The Tiger Print — January 2010

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BLUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

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in the halls...

1. Substitute to fill Allam’s role during maternity leave

While assistant principal Megan Allam is away on maternity leave, substitute administrator Jan Draper will be in charge of some of Allam’s duties.

Along with her previous responsibilities of running the Tardy Tracker and Overtime, Christyn Haberly took over Allam’s full-time position.

Draper started her teaching career at Blue Valley High in Communication Arts from 1978-1988 before holding positions at other Blue Valley schools.

Draper is in charge of freshmen discipline, senior activities, graduation, Prom, state assessments and community service day.

“I’m impressed with the student body so far,” Draper said. “I love being back.”

Allam’s return is tentatively scheduled for mid-April.

By Maegan Kabel.

2. NAHS-sponsored dance tonight

The informal dance and fashion show, S.W.I.T.C.H, is scheduled for Jan. 22, after the girl’s varsity basketball game.

The National Art Honor Society is hosting the event in the commons. The funds raised are being donated by NAHS to Save the Children, an organization that helps children in Haiti. BV students must pay $5 to get into the dance.

The decorations will be retro and students are suggested to dress in crazy, mismatched attire.

S.W.I.T.C.H contrasts the formal dress of other school dances by being more relaxed and focused on fun.

“It’s going to be a killer dance party,” NAHS president senior Jen Timmons said.

By

Jacob Pruitt.

3. Snow and cold day specifications

With the recent severe winter weather, the requirements for a snow day may seem unclear.

If there is a chance of bad weather, at 5 a.m. Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg and Deputy Superintendent Dr. Al Hanna share a conference call with the superintendents of the Olathe and Shawnee Mission districts. According to weather reports, the districts discuss the safety of sending students to school in the severe weather.

Hanna said the deciding factors include the ability for buses to pick up students and student driving on icy roads. If the weather inhibits students from arriving safely, school must be cancelled.

Although there may not be threatening snow or ice on the ground, the district may decide to call a cold day if the temperature is too low for the buses to start or for students to walk safely to school.

Once a consensus is made, the superintendent contacts the major TV stations WDAF-TV, KCTV ,KMBC-TV, KSHB-TV and the radio stations KCUR, KFKF, KBEQ, KMBZ, WDAF.

If inclement weather begins during the school day, the district may decide to dismiss early to ensure all staff and students can arrive home safely.

If unsure of a school cancelation due to severe weather, visit www.bluevalleyk12.org or call (913)239-4600.

By Brice Goldenberg.

on the cover...

Blue Valley High School celebrates its 40th birthday. All pictures were taken from previous editions of BV’s Reflections yearbook. Turn to pages nine and 10 for more coverage on BV through the years.

Bill bans texting, calling for young drivers

jordanhuesers staff writer

The state of Kansas awaits approval of a new bill, with the goal to eliminate the distraction of all drivers.

The bill, Kansas House Bill 2132, prohibits text messages while a driver, of any age, is operating a motor vehicle.

Any driver who ignores the new bill by reading, writing or sending text messages can be pulled over by law enforcement and be penalized with fines around $60.

This bill has not yet been passed through the legislative process and still has a possibility of revisions or failure.

As of Jan. 1, the state of Kansas

bans all drivers with instructional permits, farm permits or restricted licenses from using cell phones while driving. This includes talking on your phone.

Officer Dennis Randall plans to watch students as they enter and leave the school parking lot to see if students have their phones put away.

"This law will definitely help out students," Randall said. "Having their phones put away will decrease accidents and mishaps on the roadways."

Randall witnesses texting as a problem while out on the roads, but not just from teens.

"As an adult, not just a police officer, I see kids and even adults on their cell phones while driving,"

Randall said. "Teens are more in the picture when it comes to restrictions on phones because of the number of accidents that are caused by using them."

While driving, Blue Valley West sophomore Kaitlin Neiger, looked down at her phone for a few moments and rear-ended the car in front of her.

Traveling down Metcalf Avenue at 45 mph, Neiger took her eyes off the road to text her mom. Looking up, Neiger realized the car in front of her was only few feet away. She slammed on her brakes, hitting the car. Neiger totaled her sister's car and received a ticket for $130.

"If someone needs to text when driving, just simply pull over," Neiger said. "It's not worth it."

Jungle reports slower business second quarter

jamesstatham staff writer

The new beverages, promotional posters and free giveaways with certain purchases couldn’t stop the dip in sales during the latter part of first semester at the Jungle.

The Jungle has shown signs of improvement early this semester.

Senior Jungle employee Emily Minoofar said that the Jungle’s business goes down at times because some students come to school right before the bell. There may not be enough time to make drinks for them before the store shuts down for the day at 7:38 a.m.

In-house Marketing teacher Katie Bryant, said that the Jungle still makes a profit.

“We’ve been making money, just not really large amounts,” Bryant said.

The Jungle included many additions to its menu this year.

“We’ve added Kool-Aid and sell it in grape, cherry and tropical punch flavors,” Bryant said. “We also included hot apple cider as a winter seasonal item.”

Bryant also said the new beverages brought extra customers while additional flavors of coffee and smoothies keep the regulars coming back for more.

“Not everyone is a coffee person,” Bryant said. “Now, we don’t just have coffee and smoothies.”

The Jungle will begin offering different variations of hot chocolate, such as mint and peppermint flavors, to try to improve sales and satisfy customers.

The student employees work toward designing promotional posters and many other things to improve sales.

“We’re really working on marketing to bring sales up,” she said. “We’re continuing to build new student interest.”

All of the sales at the Jungle go to a Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) fund where they can access the money to buy new things for the store.

“We’ve been saving our money this year and we bought two new coffee makers,” Bryant said.

DECA is a marketing organization that teaches students leadership and necessary business skills. It also helps students prepare for successful businessrelated careers.

Minoofar said advertising for the Jungle increased since last year.

“It’s really been more professional than last year,” Minoofar said. “More like running a business.”

Senior Jungle employee Jillian Berger added that this year at the Jungle more training is involved to do the necessary work.

Minoofar and Berger, both second-year staff members, say despite lower sales, the store seems busier.

“Last year we were only open second semester, so that’s why it feels that way,” Minoofar said.

Photo illustration by Jackie Lippert.

As of Jan. 1, texting while driving is prohibited under Kansas House Bill 2132 for drivers with instructional permits, farm permits or restricted licenses. Photo illustration by Haley Hickman.

Budget cuts force district to watch spending

Further restrictions placed on expenses; students, teachers will likely see a change

allisonkohn editor-in-chief

As high schools across Kansas start their second semester, school districts will be looking at a poor financial blueprint for the remainder of the 2009-2010 school year.

The Blue Valley district, already operating under a budget reduction of $6.25 million put in place last July, will continue to compromise and take necessary actions through the rest of the year and into the 2010-2011 school year.

The district asked BVHS to trim its budget by five percent.

“We will have to be more frugal about every expense,” principal Scott Bacon said. “We will be watching our paper consumption, the school temperature and our energy usage and taking a second look at how we spend our money. We will all have to be responsible when dealing with the current situation.”

Before winter break, Superintendent Dr. Tom Trigg announced via e-mail to all district staff members immediate actions that would be made to ease some of the financial pain.

“When deciding cutbacks, it was broad-based,” Deputy Superintendent Dr. Al Hanna said. “Everyone will feel pain to some extent.”

A district-wide hiring freeze already in effect will include an administrative review of every position before a new employee can be hired.

Hanna said custodial crews at many schools will be affected. Because of such a tight budget, no new custodians will be hired and some have already lost their jobs.

“It’s possible many positions may go unfilled,” Hanna said.

The district also implemented spending constraints for every school.

Administrators must closely examine the spending of district money, and only the most vital expenditures will be made.

“There will be less money available for teachers and the classroom,” Hanna said. “With continuous cuts, teachers will be making tougher decisions regarding what they can and can’t spend for special projects or other necessities.”

Students throughout the district could see significant changes in the coming months, including larger class sizes and less availability for certain classes. Enrollment for the

2010-2011 school year may be difficult because many classes will not be offered as often as before.

However, the impact of the budget cuts may be minimal in the lives of BV students. Congratulatory Krispy Kreme donuts, paid for by Pepsi Co. and the Honor Roll magnets, paid for by Community America Bank, will still be among the school’s academic awards.

“Our school has a lot of tradition which is a big deal,” Bacon said. “We will be looking outside our own funding and we may need to get creative with our budget.”

In 2005, patrons of the district passed a $280 million bond specifically for technology improvements, renovations and the construction of new schools.

BV students can thank the bond for the additional classrooms, Fitness Center, renovated lunchroom and administrative offices and new lockers.

“The budget cuts have not affected construction or any renovations because of this bond,” Hanna said. “Construction was not impacted and no projects have been halted in the process.”

Since 2005, the bond provided funding for the building of Sunrise Point Elementary, Timbercreek Elementary and Blue Valley Southwest. An additional three elementary schools will be built within the next three to five years as well as another middle school and the continued construction of the CAPS building.

Hanna said the bond also funded renovations for many of the district schools and a long list of technology purchases.

“It is a common misconception that the bond money can be used to increase salaries,” Hanna said. “But that’s not true. The same goes with the funding for Blue Valley Southwest or other renovations. The funding for those came from the bond and cannot be used elsewhere.”

Looking at BV’s academic future, certain interventions will also be closely examined. Academics First and PASS could be affected, as well as other tutorial programs.

The biggest challenge, Bacon said, is paying the salary for the administrators and teachers to staff those programs.

If proposals for the state budget continue to decrease educational funding, sports teams and extracurriculars could take a hit as well, he said. It’s possible many of the sports programs will be reduced to varsity and junior varsity, rather than multiple teams.

Where BV gets its money

Operational Funding pays for salaries, resources such as paper and transportation. The state legislature designates an amount of money per district that is allocated per student, paid for by tax dollars.

Capital Outlay pays for renovations, technology and the building of new schools. Budgetary approval from voters (patrons) and bond elections decide what the bond money can be used specifically for. This funding is partially from tax dollars.

“It’s important for students to participate in such activities like sports and to be involved in the school, so hopefully our budget wouldn’t take away from that,” Bacon said. As for improvement of the current financial situation, Hanna believes the state’s economy must turn around.

“In such a difficult economic time, it will be hard to pass legislation for public school funding,” Hanna said. “It could be a few years before any improvement is seen. We are down so much that it could take awhile. It’s hard to say.”

Despite the state-wide budget reductions, Bacon is certain that Blue Valley will maintain a positive atmosphere and continue to provide the best learning experience possible.

“We will make every effort to continue and find ways to help our students,” Bacon said. “The learning environment and the students’ success is ultimately what matters most.”

Expires 5/31/10

Expires 5/31/10

Ringing the new year

Senior encourages self-evaluation, setting goals for 2010, decade

Persona three:

“Rahhh rah rah rarrr…” — the noise from my very hip and stellar Bose headphones.

Let me check my calendar for the week. Looks like I’m booked every night. So many concerts, so little time. You know what I mean?

Man. They’re out of the concert T-shirt I wanted.

average — you can make goals for the next decade.

Don’t worry. I’m not going to pass out a form asking you to write down three goals for education, three goals for your personal life and three other goals.

As I sat filling out scholarship application after scholarship application over my winter break, I decided I needed a goal.

goals that will add up to helping me reach a long term goal for the future: graduate from a university with a degree in graphic design.

A new year, a new you. Who should I be this year?

Persona one:

Strut, strut, strut.

The hallway is my runway. Spectators are all around, with their eyes glued on me. The glamorous lighting is nothing short of spectacular.

Show a smile, do a shimmy, turn, turn and smize.

Persona two:

Pencil? Check.

Extra pencil? Check.

Peering through my spectacles, I get in a little bit of last minute studying that will really push me toward that A.

Oh shoot, did that boy just smile at me? Play it cool. Deep breaths.

“Hey.”

He likes me.

Oh well, I’m traveling to New York to see them in a month anyway. I can just pick it up then.

Maybe a combination of all three? Perfect.

Say hello to the new me, 2010: a runway uber-nerd with a love of music.

A new year means being able to reinvent yourself, right?

Maybe I’m taking the phrase a little too literally. You won’t be seeing me in fashion magazines anytime soon. My motivation for school has dropped during my final semester. And I am merely an average music junkie.

A new year doesn’t mean reinventing yourself; however, a new year does give you the perfect opportunity to set new goals. And this year is even greater than the

But really, goals aren’t as bad as your elementary teachers made them seem. You’re not going to change over night, but setting goals will help you get to your destination eventually.

At the time I only needed a short term one — finish at least two applications by the time we returned to school.

Goal accomplished. My next goal?

Decide which college I’m attending by spring break.

Those are both short term

Ultimately, I use goals as deadlines to work toward. They help keep me focused on my most important tasks.

“A new year, a new you” is not meant to be taken literally. It merely gives you the opportunity to aspire to be better with the help of goals.

What is your New Year’s resolution?

“Take

Sophomore Bernie Verhaeghe

“Not crash into anyone while driving and to get my license.”

Freshman Lindsey Peterson

Junior

Junior year can provide lessons, enhance learning capability

my voice

caitlinholland

My junior year has not gone as planned.

I’ll be honest; it’s been the most challenging year of my life.

My grades aren’t where I expected.

I’ve worked harder than I ever have before, and to this point there aren’t many accomplishments to show for it.

It’s frustrating, yeah.

My dad was on the receiving end of several tear-filled phone calls about test scores this year.

Not joking.

But I can honestly say that I’ve taken on some of the most challenging classes our school has to offer (made it out alive), and benefited from them.

I’m more prepared for college than ever.

If I take away the microscope I use in AP Biology and look at the big picture, college readiness is what counts.

If I can do this, anyone can.

Enrollment is here and I would recom-

mend signing up for a few of those tough courses you think will send you over the edge.

They won’t.

No matter what that AP class will throw at you, with a good sense of time management and some motivation you’ll be able to work your way through it.

I did it.

If I was able to, it’s possible.

I can almost guarantee some late nights spent reading a textbook or writing an essay though.

It’s all part of the job description.

College classes require college-level reading and college-level application.

More nights than not I fall asleep with a textbook in my hands, the lights on in my room and my glasses perched on my nose. I got used to it.

You’ll probably consume a good amount of coffee, energy drinks, Rooster Boosters, etc., and spend a good portion of your paycheck on them.

A tough junior schedule isn’t a bad thing — the challenge will make you a more responsible, driven student.

But the benefits don’t come easily. There’s plenty of work that goes with it.

And by plenty, I mean a near overwhelming amount.

Junior year can teach you a few things:

1. A 50 percent on a unit exam isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

2. In order to do well in pretty much any class, you actually have to read the material. This can be harder than it sounds. Textbooks (at least the ones we use) are not written like action novels.

3. One low semester grade won’t kill your GPA.

It can also teach you a lot about yourself. You’ll become the kind of student who does the homework, reading and test-prep even if it isn’t worth a grade.

Just start preparing now, though, because speaking from experience, junior year was a wake-up call for me. Kind of like that annoying alarm clock that I wake up to at 5:30 a.m. every day to finish up my physics worksheets and pre-calculus book assignments.

Freshmen and sophomores need to form good study habits now so that come junior year, five chapter’s worth of material isn’t impossible to study for.

Try to use your assignment book to designate time increments or page numbers to

get a certain amount of reading done every night.

That way, you don’t end up reading two chapters of history in the early morning hours before a test. Been there, done that.

For seniors who made it through this year: I applaud you.

For my fellow classmates: we’re halfway done.

For freshmen and sophomores: junior year isn’t impossible, it just seems like it when you’re there.

Recession causes further budget cuts, BV must make adjustments

school year, our Johnson County bubble will be popped.

The economic downturn we all thought would pass has hit our school.

We will all be feeling the effects of a tighter budget and more difficult financial decisions. No expenditure will go unexamined.

voice raise your

With recent budget cuts, what programs should not be cut and why?

The Johnson County bubble has done a nice job of sheltering a majority of the Blue Valley District community.

“An economic recession? Not in our school.”

However, because of recent budget cuts, just like the rest of the country, our district, and our school, is struggling to make ends meet.

Blue Valley is now facing a challenge like never before.

Principals and teachers in all schools in the district will be forced to decide what really deserves school funding and what expenses will have to be cut.

So, within the coming months of our second semester, and most likely into the next

The Tiger Print

co-editors-inchief

Allison Kohn

Stephanie Roche

multimedia editor

Sara Naatz

news editor

Caitlin Holland

opinions editor

AJ Barbosa

features editor

Katie Louis

entertainment editor

Rachel McCullough

sports editor Ryan O’Toole

photo editor

Jackie Lippert

ads manager

Jacob Pruitt

As students, it is our duty to ensure that amidst all of the budget cutting and expense examining, we understand the situation and stand up for the most valuable parts of our high school experience.

Field trips, although few and far between, provide for a learning experience that can’t quite be achieved in the classroom.

Unfortunately, a tighter budget won’t allow funding for trips to see plays or visit museums.

BV sports, one of the most cherished parts of our school, could see a change in the near future.

With less money to devote to athletics and salaries for coaches, sports programs could see a reduction in teams, only allowing for varsity

circulation manager

Chris Roche

staff writers

Sam Brennan

Emily Brown

Annie Burress

Brice Goldenberg

Matthew Gruber

Matthew Holloway

Jordan Huesers

Jordan McEntee

Haley Schroer

James Statham

photographers

Haley Hickman

Christian Huesers

Maegan Kabel

Emma Mosier

Callie Ronan adviser

Jill Chittum

and junior varsity.

The list of potential items that could be cut is long. In all reality, every area of the district will feel some pain, whether it’s the custodial staff, the volleyball team or the art department.

It’s easy to just pass on the blame for the budget cuts. It’s easy to complain about our district’s financial condition.

And, it’s easy to assume the extremes that the budget cuts could possibly produce.

But there are small things students can do to make a difference. The phrase “every penny counts” should, in the next few months, be taken literally.

Simple things like turning off computers at the end of the day or watching our paper consumption can in the long run make a difference in the school’s budget.

We all have something we’re passionate about within our school. In such a trying time, BV as a whole must take careful consideration in how we spend our money so we can preserve what really matters.

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

Sophomore Chase Sossi “Swimming, it is a great way to stay active and it is a lot of fun.”

Senior Joe Shoemaker “Football, knitting, chess and robotics. It’s important to shape the minds of youths.”

Senior Sam Gompf “Art, because you can’t take away the creativity. Some people aren’t good at sports, but they can express themselves through art.”

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

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

Snow White and the three languages

sambrennan staff writer

Hola! Bonjour! Salve! On Friday afternoons Anita Lemons’ Spanish room has been home to more than just Spanish. Spanish, French and Latin students have been rehearsing for the performance of a multi-lingual musical, Snow White.

“I like that it is very cultural,” said junior Hannah Stone, member of the Spanish section and Timido (Bashful) the Dwarf. “We get to sing in a different language and that is really fun.”

Making Snow White a musical made the play more difficult.

“It’s a lot harder since we had to learn how to sing in French,” said junior Amber Megee.

Coordinating all the languages into one play has been tough for the actors and teachers.

“The toughest part is getting cues down,” said senior Matthew Roselli, the Spanish Prince Charming. “None of the teachers know all three languages so it is tough to coordinate.”

The idea to do the play came to Lemons when she wanted to showcase foreign language to BV.

“Foreign language is an intellectual elective,” Lemons said. “We want to show the students that it is fun to speak another language.”

Lemons, and other foreign language teachers working on the play, translated the script themselves.

“I bought a book of fairy tales to help with the translation,” Lemons said.

Snow White will only be put on for Blue Valley Middle School, after Prairie Star declined to have the play.

A major concern from the beginning was how much the audience would understand.

“They know the story and we also have a chart that describes the scene and sets it up,” Lemons said.

Being very physical and theatrical is an important part to showcasing the play, described sophomore Mollie Chesis.

Chesis plays Snow White for the French section.

“It is expressive and obvious in what we are saying and we have to gesture for everything,” Chesis said.

Snow White flows between three different languages by using three different narrators.

“The narrators set up each scene in the language and we are hoping to use a spotlight to make the play flow,” Lemons said.

Stone said she loves the differences in the way everyone speaks.

“Spanish is full of emotion and love, French sounds like a musical, and Latin just makes you want to listen. It’s so cool,” Stone said.

The production had tough beginnings due to the language barrier.

“Transitions were rough,” Stone said. “I didn’t know where my cue was because I didn’t know what anyone else was saying. We are getting much smoother.”

Getting out of the classroom has been a

great experience for Megee.

but in the play you hear everything,” she said.

Language is also a source of passion for the actors.

“It is good to see other people being so passionate about their language,” Chesis said. “I was impressed.”

The show changed Chesis’s personal view

on French.

“It is a really fun way to think about your language,” she said. “It is actually a language, and I’m actually getting to be a part of it.”

Actors in the foreign language play rehearse during an afternoon practice on Fri., Jan. 15. The play will be performed for Blue Valley Middle.

Photo by Emma Mosier.

silverlining Finding that

annieburress staff writer

It’s difficult to find a bigger country music fan than sophomore John Hermes

Name any country song and John can tell you not only who sings it, but the album name, the year it was released, track number on the album and key the song is in.

But there is one thing John can’t do: he can’t describe from his own visual memory what any of those artists look like.

John is visually impaired.

When he was born, his doctors pronounced him fit to go home.

But his mother, Christine Hermes, and his grandmother noticed that he wasn’t opening his eyes.

“It was actually my mother who pulled his eyelids back and realized they weren’t completely formed,” she said. “At first, I thought it was more of a cosmetic issue. And then, when we had his eyes tested, it was ‘blind in both eyes.’”

Christine didn’t know much about blindness.

“I didn’t know what the journey would be,” she said. “When we told the children, his oldest sister Stasia, who would have been six at the time, said, ‘Wow, my life’s gonna be different.’ That really summed it up. There’s been a lot to learn and we’re still learning.”

John attended Stilwell Elementary, but instead of continuing on to Blue Valley Middle School, John’s parents felt the gap was becoming too big between John and the other students.

They decided the Kansas State School for the Blind (KSSB) was the best next step for John.

“He really needed to be in an environment where a lot of the teachers were blind, all of the students were blind, and he was included, because it was a blind world, if that makes sense,” Christine said.

They were right. John felt that KSSB was a good fit for him and he still keeps in contact with his two best friends from KSSB.

“It was a great four or five years,” he said. “I learned a lot about being visually impaired. I made a lot of friends and I was in a lot of the school plays.

One year we did the play Annie. Our theater teacher thought that I was doing such a good job that she changed the name of the play to Andy and gave me the lead role. It was still the same story.”

His parents noticed John’s true happiness at KSSB.

“We went down there and John gave us a tour of the campus,” Christine said. “We walked into the library and John said, ‘This is my favorite room because I can read everything in here.’ It was a huge realization for me that all of the years he had been at Stilwell, they only had one or two Braille books on the shelves for him to check out.”

The family decided to transfer John back to Blue Valley after seeing that he wasn’t academically challenged enough at KSSB.

Now that he’s back, John’s daily routine is similar, if not identical to most students’. He is almost completely independent in the morning while getting ready for school.

After school, he does his homework. Homework, he said, was the biggest change from KSSB to Blue Valley.

“I think I like Blue Valley better,” he said. “It’s not so long of a drive and I’m starting to make friends that live a little closer to home. The only thing that took some getting used to is that during my KSSB years, most nights I would come home with absolutely no homework.”

John’s family life isn’t as different as some may think.

“It isn’t that different from living with someone who isn’t visually impaired,” John‘s brother, Abe Hermes said.

Christine said that vacations can become difficult to plan, but that John finds other ways to enjoy experiences his family thinks he may dislike.

“We went whale watching in Laguna -sometimes I feel badly that he can’t participate, but I’ve come to realize that’s my disappointment, not his,” Christine said. “He never seems disappointed: he loves the wind in his face and he picks up on the smells much better. And I’ve come to realize that even though I might think that an experience wouldn’t interest him, I’m approaching it from a visual perspective instead of approaching it from a total sensory perspective.”

John knows that there are some benefits to being visually impaired.

“When we went to Disney World, while most people only got to ride four rides a day because there were so many lines,” he said, “My being visually impaired is kind of an asset, because we get to cut the lines.”

John’s personality is very easygoing and tolerant, and he has an exceptionally kind heart, Christine said.

“He’s really adaptable and accommodat-

ing,” she said. “I think his vision impairment has forced him to be that way, and he is, but in a very sincere way. He just goes with the flow.

Along the same lines, there have been times when someone has left a toy on the floor that he’s stumbled over, or something on the stairs that he’s tripped over, or a cabinet door left open that he has whacked his head on really hard. But he never gets upset about it. He almost, not expects it, but is very tolerant of it.”

Christine feels it’s important for other students to reach out to John.

“He hears people, but he’s kind of in his own world. He can’t make out all of those voices until someone breaks into that bubble and says, ‘Hey, I’m so-and-so.’ He can’t see anyone going down the hall; he doesn’t have that connection until you talk to him.

All of us tend to get in our own world and don’t recognize how important it is to reach out to those who are limited in their ability to reach out to us and what a positive impact they can make.”

John and Christine said they are not bitter that John was born blind.

“There’s no question it’s a challenge,” Christine said. “It’s so much easier to do everything for him than to teach him how to do it. I think the greatest thing I’m learning is that doing it for him doesn’t help him. I guess it’s like ‘you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.’

There’s so much to be said for giving a person that independence. So bitter wouldn’t be the right word. There’s a reason for everything. It has been great for my growth and my family’s growth. He’s really okay with who he is. It’s the rest of us that have to grow.”

“All of us tend to get in our own world and don’t recognize how important it is to reach out to those who are limited in their ability to reach out to us and what a positive impact they can make.”

Christine Hermes

Sophomore John Hermes performs a song on the piano. John has a passion for music and his favorite type of music is country. Photo by Jackie Lippert.

With the help of family, visuallyimpaired sophomore faces challenges with fresh perspective

From the desk Students in teacher education course get real-life teaching experience to the teacher’s lounge

emilybrown staff writer

Senior Jen Timmons walks into the classroom full of kindergartners at Sunrise Point Elementary.

She can’t help but smile as the children yell out “Miss Jen.”

It makes her feel like she belongs in the classroom and she loves seeing how the kids look up to her.

Practicum in Teacher Education I is a class that is open to juniors and seniors and offers a hands-on learning experience for students interested in education careers.

“I love it,” Timmons said. “It’s something I would recommend to anyone who is looking at this profession. Everyday is something different and it’s giving us a lot of experience before we try student teaching in college.”

Practicum students start off learning about different teaching styles and theories before they are allowed to work in field sites like Sunrise Point, Sunset Ridge, Blue River, Stanley, and others.

They get to choose any grade level, school, or teacher they want to work with.

“I want to be with younger kids because it fits my personality more,” Timmons said. “I have a lot of energy and it’s easy for me to keep up with the kids. The other thing is that the kids in kindergarten and first grade are

excited to come to school. They want to hear what you have to say.”

For Timmons, the most difficult part of the program was saying goodbye to her students.

“I got to know the kids so well that it’s sad to leave but also it’s a great test on your patience,” she said. “It really does test if you are cut out for the job.”

Senior Kassi Kaemmer has worked with fifth grade students and kindergartners at Stanley Elementary as well as eighth grade students at Prairie Star Middle School.

“My favorite part about the program is being able to interact with children and see how they act in class,” Kaemmer said. “It’s a lot different watching kids in class than being one of them.”

Students make lesson plans, present and

teach them to the class and write in daily journals.

That is not including the other work they are assigned each week.

“There is never a day that we are sitting there twiddling our thumbs,” Timmons said. “Everything we do is completely related to us becoming better teachers.”

Practicum Education teacher Donna DeHart believes the class is extremely helpful.

“It helps the students understand how they learn, gives them a better appreciation for their teachers, helps them decide if they want to be a teacher or not and therefore, can save them a great deal of money if they decide they don’t want to,” DeHart said.

DeHart believes responsibility is definitely a character trait necessary in this program.

“Responsibility, is extremely important in this class,” she said. “Students have to leave here and get to their field sites on time.”

Despite the hard work, the class has its funny moments, too Kaemmer said.

“Last year my class went with the second grade students of Eugene Ware, a Kansas City Elementary school, to the Kansas City Zoo,” she said. “The kids that we got to hang out with were awesome and very energetic. As we were eating, a couple of geese came over and tried to get our food. It was a very intense couple of minutes for us. When the geese attacked us the kids left all their stuff

right where it was and ran from the geese. It was definitely the most fun time I have had in Practicum.”

There are two levels to this class.

Practicum in Teacher Education II, the second level, can be taken by seniors after completing the prerequisite of Practicum in Teacher Education I.

“The main difference between the two levels is you have to do more lessons but you get more time at the field sites because you don’t have to learn all the same stuff over,” Timmons said.

The Practicum in Teacher Education class is in charge of Future Educators of America (FEA).

“It’s a club that is good at setting goals and reaching them,” Timmons said.

DeHart thinks that the Practicum class is good practice for student teaching in college.

“I’m hearing this from former students; they are a step ahead of the other students in their class,” DeHart said.

Timmons believes this experience will be helpful when she tries student teaching in college.

“I am learning what type of teacher I am and what I want to be,” she said. “I think that it has raised my responsibility. Up until now everything I have done in the classroom has been for myself, but now it’s for the kids.”

Kaemmer

Timmons

Chambers seniors seek scholarships for musical theater

jordanhuesers staff writer

Standing on stage, stricken with professional poise, seniors Hannah Scott and Austin Stang perform at 110 percent, connecting with the audience through every motion they make.

Scott and Stang have been members of the Chambers show choir since sophomore year.

Both developed a strong passion for singing at a very young age.

Dance was a large part of Scott’s life throughout her childhood. She attended a few different dance programs but found a home with Miller-Marley School of Dance and Voice, continuing to dance with that company today.

“When I am dancing I can release every type of emotion I have,” Scott said. “When it’s a good day or a bad day I can express how I feel with all my motions.”

As for Stang, he started dancing his freshman year when Chambers director Marsha Moeller suggested dance class for him.

Scott and Stang agree one of the greatest aspects of Chambers is the positive and fun atmosphere in the classroom.

“With the people in the classroom, you just know its going to be fun,” Stang said.

Scott enjoys spending time and growing every day with her peers in Chambers.

“It is great being able to share your interests with other people,” Scott said. “In high school it’s hard to find people that enjoy what you do, especially when everyone is trying to figure out what they personally love to do.”

For Scott, Chambers helped her grow as a person and taught her many qualities that will help with her future career goals.

“It has helped me become a better leader and helps me with understanding people and using their different ideas,” Scott said. “Also, Chambers helped my ability to sing and dance at the same time. I have always done them, just not together.”

Stang joined Chambers for some experience of the performing world but gained much more.

“I benefited in many ways as a performer and as a person with the people I was around every day,” Stang said.

Moeller witnesses both Stang’s and Scott’s passion and dedication every day in class.

“They model the level of performance that is needed,” Moeller said. “They are both natural leaders and set a very high standard for the classroom.”

Both seniors receive a lot of support from friends and their families.

“My parents have always helped me with dance and voice lessons,” Stang said. “They always work to make me better than I am now.”

Scott appreciates all the love and support given from her family and friends.

“My mom has always been my biggest supporter,” Scott said. “She has really just always been the one there. My friends are also great supporters. They come and see my shows.”

Oklahoma City University offered Scott a scholarship, which she accepted with plans to major in dance performance.

“My future goal is to end up on Broadway, somehow, someway, be living in New York

and to become a Rockette,” Scott said. Stang received a scholarship to Wichita State through its musical theater program.

However, he still has five more auditions and will later decide where he will be attending.

New Fox show, Glee, sparks students to form group, perform for audiences

katielouis

features editor

Glee, the new hit FOX show about a struggling musical performance club, finished its fall season on Dec. 9.

However, students don’t need to wait until April to get their Glee fix. Thanks to juniors Kelly Urso and Garrett Woods and senior Dalton Homolka, Blue Valley now has its own Glee Club.

In late September, these choir members decided to organize all students interested in Glee Club.

“It seemed like it would be fun to do something outside of school and give some kids who aren’t in choir a chance to sing,” Woods said.

Junior member Steven Stinson agreed more kids get a chance to sing outside of school.

“It’s also fun to get to sing outside of the classroom,” Stinson said. “It’s not for a grade and you get to pick the music.”

The club’s first goal was a Christmas performance in December. Members picked songs they wanted to sing and brought

their own sheet music. Woods and the other singers worked together to choose people or groups of people (like duos or quartets) to sing certain songs.

They rehearsed twice a week as the show neared so all members could attend at least one.

It wasn’t easy for Glee to get organized and prepare for a show in barely two months. The club does not have any adult leadership or influence; they function completely independent of the school.

“It’s just us,” Woods said. “It is kind of challenging because reading sheet music and picking the parts out is hard. We don’t really have any adult help at all.”

However, it helps that Woods likes the challenge of putting the music together and making a performance out of it.

Glee performed twice last semester. They held their Christmas show at a member’s church on a snowy night in early December. After much work, stress and nerves the show was successful.

“I was really apprehensive

about the Christmas show, but it came out really, really good,” Woods said. “It was cool to see what we put together by ourselves as students without any help.”

In December, Glee also organized a special performance with a few members at an AIDS house downtown. Senior Jessica Mussatto’s mom volunteers at the house and had Jessica ask Glee to perform a Christmas show for the people living and working in the house.

“I think they liked it a lot,” Stinson said. “We got to hang out and talk to people after. It was really fun.”

However, the show wasn’t all fun and games; it also had a humbling side.

“It was honestly kind of sad,” Stinson said. “I mean, we knew a lot of those people weren’t going to be living for much longer so it was really depressing. But it felt good to be doing things for other people.”

Glee is always open to performance requests at any location.

However, since most of the

group’s members are participating in the musical, the club will not be as active until after the show. Instead they will spend time looking for music and planning for the rest of the year.

The founders have many hopes for the second semester of Glee.

Students at Blue Valley West started a Glee Club this year as well and Woods hopes to organize a joint show with both clubs.

“The club’s anticipated to grow,” Woods said. “So I am hoping at least 20 people for second semester. We also want to put a show together with the West club at the end of the year because that would be big and really cool.”

Students are encouraged to join Glee at any time and participation in choir is not necessary. Interested students should talk to Woods or Homolka.

Glee club members perform at their Christmas show Dec. 8 at St. Aidans Episcopal Church. From left: seniors Jenn Timmons, Amy Hall, Emily Mosburg and junior Kelly Urso. Photo submitted by Emily Mosburg.

Seniors Austin Stang and Hannah Scott star in the musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. Photo submitted by Ann McCroskey.

This year’s highly anticipated movies

chrisroche staff writer

Alice in Wonderland - March 5th

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Tim Burton adds his own twist to the Disney classic Alice in Wonderland. In this story Alice (Mia Wosikowska) falls back into the hole she visited as a child to complete her true quest — to stop the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and help out her friends in Wonderland. Johnny Depp stars as The Mad Hatter in his seventh collaboration with Burton.

Iron Man 2 - May 7th

2010 Box Office Preview 2

Iron Man 2 continues the story of Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.), a billionaire inventor who created the Iron Man suit to help fight evil in the world. Stark faces pressure from the government, press and public to share his technology with the military. Unwilling to give up his inventions, he forges an alliance with Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) and James “Rhodey” Rhodes (Don Cheadle) to help the world against powerful new enemies.

Twilight Saga: Eclipse - June 30th

3

This movie is a sure sell-out in theaters as it continues telling the story of Bella (Kristen Stewart) and her conflict of choosing her true love for Edward (Robert Pattinson) or Jacob (Taylor Lautner). She also has to deal with a female vampire Victoria (Bryce Dallas Howard) who wants revenge on Edward for killing her boyfriend.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows: Part 1 - Nov. 19th

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As Voldemort’s (Ralph Fiennes) power continues to grow, he now controls the Ministry of Magic and Hogwarts. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe), Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson) decide to follow through and finish Dumbledore’s original plan by finding the rest of the horcruxes to defeat the Dark Lord. There is little hope for the three as they embark on a journey more extreme than in any other Harry Potter movie.

Photo courtesy of Summit Entertainment.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers Pictures.

Twin Takedown Brothers look to improve from varsity freshman season

matthewgruber staff writer

When it comes to making a varsity team, it can be a pretty daunting task.

Sophomores Logan and Lukas Bjorgo, identical twins, accomplished this mission last year, their first at BV among a very talented pool of athletes.

The brothers’ mother, Cynthia Bjorgo, was proud but not too surprised after her sons made varsity their freshman year.

“Obviously, I was very proud,” Cynthia said. “I knew if they wanted a spot, they had to be challenged. When they would get challenged I was nervous. I was anxious. I wasn’t surprised that they won because they brought experience to the table.”

Brotherly Smack Talk

The brothers debate who brings it the most to the mat.

“I think it’s pretty even. Most recently I beat him at state in ‘08. I also beat him at state and I was also sub-district and district champion.”

Whenever the pair wrestled each other in tournaments previous years, bragging rights were the main thing they were wrestling for.

“It’s just like a match at home, it’s not very serious,” Lukas said.”Usually the matches are really loud, but whenever it was just me and Logan, it got really quiet because the coaches couldn’t coach either of us.”

Logan agreed with how they handle facing each other on the mat after wrestling together for nine years.

“Like he said, it’s not very serious,” Logan said. “But you don’t want the other person bragging.”

The Bjorgos wrestled in different weight classes their freshman year, with Lukas wrestling a weight class above Logan.

Both the Bjorgos made it to Regionals last year and finished with records around .500.

The top four placing wrestlers in each weight class went to state.

For Logan, it was a great achievement to be a state qualifier after placing third, winning enough matches to travel to Topeka for state during his first year as a high school wrestler at BV.

Lukas came up short losing in overtime by a takedown — just one point.

do anything about it. I just had to look ahead to the future and try and get better,” Lukas said.

Both Bjorgos have spent time getting ready for this season.

Logan Lukas

“I’ve been to state more times, five to your three Logan. I have a jacket to prove it. Logan doesn’t have one.”

Logan

“I don’t want to hear it. Don’t see you with a state plaque.”

Sports In Brief

Boys Basketball

“It’s a lot of pressure to keep it up next year, but just having the experience of state, it’s just good to have,” Logan said.

Alongside watching his brother capture the moment was Lukas, who anxiously waited for his match .

“Seeing his match before mine, it motivated me to go win my match, so he couldn’t rub it in my face, but it didn’t happen,” Lukas said.

Previous Action: 1/15 Bishop Miege L(74-42)

Record: 4-5

Key Athletes: Senior Anthony Abenoja

Upcoming Action: 1/29 Blue Valley West

2/2 Blue Valley North

Boys Swimming

Previous Action: 1/14 @ Emporia High 1st/8

“Well going into it I knew the other wrestler was really good,” sophomore teammate Kellen Rios said. “Lukas kept up with him pretty well. I think he probably should’ve won that match.”

Logan and teammates watched his brother’s hard fought match.

“It just made me motivated for my next match to win,” Logan said. “It’s just hard seeing someone on your team lose.”

Lukas had a difficult time coping with the hard-fought loss.

“It’s undescribable, like you wanted it so bad, but you couldn’t

Key Athletes: Seniors Andrew Fraser and Andrew Lenz, juniors Adam

Chinery and Cameron Gallet, sophomore Austin Averkamp

Upcoming Action: 1/28 BVHS meet

2/5 @ EKL BVW

Logan said he has worked to improve on takedowns and good head position.

Lukas mentioned takedowns as one of his areas to improve as well.

“I wasn’t very good at takedowns,” he said. “That’s why I lost my regional match. I’ve gotten better at it.”

They both have their goals as well for this season including making it to state and winning there.

“Just to work hard, learn from my mistakes, and get better,” Lukas

Girls Basketball

said.

Cynthia believes the twins have quite the journey ahead of them.

“I think now in high school, on varsity, it’s the best of the best, they’re going to see the best,” Cynthia said. “The competition on varsity is pretty fierce.”

Previous Action: 1/14 Bishop Miege L(51-48)

Record: 5-3

Key Athletes: Senior Nicole Gloor, junior Aerial Smith

Upcoming Action: 1/22 Olathe Northwest

1/26 Blue Valley West

Wrestling

Previous Action: 1/16 @ Basehor-Linwood 12th/32

Key Athletes: Seniors Nick Pearch and Parker Madl

Upcoming Action: 1/22 @ Blue Valley Northwest 1/23 @ Piper

Sophomore Lukas Bjorgo grapples with an opponent at a meet on Jan. 12. Lukas wrestles at a weight class above his brother Logan. Photo By Jackie Lippert.

Sophomore Logan Bjorgo gains the back of an opponent on Jan 12. Photo by Jackie Lippert.

Legendary football coach says ‘goodbye’ to BV

caitlinholland news editor

A once in a life-time opportunity.

In 25-year football head coach Steve Rampy’s opinion, that’s what Pittsburg State University offered him at the end of last semester.

Rampy is the new Offensive Coordinator for the PSU Gorillas, as well as their future recruiter for the Kansas City area.

“I feel rejuvenated,” Rampy said. “It’s a challenge every day, going and learning new things.”

He plans to continue to use the same coaching style at PSU that he did at BV—a style he believes provides a challenge to his players and coaches.

“I’m a demanding guy,” he said. “I think I demand a lot of effort from kids and a lot of commitment from kids. I have high expectations for all the players and coaches around me, but they’re never higher than what I’m willing to ask from myself.”

The reasonable-but-high expectations Rampy had for the athletes at BV will transition to the players at PSU as well.

Rampy coached the Tigers to win 5A State Championships in 1991, 1998, 2003 and 2006, as well as four state runner-up finishes.

“I’ll never ask my assistants to do something I wasn’t willing to do,” he said. “I’ve never asked a player to do something I wasn’t willing to do. I think that is important.”

Athletic Director Bob Whitehead agrees that Rampy’s

demanding coaching style helps emphasize strong fundamentals in players, makes athletes work hard during the season and off-season and results in a staff that works together well.

Whitehead noted that in the last 15 years the football team had very few coaching position changes.

“I have a lot of respect for what he was able to accomplish,” Whitehead said. “He did what every coach wants to do when they start out.”

After teaching at BV for 29 years, Rampy still holds true to the fact that the words ‘coach’ and ‘teacher’ go hand in hand.

“I’ve always believed, and still do, that good coaches are good teachers first,” he said.

Rampy said he doesn’t expect the fundamentals of the BV football program to change even though he is no longer the head coach.

“I hope that people will understand, I wasn’t the program, I was only a part of the program,” he said. “There’s no reason for things to change. The goals and expectations we had for ourselves, that stuff should continue.

It wasn’t about me, it’s about our community, our players, assistant coaches, everybody. I was just a part of that.”

Rampy said whoever will fill the head coaching job needs to balance adding something new to the program with maintaining the tradition of the football team.

“[Tradition] is one of the most important things Blue Valley has,”

he said. “It’s a special place on Friday nights and whoever the coach is has to embrace that. Don’t shy away from the community because the support in the community is unbelievable.”

Whitehead also said the way football brings the entire school together is something unique to Blue Valley.

“We feel like this is somewhat a community school,” Whitehead said. “A lot of kids go to the games instead of going to the movies. That doesn’t go on at every school.”

Rampy’s sons, BV graduates Zach and Luke Rampy, are very supportive of their dad’s decision to go to Pitt State.

“Of all the people involved here, my sons have been the most excited,” he said. “They’re pretty happy for me.”

Rampy will coach in games against Emporia State University where his son Luke is a wide receiver.

“I’ll want them to do well, but I’ll want our team to win,” he said. “They’re the most important to me,

this is just my job.”

No matter where Rampy goes from here though, his life will always center around the three factors.

“There are three really strong things in my life that I care about: my faith, my family and football,” he said.

“This is an opportunity to work on one of the greatest institutions of football there is in the United States, so it was an opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime thing I couldn’t have passed up.”

Expires 2/28/10

We accept our competitor’s coupons!

Expires 2/28/10

We accept our competitor’s coupons!

Varsity Football Coach Steve Rampy speaks to the team after last year’s Bishop Miege game at home. Rampy coached at Blue Valley for 25 years. Tiger Print file photo.

Friday

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S.W.I.T.C.H

Get your crazy outfits together for S.W.I.T.C.H, following the Girls Varsity game at 9 p.m. It’s $5 at the door.

Sunday National Compliment Day

I love your smile! And your hair. And the way you walk down the hall on the way to lunch.

Wednesday

27

JV/ Varsity Wrestling Dual vs. West

The boys hit the mat against our rivals. Be at the school at 6 p.m. to support BV.

Friday Tech N9ne

Check out Tech N9ne on his Strange Music Tour. Be at the Beaumont Club at 8 p.m. General admission is $30.

FEBRUARY

Monday

Give Kids a Smile Day

Smile and be nice to the freshmen today!

Wednesday

Parent-Teacher Conferences

Go with your parents and find out your grades and how you can improve for the new semester. Conferences are from 4 to 7 p.m. and continue tomorrow as well.

Satisfied and Single Day

Being single rocks! Use this day to give yourself a makeover.

Saturday

Sweetheart Dance

Gettin’ Down in Chinatown tonight starts at 8 p.m. The dancing doesn’t stop ‘til 11 p.m.

Monday

Presidents Day — No School

Political party aside, we all get a day off. Hats off to that.

Friday

18

Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat

Go see the next BV musical. Buy your tickets early for the 7:30 p.m. production in the PAC.

Senior Countdown: 122 days

JANUARY

Isabel Viera teaches Tina Matinat’s Spanish 3.5 class on the government in Argentina. Viera and her husband, Valentin Poquet, are here visiting from Mendoza Province, Argentina.

A Jungle employee counts the morning’s profit. Photo by Emma Mosier.