The Tiger Print — April 2008

the

tigerprint Blue Valley High• April 2008 • Vol. 38 Issue 8

green

it is easy being simple steps to reduce your carbon footprint page 6

Sky’s theLIMIT students exceed all expectations pages 7-9

2currentevents

Hot topics from Blue Valley...

1. District sets May 28 as final day of school

April 2008

NHS welcomes 111 inductees to their ranks callieeaton

staff reporter

School district personnel announced last month that the final day of school for underclassmen will be Wednesday, May 28. Students will take their first finals on Friday, May 23 and, after Memorial Day Weekend, will finish finals on May 27 and 28. Teachers will work on May 29 before beginning their summer. By Mitch Smith.

The National Honor Society annual spring induction was March 26 in the PAC. During the ceremony, 111 students were inducted.

2. Newspaper editors for 2008-2009 announced

Students Inducted: Ali Athey, Vanessa Badillo, Hope Bazille, Michael Bennett, Kaitlin Berry, Olivia Bertels, Amanda Blue, Adrienne Brown, Carmen Burchett, Rachel Burton, Sarah Campbell, Emily Campbell, Jessie Chastain, Richard Chushuk, Jamie Cook, Jennifer Cullinan, Josh Dean, Corey Devine, Al-

The Tiger Print editors for 2008-2009 were announced earlier this month. Junior Mitch Smith will serve as editor in chief and junior Emily Strickland will be managing editor.

Other editors include sophomores Tori Freisner (entertainment), AJ Barbosa (sports), Stephanie Roche (in-depth), Katie Louis (features) and Allison Kohn (opinions) as well as juniors Nathan Lindshield (news), Kyra Storm (copy), Noopur Goel (advertising), Tyler Duke (circulation) and Amanda Blue (photos). By News Staff.

exandra Drake, Matthew Estrin, Lauren Fogle, Alison Foster, Kelly Frickleton, Amanda Gallagher, Shelby Geiman, Christopher Gibson, Ryann Green, Jake Griggs, Heather Gruber, Michelle Hall, Julia Hansen, Kylie Hennagin, Jordan Hinmon, Alyssa Huff, Josh Huston, Travis Hyde, Evan Iliff, Jeff Jensen, Jordan Kalal, Alexandra Katsorelos, Andrew Katzenstein, Grace Kay, Ned Kellenberger, Mary Kellerman, Suraj Keshary, Min Kim, Jordan King, Christine Lang, April Levins, Nathan Lindshield, Victoria Litardo, Travis Loyd, Samuel Lutz, Jakob Maase, Ariana Martinez, Madison Martley, Rachael McDonald, Kirk McPhail, Alex Milbourn, Sarah Miller, Jonathan Nebel, Taylor Nichols, Emily Nichols, Brianna Ortbals, Megan Peterson, Lindsey Petrick, Mi-

chael Portnoy, Brittany Portell, Caroline Proulx, Ariel Puccetti, Mohammad Ramahi, Lukas Rampy, Christine Reinhardt, Courtney Rhodes, Lauren Richter, Ali Rios, Marlee Rogers, Thomas Roudebush, Frankie Scarafile, Kathryn Schultz, Rebecca Silverstein, Simran Singh, Ryan Skaggs, Danielle Smith, Emma Smith, Mitchell Smith, Shelley Sparling, Robert Specht, Anna Speer, Douglas Stabenow, Samantha Steinmetz, Elizabeth Stinson, Kyra Storm, Emily Strickland, Monica Supple, Tyler Svancara, Rachel Tate, Lauren Taulbee, Alex Todd, Nicole Upah, Kristina Vance, Kari Varner, Tyler Vollick, Mitchell Waala, Kenton Watkins, Dana Whetter, Luke Wiggins, Abigail Williams, Nick Williams, Daniel Wood and Joshua Wormington.

clubprofile: headrush

3. Clubs raise awareness with recycling initiative The Environmental Club and track team are heading up a recycling fundraiser on Saturday, April 26. The students will be collecting both working and broken electronics in the old senior parking lot from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Recyclable electronics include cell phones, DVDs, portable DVD players, ink jet cartridges, digital cameras, GPS devices, laptops, MP3 players, video games, video game consoles and camcorders.

Club members hope this event will help raise awareness while also providing a convenience for the community.

“Not only does this help the environment, but a lot of people have broken electronics to get rid of,” freshman Luke Dickerson said. By Kyra Storm.

4. Prom king, queen recognized at annual dance Prom was held April 5 at the Ritz-Charles, where the theme was Casino Royale. Senior Jonathan Callister was crowned king and senior Brianna Eldridge was named queen. Other king nominees included seniors Travis Brockmeyer, Craig Cook, Michael Petersen and Brian Israel. Queen nominees included seniors Megan Adams, Katy Bantham, Hayley Black and Anne McClain. By Emily Strickland.

5. Floods cause inconveniences in 200 hallway This Tuesday, water flowed through the freshman hall due to either a break in the water pipes or heavy rainfall. District personnel were unsure of the exact cause of the flooding at press time.

Students with lockers in the 200 hallway were instructed to get all materials they would need before cleanup began fourth hour. Custodians then vacuumed water off the floor and shut off the power outlets in Room 209, where most of the flooding occurred. By Jake Faber.

...and the world around us 1. KU snatches national title in overtime triumph The University of Kansas men’s basketball team won the national championship Monday in an overtime win against Memphis. With less than two minutes to play in regulation, the Jayhawks trailed by as many as nine points before rallying to within three. Mario Chalmers hit a game-tying three pointer with just two seconds to play.

Kansas jumped out to an early lead in overtime and cruised to a victory behind poor free-throw shooting by the Tigers.

The Jayhawks arrived in the title game after defeating former KU coach Roy Williams and his North Carolina Tar Heels in the national semifinals. By Mitch Smith.

Senior Sarah Kelly works on the cover page of the Headrush literary magazine. Kelly and her fellow staff members are in the process of designing the magazine, which will showcase student art, writing and photography while raising awareness about international social justice issues. Photo by Gwen Bergerhofer.

kellycosby

staff reporter

Headrush, Blue Valley High School’s literary magazine, is taking a different direction with its production this year.

“It’s going to be a different type of magazine than we’ve had in a long time,” co-editor and senior Sarah Kelly said.

The group is nearing the end of the production process.

“The magazine is like 75 percent done,” senior Melanie Troutman said. “All of the art and literature are picked out; we are just designing the pages.”

Troutman is the magazine’s editor in chief, and her vision for the publication from day one was to make a dramatic change from the usual pattern the magazine has fallen into in recent years. It will be radically different, Troutman said. This mission has brought the staff

together like never before.

“Overall, the staff is more cohesive,” Kelly said. “It’s going back to the roots of what Headrush was all about.”

To break the monotonous streak, the staff decided to develop a theme for this volume.

They decided to make the magazine about social and political issues they feel strongly about, mainly social injustices.

“It kind of presents the opinions of the staff and what we think the student body is trying to say,” Troutman said.

For many staff members, the new theme has become more than a way to hold the magazine together and has turned into a personal cause.

“The purpose of the magazine is to express students who are involved in more than just themselves,” Kelly said. “But we

are also trying to make a difference.”

Some staff members of Headrush are taking their commitment to the cause and to the social justice theme of the magazine a step further. A majority of the staff is currently working with the United Nations Association to put together a benefit concert in Westport.

The concert is part to the week of events put together by the UNA and dedicated to raising awareness about the genocide in Darfur.

“We have a reggae band, a punk band, a jazz band—it’s a variety of music, so there should be something there for everyone’s taste,” Troutman said.

The concert is set for April 20 at the Beaumont Club and is an all-ages show. Tickets are $8 and will be sold at the door.

currentevents3

April 2008

Proposed BVSW boundaries could affect BV class of 2011 katielouis

staff reporter

BVHS will lose close to 200 students in the fall of 2010 with the opening of Blue Valley Southwest. A smaller student population will help free up parking spaces and lessen the necessity for mobile classrooms.

Covering 300,000 square feet, Southwest will be larger than all Blue Valley schools, with the exception of West. With a capacity of 1,600 students, the school will be a large 4A or small 5A KSHSAA classification and have varsity football in its first year. A new middle school set to open in 2011 will be built on the same site.

“We continue to see enrollment growth at both Blue Valley High School and Blue Valley West that will exceed the capacity of both buildings in the next couple of years,” said Al Hanna, Deputy Superintendent of Administrative Services.

Opening Southwest is the Board of Education’s solution to this problem.

“We’re in good shape at Blue Valley Southwest,” Hanna said “We have a lot of planning done and now we are working on issues not construction-related.”

Those issues include naming a principal in January of 2009 and determining their mascot and colors. Several teams are working on athletic schedules, sports uniforms and finding equipment and furniture for the building.

“It’s a lot of work to open a new building, especially a new high school,” Hanna said. “We say it’s like opening five elementary schools because of all the coordination that must occur.”

The curriculum will be identical to the other high schools in the district. The campus will include eight sport practice fields – two baseball, two football (one synthetic), two soccer and two softball. One field will be lighted for each sport. They also plan to have six tennis courts and a track. A sports complex is planned for the future, after the school is opened. It will be similar to West’s, including a press box, spectator seating, bathrooms, concessions and additional parking.

A new high school at 175th and Quivira will affect the current freshmen class. Although the preliminary boundaries were drawn on Feb. 11, 2008, they won’t be finalized until sometime between December 2008 and February 2009.

“Anytime we lose part of our student population it will be hard,” principal Scott Bacon said. “And it’s not only students we will be losing, we’ll probably lose some of our staff too – teachers, coaches and sponsors.”

Chemistry teacher Charlena Sieve is just one staff member who would prefer to stay at BV. Instead of an estimated 1,500 students in 2010, Hanna said Blue Valley will have around 1,300.

“The good news is we’ve been through this three times before,” Bacon said. “The biggest was when West opened – we dropped to 900 students from 1,800.”

Hanna and Bacon both said the parking lot will definitely improve, but Hanna said the mobiles will most likely be around for a while.

“Over time, I think you’ll see the mobiles start to go,” Hanna said. “But typically, we won’t move them away until we need them at another location.”

Students enrolled at Blue Valley now may be surprised to find out they’ll be attending the new school in the fall of 2010, but most won’t have a choice.

Freshmen like Andrea Snyder, who lives within the preliminary Southwest boundary, will be able to choose between spending her senior year here at Blue Valley or at Southwest.

“I wouldn’t want to be in the first graduating class at a new school,” Snyder said. “So, I would probably choose to stay here.”

Students with special situations might be able to stay at Blue Valley, but only if their case is approved by the Board of Education.

“Typically, like when Northwest and West opened, they gave seniors a choice,” Hanna said. “But, freshmen, sophomores and juniors are required to go to the new school, unless they have very unique circumstances and file an appeal – but very few appeals are approved.”

Just the facts...

Opening: August 2010 Maxium Capacity: 1,600 students Location: 175th and Quivira Effect on BVHS: Loss of about 200 students

Shown here are the proposed boundaries for Blue Valley Southwest High School. Southwest is scheduled to open in the fall of 2010 and, if the above boundaries are approved, could take 200 students from BVHS. The area outlined in black above is the proposed BVSW attendance area.

Map courtesy of the Blue Valley School District.

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LETTER TO THE

EDITOR Expires May 15

Expires May 15

please drop letters by room 450 or email to thetigerprint@yahoo.com

4currentevents

April 2008

Parking changes affect sophomores andrewfiori

staff reporter

With the recent move of the sophomore parking spaces, Campus Police officers hoped to alleviate the parking problems.

These changes will be in effect until after graduation.

“So far we haven’t had any complaints,” Campus Police Officer Dennis Randall said. “But there is still parking along the

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curb and median. That will not be tolerated and tickets will be issued to whoever parks there.

The warnings are over.”

There have been no citations issued yet for illegal parking and Randall hopes it will stay that way.

“There are unfortunately no other spaces available,” Randall said. “We are at full capacity. If students have to drive to school,

they might just have to park in the nearby parking lot and walk the rest of the way.”

Sophomore Alex Taylor feels that it is unfair that sophomores who purchased a parking pass are being forced to park along the back of the football field and tennis courts.

“We bought a parking pass, we should be able to park in the main lot,” Taylor said.

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First-year robotics team successful at recent competition

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jasonwood

staff reporter

The robotics club competed in the FIRST robotics competition on Saturday, March 8. The team finished second in the qualifying round with a record of 6-0-1. Seeded second going into the elimination rounds, the team lost in its first match.

The team is proud of how they did in the biggest tournament of the year.

“I thought we did very well,” club sponsor Trevor Sutcliffe said. “The people running the competition were very impressed with how we did as a rookie team.”

The Tigers were paired up with two other teams and competed in three-on-three matches together. The object of the match is to get as many points

as possible on a track. Points can be earned by either completing one lap, crossing specific lines around the track, knocking a big ball off a metal rack, or taking a big ball and throwing it over the rack. Each round lasts two minutes and 30 seconds.

The team not only finished second out of 55 teams in the qualifying round, it also won the Imagery Award and the Highest Rookie Seed Award.

“Considering we are a rookie robotics team it feels pretty good to know we won these awards,” freshman Ryan Jaspal said.

The robot built for the competition was a hybrid. This means that the robot could run on its own after being programmed and it could be controlled manually using a remote control. During the match, each

robot had to run on its own for the first 15 seconds and then could be controlled using a remote for the rest of the time.

Sophomore Jackson Cwach and freshman Tucker Baumgartner controlled the robot manually during each round and Jaspal gave the robot commands when it had to move autonomously in the first 15 seconds of each round.

The team’s robot could move up to 10 miles per hour and could extend up to six feet.

The seven returning members are looking forward to next year.

“We are hoping to go to more regional competitions next year,” Jaspal said. “We should be able to win the BEST competition next year because this year our robot was inadequate and we still finished ninth.”

ourvoice5

April 2008 the

tigerprint 07-08

editor-in-chief sarah weaver managing editor brooke thurman news editors mitch smith kelly cosby opinions editors megan van sooy emily strickland sports editor braden miller photo editor nina humphrey assistant entertainment editor stephanie roche reporters aj barbosa tyler duke callie eaton jake faber andrew fiori ally francis tori freisner allison kohn karen liebentritt nathan lindshield katie louis cole owen steven reno kyra storm jason wood photographers kelly aubuchon gwen bergerhofer amanda blue tess england tom roudebush ashley stickler advertising managers noopur goel kylie hennagin circulation manager noopur goel adviser jill chittum guest cartoonist alex katsorelos The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression.

Therefore, the opinions expressed within this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley School District #229.

The Tiger Print encourages guest photography. Photos should be submitted to room 450 with information pertaining to the photo.

Front page photo: The cans show how a lack of recycling and being conscience of the environment can affect it.

Photo illustration by Nina Humphrey.

Letters to the editor and reader responses are also encouraged. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions and encourages letter to be no more than 500 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450 or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085 email: thetigerprint@yahoo.com 913-239-4800

staff editorial

Acceptance, respect are important life lessons Most of us are stressed out right now.

Finals, AP exams, graduation and college weigh heavily on students’ minds. Everyone needs support and care going into these last few weeks of school. Now, more than ever, is a time to embrace others and accept them as individuals.

Everyone is different and deserves a chance to impress you with who they are. This year, try to give new people some chances.

If you have a grudge against someone, try to work it out.

After all, one-fourth of the school won’t be here next year. You will most likely not see your senior friends for a long time.

Because it’s spring, start new and fresh. Talk to the kid that you see sitting at lunch alone. Show a smile to everyone you pass walking down the hallway.

Most of you have never said a word to more than half the kids at our school. We aren’t saying go around and meet people the Borat way, but you might try listening in on what people’s vacations are going to be.

Expand your friend base and meet

Illustration by Alex Katsorelos.

new people at school. Who knows? He or she could turn out to be your best friend.

The one thing we should all learn in high school is to respect everyone until you know who they really are.

The kid that is mean, loud and obnoxious in class all the time may have some hidden troubles at home.

If you think you’re having a bad day, there is always someone who is having a worse day than you are; be conscious of that fact.

Don’t you think our school would benefit from kindness and acceptance?

You wander down the halls of BVHS for only four years of your life; make it the best.

Meet new people every chance you get; start over and hear other people’s stories.

You can learn so much from other people and they, in turn, will learn from you. People helping people, that’s the way we work.

letter to the editor

Student responds to letters to the editor in March issue Dear Editor, I am sorry the journalist at our paper has offended anyone in any way (“Johnson County Moms” — February).

His comments were harsh, and I’m sure they offended some people.

However, it is his right and opportunity to express his feelings toward how people act.

Everyone has the right to be upset and offended, but “what our school feels is appropriate for our children to be reading” is not half as bad as the things their parents are exposing them to.

Take a look at most kids’ iPods. Go find a rap artist, such as 50 Cent or T-Pain. Ingest some of the lyrics they throw out about women.

Would women rather be referred to like that?

Why don’t parents censor their kids if they want to censor someone else’s?

The staff wants their paper read. That is the bottom

line. If someone publishes something, they want it read. It is a column.

That means the writer’s

“

raised is the business of the parents. The government is attempting to pass laws, and has in many states, that

if someone writes

a letter every time they disagree with something someone says, their hand might cramp up.

- Joseph Davies

opinion on a topic is expressed.

If someone writes a letter every time they disagree with something someone says, their hand might cramp up.

We don’t want that to happen now, do we?

The way children are

”

interfere with our ability to decide for ourselves.

Instead of writing letters like the ones in the March issue, vote. It’s more effective, and we need more people to do it.

But that isn’t the issue here.

People can be offend-

ed all they want, but they should have no say in what goes into papers that they don’t write for.

No one should. Just don’t read it.

That column was not meant to be a personal attack on anyone.

However, I believe that anyone has as much right to respond to the article as the journalist did writing it.

Different people have different views of right and wrong.

I am a very stubborn and bull-headed person, and often times I have conflicting views from my friends and family.

That doesn’t mean they are wrong, and it doesn’t mean the person that wrote the letter was wrong to write it, just some people may not see it that way.

Sincerely, Freshman Joseph Davies

6spotlight

think

April 2008

GREEN allisonkohn

You know it’s “green” if...

• The label has a seal of certification

from the USDA, EcoCert, or BDIH

•The paper packaging is marked with “post consumer” or “recycled content”

staff reporter

As many companies jump on the bandwagon to “go green” and do their part to help save the environment, what can the student body do to help? If you’re not planning on buying a Hybrid any time soon, these easy ideas are something that everyone can do in their share in helping our planet.

• The triangular recyclable symbol present on the bottom with a 1 or a2 •It’s organic food

1. Recycle. Recycle your empty

Gatorade and Propel bottles. The bins labeled “recycling” all over school make that pretty easy. Recycle used shampoo and conditioner bottles once you have used them up. Recycle old notebooks, homework and other school papers you no longer need. These are all common things that people throw away with out a second thought.

3. Save water. When your brush your

teeth or wash your face, turn off the faucet.

The water you let run wastes thousands of gallons of water every year. Try to also limit the lengths of showers so they don’t waste unneeded water.

4. Carpool with friends. This will not only help the current situation in our school’s parking lot and help you save 2. Turn off the lights when money on gas, but this also reduces the you leave a room. This split sec- pollutants that are emitted from cars that ond decision not only can bring down harm the ozone layer. Try trading off days with a few friends for who drives everyone the electricity bill, but also saves a lot of energy. To be even more conscience, on what day. install the energy-saving compact fluorescent bulbs. These not only save 5. Plant a tree. National Arbor Day is more energy than a regular light bulb the last Friday of every April. Take some time but also last years longer than average to plant your own tree in your backyard. The bulbs. Compact fluorescent bulbs can oxygen trees give off help keep our air clean easily be found at any Wal-Mart, Home enough to breathe.

Depot or Lowe’s.

“i

raiseyourvoice

How green are you?

Going Green Dictionary

Some easy words that help you better understand some of the lingo used: Organic- Ingredients of products are made with out synthetic pesticides or fertilizers, growth hormones, antibiotics etc.

CFCs- chlorofluorocarbons are manmade chemicals that harm our ozone layer, common in most household cleaning products and personal-care items.

Pollutant- toxic chemicals emitted into the air that lead to cancer and other serious health risks. They are also responsible for the depletion of the ozone layer.

Ozone Layer- the protective layer around our Earth that keeps our planet’s temperature regulated, and keeps out some of the Sun’s harmful rays.

Some scary (but true!) facts: • Americans throw away 25 billion Styrofoam coffee cups every year, and 2.5 million plastic beverage bottles every hour.

• Using recycled paper for one print run of the Sunday edition of the New York Times would save 75,000 trees.

• The typical American home uses about 300 gallons of water a day.

” “i

recycle cans at home.

-sophomore lauren wooden

”

‘m not green at all.

-junior joe simmons

“ i

”

walk to school.

-freshman hayden murray

“ i

recycle, I turn off all the lights when I leave a room and I carpool.

”

-senior michael rawitch

April 2008

spotlight7

Against all odds

BV’s special education department offers wide variety of help jasonwood

staff reporter

Think of what it would be like if you came to school without your glasses. Your vision would be poor and you wouldn’t be able to function as well as you would normally. Thousands of students with disabilities face challenges similar to these everyday.

Blue Valley and other schools across the nation give these students the proper help they need. This help sometimes alters the daily life of students with disabilities from what most students are used to.

“Their day may be different because they are provided with above-and-beyond help,” counselor Sandy Fryer said.

Each student’s disability is documented on an Individualized Education Plans sheet or on a 504 Plan.

This tells teachers and staff the ways in which the student should be helped. Help can be anything from a paraprofessional helping students each day with physical needs to extra class time to understand class material better.

“We have to give a wide variety of help because there are over 1,000 types of special needs. Even the death of a parent can cause a student to require special needs,” Fryer said. “We provide what students need to make them successful and give them equal opportunities.”

Students who have special needs usually spend one or more hours of the school day in Room 301, the learning center, where they have study halls or take core classes designed for their specific needs.

Many students who receive help are grateful for it.

“I like being in the room,” said sophomore Emily

Swenson, a student who receives help from the special needs department. “It helps you a lot.”

Swenson takes several core classes in Room 301, including math and communication arts. She also learns other basic life skills.

Sophomore Sarah Cromer also enjoys and appreciates help given to her by the school. Cromer delivers and passes out mail for the office and receives help from a paraprofessional during the day.

The goal of giving students special help is to provide equal opportunity as well as encouraging students to accept and overcome their disabilities.

“Hopefully these students are at peace with their needs,” Fryer said. “Our goal is to have them understand their needs so they can have a positive, problem-solving attitude.”

Family Fun. Brothers freshman Cameron Gallet, junior Christophe Gallet and Ryan Gallet enjoy lots of family time together. Christophe comments that him and his brothers always laugh and love to have a good time. Christophe was born with William’s Syndrom which challenges him everyday. Photos submitted by Anne Gallet.

Junior’s outgoing personality brightens hallways of BVHS torifreisner

staff reporter

With his constant smile, charm and outgoing personality, junior Christophe Gallet brightens the days of many students.

Just like any other teenage boy, he loves funny movies, especially Will Ferrell. He loves to visit his family in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. But, unlike other teenage boys, Christophe was born with William’s Syndrome.

His family didn’t know he had special needs until he was about two years old. They visited many doctors before Christophe was finally diagnosed.

William’s Syndrome is a rare

genetic condition that can cause medical or developmental problems, especially low birth weight or weight gain.

Though Christophe had a normal birth weight, he did develop slower than other children his age. Twice before the age of two, he had eye surgery and now wears glasses. He also had two oral surgeries. “[I remember] feeling a little afraid,” Christophe said.

Now 17, he loves to spend time with his family, especially his siblings. He has two brothers, Ryan, 24 and BVHS freshman Cameron, 15. He also has a sister Lauren, 21. “[We] laugh, you know,” Christophe said of his siblings.

He has always loved to discover how things work and puts

electronics together with the help of his brother Cameron.

His mother, Anne Gallet, said that he has always been curious about the world around him.

When he was only three years old, he climbed up an armoire to see what was there and pushed the TV off in order to see all of the wires. He was uninjured but gave his mother a huge scare.

She tells another story about him in kindergarten. The students were told to introduce themselves by rhyming another word with their name. When it came time for Christophe’s turn, he declared, “I am Christophe, and I am pissed off!” -- a very unlikely statement from somebody whose biggest hobby is socializing, according to his mother.

“My biggest worry and it’s nobody’s fault – is that he needs to be included,” Anne said. “He wants to be invited to birthday parties or movies.”

Although his mother had originally feared sending him off to high school, she says that she could never imagine Christophe anywhere other than BVHS. “For me personally, they’ve done very well,” she said. “My experience is very good. They’re very accommodating. Other people, not where I am, have horror stories, but I’ve never had that.”

Christophe and his brother agree, saying that people treat him well.

“I’ve never seen anything negative,” Cameron said. “Everyone who tells me about him

tells me he’s really nice.”

“Especially Jen [Santa Maria, BVHS senior],” Christophe said.

“She called me yesterday.”

Some may remember the assembly last year where former Chiefs player Eddie Kennison promised Christophe a vintage engine he had been hoping for. Though he never received the engine, Christophe remains positive.

“He loves people,” she said.

“He [also] loves trains. They’re a big thing for him. He’s very mechanically minded. Every day after school, he sits at the computer and looks up engines.”

From swinging to discovering how engines work, Christophe loves life and those around him.

And with his ever-present smile, it shows.

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torifreisner

HEALTH Self titled 21

After listening to HEALTH for a while, you can’t help but feel that you know what the apocalypse will sound like. The four-piece band from L.A. relies heavily on distorted guitars and intense drumming. Standout tracks (with standout names) include “Lost Time” and “Crimewave.” Check out HEALTH’s self-titled debut on CD, vinyl and, yes, cassette tape.

vin Spacey

Jim Sturgess and Ke

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staff reporter

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There are many reasons why I am in love with 21, so I will keep it short and simple. Here are the top five reasons why I love 21: (I know, you were expecting 21 reasons, but really, who has time for that?)

1: Jim Sturgess, aka Across the Universe hottie who can act even while suppressing his accent.

2: The plot. Sturgess plays Ben Campbell, an MIT genius who needs some cash to pay for school.

And what better way to bring in the dough than join a group of the most gifted students, who under the rule of the “cool” teacher at school (Kevin Spacey), take over the tables in Vegas?

3: This brings me to Spacey, a versatile actor who can really make you hate him.

4: The supporting cast. They get a standing ovation from me. I don’t think the audience has cracked up that much about the actors in the background since Step Up 2: The Streets.

5: This movie will keep you guessing as to what will happen next. Thrilling, suspenseful and hilarious are just a few of the descriptors I could use.

If you’re looking for a safe bet, go see 21.

by Stephanie Roche

MGMT

Oracular Spectacular

In an interview with Rolling Stone, Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT (pronounced ‘The Management’) claimed that he had listened to his band’s album ‘Oracular Spectacular’ on acid. Fortunately for the rest of us, you don’t have to be tripping to appreciate the duo’s synth-filled debut. Standout tracks include ‘The Youth’, ‘Kids’ and ‘The Handshake’. Not bad for a band who appeared on The Late Show with David Letterman wearing capes.

12 payin’bills

April 2008

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BVTV1

Blue Valley Television

you could be a part of a LIVE cable broadcast!

Live Friday mornings and repeated at 5p.m., 9p.m. and midnight

work with state-of-the-art equipment and be a part of an award winning broadcasting team comprised of students from all Blue Valley schools Visit your counselor or contact Bruce McRoberts at (913) 239-4142 to find out more information about becoming a part of BVTV

signingoff13

April 2008

Ben Loats

Sara Ster

Photo by Tom Roudebush.

Photo by Amanda Blue.

On Monday, March 28, senior Sara Ster chose to play Division I soccer for the United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. Ster has played on the varsity squad throughout her high school career.

“I was relieved because all the paperwork, medicals and essays were finished and it’s also nice to know where I’m going next year,” Ster said.

While most students will be enjoying their summer with vacations, sports and activities, Ster will be reporting to the Academy on July 1.

Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) was also at the signing as Ster was required to secure a senator’s endorsement to attend the Academy.

Ster is excited at the prospect of continuing her athletic career and is also grateful for the opportunity to serve in the military.

“I get to do what I enjoy doing while serving my country at the same time,” Ster said. By Megan Van Sooy.

Senior Ben Loats has been running ever since he was able to walk. He has ran all throughout his high school career and has now been awarded to run on a scholarship at Pittsburg State University in Pittsburg, Kan. “I chose Pitt because they have a really fun and good team with people from all around the metro,” Loats said. “They have a really good program and I feel that I will fit in well.”

Loats, as well as many athletes, has been influenced by many, from friends to parents to coaches.

“I would like to thank my family for being there for me, as well as, coach [Diana Huber] and coach [Eric Driskell],” Loats said. “They have pushed me out of my comfort zone to make me a better runner.”

Early in the school year, Loats broke the Blue Valley record for the 1-mile run with a time of 4:21.1.

“It feels good to have broken the record and it was a good year to end my high school career with,” Loats said. By Braden Miller.

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April 2008

Spring sports begin season with hope for postseason Girls soccer starts season strong; returns six seniors With the return of six varsity seniors, coach K. Dean Snell said he expects to do much better than last year’s season.

“Since the core of varsity is back, along with the addition of some extra freshmen, I expect us to do better in both season and EKL,” Snell said. “We won our first game and that’s hopefully an indicator of how we will do the rest of the season.”

On April 2, the ladies played on their home field against Piper. With three goals scored in the first half by seniors Mindy Smith, Sara Ster and freshman Brooke Zimmerman, the girls won comfortably 4-0.

On March 31, the ladies took on rival BV West. With a tough battle fought on both sides of the ball, the Tigers fell short 2-0.

On March 25, the Lady Tigers went up against Topeka. Behind sophomore Heidi Parrish’s work at goalkeeper, the Tigers came out on top 1-0 with a header from senior Sara Ster off a corner kick.

The Lady Tigers play tonight here at 6:30 against Saint Thomas Aquinas.

by Andrew Fiori

With continued high hopes, senior Nick Noren took the mound and threw five shutout innings as the Tigers came out on top 7-1. Kerkhoff led the offense with three hits On March 22, they played a doubleheader against Wichita Northwest and Maize. Combes and sophomore Derek Hackney each went 3-4 and a home run

by LaMunyon.

The Tigers will face Shawnee Mission East on April 15.

by Jake Faber

teams. Senior Brianna Eldridge led the way finishing first in the triple jump while senior Simon Yu finished first in the boys triple jump. The boys team finished fifth overall at the meet.

The varsity team will participate in a meet today at Pittsburg State’s Gorilla Relays. Upcoming meets include Bishop Miege on April 17, KU Relays on April 18 and 19, Leavenworth on April 24 and the Belton Invitational on April 25.

by Katie Louis

Tennis team wins first two; led by returning letterman

The boys tennis team started off their spring season on March 10 against Shawnee Mission West. Sophomores Ross Watson and Jack Rieck led the team with victories in both their singles and doubles matches to give the Tigers the win, 9-7.

On March 11, the Tigers faced Olathe South and won, 9-1. Seniors Kolbe Joens and Jared Schmeichel, junior Alex Robinson, sophomores Watson and Rieck and freshman Parth Patel all won their singles and doubles matches.

by Jake Faber

Softball split against Rural; coach expect good season

Baseball start season well; returns five letterman The Tiger baseball team is currently 52 and are continuing to improve.

On April 4, the tigers faced BV Northwest again. Senior Nate Kerkhoff threw 72 pitches in the complete game twohit shutout. Junior Connor Combes doubled to lead off the bottom of the fifth and Kerkhoff drove Combes in with a single. Sophomore Cory Segui later doubled to score sophomore Tyler Disney. The Tigers scored one more in the sixth after a triple by senior JP LaMunyon and a single by sophomore Taylor Drake.

On April 1, the Tigers faced BV Northwest. Junior Tyler VanGerpen threw six shutout innings allowing four hits along with seven strikeouts. LaMunyon had three hits and Kerkhoff had two hits with an RBI double in the sixth inning.

On March 29, the team faced Turner.

Kerkhoff threw six innings giving up one run on two hits, giving the Tigers the win. Drake led the offense with three hits and three RBI’s, along with senior Matt Wilson having two hits.

On March 25, the Tigers faced Gardner-Edgerton in another doubleheader.

In the first game, senior pitcher John Killen struggled early as Gardner-Edgerton took an early 6-0 lead. The Tigers tried to fight back, but it was too much and the Tigers took their second loss of the season. Junior Joey Goodwin suffered a season ending injury with a broken foot.

Walker qualified for state.

Brennan also qualified as an individual for the 200-freestyle and 500-freestyle, Kent qualified for the 200-individual medley, 100-breaststroke, 100-butterfly, and 100-freestyle and Snyder qualified for the 50-freestyle.

On the diving side, returning state champion Wismer qualified for state along with senior Sammy Southerland.

by Jake Faber

Senior Elizabeth Baldwin holding off a defender from Topeka on March 25. The Lady Tigers kept Topeka from scoring to win a close match 1-0 off a header from a corner kick. The Lady Tigers are 3-1 and face rival Saint Thomas Aquinas tonight here at BV at 6:30. Photo by Tom Roudebush.

Young track team brings Swim team qualifies 11 life for upcoming seasons swimmers for state meet The track and field team has started its season with several successful meets.

“The potential is limitless this season,” boys coach Eric Driskell said. “We have great upperclass leaders and are looking forward to a strong finish during the championship section of our season.”

With 13 state meet qualifiers returning to the team and several more members with the potential to excel, girls coach Paul Brown is optimistic for the upcoming meets.

“We will be a great team this season,” Brown said. “We have a number of returning athletes, yet we are fairly young with the biggest classes being freshmen and sophomores.”

Both the girls and boys teams finished second out of six teams at the Ottawa Relays on Friday, March 28. BVHS hosted the Blue Valley Relays on Friday, April 4.

The girls finished second out of seven

­The girls swim team is starting off its 2008 season with some exciting meets and early state qualifiers, led by coach Monique Marquette, the Lady Tigers look to make a splash at the state championship this season.

“We have great senior leadership this season with several returning state qualifiers,” Marquette said. “State champion [junior] Lauren Wismer has returned as well. We are hoping for a great finish at EKL and State.”

Marquette’s prediction of a great finish at state looks even more likely with the progression of the season. The relay team of seniors Emily Selba and Marissa Cwach, sophomore Margaux Kent and freshman Samantha Brennan qualified for the 200-medley relay. The 200-free relay team of senior Kiley Johnson, juniors Ariel Puccetti and Sarah Miller, sophomore Allie Snyder and freshman Felicia

Blue Valley Lady Tiger’s softball team rocketed off the season with a double header against Washburn Rural. The first game against Washburn ended with a loss of 5-2. The second game, however, showed that the softball team wasn’t ready to give up. With a hit in the seventh inning by junior Lindsey Muller, the Tigers were able to bring in two runs that won the game, 4-3. Coach Jim Laughlin expects the team to continue doing well this season.

“A 1-1 season isn’t a bad start at all,” Laughlin said. “Especially against a powerhouse such as Washburn. We have a strong team this year, and I expect us to do really well.”

by Andrew Fiori

Boys golf finish fifth in EKL tournament on March 31

The boys golf team is under a new head coach, Andrew Millikan, for this season, after coach Steve Rampy decided to hand in the towel.

The boys recently participated in an EKL match. With top leaders being junior Connor Hickey with an overall score of 80, senior Will Steinwart with an overall score of 84 and sophomore Michael Fischer having an overall score of 84. As a team, the Tigers finished in fifth place with a combined score of 337. Hickey placed 11 among all the individuals.

by Andrew Fiori

April 2008 Monday

Sunday

Tuesday

Girls Softball

Girls Swimming

Wednesday

Thursday

Boys Tennis

Home meet at 4 p.m.

vs. BVNW at 4 p.m.

SENIOR countdown Friday

Bon Jovi

vs. BVW at 3:30 p.m.

“I’ll be there for you. These five words I swear to you.”

8 p.m. at Sprint Center

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13 Yo-Yo Day

15 Girls Softball

Not that you need an excuse to play with your Yo-Yo.

vs. BVW at 4 p.m.

Earth Day

Boys Baseball

♼

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Samuel Morse Birthday

Home meet at 4 p.m.

(Tigers)

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vs. BVW at 5 p.m.

28 Girls Soccer

Respect for Chickens Day

The eve of May Day, a celebration of spring.

Marked by music, singing, and bonfires.

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Girls Soccer

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vs. BVN at 7 p.m.

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May

Paper comes out today!

1

No Socks Day

Free Comic Book Day

2

Senior Picnic

Hopefully it is warm, that way our little toesies don’t freeze.

Sorry ladies, rumors are flying that this man is engaged.

You probably will want to check out the statue of Roscoe the Rooster in Maryland.

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George Clooney Birthday

vs. Emporia at 7 p.m.

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Senior/Faculty Challenge

Walpurgis Night

Boys Baseball

Girls Swimming

Inventor of Morse Code.

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KU Relays Day 2

Juniors and seniors will be out in the community today doing their part!

“Say hello to my little friend!”

vs. BVN at 3:30 p.m.

Do your part, recycle this paper!

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Track

Al Pacino Birthday

Boys Tennis

vs. BVN at 5 p.m.

Saturday

Community Service Day

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April 11

Head over to your favorite comic book store for a free one!

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Windmill Day

The high school journey is almost over.

Windmills are great sources of energy!

Track EKL Meet at 3 p.m.

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Yearbook Distribution Day

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SPRING B REAK

April 2008

08’

For two weeks students take a break from the usual bell schedule to cruise the Caribbean, ride the rollercoasters in Disneyland, or just relax.

Photos submitted by students.