For the past 4 years, Jenks Varsity Pom has competed at the OSSAA State gameday competition. OSSAA stands for Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association, and most Jenks sports attend and compete at OSSAA competitions.  With a gold in 2023 and 2024. 

This past October was the 14th anniversary of the release of the BBC’s Sherlock, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson respectively. The show would run for 7 years spanning 4 seasons. The final episode, cleverly titled “The Final Problem”, would air in January of 2017 capping off a television show that would inspire many people to venture into the Sherlock stories and the broader mystery genre.

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.

Pickleball has become a national phenomenon recently, and a favorite sport for so many people in the Jenks community. Nevertheless, there are many misconceptions about the sport, so here are some of the basics.

A typical high school Athletic Director is in charge of all sports at their high school, however ours here at Jenks has a widely known secret, he also is an NFL Ref. His name is Clay Martin, he takes on the responsibility of managing both one of the state's best districts for athletics and managing NFL games each week. 

Imagine this: You walk into a bowling alley expecting to be able to bowl, but instead, you see all the lanes filled with kids in different types of collared shirts, filling in the lanes from end to end. Behind them, all types of supporters take up the tables and counters, along with tall foldable chairs. The attendance person kindly tells you that for today, they are closed and will be until 4.

If you think cheerleading is all sideline chants and sparkly uniforms, you would be highly mistaken. Cheer might’ve started out that way, but it has quickly changed to something vastly different. The world of cheer has evolved from fun filled cheering on the sidelines to a world of intricate routines, stunts, dances, and most importantly, injuries. 

Jenks women's basketball has struggled for over a decade, with some seasons ending with only 4 wins.Last year the team ended with their best record since 2011, with a win total of 15 games. With former Jenks guard Jill Twiehaus committing to Rice University there is going to be hole ware the team has to fill for this coming season, but  assistant coach Amanda Taylor this shouldn’t be a problem. 

Jenks Softball has been around for years providing players with experience and happy memories. And the biggest thing about Jenks softball? They step up to the plate and bring grit and excellence to bat.

For over 28 years, the Texas Longhorns and the Oklahoma Sooners have been playing in the Big 12 conference. Composed of 16 teams, this conference scours across the nation and includes teams from Texas, Oklahoma, Arizona, Colorado, Kansas, Iowa, West Virginia, Utah, Ohio and Florida (SEC Network). As both Texas and Oklahoma were founding teams within the Big 12, nobody suspected their abrupt departure. When they announced their movement to the SEC, the main question surfacing the nation was: Why? Why would two of the top Big 12 teams move conferences with little to no explanation. After heavily researching, I found that the answer was quite simple. Publicity and money. 

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? 

Gaming culture has skyrocketed throughout the years, becoming more socially acceptable; so much so, that we have competitions for certain games. Four years ago, Jenks’ Esports began as just a club with nothing. Now, they have won state championships and are in the top 25 in the country. Though Esports doesn’t get its recognition, they work hard to get where they are now. Having recently been deemed a “sport” by the Oklahoma Secondary School Athletic Association (OSSAA), the team reached the top 25 in PlayVS –  the national Esports competition for multiple games – with an 87.50% winning match, securing spot 17. 

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. 

The Olympics, the World renowned international sporting event featuring athletes from hundreds of countries. It would be safe to say that everyone has heard of the Olympics and has watched at least one event in their lifetime. But did you know there is also an Olympic competition for those with intellectual and physical disabilities?