Ariel Raygoza- Photography Editor
New scholarship opportunities arise for student artists
ArtConnectEd is currently offering five programs for scholarships and career interests for aspiring student artists. These programs offer a variety of exhibitions and opportunities that students can enroll in. "Our last art show was the Saint Francis University art show. The grand prize for it was a $10,000 scholarship for that school," Art Ambassador Kaitlin Russel said. ArtConnectEd has given $620M in scholarships to students since 2013, with an additional 500k in early college program scholarships since then. "Last year, we had eighteen seniors participate in this, that's our goal, is to have fifteen or more. And last year of those eighteen, they received like over two and a half million dollars worth of scholarships," Fine Arts Advisor Micheal Skura said. Scholarship opportunities available:
OH senior Mark Horton: Spiraling into film making
OH senior Mark Horton has been in the art scene for quite some time. He has focused on several projects for his own entertainment such as his upcoming film. "Currently, I am working on a film that is told from the perspective of an adamant object being passed on from person to person and being brought place to place. Alongside that, I am also in the midst of making a series of eight to 12-second-long interludes– like shorts showcasing cinematography and the beauty that is around us every day," Horton said. Close friends of Horton are in awe of his dedication to his work, often being inspired by him to create their very own projects. "I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know him for about two to three years. Throughout this time period, he has inspired me time and time again, to be creative and express myself through art. Every chance I get, I try to be brave and create art that conveys emotion, just as Mark Horton has done before me," said OH senior Phillip Guglielmi.
OH Business Club wins first competition at OE and heads to State
OH Business Professionals of Americas will be heading over to Oswego East for their very first competition on the 25th of January. "The competitions allow students to apply what they have learned in the classroom as well as work with industry professionals to expand their knowledge and experience in the content area," said club advisor Graham Brown. The competition at OE has four other schools competing at regionals. If OH BPA moves on in the competition, they will attend State in Oakbrook. The next step after that is Nationals taking place in Orlando, Florida this year. "My hope is that we will have some students that are successful at the regional level and will move on to the state and national level to gain experience in the competitions," Brown said.
OH releases new courses for ’25-26
OH is now offering a variety of new electives for students who want to expand their interests. These classes can range from studying different cultures to learning new language skills. Many additional Career and Technical Education (CTE) classes have also been added to the list for next school year. "The new CTE courses for next year include Collaborative Cooking Leaders and Clinical Experience in Education," said CTE Department Chair Daniel Okoren. "In addition, the course that has been called ‘Introduction to Teaching’ will now be called ‘Introduction to Education’ and this will now be offered as a Dual Credit course," he added.
OH Mock Election: Students reflect, counter Kendall County results
Despite her loss in the national election, Kamala Harris was victorious in the 2024 OH Mock Election with 47% of the student vote. Hundreds of students from all grade levels gathered in the auditorium to show their support by voting in the mock election. Sponsored by the honors society Rho Kappa, the mock election allowed all students to vote and get a glimpse of how real elections work. "I was surprised about the amount of kids excited to cast a vote," said junior Derek Yackley, one of the many students who voted in the mock election. The ballot included six questions, and students had an opportunity to express their opinion on a variety of topics.