THE STANDARD blue valley southwest | volume 10 | senior issue
2 | contents / the standard / senior issue 2020
Contents feature
5 | Living legacies 10 | Collegiate chaos 16 | A life of service
senior section 3 Editor’s note 6 | Senior superlatives 8 | Senior signings 12 | Senior map 14 | Senior statistics 18 | Then vs. Now 20 | Messages from seniors
18 on the cover
Variety of photos of the Class of 2020. Photos courtesy of Lianna Shoikhet, Claudia Le, Leah Goldstein, and survey submissions from the senior class.
volume 10 / senior issue www.bvswnews.com
design by siri chevuru
editor’s note / the standard / senior issue 2020 | 3
Editor’s note
I
f someone told me four years ago that I wouldn’t get a normal ending to my senior year, I would have not believed it at all. For the past month and a half, I spent the time reflecting on how fast things go by, realizing how much I enjoyed going to school, learning and spending time with the people I have known the past four years. While I wish we could have spent this last week together and seeing everyone’s reaction to the senior issue, I know the past 3.75 years were some of the best memories I have. High school is one fast ride. Southwest has helped shape me into the person I am today. I have been given many opportunities to become involved, share my voice and make my mark, all of which have given me great accomplishments in life. Along the journey, I encountered room 118 not knowing it would become my second home for the past four years. From my first day of newspaper, to publishing my first article and now as editor, I have made many milestones in that classroom. Little did I know being the only underclassmen on staff my first year lead to the greatest thing ever: new friends. I am so grateful I was able to share my experiences with the original newsie gang as well as a new family this year. It was the best thing I received from it all. While I did not get a proper goodbye to many things, I will say one of the hardest will be to The Standard. Thank you to all of our newspaper fans,and Snapchat contestants — it meant a lot to me and the staff by just looking through the pages of the issues and being engaged. To my newsie family, thank you for letting me be your mentor this year. Even though we were unable to create this last issue in-person, you all have amazing talent and are going to do great things. I hope I helped spark your love for the newspaper and wish you all the best! Most importantly, I couldn’t have gotten to where I am without the support, advice and presence of Churbs. I am so glad to have had you as a teacher for all four years. My passion and drive to make the newspaper wouldn’t have been there without learning it all from you. So, as I am ready to embark on a new journey in Washington, D.C., I am going to leave with some advice. Make the most out of high school; take in every moment because you never know when it will be gone in the blink of an eye. Be social, go out every weekend with your friends, try a new sport or club, go to that school dance and just enjoy life. Leave your mark on Southwest so you can look back at it and always remember. While it is still school, I will tell you hard work, 100% pays off. Don’t give up even if the task at hand is difficult, always persevere. Lastly, live in the presence of your senior year because you only get one high school experience and one ending. I guess this is me signing off for the last time as editor in-chief. Thank you Southwest for the lifelong memories and friendships. Peace out.
The Standard editor-in-chief isha patel staff writers luke hottovy karley kent sydney wilson siri chevuru sahar baha rebecca suku maddie sack keithan sharp jamie malmkar ellie phillips josiah davis adviser rachel chushuk
The Southwest Standard is published seven times a year for students, faculty and surrounding community of Blue Valley Southwest. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Southwest Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. All letters must be signed and names will be published. The Standard 17600 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS 66221 Website: bvswnews.com Email: bvswnews@gmail.com
| editor-in-chief
4 | feature / the standard / senior issue 2020
Living legacies seniors Niko Helixon and Maddie Pieropan leave successful debate legacy
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or seniors Niko Helixon and Maddie Pieropan, debate has been a part of their lives since middle school. Although only a hobby at first, over time it turned into something much bigger. Since the start of their partner-work, the duo has received national recognition, winning many medals and awards. In the process, they gained a lifelong friendship, new connections and left behind a memorable high school legacy. It wasn’t one specific moment that defined their debate careers, but rather a series of unrivaled cumulative efforts that demonstrated determination and persistence in the face of serious competition. These were the factors that shaped the legacy that the two have forever etched into school history. Individually they were remarkable, but together their combined talents created an unstoppable debate powerhouse. There every step of the way was Niko’s mom, Natasha Gacpar’Helixon. “I am incredibly proud of Niko. He’s worked so hard, and I just am very excited about everything he has accomplished,” Natasha said. “It required a lot of after school practice. It required a lot of trips... but it was well worth it.” Natasha said learning to debate is a skill that will help students now matter what they decide to do. “Being able to speak for yourself or speak with somebody who can speak for themselves is definitely a skill that will go noticed,” Natasha said. Niko’s success in high school debate was not his first
Seniors Maddie Pieropan and Niko Helixon smile after qualifying for the national tournament.
brush with excellence — he won his third grade spelling bee championship at Ramstein Elementary School and placed as a regional finalist. Niko went on to became a four-year debater who experienced success from the moment he entered the program. “He was the first, and only, sophomore in the state of Kansas to get a bid to the Tournament of Champions,” debate coach Ryan McFarland said. “Niko took the responsibility of the middle school debate club, leading all of the lessons and activities that the middle schoolers participated in the last two years.” McFarland became the debate coach during Helixon’s junior year, and the two have worked together closely since.
|5 “Niko inspires me because he has always been so passionate about the program’s future,” McFarland said. “He is always wanting to help the younger students get better, constantly answering every question they might have. He is a role model for the younger debaters.” Alongside Niko in his high school debate success was Pieropan, who agreed with McFarland about her debate partner. “Niko is one of the best speakers I have ever seen in my life,” Pieropan said. The excellent reputation of the school’s debate team led Pieropan’s family to relocate here when they considered the prospect of a move from Florida. During middle school, Pieropan had her mind set on journalism. But, after joining the debate team, she found that she had a knack for it. Pieropan’s school in Florida did not have the amazing debate program she was looking for and so she and her family moved to Kansas to transfer to Southwest. “I think administratively, Southwest cares a lot about debate,” Pieropan said. “At my old school, no one really cared about our success, even though we were really successful. At Southwest, it’s really nice to be able to walk down the hallway and have Mr. [Scott] Roberts congratulate me on a particular tournament. I guess there’s just something so nice to be able to get that recognition and have that feeling of pride.” Pieropan and McFarland came to Southwest around the same time and built a close bond because of it. “I have so much love for the Blue Valley Southwest team,” Pieropan said “Mr. McFarland has done so much for me and has supported me in so many different ways and I think that’s because Niko and I have had some success over the past couple of years, and I get to translate some of what I’ve learned throughout that process to the rest of the team.” After transferring at the start of her junior year, Pieropan and Helixon immediately got to work. “Maddie has really positively impacted my success,” Niko said. “She was like a savior for me because my freshman year, I had one or two partners. My sophomore year one of those quit and the other one debated with someone else and so it was kind of a disaster. Then comes junior year, and I just had no clue what I was doing, and then Maddie transferred and it was amazing and I just went for it.” Despite adversity, the team found success including qualifying for the Tournament of Champions their junior year, as well as making it to the finals of the National Catholic Forensic League and semi-finals of the Heritage Hall tournament in Oklahoma and Canals Tournament. They also brought home a 5A state championship — the 11th state debate championship in school history. “They never let a bad tournament derail them from being successful,” McFarland said. “They worked just as hard, if not harder, after a bad tournament as they did after a good tournament.” The team’s determination kept them going through all of the wins and all of their losses. No matter how competitive the tournament, they never let that competitive drive change their mood. “The team is extremely coach-able, they’re always listening to advice and using that device in future debate rounds,” McFarland said. “They work hard, both in finding and producing evidence and refining their arguments. They both inspire me because they’re passionate about their craft and took the activity seriously.” Niko and Pieropan chose to debate in the critical debate style, rather than policy debate.
Junior Rory Stanfield, sophomore Shiza Khan and seniors Niko Helixon Maddie Pieropan and Chloe Shi stand holding the 5A state trophy.
“You have one topic the entire year, but there are different kinds of styles of argumentation that you can choose to follow,” Pieropan said. “[Critical debate] takes a stance more from the perspective of like, why is this particular piece of scholarship, this particular piece of research problematic for whatever reason? It’s basically more philosophical and more social-based as opposed to policy debate.” All of Niko and Pieropan’s success is part of their school legacy, but they will also take with them important life lessons that will help them tackle anything they face in the future. Niko said he hopes younger students will take a chance on debate. “Don’t be afraid to stick with it and do it if you truly enjoy it because if you enjoy something, you’re going to do well in it.” Niko said. Pieropan said their success came from enjoying it and developing a passion for debate. “Make sure you know the reasons why you’re doing this activity, because intentions matter,” Pieropan said. “The key to success in debate is ... that you love the activity just because you love the activity and not for any other reason.”
| maddiesack photos courtesy of BVSW Debate’s Twitter account
6 | superlatives / the standard / senior issue 2020
Senior Superlatives Most likely to be ID’d at 30 Most changed since freshman year
Tanner Barrett
Ethan Operach
Caysi Campbell
Emersyn Berck
Best school spirit
Worst case of senioritis Nate Adamson
Rylan King
Mallory Brune
Peyton Moore
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Most likely to become a millionaire
Class clown John Price
Chloe Shi
Best dressed
Jackson Salin
Alyssa Bloom
Most likely to cheer you up Nash Bezanson
Taylor Gillis
Most likely to become a pro athlete Jacob Carnes
Faith Henzlik | karleykent 135 seniors surveyed
Justin Wingerter
Samantha Schnitta
8 | signings / the standard / senior issue 2020
Sports and Performing Arts Signings
Volleyball
Samantha Schnitta - University of Mississippi
Lacrosse
Nate Adamson - Rockhurst University Luke Besheer - Benedictine College Mason Petersen - Brigham Young University-Idaho Jayden Spore - Ottawa University
Football
Kaleb Hunter - Missouri Valley College Yan Keuwo - Ottawa University Dominik Stadlman - Pittsburg State University Tommy Zimmerman - Emporia State University
Baseball
Mack Clark - Neosho County Community College Kolin Demel - Truman State University Jake Emhardt - Northwest Missouri State University John Harrick - University of West Florida Garrett Hissong - Barton County Community College Drew Jennings - Iowa Western Community College Alex Lucas - Briar Cliff University Sam Palecki - McPherson College Ryan Rast - US Military Academy West Point
Basketball
Tongu Kenyi - Culver Stockton University Austin Murrow - University of Central Missouri Christian Ryckman - Benedictine College
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Golf
Justin Wingerter - Southern Illinois University
Wrestling
Seth Nitzel - University of Missouri
Soccer
Matt Blalock - Baker University Mary Hartweger - University of Kansas Ethan Jayaram - William Jewell University Michael King - Baker University Maclain Petri - Columbia College Sam Wambold - William Jewell College
Softball
Diving
Sophie Mayhugh - Highland Community College
Track and Field
Daphne Zakarian - Truman State University Melody Zakarian - Truman State University
Cheerleading
Macy Deppe - Chapman University Caitlin Gardner - Midland University Ashley Geer - University of Missouri-Kansas City Glenne Harvell - University of Oklahoma
Natalie Leachner - University of Kansas
Christian Buehler - Kansas State University McKenna Polus - Kansas State University
Kennedy Martines - University of Kansas
Marksmanship
Emersyn Berck - Kansas State University Mark Freeman - University of Alabama
Orchestra
Dance
Theatre
Faby Cabrera - Webster University Dominic DeCicco - Webster University Jackson Salin - Wichita State University Alyssa Bloom - Savannah College of Art and Design
Band
Jessa Boutte - University of Kansas Amahya Cleveland - Kansas State University Garrett Greathouse - Kansas State University Nicholas Olsen - Brigham Young University-Idaho Russell Weaver - University of Kansas
Debate
Maddie Pieropan - University of Iowa
Choir
Josette Pinto - University of Kansas Maddie Huwe - KCK Community College Addison McCarty - Missouri State University
10 | sports type / the / the standard standard / senior / senior issue issue 2020 2020
Collegiate Chaos Coronavirus creates new issues for seniors continuing athletics in college
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or high school athletes continuing their athletic endeavors in college, the Coronavirus pandemic adds a new level of uncertainty. Without a spring sports season, seniors not only missed their last year of high school sports, but also critical months of training and practice for their first year as a college athlete. Senior Sophie Mayhugh, who will be playing softball for Highland Community College next year, said she has had to adapt to a whole new regimen. “Now that we’re all quarantined, I haven’t been able to lift because I don’t have those weights at my house and it’s stressing me out,” Mayhugh said. “Even though I am still able to go outside to hit and throw, I am stressed about losing some of my strength.” Senior Sam Palecki, who is committed to McPherson College to play baseball, said he predicts more competition for playing time given the fact that college seniors have been granted an extra year of eligibility. “Most coaches aren’t going to choose a brand new 18 year-old kid over a 22 year-old man who played for them for four previous years,” Palecki said. Even though all spring sport athletes in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) have the opportunity to return for a fifth year, senior Justin Wingerter, who will be attending Southern Illinois University to play golf, is not concerned about the increased competition. “For many athletes, it’s hard for them to practice because their gyms and practices have been closed and canceled, but fortunately for me, since golf courses are still open, I have been able to practice as much as I’ve wanted
to during COVID-19,” Wingerter said. While still able to practice, Wingerter said losing the opportunity to break records this spring made it difficult to keep going. “I had written three goals on my bedroom wall with three different school records I was planning on breaking this spring,” Wingerter said. “Once I erased those goals from my wall, it was hard to find the motivation to keep practicing because I didn’t have any goals anymore.”
| seniorsampalecki
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Palecki said he was devastated when the season was canceled but understands he is lucky to already have a plan for next season. “I was the most upset for players who haven’t signed with a school that have aspirations of playing at the next level, because they may never get a chance to prove themselves in time for coaches to sign them and make some of their dreams a reality,” Palecki said. Another challenge is not being able to talk to teammates and saying goodbye for the last time. “The whole entire school year, I was looking forward to March because I know that it’s softball season and I would get to be with my best friends every single day for three solid months,” Mayhugh said. “Even though we are still communicating, it’s just not the same at all.” Every team’s goal is to make a run for the state championship, and not knowing who would have been crowned is something that haunts players and coaches alike. “With the roster we had, there was no doubt we would’ve gone really far in the run for state,” Palecki said. “[Head baseball] coach [Tyler] Kincaid is a very straightup person — he gives no excuses and accepts none in return — so he just told us what was going to happen and how he can help us prepare for our future.” Adding to the chaos of a canceled season, the announcement to end spring sports came during spring break, so most athletes learned of the news indirectly. “I learned that my season was over when I saw a text on my mom’s phone,” Mayhugh said. “When I read that, I immediately checked my phone and our softball group chat was blowing up; Everyone was sending videos of them
| seniorjustinwingerter
crying and I was just shocked and completely devastated.” Mayhugh said she practices almost every day with her dad in her backyard, but she said she is still going to miss the traditions that come during senior year. “Thinking about how I will never get my senior night and banquet makes me so sad,” Mayhugh said. “I am trying to be optimistic about it all, but it’s really hard because I have been looking forward to my senior season for three years now.” Although no athlete expects their season to be canceled by a pandemic, Wingerter said it is important for himself, along with the many other seniors continuing athletics into college, to understand the big picture, and he is finding ways to move on from this letdown and prepare for the college season. “Even though I got emotional about not having a senior season for golf, I have been thankful that I was only a senior in high school when this happened and not a senior in college,” Wingerter said. “I am fortunate enough to still be able to play golf competitively in college and try to break some school records at SIU the next four years.”
| keithansharp
| seniorsophiemayhugh
photos courtesy of justin wingerter, sam palecki, sophie mayhugh
4
University of Arkansas Sara Balentine Kate Becton Jeffrey Canon Sarah Graven Danielle Illum Kaitlyn Jashinski Paige Peterson Lily Raby
Arkansas
Arizona State University Abigail Defoor Grand Canyon University KaLon Hale Northern Arizona University Megan Morris
Arizona
Jefferson State Community College Kaylee Ulbrich University of Alabama Mark Freeman Michael Orscheln
Alabama
List as of May 9
Loyola University Chicago Claire Burrow Southern Illinois University Justin Wingerter
Illinois
4
3
Brigham Young University-Idaho Jakob Lassen Nicholas Olsen Taylor Rindlisbacher
Idaho
1
3
Jessica Bradin Chance Brogan Camryn Christensen Jake Cooper Najwa Derbas Luke Feuerborn Brian Flores Fritz Gabler Jasarra Gantt Annaliese Goldwasser Israel Griffitt Creighton Hood Benjamin Kimbrough Taylor McCarty
1
4
Samuel Wasmer Alexis Webb Devin Williams McPherson College Samuel Palecki Neosho Community College Mackade Clark Michael Paule Ottawa University Yan Keuwo Jayden Spore Pittsburg State University
8
5 1
32
9
146
7
1
3
1
2
Josette Pinto Carson Paul Sauravi Shankar Libby Shiker Murtaza Shoaib Nicolette Toub Russell Weaver Kayla Webb Kaitlyn White Tucker Wilson Breanna Witt University of St. Mary Saadia Siddiqua Wichita State University Erin Devlin Brody Dorris Logan Huffstutler Jackson Salin
1
2
1
4
6
Brigham Young University-Utah
Utah
Vanderbilt University Megan Garcia
Tennessee
South Dakota State University Joshua Profaizer
South Dakota
University of South Carolina Audrey Rips-Goodwin
South Carolina
Oklahoma State University Brett Thomas Oral Roberts University Courtney Hafner University of Oklahoma Glenne Harvell Madelaine Magee Alex Tudhope
Oklahoma
1 1
map of the destinations of this year’s senior class
Rockhurst University Nate Adamson Truman State University Kolin Demel Daphne Zakarian Melody Zakarian University of Central Missouri Austin Murrow University of Missouri Kansas City Brandon Chong Ashley Geer Melissa Johnson
1
1
1
1
12 | senior map / the standard /senior issue 2020
Indiana
Hawaii
Georgia
Florida
Colorado
Kansas
Iowa
Kyle Pandjaris Trevor Schwartz Purdue University AMDA College of the Cade Schwieger Griffin Majors Performing Arts Azeem Shaikh Brandon Richardson Ryan Sheldon Chapman University Bryan Stander Briar Cliff University Macy Deppe Grace Steele Alex Lucas Stanford University Jayden Wehr Iowa State University Faris Bdair Jace Widman Tanay Avvari University of Southern Kansas City Kansas Rylan Kohl California Community College James McDermott John Price Maddie Huwe Jake Traen Kansas State University Iowa Western Adisen Allen Colorado School of Mines Community College Logan Baldacci Drew Jennings Ethan Liem Tanner Barrett University of Iowa Charles Vath Emersyn Berck Kylie Berge Colorado State Cody Bezanson Athena Dericotte University Nicholas Bougher Madalenna Pieropan Zoe Johnson Julia Briscoe Ashley Schuler Christian Buehler Amahya Cleveland Baker University Jenna Cornine Disney College Program Matt Blalock Brady Daniel Michael King Jade Ratterman Lauren Davis Barton Community Rollins College Talia Epps College Sarah Baker Natalie Gish Garrett Hissong University of South Garrett Greathouse Benedictine College Florida Trent Hardison Luke Besheer Morgan Polowniak Jordan Henington Madeline Garretson University of Tampa Isaac Holman Kaitlin Larson Josh Eskra Ashlyn Howard Christian Ryckman Claudia Le Mason Hurst BV 18 to 21 University of West Rylan King Jackson Deves Florida Alyssa Krahenbuhl Maxwell Moeller John Harrick Reed Krewson Shiva Narayanan Adam Lenartowicz Emporia State University Jackson McCall Savannah College of Art Jordan Durocher Jacob McNett Thomas Zimmerman and Design Logan Moore Fort Hays State Alyssa Bloom Lauren Peak University McKenna Polus Emily England Jack Regier Highland Community University of HawaiiGracie Rodlund College Hilo Caitlin Sardelli Sophie Mayhugh Quintin Allen Rebecca Semple Johnson County Morgan Smith Community College Alayna Tarter Chase Bloyd Kristin Tira
California Abby Bolick Ian Buchanan Jacob Guenther Peyton Moore Aubrey Owens Andrew Skouse Dominik Stadlman Zeb Sarvis University of Kansas Alexander Adler Saha Ahmadian Jessa Boutte Roman Bradley Jenna Brewster Mallory Brune Samuel Butler Casey Carhart Dasha Carver Abigail Clement Joel Clement Eric Daly Jenna Davenport Maxwell Defever Dylan Drinkwater Stefan Freeman Katherine Flood Chloe Fuleihan Ethan Gabriel Mary Hartweger Nikola Helixon Joseph Hellen Faith Henzlik Koby Hinton Peyton Justice Trey Kays Rachel Kerr Delton Larson Natalie Leachner Gracie LeFevre Christine Lu Brandon Madden Kennedy Martines Shayan Mateen Alexis McKillop Mackenzie Meier John Morrison Quynh-Trang Nguyen Miranda Nolte Sophie Oatman Columbia College Maclain Petri Culver-Stockton College Tongu Kenyi Moberly Area Community College Ashley Bucksath Missouri State University Elise Dahm Hannah Diehl Hallie Gettings Hattie Gray Addison McCarty Lindsey Stoneman Missouri University of Science and Technology Luke Richardson Missouri Valley College Kaleb Hunter Northwest Missouri State University Jake Emhardt Olivia Nelson Patches Oxford
Missouri
University of Mississippi Samantha Schnitta
Mississippi
Grand Valley State University Alexandra Crain Michigan State University Payson Kotel Josh Wolf University of Michigan Brock Duty
Michigan
Northeastern University Ethan Operach
Massachusetts
Tulane University Emma Glass
Louisiana
Cedarville University Emily Campbell Ohio State University Evan Verekhman
Ohio
Duke University Jacob Carnes
North Carolina
United States Military Academy West Point Ryan Rast
New York
University of Nevada -Las Vegas Caysi Campbell
Nevada
Hastings College Anya Myers Midand University Caitlin Gardner University of Nebraska -Lincoln Luke Hottovy Casey Mills Emma Pugel Jordan Roland Emma Williams
Nebraska
Daniel McMullen Chloe Shi Unviersity of Missouri Alexis Bonder Caden Bokarae Seth Nitzel Washinton University St. Louis Rebecca Fanous Webster University Fabiola Cabrera-Davila Dominic DeCicco William Jewell College Ethan Jayaram Sam Wambold
Tanner Frickey Jessie Glennon Christopher McKenzie Jacob Montgomery Kurt Popp Alicia Seibert Kylie Sewell Keenan Wade
Other
Sophia Bassi Ibarra Muhammad Khan Ben Wilbur McGill University Fernando Borrell-Alvarez Tor Vergata University of Rome Alessia Luca
International
Donovan Davis Leo Fotovich Andrew Jin Killian Borowiak-Miller Nicolas Moore
Military
Victoria Lemus Samuel McCarty Marshall McDermott Bryce Reasoner Ryan Rogers
Undecided
George Washington University Isha Patel
Washington DC
Taylor Gillis Ashlei Lovell Mason Petersen University of Utah Emerson Ralston
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14 | feature / the standard / senior issue 2020
Senior Stats Seniors reflect on their last year of high school and share some of their favorites
Favorite childhood trend The fashion trend that screams the early 2000s 40% 27% 22%
72.7%
11%
What will you miss most about high school? Friends Sports Staff Other
16% 20% 12%
What are you looking forward to most about graduation? Meeting new people Moving away
52%
Being independent
19% 25%
56%
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I will always remember... “My amazing teachers and friends who made high school amazing. Everyone at Southwest has always been so nice and caring to me. I’ll never forget the warm and loving environment. I’ll miss it all so much.” | seniorsahaahmadian “Looking out at assemblies at all the classes and feeling very happy we were all together.” | seniorlibbyshiker “Performing a solo for Mr. [Scott] Roberts in his office.” | seniorjacksonsalin “The bond that I made with my cast members.” | seniorfabycabrera “The fun our grade had. It felt like a family.” | seniorclaireburrow
How did you spend your senior skip days?
2020 2020 How many times have you been pulled over?
56.4%
43.6%
| rebeccasuku 135 seniors surveyed
34.9% 23.3% 23.3% 18.5%
16 | feature / the standard / senior issue 2020
A life of service senior Ryan Rast pursues future career in the armed forces at West Point Military Academy
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any seniors are anxiously awaiting the start of their college lives. For senior Ryan Rast, this experience will be different than the typical freshman lifestyle. This fall, Rast will be attending the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, New York. Here, he will not only be challenged academically, but also learn the skills needed for a life of service. “West Point is different from other universities in the fact that you’re all getting [a] college education, but you are also training to be a future officer,” Ryan said. “And so, obviously there isn’t the partying that goes on at the normal colleges like KU and K-State. But yet, there’s a lot of different opportunities that you get, being in the military.” Ryan will learn how to drive tanks, fly helicopters and much more, while also being given a challenging academic load. According to Ryan, each cadet graduates with a bachelor’s degree in science. “I’m definitely scared of the academic courses,” Ryan said. “They are pretty tough. I’ll be eventually taking Calculus III and that sounds scary. I didn’t know you could do math like that. But, I mean, they’re there to help you. They don’t want you to fail.” The honor of being accepted to the U.S. Military Academy was the result of years of hard work. Since the acceptance rate of the West Point Academy is only 9.6%, each cadet is carefully chosen and must be nominated by a member of Congress.
“[The nomination by a member of Congress] is needed because the military academies are all federal installations,” Ryan said. “If they are going to invest money into you by paying the college, books, you know, all the above, they want to make sure that they’re getting the right kids and people who aren’t going to quit.” Part of the application process was interviews with Senator Jerry Moran, Senator Pat Roberts and Representative Sharice Davis. Rast said this included sitting in front of a panel of veterans and explaining why he was the best candidate. Apart from interviews, the process included submitting essays. Social studies teacher Kathryn Pinto helped Ryan with the entire process. “Ryan had to write a lot of essays for all these interviews,” Pinto said. “I got to read his essays that he was submitting. He talks about basically wanting to do this since he was a child which is really fun. He has some great influences from both his grandfathers. It’s a really strong back story.” Pinto is familiar with the application process because her son attended the U.S. Naval Academy and is currently serving in Japan as a Naval officer. Pinto’s familiarity, along with her critique, made her instrumental in Ryan’s acceptance. “She helped me and read all my papers,” Ryan said. “Every time I had a question or I was emailing someone, I always went to her and talked to her to make sure she doublechecked, and triple-checked all my work and made sure I sounded intelligent. She’d help me word stuff and come up
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with what I should write about in my prompts. If it wasn’t gonna make a bad decision, at least they know what they’re for her, I don’t think I would have gotten in.” doing.” Ryan stayed after school many days and worked with The application process has many layers to it. A student’s Pinto to get each necessary aspect submitted in a timely academics, physical capability, commitment, intelligence and manner. This connection formed when Pinto had Ryan in her personality are all factors in acceptance. Ryan said it is all AP Government class during the first semester of his senior “nerve-racking.” After all of Ryan’s hard work, he said his year. acceptance was a relief and honor. “Ryan, he kind of stood out to me in class,” Pinto said. “I felt like a million pounds had just been taken off “He’s really knowledgeable about history. He’s great to talk my shoulders,” Ryan said. “Being the best in the nation to about those kinds of things beyond the average knowledge competing for a very select spot, I knew it was going to be any student would have. We kind of formed a connection tough and also I didn’t really have much of a backup plan.” right away. He came to me toward the end of August, and he Ryan was not the only person to be thrilled by the said he was going to try to do this process.” news. Ryan’s parents, Jon and Kelly Rast supported him From this point forward, Ryan and throughout the process and said they were Pinto worked together to make Ryan’s proud of his acceptance. “He always came in with dream a reality. The qualifications go “It was awesome,” Kelly said. “We were a really positive attitude. beyond just academic and physical. elated. We’re mostly so excited for him Pinto said “leading a life of high moral because we knew that he really wanted it. I think one of the things character” is important. So proud, excited, happy, but like anything that really stands out to “Ryan is really a delightful person else, nervous when your kid starts a new me about Ryan is he’s very journey in their life.” to have as a student,” Pinto said. “He always came in with a really positive At the core of all of the qualifications goal driven, and kind of no attitude. I think one of the things that for West Point is a desire to serve your nonsense. He’s not the really stands out to me about Ryan is country. Pinto said this is something Ryan kind of person who accepts had to articulate in interviews and convey he’s very goal driven, and kind of nononsense. He’s not the kind of person in essays. Ryan’s desire to serve is partially excuses.” who accepts excuses.” the result of a family history of military | socialstudiesteacher service. His grandfather was in the Navy Pinto said Ryan was able and kathrynpinto and his uncle served as well. Ryan’s mother willing to accept constructive criticism. said this career decision was sparked from “He’s always trying to better an early age. himself,” Pinto said. “He has an unrelenting pursuit of this “He’s always been interested in the military,” Kelly said. goal. I mean, there were so many obstacles and hurdles to “But just in different ways from a young kid running around getting it done. I just really admire that about him.” playing Nerf guns or whatever. He’s always been interested While the application process began his senior year, Ryan in history.” worked toward his goal throughout all of high school. He Ryan plans to serve in the military as long as possible. became involved with many activities as soon as possible. When he graduates from the U.S. Military Academy, he will “I kind of knew from a young age that’s what I wanted to be a Second Lieutenant. Afterward, he hopes to go to Ranker do, and so I took really hard classes throughout high school school and possibly special forces. and tried to get involved with as many clubs as I could — but “I’m really excited for the whole experience — it’s a not just being a member, but being on the board or doing different way of life, for sure,” Ryan said. “I’m sure there’ll be something that shows leadership roles,” Ryan said. “I tried plenty of days where I hate it. But, I’m sure there’ll be more to be a leader on sports teams and play as many sports as I days that I love it and just be thankful for the opportunity could.” that I’m receiving and meeting the people I will be meeting Ryan also started an “I Quit” campaign during his junior and knowing that there’s a higher goal than just any other year, encouraging student athletes to quit vaping. thing I could have done.” “I feel like the biggest thing that helped me get into West Point or get accepted was the vaping project that I started |elliephillips with two other classmates,” Ryan said. “We felt like a lot of kids didn’t really know the true side effects of vaping. We just wanted to make sure people were informed — if they’re
The song was released in 2007 and topped charts. It reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 on and off for several weeks, according to aceshowbiz.com. The song was initially self-published and kick started Soulja Boy’s career. The song won a Grammy in 2008.
Soulja Boy - "Crank That"
The fast food chain began in 1955 and peaked in 2013, resulting in it earning $28 billion. In 2019, the global sales passed $21.08 billion. It has 13,840 locations in the US as of April 28, according to Business Insider. It sells 75 hamburgers every second, but its most popular food is the french fries.
McDonald's
The channel launched in 1983 and initially featured an animation of Mickey Mouse. It originally began as a premium service soon shifting to a basic cable channel and spread to all American households, according to disneychannel.fandom.com. In 2018, the height of the channel, it earned a net income of $12.6 billion.
Disney Channel
THEN VS
The song is the part of the rapper's debut studio album: Please Excuse Me for Being Antisocial released in December of 2019. The song grew rapidly through Tik Tok and became #1 of Billboard's Top 100. The Billboard reports the track has 68.2 million weekly streams.
Roddy Ricch - "The Box"
The restaurant opened in 1967 and soon became the fastest growing fast-food chain. Currently, it has over 2,000 stores in America. According to information released in 2019 from Business Insider, the best seller is the waffle fries. The franchise earned 3.8 billion dollars last year, an increase of 26.7% from 2018.
Chick Fil A
The company began as the first online DVD rental in 1998. However, the company earned tremendous success through its streaming services which started in 2007. The service reached the most profit in 2019 and continues to grow, according to thinknum.com.
Netflix
NOW 18 | time line / the standard /senior issue 2020
The concept for the movie dates back to 1993, but production started in 2000. After everything was finalized, the movie was released in 2004. The movie earned $632 million worldwide. It won at 67 awards and was nominated for 56 awards, according to IMDB.com.
The Incredibles
The song is part of the album: If I Were A Boy and was released in 2008. The song climbed to Number 1 on the US Billboard Hot 100 and remained in the spot for four weeks. In 2009, the song sold 6.1 million copies and became one of the best selling singles, according to lifetime.com.
Beyonce - "Single Ladies"
The trend began gaining attraction in late 2009, but took off in 2010 and sold $200 million. The CEO got inspiration after finding a shapeable rubber band at a Chinese trade show. The bracelets are made from the perfect consistency of silicone.
Silly Bandz
The film was released in 2019 and earned a total of $2.503 billion worldwide in hardly a month. Within 11 days of its release, the film broke many box office records, according to Vox.com. It became one of the highest grossing films and received and was nominated for several awards.
Avengers: Endgame
The song was released in 2019 as part of her album: When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? After multiple nonconsecutive weeks at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, the song finally reached the No. 1 spot, according to forbes.com. The song won and was nominated for many awards.
Billie Eilish- Bad Guy
The shoe came into the market in 1982, but skyrocketed in popularity in the recent years. Although intended for the court, the shoes had a large impact on the hip-hop community and was even the title of one of Nelly’s tracks.
Nike Airforce 1
|sirichevuru
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20 | senior messages / the standard / senior issue 2020
Messages from “Do everything you want to: every activity, every party and every club. You will meet so many people and make so many memories throughout your years, you don’t want to regret not trying something that may be your favorite thing all of high school. Take lots of pictures; journal so you can look back at all your amazing memories, and finally, time flies, it’s so cheesy but it really does, so take advantage of every moment.”
SENIORS
seniors give advice to underclassmen on getting through high school
| chloefuleihan
“Take this seriously. Enjoy it, but understand that it matters. We live in a world where competition on every level is increasing indefinitely. Your success depends on your effort.”
| murtazashoaib
‘‘Don’t take this time for granted. You think that you are immune to how fast the time goes, but you’re not. Enjoy all the good and the bad moments because one day they won’t be there for you to experience anymore. Have fun and work hard in high school, but remember there is so much more to life than who you were in high school.‘‘
| emilycampbell
| 21
“Enjoy your senior year to the fullest. Go to the games, join something that makes you happy and go to everything your friends invite you to. You never know when it may be the last time you see them.”
“Take school seriously. Get good grades and apply yourself. Connect with your teachers and establish a good relationship. DON’T HAVE ANY REGRETS. Do what you love and don’t care what others think and enjoy it. Something may suck now, but life at SW is amazing so take advantage of it.”
| abigaildefoor
classo
| michaelorscheln
‘‘Find something you love and do it. It doesn’t matter if you’re good at it, because if you truly enjoy what you’re doing, then you will naturally become good at it.”
2020f “To all the underclassmen, please enjoy these four years. Every senior will tell you to cherish every moment, because before you know it, it’s over. Take every opportunity you can to become involved and make an impact on our school. Live each and every day to its fullest. Work your hardest in sports and be the best you can be, for not only you, but for your teammates and our school. Most importantly, cherish these years of your lives, because they truly are some of the happiest days.”
| emersonralston
| farisbdair | saharbaha
