Students aren’t as involved in civics
By Harlan Vick

People often talk about politics, but do the people who the policies will actually affect know what’s happening? The Crimson Arrow interviewed students at IJHS, and as it turns out, virtually none of them read/watch the news or know anything about politics.

Of the 31 students asked whether they care about politics in any way, 17 said yes, and 13 said no. Many students who said no believed that it doesn’t affect them, or that “Politics are for old people,” according to one student. Students who said yes believed that politics often affects them and other people; thus, they should be paid attention to.

Despite many students saying they care about politics, 5 of the 25 students asked said they occasionally watched/read the news, and all of them only watched/read one network. Only one student said they often watched/read the news. This means that despite children claiming to know or care what’s happening, very few actually know what’s going on.

Although the absence of knowledge of civics is partially due to the parents not knowing about civics, it is also the fault of the school system. IJHS does not offer a mandatory civics class.

“I’m only 13, I shouldn’t care about politics,” said an eighth grader. Many students believe that they are too young, or that it doesn’t matter. But this is not true. The policies of our government will affect them. This is why students need to be more educated in civics and current events.

IJHS hosts annual Veterans Day assembly

On November 7, the IJHS Student Council hosted a Veterans Day assembly to celebrate and recognize this important national holiday. The event was at the IJHS auditorium. Indiana County’s Sheriff, Robert Fyock, visited to talk to us about this holiday.

Many different school groups participated, including the school band, which performed songs. The vocal ensemble sang “God Bless America” and the “Star Spangled Banner.”

Other students made signs to represent the branches of the military, including the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast Guard, and Space Force, and presented them to the student body.

Sheriff Fyock spoke about how Veterans Day became a holiday and what each flag fold means. The Boy Scout troops helped fold the flag while Sheriff Fyock explained each fold.

To conclude the event, a slideshow was presented to acknowledge other Veterans in our community. 

IJHS students participate in the Veterans Day Assembly

Many students enjoyed the assembly. According to Nolan Stitt, a 6th-grader, “The slide show” was the most memorable part of the events. Bryce Allen, 6th grade, said he enjoyed “seeing the sheriff.”

Crimson Arrow hosts Halloween dance

The school newspaper, Crimson Arrow, hosts a Halloween Dance every year. The dance will be held on November 1st at IJHS in the cafeteria and gym from 6:00-8:00 p.m. The dance is planned at the beginning of the year and is used to raise money for the club.

In the years prior, the Halloween Dance was held on Fridays after school. However, the fall play is scheduled for Friday, October 24th, and the borough’s trick-or-treat night is scheduled for Friday, October 31st. Students had mixed opinions about the change. Markerah Taylor said that the dance being planned on a Saturday was “Stupid.” Another student, Jamil Sidikou, said, “Good, so we can sleep in after the dance.”

The Crimson Arrow will decorate the gym, the cafeteria, and the hallway between the two with Halloween decorations like ghosts, spiders, spider webs, skeletons, and more. For food and drink options, there will be pizza, sodas, water, juice, chips, and maybe even Cane’s chicken strips. There will be games and coloring for people who aren’t interested in dancing. The DJ, Mixmaster Mike, will play music based on what is trending with students.

Costumes must follow the dress code. This includes no masks, no blowup costumes, no real weapons and/or fake weapons. If these rules are not followed, the student may be asked to leave, take off whatever is violating the dress code, or face discipline consequences. Inflatable costumes are not allowed because students can hide inappropriate items inside. Students are not allowed to bring fake weapons because they can be used as a threat.  No masks allowed because adults and other students won’t be able to identify who is under the mask, and that can be harmful to our school. Students will also be required to follow school dress codes.

Last year’s Halloween dance was a success in the eyes of the Crimson Arrow staff. There were a variety of snacks, including chips, pizza, and drinks like Coca-Cola, and Sprite. The photo booth was popular. There were coloring pages, games like bowling and bean bag toss. According to Emma Yackulich, last year’s dance was “Fine.” Triston Howe said it was “Alright.”

This year’s Halloween dance may not be a traditional school dance because it is on the weekend, but Crimson Arrow still hopes it will be fun for everyone. Tickets will be sold during lunches the week of October 27th through the 31st. Tickets will be $8.00. Make sure not to lose a purchased ticket, but if it happens, remember the ticket number. 

Students enjoy the 2024-2025 Halloween Dance.

IJHS holds PBIS kickoff

Students enjoy a bouncy castle in the gymnasium

The annual PBIS Kickoff was hosted on Friday, September 29th, 2025, by the Junior High and consisted of 3 different activities in the auditorium, gymnasium, and the cafeteria. The staff would probably tell you it was great, but those are biased opinions. So, what do the students think of the event? What even was there to do? 

Before the activities, there was a pep rally in which the band played a song that the cheer squad danced to, then the cheer squad had a cheer, and finally the dance team performed a dance on stage. The gym had a bouncy obstacle course and a rope climb; there was also music playing in the background. Right outside of the gym, Builder’s Club did a no-tobacco promotion with a poster to sign your name on. In the cafeteria, there was a dance floor with music playing, and popsicles were outside the cafeteria in the hallway. The auditorium had Dr. Minnick talking about PBIS points and rules.

8th-grader Penelope Allshouse plays the xylophone

Students were interviewed to rate the kickoff over all out of 10 and state their favorite activity, First, Gavin Jodon in sixth grade said the cheerleaders were his favorite part and rated the kickoff a ten. Sixth grader Erin Petersal said her favorite part was band and rated the kickoff an eight point five. Finally, seventh grader Jael Duchesneau, said her favorite part was the dancers and cheerleaders, and rated the dance a 6, and said, “That was outstanding.”

Students seemed to enjoy the pep rally and the band playing, and liked the kickoff as a whole. Each quarter, students can earn PBIS points for good behavior and use the points for future PBIS Reward Days at the end of each marking period.

Is the price right? Dubai chocolate

A photo of Dubai chocolate; stock photo

Everyone has hopefully heard of the new Dubai chocolate trend. This one piece of chocolate’s price has quadrupled in price since it came out in stores, and people have very mixed opinions about its quality and price. Some students think it’s the best candy in existence, and others dislike the chocolate bar.

How did the “Dubai Chocolate Trend” start? At its humble beginnings, the Dubai Chocolate bar was created by an entrepreneur by the name of Sarah Hamouda. The bar was created to help with Sarah’s pregnancy cravings, and afterwards, she decided to sell it. When TikToker Maria Vehera discovered the chocolatey treat, she posted a video of herself enjoying the candy, her video caught the attention of tens of millions of people, sparking many people’s interest and making the chocolate internationally famous.

So, who genuinely likes the Dubai Chocolate, and who is just following the trends? The first person we interviewed was an eighth grader named Brynn Stracka-Sateriale. When we asked Brynn about the chocolate and price, she exclaimed, “I haven’t actually tried the chocolate, although I am interested, it is WAY too expensive!” A 7th grader named Addie O’lear told us that “ It was a good chocolate, but the price is absurd!” The final person we decided to interview was STUCO supervisor, Mrs. Woodrow. She exclaimed, “After careful consideration, my friend and I decided to go to Gold Belly to buy the chocolate we bought a one-pound bar for $50, and it was DELICIOUS.” Mrs. Woodrow also told us that she believes that the price was right and she would totally buy it again.

In conclusion, the Dubai Chocolate trend is seen through different eyes as either a waste of money or a total success. This chocolate has totally skyrocketed in popularity throughout the world, and it will be interesting to see where it goes next.

Stuffed animals fill up the Junior High

In the school, there are stuffed animals that have been brought to school by various students. 

One notable stuffed animal is the IKEA green alien. Some students who carry them are eighth grade students Jayden Elliot and Kenzie Byers. Jayden has her green alien named “Kidney Stones” while Kenzie named their alien “Moldy Cheeseburger”. These stuffed animals are known to have various unusual names. 

Jayden with Kidney Stones:

Another group of stuffed animals being brought to school are Jellycats. Jellycats are on the more expensive side of stuffed animals, as they are said to be made ethically. Jellycats could be described as the Vogue or Dior grade stuffed animals. Kenzie Byers has been seen to bring a Jellycat to school as well. They carry a green frog named Franklin. Emma Wells has also brought her Jellycat capybara to school. 

Kenzie with Franklin:

Mrs. Helm has been spotted with various stuffed animals in her room. She has a red lobster named Larry. 

One of Mrs. Helm’s students with Larry:

A final group of stuffed animals that have been spotted around the school are Squishmallows. Squishmallows are also one of the more popular stuffed animals online. They are a more affordable option. These stuffed animals are typically round and circular and based off of various animals or characters in media. Emily Matty has brought her fairly large Squishmallow to school. 

Emily with her Squishmallow:

These stuffed animals, especially the Jellycats are able to add a fun spin into class. One day in chorus, some of Kezie’s friends had Franklin and were messing around with him. They ended up tying his arms together so he looked like he was in a straight jacket to pass the time while the teacher was working on something else. 

All in all, stuffed animals bring a positive spin on the school day.