“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. 

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.

Students Reflect On Final DECA Competition 

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 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

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 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. 

Carmondy and Math Relays

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. 

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.

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

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.

“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

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.