Burkhardt, Dundon, Shafer and Smith named featured seniors
By Reagan Traucht
Malia Yaeko Burkhardt is the daughter of Matthew and Rhiannon Burkhardt. Malia participates in various school activities and clubs, including Wrestling, Track and Field, Student Council, and In the Halls, and is head of the Vibe. Outside of school, Malia keeps herself busy by nannying, journaling, wrestling for a club team, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog, Koko. Her favorite memories at MHS were made in Senora Ponces class, playing just dancing to Spanish music. Malia says she will miss the teachers and staff she has built connections with and who have opened opportunities for her, such as a journalism class she took. After graduation, Malia plans to attend Campbellsville University for a business entrepreneurship and journalism bachelor’s degree. On top of that, she is continuing her athletic career to be a collegiate wrestler. Lastly, Malia would like to include that, if anything, she would like people to remember her for doing everything for Christ and her family.
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By Malia Burkhardt
Rylee Dundon is the daughter of Stacie and Chris Dundon. At Marysville High School, Dundon is a part of Elite National Club; she played as a varsity player for the volleyball team (OCC Second Team, as well as becoming captain in 2022), 4-H (2019) and scholar athlete as of 2019-2023. In Dundon’s free time, she’s involved in Student Council, DECA, and National Business Honor Society, and she has an internship at Holbrook and Manter. Dundon also teaches private volleyball lessons at the YMCA. Dundon’s favorite memory of MHS is beating Berlin, senior night, and everyone running and jumping up to them! Tagging on the volleyball memory, she also enjoys hosting boys’ powder puff volleyball. Dundon will miss many things, but she’s mainly saddened to say goodbye to her friends and teachers who have played a significant role in her life and future goals. Dundon is committed to Ohio Northern University to play volleyball and study at Dicke College of Business, planning to major in finance/accounting and marketing with a minor in business analysis. As talented as Rylee is, we wish her the best of luck at ONU!
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By Malia Burkhardt
Jacob A. Shafer son of Brian and Rebecca Shafer. At Marysville High School, Shafer is a part of the National Honor Society, where he is Vice President, and the National Art Honors Society, where he is secretary; he also is the section leader for The Pit in Marching Band, Show Choir, RHO Kappa, Pro Terra Nova, High5 React, Japanese Honor Society, Student Council, and Teen Prevention Leadership Academy. Shafer enjoys baking and listening to music in his free time. Shafer will miss many things, but he’s mainly saddened to say goodbye to being so involved in Show Choir and marching band, as well as everyone who made high school awesome, especially High5 React. With many memories of the MHS, Shafer’s favorite memories were meeting new friends, amazing teachers, and staff members. Another memory he adds is his fun times in AP Physics, as he puts it, “even if it means not getting work accomplished…sorry, Mr. Cooper!” Shafer plans to attend The Ohio State University to study Middle Childhood Education. Shafer would like to thank all his teachers who encouraged him to get out of his shell in high school and be so involved. He also would like to thank his family and friends for helping me through these past four years and wish you the best of luck at OSU, Jake!
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By Reagan Traucht
Matthew Joseph Smith is the son of Jeff and Leslie Smith. Matthew has been very involved in the arts within MHS. He is a 4-year singer-dancer for the Marysville Swingers Unlimited Show Choir and has been in two musicals, Footloose and Mary Poppins. At the high school, Matthew is the Vice-President of the Student Council, founder of the Inner Club Council, and a member of the National Honor Society, Rho Kappa, Leo Club, Pro Terra Nova, and the Clothes Closet. Other hobbies and activities of Matthews outside of school include tap dancing, baking, biking, designing homes, and watching tv. His favorite memories at high school were the home football games followed by an outing to Bostons and the trips taken with show choir and academic choir to Boston, New York, and Disney. Matthew will miss the friends and the community that Marysville has provided him with to experience. He plans to attend Kent State University’s College of Architecture and Environmental Design to study architecture and business administration.
MHS students take first in Ohio Japan Bowl
By Amelia Russell
Pictured from left to right are MacKenzie and Amelia Russell and Linnea Olofsson. (Photo submitted)
The Ohio Japan Bowl is a Japanese language and culture quiz bowl style competition held by the Japan-America Society of Central Ohio.
Students compete in teams of two or three and are separated into three different levels corresponding to the students’ level of Japanese study.
Students research the culture of Japan while also studying the language; topics include holidays, polite customs, and daily life. There are also various categories that change every year, a few examples include history, art, literature, and government.
The competition was held on February 25th at Marysville Early College High School.
Three teams from the Marysville school district participated. One team placed third in their level and another placed first.
Teams that achieve first place often choose to participate in the National Japan Bowl, which will be held in April in Washington, D.C.
High 5 REACT continues mentoring
By Jonathan M. Thomas
On February 15th, High 5 REACT went to Northwood elementary school and taught all the third and fourth-grade lessons 1.1 of the Invent2Prevent curriculum, centered around social and self-awareness.
High 5 REACT continued its mentoring program at Mill Valley Elementary this week with lesson 1.2 of the Invent2Prevent curriculum. This lesson covered hearing thoroughly and actively listening and was designed by Alyssa Rodman, a senior at Marysville High School.
To start the lesson out, we began with a game of Telephone. We combined with another small mentoring group and competed against one another to see which group could communicate phrases such as “my pig has a big wig” or “the cap is on my lap” with the most success.
We then led a group discussion about what active listening was and was not, how to know when somebody is actively listening, and what skills are utilized to be an excellent active listener. These topics were designed so elementary schoolers could voice their thoughts, and the mentors could use their answers to teach them how to be better active listeners.
During the discussion, some mentors demonstrated what active listening looks like compared to passive listening, so they could see a real-world example of what we were teaching them. To do this, students discussed things they were grateful for and reflected on those with their mentors. The first time, the mentor was the embodiment of active listening:
– Eye contact.
– Asking questions.
– Showing interest in their body language.
– Clarifying what they did not understand.
Inversely, the second time exemplified passive listening: looking around the room, avoiding eye contact, and having what the student was saying to them go in one ear and out the other.
To close the lesson out, we played another game of Telephone, emphasizing the end phrase’s accuracy rather than speed. The students were allowed to ask for the phrase to be repeated, ask questions about it, and clarify what they did not understand about it. The last thing the students were left with was the challenge of expressing their appreciation and asking for clarification during a conversation.
During the remainder of the year, High 5 REACT plans to go to Mill Valley Elementary on March 28th and again in April (exact date TBD). We also plan to go to Northwood on March 16th and April 28th. We look forward to what the rest of the year offers and where our project can take us in future years.
MHS alumnus, veteran speaks to history students
By Clarissa Hamilton
Beginning in early February, Mr. Hamilton’s U.S. History students began presenting their personalized projects on a veteran of their choice. In the midst of these presentations, these students received the opportunity to listen to Colonel Sal Petrovia (Ret) share his experience within the military. Petrovia is an alumnus of MHS and served in the army for over 34 years earning numerous medals. Petrovia stated that the care and concern shown to him by his teachers and coaches helped him to gain the confidence needed to be successful in his career.
At MHS, Petrovia participated in the baseball and football teams and the student council. The leadership skills Petrovia learned through these extracurriculars helped him further his military success. Petrovia chose to serve in the military to serve his country as well as for the adventure. During his years of service, Petrovia said his favorite assignment was serving as a military science professor at California State University in Fullerton. He retired in 2019 and chose to move back to Marysville. Patrovia remarked that after traveling the world for over 34 years, no place could compare to Marysville.
Petrovia continues to share his story with the students at MHS to send an “invitation to join the greatest team in the world, the military.” This community has been an essential part of Petrovia’s life as it has helped to form the fundamentals of the model citizen he is today.