Student Life

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When I’ve talked to my parents, teachers, and even other students, which sucks because, sure, it’s an older game that’s outdated, but it can still be fun to play if you actually try it out.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

‘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

Red Devils embrace Halloween spirit

Students and faculty wore their spookiest Halloween costumes last Friday, and Hyphen photographers and journalists captured some of the scary moments through portrait photography. Click on the images below to see photos in the gallery.

Aaliyah Flowers. Photo by Isaiah Stewart.

4 Nov 20254 Nov 2025 by jhshyphen

Freshmen plan now for their futures

by Hailey Craynon

In 10 years from now, everyone will be off doing their own thing. What are you going to do? What makes you want to do this? How committed are you? Where do you see yourself?

Freshman Kyra Gibson said, “I want to be a criminal investigator. I want to be a criminal investigator because I want to understand why criminals do the things they do, and I’m planning to achieve this by staying focused in school and graduating from a good college.”

Gibson has been passionate about being a criminal investigator since she was in sixth grade, as she found it exciting and interesting.

“I have always watched documentaries with my mom and tried to solve them, and it got me into criminal investigations.”

Some students are interested in nursing.

Freshman Makhia Hall said, “In 10 years, I see myself figuring out what college I want to go to so that I can study for a nursing degree, and I’ve always been good with kids and just people in general. I’m going to achieve this by getting good grades, making sure my GPA is high, and paying attention more in classes.”

Some think nursing is maybe too hard and they give up on a dream, but Hall said to “focus on the impact you will have on patients’ lives and never give up.”

And while some freshmen do not know exactly what they’d like to do in the future yet, they still plan to make the most of high school.

Freshman Serenity Dees said, “In 10 years, I would probably be either in or graduating college, hopefully with a job of some sort and living with a friend or on my own. To achieve that, I’ll need to keep my grades up and graduate from high school in the pathway I plan to pursue.”

Some people are uncertain what they want to do with their lives when they’re older, and that’s okay. They still plan to have a fun and sustainable life.

Freshman Tryston Looney said, “I see myself in 10 years in a nice house, and I’m planning to be a police officer because I have always wanted to be one. I plan to achieve this by saving up money and working hard. I want to do this so I can live a happy and decent life in the future.”

Some may have a dream and think it’s too hard, or that they will never make it, but “fight strong and never give up on your dreams,” said Looney.

No matter how challenging their dreams are, most freshmen plan to never give up on their dreams.

31 Oct 2025 by jhshyphen

Social media impacts fashion in teens

by Brennan Zoeller and Jilliann Denbo

Men’s Fashion

Many fashion styles have changed over the years, some good, some bad. Teens’ fashion, specifically boys, however, changes the most, usually from social media impacting the way they dress. Seeing the way many people style and express themselves impacts how a lot of people dress, in many different ways.

When seeing other people on social media make outfits in different ways, it changes how students want to dress.

Class of 2025 graduate Shawn Boyd stated, “By seeing other types of clothes and styles, it gives me a broader imagination on the different types of styles I can mix and match.”

Many teens don’t necessarily get their outfits directly from social media, but they get inspiration from it.

“I get a lot of inspiration from different fashion influencers and wouldn’t know a lot of brands without advertisement on social media platforms,” sophomore Isaiah Valenzuela said about how much social media impacts his style.

Social media lets students express themselves in ways that they’ve wanted to do but couldn’t because of the pressure of it not looking good. Now with social media, they can express themselves in ways they want.

Boyd said,”Social media really allowed the things I wear to be more acceptable and accessible,” while Valenzuela said,”I wouldn’t really think to put some things on without seeing it on social media first.”

Sophomore Ryder Lott also stated, “The things I wear are meant to express myself.”

The way that students dress isn’t entirely changed, but it’s inspired and blossomed out because of what they see on social media.

“The way I dress really comes from how I feel within. I’ve gotten to a point where I just use social media to see the different types of clothing that are available, rather than following the latest trend,” Boyd said

Women’s Fashion

Most girls sit in front of their closets and wonder what they are wearing for the day, while others scroll on their phones trying to pick out outfits. Social media helps most girls pick out their outfits; it also can influence them to change their styles all the time. But others don’t use social media at all to pick their outfits.

“I don’t feel pressure to change what I wear. But the way I keep up with fashion trends is normally when I think a style is cute I’ll look up inspiration. But I normally don’t rush to change my style every couple of months,” said sophomore Cheyanne Bogan

Despite some girls not using social media for their outfits, others typically rely heavily on social media for those reasons.

“Social media definitely affects what I wear because I constantly see new styles and outfits when getting on Tik Tok or Instagram. It makes me feel like I need to buy new items and wear what that person is wearing to feel confident and to feel like I look good,” said sophomore Miaa Caporale

Most girls also like to have many different outfits and styles, but a lot of the time they need help figuring out which ones to choose from.

“Influencers definitely affect what I wear. If I like what they are wearing, I buy outfits off of that. I normally use different influencers to choose from multiple different styles,” said sophomore Malloree Fletcher

While a lot of girls think it is a positive influence, changing styles when trends change is hard to keep up with, along with most girls thinking they have to change styles when others do.

“I do feel pressure to wear what I do because I don’t want to be left out or not fit in a trend. With Tik Tok and many other social platforms, there’s so many new trends that it’s hard to keep up with. These trends make me feel like I need to adjust my style to fit in,” said Caporale.

While it’s tempting to jump on every little trend, always know that a style is about a person’s personality and lifestyle. And not always about the latest trends and looks.

24 Oct 2025 by jhshyphen

Tea Club provides a stress-free, relaxed atmosphere to socialize

by Rain Gresham

Everyday life is filled with stress, whether that be school, work, or responsibilities. A place to be yourself is desirable, a place like say, Tea Club.

Tea Club was founded in 2019 by dedicated student September Kaugchak when people were in most need of a relaxing social club — a place where people could come together, talk, and relax over their shared love of tea without the stress of the real world.

Stepping inside students could feel the difference, the stress of bustling hallways during school hours melting away as they stepped into the surreal welcomeness of Tea Club.

Tea Club members gather during their after-school meeting in the Media Center. Photo by Rain Gresham.

“Everybody talks to each other,” said German teacher and sponsor Lisa Stumler. She makes sure that everyone stays safe and has fun.

From the Blackberry citrus to Darjeeling, Tea Club is full of all kinds of tea fitted for all types of different students to come together and enjoy the simplicity.

“I realized being a part of something that can help students develop their social skills is one of the key elements to them being successful adults,” stated French teacher and sponsor Dana Schenk.

Everybody has their own ways of falling into the things they love, whether that be a friend, a student, or even just stumbling upon it.

“Ms Schenk, the French teacher, she mentioned she was asked to be the teacher sponsor and she thought it’d be great if we could be teacher sponsors together, and I thought it’d be a great idea as well,” said Stumler.

“I fell into it because one of my students (current president and senior Toby Wilder) asked me if I can sponsor it and I assisted to some of those last year,” Schenk shared.

“I saw them on eighth grade night; they had tea bags and rainbow flags together. I thought it was cute and welcoming,” reminisced Wilder, the current co-president of Tea Club. She takes care of the fundings.

“I joined the club because my friends invited me and I thought it was cool,” stated senior Marianna Bush, the other co-president. She plans events.

Tea Club is a social club and a successful one at that, as they rake in about 40-50 people at the beginning of each quarter. “First weeks of the quarter always have a lot more,” emphasized Wilder

First time Tea Club goer Lilly Wright thought that it was “pretty chill. I liked the snacks and tea.”

Visitors walking into the Media Center after school on an average Friday would be met with the sight of Wilder and Bush setting up the tea and snacks.

Making way to one of the tables, you could interact with any of the people in the club.

Once everyone has gathered and they have finished setting up the tables, Bush and Wilder come around telling people they could now go up to grab tea and snacks.

The selection of tea for members in the Media Center after school. Photo by Rain Gresham.

The selection of tea bags to choose from varies drastically, from sweet to savory to earthy.

Wilder and Bush make sure of that. The two cherish the club and think of it as home, away from home a place where they can relax from the stress of the week.

The club has been a big part of their life for the past four years and even after they graduate from high school, it will hold a place in their hearts.

“I want it to continue, as it was found as a safe space for people,” said Wilder.

24 Oct 202524 Oct 2025 by jhshyphen

Teen goal setting helps students prepare for their futures

by Kori Washington

Freshman Jonayzia Dickerson has known that she wanted to be a forensic tech ever since eighth grade, and right now, that is her main goal in life.

“This goal is important to me because I want to pursue a career in science and medical studies,” said Dickerson.

Teen goal setting is more talked about and more pushed on today’s teens, so they can have successful and better lives.

Also, today’s teens have more opportunities, which causes them to be more motivated, according to health academy counselor Amy Colangelo.

“I think students are more motivated because there are more resources and there are more opportunities as they get older,” said Colangelo.

“Find what interests you, come to school, set small goals; then, once you meet that goal, set a bigger one.”
Health Academy Counselor Amy Colangelo

For example, freshman Krislynn Hughes, who is pursuing her career goal of being a veterinarian, said, “My love for animals and not wanting to be broke when I’m older keeps me motivated to chase my goal.”

Also, according to Colangelo, it’s very important when setting goals for students to find something that interests them.

For example, Dickerson said, “My love for science is what keeps me motivated. I love science because it combines all subjects into one.”

Even though most teens have interests that keep them motivated, some teens have distractions that keep them unmotivated.

For example, business academy principal Matt Barker said, “Most teens have trouble with goal setting because of social media. It gets them distracted and not focusing on their goals.”

Despite these distractions, Colangelo still tries to give teens advice.

“Find what interests you, come to school, set small goals; then, once you meet that goal, set a bigger one,” she said.

Baker agreed. “Don’t set unrealistic goals; have short goals, then move on to bigger goals.”

22 Oct 202524 Oct 2025 by jhshyphen

Seniors decorate parking lot spaces to reveal interests and personalities

All photos by Kaleb Baker. Interviews by Abbigail Hollins.

Senior Litzy Rubio: “I’ve always had the idea of minions making it to my parking spot because I think they’re cute and wanted to incorporate them.” Photo by Kaleb Baker.

12 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils welcome new school year with annual Community Pep Rally

Students, Community come together to collect school supplies and display school spirit

All photos by Magdalene Conrad.

The Jeff High Step Team represents the school at Thursday’s Community Pep Rally. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

11 Aug 2025 by jhshyphen

International Showcase gives students the chance to share their cultures

Senior Sarah Baloucoune and freshman Yanda Mafoua explain the South African and Senegalese cultures to interested students at the International Showcase during third hour. Photo by Emelyn Gantulga.

19 May 2025 by jhshyphen

The Last Word: Innocence to Reality

Editor’s Note: Journalism I students who have published on the Hyphen website this school year were given the opportunity to write and publish a final message to readers on a topic and with a style of their choice.

by Ayianna Maddox

To be naive once again.

The world out here is cruel.

To not see crystal clear, but to see a cartoon.

To see the world bright and colorful again, instead of bland and dull.

How I miss hearing the ice cream truck’s tune.

Now I wake to a snooze alarm.

To not have a care in the world.

To yearn for the newest toy, not an extra 5 minutes.

The years passed by, believing they’d last forever.

The memories slip away, but small fragments of nostalgia remain.

Excavated memories and treasures.

Innocence to reality.

The world has never looked the same.

Looking back is realizing that every day that naive child is still present.

That naive child lives in my heart, where she’s always been since the start.

14 May 202515 May 2025 by jhshyphen