Welcome to Tulsa’s very own Utica Square at Christmas: Known for its classic charm and holiday spirit, Utica Square becomes a winter wonderland each December. This review features the most iconic pieces of the Utica Square festivities and most accessorized stores. Be prepared to take a journey through Pottery Barn, Amber Marie, and Glacier Chocolate to explore their Christmas decorations for the 2024 season with a few surprises here and there. Be on the lookout for the holidays most memorable nut-cracking tool.

Like many other high school students I have a severe caffeine addiction and usually can’t go a day without consuming some form of it. Whether it be coffee or an energy drink I have tried so many different kinds. We’ve all tried the current chain coffee shops by our school like Starbucks and Dutch Bros, but a new phenomenon is currently being built, and it's known as 7 Brew. 

Every time I try to study in my house I feel like I'm the least productive person to exist. From wanting to crawl back into my warm bed and just go to sleep or my brothers screaming while playing some video game studying at home is just insanely difficult, but if I studied in a cafe every day my bank account would cry at the cost of having to buy some overpriced coffee just for a quiet warm place with wifi to get some homework done. Luckily libraries exist to give you a free study space with wifi. In this article, I’m going to rate the different public libraries all within eight miles of the school. I will rate the libraries on a scale of one to ten based on their noise level, their vibe and aesthetic, their seating, and their charging stations because we all know the school-assigned Chromebook's battery life is non-existent. Rating these libraries I’ll start off with the closest to the high school being only 0.4 miles away, and the smallest library I visited, and then will work our way out to the furthest library being just less than eight miles away.

There seems to be one candy you can always guarantee worldwide: chocolate. Everyone has a certain type of chocolate that they make. Whether it be super authentic chocolate or not, there’s always some type of chocolate bar nearby.

I, Isabella Banaro, am a devout Peace Tea drinker. I love sweet tea and have enjoyed the taste of many sweetened and flavored teas in my day. However, in my eyes, after trying teas from many, many brands and restaurants… One remains the best: Peace Tea. I drink Peace Teas multiple times a week - my bank account is crying - and I have to restrain myself from partaking in them daily. Here, I have ranked the (available) flavors from my least to most favorite. So, here are the four available flavors (or “colors”) that you can find at your local QT. Unless you live in Canada, they have many more available flavors there apparently.

Jenks Cross Country is confident and ready to change the narrative. Assistant coach Michael Daniels and head coach James Strahorn are ready to push their team and are adamant that Jenks Cross Country could surprise people and make a push for a state title. Jenks Cross Country has had struggles on the men’s side as their last title came almost a decade ago in 2015.

Everyone knows Mr. Breig, but we all know him in different ways. As you take a deeper dive into who he really is, apart from being your science teacher, you might be really surprised. For some people he’s a dad, while for others he is the head of the science department at Jenks. A is coach to some and a church leader to others but in all, he is Mr. Breig. He’s the teacher who lives 20 lives.

Curt Sharp is a teacher here at Jenks High School where he teaches an assortment of classes from Leadership, Government and U.S. History. However he has a rather unique background, he has traveled to Eastern Europe and Guinea to even South America. He even spent 6 years in the Philippines, where he taught multiple different subjects to a variety of cultures.  

Imagine a place where faith comes alive, friendships are built on shared beliefs, and every conversation is filled with purpose. Welcome to Jenks Jesus Club, where students gather not just to grow spiritually but to make a real difference in each other’s lives.

In a unique class at Jenks Middle School, students take learning to a new level. Students spend 6 months rigorously studying the culture, history, and language of a specific country. Then in February they get to experience an unforgettable trip where they visit the country they have spent months studying. That class is known as Global.

When most people are little their parents put them in sports like soccer, dance, football, or cheer. But not everyone actually continues with these sports as they grow up, they usually try out new things until they find what sticks. Carter Jackson, senior at Jenks High School, used to cheer when she was younger and her dad wanted to guarantee she did not stick with it. So he sent her to horse camp. 

From coach to teacher, photographer to entrepreneur, Hanna Giddens does it all. Whether you find yourself at a Jenks Basketball game, in need of epic photos or looking for a great history teacher, she’s your go to girl. “Coach Giddens” as most Jenks students refer to her as, is a powerhouse within the Jenks High School community. 

From designing houses, to helping deaf kids learn, to even lending a hand in the fight against human trafficking, Jenks high school seniors can explore a plethora of opportunities in just about any field in their internships. 

In the back corner of the Jenks High School campus while you're walking to your car you may see little kids running through mini playgrounds, pigtails and little floral dresses flapping in the wind behind them, a group of little kids pushing plastic toy construction trucks, and a couple of kids standing along the fence, their small hands gripping the bars like its a prison, as they watch you walk by. As you walk toward the front of the building you will see more mini fenced-off playgrounds with water tables and, and slides. But what is this little school building full of young children on a high school campus, and what are they doing in there? 

There are many adventures that take place in a kindergarten classroom each day, both expected and unexpected. Jenks senior Sophie Davis is an aspiring early childhood educator and is currently interning for Laura Winsworth, a Jenks Southeast kindergarten teacher.

High school is all about preparing you for the future. But for the average student, this is difficult. This is what College and Career is for. All the college counselors help the students, sophomores and up, with their future whether that is college visits, applying for college, work, or more. They send emails almost every week or day giving an update on what colleges or workshops come to Jenks High School all the time.

From Jenks, Oklahoma to New York Broadway, Cody Davis has truly lived the “dream,” yet here he is, back in his hometown making a way in the arts for others at his Alma Mater. 

As a junior in high school, who is constantly getting told that I need to pick a career, I am also getting told that I need to be careful because some career fields are being taken over by artificial intelligence (AI). I'm extremely confused. What kind of jobs are being taken over? If we are not supposed to use AI in class, how are we going to be prepared to use it in our future careers, are the schools preparing us for this, or are they just throwing us into the world not knowing whether AI is a useful tool or the enemy?  Are there going to be any jobs left? What do the teachers think? I have so many questions, and luckily, I got to talk to a lot of intelligent people at the High School to help clear up some of my questions and figure out how to approach AI. 

Heading to the restroom, advisory, or even the counselors, has always been a simple note saying “John to Mr. Smith - Mrs. Doe.”  Now that the new digital hall passes system, 5Star, has been implemented for about a month now, students have been in an uproar. Students are upset with the short time limits, teachers are upset with the system and advisory passes, and are collectively just confused. Although it seems that the general public isn’t feeling the most positive about 5-Star, we at Trojan Torch are determined to figure out why students dislike it so much, and what the admins have to say about it? 

A maroon curtain conceals the organized chaos going on backstage. People are running from room to room, gathering groups and getting everyone in order. There’s trails of glitter and sparkles left on the floor and everywhere you look you see a different colored dress.