the
print TIGER BLUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL
Vol. 41 Issue 5
December 2010
Stilwell, KS
Strong leadership, traditions help bring home 5th state title pages 12-13
inside Memories of Mr. Caldwell
Coping with divorce
To each his own
page 2
page 7
page 19
BV says goodbye to well-respected teacher, friend of 16 years
Senior offers advice after dealing with parents’ separation
Students, teachers talk radio station favorites including top 40, NPR
inthenews
in the halls...
Substitute teacher leaves lasting impression on BV
1. BV honored with academic award For the second year in a row, BVHS received the Governors Achievement Award. This is the third time BV met the requirement of being in the top five percent of schools in Kansas scoring high in math and reading. BV scored in the 97 and 98 percentile in reading and math respectively. “It is really a credit to our students and staff,” principal Scott Bacon said. “The teachers have a great passion for what they’re doing and students are doing a good job of applying things they learn in the classroom.” Bacon said the goal is to reach and maintain a 100 percent proficiency in both reading and math. “Students have told me they want this to be the best high school in the country,” Bacon said. “To do that we need to continue in the direction we are headed.” by Stephen Karst.
2. Student productions to premiere On Dec. 17, the student-made films The Forgotten One and Super Nova will premiere in the PAC from 6:30-9 p.m. The Fifth Wall Comedy Troupe will also perform to kick off the night. The Forgotten One, created during the 2010 BV Summer Film Camp, is a haunted house thriller starring sophomore David Cline and BV Southwest junior Gabrielle Hespe. Super Nova, written and directed by senior Ali Hadley, is a feel-good, inspirational film starring juniors Rebecca Jenkins and Jake Miller. “I am really excited for it,” Hadley said. “I’ve been working on [Super Nova] for almost a year and it’s a really big deal for me.” by Jaida Anderlik.
this month... Dec. 17
Finals hours 1 and 2
Dec. 20
Finals hours 3, 4 and 5
Dec. 21
Finals hours 6 and 7 End of 1st Semester — Start of Winter Break
Jan. 1, 2011
Happy New Year!
Jan. 3
Back to school Enrollment Fair
Jan. 4
Senior class photo at 9 a.m. in the commons
on the cover... Seniors Alex Newell and Hayden Murray celebrate right after the state championship game holding the 5A trophy. The team defeated Bishop Carroll 35-14 on Nov. 27 to take the title. Photo by Olivia Roudebush.
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Building substitute Pollard Caldwell poses with graduates Emily Swenson, Sarah Cromer and Christophe Gallet with his regular black decaf coffee. Caldwell passed away Nov. 12 after fighting with cancer for two years. Photo by Conner Combes/Tiger Print file photo.
caitlinholland editor-in-chief His presence was felt in the classroom as well as outside of it. He spent 16 years establishing himself in the Blue Valley community as a teacher, friend and stadium manager. Building substitute Pollard Caldwell passed away Nov. 12 after a two-year struggle with cancer. Caldwell continued to teach and stay active in the community while undergoing treatment for the disease. Principal Scott Bacon said Caldwell’s dedication to BV was evident because he kept returning to school day after day, even while sick. “That demonstrates a tremendous degree of commitment,” Bacon said. “Life isn’t about him, it was about serving others. To me, that typifies a very unselfish person.” Bacon said Caldwell always was ready to help out around school and interact with students. He said it was apparent that students enjoyed having Caldwell in their classrooms and in the building. “He had a demeanor kids appreciated,” he said. “He was a good listener, and if there was an event, he was probably at it.” Athletic Director Bob Whitehead said from the beginning of his time at BV, Caldwell was always looking for ways to contribute around school. He would bus students to sports practices, help choir director Marsha Moeller set up risers on the stage in the PAC and manage the officials at football games. Whitehead said Caldwell had a love for BV unmatched by many. When Caldwell met with Bacon and Whitehead two years ago and told them about his diagnosis, he said he wanted to continue working here as long as he possibly could. “He said, ‘The thing that keeps me going is the ability to come here and work at Blue Valley High School,’” Whitehead said. “He said, ‘I love this school.’” Whitehead said Caldwell had a selfless personality and had the best interest of students at heart. Whitehead said even after his diagnosis, Caldwell did his best to keep the students and his job his top priorities. “He never wanted people to know,” Whitehead said. “He was afraid they would feel sorry for him. He never once in the two years he battled that cancer ever complained or whined to me.”
“He said, ‘the thing that keeps me going is the ability to come here and work at Blue Valley High School.’” Athletic Director Bob Whitehead said. Caldwell’s fellow building sub Deb Harris said he was a very private person who cared a lot about BV and it’s students. “When I first started as a building sub 10 years ago, I remember even before that, my daughters telling me he knew every one of the kids’ names,” she said. “At one time he knew them and who had brothers and sisters here. That was phenomenal.” Harris, who serves on the Substitute Council, said she and Caldwell would occasionally discuss suggestions to present to the board. They would also joke about the stresses of their job in a tough economy. “It would be harder to get jobs and they would cut back, so we’d share, ‘Do you have a job this week?’ ‘How many jobs do you have?’” she said. Harris said she recalls one student who Caldwell affected profoundly. “When I first started subbing here, I remember one young woman who told me he literally saved her life,” she said. “I think she was contemplating suicide, and he sat down and talked to her and listened to her. She felt very strongly that he saved her life. And I thought that was very impressive.” Harris, who did not know about Caldwell’s struggle with cancer until a year ago, said it was in his reserved nature to not discuss it with many people. She said it was not until she saw him physically worn out that she knew he had cancer. “This fall, I would see him in the parking lot and his head would be down on the top of his car,” Harris said. “You could just see him trying to gather up the strength to come back for one more day.” She said coming to Blue Valley every day helped Caldwell get through many difficult moments. “People need certain things to keep them going,” she said. “I think this was that thing that kept him going.”
in with the new
Prior to the 2010 elections, the Democrats held both the House of Representatives and the United States Senate. After the elections, the Democrats lost the House to the Republicans but still managed to hold onto the Senate. With the elections finished and new Republican officials ready to take office in 2011, Kansas is back to being a red state. By Kelly Cordingley.
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Governor: Sam Brownback Overall goals:
Brownback said he is focused on creating jobs and supporting aviation funding for research and expanding global aviation markets. He said he also wants to strengthen the military and veteran programs in Kansas. He is anti-abortion and gay marriage.
Education-specific goals:
Brownback is a strong advocate for the No Child Left Behind Act. He also said he sees an importance in teaching abstinence classes to high school students.
Senator: Jerry Moran
Representative: Kevin Yoder Overall Goals:
Yoder said will vote to make tax cuts permanent. He said health care for all Americans is crucial but he doesn’t condone increases on taxes and insurance premiums. He is against the Obama health care plan, insisting it will drive up costs and increase the national deficit.
Education-specific goals:
Overall goals:
Moran said he plans to continue his efforts to protect rural Kansas. He said he will work to get more medical care to rural communities and restore Medicare coverage to smaller hospitals.
Yoder promises in his campaign that the money issued by the government to education will make it into the classroom. He plans to make control over Shawnee Mission and Blue Valley school districts local. This is known as the Local Option, which allows districts to raise money for their education in addition to state funding.
Education-specific goals:
He stated he believes in allowing local governments to mandate how to use federal grants for education — similar to the Local Option.
BV hosts district band festival, students compete for state band saranaatz managing editor Fifty-six schools, 96 band directors and 550 students came to BV on Saturday Dec. 4 for the annual Northeast District Band Festival. Seniors Skyler Trieu, Will Retz and Kenneth Tysick; juniors Matt Cooper, Meera Chakravarthy, Tim Smith, Austin Ferguson, Mark Nichols and Turner Smith and sophomores Jake Pettes, Vaughn Ericson and Sam Proulx attended the festival. “I really just wanted to see how I compared to students from the rest of the schools,” Ferguson said. “Every single person there knows when to focus and knows proper etiquette for rehearsal.” The students met at the school at 7:30 a.m. and practiced
for three hours straight. “Our director was really fun to work with,” Ferguson said. “One of the pieces we worked on was written by him and another was really long and challenging.” Band director Avian Bear said one of the best parts of the district festival is watching everyone come together and hearing music from a large number of students. “A lot of bands have pretty small programs so they get used to what small bands feel like,” she said. “It’s a treat to hear the music performed by a group of 100 students rather than 35 students.” The students who played in the regional concert were also submitted to the state competition. These students will learn an outside piece to play for a judge, as well as perform that piece, scales and sight read on Jan. 8 for state.
Playing her flute in the district band festival, junior Meera Chakravarthy concentrates on her music. Chakravarthy, along with other BV students who participated in the festival, will have the opportunity to audition for a place in the state band competition. Photo By Juliana Himmel.
DECEMBER 2010 0 3
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Library station promotes group projects jaidaanderlik staff writer At the beginning of the school year, the library Collaboration Station opened up. Students can reserve it a week in advance to work on projects. The work station was created specifically for large groups to work together on assignments. School librarian Ken Stewart supported the idea of the Collaboration Station. “I wanted something for students to use to get together and work on projects on as a group,” Stewart said. “I wanted it to promote something deeper than just each person doing a page and then e-mailing it to each other to put it together.” Stewart said a hidden facet of the Collaboration Station is the table it sits on. It was made to be handicap friendly. “I noticed that when somebody is in a wheelchair or using crutches, they are always in the back, left out,” he said. Senior Kendall Brewer said she appreciates the reasons for the station. “It lets people all input ideas instead of just one person
logging on and ending up doing all the work, while others kind of suggest things but don’t really help,” Brewer said. Stewart said he is overjoyed when he sees students putting the workspace to good use. "When I heard all the students yelling out their peer edits and the discussion about the word choice and grammar, I was floored,” he said. Once Stewart received approval from Principal Scott Bacon, he applied to the BV Education Foundation for funds. The station cost approximately $3,200. Brewer said she has never seen the station used by students before. “It could be worth the money eventually,” she said. “But right now — with it not being used much — I don’t think it’s worth it.” However, Stewart said he sees students working at the station mainly during school. He said students use it most often right before papers and projects are due. “My favorite thing about the station is the discussion I hear from students who don’t normally talk during group projects, they just e-mail,” he said. “I am blown away by the conversations I hear from them.”
Sign up for the
Collaboration Station
Available before, after or during school Sign up one week in advance Please see a librarian to request a time slot
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The Tiger Print editor-in-chief Caitlin Holland
web photo editor Conor Storm
managing editor Sara Naatz
ads manager Sam Brennan
news/web editor Annie Matheis
circulations Courtney Woodworth
opinion editor Jacob Pruitt features editor Jordan Huesers sports editor Chris Roche copy editor Emily Brown design editor Jordan McEntee Cartoon by Evelyn Davis.
Higher local option cap would allow for better school funding staff editorial 15
agreed
7
disagreed
An increase in local option allowance. The new U.S. House Representative for our area, Kevin Yoder, supports it. The local option currently allows for some money raised inside Kansas counties to stay within the county to benefit school districts directly. Even a slight increase in this allowance would benefit our district immeasurably. And it wouldn’t be just be Blue Valley — Shawnee Mission and Olathe would receive more money as well. While property taxes would go up if the local option budget were to increase, the fact of the matter is, this is the best option we have to secure more funding for Blue Valley schools.
While most voters probably do not want to see a tax spike, at least we will know where exactly the money goes and who it will impact — Blue Valley students. The Blue Valley district would no longer experience laundry lists of possible budget cuts year after year. Our music programs would not be at risk for elimination like they were last year. It would also allow more teaching, substitute, custodial and district office positions to be retained. That means more jobs in all three districts in Johnson County. An increase in the local option budget was widely supported by nearly every candidate running for a state House or Senate position earlier this year. The current local option budget cap is set at 30 percent. Even a 1 percent increase would help school districts in our area with budget problems. Keep in mind — allowing for an increase in the local option budget would not immediately raise taxes.
raise your voice
freshman Ryan Casey I’d put it into the arts department, because we don’t get the funding the rest of the departments do.
Voters in the area decide that. Allowing for an increase on the local option cap only gives voters the right to decide whether or not to raise taxes in our area to benefit schools. A decision to raise taxes would lead to a direct funding increase. The money would stay inside the individual county and go directly to the districts and students inside it. Think about the programs and opportunities at risk now because of the tight budget our district faces. Think about not having to face those problems anymore. The first step to get there is to increase the local option budget cap. Right now, it seems as if the local option is the best option for Blue Valley. If Kansas were to allow a local option increase, our district would definitely benefit. Though we are in our last four years as BV students, we should support an increase to the local option cap in an effort to raise education funding.
photo editor Maegan Kabel
staff writers Jaida Anderlik Kelly Cordingley Clay Cosby Stephen Karst Ryan O’Toole Odi Opole photographers Maria Fournier Juliana Himmel Olivia Roudebush cartoonist Evelyn Davis
adviser Jill Chittum The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, e-mailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085 phone: 913-239-4800 Pacemaker finalist, 2009 and 2010 Member, Kansas Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association
If our district had more funding where would you want the money to go?
sophomore Mikayla Foss I would re-open the Jungle and have more money go towards extracurricular activities.
junior Michael Huston Probably put it towards student activities in any way, because the school was built for the students.
senior Kaetlyn Sherry To the theater [program], because I feel that they are under appreciated.
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needs a career change ing my new favorite TV show, Sarah Palin’s Alaska. The commercial features real-life women pursuing their dreams in different ways. One woman in the ad is a pilot, another a dance teacher and a third a painter. Screen shots flash back to a little girl saying, “When I grow up, I can...” It’s pretty inspirational, and I liked the idea a lot. I got on the computer and did a little research about this new campaign Mattel, Barbie’s parent company, is pushing. The line is all about dressing Barbie in outfits for careers like “Sign Language Teacher” (2001), “Paratrooper” (2000) and the most recent “Computer Programmer” from earlier this year. Mattel actually set up a poll on the Barbie Facebook page for fans to vote on the next career for their famous doll. While it is great to see Barbie in a career outside of fashion or childcare, it would be even better to actually see that Barbie on store shelves. In order for the doll to mean something, it has to make it to its target audience: girls 10 and younger. Barbie’s leap into the tech world, however, still does not outdo her history of unrealistic body image
The other day while meandering about WalMart, I came across the Barbie aisle. As I walked through, I saw a ballerina Barbie, a babysitter Barbie and a variety of “Fashonista” Barbies. While apparently it does exist, I did not once see the new computer programmer doll aimed to promote non-traditional careers for women. My Barbie obsession (the second wave of it since my childhood) was sparked by a commercial I saw while watch-
Barbie’s career timeline Photo by Maria Fournier.
Since her creation in 1959, Barbie has entered dozens of fields. These are a few of them:
Pop Singer
Surgeon
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Student Teacher
and stereotype promotion. A little more background research on Barbie brings light to several controversies since her creation in 1959. In 1997, Mattel changed Barbie’s waist size to make it more realistic to an actual person. One Barbie, released in 1963, came with a book called How to Lose Weight which gave the advice “Don’t eat.” The “Teen Talk Barbie” released in 1992 spoke phrases like “I love shopping,” and “Will we ever have enough clothes?” I get that part of the fun behind Barbie is to play dress up and house. That’s what I did when I was little (besides cut their hair off ). But seriously, the other part of playing is to encourage creativity and imagination. Eat, sleep, shop, do makeup and repeat is not inspiring anything productive. It’s important to influence girls in a positive way when they’re little so they can be leaders later in life. Hopefully, “Computer Programmer” Barbie can do that. She just needs to be on store shelves first.
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Aerobics Instructor
Olympic Gymnast
Scuba Driver
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Wedding Stylist
Modern holiday season too politically correct I went to my friends house to celebrate Hanukkah with his family one year. I’m so glad to have had that opportunity. Guess what, that experience would have been lost if I said “You’re so dumb. I don’t celebrate that.” Allow me to digress, Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year. I love everything from being with family and friends to tearing open gifts on Christmas Eve. But once in a while it is also very frustrating. No, not because parking lots are overpacked with shoppers or because I got underwear in my stocking. It’s because when I tell someone “Merry Christmas,” they reply, “Why
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would you say that to me? I don’t celebrate that. Why are you being so insensitive towards my feelings?” In other words, I am talking about political correctness run amok. Some cities have passed laws that require public buildings to either take down Christ-
mas trees and decorations or show equal representation of all winter holidays. The president purchased “holiday trees” the last few years because Christmas has become such a buzzword. Retail stores do not have Christmas signs but holiday signs. The list goes on and on. That’s just crazy to me, that some people are so self-sensitive that they take offense to another person’s expression of their beliefs. People created these laws with good intentions, to promote religious tolerance amongst the nation. This idea is good in theory, but bad in application. For me, at least, the problem is tolerance. Tolerance by definition is the capacity to endure continued subjection to something. This does not fill me with warm, fuzzy feelings. In my mind, tolerance means to simply put up with something, grin and bear it, and so on. Tolerance provides no room for
respect or love. If people take the mind-set that we have to tolerate others’ beliefs, then we’ll go about in our own selfish little bubble and not go out and learn about what others hold dear to them. I am not saying you have to change your beliefs or celebrate some universal holiday (Christma-hanna-kwanza). What I am saying is to realize the world does not revolve around you. Sorry, that’s the sun’s job. So if you hear me tell you “Merry Christmas” this year, please don’t take it as this great personal offense. Believe it or not, my heart is in the right place when I say that. I would never attack someone over his or her beliefs. So here’s an idea: go find out about some of the other festivities out there. As we get closer to the end of December keep an open mind and love somebody this year.
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Taking his place After parents’ divorce, senior shares advice on dealing with frustration, moving forward
My mom told me she was going out of town for the weekend with some friends from work. She wouldn’t be back until Sunday night. I asked her if dad was going with her. I didn’t suspect anything. I was just concerned with getting the house to myself the whole weekend. She kept up her act as she explained that he wasn’t going with her, and he should be back by the time I got home from work. I left for Planet Sub just like every other day. Little did I know my dad had told my mom he wanted a divorce, or that all of his clothes were already packed. I’m glad I didn’t know, because working at Planet Sub sucks enough already. I got home at 9:20 p.m., with a whopping $3 tip in my wallet. I was ready for a long night out. Until I saw my mom crying on my aunt’s shoulder. I honestly don’t know why I immediately thought of him. “Mom, where is Dad?” She burst into renewed tears, forcing my aunt to explain. There was no weekend trip. My mom just left the house to drive to
Manhattan and tell my brother Jordan everything, giving my dad the opportunity to tell me what was happening. But he never showed up, leaving it up to my mom, who had to drive all the way back from Manhattan to tell me. The only way I can describe the way I felt is disoriented. I wasn’t sure of too much anymore — even too sure of my future. My dad was the main source of income for the family. I wasn’t sure if I could go to college anymore, keep my truck insured or even keep paying for my phone. Not going to college was never an option for me. It was simply a fact from my childhood on: I was going to get a college degree. I certainly don’t have the GPA to get a full-ride scholarship, and I was worried I would have to take out a large amount of student loans just to pay for my school. Since then, my dad has confirmed he will help me out financially for the next few years. But the trust between us had already been broken. This all happened shortly before school started this year. I have only spoken to him once since my mom broke the news. And, let me tell you, it was a novel experience. He sat in the senior lot of BVHS for an hour and a half just to see me. I wasn’t prepared to talk to him. Harsh words were said, mostly by me, none of it school appropriate. I’ve joked recently about being a
one-man support group for my mother, now that things are going better for her. But it’s true. Her family all lives in California. My brother attends K-State. I’m the only one to help her through this — and I’m 17. Like I know what I’m talking about. But that’s the position I was in after the divorce. The best part of this, clichè as it may be, has been the support from my friends. Every single one of them has been nothing but supportive. They get me out of the house and keep me from thinking about it. I try not to talk about this to people who haven’t had their parents get divorced. It’s not that they don’t care. They just don’t understand. Most of them don’t really understand what it is like to go for months on end without seeing a parent, to pass messages between your mom and dad like you’re in sixth grade again, to park in the driveway and sit in your car for an extra ten minutes because you know nothing good is waiting for you inside and you have to prepare yourself just to walk inside your own house. If anything, this whole experience has taught me to think things through. I see now how bad it can be to just jump into things. You have to always look for the repercussions of your actions. You can’t always walk away when things get challenging. Just work at it. You might find something rewarding that way.
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Do Not write on walls Underground street artist Bansky pushes limits with his awe-inspiring art.
“Banksy’s art infuriates law enforcement. The art world begs for the murals to be saved.”
Want to see more of Bansky’s work? go to his website: banksy.co.uk Photos used with permission from bansky.co.uk.
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Color in the lines. Whatever you do, don’t color on the white wall with your red Crayola crayon. It is not your canvas. However, an anonymous street artist silently disagreed and began painting the walls of England, and soon the world. What is art? Where is the line between art and vandalism? Is all graffiti vandalism? Who gets to decide what art is? Banksy, an underground street artist, is believed to be based out of Bristol, England. His graffiti has captivated Europeans and angered law enforcement. His canvases are brick walls. He stencils the street corners. He remains a mystery. The only clue to his identity is the name he signs on all his artwork. Banksy. He constantly critiques the world around us from behind a veil. Banksy’s art infuriates law enforcement. They loathe his graffiti on street corners. The art world begs for the murals to be saved, but the law wants it buffed and removed from the walls. Some galleries go to great measures to save Banksy’s work. Often it is cut out of the wall and put in a gallery.
However, some people worry this will weaken his statement. If it diminishes the statement, it certainly doesn’t diminish the price. One piece, “Space Girl and Bird” was cut from the wall and sold at an auction for the cheap price of $576,000. Banksy’s statement remains humorus with an anti-war and antiestablishment feel. His art is often reflects his view on the political and social climate of the world. “End of Innocence” portrays a young girl enjoying an ice cream cone that has a stick of dynamite in it. “Petrol Head” depicts a man with a gas pump held to his head, like a gun. One of his works on a Bristol wall caused much public debate. “Window Lovers” depicts a man in a suit looking out a window with a half-naked woman behind him. Beneath him is a nude man holding on to the window sill. It was ultimately saved by residents who wished to keep the Banksy art on their wall. Clearly, the people have spoken. Keep Banksy. Another street artist, who goes by the name JR, recently won the TED prize. This is given to a humanitarian “who wishes to change
the world.” JR photographs people in their natural habitat, blows them up to extreme size and pastes them on a ruinous city landscape. JR’s identity also remains a secret. Why is it illegal to allow people to use art to change the urban environment? Sure, it isn’t the provisional kind of art. But it is for good. It isn’t gang warfare. It isn’t city riff-raff. Keep Banky’s art on the walls. Of course it remains open to your personal interpretation of his art. However, it cannot be denied that Banksy makes people think. He opens their eyes to things. But what he does is illegal. Legally and morally everything Banksy does is wrong. But he is an anonymous man that has the ability to make change in our world. His simple street tags have affected many people around the globe. His silent protests of the world around us speak volumes. He is the ultimate paradox. He makes amazing art, filled with statements about our world, but breaks the law doing so. Banksy does wrong for the right reasons.
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murder epic
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Junior Danny Theisen leads the Dungeons and Dragons club at one of its bi-monthly meetings. Photo by Maegan Kabel.
Dungeons andDragons
New club rejuvenates old role-playing game
n the small, peaceful city of Restenford, something with dark intentions lurked. At first, the citizens did not seem to notice the random disappearances until one of the victims returned to the city. The victim was insane. His gruesome story of how he murdered two guards frightened the townspeople. Each night more and more of the missing villagers began to return — each a more terrifying sight than the last. With more disappearances, the Dungeons and Dragons members assume the role of a band of mercenaries. The desperate city of Restenford decides to seek their help and sends the band of mercenaries off to Dweomer Forest to meet with local priests for their assistance. Junior Danny Theisen created a new club, Dungeons and Dragons, in which students have the opportunity to participate in a role playing game (RPG). He said many students wanted to play Dungeons and Dragons, but did not know how to begin. “We wanted to give people who were interested the resources they need to take that first step,” he said. “This is a great game to build a community. Players can connect through the characters.” In this RPG, participants can assume the role of the dungeon master or a player, for example a wizard. The dungeon master creates a fantasy world for the players to travel to. The players do not simply act
jungle
zombies
as the character — they become the character. They create a past for the characters to explain their personality traits. “Since you take on the character’s life as your own, it allows you to have stories and memories to share with your friends,” Theisen said. Dungeons and Dragons allows Theisen to create any type of fantasy character he desires and to display a persona he would not be able to display in real life. “The most important rule is to make your own rules,” he said. “It gives you the opportunity to escape from the troubles of the real world.” Junior Tim Smith said the club turned out to be really successful and better than he expected. Smith said the club is a cool way to promote a game that is not very popular. “It gives you a creative way to enjoy yourself,” he said. “It is not strict at all. There are loosely based rules and you can basically do what you want.” The club meets every other Tuesday to discuss conventions and strategies, and to organize smaller groups. The goal of the club is to break the larger group into smaller ones with five to six people who can meet and play on the off Tuesdays. Theisen said they successfully created six groups. At a meeting, the club decided on a central theme in the Amazon, including pirates and cannibals. “It has been a huge success,” he said. “I have heard from two groups that they absolutely love playing. All of our new players are enjoying it.”
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Student’s group performs in battle of the bands competition anniematheis news editor Catchy guitar riffs fly out the speakers. Amps muffle the melodic lyrics. Drums and bass kick out a steady beat. Senior Karalyne Winegarner’s new alternative band, The Let Downs, will perform their first show at a battle of the bands competition called the Next Big Thing Tour on Dec. 11 at the Granada Theater in Lawrence. The Let Downs comprises of Winegarner, and Johnson County Community College students Billy Davis, Danny Davis and Ryan Meador. They will cover bands like MGMT and Paramore, along with several original songs. “Writing songs can be frustrating,” Danny said. “But once we have an idea, it’s so much fun to turn it into something that sounds good and watch it all come together.” The time slot they will play depends on how many tickets they sell. The more tickets the band can sell, the more popular time slot they will receive. Also, if the band sells over 100 tickets, they will get $200 and 5 hours in a professional recording studio.
A winning band will be chosen by a panel of judges at the competition, and that band will receive either 20 hours in a recording studio or $500. The judges will be looking for the ability to play well and come up with original material. Winegarner said she is excited about the competition. “It is going to be a really good opportunity to get experience,” Winegarner said. “The more shows we play, the better we will get at performing.” Winegarner, Billy and Danny played together in a different band a year ago. However, they broke up because several members went to college. Being the only girl of the band, Winegarner said she sometimes feels she is the mother figure in The Let Downs. “It is kind of how it has always been for me,” she said. “The band I was in before was the same thing— I was the only girl. I tell them what to do, how to dress. It keeps it interesting. I don’t know if I like it, but it makes it a good adventure.” Winegarner said she feels very comfortable with performing live. “I know, even if something did go wrong, we
would be able to cover it up, so I am not really nervous about it,” Winegarner said. She said it can sometimes take a while for a piece of music to sound performance-ready. “When you are working on something with a band, and it does not sound good, you work on the different sections of it,” Winegarner said. “It is really a good feeling to see that finished product being performed on stage and see the audience react well to it. That makes it really enjoyable to be working with music.” Winegarner said she wants a career in music, whether she is performing or managing. She plans to attend college to attain a degree in music business. “I have always enjoyed playing music, ever since I was really little,” Winegarner said. “And performing just came naturally with wanting to play music. I really like doing it and it is definitely something I can see myself doing in the future. If it is not performing, then managing performances. I really do enjoy it.” Winegarner said she thinks it will be worth the trip to Lawrence for people to see The Let Downs. “It is going to be a really great experience,” Winegarner said. “Our music is really fun.”
Check out www. bvtigernews. com for photos of The Let Downs’ performance in the battle of the bands.
drum s: ryan Me
Guitarl: y Davis Bil Photos by Courtney Woodworth.
1 0 DECEMBER 2010
Vo c a l s: K aralyne Winegarner
Bass: Danny Davis
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Student works as firefighter in small Missouri town jacobpruitt opinion editor Cleveland, Missouri. Population: 592. Western Cass Fire Department, located off Cleveland’s main road, has no name and is not paved. Senior Matt Andrasik spends most of his time here. Matt is a probationary firefighter at Western Cass. He is still in training to become a full-fledged firefighter, but has the basic knowledge to do the jobs required there. Matt’s father, Mark Andrasik, volunteered at the Leawood fire department 21 years ago. Jerry Streck, a former fire chief of the Leawood fire department, has been a long-time family friend and inspired Matt to become a firefighter. Work at Western Cass differs from a normal part-time job. Even when Matt isn’t at the station, he can still be called at any time to answer a distress call. “Most of the time, when we get a call, I’m at the station,” Matt said. “Otherwise, I get a text from Scott so I come to the station.” Calls to the fire station can vary wildly, Scott Beuer, fellow Western Cass Fire Department firefighter, said. “Out here in a rural area, we get a lot of different calls,” Beuer said. “Someone calls 911 for whatever emergency they happen to have — anytime they need help and it’s not something law enforcement deals with. Anything from grass fires to EMS [Emergency Medical
Services].” The more serious calls Western Cass deals with are those that involve potential injuries to people. “We had a grass fire that was rapidly spreading out of a huge field and approaching a house, about two minutes from our station; we had to hustle to put out the fire,” Beuer said. Western Cass volunteers commonly do jobs normally associated with paramedics. There were seven firefighters, each an Emergency Medical Technician, standing by at a recent rodeo. “There was one kid at the rodeo, if we hadn’t been there, he probably wouldn’t have made it,” Matt said. “I held his neck in place, so he couldn’t move it. If he had moved it at all, he could have become paralyzed.” Volunteering at the fire department can be challenging. “That same night (of the rodeo), we had seven patients at the same time,” he said. “It was like all hell broke loose.” Mark said firefighting is a great career choice for anyone interested in public service. “I think its an honorable career where you have the opportunity to help people and make a good living,” Mark said. Matt said he looks into the future beyond volunteering at Western Cass. “I’ve always wanted to be a firefighter,” he said. “I’ve just stuck with everything I need to do by going through all the necessary stuff here to become a full-fledged firefighter at a big department.”
Senior Matt Andrasik trains with fellow firefighters at the Western Cass Fire Department. Photo by Evelyn Davis.
DECEMBER 2010 1 1
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Hallway hacky sack Group of students uses after school time to play different hacky sack games anniematheis news editor They stand in a circle. A hacky sack bounces from person to person. Cheers ring throughout the senior hall. A group of students recently discovered their new favorite past-time — hacky sack. The group formed when senior Holden Rolfs found a hacky sack over the summer and started bringing it when his friends got together to work on summer homework. He never played hacky sack before, but it just stuck him as something he should start playing with his friends. Senior Josh Montague said no one was very good in the beginning. “We have gotten better,” Montague said. “We just enjoy doing it — you get to hang out with your friends. We just get better at it.” There are many different hacky sack games the players enjoy after school. One favorite is called “Numbers,” where all the players try to hit the hacky sack once. After that, each person tries to do two continuous hits, and when someone misses, that person is out. This continues until only one person remains as the victor. “It is a social activity,” Montague said. “We don’t like to leave right after school ends to just go home. We get to hang out for a little bit before we leave. It is an activity that we can all engage in and hope to get better at.” Senior Cassidy Kruger said she really likes hacky sack because it is something fun she can do with her friends. “We really get into the game -- we are really competitive about it,” she said. “It is friendly [competition], but some people get really into it and excited when they win.” While hacky sack may be new to some people at BV, physics teacher John Holloway used to play at his fraternity while in college. “It was a fun past-time,” Holloway said. “It was just something to do when you were hanging out and needed something to do.” Rolfs said he is happy to have found a game all of his friends can have fun playing. “It is a good way to meet new and random people that you have never talked to before,” Rolfs said. “They will join because they are interested in the same thing. I am not the best hacky sack player at all, but it feels good to know that I started another way for people to get together and talk while enjoying hacky sack.” Not only did the game alter Rolfs’ after-school schedule, but it also changed the shoes he wore. “When I first started playing, I used to wear Crocs all the time,” Rolfs said. “Now I wear normal shoes, like tennis shoes, because it is really hard to play hacky sack in Crocs.” Rolfs said he also likes hacky sack because of the way he looks while playing. After practicing, he can now hit the hacky sack around 10 times in a row. When he started, he could only hit it around two times in a row. “Once you have been playing for a while you can take it back up over your shoulder and pass it off to other people,” he said. “Everyone in the group gets an exhilaration from when you succeed.” Hitting the hacky sac, senior Alex Dean kicks the ball towards one of his fellow players. Some students started playing hacky sac before and after school as a way to spend time with their friends. “I’m always a fan for competition,” senior Josh Montague said. “I always think it is fun to compete with my fellow classmates.” Photo by Courtney Woodworth.
1 4 DECEMBER 2010
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DECEMBER 2010 1 5
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Writing a fantastical adventure Based off a British book, student writes script to be performed at schools emilybrown copy editor Duke, a bully with a tough-guy persona. Claire, a girl who wants to save her family. Duke must commit a genuine act of kindness and work with Claire to save his mother. Throw in a magical potion, an enchanted river and a few trolls and the product is the story Horns & Wrinkles by Joseph Helgerson. Junior Mollie Chesis adapted Horns & Wrinkles, a book published in England, into a script for repertory theater. Theater director Jeff Yarnell offered his students an opportunity to write a script for a children’s play that would be performed for elementary schools in Jan. Chesis’ love of creative writing gave her initiative to write the script. After Chesis presented her idea to class, she was chosen to write the script. “I tried to bring the silly ideas of rep theater and all the crazy people - we are all a
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little bit crazy- into the show,” she said. Yarnell said students often adapt a well-known story to base their script off of like Cinderella or Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. He said Horns & Wrinkles was a good choice because it was unique. “This show has some really fun characters in it,” he said. “We were reading through it today and the students were doing some fun troll voices. I think it is something that will make it really enjoyable for kids.” Chesis said she found writing a script different from writing her usual fiction stories because she had to rely on dialogue. “You have to think about how it is going to look and how the words are going to come across,” Chesis said. “It has to pack a punch because all you have are those words. You also have to think about stage directions.” She said editing the script was challenging because she is verbose. “The characters were already there for me,” Chesis said. “The difficulty was deciding
what was essential and what was not. I have my 350-page book and now I have to put it into a 20-minute performance that will send the message across to the audience.” Yarnell said the script needs revisions before the students can start auditioning for parts. “There are some things that are tricky,” he said. “Anytime you are doing a children’s book you are free to have as many locations and make things as crazy as you want to make them. But it is hard in reality to have a river scene and have kids swim in the river when it is just the floor.” She said ultimately, the actors will be up there in silly costumes, saying silly things and singing silly songs and that is what is important. “The ideas in it are so wild and funky and out there,” she said. “How many times do you get to write about trolls and magical rivers? It is hard not to get excited about something so fantastical.”
Junior Mollie Chesis wrote a script based on the book Horns and Wrinkles for repertory theater. The play will be performed throughout January for BV elementary schools. Photo by Courtney Woodworth.
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Senior runs bikes, swims 70.3 miles, finishes first in age group sambrennan ads manager Sweat fell in pools from his body and he gasped for air. Senior Adam Chinery raised his arms above his head with the finish line in sight. Running for the line, he couldn’t keep his arms up and slowly they moved to a resting point on top of his head. Grinning ear to ear, the first thing Adam thought about was food. He barely heard the announcer call his name and give a shout out to his family nearby. Adam crossed the finish line onto the red carpet and was immediately covered with wet paper towels to cool him down. He covered 70.3 miles: a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride and a 13.1-mile run. Five hours. Forty-eight minutes. Three seconds. First in the 19 and under age group. “My original goal was seven hours,” Adam said. “I hit the finish line and I was exhausted; I basically did nothing for the rest of the week.” Adam finished the Redman Half-Ironman Triathlon on Sept. 25, 2010. “This was some crazy idea Adam and his brother Brad had,” Adam’s mother Teri Chinery said. “Brad was still in the Air Force Academy when they had the idea. We spent over two years trying to find a time and a place and then Brad decided to get married so he could not compete with Adam.” Adam’s older brother Brad Chinery, a Blue Valley graduate, ran a marathon his senior year. “I remembered that was his big physical thing his senior year,” Adam said. “So I decided to do this.” For training, Adam chose to mix the schedules of a HalfIronman and a full Ironman. Adam would bike to either 259th Street and Metcalf Avenue or to the Gardner-Edgerton area. A typical Sunday workout consisted of long runs, sometimes 13.1 miles.
Adam said transitioning from bike to run was one of the toughest aspects of training. “Your legs are stuck in this rotating motion from cycling for three hours,” Adam said. “After I was finished, I watched the transition and people were literally falling on their faces. I saw a guy flip over his handlebars.” Adam said the hot summer bike rides taught him important life lessons.
Senior Adam Chinery runs to finish after completing the RedMan Triathlon. Photo courtesy of Mark Chinery.
“I had to go off and ride alone-- there was a lot of focus on integrity,” Adam said. “It was just me and myself; I had only myself to push myself on.” In preparation for the Ironman, he decided to buy special biker’s shoes that click onto the bike pedal. “Originally his transitions took forever,” Adam’s father Mark Chinery said. “Then we got the speed clip shoes and special pedals. The guy told us when we originally got them to stay in the area because you will fall.” Teri said gravity took over once when Adam was beginning to use the speed-clips. “I only fell once when I was coming to a stop sign,” he said. “I tried to put my foot on the ground and I just didn’t click out and I fell over.” On his longest bike rides, Adam had to consume 2,000 to 2,500 calories to sustain energy. His parents became alarmed when they found out Adam had not been doing this. “During the race they were handing out salt tablets and pickle juice, just trying to get the sodium back in them since they are sweating like crazy,” Teri said. Adam spent many hours training. “A lot of it was time,” Adam said. “You go out for a run or a bike and it is three or four hours later.” Adam experienced different feelings in each of the three race segments. “Swimming, I was just loving it — nothing but me and other people suffering around me,” he said. “Biking - that was pretty fun, going a lot faster than I thought I would. I was out there just talking to people; it made the time go by faster.” At the start of the half-marathon, Adam’s confidence began to diminish. But as he pushed on, he began to realize how much he accomplished. As he raced around the twist and turns of the race he kept one competitor in sight the whole time. “There was another 17-year-old that I could see, and the whole race I wouldn’t let him pass me,” Adam said. “It was like I’ve come this far and I’m not going to let you win.”
DECEMBER 2010 1 7
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Kinect to the game
Microsoft presents 1st venture in motion-sensor gaming market Kinect
Xbox 360 Console
Multi-array Microphone Power button chrisroche sports editor
scan the surroundings. The combination of the depth sensor and RGB camera allows the Kinect to see in 3D. By scanning a number of individual joints in the body, it is able to accurately track the player. The Xbox dashboard was also remodeled to support the Kinect. Microsoft also amped up the software to support the Kinect system. A word of warning to anyone looking to pick up Kinect: you will be reminded time and time again by the console that you need 6-8 feet of play area with no coffee table or anything else between you and the sensor. The Kinect requires a lot of room. Once you figure out how to set up the Kinect properly, it is great to use. The voice command works out very well, even when I was using a
casual voice with music playing in the background it was able to understand the commands. The hand motion works just as well. Sitting down in my chair, I was able to scroll through my music library without any controllers. The multi-player feature is also very strong. A friend and I were able to play the games with ease. But like before, the Kinect requires even more room; instructions recommend 9 -11 feet of room when playing a Kinect game with a friend. Coming in at $150, the Kinect is no small investment (keep in mind, no Xbox included). If gaming is a hobby you enjoy, the Kinect is a must buy. The Kinect feels like it is everything the Wii should have been: clean, accurate, smart, wireless, motion-sensor gaming.
Photos used with permission by Microsoft..
Microsoft finally caught up with the rest of the gaming world. They released the new Xbox Kinect just in time for Christmas. The Kinect is the latest motion control video game system on the market, and it looks the most promising compared to the Wii and the new PlayStation Move. The Kinect scans over your body and allows you to use your body to control everything on the screen. Unlike the Move or the Wii, Kinect eliminates the controller and features only a sensor bar containing an RGB camera, 3D depth sensors and a built in multi-array microphone. The sensor bar comes on a miniature stand and features a motorized pivot which automatically adjusts to
RGB Camera
Expires 1/31/11
Expires 1/31/11
Expires 1/31/11
1 8 DECEMBER 2010
centerstage Freshman Brad Blickhan Station: Mix 93.3 Genre: Top 40 “93.3 has a good mix up of different kinds of music.”
Freshman Sarah Cole Station: Star 102.1 Genre: Light Rock/Christmas “It’s my favorite because they start playing Christmas music on Nov. 1.”
Sophomore Katie Davies Station: 106.5 The Wolf Genre: Country “106.5 brightens my day. Taylor Swift speaks to me.”
Radio Reviews Despite new technology, BV students still enjoy listening to the radio. A few students share their favorite stations. By Jordan McEntee.
Junior Nicole Martens Station: 96.5 The Buzz Genre: Alternative/Rock “They play all the music that I listen to and they have funny talk shows.” Senior Scott Hayworth Station: 98.9 “The Rock” Genre: Rock “It’s good rock music, and it’s pretty funny sometimes.”
Social Studies teacher Brian Mowry Station: National Public Radio (NPR) “I like NPR because it makes me feel more intelligent after I listen to it.”
Photo illustration by Maegan Kabel.
DECEMBER 2010 1 9
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He’s back Conan O’Brien returns to prime time with a bang
T-Swift’s newest work: Same music, different cover odiopole staff writer
“Mine.” “Sparks Fly.” “The Story of Us.” With her new album, Speak Now, Taylor Swift gave listeners more of the same. More catchy tunes, more love songs and more story-teller lyrics. The album is solid, but something is missing. The types of songs aren’t the problem. Love and heartbreak are the basis for millions of wonderful songs out there. The lyrics aren’t the problem. Swift writes or co-writes every brilliant song on Speak Now. But — and there’s always a but — the songs all sound the same. I thought “The Story Of Us” and “Better Than Revenge” were the same song, and the subject matter is completely different. T-Swift needs to change it up a little. When I listened to the album, I thought, “Where’s the versatility?” Where’s the change, the signs of budding maturity — or even a return to immaturity? To me, Swift covers the same material in Speak Now that she’s been covering for the past four years. Swift has grown up with us, but while we’re looking for something more
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mature, she hasn’t changed at all. We may still be deep in the throes of high-school romance. We may still be children (sort of ). But we are also maturing. Changing. Swift needs to take notice of that, and grow with us, before she banishes herself to lonely Planet Tween. Speak Now has a saving grace: its more thoughtful songs. “Never Grow Up,” “Innocent” and “Long Live” all tackle issues that never make it to radio release. Each song is a small gem — you have to be willing to look for it. Musically, they seem to be the same as all the rest: slow, quiet verses building to loud choruses and a slow, sweet bridge. Lyrically, they showcase Swift’s talent as a songwriter. She sings about cherishing childhood and savoring the life’s small victories. I can’t say I would expect that from most 20-year-olds, or the depth and ability to write songs about it. These are the changes Swift needs to make, and these are some of the things she should focus on in a move to maturity. This is the versatility she needs, and she certainly shouldn’t limit it to only three songs. In Speak Now, T-Swift both hits and misses — it’s a boring album, but it definitely has some songs worth listening to.
claycosby staff writer Just in case you missed the avalanche of outlandish promos, Conan O’Brien has a new show called Conan on TBS. So far the show has been hilarious. O’Brien seems to have left off where he stopped on The Tonight Show where he was red hot. He is fitting in well on his new station, although it’s his first time on basic cable. In fact, on his opening night O’Brien’s ratings beat those of both Jay Leno and David Letterman on network television. O’Brien has certainly not shied away from joking about his new position at TBS.
“Why did I decide to call the show Conan? So I would be harder to replace,” O’Brien said on his first episode. “When I first came to TBS they told me I would have to call the show Tyler Perry’s Conan.” O’Brien has featured a number of high profile celebrity guests including Tom Hanks, Harrison Ford and Jon Hamm. While he mentions upcoming works his guests are involved in, he doesn’t dwell on them. Instead, he focuses on a funny anecdote or one of his guest’s personal quirks; he already dumped a bucket of water on Tom Hanks’ head. Conan has made a dent to the ratings of popular shows, The Daily Show and
The Colbert Report which it competes with in the 10 and 10:30 p.m. time slots. Conan’s audience did shrink by 30 percent after its opening night, however this should not be a cause for alarm for die-hard O’Brien fans. Ratings generally decline after premieres, but it may be a challenge to maintain a large audience on TBS when it is competing with shows on network stations. The show really is definitely worth watching. His set even features an oceanic background with a moon that can move, which he wasted no time in demonstrating. Who wouldn’t want to see that?
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Dashing th
rough snowd at movies to fill Winter Break free tim e to theaters nearby A look ahea
Tron: Legacy — Dec. 17
Used with permission from Walt Disney Pictures.
Action, plot, incredible special effects – the sequel to Tron will not disappoint. In the film, a video game called Tron holds Kevin Flynn, Jeff Bridges, captive. After 25 years, his son Sam investigates his disappearance, and the digital world sucks him in, too. The film uses many of its original characters and sets, and both Jeff Bridges and Bruce Boxleitner play the same characters they did in 1982, when Tron was released. Some sets, such as Kevin’s arcade, were recreated before filming, and filmmakers paid incredible attention to detail. Sam Flynn’s childhood bedroom stays true to the original, down to the 1980’s Macintosh and a 1979 movie poster. See with: Your Comic-Con buddies Why: Tron: Legacy is part of a sci-fi franchise that’s lasted longer than two decades.
The Illusionist — Dec. 25 A French film will make its US debut on Dec. 25, and the amount of success it will have is anyone’s guess -The Illusionist previously debuted and mixed reviews only enhances its intrigue. The Illusionist, adapted from a screenplay written by Jacques Tati and directed by Sylvain Chomet, is an animated film about a dying breed of performer — the magician. Viewers are introduced to a magician who meets a young fan after a show. As the movie progresses, a fatherdaughter relationship develops between them. In almost any synopsis on any website, you find the same two sentences, explaining those same two concepts. Two. Frustrating. Sentences. Maybe it’s a tactic to create buzz. Or, maybe the producers just didn’t want to translate a French version. While The Illusionist received huge critical acclaim, its box office woes show that it may have little popular appeal — especially outside of its native France. If you choose to try it for yourself, The Illusionist should be an interesting addition to your holiday season. See with: Yourself, or your equally deep friends Why: It’s not your typical date-night movie. Be prepared to engage in an in-depth analysis of the film and your perspective on its theme.
Used with permission from Universal Pictures.
Little Fockers — Dec. 22 Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader — Dec. 10 The third installment of the Chronicles of Narnia overcame multiple setbacks in scheduling and management just in time to debut during the holiday movie season. The first and second movies received mixed responses from audiences. Hopefully, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader will be a game-changer for the Narnia franchise. In the film, a painting pulls Edmund and Lucy Pevensie and their cousin Eustace onto the deck of the Dawn Treader, a ship built by their friend King Caspian. As they sail on a mission to find Aslan the Lion, the three travel beyond the Silver Sea and into new territory and stumble upon a world of new characters and obstacles. See with: Your fellow children’s movie enthusiasts Why: This is the kind of movie you would have been ecstatic about when you were younger. Don’t lose that — think of how happy your parents will be to hear you’re going to a movie whose rating doesn’t have an age requirement.
Everyone’s favorite family is back. You’d think they would run out of ideas after the success of both Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers, but the franchise is back for another round of comedy. In this third movie, Greg (Ben Stiller) stresses over his twins. He worries about making money and finding a new and more permanent job. He receives an interesting offer to promote pharmaceuticals, but not the type that will keep his father-inlaw’s, Jack Byrnes (Robert De Niro) good opinion. Both the Fockers and the Byrnes come together to celebrate the holidays and the twins’ birthday. Tensions will build between Greg and Jack and hilarity will ensue. See with: Friends and family Why: Little Fockers will have something for everyone. Go enjoy the holiday goodness, and laugh every time Ben Stiller does something to make his situation worse.
Reviews by Odi Opole.
DECEMBER 2010 2 1
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Senior Skyler Trieu kicks it in high gear for the ending of his 26.2 mile race. Trieu ran in the Gobbler Grind Marathon on Nov. 21 after little training for the event. “They say if you can run nine miles, you can run a marathon,” Trieu said. “That is the truth.” Photo by Evelyn Davis.
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saranaatz managing editor
enior Skyler Trieu ate cheap, lowquality spaghetti for dinner and went to bed. He woke up on Sunday, Nov. 21 and made himself a pancake breakfast. He suited up in running shorts, an old Blue Valley cross country jersey and a bandana spotted with huge smiley faces. At the end of his fourth year of cross country, Skyler decided to finish the season with a bang. He was ready to run a marathon. By 8 a.m., Skyler was swimming in a sea of runners, some bound to run a 5k, some a half marathon. And then there were those committed to the full marathon — all 26.2 miles. The runners waited nervously between a nature park and the towering buildings of Corporate Woods for the signal to begin. And all of a sudden, they were off. Skyler started the race with cross country teammates senior Tarryn Schantell and junior Jake Kennedy, who both ran the half
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marathon. “It was really cool because we all stuck together,” Skyler said. “We were a team and no man was going to fall behind.” Together, the three cross country teammates kept a consistent nine-minute mile pace, using each other to fight through the wind. Skyler said he found his teammates instrumental in his motivation. “They were really inspiring and I can’t thank everyone enough for being there and cheering me on,” Skyler said. “I have the greatest teammates in the world and I wouldn’t trade them for anything.” Halfway between the six- and seven-mile markers, the runners encountered a man handing out chocolate chip pancakes. These pancakes replenished Trieu’s store of calories and increased his energy. “My least favorite part was the hunger,” Skyler said. “In the future I’m going to have to get one of those stupid fanny packs.” However, the teammates couldn’t stay together forever. Skyler had committed himself to the full marathon — alone. About 10 miles in, the runners competing in the half marathon split from those run-
ning the full marathon. Running alone, Skyler found himself vulnerable to harsh winds that could slow him down and tire him out. He said it was imperative he find someone to draft off of — someone he could run behind to block the wind. “I missed Tarryn and Jake,” Skyler said. “I was all alone. Almost everybody does the half marathon. But I met this guy named Phil from Colorado and he really helped me out when I was hurting. He told me we were in it together.” After awhile, Phil’s inconsistent pace became too much for Skyler. They split up but would occasionally meet and run together for awhile, until one fell behind or got ahead. Around mile 24, Skyler’s hunger began to take over and he wondered if he would be able to finish. “I started to think ‘I could always walk the end,’” he said. “A lot of people told me ‘You can’t do this, Skyler,’ and I had my doubts, too, deep down.” Phil and Skyler joined up once again for what Skyler said was the two most difficult
miles in the race — 24 and 25. Phil shared his Gatorade with Skyler so he would have enough calories to fuel his finish. Suddenly, with one mile to go, Skyler felt a burst of energy. He could see Corporate Woods and, with it, the finish line. His goal. “It was unbelievable,” Skyler said. “I don’t know if it was the Gatorade or what but with a mile left it kicked in. I don’t think I’ve ever had so much adrenaline running through me. It was like I went from absolutely dead to alive and vigorous. My joy carried me.” With this last-minute kick, Skyler finished the race as if he ran a strong 5k. He finished before Phil, with a time of 3 hours, 52 minutes, 6 seconds. “I felt elated,” Skyler said. “Just ecstatic. It was a great time and I figure the hurt is only temporary, but the fact you did it is forever.”
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Boys Basketball
Boys Swim
Girls Basketball
Wrestling
Athlete: senior Brian Grant
Athlete: junior Austin Averkamp
Athlete: senior Aerial Smith
Athlete: senior Tyler Hendrickson
Coach: Chris Hansen
Coach: Greg House
Coach: Andrew Unrein
Coach: Jason Peres
Strengths: “He definitely has some experience because he played for us last year. He’s really worked hard to get better since last season. He’s been preparing and playing a lot since then.”
Strengths: “He’s really dedicated, he’s goaloriented and he works hard. Those three things together are going to make him very successful. He’s done a lot of work since last season — all spring, summer and fall he’s been training hard.”
Strengths: “Definitely her speed and athleticism. She’s going to be the fastest kid on the floor with any of us — on our team or the other team.”
Strengths: “He’s a hard worker, and he’s a very talented athlete. He just has a natural gift of athleticism. He also has a real desire to compete. The combination of these three things allows him to learn and improve every time he competes.”
Role on team: “I think he’s really going to influence the younger players. He shows the work ethic that we’re going to need to be successful. This year he’s going to have to play a leadership role that he hasn’t really had to in the past.”
Role on team: “He swims freestyle, but it’s still up in the air which events he’ll do. The fact that he can do four different events gives him a huge role. Realistically, he’s going to be a state finalist, so I am excited for him as well as for the whole team. It’s really a whole different group this year.”
Role on team: “She’ll be the point guard and so she’s going to have a scoring role. She’s really going to be vocal and lead by example.”
Role on team: “He really sets the tone, leading by example. He’s one of the many senior leaders this year. I think the team will work as hard as he’s willing to work.”
Winter athletes to watch
By Jordan McEntee. Photos by Olivia Roudebush.
Sports In Brief Boys Basketball
Girls Basketball
Boys Swimming and Diving
Wrestling
Previous Action: No previous action as of 12/6 Key Athletes: seniors Paul DeBey and Hayden Murray Upcoming Action: 12/10 - 12/11 @ BV Shootout
Previous Action: 4th place overall @ Lawrence Free-State Key Athletes: Seniors Adam Chinery and Cameron Gallet and sophomore Vaughn Ericson Upcoming Action: 12/14 @ Shawnee Mission East
Previous Action: No previous action as of 12/6 Key Athletes: Seniors Taylor Popp and Aerial Smith and junior Mackenzie Johnson Upcoming Action: 12/10 @ Olathe South tournament
Previous Action: 12/4 vs. Gardner Edgerton Key Athletes: Senior Tyler Hendrickson Upcoming Action: 12/11 vs. Eudora
DECEMBER 2010 2 3
incolor
Giving
Thanks Photos by Olivia Roudebush
Culinary Arts students prepare Thanksgiving meal for teachers
Communication Arts teacher Britt Qualls enjoys a meal and a laugh with fellow faculty member chemistry teacher Charlena Sieve. Students in the Culinary Arts class each chose a teacher to invite to their feast.
Junior Kyle Zimmerman places the dish on the serving table prior to the meal. Foods teacher Kendra Smith said the meal does more than allow students to show off their culinary skills. “This activity gives students a chance to give back to their teachers,” Smith said.
In the FACS room, teachers David Briggs, Paul Brown, Charlena Sieve and Britt Qualls line up to fill their plates before finding their seats. Students set the table with a formal place setting, including name cards. During the meal, all the teachers noted that the food was prepared very well and everything tasted great.
2 4 DECEMBER 2010
Contributing to the completion of the Thanksgiving buffet, freshman Jeremy Clark carefully removes stuffing from an oven. Students in the Culinary Arts class cooked all types of Thanksgiving day foods for teachers before break began. “I like to learn how to make food,” Clark said. “It’s a good skill to have for my future.”
Placing the turkey onto the plate, sophomore Chaise Seasholtz uses a spatula and fork to arrange the meat. Students preparing the feast have various reasons for taking Culinary Arts. “I want to learn how to make food for my girlfriend,” Seasholtz said.