Monday, December 20, 2010

How to Get a Date with a Hunk



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="85" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]Mark Stoermer Flickr[/caption]


December 9th wasn't your average Thursday. At Oxford Hills,  some handsome guys were put up for sale. These guys weren't just your average homeboys. They were chosen for one reason: they were the most desirable men in the school. The winning bidder did not get to own a man. Instead she got a date.

The men who were sold were seniors Alex Hardy, Spenser Morse, Chris Alberi, Kurt Kilgore, Bret Stuart, Matt Farnum, and Andy Ripley; sophomore Conner Beebe; and freshman Ben Bowie. The festivities were run by seniors Kate Mann and Chelsea Gould for their senior project. All the proceeds ended up going to Christmas for Teens.

The night went well. Sam Feely was the announcer for the event. He spoke quickly, just like a real auctioneer.

Alex Hardy commented, “I felt mine was really quick. Nikki Surette bid like 20 and then it was over. . . . It was really fun and a couple guys were bought by one person multiple times.”

The movie "The Killers" was included in the event , as was a meal cooked by Levi Gloden. On the menu was spaghetti and cupcakes. The biding only lasted about a half hour. Eating took around 45 minutes. The whole event was about 3 ½ hours in length.

Over $100 was earned by the event. Another event like this is planned for the future. So if you're looking for a date with one of the most desirable men at OHCHS, watch for another "Go on a Date with a Hunk."

Thursday, December 16, 2010

How I Became an Instant Mother



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="213" caption="Cover of The Baby"]Cover of "The Baby"[/caption]


by Crissy Lewis

I remember talking with my health teacher telling her I’m not ready to have a baby, and there is no way that I would have the time because I’m so busy as it is. In my Advanced Health class my teacher, Mrs. Cash, gave me a Real Care Baby for the weekend. This baby was something that would give us an idea of what it was like to be a teen parent and everything that we needed to do. We were given all the essentials, including: two diapers, a bottle, clothes, a diaper bag, and a key that you would need so the baby would know it was you before you can do anything to make the baby happy again.


My weekend with my “baby” was interesting to say the least. When I got my baby Thursday morning, I was very excited but anxious to see how my night would be later. The first thing I noticed was how difficult it was to walk around with a car seat. It was very uncomfortable holding it on my arm and carrying my backpack. I noticed that many people were looking at me funny, but I didn't really care. In health class we went over everything we needed to know about then we were sent on our way to fend for ourselves.

At 4 o'clock Thursday afternoon my baby went off. I had basketball practice so I had to run off the court to tend to it. I didn't know what I was doing and I was freaking out because the baby was crying louder and louder. Once it stopped I decided to leave it with my friend until my practice was done practice. That night when I got home there was no way I was going to be able to finish my homework. The baby went off numerous times and I could tell my mom was getting annoyed with it already. I didn't end going to bed that night until 11:30 although I was forced to wake up again at 1:30am. I was exhausted and I didn't want to take care of the baby already. Thankfully that night it only went off once, but I didn't go back to bed till 2:40am.

All day Friday I was in trance. I just wanted to sleep but I knew that night would be the worst because I didn't have school the next day. After school when I went to the boys basketball game I walked around with my friends because we had pizza party for basketball team. When I walked out near the gym, people looked and stared at me. It was kind of funny because when I made eye contact with them they smiled. I couldn't tell if they thought it was real or if it was fake. It was kind of obvious that it was fake but you never knew what people thought.

Friday night was by far the worst night with my baby. I had pre-season basketball games the next morning and the bus left early. I thought I was going to die that night. My baby went off 4 times in the night/early morning. The first time it did I was OK with, but after the third and fourth time I was getting aggravated. I just wanted to sleep. Saturday morning I didn't realize that the baby was going to be on, and thought it would be off at six again. I was wrong. I had so much to do to get ready for my games and to get to my bus on time. The baby made it very difficult getting dressed and having to feed it all at the same time. My mom was getting frustrated, knowing that if I didn't hurry up we'd be late.

On the bus ride all my friends wanted to hold my baby but I felt this weird kind of protection towards that baby that I didn't want anyone to hold it or touch it. I only let one of my friends hold it because she was going to be babysitting for me Sunday afternoon and I knew she would be careful with it. During our bus ride I was tired and luckily was able to sleep a little bit on the bus to Lincoln Academy. When we arrived there, I walked the bus struggling a little bit. I was worried about what people were going to think or say when they saw me carrying a baby in a car seat. When I walked into the lobby, I saw people turn and look at me. This one lady that was taking the admission money looked at me funny and said out loud, “oh that's classy”. I kept on walking because I wasn't really sure if that's what she said, but my mom later told me that she actually did say that. That woman obviously didn't look close enough to realize that the baby was indeed fake. That made me feel really self-conscious after that. It was silly though because why would someone bring their baby onto a bus? Why would I carry the baby in the car seat so unsafely around and not have the baby strapped in? You wouldn't normally see someone do that and I most definitely wouldn't do that.

As I played in my basketball games I gave my baby to my mom to take care of and to watch as I played. I was really worried about that because I didn't want her to mess up and have it crying in the gym the whole time. As I was playing and sitting on the bench when I came out I could hear my baby crying. It really made me nervous and anxious because there was nothing I could go do to help make her stop crying. I was more focused on my baby than playing in my game. Throughout the day I felt like this. Although being nervous about it, it was also really funny to see all the moms trying to help my mom stop the baby from crying. At the end of the day when I was leaving the gym, girls from another basketball team were staring at me when I walked down the bleachers. I kept on walking but I could see them in the corner of my eye watching me, and I knew what was probably going through their heads. Again, it was funny but I wanted to get out of the gym as fast as I could.

Saturday night I was already exhausted from the two nights before, but it made it ten times worse that I had basketball games that day. I wanted to sleep and rest up from playing so much. I also noticed that I was getting sick, so that didn't help anything. I was grumpy, over-tired, and getting sick. I was up all night and Sunday morning again. That morning though, I felt like I got a little more sleep than I did the three nights before. I was still tired but a little more rested. I planned on going to a play Sunday with my mom and grandmother, and I already had a babysitter set for that time for me. My babysitter was my friend and I had to make sure she knew everything that she needed to do. After I dropped off the baby at her house, I felt relieved to be free for a few hours.

Picking up may baby again made me a little upset because I did not want it back at all. But when I got home luckily it slept for a while so I could work on my homework. I finished everything it was 11:00pm, but I didn't end up going to bed till 12:30am. I felt like the baby went off more than the other nights even though my teacher told us Thursday and Sunday they wouldn't because they were school nights. Maybe I felt this way because I couldn't wait to get rid of the thing the next day. In the night I was so tired that when I had to feed her, I just kept her in my bed. I ended up keeping my baby in my bed for the rest of the night because I was too tired to move it, and it was just easier to keep it there. Monday morning my mom came into my room and was laughing at me because I slept with the baby in my bed. I could not wait to pass in my baby to my health teach that afternoon.

In health class that afternoon, I was so relieved. I noticed that everyone else was too. I knew that they all went through the same thing I did and everyone looked tired. Even though I felt relieved, I didn't really want to give my baby back because I kind of felt attached to it in a way oddly. I told my teacher that I couldn't believe that she put us through all of that and it was awful. I also told her about Saturday and the what the lady said to me, but she just laughed and thought it was funny. I thought having this experience with this baby was a good way of birth control. It helps show kids how hard and difficult it really is to have a baby at this age. Before we got our babies, I remember telling my teacher that there was no way I would have time to have a baby now and I don't intend to have one anytime soon because I'm so busy as it is. This experience just proved my point on what I said. I am way to busy and I need my own rest because I'm still young. It showed me how there is a stereotype for teen girls if you see them with kids. People automatically assume that they are theirs and there is no question about it. For all that woman knows, the baby could have been my little sister. I think that every girl should do this baby experience to get the idea of what it takes. Even though it's not the real thing, you get the general idea of what it's like to have a baby. Hopefully when go through this experience you see that you are not ready to have children and you decide to wait till you are older when you are ready. I know that I'm waiting till I'm financially ready and when I have time to go through all though sleepless nights for real.

Friday, December 10, 2010

OHMS goes all the way to the championships



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="122" caption="Vikings at OHCHS might have looked like this only they would be green."]Football[/caption]


By Abby Shanor, Tyler Pelletier

OXFORD HILLS – There's big news here in the Oxford Hills – the middle school football team made the state championship game. Over the course of a long six-game season, the Vikings went 3-3, a respectable finishing record. Starting the season with 0-3 and the Vikings made it all the way ... a true underdog story.

The first three games were lost by a combined margin of nine points, all very close losses. What turned this team around was a win over Auburn, 13-12 at home. Auburn hadn’t lost a game before and didn’t lose another after until the play-offs.

The Vikings then went on a winning streak of three games including defeats of Lewiston, and Gardner by forfeit. When Gardner forfeited it gave the Vikings the fourth seed in the play-offs, which meant a rematch of the game with Auburn, who only lost one game the entire season and was the number one seed.

“The boys were really motivated for that game,” said Coach Chris Marston. “Not only because it was a play-off game, but because they knew if they knocked Auburn out of the play-offs, we would be the only team to beat Auburn all season and we would have done it twice. They took a lot of pride in knowing that they could accomplish that and nobody else could.”

The Vikings ended up shocking the Red Eddies 21-14, a major upset. They made it to the big show, as a complete underdog. The championship game was held at Mt. Blue middle school where the Vikings would take on Mt. Blue, one of the teams which beat the Vikings early in the season by two points. “We were very positive about our chances going into that championship game because we felt that we outplayed them earlier in the year, but they stole one from us,” explained Marston. “They returned two fumbles for touchdowns in the first meeting and those were their only points.”

Mt. Blue got on the score board early and used that momentum to spark a 16-0 lead at the half. The Vikings started the second half with the ball and marched up the field with a good running game by Gavin Bandy and a strong offensive push led by Zack Little and Brennan Gillespie.

The Vikings would score off a 20-yard touchdown pass by Brady LaFrance to Ian Lejonhud. That would be the only offense shown by the Vikings, and Mt. Blue would eventually win by a final score of 30-6.

“To go from 0-3 to playing in the championship game is something these boys can be proud of...this class will use that as a motivation for when they get into high school,” said Marston.

Coach Marston also noted how supportive families and local businesses were.

“This success could not have been possible if it wasn’t for them,” he concluded.

Monday, December 6, 2010

A Year Without Diversity



[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="180" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]The flags of the different countries that ICC'...[/caption]


Nothing seems unusual compared to every other school year at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) but there's more than meets the eye. This year there is a change in the student body that is not going unnoticed by members at OHCHS; a lack in foreign exchange students.

Oxford Hills has a strong history of hosting as many as five foreign exchange students in their community every school year. So far this year the community has only welcomed two teenagers, one from Chile and one from Turkey.

This change was noticed by many members of the faculty at the high school, including French teacher and host-mother to many, Mrs. Andrea Asken-Dunn. Mrs. Asken-Dunn has been involved with student foreign exchange programs at OHCHS for seven years and has hosted students for five. This the first year she has not hosted a student. This is her first year without a child of her own at home. She felt she had some adjusting to do. When asked why she thought other host families chose not to host this year, she said there might be "a lot of economic stress." Mrs. Asken-Dunn feels this affects the school. "Students are less aware of the world around them. It's good for students to become aware before they leave high school."

Faculty members are not the only ones to notice the change; students have as well. Senior Kurt Kilgore says, "I feel that the lack of foreign exchange students in this school does not allow me, or other students attending OHCHS, to broaden their horizons. Nor does it allow other cultures to assimilate."

Whatever the cause may be for the lack of diversity in the OHCHS student body this year, one thing is for certain: it has affected everybody.

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Projects are what's Hip (no content)

Healthy Lunch choices

There are many different options of what to eat at lunch. Although there are many healthy choices there are also many bad choices of what to eat. Eating healthy can make you feel better and get you ready for the day ahead of you. It can be very hard sometimes to get students to eat healthier at school though. Schools are trying to improve what they are making and selling to students to have for their lunches. Healthy lunches should be offered to the students, but there are tons of foods that are junk food. At OHCHS you have the options of making yourself a salad. Salads are good because you can put in what you want and there are many options on what to put on it. Drinks that are offered at lunch are water bottles and Vitamin Waters that are healthier. Other ideas you can have added to your lunch are you can bring your own lunch and mix it up with a little bit of the choices at school.

Many teachers are trying to get students to eat better at lunches. You should always eat healthy and not eat so much junk food. If you have a lunch that is good for you, your day will be better and you will feel better about yourself.

Differences from a new school

Walking into Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School as a junior made me nervous on the first day. Not only did I not know many people in the school but I was arriving to a new school in my hardest year in my high school career, and this scared me because Oxford Hills is big.

 

One big difference I first noticed was how the girls acted and talked. Unlike the girls at Edward Little that mostly talked about fashion, make-up, shopping, and going on expensive vacations, girls at Oxford talked about four-wheeling, hunting, and camping. The total opposite, but I liked it. When I heard this I felt like I was from the city. It's weird how making a small move from another school not that far away you see such a differences in the hobbies people have. Cliques don't seem to be as common and rigid either here, another nice surprise. You are not catorigized into a group because of who you are, how much money your parents make, whether you play a sport or not, and based on the name brand clothing you wear. People seemed to be liked here based on more genuine reasons. That's one thing I believe should be in every high school. People should feel comfortable and at Oxford Hills you don't have to worry about being judged if you are the “new kid”.

 

Not only is the school so much bigger than Edward Little, but it's air conditioned. That was a big plus for me when I got here. I didn't have to worry about being uncomfortable in the classroom on hot days and I could concentrate on my work and not sweating. The Library in the school has the perfect, friendly atmosphere. It's big, open, and students work, get help, read, and use the computers that are available to them. This is so much more different than Edward Little where there was so little room in the library and not that many students went and used the library.

 

As I walk through the halls in this high school I realize and know that I like it here and I know that this is the place for me to be.

It's Novel November

Have you ever inspired to be a writer but didn't follow your dream because you didn't think you were good enough? Have you ever dreamed of having your work shown publicly along with other pieces of art? Now you can. With a little bit of determination and a lot of time, your ideas could be on a known website along with others who aspire just like you, on http://nanowrimo.com. Nanowrimo is a public website looking for any writers, young or old, to share their ideas through a safe, non-profitable journal. Once completing their task their story is posted on the website for anyone interested in their opinion. That's right, I said opinion. This  Known for a couple of years now in Oxford Hills Mrs. Mroz, the latin teacher, took it upon herself to get students involved in this event.

New School

By Crissy Lewis

Walking into Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School on the first day as a junior made me nervous . Not only did I not know many people in the school but also I was now at a new school as a junior, the hardest year in a high school career. It all scared me because Oxford Hills is big.

It felt strange being in a new school because in the hallways there were so many people that I didn't know. It was a little overwhelming for me. I wasn’t used to that many people in a school, I was also used to seeing the same faces I knew everyday. I knew people were looking at me and wondering who I was too. Girls acted and talked differently. Unlike the girls at Edward Little that mostly talked about fashion, make-up, shopping, and going on expensive vacations, girls at Oxford talked about four-wheeling, hunting, and camping. I thought it was funny because I felt like I was from the city. It's weird how making a small move from another school not that far away you see such a differences in the hobbies people have. Cliques don't seem to be as common and rigid either here, another nice surprise. You are not categorized into a group because of who you are, how much money your parents make, whether you play a sport or not, and based on the name brand clothing you wear. People seemed to be liked here based on more genuine reasons. That's one thing I believe should be true in every high school. People should feel comfortable. Luckily, at Oxford Hills I didn't have to worry about being judged as the “new kid”.


Not only having a bigger school but having a fit library and air conditioning made me excited for the year. I knew that it would be more comfortable. It still makes me nervous that I came to a new school and environment as a junior, but walking through the halls in this high school, I realize I enjoy being here. I am already making new friends.

Freshmen Learn About Noodle What?

by Elizabeth Gemme

When entering the OHCHS library, it's hard to ignore librarian, Mrs. St. John, teaching freshmen classes about the computer program, Noodle Tools. Noodle Tools is a web-based tool used to help with major projects and research papers. "I think it's a great program," says Mr. Cummings, another librarian at Oxford Hills. "I used it in school. It saves you hours of work."


[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by jabberwock via Flickr"]Chris Searle and Ian McNaught-Davis ('Mac') on...[/caption]


So why introduce these first year students to this great program so late in the school year? "This is the best time," says Mr. Cummings,  as this is the first, major research paper being assigned to freshmen.

Although the lessons are often time-consuming and tedious, Noodle Tools is clearly something that these freshmen will use now and for the rest of their time at Oxford Hills.

Friday, November 19, 2010

Mystery Box

by Crissy Lewis

Have you seen a big, colorful box and what looks like a TV in the halls lately? If you have, you might wonder what it is and why it's there. It turns out that box with TV in it is the OHCHS Kiosk, the place to go for information about OHCHS Tech Programs.

Graphic Arts and Design teacher, Ms. Valdes says what looks like a TV is actually a computer with a touch screen. The Building and Trades Program built the structure and Ms. Valdes’ Graphics and Design class did the graffiti. The computer system was designed and created by Stephanie Grover’s Electronics class. The Graphics students are building website which will soon be live on the screen.

This Kiosk was made for the Tech Program as a promotional piece. It's supposed to allow students who are walking around the school an easy way to get information about programs in the Tech School. The website will include details about offerings, credits and what the Tech Program is all about. You can think of this as an electronic version of the school handbook, except unlike the handbook, you can look the Tech Program classes with a click of a bottom or a touch of a screen.  As you can see by This Kiosk is just one of many projects being created by Tech School students.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Overworked, But Still Smiling: Q&A



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="181" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]Netbook popularity in 2008 by PriceGrabber.com...[/caption]


by Aeron Roberts

Mr. Cummings, an important member of the OHCHS staff, is an ed-tech for the entire school. This involves working in the library, maintaining  all the AV equipment, and running the Key Club, a student-run community service organization which does fundraisers and other activities beneficial to the community and school. Along with this Cummings also keeps all the netbooks (an estimated 1000) in running order. I decided to ask him a few questions because I began to wonder how he keeps up with his job.


Q: How long  have you been working at OHCHS?

A:  Seven years. I wasn’t expecting to stay in ed-tech for this long.

Q: Why OHCHS ?

A: Well Aeron I grew up here and even went to school here - thought it was a lot smaller when I was here compared to now. I graduated 1987 and have lived here all my life.

Q: Due to the netbooks being in the hands of most students (only 100 or so do not have a netbook), how has this effected your workload and your relationship with the students?

A: Well Aeron, I have a 40 hour week and 99 percent of my time is spent fixing the netbooks. It has effected my relationship with the students negatively because I only get to see them when they break their netbooks.

Q: Why does every student now have a user fee? (For those who don't go to school here every kid has to pay a fee before they can have their netbook. It goes by what you pay for lunch: $20 if you pay full price, $15 if you are on reduced lunch, and $10 for people who get free lunch.)

A: The warranty on the netbooks expired Aeron , so we need to pay for the repairs out of are our own pockets. That means we all need to pitch in to buy new hard drives, [new] screens and [do] other repairs."

Q: Where do you see the netbook program going in five years?

A: Aeron , I can see this going very well as long as we get the money to pay for it. What I mean is if the economy goes back up then everything else will be okay.

Even with an almost tripled workload compared to two years ago, Mr.Cummings is still a very upbeat individual. He always has time for students. He seems to really care about this school and the people who graduate from it. So when you see him in the halls say hi and if you are dropping your netbook off, say thank-you.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Gubernatorial Candidates Travel By Satellite



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="170" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]"Debate and Oratory". Image for firs...[/caption]


By Elizabeth Gemme



Wednesday October 27th history teacher, Mr. Long and his students hosted Oxford Hills' Gubernatorial Forum. This was a first time for the community to put on this kind of election event, and although the class didn't receive the kind of crowd they were hoping for, it was a great way to help educate the many high school students who did attend.


Before the debate began, member of Mr. Long's class, Kait Mann, gave a few welcoming words to the audience and some information about the schedule for the evening. Shortly after 7:00pm the debate, which was actually begin held in the Bangor High School, was underway. At this time, an online chat became live for all viewers so they could discuss their feelings on the issue. (www.facebook.com/preparemaine).


As the debate started, the Oxford Hills forum began filling with recognizable faces; OHCHS  graduates and students took seats. When asked why some of these alumnae decided to attend the broadcasting, a student replied, "I can vote now. I want to know what I'm voting for."


Although the debate wasn't successful in drawing the large crowd it had hoped for, it was able to give bring the participants face-to-face with the weighty decision they would be making the following week.

Viking Sports

In the midst of their seasons, all the Varsity sports for OHCHS are working on improvement. whether it be in strength, or in record. The only winning team as of now is the Girls' Varsity Field Hockey team, with a record of five wins and four losses. Player, Crissy Lewis says, We’re "not doing so well right now." I believe, they are having an okay year. Since they do have a winning record, they must be doing something right. After all the hardship the Vikings (8 - 5) ended up in the second round of the playoffs, where they would lose unfortunately to Skowhegan (14 - 0) with a score of 4 - 0. Congrats on making it that far.
A sport that doesn't have a real record but is doing really well this season is the golf team. Jordan Strong comments, "Golf Team did great. We made it to the play-offs and [then] lost to Brunswick." At least they made it to the play-offs. Good job Golf Team.
A team who is working hard just like the Golf Team, but playing even harder, is the Cross Country Team. I run on this team and in my opinion we are all continuing to get faster and stronger. We have shown a lot of improvement throughout the year and will continue to do the same till the end. The boys' team finished 44th out of 65 competing teams. Well done boys. In our last meet at Belfast, we placed
A team which has also been improving a lot throughout the season is the Boys’ Varsity Soccer Team. Derek Morin commented, "The team is doing well, improving game by game. Our record is two wins and seven losses.” As long as they are improving, they're okay in my book. but improvement isn't the case in girls varsity soccer. Melissa Strauss says " Our record is two wins and six losses. We're still working o improvement. But still better than the last few years." I'm guessing they went the last year with no wins or maybe one. But still, they are doing good. Both teams would finish with a record of 2 - 10 - 2. The team that everyone is still talking since their first win is the varsity football team. Matt Farnum commented " We have one win and four losses. We have a good defense but a struggling offense." From watching the games, I see your point Matt, but hey, at least we have won one game. I bet everyone wants to see one more, but that homecoming game was thanks enough. They would finish with a record of 1 - 7. So overall, we have a decent sports program and are mostly focusing on improvement. Good luck Vikings on the rest of your seasons.

Healthy Lunch

By Crissy Lewis

There are many different options to eat at lunch. There are healthy choices but there are also some bad choices of eating there. Eating healthy can make you feel better and get you ready for your day ahead. It can be very hard sometimes to get students to eat healthier at school. But you know schools are trying to improve what they are making and selling for students to have for lunch.

Ken Morse, the main representative for Healthy Oxford Hills, works with schools to eat fresh healthy foods. His job is to help schools eat better and to be more farm to school. He is part of the National Farm to School Network. Their job is to make a better relationship between school and farms, support community-based systems, and to help children be healthy and to prevent childhood obesity. The website of the Farm to School says it’s a program that connects schools and their local farms “with the objective of serving healthy meals in school cafeterias, improving nutrition, providing agriculture, health and nutrition education opportunities, and supporting local and regional farmers”. They go beyond than the farm fresh salad bars and local foods in the cafeteria. They “include waste management programs like composting, and experiential education opportunities such as planting school gardens, cooking demonstrations and farm tours.” It would be nice to have a strong connection to local schools with farms and have the students eat more local. Having a school garden where they can grow their own things can make it more special too. It’s a benefit you get with Farm to School and Ken Morse says, “If you grow it yourself, you'll eat it”. Children and the community will learn more agriculture and nutrition and the environment. Food security will be better too since food travels a lot, making it not fresh. Buying local food will mean local taxes, which helps the school. A salad bar is offered in the cafeteria that's has fresh vegetables in it. By doing all this you're just, “changing the whole culture on how to eat” says Morse.

You can always get more information about Healthy Oxford Hills because it's not too far from OHCHS. You can also go on Farmtoschool.org to find out more information about what it’s all about. If you eat a lunch that is healthy and local your day will be better and you will feel better about yourself and what you're eating

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

OHCHS Students Become Real-Life Journalists



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by BLW Photography via Flickr"]34/365 - [/caption]


by Pamela Chodosh



This past Tuesday, the journalism students at OHCHS learned what being a reporter is all about. The students whose stories appear here on Viking Voices were asked by the Sun Journal to interview people about their vote on the casino. Armed with official Sun Journal press passes, flip cameras and notebooks, our students hovered expectantly by the exit doors at the fire station polls in Norway and Oxford. These young reporters experienced a full range of response to their question, "Which way did you vote on the casino?"

Though many people were happy to comment, but not happy to have their comments videotaped, and others refused to answer before the question was completely posed, there were a few brave souls who allowed the students to record their answers and their names.

The students collected a total of 8 videos, which were later uploaded to the Sun Journal's private YouTube channel in preparation for editing. Scott Thistle, a former OHCHS graduate who is now an editor at the Sun Journal, is assembling the videos and the many interviews transcribed into a story or "bucket." You can read this story here. We are hoping to do other projects with the Sun Journal, an association which will prove very beneficial to both the paper and our OHCHS journalists.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Oxford Hills First Non-Profit Fair

by Elizabeth Gemme

Wednesday, October 20th, Oxford Hills will host its' first ever Non-Profit Fair from 8:30am to 12:30pm. The exhibits will begin outside the Forum and end near the Main Office.

The main idea for this event is to give Seniors creative ideas for their Senior Project, which is a requirement for graduation. This event is not just for seniors, but sophomores and freshmen as well. Starting with the class of 2013, 20 hours of community service is another graduation requirement. This fair will be able to offer many ideas to all students no matter the circumstance.

The organizer of the Non-Profit Fair, English teacher, Mr. Brewster Burns, hopes this will "lead to something positive for the school, our students and the community." This will be the first time Oxford Hills has put on an event such as this, so don't miss it.


[caption id="" align="alignright" width="190" caption="Image by Brandon Cirillo via Flickr"]Senior Project will make me bald[/caption]


Scheduling for the Non-Profit Fair will be as follows:

During CBA- Seniors and advisors
Period 2- Freshmen and Sophomore classes
Period 3- Freshmen and Sophomore classes
*open access for all students during lunches and study halls

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Oxford Hills Students Travel To China



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="176" caption="Image by Steve Webel via Flickr"]The Great Wall of China[/caption]


This spring Oxford Hills High School teacher, Mr. Craig Blanchard, will be taking a group of high school students to the country of China, for the third time since he began teaching at OHCHS. The number traveling ranges between ten to twelve students and up to four chaperones, counting Blanchard.

The cost of this two-week trip, which begins on April 9th and ending the 23rd, is an estimated $3,000. Despite the cost there are plans to fundraise over the next few months. Mr. Blanchard hopes each student will raise about $1,000.

During the two-week trip the group will be visiting many places, including Bejing, X'ian, Chung-Di, and Shanghai. Students will spend two days staying with host families at Oxford Hills' sister school, Zhejing Normal University High School. In the months leading up to their trip, students will be meeting periodically to become familiar with Chinese customs and language. Mr. Blanchard is aware of the students' apprehension about being in a foreign school with new peers, but he also knows his students will learn a great deal.


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="170" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]Great Wall of China at JuYongGuan[/caption]


What is Mr. Blanchard's biggest hope for this trip? That his students become not only more educated about China's history and culture, but also more aware of the differences and similarities between this foreign place and their own home country, America. Says Mr. Blanchard "This will be a learning experience for everyone."

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Vikings Clip the Wings

September 25, was a beautiful Saturday for some hard - knocking homecoming football. The match-up, our beloved Vikings against our rivals the Eagles of Mt. Ararat. Winless since our last regular season game against them, there was a lot of pressure mounting on our guys. The fact that it was homecoming didn't help either. They responded to this pressure.

I sat down with George Turner, number 19, to get a little feed back on how the game all went down. The game plan was to control their best player, like any other team would do. The defense changed to a cover 5 for passing downs, and a base for running downs. The first half was a success, the Vikings jumping out to an early lead of 14 - 0, with our defense leading the way.

To the second half we go. The Eagles finally put some points on the board and the score 14 - 8. A couple of great defensive stops happened late and the Vikings hung on to clinch the win. The crowd went bananas! It was their first win of the season.

The Vikings also made some history, with this win, it being their first home win in four years and their first Homecoming win at home in seven! Also, Jordan Croteau had an amazing
game with 16 tackles. I see it fair to give him the Viking Player of the Game.

I heard nothing but excitement over the course of the weekend and still today, it's heard in the halls with words like "I can't believe we won!"



[caption id="" align="alignright" width="151" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]American football with clock to represent a [/caption]


Well believe it because there are many more to come. We are all very proud of our football team and can't wait to see what they do next. So thanks to George Turner and good luck Vikings. Hope you can do it again.

Sunday, October 10, 2010

A Change in Yearbook Leadership

This year looks challenging for the Oxford Hills yearbook staff. In addition to the loss of veteran yearbook staff members, there has been a change in leadership.

After showing dedication to creating successful yearbooks, high school librarian, Mrs. St. John, has decided to resign her role and hand it to a math teacher at OHCHS, Mrs. Fox.


[caption id="" align="alignright" width="147" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]YEARBOOK[/caption]


Having had Mrs. St. John as leader for the last four years, many students have been left wondering one thing: Why stop now?

“Yearbook is a year round responsibility,” says Mrs. St. John. Because of budget cuts and the library being asked to assume even more responsibilities this year, having the head librarian lead yearbook is just too much.

Don't think Mrs. St. John's experience with the yearbook doesn't cross her mind. “I miss my students,” she says. “I think about them all the time. We were able to get to know one another on many levels, and we spent a lot of time working together.”

Many wonder what will happen now, but not Mrs. St. John. “I think Mrs. Fox is doing a great job, especially since she is assuming responsibility for such a great task and since she is starting from scratch.” The tone Mrs. St. John uses to answer this question is reassuring.  Although the yearbook staff will have a challenging road ahead of them, this year will be another successful one.

Cell Phone Policy Relaxed


[caption id="" align="alignleft" width="173" caption="Image via Wikipedia"]Various cell phones displayed at a shop.[/caption]

Most students here at OHCHS would agree that in previous years, the use of cell phones in the building has been an issue. Phones were constantly being confiscated, and students were facing consequences of texting. With the rate of cell phone use growing, especially in teens, the issue of cell phones in schools has become an issue of whether they are a help or distraction.

Cell phones in school can be used to support learning behaviors. For example, students can use the cameras on phones to take pictures of class projects to show their parents, who wouldn't get to see them otherwise. Phones can also be used to text absent classmates homework and assignments. Most cell phones have built-in planners and calculators, which makes it easier for students to be organized.

Over the summer a new policy was created by the Oxford Hills School District School Board, which allows principals to make their own rules. Mr. Moccia and the rest of the OHCHS Leadership Team formed a policy which states the "use of cell phones is allowed for students in hallways between classes and at lunch." They made this decision by looking over surveys and opinions from the student body and the faculty. Mr. Moccia says that he already has much more open time due to the new cell phone policy. He also feels that when the  faculty isn't always having to tell students to put cell phones away or having to confiscate them, it makes for a more positive atmosphere.

Students also agree that they have more positive relationships with teachers because they aren't always getting into trouble. Teachers think that students are more respectful during class because they know they'll have a chance to text right after, so they don't have to sneak it during class. Over all, the new cell phone policy here at OHCHS has been successful so far.