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.

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. 

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. 

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?

A majority of the Jenks community is able to say they’ve found themselves at a Friday Night Lights game sometime throughout the years. They‘ll walk through the gate, find their seat on the bleachers, and watch a game of football like millions of other schools are doing on that very same night. If they go to a game this year they may see something new. All of a sudden the opposing team is on third down and a song starts playing from the speakers. Cheer and Pom girls are on the sidelines holding signs and chanting, desperately trying to get the crowd to participate. 

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.

With a rough start to the season, Jenks is currently 1-2 just recently suffering a tough 9-3 loss to Union. Heading into Bixby in a must-win game early in the season, this might be a test for Jenks as they dropped two games in a row to Union and Owasso. The future of the season is uncertain for Jenks.

For an evening filled with vibrant colors, sounds, and displays from around the globe, Jenks students, families, and community members are welcome to join The International Scholars Program (ISP) for their annual Global Village hosted at Jenks Intermediate School. The event takes place on October 10th and celebrates the diversity of the student body and the rich cultural heritages they bring to the school by means of a walk around and hands-on experience.

While summer is coming to an end and pools are turning cold, the pool at the Jenks Trojan Aquatic Center is starting to heat up with many swimmers training for this upcoming season. This is where Senior Alexis Selden is staying busy motivating her teammates to return to gold.

Known as America’s favorite pastime, baseball is the pinnacle of sports with over 162 games a season. High school baseball is the same, but just with 25 to 40 games (brucebolt.us) and with a little more youth.

The first day of school; for some it’s exciting, for others it’s the start of just another year. After the same usual struggle of finding parking, you take a look around, expecting nothing different, only to find two arches marking the main entrance, and construction workers putting in turf and concrete benches in tapped off areas. These small add-ons to campus are cute, but what is the reasoning behind it? 

Imagine you’re in a hot desert. The heat makes the people around you multiply, seemingly thousands of people are surrounding you. All of them go in separate directions in search of the best deal. This isn’t your average desert; this is the new Outlet Mall.

Imagine starting a new book, getting a few chapters in, and finding that this new book speaks to you in ways that no book ever has. The characters, the story, and the overarching message makes you feel so understood in a world that doesn’t quite understand you. Now imagine that book being ripped away from you. Each page being torn, crumpled, gone. Banned