Senior Blogs

Better Late Than Never

I have been in ODYSSEY this semester and it has been a tough but rewarding experience. I have enjoyed taking the class and learning more about journalism. I had always heard about ODYSSEY and I was in Gifted Minorities Achieving with Mr. Ragsdale; I knew he was the one who ran the class, but I didn’t have the desire to take the class. Fast forward to this year I saw that my schedule would allow me to take ODYSSEY. I met with him and here we are. After COVID, the school began to relax on deadlines and missing work and I wanted to be able to have a class with hard deadlines and have to do a lot of work in a shorter amount of time. I also wanted to grow in my writing and I have seen that through the Creative Writing Project and other assignments.

I do not plan on pursuing a career in Journalism but in this class, I have learned how to conduct interviews and be able to think on my feet with questions and interact with stakeholders. I wouldn’t have understood what it was like to be a part of the ODYSSEY family and be at the 20th Anniversary and see the lasting impression it makes on you.

Although I have only been in ODYSSEY for a couple of months, I feel like I have been with these people all year and I have been able to lean on them for guidance and help.

Michael Campbell, ODYSSEY Sports Staffer Being an Editor Is Like Being a Rock

My involvement in the iliad Literary-Art Magazine began three years ago, when I was an artist but not yet an editor. My friend Kaija Gilbertson Hall introduced me to the program and convinced me to submit my art to the magazine. Even then, I remember being excited to play a part in creating the ever-changing yearly display of art and writing that was the iliad. I spent the better part of my sophomore year following the magazine, and soon after I was published, I decided to apply for the Editorial Board.

Now a graduating senior and a two-year iliad member, I’ve had the opportunity to take on many more roles in the production of the iliad magazines, and I’ve grown immensely as a creator, teammate and appreciator of creativity. Looking back, the stratified roles of artist, writer, magazine reader, art enthusiast and magazine editor have come together to create an iliad experience that shaped me as a person.

In my time as an editor, I learned how to create a literary-art magazine, I became a better writer, I formed a connection with my staff, and I was able to use my experience to support the creative community at Clarke Central.

Ethan Caspary Poucher, iliad Managing Editor

That’s So Salai

I first joined the ODYSSEY Media Group as a Journalism l student, and I hated it. Still, I applied for the production class.

That fall, I sat in front of a screen as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, and watched everyone with depressed looks on their faces. I sat in class silently, and I looked at my screen with disdain as I watched the same Journalism I presentations.

I eventually left the class but I stayed in the program because it had a hold on me and I found myself fighting for that family experience I’d heard so much about from the 2020 alumni. All of this to say, my first three years in the OMG were difficult.

Going into my senior year, being part of the ODYSSEY felt easy. I had a family that I cared for, but my work never felt legendary. However, I’ve been building my legacy through my work and relationship with both Mr. Ragsdale and the class.

It’s not all history yet but the present is exhilarating.

Salai Diekumpuna, iliad Outreach Director

Wild Horses

During my freshman year, on the way home from my first ODYSSEY field trip, I looked out the window and listened to “Wild Horses” by The Rolling Stones. The hook kept repeating, nearly moving me to tears: “Wild horses couldn’t drag me away.”

I had no idea what The Stones were talking about (and I still don’t) but it didn’t matter. I felt like a character in a movie.

Now, as a senior, I realize that the biggest lesson ODYSSEY taught me was that I’m no movie character. The more I saw and shared the perspectives of my community, the more I realized that we all desire the same thing: to tell our own stories and have them acknowledged. We’re all just a bunch of wild horses, dragging each other into our own stories.

I’m thankful that this program dragged me out of my own life, and into the lives of others. When I went into Room 231, the outside world disappeared. I became part of something bigger than myself: jumping into the lives of others, packaging their stories, and sending them out into the world.

I could ramble all day about how ODYSSEY was stressful or timeconsuming. I could whine about the deadlines or the feuds that Mr. David Ragsdale and I got into. But the truth is that ODYSSEY saved me. I’ve been obsessed with every second of it, and I’ve loved it the entire time.

Not even wild horses could have dragged me away.

Lucas Donnelly, ODYSSEY Visuals Coordinator

My Place

I was introduced to the ODYSSEY Media Group by my sister Elena Gilbertson Hall, former ODYSSEY Editor-in-Chief. Seeing the impact of my sister’s journalistic work and watching her come out of her shell through her time in the program inspired me to join the Journalism 1 class as a freshman. I was invigorated by the fast-paced learning environment and loved the built-in supportive community that came with joining the program.

After a successful year, I joined the iliad Literary-Art Magazine, the sister publication to the OMG, to better suit my creative interests. In my time on the Editorial Board in sophomore year and as Editor-in-Chief for the past two years, I have interviewed a famous opera singer in front of the CCHS community, produced two award-winning magazines, reinstated the iliad club, and worked diligently with Editorial Board members to help them achieve their goals in iliad.

Being a part of the iliad has been one of the most formative experiences of my high school career and I know without a doubt that the professional, social, and literary skills that I have acquired during my time in this program is invaluable and will help me in all areas of my life after graduation.

Kaija Gilbertson Hall, iliad Editor-in-Chief

Trying Just To Try

My role as a first-year senior made for an uncompromising and tough ODYSSEY experience. Having senior-level expectations placed on me combined with my complete lack of journalistic knowledge forced me to push myself and my capabilities beyond what I thought was possible. With the undivided assistance of my Viewpoints staffmates, my editor Janie Ripps, Mr. Ragsdale, and the broader ODYSSEY staff, I was able to succeed as a Viewpoints Staffer and branch out to many other forms of journalistic writing such as event coverages, reviews, and blogs.

During this second semester, I’ve come into my own as a member of the News staff and have been working just as hard to make meaningful use of the time I have with the program. When I first joined, I set out to make a real contribution to ODYSSEY and overcome the challenge of joining with no prior journalistic experience.

I feel I’ve succeeded. I’ve learned more than I could’ve ever imagined, built long-lasting and strong relationships with my peers and fellow community members, and have set myself up for a successful future with the skills and experiences I’ve gained from my time with the ODYSSEY Media Group.

Mykolas Kumpis, News Staffer

ODYSSEY On Set

ODYSSEY has had an immense impact on my life and while I’ve always yearned for that high school clique and while I knew it would be different, when I was experiencing it, the feelings weren’t what I’d imagined it to be.

I thought it would be this surreal experience where there’s a pink lens over every scene and there’s an adventure every episode. In reality, I would be disappointed, there’s no clean cut storyline, there’s no script to follow, and there’s no protagonist!

While I still like the idealized version of life I created, I realize that the ODYSSEY doesn’t have a singular script because it prepares you for all of the other scripts in life.

And it doesn’t make a clean cut storyline because the ODYSSEY isn’t clean, it’s nuanced and complex. Its dynamics are interesting and raw. And while there is no one protagonist, we, together, are the main characters of this story.

The ODYSSEY has really made me a more observant person. A person who acknowledges my preconceived notions and actively works to challenge them. ODYSSEY is a challenge, a challenge of self, a challenge of others, and a challenge of life.

Antonio Starks, Illustrator

Senior Year Triumphs

Sophomore year was tough. COVID didn’t make it any better, and neither did ODYSSEY. What was expected of me felt brutal, unfair and uncomfortable. But I pushed through and did what I needed to do. I was rewarded with an editor position as we returned to in-person learning. And yet again, junior year felt brutal and exhausting. However, I had content to show for it, stories to be proud of, and close friends within the program to build me up.

It wasn’t until senior year that the clouds parted, and I realized what I’d been working towards. Every month, every semester and every year gave me gifts of pride and immersion, of confidence and networking, and of opportunities and growth. As a result of my work, I watched myself become a diligent writer and a confident leader.

I continue to do ODYSSEY because, behind the headaches, the stress and the intimidating workload is an experience of building upon your skills and creating memories that will last a lifetime. I am truly grateful for my time in the ODYSSEY, and I can only hope others feel inspired to continue despite the challenges.

Nico Willman, ODYSSEY Editor at Large