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6001 W. 159th Stilwell, Kan. 66085 Oct. 12, 2006 • Vol. 37• Issue 2
VIOLENCE IN SCHOOLS School safety heightened after 4 school violence episodes across country within a week his principal after allegedly being teased by other students and feeling that the teachers and principal were not doing anything about it. ollowing the recent school violence in That teen is now in custody Colorado, Pennsylvania and is being charged as a and Wisconsin, school adult [ I feel very safe besafety has been emphasized The latest school violence casue] we have a good and reassessed. was in Nickel Mines, Pa, community and two “The shootings reemphasize when a disgruntled man cops. They are committhat we should always have entered a one-room Amish security measures,” Principal school house and forced all ted, too. Scott Bacon said. the boys and adults out. He junior Nate Kerkhoff Within the past week, three shot 10 girls, killing five and different school shootings have taken place. then killed himself after saying that his act was The first was on Sept. 28 in Bailey, Colo, revenge against a childhood incident. when a 53-year-old man took six girls hostage, While no threats have been reported against sexually assaulting them in a classroom before this school and many students feel safe in killing one girl and then himself. school, the security officers are not letting their On Sept. 29, a Wisconsin 15-year-old killed guard down. story continued on page 2
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editor-in-chief
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EDUCATION
GAP
The Gap between Honors and regular classes page 7
How to celebrate Halloween properly page 10
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currentevents
Oct. 12, 2006
Sophs enjoy a day off at Tucker Leadership jakefaber
staff writer
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ne thing that sophomores look forward to every year is their annual trip to Tucker Leadership Lab. Students with last names A-K attended Tucker Leadership on Oct. 2, and students with last names L-Z left on Oct.3. Tucker Leadership is a team building activity center, similar to Adventure Woods, which can help teens and adults fine tune their leadership and team building skills, whether they go with a school or an athletic team. “I was really looking forward to going this year; I had heard
it was really fun,” sophomore Nicolette Dirks said. “I had heard so many great things about it from the people who went last year; I’m just really excited I got to go,” sophomore Crystal Peterson said. Students who went last year said the experience helped them overall, and they’ve learned from it. If you are interested in going to the Tucker Leadership Team Training Lab outside of school or with a church, the price is $15 for a student, $35 for churches, $40 for a non-profit organization and $80 for a corporate business. These prices are all per person. Some of the activities at the
lab include interpersonal communication, team development and leadership development. This gives the students that shy away from group activities a chance to step up and use their leadership skills in a team setting. Sophomores who didn’t participate, attended school going over the same material for two days straight. However, there is always another opportunity for sophomores to go to Tucker Leadership. Students could contact their pastor, coaches or parents to see if they could learn new leadership and communication skills at Tucker Leadership Lab.
participate in a trust activity at Tucker Leadership last week.
School security in focus continued from page one
“We [the security officers] have been patrolling the halls more,” officer Mike Thrasher said.“We have been walking outside the building too.” Security has not changed much after the incidents, but what is already in place has been stressed.
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Semifinalists announced The Natonal Merit Corporation recently announced semifinalists for its annual scholarship competition. The Blue valley semifinalists included Stefanie Krull, Taylor Laemmli, Meredith McKaig and Alex Nichols. “The test was really straightforward; I didn’t even know we were taking the test until the day of it so I didn’t even study or prepare,” Nichols said.
“All the doors except the front doors and the doors to the mobiles are locked between nine to 9:30 a.m.,” Officer Dennis Randall said. “The school is trying to have the doors leading to the mobiles unlocked only during passing period.” The doors are sometimes found propped open with
rocks and other objects by students, though, defeating the purpose of locking them in the first place. “Students sometimes prop the doors open when they run out to their cars,” Randal said. “High school students should be mature enough to realize that safety is their responsibility, too.”
Those who are designated as Commended Scholars were Chelsea Irvine, Igor Kantor, Tyler Kennon, Kiley Laemmli, Elizabeth minoofar, Sarah Nelson, Austin Quarles, Sarah Stinson and Marshall Stula
of Bellevue, Neb., won the festival. Although many band members were disappointed with the finish, others felt that it was more important that the band performed its best. “I’m indifferent (about the rankings) because we performed our best and that’s all we can ask for,” Gorsuch said.
Band competes The Stridin’ Tigers won the 5A class at the Blue Springs Marching Festival in preliminary competition last Saturday. The drill team also won outstanding 5A drill team in preliminaries and senior trumpet player Ann Gorsuch was named outstanding 5A preliminary soloist. Gorsuch was very surprised when she was announced as the outstanding soloist. “I didn’t believe it at first,” Gorsuch said. In finals, the Stridin’ Tigers placed eighth while Bellevue West High School
Photo by Lisa Hill
Andrea Romero and members of counselor Tom Hult’s group
Officers elected
Freshman year, a new start, a clean slate, the beginning of your high school career. Four freshmen are using this as an opportunity to become involved with the Student Government. Freshman President Allison Kohn, Vice President Chris Jackson, Secretary Kaitlin Long and Treasurer Monica Roy Chowdury are starting off the year with a bang. The elections were held Tuesday Aug. 28 and the officers were
Besides locking the doors, the school also uses a badge system for the facility and visitors. All visitors have to have a name badge, Thrasher said. To get one they have to have a specific purpose for being in the building, like workers and parents. The school has other technology for monitoring security including 48 cameras placed inside and
outside of the building. “There are card readers on the doors so the staff can get in [using their name badges],” Thrasher said. “While we don’t have metal detectors on the front doors, we do have metal detector wands so we can check out suspicious students for weapons.”
elected by fellow students. .
5-9 p.m. at the high school. Over $71,000 was raised for the sports teams, clubs and activities when over 900 items were auctioned at last year’s Fest. The band, orchestra and choir will provide the entertainment for the music lovers, but for those with a sweet tooth, there will also be a dessert and coffee bar. Donations are accepted and will need to be arranged Oct. 16.
BV remains 6A
On Sept. 20, the Kansas State High School Activities Association announced its classifications for the 20062007 athletic and activities season. Blue Valley will remain the smallest 6A school in the state while Blue Valley West moved up to 6A from 5A. Blue Valley, the smallest 6A school in the state last year, remains in 6A due to Hutchinson High School. They moved down to 5A with just five less students than Blue Valley. These classifications are effective immediately for all sports except for football.
Tiger Fest
Nov. 18 is approaching and you know what that means... TIger Fest. Tiger Fest is the annual silent auction and allyou-can-eat spaghetti dinner on Saturday Nov. 18 from
Stanley Elementary Stanley Elementary School will sponsor a Holiday Mart on Saturday, Nov. 4 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. This PTO fundraiser will have 30 to 40 vendors including many national direct sale companies, beautiful one-of-a-kind handmade items, and local artists. For more information, call Lisa Johnston at voicemail 888-9360 or Denise Kennedy at voicemail 888-3818.
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currentevents
Oct. 12, 2006
‘It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood?’
Proposed soccer complex creates controversy mitchsmith
staff writer
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he Johnson County Park and Recreation Proposal on the Nov. 7 election ballot would place 24 youth soccer fields on the corner of 159th Street and 69 Highway. If approved, the Kansas City Wizards Major League Soccer team and a retail complex, including a hotel and several stores, could be added later. On Sept. 25, the Overland Park City Council held the first of at least four public hearings on the issue, an event for which hundreds of area residents turned out. At this meeting the council unanimously approved keeping this tax issue on the November ballot. This plan hits close to home for many Blue Valley students. Some are excited; others are concerned that even more traffic delays could develop on 159th Street after
and before school, if there is a Wizards game or a youth soccer tournament occuring. “It won’t be good for traffic,” junior Tyler Standridge said. Senior Austin Quarles agreed and said that he is concerned that traffic is already backed up enough with turns now prohibited in some directions in the school parking lot. Many longtime residents of the area fear losing the rural ambience that surrounds the Blue Valley area. “The traffic will be disastrous for years,” said Wayne Flaherty, president of Homeowners Against Soccer Welfare, a group spearheading an effort to defeat the proposed plan. Nevertheless, some students are less interested in this development than they are in other local businesses. Many feel that change is inevitable in this area. “I’ll be okay as long as I have
also voting on... Blue Valley Schools: BV voters will consider a one percent increase in the Local Option Budget, the local funding revenue opportunity.
Governor:
Democrat-Governor Kathleen Sebelius (Incumbent) Running Mate: Mark Parkinson Wants to expand and continue educational reform while bringing more jobs to Kansas. Republican-State Senator Jim Barnett (R-Emporia) Running Mate: State Senator Susan Wagle (R-Wichita) Wants to slow state spending and create new jobs.
Attorney General:
Democrat-Johnson County District Attorney Paul Morrison Wants to keep death penalty and create tougher sentences for sexual predators and contends that incumbent Phill Kline has used his office to push personal issues. Republican-Attorney General Phill Kline Cites his increase in criminal convictions and work in stopping sexual predators as reason for re-election.
United States Congress District 3:
Democrat-Congressman Dennis Moore (incumbent) Continues to support tax relief for middle and lower class workers while supporting efforts for more affordable health care. Republican-Chuck Ahner Hopes to stop abortion and make President Bush’s tax cuts permanent if elected.
Political signs like this one have been popping up all over the Johnson County area. Some have been supportive of the new soccer proposal, others were against it. Photo by Nina Humphrey Starbucks,” Standridge said. “Change is coming, development is coming, it is better that it is a quality development,” president of the Greater Kansas City Sports Commission and Foundation Kevin Gray said. According to Gray, 159th Street is slated to be widened in the coming years and he believes this project would make that happen sooner. On election day, voters will be deciding whether or not to pay $18.50 in additional county taxes a year for 20 years. “From a taxpayers standpoint you are giving Johnson County the chance to be one of the soccer capitals of the nation for a minimal price,” Gray said. However, opponents of the tax levy feel that not only will they be required to pay the $18.50 a year, but also pay additional tax dollars to pick up the tab for operating losses, which, according to Flaherty, are projected at a $2 million loss per year. “I’m always opposed to public tax money being allocated to private groups,” Flaherty said. Flaherty, who has also opposed several tax issues past, including the recent Bi-State stadium tax, believes that the plan is incomplete and concentrates on supporting the potential
Wizards stadium that he says “Cannot support itself.” According to Wizards public relations staff member Jeff Bowers, the Wizards are continuing to look at a number of sites in Johnson County. Bowers also mentioned that if Johnson County voters pass the tax, it does not by any means guarantee that the Wizards will relocate to the proposed site. According to the Johnson County Parks and Recreation District website, Johnson County is one of the Top 10 soccer communities per capita in the nation. JCPRD also claims that many current youth soccer fields are inadequate, undersized and overused for the youth soccer players in the county. According to a pamphlet distributed by Joyce Millard of Blue Valley Homeowners Against Tax Waste, the Kansas Department of Transportation plans to build new interchanges at the intersections at 159th Street and 167th Street. According to Millard, KDOT doesn’t currently have the finances available for such a project and would likely be forced to demand additional tax dollars in yearly taxes from all Johnson County taxpayers. According to Flaherty,
taxpayers have been misled about additional tax dollars that will be required of them if they pass this bill. Flaherty also feels that the city government has not been clear and open with what will be planned with the retail venue. According to Millard, a concert venue is also planned at this site; however that has not been confirmed. Despite the controversy, many students and area residents are indifferent about the project. “I’m not really sure what it is all about,” sophomore Emma Smith said. Smith and many other students are not concerned about the prospects of the new stadium complex. Many other students feel that this plan is necessary to make southern Overland Park a continual force in the metro’s economy and growth. “I think it is a good idea,” junior Drew Rogers said. Rogers, who is a former soccer player and brother of a former Blue Valley soccer player feels that this project will give new life to southern Johnson County and enliven the area businesses. Rogers also contends that even if some recreational teams are not able to play regularly on the youth fields, that there will be other area fields that can accommodate them.
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currentevents
Heavy Lifting
Debate team aims for another title trying to learn new strategies staff writer in order to win more rounds. “We went to Baylor down he football team is in Waco for a week during winning, the golf team the summer,” Megan Ritter is placing and the and Megan Adams said. tennis team is well, playing “We went down their with a tennis, but what about the couple other debaters from the all powerful debate team? squad and learned new ways The Debate and Forensics to make other teams cry.” Many strong We train for hours at a time, researching, giving practice speeches and painting d e b a t e r s graduated out nails to match our pink paper. so winning s t a t e Squad which has 12 state again could be a more championships combined, difficult task. However, has been rigorously training Adams and Ritter return. for months in order to, “get “Being state octa-finalists in shape,” for the season. as sophomores puts a The season started Sept. tremendous amount of 15 at Washburn Rural and pressure on Megan and I continued at Olathe East where to succeed again this year, four of five competing varsity but I’m sure we can handle teams earned fourth place. it. We and the entire squad For many of the squad’s top thrive under pressure and debaters, the first day of school this year in particular will was not the first day of debate be a time to shine and grow, on the new subject. These top especially since we have a debaters attended training lack of returning seniors this camps across the country year,” debater Adams said.
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Great results, however, do not come easily. Many debaters go the extra two miles regarding debate training. “We train for hours at a time, researching, giving practice speeches and painting our nails to match our pink paper. Sometimes we’re in the debate room until 7 p.m. exemplifying our evidence and having Mr. Riffer give the nod to my partner and I,” Ritter said. “I don’t say we win or we lose,” debate coach Chris Riffer said. “I let ballots say those things. I say we work our tails off. It won’t be easy, but that’s what makes this squad great. Hard doesn’t equal failure to them. To them, hard equals greater success.” Many external factors effected the ability of many advanced debaters to get out to tournaments, including homecoming. This seemed to be the case at Washburn Rural. Taylor Nichols, however, was awarded best junior varsity speaker for the tournament.
Girls injured in auto accident
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hree Blue Valley girls were involved in a two-car collision last Friday as they were leaving the District Activities Complex on Switzer Road. Involved in the collision were juniors Lauren Callison, Sarah Weaver, Katelyn Dunahoe and Blue Valley Northwest sophomore Kaitlyn Babb, as they left the Blue Valley-BV Northwest football game. According to witness and football coach Steve Rampy, who pulled some of the girls from the accident, Callison’s car spun three or four times. “There was gas all over the road,” coach Rampy said. “And I didn’t want
the car to explode with the girls in it.” Callison and Babb, the driver of the second car, shared an ambulance to St. Luke’s South Hospital, while Dunahoe and Weaver were taken separately to Overland Park Regional. Weaver suffered a broken pelvis, broken arm and stitches. Weaver was released from the hospital Monday and will continue rehabilitation in the coming weeks. Dunahoe had a concussion and a severely sprained ankle. Callison had a bruised rib and a back muscle sprain. The police report had not been released as of press time.
Speakers prepare juniors for future
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hen students think of junior year, they think of stress. Finding colleges, AP classes, and having a job. But on Sept. 21 the juniors got to experience a little taste of life after high school. Fifteen speakers from colleges all over the area came to inform students about career exploration. “It’s very important to me that students get what they want,” said teacher Donna DeHart, who was in charge of organizing the speakers. The speakers came from colleges like Baker University, University
of Missouri-Kansas City, Kansas State and the University of Kansas. The topics covered business careers, health careers, art careers and human economics. “Career education is very important to me,” DeHart said. Apparently, some juniors didn’t enjoy all the speakers and thought that the speakers were a waste of time. “I went to the doctor one, and I thought it was boring, pointless and random,” junior Jessica Eltomi said.
Oct 12, 2006
Former debaters rank high in national competition brianisrael staff writer Blue Valley may be a dominant athletic force, according to Sports Illustrated, however, one program seems to prove that the school can be one of the best even off the field. 2006 graduates Greg Allen and Sam Barton have yet another debate round to tally in the win column. This win however, was different from every other one they earned. This win was for 11th place…in the nation. “It was bitter-sweet. We did great and I know we did great, but I really wish and feel as if we could have done better. I’m also pretty sad my high school debate career is over,” Barton said. Allen and Barton began their seasons with different debate partners but paired up where it mattered. “Greg’s debate partner during the pre-season was Eric Min, a master orator whom I felt would qualify for nationals elsewhere,” debate coach Chris Riffer said. “ So I paired Allen with another one of my best debaters for the national qualifier. I knew this would lead to greatness, but I had no idea it would be this great.” Together Barton and Allen got eleventh place in the nation and to add to this accolade, Allen was awarded the position of fourth best speaker in the country. “When I first heard the news, my initial reaction was joy, but at the same time I was not surprised.” an enthusiastic Scott Bacon said. “The rarity of something like this is spectacular. This didn’t even go into my wildest dreams,” Riffer said.
E.T. shouts
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Ellen Thomas
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Making the most out of my life
once heard a really good quote from Mark Twain − “Let us live so that when we come to die, even the undertaker will be sorry.” The more I think about that, the more I realize that it does have an element of truth to it. We need to make a positive impact on people so that even those who are always surrounded by death will feel something. My grandma has terminal ovarian cancer that has spread all over her body. She is in near constant pain and is on high doses of many medicines. I usually visit her at her house about every other day to give other people a break from taking care of her 24/7. It’s no mystery that Grandma will not be with us for very much longer. Funerals are often the topic of conversations when we are with Grandma. We have most of the funeral already planned. While driving home down I-69 one day, I started thinking about life. Here I am a high school senior, chomping at the bit to be off at college and starting my own life. There Grandma is making her peace with the world and remembering her life and the choices and impact she has made on people. Along with the funeral plans, some of the family has been quietly composing a eulogy for Grandma. They are finding how difficult it is to convey the life Grandma has lived in only a short speech. Grandma’s eulogy could go on for hours about how she always went out of her way to help others and stayed strong for her three kids when she went through a divorce and how she never missed a day of work no matter how bad she felt after chemotherapy treatment and how she made the best chocolate pies in the world. I then started to think of my own funeral and eulogy. What would people say about me? Who would come and how would they react? Grandma has been that positive influence. She has made a positive impact on people. She has acted selflessly and always been the good example that people aspired to be. But what about me? Will I have made a positive impact on someone? I will make of it what I can. I pulled off the exit ramp and wished that I could somehow hear my own eulogy after I died. It is that eulogy given before my earthly remains that drives me to try to make the most positive impact on as many people as I can before my time is up. Grandma probably won’t hear her eulogy until she’s looking down on us from heaven. But she can be certain that she has at least made a positive impact on at least one person, me.
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ourvoice
October 12, 2006
staff editorials
Students show no interest in Homecoming elections
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nly 35 percent of the student body voted in the Homecoming elections Sept 7. Pathetic? We’d say so. The very first opportunity to raise our voice and have a say in something that matters, and no one seemed to care. In previous years, all the voting was done by Scantron, but recently students have developed a new method. As you all have seen when rushing to the lunchroom, those laptops aren’t there for the overachievers that need to be wireless at lunch. These computers are our polling places. The computer program gives the Student Council a more efficient and convenient way to count votes and make the ballots fair. (That is not to say that anyone at our school would bubble in all the circles on a ballot and turn it in just for fun. ) Despite this new technology, students did not take the time to vote. This is a disiturbing trend, whether one is talking about Homecoming candidates or officer elections. “Student voice in making decisions in our school is way too important to be ignored by so many people,” StuCo sponsor Mark Mosier said. Everything we do in school is said supposedly to benefit us later in the “real world,” right? Getting in the habit of voting now may translate into actual “adult world” elections. In a perfect world once we turn 18 we would register to vote, then cast our ballots on election days. Unfortunately, we are seeing
a signal that perhaps that might not happen. Our students will not contribute to a society that is already rife with voter apathy. “We live in a society governed by about 10 percent of the people,” Mosier said. Although every system is sure to have its problems, what is ours? “[I don’t vote] because lunch is too short,” junior Will Stewart said. “I was eating and I didn’t have time.” Sticking a paper in front of high school students and telling them to vote during class is a little bit of a stretch. We are big kids now, and it’s time we take the initiative upon ourselves to vote. Although it takes away an entire two minutes away from eating lunch, it’s time to step up.
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Oct. 12, 2006
Filling in Scantrons drives students crazy mitchsmith
staff writer
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ou wait anxiously to get your test back, you studied all night and you are sure that you got a good grade. You get your Scantron sheet back; the moment of truth has arrived. 28%. You’re shocked, horrified, outraged. How could this be? The answer to this lies in the Scantron sheet. You likely mixed up your numbering and the results of your [Teachers use them] test are a reflection of because they are easier to that. Although most teachers are good grade. natured enough to let you retake the test, if this occurs on a final, college entrance exam or an AP exam, you may just be out of luck. Many students are annoyed or frustrated with the Scantron format tests. “I hate Scantron,” sophomore Andrew Katzenstein said. Many feel that teachers use ScanTron solely to cut down on their grading time and minimize work for themselves. “[Teachers use them] because they are easier to grade,” junior Kelsey Sparrow said. However, many teachers utilize a format of tests similar to Scantron called Mastery Manager. In several subjects, administrators are recommending or even requiring this program to help measure fulfillment of state
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standards. This program allows teachers to gather data on which test questions students commonly miss and which concepts are not understood as well as others. “I use [Mastery Manger] to figure out whether or not I’m giving good test questions,” history teacher Dianne O’Bryan said. However, O’Bryan admits that there are problems within the system. “The machine is sometimes over sensitive to eraser marks,” O’Bryan said. O’Bryan later mentioned that she screens tests to see that these problems are minimal, although other teachers might not be so thorough. As a frequent victim of failing tests due to messing up on ScanTron numbering, it is obvious that the use of these tests without a backup copy unfairly punishes students for simple mistakes when, in fact, they understand the material. “The (Scantron) confuses me,” sophomore Nathan Lindshield said. Although the benefits of data gathering involving state standards can in fact help future students, it is inadvisable for teachers to assign Scantron or Mastery Manager tests without having students also fill out a traditional test to disprove any grading discrepancies.
Students lack spirit during Homecoming week garrettgriffin
sports editor
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enior Marshall Stula groggily pulls himself out of bed, showers and examines the contents of his dresser drawer. What he yanks out to wear to school would shock a clown. The striped shorts he sports would be tight on a 90-pound freshman cheerleader. He puts on a police officer’s shirt, cap and badge, aviators slide over his eyes, a big radio rests on his shoulder and a fake mustache is carefully applied. Stula is ready to go to school. What could prompt his insane and indecent wardrobe? That’s right: it’s the career day of spirit week. “I figured people would notice me,” Stula said. While some students have the first week of school or finals week to shine, by modeling new clothes or acing tests, Stula
said spirit week is his time. His inspiration for career day was the TV series Reno 911. “[Spirit week] is the best week of the year,” Stula said. Stula’s got school spirit. Do you? During the days just before Homecoming, there was an appalling lack of spirit when it came to dressing up. There are those like Stula who took the opportunity to show off some serious school pride; however, they are a very small percent of the student body. “I was disgusted at the lack of spirit. I thought I had to make up for it,” Stula said. If going dark for black-out night was a such a hit last week, why aren’t the majority of students dressing up for dances? What’s the deal? “It’s quite sad, actually. I’m just too lazy. If I had an entire day to prepare, you might see me a little more decorated during spirit week,”
senior Tim Hieber said. Okay, so laziness is a factor. Anything else? “I don’t see a whole lot of point in [dressing up], plus I forget,” senior Drew Ball said. Sorry, but those aren’t good enough excuses. Don’t be lazy, people. How crazily you dress up reflects how much Tiger pride you’ve got. Surely most students are proud that they attend such unique school as this one. Theoretically, we should all be following Stula’s lead. “Dressing up for spirit days may not seen as the ‘cool’ thing to do by all students,” Student Council president Austin Quarles said. Don’t be embarrassed about getting involved in spirit week. Spirit days are when you’re supposed to look like an idiot. You won’t find that very often when you’re an adult. Seniors should also make an extra
Sporting the Homecoming attire are juniors Jenn Hansen and Lauren Callison, while juniors Megan Adams, Simon Yu and Kristen Madsen choose not to dress up. Photo by Morgan McMahon effort to decorate themselves; after this year, spirit days will be just a distant memory. Spirit week is an exciting time when we can go wild, relieve some school stress, show pride, and wear hats.
We should show our thanks to the administration for letting us dress up by actually doing so. Most importantly, it’s all about having fun. Let’s aim for a hotter, much hotter, spirit fever come Sweetheart.
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ourvoice
Oct 12. 2006
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How do you feel about AP and Honors classes?
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There is a lot more outside work than in regular classes.
AP classes are a good experience, and they give you a touch of college.
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junior Kelly Aubuchon
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freshman Jaclyn Callison
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My honors class is really easy; the teachers explain things better in honors.
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The difficult curriculum in AP doesn’t let you get bored.
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senior Chelsea Irvine
” Fall into the GAP between AP, regular courses sophomore Collin Kessler
brookethurman
entertainment editor
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hen one hears The Gap, they think about a multitude of ideas. A majority of the time one thinks of a clothing chain, and occasionally one may think about the big space between that one kids’ front teeth. However, one Gap that no one thinks about is the one that exists in almost every high school in the country. That gap is between regular and advanced placement classes. The gap between regular and AP is one that is far bigger than most imagine. When taking an AP class, it is almost as if one has stepped into a college class. In fact, they have stepped into a college class. There is one difference, though. That
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college class is made up entirely of high school students who are not on a “college schedule.” One AP teacher says that the reason AP is so hard is because it is indeed a college class, and students earn college credit for it. Junior Brianne Burlin says that taking AP classes is worth it in the long run, but a lot of students try to do too much. The problem with the gap between AP and regular classes is that there is no middle ground. Most students take regular classes because they don’t want the workload of an AP or honors class, so they enroll in regular classes and it’s almost remedial. Academically, a lot of students are smart enough to be in a higher level class, but are not ready to take on the effort of a “college like” course. In a regular class there isn’t a lot of challenge and it goes at a slow pace. The AP CA III classes have already finished a book complete with annotations. Along with the book they have written an essay over a summer reading book, written a three to five page autobiographical narrative and written an essay over their first book. While the AP students were busy with all of these things, the students in regular classes have only read an outside reading book and finished a book in class. The books read in AP and regular classes rarely vary, but the amount of time given to read books is the biggest difference.
Photo poll by Gwen Bergerhofer
Students in AP classes have to read anywhere from two to six chapters in a week that all has to be done outside of class, while students in regular classes get time to read in class and deadlines that are more spread out. It’s expectations like these that trouble students when Morgan McMahon trying to decide what they want to take. AP classes are always a good choice when considering college credit. But perhaps the Gap should be elminated between the two different course levels. If students want to avoid the workload, they still should be prepared for college.
2006-2007
tigerprint staff Managing Editors Ellen Thomas Sarah Weaver
Sports Editors Hank Driskell Garrett Griffin
Photographers Morgan McMahon Gwen Bergerhofer
News Matt Killen
Photo Editor Nina Humphrey
Advertising Manager Sara Ster
Opinions Editor Megan Van Sooy
Cartoonist Garrett Griffin
Circulation Manager Braden Miller
Features Editors Sara Ster Sarah Weaver
Reporters Jake Faber Anita Galler Ian Janes Mitch Smith Brian Israel
Adviser Susan Agee
Entertainment Editor Brooke Thurman
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 or Blue Valley School District #229
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nextstep
Oct. 12, 2006
Are comp etitive scho ols b etter? ellenthomas
editor-in-chief
M
any students have competitive colleges on the top of their lists. Competitive schools are traditionally regarded as superior to non-competitive colleges. Harvard, Carnegie Mellon and Washington University in St. Louis are all competitive schools that many students want to get into. Senior Mike Liu, like many, believes that going to a competitive college will be more beneficial to him than a noncompetitive college. “[I want to go to a competitive college] so I can be with people who are extremely smart,” Liu said. A competitive college generally has no guarantee that the student applying is going to get in. The college may get a lot of applicants but only accepts a few. “A competitive college has a reason it’s competitive,” counselor Keith Elmore said. “That’s usually because the student population is really strong and motivated compared to a school that is not competitive.” Competitive colleges help students reach their maximum potential by creating an environment that encourages academic success. “One of the major influences of how well you do in college is the students you’re around because your friends are your social time and your life practically,” Elmore said. “So if you’re around students who bring you down some way, and this happens at competitive colleges too, then the odds are you’re not going to be working at a higher level than the norm.” Besides the overall social environment the school provides, the school gives the student better academic aid and by having smaller classes that are taught
by professors. In some other schools the professors themselves only teach the higher-level courses. “Many of those schools have much more ready access to professors right off the bat,” Elmore said. “You also have smaller classes and, because there are much more expensive, have additional advantages in facilities, but not always.” Students generally have greater exposure to special opportunities than students going to non-competitive colleges. At Carnegie Mellon, over 70 percent of the undergraduate students participate in research opportunities with the professors and other leading academics, according to the school’s website. Just because a student has that opportunity, doesn’t mean that he or she will take advantage of it, though. “The opportunity is mostly driven by the student and what they do,” Elmore said. “The odds are increased at a competitive school because of the environment. If you have the determination you can get those opportunities, but it’s easier in those environments.” Even after one graduates from a competitive school, the benefits continue. When searching for a job being from a competitive college can be of great help. “Everyone can apply for jobs, but you have to have something for them to think ‘OK, this is someone we want,’” Elmore said. “Even though the degree may get you the interview, the person and how they manage themselves is more important than where the degree is from.” In ways all colleges are similar but the differences in the programs and environment make some value a competitive school over others.
Pro
anitagaller
staff writer
Y
ou’re hunting for the perfect college; your head is swimming with confusion. You rummage through hundreds of brochures whose covers assures you that they are the perfect match. Looking at the applications for Harvard, Stanford, Yale and other top schools makes you feel dizzy. Is it worth all the trouble? Who gets in anyway? If you don’t get into Harvard or a competitive school it doesn’t have to be the end of the world. Many other options exist. Cost is the main stumbling block to attending an Ivy school. Harvard’s tuition for the 2006-2007 school year is around $43,655. Eight years of medical school doesn’t sound too thrilling after four years of undergraduate debt. “Generally there is not as much gift aid or scholarship money,” counselor Sandy Fryer said about the Ivy leagues. Competitive schools participate in scholarships based on need. Non-competitive schools have a variety of programs to offer their students. Not only are Ivy’s expensive, but gaining admission is very difficult. Only 15.7 percent of the 2005-2006 Harvard applicants got in., for example The highly competitive nature is another obstacle, students should consider when considering an Ivy League or ultra competitive school. “We are better than everyone else,” is a typical stereotype of Ivy students’ attitudes. Students should be comfortable with a highly charged environment, and rigorous curriculum. Many students’ “safety” schools or schools they haven’ even heard of may look like a better option when compared to the tuition price
and painstaking curriculum of the competitive schools. Plus more scholarships may be available. Parents may feel that providing the best future and security for their child would be through a brand-name school, like Harvard or Yale. However, college that fits the student is the best security they can ask for. “There are 200 colleges every student would be happy at,” Fryer said. “Approach college thinking I could be happy, I could cultivate; it takes the pressure off.” Graduating from a local school could still get you the same job as someone from an Ivy League school. It all depends on your personality and how hard you work in college. A company may hire the student from a local school over the Ivy League student because of the internships and experience they got at their school. “Smaller schools get internships with big corporations, too,” Fryer said. So is the money worth it, if a student decides on a competitive school? “Certainly it is, but you have to weigh what your goals and options are,” Fryer said. Students need to consider their priorities. Will you get back what you spend on college? Is it worth going out of state, if students plan to live and work locally? Students should also pay attention to the reputation of each individual department rather than the whole university. Local schools may have departments that exceed the brand name schools. College is supposed to be the best years of a student’s life, not to mention the new experiences, people and self-discovery. All you need to do to achieve happiness is to realize all your options and opportunities. This is the admission factor that may matter the most.
Con
10 tips for students when applying to college Start early There is no need to wait. Around your
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junior year begin searching for colleges. Check out websites such as collegeboard. com and theprincetonreview.com for college and career searches. Be serious Treat junior and senior year with seriousness; begin establishing relationships with your counselor and teachers. Not only do they understand the admissions process, but are key people who will write your recommendations. Get organized Practice good study habits, set goals and deadlines. Get the most out of your academic classes. This will prepare you for college. Be enthusiastic. Approach college with enthusiasm. Begin learning new
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ways, be open to meeting new people, explore career interests and colleges. Know that there is a lot more then one good match for you. Take charge Establish independence. Don’t rely only on your parents. Seek out people who can help you. Practice being a problem solver. You will develop skills you can use when you live on your own. Investigate Take care of your business, ask questions, do career searches, take electives, take courses that could possibly be a career interest. Be challenged Think of enrolling in advanced placement courses. These are critical and a good way to prepare for the college workload and content.
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You can also earn some college credit in high school. Visit colleges Internet searches don’t come close to a real tour of a campus. Spend time with admission representatives and on campus. Find out what types of students go there. Research specific departments; find out where their graduates go after graduation. Take tests Practice the SAT and ACT. Enroll in a SAT or ACT prep-course.
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Don’t over apply A good
number is between five to eight schools. Have a couple you know you can get into, a couple stretch schools and a couple safety schools.
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nextstep
Oct. 12, 2006
I n - SWhat t a tshapes e vstudents’ s. Ou t o f S t a t e decision to go near or far sarahweaver editor-in-chief
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pplications are piling up and scholarship deadlines are approaching. It may be time to narrow down your top 20 and make some major decisions about college. It doesn’t matter where you’re from; all that matters is where you’re going. Do you want to stay in state or head across the borders of the great ol’ state of
upon a student’s residence. In-state costs are typically lower than what colleges charge students admitted from afar. For example the in-state tuition for the University of Kansas is $6,152.50; whereas, the out-ofstate tuition for KU is $15,122.50. This price differs because the state legislatures favors their own residents. Residents pay taxes to support their state colleges; therefore, their tuitions are lower. Despite the cost, the trend nationally is to go out-of-state. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune 36 states saw an increase in the percentage of non-residents who enrolled in their public colleges or universities; however, locally only 18 percent from the BVHS 2006 class left the Kansas border. Also, in that 18-percent some only crossed east over the border to Missouri schools. Cost is not the only aspect that keeps kids inside the border; leaving family and friends is too hard for some. Yet, students see the positive sides of leaving some behind. “I’m not afraid to leave my friends,” senior A.J. Riedesel said. Opportunity and adventures may be anticipated when leaving home for school. According to counselor Tom Hult, different philosophies and global perspective can be
Kansa Empor s State ia Sta Univer te r sity
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Kansas. Get outside the box, literally. There are many deciding factors that go into a student’s decision to leave his state. Out-of-state colleges tuition is based
as
expected when heading out-of-state. The change of culture can be good for students who have lived in Kansas their whole lives. However, some students don’t want to set forth the effort of going out-of-state, according to Hult. Students who are looking for a change have the option to go out-ofstate, but some find themselves content staying close. When staying in state you still have the convenience of home, according to Hult. Most parents prefer for their kids to stay close because they can keep a better eye on them. “For the most part kids are set up to stay in-state,” Hult said. “Plus we have good schools in Kansas.” Also, some students have parents that are alumni of universities in Kansas, which also shapes their decision to stay in state. Whether students stay in state or out of state, the decision is made by both parents and students over the issues of money, location and responsibility.
the class of 2006
18% 19%
Out-of -state
University of Kansas
How much is education worth? brianisrael staff writer
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Students find cost-cutting methods
s summer grows closer, usually a sigh of relief grasps students. But for graduating seniors this may be the most hectic time of their lives as they get ready to pay for their college education. “It is one of the biggest investments you will ever make,” counselor Deborah Atkinson said. “When you go to college you really want to make a good decision, because wasting all that money would be very, very bad.” In an effort to save money on college credits many students take College Now or Advanced Placement classes, so they can earn their credits in high school for as low as $82 for an AP credit and a few hundred dollars for college now, depending on the course. Even with AP classes and College Now credits, out of state tuition is likely to cost a pretty penny. “NYU, along with a lot of other colleges, are really expensive and aren’t getting any better. However, getting scholarships from the college and other sources makes paying the bill easier and less painful,” 2006 graduate Eric Min said. A simple way to save money on college would, of course, be to go to an in-state university. Going to in-state universities is often noted as the cheapest college option. Take for example Kansas University. According to KU’s website, the cost for in-state tuition is $6,152.50 a year, yet an out-of-state tuition to this same university is $15,122.50annually. This is of course is a regular trend across the nation; schools such as Florida, Minnesota and Colorado show
differences of $14,000, $12,000 and $11,000. Out-of-state tuition, however, is nothing more than a midget when compared to the giant known as Ivy League. The eight universities found in the northeast of the United States all have an average tuition cost of over $30,000. Scholarships are another common refuge for students to get away from spending the big bucks on a high education. Students earn hefty scholarships every year from major universities. Last year, Schaeffer Nelson received a full ride scholarship to the University of Southern California. USC awarded Nelson this award in regards to his high academic standards, background in pursuing drama, among other activities. Even if one can avoid spending money on tuition, books are a sure way to put less stress on a bulging wallet. The average cost of one year of books alone at any university can cost hundreds of dollars. At the University of Missouri in Kansas City Medical School for example, a single year of books costs approximately $850. Unfortunately, however, books are rarely ever covered by scholarship.
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take your pick
HALLOWEEN FACTS *Halloween, like many other holidays, is actually a combination of several pagan and Christian holy days that through the years morphed into what we know Halloween to be.
*Halloween was originally
TRICK OR
jakefaber
treat
Oct. 12, 2006
Hittin’ the streets for candy
Line drawn on appropriate trick-or-treating age
staff writer
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nxious footsteps lead up to the door, where an eager child waits for some candy, his mouth watering. As he reaches his hand into the bowl, he is delighted to see that it’s filled with chocolate. As you probably guessed, it is Halloween night, but this “child” is a 17year-old high school student. Some people think trick-ortreating is just for little kids.
But many high school students say they look forward to going out on Oct. 31 and collecting candy ever year, as well. “Heck, yes, I’m going trick-or-treating this year,” sophomore Keegan Shepard said. Shepard did not seem embarrassed and proudly said she was going as a Ninja Turtle. However, some high school students didn’t share Shepard’s views. “No, I’m not going trickor-treating this year; I think I’m just going to hang out with my friends,”
freshman Ryne Stanek said. The question is, ‘how old is too old?’ “I will never stop going trick-or-treating,” junior Zak Madelen said. Some students say it’s the little kid in them that keeps them going, but other students see it differently. “I go because I’m pretty much in love with chocolate,” senior Sarah Nelson said. Most students say they stop going trick-or-treating when they start middle school; others don’t plan on stopping.
Some students get stuck with taking their siblings out trickor-treating on Halloween, and they say it’s just not the same. “I’m definitely going this year, but I’m stuck with taking my cousins,” sophomore Alex Drake said. Eight out of every 10 students polled say they’re going out this Halloween, whether it is with friends, siblings or family. Be sure to have fun, stay safe and carry a big bag this Halloween, and remember, you’re only as old as you feel.
Teens R cycle Halloween
*
called Samhain (pronounced “SOW-in”) by the ancient Celtics in the British Isles.
ourlife
*Samhain marked the
ancient Celtic New Year which was celebrated on Nov. 1.
*On Samhain, the ancient
Celtics believed that the spirits could return to the earth, so to keep evil spirits away, they dressed up in scary costumes.
*The tradition of
bobbing for apples came from the Roman festival of Pomona, the goddess of fruit, trees and fertility. During this festival young people would bob for apples and whoever got one first would be the next to marry.
*In the AD 800’s, Christianity
sarahweaver editor-in-chief
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ating candy corn out of an over-sized orange Halloween print bowl may sound like an elementary activity for the Halloween holiday. But whoever said eating immense amounts of candy is just for little ones who attend a school with nap times and alphabet rugs? This October, let’s not pass up the opportunity to party. Plan the best Halloween party ever and not the party that your five-old neighbor Joey will be attending. High school Halloween parties can be planned a little differently. Do not restrict y o u r color scheme to the typical black and orange. There is no reason your party décor can’t consist of red, white and black. With this simple color theme, what could have been a tacky and boring black and orange party turned into a funky mod feel. What do kids look forward to most on Oct. 31, other than dressing up like the Hulk? Eating candy, of course! Hit up the store for gobs and gobs of candy. Go for Skittles, Starburst, Gobstoppers and candy corn. If you haven’t picked up on the theme it is colorful candy. The more colorful candy, the better. Now, don’t forget to display the candy in various ways. The better accessible the candy; the better the party. As for other
*
spread over the land and replaced the pagan holiday, Samhain, with a Christian holiday, All Saints’ Day on Nov. 1.
Learn how to throw your very own Halloween bash
*The word “Halloween”
comes from “All Hallow’s Eve” or the night before All Saints Day. All Hallow’s Eve was celebrated like Samhain with costumes, bonfires and parades.
food, pick up some chips and dip. If you really have the desire to feed your party-goers then go ahead and order some pizza. No one will go hungry with all your candy and food, but no one will be at the party unless you invite them. Have your invites as formal or as casual as you wish. Make sure they fit the color theme and arrive in the hands of the party-goers as soon as possible. There must be planned activities for your guests. Halloween may be a considered a child’s holiday, so go along with it and bring out the board games. Set up board games on all surfaces. This child-like feel will allow your guests to play all night long. Oh and don’t forget: twister. While everyone is busy buying houses in Monopoly, have festive music in the background. Stop by your local party supply, store to pick up this years Halloween Bash CD. Last but not least is your get-up. Your outfit may be the most important item on the agenda. Creativity is key. The best advice to live by when picking out a costume is go big or go home. Be sure to go outside the box and do your research. If you are going to be Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany’s, you have to be Holly, live Holly, and most importantly: dress like Holly. If you want to dress like Tom Cruise from Risky Business, it will not take much, literally. Remember, no matter what you dress up as, you just have to love it and rock it. Don’t leave out any details. Be as confident as Holly in your over-sized sunglasses, elegant up-do and extravagant jewelry. Party hard like Joel in your button-up shirt, whitey tighties, tube socks and well that’s it.
Oct. 12, 2006
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teenspirit
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Being a TEEN
sarahweaver editor-in-chief
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ut wrenching, eyes watering and on the verge of a mental break down do not sound like events that should be taking place in a 16 year old’s life. Or should they? As a teen, should one be stressed to the point of exhaustion? The tests at school and the importance of work start to add up and accumulate stress. One third of teens become stressed on a daily basis, according to Reuters Health. Stress is so easily accumulated due to the fast pace life of teens today. “Students are taking more hard classes and applying to more colleges,” counselor Sandy Fryer said. Students are feeling pressured to take more rigorous courses and participate in more extracurricular activities. “The combination of all my activities and hard classes is completely overwhelming. I feel like I don’t have enough time for everything I need to do, and I definitely don’t enough time for everything I want to do,” said junior Ashley Rasa who takes four AP classes. There is good and bad stress according to the Wholistic Stress Control Institute. “Bad stress is when you don’t handle it well,” Fryer said. If stress is handled with the right attitude it can encourage students to be happy and excited about situations. Stress can be
motivation to keep trying hard. “My life wouldn’t be better without stress. Stress means you care about things. Without having something to care about I’d be so bored,” said junior Anne McClain who is enrolled in honors classes. Middle-class teenage girls suffer twice as much stress as compared to middlec l a s s teenage girls 12 years ago, as reported in the The Sunday Herald. Also, a study that compared the stress levels of girls and boys show that girls had a 14 percent increase of stress compared to the boys’ two-percent increase from 1987 to 1999. Reasons for the rise can be linked with the change in educational expectations and the media’s portrayal of body image. “Girls may not have a healthy outlet for stress,” Fryer said. Girls tend to internalize feelings and thoughts, which may lead to stress. Girls also fall victim to the media’s vision of perfection, according to counselor Jane McGraw. Over the years, stress has increased in teen’s life. If handled the right way stress can be a good motivator. Students stress-over more than just school related topics. They stress about dating, having a job and the responsibility of having a car.
“ One third of teens become stressed on a daily basis.
”
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Being a TEEN Costs of being a teen average price of:
teenspirit
Oct. 12, 2006
Being a teen is not as easy as it may look. Stress controls students as their work load piles up. Dating can be fun and free, but can also cause teens to be rejected and alone. Getting a job may be hard for teens, but keeping the job may be even harder. The joy of having one’s first car can be overwelming and so can the responsibility of having one’s first car.
Dating — is it really worth it? brookethurman
fast food $4.50
tank of gas- $2.09 magazine-$3.48
used car-$4,357 sporting event ticket-$42 minimum wage in Kan. -$5.15
Being a teen-
priceless
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entertainment editor h the woes of being a teen. The life of a teen is full of excitement and drama. The most dramatic aspect of a teenager’s life is dating. The dating world is an unpredictable web of questions: “Does he like me?” And “Will she say yes?” In the world of dating people are at all parts of the spectrum. There are those who date a lot, those who like being exclusive and those who have sworn off dating. When one thinks of dating one first thinks of the serial dater. The serial dater is the person who likes to date around and doesn’t want to settle with just one person. Junior Courtney Murdock dates many different people. “[I date] random guys and guy friends and friends of friends,” Murdock said. “The dates are usually awkward.” Although Murdock dates many guys, she says none of them go to Blue Valley. “I don’t date Blue Valley guys,” Murdock said. “A lot of them go to [Blue Valley] North or Shawnee Mission schools.” While Murdock has many guys that she dates, some students have found someone who they enjoy being exclusive with. Junior Courtney Crape has been dating junior Anthony Burdick for over three years. “We met in math class; he sat behind me,” Crape said. “ One of my friends found out he liked me, and I liked him so at a band concert he asked me out.” Young couples that are together for long amounts of time face a lot of challenges and issues in relationships.
photo by Nina H
Some of those issues can either make or break a relationship. Crape explained what keeps her and Burdick together. “Being understanding because we’re both young,” Crape said. “ [We have to] be able to listen [to each other]. A lot of students want to have a significant other or just date many people, while some have decided that they don’t want to date at all. Junior Philip Heinrich has his own reason for not wanting to date. “[I don’t date] because I don’t want to break too many hearts,” Heinrich said. While most fall into the boat, where dating is a choice, some are unlucky with their love lives and can’t seem to
Juniors Jeff Smith and Sara Crawford show their affection for each other after dating over a year.
get a date, no matter how hard they try. Rejection is the dark side of the dating world and one that many are too ashamed or hurt by to talk about. While dating can bring out many emotions and be a good or bad experience, Murdock sums it up in her own words. “I think it’s fun to an extent,” Murdock said. “But it’s more trouble than it’s worth.”
Humphrey
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teenspirit
Oct 12, 2006
Teens are workin’ it ninahumphrey
Students work to buy teen necessities
photo editor
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er clock reads 5:30 a.m. The scent of coffee residue in her jeans stirs her senses awake and she pulls her hair into a bun. She arrives into work at 5:50 and clocks in under her name, Melanie Troutman. Within seconds she welcomes her customers into her working environment, Caribou Coffee. Troutman’s story is no different than many other teens in the work force. They work many hours, and many times that work can cause problems, sometimes with school. Junior Sarah Bennett can relate. “If my grades are suffering my parents won’t allow me to work, which makes my boss really mad.” Bennett works at A-Star Dry Cleaners and is also the manger of the football team. “I only work once every two weeks, and if I mess up something small, my boss won’t schedule me so I have to convince her to schedule me,” she said. Troutman has also worked at a local dry cleaner. “When I worked for the Stanley Dry Cleaners a customer pointed out to me that he was paying more than what he was supposed to be,” Troutman said. Working in a corporate environment has a wide array of demands in comparison to the
Many businesses conveniently support our working demands at a more local fast food joint. Junior Kelly Cosby, who works at the local communities by hiring a large majority of teenagers; Sonic, said “It is only seven minutes away and it may be questionable if it is appropriate considering is not demanding on my a teen’s commitment to school and time because I can take off other typical factors that would any days that they have interfere with steady employment. scheduled and someone is “My parents won’t let me work always available to work because they say it interferes with your shift.” my school work,” junior Bunmi Troutman’s experiences Morohunfola said. “I don’t want to have differed. work at a restaurant because I feel I “It’s physically and have unique cooking skills, and I don’t mentally demanding; it isn’t want to put myself in a box.” about taking my time or the On a basic level, you work for money physical work of getting and in earning money, you gain a there, but it’s very tiring to sense of reward. There are also other go to work for seven hours rewards that can be captured from after I have already been at the environments and experiences school for eight hours, and involved in working, but it is exactly in addition to that demand, I what you make of it. need to provide the attention Morohunfola said, “I make money the customers need.” doing card tricks for random people, Teens who work also Junior Melanie Troutman had only if I am good.” need transportation, which worked at Caribou Coffee for four “All teens should have a variety leads to other problems. months and finds herself happy to of exposure and experiences to the “Unfortunately public have a paycheck. working world, Troutman added. transportation is flimsy in “Whether that be community service Kansas City and you need to have transportation to or a paying job. Teens need to realize how different get to work,” para professional Bill Soloman said the working world is from what our school provides “When I was a teen I could ride the bus or a street for us, and build upon that… ” car every Saturday to any kind of work that was offered which was mostly labor.”
No wheels no way Teens share the importance of cars garrettgriffin
sports editor
S
enior Austin Ray steps on the clutch, shifts into first gear, and — at the turn of the stoplight to green — floors the accelerator. Cruising along the streets of Stilwell in his gray 1999 G28 Camaro, Ray is on top of the world. “I love my car because it’s fast and fun to drive, ” Ray said. For teenagers like Ray, driving a car is a very important aspect of life, but few take it as seriously as he does. It’s not just about getting from A to B; it’s about enjoying himself. He loves his manual transmission “A stick offers much more control over your vehicle.” he said. On his engine, he
added, “My Camaro has 305 horsepower and hopefully it’ll be more later,” and on racing, “If drivers on the street try to race me, I’ll race them.” Junior Casey Cowell received her first car in a very unique way. “My dad woke me up at seven in the morning to clean out the other side of the garage,” Cowell said. “I asked, ‘Why? Are you getting me a car?’” When she saw her father with a video camera and heard him calling her name, she ran outside excitedly. Her suspicions were correct. She screamed happily when she found her new 2003 Volkswagen Beetle outside. Cowell loves her bug because it’s her key to liberty. “It’s freedom!” Cowell said. “[Not having a car] would slow me down. And I’d be
stuck with my parents!” Senior Nick Viviano does not have a vehicle of his own, a fact that greatly complicates his life. “It’s a big pain to get around because you have to get
rides from people. It’s lame-o and I get pretty peeved about it,” Viviano said. He said he doesn’t have a car because he wasn’t just given one by his parents like many Blue Valley teens are. He said
there were a lot of advantages not to owning a car in high school. “I’m
saving all of my money, which adds up to a lot,” Viviano
said. The financial aspect is a big one. Viviano is happy he doesn’t need to spend hard-earned money on gas,
insurance, repairs and the car itself. On the other hand, Ray’s Camaro cost $10,000 to buy, $30 a week for gas, and $200 a
month for car insurance, but he thinks having a car is well worth it. Clearly, there are advantages and disadvantages to owning a car. Teens should carefully consider both aspects when deciding if they really want one. “It’s fun to drive” is the advice Ray offers for making that significant choice.
ourlife Oct. 12, 2006 14 Band practices up to 6 times a week to prepare for competition
Tailored new program to attract students’ attention during half-time performances mitchsmith
staff writer
B
efore the sun can rise each morning over the football stadium, the Stridin’ Tigers Marching Band has already begun their rehearsal. But many wonder whether or not all the hard work by the band is worth the time. Band members think so, but why are they willing to devote so much time to an activity that they feel garners very little attention outside the music department? “I love band!” sophomore baritone section leader Danny Wood said as justification for all of his hard work. The band members work for an hour and a half each morning, three hours each Thursday night, five hours on many Saturdays and for nine hours everyday for two weeks in the summer. However, contrary to common belief, the marching band does not just perform at the halftime of the football games; they travel the region performing in several competitive marching festivals each year.
Despite many band members’ love for the activity, in a recent school-wide poll, 73 percent of the student body surveyed said that they did not watch the band at football games. “I would love to have the students pay attention while we are performing,” band director Avian Bear said. “I don’t watch the band because the music is unenjoyable,” sophomore Tyler Duke said. This year, in an effort to try to convert non band-watchers the directors have chosen a show that they hope the student body will enjoy and recognize. This year the band will perform the show “Blue.” The show is in honor of the 35th anniversary of the Blue Valley School District and consists of five songs: “All Blues,” “Blue Shades,” “Blue Rondo ala Turk,” and “Rhapsody in Blue.” On Sept. 30, the band hosted nine other bands from across the Midwest in a competition. The Stridin’ Tigers performed in exhibition that night and,
according to Bear, performed the best they had that year. Bellevue East High School, of Bellevue, Neb., won the competition. The band will attend several marching festivals around the Midwest to compete with other high school marching
bands. This year the band will compete in the Blue Valley Northwest Invitational, the Blue Springs Invitational, a Bands of America Competition in St. Louis. The St. Louis competition is the prestigious competition the band will travel to this marching season.
This competition will feature some of the best bands in the nation. However, according to Bear, the ultimate goal this marching season is not to finish first in competition, but rather for the band to march and play their best, wherever that may be.
Marching band members practice every morning before school for an hour and a half everyday and after school for three hours on Thursdays besides five hours on many Saturdays. Front row Mellophoneists Cameron Weir, Valerie Gaughan, Britt Gardner, Jason Hisle, Annette Ahlmann; second row: Trumpeters Drew Ball, Josh Cox, Matthew Evans, Michael Cordes, Ann Gorsuch; thrid row: Alex Robinson, Kacie Davis, Chance Adams photo by Gwen Bergerhofer
Special Offer for Blue Valley students
• Free Chips and Drink with any Regular or Large Sub. Just show your Blue Valley Student ID. •If the football team wins by 10 or more, show your ticket stub that weekend to receive 50% off any sub. • Located in the shopping center on the corner of 127th Street and Metcalf Avenue. Phone: 913-317-9022 Now Open Late on Fridays! Come Celebrate the Big Win at Quiznos!
ourlife
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the town was pretty big for Germany but compared to the United States it was small. It had three levels and Krull stayed on the first floor where the kitchen was. Food and soccer games might have been fun, but that wasn’t the most important thing on her mind. “I met people from Hungary, Britain, India and Romania,” Krull said. “They were all really nice people.” She got to talk and help other people if they needed it. Krull stayed in Germany for eight days “I was really tired when I got back, and I didn’t want to go home,” Krull said. “I really wanted to stay there.” “It was the best experience of my entire life, getting to know new people, and it makes me happy,” Krull said. “I would love to pursue a career as an international diplomat; it’s my dream job.” Going to Germany definitely changed her day-to-day lifestyle from going from
one continent to another, but living in Germany wasn’t that hard for her. “It was easy because all the expenses were paid for; otherwise, it would have been pretty tough,” Krull said. Now that she is back home, she looks forward to checking
her e-mail everyday from people that she became friends with. “I encourage others, most definitely, to do this, step out of your box,” Krull said. “It’s lots of fun, and they will grow a lot as a person.”
ity, C o xic o e M xic Me
S
ome students stayed at home or traveled around the United States during the summer, but that wasn’t the case for senior Stefanie Krull. Krull was elected by the leader of the United Nations Educational Scientific Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to represent Overland Park in their youth organization. UNESCO sponsors a festival every year, and this past summer it was in Germany. “I was really nervous to go and really worried,” Krull said. Despite being nervous and worried, she wanted to go because she thinks that international relations and learning and knowing new people is cool and important. People all over the United States, between ages 14 and 22, were allowed to go to Germany as long as they were elected.
“I took German and my teacher is the one that got me started. I had to write an essay and fill out an application to be able to go,” Krull said. Flight ticket, bratwurst, world cup soccer games would be really expensive, but it was all free for Krull. She flew, ate bratwurst, and watched four World Cup soccer games all for free. “I got to watch the finals between France and Italy, and it was really nice and exciting,” Krull said. “It was kind of like Blue Valley football games.” Krull wanted to be able to do as much things as she possibly could. She wanted to try as much food as she could, and meet as many people as she could. She talked to people from ages 13 to 25, but mostly, she chatted with 17 to 18 year olds. They talked mostly about how their schools are run and types of classes, etc, and what they do during their free time. In Bietigheim Krull stayed in a townhouse
Paris, France
bradenmiller
staff writer
15
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Oct 12, 2006
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Senior Stefanie Krull (pictured far left) went to Germany during the summer to participate in a world youth gathering. There she met people from around the world like Alexandra Deznan (middle) and Darius Bocsa (far right) both from Arad, Romania. Photo submitted by Stefanie Krull
za k
Ka
Meet the new teachers... part two “I’m really excited to be here, I
“ I like hanging out with my
love business, business classes are great. All studnets should take a business class business teacher Kim Johnson
son; he is a good kid. ast issue we featued eight history teacher Don Cromer
L
new teachers out of 15. Because there are so many new faces in the school, we continue with three more. Look for next issue for the conclusion of our new teacher feature. photos by Gwen Bergerhofer and Morgan McMahon
”
”
“I’m really obsessed wit the
news; I’m always listening to the news. history teacher Julie Carlberg
”
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redcarpet
Oct. 12, 2006
Twin Reactions
Trade Center movie personalizes event
morganmcmahon
staff writer
W
orld Trade Center; to see or not to see? If you want a better understanding of what happened on that terrible day of Sept. 11 and a good cry, then go see it. If you don’t want to relive what happened on Sept. 11 and you don’t want your makeup all over your face after the movie, then stay at home and watch Friends and laugh really hard. World Trade Center is a heart-wrenching movie, based on the true-life stories of John McLoughlin and William Jimeno. World Trade Center takes you inside the buildings as they come crashing down on the two heroic policemen. Watching the movie helps viewers realize what really happened to real people on Sept. 11, how the towers came crashing down, and what the families really went through. It is an emotional roller coaster, watching McLoughlin and his wife fight in their last conversation. Knowing that Jimeno is expecting a baby is also heart wrenching. The two policemen, McLoughlin and Jimeno lay under the rubble for several hours before even hearing anyone around. They have to talk to each other to keep each other awake. They fear that if they sleep, they might never wake up because they
are so dehydrated. McLoughlin is trapped from his waist down, and in a lot of pain. Jimeno is also trapped from his waist down, but he can move a little more than McLoughlin. After several hours of being under the rubble McLoughlin and Jimeno hear people calling out for survivors. Jimeno tries to yell out, but because he is so dehydrated, he is hardly heard. He begins to pull on a loose pipe, which rattles throughout the rubble. Some rescuers hear the noise, and begin to search for McLoughlin and Jimeno. Eventually rescuers get Jimeno out, but realize that it’s going to take much longer to be able to even get down to where McLoughlin is. They finally figure out a way to get down there, and get McLoughlin some water. McLoughlin is freed from the rubble and rushed immediately to the hospital with Jimeno where they will endure many surgeries. The movie was excellent, but seeing it once is enough. The movie won’t do very well in video stores. Once people see the movie, they aren’t going to want to take it home and have a family movie night and watch World Trade Center. Regardless, it is a movie that should be viewed. It puts a human touch on a significant historical event.
9/11 Movie
Photo Illustration by Nina Humphrey
Is America ready to relive a national tragedy?
W
ith the fifth anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11 comes a new movie about the attack on the World Trade Center and the people inside of it. World Trade Center, starring Nicolas Cage, came out Aug. 9 to mixed reviews. “When I first saw I, even though it’s been five years, I thought it was kind of soon to make a movie,” senior Alyssa Urso said. “It looks good, but I just don’t know if it would be too soon.” While some thought that the movie was too soon, others thought that it was still too real to make a movie about it. “It’s too much reality,” junior Megan Ferguson said. “I can remember watching it back in the sixth grade. I still want to see it, though.”
Pop Culture Grid Favorite Song Favorite Movie
Mark Mosier Teacher
Twist and Shout
Favorite Actor
Jeremiah Johnson
John Malkovich
The Song That Never Ends
Finding Nemo
Jim Carey
Laura Updike Junior
Playboys of the Southwestern
Dodgeball
Josh Hartnett
Christian Ensz Sophomore
Through Glass
The Fast and The Furious
Denzel Washington
Connor Janes Freshman
The Understruck
Wedding Crashers
Adam Sandler
Jade Irish Senior
Favorite Show The Beverly Hillbillies House What I Like About You Sportscenter Fresh Prince of Bel Air
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redcarpet
Oct 12, 2006
PiCkS oF tHe MoNtH
Movies A Night at the Roxbury: Two nitwit brothers try crashing into nightclubs on a habitual basis while finding love on the way. Will Ferrell delivers laughs while Chris Kattan delivers more looks. Night at the Roxbury is a score of a movie that the, “cool chicks” enjoy.
Book
The Da Vinci Code: Who knew finding secret messages in Da Vinci’s artwork could make such great books. Robert Langdon gets dragged into trying to solve a mystery while in Paris for a lecture, finding phenomenal clues along the way.
Song
The Fray, “Over My Head”:This song may be over my head, but it’s not going in through one ear and out the other. The Fray’s words encourage those with (social) problems and deliver the ultimate message that although it may be up and over, there is still hope.
Actor
Will Ferrell: Will’s hits such as Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy, Elf, Night at the Roxbury, Talladega Nights: The Legend of Ricky Bobby have nestled their way into our hearts. With his comedic background with Saturday Night Live and highly acclaimed skits such as America, Ferrell has hit our funny bone.
brianisrael staff writer
Picks based on survey of 100 students. Television, Actor, Movie and Song Photos Courtesy of imdb. com
Television Desperate Housewives: The women of Wisteria lane are at it again. These four housewives exist in a town where everything is possible. Bree, Susan, Lynette and Gabriele live their lives one affair, scandal and murderous husband at a time. The plot lines are great for everyone, especially those with two x chromosomes, and for those with a y, there’s Eva Longoria.
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redcarpet
Oct. 12, 2006
Anatomy of Greys New season to answer many cliffhangers
meganvansooy opinions editor
T
Photo Courtesy of imdb.com
The Cast of Grey’s Anatomy spends another day in Seattle Grace. The show premiered on Sept. 21.
o most students, Thursdays are one of the best days of the week: school starts late and gets out early. But now that a new season of television is premiering, Thursday nights have a whole new meaning, summarized in two simple words: Grey’s Anatomy. On Sept 21, the new season of Grey’s premiered on a new night, and at a new time; picking up exactly where it left off. Izzy copes with the loss of Denny by lying on the bathroom floor in a beautiful dress for practically the entire episode; Meredith is torn between Finn and McDreamy (Personally, I’m voting for Finn; vets are so much cuter than brain surgeons,)
What’s On? mattkillen
A
Renowned. Respected. Solid as a ROCK.
A look at this season’s shows
news editor s senior Brian Dess sat in front of his TV munching on potato chips and sipping a Dr. Pepper, he faced an unusual dilemma; what to watch. Unlike some previous seasons, there is plenty to watch; the only problem is deciding what. With characters that grab the viewer’s interest, and the added drama of love and death, you can’t go wrong. Plus medical-dramas tend to fare well. ER has been running since 1994, and House already received an Emmy as well as a Peabody Award. If you enjoy a good laugh, there are plenty of options. NBC’s The Office is back for more laughs in its third season. The show sticks to the smartfunny storyline that has made it successful, and adds flavor with Ryan Howard (B. J. Novak) switching companies. TV giant South Park is at it again, but has a different approach than previous seasons. The show most famous for its toilet humor and foul language turned a new leaf during the past season as it tended to focus more on major political
issues. South Park’s parody of major political problems has earned the show a broader fan base, and new viewers. Look for South Park to continue last season’s trend, as the show enters its 10th season. CBS’ reality TV show Survivor plans to capture more attention this season with race based tribes. The tribes were split up into Black, White, Asian, and Hispanic races. Don’t expect much from Survivor though. The segregated reality show had its weakest opener in five years, according to Joel E. Ryan of E! News. Desperate Housewives, one of the more controversial shows to date, may end up being more of the same. Sure, there will be plenty of sex scenes in this season’s Housewives, but once the shock value wears out, Housewives seems meaningless. That plus the fact that Desperate Housewives is aimed more at middle-aged women makes the show one to avoid. The CW, a mix of UPN and WB, is the present home of America’s Next Top Model, which is expected to pull in two million viewers. Other shows to look forward to are, CW’s One Tree Hill and ABC’s Lost.
and George still hasn’t told Callie that he loves her. Then, they throw some new stories in: While Meredith is torn between both doctors, Addison and McDreamy are officially over, and Christina is struggling to please Burke’s mom no matter how hard she tries. The season premiere seemed empty, but as more episodes build, perhaps there will be more clarity within the storyline. When the first season ended, there were many questions left in our minds. Is Izzy really going to quit the intership program? Is Meredith going to end up with Finn or McDreamy? Will Burke ever be able to perform another surgery again? Maybe after we view more episodes these questions will start to unveil themselves.
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www.rockhurst.edu/apply Rockhurst University admits students of any race, color and national or ethnic origin.
816-501-4100 | 800-842-6776 | www.rockhurst.edu
Oct 12, 2006
tigerturf
A Family Affair
Rampys come together on the field
Coach Steve Rampy
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hankdriskell sports editor
T
here have been amazing athletic families in both the professional and amateur sports world. The Manning brothers automatically come to mind when the words brothers and National Football League are mentioned. Other duos have been father-son teams like the late Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Dale Earnhardt Jr. And in the nearby town of Pittsburg, Kan., Pittsburg High School has seen four of the Meier brothers graduate and all move on to play football at the collegiate level. Not often do two brothers get the chance to play a sport together, not to mention be coached by their father. In 2004 then sophomore Zach Rampy joined the Varsity football team. Now, Zach is the senior starting quarterback and his sophomore brother Luke Rampy has joined the team. Coach Steve Rampy respects both of his sons as players but keeps in mind the family connection. “I will always value them more as sons than anything else,” Coach said. Both sons seem to recognize the family relationship as well. They even go as far as to say sometimes they let it get out of hand. “Sometimes I push his buttons,” Zach said. “I kind of talk back when he gets mad, but I know when I’ve taken it too far, “ Luke said. Coach Rampy, who played quarterback in college at Truman State, says he sees similarities and differences in his sons on the football field. It’s quite obvious that he admires his sons for the athletes they’ve become. “Zach’s a very athletic and fundamentally sound quarterback; I wasn’t as fundamentally sound as he is,” Coach said. “Luke, on the other hand, is all about heart and playing hard all the time; he is (Luke) a much better player than I thought he would be this year.” Both sons agreed that they had a little different relationship with their father on the field than at home. “It has been an eye-opening experience,” Luke said. “My dad is a lot different on the field than he is at home.” Zach has especially enjoyed getting the opportunity to play with his brother. Luke agreed. “I didn’t think I would get the chance to play with him (Luke),” Zach said. “It has been pretty cool.” “It has been awesome getting a chance to be a part of the team,” Luke said. “It has brought me closer to both of them (Coach and Zach).” In the first game of the season against Manhattan High School, Zach threw a touchdown pass to Luke. It was Luke’s first varsity game and first varstiy reception ever. “The pass was a memory he (Luke) will have forever,” Coach said. While the Rampy family may seem to be very respectful of each other and their individual talents, there seems to be a family struggle going on behind the scenes. Luke seems to think he is the toughest of the three since Coach and Zach are quarterbacks which are usually stereotyped as not as tough as other players. “They may be able to out run me, but I would run them both over,” Luke said. However, Luke will not be running over anybody for a while; he broke his wrist last Thursday in a sophomore game. Zach is sure he has the best throwing arm. “His (Coach’s) arm is like a kitty cat, and mine is like a big mean Tiger,” Zach said.
Zach Rampy rolls out to pass agains Blue Valley North Sept. 22.
Luke Rampy
Photos By Jay McPhail
20 Call Me Hank
tigerturf
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Fans tired of old stadium music
ock Jams, Jock Jams Volume 2, Jock Jams Volume 3, Jock Jams Volume 4, Jock Jams Volume 5, Jock Jams: All Star Jock Jams; these are all critically acclaimed CDs full of awesome stadium anthems. Well, truth be told these CDs contain different titles but most of the same songs. I’m tired of the Jock Jams monopoly on stadium anthem CDs. So here is a preview of my CD, Hank Jams: Get On Your Feet. My CD contains one or two of the Jock Hank Driskell Jams songs but for the most part takes stadium anthems to a totally new level. Here are four of the top jams from my CD. • “Kernkraft 400” by Zombie Nation - More commonly known as the “ohohoh” song, it’s guaranteed to get people on their feet. If you don’t believe me, believe the German people. Kernkraft 400 crawled its way to #2 on the German Dance Charts. Obviously the Germans know a good stadium anthem when they groove to one. • “C’mon Feel The Noise” by Quiet Riot - Indeed, c’mon and feel the noise Blue Valley. This song made
my CD based solely on the fact that its lyrics are of genius caliber. So go ahead girls, rock your boys and the crowd will get wild, wild, wild. • “I Like To Move It” by Reel 2 Real Featuring The Mad Stuntman - Well, who doesn’t like to move it? The song moved all the way up to the #5 spot on the British Singles Chart thanks to the help of Trinidad and Tobago rapper The Mad Stuntman. This upbeat techno style dance groove is sure to make any fan move it. • “Techno Bass” by Dynamix II - There is nothing like a good base line to get people moving. Well, in this song you don’t get a good bass line. You get a totally awesome base line. I mean the song is called “Techno Bass.” It collaborates two great things in music, techno and bass. There are a number of songs ‘on the bubble’ right now; they may be in or they may be out. One of these songs is Rock’n’Roll Part II by Gary Glitter. This song is currently banned at many stadiums due to Glitter recently being charged with molestation of young girls in Vietnam. I can’t decide if I want it in or out… Also on this list is “Bulls On Parade” by Rage Against The Machine. You may recognize this song as the theme song of the Havana Pitbulls from the wrestling organization Ring of Honor. The Havana Pitbulls know how to get nasty, and that’s exactly what I’m looking for on Hank Jams: Get On Your Feet.
Better Late Than Never Seniors don’t want any regrets, come out for sports for first time
Oct. 12, 2006
Sports Profiles
Senior Chris Castor Boys’ Soccer Biggest Rival:
Saint Thomas Aquinas
Favorite Athlete: Cordell Stewart
Pre-game Rituals: Play the game Sorry
Idea of paradise:
Sleeping on the beach under an umbrella with my honey.
Interpretive ice-dancing or Bob Ross painting? Ice Dancing
jakefaber
staff writer
S
weat drenched and sore, senior Jordan Pruitt lines up for one last play before he hits the showers. Pruitt is a new face on the defensive line. As the team’s new lineman, Pruitt has earned a well-deserved slot in the Tigers depth chart this season. After trying out for the football team for the first time ever, Pruitt was added to the varsity roster. “I think it’s amazing that Jordan was able to make the varsity team because of the experience of most of the players on the team as well as the team’s prestige,” senior Austin Quarles said. It certainly is an honor for Pruitt, as the team was ranked number one in Kansas by Sports Illustrated. With the first few games behind him, Pruitt is still having some pre-game jitters. “Yeah, I’m really nervous for the upcoming games, since I haven’t played in so long,” Pruitt said. However, the transition to football will not be as difficult for Pruitt, as he is an experienced rugby player for the Jr. Blues rugby team. Rugby, a game similar to football is played between the months of February and May. Luckily, Pruitt isn’t intimidated by his new football experience. “It’s not that awkward actually, since I’m friends with a lot of guys on the team,” Pruitt said. One of the reasons Pruitt came back to the game of football was the encouragement from his friends. He also wanted to stay in shape. Pruitt seems to be making himself at home with the team. “He really fits in with all the other boys. If you didn’t know the team, you’d swear he’d been playing every year,” varsity manager Sarah Bennett said. “Tryouts were physically hard, but I guess I’m used to it,” he said. Other than football and rugby, Pruitt says he plans to join an indoor soccer league in the winter.
Senior Kelsey Frerking Girls’ Golf Biggest Rival:
Blue Valley North
Favorite Athlete: Michael Phelps
Pre-game Rituals: Putting Practice
Senior Jordan Pruitt watches the Tigers take on the Bishop Miege Stags from the sideline. Pruitt, who also plays rugby, decided to come out for the football team his senior year. He has earned playing time in four out of the five games this season Pruitt isn’t the only senior to pick up a new activity; seniors Joel Hill, Chris Sage and Matt Silverstein are new members of the cross-country team. “I’m really glad they joined the team because they bring a certain positive quality to the team. It’s also pretty impressive that they decided to start a new sport their senior year, especially a sport where all you do is run,” teammate Jenn Hansen said.
Idea of Paradise:
Not having to work for the rest of my life.
Interpretive Ice Dancing or Bob Ross painting? Ice Dancing...duh
Polls by Gwen Bergerhofer and Morgan McMahon Players selected by coaches
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tigerturf
Oct 12, 2006
In your dreams...
Tips for building your fantasy football team
ianjanes
staff writer
J
unior Kolbe Joens sits at his computer 20 minutes before kickoff with football on his mind. Does he start Denver Broncos running back Mike Bell or Buffalo Bills running back Willis Magahee? With Kansas City Chiefs Tony Gonzalez on a bye week, does he start New England Patriots tight end Ben Watson or pick up a player off the waiver market? “I really like playing fantasy football because of the money involved and being able to talk trash on my friends,” Joens said. With fantasy football, avoid the temptation to pick your favorite player over the best player, like taking Kansas City Chiefs running back Priest Holmes, even though
you know he is not going to play a down this season. “I picked Randy Moss, not because he’s the best wide receiver, but because he plays for the Raiders and they’re one of my favorite teams,” senior Drew Brookner said. A few players leading the league at their perspective positions is the Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb and wide receiver Donte Stallworth, dominating their positions in fantasy points. A surprise standout at rushing yards is San Francisco 49ers running back Frank Gore who has 266 yards and three touchdowns early in his campaign. If you are looking for a tight end, then the guy to pick up is Cleveland Browns tight end Kellen Winslow. Last week he had 19 receptions for 197 yards and a touchdown. “My favorite player is Larry
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There’s no better way to get a head start on a college degree while staying close to home! Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS
913-469-8500 www.jccc.edu
Johnson, because when he scores touchdowns I always win,” Communication Arts teacher Mark Rabbitt said. With these early standout players, there is no guarantee that they can keep up the consistency. Some of the most consistent players during the last three years at running back include San Diego Chargers running back LaDainian Tomlinson and Cincinnati Bengals running back Rudi Johnson. If you are looking for a consistent quarterback then you should select either New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady or Indianapolis Colts quarterback Peyton Manning. Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Terrell Owens has always been a good pick, even with the trouble he’s had with multiple teams.
Communication Arts teacher Mark Rabbitt checks his fantasy football statistics on his computer after school hours. Photo by Gwen Bergerhofer
What now? Students prepare for post-high school athletics
ianjanes
staff writer
S
enior Ben Ehret has enjoyed playing football on Friday nights. After this season, Ehret will be playing football on Saturdays in college. And the decision of where to go is one he will have to make soon. “I’ve gone to the Nike College Combine and showcased my skills, and I hope to find an environment that will suit both my athletic and career goals,” Ehret said. For athletes, the road to finding a place to play sports can be a long and sometimes confusing process. Futhermore, it’s not always the on-field credentials that can put an athlete on the next level. “Coaches call and ask me about kids, and the first questions they always ask me is how are they as a student? And are they coachable?” soccer coach K. Dean Snell
said. Deciding on which colleges an athlete has an interest in is his or her first step. Education should be the top priority when choosing a school. “You have to be careful when choosing a college to play sports at; the education is the main reason that you are there.” Counselor Keith Elmore said. Along with online recruiting, letters are a great way to establish a relationship with a coach and a university. A letter should always be personalized to the coach, because if it is a template letter the coach might ignore it. “I’ve sent out information to numerous colleges, and I’ve gotten a lot of information back, now I have to finish off my senior year,” Ehret said. After deciding where to attend, the next step is classifying whether the college is in the National Collegiate Athletic Association or the
National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics. The clearinghouse is a way for college coaches to view transcripts and test scores. “The clearing house has so many guidelines and deadlines, you have to be really careful when registering because a mistake could really make a big difference on whether or not your test scores and transcripts can be sent to the colleges” Elmore said. After registering with the clearinghouse, recruits are then eligible by NCAA guidelines to have meetings with coaches, talk to them on the phone or have off-campus meetings beginning after the junior year of high school. “I have registered with the clearinghouse, and I have started getting calls from coaches, but I am still waiting for that one school to call that just jumps out at me as being the right one,” Ehret said.
22 Cross Country Head Coach: Diana Huber The varsity cross country team has had another good finish this past weekend at the Rim Rock Invitational. With the lead of Devin Wiegers with a finish time of 16:20, the girls improved from last year, finishing second overall out of 27 teams. At the Wyandotte Invitational on Sept. 28, the girls varsity dominated by having six runners finish in the top seven, including Elizabeth Baldwin, Ryann Green, Mindy Smith, Kari Rapp, Masha Lynd, and Jessica Mussatto. On Sept. 23, the team traveled to Ottawa, where Patrick Cooley finished fourth and Ryan Clark was the runner of the week.
Girls’ Golf Head Coach: Jim Laughlin The golf team traveled to Swope Park for the EKL tournament on Oct. 3. They finished fourth ahead of Blue Valley Northwest, and Bishop Miege. Stacy Yowell finished fifth individually. The Tigers also traveled to the Olathe South tournament on Sept. 28. They finished first overall, and all five of the Tigers medaled. LeAnn Stilley highlighted the win taking first place with a 40. Yowell was also named to the all EKL golf team for her accomplishments this year. The golf team went to regionals on Tuesday, and the state tournament is Oct. 18 in Manhattan.
tigerturf
Get up to speed Girls’ Tennis Head Coach: Nelson Elliot The girls’ tennis team competed in the Eastern Kansas League (EKL) tournament Sept. 30 in Prairie Village. Brianna Ortbals and Shelley Sparling placed seventh in doubles. As a team, they finished in sixth. On Oct. 3, the ladies faced Lawrence Free State. The Tigers fought hard through the tough wind, but came out short with a 5-4 loss. The ladies dominated St. James Academy on Sept. 28, with victories from everyone, posting a 9-0 win.
On a cool day on Sept. 18, the Tigers faced Olathe Northwest. With two wins from senior Niki Burczyk, the Tigers fell to a tough ONW team 9-3. On Sept. 26, the Tigers played in the Topeka West tournament, finishing third overall out of eight teams. With victories from doubles partners, Burczyk and Karaline Nunnally, placing third, while their teammates, Ortbals and Sparling, placed first in doubles. On Sept. 19 the Tigers faced Blue Valley West. With wins from most of the team, they finished with a win 9-3.
SPORTS
BRIEFS
Volleyball Head Coach: Christyn Haberly The volleyball team went to the East Kansas League tournament on Oct. 3, losing all three of their matches to Bishop Miege, Blue Valley West and Saint Thomas Aquinas. The Tigers also participated in the Ottawa tournament. They finished with a record of three and two. Brittany Noblitt served with 97 percent accuracy and Sam Martley did a nice job of setting. The Tigers will close out their regular season with the Blue Valley quad on Tuesday and the Turner quad on Oct. 17.
Boy’s Soccer
Head Coach: K. Dean Snell The boys’ soccer team played Lawrence Free State, winning 3-1 with a hat trick by Marshall Stula on Oct. 5. They traveled to Blue Valley Northwest on Oct. 3, losing to the Huskies, 6-1. A day earlier they traveled to Sumner Acadamy and defeated the Sumner Sabres 10-0. Both Mohammad Ramahi and Michael McDonald recorded hat tricks and Marshall Stula, Hunter Peterman, and Adam Foote each added a goal. Andrew Katzenstein recorded the shut out. The soccer team defeated the Louisburg Wildcats 8-0 on
Oct. 12, 2006 Sept. 28. McDonald scored two goals, and single goals were added by Ramahi, Joey Mendrala, Chris Martin and Chris Castor. Katzenstein in place of injured goal keeper Nick Zebeck, preserved his first high school shutout in the win. The Tigers will close out their regular season against Emporia High School on Oct. 19.
Football Head Coach: Steve Rampy The football team traveled to Blue Valley Northwest Oct. 6 to play its second game of the season at the district activity complex. The Tigers defeated the Blue Valley Northwest Huskies, 35-0. Senior quarterback Zach Rampy had a great game racking up over 350 yards of total offense. The defense recorded its second shut out of the year. The Tigers played the HyVee game of the week against the Saint Thomas Aquinas Saints Sept. 29 at home. The Tigers defeated the Saints 4421. The defense had a great fourth quarter forcing five turnovers. Nate Wiechmann intercepted three passes from Saints’ quarterback Matt Joshi. The Tigers traveled to the District Activity Complex Sept. 21 to take on the Blue Valley North Mustangs. The Tigers got nearly a half in before the game was called due to weather with the Tigers leading 17-7. The Tigers finished the game the next day and won, 52-17.
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upcoming
Oct 12, 2006
October/ November, 2006 photos by Karen Melton, Jay McPhail and Nina Humphrey
sunday
monday
tuesday
wednesday thursday
It’s like being on a beach, but without sand, sun, water, and speedos
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Volleyball quad at BV
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No School
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12 Boo and yea all on the same day!
Testing today and tomorrow
School starts Home Football game vs at 7:45 a.m. Gardner today but gets out at 1 p.m.
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Parent/ Teacher Conferences today
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Be nice to your teachers today Even more Parent/Teacher Conferences today
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Get your game face on
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Let’s get fired up — no school and a football game!
Run, Tigers, run!
Cross Country Football game meet at Rim Rock at BVW
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Theater, ceramics, journalism, oh my!
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Arts Potpurri during Tiger Time
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“Such a sisterhood, brotherhood, comradship- like no other place, like no other time.”
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It’s the most wonderful tme of the year!
Halloween is the second most commercially successful holiday after Christmas Happy Halloween
saturday
To do list: Sleep in, watch TV, go to the football game at Ottawa
Is all your homework in?
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friday
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Piece of My Heart -7 p.m. 9 in the PAC
Get excitedNovember issue of the Tiger Print comes out!
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pictureperfect
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T R S Potpourri
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tudents will experience the arts during a special Tiger Time, which is called the Arts potpourri, Thursday, Nov. 2. All fine arts and performing arts will display their work or perform for the entire student body that day. “We want to provide students exposure to the wonderful, myriad art opportunities in this school,” teacher Mark Mosier said. “Often students don’t see the opportunities and facilities we offer.” Included in these presentations will be a fine arts museum walk and videos of broadcasting, newspaper and yearbook students. In the performing arts wing the debate squad will offer a sample debate and the jazz band, drumline and orchestra will perform. Chambers will also sing and a teaser for the Fall Play will be presented. The program will start at 1 p.m. so Tiger time advisory will be moved till the end of the day. The schedule will also be adjusted for lunch, moving sixth hour after second.
A sample of what students might see Nov. 2 are pictured on
this page. Featured above is junior Melanie Troutman, who looks through some developed negatives in photography class. At right Bunmi Morohunfola practices his drums. Photo essay by Nina Humphrey
Oct. 12, 2006