Entertainment Trojan Torch Entertainment Trojan Torch

What We Wear: Jenks Students Talk Everyday Fashion

If you don’t live under a rock, you may have heard of what’s known as a “fit check” or an “OOTD” (Outfit Of The Day), a trend which has grown increasingly popular on social media. Each OOTD consists of a person or group of people pointing out different items of clothing and naming the brands of each piece for people to observe. High school is all about observing others. Did you see what blah blah blah posted? Guess who so and so is dating! What brands are people wearing? Whether you’ll admit it or not, you want to know. So I did all the work for you. Here is my masterpiece, Real School Fits. 

Read More
Entertainment Trojan Torch Entertainment Trojan Torch

The Pursuit of Positivity

There is an old story about the power of a single word: maybe. The idea is that whatever crosses your path, maybe is bad or maybe is good. The main idea is to have the patience to see things through. The story starts with a farmer and his son; they have a horse, and one day the horse decides to run off. Then, the whole village comes by and says, “That’s so awful.” The farmer replies with a simple  “maybe.” Then, a couple of days later, the horse comes back with five more. Everybody in the village says, “That's amazing!” Then the farmer stays steadfast from the last remark, simply saying, “maybe.” A few days later, his son is riding one of the horses and falls and breaks his back. Everyone from the village is up in arms, saying how horrible that is. The farmer once again follows up with one simple but true statement, “maybe.” Finally, when the generals came through looking for soldiers for war, they skipped over the farmer’s son because of his back, and all the town said, “That’s so great,” and the farmer responded with “maybe.” This seems to continue despite the situation, and truthfully, it is something that I have seen as tangible in my own life. The main idea is to have the patience to see things through.

Read More
Sports Trojan Torch Sports Trojan Torch

Youth Sports are Burning Kids Out

I'm Ethan Adkins, but if you came to the Jenks Aquatic Center, you might hear me called Coach Ethan. Coaching is one of the biggest passions in my life thus far. I have also been a competitive athlete since I was in 5th grade, which is another one of my biggest passions. To me, these two passions go hand in hand in my life. The more I learn and grow as an athlete in the sport of swimming, the better a coach I can become.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

Taking On Tulsa—My Top 5 Pizza Spots

Most people would consider themselves as experts on certain topics, but most people are wrong. To be considered a true expert, you must have more experience on that topic than most people and have evidence to back it up. 

Read More
Entertainment Trojan Torch Entertainment Trojan Torch

Beyond the Bangers: A Gen Z Teen’s Deep Dive Into MJ's Hidden Gems

With the film “Michael” coming out in April 2026, I felt it was a good time to review Michael Jackson’s solo music career. As a teenager born in the late 2000’s, I know of Michael Jackson and his masterpieces that have stood the test of time, but I really don’t know the “gems” that die-hard MJ fans know. I also feel like Michael Jackson really only has three amazing albums, so doing this review will answer that assumption for me. I’ll only be going through true solo albums, as well as only albums he was alive for. That means no “XSCAPE” (2014) or “Michael” (2010). I’ll be ranking the albums on a scale of 1-10 based on production, vocals, skipability (songs that I skip), and number of bangers in the album; I’ll give my top ten songs as well.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

Is Tulsa REALLY “Exquisite?”

Everybody talks about Tulsa like it is God’s gift to children. But when you talk to the kids, everybody says one thing: “It sucks.” Many believe that all there is to do is attend football games, go to the movies, and shop at Walmart.  As a Tulsa native myself, I agree most of the time. Tulsa lacks many of the fun experiences that other cities have. To see if this is true or not, I will be seeing some of the places people often forget about here in Tulsa, the places that are sometimes overlooked.

Read More
Entertainment Trojan Torch Entertainment Trojan Torch

Trying Awful Vintage Recipes So You Don’t Have To

Ah, the ‘60s. An era filled with The Beatles, hippie music, moon landings, and the effort to put as much gelatin as possible into the American diet. We may scoff at the bizarre creations housewives with too much free time managed to cook up, but all of us would be lying if we said we haven’t been curious what chicken salad trapped in jello would taste like. Fortunately for you, I was curious enough to actually try these recipes. Unfortunately for me, I was curious enough to actually try these recipes.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

The Battle of the B’s: Brew, Bucks, and Bros

Everyone knows that when the holiday season comes around, the thing you wish for most is a drink in hand. You want that taste of Christmas—fresh peppermint and holiday cheer—all swirled into one small sip, or in other cases, a giant gulp. The question is, which place can best give you all of those feelings and flavors wrapped into one? 

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

The Best Cheeseburger In Jenks

As the great Mahatma Gandhi once said, “Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony.” Well, Gandhi, I’d like to add one more thing to this list. Have you ever had a really good cheeseburger? I mean a really good cheeseburger. Do you even know where to find one? As someone who has eaten at least two cheeseburgers a week for as long as I can remember, I am more than ready for the extensive research that will go into this subject. To my fellow peers, I will search high and low for the best cheeseburger in Jenks… you have my word.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

A very Amber Marie Christmas: A review of your favorite boutique’s Holiday decor

Welcome to Tulsa’s very own Amber Marie and Co. boutique at Christmas: known for its classic charm and holiday spirit, Amber Marie becomes a winter wonderland each December. This review features the most iconic pieces of the boutique's festivities coming from, if I do say so myself, one of their most consistent customers. Located at the corner of 91st and Yale, the boutique, to some, is a hidden gem. Be prepared to take a deep dive into all of this season's holiday decor, gift ideas, and designer items found at Amber Marie. 

Read More
Entertainment Trojan Torch Entertainment Trojan Torch

The Tutorial Trials: Expert vs. Beginner Crochet Review

Each crochet object hangs over a podium surrounded by cameras—who is going to come out on top? Pattern designers: Crochetkit or SGIBYN (tutorials makers), the battle for the best plants begins! What’s happening you ask? We are rating crochet YouTube tutorials. One expert and one beginner in a battle to find the best crochet hanging plant tutorial YouTube has to offer. 

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

Who Really Is Mr. Morris?

After traveling to Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, and 7 times to Cambodia, Andrew Morris has the right to say he’s been around. He’s built orphanages, taught English, fed the less fortunate, preached, and fundraised on his voyages. Besides his mission trips, he's worked in a zoo, done crazy experiments with pyro, and caught a handful of raccoons at our very own school.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

Hometown Huddle: The Promotion of Jenks Athletics

Dunk tanks, water balloons, and the aroma of barbecue in the air—what do they all have in common? Hometown Huddle. Each year, Jenks holds a fundraiser downtown that brings students together to form a community and raise money for Jenks students and their sports.

Read More
Local Trojan Torch Local Trojan Torch

Suicide Prevention at Jenks High School

Struggling happens to everyone, whether that's a physical or mental struggle.  The topic of mental health and suicide is a huge stigma in our society but should be discussed more often. In 2023 the CDC said around 12.8 million people thought about committing suicide, while 3.7 million made a plan to commit, and 1.5 million attempted. In that same year 49,000 people committed suicide- that’s one nearly every 11 minutes.

Read More
Enertainment Trojan Torch Enertainment Trojan Torch

A Wheatless Week: Going Gluten Free

Almost 75% of the global population is dairy free. 10.8% experience some sort of food allergies. 30% of the population have allergies revolving around gluten. Although I may not be a part of that 30%, I am determined to experience how those individuals live their day-to-day lives eating gluten free. It’s difficult to find accommodations, snacks and meals that actually taste good in the GF community. My goal is to pinpoint quick and tasty meals while going gluten free for an entire week. While this may seem easy to some, it is most definitely a large task that some people have to uphold for the rest of their lives. Throughout this story, I will log the food and feelings I have while completing each day. I hope that by the end, you have more respect for the GF community and more motivation to complete the goals that you have set in mind even if it seems to be difficult. 

Read More