Olympia High School Student Council Attended the Cenois District Workshop

By Tyler DeVault, OHS Torch Reporter

Members of the Olympia High School student council attended the Cenois District Workshop last Friday, April 10^th, with three other local high schools where they participated in team building activities.

“The purpose of the trip was for students to gain leadership skills, and network with other student council and to elect the new Cenois District of Student Council board,” said OHS Science Teacher and Student Council Co-Advisor Brandi Cooper.

At the conference, students participated in team building activities. The purpose of these activities is for students to get to know each other and think about leadership on the Student Council.

“I thought that they brought the four schools together to work together as a team” said senior Julia Griffith.

While on the trip, the students heard a guest speaker Congressman Andy Manar, from the 48^th district. Congressman Manar talked about the legislative process and answered questions the students had about the state legislator.

Besides hearing Manar speak, they also participated in a business meeting to make decisions about the Cenois District. Also, they elected the new Cenois District of Student Councils board.

“Students said they had fun and they liked networking with other student councils,” said Cooper. Other members would agree with this statement.

This trip was a positive experience for everyone and they look forward to next year.

Student Council to Attend State Convention

By OHS Torch Reporter, Abby Maitland

Olympia Student Council Members are attending the Student Council State Convention from May 7^th through May 9^th in Chicago Illinois near the Woodfield Mall.

Not all members are attending, but anyone apart of the Student Council is allowed to go. These following students are attending this year, David Bell, Jessie Birckelbaw, Reagan Brown, Vittoria Cira, Julia Griffith, Alyssa Halliday, Needhi Jayswal, Maci Pfeffer, Allison Schuette, Bailey Stockhecke, Natalie Stone, and Reed Walters.

The members various from grade levels of seniors to sophomores. All of the members will stay in a hotel with many different student councils from different schools.

The point of the convention is to attend different meetings that speak about changes in the states regulations of Student Council. Jesse Birckelbaw said, “Usually only about ten of us go, but this year there is many more attending from our Student Council.”

Besides the meetings, there is also time for fun. The Student Council will have a chance to shop at the Woodfield mall on Friday, May 8^th.

The only person that will not be able to attend the Woodfield mall is Co-Vice President Reed Walters who is the Credentials Committee. He applied for the position last year and was hired the board to help hire new members for the State Student Council Board.

On Friday, when everyone else at the mall Walters will be interviewing more applicants for the State Student Council Board. This is Reed Walters first year attending convention, but he couldn’t be more excited for it.

Junior David Bell will be arriving at the Convention late because his AP testing date interrupts with the convention dates.

Wizard Of Oz Follows the Yellow Brick Road to Olympia

 

By OHS Torch Reporter Julia Griffith

 

Follow the yellow brick road as Dorothy and all of your Wizard of Oz favorite characters take the stage Mother’s Day weekend in Esquivel Theatre at Olympia High School. Make sure to treat your mom to this special performance when the Olympia High School Drama Department brings to stage The Wizard of Oz during Mother’s Day weekend May 8th, 9th, and 10th.

 

There is no joking when the casting list was posted on April 1st and rehearsals began April 2nd. Best friends Junior Lauren Hostetter and Junior Lauren Horner scored the parts of Dorothy and Aunt Em. Along with Junior Collin Schopp as the Tin Man, Sophomore Matthew Altoff as the Scarecrow, Senior Duncan Kovar as the Cowardly Lion, and freshman Dylan Maris as the Wizard.

 

Junior Collin Schopp said, “Rehearsals are going really well because everyone is really enthusiastic, we just need to start getting it memorized and we are in really good shape.”

 

Not only has the cast been working hard, but the tech crew has also began. Junior David Bell says that “ We have gotten one of two of our big pieces done for the most part and we have gotten donations from the Booster Club and retired Olympia English Teacher William DeLoriea, so we are comfortable where we are at not only budget wise but also production wise.”

 

Little previews of rehearsals have been leaked on Facebook over the past few weeks and many people can say that the production is overall going well and should be a great treat for the audience in attendance.

 

OHS Band director Mr. Brubaker is in charge of this year’s pit orchestra. Senior Tyler DeVault said, “Pit music is always challenging but always worth it in the end. You will find with each book there are some errors in them, but that just adds to the fun of it.”

 

 

Olympia FFA Members Travel to Livestock Judging

 

By JT Schneider, OHS Torch reporter

Friday, April 10, 19 FFA students got the opportunity to attend section livestock and dairy judging in Pontiac, this trip gave students real life experience with livestock judging. Shelby Payne scored highest in the Dairy Judging category, awarding her with 1^st place.  Josh Kindred received 2^nd place in Dairy Judging.

            Of the 19 that attended, the senior members were Bryson Gottschalk, Shelby Gordon, and Jenna Kindred. The juniors who attended were Carson Goff, Genna VanWye, Kelsey Slager, Brian Tackett, Gannon Springer, and Bailey Hoerbert. The sophomores who attended were Andrew Renfrow, Sara Zimmerman, Erin Zimmerman, Wes Israel, Andy Davis, Luke Litwiller, and Laura Rankin.     As for freshmen, those who attended were Brock Gottschalk, Josh Kindred, and Shelby Payne.  

Junior Carson Goff said that the interest levels were higher this year than in previous years. Many participants helped allow their experience to be successful this year. Carson Goff also scored the highest on the team, she does livestock. She helps lead meetings in the morning at 7:40 for participants who are actively involved. The team judges cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Each are placed based on appearance.

            Congrats to Josh Kindred and Shelby Payne for their placements in Dairy Judging!

 

 

               

Last Chance to Buy a Yearbook Approaches

By Alyson Unsicker, OHS Torch reporter

            Hurry up and buy a yearbook by Friday, April 24^th!  That is the last day OHS will be selling them online, in the commons, and by order form.  Forms have been handed out to students who have not purchased a yearbook yet. The cost is $65 and they will be available to pick up next year during Homecoming. Yearbooks are also available online-- www.Jostensyearbook.com.

 

Contact Joel Brigham, yearbook advisor, with any questions.  Joel.brigham@olympia.org

Tyler DeVault Invited to Elite Band

By Grant Ross, OHS Torch reporter

Tyler DeVault, an OHS Senior, was selected for the Bradley University Junior/Senior Honor band.  Tyler will be working with the associate director of bands at Michigan State University, Professor John T. Madden on April 28.  Tyler is excited to go to this very elite and prestige Honor band. It is a very difficult band to be selected to participate with as it is a band for the best juniors and seniors in the state. this band requires a lot of skilling reading challenging levels of music as well as coordination and beat.

Congratulations, Tyler!

OHS Students Sink, Swim and Sail Ships in POT Class

By Ryan Teichman, OHS Torch Reporter

            Olympia High School students in Principles of Technology class recently designed boats out of cardboard; duct tape, and paint, students had to complete a strategic course while in the boat.  Next students tried to see if their creations were actually sea worthy--down in the OHS pool!

            The competition consisted of two classes with an average group size of 4 people; there were 7 groups in the race. The race was an obstacle course, involving picking up an anchor, maneuvering around pop bottles, turning a corner, placing the anchor inside a sunken hula hoop and then racing to the finish. The boat races were held in the natatorium (the OHS pool).

            Only 3 of the 7 groups completed the course, proving the difficulty of the course and the design of boats. The group “Ships n Gigs” which consisted of OHS Seniors Ashton Beachy, Taylor Wilkins, Needhi Jayswal, and Bryson Gottschalk, and Junior Johnny Payton. Ships n Gigs completed ¾ of the course lowering the anchor in the hula hoop, after that water started flowing in the boat taking it down.
            The winning group was “The Floater” which consisted of OHS Seniors Zach Darnall, Logan Darnall, and Tyler Bruner. They completed the course in a fast paced time of 2:23. Their boat design looked like a john boat, a john boat is a boat that is a rectangle with a 45 degree angle cut in the front of the boat to help reduce surface area. The boat was covered in construction tyvek water proof tape.
            Mr. Rackuaskas, the Principles of Technology teacher, said, “I made this project because I wanted to be a pirate and live up to my name Mr.R.” Rackuaskas said, “The kids learned things sink, engineering, buoyancy, weight distribution, and people can’t breathe under water.”

            OHS Senior Alex Ewalt said, “It was nice to get to use the project instead of making it and throwing it away.” Ewalt was a ship navigator for the group “Floating Taco” which completed the course in a time of 3:02. Ewalt’s group consisted of OHS Senior Chance Weise, and OHS Senior Montel Devore-Biggs.
            OHS Senior Logan Darnall said, “The most fun part about this project was destroying the competition.” Darnall also said, “I learned how to calculate buoyancy, and if you want to get beat really bad just hit me up.”
            OHS Senior Taylor Desch said, “The hardest part about this project was the support system and the distribution of weight.” This project was a blast to watch with a crowd filling the upper deck of the pool area and in the hallway which you can see in the pool.
            Rackuaskas said, “Yes, I was extremely happy with the results, and next year they will be better, learning from past results.”
Rackuaskas also said, “If anyone would like to donate an anchor, buoy or small boat for the trophy, it would be greatly appreciated.”