Ottawa High School • 1120 S. Ash St. • Ottawa, KS 66067 • 785.229.8020 October 2011

the student newspaper of ottawa high school

XXXThree Strikes and You’re Out!

School’s new substance abuse policy on

“If my mom paid for everything,I wouldn’t have a job.”

Working Hard, or Hardly Working?High school employment takesits toll on students

“Love” watching tennis but not sure how to play?

Learn the ins and outs on

p. 6

Halloweentraditions around the worldp. 8

Cailin Tatum, senior

Bored?

Discover Ottawa’s possibilities...

p. 7

p. 3

the ohs review | OPINION2The newspaper’s primary obligation is to

inform its readers about events in the school and community and of issues of national or international importance which directly or in-directly affect the school population.

The newspaper, while serving as a train-ing ground for future journalists as part of the school curriculum, recognizes all rights and re-sponsibilities under the First Amendment.

Operating as a public forum, student edi-tors will apply professional standards and eth-ics for decision making as they take on the responsibility for content and production of the newspaper.

While the student staff encourages con-structive criticism of any part of the newspa-per, authority for content rests in the hands of the student members of the newspaper staff. Students will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, or libel, ob-scenity, material disruption of the educational process, copyright infringement, or unwar-ranted invasion of privacy.

Additional and more specific guidelines can be found at www.usd290.org/ohsnews/index.html.

Print EditorJaime Birzer

Online EditorDanon Taylor

Reporters Kati BunceMorgan FredricksAshley HaagAnthony HendricksCydney LewisDana PetersonMyKenna Sharp-HadlCallie SheaKaitlin Schulz

Photographers Michael DeLosSantosStevie HartSamantha HepplerMickey JensenAlyssa PhillipsKiersten RobertsTurner RothEmily SandsLizy SeimearsRebakah Wade

Adviser Michelle Wilmes

By Morgan Fredricks|reporter

This year at Ottawa High School, there is a new substance policy. The students participating in school activities need to be in good stand-ing like previous years, but now, the students may have three offenses be-fore they are kicked off all sports and activities for a year to date.

The penalties received accumu-late throughout the school year. The first offense is a 20 percent suspension from the full season, counseling at the stu-dent’s own expense and an evaluation. In regards to the second offense, there is a 50 percent suspension from the season along with the repercussions from the previous offense. The third offense is a suspension of 365 days from all sports and all activi-ties along with the previously mentioned

repercussions.This new substance policy is a lot

more lenient than the policy that was in place before it. I think that this is not only harmful to the sports teams, but harm-

ful to the students as well. I do not think that the first offense is that much of a repri-mand for a student. Is a suspension for a few weeks enough to keep a student from sub-stance abuse again?

I thought that high school is supposed to

be a stepping stone in life—a preparation period for college, readying students for the real world. How is allowing students to be caught with drugs or alcohol and still allowing them to participate in sports later on in the season any kind of prepa-ration? In college, if a student is caught abusing a substance while playing for a team or involved in student activities, they are not going to get three warnings.

No, they will not even receive one warn-ing. They are going to be seriously repri-manded or thrown off the team. In col-lege, coaches do not have time for that.

Drugs and alcohol can harm the play-ers not only on the court or field but also in life. People die because of substance abuse and drunk driving. Drugs affect the heart, which can lead to serious injuries or the death of a player, or anyone for that matter.

In the policy it states, “The expecta-tions for our students is to be lawful in the conduct of their daily lives.” Is doing drugs or drinking alcohol while under-age lawful? No it’s not. So really, students who participate on school sports teams or school-sponsored activities are not held to as high a standard as they should be. In no aspect is this right; students rep-resenting our school should be held to a high standard. Currently, they are not.

This needs to be changed so that the lives of high school students can be made better in the long run.

New Lenient Substance Policy Needs Revision

-Andre Lewis, freshman

“ “ I don’t like to dress down when I am in public. I like to look good in front of people. I don’t like it when people dress as if they don’t care about how they look to others. I believe all people should dress as if they were dressing for a good first im-pression.

“ “-Sydney Normile, junior

I dress comfortable, that’s the main part of my style. I work at Capelli’s and you have to look nice at work, so it is easier to come to school looking nice and go straight there rather than having to go home and change. You should dress in what makes you feel confident and comfortable.

XXX

“No matter how many goals you have achieved, you must set your sights on a higher one.” - Jessica Savitch

THE TOP TENBy Danon Taylor| online editor

Despicable Me“It was a cute movie; I loved the little minions and I think Margret was hi-larious because she scared one of my good friends.”

-Erika Greiner, sophomore MUS

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MOv

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BOOK

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Adele “I love Adele! Her song ‘Someone Like You’ has been stuck in my mind for days!”

-Meagan Powell, sophomore

Copper Sun by Sharon Draper “For the most part I liked the book. It was about the slave trade from Africa to America. In the book it described the difficulties the slaves faced.”

-Connor Stepp, freshman

Dana

’s Mon

thly

Tip

By Kati Bunce|reporter

The school board made a new rule that you can get caught with drugs and alcohol up to three times before being permanently kicked off a sports team or club.

Some people think this rule is just absolutely absurd; however, I am for the school board’s decision. Before you start judging this new rule, maybe you should find out a little bit more about it.

Here at OHS, it is believed that school activities are a positive influence for all students. But after all, this is high school, and people get themselves into situations that are not easy to get out of. Now, it’s not like you won’t get in trouble for possession of drugs and/or alcohol, because you will. In fact, you will be in a lot of trouble, and that's not something you need in your life—you’re already balancing school and sports, and who knows what else.

I personally think this is a great rule. If kids are going to be involved with

drugs, they just are. At least sports will keep them motivated to go to school and get good grades so they can play in the games. If that rule weren’t there, chances are, they would get kicked off the team and suspended from school. To me that's idiotic, because that just gives them more of an opportunity to do drugs and consume alcohol.

I think the school board finally un-derstood that if we get suspended from school because of drugs and/or alcohol, we are not just going to stop. Students will most likely continue using them, which will eventually cause them more issues in the long run.

Obviously people are going to make mistakes—it’s a part of life. However, by being someone who represents the school, you are looked up to by a lot of people. They will want to follow in your footsteps, so make those footsteps worth following.

We all know drugs and alcohol are bad for us, so just don't do it. And, don't be a idiot.

NOTE: The following information was taken from the OHS Athletic/Activities Handbook. Because of space lim-itations, some parts of this policy have been edited out. For the full text, please refer to the actual handbook.

The expectation for all of our students is to be lawful in the conduct of their daily lives.

Participation in extra-curricular activities as defined by KSHSAA is a privilege. This privilege is afforded to all students that meet the requirements of academic eligibili-ty, transfer and are determined to be “in good standing”. In the event it is confirmed that a student fails to comply with the guidelines established, the student is determined to be not “in good standing”. A student deemed not “in good standing” due to involvement with controlled substances will forfeit their opportunity to participate in or attend Ot-tawa High School and KSHSAA sponsored activities.

The term “offense” indicates use, possession, disburse-ment, or reasonable suspicion of being under the influence of alcohol, tobacco, inhalants, or any illegal drugs, in or out of school at any time the offender is enrolled as a student at Ottawa High School. ... An offense must be verifiable via student admission, police reports, documents from a court of law, direct observation by school personnel, or other evidence which is found to be reliable. Activities suspen-sions may carry over from one season to the next and/or from one school year to the next.

Any student suspected of an offense shall be notified of the suspected offense. The parent/guardian will also be notified. Penalties will accumulate during any activity sea-son from August through July. First OffenseA. A 20% suspension of one full season of participation in activity competition/performance (in addition to school discipline invoked).B. Professional alcohol, or other drug and/or tobacco eval-

uation/counseling, at student/family expense, is required before reinstatement. Counseling/evaluation deemed ad-equate and appropriate by OHS administration.C. Conference with student, administrator, coach, and par-ents before reinstatement.Second OffenseA. A 50% suspension of one full season participation in activity competition/performance (in addition to school discipline invoked).B. Professional alcohol, or other drug and/or tobacco eval-uation/counseling, at student/family expense, is required before reinstatement. Counseling/evaluation deemed ad-equate and appropriate by OHS administration.C. Conference with student, administrator, coach, and par-ents before reinstatement.Third OffenseA. The student is no longer eligible to participate in any Ot-tawa High School activity for a minimum of 365 consecu-tive days (in addition to school discipline invoked).B. Professional alcohol, or other drug and/or tobacco eval-uation/counseling, at student/family expense, is required before reinstatement. Counseling/evaluation deemed ad-equate and appropriate by OHS administration.C. Conference with student, administrator, coach, and par-ents before reinstatement.Additional Information

Holiday Break, Spring Break, KSHSAA Buffer Week or KSHSAA Holiday Non-Practice Days will NOT count toward days of suspension. The length of all suspensions will be rounded up. If the violation occurs during the student’s off season, the consequences will be imposed at the be-ginning of the student’s next season of participation. In the event the violation occurs near the end of a student’s participation season, consequences will carry over to the student’s next season of competition.

Policy Helps Correct Mistakes

“Worst” Senior Pranks1. Destroying the school in any way—so not cool.

2. Distributing alarm clocks around the school with different times to go off.3. Placing parts of a stolen, dissected pig in random people’s lockers.

4. Letting tens of thousands of crickets loose in the school…and leaving the box with your name and mailing address at the scene of the crime.

5. Filling the school with a variety of barn animals . . . (Cows can go up stairs, but they cannot go down).

6. Shooting freshmen with water guns filled with urine.7. Letting snakes loose in the school.

8. Filling the halls with a stench, from fart spray and stink bombs.9. Dressing tampons and pads in ketchup and decorating the halls with them.

10. Cutting trees down.

OPINION | the ohs review 3By Dana Peterson|reporter

There is a plethora of things that I could talk about in this issue’s tip: the nerve that some un-derclassmen have, lack of respect, ignorance and unhelpfulness not only with their peers but also in the staff, or even the absence of school pride and participation. I could write about how I see freshmen smoking cigarettes, freshmen who are 14 and 15, how I have seen multiple couples trying to procreate in public hallways, or bullying at its finest…But no, today I will talk about something worse, something unfathomable.

I want you to picture this with me—you are walking through the halls of our beautiful high school, what do you see? Aside from what I have listed above, what catches your eye? I’ll tell you—

a bunch of little kids running around screaming non-sensical trash, for lack of better words. Blabber, blabber is all I hear. I hear girls screaming, “OMG did you hear what he did? Psh, imma smack that fool!” or “Did you see that girl’s hair? Mmm she needs to look in a mirror!” I’ve even witnessed a young girl screaming about an apple.

Why? Why do you feel the need to draw attention to yourself in such a grotesque manner? It will not cause the people looking at your tasteless display to like you or appreciate the person you are. In reality, you create a bad name for yourself and lose respect from both peers and teachers. But then again, everyone running around screaming and hollering probably don’t care about their self-image or character. So, I will put it nicely.

Shut up. Shut your mouth; if you see a person close to you or feel yourself starting to open your mouth, stop. This is-sue’s tip: lock it up children or go back to the playground.

The first, known contraceptive was crocadile dung, used by Egyptians in 2000 B.C.

the ohs review | FEATURE4

By Danon Taylor|online editor

Some may think they have received the blessing of all bless-ings, while others are still waiting to receive theirs. The fortunate were born blessed, and the rest think they have been hexed with a curse: fully consumed weekends, an array of hours, moody co-workers, critical managers and minimum wage. Yes people, we

are talking about student employment. All sorts—the good, the bad and the ever-so-ugly. The way in which students are employed at Ottawa High School differs from student to student. The “Work-a-holic,” is a rare species of student, but it does indeed exist. This is the one with two or more jobs. Many students have a part-time job working around 10 to 20 hours per week. However, some of those “part-time” jobs require full-time hours, 30 to 40

per week. But every once in a while, a student comes along who is fortunate enough, depending on who you ask, to not need a job. They are 100 percent supported by their parents or guard-ians and are able to focus fully on their academics. Finally, there are the rest of the students, who are saddened by the fact that they cannot find a job here, there or anywhere! No need to worry though, The Review is here to break it all down for you.

FEATURE | the ohs review 5Working Hard?

Or, Hardly Working?

Two Jobs & No TimeBy Anthony Hendricks|reporter

Working one job can be hard enough, but having two, or even three, can take up a lot of time.

“I used to work at Travel Lodge on the weekends and babysat after school,” Katlyne Schulz, junior said.

Schulz no longer has two jobs, simply because the kids she babysat for no longer need a sitter.

When people have multiple jobs, their schedule can be a bit hectic. How do they work all these hours in one day?

“When I didn’t have much to do at Travel Lodge, or when the kids I sat went to sleep, I would do homework to pass the time,” Schulz said.

Not only do some students have more than one job, but some teachers are employed in multiple situations as well.

“On weekdays I work at OHS from 7:30 a.m. to 3:45 p.m., except on Mon-days, when I stay and teach reading content to OU students from 7 p.m. to 9

p.m.,” Angie Flax, English teacher, said. “On the week-ends, I work for Homestead Apartments in Olathe as a part-time leasing agent.”

Depending on the job, the time and money, most people look for a way to wind down from their busy lives, even when they don’t seem to have any spare time.

“I believe it is easier to work these jobs, because I don’t have a husband or chil-dren of my own,” Flax said. “Working at Homestead Apartments can feel like free-time for me, because I have many friends that live there.”

So if you are looking for money and you have plenty of free-time, then get off the couch. G=o out and get a job—maybe even two! Unemployed

and Lovin’ It

By Ashley Haag|reporter

Students choose not to have a job for a variety of rea-sons, one of which being that they are too busy to be em-ployed, regardless of the hours.

“It’s stressful to do sports and go to school and have a job,” Michelle Blitch, senior, said.

Another reason is that often, the students’ parents pro-vide everything. If the student’s parents are able to make

everything available to meet the student’s needs and de-sires, is there really a point in them having a job?

Then again, it may be that the student is too lazy to have a job. People who fall into this category most likely don’t care about having money and are more than likely lazy in other aspects of their life as well.

Many may wonder, how are those students who choose to be unemployed able to buy things, such as the latest video game or pair of shoes?

“I don’t. I go without it,” Blitch said.Unless you fall into the category of being too busy for

a job, like Blitch, you likely have more free time to do the things you enjoy, like hanging out with your friends and family.

Another benefit of being unemployed is having more time to work on homework and focus on your academics.

Being unemployed is a lot like how people perceive beauty: it’s all in the eyes of the beholder.

Miss IndependentBy MyKenna Sharp-Hadl|reporter

Teenagers all over have many different jobs whether they like them or not. Cailin Tatum, senior, has a job—not because she wants to but because she has to. Tatum has been working at the North Dairy Queen since the beginning of last year.

“I have to pay for everything,” Tatum said.

Tatum said she pays for her car insurance,

food, clothes and everything else. “If my mom paid for everything, I wouldn’t

have a job, and I would probably be a stuck-up, stupid witch,” Tatum said.

Having a mother who does not buy her a lot forces Tatum to be independent financial-ly. For the most part, Tatum thinks her job is really easy and fun because she gets to work with all of her friends. But according to her, that’s not how it has always been.

“I got fired from DQ for being rude and

disrespectful, so I got a job at Sonic—which I hated; I worked there for three days,” Tatum said. “I quit and went back to Dairy Queen and begged for my job back. Thankfully, they gave it back to me.”

This taught Tatum to appreciate what she had and not to take anything for granted, because most of the time it’s better than what you would have other-wise.

“One day at [McDonald’s] the pitcher cleaner went off and all four of the cross country

teams were there in the lobby, and I just sat there and watched it pour all over. Everyone was laughing and some costumers were mad because

water had gotten all over their food.”-Michelle Keifer, senior

“One time when I was working in Wellsville, one of my fellow workers put his car in reverse

instead of drive and he ran into a stump.” -Brandon Tiede, freshman

“...I don’t have time. My focus is not on a job, more like staying out of jail and

homework that I don’t do.” -Scott Deardorff, junior

“...No one wants to hire me because I am too young and there are more qualified people. I want a job, though, so I can pay for my gas and going to the city to hang out

with my friends.” -Aaron Buehne, sophomore

Favorite On The Job Memory

I Don’t Have A Job Because. . .“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” - John D. Rockefeller

the ohs review | SPORTS6

Prepare:“how to get your power

for your turn”

Step: “getting your

balance”

Sports ScoresVarsity Football vs. Spring Hill, 9/30/11: 42-20, Loss

Varsity Boys Soccer vs. Paola, 10/4/11: 1-0, Win

Varsity Volleyball vs. Paola, 10/4/11: 2-3 (match), Loss

Varsity Girls Cross Country Baldwin Inv., 10/1/11: 7th of 7

Varsity Boys Cross Country Baldwin Inv., 10/1/11: 7th of 10

Pirouette Step-by-StepBy MyKenna Sharp-Hadl|reporter

Turn:“the pretty

part!”

Land:“if you stick the landing it looks a lot

better”

Ottawa Chamber of Commerce

109 E. Second Street, P.O. Box 580Ottawa, Kansas 66067

785-242-1000 • Fax 785-242-4792

E-mail chamberw@ottawakansas.org

www.ottawakansas.org

“Where quality of life matters.”

Salon BreaRhonda Mageeowner/stylist

314 1/2 S. MainOttawa, KS 66067

785.242.8838

By Cydney Lewis|reporter

Tennis can be a difficult game to un-derstand, but if broken down into the most basic rules, it may become slightly easier for one to understand. The under-standing of and participation in may not come easy, but for many, the effort is well worth it.

A game of tennis that is played be-tween one person and their opponent is called a “singles match.” When a game is played with teams of two versus two, also known as 2 v. 2, it is called a “doubles match.” In tennis, games are won to win a set, and sets are won to win a match.

“I like to play doubles because it has more of the team atmosphere to it,” ju-nior Jaclyn Ross said.

The players serve alternately after each game and switch sides after the first and every odd numbered game. Games are further divided into four points of 15, 30, 40 and “game.” When scores are read, the name of the server is read first. When the score is zero to zero, or nil, it is referred to as “Love.”

When the opponents reach a tie at 40-40, the score is read as “Deuce.” The person who wins the next two points in succession wins the game. This is also known as reaching advantage.

“Tying at deuce happens a lot, and I don’t really like it, because you have to score twice after that, and there is a ton of pressure on you to win,” Kaylyn Rum-ford, junior said

In sports like soccer and basket-ball, some penalties are known as fouls. How-ever, in ten-nis they are referred to as faults. Faults can be caused by the ball hitting the net, the ball failing to leave the server’s side of the court or the ball falling out-side the limits of the court.

Matches are divided into sets and games. To win in women’s tennis you need to win two sets out of three, but in men’s titles, you need to win three sets out of five. Each set is divided into indi-vidual games.

To win a set, a person must win a total of six games with a difference of two. For example, 6-4 or 6-3 are winning scores. If the opponents tie at six games, it goes into a tie break, which continues the game until one person passes six points with a difference of two—basically just a con-tinuous rematch until a player wins the set. For example 40-Love.

Tennis For Beginners“Champions keep playing until they get it right.” - Billie Jean King

Kaylyn Rumford, junior, prepares to hit the ball during the DeSoto Invitational

on Sept. 24. photo by lizy siemears

demonstrated by Riley McAdoo, junior

ENTERTAINMENT | the ohs review 7By Jaime Birzer|print editor

High school can be rough, and to take a break from their hectic schedules, teens often search for ways to unwind after a long day. Along with many students at OHS, sophomore Zach Hanson found his escape in a musical instrument.

Hanson became interested in the gui-tar after friends introduced him to Guitar Hero in seventh grade.

“[The game] didn’t suit me enough, so I got a real one, and I’ve been playing since,” Hanson said.

Hanson is just one of many teens whose little-known passion lies within

the notes of a musical instrument. Wes Weick, senior, also loves playing the gui-tar. Weick, who often plays with the band With Forte, began when he was just 10 years old.

“I heard Jimi Hendrix for the first time, and that inspired me,” Weick said.

Though both guitarists admitted that learning the new skill was difficult in the beginning, they agreed it does get easier with practice.

After acquiring the guitar, Hanson buckled down and taught himself how to play, experimenting with different notes and chords until he heard something he liked. So what started out as a challenge

is now a hobby Hanson turns to every day, and the music comes without much thought.

“I come home from the day and just let it out,” Hanson said. “I play whatever my hands are in the mood to play.”

Similarly, after taking lessons and learning the basics, Weick went off on his own and started making his own music, which he describes as old-school alterna-tive.

“I like making my own type of music,” Weick said.

But writing one’s own music can be undoubtedly difficult, so Weick turns to a jazz band named The Bad Plus for inspira-

tion. In addition, Weick comes from a fam-ily made up of musicians.

Hanson, who has also written his own music, insists that song-writing is all about comfort and personal taste. And, like many teens, music is a form of self-expression.

“It’s kind of an escape,” Hanson said. “To kind of express yourself to your-self.”

From tough beginnings, to bands and self-written tunes, playing the guitar is a pastime that lets a person be themselves, sometimes for the enjoyment of others.

“You just play and don’t really think about anything else,” Hanson said.

Playing the Guitar: “Kind of an Escape”

Ottawa’s Boring—No, It’s Not!Mrs. Soph’s Red Velvet Cupcakes

INGREDIENTS:Cupcakes: 1 pkg red velvet cake mix1 pkg(3.9 oz) instant chocolate pudding

Icing:1 pkg(8 oz) cream cheese, softened1/2 cup butter or marga-rine, softened1 lb powdered sugar (about 3/4 cups)1 cup whipped topping, thawed

Anderson Tire

Best Tires, Best Price, Best Service

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Farm Bureau Financial ServicesInsurances •Investments

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America’s Drive In

Home of the half-priced burgers after 5 p.m. on Tuesday nights!

(785) 242-7727

By Danon Taylor|online editor

All across the town, as well as in other towns people have heard of the youth-led organization called YIG—(formally known as Youth In Government). It seems as though some people are still not sure as to what exactly YIG accomplished this past year, especially teachers around the school who received emails asking for their par-ticipation. It is my honor to inform the stu-dents as well as community, that YIG has created and distributed what is known as The Teenager’s Guide to Ottawa, Kan., a pam-phlet that will hopefully extinguish the no-tion that there is nothing to do in Ottawa.

I was a big supporter of this project, which spanned seven months and required long periods of time community youth-mapping, organizing and compromising—

primarily because, I do love Ottawa, but even I had caught myself uttering the very words “Ottawa is boring.” Also, I was not pleased with the fact that this pessimistic mindset had corrupted the minds of nearly every teenager in my community.

This pamphlet provided me with so much insight on what there really was to do in our community. For example, several of my peers and I had no idea that J&W’s Col-lectibles had an arcade inside, nor did we know that the ORC provided activities for high school-aged students. To me, that was particularly handy, because I do not have the time to be involved in school athletics.

The guide is really easy to read and com-prehend. It is categorized into seasons, and has a year-round category as well! There is a wide variety of activities that could spark the interest of an array of students of all

different backgrounds, interests and ages. Can you imagine how helpful this could be to a new student who is not familiar with their new surroundings? What about all of the young, naïve and vulnerable middle schoolers (and some high schoolers) that we want to stay out of trouble?

Not only as the Project Manager, but also as a student who has been the “new kid” and one of those “yet to be corrupted” mid-dle schoolers, and a bored Ottawa teenager, I strongly recommend looking through it and realizing all of the things you, as an Ottawa citizen, are missing out on.

To get your copy of The Teenager’s Guide to Ottawa, Kan. contact senior, Danon Tay-lor at danon.jade@gmail.com or volunteer director, Lisa Rivers at lrivers@eckan.org.

Seriously, pick up a copy!

DIRECTIONS:Cupcakes:Prepare cake batter as Di-rected. Blend dry pudding mix into batter. Spoon into prepared muffin cups and bake as directed. Let cool.

Icing:Beat cream cheese and but-ter with mixer until well blended. Gradually beat in powdered sugar. Whisk in whipped topping. Spoon into re-sealable plastic bag; seal. Cut small corner off bottom of bag and frost cup-cakes with a swirl. Enjoy!

“Adversity cause some men to break; others to break records.” - William Arthur Ward

the ohs review | THE END 8By Callie Shea|reporter

The leaves are turning from bright green to a warm brown; the climate is changing from sweat-inducing heat to a cool, peaceful warm. Yes, the fall season is among us. This also means that Hallow-een is right around the corner.

Many people are celebrating the holiday by breaking out their carved jack-o-lanterns and getting decked out in their finest costume attire. The holiday maintains its highest level of popularity

in Canada and North America. According to holidayinsights.com, every year more than 65 percent of Americans decorate their homes and offices for Halloween. Students throughout OHS plan to honor one of the oldest holidays known.

“My family usually goes trick-or-treating. I will probably go hang out with my friends,” Drake Whalen, sophomore said.

Across the world, there are many different variations of how to celebrate

Halloween. In America and Canada, children dress in costumes and go door- to- door receiving candies and other goodies. Americans also carve pumpkins and are known to host Halloween parties.

But do you know where this tradition started? The custom of trick-or-treating has many origins. The earliest account of trick-or-treating came from Irish peasants going door to door to collect food from neighbors, in preparation for the All Hallow’s Eve town feast.

However, many countries don’t celebrate Halloween at all. Halloween is not celebrated by the French in order to

honor the dead and departed ancestors, because it was regarded as an “American” holiday and was unknown until 1996.

This differs from countries who celebrate Halloween for weeks, like Sweden, whose version of Halloween is called “Alla Helgons Dag” and is celebrated from Oct. 31 to Nov. 6, which entails similar trick-or-treating traditions, jack-o-lanterns, and it’s a shortened workday.

Some students are celebrating their own way.

“I plan on dressing up and going trick-or-treating,” said Shania Lamm, sophomore. “I also like to steal candy

The Tricks and Treats of Halloween

Don’t Forget! Upcoming Dates to Remember...

On Oct. 23 from 1 to 5 p.m., Ottawa University is hosting a Numana packaging event nicknamed SWIPE. The packaged meals are made to feed the starving, being sent to countries like Ethiopia, Sudan, Djibouti, Kenya, Uganda, Somalia and Eritrea.

“I’ve heard that it is a very fun experience and I’m definitely doing it this year,” Jena Richardson, OHS alumna and OU sophomore, said. “It’s a great chance to give back.”

For more information, visit swipeouthunger.com or contact Sandra Marlatte at sandra.marlette@ottawa.edu or 785-242-5200 ext. 5545.

SWIPE HungerOn Nov. 2 at 8 a.m. students,

teachers and other locals will donate blood at Ottawa’s Student Council blood drive. This blood drive will be run through the Community Blood Center of Greater Kansas City. You even get a free T-shirt! For more info log on to www.savealifenow.com or see Beth Black, math teacher, in Room 308.

We Need Your Blood!“Good News!” will be presented on Nov. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.,

and a special matinee will be presented on Nov. 13 at 2 p.m. at Ottawa Municipal Auditorium. “Good News!” is about a college football star named Tom Marlow with a wealthy girlfriend, Patricia Bingham, who soon needs the help of Connie Lane, who is a very studious woman that is completely oblivious to him. Lead roles in this play are Ryan Tipton as Marlowe, Chelsea Jamison as Lane and Kayla Pelsor as Bingham.

“It’s kind of like a 1920s version of ‘High School Musical’,” Lori Underwood, choir teacher and the show’s director, said.

“Good News” About the OHS Musical

Adamson Bros pg.156

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102 S. WALNUTOTTAWA, KS 66067

785-242-9273

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Office Visits by AppointmentMon.-Fri. 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. •

Sat. 8:30 - Noon

1418 S. Main • Suite 5Ottawa, KS 66067

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24 Hour Service2534 S. Elm

Ottawa, KS 66067tel: 1-866-944-4944

Two convenient locations.

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Main Bank: South Bank:5th & Main 15th & Main242.2900 242.7900

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chocolate chip cookies for guests

Lamb-Roberts Funeral HomesServing the Ottawa area since 1892

712 Ninth StreetP.O. Box 64

Baldwin City, KS 66006785-594-3644

325 South Hickory St.• P.O. box 14Ottawa, KS 66067

785-242-3550 • fax 785-242-0228

730 Western Heights Dr.P.O. Box 665-7141

Overbrook,KS 66524 785-665-7141

Phone: 785-242-9222

FAX: 785-242-9269

Store 3822101 PRINCETON RDOTTAWA, KS 66067

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President Kennedy was the fastest random speaker in the world, with upwards of 350 words per minute