Maxwell Mathew - Senior Editor
Youth & Government: OH students practice diplomacy at the IL Capitol
Between Mar 19-21, Illinois YMCA Youth and Government’s yearly program concluded with a meeting at the Illinois Capitol to debate issues in actual political facilities. According to the YMCA Youth and Government website, “Illinois YMCA Youth & Government is a leadership development program for high school students,” according to the YMCA Youth and Government website. This program influences many students across the state, especially at OH.
New SD#308 elem., JH attendance boundaries to take affect next school year
The SD#308 Board of Education has voted to change the school district's attendance boundaries for the 2026-2027 school year. While the changes do not impact OH students, they do include several subdivision boundaries which have been adjusted, and it does impact where some younger students will go to school. “In general, the goal of boundary adjustments is to balance enrollment, support long-term planning, and ensure students across the district have access to strong academic and extracurricular opportunities,” said SD#308 School Board President Dominick Cirone. Discussions for a change have been going on for almost a year with the goal to combat the increasing population in the district. The board passed the changes during the Jan. 26 board meeting.
Yarn Club: Knitting knowledge to students and staff
Since the 11th century, people across the globe have practiced the art of crochet, using yarn and threads to create a wide variety of items, and it became a popular hobby starting in the 20th century. OH’s very own Yarn Club, located in room 115, teaches the still-thriving skill to students and staff alike. “I’ve been crocheting for about 10 years," said Melissa Grove, OH Special Education Teacher and the sponsor of Yarn Club. "Many, many years ago, my mom tried to teach me, and I unfortunately didn’t get very far." Grove did not give up, however, and enlisted the help of online support. "I went to YouTube, and I taught myself basically how to crochet," Grove said, "and then I got pretty good at it, and it became a wonderful, fun hobby for me, and I wanted to be able to pass that hobby to others."
Impact of Operation Resolve in Venezuela felt here in Oswego, 2,681 miles away
On Jan. 3, on the orders of President Trump, the United States Armed Forces launched Operation Resolve. While this seems far away from OH (2,681 miles to be exact), it hit close to home for junior Luis Larrazabal, who lived in Venezuela for 10 years before moving to the United States. Larrazabal heard of Operation Resolve early in the morning, filled at first with disbelief at the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “It was around 1:00 in the morning. Uh, I didn't believe it at first," he said. "Then my cousins were going crazy like, ‘Oh, they got him! They got him!’ So, I went into the phone. I searched into the news. I saw what happened.” Once the initial shock subsided, Larrazabal was able to process what this meant for his family back in Venezuela. “I mean, I'm happy about it, but at the same time, I know nothing's gonna like change as long as the same government remains,“ he said.
Panther Farms: Planting a bright future for students, harvesting goodness to share
Farming is one of the most important things in the world as it provides people everywhere with the food needed for survival. At OH, that skill is recognized and encouraged at the school's very own Panther Farms. “I came up with the idea because I wanted to teach our students the different ways to grow food for themselves," said Sarah Duffy, a Life Skills teacher in the Social Education department and the head of Panther Farms. "It initially started with wanting to grow things out in a courtyard here," Duffy added. "That ended up not being feasible. And then later on, I... found a grant... to start Panther Farms.”