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The Student News Site of Perry Meridian High School

FOCUS

The Student News Site of Perry Meridian High School

FOCUS

Prom Beginning to Bomb?
News
Prom Beginning to Bomb?
Abby Witkemper

Prom, a staple of high school culture since its rise in the 1940s, has long been romanticized as one of the defining moments of adolescence....

A photo of Madame Fox's room
News
Class Sizes Squeezed at PMHS
Jake King

Since scheduling classes, some students have been informed that either their desired course will not be offered or there will be changes to the...

Tag! You're It! Sophomores Mourn the Loss of Phones
News
Tag! You’re It! Sophomores Mourn the Loss of Phones
Bernice Kollie

 For the upcoming 2026-2027 school year, Senate Bill 78 was passed, instating a “No Device Policy” in the state of Indiana. Students are...

Joshua Van after winning the UFC 328
News
Joshua Van’s Impact on PMHS Students
Hannah Sung

Saturday, May 9 marked the night a rising Burmese star, Joshua Van had claimed a major win in the UFC 328. His victory created excitement and...

Nathalia Gumiran uses her phone for help on math equations. Photo taken by Ash Brown
News
PMHS Students React to SB 78
Ash Brown

Effective July 1, 2026, Senate Bill 78 states that all non-school issued, wireless communication devices will be prohibited from use from the...

Boys volleyball in action.
News
State Ranked: PMHS Boys Volleyball
Giara Nivar

The gym at Perry Meridian High School is louder this season and for good reason. The boys volleyball team has climbed into one of the top rankings...

Dylan Crosby stands at the podium and the DLC Conference. Photo provided by Dylan Crosby.
News
Making History Through Service
Abby Witkemper

Key Club, the club with the most student involvement at Perry, recently gained major recognition last weekend when junior Dylan Crosby was named...

PHMS Student has Personal Connections to Turmoil in Mexico
News
PHMS Student has Personal Connections to Turmoil in Mexico
Jake King

On Feb. 22, 2026, the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, or “El Mencho,” was killed in a Mexican military...

News
MAGAzine
Metiabasi Inyang

Nicki Minaj, widely known as the Queen of Rap, has recently come under fire because of her political beliefs. Minaj’s rise started back in...

News
Student Reactions to Releasing the Epstein Files
Serenity Miller

Since the passage of the Epstein Files Transparency Act, the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been in the process of releasing as many files,...

Indiana's Federal Court House, filled with murals depicting a rich history of justice.
News
AP Government Goes to Court
Kathy San

On Feb. 24, 2026, students taking AP Government and Politics were able to travel to the federal District U.S. Court of Southern Indiana. The...

Caroline Smothers with her Journalist of the year nominee award.
News
Senior Caroline Smothers Nominated for Indiana HS Journalist Of The Year
Abby Witkemper

Whether it is reading her by line at the top of countless compelling stories, taking photos at events or just passing by the FOCUS room, editor-in-chief...

Love Swayze.
News
Senior Love Swayze Recognized in Scholastic Competition
Bernice Kollie and Abby Witkemper

Senior Love Swayze showed falcon pride when she got a notification on Jan. 27 2026 that she won the Scholastic Writing Contest. The Scholastic...

Timeline of Perry's Week of Protests
News
Timeline of Perry’s Week of Protests
Kathy San and Abby Witkemper

  Sunday Feb. 6, 2026: A student posted on Instagram speaking on their experience with PHMS administration handling situations surrounding...

An empty Falcons Nest after the Safe Space room on Wednesday.
News
Protest, Pushback and Policy: Inside Perry Meridian’s ICE Walkout Controversy
Jake King and Isabel Hedrick

  On Feb. 2, 2026, students across Indiana walked out of school in protest against the increase of Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)...

The 'Ice Out' pins worn by Justin Bieber and Hailey Bieber.
News
Grammys Against ICE
Isabel Hedrick Feb 6, 2026

On February 1, 2026, the Grammy Awards in Los Angeles opened a space for artists to speak out amid Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)...

Image provided by CNN.
News
2026’s ICE Activity
Ash Brown Jan 30, 2026

On Jan. 7, 37-year-old Renee Nicole Goode was fatally shot twice in the right side of her chest and once in her left forearm by Federal Immigration...

Photo from U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.
News
ICE Seen at Saraga Supermarket; Raising Questions of Temporary Protective Status Termination
Isabel Hedrick Jan 26, 2026

On Saturday, January 17, an ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) transportation vehicle was seen near Center at Stop 11 and Madison, close...

List of rights for immigrant civilians from United We Dream organization
News
Temporary Protective Status Set to End for Burmese Immigrants on Monday
Isabel Hedrick Jan 23, 2026

On July 14th, 2025, President Donald J. Trump terminated TPS in Afghanistan, later cascading to various countries, including Haiti, Honduras,...

Students from the Senior class pose with Mr. Sinclair.
News
New Assistant Principal Starts at PMHS
Kathy San Jan 16, 2026

A new face can be seen around the halls at PMHS, Eric Sinclair, the new assistant principal for the senior class. After the previous assistant...

A photo of Ridener's room in one of the few quiet moments this semester.
News
PLATO Class Enrollments Skyrocket Second Semester
Caroline Smothers Jan 9, 2026

Classes are packed like a study hall, but this is not a study hall. Students are tasked with classwork, but there is no live lecture. For some,...

Students React to Venezuelan President's Capture
News
Students React to Venezuelan President’s Capture
Giara Nivar Jan 9, 2026

Earlier this week, U.S. military forces captured Venezuelan president Nicolás Maduro. This operation has drawn global attention and caused debate...

Martina May's car after her car accident on December 15.
News
A Day Without Delay
Abby Witkemper Dec 18, 2025

This winter, temperatures have dropped at an alarming rate, with this week’s lows reaching -4 ℉ and highs only climbing to 23 ℉. On Monday,...

Sophia Rodriguez, Thatin Iang, Stefanie Davis and Jacqui Sheehan crowd around Benjamin Tatum to celebrate his performance.
2025-2026
Students Shine a Light on Teachers
Kathy San Dec 12, 2025

English teacher Benjamin Tatum who proclaimed himself as a “thespian” once in class stepped into the spotlight last week in the production...

Photo provided by DeviantArt
News
Absolute Cinema
Matthew O'Connor Dec 12, 2025

On Friday, December 5, Netflix agreed to pay $72 billion to acquire Warner Bros. Discovery. Warner Bros. is one of the major American film and...

Photo of Fulnecky from the Oklahoman.
News
The Cost of Critique
Caroline Smothers, Editor-in-Cheif • Dec 12, 2025

Junior Samantha Fulnecky at Oklahoma University has been recently making headlines for an assignment she turned in for a Psychology class. Depending...

Photo of Madelyn. Photo from GoFundMe.
News
GoFundMe Started For Boedicker’s Granddaughter
Ash Brown Dec 11, 2025

On Monday, December 8, information was shared with students that PMHS Principal Kert Boedicker’s 15-month-old granddaughter, Madelyn, was diagnosed...