The Tiger Print — September 2009 by The Tiger Print

the

print TIGER

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

Vol. 39 Issue 2

September 2008

Pinched at the pump Staff and students share ways to cut transportation costs pages 8-9

Renovation Adventures Vaulting update (pg. 3) abroad (pg. 7) ahead (pg. 15) Construction work nears completion

Senior helps in wake of China earthquake

Gymnast hopes for college scholarship

Stilwell, Kan.

inthenews

Hot topics from Blue Valley...

BV debaters place 2nd, 3rd at nationals

1. Cafeteria challenges students with new foods Blue Valley Food and Nutrition Services is asking students to see how they like the idea of unusual food by offering different choices as part of a Fear Factor lunch program. They are changing up the usual lunch menu for two days a week in September.The cafeteria staff is interested to see which students actually try the new food. Hummus The food that the cafeteria staff is starting to serve is the type of food that normally teenagers would be fearful to try. They are hopeful that the students enjoy the idea and are even offering the students that try the new food an opportunity to win a prize. By Kim Dacus.

2. NAHS donates time to help marching band Members of the National Art Honor Society have been working on painting a tarp for the band that centers on the musical theme of Pink Floyd and the movie, The Wizard of Oz. The final product will include a yellow brick road with a prism transmitting colors of the visible light spectrum that comprise a section of the road. “I think it’s exciting to see a project come together on such a large scale,” senior Kari Varner said. By Nathan Lindshield.

3. District locker room bandits arrested Police arrested Michael Fagan and Jason Jones using video surveillance in connection with burglaries of locker rooms at Blue Valley high schools. Fagan was charged with three felony burglary counts and Jones with two, each carrying a potential 5-10 years in prison. Blue Valley High School was not victimized by this chain of thefts during after-school activities, according to Campus Police Officer Dennis Randall. Randall said he worries about similar events at BV. “We’re worried about it because right now with the construction going on there’s a lot of people coming and going and it’s really hard to keep track of all the people,” Randall said. By Caitlin Holland.

...and the world around us 1. Palin, Biden named vice presidential nominees Delaware Sen. Joe Biden recently accepted the Democratic nomination for the vice presidency. Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin was chosen to represent the Republican Party as the vice presidential candidate. Palin is the first nominee from Alaska, where she has served as governor since 2006. Before that, she served as the mayor of Wasilla, Alaska. She is also the chairman of the Natural Resource Committee and the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission. Biden has been a senator from Delaware since 1972. He is the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee and is a former chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. By Jakob Maase.

2. Scientists test Big Bang theory Scientists convened on the border of Switzerland and France on Sept. 10 to run the first trial of a $9 billion project designed to recreate several properties of the Big Bang. The elaborate project is a 17-mile long circular tunnel embedded in the ground and running between the border of France and Switzerland. This tunnel, better known as The Large Hadron Collider, is made to smash two beams of protons into each other by propelling them in opposite directions around the 17-mile long tunnel. Some skeptics of the multi-billion dollar project claim that it could create black holes that swallow the planet. That, however, did not happen on the first trial and scientists are optimistic about the project’s future. By Nathan Lindshield.

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Seniors Taylor Nichols (left) and Josh Dean (right) pose with the files of research they accumulated throughout the past debate season. The two were part of Blue Valley’s state champion team last year and placed second and third respectively at the national competition this June in Las Vegas. Photo by Amanda Blue.

andrewfiori staff writer Two debaters placed among the nation’s best in policy debate at the National Forensic League National Speech Tournament, in Las Vegas this June. Senior Taylor Nichols placed second in individual speaking and senior Josh Dean took third. “Taylor and Josh have been with me all four years since they were freshman,” debate coach Chris Riffer said. “They are two talented young men who can stick to the facts and improvise when needed. This is key to winning when it comes to debate.” The weeklong tournament

started June 14. Nichols and Dean placed in the top 20 as a two-speaker team in addition to their individual accolades. “Sadly, they don’t exactly tell us what spot we get if we get in the top 20,” Riffer said. “I know that they’ll be the third top returning team in the nation, as well as be the top returning team in the state of Kansas.” Nichols attributes his interest in debate to the competitive nature of the activity. “It’s really enjoyable competition,” Nichols said. “It just gives your mind a more in-depth view of how policies are made and how the process works. I’m happy to see all of our hard work pay off

in the end.” Nichols and Dean will be the top two returning debaters in the nation. “It really takes a long time,” Dean said. “I mean, we started our last debate topic last summer at debate camp, won state in January, and continued on with it until nationals. It’s a year-long thing.” The debate team is preparing for another year of debate, already researching on how to solve the new topic. “It requires a lot of commitment,” Taylor Nichols said. “A lot of after-school hours. But if it’s something you love to do, then it’s definitely worthwhile.”

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inthenews

Delayed renovations project continues, nearing end mitchsmith editor-in-chief Renovation projects have been wrapping up, according to Principal Scott Bacon, and most should be done by the end of next week. This comes nearly two months after the targeted completion date of Aug. 1. “They’re coming,” Bacon said. “They’re coming slow, slower than we anticipated.” Work on the renovations started last January and includes five new classrooms in the 200 Hallway and a new weight room. The project also includes updates to the gyms, locker rooms, kitchen, music facilities, restrooms and the conversion of the old weight room to a fitness center. “Work that I see has been done very well,” Bacon said. “When it’s all said and done, I think everyone will be pleased.” Teachers and students have made adjustments because incomplete classrooms have caused scheduling dilemmas.

Math teacher K. Dean Snell expected his room to be completed before school started, but he’s moving between empty classrooms throughout the day. Snell was forced to adjust his lessons as some of the rooms he now teaches in are not equipped with the SmartBoard technology used by the math department. Snell found a creative way to transport his supplies between rooms by borrowing a cart from a local Wal-Mart. “I pondered in my infinite wisdom how to solve my dilemma, so I decided to borrow a shopping cart from Wal-Mart,” Snell said. “So I went in to tell the manager my situation and to ask if I could borrow a shopping cart and he said, ‘Certainly.’” Bacon and Dave Hill, the district’s executive director of facilities and operations, attribute the setbacks to problems associated with the flood last spring and meeting county building codes. “There’s a number of reasons for the delay,” Hill said. “This sum-

mer, we tried to fit a lot of work in to a short amount of time. There was also complications with architectural issues and coordinating tasks that had to be completed with the county.” As of press time, school officials are hoping to open the new classrooms sometime between today and next Tuesday. The national count day is Sept. 22, meaning that all federal funds for the year are allocated based off the number of students in attendance and classrooms in use that day. While the district would stand to lose several thousand dollars this year if classrooms were not ready for use on Monday, Hill said this would not result in any long-term financial loss for the district. “There is no money loss happening,” Hill said. “All it would do is change the year we get the money.” Construction on the locker and weight rooms has caused setbacks for sports and physical education classes.

Weights have been temporarily moved to the wrestling room and football players have been forced to change in the stadium locker rooms. Other athletes have been forced to change in the restrooms or to delay their practices and change at home. As of press time, the locker rooms were nearing completion but not yet ready for use. Parking has also been affected by the construction delays. Students whose assigned parking spaces are in the front row of the senior lot have been forced to park in the underclassman lot until the renovations are complete. “As a senior, I feel the rest of us (with spots in the front of the senior lot) should be able to have the advantage of not having to come so early to fight for a spot,” senior Caitlin Valencia said. According to Bacon, this is just phase one of the renovations project approved by voters. Phase two is set to begin next semester and will include changes to the main office, counseling

Math teacher K. Dean Snell has been forced to push a shopping cart between classes as construction on his new room is not yet complete. Photo by Amanda Blue.

office and front entrance. Plans also call for the lockers in the senior hallway to be replaced next summer. Additional reporting by Katie Louis, Ryan O’Toole and Emily Strickland.

SEPTEMBER 2008 0 3

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0 4 SEPTEMBER 2008

outloud

College junk clogs the mailbox

MITCH’S pitches

editor-in-chief • Mitch Smith The piles of mail I receive from various colleges and universities from across the country always amaze me. After making the mistake of marking a box that released my address to colleges a couple years ago, my mailbox has been clogged with bulky viewbooks ever since. While some of these brochures are quite entertaining, one can’t help but worry that such mailers may be weighing too heavily in the decision of many gullible students. In just the last few days, I received junk mail from colleges in Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Nebraska, Missouri, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and a host of other states. Some of the tactics employed in these mailings are downright humorous. For example, Hendrix College in Arkansas tells me that you can “stay inside your budget” while thinking “outside the book” at their school. Is it just me, or does that pitch sound like some strange cross between a used car commercial and a Taco Bell ad?

The University of Dallas tells you, “like Newton, you’ll stand on the shoulders of giants” if you attend their school. Sounds like fun, but I think I’ll pass. And The Pratt Institute in New York is even nice enough to inform me that “hesitation will quickly become inspiration when you realize that Pratt has produced some of the world’s greatest artists, designers and architects.” That’s nice, but considering that I don’t want to be an artist, designer or architect, I’m not really banking on too much inspiration.

instant messaging dissertation in their viewbook. Here, idiot prospective student “SR_ YR_Rocks” talks to idiot current Iowa State student “CYFAN” about the ins and outs of his school. En route to losing several brain cells, I learned that “ISU has an XLNT Greek Community,” among other fascinating tidbits. Iowa State’s English department? Apparently not quite as XLNT.

STEREOTYPING ISN’T EFFECTIVE

What’s really sad, though, is that this is the best way these colleges know to sell themselves. That they seem to think that the only way of capturing a 17-yearold’s attention is to send a glossy mailer showing students tossing a Frisbee is downright insulting. While I understand that these colleges need to market themselves, can’t we find a better way? Instead of just randomly sending out these mailers to thousands of students, wasting paper and time, why not have the ACT and SAT ask you to take a quick interest inventory on who you want to receive mail from before checking that box? This would help colleges attract the students they want and students find the college they’re looking for, making the process more painless and efficient for everyone. If your ideal college is a quaint liberal arts school no one has ever heard of in some farming community in the Dakotas, then you get those mailers, not me. If you prefer a big state school with a great business program, then that’s

The messages of these seemingly desperate schools are different but, more or less, the same. Most take time to mention how friendly their campus is, list about 20 national rankings that say they are the best and encourage me to travel halfway to the equator to visit their school. That is, of course, before the standard commercial for taking a rigorous schedule senior year and before giving the earth-shattering information that registering for the ACT and graduating from high school are college prereqs. Also amusing are the ill-fated attempts of these schools to relate to the stereotypical high school student — a person they seem to assume talks like a hippie, has no idea what they want to major in and will be influenced by pictures of classes being held under a shady tree in the campus quad. In a futile attempt to excite this stereotypical high schooler, Iowa State University included a five-page fake

TO THE RECYCLE BIN WE GO

the information you get. If you’re not sure, maybe you still get a little bit of everything while you narrow your choices. There’s a college out there for everyone, but not every college needs to send every student their inspirational postcards. All this does is create confusion and highlight collegiate parity.

FIND A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH This spring, I’ll choose one lucky college to have the honor of playing

my host for the next four years. And, considering that no applications will be sent from me to Dallas, Iowa State, Hendrix or Pratt, I think it’s safe to say that these mailers haven’t compromised my decision. My advice, though, to underclassmen is to not check that box on the ACT. Instead, do your own research. Find the college that fits you the best, not necessarily the one with the glossiest viewbook or the cleverest slogan. Decide what field of study or type of school you’re interested in and request information straight from those colleges. Sifting through the mountains of unwanted viewbooks and letters you receive otherwise might cause you to be misled or, even worse, to become overwhelmed and skip right over the college that is perfect for you. Finding the right place to spend four years of your life is a big decision. Don’t fall into the trap of basing that decision off snail mail propaganda.

Disney Channel empire ‘taking over the world’ myvoice

allisonkohn Walk down any toy aisle. Turn on the radio. Pick up a cheesy teeny-bopper magazine. Even look at the clothing lines at Target or Wal-Mart. Chances are these all have one thing in common: The Disney Channel. The Jonas Brothers, Hannah Montana, The Cheetah Girls, Zac Efron and the whole High

School Musical crew have their faces plastered on every toy, t-shirt and magazine cover imaginable. The Disney Channel is everywhere and shows no sign of slowing down its empire any time soon. The Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus tour with her opening act the Jo Bros, was one for the record books. Think back to last November. This concert sold out in 8.2 seconds. When I was baby-sitting the other night, the six-year-old girl had a “High School Musical“themed bedroom, complete with the HSM Troy and Gabriella dolls

0 5 SEPTEMBER 2008

that actually sing one of their heart-felt duets together. “Camp Rock,” a Disney Channel original movie that premiered June 20, had more than 21 million viewers its opening weekend. This craze is also making its way overseas. Disney airs internationally, including the United Kingdom, Australia and China. In fact, India released its own High School Musicalinspired movie last summer. Don’t get me wrong; I totally bought into the whole HSM phenomenon when the first movie came out…and so what if

I TiVo’d the second movie as well? But when HSM reached as close to home as Blue Valley North’s winter musical, I was on Disney Channel overload. If cheesy story lines and corny acting aren’t enough, the Disney Channel stars have had their fair share of controversial mishaps. Vanessa Hudgens was busted for sending nude photos of herself to her boyfriend. Risqué pictures of teen-queen Cyrus also surfaced on the internet. After all of these moments in the spotlight that even the most liberal of parents frown upon,

the DC still manages to rake in billions of dollars every year. In 2007 alone, profits reached a mind-blowing $400 billion worldwide according to the New York Times. The third installment to the High School Musical trilogy hits the big screen on Oct. 24. I can only imagine how much money that movie is going to rake in. The Disney Channel is everywhere, and to be honest, it needs to end. It’s fun and cute, but enough is enough. It has overstayed its welcome in the Wal-Mart toy aisles and our iPod playlists.

outloud

the

TIGERprint

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

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

The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administration of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged. Letters must be signed in order to be considered for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, e-mailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085 email: thetigerprint@yahoo.com 913-239-4800 The Tiger Print also encourages guest photography. Photos should be submitted to room 450 with information pertaining to the photo. Front cover: Art teacher Mark Mosier attempts to cross 159th Street after school. Mosier saves gas and gets exercise by walking each day. More on pages 8-9. Photo by Amanda Blue.

Cartoon by Rebecca Feehan.

Construction delays inconvenience everyone involved

staff

editorial

A new school year means changes, and this fall brought along changes to the building as well. Having started in January, the construction was to include five new classrooms, a new student café and a new weight room, along with renovations in the gym, bathrooms, administration areas, locker rooms, music rooms, science classrooms and the old weight room. Students were good-natured when asked to bear with the construction that was originally scheduled to be finished by Aug. 1. But with the renovations not finished in mid-September, students have a right to ask questions. This delay has caused a new host of problems for students, teachers and administrators alike. “We were under the assumption, wrongly, that the classrooms would be ready for use,” assistant principal Brett Potts, who composes the

raise

your voice What is the biggest inconvenience due to the construction?

master schedule, said. “Part of it was when the roof drained,” assistant principal Megan Allam said. “The biggest thing is that we had to change classroom locations.” Many teachers, left without a permanent classroom, have been forced to move throughout the building each day. This also causes problems for students looking to ask their teachers for help outside of the school day. “We are required to fill these new rooms to capacity with academictype classrooms every day,” Potts said. Potts said teachers who will be in the new rooms eventually are often traveling between rooms several times a day until construction is complete. Math teacher Jill Robbins is one of the many teachers who changes classrooms throughout the day. “I’ve always had to move,” Robbins said. “It’s hard on me but it’s even worse for the P.E. teachers.”

With the 200 Hallway exit closed to build five new classrooms there, students are left with only one exit to the mobiles. It’s not uncommon to have to stand completely motionless in the 600 Hallway due to so many students using it. This makes going to your locker and arriving at your next class within a short five minute passing period extremely difficult and frustrating. What’s more, problems begin even before you enter the building. As a result of construction in the senior parking lot, all students have to compete for a parking spot before school, jamming the lot full. Seniors have waited four years for the privilege of their own parking lot, and now it appears that they’ll have to wait even longer. Though the renovations and construction will no doubt make the school better in the end, it remains an unnecessary inconvenience that should have been taken care of months ago.

“Gym class can’t dress out. We have to change in the bathrooms.” -freshman Jesse Vollick

“For football we have to change in the varsity locker room. For weights, we have to change in the swimming locker room.” -sophomore Kirk Harris

“Personal Fitness can’t work out, because the fitness center is not done. We have to change in the bathroom for tennis because there are no locker rooms.” -senior Heidi Kliethermes

SEPTEMBER 2008 0 6

upclose

A far cry from Stilwell Senior aids earthquake victims in China

Senior Emily Nichols learns

to make dumplings with her host in China. Photo submitted by Emily Nichols.

kyrastorm copy editor

Senior Emily Nichols is no stranger to Blue Valley High. You may have seen her delivering the sports news on Tiger TV, cruising in “Big Red”, her ancient Buick, or cracking jokes in class. But last summer, this philanthropic senior ventured where few Tigers have been before. In late June, Emily went to Chengdu, China, to help earthquake victims and teach English for an entire month. After packing two suitcases full of supplies to deliver to the foreign children, a few T-shirts and three boxes of cartoonshaped macaroni and cheese, Nichols embarked on the extensive journey ahead of her. “The flight from L.A. to Hong Kong was the most miserable one of my life,” she said. “I ate some funky dip from the Marriott restaurant and it definitely gave me food poisoning. Getting sick

on a 14-hour, sleepless flight was not fun at all.” After three flights and two endless layovers, she finally arrived in Chengdu, a city Nichols described as “smack dab in the middle of the country, like the K.C. of China.” However, it didn’t take long for Nichols to realize that she wasn’t in Kansas anymore. “I got stared at a lot for being American, especially in restaurants,” Nichols said. “People

eat very strange things in China, like chicken feet, pig stomach and spicy rabbit.” Table manners in China are quite different also, where Nichols says it isn’t uncommon to see people spit out the bones of their meat onto the table or floor. While she discovered new Chinese friends and her hidden talent for eating with chopsticks, the real meaning of Nichols’ trip was found in the rubble left from the devastating Sichuan earthquake that occurred on May 12 of this year. “The school that I helped teach English in used to be filled with 400 students and staff, only 60 of which survived the quake,” she said. Emily’s characteristic grin turns somber as she describes the scene she witnessed. “People were walking around, literally picking up the pieces of their livelihoods and trying to fix it all,” Nichols said. “Somehow they could still keep a smile on their face and always went out of their way to be friendly and hospitable to me, I don’t know how they do it.” Through educating and supporting the people, Nichols developed some meaningful relationships and succeeded in spreading the gospel with these remarkable citizens. “Christians here have to go to underground churches to worship, it’s crazy,” she said. “I didn’t get a chance to go in one because I was too high-profile and might’ve risked their safety.” The government always knew where Emily and her group were and kept tabs on the team’s whereabouts. “We can’t technically be called missionaries, because the Chinese government doesn’t want missionaries there,” Nichols said. “The population is mostly Buddhist.” Despite its policies concerning missionaries, Nichols said she’d like to return to China.

“I want God to use my heart for missions and I really feel like China is where he wants me to be,” she said. “I love it there and I want to visit again after college to visit the places I couldn’t see on this trip.” While some mothers would be hesitant to send their kids across the world alone, Carol Nichols wholeheartedly supports her daughter. “I know it seems like I should’ve been really worried, but for some reason I wasn’t,” she said. “I knew that the same God who watches her in Johnson County would be with her in China. There aren’t guarantees anywhere you are.” Understanding different cultures and experiencing foreign lands has always been a priority for the Nichols family. They’ve been all around the globe, visiting places like Jamaica, France and Ireland. “Its hard to have a heart for the world if you don’t understand it,” Carol Nichols said. “Traveling broadens your horizons and it’s just fun. It makes the world a smaller place.”

Senior Emily Nichols visits a waterfall in Lunan, China, with her host family. Photo submitted by Emily Nichols.

Emily’s Chinese Wŏ jiào ..... My name is..... Xiè xiè Thank you

Nĭ jiào shén mè míng zì? What’s your name? Wŏ bù dŏng I don’t understand

Chinese phrases submitted by Emily Nichols and edited by Allen Xu.

Zhè shì shén mè? What’s this? Wŏ shì gè xué shēng I am a student

SEPTEMBER 2008 0 7

indepth

Fueling Solutions

1978: $0.67 per gallon

Student Gas Logs

1983: $1.24 per gallon 1988: $0.95 per gallon 1993: $1.11 per gallon

Name: Senior Mary Beth Kellerman Car: 2002 Chevy Prizm Price of Car: $5,200 MPG: 25.8 Miles Driven: 68.8 per week Price of Fill Up: $27.43 for 7.8 gallons Cost to drive per week: $40

Name: Sophomore Greg

Name: Junior Tyler Goff Car: 2003 Honda Metropolitan

Graves Car: 2008 Ford F-150 Price of Car: $29,000 MPG: 18 Miles Driven: 75 per week Price of Fill Up: $90 for full tank Cost to drive per week: $90

MoPed

Price of Car: $1,500 MPG: 90+ Miles Driven: 10 per week Price of Fill Up: $6 for full tank Cost to drive per week: $0.44

1998: $1.06 per gallon

caitlinholland

2003: $1.59 per gallon 2008: $3.53 per gallon

CHANGE YOUR HABITS

Roll ‘Em Up

Keep your windows closed at highway speeds. When your windows are open, they cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10 percent.

Don’t Rev

Avoid revving (pressing the accelerator while in park or stopped) the engine; not only does this waste fuel, it can cause a loss of oil pressure.

Teachers find ways to cope with high gas prices staff reporter

One way or another, all Blue Valley students and staff find a way to get on campus everyday. Most drive or take the bus, but some have unique ways of commuting to school, due to the recent surge in gas prices. Art teacher Mark Mosier has been walking four blocks from his home to BVHS nearly everyday since he first began working here in 1987. It takes only about seven minutes to walk from point A to point B for Mosier, which he said

Get Rid of Excess

Remove the excess weight from your car. Extra weight reduces mileage.

I think it’s the patriotic thing to do because there is less energy used and it reduces gas. -teacher Mel Baskett

may be faster than driving. “If I were to drive, by the time I stopped at stop signs, waited for traffic, found a parking place and got into the building, It actually may be quicker to walk,” Mosier said. Mosier even walks in the rain and through ice storms, because he said he believes walking during bad weather is safer than driving. The reward of a healthy lifestyle motivates others to avoid driving to BVHS. Math teacher Richard Gill bikes about 15 miles to school, and enjoys the workout biking provides. “I don’t do it to save gas, I do it because it gets me some exercise,” Gill said. “I would rather spend an hour riding my bike than 30 minutes on a Stairmaster.” With gas prices rising, Gill expects to see more faculty members biking or walking their way to BVHS. Gill reduces his gasoline usage by 40 percent a week. He usually drives from his home to BVHS in the morning with his bike in tow, then bikes home after school that day, and then back again to BVHS the next morning. That afternoon, he takes his bike home in his car, thus saving one 15-mile trip a day and getting plenty of exercise.

Social Studies teacher Mel Baskett and counselor Jane McGraw choose to carpool together one to three times a week to reduce the amount of gas they use weekly. Both live more than 20 miles away in DeSoto, and Baskett said he feels like he does what he can to conserve energy and be environmentally friendly despite his long commute. “I think it’s the patriotic thing to do because there is less energy used and it reduces gas by about two gallons [a day] which is about seven or eight dollars a week,” Baskett said. Baskett said he feels that a bus system throughout the community would do great things for commuters in Johnson County. He rode the bus to his previous job in Kansas City, Mo., and feels it would be an efficient way for people to save money and relax during the morning commute. Although it is not possible for him to take the bus now, Baskett is happy to carpool and says it actually makes his commute more enjoyable. “Psychologically it’s easier to have somebody else drive a day,” Baskett said. Baskett, Gill, McGraw and Mosier have found a way to make reducing gas usage part of their daily routine, possibly inspiring others in the building to do the same.

How will rising gas prices affect your lifestyle? Start Small Don’t be a jack rabbit

Accelerate slowly when starting from a completely stopped position. This allows the carburetor to function at its greatest.

Don’t start up your car for a prolonged time, before you leave even on cold mornings: 30-45 seconds is plenty of time.

Pump Them Up

Inflate all your tires to their limit. Also, check your tires at least twice a month.

Photos by Amanda Blue, Conner Combes and Tom Roudebush. Information collected by Ryan O’Toole and Stephanie Roche. Information provided by GasPriceWatch.com and the U.S. Department of Labor.

0 8 SEPTEMBER 2008

senior Mikayla Dreyer

sophomore Joey Gearon

junior Abby Upah

freshman Kellen Rios

“I had to sell my truck.”

“I have to go to WalMart instead of Target because it’s too far away.”

“My bank account has sufficently lowered.”

“I don’t make as much money for my lawn mowing business.”

SEPTEMBER 2008 0 9

indepth

Fueling Solutions

1978: $0.67 per gallon

Student Gas Logs

1983: $1.24 per gallon 1988: $0.95 per gallon 1993: $1.11 per gallon

Name: Senior Mary Beth Kellerman Car: 2002 Chevy Prizm Price of Car: $5,200 MPG: 25.8 Miles Driven: 68.8 per week Price of Fill Up: $27.43 for 7.8 gallons Cost to drive per week: $40

Name: Sophomore Greg

Name: Junior Tyler Goff Car: 2003 Honda Metropolitan

Graves Car: 2008 Ford F-150 Price of Car: $29,000 MPG: 18 Miles Driven: 75 per week Price of Fill Up: $90 for full tank Cost to drive per week: $90

MoPed

Price of Car: $1,500 MPG: 90+ Miles Driven: 10 per week Price of Fill Up: $6 for full tank Cost to drive per week: $0.44

1998: $1.06 per gallon

caitlinholland

2003: $1.59 per gallon 2008: $3.53 per gallon

CHANGE YOUR HABITS

Roll ‘Em Up

Keep your windows closed at highway speeds. When your windows are open, they cause air drag, reducing your mileage by 10 percent.

Don’t Rev

Avoid revving (pressing the accelerator while in park or stopped) the engine; not only does this waste fuel, it can cause a loss of oil pressure.

Teachers find ways to cope with high gas prices staff reporter

Get Rid of Excess

Remove the excess weight from your car. Extra weight reduces mileage.

I think it’s the patriotic thing to do because there is less energy used and it reduces gas. -teacher Mel Baskett

How will rising gas prices affect your lifestyle? Start Small Don’t be a jack rabbit

Accelerate slowly when starting from a completely stopped position. This allows the carburetor to function at its greatest.

Don’t start up your car for a prolonged time, before you leave even on cold mornings: 30-45 seconds is plenty of time.

Pump Them Up

Inflate all your tires to their limit. Also, check your tires at least twice a month.

Photos by Amanda Blue, Conner Combes and Tom Roudebush. Information collected by Ryan O’Toole and Stephanie Roche. Information provided by GasPriceWatch.com and the U.S. Department of Labor.

0 8 SEPTEMBER 2008

senior Mikayla Dreyer

sophomore Joey Gearon

junior Abby Upah

freshman Kellen Rios

“I had to sell my truck.”

“I have to go to WalMart instead of Target because it’s too far away.”

“My bank account has sufficently lowered.”

“I don’t make as much money for my lawn mowing business.”

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upclose

Photo by Tom Roudebush.

Freshman tests into Calculus BC, challenges himself in preparation for college stephanieroche in-depth editor

“I am basically a hard-working student who wants to be an over-

achiever and make it to the top, or maybe even exceed that. I mean if we were supposed to read chapter one in biology, I would read chapters one and two. Even if we were never going to read chapter two, I would do it just to gain knowledge.” Say hello to freshman Allen Zhu. Zhu is enrolled in AP Calculus BC, considered Blue Valley’s hardest math class. While in sixth grade, Zhu started his high school career in

Honors Geometry at the age of 10. That same year he jumped into the seventh grade. “Many people think I have skipped two grades, however in reality I have only skipped one,” Zhu said. “I started school in California and they start one year early. So instead of starting kindergarten at age five, they do at four.” Zhu says he is strong in precalculus and geometry , but excels even more in algebra. “Math is my favorite and best subject,” Zhu said. “Sometimes I do it in my spare time. My dad also makes me practice a lot.” It was originally Zhu’s father’s

1 0 SEPTEMBER 2008

idea for him to attempt to test out of pre-calculus. With his father’s encouragement, Zhu studied the material covered in pre-calculus and even a little beyond it this summer. In the end, Zhu himself decided to test into Calculus BC. “The pace in the class so far is a bit slow,” Zhu said. “However, it is still a much better challenge than pre-calc.” Zhu says he is not intimidated by the upperclassmen. He also says they sometimes are amazed at how he got into the classes and at his age. “Upperclassmen think, ‘Whoa, I’m getting owned by a

freshman’,” Zhu said. When it comes to outsmarting teachers, Zhu says he tries not to protest in class because he does not want to come off as a smart aleck. “I do notice when they make mistakes, like when they’re speaking,” Zhu said. “Looking back, I remember all the mistakes my elementary teachers made.” Zhu’s algebra teacher Anna Toneva is impressed with his math abilities. “He reminds me of a smart professor,” Toneva said. “He is probably at college level capabilities.” Outside of the classroom,

Zhu plans on playing tennis and joining math club, chess club and all the science clubs available. “My goal is to make junior varsity [in tennis],” Zhu said. Zhu is also making plans for beyond high school. “My goal is to go to one of those really good universities,” Zhu said. “Probably M.I.T. [Massachusetts Institute of Technology] because engineering interests me. Or maybe Harvard or Stanford because if I don’t go into engineering, I would probably go for a degree in physics or chemistry or something related to those.”

payin’thebills

SEPTEMBER 2008 1 1

payinâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;thebills

Heidi Parrish Will you go to Homecoming with me?

-AJ

1 2 SEPTEMBER 2008

centerstage rachelmccullough staff writer

Same Zip, New Drama

Many teenagers stopped their weeks to watch the original “Beverly Hills 90210.” But now, almost 18 years since it first aired, the show is back with a new cast and plot line. The show was designed to be a soap opera/drama. The high school and college cast portrayed different characters from all stereotypes: the virgin, the jock, the nerds, the “it” girls, the wannabes, the rich kids, the poor kids, even the new kids. The spin-off will include a new cast with the exception of a few of the original cast members, including Jennie Garth and Shannen Doherty. Garth played Kelly Taylor, a sassy, popular girl with unusual challenges. Doherty portrayed Garth’s onscreen friend Brenda Walsh, a small-town girl from Minnesota just trying to fit in. It will involve a whole new plot line but will continue to deal with issues that teens continue to face today. “I do think students will be able to relate,” history teacher Jessica Spinks said. “The issues were realistic and I think that the students that go here experience some of those things.” Critics say it will be a show for the whole family. Parents that watched the original will recognize stars from their generation including Rob Estes from “Melrose Place” and Lori Loughlin from “Full House.” But with the new generation of cast members the show will attract teenage viewers. It could

become a topic between parents and their kids. Most teenagers aren’t familiar with the show unless they watch the re-runs on “Soap Net” or their parents have introduced them to it. “I thought the original show was kind of interesting,” junior Jenn Timmons said. “It wasn’t exactly the same stuff as I usually watch, but it was something I’d be willing to watch more of.” In an effort to make the show more realistic, CW network producers have interviewed high school students on their everyday lives and challenges. The producers then took that feedback and worked it into the show. “I think it’s good for them to come back, and I like the cast to begin with,” Spinks said. “I think it will feel more like the same show, you really got to know the characters.” Students think that it might be like the same shows they see everyday, including “One Tree Hill” and “The O.C.” But the CW network compares their show to that of “Gossip Girl”, with a focus on issues relevant to teens. “They just have to add some pizzazz to make it a must-see,” Timmons said. Producers are hoping to appeal to an audience of both younger and older viewers. “I think there is something to be said for the show, like the reputation it had for the name. I hope the reputation it had will help it and it will bring in older

90210 The original “90210” re-defined teen drama. Can the new one do the same?

The House Bunny Anna Faris and Emma Stone

stephanieroche in-depth editor

I am 48 years old. No, I am not writing to you from the future silly, that is my age in bunny years! After three weeks of school, I was already feeling stressed out and looking for something to take my mind off everything. This movie was perfect for just that. I guess you could categorize it as a laugh-out-loud while losing brain cells movie. Which, let’s be honest, how many brain cells do you need to operate functionally? Shelley, a former Playboy bunny who, at the age of 27 (or 59 in bunny years), was kicked out of the Playboy mansion and found herself homeless. After driving around, getting arrested, and brushing her teeth, she ended up in the land of

mini-Playboy mansions, Greek road. With a few unexpected plot twists, and a few expected ones, I was easily entertained. Anna Faris (Scary Movie) and Emma Stone (Superbad) lead a cast of very sarcastic and funny characters. The whole movie is dig after dig at blonde bimbos. However, there is a moral to the story, as Shelley reveals in the climatic court room scene; be yourself. Also in supporting roles are the offspring of mega-movie stars, Colin Hanks (son of Tom Hanks) and Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore). A great soundtrack keeps the movie moving, and don’t worry, Katharine McPhee only sings briefly during a karaoke scene and the credits. If you are looking to laugh and be distracted for a hour and a half, see The House Bunny.

A new version of classic teen

drama “90210” premiered Sept. 2 on the CW. Pictured here are AnnaLynne McCord as Naomi, Dustin Milligan as Ethan, Shenae Grimes as Annie, Tristan Wilds as Dixon, Jessica Stroup as Silver and Michael Steger as Navid. Photo courtesy of Art Streiber/The CW. Used with permission.

viewers.” Spinks said. The show premiered Sept. 2nd, and will continue to run on Tuesday nights at 8/7 central on the CW. Spinks gave the premiere good reviews. “It was so good,” Spinks said, “I thought that it incorporated issues that were very realistic to kids this age. Issues such as teammates, cheating, plagiarism, and race issues.” Overall, Spinks thought it flowed well and was interesting. “I think they did a good job for incorporating the old one, but the new people would still be able to understand the plot line.”

Hear It Here! Shwayze Self-Titled After listening to Shwayze’s debut CD, you’re left with two thoughts. One, you might as well have listened to the same song eleven times. Two, Aaron “Shwayze” Smith, the force behind the rhymes, is apparently trying to set the record for the number of times you can rap about girls, booze and Malibu in one CD. Backed by Cisco Adler’s amateur beats, Shwayze tries to pull off being the urban Jack Johnson. Admittedly, the acoustic guitar is adorably sunny, but seeing as how nearly every song features low-fi strumming, it gets old quickly. The most disappointing thing, though, is that Shwayze has all the potential of putting out a really awesome record. All he needs to do is lose Cisco Adler and find something new to rap about. Otherwise, he’s the same as any other rapper. The only difference is he has an acoustic guitar. By Tori Freisner.

SEPTEMBER 2008 1 3

tigerturf

BV SPORTS IN BRIEF

Fall sports kick off to combination of highs and lows Football

9/5 Manhattan L (29-7) 9/13 BVNW W (33-13)

After an upsetting loss to Manhattan in the team’s first game, football regained its winning ways with a powerful victory over Blue Valley Northwest. The Tigers dominated the Huskies in what coach Steve Rampy called an excellent performance by offense, defense and special teams. Catch football in action: 9/19 Salina Central @ BVHS 9/25 Blue Valley North @ BVDAC 10/3 Bishop Miege @ BVHS

Boys Soccer 8/29 SMW L(2-1) 9/4 Mill Valley W(5-0) 9/11 Bonner Springs W(8-1) With three games played, the boys soccer team successfully overcame a tough overtime loss

to Shawnee Mission West with blowout victories over Mill Valley and Bonner Springs. Coach K. Dean Snell is optimistic about the team’s future after recent games, and predicts the team to finish within the top three in the league. Catch boys soccer in action: 9/23 @ Bishop Miege 9/25 @ Blue Valley West 10/2 Turner @ BVW

Volleyball

9/2 Seaman L 9/8 Ottawa W 9/11 Turner / Lansing L

The team began its season on a rough note with two losses on its record. The team will face some of the top teams in the city within the next month. Catch volleyball in action: 9/20 Maize Invitational 9/23 Bishop Miege @ BVHS

Cross Country

9/4 BVHS meet 4 medalists After a successful home meet, the cross country team began intense preparation and looks to win the Paola invitational for the fifth straight time. Coach Diana Huber started serious training with the team and is expecting strong performances in the coming months. Catch cross country in action: 9/20 Baldwin Invitational 9/27 KU Invit. @ Rim Rock Farm

Girls Tennis

8/26 Aquinas Dual W 8/27 BVNW Dual W 9/15 SMW Dual W Catch girls tennis in action: 9/22 Mill Valley Dual @ BVHS 9/23 BVW Dual

All information compiled by AJ Barbosa, Tyler Duke, Ryan O’Toole, Steven Reno and Shannon Valverde.

Junior quarterback Anthony Abenoja drops back to pass in the Sept. 5 game against Manhattan High. Due to some costly fumbles, the Tigers fell to 0-1 on the season. The Tigers bounced back the following week with a solid victory against Blue Valley Northwest on Sept. 13. They were able to put up 33 points with their new no-huddle offense, helping to make up for their stunning loss the week before. Photo by Tom Roudebush.

US gymnast robbed of chance at Olympic gold BUZZER beater

sports editor • AJ Barbosa Despite the controversy involving the People’s Republic of China’s role in the human rights struggles in Sudan and Tibet, the 2008 Olympic Games sought to bring out positive publicity for the country which had been sheltered from the western world until the country’s “Great leap forward” beginning in the early 1950s. The extravagant nature of the games set the standard for host cities to come, and history was made in such a way to leave this summer’s games as a resounding positive memory for many throughout the world. Except for American gymnast Alicia Sacramone.

This year, Sacramone clinched her first spot on the USA Olympic Gymnastics Team after failing to make the cut for the 2004 games in Athens when she was only 16. The team’s inherent “social and spiritual leader” is among the world’s elite in both floor exercise and vault, but the Winchester, Mass., native failed to fulfill her Olympic dreams in her two chances. Favored to win it all, Sacramone and the USA had only one major obstacle to overcome on the way to gold. The Chinese. China’s gymnastics team entered the competition under heavy scrutiny, with gymnasts Yang Yilin and He Kexin’s ages bearing the brunt of the controversy. According to the Canadian Broadcast Company, profiles posted on the General Administration of Sport of China’s website from 2004-2006 indicated Yilin was born in 1993 and He was born in 1994, which would have made both ineligible for competition in this year’s games. Two years ago, both gymnasts’ birth years were mysteriously changed to 1992, making them

1 4 SEPTEMBER 2008

eligible for Beijing. Regardless of age, both girls brought undeniable talent to the table. In competition, both scored 17s in their respective events for China earlier in the season, a feat that only USA gold medalist Nastia Liukin can boast. Sacramone’s difficult trip to Beijing started with an offbalanced fall from the beam early in the team competition. The fall only cost the team .85 points, and coupled with another mistake in the floor exercise, she set the team back 1.15 points. Even if Sacramone had avoided those mistakes, China still would have clinched gold by nearly one and a half points. Despite the simple math involved to figure the USA’s loss, Sacramone still found herself on the receiving end of a slew of bad press and blame. Four days later, she had one last shot to redeem herself in the eyes of many naive Americans who believe she cost the USA the gold. She qualified in the individual vault event, an event in which she is undoubtedly strong. Due to bad luck, she drew the leadoff position, the

first to perform among eight other competitors. She made very simple mistakes in her two performances, with subtle steps barely marring her two landings and earning her a sub-par average score of 15.537. Chinese gymnast Cheng Fei drew the second position, landing a near-perfect first vault, but collapsed to her knees at the end of her second attempt. Cheng’s average, despite the horrible fall, still topped Sacramone’s score by only a quarter of a point. After each gymnast had competed, Cheng earned a bronze medal, leaving Sacramone in fourth place. After seeing this, it became stunningly apparent to me that there must have been something going on behind the scenes. Sacramone got royally screwed in the vault finals, and there’s no escaping it. Watching the routines via TiVo, Sacramone’s hops in her landings are nowhere near the magnitude of landing a vault routine on your knees. Somehow, following the sickening trend of this year’s games, the allegedly underage

Chinese came out atop a welldeserving USA team. Watching the tears well up in Sacramone’s eyes as her Olympic dreams were crushed enraged me, and should enrage every other patriotic person in this country. Sacramone is 21 years old, and will be 25 by the time the London Olympics come around, which will be far too old to compete. This was the one chance she worked so hard for, and it was destroyed by a bunch of middle school cheaters. China simply doesn’t deserve their team medals, or Cheng’s bronze. It’s inevitable that Yilin is younger than her rumored age, along with the two other Chinese gymnasts whose age has fallen into question. Had they not competed in these games, Team USA would have deservingly taken gold in the team competition, and thanks to the indiscretion of the judges, Sacramone would have taken bronze in vault, but the International Olympic Committee failed miserably in fixing the problem. So much for all that positive Chinese publicity they hoped for.

Backon

tigerturf

ajbarbosa sports editor For some, the Olympic games can be overwhelming, and the tears that rolled down the cheeks of junior Sarah DeMeo as she watched her fellow teammates and friends compete in Beijing are a perfect example. â&#x20AC;&#x153;She started crying when we watched the Olympics on TV,â&#x20AC;? Sarahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sister, freshman Allison DeMeo said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;One of them fell and it really got to her because she couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be there to help support her.â&#x20AC;? Since her gymnastics career began at the age of six, Sarah set her sights on Beijing. Ten years and three gyms later, Sarah found herself within reaching distance of qualifying for the games. However, a lingering elbow injury prevented her from realizing the dream. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Over time, all that hard landing and pushing wore it away,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I kind of just pushed through it because I wanted

Bars

the

After successful surgery, former Olympic hopeful and BV gymnast returns to action and trains for a college scholarship

to make it through this summer but I just couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t. I got to the point where I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t even move it anymore.â&#x20AC;? With the Olympic trials nearing, Sarah had no other choice than to forfeit her chance for qualification to undergo surgery. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I was probably going to be closer to the alternate spot, probably not the top six,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;But I was just hoping to do the best I could at trials.â&#x20AC;? She had reason to anticipate making the team. Just two years ago, she found herself on the first place podium with a familiar Olympic face below her. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I beat Shawn [Johnson] in 2006 at the US Classic in Kansas City,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;It was a really good feeling, I was really happy about it.â&#x20AC;? Sarah also became friends with Johnson and other members of the Olympic team through training camps held throughout the year. She keeps in touch with them frequently and wished

Imagery, formerly in Westport, has moved to Mission Farms at 105th and Mission Road. For women We still carry the brands you love: Miss Me, Sweet Pea, Beaubois, To the Max, and many others. For the men We offer stylish clothing (Ichabod, Reunion, etc), belts, and more.

Show your student ID for 10% off of any purchase before October 4.

them luck before they left for Beijing. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I just talked to them before they left,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I told them good job online, but they havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really gotten back to me yet. Theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re probably still pretty busy.â&#x20AC;? Returning to full strength for Sarah will be a slower progressive effort, but she feels her days of competing in large competitions are over. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m just gonna lay back a little bit and give my elbow time to heal,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;In two years Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll be in college, so I think Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m done with all that hardcore stuff.â&#x20AC;? Her Olympic setback has also brought her more motivation to earn a college scholarship to UCLA, the college of her dreams. â&#x20AC;&#x153;College is going to be really fun, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m excited for that,â&#x20AC;? she said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a whole different atmosphere and a whole different way of looking at gymnastics.â&#x20AC;? Sarah still has another two years before she will compete in collegiate gymnastics, and Allison is enjoying having her sister

Junior Sarah DeMeo flies down to the low bar in a 2007 competition. DeMeo earned a total of 12 medals throughout 2007. Photo courtesy of Brian Jones, used with permission.

around for a few more years. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like my best friend,â&#x20AC;? Allison said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We tell each other everything, and sometimes we get into fights, but theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re usually over in about 10 minutes.â&#x20AC;?

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SEPTEMBER 2008 1 5

SEPTEMBER 19

Football home opener vs. Salina Central at 7 p.m. The senior tailgate will be before the game.

International Day of Peace Provides an opportunity for individuals, organizations and nations to create practical acts of peace on a shared date.

Girls Tennis vs. Olathe Northwest at 3:30 p.m.

National One-Hit Wonder Day What a perfect day to sing all those songs you know the words to, but not the artists of. I know what I’ll be singing: “Come on Eileen” by Dexy’s Midnight Runners!

Cross Country Rim Rock Farms meet at the University of Kansas.

[Around Town]

Sept. 19-21

Volleyball vs. Bishop Miege at 7 p.m. Girls Golf Blue Valley Invitational at Leawood South Country Club

OCTOBER 02

Boys Soccer vs.Turner at 6:15. The game will be played at Blue Valley West.

National Diversity Day A day to celebrate and embrace who we are, despite our differences, no matter what race, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, nationality, or disability.

Orchestra Concert from 6-9 p.m. in the PAC and commons.

College Planning Event from 5-9 in PAC and commons.

Football vs. St. Thomas Aquinas at 7 p.m.

Plaza Art Fair The streets of the Plaza will become an outdoor gallery where you can just look or even support some of the nations top visual artists. At the Country Club Plaza, times vary each day. Admission is free.

Blue Valley’s varsity football team storms the field before their first game against the Manhattan Indians. Due to some costly turnovers, the team suffered a 29-7 loss. Photo by Tom Roudebush.

Sept. 27

83rd Annual American Royal Parade A kick off to the American Royal festivities. Located next to Kemper Arena, admission is free. Starts at 10 a.m.

Sept. 28 Sept. 26

Counting Crows and Maroon 5 Concert Starlight Theatre at 7 p.m. Tickets start at $85.

Kansas City Chiefs Game vs. Denver Broncos at noon. Tickets start at $41.

Oct. 01

ZZ Top Concert Don your long white beard and kick it old school. Midland Theater at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $38.

Oct. 06

America’s Best Dance Crew Have you watched the show and now want to see the performances live? Good news, the crews are coming to Kansas City! Midland Theater at 7:30 p.m. Tickets start at $35.

Columbus Day A day to celebrate the most successful failure in history. Lucky for us.

Chior Concert at 7 in the PAC and commons.

PSAT Testing Sophomores who signed up will take it at the school and juniors will be taking the test off sight.

PLAN / Practice ACT Testing For sophomores and juniors.

Homecoming Oct. 02

Oct. 03

Bonfire Tonight behind the school.

Oct. 04

Assembly The activities begin today with an assembly during Tiger Time.

Oct. 03

Homecoming Parade The parade starts at WalMart and will take place after school.

Homecoming Football Game vs. Miege at 7.

Homecoming Dance at 8. Go with a group or date; either way it is sure to be a good time. The theme is Arabian Nights.