News – Page 15

French teacher Dana Schenk brings the world and a sense of curiosity to her students

by Chloe Newton

The morning sun and smoke fill the classroom windows as French teacher and fifth-generation architect Dana Schenk shifts between her desks; her voice carries through the room.

French teacher Dana Schenk teaches a lesson on family members during third-hour French II class. Photo by Chloe Newton.

Her voice is full of the life lived between three countries. France has given her a love for language, Romania is where she grew up learning her first language and how to read and write, and America is where she has chosen to take her knowledge and share it with her students at Jeffersonville High School.

She pauses mid-sentence to smile at her students’ careful pronunciation, her eyes lighting up and reflecting the same caring atmosphere that once welcomed her into new cultures.

Schenk has never let anything stand in the way of her dreams. Born in Romania, she moved to France and eventually to the United States, each travel and experience guided by her “spirit of adventure.”

“Living in different countries teaches you a lot about yourself; you become the person who can survive in any environment,” she said.

The countries and cultures shaped her teaching style. When Schenk discusses the history of these countries, she is not just talking; she is drawing from her adventures and experiences, helping students connect beyond the classroom and curriculum.

“Be curious about life and you’re going to get very far. No task or pathway is impossible as long as you’re curious.”
French Teacher Dana Schenk

In her class, learning goes beyond just pencil and paper. She allows students to apply French terms to real-world situations and history. Students complete projects such as building an apartment floor plan or creating personalized crests.

“We try to put together as many skills as we can while we’re learning French, that’s how I make it fun and engaging.”

Her goal is not just to teach a language but to encourage students to “be citizens of the world, open their minds, and take more than just the language from my class.”

Students see that engagement firsthand. French II student Shane Adkins described her as a teacher who keeps lessons very interactive and interesting.

“She talks about her culture a lot, and it feels like a first-hand experience.”

He points out why this class is different from other language classes he has taken because of her unique teaching style and lively feeling she brings to the class.

“She’s just very expressive with her reactions and words. There’s no other way to put it,” he said.

This feeling and expressiveness have also had a lasting impact on colleagues. German teacher Lisa Stumler described feeling nervous when the previous French teacher left and Schenk came in.

“I was worried – would the new French teacher even like me? But, instantly, I thought, ‘She’s wonderful’.”

The two took a trip together to Europe over the summer. The trip lasted two weeks, during which Stumler and Schenk helped each other while seeing all the fascinating places from their cultures.

“She’s influenced me to pause more, to ask questions, to not jump to conclusions.”

Schenk’s philosophy and mindset carry the same courage and clarity she encourages in her students.

“Be curious about life and you’re going to get very far. No task or pathway is impossible as long as you’re curious. I don’t regret anything, I love my choices.”

The impact of this mindset carries beyond the classroom. Schenk recalled a student who once volunteered in Africa and had to rely on French to communicate.

“I felt so proud… he realized the importance of knowing a foreign language, and it just made my eyes light up. ”

In the classroom or abroad, Schenk’s students and peers describe her in the same way: expressive, passionate, and unforgettable. As one student described her, she was likened to a croissant, very layered and one of a kind.

25 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Girls’ soccer defeats Columbus East 4-1

All photos by Malachi Conrad.

The Red Devils celebrate after scoring a goal to tie the game against Columbus East. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

24 Sep 202525 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Holden Henderson blends positive life advice with language arts lessons

by Jilliann Denbo

Former JHS student Maxine Prickett took English teacher Holden Henderson’s advice all the way to Florida.

Prickett, a former student of Henderson’s said, “Mr. Henderson’s words have carried with me since he told me that he was proud of me while receiving my award for most changed during freshman year. It wasn’t that he said he was proud, it was that he meant it.”

This is how Henderson makes an impact on each of his students.

“I hope that I inspire them to be themselves and to try to make the world a better place,” Henderson said.

English teacher Holden Henderson helps his former student, senior Tobey Wilder, with work on August 27. Photo by Jilliann Denbo.

Henderson undeniably enjoys his job daily, working with his students.

Most people only look at Henderson as a regular English teacher that has a man bun and wears crazy shirts daily, but that’s not the case. He strives to make sure he understands each of his students no matter what.

“He doesn’t try to be your friend, rather, an adult that you can trust,” said Prickett.

One of Henderson’s favorite parts of his job is to see his students’ success after leaving his classroom.

“It seems a lot of times I see growth over the course of the year, so I hope that it’s from them taking my advice,” he said.

Not only does Henderson make sure his students feel well, but he creates a positive environment for them in his classroom.

“I try to make sure that the decorations represent me and not just school stuff so that they understand that this is, you know, a place where they can be themselves. Then personally I just try to make sure to greet the students with a smile, I try to check on them to make sure that they understand that I care and that they should feel safe here,” Henderson said.

He takes pride in making sure his students feel welcomed.

“Mr Henderson was a caring and fun English teacher and always made sure we were learning something new each day,” said sophomore Reese Dobson.

Even with all the work, Henderson finds ways to pull his students into what he is teaching.

“The stories that I pick as an English teacher, I try to make sure that they aren’t terribly boring and stuff like that, even the ones that are, I try to explain the significance and bring it related to the students so that it’s not as boring because it’s hard to learn when you are bored,” He said.

Henderson takes pride in teaching at JHS, he knew from a young age that he wanted to be a part of the Red Devil community.

“When I was young, my grandparents had season tickets to Jeff games and so I was here a lot. I was kind ofa always proud of the Red Devils. Growing up in Jeff, I want to give back to the community. And by trying to be a positive influence in students’ lives, I hope that I’m making the community a better place,” Henderon said.

Henderson’s words will always carry on with his students, and they will always continue to do so.

“When I did my student teaching, I just fell in love with the school and this is where I knew I wanted to be.”

24 Sep 202524 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Cheerleaders earn honors at ‘Fear the Cheer’ competition

by Reese Dobson

Cheerleading is a lot more difficult than it may appear at a regular football or basketball game.

“The hardest part about cheer is probably cheering throughout all the difficulties, like weather conditions, losing, and people being absent,” said sophomore cheerleader Aaliyah Flowers.

Cheer is an all-year-long season. “I don’t think anybody realizes how much we practice. We only get one month off throughout the year, and we practice from April to competing at nationals in February,” senior Kyndal McCartin said.

McCartin said the cheer team practices on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday. On weekends, cheerleaders compete in competitions and cheer at sports games.

“Going to nationals with my team and competing the routine we have worked so hard on makes it all worth it,” senior Kenzie Keller stated.

UCA cheer nationals is a cheerleading competition in Orlando, Florida, where teams all over the country come and compete for state titles. Teams have to receive a bid to compete in the competition, Keller explained.

However, cheerleading isn’t always about competitiveness. A big part of cheerleading is team bonding and trust, which cheerleaders need to have for each other.

“I have always enjoyed watching others cheer, and I wanted to give it a try. I enjoy the sportsmanship and friendship on the Jeff team, and it keeps me going,” said freshman Kiela Smith.

Coming to practice with a good attitude is important to get through a hard practice, Flowers explained.

Cheer is sometimes debated as to whether it’s a sport or not. “I think cheer is definitely a sport because we practice, train, and perform. We have a minimum of four practices a week, and we have competitions against other teams,” said freshman Eliza Davis.

JHS cheerleaders took on the “Fear the Cheer” cheerleading competition at New Albany High School on Saturday, Sept. 21 They came out with first place in the timeout division, first place in the gameday division, and overall timeout grand champs. Photo by Alicia Flowers.

The Jeff High cheerleaders attended one of these competitions at New Albany High School last Saturday, Sept. 21. They came out in first place for the timeout routine and first place for the game day routine. The awards ended with the title “Grand Champs” for the overall timeout category.

“I’m glad we won because we practiced hard, and I’m glad all the work paid off,” Keller said.

24 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Math teacher Cory Densford combines high standards with humor in his classroom

by Kaylee Borelli

JHS geometry teacher Cory Densford greets his students as they walk into his classroom with a warm welcome and a fist bump.

“I want to form a good relationship with my students,” said Densford

This is Densford’s 13th year teaching at JHS, and throughout those years, he has grown significantly as a teacher and has also learned things that have shaped him into the teacher he is today.

Math teacher Cory Densford checks homework in his seventh-hour geometry class. Photo by Kaylee Borelli.

“My first year was terrible because I didn’t know anything,” stated Densford. “Relationships are the most important part of teaching. It doesn’t matter what you say to a kid if they won’t listen to you, and the way you get them to listen to you is by building a personal relationship, especially on the first days of school. Learning their names, what they like, and what they don’t like is probably the most important thing.”

Along with learning throughout the years, he has also had many challenges that he has faced.

“Sometimes there is a personality issue between you and a kid that is always a big challenge, and navigating that when the student and I have different ideas of how class should run, there is always a big challenge,” explained Densford. “Navigating the logistics of a school sometimes and not having enough of a resource or where you get a resource is always a challenge, especially if you’re brand new.

Densford recalls back to his years at JHS and how much his Algebra II teacher, Mr. Clark, influenced and inspired him to go into teaching.

“I knew I wanted to teach when I was a kid. I wanted to go into something that helped people,” said Densford. “I thought I wanted to become a doctor, but that was not going to do it once I got a little bit older. It was my Aalgebra II and calculus teacher, Mr. Clark, who made me want to become a math teacher.”

Densford’s students have mentioned that they have learned a lot in his class and that Densford has truly helped them understand the concept of geometry.

“He teaches very quickly and efficiently and makes sure you understand the material,” said freshman Chloe Kallbrier. “He actually makes me understand geometry.”

Another student also details how Densford has impacted them.

“He helps me when I get nervous during a test,” said freshman Makaylynn Nguyen. “He’ll tell me my score on the test and show me that I did well.”

Other students also describe Densford very positively.

“He’s funny, nice, and he’s also respectful,” said Nguyen. “He’s actually helped me learn.”

Densford explained why he loves teaching at JHS and why he keeps coming back to teach every year.

“Nothing else is as fulfilling as teaching,” explained Densford. “Getting to see people helps a lot, and I have a friend who works at a call center, and he works from home, but whenever we hang out, he’s always jealous that my job is fulfilling.”

Densford wants to ensure that he leaves a lasting impression on his students once they step out of his classroom for the last time.

“I want them to remember the good times we had together,” said Densford. “We did a lot of math, but I’m a pretty goofy guy, and I would love for them to remember the fun that we had along the way.”

24 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Column: Mamdani fights for the future of New York

by Tyler Johnson

In our country, we’ve come to know the news as a cycle of proliferating madness. It can make the most minuscule events seem like the end of the world, and the most dangerous of people seem like strong leaders. Lately, there’s one man that media across the board seem to be going after. Fox News, The New York Times, and The Atlantic, just to name a few, have taken aim at state assemblyman and mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani.

The Democratic Socialist seemingly emerged from nowhere with a strong base of support and the rhetoric to stand against the other Democratic nominees in the New York City mayoral primaries. This is where he first started making waves for those outside of the city. Mamdani stood on stage and grilled Andrew Cuomo on a plethora of issues that plagued the former governor’s reign.

Cuomo’s stint in office was fraught with controversy. From sexual harassment allegations to hospital overcrowding during COVID to misappropriation of city funds for his own personal use, it’s a surprise he even had the courage to run again. In the Democratic primaries, Mamdani was the hardest on Cuomo, calling him out for many of the issues that arise with the idea of another term. It’s this type of aggressive rhetoric that we must show to politicians who have failed us. We can’t settle for corruption to fight corruption.

One of the biggest issues that arose in the primary debate was that of Israel. In the most viral moment of the debate, the candidates were asked where they would go on their first trip outside of the city. Mamdani was the only person to insist he’d remain in New York, while almost every other candidate answered Israel, as well as Canada and the Caribbean.

This may be one of the most pivotal moments in American history regarding our relationship to Israel and the ongoing genocide, especially after Mamdani has come out on top in the primaries. He has been one of the key voices addressing the ethnic cleansing with its true moniker of a genocide. At the same time, he has maintained a good relationship with the Jewish population of New York, even being backed by “Jewish New Yorkers for Peace.”

In a country in which the consensus among politicians is that the conflict is “complicated,” a voice that assesses the situation for what it is might be the change we need. Beyond just this issue, Mamdani is gaining support for his rent control, public transport, and city-owned grocery store policies.

Do not get it twisted. These are Socialist policies, but they are not scary policies. The media and many establishment politicians have critiqued them for being good on paper but not realistic. Of course, we can’t say for sure that this will all come to fruition, but the plan that Mamdani lays out is quite strong.

Taxing millionaires and big corporations is a working-class dream. As we’ve seen across the country, even in Republican areas, people are tired of the 1% hoarding their wealth that they will never be able to entirely spend. This isn’t a baseless claim, either. Senator Bernie Sanders — who paved the way for this generation’s Democratic Socialist s— has been making waves across the country in his “fight against oligarchy” tour.

On the YouTube channel “More Perfect Union”, Sanders was followed around West Virginia as he interacted with the mostly Republican population. The reaction was astounding; the same problems that Mamdani is trying to address in New York are found all over the U.S. Billionaire tax breaks, health care, and child care, all in the heart of Trump country.

Simply raising the taxes on corporations to the same level as that in New Jersey, and putting a 2% tax on every dollar beyond that of a million would be fund many of the policies that Mamdani advocates. The argument here is that it would push corporations out of the city.

In Cornell University Professor Cristobal Young’s book “The Myth of Millionaire Tax Flight: How Place Still Matters for the Rich,” this myth is largely debunked, finding that just .3% of millionaires who do end up moving (which is an astounding 2.4%) do not find themselves in a lower-taxed state.

These types of policies aren’t unpopular; they’re just demonized by the most elite of businessmen and politicians. The clearest sign of the policies not being unpopular is the fact that Mamdani did indeed win the Democratic primaries. Establishment Democrats are scrambling to cope with this. Cuomo and former mayor Eric Adams are both now running as independents against the nominee with a pathetic imitation of Mamdani’s campaign.

They cannot seem to catch on like Mamdani is, and why is this? People do not trust Cuomo or Adams. With Cuomo’s previously mentioned controversy and Adams’ history of bribery allegations, these are not politicians who are known to be trusted. Adversaries of Mamdani say that these two candidates are “more experienced,” but the question is, what are they more experienced with?

Cuomo is shown to not be able to understand the word “no” not just from his sexual harassment scandals, but from his inability to back down when he loses an election. He fumbled the COVID-19 pandemic, understating the amount of nursing home deaths by a whopping 50%, and then using state funds to write a book about how great he handled the situation.

Adams, on the other hand, has been shown to be an incompetent and untrustworthy candidate. In 2024 the mayor found himself indicted on five corruption charges, which would be later dismissed by Trump’s Justice Department. This corruption ended in the resignation of multiple federal prosecutors who had taken on the case.

The Republican nominee, Curtis Sliwa, has little chance of making any real headway in this race — albeit more than Adams. Probably the most absurd out of the candidates, he wears a red beret and insists that putting feral cats in rat infested areas is the solution to the pest problem. Of course, there’s more to him but those two peculiarities sum up the substance of his campaign.

Due to there being four main candidates, the vote may be more split then we’ve ever seen in the city, but frequent polls show Mamdani dominating the field. It seems he represents everything we’ve lost in this country and much we’ve dreamed of.

A government that provides. Not a copy-paste centrist who provides marginal benefits to the working class, while giving the rich more tax cuts. Not a faux-populist who takes advantage of the working class to jumpstart an authoritarian regime. Zohran Mamdani isn’t just the future of New York, he’s the future of America.

While the old guard dies off, remaining more loyal to AIPAC than American people, Mamdani pushes the left forward. He provides a framework for which the new left can emerge. With Governor Hochul’s support it’s clear that Democratic Socialism is going to be a consistent voice in politics. The only question now is if it can get nationwide working class voter support.

Editor’s Note: For an alternate take on this year’s election, check out Parker Vibbert’s column tomorrow.

23 Sep 202523 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils beat North Harrison 3-2 to celebrate Senior Night

Senior Riley Dobson claps her teammates before the game starts on Monday night. The Red Devils defeated North Harrison 3-2 on Senior Night. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

23 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS choir performs annual Gospelfest

All photos by Malachi Conard.

Choir director Kyle Broady addresses the Gospelfest audience in the middle of the show last Thursday night. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

23 Sep 202523 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Floyd Central beats Jeff 34-12 on Friday; Red Devils prepare for Bloomington North and Homecoming this Friday, Sept. 26

All photos by Magdalene Conrad, Malachi Conrad, Parker McCloskey.

Seniors Tre Martin and Bryce Grant hold a special photo of Noah Maddox, presented as a gift to Floyd Central prior to the game. Photo by Parker McCloskey.

22 Sep 202522 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Gary Solomon emphasizes problem solving in JHS construction classes

by William Hudgins

Construction teacher Gary Solomon stands up, enjoying his day by teaching his students how to build something in the bay. Making sure that he helps them individually and giving them advice on how to make their builds better.

Solomon’s construction class teaches students a lot more than how the tools work. “I try to find out what their strengths and their weaknesses are and what they know and what they think they know. And then try to build from there.”

Even as he introduced tools into his classroom, he does it slowly and efficiently.

Construction teacher Gary Solomon emphasizes problem solving in his classes. Photo by William Hudgins.

“We are starting off with hand tools, and not using power tools to start off with; you will see how much work goes into it and you will appreciate the power tools when you get them and then you will be able to see how your mind will let you build and how far your talent level will go why I do the things I do.”

For Solomon, who’s beginning his sixth year of teaching after the military, teaching construction is all about getting students to problem solve.

“Teachers always said when I see that light bulb on the student for me it’s not the light bulb, it’s almost like the ‘aha’ version, like ‘aha’ moment where now I get why this tool does this, why I need to use this tool, why we need to do it this way, and now I can see that I can do something besides working at fast food.”

Solomon really cares for his students. He makes sure that his students learn the best way possible and that they can use something from that class to use in their real life.

Torin Clapp, administrative assistant to principal Pamela Hall, said, “I have heard him talk about worrying about students and their daily life, their future. He just wants the best for them. He wants them to learn as much as they can from him. He thinks all the time about projects and things he can start on that will benefit all of his students, in the future and things that they won’t forget and will remember the thing that he taught them.”

Solomon’s wife, Laura, who teaches business, said that he cares about his students.

“He knows that if a student is sitting in his room or in the bay and they are not their normal self. That there is something going on in their world, whether it’s problems with a significant other or problems at home, and he pulls them aside, has a conversation and talks with them.”

According to Mrs.Solomon, his dedication pushes him to help students outside of the classroom.

“He went to the kids’ houses and helped them repair plumbing problems that they have at their house. He’s gone and taking our son and helping kids repair their heating because during the winter time they didn’t have any heat at their house. He cares about his kids as a person and tries to help them, when he has the ability to help them.”

Solomon used his skills to help his students, while teaching them about the importance of the trades.

“Because the trades will always be there, you are always going to need the lights on, always going to need the toilets to flush, your car to be worked on, you’re always going to need that. We can do IT all day long and make AI do it all, (but) you need to be able to provide people the resources, the basic resources, electricity, water, heat, air, things like that. With that job you will be able to provide for others, help others and help yourself at the same time.”

If there’s anything you should know about Solomon, it’s this:

“I love my family, I love my country, and love what I do here at Jeff High, and there is no school I want to be at besides this school.”

22 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

Red Devils face Floyd Central tonight on Senior Night

by Austin Bainbridge

It’s a rivalry week for Jeff football, matching up against a Floyd Central team that has had great success against them in the past, and Jeff is trying to turn the corner on tonight’s game.

Junior Benji Rice poses for the camera after a touchdown against the Seymour Owls. The Red Devils play Floyd Central tonight. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

“It’s a mental thing for the players, when a team just beats you down year after year you just expect it to keep happening, so I’m hoping we can get this done,” said head coach Joe Washington.

The coaches know this game starts with them, and they want to show the players a way to win.

“This game starts with me. If I’m fiery and excited about the game, I think the players are going to feed off my energy. So I hope me showing how much I care will make the players really want to dominate Floyd,” Washington said.

Even though Jeff hasn’t beat Floyd in 11 years, the players remain confident in their skills.

“I think they’re scared of coming here and losing. When you’re scared of doing something, you come up with excuses to get out of it,” said fullback Jaxx Long.

The Jeffersonville defense made several stands against Kokomo last week, along with a dramatically improved performance at Bedford-North Lawrence.

“Our linebacker play was really good against Kokomo. Malachi Monts had 13 tackles, and KT (senior Kurion Thompson) had nine and an interception. I think that’s what helped with the win,” said Washington

The defense is going to have to step up to stop Floyd’s potent rushing attack, which went for 425 yards last game.

“They played Silver. I mean, it’s not too hard to rush for 400 against Silver Creek. We put in a new defense, we’re going a five-man front this week to try to slow down their running game,” said Washington.

It’s Senior Night tonight, and that is just more motivation for the players.

“I want to play hard and win to give these seniors a good memory before they go off to college,” said Long.

The coaching staff sees where a win could take Jeff, and they want to make it there

“A win against Floyd would start a fire and start this program down a path we want to go,” said Washington

19 Sep 202519 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen

JHS choir performs annual Gospelfest last night

Local elementary choir students take the stage to join JHS choir students at the annual Gospelfest in the JHS auditorium last night, Sept. 18. Check out the Hyphen website on Monday for more photo coverage of last night’s musical event. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

19 Sep 2025 by jhshyphen