The Standard Vol. 5 Issue 4 by The Standard

S the standard blue valley southwest volume 5 | issue 4

28 28

CONTENTS 24

december 2014 vol. 5 | issue 4 overland park, ks

black friday

across the map

coming closer

devastating debt

iStream

horoscopes

dealing with an epidemic

hoops for hope

hipster

bedrooms on a budget

painting with a purpose

06 09 28

what color are you?

editor’s note

Front cover: Putting warm colors onto a canvas, art teacher Shawn Stelter and Braden Hofart create a painting that was later sold for around $2,500 at the Hope Gala. The money raised at the gala for the organization Braden’s Hope was donated to childhood cancer research. Cover photo by Delaney Oliver. Graphic by Kate Bowling.

ate November into December has always meant something extra special in this part of the world. The holiday season has arrived. This time of lights

and joy comes coupled with the process of buying and receiving gifts and showing appreciation for others along with being thankful for what we receive in our lives. However, a problem has arisen from the consumerist aspect of the holiday season. All over television and media, advertisements showing off new deals and savings have compeltely absorbed the American public’s attention during this time for showing gratitude. Thanksgiving is a national holiday built for the public to reflect and be thankful. Yet corporations push their agenda to a point that some people will spend the majority of their Thanksgiving waiting in line to save money on a TV. The irony of “Black Friday,” where shoppers dedicate their day to rampant bargain hunting and buying things at a massive rate the day after a holiday with the message of counting our blessings, is undeniable. Take the time this holiday season to be removed from the rat race of the world, to relax with family and to not worry about missing out on any bargains that put any of the aforementioned things second.

| writingcoach

10 percent on film and paper with student id

$10 off an updo with this coupon presented at time of service

11248 W 135th St, Overland Park

(913) 851 7272

| thesouthweststandard editor-in-chief ananda bhatia managing editor margo johnson

design coaches lauren stone lexi tarter copy editor ellie augustine

web editor nicole becker

adviser heather lawrenz

writing coaches michael magyar nicole becker

photographers donna armstrong kate bowling

riley martin delaney oliver abby yi lauren york staff writers lillie hoffart blake gustafson madison leighty katie lucas broc putnam

4 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

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.

Letters should be submitted to room 118 emailed to bvswnews@gmail.com or mailed: The Southwest Standard c/o Blue Valley Southwest High School 17600 Quivira Overland Park, KS 66085 The Southwest Standard also encourages guest photography.

Black ay Frid

| laurenstone

What are your thoughts on Black Friday sales that start on Thanksgiving night?

“

Black Friday started too early this year. I’m used to shopping on Friday, not Thursday.”

| seniozobia morani

“

I liked that the sales started early this year because I didn’t have to wake up early and could just shop at night instead.”

| juniornikki seurer

“

I was disappointed by Black Friday this year because I went so early that no one was out.”

| juniorbecca gregory

Most popular Black Friday purchases:

4:00 games

electronics

p.m.

clothing Sales started as early as 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day

Black Friday tips: map out what stores you want to go to and know where you can find the best deals

X X X X X

information taken from blackfriday.com and endlessleadz.com

come up with a list of items you want to buy while you’re out shopping so that you don’t over-buy

download a Black Friday app, such as Shopsavvy, to stay up to date on all the sales by comparing the prices of popular items

infographic | www.bvswnews.com | dec. 2014 | 5

Across the Map students provide a glimpse into their lives as adopted kids

6 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Photos by Abby Yi Photo illustration by Kate Bowling.

lamming open the front door, sophomore Gary Reilly was greeted by his younger brother, who tackled him to the ground and nuzzled his head into his stomach. They spoke short greetings as they took in each others company after being separated for so long. Gary’s sister freshman Cindy Reilly and their younger brother Austin had been in different foster homes. The first time they saw each other in four months was the day Gary was adopted. Gary and Cindy were both adopted from Kansas City by Lisa and Dennis Reilly. Uniquely all four children are biologically related, having the same mother. They were adopted at the ages of three and two, along with their younger brother Austin and sister Maddie, who are both in middle school. Cindy and Austin were at the same foster care house so they were able to be adopted at the same time. Lisa and Dennis then searched for Gary who was staying at a different foster care house in order to adopt him and reunite him with his siblings. Dennis and Lisa always had wanted to adopt, but after Lisa was diagnosed with breast cancer nearly 16 years ago, they knew it was their best option. At first Lisa was disappointed that she couldn’t adopt more than three children, since she had wanted four, but she then found out that the birth mother of all the siblings was pregnant and going to give the child up for adoption. They were then able to adopt all four siblings. “I think we are closer than other siblings are with each other because we have gone through this journey with each other,” Gary

said. “I know that it has been a long time since we were adopted, but we’ve always stuck by each other.” Many students, however, do not know that Gary and Cindy are not only adopted, but are blood-related, having fathers of two different ethnicities. They often find themselves having to explain to their peers their stories and why their family decided to adopt. Gary and Cindy also share their stories with other students who are adopted, such as senior Katrina and sophomore Brandon Schuster. Katrina and Brandon were both adopted when they were 13 months old from the European country Moldova. Katrina was adopted from the city Chisinau, while Brandon was adopted from Balti. “In order to adopt me, my parents had to fill out an application through Special Additions Adoptions Agencies, do a background check and go to court over in Moldova in order to approve the adoption,” Katrina said. “They had to go back to the United States and wait 30 days before they were able to fly back and get me.” Katrina and Brandon were adopted after their adoptive mother thought she was unable to have children. They are not related but still feel like a family. In kindergarten, they both were told they were adopted when their parents gave them a book about the country they were from. “I have been given the freedom to be whoever I want,” Katrina said. “It has also allowed me to have two loving parents to provide and care for me.”

Both the Reillys and the Schusters have special traditions celebrating the dates in which they were adopted. When the Reillys were younger, their parents would dress them up in matching shirts that said “brother one, sister two, brother three and sister four” and take them to Worlds of Fun the date after they were adopted. The Schusters would go to summer and Christmas get-togethers through Special Additions with other families who were adopted through that agency. Growing up being adopted never caused any of these students to feel out of place. The students have great bonds with their adoptive parents. To Katrina, her adoptive parents feel like her birth parents. “My family is my family,” Katrina said, “I am so thankful for everything they have done for me and I love them.” All four students believe adoption is important and a great way to give a better life to a child who deserves a second chance. Katrina hopes to adopt a child with special needs in order to provide a better life for him or her and to give him or her a chance at a happy life, just like any other child. “It's important to know that someone is there for you, even if it’s not your birth parents,” Gary said. “I think we were adopted so we could have a better home and be safer. Or maybe someone lost their kid and wanted to have another kid but they couldn't and so they felt loved when having adopted a kid.”

| blakegustafson

Kansas Moldova

Graphic by Kate Bowling.

8 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

Coming closer the senior FCA leaders share their stories

even a.m., Wednesday morning. Students walk through the silent halls of the school, headed toward the Fixed Forum. Upon entering, they are greeted by 50 or 60 faces, ready to expand their knowledge about Christ.

The Beginning At the opening of the school in 2010, the school’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) began; however, it was not well known. With the combined efforts of senior leaders Ty Constant and Cole Kedney and, a year later, senior Makaila Gay, FCA members continue to grow in their faith.

For the school, the club started in 2010, but FCA’s roots go back to 1954. According to fca. org, “the Fellowship of Christian Athletes has been challenging coaches and athletes on the professional, college, high school, junior high and youth levels to use the powerful medium of athletics to impact the world for Jesus Christ.” Recently, FCA has grown beyond this, and includes everyone, athlete or non-athlete. But despite its huge popularity all over the country, it wasn’t always as successful at Southwest as it is now. Starting small, FCA first began in business teacher Layne Funk’s classroom. However, Constant and Kedney saw many problems with the budding club. Not many students attend-

ed the meetings and there were contradictory ideas in the teachings. Despite these roadblocks, they decided to take a stand and reform the club by turning the teachings of the Bible into lessons that directly relate to high schoolers’ lives.

What is FCA? FCA is a student-run organization consisting of a diverse group of students of the Christian faith. The group’s members have a variety of different religious backgrounds, both Catholic and Protestant, denominational and non-denominational.

feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | dec. 2014 | 9

The Leaders’ Stories N e v ertheless, the group’s main goal is to incorporate all Christian faiths and to grow together in their faiths as a whole while focusing on the teachings of the Bible. FCA begins with an opening prayer. Then, students are invited to participate in the lesson of the day, either with the student leaders or in small groups. Lessons usually consist of a leader of any grade or age speaking about a certain chapter of the Bible or a moral concept, like accountability. In small groups, members are chosen as group leaders, a Bible passage is read and the students discuss how they think the passage pertains to their lives. Because there are so many Christian denominations represented in FCA, the leaders have to make the lessons “slightly broader, just based on the background of people’s beliefs.” Ultimately, the leaders collaborate every week to decide what is taught the following week. “In HUBS on Wednesday afternoon, we have a leader meeting in the library,” sophomore leader Matt Nixon said. “We all express our ideas, like how that morning went, what we can do differently, what went well, what worked well, and then we discuss next week’s lesson. Then the senior leaders will take charge and say, ‘based on what we’ve heard, this is what we’re going to do next week.’”

Not just for Christians or Athletes Despite its name, the club is open to all individuals. Even though the teachings do come from the Bible, the group often discusses moral topics, like integrity, which can relate to all aspects of life. “Anybody is allowed to come,” Nixon said. “A lot of things we do with FCA, we try to tie it back into high school.” Similarly, the leaders can relate FCA to sports by “[tying] lessons back into athletics,” although the group will accept anyone, “whether you play a sport or not.” While participating in athletics, Constant said that he tries to live out the faith by “how I act at the [cross country] meets, and, honestly, how I try to live my life and be an example at school.”

10 |

Kedney and Constant have been in the program the longest, since they joined freshman year. After Kedney experienced a life-altering moment in ninth grade, he decided to give up the life he was living and “just try to live by Jesus.” Once Kedney entered his sophomore year, he felt a desire to be more involved in the group and pursued a leadership position, which he still holds to this day. “I wanted to be a part of the believers of Jesus around the school because Southwest didn’t have much of an FCA before,” Kedney said. Constant began leading FCA at the middle school level, then decided to take it up a notch in high school. He played a large role in shaping FCA into what it is today. “Sophomore year came around, and I thought it’d be a good opportunity for me to try to change stuff,” Constant said. “We were able to create a foundation for a program that was really strong and had the ideas and similar morals that we wanted to help convey, and, with that, FCA was able to grow and get really big.” A year later, with the changes set in motion and progress being made, Gay had the opportunity to become part of the FCA leader team. “I have it on my heart to be able to spread the word of God and the Gospel throughout our school [in order] for people to really know Jesus,” Gay said. Although Gay is a leader, she sees herself as, first and foremost, a student of God. Instead of taking credit for some of the lessons she teaches, she says it is always God working through her. “[The best lesson I’ve learned is] there’s always something new that I’m learning about Jesus or about my faith,” Gay said. “Yes, I’m leading a small group, but at the same time, I just sit back, and I listen to what people are talking about.” Not only have the leaders been able to learn more through teaching, but the accountability factor also holds them to their words. The FCA members have recently been studying the book of James, which teaches that there is power in words, and that people who are

“

There’s always something new that I’m learning about Jesus or about my faith.” | seniormakailagay

“If you lead, then you have that many people who hear you verbally showing your faith and your testimony,” Constant said. “That’s 60-some-odd people that will hold you accountable for the rest of the year and for the rest of your life, so, everytime they see you, they’ll think about, ‘Oh, you’re the one who stood up and gave your testimony or talked about faith,’ and so they’ll hold you to that standard.” When a leader gives his or her testimony, it is the story of how he or she became stronger as a Christian, and made the faith his or her own. The leaders said each FCA member has a unique way of coming to know Jesus, whether it is being raised in the faith and wanting to know more or having a turning point where that person says he or she accepted Jesus into his or her heart. Kedney decided during his first year of high school that he wanted and needed Jesus in his life. “I had lots of other things put before God, and I was always trying to find happiness in these other things, rather than with God,” Kedney said. Kedney has given his testimony not only to the school, but in various areas of Overland Park, and has even gained popularity on YouTube. When he relays his story to others, he admits that he “slipped in his purity” but soon figured out who he wanted to be and who God wanted him to be. Through his testimony, students learn that all people fall every now and then, but it is never too late to come back to Jesus. After Kedney went through a “two-week kind of spectral rehab,” he decided to entrust his life to God and has “never looked back since.” In Constant’s case, the faith became his own in middle school, “during that awkward stage.” Although Constant was raised in the faith his whole life, he decided to dive even deeper into his faith to help reach others. “[I realized] I’m not just listening to this anymore; I have to take what I’ve learned and now say it out to a bunch of other people,” Constant said. “That was probably the turning point in middle school.” Gay had her turning point when she was about seven, when she went to a

church camp with her older sister. All of her sister’s friends began praying around her, and that’s when she accepted Jesus in her heart. “I remember saying, ‘Jesus, I accept you; you know I want to follow you for the rest of my days, and I want to know more about you because I love you, and you’re really all that I know that is constant’,” Gay said. “I just remember these so vividly and I was just like, ‘Jesus, you are the Lord of my life’.”

FCA in the Future From here, the leaders hope that FCA keeps growing, and, as FCA continues to grow, the leaders and members want to extend an open invitation to all. “I want it to be a whole school thing,” Kedney said. “We have already gone from nothing to something, and I want to see us grow even more, in size and leadership.” With all the stress high schoolers’ face during this time, the leaders want everyone to know that FCA is a place where someone can renew him- or herself and find comfort by coming to know Jesus. The leaders want to reach out to everyone, not just athletes, and make a difference in the lives of their fellow peers for the better. “I hope that FCA continues and it stays strong and continues on the same foundation we were able to come together and create,” Constant said. “I hope it will always be around and be a place that people can come and know that there’s accountability and [that] they will be hearing the truths of the Bible and that people will come closer to God through FCA.” | ellieaugustine | brocputnam Editor’s note: In an effort to represent the religious beliefs in the school equally, The Standard will be covering other religious groups and the rules regarding the representation of religion in schools in future issues.

Reviewing his notes one last time, sophomore Matt Nixon prepares to give the day’s lessons to the group.

Members prepare to break into small groups to discuss the book of James.

Photos by Broc Putnam.

| 11

Devastating DeBT

student loan debt is rising in the United States

he fruits of labor that come with the completion of a college education culminate in a single piece of paper. Now more than ever, a certificate of achievement from a university is the first step on the roadmap to success in the 21st century labor force. However, a seriously derogatory element now complements all these things that go along with the privilege of getting to wear a graduation cap and gown. More students are graduating college with seemingly endless amounts of student debt than ever before. Time to stock up on the ramen. According to CollegeBoard, the average cost of tuition of a private university is around $31,000. Adding in the cost of housing and living plans, the average annual cost of a private college can top out at over $40,000. While public universities have much more affordable rates, with in-state tuition averaging at $9,000 and outof-state tuition at $22,000, for some, a degree at a more prestigious institution is well worth the cost.

12 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

Graphic by Kate Bowling.

salaries based off education

average annual tuition in-state

$9,000

out-of-state

$22,000

Bachelor’s Degree

$45,000

No College

$28,000

private

$31,000

total student debt $1.08 trillion “ I think debt is inevitable,” senior Erica Christie said. Christie hopes to attend Kenyon College, a small and prestigious liberal arts college in Ohio. “I don’t think people should sacrifice a good education and going where you need to be just because you’re afraid of being in debt because I think it’s inevitable; you’re going to be in debt.” The total outstanding student loan balance is $1.08 trillion, and 11.5 percent of it is 90 plus days in default. According to a 2013 study done by the Project on Student Debt, seven in 10 graduating seniors at public and private nonprofit colleges had student loans. College students are not alone in their fight. Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren recently proposed a student loan refinancing bill. While the bill was not passed, Warren made her agenda clear. At a Politico event, Warren reiterated that student loan debt in America is now larger than credit card debt, and it’s a huge issue facing the country. Current, future and past college students feel it’s fair to have a gripe with the situation.

“So many talented kids are missing out on opportunities they deserve because they can’t afford the tuition,” senior Caleb Jenkins said. “Their job [the universities] is to prepare us for success on a higher level, and that really shouldn’t be something to put a price tag on.” With the cost of college spiraling out of control, the question must be asked: is college even worth it? Studies show the answer is still yes. A 2012 research study done by Pew showed that the median salary of those ages 25 to 32 differed greatly by the extent of one’s education. The median salary of a bachelor’s degree holder is $45,000, compared to the $28,000 median salary of someone who chose not to go to college. Out of thoe with no college experience, 12.2 percent are unemployed and 21.8 percent live under the poverty level. Unfortunately, a college education being considered essential in most cases for success, the problem is magnified. If this trend continues and as long as students are willing to pay thousands of dollars for an education, tuition prices aren’t going anywhere but up. | michaelmagyar

| 13

iStream

unior Zach Keeling didn’t need a sound studio nor a record label. With an auto-rap application on his phone, he made his first song and sent it among his friends. Soon after, Keeling published a second song, “But I’m not a Rapper,” and attracted over 1,000 listeners to his music with the simple click of a button and assistance from the live streaming website Soundcloud. “I know that Soundcloud has spread the word of [my account] Zmusic15 a lot, and I feel like it helped aspiring artists

streaming websites threaten to take over the music industry

like myself to put my name out there,” Keeling said. “And now my first song, just through word of mouth and social media, has over 1,000 plays. That’s insane. You couldn’t do that ten years ago.” Generations of people have recognized the revolution of music from the use of vinyl, to cassettes, to CDs and, eventually, digital outlets. However, the industry is still undergoing change as streaming websites like Spotify, Soundcloud and Pandora threaten to take over.

14 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news feature

Critics claim that the music industry is slowly dying from potential customers seeking free access to music instead of paying artists for their work. Stealing music — from people recording mix-tapes from tracks on the radio or burning CDs to share — has caused issues throughout history, but its impact has increased as music has turned digital. Various websites, such as FLVTO, allow people to download music from Youtube, giving more access to obtain music for free.

“I mostly use Youtube for my music because I can get it for free,” junior Maddie Lowry said. “Occasionally I’ll use iTunes and buy music, but it’s just so expensive. Music shouldn’t necessarily be free, because artists wouldn’t get anywhere, but paying $1.29 per song just seems ridiculous.” The increase of music piracy has injured the music industry as its revenue continues to decline. According to Forbes, 2013 digital track sales fell 5.7 percent from 1.34 billion songs to 1.26 billion. Many critics attribute the decline in digital track sales to the upbringing of live streaming websites. Spotify allows its members to choose how much they want to pay for their music. It offers its members access to millions of songs, advertisement-free, for a monthly fee of $10 or a free membership in which users experience advertisements and are limited on their song access. CEO of Spotify Daniel EK said in his blog that he created Spotify because he “love[s] music and piracy was killing it.” “You can make playlists and follow other people on Spotify, and I feel like it’s a lot more organized than any other site,” junior Charmaine Sandifer said. “It’s just easy. You can find the music that you like and put it into playlists, and you don’t have to pay for it unless you want to with the Premium.” Although the decline of the music industry caused need for these new websites,

many musicians, like Jason Aldean and Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, complain of their decrease in salary from allowing their music on live streaming websites. Musicians, on average, make more money from selling their songs individually from providers like iTunes than they do with their music on live streaming websites. Spotify pays its artists .06 cents each time their song is played, compared to an average 20 cents received for every purchased song on iTunes. Upon the release of her new album “1989”, singer-songwriter Taylor Swift decided to shake off every song of hers that was published on Spotify, and controversy erupted. Critics questioned whether Swift had selfish intentions or if her actions in cutting off her fans from streaming websites were justified. Swift fiercely countered with her positive expectations for the music industry and belief in artists receiving money for their work. “All I can say is that music is changing so quickly, and the landscape of the music industry itself is changing so quickly, that everything new, like Spotify, all feels to me a bit like a grand experiment,” Swift said in an interview with Yahoo. “And I’m not willing to contribute my life’s work to an experiment that I don’t feel fairly compensates the writers, producers, artists, and creators of this music. And I just don’t agree with perpetuating the perception that music has no value

and should be free.” Swift’s new album sold 1.2 million copies at $12.99 in the first week of its release, while it was projected to only sell 650,000 copies. Whether Swift’s action in taking her album off Spotify was a factor or not, some critics believe that this helped her to reach the sales that she did. “Taylor Swift is already at the top,” Lowry said. “She already has enough money and fame that she really doesn’t need much more to be successful. It doesn’t seem right that she cuts that outlet of Spotify and other places from her fans just so that she can get more money.” Although artists like Swift find fault in streaming websites, aspiring artists continue to reap the benefits. The changing music industry has allowed musicians to create in ways never before seen. With an unknown future for the industry, students recognize the potential expansion yet to come. “Honestly, Soundcloud is so great,” Keeling said. “Think about it — music is forever changing. Anyone who has a smartphone can go out and put out a song. As a new artist on Soundcloud, I know Soundcloud has helped me so much with just its ease of taking it right from my computer and uploading it right to Soundcloud for free. It’s all going digital.”

| nicolebecker | 15

What is a horoscope?

h 21 (Marc

Aries

nt pende - Inde ous er - Gen istic im t p O ic usiast t - En h geous ra - Cou tient a p - Im

Pi ry 20 sc Mar es ch 2 0)

According to dictionary.com, a horoscope is defined as being a prediction of future events, advice for future behavior based on the relative position of planets, and the signs of the zodiac for use in calculating births.

nate ssio a p m - Co ptable a d A d vote e - D epting c - Ac ecisive - Ind

(F eb r

| rileymartin

April 2

of Americans believe in astrology, or horoscopes.

- Responsible - Ambitious - Conceited - Wise

icorn 0) Cabper r23 - January 2

(Dece

of Jewish people believe in astrology

- Witty - Clever - Inventive - Sarcastic - Rebelliou s

(Janua

of Protestants believe in astrology

Aqu21a-rFebruary 19) ius

of Catholics believe in astrology

of women think In the US the position of the stars and planets can affect peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives, while only of men think so.

of women think In Canada the position of the stars and planets can affect peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives, while only of men think so.

Sa g be itt r2 a r 3 - D iu ec em s

ov em

See these statistics at http://www.astrology.co.uk/news/astrostats.htm 16 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | infographic

- Phil os - Inte ophical llectu al - Adv en - Sup turous - Passionate erficia l - Resourceful - Observant - Dynamic - Jealous

(Octo

Scorp i - Nov o

ber 24

embe

r 22)

(April - Dependab le - Persisten t - Loyal - Patient - Possessive

Do you believe in horoscopes?

Taur-uMay 21) s

“

2 ne Ju

2in m Ge

2 ay (M

I do not believe in horoscopes because they are superstitious and I don’t believe in superstitions.”

-E - C nerg - I leve etic - W mag r - A itty inat ive - D dap ev tab iou le s

| sophomorebeauconstant

uly 22

22 - J

Canc

(June

“

L eo

(July 23 - August 21

- Confident - Ambitious - Generous - Melodramatic - Stubborn

)

- Creative us - Spontaneo e iv ct te ro P s - Suspiciou g -Lovin

l - Analytica t an - Observ l fu p - Hel - Reliable - Precise - Skeptical g - Interferin

Vi rg o

ic - Diplomat l fu ce - Gra - Peaceful - Idealistic le - Hospitab

t us

ug (A

) Lbiebr 2r4a- October 23

(Sept

-S

m te

r be

)

“

I’m really not sure what horoscopes are, from what I know I don’t believe in them because I don’t believe that the stars can determine how your day will be.” | sophomorecameronkersey

I don’t believe in horoscopes at all because of my faith, there’s only one person who knows my future [and that’s God].” | senioraaronyew

| 17

dealing with an

epidemic officials describe how a health crisis would be treated

18 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

ll the buildings lay empty and in ruins. The pandemonium that followed the outbreak has driven everyone away. Papers rustle quietly across the pavement as the lone survivor walks slowly away into the barren landscape. Movies about infectious diseases have become common, but they do not portray a realistic event. Health precautions have been put in place on national, state, country and even school levels to help prevent an epidemic. The school’s first line of defense is general cleanliness of the building. Every night, a crew of 12 wipes down all of the touch surfaces, or anything that may have come in contact with a hand, in the school. Students also have a responsibility to help prevent the spread of an illness. Many viruses are contracted through the respiratory system and through the eyes. Nurse Mitzi Edwards emphasizes that even though things may be sanitized, the most effective defense against an illness is for a person to wash his or her hands often. Using a tissue once and throwing it away or not sharing food can help, but sometimes an illness is inevitable. In that case, staying home when ill will have the most benefit. “If you don’t feel well and you are running a fever, don’t come to school,” principal Scott Roberts said. “As much as I want every kid at school every day to learn, if you have a fever and it’s cold and flu season, frankly, it’s better for you to stay home.” Staying home minimizes exposure for other students. Because so many people come in contact with each other, someone who is sick can spread germs very quickly. “If you do these things, it will slow [the virus] down,” head custodian Michael Brown said. ”It’s not going to stop it all, but it will help.” If a student is home sick, the school keeps records to observe if many students have common symptoms, which will indicate a similar virus or different symptoms. However, there are some difficulties in getting the information.

“It would be best if the parents would call in and let me know what symptoms they have and the reason why the student is out,” Edwards said. “Otherwise, I have to call and see who all is absent and why. If the parents could inform me, then that could give me a better picture if there are several different viruses and infections going on or if they all are very similar and might all be symptoms of the same virus.” The attendance information is then forwarded to the Johnson County Health Department. The health department decides all health-related steps a school must follow. There, the data is monitored for increases in absences that are greater than five percent or an absence level of ten percent or more. Based on the reported symptoms, the Health Department will then dictate further measures to be put in place to combat the illness. One of the most common techniques that may be put in place by the health department is the implementation of vaccination clinics. The health department will receive and supply the vaccinations and then supervise the clinics that disperse the vaccines to people. During the H1N1 outbreak a few years ago, the health department and district responded in this way. “It was a pandemic: [there were] cases all over the world, so it was a matter of time until we knew we had a case. We did surveillance, and tried to do non-pharmaceutical measures like hand washing,” Johnson County Health Department Disease Containment Division director Nancy Tausz said. “After the disease spread, the clinics were set up.” If an outbreak continues after attempts at vaccinations, or if there is not an available vaccine, another choice mandated by the health department and the district is to close schools. “We may tell everyone to stay home,” Tausz said. “That’s all we can do. We want to separate all of the sick people from the well people — we want to isolate a case. It would have to be pretty serious to close a school. It really depends [on the illness] or if there are not enough teachers to teach.” The health department also has specific plans set in place in case of outbreaks of diseases that it is federally required to report.

One of those such illnesses is Ebola. According to Edwards, if a person comes into her office and has a temperature of over 100.4 degrees, she must ask the patient if he or she has traveled within the last 21 days. If that person replies yes, he or she is quarantined in a room until someone from the hospital arrives. The policies are being revised as new information concerning the illness is published. “The risk of Ebola is so low,” Tausz said. “It is understandable, it is frightening to people, [but the health department watches diseases closely], just like every they do every single day. All of the hospitals are aware and ready [but] it is just another disease. The important thing to know is that there is a lot of surveillance through all of the public health system.” The district and the health department keep a very careful watch over the schools to minimize the chance of an outbreak. “I’m pretty confident in [the district’s method],” Roberts said. “There are those worst-case-scenarios, but I try not to get too worried. That’s good stuff for the movies, but not stuff that’s necessarily out there.”

| lilliehoffart

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20 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

Hoops for

Hope

students play basketball to raise money for pediatric cancer research

1 | donnaarmstrong photo essay | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | dec. 2014 | 21 |

1. Going up for the layup, senior Max Baum is blocked by referee junior Patrick Cairns. Baum’s team, Team Paule, played through night two of Hoops for Hope to make it all the way to the championship game. But in the end, the team fell short to Team PPW to take second place. 2. Dressed as Captain Jack Sparrow, freshman Colin Van Eman dribbles the ball as sophomore Kohlsen Burton blocks him from taking a shot during day two of Hoops for Hope. 3. Keeping the ball out of the reach of senior Zach Tolar, senior Katie Craven stares at her teammate. Craven and her teammates on The Conquerers of the Court fell out of the tournament during day one of Hoops for Hope. 4. Grasping for the ball, junior Cailee Traen tries to keep the ball out of reach of the opposing team. Traen’s team, The Powerpuff Girls, ended up losing the game during day two of Hoops for Hope. 5. While dribbling up for a layup, senior Anna Dickerson is blocked by sophomore Lilly Snow. In the end, Dickerson’s team defeated Snow’s team. 6. Surveying the game, administrative assistant Tandee Bader awaits her turn to enter the four-on-four basketball game. Her team, The Modifiers, sported shirts that read “Making Changes Helping Kids Fighting Cancer.” 7. With arms out at full reach to steal the ball from senior Jack Tobin, junior Austin Ragusin wears the uniform of his team, Girl Scouts of America. But ultimately, the steal could not help the team. The Girl Scouts of America fell to Team Paule with just seconds left.

2 22 |

Winners of Hoops for Hope

Day 1

1st: 2nd:

Empire Strikes Back The Football Coaches

Day 2 4

1st: 2nd:

Team PPW Team Paule

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24 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

hip • ster noun

informal

/’hipster/

the definition of a hipster is transforming into a label rather than a compliment

elyn Lynch’s hair has red tips, and she uses her diverse fashion sense to express who she is. Lindsey Tobin is a coffee enthusiast who has a passion for photography and enjoys bands such as The 1975. Lily Klima wears metallic skirts to school because it’s what makes her happy, and she doesn’t mind what others have to say about it. The three girls have acquired the title of a hipster because high schoolers tend to rely on titles — jock, nerd, etc. — to distinguish the students within their school. Like all labels, the hipster comes with connotations: a specific wardrobe, a taste in music and a set of interests. But, like most labels, the term hipster is problematic. The definition is being altered from a compliment acknowledging someone’s uniqueness to a label which lumps all of the people who enjoy indie rock, Tumblr and wearing flannels into the same category. This is contradictory to what the definition of a hipster is supposed to be about — standing out and being unique.

read full interviews at www.bvswnews.com | 25

A hipster is defined as a person who follows the latest trends and fashions, especially those regarded as being outside the cultural mainstream, according to dictionary.com. At first glance, junior Kelyn Lynch and sophomores Lindsey Tobin and Lily Klima seem to fit the idea of a typical hipster, since, according to the three, the typical hipster is someone who drinks coffee, wears flannels, listens to indie music and takes pictures. Although some of these hipster traits apply to them in their everyday life, they don’t consider themselves hipsters. “I don’t think anything connects me to the typical hipster, to be honest,” Lynch said. “I just wear what I want, and I don’t care what anyone else thinks or has to say. Fashion for me is all about self-expression and interpretation, so if it doesn’t make sense to other people, then it doesn’t matter, as long as it makes sense to me. I think being hipster isn’t being hipster anymore. Meaning, we used to all think the people who stood out were hipsters, but now being called hipster has to do with a specific look.” Everybody has his or her own way of expressing him or herself, and for Klima, fashion plays an important role in the way she presents herself to others. Her fashion choice is one that stands out from her peers; she puts her outfits together based on what she thinks looks good and not what everyone else thinks looks good — she goes against the ‘norm.’ “I used to watch runway fashion shows when I was younger, and I would see these designers with their new clothes,” Klima said. “I remember this one designer being asked what her inspiration was for her line, and she simply said, ‘me, because it makes me happy.’ I just thought that from

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that point on that’s is that it doesn’t mathow I should think ter where your clothes of doing things. If are from or how much it makes me hapthey cost you; it’s all “My mindset is that py, I do it — I just about putting what it doesn’t matter like to be my own you have together and where your clothes individual. Not seeing what you can caring about other make from it. A typiare from or how people’s opinions much they cost you; cal hipster, I believe, probably makes me limits themselves to it’s all just about not-so mainstream the brands and ‘mainputting what you [in hipster terms.] stream-ness’ of the Most girls my age stereotypical view of have together and are worried about seeing what you can what a hipster is.” their hair and their Tobin doesn’t demake from it. A typlooks, but all I care fine herself to be like ical hipster I believe about is people the stereotypical teen knowing who I truly who would rather go limits themselves to am as a person and the brands and ‘main- out to a party on the accepting me as I weekends. She prefers stream-ness’ of the am.” going downtown and stereotypical view Much like Kligetting coffee with a ma, Lynch uses of what a hipster is.” friend and listening to her clothing choice live bands. Tobin also to stand out and enjoys photography to express herself. convey her emotions junior kelyn lynch Lynch learned and her personality. from a young age “It was really comthat she was a lot ing to accept my perhappier when she sonality and loving my wore what she liked unique differences,” and stopped caring Tobin said. “I was rewhat others thought about it. When she was ally influenced by listening to music and in sixth grade, she wore the typical brand just doing things that made m really happy. clothing but then soon realized that wasn’t I try to be as open and spiritual as possiher style, and she started experimenting ble. I love being able to learn and try new with outfits that didn’t have those brands. things. My personality is loud and I pur“After showing who I really was, I felt a sue taking on artistic types of activities. lot happier and had a lot less stress, even A common thing for a hipster is to take though there were negative comments from Polaroid pictures, which is fine but I took peers,” Lynch said. “For me, clothes can photography more seriously because that’s be from Goodwill to Nordstrom; the price something that I would like to do when I go of the fabric doesn’t matter. My mindset off to school.”

The hipster stereotype is made up of bits and pieces of things that are prevalent in Klima, Tobin and Lynch’s lifestyles. However, that doesn’t mean that the bits and pieces necessarily fit together to fit the label of a hipster. Hipsters are known as people who don’t follow a stereotype; they are unique and stand out from the others around them. But how can they not be mainstream if there is a community of people who have the same mindset? The definition of hipster itself is contradictory. It’s nearly impossible for one to stand out amongst a group of people who receive the same label. However, that’s not what it’s all about. When Klima, Tobin and Lynch live their daily lives, they don’t think about what a ‘hipster’ would do — they do what they want to do because they want to show their individuality. “If you are happy by the way you dress or

act, go for it,” Klima said. “At the end of the day, you’re living for yourself and not other people. People’s opinions do not matter if they’re negative. Everyone should be able to express themselves in whatever way they want, and no one should be able to stop them. The common misconception is that hipsters are ‘try hards’ or ‘posers.’ I commonly get told that I’m a ‘try hard’ or a ‘wannabe hipster,’ but really I just do whatever I want to do. Most people think that hipsters don’t care about anyone or anything, but that’s not the case. A hipster is a normal person, just like everyone else, but they know how to show who they are without directly speaking.”

Most people think that hipsters don’t care about anyone or anything, but that’s not the case. A hipster is a normal person, just like everyone else, but they know how to show who they are without directly speaking. sophomore lily klima

| lexitarter photos by Delaney Oliver graphics by Kate Bowling

| 27

Pinterest Bedrooms on a Budget inexpensive ways to personalize your room

Related Rooms Pinterest is a website where users can go to find designs or inspirations from other users. The website includes do-it-yourself projects that usually save money. In style of Pinterest, students and teachers share their favorite room decorations in their homes accompanied by pictures above.

“I think this vase is just the weirdest thing in the world.. it’s bright, like me. I find the weird things the most appealing in my room.” | senior RomericKeuwo

“I like to use a lot of candles, personally, but I do the battery-powered ones that have the fake flame. You have to touch it to see if it’s real.” | FACSteacherTerryMiller

“My walls are bright purple and are covered in different literary quotes and song lyrics and different things that I like that I’ve illustrated in chalk. I have one really cool [illustration] that’s a running quote, and it’s got all my race quotes from all my cross country years taped up underneath it.” | senior MadelineFines

“I’ve got a whole bunch of movie posters up in my bedroom and vinyl hanging from the walls and stuff. Whatever your interests are, your room should signify who you are.” | senior CalebJenkins

“My bookshelf is the home for art and knick-knacks I’ve collected.” | sophomore LaurenSemple

“DIY flowers are cool, that’s why I put them in my room. They give a chill vibe.” | sophomore LaurenHaught

“I do curtains with a whole bunch of pattern, but I make them out of shower curtains from Target, or I make them out of table cloths and stuff because curtains are really expensive. I just buy a shower curtain, and I cut it in half, and I sew the edges. I pick out ones that are really weird and funky.” | artteacher SarahMcKee

“I like to add cacti and succulents to my room. I set them on the windowsill.” | sophomore MikaylaRayburn

“This is a knife with a swordfish bill. My cousin’s father made the case.” | freshman EthanCornine

“This is my wall of photos with me and my friends, and whenever I look at, it I’m reminded of the fun times.” | sophomore KarieWu

28 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

| katielucas

painting with a purpose Shawn Stelter and Braden Hofen create and sell art to support childhood cancer research

raden Hofen made his first painting with art teacher Shawn Stelter when he was four years old. Stelter and his mom painted his hands and feet and carried him, helping him create a wave spiral of prints that mixed with the handprints and footprints of his brother, Zach. At the time, Braden had been diagnosed with neuroblastoma cancer. He wasn’t supposed to survive. Braden is now 10 years old and has been fighting cancer for seven years. He was diagnosed when he was three, and the cancer relapsed when he was five. “It’s kind of sad how it started, really, but Deliece [his mother] wanted some way to remember what his feet and hands felt like because she didn’t know how long he’d be around,” Stelter said. “So a lot of the stuff [we make] is his hands and footprints, and it’s just for her, so she has that.” Even though there was no known cure for relapsing neuro-

blastoma, the family decided to continue treatment in hopes of prolonging his life. Braden went through everything from chemotherapy to radiation to other targeted treatments, but art gave him something else to focus on. When he was in the hospital for almost a month, he would spend time painting watercolors during the chemotherapy that lasted for days at a time. “Braden absolutely loves to paint, and it was kind of one of the things that was really good for him when he was going through treatment,” Deliece Hofen said. “It’s something that he really likes to do, and it’s also something that you have forever.” A couple of months ago, when Braden was receiving a bone marrow transplant in Philadelphia, both a regular and a 3D art therapist came to see him. They were trained to use the creative process of art-making to improve and enhance the physical, mental and

emotional well-being of individuals, according to The American Art Therapy Association. “It gives them [cancer patients] something to think about other than the treatment steps that they’re going through,” Deliece said. “It kind of is just letting them reclaim a little piece of normal in their lives.” After he got out of the hospital, Braden continued creating art with Stelter. While Braden’s love of art helped him escape from his treatment, Stelter’s love of art started when she was a kid. Stelter discovered that she loved creating art with kids the summer before seventh grade. Her art teacher asked if she would be interested in helping her teach kindergarten through second graders that summer at a six week event called Art in the Park, where the kids met at a shelter to work on art projects. That experience made Stelter decide she wanted to be an art teacher, and she pursued this

goal all the way through college. “I fell in love with the excitement that the kids would have on their face when they made something really fun,” Stelter said. “It was so cool to see their eyes light up when they were so proud of something that they made with their hands.” But Stelter also loved math and science. At one point during the first few months of her freshman year of college, she set up a meeting with her counselor to switch her major from art education to molecular biology. As she was walking to the meeting, however, she talked herself out of it. Art education was more of her fit — where her day was constantly changing and no two days would be the same. She wouldn’t have the same interaction with people if she had switched career paths. “When you’re creating art, I think everybody’s barriers go down, and you open up, and you’re more expressive,” Stelter said.

Graphic submitted by Leah Joseph.

feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | dec. 2014 | 29

“It allows us to connect with our inner child. It lets us go back to those carefree days when you can take risks and you can play and you were never judged. It puts you in touch with your heart. It’s so hard to put into words — it’s so much feeling and emotion that go into it, when you’re truly creating and you’re not afraid of what you’re making.” Stelter later met Deliece in 1997, when Deliece was her assistant principal at Harmony Middle School, so she has known Braden since he was born. The second time Braden got sick, Deliece gave up her position as an administrator to stay at home, where she now runs the foundation Braden’s Hope. Around that time, Stelter and Braden began making art because it was something they both love and can do together. But their paintings also have another purpose. Each year at the Hope Gala, one of the fundraisers for Braden’s Hope, their artwork

30 |

is sold at an auction. The goal of the auction, among other fundraisers, is to eventually raise money to benefit childhood cancer research. Doctors submit grant proposals for the kind of research they want to do, and for every $100,000 Braden’s Hope raises, the organization can award a grant to doctors to start their research. At last year’s auction, two of Braden and Stelter’s paintings sold for around $2,500 apiece. “[Braden] absolutely adores her [Stelter], and he likes to paint, so we thought it’d be cool if we just did a painting that we sold at the gala,” Deliece said. “He just loves her and he would just do anything to go spend time with her, and that’s a really special wonderful deal for him, and I think the act of doing art is something that’s pretty important to him — he just loves to do it.” In the past, the girls softball team and boys basketball team have raised money for the organi-

zation through HOPE Hits and a silent auction, and other students have volunteered on their own. Sophomore Emily Peuser said she grew up knowing the Hofens and their story because her mom was a teacher at Stanley Elementary school when Deliece was the principal. The Peusers have supported the family through the walks and fundraisers organized by Braden’s Hope. “He’s just really energetic and he is fun and always uplifting and just really has no negative energy in his body,” Peuser said. “I think it’s really important to get involved with Braden’s Hope, not only to help a local person to help fight cancer because he’s fought it all his life, but to just help other kids, even adults, with cancer. It means that you shouldn’t give up. Braden’s fought this long, so we should.” In July 2013 Braden was diagnosed with Myelodysplastic Syndromes (MDS), a bone marrow

failure disorder, but he is currently in remission from each cancer and is showing no signs of the diseases. Stelter and Braden see each other every few months to bowl, play basketball or create art. Stelter says she still doesn’t get to see him nearly enough. He has helped her believe that people should do as much as they can in a day and see every day as an unopened gift. “No matter how sick he’s been or gets, you can never tell because when you see him, he’s so excited to see you,” Stelter said. “I don’t know how else to describe his excitement except [like a kid at Christmas] — like if you’re given a gift, and you’re just so excited to open it up and see what’s inside. That’s kind of the way he lives every single day.”

| anandabhatia

Getting Involved This year, Deliece and Stelter are organizing a new event specifically for students at Southwest. On Saturday, April 18, students can volunteer to work with kids who have cancer. The art rooms will be divided up by the age groups of the kids, and students will help the kids make two pieces of art — one to keep and one to auction off at the next Hope Gala in September. Students who are interested should talk to Stelter. Visit bradenshope.org for more information and volunteer opportunities.

Laughing through their time together, Braden Hofen and Shawn Stelter create abstract paintings. ”It’s all about the celebration of getting together and creating something out of that energy,” Stelter said. The paintings were sold at the Hope Gala for around $2,500 apiece to raise money for the Braden’s Hope foundation. Photos by Delaney Oliver.

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Start

figure out what color reflects your personality with this interactive quiz

You are a relatively reserved and quiet person

Yes

| katebowling

You do not let your emotions show, even when you are with close friends

NO You would rather improvise than spend time coming up with a detailed plan

Yes You would rather call yourself down-to-earth than a dreamer

Yes

You find it easy to introduce yourself to other people

You are extroverted, optimistic, action-oriented and physically active. You like to be the center of attention and love a good competition. Your passion and enthusiasm for life help you pursue your dreams and goals.

You do not mind being at the center of attention

You often feel as if you have to defend your principles and ideas

Yes

You need to retreat and have some â&#x20AC;&#x153;alone timeâ&#x20AC;? after spending some time talking to other people

Yes NO Yes

You often do things spontaneously or in a rush

Yes

You believe that it is always important to be in control of your environment

You would rather work in a team than alone

You feel better after spending time with other people

Yes

Red

What Color Are You?

Yes

Your locker and binders are quite tidy (at least for the most part)

Yes

NO Orange

You are quick-witted, charming and spontaneous. You like to multi-task, and you can think quickly. You are more or less organized. You are known to take risks, make bold statements, and you enjoy problem solving.

Yellow

You have a happy disposition and are cheerful and fun to be with. You are creative and often are the one who comes up with new ideas. You tend to have your head in the clouds and would rather have fun than work.

32 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | quiz

Green

You are a practical, downto-earth person. Along with being stable and well balanced, you are kind, generous and compassionate. You have a need to belong and like social situations. You are strong-willed and like to win arguments.

Blue

You are conservative, reliable and trustworthy, although you are very wary in the beginning until you are sure of the other person. You are genuine and sincere, and you take your responsibilities seriously.

information taken from GoodReads.com and 16Personalities.com

silenced

the school emphasizes the seriousness of sexual assault

ast year, a student at the University of Kansas reported that she was assaulted at a fraternity house. The school responded by suspending the fraternity, putting a letter in the alleged rapist’s file and assigning him a reflection paper on the dangers of alcohol and sexual activity. Since the university did not report the allegation to the police, federal authorities are investigating the KU for inadequately handling the situation. According to KCTV-5, the victim almost faced an underage drinking charge, which would have put her in more legal trouble than her alleged rapist. Stories about sexual assault have appeared all over the news for years now. Recent coverage spans from Columbia University’s Emma Sulkowicz, who

carries her own mattress in protest of the school’s refusal to expel her rapist, to the women who have recently raised allegations of sexual assault and harassment against pop culture icon Bill Cosby. However, the KU story was one that hits, quite literally, close to home. High school students find it easy, and sometimes convenient, to separate themselves from this type of crime. After all, the sexual violence covered in the media is often that which involves college students or celebrities. According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), however, 44 percent of rape victims are under 18. This does not include victims of sexual abuse and harassment that are not legally regarded as rape. Statistically, everyone at this school would know at

least one person who has been sexually assaulted or harassed. Yet the school doesn’t talk about it. This lack of discussion runs the risk that students are not aware of the difference between consensual sex and sexual assault. In general, students seem to have a general idea of what consent means. Sophomore Uma Desai defined it as “giving permission to do something,” while senior Colin McLaughlin elaborated that “it has to be clearly said that, yes, we can do this [a sexual act].” However, consent is a complex issue. According to Kansas law, consent is a sober, conscious, adult and unforced “yes.” This means that someone cannot consent while drunk or high. Consent is not possible when unconscious. People under the age

news | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | dec. 2014 | 33

of 16 cannot consent. And any kind of force, coercion, or manipulation to consent does not equal consent. Violations of consent laws are classified as rape, sexual battery or sodomy, depending on the nature of the crime. Blue Valley district policy defines sexual harassment as “any sexual advance, request for sexual favor, or sexbased behavior that is not welcome and not requested.” Again, the rules of consent are applicable — if someone does not consent to a sexual behavior or act, it is harassment or assault. “Any kind of overture, whether it be written, verbal, that is sexual in nature, that is not welcome, could be grounds for [a charge of] sexual harassment,” Assistant Superintendent Dr. Mike Slagle said. In Blue Valley, there is a specific procedure for handling complaints of sexual violence. If a student reports that he or she has been assaulted or harassed, the teacher, counselor or administrator is required by Kansas law to report it to a higher authority. The principal should be the first person notified within the school, and he or she contacts the district office. The case is then routed to the Executive Directors of School Administration, who alert Director of Safety and Security Dan Carney. Next, police are contacted. Law enforcement conducts a separate criminal investigation while the school determines if a dis-

34 |

trict policy has been broken. If the school finds that a student has broken the school policy for non-consensual sexual behavior, discipline can be up to ten days of out-of-school suspension or even expulsion for a severe violation. In addition, legal action can be taken against a perpetrator of sexual violence. Unfortunately, a punishment for the perpetrator does not erase the effect of the assault on the victim. “Sexual assault is the ultimate personal victimization,” Carney said. “It takes both time and support to get to the place where you can put that behind you.” Some victims don’t reach that place. According to RAINN, victims of sexual assault are six times more likely to develop post-traumatic stress disorder and four times more likely to contemplate suicide. In additions, victims are forced to live with the fact that much of American society excuses their victimization. Courts have historically asked victims what they were wearing or what they were drinking at the time of their assaults, as if their appearances or blood alcohol levels made them responsible for their own assaults. People around them joke about sexual violence as if it isn’t a traumatic experience — “That test totally raped me” when a quiz was difficult or “I raped you at that game” when an opponent is beaten. These manners of downplaying

the severity of sexual violence create a culture in which this violence continues to be excused and unpunished. The responsibility for getting consent lies with the perpetrator of a crime of sexual violence. There is no excuse for not obtaining a verbal, non-coerced “yes” before any sexual behavior. “That’s something that, especially in high school, kids need to tune into – really respecting the other person’s space and their bodies,” Carney said. Unfortunately, it is still probable that a student in the Blue Valley school district will be a victim of sexual violence. In this case, the district emphasizes the importance that every student feels safe at school. School counselors and the school psychologist are available for in-school support, and they also provide references to out-of-school treatment and therapy. Accommodations for the victim’s comfort are also considered, such as removing a victim from a class shared with a perpetrator. “We’re trying to create a safe environment for kids,” Slagle said. “If, for any reason, a student feels unsafe in that environment, then we’re going to figure out how to make it a safe environment. We want you to feel safe.” | madisonleighty

If you are feeling unsafe at school, please visit the counseling office or resources on the district website.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network (RAINN), 1 out of every 6 American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in her lifetime. | 35

NO-SHAVE NOVEMBER N

o-Shave November is an event created by a nonprofit organization of the same name. In November, men participate by not shaving their faces — to represent the hair that cancer patients lose in chemotherapy — and by donating the money they would usually spend on shaving supplies and haircuts to the American Cancer Society, which has had a partnership with No-Shave November since 2013.

| katielucas

eniors David Tudhope , Andrew Gillet. and junior Zach Miller parcipate in No-Shave November. As the month progressed, the facial hair grew longer. Towards the end of the month, the students did clean up their scruff, violating the “no-shave” vow. “I had to shave my beard for an audition,” Zach Miller said.

| abbyyi

36 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | photo essay

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unior Becca Gregory stands firmly perched at the edge of the diving board with her back to the looming water below. She spreads her arms out to her sides in a perfectly straight line, as she balances her weight on the tip of her toes. Becca deviates her mind elsewhere, blocking out the thought of the water fifteen feet beneath her. She lightly bounces up and down, preparing for her dive and slowly raises her arms above her head, her fingertips directly parallel with her vertical form. A rush of adrenaline overcomes her, and she springs off the board. Her body rapidly spins in a 360 motion, and the water surrounding her splashes into the air as she glides into the pool. Becca’s seemingly effortless landing is attributed not only to months of practice and dedication, but also to her experience in a technically similar sport, gymnastics. Prior to diving, Becca had been a competitive gymnast for six years, as well as a competitive cheerleader and dancer for seven years before that. By earning high enough scores at regional and state competitions, including a state championship, Becca made two appearances representing Missouri at the Junior Olympics. “Becca has always been a very driven person,” Becca’s father Brian Gregory said. “When there’s a skill that she wants, she will work on it nonstop, night and day, until she gets it. Even when she was little in dance she would just practice in the house for hours and hours.” At her second and final Junior Olympics, Becca competed in three events — mini-trampoline, trampoline and tumbling. Her intense

Back Sommersault Two-and-aHalf Twist

Becca leaps off the board with her back to the water, spinning her body in a 360 degree motion two-anda-half times in order to land on her feet.

training for months prior to the competition paid off, as she finished in the top ten in her division and the top 25 in the nation for each event. After the competition, conflicts with the coaches influenced Becca to compete for another gymnastics team. However, she only stayed with the new team for two seasons before making the decision to quit the sport. “At that point, [after the Junior Olympics], I knew I wasn’t going to go anywhere with gymnastics,” Becca said. “I tried another team, but it just wasn’t the same. I hit my prime and I was done.” A factor that played into Becca’s decision to quit gymnastics was her newfound interest in diving. She was introduced to the sport by a former gymnastics coach who recognized that Becca had reached the point in gymnastics where she had accomplished what she was capable of, and that it was time for her to challenge herself with a new sport. Diving was appealing to Becca because the flips she had mastered in tumbling would be beneficial when doing flips off a diving board. After she spent a year and half participating in both gymnastics and diving, alternating which days she attended practice for each sport and simultaneously balancing schoolwork and a social life, Becca made the difficult decision to quit gymnastics. “It was so hard to quit because I’d spent so much of my time and so much of my life dedicated to [gymnastics],” Becca said. “It was really hard walking away from that knowing that I was done.”

Front Oneand-Half

Becca dives off the the board in a typical front dive, but flips her body frontward and glides into the water head first.

38 | dec. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Inward Dive

Standing with her back to the water, Becca jumps off the board, bringing her arms toward her legs as they spread vertically into a downward dive.

Balancing both gymnastics and diving created a hectic schedule for Becca, but she was still able to find success in her new sport, as she won 5A Girls State Dive Championships in her first full season of competition her sophomore year. However, Becca’s diving career began with a rough start. She decided to quit halfway through the season freshman year, only after competing at two meets, in which she placed third and first, respectively. “The coach issue I had with the gymnastics coach led me to have trust issues with coaches in general, and I just freaked out, and there were flashbacks of it,” Becca said. “I just needed to get away from sports and take a break from it for a minute.” As dive season approached sophomore year, Becca was encouraged by her parents to rejoin the sport, as they saw the potential she had in diving and recognized that she thrived in a competitive atmosphere. While Becca was initially hostile toward beginning diving again, she came back to the team with a new outlook. “[When she rejoined], there was a little bit of a different attitude,” Girls’ Diving coach Russ Ingold said. “Not that the attitude was bad before, but it seemed like she was more driven, and she had some more goals. She was willing to do things she’d never done before.” Even though Becca hadn’t dived in over a

Reverse Dive

Becca dives off the board in a frontward dive, but flips her body backwards and straightens it vertically as she lands head first into the water.

flipping toward success junior Becca Gregory uses past gymnastics experience to win a state diving championsip

year, she hadn’t lost any of her skill. While state qualifiers must receive cumulatively a high enough score out of a possible eleven dives, Becca reached the qualifying mark by receiving high scores on only six dives at just her second meet of the season. At her qualifying meet, Becca surpassed the diver in second place by 83 points and was the second Southwest diver ever to qualify for State. “The goal is always to qualify for State,” Ingold said. “After a while, she saw she had that possibility. It was more of a mental thing than a physical thing, and once she finally got that in her head that she had that possibility, she just skyrocketed.” Being the only Southwest diver to qualify for State presented Becca the oneon-one opportunity to train with Ingold. She practiced for two months before the competition, perfecting the 11 dives that she would be performing at State, all of differing degrees of difficulty. However, even though she had mastered the majority of her dives, she was discouraged by her inability to execute one in particular, the reverse dive, in which the diver stands at the edge of the diving board to seemingly do a frontflip, but instead does a backflip. “There was this one practice before

State where I just broke down,” Becca said. “I was like, ‘There’s no way I can get this dive.’ I needed that dive to win State, and I was like, ‘It’s not going to happen.’ But I was so motivated. I really wanted to do well at State, and I didn’t want to embarrass myself there, so I just had to do it.” At the 2014 State meet in Topeka, Becca competed against 5A divers from around Kansas, many who had multiple years of experience, as well as some who already had diving scholarships for college. While the competition initially intimidated Becca, her high scores solidly kept her second place at the end of the first day of the meet. Becca said that she would’ve been pleased with a second place finish; however, Ingold strategically planned the order of Becca’s 11 dives so that she’d perform her best dives and those of the highest degree of difficulty on the second and final day of the competition. For her final three dives, Becca scored her personal best on each dive and ended up winning the competition by 20 points, making her the first Southwest Girls’ Diving State Champion. “[Becca] has always been at the top of all the sports that she’s done, so it’s not

Photos by Donna Armstrong and Abby Yi.

like we expect her [to win], but that’s just her — she wants to win,” Becca’s mother, Amy Gregory, said. Since quitting gymnastics, Becca has dedicated the time she once spent attending gymnastics practices toward diving. In June, she joined the Kansas City Diving Club, where she’s the youngest diver on a team of college divers who dive for Division I and Division II schools across the country. Becca said that training alongside college divers has allowed her to think more seriously about scholarships for diving and her future in the sport. cont. to bvswnews.com.

| margojohnson

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preparing for their futures

Junior Riley Brown focuses her camera on senior Erica Christie, who is one the actors for Brown’s short film that tells the story of the mysterious disappearance of a group of friends as they play hide-and-seek. Working with a variety of actors has given Brown the chance to improve her directing skills. “You have to treat [the actor] with respect because if you don’t, then they’re not going to work with you again,” Brown said. Photo by Lauren York

students use experiences from CAPS programs to explore different professions | margojohnson

unior Rylee Brown intently keeps her eyes on the screen of her camera. With a steady hand, she aims the camera on her subjects, adjusting the lighting with a twist of the mode dial. For each scene, she closely examines the footage, carefully analyzing the camera angles, lighting and acting in order to decide whether to shoot another take. Although the film will only be a few minutes long, the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) Filmmaking program has taught her the importance of each scene and its part in the overall finished product. Brown enrolled in the Filmmaking course after a recommendation from counselor Kristi Dixon. Brown had taken Broadcast I at the high school and had previous video making experience on YouTube, but she never had the in depth learning experience of a program solely devoted to teaching students about the filmmaking industry and filmmaking techniques. Despite Brown’s limited exposure to the film industry, she had planned to take online school junior year in order to complete her credits and graduate early and then attend film school. However, Dixon had another idea for Brown and suggested that she enroll in the Filmmaking program at CAPS. The creative freedom that the Filmmaking program allows has been a positive experience for Brown, and it caters to the learning style that best fits her. “[CAPS] has made me like school a lot more,” Brown said. “I was just not a person who enjoyed high school at all. CAPS has given me an outlet to be creative in the morning and then come to school and get my work done. I have to go back and forth so much [between CAPS and Southwest] that I don’t feel like I’m in high school half the time.”

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Filmmaking instructor Gina Njegovan said that many students in her class are similar to Brown in the sense that they are ready to move past the filmmaking techniques and projects covered in broadcast classes and move into an in-depth study of the filmmaking industry and learn about potential careers in the field. Through the films that the students produce and through work with film industry professionals, students are exposed to the many sides of the filmmaking business and the numerous potential careers. “Most of [the students] think that they want to be a director or a cinematographer, but what we learn is, through working with filmmakers, that [the film industry] is a 10-15 year process, and you’re going to start out as a grip,” Njegovan said. “But there’s so many facets, and there are so many people that they aren’t aware of [who work in the industry]. You’ll have 120 people on a production shoot, so we try to really get in there and see those things so they’ll be able to see there’s all these different [components of a production].” The curriculum of the Filmmaking program is designed so that two-thirds of the projects the students work on are creative projects. In the first semester of the program, students produce a number of short films, including a music video and a narrative. The other third of the curriculum is dedicated toward producing films for businesses and learning the skills of working with clients. Njegovan said that she finds local businesses for students to work with that have serious intentions of using the students’ final products in the future. cont. to bvswnews.com.

Left: As part of the anatomy unit, junior Jessica Bitteker examines the organs of intestines of a number of animals. The Veterinary Medicine program covers numerous topics throughout the semester, covering various aspects of the animal health industry. Above: Bittker and senior Vanessa Boyd look at the internal body parts of various animals. The class spends about two days a week in the CAPS building doing hands-on projects and labs. “I have loved how much we gain real world experience rather than learn via PowerPoints or vidoes,” Bitteker said. Photos by Lauren York

"It was a blessing to me to be offered this class and the opportunity to dig deeper into veterinary medicine and go beyond what I could learn in the typical classroom." -Junior Jessica Bitteker

n Kansas City lies the heart of an area not commonly known for its innovation in veterinary medicinal sciences. The Health Corridor stretches from Manhattan, Kan. to Columbia, Miss., and the companies based in its area generates the products that account for half the worldwide animal health, diagnostics and pet food sales, according to the KC Animal Health Corridor. Because of this, the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) added Veterinary Medicine to its course offerings. The program, taught by Kelley Tuel, aims to expose its students to not only careers in the veterinary field, but also in fields of animal care and animal health research.

“When people see our title of the course, they think that we’re only preparing students to be veterinarians,” Tuel said. “But really, so many students might be considering becoming a veterinarian, but they know that they would like a career that has something to do with animals, so the goal of our course is to introduce them to as many possibilities as we can of things they can do in the future with animals, which may or may note be right for them, but just to expose them to things they didn’t know existed before.” The new course attracted junior Jessica Bitteker, who enrolled in program with a strong interest in a profession as a veterinarian. Tuel said that around a third of her students, including Bitteker, are set on being veterinarians, but the other two-thirds aren’t yet sure of the career regarding animals that they’d like to pursue. Through shadowing opportunities at animal clinics, animal shelters and animal daycare facilities, students are exposed to a variety of careers in the field. Students also get the chance to meet with professionals in different areas of animal health and explore animal health programs at the university level. “Taking the Veterinary Medicine course has affirmed my decision to be a large animal veterinarian,” Bitteker said. “The experience I had getting to the meet the dean of veterinary medicine at Kansas State University and sitting through an anatomy lecture was very helpful for me, as that is the college I wish to attend.” cont. to bvswnews.com.

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Above and right: Senior Abby Pelfrey works with students in Elizabeth Hendrix’s first grade class at Morse Elementary on a Thanksgiving-themed project. Although she shadowed in a sixth grade classroom, Pelfrey liked working with young elementary school students the best. Spending a combined total of six weeks with kindergarten and first grade students has taught Pelfrey how to resolve conflicts among students. “I’ve seen how to deal with situations, like if they fight over a crayon, and how you’re just like, ‘OK, you can take the crayon for five minutes, and then you have to give it your friend’,” Pelfrey said. “It’s totally different how you have to deal with them because they don’t understand sharing.” Photos by Lauren York

hile senior Abby Pelfrey is used to being the student in the classroom, being on the other side of the classroom has given her the unique experience to understand the responsibilities of a teacher. Through the Blue Valley Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) Teacher Education Program, Pelfrey has learned the duties of a teacher by being enrolled in a program where she spends three hours of each class day preparing for her future profession. Pelfrey is currently enrolled in her first semester of the program taught by Tammy Fry. While she enjoyed babysitting and tutoring her

"[Teaching] is a lot harder than it looks. I think a lot of people think it's any easy job, but it's a demanding job. You really have to know how to deal with kids, and you have to like kids - That's something we really focus on at CAPS." - Senior Abby Pelfrey 42 |

younger sister, Pelfrey realized that she would potentially want to pursue a career in education, and that the CAPS program would be a good indicator if she was serious about majoring in teaching in college. “[Teaching] has kind of been my whole life, but these past couple years I’ve been really interested in it and have been looking into it,” Pelfrey said. “I just love little kids. They’re not ‘too cool for school,’ and I like teaching life skills – stuff you use your entire life, instead of just harder math.” Pelfrey said that an aspect of the Teacher Education program that has confirmed her plans to be a teacher is the shadowing opportunities. In the first semester of the program, Pelfrey is at the Instructor level – the beginning and introductory level of the program. Throughout the course of the semester, Pelfrey was sent out to shadow three different occasions. Pelfrey originally entered the program interested in teaching upper elementary school students, but after completing shadowing opportunities in a sixth grade classroom and kindergarten classroom, she realized that she preferred early elementary school education. Pelfrey completed her last shadowing session in a first grade classroom at Morse Elementary, which she found was the best fit for her. cont. to bvswnews.com.