Features

‘Stranger Things’ fans react to Season 5, discuss the series legacy

Editor’s Note: Proceed carefully, Stranger Things fans, as the following feature story contains spoilers.

by Shelby Keesee

On Dec. 31, 2025, at 8 p.m. EST, the highly anticipated Stranger Things series finale, written and directed by the Duffer Brothers, aired on Netflix, and later was accessible for viewers to see in select theaters.

The series ran for almost 10 years (2016-2025) and gained numerous fans through its 1980s nostalgia, references, unique plot, and most importantly, its characters.

Prior to the finale, two volumes containing episodes of the fifth season arrived on Netflix, with Volume 1 (episodes 1-4) releasing on Nov. 26, and Volume 2 (episodes 5-7) releasing on Dec. 25.

The Crawl

The first episode, entitled “The Crawl,” is set in 1987 in the fictional town of Hawkins, Indiana. The episode begins with a flashback to Will’s vanishing in the Upside Down, which was the first event that led viewers into Stranger Things’ complex and emotional story.

“My first thought was, ‘Oh my God – they were babies. They were such little babies,’ and now they’re like, grown men and stuff,” stated Student Council sponsor Natalie Woods. “I don’t know if it did it justice – if I’ve never watched seasons one, two, three or four, and I just watched the flashback, I don’t think I would’ve been able to get the gist of what happened. So I feel like if they really wanted to do that fairly, it should’ve been an episode all on its own.”

The episode then reveals that Hawkins is under military occupation due to an “earthquake,” which leads the main cast into frequent “crawls” to look for Vecna, one of the main villains, in the Upside Down.

The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler

The second episode, entitled “The Vanishing of Holly Wheeler,” contains the season’s main storyline – Holly’s vanishing, orchestrated by “Mr. Whatsit,” who is later revealed to be an alter ego of Henry Creel/Vecna.

“They focused on Holly a lot. She was definitely the main character of this season, and if they were planning on making a Stranger Things follow-up, she’s the start of the next generation of kids.” said English teacher Eric Watson.

“I loved episode 2, probably my favorite of the whole season,” stated English teacher Allison Clary.

The Turnbow Trap and Sorcerer

“The Turnbow Trap” contains Derek Turnbow’s addition into the plot, and the fourth episode, “Sorcerer,” leads viewers into a turning point – Will’s realization of his sorcerer-like powers.

“But, my next one was number four, ‘Sorcerer,’ because, of course, that was so shocking — none of us knew Will had those powers,” said Clary.

Volume 2

The second volume, containing “Shock Jock,” “Escape from Camazotz,” and “The Bridge,” gave us key events prior to the final adventure. The episodes, containing Nancy and Jonathan’s near-death experience, Max’s escape, and Will’s vulnerable moment, received mixed feelings from viewers. Critics expressed that the Duffers’ writing in the volume either lacked professionalism, was rushed, or lacked character depth.

“The part with Max was kind of confusing to me. She’s in a coma, but she’s still alive and functioning with other people who are stuck in the Upside Down,” stated history teacher Kent Porter.

“I know on the internet, a lot of people were really upset that Will had his whole coming-out scene and everything,” English teacher Holden Henderson said. “I mean, I think it’s great to give people representation – that is a very emotionally taxing moment, and so it makes sense that he would feel that way, but I do think for the story itself, I feel like they (Duffers) spent too much time on it.”

“The Rightside Up” is Stranger Things’ final episode, and it mainly focused on the group teaming up to successfully defeat Vecna.

“The thing about the final episode is the build-up for this season – all of these Demodogs and Demogorgons and all these monsters having to do with all this stuff, but when they actually go into the Upside Down, it’s not there,” said Henderson. “A couple of episodes before, when the Demodogs were fighting all the soldiers outside of the gate, like, that was a huge fight with lots of monsters and stuff – you’d think Vecna would’ve probably tried to defend himself a little bit.”

But the finale’s emotional ending has sparked a contentious question among fans; was Eleven’s sacrifice an illusion – or did she actually die?

In the debate, some believe that she didn’t perish, with an example being Woods.

“I don’t think she did. She’s too strong to have died just like that. Out of all things that poor child has gone through, that’s it? She’s gonna be whisked away with the wind?” Woods stated.

Some others believe she truly died, including Porter.

“I think she did. The way they just kind of left it there with her being in the Upside Down with everything breaking apart, I think it got her.” Porter said.

However, others have a more neutral stance, like Watson.

“I think the way they did the ending was the coward’s way out. They gave everyone a happy ending, they had a dramatic moment where like, it was a pyrrhic victory; they won, but they had lost something very valuable,” stated Watson. “And I feel like leaving the hope that Eleven is still alive undercuts that in a way that was disappointing. I would’ve been happier if they would’ve picked one.”

One of the Greatest?

Despite the common criticism over season 5, the season and the series still appeal to fans as one of the greatest they’ve seen yet.

“I loved the whole series, and I overall loved season 5,” Clary said. “I know some people were disappointed with the very last episode, number 8, but I was not disappointed at all. It was a great way to wrap up everything and everybody – all the characters kind of climaxed, and I understand why Eleven had to go.”

“Season 5 I thought was very enjoyable, as far as a watching experience, I enjoyed watching it,” stated Henderson. “But, part of that was taking a step back from a cinema graphic, or a movie critic style approach, and more of just like, ‘Hey, I really like this series, I want to enjoy it.’ There were definitely some flaws, there were definitely some weaknesses, but overall, it was enjoyable.”

The Characters

Even though a percentage of the audience has not viewed season 5 yet, the characters in Stranger Things are unforgettable and complex.

“Favorite character? Either Steve – the babysitter guy, or Dustin,” stated math teacher Cory Densford, who has yet to watch the final season. “Those are definitely my favorites. I really liked Steve’s character arc. I always have a soft spot for those kind of villain characters.”

“I liked Hopper a whole lot. I’m a pretty sarcastic dude, and he delivered the most sarcasm, I think. And also, he’s just surrounded by teenagers and exhausted all the time, and that’s relatable to me,” Watson said.

“Everyone wants to say Will, because his character led up to that culminating point where he mind slayed Vecna, but I feel like it’s going to be Lucas for me,” said Woods. “He had such a role of keeping the group together. He didn’t have these main character storylines, but he was always the one that was there – if something went good, if something went bad, he really had the answers to everything.”

Because of these characters’ relatability, viewers tend to feel more of an emotional response while watching Stranger Things.

“I think maybe part of that is because it’s taken place over nearly 10 years,” stated Clary. “I’ve literally watched since the first year, so a lot of people who have strong feelings, sometimes it’s because they’ve been watching for so long.”

“I think some of it has to do with the writing style and the characters. You usually feel very realistic towards them, so when we see characters we can kind of imagine as ourselves or our friends or our loved ones, we can see similarities, and since they are more realistic, we see them going through these things, so it seems more emotionally real to us as well,” said Henderson.

“Having characters that have flaws are important in media,” Densford stated. “Nobody’s perfect, and if they’re perfect, it’s hard to relate.”

The exceptional, emotional story and character depth has led fans to share the series with their friends and family.

“I’ve heard about it because my wife’s a big fan of it,” stated English teacher David Kummer, who has not yet watched the show. “She started watching it a couple of years ago and binge watched it.”

“Honestly, my son – he was the one who recommended it, and the minute we watched it, it stuck.” Woods said.

Overall, Stranger Things has made its impact on numerous fans, and its popularity will continue to rise over the years.

The series’ versatility in multiple areas, such as its writing, unique plot, and in-depth characters makes it a historical show for viewers. Regardless of season five’s criticism, it still remains a favorite for many.

“It seems like there’s always a show every 10 years or so that becomes bigger than some of its parts,” stated Watson.

28 Jan 202628 Jan 2026 by jhshyphen

Hoosier fans anxiously await Monday’s national championship football game

by Brennan Zoeller and Jilliann Denbo

From taking down No. 9 Alabama 38-3, to then embarrassing No. 5 Oregon 56-22, the undefeated 15-0 Hoosiers don’t seem to be slowing down as they head into Monday’s national championship game against Miami (13-2).

On Monday, Indiana hopes to win it all in Miami. Since 1899, the Hoosiers have never won a football national championship and have been among the programs with the most football losses.

Hoosier fans hope that changes Monday night.

“I think they’ve worked harder than anyone else and deserve it. They’re professional when it counts and don’t show mercy, which is why they’re so good,” said sophomore John Steele.

Some are sure Indiana will beat Miami, but others are still nervous only because they are used to losing.

“Miami is obviously a great team, but I think we may be even better. I am still nervous but I think some of those nerves stem from so many years of watching IU football lose. I’ve been conditioned to expect us to lose and I am still trying to remind myself that we have a real possibility to win the national championship,” said Northaven Academic improvement coordinator Kelly Allen, an IU fan.

This national championship game is bringing many long-time fans together to watch their all time favorite team.

“Family had a lot to do with me being an IU fan. But in 1987 I was 15 years old watching Keith Smart hit a last second shot to win the basketball national championship against Syracuse. If you have to pick a moment, that’s when I knew I was a Hoosier,” said IU fan Robert Denbo.

Fans have always been giving a lot to the IU community, doing anything they can to show true support.

“I show my support for my team by sharing stuff on social media and wearing my IU gear. I give to the Alumni Association as well. IU has the largest Alumni Association in the entire nation and it has the most people raising lots of money by going to games and by watching games on TV,” said Northaven principal and Hoosier fan Laura Morris.

While some fans have been cheering from home on their TVs , others have actually been going to the games.

“Seeing the joy on IU fans’ (of all ages) faces as they attend these games has been so exciting. It has been a thrilling time for fans,” Allen said from experience after being to many games.

When Allen says “of all ages,” she means it. Students all the way to teachers and parents have been ecstatic and call it a “miracle.”

“It’s crazy. I went from not even thinking about Indiana when it came to football as a fan, to now about to win a national championship. It’s a miracle,” said sophomore Liam Wooden.

The Hoosiers football team has brought hope to many, and this hope is shown and expressed in different ways, reaching all audiences.

“The way the team works together to accomplish this year’s wins has given me so much hope. Our Heisman (winner Fernando) Mendoza has also been performing better than amazing. Since 1975 I’ve been an IU fan and they’ve never come this far,” said JHS graduate and IU fan Kathleen Brennan.

With the national championship on Monday, Indiana fans are pumped up more than ever, with very high expectations.

“I think Indiana has a pretty good chance of beating Miami in the national championship because the Hoosiers have proven to be a powerhouse with trust in each other throughout the season,” stated Josie Zoeller, 2024 JHS graduate.

No. 1 Indiana (15-0) will play No. 10 Miami (13-2) in the 2026 College Football Playoff (CFP) National Championship on Monday, Jan. 19, 2026:

Kickoff: 7:30 p.m. ET
Location: Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida
TV/Radio: Broadcast on ESPN. Radio coverage is available through the IU Alumni Association, featuring Don Fischer’s call synced to the telecast.

16 Jan 202616 Jan 2026 by jhshyphen

Supplies for Food Pantry and Connor’s Closet

by Areli Hernandez

Additional Reporting: Tyler Conley

The food pantry and Connor’s Closet at Jeffersonville High School prioritizes the needs of students and families. As winter break comes to an end, items and clothing are in high demand to help students.

Those interested in donating supplies for the Food Pantry may turn them in to room A225 or in A204. For more information, contact Michelle Houchin.

Michelle Houchin: mhouchin@gccschools.com

If someone outside the school is interested in donating items for Connor’s Closet, contact Stephanie Soper or Jennifer Mitchell for further information. Students who are interested in donating, may bring their donations to room C125.

ALL clothing must be in new conditions.

Stephanie Soper: ssoper@gccschools.com

Jennifer Mitchell: jmitchell@gccschools.com

9 Jan 20269 Jan 2026 by jhshyphen

Niemi wins Sophomore Class JHS Christmas Shirt Fundraiser

Stephanie Niemi poses with the Christmas candy basket she won as part of the Sophomore Class JHS Christmas shirt fundraiser. The Sophomore Class had a drawing for the gift basket for anyone who purchased a shirt, and Niemi’s name was drawn as the winner. The Sophomore Class thanks everyone who participated. Submitted photo.

19 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Kentucky fans react to new football coach

by Sophia Waldridge

After 13 seasons Mark Stoops brought historic stability to Kentucky and led four 10-win campaigns in 2018 and 2021. He also showed the team eight consecutive bowl games and two top-25 finishes. But after too many losing streaks and a 41-0 loss to Louisville on Dec. 1, Kentucky fired him. Will Stein is the new Kentucky coach.

Many Louisville fans are happy because they want real change and challenge. Senior Kaeleb Hayes, who is a die hard Louisville fan, said that Kentucky “needed to do it” and that the team would be “better off without Stoops and the team will get along so much better with the leadership and the stability of Stein.”

But others do not agree with Hayes and think that Stoops should not have been fired. Sophomore Eli Tate, “I think that we will have better prospects but at the same time he was a good coach and I don’t think that this one game should have caused him to be fired.”

Sophomore Cali Smith agreed with Tate and is also a Kentucky fan; she said that the team will have to come up with new critical thinking skills and “learn to adapt with a new coach with different teaching styles.”

Freshman Harper Gordon also said that the Wildcats will have to adapt and thinks that it was a good thing because “Stoops has been a bad coach for three years and gave us a horrible season.” She said the new coach Stein is better for the team because he will push them harder.

Kentucky fans aren’t too happy, but most of them are rallying for the new coach and can’t wait to see how he trains the team differently and if they’ll get any better under different and new leadership.

18 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Column: Guitar Hero brings both fun and nostalgia

by Kaylin Bowman

“Easy, medium, hard, and expert.”

These are the choices for what mode you want to play in a famous 2000s game called Guitar Hero. Guitar Hero was a very popular game, with its first release of Guitar Hero 1 in 2005. The game itself was originally designed for the PS2 and PS3. Still, it eventually expanded to other consoles, including the Xbox 360, Wii, PS4, Xbox One, Wii U, and even mobile devices and handhelds like the Nintendo DS.

There are at least 25 Guitar Hero games. From Guitar Hero (2005) to Guitar Hero Live (2015), and other games based on Guitar Hero like Rock Band, Clone Hero, and DJ Hero as well! I prefer the original, but it’s always fun to try the other games as well. Now I have Guitar Hero for the Xbox 360. Sure, there are some lag spikes here and there, but other than that, it runs smoothly, and I enjoy the game a lot.

There are different ways to play Guitar Hero, too. You can use the Guitars, Drums, Microphone, and even your console controller. I prefer to use the Guitar controller; it makes the experience more immersive and more enjoyable. Guitar Hero even has a practice mode, as well as a learning mode. Practice mode allows players to practice the songs in the game, while learning mode teaches new players how to hit the notes and strum the bar to time it perfectly. It also teaches you cool techniques you can use when playing the songs to help you understand the game’s concept.

Not many people play Guitar Hero anymore. When I’ve talked to my parents, teachers, and even other students, which sucks because, sure, it’s an older game that’s outdated, but it can still be fun to play if you actually try it out.

Should other people play it? Yes, for sure it’s not a violent game, and you battle your opponents with guitar skills instead of guns, chainsaws, knives, etc, and once you beat the game, you’ll have all the songs unlocked so you can practice your skills even more and eventually make your way to expert, which is the highest you can get.

When I’m playing Guitar Hero, I’m fully immersed in the game, from how entertaining it is, and I’ve been playing it for over a year now, and I still love the game. Even though it took me forever, I finally made it to expert, and I’m proud that I made it that far with the game.

“Jump straight to expert. It’ll be difficult at first, but it’ll get easier as you play.”

Those are words that my dad told me when I first started playing, and that’s what I did, and turns out I could do it when I thought that I couldn’t at all, and when I listened to what he told me that day, it all made sense why he said that. When I first tried it, I sucked at it because of how fast the notes were moving, but over time, I learned how to do it, and I got better at it, and that’s how I got to where I am today on Guitar Hero.

Guitar Hero even has a lot of bands in it; some bands even have their own Guitar Hero game dedicated to them. Like Guitar Hero: Aerosmith, Guitar Hero: Metallica, Guitar Hero: Van Halen, and more. Some bands that are in the main games are Nirvana, AC/DC, DragonForce, Foo Fighters, Queen, Slipknot, KISS, and so much more. Another game that a lot of rock songs are on is Guitar Hero: Smash Hits, which has a lot of rock songs that a majority of people know about.

Sadly, over time, Guitar Hero stopped due to market saturation and declining sales, which is sad, but the games that are out, you can still buy and play them. Another reason why they stopped is that Guitar Hero peripherals often did not work with new game versions, requiring further investment, and Activision officially discontinued the series and disbanded its music game division to refocus on other online and interactive entertainment. Even tho RedOctane is the original publisher of Guitar Hero, and over time they closed Guitar Hero for other new rhythm games. But will there be more games in the future?

So what will it be? “Easy, Medium, Hard, or Expert?”

18 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Columns: The Devil’s in the Details

Behind-the-scenes look reveals the challenge of performing and competing in marching band

Editor’s Note: Check out pages 12 and 13 of the December, 2025 print Hyphen for a photo essay on the marching band season.

by Cherish Brown

“You’re just walking, it’s not that hard.”

This is what I hear when I try to express that marching band is just as hard as a sport. I wouldn’t be too upset if people told basketball players that “you’re just throwing a ball in a hole,” or told baseball players that “you’re just hitting a ball with a stick.” But no. Instead, they get praised for their hard work, while people overlook ours. So here’s what actually goes into the halftime show that you see at football games.

The first lesson we had to learn was how to march correctly. It might look like walking to some, but it’s a little bit more than that. There’s a specific technique that we have to use going forwards and backwards. To go forwards we had to learn to walk while keeping our legs straight, and also roll stepping. Roll stepping is rolling off your foot into the next step to make it look smooth instead of robotic.

Now for backwards. We have to walk on our tippy toes, while keeping our legs straight, and we can’t look backwards. If we don’t march on our tippy toes when we go fast, we will fall.

Now that we know how to go forwards and backwards, we now have to learn how to go sideways. The weird part about it is, we can’t have our shoulders facing anywhere but forward unless we are told otherwise. So, to march sideways, our bottom half has to face sideways, but our top half is facing forwards. The only people who don’t do that are the drumline, who crabwalk, and the battery, who don’t move.

“So no, we’re not just walking. We’re working hard, competing, and most of all, performing.”

We can’t just have you watch us march, though; that would be too boring. We had to learn how to play the music. To be honest, it’s really hard music. In the first piece we all have to play 16th notes, which is four notes per beat, which means you have to be quick with the notes, even at a slow tempo. And the second piece is at 160 beats per minute, which is double the speed of the second piece. And all that is hard enough while sitting down and looking at it, but when we’re marching, we have to play off of memory.

Now, we have to learn where we’re going, and how the music relates to how we march. The thing is, we aren’t just marching to random places. If you’re high enough in the stands, you can see that we make shapes with where we’re standing. We have to march to specific places, which are called our sets. And we have to learn the entire song while only marching before we can even grab our instruments.

Then we start playing. We have to go by each set (or spot we’re marching to) and learn which part of the music goes where. It takes a long time, especially because there are three different pieces we have to put together. So, we take many days of practice just learning how the music and our sets relate to each other, when we’re supposed to get where, and how big or small of steps that we have to take to make it on time.

Then, we have to make it look cool. We add what we call our choreography. It’s not actually dancing, like the color guard does with their flags. We do different things. Our choreography includes lunges, pliés, and forced arches. And we usually do those while we’re not moving, so we don’t look like we’re just awkwardly standing there. We also do these while we’re playing our music, so it has to match up with what’s happening musically.

Now we take all of this, that we started learning before school even started, and put it together for everyone’s entertainment. But there is something we do that many people don’t get to see.

We perform and represent the Jeffersonville Red Devils at our own competitions. We competitively perform in front of judges, against many bands in our district. This season our hard work led to an appearance at the state finals, where we placed 15th.

Our hard work got us there — work done over many months, and for some of us, years. I hope this season we’ve made everyone proud, especially the seniors, who have helped us all throughout this season.

So no, we’re not just walking. We’re working hard, competing, and most of all, performing.

Marching band performs its show The Devils in the Details. The Red Devils placed 15th in ISSMA state finals competition this season. Photo by Cherish Brown.

Marching band is clearly a sport

by Caitlyn Brock

Marching is a sport.

I’ve done my first season now in drumline, and it was some work. We had to learn how to march, and we stood for hours on end and didn’t get many breaks. During a typical school week, we practice for 8 1/2 hours of just practice alone, not counting all of band camp and competition days, with some Saturday rehearsals We went to scholastic prelims to qualify for finals and ended up getting 6/7 bands and went to scholastic finals, which took place in October.

Marching band is obviously a sport. First off, it requires physical exertion and skill, just like football or soccer. Next, we compete against other marching bands for a score which also can lead to finals, which other sports have, such as basketball. Finally, it’s done for entertainment, especially because of all the visuals and drill.

Initially, people would think that marching bands are laid back and easy, that all the instruments are not that big and don’t weigh that much, but that is wrong.

Drums can go from being 16 pounds all the way up to 70 pounds with gravity, which can be super difficult. Sousaphones weigh about 50 pounds, and all of those weights can be difficult depending on the person and size, with also having the marching around for 6-9 minutes (depending on the show length) while hitting all of the visuals and drill spots and playing all of the music by memory. That is a lot of expectations for high school musicians.

“Marching band is obviously a sport. First off, it requires physical exertion and skill, just like football or soccer. Next, we compete against other marching bands for a score which also can lead to finals, which other sports have, such as basketball. Finally, it’s done for entertainment, especially because of all the visuals and drill.”

Nobody talks about the demand for marching bands. We’re expected to learn music and hit the drill fairly quickly, given the limited time available, as rehearsals are often lengthy. Some days we are expected to start rehearsal as early as 6:30 a.m., going as late as 5 p.m., and marching in the heat is a whole different story.

We compete just like other sports. We have scholastic prelims — which would be called sectionals for other sports — and scholastic finals, which we get to go to. But we compete against other bands at different schools and get a score. Our scoring may be different than other sports, but we still compete.

Others may say that we don’t run around and throw around a ball or even have the same scoring as other sports, and we don’t do it for any entertainment, and that’s where they are wrong.

That comes to my final reason. Doing all of this work for one show is all for entertainment. We make the whole show look good just for the eyes of the judges and the people watching. We play music that people know for their enjoyment, too.

So that brings us back to one question. Is a marching band a sport? Yes, it is. We dedicate a lot time to it, and we march and play music for hours on end and compete for a score.

And we obviously do it for entertainment, because that is what it is all for in the end.

17 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Archery Club members sharpen their skills at practice

All photos by Malachi Conrad. Click on the photos in the gallery below.

Editor’s Note: To view more coverage of the Jeff High Archery Club, see the feature story by Liddia Waterbury in the Hyphen print issue, handed out on Wednesday and Thursday during lunchtime this week.

Coach Brian Cleveland demonstrates how to safely release the string during an after-school Archery Club meeting. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

16 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

Winter Fantasy brings holiday music to Jeffersonville

Musical arts groups will perform again tonight

All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Malachi Conrad. To view the gallery, click on the photographs below.

Junior Gabriel Collins sings in unison with the choir at Winter Fantasy on Tuesday, Dec. 9. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

11 Dec 202511 Dec 2025 by jhshyphen

‘Stranger Things’ final season creates nostalgia

by Kori Washington

From fan theories to TikTok countdown clocks, the excitement for Stranger Things season 5 is everywhere. As this Wednesday’s Netflix release gets closer, fans around the world share their predictions and thoughts about the show and its final season.

Stranger Things premiered in 2016, and over the course of nine years, the show has become one of the top shows of all time.

Stranger Things is set in 1980s Indiana, and the story begins when four boys are playing Dungeons & Dragons in Mike’s basement. Once the game is over, they all go home. However, the next day, they discovered that Will never made it home safely and is now missing. This is when the story hits its climax, and the whole first season is about three boys, his family, and a newfound friend trying to solve the mystery of Will’s disappearance.

The following seasons continue with many conspiracies, twists, turns, and deep emotions. Still, throughout the seasons, viewers watch everyone grow up, fix or make new relationships, or change themselves for the better.

Throughout all of this, they all still find time to try and save Hawkins, and their journeys has intrigued fans for over nine years.

For English teacher Allison Clary, Stranger Things brought back nostalgic memories.

“It looked like an interesting show and I really loved that it was set in the 1980s, which was when I was a teenager,” she said.

Science teacher Melissa Brewer agreed. “I like the nostalgia aspect of it. I like the 80s throwback stuff, because I’m from the 80s.”

Social media also played a role in why people started watching the show.

“I saw it on TikTok, and I thought it looked cool, and then that’s when I got really interested in the show,” said freshman Jerome Sanders.

But social media and nostalgia aren’t the only qualities that make Stranger Things stand out from other sci-fi shows.

“They’ve also really brought us into the lives of all those characters. So I feel like they’re all my friends,” said Clary

“It’s emotional to watch because you get so emotionally attached to the characters,” said Sanders.

As the final season approaches fans share the same mix of excitement and sadness.

“I feel sad because because weŕe not going to see out favorite characters again, but I have been hearing they release a trailer of an animated series, and I’m excited,” said Sanders.

“I’m super sad and very bittersweet. I have loved a lot of series, but this one is just unique,” said Clary.

After nearly a decade with these characters, saying goodbye feels upsetting. Even the show’s characters capture that feeling, like when Eleven said, “Friends don’t lie.” That line sums up the loyalty and connection that made Stranger Things so meaningful to fans.

The first four episodes of Season 5 of Stranger Things premiere on Netflix on Wednesday evening. The remaining episodes premiere on Netflix on Dec. 25, with the series finale on Dec. 31.

24 Nov 202524 Nov 2025 by jhshyphen

Students prepare for Thanksgiving traditions

by Sophia Waldridge

When Thanksgiving starts rolling around every student gets excited; it’s the time to eat, go on a week long break from school, and see family.

Many families have traditions for this time of year, and it’s different for many families across Indiana.

Senior Kaeleb Hayes said that he and his family go to some type of sports game before he goes on fall break as a tradition, and that they don’t decorate but that he helps his mom cook and they prepare a big meal.

“For Thanksgiving we watch the NFL games and my mom makes a lot of food for my brother and sister to come in from out of town.”

He said that they also prepare a meal for their chickens as a tradition and he is excited for the extra days off school and to see his siblings.

Junior Billy Wibbels is similar to Hayes and for Thanksgiving he hangs out with his family and friends.

“We don’t really decorate, we just make a huge dinner and all hang out. My grandpa comes to town from Florida and we all just reminisce.”

But some have very different traditions and don’t do anything for Thanksgiving, like sophomore Gracie Harder. She said she just spends Thanksgiving break cleaning her room and doing a self care reset, and spends most of the break alone until later into Thanksgiving day and she goes to her grandma’s.

“For break I always spend it all alone until I go to my grandma’s late on Thanksgiving day and we eat a big dinner, and we decorate the Christmas tree; everyone who comes brings a dish and I like to bake sweets and bring them, but other than that my family doesn’t do anything special.”

Freshman Harper Gordon said that her and her family just treat it like another day — they watch Christmas movies together and make a meal together but other than that they have no traditions and the plans change every year.

“My family sometimes makes a little turkey and we turn on Christmas movies but there are some years that we just don’t do anything, a few of my family members come over but only three or four.”

So many families eat together, spend time together, but not all decorate or have traditions. There are some that don’t do anything and just spend the day alone, or just eat a regular dinner like every other day.

19 Nov 202519 Nov 2025 by jhshyphen

Spanish teacher Megan Cortes represents ‘Dia De Muertos’ through classroom ‘Ofrenda’

by Areli Hernandez Romero

‘Dia De Muertos’ or Day of the Dead, celebrated from Oct 28 to Nov 2, is an annual cultural tradition celebrated to remember loved ones who have passed away. It is a day filled with memories, gratitude, and love. This tradition has spread to various Latin American communities in the United States.

Heritage Spanish teacher Megan Cortes and her students have highlighted the importance of cultural education with their classroom ‘Ofrenda.’

Unlike many, Cortes emphasizes the idea of showcasing an ‘Ofrenda’ in her classroom as a way to educate her students about its poignant meaning.

“Although many of my students have ofrendas at home, not everyone practices this tradition. Furthermore, not everyone knows the meaning, traditions, and symbolism it has. Being able to display it interactively in class allows students to see firsthand what it is and what it symbolizes,” she said.

Sophomore Arieslie Tejeda agreed with Cortes and finds her interactions helpful to those who don’t have the privilege to participate in these traditions at home.

“I feel like it’s a good thing and it introduces me to new things I wouldn’t do at home. It’s just a safe place for everyone to be included,” Tejeda said.

Senior Camila Levario agreed with Tejeda, appreciating Cortes’ involvement with her students.

“I like that she does that and how she always tries to make everyone feel included,” said Levario.

Cortes reflects by the bittersweet background of ‘Dia De Muertos’ and representation behind the Ofrenda.

“The ofrenda is a time for me to remember the special people in my life that are no longer with me. It is a way to honor all the wonderful things they meant to me. I think it also helps the grieving process that many face when they lose a loved one. It is a way we can feel closer to them.”

Looking forward, Cortes hopes for her students to understand the meaning of this new tradition evolving their own culture.
“I hope students gain a deeper understanding of a tradition that is deeply embedded in their culture. Even if they have personal beliefs that don’t celebrate the Day of the Dead.”

Click on the photographs in the gallery below.

The Ofrenda neatly displays a diversity of vibrant colors on Oct 31. Megan Cortes along with her students filled the ofrenda with meaningful items like, “candles, sugar skulls, special bread, water, salt, marigolds and some of the loved one’s favorite foods.” Photo by Areli Hernandez.

7 Nov 20257 Nov 2025 by jhshyphen