The Tiger Print — March 2018 by The Tiger Print

DEADLY THINKING students share their experiences with suicide attempts, fighting to recover

| PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE

//THE TIGER PRINT

2 //march 2018 // contents

in this issue... | DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU | PHOTOS BY STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS

8 13

ENDING POLICE BRUTALITY

Staff writer Marie Biernacki calls for police to be held accountable for their actions.

BV STUDENTS DABBLE ON TINDER

22 24

UNUSUAL ANIMALS OF BV

From hens to snakes, BV students take care of many unique pets at home.

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY JACK BERG

WORST. COMIC. PODCAST. EVER!

MR. MOSIER: FASHION DIVA

Physics teacher John Holloway spends his free time reviewing comics and interviewing artists.

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY JOHN HOLLOWAY

29 31

GETTING BACK ON TRACK

Track and field team appoints new head coach and prepares for competition.

FAKE IT ‘TIL YOU MAKE IT

Fifth Wall performers discuss the activity, from the practices to the program’s impact.

SPINNING RIFLES, TWIRLING FLAGS & DANCING IT OUT

//TIGER PRINT THE

co-editors Julie Freijat Alli Williams Kaitlin Yu photo editor Melanie White

staff writers Allie Ament Marie Biernacki Courtney Brown Cassidy Carpenter McKenna Cole Kyle Elmendorf

Molly Holmes Maddy Kang Noma Kreegar Nick Lamberti Shay Lawson Sadie Myer Veronica Peterson

Carley Sherer Lizzie Skidmore Victoria Wilson Kelly Zhang adviser Michelle Huss

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students eight times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication. Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication. “The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content. Letters should be submitted to Room 450, emailed to thetigerprint@gmail.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

news // march 2018 //

OFF THE RADAR North Korea has been linked to Syria’s chemical weapons program

Multiple countries, including the U.S., have accused Syria of using chemical weapons on civilians — the most recent attack took place in a suburb of eastern Ghouta. The chemical weapons used in Ghouta appeared to be chlorine gas. The trade allows for Syria to preserve its chemical weapons stronghold while also allowing for North Korea to receive funding for its nuclear and missile programs. According to a report released by the UN, the chemical weapons could be part of nearly 40 undocumented shipments by North Korea to Syria. However, the report did not prove that the collaboration between North Korea and Syria was current but did include an extensive series of measures that could be used to curb the military advancement of the two countries.

2018’s deadly flu season continues to persist The nasty flu season this year was said to have been caused by U.S. government scientists targeting the wrong flu strains to vaccine against this year. According to the U.S. centers for Disease Control and Protection (CDC), the 2018 flu season has been responsible for killing 12,469 people so far. Because the flu season has yet to come to an end, the death toll is expected to rise in the following weeks. Flu treatment was further complicated by the controversy surrounding Tamiflu, a flu treatment medicine, after a 6-year-old girl in Texas was said to have begun hallucinating after taking the medication, according to her parents. “We’re likely to see influenza continue to circulate until midApril,” said Daniel Jernigan, the head of the CDC’s influenza department.

‘March For Our Lives’ protests gain traction The school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High school in Parkland, Florida, which left 17 dead and 14 wounded, has resulted in a number of student-led protests across the nation. At one “March for Our Lives” protest in Washington, a moment of silence was held in honor of the 17 victims killed in the Parkland shooting. Many of the signs at the event were aimed at pressuring lawmakers into pushing for stronger gun control. However, some schools, such as the Needville Independent school district in Texas, have threatened to punish students for joining the protests. "Life is all about choices and every choice has a consequence whether it be positive or negative. We will discipline no matter if it is 1, 50, or 500 hundred students involved. All will be suspended for three days and parent notes will not alleviate the discipline," said Needville High superintendent Curtis Rhodes. | PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

| WORDS & DESIGN BY NOMA KREEGAR

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NEWS IN PHOTOS

news // march 2018 //

4. 2.

1. Belly flopping into the pool, senior Nick McLaury competes in the cannonball contest that promoted the swim team. “I went for a little bit of a different approach,” he said. “[I] did a belly flop to get the crowd to laugh.” Photo by Molly Holmes. 2. Performing for the freshman class, junior Sindhuja Manda dances in a traditional Indian dance. “[I had a really good time] performing the Bollywood dance for the school,” she said. Photo by Melanie White. 3. Hiding under a bench, senior Will Becker hugs a pineapple during “Much Ado About Nothing.” “I like acting because it’s free,” Becker said. “I [get to] express myself and there’s

a lot of creative room.” Photo by Kaitlin Yu. 4. Having just popped her eyes, senior Cat Simmons crawls on the floor during “The Distracted Scholar’s Guide to Literature and Drama.” “One of my favorite parts [about Rep Theatre] is being able to work on things in class,” she said. Photo by Melanie White. 5. Playing the violin, sophomore William Jiang performs in the band concert March 1. Avian Bear, the current band director announced her retirement. The new band director, Paul Besseti will be taking her place in the fall of 2019. Photo by Kaitlin Yu.

6 //march 2018 // news

NEWS BRIEFS

High school student shot by police; community comes together

Junior John Albers’ school photo, courtesy of the BV School District.

lue Valley Northwest junior John Albers was killed by an unnamed police officer Jan. 20. During a FaceTime call, a friend and Albers were talking. However, the friend grew concerned for Albers’ safety — he said Albers had taken pills and was drinking heavily. This led him to call the authorities, as he believed Albers was going to commit suicide. Overland Park police officers arrived at Albers’ home around 5:50 p.m. Police said responding officers approached the residence, when the garage door opened and a vehicle exited. The car moved rapidly toward one of the responding officers, who fired his weapon at the driver, killing him. The officer who discharged his weapon was placed on administrative leave during the investigation, and resigned for personal reasons.

However, the shooting was later determined to be justified by Johnson County Prosecutor Steve Howe. On the evening of Jan. 21, students held a candlelight vigil on Sunset Ridge Elementary School’s playground. An anonymous BV Northwest junior who attended the event said it was heartwarming. “To see people [at the vigil] John impacted in some way and to see people who wanted to show support for his family and friends was truly amazing,” the student said. The student also said Albers was compassionate toward others. “He was always there for the people he held close to him,” the student said. “He could always make you laugh or somehow brighten your day. He had such a pure heart and, honestly, to be his friend was a gift I will be forever grateful for.”

BV staff member selected for award, discusses submission process

ne day, math teacher Kyle Braden was walking in the office when principal Scott Bacon pulled him aside to tell him he had been nominated for the 2019 Kansas Teacher of the Year by his peers. According to the Kansas Department of Education, the award recognizes and utilizes representatives of excellent teaching in classrooms. Every year, school districts nominate one elementary school teacher and one secondary school teacher. The qualifying characteristics of a nominee include being a full-time teacher in any state-approved or accredited school — prekindergarten through grade 12 — who is

planning to continue in an active teaching status. Braden said he has to complete and submit an online application for the district level award, where they will narrow the nominees to six regional finalists. If Braden makes the top six, which is announced Sept. 9, he will have an interview for the state award. Braden said he felt honored by the nomination. “There are a lot of awesome teachers at this school,” Braden said. “Being picked for something like this is rewarding.” The recipient of the stateaward will be announced at The 2019 Kansas Teacher of the Year State Awards Banquet Nov. 17.

| WORDS & DESIGN BY MARIE BIERNACKI & MCKENNA COLE

Photo of math teacher Kyle Braden.

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8 //march 2018 // opinion

Police officers must be held accountable for wrongful actions

marie biernacki staff writer

Mike Brown, Sandra Bland, Tamir Rice — do those names ring a bell? What about John Albers? Or maybe Andrew Finch? All of the aforementioned names — people, human beings — died at the hands of the police. Some were killed in selfdefense, while others were treated abhorrently by our law enforcement. Two lived in our home state. Any way you look at it, none of those people should have died. Many of them were young with promising lives ahead — no one should have their future taken from them. A majority of the officers who took those lives were placed on paid administrative leave. How is getting a paid vacation going to teach the police their actions were wrong?

| DESIGN BYMARIE BIERNACKI

Not only are police treating civilians horrendously, but there is also rampant corruption within various police headquarters. Recently, a section of the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) was exposed for an abundance of exploitation of power. The section was meant to be a task force to help contain guns. It was discovered they planted evidence, arrested people without warrants, stole from defendants and even sold the very drugs and guns they confiscated. Rightfully so, those involved were on trial, and a majority pleaded guilty. This corruption took place for years before it was discovered. How can the people of Baltimore feel safe, when they know the BPD might have been complicit in these crimes? How can anyone feel safe knowing officers — from anywhere — can easily take advantage of the power given to them? I should not be scared of the police — no one should. But with stories like these being

shared and told more frequently, people start to worry and cannot trust those meant to protect and serve them. This is why police officers must be held accountable for any wrongful action. This will show young, future members of law enforcement they cannot get away with any crime, no matter how big or small. It will also demonstrate to the public that the law can be trusted — not feared. I acknowledge guilt should eat away at officers who commit such crimes, but the guilt they feel is not enough to fix the unfixable and bring back innocent lives lost. Instead, depending on the circumstances, they should be sent back into training or expunged from their respective police force. And, in extreme cases, such as the events in Baltimore, they need to be punished to the full extent of the law — not simply fired. Good cops are out there, and not every single police force is corrupt. However, those officers whose actions are unacceptable should suffer the consequences.

staff ed // march 2018 //

| CARTOON BY KEATON BUCHERT

School resources should be publicized to tackle current issues, prevent further problems If you have a concern you need to speak about, who do you turn to at the school? Most students would say their favorite teacher over any other school resource. Although the wonderful and wise teachers at Blue Valley would be great to talk to about your crush or your weekend plans, talking to them about serious issues may put too much pressure on them because they are not professionally trained for these situations. However, the BV district is gracious enough to offer counselors, school psychologists, social workers, sobriety groups, school resource officers, a website to report bullying anonymously and so much more — but how many of those did you know about? According to a recent poll of 150 students, 37 percent didn’t know counselors are available to talk to about emotional issues, not just academic ones. Many on The Tiger Print newspaper staff were unaware that BV has a

school psychologist until the article on sexual assault was written in December 2016. Only through an interview with a fellow student did we learn about such a resource. In fact, only 43 percent of BV students report knowing that the school offers a psychologist. This presents a serious issue — if students aren’t aware of the assets the school provides, their opportunity to benefit from said assets is squandered. First and foremost, the student, who is the main reason these resources exist for, loses. They lose on the opportunity to talk to a professional who they may not be able to access at home, whether that’s about mental health with a psychologist, their home situation with a social worker, or their struggles with substance abuse with a Crossroads employee during Tiger Paws. They lose on the chance to feel safe and at home at BV. Secondly, the school and the district

loses. Their goal for making these options available is for the student. But, if the student is ignorant of their existence and are unsure where to turn when they need help, then what’s the point? Teachers, students and administrators alike want students to be at their best possible mental and physical health — that should begin with distributing the knowledge of the great resources BV provides. The publication of these resources can be more accessible on BV’s website as well as around the school — perhaps in the form of handouts if a student approaches a teacher about such an issue. As substance abuse continues to be a problem at BV and as suicide rates rapidly increase — as demonstrated by the recent incidents within the district and among other districts — the necessity of these resources becomes dire. But, if we begin making those options more accessible, we can treat the problems that exist and prevent problems before they happen.

This staff editorial is the representation of the opinion of The Tiger Print staff.

10 //march 2018 // opinion

NOW HIRING

jobs teach teens value of work ethic

mckenna cole staff writer

To Generation X, getting a job was a rite of passage for a teenager. It symbolized your growth and maturation and meant you were taking your first steps toward adulthood. But for Generation Z, there seems to be a decline in the number of employed adolescents. According to CBS.org, in July 1986, 57 percent of American teenagers were employed. The number stayed over 50 percent until 2002 when it began dropping steadily. By July 2017, only 36 percent were working. Why such a loss? We live in a privileged community where parents providing for their children is the norm, but believe it or not, parents buying their children Jeep Wranglers and paying for the entirety of their college expenses is a fairly new phenomenon. Unfortunately, this generous era of parenting has fostered a new work-ethic among teens — a nonexistent work-ethic. Teens no longer feel the need to work for something because, inevitably, it will be handed to them on a silver platter. I decided to start working because, personally, I have always found it difficult asking my parents for cash. Their responses were always a surplus of questions. Why do you need it? What are you spending it on? Why don’t you have any money yourself ?

But once the paychecks started rolling in and hitting my bank account, I had acquired a new form of freedom — financial independence. There is so much satisfaction in having your own money and the power to spend it on whatever you like. But there are many other advantages to having a job that go beyond finances. I’m currently working as a waitress at a retirement home — it’s not very glamorous, but it’s a job, and it’s one for which I am extremely grateful. Don’t get me wrong, almost every shift my ability to remain calm and cool is tested. No matter how well I think I do, diners will continuously complain about my service or yell at me about things I have no control over. But at work I’m a part of a team, and even when you feel like throwing in the towel, your co-workers and diners are counting on you to get your job done. Working isn’t fun — it’s not supposed to be. It’s work. But it’s through busing tables and taking orders that I have learned many invaluable life-lessons such as respect, responsibility and, most importantly, the value of hard work.

do students at BV have a 32% job?

68% = yes = no | DESIGN BY MCKENNA COLE

based on a poll of 126 students

opinion // march 2018 //

#NoFilter

Photo editing’s purpose should be re-evaluated

Before

allie ament staff writer

The world is filled with so many unrealistic expectations of the way we should look and act. With social media, we are exposed to daily reminders that we don’t have flawless skin or perfect, white teeth. The thing we all don’t realize is not many people actually do have these natural features. With today’s technology, almost everyone has access to some sort of app to edit their pictures. Editing Instagram photos has become a must in society today. More and more every day, natural beauty is being dismissed and instead turned into some kind of Barbie created from an app. Apps like Facetune give people the chance to “fix” their physical flaws. If you haven’t heard of Facetune, you have probably at least seen photos on Instagram of people who have used it. Facetune gives you the tools to choose a photo of yourself and enhance your eyes, skin, teeth and body to make yourself “prettier.” The problem with this is your taking away your individual beauty and sending out the message that you agree that conforming to society is acceptable. We don’t realize that editing a photo might just seem like a mindless thing to do, but deep down, it’s because you’re insecure. It’s difficult to be happy with the way we look when we compare ourselves to others that we perceive to have more beauty. Seeing a photo with no filters, no enhancements, no edits and all natural beauty is so refreshing in a world where it’s so rare for people to have that confidence and self-love. I am not here to call everyone who uses Facetune or any other photo editing apps fake because even I am guilty of downloading one of these apps some time in my life. The point is to take a step back to look at why you feel the need to have to whiten your teeth with an app. Rock your imperfect skin and not-so-white teeth. The raw you is beyond more beautiful than any app can ever make you. |DESIGN BY ALLIE AMENT

Whiten

Smooth

Details

Reshape

After

Patch

Tones

Red

12 //march 2018 // opinion

NO, GAYFACE IS NOT AN ISSUE.

THE LACK OF REPRESENTATION OF LGBT ACTORS IS. LGBT or exploit LGBT kaitlin yu stereotypes to be entertaining — some critics co-editor in chief even go as far as comparing the issue to blackface or yellowface — but that Hollywood prefers picking straight actors to play gay roles despite the skilled LGBT actors available. Oscar-nominated movie “Call Me By Your According to a survey of members of actor Name” was a sensation both worldwide and in labor union SAG-AFTRA done by UCLA, 53 the United States, lauded for its cinematography, percent of LGBT respondents believed directors music, acting, and most of all, its screenplay and producers are biased against LGBT surrounding the love story performers in hiring. between Elio Perlman, 34 percent of These discriminatory the son of a professor, and a non-LGBT casting practices rooted respondents graduate student coming to stay with his family, Oliver. agreed. in Hollywood culture On the opposite side of These need to stop, and the its praise, though, was the discriminatory casting LGBT community needs criticism that it was just another practices rooted in to be represented film boasting straight actors Hollywood culture need equally. If a person is playing gay characters, roles to stop, and the LGBT some feel would have benefited community needs to be suitable for a role, then from gay actors. represented equally. If a they should be able to The argument surrounding person is suitable for a role, play it with no regards to straight actors being casted for then they should be able to their sexuality. gay characters has existed for play it with no regards to a while, long before “Call Me their sexuality. By Your Name.” The criticism has also been But, perhaps what makes “Call Me By Your aimed at “Brokeback Mountain,” “Carol” and Name” an honest portrayal of a gay love story is “Moonlight.” not necessarily the acting but its representation However, telling actors of different sexualities behind the camera. to stay in their own lane when choosing The movie director Luca Guadagnino characters to play is extremely limiting to is openly gay, and the movie screenplay was everyone included in the process of casting. After written by James Ivory, who was previously all, sexuality is a spectrum and it isn’t always awarded for his screenplay “Maurice,” another black and white. story with gay characters. Just as LGBT actors can play straight roles, Clearly, the ability to convey a story straight actors can play LGBT roles. accurately and beautifully doesn’t come from If an actor can sincerely portray the only the actors but also the production team. character they have been casted in, then what’s Therefore, representation of the LGBT the harm? community needs to expand in every aspect In the issue of LGBT stories, the problem — in stories, in characters, in directors, in isn’t that straight actors misrepresent being producers and of course, in actors.

| DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU

feature // march 2018 //

it takes two to

| DESIGN BY CARLEY SHERER & LIZZIE SKIDMORE

BV students discuss online dating experiences lizzie skidmore & carley sherer staff writers From competing in a social hierarchy to building relationships, high school students often feel the need to conform to social norms. As these pressures collide with a dependence on social media, it’s no surprise students have taken to online platforms for an answer. The online dating phenomenon is one of these solutions. According to a poll of 150 students, 17 percent of Blue Valley students use Tinder, the most popular application for meeting single people over the internet. “So how Tinder works is you either swipe left, [which means] you do not want to match with that person or you swipe right [which means] you do,” junior Lunden Elston said. “If the other person swipes right, too, then it’s a ‘match’ and you’ll start to message each other and go from there. There’s also swiping up, which is a ‘superlike,’ and they will get a notification that you [did so].” Elston is among BV students who socialize on Tinder. “I got a Tinder last year because I wanted to meet new people,” Elston said. “It’s a fun time. It’s funny to just mess with people and get attention.” Unlike most high school users, Elston takes online dating to a new level. “[I’ve gone out with] a good 30 to 40 people,” Elston said. “I’ve probably gone on a second date with 1 out of every 10 people.” Not every Tinder user is as

committed to finding a serious relationship. Senior Alex Stanek uses the app in a more casual way. “[I downloaded Tinder] for fun mainly. A serious relationship off of Tinder — is that even a thing?” Stanek said. “You could [meet someone] if you really tried, but it also depends on the person you’re talking to.” With online dating, Stanek said there are some personal preferences and reservations. “[I look for] guys who play sports,” Stanek said. “If I see them in a baseball uniform, it’s my thing. [But] I never message first. I’m too self-conscious about it. I feel like if I do, it has to be funny or witty, and I’m neither.” While Elston’s search may take a different path, he also shared similar hesitations. “They just have to be really cute,” Elston said. “If I start to talk to them after that and they’re not interesting, I just stop responding. I don’t look at a bio unless it’s funny and I never message first — that’s my one rule.” Though online dating is prevalent today, Stanek said the quality and authenticity of the connections we make have changed. “[Dating] has become less personal [because of online sources],” Stanek said. “Instead of meeting people faceto-face and getting to know someone for who they are, we are getting a false first impression through a screen. People can portray themselves as something they’re not, which is disappointing for someone who wants a real relationship.”

Alex Stanek, 18 Blue Valley High, senior

I like food, dogs and taking naps.

Lunden Elston, 18 Blue Valley High, junior

I like naps and food so hit me up. Be my cute date to prom.

14 //march 2018 // feature

A SILENT BATTLE two students tell their stories of survival

editors' note

The following article details two students’ experiences with suicide attempts. It contains language and descriptions that may be upsetting to some readers. | PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE

|WORDS BY SHAY LAWSON & MADDY KANG

e was suicidal at just 6 years old. His first attempt was in November of 2017. He tried to overdose on pills and went to Marillac, a psychiatric hospital, for the first time. He attempted suicide because of depression, bullying, lack of support from his family and struggling with his gender identity. His mental health began declining again in January of 2018, and he overdosed again and ended up staying at Marillac for six days. “I thought I was better, but it was kind of just putting a band-aid on it,” junior Kris Mally said. After the second attempt, he started going to therapy. He said his mom minimized the issue. “My mom didn’t really believe it was that serious,” Mally said. “Everyone was encouraging my mom to send me to therapy and she brushed it off until it happened again — from there, my social worker told her to send me to therapy or it would get worse.” He said his dad doesn’t really understand mental illness and the | DESIGN BY JULIE FREIJAT

need for therapy, and due to that, completing the steps to healing have been challenging. “The recovery process has been difficult,” Mally said. “It’s hard for me to remember a time when I wasn’t suicidal.” Mally said he still struggles living with mental health issues. “It’s just been a game of me trying to figure out if I’m being a normal person or not,” he said. According to the Center for Disease Control, depression affects 20 to 25 percent of Americans ages 18 and older in a given year, and according to the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors, studies showed between 80 to 90 percent of people who seek treatment for depression are treated successfully using a combination of therapy and medication. An estimated quarter million people each year become suicide survivors, according to the American Association of Suicidology. Mally said if he could give advice to anyone struggling with mental illness, he would tell them to get help.

He said suicidal ideation is an obstacle that individuals can overcome by communicating with people they trust. “Don’t pretend like it’s OK,” Mally said. “That’s what I did for a long time. I thought I was fine and that I didn’t need anyone to help me — but you can’t get over this by yourself. Before it’s too late, and you’re in the mindset where you think you can’t do anything else — get help. I went to the SROs at our school, and they helped a ton. Reaching out to local resources like Johnson County Mental Health and talking to teachers helped, too.” Mally said his suicide attempts have taught him important lessons. “I’ve learned to be more empathetic for people,” he said. “I’ve learned what my passion is — I really want to be a psychologist or social worker for younger children or adolescents. It’s been a mix of really good and bad things that came out of it.” Mally said he has been shaped as a person because of this. “I wish it wouldn’t have happened, but I wouldn’t be the same person I am today if it didn’t,” he said.

"iT'S HARD FOR ME TO REMEMBER A TIME WHEN I WASN'T SUICIDAL." - JUNIOR KRIS MALLY

THE DO'S AND DON'TS OF APPROACHIN STRUGGLING WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHT DO Urge Professional Treatment

Do Not Allow

DO Give Support

Do Not Give

DO Lead With Love

Do Not Min

Although you may love the other person, love is not always enough support. Mental health professionals are trained to handle and properly treat someone battling a mental illness.

Check in with them and show them you will stay no matter how difficult it gets. Many people with mental illnesses worry that once they do divulge their inner feelings to someone else, they’ll scare that person away.

Show the other person love. Make sure they know you care about them and simply want the best life has to offer them.

IT CAN GET BETTER. REACH OUT. If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, please seek help immediately. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 The following organizations offer help: To Write Love on Her Arms Hope for the Day The Trevor Project | PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE

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feature // march 2018 //

"There was the fear that I would die but also the fear that I would survive." -SENIOR KATE HOLLINGSWORTH

Give Quick ’Solutions’

mental illnesses usually neurochemical imbalance t, so simply telling someone py” or “Fake it ‘till you not a valid solution for a cal disorder.

Minimize Their Pain

meone has it worse than es not mean what they’re ugh isn’t serious and g. Never invalidate or heir perception of reality.

| WORDS BY JULIE FREIJAT

er first suicide attempt is at age 15. She swallows a handful of pills. She gets nervous and tells her mother before the situation can turn lethal. She is rushed to the hospital. She spends the next few years in therapy, battling her mental illness. At 17, she attempts again. This time, the circumstances are far more grave. A friend rushes to her home, concerned after receiving an alarming text message from her. She is taken to the hospital again, where she will spend the next few hours having convulsions and close to death. “My body was not handling the pills that I’d taken — your body can’t really do that,” senior Kate Hollingsworth said. “After awhile, [I] started having convulsions. That was the moment where I was like, ‘Shoot, I don’t know if I want this anymore.’” Hollingsworth said her most vivid memories include her parents’ look of fear as they discovered what had happened. “That’s one of the things that I really remember about it — just my mom walking in. And her reaction of ‘Oh my God, what did you do?’” Hollingsworth said. She was then taken to the hospital in an ambulance. She was hooked up to a multitude of machines in an attempt to read her vitals. Hollingsworth said she felt frightful during her second attempt. “There was the fear that I would die but also the fear that I would survive,” she said. “The situation as a whole was just terrifying — I was in extreme pain and had no control over anything.” After a few hours, Hollingsworth passed out. She woke up a day later to her parents sitting next to her. It took her five days to regain the ability to walk, but the journey to bettering her mental health was still underway. Hollingsworth said she realized the graveness of her attempt while she was healing.

“It was pretty bad, but after the first couple days in the hospital I was like, ‘I’m really glad that didn’t work,’” she said. “There’s so much more that I have left in my life and a couple nights ago could’ve been the end of everything.” Hollingsworth said she struggled with her mental health all her life and there wasn’t any singular event that caused it. Rather, she said she had reached a point where she had grown tired of living. “It was just easier to be done than to wake up every morning and not think anything’s worth it,” she said. “When I get in my extremely depressed or anxious states — it’s like I get up every morning, and I’m just living until I go to sleep.” Hollingsworth said her motivation to get better came from her little sister. “[My dad] would show me a new picture every day of her,” she said “That’s all I would ask for. I needed to live for my little sister. I have to be there for her. And for a while, that was the one thought that was getting me through every day.” She said since then, her motivation has turned to her goals for the future. Hollingsworth said she started with small changes in her life to get better. “My therapist told me for a while, ‘The average person has to do things to take care of themselves every day — you need to do that times three,’” she said. “It’s really making yourself the primary focus for a long time even if it feels like you’re being selfish. It’s what will make you stronger.” Hollingsworth said reaching out is a crucial part of getting through suicidal thoughts and recovering. “Things really do get better,” she said. “There will always be people you can talk to — you just have to find those supports. Whether it be a friend group or teachers or a school counselor, let someone know.”

18 //march 2018 // feature

#1 2018

$1.00 Worst Comic cast Ever odseries Physics teacherPhosts discussing comics

courtney brown staff writer While most people can’t stand listening to a recording of their own voice, one Blue Valley teacher records himself talking once a week. Physics teacher John Holloway started a podcast with some friends to talk about something they all have in common — their love for comics. Holloway said the idea for the podcast came after he and his friends from middle school wanted to start on a project for a while. “We became friends because of comic books and because we collected them,” Holloway said. “As you get older, you have families, mortgages and you just get busy. We talked about starting a project together for a while. A few of us had blogs about comics, so we started talking about something we could start on together. We came up with the idea to start a podcast.” Holloway said the group struggled to come up with the name. “It’s called the Worst Comic Podcast EVER,” Holloway said. “When we first started recording, there were a lot of names already taken. We kept going back and back, and we decided to go the opposite way.” The topics on the episodes each week are on everything surrounding comics, Holloway said.

“We focus on comic books but also comic-related movies, TV shows or anything else going on in the world of comics,” Holloway said. “We probably talk mostly about things currently happening, but occasionally we talk about classics. Sometimes we’ll go see ‘Star Wars’ [and] then talk about it on the show. On an episode that recently came out, we talked to the creator of Planet Comic Con and interviewed him.” Holloway said the group has gotten the chance to meet comic creators through this endeavor. “Before the podcast, I might’ve gone and maybe said ‘Hi’ to a creator and gotten an autograph,” Holloway said. “Now I’m given the chance to actually sit down and interview people that I never dreamed I’d actually have a conversation with. It’s just been really cool to interview some of my favorite creators.” His daughter, freshman Miranda Holloway said her dad spends a lot of time working on the show. “This podcast has been such a great opportunity for him,” Miranda said. “He’s been able to meet cool new people. I would say he puts at least 5 to 10 hours a week into recording and editing.” Miranda said the podcast has created an interest in comics for her. “I’ve been on it

“I’m given the chance to actually sit down and interview people that I never dreamed I’d actually have a conversation with.” -teacher John Holloway | DESIGN BY COURTNEY BROWN | PHOTO SUBMITTED BY JOHN HOLLOWAY

once or twice,” Miranda said. “My dad is always super interested about what’s going on in the comic book world, and it’s something I really like to listen to. It’s helped me get a little more into comics.” After starting the podcast, Mr. Holloway said it was easy to work out any technical problems that came up. “Often times, divvying all the work up can prove to be difficult,” he said. “I thought we would have a problem coming up with ideas, but there’s always so much going on with comics every week, it’s quite the opposite. It’s more like, ‘What are we going to have to leave out this week?’ For us, most of the challenges have been pretty easy to work through. We’re also willing to ask people for help.” Mr. Holloway said the podcast has been a unique opportunity to meet people. “One of my favorite things is to talk to someone I’ve admired for a long time, and they turn out to be awesome,” Mr. Holloway said. “Not everyone is like that, but I’ve had a chance to interact with people that have been absolutely fantastic.”

feature // march 2018 //

BREAKING the

veronica peterson staff writer

FIFtH WALL

Most are familiar with theatrical productions like the fall mainstage play, musical and spring play at BV. These all have the traditional scripted lines and actions. Although things are bound to go wrong in any production, the structure and story tends to stay the same in most plays and musicals. Those in the group Fifth Wall, however, participate in a far different type of performance. So, what is Fifth Wall? “Fifth Wall is a really fun [improv] group of sophomores, juniors and seniors,” sophomore member Nick Mohammadi said. Aside from games, Fifth Wall shows are completely improvised, which allows them to be spontaneous and completely unique each time. Emcee senior Lillian Thompson said the audience provides the ideas. “[During shows,] we’ll get suggestions for a scene and the actors do whatever they can with that prompt,” Thompson said. “They can take it down a certain storyline, and it’s very fun.” As one of two emcees, Thompson said she takes a few suggestions and chooses which one would result in a more entertaining or energetic scene from the actors and for the audience. “Whatever we think is successfully funny is what we use,” Mohammadi said. Thompson said plenty of things make Fifth Wall special, even the title. “In a room, there are four walls, and the fourth wall is typically where it breaks for the audience,” Thompson said. “The fifth wall is the way we get the audience involved in the scenes, because they are giving the suggestions.” Even with her accomplishments in the theater department, Thompson said she gets anxious when performing. “Theater is such a passion of mine, but I do have stage fright,” she said. “I can be a character and have no problem, but when I’m myself, I get so nervous.” She said this is one of the reasons why being an emcee on Fifth Wall is so important to her. “It was my first real success in high school besides making it into a mainstage [performance],” Thompson said. “Fifth Wall is something I can hold on to.” Even beyond the stage, the group is very supportive of each other, Mohammadi said. “We all have our own personalities and I don’t think [there is anyone as] creative as those in [Fifth Wall],” he said. “We really grow and break stereotypes. We’re just a close group of people, and no one’s astray. We’re all involved and there for each other.”

| PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE | STORY & DESIGN BY VERONICA PETERSON

Teachers exceed job descriptions

feature // march 2018 //

maddy kang & shay lawson’ staff writers

ducators have a very important role in students’ academic careers. They prepare students for the future by making sure they have the educational skills needed to succeed. Some teachers, however, are also concerned with getting to know their students on a deeper level, going beyond the curriculum and diving into their personal lives. Math teacher Laura Volz is one of those teachers. She said sometimes in her Advanced Algebra classes, her students have days where they don’t even do math — they just sit and talk with one another. “I try to make it pretty well known that my numberone goal is to teach math,” Volz said. “But it’s more important to me to get to know [my students] as people and recognize that they have lives that happen outside of the walls of this classroom. I want to know who they are — not just as a math student.” Social studies teacher Jason Dolezal also said he likes to get to know students personally, especially at the beginning of the year. “I start out with a psychological profile,” Dolezal said. “I give [students] a personality test, and I ask them to set some goals for the year. Then I get to figure out who they are as a person, what kind of music they like to listen to, what kind of movies they watch and get to know them as people first. That’s my ultimate goal — who are they as a human being?” Dolezal said when students say class flies by, it’s one of the biggest compliments he could receive and that he enjoys teaching very much and wants students to feel comfortable talking with him. “I want people to enjoy coming up and talking to me; I think the [former] beard’s intimidating sometimes, and people are afraid of it,” Dolezal said. “But for the most part I think it’s a two-way street. If they don’t care, then I don’t care. If they care, I go above and beyond for them.” Volz said she likes to joke around and tell stories, but her main priority is making sure her students feel important. “I find people interesting, and I want them to feel valued,” Volz said. “In high school there’s definitely lots of kids with lots of confidence, but there are students at some point that don’t feel valued or confident. I want to have that opportunity to show that I care.”

| DESIGN BY SADIE MYER

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PECULIAR PETS HEN

Jack Berg, 12 What is your hen’s name?

“We have a bunch of different batches, so once they stop laying eggs we give them to [BV graduate] Yahir [Vanvollenhoven’s] family. The first batch we named because it was special since we never had them before. I named mine Brent even though all [hens] are girls. I named her Brent because of the dude Brent in the movie ‘Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.’ Then she died of heat exhaustion because my sister accidentally locked her up in the pen.”

SNAKE

Siler Tschirhart, 11

Why did you decide to purchase a snake? Where did you get them? “My dad does it because there’s lots of different breeds, and “People trade with one and other, so you can get them at you can sell them on the market. There are lots of hobbies that pet stores, and some people that have them just as a hobby. [come] with that.” There are reptile shows, and basically those are big convention centers where people bring reptiles, and they sell them.”

HORSE

Annika Rimmer, 10 Why did you decide to buy your horse?

“I’ve been riding since I was little, and you kind of need a horse in order to.”

Can you describe your horse?

“I have three horses, all three of them are bays, so they have a brown body and black hair. Two of them are super tall and 18 hands. One of them is a little 15.1-[hand] horse.”

| WORDS BY CASSIDY CARPENTER & ALLIE AMENT

a&e // march 2018 //

BV students share stories about their non-traditional companions

TURTLE

Katie Beth Jones, 12

What is your turtle’s name? “His name is Roberto.”

Why did you decide to purchase this pet?

“I didn’t really purchase it; I kind of caught it. No one needs to know that, because I’m pretty sure it’s illegal. I found him, and I’ve always really liked weird animals, and I like to keep them as pets when I catch them. I just like to look at them.”

SERVICE DOG

Sami Bamber, 12 What is your dog’s name and why What types of things does your did you get it? dog do? “He is a golden retriever-labrador mix — his name is Sonny. We got him as a service dog for Sean, my little brother who has cerebral palsy and is legally blind.”

“Sonny opens doors, helps my brother take off his socks, grabs toys for my brother if he is using his canes, pulls the laundry basket down the hall and he loves climbing into your lap. Sonny is also trained to notice when Sean is distressed — he will sit next to him to try and comfort him.”

How has having a service dog helped you and your family? “It has been huge for Sean — Sonny attracts people to Sean, so Sean is able to meet and talk to new people. He is also a big help around the house. Sean walks with canes, so Sonny is great at helping him carry items, like blankets and toys. Sonny also helps Sean open the fridge and other doors.”

| DESIGN BY VERONICA PETERSON

24 // march 2018 // a&e

Making his Mark Art teacher talks style, clothes

→ You know him as the bald man who is painted on the art hallway wall, you know him as the teacher who walks extremely quickly and you know him as the Student Council sponsor, but his lesser-known qualification is fashion icon. Get to know art teacher Mark Mosier and his striking yet simple style.

Q A A

Q Q A A

How has your style changed? “When I started teaching, a lot of teachers wore ties, and it was more formal. I got tired of people dumping paint or ink on good clothes, so I started getting a little more informal.”

Q A A

What does fashion mean to you? “How you look speaks to other people about you. Whether we like it or not, people form an immediate impression of you by the way you look. You’re [at school] because you’re [supposed to be] here — I’m here because it’s my place of employment. [The way I dress at school] isn’t necessarily who I am on Saturday at home. I try not necessarily to look fashionable, but I want to look like I’m together.”

What constitutes your style? “I kind of like stylish clothes, but I don’t like trendy clothes. I like simplicity, so I like jeans and sweaters or shirts that are fairly simple. I also like outdoors stuff, so [outside of school], I wear more outdoorsy clothes. In warmer weather, I like to wear artsy T-shirts.”

How do you choose what to wear? “I wear a fair amount of spirit wear. Sometimes, my wife buys clothes for me, although she doesn’t dress me. I like to think that I know, as an artist, what looks good. I try to think in terms of color, like warmer colors in the fall — yellows, browns and oranges. In the spring, I try to think more in terms of cools, like lighter violets and blues and yellows.”

| DESIGN & PHOTOS BY NICK LAMBERTI

Q Q

What piece of advice would you give on fashion?

A “Make it reflect who you are, and wear what A

you feel comfortable in. I would rather buy something [more expensive] that’s well-made and wear it longer.”

| WORDS BY NICK LAMBERTI & KAITLIN YU

sports // march 2018 //

SPRING SPORTS | WORDS BY KYLE ELMENDORF | DESIGN BY MOLLY HOLMES

| FILE PHOTO

Boy’s Golf

Softball | PHOTO BY CARLEY SHERER

Senior Sam Anderson is a captain of the golf team. He said last season they didn’t finish strong. “We qualified for State, and we played,” Anderson said. “We didn’t perform outstandingly. This year I have higher hopes we’ll play better.” He said he has goals for both himself and his team. “As an individual, I’d like to win the State championship,” Anderson said. “A team goal is probably to win the State championship.” This season, the golf team has a new head coach, Allen Terrell. “I am excited for coach Terrell,” Anderson said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.” Anderson said because he is a senior, his role on the team has changed. “I have been playing for four years,” Anderson said. “I need to lead them, improve the team’s

game and carry on the tradition of good BV golf.” Although Anderson is a leader on the team, he said he and senior Michael Secrest still manage to have an enjoyable time. “We have a lot of fun,” Anderson said. “We kind of give the younger kids a hard time, but we make sure they have a good time at the same time. Secrest and I have always been the jokers of the team, so that hasn’t changed.” Anderson said he hopes the team improves on shooting lower scores. His individual training for the season began early. “This winter, Secrest and I lifted at Lifetime,” Anderson said. “In season, we play nine holes four days a week.” Anderson said he likes playing golf with his teammates. “It’s a good time,” Anderson said. “You get out in the fresh air with your friends and improve.”

Last year’s softball team won Regionals and made it to State. Junior Ashley Pinkham said they wished they could have done better at State. “We made it past Regionals for the first time in six years,” Pinkham said. “It’s an achievement. We lost in the first round, but I think we can do better this season.” Pinkham said this season they will have to get used to new players. “We lost a lot of seniors,” Pinkham said. “We basically have a new team.” Training for the sea-

son began in the winter. “We have off-season conditioning three days a week,” Pinkham said. “We hit and pitch on our own time.” Pinkham said because she is older, she needs to be a leader. “I have learned from the people ahead of me,” Pinkham said. “I try to help the underclassmen.” Pinkham said a goal for the team to play as a family. “[I look forward to] getting to play with my friends,” Pinkham said. “[I enjoy] having pride in playing for the school.”

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Girl’s Soccer

| PHOTO BY VICTORIA WILSON

Baseball | PHOTO | PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER BY MELANIE WHITE This is the template for photo captions.

The 2017 girls soccer team won Regionals for the second year in a row. Senior Sydney Rogers said they’re hoping for a similar result this season. “[We hope] to continue the good leadership that has been led by the [past] seniors,” Rogers said. “We want to make it further than Regionals this year.” Rogers said they have been training before the regular season began. “We had pre-season workouts every Monday, Wednesday and Friday before school at 6:15,” Rogers said. “During season, we practice every day after school.”

Last years’ Blue Valley baseball team won Regionals and State, a result which senior Drew Howard said they hope to do again this season. “[Last year] we were very satisfied because we won State,” he said. “Our pitching really performed well.” Howard said their training for the season began in the winter. “People who don’t do a winter sport work with PSP3, [a sports training facility,] three times a week,” Howard said. “I know they do a really good job working with us.” Because he is a senior, Howard said he is expected to be more of a leader on the team. “I need to get all of the juniors and sophomores

As she has progressed through high school, Rogers said her role on the team has changed. She said she acts as “team mom” and keeps everyone in order. “As you get older you have to become more of a leader,” Rogers said. “I [also] changed positions.” Rogers said she hopes the team improves on winning this season. She said she looks forward to spending time with her teammates. “[I enjoy] the fun times in the locker room before the games,” Rogers said. “[I like] my teammates and representing my school.”

ready to play varsity next year,” Howard said. “[I need to] lead them on the field [and] tell them what to do because I’ve been playing at least a year longer than them.” Although the Tigers enjoy success on the field, Howard said there is still areas they need to improve. “Our pitching was pretty good last year, and we’re returning a lot of pitching,” Howard said. “If we can improve our hitting we’ll be a pretty good team.” Howard said he looks forward to playing this spring season. “This will be a crazy time of the year with graduation and everything,” Howard said. “It will be really exciting to see what we can do. It’s a fun game to play.”

sports // march 2018 //

Boy’s Tennis

Senior Max Wang is a captain on the tennis team. Last year he finished fourth in the state in doubles. He said, however, the team didn’t do as well as it could have. “There’s only six teams who qualify from our region in doubles,” Wang said. “Two of them were able to make it to State from BV. My doubles team had the potential to get third at State, but we choked.” This season, however, Wang said he won’t play doubles. “This season I am probably going to play singles,” Wang said. “I am hoping to finish within the top six at State.” Wang said because he is a senior captain, he is expected to serve a major leadership role on the team. “Before practices I lead the

stretches,” Wang said. “I try to get the team pretty hype on the car rides if I get the aux.” Wang said their preparation for the season began in February and included conditioning after school. “This winter, we hit the weight room and teambonded,” Wang said. “We were all trying to get jacked. When you see a tennis player, don’t think they’re a football player because they’re so huge.” Wang said he enjoys competing in tournaments, and hitting every day after school with his friends. “I am looking forward to playing tournaments,” Wang said. “If it’s during school, that’s even better because I get to miss school. I just really like smacking [tennis] balls.”

| PHOTO BY KELLY ZHANG Junior Bailey Sibenaller has been on the Blue Valley girls swim team since she was a freshman. “When I was a freshman, I wasn’t really confident in my swimming skills,” Sibenaller said. “I just laid low. Now, I’m trying to step up and help out the freshmen.” Sibenaller said the team had a satisfying finish to their season last year. “We ended State pretty well,” Sibenaller said. “We didn’t have an amazing team so we did what we expected. We were happy with that, but it wasn’t anything special.” She said this season she has higher expectations. “We’re hoping for a better team this year,” Sibenaller said. “There are a lot of freshmen and other people who didn’t do it last year who are coming out this year. We’re hoping to make our relays the best they have been in

a while.” Making it to State is one of Sibenaller’s goals this year. “My individual expectations would to be to make it to State in both of my events,” Sibenaller said. “I’m hoping to place higher in EKL.” She said their team training started before the regular season began. “For preseason, you’re expected to come in and work out at the fitness center,” Sibenaller said. “Other than that, it’s just to get in the water the first day.” Sibenaller said one of her favorite aspect of swimming is watching her improvement during the season. “I like swimming because there’s a lot of individual growth,” Sibenaller said. “Seeing my times get faster throughout the year after working hard has made me happy.”

Girl’s Swimming

||PHOTO YU DESIGNBY BYKAITLIN YOUR NAME

28 //march 2018 // sports

MORE THAN THE EVENTS

BOYS TEAM GETS NEW HEAD COACH Shortly before Winter Break, javelin coach Jonathan Jost was named head coach for boys track and field. Jost has extensive coaching experience, including six years of football, four years of track and three years of basketball. “[My first order of business] is to meet the kids,” he said. “I know the throwers really well, and I know a lot of the other athletes, but I want to get know all of the athletes.” Jost said BV has a high probability of doing well this season. “We have a chance to be really, really competitive this year,” he said. “We have some new faces that are coming out for track that have a chance to be really successful. We have some really good returning people for both boys and girls.” This year, the track coaches are heavily encouraging the athletes to utilize the weight room — they have workout sessions at 6:45 a.m. every other weekday. “A lot of our kids do some off-season training, and some of our kids have done some indoor track competitions, but the big push that we’ve had is trying

to get kids in the weight room this year,” he said. “It’s going to help our overall strength, which will help [our] speed on the track and any throwing event as well.” Jost said he received a Level I coach’s certification from the USA Track and Field organization in preparation for the season and to expand his knowledge on all of the sport’s events. “I’m excited to get to know all of the events more and just see what makes kids more successful in track,” he said. “And then, I’m excited to help the kids grow and make the other coaches grow and do what they do better.”

Coming back from freshman and sophomore year track seasons spent with injury and icing, senior Thomas Wood said he was determined to return stronger than before. His junior year, he had solidified his position as lead runner on the 4x400 relay and helped the team take second at State. This year, Wood said he is helping younger athletes avoid the same mistakes he made when starting out. “This winter, I got a small group together to do training stuff,” Wood said. “I wanted people to get more involved in track. My main goal of training was to prevent injuries during the season. It’s a pretty good thing when people can do well and not have any injuries holding them back. That has been my past, and I didn’t want anyone else to be affected by it.”

| DESIGN BY ALLI WILLIAMS | PHOTOS BY MELANIE WHITE | WORDS BY KAITLIN YU & ALLI WILLIAMS

THE FANTASTIC 4x400 The team stands out among all other school 4x400 teams for a specific reason. BV’s 4x400 is ripped. “We have a history and reputation of being buff,” Wood said. “All the other schools are like ‘They can’t be fast — they’re too buff, they’re too heavy,’ But then we go out, and we run fast. It’s something that’s stuck with me since freshman year — it’s a part of who we are. I took it to heart, and I passed it on to my younger people. I hope the tradition stays in our blood.” The team said they are looking forward to their run at State. “We’ve been number-three the past few years, got a number-two last year, and we’re trying to go number-one this year,” Wood said. “I’ve been talking to other guys who won State last year — they lost half their team; we lost most of our team. [Most] of the big teams last year need to rebuild, so we’ll see what happens. I believe in [us].”

sports // march 2018 //

UP IN THE AIR

Sophomore Bryce Goswick said he joined pole vault because it sounded interesting. “Last year, I was wondering what events to do, and I heard about pole vaulting,” he said. “I thought, ‘That sounds fun.’ I tried it out, and I liked it. It’s fun to be up in the air.” Goswick said the most difficult part of pole vault is mastering the approach, with which he said coach Tyler Lasche helps him. “[The hardest part is] the technique, for sure — getting it down and getting it perfect every time and all the small little things you have to do to fine tune it,” Goswick said. Goswick participated in sprints and hurdles last season, but quit those events to focus more on pole vault for 2018. “My goal this season is to break my PR from last year, [which was] 10 feet,” he said. “[I’m looking forward to] being more physically fit.”

SPRINT TO FINISH

When she was in elementary school, senior Jade McAfee discovered she was faster than most of the boys in her class. Then, when she joined track in middle school, she began jumping, starting with long jump, and she hasn’t stopped. “When I got to high school, I tried triple jump just out of curiosity, and I’ve fallen in love with it since,” she said. “[Triple and long jump] are both really fun actually, but triple jump just makes me feel better. I like the rhythm of it. With long jump, you just jump and go for it. With

THE LONGEST RACE

Compared with other running events in track and field, distance stands out in endurance. While most track runners are finishing up their two-lap jog at the start of practice, distance is only halfway done with the mile warmup. Sophomore Jordan Lyerla said she started out in the sport reluctantly, but has since grown to enjoy distance running. “My mom forced me to join Girls on the Run because she said I was too lazy,” Lyerla said. “Now my favorite race is the 3200-meter.” However, she said running is only a small part of the sport. “I do it for the people,” Lyerla said. “Also for the food. Bagels and bananas are the best running foods.”

triple jump, there’s a rhythm and a method you have to work at that makes you better.” McAfee also does sprints, rotating among the 100-meter and 800-meter dashes, as well as the 4x400 and 4x800 relays. Her triple jump personal record is 30’1,” which she hopes to beat this season. “Hopefully, I can get a college scholarship from [track],” she said. “I might take a break freshman year in college to get used to the routine, and then, I’ll jump back into it.”

THE COMPLEXITIES OF THROWING Senior Ryan Peterson started shot put six years ago in seventh grade, and although he has tried other throwing events, he quit them last year to focus on shot put. Peterson said he loves track because he enjoys the company of his coaches and team members. “The people around there are really good people,” he said. “I’m really close with shot put coach Lew Rowe because I see him year-round with football and track. He always teaches us a lot.” Throwing involves all areas of the body, which Peterson said most people don’t realize. “Something difficult about shot put is all the footwork you have to learn every single day,” he said. “There’s a lot of balancing stuff you have to do,

and[you] have to work on your core. You still have to run even though it doesn’t seem like an event you’d have to run for. You still have to keep in shape, lift weights, do all your necessities. It’s not as easy as a lot of people would think — there’s a lot to it.” Although Peterson said he doesn’t plan on continuing track and field past high school, he looks forward to his last season and cherishing the memories. He also hopes to improve his PR of 44’5.5” and to guide the underclassmen in the right direction. “As an upperclassmen, I definitely feel like I have to lead by example,” Peterson said. “There aren’t many other senior throwers, so knowing the ropes will help me lead and continue what I have learned from past upperclassmen.”

30 // march 2018 // sports

ONE TEAM ONE DREAM

Seniors share experiences of starting club lacrosse team kyle elmendorf staff writer

hen the Blue Valley Tiger Lacrosse Club was formed in 2014, it started as group of about 20 predominately freshman BV boys who wanted an opportunity to play for their school.

The team had no money, no organization, consisted of players from three different BV high schools and included only two upperclassmen. Senior Brett Florack is a varsity captain and four-year member of the team. He said the team was originally created to give BV students a chance to play for their school. “We had a lot of kids going to BV,” Florack said. “BV didn’t have its own team, so we’d have to play for North or West. We didn’t want to do that.” Four years later, those freshmen are now seniors, and their goals for the season have changed. “When we first played, it was just to play lacrosse,” Florack said, “Now we see we have a chance at a League championship. Last year, we made it to the semifinals.” Another goal of the BV Lacrosse Club is to introduce new players to the game and give them opportunities to get | DESIGN BY MOLLY HOLMES

better and compete at high levels. Senior Garrett Stigge started playing lacrosse in eighth grade. Now, he is starting on the varsity team. He said the club program is a big reason for his success. “Sophomore year, I practiced way more,” Stigge said. “I actually wanted to get better and start varsity. [Coach] Mike McKenna showed me the basics of lacrosse, and he was really committed to getting me better.” Because of the lack of older players, they competed only in the JV and freshman league for their inaugural season. In 2015, they moved up to the varsity division. Although the Tigers went 2-10, Stigge said the experience from playing at a higher level helped the team improve. “Playing varsity as a sophomore definitely helped me,” Stigge said. “I played against better competition than I would have on JV, so I got more varsity-playing experience.” Florack said one of the biggest challenges with being a club team is finding fields available to play and practice on. “School sports all have field priority over us because we’re club,” Florack said. “Girls soccer has the field until 6:30 or 7. Whenever we play games, it’s under the lights but super late, like 11 p.m. We play varsity and JV games,

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY MARY HAVENS

and that’s cutting it late for us kids with school.” Another issue with being a private team is team finances. Florack said a lot of the funding for individual players’ equipment comes from the players themselves. “We do fundraising for team equipment, like new goals,” Florack said. “Last year, we did a Jose Pepper’s night where a portion of the proceeds went to us, and like football, we sold restaurant discount cards.” Florack said another deficit to not being school-sponsored is not being able to have full-time coaches. “A lot of the challenge is coaching availability because all of the coaches are parents with day jobs,” Florack said. “We can’t afford to get a paid coach, so it’s really hard to get practices.” Since its conception, the BV Lacrosse Club has more than doubled in players of all different skill levels and expanded to three different teams. Florack said creating a BV team gave them an opportunity to make their own legacy and take advantage of their talent. “We knew we wanted to make something to remember,” Florack said. “We knew we had potential to be a really good team. This year we see we have a chance to win BV’s first championship.”

sports // march 2018 //

W I N T E R G U A R D

BV’s winterguard makes its debut noma kreegar staff writer Blue Valley recently received a new addition to its performing arts program — winterguard, an indoor version of color guard, combines flag-twirling, rifle-spinning and dancing into one show. “It’s interesting transitioning from fall to winter and exploring an area of color guard I didn’t know much about,” said junior Celie Strain, a soloist in BV’s first winterguard show. “I had only experienced fall guard, and so I think the winter experience is really cool.” Sophomore Nick Mohammadi, one of three boys in the winterguard show, said winterguard has been an overall enjoyable experience. “Getting my makeup done [and] my hair curled [is] definitely a different experience,” Mohammadi said. “I’ve gotten pretty comfortable now and I’m enjoying my time.” This year’s show is called “Forever in Our Hearts” and focuses on the loss of a loved one. “We purposely left it kind of generic, so it’s up to the audience’s interpretation, but basically someone died,” Strain said. “I have a solo at the beginning where I introduce the theme and mood of the show.” Mohammadi said he enjoys the show’s theme and feels confident about how it will progress. “It’s really emotional, and we’re supposed to [look] sad,” Mohammadi said. “But [it’s hard to] act sad when I’m having such a great time.” Mohammadi said there were plenty of parts to audition for in winterguard. “I tried out for rifle — [that’s] not my

| DESIGN BY NOMA KREEGAR | PHOTOS SUBMITTED BY BELINDA JOHNSON

thing,” Mohammadi said. “I just like spinning the flag around — it’s pretty fun to do, and I get to have a bigger persona on the floor.” Strain said their first winterguard competition at Blue Valley West went extremely well. The BV winterguard placed third in their division and fourth overall. “None of us had ever been to a winterguard competition,” Strain said. “Our first time performing for judges as a team went really well.” Mohammadi agreed the first performance was successful. “Honestly, the hardest moment of the competition was getting our huge tarp out the door,” Mohammadi said. From winterguard’s beginning, both Mohammadi and Strain said a community was formed. “A lot of people are so new,” Strain said. “It’s easy to make connections with people who are all trying to learn the same thing from scratch.” Mohammadi said there are easy ways to support the winterguard. “Come to our shows,” Mohammadi said. “We’re doing a performance sometime in March in front of the whole school. We always look nice, so just stop by, give us a hug — we always have our jackets on.” If winterguard sounds appealing to students, Strain said there are clinic days in the fall to learn choreography and prepare to audition. “I’ve met a lot of people who have played big roles in my life — some great friends, some great people,” Mohammadi said. “Without winterguard I wouldn’t have met them.”

| DESIGN BY NOMA KREEGAR

32 // march 2018 // news

FE | RELAY FOR LIFE | REL | PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE Dancing during a campsite fundraiser, senior Anchitha Honnur performs “Baby” by Justin Bieber with her friends. “I relay because there are so many people who are unable to fight for themselves,” she said. “If there’s anything we can do for people who need help, we should do it.” | PHOTO BY KELLY ZHANG With friends, sophomore Graycee Butler dances during the Zumba class at Relay. This year, participants raised $215,562 that was donated to the American Cancer Society. | PHOTO BY KELLY ZHANG Instructing another committee member, junior Ashley Pinkham points at a GoPro. “I planned the event with other committee members,” she said. “It was a really good time and for a great cause.” | PHOTO BY KELLY ZHANG Playing cards, senior Connor Dirkes talks with friends. “[This] was my first year doing Relay,” he said. “It was a really fun experience.” | PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE Encouraging fans during the Mr. Relay competition, sophomore Ryan Jacobs gestures to his Crocs. “My friends [suggested I] should do it,” he said. “I raised over $400, which was awesome.”

LAY FOR LIFE | RELAY FOR | DESIGN BY MELANIE WHITE