At long last, after weeks of deferral, Jeff High’s long awaited Homecoming is set to take place this weekend.
Yet what is Homecoming – and why are we thrilled?
Homecoming is the celebration of school traditions and the highlighting of certain students whose goals are to become Homecoming King and Queen. Others may attend to commemorate JHS, dress fancily, or simply to socialize with peers while showing Red Devil spirit.
Poor weather conditions several weeks ago are to blame for the event’s delay. Storms producing heavy rains and weather warnings were present in the area prior to the original date.
After discussions with Student Council sponsor Natalie Woods, principal Pam Hall and the administrative team decided to postpone Homecoming to the first boys’ and girls’ basketball home game to give the courts their deserving recognition.
“We did not want to have our Homecoming court out there in their dresses or in their nice suits getting drenched, so we made the decision to look for an alternative date,” stated Hall.
Although Homecoming has been delayed, voter decisions have remained intact and up-to-date.
“The student population has already voted, so the first round of votes are for all those people who signed up that want to be on court or candidates, and then they are chosen by vote by their class,” stated Woods. “The second round of votes are just for the King and Queen, so the whole school gets to vote for the King and Queen of their choice.”
Results from the voting window have stayed exceptionally quiet, but the royalty and court members will be announced this Saturday night.
“We have 20 Homecoming court members. We have four duos of seniors – so we have four boys and four girls for seniors, and then we have two boys and two girls for each junior, sophomore and freshman classes,” said Woods. “Our seniors come make up the King and Queen candidates, and then our juniors, sophomores and freshmen make up what’s known as the Homecoming court.”
While attending Homecoming, JROTC Saber Team presentations are expected, along with a more formal ceremony where students are presented to JHS community members, staff and other students.
Both the girls’ and boys’ basketball teams will play this Saturday; the theme is “White Out.”
Jeff High Cheer has done it again. This marks the fourth year in a row that the team has gotten a bid to make their way to Nationals. They competed at the UCA Hoosier Hills Regional competition on Nov. 17 and received their bid to attend.
“I feel grateful and fortunate that we have been able to make it to Nationals for four years straight. I’m proud of my teammates for working hard the past six months. And I’m excited to make some more memories in Orlando,” stated senior cheerleader Violet Fondrisi, who competed at the regional.
The work doesn’t stop there, though. The cheerleading team still has a long season ahead of them.
“I take it one day at a time, and I think about how our hardest practices will only make us better,” Fondrisi said about their intense preparation.
The moment they received their bid was bittersweet, especially for the seniors on the team.
When asked about her goals for the season and Nationals, Fondrisi stated that she hopes the seniors are able to “enjoy one of (their) last experiences being a Jeff High cheerleader.”
Jeff High Cheer is hopeful for their season, and they plan to win big once they hit the mat in Orlando.
When I was younger, I yelled at my parents for not getting me what I wanted. Now, looking back at it, one can realize how much time has passed since then. Traveling to a new foreign place is tough, but going through it alone is even tougher. That’s why people should cherish the time they have, although they may not get along with someone else. Moreover, as a student who had to travel to a new continent, there are many key elements to be aware of. These key elements include being homesick, being safe, and getting used to the new environment.
A home is considered a safe place, or the people that make a person feel safe. And when a person travels somewhere else, they’ll miss their home and culture. Home is what makes a person feel warm and happy because they’ll always know that they have somewhere to go.
However, moving somewhere new takes that feeling away because a person will find out that it’s never going feel the same way it did. Additionally, that’s why most people get homesick the minute they step into a new place because they know it will never replace the feeling of home, which is why when a person travels to somewhere new, they need to be aware of getting homesick and being safe and getting used to what’s around them.
It’s important to be safe. An article by the United Nations states, “More than 50,000 migrants die in search of a better life.” From this article, we know that even though people travel for new opportunities, they should still consider the myriad amount of risks that come along the way.
Furthermore, people should also be aware when traveling, because it’s hard to predict what will happen that day. This is only to ensure the safety of people that travel somewhere new because it’s hard to get somewhere far away. This is why people should prioritize their safety when it comes to traveling and getting used to somewhere new.
Despite getting older, people still keep familiar habits. The National Library of Medicine states, “Creating a healthy home environment in infancy is critical, as home characteristics in early infancy (six months) may remain constant into toddlerhood.”
This could signify that traveling and living somewhere new can be compared to a baby getting used to their home. Additionally, when people travel somewhere new, there can be new experiences they haven’t felt before, which will give opportunities for people to erudite in new places. Because, in some places, there could be certain foods that aren’t the same as back home, and temperature and culture may be different. This is a feeling many travelers feel when they travel somewhere new to live in because in most cases they either travel to experience a new feeling or to do it for the benefit they desire.
In conclusion, traveling can be a tough experience. This is because traveling can make a person feel a thrill, along with many other feelings as well. On the other hand, key elements to look out for when it comes to traveling include being homesick, being safe, and getting used to the new environment. Additionally, moving somewhere completely new can be fun, but one should always be cautious no matter the circumstance.
All photos by Romier Hunter-Lawrence and Maggie Nifong.
The Red Devil girls’ swimming and diving team pose before they swim at the New Albany Relays Girls’ Swim Meet on Tuesday, Nov. 19. JHS placed second to Floyd Central, beating out several local teams., winning the 200 butterfly relay and the 200 backstroke relay. Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Senior Kaya Arnold leads off the relay for the Red Devils. Boys’ and girls’ head coach Mike Pepa described the meet as “a fun meet traditionally — low pressure. I think our times are really good for this point of the season. The girls performed very well as a team.” Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Senior Eva Ellis performs her dive at New Albany High School on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Head boys’ and girls’ diving coach Holden Henderson said the meet went really well. “I had two divers compete — Eva and Mia — both of them dove well and came out of the meet confident.” Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Senior Mia Panepinto performs a reverse dive. Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Junior Litzy Rubio dives in as the second leg on the relay at New Albany High School. Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Sophomore Macyn Jackson finishes the third leg, handing the lead to senior Maggie Nifong. Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Senior Mia Panepinto performs a back dive as part of the New Albany Girls’ Relay Meet. Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence.Senior Mia Panepinto celebrates her scores from her performed dive. Head boys’ and girls’ swimming coach Mike Pepa said, “The girls performed very well as a team — a lot of spirit, a lot of camaraderie, a lot of support.” Photo by Romier Hunter-Lawrence. The boys’ swimming team supports the girls’ team at the New Albany Girls’ Relay Meet. Head boys’ and girls’ swimming coach Mike Pepa said, “Also, a lot of support from the boys’ team that came to cheer on the girls, so it was a great positive way to start the season.” Photo by Maggie Nifong.
Censorship, the most complex and confusing matter of the modern day. All of our life, we’re told that we have a voice. But in reality, do we?
In the past millennium, so much has changed. In this new day and age, the media has changed so much. Over 5 billion people are on the internet at any given time, no matter the time of day. Ever since the internet was created in 1983, it has been monitored heavily, just like all other forms of media at that time.
All forms of media are under watch. And to a certain extent, it makes perfect sense, Freedom of speech and expression does not condone illegal activities. But, is it illegal to have the freedom of creativity and expression?
Youth have less and less of a voice everyday. The only way to change is to make people realize that our voices are just as important as anyone else’s.
In 1985, a group called the PMRC (Parents’ Music Resource Center) was created to monitor music and educate parents on what their children listen to. But, it wasn’t just a suggestion. It seemed more like a law. Headed by former First Lady Tipper Gore, all of the music coming out at the time had to pass through them.
Bands like WASP, Def Leppard, Prince, and Twisted Sister were no match for this organization. And to combat the oppression, some of these artists took to the stand to try and sway their opinion.
Twisted Sister singer Dee Snider was one of the most important and famous cases of the artists trying to take back their music. Twisted Sister’s song “Under The Blade” was the song in question that was going to have his album banned, for allegedly having topics the PMRC thought kids should not know about.
And sadly, all of the fighting was for nothing. They had all decided beforehand their final verdict. The music of the accused wouldn’t be banned, but parental advisory stickers were added to every CD deemed “Nasty” by the PMRC. This is an instance of censorship terribly backfiring.
Kids all over the United States were going out and purposefully buying albums with Parental Advisory stickers. Being a part of the youth today, I would agree that the advisory sticker is eye-catching; it makes me very curious about the material of the album.
Ironically, this almost 40-year-old incident still has relevance because it has not changed.
In March of 2023 in Boise, Idaho, an art exhibit was censored, and teens were told they could not testify in some legislative hearings.
Adults silence teenagers and young adults, telling them what they can or cannot see and listen to. And when young people try to say something about it, we are ignored and told we do know what we’re talking about.
I think there’s a stereotype that teenagers are not knowledgeable enough to speak up. Adults have lived longer than us, but we have the right to live our own lives. No one should have to conform to a certain idea or belief, yet censorship is a growing problem.
“We are seeing tremendous attacks on First Amendment freedoms across the country right now, at all levels of government. Censorship is proliferating, and it’s deeply troubling,” said Joe Cohn, legislative and policy director with the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression.
And now, we can even be censored for being ourselves.
“This year, we’re seeing a wave of bills targeting drag performances where simply being gender nonconforming is enough to trigger the penalty,” Cohn said.
It’s understandable to dislike or disagree with someone’s idea, but being censored for being ourselves is becoming a serious issue, and it should not be. It’s no one’s business what I wear, what I say or who I am.
We have changed in the United States over the years. Youth have less and less of a voice everyday. The only way to change is to make people realize that our voices are just as important as anyone else’s.
No matter who you are, you have a voice. No one can tell you differently.
Taylor High School graduates Flora Clipper and Frank Baines join JHS Hyphen and WJHI journalists for an extensive interview Tuesday morning, Nov. 19, in the WJHI studio. Clipper graduated from Taylor High School in 1940, and Baines graduated in 1952. Photo by Ifrah Daber. Clipper and Baines with Hyphen and WJHI journalists and JHS student ambassadors, including junior Teagan Cofie, senior Avani Doogarsingh, sophomore Tristan Cooley, senior Andrea Campbell, and senior Tristan Darvin. Clipper and Baines discussed the history of Taylor High School in an extensive interview, sharing details about Clark County history and the school that was constructed to educate Clark County’s African American students. Photo by Ifrah Daber. Clipper and Baines meet with principal Pam Hall and WJHI instructor Dave Callan during their visit on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Photo by Ifrah Daber. Clipper and Baines with Hyphen and WJHI journalists Eliot Swincher and Ifrah Daber. Photo by Andrea Campbell. Basketball coach Sherron Wilkerson and senior Tre Singleton take a moment to greet Clipper and Baines. Baines played on the Taylor High School basketball team. Photo by Ifrah Daber.Baines models a Taylor High School shirt, which includes the school colors. Photo by Ifrah Daber.
Editor’s Note: This story will be updated as JHS media and other student organizations examine the history and legacy of Jeffersonville’s Taylor High School.
Sophomore Dane Watterson practices some camera moves before the JV girls’ basketball game on Tuesday, Nov. 12. “Broadcasting this game was a whole new different experience, I learned a lot,” said Watterson.
The varsity Red Devils defeated Jasper 71-55. Both the JV and varsity girls’ teams will travel to Warren Central this Saturday, Nov. 16. JV will play at 3 p.m.; varsity will play at 4:30 p.m.
Photo by Bruno Diaz Cerro.
Principal Pam Hall announced that all Jeff High classes will resume on the regular in-person schedule on Thursday, Nov. 14 after today’s early release due to a damaged sewer line.
Greater Clark County Schools are working with the Clark County Health Department to ensure the building has been fully sanitized and disinfected for the safety of students and staff.
The recent Hurricane Helene destruction affected many places, including a town very close to my heart.
Chimney Rock, located in Chimney Rock State Park North Carolina, is a small village near the summit of one of many large mountains in the state. It is home to all kinds of wildlife, from King Snakes to Box Turtles; its large establishment has become a home for many animals and takes the necessary precautions to keep them safe.
Chimney Rock actually began with the Morse family, which owned the land the park stands on. After being privately owned for many years, the state of North Carolina decided to buy it from the family to be able to open it up to the public. With its gorgeous views and peaceful trails, its lively town, and welcoming staff, why not share it with other families too, and let them enjoy its wonders?
That is actually what motivated my family and I to visit it for ourselves. My father had actually talked so often about its beauty that we decided that the next time we visited NC, we had to go. And with that, we packed up our bags and hit the road. We had gone with some relatives who lived nearby, and I vividly remember looking outside at the nearby forests, the summer sun peaking through the tree leaves, its warmth on our faces with the sunroof open.
When first entering Chimney Rock, you get to drive past Lake Lure Beach where kids have fun all summer long, many kinds of different shops and restaurants where you can buy all sorts of souvenirs. You see families all hanging out, having fun, enjoying summer, and oblivious to how little time they have left to spend at such a captivating site.
Visiting Chimney Rock was the highlight of my 2024 summer break, and for a good reason, it gave us so many great experiences. The fun trails where my cousins and I laughed as we played silly games and talked about our lives. The waterfall where my sister fell and a kind worker cleaned up and aided her scraped knee. Or the cute shops near the beach where we spent our allowances trying to get all the fun souvenirs. And to top it all off, a delicious ice cream from a nearby restaurant after walking for hours exploring the park.
Everyone in my family had fun, which is why it came as a big surprise when a couple of weeks ago news broke out that the village of Chimney Rock was completely destroyed and gone.
What was once a lively town is now nothing but sludge, where vast amounts of water completely wiped it out.
Hurricane Helene was a tropical storm that made its way across the southeast coast of the U.S. and into the Carolina states. According to an online article in the Economist, it was so devastating that in just the city of Asheville, NC, 35 people passed away and at least 600 residents are missing. WBTV stated that an estimated 20 homes were lost in the disaster, as well as 40 businesses.
Not only did it take the people and their homes, but it also trapped the survivors in its dangerous remains. Chimney Rock’s main roads and river banks were all flooded with debris, blocking any access to or from the outside world. In the same feature on WBTV, Mayor Peter O’Leary spoke of the irreversible damage and its lengthy recovery.
But this didn’t just happen in Chimney Rock. All around North Carolina towns were devastated by Helene. In a recent report by Axios Charlotte, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper talked about the damage caused during the hurricane’s rampage, with around 30 and a half billion dollars worth of damage from flooding and winds, as well as a total estimated of about $53 billion, the largest monetary cost for a storm in the state’s history.
Hearing the news, my heart sank knowing that such a large portion of my family lived so nearby. Our home became a mess of phone calls and text messages trying to get through to someone, anyone, to see if they had heard back from my cousins.
We didn’t get a secure line until three days after the hurricane struck.
During the past weeks, there has been much commotion about the hurricane and the chaos surrounding many coastal communities. But what about the missing people, the wiped out towns, the lost families and homes of other states like North Carolina?
In early October the NC Department of Public Safety published a column depicting the aid the state has been receiving. It talks about search and rescue efforts that are ongoing in Western North Carolina, alongside coordinated efforts to restore essential infrastructure and deliver urgently needed food, water, and supplies to communities affected by Hurricane Helene.
While these efforts help aid needy communities, there is still so much more that can be done. There are hundreds of nonprofit organizations that you can donate to, not just for NC but to all communities in need of your help. Fannie Mae, World Vision, The Salvation Army, and the Kiplinger Foundation are all excellent examples of involved and effective organizations that specialize in the helping of others.
It is thanks to the help of the outside world that people like my cousins can stay in contact with us, they can live in a comfortable environment with food and shelter. It is thanks to the help and generosity of others that they can begin to try to regain a sense of normalcy in their lives, going back to the way things were before they were inundated by Hurricane Helene.
Just a simple act of kindness could help facilitate the lives of those in need.
As of Oct. 18, 2024, that is how much time we have left until our climate clock hits zero. Our carbon budget would be depleted and the possibility of devastating global climate impacts would be colossal.
The biggest contributor to climate change is the use of fossil fuels. They account for over 75 percent of all greenhouse gas emissions and just about 90 percent of carbon dioxide emissions globally. These gasses wrap around our Earth and trap the sun’s heat inside the atmosphere. This, in turn, raises our global temperature, causing global warming.
With the rise of global warming comes intense heat waves, melting of glaciers and ice sheets, and rising sea levels. These things directly affect us and our daily lives.
Just this past month there have been three hurricanes and one intense tropical storm in the Northern Hemisphere. Since Oct. 28, the storms have collectively caused at least 372 fatalities and more than $190 billion in damages. As the years go on and global climate change worsens, the destructive potential of these natural disasters will continually increase.
The effect that global warming has on the economy will also affect us negatively.
The social cost of carbon is an estimate, in dollars, of the economic damages that would result from emitting one additional ton of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. It is currently used by local, state, and federal governments to inform billions of dollars of policy and investment decisions in the United States and abroad.
Studies by Adrien Bilal and Diego Känzig estimate that by the year 2050 climate damages could amount to 10-20% of GDP, with a social cost of carbon exceeding $1,000 per ton. Preventing future climate change is far cheaper than coping with its costly damages, but what can we do?
Climate change is a serious issue we all face today, but luckily there are many different solutions we can do to help reverse it before its effects become too much.
Keeping fossil fuels in the ground, investing in renewable energy, and restoring and protecting nature are all ways we can fix the climate issue. For some people, these solutions might seem too difficult and overwhelming but there are simpler options for everyday people.
Recycling and reducing the consumption of single-use plastics can be a great way to help stop pollution that causes global warming. We can also slow down how much we consume things like fast fashion, certain food products, and our transportation. Switching to electric vehicles and minimizing plane travel will not only help stop climate change, it will reduce air pollution too.
Doing these simple tasks can help keep our planet alive for many generations to come but we can’t do this alone. Only working together can make a difference, so why not give it a try?
“Coming together is a beginning, staying together is progress and working together is success.” Henry Ford
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