The Tiger Print — May 2018

4 YEARS LATER... class of 2018 senior issue

//THE TIGER PRINT

Blue Valley High School | Vol. 48 | Issue 8 | May 2018 | bvtigernews.com | Overland Park, Kansas

2 //may 2018

97% 90%

attended a school dance

participated in a club

seniors, seniors!

83% 48% 23%

have been in the BV district since elementary school

played a varsity sport got into a fender bender at BV

contents

senior columns superlatives post-graduation decisions senior features who’s that senior?

| PHOTO BY KAITLIN YU

5 14 18 20 24

219 seniors surveyed

may 2018 // math teacher

teacher advice senior confessions “Freshman year in Design Fundamentals, we were cutting linoleum and we were told countless times not to cut toward ourselves, and I stabbed myself in the palm and bled out everywhere. Marc Rohaut cleaned it up before the teacher could see it. I had to get a few stitches.”

— Mia Garton

“[I remember sophomore] Mason Richman pantsing me and pulling everything down in front of the freshman volleyball team and coach Peggy Rose.”

—Anonymous

“I was about to perform with choir, and my robe broke. I had to perform with it backward, and everyone was making fun of me for the rest of the year.”

—Hayden Katz

“I spelled my boyfriend’s name wrong for weeks until my best friend told me. So embarrassing.”

“1. Go with an open-mind.

2. Work hard and understand what you’re getting into.

3. It’s new being out on your own. Stay on top of the things that you really like to do.

4. Work hard at it, and see what you can do.”

physics teacher

Joshua Merlenbach

“Find a balance between school, social life and work. You’re going to have more time that’s not structured — use that productively. Make connections with people with like interests, find a club or organization that fits your style and needs, but also take time just for you. College is not about just doing college work and building toward your future. It’s about having your first opportunity to be your own person.”

psychology teacher

Courtney Buffington

“Find something you’re passionate about. Do not allow yourself to fast forward four years through college, and you’re about to graduate with a major you were never actually interested in, but it sounded stable or like something your dad wanted you to do. You need to find something you are inherently interested in, and if you can find that, you’ll be happy.”

— Jack Behrndt

“Freshman year in Stage Craft, someone left a headband in the hall. I was going to go to the woman’s bathroom to ask if anyone dropped it, but I actually went into the guys’. It was pretty embarrassing.”

Timothy Kennedy

—Anonymous

math teacher

Jill Robbins

“People discount the value of hard work. Being able to give your best effort in every situation may not pay off immediately, but at some point, the ability will provide you with an opportunity you may have never gotten otherwise.”

social studies teacher

Brian Mowry

“Most of you have spent your life pursuing the things that bring you comfort. ‘If I get good grades, I’ll get into the school I want to go to. [If I] get a scholarship then I won’t have to take out loans’ — that sort of thing. Part of life is being [uncomfortable and] experiencing the lows as well as the highs. Because we’re blessed more than most, we have to kind of seek out that discomfort. Go to new places, talk to different people. Free yourself from the prison of comfort.”

3

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senior columns // may 2018 //

5

“Because, soon, we all will go off to wherever our personal CEOs have decided to send us. We all will take with us our own learned truths.” alli williams co-editor in chief

N

o one asked to be born, and very few specifically asked to make it this far.

But we were the strongest sperm in the bunch, and now our bodies feel obligated to continue our legacies each morning when we wake up. So here we are.

We are all the smartest people in our universes.

Now, this is a pretty great responsibility for somebody who got chosen for the position by default.

In order to create an actually decent universe for ourselves to live in, we have to constantly be working on ourselves.

I like to think of it as a business.

Each day is a chance to experiment as my life CEO (me) and figure out more about my client (me).

What motivates me?

What ruins a day?

What recovers a bad day?

It’s imperative to figure this out now since potentially I’ll be stuck with whatever answers I discover for the rest of my life.

High school has been great for me in this respect. It’s foolproof. If a hypothesis fails and I end up stuck in my head for far too long, wanting to quit, I have people around me more than willing to pick up the slack until I’m ready to return to work.

My dad will cook me a mean creole tofu and edamame dinner, which even he has learned to enjoy.

My mom will have the 123 Moviesstolen film HDMI-ed to the TV, ready to watch.

My teachers will have their doors open for me after school, letting me consume all the wisdom and life advice my heart desires.

My coaches will give me a workout.

My friends will encourage me to skip the workout for a treat-yo’self day driving through nice neighborhoods and pointing out our dream homes.

This time is sure-fire and failure friendly.

As a CEO, I’m not actually very good yet. I’m only 18.

But a few of my experiments have lead to important scientific discovery.

I learned doing things can seem hard sometimes. But my universe thrives when I feel productive.

I learned that despite being an unnaturally organized person, cleaning my room has the ability to completely reset my chakras.

I learned communication is crazy

cool, and being so transparent with everyone has saved me from a lot of potential drama.

I learned I love saving the planet, I love running, I love writing.

I learned I no longer want to be a senior. I never wanted to be one. These people around me who I see every day are woven within who I’ve become, and that will be all I’ll have left of them to bring with me to college.

Because, soon, we all will go off to wherever our personal CEOs have decided to send us. We all will take with us our own learned truths. We’ll take our uncertainties as well, now suddenly with less room for error.

And for my client’s sake, I hope my CEO finds success.

6 //may 2018 // senior columns

“I’m an absolute disaster, and I love it.” julie freijat co-editor in chief

W

hen I think of my freshman year, I see this warped version of myself, with a docile composure and fragile voice staring back at me. Needless to say, things are quite different.

Aside from the messy hair and hoodies, I’ve developed far beyond what I could have even imagined.

It took some time for me to be comfortable with who I actually am. I’d spent so long reaching for this “perfect” version of myself. I straightened my hair, dressed a thousand different uncomfortable ways and held in the words I wanted to say.

I wasn’t the strange, spacey and often loud child I was before. I struggled with my self-esteem. I fell into a pit of depression, anxiety and OCD — a place I am still trying to crawl out of to this day.

There are things I have struggled with that I will never be able to talk about — but there are other things I know are crucial to conversing on because it is so vital to my own mental health.

My point in rambling about all of this is that I’m still here. Despite the heartaches, mental breakdowns and sleepless nights, I’m still here — broken, but at the same time, still working.

I am incredibly excited to be leaving next fall for a place I have grown to adore. I feel as though throughout all of high school, I have existed as a fraction of who I am, unable to form a permanent, stable connection with most people. My anxiety crippled me to the point of preventing me from living like a normal adolescent. I was fearful of the future — something I felt was out of my control. I was literally too scared to be a teenager. It’s a blessing and a curse.

It wasn’t until Room 450 greeted me with a warm atmosphere that I felt like I could let go and be myself. Journalism has played a huge role in nurturing my social life — granting me the opportunity to meet and develop friendships with so many different people, and for that I

am forever grateful.

I am looking forward to continuing my work in journalism throughout college. I want to indulge myself in the things I love and befriend the people who will understand my occasional absence as much as they enjoy my presence. I want to experience life without drowning myself in medication. I want to be me, unapologetically.

The next four years are probably going to be pretty messy. I’ve learned to accept that my general nature is messy.

I’m disorganized, sometimes annoying and have a questionable taste in fashion.

I’m not scared of it anymore. I’m an absolute disaster, and I love it.

Love is the one thing that has held me in place. Whether it was being loved, or loving someone else, the experience is enlightening. Let me tell you, there is no insanity like being in love.

I encourage you — whoever is reading this — to love with your whole

heart. You don’t have to love everyone.

At the least, love yourself.

Without self-love, I’ve lost the one person I can trust more than anyone in my life: me.

High school taught me relationships aren’t always permanent — and you definitely don’t need them to survive.

The only constant person in my life is me. And while that’s frightening, it has become a daily reminder to practice self-love.

Truth is, I haven’t changed. I’ve come back home. Back to my slightly insane, laughs-too-loud, eats too fast and hates fish self. And guess what?

I’m still riddled with anxiety.

I’m still bad at math.

I still have frizzy, curly hair.

I still scream and cry. A lot.

And I’m OK with that.

Because, in the end, all I have is the girl I see in the mirror, and I am determined to love her.

senior columns // may 2018 //

7

“Despite my lack of time and sleep, I learned to go after what I loved.” kaitlin yu co-editor in chief

S

imilar to just about everything else in my life, I procrastinated writing this senior column.

You would think that, after four years of nonstop homework, clubs, leadership positions, sports and social events, I would have figured out how to manage my time better.

Nope — instead, I recycled the first line of my senior speech. Oops.

I’m not sure if I’ll figure out time management in college, or if I’ll ever change in that aspect. But, considering how much I have learned at Blue Valley in my time here, there’s probably opportunity for improvement.

Let’s throw it back to freshman year.

That year, I shocked myself by getting straight As. To some of my talented and intelligent Class of 2018 peers, that may not seem like much, but for me, I hadn’t gotten straight As for a couple years.

After racking up Bs and Cs in middle school, I began to believe I wasn’t a good student.

In reality, I learned if I actually put an effort into school — if I just care a little more than the bare minimum — I could do well.

Before I knew freshman year was over, sophomore year came and punched me in the face. That was when I went through what some may call teenage angst. You know the drill — staying up until 4 a.m., experiencing existential crises and sometimes crying a little in bed. Plus, a lot of drawing and redrawing, as one would expect from an insecure artist.

Through it all, I received the endless support of my friends and teachers. And after joining newspaper, I was introduced to a whole new realm of creation — writing, designing and speaking out about what I’m passionate about. I received boosts of inspiration daily from my newspaper peers.

Although I still left sophomore year a crying and whining child, I was poised to grow so much as a person junior year.

Ah, junior year. Also known as hell — pure hell. Like, I was running nonstop on a flaming hamster wheel with Gordon Ramsay yelling at me about all the Ls I was taking.

I didn’t have time for existential crises or crying. It was just homework, homework, homework; studying, studying, studying.

Looking back, I actually don’t understand how I was so productive — I admire myself. My schedule was packed, but I dealt with it. I maybe even thrived because of it (maybe).

Despite my lack of time and sleep, I learned to go after what I loved, including articles about important issues and pole vault PRs. Once I didn’t have time to do all of things I was interested

in, I learned to prioritize what really mattered.

And finally, senior year. Outside of learning how lazy I can be and how much sleep I can get on a school day, I’ve been learning to be grateful for the time I have left to spend with my friends and the hours I have left at BV because I know we’re running out of it. I’m learning to be grateful for all the memories I’ve made here.

I can’t really name only one specific way I have changed or grown since freshman year. I still don’t have a grasp on who I am. All I know is that BV has been integral in shaping me.

So, this is my hastily written senior column. And, yeah, I know this was mostly rambling, and I apologize for that, but also, I don’t care. Because this is my ode to what BV means to me and who I am.

8 //may 2018 // senior columns “Get excited about the little things that bring you joy. If it gets you eager for school, it’s worth celebrating.” melanie white photo editor

H

igh school has been uneventful for me, honestly. There haven’t been any great revelations or any huge changes in my life. Really. High school was boring.

No matter how boring it got, however, that didn’t prevent me from learning some truly incredible lessons.

Procrastination sucks. We all know it, but it really, truly sucks. I have been blessed with the ability to conjure half-decent presentations, art projects and papers out of thin air, but that doesn’t stop it from it being the most stressful experience of my life. Every.

Single. Time. Seriously, I literally gave myself ulcers. You’re going to procrastinate, but please try to keep a handle on your assignments, at least a little bit.

Drama isn’t worth the energy.

Those people who create or are involved in conflicts are dealing with their own toxicity and their own problems. Remember that hurt people hurt people, and do your best to avoid it.

Enjoy your successes. You worked hard for that B on the math test or for your presentation to go well. Bask in it because you earned it!

If you don’t ask, the answer is no. Your teacher’s job is to help you succeed, so take advantage of that. You can always ask for help, an extension, or anything you need to help you succeed.

What’s the worst they could say?

Revel in the small stuff — Food Friday in media and pop culture or

treats in newspaper or donuts after a State championship (or other non-food related things, I suppose). High school is going to fly by, and it will be extremely stressful along the way — so get excited about the little things that bring you joy.

If it gets you eager for school, it’s worth celebrating.

Have fun. High school is going to be a roller coaster, but you should enjoy the ride.

“No, I didn’t peak in high school — —because with that mindset, my life will go downhill.” lizzie skidmore staff writer

I

entered high school as a confused, timid brace-faced girl with no direction besides, “Yeah, I kind of like science.”

High school hit me — hard. It kicked and pushed me like no other. I walked in with a pointless, straight-A transcript and then stumbled as soon as I entered honors biology.

I quickly regained my balance,

however, and it was mostly progress from there.

No, I didn’t peak in high school — because with that mindset, my life will go downhill — but that doesn’t erase how great my high school experience was.

Because in all honesty, I discovered myself in the halls of Blue Valley.

I developed my political values in Señora Gouger’s room, running my fake campaign to help a fake country

become the fake best (I won, by the way).

I realized my passion to be a nurse in anatomy and physiology, a class I cried about having on my schedule because I only wrote it down as an alternative.

I met my life-long friends at lunch when we discussed our lack of Spring Break plans while everyone else packed for Costa Rica.

I unearthed (ha!) my love for taking action in AP environmental science,

senior columns // may 2018 //

9

“When life gets overwhelming, do your best to let go of things you can’t change.” sadie myer staff writer

M

aybe it’s just me, but as a child, my perception of high school was beyond skewed. I know now that movies and TV shows are portrayed just to keep the audience intrigued. Life in general is no children’s book or Disney show. (And, it’s not “13 Reasons Why,” either.)

Over the past four years, I have changed more than I ever thought possible. I’m sure the world has changed too, and there’s drama I missed out on — but I don’t care. I probably don’t know what clothes are in-style right now or what songs are popular or what happened on “Spring Break.” The world does not revolve around me or any one person for that matter.

But in my world — it is all about me. I sound like a stuck-up white girl, but that’s the last thing I would use to describe myself.

What I mean is that sometimes you have to miss the party.

Be absent from school, and let your grades fall.

no matter how small the change people tell me my reusable water bottle makes.

I discovered my ability to lead through Relay For Life after ambushing girls I wasn’t even friends with in the P.E. locker room to make a team.

And I found my voice in newspaper, a class I was only taking for the technology credit.

At home, I faced adversities that wouldn’t let me catch a break.

But through that, I channeled an unknown strength to keep my feet on the ground.

I know college has so much

more for me to experience, and I know there’s a lot of offered time in which my life will change even more (and perhaps, more things that I am going to change, too).

But this community formed who I am — my classes, my teachers, my peers and my family are all a part of the Lizzie Skidmore I came to be.

High school hit me hard. But in five days, I walk out a confident, hopeful, straight-toothed woman with a little direction and preparation to be hit even harder in college. And yeah, I still like science.

Whether that means one day or two weeks.

Distance yourself from toxic friends.

Admit defeat. Surrender. Let your white flag wave.

Give up on the boy.

Miss the Friday night football game.

Get slapped with rejection from your life-long passion.

Receive the phone call you never wanted to hear.

Wear a black dress far too many times, and say final goodbyes to the ones you love the most.

None of these experiences will be easy.

But I am living proof that it’s possible to move past those days.

YOU have to focus on YOU. Because some days no one else will.

I know that’s harsh, but it’s the cold hard truth.

When life gets overwhelming, do your best to let go of things you can’t change.

In the end, the only things in your hands are your health, your happiness and your future.

Thank you, high school.

10 //may 2018 // senior columns “We have to put ourselves out there and embrace new situations — only then will we truly experience all the world has to offer.” marie biernacki staff writer

I

can’t believe it’s finally happening.

Graduation is five days away.

In four months, I’ll be heading to Florida to attend the college of my dreams.

Why am I doing it?

Why am I going 1,320 miles away from home?

My high school journey began when I entered those glass doors and walked across that cheesy — but endearing — red carpet.

On that day, I only knew two things about myself: I loved art.

I had no idea what to do.

On that first day in my first hour, Ms. Francis told her class anyone could be an artist as long as they put in the time and effort to do so.

Those words resonated with me and stuck with me ever since.

Still, freshman year, I was not aware art school was an option. I didn’t realize there were whole programs and majors dedicated to artists.

I think I was looking at becoming an accountant — God, could you imagine?

Somehow, my sophomore year, I stumbled across various art schools while browsing the internet.

Discovering I could major in illustration became one of the motivating factors for me to pursue art and learn about it as much as possible.

So, during junior year, I enrolled in art classes outside of school — they truly helped refine my skills, and I met and hung out with some pretty cool people.

However, junior year was also incredibly stressful and demanding.

I had teachers who were difficult to communicate with.

I was taking rigorous courses while studying for the ACT.

On top of this, my cat unexpectedly had to be put down the second week of school.

Basically, junior year absolutely sucked — but I don’t regret it one bit.

I finally understood nothing was going to be handed to me on a silver platter — I had to work and put in the time and effort to increase my chances of success.

I made sure to meet with teachers to understand what they expected.

I figured out how to tackle assignments one at a time, piece by piece, in order to make them more manageable.

Even my cat’s death helped me realize life is unpredictable and can change at any second.

I recognized we sometimes have to

push ourselves when things don’t go our way.

Our time here at Blue Valley taught us to expect the unexpected — maybe you failed a test, didn’t make the team or lost touch with a good friend.

But these obstacles made you stronger — you studied harder, practiced longer or learned to apologize.

As we continue our journey, we have to be strong and can no longer be afraid to make mistakes.

We have to put ourselves out there and embrace new situations — only then will we truly experience all the world has to offer.

So, why am I going to art school 1,320 miles from home?

Well, with all I’ve learned, why not?

senior columns // may 2018 //

11

"A home is where you feel safe, a space where you can live genuinely -— that’s what this school has been for me.” carley sherer staff writer

T

he first word that comes to mind when I try to sum up Blue Valley is home.

A home is where you feel safe, a space where you can live genuinely — that’s what this school has been for me.

It’s nearly impossible to do BV justice through writing because of the wonderful people and experiences that are found within these walls, so I decided my space is best spent sharing lessons I’ve learned and expressing my gratitude for the spaces at BV that have made it feel like home.

The choir room: Freshman year, I recall not knowing what would be my “thing” in high school. I found that sense of belonging I’d been searching for in this room, among the most talent-

ed people I know.

The football field: Students of all different groups and backgrounds come together to celebrate the tiger spirit under the Friday Night Lights — if you’ve been to a BV football game, you know it’s something special.

Room 450: I spent senior year pushing myself as a writer for the newspaper and realized how passionate I am about sharing the stories of others. It was here I discovered what I may want to spend my life doing.

Mobile 6: In this mobile, Ms. Volz encouraged her students to treasure other people and to take time to hear what they have to say. Even those who seem to have it all together have obstacles to overcome.

The PAC: Here, through abandoning comfort by singing solo or embarrassing myself at dance auditions, this

space spent the last four years forcing me to be confident.

Room 510: Thanks to Mrs. Sullivan, this is where I was reminded that no matter what is going on in life, being kind to one another is ultimately the most important thing you can do.

The main gym: This is the one place in the school that has the power to make every individual unite as a Tiger Family, thanks to the care and passion of Mr. Bacon.

Room 608: This is where Mr. Mowry taught me that to be content in life one must seek discomfort. That is how the greatest adventures happen.

What makes theses places special are the remarkable people I’ve come to know through them. Thank you all for being a part of that, and I hope Lawrence will bring me the same sense of home that I have felt here.

12 //may 2018 // senior columns “I’ll miss the familiarity of how high school works and the teachers who helped shape who I am, but I’m ready to go.” victoria wilson staff writer

A

s my time in these halls comes to a close, I’ve had the opportunity to reflect on my experiences here and share them with you all.

During my brainstorm process for this column, the question I seemed to come back to was, “What did I learn in high school?”

And I realize now that I’ve learned a great deal.

I have learned how to follow a rubric to the T when crafting a project about the reactants and products of cellular respiration. I have mastered the art of cultivating the perfectly typed and formatted MLA paper over the significance of the common yam. I have developed the imperative skill of pushing sleep to the wayside and finishing my chemistry notes. I have learned all the tricks of using a TI-84 calculator, and I am now an expert in graphing a parabola, a trig function and even a polynomial equation.

Through all the years, the tests, lectures, assemblies, notes, groupprojects and homework assignments, the quadratic formula is the least of what I’ve learned.

I entered high school as a depressed, anxious kid with friends I feared opening up to.

Honors biology taught me to persevere when the going gets tough, something I use now when I feel the good things in life are too far away.

Anatomy and physiology taught me to be confident in my answers, and that it’s OK to be the person who always raises their hand in class, a skill I now use when I feel the need to second-guess myself.

AP psychology taught me there are uncontrollable reasons for why some people do what they do, a mindset I always try and remember when

interacting with people.

Newspaper taught me to use my voice and write about things I want people to hear, something I incorporate in my finsta account where I share the valleys, as well as the peaks, of my mental illness.

And now I can proudly say that I’m a confident, outgoing, emotionally wise young adult.

And that I made it.

With graduation on the horizon,

I’m constantly being asked, “Aren’t you going to miss this place?”

The answer is yes — I’ll miss the familiarity of how high school works and the teachers who helped shape who I am, but I’m ready to go.

I’ve learned all that I could about rhetoric meanings, linear regression, momentum, the New Deal, stoichiometry and mitosis, so now it’s time to learn all that I can at K-State and grow into the person I envision myself to be.

senior columns // may 2018 //

13

“This is just one small chapter in a very, very long story, no matter how much we get caught up living in the moment.’” kyle elmendorf staff writer

T

hinking of how to write this, I contemplated whether or not I should make a joke out of this.

No, I thought — my senior year has already been enough of one.

I never pictured myself in this situation when I first walked through the halls of Blue Valley as a 14-year-old.

The very fact that I am in newspaper to begin with is somewhat of a miracle — you could even go as far to say it was a mistake. Newspaper was never meant to be for me. I only joined because my brother encouraged me to do so.

I walked into this class as a junior not knowing anyone and not knowing what to expect. The idea of trying something new scared me, and as an underclassman, I could never have imagined a version of Kyle Elmendorf who wrote for The Tiger Print.

But here we are, and I wouldn’t trade these last two “mistake-ridden” years of newspaper for anything.

I think most of our lives are based off chance, just like how I am in newspaper.

I don’t think anyone is where they are for any specific reason other than they met the right opportunity at the right time.

My words are only here because of one person’s advice. I got my job at Fortune Wok only because I happened to be in sixth hour debate sophomore year with a kid I barely knew who sat next to because our last names were close alphabetically. Oh, and we also ended up becoming best friends.

Let the very fact that you are reading my senior column show you how much one person can change in four short years. I didn’t know who I would be once I finally walked out of BV for the final time. But, now, here I am, and I still don’t know who I am exactly — except someone who still has a lot of

learning left to do.

If there’s anything to be learned from my high school experience, it’s that you should never let the fear of the unknown discourage you from trying something new.

I’ve been able to meet so many new people and learn all of their stories these last four years just because I was unafraid to do something I’ve never done before or talk to someone I’ve never talked to before — and this is just high school.

This is just high school. I sometimes have to remind myself of this. There was a time before it, and there will be a time after it — a lot of it, actually. This is just one small chapter in a very, very long story, no matter how much we get caught up “living in the moment.”

It is said the best things in life always leave you wanting more, and I guess it’s true with high school as well — except

I will never have another chance to be a student at BV. I know I’ll miss high school, but I’m excited for what my future has to offer.

Maybe my future self is reading this — perhaps I did actually peak in high school and want to relive the “glory days.” Or maybe I’m just going through my old high school memories and remembering what I’m the most proud of from high school.

Maybe it’s this article.

Maybe it’s my one — and only — cross country medal from La Cygne, or all of those “letters of participation” from JV sports or maybe I still even have my T-shirt from winning my rec basketball league.

But maybe, just maybe, my proudest moment won’t be any medal or award; perhaps it’s the memories and relationships that will stay with me no matter how far I am from the halls of BV.

14 //may 2018

SENIOR SUPERLATIVES WORST CASES OF SENIORITIS Suchir Kavi and Tali Amjadi

MOST LIKELY TO BE YOUR BOSS Lindsay Barash and Christian Hansen

MOST LIKELY TO BRIGHTEN YOUR DAY Cassidy Berg and Isaiah Euler

MOST LIKELY TO BE ON BROADWAY Ady Shaw and Seth Hughes

CUTEST COUPLE Julia Goff-Jorgensen and Owen Olson

MOST LIKELY TO WIN A NOBEL PRIZE Shahab Mirza and Angela Jiang

may 2018 //

BEST STYLE

MOST ATHLETIC

Noah Kahn and Nicholena Fritz

MOST SCHOOL SPIRIT Kyle Ruder and Sydney Rogers

Caitlin Fitzpatrick and Blake Brown

15

MOST LIKELY TO BE PRESIDENT Bella L’Heureux and George Cochran

MOST ARTISTIC Kaitlin Yu and Hyogi Yeon

BEST FRESHMAN TO SENIOR YEAR GLO-UP Jacob Goff-Jorgensen and Lillian Thompson

CLASS CLOWNS Megan Hatfield and Ryan Smith

219 seniors surveyed | DESIGN BY MARIE BIERNACKI | PHOTOS BY MELANIE WHITE & KELLY ZHANG

16 //may 2018 // states

SENDING 365 SENIORS OFF TO 97 SCHOOLS IN 31 STATES

WHERE’S WALDO?

ARKANSAS John Brown University Ally Mosby University of Arkansas Emma Andersen Jack Berg Cade Blasen Caitlin Fitzpatrick Max Hansen Chris Kennedy Sydney Osterlund Brady Petersohn Ryan Porter Andrew Stark David Starr Jennifer Wallis

SENIOR EDITION!

MISSOURI Avila University Hannah Hawks Croix Ratzlaff Columbia College Anthony Sobolevsky Drury University Logan Pittman Alex Stanek

North Central Missouri Community College Braedyn Brewer Northwest Missouri State University Blake Brown Mackenzie Denning Ryan Huesers Jackson Likens

Evangel University Mia Garton

Rockhurst University Chandler Jones Nicholas Neybert

Maryville University Alyssa Graebner

St. Louis University Sam Bamber

Missouri State University Seth Hughes Ady Shaw Elizabeth Wilkinson

University of Central Missouri Sarah Dlugopolski Marcus Nameth

Missouri Western State University Bobby Feller Trevor Harrold

University of Missouri Robin Antonic Jillian Hurst Morgan Judy Kate Meinzenbach Jami Robben University of MissouriKansas City Anisha Bhandari Sanjula Bhuri Chloe Breslin George Cochran Megan Folmsbee Nora Khalifa Saketh Pachalla Shivani Patel Marc Rohaut Grace Solomon Lauren Van Winkle Alli Williams Washington University in St. Louis Mindy Liu William Jewell College Avery Sanchez

ARIZONA Arizona State University Sam Anderson Coby Blasen Jack DeVeney Michael Dowling Kyle Elmendorf Louie Pires Grand Canyon University Taylor Nagel University of Arizona Elle Gordon Ashley Helmick

NEW HAMPSHIRE Dartmouth College Reshma Rajasingh

states // may 2018 // KANSAS

Baker University Claire Chapman Will Hanson Michael Secrest Hanna Stevens Benedictine College Jake Faust Madalynn Gill Benji Jestel Coffeyville Community College Nathan Mahloch Eric Nicholson Emporia State University Quin Birmingham Jamie Harrington Shane McMasters Liz Miller John Rinehart Emily Watskey Hyogi Yeon Fort Hays State University Reese Loveland Johnson County Community College Will Becker Tevis Blandi Parker Bode David Carpenter Sergei Creech Connor Dirkes Adriana Egozi

Nate Ezyk Kaysha Foil Zack Ford Joe Gliesman Grace Hoskins Lily Huffaker Lily Julian Emma Keling Riley Kelly Natalie Kemmer Tyler King Jessi Kirwin Alex Kistner Kylie Liston Vito Mannino Adrian Marsh Kyle Marshall Maddy Martin Dillon McEntee Wesley Mentzel Corbin Miller Zunaid Moknijia Peter Morrison Knick Nguyen Janie Nugent Rachel Outlaw Juan Prats Andrew Rovello Jayden Rutler Ally Smith Dakota Smith Henry Stang Shayan Tarakemeh Sal Vitale Cameron Welch Hope Winchel Kansas State University Spencer Alaimo Madeline Alexander Logan Asbury

Lindsay Barash Jack Behrndt Cassidy Berg Sydney Blackburn Grant Boehringer Jake Boerger Kate Boerger Jordan Brandel Nick Braun Lydia Budz Abby Cheesebrough Lexy Clinton Benjamin DeZube Grace Euler Isaiah Euler Julie Freijat Will Friedebach Lauren Greenstreet Garrett Gunnerson Ross Hahn Carter Hall Anne Hastert Audrey Hawn Brett Holland Dayne Homolka Lily Hoover Anthony Hornung Haley Jones Josie Jones Alan Karst Jake Ketcher Elyssa Lenz Nick Lester Kelly Long Grace Marquardt Reed McCreight Nick McLaury Garrett Menees Daniel Middleton Ben Mullinnix Bailey Nelson Zach Nelson

Nick Nolkemper Nicki Ogden Ethan Oleen Ryan Peterson Jack Pleimann Abby Quigley Anna Quigley Ryan Richards Tristan Rios Alexa Root Kyle Ruder Kodi Simmons Logan Slead Alex Smith Catherine Szukalski Zach Terrell Ben Thompson Brianna Thompson Lillian Thompson Katie Upton Cameron Waldron Natalie Walters Melanie White Taylor Wilkins Dylan Williams Victoria Wilson Pittsburg State University Lily Cordes Caitlyn Dusthimer Courtney Ison Sadie Myer Lizzie Skidmore University of Kansas Tali Amjadi Zenia Amrolia Lauren Anderson Peyton Anderson Halle Arnold Ramin Bagher

Katie Barbosa Luke Bernard Junaid Bisaria Elli Bodenhamer Matthew Boushka Maddie Brown Caroline Carr Mikey Castro Justin Clough Bailey Cook Mike Dolan Thomas Drosos Riley Fisher Brett Florack Nicholena Fritz Nathan Fulton Hart Gilmore Jacob GoffJorgensen Julia GoffJorgensen Margaret Harrigan Megan Hatfield Mary Havens Grant Healy Kate Hollingsworth Juliet Holmes Anchitha Honnur Abby Idoux Quentin Jarrell Nick Johnston Lauren Jones Riley Jones Noah Kahn Anisha Kodwani Brock Lawrence Lucas LeblancSeaux Jillian Lewis Jaron Lucas Jack Lunceford Jenny Luong Mansi Malkan

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Hayley McCune Garin McKenna Kameron McKenzie Chaaya Minhas Shahab Mirza Paige Moses Owen Olson Jack Pine Harry Pressdee Jennifer Quirk Sydney Renkemeyer Sean Schaper Evan Schrader Carley Sherer Julia Shyver Cat Simmons Ryan Smith Bella Umentum Alec Vobach Michael Womack Thomas Wood Nic Woodward Cody Zakeri Trey Werr University of Saint Mary Jacob Honadel Wichita State University Ivy Daugherty Hayden Katz Emily Matchell Washburn University Max Ashworth

TEXAS COLORADO Colorado College Katie Beth Jones Colorado Christian University Kyra Redstone

Colorado State University Emily Himmel Amelia Lock Annie Overman Rachel Wise

Abilene Christian University Texas Christian University Macie Lawrence Emily Mullins Annie Shull Baylor University Texas A&M at Galveston Hanna Bradford Kate Strickland Rice University University of Texas at Gabe Gress Arlington Max Wang Jade McAfee

VIRGINIA Virginia Commonwealth University Shereen Sarwar | DESIGN BY ALLI WILLIAMS

18 //may 2018 // states HAWAII

UTAH Brigham Young University Wilkin Jones Adelyn Stokes

Brigham Young University — Hawaii Mike Jones

SOUTH DAKOTA University of South Dakota Grace Garcia

University of Utah Becca Niederhauser

FLORIDA Florida State University Chris Meissner

NEBRASKA Concordia University Sydney Rogers Creighton University Ashleigh Furey Carlee Cline

Northwest Florida State University Cleo Hadel

University of Nebraska Madison Mohar Garrett Stigge

Ringling College of Art & Design Marie Biernacki

OKLAHOMA NEW YORK Columbia University Elaine Zhu Fashion Institute of Technology Kelly Zhang

WISCONSIN University of Wisconsin-Madison Siddarth Pillai

School of Visual Arts Kaitlin Yu Syracuse University Jenna Merry

CALIFORNIA Loyola Marymount University Los Angeles Lauren Lee

University of Tulsa Bella L’Heureux Lucas Pickett

NEW JERSEY WASHINGTON

Rabbinical College of America Amit Israeli

Seattle Central College Rachel Tran

Musicians Institute California Ethan Rankin University of California, Berkley Angela Jiang University of California, Los Angeles Katrina Doherty Lauren Scott University of Southern California Chase Espy

LOUISIANA Loyola University New Orleans Shawn Stoneburner

MINNESOTA

McNeese State Univeristy Ashlyn Frickey

University of Minnesota Cameron Nadler Olivia Toles

Macalester College Carter Newport

states // may 2018 //

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MISSISSIPPI Mississippi State University Gabby Wilcox

ALABAMA University of Alabama Jessica Justmann

INDIANA University of Notre Dame Clare Hyland Avery Wright

PENNSYLVANIA Franklin & Marshall College Danielle Rice University of Pennsylvania Shakti Arunachalam

NORTH CAROLINA University of North Carolina Christian Hansen

Villanova University Kate Rudigier

TENNESSEE Belmont University Anna Synek

Northwestern University Kevin Man

WASHINGTON D.C. American University David Kim

KENTUCKY Drake University Ryan Pettes Olivia Gurley

MICHIGAN Michigan State University Adrian Barrett Destiny Thomas University of Michigan Richita Roy

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Logan Honeycutt Suchir Kavi

Bluegrass Community and Technical College Will Shropshire

IOWA

William Penn University Brady Hale

Bradley University Jason Lovette Loyola University Chicago Missy Stigliano

University of Tennessee Chloe Hayton

Iowa State University Lily Ehler

ILLINOIS

Other

Au Pair — Spain Nikita Larson Cosmetology School Savannah Davis Mission Work Claire Andres Jackson Harwood Sage Pace Study Abroad Asa Abrahamson

Study Abroad Through the University of Southern California Mallory Novicoff Undecided Colin Green Drew Howard Claiborn Schmidt Justin Schoenfeld

Unknown Tori Lair Hailey Malone Holdon Moore Nathaniel Vande Garde Work Force Eddie Brooks Javan Hart Grayson Humphrey Ryan Ingraham Naomi MallisonJones Tabitha Miller Kristen Morrison

20 //may 2018 // feature

Flying Far, Far Away Far BV senior plans to travel to Israel, study Judaism | WORDS & DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY ASA ABRAHAMSON Abrahamson sings Jewish songs like “Hashem Melech” and “Dancing Shabbat Away” at the Midwest NCSY Conclave Convention. The post-Shabbat ceremony Havdalah is often dedicated to one person, and Abrahamson was chosen at the convention last December.

A

fter they graduate, some seniors will stay in Kansas, some will drive thousands of miles away to an out-of-state college, and some will fly out of the country to spread their religion, but only one Blue Valley senior will be making the trip to Israel to further understand his faith.

Asa Abrahamson will attend the Aish Gesher program, which will teach students the foundations of Judaism as well as the Torah’s wisdom for living. Abrahamson said his Jewish youth group, NCSY, inspired him to be more religious.

“My personal goals are getting fluent in Hebrew and understanding my faith on a deeper level,” he said. “I believe an experience in Israel will be different than America because it’s where my faith originated and allows me to see where all the events of the Torah unfolded.”

After finishing the application process for the program, which included essays and an interview, Abrahamson said he was happy to be accepted into the program.

“Aish Gesher is concurrent with Yeshiva University in New York, meaning I will get college credits,” he said. “What I will be studying is Judaism, including reading the Torah and being able to speak Hebrew fluently. When I get back to the States, I will either attend Yeshiva University or University of Utah. I have been accepted to both, and I am just going to defer them till next year.”

Although Abrahamson is leaving in the last week of August, he is beginning to prepare for the program, like applying for scholarships to help pay for it and visiting Israel.

“I haven’t had the pleasure to go to Israel yet, but I will be going to Poland and Israel for a month this summer with my Jewish youth group,” he said.

Abrahamson said he will be living in a dorm of a yeshiva in the city of Jerusalem with a roommate he doesn’t know yet.

“My biggest fear is being far away from where I have grown up in a completely different environment, though that gives me excitement as well,” he said.

feature //may 2018 //

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CIAO, ITALIA BV senior takes gap semester to study in Italy julie freijat

co-editor in chief

G

raduation will mark the beginning of a new adventure for many in the Class of 2018.

Whether it be mission work, college or the military, the opportunities are seemingly endless.

For senior Mallory Novicoff, it will take her halfway across the world.

Novicoff will spend her first fall semester in college in Italy to study history, Italian and French. The opportunity comes from the University of Southern California, where Novicoff will be attending in the spring semester of 2019.

“I was accepted to USC as a Spring admit, meaning I would start school there in January,” she said. “They

gave me the option of a gap semester, studying at a community college or studying abroad through the university to get [general education] credits.”

Novicoff said she decided to study abroad in Rome because it would allow her to utilize her gap semester to continue learning as well as study history in a place rich with it.

“I’m looking forward to attending school right down the road from Saint Peter’s Basilica and live in an apartment in the middle of Rome,” Novicoff said. “Also, of course I am looking forward to learning Italian and eating pizza every day.”

She said she was excited to be admitted to USC and have the opportunity to study abroad, which she couldn’t pass up. But, Novicoff also said she is a bit nervous about being

away from home.

“I will be completely independent and on my own; however, I see that as a challenge I am more than willing to welcome,” she said. “At 18 years old, I know I will have some hard days where I miss my friends and family, but this is the time where you need to live your life and take any opportunity you’re given, even if it means you’ll be on your own.”

Novicoff said she is considering minoring in Italian and believes her study abroad semester will provide her with a framework for her future studies.

“I hope to find a sense of independence that will prepare me for my future as a student at USC,” she said.

“I also hope to learn about something that I’ve always been passionate about: the Italian language and culture.”

IS s SAS E e l M i O R m M KAN 4 6 3 , 5 FRO

USC ACCEPTS

16.5 percent of applicants*

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY MALLORY NOVICOFF In a USC shirt, Novicoff smiles for the camera. Novicoff is one of two BV students who will be attending USC for college next year. *as of 2016 | DESIGN BY JULIE FREIJAT

22 //may 2018 // feature

K e h t o t d e t t i omm

C

| DESIGN BY VICTORIA WILSON & LIZZIE SKIDMORE

Senior chosen for 2018 Royals KCrew cess to experience Royals games as a member of KCrew.”

Prior to opening day, KCrew members were required to go through KCrew 101.

Each spring, Kansas City Royals fans look “For training, we had a few meetings for separate forward to the most anticipated day in baseball: [activities]. It basically goes over all of the basics of Opening Day at The K. For senior Tristan Rios, the the stadium, a sample schedule of our duties during Royals season opener was more the games, and tips and tricks to do than just the first game day — it the best you can,” Rios said. was her first game working Training prepares new members for the Royals organization for the variety of tasks they are as a member of KCrew, a job faced with on game days. she had longed for since she “There are pre-game duties, noticed the opportunity in and during inning breaks we intermiddle school. act with fans,” Rios said. “There T R I S TA N “The purpose of KCrew is to are also the 7th inning stretches, interact with fans and to share our T-shirt tosses and other appearances of passion for the Royals with everyone,” [our group] throughout The K.” Rios said. “We are there to put smiles After all of the preparation to make the on [fans’] faces and make a positive imfirst day at The K a success, KCrew mempact on everyone at each game.” bers were finally able to experience their first To be a part of the selective group of game being a part of the Royals organization.

24 girls who cheer on the Royals, can“Opening day was an amazing experididates must be outgoing and comfortence,” Rios said. “Getting the crowd pumped able interacting with a wide variety of up during starting lineups was my favorite people. part. Singing the seventh inning stretch with “The [audition] process was pretty inthe rally towels was awesome, too.” tense,” Rios said. “I sent in an application Being a member of KCrew requires a and was selected to interview, which was large time commitment during the months pretty nerve-racking since it was for a big leading up to Opening Day and throughout organization.” the entire season, but Rios is ready to spend Though the audition process seemed her time cheering on the Royals. intimidating, Rios said she felt prepared “On average, I have about one to two due to her past experience with dance and games per homestand, depending on the performing in front of large audiences. week,” Rios said. “In the fall, I will have to “When I found out I made KCrew, I was balance traveling to and from [Kansas State Unithrilled,” Rios said. “I couldn’t wait to meet versity]. It will be a big time commitment but well [the other] girls and go through the training proworth it.”

carley sherer staff writer

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| DESIGN BY MARIE BIERNACKI | PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY RESPECTIVE STUDENTS 5. Hannah Hawks 6. Will Friedebach 7. Tristan Rios 8. Jack Behrndt

9. Nick McLaury 10. Lily Cordes 11. Kyle Ruder 12. Zenia Amrolia

13. Taylor Wilkins 14. Thomas Wood 15. Savannah Davis 16. Nick Lester

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24 //may 2018