Highlights from the 2025 Fall Semester: Arts and Academics

Photo Credits: Instagram, VHHS Rebel Marching Band at Mud Creek Marching Festival

The new year, for many, is a time of self-evaluation and profound hope. The first of January inspires goals and promises of personal refinement (go check out our article on New Year’s Resolutions) and invites an excitement to leave the past year behind. Even so, our most popular anthem for the New Year, originally a Scottish poem, reminds us to step into the future with remembrance and appreciation for the year behind us. So, for auld lang syne, let us reflect on our school community’s most important moments from 2025.

Arts

The VHHS Arts department had a busy fall semester. In October, our theatre department debuted its fall play for 2025, The Play that Goes Wrong. Theatre students also performed several senior-directed plays, which are plays entirely written and directed by a senior theatre student. One senior-directed show, The Odyssey, directed by Blake Krablin, received two perfect scores at the state Trumbauer Theatre Festival. Theatre students were recognized for their dedication in September when the department won a nationwide grant for licences to perform the musical Suffs, which will be presented in the spring.

Photo Credits: Instagram, VHHS Ensemble at Walmart Neighborhood Market

Our band was busy this semester, too. In July, the Rebel Marching Band began preparing for its season. Their 2025 show was entitled One Short Day, and featured music from the Broadway musical Wicked. The band performed at every varsity football game and also competed in competitions with bands from around the state, consistently earning superior ratings. At the Mud Creek Marching Festival, the band won best overall, as well as best in class percussion and majorettes. Currently, the individual band classes have begun their concert performance season and are preparing for the annual Music Performance Assessment and their Spring Concert. In December, each VHHS arts group got the chance to showcase their hard work in the annual Celebrate the Season show, which featured performances from different choirs, bands, and dance groups.

Academics

Photo Credits: Instagram, VHHS Mock Trial at YMCA Youth Judicial State Tournament

The fall semester brought outstanding achievements in academics by VHHS students. In September, 24 students were named National Merit Semifinalists, the largest group of students from any Alabama high school. In October, the VHHS Robotics Team competed at Loachapoka High School, with teams from VHHS earning the title of Tournament Champions, the Excellence Award, and the Design Award. In November, VHHS Debate Team member Veronica Zhang qualified for the Tournament of Champions debate tournament, the most prestigious recognition given for high school debate students. The VHHS Mock Trial team competed in the YMCA Youth Judicial State Tournament, with one team qualifying for Nationals. Libby Soong was recognized as an Outstanding Attorney, and Kaylee Zhao was recognized as an Outstanding Witness. Also in November, the VHHS Math Team won the Oklahoma State University math contest, with 13 of the top 15 students being from VHHS.