ARROWHEAD PRESS
ONLINE NEWSPAPER
The Sound of Family
By: Brendon Hawkins
The football games are a fun event that happens most weeks, but there is a heart to them that goes very overlooked.
The Jackson High School marching band is a key component of a football game. A component that doesn't get nearly enough recognition, but is arguably one of the most tight-knit hard-working communities in the school.
“I think it's like a big ole family, it's really fun, a lot of bonding activities. And you know, school pride,” stated senior Abigail Stevens, captain of the color guard.
Stevens talks about how everybody gets along in the band, other than of course the annoying little brother or sister, but with all families there are parental issues.
“Sometimes the director gets on my nerves,” stated Front ensemblist Ava Briner (‘24).
Briner is a current senior who has been in the program for many years, and while sometimes the band director gets on her nerves she has very high respect for them. But, some people don't have such serious takes.
“I chose it 'cause I liked the thought, it's a big slidey trumpet,” stated Trombone player Riley Penny (‘26).
Penny is a funny guy who loves marching band; he knows how to make everyone laugh and helps make the band feel a little more like family, but an answer that Stevens shared is that most people gave some form of really sums up most opinions of the marching band members.
“I've always loved band and I wouldn't want to do anything else,” stated Stevens.
Painting Pumpkins
Art club members help out with Oktoberfest activities
By: Salem Haugh
The job seems simple, but it can easily become extremely messy once there are five kids all at once coming to paint a pumpkin.
“We art club people are mainly there for mess control--the many messy brushes and spilled paint and water. Ha! We were the constant clean-up crew,” said Ms. Talley, the sponsor of the art club.
Talley always tries to have her Art Club members get out and work with the community with community service projects, including this one.
“I am a member of the Design Committee (one of the 4 parts of the Uptown Jackson Revitalization Organization) so that's why the high school Arts groups like the art club are always asked to do this community service (or something similar).... and in this case, pumpkins!” Talley stated.
Despite it seeming overwhelming, it’s still fun to see the kids painting their imaginations out. It’s the highlight of many club members’ day.
“Letting kids see their imagination is fun because not a lot of kids have an imagination nowadays,” McDaniel said.
The art club is constantly going out and helping with the community, not only with Oktoberfest. They paint faces, help out with school events like the Winter Festival, and much more. The Oktoberfest pumpkin painting stand is one of the most beloved by art club members though.
It’s only 10 a.m. and the stand for kids to be painting is flooded. You’re forced to grab benches from the stage to have more room for the many kids begging to paint a pumpkin. This is what many art club students do at Oktoberfest on the first weekend of October.
“We got funded by the mayor of the city for the pumpkins so we were running a stall to let kids paint pumpkins,” Allysa McDaniel, a member of the art club, stated.
The Jams We Love
JHS students discuss their favorite album of 2023.
By: Zoey Zyduck
The topic of the best album of 2023 is a wildcard. Students from freshmen to seniors all have different tastes. But when polled, the winning album was clear: ¨GUTS¨ By Olivia Rodrigo (31%) placed first, with ¨For All The Dogs¨ by Drake (7.1%) and ¨Pink Tape¨ by Lil Uzi Vert (4.8%) coming in second and third.
¨I can relate to some of the songs, and I like the beat to the music. I just really like her music and I love the style of her music,¨ stated Alexis Felts (10th) about Olivia Rodrigo´s album.
While the top three were clear, a lot of students loved albums that weren't so popular this year. ¨Nostalgia by Rodwave made me feel sad, happy, and nostalgic. I enjoyed this album because it is relatable and Rod Wave has an amazing voice that spreads a positive message. My favorite song was ´Boyz Don't Cry,´¨ said freshman Dawson Brackett.
Another album mentioned was WEEDKILLER by Ashnikko. Dalton Swofford (26) said it was his favorite 2023 album.
¨Absolutely love all of Ash's music and this album has probably been her best yet. I just love her music so much. My favorite song from the album
is ´You Make Me Sick!´ It has to be the best song on the album. It's a recent classic among all of her fanbase and definitely will go down as one of her most popular releases,¨ said Swofford.
The emotions a song makes a person feel are important. Some of the students like songs that will bring them joy, and some like songs that wind down the mood. Our poll showed, that 73.8% of students said they like music that makes them happy, and 50% said they like songs that make them sad. Nostalgic and angry came in third and fourth with 28.6% and 26.2% of votes.
Overall the best album of 2023 for JHS is GUTS By Olivia Rodrigo. With its upbeat songs and relatable teenage lyrics, we've got that album on repeat.
The Artist Behind the Art
Meeting the artists that color JHS
By: Zoey Zyduck
The sounds of pencils sketching in the art room is a guarantee. Students chattering and teachers leading a group painting session. From sketching to pottery, Mr. Legrand teaches it all.
Mr. Legrand is one of the art department teachers. Throughout the years he's had lots of careers but teaching art has been his refuge.
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¨I don't know what else I would do now if I wasn't teaching. I was 24 working at the bank and I hated it. I also worked at restaurants, fixing cars and I worked painting walls.¨ said Legrand
Working at Jackson changed the life trajectory of Mr. Legrand. Now he is an amazing art teacher who students love and his fellow art teachers appreciate.
¨I took art because it sounded like an easy class. But Mr Legrand made the class fun and enjoyable as well. My favorite unit was painting, I painted a horse.¨ Student Avagail Nations (‘24) said
Legrand takes pride in being an artist and a beloved art teacher at JHS. through the highs and lows of teaching, he thinks it's all worth it.
¨When I started doing this it was really, really hard. But I didn't quit because there are things I really love about teaching so it has really good highs that help balance out the lows. It's definitely better than working at the bank though.¨
The art department as a whole is very collaborative, they meet a lot to ensure their curriculum and assignments are the best for their students.
¨we meet once a week during collab we make sure all our plans line up and talk about what we are gonna do next.¨ Legrand stated.
¨no matter what we are doing in his class I can expect it to be fun and I know Mr. Legrand will be there to help me with any struggles I have¨ Zyke Zyduck (26´) said.
Every day when a student goes into Mr. Legrand's room, they know art that day is going to be enjoyable and perfect for them. At JHS our art department is a family where students feel at home.
Aspiring Artist
Art is more than what’s on the canvas
By: Avagail Nations
The paintbrush gently glides across the dull canvas, slowly building a beautiful masterpiece. The light brush strokes slowly fade as the wet paint dries.
Whitney Langford (12) goes to JHS, she takes Mrs. Talley’s art class. She loves art and does it in her free time when she’s not at school or working.
“I can definitely see myself going farther with art in college,” said Langford.
She’s looked at a few of the art programs provided by different colleges, but she hasn’t decided fully what she wants to do yet, so she’s been researching. She is excited to see what the college programs can offer.
“I don’t see it as a career choice,” stated Langford. She doesn’t see it as a sustainable job. It’s not her ideal career choice, but she still loves art. Langford wants to go into business or the medical field, but wants to do art on the side. Art is more of a hobby to her than a job.
“She gave me my first paint set,” said Langford. Her grandma will forever be a big part of her life. Langford’s grandma has always gifted her art supplies for holidays. Due to the constant restocking from her grandma, she never runs out. The special connection they share fuels Langford’s passion for art.
“I’ve always loved art because it’s a safe space for me,” said Langford. She was creative from the start and showed her talents throughout elementary school. Art is a way Langford relaxes or takes her mind off things. Langford works and is also a student so due to her busy schedule she is constantly stressed. She uses art as an escape and so do a lot of others.