SJO celebrates Class of 2020 scholarship winners

This year's Honors Night was celebrated in a different format. Due to the state restrictions on large gatherings during the Covid-19 pandemic, St. Joseph-Ogden High School announced this year's award winners via video made available on YouTube.

"Even though we are not together in our gym and there were several scholarships that were not able to be given this year, the following is an amazing representation of how intelligent and talented our young people are," said SJO principal Gary Page in his introduction.

Watch the video below to learn about the 21 scholarships earned by the Class of 2020.

SJO Class of 2020 Scholarship
Award Winners

Jenna Schaefer
Chamber of Commerce Scholarship
Illinois State Scholarship
National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation

Tristan Fuqua
St. Joseph Masonic Foundation Scholarship

Hannah Rajlich
Papa Pridemore Memorial Scholarship
Illinois State Scholar

Taddy Pettit
Papa Pridemore Memorial Scholarship

Jenna Albrecht
C-U Optimist Club Scholarship
American Legion Award
Lexi Barbour Memorial Scholarship

Lindsey Aden
FFA Alumni Scholarships
Illinois State Scholar
Anderson's Scholarship
Farm Bureau Womens Committee Scholarship
Champaign County Farm Bureau Scholarship
National Merit Scholarship Letter of Commendation

Mallory Ames
FFA Alumni Scholarships
Illinois State Scholar
Bayer Fund Farmers Grow Ag Leaders Scholarship
Ag Future of America Scholarship
Vincent O’Greene Memorial Scholarship

Brodie Sullivan
FFA Alumni Scholarships

Katelyn Berry
Illinois State Scholar
Daughters of the American Revolution

Emily Bigger
Illinois State Scholar

Ginny Bytnar
Illinois State Scholar

Andrea Cunningham
Illinois State Scholar

Faith Dahman
Illinois State Scholar

Hannah Dukeman
Illinois State Scholar
Illini Prairie Conference Scholar Athlete

Erica Guelfi
Illinois State Scholar
John Phillips Sousa Award
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship
The National Merit Scholarship

Ava Mills
Illinois State Scholar

Eric Poe
Illinois State Scholar

Kenly Taylor
Illinois State Scholar

Stephanie Trame
Illinois State Scholar

Isabelle Vliet
Illinois State Scholar

Zoey Witruk
Illinois State Scholar

Brayden Weaver
Sons of the American Revolution
Illini Prairie Conference Scholar Athlete

Payton Cain
American Legion Award

Danie Kelso
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Eliza Lewis
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Nathan Maier
Lutheran Community Foundation Scholarship

Cody Johnston
St. Joseph Youth Baseball Little League Scholarship

Brendan Cooperider
St. Joseph Youth Baseball Little League Scholarship

Kendall Ayers
National Choral Award

Joshua Sexton
National Band Director’s Award

Rylee Stahl
Tammy Walsh Memorial Scholarship

Anna Wentzloff
Tammy Walsh Memorial Scholarship
St. Joseph Masonic Foundation Scholarship

Zach Seeley
Army


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St. Joseph Community Festival scaled back due to Covid-19

The pandemic wounded yet another annual summer tradition this year. The St. Joseph Community Festival committee announced that this year's celebration will be scaled down considerably as the state continues to navigate through it reopening phases.

In a statement released on Facebook, the festival committee announced that after conversations with the American Legion, the village officials and management from the carnival vendor, a decision was reached to cancel most of the events for this year's festival.

"With all of the unknowns at this time due to the coronavirus it is hard to plan what might or might not be allowed in August," Josh Reese wrote in his post in the St. Joseph, IL - Information and Community Events public group on Facebook. "We are planning on keeping a few events."

As of June 10, the planning committee plans to offer the following events:

Saturday, August 1
12pm • Antique and Lawnmower Tractor Pull Location: The Sports Complex

Saturday, August 8
7am - 10am • St. Joseph-Stanton Fire Department Pancake Breakfast

6pm • Community Festival Parade
Location: Downtown

Dusk • Festival Fireworks
Location: Sports Complex

The Pancake Breakfast is listed as tentative. The SJSFD still needs to acquire applicable temporary food permits from the Champaign-Urbana Public Health District. The tractor pull was schedule to one week earlier due to the availability of the sled.

Reese signed off with a piece of good news after thanking the community for their support. The dates for next year's festival are scheduled to be held on August 12-14 in 2021.


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SJO senior spotlights with Brady Lewis, Asjah Fonner & Tyler Jones

Brady Lewis

Clubs & Activities
Coffee Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother

Favorite SJO memories:
He has been a part of the Coffee Club at SJO for the past two years and enjoyed making and delivering coffee to SJO staff members every Thursday morning. Each member of the staff was always happy to see Brady, with or without coffee in hand.

Favorite classes:
Classes with Mrs. Beth Beckett

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Manwaring, Mrs. White, Mrs. Bayles, and Mrs. Beckett.

Advice to future SJO students:
Always do your best.

Asjah Fonner

Clubs & Activities
Drama Club

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
A younger brother

Hobbies:
Creative writing and reading

Favorite SJO memories:
She enjoyed everything about Drama Club and will always remember being a part of the musicals during both her junior and senior years.

Favorite classes:
Journalism and all of her English classes

Favorite teachers:
Mr. Risley at St. Joseph Middle School and Mrs. Alisyn Franzen at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

College:
Parkland College majoring in Secondary English Dducation. She plans to transfer to Eastern Illinois University after two year.

Advice to future SJO students:
Push yourself to finish your homework, and don’t give up on what makes you happy.

Tyler Jones

Clubs & Activities
Drama Club
Football (1 year)

Hometown:
St. Joseph

Siblings:
Four older and three younger brothers

Hobbies:
Running and playing video games

Favorite SJO memories:
His greatest memories at SJO include his experiences in Drama Club during his freshman and sophomore years, working in the SJO greenhouse during Horticulture class, and attending post prom as a junior.

Favorite class:
Horticulture

Favorite teachers:
Mrs. Kirk at St. Joseph Grade School, Mrs. Ford at St. Joseph Middle School, and Mrs. Kelly Steffen and Mrs. Ashley Krisman at St. Joseph-Ogden High School.

Military Commitment:
He joined the Army National Guard and reports for Basic Training at Fort Benning on June 15.

College:
Parkland College majoring in Physical Therapy.

Advice to future SJO students:
Do not procrastinate.

Text & photos provided by St. Joseph-Ogden High School.
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It was horrific and wrong and the officers must be punished

By Glenn Mollette, Guest Commentator


The death of George Floyd at the hands of police should never have happened. It was murder and a dark moment in America. The looting, terrorism and burning of American cities by so called protesters is criminal and a dark moment in America.

The Minneapolis police officers involved in Floyd's death must be held accountable. The criminals involved in wrecking American cities, robbing and burning businesses must be held accountable.

Americans have the right to free speech. Free speech does not mean destroying property, hurting police officers and criminal activities.

The question many Americans are asking today is who is funding these criminal, terrorist riots that have happened across America? People are showing up from other cities and states to wreak havoc and chaos in American cities. Who is paying their travel? Who is providing their lodging? Who is paying them money? Are there really this many evil, bad people in America? Obviously, there are because the acts of violence displayed on national television are not coming from peaceful protesters. We have seen and heard about many peaceful protesters. Thousands of people have made their protests in a peaceful, honorable way.

No one blames anyone for being upset and angry about what happened to George Floyd. It made me angry. I would be willing to march with anyone to cry out against such an act and event. Actually, I cried out against Floyd's murder in last week's column stating my feelings about his murder by the hands of the Minneapolis police officers. This column goes to thousands of media outlets. It was horrific and wrong and the officers must be punished. The looters and criminals who have vandalized and saw Floyd's death as an opportunity to pursue criminal activity also must be put in jail and punished.

America is in deep trouble. We are still in the middle of Covid-19 with the prospects of a Fall resurgence. Unemployment soars. Businesses have closed and many are struggling to hold on. Economically our nation is buried. The future of our older generation is at great risk and the younger generation has not grasped yet what is really in store for them financially. The economic plight of this nation has put the realization of the American Dream at great risk for America's children.

We desperately need a revival of "rightness" in America. There was a day when people believed in strong morals, decency, respect and the Golden Rule. This "rightness or rule" must happen from all the politicians, to the police officers, to the protesters and to every person in America. The preachers in America must get this message out. The politicians must get this message out. We must put this message into our daily living. Or, it's over for America.

Here's the rule again, "Treat others the way you want to be treated."

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Dr. Glenn Mollette is a syndicated American columnist and author of American Issues, Every American Has An Opinion and ten other books. He is read in all 50 states. The views expressed are those of the author and are not necessarily representative of any other group or organization.

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This article is the sole opinions of the author and does not necessarily reflect the views of PhotoNews Media. We welcome comments and views from our readers.


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