The Tiger Print — April 2024

Students, staff discuss religion equity, administrative accommodations in school settings. Read on to pages 13-17.

sophomore wins SevenDays contest for button design

band teacher takes part in Chiefs’ Rumble teachers reflect on first memories at BV

29 going outside improves mood

photo by nikoo tahmasebi

“I really like the composition of the photo and how everyone is in focus but Trevor is still the focal point. It captures the passion of the performance with everyone’s facial expressions.”

rief lue

alley around

| PHOTO BY NIKOO TAHMASEBI

PHOTO BY NIKOO TAHMASEBI

INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC POLICY FORUM

Though it isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, seniors Drew Schimmel, Johnny Perkins, Brett Jordan and Carter Hagen have dedicated seven months to an international debate competition. After four rounds against debate teams from all around the world, these four have made it to the top sixteen teams, globally.

Though the process of researching and writing their essays has been difficult and time consuming, it has paid off for the four seniors — literally

“So far we’ve won $500,” Schimmel said, “If we advance further, we win the trip to New York and another $250.”

SPRING PLAY

The stage is set, the lights are lit and nine students are waiting in the wings for the spring play “Noises Off.” Performing April 25, 26 and 27, the farcical comedy showcases the talents of the theater department.

“I think the show is going to be good,” cast member junior Lillie Mikuls said. “I think that cast is a bunch of extremely talented people. The show itself is already so good. I know we’ll be able to excel more than just what the script’s given us.”

After six weeks of rehearsing, the cast and crew are prepared to present the result of all their hard work on the comedy demonstrating the strength of the performing arts department.

Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door.

SHOW CHOIR CHAMPIONS

The blood, sweat and tears that the entire choir put into their performance throughout the year culminated in earning the title of National Grand Champions at “Fame Orlando.” The choir also won multiple other awards, including seniors Trevor Lewis and Amaris Stephenson winning best male and female performers, respectively.

“There would be times we’d rehearse [until] 10:30,” Stephenson said, “We really put in that effort to be the best we could possibly be.”

This championship was the satisfying cherry on top of an already extremely successful season.

“We went ballistic,” Stephenson said. “We were so excited. It was really nice to feel loved and appreciated for the hard work we put in this year.”

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| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY SARA SCHUMACHER

Student wins SevenDays art competition, shares passion for the program

callie dyches | staff writer

SevenDays, an organization dedicated to spreading kindness, hosts an annual art competition for the graphics on their buttons. This year, sophomore Caroline Gordon won one of the buttons with her artwork.

“I knew about the competition because my sister actually entered [in the past],” Gordon said. “She won the same button I won.”

Gordon’s artwork is displayed on the Connect button, and depicts “an Earth made of puzzle pieces and people standing around it.”

Although it took a lot of work, she was inspired to continue as her vision shifted and more ideas emerged.

“It all came together just off the whim,” she said. “I was obviously positive, but I was like, ‘I feel like I can do it.’”

involved in the SevenDays team at BV for the first time this year.

“One of my friends is [on SevenDays’] Kindness Youth Leadership Team,” Gordon said. “She told me I should join.”

SevenDays has big plans for this year, including a bulletin board in the hallway showing pictures of people doing kind actions, a school-wide walk and potential walks at the middle schools to spread the message.

Gordon was motivated by her ideas as well as her sister’s example since she won the competition a few years ago.

“It was inspiring to me to enter because I was like, ‘Oh, if she can do it, maybe I can,’” she said.

Not only did she submit to the contest, she is also

If

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design by callie dyches

BY AVA MCGUIRE

Gordon enjoys participating in SevenDays because the cause resonates with her personally.

“First of all, one of the victims of the murder went to our school, so that’s important to our school as a whole,” she said. “But to me, I am Jewish and it happened as a hate crime against Jewish people, so it’s important I take a stand on that and represent our minority.”

Gordon believes her artwork is one way to help support the community and bring people together despite their many differences.

“I did make a lot of designs and I really put a lot of effort in it,” she said. “I wanted to represent [that] people can connect even if there’s an ocean separating [them].”

Step 1: What Are Taxes?

DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE Form

Tiger Taxation

a step-by-step explanation of taxes

(a) basic information

Employers will take out money from your paycheck and send it to the government on your behalf. If the employer sends too much money, the IRS will send a refund. Tax returns compare how much you sent in versus how much you should have sent in.

(c) timing

(b) W2 form

The W2 form is the form most students will encounter. Employers for boh salaried and hourly jobs are required to fill out a W2 form to withhold income from paychecks.

The tax year runs from Jan. 1 of the year to Dec. 31

Documents for tax returns should be received by Feb. 15.

The deadline for filing an income tax return is April 15.

(d) purpose

The purpose is to pay for government services such as education, healthcare, national defense and transportation.

Do you understand taxes? If not, 66% of 197 BV students surveyed also are confused about taxes.

Read Step 2 ONLY if you want further clarification on the basics ; otherwise, skip to Step 3. Scan the QR code or visit irs.gov/publications/p929 for more information.

Fun Facts

Step 2: Vocab

Step 3: Personal Finance

Income tax system- taxes high-income earners at a higher rate than low-income earners.

Gross Income- total income before taxes

Taxable income- amount subject to tax

Ancient Mesopotamians paid taxes with livestock and labor

From 1784 to 1811, England had a men’s hat tax.

There are many businesses classes at BV which teach students everything they need to know to prepare for the financial side of life including Personal Finance, taught by Laurie Warwick, Dwight Williams and Brooke Poskin. The class covers topics from budgeting and credit to taxes.

“We go over what kind of federal taxes come out of your paycheck and how you figure that, and we also cover state taxes,” Warwick said. “A lot of kids don’t realize [both] their federal and state deductions come out.”

For students working their first job, Warwick reminds to keep in mind the difference between the gross income and the post-tax paycheck.

“When they tell you how much you’re going to be earning per hour, you really need to go ahead and mentally deduct 20 to 30 percent,” Warwick said. “If somebody tells you they’re going to be paying you $10 an hour, it’s really more going be like $7 or $8.”

Tiger

the hip-hop routine,

Bailey Benefiel executes a prenationals routine.

Benefiel has been on the Tigerettes since freshman year and has grown up around dance. “I have been dancing since I was 2, so I joined dance team to become more involved at school,” Benefiel said.

With baseball in hand, senior Brayden Peterson throws the ball back to the pitcher. After committing to the College of Southern Idaho to purse his baseball career, Peterson feels his coaches weren’t the only ones helping him get where he is. “I always motivate myself to keep going, and my parents always are there pushing me along the way,” Peterson said.

Doing

sophomore

design by miranda henry

Tidbits

Singing into the crowd, senior Amaris Stephenson puts on a show. Stephenson has had a strong passion for choir and was excited to have her first ever solo in “Shining Star.” “Being able to perform on stage is what I love doing, and having this solo was super fun,” she said.

Staring confused at her costar sophomore Andrew Mazzapica, junior Myka Beck performs the repshow, “Chrys De Lautis.” Beck has been in rep shows since freshman year and enjoys how drama teacher Jeff Yarnell incorporates something for everyone in each show. “Each scene [had] a different type of genre, which allowed us all to be in the show an equal amount of times,” Beck said. “Since it is more of an ensemble, it gives us all lots of experience with other styles.”

Dribbling down the field, junior Sophia Mir passes the ball to her teammate. Mir has played club soccer her whole life but enjoys all the connections she has made playing on the high school team. “Playing high school soccer is an experience like no other — I wish everyone could be a part of it,” Mir said.

Framing the ball, freshman Gianna Gilstrap helps her pitcher strike out her opponent. Gilstrap is one of two freshmen on the varsity softball team. Although Gilstrap is one of the youngest on the team, she feels no different from the upperclassmen. “After I got comfortable with the team it become a lot of fun and I absolutley love it.” Gilstrap said.

| PHOTOS BY EMMA MCATEE, RHYLAN STERN, MIRANDA HENRY, NIKOO TAHMASEBI, ELLA LIM, ASHLING BAHADURSINGH, JACKIE CHANG, SAMI SANDERS, DAYNA BEMISS, ASPEN GALLENTINE & AMIRA DVORAK

Going Full Speed

Freshman exhibits extraordinary skills within lacrosse

emma mcatee| staff writer

Although many athletes are used to the experience of sports in high school, the connection of Blue Valley schools coming together to play on one team is often overlooked.

Freshman Bella Hamo has not taken the usual route of making varsity as an upperclassman, let alone as an underclassman. Hamo played varsity lacrosse as an eighth grader. She has been playing lacrosse for the past two and a half years and plays on the Blue Valley Titans lacrosse team and the club team Mad Dog West Elite. The idea of signing up for lacrosse didn’t just come from Hamo herself.

“It was 10 at night, and my mom walked into my room and said she signed me up for the lacrosse team,” she said. “The next day I thought it was a dream.”

At the beginning of her lacrosse career, Hamo lacked confidence in her ability to make a top-level team.

“When the coach called me and told me I made varsity, I actually started crying,” she said. “I didn’t know what to say when she called because I was planning out what to say when she told me I didn’t make the team.”

Becoming a part of the Titans was nerveracking but the help of a kind environment relieved Hamo’s worries.

“I love the community — it’s way different than anything I’ve ever been a part of,” she said. “I played a bunch of different sports, and with all the schools, the community is so positive and happy all the time.”

Even though she had a confident group of people to support her, Hamo was

still nervous due to being the youngest and newest player

“I went into it thinking, ‘I’m not going to be the best on the team and that’s OK’ — I did not think I was going to be a starter,” she said. “I was thinking I’ll get better from this experience and I did. All of it was so shocking.”

Hamo enjoys her time on the Titans as she feels closely connected to each and every one of her

“Playing for Titans is less strict than club — it’s more like you’re playing for fun with your sisters,” she said. “We all have the same goals, but on a high school team, you’re playing with your family that holds a bunch of different

With more time spent on the field, Hamo has a strong

“After school, I go out and play — of course I’m trying to get better, but I’m also having fun,” she said. “Playing with my brothers levels out my game even more.”

As a result of Hamo’s hard work and dedication, she has received many awards.

“I’m a two-time All American, I made varsity MVP as an eighth grader, and I made the All-American West team my second year,” she said.

According to USA Lacrosse, an All-American is one of the best players within their respective area of the country while also embodying excellent sportsmanship. Hamo is excited to continue playing lacrosse in the upcoming season.

“I’m looking forward to the same experiences as last year, like team dinners,” Hamo said. “The environment at the games is the best thing ever.”

A Royal Season

Royals announcer gives his opinion on Royals’ offseason, 2024 season

audrey erickson | staff writer

In 2023, the Kansas City Royals had the worst season in franchise history, with only 56 wins and 106 losses, putting them at the bottom of the lowly American League Central Division.

In the offseason, general manager J.J. Piccolo made significant moves to ensure 2024 looks nothing like the previous season.

“I think they’ve had about as good an offseason as a team can have,” Royals TV broadcaster Joel Goldberg said. “They went out there and they spent over $100 million on new free agents.”

During the 2024 offseason, the Royals were able to sign veteran pitchers Michael Wacha, Seth Lugo and Will Smith. They were also able to secure a couple of strong bats in Adam Frazier and Hunter Renfroe.

Goldberg is happy with all of the Royals’ signings but he is very excited for the combination of Wacha and Lugo in the pitching rotation.

“Both had good seasons — both have lots of experience,” Goldberg said. “To add two guys with significant experience and talent to the rotation is something that we really needed.” That being said, the move that turned the most heads was extending 23-year-old superstar Bobby Witt Jr. to an 11-year $288.8 million contract with an additional 3-year team option. Goldberg only had positive things to say about the young superstar.

“If you’re going to sign a player like that in a smaller market like Kansas City, it really has to be the right player, and to me he is the right player,” he said. “In his second year in the big league, he finished 8th in MVP voting on a 106-loss team — so this guy has already done some things that most players don’t do — period.”

Goldberg really emphasized that baseball is a game of “ifs” and it’s impossible to know the kind of season a team is going to have until it is all said and done.

“Everyone goes into the season expecting to be good — but the teams that maybe don’t have as much talent are going to say ‘What if this works?’ and ‘if this works’ and ‘if this guy stays healthy’ or ‘if this guy figures it out’” he said. “What the Royals did is they eliminated a lot of those ‘if’s’ by bringing in [veteran] players like Seth Lugo, Michael Wacha, Will Smith [and] Hunter Renfroe.”

Goldberg thinks the Royals’ young talent could have a significant impact this season.

“MJ Melendez, Michael Massey, Kyle Isbel and Drew Waters are guys that haven’t quite figured it out yet,” he said. “They’ve gone through the failing and they’ve got talent and they’re going to be better for it this year.”

Goldberg thinks the Royals might have a chance at winning the division this year — all of the teams do.

“There is no dominant team,” Goldberg said. “They can finish anywhere between first and fifth, which I know is as vanilla as it comes, but I think they can legitimately win the division.”

student opinions

“I definitely think they’re a good team structurally, but I do think that they could work on a lot of things.”

-Emily Titterington, 9

“The new stadium project is cool.” -Ethan Oppold, 12

“I think they have a chance to be decent this year and end up around .500.” Gage Tymeson, 10

Do BV students watch Royals games?

| 197 STUDENTS SURVEYED

sometimes 39% never 35% if they go to the World Series 24% always 2%

april 2024 feature design by audrey erickson

11

Developmental Disability Awareness Month celebrates unity

ashley brixey-thatcher| staff writer

Each March, the National Association of Councils on Developmental Disabilities hosts social campaigns and brings attention to people with disabilities.

March of 2024 was no different. The theme of the movement this year was “A World of Opportunity.”

Throughout the month were parades, art and social media movements. Although the month is over we can still celebrate and lift up people with special needs.

Developmental Disability Awareness Month started in 1987 and has become an annual event.

A proclamation to the public by former president Ronald Reagan urged Americans to encourage people with disabilities to achieve their full potential. The movement also encourages the country to allow more opportunities for those with special needs to lead a productive life.

March is just one month the program at Blue Valley does fun activities. The events they host for students, such as field trips and community events, help them feel included and valued. By doing so, it creates a more inclusive society for everyone.

The program allows a connection to be built through peer-mentorship. Many students volunteer their time and create friendships with the special needs department. Senior Keegan Murray, has been volunteering in the program since sophomore year.

“They’re wonderful people and the greatest,

feature april 2024

kindest, sweetest kids I’ve ever met,” Murray said. “They’re excited to see me — that really makes me feel at home.”

As well as peer-mentorship, the program is made up of paraprofessionals who spend their career learning and understanding the beauty of special needs. Teacher Danielle Mitchell, who works closely with the Connections program, has loved creating relationships with the people around her.

As she celebrates Developmental Disability Awareness Month, she is reminded that this is not the only social movement that lifts up the community. Para Appreciation Day, which always falls on the first Wednesday of April, celebrates the people working alongside students with special needs.

“We have a lunch to celebrate them and a week of us doing something for the paras to show our appreciation for what they do for us,” Mitchell said.

As we celebrate Developmental Disability Awareness Month, it’s important to recognize the significance of supporting students with disabilities. Mitchell expressed that understanding and learning how to help students with challenges and disabilities is crucial.

Blue Valley uses its resources to create a helpful and welcoming environment for those with special needs.

“[I became a teacher] because of their unique personalities,” Mitchell said. “You just fall in love with each kid because they’re all so different.” 12

design by ashley brixey-thatcher

MODIFYING POLICIES

For many Blue Valley students who practice a religion, it can be di cult to adhere to religious observances amid a regular school day schedule. The classroom has become a barrier to many students, keeping them from being able to fully engage in their spirituality outside of their homes and creating a disconnect between their life as a student and their life as a religious person.

Read on to learn about BV students who have experienced these issues firsthand.

Written by Nikoo Tahmasebi, Jessica Toomay, Cady Reynolds, Mikey Leach, Sami Sandler, Dayna Bemiss, Emily Kozlowski

Designed by Katie Kennedy

“RAMADAN

Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months of the year for Muslims. In Ramadan, Muslims commemorate the revelation of the Qur’an and fast from food and drink during the sunlit hours as a means of drawing closer to God and cultivating self-control, gratitude and compassion for those less fortunate. Ramadan is a month of intense spiritual rejuvenation with a heightened focus on devotion, during which Muslims spend extra time reading the Qur’an and performing special prayers.

- the Islamic Networks Group

“

Spreading Awarene about Ramadan

From March 11 to April 9, the Islamic celebration of Ramadan takes place. The 30 days include the tradition of fasting from sunrise to sunset, then participating in a prayer before sharing a meal with friends and family.

At the end of the 30 days, Ramadan ends with the holiday Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of Ramandan with family and friends.

Senior Sara Al-Kofahi details what makes Ramadan a special part of the year to her as well as many others.

Al-Kofahi

“It’s a time to give back,” she said. “It is a month we all look forward to because it is flled with family and friends and the celebration after has a lot of signifcant meaning.”

Junior Ziyad Suwan agrees with Al-Kofahi that Ramadan is a treasured moment of the year.

“It’s a time when we go more toward [the] spiritual, religious side, and we focus on our relationship with God,” Suwan said. “A lot of people usually come together during this time.”

For the students in Blue Valley who celebrate Ramadan, recent accommodations have helped them feel more comfortable during the school day.

“The school has prayer rooms because we have fve prayers every

day we pray, so that [has been] helpful,” Al-Kofahi said.

Suwan, however, said it is not a celebration that can nor needs to be extremely helped for by the school.

“It’s not something that can be super easily accommodated for,” he said. “For most Muslims who have fasted their whole lives, it’s not super difcult.”

To make students feel more comfortable in school during Ramadan, Al-Kofahi believes there should be more explanation to staf.

“Telling teachers about it [is important] because sometimes students will be a little bit tired, especially the frst week when their bodies are getting used to the fasting,” she said. Suwan agrees with Al-Kofahi, adding that general knowledge of the celebration would be helpful throughout the school.

Suwan

“Having people keep in mind that there are some people who aren’t eating so not doing anything involving food too much,” he said. “Just being respectful is really important.”

Amba adors for Clubs

There are multiple Christian clubs at BV, one of which is girls Bible study group Ambassadors for Christ (AFC). Club members meet on Wednesday mornings and enjoy cereal and other breakfast options while reading and discussing books of the Bible together. Though some religious clubs feel the school is not accommodating, Ambassadors for Christ sponsor Mackenzie Garber feels otherwise.

“I would say they accommodate our club just like any other club, thankfully,” Garber said. “Our club is student-led, so they are really accommodating, allowing us to be a Bible study in a public school.”

Garber

Although she would like to have Good Friday of school, Garber believes BV does the best it can.

“It’s impossible for them to stop things from happening on all holidays,” Garber said.

Garber is grateful the school helps AFC gain recognition by allowing posters around the school and hosting club fairs, but students, especially freshmen, may not know if they have the time to commit to joining the club.

“It may be helpful to do a second [club fair] second semester,” Garber said. “That might catch a lot of freshmen who didn’t join initially.”

One thing Garber wishes the school would do is set aside time for clubs to meet during the school day because most people are busy after school, and teachers have meetings on late start mornings.

“I know clubs can meet during advisory, but it never works out because kids have to choose other things,” Garber said. “It would be more open for more people to come.”

| PHOTO BY DAYNA BEMISS

Acco odated Religion

Blue Valley is home to students of diferent backgrounds. Among those students is a large array of religions. In certain religions, there are holidays with traditions that have specifc requirements.

BV hosts a variety of clubs for students to share their religion with the student body.

Some of these clubs include Fellowship of Christian Athletes and Faith and Reason Club. Seniors Julia Kingsbury and Charlotte Warren talked about the accommodations made for their respective clubs

“FCA is a big help,” Kingsbury said. “We have Bible studies here that the library lets us host, and I think that that’s been really helpful.”

FCA typically meets in the mornings and uses the time given to have a small sermon and talk amongst one another about the Bible.

“[It’s] helpful for a lot of Christians that don’t have other times in their week,” Kingsbury said.

Knowing not everyone is Christian, Kingsbury said there isn’t a lot Blue Valley needs to adjust.

Faith and Reason Club is dedicated to understanding the logic and theology behind religion. Typically, the club has guest speakers come in and discuss diferent religions and their backgrounds as well as the ideas behind those religions.

“[It is] a place where we could have diferent guest speakers come in and discuss with students — sort of like more of like the theology behind diferent things the ideas, theology, and the thought processes behind diferent religions and why people believe what they believe,” Warren said.

FACTS ABOUT LENT:

-commemorates the 40 days Jesus Christ spent fasting in the desert and enduring temptation by Satan

-everyone over the age of 14 must not eat meat on Fridays and Ash Wednesday

-on Ash Wednesday and Good Friday, everyone 14 to 59 must fast, unless exempt due to a medical reason

| INFO FROM BRANDEIS.EDU & MUSLIMAID..ORG

Faculty discu acco odations for religious holidays

With Ramadan occurring, and the traditions that come with celebrating the holiday, administration has taken the task to become aware and cognizant of all the needs of the student body. Assistant principal Mollie McNally and freshman biology teacher Grace Wright weigh in on the progressivity happening in BV.

“What they need to do for religious reasons is very important,” McNally said. “If it helps to accommodate a prayer room or needed space to help the students feel comfortable at school and still be able to do their schoolwork, we will do just that.”

What has driven these eforts for administrative change has come from the conversations held with students and the multitude of organizations that BV holds. However, principal Charles Golden has taken it a step further with just last year visiting diferent communities and groups to understand the changes our school should make to foster an inclusive learning environment.

“We went to our Muslim community, and he and I had a meal with them and learned about what our students would need from us,” McNally said. “I think the more we are getting out there and learning what our kids see, the better.”

Additionally, the district has also

sent out new calendars indicating holidays for a majority of religious and cultural groups from Holi to Yom Kippur. This is not always the case in all school districts. Wright, who used to work in Dodge City, recalled that her former distrct’s school schedule had mostly revolved around Catholic holidays.

“The reason we moved here was because we wanted to have a more diverse location for our children,” Wright said. “The fact that we have clubs specifcally for minority students, I thought, was really awesome. I really liked the diferent ways that they highlight each group and give them an opportunity to voice their perceptions and cultural standpoints to share it with the rest of the school.”

Students advocating for an adjustment or understanding of their religious practice are not unheard by the faculty, and McNally said that conversation goes both ways.

“We feel like we can ask, and it’s knowledge we need,” McNally said. “It’s our community willing to talk to us and students willing to step up. A lot of student associations have been created, and I think that helps give students a voice.”

Acco odating religious minorities at BV

For students who belong to the Jewish faith, such as senior Leah Martin and sophomore Beckett Hodes balancing Jewish practices and school is a struggle. They feel there’s more to be done to accommodate their practices and help them feel included within the school community.

“The admin tends to underestimate or understate the gravity of particularly two [high holidays], Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur,” Hodes said. “[Admin] see them as minor holidays, when they're not. I don't think people should have tests scheduled on those days, which is what has happened in the past and will likely happen again.”

When it comes to making up work from missed days, Jewish students fnd that some staf members are not reliable or versatile.

“It would be helpful if teachers and administrators knew about Jewish holidays and how they can be more fexible with them,” Martin said.

Another important Jewish holiday is Passover, which occurs in the spring over eight days. People observe a special diet called kosher parve during this time. Martin

always brings her lunch from home but said there should be parve options for students who purchase school lunches.

“[Passover diets] are not accommodated in the cafeteria at all,” Hodes said. “There is nothing [Jewish students] can eat in there besides fruit and salad. The school has an obligation to provide at least some kind of protein that would be OK for people who are observant to eat.”

In addition to meal time alternatives and scheduling alterations, Hodes believes there are many ways administrators could make Jewish students feel more included in school.

“The Christian holidays are recognized [more often than Jewish],” Hodes said. “There should be education about what’s [happening in] other religions.”

Martin said students at BV have struggled to be heard and feel represented in school. She said BV only recognizes Christian holidays too.

“While the school has done a decent job of combating overt antisemitism, they haven’t actually contributed to the accommodations we need on a day-to-day basis, particularly during the holidays,” Hodes said.

Wright

Martin

Celebrating the Persian New Year

Iranian students celebrated Nowruz March 19, marking the start of spring. Nowruz is the Persian new year, beginning on the spring equinox and lasting 13 days. This time is often spent celebrating with family, feasting and exchanging gifts.

Junior Ava Aslinia enjoys the celebrations and believes it helps bring everyone together.

“I genuinely appreciate having a holiday to immerse myself in Persian culture and spend time with family,” Aslinia said.

“Nowruz is an opportunity to refect on myself and the past year. It’s truly an opportunity for new beginnings.”

Despite Nowruz often falling on a school day, BV makes no adjustments to its schedule. Aslinia doesn’t see this as an issue, however, and said the school couldn’t do much to improve their celebrations.

“[The school does] nothing,” Aslinia said. “Even with school in session though, I think it’s possible to celebrate in the evening or the 12 days surrounding Nowruz.”

“Everyone I know who celebrates it gets called out of school if Nowruz falls on a school day,” Moiny said.

Although Aslinia also believes there’s no accommodations necessary during Nowruz, she thinks the school could inform students of other cultural holidays.

Aslinia Moiny

NOWRUZ:

-Iranian or Persian New Year

-no dietary restrictions

Sophomore Nadia Moiny agrees, adding that the holiday helps her connect to her community.

“It is a reminder of my heritage and of how I am not only American, but I am Iranian American,” she said. “It shows resistance to Iran's repressive regime and how our people still prevail.”

JUDAISM DETAILS:

“There’s room for greater awareness and education surrounding the diverse set of cultures that constitute Blue Valley,” she said. “I never expect people to be knowledgeable about the Persian new year, but I recall being pleasantly surprised last year when Mrs. Whitten wished me a happy Nowruz. That defnitely made my day.”

Moiny wishes students at Blue Valley would have a wider appreciation of cultural traditions.

“It’s OK to not know about every single holiday because I know I don't,” Moiny said. “However, not knowing or being educated about a holiday does not mean it is OK to be ofensive and demean the holiday.”

-followers believe in one God who revealed himself through ancient prophets

-the Torah is their holy book, which provides law and tradition -worship in synagogues -diet is called Kosher, which divides food into three categories (meat, dairy and pareve) and avoids cross-contamination among categories

“PASSOVER:

Passover, or Pesach in Hebrew, commemorates the slavery of the Israelites in Egypt and their ultimate exodus to freedom. Passover brings extra stringencies around what food is present in a Jewish space. Tradition dictates that a Jewish person should not consume, derive beneft from, or even see chametz (leavened wheat products) during the Passover holiday. The central ritual of Pesach is the Seder, a carefully choreographed ritual meal that takes place on the eve of Passover at home with family and friends or with the community.

“

- Peninsula Jewish Co unity Center |

17 APRIL 2024 on the cover design by katie kennedy

UNDER THE WEATHER

Science teacher discusses importance of meteorology

isaac hudson | editor-in-chief

To most people, checking the weather is simply a piece of their morning routine. 55% humidity doesn’t really mean much to a lot of us. But for science teacher Dalton Watts, meteorology is a subject he is passionate about teaching.

“I think in every science, having a basic understanding is important, but I think [meteorology is] more relevant — it’s more applicable,” he said. “I can look up the weather on my phone in the morning and I can actually read some of the weather reports and understand what they’re talking about with high- and lowpressure systems and cold fronts coming in. If I hear there’s a cold front, that I can expect a certain kind of weather.”

Watts originally started at BV teaching Earth-Space Science and AP Physics.

“When I came here, Mrs. Koch and I switched,” he said. “She took the Earth-Space classes, and I took astronomy and meteorology, so it kind of landed in my lap.”

Thankfully for Watts, he had also studied a lot of astronomy and meteorology in college.

“When I first started, my dream was to teach Physics and Astronomy, and that was always my thing in college, too — I wanted to focus my Earth-Science-based courses on astronomy, but [Emporia State] had way more meteorology classes than astronomy classes,” he said. “I ended up really liking the content and the teacher, and I ended up taking almost all of my Earth-Science classes as meteorology classes.”

Watts found that meteorology was just as enjoyable and important as astronomy and physics.

“[I like] understanding how the world works around us and how weather works and humanity and all those things,” he said. “That’s probably my favorite part — it’s just so relevant.”

Meteorology can be very confusing to those who have never dove into the topic, but Watts finds that it is more useful than most of people realize.

“There’s a lot of things you kind of take for granted that I didn’t realize I didn’t know before I took classes,” he said. “Meteorology is very practical. I mean, we deal with weather every day of our lives.”

IMPORTANT TERMS:

THUNDERSTORM: a weather system capable of producing high winds, torrential rain, hail, thunder and lightning and possibly tornadoes

COLD FRONT: a mass of cold air moving toward warmer air; brings precipitation, rain and snow and rapid drops in temperature

WARM FRONT: a mass of warm air moving toward cooler air; causes a rise in humidity and temperatures

CORIOLIS EFFECT: deflection of winds due to Earth’s rotation; in the northern hemisphere, it deflects to the right and to the left in the southern hemisphere

RELATIVE HUMIDITY: the amount of water vapor relative to a saturation point

LCL: lifting condensation level; the height at which saturation occurs (100% humidity)

Student discusses gardening with his stepmom Green Thumb

harris jones | staff writer

Not everyone is blessed with a green thumb, but junior Elliot Loo, who has been planting for upwards of seven years with his stepmom, certainly is.

“We live on an acre, so we built six raised garden beds,” Loo said. “We had small gardens at our old house but then [at the new one have] an acre fenced off for the garden.”

Having a much larger space to garden provided ample opportunity to grow new plants in larger quantities, even if the first round came with beginner’s luck.

“We really got into it the first year we started; we started with cucumbers — we had over 600,” Loo said. “Our first year was the best luck that we have had with cucumbers, but we still produce a good amount of produce every year. We do [have] a lot of tomatoes usually — we’ve had best luck with tomatoes overall.”

Like many other planters, cross pollination is something deeply important to Loo and his stepmom.

“She’s going to plant certain places because [of] cross pollination,” Loo said. “Some plants like basil and peppers, we plant together. We [also] have our garden outside. It’s a wildflower or butterfly garden.”

Planting things native to the region and being able to provide is something meaningful to Loo and his family.

“It’s environmental respect — instead of having to go buy that produce, you just easily have it at home and everyone should do that because it’s not that hard,” he said. “It’s not hard to have a garden, and it reduces waste.”

What is something people underestimate about drums?

“How heavy equipment is.

Carrying 20 to 50 pounds is a lot and puts more strain on your body than people really know or think about.”

Did you know?

Graphic design and jewelry teacher Madi Sedillo was part of the Rumble, too.

PLAYING FOR THE CHIEFS

jackie chang | web editor

Percussion teacher directs the Chiefs’ drumline

Everyone has their own special story, and for Blue Valley’s percussion teacher Alex Vallar, it’s that he’s also a director of the Kansas City Chiefs’ drumline. To more surprise, Vallar revealed he was the founder of the “Chiefs Rumble” drumline and has been with them since the start.

“Back in 2009, me and my roommate at the time received a call about starting a drumline [for the Chiefs],” Vallar said. “We decided to get our closest friends together, and 15 years later, we’re still together.”

A question many may wonder is what benefits Vallar receives as being part of the Chiefs team. However, being paid to be a professional musician, the drumline does not actually receive all the free gifts.

“[The benefit] is being in that atmosphere,” he said. “As the team has gotten better, especially with Andy Reid, it’s been more playoff games. We’ve gone on a trip to Germany [and] have gone to three Super Bowls. It’s just been incredible.”

To Vallar, being on the Chiefs Rumble is an experience for which he is very grateful.

“[The best part] is just being able to continue to perform. Once you get to a certain age, there’s only a limited amount of opportunities, so getting to perform for [over] 60,000 fans is pretty incredible,” Vallar said. “Seeing [our] work pay off is when people start recognizing the Rumble when [we’re] in parking lots or out and about. That’s the most fun part about being an entertainment musician.”

At last year’s Super Bowl, Vallar brought back the champion confetti for his students at Blue Valley as no more a gift than it was a form of encouragement. Vallar shared the reason why he made effort to bring the souvenirs back.

“I think a lot of percussion students don’t see the [music] opportunities [after] high school and college. The more I can model that, the better it is for students [to achieve] more excellence in their life and just have some of those opportunities I have been blessed to have.”

Vallar stressed the importance of showing the younger generation the pathways of percussion.

“Not in a million years would I think [that after] high school I would be playing drums for the Chiefs–– that was not even remotely in my purview,” he said. “So I tried to get the percussionists a little bag of confetti as a memorabilia [to] remind them like ‘hey, if you continue this activity and perfect your skills [you could] do things like perform at the Super Bowl. [I brought it back] to be able to give them [those] memories, see a little bit of happiness and remind them how far drumming can take you.”

feature april 2024 design by jackie chang

Sedillo Vallar

Members discuss winter guard Winter Guard Wonder

jonas tills | staff writer

Sheridan Hokanson is a junior involved in Winter Guard, a sport that requires confidence and focus. As a sport, it’s similar to the Color Guard in marching band, but it has unique differences.

“If you’ve ever seen the marching band perform with flags, that’s the color guard,” Hokanson said. “We just take all of those flags and activities, and we bring it inside and put on a dance-like show.”

Winter Guard requires the use of flags, prop rifles and sometimes sabres. This gives anyone in Winter Guard options in how to perform and adds to the complexity of the performances.

“Weapons are meant to be more of a powerful type of dance, whereas the flags are supposed to look pretty and provide color,” Hokanson said.

She was first inspired to join by proximity.

“I was really close friends with a member on the team, and they kind of roped me into it,” Hokanson said. “I really loved it, it’s a super great way to have a physical activity without having a super high intensity activity like running.”

She recommended it to anyone interested in joining,

“We truly just want you to join,” she said. “Then if you’re really committed to wanting to do it, I highly recommend to just stay with it. It gets easier.”

Freshman Rhianna Marney also performs with

DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE

Winter Guard. While she enjoys performing, she said it’s not something you can just pick up.

“You really have to practice,” Marney said. “It’s not something you can just know how to do, especially with the tosses — they’re the hardest part.”

Winter Guard isn’t just about throwing things either; there are deep themes that can be conveyed through intricate motions. The current show is about unrequited love.

While themes certainly add a lot to the show, her favorite part is engaging with others.

“Being involved with other people adds a lot to the experience,” Marney said.

She especially has a passion for trios, a unique part of Winter Guard.

“Trios are basically three people doing different things while in a group,” she said. “There’s a dancer, a flag person and a rifle person but all the equipment is being passed around between the three people.”

Winter Guard contains special aspects that allow for the sport to shine through the ingenuity it requires.

“It’s super creative and fun, and there’s tons of different outlets that you can go with it,” Hokanson said. She continued. “Similar to track, you know, if you do pole vaulting versus distance running or sprinting, it’s just different things that you can do in a performance, and it creates a super cool variety.”

|

Just Traits or the Truth?

teacher discusses personality tests

rhylan stern | EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Personality tests — a fun way to get to know yourself and others, taking information on how you perceive yourself, how others perceive you, interests and many other factors. These tests can give you insight into someone’s personality and how you can work with others.

But what truly is a personality test? Is it accurate? Or is it just for fun?

Psychology teacher Courtney Buffington shares her thoughts on the debate of personality tests, along with how they truly work and which tests to take.

“From a professional psychology perspective, the most reliable test, if you are someone who is data-driven and only wants a test that has the most research to back up its validity, would be the Big Five Test,” Buffington said. “The Big Five personality looks at your level of conscientiousness, agreeableness, neuroses, openness and

During the personality unit in AP Psychology, Buffington provides quizzes for her students to take, including the Big Five test, Myer-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), the Enneagram Test and many more. While the Big Five Test may be the most reliable, the MBTI test is a more controversial option to take, as it is not deeply backed up with data.

“That test is highly scrutinized by psychologists because it lacks the

rich research to support its validity and reliability, but it’s interesting. It’s what I was given by my college professors and what I give in my classes.”

Despite the backlash on the MBTI test, personality tests can be convenient when wanting to learn more about yourself. By taking just one, or even a few of them, connections can be made by knowing how you work with others.

“Even though the world of psychology is critical of those tests, I believe — and a lot of psychologists agree — that any test that gives you insight into who you are and who others are is useful,” Buffngton said. “Even if it doesn’t have the scientific data that says it is reliable, we can still benefit from its use.”

Buffington believes a quiz gives insight into someone and even themselves.

“I’m not saying there’s scientific data that says any agreements are always accurate, but it has helped me connect with students and understand them and my family members better,” Buffington said. “For example, I’m [an enneagram type] Two — twos are helpers and are driven by wanting people to like them. I feel seen with that, so it’s helped me recognize like, ‘Am I doing something because I just want to be liked or am I doing something because I really think it’s the right thing to do?’ That’s helped me do some self reflection and try to make sure I’m being the best version of myself.”

The

LANE DOWN MEMORY

Teachersaddress

MARK MOSIER

experiences since frst working atBlueValley

Have your looks changed since starting at BV? “Much older and much older.”

Have you changed as a person? “Definitely. As a teacher, I have been able to grow [from] resources and opportunities in the district.”

Earliest memory: “[When] I met Peggy Rose.”

ROBIN LERNER

32.5 years at BV

37.5 years at BV

Best memory: “Year 2000 — I was working with a student and she was selected as the presidential scholar, so I got to go to Washington DC for a week.”

Inspirational staff member: “Mrs. O’Bryan always inspired me, and she’s the teacher I hope to be.”

Have your looks changed since starting at BV? “I used to have really long reddish brown hair.”

Have you changed as a person? “I’d like to think I’m a better teacher today. I want to go back and apologize to the kids I first taught. The scary part about that is they’re 50-something now.”

Earliest memory: “My interview process.” Best memory: “Seeing former students later on.”

CHRIS RIFFER

28 years at BV

Have your looks changed since starting at BV?

have my hair which is good. It’s much grayer than before.”

Have you changed as a person? “I came in as a competitive debate and forensics coach, and I’ve mellowed out on the competitive aspect of it now.”

Earliest memory: “When they said I got the job, Scott Bacon, at the time, was the assistant principal and was moving little magnets around to how my

DIANNE O’BRYAN 23.5 years at BV

Inspirational staff member: “Absolutely Scott Bacon. [He] is truly a cheerleader of teachers.”

schedule would be.”

Favorite memory: “Coaching my oldest daughter to a state championship in debate and watching my youngest daughter play softball here.”

Inspirational staff member: “The one constant ever since I’ve [taught] here has been Mark Mosier. He’s just kind of been my guidance.”

Have your looks changed since starting at BV? “I had braces the summer before I started teaching and my hair was cut in a bob and I had bangs.”

Have you changed as a person? “For sure. Anytime you spend a long period of time at a particular school, that place and those people change you for the better.”

Earliest memory: “My interview happened the day after I got braces put on. I felt ridiculous.”

Favorite memory: “I have always loved the staff dance for the sweetheart assembly. The fact teachers are willing to get out there [shows] they care about the kids and enjoying this experience for them.”

TONY SCARDINO

12 years at BV

Have your looks changed since starting at BV?

“I think I’m much more handsome now ever. Grayer, and rounder and softer.”

Have you changed as a person? “I’ve learned how to treat kids better and be more understanding of them.”

Earliest memory: “When we first got

Inspirational staff member: “Scott Bacon. He was so interested in growth as a school, as teachers and as students.”

computers. We were all terrified of that.”

Favorite memory: “When we won the State [baseball] title in May of 2017. It was a huge thing for us.”

Inspirational staff member: “I always have looked to Dianne O’Bryan. I love the relationships she has with kids, and I aspire to be more that way.”

S T U D E N T R E C S

S students give movie, book suggestions

D E C E N D A N T S

Name: Charlotte Warren, 12

What movie? The Descendants Trilogy

What is it about? “It’s [about] the descendants of all the original Disney characters. Belle and the Beast have a kid, all the villains have kids, and they’re all [teens]. It’s a funny movie, and it's kind of cringe to watch, [but] they’re just so fun.”

Why should someone watch it? “I’m obsessed with them. They show a really great message about ‘you don't have to be what other people think you should be’ — also the songs are so good. I listen to them all the time — [they] make me happy.”

F A U L T I N O T U H R E S T A R S

Name: Lee Dumler-Montplasier, 9

What book? The Fault in our Stars

What is it about? “It's a bit of a love story, about a girl who has cancer, and she meets a guy at a church who also has some kind of cancer. They start [talking] and find out they have a [favorite] book in common. It’s a very powerful story.”

Why should someone read it? “It's an unfortunate message about how we are all human and [we all] have big differences in how our bodies [and brains] work. I feel like it is important to connect with these differences, and ‘The Fault in our Stars’ really helps connect with that.”

G I R L T I N E U R P T E R D ,

Name: Zella Allyn, 9

What movie? Girl, Interrupted

What is it about? “[It is about] a girl who finds herself in a psych ward, and she is trying to get out to meet her boyfriend, but she meets all these people [within the ward] and actually likes to be there, so it gets complicated.”

Why should someone watch it? “It opens you up to [the realities of mental health] and can understand their point of view. It’s a little dark, but that is one of the reasons why I like it so much.”

A E A L L Q U I E T O N T H E W E S T E R N F R ON T

Name: Nick Hays, 12

What movie? Fat Albert

What is the movie about? “Fat Albert and friends look up into the sky one day, see a girl crying and they go into the real world. They have to figure out what the problem is, and they try and help her get some friends. They go to a block party. Then, they realize they’re fading from reality because they’re not supposed to be there. Then he has to go to Bill Cosby’s house, the creator of Fat Albert, and ask about what he should do. They have to go back into the animated world, but they do solve her problem. [There is] a really sad scene at the end where we’re shown the original cast of what Fat Albert was based off of, and they’re around the original setup. It’s great — it’s a really, really powerful moment.”

Why should someone else watch it? “I think the themes it talks about are really good. It’s also it’s a classic mid-2000s movie, so you see hip moments. If you’re a fan of Fat Albert, you should definitely watch it — even if you’re not a fan, it’s really amazing.”

Name? Brett Jones, 9

What Movie? All Quiet on the Western Front

What is the movie about? “A German boy who signs up for the war thinks it's going to be a really good time with friends but then once he actually gets there it's not a good time.”

Why should someone else watch it? “It shows people that war isn't something to be glorified and shouldn’t be honored or whatever. People who go into war should be honored because it's hard but people shouldn't want to go.”

SPECIALLY SPELLED

Students share their uniquely spelled names

my name is

Why this spelling? “My parents wanted something unique, and they loved my name. When they figured out they were having a girl, they knew from the very start that they were going to name [me] Caleigh.”

What are people’s usual reactions? “Normally it’s subs who [pronounce it] ‘Kaylee’ and I’m like ‘No, it’s Caleigh.’ Then they feel really bad, but you know, it’s OK. There’s also this other girl in my grade that has the same name as me. When we found out we both have the same spelling, it was really great.”

Do you like the way it’s spelled? “It’s a [huge] part of something that played into my personality as a kid, especially being able to speak up for myself and say my name is not spelled or pronounced that way.”

Would you change the spelling if you could? “No, I like it like this. You don’t meet as many Caleigh’s spelled like this, so I think it’s cute and unique.”

Why this spelling? “My parents named all of their kids with a ‘y’ and an ‘a’ in their name, so they just adapted our names to have that. It was just a pattern.” What are people’s usual reactions? “They usually think my name is Taylor.”

Do you like the way it’s spelled? “Yeah, it’s a lot easier to identify in a stack of papers.”

Would you change the spelling if you could? “Probably not, no.”

Why this spelling? “[In Hebrew], abba means father and gail means joy, so it means finding joy in the heavenly father. My dad did it when I was born in the hospital, so I think he just wanted it to be different.”

What are people’s usual reactions? “They’re like ‘Oh, two B’s?’ I’m shocked when they say two B’s and not the three A’s because I think the A’s are really different.”

Do you like the way it’s spelled? “I love the way my name is spelled. I feel like it fits me.”

Would you change the spelling if you could? “No, I like it the way it is.”

a&e april 2024

my name is Abbagail Lock, 12 Usual Spelling: Abigail

Why this spelling? “My mom chose the spelling and thought it was more feminine. How the word lays is more aesthetically pleasing compared to the traditional spelling.”

What are people’s usual reactions? “Most people say, ‘Wow, that’s so pretty’ or ‘I didn’t know it could be spelled this way or even with a K.’”

Do you like the way it’s spelled? “I do because it stands out and makes me feel more distinctive and individualistic.”

Would you change the spelling if you could? “I would not change it because I feel like it suits me very well. In addition, it’s very fun to write my exquisite signature.”

HELLO

Caleigh Richardson, 9 Usual Spelling: Callie

HELLO my name is

Tylar Beck, 10 Usual Spelling: Tyler

HELLO

HELLO my name is Kamryn Fisher, 9 Usual Spelling: Cameron

VENI, VIDI, VICI

goals drive students’ success

isaac burton | staff writer

High school is a huge step in many people’s lives; some people find their life-long friends, some find their person, some find their path and some learn to develop habits and goal-oriented mindsets. The thing many people overlook, though, is the consistency of habits people use to obtain success in their goals.

“Happiness and greatness. I plan to not get complacent with my accomplishments and keep achieving more until I reach my end goal, and once I achieve my end goal, I’ll strive for more because you can never settle for what you have.”

“It requires a lot of hard work, determination and grit. But obviously my academics are very important [so] giving it my all in anything I do is very important and taking things day-by-day.”

“I plan to overcome challenges just by staying focused and taking it day-by-day, step-by-step, brick-by-brick.”

“Stay focused and not let your attention wander to things that aren’t important to your current life or initially to your future.”

“Grind.”

DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE

What are your short-term and long-term goals?

How do you plan to balance academics, extracurricular activities and personal interests?

“Win State and make sure that my teammates get better. [Also] to get a Division-I offer and to continue to play in college.”

How do you plan to overcome challenges or setbacks that may arise?

What advice would you give to other students setting their own goals?

What one word would you use to describe your goaldriven process?

“I always put school first before I do any sports — make sure all my schoolwork is done and then I’ll do anything else besides that. I keep working out every day, making sure I stay ready so I don’t have to get ready.”

“To keep pushing — I know that during the game I’m going to get my jersey tugged, but I have to keep fighting for everyone.”

“Keep working, and if you ever feel like your getting lazy, make sure you keep pushing and work out harder.”

“Competitive.”

april 2024 a&e design by isaac burton

Jacob Molinaro, 11 soccer player for Sporting KC II team, a semi pro team

Amillia Prochnow, 9 varsity basketball player

| PHOTO BY ISAAC BURTON

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JACOB MOLINARO

Betting Broke

Sports betting has negative impacts on people, especially young adults

andrew sharber | staff writer

Since the fall of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA), individual states have had the ability to legalize and enforce their own rules and actions upon sports betting.

Additionally, the state of Kansas followed suit on July 1, 2022, allowing residents the ability to gamble on sports through various companies digitally, impacting the state as a whole.

Despite the money that this might bring in for the state of Kansas, is it worth the impact that gambling will have on the states’ citizens, especially young adults?

Today, citizens believe that while you are gambling money, it isn’t as risky simply because of how companies such as DraftKings or FanDuel present their advertisements. And because young adults are their main demographic, it is important for them to entice people through terms such as “no risk” or “risk-free” betting.

Additionally, with countless Amer- ican citizens seeing sports betting advertisements every game, it naturally entices people to try their luck at the next way to gamble. While sports betting might be seen as equal to gambling at a casino, it’s much worse than people realize.

From Time.com, “College students are particularly prone to falling into problem gambling due to the availability of betting opportunities, social acceptability of gambling, exposure to widespread advertising, access

to spending money, and being at an age when young people experiment with risky behavior.”

Additionally, “Because it is legal, because it is aggressively promoted by corporations, because of its capacity for destruction and because it is spreading so quickly, observers see parallels between gambling and opioid addiction.”

And because young adults are often blind to these parallels, companies find that sports betting is a better way for them to entrap people who gamble excessively.

On top of that, CNN.com reports there are “no federal funds designated for problem gambling treatment or research, unlike federal funding for alcohol, tobacco and drug addiction programs.”

With no federal funds designated for citizens, how do we expect adults — let alone young adults —to handle their money financially smart?

The only way to do so is by informing young adults of the negative outcomes that gambling and sports betting alike can have.

design by andrew sharber

Additionally, states that have legalized sports betting should enforce federal funds directed for people impacted by its effects. If there are federal funds designated for citizens struggling with tobacco or alcohol addictions, why isn’t there funding for gambling or sports betting?

Police the Internet

Social media lacks proper regulation

aspen gallentine | staff writer

The social media industry is on the rise, yet nowhere is it labeled an industry. Millions of people consider content creation their job, yet nothing legally or officially labels it a profession.

In 2022, YouTube provided around 390,000 fulltime jobs, and in 2023, the “creator economy” was valued at $250 billion. Yet there’s no regulation to be found, leaving this industry and its inhabitants vulnerable.

With no regulations in place, people who consider content creation their career are extremely unprotected. Inconsistent income and job instability are constant threats for most creators on the internet. Companies can change rules and monetization on a whim, and losing the favor of the algorithm can ruin careers.

The field is currently being criminally ignored by those who could create more stability for struggling creators, and something needs to be edited to include these individuals within typical career protections.

Whether you work in social media, or you’re just a typical consumer, social media has proven to be incredibly invasive. Many begin to develop mental health issues when they get too entrenched in the internet.

People begin comparing themselves to those they see online and can develop a myriad of issues. Influencers get too influential, without any transparency.

On the flip side, work follows content creators everywhere. They lose any work-life balance. As said by Stanford Associate Professor Angèle Christin, “Writers

write novels. Musicians make music. With influencers, you are the content.” It consumes them, as they’re always worried about what to do and when to do it in order to get the best results.

Similarly to how creators and consumers see the visions of an influencer’s carefully crafted perfection as fact, people are also at risk for taking completely false statements as fact, as long as it’s presented in a believable enough way.

Misinformation runs rampant on social media. Different platforms have begun to address this issue on their own volition, but no corner of the internet is lacking in lies.

If you open TikTok and see a news video that looks real enough, it’s more than likely that people believe it, ranging from “dumber” stories, like the M&M mascots promoting communism, to real stories about real people and events.

And the introduction of AI has only made this worse. Ever seen those videos where people have AI voices of Obama, Trump and Biden playing Minecraft? That technology could very well be used to make more believable content about those men and other influential figures in American politics and beyond.

Social media needs more regulation — nothing that infringes on the rights of users, as many argue against intervention for that reason, but we need something.

Opinions are fine, and no one can be forced to show their less glamorous side. But creators and their livelihoods could be protected, and misinformation could be curbed.

It’s all fun and games until a line is crossed, and for every positive we gain from social media, there’s a negative lurking behind.

GO OUTSIDE

student discusses benefits of enjoying fresh air

ashling bahadursingh | staff writer

It’s Tuesday. Or Wednesday? Maybe it’s Monday. I know I’m pretty sure it’s January.

During the winter, all the days blend together. I look outside my window and it’s gray, cloudy and miserable, and inside me I’m gray, cloudy and miserable.

All I want to do is sleep. The idea of doing work makes me want to cry. I’m convinced I have the hardest life in the history of ever.

My state of mind, like many other individuals, is directly correlated with the weather. Because of this, winter is my least favorite season. I’m inside all the time, it’s freezing and somehow my teachers want me to do work when I haven’t seen the sun in three weeks. I try not to show it, but my mood is infinitely worse.

Why do I feel like this?

It’s common to find that the weather does have an impact on emotions. Although it’s very difficult to find strong, scientific evidence and explanations, it’s impossible to deny for many people, there is a connection between the weather and mood.

Beyond being miserable in the cold, the weather affects my mood in other ways. On a sunny day when I can actually spend time outside instead of being cooped up in my house, I’m notably happier and less irritable.

According to the American Psychological Association, there are cognitive benefits to spending time in nature. In today’s time especially, when we are bombarded by our electronics, it’s important to actually get outside and disconnect. Going out in the world can serve as a much-needed break from our typical, busy lives.

Obviously, emotions aren’t as simple as whether or not it’s sunny outside. There are many other factors that affect our feelings, but the weather and the importance of going outside and connecting to nature shouldn’t be ignored when thinking about our mental health. I know that the solution to our problems will rarely be to just “go outside,” but it still is important to consider the consequences of essentially rotting inside and the possible benefits of occasionally getting some fresh air and sunshine. I look outside again. The sun is up.

TIGER PRINT STAFF LIST

editors-in-chief

Isaac Hudson

Ava McGuire

Rhylan Stern

assistant editor

Harris Jones

web editors

Jackie Chang

Ella Lim

photo editor

Ava McNiel

design editor

Katie Kennedy

adviser

Michelle Huss

staff members

Gaby Ayres

Ashling

Bahadursingh

Dayna Bemiss

Ashley BrixeyThatcher

Isaac Burton

Amira Dvorak

Callie Dyches

Audrey Erickson

Colton Fieger

Aspen Gallentine

Miranda Henry

Emily Kozlowski

Michael Leach

Emma McAtee

Cady Reynolds

Sami Sandler

Andrew Sharber

Nikoo Tahmasebi

Jonas Tills

Jessica Toomay

“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

bvtigernews.com

Public school administrations should strive to foster religious equity

As public school students embark on their high school journeys, the pressures of fitting in, keeping up with classes and balancing outside activities are already hard enough.

Now, imagine facing the struggles that come from having to choose between one’s education or one’s religion because many public school systems do not take into account the religious practices of their students.

Despite any stereotypical discourse, Blue Valley hosts a diverse student body with many religions — however, many members feel as though their religion is not honored properly.

Even if there is just one student who practices a specific religion, it is the job of the school to provide them with the means to adequately perform their religious practices.

Why should students be denied a meal because the cafeteria does not provide options that adhere to that group’s practices?

If students who observe Lent express that they feel the school district has not provided them with an adequate amount of time to observe said holiday, something needs to change.

Why should a student be penalized and criticized for missing an APUSH test because it was scheduled on the day of Yom Kippur?

And, on that note, why was any school activity of dire importance scheduled on a holiday that a considerable number of the

population celebrates?

There is no acceptable excuse for why students should be punished with an unexcused absence or a zero in the grade book for missing school during an important holiday in their religion.

Creating religious equity in schools is far more than just halfhearted policy or performative actions — it is about fostering a considerate environment that caters to the unique needs of religious students so they may feel safe and comfortable in educational spaces.

It is certainly realistic for schools to support their students and staff becoming educated about the importance of maintaining a safe space for religious students while also remaining wholly secular.

Blue Valley has taken a considerable step in the right direction by creating prayer rooms for students who take part in the Islamic holiday of Ramadan; however, not every school in our country, or even Kansas, has the decency to create this kind of safe and accepting environment for their spiritual students.

Many religious holidays are marked in nearly every calendar — it is time that public school districts start being attentive toward every date.

RELAY FOR LIFE

Blue Valley Schools joined together for the annual Relay For Life on March 22, . Rasing money for the American Cancer Society, BVHS raised a total of $16,550, and all of the schools together raised $73,182.

One of the night’s events was Relay Runway, which fundraises in a unique way. Guys dress up in prom dresses, model and run around the building to increase donations to the American Cancer Society. Senior Nathan Ginther was one of the students representing BVHS and gained the most amount of donations out of the Blue Valley Schools.

“I did the [Runway] last year, and I did it this year — it is my favorite thing getting to perform,” Ginther said. “It’s fun to be extra and get to run around and fight for money. [Relay Runway] is my favorite part for sure. Taking that dub two years in a row doesn’t happen every day.”