Peyton Allen - Staff Reporter

With Thanksgiving around the corner, OH’s community is more than ready to feast on their favorite holiday traditions. “[[Thanksgiving is]] about spending time with others and just being with one another,” said OH junior Mia Gasper. Throughout the building and in the community, students and staff participate in local Thanksgiving celebrations. Whether that be student-led events, food drives, or debating the best dish, everyone is trying their best to get involved in this fall season of gratitude.

In hopes of inspiring students, OH's Student Services Department hosted a week-long exploration of career opportunities in Illinois through presentations and guest speakers this past Sept.  “This is the second year in a row that we've done a Career Week," said OH Counselor David Mattes. "There have been some state requirements that have been in the making, which we thought a Career Week would help to satisfy." The state requirements in the making are the PaCE framework, which, according to the Illinois Student Assistance Commission includes "types of experiences and information a student should have in order to make the most informed decisions about college and career planning."

The announcement of Homecoming Court nominees through the OH speakers during the 2nd period on Friday marked the official start of Homecoming Week. Students got excited when they heard familiar names through the speakers, and the nominees proudly make their way to the OH main office.  Every year, there are 10 members of the court, all of whom are seniors. This year, the Homecoming King nomination winners are: Kobe Jones, Chase Berkenson, Kam Jenkins, Anthony Mullen, and Michael Holmstrom. Homecoming Queen nomination winners are: Mia Medina, Ashley Cook, Gia Smith, Ali Bauman, and Morgan Pawlisz. These nominees are chosen by who received the most votes via an online form.  “I posted on my Snapchat story, like, mostly every day, just telling people to vote,” said Cook.

The OH flag football team is celebrating a lot of firsts this fall: first season, first goals, and first win. For Coach Abigail Jambor, this is a sweet start to what was a long process. Jambor explained how desperate she was for it to become a sport because Oswego is one of the last schools in the community to do so, as it is still not a nationwide initiative. Oswego is in a new era, because the process to get a sport verified is very extensive.  Jambor described this process as time-consuming. “I don't know if you've ever attended a board meeting,” she said with a pained expression. “[[T]]hey're very long. You wait three to four hours to present seven minutes of your proposal, and then you wait another month to find out, and then another month, and then another.”