The Pirate Press

Senior Kathryn Varland singing the National Anthem

Oh Say Can You Sing?

Senior Kathryn Varland captivated the football field Friday night, August 26, as she sang the national anthem alongside choir director Spencer Rockford. Varland was recently elected choir president, and she is a member of concert choir as well as jazz choir. This was Varland’s third time singing the national anthem at an OHS sporting event. She said “It is kind of scary, but very rewarding.”…

Read more → September 23, 2016 1:37am
Kacie Cusick

New Band Director

The new band director Andrew Jacobi marched to Ottawa High to fill the shoes of retired director Sarah Reckmeyer. Jacobi… Read more →

Band

The rain at the first football game put a damper on the usual half-time show. The band still played in the courtyard, pl… Read more →

Band Practice

Seniors Amy Vandervelde, Tyler Angus, Andrew Felty, Grace Russell, Wyatt Anderson and Natalie-Anne Lindig all pose for a… Read more →

Fresh from our newsroom

Cooling Down Deniss Espinoza posing for a picture while he’s trying to cool down from the heat, relaxing by an open window and a cool vent.
The Bus Stop Upperclassmen and lowerclassmen alike begin the wait for the afternoon busses for yet another year. The crowded parking spaces provide a ram
Keep Calm and Carry On Sports medicine students practice transporting an athlete with a head, neck or back injury. Students were carried on the spine board. Senior
September Athlete of the Month: Alayna Byczynski Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden? Not anymore. Senior Alayna Byczynski is making OHS history. Byczynski is only one of two girls coached b
What Did You do Over the Summer? As school begins, many students miss the great summer they had. Students had lots of fun over the summer and miss sleeping in, swimming and
Artist of the Month; Katie Varland With a First Division in every Solo and Ensemble contest she's ever been in, first place in the Big 12 Competition in the neutra
Superheroes of 900 No need to fear, the DoChange mentors are here. Who saved you freshman year when you didn’t know how to get from 900 to Kingman gym? Your
Juniors Now Upperclassmen
Freshman Thoughts Starting freshman year is like turning the first page of a book, and excitement levels skyrocket as the freshman class takes over the 900 fl
PIB 2016 As the summer begins many students are excited to sleep in, go on vacation, and spend time with friends. But a large group of students are g
Ways to Beat that Summer Heat
Remembering Ali Stevenson On Monday, Aug. 15, Ottawa suffered a great loss. Ali Stevenson, age 23, passed away after being involved in a car crash. Ali was a sister,
Mrs. O is a Poke Go! A wild Overocker appears! Science teacher Jessica Overocker has been spotted around the school trying to catch ‘em all just like the rest
Its in the Music Thespians waited all summer long to find out what the fall musical is going to be until on Aug. 30, they learned that they would be performi
Where to Next? “What’re you doing after high school?” Is the infamous question thousands of high school seniors are being asked every sin

Sports

September Athlete of the Month: Alayna Byczynski

Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden? Not anymore. Senior Alayna Byczynski is making OHS history. Byczynski is only one of
September Athlete of the Month: Riley Buhr

“The professionalism he uses is a prime example of what an athlete should be,” said golf coach Dave Wultzen about th
Field Practice

Decked out in red and white, members of the cheerleading squad pose for a group photo before their first field practice
LP and OTHS Swim Team Merging

From the Pirate Puddle to the Cav Creek, the Lady Pirates swim team is teaming up with LP and Streator to accommodate fo
Once a Pirate, always a Pirate

Before her first meet as an official LP Cavalier, senior Ellen Goetz, washes away her sins of Ottawa as she moves
Fourth times a charm?

Dedication and determination are two vital qualities needed to successfully play sports all four years of high school. J

Student Life

Cooling Down

Deniss Espinoza posing for a picture while he’s trying to cool down from the heat, relaxing by an open window and a co
The Bus Stop

Upperclassmen and lowerclassmen alike begin the wait for the afternoon busses for yet another year. The crowded parking
Keep Calm and Carry On

Sports medicine students practice transporting an athlete with a head, neck or back injury. Students were carried on the
September Athlete of the Month: Alayna Byczynski

Gentlemen Only, Ladies Forbidden? Not anymore. Senior Alayna Byczynski is making OHS history. Byczynski is only one of
What Did You do Over the Summer?

As school begins, many students miss the great summer they had. Students had lots of fun over the summer and miss sleepi
Artist of the Month; Katie Varland

With a First Division in every Solo and Ensemble contest she’s ever been in, first place in the Big 12

Teachers

Not the Same Old Song and Dance

The new band director Andrew Jacobi marched to Ottawa High to fill the shoes of retired director Sarah Reckmeyer. Jacobi
Mrs. O is a Poke Go!

A wild Overocker appears! Science teacher Jessica Overocker has been spotted around the school trying to catch ‘em all
OHS Welcomes Riva

Imagine coming into a new school for the first time not to be a student, but to teach both teenagers and preschoo
Hart and Hamilton

“I gotta holler just to be heard. With every word, I drop knowledge!” Though this quote perfectly suits history teac
One Last Hoorah

You might be over the moon if it was your last day of high school, but these teachers don’t feel the same. For retir
To Have a Big HART, You’ve Got to do it WRIGHT

Last spring, hearts were broken with the loss of beloved father, friend and teacher, Ryan Nevins. Most are in agreement

Welcome!

Welcome to the online version of the "Pirate Press."

Please never hesitate to email us at piratepress2017@hotmail.com with questions, comments, concerns or even article ideas.

Come back soon! :)

Band/Chior

Oh Say Can You Sing?

Senior Kathryn Varland captivated the football field Friday night, August 26, as she sang the national anthem alongside
Not the Same Old Song and Dance

The new band director Andrew Jacobi marched to Ottawa High to fill the shoes of retired director Sarah Reckmeyer. Jacobi
Don’t Rain on our Parade

The rain at the first football game put a damper on the usual half-time show. The band still played in the courtyard, pl
Practice Makes Perfect

Seniors Amy Vandervelde, Tyler Angus, Andrew Felty, Grace Russell, Wyatt Anderson and Natalie-Anne Lindig all pose for a

General

Ways to Beat that Summer Heat

School’s back and if you don’t have any air conditioned classes, things are about to get steamy. One thing a lot of
Remembering Ali Stevenson

On Monday, Aug. 15, Ottawa suffered a great loss. Ali Stevenson, age 23, passed away after being involved in a car crash
Ask Annie

Annie, So I met this guy at the mall, and he was just the cutest, but when he tried to start a conversati
Hart and Hamilton

“I gotta holler just to be heard. With every word, I drop knowledge!” Though this quote perfectly suits history teac
We Hungry

Just when you thought the first day of school was hectic, it was worse to see the cafeteria with the new but n
Don’t Get Burned

The first lab is lit in James Pfeiffer’s first hour Chemistry class.

The Project for Better Journalism is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to strengthening student journalism programs across the country. We support publications just like this one.

The Pirate Press is this Project chapter's publication. Its content is created and updated by students at this school, and supported by a faculty advisor.

Learn more about the Project →