the standard blue valley southwest | volume 10 | issue 5
Caffeine Craze
caffeine addiction is a growing problem among students
Pages 16-17
2 | contents / the standard / march 2020
contents feature 5 | Language without borders 8 | Dash down the lane 10 | Spring break 2020 12 | Pitch perfect 22 | Stepping into style 24 | Survive and advance 26 | Programming your future
sports 30 | Spring sports preview
opinion 19 | One way in
news 14 | Going viral 16 | Caffeine craze
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on the cover There are multiple energy drinks, including those pictured, that are commercially sold, that may lead to health risks for teens. pages 16-17 design by isha patel and siri chevuru
volume 10 / issue 5 www.bvswnews.com
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4 | editor’s note / the standard / march 2020
editor’s note A
s spring break approaches and the Coronavirus is on the rise, my body and mind persists for me to take a rest. However, it is not so easy when you take all AP and honors classes. Every single day, I have to work equally as hard to understand what is being taught in class, working on taxing assignments and studying for tests. Because of this year, I’ve learned how to keep myself somewhat organized and prioritize what I have to do. Unfortunately, I hardly have any Timber Time where I’m not visiting classes; I can no longer use it to take a mental break. Luckily for me, newspaper has become a place where I can relax in the middle of a stressful day. Given newspaper has its own deadlines to meet and priorities, the class has a laid back atmosphere that helps me restore my energy to carry me through my day. When I’m stressed, I usually try to focus on one thing and move on to the next. I am looking forward to Spring Break. I can finally destress from my packed school schedule and have time to meet up with friends that I have not seen in a long time. In this issue, there’s a wide selection of topics to choose from. We cover information relating to school such as the having only one middle school feeder and the pressing issue of the Coronavirus. Our staff writers have also dived into students’ lives through activites and interests like a capella, robotics, shoe trends, spring break trips, enneagrams, a big senior tradition and sports; this issue has something for everyone to enjoy.
the standard editor-in-chief isha patel online editor karley kent design editor siri chevuru social media manager sahar baha staff writers luke hottovy sydney wilson rebecca suku maddie sack keithan sharp jamie malmkar ellie phillips staff photographer josiah davis adviser rachel chushuk
| designeditor
The Southwest Standard is published seven times a year for students, faculty and surrounding community of Blue Valley Southwest. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Southwest Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. All letters must be signed and names will be published. The Standard 17600 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS 66221 Website: bvswnews.com Email: bvswnews@gmail.com
feature / the standard / march 2020 | 5
Language without borders studen ts talk ab e out different languages used at hom
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n a country where many cultures are mixed, students tend to focus on the culture and language spoken by a majority and distance themselves from their own culture. However, some students are taking an interest in connecting to different cultures by taking world language classes and sometimes connecting back to their family roots. Junior Lianna Shoikhet said she has Ukrainian ties on both sides of her family. She said she has been speaking Russian since she was young, but noticed she was forgetting the language as she started socializing more. “As I started to go to school and as I started to speak English more around the house, I noticed that I was forgetting a little bit,” Shoikhet said. “You improve your language with practice, and I just wasn’t practicing as much.” To combat her forgetfulness, Shoikhet said she would watch Russian soap operas, news and cartoons. She also relearned how to read and write Russian with her parents’ help. Now, she said she reads Russian at an eighth-grade level. When Shoikhet was younger, she would spend time with her grandparents, whom she primarily spoke Russian with. They would teach her everything in Russian. When she started kindergarten, she said she encountered some difficulty. “It was really hard for me to adjust from Russian to English because I was learning my ABCs in Russian and it was just difficult to learn,” Shoikhet said. After finally understanding both languages thoroughly, Shoikhet said sentence structure is practically the same. Differences include is the length of the alphabet, the accents and the sounds. For example, in Russian, there’s something called hard accents and soft accents. Shoikhet said she wishes to continue learning and studying Russian in college, but she said finding an opportunity to do so might be difficult. “It’s not like Spanish or French — it’s not very popular — or even Chinese,” Shoikhet said. “It’s not a common language to be studying in college.” Knowing her mom has been in a class to learn Russian in college, Shoikhet said there might be a few programs out there, but they are almost nonexistent.
Along with Russian, Shoikhet can fluently speak English and French as well as a little bit of Ukrainian and Armenian. Similar to Shoikhet, senior Megan Garcia learned Spanish from a young age. Her dad immigrated from Colombia and her mom learned Spanish in college. “My grandmother on [my dad’s] side took care of me when I was very young,” Garcia said. “I actually started learning Spanish at a very young age.” Unlike Shoikhet, Garcia did not experience any difficulty when it came to school, primarily because Spanish is taught at schools and is similar to English. Garcia said she’s been taking Spanish in school since kindergarten. She said once she starts speaking in Spanish, it is just much easier for her to stay in it. She also said she has an advantage when compared to other students in her AP Spanish 5 class. She said she loves helping her friends with pronunciation and vocabulary. “I can learn a new word and, like, I’ll remember it ... because that comes with being a natural speaker,” Garcia said. At home, Garcia speaks English with her mom and sister, but practices Spanish with her dad. “I like to just speak to my dad and we like to listen to salsa and bachata [music],” Garcia said. Along with listening to music, Garcia also watches European soccer games in Spanish with her dad. She said she was once obsessed with watching telenovelas because she found them entertaining. Now, she watches Spanish movies, TV shows and HBO Latino. When Garcia recently visited Mexico, she said she used the moment to practice her Spanish. She said she would often communicate with cab drivers and other locals. “I would start speaking and, a lot of people are shocked [...] because I do look very Caucasian,” Garcia said. The locals would exclaim that she sounded like a native, and Garcia said she considers Spanish as her second language. In many other social situations, she said Spanish helped
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her communicate with others and tear down a cultural wall. “I’ve learned to appreciate being able to communicate with people I wouldn’t normally be able to,” Garcia said. Garcia has worked jobs when speaking Spanish became helpful. It would not only give her the advantage to get hired but also help make other people’s days better. “I used to work at Starbucks, if they’d come up and they’re trying [and] they’re struggling and I can speak their language you know, that helps tremendously with connections,” Garcia said. Mandarin teacher Miko Wu said learning a foreign language can help people adapt to new situations because they’re immersing themselves in a new culture. Learning a new language can also open paths that would not have been seen before. “I think it definitely broadens your horizons and also gives you a lot more opportunities,” Wu said. Without learning English, Wu said she would’ve never thought to study abroad in the U.S. and soon end up teaching. She has been learning English ever since elementary
Korean
school, but spoke Mandarin at home. Along with English and Mandarin, Wu said she learned some Spanish and Japanese in college. Her incentive to take these classes was because of their popularity, but she said she quickly began to enjoy the classes. “You have a sense of achievement [when] you can really talk to someone in another language,” Wu said. Wu said it’s very important to learn another language, especially if the language connects back to one’s family background. “I think it can keep your heritage, even though you’re American, but you still have your own culture,” Wu said. “It’s your own identity, and it’s what makes them different from others. I think for sure you need to keep your own culture.”
| sirichevuru
Italian
Japanese
English
Mandarin
Spanish
Vietnamese
Portuguese
Filipino
Arabic
Indonesian
French
dash DOWN THE LANE
8 | feature / the standard /march 2020
junior Yaseen El-Demerdash qualifies for Paralympics trials in Singapore this summer
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rom joining the Kansas City Blazers swimming team nine years ago, to being invited to the Worlds Series swim meet in Singapore, junior Yaseen El- Demerdash has had a huge impact on the school’s swimming program. After recently being classified as a para athlete due to his rare condition, Poland’s Syndrome, he has greatly affected the para and non para swimming communities. Being born with Poland’s Syndrome is seen as a limiting factor to one’s physical abilities, but El-Demerdash said he was able to adapt to his condition by starting to swim at the age of 7. “I think going into swimming for me when I was younger, I hated it,” ElDemerdash said. “I didn’t want to do it, because it was difficult.” His mom, Dina Massoud, was the one that encouraged El-Demerdash to swim in order to help him build the strength to overcome future challenges. “I wanted to always set him up for success,” Massoud said. “So one of the things that I thought would really just help him is making his body stronger.” The effects of Poland’s Syndrome vary from one person to another. For El-Demerdash, the right side of his body is missing muscles and bones. Although his physique doesn’t match
that of his fellow competitors, he has managed to excel in his non para swimming. “I’m missing a pec on my right side, a couple other muscles, so my right side is weaker than my left and I’m missing bones in my hand,” El-Demerdash said. Throughout his nine years of swimming, he has been able to adapt to his condition and continue to train as hard as his teammates. Because of the unequal balance in muscle, he needs to overcompensate on his right side.
“
He has reached four standards in four different events to be an All American.
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| coacharvelmcelroy
“He’s going up against physically stronger, bigger [swimmers],” Massoud said. “Most people don’t know that he’s working that much harder ... and he’s still competing and beating many of those swimmers.” El-Demerdash hasn’t let his condition bother him in terms of selfconsciousness. Having been recently classified as a para athlete, the doors of opportunity have opened for El-
Demerdash. Former head swim coach and current interim coach, Arvel McElroy said he is impressed with El-Demerdash’s drive and positive attitude toward all that he faces. “I just see him with confidence and drive once he was classified as a para athlete,” McElroy said. “It was like he had some new goals to try and set and to reach.” This year was the first year the national Interscholastic Swim Coaches Association established a para AllAmerican category. “He has reached four standards in four different events to be an All American,” McElroy said. “He has set seven national breaststroke records for para athletes in the last month.” Having accomplished so much in so little time has given El-Demerdash a lot of opportunities to continue competing at such a high level. He is also making advancements in the nonpara swimming community having recently broken the school’s 500 freestyle record. “When it comes to viewing that,” El-Demerdash said. “I view it as just one step toward an end goal.” Even though he dedicates a lot of his time to swimming, school has always been a priority for him. Balancing his schedule between school, swim, and robotics keeps the swimmer busy
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outside of the pool. “As he becomes more proficient in swimming...he’s going to have to push himself that much more, and it’s going to become much more stressful,” Massoud said. “I guess my concern would be making sure that he handled that all well.” After recently competing at the Jimi Flowers meet at the Olympic training center, El-Demerdash broke the American record for the 200 breaststroke, and was classified as a para-athlete. He was then invited to the World Series, to get classified internationally. After the meet, ElDemerdash was also able to join the national team. “After [the World Series], I’ll go to the Paralympic trials where I’ll try to qualify for the Paralympics,” ElDemerdash said. “So fingers crossed, keep working toward that, and we’ll go to the Paralympics.” El-Demerdash joined the varsity boys swimming team as a freshman
and has had a lot of personal growth since joining the team. His teammate, senior Isaac Holman, has been able to watch El-Demerdash grow on the team. “I thought it was really cool to just see him progress even throughout the year and just continue to drop time every week,” Holman said. Being on the team has not only given El-Demerdash the opportunity to grow as a swimmer, but to also build long lasting bonds with his teammates. “We both were in a lot of relays together, and made finals together,” Holman said. “Obviously, that was just a good experience to just have a bond with him and just come out of that together.” After spending hours in the gym and pool together training and practicing, El-Demerdash has been able to get to know all of his teammates. “A lot of the people I know is because of swimming,” El-Demerdash said. “So we all suffer together, we all
Junior Yaseen El-Demerdash competes at a meet on Jan. 9.
train together.” Being on the school team has also been an opportunity to exhibit and implement leadership skills for El-Demerdash. Since he is an upperclassmen on the team, he is able to lead the team and become an example to his teammates. “It was just pretty cool to see how Yaseen kind of led the team and set an example by his work ethic,” Holman said. “Just the way that he really dedicated himself to the sport.” Whether he makes it to the 2024 Paralympics or not, El-Demerdash will continue to excel in swimming. “My hope for him, now that he’s also joined the Paralympics is for him to continue to do both non para and para,” Massoud said. “Just to continue to grow and to continue to push himself and excel and challenge himself.” | saharbaha photo courtesy of Claudia Le
10 | feature / the standard / march 2020
2020 200 students surveyed about spring break plans “I prefer going somewhere warm during spring break because it’s like a break from the cold of the winter.” | juniorlukelangham
“During spring break when I was little, my mom and I would go to Heritage Park together and we’d play and paint each other’s nails.” | sophomorecarolynbrotherson
Going on a family vacation Binge watching shows/movies Partying with friends Other
25
20
15 A week at a Caribbean resort 10
Exploring nature in Yellowstone Riding rides at Disney World
5 Going snowboarding in the Rockies 0
Other
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Within the country
18.5% Outside of the country
75%
7%
25% 8.5%
9%
“I’m going to Jamaica this year with my friends and I’m just excited to make memories that we can remember for the rest of our lives. We’re going to relax at the resort and tan at the beach, maybe even go scuba diving and do some fun stuff like that.” | seniorsahaahmadian “Me and three of my friends are visiting San Diego and we’re going to the beach and planning on catching up with some old friends.” | seniorandrewskouse “I’m going down to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, with one of my close friends and we’re looking at swimming with dolphins, whale watching and probably just laying out on the beach.” | seniorlaurenpeak
| rebeccasuku
57%
| 12 / feature / the standard / march 2020
Pitch Perfect three students share their experiences singing a cappella in a nationally ranked group
A
capella singing is a group or solo performance without the use of instruments. Different sounds coming together form the beats and vocals of the song. Three students at school have taken their singing to the level of a capella by participating in a nationally ranked group known as KC A Cappella. Junior Ashley Hendricks said KC A Cappella is made up of a group of 24 students from different high schools across the KC metro area. “It’s not super competitive, but you definitely have to be passionate about singing and it’s not something just anyone can get into” Hendricks said. “We definitely have some of the most talented students from the area.” Senior Dom DeCicco said he has been a part of the group for the same time Hendricks has — two years — and sings tenor 1. “Nationally, we’re technically in the top 10 groups of last year, so we’re pretty well known in the a capella world,” DeCicco said. “We’re one of I think two groups in the high school division that is not from a singular high school where we have people from multiple high schools and so some people hate us for that, because they’re like, ‘Oh, they get the cream of the crop,’ but we also rehearse once a week instead of five days a week.” Senior Fabiola Cabrera was the most recent of the three to join the group six months ago. All three said they found out about the group while performing in theatre shows with their group members. In a similar situation as Hendricks, Cabrera said she auditioned twice before being asked to be a part of the group. “The auditioning process … is through a video submission, so you have to go on their website,” Cabrera said. “All you have to do is memorize a song and you’re given a track and get to listen to it, and you have to select the part that you’re auditioning for. We have to answer why we want to be a capella and what we would contribute then [sing any] song in acapella.” DeCicco said the group rehearses together every Sunday for
about two to three hours at John Presbyterian Church. “[We’ll] start off at the beginning of the year, just learning music and then we get to specific details and then when we get to our competition season we’ll get into staging for performances,” DeCicco said. “Then just running through our sets and whatnot, and then we rehearse for our final concert at the end of the year.” Hendricks said the group sings a range of songs that they lease and practice together. “We sing a wide variety of different songs on contemporary pop music, a little bit of musical theater, but I think my favorite song that we’ve ever sung, was ‘True Colors’ last year,” Hendricks said. Cabrera said the group was formed by Overland Trail choir teacher James Levi, and in addition the group has a student choreographer who comes up with choreography to each of their songs for the entire group. “He’s kind of the head coordinator for this, and he’s a music director,” Cabrera said. “He coordinates absolutely everything. Like it can be kind of like, not a treasurer, but manages funding. He books us performances [and] he teaches us music.” In January, KC A Cappella was awarded first place at the Varsity Vocals ICHSA quarterfinals competition in Normal, Illinois, qualifying the group to advance to semifinals in March. “There are a few competitions throughout January to April, and there’s three different rounds,” Hendricks said. ‘There’s quarterfinals, semifinals and finals and so we just competed in the quarterfinals last month. We move on to the finals next month in Ohio and if we get first there, then we get to go to the advanced finals, which will be in April in New York City,” Hendricks said. Last year, the group placed third at semifinals and continued into the wild card round, placing third, ranking them in the top 10 in the nation. Cabrera said that the team took home three trophies for best choreography, best soloist and placing first.
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“Hearing them call our name was so exciting and everyone was jumping and screaming,” Cabrera said. “Additionally we weren’t just the champions but our soloist Tracy Knight won best soloist for Stronger Than I’ve Ever Been and Jackson Tomlin won best choreographers. So we went home with three trophies, we achieved something big. DeCicco said he has a lot of first place confidence going into semifinals and thinks the group has a stronger performance this year. While they are not traveling to perform at competitions, DeCicco said they are performing at various events throughout Kansas City year round. “We do the plaza lighting ceremony pretty much every year,” DeCicco said. “We have the past three and been on the televised event for the past two years. We’ve done a bunch of corporate holiday parties this past year.” Hendricks said being a part of this group allowed her friendship to grow with DeCicco and Cabrera. “I have been very close friends with Faby and Dom for a really long time, so getting to be in KC A Cappella with them outside of school has just made our friendship stronger and it’s something that we all bond over and get to share together,” Hendricks said. All three said KC A Cappella has helped them improve their overall music skills. Cabrera said it has specifically improved her ability to read music, understanding dynamic and rhythm, as well as everyday skills. “I’m just becoming a lot more patient of a person because the whole process can be a little tedious at times,” Cabrera said. “And honestly, it feels really good to say that I’m a part of an a acapella group that is pretty prestigious in Kansas City — the state of Kansas — it feels good to know that I’m part of something so well respected.”
Junior Ashley Hendricks and senior Dom DeCicco sing on stage at the quarterfinals of the ICHSA compettition.
| ishapatel photos courtesy of Ashley Hendricks
Junior Ashley Hendricks sings alongside KC A Cappella at a recent competition.
Going Viral
14 | news / the standard / march 2020
statistics shown on world epidemics and pandemics
Preventative measures
Restricting travel, wearing viral masks, social distancing, alerting medical professionals and sanitizing are many of the ways to prevent spreading illness.
Global situation of COVID-19
6
continents
100+
countries/regions*
3.4%
average death rate
“[At some places in China,] the streets are vacant now. Everybody’s staying home and everybody’s wearing viral masks. They take precautions because they know how real it is. I would definitely start wearing my viral mask and having my Purell with me, readily available.” | scienceteacherdocmartens
“It wouldn’t be possible to catch a virus because I have a great immune system. I won’t have to worry about [viruses].” | seniorjordanhenington
U.S. COVID-19 Coronavirus cases
Every state has seen school, store and buisness closings.
Cases in Every State
“Every one is affected, and even at the beginning, when it may be isolated or localized, it doesn’t stay that way because we travel so much. We have to be very knowledgeable and careful about how viruses can jump so easily from many species to humans.” | scienceteacherdocmartens
*Information as of March 19
Past outbreaks 2002
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“I think that [the Coronavirus will] scare people even more when there’s another outbreak because it just keeps getting worse and worse.” | freshmanconnerfalkner
SARS-CoV Coronavirus China Suspected origin: bats
2012
2009
MERS-CoV Coronavirus
Swine flu
Middle east Suspected origin: bats, camels
United States Suspected origin: pigs
2013
Ebola
Africa Suspected origin: monkeys
2019
2015
COVID-19 Cornavirus
Zika Virus
China Suspected origin: unknown
Brazil Suspected origin: mosquitos
All information according to Johns Hopkins University, cdc.gov, usnews.com, and worldatlas.com
| jamiemalmkar
16 | feature / the standard / march 2020
Caffeine craze Caffeine addiction is a growing problem among students
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tarting off Monday morning, senior Maddie Pieropan grabs a cup of coffee on her way to school. Pieropan said she believes strongly in the idea that caffeine addiction is a real thing, and happens to students at school, like herself. “I do need to drink caffeine to keep myself awake in some way, shape or form, so maybe I have a little bit of caffeine addiction,” Pieropan said. According to a study performed by sciencedirect.com, 79% of teenagers reported drinking caffeine for energy, but some would disagree on whether it is necessary. Band director Brandon Lesando said teenagers should not be co-dependent on caffeine because of their already high energy levels. “A lot of students have enough natural energy because they’re younger. They don’t really need caffeine, but they rely on it,” Lesando said. “ I feel like it’s sometimes doubling down on something they don’t really
need.” Teens can also become reliant on caffeine because of the marketing approaches taken by companies and the addition of caffeine to popular drinks. Junior Matt Claar said he thinks this is a good addition to drinks like Sparkling Ice+caffeine in the lunch room. “Sparkling Ice is a household name, a lot of people buy them, but when they made their caffeinated version, it just got better because they’re making more money and people already love Ice so when you add the boost, it just gets better,” Claar said. Because of the popular flavors and appeal to teens, many do not even think of caffeine as anything different than a normal drink. Bang and C4 are other popular energy drinks that claim themselves healthier. “I usually drink pre-workout such as Bang or C4 because those are better for you, which they’re really not,” Claar said. “I wouldn’t say they’re like, amazing for you, but they’re a lot better than Monster is for you, so I tend to drink those now.” According to its nutrition label, one can of Bang contains approximately
300 mg of caffeine, while according to kidshealth.org, the recommended amount of caffeine for a teenager daily is 100 mg. When teens drink this much caffeine in one day, the effects could be detrimental, and result in a lifelong reliance on caffeine. According to kidshealth.org many people think Monster is a source of energy, but Claar said it has the opposite effect. Common side effects of caffeine according to uofm.org for people 1218 include agitation, increased anxiety, headaches, dehydration and dizziness to name a few. “When I didn’t have caffeine, I had headaches,” Claar said. “I was really dizzy and I was really really tired and when I drink [caffeine], I feel normal.” Freshman Mackenzie Wassinger said when she doesn’t drink caffeine, her mood is typically worse in the mornings. “I drink it so often that I notice that my mood is usually worse when I don’t drink it,” Wasinger said. “I feel emptier than usual. When I drink coffee in the morning, I usually end up having a better day. If I don’t have it, I’m more sluggish in the morning.”
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Some teens depend on caffeine because of their schedules. Pieropan said she thinks teenagers drink caffeine not out of choice, but because they need it to get through their daily life. “Being a real human being, plus school, plus having time to do things that you want to do, literally requires you to drink caffeine so that you can maximize the number of hours you can be awake during the day,” Pieropan said. “Because 24 hours just is not enough.” According to kidshealth.org, drinking caffeine may cause harm to a teen’s physical health, but many teenagers claim it makes them feel better than going without. “When I have caffeine, I feel more alive. I feel like I’m finally awake and I’m finally ready to take on the day. I just feel better in general, happier in a way,” Pieropan said. “When I don’t have caffeine, I usually just don’t feel as good.” In reality, caffeine can be harmful to the mental and emotional health of teenagers. According to verywellhealth.com, teenagers can become dependent on caffeine and without it, can experience withdrawal. Wassinger said she notices this in some of her peers at school. “There are people all around me who have headaches, are really tired and are super cranky when they don’t have coffee and usually do,” Wassinger said. “It’s like a withdrawal.” For energy drinks like Bang, FDA approval is uncharted territory.
While Bang is technically approved, according to thestack.com, the qualifications are loose. Lesando said he worries about new caffeinated drinks being unsafe for teenage consumption. “Our laws aren’t always caught up to date with the things that are happening,” Lesando said. “I fear that with that kind of looseness, and the regulation of what can just be put on
“There are people all around me who have headaches, are really tired and are super cranky when they don’t have coffee and usually do.” | freshmanmackenziewassinger shelves before it’s actually proven to be okay by the FDA, it is probably something that needs to be looked at.” Not only are energy drinks insecurely regulated, the amount at which teens drink is considered unhealthy based on the 100mg daily suggestion. “I have my morning coffee and then I drink a Red Bull in the middle of the day,” Pieropan said. “And then I usually have either tea or coffee after school, so probably like I average around three [servings].” Caffeine at this capacity is the new normal, and when teenagers start drinking caffeine, it can be hard to stop. Pieropan said, even when she is
suffering from the effects of caffeine, she still needs to drink more. “Sometimes when I’m really tired and I’m functioning on a lot of caffeine, at least for me, I tend to get really anxious and jittery,” Pieropan said. “If I’ve had a lot of caffeine and drank a bunch of Red Bulls, I wake up tired and just drink more caffeine. I end up feeling worse that day. I feel groggy and not really able to concentrate and just really anxious the entire day, but I need it otherwise I won’t be able to function.” | macykennedy
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opinion / the standard / march 2020 | 19
ONE WAY in only having one feeder middle school creates a problem with the social dynamic
20 | opinion / the standard / march 2020
A
s students transition from middle school to high school, one of the common fears is the difficulty fitting in. This isn’t a problem at our school, though, because this school is the only high school in the district with one feeder middle school. This presents a problem. Every year, the majority of the graduating class is the same group of students from their sixth grade days at Aubry Bend middle school, all the way until they walk across the stage their senior year. Every other district high school has two middle schools that make up the freshman class except for Southwest, which relies solely on ABMS; Aubry Bend principal Diana Tate said this is a frequent concern among parents and students questioning whether or not to continue on the road to becoming a Timberwolf. “There are kids and families who feel like that’s kind of a negative because three years in middle school and four years in high school with the same group of kiddos and only a few people coming in can be hard,” Tate said. Junior Anna Comstock attended Lakewood middle school and transferred
to Southwest after one year at Blue Valley West, but said she moved so she could meet new people and had no trouble fitting in. “It’s tough because people already have their friend groups,” Comstock said. “But I feel like people are really friendly here, so it wasn’t too hard to find a friend group.” Due to the fact that Southwest only has one feeder school, it also has the fewest students of the five district high schools, but senior Kolin Demel said he enjoys the unique dynamic presented by having one middle school. “If anything, everyone is closer because we have all been together for so long,” Demel said. “I feel like it’d be kind of weird, like in other high schools, if we had to see other middle schoolers, meet all these other kids.” Comstock said a drawback of only having one middle school is athletics because there are simply fewer opportunities to compete against large, competitive teams. “Sports wise, I’d probably say [it’s a] disadvantage just because you’re playing against smaller schools, so you’re not having the best competition,” Comstock said. “But I think it’s good how it is now
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having one [middle school], just because I feel like it’s what Southwest is kind of known for.” Aubry Bend has three elementary schools: Morse Elementary, Timber Creek Elementary and Wolf Springs Elementary, that feed into it, but it is counterproductive to add students in sixth grade and then refuse to add in ninth grade after these students have developed different personalities. “[In] elementary school, you’re together for six years, and so, when you come into middle school we really see a benefit that we have three elementaries together because they are getting to know new people and new families and it is a bigger world out there,” Tate said. “I think that would be the main thing for Southwest if we brought two middle schools together for ninth grade.” Demel, who has had a core group of friends since middle school, said he can understand how it would be challenging for a new student to find new friends especially considering how everyone has known each other for so long, but he said it could also be good practice for the transition to college. “I think it’s good to have a solid group of friends going in [to high school] because that’s one less thing and it’s kind of scary
entering high school,” Demel said. “Going into college, you have to meet all new people and that’s kind of daunting.” Of course, there’s nothing stopping students from mingling with new people in high school, but unfortunately this doesn’t happen near enough, especially during the first two years of high school. “I think it would be more beneficial [to add a second middle school], not only for the size but also for the opportunities to bring a whole new perspective in,” Tate said. The fact of the matter is Southwest’s student body is robbed of the opportunity to meet new people during high school, and without this influx from another middle school, the social dynamic at Southwest can stale after seven years. To fix this problem, the district needs to stop adding students to other high schools, and focus its attention on a second middle school for Southwest. “Kids are looking to build new relationships and find friendships with people who have other things in common with them,” Tate said. “When you don’t incorporate a whole other school, the opportunity for that maybe isn’t there.”
| keithansharp
22 | feature / the standard / march 2020
stepping into
style
sneakerheads discuss their passion for shoes
Ryan Sheldon
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ince a young age, senior Ryan Sheldon had a growing interest in shoes. He said he received his first custom pair on his birthday in fifth grade. “It was the coolest thing. I was just walking around flexing on everybody and I felt like the coolest kid in the class,” Sheldon said. “It really started for me in sixth grade when I got Nike Lebron Elevens in the Christmas Colorway. That was what really started the whole thing.” Out of all of his pairs of shoes, Sheldon said his favorite are his Yeezy 700 Inertias. “I have 16 total, but I regularly wear 13 in rotation. Sometimes it’s very rare that you see me wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row,” Sheldon said. Sheldon said he likes to coordinate his outfits with his shoes each day, by laying out his clothes and matching shoes each
night before school. “It annoys me when people pair their outfits randomly, like Yeezys with shorts just makes me uncomfortable, or like when someone wears high tops with low socks,” Sheldon said. “Say I want to wear my Off-White Vapor Streets and I just get a pair of Nike running joggers and a Nike shirt. ‘Cause you know, it’s a golden rule for hype beasts that you can not mix brands.” His most recent pair of shoes was a pair of black and red Yeezys, a brand that is included in some of the expensive shoe collections. “My most expensive pair and in my size is going for about $4,000,” Sheldon said. “There are some of the Yeezys that I have — the black and red ones — that are going for about $900, so it kind of fluctuates and it really depends on what you want.”
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Maggie Deppe
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or freshman Maggie Deppe, shoes and sneaker collecting have been a big part of her life ever since she was young. She said she was surrounded by shoes, and it slowly became something she has learned to love. “I think it really pulls the outfit together and it’s fun for me,” Deppe said. “I love shoe shopping and seeing all of the shoes laid out. I definitely have a shoe problem.” Currently, Deppe said she owns around 30 pairs of shoes, including her mom’s collection, which they share. That’s not counting the many pairs she has acquired through the years for dance. “I share shoes with my mom so that kind of doubles my collection,” Deppe said. “But that’s nothing compared to
all my dance shoes. My whole family is really big on shoes, though. Ever since I was little, my mom always had a lot and my sister has tons.” For Deppe, matching is an essential part of pairing her outfits. “I’m very big on matching,” Deppe said. “It has to go together. If I’m wearing Rainbow Air Maxes, I have to have a subtle outfit on; I cannot have a crazy outfit. That’s a whole different type of story. If I have a solid color shoe, I can wear something more fun to really make it pop.” Deppe’s favorite shoes right now are her Rainbow Air Max 90s, which is one of her most expensive pairs. “Right now they are running for $140,” Deppe said.
Ryan Mcfarland
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nother sneakerhead, debate teacher Ryan McFarland has also been collecting shoes his whole life. His passion for shoes originated when he was a child and has grown since. “When I was younger, I would always get the East Bay monthly catalog,” McFarland said. “I’m not sure if East Bay still sells a catalog, but it’s basically like any other big box store and it was sent out to show what items they had. It’s kind of where I got my first look at what would be considered hype or collectible shoes today.” He said he has memories that go along with each shoe and holds sentimental value in them. “When I was younger, I just had one pair of shoes every year and I was always so envious when I would see all the other kids with lots of shoes,” McFarland said. “They would have a variety of different colors and stuff like that.” McFarland said people don’t have to be fashionable to like shoes.
He said he enjoys shoes because even someone without any style can look good, too. “I think that if they look nice and they are comfortable, they’re good,” McFarland said. “You don’t have to go and sift through a wardrobe to find the outfit that looks the best, you can just grab a pair of shoes and go.” Currently, McFarland owns 45 pairs of shoes. He said out of all of them his favorite and most expensive are the Sean Wotherspoon Air Max Ones. Coming in at around $1,000, McFarland said he got them for retail at about $160. Another one of his expensive pairs is the Off-White Air Max 90s that he got on sale for $6. “I like that there are a million different colorways and there are a million different types of silhouettes,” McFarland said. “I also like that almost any shoe you choose can go with an outfit.”
| madelinesack
24 | news / the standard / march 2020
Survive & Advance seniors give preview of this year’s edition of assassins
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ith the looming joy of graduation comes end of the year activities specialized to the senior class that underclassmen look forward to throughout their high school tenure. One of these exciting endeavors conducted by the senior class is “Assassins.” The game consists of “assassinating” specific targets tailored to each individual participant through means of a water gun. Certain rounds of elimination and time frames exist and the winner who “assassinates” all their targets wins the cash pool that each participant pays into. Senior Trey Kays was appointed by last year’s head member to lead assassins for the class of 2020. Although the game is considered a tradition by many, it is entirely planned and organized by the soon-to-be graduates. “It’s strictly private; it’s not associated with the school,” Kays said. Kays then approached long-time friend, senior Sophie Oatman to help him plan out the game for this spring.
“The previous senior class hands it off to someone,” Oatman said. “Trey needed a girl because it’s a guy and a girl who run it and I was willing to help because I thought it would be really fun because I wanted to be involved whether I was playing in it or organizing it.” Kays highlighted some of the major rules and guidelines that the seniors are playing “assassins” by this year. “It’s $20 to play,” Kays said. “It starts right after spring break, and then it ends whenever the last person gets out, which is usually around the week after prom. The first round is going to be longer than all the other rounds just because there’s the most amount of people, so that’ll be like five days to a week as your target range for the first three or four rounds. Then it shortens down to like three days and two days.” As for how targets will be selected, Oatman and Kays said they want to mostly randomize it. “I think, personally, there should be some kind of randomizer as far as who targets [are],” Oatman said, “I know that can get kind of tricky when you get into friend groups and all of that.” But Kays also added how they can pair up friends while not damaging relationships. “We kind of want to do it randomly but throw in some friends here and there,” Kays said. Kays also discussed the guidelines behind legal eliminations in the game’s rules. “You can’t get someone in the school, in the school parking lot, at their house, in their garage or at their work,” Kays said. “But as soon as they leave their house or their garage, they’re fair game, or if they get off work their work parking lot is fair game.”
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Senior Joey Hellen plans to participate in assassins this year and said he has looked forward to it since he first learned about the game. “I’m really excited just based off [of] what I’ve heard from prior seniors,” Hellen said. “It’s definitely going to have a lot of excitement being able to do it with my friends and stuff before we head off to our other endeavors.” In addition to the hype, Hellen also has some goals and plans in mind for the game. “I mean, [my] personal goal is to get the dub,” Hellen said. “Intentions like the glory of the money pool. So [to] get that grand prize and just be able to get to the final spot that’d be pretty impressive.” However, getting to that final spot is going to take a considerable amount of strategy and energy. “[I’m most excited for] getting told who I have and coming up with a strategy on how to get that person and completely catching them off guard,” Hellen said. “I want to completely catch people off guard.” Catching people off guard is a large part of the game, but with so many people the mediators of the game have to officiate as well as plan it out. “We’ll use [Twitter] and the GroupMe to be able to say ‘you’ll have this amount of time and that,’” Kays said. “And then they’ll send photos, like proof, that they actually got the person, and then if there’s a
dispute then we’ll handle that.” With playing and attempting to win Assassins comes a very large time commitment that might fluster some seniors. “I definitely am going to be busy with tennis and stuff [during Assassins],” Hellen said. “But if I make it a couple rounds I’ll be like, ‘okay, I got a shot.’ So, then I’ll really
on the line, at the end of the day it’s still mainly a fun tradition between members of the senior class before graduation. “I’m mostly just [excited about] the atmosphere changes and people are usually a lot more excited because it’s getting close to the end of the year, everyone’s about to go to college,” Kays said. “It’s like the last big thing we can all do together.”
“I mean, [my] personal goal is to get the dub.Intentions like the glory of the money pool. So [to] get that grand prize and just be able to get to the final spot that’d be pretty impressive.”
| lukehottovy design by |ishapatel
| seniorjoeyhellen put my time and effort into it.” As the game progresses and more participants become spectators, the means and creativity of eliminations becomes a big point of the game as well. “I’m most looking forward to just seeing all the creative ideas people come up with,” Oatman said. “And I just think people make it really funny and entertaining.” Finally, although Assassins is very competitive with all the money
26 | news / the standard / march 2020
Programming your future drafting III students discuss course’s potential career benefits
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n high school, there are endless numbers of athletic and extracurricular activities to explore. While some may be more popular than others, one that often goes unnoticed is robotics. This activity combines mathematics, engineering, physics, electronics and a lot of creativity. Sophomore Avery Boutte said she has been vaguely interested in robotics since middle school. The prerequisites for robotics include drafting I and drafting II, in which students are taught the basics of engineering and architecture that prepare them for drafting III where they eventually move to the competitive level. Many students who participate in robotics in high school move on to use their prior knowledge to become successful architects or follow other engineering-based career paths. “Originally, my interest in it sparked when I heard people keep saying that STEM and engineering are where all the money is, and robotics is definitely the coolest part of that,” Boutte said. The objective of the competition usually includes easy tasks for the robot to complete. Senior Andrew Jin is an active member of the club and said his favorite part of competing is getting to drive the robot. “Every year they have a different game, so this year the robot was meant to move blocks on to a platform and stack them as high as possible,” Jin said. “I’ve learned a lot of things from robotics, many of which I would’ve never known if I hadn’t taken the class.” Along with the competitions, the students enrolled in the class are expected to complete
Senior Andrew Jin focuses on repairing the robot. a series of in-class experiments week-to-week that teaches them more about the machinations of the robots and how to control them. Drafting II student, sophomore Cullen White says he is hoping to join robotics next year and is eager for what it can contribute to his high school experience. “I’ve always been interested in engineering and math, so finding an activity that allows me to pursue both of those things is really cool to me,” White said. “I know a bunch of the competitions offer money to the winning teams plus it looks great on college apps.”
| 27 Jin said that the most stressful part about the competitions are the time crunch. It is important to be able to express creativity with the robots that are functional and time-efficient. “I always try to keep my designs super simple because normally the more complicated it becomes, the less successful the robot will be.” Along with all of the academic benefits and scholarship opportunities it provides, another important aspect of Robotics is learning to develop teamwork. Without one person the whole thing could be thrown off. “I’ve actually ended up making a couple of friends from the class that make it way more exciting when we go to our competitions,” Boutte said. “ You really have to have good communication, and being able to work with others on a shared goal is a great skill that Robotics has given me great experience with.” of engineering and architecture that prepare them for Drafting 3 where they eventually move to the competitive level. Many students who participate in robotics in high school move on to use their prior knowledge to become successful architects or follow other engineering based career paths. “I can’t exactly remember when I decided to go into drafting but I am very excited that I made that decision,” White said. “ I would highly recommend it to any student that doesn’t really know what they want to do with their life because it helps me tremendously in school and is such a fun class.” Robotics provides a safe environment for many students to explore an activity that also ties directly in with a lot of academics and creativity.
Junior Tyler Specht works on his robot “As of now my future plans are to join the Navy,” Jin said. “I think that being in Robotics has in some way prepared me for that because it really promotes teamwork and being dependable, and with it I don’t think I would be as prepared.” | karleykent photos courtesy of Olivia Hall
28 | feature / the standard / march 2020
Nine Personalities
enneagrams provide insight into students’ personality traits
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ophomore Erica Peterson sits in class working on an assignment. She overhears her classmates discuss their enneagram numbers. Peterson hears, “you are such a four,” Soon enough she chimes in with information regarding her own number and a friendship is born. Peterson said she has become intrigued with how enneagrams can relate to her daily life. She appreciates the accuracy of each category. “Enneagrams are basically personality types, and there’s nine of them,” Peterson said. “And it’s kind of cool because basically anyone can fit under these nine personality types because they’re so specific.” Freshman Hadley Besheer views enneagrams in a slightly different light. She said she perceives them as a test that is “based on your core motivations and fears.” Acourding to The Enneagram Institute, the test asks a multitude of questions that slowly analyzes your way of thinking and your traits. It works by measuring your levels on introverted or extrovertedness and asks what makes you the happiest. The test uses this information to curate a personality type for each person. Each number has a different name and set of qualities. “Number ones are the reformers,” Besheer said. “They see things black and white and they’re very organized and in orderly fashion.” Peterson described number ones are “perfectionists.” According to The Enneagram At Work, a website dedicated to enneagrams, number ones tend to be very critical of themselves and others. They also tend to be very logical thinkers. “The twos are helpers; they find their worth in helping other people and feeling loved through them[selves],” Peterson said. “Twos are emotional thinkers and often worry about others’ needs before their own.” Senior Glenne Harvell said threes are known as the achievers. “The type three is like the motivated hard worker,” Harvell said. “Basically, we like to set goals for ourselves and achieve them and we’re constantly working. We seek validation from
others and from ourselves — just constantly wanting to do more.” Peterson said fours are the individualists and tend to be very creative. ”Fours are very emotional,” Peterson said. “They call them very emo; they’re usually artists.” While fours usually keep to themselves, they seek depth in their relationships. “Fives are the investigators, and they’re very reserved and quiet,” Basheer said. “However, they’re very big thinkers, and so they often have a lot of insight.” Fives are very intellectual and they focus on obtaining as much knowledge about everything as possible. Peterson said that sixes are the loyalists. “They’re very anxious people, but they care a lot about their friends and their relationships,” Peterson said. According to the Enneagram Institute, sixes are reliable, hard-working and trustworthy. “Sevens are the enthusiasts and they tend to be the numbers that are very into fun and adventures and being spontaneous,” Besheer said. Peterson said sevens are spontaneous and fun loving. However, she said she believes that this could be one way sevens mask their emotions. “Sevens are the life of the party and they kind of hide from their emotions through doing new fun things,” Peterson said. Similarly to the sevens, eights tend to be more extroverted and assertive. “Eights are the challengers,” Besheer said “They have a pretty dominant personality. They often take charge and lead in certain situations.” Lastly, the nines are the peacemakers. They do everything in their power to be in a chaos-free environment. “They love when everyone is conflict-free and at peace and they love comfortability,” Peterson said. Besheer said nines are described as “go with the flow” people. These nine categories or classifications can be helpful to many in everyday life. It can be a guideline for things like the most suitable career options or relationship advice.
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“I think a lot of people are going to easily shrug at and say it’s just another personality test,” Harvell said. “But for me, I found it to be very accurate and provide a lot of insight on growing up and my new experiences.” Peterson said enneagrams can provide a chance for self-reflection and realizations. Many relate to the material on a personal level and they agree with the flaws listed for their enneagram number. “I think sometimes we just kind of forget about the areas that we need to improve on,” Peterson said. “I think when you read the description of yourself, it kind of just slaps you in the face because you’re like, ‘oh, wow, I totally do do that. Maybe I should improve on that and how can I be a better friend to others?’” Besheer said she is a four wing three. “Wing” is a term meaning someone also possesses qualities of that number. Besheer said this is an accurate representation of her qualities. “It really expresses the intense amount of feeling that I have and emotion,” Besheer said. “Emotions are kind of how I look through life and guide through life.” Being emotional is a common trait for fours. Besheer is a representation of this. On the contrary, Harvell is a three wing one. “I’m a dancer, so being a type three and a type one, an achiever and a perfectionist, makes perfect sense for me,” Harvell said. “And I read through the other ones and I don’t really think they apply to me as much.” Peterson said she is a two wing one. She said she believes that this is representative of her selflessness. “I think twos are very known for their caringness and their want to help others before themselves. I feel like I reflect that because oftentimes I kind of forget to take a step back and care about myself,” Peterson said. “I think sometimes I just go straight to pouring out and I forget to pour into myself and that’s a struggle for the twos.” Each enneagram number comes with its own flaws as well as strengths. For Peterson, self care is something she said she strives to incorporate more into her life. Enneagrams is one way that people reflect on their own habits. Peterson discovered the trend of enneagrams through her church. “Some people at my church started bringing up the idea of enneagrams and personalities and so they had me take the test and I came up with a two,” Peterson said. “Then, I just kind of read into it and kind of looked around me and saw who my community was made up of, and I got really interested in it.”
As Peterson increased her knowledge on the topic, she said she started to relate it to her relationships and see people through their enneagrams. She said she still learns more and more every day by using social media as a resource. “I did Leadership Camp through my theatre program at the beginning of summer and they did an enneagram program,” Besheer said. “They also did a breakout room at Youth Front. I’m in the Youth Front community, which is a Christian-based community.” Group activities is one way people can learn about enneagrams. Harvell learned about the concept in her dance group. For Harvell, her fascination began with a friend’s analysis of her number. “My friend from dance was talking about it and she looked at me and she goes, ‘You’re a three’ and I go, ‘What?’” Harvell said. “Then I went home and I took the test and I was a three.” Harvell said many people view enneagrams as similar to a horoscope. However, she said it is far more accurate because it is actually based on your answers rather than just your birthday. “There are some people that when you hear their number and you think, ‘that makes so much sense for them,’” Besheer said. “You could just kind of like figure out how to tone back their unhealthy tendencies when you find out their number.” Overall, the enneagram test is considered an interesting topic by many. Each person’s viewpoint on the matter is different and everybody has a different perception on each number. However, most can agree that each person fits into at least one number. The concept has grown in popularity over the past few years. Besheer said the EnneaApp is a good resource for more information. Harvell said she uses Instagram as a resource. There is also a book called “The Wisdom of the Enneagram,” that can be an effective tool. The enneagram personality test is a way for many to get to know themselves and discover more about their tendencies from an outside viewpoint. “I think for me, it’s just kind of about self discovery in the high school years ... figuring out who we are,” Harvell said. “It’s been good to have those reminders of — you feel this and that’s normal because that’s who you are and that’s your personality.”
| elliephillips
30 | sports / the standard / march 2020
Spring Sports Preview
Senior Zoe Johnson dives headfirst on the second day of practice on March 3. Johnson said her goals were to go to state and place on the podium. “I think our biggest challenge as divers is going to be getting over our nerves at state,” Johnson said. “I think that is what caused us to mess up some of our dives last year.” Photo by Sydney Wilson.
Swinging the bat, senior Andrew Skouse begins his tryout on March 3. Skouse said his main goal was to hit better because that is the area he needed the most improvement. “I don't know if there will be any huge challenges this year,” Skouse said. “I think our team is really good all around.” Photo by Sydney Wilson.
Following through, senior Justin Wingerter chips onto the green at practice on March 4. Photo by Kenna Plaster.
Getting ready, freshman Vishal Rajkumar serves the ball at practice on March 5. The tennis team competed in a pre-season tournament before spring break. Photo by Sydney Wilson.
While swimming backstroke, senior Emerson Ralston begins training for her last season of swim on March 3. Ralston said she was looking forward to growing close with the team. “My favorite thing about swimming is the team energy and dynamic,� Ralston said. Photo by Sydney Wilson.
Sophomore softball player Sophie Brickman pitches the ball during tryouts on March 3. Brickman said one of her favorite things about softball was being competitive and the feeling she got when playing. “Having the feeling of succeeding after working super hard is the best feeling in the world,” Brickman said. Photo by Sydney Wilson.
A soccer player dribles the ball during tryouts on March 3. Photo by Sydney Wilson.
Warming up for practice, senior track athlete Christian Buehler jogs next to senior Michael Orsheln on March 3. Bueler said his goal this year was to give it all his effort and trust his training in order to achieve some faster times and hopefully some wins. “My favorite thing about the sport is probably putting in all the time and work to get to see all that comes to fruition and finally see all your hard work and training over the months to get good results from putting the time and the effort in,” Buehler said. Photo by Sydney Wilson.
| sydneywilson
