By Michael Ravas

Studying… everyone hates to do it, but in the long run does it actually help you? Let me give you a first hand experience of how studying might help me make honor roll for the 3^rd quarter. For my science this year I took anatomy and physiology. It is one of the hardest classes you will ever take in your life. So I have had a C all throughout this quarter but I recently had a test that could push me over the 85% barrier and I knew this was my last chance for me to get a B. So I hit the books and studied and studied and studied until I knew everything I needed to know for the test. What was the final result for the hard work, a 91% and my grade jumped up to a 87% and now I will have a B for this quarter. So when you think studying may never help you, but when I studied for this test, it helped my grade tremendously.

By Rachael Cummings

For nearly a century, the National Forensic League has provided meaningful recognition and support for high school students who wish to excel in speech and debate. Forensics programs and resources are intended to motivate and inspire students to reach their full potential, and establish standards for the entire body of competitors of speech and debate across the nation.

OLSH’s Forensics program has done just that. Coaches and those involved with OLSH’s Forensics program consist of Ms. Long and Mrs. Cerchairo who set up tournaments for the students to attend. Tournaments are held on Saturdays and after-school throughout the year (October through March). Forensics tournaments consist of longs days and hard work, starting as early as 7:30 a.m. until as late as 5:30p.m., where competitors gather to receive awards to conclude the tournament. A lot of work goes into preparing for tournaments; OLSH students meet every Tuesday from 2:30-4:40 for practice to prepare of upcoming tournaments. Some categories that the students have a chance to participate in are the following: Prose, Poetry, Oratory, Duo, Congress, Impromptu, Humorous, Dramatic, Extemporaneous Speaking, PF Debate, and LD Debate.

The OLSH Forensics students have competed in as many as 10 different tournaments this year, traveling to different local schools around the area. They have competed in at high schools such as Quigley, North Catholic, Bethel Park, Upper Saint Claire, Pine Richland, West Allegheny, etc… Many of the students have placed throughout these tournaments. To get a look at what OLSH competitions are like at a Forensics tournament, we will take a look at the North Allegheny tournament a few weeks back. The tournament, which held 630 students from schools all around the Pittsburgh area, Erie, and West Virginia, “upped” the competition for OLSH students. Freshman, Jake Dickey broke to finals, ending up placing sixth out of 41 competitors in Poetry/Prose. Senior, Ellen DiMartini, also competed in Poetry/Prose finished in the top half of the pack. Sophomore Oscar Matous competed in Humorous Interpretation and just missed qualifying for the final round for that tournament weeks back.

More recently, Jacob Dickey, Oscar Matous, and Ellen DiMartini competed in the District Forensics Tournament the weekend of February 23^rd. Ellen DiMartini finished 5^th in Prose, Oscar Matous finished 5^th in Humorous Interpretation, and Jacob Dickey 4^th in Poetry and is now an alternate to the State Forensics tournament. A lot of hard work goes into forensics and the OLSH students definitely put forth the hard work to place well in these tournaments. Freshman Jacob Dickey adds, “It’s been a good year so far and we are always looking for more students to join us!” Great job to all the OLSH Forensics students and good luck in upcoming tournaments!

On October 28^th, the students from the OLSH Clarion newspaper staff teamed up with the “Make-A-Wish” foundation to put together a very spooky and fun-filled haunted house. The Haunted Hallway was set up masterfully by the Clarion staff with the help of many other volunteers  which included parents, teachers, and even other students. The maze was intertwined throughout the senior commons upper and lower levels and included some very scary monsters within its limits.   In the cafeteria, there was plenty of good food and drinks to munch on after escaping the maze and its frightening fiends. The Garbera Family also hosted a “Make-A-Wish”  Chinese Auction full of great prizes. If one ventured down the long hall and into the music hallway, the horrific sights and sounds of the zombie infested  “Little Shop of Horrors” and Audrey, the giant man-eating plant would terrorize any brave soul that came by.  Also hiding in the dark were a wicked witch, who shared her fleshy feast and President Lincoln reminisced about his famous haunts.A lot of money was raised in OLSH’s efforts on Friday. The Clarion raised 580 dollars from door admission and the Chinese Auction and refreshments made over 700 dollars for the “Make-A-Wish” Foundation.  This major success of course would not have been possible without the a lot help and the OLSH Clarion staff would like to send out a special thanks to all these volunteers.