Most likely to get married straight out of high school
Aydan Beck & Nick Murphy
Most Athletic
Andre Davis & Mia Yang
Most likely to win an Oscar
Brynn Friesen & Cannon Simpson
Most Involved
Alexis Forgy & Emily Clausen
Best Dressed
Ayesha Khan & Baylee Countryman
Class Clown
Ron Miller & Max Rudman
Most likely to be a Hot Mom
Kate Bowersox & Avery Delong
Most likely to become President
Eleanor Warren & Pearce Zuba
Biggest Flirt
Gigi Mir & Alec Wombolt
Most likely to be a Hot Dad
Michael Andry & Jackson Ackerman
Most likely to direct an Award-Winning Film
Alec Marinov & Brady Alderson
Bella Field University of Arkansas; Sydney King Southeast Missouri State University; Gigi Mir University of Missouri-Kansas City; Mia Yang University of Missouri
Delaney McMahon Ball State University; Ashton Meuret University of West Virginia
Kenedee Giddens University of Maine; Hannah Jenkins MidAmerica Nazarene University
Simmons Chaminade University of Honolulu; Avery Delong Pittsburg State University; Kate Peterson North Carolina State University; Connelly Kilgore Colorado Christian University; Kaitlyn Stout Emporia State University
Owen Reinert Benedictine College; Luke Folmsbee University of Saint Mary; Lucas Barta University of Saint Mary; Max Erdley Fort Scott Community College; Justin McLaughlin Central College
Aliyah Hayes-Nigro Johnson County Community College; Aydan Beck Western Colorado University
Andre Davis Kansas State University; Gatlin Samuel Northwest Missouri State University; Ben Dalke Missouri University of Science & Technology
Which school tradition did you most enjoy?
60% 29% football games homecoming week
94% attended prom
73% participated in assassins
55% attended CAPS
55% are staying in Kansas next year
Are you going to your dream school next year?
52% 48% are not are
What was your favorite year?
67%
22%
senior junior sophomore freshman
ayesha khan |editor in chief
Heading off to college can be a pinnacle moment in itself, but climbing one of the Seven Summits of the world at 18 magnifies this transitionary phase to unseen heights. This summer, senior Carson Marquardt will embark on a month-long adventure in Tanzania where she will climb the world’s tallest freestanding mountain, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
“I love to be in the outdoors and hiking, and my dad, and I have started doing more technical hikes in the past few years,” Marquardt said. “I found an opportunity to go [through an] agency that takes seniors like myself to climb different mountains, and Kilimanjaro is one I’ve always wanted to do because I think going to Africa would be really cool.”
Many facets of this group were alluring to Marquardt, but their community involvement stuck out to her in particular.
“What I really liked about this company and what drew me in is it’s all mission-based, so a lot of the time we’re over there is spent doing service work with the local schools and villages in Tanzania’s Lake Manyara region through the nonprofit organization The Red Sweater Project,” she said. “This organization does so much good work for kids in Tanzania while also honoring the tribal heritage of the Maasai tribe in the area.”
mile walks at least four to five times a week,” she said. “I do a lot of runs, like treadmill walks with high inclines. I’ve recently started going to the track at the high school and doing stairsteps with my climbing boots on because I have to get those broken in or I’m going to have blisters the size of quarters on the backs of my heels.”
The trek up Kilimanjaro itself will take a week — four days up and three days down.
“The first few days, we’re hiking around a crater and the area, spending time in the villages there and [getting] acclimated to the altitude because where we’ll be is already at such a high altitude because it sits right at the base of Kilimanjaro,” Marquardt said. “We’re camping and staying in hostels most of the time. Once the climb is over, we get to go on a safari, which I’m really excited about.”
|PHOTO SUBMITTED BY CARSON MARQUARDTAlthough Marquardt will be traveling with 11 other seniors from across the country, she will remain unaware of who her companions are until the day she leaves.
“I don’t meet them until I get to the airport on July 1 in Atlanta, and then we fly over together,” she said. “The travel agency’s whole thing is living in the moment. They don’t want any pre-thoughts on people.”
In agreement with the agency’s beliefs, none of the travelers will have access to a phone for the duration of the trip as well.
“They take my phone when we land in Kilimanjaro, and then I get it back when we get back to the airport 23 days later,” Marquardt said. “I’m only allowed to take a little digital camera, so it’s like I’m totally MIA for three weeks — no contact with anyone. I’m a little nervous about not having contact with my family and friends, but it’ll add to the full experience while I’m over there.”
To prepare herself physically, Marquardt has taken up a variety of training measures.
“Before my lacrosse season started, I was going on five-
On the Machame route to the top of Kilimanjaro, the group will have 30 porters helping carry larger belongings such as sleeping bags and sleeping mats, but for personal belongings, Marquardt’s space will be limited.
“It all has to fit in a 100-liter duffel bag for three weeks — I’m only allowed to bring a small amount of clothes,” she said. “They give me stuff to prevent diseases, stuff if I get a disease and then stuff if the disease gets worse, so I’m really going to have a huge bag of medicine pills, which is a little strange. The main thing they’re worried about in the area is malaria, so I have to soak some of my stuff in this anti-insect repellent — it’s kind of gross.”
Marquardt’s mental and physical toughness will be tested through the rigorous demands of the hike.
“The hardest part is going to be attempting to climb because Kilimanjaro is over 19,000 feet, so it’s going to be a real adjustment,” she said. “I’m nervous about that part physically, but I think mentally I’m really nervous about being away from my family and friends and not being able to talk to them for that long.”
Nevertheless, Marquadt believes the trip will be gratifying and memorable overall.
“I’m mostly excited to say that I stood on one of the highest points in the whole entire world — one of the seven summits,” Marquardt said. “This is the time to explore new experiences and start to push myself out of my comfort zone before I leave for college next year, and this trip is going to give me the opportunity to do so.”
While the majority of incoming college students prefer to stay close to home and don’t have the desire to study abroad for a couple of years, this is not the case for senior Tess Vanberg. Vanberg plans to major in international relations and minoring in international law or politics and will attend George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Vanberg will not be rushing to George Washington University immediately — first she will be attending The American University of Paris her first year in college due to the various opportunities the American University has to offer.
Vanberg believes living in France will help expand her knowledge regarding international policies and aid in widening her world view.
“It’s home to a lot of the embassies, and they have a lot of internships for their students,” Vanberg said. “It’s such a cultural hotspot.”
As well, Vanberg is eager to experience all the unique classes the American University has to offer and engage in once-in-a-lifetime adventures.
“[Where I’ll live has] like a 10-minute walk to the Louvre, and they do cultural expeditions on the weekends,” Vanberg said. “There are a lot of classes I’m interested in [because they] are at the Louvre or at other museums around the city.”
Although Vanberg is ecstatic to begin this new chapter in her life, it’s undeniable that the anxiety and unsettling nervousness of staying in another country are starting to set in.
“It’s going to be a really big adjustment because the university in Paris is completely different than going to college in the United States,” Vanberg said. “I’ll be living in a French apartment. They don’t have meal plans — I’m going to have to do all my grocery shopping [and] cook for myself.”
While all of these are major concerns for Vanberg, what she is struggling with the most is attempting to learn the language before going to live in the country for a year.
“The language shift is
|PHOTOgoing to be an adjustment,” she said. “I’m trying to learn French as fast as I can.”
But Vanberg is willing to take on the stress right now because she knows her experience in Paris will be worth it in the long run due to her desire to work in international relations.
“Already having that French background as a foundation for that and will open more doors [because] a lot of international politics are done through French as a language,” Vanberg said. “Having that knowledge is going to be super helpful.”
Even though living in France her first year of college is going to be a big change, Vanberg is eager about this new journey she is embarking on.
“It’s going to be a big adjustment, but I think it’s going to be totally worth it,” Vanberg said.
“It’s going to be a very valuable experience.”
SUBMITTED BY TESS VANBERGUpon graduating, few students attend elite universities, few students enter into the military, but even fewer pursue a path encompassing both. This fall, senior Nick Murphy will join the United States Military Academy at West Point’s class of 2027, leading him to an institution that’s been impacting American history since its inception.
“It’s the oldest [academy] continually operated by the U.S. Army,” Murphy said. “It was founded during the Revolutionary War, and now it trains about 1,000 officers every single year to be on active duty.”
Straying from the typical college search process, Murphy’s first exposures to West Point occurred long before he began applying.
“I read a book [about it] in eighth grade called ‘The Long Gray Line,’” he said. Then in my scout troop, I had a bunch of older scouts that I really looked up to who had applied and gotten in.”
Once the time to apply did roll around, it was no simple feat.
“We started February of my junior year,” Murphy said. “I started opening up files, emailing people, getting stuff compiled and meeting with teachers and administrators. Over the summer, I wrote 15 different 1,000-word essays to various organizations, and I had interviews with both my senators, my representative and with the school.”
In addition to the thorough academic components, Murphy completed comprehensive fitness tests to be considered for admission.
“I had to do max push ups in two minutes and max pull ups in two minutes,” he said. “I mean, you just do it until you drop; nobody really does pull ups for two minutes. [I also did] a mile run, a kneeling basketball throw to test shoulder strength and a shuttle run.”
Though he’s confident in his choice now, West Point wasn’t always Murphy’s number-one contender. Up until recently, the United States Merchant Marine Academy in Kings Point, New York remained on his short list of schools.
“I visited West Point over Spring Break, and it was so pretty,” Murphy said. “I thought I fit in really well with the people, and I think I can succeed there the best.”
While on campus, Murphy was able to get a full picture of life as a cadet.
“I lived the day in the life of a freshman there, which was very long — it took me about two days of sleep to recover
design by charley thomas
from it,” he said. “We got up at 5:30 in the morning and worked out. Breakfast and lunch are only 20 minutes long, but dinner is whenever you want. You take about 22 college hours a semester, and you have to play a sport and do student activities on top of that.”
Though combat may be most commonly associated with military careers, West Point offers Murphy many other avenues beyond the battlefield. While at the academy, he plans to major in International Law and Legal Studies.
“I want to go to law school and hopefully be a JAG — a Judge Advocate General,” he said. “If you’ve ever seen the movie ‘A Few Good Men’ with Tom Cruise, that’s a JAG. The military has its own court system and structure, and that’s a really cool job. They pay for law school, and they pay you to go to law school.”
Before diving into the specifics, Murphy must endure the signature “basic training” through which every new cadet goes the summer before freshman year.
“It’s 5:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. for six to eight straight weeks depending on the service or branch,” he said. “The whole point is to break you down and build you back up. It’s just a mental game — they try to push you to your breaking point, and some people do break. The graduation rate is 85%, so I just have to tell myself not to be in the bottom 15%, and I should be fine.”
Adding to the difficulty of training, students at West Point are constantly evaluated across a wide variety of focuses.
“Every single day is a competition, and you’re being graded against other people all the time from the first day to the last day you’re there,” Murphy said. “You have three different GPAs — physical, academic and military. If you have one bad day, it will affect your GPA for the rest of your life.”
Though the academy may be strenuous, it certainly has its professional rewards later on down the line.
“You can retire from the military with full pension after 20 years, so when I’m 42, I’ll be eligible for retirement,” Murphy said. “If I go to law school, I think I’ll definitely serve 20 years then retire and do something else.”
Eager to serve his country and embark on his postsecondary plans, Murphy optimistically awaits his years at West Point and beyond.
“The people in the military, especially at the academies but also everywhere, are excellent,” he said. “There’s not much more you can get out of people — every single person I’ve talked to has been so excited and enthusiastic. They want me to succeed.”
|PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY NICK MURPHY10 feature may 2023
design by brynn friesen
The bright lights on the stage start to flicker as the countdown is up and Taylor Swift is ready to fulfill everyone’s wildest dreams at “The Eras Tour” concert at Arrowhead Stadium on July 7. Swift’s lyrics memorized and concert ‘fits planned, seniors Amelia Likens and Ava Gartelos are prepping for the night of their lives.
Likens, entering her last era of high school, went through the well-known horrors of Ticketmaster to acquire concert tickets.
“The day the tickets were going on sale, I stayed home from school,” Likens said. “I was on Ticketmaster for eight hours, and I got floor tickets.”
Both are lifelong Swifties, attending concerts even as young children. Gartelos is excited to see Swift for the first time since the “reputation” stadium tour.
“I have liked Taylor since I went to the ‘Speak Now’ concert, which was in 2010,” Gartelos said. “I have liked her for 13 years.”
While Likens has her whole outfit planned, incorporating every era into a small part of her outfit, Gartelos is still trying to solidify her main look.
“I’m going to either dress up in the ‘Lover’ or ‘Fearless’ era,” Gartelos said. “[I’ll] probably [wear] a dress and cowboy boots or a skirt.”
Being named “The Eras Tour,” fans get to hear songs pulled from every single album, all consolidated into a threehour show. Likens looks forward to hearing some of her favorite songs performed live for the first time in a while.
“I’m most excited for hearing ‘The Archer’ and also
just hearing all of the music live because I did go to the ‘Speak Now’ tour but I don’t really remember that,” Likens said. “I haven’t been to a concert in so long, so I’m really excited to hear my favorite person in concert. I’ve seen a lot of clips online and it looks amazing.”
In addition to the official setlist, Swift plays two surprise songs at each concert, which are different every time. Gartelos has her hopes up for many of her favorites.
“I have a list — I want her to either replay ‘Death by a Thousand Cuts’ or ‘Sparks Fly,’” she said.
With all of the excitement, however, Likens is still nervous about possible interferences of the night.
“I’m nervous that I’m going to have to go to the bathroom during the concert or that the merch lines are going to be really long and I’m not going to get merch,” Likens said. “[I’m nervous that] I’m going to get sick the day before I would go if my legs got chopped off, I would go no matter what. I’ll be standing the entire time — some people like to sit down during the concert — not me.”
For Likens, sparks will definitely fly once she finally gets to see her idol in concert once more. In her eyes, though, it is much more than just a concert.
“This concert means everything to me,” Likens said. “I was talking to my mom about it and I was planning my outfit already and she was like, ‘Isn’t it in several months — why do you have to plan your outfit?’ This is the most important day in my life. This concert means everything to me. The outfit needs to be perfect — everything needs to be perfect — because this is bigger than my wedding day. It’s bigger than everything.”
|PHOTO S FROM WIKIPEDIAThe construction industry has been growing since 2012 and is expected to continue growing at a steady rate. According to Ibisworld, the industry grew 1.5% in 2022 in comparison to 2021.
For students entering into trades, like senior Gilberto Gutierrez, this is good news. Gutierrez has been involved with construction since a young age.
“I work with my brother in law — he does roofing,” Gutierrez said. “I started when I was 15.”
Construction jobs involve dedication, strength and often early mornings.
“I probably start at 5 in the morning,” Gutierrez said. “I might have to pick up a trailer or pick up the crew and jump to the job site around 7. Work finishes around 5.”
Many people see high school as a part of the path to post-secondary education, and with the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems reporting that 65% of Kansas grads go straight to college after high school, it can most definitely feel that way.
“High school doesn’t really teach you anything about trades, but geometry [is] pretty important,” Gutierrez said. “I didn’t realize that was important in construction.”
Gutierrez’s ultimate goal is to have his own construction company, but even after graduation, he has more decisions to make.
“There are things I still need to learn,” he said. “I’m bouncing around if I want to be a roofer or electrician. If I want to be an electrician, I don’t know anything about it [yet].”
The infrastructure economy is only growing with Ridgeline Construction finding that the industry is expected to earn $1.8 billion in 2023, and the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that there will be a 5% to 6% increase in roofing jobs. But more than monetary motivations, construction appeals as a fulfilling career.
“I’m outside and not stuck indoors,” Gutierrez said. “I like seeing progression from finish to end.”
As graduation approaches, seniors are planning their last summer before college. For senior Kelsey Phillips, helping others is her way of having an amazing summer experience.
During the past four years, Phillips has gone on mission trips with her church, St. Thomas the Apostle. Phillips first began going when the church went on a trip in 2018 to Houston, Texas. On that trip, she delivered Meals on Wheels for families affected by Hurricane Irma. The next year, she went to Wilmington, North Carolina.
“While we were there, we did flooring, insulation, and rebuilt stairs for houses totaled by natural disasters,” Phillips said.
Her most recent mission trip to San Francisco, California in 2022 was the most impactful. Phillips worked with the organization St. Anthony’s in an area with one of the highest rates of people living below the poverty line. In San Francisco, she learned a lot about the importance of personalism.
“One of the most dehumanizing things is that their power of choice is often removed, meaning they don’t get to pick anything,” Phillips said. “St. Anthony’s tries to give that power of choice back. They run a free fresh food market and clothing boutique that we volunteered to help run.”
Phillips met many people while on the trip and came away with a new mindset.
“I had lunch with a woman named Irene who is actively experiencing homelessness — I learned so much from her,” she said. “The overall experience was so eyeopening and gave me so much perspective. If there’s one thing I learned it’s that the most important thing is to always acknowledge the existence of a human being — don’t just ignore it.”
During that trip, Phillips worked with a kids day camp. She taught them science lessons and played outside with them.
“Many of those kids live below the poverty line and one of them shared the experience with an active shooter that the facility had a couple weeks prior,” Phillips said. “Many of these kids have been through more than any of us will ever experience, and I was super honored to get to spend time around them.”
This coming July, Phillips will travel to Kentucky to help with natural disaster relief and home rebuilding.
“My church offered this trip — all my friends were going and I wanted to go and help people again,” Phillips said. “I have a great time so I just keep going back.”
Phillips gains many life lessons and experiences through these missions.
“Going to Appalachia will give me perspective on rural poverty, which is not something we see that often,” she said. “These trips help me understand what other people are going through. They teach me how to be grateful for what I have.”
Music is and always will be integrated into the lives of numerous students, whether it’s within the noisy yet mellifluous 700 hallway or beyond the borders of our school. This includes senior Zane Burton, who is part of an indie rock band with four other members.
“I play guitar in a band at Music House,” Burton said. “Currently, our band name is Totally Taken.”
Music House is an organization that helps people in the community learn different instruments. Furthermore, it contains a program where students can form a band with weekly rehearsals, instructors and performances.
“[The band members] are just assigned together,” he said. “Music House puts people in our band. If it works out, it works out. Otherwise, they’ll leave the band.”
This unique process has allowed him to create connections and friendships with people he wouldn’t have met if not for the program.
“Most of [my band members] go to different schools — one of them is from Southwest and then someone’s from Independence, Missouri,” Burton said. “They kind of come from far away, but they’re all cool people.”
Settling on the band name Totally Taken wasn’t a very challenging decision for the members because of Burton’s preference for literary devices.
“I really like alliterations, so I shouted it out,” Burton said. “We just went with it.”
Though producing music with a band is incredibly difficult, due to a plethora of factors including group chemistry and persistence, it’s still Burton’s favorite part.
“Back in 2020, we got together at my house once and we did a cover of ‘Everlong’ [by Foo Fighters] in my basement, and it turned out really good,” he said. “That was one of the first times we ever did that — it was really fun.”
Aside from Totally Taken, Burton has separately been a part of Music House where he’s learned how to play multiple instruments over the past 10 years.
“[I’ve played] guitar for about seven years and piano for three years,” he said. “I make music by myself on the side with a bunch of different genres. I make some EDM, and I make the originals for my band. I create my own indie music, too.”
Following his interest, Burton is set on playing his instruments during college also.
“I definitely plan on continuing making music in the future,” Burton said. “Hopefully I can start a band when I go off to Manhattan, but we’ll see.”
His passion for music has only grown since he started, making music a huge part of Burton’s life.
“Music is just my way to express myself,” Burton said. “It’s my hobby, and I love it.”
BURTONharris jones|staff writer
Seniors who had Mrs. Mullin at Stanley Elementary will receive a letter from their fifth grade selves this year. Senior Kiley Barnum discussed her thoughts on what her younger self might have to say to her.
“I made a list of who my friends were at the time, who was involved in my life and what I was up to,” Barnum said. “I was definitely boy crazy, so [there was] like, ‘this is who I like.’”
Being boy crazy isn’t the only thing Barnum grew out of. Like many others at the time, she was set on a career she no longer wishes to pursue.
“I still wanted to be a teacher, so I was very set on [asking] ‘What would you teach?’ or ‘Where would you teach?’,” Barnum said. “Now I want to be a police officer — that’s a little bit of a change.”
More than the career, Barnum believes the people in her life is what has changed the most.
“I’ve gained a lot of nieces and nephews in these four years, and my circle of friends definitely changed,” Barnum said. “I’m interested to see how many people I put down where it’s like, ‘Oh, I knew you in middle
Many people when thinking about themselves wonder if their younger selves would take pride in who they have become — Barnum believes her younger self would.
“I always had a big mouth, but I hadn’t really used my big mouth back then,” she said. “I was really like ‘You’re going to start standing up for yourself when people push you over.’ Little Kylie would be like, ‘That’s good. I like that. I’m proud of that.’”
Our present selves will one day become what we deem the past, and just as before, Barnum has things to say to her future self.
“‘Don’t have children’ — that’s just a lot of money. Being 18 and being able to do whatever I want, keep the freedom that keeps you young,” Barnum said. “‘Keep dreaming’ because I feel like dreams give you goals and they keep you moving. That way it’s fulfillment within yourself that you’d be able to be that friend you don’t have. I’m doing it for somebody else, and that always makes you feel good.”
jackie chang |staff writer
In 2011, two kindergarteners from each of the four Blue Valley High School feeder elementaries were given a Class Key. Those kindergarteners have grown up and are now Class of 2023 seniors. Of the eight given a key, four are still here at BVH. Those four are seniors Stella Clinton, Paige MacDonald, Anthony Johnson and Ryan Marquardt
Although it was 12 years ago that the four received their key at Blue Valley High’s Class Day, they still at least vaguely remember the moment.
“I remember getting up on the stage and taking a picture [and also I remember] the scenery,” MacDonald said.
While MacDonald remembered taking the pictures, it was only through those photos that Clinton recalled the moment of receiving the key.
“I remember the day, but [not] the actual ‘giving me the key,” Clinton said.
“I just remember from pictures and stuff like that.”
Marquardt thought back to
how happy his little self was.
“I remember being excited to go into the high school and walk past all the seniors to get the key,” he said.
Those tall and really cool seniors that Marquardt and the others walked by are who they have grown to be. And so, continuing tradition, these four seniors will soon be passing down their keys to the kindergarteners of the class of 2035.
Johnson was amazed at how time flew by.
“It doesn’t feel like it was that long ago that we received the key and now we’ll be giving it to another class–– it’s just weird,” he said.
MacDonald also thought that the relationship between receiving and now giving the key was bewildering.
“It’s crazy because [that on class day this year] we’re going to look down on them and think that they’re so little,” she said. “[But] at that age getting the key, you’re like ‘oh my gosh’ [the seniors] are so old — but now we’re them.”
The key represents 12 years in the district. How has that been?
I’ve liked always being with some of the same friends I’ve had since elementary school. It’s nice also having other schools feed into our high school [which makes] it not constrictive.
In my classrooms, there’s people I’ve gone literally since elementary school with — [that’s a] nice familiar. You just feel like you know those people.
[It’s been a] great experience for me. I’ve made a lot of friends and built many memories.Stella Clinton Stanley Elementary Anthony Johnson Blue River Elementary
It’s cool to see [how] I’ve been with [certain people] since kindergarten and it’s just weird how we’ve all changed but we’re also all the same.Paige MacDonald Blue River Elementary
Millions of young girls dream to be fashion designers, but for senior Delaney McMahon, this isn’t just a dream. A future fashion major at Ball State University, McMahon plans to make her dreams as a young girl come true.
“I’ve always been into fashion and I loved everything about it,” McMahon said. “I definitely grew up on princess movies, and I always said I never grew out of my princess phase.”
The appeal of being a fashion major to McMahon is the possibility of careers that express her creativity. Despite previously having some interest in fashion business, that passion has led her to her choice of future career.
“The business side of fashion doesn’t allow me to be creative in any way,” McMahon said. “I want to be a costume designer.”
McMahon finds herself influenced by a multitude of sources, including herself.
“My inspiration for my designs are things I visualize and [ideas] that I see different designers do their takes on really inspires me to do my own take,”
McMahon said.
She has had a long journey of improvement in fashion, but the results have been worth it.
“When I started sewing clothes, I was in eighth
grade — it was pretty bad according to me,” McMahon said. “I’ve definitely seen my biggest improvement in construction and consistent sizing. It wasn’t until last year that I started feeling like this could actually work out and be something I could do as a living.”
McMahon is eager to enter a field she has a strong connection with and is excited for her future in fashion.
“My dad always tells me if you choose a job that you really love, you’ll never work a day in your life,” McMahon said. “This is something I love to do. I know it’s cheesy to say ‘I have a passion for fashion’ but I really do.”
For senior Hayes Courtney, it’s majoring in textiles and fibers. While similar to fashion, textiles deal with the materials and fabrics that are involved in the process more so than creating the piece.
“[Textiles are what is used] for clothes and shoes,” Courtney said. “I wanted to do fashion merchandising, but I ended up going to KU [which] doesn’t have that major so I settled on textiles.
Textiles range from fabrics like cloth or yarn to nylon and glass. Additionally, they come in many different colors offering designers avenues of creating something original. Eventually,
Courtney found the passion through the people closest to her.
“My sister is definitely a good connection,” Courtney said. “She did engineering but a lot of her friends do more fashion things career-wise, so I had a lot of connections with them, too, which is helpful.”
Of course being in the business of fashion is no small choice. The idea ultimately came from “my manager who does it and she explained what you do, and I just really seemed interested in it,” Courtney said. “It seemed like something I would enjoy.”
The market for textiles, however, is something that Courtney feels is growing more and more popular, especially with TikTok.
“I worry that I’m a creative person,” Courtney said. “There might be someone else out there who’s more creative and going to do better.”
While challenging, Courtney’s ultimate dream is to work at Nike.
“It’s where my sister works, and they study textiles and what would be a good material to use for certain kinds of shoes,” she said.
The inspiration for creating outfits and designs is something that is a lot more challenging. Courtney overcomes this by going on Pinterest and looking at outfits.
“I also like to do sketches sometimes just to have outfits I can create and design,” Courtney said. “I really like to wear fun outfits and go to concerts.”
By striving to achieve this dream, not only is Courtney getting recognized, but she’s doing something that she loves.
“Styling my own idea and making it come to life is what I like most about the process,” she said.
Air Associates of Kansas
Mason Longsworth
Benedictine College
Owen Reinert
BV 18-21 Program
Aubrey Mounts
Ryan Powell
Emporia State University
Kaitlyn Stout
Fort Scott
Community College
Max Erdley
Johnson County
Community College
Brayden Alexander
Ryan Barbosa
Kiley Barnum
Thursday Bradwell
Kennedi Brandon
Dylan Casey
Braden Cooper
Santiago Estrada
Chase Hale
Cole Hannasch
Ashlee Hartley
Aaliyah HayesNigro
Maggie Hettinger
James Hunsaker
Lilly Large
Matilda Matous
Carl McKinney
Gus Mendizabal
Matthew Miller
Harrison Myers
Lulu Najem
Tristen Nguyen
Spencer Owens
Juan ParedesSandoval
Mark Perez
Deira Rionda
Matthew Rockwell
Dylan Sommerville
Jordyn Stone
Bradyn Swan
Tierney Tolar
Bella Vogel
Mia Wallace
Anna Wipperman
Kansas State University
Caleb Ahring
Katie Albertson
Ally Banman
Luke Bergeman
Cohen Blasen
Zane Burton
Courtney Busta
Mady Butler
Shelby Cain
Samson Chen
Stella Clinton
Libby Coffman
Andre Davis
Alex Dean
Emma Edwards
Connor Flynn
Alexis Forgy
Emily Fortin
Nathan Gaddie
Dylan Gunn
Reagan Harwood
Logan Heisdorffer
Carter Henderson
Payton Henderson
Hudson Hildebrand
Molly Hinman
Faith Hoskins
Arjun Joshi
Brody Kadosh
Amelia Likens
Adela Lipari
Marley Loo
Cate McBee
Riley Merritt
Lauren Miller
Samantha Nelson
Maria Petersohn
Quinton Pfaff
Kelsey Phillips
Grant Pickens
Salem Ponnuru
Riley Reynolds
Sydney Ruder
Kat Ryan
Evan Siefkes
Barak Snir
Charlie Starr
Charles Stewart
Will Stroud
Abby Taylor
Gunnar Thomason
Nikki Walters
Kaity Wilson
Lucas Zhang
Kansas State University Salina
Shah Rahman
MidAmerica
Nazarene University
Hannah Jenkins
Lilly Kelsey
Pittsburg State University
Audrey Buckman
Avery Delong
Van Zebley
University of Kansas
Rund Al-Kofahi
Jawad Albadawi
Jehan Amrolia
Michael Andry
Tyler Arnold
Estella Bahan
Sophia Bain
Sarthak Baral
Cate Bassett
Eden Bax
Kate Bowersox
Tommy Bruce
Drew Butler
Regan Byrnes
Matthew Cheon
Joseph Chung
Emily Clausen
Jada Clayman
Caitlyn Cobb
Aidan Cobos
Nat Corum
Baylee
Countryman
Hayes Courtney
Will Cruz
Brady Cunningham
Holly Davis
Charlie Doherty
Henry DuckworthLeung
Kadin Dunham
Bailey Freese
Bisaam Ghafoor
Aahna Ghanekar
Elise Harville
Cade Heaney
Gwen Helfrey
Max Holdhusen
Avery Howell
Lindsay Hubert
Connor Ink
Anthony Johnson
Jillian Jones
Sumehra Kabir
Audrey Karn
Ava Kennedy
Abdullah Khan
Julia Kinney
Evan Kirchhoff
Sophie Lamm
Gabe Li
Izzy Lilly
Cooper Lippelgoos
Zoe Longwell
Kaylie Marin
Alec Marinov
Alexandra Martin
Isabel Mathew
Kristen Mazzapica
Izzy McClure
Ian McIntyre
Blake McManamon
Halle Meissner
Taylor Melcher
Anthony Messina
Ron Miller
Puneet Minhas
Miles Moncke
Carmen Moonesinghe
Caden Myers
Evan Myers
Braedon Njewel
Sophia Occhipinto
Jaidyn Packard
Maggie Penrod
Lauren Pieper
Morgan Pikey
Ryan Pikey
Jack Reddin
Andrew Rodriguez
Steven Rudy
Jake Russell
Ben Samuelson
Emma Sandler
Preston Scott
Alyssa Secrest
Sophia Sierra
Jakob Sight
Phoenix Smith
Sadie Smith
Aarush Tallapragada
Kate Tenpenny
Kylee Thompson
Alex Toles
Andrew Wittwer
Mia Wood
Lanxin Zheng
Pearce Zuba
University of Saint Mary
Lucas Barta
Luke Folmsbee
Wichita State University
Camille Wallick
Dylan Wicklund
Z Hair Academy
Faye Kagay
Central College
Justin McLaughlin
Drake University
Brynn Friesen
Iowa State University
Ella Clark
Caroline Doolittle
Kate Sogard
Creighton University
Lily Bemiller
University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Brady Alderson
Melanie Hertzfield
Cameron Wood
Oklahoma State University
Amber Briere
University of Oklahoma
Cannon Simpson
Christian Vaz
Univerisity of Iowa
Thomas Herold
Ava Gartelos
Tori Gelles
William Penn University
Anthony Leone
Aurora University
Kenna Mac Ewen
The French Pastry School
Athena Haley
Avila University
Liz Blackman
Kansas City
Art Institute
Quinn Jones
Mich Morasch
Morgan Rebman
Madison Urbanek
University of Tulsa
Sophie Banfield
Brianna Marshall
Nolan Schmidt
Missouri State University
Caitlyn Allen
Landon Barlow
Maddie McQueary
Molly Turner
Missouri University of Science and Technology
Ben Dalke
Brady Deer
Baylor University
Rylee Christy
Claire Joseph
Prairie View A&M University
Amariya Griffin
Southern Methodist University
Payton Keller
Ball State University
Delaney McMahon
Purdue University
Conner Green
Nancy Pei
Jake Smith
Saint Mary’s College
Charlotte McIlnay
University of Indiana
Ainsley Lister
University of Notre Dame
Eleanor Warren
Missouri Welding Institute
Sam Murphy
Northwest Missouri State University
Gatlin Samuel
Rockhurst University
Kevin Go
Saint Louis University
Jenna Ross
Abigna Vaddiparthi
Southeast Missouri State University
Sydney King
University of Missouri–Kansas City
Darren Bemiss
Quinn Cavin
Allie Crawford
Zeke Crespo
Gigi Mir
Ronit Patel
University of Missouri
Brooke Arnold
Trinity Dickerson
Chloe Imhoff
Ayesha Khan
Paige MacDonald
Chloe O’Brien
Alexa Renkemeyer
Julia Walsh
Mia Yang
Washington University
Genevieve Jarrell
Christian Kim
Texas Christian University
Carson Marquardt
University of Texas
Sanjan Kondaparthi
University of Arkansas
Mary Kate Arnett
Trevor Brush
Brooklyn Farris
Bella Field
Mitchell Kang
David Lynn
Dylan Marko
Lyric Moody
Nicole Osterlund
Manny Perez
Caroline Rick
Garrett Sale
Kaylee Stephens
Alec Swarens
Aidan Walworth
Alec Wombolt
University of Minnesota
Nancy Dondlinger
Sneha Singh
California Institute of Technology
Sam Murray
Scripps College
Audrey Che
University of California Davis
Amber Liu
Colorado Christian University
Connelly Kilgore
Colorado State University
Alli Kornfeind
Teddy Tadkesaria
Western Colorado University
Aydan Beck
Reese Merrell
University of Colorado Boulder
Clara Bax
Chaminade University of Honolulu
Tiana Simmons
Gap Year
Spencer Armentrout
Evan Garrison
Gabi Kucia — traveling in England
United States
Marine Corps
Robert Erickson
United States Navy
Owen Maline
University of Michigan
Sam Litwin
Rohit Menon
Shivam Patel
Michigan State University
Selena Huang
University of New Mexico
Celia Thursby
Arizona State University
Brian Mwangi
Grand Canyon University
Maddie Kile
University of Arizona
Camryn Duke
Brooke Jennings
Emily Snyder
Meredith Sutton
Tulane University
Max Rudman
University of Louisiana Monroe
Isaiah Orozco
Undecided
Osama Alrifai
TJ Bratton
Crew Fillmore
Jason Jones
Liann Moegerle
Dylan Shojayi
Luke Smith
Unknown
Rachel Berger
Julian Boyajian
John Cox
Lila Entwistle
Eliza Malyshev
Abby Nichols
Cori Penrod
Kristina Rinaman
Phoebe Roark
Abigail Terry
Alexandria Williams
Workforce
Abby Bryant — Blush Fitness co-owner and general manager
Sarah Cole
Rachel Driskell —
Marilyn James
Salon Owner
Gracie Frede — Horseshoeing in Minnesota
Gil Gutierrez — Roofing company
Sydney Porembski — EMT school + KCK Fire Department training
Parker Rains
Tallula Roberts
Charlie Smith — Milburn Country Club maintenance crew
Landis Volkland
Elena Warren — pursuing photography in Florida
Lincoln University
Robert Brown
Alfred University
Alyssa Merry
Cornell University
Janna Goodman
Hofstra University
Caroline Hempy
Ohio State University
Brody Hunter
Syracuse University
Mia Edington
United States
Military Academy
at West Point
Nick Murphy
University of Maine
Kenedee Giddens
MASSACHUSETTS Seton Hall University
Mount Holyoke College
Cindy Ntembe
University of West Virginia
Ashton Meuret
Astha Khandelwal
St. John’s College
Natalie Goldman
NORTH CAROLINA
North Carolina State University
Kate Peterson
University of Mississippi
Jackson Ackerman
Davis Bright
Ryan Marquardt
AB Smith
University of Virginia Charley Thomas
WASHINGTON, D.C.
American University
Joaquin Toro
George Washington University
Tess Vanberg
University of Georgia
Jon Kiekbusch
Florida Gulf
Coast University
Kara Kleweno
Florida State University
Kendall Bub
University of Alabama
Ben Parrack
Nova
Southeastern University
Ella Moore
Rollins College
Sophia Bade
Valencia College
Gustavo Pacheco
Kids are always asked “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Some may have this idea lingering in their head of what their possible career may be, but then these kids mature.
Now, the Class of 2023 has grown up and are reaching the end of their high school careers. They have a better idea now of what their future career may be compared to when they were in kindergarten.
What did you want to be in kindergarten?
“I wanted to be a veterinarian.”
What do you want to be now?
“I’m going into business or marketing.”
What did you want to be in kindergarten?
“I really wanted to be an anesthesiologist because I googled what the highest paying job was.”
What do you want to be now?
“I want to be a veterinarian.”
HUDSON HILDEBRAND
What did you want to be in kindergarten?
“A teacher.”
What do you want to be now?
“I’m going into marketing.”
What did you want to be in kindergarten?
“I wanted to be a garbage truck.”
What do you want to be now?
“I want to be everyone’s moms’ favorite character in a movie.”
What did you want to be in kindergarten?
“I wanted to be a singer, which is totally cliché, and I think everyone wanted to do that.”
What do you want to be now?
“I’m going to study atmospheric and oceanic sciences in college. I’m hoping to be a climatologist where I can study climate change and how it’s being affected by people.”
CLARA BAX
School: University of Iowa
Major: Human Physiology
Deciding Factor: Location
“The main thing for me was I didn’t want to go too far away, and all my family lives in Iowa.”
4 things to consider: Cost, location, sports, academics
Visited? Yes
School: University of Missouri-Kansas City
Major: Business
Deciding Factor: Location
School: University of Missouri
Major: Business with biology minor
Deciding Factor: Program
“I got into a leadership program with a 2% acceptance rate that helps within their business school.”
4 things to consider: Location, program, size, social life
Visited campus? Yes
School: Tulane University
Major: Undecided
Deciding Factor: Scholarship
4 things to consider: Quality of life, academics, social setting, climate
Visited campus? Yes
“I had such an amazing visit. I was so happy there that it bumped up from number three to number one.”
4 things to consider: Location, campus, cost, scholarships
Visited Campus? Yes
“I would recommend students take numerous college visits before making a major decision. I chose the first one I saw — I’m kind of impulsive like that, but I don’t regret it.”
School: University of Kansas
Major: Business Management
Deciding Factor: Cost
“The most important [factor] for me was which schools offered the best scholarships. I ended up with the Crimson & Blue scholarship for my GPA.”
4 things to consider: Cost, location, sports, campus atmosphere
Visited Campus? Yes
School: Southern Methodist University
Major: Biology with pre-med focus
Deciding Factor: College town
4 things to consider: Campus life, location, size, student interests
“I would say doing research on the campus life and location is really important.”
Visited campus? Yes
Ever wondered what it’s like to be the best (or worst) assassin? (a senior assassin that is) If yes, you’re in luck, because there are three basic tips and tricks compiled based on fellow assassins’ downfalls.
“My favorite kill was when I was hiding in a tree and threw a water balloon at my friends car and hit him through the window.”
-Will Stroud, 12
“[There have been] a lot of setups [during assassins]. Alec Wombolt got set up by some of his friends”
-Abby Taylor, 12
“I go to QT with the Myers all the time after my 3rd hour, and I went with them again after class one day; Evan killed me [with a water bottle].”
-Alec Wombolt, 12
“I think my favorite [kill] so far is probably Julia Kinney. She dressed up as a delivery person like hid behind carpet cleaners that were going up to [Tori’s] house and she got her out.”
-Alexis Forgy, 12
Name: Faith Hoskins
Future plans: Attend Kansas State University majoring in Elementary Education
What do you want to teach? “I want to teach fifth grade.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “I want to be the support and backbone for my students.”
What are you most looking forward to? “Building connections and [being] someone they can talk to.”
What impact do you want to make? “I want to be there for my students. I have had some bad teachers, and I want to be a good teacher for students so they don’t have that person.”
Name: Maddie Kile
Future plans: Attend Grand Canyon University majoring in Elementary Education; minoring in Musical Theatre
What do you want to teach? “First grade.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “I want to make a difference in people’s lives and be that person my students can come to for everything.”
What are you most looking forward to? “Getting to work with kids — they’re always so fun and eager to learn and always happy.”
What impact do you want to make? “I want to be that teacher my students feel safe with and can come to for anything. My classroom is going to have a positive atmosphere.”
Name: Sophia Occhipinto
Future plans: Attend the University of Kansas majoring in Elementary Education
What do you want to teach? “Second/third grade.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “I want to make an impact on kids and honestly, I just love working with kids.”
What are you most looking forward to? “The relationships I will build with my students.”
What impact do you want to make? “I want to form connections with kids where they are able to feel comfortable telling me anything. Even when I am not their teacher anymore, I want them to still visit me or say hi to me.”
Name: Kaitlyn Stout
Future plans: Attend Emporia State University majoring in Secondary Education
What do you want to teach? “History.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “I want to help middle & high school students through life.”
What are you most looking forward to? “Getting to connect with students and help build community.”
What impact do you want to make? “I [want to] change their lives in a positive manner [and] be a light for them.”
Name: Riley Merritt
Future plans: Attend Kansas State University majoring in Elementary Education
What do you want to teach? “Second grade.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “I want to inspire kids and help them enjoy learning.”
What are you most looking forward to? “The relationships I get to build with my students and being able to pour into them.”
What impact do you want to make? “I want my students to learn as much as they can and grow in their academics but also grow as a person.”
Name: Selena Huang
Future plans: Attend Michigan State University majoring in math with a minor in education.
What do you want to teach? “Middle school math.”
Why do you want to become a teacher? “Ever since I was young, I have always known I wanted a job where I could help people and make a difference in the world and connect with people.”
What are you most looking forward to? “I want to remove the stigma that surrounds math. I look forward to introducing the idea that math is fun and creative and doesn’t have to be tedious and difficult.”
What impact do you want to make?
“Helping kids.”
design by kylee thompsonAs the year is coming to an end, I am reminiscing about my time as a high schooler and I can’t help but think of all the amazing memories I have made. There’s no doubt high school came with its highs and lows. FOMO was a direct result of many of the lows; however, I learned throughout high school that I can not let this control me.
My experience joining the Newspaper staff has been quite different than many of my peers. I was not able to join Newspaper until my very last year of high school — this is where the FOMO comes into the picture. Since freshman year, I allotted space to join the Newspaper staff. However, due to required courses and other electives, I was never able to find the time to join.
After returning from Covid, my junior year, I was finally able to take journalism. I absolutely loved it. The atmosphere of the class, the teacher and the ability to design pages and write stories was something I loved, even if I was surrounded by freshmen that just wanted the technology credit.
When Mrs. Huss, the journalism teacher, said I should join Newspaper, my confidence was boosted to apply.
After lots of intricate rewriting of my application, one day I finally saw “Kylee Thompson” on the 2022-2023 Newspaper staff list — I was ecstatic.
On my first day walking into class, I was nervous — everyone knew each other and I was the oldest newbie. I felt like a college student at a high school dance — too old to be there. Nevertheless, from the beginning, I found my place in Newspaper. I was surrounded by fellow journalists who loved what I loved. Everyone was so nice and welcoming that Newspaper quickly became my favorite class. I looked forward to Newspaper every day and especially on Fridays when someone brings in treats.
My first assignment was to write about foreign exchange students. It was incredible being able to interview people and tell their stories. Even though I felt like I was in over my head, the editors and other
staff members were very helpful and assisted with anything and everything.
Photo assignments scared me from the get-go. I had no clue how to use a fancy camera or adjust the lighting and photo speed, something that is very necessary for any photo assignment.
My fears were quickly put to rest when the amazing staff was very quick to answer my texts; even on weekend photo assignments. Thanks, Charley and Ayesha.
Taking photos of various events at BV encouraged me to meet so many of my peers. I was able to attend sports and other events that I would have probably never gone to.
From this amazing journey, I have realized that FOMO can be combated by putting myself in unfamiliar situations. My goal for senior year was to live in the moment and meet as many people as I could. Joining Newspaper allowed me to achieve this goal. I interviewed people from every grade and heard every person’s individual story. Some new friendships have begun just from a simple interview.
Thanks to Newspaper, I have learned so many life lessons and experienced some of my favorite BV memories. From pumpkin carving to Thanksgiving and Secret Santa, I am so thankful for the Newspaper staff and these fun traditions.
Joining Newspaper was the best thing I could have done, even if it was late. The wonderful journalists I have been able to work with became my comfort people throughout my senior year. I still feel confident being myself around them, even when Adobe InDesign is stressing me out and I can’t help but yell at it.
If there is anything you take away from me rambling about high school, it is to never give up on your dreams and to continue to step out of your comfort zone — that was the best thing I could have done for myself in my final year as a high schooler.
Thank you to everyone on staff for always being there for me and always being so patient. I will miss you all dearly.
Love, Kylee
I put off writing this column for a long time (for the most part, though, I just forgot it was due). But really, it’s not something that comes easy to me, writing about myself.
Sure, I can write as much as I want about other people, but when it comes to myself, I am not confident in those skills. I never know what to focus on, I never want to seem fake, but I also never want to include anything that might make me seem “weird.”
All in all, I’m scared of writing about myself because I’m scared of judgment. It’s been this way in my social life since the end of middle school.
As a transfer kid, I came into a brand new high school knowing absolutely no one except my senior sister. After the hardships we all faced in middle school, I had zero to no confidence in my social skills and in myself as a person.
I kept thinking to myself how awkward I was and that if I put myself out there, people wouldn’t like me. Even Huss could back me up when I say I was silent, considering I never talked when I joined the newspaper freshman year.
Being surrounded by people you don’t know is scary as it is, but when you add the lack of confidence and self-esteem, it becomes something even more terrifying.
So, even though I knew I would love newspaper, I closed myself off from any new friendships I could make and refused to put myself out there.
As sophomore year came around, and Covid was in full blast, I actually felt so much more comfortable with myself. I could hide behind a screen, a way for me to avoid the uncomfortable silence that came with my in-person social situations.
As I look back on it, I see Covid as a vital learning experience and a period of self-help. While it did not help whatsoever with making friends, perhaps it was a good thing that I was isolated — I got my confidence back up to the level necessary for junior year.
Junior year, however, presented a different challenge for me: Lack of motivation. To this day, I still struggle big time with this, seeing as I’m submitting this column five days late.
I started to only try my best in classes that I enjoyed the content of and gave up on things that bored me.
Since I was a child, this
was a problem of mine with new activities. When I would get too frustrated or could not do something perfectly on the first try, I would immediately break down.
Last year, this mindset switched to academics. I would notice that I forgot to turn something in, but rather than completing it as soon as possible, I would think to myself, “It’s already late — just do it later.”
Eventually, this way of thinking caused my grades to start dropping, something that is still happening to me right now. While I was able to get them back up, I had to complete all of my missing assignments in the span of a few weeks, rather than a few months. One would think that I would have learned from the consequences of this habit, but I am still trying to overcome it.
What so many need to remember is it is OK to not be perfect on the first try. It is OK to have flaws. It is OK to feel like you are lonely, and it is OK to feel uncomfortable.
All of these feelings are valid, but something we also need to remember is that these feelings do not define who we are. Every single person is so much more than their negativities.
Now, as senior year comes to an end, I can proudly say that I have finally gained my sense of social confidence. While I am still working on my procrastination, at least I’ve crossed one milestone.
The key to gaining back my confidence was accepting that no matter what, there will always be someone who doesn’t appreciate you for who you are. All you have to do is figure out who will and, most importantly, stay true to yourself.
“every single person is so much more than their negativities”design by regan byrnes
I’ve never been one to sugarcoat things, and I’m not going to start now. My high school experience hasn’t been all sunshine and rainbows — far from it mostly. During the “best time of my life,” I have suffered tremendous losses and been through various events that have left me emotionally scared. But the cliché and selfish thing is, I don’t regret it and I’d do it all over again if it led back here.
From my freshman to junior year, I constantly felt lost — I was just trying to find a place to fit in when all I felt was invisible. But then I made one of the best decisions I’ve made so far: I enrolled myself in 21st Century Journalism. At that point, I was nothing like the person you see today. I used to be pretty quiet and was convinced that Mrs. Huss hated my guts. But I was shortly proven wrong when Mrs. Huss cornered me and stated that I would be a “great addition to the paper.” She took a chance on me, and more than that, she never gave up on me. Huss saw potential in me that I didn’t know I had and I’m extremely lucky to have crossed paths with her because she’s one in a million, and I’m not sure where I would be without her today.
Flash-forward to my junior year: I finally joined the newspaper staff and yet another decision I am forever grateful for because I knew the second I stepped into Room 518, it felt like sparks started to fly. I knew I was ready to begin again.
Although my junior year was particularly rough for me personally, it gave me some of the best friendships I have now and people I trust with everything I have, which I had never had before.
Here comes what I know
everyone has been waiting for, my wise words to help you carry on throughout your high school journey. Are you ready for it? The first thing I want to say, and I want everyone to listen carefully, is don’t let someone else’s opinion of you dictate you or your life. If you find out that people start to spread bad rumors about you, please remember having a bad reputation doesn’t mean you cannot find people who care about you and that they won’t listen to the lies and misconceptions. Even if your reputation does go up in flames, you
will find out that it’s one of the only moments you will feel truly alive.
You’ll also need to accept that not everyone is going to like you, and you’re going to have to be OK with that. It doesn’t matter how many nice deeds you do or how many friends you have. Someone is always going to be mean, and you can either hold onto that criticism forever or let it go and realize you’re not the opinion of someone else.
So here’s where we part ways. I won’t lie and say I’m anxious to leave or counting down my final days at BV. It seems like just yesterday it was August and I was starting my senior year. Still, I feel my tears ricochet when I’m reminded by others and myself that my last time in Room 518 is coming soon. I’m navigating these feelings of wanting to never grow up but understanding that every story needs closure; but I know that this is just a closing of a chapter — part of the journey is the end, and new horizons with great opportunities are ahead.
But sadly, it’s time to go, so to my wonderful friends, inspiring teachers and mentors — it was enchanting to meet you. Every single one of you has taught me how important it is to see the moment and taste it — don’t blink because you just might miss it.
To my beloved newspaper staff, please know I love you all with an unfathomable abundance and this love I have for you will never go away. Every single one of you has enormous potential and will change the world, or at least, your world. I will look back and reflect upon this year with fondness and remember it all too well.
Maybe I’ll see you in my wildest dreams.
Forever and Always, Regan
Newspaper has probably been one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my high school career. Now let me elaborate. Newspaper has also been, without a doubt, one of the most special and enjoyable parts of my time at BV, but ever since the start, this class has pushed my limits in one way or another.
As I look back on these past three years as a staff member and all the learning moments along the way, I’m happy to say I can laugh at myself and appreciate how far I’ve come, even if I didn’t feel that way at the time. Among the handful of “learning moments” that stand out to me as I reminisce, here are just a few.
My first year on staff took place in the midst of Covid. This meant that most of my introduction to the class took place over Zoom, making the struggle of grasping journalism lingo that much harder. If you’ve ever heard us refer to the “DT” and were confused about what it was, rest assured that I don’t actually know what it stands for either.
With each passing issue, I assumed I would feel more comfortable — which I did to some extent, but prospering in this class always seemed like a concept out of reach for me, and I questioned how I would ever be able to accomplish the levels of success that I observed from those around me. That’s why it came as such a shock when I was asked to be design editor for the following year.
Prior to stepping into this role, I was asked to design my first DT as a staff writer. I still remember that week of preparation so vividly — so many hours of staring at that six-page spread without a clue of how I was supposed to go about it, leading me to my first bit of advice: It’s not failure unless you give up.
Mess ups and struggles are a part of the process, but trying and failing is better than not trying at all. That first DT was nowhere near perfect, but looking back, I can appreciate the work that my perfectionist self criticized all too much.
On the topic of perfectionism, my junior year was heavy on “faking it till you make it.” As design editor, I was now responsible for creating the DT of every issue, a task that felt heavy as I weighed the legacy I felt obliged to live up to. My favorite memory, however, from this role was the Friday we were sending to print for the first issue of the year. I remember feeling decently content with the DT I created until former editor-in-chief, Charlie Trent, asked me how the cover was coming along during our 1st hour editor’s block. Panic is all I can say. I was so worried about the DT that I forgot the cover was a part of my role, too. Of course I still responded with, “Great, just finishing up some final touches,” although I hadn’t even started.
And sure enough, I got it done before 5th hour that day, but that leads me to my next point: We’re all just figuring it out.
You don’t know what you don’t know, but I promise that whatever it is, you’ll get there eventually. Unlike my sopho-
more year, I really did find myself gaining my footing as the year went on. With each DT, I found myself believing more and more that this was something I was truly capable of, quickly leading me to my next reminder: Good things take time.
You don’t reach your goals overnight, so don’t get discouraged. Hard work is always rewarded, even if that reward is simply your own self-growth.
My senior year as co-editor in chief has by far been my favorite, and I think it’s because I finally learned my favorite lesson: No matter how much you achieve, you’ll never feel satisfied until you learn to celebrate the victories along the way.
It can be as simple as getting your homework done on time, speaking up in a class you don’t usually feel comfortable in, or in my case, showing up to editor’s hour on time (sorry Huss).
I always thought I would find my happiness in making the perfect college decision, but the truth is, the bulk of my enjoyment from senior year, and newspaper in particular, has come from bonding with the staff members, photosynthesizing at the bay window because it’s always freezing in Room 518, ranting to Mrs. Huss and the rest of editor’s hour about every minor inconvenience in my life and sharing the struggle of senioritis and our “favorite” class with my wonderful co editor-in-chief Charley.
Newspaper has been my favorite uncomfortable experience because as I look back, my mind seems to highlight all the ways I’ve grown and all the people who have fostered that growth along the way. So thank you to all the one-of-a-kind friends I’ve gained through this class, to the previous editors who believed in me and the current editors who trust me with their guidance and of course, Mrs. Huss who has supported me through everything and I can’t imagine not seeing next year.
After writing this, I’ve realized that Newspaper wasn’t actually an uncomfortable experience, but it did make me uncomfortable in the best way possible.
I’ve learned over these past three years that discomfort is the most beneficial thing you can go through, especially if you can learn to find the good that lies within it. So embrace the discomfort — you might just find that you’ll enjoy it.
“Discomfort is the most beneficial thing you can go through, especially if you can learn to find the good that lies within it.”design by charley thomas
in
chiefJust as nothing matters, everything matters.
That’s your one-sentence summary of this column.
I don’t often give advice in grand, thematic speech form, so the reflection you read below won’t either. Instead, I’ll offer up my two cents just as I would on a FaceTime call to a friend — thoughtful, unsolicited and all over the board. Considering I’ve known much of this audience for the entirety of my 18 years of life, I wouldn’t imagine addressing you all as anything else.
Invest your time in learning, invest your time in experiencing, but above all else, invest your time in people. You owe it to yourself to look for the good in your friends, teammates and even assigned seat partners because you will almost certainly find it.
People are like evolving time capsules: each one holds a unique set of memories with you that you may have buried years ago. When you’re with them, you get to dig those up. It doesn’t matter that you may have drifted from some, or that you only see others at volleyball practice or in science class.
It does matter that out of all the people in this world, you got to know them, and that somewhere out there in someone’s memory exists a version of you that even you may have forgotten.
Realize you are not who people say you are. You’re not your harshest critic’s opinion of you or your acquaintances’ first impressions. You’re not your worst performance or even your greatest achievements and aims.
You are who your best friend and sister know you to be. You are who your parents brag about in the grocery line and who your younger self dreamed of growing into.
It doesn’t matter if you haven’t checked all your boxes yet or if you did one embarrassing thing one time seven years ago. You are, and you get to be going forward, whoever you perceive yourself to be, so I encourage you to pass kind, forgiving judgments.
Remember that the best emotion to feel is bittersweet, and that this doesn’t excuse it from also being the hardest. I couldn’t be more bitter to part with my high school classmates, my sport, my daily life at Blue Valley or my summer drives with friends down Mission Road in the orange Jeep.
Sometimes, it feels like I have to leave. I’m also beyond excited to go onward, move to Virginia and begin college somewhere I know I’m supposed to be.
That’s the sweet part. Sometimes, it feels like I get to leave and figure out for myself everything else that’s in store. The only constant in life is change — it doesn’t matter if you don’t like it. It does matter that you try your best to be grateful anytime you’re caught in a state of “bittersweet” because bittersweet is a pretty damn good way to be.
Study for the test. Go outside. Reach out to people — they won’t think it’s weird. Stay up too late. Take naps. Change your mind. Change it back. Don’t burn a bridge just because it needs repair. Prioritize your people. Weigh pros and cons, but if it’s close, go for it.
Pet your dog more. Give advice, but remember to receive it, too. Turn your friends into siblings and your siblings into friends.
Buy a new perfume or lipgloss — it doesn’t really matter which, just as long as using it in two or three years’ time will instantly bring you back to right now.
Take pictures that aren’t good enough to post, then hang them on your wall. Realize that every person is a combination of the good and bad you’ve heard about them. Understand that nothing matters, and this statement frees you from the hesitancy and regret you need not carry any longer.
Understand also that everything matters, and each and every moment I’ve shared with all of you matters more to me than you’ll ever know.
So, thank you and good luck — not that any of you need it anyway.
1. Manny Perez; 2. Baylee Countryman; 3. Spencer Armentrout; 4. Amber Liu; 5. Jenna Ross; 6. Astha Khandelwal; 7. Kendall Bub; 8. Emily Clausen; 9. Caden Meyers; 10. Molly Hinman; 11. Evan Meyers; 12. Ainsley Lister; 13. Ashlee Hartley; 14. Brady
