Jessica VanVooren - Features Editor
Clawing up the competition: Oswego Wildcats make it to IHSA Unified Basketball State Tournament
After a season of hard work and tough competitions, the Oswego Wildcats, SD#308’s Special Olympics basketball team, made it to the 2025 IHSA Unified Basketball State Tournament. “During games, athletes get rotated a lot, so everybody has fair playing time. All of the athletes know that the next big play could come from them,” said Wildcats head coach Michael Folsom.
OH track team sprints into the indoor season
The OH track season has started, and the first few track meets of the season are officially underway. The boys’ first track meet was Thurs., Feb. 13, at Addison Trail High School. “[[The]] track meet on Thursday went pretty good. We had a lot of athletes getting first place, [[and]] a lot of them got new personal records. You can see the talent in the new people this year,” said OH senior track athlete Michael Wallace.
Music through the decades: The evolution of today’s music
As the first month of ‘25 approaches its end, new music releases have already been a hot topic amongst social media and conversations in OH halls. With that being said, older songs are just as prevalent– weaving their way into the playlists of the students and teachers at OH. In a student survey about the most popular songs over the past seven decades, songs from the ‘80s and ‘90s had an 81.5% knowledge rate, higher than the 80.6% for popular songs of the ‘00s and ‘10s.
Competitive winter color guard coming to OH
The OH color guard is typically known for performing with the marching band at football games and parades, but they also compete at contests. During their most recent season, for the first time in OH history, the team competed in finals and placed 7th at their state competition. These student performers will receive more opportunities to showcase their talent as they compete with the new 2024-25 winter guard program. “I've coached for other programs that were highly skilled and did not make finals, which really speaks to the effort that the students put into creating the production and the dedication they put into their training,” said Color Guard Director Lauren Rogers.
OH student entrepreneur: Cristina Murillo nails it
For many students, part of preparing to look their best for prom is enjoying a manicure and getting high-quality nails to match their outfits. OH freshman Cristina Murillo offers a more personal experience than large salons, doing nails out of her home setup. “I love just talking to people and getting to know them during appointments because I know salons can be very overstimulating,” said Murillo. “People tell me they like it more than their experiences at a salon.”