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The Jenks Standard: Gaylor’s Mission

Jenks High School has a rich history, especially in football. The Oklahoma powerhouse is home to 18 State Championships. The dominance of this scale was built by legendary coaching, from the founder of the standard R. Perry Beaver to the legendary Allan Trimble, and then the bridge Keith Riggs

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The Life of the Drumline

The first people to greet you on the first day of school, the ones who come out for a section of a pep rally, and the group you can hear from the bleachers of a football game, the drumline. The Jenks Trojan drumline is a group of 20 percussionists who practice countless hours a week to be perfectly prepared for competitions and special gigs throughout the school year. 

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Oklahoma State-Wide Phone Ban Strikes up Conversation for Jenks High School Students

Last school year, phones were a common sight in our school days. Students' eyes glued to their phones at lunch, surrounded by their peers, who did the same, AirPods in both ears, blasting music. Hallways were filled with teenagers texting or calling as they walked from class to class. But since the ¨bell-to-bell¨ state wide phone ban was implemented, things have changed---not a phone in sight. Whether you're for the ban or against it, it seems like everyone has an opinion. Concerns for safety and being able to focus without music battle reports of more involved and more social classes. An anonymous survey was conducted as an opportunity for students to express how they really feel, in their own words. From Freshmen to Seniors, our Jenks student body has had a lot to say about it.

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Homecoming: Tradition V.S. Planning

You slide on your shoes, maybe even put bandaids on your heels, your shoes rub against your swollen ankles leaving little bubbles of flesh. Whether it be heels or dress shoes we can all agree while the blisters persist for weeks nothing can compete with this school event. The glimmering lights, blaring music, a dumb poster and uncomfortable shoes…HOCO. A school tradition, which prides itself on welcoming a new football season is a sizable price tag and planning tradition. Jenks’ STUCO event planners, Riley Sharp and Madelynn Goss, give us a hefty update on the 2025 dance and how tradition meets planning.

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Sports Trojan Torch Sports Trojan Torch

The NBA’s Comeback to TV

The National Basketball Association, better known as the NBA, has been around since 1949 with a merger of two basketball leagues that were established only three years prior, according to this link. The NBA was something new and exciting to the usual baseball and football games that played on TV. It grew to popularity during the late 70s and early 80s.

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The Outlet Mall: Pros and Cons

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.

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Money, Money, Money: Where Does it Go?

There have been sudden recent talks about education and shortage of teachers, substitutes, and bus drivers. With a recent vote giving Jenks the budget for a 19-million-dollar bond, it had me wondering: Where does the school budget go?

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Jenks Athletes Battle Record Heat

Imagine you are on the field under the blistering sun, heart pounding, sweat dripping down your face. You feel the sun beams hit your back as exhaustion overcomes you. Every day is the same. Same burning sun, same draining drills. Your breath is shaky and your body is about to give out, but a surge of pure adrenaline rushes through your veins.

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A Turning Page: Views On Oklahoma’s Continuous Banned Books Debacle

Books have always been an integral part of my life. My first memory with books comes from my Mom, who spent hundreds of nights reading me her favorites like Little House In The Big Woods, or The Kissing Hand. As I’ve gotten older books have still been there, connecting me with new people and new emotions--taking me on wild journeys across new lands, or comforting me with stories that feel like home.

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Local, Business Local, Business

Rain Ross Brings a Fresh Fade to Jenk’s Main Street

When a local thinks of Jenks’s downtown or mainstreet, the word “modern” doesn’t come to mind. It’s old school, with a jukebox joint, an ice cream parlor, and plenty of antique shops that you can pluck straight out of the 50’s. As more creative and innovative spaces pop up in Tulsa, it’s about time that Jenks had some renovation. Rain Ross, Jenks High School 2013 alumni, is hoping to be the front of that innovation, one haircut at a time. Ross is the founder and owner of All Good Studio and Barbershop, a creative space and salon showcasing different local arts communities under one roof.

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Sports, Local Sports, Local

“You Cheer like a Girl”: The Toughness and Resilience of Being a Jenks Cheerleader

Wake up, go to school, practice - an endless cycle for most athletes at Jenks. Our bodies have become so used to these routines to perfect our crafts. Imagine working hard every day, all year round, just to receive feedback that what you are doing is not considered a “sport.” Jenks Cheer members experience this kind of criticism on a day-to-day basis but have to keep pushing forward. Savvy Travis, Sophomore, on the Jenks Varsity Cheer Team, talks about how the public view on cheer has an impact on her team.

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