The Standard Vol.4 Issue 7

S the standard blue valley southwest volume 4 | issue 7

CONTENTS may 2014 vol. 4 | issue 7 overland park, ks

04

for the stars and stripes

08

European Heritage

11

the new community service

15

hands on southwest

19

causing a ruckus

24

Youth Symphony of Kansas City

28

summer entertainment

30

MS Walk

editor’s note

Front cover: Varsity baseball pitcher Drake Herrman tosses a strike against Bishop Miege in the third inning of the win on April 16. cover photo by Grant Laster. photo by Heather Lawrenz.

|specialsectionseditor

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ehind every story in the newspaper is another story: a story of reporters, photographers and editors all scrambling to meet deadlines, take photos and design pages without going entirely crazy. Behind an entire year’s worth of newspapers is an entire saga of stories that begin with our very first edition and end with our very last.

This is our story.

Ten months and seven issues ago, we all came together as a staff for the very first time. Right from the start, it was pretty clear that we are a pretty diverse bunch.

If you take a peek into room 118 during 5th hour, you’re sure to see debaters sitting next to a cheerleader, some band kids, a tennis player and a few soccer stars. We were all pretty awkward back in August, actually we’re still awkward, but at least now we’re awkward together because putting together seven issues of a newspaper means that you have a lot of quality bonding time.

We sat through seven worknights, getting sidetracked by junk food as Ms. Lawrenz urged us to stay on task and get our “poop in a group.” We ate chocolate together on Fridays as Caroline gushed about the latest Cardinals game and Mariem spilled her big weekend plans of taking her dog to the park. We shared in the agony of selling ads, some of us venturing out to sketchy locations just to make a sale. We all went speed dating for an hour, gaining extensive knowledge of everyone’s favorite movies and bands thanks to Ananda’s memorable suggestion. We ate lunch together, watching “Toddlers and Tiaras” in a constant state of surprise by how much makeup some three year olds are willing to wear. We forgot the lyrics to High School Musical songs as we sang karaoke at Lexi’s house while she filmed us to make sure those moments would not be forgotten. But most importantly, we put our talents and our tribulations together to bring you seven issues of this newspaper, some of which we may be embarrassed by but will be unable to forget.

As you flip through the pages of this, our final issue of the year, take a moment to forget about graduation and final exams. Focus instead on each story, even the ones that don’t necessarily interest you, because behind all of those stories are even more stories. Those are the stories of The Standard and, as is often times the case, some of the best stories go untold.

for stars the and | lexitarter

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stripes photos by Ciara Murphy.

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mongst the frantic voices of the news anchors and the relentless footage of the twin towers collapsing, a little boy stares at the TV in shock. He envisions the innocent men and women that lost their lives on that day, and he also thinks about the firefighters risking their lives to help others. He notices the American flag standing tall in the frame and waving through the smoke and rubble. To people who serve our country, the stars and stripes symbolize a promise to one’s country — a promise to serve and protect one’s homeland. That is when senior Luke Scott

knew he wanted to protect America from such a tragedy in the future. Along with Scott, senior Ben Guenther is committing to that promise and is joining the armed forces after he graduates.

“Freedom to me means having the rights that we do, unlike other countries, and being able to protect those rights,” Guenther said. “You’ll hear a lot of people say, ‘The soldiers are out fighting for our rights,’ and people will retaliate and say, ‘Well, we already have our rights so I don’t know what they’re fighting for.’ I want to fight to protect rights because even though we already have them, it’s just like everything else, and they could be taken from us.

That’s why I want to serve so I can preserve what we are fortunate enough to have.”

“Serving my country means giving back for what it has afforded me: liberty and opportunity.” | lukescott

cont. to page 6. feature | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 5

cont. from page 5.

“Serving my country means giving back for what it has afforded me: liberty and opportunity; these are things that I want to preserve for others,” Scott said.

Scott has known he wanted to join the armed forces for a long period of time; it’s something that has always been in his life plan.

He will be joining the Air Force and attending the U.S. Air Force Academy for four years before going onto active duty.

“I don’t remember any time in my life where I didn’t think that I wouldn’t join the military, so it’s not really that overwhelming of a life change,” Scott said. “I always thought that this is how it would be. It really just feels like what’s next in my life.”

Just as Luke had known he wanted to join the military, his parents also recognized his aspirations.

“We were proud that Luke wants to serve his country in some way when he leaves high school,” Luke’s mother Karen Scott said. “Like most young boys, Luke always wanted to grow

6|

up to be a firefighter; he really respected the men and women that saved lives every day. I know it saddened him deeply that many of those brave firefighters lost their lives on that long day of 9/11 — along with many innocent men and women — and he knew that he wanted to [now] protect America from such a tragedy in the future. That year [in kindergarten] for Halloween he dressed up as a military pilot and has always wanted to be one ever since.”

Throughout a person’s life there are always moments of clarity, and for Luke, 9/11 not only swayed his decision to join the armed forces, but also inspired him to protect America and take the promise to keep his country safe in any way he can.

“I distinctly remember 9/11; it had a huge impact on me when I was young, and since then I knew that I wanted to serve my country,” Luke said. “I remember coming home from school early that day, and nobody really knew what was going on. I just remember them playing the footage of the Twin Towers on the TV over and over again, and it really had

an effect on me, especially watching the outcome. It was such a big event that had a deeper meaning to a lot of people.”

For Guenther, he knew from an early age that the military was what he wanted to do in life and was his true calling.

“Ever since fifth grade I’ve known I wanted to join the military especially since a lot of my family has served; so, at that point in my life, I knew it was just something I wanted to do,” Guenther said. “The only thing I had left to decide at the time was which branch to join.”

Guenther decided to join the Marine Corps because it has more of the job setting that he is looking for; he wants to join the Infantry and then move on to Marine Force Reconnaissance. His ultimate goal is reconnaissance, where soldiers go out and position themselves outside of a town and watch and take photos of the enemy.

Guenther has three months of boot-camp, and then he’ll go to San Diego for school of infantry and then possibly reconnaissance school after that. He will have

about a year of training before he gets deployed. There is a possibility that later on in life he will go to college.

When deciding to join the armed forces, there are many factors that go into the decision, such as family background.

Luke’s father was in the Army; he was a Cobra Helicopter pilot, and he served seven years. His uncle was in the navy, and he has grandparents and great-grandparents who served in various branches.

Gunther has a great-uncle who was in the navy, a grandfather who was in the navy, another grandfather who was in the army and a cousin who is currently in the navy.

Parents are generally heavy-hearted to see their son or daughter leave for college, however the parents of a son or daughter leaving for the armed forces are proud of their child for serving in such a well respected field, especially when the family has a history of serving. cont. on www.bvswnews. com

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2

Family history

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1. Patrol cap that Luke’s dad was issued during his basic training. 2. Luke’s uncle’s flight suit name badge from when he was a Lieutenant in the Navy. 3. Luke’s father’s pilot wings. 4. Photo of Luke’s father flying a UH-1 Iroquois (also known as the “Huey”) helicopter while he was in flight training at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

5.Luke’s father’s flight suit name badge from when he was a Chief Warrent Officer. 6. Luke’s father’s Colorado Army National Guard aviation squadron patch; he flew the AH-1S Cobra attack helicopter, so there is a cobra spitting a TOW missle, which was the primary anti-tank missile that they used. 7. Luke’s father’s sharpshooter medal that he earned in basic training for hitting 49 of the 50 targets in the rifle qualification course.

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European Heritage Students spend 20 days visiting seven European countries

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eeting a member of Parliament, journeying to the top of the Eiffel Tower, staying with a German family for three days and planting trees in the Black Forest. While all of these are activities that many aspire to take part in while visiting Europe, very few get to do them all in one trip. However, for three students, these are just a handful of activities that they will partake in during a three week trek through Europe.

Beginning June 15, sophomore Christina Cornell and juniors Katie Craven and Sydney Carnes will be embarking on a 20 day trip to seven different countries including England, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria and Switzerland. This trip, called the European Heritage trip, is a part of the People to People student ambassador program, which attempts to create young leaders by focusing on the history, art and politics of

other countries.

“The [People to People] mission is to create what they call student ambassadors,” Spanish teacher Alyson Kilcoyne said. “And that is to be a good representation, not just of your country but of your state, community, yourself and your family, and to create bridges between other countries and the United States, and to help the students gain a broader perspective and sense of the world, not just thinking about their community and themselves.”

While traveling with a group of nearly 50 other students, Carnes, Cornell and Craven will have the chance to see what each country has to offer by visiting famous sights and being immersed in the culture.

“We’re going to go to the top of the Eiffel tower, which is a bucket list kind of thing that I’ve always wanted to do, so that’ll be really cool,” Craven said. “We’re also going to learn

8 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

about Parliament and how that all works from a Parliament member, and I’m pretty excited about that because how many other times will I get to do that? Not very many.”

Among other activities, the girls will also be participating in a homestay, where they will be spending three days with a German host family.

“I’m really excited about staying in Germany,” Cornell said. “We’re talking about it right now in history and everything over there’s pretty interesting. I’m a little bit nervous about the homestay though, just being with a whole family there. I do think it’ll be a good experience though ­— something different.”

However, with this trip comes certain obstacles, such as being away from home for an extended period of time with people who the girls are not entirely familiar with.

graphic by Sam Billman.

Days 1-4, England: Visit Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London, attend a West End theatre show, meet a representative of Parliament

Day 8 Belgium: Honor fallen WWI soldiers at Flanders Field Memorial and tour the city of Bruges by horse and carriage

Days 11-16 Germany: Visit the Cologne Cathedral, spend three days with a German family during a homestay and complete an environmental service project in the Black Forest

Days 5-7 France: Visit the beaches of Normandy, see masterpieces at the Louvre Museum and visit the Palace of Versailles

Days 19-20 Switzerland: Explore Zurich and take part in a history scavenger hunt around the city

“

I’m scared, but I’m confident it’ll be a good experience.” juniorsydney carnes

“The meetings that we have are to help us get to know everyone, but those meetings are only just once a month, so it’s kind of a long time in between,” Carnes said. “I always hope that I don’t forget people’s names, stuff like that. But all of the people seem really nice and funny, so I think it’ll be good, even though I don’t know everyone very well.”

Along with the issue of not knowing all of their fellow travelers very well, Carnes and Craven are faced with the additional task of raising money to fund their trips. Carnes, who must fund the entirety of her trip, has held fundraisers at restaurants and stores including Culver’s and Sam’s. Craven has also worked to raise money, resorting to getting her first job in order to raise her portion of the cost.

“I’ve never had to raise a lot of money

Days 9-10 The Netherlands: Explore Kinderdijk, a famous 17th century windmill park, and visit the Anne Frank House

Days 17-18 Austria: Take a guided hike through the Swiss Alps, visit a glacial lake and take an open-air roller coaster to the bottom of the mountain

“

I’m nervous but also pretty excited to get there and have a lot of fun.” juniorkatie craven

before, and I’ve never really been big on fundraising; my parents would rather me work for it anyway, so it’s been really stressful trying to get all the money,” Craven said. “I’m going to make it, but I feel like it’s going to be a bit of a crunch toward the end there.”

Even Cornell has been making sacrifices, such as not playing club volleyball so that she can save up money to go on a trip that she hopes will leave a lasting impact on her life.

“I’m hoping that when I come back I will be a little bit more independent and just a little bit more aware of the adult world, maturity-wise,” Cornell said. “I think it’s important to travel because it exposes you to different cultures and heritages at a young age, which is good so that you’re not close-minded when it comes to facing new things.”

“

It’s pretty cliché, but I’m really excited to see the Eiffel Tower, France and London.” sophomore christinacornell

Beyond creating a change in the way that she views the world, Craven believes that traveling, especially while young, can give people insight that will be important when making major life decisions.

“How can we be expected to know what we want to do with the rest of our lives when we don’t even know what’s out there?” Craven said. “We’ve only seen our society, but there’s so many other things out there that you can see and do, but you’ve never seen them. So I think it’s really important to just discover new things, and maybe you’ll find what you’re looking for.”

| laurenstone

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| thesouthweststandard editor-in-chief opinion editor grant laster

nicole becker

managing editor

special sections editor

mariem towakoli

lauren stone

web editor

adviser

caroline fronzcak

heather lawrenz

news editor

photographers

caroline fronzcak

sam billman izabella borowiak-miller ciara murphy

photo editor sam billman

features editor ananda bhatia

Letters should be submitted to Room 118 emailed to bvswnews@gmail.com or mailed: The Southwest Standard c/o Blue Valley Southwest High School 17600 Quivira Overland Park, KS 66085 Follow The Standard online: Instagram: @bvswnews Issuu: www.issuu.com/bvswnews Pinterest: bvswnews SmugMug: www.bvswnews.smugmug.com Twitter: @bvswnews

staff writers margo johnson michael magyar lexi tarter

The Southwest Standard also encourages guest photography.

10 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

The Southwest Standard is published seven times a year for students, faculty and surrounding community of Blue Valley Southwest. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229.

Letters to the editor and reader respomses are encouraged for publication. The Southwest Standard reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words.

All letters must be signed and names will be published.

Photos by Ciara Murphy and Ananda Bhatia.

THE NEW

community service Students earn volunteer hours without helping the community

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nce a month, senior Kayla Gruenhaupt packages boxes of food through Harvesters and distributes them to people in need. The same day, a KAY club member swings by the grocery store to buy a few just-addwater cookie dough mixes and watches three hours of “Dance Moms” between baking six batches. Both students log three hours of community service through the school, but only one person helped the community.

The purpose of community service is right in its name: serve other people and make a difference in the community. Service itself implies putting the needs of others before one’s own. However, the general attitude toward community service in Blue Valley is self-serving, and it needs to change.

The worst problem with service is also the most common: students either pretend to do service or participate in activities that probably shouldn’t count as service, and then hyperbolize what they did. Out of a poll of 100 students taken from second and third lunches, 45 said that they have exaggerated the number of community service hours they’ve turned in before.

cont. to page 12. opinion | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 11

what counts as

service hours unexaggerated

picking up trash at a local park

exaggerated

1

hour

2

helping out at a nursing home

hours

restoring an elementary school

hours

working at an animal shelter

hours

preparing meals at a soup kitchen

hours

volunteering at a hospital Graphics by Grant Laster.

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3 4 5 6

hours

bringing in supplies for KAY conference

baking four dozen cookies for SNHS

greeting people at a basketball shootout

spending two hours at Youth Court (counts for double)

making locker decorations for club members

working an event with too many volunteers

cont. from page 11.

Now, it isn’t surprising that students feel comfortable exaggerating their hours. Last semester, volunteer service hours coordinator Nate Winslow received close to 4,000 submissions online, and he spends a couple hours a week documenting and verifying every online and paper service log in the school. So while students must have verified signatures and contact information on their forms, one adult could never sift through that many papers, and there really should be more people assigned to checking hours.

In addition, several students who had exaggerated their hours said that they recorded what the adult sponsor told them to write. One girl said she is permitted three hours for bringing grocery-store cookies to SNHS meetings; another explained that the Youth Court coordinator tells participants they can log double the number of hours they actually served.

However, the bigger issue is why students choose to fake or exaggerate hours in the first place. “[Community service] should have more of an impact, because people just fudge their hours and get hours for doing basically nothing,” past SMILE and current KAY member Sneha Bhavanasi said. “I feel like a lot of people here treat it as a prerequisite for college. They don’t really care, but they do it — or they say they do, anyway — to get into a good college.”

Of course getting into college is important, and high school students are busy. But students have taken the one part of their lives devoted to helping other people and turned it into a selfish obligation. There is not one person in the school who can’t afford to spend one day thinking of someone beside him or herself.

Students should be volunteering for the right reasons, and the adults in charge should be guiding them to a more selfless attitude toward volunteering, not encouraging the opposite.

The problem is that the scramble to look good for colleges has encouraged hour-stacking. Service is now a checklist obligation, where students look for ways to “earn” hours as quickly and conveniently as possible.

Junior Chris Venzon started an “anti-club” club called Give Back Blue Valley, where he finds service opportunities and gives the information to students. If Bob Smith notices he is free on Saturday, he texts Venzon, Venzon looks at his contacts to see who could use volunteers, and Venzon tells Smith where to show up and what to do.

“We’re here to not make you come to meetings, not make you meet hours, not make you meet requirements,” Venzon said. “We’re just here to help you. We’re going to try to find you opportunities, so you can chase that presidential award or so that you can get loads of hours, because a lot of people just don’t know where to find some things and how to find contacts.”

Unfortunately, if students aren’t willing to take initiative on their own, they probably aren’t going to be embracing the service they do. However, Venzon only came up with the idea when he saw the flaws in the existing clubs.

A community service club should encourage people to come together to make a bigger change, to accomplish something one person couldn’t do alone. Instead, each one seems to promote the exact same selfish attitude toward service that students already struggle with. The four main clubs are KAY, SNHS, NHS and SMILE, and the typical agenda for each club meeting is to name off dates and times of upcoming events, have students sign up for what they can attend, and leave.

“They [service clubs] are not very organized,” Bhavanasi said. “I guess we’re lacking that real drive, that real push, like ‘oh, I really want to do community service;’ I feel like people don’t care enough. I think if we had real leaders who stepped up with big initiative, who were kind of forceful, like ‘this is what we’re going to do,’ then people would follow.”

There is no sense of unity within the groups, no opportunities for students to establish longterm relationships with the organizations they work with. The clubs are a way for students to get “easy hours” and to write the club name on their transcripts.

It isn’t as though every student or club needs to solve world hunger; while timing at swim meets might not seem as important as feeding the homeless, those things need to happen too.

But the “I’m only doing this because I have to” mentality leads to half-hearted volunteering that benefits no one. That’s why when almost the entire National Honor Society signs up to help out at a karate tournament, half of the peo-

ple end up leaving early, exaggerating hours or playing on their phones the entire time.

Finally, the most ironic part of people doing service to make themselves look good instead of to help others is that they really aren’t going to stand out to admissions officers. The people who are focusing on racking up hours on projects they aren’t interested in are both contributing little to the community and putting themselves at a disadvantage without knowing it. After all, colleges only look for service because they want individuals who have contributed to society, and students who are actually volunteering will be able to show they meet this criterion in their essays and descriptions of service.

Gruenhaupt started logging her hours sophomore year after her dad encouraged her to for awards and scholarships. Through service such as traveling to Haiti four times to help with orphan children and volunteering at Harvesters once a month, she won the gold level Presidential Volunteer Service Award three years.

It might seem like the trips to Haiti would make admissions officers fall head over heels.

But in a 2008 study done by dosomething.org, 70 percent of admissions officers at the top 50 universities valued four years volunteering at a local community shelter over one month in Somalia. In truth, colleges value meaningful, long-term commitments to organizations.

For example, Gruenhaupt also volunteers at a soup kitchen every Monday.

“There’s a bunch of regular people that I

love to talk to,” she said. “It’s kind of cool because you see some of them not come back, or they’ll come back and say hi and tell you ‘now I have an apartment and I did this with my life — I fixed myself up and I made some money and got out of there.’”

One hundred percent of the officers from the same study preferred the service be documented in the essay, and 63.6 percent also wanted to see a “reference letter that bolsters the applicant’s sincere dedication to a cause or organization.” Gruenhaupt was able to include service in her essay because her volunteer work was meaningful to herself and to other people.

The students who are baking cookies will have helped no one, and they will have nothing to write about.

In reality, if students participated in service the way colleges actually want them to, they would be making a bigger difference in their own lives and in the lives of those around them.

Students wouldn’t have to worry about themselves and how they look to colleges if they made a real commitment to helping someone else.

Overall, the biggest thing that needs to change is the attitude students have toward doing service. It’s okay for people to worry about themselves for most of their lives, but when they are in a service club or volunteering, they need to be thinking about the people they are helping. | anandabhatia

in the halls

how do students treat community service at our school?

“

You don’t have to do it [community service], but it’d be good for your heart to do something for someone else, even if you don’t know them. I feel some people just do it naturally out of their hearts, and I think some people just do it for the prizes and to feel accomplished.” freshmanchasemcanany

“

“I don’t like turning in my hours, because it doesn’t feel like community service. I just do it for colleges [and job applications]. That’s why a lot of people do community service, and I really feel like that shouldn’t be the reason why you’re doing it.” freshmankirstenlee

“

A lot of people do it because it looks good on college applications. I feel like a lot of people would rather play on Xbox than do community service.”

freshmancalschroeder | 13

14 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

Hands on Southwest photo essay | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 15

Hands on

Top Left: Senior Anna Meacham works on her drawing project in Drawing II. Top Right Adjacent: Junior Hannah Holland throws clay to make ceramic pots in Ceramics II. Right Adjacent: Participating in the “Rainbow Lab�, junior Abbas Shabbir drops alka-seltzer tablets into a solution. Bottom Left: Junior Peyton Clune works on a refraction lab in physics class, shining a laser into a glass prism. Top Middle: Freshman KJ Hangust and Grant Echavaria play a pick-up game of basketball with their fellow students in gym class.

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Bottom Middle: In her Ceramics II class, junior Marin Hoskins wets her clay in preparation for a technique of joining clay, called scoring. Top Right: Junior Annika Hedstrom takes pictures and video for the student-run broadcast show, “Wolfbyte.� Middle: Freshman Jake Christie balances parts of his soon-to-be clock with his peers in woods class. Bottom Left: Students in Drawing II, including junior Charlotte Davis interpretively draw music.

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18 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | ads

UNTO THE BREACH 2014 SENIOR section

A class to

14 photos that sum up the Class of 2014

Top Right: Jake Reed cheers as one of the many vocal seniors in the student section at varsity football games. Below: Zach Case is defended by Garret Marks at the rim in the Hoops for Hope tournament. Bottom: Vince Loffredo entertains the audience with his theatrics during the Dance Off at the March 6 Relay For Life event.

Bottom Left: Jake Louis portrays the court adviser, Polonius, in the fall production of Shakespeare’s “Hamlet.” Left: Monica Pickett extends her leg in a solo performance for the Emerald Regiment Marching Band’s show, “Strange Humors.” Top Left: Hayley Cape proudly shows her school spirit by holding a school flag.

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REMEMBER Top Left: Drake Herrman leads the varsity football team on before the home win against Washington High School. Right: Connor Davis and Ben Hettrick run to the sideline and change direction during a varsity boys soccer drill. Far Right: Grace Wood and her classmates fiercely cheer on the football team in the school’s only game on school grounds. Below: Johnny Tapp sings “What Do I Need With Love?” in the winter musical production of “Throughly Modern Millie.”

Bottom Right: Mikki Wright leads the cheerleaders as a captain of the team. Bottom Left: Lauren Zahner concentrates on her next round as she prepares to bowl.

Center: Varsity football teammates Salifu Vannasse and Ben Guenther have a laugh at the school’s outdoor pep assembly. Left: Jack Ayres carries Kayla Gruenhaupt as the Southwest seniors perform a dance at Relay For Life.

senior section | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 3

46

8 7

AMBER CRAIG

ALABAMA —

3 UNIVERSITY OF

HOLLY HARMON

UNIVERSITY —

2 SAMFORD

TAYLOR GONZALEZ

MONTEVALLO —

1 UNIVERSITY OF

ALABAMA

COLLEGE

13

4| 9

GABI BAILEY MARISSA MURO

COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN —

12 SAVANNAH

GEORGIA

ALEKSEI COHEE KY PACE

HAWAII —

13 UNIVERSITY OF

HAWAII

54

38

1718

52

LAURYN PONDER ADAM SCHIFMAN BECCA SCHNELLE GRANT STEELE KELLY URSCHEL

53

45 43 4244 5 4

6

21 37 33 2523 24 29 22 20 34 35 36 3026 27 19 28 31

39

49

32

2 3 1

51

16

50

DRAKE HERRMAN SANDY MAGYAR AUSTIN MCBEE MADDIE NOORDHOEK SALIFU VANASSE

15

14

56

48

47

10 41

37

MEGAN EDWARDS MEAGAN HOLLOWAY

UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURIKANSASCITY—

HAYLEY CAPE HOLLY KRAMER

MISSOURI —

11

40

36 UNIVERSITY OF

12

55

DESTINATIONS

BOBBY GOHEEN

PENNSYLVANIA —

47 UNIVERSITY OF

PENNSYLVANIA

MORGAN COWLES ANNA GLENNON DYLAN HARRIS DAKOTA LEBOFSKY MAGDALENA PIKALA NATHAN SIMMONS JUSTIN SMITH

UNDECIDED

BEN GUENTHER JORDAN MCLEOD LUKE SCOTT

MILITARY

WILL CHARLESWORTH — LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY, ENGLAND LUKAS EISMANN — MELLE, GERMANY EMMALEE HERRICK — LONDON, ENGLAND QIUHAN LIU — SHANGHAI, CHINA ELISA MARCHESCHI — AIX-EN-PROVENCE, FRANCE

ABROAD

18 KYLE DRUM

CORNELL COLLEGE —

NATALYA VRANA

17 COE COLLEGE —

IOWA

SARAH DODD

UNIVERSITY —

16 TAYLOR

INDIANA

RACHEL KIRBY

KATIE SUPER

UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA —

LAUREN HENKE

GREER BANKS

MIAMI —

11 UNIVERSITY OF

FLORIDA

GRANT LASTER

10 YALE UNIVERSITY —

CONNECTICUT

ADAM SAMAZIN

ORADO —

9 UNIVERSITY OF COL-

COLORADO

8

7

CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF THE ARTS —

RAINEY BERKOWITZ CHELSEA CALLIHAN ETHAN CARNEY GERALDDY CHAVEZ ASHLEY DORRIS CHELSEY EDWARDS KEATON FAHNHOLZ ISAAC GILLIHAN ALEX HWANG DERRICK JEWETT LAUREN LEECH DRAKE PATTON

COMMUNITY COLLEGE —

23 JOHNSON COUNTY

RACHEL WATERS

UNIVERSITY —

22 FORT HAYS STATE

KEVIN MCKINNEY

COLLEGE —

21 BENEDICTINE

CARSON FERREN

UNIVERSITY —

20 BAKER

JESSICA POLLITT

COLLEGE —

19 ALLEN COMMUNITY

CALIFORNIA KANSAS

ALLI GOOD

CENTRAL ARKANSAS —

6 UNIVERSITY OF

ELLIE BURRESS SABRINA CASTLE ALEX DAVEY KAYLA GRUENHAUPT BEN HETTRICK KYLE JOHNSON TRISTAN LOCKE CONNOR PHILLIPS MONICA PICKETT RYAN PRICE JACK RAYBUCK JAKE REED RACHEL RUTLEDGE ELLEN WINKEL LAUREN ZAHNER

UNIVERSITY —

15 OLIVET NAZARENE

5 UNIVERSITY OF

ARKANSAS —

CAROLINE FRONCZAK

DELANEY KOOKEN

UNIVERSITY —

14 DEPAUL

4 OUACHITA BAPTIST

UNIVERSITY —

ILLINOIS

ARKANSAS

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BAILEE MACDONALD

NEOSHO COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE —

MEAGAN BARCLAY TORI HAAS SARAH MURPHY

ROMAN BROWN

UNIVERSITY —

28 PITTSBURG STATE

CHRIS MORRISON

UNIVERSITY —

27 OTTAWA

26

25 MIDAMERICA NAZARENE UNIVERSITY —

LAUREN ATKEISSON JACK AYRES KELSIE BARTLETT SARAH BENNETT BRIANNA BETSCH MADELINE BRISCOE DENNIS CALDWELL ALEXIS CAMERLINCK ZACH CASE RILEY CLARK KALEY CLARK JENNA CLEVELAND MATTHEW CORNELL REID CROSS CALVIN DAHMS GRACE DAYTON IAN DENNIN CATHERINE DUNN NICK EDWARDS TAYLOR EGAN LINDSEY ENNEN DAVID GOODWIN SYDNEY HAAS COLTON JENKINS ANDY LINDSEY TORI LOEPP JAKE LOUIS MARK MCCAFFERTY MEGAN MILLER MATI MOES KELSI PARMENTER RYAN PASCO ADAM PELFREY MORGAN PETERSON MEGAN STARR JOHNNY TAPP DEVIN TATE MARIA WELSH GABRIELLE WINGERT GRACE WOOD CASSIE JOHNSON JAKE LASSMAN SAWYER LIKE

UNIVERSITY —

24 KANSAS STATE

MCKENNA OLDSON

CENTRAL MISSOURI —

35 UNIVERSITY OF

DOUGIE DOWELL JORDAN YARBROUGH

JORDAN ALBERINO HAILEY WESTON

OREGON —

46 UNIVERSITY OF 34 PARK UNIVERSITY —

SARA COLLINS

OREGON

AMANDA CREASON JENNIFER KEALEY

TULSA —

45 UNIVERSITY OF

ROBERT HARTFIELD

OKLHOMA —

44 UNIVERSITY OF

JAEKY SPENCER

SOUTHERN NAZARENE UNIVERSITY —

43 OKLAHOMA

LAUREN MYLIN

UNIVERSITY —

42 OKLAHOMA CITY

OKLAHOMA

DAVID HU

41 COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY —

CONNOR DAVIS

40 CORNELL UNIVERSITY —

NEW YORK

LAURYN BOGSETH CARSON BUEL KYLIE NORCROSS SARAH SPORE

NEBRASKA —

39 UNIVERSITY OF

KATE MCCROSSEN

UNIVERSITY —

38 CREIGHTON

NEBRASKA

NIKKI LYNCH ALEX PEUSER HANNAH SMITH MARIEM TOWAKOLI

33 AVILA UNIVERSITY —

MISSOURI

BLAIR TOMMELEIN

UNIVERSITY —

32 MINNESOTA STATE

MINNESOTA

DEAVYN CAREY KASSIDY CURRENCE JD PUTNAM VICTORIA WHITE

UNIVERSITY —

31 WICHITA STATE

BRADY WAGNER

UNIVERSITY —

30 WASHBURN

BAILEY BARNHART MICHAEL BECHTEL SAM BILLMAN MARY GRACE BLAIR ASHLEY CANTRELL MICHELLE COWLES TYLER CRAVEN HALEY FAHNHOLZ CLAYTON FASENMYER JACOB FLORES MARIAM HASSAN KAITLYN JARVIS TEDDY JOVARAS TRISTAN KING LEXIE LOGUE MEGAN LOWCOCK RILEY MAGEE GARRET MARKS TJ MARTIN ANNA MEACHAM ALEXIS MILLS LEXI OATMAN MAX PUTNAM ANDREA RINGGENBERG CASSIDY RUF SURAJ SHANKAR JULIAN TORIAN NICK WARNER TREVOR WATSON MASON WILKINSON

KANSAS —

29 UNIVERSITY OF

KELSEY HAILEY

OF ENGINEERING —

56 MILWAUKEE SCHOOL

WISCONSIN

KARA KATONA

COLLEGE —

55 SWEET BRIAR

VIRGINIA

NATHAN HANSEN

UNIVERSITY —

54 BRIGHAM YOUNG

UTAH

MATARA HITCHCOCK

TEXAS-DALLAS —

53 UNIVERSITY OF

SAM KAISER

52 TEXAS A&M —

TEXAS

EMMA STEWART

UNIVERSITY —

51 VANDERBILT

SHELBY FARRIS

TENNESSEE —

50 UNIVERSITY OF

TENNESSEE

BAILEY BLOOD

SIOUX FALLS —

49 UNIVERSITY OF

S. DAKOTA

MIKKI WRIGHT

UNIVERSITY —

48 CLEMSON

S. CAROLINA

Biggest class clown Lexie Logue & Dougie Dowell Most likely to win a Grammy Johnny Tapp & Tori Loepp Most likely to make you smile

Best smile

Jenna Cleveland & Jack Ayres

Haley Fahnholz & Jordan Alberino

Most likely to have their own TV show

Most likely to change the world

Cassie Johnson & Keaton Fahnholz

Sarah Dodd & David Hu Most likely to be verified on Twitter Deavyn Carey & Jack Raybuck

Most artistic

Attached at the hip

Marissa Muro & Sam Billman

Megan Starr & Kaley Clark

6 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | senior superlatives

Dares to be different Grant Laster & Kaitlyn Jarvis

|7

Best person to bring home to mom & dad Adam Samazin & Lauren Mylin

Most school spirit Chris Morrison & Kayla Gruenhaupt Most likely to become a pro-athlete TJ Martin & Amanda Creason

Most changed since freshman year Nick Warner & Lauryn Bogseth

Best celebrity look alike Worst case of senioritis Maddie Noordhoek & Pate Nowlin 8|

Ky Pace looks like Taylor Lautner & Hayley Cape looks like Gwyneth Paltrow

Most likely to become president Tristan Locke & Katie Super

Attached at the hip Austin McBee & Mickey Brown

Most likely to succeed Adam Schifman & Emma Stewart

Most likely to survive an apocalypse Tristan King & Taylor Gonzales

Most likely to attend Hogwarts Megan Edwards & Connor Davis |9

I

’ve always been a big fan of baseball. The idea of three strikes and you’re out and going out there everyday and having control over if you win or lose fascinated me. Baseball tells you there can only be one winner and if you lose one game out of the 300+ games a season, no one will remember it in September.

However, high school and life itself has come to create this idea in our head that if we aren’t at the top, then we aren’t anything.

High school teaches us that good is no longer good enough, that one grade defines us and that it’s always a competition.

O

ur senior year is coming to an end, and pretty soon we’re going to have to choose what kind of life we want to live. What we want to do for a living and what kind of person we want to be. For me, every step I take should lead to a happy life. We will all make mistakes along the way, but everyone’s goal in the end should be to be happy. Think about it, what else is there?

A favorite quote of mine from Salinger’s Franny and Zooey says, “I don’t know what good it is to know so much and be smart as whips and all if it doesn’t make you happy.”

Throughout our school career we have been told what to learn and what to do, and a meager number of the classes we actually enjoy. Most classes seem intentionally soul stealing; they give us endless packets to work on and then we are forced to pretend to be interested in the material as we have discussions in class. We cram all this knowledge in our heads, and even if we do use it when we grow up, what does it matter if we’re not happy? I’d like to think that I’m going to hangout with the buddies on this incredible planet forever, but unfortunately we’re not.

and

senior

Now I know school always taught you to think of others first, but in the real world, nobody will be looking out for you as they throw you under the bus to advance themselves higher on the social totem pole. It’s time to realize that if you want something done, then go do it yourself.

Just like in baseball, if you want to hit a home run, you are the only one who can do it.

The person I thought I was freshman year isn’t the same as the person I am now. I used to be a cheerleader and I thought grades were everything. Now I know that high school was a place where I found out what my likes and dislikes were and not a competition for who could get the best grades and be the top of everything.

As long as you embrace your likes and do things because you want to and not to get an award, that’s all that matters. Take charge of your future and make it what you want it to be.

If you learn anything over the course of high And I know that this is a sad truth, but doesn’t it give us more of a reason to spend more time with all these amazing people and do the great things that we love to do. I think that the main thing school has taught me all these years is that I really don’t want my life to be like school. How bad would that be, am I right?

I’m definitely going to have fun in college, as I’m sure everyone else will as well, but I’m also going to work hard at something I enjoy doing so that when I leave college I won’t have to get a job the has the faint resemblance of school, doing boring paper work and sitting down for eight hours a day.

Hopefully some of you take something from my column, but you’re going to live your life how you want to, and I commend you for that. Do whatever you want to do; I just hope it makes you happy. I genuinely want everyone to look back at his or her life and be thrilled with it. I hope you create great things, relationships, and a happy life for yourself.

10 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | senior section

| sambillman

school it’s that education should be for the exhilaration of learning, rather than for material advantage. I also hope that you learn enough to recognize how little you know…how little you know now… at the moment… for today is just the beginning. The real world is out there.

And what matters is where you go from here. Do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance. Dream big. Work hard. Think for yourself. The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life, is an achievement, not something that will fall into your lap because you’re a nice person or mommy ordered it from the caterer. Get up, get out, explore, find it yourself and grab hold with both hands. (Now, before you dash off and get your YOLO tattoo, let me point out the illogic of that trendy little expression–because you can and should live not merely once, but every day of your life. Rather than You Only Live Once, it should be You Live Only Once… but because YLOO doesn’t have the same ring, we shrug and decide it doesn’t matter.)

Enjoy high school, but don’t let it define you. There’s so much more out there, and high school is just a mere stepping stone on the path to figuring out who you are meant to be.

| carolinefronczak

I

was only on newspaper because it was a computer credit. As a fresh-faced staff writer, I was talented enough to get by, but too complacent to flourish. I joked around in the back of class a lot, argued a lot, but managed to get things done.

However, as the year went on,

unteered, and participated in extracurricular activities. I brought in high grades, eagerly wrote for the school newspaper, volunteered at school and in the community, and went to National Honor Society meetings. Doing things for the sake of doing them is important.

My advice to the underclassmen is don’t do an activity for the sole purpose of putting it on a resume.

Don’t do an activity because you think it will impress colleges. Do it because you want to do it, because you are passionate about it. The classes, teachers, and activities I had taught me valuable lessons about life, and myself as a person.

I am forever grateful for that.

Part of me, though, wishes that I had done things a bit differently. Maybe I should have experimented with more extracurricular activities to see if I was interested in them. Maybe I should have taken more pictures. Maybe I should have spent more time with my friends.

Yet, the things I did and the

things I did not do collectively brought me to where I am today – antsy to graduate high school and attend college as a critical thinker whose thoughts have expanded so much since freshman year.

High school was neither a high nor a low point in my life – it was what I like to call a medium point.

If it is a high point for you, great.

However, it should never be the highest point. There is a world, a magnificent but scary world, be-

yond the walls of high school that is waiting for you. I, along with all of the other graduating seniors, will have a chance to turn those “maybes” into realities during college and beyond. You will too.

Work hard and follow your heart, but remember that high school is not everything nor the end.

I became focused; I took my position as a staff member of the newspaper more seriously, and I started to enjoy it more. After the loss of our opinion editor, I got the opportunity to lead. And I never looked back. Each day since I first heard what a doubletruck was — apparently it’s not an Evil Knievel

stunt — I have become increasingly invested in journalism. Yet I never thought that this journalism class would turn into a two-year adventure. That is just what I have learned: keeping an open mind and striving to gain new experiences — seeking out alternative points of view and keeping judgment out of the equation — will always (yes, always) help you grow as a person.

The people I truly need to thank are Ms. Lawrenz for believing in my abilities even after seeing me being wholly unproductive and laughing noisily. She gave me the opportunity and full faith to do a complete overhaul of The Standard’s style, content and layout, and she easily could have chosen two other highly-qualified people.

I also need to give a shoutout to the awesome Standard staffers; they made this year’s change

happen. Although we are a small family this year, I can safely say that each staffer has lent a hand in making this the strongest paper Southwest has ever had. And under new leadership, I know this staff will find even more successes; I am just happy that I could be one part of this tremendous growth.

It’s all over though, the worknight food themes, Secret Newspaper Staffer, the cat memes, the color red, the excessive amounts of Photo Booth selfies, Napoleon Dynamite, Sawyer Like — the ladies man, honorary staff members, sweaters, hipster juice, surfing Sam Billman, unanswered snapchats, karaoke parties, and taking down the man. But I cannot complain, it was the best computer credit I ever took.

senior

| mariemtowakoli

| grantlaster

and

A

s I entered high school everyone told me to enjoy it because it flies by. At the time I didn’t believe them. Turns out all those people were right.

Over the years I have kept a collage of high school memories.

A photo or letter can capture all of that moment. It’s something everyone should do; a remembrance of high school. The years have gone by so fast and with so many memories in just four short years. I come out of this school with lifelong friends and lessons that will live on in me forever.

I realize that my four years of high school are wrapping up. Between senior pictures, picking up the graduation gown, applying to scholarship after scholarship, picking between colleges, stressing over AP exams, and battling senioritis, I’ve pondered about the things I did, the things I did not do, the things I perhaps should have done, and what leaving high school means.

In high school, I studied, vol-

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2013-2014 BVSW Sports Signings The 2013-2014 senior class provided 14 athletes with

five volleyball players, two baseball players, and one

moving on to the collegiate level have worn the BVSW

enough talent to sign their names in ink, commiting

softball player. This year’s senior class has been the

on their jerseys all 4 years of high school. They will

them to continue on with their respective sports in

first to go all four years, starting as freshmen when the

now play their respective sports in college, just as they

college for the next couple of years. soccer players,

school opened its doors in 2010. Many of the athletes

did when they were Timberwolves.

Taylor Gonzales Taylor Gonzalez

Kelsey Hailey

Amanda Creason

Nikki Lynch

Tulsa University

UMKC

U of Montevallo

Delaney Kooken

Sara Collins

Sara Murphy

TJ Martin

Ouachita Baptist

Avila

MNU

KU

Milwaukee School of Engineering

Drake Herrman

Jessica Pollitt

Brandi Huesman

Pitt State

Allen County CC

Fort Scott CC

Rachel Kirby

Kevin McKinney

Blair Tommelein

Olivet Nazarene

Benedictine

Minnesota State

Baseball/Softball

Drake Herrman

Blair Tommelein Minnesota State IF BVSW career record holder in hits, runs, stolen bases and singles

Pitt State P/OF

TJ Martin

University of Kansas Catcher 1st team all state 2012 2013 1st team all EKL 2012 2013 BVSW single season record holder in hits, home runs, doubles and batting average

|michaelmagyar

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Soccer

Sara Murphy Mid-America Nazarene Forward

Taylor Gonzales U. of Montevallo Defense

Sara Collins Avila Mid

Kevin McKinney Benedictine Defense 14 |

Nikki Lynch UMKC Forward

Delaney Kooken Ouachita Baptist U. Mid

Amanda Creason Tulsa University Defense

Kelsey Haley Milwaukee School of Engineering

Defense

Volleyball Rachel Kirby

“

Olivet Nazarene University Tigers 6’0 Outside Hitter

My BVSW volleyball career was what shaped me into the player I am today”

jessica Pollit Allen County Community College Red Devils 5’9 Outside Hitter

Brandi Huesman Fort Scott Community College Greyhounds 5’7 Outside Hitter

“

I improved a ton since freshman year through all the different coaches we had”

senior section | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 15

“once more UNTO THE BREACH, dear friends, once more.” william shakespeare’s “Henry V”

34 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | news

causing a ruckus

Blue Valley Rugby Club players express their passion for the sport Photos by Ciara Murphy.

| 19

S

cooping up the ball, freshman Dillon Hulse darts towards the endline only to meet a player of the opposing team, and is quickly tackled to the ground.

Rather than stopping the play, Hulse tosses the ball back to his own teammate to continue the offense.

Fast-paced and intense, rugby is not a sport for

everyone.

Legend has it that rugby was introduced in 1823 by William Webb Ellis in England by modifying the rules of football. In 2011, rugby was introduced to Blue Valley by coach Matt Tanner, who founded the Blue Valley Rugby Club.

Senior Sam Billman has played on the team since last year. While the rules confused him in the beginning, Billman has been passionate for the game since his first practice.

“After the first practice I was hooked, it’s just such a unique sport.,” Billman said. “I didn’t really know what the heck was going on, but after a while I got used to the rules and watched rugby on TV to try to figure it out.”

When first learning the sport, the complex rules of rugby confuse many people. Senior Sawyer Like began practicing mid season — at the beginning of April — but decided not to continue with it due to the business of his schedule. However, Like was able to experience the difficulty of rugby.

“It’s a real sport,” Like said.

“When I first started hearing about rugby, I was kind of doubtful. But once I actually went to a practice I learned about all that was really going on. I love the combination of it being fast paced and aggressive, it really keeps you on your toes

and you have to be ready.”

At first glance, the foreign rules of rugby may be a setback to trying it out. The sport may appear to be too rough, too intense and too complicated. However, many of the players turn away the assumptions of the sport as soon as they begin playing. After some practice, players overcome the challenges and begin to have a clear idea of what rugby truly involves.

“I figured there would be a lot of tackling in rugby, so it sparked my interest,” Hulse said.

“It sounded brutal, so I went to a practice to see how it was. It’s not nearly as brutal as I originally thought it was. I was expecting that you’d just go and hit heads with people but it’s actually more organized than that. It’s really just a bunch of organized chaos.”

Despite the intense tackling displayed of rugby in the media, students don’t have to be strong and tough to play the game.

There are 13 different positions to fit a person’s strengths. Rather than physical strength, rugby requires mental toughness.

“I guess it’s [rugby] not a sport for everyone,” Senior player Max Palmer said. “It’s a really hard sport so if you want to go out for it you should be mentally prepared. I just suggest that you keep with it and you’ll get better if you’re determined to get better.”

Nonetheless, the players agree that one needs focus and determination to understand and improve in rugby. Regardless of the endeavor, the players are able to appreciate and love the unique sport.

“I think more people should look up rugby and know what it is because it’s a really cool sport and probably one of the most fun things that I’ve ever done,” Billman said. “The team is really great because we’re really close and I enjoy the competitiveness.

I like to feel like I’m a part of something bigger than myself.” | nicolebecker

20 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Rules of Rugby Welcome to the world of rugby, where the not-so simple rules organize this game of chaos. Through the scrums, rucks and tackles, the ultimate goal of the game is to end up with more points on the scoreboard than the opposing team.

A player ultimately wants to score a try.

A try is worth 5 points and counted when the player crosses the goal line and touches the ball to the ground. After a try is made, the team has the opportunity to kick the ball through the rungs to score a 2 point conversion. Players also get the opportunity to kick for 2 points after a foul play.

When looking to score, the ball cannot move forward off of a player’s hands. So, the only ways to advance the ball is carrying it or kicking it. If a player chooses to pass the ball, it must be a lateral or backward pass.

Scrum A scrum occurs when there’s a penalty or when the ball goes out of play. Eight members of each team bind together to create the scrum. Three players are in the front, four players are in the middle and one player sits in the back. The team that didn’t commit the foul places the ball into the middle of the scrum. Then, the middle players — the hookers — ­ try to kick the ball back to the player sitting in the back to maintain possession of the ball.

The team that places the ball in the middle of the scrum ends up with possession of the ball 90 percent of the time.

Ruck Once a person gets tackled, the person must release the ball immediately, and a ruck is formed to fight for possession of the ball. The team that was tackled tries to create a barrier around the ball while the opposing team tries to maintain possession of the ball. Players can only pick up the ball with their hands if they’re on their feet. Likewise, a referee will call a penalty if players try to take a shortcut and join a ruck from the sides; they must go through the middle of the ruck. After a team maintains possession in the ruck, it throws it back to the scrum-half and continues play.

Line out

Line outs occur when the ball goes out of play, essentially out of bounds. A line out contains three to eight players from each team. In the line out, both teams must be at least one meter away from each other. As one of the teammates — usually the “hooker” — throws the ball in, a player from each team is lifted into the air by his teammates. No player can be lifted in the air before the ball is thrown or else it’ll result in a penalty.

| 21

Player ProfileS Dillon Hulse freshman

After spotting a flyer at school, freshman Dillon Hulse decided to try rugby this year as his second sport. Hulse also plays football, so he figured there would be similarities between the two sports with tackling.

“The throwing [in rugby] was awkward for me at first, but then I got used to it,” Hulse said. “When we went to our first tournament, I was really nervous because I thought the guys would be a lot bigger, but once I started to play, the nerves went away and I got more comfortable with it.”

Hulse plays in the back line on offense as a scrum-half, wing or outside center for the team. Players in these positions usually have good vision and decision making skills and are quick and agile.

Max Palmer senior

Senior Max Palmer plays flanker on the rugby team.

There are two flankers on every team in the forward line — one on each side of the field. Flankers are typically well-rounded players with speed, strength and endurance, as their main job is to stop players on the other team from carrying the ball.

“It [rugby] gave me an outlet for my anger and aggression and it’s really fun,” Palmer said. “I really enjoy hitting people and the brotherhoods that I’ve formed from playing rugby.”

22 |

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KANSAS CITY

ATHLETIC CHEER

Kansas City Athletic Cheer is a Competitive Cheer Program offering Competitive Cheer Teams, Tumbling and Recreational Cheer for ages 3 - 18.

KCAC is home to National Champions, US Finals Grand Champions, and Level 5 Worlds Teams!

KCAC has been nominated as one of the top 4 gyms in the World for Outstanding Leadership through Sportsmanship.

All coaches at KCAC are USASF Certified and Credentialled as well as AACCA Safety Certified.

Kansas City Athletic Cheer is located at 6855 W 152nd Terr Overland Park, KS 66223 For more information, email us at kcac@kcaccheer.com or visit us at www.kcaccheer.com

Tryouts for the 2014-15 Competitive season will be May 17th! DonĘťt miss out!!!! ads | www.bvswnews.com | southwest | may 2014 | 23

The

SY

P ON M

H Y

Students pursue music in the Kansas City Youth Symphony

24 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | feature

Graphic by Sam Billman.

T

he bright lights shine on the orchestra. The conductor walks onstage and the audience begins to clap. He turns, slowly lifts his baton, and the instruments shimmered as they rise into position. The baton swings downward and the air is filled with the sound of music.

The Kansas City Youth Symphony is comprised of students in grades five through twelve. Freshman Claire Nelson, sophomore Mitchell Reilly and seniors David Hu and Grant Laster are part of this group.

Nelson began playing the oboe in fifth grade. She tried out for the Youth Symphony two years ago and has been part of the Symphonette group, making first chair this year.

She enjoys rehearsing with the group and is hoping to make Philharmonic next year.

Reilly has played the violin since third grade. Violin was the set instrument for third graders, and when he had the choice to change in fourth grade, he decided to stick with violin.

He is in the Academy Orchestra and is first violin, second chair.

Hu began playing violin in fifth grade. He heard a middle school concert and was inspired to play. Hu joined the Youth Symphony in seventh grade and made his way up to second violin, fourth chair in the highest group.

According to youthsymphonykc.org, the Symphony was founded in 1958 and consisted of one orchestra with 80 musicians. It has grown greatly over the years to four full orchestras and over 300 musicians.

The orchestra groups today are called Symphonette, Philharmonic, Academy and Symphony in order of increasing skill level. All are full orchestras with string, woodwind, brass and percussion instruments.

In order to get into the Youth Symphony, students are required to audition. The audition process includes playing a chosen solo, scales and sight reading.

To prepare for the scales and solos, the students practice their chosen pieces repeatedly, but the sight reading is a little more difficult to prepare for.

“For sight reading, just playing helps-being exposed to different music you’ve never seen and trying to play through it,” Hu said.

5 The components of auditioning have been changed for the next season. Now students are only required to play given excerpts of songs along with the scales.

“I believe it is for the better,” Nelson said, “It is hard to find a solo that fits your strengths.”

The groups practice for

two to three hours every Sunday. Rehearsal attendance is mandatory, and if too many are missed the student will not be able to participate. Reilly said that although he enjoys playing in the group, he is glad for the break in the summer because it is such a big commitment.

The Symphony Orchestra played in a sideby-side with the Kansas City Symphony. The youth symphony students sat between Kansas City Symphony musicians.

“It’s really awesome being able to rehearse with them, being able to talk with them,” Hu said, “Otherwise, how are you going to be able to perform with the Kansas City Symphony without being part of it?”

Students in the youth symphony play in many different places, including the Kauffman and the Folly Theatre. The group also travels to other cities and sometimes out of the country. Next year, the symphony is taking a trip to Chicago.

“My favorite part is probably playing at great auditoriums,” Reilly said. Playing at venues like the Kauffman Center, one can easily be overwhelmed. “In the beginning when you walk on, you see tons of people and can’t pick anyone out, it’s just a huge 3 audience. Once I start playing, I just focus on the music,” Hu said.

Focusing on the important aspects of the perfor-

4

Photos by Izabella Borowiak-Miller.

mance is also a way to alleviate stage fright.

“I think ‘stay calm, stay in time’,” Nelson said.

The Kansas City Youth Symphony is a valuable experience and is enjoyed by the students.“It’s a great experience. I know I’ve said that a lot, but it really is,” Reilly said. | lilliehoffart

1

2

1 Senior David Hu is part of the Symphony Orchestra and is second violin, fourth chair. 2 Sophomore Mitchell Reilly performs with the Academy Orchestra in a concert. 3 Reilly is part of the Academy Orchestra and is first violin, second chair. 4 The Academy and Symphony Orchestras of the Kansas City Youth Symphony perform their final concert of the season at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts. 5 The audience gives the Academy Orchestra a standing ovation after the students’ performance. 6 The Symphony Orchestra performs Dvorak’s “Symphony No. 9,” a four movement piece, in its final concert.

6

| 25

Dear Seniors . .

Layne Funk

Cody Parks

“The first thing I would say is know how to handle your time and money because we see on the news how people couldn’t manage their money. The second thing is be yourself. Peer pressure is highly overrated and no one cares but you. No one is going to say ‘Hey you went to this high school... You’re cool.’

No, they are going to care who you are now. For those headed off to college — be flexible because there are so many things you can’t control. Get involved with lots of things like activities, work, study sessions, socials, guest speakers, etc... Try lots of things. The harder you work the more rewarding it will be. Life in Kansas isn’t half as bad as you think it is. Have fun. Enjoy life.”

teachers reflect on their high school experiences and give advice to graduating seniors

Deborah Sisk

Amy Read “Ask for help.

You need to know that, going into your college years, you won’t know everything.”

26 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | special sections

“ Finish your undergraduate degree and plan on getting your masters, because having a bachelors is like having a high school diploma. In general, get a masters.”

“Life is what you make of it. In college you have to go out and make college a positive experience; so, whether that’s joining clubs, or taking challenging classes, or getting involved in things that interest you and the same thing goes for life in general. Create a positive experience.”

Kevin Halfmann

Shauna Rinearson

“For a lot of people — the majority get to a point where you can’t do it. When you start to get to that thought you need to say to it — persist, carry on, and you can succeed. It is very common to have this belief even if you stop you can start again. If you have no self-discipline in managing money, then don’t get a credit card. They love it when you owe money.

That’s why they loan it. Be careful. They want you to do it and eventually you will have to pay it back.

Get to know your professors as much as you can. Just talk to them. They may seem unapproachable. Still get to know them. Get involved. Besides your classes. Find your niche.

Find a place away from your room to study. Make it THE place to study. Your dorm room is where you sleep and relax, so you won’t get anything done. It will work better for you.”

“Remember the times you told your teachers you would never use (insert subject here) in real life? You can thank me by e-mail when you discover your swag writing skills actually help in just about every facet of life.”

Shawn Stelter

“Take advantage of every opportunity to add a new layer in your future, because layers are life!”

To see more advice, visit the library to read more quotes from teachers.

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photo by Margo Johnson.

| margojohnson

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graphics by sam billman & grant laster

top four sUMMER Events local events in the Kansas City area make for diverse summer entertainment

Justin Timberlake concerts july 30-31 • Sprint Center

photo by cdorobek

As part of his The 20/20 Experience World Tour, Justin Timberlake will be stopping at the Sprint Center for two nights on Wednesday, July 30 and Thursday, July 31. The world tour will feature 129 shows covering five continents. The tour follows the release of his 2013 albums, ‘The 20/20 Experience’ ‘The 20/20 Experience — 2 of 2.’ Timberlake will perform 32 of his hit songs over his three hour set. These include newer songs from his most recent albums, such as ‘Suit & Tie,’ as well as old classics, such as ‘Cry Me a River.’ “I’m definitely a big fan of ‘Mirrors,’ and ‘Sexy Back’ is definitely my all time favorite Justin Timberlake song,” senior Lexi Oatman said. “I think it’ll be cool to go down and see him perform for three hours straight. I think it’s just amazing that someone can do that.” Tickets on Ticketmaster are sold out, but tickets for both nights are still available on www.stubhub.com.

2014 FIFA World Cup

photo by celso flores

june 12-july 13 • ABC & ESPN

On June 12, the 2014 FIFA World Cup will kick off in Brazil. The soccer championship, which occurs every four years, will see 2010 champion Spain playing the likes of other mighty teams, such as Italy, Germany, England and Argentina, among others. For the past three years, teams worldwide have been competing to qualify to the competition, with a total of 31 teams from different countries qualifying. Over the course of the month -long tournament, teams will compete in 64 matches across Brazil until the finals.

“I’m betting on Spain and Germany,” junior Jack Tobin said. “Spain is kind of a powerhouse. They have all the great players, and then with Germany, same thing. Both of their players on different club teams won all their tournaments.” The most watched sporting event in the world can be viewed on ABC and ESPN television networks and listened to on ESPN radio.

‘The Fault In Our Stars’ movie

june 6 • theaters

Based off the bestselling novel of the same name by John Green, the film adaptation of “The Fault in Our Stars” will be released in theaters on June 6. The film stars Shailene Woodley of “Divergent” as Hazel Grace Lancaster, a teenager with terminal cancer who joins a cancer support group at her mother’s encouragement. At the support group, Hazel meets and falls in love with Augustus Waters, portrayed by Ansel Elgort also of “Divergent,” who has cancer too. The movie follows the two as they fall in love, despite battling a life threatening disease. “I think people like [“The Fault in Our Stars”] because it’s really realistic,” sophomore Ellie Augustine said. “The whole story isn’t some happy love story. People can relate to that because it’s sad on a real level.” photo by penn state news

The Theatre in the Park

june-august • shawnee

This summer Theatre in the Park, located at Shawnee Mission Park, off Renner and 79th St., will be putting on five productions, running from early June and ending in early August. The 2014 production season starts with “The Pirates of Penzance,” which runs from June 6-8 and 11-14. ‘Guys & Dolls,’ ‘Honk!,’ and ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer’ follow, with the last production, ‘Ragtime,’ closing on Aug. 9. In accordance with the park setting, attendees of productions can bring chairs and blankets to set up and view the plays on the lawn. “I like to see theater, so naturally getting to go see theater in a different setting and laying on a blanket instead of being in an audience is probably the best part [of Theatre in the Park],” junior Erica Christie said. Tickets are not for sale yet, but ticket information and show dates can be found on www.theatreinthepark.org. photo by lambtron

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FOR A CHANGE 30 | may 2014 | southwest | www.bvswnews.com | photo essay

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1. Seniors Andy Lindsey, Nick Edwards, Megan Edwards and junior Alex Ghekas hold up their sign before going on the April 5 MS Walk. 2.

Southwest participants gather to take a group photo.

3. Senior Jenn Kealey and junior Brenden Keleman look out onto the Kansas Speedway during the walk.

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