November Seniors of the Month recognized
By Wes Paul
Madalyn Renee Burgdorf is the daughter of Matthew and Rebecca Burgdorf. Heavily involved at MHS, she leads the Teen Eco Summit Mock Trial, is president of the National Honor Society, and is on an OH Attorney General Teen Ambassador Board. Maddie is also an active member of the Student Council, Rho Kappa, Global Scholars, National Business Honors Society, National Art Honors Society, National Spanish Honors Society, and DECA. She is an avid runner and has taken part in track and cross country all four years of her high school career. Compelled to serve others, Burgdorf has spent over 250 hours volunteering at Memorial Hospital and on the student advisory board and regularly attends the Young Life youth group. Taking AP U.S. History with her best friends and being involved in many clubs and organizations are her favorite memories at MHS. Maddie will miss the most about MHS because of the constant support from all of her friends and teachers. Maddie plans to attend a 4-year university to major in political science and serve in the ROTC program. Congratulations on all of your outstanding accomplishments, Maddie!
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By Clarissa Hamilton
Kasey Ann Duke Is the daughter of Mindy and Jay Duke. Kasey is a four-year varsity letterman for soccer and has been the team captain for the past two years. She is also a two-year varsity letterman in basketball and a member of the National Business Honor Society, where she is the secretary. Outside of school, Kasey participates in club soccer for Ohio Premier. She enjoys hanging out with her friends and family in her free time. Kasey’s favorite memories at MHS were getting to cut down the net multiple times with the basketball team after winning districts two years in a row and when her soccer team beat Watterson during her senior-year soccer tournament. Kasey will miss the sense of community, and the love and support she received that comes with being a part of Marysville. After high school, she plans to play soccer and study education at Capital University. Kasey would like to thank her parents, teachers, and coaches for their support and everything they have done for her.
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By Clarissa Hamilton
Nick Hart Johnson is the son of Brent and Susanna Johnson. Nick is a three-year Varsity letterman for football and has been the captain for two years. He is a member of the National Business Honor Society the National Honor Society and is a current 4-H member. Nicholas also has received the Lee Heron Rising Leader Award. Nick loves hanging out with his friends and having a good time in his free time. His favorite memory at MHS was during his sophomore year when the football team made the regional finals and had the whole school there to cheer them on. Nick will miss the relationships he had created with friends and numerous teachers at MHS. Nicholas plans to attend a four-year college where he can play football.
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By Clarissa Hamilton
Zachary Douglas Strahm is the son of Doug and Lisa Strahm. Zachary is a two-year participant in football and wrestling and has been a varsity powerlifter for two years. He is also a member of the National Business Honor Society, where he is the Chief of Sponsorships. Zachary has interned at the Ridge Golf Gardens for over a year in his free time. His favorite memory at MHS was this year’s National Business Honor Society induction. He will miss all of his friends and teachers. Zachary plans to attend college, where he can earn his bachelor’s degree in business and pursue a career in commercial real estate.
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By Wes Paul
Aleah Mae Tornberg is the daughter of Adam and Kara Tornberg. Leah is actively involved in many clubs and activities at MHS. She is serving as the FCCLA president, a DECA board member, member of National Honors Society, National Business Honors Society, National Technical Honors Society, and Rho Kappa. She also performs in the advanced treble choir. She donates her time and serves our community with both United Way and Memorial Hospital having served over 250 hours between the two. Aleah’s favorite memory of MHS is getting to travel to Atlanta her sophomore year for the international DECA competition, running around the hotel and meeting students from all over the world. Aleah, will most miss about MHS is the community that makes her so proud to be a monarch, and having a building full of amazing opportunities to take advantage of. After high school, she will attend Northwood University in Midland, Michigan to study Hospitality and Entrepreneurship, as well as working to own her own event venue in the future. For her DECA project this year, Aleah will be planning and hosting a community talent show called “Marysville’s Got Talent”. Congratulations on your incredible high school career!
Choirs prepare for Wintersongs
By Linnea Olofsson
The three academic choirs are preparing for the upcoming Wintersongs Concert at Marysville High School. Over four months, the choirs prepare a complex repertoire of varied songs to perform for the community. The Wintersongs concert, a performance of all these songs, will be held on December 8th and 9th at 7 pm. Admission is $2 or a canned good donation with the code “cans4choir”. Ticket sales will be live next Wednesday. Along with the high school choirs, the Wintersongs concert will feature the Creekview and Bunsold choirs, singing renditions of “Silent Night” and “Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain.” The MHS Choral program welcomes anyone and everyone to join the choirs[1] at the High School’s Alumni Hall Performing Arts Center for some holiday musical cheer!
Kaoru Wise introduced as new Japanese language teacher
By Jonathan M. Thomas
If you have spent any time in the World Language wing, then you may have noticed a clock chiming at the beginning of every period. Being born in Japan, Kaoru Wise–Marysville’s new Japanese language teacher–plays the Westminster chime at the beginning and end of every period, simulating the practices of authentic schools in Japan. Teaching Japanese 1, 2, 3, 4, and AP, Wise looks forward to allowing her students to immerse themselves into the Japanese language and culture throughout the year.
Although she is new to the school, this is not Wise’s first time leading a class. “Before this, I taught college, taught online, and also taught Japanese school at Creekview for 13 years,” Wise explains. “What I taught in college was pretty much the same, just more intensive. At Japanese school, I taught kindergarten culture classes, second grade, and grades 4-6.”
According to an article from the Union County Daily Digital, the aforementioned Japanese school at which Wise taught “teaches rules and guidelines typical of the Japanese education system in order to help students become successful members of Japanese society.”
After her daughter graduated from the Japanese school, Wise decided to explore other job postings. “My daughter graduated from the Saturday Japanese school, and I thought ‘Maybe I’ll graduate from there with her,’” Wise laughs. “I decided to do something I used to do and came back to teaching Japanese to older kids.”
Wise finds great importance in immersing her students in Japanese culture: “I’m still working on it, but many of my students have been watching anime shows, playing games, and talking to Japanese people. I am encouraging them to build on old habits.”
Wise believes there is great value in learning a new language. “65 percent of people get paid by Japanese companies,” Wise explains. “It’s really good to have a Japanese background, even if it’s just knowing about the culture.¨
Wise also offers advice to anyone learning a new language: “Have a little notebook, put it in your pocket, and then if you hear anything new, just write it down and read it again before you go to bed.”
The suggestion of constant linguistic exposure reverberates through the department. “If you want to get better at a language, you have to study it,” remarks Mrs. Elizabeth Adams, Spanish teacher and World Language department chair. “Studying every day is the best way to grasp the content of your class, especially if you don’t have the class every day.”
Adams also commended Wise’s organization and course structure: “I told [Wise] that she can make any organizational changes she needs to. She has done a great job at adapting what she knows to the standards and has also been very accommodating to her students.”
Wise remarked upon what she would like to do for Marysville’s Japanese program. “The curriculum is a little weird, and I don’t really get it, so I want to rewrite it. I also want to have some students come over to the [Japanese] club,” Wise explained. “We have started the club, playing Japanese games, cooking Japanese food, and other culture-based activities. Even if they are not interested in our language, I would love to have some people who are just interested in our culture.”
This year, Wise looks forward to using her extensive knowledge of the Japanese language to teach students about the language itself and the culture behind it. If you are interested in learning more about the Japanese culture, follow @mvillejapanclub on Instagram for more information on the Japan club.
Mary Jenkins joins World Language staff
By Jonathan M. Thomas
If you have been through the downstairs B-hallway, you may have noticed a new teacher in the World Language wing. Coming from Triad High School, Mary Jenkins is joining the MHS World Language department, teaching Spanish 1 and 2.
Before coming to MHS, Misi Jenkins taught at Triad High School for three years. There, she taught Spanish 1-4.
Jenkins began learning Spanish in eighth grade but did not consider herself “fluent” until she began studying the language in college. During her educational career, she traveled to multiple Spanish-speaking countries.
“I formed a lot of close relationships with people, especially in Puerto Rico,” Jenkins explains. “I’d say the biggest thing is broadening my perspectives outside of Sunbury, Ohio.”
Jenkins expanded upon her time studying the language: “I didn’t formally study abroad…I went to Ohio State, and my roommate was from Puerto Rico in the summer of 2018. Then I took a Spanish in Ohio class–since I was a Spanish major and wasn’t formally studying abroad. For that, I volunteered at the Spanish Immersion Academy in Columbus for a year in a kindergarten through first-grade class.”
A major factor in Jenkins’ decision to be a teacher was a mere conversation with her mother: “I actually wanted to be a vet for a really long time, but it became too hard on me emotionally. My mom told me she thought I would be a good teacher, so I did some tutoring in high school.”
Jenkins decided in high school that being a Spanish teacher was the job for her. “I found that I enjoyed working with other people and teaching them,” Jenkins explained. “Like I said, I was really close with my Spanish teacher, and I wanted to be what she was for me to other people.”
Mason Au, a freshman at MHS, is one of Jenkins’ students. “She always tells me that I am intelligent and artistic,” Au explains. “I can tell that she really cares about me and her other students.”
A goal that Jenkins would like to achieve within the next few years is to complete her master’s degree. She would also like to strengthen her knowledge in the fields of Spanish and education.
Jenkins shared some tips for anyone learning a new language: “Immerse yourself in the culture and the language as much as you can, and do NOT be afraid to make mistakes.”
Jenkins also shared several benefits to learning a new language, ranging from career benefits and cognitive benefits to strengthening interpersonal skills: Learning a language helps you understand other people’s cultures, which just helps you build better relationships with people and understand them better. There are also a lot of studies that show a correlation between being multilingual and cognitive health, like delaying Alzheimer’s.”
Jenkins is very excited to begin this new stage of her career at MHS. She cannot wait to help her students broaden their cultural and linguistic horizons, and do what she has always wanted to do: help others.
Theatrical Department hosts murder mystery
By Amelia Russell
This past weekend, on November 10th and 11th, the Marysville High School Theatrical Department performed its first-ever murder mystery dinner party. The play Death by Dessert was entirely student-run and was audience-interactive. A four-course meal was served throughout the show, including salads, charcuterie boards, an entree, and dessert. The audience could interact with the cast during the show and decide who committed the crime. The play was a huge success, selling out both dates three weeks before the performance.
MHS student org begins game production
Editor’s note: The following information is provided by Marysville High School students for the monthly “In the Halls” page. High 5 REACT began game production on Tuesday, November 14th. The group of 11 volunteers began right after school and made around 50 game boards for two consecutive hours. Game production is going to be a multi-step process. After the process has concluded, the group plans to include their High 5 board game into their curriculum. The team is also revising their lessons to begin the next season of mentoring. They would like to begin going to elementary schools by December. They are greatly looking forward to all the opportunities that this year has brought and will continue to bring. (Photo submitted)