Student Culture in the Time of Covid
By Leah Lourenco
Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have begun to look different on a global scale. Today, we see the obvious differences with the presence of masks, dividers, and white tape keeping us six feet apart, but there are subtle changes as well. Many changes affect student culture in our school. Some students struggle with feelings of isolation and it is no wonder why. Our social lives have rapidly changed to something we have never before experienced in our lifetimes. Here is what a day looks like at CHS.
Physical distancing starts right away in the morning; students stay six feet apart, utilizing both the Commons and the Gym as seating space. Many upperclassmen with driver’s licenses avoid this situation altogether, and instead arrive at school later and enter the building right as the final bell rings. This small practice separates students and changes the morning routine at CHS dramatically. In the effort to prevent the untraced spread of COVID, students are not allowed to linger in the halls to chat. Students are also separated at lunch, with only enough safe space for four people at each table in the cafeteria. Lunch, served in styrofoam containers, is also eaten in the gymnasium.
Clubs and sporting events can no longer bring students together. Many clubs have met less often and had to make precautions against COVID-19. This has led to typical social club events to either be cancelled or replaced with safer options. For example, the Student Council has held drive-in meetings in the parking lot and FFA has held virtual meetings. Spanish Club has scheduled no events; instead opting for a “siesta” for this school year. As for sporting events, the general population of students is not allowed to attend. It is yet to be determined if that will affect our school culture in the future.
Some athletic events were open to students. The Girls Softball tournament was open to students, and the first district football game of the season, held on October 30, was open as well. At the football game, students were required to socially distance themselves by staying in a fenced area at the north end of the field. This minor change is a perfect example of how our community and school has adjusted and will overcome the challenges set before us by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Many of these policies that are now difficult will inevitably contribute to a more permanent and positive change to CHS. The policies will become more streamlined and user-friendly as they are better adapted to the needs of CHS. As faculty and students grow increasingly comfortable with these policies, they will be better at tending to problems due to reasons unrelated to COVID-19. Perhaps when the pandemic is no longer a threat, our school will be better equipped to deal with more regular issues, such as flu season.
Halloween in the Rear View
By Emma Rule
For many, Halloween is an important holiday of fun and relaxation, but it looked different this year. With COVID-19 concerns, this year’s holiday will certainly be easily distinguishable from the past. Many Halloween traditions and activities remained however.
One long-time tradition in Chillicothe, BooFest, was put on this year by Main Street Chillicothe, Visit Chillicothe, and the Chillicothe Chamber of Commerce. High School students will remember the BooFests of the past filled with walking around the downtown square. This year, Pam Jarding, the executive director of Main Street Chillicothe, spoke on the changes to the 21st annual and now drive-through BooFest, “I reached out to First Baptist Church and they were gracious enough to allow us to hold the drive-through in their parking lot on Halloween, October 31st from 3 - 5 p.m.” With the help of Police Chief Maples, they created a GPS map of the lot to create a driving route. Ten students from Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Visit Chillicothe, the Chamber, and Main Street helped fill the candy bags purchased with donations from local businesses. The drive-through BooFest was considered a success by many.
Teenagers still found ways to have fun this Halloween at school. Students at the high school and middle school were encouraged to dress up in their Halloween costumes on Friday, the 30th of October. The same Friday, the Marching Hornet band students dressed up for the band’s halftime performance for the football game against Benton.
BooFest, one-way trick-or-treating, and dressing in costumes were not the only things left to do in the spooky season. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) considered safely visiting pumpkin patches and carving pumpkins with family and friends to be a safe practice. Not only that but also Halloween-themed scavenger hunts, socially-distanced and safe parties, scary movie watching, and costume contests were still on the schedule this year. The CDC hopes for a happy and healthy Halloween and the upcoming holiday season. Other specific recommendations can be found at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html#halloween
Stressed?
By Aundraya Shady
Ask high school students how they are feeling and they are likely to reply, “Stressed.” If you are one of those students, take a breath and read on. In a recent interview with CHS counselors Buffy Tipton and Ellen Tsikoyak I chatted about being successful with juggling extra-curricular activities, school, and work and coping with the circumstances of stress.
Recognizing stress in ourselves is the first step to accepting and standing on one's own two feet. Mrs. Ellen Tsikoyak said that common signs of stress are irregular sleep patterns and eating patterns, frustration with loved ones, and being extra sensitive. “All symptoms are different for everyone. If people do not recognize the early signs of stress it can lead to more negative exercises to try and cope.”
New things that take place in life can affect a person's stress levels, said Mrs.Tipton. “Moving houses or schools, divorce, or even sports.” These things can tilt your stress levels into more severe things like depression. A healthy way to cope is to accept that stress is a part of life and that it is something to adapt to.
On some students, stress can push them into pushing themselves too hard. They can pile too much into their schedules and simply make it worse for themselves. Other students may try to relieve themselves of stress and do nothing in their schedules or just refuse to participate in the tasks planned for themselves. Either perspective is serious.
Both counselors suggest breaking down tasks. If students find themselves to be an over-packed stresser with many things to do and not enough time to do them, try breaking the tasks down. Look at the day and split your errands or jobs up into smaller pieces. For example, writing an essay can be broken down into an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. Attempting to work through your day in this manner may decrease your overwhelmed feelings. Take it day by day and relax after all of the tasks are done.
It is okay to stress over some things like not losing a job, not losing family members, or not failing a class. There are good and bad things to stress about. Some resources to reduce stress are apps used for meditation and mindfulness. Mrs. Tsikoyak even suggested one of our favorites, “Tik-Tok has videos for self-time as well. Taking deep breaths every now and then during the day can make such a difference. Using a planner to break down the day and make things simpler is also good.” If a person is interested in the arts, then he or she can listen to music that is soothing or enjoyable, take up painting, or learn to play an instrument. People can play a sport that they used to love. Just doing something every day or week that will distract your mind from stress and give a sense of accomplishment and relief will impact day-to-day tasks.
Everyone needs a little time off sometimes and it is okay to feel stressed and overwhelmed at times, but it is not how one should be living their life. Life is filled with tough choices and obstacles that some may think are out of their control; however, it is in your control to look at the day with a better perspective. Enjoy the day and give yourself a break.
Fall Sports Wrap-Up
By Claire Ripley
High school sports are looking different all around the country right now, but the Chillicothe Hornets are staying on top and competing at their finest. All fall sports have thrived despite the many COVID-19 protocols such as limited audiences.
The Boys Soccer team had a momentous game on October 1. The team took on St. Paul Lutheran and won against them for the first time in school history. The score was 3-1 with goals from Gabe Hansen, Chace Corbin and Drake Cosgrove. Mr. Tim Cunningham, the boys head coach, said that he felt like the boys played at a high level for the whole 80 minutes of the game. He said the boys were focused, had confidence, and put in effort throughout. He highlighted the defensive line as being solid all night. Mason Baxter, a senior reflects on the game saying, “Oh it was amazing. It always feels great to do something as a team that has never been done in school history before.” That night was a great night for all players and coaches on the team, as doing something like this has an unmatchable feeling.
The Girls Softball team had an amazing season this year--winning their MEC and taking on districts. They won the MEC with a 7-0 record, but the team fell short with a score of 4-5 in the district championship against the Savannah Savages. Lee Rucker, the head coach of the softball team, explained the team has focused a lot on being good hitters and running a good offense, which paid off as the team had 185 runs this year. Although the season didn’t end as they had hoped, the girls played wholeheartedly and nothing that can take away the fact that they had a fantastic season.
The Girls Tennis team had a more competitive conference this year in individuals and in team sectionals. They ended their record as 7-5 and as district team champions. Delaney May finished second in districts, which qualified her to sectionals as well as Cami Carpenter and Leah Lorenceo. Karen Jackson, the new tennis coach, said that she sees a definite potential for upcoming players to replace the seniors for next season and can’t wait to get back on the courts this summer to work with the girls.
Girls Volleyball was lucky enough to compete at two away games that weren’t too far away from home, and had no audience restrictions.. Trenton and Hamilton both allowed an unlimited number of fans into the game, so CHS had a student section for both of those games. Robert Long, the new volleyball coach, explained that volleyball is a game of momentum and it definitely helps bring up the energy when there is a crowd full of fans rooting for you. At Hamilton, the Hornets won with a combined score of 75-8.
As usual senior Hallie Jones has had an outstanding golf season. She was first in both MEC conference and District tournaments and got 19th place at state. Hallie said, “It’s been a fun experience to go to state all four years and be the fifth person to go state golf all four years.” New coach Darren Smith said the golf team worked very hard this season and did everything he asked. This specific team had a few girls new to golf, so practices started out pretty easy with the basic skills and fundamentals. They spent a lot of time learning about the rules and etiquette, and didn’t start to play holes until the end of the second week of practice. Smith says he's looking forward to seeing who will step up and lead the team now that Hallie will be graduating.
The Cross Country team looked good this season, too. At this weekend’s district race, the girls team and Hayden Simmer, senior, ran well and will advance to state competition. The girls team advancing consists of Aliyah Briner, Kadence Shipers, Juliann Gabrielson, Kaylynn Cranmer, and Emily Shipers.
The Hornets football team has progressed since the start of the season. Blake Linebaugh, the new assistant coach, believes that the team has improved consistently over the course of the season. The team's attention to detail, drive to improve, and skill to perfect the small details of technique and execution have improved the most. Those small changes have led to overall improvement on the field. The continual improvement is also a testimony to the hard work the guys are putting forward day in and day out. Coaches say, despite some of the losses, they are resilient and optimistic guys that love the game of football and look to get better each week no matter what the result was the previous week.The football team has won against KC East and St. Joseph Benton, and will advance to a district semi-final game this weekend.
As some fall sports are still advancing, the Chillicothe Hornets are ready for the winter sports season. Even though athletes are not quite sure how the winter season will look compared to the fall sports season, they will be putting in their best efforts and starting practices Monday, November 2.
Student Feature: Gabe Peterson
By Dimitri Dickerson
In this week’s Student Feature we feature Gabe Peterson, a sophomore at Chillicothe High School, and owner of a clothing brand known as Prism. The designs featured on his items are simple geometric designs, most of which do not feature the brand logo.
Peterson’s original motivation to start the business came from a desire for affordable clothes that he liked, but he realized that other people might also be interested in purchasing similar items. He started this business with minimal outside help. Aside from his mom lending him a paypal account (as he is not yet 18), the entire business was constructed and is run by him.
All of the designs were drawn by Peterson himself on a drawing tablet. He has been drawing for about three years, but this is his first foray into graphic design. His original drawing consisted of characters and landscapes, but he transitioned into geometric designs for his clothes.
The biggest hindrance to his business so far has been the timeline. It can take a month to complete a design to the desired level of quality. His last design was released two months ago and he has not released one since. When an idea strikes him he will often sketch it down on paper to keep it fresh in mind and draw it more officially when he gets home. While Peterson’s business has encountered modest success, he is pleased with his results: “You can’t really expect your first business venture to be very successful; I was just going to be happy if it even did well at all. . . “
Peterson uses a company called Bonfire to sell his shirts. They produce the shirts and set a base price for it that they will receive. The clothing designer can then mark up the price as they see fit. Peterson’s shirts are priced at $20.00. Peterson’s designs can be found at https://www.bonfire.com/store/prism Peterson’s most recent design is the Tricolor Prism Glitch and his Instagram can be found at @prismclothingcompany.
