The Standard — March 2016 by The Standard

the

standard

the standard blue valley southwest volume 6 | issue 6

Barbie's Reality Check Mattel announces new line of Barbies that includes different body types and skin tones news: pages 43/45

inside

wood working feature: page 24 trust the process sports: page 26 humans of southwest special sections: page 34 safety on the line news: page 36

Front cover: Mattel introduces a new line of Fashionista Barbies that includes curvy, petite and tall body types along with seven new skin tones, 22 eye colors and 30 hair colors. Photo illustration by Kate Bowling

contents www.bvswnews.com volume 6 | issue 6

22 22

features 04 | into the dark [room] 12 | emerging entrepreneurs

14 | the water games 24 | wood working 30 | are we reviving ophelia? 40 | catch a glimpse

sports 22 | distinctive dancing 26 | trust the process

opinion 16 | the financially illiterate

news 09 | postponed privilege 36 | safety on the line 43 | barbieâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reality check

special sections 40

online exclusive Gallery: Relay for Life

Editor’s Note

e’ve all seen that phrase plastered on posters with scenes of awe-inspiring landscapes and boldly announced on the covers of college brochures – “find your passion.”

thestandard editor-in-chief lexi tarter online editor-in-chief margo johnson

This saying, although cliché, rings with truth. Passion is what makes

associate editor michael magyar

us unique and interesting individuals. It leads us to try new things. It

business manager nicole becker

does not define us, but finds us. Passion inspires others and shows

photo editor delaney oliver

them that we truly love what we do. As I was looking through the stories in this issue, one reoccurring

online photo editor donna armstrong

idea stood out: students are working hard at a craft and not taking the

social media manager blake gustafson

easy road. This is seen in those who choose film photography over

writing coaches nicole becker michael magyar

digital; commit numerous hours to dance; beg to practice their sport longer; and jam-pack their schedule in order to direct a play. Passion is evident in these stories. Why else would someone dedicate so much time to something? My hope is that you will see the passion this staff has. Passion is the reason this group writes thousand-word stories. It is the reason we take photos at wrestling matches on the weekend. We have inclass working lunches and spend hours at home typing up interviews. Although this class is for a grade, that letter is not the reason we stay long after school on work nights obsessing over grammar. It is

design coaches lillie hoffart riley martin staff writers uma desai sydney swyers seth wingerter photographers lily smith kara torgler graphic designers kate bowling abby yi adviser rachel urban

because we love what we do. Passion is what makes it all worth it. I have confidence you will find that in this issue.

| designcoach

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.

INTO THE DARK (ROOM) students express the significance of having a film photography class

tepping into the dimness of the darkroom, junior Liz Putnam wonders just how long it will take to finalize her print to her standards. Putnam watches each photo develop slowly as the many pieces of her photo come together in just the right fashion. When she finally pulls her photo out of the ill-lit darkroom and into the revealing light, Putnam is met with a feeling of accomplishment, as her detailed work shines through with her final product. “I have made photos that I am very proud of, and when I do, it’s like I want to show the world,” Putnam said. “I always want to see all the different ways viewers find what the photo means to them because it can always mean something so much different to them than it does to me.” In the modern era, students are met with touch screen cameras, memory cards with the capacity to hold thousands of photos in quarter-sized disks and cameras that take a click of a button to capture a focused and correctly lit photo. Despite the constantly renewing technology of the camera, Blue Valley schools have chosen to offer a film photography class, which requires the manual preparation of film — focusing, processing the film and developing a photo. The public first used film cameras in 1888 after the invention of the Kodak by George Eastman. This was the only form of photography that existed until 1975, when the first digital camera was invented by Steve Sasson. Since this time, the digital camera’s technologies have advanced as it has developed. The demand for film has decreased, increasing the price of film by around 20 percent. Recently, however, film has seen an increase in popularity as the hashtag #filmisnotdead reached 1.5 million posts on Instagram. “People are starting to realize that they don’t want to lose the entire process and the entire technology of film photos, and I think that’s good,” photography teacher Sarah McKee said. “I don’t know that the comeback will be permanent, but it’s definitely sticking around for a while longer. I don’t think film

4 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

is 100 percent dead.” Similar to skills such as cursive, which, according to ABC News, has seen a continual dropping from schools curriculum across the country, teaching film photography is an aging idea. The necessity behind these skills is being questioned due to better-fit replacements, such as using a keyboard, or in the case of film, a digital camera. However, McKee said she hopes film will continue to exist at the school, and that as long is there is a dark room, there is no point in ceasing the teaching of film photography. “It’s just like people ask the same questions about why in the world we teach a ceramics class if you can’t use ceramics in your everyday life, but it still helps you think creatively, the innovative use of your brain and your hands in a completely different way,” McKee said. “Film photography is worth it from an artistic standpoint and is a good background before jumping into digital photography. It is a lot easier to jump into digital once you have had film and you know the basics.” While the focus of the class is film, students also learn about the history of photography, including lessons on popular photographers of the film era and the first photos taken almost 200 years before the invention of the digital camera. Learning the basics of photography, such as manually adjusting the settings in a camera, are prominent aspects of film photography, as well as an expectation for students finishing the class. Chiefly, McKee said her goal for the class is for students to feel ‘technically proficient’ with the film cameras, allowing them to create prints they are proud of and that are personal to them. “One [of my favorite things is] when photography I students actually make a print and see the first photograph that they are really proud of because it took so long to get to that point; they kind of see all the work that went into it,” McKee said. “The other thing is when my really advanced students finally figure out what their artistic voice is, and they start making photographs that they are really proud of.”

Putnam said film photography does not offer the instant gratification, like that of digital, that people find appealing. She, however, has found the manualhands-on aspect of film that extends the length of the processing time intriguing, as she is able to create more meaningful and beautiful pieces. “Without all the work before with the manual camera, I feel like I wouldn’t feel like it was me capturing it all; I would feel as though I’m just capturing a moment and not a piece of artwork,” Putnam said. “That’s what makes [film photography] so much more special to me. It’s not just a click of a button, and you can’t see it right away; it’s a mystery.” For sophomore Emily Rayburn, film is a beneficial way to learn the history of photography while also exploring modern forms of the art. First introduced to digital photography, Rayburn has now taken photography I, photography II and repeated photography II. She said she enjoys film better because of the vintage aspect and the appreciation she has for her film work. “Each photo I take holds a memory,” Rayburn said. “Taking a single picture is a whole process — where your shoot will take place, what will your focal point be, time of day — it makes you appreciate your work a lot more.” The process of film photography has distinct differences from the process of taking a digital photo. With film, one starts with a single roll of film that must be rolled into the camera. Then, while taking the photo, every setting is manual, including shutter speed, aperture and the focus of the picture. The ISO, or light sensitivity, is decided before-hand, depending on the type of film one uses; a lower ISO is better for sunny days where the sensor is less sensitive to the amount of light from the sun. The typical number of photos on a roll ranges from 24 to 36, compared to a digital camera that can store thousands of photos. “Everything has to be manual in film, so you can’t skip any steps or jump ahead in any way,” McKee said. “You can control your developing; you can control your darkroom process. You get to essentially do everything from start to finish whereas digital photography sort of skips over those steps for you. So in that sense, it’s nice because you can do things the way that you want to do them from start to finish.”

Having used a digital, film and Polaroid camera, sophomore Marcus Hedstrom has divided his photography techniques and styles to fit with each camera. Hedstrom said he uses digital cameras for crisp or high quality photos, especially of landscapes or portraits, and Polaroids for capturing fun moments with friends. “Everybody takes photos with a digital camera. I think there is something really unique that stands out when you have a photo, like of a memory or a person, [that you have taken] with a film camera,” Hedstrom said. He has become fascinated with film for the nostalgia of it, along with the unique features that film photography possesses, for example, the memories accompanied with film and the shared appreciation with older ages. Within photography, he has begun to invest more time and effort into each photo and focusing on the framing, lighting and settings of the camera. “The process [interests me] — watching something you can’t really see when you take the photo and then making it come to life in a physical form,” Hedstrom said. Each student is allowed a creative license when developing his or her photos. With maximum control, many different things can be done to a photo to make it stand out, such as adding more light to one area of the photo, known as burning, to create a glowing effect. “When you’re in the darkroom, you can do all kinds of experimental techniques,” McKee said. “You can make your photos look completely unique and not like anybody else’s. You can print based on your personal artistic standpoint, rather than letting the computer tools make those decisions for you.” Film photography is seen as an escape for Putnam. Having also taken photography I and photography II twice, along with many other art classes, she sees film as a favorable way of capturing one’s creativity, along with a way to express herself. “The hard work is what makes it art,” Putnam said. “You put more thought into it and when a photo comes out how you envisioned it, all the hard work pays off and it makes me even more proud of the piece.”

| delaneyoliver

i nto t he A GUIDE TO DEVELOPING FILM PHOTOS First Step: Develop the Film

A black bag or room with complete darkness will be required, along with a roll of film, scissors, a reel, a rod for the canister, a black-light-safe canister and a lid. The chemicals needed are the developer, fixer and water.

1. With all materials in the black bag, open the film

reel, unravel the film and cut it from the roll. Then roll it on the reel, put it in the black canister with the rod in the center and screw on the lid.

2. Pour each of the chemicals in the top of the lid

for the correct time for the film’s ISO. Then, open the canister.

Film Canister

3. Take the film off the reel, and leave it in circulating water for 15 minutes before hanging it up to dry for approximately eight hours.

Third Step: Developing The Photo

In the last step, the chemicals the photo paper was exposed to will reveal the picture that was projected onto the paper. The paper will become light-safe after it has been soaked in each of the three baths. Once it is light-safe, it will need to be rinsed for 5 minutes in a rinse-bath, then dried through the print dryer.

7. Place the photo paper in each chemical bath — developer, stop bath and

fixer — for the correct time. While in the developer, agitate the tub to allow the chemicals to fully develop the photo. The picture will appear after it is finished in the developer.

8. Use the tongs to carry the photo to the rinse bath and let it rinse for five minutes, then send it through the print dryer.

AND THERE’S THE PHOTO 6 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Developer

d a rK ( room) Cap Lid

second Step: using the enlarger

An enlarger is similar to an overhead projector, as it projects the photo onto the light sensitive paper. The more light, the darker the photo, this being the reason that the film strips are inverted. This paper is not affected by red light, hence the red light in the darkroom.

Rod Reel

Canister

Enlarger Head

Film Carrier

Elevation Knob

5. Place the film strip into the film carrier. Then, place

Stop Bath

the carrier into the slot in the enlarger. Turn the light on, and focus the picture with the focus knob.

6. Turn the light off, and place the photo paper under the

enlarger. A test strip will need to be made to determine the correct time to expose the paper. When the time is determined, set the time on the time box, and project the image on the paper for that amount of time.

Focus Knob Enlarger Lens

Fixer

5/31/2016

@BVSWNews

on Twitter and Instagram for stories, live updates, photo galleries and more

The #1 mass communication site of Southwest 8 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

postponed privilege

Olathe raises tobacco product purchasing age

hen senior Jacob Block turned 18, he was welcomed to the newfound freedoms of voting, buying lottery tickets, enlisting in the army — and purchasing tobacco products. For Block, tobacco products, such as electronic cigarettes, provide a calming sensation while avoiding the effects of conventional cigarettes. But due to a recently passed law, Block’s accessibility to such products will be restricted for the next three years. On Tuesday, Feb. 2, Olathe City Council voted six to one to raise the legal purchasing age of tobacco products from 18 to 21. The law went into effect on Saturday, Feb. 8. Olathe is the latest municipality in the Kansas City metropolitan area to change the legal purchasing age. In November 2015, city councils in Kansas City, Missouri; Kansas City, Kansas and Wyandotte County voted almost unanimously to increase the age requirement, and Independence, Missouri followed suit the following December. The changes came after the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce and Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City launched the Tobacco|21 KC campaign, which aims to curb teen’s exposure to the harmful effects of tobacco through raising the purchasing age in all municipalities in the metro area. “I think raising the age will make it more difficult for younger kids to have access to [tobacco products], and because nicotine is addictive, it changes your brain chemistry and how your brain functions,” nurse Mitzi Edwards said. “[Nicotine] can prime the brain to be more quickly addicted to other substances. Our brains continue to develop until we are 25 years of age, so the older we can set that limit to where our developing brains aren’t exposed to the those chemicals, the better.” According to the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, more than 80 percent of adult smokers started smoking before the age of 18, a point that the initiative highlights in encouragement of raising the purchasing age to 21. However, with only four of the over 100 municipalities in the metro area passing the law, Block said the law’s effects will be negligible until more widespread change is established. “A lot of kids go between Overland Park and Olathe all the time, so I don’t really think [the law] is going to change anything,” Block said. “I think you have to change the whole [county] for it to really start taking an effect on people being able to have the products. I don’t think that having one city here and there is going to do much at all because people can drive 20 minutes to another city.” Jon Harris, manager of Vape Attic in Olathe, said about 20 percent of his store’s business comes from the 18 to 21 age demographic. When Kansas City changed its purchasing age, Harris saw an influx of traffic to his store from the Kansas City area and even heard talk from customers about moving to other cities to avert such laws. Although Harris said he’s expecting a decrease in sales, he said the only current smokers under 21 the law will affect are the ones unwilling to have someone over 21 purchase tobacco products for them.

news | www.bvswnewscom | southwest | march 2016 | 9

“The thing is, kids who are going to smoke will smoke anyway,” Harris said. “I’ll be honest, some of the kids who come in when they turn 18 talk to me about how they were sending their parents in for the last two years, so a lot of them are just repeating the process of sending people in to get what they need.” Harris said electronic cigarettes appeal to the younger demographic because of the variety of vapor flavors and users’ abilities to do tricks with the vapor, but he also sees even younger smokers turning to electronic cigarettes to move away from cancer-inducing traditional cigarettes. Harris said he thinks it’s unfair for electronic cigarettes to be included under the law, as he said perceptions about their health effects are misconstrued. “I think the whole lumping of vaping with tobacco is crazy, but of course, a lot of people don’t understand that,” Harris said. “I’ve been making vape juice for three years, and I can honestly say, because I know everything that goes into it from the neck down, that if you were to walk into a congested highway in the middle of rush hour and breathe in the fumes from the cars, that would be 100 times worse than anything you could put into your body vape wise.” Harris said he’s attended numerous city council meetings to speak against the inclusion of electronic cigarettes in the law. While the ingredients used in the juice at Harris’s store include nicotine and three vegetable-based extracts, Edwards said the problem with electronic cigarettes is the ingredients put into the juice currently aren’t regulated nationally, which means users could be consuming dangerous chemicals unknowingly. “Some [electronic cigarettes] have already been found to contain small amounts of formaldehyde, which is a poison, and small amounts of other chemicals that are very dangerous, but there’s no regulation, so we don’t really know what kind of things we are going to see,” Edwards said. “Just like when cigarettes first came out, we did not know how lethal they are, and I believe 15 years down the road, we will see that the e-cigarettes are much worse than we anticipated in the first place.” School resource officer Lance Balderston said if Overland Park decides to adopt the elevated purchasing age, the law won’t have any effect on the district policy for tobacco use at school. Under Blue Valley Board of Education Policy 3515, students and faculty are prohibited from using, distributing or possessing tobacco products “on all district-owned buildings, on all grounds and athletic facilities, in district-leased facilities, on school buses and in all vehicles owned or leased by the school district.” The baseline fine for a student caught with a tobacco substance on school property is $25, but additional violations, such as smoking indoors or sharing the product with another student, can increase the ticket to upward of $200. Students infringing on district tobacco policies additionally

10 |

receive an out-of-school or in-school suspension up to 10 days long. But despite a variety of disincentives, Balderston said he often finds the same students being penalized. “Some of the same kids get caught over and over,” Balderston said. “I have a drawer full of different vape pens — some of them are from the same kids. They just don’t quite get it. Vaping devices will be confiscated, so if they have some elaborate e-cig, they lose it. So not only do they get the ticket, have to go to court, pay the fines and suffer school consequences, but they just spent $150 on that e-cig.” Balderston said while the number of students caught using cigarettes and other tobacco products on school property has decreased in the six years the school has been open, the number of electronic cigarette-related violations has increased in recent years. This prompted the district to modernize its policy in 2014 and add electronic cigarettes to its list of banned tobacco substances. Balderston said he thinks until the district adopts stricter punishments, students will continue to use tobacco products at school. “If [the district] had stiffer penalties, it’d take one or two people to get popped with [the consequences] before everybody decides it’s not worth it to bring it to school,” Balderston said. “The kids who are doing it, they’re taking money out of mom and dad’s pocket [to pay the fines], so my thought would be to require community service and some educational classes on tobacco products. If you make it unappealing and put the punishment out there, they might be less likely to attempt it.” According to a 2014 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24.6 percent of high school age students have used tobacco products within the past 30 days. Cigarette use among high school students reached an all time low in 2013, with a smoking rate of 15.7 percent. Edwards said while changing the legal purchasing age doesn’t account for underlying factors of teen tobacco use, such as teens not being adequately educated about the dangers of tobacco, she thinks changing the age is a positive step in decreasing tobacco use. “There’s definitely some maturing that goes on between the ages of 18 and 21, a lot of times, once people are out of high school and move on and go to college, they may view things differently and think about the purchase and consequences more critically than an 18 year old,” Edwards said. “But with the addictive nature of nicotine, and your body getting to where it needs it and craves it and you begin to feel side effects when you don’t use it, people will always find ways to get it. I think it’s a good idea to raise the age, but it won’t be a perfect solution.”

| margojohnson Photo illustration by Donna Armstrong and Abby Yi

Kansas City, Kansas; Kansas City, Missouri; Olathe and Wyandotte County have raised the purchasing age to 21.

24.6 percent of high school students have used tobacco products within the past 30 days.

Municipalities in California, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri, Ohio, New Jersey and New York have changed the purchasing age.

80 percent of adults smokers started smoking before the age of 18. Facts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Survey on Drug Use and Health and Tobacco Free Kids

git with itt

Get

tips, tricks and facts to help the grammatically-challenged

| katebowling

commonly mispeled or misused words: misspelled

1. Your vs. You’re possessive

contraction of “you are”

2. Defiantly vs. Definitely with bold disobedience

3. Effect vs. Affect

used as a verb

used as a noun

4. Their vs. They’re vs. There without doubt

place of “they are” or idea

possessive contraction

;

fun facts:

the dreaded semicolon:

• “I am” is the shortest complete sentence in the English language. A complete sentence always contains a verb, expresses a complete idea and makes sense standing alone.

• A semicolon is most commonly used to link, in a single sentence, two independent clauses that are closely related in thought. Ex: Lily likes newspaper she wants you to join.

;

• There is no word in the English language that rhymes with month, orange, silver or purple. shunth? lorange? nilver? smurple?

Ex: Lily likes newspaper that was a good movie last night.

• Words that are used to fill in time when speaking, such as “like” or “basically,” are called crutch words. Avoid these if at all possible.

Contrary to popular belief, saying “good” is actually grammatically correct if not directly referring to one’s health. Responding with “well” means “in good health.” “Good,” on the other hand, means “in good cheer.”

Information from www.grammarly.com and www.bloomsbury-international.com

how are you? “good” vs. “well”

special sections | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016 | 11

Emerging Entrepreneurs DECA and FBLA cultivate students’ interest in business

KS STATE COMPETITION Landon Tasset - first place in Ad Campaign Landon Tasset and Lexi Tarter - fourth in MTDM Mitch Sutton and Jared Daniel - fifth in FTDM Sneha Bhavanasi and Swetha Jasti- eighth in TTDM Maddy Barns and Finn Murphy - tenth in HTDM Corbett Oliver - third in Hospitality & Tourism exam Mitch Sutton - tenth in Finance Cluster exam Drew Havens and Will Hawkins - fourth in STDM Adaleigh Emerson and Kathryn Venzon - sixth in STDM

12 |

uit and tie on, senior Corbett Oliver is ready to go. Making up half of a duo, Oliver steps in front of judges set to hear a make-shift business plan. Oliver and his partner make up just one of the duos preparing to step into the business arena for a day. This is the world of a DECA student at a competition. The acronym of DECA originates from Distributive Education Clubs of America. This is no longer the motto of the club, however the acronym stayed put. Now known as the “Association of Marketing Students,” the organization was founded in 1946, and its mission has remained the “preparation of emerging leaders and entrepreneurs.” Compiled of both high school and college chapters, DECA boasts over 215,000 members nationwide. One of its 3,500 high school branches makes its home at Southwest. “Southwest has a strong presence in DECA,” Oliver said. “We routinely do very well in local competitions, and, last year, we sent a team to nationals.” Oliver is fairly new to the DECA scene; however, he holds one of the leadership positions for the club. Oliver said being a part of DECA has provided him with invaluable skills that will help him in his future career.

DECA at a glance: • founded in 1946 • 210,000 members • 3,500 high schools • chapters in all 50 states and 8 different countries

“DECA is almost strictly business coupled with verbal and “During competitions, we are required to think quickly, and along with the presentation aspects of role play, my leadership skills have presentation,” senior Jack Fiorella said. “FBLA is more concerned grown,” Oliver said. “I’m planning on going into engineering, however with the test taking portion for instance and expands on more things my experiences in DECA have led me to consider a minor in business that are connected with business. FBLA also consists of a written and presentation portion, but it’s or marketing.” A DECA competition involves two contests: a testing portion and more concerned with the testing portion and expands on aspects that a period of role play. In the role play contest, competitors’ problem- are more connected with business. The tests may include a variety of solving skills are put to to the test when they are given business topics, such as accounting or healthcare management. “FBLA gives Southwest students a chance to learn more about scenarios and must create a solution to the presented problem. These sort of problems often encompass a wide range of business-related business outside of the typical classroom environment,” Fiorella said. “It’s a club that gives you a chance to learn more about specific careers obstacles to simulate real predicaments in the field. During the role-play portion, students are given a scenario based on outside of school.” These competitions often explore topical prompts and challenge the subject they chose to compete in. Then, they’re given 10 minutes to students to use their business literacy to solve difficult issues. These prepare before they present their ideas in front of judges. “The role play segment of the competition has helped my public issues may encompass a variety of business related fields. In a recent competition, Fiorella said the students’ topic was speaking skills tremendously,” Oliver said. “The challenge of the event itself forces me to sharpen my abilities to do well during the emerging business issues, and they talked about the implications of jailbreaking phones. It required that Fiorella and his partner, senior presentations.” Competitions are judged accordingly by event. Judges review the Jay Patel, present both sides of the argument and conclude their own opinion on the subject. competitors level of proficiency in a given area. “I liked the prompt we received because it This is done by listening to a role-play, grading “It would show that southwest is allowed us to use our skills to try and solve a an exam or sometimes assessing a case study. rising in business competitions and real-world issue facing society,” Fiorella said. The Kansas state competitions for DECA the school’s club would get more “FBLA exposes us to these kinds of problems took place March 6 and 7. A portion of the recognition, and hopefully more and encourages us to produce applicable competitors will be chosen to participate at members.” solutions.” the national competition in May. Senior Will | seniorwillhawkins Both DECA and FBLA give high school Hawkins sees the state competitions as a students a chance to explore potential careers. chance to put southwest DECA on the map. The clubs themeselves have become gateways “Doing well would mean a lot to this program,” Hawkins said. “It would show that Southwest is rising to expoloration of professions “If you go to college not knowing what you want to do you can in business competitions and the school’s club would get more spend years burning time and money,” Fiorella said. “If you’re given recognition, and hopefully more members.” Similar to DECA, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) experience and exposure to things now you won’t have to waste your aims to educate high schoolers and provide a peek into the business time later in life.” world. Though their mission statements have similar purposes and | michaelmagyar functions, FBLA and DECA have their differences in methods. DECA photos from @bvswdeca focuses on four components: finance, hospitality and tourism, business management and administration and marketing.

news | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016 | 13

The water Games assassins â&#x20AC;&#x153;godfathersâ&#x20AC;? voice the importance of following the rules

14 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

s the remaining days of the school year dwindle down, the graduating class continues to experience the many perks that come with being a senior. From senior skip days to class day, the senior picnic and finally graduation, there lies another unique activity. Assassins, a high stakes water gun game, began at midnight on Sunday after the return from spring break. A large quantity of the senior class will be playing their way through the game in hopes of winning a cash prize and bragging rights. Seniors Jack Fiorella and Jay Patel have taken up the role of “godfathers” for the game this year. Organizing the target system, refereeing the game and responding to the complaints made to the rules committee are among their responsibilities. “Jay and I realized no one had taken on running the game,” Fiorella said. “So we decided we may as well do it. We received a lot of the rules from the “godfathers,” Justin Hicklin and Brendan Kelemen, from last year. They’ve been a big help in organizing this.” With about 150 seniors taking part in the game, Fiorella and Patel are making safety a priority. A set of mandatory guidelines are put in place to ensure players’ safety and no negative repercussions. “There have been multiple police reports in the past of shady teenagers walking around with guns,” Patel said. “So, don’t do anything that would cause the police to get involved or elicit attention from the police.”

Students who take part in the tradition of playing have done whatever it takes to get ahead and win the game. While the game has never become overly out-of-hand in the past, Fiorella and Patel are fearful of the possibility that players might take it too far. “Don’t mess with anyone while they’re driving if possible,” Fiorella said. “Have fun while playing, but also try to use some common sense.” This year the game is starting a little earlier, but the “godfathers” have made no other changes to the game. The rules continue to restrict players from being targetted at work or school along with other sets of restrictions that could lead to disqualification. “Don’t do anything illegal for obvious reasons,” Patel said. “And shooting people at work is prohibited so no one gets fired. Also it’s not allowed at school or any school-sponsored activities because assassins is not a school-sponsored activity.” Principal Scott Roberts said as long as students keep the game away from school and school-sanctioned activities, the district will not get involved. Since assassins is not a school-sponsored event, Roberts and the Blue Valley School District think it is best to let students decide what guidelines should be followed unless it gets out of control. “It’s a student run activity,” Roberts said. “The school has no intentions of involving ourselves and in the past the students have done a good job at notifying the players

to keep the school uninvolved and uninterrupted.” Roberts said the district is rarely alerted about issues in the game or asked to intervene. Students want to keep the school out of the game just as much as the school wants to be excluded. “We have not had to intervene in the past,” Roberts said. “There have been times when the game has been shut down, but that’s because the game organizers have shut the game down, but we have never shut it down. We would only get involved if it disrupts school and disrupts the orderly process here at school. If that’s the case, students could face consequences. Besides that, we choose to not get involved because it’s not a school-sponsored activity.” While the “godfathers” want all to recognize the importance of following the rules, they want students to remember that assassins is nothing more than a game and supposed to be fun. “Assassins really comes down to the honor code,” Patel said. “So if you cheat, you’re ruining it for everyone else. Sure, the reward is a money prize, but it isn’t worth losing friends over it.” Fiorella and Patel look forward to controlling the game and hope that participants use the game as a fun way to end senior year. “Our final advice: trust no one,” Fiorella said.

| karatorgler

| 15

the financially illiterate finance classes should be mandatory in high school

hen it comes to financial literacy, students are entering college clueless. Blue Valley has driven its students to pursue a college degree, as 94 percent of all students show interest in enrolling at a four-year university. Although students are up to academic levels of preparedness, the lack of knowledge regarding finances is proving the absence of fiscal education in high schools. Finance classes should be mandatory in the upper class grades of high school in order to give students a baseline knowledge on financial literacy. “I think personal finance is a great example of a class that students should be taking to prepare them for the world outside of high school,” principal Scott Roberts said. “The [core classes] are academic classes where we are doing academic preparation, so students don’t always have an opportunity for those real life situations. We have to learn how to incorporate pockets [of real world] in our curriculum, but that’s probably an area to work on. I don’t know exactly what the real world class would look like, but I think that’s something we could definitely use some more of.” Roberts said out of the students who are interested in going to a university, 87 to 90 percent actually end up attending. As far

as finishing, that number drops to about 63 percent, about double the national average. There are numerous reasons for that low of a number, including finances. Finance teacher Layne Funk said it can be discouraging as a teacher that only 63 percent of Blue Valley students actually finish college, whether it takes four, five or six years. Funk said part of it can be directly attributed to the financial piece, but it can also be attributed to the level of difficulty of college that students aren’t used to. “I would like that percentage to be quite a bit higher; however, college has gotten a lot harder than when I was going through school,” Funk said. “I have two boys in college now, and it’s rigorous. Blue Valley talks about being a rigorous school and having rigorous academics, but I don’t know if we’re quite there yet, like we say we are. I think our kids are more prepared than other school districts in Kansas, but I think we need to bump it up a little bit. A great way to do that would be pushing students take finance classes to put them ahead.” High school is supposed to prepare students for college education as well as being able to perform in society. The education students receive in high school is more biased toward the academic piece,

16 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | opinion

20.2

million attended a university in fall 2015

the enrollment increased about

4.9

million since fall 2000.

and it’s lacking the financial real world situational piece. “In high school, we think about this a lot, ‘Are we preparing you for college, are we preparing you for life?’” Roberts said. “Sixty-three percent almost doubled the national average, but it still isn’t as high as we’d like it. We would love for 80 percent of everyone who goes to college to finish within six years. We aren’t quite there yet.” Students are entering a university immersed in the curriculum they were given in high school, but when the first tuition check comes, they can be overwhelmed and confused on how to handle the money they owe. Not just tuition, but also handling money in general can become a struggle, as students are on their own financially for the first time. Alumnae Kobi Miller shared this concern as she currently lives in an oncampus dorm in New York City at the Fashion Institute of Technology. Miller pays around $28,000 a year for school; that’s on top of books and basic necessities, such as food and toiletries, as well as tickets to campus events or events around town. “I had money saved up for basic needs, but I didn’t factor in cost of living or how much extra stuff I was going to do,” Miller said.

full-time working young adults with a bachelor's degree make an average of

university

average annual price for undergraduate students is

$48,500

$15,640

at public institutions

56%

of students earn a degree within six years

“We live in a nice part of Kansas, but the basic necessities are still a lot more affordable there than in big cities,” Miller said. “The first time I got a notification on my account saying that they posted tuition and housing fees, I freaked out. Seeing that number for the first time made my head spin. You may see jokes about books being expensive, but they are not an exaggeration. Some of my books are upward of $200.” If students aren’t learning basics on finances at school, they’re going to have to learn it somewhere. A gray area exists on who is supposed to be teaching the financial piece. Administrators assume it’s the parents’ responsibility, and the parents assume their children are getting that knowledge from school. “Learning how to write checks and manage finances is a great thing for a family to teach,” Roberts said. “As a parent, I’m going to show my four children how to write a check, so I think schools are one place for that, but the other thing is teaching it at home. I don’t think school is necessarily the place that we have to teach you how to write a check. I think that’s a great thing for families to do. My parents did that for me.” In perspective, students spend most of their time at school or working on school related activities, and parents are busy with

facts from the National Center for Education Statistics

their own responsibilities at work. There is limited time left over to talk finances, and parents are trusting their school districts to provide their children with skills to help them prosper in life. There’s an unclear line on who is supposed to teach finances which is leaving the students to suffer. “The biggest problem with the Blue Valley kids is that some of the parents do a great job at teaching kids financial literacy, but some of the parents are too busy that they just don’t teach their kids anything about financial literacy,” Funk said. “So, if the parents aren’t teaching their kids at home, the kids definitely need to be taking classes to learn in high school.” Roberts said aside from the personal finance classes that are offered, Blue Valley makes some attempts to help students become prepared for life after high school. They do this through advisory or when counselors come in to give presentations on testing days and discuss not just academic, but social and emotional topics — things students are really going to be exposed to. “We try to offer those opportunities for students — that’s why we take 48 minutes out every week in advisory so that we can put some of those goals in the classes to figure out how we can improve student’s personal growth,” Roberts said. “We put those lessons in the school day, but not

within a specific mandatory class, so that’s how we’re trying to address it. Could we be better? Yes.” Although there are some attempts being made, financial literacy is important and something every student will have to learn and understand. Schools need to do a better job at not only preparing students academically, but financially as well. All teachers want the percentage of students who finish college to increase, and although the 63 percent isn’t all directly attributed to financial problems, learning how to handle finances early could be significantly more beneficial rather than learning it later. Students are shocked by what life after high school entails, and adding a mandatory finance class could help students obtain baseline knowledge on financial literacy. “Honestly I think everyone should have to take Personal Finance their last semester of high school,” Miller said. “Whether or not you go to college or join the workforce, the class really prepares you for adult life. I wish Blue Valley would have taught me more about cost of living throughout the world. Not all of us will end up living in Kansas or going to school there, and it makes a huge difference.”

| lexitarter Graphics by Abby Yi | 17

Not Not an AVerage average E Day day

students and staff celebrate national days

very day of the year is a national day. There are more commonly known days, such as National Read Across America Day on March 2 and lesser-known days, such as National Awkward Moment Day on March 18. Regardless of how well known a day is, students and staff celebrate and acknowledge them in different ways. They may celebrate the day annually or on a daily basis without even knowing it. | donnaarmstrong

FE 09 BR UA RY National Pizza Day “ [I eat pizza] maybe daily. But at school, it just depends on what’s on the menu. If there is nothing good, I’ll just get a slice of pizza with something else. [I eat it] sometimes during the weekend too.”

| juniorbrandonschuster

18 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

“It’s really close to Valentine’s Day, and I think it’s way more exciting to celebrate Presidents Day than Valentines Day... [I got my inspiration for my outfit because] it’s an election year, so I was trying to think of something election themed. And then I saw a preview for the movie ‘Suffragette,’ and it all just came together.” | teachersarahmckee

presidents day

“In a way, I apply [random acts of kindness] every day. I don’t like to use all of my kindness on just one day; I like to spread it out. I like doing [acts of kindness] in general. It makes me feel good, and I feel like I’m making some sort of impact in the hallways. You don’t know when a person is having a bad day, so if you can do one thing that will brighten up their day, it’s worth it.” | sophomoremahrukhjamal

national random acts of kindness day

“The past three years we have [celebrated National Love your Pet Day]... My mom has taken [my dog] to the spa. We have gone to the dog park each year, and then we get her treats. She is spoiled. ” | seniorgrantthompson

National love your pet day | 19

“I sleep when I want to. It doesn’t matter where I am, whether that’s in class or in the car or on the street. [I sleep] when someone else is driving, not usually when I drive. But, you know, accidents happen. [To celebrate next year], I would definitely sleep the day away.” | seniorsnehabhavanasi

National Public sleeping day

MA RC H

“[To celebrate National Peanut Butter Day], I would probably carry a jar of crunchy peanut butter and creamy peanut butter in my backpack and then maybe the chocolate peanut butter too. Peanut butter literally goes with everything. It’s just amazing; it makes things magical.” | seniorstephkealey

National peanut butter day 20 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

02 “During the school year, [I read] one to two books. In the summer, five to 10. I think it’s sad that people don’t read books because it’s like they have no imagination. That’s why historical fiction is so cool because you can jump back and live in the society of ‘Jane Eyre’ and go, ‘Oh, I’m so glad I didn’t [live in that time].’ [I think the most important thing about this day] is that [kids] are reading instead of — I hate to say it — playing on the computer.” | teachercarolynzeligman

national read across america day “I will be eating as many pancakes as possible without any remorse because, duh, it’s a holiday. I’m not an avid pancake eater, but they’re good. So, I’d be lying if I said I eat them on rare occasions.” | sophomoremaggiegallaway

national pancake day

“An awkward moment I had at Blue Valley Southwest [was] me walking in the commons, having a conversation with a student. I wasn’t paying attention because I was in the conversation and I ran smack into a pole, and the student didn’t even tell me that I was coming up to a pole.” | secretarytandeebader

national awkward moment day

| 21

Glitter girls compare and contrast dancing with the dance team and at a studio

rom the gym floor to the main stage, Glitter Girls sophomore Haley Eksi and senior Rachael Sorcher split their time between being a member of the dance team and dancing at a studio. The main differences between the two come down to the varying styles, dance team having pom, kick, hip hop and contemporary dance, while studio competition is mainly tap, jazz, contemporary, production, small group and musical theater. Despite their differences, the girlsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; passion for dance can be found on all stages. | lilysmith Graphics by Riley Martin

22 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | sports

2 (1) Perfecting her solo for the upcoming dance competition sophomore Haley Eksi practices a tilt. When she is not performing on the basketball court with the rest of the Glitter Girls, Eksi can be found on stage dancing with Jody Phillips Dance Company. Eksi said unlike Glitter Girls, studio competition dancing “is mainly based off cleanliness as a team and dance studio competition is more based off

of technique and skill level.” (2) Preparing to learn a routine from teacher Marlee Long, Eksi and her team line up for lyrical class. Eski said her favorite part about studio competition is being with people that share her same passion. “I love performing and taking convention classes,” Eksi said. “Mainly being with my best friends though, my dance friends are my best friends because I am with them all the time.”

Co-captain of the Glitter Girls, senior Rachael Sorcher leads the team through its group routine, “name of routine.” Sorcher said each halftime show takes lots of time, hard work and dedication. “We work for months to prepare three dances for competition,” Sorcher said. “We usually learn the dances in the summer, or the beginning of the year.” Unlike a studio setting, the dance team gets to practice its routines in front of the school before heading to the competition. Like Eksi, Sorcher thinks the Glitter Girls’ goal is to dance as one unit. “We work hard to make sure each movement is uniform,” Sorcher said. “My favorite part is getting to showcase our dances that we have spent months perfecting.”

feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016|||23 23 feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | dec. 2015 27

wood working senior Danny McReyonlds creates and sells pens

or senior Danny McReynolds, “You don’t work a day in your life if you love what you do,” is more than just a saying. Last year, McReynolds and Dawson Borcherding, a friend he met through Boy Scouts, started their company D and D Woodcraft. The two handcraft wooden pens separately, but sell them together. “When I was growing up, I always liked going down to the workshop and doing all sorts of building things, like I built a shed in my backyard,” McReynolds said. “I’m majoring in construction management, so I’ve always kind of liked building and being around those kind of things.” Pen-making is more than just a source of income for McReynolds — it’s a way for him to escape stress. McReynolds has woodworking machines installed in his basement so he can use the machines when he wants. “I really like woodworking, so being able to do that and make money off it is all the better,” McReynolds said.

| abbyyi

The pen kit comes with the ink and the metal pieces on the pen.

the pen process: 1. Decide what kind of pen to make 2. order pen kit and other supplies 3. cut wood into lengths of pen tu 4. Turn the wood on the lave 5. Sand and add finsihing touches 6. press the pieces togther

Most pie inch by 3 inches lo

24 | march 2015 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

www.etsy.com/shop/DandDWoodcraft

how do you sell them?

“

I have a shop on Etsy and during the winter time — I guess it was November — I went to four other craft shows and had a booth at each one of those, and then also I sell them just by word of mouth.”

What challenges have you faced?

“

The biggest thing is getting the word out that I actually have this stuff and finding a way to sell it. With all the experience I have woodworking, making the pens isn’t really the challenge — it’s more of trying to get rid of the ones I have.”

how will this help you in the future?

“

I think it’s always a good experience to have some kind of business. One, because you get so many aspects of life in there. You get lessons about marketing, [public relations] and actually interacting with people. So, a lot of it is people relations, and I think that’s going to help in the future — either with job interviews, or scholarship interviews or anything like that, anything where you have to go out into the real world and talk with people and interact with people. I think that’s given me a lot of confidence.”

bes

eces are 3/4 3/4 inch by 5 ong.

LAVE: A machine for shaping a piece of material, such as wood or metal, by rotating it rapidly while pressing a fixed cutting or abrading tool against it.

| 25

TRUST THE PROCESS Aubry Bend Middle School’s eighth grade class presents athletic opportunity for the future

wenty minutes into practice, Aubry Bend A2 boys basketball coach Taylor Stewart calls the A-team around him. Thinking the team would be happy with a shortened practice, he attempted to strike up a bargain with the players. The proposition was simple; if he made the shot, practice would be over. However, instead of awaiting the shot with anticipation, the players awaited it with dread, begging Stewart not to shoot, simply because they loved to practice. “I’ve never had a group like this before,” Stewart said. “They’re making us practice more than we say.” This work ethic has brought them to where they are now — a group of athletes who have represented the school in three different sports, yet have never lost a game. The seventh grade boys track team went 8-0, and the football A-team went 8-0, and both A-teams finished the basketball season at 8-0. The perfect records were simply exhibitions of the hard work displayed throughout the seasons. “They want to be out here; they want to try hard,” Stewart said. “They want to be the best they can be, and they work to do it.” The team requires leaders to instill that work ethic into teammates. Since many of the players have played together since early elementary school, the players hold each other accountable, which allows them to work harder and get better. “Peyton Manning is like a coach on the field, and everyone respects him more than a coach, and he can get on players,” Stewart said. “We have players like him, players that can get on a kid in the huddle so that we don’t have to.” Players like those are plentiful on the team, but specifically A1 boys basketball player Nate Adamson looks to improve his teammates each day. “Whenever we’re going through a down time, one of us will always step up,” Adamson said. “Not a day goes by when someone shows up to practice and says, ‘I just want to go home.’ Everyone steps up, and it really shows our leadership.” Coupled with that team-wide leadership is a sense of enjoyment. Not only have the players been playing together since a young age, but they’ve also grown up together. Each day, practice or game,

they get to the court ready to work and have fun at the same time. “I feel like all of us bond together well,” Adamson said. “Everyone gets along, and we’re always having fun. We’re just putting in work and getting results.” The same themes of accountable camaraderie pervaded the football season and were a large part of its success. Stewart, who was also the defensive coordinator for A-Team football, said the team was unparalleled in his experiences.

That same defense set an unprecedented mark allowing six points all season, and those six points came in the first game. Even after winning that game by a sizable margin, the score nagged at them, as they were considerably upset that they even let up six points. However, instead of becoming frustrated and defiant, they channeled the anger into determination, and the product of that were the seven consecutive shutouts to finish the season.

26 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | sports

This accountability, shared between both the football and the basketball teams, not only created a successful environment, but a simply dominant environment. While the basketball teams went undefeated, the football team had a winning margin of 338-6, which meant they scored over 42 points per game while allowing an average of less than one point per game. This success started with a distinctly different atmosphere, one of honesty and openmindedness.

“When they talk to each other, they’re pretty pointed and honest,” Meisner said. “One of the hardest things I think for anybody, especially kids, is when you get feedback that is not what you want to hear, is how you respond to it. One of the biggest differences is that when they’re giving feedback to each other, instead of getting mad at

each other, they’re understand that they’re trying to help each other.” By doing this, they avoid the opposite state of mind, one filled with excuses and closemindedness. “At 14, it’s pretty easy to get on board with making excuses, and if everyone around you is, then everyone is making excuses,” Meisner said. “Even if you have all the talent in the world, it doesn’t always equal success.” This commitment to improvement and avoidance of excuses is not only in the short term, but this class also sees the long term implication of its actions. Like Adamson said, the players make sure they are at practice, but according to Meisner, they also make sure they are getting better on their free time too.

Players from left to right: Brock Duty, Justin Wingerter, Kolin Demel, Jake Emhardt, Alex Lucas. The five players competed on Aubry Bend’s A2 boys basketball team, which had a perfect season of 8-0 to coincide with the A1 team’s also perfect record. Photos by Delaney Oliver

| 27

“

THEY WANT TO BE OUT HERE; THEY WANT TO TRY HARD. THEY WANT TO BE THE BEST THEY CAN BE, AND THEY WORK TO DO IT.” | coachtaylorstewart

(1) With the ball bouncing off the rim, A2 player Dylan Drinkwater reaches for the rebound. (2) Eyes intent on scoring, Ethan Jayaram sets his left foot as he prepares to make a crossover. (3) Fighting for the rebound, players Brock Duty and Jake Emhardt try to reach and grab the ball before their competitor grabs it. (4) Seeing a scoring opportunity, player Ben Kimbrough gathers his dribble as he prepares to pass to the open man (5) Driving the lane, player Michael Paule perseveres through the contact and gets to the basket for a layup. (6) Chasing the ball handler, players Tucker Wilson and Paule attempt to corral the opponent’s efforts of creating a fast break. (7) After going after the loose ball, player Justin Wingerter looks to the referee with anticipation of the upcoming call. (8) After picking up his dribble, Paule puts the ball high above his head in order to give him a better passing lane to the open man cutting to the basket. Photos by Delaney Oliver

“They’re already talking about how, ‘Hey you better be at weights,’ because they all understand how that stuff helps,” Meisner said. “Sometimes collectively you get enough of the right personalities together that it pushes the whole group.” While they are gearing up for the future, Southwest is also gearing up for them. After only one state tournament appearance in football and none in boys basketball, the potential is there for this class to revolutionize Southwest’s sports by taking them to a new level. “I couldn’t be more excited to have them,” Southwest football head coach Anthony Orrick said.

“From what I’ve seen, there is nobody better in the district than those kids.” Not only is their success prevalent in their playing skills, but also in their attitude, represented by their desire to win. “They’re very competitive; they want to succeed and they want to win, and that’s what we need here,” Orrick said. Further, when these two qualities are present in the players, history has said that there is good reason to believe in a successful future. “At Pleasant Ridge, there were two years in a row that we

28 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | sports

were really good at basketball and football, and then those kids went on to win the state championship in basketball and football and baseball at Blue Valley West,” Meisner said. “We saw it at Pleasant Ridge, and it was the same kind of thing where they were all friends, but they worked really hard together.” Roughly sharing the same perspective that Meisner has, Adamson is optimistic about the future chances of success. “I really hope it turns out well at Southwest,” Adamson said. “Unfortunately, we’re losing two players, but we still

all get together well, and we’ve been going to school together since second grade, so I hope it carries out.” Welcoming a group of athletes that has never lost a game at its highest levels, the future is bright for Southwest, and Stewart specifically recognizes that. “The freshmen and sophomores at Southwest, combined with these eighth graders, it’s going to be a good couple of years,” Stewart said.

| sethwingerter

ads | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016 | 29

Are We Reviving senior Lauren Browning directs play that tackles gender norms

â&#x20AC;&#x153;I believe that theater holds a mirror up to life. It is time that our lives receive an authentic reflection.â&#x20AC;? | seniorlaurenbrowning

30 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Ophelia? A

fter three sessions of auditions, senior Lauren Browning sat with her production team, senior Zach St. Clair and junior Faith Knapp, to put together their cast list. The script called for 43 roles to be filled, but Browning decided she wanted to cast a small ensemble to portray all the roles. As time carried on, the three discussed which actors’ names would be listed and which would be left off. The night neared 11 o’clock as the team made its final decisions, casting a total of 18 actors and actresses. Although they said it was an extremely stressful night, it brought them closer as a team and as friends. “I have learned the different difficulties that the production team faces versus the difficulties the performer does,” Knapp said. “In regard to casting we really understood what our director [Dan] Schmidt goes through every time he casts a show. We had to cast based on talent, but also who looked the part and who looked good together. I also learned a lot regarding different styles of directing and different views and ideas, which was really cool.” “Are We Reviving Ophelia?” was written by Greg West and a group of high school students from Masconomet High School in Topsfield, Massachusetts in order to examine the role of females in society, as well as the role of society in females’ lives. The script itself focuses on the female lens while addressing the male perception of the female, the female perception of herself and the role of those perceptions within society. Browning said she felt drawn to the script, but wanted a piece that included a broader voice and was not strictly one-sided. She decided to combine the script with 19 of her original works, all inspired by events and conversations that she’s had as a teenager.

| 31

“This show means that all of us are able to take the mask off of society and show the vulnerability within us all.” |seniorstephaniekealy

“People should be able to do what makes them happy, no matter what category it falls under.” |freshmanjadentatge

“All of my original works were written using my experiences as a high schooler,” Browning said. “I have spent the past four years observing these occurrences. Some of the works are directly related to my personal experience and story. However, the vast majority were provoked by what I saw in the halls of high school. I wanted to accurately replicate the very real turmoil that pulses through these vulnerable teenage years.” In order to achieve Browning’s goal, Browning and her production team decided that no Repertory Theatre members were allowed to audition. She did not think the show would reach its true potential if she directed her peers because they are essentially at her same level of knowledge and experience. She also wanted to give people a chance who do not get to perform often. Since the show was about the unheard voices of society, Browning wanted to represent the population that has yet to be heard. “I feel like not letting Rep members join the show was bold,” junior cast member Travis Hampton said. “While we may not have the really strong, key actors that are used to being in a lot of shows, we have a group of young talented inexperienced actors that bring something different to the table. The idea is to have a story told by voices that haven’t been heard instead of the same faces we see in almost every Southwest show.” As graduation day crept closer and closer, Browning knew that she needed to challenge herself before high school ended; she thought directing could be that challenge. “I have always been drawn toward directing,” Browning said. “The directors I have worked with have been some of the most influential people in my life because they elicited my love of the craft. I desired to learn more about the process of the theater in order to expand my appreciation and ability as an actress. Directing has shown me an entirely different side of the production of theater. Usually, as an actress, I simply relay the message or story that I am told to. As a director, I decide what that story is.” Time was a constant battle for Browning as a new director. Since all 18 cast members had conflicting schedules, it took her nearly nine hours to create a rehearsal schedule. She scheduled the actors in 15 minute rehearsal intervals in an effort to not waste their time. This resulted in Browning getting to school at 7 a.m. every morning and leaving the theater around 9 p.m. every night for the past couple months.

32 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

“Gender norms need to end.” | juniorerinthompson

Browning has been auditioning for colleges and was in a different state every weekend during the rehearsal process. She would finish rehearsal around 8:15 p.m. on a Thursday night, fly out around 4 a.m. the next morning, fly home Sunday night, complete her homework, catch up on make-up work and then start all over on Monday. She also runs the Yoga and Pilates club, is a captain of the improv team, school mascot, a part of the top 10 percent of her class and a costume assistant for Miller Marley Dance Studio. Outside of that, Browning runs a face painting non-profit organization for children and volunteers. She says the process has been a balancing act, but has paid off in the end. “Before this show I knew I loved this craft, but I couldn’t pinpoint why,” Browning said. “Now, I am confident in why I create, and I feel purposeful through my art form. I think it is crucial to examine our world and provoke change through awareness. Theater is pivotal. This show has been the defining factor of not only my senior year, but my career as an actress thus far. I now feel like I will enter college with a clear direction and motivation for my study and craft.” Browning has been consistently acting since fourth grade and will be pursuing a Bachelor of Fine Arts in acting in college. She has constructed “Are We Reviving Ophelia?” as a piece of post-modern theater with the use of semiotics and coding through four different senses. The show was meant to be an engaging experience for the audience. Because of that, Browning thinks that the take away for the audience should vary. Multiple messages were delivered in hope to encourage people to create their own perspective and create a change. “This show is meant to enlighten people on social issues, social norms and gender expectations,” Hampton said. “It has actually helped me realize some things that even I’m doing are wrong and hurtful. I never saw them that way, but it has shed light on things that I never even knew were an issue. Gender norms are there for every gender. Guys are expected to be macho and girls are expected to be set aside. Often times we are blinded by what is expected of society, and we don’t see the wrong in front of us. This show takes the wrong and shoves it in your face.”

| sydneyswyers Photos by Donna Armstrong

| 33

Humans of A

ccording to Humans of New York in 2010, Brandon Staton set out with a goal in mind to take photos of 10,000 New York inhabitants. Now with over eight million followers on social media, Staton uses Humans of New York as a way to share quotes and short stories from the New Yorkers he meets.

“The work ethic of my family has really impacted me throughout my life. We don’t like to lay around and be lazy. We are all always out and doing stuff.”

| seniorfritzlienemann

Inspired by Staton’s Humans of New York, a couple days a week, The Standard staffers talk to students and take photos to post on the Instagram account, Humans of Southwest. The account is used to share stories weekly of the different individuals that make up the school.

| blakegustafson

“My favorite part of the day is when the kids come in I love to interact with the students.”

| receptionistmeredithstewart

“I will never play paint ball again because while I was playing, I was an idiot and took off my mask in the middle of the game and I got shot right here. That was definitely a lesson learned.”

| sophomorejuliabutler

“My best friend, Piper [Misse], has always been an example of humility to me and is the best friend I could ever have. She always tries her best, even though it’s kind of looked down upon in our society to really try hard. She always tries to do the best she can without putting other people down.”

34 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

| seniorellieaugustine

SOuthwest students are asked questions for Instagram account Humans of Southwest

“We met in orchestra in middle school.” “And Abby was your friend from softball and stuff.” “Yeah, so we met through mutual friends and orchestra class.” | juniorainedesieghardt

| juniorrenitawilson

“The Harry Potter books have affected me just because of the entire story behind it, by how detailed and in depth it goes. The morals it conveys and stuff are just really incredible.” | freshmandawsonplaster

“This is only my second time subbing here, but I like it. I thinks it’s a great atmosphere, and so far the people I have met are really kind. I think it’s laid back, but yet there are expectations.”

| substitutetanyaraedeke

“If I had no fear, I’d waste all my money and travel the world to see all the world’s greatest monuments, and then see the importance of the monuments to human civilization or lack of importance.” | junioranne-mariedahms

| 35

School safety

on th administrators explain how threats are dealt with

36 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

e line O

n Jan. 29, the school received a threat over social media. The administrators handled it discreetly, and many students only heard about it through an email sent out later in the day. Threats are made against buildings and people at the school, and the district has procedures in place to handle these occurrences. Social media has become one of the more common mediums to send threats. One out of three school threats are sent over social media, according to schoolsecurity.org. People do make jokes about threats on social media, but all of these can be taken as a real threat. “Something one might think is a joke between friends can be seen by a third-party and think it is a threat to the school safety,” student resource officer (SRO) Matt Buelt said. The nature of threats has also changed. “It used to be that school districts had to deal with bomb threats,” Blue Valley director of safety and security Dan Carney said. “If you go back 20 years, that’s usually what people would

think of. After Columbine, the school threats went to a to different meaning. Now when someone says a school threat, what [someone would think of] is someone shooting at the school.” While concern over major events, such as school shootings is present, the situations which have arisen in the district have not been as severe. The majority of the threats the school handles are between two people; one student threatening another. It deals with school-wide threats less frequently. In the past few years, the district has had to shut down buildings because of a threat. One of the more recent occurrences involved a man with a gun who was hiding out in a patch of woods. After being caught trespassing on a construction site and chased by the police, the man was tracked to an area within a half mile of two schools. The district decided to suspend all outside activities for a few hours until the suspect was detained. The process the district utilizes for handling threats such as this is based upon a program from the Secret Service called Identify, Assess and

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Manage. However, instead of protecting dignitaries and elected officials, the district uses it to protect the staff and students. The district looks into every threat it receives. “Even though in the back of my mind I may be thinking, ‘This is probably not [a real threat],’ I can’t ever do that,” principal Scott Roberts said. “I can’t ever say, ‘Oh, that’s not serious,’ because the one you don’t take seriously may be the one time when the threat is real.” In the first step of the program, identify, both the source of the threat and the threat’s validity must be determined. Investigating some threats can be trickier than others if much of the background is unknown. “Anonymous threats are really hard because you don’t know where they are coming from or if they mean anything,” Roberts said. “Is there specific information about the school? Is there a time? Is there a method? Is there a place where the threat is going to occur? You have to start investigating that.” The team comprised of administrators, SROs and others then uses the gathered information to determine where the process should go next. This depends upon the threat’s credibility — if the person making the threat has the ability to follow through with his or her actions. In the second step, assess, the group focuses on the perpetrator. “You bring everybody into play who knows this person and may be able to help to determine where this person is,” Carney said. “Is this a kid who just jokes around all the time and doesn’t mean anything, or is this someone who we could be really concerned about? That assessment can involve mental health professionals, lawenforcement, administrators, teachers or friends — any number of people who

sit down and try to assess whether this [person] is on a path to violence.” If the offender is a student, he or she will be pulled from class and questioned. However, whatever he or she says must be taken with a grain of salt. “If someone makes a threat and they get caught doing it, what’s the first thing that they’re going to do?” Carney said. “Probably to deny and try to minimize whatever it was they said.” Once the threat has been investigated

and have mechanisms in place so that we can be prepared, but we put a lot of stock in trying to prevent that from ever occurring.” One prevention method at the school is a camera system, which besides providing footage of any possible incident after the fact, can be used to monitor suspicious behavior. Carney said if a passerby sees a person at the school acting suspiciously, like walking around the building alone or looking in windows, the footage can be

“I can’t go into details about how we would handle certain situations because part of not knowing prevents people from circumventing those procedures to get away with it. [Not saying exactly] how we would investigate it is part of the reason that allows us to catch people.”

| sromattbuelt

thoroughly, the team must then decide how to handle the consequences. “The manage part of that equation is [next],” Carney said. “Is it a criminal threat and law-enforcement needs to step in? Do we need mental-health professionals? This may not be a black-and-white proposition where one plus one is two; it may not be totally clear.” Based upon the severity and validity of the threat, the person could receive consequences ranging from searches and check-ins to suspension to an arrest. Although the district has this process in place, the most value is put on the prevention of threats. “We would like to always be out in front of any kind of action,” Carney said. “We are prepared to respond to something like that

38 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

used to identify the person and then alert the administration to keep an eye out for him or her to return. “If someone is intending on doing something bad at your school like vandalizing or committing an act of violence, sometimes they will come to the school ahead of time and they do what is called ‘casing the joint,’” Carney said. “Bank robbers ... are casing the bank when they come a week ahead of time and they scout out what’s going on and how everything works. But if you have cameras then you have got them on camera.” Another method of prevention is that all

exterior doors are locked from the outside. Although students are allowed to go to and from their cars, propping open doors to do this compromises the safety of the building. “We know a lot of kids go in and out of the side doors below and sometimes by the band room, but they don’t really realize we have those doors locked for a reason,” Buelt said. “We have a very large building with a lot of doors so if somebody were to sneak in with the intent to do harm and if kids were going out to their cars and propping doors open they could easily slip in behind them.” Additionally, the pinch-point entry is designed to channel everyone through the front office. It ensures that all visitors to the building have checked in and been approved by receptionist Meredith Stewart. “We don’t want to create a bunch of inconveniences for students who have to come in late for one reason or another or parents who are bringing your book that you forgot, but we do want to create inconvenience for someone who’s going to come in and do harm,” Carney said. If Stewart sees someone approaching the building who could jeopardize school safety, she has the power to press a button and lock the front door. The SROs provide another level of security, but this can only be achieved with the aid of student vigilance. “Those two people cannot be everywhere in that building at once,” Carney said. “Students will know of problems that are occurring in the building because there are so many of you. There is strength in numbers and more eyes watching the building, so if someone is going to pose a threat to your building, the most likely scenario is that a student will hear about it first.” Carney and Roberts agree that student involvement in schools is key. The atmosphere, Carney said, should not be “students and staff, guards and prisoners.” They emphasize that the most important thing is for student to feel like they have a place and a trusted adult to talk to. “You can buy all of the magnets and things, and I think all of the pinch-point entrances and locks in schools are important, but I don’t think it is as important as this: it’s hard to do harm to a school and to students and to adults who you have a relationship with,” Roberts said.

of high school students nationally report having been threatened with a weapon at school in the last year

nationally, of high school students have stayed home because they felt unsafe in a given month

3/4

schools use security cameras

93%

of schools have controlled access to the building, like security badges and locked doors

| lilliehoffart information from dosomething.org and nces.ed.gov

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catch a glimpse colorblind teacher and students see things from a different perspective

hile performing a chromatography lab in AP Chemistry, senior Cole Nelson had to record phase changes or color changes. An unknown dye was put on a piece of filter paper and then set in a beaker filled with water. The water climbed up the paper and brought the dye along with it, while simultaneously separating the individual colors within that dye. For this lab, Nelson said he had difficulties determining what individual colors made up the unknown dye because it was a mixture of blues, greens and purples, and Nelson lives with a color blindness called protan. For Nelson, blue and purple; and red and green get mixed up. The reality for the small percentage of people who are living with color blindness is that they jumble up colors which are similar in shade. This selective group sees color through its own eyes and perceives it differently from other individuals. “Color blindness, actually, is more of a social definition; it is the inability to see the myriad of colors and the diversity of colors that other people can see,” biology teacher Lynn Martens said. “As primates, we began with having color blindness as a species.” Martens said the chance for having color

40 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

blindness is astronomically higher for males versus females and is inherited. This is because it is part of the X chromosome and, typically, men only have one, unlike females who have two. The majority of people do not realize they are colorblind until they are forced to participate in an activity requiring differentiability of colors. Although people usually realize color blindness in the early elementary grades, sometimes it happens later because colors become less prevalent as one matures. Despite the fact that the person realizes at an early age, others may not know until later because it is not something that can be noticed. “[People] always ask me what color everything is, and it’s really annoying,” Nelson said. “It’s just that they’re startled at first because they don’t know a lot of people that are [colorblind]. I mean, after time they just get used to it.” Junior Joey Carrigan and Nelson said they found out they were colorblind as young children. However, history teacher Dustin Leochner said he didn’t find out until early in his high school career. In spite of the various ways the news was received, they all found out in the same place: school. “My initial reaction was that I thought maybe my mom had played a dirty trick on me and told me brown is green and green is

brown my whole life, but I knew that wasn’t the case,” Leochner said. “I mean, like a lot of things kind of made sense after that. I wore a lot of green clothes because I thought they were brown or tan and they weren’t. I’m sure people wondered why I was wearing that much green, and I didn’t even realize. Those were two colors that I really kinda had some problems with.” According to “Colour Blind Awareness,” there are numerous kinds of color blindness, such as trichromacy, dichromacy and monochromacy. Within these, there are subtypes, such as protanopia and deuteranopia. The rarest type is monochromacy, which means the person cannot see any color, and they would see in black and white. Deutan, also known as red-green ww, is the most common color deficiency. “In my strong protan type [of color blindness] you can only see 50,000 different shades of colors whereas the normal person can see 1 million,” Nelson said. “It kind of takes away all the other colors.” Because some colors are mixed up or taken away from the vision of those who are colorblind, some school subjects may cause problems. Nelson said he had trouble in some of his science classes with labs such as those in chemistry or physics. However, on the other hand, Carrigan

said he doesn’t really have any difficulty due to the fact that most of higher level learning is done from a textbook. Because this is not always true, Martens said in the classes she teaches, she compensates by having students focus on shadow, texture and depth first, while drawing various body organs and coloring later. Martens said she has around three or four students who are colorblind every year. “They have to advocate for themselves and tell the teacher because we can’t read minds,” Martens said. “The student will just ask for a clarifier, so I don’t think it affects their understanding of certain concepts, but it can add an extra step in decoding.” Color blindness is merely a vision deficiency and those who are colorblind just see the world in varying hues. Both Carrigan and Nelson said they are curious to find out how people without color blindness see things and there is a way to do so. “There’s a type of glasses, EnChroma; they are pretty expensive, and I don’t think they are worth that much,” Carrigan said. “I’ve seen some videos of the difference [between seeing with and without certain colors] and people’s reactions to it, and I think it would be pretty cool.” According to “EnChroma”, these glasses were first launched in 2012. However,

EnChroma decided to make a second version of these glasses in 2014, with a more updated technology. They made the switch from all-glass lenses to all-plastic ones. This allowed the glasses to have the capability to be prescribed along with greater acceptance by eyecare professionals. Although, these glasses are not for everyone. For some people, color blindness is just their own glimpse of the world around them. These people have no aspiration to change the way they look at everything surrounding them. “Nope, I’ve never had that desire [to see differently],” Leochner said. “It is just my reality, you know, I personally don’t even think it’s that strange or unique. I guess it’s just how I see the world and it’s just how I perceive things. It doesn’t really bother me and I’m not envious of people who see normal colors or don’t struggle to distinguish certain colors.” | umadeswai Photos by Lily Smith

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Do you see what 'eye' see?

The Facebook logo is blue because its founder, Mark Zuckerberg, suffers from red-green color blindness.

Men

Women

About eight percent of all men and .5 percent of women suffer from color blindness.

During WWII, color blind individuals were believed to have an advantage because of their ability to see through the color green in camoflauge.

There is currently no treatment or cure for colorblindness.

What the image looks like:

STOP Information from: color-blindness.com colormax.org www.nei.nih.gov

What colorblind people see:

STOP

42 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

s ’ e i b r Ba k c e h C Reality Mattel announces new line of Barbies that includes different body types and skin tones

enior Jasmine Moore cruised down the toy aisle with her mom and 4-yearold sister glancing at the different dolls the store offered. Growing up, Moore said she never questioned the appearance of a doll; they just were Barbies or Polly Pockets, and they had their look. However, as Moore browsed the growing options of toys to play with, her 4-year-old sister pointed to an African American doll and said, “Look mom, that one’s like me.” “If she had a doll that wasn’t African American, I don’t think she’d be bothered by it, but I was like that’s pretty cool,” Moore said. ”As a kid, I wouldn’t point that out, so to just hear her say that is awesome to see the recognition.” The Barbie doll has existed since 1959 and has become well-known for her tall, blonde hair, blue-eyed figurine, and over her 50 years, she’s acquired over 150 careers, from being a teacher to a rock star. However, for nearly three years, Barbie has suffered major declines in sales, mainly caused by the increasing variety of toys and

parents’ reprimand of Barbie’s unrealistic image and the message it sent to children. After prolonged negativity toward the company, Mattel succumbed to altering its iconic look. On Jan. 28, toymaker Mattel announced its new line of Fashionista Barbies that featured seven new skin tones, 22 eye colors, 30 hair colors and three new body shapes: petite, curvy and tall. “It’s about time; these changes are long overdue,” gifted education teacher Jana Tobin said. “I’m very happy to hear that they have made Barbies that are more representative of real men and women. I think the old Barbie doll perception was, ‘This is what the ideal man and woman would look like,’ and that’s not the way most people look.” Tobin has a third grade daughter who used to play with Barbies, but she stopped playing with them just this year. Tobin said her daughter simply lost interest, and other toys became more popular among her daughter’s peers. Although Mattel finally answered a

battle feminists have been fighting for years, many critics claim that Mattel’s new line and attempt of inclusion is just a last-ditch effort to bring the company back into competition. Many other toy-makers have already marketed dolls representative of different types of people, and Mattel is coming late in the game. Likewise, critics assert Barbie was known because of her unattainable look, and by changing that look, the company just becomes like any other brand that sells dolls. However, the critics can’t ignore the daunting connection between young girls who play with Barbies and eating disorders. In a 2006 British study, scientists investigated the relationship of Barbie and self-esteem by exposing young girls to Barbies and comparing their selfesteem from that to their self-esteem after exposure to a more neutral doll. The study proved that the children’s perceptions of themselves were more negative from the Barbies, specifically for those between the ages of 5 and 7 years old.

news | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016 | 43

“I think that by having more ethnic dolls, it really increases that diversity and makes it not seem like our world is so segregated. It’s starting to feel more accepting so people now feel comfortable with who they are in our society.” | seniorjasminemoore

“We start to compare ourselves against all of the things that we see that we think are beautiful or what we hear other people say are beautiful, and so over time we start thinking this is the only beautiful package,” school psychologist Cathy Kerr said. “That’s where we get into some difficulties with girls trying to be something they’re not or start some of the eating disorders or those kinds of things. We’re trying to be something that we perceive as beautiful, and, really, we’re inundated with that from the time when we’re little for the rest of our lives.” Barbie’s repugnant impression began early in her life, specifically, in the 1960s, when a new line of “Slumber Party Barbie” was released. The doll came with a set that included a scale that was set at 110 lbs, which is well below that national weight average. Likewise, the scale came with a diet book and a sign that read, “How to lose weight? Don’t eat.” Through the times, companies have become more sensitive to harming one’s body self-esteem, such as Dove’s campaign for “real beauty.” Likewise, schools have pushed for students to be healthy, rather than just to be skinny. Clubs likes REbeL have emerged to promote more acceptance of each person’s insecurities, and Mattel is sending a similar message. “I think that adding Barbies that are different sizes, whether it be bigger or shorter or taller or different ethnicities, it just sends out a message that being different is perfectly fine, and it’s good

44 |

to be different,” junior REbeL member Avery Pollitt said. ”I think that’s really important, so that’s kind of what REbeL is — be confident, be different, be who you are — and then that’s what these Barbies are saying as well.” Students in REbeL and Diversity Club have made it their goal to create an environment where students are comfortable with who they are and perceptions of an “ideal body” are diminished. Specifically, the two clubs paired up to create Celebrate Southwest Week, in which they led different activities each day in order to advocate for confidence and acceptance. Moore, a member of Diversity Club, said she was happy about Mattel’s announcement of its new line, as it’s a step toward the inclusive attitude the group’s been working toward. “I think that by having more ethnic dolls, it really increases that diversity and makes it not seem like our world is so segregated,” Moore said. “It’s starting to feel more accepting so people now feel comfortable with who they are in our society. If the companies are accepting, and they’re really putting it out there, then that must mean that other people are beginning to accept it.” Barbie’s new line isn’t Mattel’s first attempt at inclusion. On Nov. 18, the company released a commercial featuring a boy playing with Barbies for the first time in the company’s history. Although people critiqued the commercial for making the boy seem “stereotypically gay,” the doll sold out fairly quickly, according to CNN

Money. “I think we’re getting more open to that as a society as a whole, and I also think for advertisers you get a lot of attention for that, which I think is interesting,” Kerr said. “It’s like you have a commercial, but you do something different, and then people start commenting on your commercial. Then your commercial gets popular, and then it’s a better commercial.” Perhaps Mattel’s motivation for change derived from its desire for more selling points, but students are excited about the change. Regardless, students have recognized the need for more acceptance among adolescents, and Pollitt said she views Mattel’s announcement as a step in the right direction. “We have to start by accepting insecurities, and that’s really difficult, I know, but I feel like it’s just very important for you to accept the way you look,” Pollitt said. “Once you accept who you are, you can really live your life and explore all the different kinds of things without being nervous of the way you look or what you’re going to look like to other people. Also with the Barbies, I think changing the way they look to more realistic will help 50 times more with people being comfortable with who they are, and I think that’s just the most important thing.”

| nicolebecker Photos by Riley Martin

Original Barbie,

meet Realistic Barbie Different hair colors

Neck In real life, Barbie would be incapable of lifting her head.

Different body types Wrist With 3.5 inch wrists, Barbie would not be able to lift heavy objects. Curvy

Petite

Tall

Different skin tones Feet Barbie would have to walk on all fours because of her child-size-3 feet and top heavy distribution. Photos from Barbiemedia.com Facts from Rehabs.com

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46 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

2 3

paint with purple

students and staff participate in the annual Relay for Life event

(1) Belting the lyrics to “Burning Up“ by the Jonas Brothers, junior Hayden Dahm sings along with his partner. Dahm sports the Relay for Life shirt with the slogan, “Paint your world purple.” (2) Attending Relay for Life as a survivor, Anna Oliver delivers a speech about her battle with cancer. Oliver is a two-time cancer survivor of non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and is a mother of three Southwest students. (3) Linking arms with her mom, a cancer survivor, junior Emma Rose walks in the survivor lap at Relay for Life. The event was held on March 4 and 5 at Drive-5 and in total, raised over $220,000. (4) Yelling to motivate the large crowd of high school students at Relay for Life, math teacher Holly McCarty teaches a kick-boxing class. (5) Carrying senior Harrison Carney, senior Will Hawkins participates in the talent portion of the Mr. Relay contest. Hawkins’s talent in the beauty contest was weightlifting. | donnaarmstrong

special sections | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | march 2016 | 47

FYI

ccording to the National Sleep Foundation, insomnia is the most common sleep disorder in the U.S. and is experienced by 40 million Americans annually. The amount of sleep teens need each night to function best is about 8 to 10 hours, but one study found that only 15 percent of teenagers reported sleeping eight and a half hours on school nights.

| rileymartin INSOMNIACS AND SLEEPLESS STATISTICS

EFFECTS OF NOT ENOUGH SLEEP ON THE BODY

www.reasonateinsights.com

40 percent more likely to earn a household income less than $25,000 35 percent more likely to be divorced

Eyes

Eyes are bloodshot, eyelids appear droopy and dark circles appear under eyes.

Brain A person has a harder time making decisions, concentrating and remembering things.

Skin Fine lines and wrinkles are more noticable.

Immune System The body has a harder time mounting a response to fight off infections.

“I usually get three to four hours of sleep a night because I usually don’t start homework until 10 p.m. then shower after, which prevents me from getting tired.” | seniorsydneyfitchett “I go to bed at around 10 p.m. every night because I like to wake up at 6 a.m. every day before school and lift.” | freshmanwilleldridge

48 | march 2016 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

Appetite Metabolism slows down and appetite goes up, causing a person to consume unnecessary extra calories.

info taken from yahoohealth.com

“I go to sleep around 2:30 a.m. every night. It’s probably because I watch a movie or a series on Netflix, and I get attatched and can’t stop watching. Either that, or I listen to music and try and find new bangers to listen to.” | seniorjacobweaver