Teens Activating the Language of Kindness (TALK) is more than just a catchy name for an event.
The OH club Believe It Or Not I Care (BIONIC) puts on the TALK event twice a school year in efforts to connect high school students in a meaningful, supportive community that values communication, understanding, and kindness.
Wendy Monn, BIONIC advisor and OH health teacher said, “[[It’s great]] just watching people not be on electronics and communicating, and just having a great time, having fun.”
There’s a solid chance that if you ask an OH staff member what they are planning to dress up as for Halloween this year, they might tell you that they don’t have any plans to wear a costume at all.
While some teachers may be hesitant about dressing up for the holiday, others are more than willing to participate in the Halloween spirit.
“I think as you get older, or if you teach older students, sometimes it gets… or it seems a little odd,” said OH LRC Director Drew Mundsinger. “If I’m teaching second graders, I could care less about being in my pajamas… that’s why the staff is kind of leery about dressing up at school.”
In the quiet corners of OH, the National Art Honor Society (NAHS) is doing more than just making art: they are turning their passion into a way to give back and build a stronger community.
According to OH senior and NAHS President Leona Bateman, "[[NAHS]] is basically just a group of dedicated art students that want to give back to the art community through community service and just creating opportunities and an outlet to create."
Sponsored by the National Art Education Association, NAHS is driven by student vision and leadership, and the club thrives on individual creativity turned to a community connection.
An upcoming art show for which NAHS is getting ready is the Chicagoland 4x5 Art Exhibition on Nov. 4.
When a case like the Cornell 7 captures the spotlight, the question isn't just what happened there, it is what can people do to confront the same issues in one's school and community.
The national news story created unrest around the country and locally at OH overnight. Talk of the Cornell 7 case spread throughout social media like wildfire, but why did this story specifically hit home in our halls?
The case sparked new conversations about consent, norms and culture. Female OH students especially reported the case unsettling for a variety of reasons.
“I didn't know that [[the message]] was a group of 57 people. To see numerous people [[sending]] texts like that appalled [[me]]. Honestly, it made me really angry that it's okay []and]] normalized to speak about women like that,” said OH senior Morgan Esbjorn.
Residents from all over Oswego gathered on Saturday to express their artistic creativity, socialize, shop, and eat delicious foods at the Annual Oswego Lantern Festival. Many locals showed up, and even some non-Oswego residents joined in on the fun.
Event organizer and Oswego community relations department member Kelley Bertog said, “We love having community participation, so I think there’s a lot of ways to get involved.”
Bertog also alluded to the fact that the event, centered around an evening lantern parade, serves as a platform to engage the community in local arts because “they thought this would be a really great way to have people create art and then celebrate that art as a part of a larger event.”