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PDF: Sept. 17, 2019

September 2019 Cover Image

The Hyphen is back with a new staff and fresh views. Download the September issue to read:

  • An in-depth report on how the American immigration system works, featuring real-life stories of people who are caught in it
  • A profile of this year’s student council co-presidents, Bethia Busingye and Amelia Epperson
  • Opinion columns about pronouns and terminology in the LGBTQ+ community
  • Student views on dress code changes and E-learning days
  • And more …

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Saying “Bye” to Our Old Friends

There has been a wave of panic settling over the people of America (and other countries, as well) as Netflix revealed their most popular shows, The Office and Friends, will be taken off as of the year 2021. This has caused a lot of fans to worry and scramble to binge all the episodes again one last time, before they’re taken off.

Both shows have a fairly large fan base, full of loyal watchers who are most likely heartbroken about this news. So, obviously, they weren’t happy when this news was announced. Jeff High sophomore Elyse Hoessle, a faithful Friends fan, says “I don’t see the point in even using Netflix anymore!” Alex Metzing, another sophomore here at Jeff, replied, “I am deeply saddened to no avail. The sadness I feel inside, the sheer, raw emotions whirling around in my head are those that carry heavy negativity.”

netflix logoAn article on CinemaBlend.com by Will Ashton talks about the loss of these two shows and how it will affect Netflix’s subscriber count. Ashton states in his article that “Netflix will be dealing with two giant losses to its catalog. And the streaming service will need to fill it with something worthwhile.”

On the other hand, some think the change is well overdue. They believe it will be a great opportunity for people to expand their vision and try new things.

Although these two shows are leaving, there are plenty of others still left, such as Stranger Things, Orange is the New Black, Black Mirror, etc. Last year, Netflix made a similar move when taking off many 80’s classics from its service like The Breakfast Club, Ghostbusters, Bruce Almighty, The Little Rascals, etc. That itself caused quite a quarrel in its own way. But, thankfully, the majority of those upset about that have moved on with their lives. And a lot of people believe the same will happen with this situation as well.

Does that change the fact the shows will be missed by many? No. Netflix, for most, is the main service for watching their favorite shows. Due to its stripping of any and all ads, people find it more efficient for watching shows and movies. People have found that watching the same show on Netflix only takes around 20-30 minutes, opposed to regular TV which takes around an hour due to what some say is a “ridiculous” amount of ads.

What can we do before these two shows leave? Whatever we desire. If that’s bingeing them 20 more times, or leaving them be and watching as they leave.

 

Written by Lydia Church

Coaching with Confidence

Isaac Parker Headshot

Isaac Parker takes over as the new JHS Football Head Coach

The Jeffersonville High School football team recently introduced Isaac Parker as the new head coach. Parker was the assistant coach for the team for four years before becoming the head coach.

Parker attended Jeffersonville High School and played for the football team for all four years. He went on to play for the University of Louisville for one year before becoming a police officer for the Jeffersonville Police Department.

For Parker it was an emotional experience becoming the coach. “It was emotional at first, I contacted my wife and then my parents, let them know,” Parker told WAVE 3 News, “I went from just that pure excitement, to a little bit of anxiety and I’ve pretty much lived with that over the last month,” he continued.

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Nolan Schultz, a sophomore on the team, says that the team is extremely happy about their new head coach and that they believe this year’s season will be much better than last year. “He’s a great coach,’’ said Schultz.

After losses against Fern Creek and Seymour to start the year, the team secured their first win of the season in a 32-13 victory over New Albany in the Sept. 6 Homecoming game.

Written by Kaitlyn Monroe

Parker Photo: Submitted, Practice Photo: Kyle Rider

Student Views on E-Learning: The Pros and Cons

Over the summer, Greater Clark County Schools announced that instead of adding make-up days for school closures, the district will begin to use online learning. Other schools in our area have already adopted E-Learning.

Jeffersonville High School students’ views on E-Learning are mostly supportive, but some students have their doubts about it. On an Instagram poll made by a Hyphen staff member, 67% of people supported E-Learning and 33% did not support it.

Jade Worrall, a Jeffersonville High School sophomore, said, “We don’t have to make up any days, so our breaks are longer, and you don’t have to work that hard.”

Chaela Austin, a Charlestown sophomore, says that her hometown, Scottsburg, has been doing it for years and that it works and it will probably be very beneficial to Greater Clark County Schools. This could also inspire other schools to start E-Learning by hearing the positive feedback from schools like Jeff.

On the other hand, a Jeff High student who did not want to disclose their name for this story thinks it won’t work: “Kids aren’t going to do it and take the F,” Others expressed concern that students could struggle with connectivity issues at home or other home-related issues that may interfere with getting the work done.

This feedback mirrors what other school districts have reported after implementing E-Learning. According to studyinternational.com, there are both pros and cons.

The pros are: not having to make up snow days and also having easier work for the students on those days. It can also be useful if a student misses a day of school because they are ill. The E-learning site is also accessible offline.

The cons are: you still need the internet if you need to contact a teacher. If a student’s Chromebook is broken and they don’t have another device at home, they can’t do their work. Younger students who don’t have Chromebooks may not be able to do these activities, though, which will put them behind.

 

By Marni Scholl

An open letter, to whoever wants to read the probably not so wise wisdom of an 18 year old

By Emma Ellis

High school has flown by and after three-and-a-half years of saying I’m so ready to get out of here, now that I’m finally here with the last day of my high school career just days away, I can’t seem to put the brakes on. I keep trying to put off things that I probably shouldn’t be putting off, like this article for example. My brain is somehow reasoning if I don’t do my end-of-high school stuff then I can push back the end of high school.

Surprisingly, that’s not how it works. Life carries on with or without you, the trick is to not get bogged down by stuff you don’t want to do. Look on the bright side. Play the hand you were dealt. No use crying over spilled milk. As stressful as it is to be graduating, to be leaving the safety of home and family, school has been preparing us for this since kindergarten. Which is an encouraging thought, or maybe not, depending on how well you’ve been paying attention these past 12 years.

Have fun in high school, make sure your involved like a sport, club or even a class like newspaper. Don’t worry if it’s all going to work out, just do your work, don’t push it back or take a shortcut — you get the most out of life when you participate in it.

My plans for after high school? I plan on going to IUS for a year or two to stay close to home until I get my own footing, then transferring for a history degree that I still am not quite sure what I’m going to do with. I hope to become a New York Times best selling author if I ever get around to finishing a book. I plan to keep playing tennis until I can’t play anymore.

I would like to use this time to send out a thank you to all my teachers in my life for teaching me and inspiring me. I want to thank my coaches for always pushing me to go the extra step. A special thanks to my grampy, for always supporting my tennis career. I want to thank my family, my dad who is always there when I need him and wanting to help however he can, my mom who has picked me up and dropped me off at every practice, lesson, match, whether it be 5am for morning practice or picking me up past midnight, and last but not least I want to thank my sister for always being her bright smiling sweet self that brightens my day no matter how much of my stuff she breaks. There is no point in stressing over something you can’t do anything about, so just say ok and move on with your day.

The Perks of Being a “Joiner”

By Haylee Hedrick

High school has taught me how one can be a part of almost every social circle and yet not a part of one at all.

When I walk through JHS, it feels like home away from home. I walk through the halls every day and get to see so many people that have made this experience as great as it is for me. People that are like me, and people that are so different from me, seem to know my name or they know something that I’m a part of. I have formed a connection within the student body and have been honored enough to make an impact during my high school experience.

They say that life’s what you make it, and by “they” I mean your teacher, or parents or someone who has the experience to tell you it’s not a myth. I’m just another one of those people telling you that it’s true. When you enter into high school, you don’t know where you’re going to fit in, you don’t quite know what new friends are going to make yet or if you’re going to like your classes — but something that I can tell you that you can completely control is what you get into and what you get involved with. Getting involved is my key to enjoying high school.

There’s going to be that typical fear that you won’t find something for you. Well, I promise you will. I’ve been exposed to 20+ groups within Jeff High alone, and all of them are great groups to get to know. As a freshman, you can choose to sit back and watch people experience high school without you, or you can choose to join in and to be a joiner — and that’s what I did.

“You can’t walk into JHS without someone in the office, or a staff member in general, knowing Haylee and what she does for the school!”- Mom

“Forming connections is important. The people you meet and their perception of you can take you far (or hold you back dependably). Always value the relationships you make” – Dad

I can tell you first-hand being involved in clubs is the best thing that I’ve ever done for myself. As soon as you join a club, you get to know some people that have similar interests as you even if it’s just that you both want to be a part of this club or want to make a difference. Automatically you have a “family” of peers and supports because you are part of something, and it makes this huge place not seem near as big or scary.

Also, the sponsors of those clubs can become some of your greatest idols. Plus it’s always good to have an adult that you feel comfortable around and that you feel like you can come to when things happen. (I’m not saying the things will, but c’mon it’s high school
and sometimes you get into a situation where you just need of a little help.) But it’s okay because you’re making connections and the more connections you make, the more people that will help you — and vice versa. In the long run, you learn that means the more people you can help. Being involved has made me want to come to school and not only is it wanting to come but it’s wanting to stay rather than stay longer even though I’m going to graduate and stay longer after school and come on the weekends and to truly be proud to say that I am a Red Devil and I am a part of Jeffersonville High School. So yeah, high school is what you make it, and believe it or not it can be a place full of smiling faces and familiar faces and people that really know you and know what you stand for. It can surely be some of the greatest years of your life if you let it. So my motion to you is get involved, join clubs and make yourself known for the right reasons. It’s a huge benefit and I promise it pays off.

I enjoy school as much as I do because I’ve built a name for myself here. I’ve got a friend in every corner.

I’ve formed enough connections between different groups and members of cliques that I’m well known enough to feel like I’m a small part of, for lack of a better word, every social circle. Yet I really dislike the phrase “social circle” in itself because I feel like JHS isn’t just social circles and I’ve been able to “prove that.” It’s a big family that works together and I’m blessed to be one member of this family.

Special Thanks

Key Club: Thank you for allowing me to give back to the community and do good for the students within our school. The Key in Key Club means Kiwanis Empowering Youth and the club for me is about community service and doing something because you want to help and since it’s the right thing to do, no reward needed except for the satisfaction in knowing that you helped. You have allowed me to lead a group of driven individuals who want to make the world a better place. I’ve met some truly remarkable people through this group and I am honored to be named the president of the club for the 2018-19 school year.

Dance Marathon: Thank you for showing me what it’s truly like to be a part of something larger than myself and to set a goal that will help so many people so many more than I can even imagine. I like that I’m a small part of that and part of this huge community of people that have the same interest at heart as I do. That’s an amazing feeling to have and it’s a similarity that I have with people that I’ve never even met before.

Student Council: The committee roles I’ve been honored to hold in Student Council have taught me a lot about myself. Pep rally has taught me that you really do have to get pushed down to recognize the strength that you have to get back up and keep going. Planning the pep rallies has instilled in me the skills to adjust quickly, go with the flow and solve problems. You can plan those things to the T and still there will be adjustments made the day of. Due to pep rally I have had to learn skills and tackle obstacles I never thought I’d encounter. Thank you Student Council for pushing me to my limits all to prove to me that I can in fact do it.

The Hyphen: This role has “forced” me to conquer some of my fears and introduce myself to groups that I never thought I would associate with — not because of anything do with them, but simply because I wasn’t a part of their club or their team and I didn’t have a reason to be until a story came with them and it was my job to report on that story. Lo and behold, I got to know that and I made a connection there and now I feel like I really know our chess team or I really got to know the personalities behind the basketball players and I have a personal connection with the swim team and I genuinely want them to do well because I know them truly. I report on the school board all the time and that has allowed me to get to know them and for them to recognize my face and know who I am and make a connection to me through a group that I am a part of. Thank you for “forcing me” to meet these extraordinary people.

Before You Judge, Take Time to Get to Really Know Someone

By Tyler Hughes

Reach the Unreached, Touch the Untouched

At Jeffersonville High School, a lot of people make assumptions about one another and really just look at their peers and basically judge a book by its cover. Some, maybe most, kids at Jeff look at me as the “Jock of the School.” They see me as this kinda big headed guy who thinks he’s better than everyone and someone who has no heart when it comes to certain things. My peers look at me that way until they get to really know me. Yes, I can be a little confident about certain things because for the most part I’m a humble, kind hearted, funny and enjoyable person to be around.

Over spring break, my senior year of 2019, I took time out of my life to make a difference in someone else’s. I went on a mission trip to San Reymundo, Guatemala, and helped build six houses for families who only lived under sticks and tarps, if they were even lucky to live in that kind of “shelter.” We started from just dirt on the ground, to making a concrete base, building walls with wood, to making a roof with pro rib, to installing electricity in their new home. We supplied them with beds, blankets, couches and a TV. The house we built may have not have been the biggest but to them it was a mansion. We
built this house with every ounce of love. Over the course of us building this house for these families, we got to spend time and connect with the kids and families. If anyone really knows me, I’m a sucker for kids and am so easy to connect with kids easier than anyone else. I connected to each and every kid of the families in such a beautiful way that I’ve never felt before with anyone. Each and every day we arrived and left the site where we built the house, the kids would line up and give me a hug and a kiss on the cheek and tell me how much they appreciated me.

This trip was definitely life changing and I couldn’t have been more blessed to be able to create a huge impact on each and every one of their lives. And I just wish people would just take a second and truly get to know me and who I am really am.

Step Out of Your Comfort Zone

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By Antonio Thompson

First I’d like to thank all my friends and teachers for the amazing years I had at Jeff High. My senior year was filled with love and lots of memories, good and bad. The good is that I got to see my friends everyday. The bad is that I didn’t finish my senior year of basketball with my closest friends.

Throughout my years here, I slowly stepped out of my comfort zone and stopped being shy with a lot of people and that was probably the best decision that I’ve made. Til this day I wouldn’t have the friends that I have now if I wasn’t able to step out.

I realized around my sophomore year that high school can be a place to make new friends, try new sports, different clubs, etc, and I made sure I took advantage of it. I suggest you could do the same.