Opinion – Page 9

School Lunches

Written By: Bradley Prather

Jeffersonville High School’s lunch is not the best thing in the world. I have heard many things about their lunch, and many say it’s equivalent to prison or jail food. I believe that JHS can improve their lunches in many ways. So in my article, I will be sharing my, and others, opinions on how they can improve their lunch. I will also talk about the price of lunches and why everyone’s lunch should be free.

One big issue with the food that they serve us students is the overall quality of the food. To start off, the chicken patties that they serve are very dry and bland. Secondly, the fries they serve us are usually half frozen still and undercooked. And the biggest problem, the food is either undercooked or overcooked. Though, not all things are bad about their food, their pizza is one of the better things they serve, and seems to be one of the more popular things amongst students. Finally, we serve the same thing everyday, except for the experimental kitchen line, but they serve the same thing in that line as well.

Now, I’m going to share some opinions of students, and my own on how they could really improve what they do and make. For me, I think if they actually paid attention to how long they keep things in their ovens, the food would turn out a whole lot better. One of the things people told me was to add variety, one of the foods people said they wanted to see a lot more was chicken nuggets and tacos, which I can agree on. Cainen Skaggs, a sophomore said, “Use fresher ingredients and food.” This is a very great idea, since many people complain about the food being bland, adding more seasoning and such would greatly improve the food. A fellow friend of mine, Cooper Pickles, said, “Adding more lines, so food can get to us faster.” One main problem is how long the pizza line can take, and many people on Monday are eager for Papa Johns, so having maybe 2-3 lines for pizza would be amazing. A senior I questioned said, “Letting students sell our own snacks” Letting students sell their own snacks would be cool, it could tie along to having more variety of what you can eat, and students would really like it.

“Lunches are equivalent to gas prices” this quote describes the price of lunches best. A lot of students in the school are enraged to say the least about lunches costing more. For some students in the building, lunch is the only meal they may get to eat, and they may not have money to pay for their food. I know that some students get their food for free, but why can’t EVERYONE get their food for free in school?

13 Feb 2023 by jhshyphen

Puss in Boots: The Last Wish – Review

By: Sam Broady

2022 was a good year for movies. With “Top Gun: Maverick,” “The Batman,” “Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery,” “Bullet Train,” “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” cinema was back. Oddly enough, there was one other film in theaters that nobody asked for, nobody expected it to be good, and nobody hated it. That film is “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish.” Out of all the possibilities for a sequel, “Puss in Boots” turned out to have one and it happened to be amazing. I was blown away in theaters. I have a good memory of it and I look forward to re-watching it because it may be my favorite Dreamworks film. “How to Train Your Dragon” held that title for a long time.

The best thing about this film is by far the animation. In all honesty, it is the best animation I have ever seen. “Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse” is well known for its top notch animation, but while its visuals have the highest highlights, I think this film has better visuals overall. The action looks especially good. I love how the frame rate slows down in all the fight scenes. My favorite scene is the fight between Puss in Boots and Death because the color scheme looks amazing. I adore the use of colors and lighting in this film.

Another thing I love about this movie is the characters. I think it’s really important for a film to prioritize its characters if it wants to be memorable; luckily, that’s what happened. I highly enjoy Puss in Boots in this film. I don’t remember anything about the prequel but it doesn’t matter. Antonio Banderas gives the character such energy and he keeps his vibrant personality among the challenges he faces. I like his reunion with Kitty: she gets the job done. Perrito the dog is a funny addition. He brings love and comfort to the story. Goldilocks and the three bears are a delight to see and I didn’t expect them to be so fun. However, my favorite character is the wolf. His name is Death and he is the coolest character in fiction. Every time he’s on screen, he gives me the creeps.

Surprisingly, the themes are conveyed with more depth than I expected. This film explores the fear of dying, which many can relate to. With Puss in Boots being on one out of nine lives, he is running for his life for the first time. His objective in the story is to make a wish for more lives so he can be the legend everyone knows him as. But, in the end, he realizes one life is enough when he gets to spend it with the people he loves. Or should I say animals. Everyone else cancels their wish as well when they learn to appreciate what they have. Having someone to trust, having a family, having friends; there’s a heartfelt message about sticking with what you have in life and it’s done in a rather subtle manner that complements the characterization of our protagonist.

Extra aspects that I enjoyed are the voice acting, the humor, and the music. I don’t know why Dreamworks went so hard on this film, but I am so glad they did. We need more animated masterpieces like these; films that specialize in the telling of a story and the style of animation rather than serving as a formulaic cash grab that intends to sell merchandise and teach kids nothing. You can feel the passion that went into every frame of this film. I cannot feel anything when watching films produced by Illumination like “Minions”. The difference in quality between Illumination and Dreamworks is unreal. By all means, I think it’s safe to say that “Puss in Boots: The Last Wish” is the best animated film of 2022 and I am very thankful for its release.

Red Devils face off with Columbus East tomorrow night

by jhshyphen 20 Feb 2026

Students protest ICE during Friday’s homecoming game

by Areli Hernandez

While student walk-outs protesting ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) have occurred at several local high schools and across Indiana recently, a small group of JHS students stood together to make their voices be heard at last Friday’s homecoming game to bring awareness to current events.

Students make their way down to the main gym while lifting their signs up high on Feb 13. Junior Tristan Cooley hopes his message brings awareness to many. “I want the audience to see that even people in cities like Jeffersonville — even high school students in the cities of Jeffersonville where there isn’t a large ICE presence — see this as an issue where the government needs to do something about it.” Photo by Areli Hernandez.

by jhshyphen 18 Feb 2026

Homecoming royalty crowned at Friday night’s JHS-Bedford game

All photos by Magdalene Conrad and Abygail Lawson. Click on each photo below to view the gallery.

Senior queen candidates Kaydee Merrifield, Kendall Curry, Riley Dobson, and Kyndal McCartin pose for a picture. Photo by Magdalene Conrad.

by jhshyphen 17 Feb 202618 Feb 2026

JHS defeats Bedford North Lawrence 75-42 on Friday as Red Devils celebrate homecoming

Some students displayed signs protesting ICE during the game

All photos by Malachi Conrad and Abygail Lawson. Click on each image in the gallery below to view photographs.

Check back tomorrow for homecoming festivity photographs, including images of the crowning.

Senior Terrence Nord does his pregame introduction with junior Caleb Jones right before tip-off of Friday’s homecoming game against Bedford North Lawrence. The Red Devils won 75-42 and improved to 7-11 overall this season. Photo by Malachi Conrad.

by jhshyphen 17 Feb 202617 Feb 2026

Red Devils face Bedford North Lawrence at homecoming game tonight

by Austin Bainbridge

Jeff is looking to get back into the win column at tonight’s Homecoming game after a three-game slide as the Red Devils make their final push to sectionals.

Jeff faces Southern Indiana rival Bedford North Lawrence at 7:30 p.m. tonight in Johnson Arena.

“I think that this upcoming game is just a must win. We’ve been having a hard season and a hard time connecting as a team. So hopeful we can breeze through this game and prepare ourselves for sectionals,” said sophomore center Mason Longest.

The players are always looking for a good crowd to get them ready to play.

“I think there’s going to be a lot of important people at that game, and it’s just going to give us the fire to win and we’re just going to play hard,” said sophomore center Demauri Crosby.

But having the belief in their skills has gotten the team as far as they are.

“I see a lot of confidence in the team, and that doesn’t come from nowhere; it comes from success, and I think a win against BNL would definitely help with that confidence,” said head coach Sherron Wilkerson.

BNL is struggling in the height department, topping out at 6 ‘3, and Jeff is waiting to exploit that.

“I think we’ll be able to get a lot of post touches, and we should be able to easily get a lot of rebounds,” said Crosby.

The first stat everyone looks at is the team’s record, but the players say it hasn’t been that simple with many of the teams they’ve played.

“Don’t look at the (opponent’s)record. I mean, it’s an Indianapolis team, so they’re obviously going pay hard. So, we just need to come home and play harder. We played a Warren Central team with a bad record and lost, so don’t regard that,” said Crosby.

This is Senior Night and homecoming, where a king and queen will be crowned, and with that the coaches don’t just see a celebration, but a lesson.

“I hope it affects the seniors in a way that we’re running out of games. We’re running out of opportunities to get the stuff that needs to be addressed addressed, so there needs to be a sense of urgency,” said Wilkerson.

Moving forward after BNL tonight, Jeff will end this season playing four straight games against .500 teams, and they’re looking to make final adjustments before the playoffs.

“Those teams obviously aren’t powerhouses, but we can’t count them out. I think they will be a great chance to get everything in tune for when it matters most in sectionals,” said Longest.

by jhshyphen 13 Feb 2026

Faculty, students believe AI, cell phone technology should support rather than distract from learning

by Liddia Waterbury

In today’s classrooms, phones and AI are powerful tools that can support learning. They can also be major distractions that pull students’ attention away.

Phones and AI in classrooms are changing how students learn and how teachers teach. Some people believe that they help with research and organization, while others worry they cause distractions. Teachers and students show different views on how these tools impact learning.

“Teachers are afraid of students getting lazy and say, ‘AI type me out a three-page paper,’ and they wouldn’t have actually done anything. Like, in college, if you have to turn in major research papers, professors can scan them into something to see if they’ve been copyrighted or already written. If it was already written somewhere else, you’d get kicked out of school for plagiarism or the use of AI,” said college and careers teacher John Moody.

Some teachers focus on the serious consequences of using AI improperly, while others are more concerned about how AI affects learning. Many teachers believe students rely on AI too much and are worried about how it changes the way students work, such as writing essays.

“The issues I see are that students tend to either try to get AI to write essays all for them, where they’re doing nothing and learning nothing. Or, they’ll write it, and then they’ll have AI just completely rewrite it for them to make it better. They don’t learn how to improve their writing themselves,” said English teacher Holden Henderson.

Even though teachers are concerned about students depending too much on AI, they believe that technology can still be useful. When used as a tool, it can help students understand and learn properly.

“For reading, if you don’t know what a word means or there’s something that doesn’t make sense, you can quickly look it up so you have more context to the story. For writing, I would use my phone for the same thing, like if I’m unsure how to spell a word, I’ll hop on my phone and try to look up an answer really quickly,” said Henderson.

In addition to phones being used as a tool, AI can be utilized in the same manner.

“In math, I would use AI as a fact checker. If you don’t have the answers to something, you would try to answer the mathematical problem yourself and then put it on AI to see if you got the answer right. And for English, I would use it as a guide to add to the information that I would already have,” said Moody.

Although teachers see AI as a helpful tool, other teachers worry that it can hurt students’ problem-solving skills.

“I know kids ask why we learn this, but I think math can teach how to solve problems, and once you get older, life gets hard, and learning how to struggle through problems and learning how to solve problems comes from math. AI changes that because they just want to get to the problem fast; they don’t want to struggle or challenge themselves,” said math teacher Alyssa Jones.

Technology affects students in more ways than just how they solve problems. It can also make it harder for students to stay focused and pay attention in class.

“Phones definitely affect focus for a lot of kids. Five minutes into class, they check out, and they just want to start scrolling immediately. Sometimes in life we’ve got to do boring things, but it’s really important to focus in class because if you don’t, you can become super behind, and then you’re not going to want to catch up,” said Jones.

Teachers say how phones hurt students’ focus in class. This problem is also noticed by other students. They see how phones easily distract them and their classmates from learning.

“My classmates like using phones in class. They sometimes get distracted because all they want to do is scroll on TikTok, listen to music, or just be on social media in general. They’re distracted because they prioritize their phones before school,” said freshman Kaden Eurton.

While some students see phones as a major distraction in class, others think they can help focus when used correctly.

“My phone can sometimes be distracting if I really have to focus on work, but when I use my AirPods to listen to music, it helps me focus better. I just sometimes use AI, like science, because I can use it as a base. Only if I really need help formatting my notes,” said freshman Aby Lawson.

While some students see AI as a helpful tool, teachers are more cautious and focused on its limits and downsides.

“AI is kind of the way of the future. The good things about it are that it will help you with some information. However, the downside is that it doesn’t always have a clear reasoning. It will only spit out the direct question without researching,” said Moody.

AI and phones are the future. They can help students during class, even though they might be distracting at times. Teachers believe that, if used in the right way, they can be a very beneficial tool, even when they don’t fully support these tools.

“I try to avoid AI for the most part, but I do try to suggest good ways to use it, like when we are doing a project, you could use AI to come up with topics to brainstorm, but it shouldn’t be used to generate actual content,” said Henderson. “Phones are so distracting because we are so used to checking them every time we get a notification. Using them for research, like looking up a word, checking if your grammar is correct on an essay, listening to music for focus, are really the only ways phones benefit students.”

by jhshyphen 11 Feb 202611 Feb 2026

6 Feb 20239 Feb 2023 by jhshyphen

Meander Into the Manosphere

Clawing for meaning gets people scratched

by Tristan Darvin

Internet star and former kickboxer Andrew Tate.

“What colour is your Bugatti?”

That was a rhetorical question said by Andrew Tate. Rhetorical questions such as this one serve as jabs at the logic or moral fiber of an opponent. With the question of money and cars being used as a moral criticism, the question is based on the idea that money is morality and greed is good. In being based on such an idea, it brings a lot of questions about those who are asking it.

What created this void of meaning that’s been filled by this nasty materialism, who is this void in, and how is it better filled?

To take a look at the father of the aforementioned rhetorical question to get some insight, the phrase was coined by internet celebrity, kickboxer, self described misogynist, and likely human trafficker Andrew Tate. Tate was raised on an estate in Luton, England by his chessmaster father and his catering assistant mother, with Tate gaining television and kickboxing fame; Tate’s fame was short-lived due to a leaked video of him beating a woman with a belt. But Tate clawed out of his exile as the rising star of the online ‘Manosphere’.

An online coalition of disenfranchised men known as the ‘Manosphere’ has raised a myriad of pro-male figures into stardom from Andrew Tate to Jordan Peterson. The members of this coalition dwell in their own world, rejected by all else, that even has its own slang and lingo. These men often cite unfair rejection and mistreatment from others, especially women, for their behavior of sexual harassment and sexism. Whether or not those complaints are valid or a strawman is debatable.

The manosphere often leaves the internet to affect the material world. Elliot Roger, killer of six and self-described “supreme gentleman”, subscribed to these defeatist ideas of loneliness and despair and used them to justify his rampage. However, his behavior as described by himself and others had shown him not as a lonely soul, but one who drives others away while blaming them for leaving him behind. This demonstrates not the state of victimhood these men describe, but a state of hostile misogyny that makes everyone miserable and these men hateful.

However, with all of this in mind, one thing escapes us: how do we solve this?

Andrew Tate, just like the entire subculture he dwells in, spreads via shocking and rule breaking content. They take hold on the minds of men via scandal and unleashing repressed desires. They take hold, but they can be shaken off. We can be better, but we have to do some things.

Just like romance, communication is key in deradicalization. By unsealing the lid on these emotions by normalizing conversations about loneliness as opposed to ‘tolerating masculine solitude’ we may give these feelings an escape valve that isn’t as dangerous as when they come bursting out directed by muscled misogynists. Just as one can be pulled in, one can be pulled out by openness and acceptance of the other. And thus, the other may cease to be so terrifying and the hate may be quelled in the end.

3 Feb 202310 Mar 2023 by T. R. Darvin

Staff Editorial: Climate Change Coming Home

For many years now, students at Jeff High have only encountered climate change through indirect information. We have read about it in textbooks and seen its effects from watching the news. But climate change is no longer limited to distant coastal cities and extreme weather events like hurricanes and wildfires. The effects of climate change are growing, and something must be done to tackle this threat.

In the past, when climate change was discussed in this newspaper, we primarily relied on non-local stories and scientific predictions, but recent weather events have caused us to wonder about the impact of climate change on students at Jeff High. This is a fact that many athletes know all too well considering the number of canceled practices this fall due to extreme heat.

Although the cost of climate change has only resulted in a few missed practices so far, future heatwaves may have more severe consequences for students playing sports at Jeff High. According to The New York Times, temperatures from June to August across the United States were the hottest on record. If we fail to respond to the climate crisis, then these heatwaves will continue into the unforeseeable future.

While it’s hard to attribute any one event to climate change, a recent report published by the Union of Concerned Scientists draws a devastating connection between climate change and an increase in the number of heatwaves across the U.S. Midwest. Unfortunately, these increases are expected to continue as humans pump more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere. Even under the best-case scenario, in which fossil fuels are curbed quickly, the report claims that “The average number of days per year over 90 degrees Fahrenheit are projected to increase 2-3 times by end-of-century.”

Heat is just one of many changes that we can expect to see until something is done to combat climate change. Although most of our readers are high school students, hoping for a bright future in the face of a global crisis created long before they were born, we can still take action to reverse the effects of climate change in our daily lives by conserving energy, reducing the use of plastics, and recycling, and by reaching out to our leaders, at all levels of government and business, by asking them to do their part to rescue this planet and preserve it for future generations

22 Oct 2021 by jhshyphen

9/11: Remembering the Attacks After Twenty Years

By Yousaf Quereshi

My mother was a 15 year old Sophomore attending New Albany High School on September 11, 2001. I don’t think that she was ever really worried about anything in the world, especially on that day, except for maybe passing math class so that she could eventually graduate high school. That was the story of most American teenagers living in the early 2000s⸺absorbed in their immediate surroundings and worried only about their own lives. However, September 11 would awaken everyone, including my mother, to the dangers of living in the world and the interconnectedness of everyone.

At 8:46 in the morning, the first hijacked plane flew into the World Trade Center’s North Tower. It was apparent that a terrible accident had happened in New York City. Then, 17 minutes later, the second hijacked plane flew into the World Trade Center’s South Tower. This wasn’t an accident⸺this was deliberate. America was under attack. The Pentagon was attacked not long after, and a fourth plane crashed into a field in Pennsylvania. Nearly three thousand people died immediately as a result of the attacks…and thousands more died as a result of it. But September 11 had consequences for those who survived as well. For many Americans, the attacks on September 11 awoke the sleeping dragon of fear. Fear about living in a dangerous globalized world that most people had forgotten about since the attacks on Pearl Harbor when President Franklin D. Roosevelt had told us that the only thing we had to fear was “fear itself”.

But now, it’s been twenty years since 9/11, so why should we still remember? Why should high school students who weren’t alive during 9/11, like my mother had been on 9/11, continue to remember this event?

We should remember to honor the men and women who died in the World Trade Center Towers and on the hijacked planes. We should remember to honor the first responders to the attacks. We should remember to honor the survivors of the attacks and the families of the fallen.

We must continue to remember 9/11 to honor the loss, the rescue, the fear, and the hope of that tragic day. You didn’t have to be alive for 9/11 to remember the horror and the heroes. We remember so that we will never forget what happened on that day, and how we overcame it as Americans.

Now, twenty years after 9/11, America is under attack again. The terror of the Covid-19 pandemic has killed and continues to kill innocent Americans and first responders everyday, leaving behind long haul survivors and grieving families. Although Americans may not always agree on politics, when our homeland is under attack and innocent American lives are lost, I have hope that we will put aside our differences, and come together as we did during 9/11 to overcome any existential threat, including a global virus.

Readers: Remember 9/11. For the good it brought, for the bad. For the very ugly. I will always remember and be moved by the fact that this nation could come together on that day, forget differences and pray for each other, remove hate from our hearts and build compassion within our souls. Remembering 9/11 elevates the belief that we can exist as a unified American people, to pass on our love and care to those we hold dear and those we lost. Why can’t we be that country again?

11 Sep 202120 Sep 2021 by EmperorYousafQ

Staff Editorial: Moving Forward

This year, our coverage has been dominated by one topic: COVID-19. The pandemic has altered every aspect of our lives. Articles about what were the usual high school moments – sports, dances and clubs now included precautions and notes about how the pandemic affected the event.

Despite this, we don’t believe the pandemic was over-covered, as its effect can barely be understood even now. Its impact has been all encompassing and has forced us to reconcile with long held beliefs and norms in the face of unprecedented change. We too have reflected not only on our work, but what this pandemic has taught us about ourselves and our world.

As vaccination rates rise and cases fall, life will start to look more normal. However, we as a school and a community should not immediately snap back to the ways of before without question. We would be remiss if we allowed this pandemic to come and go without teaching us something about ourselves.

Here are some things we have learned:

1.) We need community. While America has always been a nation that prides itself on individualism, we must realize that some issues are too widespread and important to face alone. In times of trouble we need help; we need each other.

2.) Division is our weakness. There are important differences in politics today, and those disagreements should be hashed out and vigorously debated. But it is when we fail to recognize our common humanity that those small differences become irreconcilable. That’s when we fail.

3.) School is more complicated than we thought. With virtual school, our learning drastically changed. For some it was a dream come true – the chance to work at your own pace and make your own schedule. For others it was a nightmare – sitting in bed on your chromebook with motivation decreasing by the second. But as we move forward we understand that school is about more than learning in a classroom. It’s about social interaction; it’s about the structure of the school day and it’s about our personal growth.

4.) We all can benefit from some personal changes. In quarantine most of us took up new activities. Whether it was crafting, meditation, or baking, we learned new skills, and as life slowed down we were able to make the changes that we needed. Many people also had changes to their friend group and peers. While change isn’t always easy, sometimes change is what we need.

5.) We need to pay more attention to local government. Often all eyes are on our national government. We hold our breath for presidential and congressional elections, but often the most important governing is done at the local level.In the beginning of the pandemic it was state governments that took action, shutting down businesses and schools in the name of public safety. As we attempted to reenter school this year, it was the school board who set guidelines and rules for how we went back to school safely. While sometimes hard to understand or less exciting, local government matters.

As we enter our new normal, we hope all people learn the lessons this past year has given us. As we head optimistically into the future, let’s make sure to not return to the status quo, but rather, to re enter our normal routines with an open mind, an appetite for improvement and the will to change our lives for the better.

28 May 20212 Feb 2023 by jhshyphen

To Be Canceled, or Not To Be Canceled

The argument over political correctness on social media has reached its highest point yet.

Dateline January 8, 2021: The outgoing President of the United States of America, Donald John Trump, is officially banned from his Twitter account…after being accused of inciting the insurrection which occurred at the Capitol just days earlier…where and when, thousands marched on the Capitol in objection to the certification of the electoral college. Politico among other news organizations termed it as a “coup attempt.” And of course, following the insurrection, Trump wasn’t just banned from Twitter. He was also banned from virtually every other major social media platform: Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, Reddit, YouTube and even Pinterest.

If the sitting President of the United States can be essentially shut off from social media, it demonstrates something creepily true: You can have 80 million followers, you can be leader of the free world, and EVEN YOU aren’t exempt from a full social media ban. The ban on Donald Trump is much larger than him as an individual alone. It touches on one of the most heated issues of our times: political correctness.

After social media accounts were restricted in the wake of the U.S. Capitol insurrection on January 6, Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia wore a “Censored” mask while speaking on the floor of the House of Representatives. Hyphen Staff Photo

The definition of political correctness, according to Oxford, is “the avoidance, often considered as taken to extremes, of forms of expression or action that are perceived to exclude, marginalize, or insult groups of people who are socially disadvantaged or discriminated against.” And here comes the catch: While Donald Trump has been “politically incorrect” quite a few times, he’s often been left off the hook, but this time his words didn’t fit the definition of “political correctness.” His words incited “an insurrection,” according to these big tech giants. The controversy the bans bring is pretty explicit in terms of opening the debate for the new question: how far should political correctness go? So here, we’re going to take a look at the history of political correctness, the pro and con arguments supporting it and opposing it (respectively), and why this could have huge ripple effects on the ways you might use social media.

When the term “political correctness” came into common usage in the 1970s (when it was mentioned in a novel), it was really a term of ridicule relating to taboo subjects. The history of political correctness is really summed up by an article written by Richard Bernstein for the New York Times more than 30 years ago. In the article, Bernstein stated, “across the country the term p.c., as it is commonly abbreviated, is being heard more and more in debates over what should be taught at the universities.” In the same article, Bernstein explained, “The term `politically correct,’ with its suggestion of Stalinist orthodoxy, is spoken more with irony and disapproval than with reverence.”

At that time, if you were politically correct, it meant you were careful not to offend anyone or adopt opinions that may be dismal to other individuals. Colleges were termed as politically correct by conservatives. They accused colleges of “brainwashing” and “subjecting” their general opinions on students, leaving no room for open-minded and objective opinions. Of course, some (or many) of these opinions were in one way or another, offensive.

Today is a much different case. With the introduction of social media, people who didn’t like being “politically correct” gained an entire world wide web to surf upon. From here, it got bigger and bigger. Now anyone could be a conservative talk show host, you could share your opinion with all of your delight. You could now create profiles with different names and some profile pictures of deceased politicians and hawks, engaging in banter of all sorts.

These opinions aren’t just hidden in the dark outer reaches of the internet. They’re everywhere. I discovered this myself when using discord for coding. In various chats, individuals would be discussing why the holocaust was justified. I experimented, heading to disboard.org, (the place to get advertised discord server links), and I ended up finding multiple discord servers of a Nazi background. It got worse. I even found a white supremacist discord server, riddled with memes supporting the KKK, and mentions of streaming “Birth of a Nation,” a 1915 silent-film which portrays the KKK as heroes. And guess what? The non-white population is termed as “an attack on society” and the remnant evil which remains. This is outrageously racist. Of course, the server was deleted not long after for promoting the alt-right conspiracy theory known as “QAnon.” But that’s just discord, a friendly app which lets you create servers for multiple topics and variations. Close it down in one place and it pops up in another, like an internet version of whack-a-mole.

In thousands of forums all the way to the corners of the internet, the alt-right lives. But what I’m mentioning only scratches the surface.

There’s no place for this in today’s society. These opinions are racially charged and one of the highest levels of harassment. People and companies who stand up against such opinions shouldn’t be chided for being “politically correct.” They should be lauded for their efforts. They should be commended for showing respect for other human beings. They should be held up as the voice of reason rather than the voice of hate.

By Yousaf Quereshi

22 Mar 202119 Mar 2021 by EmperorYousafQ

Opinion: We Are Reaching a Breaking Point

Opinion by The Hyphen Staff

Editor’s note: This piece was written collaboratively by the 14 members on The Hyphen staff. Since this group makes up 0.0067 percent of the student population at Jeff High, we aren’t exactly a representative sample. That being said, our job is to serve as the voice of the students — and we’ve done our best to represent every single one of you.

The alarm goes off at 6:00 a.m. Or maybe it’s noon. Or maybe there is no alarm at all.

The Google Classroom is overflowing with dozens of to-do items. Or maybe it’s just a few. Or maybe it’s none.

The agenda for the day is to log in to four Google Meet sessions. Or maybe it’s just two. Or maybe it’s none.

By the end of the day, we will have completed eight hours of work. Or maybe it’s just a few hours. Or maybe it’s none.

If there is one thing consistent about the experience of a Jeff High student during Coronavirus, it is inconsistency. Specifically, we have noted inconsistencies in:

Amount of work
Whether the class has live Google Meets
Whether Google Meets are required
When the Google Meets take place
When the assignments are due
Whether work can be turned in late

The result is that we are constantly dealing with conflicting priorities — and we are overwhelmed, exhausted, and confused.

Yes, we realize there are bigger issues. Because of Coronavirus, some students don’t know how they will get their next meal. Some are in abusive situations at home that they can’t get away from. Some are dealing with depression and anxiety made worse by isolation.

We can’t fix everything, but we can suggest some changes the school district could consider as a way to lessen stress and increase motivation:

1 – Standardize expectations. Do teachers have Google Meets or not? Are they required or not? Are assignments due in an hour or a day? Are office hours for My School students or everyone? When do office hours happen? What’s the best way to reach out to my teacher?

2 – Respect the block. Although opinions on block scheduling are mixed, we agree that it does help us focus. Please avoid posting to-do items for classes on their “off” day or having a Google Meet during another class period.

3 – De-emphasize writing. We are used to showing what we know in class, not just writing all day. Writing takes longer than speaking or thinking, and it is challenging for a lot of people who are otherwise good communicators. If there’s a way to have us show what we know without writing (for instance, draw something and snap a picture), please do that. It is more work to do everything in writing, and it just gets repetitive after a while.

4 – Keep our other commitments in mind. During a typical school year, students have other obligations that keep them busy: jobs, sports, household responsibilities. It’s no different with Coronavirus. In fact, many students are working more hours because their workplaces see “online” as “on call all the time.” Many are also taking on more responsibility for watching siblings and helping around the house.

5 – Consider the impact of last spring. The entire fourth quarter was a dud for students. For more than a month, students were not expected to keep the same level of academic focus as we are used to. Most students didn’t even take final exams. Due to this, many are more likely to struggle.

6 – Be kind. A lot of students are going through a really tough time. They don’t show it. They don’t say it. Yes, sometimes we let you down. Sometimes we get overwhelmed and can’t keep up. Please show forgiveness and kindness. We’re all trying to get through this and get back to “normal” (whatever that is).

These times are not normal. It’s important to realize that the student body is simply a reflection of the world. We’re just as overwhelmed, exhausted, and confused about our future as adults are. We are just as eager for rays of hope, for a light at the end of the tunnel, for life “after all this is over.”

Also, we know that our teachers are overwhelmed and stressed, too. We aren’t placing all the blame there. In fact, we want to say thank you to some of the people who make this difficult time a little easier.

Mr. Densford, Ms. Paul, Miller and Martinez: Thank you for caring about how we are doing, not just what we are doing.
Mr. Hornickel: Thank you for keeping us engaged and active.
Mr. McDonald, Ms. Johnson and Mr. Robinson: Thank you for being clear and consistent.
Mrs. Rector, Mr. Wigginton, and Mr. Dench: Thank you for always reaching out and making sure everyone’s up to speed.
Principal Hall and the Assistant Principals: Thank you for everything you are doing to keep us safe.

14 Sep 202014 Sep 2020 by jhshyphen

What Do You Want More: Money or Happiness?

It isn’t uncommon to hear the saying, “Money can’t buy you happiness.” Is this really true? We decided to ask readers of The Hyphen what they think. On an Instagram poll with 32 respondents, 25 said they would choose happiness over money, while the
other seven chose money. Some people say for a successful life you need both happiness and money. Stability is not just present in someone’s life, one way or the other.

Sophomore Claire Storz said, “I want happiness because that is the only thing money can’t buy. I’d rather be poor and happy than rich and sad.” Storz also noted that the whole ordeal is also situational. In fact some people who have an abundance of money can find happiness through donating to charities, or taking care of a family, adopting, running an organization to help real people, etc.

Money can only get you so many places, when you get to much of it, it can bring out the worst in you and the people you associate with. Once you have everything there is nothing to strive for, nor anything left to get. It can drive you insane knowing that you are just stuck in space, with a life controlled by what is in your bank account without a bit of happiness.

On the other hand, some people say that money does indeed create a sense of happiness. Sophomore Dustin Liston said, “I have a lot of great ideas that can bring others happiness but it requires a lot of money.”

With this statement he describes he wants to help others and that would bring
him happiness. Money is something people need to support themselves and others.
According to givingusa.org, in 2017 $390.05 billion was donated in just that year. People who have a lot of money are big contributors to nonprofit organizations. It is said that giving to others will make you more happy, so through donation and assisting others you can bring yourself happiness.

In a life with happiness you could be poor and make the best out of your life. Strive daily to try to get somewhere to better your life. If you live a life where you do not love your job, it always feels like work. If you truly enjoy your job, you will never feel like you are at work a day in your life.

8 Nov 20198 Nov 2019 by leiadegeorge

Opinion: The Flaw in FAFSA

The student aid application process has a fatal flaw: it presumes if parents CAN help with college costs that they WILL help with college costs.

Thinking about college can be extremely stressful. Not just the anxiety that comes with an unknown future, but something even more nerve wracking… money.

bellamad As we all know, seniors or not, college can be very expensive. With scholarships, however, a lot of weight can be taken off your shoulders. But here’s the problem, how do you get scholarships if your parents make an above average amount of money? Most of the time, you don’t. And I’m sure you’re thinking, “Why would you need a scholarship if your parents make a lot of money?”

Well, not everyone whose parents make a decent amount of money actually gets help from their parents when it comes to paying for college. That seems to be the situation that a lot of students here at Jeffersonville High School are experiencing.

That little question concerning parent income included in scholarship applications assumes parents will aid financially with college, but that is not always an accurate assumption. Of course, they have scholarships for all different kinds of things that don’t require information about your parent’s yearly earnings.

If you’re a senior, I’m sure you’ve heard of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This can be a big help, but only if you qualify. Part of the application asks you what your parents’ annual income is, which is the dreaded question for those whose parents are well-off.

No one ever complains that their parents “make too much money” until it comes to paying for college. It practically takes you out of the running for these types of things, and that is absolutely awful if you’re one of those students whose parents aren’t contributing.

According to the Indiana Financial Aid and Activity Program Report from the 2013-2014 school year, “…financial need is equal to the cost of tuition and fees minus the expected contribution of the student and his or her family.” This sounds great, truly need-based, but I have yet to run into a scholarship application that asks for income as well as how much support you are receiving from your parents financially.

As reported by the 2017 Indiana College Readiness Report, out of the 456 students that graduated from Jeff High in 2017, only 40 of those students were 21st century scholars. The 21st century scholarship program offers Indiana students a chance to get up to four years of fully paid tuition at multiple Indiana colleges. However, this only applies to students whose family income does not exceed $45,000 (for a family of 4). Who says those parents aren’t providing more financial help than parents who make more than that?

People tend to expect that when your parents make a lot of money, you don’t have to worry about college debt – but that’s not really how it works. Bigger paychecks tend to mean bigger bills. This means that even parents that make a lot of money don’t have enough to save for their children’s college tuition by the time all the bills have been paid.

What can we do? We could just make college kids rack up more and more student debt over the years, or we could get rid of that sickening question and give scholarships based on actual need, not assumed need.

Written by Kristen Jacobs

7 Nov 20197 Nov 2019 by kristenjacobs5

Opinion: Schnatter’s Donation to Jeffersonville Baseball Puts Him on the Right Path

It was July 11, 2018, when John Schnatter (Papa John) resigned as Board Chairman of Papa John’s Pizza. His resignation came after he used the N-word on a public relations conference call, but his fall from power began earlier. Schnatter is most known for his work as Papa John and his fall from power. However, many don’t know he graduated from Jeff High in 1980.

schnatter-baseball-1980

Schnatter’s problems began in November 2017 when he expressed his disappointment over the peaceful protest of African-American NFL athletes taking a knee during the national anthem. The company tried to smooth over his comments, but the damage had been done.

In January 2018 John Schnatter stepped down as Chief Executive of Papa Johns, following a sales decline, partly linked to the NFL scandal, and in February 2018 Papa Johns ended their partnership with the NFL.

In May 2018 the conference call occurred in which Schnatter used the racial slur, yet the incident would remain unknown until July 11. The day John Schnatter lost everything. Soon after the news of his resignation spread, multiple partners and contracts were suspended. The University of Louisville began the process of renaming “Papa John’s Cardinal Stadium,” and many others began the process of removing the brand from their own.

Then, less than a week later, July 17, Schnatter started talking. He first walked back his resignations saying, “he was kinda provoked” in saying the racial slur. He also expressed regret over his decision to resign before the board did a full investigation. Despite his fight, by August 1, 2018, John Schnatter had been erased from all forms of advertising of Papa Johns.

Despite the loss of his company, Schnatter still maintains the John Schnatter Foundation which makes many charitable contributions. He has recently been using his foundation to help the Southern Indiana and Louisville community.

Most recently, Schnatter gave $500,000 to Jeffersonville High School for a turf baseball field and a replacement of the outer fencing, The stadium and facility will be named the John Schnatter Stadium, but the field will remain Don Poole Field.

John Schnatter has made many mistakes, and his use of racial slurs is inexcusable. However, this is the real world. John Schnatter has expressed remorse, and he is trying to help. Through this donation, he is helping his community and our school.

I believe in principles, but I also believe in practicality. This donation helps everyone, and while many will always associate his name with accusations of racism, we must also acknowledge the good his actions have and will do for the community.

4 Nov 201912 May 2020 by Max_Fisher

Speaking of Labels…What’s the Q+ About?

For many years, people used the term “LGBT” to describe the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual
and Transgender community. In recent years, you might have noticed a new addition at the end: “Q+”. The Q+ is meant to be more inclusive of people who identify with something that’s not in the traditional LGBT framework (such as Asexual
and Pansexual).

While it might not seem like a big deal, the distinction is important to many people —
and has actually become a hotly debated issue. A Jeff High student who wanted to be anonymous for this story says the Q+ isn’t needed: “Trans covers FTM (female to male), MTF (male to female), and non-binary (the feeling of being genderless). Lesbian and Gay cover that, and Bi covers Pan so that’s about it.”

On the other side is Amber Walker, a Jeff High student who prefers the Q+ addition because “Personally, I feel that there is a whole spectrum of possibilities that don’t fit into just four labels.”

On a recent Instagram poll, the votes for the acronym LGBT was just one person while the votes for LGBTQ+ were 17 people. Most of those polled were from the area, but some were not. An LGBTQ+ community member who voted is from a country where being a part of the community is looked down upon and it is illegal to attend Pride festivals and have samesex marriage without punishment.

Is this debate pointless? While representation is important, the LGBTQ+ community, whether you believe in the Q+ or not, is an accepting community for those of different sexualities and genders. Even though LGBTQ+ won our poll, your opinion is your opinion as long as you aren’t hurting anyone with it.

15 Oct 201915 Oct 2019 by mscholl252