The Tiger Print — December 2023

THE TIGER PRINT

blue valley high school | volume 54 | issue 4 | december 2023 | bvtigernews.com | overland park, kansas

| DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE

CONTENTS NEWS

4 THE SEASON OF GIVING national charity makes Christmas season meaningful for those in need

FEATURE

13 ONE WITH NATURE student takes job at local botanical gardens

ENTERTAINMENT

23 THE POWER OF PIGMENT learn how to apply color analysis

PHOTO OF THE MONTH photo by rhylan stern

OPINION

29 SUFFERING THROUGH THE SEVENS all seven class period days aren’t beneficial

“I really like how I was able to capture an action shot — a moment where he just goes for the layup.

I think you can really feel the excitement that was created by the crowd through this photo.”

CHECK OUT BVTIGERNEWS.COM A&E

PHOTOS

Staff writer reviews Taylors Swift’s new album 1989 (Taylor’s Version)

Check out photos of recent events around Blue Valley

OPINION

Ranking “Santa Baby” covers by popular artists

Off the Radar A PALESTINE-ISRAEL UPDATE When a Palestinian organization, Hamas, launched surprise attacks into Israel across the Gaza strip, a Palestinian territory which Israel has been occupying since 1967, on Oct. 7, it hurdled the nations headfirst into war.

While a week-long “pause” was put into effect for the conflict on Nov. 24 in order to exchange hostages and evacuate civilians, both sides broke the ceasefire and resumed fighting after its expiration on Dec. 1.

The U.N. has been trying unsuccessfully to pass a resolution that may help to end the war since mid-October.

HOUSE OF CARDS The House of Representatives has been dissolving into chaos for months. On Oct. 3, Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy was the first Speaker in American history to be voted out of office mid-term.

Less than two months later, on Dec. 1, George Santos, a New York Representative, met the same fate.

The removal of a second member of the House within a 60-day period sets a concerning precedent moving forward — the question no longer seems to be if, but rather when, someone else will be voted out.

LEADERS MEET FOR COP28

| PHOTOS FROM TRIBUNE NEWS AGENCY

On the last day of November, world leaders congregated in Dubai to attend COP28 — the United Nations Climate Change Conference — in an attempt to resolve what has been referred to as the world’s “climate crisis.”

The main goal of COP28 has been to draw attention to the lack of success the world has seen in its commitment to the Paris Agreement, a motion filed in 2015 to keep global warming to below 2 degrees Celsius. Attendants are struggling to agree on whether fossil fuels should be completely “phased-out” or just “phased-down.” december 2023

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Global initiative to starts in KC callie dyches | staff writer An international organization called Light the World opened its annual Giving Machine, a way to make a difference during the holiday season, right here in Kansas City on Nov. 21 at Union Station.

“It’s a vending machine — just like something you could go get a candy bar out of — only it’s filled with several charities,” said representative Heather Jones, parent of a current sophomore.

The Giving Machine includes local non-profit organizations, along with global initiatives, but it truly sets itself apart from other efforts through its unique methods.

“You don’t donate money,” Jones said. “We’ve had homeless shelters where they’re providing hygiene kits or meals, and that’s one thing you could go buy.”

Items people purchase are donated to charities that are able to distribute them to those in need. Some options of things to donate include meals, clean water, toys and — most popularly — goats.

“Recipients of the goat get to use this goat as a way to maintain a livelihood,” Jones said. “They can give goat milk [and] goat cheese. It provides an income for families.”

Although it does help people around the world, the Giving Machine has a special focus around local charities.

One of these organizations is West Side Community Action Network, which helps the inner city impoverished community in several different ways throughout the year.

“One thing they have is an orchard, so they can provide food and provide an opportunity for people in the community to go and learn how to do landscaping [and] how to live off the land,” she said. “They harvest this food, and it goes to the people in the community.”

Another local Kansas City charity is hosting a toy drive through the Giving Machine. The drive supports children in need through the holidays.

“It literally is the only toy these children will get, and they usually will only get one,” Jones said.

Local efforts have made a considerable difference in the community and around the Union Station world.

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“Kansas City’s very generous,” Jones said. “They put several thousand dollars into our very own community | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY that help support the JOSH DYCHES charities that are [making] a difference in people’s Light the World hosted lives.” a dance party to raise Not only are the awareness among donations benefiting KC, youth in KC. The event they’re also helping to exincluded food and free pand the initiative of Light T-shirts. “It was a great the World. opportunity to meet “The first year we new people, and I had a came to Kansas City, there great time.” were 17 Giving Machines -Hudson worldwide,” she said.

Bledsoe, “Now, there will be [61].”

BVMS 8th The Giving Machine grader makes it easy to make a difference, providing everyone with a chance to contribute.

“Usually you’ll have something between $5 you can choose from, all the way up to a couple hundred dollars,” Jones said.

This year, donors have the ability to maximize their impact in a new way.

“You have an opportunity to pay for the [transaction] fee because the fee is paid for by the organization that’s sponsoring the Giving Machine,” she said. “They are allowing you to just say, ‘I’ll cover that cost.’”

The Giving Machine is very versatile, allowing for a variety of donation options. People can choose between local and global charities and even donate in honor of someone.

“You are literally supporting self reliance in another country and making a difference,” Jones said. “You’re not just giving them a blanket and making them feel warm.

You are giving them an item that allows them to have income for several days or years, making a difference in their communities because they suddenly can become selfreliant.”

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Baseball, softball fields replace dirt & grass with turf audrey erickson | staff writer It’s no secret that the Blue Valley baseball and softball fields have recently been undergoing construction. They are working to switch one of the two fields into turf instead of dirt and grass.

Varsity baseball coach Tim Kennedy is very excited about these changes.

“It takes away the bad hops, but more importantly, it allows us to practice a lot more without worrying about rain and weather,” he said.

Kennedy doesn’t think turf will impact the performance of his team too much because turf is used for competitive baseball, so most players are used to it.

However, he does think it will help make practices far more efficient. “[Previously] our infield could only [practice] in the infield, but now we could run three infields,” he said.

Kennedy is also eager for varsity to be able to play games at home, as this wasn’t an option with the previous field.

Not only is baseball getting turf fields, softball is also having its field renovated.

Softball player sophomore Shea Splittorff shared her opinions on playing on turf.

“I prefer dirt over turf because I feel like on turf it’s a little slick with the rain and stuff,” Splittorff said, “I don’t want to roll any ankles.”

While she prefers dirt, Splittorff does agree with the decision to switch.

“Turf is better with [rain] and different conditions” she explained, “It

makes sense for school because turf is more low maintenance.”

Splittorff said the change wouldn’t affect the season.

“If you can play, you can play [and] if you can’t, you can’t,” she said. “I feel like it won’t affect that much.”

The fields are expected to be finished by the 2024 season.

“We get to play on our home fields this season — that’s the most exciting part,” Kennedy said.

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debATE deb ATE

Debaters, coach discuss team’s chances at National Qualifiers colton fieger | staff writer With the end of the semester growing nearer, debaters encounter the opportunity to participate in the National Speech and Debate Association’s qualifying district tournament.

After spending countless hours researching, speech writing and sacrificing every Saturday since August to argue at other high schools, the payoff of the work and dedication of the debate team can best be seen at national qualifiers.

Senior Johnny Perkins, vice president of the debate team, threw his hat in the ring with his debate partner Jaysen vonSeldeneck for a chance to qualify to compete at the National Championship in Des Moines this June.

“A lot of the preparation takes place over the whole season,” Perkins said. “After every weekend, you have to evaluate everything.

Making sure that you’re staying up to date on the news is also a big thing because you never know what you’re going to go up against.

With a ton of people all working to the same goal, you

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have to be ready to be able to respond to anything. It’s a lot of knowing the tournaments, getting experience and then sitting down and researching and writing.”

With this season’s debate topic being over fiscal redistribution, Perkins and vonSeldeneck worked together to create their own unique case.

“It’s pretty much entirely my own research,” Perkins said. “It’s an activity that takes a lot of work, and probably takes upwards of five or six hours a week sitting on the computer.”

Getting ready for national qualifiers, debate coach Chris Riffer saw preparation from all of the students.

“They start doing a lot more original research, trying to change their arguments that they’ve been using for the for the majority of the year,” Riffer said. “They try to do a lot of extra drills and practice work on on areas that they need to improve. It’s probably the most prepared advanced

group I’ve had in a number of years.”

Despite the effort put into debate, qualifying for nationals is still a very difficult task.

“We’re in one of the most competitive districts in the nation,” Riffer said, “The national champions have come from our district. We could be we could be a team that could go really deep at Nationals and not even finish in the top eight at our own district.”

Riffer said the teams from Blue Valley High had a good shot at placing in the top three to qualify.

“I used to say at this tournament, that there will always be one surprise qualifier,” Riffer said. “It’s a tournament that can lend itself to a surprise.

I think Nikoo [Tahmasebi] and Brett [Jordan], Drew [Schimmel] and Akhil [Reddy] — they would not [be] huge surprises.”

Perkins shared Riffer’s sentiment that, even with the tournament being so unpredictable, BV still had a sound chance.

“Even though I can’t know for sure who is going to qualify, I definitely think that BV has a good shot,” Perkins said.

CLASS SCHEDULE As the new semester approaches, final choices for classes are due. A new policy has been enforced stating once you choose a class you can not change it.

It is encouraged to choose classes according to your interests instead of succumbing to peer pressure. | VISUAL ARTS

| COMPUTERS Drawing Ceramics Sculpture Painting Graphic Design Jewelry

62% enjoy

| PUBLIC SPEAKING

64% do not enjoy

Theatre Debate Competitive Speech Speech

| PHOTOGRAPHY

| COMMUNICATIONS Creative Writing Newspaper Broadcast Yearbook

59% enjoy

| BROADCAST

89% enjoy

75% enjoy

| MUSIC

98% enjoy

76% enjoy

Web Design Computer Applications Computer Graphics Emerging Technologies

| PHYSICAL EDUCATION Choir Band Orchestra

56% do not enjoy

Strength & Conditioning Team Sports Health PE Group Exercise

december 2023

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ICJC

Students talk about involvement with Islamic Center ashling bahadursingh | staff writer “I think that [ICJC] helps Muslims in the Johnson County area come us, especially in times like this, together at the Islamic Center of Johnson where we need to be together, County, the mosque which hosts faith-based grow connections [and] indiscussions and activities. The ICJC sets crease our sense of family with out “to establish Islamic Center of Johnson each other,” Malek County as a welcoming, vibrant, inclusive and said. “It helps a lot with exemplary Islamic center that contributes to trying to get to know the betterment of our Muslim community and people around you | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY REHAN MALEK society at large.” more and just having Sophomore Noor Sarwar and senior that community.”

Rehan Malek discussed their experiences at Sarwar likewise the ICJC. emphasized that feeling achieved at the masjid.

“There “A main goal is to get everyone involved with the are lots of mosque and make our Muslim community strong,” Sarwar events that said. “It’s definitely a way to get more involved and connect happen at [the] with the Muslims in the community and be able to make ICJC. During bonds with everyone.”

Ramadan, they Sarwar hopes the sense of unity and welcoming will host lock-ins at continue to exist for years to come. the mosque.”

“For the future, I hope to keep up the great hospitality Sarwar said. and environment for the kids of the coming generations,” “The most Sarwar said. prominent ones Malek acknowledged that the sense of community are definitely gained at ICJC is at the forefront of its purpose. ones done “In the end, we’re all brothers and sisters,” Malek said. | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY NOOR SARWAR by the youth “We need to be there for each other.” committee.”

Malek himself is part of ICJC’s youth committee that arranges a multitude of events.

“I run sports events for the kids, mostly high schoolers,” Malek said. “My goal is to [gather] more people that live out here that aren’t as involved, even just for prayers, for social events, for sports, whatever it could be, just to get them more active. The goal of the youth department’s to increase youth awareness of the community and get that sense of family.”

Malek underlined the importance of community created at the ICJC. | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY REHAN MALEK

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Google What is Inflation?

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In economics

Videos

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Inflation rate

Cause

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X 5 causes

According to authors

High

About 714,000,000 results (0.35 seconds)

Lucas McNiel, 10 https://www.bluechipcookiesdirect.com/

Local Business Employee Talks Inflation “I’ve worked [at Blue Chip Cookies & Ice Cream] for a while and before ice cream was really cheap, but now it is getting more expensive since eggs and other goods cost more money now. They have to raise their prices to compensate for those increases. [Because of this] a lot of customers are like, ‘I’m not going to get anything anymore,’ due to the price changes.”

Inflation ...

Outside of the DECA, BPA and finance classes inflation has been a hot-button issue post-Covid both globally and domestically. Here is a brief run-down of current inflationary statistics and how it has affected the Blue Valley community .

Causes in 2023

60% of students hesitate supporting local businesses because of price increases.

Shifts From Services To Goods

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People also ask ...

Inflation in simplest terms

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Prices go up and the value of a dollar goes down.

Changes in the housing market.

8% increase in the price of a cup of coffee between 2022 and 2023

Laurie Warwick, business teacher https://www.bluevalleyk12.org/bvh

Predictions For Future Inflationary Trends “I would say the predictions continued to change frequently, but at the moment, everybody’s hoping the prices are going to come down.

There’s so much psychology that plays into it. A lot of the economy relies on the people’s perception, so if people feel good things tend to go better, but if people start to get worried, then things tend to go a little bit worse.”

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Russia Ukraine War

Vulnerabilities in the Supply Chain

People also search for 91% of 250 students surveyed have felt that prices have been higher than normal

| INFORMATION & STATISTICS FROM THE ROOSEVELT INSTITUTE, MIT & THE WALL STREET JOURNAL december 2023

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isaac burton | staff writer

W R E S T L I N G

Winter brings not only freezing weather but also the intense excitement of high school wrestling. Three individuals who are involved in the wrestling scene — a dedicated wrestler, a determined teammate and a seasoned coach — discuss the challenges, strategies and camaraderie that makes this sport thrive.

| PHOTOS BY MIRANDA HENRY

Wesley Gill, 11 “My goal is to place at State, and I hope that my teammates make it to State,” Gill said.

Determined to challenge his teammates in practice to ensure they are focused, this ambitious goal reflects a collective aspiration for improvement and success. Gill encourages his teammates, both on and off the mat, as he believes this is integral to achieving those objectives.

“Having teammates in wrestling has made my high school experience so much better,” he said.

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Tyler Williamson, head coach The coach who orchestrates the team’s success emphasized the delicate balance of coaching and building strong, cohesive teams.

“There’s no pressure — the hay’s already in the barn,” Williamson said.

He said he places responsibility on athletes to execute what they’ve trained for.

“They have to be good kids on and off the mat,” he said.

“They’re doing the right stuff in school: taking care of their grades, being respectful to teachers, helping out in their community.”

He stressed the importance of coming together as a team.

“Identify your team leaders and lean into their strengths,” he said. “You have to find a way to turn those individuals into a cohesive unit.”

Karizma Nola, 12 His focus on improving both on and off the mat, coupled with a strong emphasis on cardio, underscores the dedication required for peak performance in winter sports.

Challenges arise not only in physical demands but also in adapting to the cold and dry climate. Wrestling requires top-notch respiratory health, making every breath a struggle in the chilly winter air.

“I did a lot of training and different kinds of drilling to get better on my feet,” he said.

“That made me better.”

ava mcguire | editor-in-chief he Boy Scouts of America is a long-established organization dedicated to instilling the ideals of ethical and moral decisionmaking into our youth and preparing them to make beneficial contributions to society.

For many, being a part of Boy Scouts is considered a great honor, and senior David Jercha and junior Josh Murphy are two students who strive to live up to that honor with their memberships in Troop 10 and Troop 92, respectively, in the Heart of America Council, the KC metro chapter.

Both Jercha and Murphy have been involved with Boy Scouts for nearly six years, and both were in another scouting program for the majority of their childhood.

Each of the boys’ troops has a sponsor or affiliate: Murphy’s being the Church of the Resurrection and Jercha’s being Prairie Star Middle School. Through these benefactors, the troops are able to perform acts of service, chiefly community cleanup.

“We go out and pick up a ton of trash,” Murphy said.

“We’ll go into creeks and pick stuff up, [and] we’ll rake up a bunch of leaves.”

Although Jercha’s troop tended to be more active with their service pre-Covid, they are still provided with several projects throughout the year, many depending on the season. Jercha’s most recent project: braving the freeways.

“We do highway

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cleanup,” Jercha said. “We police line the highway, which is everyone lining up and gathering as much trash as possible for a couple of hours.”

Leadership opportunities were the first things to come to mind for both boys when pondering what impact scouting has had on their lives.

“I’ve been in charge of my troop for a year,” Murphy said. “I make a bunch of decisions, like how we set up our camp [and] what color we have our yearly shirts for summer camp be. If there are issues they go to me, not the adults.”

Being a senior, Jercha uses Boy Scouts to further his future, because not only does being a scout look great on a resume, it can lead the boys on a path to success.

“The connections I made through the scouting program are going to allow me to connect with some of the prominent adults in our area and lead me to better career opportunities,” Jercha said.

Murphy holds extra value toward his Boy Scout membership due to the boost it gives to his resume.

“Being an Eagle Scout tells your employer you have enough self-responsibility to get things done and you’re very practical about things,” Murphy said.

For both Jercha and Murphy, being a scout has given them skills and principles to be used for life.

“I learned work ethic,” Jercha said. “Keep working and everything will fall into place.”

Prepared for

Life

| PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY JOSH MURPHY december 2023

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THE LINE BETWEEN senior creates fan film rhylan stern | editor-in-chief After years of working on an idea and a script, a story came to life. Created by senior Richard Jackson, a film based on the Star Wars storyline was released in November.

“There are a lot of fan films online that people do their own thing,” Jackson said. “They don’t take into account other movies already established in the series. I wanted to make one you could watch in the series with all of the other movies and it would still make sense.”

With the goal of the film in mind, Jackson wanted to create a feature that fit into the Star Wars universe.

“This is a survivor story of someone who’s on the run from the Empire because they want to kill him,” Jackson said. “He just learned how to survive on his own while trying to keep things he cares about safe.”

To create the story, he had to build up the idea, scenes and lines.

“The script took me like a year and a half to write,” Jackson said. “It went through three different versions, and I split up [the script] into five different projects.”

During the process of filming, Jackson went through hard trials but also learned more about the smaller details involved in the industry.

“I would definitely upgrade my camera — we were shooting on a Canon Rebel T4i which is a really old camera,” Jackson said. “The newer cameras have a much better film if we were [to] shoot on those. Also, [having]

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RICHARD JACKSON

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better stunt coordination and taking into account the effects when shooting because a lot of times we integrated the effects into scenes where it’s really difficult. [Sometimes] the spot where the camera was would have someone’s body in front of it, which made it really hard to add it in.”

Jackson has completed only the first part of this series, with more to come in richard the future. In the jackson meantime, 12 he shared advice from his time spent on this process for those new to film making.

“You have to get the ball rolling and start writing — start getting your ideas flowing,” Jackson said. “Talk to people in your friend group and see if they would want to help. That’s really encouraging because without my friends, I wouldn’t [have been able] to do] it. If you’re worried about it, just go dive in — it could turn out a lot better than you would think.”

That’s really encouraging because without my friends, I wouldn’t [have been able] to do it.

TOUCHING GRASS junior shares experience working at local botanical garden isaac hudson | editor-in-chief lthough only 10% of Blue Valley students are regular attendees of the Overland Park Arboretum, for students like junior Max Nelson, it is more than just somewhere to spend the afternoon – it’s his job.

“I’ve worked there since April as a point-ofsale worker, which basically means the people that greet you at the entrance and where you buy admission,” Nelson said.

For Nelson, working at the Arboretum is both rewarding and enjoyable.

“I like working there because I love the outdoors and I get to be outside a lot,” he said. “I love the good environment created there with all the great people.”

The Arboretum hosts many events throughout the year, several of which Nelson has been able to help at since he has worked there.

“My best memory from working there is events like Terra Luna or the Luminary Walk, which you should totally come to because they’re really cool,” Nelson said. “I love doing the beforehand work and setting up everything because, now that I work there, I can see the behind-the-scenes of events I’ve been going to since I was a little kid.

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It’s kind of nostalgic in a way.”

Ultimately, the knowledge and experience Nelson has gained from working at the Arboretum will influence his career in the future.

“The most important thing I’ve learned is that a work environment is really important,” he said.

“If you like the space you work in and the people you work with it can really make your work experience a lot more enjoyable.”

| PHOTOS BY ISAAC HUDSON december 2023

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‘Tis no longer the days of magazines and traditional celebrities defining what is the moment. With the introduction of short-form content, more people are being exposed to trends and ideas are going global faster than ever.

The birthplace of modern trends, the internet, seems a fitting place to start. Two prolific creators include Prayag of Pookie Nation fame and Brittany Broski. The beginnings of Gen Alpha’s takeover also seem to be emerging with slang such as “skibbidi” and “fanum tax.” The wider popular culture sphere includes discussions around both “Hunger Games” and “FNAF.” Celebrities holding a prime spot in the limelight are Sabrina

fitting in words by amira dvorak

From vinyl to Spotify, beehives to curtain bangs, pagers to smartphones, there’s always a new, shiny trend turning heads. They appear to be all-consuming in their heyday, and yet somehow fade out of prevalence relatively fast.

Art teacher Mark Mosier has roamed the halls of Blue Valley high for over 30 years, bearing witness to this phenomenon over time— he believes that trends are a key part of the human experience.

“Trends help people fit in,” Mosier said. “Everybody, to some extent, follows a trend.”

He argued that it’s not only natural but beneficial to follow trends — and not just for teenagers, but for people of all ages, in all kinds of social situations.

“Everybody wants to be a part of something bigger,” Mosier said. “[Trends] demonstrate what you are excited about whether you’re [following] a trend in clothing, a trend in technology or a Taylor Swiftie, people can identify with it — you make connections.”

However, Mosier does concede that there is a point at which following trends can become damaging.

“It’s easy to become just a part of a group rather than an individual who’s part of the group,” he said. “You can get so involved you lose yourself in order to try to fit in.”

Carpenter, Noah Kahan and not surprisingly, Time magazine’s person of the year, Taylor Swift.

To be the most stylish, borrow clothes from your parents, with a remixed 2000s fashion returning. High rise jeans, while still very popular, are on their way out. The baggy jeans and chunky shoes remain victorious as a fashion mainstay of recent years. Uggs are a returning staple as well — this year in their mini form. Infamous items that can be seen around Blue Valley are water bottles such as the Stanley and Owala.

More serious topics aren’t impervious to trends either. A focus on soft skills, the incorporation of AI and hybrid-learning have all been popular topics in the education world.

Trends are ever-changing and if this list is incomplete or outdated by the time of publication, take time to reflect on how fleeting attention is captured and released.

Mosier stressed that it’s important to form your own identity separately from what may be trending in the here and now — after all, the odds are that it won’t be too long until the latest fad starts to fade out of limelight.

Many believe this pressure to conform causes one of the most alarming effects attributed to trends — the loss of confidence that comes from changing yourself to fit in. “[When] peer pressure drives people to be more anxious or self-conscious, [trends] become a bigger issue,” senior Georgia Loveland said.

Loveland finds it interesting how trends can overhaul what’s considered acceptable in society. To call on a high-profile example, the famous war propaganda poster featuring “Rosie the Riveter” sparked a revolution of women wearing pants and other practical clothing in the 1940s.

Even though the fad died out within a decade, it allowed women to make advancements in their role in society.

For a more recent, less dramatic example, Loveland mentioned socks and sandals.

“I don’t love the trend of slides or slippers with socks during the winter,” she said. “The people that feel OK to take their shoes off when they wear [that] weird me out.”

While trends hold a considerable amount of power, Loveland believes their most consistent aspect is how quickly and effectively they allow people to find new interests. “[They] expose more people to more things — new clothing styles, new apps, new music,” she said. december 2023

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the Impact of overconsumption

sociological standpoints

words by Emma Mcatee

words by nikoo tahmasebi

Many people have strong views about the overall effect of trends, junior Mary Putthoff has a separate opinion that varies from others.

“I don’t care if other people follow trends,” she said. “I just get a little annoyed sometimes when it’s over the top.”

Putthoff enjoys the uprising of the trend, jelly nails, but disagrees with many of the new movements.

“I hate slides — they’re shower shoes not for public use,” Putthoff said. “I hate when people wear them without socks, and with their toes over the slide — it’s disgusting.”

Putthoff feels that anywhere you go, everyone is affected and socially pressured by trends.

“The athletic trend was effective — I went to a private middle school and elementary school, and my friends always wore Lululemon and walked around with Hydroflasks — it was out of hand,” she

said. “It was pretty much guaranteed that if you didn’t have these things, you would be ostracized.”

The overall effect of overconsumption and trend setting has been greatly affected by social media.

“Instagram, TikTok shop, Facebook Marketplace all promote consumer goods and very poorly made products,” she said. “So when you have a poorly made item, you want to buy it again because it was so badly made, especially with the labor, that it’s not good quality.”

Although preventing the issue of overconsumption is challenging, Putthoff believes there’s a way to cut spending.

“We can find a way to limit the access that brands and companies can have,” she said. “If the company has a very negative impact on the environment and the economy, there should be a protocol in place to help negate that.”

250 students surveyed

do you feel pressured to follow trends?

121 sometimes 21 usually

9 always

100 never

In the age of technology, trends have cycled through and impact teenagers substantially more than years past as indicated by former sociology teacher Molly Cowan. These trends give a larger outlook on what our society deems as important and in need of attention.

“You think about beauty or clothing trends and how that emphasizes different things we value, and there have been a lot of positive things that have come about in the last few years, such as body positivity as a trend,” Cowan said. “But even then, I see a lot of my kids downing protein shakes in high school when your metabolism is fine — like, slow your roll. So, some trends are good and some bad, but that’s all part of being a teenager — figuring out what kind of person you want to be and how you express that.”

On the other hand, Cowan highlighted how such a fast change pertaining to what is “in” or not can lead to wasteful tendencies with the upcoming generation of commercialization.

“That’s a big issue if you [contextualize it] to some of the habits that we’ve seen lately,” Cowan said. “When stores put out new clothes, and society is like “Oh! I need to go buy new clothes” — do you really need those new clothes? There’s a whiplash with clothes getting thrown out really quick and now sitting in landfills.”

Material accumulation is not the only change seen in society, but with the rise of social media, there comes a heightened access for teenagers to a wide array of popular opinions that have taken some extremes. As a teacher, Cowan sees firsthand how students’ interactions are affected by a new outlook on how society sees each other.

“We’ve gotten more conscientious of some things, but sometimes we take it to an extreme,” she said. “It’s not necessarily a bad thing that you’re being conscious, but it’s not good to judge everything especially when so much of our interactions are based on first impressions.”

Cowan said that while she looks stereotypically Irish, her great-great grandmother is a registered member of the Cherokee tribe of Eastern Cherokee.

“You can’t see that in me at all, but it’s in there,” Cowan said. “Being aware of other groups is good, and they all deserve to have a voice. Don’t be crazy judging everyone else when you don’t actually know the full story.”

recent purchase regrets “20,000 Robux.”

“$150 worth of tampons.”

“Everything. I’m not allowed in TJ “Insurance.”

Maxx anymore.”

“I bought Lego “[I] bought some games on bracelets off a Steam. They TikTok shop — are impossible they ended up without being super mid.” controllers.”

“The ugliest shirt I have ever seen. I thought it would look cute with these new pants I got, but the pair was hideous.”

words by ella lim

bottle was the Hydroflask. They lasted long and kept your water cool. The epitome of consumer cheapism is probably the Stanley cups — it’s just a worse water bottle, yet so many people pay for them.”

However, trends are almost unavoidable if one has access to the internet, making it harder to resist the temptation to purchase or follow what everyone else is.

“I understand why people feel the pressure to follow what others are doing — even if it’s second-hand following of trends,” Sayers said. “For myself, I sometimes follow trends, but only the ones that I like — not just everything.”

Even though Sayers believes trends bring people together and are fine with restraint, the negatives outweigh the positives.

“There’s nothing wrong with [following trends] in moderation, but when it gets to a point where everyone is doing that, it has the same negative social and environmental implications,” he said. “There could be a positive implication: it brings people together.”

Yet, the responsibility isn’t all on the consumer for this rise in micro-trends.

“People put too much blame on themselves for why overconsumption happens,” Sayers said. “Obviously, people are to blame for consuming items, but it’s mostly large companies with money and resources platforming that produce all these items [that] are to blame.”

With no easy solution or answer to this complex situation, Sayers accentuates that moderation is key.

“Thrifting, recycling and upcycling clothes are perfectly fine — even buying new clothes from a company that just isn’t fast fashion is also good,” Sayers said. “Not everyone has to immediately change their ways and thrift. It’s good to follow trends equally in moderation. It’s not really black or white — both people and companies are to blame, and you can’t just pin it on either one.”

consumer cheapism

With the rise of social media and an increasingly globalized world, trends have taken off on an unprecedented scale. Whether it’s fashion and beauty, music, popular media, current events, or others, consumers have found themselves following the most popular things on the internet. For senior Quinn Sayers, this has led to, what he calls, consumer cheapism.

“Most of the trends have to do with buying things or consuming pieces of media,” Sayers said. “This leads to overconsumption because people will buy things that will be obsolete in a few months or pipes up production [in factories] that can lead to environmental problems.”

Sayers said coupled with environmental problems, there are social problems that come with fads, too.

“Trends don’t really emphasize one’s own individualism because so many people are doing the same things,” he said. “It’s an environmental problem, too, because fast fashion brands, like H&M or Zara, [will] overproduce items that are ‘popular’ or ‘trendy,’ leading to carbon emissions and tons of textile waste.”

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fast fashion has seen a significant surge in the last 20 years, with annual garment production almost doubling and a 400% increase in global fashion consumption.

Despite its low prices and revolutionizing of the fashion industry, the Center asserts this growth is at the expense of the environment and human rights, as there have been devastating impacts on air, water and wildlife habitat, and laborers have been continuously exposed to hazardous working conditions and inadequate wages.

“The root core of most companies that overproduce items or services is to just make a profit,” Sayers said.

Thus, the impact of social media and the repetitive cycle of trend-following has been immense for society.

“Social media has drawn this out because people don’t understand they’re perpetrating advertisements for these trends,” Sayers said. “The previous trendy water

“Spending $300+ at LuLuLemon and only getting three things.”

“I bought a shirt but it was the wrong color on “A fourth piece of me.” pizza at lunch.”

250 students surveyed december 2023

on the cover design by katie kennedy

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STORY

A

sophomore stars as female lead in holiday musical

ella lim | web editor The winter season approaching marks the start of holiday performances. Including “The Nutcracker” by the Kansas City Ballet and movie showings of “Elf ” at Union Station, many are either participating in or watching these beloved productions. This holds true for sophomore Amelia Hooper, who was a part of “A Christmas Story” Nov. 9-12.

“The musical ‘A Christmas Story’ is based on the movie, and in both, [main character] Ralphie Parker finds a Christmas gift he absolutely needs — a Red Ryder BB gun,” Hooper said. “He devises many plans to get his parents to notice his longing for the gift and to convince them to get him the BB gun.”

Hooper was tasked with the role of “Mother,” Ralphie’s mom, placing her as the female lead of the show. She auditioned for this role in early August by preparing a oneminute cut of a song and got a callback for the role. Not feeling 100% about it, Hooper affirmed that the worst part of auditions is waiting for the cast list to be posted.

“There are so many emotions going on because you just put your heart into doing the best acting, singing and dancing you can, and you don’t know what anyone thought about it,” Hooper said. “[When] the cast list came out and I saw that I got ‘Mother,’ I was excited to get a lead but also a little scared.

It took me a few weeks to start to open up and try new decisions with my acting and singing.”

Although afraid of starring in such a huge part, the numerous rehearsals helped Hooper settle into her role.

“We started rehearsing on Aug. 29, and we rehearsed for about 12 weeks every Tuesday and Friday,” she said. “We would work on songs and dances and [then] run scenes that only the Parker family

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design by ella lim

december 2023

were in while the kids’ ensemble learned choreography. Later in rehearsals, we would run the show and the directors would give us notes about what they liked and what we could improve on” Receiving a lot of support from the people at First Act Theatre Arts, the company producing this show, the performance brought a lot of good experiences for Hooper. “‘A Christmas Story’ was a really special show to me because the entire directing team was so supportive, and our music director was so kind,” Hooper said. “She helped restore my confidence in myself and my voice and the directing team really helped me grow as a person throughout those 12 weeks.”

However, with the already busy schedule of “A Christmas Story,” Hooper had to also rehearse for the BV musical, “Newsies.”

“The only disadvantage [of being in] the show was trying to juggle two shows at once and also doing school work,” she said. “My life was insane because I would run straight from ‘Newsies’ rehearsal to ‘A Christmas Story’ rehearsal, so I would sometimes rehearse from 3-9 on Fridays. I managed to figure it out and stay on top of both shows — it just took a bunch of energy and focus at rehearsals for each show.”

Despite this, Hooper doesn’t regret being a part of “A Christmas Story,” as she asserts that her passion and love for musical theatre made her know she wanted to be a part of the production.

“The performances went super well, and it was such a great opportunity to have that I’m very grateful for — there is just something really special about theatre in the sense that you get to tell a story to people that impacts them,” Hooper said. “It was a really amazing show to be a part of, and I met so many people who are just so great and supportive of one another — it truly is a family at First Act.”

| PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY AMELIA HOOPER

E

E

Senior gives insight on working at an escape room emily kozlowski | staff writer uzzles, clues, team-building, critical thinking — escape rooms are a great way to challenge your brain while having fun with friends or family.

Kansas City offers a variety of escape rooms with various challenges and puzzles for its residents to enjoy. Tick Tock, Breakout KC and Mastermind are three close and exceptional breakout rooms that would be perfect for a fun day.

Escape rooms are usually one or more rooms that consist of challenges and puzzles one must figure out in order to escape. Participants are often given one hour to complete this, or they fail. Workers are there to watch and give hints when needed to make the experience safe and fun for everyone.

Working behind the scenes at one such place is senior Jackson Liekhus, who has worked at Mastermind Escape Rooms for nearly six months and claims it is the best job he has had.

“I look forward to work every day,” Liekhus said. “I’d recommend it to anyone that’s interested.”

Liekhus chose to work at an escape room after years of enjoying them with loved ones.

“My family has been regularly going to escape rooms for several years, and they’re one of my favorite ways to connect with people.”

P

The interviewing process was quick and easy. After showing up to his scheduled interview and talking to the two managers in one of the escape rooms, Liekhus was emailed back quickly and began training the next day.

“The managers interviewing me [were] very kind and work[ed] hard to make the interview space welcoming.”

Mastermind offers four unique escape rooms. Sorcerer’s Secret, Bank Heist, Outbreak and Liekhus’s favorite, Lost in Time.

“A newly offered Lost in Time: Expert features new and more challenging puzzles,” he said. “[That] has been a blast to work on.”

With a job supervising people who are being put to the test, Liekhus has witnessed his fair share of interesting occurrences. He said the staff has a quote document filled with funny phrases they have heard their players say. A few of his favorite quotes include, “holy schnikies Batman!” and “We’re not good at this — I think it’s because we’re homeschooled.”

“Mastermind was one of the friendliest, easiest to schedule with and quickest to respond,” Liekhus said. “The employees on Mastermind are all very friendly, kind and fun to be around.

I’m very fortunate to have the job I do, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in working at an Escape Room to give it a chance.”

Use code JAL15 at Mastermind checkout for a 15% discount

december 2023

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design by emily kozlowski

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Feeling Honored National Honor Society Madison Pointer, 12 — Teacher Appreciation Director “Every month we find different volunteer opportunities and try to give back to our community. We have put on a lot of unique events that years before haven’t. For teacher appreciation breakfast, usually kids bring pre-packed foods, but this year we actually cooked for the teachers.”

Mu Alpha Theta Honor Society

Lindsay Cho, 12 — President “We post biweekly problems for the members to solve. Additionally, we created a tutoring system within BV for teachers and their students who need help. Within the feeder middle schools, the members can attend their weekly Math Counts’ preparation meetings, similar to tutoring.”

National Science Honor Society

Arden Peterson, 12 — Vice President “SNHS fosters the pursuit of scientific knowledge and community engagement by providing peer tutoring in scientific subjects and a variety of science-themed events for its members. Minor things have shifted; for example, we switched peer tutoring from a regular event to ASTs leading up to a test.”

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december 2023

design by emma mcatee

National History Honor Society

Maxine Baker, 11 — social media manager “I make sure to update Instagram everytime we hold any type of activity or meeting — I try to follow other BV social media pages to reach a bigger audience. I love being able to post about all of the things we do and show up to the events we hold.”

National English Honor Society

Christina Li, 12 — Secretary “One of the main goals of NEHS is to spread the love of literature and writing in fun and approachable ways that give all members the potential to further their interests or develop new ones. I don’t think the main message has changed much besides the fact that we got a new sponsor, Ms. van Loben Sels, who has been wonderful.”

Leaders speak of improvement within honor societies Tri-M Music Honor Society Ellie Moser, 12 — secretary “The purpose of this society is to represent the significance of music and the arts through service, performance, intellect, character and leadership.

This organization unites the talented and committed students of the band, orchestra and choir into one group of music-appreciating leaders dedicated to placing an emphasis on the arts. Us officers are really trying to increase involvement and make Tri-M into something that is important and that people are proud to be in.”

National Spanish Honor Society

National Art Honor Society

Isabella Vaz, 12 — President

Deni Bowden, 12 — President

“As the president this year, I have made it a focus to speak mostly in Spanish to encourage members to practice speaking in Spanish themselves. The other officers and I established a clear point system for meeting attendance at the beginning of the year. We try to make our events fun.”

“Art Honor Society is a place for excelled artists to showcase their creative abilities. This year, we hold meetings every other Tuesday that allow us to brainstorm ideas we want to focus on. We lowered the requirements needed for a student to join. We found that by changing it, more students would have the ability to join.”

National French Honor Society

National Latin Honor Society

Jahnavi Parasker, 12 — secretary “We have meetings once every month. We additionally have one to two events during the month. We have events like Mardi Gras we do every year at Prairie Star Middle School. We encourage people to join French when we have school-wide events like the crêpe sale.”

Tanner McCoy, 11 — communications manager “We have [events like] ultimate discus, ancient coin cleanings [and] holiday celebrations, among other things. We used to do things with the other local Latin clubs but this year we have been on our own.

Latin as a language doesn’t have many students in our school, so we try to have people bring friends that are interested.”

FINALS STRESS

sleep studying...

Khan Academy

should I reread the textbook?

When it comes to studying for your test, rereading the textbook seems like a smart idea– but who wants to reread 10 chapters? “[I don’t believe in rereading] because that’s passive recall and not active recall,” she said. “You’re not testing whether you know it or not. There’s no need to reread it– that’s not going to help you reaffirm what you [already] know.”

However, for those who are actually just lost in class, Ye proposed the opposite.

“If you don’t know the content, you’re just relearning the content,” she said. “So read the textbook.” december 2023

design by jackie chang

grade 11

Voicing many people’s reasons for pressure, junior Sarah Ye said studying, grades and parents induce the most stress. “[Finals are] a big part of your grade,” she said. “Because content and some APs are difficult, studying in general [is stressful].”

Ye also adamantly agreed that the weight of parents played a major role in finals week emotions.

“I feel pressured because of parental expectations to have a high GPA for college,” she said.

Feeling intelligent and all prepared on test day is usually not the case, no matter how much you studied.

“Sometimes I feel like…you just give up,” Ye said.

Though the end of studying may be giving up, Ye said your preparation can also depend on the subject.

“There are classes where you feel ready because you’ve paid attention during class,” she said. “But there are some where no matter what, you don’t feel prepared. It’s just the curriculum and the energy of the class.”

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SARAH YE

the cause of finals stress

will I ever feel ready?

ye’s recommended Fiveable study tools:

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How late have you stayed up studying for a test?

During finals week, which is bombed with exams, students become borderline zombies. Ye shared how she deals with getting no rest.

“It’s a lot of energy drinks — I can already feel it [for this semester],” she said. “I don’t get that much sleep at all. Last year, I survived on [eating] five mints during a final to stay awake.”

Ye said the “tactic” of studying late at night is an individual choice for students to make.

“It just [depends on] the level of preparedness and how much you care about [the class],” she said.

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Knowt

Decoding H U E S

understanding color analysis and its impact ava mcniel | photo editor Have you ever wondered why you keep getting compliments on that sapphire blue shirt you always wear? You might be a winter without knowing it.

Every person has their own set of colors that flatter them most. Some can be left looking ill or off if they select the wrong colors. This is found through seasonal color analysis.

Each season — Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring — has its own color palette, designed to compliment one’s natural coloring.

Color analysis can be done in multiple ways, by either hiring a professional, taking a quiz or using an app. The process is typically the same for all methods. The hue, value and chroma of the coloring in one’s skin, eyes and hair are analyzed.

When examining professionally, the draping method is normally utilized by placing different colored fabrics near the face to observe how the skin reacts to each hue.

The aim is to find the colors which create a vibrant and balanced appearance for the individual. The skin eyes hair undertones and subtle hues beneath the surface of the skin will be determined.

Warm undertones lean towards yellows, peaches good colors and golds. Cooler undertones favor blues, pinks and silvers. One’s dominant bad colors (deep, light, warm, cool, clear and soft) of the decided season will also be identified, which connects to the combination of their features.

This process serves as a guide, offering insights peoskin eyes hair ple can use to make correct choices about the colors they surround themselves with. Color analysis provides a roadmap for individuals to good colors explore the realm of colors, encouraging them to express bad colors themselves confidently and authentically.

Can you determine what season you are?

SUMMER

WINTER

AUTUMN skin

eyes

hair

good colors bad colors

SPRING skin

eyes

hair

good colors bad colors

december 2023

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design by ava mcniel

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Tiger Tats

Students, teachers reveal meanings of ink Rylie Tschirhart, 11 When did you get your tattoo? “A year ago.”

What does it mean? “They’re cosmos, so they represent the month October, and that’s the month I was born in.”

Where is your tattoo? “On my forearm.”

Why did you get it in that spot? “I wanted to be able to see it and have other people be able to see it and ask about it, too.”

Do you want any more tattoos? “Yes, I’d love lots more. For my next tattoos, I’d like to add more floral designs, one for each family member, also some butterflies!

Kim Thompson, social studies teacher When did you get your tattoo? “I have two.

I got my first one when I was 19 in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home of ‘The Office.’ I got my second one in Philadelphia in 2014.”

What does it mean? “The one on my arm is part of the cover to the book ‘Catch 22.’ The book is about facing things that you can’t control and how you behave when you’re stuck in a ‘Kobayashi Maru’ scenario, a scenario you can’t seem to win. The book really spoke to those elements that I felt in my own life at the time.

Do you regret it? “Definitely not — I probably regret my first tattoo more because I was a kid then just getting stuff I thought was cool. It’s a spider. I like spiders, but do I like spiders enough to have one on my pudge forever?”

Ryan McAleer, 12 When did you get your tattoo? “Two weeks after I turned 18.”

What does it mean? It’s the four Hebrew letters of Yahweh, which is God’s name. The first two letters sound like an inhale, and the second two sound like an exhale, so it’s the idea that we speak the Lord’s name with every breath.

Why did you get it on your arm? “I thought it was just a cute spot and it’s visible with most things, like T-shirts, but it’s not too crazy.”

Do you want any more tattoos? “I would get a few more dainty ones, either matching with my mom or siblings, as long as they have meaning.”

Tyler Randall, math teacher When did you get your tattoo? “The summer between my sophomore and junior year of college.”

What does it mean? “It is a verse in the Bible that I turned to when times are getting tough.

The gist of the Bible verse is to remind you that when things get difficult, God can give you strength to [get through] the really hard time. It’s the story of Isaiah helping his people.”

Where is your tattoo? “On the inside of my left bicep.”

Do you want any more tattoos? “Yes, I currently have one planned to get with my siblings.”

Madison Vitro, 11 What does it mean? “I got it with my best friend, and we just thought it was a good idea.”

Where is your tattoo? “My ribs.”

Why did you get it in that spot? “I didn’t want it in a place it was going to be shown.”

Do you want any more tattoos? “Yes, professionally done.”

Catherine Whitten, social studies teacher When did you get your tattoo? “I was 21 when I got [my ankle tattoo]. My best friend at the time and I went from where we went to school in Oklahoma — where it was illegal to get tattoos — to Dallas.”

Why did you get it in that spot? “At the time, you didn’t see as many people with tattoos, so having it somewhere where it can be a little more discreet [was important].”

Do you want any more tattoos? “I would love to get another one. The next one I get done will be on the inside of my arm because my dad died eight years ago, and I have a lot of letters he wrote to me in college, so I’d love to get his handwriting on the inside of my arm.”

Lauren Browning, 11 What does it mean? “It’s a wave. It’s a matching tattoo with my best friend [Madison] and we got it because we thought it’d be a fun activity to do together.”

Why did you get it in that spot? “I thought it looked really cute.”

Do you want any more tattoos? “Yes, in the future after I am 18.”

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december 2023

design by dayna bemiss

“Art” Teachers Teachers draw their portrait, rate themselves Jordan Dillon Latin Portrait Rating 2/5 “that wishes it was a 3”

Casey Engel ELA Portrait Rating: 2/5 “I like reading better than drawing.”

Brian Mowry Social Studies Portrait Rating: 5/5 He feels that this drawing truly represents “who [he] is inside”

Julia Janda Band Portrait Rating: 3/5 Honorary Bessetti rating of 15/5

december 2023

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design by aspen gallentine

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A Sign from the Universe

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iKids

children should not be socializing solely via the internet katie kennedy | design editor

You are living a great life, and you are having a great day, waiting in a restaurant to get some scrumptious food, but that day is about to get ruined when a family comes in: you see parents who seem mostly normal, and then you see their kid.

A small, snotty little child, eyes glued to the “Cocomelon” they’re blasting off their iPad. The kid is calm, until they get sat at their table and the mother takes the iPad from its grubby little hands, resulting in everyone getting to hear the lovely noise that is a small child’s screams and cries for an iPad. This is what we call the iPad kid, a now common sight to the average citizen — so common that I was one of them. I was the small annoying child who would cry when my iPad was taken, and the inner iPad kid in me still shows with my signature ‘iPad kid cough.’

Funny, yes, but growing up with an iPad as your friend has lasting effects, seen in today’s teenagers.

Gen Z is the first generation to have access to everything technology. With endless access to the internet, parents give their children screens as a substitute to actual parenting.

Educational apps and shows have proven to be successful in teaching kids, but these should be used as an extension to children’s learning, not the foundation. Technology misses many points needed for a child’s upbringing; they need emotional connections to real people to grow their understanding of morals, language and emotions — without those connections, children will become stunted in their future.

Kids need parents to teach them language and education, and they need more than a video. Tech can only do so much — even teens need more than videos — so why are toddlers expected to learn the vital pieces of their education that way?

Kids need more. More memories, more experiences, and more exposure in general. They need to hear new vocabulary, need to see good, they need to see the outdoors. even if you get a whiny “I’m boreddddd” — they need to be bored. iPads can be a tool. Technology as a whole can be a tool, which is why schools give students laptops and why educational apps and shows exist. But, these resources need supervision, because who’s going to choose math over Minecraft?

I’m not saying Minecraft is bad — it was my EVERYTHING as a kid. I LOVED the game and was always playing it. Kids don’t understand what overindulgence is, I wouldn’t expect them to, that’s not their job — it’s the parents’.

Kids need limits, whether it’s an adult or restrictions.

Restrictions were my WORST nightmare. I didn’t want anything telling me how long I could play my games or watch my shows. I sobbed if my iPad was turned off, but at some point you need to shut it down, you might get a tantrum, but it’s better to have a kid with some sass than a screen-addiction.

With no guidance, supervision, or restrictions mixed with the entire internet, a kid might get on the harmless game of Minecraft, or, maybe they’ll get on a Discord call and give out their personal information to new “friends” they met on the internet.

The internet is scary, and it’s not a place for a small child to be by themself. I shouldn’t have been able to get to the things I did. I shouldn’t have been able to meet people I met.

Those people knew I was a child and abused it. I was lucky that my parents noticed my stupidity and took my iPad when they did, because instead of me wishing my iPad was back, my parents would’ve been wishing for me to come back.

Internet safety is so incredibly important, because in a child’s mind, this guy that is trying to meet up with them “is also my age and he’s going to be my friend!”

You are 10. You don’t know how old he is. You don’t know how dangerous he is. Most kids don’t know those dangers though, I sure wouldn’t have, and I didn’t.

If you are trying to educate a kid, telling them “the internet is scary!” does nothing if that’s the only thing you do to protect them.

The same way a child won’t understand why being 10 meeting a 17 year old stranger is a bad idea, they won’t understand the good or the bad of the internet.

A child has not lived enough to KNOW what a “kidnapper” is — all they know is sunshines, and rainbows.

Don’t ruin the sunshine. Don’t even give them the chance to ruin it. If you signed up for a kid, whether you birthed it or you are just watching it, care for the kid and think for a second because your screen-rotted child can’t.

Unless you want a generation that’s full of mentally stunted, traumatized, screen-addicted teens and adults, care for the youth, take the iPad from them, and let kids just be kids. december 2023

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Thank God It’s NOT Friday gaby ayres | staff writer Contrary to the TGIF sentiment that most Americans share, I detest Fridays.

The reason for this uncommon distaste is the allhour day held on Fridays in the Blue Valley district.

Find me on one of these all-hour days, and without fail, I will be whining about my lack of sleep and energy or the amount of work I still have left to do.

Besides my pessimistic attitude, these complaints are directly correlated with the seven-class structure set at the end of a five-day school week. The all-hour day has an awkward amount of time set for each class, has no breaks in the day for students to rest their minds and creates more work for students to do over the weekend.

Each class on a Friday is 53 minutes, which is not enough time to dig deep into a subject or even take a test, especially for more challenging classes.

Fitting a chemistry lab in little under an hour was one of the more stressful experiences as a slow-moving detail-oriented kind of worker. However, 53 minutes is also too much time for teachers to plan a small activity.

Many a time I have sat in a classroom bored out of my mind because the only activity planned for that class took 20 minutes.

The typical 90-minute class length used for the rest of the school week is much more productive in my eyes.

A teacher can introduce, lecture and hold an activity on a topic whilst still giving students adequate time to process the information and ask questions.

I find myself staying much more engaged with the material, the increased amount of time giving momentum to my thoughts and allowing for a more thorough analysis.

A concern with block scheduling is that students’ attention spans cannot last a full 90 minutes and are more aligned with the traditional seven-hour schedule.

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december 2023

design by gaby ayres

Purposeful downtime needs to be added to seven-class schedule

Be that as it may, the majority of teachers do not lecture bell-to-bell without a single break, especially not the teachers in our district.

Every teacher I have this year structures their class in a way so there are multiple activities which break the hour and a half into shorter, more manageable chunks.

In fact, I find the activities on Friday are more difficult to concentrate on because there is only one 40-minute lesson.

Another reason for my enmity toward the seven-hour days is the lack of a proper break for students.

Odd days of the week have a 30-minute AST built in for students to catch up on their work and communicate with teachers. Even days have a whopping hour for students to rest. Fridays have nothing, unless you want to count lunch as a break.

My freshman year, Fridays were not my favorite because of the onslaught of all seven classes, but Tiger Paws made that time manageable. Now, despite Fridays being the day where I have to turn in the largest amount of homework, there is not one time to catch up.

According to an article from the University College London, breaks reduce stress, increase energy, improve memory and boost creativity. Our Friday schedule desperately needs time scheduled to rest.

Fridays create more homework compared to the block schedule days. Simple math: there are seven opportunities for students to get assigned work instead of three or four. The short class schedule also demotivates students to get work done in class. What’s the point of bothering to do the homework when there is only 10 minutes left? This combination of many classes and little time is the perfect breeding ground to send students home with bucketfuls of homework to do over the weekend, or if you are like me, on Sunday night.

Friday is undoubtedly, the most detestable, least desirable, most miserable day of the week. That I can say with perfect certainty.

The short classes, the barrage of homework and the lack of a break are enough to make me want to cry.

MIDwest

Variety of experiences allow students to stay busy

aspen gallentine | staff writer The American Midwest: a region full of corn and cows and boredom. But, luckily for us, Overland Park and its surrounding area can be seen as a sort of reprieve from the general bleakness of our region. There are seasonal festivals, numerous farmers markets and cool shops to spend your time year-round.

In the south of the city, you can find the Overland Park Arboretum & Botanical Gardens. You can visit the Arboretum year-round and walk through gardens and hiking trails, seeing various plant and animal species as well as sculptures around the property. It also offers educational and photo opportunities; there’s a visitors center dedicated to teaching people about nature, and there are many light walks and flower displays that people can use for perfect Instagram-worthy photo shoots.

If the outdoors aren’t your thing, there’s numerous escape rooms and pottery painting shops around town. For artists, you can visit Paint, Glaze, and Fire on 127th and Metcalf. They have shelves of pre-sculpted pottery, and all you have to do is choose one and paint it. A week or two later, it’s been fired and you can go pick it up. I’ve attended many birthday parties here and go visit whenever I can. I’m not an easily entertained individual, but I absolutely love this place and think it’s the perfect activity for a day off school.

And for those who like to play brain games, there’s several escape room businesses around town, including Mastermind Escape Games and Breakout KC, which both offer different themed rooms for team building events, birthday parties or just a free day with friends. I’ve

KC Activities also had plenty of parties at Mastermind, and spending the time with friends in an immersive environment where you have to collaborate brings the entire group closer, even if some of them didn’t know each other before you violently shoved two of your friend groups together to celebrate.

Additionally, for those with friends and family of all ages, the Kansas City Zoo is open year-round and offers no shortage of activities for everyone to have a good time.

During the summer, they offer camps for ages 5 to 12, which I did every year until I aged out and would 100% suggest it for children who like animals. I was a hardcore Wild Kratts kid, and I think anyone else who was would have adored these camps; they teach you about the animals as you go see them, and you do different animalthemed crafts throughout the week.

During the fall and winter, the Zoo hosts GloWild, a nighttime event where you and your designated company can take a mile-long walk around the zoo to see animal-themed light displays from 6-10 p.m. every weekend from September to December. Much like the gardens at the arboretum, this event is perfect for photo shoots, and it’s a nice activity for partners to attend together.

If you’re looking to spend a day alone, or all your friends are busy, I personally think you would be better off just staying inside and curling up with a book or a video game and some snacks.

But if you enjoy going out on your own, or you have siblings, friends or a significant other to spend the day with, there’s a good variety of things you can go do in our area.

It isn’t that boring, and it certainly could be worse. You just have to look for what appeals to you best.

KC Renaissance Festival Takes place every September and October in Bonner Springs. You can watch themed performances, enjoy different foods and buy fantasy and renaissance items.

Avg. Ticket Cost: $25/adult, $16/child, $23/senior or student Prairiefire This area of Overland Park offers shopping and food as well as large-scale entertainment, like the Museum at Prairiefire, Chicken N Pickle, AMC Theatre and Pinstripes, a bowling and bocce ball venue.

Deanna Rose Farmstead Open from April to October every year, the farm offers learning opportunities and entertainment for visitors of all ages, with attractions like a butterfly garden, pony riding and petting pens for animals. During November and December, they put on a drive-in holiday light show, where all you have to do is park and tune in to their radio station.

General Admission: $5/person for those 3 and older Holiday Light Show: Free Other places to visit •Union Station •Crown Center •Park Place ice skating •Oak Park Mall •Downtown Overland Park •Town Center Plaza •Downtown KC •The Country Club Plaza •Starlight Theatre

december 2023

opinion

design by aspen gallentine

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MIND THE GAP leaders need to bridge gap between rich, poor harris jones | assistant editor The middle class is eroding. Every day, regular, working people are struggling to keep their heads above ground. All the while the people on top, the billionaires, the 1%, stare down and hoard their wealth like dragons.

The wealth disparity in the United States alone is staggering — but just how much so? Upward redistribution has given the top 1% an astonishing $50 trillion as of 2020, that would have otherwise gone to American workers over the past several decades.

To put this into perspective, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization said it would cost $267 billion annually to achieve zero hunger by 2030. If that investment was made over the next seven years, it would amount to $1.869 trillion.

If the top 1% truly cared about the common man, they could pool that $50 trillion together over the past several decades to end world hunger 26 times and still have money left over.

According to a study published by the Statista Research Department, 69% of the wealth in the United States is held by the top 10% of earners. This feels like a slap in the face to the bottom 50% who only hold 2.5% of the country’s wealth.

Over the past 50 years, the gap between a CEO’s salary and a worker’s salary has gotten larger and larger, causing the gap between the poor and rich, the people actually doing work and those taking the credit to expand even more, slowly and systematically destroying what we once knew as the middle class.

If this continues, there will eventually be no middle ground for the people — it will simply be the extremely wealthy and everyone else. Inequality is currently and will continue to trample the lives and livelihoods of common people.

This wasn’t always the case, however. From 1947-1974 middle and lower class people saw their growth at the same rate as those on top. For a while post-World War II, there was prosperity for everyone, but in the ‘70s, the economic state of the United States came to a decline. This poor economic situation led to new laws and policies being put in place that ended up favoring the wealthy.

But what if it’s simply a skill gap? It isn’t. Since 1975, the number of adult workers with a high school education or less has fallen, while the number of workers today with a four-year degree has more than quadrupled. This isn’t a matter of people needing to pull themselves up by their bootstraps — by the way, that was an originally sarcastic saying and meant to suggest impossibility since pulling yourself by your bootstraps is impossible.

Even a college-educated, full-time worker making $191,000 a year is earning less than 78% of what they could’ve earned if the growth rates held between 19471974 were still held today.

Are you a college-educated, prime-aged, full-time worker making $72,000 a year? Depending on the inflation index, you could be making $48,000 to $63,000 more, if not for rising inequality.

If you or your family is struggling financially, it is not your fault — or at the very least, not entirely.

The people in power are hoarding wealth and not using it to help the people around them because they do not see the common man as around them, but instead as below them.

It is imperative that the people of this nation push for the government to make policies that give more opportunities to those with less and push for them to get out of the pockets of billionaires. When some economists are theorizing that the wealth gap is the largest it has been since right before the Great Depression, we should not just stand by — we should push for change.

We have to stand to bridge the gap between the rich and poor, and we should hold our leaders to this standard.

If we aren’t going to, does that make us more foolish or cowardly?

- younger generations (millennial, gen z) are owed 70 cents for every QUICK dollar of wealth held by a gen x member at that same age FACTS

$

- on average a black or hispanic family is owed 24 cents for every dollar a white family makes - Overall, 61% of Americans say there is too much economic inequality in the country today

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december 2023

design by harris jones

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

“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

@bvtigernews

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BEING YOURSELF is a victory royale.

Balance is necessary when following trends Fads are often characterized by a rapid increase of popularity of something by a society, and adoption of said thing by a wide number of people, and then a rapid decline in popularity soon after.

Many older generations will shame the younger generation as if they did not have their own trends when they were younger, and many will say what’s the harm if trends die out fast anyway? The truth is neither extreme is good.

It is undeniable at this point that trends can be harmful to both ourselves and the world around us; from fast fashion to trends that have encouraged self harm or even suicide such as the blue whale challenge, it is important that we look at fads with a cautious eye for ourselves, the people around us, and the environment.

According to the Center for Biological Diversity, fast fashion alone caused habitats around the globe to degrade, proliferation of both chemicals and microplastics

in waterways and an increase in climate change from greenhouse gas. That’s just fast fashion — not even mentioning what other unsustainable trends have done to the environment this past year.

But if you look at far less harmful trends, like the latest hairstyle or biggest TV show right now, trends can be exciting and a good way to connect with people.

It is a natural and beautiful part of the human condition to change.

We are not creatures that are meant to stay stagnant. It can be fun to look back at the past and see how humans were the same and different.

The true way to look at trends is with a balance: yes, we should be wary for things that could hurt us or our environment but don’t forget to have fun along the way with the people around you. Sometimes it is a phase, Mom, and that’s OK. | THIS STAFF EDITORIAL IS THE REPRESENTATION OF THE OPINION OF THE TIGER PRINT STAFF.

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opinion

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T I G E R

| PHOTOS BY ELLA LIM, RHYLAN STERN, MIRANDA HENRY & JACKIE CHANG

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december 2023

design by rhylan stern

T I D B I T S