Despite the snow, ice, and cancelled classes, JHS student photographers photographed some images of this week’s cold weather as part of their Digital Photography class.
Most images are a part of their unit on black and white photography as they study the work of Ansel Adams this month.
Click on the images in the gallery below to view their photographs.
This is the second Winter ’25 Photo Essay featuring work by JHS photographers; feel free to check out the first Winter ’25 Photo Essay as well.
Despite the snow, ice, and cancelled classes, JHS student photographers photographed some images of this week’s cold weather as part of their Digital Photography class.
Most images are a part of their unit on black and white photography as they study the work of Ansel Adams this month.
Click on the images in the gallery below to view their photographs. More will be added in the next few days as this post is updated.
Total views in December, 2024: 3761 views from 941 visitors
Total posts published in December, 2024: 20 posts
Total views in 2024: 14,187 views (12,097 this school year)
Total posts published since beginning of 2024-25 school year: 81 posts
All photos by Dahlia Karey.
Click on the photo gallery below.
by Maxine Prickett and Alyssa Lawson
The doorway becomes open. The dark winding pathway to depression is in sight. A pathway no person should have to walk no matter how young or old.
An estimated 280 million people in the world suffer from the mental illness depression. In people under the age of 50 the leading cause of death is suicide. Five percent of people self-harm by cutting themselves. Eighty-one percent of people from the ages 15-24 who have vaped say they started to decrease their stress, anxiety, or depression.
Most depression starts in late fall to early winter. The main major leading cause of depression is stressful life events. In the United States depression peaks at the age of 40 for women and 50 for men. The depression rate of people in Indiana is 32.9%.
It’s safe to say depression is a very serious and dangerous illness.
More than an estimated of 30 million people have thought about committing suicide, almost four million people have made a plan to commit suicide, and nearly two million people have committed suicide. Depression can be a very serious illness that can lead to suicide.
Suicidal thoughts in teens can turn deadly. Too many families have lost their children due to their battle with depression. It’s truly a tragic tale repeated time and time again a tale that doesn’t end with a happy ever after.
There are many ways to get help if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts and/or actions. Texting or calling 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or going to their website at 988lifeline.org is one. Another would be texting BRAVE to 741741 and a trained crisis counselor will help.
Suicide leaves many beaten and bruised. Not just those who have tried but those who knew the ones who have or did successfully attempt. It leaves families and friends crushed, a forever scar on the inside, the scars people don’t and won’t see unless they’re shown. Sometimes showing people these scars creates new ones, but we have to learn to live with our past rather than let it haunt and taunt us. We will not and cannot stop until we have shown these people with these scars still cutting deep that they will be okay.
Lights can be turned back on, just let them. Don’t be fooled by this darkness. That walkway ends, and that door will be shut.
by Tyler Johnson
Humanity has once more found itself at a critical moment. Future generations will look back on our reactions and judge us accordingly. The Israel-Palestine conflict is no ‘war’; it is an ethnic genocide perpetrated by a settler colonial state. History will not absolve us for our compliance in this act of inhumanity. We must disassociate ourselves with it and disavow it.
It must be first stated that you are not anti-Semetic for questioning Israel’s actions. This idea that protests are anti-Semetic is perpetrated by the media to manufacture consent to violate the First Amendment rights of protestors. There are plenty of Jewish figures who disavow the actions of Israel as well, such as Holocaust scholar Norman Finkelstein, political intellectual Noam Chomsky, and Marxist economist Richard Wolff.
But how do we begin to question Israel? We must first remove ourselves from bias. It is time for us to take a sobering look at the situation in Gaza. It is what could be considered an “open air prison”; many would also refer to this as a concentration camp. This may seem like a rough term, but let’s look at the facts of the situation. The Gazans are walled in on the Israeli border. The Palestinian people were slowly pushed out of their own land into a smaller and smaller area. In this area, Israel has complete control over their water, food, and electricity. The Gazans cannot escape across the Egyptian border, as Egypt refuses to take them. This is a completely controlled place where the people have no escape and are ruthlessly terrorized, making it by definition a concentration camp.
These are not livable conditions; these are not humane conditions, and these are not conditions we should be okay with. They have been trapped in this space and ruthlessly bombed. Homes, schools, churches, hospitals, all bombed in the name of fighting terrorism. Is this not terrorizing?
It hasn’t always been like this. Palestine used to consist of a much larger area before 1967. But then, the Israeli settlers asserted they had a biblical claim on the land and began to colonize it. Subsequently, over the decades, the Palestinians have been pushed out of their own land. If the situation were reversed and it had been the Palestinians claiming Israeli land, westerners would have asserted it to be a radical jihad. Why is that the Israelis get to do this free of scrutiny? Why do we act surprised when the oppressed begin to fight back in radical ways?
The uncomfortable truth of the situation lies in its all too familiar excuse of “fighting terrorism.” As Americans we know what it’s like to be affected by terrorism. But we also know what it’s like to lie for the sake of imperialism. When Colin Powell lied about Iraq having WMDs to justify invasion, the public began to distrust government powers, and we need to bring this skepticism to Israel.
Yes, October 7 did happen. Yes, it was a tragedy. But this could have been avoided. The decades of the Palestinian people’s oppression bred this hatred. To terrorize a people and be surprised when they retaliate in a violent and radical way is ridiculous. It is not to say Hamas’ actions are justified or that they are a group of freedom fighters. It is to say that the hatred and violence they perpetuate was born from their own history of being oppressed and terrorized. The Israeli government has then weaponized this tragedy against the Palestinian people. There is absolutely zero justification for the murder that has occurred in Gaza.
46,009 people, including 17,492 children, have been massacred, and more than 11,000 are missing. How could you say that this is all done in the name of counter-terrorism? Israel can say it’s limiting casualties, but it is clear as day right in front of our eyes that they are not, as Israel designated safe zones in Gaza and then proceeded to bomb those as well. Israel denies, denies, denies, and relies on the weaponization of October 7 to substantiate these lies.
But what is to be done about this tragedy? Well, it’s hard to say, as the West stays a strong ally to Israel. Especially America, with Israel being essentially an extension of American interests in the Middle East.
The best course of action is the use of the First Amendment to rally more people to this issue. We must show the government that we will not stay silent for genocide. We cannot repeat the mistakes we made in the 30s and 40s.
We can find solidarity as a people and fight back against imperial forces. To free Palestine is to free everyone.
by Ifrah Daber
Fears of gun violence plague the minds of many Americans, and the issue of gun violence hit especially close to home with the shootings at October’s Harvest Homecoming in New Albany.
Harvest Homecoming is a yearly festival in New Albany that celebrates the coming of fall. But on the night of Oct. 12, normal festivities were interrupted by a horrifying scene of shooters where three individuals were shot, with local teenager Bryce Gerlach passing away from his injuries.
On a large scale the fight to find a solution to the growing number of shootings seems to be a constant back and forth, very rarely moving in any productive direction. But to those who may be concerned, especially having lost a young man, it’s important to remember that there are many in Southern Indiana fighting for public safety.
Harvest Homecoming officials provided a statement of purpose and sympathy, looking to make the annual event safe for attendees:
“We are committed to providing updates regarding future Harvest Homecomings when the time is right. Until then, we join our community in mourning the tragic loss of an innocent life. Our continued thoughts and prayers are with the family of Bryce Gerlach, those injured, and the many patrons impacted by this heartbreaking, senseless act of violence,”
As the community and Harvest Homecoming officials work towards the future, other leaders agreed that public safety is essential for Southern Indiana success.
Jeffersonville mayor Mike Moore shared his view of progress for the community.
“Moving forward, we cannot allow the evil of a few people to change the reason we celebrate our community’s history,” said Moore. “Southern Indiana is a wonderful place to raise a family. Coming together as a community will continue to make us strong.”
Moore spoke of his confidence with city leaders in New Albany, as well as Southern Indiana police and volunteers, when it comes to making necessary adjustments for future large festivals that will make sure events like Harvest Homecoming are safe.
Jeffersonville Special Events Manager Tara Young shared how seriously people’s well-being is being taken at community events.
With Light Up Jeff, a yearly event in early December, she specified what was done to protect those who attended the holiday event. She stated that event planners met with the police, fire, and parks departments to organize and discuss security and keeping people safe.
“We here in Jeffersonville take every event seriously. We want it to be a safe, fun place, welcome to all. Safety is our number one priority and we feel with our close partnership with the police and added private security, we have a great team involved to make it a safe and secure event,” said Young.
She also shared that local police have protocols in place of the highest standard for large events. As an example, police are stationed at entrances and exits and throughout every immense venue.
Young shows how public safety is a priority in the minds of those behind the scenes of some of the massive community events that Jeffersonville plans each year. Along with proper protocol and planning, city officials do their best to ensure a secure environment for families and friends to enjoy.
Officer Brian Mitchell, a police officer who works with JHS, clarified some of the many plans in place to uphold safety and emphasized how one can protect themselves at school events.
Mitchell is another one of the many people placed in charge of providing public safety, along with other responsibilities. He specified how there is an emergency action plan and safety protocols for large school events. One suggestion that Mitchell highlighted was the importance of reporting behavior and being aware.
“If you see something, say something,” was a statement repeated many times by Mitchell when discussing the power people have to prevent dangerous situations. Small things can greatly help with maintaining a secure environment, knowing the location of exits, and knowing who and where to report concerning behavior to.
“Better you say something and be wrong than not say something at all,” said Mitchell, emphasizing that students speak out when they and those around them might be in danger, including over social media, or overhearing unsettling threats or “jokes.”
Being aware and taking a stand when they see something suspicious is a small but important part of keeping everyone safe.
Another familiar face around Jeff High, principal Pam Hall, also shared how she took her role as a face of protection seriously after events of violence like Harvest Homecoming.
Hall took many measures to protect students shortly after the tragedy, from putting the school on hold and expanding police personnel at large events, to doing what she could to create an environment that helped students feel secure. She added that she was learning that she and no one had all the answers, but she would do what she would always look out for the student body.
“It can shake your sense of community,” Hall stated, speaking of the difficulties that a community can have when dealing with the aftershock of violence. But despite that, when asked about her biggest takeaway, Hall said, “I love everyone here,” believing that the community and students can find the strength to progress through caring for one another.
by Sam Ottinger
“This is one of the most treasured traditions, I can’t iterate enough, that we have here at Jeffersonville during the holidays,” choir director Kyle Broady said.
He continued, “Personally, I think this is the best ticket in town.”
These words were spoken last Thursday night near the end of the concert, and there is much to agree with.
Winter Fantasy was a joyous event that was able to truly capture the holiday spirit with roughly 230 students, and with the other teachers involved, making it about 10% of the whole school involved. Broady’s choir and musical theatre class; and the band taught by Briston Hatchell and Sidney McDonald; led to a wide variety of takes on many different traditional holiday themed songs.
The performance consisted of 15 songs. The very first, sung by the chamber choir, was a very faithful, calm, and quiet performance of the classic “Carol of the Bells.”
Following this piece was “Silver Bells” sung by The Devil’s Advocates and The Devils Horns Jazz Ensemble. This piece was played with a more upbeat and funky style that was elevated by the jazz and great singing. The song went down the same path of being a faithful adaptation, yet as it neared the middle and ending of the song, there was its own JHS personality that shined through.
The pattern continued as the next song “Who is He in Yonder Stall,” as sung by the men’s chamber choir, was more of a soft and intentionally quiet song that allowed us to notice a harmony between the choir’s voices and the band’s instruments.
The whole band did a fantastic job at keeping everything in tempo throughout, but this skill was clear in the song “”Winter” from The Four Seasons.”
Sophomore Bradley Lynch was the one in charge of playing the jingle bells for this piece. He was able to refrain from falling into the errors of playing the notes too quickly, as is a typical problem that can be heard in nonprofessional bands, leading to his piece flowing perfectly into the rest of the band and giving it a more professional feeling.
“Children Go Where I Send Thee,” sung and played by both the choir and band, was a personal favorite, and one that got many in the audience involved. This song was more energetic, being of the gospel music genre, starting with a loud hit of a drum.
Nearing the middle of the song, many members of the audience clapped along with the beat. The energy wasn’t just in the lyrics; it was also found in the choir members’ movement between pauses in their singing. It would be a disservice to exclude the inclusion of a rap section in the near middle of the song. Many counted it as an interesting inclusion, yet I believe it fit the energetic feeling well, and didn’t truly take anything away from the overall song, even if a few people felt it was a bit unexpected.
Song number six was “Celtic Carol,” performed by the concert band. It had more of a serene feeling to it in the beginning due to the chimes with the mix of flutes. Yet this is contrasted as the song progressed and it gets more of an intense tone, due to the increasing volume of the drums. As it progressed more, the sound continues to fluctuate between the two tones. There were some small squeaks from certain instruments, but overall it didn’t affect my listening too much, as this well performed piece was still enjoyable.
The last piece before intermission was “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel,” sung by The Devil’s Advocates. This piece was very fascinating to listen to. There was no inclusion of a band, which they had already done earlier in the night, but this piece was different due to the way they were able to add in their own instruments, in a way, by using their own voices. This matched perfectly with the whole feeling of this song. The tone was soft with a sort of enchanting feeling due to the addition of the small bits sung to support the actual lyrics.
After a 15-minute intermission, they started Act II off with a classic performance of “Sleigh Ride.” Timing once again was a strong piece in the success of this song. Senior Collin Crouch and Hayden Smith were able to play the iconic slapstick clap and the wooden block trotting with perfect timing. Even when the hitting of the wooden block purposely sped up near the end, Crouch was able to match Smith’s block timing to ultimately pull it off. Junior Cameron Guzman and sophomore Tristan Cooley were able to pull off the just as iconic horse whinnying with their trumpet, nearing the very end of the song.
Following this piece was “That’s Christmas to Me,” sung by The Devil’s Advocates. This one was another soft piece, which gave off a sort of warm feeling like you’d get on a late winter night. The piece also gave off a similar sound to Matthew Hall’s “When Christmas Comes to Town,” which only helped to expand that warm feeling. This piece also added vocal sounds that helped add more additional music.
“Winter Wonderland,” played by The Devils Horns, was next. It gave off just as much joy as the very first rendition of this song.
Another classic that followed was “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing,” sung by the Chamber Choir. It first started off as the typical piece, before it surprised many by transitioning into a more hip hop and beatbox focused version. This one, like “Children Go Where I Send Thee,” was another personal favorite, and also included parts where the audience would be invited to clap along and join in on the fun.
Continuing the classic song trend, the next piece was “White Christmas,” performed and sung by the wind symphony. An enjoyable take where junior Alice Haynes sang while the rest of the symphony played along. What was fun about this piece was the way the instruments would finish Haynes’s lyrics, making it a sort of duet with the instruments.
The third to last song was “A Christmas Story,” performed by the musical theatre. It was a very sweet song, yet this piece showed the one problem with this event, the mics.
There were quite a few moments in this song, and a bit in “Silver Bells” and in the back section where the choir would be, where the mics would not truly project the voices towards the crowd, making some parts get covered by music or technical interference.
Yet the singers in “A Christmas Story” were able to push through it and make the parts that could be easily heard be fantastic in harmony and tone.
The second to last song was “ Hallelujah Chorus,” performed by both the choir and band. The mixing of both groups and melodies was a nice path to go down as the event started to wind down.
Yet the final song, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” was able to make this combination of choir and band be the cherry on top to a great closing piece.
This song wasn’t just on theme, but the harmony with the choir was breathtaking in a way, and truly had the feeling of holiday joy all throughout.
And this piece wasn’t just important to fit the Christmas genre; it also helped aid the deeper theme of tradition.
Each year this song is a special time for the seniors involved in choir. Every year they include this piece, and those seniors are able to have their own front row spot to perform this wonderful closing song as the big day approaches.
In this performance, these seniors were Sylvana Sandoval Camacho, Ella Motluck, Luna Guyse, and Layelle Plemons.
Winter Fantasy is fantasy turned real each year it comes around. It’s a tradition that supports the arts department in getting its name out there while showing off the wonderful students involved.
Broady wanted to talk of how important the presence of the arts is, as he commented before the second to last song, “…it really is important that we keep this going, and it really is important that we support the arts, fund the arts, and that we create the space for arts to happen.”
He continued, “Music gives life, and it gives life in so many ways. And without music, honestly, where would we be?”
by Elliot Swincher
It was on a chill day in Louisville, KY when my mom, step-sister, and my nephew went to The Old Spaghetti Factory. I hadn’t gone in quite some time to actually dine-in and it was really cool at the parking garage across the street. There is a system in place to where you type in the license plate number to pay to park. We walked into this adventure through the heavy and beautiful gold doors of the restaurant.
I was incredibly pleased by the flexibility after I was at a ribbon-cutting prior to my arrival at the restaurant allowing me to cancel a later reservation for 7:15 p.m. after I arrived at 6:15 p.m. The establishment of two different reservations I believed would cause confusion to ensue but they actually understood.
Our waiter, Daniel, was very cordial and had well developed manners, and acknowledged both our needs, time constraints, and what food we wanted.
I ate at the restaurant with my mom, nephew, and half-sister. We all ordered the Spinach Artichoke Dip as an appetizer and it was much like a cheese dip with vegetables in it.
Their food was very good according to my family members. Hot and well seasoned. I ordered their Famous Baked Lasagna and it was very creamy and had a leveraged taste as usual, which is why I always order this there.
As a commodity, water is served aside from your ordered drink. Usually water is on my list of most despised beverages but the water that they served was delicious, albeit I usually don’t like Kentucky wWater. The first time I had Kentucky water was at a Steak N Shake and left a bad rap for me.
The main drink that I ordered was the Vanilla Italian Cream Soda, which tasted like the strength of the taste a McDonald’s Sweet Tea has in the context of tea or the strength of the taste a Starbucks Peppermint Mocha has in the context of coffee but this was in the Cream Soda department.
I was incredibly pleased that my nephew had to use the restroom because this way I got to review everything about the restaurant. The dining room walkthrough on the way to the bathroom reminded me of a scene out of the movie “The Color of Money,” super cool as a major movie lover.
The bathroom itself was gorgeous and was very clean and spacious. I should add that the actual restaurant and trolley that we ate in was very clean but the trolley was not spacious as it reminded me of being at the Golden Corral. The tables were basically clanking together and people’s voices were booming off each other.
Overall, the service was fantastic, food was delicious, and the staff was so cordial and friendly.
by Emelyn Gantulga
While opinions vary, the JHS community passionately shares their all-time favorite movies, showcasing a rich tapestry of preferences and cinematic experiences that unite them.
“My favorite movie is ‘The Elf ‘ because that’s where I got my name from.” Senior Jovie Golko
“My favorite movie is ‘Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire’ because it shows events that circle all around, first is the dragon egg, and then saving a person, and then after that the maze, and then the death of somebody, and that’s where Voldemort is born again.” Senior Danna Hernandez-Olivares
“My favorite movie is ‘The Notebook’ because I like romance movies and this movie holds a very special place in my heart.” Junior Ashly Burton
“I would have to say that my favorite movie is ‘Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 3’ mainly because of the soundtrack and the plot.” Sophomore Sophie Hardin
“My favorite movie would have to be ‘The Book of Life’ because when I was a little kid I watched the movie and I’ve been in love with it ever since.” Sophomore Alison Hernandez-Estrada
“My favorite movie is ‘SouthPaw’ because it was emotional and exciting at the same time.” Freshman Perry Coats
“James Bond movies are my favorite movies, because I mainly grew up with them and I’ve read the novels, and just have always been drawn to them. And this could also be because of all the different places he travels, storyline, and the villains in the movie are pretty neat too.” AP U.S. History Teacher David Russell
“My favorite movie is ‘A Goofy Movie’ because it’s a funny movie and if you watch Disney movies, this is a good classic movie that I watched when I was younger, so it’s pretty good.” AP Physics Teacher Hope Rector
by Sarah Jacobs
JHS Students watch a wide variety of TV shows between their studies.
“My favorite TV show is ‘Young Sheldon’ because I watch it with my little sister, Mitzy. It’s important to spend time with my family and this show provides a great opportunity to bond with her.” Junior Marianna Bush
“’Bojack Horseman’ is my favorite TV show because the characters, despite being portrayed as animals, are very human. I love the fact that the main character is a bad guy and the show acknowledges that he is always in the wrong. His decisions have weight and continue to haunt him.” Junior Tobey Wilder
“’One Piece’ for sure. It has uplifting themes and beautiful storytelling. The characters are interesting and exceptionally well-written. The animation is stunning during the later parts of the series.” Senior Jovie Golko
“’Gilmore Girls’ because I’ve been able to grow up with the show. I relate to the characters in different ways, and I see my friends and family in the characters. The plotlines are interesting and fun to revisit.” Junior Cassidy Tomlin
“My favorite show is ‘Hannibal’ because I find the character dynamics and the gray scales of morality very interesting.” Senior Emrys Honaker
“My favorite is ‘One Piece.’ I enjoy the vast world-building and the large cast of fleshed-out characters. The storytelling is great with every story arc cohesively fitting together. I’d recommend it to anyone.” Senior Lane Triplett
“’The Amazing World of Gumball.’ The art style is interesting because it is unique. It’s super funny, so I have it playing all the time in my room.” Freshman Corbin Bush
“My favorite is ‘Arcane.’ The world is written in such a way that you feel like you’re part of it. You can feel how the characters feel. The animation appears to be painted which gives the whole show a unique but pleasant aesthetic.” Senior Mars Ragland
by Ricky Cummins and Charleigh Davis
Click on the image gallery below.
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