Pantherfest is an annual Oswego tradition where the OH community celebrates the beginning of the school year. This year, Pantherfest kicked off on Aug. 23 in front of Ken Pickerill Stadium. It featured over 25 sports and showcased the amazing opportunities present at OH.
“This [Pantherfest performance] is just way more relaxed, and just fun to do,” said Wesley Miller, a junior member of the marching band. Pantherfest holds scrimmages, booths, and performances to promote involvement at OH.
The marching band performed crowd favorites like “Jungle Boogie” and the school fight song. The dance team performed along with them, and the Acapella choir sang the National Anthem. With such a wide range of showcases at the event, the crowd loved every performance.
The clubs and sports were held with interactive activities like photo booths with the music department and a dunk tank from the wrestling team. These helped get more OH students and future Panthers involved in showing school spirit.
“[Pantherfest] is a good way to get involved,” said OH senior Trinity Fritzler. “You get to see a lot of different sports that we have at school and like, kind of see and talk about how they’re played, and just get involved with them. And it’s a good way to get to know each other.”
Attending Pantherfest is not only for students, however. OH parents and their families also attended the event.
“My kids like going to the different games,” said OH science teacher Zachary Horn, who attended the event with his family. “[We liked] the booths… like the track booth and [my kids] run the races and throw the football… sometimes we go watch the scrimmages as well.”
The fun of Pantherfest was not limited to the outdoor stadium; events took place inside the building, as scrimmages of the volleyball team occurred in the main gym. The junior varsity and the varsity teams faced off in a heated match, with the varsity pulling out a tight win.
“I am extremely excited for the upcoming season after scrimmaging with the Varsity girls’ volleyball team. I strongly believe that our JV team has great chemistry with each other and that we work very well together.” Morgan Esbjorn, a sophomore on JV, explained.These scrimmages happened all around the school from football to soccer, giving a glimpse into what their season will look like.
Pantherfest always ends with a big football game in the Ken Pickerill stadium where the varsity football team faces off against each other, bringing students and the community together to enjoy and celebrate the new year ahead.
“I think Pantherfest is a great way to welcome everyone back to school,” said senior Josie Sowers “[And it] showcase[s] all our very exciting and inclusive activities, sports, and clubs.”
Hello, I am a journalist at 42fifty, this is my first year and I am a senior. I am in many clubs such as Youth in Government, German club, Horticulture club and more! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
Hi I'm Chayse! I'm a Senior at OHS and this is my first year on the 42Fifty team. When I'm not at school, I participate in activities such as BIONIC, Commotion, SOTC, and many various Honor Societies! You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback on our publication!
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