Tuesday, December 10

Table tennis backspins its way around OHCHS by Riley Chickering

If you walked past the OHCHS gym on Friday, Nov. 15, the sights and sounds were different than that of a normal afternoon. Oxford Hills senior Ty Martin worked for more than a week setting up a ping pong tournament that resulted in more than 25 students and two teachers competing for the "Golden Paddle" on Friday afternoon.
It was a very intense atmosphere. There was a lot of competition, but there was also a lot of fun and every match ended in smiles. The tournament was capped off by two great matches between runner-up Cam Letourneau and victor Matt Beauchesne. 
Over the past couple weeks, ping pong has quickly become a very popular activity at the school. Students are grabbing every chance to play - before school, skipping lunch and signing out of study halls to go play a quick pick-up game.
When physical education teacher Cindy Goddard was asked about the new trend she said, “I found it quite remarkable that students would ask to come play ping pong and do it without interrupting the PE class. The students were able to be active in the game and did not need direct supervision,” Goddard said.
The impressive part of Friday's event was that it was organized and run entirely by students. Putting on an event at the high school is no easy task but they did a great job as evidenced by the turnout. After the tournament, Ty Martin said, “I had a lot of fun, and I think everybody involved had a lot of fun. I can’t wait to do it again sometime."

Photo by Brewster Burns
READY TO RETURN - Crystal West competes in a match against Luke Davidson.


Photo by Brewster Burns
EYES ON BALL - Nick Bowie gets ready to return a ball during a game of table tennis at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School. Students have taken a sudden interest in the game recently.


Photo by Brewster Burns

Taking photos is a snapshot of his dedication by Jake Allen, Riley Chickering and Shannon Kriger

11/21/13


Passion and dedication are two traits that Brewster Burns possesses.
Burns has been a teacher at OHCHS for 25 years. He has been head of the English department for the past 16, and he photographs school events, including sports and dances. 
How does an individual who is the head of a department, a teacher, and a completely booked photographer manage to do all that is required of them in a day?  
Says Burns, “[photography is] ..a full bore hobby. I contain it... barely.” 
Burns, who has been taking photos for a total of 16 years, describes how this interest began. 
“I remember when Scott Tiner was the tech guy here back in 1997 when the building first opened up. I remembered he had a digital camera, and I got to try it out for a weekend.”  This was Burns first experience with such a high powered camera and his love for taking photographs has grown exponentially since that one weekend years ago.  
When asked if there was one specific photograph that sparked this love, Burns turned around to his desk and retrieved a photo off the wall. 
“This photo right here, it’s a photo I took the weekend I borrowed the camera, my first digital picture.” The photo is of his daughter on that weekend. Burns will take his photography to the next level this year. He is one of the three lucky teachers to receive an Aspirations Grant. The Aspiration Grants were given by the Oxford Hills Scholarship Foundation. According to SAD 17 superintendent Rick Colpitts it is meant to “provide seed money for teachers to motivate them for professional or personal growth.” 
The Oxford Hills Scholarship Foundation hopes to give away close to $300,000 in scholarships this year to graduating seniors. The staff awards went to three teachers this past year. The number of applicants for scholarships next year and the scholarship funds ability to pay will determine how many recepients there will be in 2014, potentially translating into more or larger aspiration grants for teachers. Burns knew just what he would do with the grant. He used the money to purchase two professional grade camera lenses he had wanted to get. The two lenses, one being for portrait shots and the other for moving frames, exceeded the given amount of the $4,000 grant. 
When asked about what qualities contribute to his being able to be a successful photographer, Burns replied, “I love to create, you have to love to create. My weakness isn’t my attention to detail. It’s my ability to focus. You never know where the shot is going be. You just never know.”
Burns explained that if he spots something, and he can envision a photograph of it, then he’s thinking like a photographer.  
Another big part of his motivation has to do with where he falls on the Myers Briggs scale. 
"I’m a strong ENFP (extrovert, intuitive, feeling, perceptive), which means I like things that are creative and open ended. Photography is kind of the perfect thing to create and make." 
Though he is clearly passionate about taking photos, he declared that his ultimate goal is to follow a group of children from kindergarten to the end of their high school experience and record them with photos and interviews. Mr. Burns passion for this project is conspicuous, and he already feels committed to these students who he has yet to meet. 
Brewster Burns has had a lot of interests in his life. Now it’s photography. "This is probably the longest I've been passionate about the same thing in my life,” he observed. “I'll keep doing it until the next shiny object comes up.” 

Brewster Burns





Books Feed Readers and the OHCHS Library by Jake Allen

11/21/13


Beginning Nov. 18, the OHCHS library will be having a book fair to raise money for the library. The fair will be open to the public. All that is required is a quick sign in at the kiosk located at the main entrance of the school. 
The books come from the warehouse at Scholastic. The books have a total retail value of between $15,000 and $17,000. This is the first year that the library is trying this,
“This is kind of a trial run. If it goes well, we’ll do it again next year," says assistant librarianJennifer Grover.
The books range from "Diary of a Wimpy Kid"  to Simpsons' Special Edition Comics to books such as "The Fear and Lockdown." There is something for just about anyone of any age who wants a good book to keep them company during the coming cold months.
  Assistant Librarian Jennifer Grover says in regards to there being no set money goal, “I really don’t since it’s the first one, but enough to get some more books for the library.” 
There will be between $15-000 and $17,000 worth of books. That gets you a lot of different options to choose from. Take advantage of this variety from Monday through Friday Nov. 18- 22, and help OHCHS at the same time.

BOOK SALE - Books ready for the book fair at OHCHS. 

Acclaimed author shares stories of Africa by Jake Allen

11/14/13
On Friday Nov. 8, at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS), published author Terry Farish came to talk about some of the places that we otherwise wouldn’t hear about on the news. The Norway Memorial Library sponsored Farish to come to OHCHS to talk about her experiences in places such as Vietnam, Esabalu, Nyrobi and the Kakuma refugee camp in Africa. and to teach a writing workshop.
After Teen Librarian Cynthia Riley finished her introduction, Farish describied her first job. She worked with the Red Cross during the Vietnam war.
“I was so young,” remembered Farish. "I was very eager to work hard. I went with a lot of commitment to the job, and it affected me for the rest of my life.”
Having been a writer since the young age of 10, Farish began writing about her experiences. These writings have become novels and nonfiction pieces about refugees. Her latest book, “A Good Braider,” recently won the Lupine Award for Young Adult Readers. It is a story about a Sudanese girl named Viola and her journey to the United States.
Using a mixture of slides, video, stories, and excerpts from her book, Farish spoke to around 125 students and a few staff members. Farish wanted to motivate kids to be more active in events in the world. Many said afterward they didn’t know anything about what has been going on in these countries.
Said Farish, “I think I’m telling [the students] things that take a long time to place in their lives, maybe things they haven’t considered before. Americans don’t know what it likes to be in war [on their own continent].”
Some students were genuinely moved by the presentation. Some people just didn’t understand. One individual in the audience started talking about how [the refugees] should “just go home,” after learning that Portland is as an official Refugee Resettlement City.
Whether Farish heard this or not is unclear not, but a few moments later she said, “These people are desperately homesick.” She went on to explain that people who are refugees would not be in the United States if not for war and wanting to give their children the opportunity to go to school, have friends and be safe.
When asked why she has been focusing her attention on educating high school students about the horrific wars and conditions in many countries, Farish said, “It’s because I can still relate to my teenage self.”
Farish followed up the presentation with an afternoon writing workshop for around 25 creative writing students. Her goal was to give the students new ways to think about writing their own stories. She plans to work with them over the next month or two via email so they can finish their pieces.
The Norway Memorial Library will host a public reading on Jan. 16, when Farish will speak about her experiences and read excerpts from her book, “The Good Braider.” Students who worked with her at OHCHS will have an opportunity to read their own work, which began with a few slides, some talking, a video and a slice of story from Africa.

Photo by Pamela Chodosh
(From left to right) OHCHS Creative Writing teacher, Pamela Chodosh; Author Terry Farish; Teen Librarian at Norway Memorial Library, Cynthia Riley.

Students plan Becca Mason Benefit Supper by Kirsten Corey

In January of 2012 Becca Mason of West Paris was killed in a tragic car accident. The death of this young girl left many people devastated. Two of those people, Ryan Samson and Shelby Guilford, close friends of Becca’s, would like to have her memorialized with pages in the OHCHS school yearbook. They feel very strongly that she deserves these pages because she would’ve graduated this year.  
Because the high school does not have the funds needed to help with this project, Guilford and Samson are hosting a dinner in honor of Becca.   
The dinner is at the South Paris Fire Hall on Nov. 10, from 5 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. The entrance fee will be $6, and $2 for veterans. All additional donations will aid in getting Becca commemorated in the yearbook.
In addition to the dinner, there will also be a place to write, as if you were really writing, in Becca’s yearbook. These commemorative pages will go into the yearbook as well.
If you had any connection to Becca or want to support Guilford and Samson's efforts in this difficult task, come to the South Paris Fire Hall on Nov. 10.

Aspirations Lab: The Man Behind It by Rebekah Fleck and Jasmine Roy

11/7/13

“This is a great opportunity not only for the students, but for me as well,” Sean Merz Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School’s current Aspirations Lab coordinator says, “It’s good to be back home and helping students the way I was helped."

Merz is the first person to work at the Aspirations Lab who is a graduate of OHCHS. This is Merz’s first year experiencing the job and he isn’t afraid to admit that he’s a little overwhelmed. Merz said, “I am definitely out of my comfort zone, but I am excited to help all of the students.” 
Not too long ago, Merz was a student himself. He graduated from OHCHS in 2009, having been born in Norway and living in South Paris for the rest of his childhood years. Merz attended Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where he majored in Mathematics and minored in Economics. Merz says that his hope is to help seniors with applications for a 2 or 4 year college, the military, or just plans to be successful after high school. 

There wasn’t an Aspirations Lab when Merz attended Oxford Hills, so the idea of it is new for him. Being fresh out of college, Merz isn’t necessarily sure where he’s going to be in the next  5 or 10 years, so as he is doing this job he is also using it to help himself find out what he wants to do. He says, “I didn’t know what I wanted to do in High School, and I still don’t, so I am using this opportunity to help figure out what my next steps are.”  

Maureen Howard, who is the the Director of the Oxford Hills Community Education Exchange, started the Aspirations Lab. After the first year, Howard wrote grants to FAME (Financial Authority of Maine). FAME funds a person to be there five days a week. This is FAME’s last year of funding the program, so they are going to have to find someone else to fund it for next year. 

There have been 4 workers in the Aspirations Lab so far, all of which have been younger men and women, who graduated from college not too long ago. The whole purpose behind hiring younger people is because they are more familiar with the current financial aid situations and with choosing colleges. Howard said, “We are so lucky we’ve had such bright young men and women. They are all really bright and caring.”
The Aspirations Lab is open to any student at OHCHS, and is quite popular amongst seniors. Merz feels that it is a great place for students to evaluate what their post-secondary plans are, along with students being able to prepare for future-based exams such as the SAT’s and FAFSA. 
To promote the Aspirations Lab, Merz will be attending English classes throughout the school and explaining what he does and what the Aspirations Lab is. Guidance counselors have been very helpful as well with sending students to the Aspirations Lab. Also, he says that students are welcome to just walk in. 

When asked how he got this job, Merz explained that he had received a phone call from Howard asking him if he would be interested in applying for the job. She thought he would be a good candidate. After receiving the job offer, Merz didn’t really know all that much about the Aspirations Lab, but after looking into it and seeing what he would be doing, he decided to apply, and of course got the job. Howard commented on Merz’s work so far saying, “Sean is doing such a good job and is so conscientious."

Lacey Ryder, a member of the OHCHS Graduating Class of 2013 said, “I went to the Aspirations Lab a ton of times my Junior and Senior years. My Junior year I participated in a very helpful SAT prep course that was offered through the Aspiration Lab. My Senior year I went to the Aspiration Lab for help with choosing which schools to apply to, college applications, FAFSA info. and applications, scholarship applications, etc. Not only did I get a lot of help in the Aspirations Lab with writing essays for my college and scholarship applications, I was also able to get assistance with creating a resume and doing practice interviews before I applied for my summer job.”

Howard looks forward to the success of the Aspirations Lab; for both students and staff, and she encourages and welcomes all students to take advantage of this great opportunity.


Sean Merz, South Paris native and the new Aspirations Lab Coordinator


Theater at Monmouth comes to OHCHS by Kirsten Corey

Last Wednesday, Theater at Monmouth brought "Twelfth Night" to Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School and performed for almost 250 students. Most were from the high school, but there were also some elementary aged students present. 
The play "Twelfth Night" remained the way Shakespeare intended it to be but with a few modern twists. There was early '90s rock played to accompany the performance as well as a modern college set. The costuming was modern as well, but the language remained true to the script. The actors said their reason for doing this was to make it easier for teens to connect to Shakespeare.
During the performance teens laughed and were silent at just the right times. At one point they were sent into a chatter about a controversial situation. For those that have seen this play before, it was the part when Olivia falls in love with “Cesario,” who is really Viola dressed as a man. When the audience figured out what was going on, they all started talking to one another about the situation. Everyone was clearly engaged in the performance.
It was apparent the actors were more than happy to be involved in the play. The way they held themselves and appeared confident was very inspiring. 
Actress Rylee Doiron from Farmington, who played Olivia, said, “I love performing Shakespeare because his style is so sophisticated. I’m really quite an awkward person and I’m not very good at speaking. When I perform Shakespeare I feel much more literate and sophisticated. It’s also a lot of fun to tell a story and express your feelings through acting.” 
Another actor named Alex Pagels, who is from New York City, played Sir Toby. He connected doing this play for high school students around the state to his own experiences. He didn’t start performing until his junior year of high school. It was seeing live performances at his school that inspired him to begin a career in acting. “I saw Shakespeare when I was in high school. Actors came to perform for us and I loved it! When you act, you hope you give students the same great experiences you had.” 
As the play progressed, the audience became more and more intrigued, especially during the unveiling of the love aspect of the plot. The performance ended with the students applauding with great enthusiasm. Normally reading Shakespeare is something students detest, but seeing it performed live changed their outlook on the language. 
Everyone in audience was clearly affected by this performance and appreciated having the chance to see a Shakespearean play come to life. 

Photo by Pamela Chodosh
SHAKESPEARE AT OHCHS — A dramatic moment at the beginning of "Twelfth Night" at OHCHS.    

New teacher lives on a five year trajectory by Chelsea Rugg

“I can’t speak,” was the first thing the new Advanced Communications (AdCom) teacher at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) had to say in an interview with the journalism class. “There’s a reason I’m usually behind the camera.”
He lived in Baltimore but left to live in Maine after finding a job here. By teaching at OHCHS, Benica took a “slight pay-cut” to be here. He, his parents and two brothers had lived in the Camden/Rockport area of Maine while he was young, but his family moved to Pennsylvania to be with his sick grandmother.
Finding a girl to marry who was willing to move to Maine was the first thing that Benica said had to be done. He did, although he and his wife have never planned more than five years ahead in their lives together. They like to “live in the day that it is.”
One of the things he likes about living in Maine is that he can tell his two kids to “come home when the street lights come on, not that there are street lights here,” rather than have to watch them constantly as he did in Baltimore.
In high school, Benica wanted to be an engineer, but he has since gotten his master's degree in film, electronic media and motion graphics. He has made full length movies, music videos, commercials, animations and worked in news and photo journalism.
Although his favorite job has been teaching, Benica said that his “biggest professional successes” were being nominated for two emmys: one for photojournalism, one for an animated documentary called “Gilded Age Gladiator,” for which he also received another award from Ralph Bakshi, a director of animation and live-action films.
Benica taught at American University which is also where he went to college. Teaching has been the best medicine for his fear or dislike of being the center of attention. Benica described himself as being “exceedingly shy.” According to him, the real key is knowing what you’re talking about. He says if not, you should act like you do, or if you are teaching, be honest but find the answer the student needs.
AdCom at OHCHS right now is mostly about teaching students to make short film, but Benica hopes to make the class more his own as he just took over teaching it. Although it may take a few years, he believes that the class should include documentaries, all types of media and especially news because he believes that that is where most of the jobs that relate to his curriculum in Maine are.
Benica’s wife teaches students with disabilities at the University of Southern Maine. Benica himself has a second job working weekends at WMTW doing photojournalism. Although he hasn’t had much free time since he moved to Maine, he did say that he loves “the Maine way of life.”
When asked if he planned to stay in Maine,  Benica could only answer with “ask me again in five years.”

Rob Benica

Golf team swings into KVAC championship by Jordan Schorr

On Oct. 8, the Golf Team of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, coached by Michael Grace, took home an award. Having gone all season undefeated, OHCHS golf team qualified for KVAC’s and were to play against fifteen to sixteen different teams from all over the state. With their determination the team won the 2013 KVAC Championships!
“I am very happy and proud because all their hard work and practice paid off,” said Grace. “It shows them that perseverance does have its rewards.”
Grace has been coaching for ten years and enjoys the game of golf himself, and has seen the three seniors play for all four years of high school.
“It is always tough to see your seniors go because you have gotten to know them well over four years but it is so much fun seeing how much they grow and change over that period,” stated Grace.
This year's seniors consist of Benjamin Morton, Thomas Lentz, and Briana Morris. The other members of the team are Christopher Burns, Cameron Letourneau, Mac Kim, Kenny Kozak,  and Trey Dekutoski. Out of these eight golfers, five made it to Individuals which took place on Oct. 19. There are no teams during Individuals. Instead 15 people from KVACs play against Southern Maine Athletic Association (SMAA) to determine who the best golfers in the state are.
“I hoped for the best but I was willing to except the worst. But, I knew it was going to be heck of a time and I couldn’t wait!” says Morris.
Morris made it to individuals and is the only girl on the OHCHS Golf team. All of the guys call her “supportive” and Morton said that “she helps [them] get less aggravated” and that she does a good job.
“Guys can be guys, but I got used to it,” responded Morris.
Morris has been on the golf team for two years and has always been the only girl.
She said that “being the only girl on the team last year, 2012, really got to her." “[But] all of us get along so well together, I wouldn't want to change my team for the world.”
Morris started golfing when she was 5 years old. “Golf is a very independent and mental sport,” said Morris, which compliments her personality. She said of the team they are serious when they need to be, but they always have a great laugh when necessary.
The OHCHS team is happy to have made it to States. They placed 5th overall, but many team members thought they could’ve played better. Individual matches went well for the five players, with Morris placing 6th in the state.
Although States was really discouraging for the eight students who competed, they still managed to pick their heads up and continue on to Individuals. 
Says Morris, “Getting down on yourself doesn't do anything good for you. You need to focus on the next shot and don't get mad about the previous.”

Photo by Brewster Burns
CHAMPIONS - Group photo of the OHCHS Golf team. Left to right: Mac Kim, Christopher Burns, Cameron Letourneau, Briana Morris, Benjamin Morton, Thomas Lentz, Kenny Kozak and Trey Dekutoski.
Photo by Brewster Burns
PLAQUE SAYS IT ALL - The 2013 Golf Team holds the plaque they received after becoming the KVAC Champions.

OHCHS cell phone policy changes by Chelsea Rugg

For the past few years at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS), the school policy for students regarding cell phone use has been that cellphones are to be put away during classes, unless students have specific permission from the teacher of the class to use them, but they may use them during lunch and passing periods. If a teacher saw a student’s phone out or being used, during class time, not just in the classroom, the student would be asked to put it away or it would be taken away by the teacher. For repeated instances, students would be sent to the office.
This year at OHCHS there is a new addition to the cell phone policy: students can either opt to put the phone away, or put it in a “cell phone bin,” which every classroom has. If a student does choose to put his or her phone away but still uses it, teachers will usually ask the student to put the phone away again, or the student will be made to put the phone into the cell phone bin, depending on the teacher.
If students repeatedly use their phones in class, they will be sent to the office. Their phones will be held for the remainder of the day and they will receive further consequences, such as detentions, parent meetings and/or loss of cell phone privileges at school.
Although the policy isn’t entirely new, administrators decided that they would start more actively enforcing the rules they already have. Bins were placed in every classroom to ease the struggle some still have with being distracted by their phones.
Most teachers, when asked to comment, have said only that the bins don’t get used much but that they create a greater motivation for students not to use the phones. For those who know that they will struggle with not using their phones, the bins are useful. Teachers believe that there has been less cell phone use this year, although most students don’t actually utilize the bin.
Ultimately, if students start to use their cell phones again and disregard this rule, the school will become more restrictive.

CELL PHONE BINS — Cell phone bins are available in each classroom at OHCHS

Attendance: Yay or Nay? by Julie DiFazio

When high school students consider being late, they normally don’t think of the consequences. However, this year at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) there’s a new practice in place that shows the students what happens if they slack off. Due to lots of recent unexcused-tardies the administration has put up new rules against being late too many times.
  While it is a new policy many people don’t actually know about it. The few teachers that do know about this new policy, including Mike Morrell, say “it holds students accountable.” Teachers and administers think that if students do not arrive at school on time, they should have to face the punishment. It takes away from valuable teaching and learning time. One student, who has a tendency to be late a lot, said if she knows she’s going to be late she just doesn’t bother coming to school at all to “avoid dealing with the kiosk and the new program.” There are some downfalls to this new program. While it makes students fall into line, it takes up a lot of administrations time.
Once a student reaches a certain amount of unexcused-tardies they have to visit the office and their names on a detention list. Most students don’t purposely try to be late more than four times but some are just unlucky. John Springer, one of the assistant principals, says that the “growing list” of unexcused tardies and absences is “frustrating.” Some might agree with him if they were to see the number of people who walk in the door late. One thing that is nice about the program is that the number of unexcused tardies resets every quarter, and the students will be able to learn to get to school on time.
Arriving at school on time used to be something some students took lightly. While most students follow the rules, there are now a few unlucky ones who have had to learn quickly. It is hoped that the new policy will improve attendance.


Colleen Holden greets students at the kiosk just inside the high school's front door.

Local senior selected for National Honor Choir by Kelsey Mills

“If you feel like you're good enough to sing and perform, just go out there and reach out to people.” This comes from Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School senior Amy Peet and she sure knows what being good is.
After sending in a video-audition and letter about her musical experience, including her being in Maine’s All-State Choir last year as a Junior, Peet has been selected as a member of the 2013 All-National Honors Ensemble. The Ensemble is sponsored by the National Association for Music Education (NAfME). 
The NAfME organization includes a concert band, symphony orchestra, jazz ensemble, and mixed chorus. Peet performed with the mixed chorus as a soprano. The chorus has around 350 singers, and all four ensembles will perform in front of an audience of thousands for the gala concert in Nashville's Presidential Ballroom of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel.
Peet is one of 12 students selected for this honor from Maine. She joined more than 670 of the most musically gifted high school students in the United States for a gala concert onOct. 30 in Nashville. 
All chosen performers prepared challenging music pieces and performed under the leadership of four of the United States' most prominent conductors. 
When she received the award, Peet was “really excited and [almost] jumping up and down.” Having started choir in fifth grade, Peet has been singing since she was very young. She participated in All-States last year. Peet's main instruments are the flute and piccolo, and she has been playing these since fifth grade also. She is now learning to play guitar, tuba, and oboe. 
Peet has been working toward the goal of being in the National Honor Choir since the start of her high school career. Dennis Boyd, her music teacher, has been helping her.
“It is important to know that Amy has done the bulk of the work. Amy is a largely self-directed learner,” Boyd says. “I am proud of Amy and of the choral department we have. All of the students perform at the best of their ability.”

Photo by Jill Piper
OHCHS student and singer, Amy Peet

Reading flash mob at Norway Memorial Library by Julie DiFazio

“The community should be able to see that teens are good,” Cynthia Riley, Teen Services Coordinator of NML (Norway Memorial Library), said when asked what the Flash Mob reading event was about. The flash mob reading event happened on Wednesday, October 16th on the front lawn of the library. This is the second year the event has taken place.
Riley, who has hosted it for the past two years, believes that reading for pleasure should be emphasised more in the community. The flash mob was planned in the middle of YALSA (Young Adult Library Services Association) Teen Read Week and the theme this year encourages students to seek adventure at their library. It opens doors to go places and to escape.
Even though she’s recently moved from Fisher’s Island, New York, Riley has been very active in the community. She sponsored the Destiny Africa Children’s Choir, which is a group of Ugandan children who share their stories through dancing, and is trying to make a connection with the school. She hopes that the flash mob will continue to be something that happens and that it will make the parents as well as communities see that reading is important.
Riley worked with Brewster Burns, an English teacher at Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School (OHCHS) to coordinate the event. It happened to fall on a good day as the sophomores and juniors had to take PSAT’s on the same day so it was a break from testing. While the event only lasted for 30 minutes, the message still stands: reading is fun and exciting and it hopes to boost encouragement for many young, and old, readers.


The Flash Mob is an event that many hope will inspire more kids to read for fun because it can take you places. It can also show the community that teens are well-mannered and polite. There are hopes for a flash mob event every year so that it’ll inspire more kids to read for fun and for the community to also get active in the role of reading for pleasure.

Photo by: Brewster Burns

Students from OHCHS take part in the flash mob reading event on October 16th. 

Tough game fosters "family" atmosphere for OHCHS girls soccer team by Jordan Schorr

  South Paris - On Friday, September 20th, the Oxford Hills Lady Vikings Varsity Soccer Team took to the field at the Gouin Complex with an enthusiasm equal to that of their family and friends who were on the sidelines. With both wins over the Mt. Blue Cougars 2-1 and the Lewiston Blue Devils 4-2, on the team’s shoulders, they were ready to defeat Hampden Academy.
The start of the game involved equal playing ability and aggression. Although Hampden Academy is ranked high in the state, they were no match for Lauren Emery, OHCHS junior center defender. Making many great plays with light touches, Emery booted the ball halfway across the field for an attempted shot on goal on opposing team member No. 8 Sami Bowler. As the game continued, Mikayla Morin dribbled circles around the Hampton players with great speed and determination, but there were no goals. At one point, Morin got so aggravated, she took her anger out on No. 15, Sarah Richards, causing Hampden Academy to get an free indirect kick.
Oxford Hills held Hampden Academy at the half field mark for a good part of the game.There was only one break away by Hampden’s Kerry Quigley, No. 25. Her shot on goal was saved by OHCHS sophomore goalkeeper Samantha Bickford.
Offensively, the Oxford Lady Vikings managed to cross the ball over the field twelve different times, and made many attempts on Hampden goalie Bowler. Morin also made a handful of great corner kicks, but they were just short of the desired destination in front of the goal.
At the end of both 40 minute halves, the score between Hampden Academy and Oxford Hills was still 0-0. They went into what both teams hoped would be a single five minutes of overtime. Both teams were amped up to be the first to score. OHCHS player Nicole Zufelt encouraged her fellow teammates to “keep going, ladies!”
At the end of this overtime, the score was still 0-0, with both teams going strong. Unfortunately after a second five minutes of play, the buzzer went off and the final score at was 0-0. Even so, Samantha Bickford jumped with a feeling of victory.
The tie against Hampden Academy pushed Oxford Hills up to 4th place in the Division I ranking of girls’ high school soccer. Coach Truman was very proud.
Truman said, “The team played with the heart and effort that I had hoped for, and we showed that we can compete with a top level team.” Truman is new to coaching the girls’ varsity team  this year, replacing three year coach Courtney Sirois
“It is a big change, especially for the seniors who have had [Sirois] all the way through. But I think change can be good sometimes,” explains Zufelt.“Our team has overcome a lot these past few weeks, and we feel like family.”

Photo by: Brewster Burns
 Mikayla Morin, OHCHS junior mid-fielder, goes head to head with number 23 from Hampden Academy, during a hotly contested game this past weekend