The Standard Vol. 7 Issue 6 by The Standard

Crossing Boarders

staff and students share immigration experiences and perspectives feature pages 24-25

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standard the

blue valley southwest | volume 7 | issue 6

2 | contents / the standard / march 2017

CO NT EN TS

volume 7 / issue 6 www.bvswnews.com

FEATURE

08 12 18 20 24 26

The Boy Who Shaped an Era Smartphones Over Socialization The Focus on Fidgeting Gearing Up Crossing Borders Raiding the Racks

NEWS

07 29 30 32 ON THE COVER: Southwest community members describe their experiences as immigrants or as children of immigrants. Graphic by Lillie Hoffart

Education Investment The Salty Truth So to Speak Spring Break{down}

OPINION

05 14

The Blue Valley Way Freedom to: Speak. Think. Amplify.

Spring Sports Preview

SPORTS

ONLINE EXCLUSIVE Q & A with Angela Fornelli

editor’s note 4|

Deadlines loom ahead in the vast unknown. We are now over 3/4 done with the school year, and time is running out to check off the boxes of our never-ending to-do lists. With so much to do and so little time to do it, we are left to make a decision: what is most important? When I find myself faced with a million things to do and not enough time I either A: avoid doing all my work and fall deeper into a pit of makeup work and essays to write, or B: buckle down and figure out what needs to be done first. However, I’m not always given this option. As a senior, I’m constantly asked monotonous questions about college from any and all living creatures. Where am I going to college? What am I going to study? What job do you want? My answer is always the same: “I don’t know yet.” And every time, people unfailing have the same shocked look of horror which leads to more questions about why I have yet to make any decisions regarding my future. So, then I must recite the list of colleges I applied to and juggle more questions while politely explaining that I still am waiting to hear back from six schools. After this back and forth comes suggestions of what I should study and where I should and shouldn’t attend. This is followed by me looking dumbfounded and mentally making a note to never tell someone I’m undecided about college ever again. In such a fast-paced world, we are urged to make decisions every day in the blink of an eye, without hesitation. But, what are we to do when we aren’t given the option to make the decision? While I wait to hear back from colleges to see if I got in and how much scholarship money I will receive, **spoiler alert** the world continues to spin. Students must make decisions on what homework to do in the hours they have left before they go to bed and after sports practices and other activities, and our newspaper staff is obliged to decide what we want to cover in the newspaper each issue cycle. At the beginning of each issue cycle, each staffer comes up with several pitches for what they want to cover. From there, as a staff, we decide what’s timely, what’s important and what’s just downright bad (like aliens and memes). So, here’s some of what made the cut this issue: the opening of the Chinese immersion elementary school, how Harry Potter shaped an era and what the robotics team really is. So, as you read ahead, know that what we put in here for you to read wasn’t an easy decision. Sincerely, Undecided

THE STANDARD EDITOR-IN-CHIEF delaney oliver

ONLINE EDITOR donna armstrong

ASSOCIATE EDITOR lillie hoffart

STAFF WRITERS megan flood jenna hope summer lyon emma olinger elianna oliver arielle singer

STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER rand alazzeh

STAFF 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 Phone: 913-624-2262 Website: bvswnews.com Email: bvswnews@gmail.com

opinion / the standard / march 2017 | 5

THE BLUE VALLEY WAY T

district sets unrealistic expectations for students

he Blue Valley way: a term often associated with excellence, success, hard work, integrity, superiority, etc., but is it? According to niche.com — a website with rankings, reviews and statistics on U.S. colleges and K-12 schools — Blue Valley is ranked the number one school district in Kansas, and all five Blue Valley high schools are ranked among the top 10 in Kansas. Stress is defined by Google as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or very demanding circumstances. With emphasis on the origin of stress, Blue Valley’s status creates stress in the lives of its students and faculty. However, the district’s high rank is not to be overlooked. Blue Valley has done an excellent job of upholding their initial goal or mission: to provide unprecedented academic success and unparalleled personal growth for every student. With such a big goal in mind, science teacher Aaron Ballew said he understands the work it takes to get there. “You kind of have to understand that the goal itself does sound insurmountable, but if you have a well laid out process it’s nothing more than climbing a mountain,”

Ballew said. “It’s one step at a time. What can you do today? What can you do tomorrow to make yourself better?” The problem with setting a high standard is knowing when enough is enough. Sophomore Rachel Kelley said she, too, thinks striving for excellence is admirable, but there is a downfall. “We are achieving amazing things — like our district is ranked extremely high in the nation — but I also think it comes at a cost as well because, in a sense, it’s not healthy to be pushing yourself and comparing yourself to others,” Kelley said. “I think at some point we need to take a step back and realize we are already ahead of ourselves.” For the most part, Blue Valley’s successful reputation for constantly excelling can be connected back to the students who work hard to uphold this status. Students put in a great deal of time and deem a lot of their priorities second to school. With this academically-driven mindset, English language arts teacher Meg Miskin said students can work too hard. “With being highly motivated, I think students put a lot of pressure on themselves to not just

succeed, but to highly achieve in everything that they’re involved in,” Miskin said. “I see students who are stretching themselves way too thin or trying to be this perfect person when that’s just impossible for us all.” This strive for perfection cannot solely be attributed to the district itself; students’ desires to be the best play a role. However, both have contributed to a distorted idea of what success is and what and where you have to reach to succeed. “That standard is almost categorically ‘if you do not achieve this standard, you are not improving, you are not growing, you are not becoming better,’ where different things might have made you start a little lower —and you’ve grown to a huge amount — but it’s not as acknowledged when you’ve started lower,” Miskin said. “I think there needs to be just a good balance of growth and proficiency, that ‘yes, we have this high standard for students,’ but ‘yes, we need to acknowledge when students leap and grow and achieve far beyond what they were.’” With a realistic understanding of what success is — merely a desired outcome — junior Joe Ayres said he

believes students in Blue Valley have the power to guide themselves. “I think the students have a lot of control over what they can do and what they feel like they can take on,” Ayres said. With the opportunity to pave individualistic paths toward different goals, students are generally prompted to respect the education they’re handed and try and build off of it. “Most of the students are very motivated,” Miskin said. “They’re here to learn and that’s a wonderful, wonderful thing to have as a teacher because I feel like I don’t have to pull teeth so much or sell my lessons to students of why this is important, why this is valuable. Students naturally just have that inclination [that] education is valuable.” With self-proficient students who want to learn and teachers who are ready with resources to encourage them along, the Blue Valley district has created an atmosphere where their initial goal of unprecedented academic success can flourish. “I think a lot of Southwest students are extremely hardworking and dedicated,” Kelley said. “I also think that [at] Southwest, overall, we have a sense of community and an overall drive for excellence. I think that every teacher and student wants to be the best and I think that’s something that really puts us ahead.” A respect for community is

fostered at a young age in Blue Valley, realizing that teamwork is a major aspect of success. Community in Blue Valley is not limited strictly to students and faculty, but includes anyone willing to better students for the future. “We get that ball rolling pretty early and, with help from the parents, it’s a big machine with a lot of moving parts: parents and students and counselors and teachers and administrators,” Ballew said. “As a collective, I think we do a pretty good job of getting kids to the right place.” There’s no question that Blue Valley provides a platform for students to excel from in the future; however, the problem lies in what skills that platform provides students. “I think schools, in general now, don’t prepare people for life, don’t prepare you for those soft skills that you need to succeed in life,” Miskin said. “I think that’s something all schools, not just Blue Valley, need to work on.” A solution to this problem could include embedding life lessons into academic ones. In her classroom setting, Miskin said she emphasizes correction to minimize the strain for perfection. “What I’m trying to teach my students is success is not this one time goal, and it’s not something that you have to get at the first try,” Miskin said. “True success comes from hard work; it comes from reflection; it comes from failing

sometimes and getting better, learning from your mistakes.” With a district that’s always shifting to try and meet the needs of its students, faculty, community, etc., problems are inevitable. As a whole, there is a need for evaluation and constructive criticism as well as an equally important need for appreciation and understanding. “I wish that more people would appreciate the benefits that we have here and the advantage we have going to a Blue Valley school, especially this one, because it really is a good thing,” Ayres said. “Sometimes I think people don’t appreciate it for what it’s worth.” Blue Valley is an incredible district that strives to promote success, hard-work, integrity, competitiveness and, last but not least, excellence. With such an enormous goal in mind, it becomes imperative to emphasize that the goal in and of itself is impossible in order to relieve the ones setting out to achieve it of stress or feelings of inadequacy. “I love that we have this audacity to try and be better than everyone, which maybe, that may sound a little conceded, that maybe sounds a little arrogant, but it’s our goal,” Ballew said. “Now, we aren’t there, and we’ll never get there, the goal is that. It’s something that you strive for, that you’re constantly trying to climb the ladder for.”

| eliannaoliver

news / the standard / march 2017 | 7

EDUCATION INVESTMENT test results rank district toward top of pack

$14,523

$12,734

25.9 16.3

Shawnee Mission

Kansas City

Blue Valley

Olathe 24.0

$13,105 Spending per student by district in 2015.

$12,903

23.8

Where does my money go? In Blue Valley... - 47% of funds pay teachers - 9% pays administrators - 7% pays for grounds upkeep - 3% pays for food - 2.5% pays for transportation

ACT score averages by district in 2015. according to kansasopengov.org

What is the PISA test? Starting in 2002, the PISA test has been a Where is benchmark test comparing countries Southwest around the world. Taken every three ranked years, 15 year olds test in worldwide? mathematics, reading and If Southwest was its own science. The 2015 country, it would rank in 11th assessment in reading, ninth in mathematics involved 510,000 and fourth in science compared to students in 65 the other 65 nations involved in the PISA. countries. Southwest also out preforms the U.S. as a whole in each of the three categories. according to OECD PISA school test results

Fun Fact: Blue Valley North was ranked number 296 in the nation among all high schools, the highest in the metro, according to Newsweek.

8 | feature / the standard / march 2017

The boy who defined an era students and staff describe how the Harry Potter series has shaped their lives

Besides personal confidence, Harry Potter helped Lesando with literary skills in her education. “For me, reading was a struggle,” Lesando said. “Harry Potter was the first elongated series that I could get into that I actually wanted to read, which really helped me in high school. It really built a set of skills that I don’t think was intended by J.K. Rowling.” The detail in the Harry Potter books was what Lesando said interested her in the series. Rowling’s writing brought readers into the story. “It was the first set of books that I could really see in my head,” Lesando said. “I had this whole world in my head that was very similar to what came out in the movies, but with more detail than what I would have thought of.” Alternate outlets have allowed the series to reach an even wider audience, partially attributing to its popularity, Lesando said. This franchise has expanded past the realm of books and movies. Now, the Harry Potter world includes theme parks, spin-off books, a play, many spoof YouTube programs and a dedicated website, Pottermore. For some people, like sophomore Mitch Shulfer, Harry Potter r. and Mrs. Dursley of number four, Privet Drive, were was only on their reading list because of its popularity. proud to say they were perfectly normal, thank you very “It’s one of those things always in your mind,” Shulfer said. “I much. A line many recognize. A line some can even recite from always knew about Harry Potter, I just didn’t start reading it until fourth grade. It is just something everybody reads. Most people memory. The first Harry Potter novel was written by J.K. Rowling and know what Harry Potter is and most people can talk about it published in 1997 “to immediate popular and critical acclaim,” moderately well. It is just a widely accepted thing to do.” Although he said he appreciated the story, Shulfer said he is not according to the author’s website. This was followed by six novels and eight movies. The Harry Potter series has, according to as big of a fan of the series as he used to be. While the books are jkrowling.com, won multiple awards, has been translated into 79 not his favorites, he said they do hold redeeming literary qualities. “I wouldn’t say it is unique — there are other books with the languages and has sold over 450 million copies worldwide, making same concept — it’s the way they go about it is completely different,” it the best-selling series of books in history. Some people, like science teacher Katie Lesando, have stuck Shulfer said. “He has the same problem where he always gets in with the Harry Potter series since the beginning, reading the series trouble with a bad guy, he always comes out on top, but it’s never the whole ‘Oh, one spell — wrecked,’ it’s more balanced. He suffers. before “the craze” and attending book releases. Lesando was first introduced to the Harry Potter books when It’s as realistic as magic, phoenixes and dragons can be.” In middle school, Shulfer set a goal to read more. Part of his goal she worked at a library the summer before starting high school. As she worked the night shift, she often had free time, which she was reading the Harry Potter series multiple times; he estimates reading 20 repetitions of the series. filled with reading, namely, the He said this immersion probably first Harry Potter book. led to his disinterest with it. “[I thought] ‘this is the coolest “[I thought] ‘this is the coolest “It got boring and repetitive,” thing in the entire world,’” Lesando thing in the entire world.’ It was Shulfer said. “I would have said. “It was this brand new fantasy this brand-new fantasy world. My enjoyed it more if I hadn’t ground world. My parents had Star Wars, though it.” and that is cool, but I didn’t have parents had Star Wars, and that Senior Meredith Casey first anything from my generation that is cool, but I didn’t have anything read Harry Potter in third grade. I really wanted to be a part of.” Similar to Shulfer, she said she The Harry Potter books also from my generation that I really wanted to “take on a challenge” held a lasting benefit to Lesando as wanted to be a part of.” and read the hefty series. However, she entered high school. the stories became more than a “Encouraging you to be | scienceteacherkatielesando personal challenge. They helped yourself was a big thing that I got Casey as she has changed schools. out of Harry Potter,” Lesando said. “When I moved to Ohio, I didn’t know anybody, but this one girl “All of these kids are weird and they love it and they do awesome in my social studies class was talking about Harry Potter and then things because they are weird.” Lesando said one character especially helped her realize it was I started talking about Harry Potter,” Casey said. “We talked about good to be herself. Hermione was often mocked in the early books Harry Potter together and became friends.” The Harry Potter series is still relevant to Casey. She said she because of her intellect, but it turned out to be useful. She saved frequently re-watches the movies and listens to the soundtrack Harry and Ron from sticky situations numerous times. “I kind of related to Hermione,” Lesando said. “I was that smart while doing homework. “It is a series you can grow up with,” Casey said. “There are girl but didn’t necessarily always show my smartness, but she seven of them and as they came out, you could read them as you always did. She made me have more confidence in that and see it were getting older and relate to the characters more.” wasn’t so awful to be smart and it’s actually a really big asset.”

10 | feature / the standard / march 2017 In a study published by the Journal of Applied Social Psychology, enough that we thought they could handle the story, we read every researchers found the Harry Potter series benefits readers far more book through the seventh.” than with reading skills, social interactions or confidence. The series Since then, Golden said his family has embraced the story as it perpetuates a more positive opinion of stigmatized groups, according integrates into their lives. to the study. In the series, Harry Potter comes in contact with many “Our next dog is going to be named after a Harry Potter character,” different groups of people; muggles, or non-magic people, are looked Golden said. “A lot of our dinner table jokes, at least while we were down upon by many in the wizarding community. Mudbloods, or reading the books, were allusions to the book. That book has a way of witches and wizards who are born to non-magic people, also are also transforming your world.” degraded. Harry Potter acts as the crusader for these such people While Golden said he appreciated the unique writing and against the villain of the series, Voldemort. storytelling going on in the novels of Harry Potter, this phenomenon To test their hypothesis, researchers had students discuss is nothing new. He said other writers in the fantasy genre, such as communities often stigmatized in C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, the modern world. They then had have achieved some of the same Hogwarts houses for students and staff: two groups read passages from effects. The Harry Potter craze can the Harry Potter series: one about also be compared to that of the Star neutral topics — Harry buying his Wars series. wand, for example — while the “I saw the same sort of passion other read about occurrences of and devotion that I saw in my own hate speech — like when a student peers when the original Star Wars calls Hermione “a filthy little movie, ‘A New Hope,’ was reMudblood.” released in 1997,” Golden said. “We The study found that the group all stood in line for hours, some of which read about the stigmatizing us overnight and in costumes, so we passages had an overall more could see it on the screen ourselves. positive attitude toward real-world That’s pretty magical.” groups than before. Just as moviegoers dressed in Harry, Hermione, Ron and 176 student Harry Potter fans surveyed costumes for the premiers of the Hogwarts may continue to have Star Wars movies, Golden said he an impact as the Harry Potter saw many of his students dressing generation grows up. in Hogwarts robes at school after a new book or movie was released. Junior Faith Meier’s mother was an early fan of the series. Meier Golden said he thinks this enthusiasm for the Harry Potter series said her mother was then able to share this passion with her and, will carry through time. after Meier finished the seventh book, they attended the midnight “My reaction is that I would be completely unsurprised if 400 premier of the last movie together. years from now people are still reading J.K. Rowling’s books, just “It’s something that we have in common,” Meier said. “A lot of like 400 years later we are still reading Shakespeare’s plays,” Golden people don’t have a lot of things in common with their parents, and said. “I think her gift of storytelling and creating a magical world and it’s really nice to be able to talk about that.” making that accessible and engaging, her use of language, they are Although the book was originally her mother’s passion, Meier stellar.” said she has made it her own. The Harry Potter series will perpetuate, Golden said. Whether “Anybody who knew me in sixth grade can vouch for the fact that that is in the form of passing the stories down parent to child, like I was obsessed with Harry Potter,” Meier said. “My English teacher Meier, or discovering it oneself, like Lesando, all agreed the books actually called me Hermione the whole year because I liked to talk will continue to impact people. about Harry Potter so much … It was a bit extreme, now that I look In the words of Rowling, “All was well.” back on it, but I don’t regret it.” Meier said she does not see a time when Harry Potter will become | lilliehoffart obsolete, mainly because of instances like her mother sharing the series with her. “[The books will endure] because of fans like my mother, who pass them onto their children, and the fact that they are so well written,” Meier said. “There is always something new that you can find in those books. There is always a different aspect that you can find that you didn’t think about. Because they are targeted toward a younger audience but can be read by an older audience, they work for everybody.” English teacher Charles Golden’s experience exemplifies how the books resonate with multiple age groups. While neither Golden nor his wife had read the series prior, his family decided to read the books together. “When we had kids, we realized that that book was going to be in our future as a family because we really are a reading family, my wife and boys even more than I am,” Golden said. “When they got old

Ravenclaw

22%

24%

Gryffindor

Slytherin

25%

Hufflepuff

29%

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Monaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

ALTERATIONS & CLEANERS

Dr. Barton W. Putnam DDS MSD Phone Number: 913-829-0060 Follow @BVSWNews on Twitter and Instagram

for stories, live updates, photo galleries and more

ads / the standard / march 2017 | 11

12 | feature / the standard / march 2017

smartphones VERSUS socialization students and staff explain the impact of smartphones in the classroom

he sound of the air conditioning, the tapping of a pencil against the desk, the wind blowing against the window and the sound of thumbs tapping against the screen of hand-held devices. All of these noises can be heard within the classroom, but the sounds of students talking and socializing with one another are nonexistent. According to pewinternet.org, a nonprofit, nonpartisan research organization, 73 percent of U.S. teens have access to some sort of smartphone or hand-held device. While some teachers try and implement cellphone usage into the classroom, social studies teacher Richard Troxel said he finds it to be more

of a distraction than a helpful tool. Troxel has a no cellphone policy. “Kids seem to pay more attention to me [without their phones], but there are some that try and get away with it,” Troxel said. “Most of them put their phones up [at the front], and it seems to be helping them stay focused in class.” Troxel said students who choose not to put their phones on his front table for a class period receive a disciplinary referral. He said he wants his students to give him their undivided attention and focus solely on their learning. However, this may serve as a challenge to some students. In

| 13

a survey of 100 Southwest students, 48 percent of students said they are addicted to their phones; 52 percent said they used their phones more than four hours each day. Sophomore Maddy Hunt said her phone is primarily used as a social tool, allowing her access to a platform for communication. “Sometimes it’s easier to talk [on the phone], and some things just can’t be said face-to-face,” Hunt said. “[Phones] make it easier to find new opportunities and people, that’s why I think it can make life a little easier.” Troxel said the newfound opportunities smartphones provide aren’t the issue. “Smartphones are very good,” Troxel said. “I just think the reliance, the almost addiction, that students have to smartphones for non-school, noneducated related stuff is not positive. So, in many ways, I think the smartphones are hurting us in school, believe it or not. Yeah, you can ask [the phone] these things and access that stuff through your smartphone, but that is not what they are being used for most of the time.” Freshman Jenna Brewster said she believes her cellphone can be intrusive. “I use my phone all the time except for when I am sleeping,” Brewster said. Cellphones can be used as innovative devices, yet too much of them can lead to a plethora of issues including distraction and loss of interest, according to bostonglobe.com. Troxel said there are many helpful websites in the classroom, but said it’s a matter of becoming too attached to the hand-held device, leading to his no-phone policy. “Students have lost the ability to concentrate,” Troxel said. “They have lost the ability to pay attention for more than two minutes at a time.” Troxel said the excessive use of phones might strip students of their ability to socialize. “I think they are becoming too reliant on their phones and losing human contact and losing the ability to express themselves face to face with someone,” Troxel said. “They have to be entertained all the time so they can’t focus; they can’t concentrate.” Brewster echoed Troxel and said sometimes her phone is the reason she can’t focus.

“It is very helpful, but can be distracting sometimes,” Brewster said. Similar to Brewster, Hunt said her phone has made her life easier, but also increased her dependency on it. “I don’t think I could ever live without a phone,” Hunt said. “I get nervous when I can’t feel it in my back pocket or if I don’t have it near.”

“Students have lost the ability to concentrate. They have lost the ability to pay attention for more than two minutes at a time.” | socialstudiesteacher richardtroxel

Despite the possibility for distraction, Mike Seitz, Blue Valley board of education president, said cellphones are simply another classroom tool. “Cellphones are like any other object — a pencil, a book, a rock or a basketball,” Seitz said. “Each, used properly, has the ability to assist in the educational process. Just as with any other object, once the object interferes with the process of learning, or becomes a distraction, then

that object should be minimized from use.” A study conducted by the London School of Economics found after placing a phone ban on the school, the test scores rose by 6.4 percent. Yet, underachieving students from the school benefited even more from the ban as their scores increased by 14 percent. Hunt said her phone can help her academically in more ways than one. “It actually can help,” Hunt said. “I use it to check grades, help with math and anything I’m not understanding in class.” Hunt said her phone has also become an essential tool when it comes to academics. One of those tools is Edmodo. Edmodo is an educational technology company that allows students and teachers to collaborate as well as share documents, PowerPoints and assignments between each other. Troxel said he does not believe students will use their phone solely for academic purposes in class. Therefore, he eliminates the distraction and does not allow the phones to be used even for these academic apps in his classroom. “[Students are] completely tied to their phones,” Troxel said. “They have to have their phones all the time, they have to check their phones, and it’s just social media stuff, not school stuff, and, because of the erosion of their attention, I’m taking a step toward helping them pay attention in my class taking the distraction out of their hands.” Similar to Troxel, Seitz said limiting cellphone use may be necessary if the devices impede learning. “Any policy regarding cellphones must be cognizant of the intended and unintended consequences of the policy,” Seitz said. “If the cellphone is being used in teaching and learning then, obviously, a total ban would be counterproductive. If, however, cellphones were being used in a way that was counterproductive to learning — a distraction from the purpose of school — then a policy banning phones may be appropriate.” | randalazzeh

freedom to: 14||feature opinion//the thestandard standard//feb. march 2017 14 2017

individuals should be responsible in their use of free speech to protect it

ree speech: the right to share one’s opinions without fear of repercussion, to stand up against ideas that one doesn’t agree with, to be the unpopular opinion and the right to speak up. Added to the Constitution under the Bill of Rights in 1791, the first amendment gives citizens the right to free speech. Defined by dictionary. com, free speech is “the right to speak without censorship or restraint by the government.” According to uscourts. gov, however, the Constitution does not include the following rights: “to incite actions that would harm others, to make or distribute obscene materials, to burn draft cards at an anti-war protest, to permit a student to print articles in a school newspaper over the objections of the school administration, for students to make an obscene speech at a schoolsponsored event, or for a student to advocate illegal drug use at a school -sponsored event.” Freedom of speech was granted by the founding fathers to protect individuals’ rights to share their opinions. The problem, however, lies in the choice to directly disrupt or harm society rather than exercise this right with the intent to inform, share, express or educate. Assistant principal and activities director Erica Warren said finding an appropriate or inappropriate use of freedom of speech leads to a gray area — especially when asked to consider if what is being said offends anyone. “Is it for the right purpose?” Warren

said. “Are we trying to get attention for ourselves or are we trying to make a statement for a large group? When we step up and step out and say something or wear something or protest something and exercise those rights, you really have to look at [the] bigger picture, and I don’t think a lot of people are able to see the entire picture.” Looking at the bigger picture, and how one’s use of freedom of speech will have an effect on those around him or her, creates a more accepting environment. Each individual needs to take responsibility for his or her actions. If each individual takes responsibility for his or her own actions, the complicated process of the government attempting to prohibit things is avoided. Social studies teacher Kathryn Pinto said one’s rights will extend under the Bill of Rights as long as her or she doesn’t violate the rights of others; however, Congress can not easily limit the right to free speech. “As soon as you have the government being allowed to suppress free speech, then you don’t have a free society, and you don’t have enlightened understanding,” Pinto said. “If you start limiting the press or the government controls the press and the content of what can be published, eventually you are going to get to the point where it would be impossible to have a free society.” While individuals should be cautious in their use of freedom of speech, it must be understood that Congress

cannot limit free speech simply because it offends somebody or is not the popular opinion. This inability within the government becomes especially important in the name of democracy as individuals must be allowed to speak up against their leaders and enable change when it is thought that the government is not performing correctly or in the favor of the people. Without this limit on the government, individuals today would not have the ability to speak their opinions on the current political atmosphere. “I think if you allow the government to chip away at freedom of speech, eventually it won’t exist anymore and we will be in a dystopian novel,” Pinto said. When citizens remain informed of government actions, they are protecting and maintaining their free speech, assuring no new laws or policies endanger it. Knowledge becomes the responsibility of each individual to be active in their research and to keep updated with the news. When one is aware of changes in the government, he or she has more credibility to speak out for or against the changes. “I think we can protect our free speech by paying attention to current events and the news and scrutinizing the media and our elected leaders and basically by being involved,” Pinto said. “If we start to not pay attention, that is when things happen and they slip by and they keep going, and then we don’t know what happened.”

Speak. Thin

|| 15 When individuals and citizens begin to turn their attention away from the news, this indirectly gives the government power to do what may not be in the best interest of the people without repercussion. “Government really is something you do or something that is done to you, and people really need to pay attention to what is going on and how government policy and policymaking impacts them individually,” Pinto said, “At some point, some of the people get fired up about things and they want to stand up for something they believe in, and they should be able to do that without fear of repercussions or going to jail for speaking out.” When people feel strongly about a subject, it is their right to say so. Dissent is an integral part of the government as it allows for diversity in opinions. Many appreciate this right as long as the opinion being shared matches their own. When the opposing view comes into play, many wish to limit the other side. This is the very essence of the need for free speech. “I think most Americans believe in the concept of freedom of speech until somebody is saying something they vehemently disagree with and then they have a problem with the freedom of speech,” Pinto said. It is important that individuals are open when hearing opposing viewpoints and recognize that the right to free speech assures every individual the right to their own opinion. Broadcast teacher Steven Cortez said it is important to acknowledge opposing views even when one doesn’t agree. “I don’t always agree with everyone

and what they say or how they say it — what their tone is — but it is their right to be able express that opinion, and it is a privilege to be able to do so,” Cortez said. Individuals who choose to only acknowledge one side of the argument are left blinded to ideas outside of their own and become single-minded. “I think we have gotten a little too used to being able to surround ourselves with people who think like us, to basically subscribe to news

“I think we can protect our free speech by paying attention to current events and the news and scrutinizing the media and our elected leaders and basically by being involved. If we start to not pay attention, that is when things happen and they slip by and they keep going, and then we don’t know what happened.” | socialstudiesteacher kathrynpinto media and television broadcast and shows and commentary that we want, surround ourselves with people who are like-minded in their thinking,” Pinto said. “That further basically puts us in oppositions to hearing the other side, allowing other voices to speak; that is probably the biggest danger.” As individuals become comfortable in their own niches, the balance

of opinions in society becomes endangered. Sophisticated debates turn into offensive discussions full of jabs at one another and energy is focused on winning the argument, rather than benefiting society as a whole. “Now there are millions and millions of platforms to the point where I think, unfortunately, whatever you believe is something to be true, you can find that platform to talk about that, to the detriment of sometimes listening to other people’s point of view,” Cortez said. “In other words, if you have a point of view, you can find a niche, blog or news station, or whatever you want — a website — that is going to cater to what you think.” For freedom of speech to function as designed, everyone must be allowed a voice. When one fails to acknowledge the voice of another, they lose perspective. If society learns to accept diversity of opinions and gravitate toward peaceful compromise, a strong and more accommodating community will be formed. “I think we take it for granted so much it becomes a part of our everyday living that I think sometimes we need to stop and step back and say, ‘Wow, this is really a gift that we have and we need to treat it right,’” Cortez said. “I just think it is so important because it just allows people with different belief systems to be able to express what they believe truthfully and honestly to others without the fear of repercussion or perception.”

| delaneyoliver

k. Amplify.

16 | sports / the standard / march 2017

(1) Swinging back his shoulder to throw the ball, sophomore Mitchell Wilson warms up with the baseball team during the second day of tryouts. â&#x20AC;&#x153;The upcoming season brings excitement with a lot of returning players and new players,â&#x20AC;? Wilson said. (2) Sending the ball back across the net, sophomore Brian Lu plays with partner junior Michael Walker. There is a boys varsity tennis duel at home on March 24 at 3:30 p.m.

Spring Sports Preview | 17

athletes give glimpse into upcoming sports season

(3) Dribbling the ball at tryouts, sophomore Linda Arterburn dodges sophomore Hallory Sutherland in a scrimmage. “I like seeing how hard I can push myself,” Arterburn said. (4) Breaking into a sprint, sophomores Cara Ahrens and Hannah Turner race down the track at tryouts. “I enjoy track because I like how I get to choose an event,” Turner said. “I like meeting new people and being able to be good at different

events instead of one.” At tryouts, each student attempted each of four events — jumping, throwing, sprinting and running — to find their strengths. (5) Pushing back the water, freshman Emerson Ralston performs the breast stroke on the third day of swim tryouts. “I think you have to work more as a team than [an] individual because you’re placed in less individual [categories] and more relays,” Ralston said. (6) Going up to putt, sophomore Jacob Boone steadies his hold and watches the ball. Golf tryouts began Jan. 29 and the team traveled to different courses around town. (7) At tryouts, freshman Jordan Hennington throws a softball to a teammate. The tryouts began Feb. 27 and Hennington said she is excited for the season ahead. “You get to interact with new people and try new things to better yourself,” Hennington said. Photos by staff

18 | feature / the standard / march 2017

Tri-Spinner

bearings used to help the object glide between one's fingers

The Focus on Fidgeting students and staff use fidget objects to improve concentration

spin : a rotating dial glide : glides smoothly along surfaces

click : audible and silent buttons

Fidget Cube roll : tactile gears

| 19

n a classroom setting, students are often expected to sit still in a chair, be quiet and pay attention to the teacher. Many students often zone out of the conversation or get antsy sitting during long class sessions. Recently, new inventions are being used to help everyday people and students focus. The fidget cube, a pocket-sized gadget, contains six sides featuring different gears that click, glide, flip, breathe, roll and spin. Matthew and Mark McLachlan created the concept on Kickstarter, where 154,926 backers pledged $6,465,690 to make their idea come to life, according to the crowd-funding website. Sophomore Alynn Bratkiv said she thought the fidget cube was an interesting new thing to have. She said she was supposed to get her fidget cube as a Christmas present from her mom. However, with the popularity of the product, she received it in early February. She said she likes to bring it to school to help her concentrate. “I have it in my backpack, and whenever we’re doing an activity, especially in English, I’ll just pull it out so I can listen and fidget with it at the same time,” Bratkiv said. “It’s very beneficial and definitely helps me focus in class.” Math teacher Jillianne Bellville does not own a fidget cube herself, but said she thinks the device could be beneficial if it helps students focus during class. “I would love for students to be more focused in class,” Bellville said. “I would not have to stop the class so often to ask them to quiet down. They would benefit from learning the concepts better, and it would overall be a better learning environment for students.” In addition to the fidget cube, the trispinner is another gadget that students use

to stay focused. The perimeter is curved and has a total of four holes where bearings are placed. These bearings make it so that one can easily flick or spin the object, ultimately resulting in concentration. James Plafke, a staff writer for Forbes Magazine, had his colleagues use a tri-spinner in the office daily for a week to see if they thought it benefited them. In an article titled “Fidget Spinners Are The Must-Have Office

“I got inspired to make trispinners because I’ve seen a lot of videos online of them. I thought it would be a cool thing to do because I can’t focus in class easily.” | freshmanbrodydorris Toy For 2017” on forbes.com, Plafke recorded their results. “Some found we were more present in our daily lives — fidgeting with the spinner on the subway and paying attention to our surroundings rather than burying our faces in our phones,” Plafke said in the article. Freshman Brody Dorris also began to use the tri-spinner. He said he took inspiration from YouTube videos and constructed his own version to help him concentrate during class. “I got inspired to make tri-spinners because I’ve seen a lot of videos online of them,” Dorris said. “I thought it would be a cool thing to do because I can’t focus in class easily. So, I thought this would be a good solution to stop my fidgeting.” Like Dorris, sophomore Jack Lapke

created his own version of the tri-spinner but used a 3D printer. He said he takes his version to school to help him focus. “I was messing around with the 3D printer in the engineering room when me and my friend decided to make a 3D model out of one and print a couple out for ourselves,” Lapke said. “I do bring it to school most days so I don’t become distracted in class with other unimportant things.” Instead of using a 3D printer, Dorris said he uses different materials to achieve the design of the tri-spinner. “I just use zip ties and three ball bearings,” Dorris said. “I first make a perimeter out of the zip ties and then I place the ball bearings inside of it, then close the zip ties and it’s done. If someone asks me for one I’ll go ahead and make it for them and they can keep it if they want.” Regardless of the chosen materials, Lapke said the devices will help and serve the same purpose, but will fade away as time goes on. “They all serve one purpose and that’s to fidget with them,” Lapke said. “Like most things, I think that it is a fad and will go away soon with time.” Overall, Dorris said the tri-spinner can help all students, including students that have more obstacles to overcome in class. “I feel like this could be very helpful to kids with disabilities, even kids with ADHD who can’t focus,” Dorris said. “This gadget could definitely benefit them and help them at school.”

| jennahope

20 | feature / the standard / march 2017

Gearing up robotics team works toward competition goal

ix weeks. This is how long the robotics team has to design, build, test and drive a robot. Six weeks while the students are going to school, working part-time jobs and involved in additional extracurriculars. The robotics team participates in For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST) competitions. Dan Ritter, head coach of the robotics team, said the competition was created to celebrate students in science, engineering, technology and math (STEM) areas. Every year, on the first Saturday of January, FIRST releases a video of the game that will be played at the competition that year. The game comes with a set of rules that over 5,000 teams around the world follow in the next six weeks as they work to complete a robot for the game. The 2017 game is called FIRST STEAMWORKS. During the competition, the robots will be required to collect fuel to build steam pressure, install gears to engage rotors and climb. In the first 15 seconds of the match, the robots are autonomous while they score points or deliver gears. During the next portion of the game, two minutes and 15 seconds, the robots are operated by humans. The robots will then continue to collect fuel and collect and deliver more gears. Throughout the competition there are various ways for teams to earn points; the team with the most points at the end of the match is the winner.

“FIRST is the Super Bowl of STEM,” Ritter said. Second semester, after the game is released, is considered competition season for the robotics team. However, the team is still active during the off-season. Freshman Andrew Jin said during this time, the team still competes in some competitions and rebuilds old robots. “First semester we have this thing called Cowtown, which means we take last year’s robot and improve it to do things we couldn’t do last year,” Jin said. “That’s like a mini competition. Then, second semester is when we get a new game, and then we design a robot and go to competition.” During first semester, the team typically only meets twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays. But, after the game is released, Ritter said they usually work about 20 hours a week outside the regular school day. They meet every night except Friday and Sunday and usually work from 6 p.m. to around 8:30 p.m. Additionally, some students in the Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) engineering strand work on the robot during school hours. Ritter said during the team’s night-time practices, various engineers will come to mentor the team. While these practices are student-driven, as head coach, he said he essentially makes sure everything operates smoothly.

| 21

“My role within the team is to A: keep them from killing each other,” Ritter said. “B is to make sure we have a culture of valuing everybody and also making sure we get the things we need. It takes a lot of money to do this… I’m the one that orders everything, and I’m the one that kind of oversees them and [makes] sure they’re good to each other.” Ritter said he makes sure the team has enough money to operate. It takes around $20,000 a year to keep the program running, and most of the money comes from summer camps the team holds. Additionally, they receive some money from corporate sponsorships, private donations and matching funds. While the team doesn’t directly receive any money from the Blue Valley School District, the district lends it the CAPS space at night for practices and provides it with transportation to and from competitions. With these required resources, the team is prepared for competition season beginning in January; however, before the team can build the robot, Ritter said the most essential step is to understand the rules. He said it’s an extremely technical game that comes with around 180 pages of regulations. After one has full comprehension of the rules, Jin said the team starts plans to build the robots. “The first week when we hear the game we are doing, we first come up with the strategy to get the most points in the game,” Jin said. “There is no design at all that first week. Then, once we settle with a strategy the second week or so, we start designing a robot. Then, once we have everything down, we start building.” Senior Nithin Saripalli said to build the robot, the team must separate into different task forces. He said he enjoys building the robot the most, but helps out in all areas. “There’s build team, there’s electrical, there’s programming, there’s Chairman’s,” Saripalli said. “We kind of do our separate parts, and those separate parts come together to make the bigger robot.” Ritter said once the team starts designing, it goes through the engineering process and comes up with multiple ideas for robots. Next, the team starts prototyping and makes a decision on the final robot to build. After making that robot, Ritter said the team finds all the faults and rebuilds it. This final robot then goes in a sealed bag on Feb. 21 at midnight. After the robot is in the bag, the team

22 | feature / the standard /march 2017 can’t touch it until the first regionals competition in Kansas City on March 16. This regional competition lasts three days. On March 23, the team traveled to Iowa for the second regional competition. At each regionals, the team can qualify to go on to the World Championship. There are around 80 regionals, with approximately 50 to 60 teams competing at each. Six teams from each regional will go on to the World Championships. At the regional competitions, Saripalli said there is high energy and many engagements to keep busy. “They’re quite energetic,” Saripalli said. “They’re kind of like a concert; there is a lot of dubstep and flashing lights everywhere. Other than that, there are plenty of other teams to talk to.” At the competitions, Ritter said there are certain FIRST values the team tries to uphold. “The underlying mantra is gracious professionalism,” Ritter said. “So, that means that we really want to compete against the other teams, but if we were competing against another team and they needed a motor, we would give it to them because we want everybody to do their best.” Ritter said the team also preserves FIRST values by promoting STEM in elementary and middle schools as well as at the high school level. Saripalli said being a part of the team is quite enjoyable, but there are many realworld benefits to be gained as well. “The biggest thing in robotics would be the communication,” Saripalli said. “Communication goes into anything, so it’s definitely helped me more than any other club, as much as it has within robotics.” Besides communication skills, Ritter said there are additional values to be gained by being a part of the robotics team. He said it can provide a place for all sorts of students to make friends and to have a place where they will always be accepted. “I think it’s an excellent opportunity if you are interested in the STEM field — science, technology, engineering and math — to really develop those skills,” Ritter said. “I think if you’re interested in being on a team where you are valued as an individual — no matter what your race, creed, sex or color, anything like that — [it] doesn’t matter. It really doesn’t. You get involved, and you start putting time in, and you come away with a lot of friends.”

| donnaarmstrong

| 23

(1) Bending aluminum on a robot, Dan Ritter, head coach of the robotics team, demonstrates to senior Charles Pfeffer how to reshape the funnel to catch gears. They built the robot in preparation for an upcoming robotics tournament where they will have to catch gears in the funnel and transport them across the field. (2) During robotics practice, junior Rana Chevuru critiques the Chairmanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essay, which details outreach projects the team has completed in the last year. (3) After deciding to reshape the funnel of the robot, Dan Ritter, head coach of the robotics team, measures the height of the funnel that catches the gears. (4) While Blue Valley High seniors Mickey Van Horn and Sam Forner from hold up the robot, senior Charles Pfeffer tightens the drive train. (5) During robotics practice, Blue Valley High senior Sam Forner drills holes to fasten the new funnel together. (6) While senior Kirsten Lee holds the funnel of the robot steady, Blue Valley High senior Mickey Van Horn fastens the front face.

24 | feature / the standard / march 2017

crossing borders

staff and students share immigration experiences and perspectives

mmigration: the action of coming to live permanently in a foreign country. The decision to leave one country occurs due to a variety of factors. Whether an immigrant is pushed away from the negative aspects of their native country or drawn to America’s opportunities, many immigrants must adjust to a new environment, such as junior Danish Khan’s parents. Khan’s parents are both immigrants from Pakistan who immigrated to America about 25 years ago. “Both of my parents saw that America had a bigger opportunity to develop a better lifestyle,” Khan said. “My dad wanted to work hard in Pakistan so he could become a doctor here and he saw the most amount of success was through people who lived in America.” He said his parents saw that America was able to offer more job opportunities, which drew them toward making the decision to move. While Khan’s mother’s side of the family has also migrated to the U.S., many members of his father’s side of the family remain in Pakistan. “The only time I visited Pakistan was in 2006,” Khan said. “I got to meet a side of the family I hadn’t met before and they showed me their culture and how different it is from people in America.” Despite the distance, Khan said he and his family continue to celebrate cultural holidays. His family celebrates Eid, a Muslim holiday that is celebrated twice a year, where Khan said he “celebrates and [has] friends and family over.” Although not traditional to his parents’ home country, Khan said he and his family assimilate to American culture by getting a Christmas tree and that they understand it is important to appreciate other values as well. Along with Khan’s family, many other immigrants weave American culture into their own, like sophomore Esther Lee’s family. “We celebrate Chinese New Year, but as Christians and American citizens, we also partake in many holidays in the United States,” Lee said. Lee’s parents are both Asian immigrants. Her father is from Malaysia while her mother is Taiwanese. Both of them came to America to study and decided to permanently move and are currently the only members of their families who immigrated to the U.S. Although visiting family may be common for students with families who live comparatively closer, Lee said those with family members in other countries are not always able to.

| 25 “It’s expensive traveling back to Asia with seven family members,” Lee said. “We only go every couple of years.” Although staying connected is not always easy, Lee said her family finds ways to manage by using various apps to stay in touch. French teacher Emilie Grant said she understands the challenges immigrants face after they leave their home countries due to her experiences following immigrating to the U.S. from France in 2000. “The hardest part for me [initially] was not being able to see my friends,” Grant said. “Family life is affected during the holidays because I am too far to celebrate with them. It’s especially hard around the holidays which are not celebrated in your country of residence.” Immigration can come with struggles in staying close to friends and family members who are no longer seen daily, and although people move in hopes of greater opportunity, Grant said adapting to change is not always simple. “It does not matter where you are from, where you are moving to and why you are moving,” Grant said. “It’s always hard to move to a new country. I always hear people saying how it’s hard to move from one state to another state — imagine changing countries.” Not only is one’s physical environment affected, Grant said she believes cultural differences become key changes. She said lack of understanding can lead to tensions. “I don’t know of any immigrant who hasn’t been discriminated against at some point in their life,” Grant said. “The difference between one immigrant and another is the degree of discrimination and its frequency.” Grant said this discrimination can be attributed to ignorance about other people and cultures. “One should not feel sorry for the immigrant,” Grant said. “One needs to feel sorry for the person who is discriminating. There are two main reasons behind discrimination: lack of knowledge about a person’s background and culture, and feeling of inferiority.” Grant’s view that tension is caused due to a lack of understanding is shared by freshman Chloe Fuleihan. Although Fuleihan said she herself has not felt discriminated against, she has dealt with ignorance about her family’s culture. “You can’t tell me something my parents

have actually experienced,” Fuleihan said. Fuleihan said she has been in multiple situations in which people who she believes are not knowledgeable on a topic argue with her about her parents’ original countries. “I have American friends and sometimes they try to argue with me on stuff I definitely know more about since my parents are from there,” Fuleihan said. “You hear things in the news, but when you have parents from there who tell you real life stories and you’ve been to the places, you have a different perspective.” Fuleihan’s mother and father are from Colombia and Lebanon, respectively, and both came to the United States in their twenties. Fuleihan said she visits other members of her family as often as she can,

One should not feel sorry for the immigrant. One needs to feel sorry for the person who is discriminating.. | frenchteacheremiliegrant traveling to Colombia once about every three years and visiting her father’s side of the family who lives in America as she said Lebanon is not safe. With many of her family members being immigrants, Fuleihan believes America is “a big melting pot.” She said she thinks that immigration is an important aspect of American culture and shares similar views to her parents on the current immigration policy. “We need stronger borders,” Fuleihan said. “But it needs to be easier to get in so people don’t need to come in illegally. When my parents came to America, it was much easier to come in legally. It’s not as easy anymore.” Khan said his personal relationships with his extended family members have led him to have a deeper understanding of the motivations for leaving one’s home country. “I’ve talked to my cousins and uncles who have wanted to immigrate to America

but are now unable to,” Khan said. “They are obviously not going to be terrorists or anything, but have had their opportunity to come here and have a better life for their families and future generations taken, and I think it’s sad that that has to happen.” Khan believes that new propositions for immigration policy are not only detrimental to those who are now unable to immigrate to the United States, but for immigrants who are currently living here illegally. “I think it’s interesting given Donald Trump’s immigration policy essentially is ripping families apart,” Khan said. “Yes, [some] families are undocumented, but they’ve done nothing wrong. Being deported takes away the value of having a family here, and America was built on immigrants, so it’s unnecessary to eliminate them because we see them as a threat.” Not only are some immigrants facing questions regarding the legality and process of immigration, Lee said people at times face different treatment following immigrating. “There isn’t any intentional rude behavior but there’s a noticeable different sort of treatment,” Lee said. “For example, although both of my parents learned English before coming to the U.S., they still have a bit of an accent, and because of this, some people speak slow to them thinking they can better understand them that way.” Even though some people may view recent events as detrimental to immigrants, others have been able to find the positives created as a result. “A benefit of recent events would probably be that this issue hasn’t been brought to most people’s attention until now,” Lee said. “But, for the most part, it has definitely hurt diversity because one shouldn’t have to let go of their roots to fit into American society. It’s important to learn to love your culture and share it with others.” Although referenced as the “melting pot,” not everyone feels accepted. “The main difficulty of being an immigrant: you are always considered an immigrant and treated as such,” Grant said. “There’s always someone [or] something to remind you that you don’t quite belong.”

| ariellesinger

26 | feature / the standard / march 2017

RAIDING THE RACKS $8

Students compare mall shopping to thrift shopping.

GOODWILL

SAVERS “My biggest difficulty with shopping at the thrift stores was that their selection was kind of lacking the sizes I need.” | seniorlouispagenkopf

$60

H&M

“At Goodwill and Savers, it’s kind of hard to find quality stuff, so if you’re looking for quality clothing and a newer look, that’s when it becomes worth it to buy at full price.”

$30

| 27

“Savers has such a big selection of stylish clothes and sizes that almost anyone can find. It was really easy to find a cheap outfit at Savers while still looking cute.”

$20

savers

$60

AMERICAN EAGLE

$60 | sophomoremarieoddo

rt can be seen everywhere, through the halls — to the music rooms and back through the performing arts center — but some students show off their artistic side through their clothing. Three students raided Savers and Goodwill, comparing their findings to those of mall shops, like H&M and American Eagle. They based their comparisons on style, fit and price. Senior Louis Pagenkopf said he was put to the test when finding clothes and had difficulty finding pants that would fit him at the thrift shops. However, he found pants much easier at H&M and said he preferred this store due to its large selection. Sophomore Marie Oddo described her style as “edgy,” and said she had no problems with any of the stores. However, she said her favorite store was Savers due to its low prices and large selection.

“I don’t really see the stigma behind [thrift shopping], people are like ‘that’s weird, someone else wore that’ and I’m like ‘I’m washing it; I don’t see the big deal.’”

GOODWILL

28 | feature / the standard / march. 2017

“I prefer H&M because [its] clothes are a lot more appealing to me and my style; I like the variety.”

H&M

| freshmancaysicampbell

$25

savers

$18 $40

“It looked really comfortable, like something I would wear every day. It was really easy to find clothes I liked here because I could find my size a lot quicker.”

AMERICAN EAGLE

reshman Caysi Campbell said she was excited to find new clothes to fit her aesthetic that were also comfortable. She stuck mainly to sweaters and jackets, and said she had her best luck at H&M. Campbell also said she was willing to pay full price for a quality difference between the different stores.

news / the standard/ march 2017 | 29

53%

THE S LTY TRUTH

of students eat a salt-filled diet.

students surveyed about salt consumption | jonahmccormick

38%

of students eat fast food 6-11+ days out of every month.

61%

of students thought McDonald’s has the highest salt concentration in their foods. However, Taco Bell (19%) actually has the highest amount of salt in their foods. Some side effects of eating too much fast food [with high salt concentrations] can cause Heart Disease, Type II Diabetes and death.

The McDonald’s Big Mac has 960 mg of salt.

100 students surveyed Facts according to care2.com and livestrong.com.

Students’ favorite salty foods 34%

18% 9%

Chips

Fries

Nuggets

13% Pretzels

10% Popcorn

16% Other

30 | news / the standard / march 2017

So to Speak district to open Chinese-immersion elementary school

he Blue Valley Board of Education announced the district’s new addition on Feb. 18 — Wolf Springs Elementary School — previously known as Elementary 23. Wolf Springs will be the first school in the district to offer a dual-language immersion program for students to learn Chinese. Director of Curriculum and Instruction for Blue Valley, Kelly Ott, is the spokesperson for the new school. “We’ve been engaging in a long discussion in our community about what we want for our kids,” Ott said. “One thing that continually comes up is we want our kids to be competitive and up-to-speed on a global scale — not just in Kansas, not just nationally — but globally. As we have those discussions, language always enters into that … Immersion is one way that we really get some great language skills early on in a kiddo’s career, so it gets you a lot further than your elective class does one hour a day. In the immersion program, they advance way faster than kids in the other type of program.” Subjects like Spanish are offered throughout kindergarten in many of the elementary schools in Blue Valley, Ott

said. Wolf Springs will feed into Aubry Bend Middle School and Southwest, and both schools plan to offer a continuation language course. By offering a new Chinese

“Immersion is one way that we really get some great language skills early on in a kiddo’s career, so it gets you a lot further than your elective class does one hour a day.” | districtdirectorofcurriculum andinstructionkellyott

language path this year for enrollment, sophomore Abby Phillips said she was excited to be taking both Spanish and Chinese her junior year.

“I’m taking Spanish right now, and it’s one of my favorite classes because I really like to learn about the culture of different places,” Phillips said. “I’ve never really learned about many places in Asia, so I think it will be interesting. I’m most looking forward to saying my name — basic things. We will get to learn more about Chinese culture and history and I think that will be very interesting, too.” Although Phillips said she thought the Chinese course was a good addition to the curriculum for the 2017-18 school year, she said she would have loved for it to be offered earlier in her academic career. “I think I would definitely offer Spanish and French and Mandarin,” Phillips said. “Ideally, it would be great to offer them to all age groups, starting in kindergarten, because that way everyone could figure out early on which language was best suited for them. Then, they really could grow on that as they got older. It’s kind of unfortunate that I’m going to start Mandarin so late in my school career because, if I would have started it earlier, I could be a lot better at it and I would have [had] more of a chance to grow.” Opening admissions in early February,

| 31

Wolf Springs accepted students from kindergarten through fifth grade from Timber Creek Elementary and Stilwell Elementary. Students from Wolf Springs will have the option to continue learning Chinese in middle and high school, Ott said “Our plan now — of course, plans change — but our plan now is to offer an immersion experience in one of the core classes at the middle and high school level for the kiddos who were in the immersion program in the elementary school,” Ott said. “Obviously, this is several years down the road, but we’re thinking right now — with the kindergarteners starting this fall getting to be in fifth grade and moving onto middle school — they’ll be able to take a science or social studies class in an immersion setting.” Currently in a Spanish class, sophomore Ted Shi said he was glad to hear about the new immersion program being offered at Wolf Springs. “I have only just heard about the new elementary school,” Shi said. “I think a new elementary school is great, especially with the language opportunities that they have.

It will really build the future generation’s communications skills and improve [the ability] to communicate with other countries more than we have before.”

“It’s kind of unfortunate that I’m going to start Mandarin so late in my school career because, if I would have started it earlier, I could be a lot better at it and I would have [had] more of a chance to grow.” | sophomoreabbyphillips

Although Shi is not planning on taking Chinese, he said it was “great that [Blue Valley] started to introduce Mandarin.”

“It’s going to be really great because Mandarin is the most popular language in the entire world — over a billion [people] speak it — and also, with how diverse the United States is, it wouldn’t make sense if Mandarin [wasn’t] included into the sphere of languages that the school learns,” Shi said. “I think languages, overall, are really helpful for people to get jobs because, with so many different languages, being able to communicate with other people is really helpful in other countries.” By helping to build the community around Wolf Springs, Ott said she is confident of the community’s support and cannot wait “to build a school culture from the ground up.” “First of all, any time you learn a language, it’s a great thing to do for your brain,” Ott said. “It has a lot of problem solving and stretches kiddos. Any time a child has more than one language — having something to offer in college or to an employer — it gives them an edge, not to mention the cultural benefits. It’s just learning about new people and new ways and expanding their horizons.”

| summerlyon

32 | news / the standard / march 2017

Spring Break{down} 101 students surveyed about their spring break activities

| meganflood

Common destinations: Of those traveling,

rt Passpo

28%

49% of students

Spain

traveled to another country

traveled over spring break

Nebraska

favorite part of spring break was relaxing

38%

ida

How students traveled:

r Flo

52% of students said their

New York

33% 4%

19%

of students went on college visits

2% other Studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; preferred spring break locations: Beach

52%

Mountains/hiking

24%

City

16%

Only of students actually went on a cruise Cruise