The Standard — September 2015

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netflix by the numbers special sections: page 21 cracking under pressure news: page 24 beating the barriers sports: page 26 joso.free feature: page 28

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Front cover: During his performance at The Art Factory on Aug. 20, junior Alex Norcross plays the electric guitar. His performance was one of many during the biweekly poetry slam held by senior Stephanie Kealey. The words across Norcross are excerpts from Kealy’s poem titled “Colors of You.“ photo illustration by Abby Yi.

contents

www.bvswnews.com volume 6 | issue 2

04

features 16 | slam 18 | the polling problem 22 | from laptop to live 28 | joso.free 30 | dealing with diabetes

10

sports 26 | beating the barriers

opinion 08 | comprehending culture

12

16

32

news 12 | pseudo teacher 14 | the traffic puzzle 24 | cracking under pressure

special sections 04 | expanding on expenses 05 | meaningful melodies

12

10 | first date 21 | netflix by the numbers 32 | making kc

online exclusive Gallery: Homecoming bonfire Gallery: Varsity football vs.

Shawnee Heights

Editor’s Note

A

thestandard

s an average senior, I’ve spent these past few months desperately search-

editor-in-chief lexi tarter

ing for scholarship opportunities and figuring out how to accurately rep-

online editor-in-chief margo johnson

resent my entire personality in a single essay of 650 words or less. The

other day, my teacher approached me with the essay prompt: “Why do you do it?”

Although I had no intention of writing a full-on response to that essay prompt, it made me question why I do newspaper.

I am not pursuing a journalism career; in fact, I’m planning a career in the absolute opposite end of the spectrum — engineering. Yet, for some reason, I still have spent countless hours of my last three years of high school stressing and striving to make each of my stories perfection. I could’ve spent my time watching episodes of “Parks and Recreation” on Netflix or making up for the years of sleep that I’ve missed, but for some reason, newspaper continues to lure me into its hectic, satisfying trap.

I’m not the only victim. Every person on this staff has fallen to this class’s evil enticement, and they’ll all tell you that although this class doesn’t contain an “AP” or “Honors” in front of it, it’s no easy A. So, why do we do this to ourselves? I don’t need three years of newspaper credit to graduate — I don’t even need one semester.

Ultimately, the reason I’m here is because of you: our readers. The whole staff is here because we observe all that is happening around us and see that it deserves to be told. Your stories are important to us. We recognize your passion — whether it’s found through pursuing a spot at the Junior Olympics, composing modern music for the band to play or starting up a jewelry business. We recognize your passion because it’s the same passion that drives us to do what we do — tell stories.

| businessmanager

associate editor michael magyar business manager nicole becker photo editor delaney oliver online photo editor donna armstrong social media manager blake gustafson writing coaches nicole becker michael magyar design coaches lillie hoffart riley martin staff writers kelsey demel uma desai kelyn lynch sydney swyers seth wingerter photographers cheyenne greathouse lily smith kara torgler graphic designers kate bowling abby yi adviser rachel urban 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.

A recent study by Business Insider revealed the different categories for the expenses of the average teenager. Using the chart below, as well as the hints at the bottom of the page, figure out what the percentages are for each category.

EXPANDING ON EXPENSES how the average teenager spends money | katebowling

10. BOOKS/MAGAZINES:__% 11. FURNITURE:__% 12. OTHER:__%

O RY P

1. CLOTHING:__% 2. FOOD:__% 3. PERSONAL ITEMS:__% 4. CAR:__% 5. ELECTRONICS:__% 6. SHOES:__% 7. VIDEO GAMES:__% 8. EVENTS:__% 9. MUSIC/MOVIES:__%

HAR

fill in a guess for each percentage based on the pie chart to the right (answers are on the bottom of the page)

E

W

Q A

S

HINTS:

• Clothing percentage is one more than food.

• Video games percentage is 7 percent.

• Shoes percentage is 8 percent.

• Personal items percentage is one more than car • Clothing has the largest percentage and furni- percentage. ture has the smallest.

• Personal item + car = 19 percent • Video games and electronics have the same • Books/magazines + furniture = Other. value for their percentages and they are one • Other is 3 percent. more than music/movies and events.

• Books/magazines percentage is larger than • The percentage from clothing + the percentage furniture’s percentage. from food = 41 percent.

ANSWERS: 1. 21; 2. 20; 3. 10; 4. 9; 5. 7; 6. 8; 7. 7; 8. 6; 9. 6; 10. 2; 11. 1; 12. 3 4 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

Meaningful Melodies] students share how they relate with music

M

usic’s simple complexity attracts listeners in many different ways. Students have found music to play a significant part in their life, whether they’re listening to a song to reflect their mood or trying to concentrate on a homework assignment.

However, for some students, music is not solely for time-filling entertainment; it also connects deeper with their personalities.

Music is described as “an art of sound in time that expresses ideas and emotions in significant forms through the elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and color,” according to Dictionary.com. Virtually every culture has been confirmed to be tied to music in one way or another. Whether this be through dancing, singing, music on the radio, religious affairs, social needs, distraction from problems or expressing one’s feelings, music has relevance all around the world.

Musical sounds signal neurotransmitters in the brain to release dopamine, according to “The Power of Music, Tapped in a Cubicle” published by the New York Times in 2012. Dopamine controls the brain’s reward center and the movement of emotions in the brain.

As people listen to music, dopamine is released to change emotions or to help focus, depending on the situation and the kind of music.

People are attracted to the sound of music because they can use it in a versatile selection of ways. The most common way people use music is to manipulate their feelings, to bring their emotions to a different state; others use music to better their concentration in activities such as homework, work or driving to achieve higher levels of success. No matter how people relate to music, it continues to have a grand impact on many students.

special sections | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | sept. 2015 | 5

6|

Senior Taylen Hitchcock relates music to oxygen and said it allows her to share her feelings with others and grasp how she is feeling.

“The thing about music is a song can fit to whatever mood you are feeling,” Hitchcock said. “You can have sad songs, and they can speak to you and help you figure out different things.”

Hitchcock had a heavy influence of music beginning at a young age — from her dad’s former engagement in a rock band to her mom’s country and Christian musical influence — music has been a large part of her life since before she can remember. The result of these contrasting styles is alternative music, which Hitchcock explains is a combination of all types of music. Hitchcock’s passion does not end simply with listening but extends to the creation of her own music and the use of her own voice. She plays the guitar, the piano and sings to create an emotion and to tell a story.

“The chords more tell the story than the words that I write,” Hitchcock said. “That’s why I play a lot of other songs that I hear because that will speak to me in a certain way.”

Hitchcock plays a variety of songs by other artists that speak to her. She said she doesn’t have a favorite band but has different bands that speak to her depending on her emotion. She listens to bands like Misterwives to develop happy feelings and other bands such as Zella Day to calm her emotions. “Can’t Help Falling in Love” by Elvis Presley is a song Hitchcock connects to. Some may think of this song in a romantic way, but Hitchcock associates it with when she fell in love with music, her sophomore year.

“I can’t help but fall in love with music, and when I play that song, that’s exactly what I think of,” Hitchcock said.

Hitchcock is constantly pulling pieces from her life and her experiences and putting them into words. She does not have a specific spot for her writing or a time in which she sits down and composes an entire song but instead creates each piece as she feels inspired to do so.

“A large amount of the things I write are just sayings that catch me by surprise,” Hitchcock said. “For instance, if people are in a conversation and I walk by and hear them say something about how much they love each other, I will write down exactly what they say — word for word — because if it changed the way I look at something, maybe it could change someone else’s perspective, too.”

Freshman Isaiah Tarwater savors the beat and the way alternative and indie music flow compared to other choppy genres. Tarwater instituted his interest in music at a young age due to his mom and dad’s taste, which he said was “terribly country.” As he grew older he began listening to hip-hop and popular music. He later found alternative music when he began craving something different from what everyone was listening to.

Tarwater said he appreciates alternative music because there is more to it; the songs are not completely downtoned, but contain bits and pieces that are different. He said there’s more underneath the surface of the songs than what meets the eye, giving each song a personal meaning.

“It’s more with certain songs,” Tarwater said. “[Certain songs] remind me of different areas and people, and what I’ve been through, not even I, but what other people have been through.”

Music is a way of relaxing for Tarwater. In the midst of the everyday stress a high school student faces, he turns to music to unwind. He began listening to music other than hip-hop and pop and is now interested in Twenty One Pilots and classic bands such as the Foo Fighters, believing they have boosted his self-confidence.

Tarwater said his personality has been built upon as he started to see artists express themselves through the lyrics and the beat of songs. He listens carefully to songs and repeats lyrics he misses if his attention fades. Through this close examination, Tarwater realized he too could express himself like the artists he is so fond of.

“Music has built up my personality and self confidence showing me how [musicians] can do what they want, so why can’t I,” Tarwater said.

Sophomore Joe Ayres finds alternative music more intriguing because it lacks specificity to one genre and one sound, offering a diverse culture. Ayres listens to a wide array of artists including Ben Folds, a classically trained musician who plays alternative music. He collects his music from before 2009 on a hard drive, but Ayres downloads or purchases his recent music, adding some to his vinyl collection. Ayres picks out what he is going to listen to depending on how he feels at the moment.

“I think the music you listen to can influence your disposition,” Ayres said. “If you listen to happier music, sometimes you’ll be happier. And darker, more sad music, you are probably going to feel sad and be a little darker.”

Depending on the reason Ayres is listening to music and his mood, he will envelop himself within the lyrics and the tune to grasp all aspects of the song. He said opening his eyes to more types of music has also changed his perspective. allowing him to be more open minded and expressive. “[Music] has helped me to be more open minded and expressive,” Ayres said.

| delaneyoliver

|7

comprehending

Culture

students should value education of world religions

O

ut of the corner of her eye, senior Nicole Dudley noticed her friend repeatedly clicking his phone on and off while she was at the dinner table with him. Dudley had assumed that he was just checking messages until she found out that he was actually continuously checking the time because he was actively observing Ramadan, the Islamic holy month. He was counting down the seven minutes he had to wait until sunset before he could eat along with everyone else.

“I didn’t know that the Islam religion wants its followers to fast during Ramadan,” Dudley said.

“The United States is becoming more culturally diverse. I have many friends of different religions, and understanding each individual’s religion is an important part of respecting who he or she is.”

Religion is embedded in culture, which makes it difficult for a person to truly understand one’s culture without a background in a person’s religion. The United States contains a vast range of cultures, and the population of minority religion groups are slightly growing. According to a study

by Pew Research Center published in May 2015, the percent of the population affiliated with a re-

ligion other than Christianity has risen 1.2 percent from 2007 to 2014, and the percent of the population with no affiliation has risen 6.7 percent. Meanwhile, the percent of the population that is affiliated with Christianity has decreased by 7.8 percent.

With diversity growing, it’s likely the students will be exposed to a variety of religions as they continue into the workplace and as they attend high school daily, so diversity shouldn’t be masked.

“I think that [culture] just goes along with understanding who a person is and religion is a big part of that,” Dudley said. “It’s the nature of what religion is. Religion, for a lot of people, is a lifestyle.”

Religious ignorance often leads to misunderstanding of the people who believe and practice that religion, and misunderstandings have a tendency to become attached to stereotypes. Although people may consciously try to avoid stereotyping others, people are subject to an unconscious bias of social groups, according to Psychology Today.

“The first thing you need to understand is that we all, as human beings, want to categorize things — that’s the way our brains work,” psy-

chology teacher David Apel said. “So the first thing is being aware that you have a tendency to want to categorize people, as well as things in the world, and you have to work to try to overcome that natural tendency that we all have.”

Senior Osama Azam identifies with Islam, and after visiting his country of origin, Pakistan, he realized that misjudgments exist everywhere. In Pakistan, he found that people often acted hesitantly toward white Americans who were visiting, but natives had more ease.

“I think even after 9/11 and everything it goes back to the same thing: everybody has misconceptions about religion and [his or her] views,” Azam said. “People in the Middle East have a different conception of what’s going on here, and that’s exactly what was with Osama Bin Laden and Al Qaeda. They had a misconception on what was going on here, and so they felt like as if it was their job to kill people. And what’s interesting is that if they actually paid more attention to the Quran, the killing of one person in our religion is as if you killed all of humanity.”

Surveying Students From a survey during lunch, 100 students answered the following basic questions about religions. The students were instructed to answer as many questions as they could correctly without the use of their friends or the Internet, and they were allowed to leave blanks if they didn’t know the answer. After handing out the surveys, many students gave it one glance and immediately handed it back without even trying the questions. Other students got halfway through the survey and said things among the lines of “Oh, this is sad” or some people smirked as they tried to make a joke with the way they responded. Three out of the 100 students didn’t miss any of the questions, and eight students only missed one.

8 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | opinion

Misconceptions, however, can be avoided, and that begins with education. Becoming educated on the world religions would allow students to understand how people live and why they choose to live a certain lifestyle.

The newly-established AP human geography class briefly explores the five world religions during the course’s culture unit. The class spends about one to two weeks studying the world religions and their correlation with the cultures of different groups, which corresponds perfectly with the course’s objectives.

However, world religions is an entire subject by itself, and a semester-long study would allow students to gain a wider understanding of the religions and help them apply it to society today. Southwest should offer a course solely dedicated to the study of the five world religions, which would unbiasedly cover Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism and Buddhism and other subgroups.

“A lot of the students in my class are Christians and we’re going to be learning about Islam and Hinduism and [other religions],” AP human geography teacher Laura Williamson said. “It’s very fundamentally different from what they’re used to, so it’s going to chal-

lenge them, I think, a lot and it might be good.

It might make them more secure in their own faith and maybe that will be good for them.”

Nonetheless, questions of violating a citizen’s first amendment rights arise as the discussion of religion begins in public schools.

The Establishment Clause requires that the government or government services don’t advocate for a specific religion, but that does not prohibit the teaching of religions as long as the instruction remains neutral. It is constitutional to teach religion in school, but instruction does need to be treated with care.

In order for a religion class to have success in school, students would need to exhibit maturity and sensitivity toward different ideas and cultures. Likewise, the teacher would have to remain unbiased and allow students to discover their own interpretations.

“If you truly want to learn about religion, I would not go to a person of that religion to learn about it,” Azam said. “Even though I would think that I might have the most knowledge about it, I wouldn’t recommend someone to come up to me and ask for my view on my religion. Not because I don’t think I’m credible enough to tell you

1. Name the five world religions: 2. The Torah is the sacred text of which religion?

19 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism

44 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Judaism

4. Following the Eightfold Path 5. The “Om” Symbol represents and the Four Noble Truths to the religion of: achieve enlightenment is associated with which religion?

26 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Buddhism

21 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Hinduism

that information, just because I think you’re going to gain a lot more from the text.”

Students need to become educated on religion as they continue into their future, whether that’s through an established religion class at Southwest or by taking it upon themselves to learn about it. Education would assist in diminishing stereotypes and understanding other cultures, which is critical as students go out to live in a growing diversified world. “[Religion and culture] play into each other a lot,” Williamson said. “[People’s] religion becomes part of their life and part of their culture when they leave the church or the Mosque [or] wherever they’re at. Those beliefs still stay with them and become a part of that system that they live in every day, so it’s definitely very important to study when you’re studying culture because you can’t really separate the two out. They’re not two separate entities entirely — there’s that Venn diagram, and there’s that crossover section in the middle where culture and religion are the same.”

| nicolebecker graphics by Kate Bowling.

3. What religion is Ramadan associated with?

48 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Islam

6. Name the two different sections of the Bible:

61 percent of

students answered correctly Correct Answer: Old and New Testament

|9

repertory theatre to host first musical

A

fter a show recommendation from senior Zach Miller, performing arts teacher Dan Schmidt is directing “First Date,” the first Repertory Theatre musical to hit Southwest’s stage. The show appears Sept. 30 to Oct. 2, and the students are rehearsing during their class period for six weeks before its debut.

“First Date” is “about a blind date with two people in New York and what happens inside their heads,” according to Schmidt. Not only is it the school’s first Rep musical, Southwest is the first high school to ever perform “First Date.”

10 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

(1) Senior Austin Ragusin performs a song in the musical, “In Love With You,” alongside sophomore Gianna Epps. “This is a very well written show and all of the music is like the stuff you hear on the radio,” Ragusin said. “The audience is definitely in for a rock concert of a story when they come see it.” (2) Appearing as the “awkward, low-key charming” Aaron in “First Date,” senior Austin Ragusin studies sheet music and cues during Rep class. Ragusin said he and many others can relate to the “theme of judgments we make during a first encounter” that occurs in “First Date.”

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6

1

4

2

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(3) Performing arts teacher Dan Schmidt makes the final changes to the script while actors perform a run through of “First Date.” Schmidt said they have to work hard within the time allotted. “A normal cast of a show will meet after school for a couple hours a day every day, but I only get an hour with them,” Schmidt said. “So we have to get the stuff done quick. You gotta be ready to go right away and until the end of the bell.” (4) Sharing a laugh off stage, seniors Lauren Browning and Zach Miller rehearse for first date. Browning appears as Lauren and Miller can be seen playing Gabe. (5) Ragusin and Epps learn choreography for their big duet. (6) Schmidt directs the entire cast as they rehearse a group number. “[A smaller cast is] a little more open and free,” Schmidt said. “You can talk to the actors about what [they] feel they want to do. Sometimes with a bigger cast you gotta just play and be photographer and put them onstage to make them look good.” (7) Ragusin, performing as ‘Aaron,’ sings “In Love With You,” to his “ex,” Epps, who appears as “Allison.”

7

| lilysmith | 11

O

n July 14, a 6-4 vote by the Kansas Board of Education [KSBE] permitted the Coalition of Innovative School Districts [CISD] to hire teachers who lack teaching credentials.

The schools districts included in the CISD are McPherson, Concordia, Hugoton, Marysville, Blue Valley and Kansas City, Kansas.

The motion mandates that new teachers are required to have a college or equivalent degree, the waivers for potential teachers must go through the state board for approval and there has to be a limited number of applicants for the waivers.

The six members of the CISD are to return to the state board for a review at the end of the year. According to John Richard Schrock, an Emporia State University professor, Kansas is the first state to implement this policy.

Teachers who voiced opposition to this referred to the measure as “de-professionalization” at state board hearings.

The state board supported this change for multiple reasons including teacher shortage in Kansas. More than 3,700 teachers have retired, left the state or taken jobs outside of

education in the past year. As several State Board members noted, teacher shortage is going to get worse before it gets better. There is now concern that if the window is open, the teacher shortage will allow a flood of unqualified “teachers” into school systems.

Teacher shortage impacts different districts in different ways. In the past, the Blue Valley school district has had little difficulty recruiting and keeping qualified teachers.

When referring to KSDE online license lookup, every teacher at Southwest as well as CAPS teachers were certified in their field of teaching as of 2014.

Blue Valley has unique programs such as innovation spaces and digital learning centers used in CAPS programs which provide students with real-world experiences in various career fields; the greatest need for non-certified teachers would lie in these special learning environments.

This is in opposition to rural districts, such as Hugoton District which is located six hours from Blue Valley, which is asking for teacher licensure freedom. Hugoton bases its request to hire-at-will on past problems recruiting teachers in rural Kansas. Its

12 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

statement reads, “We want complete and total freedom from the overbearing KSDE licensure requirement.”

Both Blue Valley’s innovation spaces as well rural districts not being able to recruit teachers comes down to asking the state board to trust its judgment of having acceptable people in the classrooms — licensed or not.

“We haven’t been put in a position where we’ve had to use this change, and that’s mostly because we have a pretty deep application pool with quality and talented people who are interested in working at Blue Valley, so we are very fortunate to have that,” Blue Valley Director of Certified Staff, Bob Kreifels said. “There are other school districts that may not have the depth of the applicant pool that we do, and so I think that type of avenue for them to obtain a license will help to make sure that they have professionals in the classroom that are able to help the student population. I really think for Blue Valley this is a very minor piece, and I don’t anticipate that we will have the need to put it into place unless it’s a very rare case.”

[teacher]

(adj.) almost, approaching, or trying to be.

At Southwest, principal Scott Roberts assures that if given an option, he’s going to maintain having a staff of all certified teachers with little exception.

“If there’s ever an option, I’m going to go for the licensed teacher,” Roberts said. “I want to go for a person who has been through a teacher education program. I know what great programs look like and we have a dozen — several state programs are the best in the country. So that’s who we have coming to us and that’s our preference. As you look at it from a district point of view, CAPS is the place where we would implement this. But, even still, if there’s a license out there for it, we’re going to want to go for that licensed teacher. If there’s not, that gives us some flexibility.”

Teacher education programs are designed to screen out those who don’t have proper qualifications, as well as produce teachers who are professionals. Student teaching requires interaction with students and detects attitudes and behaviors that would not show up on a background check.

People entering without the background of student teaching would be missing a large piece of teaching. According to Schrock, for those who don’t experience teacher education programs, about one-third succeed. Another third hold the job but wish they had chosen different professions. And, about one-third quit sometimes quitting during their first weeks in the classroom. Teacher licensure provides the opportunity to eliminate out the two-thirds that are likely to quit. According to Roberts, the learning that occurs during teacher education is an important piece to producing well qualified teachers.

“You might work in the business world, but you might have no idea about pedagogy,” Roberts said. “A lot of people think they know how to teach because they went to school. I would challenge anyone to come teach for 10 minutes and see how easy it is — it won’t be as easy as you think. At the building level I don’t hire anyone, I just recommend to our HR department. I may say ‘this person would be a really good candidate but they don’t have a license and technically we could do it, so what do you think?’ And we may

go through a process to see if they’re a right match. 9.9/10 times I’m going to want someone who has a license. They’ve learned the things that make them the most successful.”

At the end of the process, every teacher in Blue Valley is expected to have some type of license — whether that be a teaching license, equivalent degree or experience. The main difference would lie in the level of experience the teacher would possess before entering the classroom.

“Even if we hire a non-certified teacher, they would have to receive a license in order to be able to teach,” Kreifels said. “I think the difference comes in between if they have completed a teacher education program that is recognized by the state of Kansas, and that’s probably the technical difference. If the CISD applied for a license, the local and state boards approve it and a license is issued to that person. So the difference really is, ‘Did you meet the criteria of the teacher education programs under the standards of Kansas State Board of Education, or are you requesting an exception because of different experience in education?’ They would follow under the same evaluation process as people who have gone through teacher education process who had gotten a license through KSBE in, what we would say, the typical way.”

Blue Valley’s Strategic Initiative adopted by the Board of Education in 2013 states: “Blue Valley will create and implement a system of selection, retention, and professional development that will ensure every Blue Valley student has an exemplary teacher in the classroom.” If Blue Valley decides to use this policy, the question of whether or not the district is living up to its mission statement could arise.

Math department chair Holly McCarty raises this concern as she is a mom of three in the Blue Valley district.

“Education is extremely important to me,” McCarty said. “I don’t think most people realize the amount of work that goes into teaching just one lesson. Not only do you need to know the content you must know how to get it across to students. Teachers must be knowledgeable in all learning styles and special needs of all students. Being a teacher [as

well as a mom], I feel it is very important for a teacher to be certified. There is a lot more than simply knowing content to actually teach all students. [If Blue Valley chose to implement this policy], it could hurt the quality of teachers we get in the district.”

When this motion was passed, the press attacked. There are many pieces that went into the decision that KSBE made, and hiring non-certified teachers was a very small piece of that. However, the teachers’ concerns regarding the potential of hiring pseudo-teachers began to build due to the coverage by the press. District officials want to reassure people that this piece of the decision hardly has any relevance in the district compared to other districts. For Roberts, he can understand both sides of the issue.

“I think it would affect teacher morale because you’re basically saying to a teacher, ‘Your professional preparation isn’t that important,’ and I understand that perspective,” Roberts said. “I was a teacher — I get it. The concern that teachers raise, I would raise the same concern. But, I also understand those districts where it is difficult to find licensed teachers; this is an option for them to help out those kids as well as their school district.”

Kreifels said the district will focus on the other pieces and push this one aside for the time being. The district’s plan is to stay true to its “standard of excellence.”

“I certainly can see how de-professionalizing could be a concern, but I want to emphasize that Blue Valley highly values the teacher education programs and the qualified teachers we have in our classrooms,” Kreifels said. “If we were ever to seek a candidate for such a license it would only be that we were unable to find somebody that was qualified and licensed through the state of Kansas first.

We have no intention of changing our practice in terms of hiring licensed teachers.”

Additional primary sources can be found on bvswnews.com.

| lexitarter graphic by Abby Yi. | 13

the traffic puzzle

school traffic patterns change to improve pedestrian safety

T

wice a day, five days a week, the area around the school resembles a major airport: cars and buses transport around 2,000 people to Aubry Bend and Southwest. Like an airport traveler in a mad dash for his or her gate, students and staff scramble to arrive at their class on time.

The return to school not only brought new students and classes, but a new traffic pattern.

The drop-off lane was moved to the circle drive, the special education buses were given a new driveway and the other buses load and unload on a new side of the parking lot.

The reason for these changes is pedestrian safety. Students and teachers who parked in the south lot had to cross between cars in the dropoff lane last year, which could have led to injury.

Blue Valley Director of Design and Construction Scott Crain has been working on increasing the safety of Blue Valley traffic plans. He pointed out the potential dangers in the previous drop-off lane.

“It seemed like the most convenient place to do things, but there were pedestrians walking across traffic,” principal Scott Roberts said. “I had to look [Crain] in the eye and say, ‘You’re right — we do. Let’s try to make this better.’”

The solution was to move the drop-off lane into the circle drive in front of the school. New drop-off lanes were created in the north lot for the buses, and a new circle drive was made behind the performing arts hall for the special education buses.

There were some challenges created by the modifications. Cars in the drop-off lane have to queue side-by-side to limit the traffic on Quivira, then merge into one lane at the drop-off area.

Also, the student parking lot now has one exit, as the second gate had to be closed during school hours as to not interfere with the drop-off lane.

In the previous drop-off lane, large windows

faced the road so it was easy for students to watch for their ride. The windows facing the new lane are now farther back, so it will take adjusting for the students.

“I think the real test will be in the winter, because it is nice to stay inside, and I don’t know how that is going to work out this year,” sophomore Megan Flood said.

Also, because all the high school traffic is on the same road, some students have observed that the lines for the four-way stop have gotten longer.

“I have seen people on numerous occasions cut through the neighborhood to get to the school faster, which is actually kind of smart,” junior Jack Jennings said. “[The new drop-off line] has made it take a lot longer to get to school” However, Roberts found that some of the anticipated issues do not affect the traffic as much as previously believed.

“The first few weeks, I was a little nervous, but now that we are more used to it, drop off times are taking no time at all,” Roberts said. “We are able to now have all of our traffic on Quivira and separate that traffic from 175th, which is a bonus for us. It has actually worked out pretty well now that parents are getting used to it.”

Roberts also plans to have the gates separating the parking lots opened for after-school events to allow drivers to easily get from one lot to another.

Although the new traffic flow can take a little longer, Roberts said the change is worth the time.

“Frankly, I think pedestrian safety outweighs any little inconvenience,” Roberts said. “If it takes an extra 30 seconds, but we can make sure students and adults are more safe on campus, I think it’s worth the inconvenience.”

14 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

| lilliehoffart

of 21 number school buses

47% percentage of students with parking permits

to 11 minutes clear the drop-off lane

*facts as of Sept. 9 from school records and Scott Roberts

ads | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | sept. 2015 | 15

SLAM senior Stephanie Kealey hosts biweekly poetry slams at The Art Factory

16 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

I

n a large crowded room filled with poets, musicians and artists, senior Stephanie Kealey shares a poem she had scribbled in her notebook just a few days before. Her words are accepted by the audience as the approving sound of snaps fills the crowd.

Earlier this year, Kealey learned she was able to express her feelings through her poetry and realized that she wanted to share her passion with other people. After attending her first poetry slam in January, Kealey knew this was the environment that she belonged in and it was a safe place for her to share her work with others who understood and appreciated it.

“The reason I started the slams wasn’t because I had this huge idea of doing something that’s successful and to be known for it,” Kealey said. “It was something that I’m passionate about and something I want to do and I want to see how many people I can spread it to.”

This summer, Kealey decided she wanted to bring something unique closer to where more of her friends and classmates could experience it. Toward the beginning of July, Kealey went to speak with the two owners of the The Art Factory. She asked if they currently were putting on any poetry slams and if she could host one.

“The owners took me outside and had me read one of my poems on the spot and were like, ‘OK, let’s see what you’ve got,’” Kealey said. “And then afterward, they were like, “OK, we think you’re the real deal and you can pick a night next week to put on this event, and if it works, you can work with us.”

Five days later, Kealey put everything together for the night of her very first poetry slam. The owners were so pleased with more than 75 attendees on the first night that they offered Kealey a volunteer-based internship at The Art Factory and now host her slams every other Thursday night.

At these slam nights, more than just poetry is performed. Some people come to sing, play their instruments or even reenact monologues from plays.

Although Kealey wants to continue to branch out and get other students involved, many already come every other Thursday to express themselves.

Junior Alex Norcross heard about the slam nights

from junior Travis Hampton, and on the first night he attended the slams, he decided to play the guitar on stage.

“It gave me a place to play — a place where I can go out and kind of put on my art, so to say,” Norcross said.

“My number one passion has always been performing, but I’ve never really had a place to do it. Since I found out about The Art Factory, it’s given me somewhere to go for a place to play when no one else would give me one.”

Students from all different schools come to the slams to show their art because they feel that it is one of the only safe places that they can go without being judged and are able to open up.

“You see these people and you get to experience what goes through their mind and the whole thought process of performing,” Kealey said. “It is so cool to be able to see what people have done and what they have felt. It helps you to get to know people without even being friends.”

One of Kealey’s major goals, besides being able to perform her own poetry, is to create a night that a wide variety of people can attend and be able to showcase their art. She now realizes, however, that her slam night is much bigger than just one night every other week where her peers can perform. It is a place where she sees people open up by sharing what they are passionate about.

“The thing that has made me realize how important it is to the community is when other people tell me that the slams help them,” Kealey said. “Whether or not it’s about my poem or someone else’s, it doesn’t matter. It’s just the fact that they came to the Art Factory and were inspired and realize that it’s OK for them to feel something that is painful and then for them to be able to express that in the future. I think that is what makes the slams successful, knowing that other people are healing from them.” |blakegustafson |umadesai

photos by Abby Yi.

| 17

The Polling Problem America’s youth faces task of determining next president

18 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

T

urning 18 is often an exciting event in the timeline of a person’s life. It means adulthood, maturity and the ability to buy scratch-off lottery tickets at gas stations. Being 18 means being entrusted with adult responsibilities by society.

Voting is one of these.

With the streamlining of mass media, news and events surrounding the most recent elections, as well as the 2016 presidential election, have become accessible to most everyone.

This availability of information makes happenings in the political world today difficult to ignore. Young people are constantly utilizing social media, a hotbed for political debate, however, voter turnout was lowest among the age group of 18 to 29 in the 2012 presidential election and the 2014 midterm elections, according to polling data. For students born between 1997 and 1998, the 2016 presidential election will be the first election where they are able to vote.

“Voting is a really great privilege,” senior Haley Ryckman said. “Your opinion can be validated and you have the chance to change something, and it gives a you sense of pride as well as a sense of purpose.”

Young people and politics are starting to become more and more synonymous. Politicians like Bernie Sanders recognized the gap among youth voters. Sanders’s political platform caters to young people by including an agenda that targets problems such as student debt as well as the general cost of higher education.

Sanders’s Facebook page has garnered nearly 1,300,000 “likes,” amassing opponent Hillary Clinton’s total. Sanders eventually would like to make college free by placing special taxes on transactions made in Wall Street, citing a lowering college enrollment rate compared to countries in Europe. The US ranked 19th out of 28 countries included in a study done by the Organization for Economic Co-operation, which tracks education investment and performance of

wealthier democracies.

“I definitely think free college can be feasible,” senior Jay Patel said.

“With federal funding backing, it can happen.”

Sanders has drawn over 20,000 at multiple rallies, shattering records.

The self-described “democratic-socialist” carries ideas that resonate with younger crowds, continuing the tradition of a democratic platform popular with those in their twenties.

Younger voters have typically placed a strong emphasis on selecting a candidate who values human rights and urges concern for the environment.

In 2012, 60 percent of all voters ages 18-29 voted for Barack Obama compared to the 39 percent that voted Mitt Romney.

“The Democratic party tends to be more progressive whereas the Republican party tends to lean more conservative,” senior Sam Kersey said.

“I feel as though young people are drawn more to progressive and new ideas.”

Sanders’s popularity with young people has made him a serious contender as the democratic nominee. To many, his ideas are most relevant to what they see as the biggest issues facing the country.

“Picking the candidate whose beliefs line up with yours the most is important,” Patel said. “It can directly impact your future.”

Sanders is also popular with immigrants, unlike Donald Trump, one of the major players on the republican side and a potential rival.

“My parents immigrated to the US with only a couple dollars in their pocket,” Patel said. “If we had a president that pushed things like workers’ compensation and workers’ benefits, they would've had a much easier time in getting to where they are now.”

The decline in youth voting participation, however, is concerning to many. According to a US Census report, only 20 percent of those in the age group 18 to 29 voted in the 2014 mid-term elections, down from

2010’s 24 percent. Programs like The Campus Election Engagement Project “help America's colleges and universities use their resources and networks to engage America's 20 million students in elections,” according to an August 2015 article on huffingtonpost.com. Events like National Voter Registration Day and Parade to the Polls encourage young people to get out and vote on election day.

“People are either uninterested or they’re 100 percent interested,” Ryckman said. “There really isn’t much of a middle ground.”

Youth are often times leading the movement for change in regards to social justice. To many, presence at the polls simply isn’t getting it done.

The battleground for movements such as Black Lives Matter and the widespread support for LGBT rights were led on social media. The enthusiasm for voting, however, is absent. A study done by the Harvard University Institute of Politics showed that only ⅓ of young voters say that their vote will make a difference.

“Young people are typically busy trying to balance school, work and a social life so they have less time to spend worrying about politics,” Kersey said. “Most young people don’t realize the substantial impact voting can make in a community and on them personally.”

According to rockthevote.com, around 12,000 people turn eighteen every day. For some, reaching the first major milestone of their lives is no more than another formality, only the opportunity to buy that first scratchoff lottery that they’ve dreamed about. For others, it’s the chance they’ve finally been waiting for.

“Everyone has the opportunity to express their opinion,” Ryckman said.

“The choice America makes in electing its next president is going to affect everyone, whether you're six or you’re 60.”

| michaelmagyar

| 19

www.kohls.com/Rock&Republic 20 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

I

nstead of doing homework or sleeping early at night, it isn’t uncommon for students to log onto their Netflix account.

“I watch Netflix probably every day,” senior Maddie Parrish said.

Every day, more and more students seem to be using the popular video streaming site.

| rileymartin

FUN FACTS Number of subscribers

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IN THE HALLS TREVOR SEYL JUNIOR

“I watch about four hours of Netflix a night while I do my homework. If I had to take a ballpark guess I would say I’ve completed around 35 shows and I’ve finished The Office series seven times. I like Netflix because it is very cheap for what you get.”

Regan erwin Freshman “I would say that I watch Netflix four days out of the week for about an hour. I have completed around five shows which are: Grey’s Anatomy, Orange is the New Black, F.R.I.E.N.D.S., 90210 and One Tree Hill. I like Netflix because it keeps me occupied when I have nothing else to do.”

minutes

Information from www. expandedramblings.com

Foun ded 1997

Netflix makes its initial public offering 2002

21 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | Infographic

ber The num of Netflix members .2 rises to 4 million 2005

Available on Apple : products iP , d iPa . hone, etc 2010

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From Laptop to Live

s the players hurriedly discuss their game plan during timeout, the pep band plays tunes to get the crowd going. Before last year, the band’s music was mostly from before the turn of the millennium.

Now, it is playing tunes that can be heard over the radio.

Senior Ben Cowan was the change that brought the band its new material. Cowan has been a member of the band since freshman year, playing both trumpet and mellophone. He is also a member of the Kansas City Youth Jazz Band. Starting his sophomore year, he discovered a passion for arranging music.

Cowan first learned about arranging from Southwest alumnus Max Putnam. Cowan saw Putnam arranging the song “Animals” by Martin Garrix for drumline and this caught Cowan’s interest. Putnam then told Cowan about an online program another band senior had used, which Cowan used to explore arranging music.

After reaching his limitations with online software, Cowan consulted with band director Edward Protzman on his next step. Protzman recommended the software Finale, and Cowan made the switch halfway through his sophomore year.

Finale allows users to arrange and write music with a choice of 450 instruments. The program also allows flexibility for the composer when arranging. Notes can be placed manually, or the software will adjust a baseline melody to fit each instrument.

Protzman has overseen Cowan’s progress for the past two years by giving him tips on how to improve his writing style. Protzman also reviews Cowan’s pieces individually.

“I guess it was the end of two years ago [when he started arranging], but last year is when he really came into his own with it and started to arrange the pep tunes that we could use,” Protzman said. “So last basketball season, we used three or four of his pep band arrangements.”

When the band started to play Cowan’s arrangements, it gave him a chance to hear his music live. So far, Cowan has arranged nine songs for the pep band ranging from “Safe and Sound” by Capital Cities, to one of his new works that will be premiering this year, “Life is a Highway” by Rascal Flatts.

senior Ben Cowan arranges music for the school band

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“When they first started playing my music during pep band last year, I thought it was really cool, and I was really amped up to play it too,” Cowan said. “I thought it was empowering. It was cool to hear it on an actual instrument instead of through a program.”

Band students came to recognize that Cowan’s arrangements of popular music added more spirit to the games. Cowan found that when students have the opportunity to listen to current music, they are more likely to sing and dance along.

“I think it’s more fun — like we had ‘Some Nights,’ and that seems to be more fun than having the older music,” senior Jared Daniel said. “The old music is still fun — like ‘Sweet Caroline’ is good every time, but it gets old eventually.”

However, the work that goes into arranging a piece can take hours. Cowan first looks at other arrangements of the song that are already published to see how they have tackled tough rhythms. He takes these ideas and emulates them to improve his pieces.

For songs that do not have good arrangements already published, Cowan will write his own melodic and bass line. “Life is a Highway” took seven hours to arrange.

Besides arranging music, Cowan uses Finale to compose his own pieces. Recently, he’s been writing his own drum corps music, which is a form of professional marching band. For composition, Cowan has to come up with his own original content for a range of musical instruments. “[Composing] allows me to express my ideas through a different voice than most people do,” Cowan said. “A lot of people like to write down stories, or something like that, or draw a picture, but I find it best to write music because sound is something that you can interpret both in your head and through what you see.”

Although the work that goes into creating a piece can be rewarding for the writer, Cowan wants it to be rewarding for the musicians. He wants the music to be learn able and fun to play.

Cowan’s work with arranging and composing music won’t stop in high school. He plans on attending the University of Southern Missouri next fall to work toward a double major in business and music, with intentions to work in music publishing. Additionally, in November, Cowan is traveling to Rosemont, Virginia, to audition for the Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps on trumpet.

“If you have the slightest interest of entering a field of music in college, I’d say having at least a minimalist amount of music writing is beneficial to you,” Cowan said. “You don’t have to have a ... program like I do; you don’t have to have a lot of free time hours. They have a lot of programs on the internet that are free that you can download to your computer, and you can start right away. So it’s not this elitist group that writes for the people, it’s inclusive for everyone, anyone can do it.”

| kelseydemel graphic by Kate Bowling. | 23

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cracking under

PRESSURE

school pressure affects students’ health

24 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

hen senior Anjali Pradeep entered the last quarter of her sophomore year, her mind spun when she thought about taking her first Advanced Placement exam. Thoughts of receiving a failing score on the exam frequently flashed in her brain.

Worries about letting those around her — her parents, her teachers, her high-achieving friends — down instantly would send her into a flurry of panic.

But the stress began to take a toll on more than just her mental state. For the last two months of the school year, she found herself in a constant state of vertigo.

She wasn’t able to walk straight, she felt as if her knees were buckling beneath her each time she stood up and she swayed from side to side each time she sat down.

For two months, Pradeep wasn’t able to drive, participate in extracurricular activities, and she often spent evenings in the emergency room due to her stress-induced condition.

“I have my own expectations to live up to, and my parents definitely have high expectations of me,” Pradeep said. “We live in such a privileged community with awesome education that it’s expected that we get the best education and take all the AP courses. I feel that if I don’t keep up to par with what’s expected of me, I’m not going to go far in life.”

As a district, Blue Valley boasts a 25.4 average composite ACT score, and 91.4 percent of students take college-credit bearing classes. Counselor Kristi Dixon said that in order to live up to the standards set by a community focused on college readiness, students often put their performance in school before their mental and physical well-being.

“Academics is such an important part of the Blue Valley community, which is great because I feel like our kids are typically so well prepared when they leave high school for whatever they want to do next, but with all that preparation comes a lot of stress,” Dixon said. “[Mental health and school pressure] is such a delicate balance, and I don’t know that we as a community always do a great job of helping kids balance that. We definitely have a culture of perfectionism, and it can be hugely detrimental to a kid.”

To a degree, stress can be beneficial to one’s motivation. However, too much can result in a variety of mental and physical consequences, ranging from the short-term to the long-term. Those who experience too much stress can develop physical conditions, as well mental health conditions, including depression, anxiety and personality disorders. Dixon said that high school is the prime period in an adolescent’s life where the consequences of stress come to the surface.

“High school is where it all bubbles up, just because you have more responsibilities than you’ve ever had in your life,” Dixon said. “Especially junior year, when it’s the first time to take multiple AP classes, and for a lot of people, it’s the first year where they can do varsity sports or audition type courses.

It’s the perfect storm of everything converging. So sometimes, that anxiety has been chugging along like a steady little train, and then junior year hits, and it just takes off because all of these stressors land on you.”

While the effects of stress vary from individual to individual, school pressure has driven some to take their own lives. In January 2014, a University of Pennsylvania freshman and track runner committed suicide after being overwhelmed from the pressures of school and track. In fall 2014, two students from Palo Alto, California, a community in Silicon Valley where students attend high school across the street from Stanford, ended their lives. And in November 2014, two Olathe Northwest students who were active members of the varsity soccer team committed suicide within 48 hours of each other. Kevin Hines, a motivational speaker who specializes in mental health and suicide prevention, said school pressure is an issue in all communities that he visits.

“I’m talking to kids all over the country who have homework that they can’t get done until three in the morning,” Hines said. “So that means that this kid is getting maybe three hours of sleep a night, and when they’re awake in the morning this kid is drinking coffee or doing whatever he or she needs to do, which isn’t healthy. They’re devastating their minds and their bodies just to get the grade. School is absolutely important to everyone’s life, but I think that we need to go about it in a new way of thinking before we drive too many more kids to the brink.”

Dixon said always receiving an A is not realistic as to how one’s life will be once he or she enters college or the workplace. She said there is benefit in receiving a B in high school in order to realize that one won’t always receive a perfect grade or score.

“Kids want to do the very best that they can do, and there’s truth in that colleges want this particular type of kid, so when you say to a kid, ‘You don’t have to have an A,’ it’s a hard sell because they know that colleges would really prefer the A,” Dixon said. “But then as a counselor, you’re coming from this mental health standpoint that you might need to get a B in this class so you can breathe and experience a B now where you’re safe, as opposed to you go to college and you get a B and completely lose your mind.”

As a parent, Steven Arkin experienced this when his son, Jason Arkin, a 2012 graduate of Blue Valley Northwest, began a rigorous electrical engineering program at Northwestern University. In high school, Jason received fives on all nine AP exams he took, was a National Merit Scholar and graduated in the top one percent of his class. However, Jason had been battling depression since he was 12 years old.

When he started at Northwestern, he wasn’t accustomed to working hard in order to receive an A in a prestigious environment where he was surrounded by his accomplished peers. The pressure ultimately surmounted to be too much, and Jason took his life

at the age of 21, two weeks before he started finals, on May 19, 2015.

“All of a sudden [Jason] was in a lot of pressure in terms of all the competition,” Steven said. “Most of the pressure related to competition and knowing that even though he was in the top one percent, everybody next to him was in the same boat. Even though they were all feeling the pressure, for somebody who’s depressed, their perception of how to deal with that pressure is different. We thought that the pressure that was on a kid that was around peers that were just like him would be good and would nurture some good thinking, but for some kids that are wired differently, that can be counterproductive.”

Arkin, Dixon and Hines all urge students who are feeling overwhelmed to the point that their mental and physical well-being are at risk tell someone they trust who can help them take steps to receive the proper treatment. Dixon said she helps many of her students, like Pradeep, with time management skills and helps them make schedules in order to realistically complete what they need to get done.

“If you keep things to yourself, nothing is going to change,” Pradeep said. “If you’re someone that deals with anxiety or panic attacks, the best remedy is talking to someone. That is usually the hardest thing for someone like me to do because your thoughts are irrational, so you’ll think no one will understand you. But it’s important to get it out there because if you don’t, it will sit inside of you, and it’ll grow until it will physically take a toll on you.”

While Pradeep still takes on a heavy course load and finds her time after school devoted to extracurricular activities almost every day, she now has better control of her stress. When she feels like she is overwhelmed or is going to have a panic attack, she calms herself down by excusing herself from class for a moment and listening to music. She also works with Dixon to manage her schedule and ensure that her mental and physical state doesn’t get to where they were her sophomore year. “[Having vertigo] was a great eye opener for me because it made me realize that I’m putting a ton of expectations on myself,” Pradeep said. “Everyone is making a huge deal about having these grades and these scores, when in reality, if you look from a bigger point of view, even though high school is important, it’s not going to be the decider of your life. Sure, having As and Bs is a good thing — if you have the capacity for that, work for it. But if you have to go through what I went through to get to those places, it’s totally not worth it. I feel like people in high school put emphasis on all the wrong places.” | margojohnson

1 in 4 teens have skipped

a meal in the last month due to stress

3.9 5.8 healthy versus actual average stress rating for teens on a 10 point scale

3.2 hours average number of hours stressed teenagers spend online per day

31% of teenagers think their stress has increased this past year

59% of teenagers report that managing their time to balance all activities is a stressor in their lives

3 in 10 teens feel sad or

graphics by Abby Yi. depressed because of stress statistics from the American Psychological Association

| 25

Beating the barriers

sophomore Noah Green competes in US Junior Olympics

26 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | sports

S

ophomore Noah Green arrived to the track early on that bright summer morning. He ran a mile to warm up and began his training. First were the drills, then came the hurdles and then came the strides. After completing the regiment, Noah could do as he pleased, as he had the rest of the morning and afternoon to himself. However, he had to report back to that same track that night for a rerun of his morning routine and the specific workout for that day. Every day, Noah repeated this cycle, determined to improve himself among the field and ensure that this year would not be a repeat of the last at the Junior Olympics.

“I finally realized that I had the talent,” Noah said. “I would say ‘If I had done just this much more then I would have been able to make it farther.’ This year, I was more determined, and I went all the way. I wanted it more.”

After making his first appearance in the Junior Olympics the prior year, Noah was immediately ambitious about the next. He qualified for only one event and was eliminated in the first qualifying race. However, after hard work and determination, this past year proved to be different as he was able to take third in the 400-meter hurdles and fifth in the 110-meter hurdles, with times of 54.24 seconds and 14.76 seconds respectively.

“I was extremely happy because it was the first year that I did well and the first time I medaled and I was really excited about that,” Noah said.

His determination and hard work came in the form of five to six hours of training per day throughout the summers, and two and a half hours of training during the school year.

The majority of these hours of training came specifically with his track team, KC Flyers.

The club helps with much of his training and coaching, as form is crucial to being a successful runner.

“If your form is bad, a guy could be slower than you, and have better form than you and end up beating you,” Noah said. “I was extremely mad when I got out at State because of everyone that beat me, I was beating them by a lot throughout the season” Noah not only has coaching resources from his club team, but he has another coach that is with him 24 hours of the day, seven days a week, in the form of his dad. A collegiate sprinter himself, Noah’s father, Benjamin Green, ran at the community college level

before getting a track scholarship to Baylor, and then transferred back to his native state of California to finish his career at Fresno State.

“My coaching never stops,” Benjamin said.

“I’m here. We talk every day about something different.”

Noah likes the dynamic, although he admits it can be tenuous while it can be very helpful at the same time.

“He’s my dad, so I have to listen, and sometimes I get irritated and I don’t want to take his advice, but in all reality it’s the best advice he could’ve given me,” Noah said.

Having his dad around to coach helped Noah to an early start in his career, as he has been a track All-American four of the last five years. These All-American accolades not only came through sprinting and hurdling, but also through triple jump, as Noah was a national champion at age 13.

When it came time for Noah to take his next step in his track life and start his high school career last spring, he translated much of his success on the national level to the state level. He did this despite having to compete in a field that was widely two to three years older than him, which was quite a change for him as he had been competing in his own age group since the start of his career. However, with the determination he showed on his path to the US Junior Olympics, he succeeded throughout the year.

“He has definitely put more time in than everyone else,” sprinters coach Dustin Leochner said. “His technique, as a runner, and as a hurdler, was very advanced as a freshman, without a doubt, and that came from a lot of hours of technical discipline.”

The hard work paid off with a second place finish in the state championship, beating out upperclassmen competitors. Instead of being content with such success, it has left Noah hungry for more, as he has reset his sights on this season.

“My goal is to become champ in the 300-meter hurdles because I got second last year, and to move up in the 110-meter hurdles, because I got out in the first round last year,” Noah said. “When I got out in the first round because of a mistake, it really irritated me because I could’ve went to the next round and done better.”

According to Brittany Harding, Noah’s hurdles coach and science teacher, it is a very reasonable goal for him, as his work ethic will

carry him to his goals.

“In order to be a great athlete, you have to be self-motivated, and able to push through times, and I think that’s part of his personality,” Harding said. “He just works hard because he’s able to push through the not-so-fun days in order to get the reward out of it.”

However, a unique experience for Harding, one which many other coaches do not get to have, is she gets to see his work ethic in the classroom. From what she has seen thus far, it is clear that his work ethic carries over from track.

“I was surprised to see how his work ethic from track transferred over to the classroom.

He’s serious, he wants to get stuff done, and he wants it to be done right,” Harding said. “Being detail-oriented is a huge part of hurdles, and paying attention to detail is part of his personality. It benefits him a ton, both at school and on the track.”

Harnessing his own work ethic will also help Noah in his quest for his ultimate goal; to qualify for the World Youth Team and represent America on an international level. After his success at the Junior Olympics, Noah is hungry to achieve his ultimate goal.

“It is a big goal of mine, seeing this year the team was able to travel to Columbia,” Noah said. “I feel like it would be a really good experience for me before going off to college if I can at least make it once.”

The World Youth Team is a new challenge for Noah, as it only takes the top two runners in each event from anyone younger than 18, giving him a significant disadvantage as he is currently 16. However, being invited to the trials for the team was a big inspiration for Noah, using it to propel his other goals.

“I realized I had the talent for the Junior Olympics because that was the first year that I was invited to the Youth World trials, and I was really pumped up for that,” Noah said.

Even with the hours of practice each day to achieve his numerous goals, Noah has been able to balance a healthy lifestyle, managing both academics and athletics. This has become apparent to everyone he surrounds himself with, especially Harding.

“Noah is a phenomenal athlete, but he’s an even better person,” Harding said. “He works hard, and you have to respect anyone who works that hard. Anything he decides to do, even if it’s not with track and it’s with school, I think he’s going to be really successful.”

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| sethwingerter photos by Delaney Oliver. graphics by Kate Bowling.

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juniors sophie bokarae and josie henzlik create a bohemian jewelry company

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unior Sophie Bokarae was shopping in Urban Provisions, a boutique located in the East Bottoms, when she was approached by the store owner, Savannah Northcraft. Northcraft complimented Bokarae on her necklace and asked her where she bought it; Bokarae explained how she and her best friend, junior Josie Henzlik, started a bohemian jewelry company the previous year. Impressed with their product, Northcraft requested to sell their jewelry, and Bokarae’s smile immediately crept from ear to ear as she replied with an ecstatic “yes.”

“I was shocked but extremely excited,” Henzlik said. “We never thought we would get the opportunity to actually sell our products in a real store. The most exciting thing is the idea of walking around in downtown KC, seeing strangers walk by wearing our jewelry. That’s so cool to me.”

The girls gathered their materials and produced nearly forty items to present to Northcraft the following week. After many sleepless nights and hours of dedication, they were ready to present. Northcraft loved what she saw and immediately bought the products. Soon after, Urban Provisions officially sponsored Joso.free. Northcraft is a supporter of local Kansas City artists, which is one of the many reasons why the jewelry intrigued her.

The girls started their bohemian jewelry company, Joso.free, thinking it would be an easy way to make money and spend some quality time together, but it soon became much more than that. Spring break

28 | sept. 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

was just around the corner and teens from all around the district were requesting their boho pearl necklaces to wear as they lounged on the beach. Their bohemian-styled jewelry was an immediate success.

“There were so many orders,” Henzlik said. “We were up until midnight almost every night. At the time we were stressed, but looking back I appreciate those nights because it really grew Sophie and I’s friendship. It’s pretty fun doing something that you love with your best friend.”

Henzlik and Bokarae were inspired to create the jewelry after they saw bohemian pearl necklaces being sold from beach vendors in Seaside, Florida. As they stopped at one of the vendors to buy a necklace, they asked how the products were created and what materials were needed. Knowing this information sparked their success in the future. Once back at school, they received countless compliments and interests while wearing the jewelry. It was then that Henzlik and Bokarae realized the only way to fulfill people’s wishes was to bring the Seaside trend to Kansas City.

“At first, we didn’t know what to tell people,” Henzlik said. “It’s always disappointing when you see something really cute and you can’t have it. It seemed like everyone wanted the necklaces, but we only saw them in Florida. We took advantage of the opportunity and gave people what they wanted.”

Urban Provisions isn’t the only one fawning over the boho look ­— the jewelry caught the eyes of local high schoolers as well.

Teenagers are attracted to a variety of different styles, but the bohemian style is currently popular. Stores such as Free People and Urban Outfitters have embraced this trend and teenagers have flocked to it. The comfortable yet classy look that is associated with bohemian fashion works perfectly with the teenage lifestyle. This is one of the unique characteristics that Joso.free incorporate into its jewelry.

“I’m obsessed with fashion,” junior Lilly Hall said. “From shoes to jewels, that’s kind of my thing. What stood out to me about their products was that they go with everything. I wear my pearl necklace to school dances, parties, vacations and almost any type of event. Also, their products are simple and comfortable, which is probably why teenagers love them so much.”

Not only has Urban Provisions showed a massive interest in their company, but so has Lululemon, a well-known yoga apparel business. In the future, Bokarae and

Henzlik will be hosting jewelry parties for Lululemon consumers, which will help expand their company to a whole new audience.

The girls would also like to hold a workshop centered around creating bohemian jewelry similar to Joso.free products. Being only 16 years old when they created the company, Bokarae and Henzlik hope to be an example to other young people to always pursue their dreams and not let age restrict what can be accomplished.

“I hope this makes people realize that you really can do what you want to do, even at such a young age,” Bokarae said. “It takes hard work and patience, but Josie and I did such a simple thing and we are already taking off; it just takes determination. Creating Joso.free has opened so many doors to things that I never dreamed I could do at age 16. We love the experience and we’re truly blessed that we’ve had the opportunity to do something that makes us happy.”

| sydneyswyers | kelynlynch graphics by Riley Martin and Kelyn Lynch. photos submitted by Sophie Bokarae and Josie Henzlik.

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Dealing with Diabetes

students learn how to cope with diabetes t a young age, children don’t think much about what they are eating; their team and walked several laps around Town Center, all while raising they just take what seems the most delicious and run with it. Their awareness. faces are stuffed with sugary sweets like lollipops, chocolates, bub“It’s good to know that other people have the same struggles,” Petersblegum, cookies and other candies. But for some children, they can only en said. “But, to know that they also got through it, too. It’s nice to know stand back and watch as their friends devour their food without a care that other people know what I’m going through.” in the world.

Petersen isn’t the only student struggling with this disease. SophoType 1 diabetes is usually diagnosed in children and young adults all more Justin Wright follows alongside Petersen, and he was diagnosed across the nation. This is when the beta-cells in the pancreas almost or when he was 15 years old on July 4, 2015. He enjoys spending his time completely stop producing insulin. Insulin is a hormone that helps break playing basketball and baseball with his friends as well as for leagues down sugars, starches and other food into energy for everyday life. The outside of school. lack of insulin leads to increased blood sugar and urine levels, therefore “When I found out, I was tired and sick to my stomach,” Wright said. children have to monitor the nutrition value of their food intake daily. “I’m really shaky and dizzy when I have low blood sugar and I can’t Being diagnosed puts major complications on a focus straight. When my blood sugar is high, I find child and his or her family’s life. myself extremely tired and sleeping a lot.”

Sophomore MaKenna Petersen enjoys playOne of the biggest challenges Wright faces is ing basketball, being a part of the color guard and what food he is still able to eat. Going out to dinner hanging out with her friends, but it hasn’t always with his family and friends has become a struggle been easy. Petersen was diagnosed with type 1 because he has to count all the carbs and search diabetes when she was 9 years old on May 25, particular foods online for their nutritional value.

2010.

On top of that, Wright has celiac disease and has “Whenever I first found out, I was scared,” Pe| sophomorejustinwright to look for gluten-free foods to help control his tersen said. “I had a friend who died from it. She blood sugar. Celiac disease is the immune system’s had undiagnosed type 1 diabetes, and whenever I got diagnosed with reaction to eating gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and type 1, I was afraid of dying.” rye, according to celiac.org. Common symptoms found in teenagers are Petersen and her family struggled in the beginning with counting delayed puberty, growth problems, weight loss, irritability and mouth carbs for everything she ate, but over the years, she said it has become sores. Some patients with celiac disease won’t have any symptoms of increasingly easier for them. Ever since Petersen was first diagnosed, the disease because their intestine is still able to absorb a large amount her family has been able to adjust to every hardship. Petersen and her of nutrients and prevent the symptoms. family had to dramatically change their lifestyle to fit her needs, which Wright is set to receive an insulin pump soon to help stabilize his ultimately ended with little to no sugary foods due to the constant spikes blood sugar after meals. As for right now, Wright is still set on using in blood sugar these particular foods caused. syringes and pens, which help with injecting the right amount of units Peterson’s new lifestyle was a tough transition. In the beginning, of insulin he needs before meals. she was required to take shots of insulin before every meal so that food After being diagnosed, Wright has discovered that he is not able to would process into energy correctly. Petersen often found herself shaky enjoy many foods because they spike his blood sugar, such as sugary and often had dizzy spells whenever her blood sugar was low. Whenever sweets and, particularly, cereal. her blood sugar was spiking, she often had extreme stomach aches.

Playing the sports he loves is another challenge he faces. Before and When Petersen is playing sports, she always has to check her blood after every game and sometimes even during a game, Wright has to pressure before, after and during halftime to make sure she isn’t pushing check his blood pressure to make sure it has not gone over his physical herself too hard to where her blood pressure is too low or too high. Oth- limits. It has been two months since he was diagnosed, but Wright has er than this, she hasn’t been forced to give up anything she loves to do been able to overcome his every day struggles with this disease. in her free time because of this disease.

“Diabetes is not a life ruined,” Wright said. “It’s a life changer.”

In 2011, Petersen was part of a local walk called “Walk to Cure Diabetes” to raise money and support awareness for this who struggle with | cheyennegreathouse the same disease. Her and her family made T-shirts, set up a tent for

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“Diabetes is not a life ruined; it’s a life changer.”

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(1) Squeegeeing the extra paste off the strips of newspaper, juniors Lily Klima and Brianna Ahrens help to paper mache a thunderbird for the homecoming bonfire. Every year, National Art Honors Society makes the mascot of the opposing team. This year, the timberwolves’ rival mascot was the Shawnee Heights thunderbird. (2) Painting a sign, senior Leah Joseph helps out at the homecoming work day. Joseph painted the Kauffman Center sign that was part of the front entryway for the homecoming dance. (3) Helping out at the homecoming work day, senior Kathryn Venzon paints a sign that says “Kansas City Zoo.” This sign was included in the front entryway at the dance. (4) Cutting out cardboard, senior Grant Thompson helps out junior Evan Haas. Haas is the treasurer on the Executive Board of Student Council and came to contribute to the NAHS meeting.

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Making KC students in national art honors society create decorations for homecoming and the bonfire

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