The Tiger Print — April 2005

TIGER

Prom recap

Inside Dodgeball

the blue valley high

P R I N T

Issue 8 Vol. 34 April 15, 2005

6001 W. 159th Stilwell, Kan. 66085 (913) 239-4946

Gas prices soar locally, nationally Andrew Robinson In-Depth Editor

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s the time of year when senioritis sets in and the sun sets later in the day begins, drivers are finding gas prices sitting high.

With most prices soaring well over $2, students and teachers alike are finding themselves frustrated with the highdollar oil.

The cause of this inflation can be blamed on the world’s oil producers, where during t h e spring they often do maintenance on machinery and refineries. The maintenance in turn limits the companies on the number of refineries that can operate, which then leads to high gas prices.

According to MSNBC, barrel prices were at $56.90 on April 5. The United States has also been in competition with China as China has begun to rival the U.S. as the leading crude oil consumer in the world. The U.S. Department of Energy thought at one point that China’s demand would drop, but that hasn’t materialized which means gas prices will probably only go up.

Both students and teachers are feeling the pinch on their wallets as some have hefty receipts put in front of them following a fill-up. Photography

teacher Michael Johnston makes the trek from Baldwin everyday. Johnston has two cars that average about sixteen miles to the gallon. Johnston has definitely felt the increase though.

“It’s frustrating because it cost me $64 to fill my truck up last week,” Johnston said. On average Johnston spends $50 a week on gas.

Blue Valley High School also has run into possible speed-bumps with gas prices. The school’s four vans are used for transportation, and while assistant principal Mark Dalton says that the administration may not have budgeted as much for gas at the beginning of the year as they may have needed to, the vans and buses have to be used.

Junior Andrew Iliff has found the gas prices to be an obstacle when he drives his 1999 Dodge Ram that averages about 13 miles per gallon.

“I think it’s ridiculous, my whole paycheck goes to it,” Iliff said.

Iliff avoids driving the truck when he can.

“I drive my mo-ped whenever I junior can,” Iliff added.

Andrew Overall the rise has been felt across the board, and with summer right around the corner, all evidence points that there is no sign of a decrease as the seasons change.

“I think it’s ridiculous; my whole paycheck goes to [gas]”

Illiff

Juniors, seniors leave BV behind today while serving community School left half empty while upperclassmen travel throughout metro Adil Shabbir Asst. Sports Editor

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lue Valley High School is once again participating in its annual “Community Service Day.” Students, as well as faculty, are dedicating themselves to their community. Today, both juniors and

seniors were excused from class to go out to various places throughout Kansas City to give something back.

Volunteer opportunities range from the Olathe Police Department to the Kansas City Zoo. Nonetheless, the students are all excited to help.

“Community Service Day is fun because you get to leave school and help out in the community,” senior Austen Lucansky said.

Students will build a house with Habitat for Humanity, clean up some of the local highways and paint and

stain benches at Antioch Park.

“My friends and I are all going to Antioch Park,” senior Connor Humphrey said. “Spending the day outside is always a plus.”

Out and about with the students were some of BV’s teachers.

“Community Service Day gives teachers the opportunity to see their students in a different environment than the classroom,” social studies teacher Diane O’Bryan said.”

The day will end with a short assembly with a few prizes, some fro-

Chess club checks competition Chess players Austin Proll, Dereck Huston, Steven Wallace and CAm McCallie won 23rd place out of 65 teams in the under1200 division and the team of under-1500 players placed 33rd out of 67 teams at Supernationals which ended Monday.

Nine BV players spent four days in Nashville competing against 1700 players

and over 60 other schools including Rockhurst High and St. Thomas Aquinas.

The tournament included categories for players with different United States Chess Federation rankings.

USCF sponsors national events each year in elementary, middle and high school categories, but this year’s event included teams from all age divisions.

Congratulations to junior Andrew Illiff For winning a $15,000 scholarship for a report on performance enhancing drugs

zen treats and a short Tiger TV movie of the day’s events.

Although today is about dedication and contribution some seniors see it as the beginning of the end.

“Community Service Day is pretty much the last thing we do as a class,” senior Cecily Miller said. “It’s pretty exciting that we’re almost done, but at the same time, you can’t help feeling sad knowing your time at Blue Valley High School is coming to an end.”

Chess club members including: First Row-junior Steven Wallace, sophomore Mike Liu, sophomore Brandon Mikel, eighth grader Scott Tan; Back Row- junior Kyong Kim, junior TJ Nigus, senior Austin Proll, senior Derek Huston, freshman Cam McCallie and sponsor Richard Gill. They pose with their trophy outside the van after returning from Nashville, Tenn. Monday. Photo by Kyle Rogers.

Front page edited by Kyle Rogers

Senior countdown: days

2 NEWS April 15 , 2005

Page Edited by Maneeza Iqbal

Cutting the bill

Speaking Briefly

District prepares for the worst by planning for budget cuts Maneeza Iqbal Editor-in-Chief

Approved Budget Reduction ďœ¤ Reduce District Coordinating Teach ers position ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Reduce administrator benefits (life insurance) ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Eliminate VIF teacher contract ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Increase Food Service indirect cost reimbursement ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Increase reimbursement from BVEF ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Middle school program restructure ďœ¤

ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Reduce extended days for BV Academy teachers by ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Reduce contract BV academy principal to months ďœ¤

ďœ¤ Eliminate high school gymnastics pro gram ďœ¤

TOTAL CUTS

ďœ¤ ďœ¤

T

he school district is facing another round of budget cuts for the ’05-’06 school year. Follow ing the state court ruling, the Kansas state legislature proposed a new budget that allotted more funding to Kansas public schools. The proposed funding would increase the base per pupil annual expenditures. However, this new budget needs to be approved by the state court before it can be implemented. As the district waits for the decision, it plans for all outcomes. “We assumed a worst case scenario,� superintendent Tom Trigg said. “Uncertainty requires the process.�

If no additional funds are allotted to the district, the projected shortfall could be between $4 million to $6 million out of $113.6 million budget. The revenue from Johnson County sales tax, which is only $3.1 million, will expire in December. The district is looking at other options to bring in revenue. “We’re trying not to raise fees, [but] we have raised lunch prices by 10 cents,� Trigg said.

The board met to go over patron concerns and established a list of cuts to that were presented to the board on April 11 (left). In March, the district proposed a list of possible budget cuts, priority one and two. The board had a community presentation on Thursday, March 31. It was setup so that patrons could talk to different administrators and voice their concerns. The April 11 cuts could be just the beginning.

According to Trigg, the district plans to make cuts regardless of the legislature’s decision because they want to prevent more drastic budget cuts in the future. However, the board is trying to stay away from the classroom. “We’re down to the bone,� Trigg said. “We’re trying our best to stay away from the classroom, but we cannot always.�

The last day of school for freshmen through juniors will be June 1. The district had to push the date back for the two days cancelled because of inclement weather. Final exams will begin on Friday, May 27. Students have school off Monday, May 30 for Memorial Day, and exams will continue on May 31 through June 1. The final day for teachers will be June 2.

Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society, begins at 7 p.m. in the main gym. All participants need to arrive by this time. Relay for Life is a fundraising event designed to raise money for cancer research. Awards will be given for most money raised and best tent decorations.

Food will be provided and activities will be running throughout the night including Twister, ping-pong and a moonwalk. The lighting of the Luminarios will commence at 9 p.m. Participants will not be allowed to leave until 7 a.m. tomorrow.

The people have spoken. Johnson County residents went to the polls on Tuesday, April 5. Residents voted on issues ranging from school board positions to a new constitutional amendment. Carl Gerlach defeated Neil Sader for Overland Park Mayor. Dan French, Steve Klika and Sue Matson all were elected to spots to positions six, five and four on the Blue Valley school board. The Constitutional amendment against gay marriage passed by a 60.13 percent to 39.87 percent margin. Other election results are available at www.jocoelections.org

First Amendment: The freedom of expression ACLU visit teaches students about civil liberties Maneeza Iqbal Editor-in-Chief

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he Klu Klux Klan, book banning and Patriot Act have one thing in common: the American Civil Liberties Union.

The Political Science Club sponsored a forum with Dick Kurtenbach from the Kansas Missouri district of the ACLU on Tuesday, March 29 in the Fixed Forum. Over 30 students attended the forum where Kurtenbach talked about the ACLU. “[Coming to schools] is fun to me and it feels good to answer [student] questions,� Kurtenbach said. “We used to get a lot more calls to speak, not as much anymore. [This could be] in part because of the controversy. I think teachers feel they need to balance.�

The Political Science Club asked the ACLU to speak because of the recent book banning controversy in the school district. The political science club is new this year. Seniors Katie Beye and Dan McGillivray decided to start the club, sponsored by teacher Bev Bertolone, because they wanted a place where students could talk about the issues.

At the forum, students got the chance to do just that. After Kurtenbach spoke, he opened the floor for questions.

A big question on students’ mind was what ACLU’s stand was on the book banning controversy. “The ACLU believes that the decision to take out [the books] from the classroom is based on censorship,� Kurtenbach said. “The teachers made that decision.� He also added, “the [district] policy is

good and well thought out. It speaks well about the district.�

Students also asked about a wide variety of subjects. “I wanted to know what specific court cases [the ACLU] has against the Patriot Act,� senior Brett Farmer said.

The ACLU worked on a case about a Middle Eastern man that was questioned by the FBI because he ordered a book about suicide bombers.

The man studied the psychology of suicide bombers and the book was to help him on his research.

Kurtenbach said that the ACLU took the case because it was racial profiling. “The tendency of the government is to limit rights to make it seem like we’re safer,�

Kurtenbach said.

Many students enjoyed the forum. “I thought it was really cool,� senior Kate Reno said. “It informed a lot of students about civil liberties.

It made how the government operates more personal.� “It was p r i m e , �

Farmer said. “He had good points, and I like [the ACLU’s] message.�

Above: American Civil Liberties Union speaker Dick Kurtenbach talks about the history of the U.S. Constitution. Left: Seniors Katie Beye and Kaitlyn Davidson attend the forum to gain more information about the ACLU. Photos by Kyle Rogers.

NEWS 3 April 15 , 2005

Page Edited by Maneeza Iqbal

On tol i C

ill H

p a

Newspaper editor attends journalism conference in D.C., meets reknown journalist, future writers

Kyle Rogers Editor-in-Chief

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hen the Watergate Hotel is mentioned, one thing comes to mind.

The Free Spirit Scholarship and Conference, right? For most people, probably not, but for 102 lucky high school journalists, this program and the people they met are the most vivid memories of the famous Washington D.C. hotel.

“The other people were phenomenal,” Parker Wishick from Ocean Springs, Miss., said.” “It was amazing how quickly 102 people from different parts of the country bonded together, and how quickly solid, long-lasting friendships were formed.”

Speakers like USA Today Founder Al Neuharth, C-SPAN founder Brian Lamb and CNN political correspondent John King spoke to the Free Spirit Scholars throughout the week of March 20-24.

“Meeting people like Al Neuharth and Brian Lamb showed me how much one person can accomplish in one’s life and what an immense role someone can play in society,” Greg Linch of Weston, Fla. said.

One boy and one girl from each state and the District of Columbia were chosen to attend the conference and received an all-expense paid trip to D.C. and $1,000 scholarship to the school of

their choice. The Freedom Forum, a program that publicizes and supports first-Amendment rights, started the conference in 1999 to honor Neuharth, the forum’s founder.

The five-day event concluded with a black-tie gala Wednesday, March 23, where Lamb, fitness icon Jack LaLanne and shark-attack surviving surfer Bethany Hamilton were recognized for their “free spirits.”

“The National Press Club dinner was so spectacular and enjoyable. I sat two seats away from the publisher of the Miami Herald, my local daily,” Linch said, “and we talked for a good portion of the evening. By doing so, I now have a firm foot in the door of the organization where I plan to begin my career, something that could not have been done so easily in another set of circumstances.”

Also awarded at the dinner were two $50,000 scholarships and two $25,000 scholarships.

Cyrus Moussavi of Iowa and April Wang of Ohio won $50,000 first-place prizes and Joyce Chen of California and Eric Gentry of Texas won $25,000 second-place prizes.

Senior Kyle Rogers was selected for the Free Spirit Journalism Scholarship. He received $1,000 scholarship and a all-expense paid trip to Washington D.C. to attend a journalism conference. This story is about his experience.

Tiger TV claws way to top Jessica Katzenstein Staff Writer

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lue Valley’s Tiger TV won sev eral awards at the state broad casting competition held by the Kansas Association of Broadcasters.

Results were announced April 4 and the awards ceremony was held in Wichita on April 5.

“It was great,” broadcasting teacher Dennis Brand said. “We were excited.”

Sophomores Michael and Scott Simpson won first place for “007,” a silent movie they directed and produced last semester.

Junior John Dickson placed second for his film, “Talentless.”

Senior Sean Kosednar, juniors Conner Snedden and Andrew Robinson and sophomore Jason Browar, “Overtime” reporter, earned second place in the station promotion announcement category for their promotion of “Overtime.”

“Overtime” also received an honorable mention for its sports broadcast.

“It was a good achievement for our hard work,” Robinson said.

Tiger TV competed with other broadcasting classes across the state in the mail-in competition. The students produced their tapes, show and promotion and sent them in a few months ago.

“To be honest, I didn’t even know they would be sending it off to a competition,” Robinson said.

Junior John Dickson discusses the next show with adviser Denny Brand. It took Dickson about a month to produce his award winning film “Talentless.”Dickson is also the producer of “That’s Entertainment.” It takes Dickson two weeks to produce one show of “That’s Entertainment.” Photo by Kyle Rogers

4 OPINIONS April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Adam Lary

Letters to the editor: Students, teachers voice their opinions Administration promotes new attitude, not new policy This letter is in response to the article titled “New policy doesn’t allow open hours for seniors” in your March 4, 2005, issue of Tiger Print. In my position as counselor at BVHS, I have worked closely with the enrollment process for 15 years. I want to correct a few inaccurate statements contained in the article.

The title of the article itself is not accurate. This is not a “new policy” and the claim that it “doesn’t allow open hours for seniors” isn’t true either. Similarly, Matt Galloway’s statement that “administrators removed the option for open hours” is false.

The correct facts are that seniors who wish to request open hours simply need to go through a more thorough process involving (1) the documentation of why they want the release hours, and (2) a discussion with parents and an administrator of the potential benefits of staying full time.

Junior Jennifer Humphrey was quoted in the article saying, “I think it is ridiculous that they want to change the way things have been for years.” In actuality, “Early Release” hours granted through Board of Education policy have only been available for one year, for the current seniors (Class of 2005). Prior to this year, seniors could only apply for HERO work release hours for credit or for College Release hours at JCCC with strict follow through on the part of the school to document actual participation. Previously, a few students with extenuating circumstances were granted “Early release” hours on a case-by-case basis, but these were exceptions and not governed by district policy.

In reviewing the open hour policy for its second year of implementation, the BVHS staff decided to revise the procedure, not the policy. With all of the research available to us regarding what colleges want and the success rates of students in college correlate to their high school preparation, we would be negligent if we did not help students and parents make wise and informed decisions. Since approximately 95 percent of our graduates attend colleges and universities every year, it is our job and our wish to make sure students are well prepared and have many exciting doors open to them when they leave BVHS.

BVTV feels slighted Participants in BVTV upset over Tiger Print editorial I’m writing to you in regards to an article that was given out March 4, 2005, about “Good Morning Blue Valley” that was written by Andrew Robinson. I don’t think it was necessary for him to talk about one show! You can tell him that the only reason we even had stories that were by Metro Sports was because we had just gotten back from L.A. and we needed stories. Myself and the other seven students from BVHS who are at BVTV are very offended by this article. I have been at BVTV for two years now, and not only do we not get any recognition, or when we do it’s bad-mouthing us. I know at least for me, I want to go into broadcast journalism and this class means a lot to me and I don’t like reading about how we do nothing but sit and talk on our cell phones when that’s completely wrong. I won second place last year on a feature news story, and I don’t know how I would have been able to do that by talking on my cell.

This is a good experience for people who want to go into this as a career, but now the only thing people know about it is how we apparently do nothing.

We put on a live show every Friday. We go out that week of a show to shoot a story, have it edited by Wednesday, have a full out rehearsal on Thursday and be there on Friday at 6:15 a.m.

Not only did this article reword quotes, but it also didn’t mention anything positive-like that we’ve won four Pacemakers and only three schools in the U.S. receive those. For four years we’ve won and I bet no one knows that.

I don’t have anything else to say about this; I just wanted to tell you how unhappy I am and the rest of the students at BVTV are about this article.

Sincerely, senior Ally Ross Andrew Robinson never intended to “bad-mouth” BVTV students and their efforts. He suggested that BVTV air high school programming, like Tiger TV, rather than professional media. The Tiger Print stands by the accuracy of its quotes in this story.

Sincerely, Sandy Fryer, counseling coordinator

New clubs promote strong character Kyle Rogers Editor-in-Chief

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s we near the end of the 2004-2005 school year, it is clear that more students than ever are involved in school. Principal Scott Bacon began the year by promoting a strong learning and living environment, and the students have responded.

Eight clubs saw their beginning during the school year – a number not rivaled in recent years – and these clubs promise to improve the atmosphere surrounding BV. “I think the benefit is we have tons of students connected to the school,” Vice principal Mark Dalton said. “Studies have shown that kids who are connected do better in school.”

For this, the BV community should be commended. It is easy for individuals to complain of activities that do not exist, but this year’s students refused to do so. They created new ideas, adapted old ones and brought others to BV’s halls.

“I was in a [Scrabble] club last year in middle school,” freshman Cameron McCallie said. “It would be great to keep it going.”

The freshmen class participated heavily in Scrabble Club, but upperclassmen got in the clubstarting act as well.

“I had no idea of whether it would get passed or not,” senior Jay Vaglio said, speaking of the new Dodgeball Club.

“It’s amazing,” Vaglio said. “We’ve had a huge turnout.”

Ambitious students are important, but as Dalton said, “finding a sponsor is the hard part.” Spanish teacher Anita Lemmons was happy to help when approached about sponsoring the Young Republicans Club.

“I thought, ‘well, you know, these little conservative people need to have a voice in our school,’” Lemmons said. “In Spanish-speaking countries, young people are very into politics and what’s going on in the country.”

Lemmons’ schedule is already busy, but she chose to help anyway.

“I don’t have much time,” she said. “I just thought

roger that

they deserved to have a chance to make it work.”

Make it work they and the other seven clubs have.

School is about so much more than going to class at 7:45 a.m. and leaving at 2:50 p.m. Most memories made in these halls come from the time spent before or after school making a difference or participating in a hobby or interest that cannot be practiced alone.

The eight clubs provided students more possibilities than ever and led to a higher number of students being involved in the greater community that exists after the final bell rings each day.

Congratulations to all the founders and sponsors of the new clubs that now grace Blue Valley’s halls.

It isn’t easy to pioneer, but the 2004-2005 Tigers decided not to take the easy path, and for that, they deserve recognition.

Some New Clubs: Scrabble Scrabble Sponsored by Betty Klein Cultural Diversity Diversity Sponsored by Anna Toneva Political Science Science Sponsored by Bev Bertolone Young Republicans Republicans Sponsored by Anita Lemmons Dodgeball Dodgeball Sponsored by Jason Peres Physics Club Club Sponsored by John Holloway

OPINIONS 5 April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Adam Lary

Sound Off: “ “ “ ”

After 15 years in a persistent vegetative state, Schiavo’s feeding tube was removed. Who should have made the decision?

Definitely her husband’s decision be cause she’s no longer in her par ents’ care

Her parents should have been able to make the decision since her husband had re married and is technically no longer her husband and no longer in her life

I think she should have been allowed to die because it’s not fair for her to live like that for years She’s not getting any better

”

junior Pamela Van Cleve

The Terri Schiavo Debate

senior Rocio Contreras

”

“

The husband should be allowed to let her die because when you get mar ried your spouse becomes your second hand person in making big deci sions

senior Sean Kosednar

”

senior Bryan Ptacek

poll compiled by Shay Alford

Congress sets alarming precedent by breaching system of checks and balances Maneeza Iqbal Editor-in-Chief

F

ifteen years in a vegetative state.

Seven years of a family feud. Thirteen days to death.

For two weeks, Terri Schiavo was on the minds of many Americans. Many people wanted to see her live; many others wanted to see her die peacefully. The nation’s leaders were also moved by the Schiavo case, and decided to get involved. But by getting involved, Congress, the Senate and the President crossed the line.

The Terri Schiavo case sparked a new concern. Not just about the right to die, but: How far can the government go?

The separation of powers, checks and balances, is the basic foundation of

TIGER PRINT STAFF 2004-2005

American government and protects the country from tyranny.

Each branch of the government, legislative, executive and judicial, has its own job and the other branches can’t interfere with that job. That changed since the Schiavo case.

After the courts ruled, on multiple occasions, that the feeding tube could be removed, the Florida legislature

goin’ iqbalistic

Opinions Editor: Adam Lary

Editors in Chief: Maneeza Iqbal, Kyle Rogers

Entertainment Editor: Kim Hieber

In-Depth Editor: Andrew Robinson

Features Editor: Michaela Cross

Sports Editors: Michael Johnson, Adil Shabbir

Photo Editor: Brandon Lutz

passes “Terri’s Law’ that allows Gov. Jeb Bush to intervene and reinsert the tube.

A year later the Florida Supreme Court rules that the law is unconstitutional.

Why? The legislature and executive branch interfered with the judicial system and it’s unconstitutional.

On March 20, congressional leaders passed a bill allowing a federal court review of the case and President Bush signed the bill.

However, in doing this, Congress was overreaching its boundaries. It did not like what the other branch did so they decided to take

matters into their own hands.

When the judicial branch makes a decision, the other branches can’t come in and say “Umm, we didn’t agree with that, so we’re going to overturn your ruling.”

When Congress passed an emergency bill that allowed federal courts jurisdiction over the case, they nearly dissembled the foundation of the government. By crossing the line, Congress set a terrifying precedent. If Congress can overturn a judicial decison, who knows what’s next.

The Schiavo case was a legal and private issue and the federal and state government had no right to intervene.

Two hundred years of a sturdy foundation. One day to dissemble it.

Artist: Garrett Griffin Staff Writers: Nick Speed, Matt Galloway, Emily Kuykendall, Jessica Katzenstein, Brady Skjervem Photographers: Shay Alford, Kendra Kruse, Autumn Fuller, Emily Kuykendall

Adviser: Susan Agee

The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed wihin this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration or Blue Valley School District #229.

6 OPINIONS April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Adam Lary

Patriot Act repeats past mistakes Adam Lary Opinion Editor

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ne-hundred-thirty-two pages of bureaucratic junk – some might call it the Patriot Act – is just an old idea with a new wardrobe. During the periods right after WW I and WW II, the U.S. couldn’t imagine the horror of a Communist-controlled world. The Red Scare marked a time in history when Americans persecuted those who questioned democracy. Now, nearly 50 years later, the “enemy” has changed, but the attitude has not. The war in Iraq has sprouted a wave of antiMiddle East sentiment.

Sept. 11, 2001, was a tragedy for all Americans. Thousands died in the collapse of the World Trade Center buildings and still more in the smoldering wreckage of the other flights. After the most devastating terrorist attack in the history of the U.S., the entire nation mourned. Meanwhile, Congress was already hard at work churning out a bill to help prevent another attack.

Just 45 days after Sept. 11, Congress passed the Patriot Act, a bill that helps American intelligence and law enforcement agencies identify and prevent future terrorist acts.

However, parts of the bill have provoked a significant amount of controversy. One of the most controversial sections of the bill is Section 215, which deals with the ability of the FBI and other agencies to access records and other “tangible things” of or relating to terrorism.

The text of the act states in Section 215 that the Director of the FBI “may make an application...requiring the production of any tangible things (including books, records, papers, documents, and other items)...to protect against international terrorism.”

“Records” can include anything from phone bills, medical records or a list of books one may have checked out at the local library.

The section attempts to redeem itself by stating that the collection of these “things” may “not be conducted...solely upon the basis of activities protected by the First Amendment...” Phew, glad they said that one. Oh, wait, it says “solely.” Doesn’t that mean they still can?

In reality, Section 215 gives the FBI unrestricted access to all available records. All they need is the far-off notion that your cousin’s grandma’s niece might have met a terrorist once, and then they can search anything they want (without a warrant, which is supposedly a basic right stated in the Fourth Amendment). Seem unconstitutional? It should.

Maybe it’s old news. Maybe people are just overreacting. But it seems a little familiar.

No longer are we crying wolf on witches or communists; now the victim is anyone of Middle Eastern descent. We are constantly discriminating against those who even look like they might be from Afghanistan or Iraq.

Many are uncomfortable getting on a plane with someone from the Middle East.

Spanish-American philosopher George Santayana once said, “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”

Looks like Congress needs to hit the history books.

TURN OFF YOUR PHONE! Cell phones distract students from learning, not intended for use in school

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he classroom is completely silent. Students sit bowed over their tests, concentrating on writing an essay. Then a ringtone rendition of 50 Cent’s “Candyshop” sounds from a student’s purse. She reaches down to turn it off and says, “Sorry,” as the teacher glares and the class giggles.

Scenes like this play out in Blue Valley classrooms often. Students bring cell phones to school and sometimes forget to turn them off; when they ring in the middle of class, it’s both distracting and annoying. When students are taking a test or attempting to write a DBQ in history, most don’t enjoy having their concentration interrupted by someone’s cell phone going off. Even if a phone is set to vibrate, it’s often still audible, and it may take even longer for the owner to realize his or her phone is going off. The snickering the inevitably accompanies this prolongs the amount of time the class is off task and takes away from time that might have been used on the test.

Principal Scott Bacon said that there is no official rule regarding cell phone usage. Phones are, of course, allowed in school, but they must be turned off.

“If parents need to get a hold of their students, they can just call the front desk,” Bacon said.

This brings up the issue of phone usage for emergencies. If an emergency occurs at home, the family can contact the front desk to reach their students. However, in the rare case

Staff Editorial

Cartoon by Garrett Griffin

of an emergency at school where the front desk wouldn’t be accessible-a tornado, for example, or even a school shooting like at Columbine in 1999-students need a way to contact their parents or the outside world.

So cell phones are permissible for use in emergencies.

However, the large majority of students at Blue Valley who own cell phones do not use them just for emergencies. That is fine; cell phones are made for talking to other people, but just not in school. School is a seven-hour chunk of your day where you’re supposed to be learning, not ignoring the teacher and texting friends who are sitting in the next room. You have passing periods and lunchtime to talk to friends, as well

as after school.

Finally, using cell phones in class or even just having them go off is annoying to teachers. Most teachers are here because they want to help students learn. When teachers are in the middle of an important lecture, they generally don’t appreciate being accompanied by someone’s cell phone ringer. Some teachers just ignore these instances, but that doesn’t change the fact that interruptions are disrespectful, whatever form they come in. They bother teachers and are disruptive to their classes.

So, it is fine to bring cell phones to school, but they should be turned off in class to avoid embarrassment and disruption to the class.

Refusing Kyoto Treaty big mistake Bush administration’s environmental policy lacking logic Adam Lary Opinion Editor

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e have all heard the reports about global warm-ing and how our fos sil fuel supplies will be de-pleted speaking within the next century or so. We have also heard that because of this, we are all doomed unless we conserve our energy and find an alternative energy source. While the latter is still on the horizon, the former certainly isn’t.

In 1997, the international Kyoto Treaty was introduced and took effect in February this year. At least, for the rest of the world. The treaty requires that all industrialized nations must reduce carbon emissions to below 1990 levels. Kyoto supports current efforts by the United States to cut emissions under the Clean Air Act. But President George Bush chose to back out of the treaty in 2001. Why? It might hurt our precious economy. The Bush administration claims that ratifying the treaty would cost the U.S. $400 billion and 4.9 million jobs. Bush proposed his own alternative plan in February that offers incentives to businesses if they agree to reduce emissions by 4.5 percent over the next 10 years, but it’s not required. And not enough.

Tell me this, Mr. President, where are the hydrogen cars you talked so much about in your 2003 State of the Union Address? You promised to contribute a great deal to research into the vehicles. Those would surely help us cut back on our emissions. I question your true commitment to reducing greenhouse gases. Is our economy so engrained with the thought of oil that we can’t see that we need to pursue alter-

nate energy? We may think now that we still have a century, but at the rate we are going, we might as well buy the technology from Japan a few years down the road, which would probably be just as expensive.

According to the Bush administration, U.S. participation in antly the treaty would cause the loss of 4.9 million jobs. Frankly, that doesn’t make sense. Auto companies stand to make millions off of the new technology from buyers trying to escape rising gas prices. The extra cash will open up more job opportunities in the industry. And in the future, gasoline will only get more expensive. And industries stand to save millions on energy costs, which could also lead to more jobs. One might think that with the administration’s involvement in the oil industry, they might have motives for refusing the Kyoto Treaty.

Ratifying the Kyoto Treaty, along with the other 178 nations that signed it last year, is the first step toward a cleaner atmosphere; only then can we start looking at alternate energy. Hydrogen fuel cells and nuclear energy are the way of the future. So, Mr. President, what do you think? Will we make the first step, or will we be left in the dust of 178 other nations? And don’t put your concern for the future of the oil industry before the future of our planet.

adam

FEATURES 7 April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Michaela Cross

Blue Valley’s Believe it or Not Guess which stories are false. Answers at end of stories.

Jessica Katzenstein Staff Writer

Sophomore girl: “I was walking through the mall parking lot once, with my new boyfriend, this winter when I saw a huge puddle of what looked like water. I slipped in it, got up and slipped again. But the worst part was that it was red Gatorade, and I was wearing white pants. My boyfriend laughed before he helped me up and I had to walk around for two hours with cold, pink pants.“

Junior girl: “My sister, who is a few years older than me, played a mean prank on me when I was three or four years old. She told me dirt was chocolate. I did eat some, but I was little!”

Senior boy: “I was walking on the sidewalk once, under a three-story building, when all of a sudden I felt something on my head. I looked up and saw a person standing in a window on the third floor.

He had spit his gum out the window– that’s what had landed in my hair. It got all tangled up and I ended up having to cut it out.”

Teacher: “We had a squirrel problem in our house.

• It’s not completely clear how April Fool’s evolved. It is thought to have been a combination of many different cultural traditions over many, many years.

• The day is most closely identified with the eight-day New Year celebration held in France, beginning on March 25 and ending on April 1, up to 1582. Charles IX reformed the calendar and New Year’s Day was moved to Jan.1.

• Since communication took so long back then, some people hadn’t heard of the change or refused to accept it, thus these people were labeled “fools” as they still celebrated New Years on April 1.

• This eventually spread into England and Scotland and turned into some sort of game.

It eventually came to America where it is celebrated as a fun holiday.

Information provided by www.wilstar.com

Freshman boy: “My dad played a joke on me one year when I was nine years old. It was on Easter. He gave me a Popsicle that had a scorpion inside, and I ate it.”

Answers: Sophomore girl and Senior boy are false. Did you get them right?

Did you know?

We could often hear scratching sounds from the attic. My husband set a squirrel trap and caught one.

As my husband crawled out of the attic, he handed me the cage. But the cage door wasn’t locked, so the squirrel jumped out, leapt across my arm and my head and ran around the room. My husband spent a long time with that squirrel in our guest bedroom trying to catch it. He shot its eye out with a BB gun and the squirrel bled all over my curtains, my daughter’s geometry paper, you name it. After an hour, he caught the thing and let it go in our backyard. Beware of the one-eyed squirrel; it’s very angry.”

April Fool’s!

Michael Johnson Sports Editor

T his story was printed with the permission of the prankster and prankee.

Pranking is always heavy in the atmosphere this time of year; but with April Fool’s Day now in the past, the best pranks have already been done. Here is a recap of the number one April Fool’s joke pulled at Blue Valley this year.

One night, one great senior was sitting at his kitchen table trying to focus on homework, but his mind was flooded with other thoughts. He was in the process of brainstorming a good April fools prank. He was stumped until his father came and slapped a letter from the school in front of him. Like magic, a brilliant scheme popped into his mind. “ I’ll write a letter to someone, as if it were from the school,” he thought. And he did.

The next day at school he went to work on his plan. He started with a trip to the office to scrounge up some professional Blue Valley parchment. “My Communication Arts class is doing a project that involves business letters,” the senior said to the office attendant. “I was wondering if I could use a Blue Valley letterhead as a class example?”

Of course you can.

He walked away with a smirk. He held in his hand a divine power. Depending on the severity

Senior plans scheme, plays it out big time of his devious state of mind, he held the power to glorify, to humiliate or to even destroy a certain human being. The senior took the middle road: total humiliation.

At home that night, the senior put the letterhead in his printer and went to work writing a professional letter to the prankee. It revolved around how the school had heard several cases in which the use of and distribution of drugs and alcohol had been linked directly to her. He then threatened that any other incidents would result in immediate action. With a scheming smile, he printed off the paper. He put the letter in a Blue Valley envelope as his heart raced with pride.

He was the craftiest schemer in Blue Valley.

The next day at school, the senior found an innocent looking roamer and had him pose as an office aide. Mr. Roam walked into the Chosen One’s classroom and gave her the letter. All he could do was wait.

During passing, his work was worth the reward– for awhile. His plan spiraled out of control when the chosen one was on the verge of tears. All the people that knew this senior was up to tricks told him to reveal the secret before it destroyed the Chosen One. He told her the next hour. After a series of explosions, the two of them had a good laugh and he made a sincere apology.

Forgiveness came, but not regret. This particular senior challenges anyone to pull off a better scheme.

“With a scheming smile, he printed off the paper. He put the letter in a Blue Valley envelope as his heart raced with pride.

He was the craftiest schemer in Blue Valley.”

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8 IN-DEPTH Page Edited by Andrew Robinson

April 15, 2005

‘05 Prom leaves midnight memories for many Decorations, dinner and updos cap off ‘Cinderella story’ Kim Hieber Entertainment Editor

T

he clock did indeed strike 12 at Prom Saturday, April 2. The evening was a busy one, full of students rushing back and forth from pictures, to dinner and finally to the dance, which was held at the Ritz Charles for the second year in a row. It proved to be a very appropriate setting for the dance, entitled Cinderella.

The dance began at 9 p.m. on Saturday night, with most students showing up around 9 or 9:30 p.m. No attendance figures were actually recorded, but according to Prom sponsor Tonya Merrigan, there were around 450 students at the dance. Students danced the night away to various songs, both old and new, provided by the DJ hired by the junior class. Beautiful decorations reflected the theme, and there was also a photographer to take pictures of the couples. Around 10 or 10:30 p.m., the King and Queen were announced. Steven Karlin won Prom King, while Christine Wang won Prom Queen. The dance came to an end around midnight and After Prom started directly afterward at the school.

The theme of After Prom as always, was Tiger Mania. Losing an hour due to daylight savings time, After Prom began at 1 a.m. and went until 4 a.m. Students who came and stayed the entire time had the opportunity to win some expensive prizes including digital cameras and laptops. Some of this year’s winners included seniors Bret Farmer, Connor Humphrey and Larissa Sadler. This year, students were given a bracelet to show that they attended the entire time; however, if a student chose not to stay, they were, of course, allowed to leave whenever they liked. After Prom had many activities to participate in. There was gambling, various refreshments, karaoke, twister, air-brush tattoos, a blow-up obstacle course, and many other fun things.

After the festivities of After Prom came to a close, many students went out to breakfast to finish up the night.

“We went to I.H.O.P. after we left the school,” senior Jessica Parker said. “It was really fun and a good way to end the night, since we were all tired and hungry.”

Senior Andy Lavender and sophomore Erin Lewis enjoy their evening at Prom. Lavender and Lewis ate at Sky’s restaurant before heading to Prom. “The best part was being with my date and friends,” Lavender said.

Photo by Brandon Lutz

XII

I II III

5 0 ‘ M O R P

rd, Maria hay Alfo i Beppo S , k te a ad e Sw er at Buc las, Kati rista Cou a picture at dinn er before K n s in r d io e n y a nic ose for right se jo p n to e e u ft ts q n le e From y, stude die Lev ditionall s and Ly Contrera ing to Prom. Tra utz ead randon L before h oto by B h P . e c n the da

A STRIKING

IN-DEPTH 9 Page Edited by Andrew Robinson

April 15, 2005

INTOTwo THE NIGHT different journeys lead to same destination One boy, one girl, two opposite paths, that take us hour by hour to one of the biggest dances of the year. Michael Johnson takes the easy-going outlook, while Michaela Cross faces the stress in the hours leading up to Prom Michaela Cross Features Editor

1

Senior Zak Smith decides on which tickets he will drop in the raffle drawings at After Prom.

The prizes are one of the main draws to After Prom.

Photo by Brandon Lutz

0 a.m. I woke up ready to face the day. I was still tired, but I had a lot of appointments to make and things to take care of. The first item to get checked off my list was my shower. After that I had to get ready quickly in order to leave and have various appointments.

10:45 a.m. I was picked up by a friend and we then drove to The Great Mall of the Great Plains in order to meet friends for lunch and get our nails done. Once we got there, we had to wait 15 minutes at the salon, but once we did it only took me an hour to get my acrylics on. Then, it was lunch, and time to leave.

2 p.m. Right as I got home, my mom decided that we should go and look for different accessories for my dress. We decided a silver purse would be a great addition to my purple dress and would bring out the silver jewels on it.

2:45 p.m. I arrived at Salon Bliss to get my hair and makeup on. It took my mom, the stylist, and I about 15 minutes just to decide what should be done with my hair; we settled on a curly up-do with a few pieces down and curled in front. The hair was followed by my makeup application in which the lady went crazy with purple eye shadow. I was slightly freaked out at first by the horrendous amount of purple, but after awhile some of the color faded and I was satisfied.

4 p.m. Since my mom and I hadn’t found any good purses or jewelry earlier, we went to Target. I found some awesome, cheap earrings, but there was still no purse. I guess I would just have to use the black one I had for Homecoming. Oh well, it still matched because of the silver embellishments.

Michael Johnson Sports Editor

4

p.m. I still hadn’t decided if showering should take priority over watching Animal Planet. Being one that usually has bad experiences at dances, I was somewhat skeptical as to how the night would turn out, and indulging myself in the comfort of Animal Planet seemed to suppress my worry. My suspicion flew from me completely, however, after I picked up my beautiful date. And from that point forward, everything went better than I could have dreamed.

5 p.m. That’s not to say the entire night went without complications. Up until I picked up Mandy, I was in a hectic race against time. My decision to shower was made for me when I got a phone call saying that our dinner reservations had been moved, and our group of 12 was meeting at my house at five p.m. I didn’t even have my corsage. In a panic, I hustled out to my car and made it to Hy-Vee in record time, only to find out that I had accidentally ordered the corsage from the Olathe location. The florist sensed my worry and offered to make one on the spot. I had to pay a higher fee, but it was worth it to get a whole 10 minutes to get ready. Luckily, everyone else in my group was running behind, so we snapped a few pictures and raced on out to the Peppercorn Duck Club.

6:30 p.m. At dinner, I came to the conclusion that a feast at the Peppercorn Duck Club should be required from every student in order to graduate. It’s a four-star restaurant in the heart of Kansas City, and they fix the best food I’ve ever had in Kansas City. I had a combination platter that consisted of duck,

4:30 p.m. I tried on my dress with my jewelry, and I had to decide on which shoes I was going to where.

The black, clear or silver? The clear ended up winning because the black pair hurt too much and the silver weren’t high enough, and I would trip over my dress.

4:45 p.m. There was time to get on the computer for a little bit and talk to other people who had a break in their prom preparations. But, my break only lasted 10 minutes as I had to go and do makeup touchups and get my stuff together.

5 p.m. I packed my after prom bag, my purse (full of money) and touched up my makeup and hair. I took my time because I didn’t have a lot to do.

5:35 p.m. My parents spread out a sheet in front of the front door and that is where I got dressed in my dress. I couldn’t risk getting dressed anywhere else and having the random fuzzes and dog hair, that are invisible to the naked eye but seem to appear on all articles of clothing, on my dress. I also didn’t want to drag it around the house and have wrinkles get in it after it had been steamed.

6 p.m. The ever-annoying pictures with my date and friends were next. Fortunately, they didn’t last long, and we were all free to head to The Melting Pot for dinner, and then onto the night’s festivities.

I took about eight hours to prepare for the night, which really isn’t that bad. As most girls would understand, getting ready for a dance is just as important as what happens that night. I could re-count Prom, After-prom and breakfast, but length prohibits me. Anyway, preparation is really what it’s all about.

What would the night be without all those gorgeous girls?

swordfish and filet mignon. With every entrée comes the privilege of unlimited trips to the chocolate bar, which was stuffed with every type of dessert imaginable.

10:15 p.m. Needless to say, we all left stuffed (no pun intended). Although dinner took close to two and half hours, we still made time to take a walk around the Plaza before going to the dance. We arrived at the Ritz Charles at about 10:15; and although that seemed good at the time, we later wished that we had started earlier. Nobody knew that the dance would be so fun. We made the best of the time we had, however. I danced so hard that I ended up stealing an entire box of Kleenex from the men’s room and carried it out onto the dance floor just to weaken my steady flow of sweat. I danced to everything, but one song stands out vividly in my mind. “Kiss” by Prince. Senior Salar Pankonin and I really broke it down during that song, awing the crowd around us with our excessive enthusiasm driven by our ridiculous love for Prince.

Midnight When the clock struck twelve, I grabbed my coat and we headed home to change. Our group went to After Prom for a few hours, but ended up leaving in an outrage when I lost two consecutive races through the obstacle course. The majority was actually just getting bored anyway, so we ended up spending the rest of the night at my house.

An undisclosed time I dropped off my date. We both exchanged our moments of gratitude and came to the agreement that Prom was amazing. The only thing I would have changed was my time management and our arrival time. Oh wait, I would have won those races, too.

GOOD TIME

10ENTERTAINMENT Page Edited by Kim Hieber

Critics Corner Brady Skjervem Staff Writer

April 15, 2005

‘Sin City’ Proves a Sinfully Good Flick Like Spiderman and X-Men, the instant-hit movie is based off popular comic book series written by Frank Miller Brady Skjervem

Music Review

L

ifehouse, featured on the WB and Internet music sites like Yahoo’s Launch Cast Radio, has found a way to work its way into today’s music scene. The self-titled album is definitely a Lifehouse album. Fans who enjoy the driving guitar, simple themed vocal lines and generic Lifehouse rifts will not be disappointed.

The band has stuck to its style and it has worked so far. The album is missing a song like “Everything” from their debut CD, but for fans of the first two albums, it won’t matter.

Those who will be first listeners of the band, beware.

Be careful before buying the album because it screams pretty generic ‘90s rock and lacks the innovation and freshness of their first album.

Staff Writer

A

rtistically stimulating is only the beginning for Sin City. The setting is a place called Sin City and it follows the lives of three different characters: Hartigan, played by Bruce Willis, Dwight, by Clive Owen, and Marv,

by Mickey Rourke. The film is filled with Hollywood names, and most are only in the movie for a few minutes.

Names including Brittany Murphy, Nick Stahl(who plays one of the grossest characters ever created), Alexis Bledel(yes the Gilmore girl), Benicio Del Toro and many more.

Taking the storyboard directly from the original graphic novel, the movie is true to almost the entire comic. But be careful, it gives the movie Kill Bill a run for its money in blood and violence; the movie is not for anyone with a weak stomach. With Quentin Tarantino as a guest director the blood factor is used as art more than just color display. The movie is shot is black and white, but is flourished with color here and there for symbolism and art effects. Frank Miller brought the comic book to life in this film and people need to realize it is no Spiderman movie. The movie is

rated R for a reason. It contains graphic The special part of the film is the fact scenes of blood, nudity and stylized vio- that there really are no heroes in any of lence. Seeing the artistic involvement is worth going to the movie, even if one doesn’t enjoy comic books or violence. For example, there are scenes where red blood should be dripping down a wall and instead a white color drips down like the original drawings of the comic.

The intriguing Benicio Del Toro plays Jackie-Boy, one of the many wellpart of the film is known characters from the comic book series, in the new the super human- movie Sin City. Photo courtesy of www.movies.yahoo.com ness of the characters. The lead heroes can be shot a hundred times or run the movie. Most comics deal with over by a car and still seem to get up. archetypical white heroes, black vilThe only reason this movie can pull it lains and the occasional grey indioff is that these scenes aren’t glorified vidual, but Sin City has no white hein any sort of way. In one scene Clive roes. There are bad guys and worse Owen hops down from a three-story guys. The whole movie is done in grey building very casually after saving a girl so there is no definite difference beand walks to his car and drives away, tween the heroes and the villains. but the girl doesn’t dwell on the fact he The film out does any comic book walked off a building. She just takes this movie yet, and it does it the way it super natural instance for granted. should be, exactly like the comic.

THIRSTY?

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Only 99 cents am to am Sonic Drive-In 8501 W. 151st Stanley, KS 66223

ENTERTAINMENT 11 April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Kim Hieber

New-Age Technology Mixes with Music iPods and other MP3 players are becoming more frequent among music listeners as CD, tape players are becoming outdated equipment

Hand Held Pricing

Michaela Cross Features Editor

W

ithin the last year, iPods have become all the rage, and they have led the way for other MP3s on the market. It might be the different colors, the small size or the convenience of 1,000 plus songs, but whatever the reason, students keep buying.

Before the iPod craze, there was the walkman and the ever-popular CD player. And, even in this newtechnology craze, people can still be seen walking around sporting these older music-players.

The inconvenience, however, in CD players is that they only hold one CD, which has an average of 12 songs. iPod’s can hold up to 5,000 songs and a mini iPod can hold 1,000. There is a certain convenience in having most songs at one’s fingertips.

Another new MP3 player on the market is the 5GB hard drive that holds up to 2,500 songs and comes in 10 colors. Unlike iPods, it has a FM radio, voice recorder and only weighs 3.8 ounces.

And, even for the few who still do hold onto their trusty CD player, there are new, exciting changes to that line of music players.

While trying to keep up with the technology-crazed market, some CD players include MP3 features, FM radio and fun updated looks, like the RCA CD/MP3 player.

This trend has no sign of slowing down as there are ideas every day to make music more convenient to the teenage buyer. Someday, a cell phone might include a 5GB memory for thousands of songs, a FM radio ability, and be smaller than the average phone.

And, students don’t seem to complain; they’ll just keep on buying to have the top-notch in music equipment.

Mini iPod



iPod



Photo iPod



Zen Micro

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Creative Labs GB Zen Micro MP Player



Memorex CD Player

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Walkman

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iPod Shuffle



What’s Been in Your Ears Lately?

Tiger Print hits the halls to see what students have been listening to “I’m listening to Muse, Franz Ferdinand, Abbington, The Killers, Greenday, and I love the underground KC bands. They’re really good.” – senior Esther Kim

“Country, hip hop and techno.”

– sophomore Patrick Cooley

“Right now, I’m listening to Ben Wertz, Abbington, and in general, I just like the bands that no one knows of.” – senior Katy Lambeth

“I like country, alternative rock every now and then and [the radio station] Q104.” – sophomore Cameron Kaman

“FeFe Dobson, Outkast, Kelly Clarkson, Gwen Stefani and ‘80s pop songs.” – junior Lindsay Martin

“Right now it’s Sublime, King Crimson, Nine Inch Nails, Bob Marley, Tool and a bunch of other random things.” – sophomore Carly Christenson

sophomore Rachel Xiong; photo illustration by Maneeza Iqbal

12 FEATURES April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Michaela Cross

Just a regular BV student Paintball fanatic, future traveler, good friend Joe Grace talks about his typical, happy life Emily Kuykendall Staff Writer

I

f you look around when walking down the hallways of BVHS, you might see a lot of people you’ve never noticed before. There are all kinds of different groups of people, and chances are, if you don’t know them, you won’t talk to them. You can’t just go up to a random person and make conversation without them thinking you’re weird, right? That might be true in some cases, but not all.

If you happen to see Joe Grace walking down the hall, you might just see an average student, listening to his headphones, while he walks to his next class.

Stop and talk to him, and you’ll find that this sophomore is a genuinely nice person who has a lot of stuff going on inside.

“If I could do anything I wanted, I’d definitely want to travel the world and see all kinds of different things. I go to Destine, Fla. a lot with my cousin and that’s awesome, so I just think that going to more places like that, or even better places, would be such a cool experience,” Grace said.

But Grace is perfectly content with his life here in Kansas. He loves to just hang out with his friends who he has known since back in the elementary school days.

“My best friends and I get along great and always have. Our personalities just go together well, and we have a lot of fun with each other,” Grace said.

In his free time, Grace can be found playing his fa-

vorite sport. While hiding behind barriers and trying to defend himself on the field, he has to try to shoot his enemies to stay in the game – with a paintball gun of course.

“Paintball is one of my favorite things to do and I play it as much as I can. It’s just so intense and so much fun. If I feel really stressed or I’m just not in a good mood, it’s something that just makes me feel better because of how fun it is,” Grace said.

If paintball’s not your thing though, you can find

Joe at the occasional party or decked out in his tiger gear during football season.

“I love being a Tiger and supporting the team is something fun. Everyone in the stands just goes crazy at the games,” Grace said.

Grace says that his first two years at Blue Valley have been great, and he is looking forward to being an upperclassmen next year.

“Junior and senior year should be a lot of fun, and I’m looking forward to them. Hopefully they’ll be pretty easy, but I’m sure that I’ll be fine,” Grace said.

So next time you see Joe Grace in the hallways, just go talk to him. He won’t look at you weird or be mean; in fact, he’s probably one of the friendliest people you will meet.

Joe Grace is an average high school sophomore who likes to be with his friends and play paintball.

He was chosen at random

by Emily Kuykendall and Autumn Fuller by pointing at a random page in the yearbook.. Photo by Emily Kuykendall.

Online Courses: A change in learning for students nior year are common online enrollees. American government, design fundamentals, photography and even Clothing I are some of the availMatt Galloway Staff Writer able courses that the district offers for high school students. With fees ranging from $190-230, one acation... Travel... Relaxation... Being any must be committed to success and self-motivated in order to get their money’s worth, Elmore says. where but the classroom...

“I think [online courses] are really great,” It’s safe to say that those thoughts and more are going through anxious students’ minds as they Elmore said. “Especially when they give students eagerly anticipate summer break. The three- chances to take other classes you wouldn’t be able month span where the word school becomes part to take otherwise.”

Although the Blue Valley district online health of a foreign language is quickly approaching to the delight of students and teachers alike. How- course has been dropped due to limited interest, ever, did you know that you can get those long some students believe that if self-motivated, and tedious required classes that cause students online courses are quick, easy and worth the pricey fee. “[Health online] was probably the easiest course I’ve ever taken,” senior Kelly Baker said. “I worked at my own pace and it was overall a good choice.”

Online classes also have some disadvantages, according to Elmore.

The discussions in classes are gone, so sometimes one loses out on important information.

“In a sense, it’s harder due to the absence of a college-experienced teacher,” Elmore said. “So in that respect, it’s a bigger challenge short term and usually takes some time to get used to.”

Technological advancements have Senior Kelly Baker logs on to take her online health class vastly changed the face of summer instead of taking the in-school class. Photo by Kendra Kruse. school. Just a few years ago, at home summer school was only assignto look forward to summer break in the first place ments and courses through the mail, a much more out of the way in just a few short weeks – while expensive and time-consuming option. Now with the changes to computers and the Internet, chilling in the comfort of your own home?

A wide range of online courses are available this courses through the mail have become courses summer for students who wish to partake in them, through e-mail.

“Technology has made things much easier for according to counselor Keith Elmore. Students with goals ranging from freeing up room in their everyone,” Elmore said. “For example, courses schedule to wanting to graduate early their se- through mail are still optional, but almost nobody

V

does them.”

Online classes truly are innovative. Imagine a class where the room really is your own home room, there are no detentions for tardiness, and instant messaging services allow one to finally pass notes without being yelled at by a teacher.

Sports 13 April 15, 2005

Page Edited by Michael Johnson

Students throw together new club

At bat with Arob

Organized dodgeball starts off strong among students Adil Shabbir Asst. Sports Editor

E

ver since the movie DodgeBall hit the screens in 2004, students have been dreaming of an organized dodge ball club. Now, thanks to senior Jay Vaglio, these dreams have turned into reality. That’s right; Blue Valley has recently embarked into the realm of organized dodge ball.

Students throughout the school have been interested in playing, but no one was willing to actually start an after-school program. That is until Vaglio decided to get involved.

“No one else had tried to start something up before, so I thought I’d try to get something going.” Vaglio said. “I wasn’t sure if it was going to work, but it was definitely worth a shot.”

Vaglio’s first step to starting the club was finding a sponsor, a dedicated adult who was willing to sacrifice two hours after school once a week.

“A lot of the teachers I talked to wanted to help out,” Vaglio said. “But they were either already involved with another sport or just too busy to make that kind of commitment.”

The search for club sponsor came to an end when social studies teacher Jason Peres said he would take on the responsibility.

“Dodge Ball Club provides a safe and fun environment for students to get involved,” Peres said. “It gives the kids that usually don’t get involved a chance to be a part of something special.”

Well, so far so good. The club

had both a manager and a sponsor; now, all it needed now was the administration’s approval.

Vice principal Mark Dalton says the club gives students something to look forward to.

“As long as it’s done safely,” Dalton said, “I don’t see a problem with providing an activity that makes kids feel happy to be at school.”

The school’s approval was all Vaglio needed, and after posting several fliers throughout the school, the first Dodge Ball Club meeting was held. Nearly 60 students piled themselves into the wrestling room for two hours of intense action.

As manager, Vaglio has opened the club up to all students.

“It doesn’t matter whether you are good or not,” Vaglio said.

“You just have to show up and have a good time.”

A crowd of dodgeball players scurry around the wrestling room during a dodgeball game. The Dodgeball Club was started a few weeks ago.

The champion wears a cape and head band around school the day after victory. Photo

by Brandon Lutz.

Cheerleading Tryouts

C

heerleading tryout clinics will be held March 25-28 from 6-8:30 p.m. in the main gym and commons. The actual tryouts are on March 29 from 3- 7 p.m. in the commons. Anyone interested must pick up a packet from the front office and have their teacher recommendations in by Tuesday, April 19. Anyone trying out should wear athletic shorts and a Tshirt everyday except for Friday (tryout day). On that day, wear black cheerleading shorts, a white T-shirt and white ankle socks. Hair must be completely pulled back in a ponytail with a black or white ribbon.

Bonds should avoid scandal

B

arry Bonds is easy to sum up with numbers; 19 seasons, 708 home runs, $38 million over the next two years, and now one injured man with a tired family. Bonds, who plays for the San Francisco Giants, finally hit his boiling point on March 22, 2005. With nearly half a dozen reporters listening to him gripe, he blamed the media for his meltdown and his knee injury that will put him on the disabled list until midseason and possibly the rest of the 162-game season.

After seasons under suspicion of using steroids and often being associated with the BALCO scandal, Bonds became the ultimate coward on that March Tuesday, blaming others for his downward spiral into possible retirement. It’s real simple Barry. No one ever wishes injuries upon someone; they wish for the truth.

What all this has really proved about Bonds is that he lets things get to him really easily. He has let reporters from around the nation and world nab and pick at times enough to where it got to the point where he sat next to his son and attempted to portray an image of a tired family, an injured baseball player and media that has eaten him alive like termites on wood.

ESPN.com offered a poll question on March 22, that asked if baseball is better off without Bonds. My answer is absolutely. Baseball is synonymous with America, and the last thing it needs is a player so distraught that he smears the image of the game.

Major League Baseball’s motto this season is “I live for this.” Unfortunately, I don’t live for a man that is stronger on the outside than he is on the inside to take a third strike right down the middle just weeks before opening day.

My hope is that baseball doesn’t swing foul this season with events like Bonds’ and the congressional hearings on steroids. I hope it stays strong with things that the MLB is all about, Yankees, Red Sox rivalries, great playoff races, homerun races and an image of American summer. My last hope is that Bonds gains some strength on the inside and that he learns to ignore what others say about him.

14 SPORTS April 15, 2004

Page Edited by Michael Johnson

Jumping into competition Kim Hieber Entertainment Editor

Mandy Christ begins season of horse training, showing

B

lue Valley is a school widely known for its scholar athletes. Football, basketball, soccer and baseball are among some of the most frequently talked about sports in its halls.

But what about those other unique athletes who participate in the less common activities? Sophomore Mandy Christ knows first hand what it is like to be one of those students. She’s been horseback riding since before she was five, and it is definitely a sport that not many people know that much about, but it’s what makes her the athlete that she is.

Maybe part of the reason why many don’t know a whole lot about the art of horse training and riding is because of skepticism about whether or not it’s a real sport.

“People think it’s not a sport, but it’s really difficult to learn and it’s pretty dangerous,” Christ said. “In English riding alone, it took me two years to learn to ride well enough to participate in the competitions.”

And yes, there are competitions. Just like with other sports, the will to compete is just as strong in horseback riding. Hard work, intense training and the competition makes riding a sport just as much as any other American pastime.

Riding is not only one heck of a sport, it’s one heck of an expensive sport.

“In order to ride, you have to wear the proper attire,” Christ said. “They’ll disqualify you if you’re not dressed right.”

So what does this uniform consist of?

“You have to wear really tight breeches, tall boots, a show coat and a velvet helmet,” Christ said.

The uniform alone can really rack up the price of the hobby.

The breeches cost $60, the tall boots cost $200, the show coat $150 and the velvet helmet $300.

So how did Christ get started in this unique activity?

“My family has owned horses ever since I was born, “Christ said. “I’ve ridden horses all of my life because of it, and I’ve been doing competitive riding since I was five.”

Since then, not only has Christ taken first place and won championships countless times, but she has also taken up training horses as well.

“I started training when I was 10 or 11,” Christ said. “It all started when I bought my own horse and trained it by myself and a lady asked me to do the same for her horse.”

Training is not only a pastime, it’s a full-time job. Like horseback riding, it’s an expensive job. According to Christ, horses are purchased for around $5,000, trained for about $1,000 a month, and then resold at anywhere from $10,000 to $100,000. That sounds like a pretty expensive investment, which it is, but it pays for itself.

“It seems like a lot of money first-hand,” Christ said. “But after keeping up with the barn, paying the help and taking care of the horses, the money all balances out.”

Not only does training cost a lot of money, but it also requires a lot of time and hard work.

“I have to ride each horse, every day, six days a week and then I show them a lot, too,” Christ said.

“Showing is when you take the horse to different places either local or out-of-state, and you ride them in arenas for more practice,” Christ said.

So why does she enjoy such a big time and money commitment?

“I like training because its fun,” Christ said. “It’s also something I’m very good at which is always enjoyable.”

Does Christ plan on continuing horseback riding and training as a career?

“Probably not,”Christ said. “I plan on continuing it as a hobby until I get out of college.”

Christ plans on attending K-State after she graduates from high school. With her horse Wild Safari, Christ will be riding and training for at least six more years.

“It’s a very expensive hobby and it takes a lot of time,” Christ said. “But it’s worth it; it’s fun.”

1

Above. Sophomore Mandy Christ rides her horse, Wild Safari, as it hurdles over a jump at the American Royal two years ago. She placed third that day.

Left. Christ blows a kiss to her horse Safari at her stable off of Mission Road after a hard day of training last season.

She trains horses there during each summer.

Below. Christ rides Safari at a tournament in St. Louis last summer. She placed third at the tournament. Photos submitted by Mandy Christ.

Royals lose opening home game; fans still have hope students were asked if they thought the Royals will make the playoffs this season

YES: NO:

Nick Speed Staff Writer

T

he Royals opened up an eight-game homestand against the Seattle Mariners last Monday. The Royals lost 8-2 in front of a sell-out crowd at Kauffman Stadium. Royals pitcher Runelvys Hernandez was credited for the loss. He is now 1-1. The Royals gave up 13 hits and had one error in the field.

Kansas City is celebrating its 50th year of having a major league baseball team. In 1955, the Kansas City Athletics were introduced to the city. The A’s left leaving room for the expansion Royals to come to town in 1969.

The Royals are tied for last place in the American League Central Division with a record of 3-4 as of Tuesday. The Royals finished last with the worst record in franchise history, 58-104, last year. The only way to go from that record is up. They can’t get much worse.

“I remember when I used to play baseball freshman year,” senior David Tafreshi said. “I used to be the man at first base. I think I should try out for the Royals. I could help them out maybe.”

The last time people got excited about baseball in Kansas City was in 1985 when the Royals won the World Series against the I70 rival, St. Louis Cardinals. A couple of years ago, they started off the season 18-0 but then fell through the cracks and finished third in the division behind the Minnesota Twins and Chicago White Sox, not making the playoffs.

The Royals haven’t started off the year great, but fans are hoping they will improve throughout the season.

“I’d like to see the Royals finish in first and make the playoffs,” sophomore Nate Wiechmann said. “But I don’t know that they have the talent necessary to do that.”

Others are being optimistic.

“The Royals will be in the playoffs,” senior Kyle Byard said.

SPORTS15 April 15, 2004

Page Edited by Adil Shabbir

Spring Preview Baseball

Track

Softball

Current Record: 3-5 Head Coach: Larry Hare Assistant Coaches: Kevin Suhr - JV Rick McNerlin - Sophomore Andy Unrein - Freshman A Matt Ortman - Freshman B Returning Varsity: Senior Andrew Vance Juniors Jon Teel, Ryan Robertson, Seth Gordon Last year’s finish: Regional Runnerup “We need to be more consistent.” - Coach Hare

Head Coaches: Eric Driskell and Peggy Rose Assistant Coaches: Paul Brown, Nic Madelen, Diane Huber, Tyler Lasche, Nancy McRoberts, John Hamilton, Jenny Simmons Returning State qualifiers: Boys: Amr Abu Alnadi, Kyle Rogers, Michael McDonald, Austin Gillard Girls: Whitney Coulas, Elizabeth Minoofar Leah Brown, Stephanie Sparling, Val Hughes, Brook Gorthy Last year’s finish: ~ Boys’ 4 X 800 meter relay team placed 7th at the state meet. ~ Mike Lui set the school record for discus. ~ Jamie Hisle set the record in triple jump.

“Anytime you have returning athletes who have set school records or competed in the state meet, it’s really helpful.” Coach Rose

Current Record: 0-2 Head Coach: Anthony Orrick Assitant Coach: Jim Loughlin Returning Varsity: Seniors Missy Brooks, Hillary Freeman Juniors Adriene Fields, Sam Anderson Sophomore Alexandra Solis Last year’s finish: 8 wins and 12 losses “We work as a team. We improve everyday, and I love softball.”- Sophomore Mary Thompson

Boys’ Tennis Current Record: 3-0 Head Coach: Nelson Elliot Assistant Coach: Mark Rabbitt Returning Varsity: Seniors Tanner Miller, Chris Lee Junior Andrew Robinson Last year’s finish: 3rd Place at Regionals “The [Mill Valley] tournament got us well prepared for our first dual in which we were successful.”

- Tanner Miller

Boys’ Golf Current Record: N/A Head Coach: Steve Rampy Assitant Coach: Eric Schale Returning Varsity: Seniors Brandon Hermreck, Nate Steinwart Junior Adam Blue Sophomore Trevor Hampton Last year’s finish: Class 5A State Runner-up “If our number five and six players step-up, we will have a great chance at taking state.” - Adam Blue

Girls’ Soccer

Girls’ Swimming Current Record: 3-0 Head Coach: Monique Marquette Assistant Coach: Jessica Schlick Bridget Allen - Diving Returning Varsity: Seniors Kati Chinery, Kirsten Rottinghaus Junior Christine Hansen Last year’s finish: Achieved personal bests in nearly every event.

“I hope we compete well in both the relay and individual events” - Coach Marquette Sophomore Sarah Flynn practices her swing during spring sport tryouts. Photo by Brandon Lutz.

Current Record: 2-2-2 Head Coach: K. Dean Snell Assistant Coaches: J.V. - Elizabeth O’Brien C Team - Chris Paisley D Team - Kelly Edwards Returning Varsity: Seniors Stacey Castor, Krista Coulas and Shay Alford ~ Juniors Tiffany Mitchell and Keely McVey ~ Sophomores Erin Lewis, Ryann Lucansky and Nikki Burczyk.

Last Season’s Finish: 6-12-1 “We will be much more competitive than last year becasue of our team chemisty.” - Coach Snell

playerprofile Players selected by coaches

Chris Lee Senior Sport: Tennis

Missy Brooks Sport: Softball Senior What do you do in your free time?

I like to hang out in Lawrence Future Plans???

I’m off to KU to study psychology If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Bubbles from Powerpuff Girls because she saves the world What makes the team successful?

Teamwork

What do you do in your free time?

Hangin’ out with my friends Future Plans???

I’m going to KU If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Peter from Family Guy cuz he’s funny What makes the team successful?

Good racquets and lots of balls

Brandon Hermreck

Tiffany Mitchell Junior Sport: Soccer What do you do in your free time?

I’m usually lifting weights Future Plans???

I hope to play at Division I school If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Scooby Doo because he’s sweet What makes the team successful?

A lot of hardwork

Senior

6

Sport: Golf What do you do in your free time?

I play basketball and volleyball Future Plans???

Play golf at Wichita State If you could be a cartoon character, who would you be and why?

Johnny Bravo because he’s really funny What makes the team successful?

Nick Speed

LIFE IN PICTURES 16 April 15, 2005

Page edited by Brandon Lutz

g a n t s r ! i i a r d ive Spr me h C

orrect me if I’m wrong, but isn’t spring break one of the most anticipated events of the year? We count down the months, the weeks, the days, and even the hours until the time comes. We decide... “Do I want to spend it with my family or do I want to go to Californ-I-A with my best buds?”

In most cases, the common answer is that of the latter. This year, BV celebrated its time of freedom from March 10–20. Whether it be chillin’ like a villain here in good ‘ol Stilwell, or going to visit our amigos to the south, Spring Break trips are numerous and some, actually, can be quite entertaining. Some of us party like the world is going to end, and some of us lose our shorts in the ocean. The fellas come back with stories of the ever-so-fine lady folk. The ladies come back with stories of the boys, the shopping, the sun. The shopping in the sun with the boys.

Well, unfortunately, our time of joy has passed, and for your viewing pleasure, students have submitted photos of their spring break for you to enjoy.

The fountain show in front of the Bellagio in Las Vegas begins. The water show is displayed every 15 minutes beginning at 8 p.m. every night. It is one of the numerous things Vegas is known for. The Bellagio, as well as its fountain, were featured at the end of the 2001 film, Ocean’s Eleven.

Clockwise: Seniors Lizzie Ewell, Kaleigh Nold, Britney Chrisco, Whitney Moore and Veronica Foltz enjoy their time in the Great Wolf Lodge arcade during their time off. Photo submitted by Danielle Billings. Blue Valley West senior Todd Marquez and BV seniors Jon Baldwin and Mike Gari pose for a picture in Cancun. Photo submitted by Mike Gari.

Junior Emily Kuykendall stands with her dad and freshman brother Wes in front of Mayan ruins in Telum, Mexico. Photo submitted by Emily Kuykendall. Seniors Shay Alford, Katie Swatek, Brandon Lutz and Powell Runyon chose to visit Las Vegas.

And we thought it would never come...