The Tiger Print — February 2016

Blue Valley High School — Vol. 46 — Issue 5 — February 2016 — Overland Park, Kansas

Back to Basics: Required, elective classes benefit students’ future job aspirations Photo illustration by Maddie Davis.

2 inthenews February 2016

inside this issue NEWS

2

BLAST FROM THE PAST ‘Anything Goes’ showcases difference in time periods

page 3

OPINION 6 GET SMART Uninformed generation should pay more attention to world happenings, current events

page 6

FEATURES 10 RECOGNIZING ROOTS Freshman discusses importance of Black History Month

page 22

ENTERTAINMENT 24 LOVE IT OR LIST IT Best, worst Valentine’s Daythemed lists provide humor for cliché romantic situations page 26

SPORTS 28 KNOCK ‘EM DOWN Returning bowlers discuss season, necessary skills

page 29 Photos courtesy of MCT Campus.

Stories by Sheila Gregory.

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

local • national • international

news explained Medical Marijuana Debate

be more reviews in the future concerning the medical provision.

The Kansas senate voted Jan. 26 not to pass a small medical marijuana measure that would legalize treatments like hemp oil which are often used for seizures. However, a provision that reduces the severity of possession did pass, reducing jail time to six months and a $1,000 fine. There are to

Why is this a big deal? Kansas Republicans are feeling pressure to decriminalize marijuana for medical use now that 23 states have also lifted restrictions. There is hesitation from lawmakers on whether or not this will lead to more liberal legalization with this measure as the catalyst. It will be sent to a health committee who will evaluate the bill and give their recommendation to the senate.

Flint Water Poisoning

the high levels of lead in the drinking and bathing water in October 2015 when the city switched back to the Detroit reservoir. However, the water was still deemed unsafe to drink. The national guard brought in millions of dollars worth of bottled water. Several civil suits have been filed against the mayor of Michigan and the city of Flint.

As a cost-saving measure, Flint, Michigan changed its water supply from the Detroit reservoir to the Flint River in 2014. Residents quickly noticed the change in quality and color of tap water when the switch was made. The Flint River is eight times more corrosive than the Detroit reservoir, and the water was not treated with orthophosphate — a chemical that coats the lead pipes so it does not enter the drinking water.

Almost 18 months went by before a State of Emergency was reported due to

Peace Talks About Syria

The United Nations will commence peace talks in Geneva concerning how to attain stability in war-torn Syria. Leading up to this discussion, disputes about who was going to attend made the event contentious even before it began.

Certain rebel groups and anti-Bashar al-Assad political groups refused to attend until the U.N. added a clause to give immediate humanitarian aid to besieged and starving cities and to

Why is this a big deal? More than 100,000 people were exposed to the contaminated water which causes lesions on the skin, irritability and learning disabilities in children. Census data revealed 8,000 children under the age of 6 need to be tested and treated to counteract the negative effects. Since lead is most harmful to developing tissue and brains, these children could have a lifetime of problems ranging from lower IQs to behavioral issues. end airstrikes on civilian areas. The United States called for the opposition to attend to see how willing some parts of the regime will respond to ending the bloodshed.

Why is this a big deal? The war in Syria has left more than 250,000 people dead and displaced millions more. Currently, due to blockades and rebel groups, 500,000 citizens are on the brink of starvation. These are the first talks of peace in two years. For the time being, they are aimed at achieving a national ceasefire and ending political instability during elections.

February 2016 inthenews 3

throwback to the ‘30s ‘Anything Goes’ cast discusses historical value, highlights of the musical

THEN

-Adolf Hitler becomes Führer of Germany -Astronomer Carl Sagan born Nov. 9, 1934 -8.4 magnitude earthquake hits Nepal -Alcatraz becomes a federal prison -St. Louis Cardinals win the World Series

Blue Valley’s production of “Anything Goes” premiered last night and will go on through the weekend. Students can purchase tickets online or at the door.

“There’s something special about the classic musicals that no one really does anymore,” Jacobs said. “They were written to please audiences. They can come and have a fun time and bounce in their seat to the dancing that’s happening on stage.

It’s just a fun and funny musical.”

Showtimes:

Feb. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 5 at 7:30 p.m.

Feb. 6 at 2 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

Tickets: ADMIT

Performing Arts students are taking on a classic 1934 musical for this year’s show.

Composed by a multitude of musicians and writers, “Anything Goes” is an award-winning production taking place aboard a cruise ship bound for London.

The diverse plethora of characters include a lovesick Wall Street broker, a nightclub singer named Reno, two Chinese gamblers and a gangster known as “Public Enemy Number 13.”

Senior Lance Jewett said his favorite thing about his character, Billy Crocker, is his dedication to the girl he’s fallen in love with.

“He snuck on the boat, so he has to hide and dress up as different people,” he said. “[He] dresses up as a waiter, a sailor, a Spanish [man], a Chinese man and a woman. [He’s] doing whatever he possibly

can just to get near this girl.”

Of course, the signature feature of musicals is the music. “Anything Goes” features 30 songs, all with the same jazzy pop tune of the ‘30s.

“I’ve been in music since I was 3 or 4,” junior Jeremy Jacobs said. “I’ve always done musicals, and it stemmed from my love for music. This is what I want to do [for] my whole life — music and performing in some aspect.”

Since the musical debuted, it has been nominated for and won multiple awards and had several revivals. Jewett said the time period when the musical was written is an important aspect in bringing it to life.

“We have to know what life was like in that time,” he said. “The very first song we sing in the show is referencing different things [that] at that time would make sense and be funny. But now, I have no idea what half of it means.”

$8

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juliefreijat staff writer

NOW

-Donald Trump leads presidential campaign -Princess Charlotte of Cambridge born May 2, 2015 -7.8 magnitude earthquake hits Nepal -ISIS attacks in France, kills and injures hundreds -Kansas City Royals win the World Series

Photo by Isabelle Allen.

Page designed by Julie Freijat.

4 inthenews February 2016

A World of Change Aquatic theme park adjusts popular orca performances

SeaWorld, a chain of marine mammal theme parks, has recently been facing challenges of their own in both attendance and sales since 2013. Caused by many media and scientific developments like the documentary “Blackfish,” the conglomerate was hit with numerous protests and advances against the care and use of marine animals, specifically killer whales.

Orcas, typically found in the northern Pacific Ocean, have been captured and bred at SeaWorld parks to be used in shows where they perform a routine with trainers. Protesters have blackened the morality of the performance.

With many protests and raised awareness on the subject, SeaWorld parks are struggling. To combat declining atten-

dance, SeaWorld plans to close the Shamu Show in the San Diego location and convert to a show exemplifying the orcas in a more natural setting starting in 2017.

SeaWorld CEO Joel Manby said this change is not universal across all theme parks. In the San Diego park alone, a $100 million plan has been created to make the necessary changes for the new show.

Along with the changes to the show, SeaWorld also announced in October 2015 that they are no longer able to continue with captive breeding, something protesters were all too happy about.

SeaWorld had no other option but to end breeding in captivity because they need approval from California Coastal Commission to expand the size of the whale enclosure. They were also required to halt the transfer of any and all whales to and from the park.

Spokeswoman of the California Coast-

In Moderation Whether your goal is to lose weight or you are simply interested in becoming healthier, it is essential to know how nutrients affect our bodies.

al Commission Noaki Schwartz said the agency was unable to comment on specifics of the lawsuit, but the commission stated that it stands by its decision in October to protect killer whales.

Protesters have participated in numerous strikes claiming that these captive animals do not belong in a theme park but in their natural habitat, something SeaWorld is trying to achieve starting in 2017.

List of nutrition values suggest daily recommendations

Though you shouldn’t make managing each gram and percentage an obsession, it is important to be conscience of what you eat.

Carbohydrates 225-325 grams pasta, fruit, oats

Cholesterol 200 milligrams eggs, tofu, fish

Proteins 46-56 grams meat, eggs, yogurt

Sugar 25 grams fruit, bread, cereal

Fats 44-78 grams nuts, cheese, avocados

Potassium 4,700 milligrams bananas, beans, cereal

Sodium 2,300 milligrams meat, beets, spinach

Fiber 25-30 grams beans, oatmeal, bread Read more about nutrition facts on bvtigernews.org

Do you think it’s important to eat healthy?

isabelleallen photographer & staff writer

Jonhaugen

Smith

“It’s important to eat nutritiously because otherwise you will be unhealthy and feel sick. America has a lot of sweet foods.”

— Senior Sarah Jonhaugen “I think it’s a person’s choice. I think ‘healthy’ is kind of skewed. For me, healthy is a balance of nutritious foods and foods that I actually want to eat. I think eating healthy is important for the school system. It’s important for us to have a variety of options.”

— Sophomore Ally Smith

Orca photo courtesy of MCT Campus.

Page designed by Isabelle Allen and Alli Williams.

Who is ISIS?

February 2016 inthenews 5

very way, IS infiltrates countries without ever having to step foot outside their own territory.

Yet another reason IS grows as a serious threat is their acquisition of weapRise of Islamic State prompts in-depth look at origins, goals onry beyond what most were expecting.

Sunnis follow and agree with the Because of the American invasion of makaylanicholis companions of the prophet, and Shias Iraq in 2003, many U.S.-made weapons staff writer follow the line of imams that came from were left behind and even distributed the prophet’s family. IS identifies as Sunni throughout the land IS is now overtakFormerly elite terrorist group ISIS, or but are more radical, and their beliefs are ing. In fact, the United States has given the Islamic State of Syria, has wrought skewed. around $25 billion to equip and train chaos across the globe since long before Perhaps the most infamous group of the Iraqi Army since 2003. Now, those they became, simply and definitively, the jihadists was Al Qaeda, who was responsi- very same weapons build the IS arsenal Islamic State (IS). ble for the 2001 9/11 attacks on the United to a very threatening size that ranges Though they have had such a major States’ World Trade Center and Pentagon. from guns and ammunition to Humvees impact on our society today, most people IS is not a part of Al Qaeda, nor did and tanks — helping a terrorist group have absolutely no idea who or what they they branch from them. Instead, they quickly become an army. are. There are jokes enough, sure, but are a separate group that plans attacks As IS continues on their the background of the group remains a some argue may be too severe for even Al religious crusade, education rs mystery to those who so vehemently stake be Qaeda to perform, though they share the on their interests is crucial claims against their cause. Some culturing om same end goal. to the understanding eb is necessary. d Another thing that must be realized, of a powerful force ici ts .

IS is a jihadist militant group that Su nd i urb especially as our youth grows to take against human — a ub focuses on the Salafi movement. Their 15 nce rn s responsibility for our country, is that IS is rights.

0 2 goal, through violence, is to return to true r Fra he d. not a joke. While the Internet is used to be ris, nort kille Sunni Islam and to create one massive make the group into memes and empty em a s e international state of Islam. ov ck P eni 0 ar N threats, IS utilizes that same technology a D 3 t So, what does this all mean? at int- st 1 to sway the minds of young individuals all d e Sa t lea The word “jihad” refers to the holy r a th across the globe. o A b war that Islamic Muslims fight in order n d in Why is this scary? Your neighbor o s e e to spread their beliefs. It is important to pl ill im could be joining IS as you sleep. eo re k cla realize — in prevention of racism against p a IS Many young adults search 4 those who do not deserve it — that all 22 r jet ypt. for purpose and meaning in e — Muslims are not radical. Additionally, 5 ng Eg Abu Bakr a confusing time of their 01 sse ver 2 most Islamic people do not participate in r pa n o lives, and IS offers them e al-Baghdadi b n io jihadism. cto ssia los lity. an answer — is the leader of IS O Similar to the Christian Crusades in Ru exp sibi a position as a a s ’ n the Middle Ages, jihad calls for the perjet spo militant in a formance of any means to convert every re holy war. person to their own beliefs. n e In this m re The main belief of Muslims is that o a Tw ork there is one god, Allah, and prophet Mu— Y 5 hammad is his messenger. A large belief 01 New 2 , y of Islam is spreading peace and showing ar klyn . makes an u r kindness to everyone. This is included b roo for th IS e estimated F B e d wi in the teachings of Muhamin rest ng mad and recorded in the ar otti ed r a day pl Hadith, the collecarea controlled tu ate t p from crude a St ns tions of the prophc

by IS q i si c oil sales a ra i et’s reports and ist lam at ag in I r s b s u quotes. e to e I A r th com strik e o r — t ai 4 aft of IS was started in 01 ed a bid for 2 r ead es ns ia. e Muslims b h u ea r em d be ) iss rop d Sy uses social media to t are Sunni p Se an (IS Eu an

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Page designed by Alli Williams.

6 outloud February 2016

educate YOURSELF Importance should be placed upon paying attention to current events, politics for younger generation

maddiedavis co-editor In a world overrun with smartphones, the media and the Internet, it’s amazing to think some teenagers still don’t know what is going on around them.

We are criticized for having our noses in our phones 24/7, yet I bet some of you don’t even know or have an opinion on how to defeat ISIS or what its goals are.

Has it suddenly become “cool” to be uninformed?

Well, if it has, I hope it isn’t a lasting trend because we’re going to be in charge of the world someday. Eventually, we — or at least some of us — will make decisions impacting other people.

We are criticized for how irresponsible and selfish our generation is, and we attempt to refute this claim, but

Cartoon by Sophia Ragomo.

Page designed by Maddie Davis.

currently all we are doing is proving the older generation right.

Nobody is going to take us seriously if all we do is focus on our immediate surroundings.

It’s not like you’re forced to get your news only one way, either. There are a million different platforms that will bring news to you.

Download a news app like CNN or Vice that will send notifications to your phone right when something happens.

Watch the news as you do your homework. And I don’t mean just Fox News, MSNBC or your local news station. Get your news from a variety of sources so you can be sure that you’re getting the real story.

I know this one might be a stretch for some of you, but read the newspaper.

I promise you’ll learn something, and what you’re reading might even change your outlook on politics or aspects of your life.

And that’s the other problem — just because you’ve been raised to lean toward a certain side of the spectrum or your parents belong to a particular political party doesn’t mean you have to.

If your reasons for holding certain political beliefs are “I live in Kansas, so I’m a Republican,” or “My parents are Democrats, so I’m a Democrat,” I’m sorry, but you’re wrong.

Think for yourself.

Aren’t we trying to be the generation that challenges old ideas and brings about new ones?

Well, that isn’t going to happen if you keep living in your parent’s basement of ideas.

I know it’s comfortable to just agree with whatever they say politically — and it definitely makes for easier dinner conversations with relatives — but you’re old enough to have your own ideas.

However, it will be hard to make this transition if you don’t pull your head out of the sand.

If you start paying attention to the world around you, your ideas will either gradually change or become more concrete. At least you’ll know what you truly believe.

And maybe next time an adult asks you your opinion on using airstrikes to defeat ISIS, you’ll be able to — intelligently — discuss it.

*

February 2016 outloud 7

CENS RED

Opinions should be respected; suppression isn’t a solution

juliefreijat staff writer Throughout my life, I’ve had very strong opinions. Sometimes they’re common with the general public; other times they’re controversial. Regardless of their popularity, I’ve found it difficult to express them because of the possibility of angering someone.

Day by day, I still find myself wondering whether or not something is safe to say — and I know I’m not the only one.

We’ve been caught in this state of wondering whether to be honest or spare someone’s feelings.

We avoid certain jokes because they’re offensive.

We censor “bad” words because they could be too harsh for children.

We ban books and movies because the themes in them aren’t suitable for the youth.

We’re such a sensitive population, yet we demand the uncut truth.

Unfortunately, the truth isn’t always rainbows and sunshine — sometimes it’s the news you never wanted to hear.

The point of the First Amendment was to ensure our right to express ourselves without fear of censorship.

You don’t get to take that away because something offends you.

If we want to move forward as a society, we have to understand that agreeing with each other isn’t always an option. More often than not, people are going to have different opinions than you, and if you can’t accept that, you’re going to have a very difficult life.

It’s OK to be upset or frustrated or angry.

UNCENSORED “I don't think people should be offended by everything because everyone has their different opinions. Some people are just more sensitive than others, and some people are more aggressive with what they say.”

— Junior Brenna Stroud

Nicol

Stroud Ewing

It’s OK to disagree with someone.

But it’s important to remember people’s opinions don’t always make them a bad person — they just think differently than you.

If you spend your life scorning people because they identify with a certain political party or group, you’ll only contribute to the mass of hate that already occupies the world.

I’m sick and tired of people getting so offended because the words “triggered” them or they didn’t agree with some article. Those things can not affect you unless you let them.

It might seem attractive to live in a world where people always agree — but it’s unrealistic. Censoring things doesn’t make them go away — it just makes us ignorant. You can’t force someone to abide by what you deem acceptable and not. There’s no point in obsessing over what we can’t change.

Right now, the best we can do is learn to accept our differences and move along.

“I’m against censorship in any form. The world doesn’t exist within anyone’s safe zone. As such, it would be irresponsible to present a false representation of what the world is.”

— Senior Joe Nicol

“Censorship is a problem that is ridiculous. While obvious websites with sexual content should be blocked, [the school] blocks way too many websites that don’t need to be. We want to be treated like adults, so they act like they are but they’re still limiting us like children.” — Sophomore Ben Ewing Page designed by Julie Freijat.

8 outloud February 2016

more than meets the eye quick judgment leads to false perceptions

charlotterooney opinion editor Walking down the hallway you see everyone in groups. People in black, Vineyard Vines, flannels and athletic clothing.

At first glance, you assume people in black write dark poetry and are emo.

You assume students in Vineyard Vines love KU and are obsessed with monograms.

You assume people in flannels go to concerts and listen to alternative music.

You assume people in athletic clothing go to the gym every day and eat kale.

The fact is, you don’t know anything about these people. Just because someone looks a certain way — how they dress,

their hair color, their makeup — doesn’t mean you know anything about their life.

It’s the same thing as calling people names under a different pretense.

It’s in the same group as profiling, racism and bullying.

It’s more dangerous than you think — not only can they be blatantly incorrect, but stereotypes can create limitations that weren’t already there.

You saying that all Muslims are terrorists has the potential to make everyone who heard you say that think in the same uninformed, close-minded way you do.

If you honestly think you know anything about someone you’ve never talked to, you’re wrong.

You don’t know their home life, what they do in their free time, what they really care about or even the music they listen to — so why do you feel the need to make a judgment about them?

Don’t label someone as “weird” after having one encounter with them.

Don’t call someone stupid because

Beginning of the end of ACT Standardized testing lacks value

macielawrence staff writer One word, three letters every high school kid dreads — ACT. Most colleges value ACT scores more than ever. But do these lengthy, tiresome tests truly reflect students’ knowledge?

No — because one test shouldn’t decide your future. You’ve probably taken dozens of tests throughout the years, so why should one test declare your worth?

Yes, of course, many students rely on their test scores to get into a competitive college, but there are many downsides to test-taking.

Some of the most intelligent students are the poorest test takers because they want to get every answer right, but they have a time limit on the ACT. These tests only allow approximately three hours to read, analyze and answer hundreds of questions.

They assess students’ ability to answer questions quickly rather than correctly.

The time shortage results in students guessing and not thoroughly reading and comprehending each question.

If one student is more adept at guessing, he or she will seem more prepared for college, when ultimately, it is just a guessing game.

You could be really great at science, but the science portion on the ACT is like nothing you’ve ever seen in class.

You could love reading, but you can’t read four passages and answer 40 ques-

Photo illustration by Sophia Ragomo. Page designed by Charlotte Rooney.

they’re failing the one class you share.

Don’t call people emo, shallow, needy, rude, unattractive, slutty or crazy.

It’s unacceptable to comment on someone’s race, sexuality or socio-economic status.

We are equals.

I don’t know when saying what you think turned into being offensive, but it’s time to take a step back and realize that it’s, one, none of your business and, two, not your job to judge others.

Instead of labeling someone, actually talk to them and understand their interests or feelings. You may find out you were completely wrong about them, and they could find they were wrong about you, too. tions in 35 minutes and fully comprehend them.

You could be really great at math, but how could you do 60 questions in 60 minutes?

Standardized tests are still considered very important for college admission,

but why is there so much pressure on the ACT when students have spent the last three or four years taking other classes?

Colleges should spend more time reading essays and take GPA into account — since we have been working on it for four years.

Some colleges such as Drake University, George Washington University and Warren Wilson College are dropping the testing requirements — more schools should do the same.

The movement for compulsory public education began almost a century ago — surely by now we could have found a better way to measure intelligence other than by taking a grueling three-hour test.

February 2016 outloud 9

staffeditorial TIGER PRINT newspaper the

co-editors Maddie Davis Sheila Gregory web editor Rachel Lock

Cartoon by Christine Rice.

Some classes are unnecessary for students to take as they prepare for future careers You’re sitting in precalculus listening to a teacher lecture, wondering how you got there.

You don’t care about math. Your future plans don’t involve high level math.

Or, maybe you feel this way about science or English or history.

It’s required in this school to take four English credits, three math credits, three science credits and three social studies credits.

Most students don’t need to do that.

Students are limited to taking almost all required classes.

Many professions don’t require high-level classes in some subjects, so why should students spend hours a day in classes that aren’t of use to them?

Students feel like they’re taking classes because they have to, not because they want to.

Obviously, some classes just aren’t that interesting. Students should take classes that are relevant and

beneficial to their futures.

Taking four years of entry level classes, such as ELA 9, Algebra, U.S. History and Biology, are important to be exposed to and should be required in order to gain basic information about each subject.

In India, students have a school structure similar to the United States up until 10th grade. Then, they are free to chose specialized classes in their preferred areas such as Science, Arts, or Commerce, to name a few.

This is helpful because students have time to be exposed to different subjects and see what they really enjoy. Then they have the opportunity to actually pursue those fields.

If a student is particularly interested in a certain field, they can take higherlevel classes that apply to them and their hopes of a future career.

Students should have more freedom in the classes they’re taking in order to find out what they are

actually interested in.

Obviously, there are credits colleges require and that BV requires to graduate, but the education system is flawed if students are forced to take classes that are unnecessary and unrelated to what they want to do with their lives.

There needs to be standards.

Starter classes should be required, but if an artistic student wants to have the majority of her classes be art, then she shouldn’t be held back from doing so.

If a student who loves math wants to take as many classes as he can in that subject, he should be allowed.

It should be that way with science or social studies classes, too.

Students sit in classes that are quite frankly a waste of time for them when they could be immersing themselves in classes they actually like and want to take — and that will prepare them for their future careers.

news editor Alli Williams

photo editor Sophia Ragomo photographer Isabelle Allen cartoonists Mandy Novicoff Christine Rice

opinion editor Charlotte Rooney

staff writers Talia Amjadi Julie Freijat features editor Connor Heaton Hope Brown Emilee Holscher Lydia Hsu entertainment Lauren Huesers editor Macie Lawrence Courtney Carpenter Amelia Lock Makayla Nicholis sports editor Tatum Sanders Megan Hegarty Ifrah Sayyada Kaitlin Yu adviser Michelle Huss “The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication. “The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content. Letters should be submitted to Room 450, emailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

10 upclose February 2016

the

college

college states attended by 2015 BV graduates 200+ 20+ 10+ 5+ 1+

experience

Blue Valley alumni share college insights macielawrence staff writer To many students, freshman year in college can seem exciting and intimidating all at once. After all, students have moved away from home and are now managing many aspects of their life without parental supervision.

In preparation for college, students load their schedules with AP classes as early as their freshman year, excel in sports, music and drama, be successful on the standardized tests and complete community service.

Ricky Shull, BV alumnus and Baylor University freshman, said taking AP and honors classes helped him with his application and made it easier to get courses specific to his major more quickly.

“Even if I felt that the classes would not benefit me directly, they actually have made my freshman year much easier and have accelerated my career path,” Shull said.

The transition between high school and college — while fun and exciting — can often be a challenging process for students, Shull said.

With more than 5,000 different colleges to choose from, students have an uncountable amount of new opportunities to encounter, and sometimes choosing the right college can be tough.

Shull said most students usually apply

{ voice } Raise your

to at least three or four colleges before making their decision.

“I chose Baylor because it had one of the best entrepreneurship programs available, which is what I will major in,” Shull said. “It has a beautiful campus, and I am close to family members in Waco.”

High school teaches you what it is like to be an adult, while college allows you to fully take ownership of responsibilities and time, said Megan Browne, BV alumna and University of Kansas freshman.

“You have so much more freedom in college,” Browne said. “You have a lot more free time and can dedicate it to whatever you want. All of the decisions you make are your own.”

Shull said college students still make lots of time for fun in college.

“There are intramural sports and clubs,” Shull said. “Hammocking is big on campus, and the [Living-Learning Center] often has something going on as well. I have done intramural ‘Almost Golf,’ dodgeball and basketball games with friends in my LLC.” Browne said the biggest thing she misses about high school is being around her friends and family all the time.

“High school goes by fast, so spend as much time as you can together,” Browne said. “With an academic standpoint, take advantage of small classes and one-onone time with teachers. Once you get to college, you are completely on your own,

Browne

Shull

and professors don't care whether you pass or not. They won't remind you when you have an assignment due or test coming up because it's your responsibility.”

According to TheHuffingtonPost.com, the constant expectations, competition for grades, workload and other aspects of the college life cause stress for students.

“I have some classes that require a lot more time than others,” Browne said. “But with all the free time, it’s not hard to split up your workload.”

Even though students have many extracurriculars going on, Browne said it is always important to prioritize your academics.

“It’s hard at first, but you learn to manage your time,” she said. “I have met so many new people and have had so much fun, but you really have to set aside time to focus on school. Sometimes you have to sacrifice a night out with friends in order to complete an assignment or study for a test, but eventually you figure out a routine that allows you to get all your work done and still have fun.”

What will you miss most about Blue Valley?

“I am going to miss all of my brothers and friendships I have created in the Tiger family.”

Page designed by Macie Lawrence.

— senior Jeff Gurley

“I will definitely miss all of the Blue Valley. It’s really cool having such a supportive school with such great teachers and friends.”

— senior Melanie Harrell

“I will miss choir and baseball because I have [met] so many awesome people who have positively impacted my life.”

— senior Austin Bade

February 2016 upclose 11

Dance Your Heart Out

Seniors continue tradition of Sweetheart dance

laurenhuesers staff writer Every year before the Sweetheart dance, the school hosts an assembly in support of the event. During this gathering, there is a special routine performed by the senior boys and cheerleaders to showcase school spirit.

Senior Meredith Strickland is a cheer captain and said this dance is an amusing tradition at Blue Valley.

“It’s really fun doing it with the guys because they’re always funny,” she said.

“They like to goof around. It’s pretty entertaining.”

Strickland said the group consists of 20-25 senior boys and almost all of the senior cheer team.

“The seniors choreograph the routine, then teach it to the boys,” she said. “Sometimes we bring in [cheer coach] Michele Wirt or her daughter, but the senior cheerleaders do most of it.”

Strickland said it takes a considerable amount of time to put together a dance easy for the boys to learn but complex enough to make it compelling to watch.

“The cheer senior captains got together, and we discussed what we wanted for music and what we’re thinking about doing,” she said. “It took an hour to pick out the music and another half hour to figure out all the counts. We just come

up with our own ideas for the choreographing part and put it all together at practice. We also have a group message, which is helpful.”

Like with any project that involves a large group of boys, Strickland said some parts of teaching the dance were quite challenging.

“Sometimes it gets a little stressful when they don’t listen,” she said. “It’s really fun for the most part, though.”

Senior Brady Sloan said he is an avid participant of this group performance, and he signed up to encourage others to take part in school affairs.

“It’s a fun thing to do your senior year,” he said. “You get Completing a stunt, senior Garrhett Hurst is thrown into the to be with your friends but be air. The cheer squad and senior boys performed the routine in front of the school. It makes at the Jan. 28 Sweetheart assembly. “I liked the progress we it more fun to be participating made,” Hurst said. “In the first practice, everyone was falling, in school activities and being but we were able to make it a pretty decent performance in the end.” Photo by Maddie Davis. able to get together with all your friends.”

Sloan said the only difficult part of the Both Sloan and Strickland said they process was learning new moves. enjoyed performing the routine in front “There’s some challenges trying to of the school in the spirit of the Sweetlearn the routines and having to do all of heart dance. them,” he said. “You can’t remember all of “It’s just cool to go out and have fun it. Just getting them down perfectly and with your friends,” Sloan said. “It’s your doing it right — that’s kind of hard, but senior year, so you might as well do anyotherwise it’s pretty fun.” thing you can.”

raise your voice “My sister and a lot of other people made me participate but it’s been a lot of fun. I like learning how to throw people up and catching them. It’s been really cool.”

— Senior Grant Spicer

Why did you decide to participate in the dance?

“I think it’s a fun way to get everyone together and just have a good time.” ­ — Senior Ryan Richmeier

“I wasn’t originally in the routine, but my friends accidentally hurt their flyer, so they came and convinced me to join because they needed a new flyer.”

—Senior Aaron Peterson Page designed by Lauren Huesers.

12 upclose February 2016

art student spotlight

Ceramics II — sophomore Madalynn Gill

Question: Why did you take Graphic Design?

Answer: “I took Graphic Design because I wanted to learn how to use Photoshop since I had never used it before.”

Q: What was your favorite thing about it?

A: “Being able to create using your own ideas and not being told how to do something.”

Q: What was your favorite project?

A: “My favorite project was making a magazine cover using [science teacher Andrew] Hulse as the model.”

Blue Valley artists present their work, discuss benefits of art classes Among Blue Valley’s repertoire are high-achieving academics, strong sports teams and successful clubs and activities. However, one strength of BV’s often overlooked is the talented art students. Here are some of those artists.

Question: Why did you take Ceramics II? Answer: “After taking Ceramics I last year, I found it easy and needed an art credit.”

Q: What is your favorite thing about it?

A: “The fact that we can make our own projects.

They don’t have to be specific things that the teacher tells us to do.”

Q: What was your favorite project?

A: “The two mugs I made on the wheel. I put some time into making them, and they turned out great.

I can also use them.”

Q: How did this class influence you?

A: “It has influenced me to think outside the box and really get creative with each of my projects and other things in my day-to-day life.”

Q: Would you recommend this class to a friend?

A: “Yes. It is a great class. You can use your imagination and do things you wouldn’t normally do, like throw on the wheel — it’s a technique.”

Q: Do you want to pursue a career in this field?

A: “No. Although, it is a fun class.”

Q: How did this class influence you?

A: “I can now use the applications that I learned how to use in class to create things on my own time.”

Q: Would you recommend this class to a friend?

A: “Yes — it allows you to learn new things and create using your individual ideas.”

Q: Do you want to pursue a career in this field?

A: “I’m not sure about pursuing a job, but I definitely find it interesting and am not opposed to the idea of having a job in this field.”

Graphic Design — senior Matthew Cummings

February 2016 upclose 13

Drawing II — senior Sarah Herzberg

Question: Why did you take Drawing II? Answer: “I had room in my schedule for an extra class, and I knew I would enjoy this class while improving my skills.”

Q: What was your favorite thing about it?

A: “I really like how much freedom we have to express ourselves in our projects. We have a basic outline, but [art teacher Kim] Francis is really open to us interpreting and taking them in our own direction.”

Q: What has been your favorite project?

A: “My favorite project [was] actually the final. We got to choose between drawing cow bones or hands, and the only thing we [had] to do [was] make it unique and different.”

Q: How did this class influence you?

A: “It really helped me expand my skills when it comes to drawing and art in general, and it introduced me to a lot of new art.”

Q: Would you recommend this class to a friend?

A: “Yes — it’s really fun and helpful if you want to improve your drawing skills. And, Miss Francis is awesome.”

Q: Do you want to pursue a career in this field?

A: “Probably not. I might minor in photography but not drawing.”

Question: Why did you take Digital Imaging?

Answer: “I wanted to take another art class before graduating, and this was one of the classes that fit my schedule.”

Q: What was your favorite thing about it?

A: “Adding in simple edit actions on the computer can make it look 10 times better.”

Q: What has been your favorite project?

A: “Depth of field photos were my favorite because it requires you to focus on one object in the picture that blurs out the surrounding objects or background or vice versa. In addition, these photos require a limited amount of color and light correction, which is nice.”

Q: How did this class influence you?

A: “It taught me that you can get very creative with very little.”

Q: Would you recommend this class to a friend?

A: “I would recommend the class even if you don’t want to do art as a profession.

It is still a fun class because it allows you to be creative, and it isn’t just a teacher standing in front of the class and talking the whole time.”

Q: Do you want to pursue a career in this field?

A: “Yes — I want to be an animator and own my own motion picture company.”

Digital Imaging— senior Andrew Fournier

Stories by Maddie Davis. Photos and page designed by Maddie Davis and Sophia Ragomo. Artwork by each student.

14 payin’thebills February 2016

Need $ for college?

Check out JCCC scholarships.

Visit jccc.edu and search for "scholarships" for more details.

12345 College Blvd. | Overland Park, KS

February 2016 upclose 15 g li

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The classes we’re required to take never seem to align with our interests. English essays are tedious, math has little value in real life and science seems to be all theory and no explosions. However, the reason we take these courses isn’t to torture us, but rather it is to see what piques our interest and to gain valuable life skills. To graduate, students need a biology credit, several elective credits, a technology credit and four years of English, among others. These classes all translate into popular careers and real-world experiences.

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Stories by Hope Brown and Sheila Gregory.

Photos by Sheila Gregory and Isabelle Allen.

16 upclose February 2016

From the Classroom

BV courses translate into careers, p AP Biology

Sophomore Jack Berg Business Essentials

To prepare students who are interested in a business major, Blue Valley offers several business courses.

Business Essentials teacher Kathy Peres said the class is a good introduction to the field.

“When you think about a business degree in college, there’s all different specialty areas you can focus on,” she said. “Our thought with Business Essentials is that we give kids a teaser into all those areas. We look at the topics students could potentially focus on later in life and give them an idea of it now.”

Sophomore Jack Berg said he took Business Essentials for that foundation.

“I want to start my own business when I’m older,” he said. “I was hoping to learn the basics and a little bit more about what goes into starting a business.”

Even if a student isn’t interested in pursuing business, Peres said the class is still an opportunity for growth.

“If someone doesn’t like it, I see that as a very positive thing,” Peres said. “We’ve helped you narrow down something for your future where you’re not going to waste time on it. You may get in here and think, ‘This is amazing, I never knew this was all here for me.’ Then you get to figure out what you really love.”

With many opportunities to enroll in more specialized business classes, Berg said Business Essentials helped minimize the choices.

“I’m in Entrepreneurship now, and I took Sports and Entertainment Marketing,” he said. “All those classes tie in together.”

Berg said everyone should have some knowledge of business.

“At some time in their life, they are going to have to be associated with or work for some business,” he said. “They need to know what goes into it and how it got started.”

That basis is something Peres said could only benefit a student taking Business Essentials.

“Many students have someone they know in a business field,” she said. “An understanding of what all is in the business field would be helpful. Understanding how a business operates is a really valuable knowledge base to have.”

Although freshmen are required to enroll in Biology, juniors and seniors may delve further into the science by taking AP Biology, taught by science teacher Azie Taghizadeh.

Senior Aditi Rastogi enrolled in AP Bio because she said she wants to become a dentist.

“I wanted to see if AP Bio would help me build on what I learned in Honors Bio,” Rastogi said. “I like biology in general, and I like learning how we came to be.”

Although Taghizadeh said biology is a broad major, there are many different career paths.

“There are obviously the health professions — pharmacy, medicine, chiropractics and dentistry,” she said. “You can also go into research. Even if you don’t want to go the health route, there are opportunities in the business world. There are lawyers with a medical background with areas like environmental law [or] medical malpractice.”

Rastogi said AP Bio consists of lectures, guided reading packets and self-study questions, which can become overwhelming.

“Side-by-side, you’re also learning different material in class,” Rastogi said. “It takes a couple days to get everything straight.”

Taghizadeh said it is important to engage in hands-on experience in AP Bio to fully learn the material.

“When I left for college, I don’t remember what I did in [high school] lab,” Taghizadeh said. “I remember I got an A because I regurgitated the information. I’m hoping at my AP Bio level, the kids are getting to experience things they wouldn’t get at the beginning level. Part of the lab experience is that you have to be involved in it, too.”

Despite the workload, Taghizadeh said the class is worth taking if students have a passion for science.

“Some students will take a class like AP Biology or AP Chemistry and think it’s really hard,” Taghizadeh said. “But if you can jump through that hoop and get to some of the secondary and third-level science courses, that’s where it becomes more specialized and where students begin to fall in love with it just a little bit more.”

Senior Aditi Rastogi

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February 2016 upclose 17

to the Job Market

ers, provide hands-on experiences

English Language Arts

Junior Adam Owens Principles of Engineering Career opportunities in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math — STEM — have skyrocketed in the past decade. Because of this, Blue Valley offers Honors Principles of Engineering (POE) to teach the basics of the field with real-world experience.

“A lot of the kids who take the class are interested in becoming engineers,” POE teacher Kyle Braden said. “I have several every year that are interested in some type of Environmental Science or BioMed. Even though our focus is engineering, the skills you learn apply to those other fields.”

Junior Adam Owens is enrolled in POE and said he is interested in chemical engineering.

“The mathematics and the principles are there in [POE] for general engineering disciplines, no matter what you might go into,” he said. “There is a broad range of jobs [in chemical engineering] because chemistry is very present in our everyday lives.”

Rather than traditional classroom learning, POE focuses on project-based instruction.

“It’s about half what you would do in a normal math or science class,” Braden said. “Half of our time is spent doing real-world type projects based on what we learn.”

There are several opportunities for students to showcase content learned through these projects, Braden said.

“We go to a competition at KU every spring where we have to design and build pasta bridges out of nothing but Elmer’s glue and store-bought pasta,” he said. “They build a machine second semester that can separate different types of marbles. They have to do computer programming, and they have to build the mechanical side of it.”

Owens said this structure of the class is what he finds most beneficial.

“I like that we apply what we learn,” he said. “It isn’t just concepts we will never use. We do projects and sometimes compete against each other.”

POE is the only engineering class BV offers, but Owens said he wishes more were available.

“There should definitely be more STEM offered at BV,” he said. “There isn’t a level higher than AP Chem or POE that I could take, and I would like to further my learning.”

In order to graduate, Blue Valley students must complete four credits of English Language Arts (ELA) — more than any other core class.

ELA teacher Kelsey Bakalar said an important skill taught in ELA classes is public speaking.

“At every grade level, there’s an attempt to get students up in front of the classroom,” she said. “When I communicate with friends who are not in education they [say they] spend a lot of time presenting to clients.”

Sophomore Lizzie Skidmore said enrolling in several English classes depends on what individuals wish to major in.

“If someone wants to go into a math field, I don’t necessarily think they should worry about English as much,” she said. “But I do think English will help us. It’s beneficial to have it as a core class because it ties into everything.”

Language arts classes can lead to jobs in the editing or journalism world, Bakalar said.

“I have a friend who works at a publishing company in New York, and she reads people’s manuscripts,” she said. “[There are jobs] whether it’s in the field of journalism or something related to writing.”

Skidmore said she wants a job involving creative writing. “[I’d like] something where I can just make up stories and write,” she said. “You can do so much with writing — you can do anything you want to do with your characters, and you can be anything that you never could [normally] be.”

This year, Skidmore took a new creative writing class at BV. “Before I took that [class], I didn’t know how well I was writing,” she said. “[Students in the class] critiqued it in a nice way, and they got to tell me how I can go from there.”

Bakalar said ELA classes are valuable because they teach life skills.

“If you can become a lifelong reader, you’re going to become an intellectual,” she said. “You’ll expose yourself to a lot of different things, and you’re going to speak about a lot of different things based on your knowledge and your experience.”

Sophomore Lizzie Skidmore Pages designed by Hope Brown and Sheila Gregory.

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February 2016 upclose 19

POINTED IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

Student aspires to dance professionally meganhegarty sports editor About 95 percent of Blue Valley graduates go on to college. The others join the military, start working, become YouTubers or … dance professionally?

Junior Emma Lane started ballet at age 3 and plans to pursue it as a career.

Lane’s a part of Kansas City Ballet’s (KCB) pre-professional program, as well as KCB’s youth company. Between classes and rehearsals, she spends 25 to 30 hours per week dancing.

“It’s really hard to keep up with school, especially for me, because there are definitely times where ballet is way more important to me,” she said.

“That’s what I want to do with my future, so school kind of becomes secondary, and I start to slip on grades.”

Lane said she gave up a lot for ballet but has gained invaluable experiences.

“Once high school started, I definitely started to notice how often I miss out on things because of ballet,” she said.

“I’ve never been able to go an entire football game. I’m missing out on things that seem normal for growing up, but I’m having such a completely different experiences. Most people can’t say they were in a professional production in third grade.”

She has been in KCB’s Photos submitted by Emma Lane.

Page designed by Megan Hegarty.

production of “The Nutcracker” for the last nine years and said it’s been incredible.

“It’s one of the coolest experiences ever,” Lane said.

“It’s nice being able to do it so many years in a row.

Being in ‘The Nutcracker’ nine times, I’ve had so many different parts that I’ve really been able to see how I’ve progressed as a dancer.”

Emma’s brother, freshman Michael Lane said although he has learned a lot about ballet, he still can’t tell if the production is good or not.

“It’s interesting because I can’t tell the difference between what’s good and what’s really good,” he said. “Still, I can’t do what she does, so I think it’s pretty impressive” Emma said ballet is different than other types of dance because of its strict structure.

“Ballet is the most classical type of dance — everything else comes from ballet,” she said. “I remember a school director at KCB said, ‘If you can do classical ballet, you can do anything else because you know how to make your lines look good and know how to use your body.’”

Emma said she doesn’t plan to attend college and will try to join either a trainee program or a second company immediately after graduating high school.

“I’ve always known I would end up doing something with dance as my career,” she said.

“I started considering trying to get into a company to dance professionally in seventh or eighth grade because you have make that decision so much earlier than college. Companies want to see you, and you need to meet directors. The dance world is so small that you want to know as many people as you can. I finally said I wasn’t going to college at all in the last few months because that was a huge decision to make, and it changes what my priorities are.”

Michael said Emma’s decision was a long-time coming and not surprising to him.

“As long as she has a plan

and a goal in mind, it’s cool with me,” Michael said. “I hope she succeeds with what she wants to do.”

Emma said she loves everything about ballet.

“I love how hard it is,” she said. “It’s fun to figure out what works, what doesn’t, how to make yourself look the best you can and how that can be so entirely different from someone else in the room. I also love performing because it’s the pay off for all the hard work you put in. The realization that I could get paid for doing something I love definitely made me want to dance professionally.”

As a seventh grader, junior Emma Lane was Clara in KCB’s “The Nutcracker.” Clara is the leading youth role in the ballet. “Clara was one of my favorite roles because I was the lead in something for the first time, even though it was so much more acting than dancing,” Lane said.

20 upclose February 2016

Dual

Enrollment

Student shares her experience of being a part of an online school Algebra

taliamjadi staff writer According to the “Project Tomorrow” annual speak up survey, more than onequarter of all high school students in the United States have been enrolled or taken an online class.

Sophomore Kimberly Stone manages to take part in Stanford Online High School (SOHS) as of this year as well as taking fifth through seventh hour at Blue Valley.

“Stanford Online High School is basically a program for gifted students that Stanford hosts for kids from all over the world to get together to learn at a high advanced level,” Stone said. “You have to fill out this whole big application form as well as have an interview and place in some standardized tests.”

Stone said she and her dad found the program during her freshman year and thought it was an awesome opportunity to enhance her learning.

“This is all pretty new for me, but I love how it challenges you to go above your limits,” Stone said. “The teachers at Stanford are absolutely amazing, and they really care about each individual student as they give you amazing feedback on your work.”

Counselor Jane McGraw said there is value in students having control over their schedules.

“It allows for families to travel for mission work or business needs,” McGraw said. “Students may also be able to enroll in subjects not found in traditional school.”

Stone said the experience is amazing,

she said there is a lot of time-management and commitment needed.

“The biggest struggle is time management because you have to spend about eight hours per class a week outside of the actual class,” Stone said. “I wake up at 7:30, and for about four hours, I study and do homework. Then I come to BV from fifth to seventh hour. After that I go home and I normally have one

to two classes at Stanford after school.

I go to sleep around [midnight]. My life revolves around school.”

McGraw said if a student were to participate in online Stone schooling he or she would need to be a very hard worker to keep up with the workload.

“A student needs to be very selfmotivated, or conflicts will arise in the home when deadlines are not met,” McGraw said. “Many programs are expensive, so affordability is a huge consideration [as well].”

Despite the busy schedule, Stone said she would like to continue this in the future and eventually enroll full-time at SOHS and graduate from there.

“My goal is to expand my horizons and make a lot of new connections and meet new people,” Stone said. “I would love to go to Stanford for college because I do have high expectations for myself.”

Stone said she also believes other students should participate in some type of online school if they get the chance.

“Stanford is a really great experience, so if you want to, just go ahead and try,” Stone said.

Page designed by Tali Amjadi.

inked UP

Students, faculty share opinions on tattoos, stories behind their own

Story by Kaitlin Yu and Amelia Lock.

Senior Madison Morrill

Q: What do you think about having the tattoo now?

A: “I enjoy having it there — it’s kind of a nice reminder. I got it because a lot of stuff ’s been going on in my life. I need a reminder to be like, ‘OK, today’s a new day, but if today ends up being bad, then the sun’s going to set, and tomorrow’s going to be a better day.’”

February 2016 upclose 21 Social Studies teacher Kimberly Coffelt

Q: Are you worried about your employer’s opinions of your tattoo?

A: “Fortunately, no — my employers here seem relatively open-minded.

I know we have to maintain a professional veneer. I probably would’ve worn long sleeves in an interview had I had [the tattoo] at that time.”

Q: What do you think about minors getting tattoos?

A: “I wouldn’t want my 7-year-old coming home with an eagle across his chest or something, but [maybe] when he’s of age.”

Science teacher John Holloway

Q: Did you do much research before getting your tattoo?

A: “I knew I needed to bring a copy of what I wanted. When you take it in, they put it on a copier, and it comes out on this clear sheet that they put [onto your skin] and peel off — it leaves the outline.”

Q: What is the meaning behind your tattoo?

A: “I was always a Superman fan. I liked the message of somebody who had all this power and yet was very altruistic with it — who didn’t take advantage of it [or] let power corrupt them.”

Sophomore Jessica Justmann

Q: Are you worried about your future employers’ opinions?

A: I have to cover it up at my job, so I will have to think about that if I get more tattoos in the future, but it’s not really a problem as long as I can cover it up. I just put a sweatband on it.

Q: What were your expectations for the tattoo?

A: “I had an allergic reaction to the ink and the lotion. Eventually, it healed, but I wasn’t expecting that. It was really gross — I had to cover it. It was so bad.”

Senior Devin Graff

Q: What is the meaning behind your tattoo?

A: “The one on my back represents people who have helped me out through tough times because it has wings coming out of both sides, and that’s just the people who helped me up like a bird.”

Photos submitted. Page designed by Amelia Lock and Maddie Davis.

BLACK history MONTH

22 upclose February 2016

courtneycarpenter entertainment editor

Every February marks Black History Month. There has been a long-standing dispute over whether or not the idea of Black History Month promotes celebration of diversity or further segregation of races. Freshman Zik Wamppah explains his take on Black History Month and why he believes it is necessary for all to pay attention to.

Wamppah, although born in the United States, comes from a lengthy lineage of family from Nigeria. Wamppah said he still honors his culture with his immediate family.

“My family and I will get together and have summer parties like Nigerian [people] gather,” Wamppah said. “We have a group of Nigerians here in Kansas that we like to get together with to celebrate holidays.”

Wamppah said this community of people and tradition has helped keep him aware of his Nigerian roots and is also why Black History Month should continue to be celebrated.

“We can’t let ourselves forget this,” Wamppah said.

“This is our history — it is too Page designed by Courtney Carpenter.

important.”

Wamppah said Black History Month is not just a couple calendar weeks and should not be seen in a negative light.

“This month is such a positive thing,” Wamppah said.

“It doesn’t matter that it is a separate month. We are still remembering.”

Wamppah said specific political faces are often associated with Black History Month, but Africans in every way of life fought for equal opportunity just the same.

“We remember the leaders, but what about other Africans?” Wamppah said. “For example, Jackie Robinson — he was the first African American to play [major league] baseball. Without him, no African American or any other minority race could ever play baseball. That still makes him a leader for our people.”

Wamppah said Americans must cherish this special month, as it affects and shapes the lives of everyone.

“I know people take Black History Month seriously,” Wamppah said. “They have to. African American leaders are [continuing to change] our world.”

Second-generation Nigerian student shares why Black History Month should not simply be ignored, the importance of community acceptance

Carter G. Woodson is known as the “Father of Black History.”

Wamppah

Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech was partly improvised.

Black History Month was started in 1926 and was originally named Negro History Week.

African American Firsts State elected official: Alexander Twilight — 1836 Woman to graduate college: Lucy Stanton — 1850 U.S. Senator: Hiram Revels — 1870 Olympic Medalist: George Paoge — 1904 General: Benjamin Davis — 1940 Federal Judge: William Hastie — 1946 Astronaut: Robert Lawrence — 1967 Billionaire: Robert Johnson — 2001 President: Barack Obama — 2008 Information gathered from blackpast.org

February 2016 payin’thebills 23

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EXPIRES 3/31/16

24 centerstage February 2016

Paw-pular Pooches Dogs share personality, physical traits of humans

This mix is gentle and affectionate.

These dogs are cheerful, playful and independent. Bichon-Yorkies are usually bold and confident dogs. Depending on the dog, they can take more traits from either the Bichon or the Yorkie.

This breed can have the coloring of a yorkie with longer hair or can be white with fluffy, curly hair.

Goldendoodle

Both Retrievers and Poodles are extremely active and alert dogs. This breed is independent and instinctual, but very trainable as well.

Retriever-Poodle mixes are usually larger in size compared to a purebred Retriever. Their hair is curly and ranges from caramel to brown.

Pitbull

This breed is known for its aggression, but they are actually friendly, affectionate and obedient animals. They can be stubborn and strong-willed but are very intelligent. Pitbulls have large faces with prominent cheekbones.

They have smiling mouths and stout, strong bodies.

Labrador

Labs are similar to retrievers in both physicality and personality. Labs are high energy and outgoing dogs, but very gentle and even tempered. These dogs are yellow, brown or black with short, coarse hair. They have a similar build to a retriever, with long snouts and medium length legs.

Puggle

These dogs are incredibly energetic and happy. They are constantly wiggling and wanting to play.

Puggles have a keen and watchful eye and are very intelligent. Puggles are low to the ground with long legs. They can have fur ranging from light tan to a medium brown.

The face is distinguished by a black muzzle.

To view more dogs...

Bichon-Yorkie Mix

Stories and photos by Charlotte Rooney and Tali Amjadi.

Political Terms: Explained Definitions derived from Merriam-Webster.

Socialism:

a way of organizing a society in which major industries are owned and controlled by the government rather than by individual people and companies Satire: It’s OK if you don’t want to work hard, we’ll just give you money.

Cartoon by Sophia Ragomo.

Page designed by Charlotte Rooney and Julie Freijat.

Liberal:

believing government should be active in supporting social and political change; relating to or supporting political liberalism Satire: Hyper-sensitive and radical communist hippie who obsesses over minorities and uses them as an excuse for their actions.

Libertarian:

a person who believes people should be allowed to do and say what they want without any interference from the government Satire: Anarchist

Story by Julie Freijat.

Conservative:

believing in the value of established and traditional practices in politics and society; relating to or supporting political conservatism Satire: White, rich and gun-loving individuals with a passion for capitalism and gender inequality

Capitalism:

a way of organizing an economy so things used to make and transport products — such as land, oil, factories, ships — are owned by individual people and companies rather than by the government Satire: A rigged, oppressive economic system that hates the poor, brainwashes people and unfairly controls the distribution of money Satire 2: Bernie Sanders’ worst nightmare

February 2016 centerstage 25

Runway shows combine fashion for everyone

e n O e z i S All s t i F Giv Sp r e n c h y i ng 201 6

Pr a d a 2016 g n i r Sp

Although androgyny became a prevalent trend when it first emerged in the rock scene of the 1960s, it has long been an aspect of modern formal wear. The female tuxedo has become a red carpet staple over the past few years and once again made an appearance on the Spring 2016 runways.

Givenchy designer Riccardo Tisci has updated this look with an addition of gender-specific accessories and tailoring.

androg y

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the ion of t ina e and b com sculin ne ma emini istics f r cte a r cha Despite the fact that androgyny has remained a popular trend in formal wear, the Spring 2016 runways have brought the trend to sportswear. Using the same textures and prints to make an array of silhouettes helps make a trend cohesive among genders. Prada designer Miuccia Prada has used the same fabrics to create two distinct looks for both men and women.

Story, sketches and page designed by Sophia Ragomo.

26 centerstage February 2016

Top Tens:Valentine’s Day Edition Top Ten Worst Dates

1. He makes you pay for his McDonald’s happy meal — and you don’t get the toy.

2. He gets down on one knee and begs you to never call him again.

3. The date starts off with, “You look just like my dog!”

4. She live tweets the date.

5. The car breaks down, and you are forced to push it to the nearest garage.

6. She only speaks in quotes from “50 Shades of Grey.”

7. He brings his ailing grandmother along for the ride.

8. She crawls out the bathroom window before the main course.

9. You ride in the backseat of his mom’s 2003 Honda Odyssey, and his half-eaten lollipop gets stuck to your pants.

10. The blind date turns out to be an escort.

Top Ten Worst Kisses

1. It feels like a dog is licking your face.

2. You catch your lip on her braces.

3. It is like a mother bird feeding her baby.

4. “I am going to kiss you now.”

5. It finishes, and it turns out to be an episode of “Punk’d.”

6. You go in for the kiss, and he goes in for the handshake.

7. You discover gum you had not been previously chewing in your mouth.

8. You maintain eye contact throughout the entire thing.

9. “Someone Like You” is playing in the background 10. There is heavy mouth breathing into each other’s mouth.

the HISTORY of

valentine’s day 1700s A.D. Europeans hand made cards to give to their lovers or “valentines” Top Ten Best Places for a Date (BV edition) 1. The Fixed Forum — perfect for peoplewatching, though the privacy leaves some to be desired.

2. PAC — padded seats with dim lights and the occasional free choir show. Beware: Scott Bacon sometimes practices his “Fired up” speeches on stage.

3. Catwalk — if you’re into haunted, murdery places, the catwalk is the place for you. Very private, but the creaking wood and tortured spirits might kill the mood.

4. Weird mobile bench — Lovely outdoor sitting area with full vantage points of the Blue Valley trailer park (mobiles). Perfect if you want to make the first move.

5. Avenue of the Arts — Who needs the Smithsonian when you can have your own private gallery? Avoid rush hour from 7:15-7:45 a.m. and 2:50-3:30 p.m.

Feb 13-15 (270 A.D.) Romans celebrate the Christian feast Lupercalia

496 A.D. Pope Gelasius declared Feb. 200-350 A.D. 14 a national 2 Christian holiday to men named honor these Valentine clerics martyred

present day Valentine’s Day is celebrated in 49 countries today

Information derived from www.history.org

6. The cross country course — It’s just like a walk in the park with ditches, uneven terrain, hills and putrid odors. Watch out for the stray runners.

7. Fitness center — For fit couples, long treadmill walks while watching a subtitled “SportsCenter” provides a romantic ambiance reminiscent of gym class.

8. Scott Bacon’s office — chances are if you are both in Scotty B’s office, you have a lot in common — or at least a similar discipline record. Conversation topics will be limited to school spirit and how to properly hoist a trophy.

9. Teacher’s lounge — Fancier than the lunchroom, the teacher’s lounge is a great place to enjoy a nice microwavable meal with your date.

Food is already provided.

10. Any science room — Let’s get physical. Let’s study your anatomy. No need to elaborate — the chemistry is already there.

Infographic by Courtney Carpenter. Stories and page designed by Sheila Gregory and Lydia Hsu.

February 2016 centerstage & payin’thebills 27

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‘16

screenings

movies to see both near and far away april february The Jungle Book- 15th Amityville: The Awakening- 15th Ratchet and Clank- 29th Divergent: Allegiant- 18th Hail Caesar- 25th Batman v. Superman- 25th Finding Dory- 17th Captain America: Civil War- 6th Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles- 24th X-Men: Apocalypse- 27th Independence Day: Insurgence- 24th Alice: Through the Looking Glass- 27th

Deadpool- 12th Zoolander 2- 12th Gods of Egypt- 26th

raise your voice

Sophomore Zenia Amrolia

Senior Spencer Callister “‘The Martian’ was amazing. My dad is a film critic, and he just loved the movie.”

june

may

Favorite Movie of 2015 “I liked ‘Inside Out.’ I was watching it with my dad and my little brother, and he liked it because it was a kid’s movie, but then I realized it was also really deep.”

march

what to see in the next six months: ­­

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Deadpool- “Deadpool” is going to be something special not only because of its zany

antihero, played by Ryan Reynolds, but because of the Marvel comic’s signature fourthwall breaking shenanigans that are sure to bust some laughs.

Finding Dory- Speaking of long-awaited sequels, a cod-send to fish-lovers everywhere: “Finding Dory” debuts after a 13-year hiatus. While not much information has surfaced as of yet, the movie is sure to be a whale of a time.

Captain America: Civil War- The greatest divide since Team Edward or Team Jacob, comic book fans will be torn between Tony Stark’s Iron Man and Steve Rogers’ Captain America as the two reel from the consequences of “Age of Ultron” and are pitted against one another as the fate of the world is yet again in jeopardy.

Story and page designed by Connor Heaton.

Zenail & Spa

Manicures Pedicures Wax Acryllics Gel

Located on 151st and Nall behind Walgreens Call 913-851-0789 to make appointments

Make appointments for Prom and Formals!

N

28 tigerturf February 2016

othing but et

meganhegarty sports editor

Basketball requires teamwork, and a team can’t succeed if they don’t work together. This year, senior leadership on the girl’s basketball team is better than ever.

The team started the season 6-7 as of Jan. 31, and head coach Ryan Mahoney said the team’s goal is to improve throughout the season.

“Our expectation is to get better every single day, and we want to be a significantly better basketball team at the end of

Senior Taylor Hartman shoots the ball against BV Southwest on Jan. 15. The Tigers lost 63-56. “This [year] is the last time I’ll play basketball,” she said. “It’s been really fun to play without as much pressure and just spend time with my team.”

Photos and page designed by Megan Hegarty.

Girls basketball team builds on height, senior leadership

the year than we were at the beginning of the year,” he said. “We want to see significant improvement day by day, week by week and game by game — making sure we’re in a position where we can do [well] at the end of year.”

Senior Maddie Newell has been on the varsity girls basketball team all four years and said this team is different than past teams because of the girls’ height.

“We’re really tall, so we’re going to use that to our advantage this year,” she said.

“We have a lot of returning players, so I hope we can go farther than last year — we made it to Substate, but it’d be really cool to go to State for my senior year.”

Although she said being a tall team is beneficial, Newell said a shortage of depth on the roster may cause some problems.

“We have a lot of posts and not that many guards, which is a little nerve-wracking,” she said.

The basketball team practices for two and a half hours, six days per week, and Newell said she enjoys seeing that translate well in the games.

“I love getting at it at the games,” she said. “I’m a really competitive person, so I like seeing the hard work we put into practice come into something at the game.”

Newell said the senior leadership her first year shaped her as a player.

“The seniors my freshman year were really welcoming and set the example for how we play,” she said. “It was cool to be the freshman on varsity because they mentored and accepted me. Now, I get to do that for the incoming freshmen.”

Mahoney said the seniors motivate their teammates to do their best in all areas of life.

“I don’t think we’ve ever seen classes that are better at leading than the senior class we have now,” he said. “We have some exceptional leaders [in] the school not just [for] the basketball team.”

Newell said the seniors want to instill a

From the corner, sophomore Katie Beth Jones shoots a 3-pointer. Jones has played on varsity since her freshman year and also plays on a competitive team during the offseason. “Competitive basketball is more focused on improving rather than a record or getting to State, like high school,” she said.

“You can individualize it more.”

strong work ethic in the younger basketball players.

“This year the rest of the seniors and I are really trying to keep up tempo up and keep everyone working hard,” she said.

Mahoney said Newell’s experience is an incredible asset to the team.

“I don’t even know how to state Maddie’s value giving it the credit it deserves,” he said. “If coach [Darcy] Clinton and I were to be sick for a week, I’m sure Maddie would do just fine running practice by herself. She knows what I’m going to say before I say it, and sometimes she says it before I can. She knows how to communicate and tell the girls what’s expected because she’s been [on varsity] for so long now.”

life

February 2016 tigerturf 29

in the

fast lane

Girls bowling team anticipates successful season hopebrown features editor After half of its 12 members graduated last year, the bowling team rebuilt its roster this season.

Sophomore Kyra Redstone, a returning bowler, said she joined bowling because of a concussion last year.

“I couldn’t do basketball,” she said. “I thought, ‘Bowling’s an easy sport — I can’t get injured there.’”

The bowling team practices two to three times a week depending on the dates of upcoming competitions.

“Our practices are a half-hour away,” Redstone said. “We have to take a team van every day or a bus. We share the lanes with between three and five other schools.”

In competitions, bowlers play three games with a team of six — three girls on each lane.

“For scoring, you have six girls on your team, and you take the top four scores for each game,” she said. “If someone has a really bad game, that won’t affect the team score.”

Returning bowler sophomore Missy Stigliano said bowling is difficult because it requires a specific strategy in order to get a desired score.

“You have to position yourself correctly, focus on your mark and keep your arm straight,” she said. “It takes a lot of practice and concentration to get it right, and even then, you still have to adjust yourself throughout the game.”

Because there is only a girls bowling team at Blue Valley, Redstone said the players sometimes receive backlash from other teams.

“There’s nothing we can do about it,” she said. “If there was a guys team, that would be awesome because some schools refuse to bowl against us because we don’t

Stepping up to bowl, junior Malia Feliciano holds the ball before releasing it. A perfect bowling score is a 300. “My favorite part of bowling is just getting to know everyone on the team,” Feliciano said. Photo by Alex Roberts.

have a guys team. For them, it’s not worth just bringing their girls out if there’s no one for their boys to play against.”

Redstone said bowling isn’t as stressful of a sport as those with large teams. “[Bowling is] so small that you really get to connect with the girls,” she said.

“With 12 girls, you know people really well because you’re together all the time.”

Redstone said bowling isn’t as easy as some people may think.

“I feel like a lot of people think bowling’s not a real sport,” she said. “Anybody could get out there and do it. But it actually does take practice, and you actually have to work hard at it. Most girls are bowling hours on the weekend or doing other club bowls.”

Stigliano said the girls bowling team has a promising season ahead.

“I’m looking forward to improving my technique,” Stigliano said. “We have a really great team this year and will hopefully beat last year’s scores.”

Upcoming Schedule Feb. 5 - 3 p.m. @ Olathe Lanes East Feb. 8 - 3:30 p.m. @ Mission Bowl Olathe Feb. 17 - 3:30 p.m. @ Mission Bowl Olathe Feb. 19 - 1:00 p.m.

EKL Meet @ Mission Bowl Olathe Feb. 22 - 3:30 p.m.

BV Championship @ Mission Bowl Olathe March 3 - State Bowling Page designed by Hope Brown.

30 tigerturf December 2015

TIGER

TURF BV SPORTS

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1. Senior Alex DeBey shoots a contested basket. The Tigers were ranked 4th in the KC Metro Area as of Feb. 1, according to Time Warner Cable Sports Channel. “Blue Valley has always had a tradition of being bad, so it’s cool to finally be winning,” DeBey said. Photo by Megan Hegarty.

2. Swimming butterfly, junior Cooper May

3. competes in the Greg House Invitational. Six of the swimmers are seniors this year. “We’re going to do a lot better [at State] than in past years because we have a really solid group of seniors,” he said. Photo by Alexis Vance.

3. Holding his arm up, sophomore Coby Blasen wins the match. Blasen competes in the 138-pound weight class. “My favorite thing

about the wrestling season is participating in team duels because we each have to support one another,” Blasen said. Photo by Molly Franko.

4. Senior Lauren Sawyer moves in sync with the other cheerleaders. Each year, the cheer squad performs a Sweetheart routine with the participating senior boys. “My favorite thing

December 2015 tigerturf 31

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about cheer is how we all work together for one goal — whether it’s to hit a routine or support BV,” Sawyer said. “It creates a different bond with people I probably wouldn’t have talked to before, and I love that.” Photo by Maddie Davis.

5. Putting her hand on her hip, freshman Hannah Patterson flips her hair. Dance team

performed at the Jan. 28 assembly. “[Dance team] is a lot of time and energy, but going to competitions and coming back with trophies makes it feel like it is all worth it,” Patterson said. Photo by Maddie Davis.

6. In the paint, junior Azia Lynch dribbles the basketball. The girls basketball team was 6-7 as of Jan. 31. “We didn’t start the season off as

well as we had hoped, but we’re doing better now,” she said. Photo by Alexis Vance.

7. Swinging her arm, sophomore Hope Winchel prepares to release the ball. The bowling team practices at Olathe Lanes East.

“I’ve been bowling since I was 6, so I wanted to continue it,” Winchel said. Photo by Alex Roberts.

Page designed by Sophia Ragomo and Maddie Davis.

32 snapshot February 2016

on the

SPOT

Photo review of BV comedy troupe Fifth Wall’s Jan. 16 show

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1. Juniors Kailey Meacham and Lorna Hurt play the improv game Pan Left, Pan Right. Tickets for the Fifth Wall show were $3. “My favorite part of the show was when we were playing Pan Left, Pan Right and more and more people kept coming into the scene as dead bodies and shovels,” Hurt said.

2. Shouting, junior Tate Clemen is dragged across the stage by other Fifth Wall members. Clemen was a member of the improv team that won State. “The hardest part of improv is keeping the balance between focus and energy,” Clemen said. “We try to make sure that there isn’t just chaos on stage.”

3. Clemen holds up junior Paige Pritchard while playing Blind Freeze. The Fifth Wall show on Jan. 16 was at 7 p.m. “The Fifth Wall team dynamic is that of a family,” Pritchard said. “We all have a mutual support, love and respect for one another, but we aren’t afraid to give each other constructive criticism to help the team out.”

4. Imitating a small child, senior Olivia Carter is dragged across the floor by junior Noah Patton. Fifth Wall won the 2016 State improv title. “Winning State in improv is such a unique achievement,” Patton said. Just a few years ago, it was a dream of mine to even be on Fifth Wall, and now thanks to the people on the team and the opportunities we’ve had, we’ve been able to win a State championship.”

5. Pretending to drive a car, junior Kelsie McFadden acts out a scene. “My favorite improv game would have to be Pan Left, Pan Right,” Carter said. “It is one of our team’s strongest games, and it has a lot of energy and potential for laughs. It is one of my favorites because I always walk away from the game with a smile.”

Photos and page designed by Maddie Davis.

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