise and the confidence they are looking for.”
Glynn is very excited for all the things ICDC has to offer, including going to the beach, visiting Disney, and more.
“I think I’m most excited to attend the ‘Ignite Leadership Academy’ with the other Missouri DECA Leadership Delegates I have been fortunate enough to meet and befriend at the State Conference, and to have the opportunity to meet and befriend other delegates from across the world!” Glynn said.
By Emma Jones
5/14/24
Students Reflect On Final DECA Competition.
OHS DECA returned from Anaheim, California on May 1st. The group took 5 students to compete at the organization's International Career Development Conference.
Ella Smith, Junior, who competed in a personal selling event, really enjoyed making memories with everyone.
”My favorite memory would have to be just all the laughs and long nights and early mornings we had,” Smith said.
Smith hopes that she made the .25% this year, but states that scores will not be sent out till next school year.
Smith really enjoyed going to Laguna Beach.
”As we ate and had a wonderful view of the ocean and even got to see some dolphins,”
Smith said. “It was very pretty and less crowded than other places we went.”
Emma Hunter, Senior, competed in a Community Awareness event with her partner, Olivia Fieth, Senior.
Hunter stated that the two did not finalize, but were still very happy with their performance.
Hunter was very happy to get a chance to try “In and Out.”
“My favorite restaurant we ate at was In and Out,” Hunter said. “We don't have one here and I have been looking forward to eating there, as well as Yogurtland.”
Because she is a senior, this is Hunter’s last time competing, and she has been left with a lot of memories to look back on.
”One memory I will never forget is competing with my project with Olivia, “ Hunter stated. “We were so passionate about our project and the community awareness we were making, it was a eye opening experience”
By Kylee McElmurry
5/22/24
OHS Special Olympics hosted its 2nd Job Olympics on April 10th, 2024, at Berry Acres in Odessa, Missouri.
Odessa and 6 other schools participated in several events and a silent dance party. OHS Special Education Coordinator Haley West was very pumped up for the Job Olympics and happy with the turn out.
“Overall, Job Olympics went very well. We had an excellent turnout and the students did very well!” West said.
West loves what the Special Olympics students do and she sees how hard they work.
“My favorite thing about the event was watching the students practice their job skills with the members of the community. I also enjoyed watching the Silent Disco!” West said.
West was very glad that the Job Olympics went the way she wanted it to.
“I am extremely proud of all of the students that participated. Our students worked very hard on practicing these skills and did an excellent job at being professional. I feel that everyone worked very hard to make sure this was a successful event!” West said.
Sophomore Ace Oldham has participated in Special Olympics events since freshman year.
He enjoyed the events he got to compete in at this year’s Job Olympics.
“I processed and filled orders. I have to look over what the order is and I have to get it and I kind of enjoyed it because I can get used to it quickly,” Oldham said.
Oldham’s favorite things about the Job Olympics were getting to be out of school and spend time with his friends. He was proud of himself for medaling, even though that is not the central focus for him of the event and he thinks more people should get involved.
“If you are stuck, we want to help you and make sure you do great if you want to compete in Job Olympics,” Oldham said.
By Claire Fieth
5/22/24
OHS FBLA competed at state in Springfield, Missouri this spring coming back with four medalists.
Haley Burke and Grace Smith, juniors, got 5th place in the Public Service Announcement (PSA) event.
“This year I competed in Public Service Announcement with my partner Haley Burke. We chose that category because we liked the prompt for this year and thought it would bring new ideas and help us learn video editing,” Smith said.
Collin Wade and Jacob Tate, sophomores, got 10th place in computer game simulation program.
“I did computer game simulation and programming, I chose it because my partner and I knew enough about programming that we felt confident in our ability to make a game,” Tate said.
Brady Glynn, junior, got eight place in Financial Statement Analysis.
To go further in depth about their events the students explained how they completed them.
“For our project we made a game based off of Pokemon framed in a business setting. My partner was Collin Wade, who drew all the art for the game,” Tate said.
“We did a presentation about Hybrid scheduling in the office during Covid, and also a presentation about getting funds to plan a trip to New York City. For PSA, we did a video about how there is more to FBLA than competitions,” Burke said.
“We created a PSA video showcasing that there is more to FBLA than just competition. We created the slogan ‘Think Beyond the Stage’ and had a video telling everyone what FBLA has to offer other than competition,” Smith said.
These students have been to state before and some have even made it to nationals.
“I have been to state before, but it is always a huge party. We always have a lot of fun dancing to music, competing, going out as a chapter, and created new connections with people from across the state,” Smith said.
“I have gone to state every year of FBLA, and I have always had a good experience. We would always have some fun story to tell about the conference when we got back home,” Burke said.
Wade said he had a great time as well. His favorite thing was hanging out with Tate.
“I went to state and even nationals last year but this year was more enjoyable because of the people that we brought along, I was a lot more confident in my events this year then last year and that helped make the event much more enjoyable,” Tate said.
These students have been involved in FBLA most of their high school careers.
“I have been in FBLA for 3 years now and joined because it sounded like fun and there was a pizza party for new members,” Smith said.
“I have been in FBLA since my freshman year. I joined because Mrs. Begemann came up during a volleyball game we were both at and told me to go to a meeting to see what FBLA was like. I went to the meeting, and there were lots of snacks and friends, so I was sold,” Burke said.
“I've been in it since freshman year and joined because Jacob Tate joined,” Wade said.
“I've been in FBLA since freshman year because Grace Smith was my section leader in band, and she has told me it was fun,” Tate said.
Fine Arts Stories of 2023-2024
By Emma Musgrave
Choir starts off the new school year with a new instructor. Wendy Bross brings choir to a new light within the school by performing at school-held events.
So far, choir has performed at 3 events. This includes opening the football game on October 6 with the National Anthem, performing September by Earth Wind and Fire at the pep rally for the Homecoming game September 22, and competing at Districts.
WCMMEA Districts for choir were held October 21. The following students competed: Makennah Sophy, KiLynn Moody, Kelsie Rathert, Sierra Thompson, Elaina Kolie, Rylie Shonfelt, Cheyanne Strader, Izzy Miles, Jaida Starchman, Teddi Hall, Sadie Booth, Addison Shank, Colton Friedrich , PJ Green, and Arlo Brownlie.
Many of these students have been in choir for years and hope to remain performing throughout high school, and even on to college.
Many also feel that choir has made a great impact on their social lives. “I’ve met some of my best friends through choir,” Rylie Shonfelt said.
Some upcoming performances include a presentation of patriotic music for Veteran’s Day and a Winter Concert in December. Bross hopes to “get choir involved more within school events.” Competitions for solos will be held later in the school year starting in spring.
“I have already made all-district and plan to do like I did last year and make it to state with my solo this spring” said Makennah Sophy, junior.
Choir participants encourage more students to join; “Join choir!! It is so worth it, the people are great, you’ll make amazing memories and you will receive a really cool pin if you letter!!” said Cheyanne Strader, sophomore.
By Cooper Jiron
A change in leadership in the OHS Theater department is one of several changes to the musical this year.
Micheal Brown, OHS theater and public speaking teacher, and Wendy Bross, OHS choir teacher, are the new theater directors for “ The Suessical” production at OHS this fall.
New cast members are also apparent with 21 out of 31 of them being lowerclassmen.
Upperclassmen Makennah Sophy and Kelsie Rathert are excited about the prospect of leading the lowerclassmen and the future of the department.
Sophy said, “I think it's wonderful that we have so many freshmen and sophomores in the musical because that's going to set up a really great future department and I think it's really fun to help new people.”
Similarly, Rathert stated, “I love it – Because you get a lot more control and a voice in what you say because you're not ‘Newbie’ anymore.”
Bross is sharing her excitement with the upperclassmen, stating to the Growler, ''It's like everybody has an important part. Our ensemble is a huge part of the show so, no one feels like they're being left out and that's the theme of the show! A person is a person no matter how small.”
The freshmen and sophomores are also trying to rise to the standards of the upperclassmen with sophomore, Sadie Booth saying, “It takes a lot of time management, and self-discipline to make time for learning the music and lines. But I know it’s worth it, and it’s nice to be with friends, and see the show come together piece by piece.”
The OHS production “The Seussical” is set to run through November 15th-18th
Choir Gets More Involved In School Events This Year
by Emma Musgrave
Picture Courtesy of Wendy Bross
11/6/23
Choir kicks off the new school year with a new instructor. Wendy Bross brings choir to a new light within the school by performing at school-held events.
So far, the choir has performed at 3 events. This includes opening the football game on October 6 with the National Anthem,
performing September by Earth Wind and Fire at the pep rally for the Homecoming game September 22, and competing at Districts.
WCMMEA Districts for choir were held October 21. The following students competed: Makennah Sophy, KiLynn Moody, Kelsie Rathert, Sierra Thompson, Elaina Kolie, Rylie Shonfelt, Cheyanne Strader, Izzy Miles, Jaida Starchman, Teddi Hall, Sadie Booth, Addison Shank, Colton Friedrich , PJ Green, and Arlo Brownlie.
Many of these students have been in choir for years and hope to remain performing throughout high school, and even on to college.
Many also feel that choir has made a great impact on their social lives. “I’ve met some of my best friends through choir,” Shonfelt said.
Some upcoming performances include a presentation of patriotic music for the Veteran’s Day Assembly and a Winter Concert in December. Bross hopes to “get choir involved more within school events.” Competitions for solos will be held later in the school year starting in spring.
“I have already made all-district and plan to do like I did last year and make it to state with my solo this spring,” said Sophy, junior.
Choir participants encourage more students to join. “Join choir!! It is so worth it, the people are great, you’ll make amazing memories and you will receive a really cool pin if you letter,” said Strader, sophomore.
National Art Society Hosts Paint and Snack Night
Odessa High School’s National Art Honor Society hosted their second “Paint and Snack Night” on Thursday, October 26 at OHS.
“Paint and Snack Night” is a fundraiser for NAHS that helps raise money for the NAHS kids to go to competitions and and go on field trips. During this activity Amanda Smith, art teacher and NAHS advisor and Ali Vochatzer, Senior NAHS president, lead a “step-by-step painting class” of nearly thirty community members.
“It’s a new fun way to get people together as a community and learn something new,” Vochatzer said.
Vochatzer and Smith have decided to put their own spin on Vincent Van Gogh’s “Starry Night.” The two try to choose “paintings that are fun to paint with a beautiful outcome, that everyone will love.”
“We love teaching our community, and getting together with painting and snacks! We enjoy our Paint & Snack fundraiser so much we may even be having two this year instead of one, so keep an eye out for that, because we’d love to see you there!” Vochatzer said.
By Emma Jones
Photos Courtesy of NAHS Instagram
11/2/23
By Kylee McElmurry
Pictures by Emma Jones and Claire Fieth
12/1/23
The OHS Band has done an outstanding job with their season, performing at competitions and our Friday night football games.
Head director Derek Twombly has a lot to say about the band season.
“I believe this year was very successful. We placed well in competition and we beat Pleasant Hill at the end of the year, which is something we have not done for 3 years,” Twombly mentioned.
Twombly is very excited that they beat Pleasant Hill. He has a lot of good memories from this season.
The competitions were a definite highlight for Twombly due to the band’s success. Harrisonville stuck out as a positive memory due to the bonding the band got to do during their downtime.
“My favorite memory from band this year is watching our students during different competition awards. When we beat Pleasant Hill, it was really fun to watch out band get excited to see our hard work pay off. When our color guard won outstanding guard, not once but twice!.. It was a great moment to see for our students, and our new color guard coach Paige Bockes. She has done an outstanding job this year, and we're very lucky to have her on staff,” Twombly said.
Sophomore flute player, Lynkyn McElmurry had an outstanding season too. McElmurry has been in band since 6th grade and was impressed with this year’s freshmen.
“I believe that the incoming freshmen did an outstanding job as people who never experienced marching band before and so getting to see them improve throughout the season was really amazing,” McElmurry said.
Twombly appreciates the work ethic his
students have put into this season.
“I feel that I have grown close with this specific group because we've worked so hard on this show. I've asked them for ideas, and suggestions, and used a lot of what they have offered,” Twombly said.
McElmurry was particularly thankful for the work Madison Walters, senior flute section leader, has put in with her. He is also impressed with Ira Williams, freshman, and the work he has put in as a new member of the flute section.
“My favorite memory/tradition is at the end of the season when we were at our last competition, we have a thing called senior send-off. Twombly will write stuff down about each senior, and he will bring them up to sit down and talk about how much they have improved over their 4 years of high school and I think it is a very emotional and special moment for the band,” McElmurry said.
Twombly is not looking forward to senior send-offs at the end of the year.
“It's not easy to say goodbye to such a great group of seniors,” Twombly said.
By Kylee McElmurry
12/14/23
The OHS Winter Guard team has just started their season and Paige Bockes, head coach, is excited to get going.
This is Bockes’s first year in Odessa and it is also her first time as a head guard director. Along with guard duties, Bockes teaches 2nd grade at McQuerry Elementary.
“After graduating college, I wasn't ready to give it up yet. Like many of my students, guard is a passion of mine, so is teaching. It felt almost natural to go into teaching both fall and winter
guard after college,” Bockes said.
The team’s main goal this season is growth. ”I want each member to find an area they want to improve in and make accomplishments in that goal. When each person makes individual growth, we grow stronger as a team,” Bockes said.
Goals are important to Bockes. After her interview, she felt her personal goals aligned well with those of the overall program and band staff.
“The support and strength they offered made me feel welcome as the new director. I look forward to coming to work everyday because of this staff,” Bockes said.
Adding to the winter team this year, Bockes has two managers. Lynkyn McElmurry, sophomore, and Kaylie Stocklaufer, junior.
They have the task of setting up for rehearsals and taking care of various tasks for the team.
“Our new coach has made guard a more positive atmosphere and makes practices enjoyable,” Cheyanne Strader, sophomore, said.
Strader is a returning member from the 22-23 season and has been in an Odessa guard program since 8th grade. She competes in both fall and winter guard. This year, Strader had put a lot of effort into getting to know her fellow guard members and making people feel welcome.
“Thanks to the positivity and my teammates, I've grown so much and became a better performer,” Strader said. “I cannot wait to continue my guard career with these amazing people!”
By Emma Musgrave
Photo Courtesy of Wendy Bross
12/14/23
Since September, choir has been preparing for a performance of a winter dream. Thursday, December 7, in the High School wood gym OHS and OMS choirs come together and bring joy with their festive music. Presten Fry and Wendy Bross conduct this holiday concert.
From Sleigh Ride, to Pat-A-Pan Fantasia a capella, the concert covers many songs.
Through this performance, many students were given the opportunity to solo. KiLynn Moody solos in the performance of What Child is This? Others include Elaina Kolie, Bella King, and Dallin Dawson.
The concert consisted of several sounds, from several choir groups. Alone, Mixed Choir sang Sleigh Ride, and Swing into Christmas, to name a few.
Concert Choir performed Fum, Fum, Fum, and the opening music to the movie Frozen.
Chamber Choir performed Pat-A-Pan Fantasia, and an arrangement of What Child is This?, which is a traditional Christmas song but the choir’s version will have a rhythmic Swahili section under the melody, says Bross.
The concert will end with a full-choir performance of That’s Christmas To Me, arranged by the Pentatonix who are known for their a capella singing and Christmas albums. This will be sung by all OHS and OMS choirs, hence, “full-choir.” It will also feature soloists Elaina Kolie, Bella King, and Dallin Dawson.
OHS choir has been preparing for this concert, non exclusively, since September between other performances.
Choir members are excited for the concert, and feel the performance will go well. “I think we may make a few, unnoticeable mistakes, but I think it’ll go retty good overall,” says Dallin Dawson, junior Chamber Choir member.
Many of these members will also be performing in the Seussical the Musical, this week, December 14, 15, and 16. After this, the OHS choir will begin learning the music and preparing for Missouri’s State Music Festival.
Choir has had a successful year so far, and many members are ready and excited to begin preparing for next semester’s performances.
This year, choir has performed for the Homecoming Pep Rally, the Veteran’s Breakfast event, and have opened football games with the national anthem before wrapping up the year with their Christmas Concert performance.
By Cooper Jiron
Photos by Whitney Twombly
12/14/23
The Seussical is now beginning its run at OHS with a massive cast compared to previous years.
Even with the extensive cast and many different stories it tells, the Suessical mainly features two characters Jojo and the Cat in the Hat played by Elaina Koli as Jojo and Makennah Sophy as The Cat in the Hat.
Sophy, a junior, is in her third year being a part of the OHS theater program, performing in The Wizard of Oz, Grease and now The Seussical.
According to Sophy she’s been a part of 15 productions since she started doing theater at age nine.
With this experience, Sophy tries to be a role model to the 21 lowerclassmen in the cast.
“I don't think we have a lot of older kids who have done a lot of shows, so I think it's difficult to be essentially a role model because people think that you're taking it too seriously, but I do think it's fun to teach people things even if its a bit of a challenge,” said Sophy.
Elaina Koli, a freshman, isn't a stranger to theater either. Starting around nine as well and being a part of multiple OUE productions as both main lead and ensemble.
Koli branched out to local theater programs like Sophy and has been a part of about 13 productions.
Koli is taking her new role with stride and is excited to be a new member.
“I love being new I feel like there's a lot of people and I don't exactly have relations yet so I can pick and choose and I think it's fun to surprise people with what I can do,” Koli said.
According to Sophy and Kolie, they are thankful to be able to express their shared love of theater with OHS during the December 14-17th run of the Suessical.
By Emma Musgrave
1/30/24
Winter Guard prepares for a competition that will illustrate a story of heartbreak and renewal within every toss and twirl of their performance. This Saturday night, February 3, 2024, Winter Guard will be competing at Blue Springs South High School.
The team practices twice a week together, however, members have missed several rehearsals due to snow days. Many have made sure to practice while stuck at home.
When asked what the team does to prepare for competition in their own time, Rylee Hollingsworth, sophomore, said, “On the days that we don’t have practice I continue to stretch and listen to show music to do a mental run of how our show will go during the first competition.”
Many members listen to the dedicated music in their own time to mentally rehearse and get in tune with the movement of the beat.
The overall performance will exhibit themes of heartbreak and will be featuring flags and rifles in the routine. Cheyanne Strader, sophomore, says “This performance is all about momentum, a change in speed. There are moments in the show where it’s slow, and probably not the most exciting, and then there will be other moments where your heart will stop beating due to the amount of impact our flag work and other choreography will have on you.” The team is excited to get to competition and show off their hard work.
“I’m very much excited! This team has picked up many skills within a short amount of time. All of them are excited to put what they worked for on the dance floor in front of these judges,” said Lynkyn McElmurry, sophomore.
Paige Bockes, Winter Guard coach, says she is beyond proud of how quickly team members have picked up on the routine, and how much they have grown together. Bockes is, “... very confident in them [the Winter Guard team] for their first performance.”
Regardless of the competition’s outcome, the Winter Guard team cherishes the valuable lessons learned throughout their journey. Team members take pride in the progress they’ve made and the skills they’ve honed throughout their preparation. With every performance, they gain insights into their strengths and areas for improvement and inspire each other to continually grow.
By Emma Musgrave
1/30/24
Studio II brings kindergarteners’ 2D pictures to life with 3D clay sculptures. McQuerry Elementary teacher, Jessica Bass, drew inspiration for this creative activity from a TikTok video and aimed to spark excitement in the young students’ month. Studio II high school students are currently shaping the clay to bring the kindergarteners' imaginations to life.
Bass stumbled upon a TikTok when she came across a fun video that gave her an exciting idea. From there, she contacted Amanda Smith, Studio II art teacher at OHS, and began planning a collaboration between the high school and kindergarten students.
Bass instructed her students to draw a picture. “I did not tell the students much about the project, as I wanted to keep it as much as a surprise as possible. I just stated that we were doing something special and it required a drawing of a monster. I told them their monster needed to be unique to them and that they could make it look however they wanted,” says Bass.
The drawings were then sent to the high school via district mail, and Studio II students promptly got to work. The high schoolers are to take the kindergarteners' drawings and use clay to sculpt the drawings in 3D. Once sculpted, the models will be painted, glazed, and set in the kiln. From there, the sculptures will be presented to the owner of the sculpture’s drawing.
When asked how he thinks his sculpture will turn out in the end, Denton Geier, sophomore, said, “Good. Mine finna slap. I got this little squid-lookin’ dude.”
Stacia Sartain, sophomore, responded with, “I think mine is turning out pretty well. The process isn’t all that fun, but in the end it should turn out to be what the drawing looks like and what the child imagined.”
Sartain was assigned, what she calls, a “Flying Potato” drawing. The monster has wings, spiky hair, legs, and silly eyes.
The sculptures are to be delivered to the kindergarteners in late February, says Smith.
By Emma Musgrave
2/28/24
MRVC Conference Choir gets postponed due to “Red Snow Day” for the second year in a row.
Wendy Bross, choir instructor, will be sending 12 hand-selected students to attend this year’s MRVC Conference Choir. The students are as follows: seniors Lauryn Furney, and Clayton Stevens, juniors KiLynn Moody, Scarlett Purinton, Makennah Sophy, Isabella King, Jasper Lunceford, and Dallin Dawson, and sophomores Phillip Green, Jacob Tate, and Lucas Tate.
Originally scheduled for February 14, the MRVC Conference Choir was pushed to a later date due to the “Red Snow Day.” Thanks to the Chiefs winning the Superbowl and parading through Kansas City again this year, the conference had to be moved to accommodate.
The event will consist of selected students from various schools who will come together for the first time, practice five previously provided songs together, and perform them at the end of the day.
The choir members come from four different groups: Sopranos, Altos, Tenors, and Basses. Each has different roles and sings differently.
Some members practice on their own time. Senior, Lauryn Furney, says she runs through practice tracks of the provided soundtrack.
When asked how they felt about the upcoming performance, junior Scarlett Purinton says, “I like going because I get to see how other schools teach their choir. I know it will go well!”
Though the “Red Snow Day” caused a change in plans, the MRVC conference will still be held, at a later date, and will be conducted by Beth Files.
Reporting by Emma Musgrave
Photo Courtesy of Derek Twombly
3/19/23
For over 20 years, OHS Band Of Distinction has been in desperate need of new uniforms. Instructor, Derek Twombly, is excited to announce that 2024 has brought to Band such a blessing.
OHS has been using the same set of band uniforms for a very long time. The uniforms themselves are much older than that, seeing as they were bought secondhand off another school. Issues arose with the uniforms’ zippers, plastic buckles, heat retention, and other things. “They’re in pretty rough shape,” says Travis Wittman. Twombly and Wittman decided to take action and replace the outdated band attire.
The process to do so began with the general idea, about 5 years ago, says Twombly. Twombly and Wittman had to come up with a general idea as to what they wanted in terms of jackets, shirts, and other parts of the attire. This includes the design. The two finalized what they wanted and then set out in search of companies.
With the approval of the school superintendent, Twombly and Wittman got in touch with three different companies. They provided their design and general idea of what they wanted, as well as the Odessa school mascot and school colors. Once this was settled, they needed to know from each company how much 100 uniforms would cost, and how soon we could have them by. From there, they then awaited the designs and timelines of each company.
Once the bids came back, Twombly and Wittman took their findings to Dr. Oetinger and the board of education for review. The board then guided Twombly and Wittman as to which company to go with and what kind of budget they would have for the uniforms. Ultimately, the company FJM, Fred J. Miller, is the company they decided on.
The band was allotted a budget, but the Band Booster Organization helped tremendously by donating $10,000 to the new uniforms. “In total we ordered 100 uniforms for less than $47,000,” says Twombly. From here, the band awaits.
It is still undecided as to what the band will do with the old uniforms. Several ideas have been presented, but none have been decided on yet.
Some of these ideas include selling the old uniforms as memorabilia to students, turning the old jackets into pillows, or even donating them to programs or nearby schools in need of uniforms for an affordable price.
Several uniform pieces have already arrived. Band is currently waiting on the rest of the uniform pants to come in.
By Cooper Jiron
4/25/24
The OHS drawing/painting class started work on a mural in the lunchroom kitchen a few weeks ago.
Kathy Marble, head of nutrition, invited the class to paint a mural hoping it would encourage school spirit.
“I thought that the walls were really plain. I thought it would just spice it up and I wanted to bring some school spirit to the cafeteria so I asked them and they said ‘definitely,’” said Marble.
Amanda Smith, the art teacher, thought that this would be a perfect opportunity to give her students hands-on experience.
“I thought it would be a great experience for the painting students, and they would get to leave their mark on the school forever!” said Smith.
Two of her painting students, Ali Vochatzer, senior, and Elizabeth Dugger, senior, have had an interest in art and are thankful for the opportunity to work on the mural.
“We learn a lot about the process of collaborating with people because we went to the lunch ladies and asked what kind of vibes they wanted in there and sketched it out and asked if it was good,” said Dugger.
Vochatzer had a similar take, saying, “Were using our skills for something someone else wanted, so it lets us think outside our box.”
According to Marble, these types of experiences are partly what inspired the mural.
“Seeing the other schools, I came from OUE and I loved seeing that big bulldog head in there- My oldest daughter paints and I know she loved doing stuff like that she was in the painting class and has a ceiling tile,” said Marble.
Marble Believes these art pieces being made by students for students gives a sense of school pride and a sense of belonging.
She again points to how her daughter felt when something she painted was the background to many pictures
“She had painted the big bulldog head that hung out there for a while and people took pictures with that and she loved that,” said Marble.
By Kylee McElmurry
4/30/24
OHS Choir went to the solo and small ensemble on March 8th, 2024 in Boonville, Missouri.
18 members went and only 7 qualified to go to state this year.
OHS Music Director Wendy Bross just recently got the job at OHS after former director Harry Hamblin left and has been helping with the choirs ever since.
“I have been helping to prepare students for High School solo/small ensemble contests for many years - over 25,” Bross mentions.
Bross was a middle school choir director for a long time, but when she came to the high school, she experienced it much differently.
“This was my first year to accompany the OHS soloists to contest and we had seven out of eighteen students qualify to go to State by receiving an Exemplary rating on their solo,” Bross said.
Bross is very proud of how the kids performed overall.
“This shows that our students worked hard and were well-prepared,” Bross said.
Senior Kelsie Rathert is very excited to attend state this year.
“Going to state is crazy! I'm proud of myself for going to state because I was sick the week of the contest, so it was hard to reach my full potential. Going to state is an absolute honor and I can't wait for it!” Rathert said.
Rathert has been a part of choir ever since she was a little girl-a total of 9 years. She was shocked and happy to hear that she got a 1 rating.
“I was sitting down with Makennah Sophy at the time when we checked the scores. Once I saw I got a 1, I gasped and looked at her and said: "I GOT A ONE!". I immediately ran down the hallway to Mrs. Bross to tell her and she was so excited for me,” Rathert said.
Rathert will be singing 2 songs at state this year.
“ At state I will be singing an Italian song "V'Adoro Pupille" by George Frideric Handel and "When I was Seventeen" a Swedish folk song translated by Marion Bromley Newton.” Rathert said.
Junior Makennah Sophy is also very excited to be attending state for the 2nd time, this year.
“I love state!! I was able to go last year and had a great experience, so hopefully I can have that again,” Sophy said.
Sophy has also been doing choir since she was young.
“I have been in choir since 2nd grade and have been an alto 80% of the time,” Sophy said.
Sophy was excited that she got a 1, but she was also a little nervous for her result.
“I was super relieved. I was extra nervous because I won state my sophomore year, and hoped I could get there again this year,” Sophy said.
Sophy will also be singing 2 songs at state this year.
“I am singing Stenchen and When Frederic Was a Little Lad,” Sophy said.
By Kylee McElmurry
4/30/24
OHS BOD Members went to the solo and small ensemble on March 8th, 2024 at The State Fair Community College in Sedalia, Missouri.
15 Members went to and 5 members performed really well in front of the judges. They will be heading to state on April 25th, 2024 at MU In Columbia, Missouri
OHS Band Director Derek Twombly has been directing OHS Band for a good amount of his career and has been attending contests for as long as he has been a director.
“I have taught band for 11 years of my life, 6 years here in Odessa,” Twombly mentions.
Twombly is very impressed with how many kids qualified this year out of the 15 kids that went.
“We had 15 students take a solo or small ensemble to contest. 5 students qualified for state! Nate Bullock, Zoe Bullock, Jasper Lunceford, William Feltrop, and Lynkyn McElmurry,” Twombly said.
Twombly is very happy that the kids get to represent themselves at state this year.
“I'm so proud of all of my students. Everyone did a marvelous job. We're looking forward to what these students can do at the state level!” Twombly said.
Sophomore Lynkyn McElmurry is very excited to attend state for the first time.
“I was very much surprised to get the opportunity because I did not think for once that I would get a 1 at Districts since it's my first time doing a flute solo in my band career and so I'm very excited and will be looking forward to that,” McElmurry mentions.
McElmurry is very excited about the 2 songs she will be playing at state.
“The first piece that I'm playing at state is called Govt by Godsect, and 2nd piece I'm playing is called First Waltz by Gretchen and Off,” McElmurry mentions.
McElmurry was shocked by the result she heard from one of her fellow band members.
“A kid in the band who also is going to state, Nate Bullock, told me about 20 minutes. After I heard I was going to state, I started crying because my hard work was achieved,” McElmurry said.
McElmurry is taking an instrument she has played since 6th grade to state with her this year.
“I will be taking the flute to state,” McElmurry said.
Junior Nate Bullock is also one of the 15 kids that is going to state this year.
“I feel a little unsure about the solo since I have not been able to practice a lot since the solo and ensembles comp,” Bullock mentions.
Bullock is excited to take the songs that he will be playing at state.
“The solo is Geyer's Hunt for Horn in F and Piano written by Gavin Lendt,” Bullock mentions.
Bullock is also shocked about his result for going to state too.
“When I got a one I was surprised since I thought that my solo was not the best but still a good performance missing some points but I had a good feeling about getting a 2. When I bumped up to a one I was happy to get the chance to have a better performance for state,” Bullock said.
Bullock will be taking an instrument that he is excited to be using at state.
“For state this year I am taking a single triggered Holton French horn that can go between the key of F and Bflat with its trigger but am playing the solo in the key of F,” Bullock said.
Student Life Stories of 2023-2024
Homecoming Royalty
Photos by Claire Fieth, Gracie Harget, and Emma Musgrave
HoCo Highlights
Photos by Growler Staff
Student Council Members were tasked with prepping and planning the Homecoming Assembly.
Taviana Turner and Samantha Hall, OHS seniors, serve as the driving forces behind the school's vibrant assemblies. The duo is entrusted with navigating the year-round task of orchestrating memorable events, with Homecoming topping the list.
From meticulously planning engaging activities to preparing speeches, Turner and Hall have a lot to accomplish before the grand day. However, their meticulous planning encounters an unpredictable foe – the ever-changing weather of Missouri.
Story by Emma Jones; Pictures by Growler Staff
INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY: WEIGHING EDUCATION WITH INCLUSIVITY
By Cooper Jiron
Indigenous People Day was Monday, October 9th, marking the second year the celebration has been federally recognized along with Columbus Day.
Despite Odessa being “0.0%” American Indian and Pacific Islander according to the U.S census website, there are still efforts at OHS to include indigenous peoples.
Lynette Williams, OHS social studies teacher, adjusted her curriculum for the day by having students answer online questions along with a video.
Williams commented on the difficulty of balancing modern movements such as Indigenous Peoples Day with education.
Williams said, “It's hard being a history teacher and looking back – having to discount what the person did but that's our job.”
Williams further explained by saying, “When you find out that something has changed in our perception of history it is my job to make sure people understand that – I think it's something you have to mention with Columbus because there's so much information that's come out on him.”
Evan Pingle, an OHS history teacher, shared similar concerns stating, “I think it's good when you talk about any issues especially controversial issues, you talk about both sides, I mean it is about a balance.”
Pingle accentuated that his job as an educator is to be informed and to inform students and not enforce his opinion in the classroom. Pingle said, “I don't really want to go out and say ‘I think this’ and ‘I think that’. I think it's important to just to give the information and let everybody make the decisions for themselves.”
A different take on this philosophy is the words of Ryder Jiron, OHS alum and policy & communications coordinator for the Coalition to Stop Violence Against Native Women.
When asked whether there should be a balance between celebration of Christopher Columbas day and Indigenous Peoples Day, Jiron said, “It's one or the other, which should
obviously be Indigenous Peoples Day. There’s been a specific narrative, albeit a misinformed narrative, about Christopher Columbus and his crimes in the Americas; the rape, the pillaging, the murder, and the looting.”
Jiron further elaborated, saying, “It centers on a narrative of erasure of indigenous peoples that stems from the doctrine of discovery. Which led people to believe that these lands were uninhabited, but whether it be through modern science or indigenous knowledge we now know that to be untrue and we have been here for much longer.”
Jiron ended with his personal connection to Indigenous Peoples Day.
Jiron said, “As a Pueblo man IDP means visibility, recognition, of native peoples, not just in general but where you are geographically. For y’all it's going to be mainly Osage lands, but for me it's Tiwa land. Also countering the narrative of Columbus and commemorating peoples who have been here since time and memorial.”
Despite your opinions on either Columbus Day or Indigenous Peoples Day, the conversation has made a significant and important change in indigenous visibility across the nation.
By Kylee McElmurry
Providing fun activities for OHS students and other area schools was Angie Sallee’s, OHS student council advisor and librarian, focus for her student council members at this year’s Special Olympics meet.
The Special Olympics meet was held on Wednesday, October 4th this year.
“The Special Olympics is a way that we can celebrate that our differences are our strengths and learning from one another about having fun,” Sallee said. “I love seeing unified partners in action and the joy that the day brings for everyone who gets to volunteer and be a part.”
Amidst all of the planning was a set aside rain date which almost had to be used with the forecast this year. Thankfully, the weather held off and sunshine prevailed for all students and athletes.
“My part is to be like a sportsman,” Josh Dodson, senior, said.
Kaylee Robinson, sophomore unified partner, ran the 4x1 race. She took first place with her partner Josie Schrier, junior.
Outside of field events, there was face painting. Expanding face painting was a focus this year after the success of it at last year’s meet. Sallee said it was a big hit so they doubled the amount of people. There was also a new bubble machine.
“We are continuing unified relays which isn’t completely new, but that’s something that we are really excited about this year too,” Sallee said.
With so many schools in attendance, the day was an overall success for students interviewed.
“It was really run. I really enjoyed the fact that we had the corn hole toss out there and the bubbles,” said Robinson.
Dodson said his day was pretty good, the people were nice, but he thought the hot chocolate was a bit too hot.
Pictures by: Brooke Butler, Kenzie Reynolds, Ivory Chaney, Mara Malasheski, Madyson White, and ReAnn Arms
By Gracie Harget
Pictures by Ivory Chaney
11/9/23
The annual FFA Barnwarming dance was held October 28, 2023.
It was in the tile gym from 7-11 pm. A total of 42 Odessa FFA members showed up to this year’s barnwarming. Three other schools also attended Barnwarming: Marshall, Richmond, and Wellington-Napoleon.
Gene Collins, FFA advisor, and the FFA team worked together to make this event happen.
“We have a committee that was set up in our FFA meeting, the committee then meets to decide what decorations we need and what food would be provided. We then coordinate with Mr. Collins about all our plans,” Abigayle Lett, Junior, said.
Lett is the vice president of the officer team. The team met together and came up with a theme.
“Me and the officer team came up with the Barnwarming theme just by throwing around some ideas and talking about what we’ve done in the past and somehow in our conversations barnyard bash came up and we went with it,” Lett said.
After they figure out the theme, they start to plan everything else.
“The process is we have to figure out what our theme is and get a DJ and food and an estimate on how many people are going to be there,” Lett said.
The dress code at Barnwarming is simple. It’s optional to dress nice, but most FFA members wear jeans, boots, or just regular clothing.
At the dance, they crown a prince, princess, queen, and king. The FFA prince was Brodie Barker, freshman, and his older brother, Mason Barker, senior, was crowned FFA king. The princess was Emily Jenkins, junior. Jenna Schwartze, senior, was crowned queen. The Barnwarming royalty is crowned in a ceremony after all the other schools leave.
Story by Claire Fieth
Pictures by Claire Fieth and Lexi Abshier
Tweet “Your Out,” was heard multiple times at the OHS Dodgeball tournament hosted by Grace Smith and Brooklynn Stevens, both juniors. They did this tournament for their DECA project.
“Our project is a Community Awareness project. We wanted to do an activity that got the school involved and brought some awareness to the school. We decided on a dodgeball tournament because it went super well in middle school and we thought the students would enjoy having it back,” Smith said.
In total, there were six student teams and two teacher teams that participated
in the tournament.
“There were 9 teams total counting the teacher teams. The team's names were Dawgs, Special Forces, Those Big Guys, Unified Team, The Remix, The Lucky Pick, the Winners, and Men in Black. The teacher team names were Professional Punishers and the winning team was I'm Not Your Mom,” Smith said.
To find the rules for the game they found a guide online.
“I went online and found official dodgeball rules on a college website. I copied and pasted them into a Google doc where BB [Stevens] and I went over each rule and changed it to fit our goals. We wanted everyone to be safe, and have fair rules, and we tried to get the rules as close as possible to the middle school ones,” Smith said.
Both Stevens and Smith had their favorite teams.
“I think Men in Black was my favorite because they were respectful to the refs no matter the bad calls or if we missed something, they understood more of the calls and didn’t argue every call.
They did argue with the other team as though. Plus they were a fun team in general to watch especially the game backhand spin throw that landed was awesome,” Stevens said.
“Our unified team was by far my favorite. They were so much fun to watch because they were enjoying the game itself and not just after a win,” Smith said.
Not only do they have good memories, but also funny ones.
“The funniest moments were watching Brandon tell jokes to the students watching and them not laughing, and watching Gabe [Studdard] hop and jump over dodgeballs constantly when he played,” Smith said.
“Seeing the winning team get so excited and then also watching the staff play each other was pretty fun,” Stevens said.
The Men in Black team won the tournament and the players had an epic time.
“We won, it was epic,” Gabe Studdard, junior, said.
Players had a good time hanging out with their friends and teammates.
“Because it sounded fun and I wanted to win,” Studdard said.
“I felt like my team was the best in the world,” Brady Jones, junior, said.
Mason Rider, junior, said it was fun hanging out with his friends.
Studdard, Jones, and Rider were all on the team, The Men In Black, and they all were ecstatic about winning the championship.
On the other hand band teacher Dereck Twombly was a bad, bad man throughout the game.
“Needed to let the world know,” Twombly said when asked about choosing to play and demonstrating his dodgeball skills.
Twombly was having a good time playing.
“Flinging Balls. Wrecking hopes and dreams. Doing some sick tricks. The usual,” Twombly said.
Staffulty group winners Crisa Seals, Jessica Wade, Gene Collins, and Rachael Begemann enjoyed playing the villains for a day.
Student group winners were the super duo of Gabriel Murry and Wyatt Lockhart.
By Kylee McElmurry
Pictures Courtesy of Angie Sallee
11/2/23
The Odessa High School student council planned a Halloween costume contest for staff and students.
Winners were selected for both individual and group costumes. Angie Sallee, librarian and student council adviser, wants staff to join in on the fun.
“Stuco was planning to have a costume contest for the students and I decided that staffulty would like to have one of their own,” Sallee said.
The staff has never had a Halloween costume contest so Sallee has been planning by asking for permission from Mr. Shepherd and communicating the details out to the staffulty.
“The staffulty will look forward to this because they are a competitive, creative group that loves to have fun!” So everyone will enjoy it and have fun!
Winners are pictured below!
Ayden Agcopra: Right Tackle/Coach
"Beat them with a pass game and we are going to out smart the seniors. We are going to beat them physically and they are gonna go home and cry to their moms."
Mason Rider
Gabe Studdard: Coach
Trick Play: Inside Outside
Dalton Cates
Aiven Miller
"Fight, fight, fight, win, win, win"
Trinley Alexander: WR
All about fun in the sun.
Brenna Westerhold: QB
More of a night owl.
Brena Rider: QB
Will throw touchdowns for Mexican food.
Maranda Dietrich
Abby Bainbridge
Ally Martin
Squad Stay Strapped (with flags)
Brooke Butler: RB
Enjoys evenings with Blaze the Cat.
Lanyn Sisk: RB
Loves all the music.
Rylee Adams
Tatum Shipley
Haley Burke: WR
Jimi Hendrix Stan.
Ella Smith: WR
Loves lemonade.
Gracie Harget:
MVP (According to BB).
BB Stevens: RB
Douryun D'obron: Coach
"Trick plays, we're gonna confuse them, we're gonna do some reverses and throwbacks. They won't see it coming."
Blake Gillespie: Coach
"Juniors are sleeping on us."
Douryun D'obron: Coach
"Trick plays, we're gonna confuse them, we're gonna do some reverses and throwbacks. They won't see it coming."
Blake Gillespie: Coach
"Juniors are sleeping on us."
Olivia Fieth: Supporter on the Side
Most likely to visit Branson the day of the game.
Payton Coe
"I don't catch the ball, I open it up for everyone else."
Emma Hunter
"I'm gonna run into the end zone and score a touchdown."
Madison Lockhart
Most likely to be the offensive player of the game-"She is just a dog." (Payton and Emma)
Riley Jerome
Finally making her Powder Puff debut.
Kaycee Combs
Emma Jones
"I am never planning Powder Puff again."
Dancing The Day Away At Unified Prom
By: Kylee McElmurry
12/14/23
Unified Prom began as a DECA project for OHS juniors Makayla McCord and Eva Hawkins and grew into a multi-school event.
“When I found out about the prom, I was super excited and thought this would be a fun thing to run,” McCord said.
The idea originated with Jessica Wade, DECA sponsor. The special education department was looking at hosting a unified dance at some point this year. Wade offered to have her DECA students assist. As soon as Wade suggested it as a project McCord and her friend Hawkins jumped in. McCord was most excited for the students who would participate.
“It’s such a fun way to get them out of your bubble and have a great day! Were also going to have multiple activities for the kids that I think they are really going to enjoy,” McCord said.
McCord has a lot of positivity in her and it's awesome to see her positivity spread around. “I feel like this is a very special moment for the kids because sometimes they might feel left out or feel like they are not as included at the prom we have in April. Having this prom specifically for them, will give them a chance to have the full experience that everyone deserves,” McCord said.
Hawkins has worked very hard on this for the kids to have a special moment. “I do think this a special moment for these kids. I feel that prom is something that some of them don't get to experience because they might not feel like they belong or fit in. However I feel and hope that the unified prom helps them feel special and have an amazing experience they will never forget,” Hawkins said.
The Unified Prom was held on December 5th at The Hilltop venue. Students from various area schools were invited to attend. The day consisted of students getting their hair and makeup done by DECA members. Donated formal dresses were available for students who needed them. A catered meal of spaghetti was served and students were surprised by a special guest appearance-Santa.
Winter Senior Photos On Ice
By Cooper Jiron
11/30/23
The Graphic design class at OHS is in its second year of shooting free senior photos for students.
Though widely unknown and under-utilized according to Amanda Smith, art teacher at OHS.
“We haven't had anyone sign up this year yet, but we have had posters hung up around the school and we’re on the growler right now, and hopefully it'll be on the Facebook page eventually but that's about it,” said Smith.
The project originally born out of Smith's desire to give students both inside and outside of her classroom opportunities, has now transformed into a team of ten students in her graphic design class taking free photos for seniors.
“I know that having a photo senior media craze nowadays. So one: I wanted to give students a chance to be like an actual photographer and two: give an opportunity to students who can't afford to hire a photographer and get those senior photos,” said Smith.
Although Smith put the project into motion, now her role is only as a moderator.
Yassamine Carter, a junior and a student in graphic design class, described how they do things.
Carter said, “Essentially we just offer the pictures to seniors that want to take senior photos without any cost - and we just provide flyers and if they want to they can contact and if they really want to they can request a specific person in graphic design class with a plan set ahead.”
After being taught camera know-how by Smith, the graphic design class is now in the meantime continuing their usual activities, waiting for the next opportunity to take their shot.
Smith plans to continue senior photos up into spring for spring photos.
By Cooper Jiron
Pictures submitted by interviewees
12/14/23
Christmas is only a week and a half away and people everywhere are running to get gifts in time for the 25th.
Students are no different, with some saving up to buy gifts or others who make low cost presents out of home materials.
According to Sadie Booth, sophomore, this process is more difficult than it might seem.
“There is people at school that you only see at school and you want to get them gifts, but you can't get all of your friends gifts, but I feel bad when I can't get everyone something,” said Booth.
This experience isn't exclusive to Booth either, other students such as Mia Unruh, freshmen, have experienced similar strenuous situations.
“If you get one for them they're gonna be like *gasp*, but if you don't get them one they'll be like ‘am I not your friend’,” said Unruh.
Mia Works with a specific gift budget set by her parents, but according to Unruh this often holds her back from getting multiple presents or ones that she is sure the gifted would love.
That isn't where the struggle ends either, students are running into difficulty budgeting money and time to get seasonal gifts.
Kendra Lattie, a sophomore, works at McDonalds during off hours and weekends and is a part of The Seussical production at OHS.
Lattie says she finds it extremely difficult to balance school, social, work, and extracurricular activities around the holiday season, but she says in the end she probably has more of a budget than most.
“If I didn't have my own money, I would
probably get them like, a hug for Christmas,” Lattie said.
This balancing act isn't the only option for students though, Samantha Hall, a senior, has no main source of income and has opted out of buying gifts and instead chose to make personalized gifts for her friends and family.
“For my sisters, two friends gifts I got a thing of air dried clay and made it based on their personalities,” Hall said.
Hall made jewelry bowls with specific themes for each person.
One friend was made a clam and pearl because she reminds Hall of the ocean and the other received a guitar based on her instrument of choice and her deep love for music.
But, whether the gift had a budget or not, both parties motivations were the same.
“I want to make them feel like they have a purpose and to make them feel happy, just to give them a little ‘I love you’,” said Lattie.
Hall reflected nearly the same.
“I want to show them that I love and appreciate them and the look on their faces when I give it to them just makes me feel good” said Hall.
Even if buying presents as a student may be even more difficult than usual students at OHS have obviously still found a way to say “I love you.”
By Kylee McElmurry
Edited by Emma Jones
Pictures by Emma Jones and Claire Fieth
Editors note: more Courtmat pictures to come as we get them processed!
Courtmat planning had some obstacles to overcome with so many snow days, but OHS Student Council made it happen.
With 9 snow days and only 8 days of school, much of the planning happened over email and group chats.
Angie Sallee, OHS Librarian and Student Council advisor, has been planning this through the snow days and it has been a little difficult.
Trinity Alvested, senior, has been a part of planning Courtmat.
“Planning with all the current snow days has been a bit stressful”, Alvested said. “Since there is no way to meet during the snow days, technology has been a big help.”
Sallee has had stuco plans for so many fun things, like this dance. It will be Friday, February 2 after the girls and boys basketball games until 11:00 pm.
“It will be free for everyone to attend.” Sallee said.
They plan themes for dances like this and they also do spirit week. Courtmat will have a winter theme.
“Student Council is still working on the details,” Sallee said.
Stuco plans assemblies for the types of events they do, like this dance.
“We will have an assembly during Bulldog Block on 2/2 where we will crown the prince/king,”Sallee mentions.
They will announce princess/queen at the basketball games.
“We will crown the queen/princess between games that night,” Sallee said.
Alvested has been a huge help and she thinks this will run as planned.
“I think that overall Courtmat will be a success but I do believe that attendance may be down due to the sudden information,” Alvested said. “I know many people look forward to courtmat every year, so I hope that this year keeps the tradition to everyone’s standards.”
Alvested has also been planning spirit week with her fellow stuco friends.
“This year for Courtmat we have a fun spirit week planned for our student body. We also have royalty nominations and crowning currently going on,” Alvested said.
“Our big event is definitely the dance!” Alvested said. Alvested has been a part of the executive board with stuco to help plan the theme and spirit week.
“The executive board of the student council worked together to come up with this idea!” Alvested said. “We originally wanted Valentine’s to be somewhat incorporated into the dance, and while looking for fun themes we came upon Backwoods Barbie.”
“Backwoods Barbie is actually a Dolly Parton album name! We have combined the country part of Odessa with a Barbie swing to it!” Alvested mentions.
Junior Grace Smith has also been a big help in this.
“It was a little difficult having to do it all virtually and not being able to meet in person with all of the exec board,” Smith mentions.
Smith also believes that there is a good chance this dance will turn out how they planned.
“I feel that the dance will go over as good as it has in years passed. We have everything planned and expect a good turn out!” Smith said.
Smith is not so sure about the stuff they planned outside of the dance, but believes it will still be fun.
“I am not sure, but I think we will have yard games and we will definitely have a dance in the wood gym,” Smith said.
Smith is also glad about the theme they choose.
“We chose it because it is a fun theme, it is relevant in our current society, and it went along with our student section theme,” Smith said.
“Courtmat is a fun time and everyone will enjoy it very much,” Smith said. “Stuco has worked hard to make this so much fun.”
By Cooper Jiron
1/30/24
The new hall pass system has been in use just since January 8th and reactions are mixed.
Rex Gust, a freshman, was one of the first in class to vocalize his disapproval of the new program.
“I've almost completely stopped going to the bathroom except during passing period–because my Chromebook is pretty laggy and my phone won't even accept the app,” Gust said.
Gust also attributed his frustration to the app's ability to track where he and other students go. He saw the benefits of the system being able to track where you came from, where you're going, and for how long, but in the end, he saw going to the bathroom as a distinctly personal matter.
Kylee Brown, a junior, also saw going to the bathroom as something that shouldn't be
interfered with.
“I don't like the fact that you only have 5 passes a week like, when you have to go you have to go,” said Brown.
On the other hand teachers Lindsay Schambers, an ELA teacher, and Ashley Moses, an earth science teacher, saw this kind of reaction only as a hump before getting used to the streamlined change.
“Change is difficult, especially when you're used to doing things a certain way, but everyone, even my most reluctant, has begun to use the system the way it is intended,” said Schambers.
Moses backed this thinking by saying, “I like that students are creating the pass and then asking to go to the bathroom. It makes the process quick and easy. Once everyone gets adjusted to it, it'll be a good thing!”
According to Kaitlyn Grace, assistant principal, this idea of streamlining the system for teachers and students was the main goal for the new program.
“The goal was to have a uniform system that is easy to operate for students and staff - I feel like if I were a kid and I had 8 different teachers a day and they all had different processes, way of tracking, and limits that would be overwhelming,” said Grace.
Grace commented that she wanted to ensure a universal system that would make going to the bathroom and setting up an appointment with the counselor or nurse easy and private.
“The students now have control to initiate an appointment with a counselor or nurse and no one else really has to know - you really only have to elaborate in the comments and that's between you and the teacher,” Grace said.
Grace also commented on the concern about information privacy that was raised by some students and parents and how the little information they collect could have a positive impact on privacy and mental health.
“The data tracking that we do use is something that we can use to get student support. Now we can see that and say ‘Hey this is when you usually see the counselor, do we just need to set that up every week?’” said Grace.
Story by Kylee McElmurry
Edited by Emma Jones
Pictures by Cooper Jiron
2/28/24
Candy Congress is a project that teaches students about the American government through candy bars.
OHS juniors present to a panel of judges about why their group’s candy bar is the most American. It is organized each year by Lynette Willams and Evan Pingel, social studies teachers.
Williams started the project in 2017 and Pingel has been teaching it with her the last four years.
Candy Congress resembles a meeting in Congress, but discusses candy, not laws, based on classwork.
“Committees will seek expert advice and input when deciding on legislation. This simulates students presenting on proposed legislation putting things we learned in class into action," Pingel said.
Williams is glad that she has been doing this for a while.
“In 2016 I received a grant from the Missouri Bar to attend training on a textbook called We the People," Williams said. “At the end of the training I was given a set of textbooks for my classroom. The next year the other American Government teacher (Mr. Robinson) attended the training and received an additional set of textbooks.”
Williams got students to try this and there were two winning teams with four people each.
Some notable winning candy bars and groups from this year are: 1st hour:3 Musketeers and 8th hour: Snickers.
The 3 Musketeers Team had Juniors, Tatum Shipley, Haley Burke, Logan Hann, And Aiven Miller.
Shipley was very focused on this project.
“We used Haley Burke as a good asset to our team because she does speech and debate, so she knew stuff that we researched about." Shipley mentions.
Shipley did feel helpful enough with this project.
“I think I contributed a lot to our assignment but I didnt answer alot of questions,” Shipley mentions.
Shipley is glad that she got on a team with the candy she loves.
“I do love 3 Musketeers because I think they are very good, but I would choose Snickers,” Shipley said.
Shipley was very confident of why her team won, because they are “the best.”
Burke was also very confident.
“There wasn’t a specific strategy, we mostly wanted to make sure we hit all the points and made the correct time,” Burke mentions.
Burke thinks that she did a very good job with her team and is also a fan of 3 Musketeers. She was proud of her team.
“We were through in our research and explained our reasonings in a organized manner,” Burke said.
Junior Logan Hann did a lot of research and helped.
“I felt good working with the people I was working with and was able to contribute where I could," Hann mentions.”
Hann is not a big candy person but he does like it.
“I personally don't eat candy much, but I do enjoy it. I personally do believe it best represents the United States in terms of the argument we had to create,” Hann said.
Hann had a good answer of why he thinks they won.
“We were able to collect a lot of information about our candy bar and use it in favor of our argument. We also were able to respond effectively to any questions that were asked to us and defend our argument,” Hann said.
Junior Aiven Miller was also very confident about this project. Miller was glad to have good teammates.
Snickers team had juniors, Brady Glynn, Zoe Jones, Nate Stewart, and Ayden Agcropa.
Glynn was confident of the strategy they had.
Glynn wanted to, “win and be the best, have the best speech, and have the best evidence.”
“I feel like we all did pretty good, we all contributed equally,” Glynn mentions.
Glynn is a big Snickers lover.
“Snickers is the Americans candy,“ Glynn mentions.
Stewart was on the same answer as Brady Glynn.
“We want to win and also be the best team,” Stewart mentions. “We did our best and worked together and none of us fell behind, spoke up and didn't mess up.”
Stewart and his team have made a statement about the candy, Snickers.
“It's the best and we have already proved this,” Stewart said.
Agcropa was also on the same page as his team.
“I personally feel like I could have contributed more but I'm satisfied with how our group adapted,“ Agcropa said.
Agcropa has a good reason to support Snickers.
“Snickers is built on good grounds and doesn't need a fancy package to have people drawn to it,” Agcropa said.
By Cooper Jiron
2/28/24
Remodeling for the girls' locker room was completed in October and students and coaches alike are relieved to have their own space.
“In the new locker room, we all have our own locker and we can all spread out, and we have our own bathroom it's really nice,” said Brooklyn Butler, a junior in the girl’s wrestling team.
Before the remodeling, the girl's wrestling team used the same changing room as the girl's basketball team.
Bella Palmer, a sophomore on the girl's wrestling team, commented on the less-than-ideal conditions.
“With the girl's basketball and the girls wrestling in there, it was so cramped and it was just a mess. Both teams were very frustrated in the space at each other - it’s a locker room and it’s meant for one team and we have two of our biggest teams cramped in there,” said Palmer.
Over the past 3 years, the girl's wrestling team has grown significantly, jumping from 9 members to 20, making it one of the biggest girl's sports teams at OHS.
This left the team playing catchup to carve out a space for themselves.
This new space has not gone unappreciated, especially by LoriAnne Archuleta, girls wrestling coach.
“I mean we have a ton of female student-athletes and having that access to inside and outside facilities is great to have and to have that space for them,” said Archuleta.
Archuleta later discussed the clashes of differences between basketball and wrestling, especially the weight checks that are involved with wrestling. With the new space, female wrestlers can now check their weight privately and securely.
By Cooper Jiron
2/28/24
A form of four-day weeks has been in use at OHS since the beginning of the 23’-24’ and opinions vary more than you might expect.
Jordan Ailor, a junior, says that she would prefer not to have four-day weeks.
“Anyone who takes their school work seriously wouldn't agree to a 4-day school week,” said Ailor.
Ailor explains her thinking, saying that if you're at school less, then you're going to get less work done compared to the typical 5-day school week.
She pointed out her own workflow, saying it works best when she gets all of her work done in class rather than having an extra day at home.
John Carmody, a math teacher, agreed with that attitude saying that the prolonged weekend breaks up his math classes too much
for his students to absorb the math he teaches.
“For me, it would really interrupt the flow of the material considerably, especially in math. You gotta have a continuous building process in math. Those three-day interruptions would be too much, ” said Carmody.
Carmody also pointed out the positive side of the three-day weeks for teachers rather than students. He says that the extra day without students would give teachers more time to work on curriculum, planning, and grading.
Derek Twombly, band teacher, had opinions that recognized the negatives brought up by Carmody and Ailor but also made it clear that he is in support of the four-day weeks.
“It's going to be hard for parents to find child care for their elementary level students - but I think it's important to recognize there is a teacher shortage. Teachers are being burned out at a higher rate than ever,” said Twombly.
Twombly then pointed out that with all of this and stagnant salaries, people are not going to want to choose teaching as a career.
Twombly says that if the school district wants to get new teachers and keep them on board they need something like a 4-day school week to entice them to join.
“If we don't get new teachers, then it will be the end of education as we know it,” said Twombly.
Jack Howard, a junior, balances the two opinions with his own
“It has ups and downs. Fewer days mean more hours, but overall, I'm not really opposed to it,” said Howard.
Howard also works a job at McDonald's located in Odessa where he picks up as many hours as he can in between school and other activities.
“With shorter weeks it takes a big load off of school and makes it easier to work more hours, but still it adds more time at the end of the day that adds up,” said Howard.
As many topics there are on four-day school weeks, it seems only time will tell what is best for the Odessa school district.
By Cooper Jiron
1/30/24
Every year students of government classes at OHS present their grievances to the faculty and every year students ask the same question: “Does anything actually happen?”
Lynnette Williams, a government teacher, has heard this question many times over the years, and according to her, there are notable examples of student grievances encouraging change.
“I had a sign up in my room saying ‘Schools could not be the enclaves of totalitarianism’ and that had a hat on it – my rights as a teacher don't end at the schoolhouse door and neither do yours, so I saw your right to wear a hat didn't end at the schoolhouse door,” said Williams.
Willams further explained how the wearing of hats became a point of interest in later grievances after students asked if they would be able to discuss it.
After this, students brought their annoyance to the faculty and received little feedback.
“They said well ‘Here's why we do it’, but mostly I heard it as ‘because we said so’,” said Williams.
Despite this setback, the following year a student raised the concern to the school board. This ended in the students’ favor allowing students to wear hats at OHS.
Recently, other students have been trying to get similar attention from faculty.
One of these students was Brady Glynn, junior, who saw an unfair treatment of the entire student body for the actions of a few.
“I've seen it going on around school for a long time. For example, the phone policy. I know they are taking away phones next year, but the thing is that a lot of us don't get in trouble for using our phone – I just feel like that's not very fair,” Glynn said.
Glynn later claimed that he felt like he had felt this firsthand with the new pass system.
“Even with bathroom passes, like a few people were destroying bathrooms and can't be trusted so now I have to fill a pass everywhere I go somewhere,” said Glynn.
According to Kaitlyn Grace, assistant principal, these types of concerns are exactly what faculty wants to hear from students saying how these conversations can be eye-opening.
“I think as a person, as an administrator, as a school, that's the only way you grow and change is by knowing what's going on and what's not working and how do we fix it,” Grace said.
Grace elaborated on grievances giving her a glimpse into students’ day-to-day lives.
“My school day looks very different compared to a student's school day, so I won't always know that perspective until it's shared – what I might think is important to you might not even be on the radar,” Grace said.
Recently, Seniors were told they can decorate their graduation caps. This came as a result of a grievance.
Super Bowl Survey
By Claire Fieth and Gracie Harget
This is our first video interview for the Growler! Juniors Claire Fieth (reporter) and Gracie Harget (camera) interviewed staff and students at Odessa High School about the Super Bowl. This video contains both pre and post game interviews with subjects!
Reporting and Graphic by Cooper Jiron
Extracurriculars are one of the biggest parts of being a student. Nearly every student participates in one, but dues, fees, and required items might be adding up to more than most are aware of.
Haley Burke, junior, is in several extracurricular activities. Burke pays for something in nearly every single activity as well; she estimates on a yearly basis her and her family pay about $3,000.
One of Burke's more prominent extracurriculars is DECA which accounts for about half of that estimate.
“We do a lot, like the New York trip this year and suits and things, but those also aren't required,” Burke said.
Burke explains that purchases such as dress clothes are required for DECA.
“I paid personally for a lot of my clothes, those are required and it's very strict while you’re presenting. Sam and I tried to go on stage while still having sneakers on and we could go,” Burke said.
Jessica Wade, the marketing teacher and DECA advisor, says she has tried her best to compromise with DECA members so they can participate in events regardless of their financial situation.
“I offer trips every year, set up payment plans, and try to make the trips as affordable as possible. We also have field trips that are either cheap or free that students can go to as well, so I hope that I'm able to offer lots of experiences for people with different financial situations,” Wade said.
Other teachers and extracurricular advisors at OHS have also tried their best to make a financially accessible environment for students.
Derek Twombly, band director, is one of those teachers.
“Students are encouraged to fundraise as much as possible through the various fundraisers we do. We allow families to make payments and we work with low-income families to help them stay in the program without fear of being removed, while getting those payments in to us,” said Twombly.
Twombly has set up the most unique system to pay dues and other fees at OHS. The system is based on the amount each student raises for themselves.
During the few fundraisers the band has throughout the year, each student gets the opportunity to fundraise.
Band member Jackson Baker, junior, is very thankful for the opportunities he has gotten thanks to this system, such as a band trip to Florida.
“I fundraised all my money, so I didn't need to pay out of pocket to go to Florida, which is amazing,” says Baker.
Even with this system in place, Baker acknowledges that he is in a more privileged position of financial stability compared to other students.
“But I'd definitely be coming at it from a different angle if I wasn't able to pay for it, you know? My family is luckily pretty financially stable but still it's still hard for people who aren't,” said Baker.
Baker and Burke both had to pay thousands of dollars to be in their respective extracurriculars, but this isn't the case for every student.
KiLynn Moody, junior, has paid a one time fee for only one activity she is interested in, choir.
Moody has paid only $100 for her dress and pearls that are required to wear during performances and competitions. Moody says she loves her passion has cost so little since singing is the one true thing she's passionate about at school.
“I don't want to waste my time and money on something I’m not fully committed to like theater and choir,” said Moody.
According to Wendy Bross, choir teacher, unlike many other extracurriculars these purchases can help students outside of school as well. This is something she says she takes pride in.
“I mean when they pay for these dresses they can use it for other things, I mean like they can use it for prom or homecoming and more formal events which is always a nice bonus!” said Bross.
Despite every student interviewed having to pay fees all of them agreed it was worth it. Most said that they love their activity immediately after describing what they pay for.
They all also agreed that they have gotten to express themselves and be with friends they treasure.
Reporting by Gracie Harget
Photos Courtesy of Ms. Bruner
2/21/24
OHS prom theme this year is going to be Old Hollywood. The prom committee, led by Rocchina Bruner, OHS ELA, came up with the theme in no time.
“As Junior Head Sponsor, I made an announcement asking those who wanted to participate on the Prom Committee to come to a meeting, informed them of everything we need to do, and Addi Eddleman came up with a theme in about 30 seconds flat- if that. Her Old Hollywood suggestion was a hit,” Bruner said.
The other members in the prom committee agreed with the theme.
“We wanted to have a fun theme that we hadn’t heard of anyone doing in a while. We looked through the past themes and Old Hollywood stuck out to us. We loved the idea and all the fun we could have with it, so we chose it,” Grace Smith, junior, said.
With prom being held at Berry Acres, there are a lot of fun things everyone can enjoy.
“From our venue, theme, decor, food choices, and party favors, the prom committee has worked extremely hard to make it an enjoyable event. It’s practically in Odessa’s backyard, so why not come out for an evening of grandeur and strut your stuff on the red carpet,” Bruner said.
“We plan to make this prom a lot of fun. People should come enjoy our photo booth, selfie station, balloon arches, light up dance floor that goes in time with the music, the fun music, and the amazing party gifts,” Smith said.
The prom committee is giving out gifts for all the students attending.
“We went all out for the gifts this year,” Smith said.
“If you want to know what it is, you’ll have to show up to the dance,” Bruner said.
Reporting: Emma Musgrave
3/19/24
With Spring Break right around the corner, students say they are ready for the time off.
A survey was given to students at OHS to study what the school population plans for their five-day break. 44 student responses were recorded.
Half of the respondents say they have no plans for their break at all. For those who do have plans, most report they consist of “relaxing” and “hanging out with friends.” Some mention lake-bound plans. Many are excited to get back some much-needed rest.
For those who plan to travel, 43% of respondents say they will be doing so by car. 19% will be flying, 6% will walk, and 6% say they will not be traveling at all.
10% of respondents will be traveling far enough to change time zones. Yasamine Carter, junior, says she will be going to California to see her family.
For those staying closer to home, the farthest recorded traveler will be Taren McCarthy, senior, traveling only to Lee’s Summit. “I will be attending STA,” says McCarthy.
Half of respondents say they are looking forward to spring break. 25% are genuinely excited about their plans. One respondent is not excited.
When asked if their plans are traditional for their family during spring break, 63% of students say they are not, 32% say their plans are.
20% of students will miss some school. Those who will not are set to return to school April 2.
Thank Your For Your Service
Story and Pictures by Emma Musgrave
4/23/24
Amber Deaton, sophomore and freshman English teacher, took her Bulldog Block students to the Whiteman Airforce Base and Warrensburg Veteran’s Home April 3 for their community service project.
Deaton’s bulldog block community service project consisted of having the students take handwritten appreciation letters to veterans and active members of the military. As a bonus, students got to tour the Whiteman Airforce Base and Missile Bunker.
Deaton is a veteran herself, so the inspiration behind the project came mostly from her. The students, as is typical, did not want to have to do anything too major for their class’ service project. To make a final decision on what they did, Deaton had the students vote on different ideas. Ultimately, the students decided to write cards to veterans and active members.
Once the students were told that they would get to go on base to deliver these cards, their excitement became genuine and grew. The students not only got to go on base, but also received a tour.
When asked what this project meant to her, Deaton said, “Being a retired Army veteran, this means a lot! Not only do we get to thank a soldier or airman, but we get to brighten someone’s day, letting them know we care and appreciate their service and sacrifice. Plus, the students will get some education on military personnel's day-to-day activities as an added benefit.”
There was not much of a process to initiate the project. Deaton first discussed the trip with her husband and the veteran home to get approved for taking the students to both places. Her husband, Josh Deaton, works on the Whiteman Airforce Base, so he was able to get the students approved. She then talked to Robbie Shepherd, principal, for approval. Once approved, she communicated with the bus barn to borrow a bus and driver for the day.
The students met in the commons by 7:30 to board the bus. From there, the students first visited the Warrensburg Veteran’s Home and handed out appreciation cards to veterans. After, students went to the Whiteman Airforce Base and checked in.
On base, the students were scheduled to tour the Missile Bunker, and see the Black Ops, where they continued to hand out appreciation cards. They then got lunch before they went back to school to return at the start of 7th hour.
Deaton plans to make this community service project and tour field trip an annual event.
By Cooper Jiron
Pictures by Brandon Lorenz
5/17/24
A lunar Eclipse was visible in Odessa on April 8th and OHS staff and faculty got the chance to view the moon's partial blockage of the sun.
Despite the eclipse being an astronomical happening, students seemed unimpressed.
“It was cool I guess. It wasn't an actual eclipse so I just wasn't a lot to look at,” said Kelsie Rathert, junior.
Robbie Shepherd, OHS principal, originally gave the go-ahead and even he seemed similarly indifferent to it.
“It was alright - I liked how everything got all gray you know? But it was alright,” said Shepherd.
While most students and faculty were unimpressed in Odessa, other students were seeing totality about 4 hours southeast. The totality was about twice as long as the previous eclipse visible in the U.S. in 2017 and that was felt according to Ayden Agcopra, junior.
Agcopra was one of the students who traveled for the eclipse and was grateful for doing so.
“It was really cool actually- Everything got real dark and you could see the tiny little dot,” said Agcopra.
Puddle Jumpers Parade of Pictures
Odessa's one-and-only John Carmody, OHS math teacher and more, strikes again! Carmody was on scene to capture our school community in action at this year's Puddle Jumper's parade.
With school starting up this week and fall activities in full swing, you can feel the excitement in the air for another great year.
We love to see the smiles on everyone's faces. Thank you Mr. Carmody for being on scene to capture the Bulldog spirit!
Fox 4 Takes a Z-Trip to Odessa
Local news station Fox 4 brought their morning news cast and crew to downtown Odessa for a Zip Trip on Thursday, June 13th, 2024.
Summer school students, the Band of Distinction and color guard, and Bulldogs cheer squad all made an appearance in the town square.
Picture coverage was provided by John Carmody, OHS math teacher.
A Skip-tastic Day!
Captions by Emma Jones
Photos courtesy of those pictured.
4/30/24
Senior Spirit
By Emma Musgrave
Photos by Yearbook/Growler staffs
5/22/24
As seniors approach graduation, so does their final spirit week. The spirit week will be April 29th to May 3rd.
Throughout the week, senior students are encouraged to participate in the different spirit days, as follows:
Monday- “College/Trade School Apparel”
Tuesday- “Anything But A Backpack Day”
Wednesday- “Bad Parking Day”
Thursday- “White Lies”
Friday- “Senior Prank Day & Wear Senior Shirts”
Students are having a difficult time getting approval for senior pranks, so what Friday, May 3 will entail is yet to be determined.
However, a handful of seniors are planning their own senior pranks.
Chantz Becker says he plans to have a trail of rose petals lead to Kaitlyn Grace’s office with a picture of himself placed of him wearing his overall shorts and a rose in his mouth on her desk.
Joshua Dodson plans to buy 50 Oak Grove flags and place them in various class rooms. Dodson would also like to say, “Go Oak Grove.”
Compiled by Gracie Harget via student survey.
Pictures by Whitney Bachman-Twombly
5/22/24
The best girl at prom was Lorelai Burch!
The best dressed guy at prom was a tie between Nick Hales and Josh Dodson!
Old Hollywood, New Generation
By Emma Musgrave
4/23/24
Berry Acres set the stage for the OHS 2024 Prom this year, and the theme was Old Hollywood. Prom Chair, Rocchina Bruner, was in charge of planning the event.
This year, prom was to be held at Berry Acres starting at 8:00 on April 7.
Photographer Leslie Brice, had been hired to be available for booking photo shoots before the dance.
Also before the event started, parents were invited to come take photos of attending students as “paparazzi” to go along with the Old Hollywood theme.
Students walked down the red carpet and were announced if they arrived between 8:00 and 8:45. Court royalty were announced later in the evening, around 10:00. King was Gage Westerhold and Emma Hunter was crowned queen.
To further advance the theme of the dance, the venue was decorated mostly in shades of gold, red, and black. A large Hollywood sign was set up as a prop, by ag teacher Gene Collins, and in an area available to students for photos. Photo areas were available under balloon arches thanks to the expertise of ELA teacher Lexi Crowley.
Snacks, salty and sweet, were available to students: mini-cupcakes, brownie bites, chocolate-dipped pretzels, a fruit tray, and salty trail mix.
Overall, the venue came out to cost $12,000. This included the DJ, snacks, tablecloths, chairs, tables, they set up and took down, but OHS staff did all the decorations.
Students who planned to attend were sent a google form survey to collect data on their plans for prom. When asked how their attire would match the Old Hollywood Theme, Marilynn Forrest, senior, said, “Unplanned, but someone told me that my dress looked like Marilynn Monroe or Jessica Rabbit and I already admire the hair and red lips of the early Hollywood days, so I suppose I fit the fit the theme.”
Mariah Malisheski, senior, said she fit the theme because she has a dark and mysterious past.
Students were asked several more questions, including what their dinner, transportation, and preparation plans are.
The most popular places students went to eat at before prom included Texas Roadhouse, Iron Horse, and Mexican and Chinese restaurants.
Several students planned to get to prom with friends. Some said they would be driving themselves. Few planned to have a designated chauffeur.
56% of respondents said they would be doing their own hair and makeup. 32% said they would be having their hair done by professionals.
Students were very excited for prom. Especially seniors, as this was their last school dance before graduation.
Compiled by Emma Musgrave
Photos by John Carmody and Whitney Twombly
5/22/24
Prom Queen-
Name: Emma Hunter
Outfit: Long sleeved, tan dress with black detailing
Favorite Color: Pink
Favorite State: Florida
Favorite Person: Her sister, Rilynn
Prom King-
Name: Gage Westerhold
Outfit: Suit
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite State: Missouri
Favorite Person: Mother and Father
Name: Ali Vochatzer
Outfit: Black long dress with right leg slit staring at the thigh. Mesh corset illusion. Black mesh over the shoulder thing with sparkly fishnets and black boots.
Favorite Color: Pink & Black
Favorite State: No favorite state.
Favorite Person: John Carmody
Comments: Everybody going through tough times. Believe me, I've been there, done that. But everyday above ground is a great day, remember that. DALE -Mr. Worldwide 305
Also, Hello Kitty once said “It’s okay to try again tomorrow!”
Name: Josh Dodson
Outift: Calm military
Favorite Color: Red, Gold, & Black
Favorite State: Ctzechia
Favorite Person: Mariah Malisheski
Comments: For Grozny
Name: Lorelai Burch
Outfit: Sparkly emerald green dress
Favorite Color: Dark green
Favorite State: Hawaii
Favorite Person: Mason McGrath
Name: Mason McGrath
Outfit: Black and emerald green suit with gold accent
Favorite Color: Blue
Favorite State: Oregon
Favorite Person: Lorelai Burch
Teacher Stories of 2023-2024
Kaitlyn Grace started her first year as Odessa High School Vice Principal on August 23rd of this year.
Grace has been in the education world for 6 years. She taught English for 4 years at Concordia and 2 years at Osage Trail. Grace got into education because she was inspired by her own teachers.
“I had some really great teachers that stepped up when they didn’t necessarily have to as a little kid. “So I thought you know as I got older maybe I could turn around and do that.” Grace said.
Grace said she has found the hardest part of the job is not knowing every kid’s name and face like she used to. Her goal is to “learn as much as she can and get to know the kids that she doesn’t see inside her office.”
Grace is excited to see all kids involved in activities and sports succeed.
“It goes beyond sports here, DECA is great, FBLA is great, all of the activities going on are really competitive.” Grace said. “I want to see all the kids involved with that do well.”
Grace is from Oak Grove and is not only familiar with the area, but has relatives from Odessa.
Story by Emma Jones
Previous Photo by Yearbook Staff
By Gracie Harget
Photos Courtesy of Kara Smith
11/9/23
OHS has a new social studies teacher in the building. Matthew Van Hoecke teaches American history, psychology, and sociology.
Van Hoecke started taking history and psychology classes in college to fill his credits. He started to find these classes interesting and his curiosity grew. “People are interesting; the decisions we make impact not only ourselves but also everyone around us. Social studies investigates the causes and consequences of those actions,” Van Hoecke said.
Van Hoecke started his teaching career while in college at Spokane High School in Springfield. He taught a semester of psychology and government and a semester of world history and psychology at Grain Valley High School.
Van Hoecke attended Missouri State University, located in Springfield, to become a teacher.
“I started teaching because I felt that I could make a difference in students’ lives - much like I had been positively impacted by teachers of my own,” Van Hoecke said.
He decided to go to Missouri State to be surrounded by a good atmosphere and people.
While at Missouri State University, he met and graduated with another new teacher, Kara Smith. Smith said in college Van Hoecke was a good student and an awesome peer to work with.
“I knew that we could always work together on something and he would pull his weight,” Smith said.
It was a surprise when Smith found out they would be working together.
“I was excited because I knew someone I would be working with,” Smith said.
Smith and Van Hoecke have had a lot of history together.
“Mr. Van Hoecke and I went to college together, student-taught together, and now work with one another. I love working with Mr. Van Hoecke because he has great ideas and I know I can always rely on him for input. As 1st year teachers, it’s great to have someone I already know and trust,” Smith said.
Story by Cooper Jiron
Pictures by Emma Jones and Emma Musgrave
11/6/23
From Powerlifter to school sports coach to semi-professional football team owner, to high school principal, Robbie Shepherd’s journey to OHS is one that does not lack intrigue.
Shepherd is the 3rd new principal in the last 3 years at OHS. Despite being new to working at OHS, he is familiar with the community.
Shepherd grew up in Odessa and graduated from Odessa High School in 1998. Shepherd also isn't new to the principal position with 15 years of experience. “I was there (Osage Trails) for twelve years - before that, I was at Drexel, Missouri for three years, so I've been principal a long time, but I also taught five years before that,” Shepherd said.
During his time as a teacher, Shepherd coached and owned a semi-professional football team called the Independence Bulldogs. This eventually led to his first job as a principal.
(“I needed a defensive (coach) and I called this guy. I never would've thought that he was a principal, but he was an elementary school principal at Drexel, Missouri and he said ‘Hey, we just fired our high school principal you should apply.’ I told him not interested in it but the next day the superintendent called me and convinced me to come down for an interview and halfway through she offered me the job and I was like ‘crap now what am I gonna do’,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd didn't expect to return to Odessa, saying, “When I moved away I thought I'd move away forever, so I never really expected to come back here.”
Even with the unexpected return, the transition from being at Osage to coming to Odessa was smooth. He expressed a greater sense of community compared to other school districts he has worked with. He also attributed the smoothness of the change to his assistant principal, activities director, and the student body.
One of the first problems Shepherd is having to combat is the air of distrust between faculty and students. “What I'm finding is that kids don't want to report anything, so we've had some kids who have been bullied, we've had kids who have dealt with harassment, and they won't tell me,” Shepherd said.
He elaborated on this saying parents have come to him upset and he is unaware there is a situation. “I'm good at my job, but not that good. I have to know about it to fix it,” Shepherd said.
Shepherd has tried to console this issue by cultivating a better environment for the staff, hoping it would create a better environment for students as well.
Shepherd said, “I think it starts with having a group of teachers who want to be here, a group of teachers that are here for the kids. I think if you guys feel supported and safe that helps you achieve more.”
“My wife’s a teacher, I know how much money she spends on stuff. I don't want my teachers doing that. I want to be able to buy it for them. I want to be able to support them completely, so they can be their individual self and make an impact that way,” Shepherd said.
He continued by commenting on his student side of support by appearing in the weight room, choir, PE, and other classes to try to be more visible in order to break the trend of office staff being cut off from students.
Shepherd's daughter, Avery Shepherd, a freshman at OHS, commented on some of these trips to her own classroom, saying, “Sometimes I feel proud, but then he does stuff that makes me feel embarrassed. He comes to my classroom and is like ‘Hi Avery!’ and I'm like ‘Leave!’”
Shepherd has obviously made an impact with his presence at OHS with dozens of students having conversations with him in the hallways or faculty expressing gratitude and admiration for him.
This is especially present in Kaitlyn Grace, OHS Assistant Principal.
“He is kind, hard-working, and reliable. He's enthusiastic, patient, and calm in any situation! All in all, Mr. Shepherd is a wonderful leader and I can't wait to see all that he accomplishes here at OHS,” Grace said.
Recently, on October 27th, Shepherd was chosen as the MASC Trails West Administrator of the Year.
By Cooper Jiron
11/30/23
Kyra Walsh, OHS Spanish I teacher, is one of many new teachers at OHS this year.
Despite being less than halfway through her first year at OHS she already has plans to start a culture club with another Spanish teacher, Brittany Brenner.
“It can kinda be whatever kids want to make out of it! Our first event we’re trying to come up with is to have culture club provide some treats for that, like some sort of Mexican hot chocolate and a baked good,” Walsh said.
Students seem to be less interested than she hoped.
“We're just trying to get the ball rolling, but at first when we tried to schedule a meeting no one showed up,” said Walsh.
Despite the setbacks, Walsh often tries to reach out to students in ways like this. Freshmen Conner Dawson and Zoey Bullock recounted
how she has a fun and energetic aura in the classroom and how she tries to make learning fun to encourage students to speak up in class.
Walsh says that she wants students to be as passionate about Spanish as she was when attending OHS. Walsh graduated in 2011.
“I want to keep students motivated - when a student shuts down and feels that it's all overwhelming and hard, that just makes it even harder. I just want to help them find motivation and enjoyment in the class,” Walsh said.
Walsh doesn't want to stop at just motivating students. She also has the goal of bolstering class sizes and the Spanish curriculum.
“My goal is to increase the class sizes. The norm is to do Spanish I and II and then quit you know? I would like to make it more like when I was here, where you would do Spanish I, II, III, and IV which was really cool.”
Walsh then reflected on her new experiences of being a teacher compared to a student at OHS.
“I like to say we're real ‘family-like’, as a staff we kinda operate like that. We all have each other's back and are there to support one another. I didn't see that as a student here but seeing that as an employee, it's eye-opening you know?”
Walsh tries to channel this familial care and familiarity to her students by showing that she is someone they can relate to and trust.
“I think the most important thing for a teacher is to be someone students can relate to and have a relationship with in a way that they feel that someone is there for them and that they’re supported - and by showing you’re a human too like when you go to a grocery store and a student is like ‘Ahh!’ like, yes I am a person.”
Regardless of the limitations and setbacks Walsh faces, she still tries to overcome them with enthusiasm and care.
The Culture Club still plans to provide treats for the cram sessions during finals week.
By Cooper Jiron
11/30/23
Kyra Walsh, OHS Spanish I teacher, is one of many new teachers at OHS this year.
Despite being less than halfway through her first year at OHS she already has plans to start a culture club with another Spanish teacher, Brittany Brenner.
“It can kinda be whatever kids want to make out of it! Our first event we’re trying to come up with is to have culture club provide some treats for that, like some sort of Mexican hot chocolate and a baked good,” Walsh said.
Students seem to be less interested than she hoped.
“We're just trying to get the ball rolling, but at first when we tried to schedule a meeting no one showed up,” said Walsh.
Despite the setbacks, Walsh often tries to reach out to students in ways like this. Freshmen Conner Dawson and Zoey Bullock recounted
how she has a fun and energetic aura in the classroom and how she tries to make learning fun to encourage students to speak up in class.
Walsh says that she wants students to be as passionate about Spanish as she was when attending OHS. Walsh graduated in 2011.
“I want to keep students motivated - when a student shuts down and feels that it's all overwhelming and hard, that just makes it even harder. I just want to help them find motivation and enjoyment in the class,” Walsh said.
Walsh doesn't want to stop at just motivating students. She also has the goal of bolstering class sizes and the Spanish curriculum.
“My goal is to increase the class sizes. The norm is to do Spanish I and II and then quit you know? I would like to make it more like when I was here, where you would do Spanish I, II, III, and IV which was really cool.”
Walsh then reflected on her new experiences of being a teacher compared to a student at OHS.
“I like to say we're real ‘family-like’, as a staff we kinda operate like that. We all have each other's back and are there to support one another. I didn't see that as a student here but seeing that as an employee, it's eye-opening you know?”
Walsh tries to channel this familial care and familiarity to her students by showing that she is someone they can relate to and trust.
“I think the most important thing for a teacher is to be someone students can relate to and have a relationship with in a way that they feel that someone is there for them and that they’re supported - and by showing you’re a human too like when you go to a grocery store and a student is like ‘Ahh!’ like, yes I am a person.”
Regardless of the limitations and setbacks Walsh faces, she still tries to overcome them with enthusiasm and care.
The Culture Club still plans to provide treats for the cram sessions during finals week.
By Claire Fieth
Pictures by Gracie Harget
12/1/23
The OHS and OMS faculty teams battled until the end with the win for OMS a second year in a row.
Grant Wolfe, personal finance teacher at OHS, had one goal during the game.
“My only goal was to win,” Wolfe said. Sadly, he didn't succeed.
Derek Twombly and Ashely Moses, OHS staff members, also had goals during the game. “One get buckets. Two crush the competition. Three have fun! Neither of the first two things happened. I did have fun though!” Twombly said.
“Stay injury-free and make memories,” Moses said.
All of these teachers didn't really prepare before the game.
“I did not really prepare for the game. I shoot sometimes during basketball practice and I exercise regularly so I was in decent shape,” Wolfe said.
Twombly thought band would help him, but unfortunately it didn’t.
“Lots of band practice. Sadly, this did not help. No idea why,” Twombly said.
“I did not prepare at all. I was just ready to play and hopefully not embarrass myself,” Moses said.
Preparation or no, the staff had good reasons to participate in this year’s game.
“I played in the staff game to represent the High School and beat the middle school” Wolfe said.
Twombly played for the buckets and Moses just wanted to play for fun.
Even though all these teachers took a loss that day, they all made good memories.
“My favorite moment in the game was when Mr. Seals hit the half-court shot,” Wolfe said.
“My favorite part was getting out there and playing. Specifically, my favorite memory was when Coach Lewis jumped on Coach Doyle's shoulders on accident,” Moses said.
By Emma Jones
Photos by Emma Jones; edited by Growler Staff
2/14/24
Valentine's Day is quickly approaching and the OHS staff each have various plans.
Jessica Wade, marketing teacher does not have much planned but will “probably eat crab legs or something her whole family likes at home.” Wade plans to have a night in because restaurants are too busy on weeknights.
While Adrine Cole, biology teacher, has a heartwarming tradition to continue.
“I always order a heart shaped pizza with my girls and we watch movies. It’s our tradition,” Cole said.
Crisa Seals, business education teacher, had an early celebration due to both of her daughters having practices on Valentine’s Day.
”We went to Tuscanos in Buckner, and it was delicious. We also got my car washed in Grain Valley and then came back home to watch Oppenheimer in our newly updated home theater system,” Seals said. “Not too thrilling but at least we got to get out without kiddos and watch a movie without waking up the youngest.”
Wendy Bross, choir instructor, will spend her day taking 12 choir students to Warrensburg to take part in the MRVC Conference Choir, where they will rehearse all day and perform later that evening.
“I guess you can say that I am giving all my Valentine's love to my students!” Bross said.
The recent Super Bowl win some teachers have had a recent change in plans. LoriAnn Archuleta, Head Girls Wrestling Coach, plans to attend the Chiefs parade before preparing her state team for their Super Bowl.
“I am going to the Chiefs parade to try to find the love of my life who I believe may play for the Kansas City Chiefs,” Archuleta said.
By Kylee McElmurry and Cooper Jiron
Pictures by the Growler and the Yearbook Staffs
5/17/24
OHS is sad to hear that 12 teachers from the district are leaving/retiring on the last day of school.
Here are what some teachers had to say about leaving and saying some wonderful things about their teaching careers and OHS.
Special Education Teacher LoriAnn Archuleta has been teaching here for 5 years. Archuleta has created so many memories with the time she has been here.
“Selecting a single standout memory proves to be a challenging task, given the multitude of remarkable experiences I have had at OHS. Throughout my time here, I have had the privilege of creating enduring memories alongside my colleagues, students, and athletes. The invaluable moments shared with these individuals have contributed significantly to my professional growth and personal fulfillment,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta will still be teaching but much farther away.
"My plan is to continue teaching Special Education and coaching wrestling in New Mexico,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta will always be proud of everything she has accomplished.
“One of the most rewarding experiences I have had in my career in education is the invaluable opportunity to witness breakthrough moments with my students. It is truly a profound privilege to see students achieve a deeper level of understanding and insight, as they make significant advancements in their academic journeys,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta loves how OHS has affected her life.
“Never did I anticipate that my professional journey would lead me to the field of education following my graduation from college. Fast forward five years, and I find myself fully immersed in my role, cherishing the opportunity to positively impact the lives of individuals through my work,” Archuleta said.
Archuleta has sad feelings for leaving OHS but she will be missed a lot.
“I am deeply saddened by the thought of leaving OHS. The bond I have formed with my colleagues, students, and athletes has been truly invaluable. The friendship and shared experiences at OHS have enriched my professional journey in ways that I will always hold dear,” Archuleta said.
OHS Science/Girls Soccer Coach Ashley Moses has not been at OHS for 1 year as a teacher and 2 as a coach, but has loved her time here.
Moses has made so many memories since being here at OHS-like dancing in the 12 Days of Christmas dance with her coworkers.
“I am working at a law office and planning to coach soccer with a different organization,” Moses said of her post OHS plans.
Moses is proud of herself and how much she has done for OHS.
“My proudest moment was getting told by multiple athletes how much they look up to me. That makes me feel loved and like I am making a difference!” Moses said. “OHS has placed amazing young people in my life that I will forever cherish and cheer for.”
Moses is going to miss her students and athletes and promises to come back and watch them succeed.
OHS Librarian Angie Sallee has been here the longest out of the staff leaving-13 years. Sallee will still be in her same position of librarian next year at University City High School in St. Louis, Missouri.
Sallee’s favorite moments from this year have been all about the Special Olympics and Student Council programs.
“My proudest moment has been earning National Banner Status for Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools and being named MASC Advisor of the Year in 2024,” Sallee said.
Sallee feels good about her time at OHS and the impact it has had on her life.
“The opportunity to work at OHS for 13 years has impacted my life beyond measure. I have gained many lifelong friendships which I will carry with me into the next chapter of my life,” Sallee said. “I am deeply saddened to leave OHS, especially the students who are library dwellers and those involved in activities I supervise.”
OHS art teacher Amanda Smith has been a member of the OHS staff for two years. Smith has many favorite memories, especially with her bestie and co-worker, Micheia Gutierrez.
“I have a lot of favorite memories such as Christmas Assembly, NAHS Field Trips, but most of all working with my bestie Coach G!” Smith said.
Smith will not be teaching when she leaves, she will be doing something she has never really done before-sales and marketing.
Smith is very proud of her students that make amazing art for her.
“Anytime my students create an art piece and I can see how proud they are of themselves, it makes me extremely proud.” Smith said.
OHS has greatly impacted Smith’s life.
“I am an alumni, I met my husband at OHS, my absolute best friends, it reconnected me to Coach G, I have been able to impact the youth of my community, and so much more,” Smith said.
Smith is very sad to leave her students and all they have done for her.
“I am a little sad because I will miss the students so much, but I am also proud of myself for taking a risk to try something new that I know will benefit my family and I. Once A Bulldog, Always A Bulldog!” Smith said.
OHS Band Director Derek Twombly has been a part of the band program for the last six years.
Twombly has loved everything about the band from Friday nights at football games to endless band competitions on Saturdays. Twombly is leaving to assume the role of head principal at Lone Jack High School next year.
Twombly will miss, “building relationships with students, and watching them succeed.”
Twombly described leaving as, “Bitter-Sweet. I really love my job here. The kids, parents, and staff are amazing. I am really going to miss everyone very much. I am excited for my new opportunity and the possibilities it opens up for me and my family,” Twombly said.
OHS Math Teacher/Head Tennis Coach Paul Klene hasn't been here for long, but glad to be a part of OHS.
“Coaching Tennis and making friends with faculty and students,” were some of Klene’s fondest memories from his year at OHS.
Klene will be teaching in Belton next year, but memories of tennis and track success as well as “seeing kids’ eyes light up when they have learned something challenging,” will stay with him.
“[I have] Great respect for the school and the community here,” Klene said.
OHS Drama/Theater Teacher Micheal Brown has also been here only one year He was glad to make many memories in that time.
“Getting to know and work with all the different students here at OHS. Through classes or Speech, Debate, and Seussical,” were highlights for Brown. He also enjoyed sharing qualifying for state with his Speech and Debate students.
Brown is having some family issues currently so he has a good reason why he is leaving.
“To take care of my mom and help her with her cancer treatments,” Brown said.
Brown’s life at OHS has had a huge impact on him.
“It has left me with many more meaningful memories and new friends and colleagues,” Brown said.
OHS Special Education Teacher/Head Boys Basketball and Soccer Coach Micah Lewis has worked at OHS for 3 years. .
“I would say my favorite memory was watching our players celebrating the district championship in 2023 and all of the embraces that came with that,” Lewis said when asked of his favorite memory. He also has a lot of proud moments with students including seeing students he has worked with receive their diplomas.
Teaching at OHS has taught Lewis many things.
“I think in a lot of ways I became a better father, a better educator and a better person. The amount of community support that my family received in my time here is greatly appreciated,” Lewis said.
Lewis is very sad to leave teaching and coaching basketball, but he thinks it is best for him and his family.
Lewis will be focusing on “time with my kids and seeing where the next chapter takes our little family,” moving forward.
OHS is very sad that we have these teachers leaving, but we are wishing them the best in all that they do in their careers.