Fort Features

October 25 Fear Columbus Haunted House

October 26 No School for Students

November 5 HS Fall Formal

November 8 No School for Students

November 10 HS Music Performance

November 14 Shot Gallery: “Collections

November 17 HS Dance Performance

November 21-25 Autumn Break

By Johnaza Teague

On October 14th, 2022, Fort Hayes students performed in the PA building in honor of Principal Dr. Ruffin. Dr. Will hosted the Principal Show with co-host Amelia Jones. There were over ten acts, showcasing multiple talents. Students sang, danced, read poems and played musical instruments. All proceeds went towards student activities.

Singers and Instrumentalists

Some of the opening acts consisted of band performances, like the band ¨Untitled¨. They performed a song titled ¨Creep & Television." Solo acts performed ¨Still Here¨ and ¨Hardly.¨ The following act was Tryzdin Grubbs who sang ¨Uptown Funk¨ by Bruno Mars. That performance was definitely a crowd favorite. But we can't forget the reenactment of the music video ¨Earfquake¨ by Tyler The Creator, starring Ms. Willis and Nick Cissoko. The students also went crazy for Cairo who sang jazz and blues in his ROTC uniform.

Dancers

We loved the dancers as well; we can't forget about them! We saw some lovely choreography from students of Ms. Stefura. One artist danced to "Potential" by Summer Walker with a message to her peers that you can do anything you put your mind to because you, too, have potential!

Poets

Last but not least, we have the poets: Joshua Bozman and Carter Robinson. Josh read us a poem he wrote titled, ¨Hi-Anxiety." It's about how he deals with his anxiety and the tendencies it has to make him feel a certain way. Carter performed a poem about love and his ideal woman. We love to see young black men show their charismatic side. These were beautifully worded poems.

Conclusion

Fort Hayes is full of multi-talented adolescents, and it's such a great sight to see kids doing what they're passionate about. The Principal Show was full of great energy, and people were genuinely happy to be there. It was an amazing event to experience, and I'm glad I got the opportunity to attend. Next year my advice is "be there or be square!"

Get involved; join today!

Beatz by Girls

Club Contact: Mr. Van Bibber rvanbibber1@gmail.com

Beatz by Girls is a global organization for girls, women, non-binary and gender-expansive individuals to experience empowerment through creative music production. We meet on Tuesdays after school from 2:45 pm-4:00 pm in Building 110, Room 105.

Book Club

Club Contact: Mrs. Johnson cjohnson@columbus.k12.oh.us

Do you love to read? Join us each week for Book Club, dates and times are to be announced.

We read current, engaging young adult books and talk about them. Sometimes we make art and poetry, too.

Diversity Club

Club Contact: Ms. Frederick-Johnson lfrederickjohnson@columbus.k12.oh.us

We celebrate our differences and encourage understanding through creating a safe space for discussions. We cover social issues surrounding gender, race, ethnicity, sexuality, religion, and socioeconomic status. We meet every Tuesday after school from 2:45 pm-4:00 pm.

Fort Hayes Historical Society

Club Contact: Mr. East eeast7159@columbus.k12.oh.us

The Fort Hayes Historical Society is a student club that celebrates the rich military and

academic history of our campus. Traditionally we curate our collection of school and military archives and artifacts, provide tours to interested families, and meet with members of the greater Columbus community who share an interest in Fort Hayes. Internship hours can be earned through participation in club events. We meet every other Wednesday after school from 2:45 pm-4:00 pm.

Green Team

Club Contact: Mrs. Johnson cjohnson1@columbus.k12.oh.us

Join Green Team if you are interested in our school garden or making our school more sustainable. We learn about the environment and how we can help make a change to protect our planet-- and sometimes, we cook the food we grow, too!

Library Advisory Board

Club Contact: Mrs. Johnson cjohnson1@columbus.k12.oh.us

Each year, students apply and interview for spots on the Library Advisory Board (LAB). LAB

students help run the library from shelving books to reader advisory. Students can earn internship hours.

Slam Poetry Team (The Flow Family)

Club Contact: Ms. DeLeon ndeleon@columbus.k12.oh.us

On Tuesday after school, a team of young artists converges to explore and express their

identities through the art of slam poetry. Affectionately known as the “Flow Family” the Fort

Hayes Slam Poetry Team is a district award-winning squad of scholars who use their voices to inform and inspire. Each weekly meeting involves a writing challenge, a peer-based writers

workshop, and an opportunity to perform and receive feedback about a piece in progress. The

Flow Family refines their craft throughout the year to compete in the culminating Columbus City Schools District Poetry Slam. All writers, dreamers, and visionaries are welcome-- no experience necessary to join!

Student Leadership Council

Club Contact: Mr. Judd jjudd6418@columbus.k12.oh.us

The Student Leadership Council includes Senior Cabinet and Student Activities Council. Senior Cabinet organizes and facilitates activities for senior students such as Senior Dinner, Prom, Graduation, and senior-only events during the school year. Student Activities Council plans events for all students such as Halloween trips to haunted houses, snow-tubing, school formals, and skate parties. Council members learn specific skills such as large event budgeting, event promotion, fundraising, vendor relationships, and transport/safety logistics. At Fort Hayes, we believe in building a culture of community engagement with our students leading the way.

The Fort Features School Newspaper

Club Contact: Ms. White Lwhite1@columbus.k12.oh.us

Attend school events and write about them with your unique writing style. Learn about objective news writing and formatting as you develop your writing skills as a reporter or columnist. Poets, artists and photographers are also needed to share work for publication. Club meetings are every other Tuesday from 2:45 p.m.-3:30 p.m.

The Fort Hayes Genders and Sexualities Alliance (GSA)

Club Contacts: Ms. DeLeon ndeleon@columbus.k12.oh.us

Dr. Merry jmerry8148@columbus.k12.oh.us

The Fort Hayes Gender and Sexualities Alliance (GSA) is a student-initiated and student-led

club. The goal of a GSA is to provide a safe, supportive environment for LGBTQIA+ students

and their allies to meet and discuss sexual orientations and gender identity issues and to work to create a school environment free of discrimination, harassment, and intolerance. Each Wednesday, Dr. Merry will host 5th period and Ms. Deleon will host 6th period. Students attend during their scheduled lunch period.

Our World is Wrong

-Samara Clarke

Now is a time where we should be far from the age of yesterday

A time where we should be progressing,

But yet all we do is keep regressing

Horrible events that I’m repressing

Situations leaving my generation distressing

Lots of life and fun missing

And it's all so depressing.

Looks like we’ll be spending our summer days

Protesting for lives you agreed to protect and save

Because you believe MURDER is some trending craze

Abusing the badge that we the people gave

Everyday people fight

Oppression, Illness, Injustice

These are battles that should go bloodless

Yet you seem to have lost your moral compass

We’re headed down a path of destruction.

There are people screaming “No Justice, No Peace”

Because it was decided that racism should drive our police

The only way to achieve greatness is not through sin

But to love, accept, and let freedom win

I hope for a future where everyone gets along

Where the values of this country are sung to the tune of a different song

That is gained with change, but until that day…

I went to Fort Hayes to have a “normal” high school experience, but it was anything but normal. What even is normal? I started my freshman year in the middle of the pandemic, I was always glued to my screen, just thinking about how I WISHED I could leave. It took everything in my body not to exit the Zoom meetings and just cry. Nothing was what I imagined it to be. I didn’t feel like this school was mine.

All the months online were so draining. I felt like I had to be my own teacher, but I didn’t even know who my student was or what I was even teaching. I was trying so hard to be a “good student” at any chance of a reward, or recognition. I needed someone to tell me, “Wow you are doing amazing!” just so I knew it would be ok. But in reality, no one knew if “it” was gonna be ok for any of us; I knew that.

When we went back in person, I still had a hole inside of me that I couldn’t fill, so I tried to fill it with anything I could. If I didn’t feel like I was accepted, I would force myself into acceptance. I joined a bunch of clubs. I did all my work plus any extra credit I could get my hands on. I helped anyone that needed help with the work. It didn’t matter if I knew them at all, maybe they would like me if I helped them. I made friends, and I would hang out with them all the time so I didn’t have to think about anything at all.

I stayed up all night doing my hair and makeup and picking out outfits I thought would make people like me. I even joined a swim team that meets at 5 am every morning. All week I would live off of caffeine and crash on weekends because I was so exhausted. But such as a car running on a gas tank with a hole, adding gas doesn’t make the hole go away. You will eventually still run out of gas. Which I did.

I stopped doing my hair, my makeup, and dressing up. I hated my face, my hair, my clothes, my hands, my legs, and mostly my brain. I would daydream about switching it with a “normal” person. I started missing school. It was always, “I just need a day.” Then a day turned into multiple days a week. That continued for months. I felt like I was dying. Where was my normal high school experience I so desperately wanted?

Even though I didn’t care about my grades or school, my teachers did. They eventually had to reach out to my parents. At this time I didn’t want to fix any of my “problems.” Because the teachers reached out, I finally thought this school was mine. In reality, this school had been mine since the day I decided I was going to go here, even though I didn’t think I wanted to. It had been mine since the day I liked my first class, liked my first teacher, and made my friends. I had been at my school all along. As much as I say I hate high school, I really love it. This is my school.

I think I only started having a regular high school experience when I realized I didn’t need to have one. I didn’t need to make up for anything I had lost. I just needed to live. I started hanging out with my friends just to hang out with them. I had crushes, I had heartbreak, I made friendships, and I lost them, but most importantly I had a life. I left sophomore year with good grades and amazing friends. I might have still felt like I was too grown up, but I knew I was allowed to just live now. You can’t have happiness without sadness. You need both to live.

I don’t know If I will ever stop trying to find a “normal” at school. I think that’s ok as long as I remember to live my life for me. In the end, I am thankful that I did not get a “normal” experience because I would have been stuck trying to fit that idea that I thought I needed. In the end, I needed Fort Hayes.

Image Ohio

By Oliver Norman

Currently in The Shot Tower Gallery we are presenting the show Image Ohio, in partner with the ROY G BIV Gallery. Image Ohio is a collection of many mediums of art, such as photography, paintings, and digital works, including virtual reality as well. All of the pieces of art were hand-selected by Image Ohio jury's to fit this year's theme of change.

The gallery officially opened on September 16th. Students, teachers, artists, and more attended. It was amazing to see the community gather and enjoy the artwork. The interactive displays were a huge hit and truly brought on the theme of change. Our very own gallery director, Ms.Weidenbusch, gave a moving speech about the process to bring Image Ohio to Fort Hayes.

The Shot Tower Gallery offers an art passport, where you can collect stamps from galleries all over Ohio. So, make sure to stop by before the show leaves us on December 9th, and grab a passport!

Scan the QR code below to follow!