VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 6 | APRIL | BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL
Senate Bill 133, going into effect this July, will provide immunity for underage people seeking medical help for alcohol poisoning. Page 22
Feature
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On the inside
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Lifeline 911
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Swing and a kiss
With May being Mental Health Awareness Month, BVNW students relate their experiences.
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Thinking in color
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Bridging the gap
With the rising popularity of adult coloring books, students, staff and those familiar with coloring discuss the hobby.
A group of upperclassmen girls frequently attend the boys varsity baseball games to support their boyfriends on the team, strengthening relationships with their boyfriends and forming unique bonds with other girlfriends who attend.
Cover: Senate Bill 133, once enacted, grants immunity to underage drinkers who seek assistance for alcohol poisoning as long as t hey cooperate wit h law enforcement and medical personnel (Photo illustration by Kait lyn Noon). Below: Junior Blair Meegan colors in her coloring book, Secret Garden, to relax and relieve stress. Meegan enjoys coloring in t his book during her free time (Photo by Nicky Lentsch).
CONTENTS
Senior Jackson Muccino is taking a year off from school after graduating to teach English in Costa Rica, in pursuit of a new perspective on life.
A new senate bill going into effect this July aims to allow minors to seek treatment for alcohol poisoning without legal repercussions.
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Entertainment
Opinion
Perspectives
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From the editor’s desk
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Dreaming about my backup
Student life is showcased through a variety of photos.
Coast-to-coast Check out where the Class of 2016 is headed after graduation.
“Leaving but not forgetting” Complete the final crossword puzzle by senior Avery Mojica.
Contact Information
Mailing address: 13260 Switzer Rd, Overland Park KS 66213 Phone: 913-239-3544 Website: BVNWnews.com
Responding to the Publication
Letters to the editor can 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 must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.
Advertising
The Express and BVNWnews.com accept advertisements. Pricing and information can be obtained by contacting us at BVNWnewspaper@bluevalleyk12.org.
Purpose
The Express is the official high school news publication of the Blue Valley Northwest High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This is the April issue of Volume 23. Subscription rates are $10. The Express is printed by Sedalia Democrat, 700 S Massachusetts Ave Sedalia, MO 65301. 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.
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Senior Natasha Vyhovsky recounts experiences with self doubt this year and explains why we don’t need to “ fake it until we make it.”
Senior Olivia Baird narrates her journey to accepting her future at her backup college.
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Embracing change and ambiguity As structural pressure is put on students to decide specific life paths now, it is important with not knowing what they want to do and to leave themselves open to changes.
THE EXPRESS STAFF EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Natasha Vyhovsky
BUSINESS MANAGER Madison Graves
REPORTERS
Olivia Baird
Lauren Fischer Eden Kurr Gabe Swartz Xiqing Wang Kaitlyn Noon Brandon Fagen
FEATURE EDITOR
PHOTOGRAPHERS
PRINT EDITOR
Laney Breidenthal
ONLINE EDITOR
PHOTO EDITOR Emily Staples
Justin Lehtinen Jack Oxley TJ Vore Nicky Lentsch
OPINION EDITOR
ARTIST
PUZZLE EDITOR
ASSISTANT ADVISER
Avery Mojica
Kimberly Hillstock
SPORTS COORDINATOR
ADVISER
Emma Bruce
Ayesha Vishnani
Morgan Lewis
Abdul Qaddour
Jim McCrossen
CHIEF WRITER Claudia Chen
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On the inside The month of May has been designated National Mental Health Awareness Month since 1949. In honor of this month, BVNW students reflect on their struggles with mental health.
by Xiqing Wang
Graphic by Kaitlyn Noon
Leah Warner, 11 “I was really worried all the time,” Warner said. “It’s like when you’re up in front of a classroom about to give a speech, and you’re just constantly hyperaware of everything around you, what you’re wearing, what everyone is thinking, but it’s just like that all the time.” During her sophomore year, junior Leah Warner said she was diagnosed by a clinical counselor and a psychologist with social anxiety. Warner said social anxiety, for her, is the irrational fear of being around people because she is afraid they will judge her. Warner said she has certain triggers than can make the effects of her social anxiety worse. “I don’t like change, especially in plans with people,” Warner said. “When someone cancels, it freaks me out because I feel like I did something wrong, or they don’t like me.” Warner said in addition to taking medicine, she has a strong support system consisting of her friends, a psychologist and a support group at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection called Propel. She said she also works at a preschool, which helps alleviate her social anxiety. “Working with kids is basically my therapy because all they do is love you, and they give their straight-up, honest opinion about everything,” Warner said. She said Propel meetings have also helped her social anxiety because the participants all share similar experiences. “My parents didn’t really know how to help me, to talk to me, because the things I experienced aren’t the things they’ve experienced,” Warner said. “They really wanted me to find a place where I could talk to someone who could understand.” Todd Warner, Leah’s father, said when Leah was first diagnosed with social anxiety, he did not fully understand the scope of what she was experiencing. “She can jump on an airplane, fly to Guatemala and work in an orphanage for a week and come home, and everything’s perfect and fine,” Todd said. “But she could go to a friend’s house with 10-14 people and stand around and be uncomfortable and call me an hour after she gets there because she’s not having a good time. It was just really hard to understand and figure out what was going on.” Leah said in addition to attending Propel meetings, talking to a psychologist has also lessened her social anxiety. “You get trapped in your own mind,” Leah said. “So you sometimes just need someone else to tell you that you’re not weird...and that there are other people like you.” Leah said she understands why there would be a month dedicated to mental health. “I don’t think people are aware that it happens all the time or what happens,” Leah said. “Mental health is inside, so you can’t really see the effects outside. It doesn’t change who you are, and they shouldn’t treat you differently, but they also need to be aware that it’s something that you have to deal with and they should be supportive.”
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Junior Leah Warner reads to her preschool class at the Christ Lutheran Early Education Center. Warner uses her time at the Education Center to help her anxiety (photo by Justin Lehtinen).
Matt Taylor, 12 “The tics would change every few months,” senior Matt Taylor said. “The ones that I remember the most were blinking, clearing my throat--the clearing my throat one was the worst, because after a while it would start to hurt--and my lips would wobble, I had to turn my head a lot occasionally.” Taylor said he was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome, along with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) by a psychologist in elementary school. Prior to being diagnosed, he said he remembers having excessive energy and having trouble studying and reading. Taylor said when he first started high school, he was worried how others would view the effects of his illnesses. However, Taylor said he had been close with the friends he has now since elementary school, so they understood his condition. “Tourette’s and ADHD have been a real pain for me throughout my life,” Taylor said. “But it has also made me really grateful to my friends for choosing to accept me and hang out with me all those years back in elementary school even though I was kind of weird and different.” Taylor said he took medicine that helped him focus during school, joined cross country and went to the gym to release excess energy. He said he was able to wean off his medicine during his sophomore year as the effects of his illnesses lessened over the years. “Even if it doesn’t mellow out for somebody, the older you get, the easier it gets,” Taylor said. “People don’t really judge you as much and are more accepting just because they’re more mature and know you better. Just stay with it. It’ll get better.”
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For help BVNW counselors Counselor Beth Ricke said the counseling department frequently sees students dealing with mental illness. She said the most common mental illnesses she has seen within high school students are anxiety and depression. “Dealing with all the obstacles and friend issues and all the things that high school throws at you can be very difficult if they don’t have the right coping mechanisms to handle those struggles, and sometimes, that can lead to more serious issues like depression or anxiety,” Ricke said. Ricke said although the counseling department cannot treat mental illnesses, the counselors will refer the students to psychologists or psychiatrists. She said BVNW does not do anything specific for Mental Health Awareness Month, but anyone is welcome to see a counselor whether or not they have a mental illness. “People can sometimes have feelings of shame or embarrassment like there’s something wrong with them,” Ricke said. “The stigma is a really bad thing for mental illness because it makes people uncomfortable to come out and get treatment and get what they need.”
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Propel Church of the Resurrection Congregational Care Minister Toni Sanders said she started Propel to be a support group for those struggling with addiction three years ago. Sanders said Propel, however, has turned into a support group for teens who are struggling with “hurts and habits,” which encompasses anything from parental issues to mental illness. Propel is hosted Thursday nights at the United Methodist Church of the Resurrection in Leawood from 6:30-8:15 p.m. Sanders said anyone is welcome to attend Propel meetings, regardless of their religious affiliation. Sanders said she had a teen who struggled with depression and she herself grew up with an abusive mother. “I had some people step into my life to tell me it was going to be OK,” Sanders said. “That’s what I’m trying to do with these kids.”
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of youth have an anxiety of youth ages 13-18 disorder live with a mental health condtion 50% of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by age 14 and 50% 75% by age 24 of students age 14 and older with a mental illness 90% drop out of high school of those who died by gathered from National Alliance on Mental suicide has an under- Information Illness lying mental illness THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Senior Meagan Fleming gets her brain monitored after school at Midwest Neurofeedback. Along with going to neurofeedback sessions, Fleming participates in Propel meetings at the Church of the Resurrection. “Neurofeedback is the best part of my week,” Fleming said. “It has changed my life. I only hope that I can help someone one day as much as it has helped me.” (photo by Justin Lehtinen).
Meagan Fleming, 12 “I specifically remember days where I was just so overwhelmed that I didn’t even want to get out of bed to go to school,” Fleming said. “I lost interest in things I loved doing like soccer, and it was just really hard for me to interact with people at school because I felt like it wasn’t worth it.” Senior Meagan Fleming said she was diagnosed with depression during her junior year. She said her grades started to slip and her motivation to do things disappeared. Fleming said her diagnosis did not come as a surprise. Fleming said she traces her depression back to a combination of situations that occurred her sixth grade year, including her parents’ divorce. Following her diagnosis, Fleming said she was put on medication, and in August, she started doing neurofeedback at Midwest Neurofeedback on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Laura Bratt, co-owner of Midwest Neurofeedback, and Fleming’s neurotherapist, said neurofeedback helps the brain shift and heal. She said during neurofeedback, electrodes are attached to the patient’s scalp and pick up electrical information from the brain, re-regulating brain waves. After neurofeedback, Fleming said her mood was more stable and she felt like she had her life under control. Like Warner, Fleming said she attends Propel. She said having a group to relate to helped because her biggest struggle with depression was feeling like she had to go through it alone. Initially, Fleming said she kept her diagnosis a secret in fear that others would treat her differently. However, she said the BVNW community was supportive after finding out. “I kind of wish I had talked about it, because I could have gotten the help and support that I needed sooner,” Fleming said. “And that’s the biggest thing I would recommend to anyone who has any mental illness. It doesn’t define you. It just adds to your story.”
Mary Andrade, 11 “In everyday life, I don’t want people to treat me differently,” Andrade said. “But when I’m feeling anxious, I want at least one person to help.” Junior Mary Andrade said she was diagnosed by a psychologist with anxiety in the middle of December 2015. Andrade said her anxiety stemmed from when she moved from New Jersey to Kentucky and away from her grandfather in 2006. She said her grandfather had been an influential presence in her life since she was born. Due to her anxiety, Andrade said she sometimes feels isolated from those around her. Andrade also said her anxiety includes the build-up of irrational feelings. As a result, she said she tends to not want to participate in social activities. “It causes me to not be involved with family stuff as much,” Andrade said. “I miss out on stuff that happens at dinners, and I don’t like missing out on things.” Andrade said her anxiety, in relation to school, resembles a cycle. She said when she starts getting anxious about her grades, her grades drop, causing her anxiety to increase. “School really stresses me out,” Andrade said. “If I have a panic attack after school or something, it will cause me to put everything to the last minute because I’m dealing with a panic attack. Then, I’m up all night doing stuff.” In addition to visiting a psychologist, Andrade said whenever she feels anxious she either takes a nap or talks to peers who are also dealing with anxiety. She said praying a rosary, which according to Andrade is a tradition of the Catholic faith in which a person says a series of prayers, can also help alleviate her anxiety. “Each person deals with it a certain way,” Andrade said. “When somebody’s talking about their anxiety, but it’s not the same as what you’re going through, then you might think that they’re not actually going through anxiety, but they really are.”
Perspectives Photos of Husky life
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1. Senior Cole Duensing stands on the pitcher’s mound during the boys varsity baseball game against BVN at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo, April 12, for the Kansas City Royals High School Baseball Classic. “It was a very surreal experience knowing that we got to play a game on the same field as our favorite players,” Duensing said (photo by Jack Oxley). 2. Seniors Jackie O’Meara and Claire Albright interview students for Husky in the Halls, a segment on Husky Headlines. O’Meara asked students to shake 10 ping pong balls out of a Kleenex box attached to a belt. “I really enjoy doing the Husky in the Halls segments because I’ve always been someone who’s enjoyed making people laugh and making myself laugh, obviously,” O’Meara said (photo by Jack Oxley). 3. Freshman Cooper Douglas plays Hacky Sack in the art hallway during his fifth hour lunch period. Douglas plays Hacky Sack in order to train for soccer as well as to develop hand-eye coordination skills. “I usually just play when I’m with friends or whenever I have a chance to. It’s a relaxing thing you can do almost anywhere,” Douglas said (photo by Justin Lehtinen).
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4. Junior Ryan Dunning works on his sports team website for technology teacher Matt Lecount’s fifth hour web design class. Dunning’s website is dedicated to the Counter Strike: Global Offensive team, Fanatic. “This project is coming along nicely,” Dunning said. “I’m getting a lot of useful info about web design, plus the class is a lot of fun” (photo by Justin Lehtinen).
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5. Junior Emily Fisher paints on the wall of the art hallway during art teacher Melanie Mikel’s Drawing II class. “Painting’s great because it allows you to take all of the things going on in your head and put them into something that anyone can see and connect with,” Fisher said (photo by Nicky Lentsch). 6. ThinkFirst volunteer Maddie Scheve holds a brain as she presents to BVNW juniors and seniors in the Performing Arts Center April 15 about brain injuries resulting from car accidents. “I enjoy the opportunity to try and make a difference in teenagers’ lives,” Scheve said. “I enjoy the reward of students’ appreciation” (photo by Jack Oxley). 7. Sophomore Evie Anderson practices playing Minuet in D major by Haydn on her violin in the art hallway for a Strings small group ensemble festival. “I like it because it gives me something to do throughout the school day that is not academic,” Anderson said (photo by Nicky Lentsch).
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8. Junior Jennifer Smith and sophomore Payton Million take a picture of a metal dog drinking out of a water fountain for a project in art teacher Brian Pollack’s Digital Imaging class. “We were making a comic strip, and we had to get an object and tell a story about it,” Smith said (photo by Nicky Lentsch). 9. Senior Max McVicker fills out a ballot for prom queen and king at the StuGo table during lunch. Prom took place April 16 at Starlight Theatre; Jordan Serati was named prom queen, and Aaron Cheng was named prom king. “Prom was just like any other dance except more classy,” McVicker said. “Starlight was fun, and the after party was fun, as always” (photo by TJ Vore).
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THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Thinking in color by Eden Kurr
Students, staff and retailers are enjoying the rising popularity of adult coloring books and the stressrelieving aspect that comes with coloring.
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
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he scratching of colored pencils against paper and the smell of graphite wafts through the room. Coloring is a process of patience, concentration and attention to detail, one that has recently become successful economically. Steve Thomas, the community business development manager for the Barnes and Noble at Town Center Plaza, said coloring books were a major seller during the holiday season. He said the tie-ins between different movies, books and TV shows add appeal to coloring books. “ I think part of it is, for adults, recapturing your
childhood in a way,” Thomas said. “A lot of it is for relaxation, as an alternative to meditation or other things that people are doing to clear their minds.” BVNW art teacher Chris LaValley said she recently began coloring a book she received as a birthday gift. She said the first time she colored, she started with a simple design. She said one of the benefits of coloring books is the predetermined image, but the freedom to make it one’s own. “ You have a bit of ownership because you take the colors and make it your own,” LaValley said. “ That way people have freedom, but they don’t have to feel like they have to create a really intricate drawing.” LaValley said there is a big difference between coloring and drawing, even though she said she enjoys both. She said drawing is different because one creates the entire image themselves, whereas coloring is merely color and value choices. Senior Kendra Christman, who colors frequently and is in Drawing II, said she ultimately prefers drawing to coloring. Despite this, she said she still finds coloring relaxing as a quick escape. “ Once I start drawing I get really deep into detail and have a hard time stopping,” Christman said. “ With coloring, I can just step away.” Junior Blair Meegan said she was given her coloring book, Secret Garden, as a Christmas gift after discovering it online.
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Left: Junior Blair Meegan colors in her coloring book, Secret Garden, to relive stress. Meegan received her coloring book for Christmas in 2015. “I really like having my coloring book because it’s a good way for me to relax and lower my stress levels,” Meegan said. “I also feel a definite sense of accomplishment whenever I finish a page” (photo by Nicky Lentsch). Right: Blair Meegan finishes coloring a page in her coloring book, Secret Garden. Meegan said she enjoys coloring in her book because she is able to focus energy on multiple t hings at once (photo by Nicky Lentsch).
She was browsing Barnes and Noble’s website when she saw adult coloring books. Meegan said she enjoys coloring because she feels she can focus her energy on multiple things at once. “ Sometimes I’ll do two things while coloring because it doesn’t really take a lot of effort,” Meegan said. “ It’s fun to hang out and not feel like I’m watching TV all the time.” LaValley also mentioned the benefits of being able to do other things while coloring. She said she is able to listen to a video or music without issue while coloring a page from her coloring book. “A couple times I’ve been working, I’m also watching a TED talk or a video online,” LaValley said. “ Instead of sitting there and watching the video, I have the coloring book in my studio and am watching the video at the same time.” LaValley said she colors for small periods of time, generally between 20 and 30 minutes. She said she does not focus on one activity consistently and switches between coloring and watching videos. Thomas, who has colored before, said he enjoys the experience because of the precision and attention to detail. He said coloring is a good way to get off of a device and relax one’s mind. Christman also said she finds coloring to be stressrelieving when she is overwhelmed with academics. She said it is an opportunity to use the right side of the brain, which is
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generally underworked when it comes to schoolwork. “ If there’s any point where I’m super stressed out, I would color, or just bored in general,” Christman said. “ It’s really just based on how I’m feeling.” Christman said for her, coloring is often a lengthy process. She has only completed seven pages in the coloring book she has had since summer. “ Depending on how tedious the design, it can take me three hours or one hour; some are big, open spaces, and others are a lot of detail,” Christman said. “ I do every little detail. It’s satisfying, starting with a blank page and filling it up with what you’ve done.”
esign our d ews. y e r d sha NWn 11 an re to @BV e g a u t p Color eting a pic e w t by
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Bridging the gap
Gabe write a subhead thnx :)
M
ore than 2,100 miles will separate senior Jackson took it,” Anne said. Muccino from friends and family this fall as he Muccino said he chose San Jose in particular with priorities embarks on a journey to San Jose, Costa Rica to teach such as safety and well-being in mind, as well as how fulfilling and children English. meaningful it will be. Muccino said Depending on which trip plan the decision to take the gap year was [MUCCINO’S] ALWAYS LIKED Muccino chooses, the trip will either be also spurred on by the opportunity to six or nine months, with Muccino leaning TEACHING. HE HAS A HELPING take a break from school and get outside NATURE ABOUT HIMSELF; HE’S toward a six month trip at this point for the bubble to experience life outside of PATIENT, AND HE ENJOYS IT. THIS IS A Johnson County. different reasons. GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO SEE WHAT “I’m kind of leaning toward the six “I found more interesting things month plan, for me, because it’s cheaper,” IT WOULD BE LIKE TEACHING IF HE that I could relate to and that I feel like I Muccino said. “I always like cheaper, and DECIDED TO GO THAT ROUTE IN have a skill or a passion for, like teaching it will be better for relationships in terms COLLEGE. -Muccino’s mother, Anne Muccino [in Costa Rica],” Muccino said. “I enjoy of people I know here, [so that] I won’t teaching, and English is something that become super distant.” I know, so it will be good for me to teach Muccino’s mother, Anne Muccino, said she will pay two-thirds there.” of the cost of the trip. Muccino said the trip will cost roughly $8,000 Anne said she wanted to make sure that if Muccino was taking total, and Muccino will pay for the other third of the cost. a gap year, he would not just get to go on a European tour vacation. Anne said she first began entertaining the idea of a gap year for Rather, he would have to give back to the community and make it Muccino when her oldest son Daniel seemed to be burnt out from a volunteer trip. With the opportunity to serve and teach people, heavy course loads during high school, but Daniel decided against both Anne and Muccino believe spending time in Costa Rica will going. When Anne proposed the idea of a gap year to Muccino, he give him an opportunity to see if this is a potential career path for jumped at the opportunity. him. “[Daniel] thought at that time it was unconventional… because “Sometimes, there’s a maturity jump where it’s kind of hard there weren’t a lot of kids doing [gap years], and when it came to decide what you want to be when you’re 17, 18 years old,” Anne around to [Muccino], I put it out there and offered it to him, and he said. “He’s always liked teaching. He has a helping nature about
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THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
by Gabe Swartz This September, senior Jackson Muccino plans to take a gap year teaching English to impoverished kids in Costa Rica.
himself; he’s patient, and he enjoys it. This is a good opportunity to see what it would be like teaching if he decided to go that route in college.” Originally, Muccino planned to go to Costa Rica with recent graduate Zac Johnson. However, Johnson decided to not go on the trip, enrolling in college instead. Muccino said he was not deterred by this. “When he dropped out of it, my mother was a little bit worried, because it was more on my own,” Muccino said. “But she seems fine with it, and we’ve both determined that we started something, and we’re not going to let it go. We both think it will be a great experience, but she’s worried as all parents should be.” Johnson said the biggest factors leading him not to go on the trip were the price and seeing the opportunity to take part in a study abroad program through college. “My biggest issue with it was, first, there was price,” Johnson said. “It was a very expensive trip. [That,] as well as the fact [that] I realized I could go to a four-year institution with a study abroad program and experience the same cultural diversity I wanted to through that.” Johnson said he thinks it could be better for Muccino to go on the trip by himself, because it will allow Muccino to be more independent. “I think going with somebody else can be a great experience, but I think it could also hinder your experience,” Johnson said. “Going alone, I think, is more beneficial because if you do have that safety
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net of another person going with you, you’re less likely to branch out, meet new people, do new things; if you don’t do that, it’s going to turn into a very bad experience for you.” Anne said her biggest worries for Muccino come from the many different possibilities of what could go wrong when sending her son out of the country on his own. She said one thing in particular she fears is the Zika virus. “I worry about his health; if he were to get really sick there I would have to figure out how to get down there,” Anne said. “[But,] I am glad we picked Costa Rica, [because] the government is fairly stable, and I think he will be safe there.” Anne said she believes the time spent in Costa Rica will give Muccino a greater understanding of the privileges that he has that will not be present when he is in Costa Rica. Muccino said he hopes to understand things more clearly and get a different perspective through his time spent working with and teaching people. “I’m looking forward to becoming a more worldly person,” Muccino said. “[The trip] might not change me so that I’m a completely different person, but [I will] be able to respect the little things and [have] a [new] perspective on life.”
Above: Senior Jackson Muccino poses in a photo illustration in front of the Costa Rican flag. Muccino was originally going to go to Costa Rica with recent graduate Zac Johnson but will now go alone. (Photo illustration by Justin Lehtinen).
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Coast to Coast
Here is a glimpse at where the senior class is headed, based on a survey The Express sent to the Class of 2016 April 19.
Each pinpoint on the map represents a college students from the Class of 2016 will attend. *Based on 223 student responses from the Class of 2016.
*
Class of 2016 by the numbers
402 16
Members of the Class of 2016
117
*Staying in Kansas after graduation
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National Merit Finalists
6
Perfect ACT Scores 17
Swing and a kiss by Lauren Fischer Junior Kennedy Thornton and seniors Regan Muth and Maggie Taylor support their boyfriends at nearly all of their baseball games, despite having their own busy schedules.
Junior Johnny Sprinkle carries his girlfriend, senior Regan Muth, at home plate of the DAC baseball field. Muth and Sprinkle have been dating for more than a year (photo illustration by TJ Vore). THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
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he pitch is thrown and the crowd cheers as the ball sails into the catcher’s glove. The umpire yells “strike!” and the crowd cheers even louder. The most enthusiastic cheers of all come from a group of girls sitting together on the side. Seniors Regan Muth, Maggie Taylor and junior Kennedy Thornton frequently attend the boys varsity baseball games to support their boyfriends on the team. Muth said she started attending the games in the spring of last year after she and her boyfriend, junior Johnny Sprinkle, began dating in the fall of 2014. Sprinkle is a pitcher and first baseman for the team. “This is my second season going to all the baseball games with a few of the girls, so it’s going to be great to see how our relationship continues to grow,” Muth said. “I think it’s great that...we’re able to have that common connection because of our boyfriends.” Taylor said she began going to the baseball games her sophomore year. Since then she said she has seen the group grow over the years. Taylor is dating senior Nick Mehlin, a shortstop on the team. “My sophomore year, when I went to the games, I would usually have to ask people to go because no one was really dating anyone else,” Taylor said. “My junior year, there were about three consistent girls that would go, and we started becoming so close that we would go get food before the games or afterward, and we got really close from that.” Thornton said she first attended the baseball games as a freshman to support her friends on the team and now goes to also support her boyfriend, junior Ryan Ferger. Since then, she has gotten to know many of the other girlfriends, Muth in particular. “I think that if the girls who usually go didn’t go, [the games] would be a lot more boring just because it’s nice to have someone to talk to,” Thornton said. Tammy Ferger, Ferger’s mother, who frequently attends the baseball games, said the girlfriends help bring school spirit to the games and have even helped encourage others to come to the games. “I think it will start the trend of the younger crowd wanting to go to the games, and feeling like they can,” Tammy said. “Sometimes, I think in the past maybe, [younger students] didn’t think they could be there.”
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Muth, Taylor and Thornton all said they enjoy the fun atmosphere of the games and supporting their boyfriends in doing what they are passionate about. “I like going to [the games] because it’s fun just to watch him do what he loves, and it’s just a good atmosphere to be in,” Muth said. “There’s always usually the same girls around, and it’s always nice to see familiar faces.” Thornton and Taylor both participate in spring sports, which can sometimes clash with their boyfriend’s baseball games. Despite having dive team practice every day after school, Taylor said she still manages to come to most of Mehlin’s home baseball games. “It’s definitely very busy,” Taylor said. “I love going to watch him; I never want to miss [the games].” Thornton plays on the softball team at BVNW and said playing softball helps her better understand Ferger’s baseball games. “I think it’s good that I’m [at the game] because then instead of him texting me the stats... I get to be there and see it and experience it,” Thornton said. “If he has a bad game, I get to be there and [comfort him].’” All three girls said their boyfriends also support them in their own activities. Muth said Sprinkle comes to most of her cheer events, and this equal support of each other strengthens their relationship. “It means a lot that he always wants to support me, and that he wants to come to see me, and I know that he feels the same way about how I always like to come see him,” Muth said. “I think it’s good that we both have the mutual support of watching each other.” Sprinkle said he and Muth are more understanding of each other because of their busy activities schedule. “It means a lot to me whenever I see [Regan] come to the games and such, because you always want to perform at your best, but when you have someone like that there, it makes you kind of want to give it that little more.” Thornton, Taylor and Muth said they have seen the group of girlfriends at the games grow and change over the years and have formed strong bonds with girls they may not have known before going to the games. “Baseball’s kind of a slow process of a sport; we just have so
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much to talk about and we just get closer through baseball and talking and going out to eat before the games or after the games,” Taylor said. Taylor said when she began going to the baseball games, she always looked up to the older girlfriends who were there and hopes she can be like those girls during this season. “It’s kind of nerve-racking to go to a game by yourself and sit there when you don’t know anyone,” Taylor said “A group of girls is always going to make things better.” Muth plans to attend the University of Missouri this fall, but she said she still hopes to make it back to some of the baseball games next spring to support Sprinkle. “I just like going to the games because it’s a great place to be, and it’s a great way to support Northwest as well as Johnny,” Muth said. All three girls said they look forward to bonding with the other girlfriends this season. “I’ve definitely gotten closer with girls I don’t talk to as much, and we have a different relationship,” Muth said. “I’ve definitely made new friends...I wouldn’t have been able to talk to if it hadn’t had been for baseball boyfriends.”
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Senior Mick Mehlin holds girlfriend senior Maggie Taylor at the DAC baseball field (photo illustration by TJ Vore).
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Lifeline
911
by Claudia Chen and Brandon Fagen A new Kansas senate bill aims to encourage more underage people to call for help if they, or someone they are around, experience alcohol poisoning.
I
t was the summer before her sophomore year, and one of her first times drinking alcohol. She drank some, then some more and then some more. Her skin turned cold and flushed a shade of yellow before she passed out and became unconscious. “[My friends] didn’t really know what to do with me, so they just put me [in a bed] and watched over me,” junior Linda Stewart* said. “After awhile, they realized the extent of how bad it was, [but] they didn’t want to... get me in trouble, so they held off for a long time.” Stewart said eventually, her friends realized how dangerous the situation was and took her home to her parents, who called an ambulance. At the hospital, doctors pumped her stomach and gave her IVs. She said at that time, her blood alcohol content (BAC) was between 0.3 and 0.4 percent, more than three times the legal limit for adults to drive. “If they could have pumped my stomach earlier or tried to get me IVs earlier, it could’ve been less serious,” Stewart said. “It got to the point where I was really close to dying. If they would’ve waited longer, it could’ve been really, really bad.” Stewart received medical help in time to avoid paying the ultimate price, but for more than 2,000 people in the United States every year, this is not the case. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2,200 people die every year due to alcohol poisoning in the United States. In order to encourage medical assistance for this type of serious medical emergency, Kansas Senate Bill 133 (SB 133) was passed by both houses and then signed by Governor Sam Brownback this past February. According to the bill’s summary provided by Kansas Legislative Principal Research Analyst Robert Gallimore, SB
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
133 will amend the crime of underage consumption of alcohol to include immunity from prosecution if medical assistance is requested and if the people involved cooperate with emergency medical services personnel and law enforcement officers. The bill will also provide immunity for “one or two other persons” if they helped initiate contact or directly sought help for someone they “reasonably believed...was in need of medical assistance.” The bill will go into effect this July. “The person who is making the call and the person who is intoxicated at a dangerous level will clearly be immunized,” Johnson County criminal law attorney Philip Glasser said. “I don’t know what the means for a situation where somebody is in, say, a group of four, because it pretty clearly says that four people aren’t going to receive immunity. I don’t think their goal is to immunize their entire party; I think their goal is to immunize somebody who calls in a way to get the person that needs the help the help.” Senior Cooper Trusdale, who said he has acted as a designated driver for others before, believes this bill will help students if they are ever in such an emergency. “I think it is a very smart idea,” Trusdale said. “I’m sure me and a bunch of other kids at our school have seen somebody who is really bad and is in need of help, and usually they ask the parents, but I think this bill will allow people to go to the hospital more... and I think it could save lives potentially.” Stewart said she has witnessed situations where people have been unsure if they should call for help for fear of people getting in trouble. * The editors elected to not use t he real names of some people interviewed for t his story to protect t he identity of t he source.
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“A lot of times if people are out and there is someone that is on the verge like ‘Should we get them help or not,’” Stewart said, “people are like, ‘No, no; we can’t get them in trouble.’” Stewart’s mother, Gloria Stewart*, said while the bill may be good for getting more students medical help if they need it in cases of alcohol poisoning, those needing or asking for assistance may still be hesitant because of other consequences. “A lot of [students] are more scared about getting in trouble at home or at school; for that reason, I’m not sure if it will change a lot,” Gloria said. “Definitely, if it would save a life [by] somebody getting help, that would be wonderful.” Gloria also said she believes the bill will be beneficial for underage people who want to learn from their mistakes. “One thing I do think is [that] kids make mistakes and need second chances, especially if they are really young,” Gloria said. “[Drinking] was not something that [Stewart] normally did. I think, for people like that, the bill is good.” School Resource Officer Marshall Thompson said he thinks people usually do not know the law very well, and even if they do, they are not thinking on those terms when a challenging situation arises. “Based on seeing people [watch those who] have had too much to drink, they will either ignore you [and] let you lay there unconscious, or they will call,” Thompson said. “If they are going to help, the particular law probably won’t have an effect on their decisions. That’s just my guess based on my recollection of situations.” He also said that the bill might bring up issues for a prosecutor, if it were spun to grant immunity to those without the intention of ever calling for help. “If somebody were to be charged with something, the defense attorney might look at [SB 133] and try to find a way that if
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they can kind of spin this, to see if they can qualify under this immunity,” Thompson said. “I don’t know that it is going to be helpful once you get caught, and say, ‘Hey, I was just going to report my buddy. We were going to report each other; we were concerned we had been drinking too much.’” Glasser said although the bill provides immunity for the person calling for help and the person receiving assistance, the bill still cannot be used as a loophole to consume alcohol underage. “You can’t make a call after you get busted, and you can’t make the call before somebody gets to the point when they are medically in a dangerous spot,” Glasser said. “You really can’t use this as an excuse, and say, ‘Golly, I’m going to be able to go out and drink alcohol any time I want because I have the ability, if I am drinking it, to stay out of trouble.’” Thompson said he does think most students at BVNW would help someone in need if they were in a life or death situation regarding alcohol poisoning, with or without knowledge of the bill. “Because of the kind of people that we have at our school, I think they would help somebody in that kind of situation,” Thompson said. “The punishment [for a MIP] is not enough to not help somebody.” Stewart said she believes SB 133 will make the decision to call for help when necessary an easier one. “People tend to, when other people are [passed out], just put them in a bed and put them away,” Stewart said. “But if they had done that to me, I probably wouldn’t have [lived].”
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
4,358
people under 21 die each year from alcohol-related incidents.
11%
of all alcohol consumed in the United States is consumed by people aged 12-20.
90%
More than of the above amount of alcohol is consumed in the form of binge drinks.
*Statistics from t he National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
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ENTERTAINMENT
CROSSWORD
by Avery Mojica
Title: Going, but never forgetting
When the puzzle has been filled in properly, the circled squares, read from top to bottom, will spell out a saying relating to BVNW.
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THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
CROSSWORD CLUES ACROSS
1. Press, as clothes 55. Forbidden 5. Copper coin 58. Meow Mix consumer 9. Pointy tools 59. ___ basketball (leisure sport) 13. Cough syrup amounts: Abbr. 60. High school with a motto hidden 17. Matador’s opponent (Spanish) in the puzzle and over 400 students 18. Zion National Park’s state graduating on May 15, 2016 19. 1979 exiled Iranian leader 65. Author ___ Rand 20. “___ ever so humble...” (2 words) 66. Ginger ___ (soda) 21. Piece of data on a sports page 67. Andean animal 22. “The Dark Knight Rises” villain 68. “Cómo ___ usted?” 23. Domestic workers (2 words) 69. Showed ones teeth to (2 words) 25. Personal period of decompres- 72. Pacified sion (2 words) 75. Cast a spell on 27. Broken chord 76. Theater presentation regarding 29. Word indicating an affirmative current events vote 79. There’s 100 in a football field: 30. Supreme Court justice ___ Abbr. Kagan 80. How many times the New York 31. Utility customer Jets have been to the Super Bowl 32. Barely gets by (2 words) 83. Actress ___ MacDowell of 34. Slang term for FBI agents “Groundhog Day” 36. Relish the taste of 84. Infuriation 39. Quart quartet 86. Capital of Venezuela 40. ___ Gibson (People magazine’s 89. Negative votes first “Sexiest Man Alive”) 91. Capital of Jordan 43. Was disloyal to 95. Day after Mon. 45. Government org. that promotes 96. Work without accomplices (2 business start-ups: Abbr. words) 47. ___ Saint of “North by North- 99. Cosmopolitan west” 100. Controversial sweetener found 49. Reply back (2 words) in some diet sodas 54. Toy block that hurts to step on 102. Symbol on a musical staff
SUDOKU
by Avery Mojica
THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
104. Thomas ___ Edison 105. Jerk the wheel 106. “Only Time” singer 107. Red “Sesame Street” character 108. Item on the side of a staircase 109. Direction for a sunrise 110. Fast kid on “The Incredibles” 111. ___-chef (kitchen #2) 112. “South Park” kid
42. ___ Beach (California city) 44. Not imaginary 45. Minor disagreement 46. Best of ___ worlds 48. “The Simpsons” bartender 50. Winter windshield clearers 51. Like formal attire 52. Examined 53. Groups of eight 56. Sang passionately, with “out” 57. Olive ___ (Popeye’s lady) 1. “Hello, ___...” (Adele lyric, 2 61. Where a stream may run 62. “Jeopardy!” host ___ Trebek words) 2. Brand of canned tomatoes 63. Actor ___ Sharif 3. Speak in front of an audience 64. “Aren’t ___ pair?” (2 words) 4. Jotting down 70. Caroline ___ (first host of “The 5. Rubik’s ___ Biggest Loser”) 6. Greek letter between zeta and 71. Mitt Romney’s wife theta 73. Small green vegetable 7. Grandmothers, affectionately 74. “Pomp and Circumstance” 8. ___ Caputo, host of “Long Island composer Medium” 77. Alcohol seeker 9. Arthur ___ (tennis superstar) 78. Spirit summonings 10. Now-extinguished political party 80. Eight note span 11. Bigger (than) 81. Symptom experienced after an 12. Arab leader intense roller coaster 13. “In all sincerity...,” to a texter 82. French pancakes 14. “Bye for now!” (2 words) 83. Capital of Kazakhstan 15. Accident involving multiple cars 85. Begin, as with a journey 16. March 17 celebration, for short 87. General Motors product 24. What a fawn might grow into 88. Performed on stage 26. Worlds of Fun roller coaster 90. Mello ___ (soda) with a 205 foot drop 92. Kuala Lumpur resident 28. Ask for divine guidance 93. Item frequently dropped upon 31. Nameless, as a research paper Wile E. Coyote 33. Word after CAT or PET? 94. “Their Eyes Were Watching 35. Suffix for puppet or musket God” author Zora ___ Hurston 37. “Romeo and Juliet” city 97. Brand of frozen meals 38. “___ to Joy” (Beethoven piece) 98. Sister of Rachel, in the Bible 40. Peach ___ (desserts) 99. Some sci-fi sightings 41. “Brideshead Revisited” author 101. What the Nelson Atkins ___ Waugh Museum focuses on 103. Large flightless bird
DOWN
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From the editor’s desk I walked through the halls after a morning filled with anxiety about approaching the newspaper staff for the first time as editor-in-chief; I hadn’t been able to eat breakfast and I was scared out of my mind that I would say the wrong thing or say the right thing the wrong way or maybe at the wrong time. I was terrified of any little thing that could go wrong, because I directly correlated that perfection to the way the staff would view me—either as a talented leader or a teenager who didn’t know what she’s doing. It took that one morning in class, facing a tiny challenge that felt insurmountable, for me to realize that I did not have the ability to lead them perfectly. I never would. Actually, it would be kind of messy sometimes. Some nights I would spend hours preparing something for them that would fizzle awkwardly, fail entirely or confuse them completely. Often, I would not have the answers to all their questions, and even more often, I would have questions myself. I think a very common misconception is the idea that you should “fake it until you make it.” I had this mindset for most of my life and a good portion of the start of the year, and I grew in every aspect of my life when I chose to stop living that way. I chose to relieve the pressure I put on myself to appear to always have it together, to always have the answers and to always know what I am doing.
The very first week of newspaper was filled with instruction and new implementations; it was time to initiate all the things and changes I had planned over the summer. I distinctly remember spending a solid month over the summer creating a new plan for pitching story ideas on an entirely new application, and after spending the class period explaining it to the staff, it completely crashed and burned and nobody understood the plan I outlined. Not only was this terrifying, but I also thought this was a clear sign to everyone that I was still figuring it out. It’s now almost May, the last issue of
I CHOSE TO RELIEVE THE PRESSURE I PUT ON MYSELF TO APPEAR TO ALWAYS HAVE IT TOGETHER
the paper is finished, and I’m still figuring it out. I hope I never stop. Not only did I have the chance to learn and grow with 21 other people instead of watching them and pretending I was done, but I also stopped being so hard on myself for hitting bumps in the road. Let’s stop “faking it” with the assumption that if we can convince people we’re perfect, we’ll get closer to actualizing that perfection. I don’t want to have it together, nor
give that illusion. I’m still figuring it out, and I always will be. And I hope that people around me see that and feel comfortable to be painfully real and messy while also striving for success. This year, I’ve learned, with the help of 21 people who were strangers months ago, that it is a beautiful thing to live messy—to live entirely conscious of imperfection. Every day, I aim to make mistakes, and make them visibly. I’ve found I’m able to love and connect with people in an incredibly powerful way when I live each day at the front of the room, painfully honest and unsure but with undying inspiration. I do not apologize for my honest mistakes, my blunders, my misspoken directions or my inability to answer everything. I appreciate little failures, because it is a beautiful thing to watch someone embrace their cracks, their insecurities and their weaknesses unabashedly. It is even more beautiful when you yourself no longer feel guilty for the things that make you human.
Opinion Dreaming about my backup Each year I’ve been on the newspaper staff, we’ve surveyed seniors at the end of the school year to see where they will take their life in the coming fall. I pitied those who said Kansas. I swore up and down I’d never become one. With that pity in mind, I took myself and my college plans to get coffee with a few friends who are normally scattered around the country for their college studies; some live in Lawrence, some Chicago, some Manhattan. As we sat there talking a little too loud in the Starbucks three minutes away from my home, I listened to Jay tell me how his Kansas school wasn’t originally his dream school, but it became just that by the time he paid his enrollment fee. I understood him, but I decided I would never have thoughts like those about a school so close to home. I would never think like that because I was accepted to my dream school far away
from my home. Sitting there, I told my friends that’s where I intended to go, and I told them I would never be satisfied going anywhere else. I have learned in the past month that you should truly never say never. When March ended, it came to light that I couldn’t go to this dream school of mine. I would be another student in the class of 2016 to attend a school in Kansas. After my heart was done breaking, I had to come to terms with the fact that my “nevers” were becoming my future. To end my personal pity party, I found victories wherever I could. I found that I can get a much bigger suite so I won’t have to share a bathroom with 20 people; I can have a much better chance at studying abroad; I can eat much better food than the dorm food at my original dream school. While those aren’t the typical dream school signifiers, they’re becoming mine,
Art submission for Mental Health Month
by Olivia Baird
just like my story is becoming remarkably similar to Jay’s story. No matter the promises I made against my home state, no matter the extensive plans I had for my future in another state, I’ll learn what makes Kansas the perfect place for me come August. I couldn’t control where the next four years of my life would take place, but I can control the mindset that makes my backup college my dream college.
The Express accepted student art submissions April 8 April 15 that represented the theme of “Mental Health Awareness Month.” Below is the selected submission.
Artist: Darene Essa, 10
ARABIC Calligraphy reads: “Do not mock a pain you haven’t endured.” (Essa selected this quote from the Quran, the holy book of Islam)
Her inspiration: “I used this quote because now that we are in high school, many students mock some of the mentally disabled kids (and) also many people who have anxiety or depression without knowing how hard it is.”
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THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Staff editorial
Embracing ambiguity If Todd Petersen hadn’t decided to change careers three times, he would not be in room 204 talking about torque and energy Thursday mornings. If Nick Woodman, the founder and CEO of GoPro, decided to pursue a career in his visual art and creative writing majors, he would not have created the best-selling camera and personally be worth more than $2 billion. Throughout high school, we’re peppered with future-related questions: “Where are you going to college?” and “What are you going to major in?” and if we respond with uncertainty, we are often looked down upon and told, sometimes directly, that we should “figure it out.” But the reality is, we have our whole lives to figure out what we want to do and where we want to do it, and even then, nothing we start has to be forever. It’s natural for us to change as we grow. It would be ridiculous to expect a fourth grader to be the same person with the same passions by the time he or she reached middle and high school, and it’s just as crazy for us to think we have to remain with the same narrow path for the rest of our adult lives. Our lives are only beginning; we aren’t done changing yet, and we likely never will be. Our high school and college careers are training wheels for becoming productive members of society, so they don’t have to define our careers or success. Our whole lives are meant for figuring out what we want to do, and sometimes what we think we’ll end up doing isn’t actually what we do. Sometimes a more ambiguous plan can be better than following a path we picked only because we felt pressured to secure our futures. When we leave ourselves and our plans a little looser, we allow things to change that might be better than what we could have planned at 17.
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THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 6 | APRIL 2016
Editorial cartoon by Abdul Qaddour
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