Most Recent
Soccer’s Double Trouble: Konner and Kurtis Kimmel
story by Carlos Molina
Many sports have their fair share of siblings playing side-by-side.
From tennis stars Serena and Venus Williams, to football’s Eli and Peyton Manning, playing with (or against) a sibling can help create a chemistry (or an advantage) between the two.
Jeffersonville High School’s Kurtis and Konner Kimmel fit that same category — the brothers both play Varsity soccer together for the JHS soccer team.
Growing up, Konner and Kurtis played on the same club soccer team (Javanon Soccer Club) for years. Since then, they’ve teamed up a couple of times on a 3-on-3 indoor team at Mockingbird Valley in Louisville, but have never played in anything more than recreational soccer together.
Despite this season being the first time the duo has shared a team on an organized squad, they have a pretty good idea of each other’s chemistry.
“He knows how I play and I know how he plays,” Kurtis said. “ I can always count on him to know what run I’m making and get me the ball.”
Konner, a freshman, agreed with his older brother.
“I am excited about playing with my brother because it is the first time I have gotten to play on the same team as him,” Konner said
With this being Kurtis’ last year as a decorated Red Devil footballer, Konner will have big shoes to fit. As a freshman, though, he is already showing big promise, as he is one of just two starting freshmen on this years Varsity team.
Boys soccer head coach Carson Webb has been there every step of the way with the Kimmel brothers, and sees the link between the two.
“Konner’s very competitive. He’s got his own drive,” Webb said. “They’re three years apart, but they know what they’re doing. Being on a high school team, they know where each other are going to be, (which) makes it neat to watch from the sideline.”
Despite being the older brother, Kurtis sees the potential in Konner’s game, but still claims to be the top dog in the family.
“Konner’s technique is exceptional for his age,” Kurtis said. “I think it’ll take some time before he develops vision and decision-making that I have.”
Being a senior, the role of team captain was awarded to Kurtis. A four-year starter, his involvement and dedication led to the honor.
For Konner, his career is just starting to take shape, and will continue even after his brother graduates.
“I think (Konner) will miss his brother like anyone else, but I also think he’ll step up and it’ll be good for him to be his own person instead of living under Kurtis’ shadow,” Webb said.
As the season comes to an end, so is Kurtis’ high school soccer career. With his departure, also comes Konner’s era to lead the team.
“I have always looked up go my brother,” Konner said. “Watching him play, I would like to learn how to be a team leader and improve the players around me.”
Athlete Spotlight: Trey Bottorff (video)
Error
This video doesn’t exist
story by Tristan Jackson
video by Sam Gatewood
As one pulls up to the tennis courts at Jeffersonville High School, they’ll probably notice “J-E-F-F” painted vibrantly along the wall on the side of the school.
From this wall echoes the boys tennis team, an energetic bunch, whose yells rival those of the student section cheering on the football team on Friday nights.
Of those voices, one tends to stand out. That is that of Varsity No. 1 doubles player Trey Bottorff.
“I focus on [being energetic] because it distracts me from thinking too much,” Bottorff said. “Tennis is such a mental sport and it helps me stay within myself and I truly think I play better when I’m energetic. I also use it as a weapon to get in the head of my opponents.”
Bottorff’s energy and passion for the game are what stands out when he plays, and it has proven to pay off. Last year he put up a 10-10 record alongside his partner Jerid Inman, who he has been playing with since their middle school years at Parkview.
The pairing proved to be vital to the team’s semi-state run last year, as they picked up the third, and deciding point, for Jeff in the first round of Regionals against New Albany.
“Clinching Regionals with Trey last year was easily my best memory and I wouldn’t have wanted to win it for our team with anyone else,” Inman said.
As Bottorff heads into his senior season, he looks to contribute on a Red Devils squad that has their eye on getting back to the state finals. Bottorff, along with teammates and fellow seniors Keith Asplund and Jerid Inman, already have experience in the state finals.
Ultimately, that is a goal for the team heading forward.
“The goal is to make it a step further than we did last year, which would mean returning to state for the second time in three years.” Asplund said.
This year’s squad looks to continue Jeff’s winning tradition and get far in the state tournament. To do that, Bottorff will have to play a pivotal role if the Red Devils are to make it happen.
PREVIEW: Boys Soccer
story by Braxton Troutman
Coming off a 2-1 heartbreaking loss in double overtime against Floyd Central in last year’s Sectional championship, the boys soccer team is looking to redeem themselves this season.
After the loss of six seniors to graduation, the 2017-18 squad is looking to move forward with a bright, young group of players. Top scorers of team include junior Jacob Clemons, Senior Ben Walter,and junior Leonel Esparza.
“I feel like we’re better than we were last year,” said senior Khaleb Khan. “Not saying we were bad last year, we’re just better this year. Things are looking good from here on. I think we’ll be successful, (win) titles.”
With victories against Atherton (KY) and North Harrison, in addition to an impressive 7-0 win against Christian Academy of Indiana, the season kicked off as a promising one for the Red Devils. Early losses, however, against defending state champs Evansville Memorial, and conference foe Seymour, have changed the team’s current morale. A “tie” game against conference foes Floyd Central ended with a power outage at the 26’ of the first half.
The team sits at 5-2-2 at time of press. With a tough schedule this year, they will have to face conference champions Seymour and will look to beat out Floyd Central for their Sectional crown.
The kings and queens of Chess Club
story by Madeline Paul
With the 2017-18 school year starting, now is the perfect time to get involved in the many extracurricular programs Jeff High offers.
JHS houses several regionally/state ranked teams, including the Chess Team. In the past year, the team has been ranked No. 1 in the Louisville Metro area, and competed at both state and national championships.
Although differing from the Chess Team — which is reserved for advanced players — the JHS Chess Club is welcome to all students, regardless of level of expertise. This program offers the opportunity for growth within both the club and the school. Research has shown that playing chess increases problem-solving skills and other brain functions.
“The strict rules of chess requires you to think out of the box,” chess team member Thomas Beimrohr said. “I’ve found myself thinking of common problems in my life through new eyes, often finding better ways to get through them.”
Interested in joining? Chess Club meets in room C113 at 2:35 p.m. every Thursday.
Stephen King — the father of modern thrillers
story by Lisa Morris
Mystery, thriller, suspense, horror.
These words may seem simple to the regular reader’s eye, but they are what define the writer who has mastered them all: Stephen King. King has written over 90 books in his career including IT, The Dark Tower series, Carrie, The Shining, The Green Mile, and many more.
From 1973 when King sold his first novel, Carrie, unto today, King’s stories have caught society’s eyes, as well as their screams, through the many movie and TV adaptations of his intensifying stories. As time has passed, though, the stories and movie adaptations have slowly quieted down.
However, movie theaters across the US have come back with new movie adaptations of IT and The Dark Tower, which opened Sept. 8 for IT and July 31 for The Dark Tower in theaters across the US.
With the new visuals for his books, King has awakened a new excitement for horror in society.
“I think Stephen King is very strong at the phanatic stuff, like the deep, ancestral feeling when you see blood or certain types of demons,” English teacher James Kimbell said. “It’s things that we all have in our culture or in our genes.”
In the world of literature, details are extremely primitive. One of the many aspects of King’s writings are his explicit detailing in the smallest situations, in which fans from many ages and backgrounds have grown to love.
As readers peruse his books, one can feel the eeriness of the cold wind blowing while walking through the depths of an old cemetery, or perhaps hear the old children’s music as they hide from from the killer doll that is grasping a knife to attack. The feelings of horror, and thrill, is what drives people to his books, especially the youth of society.
“The thing I find interesting is I love mysteries. Those are some of the biggest mysteries. I wonder if he’s the best horror mystery writer,” said sophomore Raven Andrews.
In addition to details, the thrill readers experience from King’s books are like no other. Hearts beat faster and faster as readers frantically turn through each page is a feeling that youth never forget.
Timeless classics, like Carrie and 11/22/63, are being turned into new hit movies. The hype from the new generation of horror fans have expressed their excitement for the new IT movie and The Dark Tower. With all this fame and success that is growing amongst youth, most people aren’t aware how King got his fame, or even what he was before he obtained it.
“He was an English teacher,” said fellow English teacher Jeff Cox. “He did what most of us English teachers always have in the back of our mind, that someday we’re going to do; that we’re going to write a book and we’re going to get rich and famous, and we’re going to do that thing. Well, he did it.”
Because of his experience in the teaching field, King’s books have grown and developed into much more than just words on a page. They have become a reality on the big screen in which people of all ages can experience.
Through his writings and through his books, he has become one of, if not the, greatest American horror author. Through his determination, crazy and insane stories, King has officially captivated the world’s attention and respect… as well as their terrified screams.
Defying the laws of science
story by Emily Tully
“I really enjoyed the pep rally last week, and being a part of that. They were never really my favorite part about school, but now everything is my favorite part.”
With a look of genuine happiness and reflection on his face, Mr. Alan Shrebtienko reflects on the beginning of the year festivities that took place in late July.
To some, pep rallies and enjoying school might seem miniscule and unimportant, but to Shrebtienko, it was the first of many more.
More importantly, it brought back feelings of normalcy.
Mr. Shreb, as his physics students call him, was out of work the entire 2016-17 school year due to a medical condition called necrotizing pancreatitis.
According to the Radiological Society of North America, necrotizing pancreatitis is a “severe form of pancreatitis characterized by necrosis in and around the pancreas.” Essentially, the pancreas is inflamed, and in this case, the tissue can become infected and die off, leading to organ failure.
For Shreb, the treatment was a long and excruciating process, lasting five months total. “I went into the hospital on July 13, and I got out on December 24,” Shreb recalls.
The disease took over his life completely for half of a year, and still affects him in his daily life.
“I can’t drive anymore… it has taken most of my vision, I mainly see silhouettes,” Shreb describes. “It’s going to be hard to get back to where I can recognize the students. I can’t even see them when they raise their hands.”
After being released from the hospital in December, recovery was another long process on this painful road to his “new normal.” Shreb explains that until as early as January 2017, he could not stand up or walk.
“The hardest part was just learning how to walk again,” Shreb said.
However these obstacles aren’t going to stop Shrebtienko from continuing what he loves doing — teaching his students.
“I missed teaching the students physics,” says Shreb. “I think it’s important for everyone to know… if you understand the nature around you, it makes it more enjoyable.”
His absence didn’t just affect him and his students, but also his fellow teachers and friends.
Biology teacher Missi Brewer explained the feelings shared among the science department about his situation.
“We are so happy for him to be back. Like, it was such a loss to Jeff High, to not have him around,” Brewer said, fighting back tears. “And his physics department [was a loss], not to mention him as a person.”
The return to school, and a normalized daily routine, isn’t something Shreb thinks is going to be easy.
“I’ve just got to take it day by day and get used to, what’s going to be, my new normal,” Shreb explained.
An experience so traumatizing and difficult comes with many challenges, but it also came with an important lesson to Shrebtienko. He says, “It’s taught me to appreciate what you’ve got because it can be taken away in a heartbeat.”
Transitions: the story of Vic Tomes
story by Kristen Jacobs
Senior Vic Tomes puts his pants on one leg at a time. He draws, plays instruments, and has friends that love and care for him.
In a lot of ways, Vic is exactly like the rest of us. But in some ways, he is not.
That’s how everyone is though, right? Everybody has ways they are like the rest, but they also have originality.
Vic is just the same.
Although Vic was born a female, he identifies as a male. At the beginning of his sophomore year, Vic realized who he was.
“Being trans, you’re always trans, it just comes to this point where you realize the way you’ve been living isn’t how you want to be living,” Vic says.
Feeling unaccepted, Vic hid his true self from the rest of the world. After falling into a depression, he attended therapy to release his thoughts and feelings.
Finally, Tomes surrendered to himself, and confided in his mom, Kristie, about who he truly is. On the way to a concert for the band Avatar, Vic divulged that he was transgender.
He was never surprised by his mom’s reaction — there was no screaming, no yelling, no crying — just unconditional love. That’s all she has ever had for Vic: love and acceptance, no matter who he is.
Once Tomes acquired enough courage, he decided to come out to the world on social media.
Of course, showing yourself to the world comes with a price. Although the truth was met with support, it was also met with hatred and hostility.
“People are very closed-minded,” says Vic. “But I’ve realized that I have never surrounded myself with negative people.”
In fact, many people in Vic’s life have been supportive, including his older sister, Haylea.
“Well I’ve always known on a certain level that he was transgender. At first, I thought it was just a tomboy stage and he would grow out of it, but later in life, I realized that it was who he was,” Haylea said. “When he told me, I was more happy that he had the courage to come and talk to me about it, and I wasn’t worried about anything else than protecting my brother and making sure he knew he was loved and that I supported him.”
Another JHS student that identifies as transgender, Shaun Williams, supported Vic’s decision to share his news.
“I didn’t expect it, but I was happy that he found himself, and I’m happy that we can relate a lot now,” Williams says.
Although Vic’s immediate circle includes supportive people in his life, he also has some people against him: one being the President of the United States, Donald Trump.
Months after Vic decided he wanted to join the Navy, Trump released a statement banning trans soldiers, saying “…the United States Government will not accept or allow Transgender individuals to serve in any capacity in the U.S. military.”
According to a 2014 Research and Development study, it is estimated that somewhere between 1,320 and 6,630 transgender individuals serve active duty in the United States military. However, no statement was made about the actions that will be taken regarding these current military members.
Vic was disappointed by this statement, but has decided that if President Trump follows through with his declaration, he will join the Peace Corps. His dream is to travel and be accepted, both of which he can do in the Peace Corps.
“That’s my dream,” Tomes says, “to travel the world, meet as many people as possible, and help them in any way I can.”
Vic believes that body parts don’t define a person. He is confident in his belief that someone is who he or she feels they are, and whatever parts that individual is born with don’t distinguish the person he or she is inside.
According to Vic, he is the same as everyone else. He eats, he drinks, he breathes.
“The only reason I am different from the rest of you,” Vic says, “is my green hair.”
Restoring History: the story of the Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse
story by Kyle Sanders
At 601 E. Court Ave in downtown Jeffersonville sits one of the city’s most historic buildings: the Nachand Fieldhouse.
This building, which used to hold Jeff High’s basketball games until 1971, is now seen as a place for friends to have a great time and hangout. However after being around for 80 years, the Fieldhouse has fallen in need of renovation.
The city of Jeff had visions of saving the historic gym, but would require major work, both inside and outside of the building, that would cost upwards of $1.8 million.
While this goal seemed impossible months ago, a recent donation from one of Jeffersonville’s most famous citizens has turned this pipedream into a reality.
“This location (the Fieldhouse) holds a special place in my heart,” said John Schnatter, JHS alumni, and founder and CEO of Papa John’s Pizza. “I grew up watching sports here as a kid, including local legends like Indiana’s Mr. Basketball, Mike Flynn. Jeffersonville has been good to me and I wanted to show my support for the community.”
Schnatter’s donation of $800,000 brings the Fieldhouse closer to meeting its goal of $1.8 million. Once this amount is reached, it will be renovated by the Jeffersonville Parks Department’s workgroup, Save the Fieldhouse.
The workgroup plans to use the money to pay for exterior brick work, restoration of the front facade, replacement and upgrades to both electrical system and bathroom, as well as replacing the heating system while adding air conditioning.
“I think it’s wonderful,” said Charlie Nachand, son of former Jeff Parks Director Charles Nachand. “Without a donation like this, we would have no chance of reaching the $1.8 million we need to.”
Thanks to Schnatter’s donation, the Jeff Parks Department chose to add the southern Indiana native’s name to the historic fieldhouse, which will now be known as the John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse.
“We were tasked to determine the fate of the John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse,” explained Bill Burns, president of the Jeffersonville Park’s Authority. “At our first meeting, we knew the only option was to restore the building. Out of that, (the) workgroup born the thought of a private-public partnership to raise the money to restore the Fieldhouse.
“This project has been one of the most rewarding project I have had the privilege to work with,” Burns continued. “I never dreamed that the Fieldhouse had touched so many lives.”
According to the Parks Department, the Fieldhouse serves more than 15,000 people annually. Through the basketball and volleyball leagues, summer programs and Zumba lessons, the Fieldhouse still is in use to this day.
“I go to the Fieldhouse all the time,” said senior Tyler Wheeler. “These renovations are (going to) help bring in more people to play basketball with, and make the Fieldhouse even better than it already is.”
The John H. Schnatter-Nachand Fieldhouse is a historic building in Jeff that’ll continue to live on, and is expected to remain open throughout the renovations.
For The Culture
story by Emily Tully and Aaleiah Winford
At a time when the nation needs it the most, a new organization has formed within the confines of Jeffersonville High School: a club celebrating and embracing the diversity of our school.
Formerly known as the Black Student Union, now called ‘For the Culture,’ the club had their initial meeting on Aug. 15. The group’s initial goal was to promote a better understanding of different cultures, and raise awareness of diversity.
‘For the Culture’ started as an idea from senior Jakayla Bendermon and junior Tyra Malone, which gained support from foreign language teacher Suzanne Siebert, before finally becoming an established club at Jeff High.
“First and foremost, we strive to be a club that’s very inclusive, and to get as many people as we can involved,” Siebert said of the club. “We want to build a community of like-minded students with the goal of supporting one another and becoming future leaders.”
For the first meeting, roughly 40 students, along with Siebert, gathered together in C104 to discuss issues that affect different races in their daily lives, based upon their surroundings in today’s society. The club also brainstormed ideas towards getting involved in school and community projects.
“My goal (for the club) is to empower students to be future leaders, produce awareness for things that are happening in our society,” said Malone, the club’s vice president. “I feel that it’s amazing on how many people came.”
As the posters around the school state, ‘For the Culture’ is not just for black students. The club welcomes all races and genders, in addition to anyone who has an open mind or wants to learn about cultural differences.
However the young club has already faced struggles early in their tenure at JHS.
Some of the struggles included remaining inclusive, yet embracing diversity within cultures. For the Culture faced this issue after discussion regarding the club’s former title, the Black Student Union.
Bendermon, president of For the Culture, explains that the name change was purely an act that supports the union’s idea of inclusiveness.
“We simply decided, as a whole, to change the name, for the culture,” Beldermon said. “‘For the Culture’ represents something that we all can relate to.”
Jeffersonville High School is made up of more than 2,000 students, and is full of different orientations that make the school diverse. One of the club’s main goals is to educate students about the varying cultures within the student body.
“We really want to bring all the cultures together and educate one another on the different humanities that we are surrounded by every day,” Beldermon explains. “A big part of our union is providing a safe place for anyone to talk about their feelings and problems regarding themselves and their lifestyle, and express themselves without repercussions or judgement.”
Anyone that attends Jeff High can join ‘For the Culture,’ as it’s open to all colors and creeds. In fact, the club’s officers encourage all students who are interested to join for a meeting.
For anyone that is weary of the idea, Siebert urges those who have dispositions to come as well.
“Come on in, we’re going to have a good time,” Siebert said. “We have a lot of events planned, such as guest speakers. Please join us for one or two meetings in order to educate yourself.”
The club meets every Tuesday, with meeting locations currently varying from week to week.
PREVIEW: Girls soccer
The Jeffersonville girls soccer team is hungry for a comeback this year. With a record of 2-10-2 for the 2016-17 season, coach Jason Crane is looking for redemption.
“We always plan on improving our first touch and passing,” said Crane. “This year the extra improvement would be to gain some Red Devil pride and to get the job done.”
Junior Kylee Luce traveled to Spain over the summer with her club soccer team to participate in the Costa Blanca Cup. Luce thinks fans will be surprised with how much better the Devils have gotten this season.
“A lot of people think we are not a competitive team because of the results of the games, or our records from previous seasons. But if you actually come out to a game you would see how much we are improving and how much faster we play,” explained Luce. “We have a lot of potential this season.”
Freshman trio Olivia Jones, Kendra Salazar and Tiara Jones are who fans should look out for this year, according to Crane.
“Those three have some explosiveness about them, and within a year or two, could be hard to contain on the field,” said Crane.
Jones agreed with her coach’s opinion.
“I am most excited to see how much we grow as a team this season and these next four years,” Jones stated. “We have already shown so much progress since summer and I cannot wait to see how much we improve by the end of the season.”
‘The Devil’s Parlour’
story by Tomi Clark
Enthusiastic chants and shouts echo from the stands where Jeff High pride shines through, blindingly bright. The stadium lights add a spotlight on the field, which highlights the players running the field.
Jeff High’s new student section, The Devil’s Parlour, holler and laugh with one another when a touchdown, or an infallible pass, is made.
After teaming up with Parlour, one of downtown Jeffersonville’s newest restaurants, the student section is looking to make Friday night lights a bit more fun for everybody. Parlour is a new pizzeria located in downtown Jeff, near the base of the Big Four Walking Bridge.
In order for the student section to bear the pizzeria’s name, The Devil’s Parlour, the exchange was that in return, Parlour will provide discounts on pizza every once in awhile for the students.
“We’re partnering with them, and trying to get multiple years of going with them, to get the student section better,” said senior Trey Bottorff. He, along with seniors Gerrin Moore and Jay Williams, were responsible for organizing and getting this endeavor off of its feet.
For two weeks, student section shirts were sold for $15, but are now unavailable for purchase.
The purpose of the shirts is so students can rep them at games and around school; if they can’t follow the weekly football theme, the shirt is the perfect alternative.
“It’s something to center around,” Moore said of the sponsorship. “Once people get there, then they realize what a great thing it is, so it’s just bringing more attention to it so that more people can get out there and eventually realize how great of a thing we have here at Jeff.”
Their main goal is to convince more students to attend football games. Moore hopes if they give students a satisfactory outlet to come to, then more will frequent the student section.
“I want to give students a reason to come to the game and enjoy themselves, and I feel that partnering with someone like that will allow us to get more things for our students in order to bring them to the games,” Moore said. “And once you start getting kids to the games, then they can enjoy themselves, have fun and want to keep coming back.”
thehyphennews.com 