- Carson Reagan and Nina Daye won for America Monday.
- Melinda Pickard, Becca Shinnick, Josie Smith, Laura Holmes, and Pam Saunders won for Twin Tuesday.
- Devon Chamberlain and Alia Granger won for Country Club vs. Country Day.
- Andrew Sperling and Justin Webb won for Athlete vs. Mathlete Day.
- Megan Joyner won the Most Spirited Student Award.
- Andrew Sperling won the Best Overall Costume Award.
Winners can pick up their prizes from John Stevens' room, Room 126.
Senior Isaac Nance enjoys the homecoming Tailgate , standing next to the Hedgehog Team'd Robot. Photo Credit: Brooke Smith[/caption]The robotics club has made a robot that could climb up to nine feet. The club has a goal to get the robot to climb to the top of a pyramid to show off its full potential. There are about 40 members in the club which is led by Nina Daye, who is a physics, forensics, and environmental science teacher. Members do jobs from animation to programming.
The animation team is headed by Paige Wilcox, a senior. Last year the team made an animated hedgehog. Another team is the drive team that learns how to drive robots when they are not in an autonomous mode. The third team is the building team, which actually builds the robot once the design team has figured out how the robot will achieve the task it is supposed to carry out. Their business and finance teams manage the budget so that members can decide what supplies they can afford. The programming team programs the specific actions of the robot. “Without all our different teams...plus the mentors, we wouldn't be the fabulous team we are today,” said Riley.
This year they've added a spirit team. There has been a spirit team before, but “[we] just never had a name for it,” according to team member Alia Riley, a junior. Riley said that the spirit team ensures that team members have “pep in their step.”
Spirit Color day was Thursday, October 3, in which each class had been given a color that they were supposed to represent. Freshman had white, sophomores had grey, juniors had orange, and seniors had black. The girl winner was Kirsten Owens, a senior, and the boy winner was Jordan Toney, also a senior. They were given prizes on Monday, October 7 during second period.
Spirit Week 2013
Spirit Week will be
Monday: Merica Monday (Red, White, and Blue)
Tuesday: Character Day (favorite historical/ fictional character)
Wednesday: Sports Day (clothes of your favorite team)
Thursday: OHS School Colors (Freshman: White, Sophomore: Gray, Juniors: Orange, and Seniors: Black)
Friday: Pink and Camo Day (AG Day)
Senior and varsity captain, Cailee Pulido, has also been doing cheer since middle school, and also has a cheer and gymnastics background. She was influenced by her friends and has “fallen in love” with the sport. She said, “As captain, I want my team to keep up spirit for the crowd, smile, be loud, and hit what they've practiced.” When asked why cheer is important to her she said, “Cheer is important to me because it’s an opportunity for the team to show our school spirit and it’s time for us as girls to come together.”
McKenzie Almers, a senior and varsity captain, stated she has also done cheer her whole life. “I started doing dance when I was two years old, and then I had friends who did competitive cheer in middle school, so I tried it out,” she said. This year, she wants her team to “cheer competitively.” “We have a great coach and all the girls have the potential.” As for cheering in college, “It depends on where I go, but I definitely want to do it.”
Varsity captain, Carey Goodwin, wants the team “to be the best that they can be.” She has done cheer all of her life and loves the sport. Goodwin plans on doing cheer in college. When people hear her name, “I want people to think of a kind and caring person.”
Sophomore and junior varsity captain, Cassie Turner, has done cheer since middle school. “Once you've found something that you love, it’s hard to stop.” As captain, “I want to make the team great, and help the girls be the best that they can.” When people think of her as JV captain, she wants them to think of a “understanding person and a leader.”
Junior varsity captain Robyn Woodall, a sophomore, wants her team “to accomplish bigger and do harder stunts.” A cheerleader since the eighth grade, she decided to do it because people told her that she smiled a lot and that her positivity would be great on the team. She continues to do cheer because “it keeps me at a medium. I’m not cocky, too happy, or too sad. I’m in the middle.”
Junior varsity cheerleader captain and freshman Josie Smith, said she wants the team to “work together and be a family.” When asked why she decided to do cheer, she stated, “It’s fun, I love it and I’m very passionate about it.” Smith also cheers competitively outside of school.
The student parking lot was filled with cars and people including small children, students, parents, grandparents, and alumni. The smell of food filled the air as grills were being fired and tables of food were set up. Cars pulled up with music blasting and people scattered around the trunks enjoying refreshments and food, fueling for the game ahead. People gathered in groups to socialize and others wandered the parking lot looking at the festivities.
Brooklyn Hux, freshman, said her favorite part of the tailgate was “hanging out with my friends.” There were games and activities including football and corn hole. People were dressed to show their Panther pride with black and orange shirts, orange hair, and even face paint. Students painted their stomachs and cheerleaders got ready for the game.
There were club booths and tables set up selling merchandise. The FCCLA club was selling meat sticks for one dollar in order to fundraise for their club and a trip to the National Cluster Meeting, an organization to aid leadership in schools. Another table was selling OHS apparel. The OHS yearbook booth was giving out surveys for OHS alumni to fill out for their 50th edition yearbook.
Portable grills littered the parking lot and smoke funneled into the sky. Snacks and food were everywhere. There was a table frying fish and making french fries. When asked about the tailgate, sophomore Michaela Shriner said, “I like to smell the food.”
As the game drew near, homecoming court nominees appeared in their dresses and lines grew as tickets began to sell. People piled into the stadium as the tailgate came to an end.