10 BIGways to score page 15
on tests
Freshmen girls had the opportunity to experience self-defense training from the T.A.K.E. Foundation (The Ali Kemp Educational Foundation) on Monday, Oct. 29. The foundation was created shortly after the murder of Ali Kemp. These students experienced what one of these classes was actually like while gaining some knowledge on self-defense.
“I learned what to do if I was ever attacked from different angles,” freshman Maria Cobb said.
It has been nearly five years since the tragic murder of Kemp, who was a graduate of Blue Valley North. Shortly after her death, her parents created the program, taught by women and for women, designed to provide valuable knowledge on self-defense training.
Students learned tips like how to be more aware of surroundings, to avoid parking in
dangerous areas and general self-defense skills.
This program is established in partnership with Johnson County Parks and Recreation District and in cooperation with Blue Valley Recreation Commission and Leawood Parks and Recreation.
by Nathan LindshieldDigital imaging students have used their knowledge about design and graphic manipulation to design greeting cards for Children’s International, which is a nonprofit organization that sponsors children in poverty around the world. Five designs were chosen from all Digital Imaging classes to be published as greeting cards.
Seniors Briana Lambert, Danielle Long, Sammy Southerland, Amanda York and junior Amanda Blue designed the five cards that were chosen from Blue Valley. Customers who visit
Hawthorne Plaza can vote for four of the designs displayed, and those four designs will be made in to greeting cards that will be sold at Hawthorne Plaza this November and December. Proceeds will go to Children’s International.
“One of the things that students need to know is how to use their skills that they learn in Digital Imaging and use it for people outside of the school,” Digital Imaging teacher Mark Mosier said.
Students from Blue Valley and Blue Valley North designed cards for Children’s International. The five that were chosen from both schools are displayed in Hawthorne Plaza, near Town Center Plaza. Students were assigned to design the inside and the outside of the cards for any holiday.
by Megan Van SooyOn Oct. 25, the It’s Up to Us club had their first seatbelt check of the year. You may remember this if you were one of the many students the club
members stopped to check and make sure everyone in the car was riding safely with a seatbelt on. The club took about 17 of its members to position themselves throughout the busy parking lot. Out of the 100 cars the club was able to check, around 30 cars had at least one person in the car not using a seatbelt. When asked why he wouldn’t put on a seatbelt, one student replied that he “doesn’t need one and never uses it”. Other safe drivers had a different idea though.
“Whenever I drive, I make sure all my friends have theirs on,” senior Mindy Smith said. Besides saving lives, wearing a seatbelt also can keep you with a license. According to Kansas Law, a repeated offense of driving with out a seatbelt will result in a revoked license.
“There are too many drivers that don’t pay attention. It’s just not smart to not wear a seatbelt,” sophomore Hannah Ernst said.
by Allison KohnNearly 400 citizens met in the Performing Arts Center on Oct. 30 to discuss the City of Overland Park’s proposal to annex 15 square miles of southern Johnson County. The Johnson County Board of County Commissioners will make the final decision on the proposal within days of Nov. 30, when the public record closes. Citizens will not be allowed a vote in the matter due to state statute. The public hearing was the first time commissioners had heard from a large number of the residents.
“The real problem is that the people affected do not have a say because of how the state statute is. That’s a real problem,” said Lynne Matile, a Bucyrus resident and chairperson of the “No” to Annexation Coalition. Residents want the power to make decisions.
“We have no control over our destiny,” said Joe Battista, a resident of the area in question. “If we lived in Missouri we’d get a vote.”
Unlike Missouri, where residents who are being annexed must vote in agreement, Kansas’ statute states that the Board of County Commissioners are capable of representing the area by their votes alone. However, some residents lack confidence in the county commissioners’ ability to make a fair decision.
“Six of you determine annexation; we only voted for two of you,” Battista said to the commissioners on Oct. 30. “Bring on the growth, but I would feel better if the county was in charge.”
The city, however, worries the county might be incapable of handling future growth.
“The county has handled the growth to now, but the growth in the area that we plan to annex is estimated to grow 200 percent in 13 years and in 23 years by 600 percent.” Overland Park Communications manager Sean Reilly said. “When you have that much growth in development, cities are better at handling that growth.”
Jim Orr, attorney for The “No” to Annexation Coalition, outlined concerns that the residents have about the city’s ability to handle livestock control and urban planning along with police and fire response. “Bottom line, growth is coming with or without city
lines or annexation,” Overland Park Chamber of Commerce President Tracey Osborne said.
Residents fear the city will encourage growth in area once the annexation takes place.
“They have a propensity for high density,” Battista said.
The city says there is proof that the growth is coming regardless of the annexation.
“The city is not encouraging the growth,” Mayor of Overland Park Carl Gerlach said. “The growth is coming if the city annexes or not.”
The Mayor expresses that growth is the reason for the annexation.
“This is responding to the growth that is already happing,” Gerlach said of the annexation plans.
“The urbanization is coming by evidence of 199th street expanded and sewers coming in.”
The Mayor states that the city is not the only ones expecting the growth.“
Blue Valley district has projected growth that by 2020 there will be 25,000 living out there,” Gerlach said. “That’s why they have Blue Valley Southwest planed.”
According to Gerlach, the city wants to help plan “before the development negatively impacts them.”
Cities do not create economic growth; they only help areas with that growth according to Gerlach. Residents fear the City’s help will change what they love about the area.
“It’s going to change the environment,” Battista said. The annexation may do more than just help the area with growth and develop it may affect the residents’ lifestyles.
Natalie Davis, mother of five and resident in the area in question, worries the annexation will have a negative impact on her family and her business. Davis owns Dorothy and Toto’s Farmstead bed and breakfast at her home at 191st and Quivira.
“My children have worked so hard on this business to be destroyed by annexation,” Davis said. “Our kids are working for their college tuition. If they work hard, it is a doable goal to pay for college.” The annexation has a grandfathering clause which will
affect the residents’ ownership of their livestock and animals along with other restrictions not in affect by the county.
“They say our animals will be grandfathered in,” Davis said. “It might be true for now, but maybe a subdivision will go in across the street and they don’t like the smell. Then they can change the rules.They say you can have the freedoms but we don’t really believe it.”
The grandfathering clause affects the residents in different ways.
“The grandfathering clause means in ten years we wouldn’t be able to have the cattle, bonfire and our barn cats,” Matile said.
Matile, along with other residents, will also be affected by a raise in excise taxes put on the land by the city, roughly $10,000 per acre.
“If we decided to give Libby and Morgan some acres, it would cost millions because of the excise tax,” Matile said of giving land to her daughters.
The annexation plans are certainly a hot topic for the City of Overland Park and residents of the area in question. The Board of County Commissioners will make a decision soon after the public record closes on Nov. 30.
Students in both the Shawnee Mission and Piper School Districts have been diagnosed with a contagious and potentially fatal staph infection. This comes just weeks after students from Virginia and New York died from the same antibiotic-resistant strain of the disease known as methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MSRA.
According to athletic director Bob Whitehead, Blue Valley High’s cleaning and sanitation routines remain much the same as before the outbreak.
“We continue to sanitize as we normally do,” Whitehead said. “But we don’t take any additional steps.”
The Blue Valley School District has been taking extra caution in hopes of avoiding contracting the infection, which can be spread through open wounds through close contact with others.
“Our custodial staff will continue to follow all cleaning procedures that include using a hospital-grade disinfectant that is effective in killing MRSA,” Executive Director of Student Services Sue Denny said in an e-mail to district staff.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, staph infections are most common in health care facilities, including hospitals and nursing homes. The disease, however, can also be spread by athletes coming in direct physical contact in communal shower areas, those sharing hygiene products, such as razors or towels, as well as coming in contact with infected skin or bandages. The case at Piper High involved a football player, and, according to district personnel, the discovery prompted a thorough cleaning of the school’s locker rooms and other athletic facilities.
School nurse Barb Cecil remains confident in the district’s ability to prevent
and control a potential outbreak.
“We’re trying to be proactive and I think cleaning has been stepped up,” Cecil said.
Blue Valley parents have also received a voicemail discussing the risks involved with staph infections and detailing the district’s prevention efforts. Cecil said there are no plans to discuss the risks with students, citing difficulty in effectively communicating with the student body. Cecil is, however, looking for signs of staph infections amongst students.
“If nurses find out, they are to report it immediately to administration,” Cecil said. “We would notify our parent community.”
According to the CDC, more than 20 percent of the 94,000 people infected with MRSA in 2005 died. News of these risks has caused the Piper and Shawnee Mission school districts to bar infected students, all of whom are receiving treat-
ment, from athletics or physical education classes in which direct contact would be possible.
According to Denny, the student services director, no incidents involving MRSA have occurred within the district. That, however, has not stopped BV coaches and athletes from taking extra precautions.
“I’m not too worried about it because we clean the mats every night,” junior wrestler Brett Newell said.
MRSA is a rare type of staph, found in just 1 percent of the population. Non-resistant strains of staph are, according to the CDC, found in 25-30 percent of the population. Although approximately 88 percent of infections reported can be traced to health care facilities, another 12 percent, referred to community-associated staph infections, can be traced to improper hygiene or communal living and contact.
Blue Valley students will have fewer parking problems to gripe about beginning next school year. School Resource Officer Dennis Randall will implement assigned parking spots for students. The number on students’ parking passes will correspond with the number painted in his or her assigned spot.
Randall got this idea while visiting Liberty High School for a football game. Liberty currently has a similar system in place.
Randall saw the need for this system from BV’s innumerable parking dilemmas in the past.
“Our parking lot gets continually worse every year, so this system should get us more organized,” Randall said.
The proposed system may have advantages for both officers and students.
Junior Amanda Gallagher used a similar system at Boulder Creek High School in Arizona.
“I really didn’t like the system at first, but once I got used to it, it was really helpful,” Gallagher said. “Once I became comfortable with the new system, I began to see the advantages. I didn’t have
to worry about anyone smacking their door into my new Mustang, and if they did, I knew who it was.”
An advantage for Randall is that absent students will be easy to spot because their space will be empty. According to Randall, this will help track truant students.
Consequences are also planned for students who park in the wrong spot.
“There’s a $25 fine for the first offense and it doubles the next time,” Randall said.
Though seniors will still have the privilege of parking in senior lots, they too will have assigned spaces, a perk for those who don’t arrive until after first hour.
“The seniors will be the ones benefiting the most from this system,” Randall said. “Some seniors don’t have to arrive at school until after first hour, so they can arrive late and still be assured a space.”
This system will be in place when students return to school next August.
“We should be up and running by the week of Aug. 19,” Randall said. “After you have an application on record and have paid your fee you can come to our office and pick out whichever spot you’d like.”
Before the start of next school year, administrators hope to have key card systems installed and activated on both the 200 and 500 hallway doors that lead out to the mobiles. All other doors leading outside will be locked during class.
The purpose of the key cards is to keep everyone except students and faculty out of the school, which in turn will keep the school more secure and the students safer.
According to School Resource Officer Dennis Randall, Blue Valley Northwest was the first school in the district to test the effectiveness of this system, where it was seen as a success. Since Northwest and Blue Valley are the only schools with mobiles, there is no need for key cards at other Blue Valley schools.
“I think it’s a smart idea,” junior Ryan Miller said. “Now students will feel a lot safer and not have to worry about strangers wandering in.”
Although the administration has been talking about installing key cards for several years, the school-wide lockdown last May caused interest in the key cards to rise.
There is one key card lock currently installed, but because of a special needs class that is in the mobiles, it will not be activated until next year.
Teachers who have classes in the mobiles will receive key cards making it possible for students to gain access to the school through their teacher.
Each key card will be attached to a large object, such as a block of wood, with a picture of the teacher as well as a serial number. In order to unlock the doors, one must flash their card in front of the sensor. The doors will then unlock for a period of about 15 seconds, allowing enough time to get inside.
The 200 and 500 hallway doors equipped with the system will automatically lock three to four minutes after the bell. Students who are tardy or arrive at school during class will
be forced to go to the front office and receive a late pass. Doors connecting to the staff and student parking lot will be locked at 9:30 a.m.
For those students who wish to get a card of their own, chances are slim. The cards are not able to be replicated and can easily be deactivated.
“There are going to be some students who find the system extremely inconvenient, such as students who arrive late and people who park in the senior lot,” Randall said.
Blue Valley’s language lab has recently been the victim of vandalism. Over the past 3-4 weeks, there have been several reports of the Elice System network cords being pulled out of their sockets and destroyed. School Resource Officer Dennis Randall is talking with all language students to find the criminal.
“This is vandalism to an extreme level,” Randall said. “The individual I find who did this will be charged with extreme measures. The six cords cut in the lan-
guage lab are approximately $250 each. The person found will be charged with all the fines including, an out of school suspension and possible jail time.”
With the recent loss of several of the systems, language teachers are finding it hard to teach.
“The system gives us the ability to talk with students over headsets and allows us to listen to them,” Spanish teacher Anita Lemons said. “Not being able to use this is very frustrating.”
According to Lemons, the installation of a new cord is not only costly, but
time-consuming, because the wires take a couple of weeks to arrive. Randall is working on different methods to try to catch the culprit or culprits, including the possibility of installing a camera in the language lab.
“We don’t want to install a camera for obvious financial reasons,” Randall said. “But if it happens again, I see no other option.”
Randall is urging students to contact him if they know who is responsible for the crime.
“If a student willingly comes to con-
fess, they will be rewarded,” Randall said. “I just want to let students know that if they know who did it, it’s better they come tell rather when I find the person. What goes on in my office will stay in my office.”
Students should contact Officer Randall at his hotline at (913)-239-4872 or can come and talk to him in his office in room 200.
“I will find out who is doing this,” Randall said. “It’s not a matter of if or when. This is your school, and students should have ownership of their school.”
The girls basketball team will be visiting Blue Valley’s feeder elementary schools to work with the students each month this year. The players will be working with counselors to help the students become involved in many different activities, ranging from athletics to academics.
“Honestly, I think it’s important for our program to be involved in the community and for these little kids to be able to look up to our players,” basketball coach Andy Unrein said. “It’s just an important thing to do.”
The team is split up between the four participating elementary schools and will work with counselors and teachers to help the kids. The players will be visiting the schools the first Friday of every month; some will be tutoring the students while others might be playing games.
“A big part of what my group is doing is helping the
Blue Valley’s annual TigerFest is scheduled to take place tomorrow, Nov. 17, and has received 1293 donations, close to 100 more than last year. There are 28 clubs participating in TigerFest this year.
Future Business Leaders of America, Distributive Education Clubs of America and the foreign language clubs won’t be participating through the auction, but instead will be providing drinks for dinner and also selling coffee and other beverages that evening. Foreign Language Honors Society students will also be selling desserts at night.
Lynne Brown is leading up TigerFest this year. She said she expects this TigerFest to be one of the greatest ones Blue Valley has seen.
“Truthfully, I don’t think an event like this would work at every school,” Brown said. “Not every high school has a community that shares the pride, tradition and commitment to excellence that Blue Valley High School does.”
TigerFest is a celebration of all the hard work and involvement of BV Students. The jazz band, choir and orchestra will be performing at the event.
“TigerFest would be impossible without the support of the 400-500 volunteers,” Brown said. “Students, their families, teachers and staff will be helping run the event.”
Brown said she expects good things from TigerFest this year and hopes that many BVHS students will attend.
“People volunteer to help with TigerFest because they believe in Tiger Pride,” Brown said.
T-Bones
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little kids find and get involved in a physical activity that they like,” sophomore Nicole Gloor said.
The first time junior Liz Stinson helped out, she painted scarecrow faces with second graders while her teammates edited Power Points and made flashcards.
“I could tell while we were there that the teacher could relax a little bit because she didn’t have to do all the work,” Stinson said.
The work doesn’t only pay off for the teachers; both Stinson and Gloor enjoy their time with the younger students.
“I feel good about helping kids and helping those who aren’t involved in anything,” Gloor said.
“I have enjoyed it so far. I saw a student I had helped at a football game and she came up to say hi,” Stinson said. “I know when I was younger if someone in high school talked to me, it made me feel special and I hope I am able to do that for some of the kids I get to work with this year.”
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I’ll admit it. I am a recycling addict. I cringe at the sight of half-full Gatorade bottles in the trash can, and the thought of all of that plastic burning up in the dump makes me nauseous.
I am tempted to slap the people in the Wal-Mart check-out line ahead of me who buy 24 packs of Dasani to keep in their refrigerator, and I laugh when I see students pay more for bottled water than gas.
Although my reactions to these everyday
occurrences may seem a wee bit crazy, I believe I have good reason to feel this way.
There are free water dispensers every 10 feet. They are called drinking fountains and they dispense a beverage called tap water.
What you may not know is that tap water is just as healthy and clean as your “mountain spring” water, if not more. The Environmental Protection Agency has more regulations on tap water than the Food and Drug Administration puts on their costly bottled water. In fact, in recent news, top water bottle distributor Coca-Cola has admitted their product is simply purified tap water, in a bottle. One of Aquafina’s water sources is the Detroit River. If this is true, then why does more than 20 percent of the United States’ population still decline to drink anything but bottled water?
Well for one, bottled water is more convenient. America is a nation full of over-scheduled multitaskers who couldn’t possibly find the
time to fill an empty bottle at their home. It’s that, or people just don’t care.
This may be naive of me, but I firmly believe that Americans are responsible people, and if they were fully aware of what these clear little bottles were doing to our natural resources, they would think twice before purchasing them.
The plastic in these bottles is what makes them so harmful. There is petroleum in the plastic, acquired from drilling mass amounts of oil. While drilling, we release fossil fuels into the environment which some scientist believe is contributing to global warming. Oil is a limited resource and 1.5 million barrels of oil are used annually solely for the purpose of making these bottles. That’s enough to fuel more than 100,000 U.S. cars for an entire year.
That’s not even the worst part. Once these bottles use up our precious natural resources, nine out of 10 of them end up as trash, or worse, litter. So if you are one of those few responsible citizens who recycle their bottles, pat yourself on the back because you are unique. You save the environment, while your irresponsible peers are tossing water bottles into dumps.
Contrary to popular belief, once one casually tosses that bottle into the trash can, it does not disappear into thin air. The bottle is sent to a dump and either sits in that dump waiting to biodegrade for 1,000 years, or is incinerated which emits toxic fumes and greenhouse gases into our air.
My plea is simple. Recycle your bottles, and if you want to be a real genius, don’t buy them in the first place. I’m asking you to break down and fill up your eco-friendly bottle with some nice, perfectly safe and purified tap water. Yes, it’s the taste of victory.
Being raised in a first generation Italian family, I’ve learned quite a few things. Being brought up by the belt, literally, teaches life lessons that the scars won’t let you forget. Of course there is the obvious “be kind and respectful toward others,” the infamous “your parents are always right” speech, and of course, being Italian and all, how to cook.
I’ve known how to cook everything from toast to Eggplant Parmesan ever since I was 10. Of all the cooking stories I could tell, one jumps out at me.
My parents had just taught me how to make spaghetti and I served my first dinner. I was cleaning the table and saw the big pot of spaghetti there with little less then a portion left. Figuring it wouldn‘t hurt anything, I decided to dispose of it.
Big mistake. I dumped the spaghetti in the sink and received several smacks with the wooden spoon and the usual lecture of the starving people that live across the world and all the hungry poor people and what not.
Why do people waste food? I’m not talking about the half-eaten chicken finger, but literally full trays of food.
Everyone has done it, even I. It’s ridiculous to see some people come out with the same stack of food everyday just to see them eat half of it and throw it away.
People complain about the cafeteria prices, but fail to notice that a large amount of their money is going straight to the trash can. Meals are set at a certain limit of food for a reason.
According to ethicsdaily.com, about 27 percent of America’s food gets tossed away every year. That means more than 300 pounds per person in America of food is discarded. To give a bit more perspective, one out of every four hamburg-
ers is thrown away.
It’s ridiculous that when I pass by a trash can, I see a whole donut just laying there, no nibbles of any sort upon it, especially on one of my breakfast-deprived days.
However, I’m not the only one who has noticed these things. Students who work in the food industry are continually subjected to the continual waste of food.
Junior Sam Wester elaborated on the waste management techniques at Jersey Boys, where he works.
“If a customer returns his or her sandwich for such little a thing as it not having lettuce or some other condiment on it, then we have to throw the whole sandwich away,” Wester said.
That just upsets me right there. A whole sandwich gone, just because someone needed that extra something on it to add to his or her overly eloquent diet of fast food.
“If the sandwich is perfectly good, a co-worker or myself may leave it on the back table in case anyone gets hungry or something,” Wester said. “But it is ridiculous the amount of times it happens. There is probably a total of 20 meals in the trash at the end of the day.”
My ancestry has consisted of cooks. I hate to think of them writhing in their graves as the continual amount of food is discarded thoughtlessly. I urge students to please get the quantity they eat.
I won’t be as drastic as my family and use the whole “eat it or die” quote, but there are other options. If you don’t want it, then give it to someone who does or even keep with you in your backpack for a possible snack later.
In the words of my grandfather, with his ever-loving Italian accent, “It is sin to waste food! I come to America to prepare food and see it in trash! That is disrespect to me, a disrespect to my people and a disrespect to the profession I represent!”
editor-in-chief
sarah weaver
managing editor
brooke thurman
news editor
mitch smith
opinions editor
megan van sooy
sports editors
braden miller
sara ster
photo editor
nina humphrey
reporters
aj barbosa
kelly cosby
andrew fiori
ally francis
tori freisner
noopur goel
kylie hennagin
allison kohn
nathan lindshield
katie louis
cole owen
lauren penn
steven reno
drew rogers
kyra storm
jason wood
photographers
kelly aubuchon
gwen bergerhofer
amanda blue
tom roudebush
ashley stickler
advertising manager
sara ster
circulation manager
noopur goel
adviser
jill chittum
guest designers
karen liebentritt
lauren penn
stephanie roche
emily strickland
guest cartoonist
rebecca feehan
The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley School District #229.
The Tiger Print encourages guest photography. Photos should be submitted to room 450 with information pertaining to the photo.
Front page photo: Freshman Kaitlyn Dolasky along with the rest of the freshmen girls participated in a self-defense class put on by the T.A.K.E. foundation on Oct. 29. Photo by Kelly Aubuchon.
Letters to the editor and reader responses are also encouraged. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions and encourages letter to be no more than 500 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450 or mailed to:
The Tiger Print c/o
Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085
myvoice
emilystrickland
Why do women still constantly ask whether or not chivalry is dead? To have a knight in shining armor, who will respect us, honor us, open doors for us and bring us flowers seems like an awful lot to ask for these days. I admit I used to think that one day my Prince Charming would come and we’d live happily ever after.
Some girls still live in the delusion that there remains a man who practices chivalry. So onward we go, thinking the proper gentleman must be out there somewhere, thus the saying “good men are hard to find.”
We want to think there is a diamond in the rough that has always been two steps ahead of us. Just when we think we’ve found the perfect one, he usually turns out to be an intolerable pig that had put on a convincing show. The sad part is that some of us have bought tickets. Apparently this “shining armor” is really just aluminum foil.
Men give two responses when asked their thoughts about chivalry: a) that it’s for those who are “whipped,” or b) they utter under their breath that they are in fact gentlemen, at the same time they are giving all the details about their latest hook-up with a bleached blonde, fake-tanned Barbie. Gentlemen indeed.
I am not asking men to turn into puppets just so they can make us happy. I’m not the kind of girl who is going to stand around waiting for someone to open the door for me.
But when I get the door shut in my face when I’m carrying an armful of books, it’s not pleasant. Is it society that has changed the course of chivalry today? Men are taught by their fathers and peers to hide their emotions and toughen up, therefore desensitizing their emotional state of mind. As a result, the “man” today is a belching, conceited, vulgar and chauvinistic heathen. Oh, and since when do men spend hours on end playing Guitar Hero? I’m sure they will do great things.
On the other hand, women are also at fault. Over the years we’ve asked for more and more rights and
to be treated like equals. With that men are afraid to offend us by holding the door open. They are afraid that we may yell at them and scream that we are “perfectly capable of holding doors open ourselves.”
I’m not saying we need to be more subservient; we’ve fought hard for equality. However, we should be a little more grateful to the few men who actually deserve our attention.
Chivalry is indeed dead and won’t be resurrected any time soon. Everyone is equally blamed for the death of chivalry; men are more arrogant and women aren’t “damsels in distress” anymore.
myvoice
Countless advertisements urge young people to use their voices and vote in the upcoming elections.
aware of current issues because they cannot vote yet.
“I’m so out of the loop, I don’t know who’s running,” sophomore Dalton Homolka said. “And I could care less until I’m 18.”
Even so, things are different when a student reaches the fateful voting age.
kellycosby
While these encouragements can be beneficial by reminding students of the importance of exercising their rights, they can also be counter-effective.
Persuading people to vote is not valuable without persuading them to educate themselves on current issues and the candidates’ platforms.
If a citizen is going to vote, his or her vote should be based upon his or her opinion about legitimate political issues. Instead, many young people base their decision on who their parents like or who “looks more presidential.”
Why aren’t some students educated about politics? There seems to be a growing lack of interest on the subject, and teenagers aren’t taking the time to inform themselves. They would rather watch MTV than CNN or read People instead of Newsweek. Ultimately it is up to the teens themselves to learn more about issues that affect them and their country.
Many younger students don’t feel the pressure to be
Turning 18 means accepting a lot of responsibility; one has a responsibility to one’s country to be aware of the current state. If a young person wants to vote, his or her enthusiasm is applauded and encouraged; however, if that person has no idea why he or she is voting for a particular candidate, he or she does not belong at the polls.
“[Voting without educating oneself] is shallow; [those who do it] don’t even really care about the issues,” senior Cameron McCallie said.
Despite what is actually best for the country, it is still up to the individual to decide if he or she wants to make an educated decision.
I am not encouraging students to skip out on voting next year. I am simply reminding them that just because they can vote does not mean they should. Before voting, one should make sure he or she has at least a cursory understanding of the candidate’s views and how they relate with what our nation is facing.
Rebecca Feehan
If over scheduling a kindergartener and drilling them with flashcards and “Leapfrog” learning games is not enough to diminish their childhood, just take them shopping at your local clothing store, where they can show up to school in that
Why is there so much pressure from parents to start developing National Merit Scholars or America’s future sports icon at such a young age? The answer boils down to this: kids are no longer allowed to be kids. Building blocks and swing sets have been replaced with bookshelves and mathematic computer games. Forget playing with the neighbor kids after school, because mommy and daddy decided that the Olympics, in addition to ESPN, are where they want to see their little baby’s face.
Even if parents are overbearing, there are still the older siblings. You know that your little sister would have never even looked in the mirror until she was in high school
if it wasn’t for you applying the maximum dosage of eyeliner every morning. Most often without even being aware of the fact, children with older siblings are forced to grow up faster in attempts to catch up and hold on to a mature relationship with their sibling.
Or perhaps the answer can be found in the place we all reside, Johnson County. The race is on to see how many AP classes your son or daughter is enrolled in compared to the kids down the street. Are there points awarded for how many extra-curricular activities they can be the president of, or how many sports teams they can get involved in?
It’s not wrong to want the best for children; but, failure is the basis of learning responsibility.
survey compiled by karen liebentritt, photos by ashley stickler
bathroom.
What’s really unfortunate about this is that fast food restaurant, gas station, and even highway rest stop bathrooms look immaculate compared to those here.
mitchsmith
No, this student has not walked into a cage at the zoo or through the wreckage from a tornado. This individual has walked in to another area where such repulsiveness is prevalent, a Blue Valley
Considering this, it has become our responsibility as students to keep the restrooms clean during the school day.
While taking a quick glance through any restroom, one would guess that most kindergarteners are more skilled in potty etiquette. For those that missed the memo on how to relieve oneself a decade and a half ago and who are lacking the bathroom know-how, here’s a refresher course.
For starters, do high schoolers seri-
ously not know how to flush a toilet? For those still dumbfounded by the concept, try pushing that silver lever. It works, I promise. Little compares to the disgust of opening half a dozen stall doors just to see certain matter rotting away in the toilet bowl of each one. If you insist upon using the school bathroom for that function, at least have the common courtesy to flush.
Another common misconception at Blue Valley is that people want to talk while going to the bathroom. Again, back to the whole courtesy thing, it’s a bit weird to try to carry on a conversation while taking care of business. Try to limit verbal exchanges to simple phrases such
as “Hi” or “Hey” while avoiding potential conversation starters like “How are you today?”
Along those same lines, let’s remember the two urinal buffer rule. This man law of sorts often seems forgotten in male bathrooms throughout the school. Unless there are only two urinals available or there is a line for the toilets, scoot on down, preferably without talking.
Really, everyone in this school is capable of using the restroom without incident. This is not that difficult of a concept. It’s time we put that ability in to action and rid ourselves of the trash and waste that are seemingly overflowing from BV’s bathrooms.
raise your voice is society pressuring people to perfection? ”
“
-sophomore tyler zaborny
yes, images of media portrays us to be cool or hip.
”
-freshman lauren kats
ometimes, everyone wants you to get A’s.
”
“
-junior rigvid mehta
yes, such as the role models that are in the media.
“
no, individualism is praised instead of taken away.
Society pushes children to overachieveDaringly, he pulls the metal handle and walks through the worn oak door. Upon entering, he sees used paper towels strewn across the floor, urine stains on the wall, graffiti covering the stall and, well, some stuff we’d rather not discuss lying in the toilet bowl. myvoice cute “Looking for Mr. Right” graphic tee.
Why are our teens feeling the heat?
Today’s society is moving at such a fast pace, teenagers don’t have time to breathe. Many not only take challenging college-level courses but also load their nights and weekends with clubs, activities, and part-time jobs. Mix in standardized test scores and scholarship applications, and it’s a recipe for disaster. Some students can’t handle the pressure. According to Reuters Health, one third of US teens feel stressed out on a daily basis.
“Today students have more anxiety,” enrichment teacher Jennifer Johnson said. “They’re always moving, and they
don’t take time to enjoy things.”
Not only are teens taking on more, they insist on doing everything perfectly. It is no longer considered impossible to be the best student, the best athlete, the best flutist, the best tutor and the best employee – it’s all in a day’s work. This generation is more certain than ever that achievement equals happiness. Unfortunately, the drive for success could actually cause the opposite.
With the high standards out there today, it isn’t easy to be a teenager. Social pressure is turning more and more high school and college students into sleepdeprived, stressed-out robots. There are several mediums through which this pressure is applied. Sometimes friends
pressure each other to join more activities or to portray a certain image. In even more cases, parents are the culprit.
Johnson often hears students complain, “My mom wants me to be perfect!”
Because parents want what is best for their children, they occasionally push them into taking on more than they can handle. Even so, the source of pressure on the rise in teen’s lives today is themselves.
If teenagers feel that they must be perfect, they will pressure themselves to do just that. Many take it way too far, and it becomes severely destructive. Students ignore parts of their lives, such as getting enough sleep or socializing with friends, because they don’t seem as important as being the president or captain in 10 different activities or getting into an Ivy League school.
“Colleges are now much more competitive and expensive; costs have doubled and tripled,” counselor Sandy Fryer said. “It’s really cutthroat to get in.”
The strain of college applications weighs on students on top of everything else. The competition is becoming more and more vicious. Society smiles upon ambition, and the itch to achieve is infecting young people more and more.
“Some kids try to take every opportunity presented to them,” teacher John Holloway said. “Taking seven AP classes sounds cool, but so does strapping yourself to a rock; it doesn’t mean it’s a good idea.”
When pressure stresses teens out, they sometimes have increased irritability. In Perfectionists: What’s Bad About Being Too Good? Miriam Adderholdt, Ph.D. says teens may also show signs of severe anxiety or chronic fatigue and have dif-
ficulty concentrating. Some students eventually give up on homework, and it’s not always the students everyone expects.
Numerous people mistakenly identify perfectionists and procrastinators as two contrasting personalities. In actuality, the opposite is true; perfectionists are far more likely to procrastinate than other students. According to Adderholdt, perfectionists may put off beginning a project because as long as they don’t start it, they won’t fail. If they become serious procrastinators, it can be detrimental to their grades. They also are more susceptible to dealing with stress in harmful ways, such as cutting themselves.
“They often hide their stress because they feel they should be able to handle it all,” Fryer said.
Johnson has extensive experience with these type A students. Perfectionists tend to get sick more often and miss school a lot – or they come to school sick and don’t recuperate for a long period of time, Johnson said.
Not only does pressure alter a teen’s life all on its own, it can also lead to other unhealthy habits. Eating disorders, depression and drug and alcohol abuse are highly correlated with the pressure to be perfect. The lack of proper nutrition, exercise and sleep that goes along with stress can cause physical illness as well.
This aspiration for accomplishment can be beneficial to an extent. It helps students later in life to be motivated early on.
“Sometimes pushing your limits is the only way to grow,” Holloway said.
Students today need to balance between pushing their limits and breaking them.
Piles of notes and books surround senior Courtney Carlson as she studies for her two AP classes and prepares for her debate round. She is a member of Chambers and can barely find time for herself. “It’s hard sometimes, and I don’t have the motivation,“ Carlson said.Senior Hannah Rodlund awakes with a jolt of a blaring alarm clock. The clock reads 6:30 a.m. As she looks around, she sees that she must have fallen asleep while pulling yet another late night study session for one of the countless AP classes she is taking. It’s going to be another long day with an FCA meeting, school, sports practice, work then homework. Rodlund sighs and sleepily pushes herself out of bed to start another day jam-packed with activities. “It never seems like there is enough time in the day for everything to get done,” Rodlund said.
More and more, students are pushing back their bedtime until the wee hours of the night. About 57 percent of the student population of Blue Valley hits the sack at midnight or later. This isn’t due to any hardcore partying. Because of sports, jobs, and other after school activities mixed in with Honors and AP courses, students don’t have time for the sleep they need.
Sophomore Jessica Mussatto said she definitely feels the pain of hard classes and tons of activities. She is involved in club soccer, cross country, Classy Ladies, Allegro Children’s Choir, voice lessons, French Club and the school choir. Her school day consists of four honors courses and an AP class.
not the smartest idea. Neither is trying to drive when you’re sleep-deprived. The National High way Safety Traffic Administration has concluded that 1,500 people are killed in accidents caused by drivers ages 15 to 26 because the driver was simply tired.
Besides driving irresponsibly, getting lower grades and performing poorly in sports, our bod ies are also greatly affected.
“When your body shuts down for the night, your cells begin to regenerate, new tissue forms in the body, and your memory improves,” school nurse
Tips for a better night’s sleep
• Stay away from eating close to bed time.
• Shut off the TV at least one hour before bed. The light and noise keeps our minds awake and not ready for bed.
• Try not to exercise at least an hour before sleep.
• Skip the caffeine after 4 p.m.
“It’s really stressful to get home at nine, shower, eat and then start my homework,” Mussatto said.
Mussatto also said that on a normal school night, her bedtime is around 12:30 a.m.
Other students agree. With sports, a job, school and friends, a good night’s sleep is not something that happens all that often.
“With homework and activities I have to stay up later,” sophomore Mike Metcalfe said. “I go to bed around 12:30 or 1 every night, then wake up five hours later.”
Even the freshmen can attest to the busy schedules.
“I [was] in football and with homework that [didn’t] leave time for anything else,”freshman Tyler Hendrickson said.
That is the physical aspect. Now how do we achieve the nearly 10 hours of sleep the body needs?
“Try to avoid caffeine after 4 p.m. Also try not to exercise right before going to bed. Getting your heart rate up makes if more dif ficult to relax,” Cecil said.
The alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. Rodlund opens her eyes and easily pulls herself out of bed. For once, she got to bed on time and is feeling refreshed and ready for her AP Calculus test. She knows the day will be busy, but her night of sleep will keep her going throughout the day.
According to the National Sleep Foundation, teens require at least nine or 10 hours of shuteye. With a jam-packed schedule every day of the week, how high on the list of priorities is a good night’s sleep?
“I have other stuff to do, so I don’t really ever worry about sleep,” sophomore Tyler Smiley said.
Even though getting enough rest may seem like the last thing a busy student thinks about, the side effects of being sleep deprived are obvious.
Bad moods, having trouble concentrating in class, poor judgment and not enough energy for sports are some of the most common effects from lack of sleep.
“When I’m really tired, I don’t feel like sitting in class and doing anything. I just kind of want to sit there and doodle the whole time,” senior Katy Bantham said. Getting behind the wheel of a car wasted is
Keep testing! Statistics have shown that each time you test, you increase your familiarity with the material and format of the test. It’s annoying, but SO worth it.
Read! Reading novels, newspaper, or even magazines increases your reading comprehension and speed. This comes in handy on the verbal section of both the ACT and SAT.
Take Prep! Did you know that ACT and SAT preparation is available as a class at Blue Valley? This course covers test taking strategies, vocabulary and basic math concepts.
Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary! Looking up words you don’t know from novels or textbooks and using them in a sentence increases your chances of recognizing them on a test. It also makes you look very impertinent in front of your friends.
Challenge Yourself! Taking the hardest classes you can handle your sophomore and junior years helps prepare you for the content on the tests. Hey, no one said it would be easy.
Review Math Formulas! You can bet that the quadratic formula, the area of a circle, and factoring are going to be on the test. If you don’t know these or other basic algebraic or geometric concepts, get to know them.
Eat Breakfast! It’s a proven fact that eating a healthy breakfast with a serving of protein before testing increases concentration and brain function.
Guess Smart! The ACT does not penalize for wrong answers; that means that you should never leave an answer blank. It’s also not a good idea to always guess a certain letter. Rather, eliminate the answers you know cannot be right and go with your gut.
Bring a Calculator! This one is easy. If you don’t have one with you during the test, you’re not going to do your best.
Banish Nerves! There’s no reason to be nervous while taking standardized tests. After all, if you screw up, you can always re-test. Take a deep breath and show those colleges how smart you are!
stephanieroche staff reporter
Students jump this way and that and all anyone can hear is jumbled pieces of different conversations mixed into one. There is always that one girl who knows everyone on the face of the planet and has to say hello – meanwhile slowing down the flow of travel and therefore causing people to worry about how on earth they are going to make it to class on time. Along the way you have to stroll through the group of guys that think they are all that and a bag of chips.
If they only knew their five pounds of cologne gives off the smell of a petting zoo.
Now imagine being a teacher and having to travel from classroom to classroom through these over populated hallways.
New teachers, like Communication Arts teacher Laura Wilcoxon, have been given the task of managing more than one classroom.
“I have four different classrooms and a class in the library,” Wilcoxon said. “So, I guess you could consider that five classrooms, which can be hard to handle sometimes.”
Now teachers not only have to worry about their teaching but also have to come up with new ways to perform.
“I used to give bell work at the begin-
ning of my classes but that is not feasible now,” Wilcoxon said. “It is too hard to arrive to my class on time and, in addition to that, get information written on the board.”
Teachers also find difficulties transferring materials from class to class.
“At the beginning of the year we were given carts to push our supplies around on but they are huge and hard to handle,” Wilcoxon said. “So instead I carry everything I need in my arms which gets extremely heavy.”
Each classroom Wilcoxon has does not have all of the same equipment available.
“Note taking is time-consuming because I have to rewrite the notes in each classroom,” Wilcoxon said. “If I could I would just write them as transparencies but not each room I have contains a projector.”
Students also find it confusing when their teacher has more than one room.
“I went to find Ms. Wilcoxon after school one day during TCB and went to three different rooms before I actually found her,” freshman Gautham Prakash said. “It was so confusing because her name was on a ton of doors.”
Wilcoxon, along with many of the new teachers, hopes the future additions to the school will mean fewer classrooms to keep track of.
Over the summer, the school said good-bye to overhead projectors and replaced them with new Eiki projectors that are now installed in each classroom.
“It is probably the second biggest technical innovation that has taken place,” math teacher K. Dean Snell said. “It is nice because it saves everything that I write on the board so I don’t have to re-write notes for each class.”
As a math teacher, Snell has a system on his computer that is coordinated with the graphing calculators. The Smart Board can project the calculators as if it were an actual calculator. The Smart Board also shows
any notes that a teacher wants students to copy down, and they can use special markers to draw graphs and tables onto the screen.
“The Smart Board is much more efficient than using the overhead calculators because I can save all of my data on my computer,” Snell said. “I use it everyday for all of my classes.”
Although the new technology in the classrooms has some advantages, there have also been a few problems that have come along with these new machines.
“The new projector is great, and the only inconvenience is that I have to walk across the room to turn the volume down,” Communication Arts teacher
Mark Rabbitt said. Some teachers also had trouble figuring out how to work the new DVD players and the new projectors caused a few problems in some classes also.
“I had a little trouble with the projector at first, but it got worked out,” Snell said.
While Snell has had trouble with his projector not working correctly, business teacher Kimberly Johnson has yet to experience any problems with her new system.
“It hasn’t caused any problems so far, and since I already had a system kind of like this one last year it wasn’t hard to learn how to work,” Johnson said. “I definitely think it was worth the time and money.”
emilystrickland staff reporter
The second Repertory Theatre show of the season will be di erent than any other show. “Shadows in the Asylum” was adapted from the book written by D.A. Stern, who is also coming to some of the performances. The show will be Dec. 7, 8, 14 and 15 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $5 at the Black Box Theater.
“I started adapting it in April and I nished in September,” director Dan Schmidt said. “The book isn’t written like a novel, but with copies of transcripts, e-mails and letters. Some of the dialogue was pretty easy to write.”
The story follows Dr. Charles
Marsh, played by junior Collin Kessler, who gets a new job at an asylum. He meets Kari Hansen, played by senior Sarah Cline, who is a patient there. Hansen started having hallucinations about a “shadow” that was trying to hurt her after she returned from an archeological dig. Marsh tries to gure out what is causing these hallucinations.
“It’s a totally unique thing,” junior Sami Steinmetz said, who plays another elderly patient, Rona Bidderle. “We’re putting on a show that’s never been done before. We’re creating it in our own way, just like they do in professional theatres.”
Other students feel excited
about this play, too.
“This is my rst play in the Black Box Theater,” Kessler said. “It’ll be very di erent because the people will be a lot closer. Since it’s a scary play, doing it in the Black Box should be really e ective. The audience will be more freaked out than usual.”
All of the students in the Rep. Theatre class are participating in the play, which is di erent than others that only have a couple of members. The supporting lead is Kari’s mother, played by senior Laurel Hill. Other patients include Daryl, played by senior Justin Prelogar, Nathan, played by junior Brice Barnard and Jennifer, played by junior Whitney Thurman
noopurgoelstaff reporter
The glare of the drama department’s spotlight hit the cast of “The Anatomy of Gray” Nov. 8-10. The actors include returning cast members from last year’s internationally recognized play “A Piece of My Heart” along with a few new participants.
The audition process started with an open call for the entire school. They
were considered by drama teacher Dan Schmidt and some were asked to return for the callbacks.
“Callbacks took a really long time because Mr. Schmidt wanted to make sure that he had the right people for the right roles,” junior Alex Katsorelos said.
When the nal decisions were made, rehearsals began. Each rehearsal lasted around two hours. Rehearsals were every day and the actors rarely received a
day o .
“The whole cast was really funny,” junior Collin Kessler said. “Sometimes we didn’t get anything done because we were too busy laughing.”
After more than two months of rehearsals, the cast graced the stage. The play follows Dr. Galen Gray, played by senior Justin Prelogar, as he searches inside himself to discover the man he was meant to be. Gray does not believe in
his true potential, which leads him on a journey to the midwestern town named Gray. Just as he settles into the community, Gray nds himself the subject of suspicion and must yet again attempt to nd himself.
“The Anatomy of Gray” will be judged for the Kansas State Thespian Conference on January 17-19. The cast has high hopes for this fall play after the major success of last year’s “A Piece of My Heart.”
Have you ever imagined giving up all your material possessions for a life of adventure? In the movie, Into the Wild, a young man named Christopher McCandless, played by Emile Hirsch, does just that.
Freshly out of college, McCandless donates his life savings to charity and decides to leave his life of privilege behind and embark on his search for adventure, excitement, independence and identity. The movie chronicles one man’s introspective journey from his well-to-do suburb of Washington, D.C., to rural South Dakota wheat fields and all the places in between.
Into the Wild is based on a true story, as well as the bestselling book written by Jon Krakauer’s.
Hirsch plays a misunderstood, 20-something, whose main goal in life is to travel the country and eventually spend a winter alone in the harsh and
bitter Alaskan terrain. With no feelings other than bitterness towards his parents, played by Marcia Gay Harden and William Hurt, McCandless makes his getaway without any notice.
In order to make sure that his family does not know his whereabouts, McCandless creates an alias. He names himself Alexander Supertramp, a self proclaimed “aesthetic voyager whose home is the road.”
Along the way, Supertramp makes many unusual and interesting friends who change his life, as he changes theirs. Despite the difficulty, Hirsch is definitely the right person for the role of McCandless. Hirsch’s demeanor and low-key attitude make it hard to believe that he played a drug dealer in his most recent movie. He’s getting rave reviews for Into the Wild, and possibly an Academy Award nomination is on the way.
As always, it is impossible for all people to have the same views on Hirsch’s character. Mc-
Candless can be seen as a man who should have been born in a different time, a man who is too mature and too wise for his age. Others will see McCandless as an immature, spiteful, disrespectful, and even stupid kid with no other sense than to pack up and spontaneously leave his comfortable life.
Academy award winner/ actor/ journalist/ director, Sean Penn both wrote and directed Into the Wild. His extensive research and hard work have paid off. The quality of the screenplay and directorial factors are remarkable.
Into the Wild was released Sept. 21 nationwide by production company, Paramount Vantage. The runtime is two hours and 20 minutes. Wild is rated R for language and some nudity. The film was shot on location in the California Mojave Desert. Whether they like or dislike the movie, moviegoers can be sure to leave the theater changed in one way or another.
4
Run Leia Run. A combination of ‘Star Wars’ and ‘Run Lola Run’, this animated movie was made by Adam Bertocci, a student at Northwestern University. The Arcade Fire’s William Butler voices Hans Solo. I’m sure if I watched ‘Run Lola Run’, I would get more of the jokes and this short film would be ranked higher. 2
Dyno Riders. This little gem was just lying pitifully in the $1 pile of videotapes at Half-Price books until it was rescued and found a permanent home in my VCR. Made in 1988, it clocks in at 27 minutes, including Tyco commercials promoting action figures based on ‘Dyno Rider’ characters. With memorable lines like “Stegosaurus! You must remove the breastplate!” it’s sure to be the subject of conversation between you and your friends. 3
Beetlejuice. Some people argue that ‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ is Tim Burton at his best, but that is Tim Burton at his ‘Stop-Motion Claymation Musical Featuring a Skeleton’ best. Beetlejuice is his best ‘Michael Keaton as a Bio-Exterminating Ghoul with a Rotten Face’ best, and, if you argue with me, so help me God I will use your skull as a means to jack the vending machine. Plus, this movie pardons Michael Keaton for ‘White Noise’, sort of.
Pan’s Labyrinth: Guillermo del Torro, director of Pan’s Labryrinth, almost directed ‘Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban’. How’s that for a ‘what if’? Considered a fairy tale for adults, this movie is reminiscent of the Brother’s Grimm’s violent stories. Anybody who asks ‘Was it real or was it just all in her head?’ should be eaten by that thing with eyes in its hands, just because that’d be pretty funny to watch.
Across the Universe
ÍÍÍÍÍ
Released: 10/12/2007 nationwide
Starring:
Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood
Director: Rating:
Julie Taymor PG-13
Run Time: 2 hours 11 minutes
stephanieroche staff reporter
The inspired and imaginative Across the Universe gives the viewer a chance to see into the world of love, drugs and the Beatles – the great components of the 1960’s.
Each character in the musical has his own story which you can not help but be interested in. Jude (Jim Sturgess) is a bold lad from Liverpool who leaves behind his job, mother and girlfriend for the streets of New York. There he meets Max (Joe Anderson), a college drop-out who eventually gets drafted and sent to Vietnam. Max’s sister, Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) is a sheltered girl from the suburbs who moves to live with her brother after her boyfriend dies in the war. Across the Universe does not have an overpowering plot, but it does not need one.
Jude and Lucy’s love is the driving force behind the film—after all, all you need is love.
Although the film has a few flaws, acting is not one of them. The biggest name on the film is indie star Wood who is supported by a cast of unknowns. Fortunately the cast prevails. Sturgess makes it seem natural to suddenly break out in song and is not horrible to look at either — almost like a John Lennon copy. There are also many great cameo appearances. U2’s Bono plays a very psychedelic Dr. Roberts and lends his vocals to “I Am the Walrus” and “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds”.
I appreciate director, Julie Taymor’s, willingness to take a risk and not do a cookie-cutter musical; however, there were a couple of artsy moments that did not make sense in the film. On the other
side, that is what I loved—the film was not perfect and neither is love. Taymor gives us a new way to see things if only for a couple of hours.
Across the Universe does the impossible in stringing the songs of the Beatles into one story. Fans of the legendary group should love this movie, but do not go expecting to hear the same versions of the songs we all know and love. A modern twist has been added and gives them new life. Some standouts include “With a Little Help From My Friends” in which Anderson and Sturgess make beautiful harmonies and “Dear Prudence” where the cast comes together to sing a heartwarming ballad.
When you go to see this movie forget about everything and just, as my good friends Paul and John would say, “Let it Be.”
She has the desire, passion and will to succeed. She spends long hours molding her body into a well-trained, conditioned machine. In addition to keeping her body in tip-top shape, she must adapt her muscles to endure the rigors of intense competition.
This, however, is not the type of competition that most people think of. While most competitions take place on land, junior Lauren Wismer is a fierce competitor in the water. She dedicates much of her free time in practicing to become a better diver.
“I was a gymnast for 12 years. My dad and my grandmother were divers at my age,” she said. “My dad was the one who really prompted me to take up diving.”
Wismer sees diving as defining who she is because it requires so much attention to detail and focus. She said she feels diving makes her who she is because she is constantly practicing and she has been training for this sport for a large part of her life.
Diving takes long hours practicing each day on land and in the water. In order to be successful, one must be in peak shape. Diving requires cardiovascular endurance, as well as muscular endurance.
“I spend a minimum of four hours a day practicing my diving routine,” Wismer said. “I maintain my physical fitness by not only practicing daily, but lifting weights and doing cardiovascular exercise at the gym.”
The best of athletes cannot become great without a lot of work and preparation. Wismer uses a variety of techniques to keep her body in prime swimming shape.
“Some of the training is similar to gymnastics because I have such a firm background as a gymnast. I practice six days a week during the school year and seven days
a week during the summer. I try to always rest my body before the day of the competition,” Wismer said.
Many athletes have to look to some source for stress relief before they compete. Some athletes have simple methods for doing this and others have more elaborate methods for alleviating the pre-competition stress.
“Before I compete I try to keep my mood at a steady level and avoid as many distractions around me as I can,” Wismer said. “I try to do this by reading and doing activities to keep my mind off of the competition.”
When it comes to setting records and winning awards, Wismer has encountered her fair share of the sweet taste of victory. She placed twelfth in the nation during the summer with an injured left shoulder. She placed third in an international meet in China and she was the first United States representative on the podium. She is also the 2007 State and EKL champion and All-American.
Wismer also spends time outside of school diving year round for the Kansas City Dive Club. With four hour practices a day, Wismer has little free time in her schedule to socialize with friends outside of school and do homework.
“I try to get my homework done during study hall,” Wismer said. “I give up a large part of my social life to dive, and I really only have time to socialize at school.”
When it comes to life outside of school and diving, she tries to relax by playing the bells, singing in her church choir and participating in her youth leadership program.
Wismer also has many avid supporters of her aquatic accomplishments.
“My friends and family think it is really cool that I have accomplished so much and they anticipate me being in the 2012 Olympics,” Wismer said.
The Lady Tigers tennis team finished up their 2007 season on a positive note placing fifth in the regionals tourna ment at Shawnee Mission East High School on Oct 4. Senior Karaline Nun nally received a No. 1 seed in the singles division, with freshman Ashley Tiefel clinching a No. 5 seed in the singles divi sion as well. The ladies also completed the tournament winning three of their five matches, including a victory from junior doubles team, Brianna Ortbals and Shelley Sparling. The varsity team ended their season with a record of 6-31, compared to last year’s record of 3-7-1. Next year will prove to be a difficult year for the team, after losing crucial players to graduation, including seniors Allie Manning, Karaline Nunnally, Ashley Bili and Traci Gentry, but players remain optimistic that the team can recover as a whole, and have an even more success ful 2008 season.
by AJ Barbosa
The Blue Valley soccer team wrapped up its season with an 8-8 record and lost in the first round of regionals to Shawnee Mission Northwest. Coach K. Dean Snell was happy with the record and with the defeat of rivals Blue Valley West and St. Thomas Aquinas and looks forward to next year.
“Some of our key victories were against West and Aquinas this year,” Snell said. “We had a mix of experienced and inexperienced players. The chemistry was great and everyone had a good time. I was happy with the leadership of
by Andrew FioriThe varsity volleyball team finished their season with a 25-15 game record and 3-7 in EKL. Junior Lindsey Petrick was ranked first in EKL and junior Lindsey Muller was ranked second. Petrick
is committed to play college volleyball at the University of Missouri. On the weekend of Oct. 20, the postseason began. The Tigers went up against Blue Valley North in the first round. After losing the first game, the Tigers fought back, winning the next two games to move forward. Next, the Tigers played Blue Valley West. With good team effort on offense and defense, the Jaguars were too strong, winning in two games.
“It was an awesome season,” coach Christyn Haberly said. “[The team] took a step in the right direction.”
by Amanda BlueThe girl’s golf team finished out their season strong. They went to regionals and seniors Courtney Kreamer and Stacy Yowell competed at state. Yowell finished 12th and Kreamer finished 27th. At regionals, out of 10 medalists, three of them were from Blue Valley. The golf team was ranked fourth in the state at the end of their season.
“I’m glad we finished so strong. It was very memorable and I’m really going to miss playing golf with those girls,” Kreamer said.
by Karen Liebentritt
With the fall season coming to an end, the team wraps up with senior Devin Wiegers finishing fifth in EKL and junior Devin Freeman finishing tenth for the girls cross country team. Senior Ben Loats finished fourth for the boys cross country in EKL. The Cross Country team had one runner qualify for state, Devin
Wiegers. Wiegers finished 24th with a time of 15:55.
“I feel like my season this year went pretty well and I had a lot of fun too,” Wiegers said.
by andrew fioriOn Oct. 26, Blue Valley faced Blue Valley West for the final game of the regular season, televised by Metro Sports for the High School Game of the Week. With a few good drives, led by sophomore quarterback Anthony Abenoja and turnovers on defense, forcing three turnovers, the Tigers led 9-7, with a field goal by senior Chris McDermott and a rushing touchdown by Abenoja, heading into the fourth quarter. The Tigers were putting up a fight throughout the quarter, but West’s offense was too strong and the Tigers fell short to the Jaguars with a final score of 28-9.
“We played really well for three quarters and ran out of gas,” head coach Steve Rampy said.
The roar of the crowd has been silenced. On Friday, Oct. 19, the Tigers traveled to Gardner-Edgerton. With great efforts on both sides of the ball, the Tigers ended up with a disappointing loss 2112.
Overall, the varsity football team finished the season out with a 4-5 record. At this time it is unknown whether any senior players will continue their football careers in college. Senior football players Kyle Braathen and Mike McIntire agreed that the team put forth their best effort and emotion all year, but fell short in the end.
by Ashley Sticklerour team to teach the inexperienced and I expect us to do well, if not better, next season.”
“ is piece represents a time in my life when I reunited with my best friend that I hadn’t seen in six years. e connecting swirls show us coming together again. When I have
a semester without an art class I am more stressed — art classes are most relaxing for me.”- Zakeri
“Art is important in schools because book smart is only half of your brain — art is the other half for some people.”
“Art is everywhere. e greatest geniuses, masterminds and social reforms all had some artistic background, be it music or visual arts.”
“My art is my way to express my opinions freely, without worry or consequences. Another huge source of inspiration is my brother, although words cannot explain why.”- Odom
“Art allows you to grow more as a person.”
- Greenough
“
ere are so many different things that people come up with and create … it’s so inspiring.”
“Within art there are no constraints. You can completely shatter the societal barriers surrounding you; then, and only then, can true art be created.”
- Odom
-Greenough
Morgan Greenough
“I like the freedom and active productivity of Art”Photo Essay by Nina Humphrey.