The Tiger Print — December 2022

THE TIGER PRINT

abound activities

AVA MCGUIRE

Student participates in election for the first time

Student continues legacy of hype film production.

Students reveal their funniest group chat names.

Staff writer Harris Jones criticizes serial killer media craze.

“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 St. Overland Park, KS 66085

Deer! Student collides with animal on drive home The Baker’s Dozen 13 band members play collegiatelevel solo in the marching band show

Meet Me at Midnight

Web editor

Regan Byrnes reviews musician Taylor Swift’s tenth album, Midnights.

PHOTO BY ELLA LIM

PHOTO BY RHYLAN STERN

lue alley around

SCHEDULE CHANGES

From Dec. 7 to 9, second semester schedule change requests are able to be made.

“The goal is to have students start their full schedule the first day back,” counselor Kristen Stallbaumer said. “This way classes can be established without disruption and teachers can begin teaching curriculum right away.”

In order to maintain this, no changes are permitted in January.

“Any level changes or other exceptions can be pursued Dec. 7-9 so everyone is where they need to be Jan. 4,” Stallbaumer said.

THREE FOR THREE

For the third time in a row, the BV Tiger Band won state while performing at the University of Kansas on Oct. 22, 2022. As one of the three drum majors, senior Joaquin Toro was a part of the experience.

“It was really gratifying to see all of our hard work pay off,” Toro said. “We had a slow start.”

Yet, the season ended a high note, winning High General Effect, High Music, High Visual, and High Percussion.

“I could not be more satisfied with the results,” Toro said.

ACHIEVING A 36

At the beginning of the year, senior Nancy Pei scored a 36 on the ACT.

“I was so shocked and excited, I couldn’t even open my mouth,” Pei said.

Difficult to achieve, Pei expressed that preparation is most important.

“My biggest tip is to know what your goal score is,” Pei said. “If you’re aiming for a 36, I’d say time is the biggest thing. The questions themselves aren’t very difficult, it’s just the time management of it all.”

BY ELLA LIM

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY NANCY PEI

|

|

Eto cast votes on whichever issues and candidates lay on the ballot.

Senior Bailey Freese, among other BV students who recently turned 18, exercised her right to participate in this election for the first time last month. Though she hadn’t voted before, Freese saw the value in having a voice.

“I feel like it would be unfair to have the ability to vote and to not,” she said. “Being able to contribute to what goes on in your [community is important].”

Before she could cast a ballot, Freese decided it was a worthwhile investment to look beneath the surface of each campaign.

“I feel like I have to do some background research myself just because you never know,” she said. “All of these ads on social media are like 95% fake — it’s just them tagteaming and trying to go against each other. I really have to look at each person’s background and figure out which one I most agree with.”

Beginner Ball ot RAISE YOUR VOICE

Student votes in election for the first time

Though she took the time to brush up on her politics, Freese doesn’t believe all young voters are in the loop.

“I feel like it’s a 50/50,” she said. “Some people are very political, and there are other kids who have no idea what’s going on at all. They don’t really know the difference between political parties, so they just do whatever their friends do.”

In regards to specific issues, Freese didn’t see a clear outlier that would take priority for young voters. She did, however, think a guiding philosophy would push them toward certain opinions.

“Whatever gives them the most freedom is what they’re [going to care about],” Freese said. “If it contributes to them being able to do more things they weren’t able to before, they’re going to vote for it.”

While she wasn’t particularly passionate about each and every local race, Freese valued participating in her community.

“Since it was my first time being able to vote, I was excited to be heard,” she said. “We actually have a say in what goes on, and this is us saying what we want.”

“Local elections matter because the decisions made by local governments are tailored to your community.”

Bennett Calvert, 11

“[The issue I’m most passionate about is] abortion. It’s not an easy decision for any woman to make — it’s an invasive procedure that leaves a mark physically, emotionally and mentally. It should not be influenced or restricted by a general set of rules I predict will do more harm than good.”

Rose Dersch, 10

We actually have a say in what goes on, and this is us saying what we want.

bailey freese 12

Photo submitted by Bailey Freese

design by charley thomas

Revamp and Renew

Students, staff work to redo senior hall to encourage a productive environment

kylee thompson |staff writer

With the removal of the lockers and carpet in the 500-hall, better known as the “Senior Hall,” students and staff are looking for new ways to bring productivity and comfort.

Psychology teacher Courtney Buffington has been tasked with the project to revamp the hall with juniors Claire Hannasch, Mackenzie Campbell, Amira Dvorak, Josh Gordon, Peyton Hugg and Grace Wagers.

Buffington began working with students interested in psychology on the new project to provide real-life opportunities to research and execute a project to improve their school and help their peers. Organizational industrial psychologists study how people are most productive, what motivates them and what produces stress and anxiety in their workspaces. Working with the revamp committee students experience what this job would consist of.

“There are so many students interested in psychology but don’t want to be therapists,” Buffington said. “This is a great chance for students who are interested to practice research methods by collecting data, our needs and [designing] a space based off the needs of those people.”

Hannasch said the main point of the project is comfort and coziness.

“We definitely want to make it more homey — we want lots of couches and also some independent workspaces,” Hannasch said. “We want to incorporate both group environments and singular workspaces.”

Although eager to get cracking on the project, the funding is very important.

“We need the money for it,” Buffington said. “That’s why we’ve applied for a grant.”

Buffington is hopeful to move forward with the revamp as soon as possible with the completion goal of this school year. However, if the grant is not approved, the project may

not be completed until the 2023-2024 school year.

From the grant request application, “It is an open area with beautiful vaulted ceilings that students used to use to collaborate and study, but this summer carpet removal and locker bay removal impacted the ability to use this space in a meaningful way.”

The changes in the hallway last summer created a major noise increase.

“The vast concrete space is sprinkled with old cafeteria tables as loud conversations float freely down the hall, spilling secrets and distracting learners,” Buffington said. “When they took out the carpet and lockers, it lost some of that cozy, comfortable feeling.”

She is hopeful students will use the space during Academic Support Time and other work times in order to complete homework assignments and other schoolwork.

“[We want] an environment that helps promote learning and that kids want to go out and work in,” Hannasch said.

Gaining inspiration from college libraries and former students who have shared those workspaces, the group has been brainstorming ideas.

The committee also put up flyers in the 500 hall for students to complete with what they would like to see in the ‘new’ senior hall. In addition, they have asked teachers from the hallway what they think would be helpful for students.

“It’s a beautiful space and such a great area,” Buffington said. “[We] can really do something here.”

The photos above represent ideas from former students who attend University of Cincinnati and University of Arkansas. |PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY COURTNEY BUFFINGTON

design by kylee thompson

design by regan byrnes

Death of Iranian Woman for not wearing hijab sparks protests from Iranian citizens

regan byrnes |web editor

A 22-year-old Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, was arrested on Sept. 16 because Iran morality police claimed she was not wearing the hijab correctly.

Amini died suspiciously while in custody. Iranian authorities insist Amini passed away due to a heart attack, but Amini’s family claim that morality police officers had beaten her after her arrest. This was confirmed in Amini’s autopsy, which stated she had suffered multiple blows to the head before she died.

From this, protests have arisen — Iranian women believe their rights are being infringed upon and are fighting against the Iranian government for their choice to wear the hijab.

As someone who wears a hijab, senior Teddy Tadkesaria discussed the Iranian conflict and the choice of wearing the headscarf.

“I can understand both sides — I understand wanting to just rip it off and shave [their hair] off and be like, ‘Screw you!’” Tadkesaria said. “At the same time, I also find it to be giving other people power [over you] because you hold on to this power by not showing [your hair]. You almost give that away when you do it in protest.”

given the freedom to choose.

“As a kid, I always saw my mom wear it, and I thought it was such a cool thing,” she said. “As I grew up, I started to understand more about what it symbolized religiously. I [decided to] wear it because it makes me different, [because] when you walk around and you see someone wearing a hijab, you know that they’re Muslim, and I feel like all my life I’ve never seen that truly represented.”

Tadkesaria strongly disagrees with Iran’s policy that forces any woman, regardless if they are citizens or visiting, to wear the hijab. This has created unrest and tension in Iran for many decades.

|PHOTO SUBMITTED BY TEDDY TADKESARIA

“The Qur’an, [which is the central religious text of Islam,] says it is a choice for a woman to wear a hijab or not,” she said. “I think [Isalmic women] were finally at the point of, ‘We’re done.’ They were protesting at first, but now I feel like it’s becoming a revolution.”

Tadkesaria, however, is anxious that this protest will not help women’s rights in Iran progress.

Though women in Iran do not have the choice to wear the hijab, Tadkesaria grew up in a different situation. She was

“I don’t want to be unrealistic,” she said. “I’ve had my expectations up so high for my entire life, and nothing really ever changes.”

Besides this, Tadkesaria tries to focus on how she can educate and encourage her community, especially her three younger sisters, that if they want to wear the hijab they should feel proud.

“I want to show them that just because you wear a scarf, it doesn’t define you,” she said. “It doesn’t change you and it doesn’t limit you.”

Junior shares ideas for overcoming seasonal depression

ava mcniel |staff writer

With the approach of fall and winter, many teens may begin dealing with seasonal depression, which involves an individual feeling saddened or miserable in fall or winter, when it gets darker earlier and the days begin to become shorter.

It commonly occurs from the brain’s response to the annual changes in daylight.

Signs of seasonal depression might include changes in one’s mood, negative thoughts, low energy and changes in sleeping or eating.

For junior Lauren Ediger, seasonal depression is a significant part of her daily life during the winter months.

“I noticed the more severe down feelings when the days felt longer,” she said. “[It] almost felt miserable when it started getting cold out

and [I]got in [a] slump.”

Teens who struggle with seasonal depression can find it hard to get through normal days or even do simple tasks.

“It made it hard to go out and do things and hard to take care of myself, like basic hygiene,” Ediger said. “I [also] wouldn’t want to do chores — you’re so isolated.”

With these heavy feelings brought onto students, it can severely affect their school life and grades. Teens will often feel tired, low on energy and have a lack of motivation to complete tasks. It can seem like everything takes too much effort.

“My grades did suffer — I definitely saw them drop a lot in January, February and late December,” Ediger said. “I was very unmotivated, stressed out and overworked, [so seasonal depression] definitely affected my grades.”

From the stress of seasonal depression, teens can find it difficult to reach out or find solutions. To prevent the pressure during this time, Ediger has a way to cope.

“Music is kind of my thing,” she said. “Being able to hang out with friends and getting away [from] the house and not locked in your room [helps].”

Ediger uses sources of therapy to assist her during these times. Therapy is one of the most common treatments for seasonal depression. According to Kidshealth.org, talking with a therapist helps relieve the negative thoughts and feelings associated with depression. It can ease the isolation or loneliness that people with depression often feel. Therapy helps one understand their condition and become educated on how to prevent future bouts of seasonal depression.

“I would definitely go talk to someone about [seasonal depression] because it is a real thing,” Ediger said. “You should take care of yourself, learn how to cope with things and better yourself during that hard time so you can get out of it.”

design by ava mcniel

2022

ByeBVBye

brynn friesen |web editor

As the college application process sets in motion, most seniors are now beginning to figure out what their futures will look like. Some, however, are more ahead than others and are set to graduate at semester.

After attending Farrier’s school to learn horseshoeing over the summer of 2022, senior Gracie Frede decided to graduate in December.

“I [wanted] to start my business earlier,” Frede said. “I didn’t really plan on going to college.”

As a person who regularly works with horses, she hopes to make this the basis of her future.

“I plan to keep starting my business of shoeing horses and move to Minnesota or somewhere north where it’s prettier,” Frede said.

Abby Bryant is graduating early in order to free up her time to explore the world of business.

“I don’t really enjoy school — I can do more without that

second semester in the way,” she said. “I’m deciding to go into the business world and real estate.”

Rather than attending college, she plans to establish a gym with her mom.

“We decided to do that in the summer,” she said. “It’s been a really long process.”

To prepare herself for these goals, Bryant is taking a related course through CAPS.

“I’m doing global business right now,” she said. “I did sports med first semester last year.”

While Frede has faced her doubts with her plan, she has regained her confidence and is prepared to and is excited to start her profes sional journey.

“I’m not nervous anymore,” Frede said. “I’ve gotten to the point where I’m pretty confident on how it’s going.”

Frede wants to continue her chosen profession throughout her career.

“I plan to make this my whole future,” Frede said. “I do plan to also start colts and train horses as well, but that will be more of a side gig.”

Bryant aspires to enter her career path with the ambitions of advancement.

“Right now, this is all I have planned,” she said. “Hopefully, [it] takes me to a successful career.”

Across the

World

Mowry moves to New Zealand in 2023

emma mcatee |staff writer

For most people, moving is a huge change. For teacher Brian Mowry, moving out of the country is no big deal. Along with his two kids and his wife, Mowry is staying in Kaitaia, New Zealand, for six months.

“It’s always been in us — in our DNA,” Mowry said. “When this opportunity popped up to be able to spend six months living and working in New Zealand, we jumped at it once we realized it would work for us.”

Mowry and his family have traveled to New Zealand before, so they know what to expect. To prepare his children, he isn’t doing much in terms of experiences due to the primary language in New Zealand being English. Mowry hopes his kids will become more courageous after this experience.

“I’m glad they’re going to be the weird kids, so they are forced to stand out in one way, shape or form and have to deal with that,” Mowry said. “It seems like a lot of the goal of people is to stay under the radar, and this will force them to not be able to do that. Being uncomfortable helps develop grit and who they are a little bit more.”

While in New Zealand, Mowry will educate his kids and put them through school while his wife is at work as a primary care physician at two clinics.

“The reason why we can come in as foreigners is because

they can’t find doctors to take those spots,” he said. “It’s a little bit of an underserved community, heavily indigenous of the Maori people, so she’s going to be working there in those clinics.”

While away from America, Mowry plans to take a break from teaching.

“I might get back into podcasting and try to write a book,” he said. “I’m going to cook all the meals, do all the shopping and all the cleaning while my wife’s working. I think I might get into Tai Chi.”

With Mowry’s previous experiences of traveling out of the country, he has no worries about this move.

“We’re going to a place where everyone speaks English,” he said.

“I moved to China in 2002 — that was insane. This seems really simple actually. That’s because of the experience. Once you experience something you’re not as scared as you would be the first time, so it’s good to keep that in mind.”

Mowry looks forward to living in such a natural environment containing less human impact. He is interested in seeing all the cultural differences and understanding how people think differently. The majority of people in New Zealand have Polynesian ancestry, so it’s a different culture and mythology. Mowry is enthusiastic to live outside of America again and experience the differences.

“It’s really easy to get stuck with tunnel vision in your world,” Mowry said. “When you live internationally, you’re forced to get out of your world, and I enjoy that. I find it very rewarding, too.”

When you live internationally, you’re forced to get out of your world, and I enjoy that.

Brian Mowry

design by emma mcatee

Extracurricular

ExcitEMEnt

students, staff elaborate on importance of school involvement

By: Ayesha Khan, Brynn Friesen, Isaac Hudson, Harris Jones, Katie Kennedy & Kylee Thompson

Most students at Blue Valley are involved in some kind of extracurricular activity, whether it be music, journalism, an academic honor society or a game club.

Every club brings the opportunity for students to become part of a community. Not only do extracurricular activities often look good on college applications, they inevitably bring students closer to each other in ways they wouldn’t expect.

Without these opportunities for students to interact with one another, they wouldn’t connect and meet new people, nor could they find new hobbies they enjoy. School clubs are important for the growth and development of high school students just like their academic courses are.

cultivating culturE

although there are various established organizations and athletics within Blue Valley, it is difficult to ensure all students’ interests are represented. Because of this, it is common for students to form new clubs with which they resonate more closely.

Of these newly formed groups is the Asian American Association, with junior Josselyn Bui as its co-president.

“The Asian American Association was started last year during second semester, and it was [formed by] me and Ella Lim, who’s the other co-president,” Bui said. “We created the club with the intention of teaching others and spreading the joy that comes from different cultural holidays, traditions or the country in general to the people of Blue Valley.”

Lacking a community for the Asian Americans of BV, Bui said the club gained traction quickly.

“A lot of Asians were interested in it, and a lot of non-Asians were interested in it because there isn’t a very good representation of Asian American culture in the education system,” she said. “There’s a lot of misrepresentation, and there’s a lot of people interested in sharing their culture, so we decided to create a club to do that efficiently.”

The club often takes part in various Asian holidays and strives to make sure an array of Asian cultures are being represented.

“[We celebrated] Diwali, and we’re planning on doing Lunar New Year-based things,” Bui said. “We have events where you can make or try different foods, we had a picnic and we also had a spring roll wrapping event, so it’s a lot of different things that we do. We [also] have things called country chapters, which is where students sign up to represent and plan events for specific countries like India, Vietnam or South Korea.”

Aside from participating in activities, the club also encourages a family dynamic where people are able to share their experiences as an Asian American.

“Other than just teaching about different countries, there’s also a lot of people that have similar cultural experiences — having a space where you can talk about those and knowing there’s other people out there that have been through things like you, it creates a strength system,” Bui said.

“During difficult times, we’ll all talk about similar struggles we’re having or fears we face just based on our background or past experiences. It creates a strengthened community — it’s almost like a brother or sisterhood type of thing.”

Housing and encouraging acceptance is a primary value the club is built upon.

“It’s more about giving an identity and a community to Asian Americans in the Blue Valley district and letting them know they have a community there to support them and represent them,” Bui said. “The Asian Americans are part of Blue Valley, and we work together in tandem.”

Although the club is centered around Asian Americans, people of all ethnic backgrounds are encouraged to join.

“This club is open to anyone who’s interested in learning about Asian American culture or Asian countries in general,” Bui said. “We don’t have any limits on race. Even if you are Asian American and you don’t know that much about your culture, it’s open to anyone who’s willing to learn.”

|PHOTOS BY JACKIE CHANG

undEr nEw ManagEMEnt

the Horticulture Management Club is a group of people who meet to discuss their love of plants, as well as how to get more of them into the school. Following the graduation of the former president, junior Ethan Oppold was elected.

“I joined last year [and] meetings consist of when you walk in, you shake hands with everyone,” he said. “Then we have a presentation, and we talk about how much we love plants. Then at the end, we usually have a quiz or something, and we say our plant prayer.”

Following the club’s adoration of plants, the same goes for the sponsor, Spanish teacher Steven Dean.

“I have a thing for, as you know, bonsai trees,” Dean said. Though the presentations vary in topic, they all stay on theme: plants.

“Last year, we had one called judgment day like Terminator,” Oppold said. “We wore suits, and we had a Hawaiian day.”

Oppold wants to keep the charm of the club from before and has chosen to not change much.

“I want the club to remain basically the same,” he said. “We love plants.”

Despite Oppold’s love of the way the club is, Dean had a different idea of what the group’s purpose was when he was brought on as the sponsor.

“I assumed this had something to do with plants,” Dean said. “That’s not really what it is. What it’s really about is having fun and doing it in a silly way. That is supposed to be about plants, but it really isn’t at all.”

Oppold feels the bar is high due to the last president.

“I can’t fill the shoes of legends,” he said. “I’m just trying my best to be like them.”

Oppold plans to have more meetings and events in the future, but being caught up in other activities, he hasn’t had

much of a chance yet.

“I’m involved in band and cross country,” he said. “It’s over now, so I have a lot more free time to do actual horticulture stuff, so look out for that.”

With only one meeting so far, the club has taken a hit in numbers. Due to graduates from last year and a lack of available time, fewer people have attended.

“It was not nearly as big as it was last year when we had Tiger Paws,” Dean said. “I’m hoping with the changes we’re having where we can have club meetings during academic

Oppold encourages anyone interested in joining to stop in “If you like plants, I would join,” he said. “It’s very welcoming. We don’t exclude. We just find an atmosphere that everyone enjoys. I want it to stay like you’re not forced to go there. You want to be there.”

It’s exploring classical literature through discussion. Right now it’s more of a Socratic seminar format, but that can easily change and evolve based on our needs. It’s a nice place to just meet up and talk about what we’re reading.

fardipour

kayvon

here to see the BV clubs list and meeting calendar

design by ava mcguire

nEw club: Red

Cross Club

Where: Room 224

When: once a month

Student leader: Tashleen Thiara

[Red Cross] is a national organization to help make the world and humanity a better place. We are one of the five clubs in Kansas, and it’s such an interesting thing. It’s a great place to start helping out your community, raise awareness for less talked about subjects and add to your volunteer hours.”

tashleen thiara 10

sponsoring studEnts

with the new designated time created for clubs to meet during Advisory, club sponsors have opened their rooms to students.

Over the years many teachers across BV have been approached by various staff and students about being a club sponsor. Math teacher and Cornhole Club sponsor Tyler Randall has created a fun atmosphere for students to relax and decompress at school.

“I have a great passion for yard games,” Randall said. “A few students saw me playing with [ Jonathan] Jost and asked if I wanted to be the club sponsor, so it just seemed to fit because I love cornhole.”

Special education teacher and Jewish Student Union sponsor Eli Kanarek was appointed by a coworker.

“The former sponsor was an English teacher — she asked me when she [left] if I would do it,” Kanarek said. “I’m Jewish, so she thought I’d do that for sure.”

Science teacher and Diversity Club sponsor Manal Wiedel has been a sponsor of this well-established club for many years.

“When I started teaching, which would have been 16 years ago, the assistant principal at the time knew my involvement with an organization that worked toward social justice around diversity, equality and inclusion,” Wiedel said. “She asked me if I would be comfortable being a sponsor.”

Club sponsors often find rewarding experiences from involvement in the clubs.

“It’s the dialogue happening between club members,” Wiedel said. “It’s awareness of topics we are knowledgeable of but never really had the space to be able to talk and hear other sides — having a healthy conversation.”

Randall wants to provide a chance for students to be “silly” in their young age.

“It’s a great opportunity for kids to interact with other students and have a brain break and an opportunity to relax,” he said.

Kanarek also loves how inclusive Blue Valley students are.

“Seeing Jewish kids and not Jewish [together] —

everybody feels like their friends and anyone can come to [the] club,” he said. “It’s great to see young people comfortable in their school.”

Although the sponsors often sit in the background of meetings and add in thoughts or conversations every once in a while, they have more of a responsibility than given credit for.

“I’m pretty much a logistics coordinator,” Kanarek said. “I, first of all, provide the space — then I provide the background. I have to get approval from administration, I supervise to make sure it’s appropriate for school. I also work with the president of the club to make sure we are having meetings.”

Business teacher and BV Business sponsor Kathy Peres works hard year round to teach students the best way to win competitions and how to be a good business professionals.

“[We are] preparing [students] for a future career and building skills that would be needed in every job,” Peres said. “It’s also validating a future professional. I’m not training kids to go into the business world, per se, but the skills that would help [students] go into any industry they

Kanarek said clubs are a great way to “Kids can feel they’re a part of the school,” he said. “Everybody can come — it’s fun.”

The club sponsors encourage students to join clubs for differing reasons, but they all want to make students feel comfortable and grow as a young adult.

“Just to start getting those public speaking skills and learning about themselves,” Peres said. “It’s a good [club] to see if you are on the right track and are doing the right things to be ready for that. It’s a great way to get involved for all grades.”

students discuss diwali

ashling bahadursingh |staff writer

Diwali, Dipawali, Deepavali, Deepawali, Dewali, Divali — however it’s spelled, people all over the world gather to observe Diwali in late October. More than one billion people celebrate the festival of lights, so the variations in Diwali aren’t limited to just its spelling.

In northern India, Diwali is a celebration of King Rama’s return after being exiled from his home, Ayodhya, and defeating his rival, Ravana.

In southern India, it is commemorated as the day Lord Kirsha defeated the demon Naraksaura.

In western India, Diwali marks when Lord Vishnu sent the demon King Bali to rule the nether world.

What’s always in common? A colorful celebration of light, goodness, family, community and food.

Sophomores Vanee Pattani and Adhvika Veerapaneni discussed their experiences with Diwali.

Before the festivities have even begun, families prepare for Diwali.

“We clean our house, go to the temple and dress up in traditional clothes. We also meet up with family and friends.” Pattani said.

Diwali preparations also includes the making of rangoli inside and outside of homes to welcome prosperity into a household.

“For Diwali, we make rangoli which [is] colored chalk art that you put outside your front door,” Veerapaneni said. “It’s supposed to bring good luck to your household.”

To many families, the five day holiday of Diwali is representative of the ultimate triumph of goodness over evil.

“Light wins [against] the dark,” Pattani said. “It’s something that

celebrates the good instead of the evil.”

The light in Diwali is just as literal as symbolic.

“We light a lot of candles — we do fireworks,” Pattani said. “The candles symbolize light, beauty and the ambience of Diwali that I really love.”

The love in Diwali extends to the food.

“We also make Indian food, like samosas, curries, paneer, biryani, gharelu, pulihora and poli,” Veerapaneni said. “We exchange food [with] neighbors and friends. [Food is] a lot of people’s favorite part. It’s really good.”

And even further, celebrations continue with desserts.

“My favorite food is [the] sweets — my favorites include gulab jamun or any kind of dessert that’s not too sweet,” Pattani said. “I sometimes help make them, but a lot of the time, I help out by eating.”

Diwali creates a warm environment for families and communities to be united by putting aside work and prioritizing connections.

“It creates a cohesive, more comfortable environment for us to visit our relatives and friends — just to talk and communicate,” Pattani said. “We get together with our friends, go to the temple to pray and call our relatives back home. It allows us to spend time and celebrate together. We go to a lot of get-togethers with friends to watch fireworks.”

The connections to Diwali go further back than the present day, especially since the holiday is more than 2,500 years old.

“Knowing people who came before me celebrated [Diwali] makes me feel connected to my ancestors and my family,” Veerapaneni said.

photo by adhvika veerapaneni photo by vanee pattani

december 2022 design by ashling bahadursingh

Dominating Dominating

Division-I Division-I

Star athletes share experiences committing to universities

kicking, shooting and passing their ways to becoming the best of the

Yang didn’t always know she would play for the University of Missouri. Originally, her top picks for schools included University of Kansas, the University of Wisconsin and the University of Texas. But once she did some more research on Mizzou, her perspective changed.

“I’ve always been a KU fan growing up,” she said. “But once I talked to the Mizzou coach, I really liked her. I also liked the distance of the campus [from home].”

Though the process of choosing a school can be exciting, it can also be a major source of stress for deciding athletes.

began to play for Sporting Blue Valley and later the Blue Valley High soccer team. But in 2023, Yang this school was all but a simple one. Yang

“From a young age, I had a lot of people telling me how good I was,” Wooten said. “My recruitment didn’t start until later, so I was questioning myself.”

Nevertheless, her talent did not go unrecognized and, sure enough, she began to receive opportunities left and right.

“Last year, around September, I started getting a bunch of Power Five offers and Power Five looks, so then it got kind of fun,” she said. “I had schools telling me they want me.”

Oklahoma State stuck out among the other schools that wanted Wooten on their team. She ended up committing to them this summer.

committed like a month after.”

“It was easy to pick Oklahoma State because they got a new head coach this year,” Wooten said. “I saw the culture change, and it was super attractive to me”

Wooten hopes this school can provide her with the tools and coaching to help her get to the WNBA.

Taking advantage of the resources at the school and maintaining a strong mindset are her main focuses to keep her on the path toward success.

“I’m definitely trying to go to the WNBA, but that’s just a goal,” Wooten said. “A lot of people tell me I can get there, so I’m hoping Oklahoma State can prep me and get me ready for the next level.”

Also taking her athletic career to the next level, McAleer has committed to Purdue University, a Division-I university in the Big Ten Conference. The nationally ranked libero verbally announced her commitment to the Division-I school on Instagram this July.

To McAleer, Purdue appealed to her more than the other schools.

“Purdue was always one of my top schools just because, obviously, they’re a top program,” she said. “Also I knew the atmosphere was just super welcoming, and the team is super family oriented — it’s more than volleyball.”

It is no secret McAleer excels in her libero position, but that doesn’t prevent her from pushing herself to prepare for collegiate-level competition.

“I’m still working, getting myself in the best possible place to compete,” she said.

Purdue will not only aid McAleer’s

future in college sports but also in her career. After four years at the university, she plans to play volleyball professionally and eventually become a sports broadcaster.

“Being in the Big Ten Conference for volleyball is a big thing — it’s like the best conference in the nation, so [Purdue] being at the top of it gives you a huge one up on the other schools,” McAleer said. “Playing in the Big Ten and

I knew the atmosphere was just super welcoming, and the team is super family oriented — it’s more than volleyball. ryan mcaleer

design by ava poland photos from publication

feature december 2022

design by ayesha khan

FROM the the

BOOTH

Senior commentates varsity football games, prepares to pursue a similar path in the future

ayesha khan |editor in chief

After years of interest in sports announcing, senior Brady Alderson’s life-long intent of pursuing this passion has come to fruition.

“My dream has always been to be an announcer,” he said. “I was talking to Mr. Reeves at the beginning of the year, and he said I could [commentate] the football game, so I found a partner to do it [with] — Ryan Barbosa.”

Sports broadcasting is nothing new to BV. However, Alderson and Barbosa’s commitment to the activity is what sets them apart from previous years.

“There were people last year but they only [went to] two of the games,” he said. “We’ve done every one so far except the first one of the year.”

Their responsibilities are not exclusive to their time in the press box.

“For away games, it’s a little harder — we have to get all of our stuff packed up on Thursdays and stay after school some days to get all the mics and cameras,” Alderson said. “We normally get there at 5:30, home or away, so we can set everything up. Sometimes we make our own rosters, and we’ve been keeping stats in it.”

Sports announcing is a long-lived interest in the Alderson family.

“When my dad was in college, he played baseball but he was also the PA announcer when he wasn’t playing because he was a pitcher,” Alderson said. “Since I was a kid, I was watching every sport I could, and I just liked the announcing side of things.”

The experience of being in the press box and the importance behind the role is a large part of what makes this endeavor appealing to Alderson.

“I don’t even know how to describe it, but it’s more fun,” he said. “It makes me feel more a part of the game, and I like calling it. I think an announcer can make any play electric, and sometimes the biggest plays of all times are made by the calls.”

Enjoyment is not all Alderson gains from this experience. Hoping to pursue this passion as a career, he has reaped the benefits of having footage of the games he’s commentated.

“Me and my dad have made clips of the games and sent them out to people,” he said. “I’ve gotten invited to go watch the football games in the KU and K-State press box so far, so it is opening up opportunities right now for what I want to do later.”

To those interested in pursuing something similar, Alderson encourages them to seize every moment presented.

“Take every opportunity you can to go call a game,” Alderson said. “Even if you don’t watch football — whatever sport it is, baseball, soccer, basketball — if this is what you want to do, you can’t miss an opportunity.”

I think an announcer can make any play electric, and sometimes the biggest plays of all times are made by the calls. brady alderson 12

|PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RYAN BARBOSA

ryan barbosa brady alderson

: year

Junior continues hype film legacy, promotes school spirit

ava mcguire |publication editor

From a young age, junior Noah Johnson always had a passion for content creation. From video design to photography, Johnson enjoys upping his various projects to the next level, as well as the inspiration, gratification and student love that comes from them.

Johnson creates “hype videos” for the sporting events and other activities at BV, carrying on the legacy of former BV students.

“There was definitely a lot to live up to — they made a lot of impact, so I want to make sure that my content is at the highest quality I could possibly produce,” Johnson said. “I try to strive for a little bit better than what happened last year.”

Johnson started making the hype videos at BV’s first soccer

“It was really awkward — nobody knew what I was doing there,” Johnson said. “I was a weird guy running around with the camera telling you to yell occasionally. Now that students see the end result and trust the creative process, they get so into it. It’s a good feeling when people are excited for when you’re posting your next video. I have people every week ask me when the next video is going to be, and it really makes me feel motivated to continue to do what

Inspiration for these videos can be found across sports hype accounts on TikTok and other platforms, Johnson said.

“Looking at their editing styles gives me inspiration for shots I want to get,” he said. “If I see something really cool in the video, I try to match it or make my own spin on that shot. I don’t try to shoot randomly — I intentionally create shots I know I can use later in a certain context.”

After filming, Johnson’s next phase in the creation process is finding the perfect song, and a strict criteria accompanies this step.

“It has to resonate with my audience, and it has to fit an epic vibe that makes [the video] feel greater

design by ava mcguire

than life and not like normal high school,” he said. “I look for songs like that, whether that be just songs by themselves or remixes of certain songs.”

Next up — editing.

“I match [the clips] to the beats and correct the colors and everything,” he said. “Then [I] ship it out to the socials.”

Johnson said his videos that are shorter in length tend to gain more attention across social media platforms.

“Usually faster-paced stuff seems to do better,” he said. “That’s really been an influence with song choice and editing style.”

In addition to his BV-focused projects, Johnson also produces content through his personal company brand, nojostudios.

“[I’ve been] trying to build up my individual brand that I can hopefully carry on,” Johnson said. “Lots of clients outside the school industry have seen [the hype videos] and they’ve liked my style and workflow. They’ve wanted to work with me because of that.”

Although the hype videos put Johnson under a weekly time crunch, he feels that they provide him with many opportunities and an amazing dynamic with his fellow students.

“I’ve always enjoyed making content, living out my situa tions and elevating them,” he said. “The added benefit of the student love of the content has been really inspiring, fun and gratifying.”

I don’t try to shoot just randomly — I intentionally create shots that I know I can use later in a certain context.” noah johnson 11

over Health Honors

andrew sharber |staff writer

As students enter high school, they immediately know of the opportunities they are gifted with by being able to enroll in AP and Honors classes as well as ones that allow themselves to find out what they are truly interested in leading into their future careers outside of school.

While they recognize what classes they are most interested in, they also discover how much they can push themselves for their education.

For senior Madison Urbanek, she’s had to go through the mental struggle of what is called “school-burnout.” With Urbanek taking four AP classes, including AP Literature, AP Calculus, AP Environmental Science and AP Government, burnout is just simply a side-effect for her and something she’s had to work through.

“I volunteer at the Deanna Rose Children’s Farmstead, which you would think would be counterintuitive, but Deanna Rose is a really fun place,” she said. “I can relax there while still feeling productive and accomplishing things.”

With Urbanek not only getting community service hours at the Farmstead but also de-stressing from her classes by being outside and enjoying the weather, she’s participated in things that have helped her mentally outside of school.

“Reading is good — I have a couple of books that I have when I need ‘me-time’ for half an hour just to be able to take

my mind off everything that has gone on in my life and destress a little bit,” Urbanek said.

While the amount of time required for the classes in total would be a lot for any student, with Urbanek being a senior, she’s had to think about what college she wants to apply for and what her future education plans are.

“I think I’ll thank myself when I don’t have to take those classes in college and study art instead,” she said. “Those AP classes that I’m suffering through right now are canceling out those credits so I could focus more on what I want to be doing. I’m sure that it’s going to be worth it, but right now it is a little like ‘Why am I doing this?’”

While the efforts in her classes may pay off in the end, it also varies for others depending on what classes they are interested in taking.

“It’s a case-by-case basis,” she said. “If you are going to be busy and have a job that is going to require a lot of hours for you to work outside of school, then cut back on the AP classes.”

While high school is certainly a learning experience for all, Urbanek recommends trying not to get so overwhelmed all the time.

“A lot of people look at everything they need to get done in a week or a month instead of what [they] can get done today,” she said.

A lot of people look at everything they need to get done in a week or a month instead of what [they] can get done today.

madison urbanek, 12

Seniors perform in Blue Valley musical

BY ISAAC HUDSON

isaac hudson |publication editor

For many involved in Blue Valley’s theater program, the annual musical is a chance to show off their acting and singing abilities. Seniors Cannon Simpson and Baylee Countryman were both cast for the musical this year: “Mary Poppins.”

“I play Bert,” Simpson said. “I am one of the four main leads in the show.”

Countryman was cast in a supporting lead role.

“I play Winifred Banks,” she said. “She was one of the characters I had always loved when I first watched ‘Mary Poppins’ as a kid.”

Countryman spent a lot of time preparing for her role in the show.

“I took a few hours to just memorize Act 1,” she said. “It [took] me a few more hours to get everything solidified.”

Simpson also put in lots of time to make sure he was ready for his part.

“I have a more feasible amount of lines, but a lot of snippets of song and a lot of [choreography] to memorize,” he said.

Throughout the process of preparing for the musical, both Countryman and Simpson grew fond of certain songs they had a part in.

“‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’ was super challenging to learn, but man is it fun,” Simpson said. “It is super fast-

paced and pretty funny as well.”

Countryman’s favorite song was centered on her character, Winifred Banks.

“I love singing ‘Being Mrs. Banks’ because it really shows how much she’s struggling with trying to be a mom and trying to please her husband and keep him happy,” she said. “She can’t seem to get anything right, and she feels like she’s a failure.”

Both seniors had very different roles to play in the production that shone through in their memories from behind the scenes.

“I [enjoyed] getting to know the other people on a deeper level,” Simpson said. “We had to bring some elementary kids in to play the child roles, so it has been nice to make them feel comfortable around us older kids.”

Countryman’s favorite memories were with her counterpart on stage, senior Ben Samuelson

“Ben plays George Banks — we [took time to make] character choices because we have very grounding scenes for the musical,” she said. “Mary Poppins and Bert are these imaginary magical people, and we’re the reality of it all. You have to add some type of character choices to it.”

For the cast, the show choice was nothing less than ideal.

“I’m very grateful [it was] ‘Mary Poppins,’” Simpson said. “I had lots of fun, and it was received great by the audience.”

|PHOTOS

design by isaac hudson

Mostmeaningfulgift:giftsfromflutesection

Why:“It’smysenioryear[inband]andI’masection leaderfortheflutes.Beforeourlastcompetition,mysectiongot togethertomakephotobooksofourentireseason.Igotashirtthat hadaninsidejokeonit;theyalsogotastuffedanimalthatwasa mascotofoursection.Itmeantalottomebecausebeingasection leaderisdifficult—there’sabalancebetweenbeingfriendsand havingtoleadandbestrictsometimes.Knowingthattheywanted toshowtheirappreciationformemeantalot.”

Name: Salem Ponnuru, 12

Why:sweatshirt“Mygirlfriendgotmea formybirthday. Acoupleofweeksbefore, she’dhadmetryiton secretlytoseeifitwouldfitsoI waslike,‘Oh,Iknowthatsweatshirt.’ Itwasprettycool.”

Name: John Hudson, 11

Most Meaningful Gift: sweatshirt

Name: Mack Gallentine, 10 Most meaningful gift: charm necklace Why: “For my birthday, my best friend got me a necklace in seventh grade. People [always tell me] my identifier is the headphones I wear all the time, so she went out and got me a necklace with a headphone charm on it. I still wear it almost every day. I really appreciated and liked it — we’ve been besties since we met, so it meant a lot.”

Name: Jay Jarvis, 11

Most meaningful gift: Necklace Why: “I received a necklace for my birthday this year from my boyfriend, Andrew. It’s really meaningful because he hand-picked it out for me and made sure I liked it. [He was also] talking to all my friends about it, trying to figure out if it was something I would like. It’s amazing.”

design by kenzie campbell

2022 design by katie kennedy

holiday cheer or the worst part of the year?

ella lim |staff writer

Breaking top 100 on numerous lists and placing 5th in the Billboard charts for “Top 10 Holiday Songs,” the lyrics from the 1963 hit song, “It’s The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” appear to hold a bit of truth. Maybe not for you, and certainly not for everyone, but for me, it’s a season incomparable to others for one main reason: The nostalgia, and maybe the lack of bugs.

regan byrnes |web editor

The most wonderful time of the year is upon us — or at least some people think so. Though the festive season is greatly admired and celebrated to an outrageous degree, it’s no secret some people find this magical time of the year to be anxiety-inducing.

Winter Wonderl na d

Winter is defined by snow crunching under my feet as I ruin the perfect white on the ground. It’s remembering when I made snowmen and snow angels, and seeing my breath while I exhale out into the frosty weather. It’s hearing my parents yell, “Wear a jacket!” while I’m leaving for school, drinking hot chocolate in a cozy sweater and roasting s’mores over the fireplace.

For others, winter is characterized by feeling warm under a blanket and never wanting to get out. It’s when you’re awoken to a serene landscape of snow that covers everything in sight. And it’s when winter break becomes an interlude, a lull, after it seems more like a necessity than a rest.

Moreover, despite the cliché, the cold brings people together. People yearn for warmth and love, and seem to be much more obsessed over the idea of giving, apparent by the immense increase of donations to toy and sock drives.

According to QGiv.com, more than one-third of all charitable giving occurs in the last three months of the year, and 12% of it comes from just the final three days. Though whenever I search anything winter-related online, I’m met with titles such as “24 Reasons Why We’re Obsessed with Winter — and Why You Should be too!” by Insider and “13 Reasons Why Winter is Wonderful” by EF Education First.

Even Google agrees with me, and they’re always right.

So prepare to celebrate holidays, sleep in your warm, cozy bed, and savor the season to the fullest. You could go ice skating (unless you’re like me and have a quite worrying lack of ability to do the sport), skiing, snowboarding and sledding.

But if you’re not all that into winter sports, then sit down, watch a cheesy rom-com holiday movie and drink hot chocolate.

Why not? It’s winter.

Besides what the majority believes, I don’t want to be a ‘Grinch,’ but there are too many stressful variables. Especially when forceful happiness is inflicted — because how dare you express unhappiness in this winter wonderland and how could you be so unhappy in such a jolly time?

Though something that people fail to recognize is that kids with divorced parents have a very hectic holiday season. According to World Population Review, about 50% of married couples end up getting a divorce, and this negatively influences the child: When are you supposed to be at Dad’s house? Wait, what time was the family dinner at Mom’s again? No one is ever happy in that scenario because people are never satisfied.

The GrinchSpeaks Out

Moreover, people never think others might struggle financially. Companies believe they help by creating huge sales events such as ‘Black Friday’ but it leaves families feeling horrible because they still couldn’t afford the discounted price.

I could get into the multivarious reasons why I don’t like the seasonal festivities. For instance, people who have their birthday around this time usually get combined presents, and companies decide it’s time to break out ‘It’s a Holly Jolly Christmas!’ in October. In October for gosh sake!

As well, it doesn’t matter the song, every holiday tune is horrible and makes me want to bash my head against a wall. Don’t forget, we’re giving children their first heartbreak at 7 or 8 by telling them Santa isn’t real. So, we might as well tell them that the holiday devil, Krampus, is real as well and will drag you underground if you misbehave.

I know I seem harsh, but I’m extremely envious of the people who can view the holiday season as an exciting time of year. It’s done through hidden jealousy after dozens of people telling me “You’re no fun” and “You’re such a Grinch.”

I promise I want to enjoy the season, but don’t ridicule my feelings because you don’t agree with me.

No, You Cannot Fix Him

The Romanticization of Serial Killers is Vile

demographic for victims was: queer men of color.

harris jones |staff writer

Following the release of Netflix’s series “Dahmer,” a drama series centered around the crimes of serial killer Jeffery Dahmer, a number of people took to social media discussing how they felt.

Some said the series didn’t affect them, thinking it could have been more gruesome or how they could no longer see Dahmer as a monster. Some even went as far as to say they find him attractive.

I think there is value in true crime and discussing and analyzing it, but that value stops the second you start treating people’s lives as if they were fictional characters instead of human beings.

The internet finding ways to worship prolific serial killers and other vile people, unfortunately, is nothing new. Within every community of people, there are bound to be a few that are less than savory, regrettably these people often seem to develop a reputation.

One example was the true crime community heavily centralized on Tumblr. While, for the most part, it was just individuals who enjoyed researching cases and happened to have a morbid interest, they all the while recognized just how disgusting the people committing these crimes were.

But, there were also those who, instead of recognizing how awful these actions were, decided that their fascination would take on a different form — romanticization.

From claiming these killers were just misunderstood to making earrings of someone who stole other’s lives, the spectrum of how far people are willing to take their fantasy version of real-life criminals was broad — most of it more disgusting than the last thing you saw.

It is important to acknowledge that at the height of the first big boom of people romanticizing serial killers on the internet, a lot of the people were children who fell into the wrong crowd and were young enough not to know any better, most likely now left with a stain on their past they’re not proud of.

But at the same time, it is also important to acknowledge that it was adults who were running these communities, and it is a good chunk of adults making these comments now.

Back to “Dahmer.”

Most of the people saying they felt the series was not gruesome enough are straight white women. The reason this is even significant is because of who Dahmer’s primary

You can brag all you want when you watch some horror movie in theaters and don’t flinch but not when you watch a retelling of the brutal end of real people’s lives. You don’t understand the anger of the people who this really affects. I will never be able to fully grasp it — not the victim’s anger, not the families’ anger, not the queer people of color’s anger.

To those who follow this series by no longer seeing Dahmer as a monster, I suppose you’re right — he isn’t a monster — he’s just a man, but he is a man who did things worse than any monster could even fathom.

Nature vs. nurture is of course an argument made in all sorts of situations, and you can argue a traumatic childhood is what turned him into what he was. But you lose all my sympathy when you inflict that same pain — or worse — on others.

Two things can coexist.

What happened to someone can be terrible and wrong, and they can still be a loathsome person.

For all the people who find Evan Peters attractive, I don’t care. The problem lies in that all the roles you could’ve picked to tell people you find him “so attractive” in, it’s this one. It’s the one where he plays a real person who hurt real people, not some fake killer on “American Horror Story.” You don’t forget that just because an actor you happen to like is playing them.

This isn’t just some drama series, no matter how you try to frame it. It was a violation of families who were retraumatized after its release when they weren’t even told it was happening. This was a real story framed too similarly to a work of fiction, given to people, many of whom were too young to understand the pain caused by Dahmer, and some old enough that just can’t find it in the goodness of their hearts to care.

Steven Hicks, 18; Steven Tuomi, 24; Jamie Doxtator, 14; Richard Guerrero, 25; Anthony Sears, 26; Raymond Smith, 33; Edward W. Smith, 28; Ernest Miller, 22; David C. Thomas, 23; Curtis Straughter, 18; Errol Lindsey, 19; Anthony “Tony” Hughes, 31; Konerak Sinthasmphone, 14; Matt Turner, 20; Jeremiah Weinberger, 23; Oliver Lacy, 23; and Joseph Bradehoft, 25.

Before you talk about Dahmer, remember this was their story too.

students should be more involved in school

It is Aug. 25, also known as Activity Fair Day. Clubs are setting up in the gym, encouraging incoming freshmen and sophomores to join their organizations.

A tiny issue presented itself throughout this event, however: Hardly any students signed up for a new club.

As we transition to 2023, it is important to remember how crucial it is to be more involved in the school community through the various clubs we have.

Without student participation, how can there be any school spirit? Any cooperation? Any individuality?

Joining a new club without knowing much about it can be scary — this just means the upperclassmen need to be more welcoming and encourage the underclassmen more in finding their interests and passions. It is also vital for upperclassmen to remember they need to be delving deeper into their own interests and passions as well.

Clubs act as a way for students to learn important life skills, such as cooperation and leadership. If you refuse to involve yourself in these activities, it will be very difficult to learn how to work as a team and lead a group of people. It doesn’t fulfill to simply guide (or sit in the background of) a group project — it is something required and something that will not always be of interest.

When we decide upon our passions and are creating something out of it, we are more likely to perform better.

According to the National Library of Medicine, a student is more likely to work harder and continuously put in effort when they are involved in something that interests them. After all, the difference between core classes and a club directly aligned with your interests is significant: one, you might fall asleep in and the other you might look forward to every week.

Involvement can also be a chance for the students of BV to increase their school spirit. Ever since the pandemic began, our school has been rapidly declining in spirit, and many are worried that after this year, there won’t be anything left to salvage.

While attending choir concerts, sporting events and other activities increases our camaraderie, joining clubs is another significant way to better represent the Tigers.

Encouraging students to commit to clubs creates a deeper sense of community within the school, making people feel more comfortable to be themselves and participate in the activities they want to.

With first semester coming to an end and the school year quickly racing on, it is important to try to look into clubs that seem like they would be of interest — you never know, it could prove to be a life-changing experience.

| CARTOON BY AVA MCGUIRE