The Tiger Print — October 2019

THE TIGER PRINT

blue valley high school | vol. 50 | issue 3 | october 2019 | bvtigernews.com | overland park, kansas

kkEEEEPP Q U I ETT victims of sexual assault share experiences, road to recovery read about it on page 13

design by charlie trent

2 | october 2019 | contents

Contents NEWS

4

Fall Outing Dunn’s Cider Mill celebrates its 43rd anniversary.

FEATURE

10

Breast Cancer Awareness Month Kathryn Sanfle shares how breast cancer affected her outlook on life.

ENTERTAINMENT

23

Teaser pumpkin.

OPINION

29

Teaser MULLETS

| DESIGN BY YOUR NAME

//TIGER PRINT THE

editors-in-chief managing editor Maddy Kang Vince Orozco Shay Lawson staff members Megan Bridges Chloe Browning Emily Cummings Isabelle Fletcher Aubrey Herrin

Erika Kolseth Stephanie Kontopanos Ani Kreegar Frannie Lamberti Harrison Melton

design editor Charlie Trent

adviser Michelle Huss

Claire Middleton Tymber Moody Spencer Norman Lizzy Parkerson Liya Patel Jaidyn Phillips

Claire Powell Mia Rice Gabriela Ruiz Olivia Sherlock

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students eight times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy.

Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication. “The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content.

Letters should be submitted to Room 450, emailed to thetigerprint@gmail.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

OFF the RADAR

news |october 2019 |

3

Harold Bloom, 89, dies Sterling Professor of Humanities at Yale University Harold Bloom died on Oct. 14 at the age of 89. He was a literary scholar and critic who was famous for popular works such as the Western Canon and Shakespeare: the Invention of the Human.

Throughout his career, Bloom argued that the merits of art, particularly literature, are based off an aesthetic value that relates to various archetypes and insights into the human spirit, rather than socio-political relevance.

Trudeau wins re-election On Oct. 21, Canada held its 43rd general election.

The main parties of contention were the Liberal Party, led

by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau; the Conservative Party, led

by MP Andrew Scheer; the Bloc Québécois Party, led by MP Yves-François Blanchet; the New Democratic Party, led by MP Jagmeet Singh; the Green Party, led by MP Elizabeth May; and the People’s Party, led by Maxime Bernier.

This Pyrric victory by Trudeau occurred in spite of the various ethics scandals that preceded the election; however, the Liberal Party lost the majority they had gained in 2015.

Protests in Chile Demonstrations in Chile were ignited on Oct. 14 after an increase in metro fares, despite a rollback soon after the protests began. Additional grievances cited as motivations for the protest movement were rising economic inequality, pension instability, and corruption.

According to NPR, President Sebastián Piñera declared that the country was “at war with a powerful enemy,” after the largely peaceful protests gave way to bouts of violence. This then led Piñera to send in the military to crack down on protestors.

However, on Oct. 22, in an attempt to ease tensions, Piñera announced various reforms such as introducing a higher minimum wage, further taxing the wealthy, and improving pensions. | PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE | WORDS BY VINCE OROZCO

4 | october 2019 | news

Fallin’ Into 43 Years

made with fresh apples

Dunn Cider Mill celebrates with timeless fall traditions

Open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Saturday and Sunday

cinnamon donuts and regular donuts

liya patel staff writer It’s that time again — warm apple donuts, fresh cider and pumpkin patch pictures.

These are some of the many aspects that have helped Dunn’s Cider Mill maintain its success over the last 43 years.

From the weekend after Labor Day to the last weekend in October, Dunn’s Cider Mill becomes a hotspot for many locals to come and enjoy some fall festivities.

When visiting, it is likely to find long lines of hungry families waiting to get their hands on some of the mill’s fresh donuts and apple cider.

This season, the apples used to achieve the famous cider, were running a little behind. However, that didn’t stop the mill from improvising and handing out fresh cherry slushies.

Usually, the mill is used to having fresh apples on hand, so they are able to produce the cider right when the fall season

begins, but the locals were definitely satisfied with the new addition to the menu.

Along with the famous cider, the mill is well-known for its delicious donuts. Because they offer both cinnamon and regular, everyone who comes to the mill is able to find exactly what they are looking for to satisfy their fall cravings.

Food is not the only thing the cider mill has to offer.

When pulling into the lot, visitors are greeted with a live band, corn toss, pictureperfect scenery and welcoming picnic tables to enjoy time with loved ones.

For 43 years, Dunn’s Cider Mill has continuously proven to contribute to the overall aesthetic of fall in the Kansas City area and has no plans of closing anytime soon.

The mill hopes to carry on with its regular festivities until they find something new to add the mix. With fresh, warm cider and hundreds upon hundreds of donuts, Dunn’s Cider Mill will continue to be a one-stopshop for all fall-fun. picturesque with live band

family friendly with games

| DESIGN BY EMILY CUMMINGS

Dunn’s Cider Mill

17003 Holmes Road; Belton, Missouri

news |october 2019 |

Happy Haunting in Disney World mia rice staff writer

Disney World commemorated the 50th anniversary of the iconic Haunted Mansion, the expedition that takes people through some of the scariest thrills Mickey has to offer.

During the celebration, a lot of fans raged about the surprises. Fans said that not only were some improvements made to the ride, but also, a few collectibles have been released.

With an admission paid ahead of time, visitors indulged in after-hour park festivities on Aug 8-9.

The first surprise of Disney’s celebration for the mansion was a couple more characters added to the attraction — live ones. Actors danced through the grand ballroom, endless hallway and hitchhiker’s mirrors. This surprise made the horrors feel like they came to life.

This chill-bound party kept the Halloween spirit throughout the park’s workers, so much so that alumnus Mitch McCroskey, who works with Disney’s very own Hocus Pocus Villain Spelltacular, said, “Disney has seemed very excited about this anniversary.

Haunted Mansion is a classic ride that almost every guest puts on their to-do list.”

Having even the park’s staff excited must make the visitors even more. With all the buzz on the ride’s birthday, the wait time increased and McCroskey was excited for all the events that come from Halloween in the theme park.

“Disney does a great job of honoring the rides with merchandise coming out,” McCroskey said. “By adding the new merchandise, it gets people interested in the rides again if they had lost any interest over the years.”

Even after the ride’s anniversary

5

Haunted Mansion celebrates its 50th Anniversary

party passed, Disney kept the spooky elements throughout a separate party known as “Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween.”

The Haunted Mansion is a landmark in the park and seems to host many core elements to this year’s bash.

The parade, character meet-and-greets and after-hour secrets all have been connecting into the celebration.

The park’s spirits have been up with the fall season coming in.

“It’s been super fun to see everyone excited about celebrating such a classic ride,” McCroskey said.

| DESIGN MIA RICE & ANI KREEGER

6 | october 2019 | news

Change in the Spooky Day Petition sparks debate over Halloween’s date

isabelle fletcher & lizzy parkerson staff writers

O

53%

| DESIGN BY ISABELLE FLETCHER & LIZZY PARKERSON

yed rve su

nce called Samhain by the Celts 2,000 years ago, Halloween is a long-standing tradition that has been around for years.

Following this, the day after Halloween is known as All Saints Day by Catholics. Oct. 31 and Nov. 1 are rooted deep in history.

“I am very hesitant to change the holiday that’s so old,” Latin teacher Joseph McDonald said. “Halloween is Halloween because it’s coming before the holiday on Nov. 1. It’s treating the holiday as if it has no historical roots.”

The modern world has allowed people to share their opinions and find people who agree with them. On July 25, 2018, the Halloween & Costume Association (HCA) created a petition on Change.org to change the date of Halloween.

The petition asked for Halloween to be moved to the last Saturday of October, claiming it was to create a “safer, longer and stress-less celebration.” The petition also included statistics and information about why they believe the change is necessary.

“What I think would be great is what Iowa does — they have a baker’s night,” ELA teacher Rebecca Knueven said. “They go trick-ortreating the night before Halloween. That gives the kids a night and that way the next night, if it’s on a weekend, the adults actually can go to parties and things like that. I think it’s a good idea to break up just the trick-or-treating aspect.”

Currently, the petition is attempting to gain 150,000 signatures.

Nearing their goal, they are currently at 150,079 as of Oct. 15.

The HCA has recently updated its current description of the petition.

“Instead of changing the date that Americans celebrate Halloween, we will be adding an additional day of festivities in partnership with Party City and other brands,” the petition reads. “National Trick or Treat Day will take place annually on the last Saturday of October so families across the country 271 stu de can participate in community parades, throw neighborhood nts parties and opt for daytime Trick or Treating.”

Halloween falling on Oct. 31 doesn’t affect people as much as the petition signers think. Many parents with kids that go trick-or-treating don’t think the day should change. Halloween has been a holiday celebrated on the last day of October for ages, and people have suggested the holiday shouldn’t be changed for children and adults.

“For the sake of the tradition, I say keep it on the 31st,” Knueven said.

47%

no yes

news |october 2019 |

PAVING THE

7

PARADE

BV takes on new route for Homecoming parade claire middleton staff writer Here at Blue Valley, tradition is something we keep alive each and every year.

From sending teams off to State through spirit tunnels, to the beginning of the school year picnics, to donuts, tradition is something that will never be left out.

One annual event that everyone knows about is Homecoming — the time of year where events upon events are planned leading up to the big dance on Saturday night.

One of these events is the parade, where the community gathers to watch decorated floats pass by; dance team, cheerleaders and band perform; and what is going on at the high school.

The route has consecutively been throughout the Green Meadows neighborhood, leading up to Stanley Elementary and eventually back to Blue Valley.

Although this is something the Sophomore Stanley elementary kids look float forward to experiencing right in front of their school, Blue Valley decided to change the route of the parade to reach more Blue Valley district schools in the area.

This year, all floats, royalty nominees, band, cheer and dance members, lined up in front of Sunrise Point Elementary school.

Student Body President senior Surina Walia, described some obstacles faced while making this Olivia King, transition.

10 “The most challenging part was working with the local police in order to get 159th Street closed since it is such a busy intersection,” Walia said.

Although it was a struggle to organize this event, Walia said the intentions of this new route were exceedingly met.

“We were able to have both SPE, BRE and BVMS students watch our parade this year, in addition to Stanley,” Walia said. “I would say that was the most successful part of our parade.”

Seventh grader Lauren Browning from Blue Valley Middle School shared how this new parade route effected her and her classmates.

“I’m excited because we’ve never been able to do this before — this was the first year we were able to do this,” Browning said.

While the decision on Thalia whether or not to continue Ramirez, 12 & the new route next year is unAndrew decided at this point, Walia said Wolfe, 12 that the administration, as well as the elementary schools, want it to become a new school tradition. | DESIGN BY AUBREY HERRIN

| PHOTO BY CLAIRE POWELL After his team scores a touchdown, senior Will Montgomery celebrates. “My [grandma] ended up passing away [recently], and last thing we talked about was beating Rockhurst,” Montgomery said. “Actually doing it was one of the best feelings in my life.”

| PHOTO BY CHLOE BROWNING At the Homecoming bonfire, senior McCall Smith kicks a football. “It’s fun going out and talking with people and doing different activities,” Smith said.

| PHOTO BY NICHOLAS MOHAMMADI Dodging water, sophomore Sofia Hughes performs in the Repetory Theatre class show. “It was fun performing with my friends,” Hughes said.

| DESIGN BY CLAIRE POWELL

news |october 2019 |

| PHOTO BY SPENCER NORMAN Riding in the Homecoming parade, student body president senior Surina Walia waves to the crowd. “We got to do a lot of new things that haven’t been done at the school,” she said. “The most exciting part was incoporating all the other feeder schools.”

Check out more about the new Homecoming parade route on Page 7.

9

| PHOTO BY CLAIRE POWELL Junior Kaylea Cummings executes her color guard routine after the Homecoming game. “We add new choreography and [continue to put] everything together,” she said.

| PHOTO BY CLAIRE POWELL With Homecoming king senior Colin Wood, Homecoming queen senior Evelyn Diederich dances. “Colin is such a good guy and it makes me happy to know that my school thinks of me in that way,” Diederich said.

| PHOTO BY CLAIRE POWELL Sophomore Arveen Tahmasebi heads a ball during the boys varsity soccer game. “I feel like we’re doing a lot better than the other years,” Tahmasebi said. “[We have] good leaders, especially with the seniors.”

PINK POWER Teacher discusses her breast cancer journey, importance of breast cancer awareness

charlie trent & frannie lamberti design editor & staff writer

T T

hroughout the month of October, people all over the world your name participate in Breast Cancer your position Awareness Month. This time is used to celebrate victims and survivors as well as bring to thisyou disease.

One hisawareness is the template should of Blueuse Valley’s Kathryn if youown wantteachers, the byline and Sanfle, recently thehas drop cap. battled breast cancer.

“Before the end of the [2017-18] school year, I had found a lump under my armpit that didn’t go away,” Sanfle said. “It was a swollen lymph node, but I kind of knew what it was.”

In order to get closure and an official diagnosis, Sanfle needed to visit a doctor and get a test done on the growth she found.

“From the results of the biopsy, [the wait] was probably close to 10 days [or] two weeks,” Sanfle said, “It felt like this weird, foggy in between time of, ‘I know, but they can’t tell me for sure yet, but I know.’”

After telling her family and friends, Sanfle said she was flooded with support your name from all sides.

“The Blue Valleyyour Highposition School community has been amazing,” Sanfle said.

“They took up donations to clean my house. They did a meal train and fed my Thisfor is the template you should use family six months.” if you are designing opiniongiven page.by In addition to theansupport the school community, she said that she found comfort in therapy.

“I have an amazing therapist that I probably wouldn’t have made it through

| DESIGN BY CHARLIE TRENT

the last year and a half [without],” Sanfle said. “I was seeing [my therapist] very regularly through all of it to process, ‘What does this mean for my life? How can I take it as positive lessons? How it can impact my life in the long run?’”

Sanfle emphasized the importance of being aware that breast cancer is a very real and large threat to not only yourself, but those around you as well.

“Breast cancer affects one in eight women, and if you look around the school and how many girls there are, to think that one in eight of us will be affected by breast cancer is an unbelievably high number,” Sanfle said. “That’s two or three girls out of every class you sit in every day.”

Since breast cancer affects many people, Sanfle said it is better to get scans and exams done instead of waiting and not taking care of yourself.

“I didn’t think I ever thought it would happen to me — I don’t have a family history and I have very low risk factor,” Sanfle said, “On paper, the probability that I would have breast cancer at all is about 5 percent. Just because you don’t think it’s going to happen doesn’t mean that it won’t.”

Sanfle said battling breast cancer has changed her and how she views her role in her life.

“If I looked back at how I’ve spent my time I want to be filling my life with the things that make me happy and support people around me,” Sanfle said, “[Cancer] has helped me see more clearly [of] what my place in the world is and what I want it to be.”

1 in 8

feature |october 2019 |

approximately 1 in 8 women (12%) develop breast cancer in their lifetime

3.1

million

breast cancer survivors live in the United States

11

how to reduce your risk of breast cancer

exercise

in 2019, approximately

41,760

maintain healthy weight

women will die from breast cancer check often

around

85%

of breast cancer cases are found in women with no family history | STATISTICS FROM BREASTCANCER.ORG

eat a healthy diet

12 | october 2019 | feature

VSCO or VSCNO? popular social media app starts trends stephanie kontapanos & harrison melton staff writers VSCO girls — they’re everywhere.

They walk the Blue Valley hallways, sporting oversized T-shirts and scrunchies, clinking their hydroflasks and

responding to everything with “sksks.” A lot of people have hopped on this trend, inspired by the VSCO app.

Although many girls have adopted this style, whether by accident or on purpose, some people are strongly opposed to this new style and culture.

VSCO Girl

Anti-VSCO Girl

Sophomore Emily Oppold considers herself to be a VSCO girl. She discovered VSCO when she noticed one of her friends editing a photo using the app.

Oppold’s favorite VSCO content is summer ideas and activities rather than specific styles.

“My favorite [trend] is probably things to do in the summer, like painting on your back,” she said.

However, Oppold is opposed to glorified e-cigarettes on VSCO. “Some people post about vaping,” she said. “They think it’s cool. I’m not into that.”

The price to have the original VSCO style is expensive. “[It’s] 100 [dollars] for one outfit if you have Air Force One [shoes] — those are expensive.” Oppold said.

Oppold wants VSCO haters to understand why they follow these trends.

“Just because we’re basic doesn’t mean that we don’t have fun,” Oppold said. “People think we do it to be like everyone else, but it’s mostly just to have fun.”

On the other hand, VSCO trends have been heavily criticized by some people.

As for the app itself, sophomore Sarah Hallock has never downloaded the app.

“I don’t need that,” she said. “I’ve got other editing apps.”

Hallock uses scrunchies on her hair but doesn’t like the way VSCO girls wear them.

“Why do you need to have a bunch on your wrist if you’re not using them?” Hallock said.

Hallock doesn’t like Hydroflasks, one of the most wellknown VSCO accessories because of their price.

“Why would one spend $60 or $70 for a metal water bottle you can get from Walmart for so much cheaper?”

Hallock said. “It’s the brand name. I’ve always had a problem with brand names.”

Despite Hallock’s opposition to VSCO girls, there are some trends she supports.

“I do like the reusable straws because I love the environment,” Hallock said.

Hallock leaves the VSCO girls with activist advice.

“Save all marine life — not just the turtles,” she said.

VSCO Which app do you spend the most time on?

Other

Do you own a Hydroflask?

Do you say “sksksk” or “and i oop-?”

You’re a VSCO girl

No Yes Yes No

| DESIGN BY HARRISON MELTON, STEPHANIE KONTOPANOS & MEGAN BRIDGES

You’re not a VSCO girl

on the c0ver |october 2019 |

13

nnoo oonnee hhaass ttoo kknnooww written by claire powell Chloe Browning Mia rice The Tiger Print staff acknowledges there is sensitive information in this article about sexual violence. The content in this article may elicit unwanted reactions from those affected by similar matters. Please read at your own discretion.

To protect the privacy of those interviewed, parties involved in the incidents mentioned have had their names changed. | DESIGN BY CHARLIE TRENT

the DANGERS OF S E X U A L A S S A U L T

1

in

6

men ex p e r i e n c e d some form of c o n t a c t s ex u a l violence in their lifetime

8 out of 1 10 In

cases of rape, t h e v i c t i m k n ew the perpetrator

in

3

wo m e n ex p e r i e n c e some form of c o n t a c t s ex u a l violence in their lifetime

in the news On Jan. 24, 2018 former physician for the American gymnastics team, Larry Nassar was sentenced 40 to 175 years in prison for his several counts of sex abuse and child pornography. Later that week, in a separate trial, he was given 40 to 125 years after 156 women stepped forward to accuse Nassar of his sexual assaults against Olympic athletes such as Aly Raisman, Jordyn Wieber, Gabby Douglas, Simone Biles, McKayla Maroney and Madison Kocian.

Throughout his years as the team’s physician, Nassar molested athletes who came to him for medical treatment.

In 2016, The Indianapolis Star brought to light the problem by revealing that U.S.A. Gymnastics, the sport’s governing body, had kept files of complaints that involved more than 50 coaches suspected of abusing athletes. In many of these cases, officials had failed to alert law enforcement.

In September 2016, two former gymnasts who had accused Nassar of sexual abuse during their childhood were interviewed by The Indianapolis Star. Both women spoke out | DESIGN BY CHARLIE TRENT

saying Nassar had penetrated them with his fingers, claiming it was a medical procedure.

The gymnasts were Olympic medalist Jamie Dantzscher, who had remained anonymous at first as well as Rachael Denhollander.

Denhollander “opened the floodgates” when she became the last woman the 156th over the course of the seven-day trial to testify at Nassar’s trial in Ingham County, Michigan.

These women all sat in front of the man that assaulted then and retold the wretched things he had done to them.

Judge Rosemarie Aquilina opened her courtroom to any young woman who wished to step forward to speak.

As she imposed his sentence, Aquilina looked at Nassar and claimed, “I just signed your death warrant.”

student experiences

on the cover |october 2019 |

15

p aFortthree t y years Blue Valley student “Patty” was in an abu-

sive relationship with a former Blue Valley student “Samuel.” ”It was my first ever relationship — I was just a seventh grader [and] he’s three years older,” Patty said. “He was super nice for the first year. He treated me like every single girl wants to be treated.”

It all seemed like a fairytale but later in the relationship is when Patty noticed red flags.

“It started out with him being really controlling,” Patty said. “At first, he would take my phone [and] yell at me if I was texting other guys. He made me block everyone.”

Samuel also began telling Patty how she should dress when she goes out in public.

“I remember a guy groped me one time [when I] was in the mall because I was wearing a dress,” Patty said. “I told [Samuel and he told me I was] dressing like a slut — it’s my fault. I got that mindset that everything that happened to me from that point on was my fault.”

Soon after these red flags came into play, events took a turn for the worse. As Patty got into the eighth grade, she became suicidal and admitted into the hospital.

“When I came back out, I got two black eyes from him,” Patty said. “He broke my nose.”

Patty thought the abuse couldn’t get worse until it did one night at a party. “[He] drugged my drink,” Patty said. “I woke up with four guys on top of me [and] I didn’t know what was happening.

He said that he was doing it because he loved me and he

j eAfterb waking up hungover, Blue Valley student “Jeb,” was

sexually assaulted by a girl named “Jane” at a party.

“In the morning I was completely lost. I had no idea where I was,” Jeb said. “I called [a friend] and he told me I was at [Jane’s] place. I didn’t even know what her name was.”

A few days after the encounter, Jeb received an invitation to be friends on Snapchat from Jane.

“I didn’t know who she was so I added her back,” Jeb said. “My friend saw it on my phone and told me it was her. I immediately blocked her.”

Jeb said he didn’t tell his family about the assault because he didn’t want to get them involved in the mess.

“My parents and my siblings don’t know because I was so

wanted me to have experience.”

Samuel would tell Patty that he abused and sexually assaulted her to benefit her.

“In my head [he was] hitting me because he loved me — making me drink and do certain drugs because he loved me — making me do sexual acts because he loved me,” Patty said.

When Patty got the courage to end things with Samuel she brought a friend with her. As she broke up with Samuel, he grabbed at her arm and her hair. Immediately, her friend stepped in to stop the violence.

“That was the first time in years I gave myself a voice,” Patty said. “Since that day, he hasn’t tried to contact me.”

For Patty, the road to recovery will never be over, but she has taken significant steps in bettering her life. With a supportive group of friends and an amazing new boyfriend, Patty has taken her life back.

“I learned that I should have more self-esteem,” Patty said. confused [about] the whole situation,” Jeb said. “I didn’t want to put them through that.”

Despite not sharing that night with his family, Jeb’s friends and past girlfriends knew.

“Once you tell one person, everybody’s going to know,” Jeb said. “[My past girlfriend] wasn’t bothered by it. Even [with] my friends, no one’s brought it up in months.”

Jeb said he feels as if society looks down on males who have been sexually assaulted.

“Guys have to act all tough and [be] macho man,” Jeb said. “If you come out and say you were sexually assaulted or abused, you’re looked as weak.”

Though the school does talk about sexual assault, Jeb believes it needs to be handled differently.

“The one thing I’ve always grown up hearing is women are always taught to watch out for predators — don’t be alone, be safe,” Jeb said. “[People] should also be teaching boys not to [sexually assault] others and vice versa. Prevent it at the source instead of preventing it after it happened.”

Jeb now looks at the sexual assault to learn from; for example, not drinking or partying as often as he used to.

“I’d rather be the one looking after everybody,” Jeb said.

“Sometimes you want to forget, but other times that’s an experience you don’t want to lose because it makes you think harder when you make choices.”

16 | october 2019 | feature

SOPHOMORE TAKEOVER

Typically only seniors and juniors are on the varsity team for sports, but with a positive attitude and an excellent work ethic, anything is possible as proven by the numerous sophomores on varsity teams this school year.

HADLEY WAY Hadley Way cheers on the varsity football players every Friday night.

“It’s such a good environment,” Way said. “The crowd gives off the energy and almost like an adrenaline. When I hit a solid [stunt], everyone starts cheering — my bases and all of my friends. When you make eye contact with someone, and they’re cheering you on, it’s exciting and fun.”

Way said being kind and having good sportsmanship are important qualities for a cheerleader.

“Keeping a positive attitude in school and at practice [is needed],” Way said, “Also coming to everything even if you feel like you don’t need to be there — it’s just the support [that helps].”

Way is also involved in other activities besides cheer.

“I’m involved in a lot of shows, and I’m in [choir]

classes at the school,” Way said, “I’m [also a] dance captain for [Classy Ladies]. I take a lot of lessons for my guitar and singing.”

Way said waiting on the side with JV is very different than being on the field with varsity.

“Last year when I was on JV, we would have games almost every day of the week and FNL [Friday Night Lights] so there was a lot [of commitments] then,” Way said.

Way said she enjoys being on varsity because of the big team and the other girls in her grade.

“It’s fun cheering [on varsity] because people say, ‘Oh, you’re a sophomore,’ because sophomores usually don’t make the team,” Way said.

GREYSON HOLBERT Greyson Holbert loves playing on the football team because the players have good relationships with one another. He said it is fun seeing everybody in the crowd.

“There’s a lot more people that are watching you,” Holbert said “I feel like it’s very encouraging. It makes you want to play [better]. [During] freshman games, I feel like you’re just there to play for your parents.”

Not only is Holbert excited for himself about being on the team, but he said his friends are elated as well. “[My friends] all think it’s exciting that I’m playing varsity,” he said. “They all like coming out to watch me play.”

Holbert said he enjoys his position of running back because of the fast pace.

“If had to choose another position it would be safety,” Holbert said, “I like hitting and making big plays, too.”

Holbert worked hard to earn his spot on varsity during the off-season.

“I think I made varsity because of my athletic ability and my hard work,” Holbert said, “I’m true to the game.

I love the game.”

Holbert wants to play Division-I football in college by showing off his talents.

“I inspire to be a better player by working hard on and off the field,” he said.

| WORDS & DESIGN BY MADDY KANG, FRANNIE LAMBERTI & SHAY LAWSON

feature |october 2019 |

17

STERLING LOCKETT Sterling Lockett has come from a long legacy of football being that his dad, uncle and brother have played for teams such as the Jaguars, Seahawks and even the Chiefs.

He said he doesn’t feel pressure from their achievements and uses them as inspiration.

“I just see it as a goal to look up to and try to reach so it’s more motivation,” Lockett said.

He began playing football in second grade and made the varsity football team this year.

“I was excited when I found out,” Lockett said. “I felt like it was going to be a really good year.”

Lockett said putting in extra work and dedicating himself toward something every day gave him a better chance of making the team.

“It’s better playing with the upperclassmen because you’re going against bigger and stronger people, so it just

helps to get you more accustomed to the game,” Lockett said. “[You could say] when I first started it was intimidating, but the more you play, the more you get used to it.”

He said he would love the chance to play football in college but is consumed with his training schedule now.

“Our normal football practices are usually around three hours every day,” Lockett said. “Then sometimes we’ll stay after and do some extra things.”

Lockett also plays basketball and baseball for the school.

“My time is consumed with a lot of sports,” Lockett said. “ I also enjoy spending time with my friends.”

Lockett’s first varsity touchdown was in the game against Blue Valley North.

“Just being around my teammates and having a good time is the best part,” Lockett said. “I like being around the team and getting to work.”

ELLA QUIGLEY When Ella Quigley found out she had made the varsity cheerleading team, she was ecstatic.

“Usually, sophomores don’t make varsity, but there’s also a new coach this year,” Quigley said. “Some things have adjusted which is totally fine. It was pretty cool to make varsity.”

Quigley started her high school cheerleading experience just one year ago but has done all-star cheer since she was in first grade and plans to incorporate her passion into her future plans.

“I’ve been a cheerleader my whole life so I’m definitely thinking about doing cheer in college,” Quigley said, “I’m doing some clinics soon for stunting, but high school cheer [has] definitely helped me and also all-star cheer [has], too.”

Quigley was surprised when she got the news that she made varsity cheer as a sophomore.

“If you really want to make varsity and you’re younger,

it’s not all about tumbling and your skills,” she said.

Quigley said high school cheer is mostly about having spirit, connecting with the team and being sharp — this is why some of the sophomores who tried out made varsity.

“It’s a lot about smiling and being really energetic,” Quigley said. “That’s what people who watch want to see.”

Quigley thinks the connection with the upperclassman on the team really makes a difference because they inspire her to do her best.

“My favorite part about high school cheer is [that] I meet a lot of new people and make new friends,” Quigley said. “The bond we all have with BV Cheer is really cool.”

| PHOTOS BY CHARLIE TRENT

18 | october 2019 | feature

H

alloween is celebrated by almost all Americans, yet in the frenzy of candy and costumes, the true meaning behind it is often forgotten.

It originated from an older holiday called Samhain, but has developed to have more Christian and Western influence. The initial focus of the celebration was on spirits and the end of the harvest season.

Since then, the holiday has evolved to be more lighthearted. Younger kids dress up in costumes and go from house to house saying, “Trick or treat.”

The meaning behind this phrase is that if the trick-or-treater doesn’t receive their candy, they will trick or cause mischief to the house and family.

Older kids celebrate Halloween by visiting haunted houses, going to costume parties and doing fall-themed activities.

Spooky Celebrations Around the World

Samhain The Samhain (sow-in) holiday is celebrated by Scottish and Irish people, as well as modern Pagans. Bonfires and candles are lit, since fire represents the welcoming of winter and is an important element to Pagans.

Dinners that day are silent to honor the dead. Some people remove all electronics from the dining room and Día de los Muertos/ reserve one seat at their Day of the Dead dining table for the spirits.

“Día de los Muertos” is a holiday celePomegranates, which symbrated by most Mexicans. bolize life, and apples, which It originated from rituals dating thousymbolize death, are offered to the sands of years ago in Mesoamerica. It dead. was first practiced by the Aztec people Black and orange colors are a in Mexico. theme in Samhain celebrations since Eventually, the holiday spread to they also symbolize life and death.

Spain during the medieval ages. SpanThis holiday also serves as an ish conquistadors brought the holiday opportunity for Wiccans to practice to the New World, bringing darker their spirituality by getting in touch with views of dead after the Black Plague. nature, holding divination ceremonies The purpose of the holiday is to and gathering with other Wiccans. honor deceased family members. An Despite the mysterious and ancient tone important part of the holiday is the of the holiday, it is also celebrated in fun “Ofrenda,” an altar with memorabilia and lighthearted ways. Children make and food offerings for the deceased and wear masks. Some wear animal family. “Calaveras” are pieces of art costumes, as per tradition. Older kids or writing that commemorate the and adults go to balls to dance dead. Specific traditions also The movie “Evil Breed: The vary from town to town.

Legend of Samhain” (Rated The Disney-Pixar movie R) provides some information | DESIGN BY MIA RICE “Coco” (PG) is heavily inspired on the history of the holiday. | WORDS BY STEPHANIE KONTOPANOS by this holiday.

feature |october 2019 |

19

It’s Raining Cats and Dogs Wayside Waifs staff shares details of animal shelter

tymber moody & chloe browning staff writers Wayside Waifs is an animal shelter with more than 300 animals available for adoption. These animals that come to the shelter aren’t public pets — they’ve all been either homeless, their owner was no longer able to take care of them or they have endured other similar situations to these.

Believe it or not, this year marks the 75th year that Wayside Waifs has been open. They have grown throughout those 75 years — not just in size, but in their reputation and care for their animals.

This care is seen in their staff who works with the animals day-in and day-out to make sure all the animals are happy and healthy. The many volunteers that help out with the animals also show how dedicated Wayside Waifs’ staff is to their animals’ happiness.

“We have a volunteer pool of about 1,300 volunteers,” Wayside Waifs employee Casey Waugh said.

“They get the animals in and out of their kennel, they read stories to them, they play with their toys and sit in their kennel with them so they don’t feel like they’re institutionalized.”

A big part of keeping the dogs happy is having volunteers there to hangout and play with them. Some dogs are able to go out to foster families who take the dogs in and take care of them until someone wants to adopt the dog. These foster families also help socialize the dogs, keep them happy and into a temporary home so they’re not cooped up in a kennel all the time.

Even with the help of the foster families, Wayside Waifs only has a limited amount of space to house all

of the animals. They have about 250 kennels in the building for dogs, cats and other animals they have at the shelter.

That’s actually a very small amount of places to put all of the animals, but Wayside Waifs is a no kill shelter. This means that they do not kill their animals if they are not adopted after a certain amount of time.

Even if they were beginning to run out of room to put their animals, they would not euthanize for space. Luckily, many of their dogs are adopted, so they don’t have to worry about that.

“We have a 92 percent live release rate,” Waugh said. “[That] means 92 percent of the animals are actually adopted or return to their owners.

The other percent of animals may have a chronic illness or an illness that makes their quality of life not good.”

Although those illnesses could be unfixable, many of the other animals that come through Wayside Waifs are treated and are able to be adopted, starting a new life with a new family.

At the shelter, they have three fulltime vets who perform surgeries and check-ups every day to these animals.

Wayside is on a mission to make sure they can get their animals into happy homes with loving owners. This means they make sure the owner and furry friend get along.

Each potential adopter gets to play with the animal they are interested in to make sure they have personalities that mesh well. Most of the animals in the shelter have not had the best start to life so Wayside’s main goal has always been to make them adoptable.

“We want them to be happy and healthy, in order to find them a forever home and somebody who wants that animal who’s happy and healthy,” Waugh said. “We owe it to them.”

| DESIGN BY TYMBER MOODY & CHLOE BROWNING

Hi I’m Pash, I’m a Lab/ Shephard, and I’m 3 months old. I am pretty excited about life and doing new things. I may be rough around the edges, but I’m still cute as a button.

Hey, my name is Brad. I’m a Pit Bull Terrior Mix. I love playing with my best friend Lily. We came together as strays and are the best of buddies!

I’m Taco and I’m a spicy Chihuaua. I love naps, cuddling, and showing off my adorable Chihuaua snoring...yes I snore — it’s hilarious.

20 | october 2019 | feature

Get your Head In the Game BV students commit to college early on

| Field

chloe browning staff writer Have you ever wondered what it’s like to have colleges chasing after you instead of you chasing them? Well, some Blue Valley students have gotten a taste of that at an earlier age than most.

Sophomore Kenzie Hammontree and freshman Bella Field have both verbally committed to Division-I schools for soccer.

Field verbally committed to the University of Arkansas on a full-ride scholarship at the end of her eighth-grade year and so far is the only 2023 commit for the team. The center forward player brought up how much of a relief it has been.

“You’re already committed, so you don’t have to worry nearly as much,” Field said. “All my friends are obsessed with getting recruited, and I don’t have to deal with that stress.”

For Hammontree, it was a different story.

“There was a rule that went into play,” Hammontree said. “I can commit now or wait until the end of my junior year, so I decided to [commit to KU]. I didn’t want to wait that long because they could have gotten other recruits [so I verbally committed before the rule changed].”

According to the NCAA, the new recruiting rules for NCAA Division-I schools went into effect May 1, 2019. These new rules restrict communication between a recruit and a college coach before the end of their sophomore year of high school.

Hammontree, a center midfielder, made the life-

| DESIGN BY SPENCER NORMAN

| Hammontree changing decision but said it was the obvious choice to her.

“I have been a Jayhawk since forever,” she said.

“Also, the coaching staff and their facilities are really, really nice. I also wanted to be closer to home.”

While committing already has taken stress off the girls’ shoulders, they are both still hard at work playing for their club teams.

Hammontree, who plays for Sporting’s U.S. Soccer Development Academy (DA) team, talked about having to make choices about what high school experiences she can have. Since she plays for a DA team, she can’t play for Blue Valley, so playing in college will be her first time playing soccer for her school.

“I’m super excited to play at KU because the level of competition is going to challenge me.”

Hammontree said.

Field, on the other hand, plays for Kansas Rush on their Division-I team, so she will be able to play for our school. For both her competitive team and for the school she has a motto that she lives by.

“Don’t change the way you play for the college you want to get into.”

Field said. “ [When you play your way for the right college] you will feel that special connection.”

a & e |october 2019 |

Fall In One Word Trevor Lister, 12: Sweatshirt Weather “It’s nice, chill. You can wear your sweatshirt.”

Ryan Hennerburg, 10: Leaves “Cause leaves be fallin.”

Amber Briere, 9: Colorful “All the leaves change colors.”

Grace Malm, 10: Basic “Everybody is boots and pumpkin spice lattes, and that’s all they talk about. I feel like everybody does the same thing.”

Tori Karn, 12: Popular “I also really like autumn, but I feel like everybody else likes it too much. It might be overrated.”

Katie Twedt, 11: Spooky Season “When I think of fall, I think of Halloween, and that’s my favorite holiday. I love the atmosphere, temperature, leaves and football season.”

Mike Johnston, art teacher: Pumpkin “That’s when all the pumpkin flavor comes out.”

Ragad Mubaslat, 10: Warm “Blankets, the colors and the food.” | STORY BY SPENCER NORMAN & JAIDYN PHILLIPS | DESIGN BY SPENCER NORMAN

21

22 | october 2019 | a & e

S T R E S S E D L FAL

Churro Chips

Ingredients: 6 medium flour tortillas 4 tbsp. melted butter 1 c. granulated sugar 1.5 tbsp. Cinnamon

Pumpkin Fudge Ingredients:

3.5 c. white chocolate chips 1 (14-oz.) can sweetened condensed milk 1/3 c. pumpkin purée

1 tsp. pumpkin spice, plus more for dusting (optional) 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract Pinch kosher salt

Directions:

-Preheat oven to 425°.

-Cut each tortilla into 8 triangles.

-Toss tortillas in butter, making sure both sides are coated.

-In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon and sugar.

-Working in batches, toss tortillas in cinnamon sugar.

-Place on a large baking sheet in a single layer.

-Bake until crispy for 8 to 10 minutes.

-Cool on pan 5 minutes before serving.

Directions:

-Line an 8”-x-8” pan with parchment paper and grease with nonstick cooking spray.

-In a large microwave-safe bowl, combine white chocolate and sweetened condensed milk.

-Microwave on medium power for 1-minute intervals, stirring after each minute, until smooth.

-Fold in pumpkin purée, pumpkin spice, vanilla and salt until smooth.

-Pour into prepared baking pan and place in the refrigerator for 3 hours, or until fudge is set.

-Sprinkle with more pumpkin spice if using.

-Cut into squares and serve.

Caramel Apple Smores Ingredients: 8 marshmallows 2 Granny Smith apples, thinly sliced and cored 4 squares Hershey’s chocolate Directions: Warm caramel, for drizzling -Toast marshmallows until golden.

-Sandwich s’mores by topping one apple slice with a Hershey’s square and two toasted marshmallows.

-Drizzle with caramel, and top with a second apple slice.

-Repeat to make four apple s’mores.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Cookies Ingredients: 2 c. flour 1.5 tsp. baking powder 1 tsp. baking soda 1/2 tsp. salt 2 tsp. ground cinnamon 2 eggs

Directions:

1 c. sugar 1/2 c. vegetable oil 1 c. canned pumpkin puree 2 tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. butterscotch chips 1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips

-Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

-In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Mix until well-blended.

-In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine eggs and sugar, and beat on medium-high until smooth and pale, about 1 minute.

-Beat in the oil, pumpkin puree and vanilla extract and mix until well-combined.

| DESIGN BY JAIDYN PHILLIPS

-Turn the mixer down, and slowly blend in the flour mixture until just incorporated.

-With a rubber spatula, gently fold in the butterscotch and chocolate chips.

-Using a medium-sized ice cream scoop, place mounds of cookie dough on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper, about 2 inches apart.

-Allow to bake about 15 minutes, until the cookies are springy to the touch.

| RECIPES FROM DELISH.COM

a & e |october 2019 |

23

Newspaper staff carves pumpkins

The tradition of pumpkin carving began with the Celts, who carved turnips to lead good spirits to the house. The Irish immigrants brought this custom to America and, from it, emerged the American Jack O’Lantern.

Since then, we have adopted the carving

Spooky Mullet

The Tiger Print

90 votes

86 votes

of pumpkins as a symbol of Halloween. The popular name, Jack O’Lantern, comes from British origins, meaning man in the lantern or watchman.

In newspaper, we hosted a pumpkin carving contest and polled the student body to find a winner. Check out the results below.

Nightmare Before Christmas

53 votes

Happy Huss-O-Ween

36 votes

| DESIGN BY LIZZY PARKERSON & GABRIELA RUIZ

24 | october 2019 | a & e

A Fire In the Night vince orozco managing editor

T

π

he new transmitter emits a quantum signal that can be interpreted by the most rudimentary receivers but is invulnerable to degradation and can travel faster than the speed of light.

The UN-funded scientists only had enough cash for one, but it was plenty.

The first signal was sent in 2050.

It wasn’t a super complicated message. It was debated what we would send. Some argued a description of our home planet or of humanity. Others suggested we let others know where we are relative to large cosmic landmarks. However, what won out was a rather simple message — Pi. The rationale was that Pi would be a reasonable indication of the intelligence of the source, rather than being written off as cosmic nonsense. Additionally, Pi was believed to be universally understood by any possible intelligent life.

Non-threatening, unassuming, just pure numbers.

The only problem was we had no idea how long it would take to receive a response, assuming there’s anybody out there.

So with the signal out, all there was to do was wait. From then on, we became a fire in the night, letting all know that we were out here — that we’re not alone.

Weeks passed and no response.

Months passed. No response. After years you’d see an occasional news article here and there but still — silence. When decades started to pass people forgot. It became a piece of trivia for old people to yell at Jeopardy.

2180.

At first, we didn’t realize what it was. The stream was large. And I don’t mean “somebody tested the meaning of unlimited storage and uploaded their 75 terabyte movie collection to OneDrive” type of large. This was the biggest single packet of information ever received. It took a little over a year to get the signal “all down on paper,” so to speak.

Once we got it down, the scientists who received it let the world know.

It was mayhem.

Over 100 years later and the long-awaited response to the long-forgotten message was finally here. News articles ran 24/7. Many workplaces practically halted due to rampant discussion, speculation and conspiracy. Theologians and philosophers, unsurprisingly, debated the nature of life and the universe yet again.

All this and we didn’t even know what They had said yet.

We had the best and brightest scientists, mathematicians, linguists, cryptologists and even musicologists working on this. After five months

| DESIGN BY VINCE OROZCO AND ERIKA KOLSETH

we began to realize that the pulse transcription was a dictionary. It was Lincos. It was surprising that we had received a message in a language we already knew (although maybe it shouldn’t have been). With this knowledge, the deciphering process went much quicker. The bulk of the data was a dictionary.

We knew part of it, but They had completed the rest.

All that was left was the actual message.

“Hide. It may be too late. We are sorry.”

The UN’s collapsed.

The Internet’s gone.

Luddites have returned.

We were a fire in the night.

We put out the coals.

But who saw us?

a & e |october 2019 |

erika kolseth staff writer

T

he smell of gingerbread cookies and cinnamon candles filled the air of the small house on the corner of the street. The house belonged to Frank, Jen and Josie Fuller. Josie could barely hold in her excitement and questions if she can make it another three days until she opens a present. A muffled scream from the kitchen yelled, “Josie, don’t forget that you have dance class tonight!” Josie rolls her eyes and goes upstairs to change.

It was 1984 in Rendville, Ohio, the smallest town in Ohio, three days before Christmas.

Josie ran down the stairs in her pink dance shoes, grabbed her bag, and ran out the door.

Her dance studio was just a couple of blocks away from her house. Jen heard her shout, “Bye mom!” before the door slammed and she walked out of her life forever.

Jen gets a call about a work emergency and has to report to her office. She sets down the pan of gingerbread cookies, turns off the oven and prepares to deal with mindless consumers at her job.

An hour of jumping, turning and leaping passed, and Josie grabs her bag and walks out the door, thinking about those gingerbread cookies back home.

One of the street lights was blown out while walking down

the dark sidewalk. Headlights on each car shined bright as they gradually passed. That’s what cars are supposed to do. Pass.

They aren’t supposed to stop when they see you. They aren’t supposed to roll down the window to talk to you. They aren’t supposed to get out of the car. They aren’t supposed to take you.

Jen’s car pulls up to the driveway, the garage door opens and she comes home to an empty house. The cry of the name Josie echoed throughout the house without an answer. Jen looked all over the house and searched for a note Josie could have left.

Frank was on his way home when he got a call on his brand new handheld cell phone that he was still getting used to. “Yellow!” cheered in Jen’s ear as she informs Frank of her missing daughter.

Frank tried to calm Jen down by assuming that Josie was at a friend’s house, but both knew that Josie would never leave the house without letting them know where she was going.

A pit started to form in Jen’s stomach as she takes a deep breath and hangs up the phone to call all of Josie’s friend’s parents to make sure she was at one of their houses.

Jen would get the same response, “Oh I’m so sorry, but she’s not here.” She could hear the cracking of her heart as she dialed the last number on her list, 911.

The phone rang in her ear three times before a woman’s voice answered, “911, What’s your emergency?”

“Hello, yes my name is Jen Fuller and my daughter Josie is missing, she didn’t come home from dance class tonight and I called all of her friends and none of them know where she is—” The line went dead and the power in the whole house went off. Jen, frozen in fear, closes her eyes as a tear runs down her cheek and falls onto the collar of her shirt.

The doorbell rings.

She opens her eyes and turns her head towards the door. It took all of her strength in her body to walk. Jen unlocked the door, grabbed the knob and slowly turned it, frightened of what was on the other side.

The door creaked open, and she looked up to see no one. In relief, she sighs and starts to close the door but notices something on the welcome mat.

A pair of dance shoes that were once pink, but were now stained red.

25

26 | october 2019 | a & e

IRRATIONAL FEARS BV students share what they are most scared of Emma Pritchard, 10 Falling down a hill backward with a backpack on “Everyone will then laugh and I’ll be stuck on my back, like a turtle.”

Eliza Shultz, 12 Geese (Anatidaephobia) “One tried to attack me when I was little — by attack, I mean it ran at me.”

Stanley Kenyi, 12 Closets “I’m scared of small places. It’s kind of scary and a dark area.”

Arshya Zakeri, 11 Butterflies (Lepidopterophobia) “When I was a kid, my mom would never let me watch “Spongebob” because she thought it was bad for me. Then her and my dad were out of town for a week, and I told my babysitter I was allowed to watch [it]. The episode I watched was the butterfly episode. It showed me the butterfly up close, and I got terrified.”

Nick Hettinger, 11 Bunnies (Leporiphobia) “They’re like the fluffy version of Satan.”

| DESIGN BY SPENCER NORMAN

Harper Clark, 11 Fear of frogs (Ranidaphobia) “I was coming out of my car. I was barefoot, and I felt something under me. It was like, ‘Urrr,’ and I stepped on [the] frog, and it really scared me.”

Robert Holt, 11 Turning off the lights in the basement while you’re still in the basement “I feel like the demons will come after me.”

Tori Ward, 12 Bugs with stingers “I was in a sunflower field for pictures at Homecoming, and there were bees on the flowers. I was trying to walk to a specific place, and everyone was saying, ‘Go Tori.

There’s nothing wrong. You’re fine;’ but I was paralyzed with fear and had to run around the whole cluster of flowers to avoid the bees.”

Elizabeth Sutton, 12 The Winter Warlock “It’s been engraved in my head since I was 2.

It’s not a joke — I am deathly terrified.”

Emma Schmidt, 10 Escalators (Escalaphobia) “It started when I was younger. I fell down an escalator with my friend. I also watched movies after the ‘incident’ where people died on escalators. Therefore, if a building was on fire, and I had to choose between an elevator and escalator, I would choose the elevator.”

a & e |october 2019 |

27

HOW DOES MEDIA SCARE US?

Books offer thrills to readers differently than movies ani kreegar staff writer

During the month of October, to many, nothing is better than snuggling up under a blanket on the couch and turning on your favorite scary movie in the dead of night on Halloween Eve. Books or comics typically aren’t the first go-to when it comes to Halloween night, but if you take the time to explore the genre, you may be shocked at what you find.

As it turns out, there are some pretty good horror novels out there that can scare you to your core.

While they don’t have the same effect as a jumpscare would in a psycho killer movie, they do have some aspects of their own that can make you squeam.

Books incite feelings of horror, disgust, shock or the sense of uncanny; books play on the heightened sense of the unknown or supernatural.

A great example of someone who puts this idea to real use is comic artist Junji Ito. He writes short comics that are bone-chillingly creepy.

Some of his most popular pieces

are: “Uzumaki,” a three-volume set of a town driven to madness by spirals; “Tomie,” a novel of an immortal girl who drives admirers insane; and “Gyo,” a two-volume series about fish who are controlled by a strain of bacteria called “the death stench.”

These stories, when put simplistically, don’t sound too scary, but that’s where the element of art comes into play.

Ito is a magnificent artist in the way that he can make something as harmless and loving as a housecat look scary and devious.

While his art is beautiful, he also specializes in getting under the reader’s skin through realistic settings and scenes.

UZUMAKI

TOM I E This thriller is centered around one main character, a beautiful girl named Tomie, who can be recognised by her long, dark hair, as well as a beauty mark below her left eye.

She acts as a succubus of sorts, making men fall for her with just a look, or even going as far to drive some women crazy with jealousy. Tomie is killed over and over, but regenerates within a day. Later in the story, it’s revealed that there are multiple Tomies, all spawning from something as small as a drop of blood. There is, however, one way to kill a Tomie, and that’s to completely scorch the body by fire.

| DESIGN BY ANI KREEGAR

Uzumaki is a story that takes place in a small Japanese town, and focuses on two main characters: Kirie and Shuichi. These two start to discover the horrors of the spiral-ridden town, one monstrosity at a time. They begin to see how this spiral curse affects those around them, as the citizens begin to come both obsessed with and fearful of the pattern. When they attempt to escape, their efforts were unsuccessful as they find that several years have passed since their attempt. It’s revealed that time slows the further you go away from the town, and that time stops at the center.

What would happen if you reach the center, perhaps?

GYO The story of Gyo takes place in Okinawa, starting with a group of fisherman staring in awe at a strange, small fish that seem to have scuttling legs. Just as they were about to examine further, the fish scuttled away in the blink of an eye, diving back into the waters. Problems begin to escalate as the fish begin to get bigger — even as big as a whale — terrorizing the citizens. It’s later found out that these animals were made by Japan during WWII in an effort to turn the tides of the war, but failed miserably.

28 | october 2019 | opinion

you’ve changed personal growth is natural, necessary

maddy kang co-editor in chief

I’m not the same as I was last week.

I’m not the same as I was last month.

I’m for sure not the same as I was last year.

I’ve changed — there, I said it.

People change and things change. It’s not necessarily always a bad thing.

The only way for us as humans to truly live is to constantly evolve and grow. We flourish in the presence of reflection and learning from our pasts.

Even looking into nature, we see caterpillars transforming into butterflies.

Butterflies ultimately change into their adult versions to fulfill a different niche within their ecosystems.

Maybe that’s why we change and grow — to fulfill our one true purpose in life. It would be impossible to discover what we are put on this earth to do if we never went through experiences that would inevitably push us to change, whether it be for the good or bad.

Change isn’t always easy. Sometimes we are put in difficult or uncomfortable circumstances. But that is part of learning to grow. Learning to be comfortable in the uncomfortable is imperative to being able to accept change and to grow as a person.

When stuck in hard times, it’s so tempting to give up — but don’t. The last thing anyone wants is to be stranded

in stagnancy, drowning in some place they are not meant to be.

I once saw this saying on VSCO — yes I go on there, and no I am not a VSCO girl — that said, “The only way out is through.”

That in itself speaks more than I ever could about change.

If you are in a place in your life that you do not want to stay, you have to not only go through it, but you have to grow through it.

The only healthy way to get to where you want to be on the other side of that hill is to see the light peeking through the skies of change — and to be accepting of it.

Let’s change for the better. Let’s stop taking it as an insult.

If not now, when?

we’re supposed to

| DESIGN BY MADDY KANG

opinion |october 2019 |

29

in the

in the

charlie trent design editor

erika kolseth staff writer

I guess I’m a sucker for ‘80s music, movies, and fashion. I believe bringing back old trends will keep that era alive. Many trends are coming back and some of my favorites are mom jeans, scrunchies, overalls, oversized jean jackets and the best of them all, mullets.

Mullets are a hairstyle that is cut short in the front and sides but left long at the back.

Mullets aren’t a particularly favored hairstyle and to be honest, I hated mullets until I saw “The Outsiders” with Rob Lowe, and I was completely convinced that mullets are attractive.

Am I the only one who sees the potential of this haircut?

I see people like senior Colin Wood and junior Ian Olson who totally pull off the look, but not everyone can. While walking down the hallway, it makes me happy to see people who are spontaneous enough to get a hairstyle that’s not very popular and rock it.

But there are guidelines to the perfect mullet.

If your hair is longer than your neck in the back, you are doing something wrong. If you have bangs with a mullet, stop and get some help.

Having the haircut just shows what type of person you are. Mullets say you are a fun, adventurous person who also has a serious, focused side.

You know what they say: “Business in the front, party in the back.”

Miley Cyrus said it best: “You get the best of both worlds.”

When I walk through the halls, my vision is littered with teenage boys who seem to think that they are in fact Patrick Swayze circa 1987. However, this is not 1987, and they are definitely NOT Patrick Swayze.

According to Urban Dictionary, a mullet is, “the ideal haircut for a man/woman who is short on change” — not exactly how you want someone to describe your haircut.

Throughout the ‘80s, the god-awful hairstyle called the “mullet” ran rampant through pop culture and media. Many famous and iconic celebrities were seen sporting the look, including Chuck Norris, Billy Ray Cyrus and David Bowie.

While all of these ‘80s icons most definitely pulled off the look, there is a reason that they cut their rat tails as the ‘80s came to a close. That’s because mullets were, and will always be, ugly.

Not to say that mullets are an ugly style on everyone out there, male or female, but to avoid the possibility of looking like Sue Sylvester, you would be safer if you stay far away from a mullet of any kind.

Personally, I don’t fully understand the resurgence of the style. The ‘80s, in general, are coming back in full swing, whether it is fashion, movies, music, and yes, hairstyles. Everything on this list is more or less harmless and mostly tasteful.

However, the hairstyles of the ‘80s — perms, crimps, mullets, flows and teased curls — should be cut off for good.

should mullets stay in the ‘80s? *based on a poll of BVHS student 41.3% no 271 responses 58.7%

yes

| DESIGN BY CHARLIE TRENT

30 | october 2019 | opinion T he N ig htmare B efore C h r ist mas Christmas

A Christmas or Halloween movie?

olivia sherlock staff writer

The commercial spirit of Christmas is about giving, togetherness, joy and family.

Just because the pumpkin king Jack Skellington is a skeleton, doesn’t mean he can’t be the main character in a Christmas movie.

“The Grinch,” “Scrooge” and “A Year Without Santa,” all have a protagonist without a Christmas spirit overcoming their preconceived notions on the holiday.

“The Nightmare Before Christmas,” although set in Halloween Town, is based on people with more creepy than joyful spirits, coming together to trade their spider webs for stockings.

The main characters may hail from HalloweenTown, and Jack may be the crowned pumpkin king, but there would be no story without the journey and obsession with Christmas Town.

Jack desperately tries to spread Christmas joy and the jolliness of Saint Nick the way he knows best.

Unlike the Grinch or Scrooge, he doesn’t need anyone to convince him to give in to the spirit. Jack just feels the joy, happiness and love the holiday gives.

This movie is a testament to how wonderful giving can make someone feel, even if they are the pumpkin king.

Though Halloween Towns’ gifts and attempts at spreading Christmas joy are not quite as successful as the big man in the red suit, you can’t say they didn’t make a solid effort.

You would never criticize your aunt for getting you an itchy sweater two sizes too small because you know she’s trying her best.

If anything, them failing at gifts and decorations, is just a super honest reenactment of what Christmas can be.

Most people are not as giving and happy-golucky throughout the year as they are when it’s December. Everyone can relate to seeing these holiday ideals and trying to meet them, but ultimately failing.

This is all not to say I won’t watch “The Nightmare Before Christmas” in October, but I’d also watch it in July, March and every single month of the year.

If there is one thing we can all agree on, it’s that “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a piece of cinematic art.

Halloween

claire powell staff writer

I know it can seem to be difficult to justify why Tim Burton’s “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is a Halloween movie when it says “Christmas” is in the title, but it’s actually quite clear.

The ‘90s classic is placed mainly in Halloween Town and features, what’s that?

Oh yeah, Halloween characters. Whether it’s Oogie Boogie, Corpse Kid or all of the witches, they are all Halloween-based characters. Even the main character’s name is Jack Skellington, who is a skeleton and known as the Pumpkin King.

Some might argue and say that because Santa Claus was featured in the film, it’s automatically a Christmas movie. Can one fat man in a red suit really make that big of an impact? No, he cannot.

This isn’t even Jack’s first Halloween film.

In 1988, he appeared in another Tim Burton movie, “Beetlejuice.”

Even the movie’s first song is called “This is Halloween,” and although there is a song in which Jack discovers Christmas Town for the first time, you hardly ever hear people singing their “Christmas classic” from “The Nightmare Before Christmas.”

If that doesn’t convince you enough, Henry Selick, the director of this Halloween hit movie, said it is a Halloween movie, not a Christmas one. The goal of the movie was Halloween, a time of weirdness and self-acceptance.

“The Nightmare Before Christthink mas” is a movmovie 27% the is both a ie for all ages, think it’s a Halloween Halloween and Christmas but just as movie movie Jack realized in the grave17% yard: “This is think it’s a Christmas Halloween.” movie

56%

d 271 students surveye

| DESIGN BY CLAIRE POWELL

opinion |october 2019 |

31

| CARTOON BY MEGAN BRIDGES

Rape allegations must be investigated more in depth In early September at the University of Kansas, a student went to officials to report a rape.

Her memory of the night before was not crystal clear because she had been intoxicated, according to court documents.

The student had a rape examination and kit performed and stowed away.

The student did not want to press charges for fear of damaging her career, according to the Chicago Tribune.

Officials proceeded to go through the student’s phone without her knowledge and concluded she was making false allegations because of text message exchanges that occurred the morning after, which led to her arrest on Sept. 6.

Instead of properly investigating the

situation and making sure the victim was OK, authorities brushed off the case without getting to the real root of the problem.

The student had the rape examination conducted and planned on not turning it over to officials; yet when she was arrested, authorities had no knowledge of said rape examination kit.

This is an example of how these types of cases need to be examined and re-examined until there is no shadow of doubt of who is deemed responsible.

It is of utmost importance that both parties are fully investigated and both sides of the story are heard before pressing charges.

Let’s utilize “he said” and “she said” instances but also let evidence play a

role in solving the case. It can be hard to distinguish what a victim is truly trying to say because we weren’t there when it was happening — we don’t know what was going through their mind.

Most victims do not accept and come to terms with what has happened to them until after the fact.

That is why it is so crucial to listen, to be empathetic and to get the full story before assuming what took place.

With these types of cases, there is no black or white answer — there is a gray area that must be looked into in order to rightfully serve justice.

We cannot continue to dismiss instances like this. It can happen to anyone.

It is important to be aware and fair.

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

32 | october 2019 | feature

PINK OUT

Students share why the pink out game is important

“[It’s important] to show Blue Valley’s respect and awareness for breast cancer. And to show that we care.”

- Jake Wolff, 11

“The pinkout game is really important because it’s in support of breast cancer, obviously. It’s personal to me — my grandmother actually died of cancer before I ever got to meet her. To visibly show support while doing the thing that I love, which is guard, it raises awareness and gets people talking about it.”

- Grace Malm, 10

“It’s important to raise money and support for the cause so we can help find a cure and prevent it from happening again.”

Maya Miller, 11

| DESIGN BY CLAIRE POWELL

“It supports breast cancer awareness throughout the school. It makes sure it doesn’t go undetected.”

- Robbie Rodriguez, 11

“Everyone comes together because it’s important to support [breast cancer patients].”

- Emily Bernard, 11

“It’s important to remind people why we need to respect breast cancer patients and survivors.”

- Dorian Stevens, 11