A Handmade Holiday: Winter Waltz 2025

By Hannah Marble

The muffled thump of bass and distant chatter of the crowd seeped through the doors outside West Jordan High School on the Night of December 13th. As the door swung open, the surreal experience vanished. “Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis instantly raises the spirits of everyone coming in.

Looking around at the scenery, the decorations were unique and had a winter wonderland style, mixed with Elf, the dance theme. Despite having a 120 dollar budget, our Sources of Strength group (SOS) only used $20 of that, opting to make everything by hand to keep costs down.

The caramel crunch ice cream from Blue Moo offered a fleeting, sugary sanctuary—a burst of sweet magic that served as the night’s peak. Beyond the refreshment, the floor shifted between restless mosh pits and tight-knit dance circles, revealing a room far thinner than the packed gym of homecoming or prom.

While the crowd lacked the sheer numbers of the major formals, the atmosphere remained heavy and humid. The scent of exertion hung thick in the air, a pungent reminder that even a smaller gathering can pulse with the sweat and frantic energy of those leaving everything on the dance floor.

Mamma Mia!

By Henry Brown

The theater department has done it again! I went to Mamma Mia, the school’s fall musical, and what a treat it was. I’ve been to a lot of musicals in my time, and Mamma Mia was one of the best high school performances I’ve ever seen. Mamma Mia is a story about a girl, her wedding, her strong-willed mother, and her three potential dads. The songs are by the Swedish pop band ABBA, and every scene will put a smile on your face. If you didn’t have a chance to see our students perform the play this fall, you should at least check out the movie.

West Jordan’s talented students put on quite the show. Sophie, the main character, was played by the wonderfully talented Jasmine Orozco. El Wyatt more than filled her role as Donna, Sophie's mother. Emery Balmforth and Camryn Ridley played Rosie and Tanya, respectively. Never have a more dynamic trio been seen on stage than El, Emery and Camryn. Their energy was out of this world! Sophie’s two best friends were played by Anne Almeida and Giada Bruso. The role of Sky was filled by the unparalleled Canon Dahl. And of course we can’t forget the comedic, boisterous, and heartwarming trio of potential Fathers. Sam was played by Christian Wadoups, Harry by Miles McCafferty, and Bill by Michael Mortensen. I wish I could mention each of the other cast members individually, but there just isn’t the time. The talent was amazing, the costumes were dazzling, and the set was perfectly put together. Congratulations on a top tier performance to everyone who participated in Mamma Mia.

Sadie “Yee-Haw”kin's

By Arik Sala

On November 15th West Jordan High had its second dance of the year, the Sadie Hawkin's dance from 8 - 10 pm. This year's theme for the Sadie's was old fashioned western so everyone was wearing cowboy hats, jeans, and flannel. As you entered the dance they gave you a ticket to go to the saloon at the back of the dance that was serving soda with different flavorings in it. Besides the dance there was also a game section with games like UNO and cornhole.

The dance was being held in the commons where you would enter through saloon doors then go through a mineshaft. Another addition to the entrance of the dance added by the SBO's was a graveyard for Copper Hills referencing an Instagram post made by the SBO's with a Copper Hills grave mocking another post made by Copper Hills which had a West Jordan tombstone.

The dances only had a few line dancing songs which was disappointing since it was a western themed dance. The students at the dance were energetic and gave the dance an amazing feeling. By the end of the dance there were a lot of hat belts on the floor from peoples cowboy hats. In the end the Sadie’s dance had amazing vibes and had a turnout of around 200 - 300 students at the dance and from what I heard it was one of the best Sadie Hawkins dances at West Jordan in the past few years.

MAMMA MIA!

2025 West Jordan High School Musical

Photos by Rain Thorley

Photos by Ben Scharman

Dreamscapes Field Trip

By Ben Scharman

The photography class embarked on a field trip to Dreamscapes, an interactive art museum located in the heart of The Gateway. The museum, constructed by local artists using donated materials, offers a unique experience with each room featuring a distinct theme designed to evoke emotion.

Students were captivated by the interactive elements within each room. Highlights included rooms with interactive games and color-changing buttons. The main attraction, a massive ball pit within a makeshift forest, proved to be a popular spot. Adjacent to the ball pit, a tunnel illuminated by strobe lights added to the immersive experience. Daxton Reid, a student on the trip, commented, "I thought the museum had a lot of cool elements that made the experience great."

The day's adventures extended beyond the museum. The class enjoyed a lively game of heads-up on the train ride. Upon arrival, students indulged in a variety of treats, with one student savoring a Nashville hot chicken sandwich.

The journey to the museum was marked by a sudden downpour, leaving the students thoroughly drenched. Despite the unexpected weather, the trip was deemed a success. The photography class expressed their appreciation for the teachers who organized the memorable outing.

Tricken Out of the Trunks

By Korver DeNovellis

The parking lot transformed into a Halloween wonderland last Saturday as the community gathered for the annual Trunk or Treat. Cars lined up side to side, each one decked out. Students, teachers, and families roamed around the parking lot, filling up on candy. Some are not even there for candy but for the love of the game. There were also plenty of other things going on, like booths, games, and the best part, food.

We had plenty of the school show up and show out. Several clubs participated, including (SOS, Dance Co, Tennis, and Girls Basketball, who courteously hosted the event, Boys Basketball, POP Club, Drill, and Latinos in Action). The friendly competition of having a better trunk than anyone else definitely made people go all out this year.

Beyond all the fun and sugar rush, the annual trunk or treat showed the strong sense of the West Jordan community. Big thanks to everyone who came and who helped out, and of course, a hand of applause for the Girls' Basketball team and all they do for the school.

Gameday Done Right: JagBash Edition

By Korver DeNovellis, Daxton Reid, and Benjamin Scharman

This year’s JagBash was filled with fun activities and delicious food... (read more)

This year’s JagBash was filled with fun activities and delicious food, preparing students to show their school spirit at the Homecoming game. There were many clubs there, each having its own activities and prizes. Some of the clubs there included SOS, Asian Alliance, the Basketball and Swim teams, and countless more. Even with all of these activities, the main attraction was the delicious hot dogs grilled by the SBOs. They offered these to attendees for free, plus a drink and a bag of chips.

We had the opportunity to interview some people who were in attendance. One of them being Kyler Tran, who is an SBO for the school. Kyler says he loves JagBash because “It brings the whole community together.” We asked him what his favorite things are at JagBash. He replied, “Free food and spending time with my friends.” He was super excited for the school dance and considers himself a party guy.

We also interviewed Austin Avis, a member of the community and a student at West Jordan High School. We asked him what his favorite activity at JagBash was, and he seemed to really enjoy eating the scones. We also asked him which Homecoming activity he liked the best, and he replied with, “Definitely the football game.”

Finally, we ended with the greatest principal of all time, Hutch. He said, “I love the game and how people come out to celebrate with each other." His favorite part of the week is the Pep Rally, and we asked him to elaborate on that. Hutch responded with “People come out to support our school and everyone involved with the pep rally, plus the fireworks and burning of the Dub J.” We asked him one final question. How can JagBash improve next year? He said, “I want the watermelon eating contest to come back, 2 time champ by the way. I want more people to come out and have more fun.”

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