OH hallways and classrooms are filled with squishy ice creams, donuts, gumdrops, and plenty more.
Needohs are making a bigger and better return since their first wave of popularity in the mid 2010s, bringing stress relief and a little fun back into students' daily lives.
Needohs, which are made in many different shapes and designs, are often collected for their unique shapes. OH junior Payton Forbes said, “My favorite Needoh is the ice cream [[one]] or the cool cat.”
Recently, OH Junior, Sora Williams, performed for the Illinois High School Theatre Festival production of Newsies as the character Medda Larkson. Being in this production is really important for Williams because of the fact that she wants to base her career to music in general. Whether it’s Broadway or Opera. This production being statewide is a great way for Williams to focus on her path in life. “I want to go into music, like, as a whole career," Williams said. “And because this is statewide, I get to meet so many other people and connect and everything.”
Newsies is a musical based on the 1992 Disney film and the real-life 1899 Newsboys Strike in New York. The character that Williams auditioned for, Medda Larkson/Larkin, is a character who keeps the newsboys safe and is a mentor to the newsboys.
The audition process happened over the summer of 2025, while rehearsals started in July of 2025. The festival/performances happened from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10. The production includes not only actors but also students who are interested in tech and directing. Students from various high schools in Illinois get involved in this production. “I get to meet so many other people and, like, connect and everything,” Williams said.
From just watching nail TikToks, OH senior Nina Segarra was inspired to do her own Gel-X nails, which sprouted a new business that quickly gained popularity among her friends and family.
“I started because it’s so expensive to go to a salon," Segarra explained, "and I hated acrylic nails. So I wanted to try something else, like Gel-X, because it has been trending on TikTok.”
Segarra started doing her own nails in early 2025, shortly after she started practicing on her friends for free. As she gained more experience and confidence in her work, she decided to make a business of it and created her Instagram account @nails_n1na.
Forget about setting the stage: Standing O is building it.
Though the musical doesn’t open until mid-April, preparations are well underway for the cast and crew of OH’s theater program. This year’s musical, “Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812,” is based on the first 70 pages of Leo Tolstoy’s “War and Peace.”
OH junior and president of Standing O Hayden Esbjorn will be playing the principal role of Natasha.
“It follows a couple of different plot lines, but most primarily it follows Natasha's plot of her… fiance being off to war," Esbjorn said.
OH senior Dyani Torres's childhood dream finally came true. On June 27, on a stage at Aurora University, Torres was crowned Miss Puerto Rico of Aurora, and she proudly embraces her new role as an influential figure for young Puerto Rican women.
“[[Being Puerto Rican]] is a part of my culture and who I am, so I decided to step out of my comfort zone [[by entering the contest]] and give it a try,” she said.
Torres had always gone to the Puerto Rico parades in downtown Aurora since she was a young girl.
When Torres won, she had many mixed feelings. “Once they announced my name, that's when I felt overwhelmed with emotions. I felt excited, happy, and then just hearing all my family in the crowd was definitely an unreal feeling.”