The Express- March 2018

THE

EXPRESS 25 years

The Mental Health Awakening

Mental health became more widely discussed amongst the BVNW community this year, with some wondering how the school can better address the issue.

Page 14 Volume 25 • issue 5 • Blue Valley Northwest High school

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

CONTENTS 04 07 09 12 14 Above: Band Director Adam Lundine plays the saxophone in his office on Feb. 28. Lundine is a member of Midwest Winds, a 50-person concert band. (Photo by Ellen Bruce).

Right: During his internship, Junior Raleigh Beilfuss works on a drone on March 6. “What I enjoy most about work is the atmosphere and everybody in it,” Beilfuss said. “They’re so laid back and it’s nothing like school, it’s unique and fun.” (Photo by Madi Allen).

Create and skate All in the band Perspectives Drone’s-eye view The mental health awakening

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018 Cover: One in five teens, ages 13-18 have, or will have, a serious mental illness, with 75 percent of lifetime mental illness cases beginning by age 24, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. (Photo illustration

by Gavin Mullin and Kaitlyn Noon).

Bottom right: Kao Mow is a dish offered at Pad Thai, located on 14319 Metcalf Ave, Overland Park, Kan. (Photo by Daniel Edmonds).

Bottom left: Sophomore Zach Wilson performs a flip while riding a skateboard created by his company. “Skateboarding is really fun, even when you get hurt, you have fun doing it,” Wilson said. (Photo by TJ Vore).

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Teacher starter packs

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Life Styled

A Taste of Asia

Opinion

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

Create and

Skate Following their skateboard passion and ambition to start a small business, two Northwest brothers started their own skateboard company, which sells decks, shirts and stickers.

By jack plank he first thing seen on Sandwitch Skateboard’s homepage is a skateboard deck with a taco painted on it. This might seem strange to the average viewer, but to the company’s founders, sophomore Zach Wilson and senior Conner Wilson, this eccentricity is just a part of the brand. The description of the board reflects this eccentricity: “Imagine the trick, now think of you landing it.

This board can do every single trick you can think of, and more. All you

T

have to do is ride it.” Sandwitch’s designs vary from the taco deck to a detailed, digitally painted jellyfish.

It all started back in 2015, when Conner and Zach founded Sandwitch Skateboards. The brothers buy decks for skateboards and use computer software, like Adobe Illustrator, to customize and detail the bottom of the board before selling it. They also produce t-shirts and stickers to sell on their website and to students at Northwest.

The pair runs the business’ Instagram account,

sandwitchskateboards, which has almost 4,000 followers. The account also links to the brand’s website, Sandwitchskateboards.com. Boards are priced in the $35 to $40 range, and most come in sizes 8 and 8.25.

Prior to selling the boards through their own website, the developing business used eBay as a storefront.

“Most of [our sales] are within the Northwest community but some people reach out and ask to buy it online or just in person,” Zach said.

Conner and Zach take on different sides of their company, which they both say has helped to produce a successful and profitable business.

Conner takes care of most of the finances, while Zach controls the networking.

“What kind of sparked my interest was probably Zach’s interest into it,” Conner said. “He really loves skateboarding. I have never been much of a skateboarder. I’m not nearly as good as him. I also loved the business side of things and the ability to possibly run my own business.”

Anne Wilson, Conner and Zach’s mother, originally helped get Sandwitch Skateboards started by donating a small amount of money

Conner and Zach Wilson collaborate on one of their designs. (Photos by TJ Vore).

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Zach Wilson performs a trick on a skateboard he designed.

for their first shipment of decks.

She also provides the brothers with support, and looks at their business opportunity with optimism.

“In the end I’ve always just said ‘it’s their decision, it’s their chance to try and fail,’” Anne said. “I am going to support them while they’re here at home, because I would rather have them fail while they can, rather than being out on their own and it failing and it costing a lot more.”

The brothers said profit margins are not the most important thing to them, but the business remains strong financially. As they are approaching the third full year of their business, the brothers said they have been successful in their margins and profits from customers.

The Wilson’s business success came without any official marketing or business training. They both plan to continue the business, but the most important thing in Zach’s eyes is enjoying the experience.

“I just [want to] have fun, really,” Zach said, “and try to get big, but mainly have fun doing it. Because what’s the point of doing something if you aren’t having fun?”

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

All in the band

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Band director Adam Lundine plays the saxophone in the band room Feb. 28. (Photo by Ellen Bruce).

Besides directing multiple BVNW bands, band directors Adam Lundine and Melissa Askren play in the Midwest Winds, a 50-person concert band.

By Ellie Druten

T

he trumpets blare and the clarinets hum, however, this band is not made up of students.

Band directors Melissa Askren and Adam Lundine are involved in their own band ensemble along with other Olathe and Shawnee Mission school district teachers.

Midwest Winds is a 50-person concert band. The group played in a concert in December at Olathe West, and they usually play around four to five concerts a year at the Kansas City Kansas Community College or at high schools.

According to Askren, many people from different backgrounds unite to play in the band.

“There are a lot of different professions that come together.

There are lawyers and doctors in the band, there are band directors in the band,” Askren said.

One important aspect for both teachers is that they are still playing an instrument and are not only directing band. Askren and Lundine said they encourage students to play an instrument throughout life.

“When we became teachers a lot of people asked, ‘What instrument did you play?’ and I always say, ‘I am still a saxophonist, that is still my instrument, and I still play it on a regular basis,’” Lundine said.

“It is nice to be able to say that I still play my instrument a lot and I didn’t give up my title as musician when I became a band director.”

The group meets once a week for practice so it is pretty laid back, according to Lundine. It is also a fun environment.

“We jump in and play a whole

bunch of music and then wait a week and then come back,” said Lundine. “We usually only have a few rehearsals before a concert and it is really just a whole bunch of musicians coming together and making music together.”

Jodie Lin is the conductor of Midwest Winds, and said she enjoys leading a large group and being able to collaborate with them about ideas.

“It is nice to be able to say that I still play my instrument a lot and I didn’t give up my title as musician when I became a band director.”

-ADAM LUNDINE “I like to do it because it is all these 50 people at once, and you’re just making music together,” Lin said. “[It] is just as much as their interpretation as it is mine, but just to be that creator of that sound is why I like it.”

Lin said it is rewarding for her to have the opportunity to conduct such a great group of players.

“For me another joy that I have being the conductor of the group is it’s really rewarding for me to have someone like Lundine or Askren sitting in my ensemble,” Lin said.

After a long week at work, it is a relaxing environment for the players, including Askren and Lundine.

“We have many other teachers in our group that in some ways it

is kind of intimidating for me to stand up there every week,” Lin said. “It’s so rewarding to have your colleague...find value and joy doing what we do on Sunday afternoon.”

While both teachers have a passion for music, they both also agreed being in a band outside of teaching is very beneficial.

“I love music, that’s why I teach music, but I think, as a teacher, it is so important for me to go play my instrument in a band because I remember what it’s like to sit there in a rehearsal,” Askren said. “I think it makes me a better teacher because I know the days I sit there and the director works with another section for a long time, it can get boring and makes me more aware of what musicians are feeling and I think it makes me have better relationships with my students.”

Both Lundine and Askren are incredible players and great teachers, Lin said.

“I really enjoy the process of working toward a goal for something, creating that accomplishment,” Lundine said.

“I love the idea of being in a large ensemble where it’s 50 people working toward that one goal.”

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

Perspectives 1.

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1. On Feb. 14, freshman Declan Franey and junior John Paul Underwood traveled around the school with their group, delivering Singing Valentines to students and staff. “It was cool seeing our group grow as a team,” Franey said. “Most of us didn’t know each other very well before our group got together, but we grew closer as the time went along.” (Photo by Daniel Edmonds).

2. Performing as Clopin Trouillefou in the school musical, “The Hunchback of Notre Dame,” senior Kyle Feather expressively sings “Topsy Turvy.” “Early on in middle school, I was very openly introverted,” Feather said. “Theater was an activity that pulled me out of my shell and allowed me to develop an extroverted quality.” (Photo by Gavin Mullin).

2.

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3.

3. Dissecting a squid on Feb. 28 in Linda Strieby’s fifth hour Zoology class, senior Lindsey Clennan and junior Natalie Acord work together to discover the parts of a squid. “Being a visual learner,” Clennan said, “I enjoyed being able to have a genuine visual over what we were learning.” (Photo by Gavin Mullin).

4. In Chris LaValley’s fifth hour Ceramics II class on Feb. 26, junior Makenna Rohr paints a cup she made. “Ceramics is the one class I really look forward to coming to,” Rohr said. “You don’t get lectured by a teacher and you get to focus all of your energy on one thing.

It’s a nice break in the day where I get to work with my hands and work with the creative side of my brain.” (Photo by Ellen Bruce).

For more Perspectives, check out BVNWNews.com

4.

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5. Senior Pranjali Adhikari performs in the Bollywood dance along with 34 other students at the Diversity Assembly on March 2. “The practices were stressful because we had a limited time to learn the steps,” Adhikari said. “But I think we all pulled through really well in the end.” (Photo by Kanishka Mehra).

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6. During the winter signing day ceremony, senior Avarie Howard laughs during head soccer coach Rick Pribyl’s speech on Feb. 16. “Next year I’m most excited to have my built in best friends and continue to be apart of a competitive nature and atmosphere,” Howard said. (Photo by Madi Allen).

7. On March 6, senior Lucy Hulet attempts a pull up at the Marine Corps recruitment table outside the nurse’s office. “It is a visual representation of me trying to pull my grades up,” Hulet said. (Photo by Daniel Edmonds).

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THE EXPRESS • Issue 5 • March 2018

Drone’s-Eye View As part of a work-study internship at CAPS, junior Raleigh Beilfuss evaluates and repairs drones.

By Ethan Knauth

F

lying drones and getting paid to do it, junior Raleigh Beilfuss leaves school every day during fourth hour to work at Ken-A-Vision.

Ken-A-Vision was originally only a manufacturer of microscopes and cameras, but recently partnered with drone manufacturing company Yuneec USA. The two businesses created a division of Ken-A-Vision working with unmanned aerial vehicle drones, called Kavservice, according to the Kavservice website.

Beilfuss said he got into the paid internship at Ken-A-Vision in November of last year, after taking an aerospace class at CAPS. After having interest in the field, Beilfuss said he went to the company as part of a field trip and ended up coming back shortly after to apply for a technician job.

“I was one of the only ones who

responded back to [Ken-A-Vision], and they offered me a position,” Beilfuss said. “It was a slow learning process at first, a lot of it is selftaught, but it’s a pretty nice laid back environment.”

Beilfuss’ CAPS aerospace teacher, Trevor Sutcliffe, said Beilfuss got into the internship after exceling in the course and wanting to do more in the field.

“We don’t have a large percentage of internships,” Sutcliffe said. “A lot of it depends on the student and their willingness to make the contact with the company.”

While the course at CAPS is a year-long class, Beilfuss spends his class time at the internship, only coming back for necessary tests and the final.

At Ken-A-Vision, Beilfuss said he evaluates broken drones and repairs them if needed. When

asked to repair one, he examines the components of the drone by hooking it up to a computer with a specialized interface program for repairing drones. Once a drone has been analyzed, Beilfuss takes it apart and replaces it.

A supervisor at Ken-A-Vision, Beth Harper, said she is continually impressed with Beilfuss’ work ethic.

“He’s doing a really good job,” Harper said. “His daily goal is to repair at least three drones a day, and he is usually meeting or exceeding his goal right now.”

According to Beilfuss, his interest in aerospace and aeronautics aligns with his internship and can help him prepare for a career in this field, as he later wants to work at Lockheed Martin or Boeing.

Sutcliffe also agreed the internship will be good for Beilfuss in the future.

During his internship, junior Raleigh Beilfuss works on his drone on March 6. “I started getting interested in drones through the air space program at CAPS,” Beilfuss said. “I’ve always loved the idea of being able to fly, and although I am not a pilot, flying drones, I believe, is the next best thing.” (Photo by Madi Allen).

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Parts of a drone PROPELLER “Being in a business like that, where you are working with the professionals on a day-in, day-out basis is the best way for someone to really get an idea of what goes on in an industry,” Sutcliffe said.

Beilfuss is currently the only high school intern at Ken-A-Vision right now. As a result, Harper said she would like to further the work-study partnership with CAPS. “I think it’s a great program. He’s done really well,” Harper said. “We are hoping to see more students from Blue Valley.”

The internship has been a great experience for Beilfuss, as he said he enjoys all its aspects.

“I love the workspace, I look forward to going to it,” Beilfuss said.

“The people I work with, they’re phenomenal. Right now it’s an amazing learning experience.”

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

The Mental Health awakening

The way BVNW addresses mental health has changed throughout the years. As mental health becomes a more prevalent issue, the district, as well as students, are beginning to rethink how the school addresses mental health issues.

By lauren fischer & anna levine

reporting by Walker johnson, eden kurr, Anna Weigel and anna cowden

We can’t forget

O

n a surprisingly warm night in November, seniors Charmaine Ejelonu and Junnan Lopez were hanging out at Ejelonu’s house with some other friends, after going to the playground at Indian Valley Elementary and getting frozen yogurt from Orange Leaf. Lopez later realized she left her purse at the park, so everyone piled into the car and drove back to the elementary school. On the way there, Ejelonu received a phone call from a friend, and heard the words, “Hey, did you hear about Kaycie?”

Kaycie Johnson committed suicide in November of her senior year.

When Ejelonu and Lopez received that phone call the night of Nov. 24, Lopez said in that moment, she was incredibly confused and shocked, and thought it more probable that Kaycie had been murdered rather than committed suicide.

“She talked to us that day, like the day of, and I was so confused. I remember [my friends and I] would be crying one moment and then all of a sudden we’d start laughing,

because you’d forget, and then you’d think about it and then you’d start crying. I honestly didn’t think it was real,” Lopez said.

Coming back to school that Monday was a difficult decision for both Lopez and Ejelonu. Lopez and Ejelonu received help from the counselors that day, but at the time, Lopez said this help felt forced.

“I think in that moment it was really hard because it was all inside, all the moments you had with her, you replay them, and then you don’t know how to talk about it, so it was really really hard to talk about her, but it definitely helped,” Lopez said.

Though it was difficult at first, Ejelonu said talking about Kaycie with those she is close with allows her to cope with all she experienced.

“I think definitely now it’s gotten better, I know that whenever Junnan and I talk about anything, we always compare it to the seasons, and for Kaycie’s death, it was like a very winter-ish moment, where the skies were dark and gloomy, and it was so cold,” Ejelonu said. “Now that it’s transitioning into spring, it’s like

more of those nice days where it’s still a sad thing...because as sad as the situation is, she’s still a beautiful person.”

In addition to being this type of person, Johnson’s mother, Corinne Hiles, said her daughter was under a great deal of pressure, balancing a full-time job and school work, which was often too much.

“We’re so busy trying to please everybody that we forget about ourselves, and we can’t do that,” Hiles said. “Kaycie did a lot of that.

Kaycie did a lot of, ‘I’m going to do this for this person,’ because she was very giving. She didn’t leave enough for herself.”

Though talking about the subject of suicide may be painful, Hiles said conversation is necessary to stop the stigma surrounding the topic.

“We can’t forget,” Hiles said. “If we close it and put it back in the box like it’s a forbidden subject, it’s going to happen a lot more because nobody’s going to talk. Feelings [and] emotions cannot be shut down.”

Despite the stigma that surrounds suicide and mental health, junior

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Abby and Laena Loucks discuss their story about seeking help and starting a path toward recovery. (Photos by Gavin Mullin).

Anxiety disorders are more common in teen girls than boys (30.1 percent versus 20.3 percent), according to the PEW Research Center.

Abby Loucks said, like Hiles, she feels comfortable discussing the topic of her own struggle with mental illness, which led her to almost commit suicide during her sophomore year in 2016.

On Dec. 4, 2016, junior Abby Loucks walked up the stairs to her room with tears in her eyes and a plan for suicide on her mind.

Addressing no one but her own thoughts, she went to her room, took her journal and began jotting down her frustration with life.

In a constant mindset of not caring about anything but the state of misery she was in, Loucks said she no longer cared about waking up the next morning and having to go through the same mental torture that was already consuming her.

Loucks intended to go down the staircase, where the walls are covered with motivational quotes, and take her life.

Before she could make her way to the staircase, her mother, Laena Loucks, entered Loucks’ room to find

her daughter on the verge of a panic attack. After seeing her daughter like this, Laena knew something had to be done, and took Loucks to Marillac, a psychiatric hospital located in Overland Park.

“That night, I was just done, I just couldn’t do it anymore, and it got to the point where I didn’t really feel any emotions,” Loucks said. “That’s how bad it was, that I didn’t feel sad, I wasn’t happy, I didn’t feel anything.

I was ready to go, but at the same time, I wasn’t. It was the little part of me that wasn’t that stopped me.”

For Loucks, this night was the climax of her struggle with anxiety and depression, which became more serious at the beginning of her sophomore year. However, Laena, who is a social worker at Children’s Mercy, said she noticed her daughter’s troubles with mental health from a young age.

A portion of Loucks’ depression can be traced to a family history of the illness. According to Laena, both of Loucks’ grandmothers had depression. Though Loucks exhibited outbursts of anger and

1 in every 5 young people suffer from mental illness

National Institute of Mental Health

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

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impulsive behavior, Laena said it was not until elementary school that she believed these outbursts were anxiety-related. Loucks was diagnosed with anxiety in second grade, and depression in fifth grade.

“She would worry about...bigger things than a seven year old should worry about or think, and not be able to let that go,” Laena said.

That worry affected Loucks from a young age, where she said she started internalizing her own problems and others’.

Bottling those emotions led Loucks

to self-harm. This harm started as physical self-abuse, Loucks said, when she would try to jump off of trees in an attempt to break her legs.

Over time, she said her abuse shifted to a mental harm, as she would not eat, drink or leave her room for long periods of time.

In an attempt to manage Loucks’ situation by herself, Laena said Loucks first saw a psychologist at age six.

“I just got frustrated with it,” Loucks said. “During middle school when we did go, I think that was

more of the point where it did start helping, when I was actually old enough to realize what was going on and that I did need help and that this was helping me.”

In sixth grade, Laena said Loucks began taking medication for anxiety and depression, and first went to Marillac. Besides this treatment, Loucks said she used doodling, watching YouTube, listening to music and her love of horses to cope with her anxiety and depression.

Loucks’ mental health continued to ebb and flow, until it hit its

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

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lowest point at the beginning of her sophomore year. During this time, broadcast teacher Kim White said Loucks approached her for help.

“I think for a lot of people I’m a good sounding board, and I think for Abby, at least initially, that’s what I was,” White said. “I was somebody that would listen to her, I was somebody I think she trusted.”

Despite this help from adults and coping strategies, Loucks’ condition continued to decline. Upon selling her beloved horse, Loucks said she fell apart.

“I didn’t really know how to cope with that since I had never been through selling an animal that you love so much,” Loucks said. “I just started looking at everything so negatively, and I didn’t really want to do anything about it and I really didn’t want to change my perspective as much as I knew that I should, I didn’t want to put in the effort to try to look at the bright side of things.”

During her sophomore year, Loucks said she began to view death as the best outcome for her situation.

“Getting better is hard work, and you have to be ready to do the hard work and to make that investment in yourself.”

-Laena Loucks “Nothing mattered to me, and I did not care about anything, and I didn’t feel any emotion, I wasn’t happy, and I wasn’t sad,” Loucks said. “I stopped having those little bit of happy moments during my day, I was just a walking skeleton in a way, because I didn’t care about myself enough to take care of myself, and I really didn’t care about anything around me to try to change how I was perceiving things.

I think that was the biggest downfall of that downhill roller coaster ride, was that I just stopped caring about everything.”

This downhill roller coaster ride led to the events on Dec. 4, 2016, with Loucks planning her suicide, and Laena intervening and deciding to take her daughter to Marillac.

This was, Loucks said, the first step in her road to recovery.

“I said, ‘You know what? I hate being like this. I hate not wanting to talk to my friends. I hate being cooped up in my room all day. I hate not taking care of myself,’” Loucks said. “That’s when I decided, ‘If you

hate it so much then why do you keep doing it to yourself?’”

Loucks stayed at Marillac for nine days, which Laena said she was very thankful for, considering most patients only stay three to five days.

“Getting better is hard work, and you have to be ready to do the hard work and to make that investment in yourself,” Laena said. “I’m glad that after she got there and settled in, she was ready to do that work, and so her mental health has improved because she invested in that.”

Besides investing in oneself, Laena said she learned the importance of communicating mental health struggles with the school in order to support Loucks throughout the day.

“I think [communication] is just paramount to do, and I think the school and school district is really making some great strides and efforts to support mental wellness with kids, and I hope they keep moving in that direction and keep progressing,” Laena said.

On a small chalkboard centered on a wall across from Loucks’ bed, the quote, “How rare and beautiful it is to even exist” from the song “Saturn” by Sleeping at Last, is written in simple cursive. Loucks sees that chalkboard everyday, and is able to read the quote and reflect on her present outlook on life.

“It’s not about popularity or being cool, it’s about being a person. We’re all people, we all have emotions, we all have to go through life, and just be understanding of that and just know that everybody has a struggle, no matter how big or small it is,” Loucks said. “Asking somebody if they’re OK can start with them being comfortable about wanting to talk about what’s going on, and if they do open up to you, just be a supportive person and say, ‘Hey it’s OK, everybody goes through it, you’re not alone.’”

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A stand-alone topic

D

espite being in a near-suicidal state a year ago, junior Abby Loucks was unable to receive a room at Marillac the night her mother took her to the psychiatric hospital. A full day later on Dec. 6, she was admitted and began her treatment at the facility.

Loucks’ situation is not unheard of at Marillac, as the hospital has 52 beds over four units.

Behavioral Health Admission and Assessment Manager at Marillac, Ashley Dugan, said when the facility is at full capacity, they can refer patients to outpatient providers, like a community mental health center or private outpatient therapist.

“If hospitalization isn’t the right answer, we can help get resources or at least names of resources to families to call to get a lower level of care,” Dugan said, “which would be like an outpatient provider, like a therapist or doctor who’s outpatient, who you’d see on a weekly basis or on a monthly basis, determined by what that need is.”

As part of the University of Kansas Health System, Marillac gives patients the opportunity to see a psychiatrist and therapist during their stay, along with

specialized therapy sessions. These sessions include daily individual family therapy and daily group therapy, with what Dugan called “expressive” therapies like art, recreation and drama therapy.

“Our typical stay is three to five days and our goal is safety planning,” Dugan said. “We’re crisis stabilization, so we’re like an emergency room for your mental health needs. We’re stabilizing a crisis and then making sure there’s follow up without outpatient resources for long term treatment.”

In spite of services like Marillac, less than 20 percent of young people who suffer from diagnosable mental health problems receive the help they need, according to the Department of Health and Human Services. The National Institute of Mental Health reported that one in five teens (ages 13-18) have, or will have, a serious mental illness, with 75 percent of lifetime mental illness cases beginning by age 24.

BVNW Psychologist Monica Symes stressed discussing mental health problems with a trusted adult as the first step in reaching out and getting help.

“You guys rely so heavily on each

other for support and that natural peer support is really important,” Symes said. “But when something doesn’t really feel right, reaching out to a trusted adult, whoever that is, is a good idea.”

“we work really hard to make sure that we handle it the best way possible each time.”

-Counselor Beth Ricke Principal Dr. Amy Murphy said students’ mental health is always a concern for her, as she has seen a rise in expectations for young people resulting in pressures on mental health. Programs implemented through advisory and training staff are currently being used to address the problem of mental health, though Murphy said she knows these discussions can often be hit and miss.

“We need to not make it a standalone, like, ‘Today we’re going to stop and talk about mental health’ It needs to be just part of what we do, and I think that’s where we’re struggling,” Murphy said. “You guys see right through it when we do something where we go, ‘OK now we’re going to stop and talk about this.’”

When this happens, Murphy said some students view the mental health initiatives as reactive. Even with a desire to make mental health topics more individual rather than canned programs, Murphy said the district has specific guidelines to follow when student suicide occurs.

Junior Cynthia Dong and sophomore Travis King, members of the mental health board, meet with Principal Dr. Amy Murphy and assistant superintendent Mark Schmidt to get their future plans approved and implemented.

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“There’s some things very much research-based that we know you shouldn’t do, and I think sometimes people don’t understand that,” Murphy said. “The group who put the guidelines together spent a great deal of time looking into that and what is best practiced.”

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for ages 15-24, with 90 percent of those who died by suicide having an underlying mental illness, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Over the past 15 years, the Center for Disease Control reported the suicide rate increased by 24 percent.

Besides the messages teachers receive, the Blue Valley School District Flight and the BVNW Crisis Teams also help when a student death occurs. The BVNW Crisis Team is made up of the nurse, school psychologist, social worker, administrators, counselors, SROs and a few teachers when needed.

This team provides resources to Northwest when a crisis occurs.

If additional support is needed, the school brings in members of the district-wide Flight Team, consisting of around 30 people. They are trained in crisis intervention, providing additional support to both Blue Valley students and staff during a bigger crisis.

Counselor Beth Ricke has been a member of the school’s Crisis Team since she started working at Northwest in 2011, and became a member of the district Flight Team this year.

“Having a Flight Team in a district is crucial, having those people here who are knowledgeable, who can be supportive when something goes on in a building,” Ricke said.

“I don’t know how we would have gotten through this year without the support of the Flight Team.”

With all of these precautions and guidelines, Murphy said there are still things she would have done differently when dealing with the

after a school suicide it is important to promote: •Sense of safety •Calm environment •Sense of self and community efficacy •Connectedness •Hope aftermath of the suicide of Kaycie Johnson, such as having better communication with the staff and having the Crisis Team meeting earlier on to make a plan for bringing the news to students.

Over time, Ricke said the staff and teams learn to better handle crises.

“I think every time something happens, we learn a little more of what we could have done better,” Ricke said. “You can never be fully prepared when something happens, but we work really hard to make sure that we handle it the best way possible each time.”

In 2016, Kansas passed the Jason Flatt Act, becoming the 19th state to do so. The act requires at least one hour of training per calendar year on suicide prevention that each school district provides, as well as a building crisis plan. This plan

must consist of steps for recognizing suicidal ideation, appropriate methods of intervention and a crisis recovery plan, according to the Jason Foundation website.

The staff meets several times a year to address student mental health and social-emotional wellbeing, Murphy said.

With the district starting to make strides in dealing with the issue of mental health, and students discussing the topic more, Ricke said she is optimistic about the future of mental health at Northwest.

“Sometimes, crisis can bring out the best in people in that it makes them want to make a change and do something to make things better for others,” Ricke said. “At least people are talking and we’re bringing things out in the open, so yeah, I’m hopeful.”

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

It’s just part of who you are

I

n an attempt to make mental illness a more prominent discussion, a group of four BVNW students discussed their plans to better the mental health of students at Northwest at the Diversity Assembly on March 2.

After the death of John Albers and her own history of mental health issues, junior Cynthia Dong said she came up with the idea of a studentrun mental health board.

Going through family issues coupled with realizing she had depression and anxiety, Dong said, made middle school a rough time for her. The help she said she received from her teachers and counselors at the time lead her to start feeling selfworth, and later wanting to educate her peers on what resources are available at Northwest.

“I think in high school, we actually do have more resources, we just don’t really advertise them and we don’t really have a lot of access to them,” Dong said. “I think it’s really important for us to talk about what we do have because I didn’t even know we had half of the things we had until this year.”

In regards to the board, Dong said her hope is that it would start by communicating students’ concerns about mental health to the administration, and in the future, the district.

“We need to start addressing that mental health is a big issue, mental health is an important issue and mental health doesn’t make you any

less of a person,” Dong said. “Bad mental health doesn’t make you any less of a person. It doesn’t make you unworthy of love. It doesn’t make you anything bad. It’s just part of who you are, and it’s something that’s not permanent sometimes.”

Dong reached out to sophomores Julia Boepple and Travis King and junior Harrison Snell after thinking of the board idea. Dong said all grade levels are welcome to attend the meetings and voice opinions.

“Being in higher level classes with kids who have high workloads often have a lot of stress that can lead to stress-based mental health issues,” Snell said. “It’s just an extremely interesting and important topic to me and something that I want to help kids with. No kid deserves to struggle through a mental health issue in a place where we’re supposed to be growing up and becoming young adults.”

Along with monthly meetings, the board will assist StuGo in their upcoming mental health week, scheduled for March 26-30. Student Body President senior Ben Murdock said the idea for the week came in response to the two student deaths this year, and mental illness becoming a more prominent issue.

The week will include a mental health fair, coping strategies, and panels of students who have dealt with mental health, as well as student-to-student advice.

“Our hope is that it will spur action within the student body,”

Murdock said, “whether it’s reaching out about those problems that they haven’t previously reached out about, or just students accepting mental health as being just as important as physical and educational health and just making it a more dominant part of our lives here at Northwest.”

Mental health conversations

“if I hadn’t gotten that help back then, I think that my life would be a lot different now.”

-Junior Cynthia Dong are now coming from outside groups, including BV Well, a parent organization that held its first parent meeting on Feb. 15 at the Blue Valley Hilltop Conference Center. According to the Chair of BV Well and BVNW parent Mandy Shoemaker, the purpose of the organization is to educate parents on mental health, connect people to resources and create a community of parents capable of being resources for each other.

“Eventually the goal is that we will have a list of resources and families,” Shoemaker said. “So, if a family is in crisis, they can contact BV Well, and we’ll hook them up with another family that’s been through something similar, to help them share their story, to help be supportive.”

Northwest parent Betsy MacGee attended the meeting on Feb. 15 and said although her children do not struggle with mental health issues, hearing about many kids dealing with stress and anxiety encouraged Holding up an interest card for parents to fill out, Chair of BV Well and BVNW parent Mandy Shoemaker discusses the future events and plans for the organization.

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

her to attend the meeting.

“As parents we are all dealing with similar issues,” MacGee said.

“It’s so people don’t feel that they’re alone and that there’s a support.”

With the Blue Valley Educational Foundation funding more socialemotional learning initiatives, Shoemaker said she feels BV Well goes hand-in-hand with the new programs.

Blue Valley superintendent Todd White said unfortunate events dealing with mental health and an awakening of the topic nationwide were some of the main influences that made the district delve into the mental health and social-emotional learning issues. In addition to this, a board retreat on Jan. 31, 2017 led to board members saying the district should no longer refer to academic and social-emotional goals as goal one and goal two, prioritizing both goals, according to White.

“I think the internal conversations were also external factors that came together all at once, and that’s usually what happens when you have an awakening,” White said.

“It’s not a single issue that causes it, but they all come together at the same time and space.”

This past year, White said the district created a task force, led by assistant superintendent Mark Schmidt, to look into socialemotional learning in the district.

“If we’re truly going to support students and we’re truly going to look after their well-being overall, we can’t just support their physical health and their academic growth,” Schmidt said. “We also need to be able to address issues of mental health and that includes both when students are suffering from common issues of anxiety or depression or whatever it might be.”

One area the task force pursued was the possibility of adding more mental health professionals to the schools. Schmidt said this was answered in the form of hiring social workers associated with Children’s

Warning Signs •Feeling hopeless •Acting reckless or engaging in risky activities seemingly without thinking •Withdrawing from friends, family, and society •Feeling anxious, agitated, unable to sleep or sleeping all the time Developed by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

Mercy Hospital.

In July, the school board approved the addition of 19 Children’s Mercy social workers to the district.

“They believe that we’ve actually saved the lives of students because we’ve been able to intervene,” White said. “We’ve been able to connect them to resources, we’ve been able to open up the conversation.”

Social Worker Anyssa Lenhart started here three years ago as an intern, and joined Children’s Mercy this year.

“I’m able to work with doctors and psychiatrists and therapists at Children’s Mercy, and I can call and help with that referral,” Lenhart said. “I think we can be a greater support to the counselors that are already here, the school psychologist, the teachers, and I

think it’s just great to be another person to support students.”

With the addition of the social workers and more student initiatives to address mental health, Dong said she hopes the mental health board will provide more solutions and ways for change to happen after learning from past struggles.

“If I hadn’t gotten that help back then, I think that my life would be a lot different now. I’m not sure if I would actually be here, if I’m honest with you,” Dong said. “I think that’s something that’s helped me a lot is realizing that I do have mental illness and yeah it does hold me back sometimes, but it doesn’t have to hold me back completely and I’m not going to let it define who I am or inhibit what I can do.”

22

THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • MARCH 2018

6830 W. 119TH ST. OVERLAND PARK, KS 66209

PHONE: (913)-514-4383

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • MARCH 2018

Can you guess the teacher?

2.

1.

3.

Managing editor Eden Kurr created starter packs for different teachers at Northwest.

Answers: 1. CJ Armenta 2. Todd Petersen 3. Rob Meacham

?

“Starter pack” meme accounts recently became popular on social media apps like Instagram, often racking up thousands of followers.

24

THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

A taste

of Asia

Writer Olivia Dowell visited three Asian restaurants, and after trying all of the below, she rated them out of five fortune cookies.

By Olivia Dowell

MAru sushi and grill

5621 W 135th Street #2620, Overland Park, Kan. 66224 Maru Sushi and Grill is a new addition to the various shops and restaurants located in Prairie Fire. This affordable restaurant is different from the nearby Hibachi grill at Kyoto, with a secluded area for seating and a sushi bar where you can watch your sushi being made in front of you. The menu itself goes beyond sushi as it includes Teriyaki and Tempura items for vegetables and meat. I ordered the Chicken Teriyaki that came with miso soup, a house salad with ginger dressing and white rice. Usually when eating at a Japanese steak house, I just eat the salad because the miso soup has a strong seaweed taste, however the broth of this soup balanced out the usual strong taste of the seaweed. The salad tasted great and was perfectly portioned, despite it being served in such a large bowl and the dressing was not too watered down or too thick. It also had a ginger ranch flavor that tasted amazing. The Chicken Teriyaki itself came out on a sizzling plate very much like Fajitas at a Mexican restaurant. It included an assortment of vegetables such as carrots and asparagus, as well as a

sweet, but not too horribly sour taste to it. There was a slight overload on the sauce, but that was what made the chicken and vegetables taste so good.

The portions were not enormous, unlike the usual Asian restaurants that send you home with leftovers you

can never finish. If you are wanting to expand your horizons at Prairie Fire by trying a new and upcoming sushi restaurant, I would definitely recommend Maru.

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

BLUE KOI

10581 Mission Rd, Leawood, Kan. 66206 Blue Koi located in Mission Farms, is described as a place with comfort Chinese food such as their well-known dumplings.

My experience started off great because of the service. I arrived there during the dinner rush at around six and I ordered within the first few minutes of walking in and I got my food roughly five to ten minutes later. Unfortunately, the service was the best part of my visit at Blue Koi. I ordered the Basil Chicken with noodles and I had a very high expectation for, considering it was fourteen dollars, the most expensive dish I ordered throughout this review.

When it came out, I was highly disappointed with the absence of flavor in the chicken, which oddly tasted more like beef. The noodles were decent but a little too thick for my liking. Many of the dishes I ordered throughout this review had many diverse flavors complimented by vegetables. However, this dish lacked both. The Basil Chicken is definitely not worth its price. I had high expectations going to Blue Koi because of their great reputation, but I was disappointed. If I ever eat here again, I would definitely get the dumplings, since the dish I had did not satisfy my expectations.

pad thai

14319 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, Kan. 66223 Located near Jose Pepper’s and Tanners, Pad Thai has been a long standing Thai restaurant. The restaurant is tiny yet formal, with peaceful music playing throughout.

The atmosphere was great with kind servers and quick service, I got my food within 10 minutes of ordering. I ordered the Kao Mow, also known as the Drunken Noodles. It was a very

filling dish with lots of flavor. I could only finish half of the dish before I was completely full. When ordering any of the noodle entrées, you choose protein or vegetables along with a spice, anywhere from mild to hot. The dish contained lots of vegetables such as red peppers that added flavor to the dish, minimizing the grease. Normally with noodle

meals from Asian restaurants, the noodles are drenched with grease ruining the taste, however these noodles only had a slight amount of grease. With many menu options for all cravings, Pad Thai is the place to go to for anyone craving some flavorful Thai food.

26

THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

LIFE STYLED Beach ready

Whether you’re heading off to a warm destination in the near future or shopping in anticipation of better weather, this edition of Life Styled is the perfect guide to your spring and summer wardrobe.

By Sara Rooney & Gia shipman

YELLOW BIKINI

WHITE RUFFLE BIKINI

This vibrant yellow swimsuit will compliment any skin tone. This simple bikini can be found on Zaful.com for a very affordable price of $17.99.

This swimsuit can be found online for $13 from Shein.com. With ruffles and tube tops being a popular style, this suit is trending now.

WHITE SUNGLASSES These ‘50s styled sunglasses are the perfect accessories to throw on with any swimsuit this summer. These are available at Target for $14.99.

BLUE AND WHITE STAR BIKINI This unique suit is $17.99 also from the site Shein. com. It’s affordable, and you can expect to see this cute new style everywhere this summer.

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

RED TASSEL EARRINGS SANDALS Big statement earrings are a current trend that can dress up any casual outfit. You can buy these earrings for $20 at stores such as Francesca’s or Target.

STRAW HAT

This is a cute way to shield yourself from the sun during the hot days this coming season.

This hat can be found at Target for $15.

GOLD SUNGLASSES Top off these cute outfits with these cheap but stylish sunglasses from Von Maur at the price of $12.

WHITE TUBE TOP

Stay cool in the hot weather with a white ruffled tube top. They can be found at PacSun or Forever 21 for $25.

LEVI JEAN SHORTS

These classic cut-off jean shorts pair perfectly with any tank top. The prices of these shorts vary but usually start at $50.

The wrap sandal look comes back into style this year. These comfy shoes pair well with a cute sundress. Buy these shoes at DSW for $45.

PALM TREE TOP Patterned clothing is perfect for any trip to the beach.

You can find this $50 top at Threshing Bee.

28

THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

Expires 4/15/18

Expires 4/15/18

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

OPINION

Mental health in the sports world

By Ben Brown

W

hile people have become more aware about mental health, one athlete has brought this issue to the forefront of the sports world.

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Kevin Love wrote a piece in The Players’ Tribune on his struggles with this subject. In his piece “Everyone is going through something,” Love details his experience with mental health and a panic attack he had during a game in early November.

On that night, Love said he was struggling with issues ranging from family problems to the pressure of his team having a losing record. Love said he went to the locker room in a panicked state and ended up laying on his back with no idea what he was going through. Later that night, Love went to the hospital.

Days after getting treatment, Love was back on the court playing

basketball. But, he said he soon realized this was something he needed to discuss. While he is now in the process of visiting a therapist, Love is willing to discuss a topic that needs to be addressed.

What sets Love apart from others is that he is a professional athlete.

The stereotypical athlete is supposed to play through the pain and show no signs of weakness, but even athletes have issues. While there is something to be said about being mentally tough in sports, mental health issues, including panic attacks, are clearly more important than anything happening on the court.

Love is not the only athlete who has revealed their struggles with mental health. Another NBA player, Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan, recently explained his struggle with depression.

While some believe people struggling with mental health are weak, Love writing about these issues shows his true mental toughness. The most important part of all of this is to realize nobody is immune to these problems, even professional athletes.

While people may not typically associate mental health problems with these seemingly invincible athletes, it is obvious these issues can affect anyone. In the words of Love, “Mental health is an invisible thing, but it touches all of us at some point or another. It’s part of life.”

We all need to be aware of mental health issues. When we understand that anyone can be going through these problems, we can start helping each other through mental illnesses.

Swartz on sports: the making of a good hire

By Gabe Swartz

W

hen former head football coach Mike Zegunis stepped down from his role at Blue Valley Northwest last February, Athletic Director Kevin Gerke was put in an unfamiliar position. Gerke was left with the first varsity head coaching vacancy during his time at BVNW, in a sport accustomed to speculation.

What came of the near two-month coaching search was the job being offered to Clint Rider, an up-andcoming coach at Hesston High School, a Class 3A school. When he was given the job on April 4, Rider said rebuilding the program, which had experienced turmoil in the years prior, was “going to be a process.”

A 2-7 season in 2017 proved that

the rebuild won’t happen overnight, but was also a step in the right direction. In Rider, Gerke found an enthusiastic young coach with excitement for the job and passion for the task at hand.

Now, with girls varsity basketball coach Brian Bubalo’s departure, Gerke is back in the familiar position he was in last spring.

With a 49-58 record over the past five years, the girls basketball program has room for growth if it wants to contend for state championships in upcoming years.

A head coaching gig at an Eastern Kansas League school should be a coveted role- as seen by the 44 applicants for the head football

position last year- and with the Northwest girls basketball program having the most teams of any Blue Valley school last year, the program remains relatively healthy.

Junior guard Haley Shin was straightforward with what she’d like to see in the new head coach.

“We want to see a coach that’s gonna push us and play to win,” Shin said after learning of Bubalo’s departure.

If Gerke is able to find an enthusiastic, young coach capable of garnering the respect and attention of the players, turning BVNW girls hoops into a state contender could happen sooner rather than later.

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THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

Staff EDITORIAL making mental health a priority We can no longer ignore the problem of mental health. With a

not a helpful solution.

However, a one semester class

integrate mental health discussion into the math or science curriculum,

nation-wide increase in depression

during sophomore year is not

we cannot brush aside the benefits

among youth, according to a study

sufficient in giving students the

of talking about this topic in other

from the American Academy of

needed knowledge on how to deal

classes at any opportunity we can.

Pediatrics, the topic of mental health

with mental illness.

is now more important than ever.

Right now, Northwest is trying

Another way to address this

If we begin moving mental health topics into students’ daily lives, the

issue is to integrate mental health

discussion will seem more proactive

to make mental health more of a

topics into students’ daily academic

therefore making mental health

priority, but their efforts are not

lives, which is where they spend

discussion, as Murphy said, “just

going far enough.

the majority of their time. Principal

part of what we do.” This will in turn

Amy Murphy said integrating mental

decrease the stigma surrounding

of Mental Health, 75 percent of

health into students’ everyday lives

mental illness, and give courage to

lifetime cases of mental illness begin

will make the efforts seem more

those who are struggling so they can

by age 24. The US Department of

proactive, rather than reactive.

share.

Health and Human Services reported

More discussions similar to those

What we do now to combat the

that less than 20 percent of children

surrounding “One Flew Over the

issue of mental health matters, and

and adolescents with diagnosable

Cuckoo’s Nest,” a book about a man

can affect us for the rest of our lives.

mental health problems receive the

in a mental institution, during ELA

It can no longer be a stand-alone

treatment they need.

classes, need to happen in the future.

topic, only discussed in the wake of

According to the National Institute

One way to discuss mental health

“We need to not make it stand-

would be in our health classes, where

alone, like, ‘Today we’re going to

the topic of mental illness would

stop and talk about mental health,’

fit more naturally. Just like we talk

it needs to be just part of what we

about how to exercise and eat right in

do, and I think that’s where we’re

order to maintain physical health, we

struggling,” Murphy said. “You guys

should be talking about ways to cope

see right through it when we do

with mental health, as it is equally

something where we go, ‘OK, now

important. Additionally, we need to

we’re going to stop and talk about

look at how to manage mental illness

this.’”

rather than define what it is, as this is

While it might be difficult to

a suicide and then forgotten until another tragedy happens.

31

THE EXPRESS • issue 5 • March 2018

Puzzles “Prib’s Ribs” Word Puzzles submitted by English teacher Rick Pribyl

2.

SHAVE

3.

Me

MA

5.

Raaating

6.

line line line Sign line

Answers 1. New Years Eve parties 2. Close shave 3. He turned against me 4. Maternity 5. Triple A rating 6. Sign on the bottom line

NLW Y ARs v

4.

T

1.

he

Contact Information

THE EXPRESS STAFF

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Mailing address: 13260 Switzer Rd, Overland Park, KS 66213 Phone: 913-239-3544 Website: BVNWnews.com Letters to the editor may be submitted electronically on our website at BVNWnews.com under the “Contact Us” tab.

Letters may be published either on BVNWnews.com or in our print edition. Letters may be edited.

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The Express and BVNWnews.com accept advertisements.

Pricing and information can be obtained by contacting us at BVNWnewspaper@bluevalleyk12.org.

About us

WRITERS

Ellie Druten Jaelen Matthews Olivia Dowell Ethan Knauth Jack Plank Dan Edmonds Paige Fulenwider Walker Johnson

Gabe Swartz

PRINT EDITOR

Lauren Fischer

ONLINE EDITOR Ryan Jones

DESIGN EDITOR

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Kaitlyn Noon

Madi Allen Ellen Bruce Kanishka Mehra Gavin Mullin TJ Vore

The Express is the official high school news publication of Blue Valley Northwest High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This is the March issue of Volume 25. Subscription rates are $10. The Express is printed by The Sedalia Democrat, 700 South Massachusetts, Sedalia Mo. 65301.

MANAGING EDITOR

Disclaimer

OPINION & ETHICS EDITOR

This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is not an expression of School District Policy. Students and editors are solely responsible for the content of this student publication.

Eden Kurr

SPORTS EDITOR Ben Brown

Anna Levine

COPYEDITOR-AT-LARGE Gia Shipman

ASSISTANT ADVISER

Kimberly Hillstock

ADVISER

Jim McCrossen

A & E EDITOR

Sara Rooney

ONLINE COPYEDITOR Anna Cowden

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