After 13 seasons Mark Stoops brought historic stability to Kentucky and led four 10-win campaigns in 2018 and 2021. He also showed the team eight consecutive bowl games and two top-25 finishes. But after too many losing streaks and a 41-0 loss to Louisville on Dec. 1, Kentucky fired him. Will Stein is the new Kentucky coach.
Many Louisville fans are happy because they want real change and challenge. Senior Kaeleb Hayes, who is a die hard Louisville fan, said that Kentucky “needed to do it” and that the team would be “better off without Stoops and the team will get along so much better with the leadership and the stability of Stein.”
But others do not agree with Hayes and think that Stoops should not have been fired. Sophomore Eli Tate, “I think that we will have better prospects but at the same time he was a good coach and I don’t think that this one game should have caused him to be fired.”
Sophomore Cali Smith agreed with Tate and is also a Kentucky fan; she said that the team will have to come up with new critical thinking skills and “learn to adapt with a new coach with different teaching styles.”
Freshman Harper Gordon also said that the Wildcats will have to adapt and thinks that it was a good thing because “Stoops has been a bad coach for three years and gave us a horrible season.” She said the new coach Stein is better for the team because he will push them harder.
Kentucky fans aren’t too happy, but most of them are rallying for the new coach and can’t wait to see how he trains the team differently and if they’ll get any better under different and new leadership.
When Thanksgiving starts rolling around every student gets excited; it’s the time to eat, go on a week long break from school, and see family.
Many families have traditions for this time of year, and it’s different for many families across Indiana.
Senior Kaeleb Hayes said that he and his family go to some type of sports game before he goes on fall break as a tradition, and that they don’t decorate but that he helps his mom cook and they prepare a big meal.
“For Thanksgiving we watch the NFL games and my mom makes a lot of food for my brother and sister to come in from out of town.”
He said that they also prepare a meal for their chickens as a tradition and he is excited for the extra days off school and to see his siblings.
Junior Billy Wibbels is similar to Hayes and for Thanksgiving he hangs out with his family and friends.
“We don’t really decorate, we just make a huge dinner and all hang out. My grandpa comes to town from Florida and we all just reminisce.”
But some have very different traditions and don’t do anything for Thanksgiving, like sophomore Gracie Harder. She said she just spends Thanksgiving break cleaning her room and doing a self care reset, and spends most of the break alone until later into Thanksgiving day and she goes to her grandma’s.
“For break I always spend it all alone until I go to my grandma’s late on Thanksgiving day and we eat a big dinner, and we decorate the Christmas tree; everyone who comes brings a dish and I like to bake sweets and bring them, but other than that my family doesn’t do anything special.”
Freshman Harper Gordon said that her and her family just treat it like another day — they watch Christmas movies together and make a meal together but other than that they have no traditions and the plans change every year.
“My family sometimes makes a little turkey and we turn on Christmas movies but there are some years that we just don’t do anything, a few of my family members come over but only three or four.”
So many families eat together, spend time together, but not all decorate or have traditions. There are some that don’t do anything and just spend the day alone, or just eat a regular dinner like every other day.
As the school year continues, new laws regarding Indiana classrooms have become an important topic among teachers and students. Some laws have been favored by the community, while others have sparked debates on if the law should be enforced.
New policies regarding student behavior, cell phone bans and improved absence tracking are being put into place for the new year. Specific laws address rising teacher pay and closer parental involvement in truancy cases.
Senate Enrolled Act 482 aims to better understand chronic absenteeism by improving the data reported to the Indiana Department of Education.
State lawmakers passed a two-year budget, which adds a 2% increase to school budgets for every year. They also expanded vouchers to private schools for 2026 so parents no longer have to pay for textbooks.
Student absences have always been a worry with parents and school administrators. This year, schools will be required to provide a list of chronically absent students.
Sophomore Leandra Willis thinks the new laws regarding absences are too strict, and students’ personal lives need to be taken into consideration.
“I think the new laws are bogus. What if something happens and you can’t get excused because the school decided to make a law saying no absences can be excused, like a funeral,” she said.
New phone laws have sparked some controversy with students. The new law suggests that students cannot have their phones during instruction time, with the exception of medical reasons or emergencies.
Willis believes this new law could break a connection from students to parents in case of an emergency.
“If something bad happens or we need to know how to get home if they can’t pick us up, we wouldn’t know since we can’t have our phones,” she said.
Sophomore Perry Coats agreed with Willis and thinks the new policies against students are too strict, and should have more leeway to be independent.
“I think the new policies are inhumane and not right. We should have freedom; we’re almost adults,” He said.
Principles of Human Services teacher Kyle Keplinger said that the laws help students in school and also make it easier on teachers to get students to listen.
“The rules help teachers keep students focused and on track; these laws really benefit everyone in the long run by letting teachers save energy and helping students stay focused on doing their work and having good grades,” he said.
He says that he agrees with all the laws, but that some of them are a little too harsh.
“The tardy and absence laws are a little too harsh; they should make certain things excused because students could potentially need to be called out of school for something and not be excused. That could lead to truancy and students don’t need that if they’re out for important reasons.”
English 9 teacher Eric Watson agreed with Keplinger, saying, “The absence laws seem to be working. I think that absenteeism is a problem and these laws are doing a good thing by putting pressure on parents to get their kids to school and by putting pressure on the kids to show up more.”
He said that the cell phone law helps students “lock in” and get good grades
“Teachers should have the latitude to snatch a kids phone without having the repercussions for doing so,” he said.
Principal Pamala Hall said that the laws and cuts in schools throughout Indiana may affect students negatively, but could also help some in positive ways.
“These laws and cuts affect class size and staff cuts, and even affects what we can feed you at lunch.”
She added that the cell phone laws limiting phone usage in classrooms are appropriate for schools because they keeps students focused, but that Indiana schools could be stricter with attendance laws.
“The schools can’t do the attendance alone because they make them at state levels and then there’s nothing to hold them in place, and I don’t find it fair that someone can miss 40 days of school and only log into Google Classroom and have the same grade as someone who never misses a day.”
Many students and staff agree with each other on certain policies, but also disagree on others. They agree that the absence laws should be more lenient, but disagree with other policies, including phones.
Everyone has a past that’s different, but English 10 teacher and wrestling coach Evan Myers, sports performance wrestling coach Daniel Struck, and English 9 teacher David Kummer all have similar backgrounds.
All three Red Devil teachers are published authors.
English teacher Evan Myers holds two of his two books, Dusk on the Western Range and The Cottage at Prince Lake. Photo by Raven Baker.
Myers said he has been writing for six years. He began writing in 2011. He went to Purdue University and got his bachelor’s degree, and when he was in the Army he did three years of military journalism from 2015 to 2018.
During his years he went to Fort Meade Defense Information School and latre worked at Greenfield Daily Reporter in Greenfield, Indiana. Myers says he started writing and got interested in it because of the Superman comics he read during his teen years.
I started loving writing because of the way Clark Kent wasn’t only helping people by being a hero, but also by telling them stories and the hard truths.”
English Teacher and Author Evan Myers
“I started loving writing because of the way Clark Kent wasn’t only helping people by being a hero, but also by telling them stories and the hard truths.”
Myers has some pieces of wisdom for journalists about interviewing and writing.
“When writing make sure you know spelling, punctuation and titles, because if not it could turn disrespectful. As for interviewing, making conversation, and connecting with your source makes it feel less like an interrogation and more like a conversation; it establishes trust.”
Myers has written three books: Dusk on the Western Range, The Oldest Sport, and The Cottage at Prince Lake.
Wrestling coach and weight room supervisor Danny Struck holds his book Climbing for Gold. Photo by Raven Baker.
Struck started writing his book in 2023 and it took him two years to complete. He described the process of writing his book as “a good decision” because he thought of it while attending the Olympics and felt as if a travel book for coaches would be a good read.
He read Myers’s first book and really enjoyed it because it was fantasy and loved the second book because it was about a wrestling program like theirs. Struck said Myers pushed him to be a good writer and publish his book, Climbing for Gold: See the World Through Wrestling, so he did.
He has really good advice for upcoming writers: “Start with journaling. It helps with practice and seeing how you do with first drafts, and also write one liners. I spent 30 years working with one liners because they help spark my memory for when I’m ready to write a full book.”
English teacher David Kummer holds his book The Misery House. Photo by Raven Baker.
Kummer wrote as a kid but took writing more seriously in high school and has been writing ever since. “I’ve been writing so long that I feel old, but not as old as Myers,” he joked.
After he graduated he made local connections so he could be able to publish. Kummer believes that people who want to write should read as much as they are able, and writing the first draft matters.
“Once you start writing the first draft you can go from there.”
Kummer has published three books: The Silent Forest, The Band, and The Misery House. The final book in the Silent Forest trilogy, The Empty Room, will be published later this fall.
English 9 teacher David Kummer teaches freshman Harper Gordon with her assignment on August 6. The class is working on what he calls a No Red Ink assignment. Photo by Malachi Conrad.
As summer comes to an end, a new start has begun for many freshmen and staff. It’s that time of the year when you meet new people and begin new friendships.
Beginning at a new school can be unfamiliar, but with the help of friendships, it will make life calmer.
A foundation of support has guided freshman Alexis Guadalupe. “At first, I felt lost. I didn’t know where I was going. I had friends to help me, and I figured my way out. It’s interesting seeing old faces and new faces from different middle schools. Being all together feels good.”
The new environmental changes might be sudden, but Guadalupe stays on track with his schedule.
“Nothing really changes. I always wake up at the same time every single day. It isn’t really a change for me, but when leaving school, that is a change for me. It is a little crowded every time I try to leave school, but it’s okay, I still get on the bus on time,” he said.
Guadalupe plans to take courses that will help with next school year.
“I’m taking regular classes right now. But I’m going to try and take an honors class next year in English.” He recalls moments from River Valley Middle School and shares how teachers showed great support by teaching to their best abilities and being open to talk about anything when needed.
Freshman Elliott Taylor is intimidated by the size of the school in comparison to his previous years.
“I was most scared of how big the school is. My fourth and fifth periods are far away from each other, and I usually end up tardy,” he said.
Taylor isn’t stressed about the new year, and is starting off his high school years with good grades.
“I’m feeling pretty good about my classes. I have all A’s as of now, and the work isn’t too hard so far.”
In comparison to his previous school years, his freshman year is flowing much better. “I went to River Valley Middle School last year. The teachers this year and the classes are a lot better.”
Taylor has a certain class and teacher who has stood out to him so far. In comparison to previous years, “My favorite class this year is Algebra honors with Mr. (Scott) Lowe. He’s really nice to us, and he’s a great teacher.”
Starting high school can be a lot for a student, but Taylor already has a set plan for what he wants to do with his school career.
“In sophomore year, I would like to stay in honors classes and go into welding.”
College and careers teacher Angela Krueger loves being a freshman teacher so she can set her students on a path for success.
“I like being a freshman teacher because it’s a new school, a new environment, and I can help them set up their academies and pathways, and it makes me feel like I make a difference.”
Krueger went through years of school just so she could make sure she gives her students a good education.
“I went to IUS with a bachelor’s in psychology, and then I got my master’s in education at University of Cumberland. It took six years in total.”
Krueger has a few tips that may help incoming freshmen do better in school.
“You should take your classes seriously, and especially this college and careers class. It is probably your most important class, and can help you carve your entire high school career.”
Even with personal struggles, Krueger still has a goal to build a bond with her new students. “I’m about to go on maternity leave, but I hope I can still build a relationship with my students just as I did last year.”
Freshman Maddie Tetley agreed with Guadalupe and shared her experience bringing herself into a new environment,
“I was intimidated about the size of the school, so I was nervous that I was going to get lost, but now that it’s been a few days, the school doesn’t seem as big and I’m making my way around easily,” she said.
Tetley looks forward to participating in clubs and teams in hopes of academic improvement and experience.
“I’ll be on the golf team, hopefully the swim team, and as for classes, hopefully I’m in all or most of the honors, or the AP classes next year.”
School counselor Andrea Schedler encourages students to get involved in a new community of people and activities to find new aspirations.
I think that is key to high school, being involved in things and finding a passion you might want to pursue in the future.”
Freshman Counselor Andrea Schedler
“I would definitely encourage them to branch out and get to know more new people and participate in new opportunities that they haven’t had before. I think that is key to high school, being involved in things and finding a passion you might want to pursue in the future,” Schedler said.
Schedler has focused the past three years as a freshman counselor as well as relying on years of experience to mentor her students.
“This is my third year at Jeff High as a freshman counselor, but I’ve been an educator for 18 years.”
She attended the University of Kentucky as an undergraduate, earned her elementary education degree, and minor in psychology. She also attended Eastern Kentucky for her master’s and ranked one for school counseling.
Freshman Kaylee Borelli said, “I wasn’t stressed, I just didn’t want to get lost when I got here.”
Her favorite class is also math teacher Cory Densford, and she sees herself taking AP honors classes like dual credit chemistry, Honors English, and Honors Algebra, as well as doing volleyball and being on the yearbook staff in the future.
Freshman algebra teacher Patricia Midkiff shows support to her students by demonstrating adaptive teaching techniques.
“I have people in pairs so that they have additional people to work with. I also model in front of the classroom quite a bit. I do extensive examples and we slowly build in what we’re doing in class,” she said.
Midkiff shows additional support throughout the course of the year by reviewing topics with students.
“I will work as hard as you do. What I mean by that is, I always try to motivate people, but if you are working in my class and you’re still struggling, I will work with you as much as we need to, to get you through,” she said.
Midkiff shares advice to encourage incoming freshmen in their journeys. “You succeed in your responsibility. If you want to be successful in high school, you need to take initiative.”
Every year, the incoming freshmen class gets dropped into the deep end at JHS. Most of them, for a while, don’t have any good advice that they can find because it’s not something people ask.
Freshman Harper Gordon was “absolutely terrified” for high school. She sat back and sighed, then continued talking about her years in middle school and how she came from a public Montessori school, and she “had no idea how her first time in a traditional public school was going to look like.”
She is now happy to be here, making new friends and sees herself taking regular classes and in the Hyphen in her following years here at JHS.
English 9 teacher Eric Watson said he couldn’t wait for the school year to start so he can teach all his new lessons.
“Every year, teachers want to change up their lesson plan so they grow as a teacher and learn new things themselves.” He says his new freshman classes are all amazing, and they are fast-paced learners.
English 9 teacher David Kummer helps freshman Dakota Jeat with her assignment on August 6 during his fourth period class. Kummer is demonstrating his ability to teach students efficiently. Photo by Malachi Conrad.
English 9 teacher David Kummer had a lot of tips for freshmen.
“One thing I tell my students the most is to try and find a class that they look forward to,” he said. “I think a lot of freshmen coming in this year are outgoing; the ones that are very outgoing are talkative, but also are able to buckle down and do their work.”
Kummer also had one more piece of advice for incoming freshmen:
“It gets a lot easier trying to find new friends as the year goes on. Maybe say ‘hi’ to the people you sit next to. Even if it’s nerve-wrecking, it helps out and makes things easier.”
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