“It’s pretty much a club where people come together and share ideas about writing and poetry,” Ivy McCurdy, sophomore, said.

The club usually meets every other Friday after school, and according to McCurdy, it takes very little effort to join—you just have to show up.

“I joined because I had a really strong interest in writing, and I thought Writers’ Café would be a good start,” McCurdy said.

According to McCurdy, the club is laid-back and fun; everyone can be themselves and it is not too serious.

At their easy-going meetings, members often discuss upcoming literature festivals and ideas for future competitions and contests. The club has created events that give opportunities for the whole school to be involved. Previously, they have sponsored a poetry contest, and currently, they are hosting a short story competition.

Students may enter their original short story to Chanlynn Allen, English teacher, in Room 201, or to any executive Writers’ Café member, including juniors Todd Cochran, Michelle Blitch and Jed Scott.

“We will be judging on creativity, conventions, originality, voice and theme,” said Cochran, the club’s president.

If you have a love of literature and writing, Writers’ Café may be the simple place for you to have fun and enjoy yourself.

“We’re not shoving writing in your face,” McCurdy said. “You just need to enjoy writing.”

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Jaime Birzer

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is a club with the purpose of helping and supporting students in their lives while strengthening their faith and connection with God.

“I guess the goal of FCA is to promote Christian fellowship among—not just Christian athletes—but all students, and also to support each other as we try to grow in life,” Terry Wallace, FCA sponsor, said.

FCA meets every Monday after school at 3:15 p.m. in Wallace’s room.

“We usually watch a music video or listen to a Christian song, and then have a little lesson—usually about a Bible passage—and say what we think about it,” Jeff Doolittle, sophomore, said.

According to Wallace, students discuss how the lesson applies to their lives here at school or down the road.

Not only does FCA have meetings to promote Christian camaraderie, but the group also raises funds for trips and activities. Past excursions include concerts and baseball games. In fact, this Sunday, Feb. 20, they will be heading to Kansas City for the Winter Jam concert, which consists of 10 Christian bands, including Kutless and American Idol finalist Chris Sligh.

An annual activity is the end-of-year party.

“At the end of the school year, we spend four or five hours at the school on a Friday or Saturday night,” Wallace said.

The party is almost like a lock-in, minus the staying overnight. Members enjoy music, games, pizza and, of course, one another’s company.

For these students, it is enjoyable just to be with others who have similar beliefs and priorities.

“It’s good to spend time with other people who feel the same way you do about God,” Doolittle said.

And with a title like “The Fellowship of Christian Athletes” you may think that you must play a sport to participate, but Wallace assures that is not the case.

“It is nothing to join; anybody can show up,” Wallace said. “It’s not just for athletes.”

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Jaime Birzer

While the Cyclones’ wrestling team has had some problems gaining control up to this point, members feel good about their play so far.

“My performance had gotten better throughout the season—as I went to more practices,” Askar Herrera, junior, said.

Although practice is one of the utmost elements to improving one’s performance, another factor lies in the bond and association between teammates. For the Cyclones’ wrestling squad, it is the older, more experienced players that help motivate and teach the younger ones.

“The seniors are the leaders of the team, they get us so pumped up and ready to go,” sophomore Cale Paquette said.

One might say that it is a senior’s job to lead by example, and according to the team, this year’s seniors are not shy of taking on this role.

“We all look up to Robert, because he’s been to state, and we all have that same goal in mind,” Herrera said.

And whether they are dishing out advice or assisting each other during practice, the whole team is looking forward for the remainder of the season.

Wrestling regionals will be at Chanute High School on Feb. 18 and 19.

Varsity

Weight                                 Name                                    Win        Loss

112                         Cale Paquette                   10           15

119                         Hunter Peoples                                17           13

125                         Brandin Bell                        7              17

130                         Garrett Brown                   25           8

135                         Caleb Parenti                     10           17

140                         Mike Hack                           6              26

145                         Kevin Farrell                       19           13

152                         Askar Herrara                    3              11

160                         Connor Gross                    5              16

171                         Brock Benorden                               4              22

189                         Brandon Ott                       6              5

215                         Mickey Jensen                  9              19

285                         Robert Retzer                    27           6

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Jaime Birzer

The Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) is a club with the purpose of helping and supporting students in their lives while strengthening their faith and connection with God.

“I guess the goal of FCA is to promote Christian fellowship among—not just Christian athletes—but all students, and also to support each other as we try to grow in life,” Terry Wallace, FCA sponsor, said.

FCA meets every Monday after school at 3:15 p.m. in Wallace’s room.

“We usually watch a music video or listen to a Christian song, and then have a little lesson—usually about a Bible passage—and say what we think about it,” Jeff Doolittle, sophomore, said.

According to Wallace, students discuss how the lesson applies to their lives here at school or down the road.

Not only does FCA have meetings to promote Christian camaraderie, but the group also raises funds for trips and activities. Past excursions include concerts and baseball games. In fact, this Sunday, Feb. 20, they will be heading to Kansas City for the Winter Jam concert, which consists of 10 Christian bands, including Kutless and American Idol finalist Chris Sligh.

An annual activity is the end-of-year party.

“At the end of the school year, we spend four or five hours at the school on a Friday or Saturday night,” Wallace said.

The party is almost like a lock-in, minus the staying overnight. Members enjoy music, games, pizza and, of course, one another’s company.

For these students, it is enjoyable just to be with others who have similar beliefs and priorities.

“It’s good to spend time with other people who feel the same way you do about God,” Doolittle said.

And with a title like “The Fellowship of Christian Athletes” you may think that you must play a sport to participate, but Wallace assures that is not the case.

“It is nothing to join; anybody can show up,” Wallace said. “It’s not just for athletes.”

——
Jaime Birzer

Strains occur when the tiny fibers that compose the muscle begin to tear due to overextension or unnatural movement. The most susceptible muscles to strain are the large leg muscles, groin and lower back.

The leg muscles are big targets for strain because they are responsible for absorbing shock during activity, and they are used in situations that require movement of the entire body.  The thigh muscle, located on the front of the upper leg, is one of the most commonly strained muscles. In minor cases, an athlete is able to keep playing after straining this muscle, but more severe cases may prevent one from even moving the leg.

Senior Gene Dydell was out for about two weeks after experiencing a thigh strain during the last football game of this season.

“It was cold, and I just got hit,” Dydell said.

Looking back, Dydell said he might have been able to prevent the injury by staying warm and stretching. However, after the incident, Dydell was forced to stay off his leg and focus on recuperation.

“I stretched more, and then I iced it,” Dydell said, “But other than that, I couldn’t do anything else.”

Like the thigh, the hamstring is extremely vulnerable. This muscle, which extends the length of the back of the thigh bone, takes care of much of the normal hip and knee movement.  When not stretched correctly, one may experience a strain during activity if the muscle is asked to contract or shorten too aggressively; it may also tighten from inactivity.

Although not as common as a hamstring or thigh strain, the groin injury can be just as troublesome. The groin muscles are those heavily involved in turning and changing of direction. The many possible causes of a groin pull include lack of flexibility, poor groin strength, overuse, overstretching or sudden stress.

Another area that is an easy target for strains is the back—specifically the lower back and shoulders. As if its importance is not obvious enough, the back provides vital support for your spinal system. The lower back can be strained by overload, overuse or sudden abnormal movements. The most serious back strains can lead to an athlete sitting out for weeks, even months.

Since injuring his shoulder in wrestling, freshman Dalton Weidl has been rehabbing with weights and is now taking precautions for the future. After taking a break from the sport, Weidl said he will be sure to take it easy for a while.

“I’m probably not going to go as hard as I have been for the next couple months, then come back for baseball!” Weidl said.

Even though many muscles are prone to strain, there are ways of prevention as well.

A strain is most easily prevented by doing a great amount of stretching to make sure your body is completely ready before participating in a physical activity. Often times, young athletes do not stretch properly, or they skip a warm-up altogether. Failure to stretch or condition will leave you at a much higher risk of sprain, strain or pull. In the same way, rushing through a warm-up is practically useless and will leave one at a higher risk as well. It is vital for athletes to take the time to engage in a full, vigorous preparation to get muscles loose and limber; stretching correctly will prepare muscles for action and lower the probability of strain.

The most popular way for treating the common muscle strain is the RICE method: rest, ice, compress and elevate. This procedure will help keep swelling at bay and encourage the muscles to repair themselves naturally. But in between the icing and excuse for watching television all day, there are some products that may help battle the soreness. Gels or patches such as BioFreeze, BenGay and Icy Hot are made to cool and then heat the affected area to ease strained muscles and temporarily relieve pain.

For injuries that persist for extended periods of time or make movements unbearable, athletes should see a doctor for an assessment, as the muscle may be torn and not strained.

Though injuries are never 100-percent preventable, proper stretching, warm-ups and know-how are all factors that can lower an athlete’s risk. Remember: taking the time to play it safe will always be the number one way to keep you in the game for as long as possible!

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Jaime Birzer

The Hawks were without a doubt, not playing their best. Being one of the only three undefeated teams did not come by playing like that and thus, that title disappeared into thin air. Perhaps it was an off night, but in the world of NCAA basketball, off nights are not allowed.

Leading 35-23 at halftime, the Jayhawks were outscored 51-28 in the second half, making just eight of 30 shots.

All members of the Kansas basketball team agreed that their loss to Texas at Allen Fieldhouse was due to their own “less than spectacular” effort.

“I think we just had some mental lapses. I think it was more so us than them,” KU guard Tyshawn Taylor said. “It was just us missing assignments, not knowing what we were supposed to do, and they capitalized on it. Every time we made a mistake, they scored.”

The sad performance of the Jayhawks left everyone utterly shocked, Bill Self, Kansas Basketball coach, included.

“I think the second half, it was basically we bailed them out by not attacking them,” Self said. “I thought we played so conservative and passive in the second half. Post presence may be part of it, but also pretty poor play.”

So what caused the Jayhawks to only make 35.9 percent of their shots?  For one, it was the presence of the Texas’ 6-foot-8 freshman Tristan Thompson, who managed to get in five blocks and came into physical contact with several of the Hawks shots.

Kansas’ loss at Allen Fieldhouse brought their ranking down from No.-2 to 6 seed and took Texas No.-8 from 10.

This one’s a no-brainer after the Longhorns’ stunning comeback win at Kansas, but despite Texas’ lack of marquee names, they’re playing as well as anybody in the country and getting contributions from all five starters. The Jayhawks won’t get another shot at them until, potentially, the conference tourney, so Texas has now become the team to beat in the Big 12.

“I personally think Texas is really good —good enough to win a national championship. I really do. I think they’re one of the best five teams in the country right now, hands down.” Self said.

Jayhawk pride is understandably stinging after their first home loss in almost four years. But even if Kansas fails to earn yet another Big 12 regular-season crown, they’ve got too much talent to fall very far. The Morris twins and freshman Josh Selby will have Kansas in a great position by the conference tournament, where they’ll probably get a shot to avenge their loss to Texas. Either way, Kansas is still on track for a very high seed in March.

“You can’t take anything from them, but I think we beat ourself,” KU forward Marcus Morris said. “I think that’s the only thing that really happened is that we beat ourself out there.”

Many are saying it was a very sad loss, but indeed very humbling–and perhaps direly necessary.

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Danon Taylor

LaPlant has the right idea, in that hydration is key to athletes who wish to perform their best. During heavy activity, the human body loses significant amounts of water as sweat; taking in large quantities of water is necessary to refuel athletes and to keep them playing at the top of their game.

But today, there are many athletic drinks on the market whose aim is to restore this water loss as well as supply your body with other important nutrients it loses during a workout.

Sports drinks differ from water alone because they provide elements such as electrolytes and necessary sugars that are also lost during strenuous exercise. During demanding physical activity, the depletion of your body’s carbohydrate stores may cause you to become dehydrated, with effects ranging from reduced ability to perform to heat exhaustion or stroke. Athletic drinks help to replenish the body with the necessary nutrients, preventing such dehydration. Some of these important minerals include carbohydrates, sodium, potassium and antioxidants like vitamins E and C. Carbohydrates optimize hydration efficiency and deliver energy and water to muscles. A mix of complex and simple carbs provide quick and long lasting energy sources. Sodium and potassium both promote the absorption of water into the gut. Antioxidants boost the efficiency of working muscles.

There are many sports drinks available today, but not all are the same. Some offer adequate amounts of certain nutrients, but are lacking in others. It is important to read labels to find the drink that best suits you and your needs.

Some of the most popular sports drinks include Gatorade and Powerade. While the two drinks have small differences—Powerade boasts slightly higher levels of carbs and vitamins—they are undeniably very similar. Compared to water, these drinks will increase your athletic performance by supplying ready energy and good hydration during play, but due to high concentrations of carbs and inadequate amounts of protein, neither is very useful before or after exercise.

Though these two refreshments are alike, many students seem to prefer Gatorade.

“Not only does [Gatorade] have great flavors, it keeps me going and energized whether or not I’m diving for a volleyball or running up and down a soccer field,” Elisha Carlson, junior, said.

LaPlant also prefers Gatorade.

“It’s refreshing and it doesn’t leave a filmy aftertaste like Powerade does,” LaPlant said.

And still, despite all the popular advertised sports drinks, there is one, more common refreshment that research studies show as the best “post-exercise recovery aid”—chocolate milk. Due to its unique combination of calcium, protein and carbohydrates, chocolate milk provides the energy and nutrients an athlete needs to strengthen bones, rebuild muscle cells and recover quickly after vigorous play.

So while many sports drinks provide some valuable benefits when compared to water, not all are what they are hyped up to be. It is important to read the labels and choose wisely for the drink that is most suitable for you—keeping your body refreshed and your game at its peak.

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Jaime Birzer

So what if there was a way to for you to start getting in shape and healthy—while having fun?

Last year Ottawa High School received a grant to instill school programs that would promote the health and wellbeing of students. This year, the grant will allow students and faculty members to take Jazzercise classes and the opportunity to actually enjoy a workout.

Classes are taking place on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45-4:45 p.m. in the CTEC building; available now through the week before Spring Break. They are instructed by Veronda Mourning, owner of Jazzercise in downtown Ottawa.

Now you may be wondering: what is Jazzercise? First of all, do not be deceived by the name. It is not a dance class where you twirl and sway to jazz music. In fact, there is really no jazz involved.

Jazzercise is a combination of dance, stretching and callisthenic-type moves put to upbeat music.

Cherry Coen, culinary teacher at OHS, said you will hear all kinds of music in the class, including Bruce Springsteen, Justin Timberlake and Justin Bieber.

“The instructor plays a good variety,” Coen said, “and she’ll try and see if we know who is singing.”

Each series of moves will build your heart rate and work in your cardio. Sometimes, you even incorporate free weights with your moves.

“We work up a good sweat,” Coen said. “It’s a really good workout.”

One unique thing about Jazzercise is that it can be doable for anyone—despite your preferred pace of exercise. Mourning shows different levels of workout and can adjust the moves to make them accessible for each person.

The class is available for all students and faculty members. So far, the highest number of attendees has been 12, and there is always room for more.

“I’m really happy with the turnout so far,” Coen said.

So if you are looking for an enjoyable way to exercise this New Year, or perhaps just searching for something to do after school, you could give Jazzercise a try.

“It’s a lot of fun!” Coen said.

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Jaime Birzer

Most of our students and town are excited for the huge crowds of people at games, the smell of popcorn and the sound of the buzzer echoing in the gym.

Some people go to the games simply just for the atmosphere itself! It is an added bonus that our are a good group of players and are fun to watch.

“I’m very excited for basketball. The gym gets packed at the games, and the band is playing music to cheer on the teams. There is nothing I don’t like about it. The atmosphere is just amazing.” Ryan Maxwell, junior, said.

Not just high school students attend the basketball games. A lot of the community gets involved and usually there is a large amount of younger children in the Cyclone Room. The little kids are full of anticipation as they roam about the cyclone room dreaming of the day they have the opportunity to stand in the student section or play on the court and make a winning shot.  

“As a manager, a close game is always really exciting and intense. I love being able to look over and see a loud, strong crowd cheering on Ottawa.” Tabitha McPheron, junior, said.

Most of the basketball players have been playing a large chunk of their life and have been preparing for the season, and for some, their last high school season.

“I’m definitely excited because it is my senior year, and I will be able to figure out where I am going to college. I think the season will go good because we have a lot of talent. It will just depend on if everyone excepts their roles on the team.” Adam Hasty, senior, said.

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Tayler Guge

“I think we did really well in our season. There are improvements that need to be made for next season, but that is expected to happen. I think that we just need to practice practice to fill in our mistakes we have made,” sophomore Paige Weidner said.

They obviously had a great season with the record of 29-11, though unfortunately, Weidner said they copped out at the last of their games for the season.

“I think that maybe some of us were a little intimidated before we started and I think that the whole day we were playing more reserved than we should have. We just did not give it our all in those last minutes,”  junior Jaime Birzer said.

With such a great season comes along a lot of great memories, even though they did not play the best they could have at the end, they can still look back and say they had a pretty satisfying, illuminating and memorable season.

“There are a lot of memories that are amazing, but I would have to say my favorite memory is senior night, when we got to wear our pink jerseys,” Weidner said.

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Tayler Guge