North Star October 2012 by The North Star Newspaper

THE

NORTH ST R

Issue 3, Volume 27 Blue Valley North Overland Park, KS Oct. 19, 2012

uniors Abbie Williams, Miranda Hall, and Emily Ritchie donate their time money and hearts to a good cause at the Lawrence Color Run. Read more about studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; commitment to volunteering on pages 12-13.

Election 2012: On the issues

Water polo makes a splash

Seniors need to step it up

Election 2012: Where do you stand?

he upcoming election is going to determine America’s future for the next four years, and will change the country. Although we won’t all be able to vote in this year’s election, students believe it’s important to be educated on the issues. “I care about the election because despite the fact that I can’t vote, the elected leader’s choices will affect my life for the next four years,”

senior Demi Levitch said. It has come down to Democratic candidate, President Barack Obama, against Republican candidate, Former Governor Mitt Romney. The presidential candidates have had months to campaign and try to swing your vote, but sometimes their views on the issues get lost in the mix. Here is a brief guide to your candidates’ sides on the issues that will affect us most.

Mitt Romney

Romney plans to permanently cut the income tax rate by 20 percent. He plans on lowering the tax burden on both the poor and the wealthy to promote job production. His plan also includes a 10 percent cut to the corporate tax rate. In a recent debate, though, Romney stated that he would not lower taxes on the upper class. Romney plans on supporting the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which gives states the choice of whether or not to recognize same-sex marriage. His traditional approach includes a plan to add an amendment to the Constitution that would define marriage as between a man and a woman.

Photo from 2012. talkingpointsmemo. com

Romney is pro-life and believes that life begins at conception. He would like to overturn Roe vs. Wade, which prevents states from limiting first trimester abortion rights. This would give the decision of abortion rights back to the states.

Romney believes that teachers should have higher pay. He is also in favor of using standardized tests and believes they are a good measure of performance and provide incentives for better teaching. Romney also believes that teachers represent the public and not a union. In addition, he wants to give the private sector a larger role in providing merit-based college scholarships.

random poll of 65 students showed that 52% of the polled students would vote for Mitt Romney, compared to 38% for President Obama and 10% who wouldn’t vote. In addition, 42% of polled students identify most with the Republican Party, compared to 41% for the Independent Party and 11% for the Democratic Party.

Barack Obama

Obama plans on raising taxes for American families with an income greater than $250,000. He believes that by splitting up the tax brackets, everyone will be paying their fair share to the country. By doing so, Obama says, we will be investing in the middle class.

Taxes

As the first sitting president to publically support gay rights, Obama repealed Don’t Ask Don’t Tell, allowing gays to openly serve in the military. He also has supported the Respect of Marriage Act, which would require the federal government to equally recognize same-sex marriages.

Gay Rights

Abortion

Obama is a pro-choice candidate and believes that what is done with a woman’s body is her choice, and not the government’s. Compared to Romney, Obama is very liberal Photo from on this issue and has supported Planned Parenthood ivarfjelf.word. press.com centers as well as birth control insurance coverage.

Education

Obama believes that parental involvement must first increase to see large improvements in classrooms. Obama believes that teacher’s unions are the most effective way to protect teachers and children. He has specifically said that he wants to add 100,000 new math and science teachers as well as increase access to early childhood education.

Who would you

What is your

VOTE FOR? POLITICAL PARTY? 38% Obama

42% Republican

41% Independent

52% Romney

Ashley Ruben News Editor

Information regarding candidates’ sides on the issues gathered from http://www.barackobama.com, http://www.mittromney. com/learn, washingtonpost.com, and nytimes.com.

10% Neither

11% Democrat

School dance leaves funding in question

Reactions to Homecoming differ between administration and students

n their assessment of the success of Homecoming week, administrators Shannon Adams and David Stubblefield gave a generally positive review with some concessions. “The early morning pep rallies had low attendance,” Assistant Principal Shannon Adams said. “We’ve seen it work at other schools, and I think it’s going to make our spirit stronger, but it’s going to take some time.” While the decision to move Homecoming olympics to the morning was made by StuCo to confront a scheduling difficulty, few student body members showed up to cheer on the participants. “I didn’t really like [the olympics],” junior Katherine Johnson said. “I wasn’t really sure what was going on. It was like nobody really cared.” The sparsely attended olympics contrasted with Thursday night’s bonfire. “I had a good time,” freshman Alexis Pudvan said. “It was a lot of fun. There were not as many students there as I would have expected, but I think that was due to the weather.” The Homecoming assembly, however, was not as well received. “I think the issue came at the

beginning when [students] started turning their backs on each other,” Principal David Stubblefield said. “It was concerning when things were being thrown. [The senior class threw] powder, glitter [and] some items on the gym floor, some very inappropriate, some dangerous. We have to figure out that [school spirit] needs to unite our school instead of dividing it by class,” Stubblefield said. Despite the mixed success of activities leading up to the

Homecoming dance, both Stubblefield and Adams thought the dance itself went fairly well. Approximately 380 tickets were sold this year, and although this is about half of what is usually sold, both administrators are looking to the future with confidence. “What’s interesting is that a lot of the kids that came stayed the whole time,” Adams said. “Last year I saw a lot of kids come in [and] stay for about 10 minutes. So it was really cool to see a lot of kids coming in, having a great

time.” There was a profit made on the Homecoming dance, but it was only a few hundred dollars. The low attendance and profits have called into question whether or not Sweetheart dance will be held. “As of now, the administration has not said ‘No Sweetheart’ yet,” junior class president Miranda Hall said. “I think that they want to judge the degree to which students want Sweetheart.”

Students congregate in groups at the Homecoming dance. With the lower attendance, some students report not having as much fun as they did in previous years. Photo by Hunter Robinson.

Junior class must make up earnings from sparsely attended mixer

he repercussion of the dance “Financially, there’s probably not boycotts is that the junior class going to be that big of an impact on might not be able to afford Prom, simply because Homecoming Prom. While this is a possibility, some funds are raised by StuCo,” StuCo sponsors said it still isn’t sponsor Jeff likely, as most of the Breedlove said. fundraising for Prom has cut down what we “As long as the already taken place. junior class has a “Prom is funded by certain amount of the different activities money in order to that the junior class pay for things like puts on,” junior class a down payment sponsor Shana Stites said. [on the venue], ticket.” “[This] includes [mixers] then the ticket sophomore year, one sales typically pay mixer junior year and Matchmaker for the actual event.” surveys before the Sweetheart dance.” However, the most recent of the

junior class fundraisers, the August mixer, was not at all profitable. “[At] the mixer, we got about $200$500,” junior class secretary Rachna Igwe said. “On average, we usually make $2,000.” This means that the junior class is down about $1,500 from what they were expecting, which doesn’t bode well for payments on reserving a venue. “We [already] had our first payment for Terrace on the Greens,” said junior class president Miranda Hall. “I think we’ve paid all of it, but we might be a thousand short.” Even if the junior class manages to

make up this deficit, attendances at both the mixer and Homecoming suggest that not enough Prom tickets may be purchased to fund the other dance expenses. “We’ll either have to cut down what we were hoping to have at Prom or increase the amount of money that we charge per ticket,” Stites said. The Matchmaker surveys and the selling of Prom tickets are the last chances for the junior class. “Just buy tickets for Prom,” Stites said. “If a lot of people buy tickets, they don’t need to be super expensive.”

Rachel Strohkorb Staff Writer

Swim and dive preview: Team pushes for team are there. “A lot of the team comes; it is a great workout for the team and anyone else who wants to join,” Bakalar said. “We are not allowed to practice as a team before the season starts, so Water Polo Club is a great way for me to check in with the team,” Berg said.

Looking toward the future

E Junior Thomas Goldsborough chases after junior Cole Bakalar for the ball during a session of Water Polo Club. This game can get violent, but creates healthy competition for the teammates that will help them prepare for meets in the upcoming season. Photo by Erika Brown.

The Workout

any swimmers and divers are gearing up for a competitive season. “I am on the KC Swim Academy, which is a club team. I try to get in the pool as much as possible. I do dry land workouts: running and weights,” senior captain Brian McCarthy said. A lot of the swimmers are either on the Blazers or KC Swim Academy. “[Blazers and KC swim academy] are great ways to prepare for the season,” Head coach Derek Berg said. In addition to swimming for KC Swim Academy, Cole Bakalar makes time to lift weights with his teammates. “I do weights twice a week with [sophomore] Jamie Cohen and [junior] Thomas Goldsborough.” Senior diver Stoph Cusick has been training to achieve first place

at state. “Last year I got second; I lost to Clark Thomas who went to the Olympic trials. I also pole vault, so I have been doing track workouts. I have been running, biking and lifting weights. Sometimes I go to diving workouts at KU. I also try to go to open gyms whenever I can to practice flips to incorporate into my dives,” Cusick said.

ven with a small senior class, the team still has high hopes for the season. “I’m excited about this season, but it will be interesting dynamic with such a small senior class,” senior Brian Mccarthy said. “We don’t have very many seniors this year, but the seniors we have are strong leaders. They have grown up in the program and have worked hard in this program

for the past three years. They are going to show the freshmen what it takes to be on this team,

“Our goal is to win the conference championship.” while continuing our tradition of success,” coach Derek Berg said. After a disappointing loss to Shawnee Mission East last year, the Mustangs are motivated to do better this year. “Our goal is to win the conference championship this year. I know we for sure have a good shot at getting into the top three. We want to have a strong season,” Berg said. Sydney House Sports Editor

Water Polo Club

his new club meets on Mondays after school at the pool. Sponsored by the head swim and dive coach Derek Berg, any student who has a competitive spirit is welcome to come. The founders are Junior Thomas Goldsborough and Junior Cole Bakalar. “We started the club for fun mostly; we had been talking about the idea for a while,” Bakalar said. Many swimmers from the swim

Freshman Will Vance passes the ball to a teammate during a game of water polo. The team has come up with more exciting ways to stay in shape during the offseason. Photo by Erika Brown.

ATHLETE OF THE

M NTH Senior pursues volleyball

“C

aroline’s natural athleticism stands out. She is very positive and gets really fired up,” varsity volleyball coach Matt Allin said about senior Caroline Dupont, a middle hitter for the varsity volleyball team. Dupont received the Metro Sports Hyvee Athlete of the Week award, an award given to athletes in the area who excel at sports. In addition to volleyball, Dupont plays varsity basketball and soccer . Although challenging, Dupont has learned to manage her time well. “I have to prioritize; there are a lot of conflicts. I used to play club soccer; this is my first year not playing. I am still going to play club volleyball this year. Some nights I will have two sports that conflict; it can be hectic, but it is rewarding in the end. As long as I communicate with my coaches and make up what I missed, they are usually okay with it,” Dupont said. With all of her athletic events and practices, homework can be difficult to finish. “I do homework whenever possible: on the bus or between classes,” Dupon said. “She is always focused; she doesn’t just go through the motions. She is the definition of coachable; she takes advice from coaches and teachers to heart,” Allin said. Dupont is currently working with the rest of the volleyball team to prepare for state. “We practice two and half to three hours four times a week. We have

05 New cross country rules divide team; seniors respond

co-ed no-cuts sport, cross country is a favorite for many students from trained marathon runners to those seeking a brisk jog with friends. However, new policies of skills-based team division implemented this season are changing team dynamics and striking a nerve with many. The cross country team was divided between “navy team” and “silver team” based on the results of a time trial after the first week of practice. “Silver team is the slower runners on the team,” senior runner Melissa Berger explained. “[Navy is] with coach Buehler and coach Attig, and silver is with two new coaches this year.” Berger’s main frustration is the social division the new rule creates. “I don’t see my friends at practice,” she said. “[Silver team] talks during practices, I wish I was given the opportunity to do that with girls on navy too. I feel like it’s dividing the team. At practice, they go on one side of the field, we stay on the other side.” Berger feels that the division harms not only the relationships between

peers, but the relationships between runners and their coaches. “I can remember my freshman year when I stayed after practice once with other freshman girls and just talked with [coach Gregg Buehler] about his family,” she said. “I don’t think he cares about individuals as much anymore, as long as they’re not giving him the results he wants.” Multiple coaches, including Buehler, were contacted and declined to comment. Despite Berger’s frustrations, not all runners disapprove of the division between navy and silver team. “I think you have to take into consideration that it’s a sport,” senior Navy runner Haley Knudsen said. “The main focus of a coach is to compete and become successful. You don’t see all the football players under one head coach because that would just be really overwhelming.” Knudsen also believes that the division has beneficial effects on the team’s performance as a whole. “I think we have become more successful in the past year,” she said. “Our times have gotten a lot faster.”

“At practice, they go on one side stay on the other side.”

Senior Caroline Dupont gets ready to serve against BVNW. Photo by Jessica Zidek.

games once a week that last from four to five hours and tournaments every couple of weeks,” Dupont said. Her love and dedication to volleyball has made her consider pursuing the sport in college. “I got recruited by the Pitt State coach. I am looking into going to a division III school. I have sent videos and have been in communication with Emory, Washington University and Westminster,” Dupont said. Dupont notes that her favorite part of the game is the competition. “I love the adrenaline I get from competing and I get to do that with my teammates,” Dupont said.

“She is the

coachable; she takes advice from teachers and coaches to heart.”

Sydney House Sports Editor

A group of runners pushes their limits during a track workout. Divisions on the cross country team aren’t always visible, but that doesn’t mean they’re not felt. Photo by Austin Fultz.

Sarah Evans Co-Editor in Chief

rom the beginning, seniors Javier Diaz and Christian Solis have had a love for soccer. They had played in their backyards as children, played for a club team throughout their adolescence, and now they finally have a chance to play for a state team.

The Dream

iving in Texas, Diaz and Solis played on the same soccer team. Their friendship took off junior year, when they realized that they had the same dream of playing professional soccer. Javier was the first to have the interest in trying out for a professional team. He had seen

[Open House] After a two days of waiting for results, the anxiety was finally over. They had made the Sporting Kansas City Academy team. Making the team meant time commitment, and also living in Kansas. Even though their moving to Kansas would be difficult, their parents were more than happy to allow them to pursue soccer. “I was scared that everything that my family had given up for me was for nothing, I was relieved to know that it wasn’t all for nothing,” Diaz said smiling. He now feels that he has to make a professional team, but he accepts that this might not happen. He plans to set his sights on his professional ambitions and work hard. Unlike Diaz, Solis arrived in Kansas without his family. He had moved up here with the Diaz family and had been living with them during the tryouts. His parents were supportive of his passion for soccer and were okay with him moving up to Kansas to try out. With the Diaz family already planning to move to Kansas he decided to move in with them. “I really don’t like the distance between me and my family, but I know in the end it will be worth it,” Solis said.

hour practices they still make time for school work. their transition to north has been going smoothly as well. They have found even though the school work is hard, student and teachers are

Sydney House

Sports Editor

Senior Christian Solis practices soccer often, but Solis notes that he misses his family. “The only thing hard about it was that I had to leave my family,” Christian said. Photo by Erica Emert

accepting and willing to help. “We take a study hall during the day, which makes it easy to keep up with homework, but the classes are harder than the classes we took in Texas,” Solis explained. For both Diaz and Solis, the hard work is worth it, because they know every minute they spend practicing they are one step closer to making it Playing the Game fter the excitement of making to a professional team. Making it to a professional team is the highest goal the team it was time to get down to work. Even with the for both boys. “I really want to make it to difficult move to Kansas, Diaz and professional team, but it’s okay if I Solis were ready to work hard to make don’t....It’s okay because God might their trip to Kansas worth it. Both have a different plan for me,” Diaz agree that the hardest aspect of soccer explained. is playing simply. Even though this is the highest goal “When you watch someone play for Diaz and Solis, they feel that their soccer it looks so simple; but it’s not, friendship will not be ruined by the you have to make every move in competition. perfection you can’t mess up,” Diaz “If Javier makes it and I don’t, I said. Being part of a professional soccer think I will be happy for him, because team means that they are not able to I know he worked hard for it,” Solis said. play for the school team. Even with Kristen Haug their soccer schedule of six days two

A Senior Javier Diaz trains during his soccer practice for Sporting KC team. Photo by Erica Emert.

an advertisement for Kansas City Sporting soccer team one night while browsing the internet. Toward the end of April they made the 16-hour road trip not knowing they would stay longer than they planned. “We walked in there and saw a whole bunch of big guys that were older than us and I was like oh no,” Solis said.

North grad hits big time

Staff Writer

rances Silva, a 2010 North graduate who now plays soccer at the University of West Virginia, was recently featured in Sports Illustrated. Silva scored an unassisted goal in the 83rd minute against Stanford, ranked No. 1 nationally, to lead her team to a 1-0 win over the reigning NCAA Division I champions. Q: How did you end up playing soccer for West Virginia? A: “I ended up at West Virginia because of the team, the coaches, and the atmosphere. it’s sort of like a KU out on the east coast and I just loved it when I went on my recruiting trip and the program is traditionally a top 15 program so that also attracted me a lot to the school.” Q: What is your favorite part about playing soccer in college? A: “My favorite part is probably being with the team and representing the university and state and just being able to play other schools like Stanford. Playing on TV is pretty exciting as well and we draw a lot of fans, so the crowds get big which helps make the atmosphere great.” Q: Any advice to aspiring athletes who want to play a sport at the college level? A: “My advice would just be to stick with it if you really like the sport: college sports aren’t for everyone and it takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice. However, if you’re willing to give all that up; it can be one of the most rewarding things. Work hard and do everything you can to achieve your goals because it’s worth it. When you’re picking the school, make sure that you really love it and don’t rush into a decision. I waited until spring of my junior year to commit which is traditionally late for women’s soccer.”

07 Political undertones concern student

Senior actress upset with movie’s intent

Sarah McMullen poses for a picture with other cast members in “Last Ounce of Courage.” Photo provided by Sarah McMullen.

ump-starting her professional career, senior Sarah McMullen’s role in the recent movie “Last Ounce of Courage” marked the beginning of her stardom. McMullen, at the age of 13, had mostly been involved with musical theater and a few local productions when she auditioned for the movie in 2009. Originally auditioning for the lead, McMullen was turned down because she was too young. The directors recognized her talent and she later went to a screen testing where she was booked for a different role. While the movie was filmed in 2009, it was not released into theaters until this fall. “It took forever [for the film to come to theaters] because it has a Christmas setting so they wanted it to have a timely release. You need 90 days to put it on DVD, so they wanted to release it later. Also, the plot deals with politics, so I think they wanted to wait because it is an election year and they want people to stand up for what they believe in,” McMullen said. The main plot of the movie consists of a man named Bob Revere, whose son died in war, taking action for what he believes in; the right to practice Christianity freely. This includes compelling the town’s elementary school to put on a production about Christmas, contrary

to the school’s beliefs regarding practicing Christianity in a school environment. McMullen plays the lead role in the school play. “I didn’t really know [what the gist of the movie was] and I thought being in a movie was really cool,” McMullen said. While the movie was in post production and being edited, McMullen began to realize the intent of the film. “I thought that [I was] giving everyone the chance to say Christmas was great, but then I was like, ‘Why isn’t this letting everyone promote their religion in their own way?’ It’s not fair to polarize these groups by making Christmas the only holiday,” McMullen said. The movie was sponsored by conservative media outlets, and it also promoted and aligned itself with the national conservative group StandUSA, which affiliates itself exclusively with conservative values. “It’s no secret that I’m politically liberal, but I was just surprised that they took something so unifying as

Sarah McMullen stars as the lead role in the school play in “Last Ounce of Courage.” Hunter Gomez, her fellow cast member, has become one of her close friends. Photo provided by Sarah McMullen.

religion, and turned it into something that was politically polarizing,” McMullen said. On Sept. 11 of this year, McMullen was finally able to see the finished product of the film. “I went to the patriot screening and I bought tickets for it to see it for the first time. I was a little bit surprised because when you’re doing it, you only see it scene by scene. It had more of a conservative angle than what I thought it would,” McMullen said. McMullen was taken aback by the outcome of the movie, and she made it clear where her feelings about equality lie. “I have nothing against conservatives or different political ideology. I was just upset because Chuck Norris and some other conservatives and ‘The O’Reilly Factor’ did a segment [on the movie] and they were promoting taking Obama out of office. If this movie was supposed to be about equality, why are they choosing one political party over another?” McMullen said. “I think they turned it into

“I was just surprised that they took something so unifying as religion, and turned it into something that was politically polarizing.”

a political conduit. The whole production was based on a cast who are from central Missouri who have strong Christian values, which I respect, but it’s not fair to say this movie is about equality, and then go on Fox News and say the exact opposite,” McMullen explained. In spite of her misrepresentation in “The Last Ounce of Courage,” McMullen does not regret taking part in the project. “Honestly, I think I would do it over again because it helped me realize that while I may have distinct political views, my opinion is only valuable if someone else’s opinion is equally valuable. It was a great learning experience, as far as acting goes, and it was a great experience to learn about the entertainment business,” McMullen said. The experience was especially worthwhile in that it provided McMullen with lessons that will be important later on in her career. “Overall, it opened a lot of doors for me. Any negative ideas that I would ever have about the final result are turned into a positive because it makes me realize that everyone has the right to their own opinion,” McMullen said.

Mallory Bodker Opinion Editor

08 Zombie mania strikes

he posters can be found in various locations on the walls, on the bathroom stalls and in hallways. The message is clear. “Zombies are stupid, don’t be stupid.” The fascination with leg-dragging, brain-slurping zombies has taken the media by storm, and now that longstanding obsession has come to BVN. It seems common knowledge that zombies are slow, idiotic and unable to perform a vast range of physical actions. But often these stereotypes are inspired by actual illnesses. For example, the fatigue and confusion-inducing disease “African Trypansomiasis” ravages areas of Africa and Asia. In many of these areas, voodoo magic is believed to be

The new Zombie Prevention Agency is an example of the zombie obsession sweeping America. Illustration by Chris Shanklin.

real, and that it is the cause of these undead monsters. But here in America, zombies are habitually seen as sources of entertainment. Films and television shows are constant portrayals of zombies, where the genres can span from raunchy comedies to actionthrillers, where threat of a zombie apocalypse always seems to be high. Such movies as “Zombieland” (2009) humorously portray zombies. Senior Alex Blum likes this movie for a simpler reason, “[zombies] eat people.” That is where the inspiration for the newly-formed club, Zombie Prevention Agency, came from. It was originally going to be a swing-dancing club, but then there came the idea of having an entire club revolving around zombies. “Zombie are the only horror [monsters] that scare me,” said co-creator of the club and avid zombie lover, senior Liz Gaa The club’s activities are vague in writing, but members can be assured that there is a fun variety. “I think everyone really enjoyed when we played Zombie Mafia,” says Gaa, “We’re trying to set up a zombie game where we play with water and Nerf guns. We have other activities planned, such as a potential movie night and tutorials on how to do zombie makeup.” Along with the main goal of having fun, the other is preparing club members for a situation where hungry zombies would attack. “I like Zombie Prevention Agency because we actually plan out zombiedefeating tactics,” sophomore clubmember Sarmilla Venkoba Sah said. “We also have simulations every once in a while. It’s fun.” The club holds its meetings every other Thursday after school in Mr. Skiles’s room. Although some may not be zombie-fans, there is definintly something for everyone.

Kiera Bolden Staff Writer

REbel sparks revolution to defeat low self-esteem

ating disorders kill more people than any other mental health disease in the U.S. BVN decided to take action. One of our newest clubs is REbel, a club-turned-nonprofit that is dedicated to promoting students’ self-esteem. REbel was started by Dr. Laura Eickman, a psychologist at BVNW. When she saw that selfesteem was a problem for many of her students, she wanted a solution. REbel was her solution. Within REbel peer education program, students are encouraged to discuss topics like eating and body image issues, diets, the impact of negative self-talk and media literacy. “It’s been very successful at every other Blue Valley school, so we

“The concept behind this group is to give students, both girls and boys, a comfortable environment in which they can increase decided it was time we got involved,” counselor Jean Busey said. The concept behind this group is to give students, both girls and boys, a comfortable environment in which they can increase self-confidence through things like presentations on the concepts, parent education and more.

Sakshi Mahajan Staff Writer

Junior trend-setters display passion for fashion design

ashion Club is yet another new addition to the North club scene. Started by juniors Morgan Zaslavsky and Meghan

Juniors Morgan Zaslavsky and Meghan Bowman post signs around the school to gain attention for the newest club. Photo by Lindsay Rucker.

Bowman and sponsored by Lindy Diaz, the idea for this group comes from these girls’ love for fashion. “I want to major in design merchandising, so I thought this would be a good way to get started,” Zaslavsky said. Fashion Club plans to meet every other Wednesday from 2:30 to 3:30 to discuss the latest trends, while also communicating online through a fashion blog. This fashion blog will be a way for all the members to stay connected outside of meetings. The big event connected with this organization will be a seasonal fashion show, where the latest fashions will be showcased. There will be a fee to enter this fashion show, and the money will be donated to North to fund things such as dances. If you have a passion for fashion, contact Zaslavsky and Bowman, or stop by the counseling office to sign up.

Sakshi Mahajan Staff Writer

Stringing together a city

Senior uses tennis to earn money, unite schools

or senior Raj Kulkarni, tennis is more than a sport; it’s a business. He has owned Stop That Racquet LLC, a tennis racketstringing company, for about six months. “When the string breaks while you’re playing tennis, you have to string it back so that you can play again. [There’s] a little machine that you use. I realized that it was like $35 or $40 and you usually have to get it through a club or a store. A lot of kids don’t want to spend $40, that’s a lot of money. So I charge half of that. A lot of clubs sell different things and they string rackets, too, but I just do racket stringing. I’ve found my niche, and that’s what I do,” Kulkarni said. At first, Kulkarni worked alone, but when investors became interested, he hired two other students to string the rackets while he runs the business. “I had people who wanted to invest in my business, so I needed more

people to help me with that while I do other things,” Kulkarni said. “I do all the marketing, I do all the accounting, I do all the finances, and my stringers do the stringing.” Now that his business is profiting, Kulkarni is giving back to the school by donating some of his profits to the Spirit Fund, a club run by teachers and administrators that collects money to buy school supplies for kids who can’t afford them. “There are kids at North we don’t know about.When you think of Blue Valley North, you think every parent’s a doctor or a CEO or a top executive, but you don’t think of the kids that don’t have that, and you don’t know because [they] blend in pretty well, in general,” Kulkarni said. “[The club] is run by teachers, so a lot of kids don’t know about it. It’s pretty commendable, what [the teachers] do, so I’m giving a percentage of my

“I think that bringing these communities together would build a stronger city, stronger county, and a stronger nation.”

Senior Raj Kulkarni strings a tennis racket. “I noticed that it was like $40 for racket stringing, and you have to get it normally through like a club, or like a store, so what I did was I took out, like the middleman,” Kulkarni said. Photo by Erika Brown.

Senior Raj Kulkarni finishes adjusting the tension across the strings of the tennis racquet. Kulkarni started his business about six months ago. “Actually, one of the coaches from my club actually taught me how to [string tennis rackets], and from there, I just kept on practicing,” Kulkarni said. Photo by Erika Brown

profits to [the club].” But Kulkarni isn’t just helping students at North. He wants to help North connect with studendisadvantaged schools in Kansas City, KS. “I think that bringing these communities together would build a stronger city, stronger county, and a stronger nation.” “I volunteer at the Urban League of Kansas City. I noticed there is a huge difference between Johnson County and other places just 20 minutes away. I want to bring those communities together,” Kulkarni said. “I think that bringing these communities together would build a stronger city, stronger county and a stronger nation.” Kulkarni hopes to unite the different counties through a Tennis Day that would bring a disadvantaged school’s team to play with North students. “[The school] would come here, and it would be a time for us to meet the kids, interact with them, maybe play doubles games with them, basically breaking the barrier that is between [underpriveleged schools] and Blue Valley North,” Kulkarni said. He has considered several candidates for this program, and

is currently discussing plans with Center High School after lack of interest at Ruskin High School defeated his plans to work with them. Kulkarni has been communicating with boys’ tennis coach Ann Dark and David Stubblefield to help with planning, and even got the opinion of the mayor of Kansas City. “I had the opportunity to talk with Mayor Sly James [as an up-andcoming businessman], and he thought it was a great idea,” Kulkarni said. Though he’s committed to his vision, Kulkarni acknowledges challenges in organizing the event. “It takes a lot of planning. You have to make sure the district’s okay, you have to make sure their district’s okay, then you’ve got to worry about busing, liability forms, getting food, then you have got to worry about prizes, so there’s a lot of things that go into planning,” Kulkarni said. He hopes that the event will come together and both schools’ tennis teams and student bodies will participate. “While this is happening, any input at all would be great,” Kulkarni said.

Emily Levinson Staff Writer

10 All-State musicians explain how music affects their lives Lorenzo was an All-State musician this past year and had the opportunity hile many people drop to play with some of the best high band after middle school, school musicians in the state. junior “It was a lot of fun Emmaline Lorenzo because I was with has stuck with clarinet friends. Although and is currently rehearsals were in symphonic and tiring, the concert marching band as well ended up being as in the Kansas City amazing,” Lorenzo Youth Symphony. said. “I love playing the Lorenzo would clarinet. I honestly encourage others believe that musicians to allow music into are a great group of their lives and says it people. I’ve met a lot Junior Emmaline Lorenzo practices her will always be a part clarinet in preparation for district band. She of friends through of hers. music,” Lorenzo said. was the first chair clarinet player in Kansas’s All State band. Photo by Erika Brown “I definitely want Playing the clarinet to keep music in my has taught Lorenzo other valuable life,” Lorenzo said. “There are so many skills. things that you can do with music. It “It has helped me set goals and try is something you can continue for the to achieve them,” Lorenzo said. rest of your life and everywhere you The practice has indeed paid off: go.”

Emmaline Lorenzo

Sophmore Keerti Uppalapati dresses in heavy gold jewelry and a colorful Indian outfit for her dance debut. Photo provided by Keerti Uppalapati.

Sarah Posz

ver since she was introduced to choir in middle school at church, music has been a big part of senior Sarah Posz’s life. “That was the first time that I was exposed to choir and I loved it,” Posz said. From there she continued by participating in musicals at the Trilogy Cultural Center. “I really enjoyed my time there. This is actually the first year in three years

that I’m not going to participate in the musicals there,” Posz said. During her high school musical career, she has been an All-State vocalist.` “I got a 2 freshman year and a 1 my junior year,” Posz said. She continues to work with music and hopes to be an All-State vocalist this year. “I have at least two hours of music a day at school with Chorale and Chambers. I have two hours of acapella on Sundays. I also have voice lessons once a week,” Posz said. As for continuing with music, Posz says that she wants it to continue to be a part in the rest of her life. “I want to continue to pursue music in college. I want to be a choir teacher,” Posz said. “I’ve figured out that I don’t want to do anything but music,” Posz said.

Faryal Jafri

Senior Sarah Posz warms up her vocal cords before class begins. photo by Lindsay Rucker.

Staff Writer

Dancing into Indian culture

he classical Indian music begins, and the audience can immediately hear the rhythmic tapping. The feet of young girls, hardened over the past few years of training, produce an attractive and melodious sound. Sophomore Keerti Uppalapati was among this group of girls who had trained for their south Indian dance debut, also known as an Arangatram, for eight hours each day for this past summer. The music got louder, and the rhythmic taps continued with the jingling of her golden anklets. Uppalapati danced for three hours for a large audience of friends, family and strangers, but most importantly, to show her teacher that she had truly learned southern Indian dance, or Bharatanatyam. Uppalapati has been dancing since age 5, but only began training for her Arangatram at the age of 12. “I’d never taken any activity seriously, so I finally decided to pursue Indian

dance,” Uppalapati said. Through Bharatanatyam, Uppalapati was not only taught a new style of dance, but also a lifestyle. “I couldn’t get pedicures, otherwise my feet would not make the hard taps that created the Bharatanatyam style of dance,” Uppalapati said. As she got closer to her dance performance, she also began to watch what she ate. “I had to eat lots of salad and protein to maintain energy for the practices,” Uppalapati said. “I wish I had worked hard from the beginning because I definitely had to make up for all the time I spent goofing off, ” Uppalapati said. Uppalapati spent up to eight hours each day to make up for lost time, while others only spent five. “Every little move mattered: the foot placement, the way my hand looked, and the way I stood,” Uppalapati said. As she perfected each technique, the most important thing for her was to make her teacher proud. “I had practically lived at her house,

and she spent hours teaching me so I felt I owed it to her to perform well,” Uppalapati said. After hours of preparation and years of practice, Uppalapati performed her Arangatram Aug. 4. “After my Arangatram, I could finally be considered a real dancer. Before this time, I was just an amateur in Indian dance,” Uppalapati said. Once her debut was complete, Uppalapati by no means done with dance. “I plan to teach dance, but also progress in my own dance through continuing to dance Bharatanatyam,” Uppalapati said. Through Bharatanatyam, Uppalapati stayed connected with her South Indian culture, made friends, but most importantly, learned dedication. “Bharatanatyam is an old style of dance that has been passed down through generations, and I’m glad that I could keep this style of dance alive,” Uppalapati said.

Sakshi Mahajan Staff Writer

Experience the supernatural

Students, teachers share their own ghost stories

s Halloween approaches, the stories of ghost and ghouls fill the night, scaring little kids. Sometimes these stories are fake, but sometimes they come to life.

“The Cleaning Lady”

ollege is chock-full of crazy stories and exciting memories. Students go on new adventures and do things to check one of their bucket list. For English teacher Natalie Johnson-Berry, the college experience was made more interesting by an odd visit from a mysterious ghost. “I was in my junior year of college, it was around exam time, and I was studying very late in one of the buildings that was left open all night long, and I fell asleep on one of the sofas. What woke me up was I heard some noise of something with wheels on it,” Johnson-Berry said. “I

“The Ghost House”

ooks flying off shelves, lights flickering and doors mysteriously locking are all things that are common in the traditional horror movie. For senior Jenny Phillips, they were more than just an on-screen occurrence; they happened in her own house. “A few nights each week my parent’s door would open forcibly and then close. Once my sister was in the shower and the curtain opened on its own,” Phillips said. “One night we heard a big crash downstairs and there was this cabinet with wine glasses lined up and they were all smashed and formed into ‘x’ shapes.” After countless nights of lost sleep, the Phillips family decided to take action and hire investigators to check out the house. “None of us were sleeping at night, so we had these people come to investigate,” Phillips said. “They came with a ton of equipment where they would walk around at night and film

looked up and very quickly I see this lady who is pushing something that looks like an old-fashioned cart with cleaning supplies on it. I thought, ‘What is a person who does the cleaning doing here?’ It’s 3 a.m. and usually the people who help clean and pick the college up are gone at about 4 in the afternoon.” With this confusion, Johnson-Berry began to consider the possibility that the woman had been some kind of spirit. “She looked real, just like us. She wasn’t transparent or anything like that. By the time I thought about possibly what I had seen, I started to second guess myself. I just kind of buried it in the back of my mind because I knew that it was somebody that wasn’t supposed to be there. It was just unnatural,” Johnson-Berry said. Freaked out and afraid of being labeled crazy, she didn’t think too

and do some EVP [electronic voice phenomenon] recordings. There was also some crazy old lady that was a psychic.” While most supernatural investigators are in the game solely for money, this group did all of their work for free. They devoted themselves to finding the ghosts and deciphering their findings. “They had my parents walk around the house and describe all the antique things,” Phillips said. “My mom was explaining this antique couch and where it came from, and from it they found a recording from the EVPs of someone saying, ‘That’s right.’ There was another recording of a man and a woman fighting and the man was calling the woman a whore.” These supposed ghosts that haunted Phillips’ old house did not, however, arrive just to torment the Phillips family. For ages, this house has apparently been cursed by the presence of haunting spirits.

much about it again until she met someone else who had the same experience. “Because I didn’t want to sound crazy, I never said anything to anyone. It wasn’t until several months later that a girl, we had just started talking, mentioned different spirits that people had seen and this lady [that I saw] was one of them. Supposedly she was a cleaning lady and nobody knew her name,” Johnson-Berry said. Hearing accounts from other people had given Johnson-Berry a sense of relief, but it did make the appearance more real. “When it came out and there was a conversation with these other people, I just got chills and I thought to myself, ‘Thank God somebody else had seen this.’ I was really relieved, but pretty freaked out. I accepted it, though,” Johnson-Berry said

“When we moved into that house, the neighbors told us it was haunted,” Phillips said. “We then found out that every person who had lived in the house had to move after around three years due to some unfortunate reason. Like, my dad lost his job, the old women before us had to leave because one of them was dying of cancer, one guy was screwed out of a partnership; it goes on and on.”

Hayley Berger Feature Editor

[Berger Time]

Perks of memories

Hayley Berger Feature Editor

unning through a deserted mall in search of the Glenwood Arts theater, my friends and I were anxiously awaiting the movie “The Perks of Being a Wallflower.” The main character, Charlie, tells the audience how many days until graduation and then spends the movie contemplating his life in that time. At one point, Charlie thinks about how everything becomes a memory. He says maybe it’s sad that treasured moments are now memories, and maybe it isn’t, but they were at one point not a memory. He was, at one point, as happy as he remembers. As he drives through a tunnel with his friends listening to a perfect song, he says the moment feels “infinite.” And every day after, he remembers the time when he felt infinite. While I sit here studying, I look back at pictures from the Color Run remembering how much fun I had. When I’m taking my next test, I’ll remember being blasted by color alongside my friends. I’ll think about the little twins bragging about how much color they got and the rainbow-colored dog that ran past me. I’ll think how happy I was in that moment that was once not a memory. In the approximately 575 days until I graduate, I’ll have many more miserable tests, exciting endeavors and “infinite” moments. “Perks of Being a Wallflower” is one of those stories that stays with you. Ten minutes ago I was freaking out about grades, and now I feel fine because I thought of this book and the chance of seeing the movie again soon. So thanks, Charlie.

Volunteer victories Students shape the world through service Youth take journeys of faith and footsteps s teenagers from each religion lead a prayer, 250 people stand silently

Runners discover the colors of change or some, running five kilometers is an impossible feat. For others, it’s an enjoyable pastime. The Color Run, which took place in Lawrence on Oct. 6, aimed to make racing fun for everyone. The Color Run, referred to as the “Happiest 5k on the Planet,” tours the country raising money for local charities. At the start line, racers come dressed in all white, and at the finish line, they have not a speck of white left on their clothes. Every kilometer, racers are blasted by different colors of powder, and are rewarded at the end with even more color and a party full of music and celebration.

“I think the color part of the run is what makes it so amazing,” junior Lora Uhlig said. “It’s so unique and different from other races I’ve participated in, but unlike those races, it’s not about how fast you go, but rather how much fun you have. I love it. And, really, what isn’t exciting about being blasted by colors?” Proceeds raised went to a charity called Assists, which helps give young people easier access to better and healthier lives. “The whole idea [of the run] appeals to me. I love running, and I obviously love spending time with my friends, plus knowing that money I spend is going to help other people is always a

(From left) Juniors Lora Uhlig, Abbie Williams, Miranda Hall and Sarah Newstrom celebrate at the finish line of the Color Run by throwing up their own bags of colored powder. The end of the race was full of music and color bombs. Photo by Hayley Berger

wonderful feeling,” Uhlig said. Upon viewing pictures from past runs, junior Abbie Williams was excited to participate. The race exceeded her expectations. “The pictures online don’t give you an idea of what the full experience is like. The whole energy of the race was so cheerful and friendly,” Williams said. “Plus, my friends and I were able to spend the day doing something so different from anything we would normally do, which was just really fun.”

Hayley Berger Feature Editor

Kids in Dharamthal, India, a third world country, go to a school where there is a lack of certain necessities that students at our school have.

Adopting village helps to pop the bubble e all know what life is like at BVN, but we don’t really get the chance to see what life is like outside of our bubble. Because of this, our Kay Club decided to start working with schools in third world countries. This year, Kay Club has adopted a small village school in Dharamthal, India. “It’s a perfect project. We need a global service project yearly, and this project fullfills that requirement and even incorporates education,” said Kay Club sponsor Dana Steinwart. People in Dharamthal don’t have the funds for simple necessities like milk, school clothes and shoes. From Oct. 29-31, you can buy a bag of candy at lunch for $2.00 or two bags for $3.00. When you buy this bag of candy, you get candy and treats, and also the chance to save kids’ lives. Next to the poster, a jar will sit for any extra donations. Through donations from lunchtime sales, KAY Club can help feed, clothe and educate kids.

Sakshi Mahajan Staff Writer

listening or praying along with them. There’s a sense of community and a feeling of peace. Once the prayer finishes, everyone begins to walk together to the next stop on their five-mile course. The Peace Walk brought together people from several different faiths and all ages. Headed by the Kansas City Interfaith Youth Alliance (KCIYA), this walk not only attempted to create tolerance among the religions in the area, but also to raise money for a better understanding of tolerance among children. “This walk helps to raise money for the charity Free the Children, specifically the education branch. Understanding and cooperation are rooted in education, which then lead to tolerance,” Alex Sher, a member of the KCIYA, said. KCIYA was started four years ago to promote cultural diversity among local youth. This student-led organization provides local high schoolers with ways to “lead, serve and grow” in their community. “Our generation has a ton of power and we can do something to make a change,” junior Abbie Williams said. “Here we don’t have a ton of issues or conflict with each other, but in other countries they do, so the fact that here we can create events like this [Peace Walk] just helps to at least maintain peace somewhere.” For both the Color Run and the Peace Walk, hundreds of people joined High schoolers in the together to raise money for a cause. In both events, the participants were Kansas City branch work decked out in the designated attire, such as white for the Color Run and KCIYA shirts for the Peace Walk. Photo by Hayley Berger together to organize service projects to help out the community and set examples for peace and tolerance. “These events are small stepping stones to fixing big problems. They show that if we, here in Kansas, can do it, then people in other countries can, too,” senior Naaz Lakhani said. KCIYA events provide local teenagers with a new insight on diversity to everyone, even those not part of the organization. “I decided to come to the walk because I thought it would be fun and an event worth going to, but I’ve seen a lot of really different things since I arrived, and it’s really interesting,” junior Anna Zell said. “I see a little bit of judgment between students at our school, and I think things like this really help to dispel that.” To get involved with the KCIYA or find out about upcoming events, go to www. KCIYA.org.

Hayley Berger Feature Editor

Be a hero this Halloween W

ith the Halloween season quickly approaching, people of all ages are eagerly planning their visits to pumpkin patches and costume parties. Perhaps the best treat, though, is the one you can give to those in need.

Treat a family

There are many children on Halloween who cannot go trick-or-treating because of working parents/ guardians. This is where you could come into the equation. By creating community flyers to broadcast your willingness to help, you could make these kids’ holiday worthwhile. Maybe taking them around to different houses will earn a few treats for yourself.

Reach Out and Read Reach Out and Read KC is an organization that recruits volunteers to tutor and read classic childhood stories to young children. Their primary goal is to increase literacy and the enjoyment of learning. Contact them at reachoutandreadkc.org. if you have an interest in volunteering this way.

Trick or Treat So Kids Can Eat Trick or Treat so Kids Can Eat is a way to help hungry people in the local community. BVN’s thespian population hopes to collect pounds of food. You can offer a cash donation to a local HenHouse, or bring non-perishable canned foods to the school- sponsored collection

Help out at Harvesters Volunteers are needed constantly at the local Harvesters organization. Volunteer Outreach Center (VOC) is a way for teenagers to sort and package donated items for them to be sent to the hungry. Go to harvesters.org to check out the opportunities to help.

Kiera Bolden Staff Writer

Horror comedy tinkers with genre rules

Five friends investigate when the cellar door to the basement blows open in “The Cabin in the Woods.” Photo from http://discoverthecabininthewoods.com/

ive college students rent an RV to spend a weekend at an abandoned cabin in the woods. Each character exemplifies the common archetypes of the horror genre: the athlete, his hot girlfriend, the scholar, the pothead and the innocent girl. Along the way, they stop at a creepy gas station where a creepy old man warns them to turn around. Does this premise sound familiar to you? It’s supposed to. “The Cabin in the Woods” succeeds as a self-aware satire of horror movies. It’s filled with all of the elements we’ve come to know

and love, but it is by no means a conventional movie. I’d use the word “ridiculous” to describe the plot because it has so many “did that just happen” moments, but I mean that in the most positive way. Similar to the “Scream” series, “The Cabin in the Woods” is gut-bustingly funny, yet equally terrifying. One minute you’re laughing at the smartly crafted irony in the dialogue, and then you’re grasping for a blanket to hide under the next. In one scene, the main characters are playing Truth or Dare when the cellar door to the basement blows open. “Must be the wind,” the athlete reasons. “Uh, that makes what kind of sense?” the pothead asks. I love ironic dialogue like this because the writers are essentially doing two things at once: they’re exposing the error in reasoning

by characters in other movies, while still creating potentially scary situations. Fast forward and the same athlete suggests that everyone should split up, to which the pothead replies, “Really?” When a movie features no well-known celebrities, its success can be a gamble, but a lack of familiar faces paid off here. Whereas some movies rely on the star power of their protagonists, A-list actors would have only detracted from the story. Since I can’t say much about the ending without spoiling it, I’ll keep quiet. Just know that there are so many unexpected twists and turns throughout that the final product you actually watch is nothing like what you’d expect from the preview. Unsurprisingly, there is profane language, brief nudity and lots and lots of blood. It’s not for the faint of heart, but if you’re game, there’s no better way to get into the Halloween spirit. Horror movies are filled with rules and patterns that are followed by most screenwriters. “The Cabin in the Woods” acknowledges these rules and breaks them.

Danny Rosenberg Entertainment Editor

Owl City conforms to pop trends on latest album

ans of Justin Beiber and David Archuleta—rejoice! Owl City’s Adam Young wrote the perfect album for you. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the perfect album for me. I’ve been an avid Owl City fan since the hit “Fireflies” in 2009, and I was jittery with excitement waiting for the third album. But when I played the CD for the first time, I found my hopes dashed. It seemed that Young has rejected his old whimsical, slightly insane style for that of a typical pop artist. It wasn’t the music itself that disenchanted me, but the lyrics. In his earlier albums Young was as deep as humanly possible, but in “The Midsummer Station,” he resorts to the overused pop music equation: Catchy tune + meaningless lyrics about love = success. Admittedly, Young did write about love in what I now refer to as “the old days,” but it was in a fresh inventive way that made one consider this overused song topic in a new light. Now I’m being treated to a style I’ve heard a billion times before, and I’m sick of it.

Another lyrical problem was his repetition of certain symbols. It felt like Young had attempted to create a concept album where all the songs center around one major idea, but he hadn’t realized it had more to do with just repeating words like “shine,” “bright” and “fire.” The motif of light was used constantly throughout this album to the point of extreme annoyance when listening to them all in a row. That said, musically this album was great. Young’s airy electronic beats and light-hearted melodies never fail to stick themselves in your head. Despite my animosity toward the lyrics, I found myself humming them under my breath because the music is so darned catchy. And in this album, Owl City branched out by working in several songs with dance beats adding to the movement of the album as a whole. In the final assessment, however, I personally believe that Young was feeling the pinch after not having a hit song in three years and turned to a pop-styled album to earn some money. I hope he gets it. If Young

R E V I E

W Owl City’s newest album, “The Midsummer Station,” may disappoint diehard fans. Photo from http://owlcitymusic.com/

gets enough to live on for a few years, he might go back to his old way of writing, where the audience reception didn’t matter and he could focus simply on the art of his unique style of music. So buy the songs, and wait for something better.

Rachel Strohkorb Staff Writer

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Write a letter to the editors and be published in the next issue of The North Star! Submit to room 411!

very sitcom has its lovable characters, relatable situations and raunchy dialogue. So does “How I Met Your Mother,” but what sets it apart from other sitcoms is its unique format of storytelling. If you’ve ever watched the Emmy-winning show that’s entering its final season, you know the entire

series is actually one dad’s drawn-out story of how he met his kids’ mother. Most episodes begin with Ted reminiscing about his friends Lily, Marshall, Barney and Robin. Each of these characters has a distinct personality that balances the dynamic of the group. Which character do you most resemble?

Sarah Evans Co-Editor-In-Chief

START Where do you see yourself 15 years from now?

Dedicated to my job.

Your friends are going out, but you have a big project due tomorrow. What do you do?

arney is the classic example of a ladies man. He’s outgoing, conceited and irreverent. He has a room dedicated to his suits and a television screen the size of a wall. One day he’ll eventually settle down and get married, or maybe not.

Are you scared of commitment or do you embrace relationships?

Embrace - you’re in it for the long run.

Scared - you’re afraid to share your life.

You’re coaching Little League baseball. Do you make the team competitive or fun?

What’s your outfit of choice?

A crisp suit - gotta look professional.

A tweed jacket and jeans.

ed Mosby, architect, is the type of dedicated person who always finishes what he starts, and he’s been searching for his soulmate since season one. He’s eager to commit to a relationship, but he has yet to find his match.

Photo from http://www.fanpop.com/spots/ Photo from http://episodewiki.com/How_I_ how-i-met-your-mother/images/27830348/ Met_Your_Mother/Characters/Barney_Stinson title/ted-season-6-promo-photo

Entertainment Editor

Married, with kids.

Stay home to get the project done. Work first, party second.

Go out. There’s always tomorrow morning to finish homework.

Danny Rosenberg

Competitive - go big or go home.

obin often lets her job get in the way of her social life. Time after time, she buries herself in work to avoid confronting her emotions. To her friends, she may sometimes come off as abrasive, but that’s just because she wants to hide her true feelings.

Photo from http://www.himym-fans.de/ die-serie/robin-scherbatsky.html

arshall is described a lovable teddy bear; a loyal friend to the guys and a confidant for the girls. He’s a goofy guy, but he knows went to buckle down.

Photo from http://www.fanpop.com/spots/ how-i-met-your-mother/images/2960633/ title/marshall-wallpaper

Fun - it’s all for the kids.

ily is defined by her need to assert her opinion. By day she is a kindergarten teacher, but really she dreams of being an artist.

Photo from http://www.fanpop. com/spots/how-i-met-yourmother/images/31132559/title/ lily-hq-photo

18 Classy and captivating: the world of Downton Abbey I n the English sunshine, an elegant man strides across a lush lawn to strains of poignant music. Then we see a servant dusting an exquisite chandelier, another laying a straightedge across a table to make sure the ends of the napkins are lined up. We hear the servants’ bells tinkle. This is the world of Downton Abbey, the Emmy-nominated show that has captured the imaginations of romantics and history buffs everywhere. The newest season is available for purchase on Netflix as of September, and began playing in England at the end of last month. The Downton Abbey of the show is an old manor house in rural England. It is inhabited by a colorful cast of aristocrats and cooks, ladies and their maids, lords and their butlers. Season one begins when the Titanic sinks and Lord Grantham, the master of the estate whom we see in the

first scenes, loses his cousins and heirs. The house is thrown into a tumult over the inheritance when it turns out that Matthew, a handsome stranger—a lawyer, who actually has to work for a living—is the next in line to Lord Grantham’s property and title. He comes to Downton, and a romance springs up between

“They are all noble in spirit, whether they are noble by birth or not.” him and Lord Grantham’s oldest daughter, the fiercely dignified Lady Mary. The show seems to be shaping up into a charming—if somewhat dated—love story, when the inconceivable occurs: World War I breaks out. Season two tells the story of a world in turmoil, as the horrors of war shake the foundations of even the

stateliest manor houses. From masters to servants, lives are altered forever. The head maid, Anna, begins a great romance with Lord Grantham’s manservant, Bates, as the war shows them cruelly that life is too short to live alone. Lord Grantham’s youngest daughter, Sybil, becomes a nurse and falls in love with a radical Maggie Smith, from the “Harry Potter” movies, is a key character in Irish chauffeur. Downton Abbey. Other actors include Michelle Dockery, playing Mary, and Hugh Bonneville, playing Lord Grantham. Photo from Amazon. The social mores of the house are turned characters’ response to real and often on their heads when Matthew’s bitter change. At times, they make mettlesome mother insists that it be poor decisions. But unlike any other converted into a convalescent home show I’ve ever seen, each character on for wounded soldiers. And Matthew Downton is filled with a fundamental comes back from the war engaged goodness and strength. They are all to another woman and severely noble in spirit, whether they are noble wounded. by birth or not. The ultimate brilliance of Downton does not lie in the rich costumes Jessi Glueck or witty dialogue. It lies in the Co-Editor-In-Chief

Fall favorites get a lighter makeover

all favorites are great-until 20 minutes later, it feels like nap time. Mushy casseroles and beef and potato filled plates are more snooze-inducing than satisfying. An easy way to

Sweet Potato Bisque

5 medium-large sweet potatoes, diced 1 chopped onion ½ cup chopped bell peppers 1 tablespoon olive oil 2 cloves of garlic, finely chopped 2 teaspoon each of ground coriander, cinnamon, cumin and smoked paprika 1 teaspoon each cayenne and salt 1 quart vegetable broth

Sweet Potato Bisque is a good starter to a meal. Leftovers can be reheated for a quick lunch or dinner. Photo by Ellie Holcomb

1. In a large pot, pour the

vegetable broth over the sweet potatoes. Add water, if needed, to barely cover all the potatoes. Simmer until the potatoes are cooked through (easily pierceable with a fork) and then turn the heat off and set them aside.

2. While the potatoes are

cooking, heat oil in a large skillet. Add onions and garlic, and allow them to cook until soft. Add in spices and peppers, evenly distributing. Cook until all vegetables are soft. Set aside.

3. Using a food processor or

blender, puree the sweet potatoes. Return the puree to large pot and stir in the sauteed mixture. Reheat, and season to taste.

change this is to lighten them up-more nutrients and veggies, less cream and butter. And these “I don’t need a nap” fall faves are just as delish.

Eggplant and Vegetable Pasta 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 medium eggplant, seeds removed and cut into halfinch cubes 2 cloves minced garlic 1-2 small tomatoes, diced ⅓ cup green olives, chopped 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon pepper ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes 12 ounces whole-wheat pasta ¼ cup chopped basil

Eggplant and vegetable pasta packs nutrients and flavor into a filling and warming meal. This dish pairs well with your favorite protein or some crusty bread. Photo by Ellie Holcomb

1. Boil a large pot of water. 2. Heat oil in a large skillet and cook eggplant until slightly softened,

about 5 minutes. Add in garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 second. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, and spices. Cook until tomatoes begin to break down, 5-7 minutes.

3. While cooking the vegetables,

cook the pasta according to package directions in the water. Drain and divide among bowls, topped with veggies. Garnish with basil.

Ellie Holcomb Co-Editor-In-Chief

19 How a lower-stress outlook on high school can help your sanity

ast week I witnessed a girl crying before school over the quiz score she had just received. The next day I overheard a student anxiously listing all the school work she needed to complete while her friend stood by her, offering comforting words to help prevent an outbreak of tears. Society has put a tremendous amount of pressure on students about college. Students work incredibly hard for four years with this ultimate goal. But as many students slave away writing

papers until midnight, we must ask ourselves: how much school stress is too much? We are too focused on the little things. It’s time to open our eyes to the bigger picture. Although it’s hard to believe at this point in your life, you are more than the sum of your test scores. Do the things that you are passionate about, spend time with the people you like being with, enjoy just being young, rather than using all of our energy worrying about whether or not we will be admitted to our dream school. There is life after high school,

Illustration by Chris Shanklin

Letter to the editor

there is life after college. In the grand scheme of things, it does not matter if you got a C on your AP Euro test. If we spend our high school lives obsessing about college admission, we will be miserable. That’s not how we should be. An in-state college education can prepare you just as well for the future. There is a misconception that a more prestigious school will guarantee a more successful future. When we look at several corporate CEOs, they attended state school. And don’t forget-Bill Gates dropped out of Harvard. You could be happy at so many different universities. It is ridiculous to stress out, make ourselves sick trying to create the perfect resume for a particular school. Now is the time to take a step back and put things into perspective.

Mallory Bodker Opinion Editor

A display of “seniority” dismays peer

ongrats fellow seniors, some of you have yet again made me embarrassed to be a part of our class in public. At the senior night football game–a night dedicated to honoring our class, no less–some of the more rambunctious of our class decided to cheer “Let’s see football” during the recognition of the National Merit scholars. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t care if anyone in the crowd cares about National Merit. I don’t care about National Merit either, really. I do, however, care about showing respect, a concept our class seems to continually struggle with. We seem to think that being disrespectful to the administration and to each other is the epitome of senior rebellion. This lack of respect, however, doesn’t show how “hardcore” we are or encourage comraderie by uniting us as a class. By turning activities meant to encourage

class pride into an act of childishness, we actually manage to polarize our class. Our displays of immaturity merely draw attention to the sad misplacement of our spirit. When we celebrate childish things like throwing glitter, ignoring administrators and being rude to our classmates, we only prove that we are placing value not in senior camaraderie, but in assuring that memories of our obnoxious escapades will live on after we’ve graduated. Infamy isn’t the way to go, but it’s the direction that we’re headed. Remember the seniors when we were freshmen? The formerly “sophmoronic” ones? Their positive traits were completely eclipsed by that one word they could never quite escape. Our legacy could be so much more than high school legends of

spirit assembly shenanigans if we let it be. We are an intelligent, athletic and talented class in so many ways. We just need to find a constructive way to portray ourselves, and we can start by setting an example of what healthy school spirit looks like by respecting each other, authority and even the underclassmen. Sometime over the last few years, being as rowdy and messy as possible became the senior standard for showing off our spirit. This perversion of tradition divides the student body and reflects badly on us, so only we can redeem our class by reversing this trend. As the tops dogs at North, we should take advantage of our ability to affect change before we leave for college and become the “fresh meat” all over again. Because let’s face it, college seniors will not put up with our immature hijinks any more than we would be okay with the underclassmen throwing things at us.

–Liz Gaa, senior

The North Star staff Sarah Evans Jessi Glueck Ellie Holcomb Ashley Ruben Hayley Berger Sydney House Danny Rosenberg Mallory Bodker Lindsay Rucker Chris Shanklin Erica Emert Erika Brown Erica Emert Austin Fultz Daniel Traub Kiera Bolden Kristen Haug Faryal Jafri Neha Kulkarni Emily Levinson Sakshi Mahajan Ram Sivakumar Rachel Strohkorb Mindy Gilman

The North Star is the official publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distributed to all students nine times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication. Letters to the editors are encouraged from students and non-students alike and should be less than 500 words. All letters must be signed and turned into room 411 at least one week prior to publication. All letters require a signature. Names will be published. The North Star reserves the right to edit with regard to libel, without changing the substance of the letter. The North Star will not publish obscene or libelous material.

Facing the issues of acebook

Social media creates a plethora of problems for students

week ago, I realized that Facebook was affecting my work ethic. As an experiment, I tried for a whole week to phase myself out of my Facebook addiction. I first tried to just stop using it. That did not work because I was crawling back a few minutes later, wondering if someone commented on my posts. Next, I deactivated my account, which also didn’t work because Facebook makes it easy to reactivate it a day later by entering your password. Finally, I tried to become addicted to Twitter, but that just made the problem even worse. I’m now “double addicted”. This is why the Facebook addiction plaguing our society hurts more than it helps. Facebook destroys our productivity. People complain about how much homework they have and brag about how long they stayed up, yet this wouldn’t be a problem if they didn’t go to Facebook every few minutes. For example, my simple five-minute Math XL problem set took almost 15 minutes because I constantly went back to the “news feed” to check

up on my notifications and look at invest so much time trying to post pictures. This poor work ethic creates cool comments and interacting with more stress; as I am assigned more as many people as possible to create and more this image. This, homework, unfortunately, it takes me leads to a gap longer and between social longer to media and the complete all of real world. A it. This creates conversation may stress on top go on between of our already me and a friend stressful on Facebook, lives. Who but at school we wants to live a just briskly say perpetual life “hi” as we walk of just doing by each other. homework Although it is constantly? more comfortable I absolutely for people to sit Sophomore Meghan Stubbers checks her Facebook hate having to from her phone. “I get on every day, but only once a day. down and talk to People talk about [Facebook] every day. I have over 638 work hours on friends over the country.” Photo by Erica Emert people that they homework just can’t see on the because I can’t resist my addiction. other side, it hurts them in real life Another more complicated because they rely on these gimmicks problem with Facebook is the social to interact with others. We now worry anxiety. Facebook users naturally try about how many comments we get on to create an “online personality” to our pictures or who liked our status morph the perceptions of others. We instead of keeping real friendships.

It’s clear that there are dire problems with Facebook addictions, yet there is only one topic left untouched: how to phase out of our addictions. Completely pulling out of Facebook would be impractical and fruitless (as I experienced myself), but there are many alternatives that I urge you to try. The first thing to do is be aware; realize just how much you need to cut back on your usage. Every time my hand itches to type in those eight letters, I remind myself to go back to my work. The next thing you can do is find someone who can help you out. You could set up your computer next to your parents or when you are with your friends to keep away from being side tracked. Finally, even if you can’t quit Facebook cold turkey, once in a while you should try to log out and interact with people in real life. Doing that can help us all create more truthful relationship with the people we like to be around.

Ram Sivakumar Staff Writer

Technology tampers with friendship

What it means to be a friend in a high-tech world

acebook announced, Oct. 4, people on Facebook, nearly a sixth that the number of online of all human beings on this planet users had have a means for just passed the technology-based, billion mark.With rather than human each passing day, communication teenagers become and interaction. more immersed in Facebook the latest iPhones, friendships are iPads, laptops, starting to outpace the hottest social real friendships. network, you name You may have it. However, the 1,000 “friends”, but nifty gadgets not do you actually only come with know these people positive effects, but on a personal Due to the increased involvement in technology, also noticeably level? Like me, you friends hardly recognize each other’s existence. negative ones. probably just accept Illistration by Kristen Haug. Teenagers friend requests but are growing up with fast-paced never engage in conversation with technology today. With a billion those people. Facebook can be a

convenient form of communication, but it should not replace meaningful relationships. Maybe the number of Facebook friends that you have is impressive, but you still feel alone on Friday night. Consider the possibility of only selecting the close friends that you talk to on a day-to-day basis. As human beings, we are designed for intimacy and interaction. As if Facebook isn’t enough, texting also robs us of true friendship time that we could be spending with a friend. Text messages hide our emotions, our expressions, our tone, our intentions. Has there ever been a time when you needed to apologize to a friend and you lamely texted “sorry” instead of apologizing face to face? You easily shield yourself from the person’s reaction which devalues your

apology. Even sincere text messages such as “You’re the best,” don’t have the same personal meaning. Yes, technology is an excellent form of communication, but we need to maintain intimacy and interaction with our real friends- not our cyberpals, building relationships and sharing who we are. Valuable memories can only be created when you actually spend time with people. When you’re an old retired grandpa or grandma, your grandchildren are not going to ask about your experience on the Internet, but what you and your friends did on that one Friday night that you will always remember.

Kristen Haug Staff Writer

HEAD TO HEAD:

Has volunteering lost its true meaning? In defense of community service documentation

here is a common When students spend time with misconception that students people that are less fortunate than only do community service them, it puts their priorities into to get their National Honors Society perspective. or Presidential Service award sheet We tend to be so busy with work, signed. This assumption is unfair; school, sports and our social lives I know several students who don’t that we don’t always take time to even document their hours. lend a helping hand to those who The point, however, isn’t whether truly need it. The Presidential or not we receive personal gain Community Service Award and for our service; it is if we made an National Honor Society motivates impact on the community. The students to help others and create 40 community service hours that relationships with people they count toward NHS or the 100 might not usually interact with. service hours that My goal of “Sometimes we need receiving the count toward the The Presidential a little push to do the Presidential Community Community right thing. Community service award service award are added bonuses. service hours give us motivated Both are smart to start that push to volunteer...” me ways to motivate volunteering. students to My volunteer their time to good causes. experience in helping those that Some say that giving students are less fortunate made me realize hours for doing a good deed is my obligation to help out my unethical. While a deed done community. I understood how without recognition is better than rewarding it is to make a difference a deed done with recognition, in a stranger’s life. receiving something tangible for I have seen students who initially volunteering doesn’t cause harm to do community service for personal anybody. gain, but later learn from their In fact, more students volunteer experience and continue to perform because they have community acts of kindness, even after there are service hours as an incentive. This no more awards given. means greater positive impact on Sometimes we need a little push the community, which is something to do the right thing. Community that should not be discounted service hours give us that push to Everybody comes to a point in his volunteer at that soup kitchen or life when he realizes that there are visit that homeless shelter. bigger issues in life than getting an Sydney House A on a test or receiving an award. Staff Writer

Volunteering has lost

Colleges and institutions are guilty hile I was volunteering of perpetuating the view that at the hospital one day, volunteering is essential. Of course I thought about why I volunteering is a positive thing, was spending two hours each week but by making it mandatory is it refilling stock rooms and greeting really making a positive lasting cranky patients. Although I love impression on the community? the experience, I realized that deep Volunteering has turned us into down I had an ulterior motive. I robots: put in two hours a week and was volunteering to get hours that would eventually go toward various get an awards. Although we want to think that we are reaching out to the awards that would beef up my less fortunate, we all know that we resumes. Isn’t everyone? In this day and age, volunteering are counting how many more hours we need for National Honor Society is like a job. No, students do not or the Presidential get paid in money awards. - they get paid in hours. When supposed to be about I respect people who do you consider that doing something out of not feverishly you get paid in a way, is it really the good of your heart hound down the organizers so they “volunteering”? and not for a reward?” can get their form Isn’t volunteering signed. By not supposed to be about doing getting their form signed, they are something out of the good of exemplifying what volunteering is at your heart and not for a reward? its core. Volunteering at its essence is I don’t want to imply that I don’t supposed to benefit the receiver, write down my hours and turn not the giver. I don’t mean to say them in for awards - I do. I have that the volunteer can’t enjoy come to realize that what I am and learn from the experience. I doing is not really “volunteering”, love interacting with the hospital and other students should realize patients. However, the giver should that they are guilty of having not be rewarded for volunteering an ulterior motive. It is a job with hours that will eventually translate into awards and improved that colleges deem necessary. I understand that it has become college applications. I am guilty of using my volunteer practically mandatory if students want to remain competitive. The hours to get awards, but in defense whole idea of volunteering has of myself and all others who do really become devoid of meaning. this, volunteering has lost all meaning by being mandatory. Faryal Jafri Staff Writer

Senior Shenanigans During the annual Homecoming assembly Sept. 14 seniors throw chalk and glitter into the air. This has become the traditional prank for the senior class to do at the assembly. Not only is it disruptive but also messy and disrespectful to our administration and janitors. Photo by Alex Scimecca

Seniors need to step it up A

fter slogging our way through four years of high school we seniors are ready to feel important. The teachers have gotten to know us. The underclassmen envy us. (Personally it’s hard for me to imagine anyone envying the mountain of college applications I’m buried under these days, but I’m told this is how it works.) The senior traditions belong to us. And we get to go through life knowing that each day brings us a little closer to that glorious rite of passage, graduation. But even though I’ve spent most of my high school career waiting to be a senior, I can’t say that right now I’m very proud of that title.

Class pranks are a cliché

Let’s review some things we’ve done as a class so far: thrown a variety of unsavory substances at an assembly, publicly bashed our own football team, boycotted a dance because the administration decided to ban the sacred art of grinding and issued underground shirts with the supremely clever slogan, “Grab some 13uds.” Not only are these activities a pointless waste of the considerable talent and charisma of our class, they’re also entirely unoriginal. Am I the only one who remembers that last year’s seniors threw baby powder at an assembly, too? The alcoholthemed shirt has also been done

before–and the 2012 seniors didn’t have to resort to making letters out of numbers either. Don’t get me wrong, these ideas were dumb the first time around. But now they’re dumb and they’re cliche. We like to think that we’re changing things up, but we’re just playing the same tired games. It’s occurred to me that with the amount of organization and involvement that our senior pranks have included, we could have accomplished something really important. What if we made our own underground shirts and donated the money we saved to charity? What if instead of planning to disrupt an assembly, we sent a delegation to

student council asking to incorporate a cool speaker or a performer? What if, rather than ditching Homecoming for party buses, a group of us showed up ready to waltz or swing dance? There are fun, unexpected and at times even meaningful ways to surprise and confuse authority. The administration expects us to act up. They expect pranks at assemblies. They expect us to behave like immature teenagers. The way to defy those expectations is to show the administration–and the rest of the school–what cool, thoughtful, interesting individuals the seniors really are.

Jessi Glueck Co-Editor-In-Chief

Living in the moment

his past summer I heard about a boy who was killed by a drunk driver. He was only 17 years old. My heart wrenched for his family. However, when my initial response faded, anger crept in. What if I was the one who had died? If he was anything like me, there was so much he had left undone because he figured he would have time for it in the future. The truth is that today is the only thing promised and nothing should be worth procrastinating. Our society puts too much emphasis on the future. The question of what we want to be when we get older fills our minds, convincing us that tomorrow is more important than today. There’s always some homework to do for next week, some event to

Looking at life in perspective

plan, something to keep us from enjoying today. Seniors, in particular, spend all of our time researching schools and forget to enjoy our senior year. Before college apps, it was the big tests that prevented us from living in the moment. Before those, there were parents’ and teachers’ expectations. The tunnel vision we get by focusing solely on one goal leaves no room for thoughts of our families, our friends, our passions. They are neglected in favor of more urgent commitments. We put off the things that make us who we are. Parents and teachers always tell us not to procrastinate, and I want to take that advice one step further and apply it to the way we live our lives.

We need to participate fully and try to enjoy everything we do, whether it’s a science class or a family dinner. There are lots of tomorrows, but

there’s only one today. What we do today is entirely in our hands.

Chris Shanklin Staff Writer

The sight of a gravestone is a reminder that life is too short for us to procrastinate doing what we love. Photo by Erica Emert.

Teaching teens the joy of movement

ast year, I found out I had a free There’s also team sports, a perfect hour in my senior schedule. I class for those intent on spending a tried, unsuccessfully, to fill the semester breaking a minimal sweat hour with physical education. jogging the bases in a rec game of I thought an hour to fill my body kickball. It’s not a serious workout. with endorphins, “[We should] be able to care When I told my and have one less counselor that I for our bodies and be able thing to worry about wanted more, my to prevent the countless requests weren’t in homework-filled diseases caused by nights (my fitness) met. would be a good Physical sedentary lifestyles.” contribution to my activity is schedule. Alas, the school didn’t make important for everyone, freshman or it easy. senior. Not because I think our school Yes, there are weights classes, but has a weight problem (we don’t), but they are filled with our school’s elite because I believe the job of a school is athletes, offered at limited times and to help students become ready for the often intimidating to the average girl. “real world.” Exercise reduces stress

and builds a healthy heart. Lack of physical activity, on the other hand, leads to adults with heart problems and diabetes. It adds to our nation’s health care costs. When we reach high school, the old habit of running around outside falls away. There’s no time. Fitting exercise into our curriculum would build our futures as much as math and world history. Being able to care for our bodies and prevent one of the countless diseases caused by a sedentary lifestyle while busting our stressors are skillsets that we all will need. Why doesn’t our school step in?

Ellie Holcomb Co-Editor-In-Chief

Rock the election – without the vote

s I counted up the numbers Debates,”) dominates my Twitter feed as a fifth grader, I was on debate nights. crushed. My 18th birthday From all this buzz arose a surprising would come after November 2012, wave of negativity. I began to notice which meant I wouldn’t be able to tweets and Facebook statuses vote. Fast-forward to the present, and expressing the sentiment that those my inability to vote in this election is too young to vote should still a disappointment. keep their opinions However, I’ve made “Blue Valley North to themselves. These a happy discovery – is passionate and individuals seem to think when it comes to this that being young means opinionated.” election, Blue Valley your opinions don’t matter, North is opinionated when in reality nothing and passionate. I’ve spoken to several could be farther from the truth. people about the issues that matter to Realizing now what is important to me, and have noticed that the hashtag you will set a precedent for changes “#addebates” (“America Decides you can seek to make when voting

in the future or taking an active role in politics. Additionally, there are several ways to get involved that don’t involve actually voting, such as helping to campaign for the candidate you support or even just engaging in discussion with your friends. If you’re like me and are only old enough to vote for Homecoming court, don’t be upset and don’t allow others to tell you that you shouldn’t care. Remember that your developing opinions will shape the future – and that you’ll rock the vote in 2016.

Sarah Evans Co-Editor in Chief

Rethinking the social media generation

here’s a lot that’s wrong with sacredness of this body...and, must social media sites. But there keep it intact. ...By not focusing on are also some wonderful the physical beauty, I have time to... things about them. focus my life on creating change and A recent example involves the social progress for this world... I appreciate networking site Reddit. all of the comments “There are things There, one user posted a here, both positive that we want the and less positive picture of a Sikh woman named Balpreet Kaur entire world to see.” because I’ve sporting a turban and an gotten a better abundance of facial hair. understanding of The caption was, “I’m not sure what myself and others from this.” to conclude from this”; evidently The dignity of this response shook the user was entertained by what the Reddit world’s foundations. he perceived to be Kaur’s gender Thousands of comments cover the confusion. picture now, thanking Kaur for her Here’s an excerpt of Kaur’s response honesty and optimism. Even the to the post: “Sikhs believe in the original poster apologized.

Critics of social networking sites are always warning us not to post things that we wouldn’t want the entire world to see. But there are things that we do want the entire world to see. We want to get people talking about tolerance. We want them to have in-depth discussions and learn about one another’s faiths. We want to tackle issues of body image. And if every sick, negative post inspired this kind of response, then on the whole social networking could be viewed as an incredibly positive innovation. We’ve been called “the social media generation.” Let’s make that mean something great. Jessi Glueck Co-Editor-In-Chief

2:51 life after school Sophomore Sam Bricker speeds down the street on his motor scooter after school. Bricker often rides his scooter, despite sometimes falling off. “I was in the grass getting ready to put it away. I tried breaking and the front wheel just slipped out of under me and I fell, no big deal,” Bricker said. Photo by Austin Fultz

Senior Amy Sevcik feeds baby goats at Deanna Rose Farmstead during her after school job shift. She started out by volunteering there last summer and now she works there several days a week. “It’s a really fun place to work, and the people are all really chill,” Sevcik said. Photo by Erika Brown

For sophomore Sarah Emert, staying fit is a priority. Emert played on the BVN tennis team which kept her in great shape. “I do lots of ab workouts and cardio at home and on the court,” Emert said. Photo by Erica Emert

Junior Danielle London and freshman Miranda Deblauwe discuss their next project on the tech crew for the fall play “Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer/Jersey”. “I joined the play because I have always been involved in theatre stuff, and I love it,” Miranda said. Photo by Austin Fultz

Freshman Archie Cherkashyn checks the script for the fall play during rehearsal on Thursday, Oct. 4 to see when his cue is. Archie decided to work on the stage crew of “Ken Ludwig’s Midsummer/Jersey” when his teacher suggested it. The stage crew helps the show move more smoothly and is essential in moving props and making sets. Photo by Austin Fultz