S the standard blue valley southwest volume 4 | issue 5
CONTENTS feb. 2014 vol. 4 | issue 5 overland park, ks
04
“Runner�
07
National Art Honor Society
08
seeing triple
12
painfully unprepared
14
snow days
19
introvert vs. extrovert
22
winter sports update
23
pushing limits
27
multilingual students
30
the art of the selfie
editor’s note
Front cover: Sophomore Miles Lester starts up the T-Wolves half-court offense at the Jan. 17 home game against BV High. cover photo by Ciara Murphy. graphic by Sam Billman.
E
verything is changing; there is no constancy. But that is not a bad thing. With a new semester came new faces for The Stan-
dard; our staff said goodbye to five newsies and welcomed in two new faces. With new staffers came new roles; the members of Room 118’s 5th hour have grown even closer. Focus groups, speed dating and #goodtogreat have not caused a drop in The Standard’s quality; rather, they have inspired fresh content and unique coverage. In this issue, you’ll notice a new style, one that is more simplistic and accessible. You’ll notice a greater emphasis on visual elements and reader involvement. You’ll notice content about change: the jump from eighth grade to high school, weather that drops 50 degrees in a day and students who jump between languages at school and home every day. So changes have not disheartened The Standard, nor should they shake you. It is easy to view a change with a narrow scope as a step backward, but in a broader view, even steps back-
|editorinchief
ward turn into progressions.
4 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature
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photos by
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|5
about the author Catlaina was born and raised in Olathe, Kansas. Besides writing, Catlaina is in band; she plays the bass clarinet and piano. Her favorite subjects in school are math and chemistry.
To purchase Catlaina’s book on Amazon, scan QR code.
O
ver a span of three years, Catlaina Vrana got her first book, “Runner,” published. Since she was seven years old, Vrana has been writing. She started off with short stories throughout middle school and, in seventh grade, she had the idea to write a book. Vrana wrote and illustrated a total of 122 pages. Her story is based on freedom. It is about a boy who makes a facility where he captures children with special traits. It is told from the point of view of three children in the facility trying to get out. The main character, a girl named Carla, is very special. She is called a ‘Runner.’ Runners have greater strength, coordination, stamina, memory and
6|
eyesight than the normal human. Carla is taken to a facility that studies Runners. Vrana got her book published this year. She
“
the feeling that the idea originally gave me. I wrote to record the story so I wouldn’t forget. Usually I draw, but this was too big of a story to
It was exciting to finish my book, though my goal is not accomplished. I can always become a better writer — it isn’t over yet.” | catlainavrana
is now on her second book, which will consist of only artwork to continue to tell the story. She is planning on having three books in her series. “I hate writing itself,” Vrana said. “It’s boring, and it destroys
fit inside of a picture.” Her writing process can be long and tedious; it took Vrana about six months after writing the story to type it up, review it and send the manuscript to the publisher. “Not many kids
can write and publish a book, so my book is of the small minority of books that are written by children,” Vrana said. “I spent a very long time just trying to get the plot line in order. When you’re developing a plot you get to a part that doesn’t quite make sense in your head, I call them ‘plot holes’ so when you finally think of a solution you want to write it down as fast as you can before you forget it. This happened to me more than once during my writing process.” One of Catlaina’s biggest supporters is her mother, Denise Vrana. She encouraged Catlaina to continue with her passion of both writing and drawing throughout her childhood. Catlaina gets lost in her work as an
artist; she also finds herself as a person in art as well as writing. “Watching her [Catlaina] grow and mature as a writer and illustrator adds a vibrancy to our lives together, which just simply wouldn’t be there if she weren’t so courageous to chase her dreams,” Denise Vrana said. “She is discovering her voice as a person and helps us all to look at things more deeply and not just surface level.” Vrana’s book is in the Southwest library as well as on Amazon.com. cont. to www. bvswnews.com.
| lexitarter
National art inside Honor Society NAHS helps school and community
(4)
(2) (3)
| izabellaborowiak-miller
5
7
6
(1)
(5)
(7)
(1) Senior Grace Dayton lends a hand in the Thursday NAHS recycling ritual. (2) Junior Ale Griffith jumps to the task of helping with recycling by grabbing a heavy bag of cardboard and paper to sort out. (3) Sophomore Emilie Dayton draws a quick sketch of her ideas. (4) NAHS sponsor Robert Putnam gives his input on layout and design. (5 & 6) The NAHS meeting contains several components. This particular meeting was mainly focused on Snowball decorations. (7) Grace whips out her notebook, which holds several ideas for Snowball.
(6)
photo essay | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | feb. 2014 | 7
photo by Ciara Murphy photos courtesy of Stephanie Waddell
seeing triple for the Lienemanns and Waddells, the bond among the triplets is strong despite differences
O
n Monday nights,freshman Hannah Waddell and her sisters Grace and Olivia gather around the television to tune into their favorite crime drama, “The Blacklist.” The girls absorb themselves into the journeys of cunning criminal and former government agent Red Reddington and his associates. After realizing that one of the characters was working against the FBI, all three girls exclaim in unison, “She’s the traitor!” Although the sisters, who are triplets, say triplet telepathy is a matter of fiction, this sort of coincidence is a regular occurrence. It isn’t uncommon for the girls to say the same thing at the same time or finish each other’s sentences. “The majority of the time we think it’s strange and look at each other wide eyed,” Hannah said. “Then we just burst out laughing
because it’s a moment of awkward silence, and we realize how funny it was that we were thinking the same thing.” Similar thinking is one of the idiosyncrasies that come with being triplets, who were born to Kevin and Stephanie Waddell on March 12, 1999. Olivia was the first born at 12:46 p.m. and weighed 4 pounds. Grace came a minute later at 12:47 p.m. and weighed 4 pounds, 9 ounces. Hannah was born less than a minute after Grace, also at 12:47 p.m., and weighed 4 pounds, 11 ounces. Grace and Olivia are identical, and Hannah is fraternal. “[When I found out I was having triplets] I felt a little bit of shock, but I always kind of knew in the back of my mind for some reason that I was going to have triplets,” Stephanie said. “I didn’t plan on having three at one time,
8 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature
but I was very excited when I found out.” Caring for three newborns may seem like a strenuous task. Stephanie endured long sleepless nights raising the girls, but had the help of relatives to help relieve some stress. For a week at a time her mother, mother-in-law and sister would alternate visiting Stephanie to help with tending to the babies. “All of a sudden everybody was gone, and I was like, ‘What do I do now?’” Stephanie said. “But you just figure out a schedule and figure out which baby is more patient that day and do what you can.” As the girls grew up, the days of dressing the girls in matching outfits faded. Each of the triplets developed her own interests and a distinct personality.
cont. to page 9.
I’m definitely not quiet.” While Grace spends her free time doing art, this year Hannah and Olivia discovered a common interest in debate. The two were partners this past season and not only found success at state and national level competitions, but also were able to bond over the experience.
cont. from page 8. “It’s kind of strange because Grace and I are identical, but I would say we’re complete opposites,” Olivia said. “I would say Hannah and I are more similar. I like to do public speaking, and I’m in debate and forensics right now. [Grace] is really quiet, and
grace
olivia Favorite
“[Being partners] was definitely a unique experience,” Hannah said. “It’s different than being partners with a classmate. We know each other, and we talk to each other differently than I would talk to a classmate. We argue with each other, but not in a mean way, just fun. ” The girls’ characteristics and
hannah
Hannah
Olivia
Grace
word
laughter
smiley
touché
candy
Sour Patch Kids
Reese’s
Swedish Fish
dream destination
Italy
Italy
Italy
school subject
English
geometry
journalism
food
candy
pizza
pasta
worst food
asparagus
eggs
onions
color
aqua
pink
blue
prized possession
ring
softball trophy
ring
restaurant
Kyoto
Jose Peppers
Jose Peppers
dessert
fried ice cream
fried ice cream
ice cream
music
country
alternative
pop
sport
softball
Softball
softball
app
Temple Run
TV show
“The Blacklist”
“Grey’s Anatomy”
“The Blacklist”
movie
“Catching Fire”
“Frozen”
“City of Bones”
activities may differ, but the girls are enrolled in many of the same classes, which they say is one of the upsides to having two other siblings in the same grade. “I really like that if we have questions we can ask the other one, and there are certain subjects that we might be better at than others, so we can always rely on that,” Grace said. “Plus, if we’re sick we mostly have the same teachers so we can ask them to get the homework.” Inside and outside of school, the girls spend a majority of their time together, whether it’s just relaxing or hanging out with friends; however, spending too much time together can brew conflicts among the sisters, which can cause a rift in their friend circle. “[My sisters] are my best friends, and we’re so close, but imagine having to be with your best friend all the time, eating breakfast with them, eating dinner with them,” Olivia said. “It would get annoying, and you guys would start arguing a lot, and that’s something we do with each other. Sometimes if we get into an argument, friends will take sides or try to tell us what’s right and wrong, and we don’t really like that because we’re sisters, and we just want to work it out by ourselves.” Arguments among the sisters generally don’t last for long, and the girls typically can forget about it and move on. Despite their differences, the bond the sisters share is strong. “We can always rely on the other one to be there for us,” Grace said. “[When you are a triplet], you can always have a friend. You always have someone to talk to and lean on, and you’re never really alone.”
cont. to page 10.
|9
e fivend Jon at th Mary Carol a sm iplets’ bapti month-old tr
cont. from page 9.
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n a December day in 1996 Mary Carol Lienemann stood at a payphone on a call with her doctors. When they revealed to her the news, she was stunned. “I was just in shock for quite some time,” Mary Carol said. “It just took some time to get used to the idea.” Eight weeks into her pregnancy, Mary Carol had just found out that she and her husband, Jon Lienemann, would be expecting at least triplets. Sure enough, on June 12, 1997 Mary Carol gave birth to fraternal triplets, sophomores Fritz, Joe and Katie Lienemann. Fritz was the first born at 6:01 p.m. and weighed 3 pounds, 1 ounce. Joe was born one minute later and weighed 3 pounds, 2 ounces. Katie
Fritz, Joe and Katie at two and a half years photos courtesy of Mary Carol Lienemann.
10 |
Fritz, Katie and Joe Lie nemann at one yea r
was born one minute after Joe and weighed 2 pounds, 9 ounces. “When they were little, from a health standpoint, was really the only negative [to having triplets],” Mary Carol said. “It’s such a big negative because you don’t know how their life will unfold, and in our case, we were really lucky.” After the triplets were born, Mary Carol and Jon’s family more than doubled in size. The two had to purchase a bigger home and new cars that would be accommodating to the newborns. Mary Carol had the help of a night nanny to care for the triplets. Having three newborns at once may seem more difficult and demanding than having three kids at separate ages, but Mary Carol said that it had its conveniences. “If you had your kids one at a time, you’re
Katie, Joe and Fritz w ith Santa Claus in 20 01
d Joe, Fritz an 1999
Katie at the
lake in
going to have your newborn, and you’re going to be up all night, and you’ve got two others that are running around all day that have a different schedule,” Mary Carol said. “They might eat different food, and so to me, in some ways it was easier [having triplets.] They all ate the same food and were on the same schedule.” Now sophomores in high school, Fritz, Joe and Katie have grown up, but their bond has still remained strong. But as the triplets grew up, they also developed their own interests in sports and other activities. While Fritz runs cross country and track, Joe is involved in golf, and Katie spends her time after school throwing the javelin on the track team.
cont. to page 11.
ars
atie at nine ye
dK Joe, Fritz an
cont. from page 10. “I like doing different activities because we’re already together so much that it’s nice to have a break,” Katie said. “Plus, we would get competitive if we were all doing the same thing.” Outside of extra curricular activities, the triplets spend time helping each other with schoolwork and studying for tests in common classes. When not involved with school, the triplets spend time with their separate friend groups, which often intermix. “Added on to the time that we spend together at home, [we spend time together] doing extra curricular activities and being with friends,” Fritz said. “There’s never a time when I’m just like, ‘I’ve had too much of this.’ It’s definitely something we can deal with.” A social circle is something that the triplets share in common, but much like their interests, their personalities differ. “Joe is laidback, and he’s more quiet and introverted, but he’s very caring once you get to know him,” Katie said. “Fritz is more outgoing, and he’s really funny. You can just tell that he really likes his life and is super positive.” With Katie being the only girl of the triplets, Fritz and Joe have bonded over the matter of being boys. Hanging out with the same people and running cross country has brought them closer. “I’m a little more close to Fritz just because he’s a boy,” Joe said. “There are certain things that I can share to him that I just feel more comfortable with than Katie.” Entering freshman year, the triplets didn’t have an older sibling to guide them through the twists and turns that high school brings. However, they said that a positive part to this was that the three got the unusual chance to experience it together. “The best part is being in the same grade,” Katie said. “You don’t have someone older to give you advice, but you’re all going through the same stuff at the same time. You have two other people who are doing the same thing as you.” While they plan on going to different colleges and pursuing different paths, the triplets can always count on each other. “I love having [Fritz and Joe] as brothers,” Katie said. “They are always there for me.”
| margojohnson
fritz
katie
Fritz
Favorite
joe
Katie
Joe
word
cool
wasabi
pudding
Candy
Starburst
Twix
Sour Patch Kids
dream destination
Alaska
Paris
Hawaii
school subject
math
English
math
food
burgers
pizza
pizza
worst food
mac ‘n’ cheese
cucumbers
asparagus
color
red
green
green
Prized possession
Car
Car
Bed
restaurant
Sunset Grill
Barley’s
Cheesecake Factory
dessert
chocolate cake
chocolate cake
cheesecake
music
pop
alternative
pop
sport
cross country
track
golf
app
ESPN ScoreCenter
TV show
“Top Gear”
“One Tree Hill”
“Pawn Stars”
movie
“Anchorman 2”
“Forrest Gump”
“Anchorman 2”
| 11
students are coming into high school unprepared
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he amount of time spent staring at a book every night goes from 10 minutes to two hours. Responsibility and time management become necessary traits to succeed in school. Balancing sports and academics becomes an exasperating task. The transition from middle to high school isn’t an easy one by any measure, but it’s being made harder on one end. Middle schoolers are being pampered to a point where the passage between 8th and 9th grade becomes an excessively challenging one. “The jump from middle school to high school is the biggest one you can make education wise,” world language teacher Carolyn Zeligman said. “In high school you actually have to work to get an A; you can’t just sit there and expect to get good grades.” Getting an A in middle school is not the same as getting an A in high school. Getting a good mark in middle school requires minimal dedication and work-ethic. Once 8th grade graduation
passes, students are in a whole different ballpark. Assessments such as the SAT and the ACT are taken during this pivotal four year time period in a person’s life. Grade point averages (GPA) are taken into account for all years of high school. These years can determine someone’s future, and students aren’t prepared enough for this coming out of middle school. “The accountability really changes once you get into high school,” freshman English teacher Marin McCrossen said. “Time management is hard for some of these kids — the football players and those who play sports at the start of their freshman years.” A 2011 survey done by the American Center for Progress shows that the majority of Kansas 8th graders claim that they read five pages or less in school and for homework per day. The National Education Association recommends that students should have 10 minutes of homework for the grade level they are in.
BVNW 25.5
graphic by Michael Magyar.
12 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | opinion
BV 23.5
BVW 24.7
BVSW 23.5
BVN 25.4
BVNW 25.5
staff vote Are studnets coming into high school unprepared?
yes - 9 no - 3 your vote Go online to bvswnews.com to cast your vote for this month’s editorial question. Read other student responses and comment on the editorial. Make your voice heard at www. bvswnews.com. or mention us on twitter @bvswnews
cont. from page 12. So by going with that, a 2nd grader should have twenty minutes of homework and a 3rd grader should have 30 minutes and so on. In reality, it doesn’t even come close to that. “We had about 10 minutes of homework in 8th grade on average,” freshman Garret Reilly said. “Middle school teachers did a horrible job preparing us for high school. The teachers would never really check our homework and the test questions would be right out of the assignments.” Those teacher, however, may argue that personal responsibility and giving a 100% percent effort in middle school will eliminate the problems with the transition. “If students want to have an easier transition to high school, they need to put forth their best efforts in middle school,” 8th grade teacher Robert Farris said. “We’re looking at teaching new skills so they’re more prepared.” Right now the disparity of homework given in middle school compared to that of high school is completely inadequate for the transition from 8th grade to 9th grade to be smooth.
photo editor sam billman
managing editor mariem towakoli
features editor ananda bhatia
news editor caroline fronzcak
teachers and schools should focus around preparing kids for their futures. That’s what schooling teenagers is all about — preparing students for their ensuing lives and careers — and right now that isn’t happening at all of the levels of required education. The middle schools must give students a better chance at success. Coddling them and never assigning homework that would cause someone to struggle does an injustice to the students. While the teachers may think they
are saving the kids from a night filled with studying, they are really providing an academic detriment for their future scholastic experiences.
|michaelmagyar
graphic by Michael Magyar.
| thesouthweststandard
editor-in-chief grant laster
web editor caroline fronzcak
“Middle school was extremely easy, because you really didn’t get much homework and the pace was really slow,” sophomore Preston Maurer said. “The hardest part was that you had to start figuring things out on your own. If you’re not willing to try, then you won’t succeed.” Opposition to increased homework will say that middle school students don’t need the extra stress of homework. William Crain, a psychology professor at City College of New York, thinks that homework causes school related stress, which can lead to stomachaches, headaches, sleep problems and depression. However, from middle school on, the stress is only going to get worse. High school is full of projects and tough assignments that were absent in middle school, and it doesn't get any easier after high school graduation. College is the ultimate test for a student on whether he or she is ready to move onto the workforce that will make up his or her life for the next 50 years. The middle schools need to provide 6th-8th graders with an experience that is not just filler time where they aren’t challenged, and never pushed outside of their comfort zone. The goals of
opinion editor nicole becker special sections editor lauren stone adviser heather lawrenz
photographers ciara murphy izabella borowiak-miller staff writers margo johnson michael magyar lexi tarter lillie hoffart
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 respomses are encouraged for publication. The Southwest Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. All letters must be signed and names will be published
Letters should be submitted to room 118 emailed to bvswnews@gmail.com or mailed: The Southwest Standard c/o Blue Valley Southwest High School 17600 Quivira Overland Park, KS 66085 The Southwest Standard also encourages guest photography.
| 13
snow day dilemma Freshman Liz Putnam bundles up as she awaits for the bus on a chilly morning. photo by Nicole Becker.
through the uncertainty of weather conditions, district administrators explain their reasoning in canceling school. 14 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature
Sophomores Maddie Allen and Mikayla Murphy play in the accumulated snow together as more snow falls down. photo by Nicole Becker. Winsor’s car dents as a result of the six car crash she was involved in. photo courtesy of Cassidy Winsor.
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hrough the spitting sleet, the red brake lights of the bus in front of sophomore Cassidy Winsor flashed, causing her father, in the driver’s seat, to slow down. At that same instant, the car behind her darted forward in an attempt to avoid a narrow crash. Immediately, the car smashed into Winsor’s car with full force, causing the car to turn 360 degrees and land in the median. This six car crash – which totaled Winsor’s car and gave her a mild concussion – occurred on an icy day in which Blue Valley had not canceled school. “The last thing I remember is my dad saying ‘Oh God!’,” Winsor said. “The moment I landed, I remember scream-
ing ‘My head! My head!’ and checking to see if my dad was okay. It took me a few minutes to fully comprehend what happened. I later learned that my head first hit my dad’s shoulder and then hit the window. The second thing I remember is the man pounding on my window with tears running down his face, yelling ‘Is she okay? Is she alive?’ When I got out of the car I realized that the ground was pure ice. It was very surreal and felt like it was happening in slow motion.” Student drivers are not the only ones to have concern during hazardous weather conditions. Bus riders occasionally wait in freezing temperatures, or surrounded by ice or snow accumulation.
“Waiting for the bus can be torture on some mornings,” freshman Liz Putnam said. “It makes me want school canceled more because the bus itself can be pretty cold. They have heaters but they can take a while to heat up and then you’re just sitting there and freezing.” It is often difficult for the district administrations to decide if school should be canceled. Factors such as temperature, precipitation, pavement conditions and parking lot and bus conditions are considered in the decision. cont. to page 16.
@BvSchools In the past five years, social media has impacted Blue Valley in the way it communicates to families. This year, the district initiated text alerts that send out a text to inform about inclement weather conditions or other crisis situations. Parents and students can sign up to receive the text alerts online. “When people call and say ‘I don’t think we should’ve had school today,’ I always want to know why,” Assistant Superintendent Dr. Al Hanna said. “You can’t change that
decision but it helps us to know what our parents are concerned about when the next decision has to be made. So social media and text alerts have really helped our communication with our families.” Students often send tweets to the Blue Valley twitter account @bvschools with their opinions with hope of changing the administration’s decision. Students use Twitter to display their creativity and opinion on the matter. graphic by Grant Laster.
| 15
Junior Molly Menefee(center) spends time in the snow with her friends juniors Mckenna Wastler(left) and Anna Dickerson(right). photo courtesy of Molly Menefee.
Junior Payton Fahler ventures into the snow with her sister, junior Mallory Fahler. photo courtesy of Payton Fahler.
cont. from page 15. “It’s a lot easier to make a decision on whether or not to have school if it’s 70 degrees, or if the windchill is like 50 below or where it’s at the extremes,” Assistant Superintendent Dr. Al Hanna said. “The tougher ones are probably the ones more in the middle when there’s a little bit of snow on the ground, but they’re saying that conditions are going to get worse around four and six in the morning, which is the time that you’re really needing to make that decisions.” In reality, the administrators spend about four to five hours working to make a decision
on school cancellations by contacting various people from the public works department to the weather service. Though time is spent in making the judgement, students are often confused on the decision that was made. “I would say that Blue Valley is pretty accurate in cancelling snow days, but I’m not sure if consistent is the right word,” senior Will Charlesworth said. “There will be two days that have very similar weather conditions, but they’ll cancel one and not the other.” With the intent of altering the administration’s decision, students often send out tweets to the Blue Valley Twitter account @bvschools with their opinions.
From goofy to serious, students display their creativity and feelings on the subject. “People do it [tweet] for the favorites,” Charlesworth said. “If one person says that school should be cancelled, or there’s a chance of it being cancelled, then everyone starts thinking it should be [cancelled] regardless of the conditions outside. People might not even look outside or at the weather forecast and still complain about school being cancelled just because others are saying it should be.” With a population of 20,563 students in the district, the administration accepts that not everybody will be pleased with a decision. “I think students understand the safe
Parent Opinions I feel that Blue Valley makes the right decision on school closures most of the time. The weather in our area is unpredictable so there are times they must make decisions based on predictions. A late arrival plan is an option that some districts use. I think this could reduce the number of full snow days we have but I’m sure there are challenges with this plan as well. Blue Valley has to always consider student safety with buses, kids who walk, and high school students who drive themselves. I would prefer to have a snow day if there is a chance that the roads will be dangerous so all kids arrive safely. Besides, I am a teacher and sometimes a snow day is a nice surprise!
Peggy Salts parent of junior Paige Salts 16 |
Sophomore Maddie Lowry enjoys the three consecutive school cancellations by playing outside in the snow. photo by Nicole Becker.
ty aspect of it,” Hanna said. “I was a student 500 years ago and fully know what a snow day is like. The bad thing about snow days is that you make it up and it’ll be tacked on at the end of the year.” a snow day is like. The bad thing about snow days is that you make it up and it’ll be tacked on at the end of the year. Often times people aren’t too happy about that either, but in the end it may be far safer for kids weather wise to come to school
May 30 rather than Feb 1.” For Winsor, safety is the main priority. The lack of cancelling school impacted her more than just not receiving a fun day off of school. Winsor’s moderate concussion lead to being incapable of taking finals for first semester. Along with missing finals, Winsor’s Christmas festivities were ruined when she got sick, relating to the concussion. “My crash wasn’t just with my family; it was literally the
whole street up and down of people spinning out in their cars,” Winsor said. “I would much rather have more snow days and be safe, not just for me but for all of the students, just to limit the injuries and make sure everyone stays safe. I don’t want anyone to have to go through what I did just because Blue Valley failed to cancel school.”
| nicolebecker
Safe Driving Tips Snow days are much different for me now that I have driver in the house. When they were little, I never really thought about me driving in it, more just about the buses and little ones waiting at the bus, and it was always great fun to have a snow day. Now I am really watching the road conditions with all the resources, computer, tv etc. For the most part I feel that BV is very cautious, and takes a lot of things into consideration when determining snow days. Because weather can be so unpredictable, so can snow days. Are they going to mess up and overcall it? Sure. And will they miss an occasional one they should have called? You bet. But in general they seem to have a pretty good policy, and I appreciate that they cancel very early.
Kim Lowry parent of sophomore Maddie Lowry
• Decrease your speed and leave yourself plenty of room to stop. You should allow at least three times more space than usual between you and the car in front of you. • Brake gently to avoid skidding. If your wheels start to lock up, ease off the brake. • Turn on your lights to increase your visibility to other motorists.
Snow Day Superstitions
1 2 3 4
Put a spoon underneath your pillow
Flush ice cubes down your toliet
Sleep with your pajamas inside out
Go outside and do a “snow dance”
• Keep your lights and windshield clean. • Use low gears to keep traction, especially on hills. • Don’t use cruise control or overdrive on icy roads. • Be especially careful on bridges, overpasses and infrequently traveled roads, which will freeze first. Even at temperatures above freezing, if the conditions are wet, you might encounter ice in shady areas or on exposed roadways like bridges.
tips from www.weather.com
5
Eat ice cream for dinner the night before
graphics by Grant Laster.
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18 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads
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The Secret Life of an
Introvert
Introverted students share their high school experiences
| 19
graphic by Grant Laster.
The Secret Life of an Introverted students share their high school experiences
S
he goes through the day silent. In the hallway, her friends try to talk to her, but she shrugs them off, barely saying a word. In her French class, she never gets all of her speaking points because she’s too timid to speak in class. Finally, after the seventh hour bell rings, she leaves the school immediately, eager to get away from her loud classmates. As soon as she gets home, she hides out in her bedroom, choosing to live in the realm of books and Netflix rather than the real world, then finishes her homework and prepares for another day of minimal social contact. This is the stereotypical day in the life of an introvert, but it is one that isn’t necessarily accurate. “A lot of times people, because I’m quiet in class, will assume that I’m antisocial or that I don’t have people skills,” junior Madeline Fines said. “I really just don’t have anything to add to the conversation.” Introversion and extroversion are the two main personality types, each with its own distinct set of behaviors. Often associated with being quiet and thoughtful, introverts tend to be extremely self-aware and are more comfortable in small groups of people rather than large crowds. On the other hand, extroverts prefer to constantly be around large numbers of people and are known for being more open and verbal about their emotions. Studies suggest that anywhere from one third to a half of Americans are introverts, meaning that everyone knows someone who is an introvert. “I would say that introverts are people who are perfectly fine with being by themselves and they’re totally comfortable to do that,” Fines said. “I always kind of knew I was an introvert just because I like being by myself, and reading, and being on the internet on Tumblr and all that fun stuff. Then I also did the big personality quiz online and they cast me as an introvert.” While Fines took an online personality test to verify that she was an introvert, others can determine their personality type just by examining their activities and interests. “I’m an extrovert because I like talking a lot, not only with my friends but in classroom discussions and stuff,” senior Michelle Cowles said. “I think a lot of it comes from doing stuff like debate and forensics. I like getting out there and talking and debating with other kids about their opinions, and I’m not shy about it.” However, just because a person is an extrovert or an introvert doesn’t meant he or she cannot display traits from the opposite personality type while in certain situations. “I definitely [show extroverted traits] in forensics, and when someone makes me angry I tend to get very loud and very strong and stubborn,” Fines said. “But I have learned the times when it’s a good idea to try to pretend to be an extrovert, like in class presenting things.”
Introvert
Prefers one on one interaction over large groups
Doesn't enjoy small talk but likes having deep, meaningful conversations
More likely to go into a profession with individual work
Social interaction takes energy, so alone time needed afterward to recharge
Introverted Traits
20 | feb.2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections
Extroverted Traits Seeks out highly social situations
Typically has a large circle of friends and acquaintances
More likely to be in a leadership position while working in groups
Highly adaptable to most social situations
Are you an introvert or extrovert? scan to take a personality quiz
Graphic by Sam Billman.
With its constant stream of socially powered situations, high school is a common place where introverted students must occasionally display extroverted traits. For seven hours a day, students are confined to classrooms where they must work in groups for projects, give in-class presentations, as well has have a certain percentage of their grade be determined by how often they speak in class, meaning that they must speak up and find their voice or risk failure. “[Introverts are] sort of forced to be more extroverted in school just because we put them in a classroom of 32 kids and say, ‘Your grade depends on you asking questions and speaking,’” Cowles said. “We sort of force them into uncomfortable situations.” Aside from the occasional awkward moments in school, introverted students are often faced with a handful of stereotypes. “I feel like there are [misunderstandings] because so often introverts are stereotyped as quiet, shy people, and sometimes that’s even given the negative connotation of being a nerd or a know-it-all, because they’ve always got their nose in a book, or that they hate people just because they’re more comfortable by themselves,” Fines said. “There are some famous introverts who did, in fact, hate people, so that may have been where the stereotypes came from.” While it’s possible that the negative stereotypes may have emerged due to knowledge of famous recluses, they may also be the result of a general lack of understanding of this personality type. “I think that introverted people get picked on a lot of times or pointed at since they stick out because they don’t follow the norms of a group,” psychology teacher Tyler Alexander said. “People are always confused by what they don’t understand. They make fun of what they don’t understand, so I think you see that a lot because introverted people are a little more individualized.” For anyone who may be unsure of his or her personality type, many resources can be found online, such as personality quizzes that can take anywhere from five minutes to an hour to complete, which can assist in many areas of life. “[Knowing your personality type] helps with social situations, developing friendships or relationships of any kind,” Alexander said. “And it also helps you understand how you learn best. So what kind of environment do you need to focus on? Do you look at branching out, working with other people and collaborating? Or do you need to focus more on where you’re at as far as your knowledge of something as opposed to relying on other people?” Not only can an understanding of personality type assist in relationships and learning, but it can also allow for personal empowerment by helping someone understand his or her strengths and weaknesses. “I think that when you find out whether or not you’re an introvert or an extrovert, it really helps you learn how to function in society,” Fines said. “You don’t want to put too much pressure on yourself to always be out there. You want to let yourself have some alone time and kind of recuperate. Or, if you’re an extrovert, you don’t want to isolate yourself because you find that you work better in groups. What you really should do is play to your strengths.”
| laurenstone | 21
Top Left: Junior Megan Tolar prepares to bowl at Mission Bowl Olathe. Top Middle Left: Senior Clayton Fasenmyer warms up with freestyle before a practice. Top Right: Beating a BV West player, sophomore Cooper Courtney drives to the basket, soon to score. Second Row Middle Left: Bowling for Southwest, Senior Lauren Zahner steps up to the lane.
Top Adjacent: Sophomore Rilynne Like looks to pass to a teammate around her defender near the opposing baseline. Right Adjacent: Junior Sam Randall races to the basket, faking players from BV North. Bottom Adjacent: Senior Aleksei Cohee dives into the water, warming up for a long practice.
| ciaramurphy
Winter Sports Update winter sports come to a close 22 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | photo essay
Third Row Middle Right: Junior Megan Tolar bowls a strike at a bowling meet. Third Row Right: Senior Ky Pace swims laps in the Southwest pool. Top Adjacent: Senior Lauren Zahner carefully picks her ball to bowl another successful game. Bottom Middle: Sophomore Miles Lester pushes through a wall of defense from BV High.
Pushing limits
feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | feb. 2014 | 23
Pushing limits
Senior Dougie Dowell pushes strength conditioning by becoming a boxing trainer
“D
on’t give up, don’t give up! Come on, let’s go!” Senior Dougie Dowell pleads for his students to persevere through their intense 60 minute boxing session. Through his hard work and dedication, Dowell earned his title as a boxing trainer in early August. While any age is able to attend his hardcore boxing workouts, Dowell teaches boxing and conditioning classes every Thursday at 4everFitness, located at 7713 W 151st St. Overland Park, KS 66223. Dowell has only been training for one year now and says his love for fitness and being physically in shape persuaded him to become an athletic boxing trainer. “I was overweight coming into high school and I changed my life through fitness,” Dowell said. “I absolutely fell in love with training my clients and seeing their lives change right in front of me.” Clients of Dowell’s spend 10 minutes warming up, 5 minutes stretching, 30 minutes boxing, 10 minutes working on abs and finishing with a 5 minute cool down. With such a jampacked class, Dowell has his students leaving more physically shape than when they walked in and keeps them stimulated along the way.
“I’m very enthusiastic when I teach,” Dowell said. “I have found that when I exert more energy in my classes, my clients are likely to do the same. My clients never give up. I know the right things to say at the right times to keep them motivated and pushing forward.” Dowell has especially enjoyed being a boxing trainer because of how he impacts his clients and changes their lives for the better. “Not only do I give people the right exercises to do and the right information about diet, I educate them on it,” Dowell said. “I learned from Trevor Cochran (TFit365) and now I spread the awareness as well.” Dowell says his future career will deal with fitness and helping others become physically motivated to be in shape, as well as educate on the right diets and exercises. Dowell hopes to one day become the head strength and conSenior Grace Wood works on her boxing instruction from Dowell.
24 |
ditioning coach for a professional hockey team. “I love teaching fitness,” Dowell said. “It’s what I was put on this Earth to do. I love being able to tailor my teaching style to the direct needs of my clients knowing that they will be benefiting from the workout.” Dowell has intrigued the student body at Southwest to become physically motivated and be educated on fitness. Senior Grace Wood has attended Dowell’s boxing lessons for quite some time and has enjoyed working out. “I never really knew much about boxing; it was [senior] Bailey Blood who got me interested in it when she told me it was a great way to stay fit before track season,” Wood said. “It’s such a great workout, and what sets it apart is that you’re not just focusing on one part of your body; you’re using every muscle in your entire body.” Dowell motivates sophomore Joann Armstrong to punch through the pain.
Pushing limits
““
He always says, ‘pain is only present in the mind; we’re a lot stronger than what we give ourselves credit for’.” |GraceWood
Wood says anyone who is interested in becoming physically fit should join Dowell’s class. “It’s crazy because I’ll go home being sore in places I didn’t even know could be sore,” Wood said. “I would definitely recommend it to anyone; it’s a great way to stay fit and work hard.” Wood not only thinks boxing is a great way to stay active, but it also challenges the body to its limits. “The hardest part of the class would be pushing through the pain,” Wood said. “At the beginning I would feel all pumped up and toward the end I would be dead. But throughout the entire workout, Dougie would be pushing me to give it my all and to never give up, which is a lot easier said than done.” Even though the class requires intense effort and hard work, Wood would agree that Dowell’s teaching style is a new experience. “I’ve been an athlete all my life and I can honestly say his style of training is my favorite,” Wood said. “He personalizes every session and gets me really motivated while I’m working out. He always says, ‘pain is only present in the mind; we’re a lot stronger than
we give ourselves credit for.’ Rather than yell at us, he works out right next to us whenever we’re slacking and ultimately makes us work harder.” Sophomore Joann Armstrong has recently joined Dowell’s intensive boxing class and has already enjoyed being a part of the powerful atmosphere. “I like how the class pushes you to do things that you never thought you could,” Armstrong said. “Like last week he made us jump and squat on top of huge tires. Dougie motivated us through it and it ended up being a lot of fun. I also like that when you become really tired he yells out motivating things and just keeps pushing you.” Armstrong also enjoys how Dowell creates his class to be entertaining along the way. “The class is very fast paced and creative,” Armstrong said. “Sometimes he just makes up different exercises on the spot.” This fast-paced workout has allowed Armstrong to push herself to new limits. With every class she has attended, Armstrong has learned that training gets even more difficult. “The intensity of the class is definitely what makes it so hard,” Armstrong said. “It’s nonstop with only a few water breaks. You really have to work.” Sophomore Sydney Swyers has also decided to pick up the sport while attending with her closest friends. Swyers says she joined the class to gain more physical strength. “I wanted to work more on myself and gain strength so I didn’t feel so weak,” Swyers said. “Boxing has made working out a lot more fun.” Swyers appreciates Dowell’s teaching style and the way the class is set up. “I love how Dougie pushes us and keeps us motivated,” Swyers said. “His personality really makes the class interesting and the music Sophomore Sydney Swyers is persuaded to finish the nonstop boxing workout by training with Dowell.
helps me as well.” Dowell not only teaches boxing lessons, but spends a majority of his time teaching at KC Cheer and strength and conditioning at Next Level Baseball Academy. Dowell enjoys what he does and believes training and helping others is something he was born to do. “I bring something to my classes that no one else has,” Dowell said. “I give off infinite energy in my classes and keep my clients motivated to give me their all.”
| mariemtowakoli
photos by Sam Billman and Izabella Borowiak-Miller.
Dowell leads the class through squats, jumps and conditioning workouts.
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26 | feb. 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads
a
the
d
words from
n u ro world
students speak different languages at home
graphic by Sam Billman.
M
ost students at Southwest have taken Spanish or French, and a few even Latin. But not many have learned languages like Tamil, Mandarin or Nepali. The school has a population of students from other cultures who speak different languages at home with their families.
Counseling Department Chair Kevin Halfmann estimates that around ten percent of students attending Southwest are able to converse in a different language. Freshman Amira Bajracharya speaks Nepali as well as English. Her family is from Nepal, and her parents moved to the United States in the late ‘90s.
Bajracharya enjoys speaking different languages because she can say things other people can’t. Halfmann said that by learning different languages, you may be able to think of new ideas. “Being able to look at things in a different light, a different way, you can better understand things,” Halfmann said.
Some languages have certain words that cannot be expressed in others. “Sometimes I can’t think of the English word, so I say it in Nepali,” Bajracharya said. “And sometimes when I’m speaking in Nepali I say a word in English.” cont. to page 28.
feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | feb. 2014 | 27
But speaking her native lanLee speaks Mandarin as thing about speaking another guage is valuable to Bajracha- well as English. Her parents language is experiencing other rya. She says that her younger are from Taiwan and Malaysia, cultures, while her 8-year-old siblings all either know or are and they came to the United brother Jedrick Wilson’s falearning to speak Nepali. Her States for college. Lee spoke vorite part was the food. family wants to feel connected mostly Mandarin when she was After thinking a while, Jedto their heritage. growing up. rick could only come up with To keep their culture alive, “My little brothers don’t one thing he didn’t like: her family visits Nepal every speak it as well,” Lee said. “The language has 216 letfew years. They also celebrate “They have grown up speaking ters so I have to make sure I holidays and festivals and try to English.” pronounce everything right,” keep with the traditions as best Lee says she likes being Jedrick said. they can. able to speak another language However, the Wilsons still When people ask about her because it enables her to speak try to keep a balance between culture, Bajracharya tries to an- with her grandparents. the two languages at home. swer all of their questions and Freshman Renita Wil“English is definitely imtell them as much as she can. son’s parents grew up in In- portant because they are living “We can’t be xenopho- dia but moved when her father here and studying here,” Renibic,” Halfmann said, “In other was hired by a United States ta’s dad Joseph Wilson said. • 4 cups rice flour words, [we need] to be accept- company. Her parents spoke “Tamil is also important be• 1 cup urad dal ing of people different from us. Tamil, but had learned some cause we want to keep relations As part of the United States, English as part of their educa- with my family.” • 4 tablespoons butter there are people from all over.” tion. Growing up in the Wilson The Wilson family visits In• 1 tablespoon cumin An increasing number of household, her family spoke dia around every three years to people speak other languages both languages. see relatives, and they still call seeds at home beside English. “In kindergarten it took a their family often. “I learned Nepali first, but few months to switch languag“The world is changing,” • salt to taste my parents taught me English, es,” Renita said, “It was real- Joseph Wilson said. “Even • oil for frying so I didn’t have to take ESL ly funny because the teacher though we are living on differclasses,” Bajracharya said. didn’t know what I was say- ent parts of the earth, we can • warm water Freshman Eunice Lee took ing, and I didn’t realize I was experience other cultures.” ESL (English as a second lan- speaking a different language.” guage) classes because she Renita said school isn’t a | lilliehoffart Dry roast the urad dal was not as fluent in English as big deal as she has gotten older Bajracharya. and has adjusted. Her favorite flour and mix with rice “In kindergarten I knew a poken Language Language Spoken at SH ome at Home flour, salt and cumin little bit of English, enough to 350,000,000 communicate with other350,000,000 kids, seeds. Add melted butbut I wasn’t very good,” Lee ter, mix well and make a said. “I had to go to an af300,000,000 300,000,000 ter-school thing called ESL.” smooth dough by adding The course, now called small amounts of warm ELL (English Language Learn250,000,000 250,000,000 ers), assists students learning water. to speak fluent English. They go to their usual class and are 200,000,000 200,000,000 helped throughout the day with People wPress ho Speak A nother Langage Language Spoken at Home down theat dough People who Speak Another Langage at reading, writing, listening to Home Home 350,000,000 and speaking as 150,000,000 well as through the murukku People who Speak Language SEnglish poken at Home 150,000,000 People who Speak only English at only English at cultural adjustments. Eight eleHome Home press on a wet paper mentary, four middle and three 300,000,000 100,000,000 high schools offer this program. 100,000,000 towel. Deep fry three or To qualify for the ESL/ four clusters of dough ELL program, students must 250,000,000 50,000,000 go through a screening process 50,000,000 together in hot oil. that tests English listening, speaking, reading and writing. 200,000,000 0 They must score “proficient” 0 1980 1990 People 2000 2010 Langage at w ho Speak Another 1980 1990 2000 2010 Serve and enjoy. in all four areas before they Home Year Year exit the150,000,000 program. They are then People who Speak only English at People who Speak Another Langage at monitored for two years. Home Home People
People
People
Murukku
recipe courtesy of Caroline Wilson.
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100,000,000
50,000,000
People who Speak only English at statistics from The 2010 United States Census. Home
#Selfie centered photos submitted by Alex Pueser, Erica Christie, Lauren Stone and Zach Keeling.
the selfie becomes a popular influence
Selfie: noun
A self-shot photo, usually taken with a mobile phone and posted online to social media sites.
graphic by grant laster
I
t’s easy: Flip the view on the phone and hold it at a high angle, making eyes look bigger and cheekbones more defined. Position a thumb over the button, turn to the best side, and click. Everyone is living through an age where a crucial aspect of public socializing is a little private party with oneself – staring
at one’s phone – editing, color-filtering, posting, and repeating. Selfies have become part of who we are and what we will be remembered by. However, the selfie has affected our society more than just being added to Oxford’s English Dictionary, but in fact it has made us self-absorbed.
special sections | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | feb. 2014 | 29
Me, My selfie and I “I think people post selfies because they are looking for some sort of reassurance,” senior Sabrina Castle said. “People like to feel liked, and if a large number of people favorite or like their selfies, they get to have some sort of feeling of accomplishment.” Selfies have left a print in the photo-obsessed world, and people have invented a plethora of different types — the sleeping selfie, muscle-man selfie, no-makeup selfie, food selfie and the duckface selfie. “Honestly, selfies are posted to boost people’s self-confidence and image because selfies are a form of fishing for compliments and the attention makes people feel more secure,” sophomore Zach Novicoff said. “It’s more acceptable for girls to post selfies, because when guys do it, it usually is the shirtless selfie, which makes them seem more conceited.” Filters, which make everything from food to faces look — let’s face it — so much better, have become ingrained in the social media
routine of taking and posting photos to various mediums. People are taking advantage of smartphone camera technology and slick photo editing to not only show others what they are doing but to also look perfect while doing it. “The selfie has made people become more concerned with what their hair and makeup look like or what kind of pose to make for the perfect snapchat,” Castle said. “While it is mostly for fun, it has become just another part of how addicted our generation is to our phones.” With people being able to gain confidence by simply posting their #ootd, things like The Selfie Olympics to the 880 billion selfies taken in 2013* have risen dramatically all for varying reasons. “The selfie has influenced our generation by creating yet another way to capture moments in our lives,” senior Catherine Dunn said. “For example, my aunt’s Christmas card was a selfie of her family to commemorate “the year of the
selfie.” Although scrolling through selfie after selfie on one’s timeline can get a bit annoying, the popular form of connecting has some benefits. “Snapchat is a way for friends to communicate,” Novicoff said. “Since texting has destroyed face to face contact, the selfie is slowly bringing it back.” It seems like the era of the selfie may be sticking around, but the negative appearance selfies give off of the person taking pictures may stop quicker than some would like. “It shouldn’t be part of the dictionary,” Novicoff said. “It’’s just an abbreviation of a word, plus there are better things to post on social media than selfies. Post something of value.” Even though it may be easy to snap a quick photo of yourself and attach a deep quote in the caption of it, think before you click next time.
Tom Hult
Tyler Alexander
Nathan Stone
1995 started college word of the year: gobsmack utterly astounded;
1994 went to World Cup word of the year: Dadrock music performed by aging rock stars and bands
1999 born word of the year: bling expensive and flashy jewlery, clothing, or other possessions
Counselor
30 |
Teacher
| carolinefronczak
Freshman
Behind the selfie Duck face selfie
#2
Deep quote selfie “Whatever you do in your life, make sure it makes you happy.�
#1
The angle selfie
3
#
#4
The collage selfie
#5
Above the head selfie | 31
S O C H I 4
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| grantlaster
medal count as of Feb. 12
#sochiprobs 3.terrorist threats 1.incomplete and 4.computer Winter Games have complications
dirty hotels
hacking
69 of
media hotels unfinished
2.opening ceremony 5.stray dog
malfunction
what’s that sport? curling
“With the rock. They have a little circle thing and they go woo! And they go as fast as they can.” | freshmanlillysnow
“The thing where they take a little stick and take the little thingy and shove it somewhere push it in. It’s like shuffleboard. Or is that shuffleboard? I know it’s on ice.” | freshmanlilyinghram
populations
skeleton
“Build a skeleton.” | teacheraaronballew
“They use battle axes and have gladiator fights.” | juniorhuntergrier
“Acting like a skeleton and playing dead.” |freshmanbrendan schuster
65%
35%
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no
yes
out of 45 English students
are you watching The Olympics?
- during Opening Ceremony