BVSW - The Standard - Volume 10 - Issue 1

Road Work Ahead

students face problems with construction on Quivira Road pages 12-13

ROAD WORK

The Standard blue valley southwest | volume 10 | issue 1

2 | contents / the standard / sept. 2019

contents feature 7 | Going international 14 | Hall of fame dance 18 | 10 years and counting 20 | Getting choosy with your smoothie 24 | Strength of the wolf pack

sports 10 | Fall sports preview

opinion

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5 | Summertime scholars

news 12 | Road work ahead 16 | ‘Life is precious’ 22 | New approaches to Spanish grading

on the cover students face problems with construction on Quivira photo illustration by sydney wilson & isha patel

volume 10 / issue 1 www.bvswnews.com

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4 | editor’s note / the standard / sept. 2019

editor’s note W

ow. Three years later and this is the final year. Stepping into fifth hour newspaper on the first day of sophomore year, I remember, was exciting but also different. I would have never expected myself the next semester to be the only 10th grader on staff. It continued to be like that, and for two cycles I wrote, designed and repeated with the same people. It was a bond that slowly came to be but seemed to end so soon. After saying goodbye last year, I had new adventures to look forward to the following year. This year we have welcomed nine newsies to room 118 and it couldn’t be more exciting. The past few weeks together has been filled with fun and teamwork. I have gotten to know each and every one of them and can tell they are starting to find their love for the newspaper as I did. This new change of people has made a positive effect on me as I am learning new things with them along the way.

Our newsie bond will grow more and more as we produce each issue this school year. We may be small, but we’re a mighty staff and that is something worth celebrating.

In this issue, we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the school’s opening by meeting teachers who have been here for the long ride. And the celebration continues as we talk about the results of a recent national dance competition. New places and trends are discovered as people continue to hunt for the latest smoothie trends in the area. Wherever you are, you’ll always meet new people or try new things. There are many new things to explore in this issue just as we are exploring the creativity of a new staff and getting to know each other.

It is going to be a great year and I hope you all look forward to how we raise the Standard this year. Stay tuned for more.

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.

| editor-in-chief

The Standard 17600 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS 66221 Website: bvswnews.com Email: bvswnews@gmail.com

opinion / the standard / sept. 2019 | 5

Summertime Scholars taking online summer classes great option for students to open up schedules

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ummer school. This term has traditionally been considered taboo ranging from elementary school to high school. In other influences such as TV shows aimed at middle school and elementary school students, summer school is portrayed as a home for juvenile delinquents, slackers and students who don’t possess the intelligence to complete the class the first time.

However, many students in our district opt to take summer classes to graduate early, to allow time in their schedule for CAPS or to simply avoid taking classes during the school year that would otherwise bog them down. Summer classes offered consist of Health & Wellness, one of the more popular choices, and others such as Psychology, American Government and Design Fundamentals. Most of the classes offered during the summer now are online and students can work at their own pace to complete their summer work.

Social studies teacher Gregg Buehler teaches online American Government over the summer and has been doing so for the past seven years. Although summer classes used to have certain times when students and teachers had to collaborate in the classroom, it has all been replaced by electronic online interaction.

“Now, it’s really online; it’s completely online,” Buehler said.

“There’s no face-to-face interaction. It’s all communication through email and through Canvas and Moodle.”

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a two-way street that benefits both the students enrolled and the district as well.

“I kind of want to do it to get it out of the way so I can make my senior year the easiest,” Craft said.

Additionally, many students simply see Health & Wellness as a simpler class that they just need to pass to graduate, which is why it is such a popular summer course.

“Yes, I’m actually really happy (I took Health) because it freed up my classes this year,” Jafari said. “I’m taking Anatomy and Chem this year, so if I had to take health with it, I just wouldn’t really have a class to take that I really would have chosen to.”

Buehler said he sees two main reasons that students take American government over the summer.

“It seems like most people take the course because they want to either graduate after first semester of their senior year or they’re getting it out of the way because they want to do CAPS and they want that extra time to be able to accomplish that,” Buehler said.

Overall, the summer school program that has been implemented into the district is popular and more than moderately effective in helping students accomplish their goals.

It is reliable, taught well and frees up the schedule for students who want that opportunity in their academic career. It may not be for everyone but many students who have taken the summer courses have nothing but amazing things to say about them.

“Yeah, I definitely would recommend it,” Jafari said. “If you think that you might be super busy during the school year or you need to fill up or empty your schedule for a class.”

| lukehottovy

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Not only is this type of classroom setting different from regular or AP government but the actual coursework is vastly different as well.

“You know, a lot of the assignments are subjective,” Buehler said. “There’s not a vocab thing. It’s not a lot of paper writing.

It’s a lot of they read about something and then via video they discuss it.”

Although the American government course has more subjective coursework, other classes such as Health & Wellness provide students with a more traditional classroom environment and objective coursework.

Sophomore Shadi Jafari took Health & Wellness this summer to help free up her schedule for the year and said she thoroughly enjoyed the ability to work at her own pace which the class provided.

“If I was busy one day, then I would just plan ahead and just work on it more the next day and honestly, the workload wasn’t even that much,” Jafari said.

Junior Carson Craft also completed online Health & Wellness this summer and expressed similar opinions about the class as Jafari.

“I do think it was a lot more relaxed than if I would have taken it here,” Craft said. “Because online, you can go at your own pace.”

Although summer school may still be off-putting to some, there are a variety of different reasons why students wish to partake in courses during the break, all of which have their benefits. For example, graduating early would be more difficult, if not impossible, if these summer courses were not as prevalent in our school district. For the most part, these reasons that students have for partaking in summer courses are

feature / the standard / sept. 2019 | 7

Going International

senior Abby Rowland and her dad participate in the 12th world father/daughter golf invitational

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pening up an internet page, Harold Rowland searches for summer golf tournaments to participate in. Clicking on the first website that is listed the words “My unforgettable Father/Daughter golf trip to Waterville, Ireland” appears on the screen as he further reads the article becoming more interested.

Toward the end of summer, senior Abby Rowland and her father Harold took a trip to Ireland to participate in the 12th World Invitational Father & Daughter Tournament.

“My dad wanted to find something him and I can participate in — I mean, we play golf together a lot but he wanted to do a tournament together and he found this father-daughter tournament in Ireland and it [was] the first thing he found when he searched it up,” Abby said.

Staring in eighth grade, Harold said Abby decided to pursue the sport because she was looking for something to play in high school. He said she picked up how to play the game pretty quickly and started to improve.

“At first I didn’t realize it was going to be super hard so I thought I should do it for fun, but I got good quick and made some friends on my golf team in New Orleans so I just learned to keep going because I put a lot of work

into it and did not want to waste it all,” Abby said.

Abby said her favorite part of the sport is that it is both an individual and team sport, meaning you have a team to play with but are also responsible for your score.

After moving to Overland Park about a year ago, she began playing frequently at St. Andrews golf course with her dad once or twice a week and eventually joined the girls golf team this year at school. Head girls golf coach Dustin Leochner said Abby is a good role model to have on the team. He said she works well with the other girls and is taking the freshmen on the team under her wing.

Abby’s original interest in golf came from her dad who has been playing the sport his entire life and has been a member of the Professional Golfers Association since 1997.

“I would prefer to play with my daughter than anyone else,” Harold said. “It is great to have her to myself on the golf course for four hours.”

Harold said he initially entered the 12th World Father Daughter Golf Invitational to spend time with Abby before she leaves for college next year.

“The event was competitive, but time and creating memories with my daughter is what I wanted,” Harold said. “It was an amazing experience.”

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Leochner said he likes to keep tracks of the girls’ scores on the team who play in summer golf tournaments and that is how he found out about Abby’s trip.

“I usually email their dads or them a few times [during the] summer and I was just checking in with her dad [and] he told me that they were headed out to Ireland to play in this tournament,” Leochner said. “I thought that sounds like a pretty awesome experience.

Made me think that would be kind of like a dream trip to do with my daughter someday.”

Harold said the invitational lasted three days as they played one practice round and two tournament rounds.

He said their trip first started in Belfast where they spent a day watching The Open in Northern Ireland.

Afterwards, Harold said they drove five hours driving through the Republic of Ireland to Waterville where the invitational was held.

“The tournament started 12 years ago and the intent was to bring Fathers and Daughters to the golf course together. The same organizers have been conducting a Father/Son tournament for over 30 years,” Harold said.

Golf is a great sport and events like this help grow the game of golf. Females are the fastest-growing segment in the sport today.”

Abby said their intentions going into the game was to try and win but after playing a practice round, they realized it was going to be tough — nothing compared to what they have played on before and on top of that, the weather conditions were bad.

“The wind was 30 mph, for the distances we would have to use clubs that would go a lot farther because the wind was using so much and we did play in the rain for a little bit,” Abby said. “The conditions were crazy and it was an interesting experience.”

Abby said there were around 40 teams total that participated in the invitational from countries such as Ireland, the United States, Canada, Spain and Australia.

She said there were two different divisions the teams participated in: net and gross.

“Net division is when you add the handicapped to it and you get extra strokes and you’re not as advanced and some fathers are good but their daughters have never played the sport before and they just want to go and have fun with them,” Abby said. “But the gross [division] is the regular score without any extra strokes.”

She said they both played in the gross division and

that the format of the invitational was the best ball so they each got to play their own ball and whomever scored the highest, in the end, would put their score on the scorecard.. Harold said the tournament took place at Waterville Golf Link in Kerry Island. All of the daughters played their game on 6,200 yards while the fathers played on 6,800 yards. Abby said they finished 8 over a 72 total par in the tournament.

He said they finished fifth in the Gross Division and ninth in the Net Division overall.

“Golf is a great way to network,” Harold said. “Abby made many friends the week we were in Ireland and has stayed in touch with them since our return. New friends in Ireland and new friends in the US. It was fun watching her embrace the culture, people and play as well as we did.”

| ishapatel

photos courtesy of Abby Rowland

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Fall Sports Preview

10 | sports / the standard / sept. 2019

athletes work hard during falls sports tryouts

With a swing of her racket, sophomore Sydney Bonder warms up before tryouts on Aug. 19. Bonder said she loves all of the girls and coaches, and always gets enthusiastic about going to practice. “I’m really excited for all of the matches, and just getting to spend time with all of my friends on the team,” Bonder said.

Running laps around the school building, senior Christian Buehler participates in cross country practice on Aug. 19. He says he is eagerly welcoming new members to the team and is very motivated to perform well at this year’s state competition. “Of course I just want to get better, but I would love to place higher at state and even try to win it,” Buehler said. “If you work hard, it’s worth it.”

Swinging her club, junior Anna Comstock breaks a sweat at practice on Sept. 9.

Comstock said this is her first year playing for the girl’s golf team and she is excited to see what this season has in store for her. “This season I’m ready to just be out on the course at practice every day and just having fun with my teammates,” Comstock said. “My favorite thing about golf is just working on constantly getting better and improving my skills.”

| 11 Bumping the ball, senior Miranda Nolte tries out for her final season of high school volleyball at practice on Aug. 19.

Nolte said she is excited to get to know all of the new girls on the team and have a lot of fun during all of the home games. “I think our goal for our team is to keep the intensity but still enjoy ourselves on and off the court,” Nolte said.

Throwing the ball to the receiver, sophomore Caden Hacker runs through his new plays at practice on Aug. 28. He says he has been playing football since a very early age and thinks he makes a great asset to the Southwest team. “I would say being a part of a team is like having another family,” Hacker said. “It’s just that great bond that we have.”

Kicking the ball, sophomore Nate Esterline does field drills at his first soccer practice on Aug. 19.

Esterline said he is super pumped to be playing varsity, and that he is very hopeful for their upcoming season. “My favorite thing about playing for Southwest is the competitiveness, and just how close all the guys are,” Esterline said. “The team [acts] like a family and it’s a lot of fun.”

| karleykent

12 | news / the standard / sept. 2019

Road Work Ahead students face problems with construction on Quivira Road tudents drive to school blaring music with their windows down preparing for the first day, only to be interrupted by a detour road sign. On Monday, Aug. 12, construction started outside the school, closing Quivira road from 175th to 179th. Though it’s a small stretch, it contains two important school entrances and exits.

“I found out about the plans at the end of April last year.

And my reaction was, ‘Wow, what are we going to do now?’” principal Scott Roberts said.

Plans for construction took Roberts off guard, but it didn’t

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stop him from finding a way to work around the issue. He said his plans have allowed it to be the least inconvenient it can be.

“We talked to the traffic engineers in Overland Park,” Roberts said. “We talked among people in the school district, our director of safety and security, several people in operations and the planning department, so we spent a lot of time thinking about this. It actually took until the end of the summer.”

Students were informed of the construction plans in May 2019. Sophomore Ali Fabrizius said it is frustrating.

“I didn’t know why they wouldn’t work on it during summer instead of during the school year,” Fabrizius said. “It’s a lot more difficult for all the students and everybody now. Summer would have been a lot easier.”

Fabrizius said she feels cramped and traffic is worse because

she is having to go different routes around the school.

“I have to wake up a little earlier and make sure I leave the house at a certain time and don’t catch all the traffic when leaving my neighborhood,” Fabrizius said.

Roberts said the project was out of the school’s control and they had no say in the start date, because it is the city’s project.

The school is only able to work around the issue.

“I really wish we could have started back in May, they could have had two months on this project,” Roberts said. “We would have been done in [another] three months. Starting [in May] would have been a lot better, but it’s out of our control.”

Freshman Paige Walton said with after school activities, the construction can be even more of a hassle.

“If you need to get somewhere after school, it’s just a lot harder,” Walton said. “If you run to the car, I feel like you can get out really fast, but if not, then it can take anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes.”

Not only do students like Walton have to change their afternoon schedules, but junior Ben Kudrna had to change his morning schedule as well.

“The first day I left at like 7:15,” Kudrna said. “And did not walk into the school until 8:05 because of the traffic.”

Kudrna said there is a very small window of time students have to get out to their cars in order to beat the afternoon traffic.

“After seventh hour, instead of staying back and waiting for my friends, I try to get out to my car and leave, then just meet up with them later once I’m out of the traffic,” Kudrna said.

“That way I am not at school until like 3:30.”

Roberts said he’s aware it can take anywhere from 10 to 25 extra minutes to get to school in the morning because it is impossible to get so many cars in and out of one exit.

“Because the vast majority of students don’t like to be late and they hate sitting in traffic, they’d rather come a little early, and so they’ve made that adjustment,” Roberts said.

Roberts said there were litigations that caused the original construction start date — May 25 — to be pushed back.

“Starting the Monday before school started would have been the least opportune time to start this,” Roberts said.

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I sure hope it does The current project is expected to be completed by Jan. 1, after which students will have access to the two entrances on Quivira. However, the four way stop at Quivira and 175th will then be closed as construction workers install a roundabout.

“When the roundabout comes in, that’s a whole new thing,” Roberts said. “I’m concerned about how student drivers are going to approach that.”

When compared to Blue Valley High, Kudrna said roundabouts flow pretty well and he is just going to have to see what happens at Southwest.

“It’s probably going to be pretty chaotic at the start just because it’s a bunch of high school drivers in a roundabout trying to get to school,” Kudrna said. “But I think just like the traffic now, once they figure it out, it’s going to be a lot better.”

ROAD WORK

Roberts said he believes the longterm effect of the roundabout and widening Quivira is going to make a huge difference for traffic and traffic safety. However, Fabrizius said she is concerned for the safety of herself and new drivers.

“It makes everything harder,” Fabrizius said. “Especially with freshmen who are just now starting to drive and they don’t know as much as older people who are driving … and possibly could cause a crash.”

Roberts said safety is at the forefront as the construction continues.

“My concerns were always about safety. Could we safely get everyone — using one two-lane road — in and off of campus?” Roberts said. “And after the first day, I feel like that is happening. Part of it is because we’ve got great kids and a really cool community and kids actually stop to let other students enter. You don’t get that everywhere. So we’re blessed to have that. You guys are really cool kids.”

| sydneywilson

14 | feature / the standard / sept. 2019

HALL OF FAMEDance students particitpate in a national dance competition over the summer

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tanding on stage, sophomore Lauren Finke and the Above the Barre Dance Academy accepted the second place trophy at the “Hall of Fame” dance competition in Orlando, Florida. The runner-up spot was extra sweet because it ranked the team above Dance Expressenz, which made it to the fourth round on the TV show “World of Dance” in 2018.

Finke said her team had intense rehearsals during the summer to prepare for the “Hall of Fame” competition.

“The first few weeks of summer, they were pretty intense,” Finke said. “We prepared for probably 20 hours a week, but then we got there and we just we said we were doing this for ourselves and for our team and it wasn’t as stressful.”

Going into the dance, Finke said she and her teammates knew about Dance Expressenz from previously watching them on “World Of Dance.” Finke said she wasn’t expecting to make it into finals this year, so it was a shock to place above the dance academy that performed on national TV. “Nobody expected it,” Finke said. “It was a really, really big deal for us.”

The dance that beat Dance Expressenz was a group dance to the song “Dear You.” A choreographer from Dallas, Texas, named Nick Gomez aided in making the dance. “[The story behind the dance is a] message in a bottle that you put out into the ocean,” Finke said. “So you write a letter to someone just saying ‘Dear You’ explaining everything to them, and then at the very end, we took papers out of our pockets and made paper airplanes and threw them.”

Finke competed in a total of 11 dances for the competition. She did eight group dances, one duet and two solos. Surpassing about 100 teams and all of their dances, Finke made it to the finals for three of her dances. The

songs that made it to the finals were “Anything for Love” “Let Me Blow Your Mind” and “Dear You.” “My most memorable moment is probably seeing the little kids on the team come and watch me and my group,” Finke said. “Just to see how I used to be in that spot when I was little looking up to them and how we are those people for them now.”

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2 Surpassing the many teams participating in Hall of Fame, freshman Caroline Sorcher and her studio, Starstruck, placed third.

“There was ... a lot of other really good teams that compete[d] with Hall of Fame,” Sorcher said.

The dance that won the award is the production number that had an underlying theme of Toy Story. The entire company took part in making this dance.

“We had over 100 people in [the dance],” Sorcher said. “My director...with all my other teachers [choreographed it].”

Sorcher said this was her favorite dance she performed at the competition.

“All of my friends [were] there and it [was] so fun to compete as a team together,” Sorcher said.

A lot of dedication went into receiving an award for the dance.

“We work[ed] really hard all year long...learning our dances and cleaning them [up],” Sorcher said.

She said she competed in seven dances along with the production for the competition, participating in a few large and small group dances. “[The most memorable moment was] probably just doing all the competitions with my friends,” Sorcher said. “It’s so fun to hang around them all day long.”

At the KCI Expo Center over the summer, junior Jessica Slezak said she performed eight dances in multiple different categories: one solo and seven group dances. She said three of the dances made it to finals.

Slezak said she learned the dances last year and had been preparing for the competition over the course of six months.

After she finished learning the dances, she spent five hour intervals practicing each of her dances.

She placed in two of her large group dances and her production. One of the dances, called “I’ve Been Waiting,” was performed with 13 people and placed second. Slezak said the other large group dance was a quirky Jazz that is from the 80’s.

This dance is called “Dance Anthem.”

Slezak said her favorite dance is the production, Prince Ali. The dance is a musical theater number composed by two people who work at the company. Slezak said it was one of the best dances to be performed this year.

“For every competition we went to, that one...was, like, the highest,” Slezak said.

At the Kansas City Hall of Fame competition, the dance placed first. “[My favorite memory] is just spending time with my friends,” Slezak said.

| sirichevuru

1) Sophomore Lauren Finke and freshman Caroline Sorcher pose with their friends to take a picture. Photo courtesy of Lauren Finke 2) Caroline Sorcher and her team preform a dance at Hall Of Fame on Aug. 29. Photo courtesy of Caroline Sorcher

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3) Junior Jessica Slezak and her group preform on stage at the Hall of Fame competition. Photo courtesy of Jessica Slezak

16 | news / the standard / sept. 2019

’ s u o i c e r P s i e f 'Li school works to educate students about options during mental health struggles

Editor’s note: This article includes discussion of suicide, depression and mental health issues that may be troubling for some readers.

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tudents in the Blue Valley School District are becoming all too accustomed to hearing about the death of a fellow classmate, teammate or best friend.

Five students in the Blue Valley district died by suicide between the spring of 2017 and spring of 2018, according to a December 2018 Huffington Post article.

Teen suicides plague Blue Valley, but it is a nation-wide problem.

“There is a lot more pressure on students to be successful, to have a life plan, to have some sort of a passion at 14 years old, and some people just don’t have

that,” counselor Kelli Baucom said.

Baucom said she and the rest of the counseling department is available for students to address difficult situations.

However, sophomore Emma Payne said it can be difficult for some students to relate to a counselor.

“It’s not a comfortable place because you’re not there a lot so you don’t have a connection with them,” Payne said.

Baucom said for those students who don’t feel comfortable talking with a counselor, they will work with students to identify a trusted adult who can help during difficult times.

| 17 “If your trusted adult is a coach, if your trusted adult teaches English or science or business or is one of the custodians or paraprofessionals — go to your adult, and your adult will help you with the next steps,” Baucom said.

Junior Austin Yarbrough said he thinks the school has taken steps to help prevent teen suicides, but believes more action must be taken. Yarbrough suggested using advisory as a time in which students could learn about managing stressors.

“I think they could come in and evaluate more on how you’re doing as a person and they could see if you are in need of help,” Yarbrough said. “Like [your] social well-being.”

Baucom said the school is partaking in multiple suicide prevention programs, including Zero Reasons Why and Sources of Strength.

“Sources of Strength is really kind of an up-stream program for suicide prevention that looks at how [to] build those areas of strength, and those protective factors around students early, so that when there is trouble, they know where to go,” Baucom said.

Both of these programs work to remove the stigma surrounding suicide conversations, in addition to educating the student body and building community support.

“I think students sometimes can think that the adults around them have never struggled, and so when we can share those experiences and be able to say, ‘Hey, yeah, I’ve felt that way too and here’s what I did,’” Baucom said.

“Because mental health can be really, really isolating; your brain is really powerful, it can pull some pretty crazy tricks on you and make you feel as if you’re the only one who’s ever had a hard time, who’s ever struggled with that issue, who’s ever not known what to do in a certain situation.”

The feeling of isolation can be exacerbated by the actions of other students, even without intentions of causing harm Payne said.

“A lot of people joke about it, like it’s a joke or not something serious, and so the people who actually have those feelings, they think that people are just

going to laugh at them and it’s not going to be taken seriously, so they just think, ‘What’s the point in sharing?’” Payne said.

Mental health issues can happen to anyone, and it’s often difficult for students to empathize with those who are struggling Yarbrough said. He’s learned that keeping perspective is the best way to cope and understand what’s going on with your friends.

“I think that if you’re not good friends with somebody that you know has committed suicide, that it doesn’t really affect you as much as it would somebody else, and I think you would learn that people would teach you perspective of what’s actually going on in their life,” Yarbrough said.

In accordance with the Jason Flatt Act (2016), the school has a crisis plan to deal with a possible suicide, and every personnel member is trained about what to do in the situation. Even with the precautions and training followed by teachers, adults are often the last to hear about a struggling student.

“A lot of times students are the first to know when something’s not right with one of your friends,” Baucom said.

“If a friend is asking you to promise not to tell when it comes to mental health, that’s real high on the list of why you should tell somebody.”

If help is not given to a student, the feeling of hopelessness can grow until the opportunity to help is no longer available.

“Just be aware of what’s going on with students and if you see a problem, like a kid is bullying another or something like that, step in,” Payne said.

“Don’t wait until it’s too late.”

Yarbrough said an important first step to prevent further student deaths is to start talking about suicide and educating the community about mental health.

“Life is precious, so live every day to your fullest and you should never hurt anybody,” Yarbrough said. “You need to treat them with respect because you don’t know what is going on in their life, so you should just respect them as a person.”

| keithansharp

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255 National Crisis Text Line: 741741

Suicide is now the second leading cause of death among 15-24 year-olds* Suicide rates have increased 33% since 1999* Since 2018, 14 youth age 18 or younger have died by suicide in Johnson County** *according to a CDC report **according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Coroner Call Out Log

18 | feature / the standard / sept. 2019

10 Years and Counting founding staff members reflect on school’s first 10 years

Meredith Stewart receptionist Q: What made you stay at southwest for 10 years?

A: I love that one day I looked up and there were students going down the

hallway carrying a fishing pole and a piece of pepperoni. You don’t see that in the corporate world. You know, I just like the kids. They are a big reason why I’m here.

Q: Are you planning on staying here in the future?

A: It’s funny, in my job interview when Mr. Roberts asked me where I was going

to be in 10 years. I responded, “Hopefully at Southwest.” I didn’t expect that to happen, but I’m still here after 10 years. The other day I caught him in the halls and I said, “See, I didn’t lie.” And I plan on staying — I just like being here.

Melissa mccarty science teacher Q: What made you stay at southwest for 10 years?

A: I really love it here. I think that the teachers I work with are really great people

and we all get along very well. And everybody really cares about the students.

And it’s all about the students’ well-being. And we have a wonderful population of students as well.

Q: What are some of the biggest differences from year one to year 10?

A: I mean, the technology access has impacted our lives in so many ways, some I mean, the technology access has impacted our lives in so many ways, some positive

positive because now we can do so many things we could never do before — we Skyped with a scientist on the other side of the country. But I’ve also seen a huge increase in anxiety and depression and some of those, and I kind of see a correlation between those two things.

Mike Brown head custodian Q: What has been your favorite memory?

A: Probably just opening a school up, sending the first batch of kids to come

through, and getting kind of acquainted with how to do a school because this is all new to me. My background is in management, sales and stuff like that. So the management part is still there, but the sales part isn’t.

Q: What are some of the biggest differences from year one to year 10?

A: Just the kids and the way they treat the building. In the first few years, we had very few problems. Last three years, we’ve had a lot of problems, destruction of property, stuff like that.

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Kathy Nichols administrative assistant Q: What made you stay at southwest for 10 years?

A: The people would be number one. And I just enjoyed being around high school kids.

Q: What has been your favorite memory?

A: Several years ago, we had where the [special education] department did a talent show. And that was always a lot of fun.

Q: What has been an achievement for you here?

A: Well, I started out as the attendance clerk in the front office. And so getting to work down here in 601 has been really fun. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. It’s a great place to work.

Erin fine business and computer teacher Q: What made you stay at southwest for 10 years?

A: Southwest was my first teaching job in high school. I was here when we

opened and I loved being part of that beginning and starting the traditions. I’ve really enjoyed the co-workers I’ve gotten to work with. I love the building, and I love the support that we get from our administration. So it’s just it’s kind of become my second home.

Q:What has been your favorite memory?

A: There are a lot, but the one that stands out was my very first year here. It

was when I was coaching dance, and the dance team was part of the marching band as the color guard. Now they’re separate. But we were at one of our first competitions that year, and our band was super small. So we were sitting there listening to awards and in our division, the same school kept getting rattled off for the top spot in all of their, you know, awards that they handed out. Then they called the outstanding Color Guard and the Blue Valley Southwest name got announced and our entire band just erupted. The sound of the gym was something I’ll never forget.

bob putnam art teacher Q: What made you stay at southwest for 10 years?

A: I’ve grown to like the place. I wasn’t really impressed at first. But now I enjoy

the kids. The first year the school opened up, it was really fun to see how the kids have changed.

Q: what has stayed the same all 10 years A: The windows. The windows are the same. Lots of Windows. Still shiny.

Q: where do you see yourself if five years?

A: On the porch. Drinking some coffee, not having to rush off to work.

| maddiesack

Getting Choosy With Your Smoothie

10 | feature 20 ads / the / the standard standard / feb. / sept.

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four smoothie shops in the Overland Park area provide students with a healthy energy boost

Robeks

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he quaint healthy eats and smoothie shop off of 135th and Antioch known as Robeks is not only recognized for its infamous acai bowls, but also for its nutritious smoothies. It is a popular place to grab an after school snack for many high school students, and its colorful decor and fruitful essence brings in a wide range of customers.

Sophomore Henry Bradford not only works at Robeks but also treats himself with one of their iconic smoothies a couple of times a week.

Bradford said his favorite smoothie is the 800 lb Gorilla which has “peanut butter and chocolate, and vanilla frozen yogurt, and it has a lot of protein.”

“If I’m ever feeling hungry or need something,” Bradford said. “That’s what I get.”

Senior Macy Deppe first discovered Robeks when on a hunt for smoothie bowl shops, and was pleasantly surprised by the variety of products.

“My favorite smoothie’s probably from Robeks is like either raspberry romance or if I get a smoothie bowl,” Deppe said. “I like to get the acai strawnana berry bowl.”

Both Deppe and Bradford said the smoothies leave them full after one serving, and can serve as a meal any time of the day.

“They have a lot of different options,” Bradford said. “If you’re looking for a good smoothie, I wouldn’t say they’re overpriced.”

Deppe, on the other hand, shared a popular belief regarding the pricing strategies of these smoothie shops.

“They could probably take a couple dollars off,” Deppe said.

She also said these smoothie shops have positively impacted many lifestyles.

“It’s kind of funny, because I feel like Starbucks used to be like the big thing, and now a lot of people are like, ‘Hey, you want to go get a smoothie?’

So I like that,” Deppe said. “I think it’s great that a lot of people are engaging more in smoothies.”

T. Loft

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Smoothie King

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rom the cafeteria lunchroom to an afternoon energy boost, Smoothie King is a convenient smoothie cafe known for its wide variety of iconic smoothies. With a friendly staff, Smoothie King is one of the most popular smoothie cafes in the area.

Senior Sophie Oatman is a frequent customer at her local Smoothie King.

“I live pretty close to it, and so I go there a ton,” Oatman said. “I’ve known it for so long; I don’t even remember how I first started hearing about it.”

Like Oatman, many students base their preferred smoothie cafe off of where they are living for a matter of convenience.

“Smoothie King’s closer for me; it’s more

he warm and cozy, chandelier-lit, tea and juice bar is known for its healthy beverages that are sure to satisfy any appetite. It is a hot spot for health conscious individuals, with a range of products from juices to protein bites to smoothies. With its notably admirable adornments and gluten free friendly menu, T. Loft is tucked into the Park Place Center in Overland Park.

Senior Macy Deppe has tried many smoothies around the Overland Park area including T. Loft, and is a big fan of their carrot juice in addition to their smoothies.

“I’ve only gotten a smoothie there once and it was really good,”

Deppe said.

T. Loft is often times recognized for its emphasis on raw natural ingredients, making its smoothies a healthier choice over other smoothie cafes.

“If you are a healthy person and like to taste all the different nutrients, then it’s good,” Deppe said.

Senior Sophie Oatman said she has also tried out some of the products that T. Loft offers.

“I think T. Loft is kind of healthier," Oatman said. "You can just kind of taste that it has less sugar and is kind of made differently."

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convenient,” Oatman said. “Just closer and fast and easy, I guess.”

Oatman also pointed out that her mood can impact her decision of where she wants to get her smoothie.

“Sometimes one sounds better than the other,” Oatman said. “Sometimes I think Smoothie King tastes better, too.”

She said she thinks the pricing for smoothies at Smoothie King is higher than it should be, but all in all, it is worth the extra couple of dollars.

“I know they have $5 Fridays, but I think it’s about the right price, but it could be cheaper. But a lot of things could be cheaper,” Oatman said.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe

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he small smoothie cafe that serves refreshing smoothies and a variety of meal options known as Tropical Smoothie Cafe, has become exceptionally popular ever since its opening in 2018. With its bright blue chairs and electric orange decor, the smoothie cafe serves a variety of food and drink products from its Bahama Mama smoothie to its Chipotle Chicken Club sandwich. With its staff primarily consisting of students, it is a go-to location for a smoothie, with its convenient drive through option.

Sophomore Kelsey Schnettgoecke is a frequent customer at the smoothie cafe, with her favorite smoothie being Sunrise Sunset.

“I like going to Tropical Smoothie Cafe because it’s really close and convenient,” Schnettgoecke said.

She said she enjoys this smoothie cafe in particular “because people want a healthy alternative, and it’s really easy.”

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Senior Sophie Oatman said the location of this smoothie cafe is convenient and reliable for students.

“It is kind of in that Cosentino’s Market and so it’s kind of close for everyone,” Oatman said.

Schnettgoecke said the drive through helps “if you’re on a quick run to get something.”

Freshman Tiana Simmons also said she enjoys going to Tropical Smoothie Cafe with her sister because of the great value deal they offer.

“It has the largest drinks for the lowest price,” Simmons said.

She also said the smoothies are great because of the energy boost they offer.

“Well, it’s really refreshing, and just makes you smile,” Simmons said. “It just gives you more energy and makes you feel more active."

| saharbaha

22 | news / the standard / sept. 2019

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traffic and class timings are not the only things changing his year. Students in Spanish classes are adjusting to a new system that focuses more on student growth rather than a letter grade.

Standard-based grading is very different from the traditional grading system, in many aspects. It has a completely different grading scale. Everything is graded on a scale from one to four, and an 85 percent or above is considered an A. Some other differences are that the most recent assessment will be worth more than the previous one, and each summative and speaking assessment can be retaken.

“Standard-based grading allows students the opportunity to grow, and get rewarded for learning the material, and progressing in the language,” said RJ Palmgren, chairman of the Spanish Department, and Honors Spanish 4 and AP Spanish 5 teacher.

This new system also eliminates one of the key components of previous world language classes: speaking points. Instead of the teacher marking down tallys each time a student speaks, they note how much a student effectively contributes to class discussions during each week. Amiah Simmons is a junior in Honors Spanish 4.

“I prefer the new system because it’s more based on your participation, and you don’t have to have anxiety over getting your speaking points for the week,” Simmons said.

Standard-based grading also has different learning standards which provide explanations of the different concepts taught in the class. The teachers instruct based on these standards as well. Report cards include a grade from the one - four scale on each standard, of how well they did on the material. The different categories allow students to clearly see how they are doing in every aspect. Instead of a vague letter, they receive an actual breakdown of their progress in the class.

Spanish 3.5 student, sophomore Ananya Balakrishnan, said she finds standard-based grading very systematic and organized.

“It really helps you know what you have to improve on,” Balakrishnan said.

Writing on the white board, Spanish teacher Tor Fornelli conjugates verbs during Timber Time on Aug. 29.

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During Timber Time, Spanish teacher RJ Palmgren helps junior Tanner Curry with a vocabulary assignment, while senior Drew Jennings offers support.

However, just like in any other case, change is something to get used to, and the students are still adjusting to how the new system works.

“I honestly think it’s kind of confusing, but I feel like it’ll be easier to get a better grade in Spanish,” Balakrishnan said.

Simmons said she didn’t really like it at first, but when she understood why it was implemented, she learned how it could be beneficial.

“I [feel] more reassured, because if I don’t understand something I can always get help from my teacher,w and retake an assessment,” Simmons said.

Many people are guilty of “playing the game of school,” and completing assignments just to keep their grades up. But with standard-based grading the focus is more on student mastery, and allows students to be more interested in the material they are learning.

“It’s a lot easier because it focuses more on content, and accuracy,” Balakrishnan said.

Constant formative assessments and the emphasis on student mastery also helps teachers to know how students are keeping up with the content required for each standard. This way they can teach more effectively, by focusing more on what the students need help on. The goal of the system is to take the emphasis off of letter grades, in hopes that students will be truly motivated to understand what they are learning, which will help bring them more success in the long run.

“I honestly don’t care if you learn the material today, or if it takes you a week or two to learn it, as long as you learn it, that’s the most important thing for me, and I want to reward you for learning that,” Palmgren said. | rebeccasuku

24 | feature / the standard / sept. 2019

Strength of the Wolf Pack marching band preforms new show in honor of the school’s 10 year anniversary

1. At the parent showcase on Aug. 24, the brass section blasts their instruments toward the color guard warning them to stay away. In honor of the school’s 10 year anniversary, sophomore Isabelle Ellis said the band’s music reflects their continued protection of the pack showing the friendships formed within the school community.“I really love the part where the mellophones and trumpets come in after the woodwind feature and I also love the trombone glisses,” Ellis said. 2. Holding her saxophone, sophomore Isabelle Ellis listens to band director Brandon Lesando talk to band parents on Aug. 24. This year’s marching band show is based off of “Strength of the Pack” in relation to the school’s 10 year anniversary. “It’s kind of marking the anniversary of the school, and kind of about the wolf pack coming together,” Ellis said. “It’s not as intense as last

year’s show and it can be quite cool to do something different.” 3.

Playing the marimba, senior Garrett Greathouse concentrates on the music during the parent showcase performance on Aug. 24.

Greathouse said being in band has given him a chance to play music and perform, but it has also provided a chance for socialization.

“I just always like the social interactions we have in band, so I’ve always stayed,” Greathouse said. 4. Waiting for the band’s parent showcase to start on Aug. 24, senior Nicholas Olsen holds his saxophone at the ready. Olsen has been in the band for four years and said he has come to enjoy performing with his peers. “At first, I was made to join band, but I eventually learned to love it,” Olsen said.

| jamiemalmkar