The Standard - Volume 8 Issue 5 by The Standard

makeup madness students view makeup as an art form

feature pages 16-17

standard the

blue valley southwest | volume 8 | issue 5

2 | contents / the standard / feb. 2018

contents feature 06 | 11 | 16 | 18 | 21 |

new year, new you beyond the classroom makeup madness more than skin deep projected for success

sports

08 | settling the score 22 | pin it to win it

news

12 | time well spent 24 | the 2018 olympics

opinion

04 | to dye for 14 | the problem with PDA

on the cover students use makeup for selfexpression photo illustration by jonah mccormick

volume 8 / issue 5 www.bvswnews.com

editor’s note

In a world surrounded by social media and platforms that fixate on appearances, it becomes pertinent to remember that how you look is just that: how you look. Each person is born with a unique set of eyes, strands of hair, distance between his or her mouth and nose, ear size, etc., and what he or she does to express such things is his or her choice. Beauty in and of itself is subjective. Therefore, we are all uniquely beautiful. In this issue, we explore what it means to express yourself through mediums such as makeup, hair dye and tattoos. However, these are just mediums. Makeup, hair dye and tattoos are ways in which we empower ourselves. We use them as a way to express who we are and increase our self-confidence, and when viewed in that sense, makeup, hair and tattoos are beautiful. Nonetheless, we as a society need to remember that true beauty comes from within. Beauty should be a measure of you as a person and the character you display. Beauty comes from how you treat people around you, cope with unfavorable situations, react to adversity and empathize with others. Makeup, hair dye and tattoos are positive aspects of self expression if used for the sole purpose of making yourself happy — not with the end goal of being a version of you that you think society wants. Growing up and all throughout middle school, I thought it was absolutely vital that I wore the perfect outfit to school every day and that my hair looked perfect, or, God forbid, the world would end and my reputation would cease to exist. If high school has taught me anything, it’s that none of that matters. Wear that one sweatshirt you love once a week if it makes you happy. Wear a dress and heels if it makes you happy. Do your makeup — or don’t — do whatever makes you happy. At the end of the day, it is important that we judge ourselves on the beauty of our hearts. Looks, while fun to manipulate and play with, will fade, but an altruistic impression will last forever.

| social media manager

the standard editor-in-chief arielle singer online editor emma olinger writing coaches megan flood summer lyon social media manager elianna oliver staff writers samrina acharya aubrey birk victoria palmer isha patel lauren urschel graphic designers jonah mccormick isaiah tarwater adviser rachel chushuk

The Southwest Standard is published seven times a year for students, faculty and surrounding community of Blue Valley Southwest. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Southwest Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. All letters must be signed and names will be published. The Standard 17600 Quivira Road Overland Park, KS 66221 Website: bvswnews.com Email: bvswnews@gmail.com

4 | opinion / the standard / feb. 2018

color me!

to dye for

people with “unnaturally” colored hair should not be judged by business professionals

eenage years are a time for expression, experimentation, and for discovering individuality. These years are also a great chance to begin to branch out and explore the working world for the first time. Unfortunately, personal expression and working don’t always go hand-in-hand. For senior Maggie Raming and junior Amayah Meadows, finding a first job might prove to be more difficult than for others of the same age. The reason for this has nothing to do with their abilities, and everything to do with the harmless way they have chosen to express themselves. “I color my hair because I feel strongly about standing out from a crowd,” Meadows said. “I feel it helps people see who I am at a first glance.” For Meadows, dyeing her hair makes her feel unique. It allows people to see her creativity immediately, and it expresses her individuality. But that’s not the only reason people choose to add color. “It gives me a lot of confidence,” Raming said. “I look in the mirror and I want to take care of my hair and I want to take care of myself.” Despite the fact that something as small as changing a hair color can have such a positive effect on someone’s self esteem, some employers believe unnatural hair colors overpower a person’s ability to actually do the job. According to CNN, “[unnaturally colored hair] can also be grounds for termination — regardless of what else you have to offer.” While CNN does list some career options such as baristas, massage therapists and cosmetologists that allow artificially

colored hair, the unfair bias still exists with many other professions. “People I’m meeting for the first time seem a little more surprised at how polite and like other people I am,” Meadows said. “I think with colored hair comes the connotation that you might be more rowdy or rude.” Debbie Wright, owner of Paint Glaze and Fire Ceramics and Coffee House, said the reason some businesses turn down applicants with colored hair has nothing to do with a bias, and more to do with a vision. “In different jobs, it can make a difference,” Wright said. “When you are representing a company, I think they have the right to say ‘this is the image we want to portray.’” While this does make sense, it presents a completely different issue: the tendency to judge someone based on their physicality can be seen in many other forms. Whether someone is criticized for their weight, ethnicity, gender or stylistic choices, the workplace is supposed to be professional. Therefore, business officials should only take into consideration someone’s capability to do the job. “I thought we had gotten past judging people based on

their appearance, but I’m still stunned when I see it happening,” Meadows said. “Judge someone on their personality and not how they choose to present themselves.” Like Meadows, Wright said it’s unfair to judge someone based on how they express themselves. “[Hair color] would have nothing to do with why or why not I would hire someone; that’s not what I’m looking at,” Wright said. “If it makes them feel better or if they’re just having fun, what’s wrong with it? They’re not hurting anybody.” Similar to Wright’s opinion, Raming said having colored hair might even increase one’s ability to work. “I think it’s ridiculous that people are judged on the color of their hair,” Raming said. “It’s something that gives them more confidence and makes them more likely to be nicer and happier in workplace environments.” Although Raming said she thinks the bias shouldn’t exist, she knows her hair coloring adventures won’t last forever. “I don’t plan on dyeing it forever because there is that stigma there,” Raming said. “But for now, I am definitely going to

keep coloring it.” Meadows said she also plans on keeping her fun hair colors for as long as she can. She said she wants to become a scientist, and that she knows that coloring her hair might not always be an option. But for now, she isn’t too worried. “Everyone I know likes my hair,” Meadows said. “And they don’t treat me differently because of it.” Hopefully, the rest of the world can learn to accept Meadow and Raming’s creative colors as exactly that, an expression of creativity and not a protest against society. Businesses could really benefit from hiring such confident people, but until they do, Raming plans to take her professional skills and her cool hair elsewhere. “I’d rather work somewhere that doesn’t really care [about hair color],” Raming said. “Because, not even just for me but for a lot of other people, it’s really important to them. It’s a part of their identity, and I think it’s awful that some places are choosing to strip that away from people so that they seem more presentable.”

| aubreybirk

6 | feature / the standard / feb. 2018

New year, new you students share goals for the new year

| juniorjennahope

eeping consistent goals throughout the past few years, junior Jenna Hope said she has tried to keep up with a New Year’s resolution of working out more often and eating healthy. This year, Hope said she is trying to focus on working out more often, as she believes setting a goal for the year helps her see the New Year in a more positive and uplifting way to improve herself. “Honestly, my resolutions stay pretty consistent each and every year because that is the one aspect in my life that I feel like I could work on a little bit more, especially when I’m not cheering or in anything physically demanding,” Hope said. Last year, she said she tried keeping up with the same resolution, but failed toward the end of year as her schedule got busier. “I don’t necessarily know a certain point when [my goal] starts to fizzle out, but life just gets too busy and schedules change and our priorities shift,” Hope said. “The one thing that we were so fixated on at the beginning of the year kind of takes a back burner spot.” Therefore, Hope said she tried to make her goal seem more

realistic this year by working out twice a week, which she finds to be reasonable with her current schedule. “I decided to set a goal for this year because I had a good feeling about this year,” Hope said. “It’s going to be my senior year so I decided I might as well try to be my best self and be the best I can be so I can feel like I had a successful year.” She said she thinks she will accomplish her goal easily because it allows her to be flexible and exercise at home. Hope said when it comes to making a New Year’s resolution, it’s best to make [it] seem reasonable to yourself and be thoughtfully planned out. “[If you] plan it out reasonably then you can actually have a lot of benefits and you’ll feel better about yourself and how motivated [you were] throughout the year,” Hope said. “You’ll feel better about your year all around if you fulfill your goals.”

| senioralainalopez

s of last year, about 12.3 percent of people made New Year’s resolutions to make improvements to life and themselves, along with 6.3 percent of people vowing to do more exciting things in the New Year, according to statisticbrain.com. Starting off the New Year with similar goals in mind, senior Alaina Lopez said she created two new goals for herself to work on this year with new changes coming up for her such as college in the fall. Lopez said she tries to keep her goals semi-realistic as she sees herself as someone who “sets the bar too high” and often forgets about other things as a result. “I don’t typically do a New Year’s resolution every year; it just [varies] from year to year,” Lopez said. Lopez’s resolutions for this year are to stay organized, be confident in what she’s involved in along with trying new things and not to being forgetful. Lopez said she created her first resolution about organization based off of experiences she had last year. “Over the last couple years of my life, I’ve had a few moments when I wasn’t well put together and started forgetting about things, and showing up late; I just want to get that stopped,” Lopez said. She said she decided to set her second resolution for the reason of starting college in the fall, and wants to be more comfortable with trying new things and being confident in everything she does while away. On the other hand, besides this year’s new resolutions, Lopez said she continues to have the same goal of doing well in school and receiving good grades. “[I set my resolutions based off of] what I’ve struggled with the most every year, and realize I can see myself getting better and trying to keep pushing myself and not giving up in the new year or new day,” Lopez said.

| sophomorenataliegish

n 2017, 21.4 percent of people set their New Year’s resolution to eat healthier, according to statisticbrain.com. Likewise, in relation to a healthy balance, sophomore Natalie Gish said her resolution for this year is to eat cleaner for a healthier lifestyle. Gish said she doesn’t know exactly how long she will keep up with this, but expects it to be on and off throughout the year. Also, she said she would be eating healthily at home, but predicts herself cheating a little when it comes to eating out. “Lately, I’ve been seeing that I’m eating a lot of bad things because I’m bored or just hanging around the house and I know that’s not good for me,” Gish said. “I made this goal because I play sports and I think your body runs better on healthy foods rather than just processed junk you find in your pantry.” Gish said she plans to approach her resolution by replacing what she would normally eat with healthy items, such as an apple rather than a bag of chips when she gets hungry. Gish said she liked this goal because it will help her make better, healthier decisions that may eventually turn into a lifestyle if kept up with long enough. Furthermore, she said she described this as a reachable goal in comparison to other resolutions. “I believe that New Year’s resolutions are more of an idea than a practice because most people don’t [follow] through with them, but it’s good to get your mind thinking of things you can do better in your life and that’s the whole point of them,” Gish said.

| ishapatel

8 | sports / the standard / feb. 2018

Settling the score athletes analyze inequalities in sports

acked bleachers, a sea of school colors, screaming students; attending varsity sports is often depicted as a quintessential part of the high school experience. Throughout the year, there are various sporting events students can attend, however some sports have a much higher attendance rate than others. Senior Megan Shulfer said she primary notices this during back-to-back basketball games. “Lots of times there aren’t as many people who show up for girls sports,” Shulfer said. “I’m in pep band, so lots of times I’m there for both games and I notice that, at least for basketball season, there’s

maybe one or two rows of students for the girls game and half the stands are filled for the guys game.” Junior Ashley Loeffelbein, a player on the girls varsity basketball team, also said she sees this happen very often, although she is unsure of why that is. “I feel like people care more about boys sports than girls for sure, because if the boys don’t have a game after us, then there’s hardly any students at our games,” Loeffelbein said. “People go to baseball games rather than softball games.” Senior Hayden Hitchcock, who is a member of the varsity basketball team and

participated in football until this year, said that while he has noticed more students attending certain sports over others, the success of some of the less popular sports has brought them more attention from students. “I would say based on society, football or basketball is going to get more attention than — I’m not trying to knock anybody — but like girls softball,” Hitchcock said. “I think I’ve definitely seen a shift toward it being more equal than it has been before, in past years. I think we’re getting there but as of now, there’s probably going to be a little more attendance at boys events, just

depending on the sport.” Hitchcock said in his off season, he tries to go and support his friends on other teams, as he appreciates when they come to his games. “I have friends on a bunch of the teams, like boys baseball, girls soccer, even football, since I didn’t play this year; I went to all those games,” Hitchcock said. “And I know if I want them to come to my games, I have to go to their games, and they’re my friends, and I like it, so I try to make it to as many games as I can.” When friends and classmates come out to support someone, Hitchcock said, it gives them an extra adrenaline rush that can help them play better. Shulfer agrees with this, both as something she notices at the sporting events she has attended and as a member of the swim team. She said it gives athletes a chance to show their peers something they care a lot about and are good at. “When people come to your sporting event and they’re supporting you and cheering you on, it makes the person

doing the sport a lot more confident in themselves,” Shulfer said. “They want to do better for those people who took the time to come out.” In general, Loeffelbein said students could improve their support of all sports, especially for home games. “[Jan. 12] versus St James, there were more St James students than Southwest students,” Loeffelbein said. “I thought that was kind of ridiculous because it’s our school and it was our home game.” Hitchcock said that while major accomplishments are always recognized through assemblies and the ice cream tradition after winning a state title, at normal games, there isn’t as much support and enthusiasm always shown by students. It is important, however, for support to be shown consistently to get to those accomplishments, Shulfer said. “People should come out to the events, whether it be a meet or a game, to show school spirit,” Shulfer said. “If you want to be a part of a school that accomplishes things sports-wise, people should be

supportive of the sports.” Compared to other high schools in the district, Hitchcock said sometimes Southwest lacks school spirit, but if students come out and support their teams, their high school experience will be more fun and memorable. “Just building that community here at Southwest is really important,” Hitchcock said. “The more school spirit we have, you’re going to enjoy high school more. A bunch of people say that Southwest, they don’t have a ton of school spirit and whatnot, so we really have to get rid of that reputation and come out to the games and show as much support as we can.”

| meganflood

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10 | ads / the standard / feb. 2018

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feature / the standard / feb. 2018 | 11

teachers share other sides of their lives

s Gerard Way once said, “All the best heroes are ordinary people who make themselves extraordinary.” Math teacher Jerry Holtorf said he has found a way to make the best out of the unfavorable odds he was dealt. “My parents were diagnosed with cancer and my mom died almost four years ago and that’s when [my volunteering] really started,” Holtorf said. “In the hospital, being able to see what my parents at 60 and 70 years old were going though and there was a 6or 7-year-old in the next room going through it too, that really, really hurt.” With a newfound and personal perspective on cancer and its impact on those battling it, Holtorf said he wanted to find a way he could help. “About four years ago, I started looking into volunteering as a way to give back and fight children’s cancer

because I couldn’t do it financially, so I decided to something I could do, which was just visit hospitals,” Holtorf said. Holtorf said he has visited a handful of hospitals including Children’s Mercy, the downtown and Overland Park locations, KU Medical Center, as well as volunteered at various fundraisers, 5Ks and other events. However, with a Captain America suit and a posse of other superhero friends, Holtorf’s hospital visits are anything but ordinary. “I actually have a connection at Marvel Studios,” Holtorf said. “At Disney / Marvel there’s a seamstress there who works in the costuming department that I was put in touch with and she has access to the actual designs and she made [my Captain America suit] to specification.” Holtorf said he enjoys what he does and it’s a good experience, however he

said not every day is a good one. “Every visit day is a lesson and also very much not the funnest day,” Holtorf said. “You see smiles, which is incredible, but you also see the circumstances, which is painful. It can be a good day and a bad day.” Even though not every moment is particularly preferable, Holtorf said that doesn’t stop him. At the end of the day, Holtorf said volunteering is something everyone should do because it heals the volunteer and the ones at the other end. “Life is a pile of good things and bad things and the good things don’t necessarily cancel out the bad things,” Holtorf said. “Likewise, the bad things don’t make good things unimportant, so you keep doing them.”

Jerry Holtorf

photo submitted by Jerry Holtorf

12 |

storm Shaw photo submitted by Storm Shaw

ne might suspect that an English teacher would have spent most of their youth reading, nose-deep in a good book; however, starting from a young age, English teacher Storm Shaw said he grew up alongside music. “I started playing music in elementary school, playing euphonium,” Shaw said. “In middle school, my friends and I would make ‘bands’ — heavy on the air quotes — where we would basically take a bunch of pictures and come up with band names and never write any music.” Once his middle school band phase came to an end, Shaw joined another band with a couple of his friends. “I got a call from friends who actually had a band together and they asked me to come play with them,” Shaw said. “It was this terrible screamo band called Your Altered Reflection; the name was very bad.” Shaw said he played with Your Altered Reflection for around a year and then, at age 17, joined another group of his friends who were “better musicians” in another band. Contrary to his previous band experience, his second band was named Coronado Left For Dead — a name he said he enjoyed. “The second band I was in, we were originally called Coronado Left For Dead, and we came up with that basically because we were obsessed

with this band from Alabama called Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, and they got that name because of this story of a family from Alabama,” Shaw said. Looking to Maylene and the Sons of Disaster as a muse or for inspiration, Shaw said his band wanted a name related to the state of Kansas. “We wanted to have a story personal to Kansas and there was a town in Western Kansas, I think this was back in the early 1800s, called Coronado,” Shaw said. “It was nearby another town and they were fighting over who would be the county seat and who would get funding from the government and so a bunch of guys from the neighboring town went over and shot up Coronado and basically made it a ghost town. It was just a ‘Welcome to Coronado’ sign and then nothing else.” With the historical story came the band name Coronado Left for Dead, which was eventually shortened to Coronado after the band decided the “left for dead” aspect was a little too “emo.” As for musical genre, Shaw said his band made its own miscellaneous category. “We got away from the Southern vibes and we got more into hardcore or a little bit of punk influence, kind of a sub-genre of music that we would call ‘mathcore’ which was really technical rhythms but with simple vocals over them and kind of

repetitive,” Shaw said. As part of the band, Shaw’s role was to write lyrics and do the vocals in each song. Although, in his band’s genre of music, vocals are synonymous with screaming, Shaw said there is still technique behind it. “Believe it or not, even with just screaming, if you just scream randomly then it sounds terrible, so trying to come up with interesting rhythms and if you can vary your pitch of screaming somewhat, [you can craft] the vocal aspect of it,” Shaw said. Although music has always been a large aspect of Shaw’s life, he said there are some aspects of the music industry, specifically touring, that weren’t always easy. “You go from town to town, and people don’t know you, and you play a lot of shows that very few people come to, and you’re just tired and dirty and have no money,” Shaw said. “That was hard, still enjoyable in some ways, but yeah, good and bad.” Overall, Shaw said his time spent creating music, while difficult and not always beneficial, was something he was passionate about and would do again. “Being in a band means the ability to be creative, to put in work for something you’re passionate about: self expression,” Shaw said.

| 13

ot unlike her father, English teacher Caitlyn Donahue spent most of her youth and young adulthood playing volleyball and going to “various volleyball open gyms and tournaments within the Kansas City area.” “I started playing club volleyball when I was 8,” Donahue said. “I stopped playing volleyball professionally when I was 25. I still compete at adult volleyball tournaments here in the United States about once or twice a year.” Donahue said her volleyball career started with her dad. He was her first coach, took her to her first tryouts, taught her to set, serve, pepper, etc. “For most of my club years, my dad was my coach,” Donahue said. “Although there were times when I wished he was not the one coaching me, I can look back now and remember fondly the opportunities that club volleyball gave us to spend time together.” Donahue went to high school at Blue Valley West, and as her high school volleyball career took off, she was recognized for many different awards. Donahue was named Class 6A Player of the Year and Class 6A First Team All-State three years in a row and Kansas Gatorade Player of the Year in 2008, among other individual and team recognitions. With recognition came lots of offers to play Division I volleyball in college and praise from coaches.

Donahue ultimately chose Kansas State University because of Suzie Fritz, the volleyball coach, and Fritz’s interest in growth instead of praise. “Suzie told me that I was a ‘good volleyball player’ but that she would make me better and that I would need to get better if I wanted to play Big XII volleyball,” Donahue said. “Although her statement caught me off guard, her honesty was refreshing.” Not only did K-State mean working hard, but Donahue said it meant her dad could watch her play, which was really important to her. In her 13 years of playing volleyball, Donahue had the opportunity to play all over the world on various levels of difficulty, ranging from club volleyball to the professional level. In the professional level alone, Donahue played in Puerto Rico, France, Switzerland and California for Team USA. “Competing with some of the best players in the world day in and out was nothing short of incredible,” Donahue said. “My time with the national team was the most challenging, yet one of the most rewarding, experiences of my life so far.” Although Donahue loved playing volleyball and it was a “rewarding experience,” the distance it put between her and the rest of her life took its toll. “It became difficult to spend nine

months out of the year living in other countries,” Donahue said. “I missed out on a lot of time with my family and friends. Additionally, I always knew I wanted to be a high school teacher, and after my third year of playing professionally, I was ready to come back to the United States and begin my teaching career.” Donahue was not only a player, but she tried her hand at coaching as well. “Pizza Hut aimed to create a rivalry between Kansas and Missouri to see which state would receive ‘Kansas City bragging rights,’” Donahue said. “I was hired to represent and coach a group of young volleyball talent from Kansas, and my friend and former rival, Molly Kreklow (University of Missouri volleyball), was hired to represent and coach a group of young volleyball talent from Missouri. The two teams played a match called The Pizza Hut State Line Showdown, and my team won.” Overall, while there were times where Donahue said volleyball was difficult to stick with, it has had a lasting impression on her life. “The sport of volleyball has taught me how to work with people from various backgrounds and how to deal with and overcome adversity,” Donahue said.

caitlyn donahue photos submitted by Caitlyn Donahue

| eliannaoliver

14 | opinion / the standard / feb. 2018

THE PROBLEM WITH PDA

displays of affection should be kept private

s teachers and administration strive to make the school hallways a professional environment where students are able to learn without distraction, they face many obstacles along the way. Although the trash littering the halls following Timber Time is a new addition to their grievances, there is an older one that has plagued society for decades. Seen in movies, books and all types of media, the issue of public displays of affection (PDA) continues to be a controversial topic around the globe. In a survey of 100 students, 57 percent said they believed PDA was not okay. Junior Lauryn Massey said although she’s currently in a relationship with junior Adam Morse, she’s “not comfortable” with showing affection in front of others. “I think the most we do is hold hands in public, but we don’t do anything at school at all,” Massey said. “I try to keep him like five feet away from me.” In a similar manner, Morse said he felt PDA to be uncomfortable and “gross.” “I think just a quick side hug and holding hands when you’re walking down the street is OK, but then if you’re going to go for a kiss or something, pretty much that’s inappropriate,” Morse said. “It’s not appropriate anywhere where you know a lot of people.” Seniors Leo Ruhnke and Rachel Wolf, who are currently in a relationship, said they refrain from PDA as much as possible. “We don’t show PDA often,” Wolf said. “We might hold hands in public outside of

school, but we don’t usually show much PDA at all.” For some people, though, getting into a relationship alters their opinion on PDA. Since they now have someone to hold hands with and kiss, they want to be able to do so as much as possible. Despite her recognition of this, Massey said her views didn’t change when she started dating Morse. “I think they do change because now you’re in that situation where you’re in a relationship with someone and sometimes you do want to be affectionate in certain situations, but you’re also in public,” Massey said. “I still — just me, personally — don’t feel comfortable showing a bunch of affection in front of other people.” Similarly, Morse said because PDA has always made him uncomfortable, his views on PDA stayed the same when he started dating Massey. Wolf said her negative feelings toward PDA remain. “I think their opinions might change a little, but they’ll mostly stay the same,” Wolf said. “I still don’t like a lot of PDA, but I no longer mind little things like holding hands.” The couples’ abstinence from PDA seems to be a trend, as only 21 percent of students surveyed who were in a relationship said they openly showed affection with their partner in public. Despite this, the majority of students believe that couples show PDA in excess. This begs the question of what qualifies as too much PDA, and what qualifies as just the right amount of it. “I think little displays of affection like holding hands are OK,” Wolf said. “However, for me, making out or cuddling in public is definitely crossing the line. I think a couple should take others into consideration before

acting all affectionate together.” While there are many different claims out there about how much PDA is too much, when it comes to holding hands and pecks on the cheek, there isn’t a real issue, as long as it’s kept under wraps. Massey said “holding hands and brief hugs” are acceptable, but anything beyond that is improper. “I don’t really want to see any embraces for long periods of time and I think kissing and that sort of thing should be done in a private place,” Massey said. There is a time and a place for couples to give each other affection, and that place should not be at school with your peers watching you in discomfort. In professional environments, couples should refrain from kissing or cuddling as much as possible. While most seem to agree that PDA is a social taboo and that there should be limits placed upon it, not many have thought about why that is. The idea that single people are uncomfortable witnessing PDA because they’re bitter about being alone has been among some theories, but it goes beyond that. “I think people get uncomfortable because displays of affection are traditionally shown privately,” Wolf said.

Likewise, Morse said “nobody wants to see” the way couples show each other personalized physical affection. Psychology Today supports this idea, as it claims that bystanders feel like an “unwilling audience” when they see PDA due to its intimate and exclusive nature. “I think it’s just that they feel like they’re invading on someone’s privacy,” Massey said. “I feel like most people just have their own opinions on PDA and what should be done in public, so I think when it’s something that’s against their opinions, then they get bothered.”

| laurenurschel

| 15

16 | feature / the standard / feb. 2018

MAKEUP MADNESS

students view makeup as an art form

any believe art to be simply what one would find lining the halls of a museum on a framed canvas or sculpture. However, art is a much more generalized term that can be perceived in many different forms. According to the Oxford dictionary, art is defined as “the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects.” The way this creativity and selfexpression is conveyed in terms of tools and canvas depends on the artist. Some artists have even gone as far as to physically embody their art by using their own skin as a canvas and makeup as the means to showcase their artistic abilities. According to statista.com, as of June 2016, more than 5.3 million beauty videos were published on YouTube generating more

than 55 billion views. This prevalence of beauty and makeup specifically in social media continues to climb exponentially. As the interest in makeup-related content increases, people have come up with new inventive ways to use makeup in order to stand out and express themselves creatively whether that be on the internet or in their day-to-day lives. Senior Giana Epps said she views makeup as both a method of self-expression and a way to make good first impressions. Rather than covering up aspects of herself, she said she uses it to remain true to her personality while revealing more about herself to others in a glance. “I feel myself when I have the right colors on,” Epps said. “It’s not something that defines me by any means but it is a way to kind of let people know ‘this is me.’ I think a lot of people misinterpret that sometimes like [I’m] hiding behind something but that’s not the case, it’s just something fun.” Epps said she is aware that there is a stigma surrounding those who wear too much makeup. For her, she said she recognizes that rather than being

just something people hide behind or wear to be more well-liked by others, makeup has a larger impact on the mindset one has. “There are a lot of people that think people wear makeup for other people and that is never the case,” Epps said. “I don’t think of myself as being funnier or prettier with or without makeup, but it does affect [my] confidence a little bit. It’s the same as my shoes. If I’m wearing house shoes I’m not going to feel as confident as if I’m wearing my platforms.” In addition to the misconceptions about what wearing makeup says about a person, there are also differing opinions about who should be allowed to wear makeup. Contrary to traditional beliefs of makeup being exclusively worn by women, many major makeup brands are challenging gender norms as the market is increasingly targeting men. expected to rise by another 6 percent”. Additionally, in March of 2017, Milk Makeup launched its Blur the Lines Campaign in order to “pav[e] the way for a more inclusive, less stereotypical way of thinking about makeup.”

“Once you put on your makeup, for some reason you turn from this person who’s kind of just straight chillin’ into someone who’s like voguing in the mirror.” photos courtesy of Royce Ferneau

| juniorroyceferneau

| 17

“It’s a way for me to make art.” | sophomoreannaleise goldwasser

Junior Royce Ferneau said he gained an interest in makeup after first trying it his freshman year of high school. What started off as a way to pass time, quickly became a hobby he devoted hours of practice and effort into. “I started doing really really bad makeup with my best friend Summer. We would put on makeup and dress up and then at night we would go to a Waffle House or an iHop for fun,” Ferneau said. “I’ve been doing this for three years now and I’m still learning new things.” Although makeup is universal, and not made for any specific gender, Ferneau said he still finds that many people view his look as unconventional. “I’ll get stares,” Ferneau said. “Some people like it, some people don’t, but I’m not really here to please anybody but myself and I try not to care. I don’t really pay mind of anything; I just do it for myself.” Ferneau said makeup is not only a way to boost his confidence and accentuate the beauty everyone already has, it can also aid in discovering oneself. On a physical level, he said he has been able to learn more about the anatomy of his face from the bones he didn’t even know he had to what works best on his eyes. Additionally, he said he found it made him able to “let out the personality within.” “Once you put on your makeup for some reason you turn from this person who’s kind of just straight chillin’ into someone who’s like voguing in the mirror,” Ferneau said. “It’s amazing how when you feel good about yourself it

can change your perspective on life and yourself.” Coming from an artistic background, sophomore Annaliese Goldwasser said she sees makeup as a way to practice creative techniques in her everyday life. She decided to begin experimenting with makeup looks over the summer in order to combat her boredom and has been interested in it ever since. “I guess, for me, I like to wear makeup because I’m an artist and its fun,” Goldwasser said. “I enjoy playing with colors and creating illusions and stuff like that. When I do some of my more elaborate looks it is a way for me to play with different colors and shapes and see what I can do. It’s a way for me to make art.” Ferneau said he shares this belief that makeup is an art form. He said he believes this is true because of the incredible amount of time and effort that goes behind every look and background knowledge that is needed to achieve the desired outcome. “If you gave a new timer paint and a paint brush they probably aren’t going to be the next Picasso,” Ferneau said. “It’s kind of the same if you give them a makeup brush and a palette of eyeshadow.” Similarly, makeup is prevalent in the world of performing arts. Whether in theater or cosplay, when done correctly, it can be crucial to the role being played. Epps said she uses makeup as a tool to enhance her performances in these activities.

photos courtesy of Annaleise Goldwasser

“We use it on stage all the time to help us get into character so people will see us as different people,” Epps said. “But also you can go really crazy with that stuff. I’ve seen people do amazing things and transform themselves or create characters out of nothing. For ‘Carrie,’ I toned myself down and made myself look more dull and tried to get rid of any stand out features because she’s plain. But for ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ I had 50s, Marilyn Monroe- inspired makeup and that was really fun.” Although the trends in makeup that can be found when browsing through YouTube makeup tutorials or scrolling through an Instagram feed are everchanging, the freedom of expression and creativity that comes with it will always remain. Goldwasser said social media is a good starting point to fuel her creativity when coming up with her own ideas. “I’ll be like, ‘Oh, that’s really cool. I want to try that but I’m going to twist it a little and make it my own,’” Goldwasser said.

| samrinaacharya

18 | feature / the standard / feb. 2018

XIII G

payden hart

etting his first tattoo last semester, senior Payden Hart chose to wait until October so he “didn’t have to have a tattoo heal during football season.” “The healing process was pretty easy, it wasn’t much really,” Hart said. “I just made sure to moisturize it three times a day and to let it breathe. I washed it and used some basic soaps.” Knowing some tattoo artists, Hart said he decided to get his tattoo done at Aftershock Tattoo. When choosing his design, Hart said he wanted his tattoo to have a meaning. “The 13 is the day that I was born, so it symbolizes the day I was able to break free from my father since he was an abusive father,” Hart said. “I just like the classic Roman numeral style and so I just wanted to go along with that and made sure it was a simple one before I got into more detail for my next tattoo.” With the support of his mom and stepdad, Hart said he plans on getting more tattoos because he loves “to express [his] life through artwork on [his] body.” “I plan to get another one, probably in the spring,” Hart said. “It’s an owl with its wings open like it’s flying, and then its feet are holding a tree branch which will have the birthdays of my mom, my two sisters and my step-dad. The eyes will be green because my mom’s eyes are green.”

more than skin

| 19

marie oddo

lthough some may choose to get their tattoos professionally done, junior Marie Oddo said she chose to do her own tattoos using a method called “stick and poke tattooing.” “There’s this thing called India ink and you basically just get a sewing needle or a tattooing needle, you dip it in the India ink and then you just stab yourself 10,000 times,” Oddo said. “It hurts, but it’s not a pain you can’t deal with. It’s more irritating; it’s like getting your ears pierced — like that pinch — it’s just that over and over again, but I’d rather have that than a chainsaw to my neck.” Despite the irritation, Oddo said she enjoys doing them and plans to do more in the future alongside her four other stick and poke tattoos. When choosing her designs, Oddo said she looked for what she “thought [she] could do” and what she “thought would look cool.” “Well, the one on my ankle, the division symbol is for mind over matter; I just think it’s important to remember,” Oddo said. “Then, the pine tree, I just thought it looked cool — I thought it would look cool — so I just did it ... The ones on my arm, I was real stupid. I was dating this dude and I got the one on my hip the night before. He really wanted one and he wouldn’t shut up about it and he just kept irritating me, so I just said ‘yes’ and here I am.” On average, Oddo said she usually spent 10 minutes choosing her designs, as well at 20 to 30 minutes completing them. As a result, Oddo said they didn’t have much of a meaning. “All of them are kind of just ‘that will look cool for a little bit,’” Oddo said. “They are small, so I can get them tattooed over. I could get them removed if I wanted it. You don’t remember they’re there after a while, they just become a part of you. So that’s basically where I am now; they’re just a part of me.”

kin deep

students share the stories behind their tattoos

20 |

shay-marie simmons

eceiving her first tattoo — a collection of a sun, moon and stars on her upper back — when she was in seventh grade, senior Shay-Marie Simmons said tattooing has always been prevalent in her life. With seven tattoos and counting, Simmons saidher favorite tattoo would be her back one, taking “about an hour for the big one” while “the little stars on the side took 30 minutes.” “It’s inspired by one of my favorite songs,” Simmons said. “It’s the sun will fall and we will rise again. It’s talking about death, and the people [who] have died around me are the stars. The stars represent a person who died in my family or one of my best friends died, so I put her on my back. So, it just represents death, happiness, my life, how I wake up in the morning and know that I should be appreciative of what has really happened in my life.” Although her parents were not initially aware of her getting a tattoo, Simmons said her mom found out relatively early-on in the healing process of her first one. “My mom didn’t believe that it was real, so she felt my back and she was like, ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe you have a frigging tattoo’ and then she slapped it and I was like ‘Are you kidding me? Why are you slapping my tattoo?’” Simmons said. In addition to her four back tattoos, Simmons has a quote on her right bicep, a delta symbol on her left wrist and an arrow on her left pointer finger — the most recent one in her growing collection. “They all have meaning to me, except for the finger,” Simmons said. “The one on my wrist is the delta sign, which is the strongest symbol in the world … I got [the one on my bicep] for my dad. He has ‘For them I’ll risk it all…’ I have ‘...Because of him I will not fall.”

| summerlyon

feature / the standard / feb. 2018 | 21

PROJECTED FOR SUCCESS

teachers implement project-based learning to improve students’ classroom experience

s many students may have noticed or heard, the Blue Valley district has decided to go in the direction of Project Based Learning (PBL). This type of learning is “a teaching method in which students gain knowledge and skills by working for an extended period of time to investigate and respond to an authentic, engaging and complex question, problem or challenge”, according to the Buck Institute of Education. Science teacher and department chair Melissa McCarty recently went to Dallas, Texas, in order to further see the use of PBL in a classroom setting. She said this is “[something] we can keep developing in more and more classes as time goes on.” “I definitely see this being something that we’re going to do for a long time,” McCarty said. “We think it helps them to understand the material, to remember it for a longer time, and then really be able to apply it in their life no matter where they go.” Due to the change, there were fears that there would be negative feedback from students and parents alike. However, McCarty said the community has given the teachers and administration plenty of support. “Parents are, I think, mostly supportive of what we’re doing in school,” McCarty said. “I think we’re really lucky to have so much support. I felt like students like it more, for the most part. It’s more engaging than just taking notes.”

Freshman Alex Ogren said she prefers projects to notes due to its creative approach. “I think it’s more fun than learning from textbooks and taking notes,” Ogren said. “I don’t really like ‘sit-down-andlisten’ type of teaching.” One of the main concerns students voice is an excess of projects, especially near the end of the semester. McCarty said she heard students complaining of an “overload of projects” around finals time, causing them to become “very overwhelmed.” Senior Zeke Sarvis said these feelings come from one of the main problems high school students face: procrastination. “A lot of students I know, myself included, procrastinate things until the last minute,” Sarvis said. “A bunch of projects piling up all at once would probably be very detrimental to our learning and mental well-being.” Due to his lower number of projects, Sarvis said that it’s “not as big of an issue.” On the other hand, Ogren said she worries about the amount of projects that she has to do, having done “around 10 to 15” in her first semester. “A lot of people can over-complicate whatever they’re trying to accomplish,” Ogren said. “It can be hard to remember everything you need and everything you want to do, and having a lot of projects all at once never helps.” Another issue students fear with the emergence of PBL comes with presentations, according to both Sarvis and Ogren. Many students experience presentation anxiety when they have to get up in front of the class. However, McCarty said “it is something that you’re always going to face in your world.” “You’re going to have to present to somebody at some point,” McCarty said. “I think that developing skills like this are critical to succeeding later in life.

I know that there are students who run into those kinds of issues, and so I think helping them on an individual basis and getting them a little bit better than they were before, and adapting to each student, then I think that will benefit them.” Although it may seem like teachers are the ones benefiting from PBL, Sarvis said students can also gain a lot from the new type of learning. “It allows students to explore areas of interest in greater depth,” Sarvis said. “They can devote more time to something that they feel they are pursuing, rather than getting assigned something by a person of authority.” With the large amount of projects being given to students, creativity in the way the projects are run can fall short. Both Sarvis and Ogren said they did many research projects during their academic years. Despite the large numbers of projects, Ogren said her teachers still manage to bring creativity into the classroom setting. “I know some of the teachers [assign creative projects], like Mr. [Gregg] Buehler,” Ogren said. “He did a lot of projects based on running, since he coaches cross country and track. There are a lot of other times when we’re given free reign over what we want to do, which I like, and there are times when the teachers are creative, too.” Teachers do want to be able to provide interesting projects for their students, but at the end of the day, their main focus lies in one thing: educating their students. “We want the students to understand things at a deeper level,” McCarty said. “We hope that the students can take the information with them for a longer time, instead of just memorizing it for a test and then forgetting it.”

| victoriapalmer

22 | sports / the standard / feb. 2018 |

Q & A with 2017 state champ Cordel Duhart Q:

In what ways have you improved over your high school career? How have you been able to do this?

you plan on continuing to have been your biggest Q: Do Q: What wrestle in college? Why? challenges wrestling in high school?

If I could continue to wrestle The biggest challenge I’ve faced have improved in almost every A: A:Iaspect A: in college, I would like to. with wrestling in high school has possible in wrestling. I got better offensively and defensively and all other positions I possibly could. I’ve been able to do this with the amazing coaching staff here at Southwest. They are truly incredible people and coaches. Also, due to amazing practice partners, friends, family and supporters over the years. I also credit a majority of my development due to the off-season stuff I did. It allowed me to make huge strides in skill and ability.

As of now, I am keeping all options open [for] where I want to wrestle. I would like to continue because I feel like wrestling teaches you certain values and principles that just being a normal person can’t, such as work ethic, discipline, persistence and many others.

been how time consuming it has been. It’s a Monday to Sunday commitment. We miss lots of school, school events, such as games, and miss out on free time. It’s a very demanding sport if you want to be the best. Even with all those challenges, I wouldn’t want to change anything about my life the way it is now. My biggest challenge this year would be continuing to develop as a wrestler.

| 23

Pin it to win it wrestlers share goals for the season

4 (1) Preparing to continue his match, senior Riley McCall takes his position during a dual against Spring Hill High School. “Over my high school career, I believe that I have improved how I view training mentally and physically,” McCall said. “I think that from freshman to senior year, I have definitely matured as an athlete and realized that everything I do must have a purpose and reason behind it.” (2) Trying to pin his opponent, senior Matt Stack fights to maintain control of his match. Stack has wrestled at Southwest since he was a freshman. (3) Fighting against his opponent, junior Jacob Boone tries to defend himself. (4) Holding onto his opponent, senior Nick Arend attempts to secure a pin. (5) Attempting to pin his opponent, sophomore Seth Nitzel regains control before winning his match. (6) Before winning his match by pinning his opponent, varsity wrestler Cordel Duhart defends his position. Duhart won state in 2017 and said he believes winning state this year as a team is “a very realistic goal.”

| ariellesinger

"The team goal this season is to win a state championship. I think that this team can do it because we are training to be our best at the state tournament and when we do, we will come out on top.” | seniorrileymccall

24 | news / the standard / feb. 2018

The 2018 Olympics

winter Olympics begin Feb. 8

| isaiahtarwater

Speed by sport Cross Country Skiing

Luge

20 mph

90 mph

Curling

4.5 mph

A record 102 medals will be awarded for 15 varying disciplines.

Speed Skating

54 mph

Major news

2018 is the first time since the 2006 Winter Games that both North and South Korea will march under a unified Korea flag. This joint effort from the United States’ ally and their neighbors to the North is seen as a large step in the unification of the Korean peninsula and future peace in East Asia. Both North and South Korean athletes will train together for three weeks at a ski resort in North Korea and form a joint women’s ice hockey team. As a result of a doping scandal, Russia will not be competing in the 2018 Olympics; any clean athletes must participate under a general flag.

History

Timeline Oct. 16, 2010

PyeongChang, South Korea, is announced as a possible host city for the 2018 Olympics.

The creation of today’s modern Olympic games was inspired by the ancient Greeks who held similar sporting events in Olympia, Greece, from the eighth century B.C. to the fourth century A.D. These sporting gatherings included events such as boxing, chariot racing and pankration, an ancient Greek mixed martial arts event. These ancient games were frequently held at sights of religious importance and allowed the Greeks to worship their gods and compete against one another for glory and goods.

July 6, 2011

The winning city, PyeongChang, is announced in Durban, South Africa.

facts according to olympics.com

June 2, 2012

PyeongChang announces the official mascots for the games: Soohorang, a white tiger, and Bandabi, an Asiatic black bear.

Nov. 4, 2017

The flame arrives in the Republic of Korea, 100 days before the Games are scheduled to begin.

Nov. 17, 2017

The Nigerian bobsled team qualifies for the 2018 Olympics becoming the first African women competitors to be represented at the Winter Olympics.