Wowsers! What a year. From the lethargy of a regular Monday morning, to the wild vigor of a clan tug of war competition, the 2021 to 2022 school year has always held our notice, causing us to consider what will come next. What will beckon our attendance for the day? And what will drive us to focus our eyes, unwaveringly at the digital wall clock for the period’s end? We have been present day in and day out, we have prayed for another hour of sleep and ounce of energy, and we have struggled with the qualms of teenagehood. Regardless of our conflicts, eons in the future, when we look upon our highschool years, a rosier picture will have embedded itself within our heads, full of high marks or winning goals, community outreach or board game championships. For our small school in the pacific northwest holds a great deal of spirit, pride, and experiences that ought to be celebrated a year at a time.
Homecoming Week: October 3rd-9th 2021
From class lip synch preparation to halfway decoration and eventual maintenance students always seemed to be dashing from one event to the next during homecoming week, in an effort to make our first one back memorable. We dressed up as memes, corresponded outfits with a twin, suited up in our best vintages, wore our wackiest, and displayed school spirit in whites and blues. Regardless, after moments of stress and anxiety over whether or not our hard work will conceptualize, we were rewarded for our commitment with a dance and parade.
Holiday Luncheon: December 17th 2021
A rejuvenated OIHS tradition, the Holiday Luncheon was a chance to celebrate no specific holiday, but instead our school family in a school-wide potluck, talent competition and festive carol competition between grades. We ate and ate and ate, soaking in the festive cheer displaying itself onto our mask-laden but still smiling faces. A break from academics was made to tighten the stitches between those of our community.
Quarantining: the Sequel: January 5th-24th 2022
We got a second taste of isolated school from January 5th through the 24th. We put in an effort to cope the best we could with the quarantining skills we had acquired from the “wretched” 2020-2021 year, attempting to rectify any feelings of despondency. A setback it seemed to be, though we returned to in-person school once again, for this time it truly was “for just a couple weeks.”
April Fools: April 1st 2022
On Friday April 1st, students and faculty, excluding the senior class of 2022 entered the school in awe of the effort the senior class put into making this celebration of the prankster truly memorable. With only 15 senior students many prepared their hijinks until late that night. We were surprised by a car’s presence within the commons, having been utilized for past April Fools days, a Radiator Springs racetrack in the Spanish room and an explosion of golf equipment in the math room. Our astonishment was only a little diminished when we realized the entire school’s chairs needed to be carried back from their haphazard stacks within the science room. Overall a solid effort on the seniors’ part, they cleaned nearly all of their pranks up after them.
SATs: April 13th 2022
Subjected to one of America’s most controversial assessments on April the 13th, known as the SATs, the junior class filed into the school library (the testing site) in a mix of anticipation and drowsiness, and out in a face of post-test exhaustion. Many rushed right out to meet the buses for sports, matching fried brains with athletic activity in a deadly combination that will undoubtedly result in a late afternoon nap.
Prom: May 29th 2022
OIHS’s first prom in three years was a night to remember thanks to our Junior class, namely class president Gray Gailey whose effort will not go unacknowledged, as she symbolically carried the better part of the event’s weight on her shoulders. With old Hollywood being this year’s theme, Odd Fellows Hall was adorned with slight vintages that beckoned students to identify inklings of nostalgia for an era they were not present, including a photo booth. Mijitas catered the event, leaving bellies full with delectable Mexican cuisine that made many nearly skip the after prom breakfast of much too many pancakes and sausages. As students jived the night away to a mix of 2000s pop and the closest resemblance to old Hollywood pop and rock that students would permit, teenage shenanigans ensued. As the night wound down, students parted ways, some arriving at smaller afterparties or crashing as soon as their head hit the pillow. Though the dance’s placement on a Sunday night was controversial, some may argue the best times of our lives are those we must remain alert for.