The Tiger Print — November 2023

THE TIGER PRINT

blue valley high school | volume 54 | issue 3 | november 2023 | bvtigernews.com | overland park, kansas

Facing Our Futures Seniors, teachers examine changes in college admissions process read on to page 14

| DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE

Contents

NEWS

5 INDIGENOUS PEOPLES’ MONTH November marks the month for celebrating the culture of Native Americans

FEATURE

12 SEIZE THE DAY Leads for musical talk about their upcoming rendition of “Newsies”

24 EW, PLS STOP

ENTERTAINMENT

Students discuss unfavorable hallway behaviors

PHOTO OF THE MONTH photo by emma mcatee

OPINION

30 FAMILY VLOG NIGHTMARE Family vlog channels endanger children

“I like the foreground of this photo and how there isn’t a lot of blank space, which I think adds to the emotion of the picture. My favorite part of this photo is how I captured the pride they felt as they performed.”

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Science teacher Kale Mann nominated for Kansas Master Teacher of the Year

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A&E

Staff writer reviews Olivia Rodrigo’s new album, “GUTS”

PHOTOS

Check out photos of recent events around Blue Valley

rief round a iews

lue alley

CREDIT CHANGES FOR CLASS OF ‘28

| PHOTO FROM BV SCHOOL BOARD PRESENTATION

The class of 2028 will enter their freshman year with an adjusted curriculum that includes a required communication credit, a STEM elective instead of a tech credit, and a financial literacy credit.

The communication credit and STEM elective can be achieved through multiple classes that students can choose from.

“The good thing about the STEM elective is rather than our narrow scope of tech options, [the list of STEM electives] is huge,” counselor Kristin Stallbaumer said.

WORLD CONFLICT PRESENTATION

| PHOTO BY ASHLING BAHADURSINGH

Social studies teacher Brian Mowry presented in the PAC on the Palestine-Israel conflict on Oct. 16.

The presentation focused on the conflict’s historical and political context and its impact. All students and staff in the building were invited to attend one of the two sessions offered during AST. “Several of us had students expressing curiosity and concern about what they have been seeing on social media and in the news,” Mowry said. “The complexity of this situation is immense.”

FREE COLLEGE APPS & BOGO ACTs Public colleges in Kansas, such as University of Kansas, Wichita State University and Kansas State University, made application fees free from Nov. 7-9 in an attempt to receive more applicants, the number of which has gone down 11.5% between 2014 and 2021. A similar program was established in Colorado, which greatly increased the number of applicants.

Additionally, ACT offered students a free test if they signed up to take the Dec. 9 test after Halloween. The offer code must be used by Jan. 31 on certain test dates. november 2023

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I VOTED

To the Polls

Blue Valley School Board election takes place harris jones | assistant editor The 2023 school board election for the Blue Valley school board took place Tuesday, Nov. 7. Among the elections, two key groups formed, the A+ team and Blue Valley Excellence, both of which have very different views on the direction the Blue Valley school district should be taking.

The A+ team features candidates Jan Kessinger, Jodie Dietz, Patrick Hurley, who are all incumbent members of the school board, and newcomer Clay Norkey.

This group has slated themselves as “kids first” with four key pillars on what they plan to do with the district. These pillars, or four A’s are academics, arts, athletics, activities, all in a safe and secure environment.

To expand on what this means is Kessinger, candidate and former State representative.

“People will take a look at Blue Valley, and when it comes to the academics, we excel at it. We’ve got 56 National Merit semifinalists — that’s amazing. That’s more than equal to the whole rest of the state,” Kessinger said. “But a plus is not just academics, but we have so many people who are so talented in artistic skills, we’ve got amazing athletics, we’re looking at trying to build ‘how do you get along with a team?’ which is a life skill [in and out of] the activities.”

On the other side is Blue Valley Excellence, featuring all newcomers, Christine Vasquez, Mike Huebner, Rachel Faagutu and Trisha Hamilton.

This group’s motto is to “go back to basics.” This includes stances against critical race theory and gender ideology. They also wish to place an armed guard at every elementary school and to fund special education programs solely through the state rather than using money from the school board. Faagutu provided more information on their policies.

“Let’s simplify and let the school be the place where each

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and every child can get an amazing education — what I mean by that is super gifted kids to normal kids to special ed kids.

The idea is to put academics back at the top priority,” Faagutu said. “Now, I’m not saying that’s the only thing because we’re really drawn to the district because of all the sports [and] extracurricular activities, but ‘back to the basics’ means prioritizing academics first and foremost.”

Both candidates feel very connected to the district and their causes.

“My grandmother was a teacher, three of my sisters were teachers [and] I have a daughter who’s a teacher, so education has always been critical,” Kessinger said. “Education was always emphasized as I grew up, but what I realized very recently was my commitment to the youth of Blue Valley is that so many people were so kind to me — I want to repay that.”

“The main thing that inspired me was my children and modeling for them what it looks like to be a service leader, to be involved in this community, to be active and to step up,” Faagutu said.

For Kessinger, his appreciation goes all the way back to an accident during his childhood.

“I ended up in speech therapy and [had] lots of problems for the first seven or eight years of my life,” Kessinger said.

“So many people were so kind to me, and I’m filled with gratitude for those who helped me for debts I cannot repay, but I’m trying to repay the kindness people gave to me. I want to give that same kindness to the youth of today.’”

This article was sent to print Nov. 6, one day before the election took place. By the time this article is out the new board members will have already been chosen, whoever wins, their policies will be the future of what this district looks like.

The changes they make will play out from here.

VOTE

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Indigenous Peoples’ Student, teacher discuss importance of, how BVHS Month honors heritage month The committee brainstorms and carries out the entire gaby ayres | staff writer Heritage months are chances to celebrate and uplift event. ethnic groups that have been historically and are currently “We have to make a presentation for our month and lead marginalized; the month of November is designated as the [committee] in any activities we do related to that,” Strom National American Indian Heritage Month. said. “We’re going to make a bulletin board somewhere It is an opportunity to recognize the and we’ve got a few Tiger Time activities contributions of American Indigenous peoples [planned].” and time to reflect upon American history and An important goal of teaching Indigenous the oppression of Indigenous peoples. history is to acknowledge how the historic According to Native American Heritage oppression of Native Americans impacts the Month’s website, what eventually became the current status of these tribes. One such issue Indigenous Heritage Month began as efforts surrounds environmental concerns; protection to get a single day for recognition for the of flora and fauna is a cultural value shared contributions made by the first Americans. across all North American tribes.

This single day became a week under former “Environmental issues are obviously really president Ronald Reagan, and then-president big — a lot of fishing rights, hunting rights, and | SCAN THIS QR CODE TO LEARN George H. W. Bush approved a resolution for things that fall within treaties that have been MORE ABOUT NATIVE an official month in 1990. negotiated are just consistently being violated, AMERICAN HERITAGE At BVHS, World History teacher over and over again, “ Whitten said.

MONTH Catherine Whitten makes a priority to Tribes feel a responsibility for the next teach Indigenous history. generations and protecting the environment “In part because Mrs. Cowan and now, is the only way to provide an hospitable I teach the AP world, we’ve been able to environment in the future. incorporate a lot more perspectives. It gives “There’s a cool concept in many tribes, of us the opportunity to introduce students to this seven generation long history, on either side the idea that vibrant cultures existed here in of you,” Whitten said. “So you’re a product of the Americas before Europeans showed up,” seven generations, and you are responsible for Whitten said. “I try to be very intentional the next seven generations.” in communicating that those groups didn’t Another topic of concern for Native disappear, that they’re still here. They continue Americans regarding the current status of to have an effect. They continue to do really Indian tribes is the history of boarding schools. cool and amazing things and still do to this “Right now there is a big conversation | LEARN MORE ABOUT SOME OF THE day.” around Indigenous communities surrounding PRIORITIES IN Another way BVHS explores Indigenous reconciliation and healing,” Whitten said.

INDIGENOUS history is with National History Honors “You’ll see a lot about boarding schools. That’s COMMUNITIES Society (NHHS). NHHS acknowledges the 19th century all the way up to the 1950s.” different heritage months through studentGenerational trauma from boarding schools led celebrations and informational meetings. still carries into the modern day.

Through these heritage month events, NHHS is able to make “Some of these kids spent most of their childhoods at a modern-day impact. The committee head of National these boarding schools and then you put them back and American Indian Heritage Month is junior Coleman expect them to know how to be a parent, how to function as Strom. a human being,” Whitten said. “We absolutely look at it as “I wanted to have a more social role,” Strom said. “I did cultural and ethnic genocide — to beat the Indian out of the the Native Heritage Month, because I’m part Indian and Indian, to make that civilization kind of disappear. That was Indians have always been interesting to me.” its intention. And it did a lot to succeed.” november 2023

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bringing

UP business BV Business creates middle school initiative ava mcguire | editor-in-chief members themselves. s a freshman, finding one’s niche can often come “It’s cool to see how the middle schoolers are interacting with anxiety and confusion. Questioning which with each other and how I can support them so that they prerequisites to take and how to fit in is at the become better speakers,” Kozlowski said. “[Also,] because forefront of many young minds. Luckily, BV Business is of outreach, I am a lot more professional when I go for an taking steps to alleviate some of this fret by implementing an interview or when I’m reaching out to an adult or company.” outreach program to the feeder middle schools, Blue Valley As the group continues to make visits to the middle Middle School and Prairie Star Middle School. schools, the goal is for BV Business members to create “the At the head of this initiative is BV image of business as an enjoyable one,” Business President senior Mundeep Kaberwal said. An additional goal To be able to get them to break out Kaberwal, Vice President of would be that the students are informed of their shell and go present to a Operations junior Mason Chidlow about the prerequisite classes offered and Vice President of Marketing Kate at BV — chiefly Business Essentials larger group is something that they Kozlowski.

— which provide fundamental skills can carry on to high school as well as Kozlowski and Chidlow characterize and background knowledge needed for professional careers. the outreach as an approach to participation in the business programs. implementing essential business-oriented Much preparation is needed for these kate kozlowski, skills into the middle school students, in entertaining yet educational visits to take 12 the hopes that these pursuits will both place. As president, Kaberwal’s duties persuade them to join BV Business include working with the other officers and prepare them for their professional to organize games and activities as well careers. as attending logistical meetings with the “It’ll benefit our chapter because we’re going to increase principals and parents. recruitment for next year,” Chidlow said. “Eighth graders For many of the BV Business members, going to the that are currently going to the meetings will hopefully have middle schools to showcase professional skills serves as a an insight of what BV Business is, so when they’re coming mentoring opportunity. into high school, they’re enrolling in the specific courses “A lot of middle schoolers are isolated,” Kozlowski said. needed.”

“To be able to get them to break out of their shell and go Kozlowski finds that many aspects of this initiative are present to a larger group is something that they can carry on beneficial for the younger students and even the BV Business to high school as well as professional careers.”

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“Kids are having a really fun time with their friends in the improv games we do, which we combine with knowledge later on [and] eventually have a competition.” -Mundeep Kaberwal, 12

|PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MASON CHIDLOW & MUNDEEP KABERWAL

“The first meeting, we did a lot of introductory activities, but we also implemented a game called Snake Oil. They’re having to pitch a product that they’re not familiar with. That’s having them think on the spot, practicing presenting in front of others and trying to sell their products.” -Mason Chidlow, 11

Slade Slades The Day

Tigers prepare for Computer Science competitions jackie chang | web editor omputer science teacher TJ Slade may sponsor the most clubs out of any other teacher. His nine clubs, all related to computer technology, are collectively called the “Full Stack Tigers.”

“I [sponsor] our Computer Science Club, Computer Science Honor Society, Girls Who Code, Game Development Club, Chess Club, Technology Student Association, Business Professionals of America, Robotics team, and lastly, I have Tiger eSports,” Slade said.

That many clubs to manage can be overwhelming, but for Slade, it’s enjoyable because of the people.

“I don’t think I would be a teacher if I wasn’t a club sponsor,” he said. “Those are the most fun I have with students.”

The experience it gives students is also a highlighted aspect. “[It is a] great opportunity for students to explore their careers outside the classroom,” he said.

One of his many clubs, the Computer Science Club, had recent competitions that took place. creative ideas,” he said. “I like being able to make whatever I “[For the] KU High School Design Competition, want on a computer and solve challenges. My favorite thing students have to prep and prepare a program [based on] about computer science is that it gives me a way to express a task list, then talk about how their task list is better than creativity.” other competitors,” he said. “The next He encouraged others to join the club one is called the K-State Programming –– even if they don’t know anything about Competition, and this is where they’re the subject. presented with problems and have usually “We want people to have a community like an hour to solve each problem.” where they can come and learn about The secretary of the Computer Science computer science, no matter what skill team, senior Jaysen vonSeldeneck, level they are or whether they’ve taken any shared an example of how they prepare for programming classes or not,” vonSeldeneck those events. said. “The community aspect is the best “There’s coding problems [the part.” competition] faces you with and so [doing] In the upcoming weeks, Slade’s things like problems in the club or using computer science team will continue to get different programs are really useful to help ready for more contests. you practice problems and [get used to] the “Preparing a lot is the most important competition environment,” vonSeldeneck part in making sure that we cover everysaid. thing,” vonSeldeneck said. “There’s a lot After being in this activity for three years, jaysen of work you have to put in beforehand, and vonseldeneck vonSeldeneck appreciates what it offers. if we work hard, we should be able to do 12 “I’m not great at art, but I have all these well.”

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We want people to have a community where they can come and learn about computer science, no matter what skill level they are.

Competitions:

Capture The Wu, 9/22

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KU High School Design, 10/25 KSU Programming, 11/1

Hack K-State, 11/3 Hack KU, April

P I N K

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his year, the annual Pink Out theme felt very personal to those in our community. After the loss of Kathryn Sanflé, Wigs Out members wanted to honor her memory.

“The assembly was definitely some effort communicating and just setting up,” said senior Gabriella Rupp, the Wigs Out president. “I would say a million times over again it was very worth it in honor of Sanflé.”

Despite many of the underclassmen not knowing Sanflé’s legacy, current students wanted to share the love she spread throughout the school.

“She affected us in so many ways [through] her vibrant spirit and always being in a good mood,” Rupp said. “Every time I think of her, she makes me happy, and I’m filled with joy of just who she was as a person. She [influenced] me to try to live every day with positivity and to live deliberately.”

To further honor Sanflé’s legacy, Wigs Out raised more than $4,000 in October.

“I reached out to the Susan G. Komen Foundation to set up a partnership to make a donation in Sanflé’s name,” said senior JuJu Mayers, the Wigs Out vice president. “[We] partnered with Tigers Inc. to make this year’s Pink Out shirt, and all the proceeds go to our SGK page. Some people also made generous donations that we greatly appreciate.”

They also put together a “Moment of Joy” during the football game to celebrate Sanflé’s life.

“It was a huge success,” Mayers said. “Her family attended that portion of the game and loved how we made sure it was a happy moment. I truly appreciate how even those who didn’t know her were there to support us.”

DONATE TO THE SUSAN G. KOMEN FOUNDATION IN HONOR OF SANFLÉ

|PHOTOS BY RHYLAN STERN, ISAAC BURTON, AVA MCNIEL & EMMA MCATEE

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TIGER TIDBITS

Playing a solo on the guitar, junior Russell Franklin shares his experience with the 2023 marching band show. “[The solo] added a bit more pressure to the performance aspect, but that’s a challenge that can easily be overcome with practice,” Franklin said.

While he typically plays trumpet in the band, he got the opportunity to perform this solo.

“It’s great to be able to play guitar as well because that’s something I’m really passionate about,” Frankin said. “I’m grateful to have the opportunity to showcase it in front of an audience alongside the band.”

|PHOTOS BY RHYLAN STERN, ISAAC BURTON, MIRANDA HENRY, NIKOO TAHMASEBI & ASHLEY BRIXEY-THATCHER

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Turf Wars Sophomores, juniors share parking lot aspen gallentine | staff writer The parking lot that was previously assigned to sophomore drivers has been gifted to the freshmen, and sophomores were placed in the junior lot to share with the class of 2025. Said juniors have a lot to say about the change, and it’s generally negative.

Junior Omar Hamarshi, defender of the junior lot, has strong feelings on sharing a parking lot with sophomores. He calls for sending “the plebeians back where they belong.”

Contrastingly, sophomore Apolo Harkleroad views the blend as a benefit.

“It’s a good way to get everyone closer [and] not have to walk a block and a half to school,” he said.

Hamarshi claims that “none of the freshmen have cars, so [sophomores] can have their old lot — we only need three.”

Hamarshi believes the current sophomores should have to make the long trek from the back lot to the school, just like his class did last year.

“I’ve never parked anywhere other than where I belong to park,” Hamarshi said.

The junior lot is known for being difficult to maneuver in the afternoons, as everyone rushes to leave campus after the final bell. According to Hamarshi, the sophomores are only worsening the issue.

“When I was a sophomore, I was a good driver,” Hamarshi said. “I think in general, sophomores are not [good drivers].”

Harkleroad agrees sophomores have their driving weaknesses but has more appreciation for the new division of parking spaces, even going so far as to say students could become acquainted with new people as they prepare to start their day.

“I’d say [the problem] is more sophomores because [they’re] less experienced,” he said. “But there’s juniors in that group as well.”

Harkleroad also thinks there’s a omar hamarshi way to solve the prominent parking 11 issues without splitting the lots up again.

Harkleroad said patience is the solution, believing that the two grades can coexist.

“When I get there, there’s still extra spots left, so space isn’t the problem,” he said. “What I’ve seen so far has been pretty positive.”

We absolutely need to send the plebians back where they belong.

WARNING! Grades and Tickets (most to least) Juniors Seniors Sophomores Freshmen (as reported by officer Nate Schmidt and officer Trevor Burgess)

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NEWSIES

get tickets for show times Dec. 7-9

lead cast detail upcoming musical rhylan stern | editor-in-chief Starting back in early October, anticipation rose for this year’s musical to be announced, with cast members eager to get back on the stage. Once hearing they will be performing “Newsies,” seniors Jessica Toomay and Trevor Lewis decided to go out for the lead roles as Kathrine Plumber and Jack Kelly. “‘Newsies’ is basically about a bunch of kids who make way below minimum wage and have just enough food to survive,” Lewis said. “The people who pay them decided that they would dock their pay more, so the Newsies are unable to sustain themselves with that little amount of pay. That’s what the whole strike is about.”

When the musical was announced, it caught the eye of Lewis.

“In sixth grade, our choir teacher made us watch it every day,” Lewis said. “Then over time, I was like, ‘Oh, that’d be really cool to be that role.’ Then when I heard that we were doing it, I practiced every day for months until audition day.”

Unlike her co-star, Toomay has some experience with these roles.

“I love this musical — I’ve actually done it three times, and I played the part one time, so I thought it would be really fun to play it again,” Toomay said. “I love musical theater and I love music, so [when going for the lead] I was like, ‘Why not?’”

Despite the anticipation around the show, a

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lot goes on behind the scenes.

“It takes a lot of effort,” Lewis said. “Everyone’s always doing their best even if they [only] have a couple of lines.

Everyone’s always helping each other, constantly working to achieve that goal.”

Aside from rehearsing and learning choreography, students take time out of their days to work on the set to make sure it’s completely done before showtime. In the end, it makes the final product go well together.

“The set is really cool,” Lewis said. “I’m looking forward to putting that with [scenes] we’ve learned so far.”

Apart from the little aspects of building the set to learning all of the choreography and lines, it creates a production that both Toomay and Lewis are excited for.

“I’m really grateful for the opportunity to get to play the lead — I’m not going to take it for granted,” Toomay said. “I’m going to make sure it’s a good experience for everybody, and we are all proud of what we do [in] the end. It’s going be a huge and fun show, and I hope everyone will come to support.”

Seniors get involved in Jewish organization emma mcatee | staff writer Many students around BV are involved in school activities; however, what isn’t talked about often is curriculars outside of the school community.

Seniors Melanie Schwartz and Sammy Robertson are a part of a Jewish teen movement known as B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO).

“It’s a global group and provides Jewish teens a place where they can feel like they belong,” Schwartz said. “This group means a lot to me.”

The BBYO establishment in Kansas is a part of the MidAmerican region, which has four councils.

Schwartz is a part of the Sadia girls chapter, and Robertson is in the B’not Lev chapter.

“We do all sorts of programming including Jewish activities, dinners, meetings, conventions and literally anything as long as someone plans it,” Robertson said.

Schwartz’s family was a major part in her joining and becoming such a big part of the association.

“Recruitment is in eighth grade, and my sister was in Sadia when I was being recruited,” she said. “[My sister] was saying that I should join, and I’d say that’s the main reason why I chose BBYO.” This organization has allowed Schwartz to become secure and open with her religion.

“Before joining I was afraid to wear my Jewish star in school,” Schwartz said. “Now I’m more comfortable with myself and my Judaism.”

Schwartz encourages the younger members to attend the events to become more involved in the community.

“You make so many memories at the events,” Schwartz said. “I met this girl over the summer at a convention and we bonded. Now she’s my best friend.”

Robertson has become more of a leader due to this opportunity.

“It’s opened a lot of doors to grow my leadership,” Robertson said. “I’ve loved being able to plan whatever I want. As long as you put your mind and energy behind something, you can do it.”

BBYO has made a lasting impact on Schwartz.

“As a senior, my time [in high school] is coming to an end,” she said. “I love seeing the younger members super excited about what they’re going to do, and I love knowing what they’re going to experience and how fun it’s going to be.”

| PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY MELANIE SCHWARTZ & SAMMY ROBERTSON november 2023

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themselves into w ro th s or ni se ol ho sc d of high Every fall, another roun student loans and s, st te ed iz rd da an st , ns applicatio the gauntlet of college only new but also t no is s es oc pr is th ts studen financial aid. For many is streamlined through s es oc pr is th y, lle Va Blue unseling staff co stress-inducing, but at om fr lp he d an p Ap and Common programs such as Xello college journey. r ei th on ep st st fir r ei to complete th

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NOVEMBER 2023

Attention Class of 2025! words by ava mcguire

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hen considering attending a prestigious or out-of-state college with a low acceptance rate, class size is always something to take into concern, as the number of applicants is the major deciding factor in how many students will be accepted into that year’s freshman class.

Unfortunately for the junior class, they could be the largest U.S. college freshman class ever. In 2007, U.S. births were at the highest levels seen since the Baby Boomers, reaching as high as 4.3 million.

In a projection made by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, high school graduation rates should reach a peak in the U.S. with the class of 2025.

Additionally, the class of 2025 will be significantly more diverse than any other graduating class, as more students of color and children of second-generation immigrants will be receiving diplomas. In fact, roughly 75,000 more Hispanic high school graduates were counted as of 2019.

The last projection made by the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education in 2016 predicted graduation rates would decrease, which created worry within the

college community about institutions having to close or merge. However, the outlook as of 2020 pictures 2025’s graduation rates to be much higher.

Application numbers have risen to an unprecedented level at top universities in recent years, and this number will grow with the class of 2025.

Now that many universities are going test-optional, the volume of the applicant pool is growing — but so is the rejection pool. In the 2021 admission process, there was a record number of early admissions, which were met with a record number of deferrals and rejections. According to Top Tier Admissions, 80 percent of Harvard’s early applicants were deferred.

This number of rejectees will only increase, as the undergraduate enrollment number for 2021 was 15.4 million — the projected number of applicants for 2025 is 16.4 million.

As the juniors’ college admissions process continues to grow nearer, college acceptance rates could be drastically affected by the large size of the class of 2025. According to the Pew Research Center, this wouldn’t be the first time that colleges and universities have experienced a “college admissions bubble.”

Optional ACT/SATs

words by callie dyches

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ince college applications have started making ACT and SAT scores optional, there have been debates about whether or not students even need to take them.

Senior Ella Hibbard took the ACT, but it didn’t end up being very beneficial to her.

“I’m with JCCC’s programs already, so from my experience, it’s not that necessary,” she said. “There’s ways to get around it.”

While Hibbard does concede that “it’s great for some careers,” she feels that many people don’t even need to worry about national testing.

“I’m in culinary school and general studies, and they have not once brought up your ACT,” she said. “I wasn’t even asked for it when I applied for my college programs.”

Hibbard agrees that taking the ACT or SAT should be

Name: Kate Kozlowski, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? “11.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? “Xello.”

C. How are you managing your application process?

“Poorly.”

Name: Dylan Bashara, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? ”8.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? ”Xello.”

C. How are you managing your application process? ”Poorly.”

D. How are you feeling about your college apps? ”Behind and nervous.”

59% of seniors will submit an ACT or SAT when applying for college

optional, especially because many students have different career paths and goals.

“There’s no value for them stressing themselves out and getting frustrated with a test that really doesn’t affect what they want to do,” she said.

She maintains that students’ needs should always come first.

“I like [that] students can take it and that it’s up to them,” she said. “It should be the student’s choice.”

Despite Hibbard’s affirmation that the ACT and SAT aren’t essential, she recognizes the scores can be useful.

“If you score high, it’s going to make you look better,” she said.

She firmly believes students should use national testing to their advantage to leverage their chances in college.

“If you know what you plan to do for your career, and you know it’s going to affect you, just take it,” she said. “You can always go back and take it [again]. It’s not a once and done kind of thing.”

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is key in using an application like this, and therefore believes the abrupt switch to Xello was jarring for many, he said he prefers to email the schools himself.

“I prefer the direct line of communication, especially for me, who’s applying [to] smaller schools,” Booth said. “I find that it teaches you more skills.”

As an individual tasked with assisting students through the switch, while having no in on the inner workings of the decision, gifted teacher Jessica Spriggs said both programs do a similar job, but students have said the college planning process has been a bit more streamlined.

Much like James, Spriggs believes one of Xello’s most notable features is its unique college search engine.

“These websites make it to where there’s less steps for them to complete and [fewer] places they have to check to make sure that everything required for the process is submitted to colleges,” Spriggs said.

The switch is still in the earliest stages, and the counseling department has extensive plans to integrate it into the use of all grades, first having released it to the seniors for them to begin the college application process. Next, they plan on having the juniors experiment with it, then the sophomores, and eventually the freshmen.

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he district switched the third-party college planning platform that they provide for students from Naviance to Xello this year.

“Our contract was up, so it was time to evaluate the features of Naviance and whether or not we still thought that was helping our students in the best way,” counseling department chair Kristin Stallbaumer said.

Blue Valley uses these third-party websites to assist students with college and career planning, and to help them with their college applications when they’re seniors.

Xello has been regarded as smoother to navigate than Naviance, and students generally prefer it, as it can directly connect to CommonApp, where seniors actually turn in their applications to different schools.

Senior Molly James said she would have used the resources provided to her in her freshman through junior years if they were on Xello, which provides a specialized college search engine. However, she believes the switch comes with its disadvantages nonetheless.

“It was kind of abrupt,” James said.

“Freshman through junior year counselors were like ‘Oh, Naviance is everything you’ll use for college and career search,’ but now it’s [not].”

With a different take than most, senior Dominic Booth not only doesn’t feel that Xello isn’t an improvement, but he isn’t a fan of the use of third-party websites for college applications at all.

“I started using it recently,” he said. “I feel like it doesn’t have any more resources than Naviance.”

While Booth believes that familiarity

the redesigned FAFSA is expected to launch in December for the 2024-25 academic year — a delay from the typical Oct. 1 release date.

Name: Simon Menees, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? ”2-3.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? ”Directly.”

C. How are you managing your application process? ”I’m not.”

D. How are you feeling about your college apps? ”So so stressy scared.”

Name: JuJu Mayers, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? “10.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? “Both” C. How are you managing your application process? “I’m not.”

D. How are you feeling about your college apps? “Stressed.”

Name: Zech Pombo, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? “4.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? “Directly.”

C. How are you managing your application process? “I applied early in the summer, so day-today, things are going well.”

D. How are you feeling about your college apps? “I have things under control.”

Name: Ainsley Hileman, 12 A. How many colleges are you applying to? “10.”

B. Are you using Xello or applying directly? “Both.”

C. How are you managing your application process? “Poorly — I haven’t done any apps yet.”

D. How are you feeling about your college apps? “I think I’ll be fine. I do track, so I’m talking to coaches.”

FAFSA Free Application for Federal Student Aid words by ava mcniel

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ith the start of a new school year comes a new round of graduates. Some students may struggle with providing themselves with finances to get them through college.

FAFSA, the free application for federal student aid to assist students who need to pay for college, is being brought to more students’ attention this school year. After a significant reduction in questions, the application now consists of fewer than 50 questions, down from more than 100.

Currently, FAFSA is being taught in business classes and lightly touched on in advisory.

According to business teacher Dwight Williams, the FAFSA process isn’t a well known topic at Blue Valley.

“I don’t know how many students are being taught about it or have any knowledge of it,” Williams said. “When I ask students about it, they [say they’ve] never heard of it.”

With FAFSA information only being brought up in business classes that are optional courses, the amount of people actually being taught about this topic is slim.

“We’re only reaching a small population of students by talking to them,” Williams said. “Some of those students are freshmen and sophomores [who] don't really have to worry about it.”

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College Apps words by miranda henry

which of the following do you have?

GPA

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1400+ SAT

189

STUDENTS

13

STUDENTS

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Business teacher Brooke Poskin suggests changes in the exposure of FAFSA to students.

“Continuing to talk about it [is important,] whether that be starting more in the junior advisory class because that’s when you start that planning process,” Poskin said.

Although students may take in the information of FAFSA through one ear and throw it out the other, teachers are emphasizing its importance and how it can help students in all different boats.

“There’s still a stigma that’s like, ‘If I don't need scholarships, then I don’t need to do FAFSA,’” Poskin said. “You still need to apply even if you don’t think you’re going to need the scholarships.”

Going through the free application process will only benefit students, Poskin said, because many of them don’t realize what grants and loans they’re eligible for. Poskin believes it’s better to not take the money than not have it offered at all.

“They’re going to have to fill something out like that down the road anyway, so going through that process is only going to benefit them,” Williams said. “There’s tons of opportunities for students applying for colleges not just to get scholarships but continually getting student loan help throughout their college [years]. The more teachers [who] can talk about it and make students aware of it, the better.”

he college application is a process every senior dreads every fall, from deciding where to apply or how to write the essay that depends on what scholarship they think you deserve.

Senior Maggie Richardson discusses how her application process went.

After applying to the University of Arkansas and Kansas State University, Richardson found the task smoother than she expected.

“It went easier than I thought because of things like the Common Application, which is a super great tool to use when applying for colleges,” Richardson said. “Since you can apply to multiple [places] at once, applying is not that bad.”

With useful tools like the CommonApp, Richardson said her application didn’t take long.

“It took probably a week, but I worked on it over the summer and I did the CommonApp over the

15% of students knew about the fafsa changes

course of a couple of days. Both are state schools and they require essays so that wasn’t that hard [because] I already had written essays in Avid.”

Although Richardson said her application process was easy, she also believes Covid had a part in making it that way.

“I got an average score on the ACT, but it doesn’t depend on getting into colleges anymore,” Richardson said. “That happened after Covid and also something else after Covid was that Arkansas has given in-state tuition now for the past couple of years to states surrounding Arkansas.”

Sending applications isn’t always as easy as Richardson’s process was.

“My advice for juniors is definitely apply sooner than they think you should,” she said. “Getting early admission [can help] you get preferred admission — just apply as soon as you can.”

END OF TEST 1: STOP! DO NOT TURN THE PAGE UNTIL TOLD TO DO SO.

Learning Life Skills Teacher discusses importance of lifestyle classes ava mcniel | photo editor or many young students, the fun of taking FACS courses typically isn’t taken seriously. FACS teacher Kendra Smith, who manages six different classes, shares her opinion over the importance of these classes.

Smith teaches Baking and Pastry, Fashion and Apparel, Interior Design, Child Development, Personal Development and Human Relationships. She believes there are valuable life skills taught in each of her classes.

“Baking and Pastry is learning how to cook and knowing how to do measurements,” Smith said.

Although the class is filled with fun dessert creations, Smith believes cooking and baking techniques are important for students’ future.

“I think everybody should take the Culinary Essentials course to at least [learn] the basics and how to cook,” Smith said.

She believes it’s vital for students who plan to live on their own after high school to learn the foundations of food and how to cook by themselves to be successful.

Even though culinary basics are crucial life skills, learning how to take care of a child and a future family is just as essential. “[In] Child Development, we learn about having a kid,” Smith said. “Probably 85% of people in this building will have a child at some point in their life.”

Students learn how to correctly take care of a baby and understand how children develop to continue to care for them.

For some students, trouble may arise after graduation if they lack financial aid, housing or support from parents or guardians. Smith’s personal development class helps with this.

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“[You] learn about all the things that happened to you throughout your life,” Smith said. “It gives you an idea of things that may happen, ways you can make things easier on yourself and know where to get the information you need.”

Students can benefit from this class if they struggled throughout their childhood or just want to learn more about themselves.

While it may be difficult to require all lifestyle classes for graduation, Smith encourages students to enroll in lifestyle classes to prepare them for their futures.

“They are excellent courses to take so [students] can see how the future might be for them,” she said. “We talk about college experiences, living on your own and having a family — that’s important.”

40+ students are enrolled in baking and pastry

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We talk about college experiences, living on your own and having a family — that’s important. kendra smith facs teacher

90+ students are enrolled in culinary essentials

20+ students are enrolled in child development

DEPPILF FLIPPED

Teachers, student share opinions on flipped classroom

70%

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callie dyches | staff writer “The teacher says, ‘Oh, it gives more learning, I can finish the homework Many students taking geometry are opportunity for questions,’” Lovell said. in class,” Lovell said. “[With] flipped very familiar with flipped classrooms.

“But there are just more questions and learning, you spend 40 minutes of your Watching videos outside of class and I can’t ask my questions because everyone own time at home learning something working on the homework in class is has questions.” when you could be doing it in D a staple practice in many of the math On the other hand, Pickert class.”

E Y classes. Every student and teacher has a thought the exact opposite.

Additionally, teachervery different idea of what works best, “You’re able to dive in student relationships have so there’s quite a bit of conflict about it. and answer questions,” very different dynamics “[There are] very few things I hate she said. “It’s nice to prefer traditional when using flipped learning. more than flipped learning,” sophomore have a little bit of that “I don’t care about their learning Brooke Lovell said. “It just makes me preknowledge and then class as much, so I don’t frustrated thinking about it.” having more meaningful try as much, and then I get a Biology teacher Azie Pickert discussions in the classroom.” worse grade,” Lovell said. “I just generally agreed with Lovell. During Despite the conflict about flipped hate their class and dread it every time.”

Covid, her class was structured similarly learning, there was one thing everyone Pickert thinks flipped classrooms can to a flipped classroom by necessity. agreed on: the time commitment is actually help students’ relationships with “What we noticed was that — greater than in traditional teaching. their teachers. especially teaching freshmen — we’re “[It] takes a lot more prep time,” “Depending on the type of teacher like, ‘This can’t be successful,’” Pickert math teacher Tyler Randall said. you are, you can really build those said.

“You’re having to record the videos relationships well and make your kid The biggest struggle was holding outside of the school day.” feel like they don’t have to ask questions students accountable when they weren’t Similarly, Pickert feels everything is in front of everybody,” she said. motivated to do any of the work much simpler when you keep instruction Randall takes more of a middle themselves, which is also one of the in the classroom. ground, acknowledging that there are things that frustrated Lovell I know the material problems, but they can be avoided.

“There are very well“Ifenough, the most.

I could pop up “If you’re not doing it the right way, few things I hate some pictures, pop up a few that leads to [negative responses],” he “I usually fall behind and then end up cramming the more than flipped slides, be able to actually said. “But if a teacher is doing it right, learning.” night before the test — it’s discuss, and then it’s real they’re still walking around the room, brooke lovell, 10 bad,” Lovell said. “I don’t time,” Pickert said. they’re still interacting with their kids like that I’m not on pace.”

Not only does it take longer to and it actually opens up more time for On top of her other concerns, Lovell plan and create the lessons, but the those side convos. If it’s done right, it thinks it’s harder to get help from the homework can take longer, too. actually leads to better connection with teacher.

“Most of the time, when it’s normal the students.”

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6S

Future of Medicine

Students, teacher discuss UMKC guest speakers, Future Healthcare Professionals Club

| PHOTOS BY ELLA LIM

ella lim | web editor Students have the fortunate opportunity to explore their passions and interests through a plethora of ways, including classes, clubs and sports. Future Healthcare Professionals (FHP), led by junior Mason Chidlow, is a club for students to see if medicine is the right fit for them.

“Future Healthcare Professionals introduces healthcare professions and exposes [people] to different fields and job opportunities,” Chidlow said. “We show everybody volunteer opportunities as well as bring in guest speakers.”

Especially for those unable to take CAPS, this club can help students decide their future career without the huge time commitment. With all of this in mind, Chidlow is involved because he aspires to become a traveling physician, someone who travels and stays at health facilities on a temporary basis.

“The benefits, even for me, are that students can learn more about the medical admissions process so they’re not [being] blindsided as it’s approaching,” he said.

Similarly, for Officer of Operations senior JuJu Mayers, this club is the perfect opportunity to learn more and ease her worries about the MCAT and medical school.

“It’s been really helpful because one thing I’m really scared of is not wanting to be a physician anymore,” Mayers said. “Medical school is so hard and the MCAT is so difficult — I’m not going to have a social life, and I’m just going to have a mental breakdown. So I really want to focus on doing practice MCAT questions and how to study for it, research projects, [and] maybe bring in some of the things we do at CAPS.” As for FHP sponsor and Gifted teacher Amy Harmon, she believes learning from professionals is the biggest advantage of being a part of the club.

“They bring in guest speakers who are medical students or doctors,” Harmon said. “Students can ask questions on what a potential medical track might look like.”

Recently, two medical students from UMKC came to the

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school to discuss their program and what their day-to-day looks like.

While students on the medical track usually do four years of undergraduate schooling and apply to a medical school for another four years after that, UMKC offers a unique program that allows students to earn their bachelor’s and medical degrees in the span of only six years.

This means students accepted in this rigorous program do not have take the MCAT, apply to medical school or do internships for their résumé. However, this also means that breaks between school are remarkably shorter or not given at all, especially after the first two to three years.

“The guest speakers [who came] are third-year medical students at the UMKC program,” Chidlow said. “We had them come to tell everybody more about what the program is, how it’s different from traditional programs and do a question-and-answer session.”

FHP’s Officer of Speaker Coordination junior Niveditha Sudheer reaches out to different people from different programs in order to provide unique perspectives for students.

Through many emails, she is able to recruit them to come speak to the school and coordinate the logistics.

“We invited medical students from KU to come in,” Chidlow said. “We also invited one of the CAPS teachers from the medical program as well as [people from] other various medical professions.”

With guest speakers, activities and informational sessions about the MCAT and other processes people in the health field go through, FHP allows students to gain a brief preview of what the future could look like.

“I know a lot of people are like, ‘Oh, it’s so nerdy.’ Like, yes, it’s nerdy, but we’re learning important things. It’s important to keep your career in mind while you’re in high school to help you have a step ahead of everyone else,” Mayers said. “You can research all you want, but experience is what you need.”

Speedy Schooling BV tiger shares experience attending JCCC full time to earn degree dayna bemiss | staff writer or some students, high school is exciting because they can be around friends every day, watch and participate in sports, go to dances and challenge their minds.

For others, high school is unenjoyable and not worth sitting through classes for eight hours a day, five times a week. This is the case for junior Angelina Gochenour, who applied to Johnson County Community College (JCCC) this past spring to utilize its dual enrollment option.

“School has never been my favorite thing,” Gochenour said. “Getting ahead and getting some of my college general courses [completed] seemed like a good idea to me.”

She has been getting used to taking classes at the JCCC campus to work toward obtaining an Associate of Arts, a two-year degree that requires 60 credit hours.

“It didn’t take super long to [adjust to this new schedule] because of how much more free time there is,” she said.

“A lot of times, class is just an hour a couple times a week.”

One might assume that taking classes at a college-level can add unnecessary stress, but Gochenour has adequate time to complete homework and still attend Blue Valley activities.

“I would recommend this for people just because of the schedule — it’s super flexible, and you have a lot more free time,” she said. “You definitely have to have motivation to do your work.”

She plans on continuing classes at JCCC next year as well, with the assistance of high school counselor and dual enrollment recruiter Sarah Beren.

However, this program is not open to just anyone.“[Juniors and seniors] must qualify by showing that they can take Composition 1 and College Algebra by taking the ACCUPLACER,” Beren said. “In some cases, their high school

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| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY ANGELINA GOCHENOUR

grades or ACT scores can qualify them.”

There are 330 classes available to dual enrollment students at JCCC that can count as Blue Valley graduation requirements. While taking those classes, students also take general education courses to receive associate degrees for a fraction of the price they would pay at public universities.

“They can get an associate degree with an emphasis in paralegal, for instance, and have a job ready certificate that allows them to earn some money, without paying $20 [grand] or $30 grand a year,” Beren said.

Beren believes the program is great both financially and academically because of all the opportunities it offers students, like allowing them to explore a large selection of clubs.

“I have students in their honors program,” Beren said. “I [also] have one student who’s the vice president of the Student Senate, [and] I have students that are everywhere along that gamut.”

Like Gochenour, Beren has met many other students who don’t like being in a large high school because they don’t feel socially connected.

“This program has been lifechanging for that kind of kid,” Beren said.

JCCC has a ton of academic resources that allow students in high school to be successful. sarah beren, district counselor november 2023

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Themes Ranked Worst to Best 7. Tie Dye

6. Construction 5. Hawaiian 4. Country 3. USA 2. Gold Rush 1. Pink Out

Themes for Teams Students review themes from sporting events

Best Rated: Pink Out “The coolest one was Hawaiian but I think that Pink Out is the easiest to dress for.” -Grace Lewis, 11

| 246 STUDENTS SURVEYED

“I really liked Pink Out. It was fun and easy to dress up for it, and I like how it is for a good cause.” -Lauren Younger, 10 “I like Pink Out because of what it stands for and the correlation it has with [breast cancer].” -Jonas Romine, 11

Worst Rated: Tie Dye | PHOTO BY MIRANDA HENRY

“Themes without color cohesion don’t look as uniform and make the student section stand out less to the other school.”

-Lindsay Cho, 12 “It was not my favorite theme, but I liked how creative it was.” -Rebecca Schmidt, 11 | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY LAUREN YOUNGER

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Students send in theme recommendations for future games.

“I think jerseys would be really fun because I feel like most people have a sports jersey that they could wear.”

-Scarlett Pfister, 11 “Jerseys would be cool.” -Aidan Kern, 11

“Christmas or winter themed [is an idea] because the winter is coming up soon, and it’s a magical season.” -Mikayla Neo, 9 “Ski themed during the cold weather.” -Maxine Baker, 11

“Eras Tour would just be fun to dress up as different Taylor Swift albums, and it could be fun for people that get to go.”

-Madhu Rajagopal, 9

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CADY BOYD “Favorite childhood movie character [would be a good theme] — you should show your spirit by dressing up as a princess, Woody, Lightning McQueen.” -Bryce Vincik, 10

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY AUBREY HUDKINS

“[We should do] more color outs. Lots of different colors have specific meanings to support various diseases, disabilities and other issues we have to deal with. Showing these colors can show our support and love for those who may be unfortunate.” -Kylie Shafer, 10

PSA to Blue Valley Student body discusses ickiest of hallway icks

Stay on the Rig

ht Side

What is your hallw ay ick?

“When people don’t follow highway or ro ad rules in the hallw corner on the right, ay. For example, wh you expect someone en you’re going arou not to be there when never expect someon nd the you’re turning right e to come head on wi — like a road — yo th you when you’re u would turning. [It usually is] definitely freshme Have you tried to n.” prevent the situatio n?

“I don’t know how I’d be able to resolv e it, but I show a sen side] — it definitely se of annoyance wh scares them.” en someone [walks on the wrong

max bates

, 10

,9 avery crabb

Get A Room single day. Every time I ick? wing PDA nonstop every What is your hallway sho and t ou g kin ma l the 600 hal “When I see freshmen in it and it grosses me out.” see I y, lwa walk in this hal ‘Yeah, n-in with the ick? lway?’ And then they’ll say Have you ever had a ru were making out in the hal y the p.” w sto ho to see d nee you y did y is like the “Typically, I’m like, ‘Hey, care. Although everybod ing that.’ But they don’t do op ‘St say and ss’ gro so

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words & design by nikoo tahmasebi

it’s

s r e k c o L e h T e s U ’t Don

mostly freshmen doing it, ick? the entire hallway. I see What is your hallway ck blo e and s ker loc the people use entire hallway. They imped “My hallway ick is when ause they just block up the bec me s ick lly rea ich ing it wh but I see some seniors do when they do it.” fy goo t jus it’s the flow, and kers with something nt the situation? ool would replace the loc sch How do you try to preve the h wis I s. ker loc m — maybe make they are opening do something else with the ld cou “I push them over when you and d, use un the lockers go else. The vast majority of go to.” the kids at the lockers to all for ner like a locker cor

, 12

brett jordan

Get A Backpac

k

What is your hallw ay ick?

“My number-one ha llway ick is the rollin g backpacks that ar it’s like three or fou e like suitcases. First r feet behind you, so off, when you’re drag the people behind yo they’re going to do ging it, u have to stay away. with those things. Th Also, you never know ey can whip it arou what nd, and you’re going to trip on it.”

Have you ever ha d a run-in with th e ick?

“I did have an incide nt where I tripped up on one, but I didn’t I continued to walk fall. It was rolling, an and I tripped on it. d then it stopped, an This person was lik thinking ‘You’re rollin d e ‘Can you watch ou g your backpack? Li t ple ase ?’ In my head, I’m ke that’s probably wh y.’”

hadley neese, 11

Thanksgiving Feast students share their favorite Thanksgiving foods

tamales “My family makes tons of tamales and Mexican foods during Thanksgiving. We eat the tamales that we make all throughout December.”

-Anna Schumacher, 10

mashed potatoes “Mashed potatoes because me and my cousin like to throw them at each other under the table.” -Isabelle Liekhus, 9 “Mashed potatoes because I like carbs.” -Hampton Keller, 9 “Mashed potatoes because they are super yummy in my tummy and delish especially when my mom makes them.”

-Rowan Lloyd, 10

mac n cheese “Mac & Cheese because everyone makes it differently but they’re all good.” -Lauren Ediger, 12

turkey “Turkey because my family smokes it, and it is very juicy.”

-Sam Strouse, 9 “Turkey because it tastes so good, and it makes me want to go sleep.” -Callan Seeley, 11 “[I like] my dad’s fried turkey.” -Aliyah Haq, 12

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words & design by audrey erickson

this or that? | 246 students surveyed 43%

27%

57%

73%

turkey ham

mashed potatoes cheesy potatoes

45%

49%

55%

green bean casserole stuffing

51%

pumpkin pie apple pie

cranberry “It’s such a good underrated food, which means I usually get to have a lot of it.” -Ric Coombs, 9 “Cranberry — you can’t mess it up, and you can put it on everything.” -Catherine Bahadursingh, 12

bread and butter / rolls “My favorite is rolls because it is my great grandma’s recipe and my mom and I make them together every year.”

-Taylor Fincher, 9 “Bread and butter because it can’t be changed or messed up.”

-Lillie Mikuls ,11

Fit or Fiction No Pain, No Gain? isaac burton | staff writer he debate of what is the best workout has been discussed since 2040 BC. For centuries people went back and forth over this topic. Men, women, kids, senior citizens — it doesn’t matter the person — the debate never finds an end.

T

40% Legs 24% Cardio

what workout do you prefer?

16% Arms 12% Abs 5% Chest 3% Back | 245 STUDENTS SURVEYED

“[Leg day is the] easiest to hit and isolate each part of the leg. The feeling the next day of not being able to walk is the best feeling.”

“You never have a back day where you don’t feel your muscles ache the next day.

If you ever feel stuck, deploy your lats, and you can fly.”

hendricks hildebrand, 11

trevor didde, 11

“Absolutely pull day. I feel like you get really good contraptions on a lot of the lifts that you do. I always feel most sore after a pull day, and being sore makes me feel like I was productive.” tyler randall, math teacher

“My favorite workout is barbell bench press because it’s my strongest lift. I enjoy getting PRs in bench more than any other lift, and it makes me feel strong going heavy.” thomas hoskins, 12

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Mediocre Music Alternatives needed for overrated musicians ashley brixey-thatcher | staff writer It’s a sunny summer day in July and a famous singer just came out with her new song. For a while, it’s OK — the lyrics are basic, but it does not sound too horrible.

The radio plays this song over and over again. It starts to drive you crazy — you can’t hear another word to the most ridiculous breakup song of the summer, so you turn off the radio.

Artists like Taylor Swift and Olivia Rodrigo make millions of dollars by releasing mediocre songs. They play on the vulnerable emotions of their audience: teenage girls.

Swift has produced more than 200 songs with about 30% of them being break up songs. This may not seem like a lot, but that is 60 plus songs just about breakups.

Rodrigo has only produced breakup songs with few to no exceptions. She has made a whole career on one break up that happened years ago.

Rodrigo’s songs “Driver’s License,” “Vampire” and “Good 4 U” were all numberone songs for weeks. They are all about a breakup. If you asked me to place one of her songs in an album she has written, I would not know where to start. Breakup songs are just one cliché that artists use in their music.

Then there’s the issue of artists like Eminem: the main subject of their songs disrespects women.

In multiple songs, Eminem’s lyrics have been controversial because they include “every last woman on Earth I’ll kill off,” “I’ll punch Lana Del Rey right in the face twice,” and

“you think I won’t choke no girl/’Til the vocal cords don’t work in her throat no more?!”

Phrases like these hurt women in society by degrading them.

People idolize these second-rate songs while small artists with unique ideas are overlooked.

I personally know people who have Harry Styles and Miley Cyrus on repeat.

Instead of listening to the same singer for hours, try looking into smaller artists with a similar style of your interests.

If you are interested in pop music try listening to Zoe Clark, Emlyn, Kaylee Federmann, Andi or Emmy. These are all female artists who create pop-style songs in a unique way. While they all write about breakups, they take a different approach than you normally hear.

If you listen to more alternative music and softer songs, try Alec Benjamin, ASTN, Keegan Allen, Jace June or Beenson Boone.

These are male artists who share their emotions in a softer way. An alternative to offensive rappers like Eminem is the artist Paul Russell.

Also, don’t forget about the oldies — music throughout history has been similar.

Try listening to John Mellencamp, Freddie Mercury, Bruce Springsteen, Journey or Styx.

Although mainstream artists can have music you like, don’t forget to listen to other musicians as well. Just because the song you are listening to is catchy and popular does not mean it is produced in a unique way.

Many artists do not even write their own music; instead, they have writers they pay for with the money they make from their audience.

Instead of playing into the multi-million dollar-scheme of mainstream music, try the alternative of unique artists.

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8

PRISONERS

Family vlogs exploit children for internet fame emily kozlowski | staff writer Growing up, I watched my fair share of family vlogs and although, on the surface, they seemed light and fun, with their target audience being fellow kids or parents, some of them are much darker than I ever would’ve thought.

One such channel is known as the “8 Passengers.” In 2016, Ruby Franke, along with her husband Kevin Franke, created a family vlog YouTube channel called the “8 Passengers” that featured themselves and their six children: Shari, Chad, Abby, Julie, Russell and Eve, in order of birth.

Ruby wasn’t exactly discreet about the abuse, posting many videos that allude to the mistreatment of her children.

Some of the most acknowledged situations by the public include taking away their oldest child’s bedroom for seven months, then sending him to a wilderness camp for six weeks, withholding food or using it as a reward, isolating them from their peers and refusing their youngest Christmas presents on account of their “selfishness.”

Luckily, on Aug. 30, Ruby was arrested for child abuse after her youngest son, Russell showed up to a neighbor’s house, hurt and starved, asking for help.

According to her oldest, Shari, the police have been called many times, but nothing became of it as there was insufficient evidence.

After the arrest, Shari posted on Instagram a picture of her mother’s arrest with the words “finally” and a thank you to the police who “finally decided to step up.”

Ruby’s husband, Kevin, has not yet been arrested and

v Inmate #8

Ruby Frank

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claimed to have no idea what had been happening behind the scenes as he and Ruby have been split up for almost a year due to differentiating opinions on parenting style.

Ruby’s sisters are also still free even though they seemed to have known about the abuse, claiming they kept quiet for the sake of the kids and kept to helping from the sidelines.

Ruby has been charged with six counts of felony child abuse with up to 15 years of jail time and a fine up to $10,000. Her YouTube channel, as well as other associated social media handles, was taken down before the trial.

After reading about this case, I began to wonder what other seemingly wholesome channels I watched growing up were actually hiding something deeper.

I began to wonder what those kids had to endure for seven years; their whole life on display for everyone to see but no one knowing how much they were being hurt when the camera was off.

You can look up kids of influencers — some not even old enough to talk— and find anything from their birthday to their favorite food. They are practically celebrities from birth, parents exploiting their private information for views.

But they’re not celebrities — they’re regular children of greedy parents willing to do anything to make money, even if that means harming their children in the process.

Not every channel may be as cruel as the “8 Passengers,” but that doesn’t mean they aren’t harmful.

Résumé s r e d Buil Clubs, activities should be for more than just college applications of every club, having thousands of volunteer hours and winning national awards. colton fieger While it’s admirable to have aspirations, many résumé | staff writer builders are sacrificing their enjoyment of high school with the aim of getting into a top college.

So why should we care? Doesn’t résumé building only When students first enter high school as freshmen, they affect one person? Well, not necessarily. have the opportunity to attend the club fair to see several of There are possibilities that a résumé builder could not only the clubs offered and sign up for any that seem interesting to join an extracurricular that they don’t want to be in but also them. take a spot in that extracurricular from someone who does Looking back at the club fair my freshman year, at almost want to be in it. every stand I went to, one of the main selling points for each There are several teams and activities, both in- and outside club was that it would look great on a college application. of school, that have a limited amount of spots available, This always worked on me as a freshman, and I signed meaning that some people have to be cut. up for many of the clubs I saw despite not wanting to join. I There are also a limited number of leadership positions at didn’t realize it at the time, but I was being a résumé builder. school. There will be times where someone who is passionate Résumé building is when a student gets involved in an about an activity will lose a position to someone who just activity, whether it’s a sport, extracurricular, competition wants to claim to have been a club officer or a member of an or volunteer work, solely for the purpose of being able to exclusive team. put it on a college application. Essentially, it’s basing your Students need to realize there is more to high school than involvement off of what would impress a college admissions just worrying about a future application. High school provides officer, rather than what you would actually enjoy. students with the opportunity to discover what interests them, While I can’t speak for everybody, I can say for myself that get involved and become friends with peers who share similar I never had fun in the clubs I signed up for because I wasn’t interests. passionate about them. However, I stayed in them for the Clubs should be a place to have fun and do what you entire year because I was promised it would pay off when I love — not to pad up a college application. It’s was applying to college.

Too There is a toxic idea shared by several high school students Many important to view getting involved from the stressing the importance of college applications and Clubs perspective of what you truly enjoy, rather than the toxic lens of a résumé. how the only way to get into a good college is by taking honors and AP classes, being the president AP Classes Tutoring Political Internship 1600 SAT National Honor Society

Student Council President 36 ACT

november 2023

opinion

design by colton fieger

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TIGER PRINT STAFF LIST editors-in-chief staff members Isaac Hudson Gaby Ayres Ava McGuire Ashling Rhylan Stern Bahadursingh Dayna Bemiss assistant editor Ashley BrixeyHarris Jones Thatcher Isaac Burton web editors Amira Dvorak Jackie Chang Callie Dyches Ella Lim Audrey Erickson Colton Fieger photo editor Aspen Ava McNiel Gallentine Miranda Henry design editor Emily Kozlowski Katie Kennedy Michael Leach Emma McAtee adviser Andrew Sharber Michelle Huss Nikoo Tahmasebi

It is time for Blue Valley to stop letting its seniors feel alone in shouldering the weight of applying to college Every fall, millions of high school seniors begin the process of applying to post-secondary schools.

For many students, this process actually starts over the summer between their junior and senior year, or even earlier, but for most it starts in August.

With it comes a whole slew of deadlines, essays, letters of recommendation, unofficial transcripts, official transcripts, early decisions, housing deposits, roommate searches, and so on and so on.

CollegeBoard recommends every student apply to between four and eight colleges. It would seem logical then, even with the help of the CommonApp, that these prospective students would have plenty of time and resources to submit applications to schools.

And what better place than Blue Valley to prepare them, right?

Since freshman year, maybe even since middle school, seniors were continuously informed that going to Blue Valley means they will be so unbelievably prepared to go to college, but by the time they reach junior year, it begins to feel like none

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of that was true.

Suddenly, the incoming senior class is burdened with the entire weight of the college system, all at once. Where is the direction they were promised?

Many may choose to blame BV’s counseling staff, but in reality, the problem is much wider than that.

Without real programming and instruction to students before they reach their senior year, the task of meeting that Nov. 1 deadline is terrifying.

Using Tiger Time to show students Naviance or Xello is great, but it is essential to also instruct them on how to create a resume, write a college essay, schedule college visits and how to handle the constant questions from everyone around them about where they are going to go next year.

It is time for Blue Valley to stop letting their seniors feel alone in shouldering the weight of applying to college and live up to its motto: education beyond expectations. | THIS STAFF EDITORIAL IS THE REPRESENTATION OF THE OPINION OF THE TIGER PRINT STAFF.

staff editorial november 2023 cartoon by amira dvorak

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students six 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 518, emailed to thetigerprint@gmail.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th Street Overland Park, KS 66085

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