Some call it the most dangerous sport. Some say it's not even a sport at all. Cheer has always been at the center of attention for one reason or another. From doing stunts on football sidelines to bringing the energy at pep rallies, cheerleaders are always pouring their energy into getting the crowd hyped for whatever sport they need. Most viewers might think that's all they do.

When you ask an athlete why they do their sport, the answers you may receive vary so dramatically that you could hear so many different answers, it feels inconceivable.

Someone saying “they make it look effortless” is just about the highest praise you can get in sports. Seeing an athlete make their sport look so effortless begs the question, “Could I do what they’re doing?”

With the 2025 football season coming to an end, basketball is going to be the focus of our students and staff during these next few months. With insight from varsity basketball player Ryan Goodwin, I’m here to give you the inside scoop on how our players are feeling and what to expect for this upcoming season.

Imagine you spent almost your entire life doing something–something that decides what you do after school, when you take a vacation, who are going to be your friends are, and in many ways, this thing could become your entire life. Imagine that one day it just ends. For many seniors, this is the reality. 

Many athletes you talk to have had some form of injury or had something happen that caused them to halt participating in their sport. We can sometimes see how it affects them physically, whether it’s a cast, a brace, KT tape, etc. But how does it impact them deeper than what we can just see?

For many high school athletes, the dream of playing in college comes with both excitement and uncertainty. The jump in competition, workload, and personal responsibility can feel overwhelming. To get a closer look and a personal opinion on the transition, I talked to Jenks Alum Chase Martin, who experienced the transition firsthand when he stepped onto a college basketball court for the first time.

Jenks Athletics holds over 200 state titles in various athletic competitions. The skills necessary to compete at the highest level are a product of the grit and determination of Jenks athletes, and supporting these successful athletes are a wide variety of athletic shoes. Let's explore some of the soles of these successful Jenks athletes.

Most fans only see the victories on the field, but behind every healthy Jenks athlete are two women working tirelessly in the shadows. From early-morning treatments to late-night injury checks, athletic trainers Katie Munger and Jill Richardson keep the Jenks Trojans running—quietly, expertly, and without fanfare. This week, I got the chance to step behind the scenes and shadow them, seeing firsthand the nonstop hustle, care, and precision that make them the heartbeat of Jenks athletics.

As you walk into Jordan McCown's bustling classroom, you feel a sense of belonging hit you in the face. Everyone is chatting with each other, as smiles brighten the room, and laughter echoes into the hallway. The Trojan Torch is alive and burning with passion.

In every hallway, there’s more than a teacher; they guide, believe, and are compassionate towards their students, even in the ones who learn differently. At Jenks, from mild interventions to intensive one-on-one care, the three levels of special education work together to ensure every life is well-suited for success. Behind those classrooms stand teachers who have patience and dedication that form the school.

Last year, many of the teachers in our theatre department resigned, and multiple great new teachers stepped up and joined our department. Allison Dodge moved from Owasso to Jenks to become Jenks High School’s new stage makeup teacher and has become loved and intertwined in our department. Since the beginning of this school year, she’s done stage management, directed The Crucible play, stagecraft, and stage makeup for our department.

The classroom is mostly quiet as you take a seat at one of the tables in the debate room, turned into  a pavilion of prose. The air crackles with unspoken words and unsnapped fingers. Words that could invoke feelings that other spoken or written words could not. This is Jenks High School Poets Society.

Feelings of uncertainty, nervous glances at strangers passing by, struggling to find your next class mere minutes before the bell rings — these are all emotions that a typical new student would feel, but not Temperance Parker. With her bright smile, bubbly personality, and experience in both softball and media, Parker is the last person to let moving schools dim her light.

Founded just this year, the Environmental Club at Jenks High School is on a mission to make students more mindful of their impact on the planet. Through projects, meetings, and school-wide initiatives, the club aims to turn environmental awareness into meaningful action.

In a room with black walls, ceilings, and floors, Allyson Blackshare manages to light up her classroom with her energetic teaching style and positive attitude. A Jenks Alumna and former OSU theatre student, she knows her way around a stage. Blackshare is young, fun, and full of energy. Just sitting in a room and talking to her could make anyone realize how she’s become a beloved teacher in such a short amount of time.

Jack McInelly is a 2024-2025 graduate from Jenks High School who is currently at Army West Point. He’s a Jenks lifer, Football player, Lacrosse player, Mr. JHS runner-up, and member of multiple other clubs. Not only did he show the meaning of being a Trojan, but he's now on the way to showing what it means to be a patriot.

Colorful flags, music from across the globe, and slideshows of international dishes and traditions filled the Jenks High School PAC on Tuesday night as students gathered for the annual ISP Night of Culture. Hosted by ISP (International Scholars Program), the event served to celebrate diversity, student collaboration, and spread global awareness.

Sports are one of the few things that can unite an ever-so-divisive world. People from different backgrounds, states, and countries can all unite behind sports, whether that's watching them or playing them. However, not everyone is born with the ability to play sports like everyone else. Some kids are born with Down syndrome or with cerebral palsy, but how do they get to participate in sports? What's available for them?

One student's passion for birding is actively changing the city's nightlife and saving local avian lives in the Tulsa community. Senior Tej Beniwal, who founded the Jenks Birding Club in 2023, promotes bird observation and conservation at Jenks High School and within the Tulsa area as a whole.