Student life

By Alyssa Marten, Engel Maun and Carsen Bromley

Photo credits: Brodie Little, in the photo is Lilly Hotmer

Senior splashin’, a true game of betrayal and breaking trust, where friends become foes and nobody is safe. When you can not let your guard down without any safety precautions. Your trust could be taken advantage of at a moment's notice. 

Brodie Little describes senior splashin’ as a, “fun thing to do.” 

Little’s senior splashin’ is going good, but he is currently out, so he doesn’t have to worry about having his floaties or goggles on 24/7.  

Little claimed that, “a good strategy was to get your friends to let their guards down and to get them to take all the precautions down.”

Carson Hager admits to staying in the game this long by staying safe and not trusting anyone. 

Hager feels his friends have betrayed him in the game. Bryson Shank has also felt betrayed.

“There's only one person, he has like the most kills. Lucas Martin, he's like the biggest opp,” Shank said of his betrayal.

So far, the only thing that keeps Hager motivated is the money he could win. Both Amaury Powell and Hager believed they would win. 

“Me, I think I’m going to win. I have a good plan,” explained Powell. 

Meanwhile, Hager claims, “I think I’m doing the best so far, Ima win, cause I’m the best.”

Powell stated, “Sneaking up behind people” was the best strategy that he had. Powell’s  only concern is, “about just getting teamed up on.”

Powell’s concerns of being teamed up on a real during purges when players can get anyone out.

When asked about his strategy, Shank ironically said, “Teaming up with them to get them while they’re on my team.”

For now, the senior splashin’ is slowly wrapping up this semester. With only a few people left. Make sure to keep a lookout for the next semester round of senior splashin’.

By Sydney Johns

The A+ Program is one of the most beneficial at Odessa High School, but many students and parents still have questions. 

Q: What is the A+ Program?

Ashley Ray, OHS counselor: The A+ Program is a state-funded school scholarship that funds high school students with a two-year tuition. 

Q: Who can qualify for an A+ at Odessa High School?

 Ray: Any Odessa high school student can qualify as long as they meet these requirements:

Stay at least a 2.5 GPA

Have a 95% attendance

Maintain good citizenship and avoid drugs/alcohol

Q: Is the A+ Program only for students planning to attend community college?

Ray: Yes, most students take the program to help them attend college, others like to because of the experience and chance to be in a classroom from the other side.

Q: What are the real benefits of doing the A+ Program?

Ray: The main benefit of the A+ program is the scholarship, because it can help students get their education without paying thousands. There is also the benefit of responsibility and time management. 

Q: What happens if I don’t meet all the requirements?

Aubrey Rider, senior: If you cannot meet the requirements or stay there, you unfortunately get dropped from the program, so it's important to stay on top of everything and start strong in freshman year.

Q: How many Odessa students actually use A+ after high school?

Ray: Around 45% of students actually use the A+ program, and more often meet the requirements, too. 

Q: Where can students get more information or sign up?

Ray: Odessa Students can talk to the guidance counselor, for information on joining or to sign up.

Story by Adalyn Dietrich and Kyleigh Tye

Photo Courtesy of Lynette Williams

A senior tradition that has been alive for many years remains popular at OHS today.

Senior Parking spot painting is a sponsored event by the History club, advised by Lynette Williams, Government teacher. This year, they had 80 seniors paint a parking spot. 

Avery Marble, senior, said that her parking spot was inspired by Aaliyah Sanders. Marble said that the hardest part of her parking spot was spacing everything out correctly. 

“A parking spot vs an Alani can is a huge size difference, so trying to size things correctly was hard,” Marble stated.

Jordyn Beal, senior, said that her parking spot was mainly inspired by Pinterest. 

“At first, I had no idea what I wanted to do. After that, I just wanted to incorporate the big parts of my life,” Beal stated. 

Beal said that the hardest part of her parking spot was drawing out the mascot of the college that she has committed to. “I had to ask my sister to do that for me,” she said. 

Jordyn Loehr, senior, said that she wanted her parking spot to show her personality and hobbies. Loehr said that the hardest part of her parking spot was, “the gradient that I did because it was so hot outside, it kept drying too fast.”

While these seniors didn’t take long to plan out their parking spots, the length of time to take the design from paper to the pavement was the most time-consuming part. 

Marble stated that it took her 11 hours in total to complete, Beal took 10, and Loehr took 7 and a half hours to complete. 

This was a successful year for the History club, thanks to the 2026 senior class.