Table of Contents
Upcoming Events
Student Life
Sports
Editorials/News
Reviews
Lifestyle
Humor
Activity Page
Contributing Editors & Writers
Upcoming Events
December 4:
Holiday Harmonies Band Concert
December 7:
MS Choir Concert
December 10:
ACT Test
December 13:
OML Math Test #3
December 16-18:
Drama Dept. Presents: "White Christmas"
December 20:
Blood Drive
December 21:
Early Dismissal
December 22- January 2:
Winter Break!
Senior Spotlight
Jordan Bodine
Jordan is a diligent, compassionate, friendly, yet stubborn senior. She is also adventurous and is always willing to try new things. Jordan is very involved around the high school. She is in National Honors Society, Student Government, Red Cross Club, a writer in the Chief, and the President of SADD. She was also in band for three years, and her senior year decided to do Varsity Football Cheer. Even with all of her in-school activities, she is a busy person outside of school. She is a competitive dancer at The Arts Center. She does all types of dance such as jazz, tap, lyrical, contemporary, hip hop, and musical theater. She also takes a weekly ballet class at her studio. All of those dance classes can really add up and take loads of time and effort.
So many memories are made throughout high school. Jordan's favorite memory is when she got to be the Grim Reaper for SADD during her junior year on drunk driving awareness day in April. Her most embarrassing memory was when she almost poured out half of a green bean casserole in her Foods class during their Thanksgiving feast last year. During her final year at Shawnee, she is hoping that she will continue to be more involved in the school's community and that she will be able to meet more people. Jordan has some advice for the underclassmen of Shawnee. "I would have to say to take every year of high school seriously. Never feel like you don’t fit in because you’ll always find a group of people. Involve yourself in the community more. School can actually be fun if you make it out to be," Jordan wants the underclassmen to just know that school can and will be some of the best moments of you life, if you choose to make it that way.
Once high school's over, seniors start a new chapter. Jordan plans to start that new chapter by attending Ohio University. She plans to major in physical therapy with a possible minor in dance. When going to college she is most excited to meet lots of new people and learn how to fend for herself in her new community. Jordan's biggest hope for her future is that she wants to build her own house somewhere in the mountains, become successful with her work, and have a happy family.
Addi Kirchenbauer
Oleh Zhuk
Oleh, also known as Bug, is Shawnee's Ukrainian exchange student who has been attending since last school year. Bug is a creative, funny, kind, and energetic individual. Bug is involved in a few things around the school. These include Art Club, E-sports, Big Brothers Big Sisters and projects that he has done about Ukraine and for Ukraine. Outside of school he is also involved in local theater, NYFA camp, volunteering, and selling his artwork to support Ukraine.
Although Bug has only spent about a year and a half here, he has made plenty of memories. Bug's favorite memory is when the whole school dressed in the colors of the Ukrainian flag to support him, his family, and Ukraine. On this day the local news came in to get an interview with Bug. Bug also says "almost every day here in Shawnee is amazing, thanks to all teachers and my best friends." Bug's most embarrassing memory is when he came to school after the war started. Everyone looked at him with sadness, and he disliked the "feeling bad for him" attention that was brought to him. During his senior year, Bug is hoping that he will be accepted into the college he wants. Bug's advice to the underclassmen is to please stop standing in the middle of the hallways in between periods. Being an exchange student, American school is a slightly different and a new experience for Bug. I spoke to Bug about his experience as an exchange student, and this is what he said:
"Last year was very busy (this year is even more so than last year). But I enjoyed every day here. People, teachers, new subjects, new experiences, everything new that has already become familiar to me here. I found people with whom I enjoy every second and it is already worth a lot. I improved my English a lot, I became part of the school spirit, and all that I saw in the movies I was able to live it on my own. Thank you Shawnee High School!"
After high school, Bug plans to attend college, majoring in acting or art. During college, Bug is most excited to learn new things and start doing what he enjoys. At the end of the day, life will continue to move on. Bug's biggest hope for the future, is that the war in Ukraine will end.
Addi Kirchenbauer
Stem Club
The STEM Club is a new club started by Daniel Koh and Shashank Chanamolu. This club provides many fun activities and projects such as making elephant toothpaste and building cardboard chairs to withstand the weight of Daniel and Shashank! These activities will really put your logic, engineering, and physics skills to the test. If you are interested, new members are welcome to hop in at any meeting!
Aaron Zheng
What's Cooking? Ft. Chef Ebbing
November is notorious for Thanksgiving, so this month especially was important in the kitchens. Chef recommends that every student should try to help their families with their Thanksgiving meals this November 24th. At Shawnee High School, baking made brookies and pumpkin rolls. Cooking made biscuits and gravy and pumpkin rolls. Every period, no matter the class, took part in making their very own Thanksgiving Feast. With dishes like mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, mixed vegetables, dirt pudding, corn bread, green bean casserole, dinner rolls, pie, and of course a Thanksgiving Turkey, students got to enjoy a taste of home.
Jordan Bodine
Connections Fun During the Month of November!
Seniors Kaleigh Clark, Mckenna Miller, and Alexa Lyons are pictured
School Wide Wellness Day
On November 2nd, students participated in a wellness day during an extended Connections period. Students got to choose an activity to do. There were so many to choose from. Some activities included cornhole, Mr. K's Cat Cafe, nature walk, flag football, yoga, and so much more. Abbi Runneals, a senior at Shawnee, really enjoyed wellness day: "I got to play board games that I have never played before." This day allows students to just wind down, and connect with those from our school.
Mr. McGreevy's activity of cornhole is pictured.
Addi Kirchenbauer
Pen Pals with students from Elmwood and Maplewood
During November we got our batch of pen pal letters from the elementary schools. Each high school Connections class was given a coordinating elementary class that they get to write pen pal letters to. Students got to write back to a younger student in our district, and hopefully overtime start a bond with this student. We started these pen pal letters to create a relationship with the elementary students before they come in the spring for our combined Connections day. "Doing this is a really good way for us to connect with the elementary students," senior Jazmyn Scott says. Hopefully, this sticks around for years to come, and this is something memorable for all elementary students.
Mrs. Keller's Junior Connections class is pictured standing below their pen pal letters from Elmwood.
Addi Kirchenbauer
Student Polls
For this issue we asked the students of Shawnee what some of their opinions on food were. We had the poll of "Do you like Turkey or Ham better during Thanksgiving?". The other poll was whether the students like Goldfish or Cheez Its better. Here are the results:
Polls taken by Antoine Shears
Making Shawnee History
In the middle of October, the boys soccer team went to win their fourth consecutive WBL title. They went on to win sectionals, districts, regionals, and for the first time in school history, they won a state championship. The boys took a trip to the Lower.com field on November 12 and after a full 90 minutes plus two rounds of overtime, beat the Bexley Lions in PK’s. Jack Tenwalde made 3 saves in penalty kicks and recalls, “...it was amazing I guessed right [way] and I already gave us an advantage in the shootout.” Caleb Miller, Austin Miller, and Sam Tenwalde went on and scored in the shootout, securing the win.
Riley Smith
Shawnee Esports Dominates State Tournament
The Esports Ohio Fall State Tournament was held the weekend of November 19th and 20th. Three of Shawnee High School’s own Esports teams competed in the tournament. The Valorant team fought through a tough bracket, but were able to make it to the State Semi-Finals. Unfortunately, they lost to eventual state champions Cuyahoga Falls. Rocket League also had a tough bracket. With the way the bracket was formed, they faced the only other undefeated teams in the state from the very beginning. The three man team of Caleb Mosier, Owen Steidl, Cohen Lampton was able to persevere and make it all the way to the State Finals. It was an extremely close series which all came down to a goal in a three minute overtime. Sadly, Holy Name High School were the ones to score. Even with this close defeat, the team held their heads high as they were the State Runners Up in Rocket League.
Shawnee’s League of Legends team had a season for the ages. The team, made up of members Carter Kohli, Logan King, Zhenxuan, Jude Finch, and Jordan Frazier, went undefeated in the regular season. Canal Winchester was the only team to put up an opposition. As if it were a fantasy story, when Shawnee made it to the State Finals, their opponent was none other than Canal Winchester. It was an amazing series of League of Legends. The first game was chaotic, which led to Canal gaining an advantage in the early game. Logan’s ability to penetrate the backline on Lillia set-up huge plays for Shawnee that kept them in the game. Zhenxuan's Veigarwas critical in holding Canal Winchester at arms length. In the end, the early lead was too much for Shawnee to overcome and they narrowly lost the first game. The only path to victory now was a reverse sweep, which was exactly what Shawnee did. Game two saw explosive plays around the top and bottom of the map. Carter's Jax and Jude and Jordan's Xayah plus Janna combination were able to gain insurmountable advantages. This let them dismantle the competition and get a decisive victory to tie the series. In the all important third game, Shawnee fell behind early. By keeping focus on objectives and looking for openings, they were able to claw back into the lead and take home the trophy. Shawnee League of Legends took the title of the Fall 2022 State Champions. We were the only school to have three teams make it into the top four in the state. This season continued the legacy of Shawnee Esports dominating state competitions. Players now have a short break in the offseason, until they compete once again in the spring season.
Carter Kohli
Boys Basketball
The Shawnee Boys Basketball team is off to an exciting start this season. On November 10th, 2022 from 6-8 pm, the basketball team and cheerleaders hosted a “Meet The Team Night”, where the Shawnee community got their first chance to see this years basketball team in action, watch the Hot Shot Challenge featuring Shawnee Alumni, enjoy music, games, raffles, and concessions, and personally meet all of their favorite players. Shawnee’s first true debut is the Tip Off Classic at Elida Fieldhouse. The only game we played was on Saturday against Elida. We lost 64-65.
The seniors this year are Brady Gabes, Austin Miller, Will McBride, Keegan Wilson, Sage Ebling, Zach Noonan, Chase Beery, Boston Barker, Toby Freiberger, and CJ Schnipke. Other members of varsity are Beckett Bertke, Dominic Lynch, Nick Pasion, and Noah Williams. Your Varsity starting lineup is Austin Miller, Will Mcbride, Toby Freiberger, Nick Pasion, and Brady Gabes. Good luck to the boys this season!
Jordan Bodine
Girls Basketball
Now that the fall sports season is over, it’s time for winter sports. The girls varsity basketball team line-up is Ania Pearson, Grace Freiberger, Sydney Burris, Marie Seignon, Morgan Betts, Addison Neth, Alexis Whetstone, Lauren Potts, Isabella Hile, and Heaven Watkins. The JV team line-up is Rocky Stallone, K’Nyia Brooks, Allison Eisele, Ryann Pitts, Harper Bunke, Addison Lawson, Addison Melson, Brynn Patterson, Maddie Gabes, Lauryn Fisher, and Lauren Potts. The next JV game is Tuesday, December 6th against New Knoxville at home. The next Varsity/JV game is Thursday, December 8th against Bath at home. Good luck Girls Basketball!
Lourie Rigali
Swim Team
Shawnee’s swim team practice is underway, however, there is no dive team this year. The boys and girls swim teams will compete against Ottawa Glandorf in a dual meet at OG on Thursday, December 8th. The boys on the team are Daniel Koh, Connor Latham, Chris Snider, Carter Cleaves, Hunter Drury, Alex McGuire, Thomas Koh, Mason and Aidan Latham, Aidan Minnick, Connor Vondrell, Noah Brennan, and Wyatt Mallet. And the girls are Ansley Newman, Addie Newman, Erika Bell, Aryam Eyob, Lauren Niesen, Kayla Frost, Amelia Hastings, and Morgan Schimoeller. Mr. Newman and Mrs. Keller coach Shawnee’s swim team. Good luck to our swim team this season!
Orinayo Akomolafe
Senior Section
It's always tough coming to about the half way point of senior year. Here is some things senior's should be doing during the month of December.
Finished Applying?
If your application is nearly done, make sure you tie up those loose ends so you can really let loose over the holidays. Double check that your college application is ready to go and send it in if you’re ready. If it’s not ready, dedicate an hour or two before your holiday break to checking off those last to-dos.
If you have submitted your college application, follow up with the college admissions committee to be sure they have everything they need to evaluate their admission decision.
1) Give Thanks to Those Who Helped
You have come a long way, but remember you've had a lot of support, too. Your parents, teachers and guidance counselors deserve a thank you, don’t you agree? A nicely written note will brighten someone’s day and show how much you appreciate their help.
2) Remember Celebration Etiquette
Remember that just because you’re finished with applications, doesn't mean your friends are. It’s best to keep the celebration to a minimum so that others can successfully finish their applications, too.Celebrate with a quick social media story or a meal at home with your family.
3) Don’t Check Out!
Even though you’re finished with the application process, you still have to maintain the same student status as when you applied. Colleges still care about the rest of your senior year, so no slacking off! It’s true: some colleges may ask for a final transcript your senior year to ensure that you still put in the work. Pay attention in class, complete your assignments, and study for tests. But allow yourself a little grace to relax as well.
Still Applying?
Here are some tasks you absolutely don't want to forget about.
1) Re-evaluate Your College List
Ensure you have safety schools on your list, both financially and in terms of admissions. Narrow down the rest of the schools on your list so you prioritize applications for the schools you can actually see yourself attending versus applying for random schools you’d never actually attend.
Now is not the time to be adding more to your workload. That’s why reevaluating your college list can help you whittle down unnecessary work and focus on the schools and the to-do list that are most important.
2) Be Prepared for Your Worst-Case Scenario
Make sure you consider all the possibilities. What if you’re rejected or wait-listed at the schools you most wanted? Though the worst-case scenario rarely happens, having a plan in place will have you prepared in any given situation.
Make sure you apply to at least one target school (a school that matches your academic performance and financial circumstances) as well as one safety school (a school you KNOW you can get into and afford).
3) Ensure Your Test Scores Were Sent
If you were able to take the test, despite the global pandemic, you can follow up with each of the schools you applied to make sure they received your scores. Test scores should be officially sent from the College Board or ACT to all the schools you’re applying to.
Don’t forget that a lot of schools won’t even consider your application until they have your test scores, unless they are a test blind school. You can learn more about how colleges are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic by going test optional here.
4) Focus on the Small Details
Don’t forget to read between the lines when applying. It’s easy to focus on the big essay questions, but don’t let the minor details fall through the cracks. All of the details will factor into your acceptance, not just the major college essay. Taking extra precaution to not make mistakes shows the school that you are truly interested, rather than carelessly copying and pasting essays onto every application.
Once you’re done with the process, try not to stress. At this point, it's out of your hands. What is in your hands right now? Completing any remaining financial aid forms and scholarship applications. Focus on applying to scholarships for the Class of 2023 to help you pay for college.
Enjoy the rest of your senior year knowing you did your best during the application process, and be proud of your efforts. You’ll be college-bound in no time, and the entire application process will be in the past soon enough.
Addi Kirchenbauer
Editorials/News
Midterm Election Analysis and Results
The midterm elections did not go as expected. Predictions of a sweeping Republican “Red Wave” turned out to be false. Democrats were able to hold on to Senate control, and may even gain a seat in the Georgia runoff election. What was supposed to be a 20 or more seat advantage in the House of Representatives for Republicans turned out to be a narrow majority of less than five. This disastrous defeat for the Republican Party has fueled an internal conflict over the future of the party.
Ohio was both an example and a refute of the national trend. Congressional districts OH 1, OH 9, and OH 13 were critical wins for Democrats. These wins helped them keep the Republicans' advantage in the House narrow. On the Senate side, Tim Ryan (D) lost a tough race to now Senator elect J.D. Vance (R). Governor Mike DeWine (R) was able to hold onto his governorship in a victory against Democratic challenger Nan Whaley. While statewide elections went over towards Republicans, the key house races Democrats needed came up in their favor.
Now, what does this all mean? As stated above, the unexpected losses for Republicans has led to internal conflicts over who is to blame and the path forward for the party. Even with a narrow majority, they will still have control of the House of Representatives. This will put a stop to the Democrats and President Biden’s legislative agenda. Concessions from Democrats to Republicans will have to be given over as the party in power is forced to do almost anything to pass critical legislation. Things such as the government budget and raising the debt ceiling fall in that category. Now all eyes are on 2024, with former President Donald Trump already starting his campaign.
Carter Kohli
Kanye West Controversy
Kanye West: a name previously coveted by the music industry, is now tainted with disgrace, publicized temper tantrums, and bouts of racism. Kanye West’s name has been in the headlines over these past couple of months, not for good reasons. As we all know, Kanye West has been dropped by all of his collaborating brands, even one of his most famous and successful collaborations, Adidas, and was rejected by Skechers. Kanye West has publicly embarrassed himself multiple times by disrespecting his ex-wife’s, Kim Kardashian, relationship with then-boyfriend, Pete Davidson. He also brought his custody battle to the internet where he argued with Kim about his children. Lately and more recently, Kanye went on a rant supporting the Nazis which was what led to his most recent downfall. A source close to Kanye said, “He [Kanye] admired Hitler”. Kanye has sparked fury amongst fans and others alike with his commentary about Hitler. He is yet to apologize for this. Now, there is video footage of West showing explicit images and videos of his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, and other explicit videos to his former employees. This is an all-new low he has reached and he is yet to comment on any of this. What scandal will he be in next?
Orinayo Akomolafe
Reviews
Album Review: Midnights by Taylor Swift
I feel as if the main idea of Midnights, by Taylor Swift, is about regret and self-examination, which keeps her up at night. It is a pop album, different from Folklore and Evermore, which had a melancholy vibe to it. Even though the lyrics still follow somber tropes they have an upbeat feeling that makes them easy to sing along to and to relate. This album has connected very well with many people, and that is something Taylor is exceptional at. She has a way of perfectly describing every emotion and making a connection with every moment in one's life. Midnights is another masterpiece of Ms. Swift.
Samantha Smith
Movie Review: Wakanda Forever
Wakanda Forever is one of the best movies to come out this year. This movie gives another meaning to hope and new beginnings. Since the death of actor Chadwick Boseman things have not been the same and some hearts are still broken. In this movie you can see how the cast really honored him and truly met beyond the standards that their roles asked for. From the first black panther to Wakanda Forever you can see development of characters, plots, and conflicts. Even the Wakanda Forever soundtrack gives the movie new meaning as it features artists like Rihanna and Burna Boy. In the end Wakanda Forever was a 10/10 movie.
Antoine Shears
Album Review: Her Loss- Drake * 21 Savage
This new album, dropped on November 4, 2022. There are a total of 16 songs, lasting 1 hour exactly in time. This album received a lot of hate as soon as it dropped, however, the more people listened to it, the more they enjoyed it. An album meant to represent the acceptance stage of a breakup, several people awaited this collaboration. Many people have begun to make fun of Drake on this album, with his iconic line in the song “Rich Flex'' saying “21, can you do somethin’ for me?” According to Billboard’s “Her loss’ Album: Critic’s Picks” the top five songs on this album are:
- “Circo Loco”
- “Middle of the Ocean”
- “Rich Flex”
- “3 AM on Glenwood”
- “Backoutside boyz”
Some honorable mentions are:
- “On BS”
- “Spin Bout U”
- “Major Distribution”
- “Privileged Rappers”
- “Broke Boys”
Jordan Bodine
Lifestyle
Turn of Nails
Wondering what to do with your nails that is trendy and classy? Here are some ideas open for interpretation. Instead of the plain white french tip try using different colors, like black, red, blue, etc… Then put a design on top. This could be swirls, hearts, flowers, or any small design. Instead of the square or ovel-shaped nails, the new thing is an almond shape. It’s really flattering and not too much of an aggressive point. If you don’t want french tips the trending solid colors are red and dusty green. They are classy and match all seasons.
Samantha Smith
Fall Styling
Fall is the time of year when you bring back out your hoodies and sweatpants and don't have to worry about being too cold or too hot. You also get to dress comfortably, but why only dress comfortably when you can look nice too.
One way to start off a good fall look is by wearing a simple hoodie or jacket. To keep things simple, you can wear cargo pants or simple slim fit pants to complement your hoodie or jacket. When picking an outfit it's always good to use neutral or nude colors for the base of your outfit. After you have a base you can add things like flannels, hats, or vest to make your outfit pop.
Another way to look good during fall is by choosing the right shirt to wear. Having the right shirt can go a long way in an outfit. If you don’t want to wear much, a graphic tee can bring an outfit from boring to fashionable. One big part of picking a shirt is making sure that the color matches something else that you're wearing.
Lastly, if you want to try something new but still be comfortable, picking one piece of clothing to stand out from the rest of your clothes can do the job. You can buy a cool pair of pants or a dope hoodie but make sure to not wear too many cool different things at the same time. To pair these with an outfit make sure that you stick to a color scheme so your outfit can have a main focus and not be all over the place.
Antoine Shears
Humor
Q: How did the Pilgrims bring their cows to America?
A: On the Mooooo-flower.
Q: What kind of tan did pilgrims get?
A: Puritan.
Q: What do you get when you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin pi.
Q: Why did the cranberries turn red?
A: Because they saw the turkey dressing!
Q: How is an ear of corn like an army?
A: Both have lots of kernels.
Q: What does a clock do when it’s really hungry?
A: It goes back for seconds!
Q: Why was the apple grower sent to federal prison?
A: In-cider trading.
Q: What did the pumpkin say after thanksgiving?
A: Good-pie everyone.
Q: What kind of music did the Pilgrims like to listen to?
A: Plymouth Rock.
Q: What might you get from drinking expired apple cider?
A: Bad cider-ffects
Q: How do you fix a gourd?
A: With a pumpkin patch.
Jokes collected by Aaron Zheng
Activity Page
Contributing Writers and Editors
Contributing Writers
Jordan Bodine
Orinayo Akomolafe
Lourie Rigali
Carter Kohli
Aaron Zheng
Antoine Shears
Riley Smith
Editors
Senior Editor: Addi Kirchenbauer
Junior Editor: Samantha Smith
Advisor
Mrs. Kuhlman
Thank you Yearbook for supplying photos for this issue
Credits:
Created with images by nsphotostudio - "Autumn Background With Candied Oranges, Nuts and Spices" • New Africa - "Flat lay composition with paper calendar on white marble table"