By Camille Swink '28

When it comes to winter semi-formal, girls put a lot of time and thought into their choice of dress, both in their attempt to meet the guidelines and also feel confident about themselves.

Popular colors this year include jewel tones such as emerald, ruby, and sapphire blue. A lot of the girls are going for darker colored dresses this year, which complements paler, winter skin. Popular styles this year consist of scoop necklines and fitted bodices.

Many girls shopped for their dresses at Macy's, Windsor, and Nordstrom. The challenge of dress shopping is making sure you find a unique dress that no one else will have.

Semi-Formal will take place on Saturday, January 18 at River Forest Country Club.

By Vanessa Schneider '28

We listen to music everyday, but being able to play music is on a whole other level. The new program, SJHS Band, lets students pursue their passion for music. 

There are four different parts of an orchestra; strings, brass, woodwinds, and percussion. Saxophone, clarinet, flute, and oboe among others, are part of the woodwind category.

“I have been playing the saxophone for three years,” said Reagan Aigner ‘28.

The saxophone is said to originate in the mid-1800s. It is a part of the woodwind category because it has a reed. A reed is a material that vibrates to create sounds for woodwind instruments. A saxophone is most commonly known for jazz music, but it is played in almost every genre.

“Although it was originally envisioned as a classical and military instrument, it has since made its way into almost every genre of music around the world from pop and rock to jazz, classical, and the avant garde,” said Bloomingdale School of Music.

Another commonly known instrument group is percussion. The timpani, xylophone, cymbals, the triangle, snare drum, and bass drum among others, are all used in an orchestra. Any percussion instrument makes a sound by being hit, shaken, or scraped.

“I’ve been playing percussion for six years,” said Chase Porter ‘28.

A composer is a person who writes music. Almost everyone knows of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and Tchaikovsky. They are composers from around the classical era in music. Bach was born in the 1680s and died in 1750. Three of his most famous pieces are D Minor Partita, The Brandenburg Concertos, and The Goldberg Variations.

“Bach’s my favorite composer because he took his wig off and threw it at his producer,” said Porter ‘28.

Beethoven is one of the most well known composers. He was born in 1770 and died in 1827. Beethoven is well known for Moonlight Sonata and Für Elise. Moonlight Sonata is played on the piano and is a total of 15 minutes long when played at a standard tempo. Für Elise is not a very long piece. It is a total of five minutes long. Für Elise is also played on the piano.

“Beethoven is probably my favorite composer because his music is so full of emotion. Moonlight Sonata is one of my favorite piano pieces my mother plays,” said Aigner ‘28.

Martha Capone, the SJHS Band teacher, has been teaching for 41 years. Capone is able to play all of the instruments to show technique and model musical elements. She is a saxophone and clarinet player for pit orchestras in musicals. Capone has big plans for the SJHS Band program.

“I am hoping to expand the opportunities for SJHS band students to perform and grow as musicians. Since we have students who are playing the saxophone and drums, I am planning to create a jazz band that will perform in the spring. I am also hoping to have students play for the Commencement ceremony. Eventually I would love to see a pep band formed for basketball games, and additional small ensembles to perform for events,” said Capone.

Band is a way for students to embrace their inner musician and play music for their family and friends. This program is helping more students get into the art of music and being able to play amazing pieces by so many different composers. Band is so much more than just playing an instrument, it brings the piece to life right in front of the audience and makes them feel something. Learning how to play an instrument takes time and practice.

“People think that playing the drums is really easy, but the more you play it, the more complicated it gets. It shouldn’t be discouraging, it should be like a challenge,” said Porter ‘28.

By Isabella Thomas '27

Years later, Saint Joseph alumni choose to send their children to the same school they attended. They are excited to see both the changes and similarities.

“There’s a whole new building,” Julie Thomas ‘97 said, “and gym classes are in the gym.”

The Sci-Tech building opened in 2009. Before that, teachers had to find other ways to have gym class. They would go to Plaza Lanes, a bowling alley that opened in the Heights Plaza in 1959. It closed in 2005 due to high rent costs. Karate classes were also offered in Patterson Hall.

“We didn’t have a gym when I attended SJHS,” said Tammy Bayne ‘98, mother of sophomores Mattalie and Braylie Bayne. “The gym makes it feel more like a high school environment.”

Alumni are happy to see continuing additions to the education at SJHS. There are more classes offered that allow students to find what they are interested in.

“I definitely have noticed a different selection of courses and more of a selection,” said Bayne ‘98. “My favorite class was literature. The teacher made the class interesting and creative.”

College credit is another important part of education at SJHS. The credits students get are a great help, especially in the first year of college.

Thomas ‘97 said, “SJHS gave me college credit making my freshman year easier, and gave me a good educational foundation to pass my classes.”

By Sophia Ranalli '28

Imagine if you could choose whomever you want to be your teacher. Recently, a random sample of students answered a survey on this specific question.  And these are the results : 

Art Teacher : SpongeBob SquarePants 

Math Teacher : Ryan Reynolds 

History Teacher : Abraham Lincoln 

Science Teacher : Tom Holland 

Gym Teacher : Kevin Hart

English Teacher : Zendaya 

Religion Teacher : George Washington

Overall, the results show that SJHS would be very entertaining with these celebrities as teachers. This line-up would definitely be a school everyone would want to attend with these famous individuals teaching here. 

By Kayla Black '26

Approximately 3.2% of the worlds population consists of twins. There are only around 16 twins per 1,000 births.

Here at SJHS, we have two sets of twins.  How lucky are we?!

Mattalie and Braylie Bayne '27 are identical twins. The Bayne sisters expressed how close their relationship is, as they are always together, and never leave each other's side. These sisters have been with each other since they were born, sharing the same interests and hobbies growing up. They grew up playing the same sports, such as volleyball, cheer, track and field, and a few others. Their favorite childhood memory was going to Taylor Swift concerts together.

Being identical can be hard, as it is difficult to figure out who is who. Mattalie and Braylie both have noticeable similarities and differences. They each have different colored hair, and even slightly different facial features.

Tommy and Kyle Lecker '28 are the other set of twins here at SJHS. By first glance, you would not even believe that they were born twins. With different colored hair, style, and height, it is not hard to decipher who is who. Growing up, the Leckers had a great relationship. They grew up constantly being by each other's side, sharing hobbies and interests. The Leckers play the same sports together, and the brothers fish together. As kids, they would enjoy rough-housing with each other, as their favorite memory being Kyle hitting Tommy in the head with a baseball bat.

Having a twin whom you can constantly count on, and always be with is such a special blessing. It is like a built-in best friend!

Test anxiety is a psychological state of being overwhelmed, nervous or fearful about a test. Test anxiety is something that a lot of people struggle with on a day-to-day basis. According to the CDC, test anxiety comes from the “fear of failing, high pressure, and being unprepared.”

Everyone manages their anxiety and stress differently. Some ways to improve test taking skills are having a positive mindset going into the test, learning better study habits, and, if possible, taking the test in a “safe space.

A sixteenth birthday is a highly anticipated milestone that brings dreams of increased freedom by learning to drive a car.

However, students need to be very careful on the roads and take time to learn the facts about becoming a driver and getting behind the wheel of a vehicle. 

“Driving is a very fun thing to do, but needs to be taken seriously when on the roads,”  said Alec Stafford ‘27.

According to the Department of Motor Vehicles you have to be 16 years of age to be eligible to take your drivers permit test in Pennsylvania. 

"I've logged 47 hours of driving since the day I've gotten my permit," Stafford said.  "I drive a Sentra SR.” 

The learner's permit test consists of 18 multiple choice questions and a person must get 15 out of the 18 correct answers to pass. 

Mia Andring ‘27 who took her test recently said, “I spent 2 hours studying, and I was horrified to take my test because I was so nervous.” 

Most young adults say they are so scared to take the test, but then afterward they are grateful they did it because it gives them a new version of freedom to be more available to learn more about the world.