ODYSSEY Media Group

ODYSSEY Media Group Keeping Central informed since 2003. Each production is an open public forum for student expression under the guidance of a faculty adviser.

The ODYSSEY Media Group is a multi-platform publication group, which consists of a student-produced newsmagazine, website, broadcast team, literary-art magazine and social media outlets. Works are published with the intent to inform, entertain and give voice to the Clarke Central High School community, as well as to educate student journalists and artists. Student journalists are provided with op

portunities to investigate, inform, interpret and to evaluate: all traditionally accepted functions of the press in America. The ODYSSEY was established in 2003 and publishes across platform. Published opinions do not necessarily reflect the views of anyone other than the staff. The ODYSSEY staff is committed to reflect the mission statement set forth by Clarke Central High School. The goals of the staff are to provide fair, accurate news and commentaries, as well as to serve the interests of the school and Athens’ community. Advertising must conform to the guidelines set forth for editorials. Publication of advertisements does not indicate an endorsement by CCHS or the ODYSSEY staff. Students pictured in advertisements are not given monetary compensation. All advertising rates are available upon request from any ODYSSEY staff member. The ODYSSEY is a member of the Quill and Scroll Honor Society, Georgia Scholastic Press Association, Columbia Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Southern Interscholastic Press Association.

English department teacher and Wild Women Outdoors co-sponsor Meg Vanderbilt stands outside of the Clarke Central High S...
01/23/2025

English department teacher and Wild Women Outdoors co-sponsor Meg Vanderbilt stands outside of the Clarke Central High School Breezeway on Nov. 19, 2024. Vanderbilt helped found WWO as a way to share her knowledge of and passion for hiking with others. “When I’m (on trails), I’m usually (by) myself or with one of my dogs, and there’s never another woman on the trail,” Vanderbilt said. “It’s always guys, which is fine, but I really wish that more women were feeling safe on trails and in the outdoors.” Photos by Kimberly Sanabria-Amaya, Grady Dunston, Emlyn McKinney and courtesy of Meg Vanderbilt

To learn more about the Wild Women Outdoors club, read News Staffer Emlyn McKinney and Graphic Designer Kimberly Sanabria-Amaya’s package on the ODYSSEY website or at the link in bio!

All Clarke County School District schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 23. This cancellation is due to t...
01/22/2025

All Clarke County School District schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 23. This cancellation is due to the poor road conditions resulting from the snowfall on Tuesday, Jan. 21. “We will continue to closely monitor ground conditions throughout the day Thursday in collaboration with our local emergency management agency and will provide an update by Thursday evening regarding the school schedule for Friday, January 24,” posted. Photo by Liya Taylor

Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball guard Newell Paul, a freshman, plays during the Gladiators game again...
01/22/2025

Clarke Central High School boys varsity basketball guard Newell Paul, a freshman, plays during the Gladiators game against Habersham Central High School on Jan. 10. The Gladiators started the 2024-25 season off with a 0-18 stretch. “They are the most confident (0-18) team I have ever seen,” Smith said. “They definitely have a great attitude about it. They’re not rattled or stressed about it.” Photos by Grady Dunston and Aza Khan, story by Kevin Capcha

To learn more about the CCHS boys varsity basketball team’s rebuild, read Sports Staffer Kevin Capcha’s story on the ODYSSEY website or at the link in bio!

All Clarke County School District schools and offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. This cancellation is due to ...
01/22/2025

All Clarke County School District schools and offices will be closed on Wednesday, Jan. 22. This cancellation is due to the current snowfall and anticipated cold temperatures. “We will continue to closely monitor the weather and ground conditions throughout the day Wednesday in collaboration with our local emergency management agency and will provide an update by Wednesday evening regarding the school schedule for Thursday, January 23,” CCSD Director of Communications Scott Thompson stated in an email to CCSD families. Graphic and story by Liya Taylor

Clarke Central High School Principal Dr. Swade Huff was named Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year by the Southern...
01/21/2025

Clarke Central High School Principal Dr. Swade Huff was named Dr. Kay Phillips Administrator of the Year by the Southern Interscholastic Press Association (SIPA) on Jan. 19. This award is given to administrators who have nurtured the principles of scholastic journalism. “Supporting students is his number one priority both in and outside the classroom and across all types of programs,” CCHS Associate Principal Summer Smith said. “He is proud of students when they succeed in their endeavors and it is nice to see that he is being recognized this time around.” Photos from the ODYSSEY archives, story by Janie Ripps

Clarke County School District schools will be releasing early on Tuesday, Jan. 21. All elementary schools will release a...
01/21/2025

Clarke County School District schools will be releasing early on Tuesday, Jan. 21. All elementary schools will release at noon, while all middle and high schools will dismiss at 1:30 p.m. “All afterschool programming and activities have been canceled. We anticipate releasing another update this evening regarding the status of school on Wednesday based on weather conditions,” CCSD Director of Communications Scott Thompson wrote in a Jan. 21 email. Graphic and story Liya Taylor

Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, Jan. 20. The Inauguration cer...
01/20/2025

Donald Trump was officially sworn in as the 47th President of the United States on Monday, Jan. 20. The Inauguration ceremony also marked the swearing-in of JD Vance as Vice President. Illustration by Sam Harwell

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of January. King was a leader in the Civi...
01/20/2025

Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a federal holiday celebrated on the third Monday of January. King was a leader in the Civil Rights Movement who promoted peaceful protests against segregation and racial discrimination. CCSD students have Monday, Jan. 20, off to honor King’s life. Graphic by Isabel Blankenship

Clarke Central High School varsity wrestler Sammy Mueller, a sophomore, grapples with a Cedar Shoals High School senior ...
01/19/2025

Clarke Central High School varsity wrestler Sammy Mueller, a sophomore, grapples with a Cedar Shoals High School senior on Jan. 17 at CSHS. The Gladiators took home 11 wins and three losses, not including forfeits, at the 2025 Classic City Championship. “I feel like it was a good performance,” Mueller said. “I wrestled up a weight class, so I feel like I did pretty good for that. (My opponent) was a big man.” Photos by Iliana Tejada, story by Liya Taylor

To read the full game coverage check out Sports Staffer Kevin Capcha’s story on the ODYSSEY website or at the link in bio!

The Clarke Central High School varsity swim and dive team will compete at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center on Jan. 18 ...
01/18/2025

The Clarke Central High School varsity swim and dive team will compete at the Cherokee County Aquatic Center on Jan. 18 at 1 p.m. The Gladiators have not competed in over a month due weather condition and cancelations which CCHS swimmer Vivian Carabello, a senior, hope to use to her advantage. “I have really high expectations for the meet this weekend because we are all excited to race again.” Carabello said. “I am looking at (this meet) as an opportunity for myself and the team to better ourselves and try to reach the goals we set at the beginning on the season.” Photo by Wyatt Meyer, graphic and story by Isabel Blankenship

A graphic shows a list of major international, national and Athens news stories from Jan. 11 to Jan. 17. Graphics by Liy...
01/18/2025

A graphic shows a list of major international, national and Athens news stories from Jan. 11 to Jan. 17. Graphics by Liya Taylor

A Clarke County School District police vehicle overlooks Death Valley during the Clarke Central High School varsity foot...
01/17/2025

A Clarke County School District police vehicle overlooks Death Valley during the Clarke Central High School varsity football team’s game against Loganville High School on Oct. 11. CCHS Security Officer Chris Hood acknowledged the concerns surrounding the need for change in safety protocol at CCHS sporting events. “(There were) a lot of what-ifs. What if this parent gets mad at another parent and one person has a weapon? How can it escalate?” Hood said. “But since we’re doing what we’re doing, if something did happen like that, at least no weapons would be involved and they can get detained pretty quickly without anybody else getting hurt.” Photos by Wyatt Meyer, story by Lydia Rowell

To learn more about safety at CCHS and CCSD sporting events, read Managing Editor Jane Ripps and Beat Editor Lydia Rowell’s story on the ODYSSEY website.

Miracle Club Executive Director Daly Carpenter, a Clarke Central High School junior, holds a poster in the first floor W...
01/17/2025

Miracle Club Executive Director Daly Carpenter, a Clarke Central High School junior, holds a poster in the first floor West Wing on Jan. 15. Carpenter helped organize the club’s next fundraiser, the Winter Social, which will be held at Athens First United Methodist Church on Jan. 25 from 5-7 p.m. “All of (the) money we raise at this event and throughout the year goes to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta,” Carpenter said. “I was treated (there) when I was a baby and had three eye surgeries there later in life, so (the hospital) means a lot to me.” Photos by Adah Hamman and Liya Taylor, story by Liya Taylor

A graphic shows a list of major international, national and Athens news stories from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10. Graphics by Liya...
01/11/2025

A graphic shows a list of major international, national and Athens news stories from Jan. 4 to Jan. 10. Graphics by Liya Taylor

The deadly Apalachee High School shooting occurred more than four months ago, in which time the rest of the country has ...
01/09/2025

The deadly Apalachee High School shooting occurred more than four months ago, in which time the rest of the country has largely moved on. But, in Barrow County, at Clarke Central High School and in the greater Athens community, the devastating mental health effects of the tragedy persist. “I replayed the whole incident a lot, and the whole time my head is just thinking about the people that lost their lives, the families that will no longer see them again,” Apalachee High School senior Shamir Stokes said. “(I’m) thinking about all of that, and just thinking that this could have been me.” Photos, graphics, and story by Wyatt Meyer

Read Editor-in-Chief Wyatt Meyer’s full investigative news story on the ODYSSEY website. The package is best viewed on a laptop.

Clarke Central High School junior Mady Nixon poses on the world languages glass bridge on Dec. 19. As the 2024-25 spring...
01/08/2025

Clarke Central High School junior Mady Nixon poses on the world languages glass bridge on Dec. 19. As the 2024-25 spring semester has begun, Nixon expressed her semester goal to push herself further academically. “My New Year’s Resolution for (this) semester is to not have as many absences, lock in and pass my classes,” Nixon said. “I have precalculus, which I’m a little worried about, but I’m going to do great.” Photos by Liya Taylor, story by Isabel Blankenship

Clarke Central High School juniors Zayeed De Lane (left) and Blake Bernt (right) sit together in Room 185 for Physics 1 ...
01/07/2025

Clarke Central High School juniors Zayeed De Lane (left) and Blake Bernt (right) sit together in Room 185 for Physics 1 Honors on Jan. 6. Clarke County School District schools returned from winter break on Monday, Jan. 6 and began the 2024-25 spring semester. “My first day back was pretty relaxed,” CCHS junior William Hicks said. “I think everyone is a little quiet on their first day back but once everyone is comfortable the energy goes back up.” Photos by Iliana Tejada and Grady Dunston, story by Liya Taylor

The Clarke Central High School freshman boys basketball team will go up against Hart County High School at 6 p.m. at HCH...
01/06/2025

The Clarke Central High School freshman boys basketball team will go up against Hart County High School at 6 p.m. at HCHS on Jan. 7. The Gladiators’ current record is 8-1 and freshman boys basketball point guard Christopher Lane expressed the team’s hope to add another win. “I’m feeling great going into the game,” Lane says. “My expectation is to fight, dominate and be the more (hustling) team because that’s the team that is going to bring home the win.” Photo by Grady Dunston, story by Isabel Blankenship

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Videos

Clarke Central High School varsity football alumni speak about their experiences playing in the Classic City Championship. Former defensive player Cedric Armstrong, a Class of 2014 alumnus, felt the annual rivalry game was special because of the family ties. “I had cousins on the other side of the field,” Armstrong said. “We would see each other at the beginning of the game like, ‘What’s up, ‘cuz, how you doing?’ I say when that whistle goes, there ain’t no cousins after that.” Video by Wyatt Meyer

Seniors Addisyn Huff, Azaryah Cornish and Ke’Aira Smith (from left to right) pose for Homecoming Spirit Week on “Twins/Triplets Day” in Clarke Central High School’s Miller B. Jordan Food Court on Sept. 24. For sophomore Lila Sloan, Spirit Week has acted as a perk midway through the term. “I think Spirit Week is important and fun because it boosts morale,” Sloan said. “Especially because we just hit the halfway mark of the semester and (it) influences people to participate in the CCHS community.” Photos by Daniel Cruz, story by Peter Atchley

The @odysseynewsmag is celebrating 20 years. Let’s take a look back at some classic fits.

The @odysseynewsmag wishes you a happy new year!

The @odysseynewsmag family wishes you all a Merry Christmas!

The @odysseynewsmag family wishes you a happy Hanukkah!

Sports Editor @the.official.wyatt discusses the United States Men’s National Soccer Team’s FIFA World Cup so far as the team prepares to play the Netherlands in the round of 16. Read Meyer’s open letter to the @usmnt at the link in bio or on the ODYSSEY Media Group website!

Clarke Central High School Media specialist Naomi Craver talks about her holiday experiences in the Media Center on Nov 2. As a child, Craver went to a performance of “The Nutcracker”, which is one of her fondest holiday memories. “I really liked seeing ‘The Nutcracker’ ballet when I was a kid. We didn’t do that very often because it was real expensive, but a couple of times we got to go.” Craver said. Video and story by @temptookthat

In a landmark show of support for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community, The Senate passed bipartisan legislation early today mandating that the federal government recognize same-sex marriages. The bill is expected to pass the House of Representatives before the chamber comes under Republican control, which would be an important victory for Democrats and gay rights activists after what appeared to be waning support in the courts earlier this year. “Because of our work together, the rights of tens of millions of Americans will be strengthened under federal law. That’s an accomplishment we should all be proud of,” Senate majority leader and Democrat Chuck Schumer said. Graphic and story by @the.official.wyatt What do you think of The Senate’s decision? 🤔

Members of the ODYSSEY Media Group and iliad Literary-Art Magazine editorial boards pose in the Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport before departing Atlanta for St. Louis, Missouri on Nov. 9. Thirteen representatives attended the Journalism Education Association/National Scholastic Press Association 2022 National Fall High School Journalism Convention, “Game Changers,” from Nov. 10-12. “I made connections with other publications from all across the country and got to see the diversity of programs and how they operate,” Digital Editor Anna Shaikun said. “We got some great ideas for content production and organization of the ODYSSEY program as a whole.” Photo courtesy of staff, story by Mykolas Kumpis Click the link in bio to check out the full recap of the NSPA trip!

The ODYSSEY Media Group is at the National High School Journalism Convention in St. Louis, MO. Meet our new friends, Peyton (@peyton._.gregory) and Kris (@bymoonlilies), from Pattonville High School (@phstoday)! Video by @ollie.h3nd0 and @anna_shaikun #nhsjc

Athens-Clarke County Mayor Kelly Girtz stands in front of the bus loop at Clarke Central High School on March 25. Girtz wants to recognized the importance of Juneteenth and highlight its impact. “I recognize that Juneteenth was probably an under-recognized celebration until recent years, when there’s been a sort of burgeoning and broadcasting desire to highlight and recognize every step in our social and legal evolution. So I’m glad that Juneteenth is becoming a much more recognized and much more celebrated date,” Girtz said. Photo by Lucas Donnelly Click in the link in bio to check out the full Q/A!

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