All photos by Raven Baker and Ashton Walcott.
Halloween brings the annual door decorating contest at JHS; this year students and faculty members joined forces to celebrate the scary season.
by Micah Nef
The daily life of a high schooler is challenging. Many teens struggle to keep up with schoolwork, sports, and jobs. Dolly Parton expresses the hardships of working in her song “9 to 5.” There are so many different genres and styles of music, but it’s no secret that the Queen of Country knew how to make good tunes.
Many JHS students enjoy Dolly Parton’s “9 to 5,” regardless of their music preferences.
Sophomore Lauren Beck rates the song a 7/10. While she doesn’t listen to country music, she still appreciates the lyrics and enjoys the song.
“I think it’s a good song and I like how it doesn’t sugarcoat the hard parts of working for what you want,” she said.
Beck’s personal favorite music genres are pop and indie. Her favorite song is “Carolina” by Taylor Swift.
“I mostly listen to pop, but sometimes I listen to Indie. I listen to it because I feel like the message of the song comes through a lot more clearly than other genres of music,” she explained.
Senior Lizeth Gonzalez gives “9 to 5” a 10/10. She enjoys the song’s upbeat vibe and considers it a classic.
“It’s a classic song that literally everybody knows. It’s catchy and it’s lively,” she said.
Gonzalez likes many kinds of music, but her favorite genre is rock.
“I like the concerts and how there’s so much going on. Even if I don’t know the song I’m still able to enjoy the band play,” she said.
Similar to Gonzalez, senior Elijah Lahrman considers the song a classic even though it’s outside his usual music taste. He rates it an 8/10.
“I’d say it’s pretty classic and a lot of people like it but for me it’s not my first choice,” he explained.
Lahrman enjoys rock music because of its high energy and his favorite song is “Hot Dog” by Limp Bizkit.
Science teacher Michell Densford also gives the song an 8/10. She said, “I think it’s a little old-fashioned, but I think the message is good.”
Densford prefers pop music to country. Pop is her favorite because it’s fun and matches the mood most of the time. Her current favorite song is “Apple Tree” by Redding Hunter.
While Dolly Parton’s song isn’t everyone’s favorite, it’s still a well-liked classic for JHS students and staff.
by Isaiah Gatton and Elijah Lahrman
New room signs have been installed throughout the school to make room numbers more visible and easier to identify. While the changes are intended to improve school safety, some have concerns about the timing of the transition and the confusion caused by the new numbering system.
Math teacher Steven Skees said he supports the idea of making room numbers more visible, but believes the school should have waited until the end of the school year to introduce the changes.
“I think it is kind of good to have signs like that, more visible and everything like that,” Skees said. “But I feel like they probably should have waited until the end of the school year, so there’s less confusion about who’s going where.”
Skees said he has only had one person come to him because of confusion over the room numbers. Although he has not experienced widespread problems, he said displaying two different room numbers can work against the goal of improving safety.
“When you have two numbers on the room, I think that actually does the opposite of what they were intending,” Skees said.
Despite his concerns, Skees said students and staff will generally adjust to the changes. He said he expects the transition to work out fine as people become more familiar with the new numbering system.
Similar to Skees, sophomore Logan Vidt agreed that the new signs not matching the old signs has been a weird adjustment for him, especially for older students. However, he added that the new signs will help future incoming freshmen.
“I think it is harder to navigate since they don’t match because of what I’m used to; it was easier last year,” Vidt said.
Vidt sees the traditional way of looking for the room number as easier to navigate through the school because he did it all last year. However, he also sees the potential benefit of the signs for incoming freshmen, who will not have to fully walk in front of a door just to find the room number.
Safety supervisor Brian Mitchell explained that the function of the new signs will be helpful in case of emergencies and help newer students navigate throughout the school.
“The new signs implement safety for mainly first responders,” he said. “It’s designed that each number is color-coded to its own. It matches the exterior door in that area, so anything in the gray that you see, everything on the exterior door, their numbers will be gray, so if they have an emergency they know that it’s in a gray area and any exterior door with the gray color, they know they’re in the right area in the building.”
Mitchell also said all the signs are reflective, allowing first responders to shine a light down the area and see the signs, as well as the exterior numbering outside the doors, which leads to a quicker response to emergencies.
“When you’re giving direction and telling someone an actual number, versus maybe just saying the bathroom by the staircase, some people might not know that, but if you give an actual number, it’s more helpful,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell also explained that the new signs are being implemented throughout all the schools in the area, causing the company to have to install them at the inconvenient time of the beginning of the school year.
“Well, the reasoning behind that is that the company we are working with is out of Michigan.They actually make the signs themselves. They have a time schedule because we are doing the entire district, and if there are any problems with any of the signs, they have to remake them,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell explained that the new signs will help students and visitor with navigating the large building.
“It will help people,” said Mitchell. “I think it will be easier for incoming freshmen or someone who doesn’t know the building because there is also a map in the front of the school that shows where you’re at in the building. I think for someone who doesn’t know it will help them.”
Photos by Malachi Conrad, Shelby Keesee, and Logan Vidt.
by Natalie Creagh and Aurora Grisham
From blood-filled elevators and “One Wish Willows,” to that feeling of anticipation and caution, wondering what’s going to happen next, horror movies can be a crowd favorite to some or a nightmare to others.
Horror films have been around for many years and have also changed with how fear is portrayed and what the generations consider scary. So how did this all start, and how do horror films continue to evolve and frighten people?
The first horror film ever made was “Le Manoir du diable,” known in English as “The Haunted Castle” or “The House of the Devil,” in 1869 by George Méliès. The film included cauldrons, bats, skeletons, and ghosts, things that someone in 2026 wouldn’t be as scared of.
The first popular, full-length horror film was “The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari.” Other iconic classics include “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” by Robert Louis Stevenson, about a scientist named Henry Jekyll who, when testing out a potion, becomes his beastly alter ego, Mr. Hyde, terrorizing and killing the people of London.
Everyone knows and loves the classic films, such as “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre” and “Carrie,” but new movies are constantly coming out, like “Obsession” and the newly-released “Other Mommy.”
Everyone has their favorite horror movie, and there are many to choose from. Let’s see what movies students and staff prefer.
Junior Kai Helton, who says he prefers the more classic horror movies, said his favorite horror movie is the 1996 “Scream.” Helton said that, if he had to spend a full day in a horror movie, it would be “Silence of the Lambs.”
Helton said, “If I wasn’t a main character, I don’t think anything would happen to me.”
“The Silence of the Lambs,” released in 1991, follows a young FBI trainee, Clarice Starling, as she hunts for a serial killer, “Buffalo Bill,” and seeks advice from the brilliant psychiatrist and insane cannibal Dr. Hannibal Lecter. The movie is a psychological horror, full of moments of fear and suspense.
On the topic of psychological horror movies, sophomore General McLain finds that psychological horror movies are interesting. The movie McLain would want to be in was the 2005 movie “The Descent,” a movie about a group of friends going on a gone-wrong cave-diving expedition. McLain said that he prefers classical movies, with his favorite being “The Conjuring.”
With classical movies, APUSH and government teacher Robert Russell said that his favorite is “The Silence of the Lambs.”
“I think it’s the most realistic horror movie I’ve seen,” Russell said.
Russell responded to what movie he would prefer to be in with The Silence of the Lambs, for the reason of finding FBI profiling to be very interesting and their process of finding serial killers. He said that he prefers classic horror movies like “Halloween” and “Carrie.”
English teacher Grant Vance said, “I’m a huge fan of the original ‘Halloween,’ and I did my college English thesis paper on ‘Scream.’”
Vance felt that, if he had to spend a day in a horror movie, he would pick “ Buddy,” a new movie released in August of this year. “I think it would be a fun one,” he said. The story follows a group of kids trapped in a “Barney and Friends” style world with an orange unicorn named Buddy, who takes a dark turn from the typical kids’ show.
Most everyone likes horror films, with horror being a universal theme. From psychological to thriller, horror is an undying genre that is being constantly revamped and the standards are constantly changing. From “Le Manoir de diable” to “Obsession,” there’s always something for everyone to watch.
Photos by Ashton Walcott.
by Layney Derricott
A new season comes with new opportunities, challenges and goals.
The girls’ basketball team is preparing for the court. Coming off of a 14-11 season last year, they’re ready to improve. Preseason practices have been a great chance to get ahead on this season’s improvement. Junior shooting guard Lili Mangrum shared that the new season has brought adjustments for the Red Devils.
“We’ve been learning how to play with the lower classmen,” said Mangrum, “as well as adjusting to the new people coming in, really working on becoming a team.”
Girls’ basketball is mainly junior led, and these juniors have played together since they were children, forming a lifelong connection.
In addition to Mangrum,the juniors include point guard Makenna Taylor and guard Jazlynn Bryant, among others. Coach A.J. Moye shared that the team’s strong bond will play an important role in their succession.
“Our team is filled with high level characters, mainly led by juniors that are driven and know what it takes. That also strongly care for each other’s well beings and improvements,” Moye stated.
Returning players bring experience and a sense of recognition in each other, while new faces will have to adjust with the pace of high school basketball.
Freshman Trinity Broadway said her biggest challenge during the preseason preparation includes “adjusting to the different levels of basketball,” and “becoming quicker and more focused.”
As the team continues to adjust for the season, they are keeping an eye on competition as well. Junior forward Lorelei Darling identified the two toughest teams.
“The toughest team we will face is Pike, along with Christian Academy. The game will be intense, along with a learning curve we will have to face,” said Darling.
With challenging opponents ahead, experience and determination will be key for the team. Taylor has faced many challenges so far into her basketball journey, saying the toughest being ,”honestly, trying to win a sectional has been tough in the past years, especially since our conference can be competitive. I, however, have a really good feeling about this year.”
That confidence Taylor holds carries into practice, where Bryant said team highly focuses on staying positive, motivating one another, and, “making sure not to fall short, not letting teammates fall short either. Along with keeping practice positive.”
Through encouragement, determination, and teamwork, the team hopes to turn their competitive mindset into success this season. Individual players have their opportunities to make an impact.
Taylor is the player everyone should be looking out for, according to Mangrum, saying she will “wow” the crowd this season with her skills and determination.
While individual talent is important, it only makes up one part of a team. Mangrum added that their combination of strengths all are what truly makes up the team.
“Our team is strong both defensively and offensively mainly due to our abilities to all play at all levels, equally improving and correcting together,” she said.
In this team no one is left behind, as they advance and get through struggles together. Like a family, heading into the season they’re excitedly preparing.
Bryant shared that her excitement resides in really harvesting in the season by “playing with all my teammates, just being all together again. Winning games and really shooting for a sectional win.”
by Angelina Beach
The JHS Blood Drive sponsored by the National Honor Society took place last Thursday and Friday, and as a healthcare student who plans on staying in the healthcare field for as long as possible, I think that blood drives are very important.
But most people don’t take them as seriously as they should.
Unfortunately, out of all people who are eligible to donate to their blood drives each year, only 3% actually donate.
So much blood is needed everyday in the United States. That being said, in order to help save lives, we need more people to donate.
Donations have the power to transform lives. Whether it’s someone who has recently suffered a car accident or a child battling cancer, a single donation of blood can save up to three people.
Blood is an important factor when it comes to the healthcare field. Individuals with illnesses that cause anemia will usually be the recipients of blood transfusions.
For example, sickle cell disease is a group of inherited disorders that affect the major protein that carries oxygen in red blood cells, the hemoglobin. It is a disease that requires blood transfusions throughout the patient’s life. This disease affects a good amount of people in the U.S.; in fact, around 1,000 babies are born with it each year.
That being said, people need to start spreading awareness about the importance of blood drives.
Whole blood donations only take a short amount of time, about 8-10 minutes. For a pint, it only takes up to five minutes or less.
For a successful donation, it is recommended donors drink a lot of water, get enough food in their system, and be well rested. It is best to enjoy foods with high iron, in order to keep the body healthy and well energized.
Certain foods and beverages can have a negative effect on blood, including alcohol, fattening foods, foods that reduce iron absorption, and aspirin.
Newer studies show that it is actually healthy to donate blood, both for the donor and receiver.
The more blood that is donated, the more lives that can be saved.
Some Facts About Blood Donations
by Natalia Martinez
Head boys’ basketball coach Sherron Wilkerson scans the hallway by the lunchroom, looking for problems to solve. Most students know him as the coach behind the game plan for JHS players.
“I coach basketball to teach kids and get to help them and teach them the things teachers and others don’t really get to teach them,” said Wilkerson.
Wilkerson played basketball at Jeff High before he ever coached here, as he was on the 1993 state championship team. He has carried what he learned from playing in that game through college and now to his players.
“Everything I learn from college I teach all at the high school level to show them what it takes, because if you’ve never been there before, you don’t know what it takes to be there.”
Those who know Wilkerson describe him as a good person and role model, saying the way he chooses to teach his players is a view of his character.
“Sherron cares a lot about the kids, making sure to teach them life lessons and put them on the right path in life. People just see his intensity, not how much he cares and helps the kids, and the kids that come back after graduation, he still helps them,” said safety and security officer Brian Mitchell.
Junior and varsity player Shyne Scruggs agreed. “Coach Wilkerson is very serious and a hard worker when it comes to basketball and very smart and intelligent.”
Wilkerson wants his players to succeed on and off the court. He also supports them when they leave for college.
“He is always thinking about coaching when he’s not coaching, also making sure the kids are good and taken care of at home and if they need something to let him know,” said Mitchell.
Wilkerson demonstrates the ability to bring out the best in every athlete, pushing them to reach their full potential and setting them up for success for success in the way he views losses.
“We don’t judge off our losses; we judge off performance and growth.’’ said Wilkerson.
by Parker Vibbert
The Indiana Choice Scholarship, commonly known as a school voucher, was created in 2011 in an effort led by former Governor Mitch Daniels, R-IN, with the goal of providing lower and middle-class Hoosiers the opportunity to attend Private Schools.
Daniels advocated for the program and signed it into law to help Hoosier students.
“My intention was to give low-income citizens the same range of choices for their children’s education as their wealthier neighbors have,” Daniels stated in an email interview.
Daniels was also critical of the mandate that students must attend specific schools.
“We don’t tell them where they must buy their groceries or where they have to get their haircut, but in this most crucial of life decisions we had been telling them that their kids will attend a specific school, even if they found that school unsafe or of poor quality,” he stated.
With that goal in mind, the vouchers opened the door for students in poor or failing schools to attend private, often religious, schools whose tuition they otherwise could not afford.
It quickly grew into the largest school voucher program in the United States, with 76,000 Hoosier students using school vouchers in the 2024-25 school year.
Daniels served as president of Purdue University from 2013 to 2022, and has again served as interim president since July. No stranger to helping students and their families financially, he froze the tuition at the university for 11 straight school years during his prior tenure, and it has continued into the 2026-27 school year, reaching the university’s 14th consecutive year of frozen tuition.
Daniels says this is a priority because he has seen the financial burden Hoosiers face in their daily lives.
“I arrived at Purdue after 10 years of daily personal contact with the people of Indiana, and I was highly conscious of the pressure high college costs were imposing on our low- and middle-income families. I thought it was especially important for our public universities to prioritize affordability, and Purdue, the state’s land-grant school, most of all. In business and government, I had found again and again that large bureaucracies will always charge more if they can get away with it.”
Despite the annual tuition freezes, Daniels said Purdue never wound up with a deficit, which was enough for the practice to continue.
“When we broke the annual increase pattern, and found that we could still break even, I was able to persuade our board to do it a second time, then a third, and the success became self-reinforcing,” Daniels said.
Now, Governor Mike Braun, R-IN, and the Republican supermajorities in both houses of the Indiana General Assembly have removed the $220,000 yearly income cap for a family of four on the voucher program, allowing any eligible child to receive a voucher, regardless of financial status.
State Representative Wendy Dant Chesser, D-Jeffersonville, criticized the move, pointing to data showing the average yearly income of a school voucher recipient is around $102,840, nearly 50% higher than the average annual Hoosier income of roughly $70,000.
“In the 2024-25 school year, more voucher dollars went to families earning over $100,000 than to families earning less,” Dant Chesser said.
Dant Chesser also criticized the method in which the income cap was removed, being included in the state budget.
“The income cap change was included in the 2025 state budget bill instead of being passed as standalone legislation. I voted for the state budget because of what it did for our community, including funding for skilled trade education. If removal of the income cap had been its own bill, I would have voted against it.”
Critics argue the state is now giving money to families who don’t need it so their children can attend an elite private school at little to no cost to them.
Daniels rebukes that argument.
“The duty of the state is to provide for children’s education, not to dictate where, or what form that education should take. Regardless of their income, parents are simply directing tax dollars they have paid to the schools they believe [are] best-suited to their children.”
by Aurora Grisham
Louder Than Life is one of the largest rock and metal festivals in America. Every year, thousands of people travel to Kentucky to watch their favorite band perform in the cooling days of September. However, it wasn’t always as popular as it is now. The history of Louder Than Life is quite a rich one.
Louder Than Life started in 2014 in Champion’s Park, founded by Danny Wimmer Presents, and debuted as a two-day event with their headliners being Judas Priest, Korn, Stone Temple Pilots, and Limp Bizkit.
In 2015, the WWE COO Triple H announced that Louder Than Life would feature in-ring WWE NXT Superstar matches, selling the show out. The headliners that year were Rob Zombie, ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and Godsmack.
A few years later, in 2019, the event extended into three days and was moved to the Highland Festival Grounds after flooding the previous year. The headliners then were Slipknot, Guns N’ Roses, Disturbed, and Marilyn Manson.
In 2021, the event expanded again into the four-day event we now know. Additionally, that year, Snoop Dogg canceled his appearance at the festival and was replaced by the band Falling in Reverse, with headliners being Korn, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, and Machine Gun Kelly.
In 2023, Louder Than Life broadened their music genre based on fan-requested headliners, dipping more into the alternative and punk lineup, with the headliners being Foo Fighters, Tool, Avenged Sevenfold, and Green Day.
2024 was the celebration of the 10-year anniversary since Louder Than Life opened, with a record of over 140+ booked bands. The headliners that year were Slipknot, Mötley Crüe, Korn, and The Offspring.
In 2025, the event relocated again, now to the Kentucky Exposition Center, expanding the footprint to 2.8 million square feet, with festival passes now including free rides at the adjacent Kentucky Kingdom amusement park. The record attendance was broken for a second time, totaling about 240,000 fans. The headliners that year were Slayer, Avenged Sevenfold, Deftones, and Bring Me the Horizon.
Louder Than Life happened on Sept. 17, 18, 19, and 20th, so what did people think of the show?
It was sophomore Braylen Martin’s first year going, saying, “I went for the fun of it and that; if given the chance, I wouldn’t be able to choose a favorite band to see because of my love for music.”
Senior Gabe Collens said that it was also his first year going and that his favorite band he saw was BABYMETAL.
“The mosh pit was crazy, and their music is incredible,” he said.
Collens went because his friend had a free ticket for him. He said that he would want to see Mom Jeans if given the chance.
Junior Grace Bentley is a repeat goer. Out of all the bands she’s seen at Louder than Life, her favorite was Weezer.
“It made me very emotional; it was really good. It sounded like the studio recording. It changed me,” said Bentley.
Bentley went to see My Chemical Romance, and she would want to see the band Norma Jean.
English teacher Patrick Wentworth did not go this year, but he’s been going to Louder than Life for decades.
“While I like Shinedown, Slipknot, all those bands, I got to see Kiss on their final tour, and it was electric. They have great showmanship,” he said.
He skipped this year because of the previous year, describing it as getting “a little rough during Bad Omens” and “no longer the local experience.” He added that it’s also gotten expensive. Though if he had to choose a band to see, he would want to see either Pink Floyd or Led Zeppelin. He said that Led Zeppelin has more music he’d choose from, but Pink Floyd is a band he’d constantly put on.
Despite the expenses being raised and the experience no longer being a local one, Louder than Life is a concert experience that everyone can appreciate and find something enjoyable in it. With all the years that have gone by, there’s always something for people to appreciate; whether it be the lineup or the food, there’s something for everyone.
by Rhaya Nord
Walking past science teacher Chris Bradley’s classroom, students would see a room full of dinosaurs.
“Earth and space are important, and it’s something we deal with every day,” stated Bradley.
Walking around JHS or to class, students might see Bradley or his classroom. Not many underclassmen would know him, but most upperclassmen do.
For example, junior Shyne Scruggs stated, “His class is enjoyable, and it’s good to know about fossil fuels, and it’s also an easy class, and I love an easy class.”
“I think upperclassmen are more mature, and they know what they want to do in a classroom and outside of school,” said Bradley. “They’ve become more dependent on technology. They’re more willing to ask questions.”
Bradley enjoys the students he teaches, and he finds the subject interesting.
Bradley’s wife, Jodi Bradley, who teaches PE, stated. “I do think this is his dream job because he likes kids and dinosaurs.”
Bradley somewhat agreed with his wife.
“I don’t know if it’s my dream job, but I do enjoy it. I like the kids, and what I teach is interesting.”
Bradley’s main class is teaching dinosaur science as an elective; he was teaching earth and space science at first, but after a while he was also able to teach his dinosaur elective class.
“Earth and space science is what I’m certified in, but I teach dinosaurs because it’s an area of interest for some students.”
Students in his classes say Bradley adapts the subject to keep it interesting and understandable.
“I adapt to Bradley’s teaching style by listening to what he says in class, and I read and look over notes,” stated Scruggs.
Upperclassmen continue to come back to take Bradley’s class because of his teaching style and his expectations for his students, which Bradley finds rewarding.
“Seeing kids after I taught them and seeing what they do with their lives makes me feel that I did something right,” he said.
At A Glance
| Born | Oct. 8, 1984 |
| Hometown | Louisville, Kentucky |
| Favorite Color | Green |
| Favorite College | University of Kentucky |
| Favorite Sport | Basketball |
