the auxiliary gym. Photo by Gabrielle Watkins.
International Showcase gives students the chance to share their cultures
the auxiliary gym. Photo by Gabrielle Watkins.
Category: News
the auxiliary gym. Photo by Gabrielle Watkins.
Column: Social media negatively affects student mental health
by Mallory Mattingly
Mental health is an extremely intricate topic because there are so many different components to it, yet all of them are equally as important as the other. Mental health issues are really common in youth, ranging anywhere from 10 years old to 20 years old, and more; however, these are the most common. An age range that mental health is an extremely big issue for is the mid teens, like 13-17 years old.
With teenagers, mental health has only become a bigger issue throughout the past few years, stemming especially from 2020 in the COVID-19 pandemic. Mental health is greatly associated with the overuse of social media with teenagers and being stuck in the house in 2020, significantly affecting people’s mental health in a negative manner because one of the main things we all resorted to for entertainment was social media.
Social media can negatively affect anyone because it has come such a long way, and in some cases, that isn’t a good thing. For example, cyberbullying.
Cyberbullying is the use of electronic communication to bully an individual, or multiple individuals. Social media is one of the main ways people communicate in today’s society, and specific platforms and apps are rapidly becoming more and more popular, like the application TikTok. TikTok was essentially a dancing and lip-syncing app and it was meant for ages 13 and up, but several children would get ahold of the app and somehow make their own account and enter a false birth date.
As the popularity of this app continued to rise, the original meaning for the app changed. It went from being a dancing and singing app to an app where graphic news stories would be uploaded or negative posts would appear. These posts were so unlike the other fun posts, that they blew up and went viral, creating more people to want to create that same content. In addition, since almost the entire world has access to this app and the age restriction is able to be bypassed, there are subjects being revealed to young minds that shouldn’t be revealed to them and all kinds of people use this app and many other apps for cyberbullying.
There are accounts on TikTok whose main goal in posting is to degrade certain individuals and then on top of that, people in the comments that are also belittling these people and agreeing with the creator of the account. When someone is being insulted by thousands of people, that is going to take a toll on their mental health without a doubt. Some people will even get bullied by their own friends and peers, which can be worse because these are people you see everyday and have to be around.
A specific story that I always tend to bring up when speaking about mental health is about a girl named Aubreigh Wyatt. Aubreigh Wyatt was a 13-year-old girl that committed suicide due to bullying. Her mother, Heather Wyatt, has used a TikTok platform used to bring awareness to mental health and prevent bullying, whether it’s cyberbullying or in-person. Her mother using her platform for a positive impact on people is what we should be doing with our social media.
If you or anyone you know struggles with mental health or suicidal inclinations, the national suicide prevention hotline is 988.
You matter!
The Last Word: One Little Girl’s Memory
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 Juliette Acuna Garcia
I’ve been told I’m “too sensitive” more times than I can count. People laugh off comments about race, act like they don’t matter, or tell me “it was just a joke.” But the truth is that those comments do stick. They stay with you. I know, because one has stayed with me since I was seven years old.
I was only in second grade when I realized that the color of my skin made people see me differently.
It was recess. I was wearing a bright yellow shirt, my melanin skin beaming in the sun. I was ready to play whatever, with whoever. When this little blonde haired girl appeared in front of me, I was filled with excitement. As I was young, I had no shame. I asked her if she wanted to play with me.
“No…I’m scared of your skin color.”
I froze. I didn’t even know what to say. I didn’t cry or run away. I just stood there, confused and embarrassed, wondering what about me was so scary. When I walked away, I pretended not to care. But I did. That one comment stuck to me like glue.
I wasn’t being bullied out loud, but something in that sentence felt deep, ugly, and wrong.
I didn’t understand at the time, but now I know that was a form of micro racism — those small, everyday comments or actions that show bias without being as obvious as a racial slur. People think racism only looks like shouting or violence, but it can look like a classmate flinching when you sit too close. It can sound like “You’re pretty for a brown girl.” It can feel like being left out of certain things, being trapped in your own mind.
What happened to me that day on the playground wasn’t just one moment — it was the start of a pattern I would notice again and again growing up. That memory made me more aware, made me listen harder to what people really mean when they speak. I started realizing how normal it is for people to make those kinds of comments without thinking twice.
It’s in the jokes, when someone makes a comment about how “surprisingly well” you speak English, even though you were born here. Or when someone says, “I don’t see color,” as if pretending racism doesn’t exist is the same as stopping it.
Micro racism is so normalized that people don’t even realize they’re doing it. It hides behind jokes, “preferences,” and stereotypes. And when you call it out, you often get told you’re “overreacting.” It’s frustrating. It’s tiring.
That day on the playground might seem small to some people. But to me, it was the beginning of realizing that the world sometimes sees me differently, and not in a good way … just because of my skin. And I think that’s why it matters so much to talk about it. Because if we stay quiet, these moments will keep being brushed off as “just a joke.”
I’m not angry at that girl anymore. She was young and probably repeating some things she heard at home. But I do wish someone had taught her better. Because we all deserve to feel safe, welcome, and equal. I know I will never really feel that way, but I’m not that little girl on the playground anymore. I’m stronger, and I’m louder. It made me want to speak out, because no one should feel “scary” just for existing in their skin.
I’ve learned to be proud of my skin, my roots, and who I am. Being ashamed of what I look like will never happen again. I will always remember that little girl at recess, and how one sentence made me question who I was. That’s why I am writing this. Maybe if we start calling out these moments, we can stop them from becoming someone else’s memory, too.
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.
The Last Word: May is Mental Health Month
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 Daysha Gray
We are not failures. We are not unintelligent. We are not a disappointment. We are strong people.
We are all loved. If it’s not by that certain someone we truly need to be loved by, it’s someone else in our lives.
This month is dedicated to those of us who face various mental health challenges. Whether it’s PTSD, anxiety, depression, BPD, eating disorders, or other conditions, this month is for everyone navigating these struggles.
It is hard to deal with something that just brings our happiness down. This feeling just sticks with us and is planted in our brains. It causes our energy levels to drop and makes us unmotivated.
People suggest that therapy helps, but sometimes it doesn’t. Sometimes absolutely nothing helps, but we can’t give up now. There is a long life ahead, full of greatness.
For anyone who might be feeling ready to give up everything, don’t. If love feels absent and the world seems harsh, remember that there is faith in those enduring these struggles. Though I’m just a stranger, I understand that facing such challenges can be tough.
As a person facing these struggles, this is to all JHS students grappling with these feelings as well: there is no need to feel alone. Even in moments of feeling unseen or unloved, this message stands strong: greatness resides within. Anything is achievable with determination. Keep moving forward.
Review: The Doors’ debut album achieves perfection from top to bottom
by Tyler Conley
Before the release of the first album, way before the legacy and creation that The Doors became, no one, not even the band themselves, would realize the lasting impact they would have on the music industry and rock and roll as we know it today.
The Doors first got their kicks of being a band in 1965, playing small venues, with nervous frontman Jim Morrison turning his back on the audience as he sang to avoid stage fright. Also included were Ray Manzarek at the helm of keyboard bass and organ, Robby Krieger laying down chords and bluesy solos, and John Densmore putting down rhythms unmatched and unheard of at the time. This lineup would stick together until the eventual breakup of the band.
When 1967 struck, it was time to record the first record. For 10 thousand dollars a 4- track recorder was purchased. With the help of Paul A. Rothchild, the band began their sessions for their self-titled debut. Rehearsal outtakes were recorded of songs that would appear on later records, but the first actual songs recorded were “I Looked at You” and “Take It as It Comes.”
With the combined power and input of all band members, the band completed recording. “Light My Fire” became an instant success, reaching #1 on Billboard charts, along with “Break on Through (To the Other Side.)” At the time The Doors arrived, rock was in absolute infancy, especially when compared to today’s standards for what “rock” is. With a mixture of blues, soul, rock, and everything in between, this album is a gem for anyone a fan of those genres.
Morrison’s lyricism is a big factor in what makes the music magical. His outlook on life, his expressions of feelings and ideas are perfect. The final song on the record, an 11-minute epic, details fighting past trauma and getting over the past. Most of the love songs the Doors would write on this record and many more are about Morrison’s longtime girlfriend, Pamela.
Over Morrison’s life, controversy has played a big part in how people perceive him. People label the singer as a drunk, and stupid. But behind those bad, vulnerable moments is a person who was caring and compassionate. Back in the 60s, mental help wasn’t as easily accessible as it is now.
This album changed my life when I first heard it. The beautifulness of “The Crystal Ship” And “End of The Night,” and the killer tunes of “Break on through (To the Other Side)” and “Twentieth Century Fox.” These songs, and much more, make up one of the best debut albums of all time.
And if that alone isn’t enough to pique your interest, artists like Jay-Z and Lauryn Hill have sampled The Doors’ music in their works. The Doors are respected by every genre, and heavily influential.
The Doors are engraved into the heart of rock and roll, and the music industry as a whole. Jim Morrison, and all members respectively, are like cosmic brothers, and their music is there for the listener whenever they need it. When people are strange, music will always be waiting with open arms, and this album is no exception. Top to bottom, perfection.
Column: Hateful rhetoric paints immigrants in an unfair light
by Ifrah Daber
In the past few months, anyone who is paying attention to the news has seen how the conversation surrounding undocumented immigrants has been stealing headlines. Sadly, these discussions have been another example of loud misinformed hate-filled rhetoric from people who attempt to paint a group of individuals as the main problem with America.
Immigration, even when done through the legal process, has always been a hot-button issue. Still, with mass deportations and debate as to whether undocumented immigrants should be afforded the same rights as “real” Americans, the quiet part that racist people have been screaming about for years is finally out in the open:
“You aren’t a person unless you look and act like me.”
People might call me dramatic, but this has been how America has set up its immigration policy for decades now. The Immigration Act of 1924 was an immigration plan that set quotas and heavily restricted immigration from Asia and certain European areas. Why was this? A fear of change, and a fear of those who are different steers this mentality of sweeping racist ideology.
And this hasn’t changed, it’s simply been repackaged. An immigration policy in 2017 that is commonly referred to as the “Muslim ban” made it so that countries that were majority could not travel to America. But it has been repurposed again in the current Trump Administration with a colored tier list for which countries can and cannot travel to America.
Those who have seen the list will note just how strict the travel ban is – and that the majority are from Muslim countries. These restrictions that feed the mentality of danger that those from these countries are inherently more harmful than others are insulting.
Many claim other reasons for why they think undocumented immigrants, or just high immigration in general, is harmful to America. Immigrant restrictionists claim that undocumented immigrants are a drain on the economy, but this is simply an unfounded belief.
The American Immigration Council found that undocumented immigrants paid around 90 billion dollars in taxes. The research found by Congress in “Effects of Immigration on the Economy” from 2024 shows that in the long term, immigrants help the workforce and lead to innovation. The Council of Foreign Relations even found that the “nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that increased immigration could reduce the U.S. federal budget deficit by some $897 billion over the next decade.”
So those who claim that immigrants are a detriment to the U.S. economy simply do not actually understand the immense benefits that immigrants bring by boosting the economy and doing their part for society just like anyone else.
The other main argument against undocumented immigrants is that they are criminals and are coming here illegally. That statement in itself is incorrect.
Entering the country without proper documentation is not a crime. It is a civil violation, so immigrants are not “illegal.” Some may call that semantics, but if you are stopped for speeding, you would probably care to know that it’s not a criminal charge.
This second idea that all or most undocumented immigrants are criminals is a fear-mongering tactic that people are falling for and have been for centuries.
The American Immigration Council used data from the FBI and the U.S. Census Bureau and did not find any correlation between higher levels of immigration and an increase in crime levels. In addition, the National Institute of Justice presented a study that argued that undocumented immigrants are less likely to commit crimes when compared to native-born citizens, or citizens born in America.
So where did the idea that immigrants were violent or dangerous come from? Well, there are multiple factors, but in the end, it all boils down to two things: racism and the logical fallacy of hasty generalizations.
Society sees one person of color or undocumented committing a crime and they believe that somehow is a representation of all undocumented immigrants. However, this is partly the fault of the media and the way that immigrants and people of color are portrayed. Often when a person of color commits a crime, the first thing in the headlines is their race. Crimes are a reflection of the person, and yet people expect their whole race and demographic to pay the price for it.
The last ethical fallacy is the “breaking into my house” analogy, that those who enter America without the proper documentation are unwelcomed guests in their home, and that if they were to “break in” to another person’s country or home that they would have to leave.
Here’s why neither of these examples works. First, if you were to destroy someone’s home, and then they came to you asking for housing from the destruction you caused, I believe you would have a moral obligation to house them. That’s a more accurate description of the situation that America is in. America has taken resources from other countries for years and yet now acts shocked when these countries’ citizens are suffering and wish to leave.
The other issue with the comparison of “if I was just going to another country” is the same reason there is a difference between the man who steals to buy a new phone and the man who steals to feed his family and survive. If someone goes to another country just to have a fun vacation and overstays their visa or commits a horrible crime and they get deported, I’ll cry no tears. The problem is distinguishing who is here with good intentions and who is not. ICE and the whole Trump administration have shown time and time again that they aren’t taking the proper steps to give each immigrant the due process he or she deserves to hear each case out.
But why does this matter? Well, as I said at the beginning, if you have been paying attention to the news there is a clear rise of immigrant hate in America. This is happening for all the reasons I have stated, and it’s why people are cheering when people are being thrown in cages. It’s why people who have every legal right to be in America are treated like criminals, and it’s why people argue if undocumented immigrants deserve basic fundamental American rights – because all the issues I’ve described circle back to the dehumanization of immigrants.
For some invisible reason, many believe documented and undocumented immigrants do not deserve due process, a right that is guaranteed under the Constitution. Too many believe that young immigrant children do not deserve lawyers to defend themselves, and that they are guilty until proven innocent.
The direction that America is going to take is scary for anyone who chooses to care. Undocumented immigrants are not criminals – they are afforded all the same rights that any other person would receive. They are human, and that should be enough to make us feel horrible for what is happening. The fact they are human should be enough.
Teens balance school work with their jobs
by Abbigail Hollins and William Hudgins
Teenagers today are stepping into the workforce earlier than ever, taking on part-time jobs in retail, food service, and internships. Many are driven by the desire to earn money for items like clothes, food, and saving for college. These jobs not only provide a paycheck but also valuable skills like teamwork and time management.
They juggle work with school and social life, and they learn important lessons about responsibility and independence that will shape their future.
“I manage school and a job mainly by focusing on getting all my schoolwork done in school. I try to never have homework and stay on top of all work,” said senior Elliot Buschman.
Parents observe their teens growing more responsible, encouraging their children to get a job.
“Teenagers should get jobs to learn responsibility and to get them ready for the world after you are out of school,” said JHS parent Carl Divine.
As the summer approaches, many teens have begun seeking employment opportunities. The question they all find themselves asking is ¨Where should I apply?”.
“ Fast food restaurants, maybe some retail stores, depending on how old you are, like in Home Depot you have to be 18. But retail and fast food are probably in teenages workforce,” said Lead Business Academy Teacher Michael Pepa.
As they navigate the application process many face unexpected challenges due to lack of knowledge of how to set up a resume or find an application.
School counselor Shelby McCorkle said to find a business that is hiring and follow their application process.
Once hired, they quickly learn the importance of teamwork and communication.
“As soon as I got hired I learned that I must get along with my coworkers and respect them,” said freshman Kris Ortiz who works at Derby City Pizza.
When settled into their roles, the teens discover valuable lessons.
Buschman said having a job helps better the concept of time management.
“Getting a job helped me learn independence to hold myself accountable,” said freshman Brayden Maxie who works at Dominos.
Workers are usually expected to bring fresh energy to the team.
McCorkle said to always be confident in your skills and always be prepared for potential tasks.
People note possible challenges of scheduling multiple teenagers all at once.
McCorkle said a technique businesses use is making a calendar based on when people aren’t available then schedule students around those times. Businesses also have teenagers work on certain days, which makes it easier for teens to remember their schedule.
Peers such as teachers give advice to potential teenagers going into the workforce.
Math teacher Scott Lowe said the key to succeed in life is to always be on time, make decisions on your own, and do the right thing without being hounded.
Music calms students, teachers as they complete academic work
by Sophia Waldridge
In the world of music there are many different genres; many favor R&B or hip hop, while others strive to have the emotional connection with music that will make them relate to the artist, a song where they feel the lyrics on a whole new level.
English 9 teacher Eric Watson said music always resonates emotionally when it expresses situations the listener has been through, and a lot when it has an “inherently empathetic expression.”
Watson’s co-teacher, Michelle Houchin, agreed and said emotional music helps connect people and relate them to each other, it can help someone feel happy when they’re sad or they can express themselves through having a good cry over a breakup while listening to sad music.
“I listen to emotional music when I am upset. It helps me feel seen and I can have a personal concert and sing what I relate to the most. As an adult I think this music is more popular than before but it does help some people.”
Some students feel the benefits of this music, too. They just want to put their headphones in and relax at school, as not only adults have bad days and need an escape from reality with some jams.
Freshman Mahalia Smith said emotional music could help people realize what emotion they’re genuinely feeling if they’re confused.
“Sometimes being alone is all you need when you’re feeling down and music can always help,” she said. It can be a good distraction to just help people feel safe enough to let out a good cry or even a happy song that they can sing along to in private and make themselves feel better.
“Finding a song that you relate to by an artist you know is a very cathartic experience,” said Algebra Honors Teacher Cory Densford, He listens to music with emotion, but between happy or sad depending on his mood. If it’s been a bad day he uses happy music to turn his day around.
“The main thing I feel while listening to music I relate to is that it helps me feel like I’m not alone with my feelings, and I’m grateful I have an outlet for some of my negative emotions,” said Densford.
Freshman Gracie Harder thinks R&B music is more soothing and gives people the opportunity to have calm background music like slow blues or a good rhythm. She listens to hits in her free time when she needs to think or she’s doing homework.
“I listen to R&B mostly because it gives me a calming feeling and a quiet place to think when I’m stressed.”
Column: Reading is beneficial for the brain
by Daysha Gray
Hypothetically, open a book. Read a few sentences. Did it benefit the brain?
We all know that reading is good for people in general and helps us understand words and different scenarios, but how does it positively affect our brains?
Reading is the process of looking at written symbols and letters and understanding their meaning. It exposes us to new knowledge and vocabulary in our minds. It introduces us to a new world, sparking creativity and fostering cognitive thinking.
Taking out 15 minutes of the day to read at least 25 pages a day strengthens our brains and critical thinking skills. According to the Boston Children’s Hospital, reading can rewire the brain, create new neural networks, and strengthen the white matter in the corpus callosum, which enhances communication between the two brain hemispheres. This allows us to process information more efficiently, allowing us to learn faster.
Here are 5 tips for how we can better our reading:
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