The Tiger Print — November 2008

the

print TIGER

B LU E VA L L E Y H I G H S C H O O L

Vol. 39 Issue 4

November 2008

Donation sensation Students find different ways to give back to community pages 8-9

Auctioning history (pg. 2)

The secret life (pg. 11)

No fish tale

Championship signs to be sold at TigerFest

ISS teacher recalls varied life experiences

Senior prepares for career as dolphin trainer

(pg. 12)

Stilwell, Kan.

inthenews

Hot topics from Blue Valley...

Signs to be auctioned at TigerFest

1. Conflict forces Relay for Life schedule change Relay for Life has been rescheduled to March 27-28. A basketball game against Blue Valley Northwest was scheduled on the original date.

Relay for Life seeks to raise funds for cancer awareness. Students form teams and secure donations from community members in order to participate in the overnight event. By Tyler Duke.

2. NAHS makes preparations for SWITCH dance The SWITCH dance will be on Dec 5. This is the second year for the dance organized by the National Art Honor Society.

“Someone had the idea of a dance that was a little more artsy, that you didn’t have to spend a lot of money to go to,” NAHS secretary Brianna Ortbals said.

The dance features a more techno style of music, as well as an alternative music lounge and a fashion show for less traditional outfits.

“It’s the opposite of a regular dance,” Ortbals said. “You don’t need to dress up, just go crazy. You don’t need a date, it’s not very formal. You can go to Taco Bell before and you don’t have to spend a lot of money.” By Ryan O’Toole.

3. Young Democrats hold inaugural meeting The Young Democrats Club met for the first time on Oct. 21.

This club was started to help students develop political views and share ideas with those who are politically like-minded.

Spanish teacher Jill Gouger sponsors this club and the meetings will be held in her room. The club has no set meeting schedule, but plans to convene next on Nov. 12.

Those interested in joining should contact Gouger. By Allison Kohn.

4. Headrush begins submission process The Headrush literary magazine staff is already hard at work getting information out to students, collecting submissions, determining their selection process and training new members.

“We’re here and obviously encouraging submissions of all kinds — poetry, art and prose, ” communication arts teacher Keil Pittman said.

Submissions are due Jan. 15 and need to be turned in with a submission slip to a communication arts class or to the art department. Not all artwork turned in will be published.

“We get a lot of courageous kids turning in passionate things,” Pittman said. “So, we’re working now to decide what makes good poetry and what makes good art. It’s a highly selective process.”

By Katie Louis.

5. Merchandise stolen from BV locker rooms iPods and cell phones have been reported stolen by students in physical education classes earlier this month. Four reports have been submitted to Campus Police Officer Dennis Randall and School Resource Officer Ken Braden.

Randall spoke to all freshmen earlier this year regarding the safe keeping of their valuables during school hours.

“We tell the students not to leave their valuables unlocked, and students, for whatever reason, continue to ignore that advice,” Randall said.

Video surveillance cameras are yet to be installed outside the locker rooms, making it hard to identify potential culprits. By Caitlin Holland.

Correction Last month’s candidate profile should have read that Barack Obama supported “a student loan continuity plan to help college students pay loans at a lower rate due to the economic turmoil.”

The Tiger Print regret the error. By Editorial Board.

0 2 NOVEMBER 2008

Championship boards from years past are being redesigned to allow more space for newer boards for future achievements of BV athletic teams. Shown above is one of the boards to be auctioned off at TigerFest. The boards that line the walls around the main gymnasium date back to 1973. Photo by Conner Combes.

brockhumphrey staff writer

The current championship boards hanging in the gym will be auctioned off at TigerFest Nov. 22. This is being done in an effort to streamline the boards’ design and create more space for future championships. The auctioning of the boards is just another one of the major renovations to the main gym.

The money from the auction will cover the cost of the new boards with any profits to the Black and Gold Fund.

“We’re hoping to get a ton of alumni interest,” TigerFest Black and Gold Fund Chairman Brad Rowe said.

The Black and Gold Fund, which is part of TigerFest, is a fund from the profit of the items sold at TigerFest that are not

designated for a certain club or sport. The fund supports the general good of the school.

Bidding on these boards will open at $125. Rowe said the newer boards will look similar to the 2006 football state championship board.

Of the 102 boards being auctioned off, 30 are for girls sports and 72 are for boys.

District maintenance is responsible for changing the signs, while Blue Valley Athletic Director Bob Whitehead is coordinating the process.

“I think they’ll look really good,” Principal Scott Bacon said.

Bacon and Rowe both said they think the new boards will be done around winter break.

Bacon said the switch is necessary not only to streamline the design, but also to allow more

room for additional boards.

“It’ll give us more space to hang new ones,” Bacon said.

“Hopefully with more to come.”

Most of the new boards will be gold while those signifying state championships will be white and slightly larger. The old boards will be exchanged with the new ones when they are finished.

Science teacher Eric Driskell has his name on several boards, both from his days as a player and coach. While he supports the change, he doesn’t plan to bid on any of the boards.

“I think it’s a good idea,” Driskell said. ”We’ve been around so long. There’s so much history.”

The gymnasium currently has the championship boards, which date back all the way to 1973, covering most of three of its four walls.

IvNAILS professional nail care for men & women

913 239 9443 Gift Certificates Available We Sterilize All Implements

M-F Sat Sun

10a.m.-8p.m.

10a.m.-6p.m.

12p.m.-5p.m.

7250 W. 151 St. • Overland Park, KS 66223

inthenews

Unitown partners BV, BVW in combating prejudice katielouis

features editor

Blue Valley High partnered with Blue Valley West from Oct. 23-24 to provide a program called Unitown for 50 selected students to learn about diversity, leadership and differences within their schools.

Unitown is a program of Harmony, a Kansas City-based, human relations organization that works to develop cultural competence and leverage diversity.

Harmony has many other programs including the Youth Leadership Institute in the summer that many BV students have attended in the past.

Assistant Principal Megan Allam said Unitown is a valuable program for BV students.

“I think it’s a great opportunity for our students to learn leadership skills and to learn about working with other people,” Allam said. “It’s also good to

have the partnership with West because we have students from both schools working together.”

At BV, counselors recommended students they thought would be interested in the conference and would grow from the experience, according to Allam.

Diversity Club also sent some members to the event.

“Sometimes with the demographic of our school, issues get swept under the rug,” Diversity Club sponsor Manal Siam said.

“So it’s just a good opportunity for our students to talk about those things that they don’t talk about on a daily basis.”

Students who attend the event tend to leave with a different outlook, according to event director Katy Griffin. Sophomores Jenny Yu and Joseph Davies with seniors Rachel Tate and Rigvid Mehta attended the program last year and came back as counselors this year.

“It’s a life-changing experience, no joke,” Yu said.

Offer expires December 15,2008 We accept the other places’ coupons

Tate agreed and added, “There were so many things that I just didn’t realize hurt people.”

According to Griffin, these are common changes that students go through after attending Unitown.

“Typically, what we see is students with a better understanding of what kids go through and they realize that they are not the only ones going through it,” she said. “They learn to appreciate and understand themselves and others.”

The students arrived at BVW after school on Thursday, slept in the gyms and left Friday afternoon. They participated in many activities and discussions throughout the night.

“It’s really fun and eye-opening,” junior Sami Sayegh said.

“We’ve done some games and we sang a song.”

This was Sayegh’s first time at Unitown, as well as junior Jessica Mitchell’s.

“We talk about controver-

From left: Seniors Shelley Sparling and Jessie Chastain and junior Jessica Mitchell prepare for an activity during Unitown on Oct. 23. The program included 50 students from Blue Valley and Blue Valley West and encouraged them to help eleminate prejudice and embrace diversity in society. Photo by Allison Kohn.

sial things to bring our school together,” Mitchell said.

The setup allows students to grow comfortable enough to have honest dialogue with one

another, Siam said.

“There’s a really fun side to it and a really serious side to it,” Yu said. “And it all mixes together into one big awesome shebang.”

Offer expires December 15,2008 We accept the other places’ coupons

NOVEMBER 2008 0 3

payin’thebills

Ortho M

v TAP v JAZZ v BALLET v HIP HOP v LYRICAL v MODERN v PILATES v DRILL v LEAPS & TURNS v POM & CHEER

O

DANCE CLASSES "EG TO !DVANCED #OMPETITION 2ECREATIONAL ./7 %.2/,,).'

4HE 0ULSE 0ERFORMING !RTS #ENTER

2ED "RIDGE 3HOPPING #ENTER ,OCUST 3TREET +ANSAS #ITY -/

WWW 4HE0ULSE0!# COM

0 4 NOVEMBER 2008

outloud

the

TIGERprint

B LU E VA L L E Y H I G H S C H O O L

editor-in-chief mitch smith managing editor emily strickland in-depth editor stephanie roche news editor nathan lindshield opinion editor allison kohn sports editor aj barbosa photo editor amanda blue entertainment editor tori freisner features editor katie louis online editor matt may copy editor kyra storm staff writers kim dacus andrew fiori caitlin holland brock humphrey rachel mccullough ryan o’toole steven reno shannon valverde photographers conner combes tom roudebush advertising manager noopur goel circulation manager tyler duke contributing cartoonist robert kelly adviser jill chittum

The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229.

Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, e-mailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085 email: thetigerprint@yahoo.com 913-239-4800

Illustration by Robert Kelly.

Real volunteers help others, not themselves staff editorial Throughout high school, students are taught that the more hours of community service you can accumulate, the better.

It doesn’t matter whom it’s for or what you do, but the more hours, the better. With this preconceived idea of its purpose, doing volunteer work has lost much of its meaning.

You may be able to boast a whopping 500 hours of community service on the bottom of a transcript, but do those 500 hours really mean anything? Who did you help? What was the reason for contributing your time and effort?

Hours upon hours of volunteer

work devoid of any meaning don’t actually add up to much at all.

As cliché as it sounds, community service is an important thing. You are not only helping others, but you’re also making a difference in the world.

Picking up trash in a local park can be seen as another two hours to add to the list, or it can be seen as a chance to clean up the environment and create a place that people can once again enjoy.

Although the holiday season is known as the “season of giving,” helping the community should not be limited to this time of year. This season does open up many opportunities to help, however.

Participating in a food or toy drive or donating clothes no longer worn are good places to start.

Community service is a chance to be a part of something bigger than yourself.

Donating food can help a family have a Thanksgiving dinner. Donating toys can help give a child the Christmas morning his parents couldn’t afford.

You are helping others and learning to appreciate the things you have.

To go a step further, donate your time. Volunteering to sort food at a food pantry can have more meaning than simply paying an extra 50 cents for a can of corn. More people are being helped with your time and effort.

As the saying goes, “there is no better time than the present.” So why not start now? What can you do to help the community?

raise

your voice “What do you do to give back to the community?”

senior Frankie Scarafile

“I did community service with Back in the Swing for breast cancer survivors.”

sophomore Hayden Murray

“I volunteered for electronic recycling last year.”

The Tiger Print also encourages guest photography.

Photos should be submitted to room 450 with information pertaining to the photo.

Front cover: Junior Abby Upah prepares to give blood as part of the school’s blood drive on Oct. 29. Upah was one of many students who donated blood to the Community Blood Center. Photo by Amanda Blue.

junior Jimmy Lesko

“I’ve done mission trips with my church and do other community service for NHS.”

freshman Miranda Loats

“That’s a good question. I volunteer at my church.”

NOVEMBER 2008 0 5

outloud

Obama victory elicits strong emotions Obama’s ‘Yes we can’ attitude inspires in presidential triumph Yes, we can.

Yes, we did.

On Tuesday, Nov. 4, 2008, Sen. Barack Obama made history. The 47-yearold candidate became the first black president of the United States of America.

His journey was long and perilous.

From the primaries until Election Day, he remained on the campaign trail.

Through difficult debates and negative campaigns, he flashed his endearing smile. For nearly three years he chased the dream, and for those three years millions of people across the country supported him in his quest.

The first time I learned the name Barack Obama was in a Time Magazine article declaring him the Democratic Party’s candidate to watch.

I did not know it then but, for many months to come, that name would be at the center of many conversations.

During the primaries, my decision came down to Hillary Clinton and Obama. Being an ardent supporter of Bill Clinton, I was not sure whether I should switch my loyalties to a relatively unknown senator from Illinois.

myvoice

myvoice

noopurgoel

In the end, Obama’s smooth swagger, eloquent speech and passion for the issues led me to believe that he would be the ideal president.

On Election Day, I watched as the rest of America made that same decision and knew I had made the right choice.

Obama won America’s heart because he represents all of us. He is black, he is white and he has an unusual name.

The thousands of people at Grant Park cheered and sobbed while waiting for Obama’s victory speech because they recognized themselves in him. They had a renewed hope in their dreams as Obama finally achieved his.

In his speech, Obama addressed Ann Nixon Cooper, a 106-year-old black woman who cast her ballot that day in Georgia. He spoke of how far the nation has come in her lifetime, and challenged the people to continue such innovations through their children’s lifetime.

“When we are met with cynicism, and doubt, and those who tell us that we can’t, we respond with that timeless creed that sums up the spirit of the people,” he said.

“Yes, we can.”

ryano’toole

McCain’s defeat leaves student worried about future under Democrats

Congratulations to Barack Obama on making history. Being the first black president is something to be proud of.

I mean it when I say that this is great progress for America.

That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it.

But I can’t say I didn’t see it coming.

With polls from the New York Times down to every small-town daily in the northern hemisphere predicting a huge victory for the Democratic nominee, I should have had plenty of time to prepare myself accordingly. I did not.

In some small piece buried deep within my heart, I hoped the American people would see reason and elect John McCain.

That hope was all I had in the weeks prior to the election and now it’s gone, crushed into oblivion.

With that said, the next four years are ones I am not looking forward to. We just elected the National Journal’s most liberal senator in the United States of America to be our president. That scares the hell out of me.

Liberals don’t have ideas, they have feelings. Obama is full to the brim with feelings.

I know because they make his decisions. Spreading the wealth sounds good if you feel sad that everyone can’t afford to live like the rich. Unfortunately, these feelings conflict with the founding fathers’ vision for America.

It would also be nice if he would break open a history book or two. Preferably something relating to the Soviet Union, but anything that opens his eyes to socialism’s failures in practice would suffice. PJ O’Rourke has traveled to the most pathetic hellholes on the planet writing for Rolling Stone and other publications. He’s seen what socialism does and has a negative opinion of it.

“To grasp the true meaning of socialism, imagine a world where everything is designed by the post office, even the sleaze,” O’Rourke wrote.

So America, have fun with your four years chock full of fairness, equality, hope and change. I hope you enjoy your 100 percent clean air, your equal wealth and tax credits.

Meanwhile, I’ll send you a postcard from reality to show you the damage your choice has really done.

Goal-setting program lacks accountability, is ineffective MITCH’s pitches

editor-in-chief • Mitch Smith

Each year, students are asked to write down their “goals” in Tiger Time.

Usually, students groan as the teacher explains the importance of creating plans for their futures and rambles on about a “good goal being both challenging and reasonable.”

Then they groan some more.

Then the teacher talks more about how goals can pertain to anything from sports, to school, to one’s personal life.

More groans.

Then, after the lecture on the merits of goal-setting, the

students are set loose to scribble down a few goals that they will probably never look at again.

The students aren’t stupid, they’ve noticed the trend. So, generally speaking, they do one of two things.

They’ll either write down what they think the teacher wants to hear (“I want to read 15 books a week and keep a journal while tutoring my entire math class and volunteering six nights a week at an animal shelter”) or what will make them finish soonest (“I want to study more”).

And thus Blue Valley’s emphasis on goal-setting is rendered useless.

There’s no doubt about it: we need an effective goalsetting program. For a teenager, having a clear picture of what they want to accomplish helps them achieve more and be selfmotivated.

What we have now, though, just isn’t cutting it.

Unfortunately, goal-

0 6 NOVEMBER 2008

setting’s value is not usually realized without some sort of accountability.

Don’t get me wrong, Tiger Time is a valuable program in many aspects. The opportunity it provides freshmen to connect with upperclassmen and for all students to plan for the future is unique and worthwhile. But one thing it lacks is accountability.

No grade is given for Tiger Time and students know it. This also means that many students (the ones who would benefit from goal-setting) check their motivation at the door.

Such a program not only sets the students up for failure in goal-setting, it also puts Tiger Time teachers and Tiger Mentors in a loosing situation. No matter what they do to attempt to engage these students, many just don’t care without some sort of extrinsic reward.

Tiger Mentor coordinator Courtney Buffington also sees problems with the current goal-

setting program.

According to Buffington, the district requires each student to create a Personal Plan of Progress during advisory time.

Until this year, this was done on the computer. But after negative feedback concerning the computer program, the PPP shifted to paper and pencil.

While Buffington favors the idea of setting goals in Tiger Time, she is frustrated that the district has not made a new online format for the PPP. Counselor Sandy Fryer said that the school has seen the problems with the PPP and is working to refine the program.

She said new software should be ready next year and is already being used with success at Blue Valley West.

That’s great, but in order to truly fix this seemingly perpetual problem, the PPP must be refined and integrated into every class.

At the beginning of each

quarter, every student should be required to set one or two challenging but reasonable goals that are approved by the teacher.

Then, as the quarter progresses, students would track their progress and ultimately receive a minor grade on the effort they put into achieving those goals.

This would create not only better and more meaningful goals, but also a more motivated student body because, for better or worse, tacking a grade on something is the easiest way to make a student care.

And, while this program couldn’t force students to set goals for their lives outside of the classroom, it would certainly encourage and facilitate it much more than the current program does.

When students see the value in working to achieve a specific, reasonable goal, they are more likely to incorporate that as a part of their everyday lives. Who wouldn’t want that?

payin’thebills

NOVEMBER 2008 0 7

indepth

thanks

GIVING

A few ways to give back and have fun while do

1

Create care packages for the patients at Children’s Mercy South Hospital.

Packages could include crayons, coloring books or Play-Doh. For more information, you can contact Lisa Take at ljtake@cmh.edu or (816) 234-3496.

2

3

Volunteer at Wayside Waifs to benefit our furry friends. Visit http://www.waysidewaifs. org and click on “volunteer” to find many opportunities to help out. Those under 17 years of age require adult supervision.

Serve a meal in a local soup kitchen for the needy.

This is a great activity to do with friends. One of the many places you could volunteer your services is Bishop Sullivan Center. For more information you can visit their web site at http://www.bishopsullivan.org.

4

Clean out your closet and take the clothes you don’t want anymore to a shelter or thrift store. Make sure they are in good condition (no tears, paint stains, broken zippers, etc.).

A great place to drop off your things is at 2nd Chance Thrift Stores, a place where all proceeds go to the general fund of City Union Mission which provides clothing, food, shelter, education and other services to the poor and homeless.

5

Volunteer to play w dren. You can do this a Children Center or Spo abused or neglected.

Information compiled by

KAY Club

Student Council

Cheerleading

In the spirit of giving, students painted pumpkins on Oct. 22 for KAY Club.

The pumpkins went to a retirement home. Photo by Amanda Blue.

Sophomore cheerleader Shelby Wallace paints sophomore Landon Lucansky’s face at the StuCo charity tailgate on Oct. 31. Photo by Caitlin Holland.

Senior Allie Smith collects shoes as part of the che brought in 1,400 pairs of shoes for Africans. Photo b

KAY Club painted miniature pumpkins for the Town Village Leawood retirement home. These painted gourds were used for Halloween and fall decorations around the retirement home.

The club painted approximately 150 mini pumpkins and gourds.

Some members got creative with their decorations; including Harry Potter, University of Kansas and Blue Valley themed designs.

“It was a really fun way to do something for the community,” KAY Club President Katie Louis said.

When the pumpkins were delivered to the retirement home, the residents picked out the one they wanted.

“It was a good way to help the older people get in the Halloween spirit,” junior Hannah Ernst said.

Club members also organized activities for the residents while delivering the pumpkins.

By Allison Kohn.

Student Council organized a tailgate before the Blue Valley-Blue Valley West football game to benefit Touching Tiny Lives, a local organization that raises money for HIV-positive children in Lesotho.

The tailgate took place in front of the school and Student Council members from both schools participated. All money raised will go pay for medicine, food and shelter for HIV-positive children.

“We heard about the organization and wanted to do a fundraiser, and we wanted to do something with West,” Student Council President Marlee Rogers said. “It seemed like a good idea.”

Pumpkin and face painting, a pie eating contest, desserts and a costume contest were activities available from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.

Touching Tiny Lives, established in 2004, focuses on nurturing HIVpositive children to a stable condition.

“These are kids without hope in a country without hope and this gives them a little hope,” organization volunteer Ted Long said.

By Caitlin Holland and Emily Strickland.

The cheerleading squad collected more tha from the Blue Valley students and community donated to the Rainbow Radio Station in Sout Senior varsity cheerleader Allie Smith orga got the idea while cleaning her room one day “I was going through my closet and found cheerleading shoes I wasn’t using anymore,” sh the cheerleaders would have extras too and I involved.”

Smith’s church, First Family, will be sending week. Smith will be participating in a mission this summer where she’ll get to see the childre from the drive.

“I can’t wait to see the little kids with my sh Bible verses on the side of them, so it will be e

0 8 NOVEMBER 2008

indepth

G

oing it

5

with or read to chilat Salvation Army’s offord, a home for the

Rachel McCullough.

eerleaders’ shoe drive that

by Tom Roudebush.

an 1,400 pairs of shoes y members that will be th Africa. anized the drive and y. like six pairs of old he said. “I figured all of wanted to get them

g the shoes to Africa this trip to Johannesburg en who are benefitting

hoes on,” she said. “I put easy to tell.”

By Kyra Storm.

To give (or not to give) All right, I am at school and still alive. I can do this.

First hour, check. The thought that blood would be flowing out of me into a clear bag didn’t even cross my mind.

Third hour, check. I did well on my test and I feel as fine as I would if I were at home watching the latest episode of Greek.

I can do this.

What was that? Oh, calm down, it was just the class bell. stephanieroche No big deal. I’ll check my pulse; yep, still here. I can do this.

I wonder if I was supposed to go straight there? I don’t know. What if I am doing this wrong? Do they intentionally make the experience more unbearable if you’re late? That’s crazy. I can do this. Right?

Well, I might as well head on down there and get the process started.

Being treated like a V.I.P. guest, I was offered cookies and refreshments. Maybe I can actually do this.

Filled out the paperwork. Is it just me, or is this process taking a while?

“Number 71?”

Oh, that’s me. Here we go. I can do this.

No, I am not on drugs. No, I am not a prostitute. No, I have not been in prison (but I can imagine that it might feel something like this).

What...is...that?

Holy moly, that needle is huge. Breath getting heavier, pulse getting faster. Don’t freak out. Think of the positive. There are no positives! That’s a lie, but I don’t care right now.

Leave my finger alone; I will not allow you to prick it. I cannot do this.

In case you couldn’t figure it out, I did not give blood last Wednesday.

I couldn’t even make it to the beach-like chairs where they would have stolen my blood through an even larger needle than the one I had already laid eyes upon.

Why anyone in their right mind would choose to have a sharp silver stick in their arm is beyond me. Sure, the needles are sterile and sure the nurses are trained in what they’re doing, but it all seems a little unnatural to me.

I have immense respect for anyone who donated. As we all know, it is a great cause and your blood could be used to save someone’s life.

For those of you like me, there is always next year. We can do it.

myvoice

Senior Kara McLain talks with one of nurses at the blood drive put on by the Community Blood Center on Oct. 29. More than 99 percent of the blood donated will stay within the community and one donation can help as many as two patients. Photo by Amanda Blue.

Answers to common service questions shannonvalverde staff writer

In the spirit of Thanksgiving some students might feel the urge to give a little more than they usually do. So we sat down with community service coordinator Britt Qualls to gain a little insight into just why students find it so important to be involved in their community.

Q:

Why should students perform community service?

A:

Giving back to the community is an important value to learn. In order to truly be a part of the community you need to contribute to the community.

Q:

Why do students perform community service?

A:

A lot of them do it for their transcript, which looks good for colleges.

Some students see the real value of helping others and do it for that reason.

Q:

How do you determine what counts and what doesn’t for community service hours?

A:

Well-written guidelines have been developed throughout the last several years and are available on the school web site.

Q:

How can students best make an impact on the community?

A:

They can make an impact by contributing time, service and talent to anyone and everyone. Sometimes students get too caught up in the ‘What do I get?’ It’s doing something with no strings attached.

Q:

Why doesn’t the district require community service hours to graduate?

A:

I really wish that they did, but we don’t want students to feel forced into doing it. I know in my high school they required 200 hours for graduation but that was part of a very unique program, but it’s not practical for every school.

Q:

What are some interesting ways to get involved in the community?

A:

For the students’ interest, do things that you’re good at and interest you, don’t volunteer at the animal shelter if you don’t like animals just to fill your hours. Do things that are fun to you: it is very reflective to you as the service provider and to those you are providing the service to.

“While there are gray areas in what counts, just remember that the whole point of community service is going out of your way and out of your comfort zone to serve others.”

NOVEMBER 2008 0 9

payin’thebills

n

Ca

Sunday Blowout

Incred-a-Bowl Unlimited Activities For All! Every Sunday Until November 23, 2008 11AM-8PM

$20.00

Bowling Lazer Tag Minature Golf Laser Maze

That’s

INCRED-A-BOWL

... u o y

Wh

Write

s... d e e Sn BVH The st o last is ry in sue...

A

y do

n’t y

.

ldn’t u o h s We ... have to

Letter To The

I can’t st

Editor

I think...

ou..

and...

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

expires 12-04-08 1 0 NOVEMBER 2008

upclose

secret life of the ISS guy the

Students may have seen Bill Holman walking through the

halls and chatting with students. A few may have even spent time with him during an in-school suspension. But, can this really be the same guy who grew up in a boys’ home, joined the Air Force and played in the NFL until he broke his back?

“That’s who the old man is and toured Asia playing profeswalk,” Holman said. “But I walked who wanders the hallways,” Holsional teams. out of there in a year.” man said. “I don’t care if nobody “I went overseas and I just Holman knew he wouldn’t be believes it.” ended up playing football everyable to play again.

Holman’s story begins at the where I went,” Holman said. “It was “I didn’t have any idea what I McCune Boys’ Home right outside kind of cool — no one realized was going to do,” he said. “I went Independence, Mo., where he how much younger than them I to California and just fell in love lived from ages 5 to 15. Holman actually was.” with it there.” worked at the farm at Holman rode a McCune and spent the lot of motorcycles “There’s a lot of amazing things and worked for a rest of his time either at school or playing that happened in his life that most chemical company football. of us would never know. His there before com“I wanted to get out back home at grandchildren have a great legacy.” ing of there when I was age 30.

15,” Holman said. “My He married and principal’s secretary Margaret Upchurch uncle got me into the after eight years Air Force, so I had somehad two children. where to go.”

Eventually, Holman made it out Holman then coached for 17 Holman went straight to Lackwith a high school diploma from years at Catholic schools around land Air Force Base in San Antonio. Jefferson City, Mo., and two years Kansas City.

He played rough service football of credit from Duke University.

“I coached everything: football, “I got home to my grandma basketball, baseball and track,” and found a letter from the Detroit Holman said. “And my wife always Lions,” Holman said. “They wanted coached the girls.” me to come to their training Holman then worked as a purcamp.” chasing agent at the Kansas City Holman went and ended up Club for 18 years. making their taxi squad. A taxi “I didn’t want to go sit around squad is similar to practice squads when I was done there, though,” today — the players would stay he said. “So I drove a school bus in the hotels during games and if for another 14 years.” a player got injured or needed a Holman’s school bus was a replacement, a taxi would swing popular one; students behaved by the hotel and pick up a player. and parents loved him. After he Holman got to play in seven was done there, he still wasn’t games as a monsterback — a posi- ready to retire and some coltion he said is similar to that of a leagues told him to apply at Blue linebacker today.

Valley High because “they have “I was just supposed to go after good insurance.” the guy with the ball all the time,” “I thought I was going to be Holman said chuckling. “I liked here a couple of years, now it’s my hitting people.” ninth,” he said. “This is a job I’m After three years, Holman’s pretty suited for, though. I teach a football career was cut short by a lot of kids and I don’t judge any of car accident. He was on his way them but I like a lot of them.” home from a football camp when Holman turns 70 on Dec. 4, and Holman, number 43, sacks Hugh McElheny at a bridge collapsed underneath his is now working on an autobiograKezar Stadium in 1963. Holman played in seven car.

He broke his back and was phy in his spare time. He devotes games for the Detroit Lions before a car accident paralyzed from the neck down. each chapter to separate parts of ended his career. “Football was my big love,” he “They said I was not going to his life. said. Photo submitted by Bill Holman.

“It’s all coming together,” he said. “I am going to try to publish it if I ever finish it.”

Holman has completed five chapters already and every time he completes one, the secretaries enjoy reading it.

“I think it’s fabulous,” principal’s secretary Margaret Upchurch said. “He has powerful memories and great imagery. There’s a lot of amazing things that happened in his life that most of us would never know. His grandchildren have a great legacy.”

“I’ve had a lot of adventures,” Holman said. “Everybody would say nobody can do that in this length of time, but you can — I did.”

by katielouis features editor

Holman poses in his Air Force uniform. He played service football for many years and toured Asia playing professional teams.

Photo submitted by Bill Holman.

NOVEMBER 2008 1 1

upclose

Senior pursues dream of becoming dolphin trainer kyrastorm copy editor

Senior Brittany Portell is well on her way to achieving her dream. She has earned her scuba license, worked with animals and traveled around the world.

She’s done just about all a 17-year-old, land-locked girl can do in preparation for her future career: dolphin trainer.

Many watched the SeaWorld trainers in awe as children, wishing they could play with the dolphins and make them flip with only a hand gesture.

However, Portell has taken that dream and turned it into a goal she’s very determined to achieve.

“I’ve known I want to do something with animals ever since I was a kid,” Brittany said. “I’m especially interested in marine life.”

Brittany’s father, Doug Portell, remembers his daughter’s love for animals dating back to elementary school.

He said she always had pets and enjoyed watching Steve Irwin on TV. “She grew up watching the Crocodile Hunter and thought he had the coolest job because he played with animals all day,” Doug said.

Brittany and her father always dreamed of visiting Irwin’s zoo in Brisbane, Australia.

“We had talked about it for a long time and, when the opportunity came, we grabbed it,” Doug said.

Brittany was ecstatic, she’d have a chance to dive again since earning her scuba license and would get to explore the zoo of her childhood hero.

“I was so excited,” she said. “The Crocodile Hunter was my idol.”

The duo spent two weeks in Australia and New Zealand to celebrate Brittany’s belated 16th birthday. There, they also had the chance to scuba dive and snorkel in the Great Barrier Reef. Brittany’s eyes light up as she describes how surreal the sights were.

“It was so calm,” she said. “Everything was quiet and you got to just observe all of the fish and coral; we even saw sharks and sea turtles. It was amazing.”

Senior Brittany Portell poses with two dophins during spring break her sophomore year at Discovery Cove in Orlando. She spent time there learning how to take care of dolphins and gaining the experience necessary to pursue a career as a dolphin trainer. Portell hopes to attend Friends University next year and major in zoo science. Photo courtesy of Brittany Portell.

Brittany said her ideal future job would be in Australia, working with marine life of some kind. She got an idea of what this career would be like by participating in some behind-the-scenes programs at Discovery Cove. Brittany said she learned a lot about what the job would entail.

“To get into this career you have to have a lot of experience,” she said. “It’s definitely tough because a lot of people would love to do it and I’m kind of limited here.”

Though Brittany obviously can’t experience much marine life in Johnson County, she has been acclimated to animals in general through horseback riding and her job. Doug said she grew up riding horses and knows the reality of working with them.

“She’s been riding horses for a long time and understands that taking care of animals isn’t easy,” he said. “She never complained about all the work involved.”

Brittany plans to attend Friends University in Wichita where they have a zoo science program.

“They have like an internship program with a nearby zoo and I’d get to work really closely with them,” she said. “Then, hopefully, I can work my way up into more marine-focused programs.”

Brittany acknowledges that her dream may seem farfetched but her family is behind her.

“We’re totally supportive of whatever she wants to do,” Doug said.

LMC 1 2 NOVEMBER 2008

upclose

striding

Crowds of people line the streets of downtown Chicago to watch the Chicago Marathon.

Photo courtesy of Jessie Chastain.

for success

Senior trains for, completes Chicago Marathon with support of her father allisonkohn opinion editor

Excitement, relief and a sense of accomplishment swept over senior Jessie Chastain’s tired body as she crossed the finish line.

She ran 26.2 miles with a finish time of 4 hours, 50 minutes.

Chastain had just completed the world-famous Chicago Marathon.

“It was so surreal,” she said. “I felt so relieved and so happy, I couldn’t stop smiling.”

The Chicago Marathon takes place every October in downtown Chicago, drawing 45,000 runners and 1.5 million spectators.

This course takes the runners through a tour of 29 different neighborhoods, starting and finishing in Grant Park.

“There were so many people,” Chastain said. “You never saw the same person twice.”

Chastain had run on the cross country team three years in a row, but for senior year, she was ready for a change of pace.

“I really liked that training was all on my own time,” Chastain said. “It was never practice

everyday after school from three to five, but I was able to go out on my own whenever I wanted without worrying about races on Saturday mornings.”

Chastain began training with her father in June, six months before the race.

“It was more Jessie than me,” Chastain’s father, Kirk Chastain said. “She wanted to run the Chicago Marathon and had spoken about it for awhile.”

The two practiced and trained on their own, gradually increasing from short runs to longer ones. The longest practices were two 20-mile runs.

“Running was always something me and my dad have done together,” Jessie said. “We had run 5ks together and a half marathon. The Chicago Marathon was just sort of a bucket list type thing, just something we really wanted to do.”

For Kirk, the main reason to run the marathon was the chance to train and run with his daughter.

“It was fun to go out on a Saturday or Sunday morning and run a three-hour run with her,” Kirk said.

To prepare the night before

the race, Chastain ate a big pasta dinner and went to bed at 8 p.m. to save up energy for the day ahead.

“I wasn’t nervous,” Jessie said.

“I was more worried about the unexpected.”

The day of the race, Jessie was revved up and ready to go, but felt apprehensive when surrounded by elite runners.

“It was really intimidating,” she said. “I just had regular running clothes. There were some really serious runners who were ultra prepared.”

Armed with six months of intense training and her running shoes, Jessie approached the starting line. Her race number was 43,612.

As the race started, she was taken up in an ocean of runners, both recreational and professional, including the winner from the Beijing Olympics’ marathon.

After only two miles, Jessie and her father parted ways. Kirk had set a goal of finishing the race in four hours or less.

“We told each other before the race that if one of us went ahead to not worry about it,” Kirk said. “I knew that she would do great and I would see her at the

finish.”

“He got a little choked up,” Jessie said. “He was like, ‘OK honey, I’m going to go ahead.’”

Jessie was now on her own for the rest of the race. She stopped at the water stations every mile and had snacks throughout the race to keep her energy up.

The race eventually began to seem endless.

To keep herself motivated, Jessie had written the names of family and friends who were supporting her on her arms.

Whenever in doubt, she looked to these for encouragement.

“The last three miles were the hardest,” Jessie said. “After 20 miles, I started to realize how far I had really gone. No iPods were allowed, so my mind began to grow tired.”

Kirk finished 45 minutes before Jessie, and was 10,000 people ahead of her.

Closing in on the finish, Jessie took approximately 18,000th place, but she was not discouraged. There were still more than 30,000 runners behind her.

“The winners had times around 2:15,” Jessie said. “That’s almost a 4 minute, 45 second mile for all 26.2 miles of the race.”

Seeing Jessie after she finished made Kirk proud of his daughter.

“She had completed the race without walking,” he said. “She did great.”

Jessie and her father have already discussed running another marathon in the next few years.

“I want to run another marathon for sure,” Jessie said. “It was a good experience.”

Senior Jessie Chastain stands with her father Kirk Chastain at the Chicago Marathon. Photo courtesy of Jessie Chastain.

Junior’s love of guitar leads to part-time job as private instructor torifreisner entertainment editor

Tiny hands stretch up and down the neck of the guitar, struggling to form chords. Junior Harrison Drake nods encouragingly, pausing to rearrange the child’s hands.

This junior has taken his hobby to the next level. Drake teaches guitar lessons after school as a way to earn extra money.

“I wanted to do it because I wanted to pay for my spring break trip to New York,” he said.

“With my current job, Old Town Pizza, I needed an additional job to cover the expenses. It’s something I really enjoy doing, and I want to continue pursuing it.”

Drake, who has been teaching guitar since the beginning of June, currently teaches three students.

Weekly lessons last 30-45 minutes and cost $20.

“First, I called up one of my dad’s best friends and his son started taking lessons from me,” Drake said. “His son told his friends, and that’s how I started teaching my other students.”

Out of all the things he’s

seen since becoming an instructor, Drake is most pleasantly surprised with the way his students have Drake been advancing.

“They actually learn a lot faster than I did,” Drake said. “I like to start kids off on blues because it’s the foundation that rock and other music branches off of.”

He finds that the hardest part

of teaching is many students’ initial lack of dedication.

“There’s going to be a time when you feel that practice seems like work, but the more you practice, the more fun it becomes,” Drake said. “Trying to inspire your student to try over and over and over again [is the hardest part]. I guarantee them they’ll get it eventually.”

Drake has been playing guitar for 12 years, and has many memories of learning to play.

“I got my first guitar when I was five,” he said. “My grandpa made it for me. I still have it.”

Though he is confident in his

abilities, he continues to work to improve his skills and those of his students.

“I’m really good, but there are others who are better than me,” he said. “I do want to expand just a little bit more. I just want my students to have fun. To be flatout honest, I wanted to impress the girls. But sooner or later, it became a hobby.”

Though he hopes to gain more students, he still has reservations about his students’ taste in music.

“If anyone ever asks to learn ‘Hey There Delilah,’ I’m quitting,” he laughs.

NOVEMBER 2008 1 3

Dead Man Walking centerstage

Fall production, based on a true story, explores death penalty rachelmccullough staff reporter

Senior Samantha Steinmetz walks into the room where Helen Prejean sits awaiting her questions. With pen and paper in hand, Steinmetz and the other lead actors of the fall play Dead Man Walking and theater director Dan Schmidt meet the real-life Prejean, a nun from the Sisters of St. Joseph in New Orleans.

The play is based on Prejean’s book, in which she counsels two men on death row. Prejean attempts to save the souls of these men by visiting them daily before they’re put to death.

A movie was produced in 1995, but combined the two men into one character. The play also portrays the one character, an inmate named Matt Poncelet.

The performances will be Nov. 13-15, at 7:30 p.m.

The opportunity to meet Prejean happened by sheer luck.

Senior actor Kelly Frickleton’s

mother found out about Prejean’s visit in a church bulletin.

Prejean was here as part of a lecture series hosted by the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

The actors met privately with Prejean on Oct. 13 before and after her speech.

“I was so overwhelmed I couldn’t speak,” Steinmetz said. “I couldn’t believe it was really her.”

Steinmetz had a million questions. She asked Prejean about her life, her family and about meeting Poncelet, played by senior Brice Barnard. She also asked if she would change anything that had happened and what made her want to become a nun.

“Helen was very outspoken, funny, and she had that Louisiana accent,” Schmidt said. “She sounds tough for a nun.”

Prejean also wasn’t dressed in a habit, the outfit one might expect to see a nun wearing.

“When you think of a nun, you think of an old penguin,” junior

Seniors Brice Barnard and Samantha Steinmetz rehearse a scene for the fall play, Dead Man Walking. The performances will occur Nov. 13-15 in the PAC. The play centers around a nun, Helen Prejean, played by Steinmetz, and her relationship with a man on death row. Barnard and Steinmetz were able to meet Prejean when she spoke in the metro area last month. Photo by Matt May.

actor Samy Mousa said.

Before meeting Prejean, Steinmetz researched for her role. She read about Prejean’s experiences in her book and did extensive research on the death penalty.

“I felt really creepy when I met her because I knew all about her,” Steinmetz said. “Brice and I had our little notebooks, and I took like five pages of notes.”

Steinmetz said that meeting Prejean helped her with her mannerisms, Louisiana accent, and making her role more personal.

“I learned how she’s grown since the first time [she witnessed the death penalty], and

The Secret Life of Bees ifah Dakota Fanning and Queen Lat

The Secret Life of Bees was a fun movie that put an interesting spin on the way that people look at the world.

Queen Latifah does a fabulous job as August. She plays the part of a honey farm owner very realistically.

Dakota Fanning plays Lily, a troubled and lonely girl, incredibly well. You actually feel the sadness that is in Lily through Fanning’s acting.

August is the one character who gives Lily unconditional

love. She does not judge Lily when Lily tells her that she doesn’t have a place to stay.

She could have turned her away, but instead, she invites Lily to stay and helps her to learn that family can be found in the most unlikely places.

The South Carolina setting really helped to better understand the racism issues. It brought a bit of a history lesson to the storyline.

Seeing Alicia Keys on the big screen was unusual. I am so

1 4 NOVEMBER 2008

used to seeing her singing or playing piano.

The Secret Life of Bees shows that honey bees have their own little world inside their hives.

This movie draws parallels between the way that humans have their own places in the world and the way that honey bees have a special place in their society.

The actors in this movie also had their place in creating this heartwarming film.

By Kim Dacus.

how she empathizes with both sides of the story,” Steinmetz said.

After meeting Prejean, Steinmetz said she developed a strong opinon concerning the death penalty.

“You will have to see the show to find out what it is,” Steinmetz said.

Looking back on the experience, Steinmetz said it really helped put a face and a soul with the character she’s been playing on stage.

Senior Alex Katsorelos, who plays Marybeth Percy, the mother of Poncelet’s victim, also benefited from visiting with

Prejean.

“It helped me hone in on the actual feelings and emotions of anger, sadness and fear of [Poncelet],” Katsorelos said.

Katsorelos believes that Steinmetz portrays Prejean well.

Mousa, who plays the father of the victim, agrees.

“Sami is going to embody it,” Mousa said. “She is going to rock it.”

The cast comments that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“When you meet someone like this you will never forget it,” Steinmetz said.

Hear It Here!

Snow Patrol A Hundred Million Suns Snow Patrol released its fifth CD, A Hundred Million Suns. While the new album hasn’t reached the success of their last CD, Eyes Open, it still has some good singles.

Take Back The City is the most upbeat and positive track on the album, while If There’s A Rocket Tie Me To It and most of the other tracks are downers.

Overall, Snow Patrol doesn’t seem to have made any musical progress since their last album. Their touching lyrics and coffee shop sound hasn’t really changed much at all.

By Shannon Valverde.

tigerturf

BV SPORTS IN BRIEF

Fall teams seek postseason success as winter tryouts begin Football

10/17 Olathe North 10/24 Olathe South 10/31 BV West

W ( 42-41) W (42-24) W (21-19)

The football team pulled out a close victory over rival Blue Valley West, clinching the EKL title. The EKL title came just a week after clinching the district championship with a win over Olathe South.

The team is the third seed in the eastern bracket and will take on Lawrence High tonight at home in the first round of the playoffs.

By AJ Barbosa Catch football in action: 11/7 Lawrence

Boys Soccer

10/28 BV West 10/30 Olathe South

W (3-2) OT L (0-1) OT

The Tiger soccer team earned a 10-4-1 regular season record.

After a 4-1 loss to St. Thomas Aquinas with the EKL championship on the line, the Tigers got themselves ready for the playoffs.

The fourth-ranked Tigers played Blue Valley West in their opening round game, winning 3-2 in overtime.

The Tigers ended their season with an overtime loss to Olathe South in the regional final.

By Steven Reno

Volleyball

10/25 BV West

lone medalist, placing twentieth.

By Shannon Valverde.

Girls Tennis

10/ 18 State tourney L

Volleyball ended its season Oct. 25 with a loss to Blue Valley West in the second round of sub-state.

“It didn’t end how we wanted it to,” coach Christyn Haberly said. “Fate was not in our hands that day.”

The team still has a positive outlook after the loss.

“I thought it was a very successful season,” Haberly said. “The kids were doing a very good job in the program and doing what they’re supposed to do.”

By Ryan O’Toole

Cross Country

10/25 Regionals

3 Medalists 11/1 State Meet

1 Medalist The cross country team wrapped up its season by sending four runners to state. Senior Devin Freeman was the team’s

Tiefel 4th

The tennis season ended with sophomore Ashley Tiefel being the team’s only state qualifier.

Tiefel placed fourth overall in singles.

By Tyler Duke

Winter sports Tryouts for all winter sports begin Nov. 17.

Boys basketball hopes to build on experience and improve on last season’s first-round playoff exit.

“We definitely have some experience, for sure,” coach Chris Hansen said. “It will be a few weeks in before we know for sure, but I’m real excited for these guys.”

Girls basketball is hoping for a return to the 6A State Tournament, where they lost to eventual champion Lawrence in the first round last year after winning the EKL title.

The wrestling team, led by returning state placers senior Brett

Seniors Treveor Cornley and Conner Combes celebrate after one of many touchdowns scored at home against Olathe South Oct. 24. The Tigers clinched their district by beating Olathe South and won the EKL in a 21-19 triumph the next week against Blue Valley West. Photo by Tom Roudebush.

Newell and juniors Parker Madl and Nick Pearch, is excited for the beginning of another competitive season.

“I hope to compete for a regional team title,” Newell said.

“I hope to be a top wrestler in the

state.”

Boys swimming returns state qualifiers seniors Austin Wright, Kyle Petersen, Zach Hennig and Daniel Goergen and sophomore Cameron Gallet.

By Sports Staff

MMA’s growing popularity evokes mixed emotions between genders BUZZER beater

sports editor • AJ Barbosa

Men love dominating everything they can, and it’s been that way since the beginning of time.

Through the years, the means of which have become less subtle.

Centuries ago, men in full suits would gather on tennis courts to settle arguments with only a racquet and a ball.

The winner was immediately deemed the stronger man and was fawned over by the village women for his incredible feat: winning a tennis match in a suit.

The means of dominating couldn’t possibly be more differ-

ent today. The same alpha dog mentality remains, but is demonstrated in a caged ring with two men nearly fighting to the death on national television. Instead of a suit, these men wear shorts littered with logos from energy drinks and diet supplements and gloves so thin their only purpose is to protect the fighters from broken knuckles. After their opponent is knocked unconscious, the triumphant warrior is hoisted onto the shoulders of his trainer as applause rains from the Las Vegas crowd to the battered ears of the newly crowned champion.

And, like many other men in this country, I love every second of it.

Everything about violent contact sports makes the testosterone boil inside of us. Participating in, or even watching, these feats of strength provides a sense of being and belonging to us, and we can’t get enough of it.

“It gives me a sense of

male dominance,” junior Tyler Zaborny said. “There’s nothing like physically dominating people in sports. It feels so good to dominate the other team.”

Widely viewed as brutal and disgusting, the violence showcased in sports such as mixed martial arts seems to make the majority of women cringe.

“It’s really scary when [the fighters] get knocked out,” junior Allie Fehr said. “The way they keep punching until the ref stops them. It’s just unsportsmanlike.”

Some girls have developed a tolerance for the brutal sport over time, such as junior Baili Rottinghaus, who found interest in the sport through her boyfriend’s obsession.

“He’s really into it,” Rottinghaus said. “But I don’t mind watching it because the guys are all pretty hot.”

With MMA’s growing popularity, clothing sported by fighters has become popular among

students, with clothes made by companies such as Tapout, Affliction Clothing, and Xtreme Couture worn throughout the building.

Most men also derive enjoyment from strong contact in sports such as football, where heavy hits and injuries are a common occurence.

“It’s fun to hurt people,” freshman Davis Dunham said while sporting a green Tapout shirt.

“The best part about playing football is when you get to hit people as hard as you can. It gives you adrenaline and gets you pumped up.”

Others enjoy typically violent sports such as hockey for its rough nature and common recklessness.

“It’s so cool to watch sports like hockey,” freshman Hayden Edwards said. “People get jacked up and nailed all the time, it’s great.”

It confuses me why so many

adults and women think it’s barbaric to enjoy all of this in sports.

Often, violent sports can provide a safe environment to take out aggression without as many consequences.

Fighting someone in the street can lead up to a year’s probation and assault charges, and even potentially serious injury or death. Body checking one into a wall at full speed can cause serious pain and danger, but in the safe environment of these sports, it’s acceptable to rough someone up everyone once in awhile, and it should be embraced.

With regulations in place, athletes and spectators can enjoy the sports without fear of witnessing serious injuries or death, but can simultaneously satisfy their craving for that physical dominance that every man needs to feel masculine.

Let’s face it, it’s kind of hard to chew through a plate of wings while watching a tennis match.

NOVEMBER 2008 1 5

preview

NOVEMBER Tues. 18

Tues. 10

Dance Team Tryouts 3-5 p.m. in the Main Gym.

42nd Street Tryouts The school musical tryouts are today, tomorrow and Thursday.

Sat. 22

Wed. 12

4-Year College Planning Night at 6:30 p.m. in the Commons and PAC.

TigerFest Come support a club or team tonight at the annual silent auction.

Wed. 26

Thurs. 13

Dead Man Walking Shows today, tomorrow and Saturday in the PAC. For more information on the production, see page 14.

No School-Thanksgiving Break We have the rest of the week off.

Thurs. 27 Thanksgiving

DECEMBER Mon. 1

District Financial Aid Night Begins at 7 p.m. at BV Northwest.

Thurs. 4

Fall Academic Breakfast In the Commons and PAC for invited students and their parents.

Freshman Carlos Cheung plays cello at the Fine Arts Potpourri on Oct. 30. The potpourri featured exhibitions by several performing groups. Photo by Amanda Blue.

[Around Town] Nov. 9

Eagles concert 8 p.m. at Sprint Center. Tickets start at $50.

This is not a display of exotic birds, but rather a concert with some older men.

Nov. 13

Coldplay concert 7:30 p.m. at Sprint Center. Tickets start at $50.

Sure to be a great show. If you can still find tickets at a decent price, be sure to go.

Nov. 16

2008 Tour of Gymnastics Superstars 6 p.m. at Sprint Center. Tickets start at $25. You’ll be bending over backwards at this event.

Celine Dion concert 8 p.m. at Sprint Center. Technically, tickets started at $50, but for good seats you may have to start searching StubHub. That can get expensive.

1 6 NOVEMBER 2008

Christmas in the Park Located at the Longview Lake campground in Blue Springs. On display from now until Dec. 31.

300,000 lights transform the park into a winter wonderland.

Nov. 23

Chiefs Game vs. New Orleans Saints at noon. You never know, we might just win.

Nov. 23 Nov. 15

Nov. 26

National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Induction 6 p.m. at Sprint Center. Tickets start at $50. The Class of 2008 includes Kansas legend Danny Manning along with Charles Barkley, Dick Vitale, Billy Packer, Nolan Richardson, Jim Phelan and Arnie Ferrin.

Nov. 27

Country Club Plaza Lighting Ceremony 6:45 p.m. at the Plaza. Over 80 miles of multicolored bulbs will light our way to the holiday season.

Nov. 29

Kansas vs. Missouri football 11 a.m. at Arrowhead Stadium. It may not be for the country’s top ranking, but it’s still sure to be a great game.