The Express December 2013

TheExpress

volume 21

|

Issue 03

|

december 2013

|

Blue Valley Northwest High School

Bullseye Sophomore Grace Coen demonstrates her affinity for archery, a sport which has gained momentum across the country thanks to “The Hunger Games.�

PAge 4-7

CONTENTS

Above: After winning the sub-state championship match against BVW, the volleyball team celebrates with their fans.

The team went on to place second in the state tournament (Photo by Lindsay Haight).

SEE PAGES 20-23

ON THE COVER

Bullseye Sophomore Grace

Coen is participating in archery, a sport that has recently started to gain more of a following in high schoolers. (Photo by Maddison Barley).

SPORTS

FEATURE

As the basketball season kicks off, head coach Ed Fritz’s steady hand is guiding the team once again.

Players explain the influence Fritz has had on their lives on and off the court.

Social studies teacher Brian Murphy brews his own pickled cucumbers, satisfying the cravings of his students and friends.

12&13 It’s Official

up by 18&19 Saving selling stocks

Entering her fifth year as a soccer referee, junior Lauren Stalcup has recently been awarded the Kansas Referee of the Year for her accomplishments as an official.

With a part time job and an interest in finances, junior Will Schuller holds his own stocks and is already saving for his future.

power 9-11 The of Fritz

15-17 Hethat!can pickle

SEE PAGES 4-7

02

THE EXPRESS | BVNWnews.com | December 2013

CONTENTS

OPINION

FEATURE

24-27

The perks of our personalities

45 Faults and all

In response to certain stereotypes and myths, junior Carli Plymale and senior Vivek Panchananam analyze their personalities and how it affects their daily lives.

Today, kids are feeling pressured to meet the standards of their fellow students in how they look, but is there really a “perfect” body image?

28-31

45

Doctor Who?

Don’t try to change me

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the television series “Doctor Who,” students and staff members explain their obsessions with the show.

Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and it is better to leave it that way rather than trying to change it.

32&33

46 Art for Art’s sake

Painting her dreams

With plans to attend school to pursue her love of art, senior Lily Timberlake shares what she loves about her passion and how it has shaped her life.

The murals around school are not just a part of the walls, but provide diversity and character that will be hard to replicate after they are painted over in the years to come.

Below: Senior Veronica McKinney plays her solo at the band’s glow show.

McKinney has played in the band all four years (Photo by Maddison Barley).

The Express Staff Editor-in-chief Delaney La Fon

Print Editor Meredith Johnson

ONLINE Editor Cara Brashears

Design Editor Holly Noon

Sports editor Liz Kuhlmann

visual Editor Michaela O’Connor

Copy Editors Sarah Hirsch Ankit Kadakia Madeline Maloney

Reporters

Olivia Baird Laney Breidenthal Claudia Chen Madison Graves Sidney Hallak Zac Johnson Brooklynn Langham Avery Mojica Greyson Woerpel Natasha Vyhovsky

Photographers Maddison Barley Lindsay Haight Natalie Pyle Nicole Tenold Caroline Trupp

Business Manager Zach Zelinski

Artist

Owen Sinn

ASSISTANT ADVISER Jeff Brown

ADVISER

Jim McCrossen 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 December issue of volume twenty-one.

Subscription rates are $10. The Express is printed by Osage Printing, 400 N Liberty St Independence, MO 64050.

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 | BVNWnews.com | December 2013

03

04

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

Bullseye

By Zac Johnson

Sophomore Grace Coen enjoys archery, a sport few have ventured to try.

I

t is a cold November morning and sophomore Grace Coen is standing in the middle of a barren field in western Kansas, getting ready to practice shooting. But she is not using bullets; instead, she is using arrows. Coen puts an arrow on her string and lets it go; hitting the bullseye of the target and splitting the arrow she just shot in two.

“I started hunting with guns, and one time when I was at [Dick’s Sporting Goods] I saw some compound bows and I thought that they looked really cool,” Coen said. “So my dad decided to buy me one and after that I really liked it.”

Coen has only been shooting for a couple months. Her only lesson was at Dick’s Sporting Goods right after she bought her bow.

“The people at the store were really helpful, and they showed me how to do everything,” Coen said. “I pretty much just learned in a couple hours; it wasn’t that hard.”

Dick’s Sales Associate Dennis Brown said archery has started to become popular very rapidly, especially with younger people.

“The longest deer season available is the archery season, so people who are avid hunters all go to archery,” Sophomore Grace Coen pulls her bow and angles to shoot her target. Coen has been doing archery for the past few months (Photo by Maddison Barley).

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

05 05

SPORTS Brown said. “The sport has greatly increased in the past 10 years, and we’re seeing a lot of teens and little kids come in here looking to start shooting.”

Coen said she usually practices archery every other week. Since there are rules and regulations regarding where you are allowed to shoot in public, Coen has to practice at her family’s property in Blue Mound, Kan., which is roughly two hours away.

“One thing that was really cool was the very first time I went shooting,”

Coen said. “I shot an arrow, and then my next shot split it in two. That’s pretty much a perfect shot, so that was really cool.”

Currently, Coen said she is not quite comfortable to start shooting real animals. At the moment she only practices on stationary targets. “[My family] set up a deer stand recently, and I think that I’m going to start hunting really soon,” Coen said.

“On bows, there’s this thing called a pull weight and right now I could easily kill a deer at the weight I’m pulling.”

When Coen tells people about her hobby, she said that

reactions range from people being intrigued to people getting angry.

“I have a friend that really just doesn’t like hunting, and she just gets mad at me every time I talk about it,” Coen said.

Coen’s friend, sophomore Trisha Xue, said she does not like hunting because she is against the killing of animals. “[Coen] and I are still really good friends,” Xue said. “It’s not like I’m not going to be her friend just because she hunts.”

While Xue said she does not necessarily like the fact that Coen hunts, she still thinks archery as a sport is something unique.

“I think that [archery] is really cool because it’s really different from what people normally do,” Xue said. “I’ve never seen her in action, but I’d love to go with her sometime.”

Coen said both of her parents are very supportive of her hobby and they are thinking about entering her into competitions soon.

“I was not expecting [archery] to be this fun,” Coen said. “If you’ve ever shot a gun, it’s completely different than shooting a bow. Archery is a lot more fun because it takes a lot more skill, but because of that it’s also a lot harder.”

Coen focuses on her target in the distance. Although Coen said archery is more difficult than shooting with guns, she enjoys going out every other weekend.

Coen said she occasionally brings her friends along to watch her shoot. She also said she hopes to begin shooting real animals in the near future (Photos by Maddison Barley).

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SPORTS

The power of

Fritz

By Sidney Hallak Head varsity basketball coach Ed Fritz influences the lives of his players on and off the court.

Left: Coach Fritz blows his whistle as he directs his players in drills at tryouts (Photo by Lindsay Haight).

Middle: Senior Ben Richardson goes in for the layup in last year’s game against BVW at BVW. The Huskies won 4629 (Photo by The Express archives) Right: Freshman AJ Pleasant concentrates on his form during his basketball tryouts (Photo by Lindsay Haight).

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

09

SPORTS

T

he BVNW basketball team can give much of the credit for its success to its head coach, Ed Fritz, and the special bond the team shares. Fritz’s influence on the players continues to be strong as they prepare for the upcoming season.

“When you play together a lot, that helps you become a better player and work harder,” Fritz said. “It makes it fun.”

Freshman AJ Pleasant transferred to BVNW because he said Fritz has a coaching ability like no one else.

“I liked the way he coached,” Pleasant said. “I don’t know him extremely well, but he’s pretty good.”

Even though some of the players switched schools to come to BVNW, including Senior Clayton Custer and Pleasant, Fritz said he believes it was due to the strength of their friendships, not his coaching abilities. Custer agreed, saying he would not want to play under anyone else.

“I played with [Fritz] and knew him so well, so I felt really comfortable coming here,” Custer said. “I was friends with a few of the guys that lived here and I really wanted to play for [Fritz]. I knew he would make me a better player and we could contend for state titles here.”

While Custer has been playing for Fritz since fourth grade, Pleasant first met Fritz in seventh grade. Fritz gave advice to Pleasant’s club team, and Pleasant said he liked Fritz’s coaching style immediately. Fritz said coaching many of his current players for a long time has helped strengthen the team dynamic. He said while there are negatives to spending so much time playing basketball together, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

“This summer I wasn’t a coach, but [the team] played a lot, so that just helped them get better,” Fritz said. “The more you play, the better you get.”

Four of the five senior starters have signed to play at the collegiate level next year: Clayton Custer (Iowa State University), Ben Richardson (Loyola University), David Salach (Washburn University) and Vince Fritz, Fritz’s son, (Sacred Heart University). Ed Fritz said he is proud of all their achievements as a team and as individuals.

“To be able to do something you love and get your education paid for is very rare,” Fritz said. “To be able to do it at the highest level like

10

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

SPORTS they’re doing is a pretty good accomplishment.”

Pleasant said the fact so many BVNW players are going on to play in college is evidence of Fritz’s coaching ability. He said he came to BVNW to get the chance to learn from Fritz and hopefully play in college.

“I definitely think Fritz [makes a connection with his players],” Pleasant said. “He puts pressure on you to make you better and I think that’s what it took [Custer] to make him a better player, pushing him to where he can really go to get better.”

Custer said many people believe the men’s basketball program will go downhill next year, but he does not agree.

Once the seniors graduate, there will be familiar faces to take their place, including Pleasant.

“I don’t think any of the people that are in the program see [the program declining next year],” Custer said.

“There are actually a lot of freshmen here this year that could probably play varsity at other schools, but since we have older guys that can play, they’re going to have to play [on other teams]. Next year when we’re all gone, they’re going to be fighting for a spot and there’s a lot of good players here that will keep the program strong.”

Pleasant said he thinks next year will be a chance to step up, and believes the team will still do well.

“I’m kind of excited because it’s going to be a big role that we have to cover,” Pleasant said. “I’m just excited to come here and play.”

Custer said Fritz has influenced him in both basketball and in life by teaching him everything he knows while always being supportive. Fritz attributes the team’s success to the players bond, but the players attribute it to the power of Fritz.

“When you’re with a group of people and it’s fun and you’re successful, that makes it easier for everybody,” Fritz said. “[My players are] lucky to have that.”

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

SIGNED SENIORS Ben Richardson

Loyola University

Clayton Custer Iowa State University

David Salach Washburn University

Vince Fritz

Sacred Heart University

Coach Ed Fritz responds to a call last year in Wichita.

The Huskies won the game, giving them an undefeated season and the state 6A title (photo by The Express Archives).

11

SPORTS

Top left: Junior Lauren Stalcup signals a foul while refereeing a National Premier League (NPL) game. “The most common foul I typically call is a trip,” Stalcup said (Photo courtesy of Lauren Stalcup). Bottom Right: Stalcup poses with fellow referees after the Kansas State Cup Championship game. According to Stalcup, being in the Developmental Program helps her achieve the opportunity to officiate such high level games (Photo courtesy of Lauren Stalcup). Bottom left: Stalcup jumps out of the way during a play. Stalcup typically centers during U16 games and AR’s during U18 and U19 games (Photo courtesy of Lauren Stalcup).

it’s Official

A

s the ball rolls across the field, two opposing players race toward it. In order to gain better position, one cuts across the other, forcing the victim to fly forward on hands and knees. A shrill whistle pierces the air and junior Lauren Stalcup motions with her arm, signaling a trip foul.

This type of decision-making comes naturally to Stalcup, as she has had to call many fouls throughout her referring career.

After five years of dedication and hard work in the field, Stalcup was recently nominated and selected as Kansas Referee of the Year and Region II Referee of the Year for her accomplishments as an official. In order to win Kansas Ref of the Year, Stalcup said she had to be nominated

12

by a member of the officiating community. Once aware she was up for the award, Stalcup had to submit three letters of recommendation and a resume.

“It was kind of funny,” Stalcup said. “I got all these text messages saying stuff like, ‘Congrats’ and ‘Way to go,’ because the girls on my soccer team found out before I did. And then I checked my email and my soccer team manager had emailed me with a congratulations and had attached the email notifying everyone I had won.”

With the Kansas Referee of the Year title under her belt, Stalcup advanced into the Region competition. Stalcup’s mother, Lisa Stalcup, said she believed Stalcup would do great despite being on the younger side. In late

By Liz Kuhlmann

November, Stalcup received an email notifying her she had become Region II Referee of the Year, and would advance into the national competition.

“I was beyond excited,” Stalcup said. “I was totally stoked. The refereeing community is kind of like a family. I love meeting new people and traveling, but I also love working with the kids and just being around soccer.”

Lisa said she was thrilled when she heard the news. Lisa said she believes all the additional training Stalcup has done, such as training with a FIFA referee, has helped Stalcup achieve greatness in her job.

“Since she started officiating, she has been focused on always getting better and upgrading to the next

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

SPORTS level,” Lisa said. “This has meant many field evaluations, additional training, classes, and of course, working some tough games. She has to manage so many moving parts during a game, and to do it with authority and respect is hard. I think she was selected not only on her ability to ref a game, but how she manages off the field. ” Stalcup is part of the Kansas Developmental Ref Program, and her coach Andrew Fletcher, was the one who nominated her for the award.

The program recruits high school and college referees recognized for their great officiating, and in return for being a part of the program, are given the opportunity to travel and officiate high-level games.

“I decided to enlist Lauren and her sister into the program because they had a good attitude,” Fletcher said. “They seemed very responsible, very polite. They listened well and took instruction well. And they knew the game. That’s the kind of person we were looking for to join ...

[When Stalcup referees she is] calm, composed, and looks like she’s in charge.”

Officiating older U18 and U19 games as well as higher-level games used to be intimidating for Stalcup.

However, as she got used to the job, Stalcup said she learned to control the game and factor out age.

“She handles it well,” Fletcher said. “The coaches and players she refs typically recognize her now.

They know who she is and respect her for her job. Age doesn’t matter to her, and she makes up for it in talent.”

I was beyond excited, I was totally stoked. the refereeing community is kind of like a family. i love meeting new people and traveling, but i also love working with the kids and being around soccer.

-Junior Lauren Stalcup As a referee, Stalcup said her priority is controlling the game to make sure it is safe for coaches, players and fans. An official has to be in shape and knowledgeable about the game. Stalcup said she has people yelling at her all the time, so the hardest part of the job is controlling those who get out of line.

“We’re always taught to ignore it [when people heckle us],” Stalcup said. “If it becomes personal, then

it is inappropriate and you can kick them out. I’ve had to eject both players and coaches. Typically it is just coaches frustrated with their teams and they need to let it out on someone.”

Stalcup said she typically officiates around six games a weekend if she is playing, and eight games a weekend if she is not.

Since she is also a mentor to the younger referees, this position adds two or three hours of teaching and instructing.

“Referring has definitely improved [Stalcup’s] time management,” Lisa said. “She does a great job balancing. Refereeing is important to her, she is constantly trying to upgrade. I’m really proud of her and how well she manages all her activities.”

Stalcup will be flown to Philadelphia, Penn. for an awards ceremony in January, where she will discover the outcome of the national competition. Lisa said she is excited Stalcup is in the mix, and believes she will do well.

“I’m so proud of her, whether she wins it all or not,” Lisa said. “She was top four in the country, and that’s pretty good.”

13

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he can

PICKLE that!

By Claudia Chen

15

FEATURE

History teacher Brian Murphy of concocts

plethoras pickled cucumbers, satisfying the appetites of many.

U

pon opening the refrigerator, dozens of jars of pickles come into view.

Looking to the right, pickles spiced with ghost peppers are present. Looking to the left, regular dill pickles appear. Looking straight ahead, garlic spiced pickles become visible. This is not a pickle storage facility, but rather the contents of social studies teacher Brian Murphy’s refrigerators. Murphy first discovered the art of pickle fermentation through a childhood neighbor, and later through his ex-wife’s grandmother.

“My ex-wife’s grandmother made a lot of pickles,” Murphy said. “I got a lot of ideas from her.”

Although Murphy has been making pickles for decades, the recipe he uses has not changed much. All the ingredients Murphy needs for his pickles are homegrown in his garden.

“When you make it on your own and you have all this stuff, it really makes them taste better,” Murphy said.

The basic process that Murphy uses to make his pickles begins when he plants cucumbers. Murphy plants cucumbers at different times throughout the summer, so that the cucumbers will be ready to harvest throughout the entire season. “[The number of cucumbers I grow] increases every year,” Murphy

16

said. “This year I made 27 gallons of pickles, and there’s around 16 cucumbers in each gallon.”

After washing the pickles, he stuffs them firmly into a jar. Next, he adds spices to make the brine. The brine is a solution used to soak and brew the pickles. He then brings this brine to a boil and pours it over the cucumbers.

Finally, Murphy seals and refrigerates the jar.

“Within seven days they’re ready to be eaten,” Murphy said. “But, the longer they sit, the better they get.

They last for about a year.”

The store bought [pickles] are just not as yummy.

-Sophomore Nikhita Ravikanti Murphy said when pouring the brine into the jar, it is important to be careful. Even the most seasoned pickle masters can fall victim to a cracked jar.

“The jar may crack because the jar itself is relatively cold [while the boiled brine is relatively hot],” Murphy said. “I did a bunch [of pickles] one time, picked them up to put them into the fridge, and they all fell out.”

Even though the basic process in pickling cucumbers remains the same, the flavors that Murphy concocts varies greatly depending on the receiving audience.

“My children like the dill, just the

straight dill with some garlic, but I’m making some that are a lot hotter,” Murphy said. “I find that the kids here at school and a lot of my friends like the habanero or jalapeño ones.”

For those that prefer the pickle of extreme spice, Murphy has a type of cucumber that he ferments with ghost pepper. This pepper cannot be purchased at a local store, but instead must be purchased online. The ghost pepper is so hot that Murphy will not stick his fingers directly into a ghostpeppered brine. “[When people taste the ghost peppered pickles], they’ll take a bite and chew on it,” Murphy said. “The next minute they’re running for the bathroom.”

History teacher Amy Newsum has known Murphy for five years and enjoys Murphy’s pickles with her family on a regular basis.

“I like the mild ones, but he brings jars for my family that I take home,” Newsum said. “[For my family], the spicier the better.”

Newsum said the reason why Murphy’s pickles taste so great is because of his experience and how fresh the pickles are.

“He knows what he’s doing because he learned how to do it a long time ago,” Newsum said. “I know of [some brands] that try to duplicate [the freshness], but they’re just not the same--his are better.”

Murphy’s pickles have gained so much support in the community that

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

FEATURE a few teachers suggested he donate a jar for the school-wide United Way fundraiser. Murphy’s pickles were so sought-after, that bidding war between potential buyers ensued. The pickles ended up selling for $100.

“I was very, very shocked and surprised that someone bought them, and paid what they did,” Murphy said.

Because he has gained so much success in pickle fermenting, Murphy said his biggest issue now is the lack of storage for his pickles.

“I have three refrigerators in my house and literally every one is stacked full of pickles,” Murphy said.

Despite the obvious popularity for his pickles, Murphy maintains that he has never sold a pickle and does not plan to in the future. However, he does give his pickles away to students and friends both in and out of school.

“I’ll go watch a Chiefs game, bring a jar of pickles, and it will all be eaten,” Murphy said. “I’m expected to bring pickles every time…now it’s almost expected that people are asking me for pickles left and right, but it’s like, ‘I don’t have that many pickles.’”

Sophomore Nikhita Ravikanti, one of Murphy’s students, has had Murphy’s pickles twice before in class.

For Ravikanti, Murphy’s pickles were the first pickles she had ever eaten.

“I have pickles all the time now,” Ravikanti said. “But, the store bought [pickles] are just not as yummy.”

Regardless of the large quantity of pickles he makes, Murphy said he truly enjoys the process of pickling and eating his own cucumbers.

“They’re a lot more crispier and fresher when they’re homemade,” Murphy said. “They’re good to the last crunch.”

Top: Social studies teacher Brian Murphy samples one of his pickles. Bottom Left: Murphy slices a pickle to share with students. Bottom Right: Retrieving a pickle for his classroom to sample, Murphy’s interest in pickles was sparked by his former neighbor and ex-wife’s grandmother. Previous Page: Murphy looks down onto a jar of his pickles. He started the process by growing his own cucumbers in his garden (photos by Nicole Tenold).

Regular dill

Habanero pepper

SPice Meter JalapeñNo pepper The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

Ghost pepper 17

SAVING BY SELLING STOCKS up

By Natasha Vyhovsky

Schuller has been investing in stocks since the summer of 2013. “I bought all [my stocks] at the same time but my favorite one and the one that kind of got me started was Adidas,” Schuller said (Photo illustration by Nicole Tenold and Michaela O’Connor).

J

Beginning to invest in his future, Will Schuller started investing in stocks as a teen by using money from his part-time job.

unior Will Schuller sits in class, checking his stocks on his phone for the second time that day. Meanwhile, his thoughts are consumed with images of professional businessmen in suits crowded in a room on Wall Street, frantically throwing papers around and tentatively watching the stocks change every few seconds on the screens

18

above.

Schuller has invested in stocks since August and uses the money he has saved from four years of refereeing soccer to put $5,600 toward his stocks.

Currently, Schuller said he is invested in six different stocks.

“The interest that you get from having money in the bank is really, really low, so I wanted to watch my

money grow,” Schuller said. “My dad, my grandpa and my uncle all are heavily involved in investing, and I decided to start it at an early age.”

Schuller’s friend, junior Austin Edmondson said Schuller is the right kind of person to be investing in stocks at such a young age because he has a mature sense of his money and finances in general.

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

“[Schuller] is definitely the guy to do [stocks],” Edmondson said. “He knows how to manage his money and he doesn’t really like giving his money up, so if there’s anyone that’s going to be stingy with it, it’s [Schuller].”

Schuller’s dad, Bob Schuller, did not start investing until he was thirtyyears-old. Bob said he started to talk to Schuller about the importance of good financial skills when he started to get interested in the idea of investing. “[Schuller] and I have talked a lot about the benefits of trying to save money,” Bob said. “[Schuller] started asking me about ways to make that money work for him so he could get a better return on the money.”

As well as being inspired by his dad, Schuller said he likes stocks because he enjoys math, which is very prevalent in understanding the stock market.

“I like the number and the math aspect of it; I’m good at math and it’s just kind of cool to see the percentages and watch the graphs especially,” Schuller said. “Graphs are my favorite.”

Currently, Schuller is invested in Adidas and Game Stop as individual stocks. Although he considers himself a long-term investor, Schuller recently sold his shares in Tesla Motors to ensure he would not lose any money.

He also has four exchange-traded fund shares, which are stocks where groups of businesses combine into one stock.

Schuller said when he was first introduced to the stock market, everything was complicated and he did not understand what any of the terms meant. Soon after, his dad began to teach him all that he now knows about investing.

“Most of the stuff I know is because of my dad,” Schuller said. “All the opinions I have are shared with my dad. I’ve learned it all basically through his eyes and his views.”

Bob, unlike his son, chooses to invest in more common stocks, such as Microsoft and Google. He prefers to invest in the same stocks for a long period of time and he tries to teach Schuller to do the same.

“I hope that he approaches it with the long-term horizon in mind,” Bob said. “The benefit of saving at a young age can lead to a substantial amount of money as you get older...Hopefully [Schuller] is seeing the benefit to starting early and thinking about the long-term.”

In order to keep updated on his stock shares, Schuller uses multiple applications on his phone to check the value of his stocks. He said he checks his stocks a few times per day, because some of them can fluctuate up to $16 in one day.

“The trick is not to check it every single day, because a lot of times it won’t finish how it started,” Schuller said. “So, you don’t want to check it every day, even though I do.”

When Schuller gets stressed about his stocks, Bob said he reminds him about the importance of not getting caught in the moment and knowing that his stocks will have years to change value until Schuller is going to need the funds.

“I explain to him that if he’s deciding whether to buy or sell a stock every day, he’s missing the point,” Bob said.

Since the stocks change value constantly throughout a day, Schuller said he has gained big profits in the value of his shares before, reaching close to $400 at one point. However, he has also lost $200 in just one day.

“The news affects the stock market a lot,” Schuller said. “Things like the government shutdown [affect the stock market]. All my stocks dropped two dollars [each] that day.”

Schuller plans to keep his stocks and not sell them until he retires. He hopes to take the money he makes and put it to use in his retirement fund.

“I’m kind of a long-term investor,” Schuller said. “Unless I think [one of my stock companies] is going bankrupt...then I think I’m just going to keep them for a really long time.”

Although he is not planning on becoming a stockbroker, Schuller said that learning about money and realworld skills through the stock market has taught him about his interests, and what he might want to do in the future.

“Doing this makes me want to go into business, anything business,” Schuller said.

For now, Schuller hopes to keep investing and eventually buy more stocks as he gains the money needed.

It is something for him to do to save extra money, but not something he plans to turn into a career. “[Investing in stocks] is pretty nerve-wracking, seeing that you lose $200 in one day,” Schuller said. “I don’t know if I could do that every day for the rest of my life.”

His investments Adidas +0.44 GameStop +1.09 Vanguard HEALTH CARE +1.04 Vanguard Emerging Markets +0.29 Vanguard S& P 500 +0.56 Vanguard Dividend Appreciation +0.15

Numbers taken from the stock market on November 22, 2013

PERSPECTIVES a visual retrospective of student life

1 1.

2.

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5

3.

4.

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

PERSPECTIVES

5.

1. Senior Teryn07 Pinneo and sophomore Hannah Vanbuskirk react to a play during the state volleyball 07 tournament. The team ended their season with a runner-up finish to Olathe East High School (Photo by Nicole Tenold).

2. The marching band gets in position to perform their annual Glow Show. The band performed in the DAC Oct. 26 (Photo by Maddison Barley).

3. Senior Samuel Long competes in the chess tournament held at BVHS on Oct. 26. The Huskies placed second as a school and had four students place in the top 10 players (Photo by Natalie Pyle).

4. The Pound kicks off the regionial championship game against Olathe North High School with the tossing of purple baby powder. BVNW lost the game with a final score of 3-14 (Photo by Maddison Barley).

5. The boys soccer team poses with the cheerleaders and fans after the state championship win against Manhattan HS. The tournament was played in Junction City Nov. 9 (Photo by Nicole Tenold).

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

Check out more photos of BVNW Sports and Activities at bvnwnews.com.

21

PERSPECTIVES

“It sucks that it’s all over.

BUt, I wouldn’t trade playing with my team for anything.”

-Senior Jacob Rominger

1.

3.

1. Senior Jacob Rominger sheds a tear after the team’s defeat against ONHS, a loss that ended their road to playing the state championship game. The team ended their season with a final record of 7-3 (Photo by Maddison Barley). 2. With his instrument strung with decorative lights, sophomore Rajat Kodira performs in the Glow Show on Oct. 26 (Photo by Caroline Trupp). 3.

Preparing wooden toys for orphans and children in need, senior Jack George and sophomore Alexa Summers work together on their projects for the program, Toys for Tots (Photo by Caroline Trupp).

2.

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The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

PERSPECTIVES

6.

4.

5.

4. Senior Jaquwan Stone eyes onlooking fans after the team captured the 6A district championship title (Photo by Maddison Barley). 5.

To celebrate ReBel’s Be Thankful Week, students participate in a hip hop dance class in the atrium. ReBel also gave compliment cards and cookies to promote being thankful for everyone’s individuality (Photo by Natalie Pyle). 6. Sophomore Andrew Kastendick takes a breath between strokes during a practice warm-up. The boys first swim dual meet was scheduled for Dec. 3 against BVSW (Photo by Natalie Pyle). 7. Freshman Celina Aljundi works on her sketchbook assignment for her Drawing I class (Photo by Natalie Pyle).

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

7.

23

The Perk

Person

By Sara

ks OF our

nalities

aH Hirsch

Photo illustrations

by Holly Noon

FEATURE

“There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert" - junior Carli Plymale

W

hile there are many personality types at BVNW, they can be divided into two temperaments: introverted and extroverted. In a typical lunchroom setting, extroverts can be found at noisy tables stuffed with people, whereas introverts can be found engaging in intimate discussion with one or two of their close friends.

Senior Vivek Panchananam and junior Carli Plymale explain the intricacies of their personality types.

Panchananam said he was shy when he moved to Overland Park in the seventh grade, and ended up sitting by himself at lunch every single day for the first few months. Then, he decided to make a change.

“I was never really this extroverted, to be honest with you,” Panchananam said. “[After being alone for a long time], I forced myself out of habit and built a confidence where I didn’t care what everyone thought of me, and I started making new friends.”

Since extroverts are typically outgoing, Panchananam said one of the perks of being one is how he can spark a conversation with a complete stranger and still thoroughly enjoy it.

“I think making genuine relationships with people is one of the best things anyone can do in life,” Panchananam said.

There are many stereotypes

45% 26

about introverts, including social awkwardness, reclusiveness and the hatred of all mankind.

Plymale said she thinks being an introvert really means that one loses energy from being around people, but gains energy from being alone.

“Most people think we’re like these shy little people that don’t talk to anyone ever,” Plymale said. “Like, when you hear the word ‘introvert,’ everyone thinks ‘social recluse,’ but that’s not correct. There’s nothing wrong with being an introvert.”

Psychology teacher Tenney Dewey said there are further divisions within the body’s peripheral nervous system, like the sympathetic and parasympathetic, which deal with fight or flight. The sympathetic system kicks in during the action and releases adrenaline, while the parasympathetic system is what calms a person down during the aftermath.

“This latest research shows that extroverts are driven more by the sympathetic system, whereas introverts are driven more by the parasympathetic system,” Dewey said. “When [introverts] are put in highlystimulating environments, it’s not that they don’t mind them, they may, but it’s that they find them very fatiguing and tiring.

They need time to recharge their batteries and be out of that environment.”

According to Dewey,

OF BVNW STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE INTROVERTED OUT OF A POLL OF 348.

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

FEATURE

extroverts have a higher quantity of dopamine, a feel-good chemical, which is released during certain social or highly-stimulating situations.

Panchananam said socializing is great because it gives him opportunities to make new friends. “[Hanging out with friends] just gets me pumped because I’m with people who genuinely like me, and I have this strong connection with them,” Panchananam said. “Being with people makes me feel better.”

Panchananam said he thinks being extroverted alludes to confidence, which in a high school setting means everyone always looks toward you for guidance and friendship.

“When [an extrovert is] at a party, they’re the first ones to be like ‘Hey,’” Panchananam said. “We’re comfortable in large crowds.”

Plymale said introverts tend to have smaller friend groups because they react to change differently and put a lot of time into forming close friendships, rather than having a large amount of acquaintances.

“I actually have a lot of extroverted friends just because we balance each other out really well,” Plymale said. “They have the right amount of energy to balance out my calmness.”

Plymale said pretty much everyone in her family is an extrovert, and because they do not have the same perspective as

her, she is constantly pushed to act more extroverted. She tried explaining herself to her dad by giving him “Quiet” by Susan Cain, a book that analyzes why introverts are the way they are and do the things they do.

“Really, I had known all this stuff before I read the book,” Plymale said. “It was just an affirmation of who I am and the science behind it.”

Introversion was considered to be placed in the most recent edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but was not included.

Plymale said she was thankful it was left out because she thinks it is a difficult temperament for people to comprehend.

“Different cultures assign more importance to different traits that usually lean toward introversion or extroversion,” Plymale said. “In the U.S., society sees being extroverted as a really good thing, whereas in certain cultures being quiet and keeping more to yourself is seen as more dignified. I hope we eventually reach a point where there’s more of a balance.”

OF BVNW STUDENTS SAY THEY ARE EXTROVERTED OUT OF A POLL OF 348.

55%

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

“Being with people makes me feel better" - senior Vivek Panchananam 27

FEATURE

28

FEATURE

the doctor is in.

Students and staff at BVNW recall their major obsession with Doctor Who. Juniors Brennan Case and Anna Koz and history teacher Jeff Brown explain the impact Doctor Who has had in their lives.

by Greyson Woerpel

29

FEATURE

T

hree shocking gusts of wind swirl around the blue British police box and transport the Doctor and his companions through time to save mankind.

These time travelers constantly battle futuristic aliens, wars and diseases. BVNW students and staff wait in anticipation as the new time and location will appear in a matter of seconds.

After the 50th Anniversary of the series on Nov. 23, the buzz about “Doctor Who” gained even more momentum.

Junior Brennan Case first heard about “Doctor Who,” a TV series that originated in Britain in 1963, when his uncle gave him four of the comic books. After his mom told him about the show, he began watching it and became instantly hooked.

“I enjoy the show because of the fun, creative originality of the science fiction that comes into play during the episodes,” Case said. “They do a good job

William Hartnell #1 1963-1966

30

of telling a story. There are a lot of shows out there, but they are all copies of one another. ‘Doctor Who’ is just a more unique and enthralling experience.”

The show uses intelligence rather than violence to solve its problems, social studies teacher Jeff Brown said. The show is unlike any other because of its British humor. He said it can be both optimistic and pessimistic at the same time.

Junior Anna Koz, who also considers herself a major fan of the series, said the Doctor is unique because he can last forever; he just keeps regenerating. If the Doctor suffers a fatal injury, he will transform into a new physical form with a somewhat different personality.

The fans of the series are so loyal, Case said, that they push and push to spread the show and get others interested in it. Once people watch the show, they fall in love with it;

it is a chain reaction, Case said.

The show is so popular with students because of the unique personalities of each doctor and the companions that the Doctor manages on his time travels. The doctors “regenerate” every few seasons, which allows the show to get doctors with more diverse personalities.

Each doctor has his own sense of humor, and in Koz’s opinion, some doctors can be goofy or weird. Koz said most of the previous doctors are funnier and more lovable.

“They made the Doctor much more adorable because of their British humor,” Koz said.

“Doctor Who” went off the air in 1989 in Britain and came back to BBC in 2005. The people who had already watched the show were now adults and there were not many new audience members because they had never heard of the show. As soon as the old fans began to intermix

Tom Baker #4 1974-1981

Christopher Eccleston #9 2005

FEATURE with the new, younger audiences started catching on to the series.

Case said people in the U.S. became more obsessed with the show than people had before in England.

“People get so pulled in by the show because of how relatable the fantasy world is and how much they try to be in a world like Doctor Who’s,” Case said.

“If there was a huge chunk of ‘Doctor Who’ sitting out there, I would watch it endlessly.”

People who watch the show get so intrigued because the British have a different outlook as to what is fun, Brown said. Even though the show is very intense, the Doctor does not always use violence, which is why the audience enjoys it.

The beginning of show is usually set on Earth. Case said the show’s special effects and story lines can be a bit dramatic, and it is annoying how many cliffhangers a person can get

stuck with while watching the show. Koz said she thinks that the show will last forever due to the fact that the writers can always add new characters and doctors. Case said the writers are also creating characters that are cast more like everyday people, who are witty instead of comical.

“Even with a show that has action, the Doctor never kills, he outwits,” Case said. “I think the writers are creating a very large multi-year storyline to allow everything to make sense. The show still has a few years left.”

The actors that have been playing the Doctor have been getting progressively younger. In Case’s opinion, the new doctor, actor Rory Jennings might be a mistake because of his age.

“I think the casting directors may have taken a step in the wrong direction, but if Jennings can pull it off, kudos to him,” Case said.

Brown has watched the show

since the 1970s and said he knows the casting directors have a handle on what to do.

“I trust the team that guides the show because of the good choices that they have made so far,” Brown said. “I’m anxious for the newest doctor.”

Over the years, Case has been collecting small “Doctor Who” souvenirs to express his love for the show. Case has three shirts, which he said he always gets complimented on, a sonic screwdriver, which is the tool that the Doctor uses to fit his needs in any sticky situation.

While Koz does not collect souvenirs, she said she has a sonic screwdriver of a heart.

“People love the show because it’s a funny sci-fi story, where each episode places the audience in a new world with a new way of life,” Koz said. “The plot line always keeps you thinking, ‘Holy mother of sci-fi! What did I just watch, and why did I love it?’”

Doctor Who? graphic by Owen Sinn

David Tennant #10 2005-2010

Matt Smith #11 2010-2013

31

P aint in g HER d r ea ms

By Madeline Maloney

S

Senior Lily Timberlake walks to her art class with her portfolio of artwork. Timberlake is taking four art classes this semester.

(Photo by Natalie Pyle).

32

he sits down in front of a clean canvas with tubes of oil paints and clean paintbrushes. She lets her imagination take control and with a paintbrush, senior Lily Timberlake is not only creating artwork, but also creating her future.

Timberlake has been around art for seventeen years and plans to make it her living. Her grandfather was not only an oil painter, but was also the art museum director at Arizona State University. Timberlake’s grandmother was also an artist, but specialized in textile and fiber work. Not just her grandparents specialized in art, but her father did as well. He is a musician and plays the guitar as a hobby.

“I grew up around a lot of art; it was kind of a normal thing,” Timberlake said. “It was a big part of how I was raised. We never really watched sports or anything; it was always going to art museums or listening to music or going and seeing bands. It is just something I am used to.”

With several family members who pursued careers in art, Timberlake said she was influenced to follow a similar path. Once she was old enough to realize how much she loved art, she soon realized she needed to make art a career.

“I always looked up to and what [my grandfather and father] were doing,” Timberlake said.

“My dad taught me how to draw. I was always

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMBER 2013

HER

GALLERY “ East drawing when I was little. My dad just gave me a box of crayons really early on and I can’t really remember not doing art.”

This past year was the first time Timberlake began looking into her future. She said that artwork was the first thing that popped into her head.

“I didn’t want to just pick something; I wanted to pick something that would lead me a lot of places. I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I know that I really want to explore painting,” Timberlake said.

“I really want to pick something where I can grow and learn more and do something that I would love to do every day.”

In anticipation of college, Timberlake said she is currently in the portfolio class taught by art teacher Chris LaValley. LaValley said that the point of the portfolio class is to prepare students who are planning on moving forward to an art school.

“I think Lily did really well in portfolio day, she got around to at least 4 or 5 schools,” LaValley said.

“I know she has really good reviews from several schools and was very excited. I know San Francisco Art Institute gave her really good

reviews and that is one school she is very interested in. She was very excited to have a good review from a school that she wants to go to, so that was really cool.”

According to Timberlake, LaValley has been a great mentor in helping determine what her future in art could hold. “[LaValley] really pushes me and always gives me a ton of help,” Timberlake said. “Whenever you need help, she will help you.”

Timberlake said that being an artist is part of her identity. Even though she is still unsure where she will end up, she said that she will always be an artist.

“Being an artist is being an observer and noticing things that many other people would not typically notice,” Timberlake said.

“My dad once told me drawing is not about drawing, it is about seeing and music is about listening. I thought about that and it is so true.

The artistic mind is all about feeling emotions and letting yourself feel emotions because if you do not let yourself feel emotions; good or bad, then you cannot really create anything.”

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

West

“

and

June 2013

“Lana” March 2013

“Sketch” September 2013

33

Behind the

Hijib

With the misconceptions associated with being muslim, three seniors show what is really behind hijib and the truth about islam.

By Meredith Johnson

“I

was not forced to wear it, it is my choice to wear it,” Senior Tanzeem Malek said. “Some people think that they will wear it when they are ready. When they feel they know more about their religion, they will wear it then.”

Malek is referring to a hijib, or head scarf, that is a component of her Muslim religion. While hijibs are often portrayed as being misogynistic or sexist, Malek said hijibs show devotion to religion and are worn entirely by choice. It is what is behind the hijib that matters, morality and modesty.

When Malek began wearing the hijib her junior year, she said she was worried people’s perception of her would change. However, most people at BVNW were accepting and recognized her even with her hijib.

While Malek said she is a hijibi, someone who wears a hijib, other Muslim girls wear burkes, coverings that veil their entire bodies and sometimes even cover their eyes with a sheer piece of fabric, and other girls do not even wear hijibs. According to Malek, the decision depends on people’s different interpretations of

the Quran, or holy book.

Senior Nadia Nawabi said she does not wear the hijib because she is still learning more about her religion.

Hijib comes from the heart and having respect for oneself, and Nawabi said it is not necessarily just a head covering.

“Islam is all about intention,” Nawabi said. “So if you have intention in your heart to be modest and ... not do bad things, then you’re a hijibi, whether you have the head covering or not. I do [consider myself a hijibi].

Although I don’t cover my hair and most people would tell me I’m wrong, I still feel [I’m a hijibi.]”

Nawabi said she shows the same modesty and character as other Muslim women who wear a hijib. She still wears long-sleeves and long pants to demonstrate her devotion to piety. “[Being Muslim is] more than just covering your hair ... it’s a way of life,” Nawabi said. “It’s being just a good person and seeing life and embracing life, and not seeing challenges but opportunities in life.”

Other than wearing a hijib, Malek said being a Muslim does not really impact her daily life. She admits,

however, that her life would be different if she was still living in India.

Malek said she feels less self-conscious if she wears American clothes, even though she would normally wear traditional Indian attire. Malek’s mom, Shaheen Malek, said that Malek is very confident in her religion “Wearing a hijab comes from your heart and you’re not forced or anything,” Shaheen said. “You submit yourself to that religion and God and you want to do anything for that god.

You show your modesty, and cover yourself, which is recommended for Islam. She decided on her own to do that. She is happy doing it.”

Malek said the hijib is a positive thing in her life. It is part of her identity, and makes her who she is. Even so, Malek’s religion comes with some restrictions.

These limitations extend beyond the daily wardrobe. According to Malek, she is not allowed to be in the same room with a boy alone or have any physical contact with the opposite sex.

Sometimes, Malek said this cannot be avoided because of a school activity. In this instance, it is tolerated.

35

Left: Senior Nadia Nawabi does not wear a hijib, or head scarf, unlike seniors Tanzeem Malek and Hanna Nisar. Although she does not wear the hijib, she still considers herself a hijibi (Photo

by Maddison Barley). Top: Senior Tanzeem Malek organizes her scarves as a daily task. She said she has more than a hundred scarves (Photo by Maddison Barley). Right: Seniors Hanna Nisar and Nadia Nawabi stand outside the school. Nawabi is an Afghani Muslim and Nisar is Pakistani/Indian Muslim (Photo

by Maddison Barley). Previous Page: Senior Tanzeem Malek looks off into the distance as she ponders her religion. Malek said she considers wearing her hijib part of her identity (Photo by Maddison Barley).

Additionally, she is not allowed to date. Although Malek said she can choose who she wants to marry, all of their meetings must be chaperoned by an adult until she is married.

“I can’t date guys, but if I look at the positive side of it, I’m not going to waste my time over someone who is not worth it,” Malek said. “I’m going to pick the guy who is best for me at the end, instead of giving my heart to five different guys on the way there.

There are restrictions to Islam, but they are all for our own good.”

Instead of a conventional marriage, senior Hanna Nisar said she must have an arranged marriage. Although arranged marriages often have negative connotations, she said the daughter must also give her consent to the match. Sunday school teacher at the Islamic Center of Johnson County (ICJC), Asma Mukadam said that love marriages are not forbidden, but they just need to be approved by the parent of the girl first.

Malek said these restrictions can be off-putting to some people. On certain occasions, she said she feels people will not approach her because she is a Muslim girl, but in reality she

36

is allowed to speak to whoever she wants.

These limitations can be interpreted differently depending on culture.

Malek said there is a huge culture difference between Indian and Pakistani Muslims. People often mix religion and culture together, which can lead to a blurred interpretation of Islam.

I can’t date guys, but if i look at the positive side of it, i’m not going to waste my time over someone who is not worth it -Senior Tanzeem Malek “Religion and culture should be separate; they should not be mixed together,” Malek said. “[Nisar] and I always get into arguments about religious versus cultural things.

Because I just look at the religion side and she looks at the cultural side. I’m like, that’s not religious, it’s cultural.

She would tell me stuff, and then I would go ask my mom, and she would be like, ‘No, that’s just what Pakistan thinks, not what the Quran

says.’”

Nisar agreed with Malek and said that culture morphs the interpretation of the Quran. Nisar said she understands both sides because her dad is Indian and her mom is Pakistani. While her mother is strict in religious practice and prayer, her dad is more concerned about Nisar’s school work.

Nawabi also said that different races have different focuses in Islam.

She is an Afghani Muslim, and said she feels that many cultures are less likely to socialize with people who are not their own race.

“I think the problem in our community is that…they never seem to embrace any other type of people,” Nawabi said. “They all know English but they still want to talk to each other in their own language.”

Mukadam agreed with this disparity in culture and religion.

Although there are no nationalities in Islam and everyone is supposed to be equal, many people still hold biased views toward culture.

In Western culture, Nisar said Islam is often interpreted as demeaning to women because of the focus on

women’s modesty. Nisar disagrees, and said it is Pakistani culture that views women as “toys.” If anything, Nisar said Islam puts women on a higher scale than men.

“I feel like that’s where my feminism comes from,” Nisar said.

With figures like Malala Yousafzai, the 16-year-old Pakistani student famous for being shot in the head by the Taliban for advocating women’s education, gaining ground in Western media, the perception of Muslim women is changing.

“I think what she did was really brave,” Nisar said. “And I think there needs to be more young girls like that who need to step up and show that women are more than just little things you can put on a pedestal.

We can be a lot stronger than men if we tried.”

Although Mukadam agreed with Nisar and said that men and women in Islam must demonstrate the same rights toward one another, they are not considered equal.

“In the context [of the Quran,] men are superior,” Mukadam said.

Being Muslim often comes with adversity. When Nisar was in middle school, she said her hijib was stolen. A

couple of kids took it from her and she had to cover her hair with the hoodie she was wearing at the time.

“It was demeaning, demoralizing,” Nisar said.

Although Malek said she has never been victim to any kind of discrimination, her parents have. People will not say anything to their faces, but Malek said they do act because they know they will not get caught.

...I think there needs to be more young girls like that who need to step up and shoW that women are more than just little things that you can put on a pedestal -Senior Hanna Nisar “My mom and dad go and take walks sometimes in the summer,” Malek said. “My mom has experienced this three or four times, cars just coming by and screaming something at them. Even at the mosque, ICJC, there have been people who go by and scream stuff, but we don’t know what they said because they are driving too fast. Even the police have been at ICJC

during Ramadan, all summer they stood in the library parking lot to see that we were safe. So I would say that it is a pretty good community here.”

Although Malek said that some people still think that all Muslims are terrorists, she said that perception can change. According to Malek, Muslims that advocate hurting people are not following the Quran at all, because the Quran strictly prohibits killing anyone. “[Islamic Radicals] are not following the religion at all,” Malek said.

“They are doing the opposite of what we are supposed to do. Islam just means peace, so if you are going to go ahead and kill people, it’s not really Islam. They shouldn’t be calling themselves Muslims.”

Although Malek said she was born into being Muslim, she said it is the right choice for her. Malek said she has learned more about her religion from being in the U.S., and is very confident in being Muslim.

“I have never thought about being another religion,” Malek said. “I have seen so many people convert to Islam; I just think it is the religion.”

37

Let’s get

Literate Test your knowledge of the ELA teachers by filling in the blank next to their most beloved quote from some of their favorite books.

Check your answers on the bottom of the next page, not all names will be used.

By Brooklynn Langham

Ted Fabiano Elizabeth O’Brien Amanda Witty Sarah Beren Kathy Duggan Lindsay Gulbranson Zach Harsch Kyle Farrington Nicole Orrick Rick Pribyl Sherry Unruh

“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”

Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen

“The sun was peaceful in the sky like a wafer.”

The Red Badge of Courage Stephen Crane

“So we beat on, boats against the current, borne ceaselessly into the past.”

The Great Gatsby

F. Scott Fitzgerald

38

“So it goes.”

Slaughterhouse-Five Kurt Vonnegut

“Turning turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the center cannot hold Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world.”

Things Fall Apart

Chinua Achebe

“Up ahead they’s a thousan’ lives we might live, but when it comes it’ll on’y be one.”

The Grapes of Wrath John Steinbeck

“Say what you have to say, not what you ought. Any truth is better than make believe.”

Walden

Henry David Thoreau

“Life is going to give you just what you put in it. Put your whole heart in everything you do, and pray, then you can wait.”

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

Maya Angelou

“Shut it, Mary Warren.”

The Crucible Arthur Miller

Fabiano, “The Grapes of Wrath;” O’Brien, “Walden;” Unruh, “The Red Badge of Courage;” Beren, “Pride and Prejudice;” Duggan, “The Great Gatsby;” Gulbranson, “The Crucible;” Harsch, “Things Fall Apart;” Farrington, “Slaughterhouse-Five;”

Orrick, “I know why the caged bird sings.”

39

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ENTERTAINMENT

Crossword By: Avery Mojica

Find answers to the crossword puzzle and jumble online, at bvnwnews.com The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

41

Check for the latest news, sports and features AT

ENTERTAINMENT

Crossword Clues Directions: Fill in the grid with the answers to the clues below.

Across 1. Snapchat 4. Make on-spot, ad-___ 7. Finish the country: ___NDA 10. Court cases 14. Airport police?

15. Action in one of 54-down 16. Able to speak 18. _______ of Time 20. What have you done?

22. Action in one of 54-down 23. The local book locale 24. A test 25. A club at BVNW 27. Non-females 29. ____ the housetop (two words) 33. Produced 36. A smaller version of 27-across 38. Relieve, as in pain 39. Thing 40. Number of countries that start with Q

DOWN 41. River 42. Sawyer or Higgenston 43. Visitor 45. Lump 46. Give off 47. Ornate jar 48. Wintry roads 50. Conjunction 52. 9, for 18 and 63 (abbv.)

54. Help!

57. Credit 63. Area now called the Czech Republic 64. Bucharest’s place 65. Preference to one thing over another 66. Widespread speech? (abbv.)

68. One of 27-across 69. Michigan city ___ Arbor 70. Used to predict the future 71. Termination

1. World book 2. Tariff 3. Grab 4. Finish the country: MA__A 5. A type of triangle 6. Music maker 7. Leather strap 8. Traveled 9. Expression of sorrow 11. In the past 12. What more than one of 45-across makes 13. Tree fluid 15. How often 17. Lx3 19. Song in Les Miserables: Who ____? (two words) 21. Likely to occur soon 25. Opals or rubies 26. Finish the car brand: __URA 28. North Dakota’s postal code

30. Shovel’s container 31. Norway’s capital 32. An urgent desire 33. The dust ones are irritating 34. Where the electrons are 35. Singer Lovato 37. Old time measurer 43. Finish the island: __AM 44. Musical note 49. _____ brulee 51. Computer part CD-___ 53. A president’s initials 54. Taste or sight 55. A crying initiator 56. Rise on your feet!

57. Dancing Queen band 58. Penny 59. Online video “Academy” 60. Rub 61. Republican Party 62. Damage 67. Chemistry or History

Word Jumble Try to unscramble the letters to form a word in the box. The red boxes will be used to complete the phrase to the right.

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

When he looked at his notes again to study for the fInal, he was __________.

43

Great for Dances!

Ryan Bell ACSM Health Fitness Specialist 785.317.3688 bell2383@hotmail.com 8571 W 135th Street Overland Park, KS 66223

OPINION

EXPRESSIONS Faults and all

By Madison Graves

A while ago, I went to Denny’s for breakfast. Hungry as I was, I ordered the All-American Slam with a side of biscuits and gravy. Yum. I finished the meal and sat back content, then the waitress walked up. She looked down at my empty plate and said, “Wow. I can’t believe you finished it all. It’s rare to see a person, especially a girl, finish all their food.”

I just smiled and shrugged, but inside I was troubled. Why can’t people finish a delicious meal without being criticized? Does finishing a meal mean I don’t fit society’s standards?

Walking through the halls, you constantly see people looking at their reflection to see if they look good, you see judgmental eyes pass over you, and as much as you hate to admit it, you’ve probably passed the same eyes before. We all want to look “perfect.”

But is there really a perfect?

Who sat down one day and decided what the perfect person should look like? In this day and age, society has made it seem like the person who eats a burger is fat but the person who eats a salad is trying to get attention. Why can’t we be free to eat what we want without fear of someone judging us?

You can’t change who you are, so you definitely shouldn’t be criticized for being yourself. Don’t worry about those who judge, they just have

nothing better to do than make fun of other people. They can’t accomplish anything if you don’t let them.

We’ve heard it all before: be happy with yourself, don’t let others tear you down. But when did all that go away?

We started worrying about what other people thought, we tried desperately to be what other people wanted. When you can’t feel free to do what makes you happy, how are you ever going to be you and not some made-up person that pleases others?

If you face yourself being judged by a person, just stop and think for a second: Are you happy with what you’re doing? If so, why does it matter what they say? What it comes down to, in the end, is really that the only person you need to please is you.

don’t try to change me

By Avery Mojica For about a year now, I’ve been sitting alone during lunch. It’s a time where I can relax and decompress from my social anxiety. Some people have tried to decrease my stress, and one by one, I let them try.

In September, a kid found me at lunch. It seemed like he felt bad for me, so I decided to let him try to coax me out of my shell. I quickly realized what a rash decision that was because he was about a thousand times more social than I was, and it made me feel like I was being interrogated for criminal activity. As friendly as he was, I didn’t feel comfortable with small talk like, “How are you doing?”

In late September, he completely

changed the way I looked at him, and it wasn’t in a good way. One day, he stopped me in the hallway and asked me if I wanted to go to his house that night. He said it was for a Christian youth group and that they would do Bible things and have a good time. It didn’t take me long to realize I was between a rock and a hard place. He was trying to be friendly, but I also detected that he wanted to convert me to Christianity. I assumed he had looked at my skin color and thought I was Hindu (I’m Agnostic). I said I would think about his offer.

A week later, he said he had something to show me. I didn’t expect it to be a flyer for his church. I was

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

irritated, and again, I declined and scurried away.

Feel free to think what you want, but just because I’m not a Christian does not mean that my opinions are not valid too. What if I preached another religion toward you, like Islam or Judaism? I should be able to think freely without pressure to be untrue to who I am. I’m all about evidence, so unless you find some way to make me see that your opinion is better mine, then leave me alone.

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Opinion

Art for Art’s Sake

By Sarah Hirsch

W

hen I think of BVNW decor, the first things that pop into my head are all the paintings in the hallways. The Neverending Cola trickles through my mind, the rabbits hop all over the walls, and the dozens of silhouettes make me cringe. These have brought our school walls to life for about the past eight years.

Forget about budget cuts, this time around Administration will be paint over our lively walls and replace them with portable art which can be switched out as they please.

At the time I am writing this, 376 people have signed a petition against the redesign of the school’s walls. That’s almost as much as an entire grade, and it’s clear that people are getting fired up. The thing is, almost everything is based off of false information.

Before you all show up on Dr. Murphy’s doorstep with flaming torches and pitchforks, sit down, shut up, and listen. No, we aren’t going to come back from winter break to whitewashed walls. This is a three to five year process. No, Administration isn’t trying to erase all traces of artistic creativity in our school. The art isn’t being destroyed, it’s the format that is changing. No, this isn’t an attack on the art program. Dr. Murphy was the original principal who started the student paintings, so why would she reverse her stance? “I’m not trying to get rid of the art,” Murphy said. “What I’m trying to do is manage what we’ve got.”

At the root of it, the demise of

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these murals is due to a lack of planning. Dr. Murphy admitted she should have realized that we would eventually run out of space on the walls. “I probably didn’t think it through,” Murphy said.

“They were never meant to be here forever.”

THESE MURALS ARE AT THE CENTER OF BVNW’S ENTIRE BEING. Yes, some of the murals are little more than loosely-connected ideas chaotically vomited onto the walls.

But when you dig deeper than that, you find a lot of depth and creativity. There are multitudes of artistic styles just on the walls of our school, styles that have survived several years. Each one is unique, and each one has an interesting story behind it. I can’t tell you how many hours of my life I have spent walking around with my friends critiquing and appreciating our paintings, nor can I tell you how much time and effort goes into some of these paintings.

While we do have an impressive art gallery that is constantly being updated with new works, it can be easy for someone to walk right past it without a second glance. On the other hand, we’re constantly shoved into the gym like sardines for mundane sports assemblies.

When it comes to sports, we’re a captive audience. We aren’t herded toward the paintings and forced to stare at them, which definitely

shows how under-appreciated the art department is.

The artistic vision that Administration is hoping to achieve is impossible in my eyes. If we’re essentially stealing all of West’s ideas, what does this say about our school? We don’t have the same building — our walls are different, our hallways aren’t as wide, it just won’t work. These murals are at the center of BVNW’s entire being.

Sure, they’ve only been around since 2005, but removing them also gets rid of one of our most profound traditions.

I think that it is entirely appropriate to paint over murals that have vulgar hidden meanings.

Yet, these paintings are part of what makes our school so special.

We would lose a part of us by converting to Western decor.

Instead of completely eradicating all evidence of the paintings, what if we simply made portable art an addition? We can keep the tradition alive and still showcase art, but this way we keep everyone happy and people can calm the hell down.

The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | December 2013

EDITORIAL

STAFF EdITORIAL

Stop restricting our education

O

ur generation has technology encoded into our systems. With the growth of tech-culture, we are actually uncovering legitimate ways to use the resources upon which we rely so heavily. The glorious Internet videos of John Mayer covers and embarrassing confessionals are being balanced out by educational videos from Khan Academy and Crash Course. Additionally, social media outlets like Twitter are gaining ground as ways to follow the news instead of Kim K’s frivolous musings. It would seem that district administrators would support this educational epiphany. Yet,

ALL of these sites and others are blocked by OUR district.

Although there may be some sketchy stuff on the Internet, as high school students we should be able to garner enough maturity to handle going online. While some people may abuse this privilege, Furthermore, the district is illogical in what websites they choose to block. Websites of educational merit like Khan Academy are blocked while sites with little intellectual benefit, like Tumblr are not. In doing this, the district is restricting the betterment of our education. Internet restrictions are valid, and mandated by the government. But the exceptions to the rules are holes in the foundation which contradict the restrictions at their core.

Some students are able to circumvent Internet restrictions. CAPS students are given separate logins that enable them to access videos from formerly blocked sites.

Teachers also have expanded Internet access. They often use social media to teach lessons. While some teachers base projects off of Facebook pages, others offer participation points for tweeting in a world language. If we are expected to participate in these assignments, wouldn’t it be more effective if we were allowed to access these sites at school?

These There is no reason why some students should have access to online resources when a majority of high school students have the maturity to wisely navigate the Internet. If a video about how to calculate torque is deemed unseemly, then what isn’t? The district must revise the policy toward Internet restrictions for the benefit of all Blue Valley students.

Restricting the Internet restricts so much more ­— our education.

REST OF US.

IT SHOULD NOT RESTRICT THE

RESTRICTIONS ARE LUDICROUS.

What do you think about the District’s Internet policies?

Fair 28% Unfair 72% Poll was taken by 418 students

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The express | BVNWNEWS.COM | DECEMber 2013

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