During this past month of February, much of the Owasso community was on the edge of their seats, awaiting an ambitious bond that would provide upgrades, additional services and new buildings to the entire school district. Updates such as a new fifth grade center, all day Pre-K and extensions of existing schools  were included in the bond. Unfortunately, this was one of the first school bonds in recent years that failed to pass fully, despite its larger-than-usual voter turnout—and hence provided a dispiriting end to a potentially beautiful and new beginning.

Here at Owasso High School, student achievement is high. Whether it comes to producing top notch athletes or world-impacting intellectuals, OHS has a reputation of high academic performance greatness. Two students, Abram Smith and Jeramiah Watts, are among some of the recently qualified students for the most prestigious academic high school award—the National Merit Scholarship.

Fantasy books are an imaginative escape into another world that provide a truly unique experience for the reader. Alyse Bemis, a sophomore at Owasso High School, has put hard work into writing and publishing her first fantasy book that is sure to do just that.

For seniors, the current OHS classes can start to feel draining and monotonous around this time of year; college, new job propositions and future freedom can overwhelm the seniors’ horizon. Thankfully, teachers notice these tendencies before they sprout the festering, incurable disease of senioritis—and they have some insightful words for any who seem to be struggling for a cure.

This past week, when passing by the PAC doors, it’s impossible to have missed the bright and ecstatic colors popping out off the dark walls— also known as the annual Owasso art show. The Owasso art classes from Pre-K through twelfth grade work lengthy weeks on these projects and their effort is without a doubt obvious.

April 19th, 1995, Oklahoma experienced America’s deadliest act of domestic terrorism in the nation’s history. 30 years later, we remember the day just as viscerally. The bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah building in downtown Oklahoma City killed 168 people, including 19 children. The magnitude of the tragedy still connects individuals across the nation—even those 122 miles away in Owasso, Oklahoma.

March 4. marked an important day in incoming freshman’s lives. This was the first time they were able to walk around and look at all of the future clubs and organizations that Owasso High School offers. Located on the west campus, Rookie Ram Night allowed all future freshmen to meet some of the upperclassmen that they would soon be going to school with and also to interact with the clubs they were most interested in joining.

Many students have hobbies and abilities to make some extra cash, and for senior Parker Baskerville her entrepreneurial spirit fuels her side job. Baskerville has been baking for her business Kraken Cookies since 2022.

Owasso High School has an abundance of talented students. Just a couple of months ago, eight OHS students came together with one common goal: to make a great short film. While it was a short film, it certainly did not fall short.

Urinetown: the strangely titled and shockingly political musical, as well as the latest production by Owasso High School’s theater program. Both the title and the content of the show are a cause for surprise; however, these high school actors wowed the audience with their singing, dancing, joking and understanding of the complex topics within the show.

The Sports Media and Broadcasting class is the team behind every livestream of every sporting event at Owasso High School. These students are able to accomplish everything they do because of their teacher, John-Michael Thompson. What makes him and his class so special is Thompson’s personal experience in the sports media field and his attitude toward teaching. 

During the winter season, many students feel the effects of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Due to the lack of sunshine, irregularity of activity, and in many cases social isolation—the depressive state of individuals regularly increases mainly during the winter months and rarely in the spring or summer.

Many people are very familiar with that first day of school—walking through the halls, aimlessly searching for their first class. In midst of the chaos, one thing becomes clear: not all students approach school with the same degree of commitment. Although academic experiences vary, students often view certain required courses as nothing more than tasks to complete.

Since 2023 Artificial Intelligence has been everywhere, with the creation of ChatGPT and OpenAI— AI is in every corner of the internet. That being said, there have been occurrences of AI being used as replacements for writers and artists. And that has undoubtedly been controversy on the creation of AI generated art, writing and how quickly AI technology has been invented.

Ator Elementary hosted a STEAM and Multicultural Night in their gymnasium, which showcased student-made projects that taught about cultures and aspects of STEAM. For just over an hour, students were able to explore different cultures from around the world in their very own school.

The city of Owasso’s logo boasts, “REAL People. REAL Character. REAL Community,” and in 2002, the Owasso City Council declared an intent to make Owasso a “City of Character.” The Owasso Character Council has implemented multiple measures to support the integrity of the city over decades, and its significance reaches deep into families, businesses and individuals throughout Owasso.

For teenagers, music could be considered the best form of self-expression out there. Concepts we struggle to put into words are interpreted and contrived into pieces by musicians, beautifully displaying what we can’t say ourselves. Many of us have perfectly curated playlists that give an observer a glimpse of who we are as people.