The Tiger Print — September 2015

Blue Valley High School — Vol. 46 — Issue 2— September 2015 — Overland Park, Kansas

Great Expectations: Blue Valley encourages enrollment for strenuous classes; students, principal share opinions on AP culture, Pages 15-17.

Photo illustration by Sophia Ragomo.

2 inthenews September 2015

inside this issue NEWS

2

HOPE FROM HINES Speaker continues message of mental health

page 5

OPINION

6

national news explained

SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS

The flow of Syrian refugees into European countries has reached an all-time high of more than 19 million and an average of 42,000 more are expected per day. This constitutes over one-third of the population gone due to rulings of Bashar al-Assad, ISIS and other extremist groups. Many have fled into neighboring countries such as Turkey, but life there is not sustainable in refugee camps. Therefore, the trek to Western

LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX Health class inadequately addresses real-world situations

page 8

Why is this a big deal? Families are walking hundreds of miles with young children, boats carrying refugees to Greece sink, causing people to wash up on the shores and Hungarian police are forcing people into refugee camps. This situation is growing worse with each passing day, and no long-term solutions have been presented. Wealthy countries need to grant asylum and start programs to help the refugees find jobs. The problem isn’t going away anytime soon, with millions more projected to come within the year’s end. Countries need to open their borders to these struggling people, or more and more will perish at the hands of dictators or the journey.

FEATURES 11 AP OVERLOAD Student enrolled in seven AP classes shares experiences

page 13

ENTERTAINMENT 19 STAFF SUPERLATIVES BV faculty vote on which members deserve awards page 20-21

SPORTS 25 CO-ED COLOR GUARD Only male dancer breaks gender stereotype

page 26 Photos courtesy of MCT Campus.

Stories by Sheila Gregory.

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

Europe is being made by the thousands each day where there is an promise of a better life.

Countries in the European Union have been reluctant to take in the flood of people except for the bare-minimum. On Sept. 14, Hungary officially closed its borders to anyone who does not have a visa, leaving the floods of people stranded in Serbia. The United States has also taken no part in alleviating the burden the refugees have put on Europe and remains silent to the pleas for help.

KIM DAVIS

Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licenses first specifically targeted to same-sex couples, then to anyone who wanted one. The Supreme Court ordered her to do her job, then held her in contempt when she persisted in her crusade.

She spent five days in jail until her release on Sept. 8. Returning to her job on Sept. 14, she stayed true to her original views and still refuses to sign any licenses for gay couples.

Why is this a big deal? Davis claims she is not bound by the Supreme Court’s rule, but a higher one. Her refusal has struck a chord with Christians who do not agree with the same-sex ruling. She is a figure now to those who originally disapproved of the Court’s decision to legalize same-sex marriage.

Political figures, such as presidential hopeful Mike Huckabee, have voiced support for her actions. While Davis was in jail, her

clerks signed for the licenses, and there is speculation whether or not they will be valid.

Davis can’t be fired for her actions since she is an elected official, and it would require an impeachment process to remove her from this job.

September 2015 inthenews 3

The Climate Crisis global warming brings severe consequences, incites drastic impacts charlotterooney opinion editor Hotter summers, torrential rain, extreme winters, crazy droughts, higher sea levels and Arctic melting.

The list goes on, but these are all due to climate change. Studies have shown humans may only have a few more years to change the rate of carbon emissions before it’s too late to reverse it.

“Right now we’re past the point of not seeing any changes,” science teacher Kale Mann said. “Climate takes a long time to shift. It’s like a freight train — even when you press the brakes, it takes a long time to stop the train. We’re already seeing these changes, and they will continue to build up over time.

The debate on that is over — 90 percent of climatologists will agree that signs of climate change are already happening and will continue to happen.”

Aside from the obvious things that global warming is affecting, it has also influenced higher disease levels in Africa, property loss

from the raging wildfires in North America, as well as decreased production and quality of food in South America, according to NationalGeographic.com.

If this isn’t enough information, President of the Natural Resources Defense Council Frances Bienecke has called these happenings an “S.O.S to the world.”

According to BiologicalDiversity.org, we are in the middle of an “extinction crisis.”

The normal rate of extinction is between one and five species per year.

Right now, scientists believe the die-off rate is 1,000 to 10,000 times the normal rate. This is the highest rate of extinction since the death of dinosaurs 65 million years ago.

Extinction rates wouldn’t be as high as they are if people weren’t in the picture, according to the journal, “Science.” Human intervention, such as deforestation and carbon outputs, as well as mining and habitat destruction and — of course — pollution are said to be the leading reasons for the huge amount of species loss.

According to NationalGeographic.com, the consequences of climate change “will begin to be unacceptably severe.”

Mann said the impact he

is most worried about is water supply.

“The Himalayan mountains supply a ton of water,” he said. “The glaciers melt and supply fresh water to three billion people on earth. Those glaciers are probably going to be gone in 50 to 60 years, which leaves a fourth of the population without fresh water.

That’s a major concern.”

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has been pushing countries to raise more awareness about the impacts of global warming.

“We need to push our politicians to lead,” Mann said. “They need to make these changes. There are going to be hard decisions, and it’s going to cost money, but we need to own that. We have one of the highest carbon emission rates of any country.”

Mann said the small things really add up to help climate change.

“Changing the little things we do at home can make a big difference, by using CFL or LED light bulbs or carpooling,” he said. “It seems small, but if we all do it, we can make a huge difference. The United States has the third largest population in the world, so if we all get active with this, we can make a big impact.”

97%

percentage of climatologists who agree that climate change is occurring

Courtesy of livescience.com

trees that have died since human civilization began

50%

extreme drought severe drought moderate drought no drought

Information courtesy of U.S. Drought Monitor Page designed by Charlotte Rooney.

4 inthenews September 2015

Let the Games Begin Republican debates begin for the 2016 primaries TRUMP

30.5% rating in the polls

Immigration: all illegal immigrants must leave the country; “let the good ones” back in

Gun control: against Tax reform: one-time 14% tax on wealthy to pay down national debt Education: believes Common Core is a “disaster”

CARSON

20.0% rating in the polls

Immigration: way to citizenship unfair to immigrants Gun control: law-abiding citizens have right to guns Tax reform: tithing better than FairTax Education: public education system is propaganda system

7.8%

BUSH

rating in the polls

Immigration: there is no plan to deport 11 million people Gun control: stand-your-ground bill Tax reform: require voter approval of any new taxes Education: Federal government should create choices not standards

Hansen

“I think that the GOP candidate with the most potential would be Scott Walker. Trump will plummet in the polls at some point, but I believe Scott Walker has the best chance to regain that number-one republican spot. He is a successful governor, which shows he can lead, and he’s straightforward with the public which is what people are looking for in candidates.”

— sophomore Christian Hansen

Page designed by Maddie Davis.

juliefreijat staff writer

This August marked the beginning of the Republican debates for the 2016 presidential race. According to the schedule announced in January by the Republican National Committee, 12 debates will occur from August 2015 to March 2016.

As of Sept. 14, there were 16 candidates, 14 of which attended the first debate on Aug. 3, hosted by C-SPAN. The second debate held by Fox News on Aug. 6 showcased only the top-10 candidates leading in the most recent polls due to the amount of republicans running. This debate was viewed by 24 million people, making it the most watched live broadcast in the history of cable news.

Fox News offered an alternative debate at 5 p.m. the same night for the remaining candidates.

During the main debate on Aug. 6, each candidate was given a certain amount of airtime by the moderators with Donald Trump having the most at 10:32, and Rand Paul having the least at 5:10.

The debate shook up the polls, and candidates received either praise or criticism. “The Washington Post” pegged Marco Rubio a “political talent” in the main event and stated that Carly Fiorina was “the clear winner” of the 5 p.m. debate.

However, CNN called Jeb Bush “nervous, halting and just painfully uninspiring.”

These debates have sparked local attention as well.

“Despite all the attention Donald Trump is getting, it’s just for entertainment,” Debate teacher Chris Riffer said. “The ones that probably have the most potential are those that have more ties in the establishment of the party and have some actual executive experience. So Jeb Bush [and] Scott Walker — I would think those are probably going to be the two that you’ll see at the end of the primary season.”

On Sept. 16, CNN hosted another primetime debate. This debate included 11 of the 16 candidates and focused on foreign policy and immigration.

The next debate is scheduled to be on Oct. 28 in Boulder, Colorado. It will be hosted by CNBC, which has stated that the debate will be primarily centered around the economy.

Whitehead

“Marco Rubio is the most compelling speaker of the Republican candidacy. Not only can you sense that his belief in American exceptionalism is genuine, but that his populist sensibilities will allow him to credibly broach the subject of inequality.”

— senior Rhyan Whitehead

*Polling info from RealClearPolitics.com and stances from OntheIssues.org. Photos courtesy of MCT Campus.

September 2015 inthenews 5

A Message of Hope

Speaker shares tips on mental wellness, suicide prevention

sheilagregory co-editor Editors’ Note: “The Tiger Print” editors had the opportunity to Skype with Kevin Hines about his presentation and life a week before he came to Blue Valley. This story contains content from that interview.

On Aug. 27 motivational speaker Kevin Hines came to Blue Valley to share his message of hope and suicide prevention.

Hines’ goal is to reach any individual he can who is suffering in silence and get them the help they need. He said his message needs to be heard on a daily basis for those with suicidal thoughts.

“I have chronic suicidal idealations,” Hines said. “I have to keep making the decision to survive and make the cognitive decision to talk about those things immediately as opposed to when it gets to a dangerous spot — where it’s too late.”

Mental illness needs to be dealt with at a younger age, Hines said.

“At the school level, we are making a mistake by not talking about it in grade school,” he said. “We need to set a baseline.

If we are going to augment the future of the world to be a place of less suicide, you’re going to have to infiltrate every fourth to fifth grade class. Allowing our students to recognize what mental health is back then [is vital], so when they hit puberty and there are thoughts of an attempt, they know what to do.”

What everybody needs to realize, Hines said, is asking someone if they are thinking about taking their life will not encourage them to do so. “[Schools] were so worried about instilling in someone’s mind who wasn’t thinking about the idea of suicide,” he said.

The

Art of Wellness

Therapy — we may not all have a mental illness, but each one us must deal with our mental health. Everyone of us has issues and experiences stress. Some types of therapy that could benefit anyone: talk therapy — talking to someone who understands, listens and empathizes with your problems. Music therapy — listening to soothing music before sleep can improve sleeping habits and patterns.

Meditation — it can come in many forms. Push out the negative aspects of your life while letting the good parts take over. Changing a negative state of mind to a positive one is so important.

“They were worried about saying the word and having it be planted. If talked about in a non-sensational manner — that there is hope with treatment, and treatment could lead to a better life — you can go into any place. You can reduce suicide or at least get people to talk about [it].”

Hines said maintaining a healthy mental state can be difficult when students are overrun with a large workload. “[Students] are devastating their minds — they are devastating their bodies — just to get the grade,” he said. “It isn’t worth it.

As a societal whole, we need to reevaluate how we treat our young, underdeveloped teenage minds before they go out in the world.”

Hines said talking to high school students is especially important.

“We are going to shape the next generations, and if we can’t keep ourselves alive or we can’t help those teens who are struggling mentally, we are doing a great disservice to the next generations because those minds will be lost,” Hines said. “Teenagers are dying at such alarming rates across the U.S., [which] is completely unacceptable.

The government, as well as local groups and organizations, needs to come together and assess this issue and find a solution. I want to be a part of that solution.”

Tips adapted from Kevin Hines’ YouTube videos Exercise — one of the greatest natural anti-depressants in the world; 23 minutes of vigorous cardiovascular or strength-training exercise can lead to 12 hours of better mood. Exercise increases levels of serotonin and releases endorphins, which leads to a better mood throughout the day.

Sleep — the single most important aspect to a healthy mental state.

During sleep, your body creates new brain cells to be used the next day. It is also crucial to your body’s ability to heal and cope in any kind of situation.

Photo by Isabelle Allen.

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

6 outloud September 2015

a world of hurt

SeaWorld deemed unhealthy environment for killer whales

isabelleallen staff writer & photographer Sitting in the bleachers at Shamu Stadium in SeaWorld, I was 5 years old and ohso-naive.

I was mesmerized by the enormous, black-and-white killer whale before me.

How could an animal this large and so dignified be kept in a tank equivalent to the size of a bathtub for humans?

It can’t.

You’ve probably heard about the case of SeaWorld against the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the news within the past five years. The reason OSHA stepped in was because of a whale

named Tilikum.

Tilikum was a killer whale captured near Iceland in November 1983. Since then, he has killed three people, all while being held in captivity.

SeaWorld claims it was a “trainer error” that caused the death of Dawn Brancheau, a senior trainer at SeaWorld; however, more evidence shows this was not the truth.

OSHA believes the orcas kept in captivity are aggressive and too dangerous to work with humans in the water.

There are no records of orcas harming humans intentionally in the wild.

Taken away from their family after birth, these orcas suffer from intense depression proven by a number of cases.

In effect of this depression, 100 percent of male whales kept in captivity have a collapsed fin, which means its fin folds over.

Collapsed fins are a sign of unhealthy whales, and in the wild, around 1 percent of whales have a collapsed fin.

These whales, who on average swim 100 miles a day in the wild, are suffering on a daily basis because of being held captive by SeaWorld in pools that are much too small.

Orcas that live in the wild have a life expectancy similar to humans. In captivity, they only live for 25-35 years.

How can these orcas live in a pool, while a human can’t dare to put a dog in a kennel?

Why should they be left isolated in a tank with no stimuli?

How many dead orcas — and humans for that matter — will it take for an amusement park to close down?

Don’t encourage SeaWorld and its backward morals — buying the ticket isn’t worth it.

Page designed by Isabelle Allen.

Grand old

Problem sheilagregory co-editor Thirty-seven.

That is the glorious number of potential future presidential nominees from the Grand Old Party.

The options are nearly unlimited and the candidates as diverse as the cast of “National Treasure.”

Each and every person should be grateful that so many monotonous men — and Carly Fiorina — have taken such an interest in returning America to its former glory.

We aren’t talking Reaganomics here — this glory is the one that came after winning the Revolutionary War. The idyllic time period when wealthy white men ruled supreme, and it was necessary to have at least one gun per household.

Ah, but who to choose?

Who could possibly enforce the strict gender roles?

Who would ensure

September 2015 outloud 7

Number of Republican candidates overwhelming, needs Bachelor-like competition

the tea-embargo against the Brits was upheld? Or brought back for that matter.

The obvious contender — businessman (disgraced Pantene model) Donald Trump — could deliver on his promises to keep women where they belong. This early in the campaign, he has already made it known how clearly he understands how female reproductive organs control each and every action we make.

Insider sources reveal he would legally obligate women to track menstrual cycles as to avoid awkward encounters with male superiors, such as the one he had with False News anchor Megyn Kelly.

Not all of my energy should be focused on Trump. There are 35 other interchangeable candidates to go through.

Florida Governor Jeb Bush — basking in the success one of the greatest political

dynasties — makes an obvious front-runner after his brother’s flawless presidency.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie could eat ISIS. Constantly sweaty Senator Ted Cruz vows to strip any and all people receiving government sponsored health care of their right to get sick and go to the doctor.

So many candidates, so little time.

Even “The Bachelor” contestants have eight weeks to prove their worth to the dream guy.

The American public is the dream guy in this 2016 Republican edition. However, the steamy dates will turn into an even sexier event — 16 of the front-runners on stage talking about anchor babies.

I can picture it now: a stolen glance from Trump, lip-licking from Marco Rubio, a sly wink from Cruz.

All of this culminating in the final two.

Who will get the rose? Who will the public propose to based on their stances and whoever receives the most money from the Koch brothers?

In this circus of a race, only one thing remains certain.

It will be one heck of a laugh.

So get some popcorn, sit back and watch the buffoonery unfold.

Cartoon by Sophia Ragomo.

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

8 outloud September 2015

AP: A Problem? meganhegarty sports editor AP United States History.

AP English Language Arts.

AP European History.

AP Biology.

AP Human Geography.

At Blue Valley, more students are taking AP classes than ever before.

But, along with AP classes comes hours of homework and unnecessary stress.

The first weekend of the school year I was invited to the lake but couldn’t go because I already had too much homework.

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve had to cancel plans because of homework, and I’m only in three weighted classes.

AP classes deemed detrimental to high school experience

I have friends that have breakdowns on a weekly basis because they’re so stressed out.

There’s college credit available for every AP class. In college you take five, maybe six, classes per semester. Some kids at BV are taking six or even seven AP classes this year.

They’re doing more college classes now than they will in college.

They’re potentially getting college credit — if they can pass the AP test — but are missing out on the high school experience.

People take so many AP classes that they only do homework and don’t enjoy high school.

High school is not supposed to be so stressful that you don’t want to go to class.

This is supposed to be four of the best years of our lives.

The friends you make in high school are people you’ll remember forever, but if you spend all of your time doing homework, you’ll miss out on those friendships.

That extra AP class is not worth crying or skipping a party for.

I understand that you need good

grades to get into college out of state, but BV is an incredible school, and colleges understand that. You don’t need to be valedictorian to get into college.

And it’s OK to challenge yourself. If you’re really interested in biology, take AP Bio. If you love English, take AP Lang or AP Lit. But, don’t take so many hard classes that you can’t have a social life.

High school is not college.

You don’t need to overextend yourself with ridiculous numbers of AP classes and be a sophomore in college by the time you graduate.

Save college for college, and enjoy your time at BV.

abstinence SexAbstinenceEducation Prioritizing is ineffective

“Sex.” What a scandalous word.

It’s become so taboo by society, it’s hard to even talk about the subject, much less teach how to go about it safely.

At Blue Valley, many students take online health to earn the required Health and Wellness credit.

In the curriculum, there is a unit on Family Life and Sexuality, which covers mourning, teenage pregnancy, STDs and how to protect yourself during sex — supposedly.

Actually, there’s pretty much two entire chapters on how teenagers can protect themselves with abstinence, AKA not having sex

d

ur vey e

kaitlinyu staff writer

until marriage. It even tells teenagers ing to ThinkProgress.org. to avoid sexual situations by not With the media blatantly being alone with their date. sexualizing men and women As if hormones are so and the access of informaShould abstinence high, teens can’t spend any tion online, teenagers are or contraceptives time together without sexually curious. They are be prioritized in wanting to have sex. going to have sex even if sex education?

It also said by practica book told them not to.

49% teach both equally ing abstinence, a person But by informing 5% abstinence can stay true to their them sex is not like porn, 46% contraceptives morals. This implies you or how to properly put on s will stray from your morals a condom or use a dental ts en dam, it could decrease STDs d if you have sex — enforcing u t 150 s the negative idea about sex. and unwanted pregnancy.

The book was practically forcing Saying to leave a little at the end of the abstinence on the student — it did talk about condom to prevent breakage or telling girls other birth controls, but abstinence was put to pee after having sex in order to prevent a as the primary defense. urinary tract infection would be more effecResearch shows by prioritizing abstitive than just teaching abstinence. nence, the percentage of contraceptives used This information is useful for students in when having sex is lowered, allowing for a their teen years, as well as in their adult lives. higher risk of STD infection or pregnancy.

High school is supposed to prepare us for The rates of teenage pregnancies are also the “real world.” higher in abstinence-taught schools, accordSex education is a part of that.

Page designed by Megan Hegarty and Kaitlin Yu.

September 2015 outloud 9

staffeditorial

Cartoon by Kaitlin Yu.

Focus on positive thoughts instead of trivial matters staff editorial

18

agree

3

disagree

Every single day, we hear things coming out of people’s mouths that don’t matter.

Teenagers are obsessed with things that have no significance to their future.

“I look horrible today.”

No, you look fine.

“My teacher sucks.”

Well, you’ll likely have a different one in four months.

“My brother is so annoying.”

Join the club.

In the grand scheme of things, it’s not going to matter

that you didn’t look your best Sept. 25, 2015. It’s not going to greatly affect your adult life if you have a teacher you don’t like for a few months.

The brother who got on your nerves will mow your lawn when you’re older.

The sister you screamed at last night will help you decorate your house and go shoe shopping with you.

There is actual suffering in the world, and we’re all constantly complaining about insignificant things like having an hour or two of homework or having to come to school every day.

Griping here and there about a project or a chore you really didn’t want to do makes sense — we’re human. It’s the nonstop dissatisfaction with

everything in life that’s ridiculous. Sometimes life doesn’t go as planned, sometimes it’s difficult and sometimes it really sucks, but it’s important to focus on the things that are good in life.

Instead of constantly getting hung up on things that are insignificant, talk and think about things that will affect your life, like having a good relationship with your parents. If college is in your future, getting good grades.

Or even having a job so you learn how to do finances.

It’s time for teenagers to move away from trivial, meaningless complaints and focus on positive things that matter.

We will all be happier for it.

the

TIGER PRINT newspaper co-editors Maddie Davis Sheila Gregory

photographers Isabelle Allen Chloe Breau

photo editor Sophia Ragomo

cartoonist Mandy Novicoff

news & web editor staff writers Rachel Lock Talia Amjadi Julie Freijat opinion editor Macie Lawrence Charlotte Rooney Connor Heaton Amelia Lock features editor Lydia Hsu Hope Brown Lauren Huesers Makayla Nicholis entertainment Alli Williams editor Kaitlin Yu Courtney Carpenter adviser sports editor Michelle Huss Megan Hegarty “The Tiger Print,” published seven times a year, is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Unified School District #229.

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@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

10 outloud September 2015

18

17 Going on

rachellock news & web editor “We want to treat you like adults.”

“This is not how it is going to be in college.”

“Show more maturity — you’re adults now.”

What is this vague term of adulthood?

The nation defines it as being 18 years old, which would mean many of us either are or almost are adults.

We can legally live on our own.

We can vote.

We can buy lottery tickets.

Yay. This distinction we have been given is a practically arbitrary number doled out by the nation. Maturity is a different standard for all of us, based on experiences and internal development.

But if that is the definition of adulthood, why does it still feel as if we are dependent?

Incongruity between national and BV definition of adulthood causes lack of real-world preparation, necessary maturity for students How can we be expected to know how to take on responsibility for ourselves?

In class, we have to ask to go to the bathroom. Homework is assigned on double-sided worksheets or with very specific requirements to be met. Phones, food and even gum can be prohibited at a teacher’s discretion.

While this may be necessary for classroom order, it is not how “adults” are treated.

This is not saying as high school students, we are the picture of refined maturity and adulthood.

Seriously, we still laugh when people say 69.

But why not give us more freedom at school where it is safe to make mistakes students are bound to make?

Teach us now, rather than later, that studying won’t always be mandated and given a stamp the next day for completion.

Teach us now that if we want to play on our phones all hour or not come to class that we will miss out on important information.

Teach us to take pride in our learning — not to do it by happy accident while rushing to turn in countless assignments.

And the way to teach that is not by forcing us to do so because once we lose that voice of reason, that authority gently reminding us to pay attention and to turn in

raise your voice

“

Do you feel teachers treat students like adults?

“

”

Yes. They let us take care of our own late work, and they expect us it turn in on time.

— Freshman Griffin Hardeman

homework and to be on time, we might be completely lost.

If we are late to class, tardy tracker is not teaching us to be accountable for information we miss or that punctuality is a sign of respect.

Getting our cell phone taken away is not teaching us that distractions really do impede learning if not used in moderation or when appropriate.

And checking to see if our notes follow the Cornell style is not determining we will study them conscientiously.

Let us learn by doing.

Let us form our own maturity.

And most of all, don’t tell us we are adults unless you are prepared to treat us like ones.

Maybe we are ready.

Maybe we are not.

But it is up to us to form that preparation and to take personal responsibility for our futures.

Making mistakes is a part of learning — a part of growing up.

Give us the chance we have been given by the country in calling 18-year-olds adults, and let us make those mistakes.

Let us grow up before we hit college unprepared by these false notions of “adulthood” we have been given.

It depends on the teacher. I think the majority base how they treat you off how you are as a student. If you don’t treat them with respect, then you won’t get it in return. You get what you put in.

— Junior Paige Pritchard

”

Page designed by Rachel Lock.

September 2015 upclose 11 In the classroom, around the lockers and by the PAC, Blue Valley is home to a multitude of different personalities and people — some of whom have said they do not get to voice their opinion as much as they would like. Junior Katie Gemperli and sophomores Logan Honeycutt and Nicholas Naybert opened up about their lives and thoughts and how stereotypes affect everyone.

voices unheard s ew

interests

ortance imp

c an

p

ily

on ac c e p t

“[Family fa is] very important.

Although, my sister sometimes gets really grouchy, and it ruins those days. Same with my dad on both views.” — Naybert “In terms of my family, I love them.

They’ve been extremely amazing and just so kind to me. I love to go off on my own, but at the same time I’m very close to them. That influences how I treat other people.”

— Gemperli

m

“I vi want the world “I n to be accepting of me. I o i really like debate a s want people to think of me as lot. It’s my second year — I’m in as a great person. Not higher advanced debate. — Naybert than anyone else, but I would “I like science — chemistry is my favorite love for someone to say, ‘Oh class.” — Honeycutt yeah, Katie’s really cool.”

“I really enjoy drawing and painting. I also like ten— Gemperli nis; I like writing; I like doing a lot of things. With art, I was really inspired by someone older — someone who used to babysit me. She would always be drawing something. Occasionally, she’d draw me stuff, and I thought in the BV it was the absolute coolest thing ever. One day, I so aws “Get l f ci think I just asked her to help me, because I wanted a rid of all the darn to learn how to draw. I remember feeling so cliques. Those things annoy frustrated, and I kept thinking, ‘This is me to no end. It’s always like so hard. Why can’t I be as good as freshmen must be with freshmen, and her?’” — Gemperli sophomores must be with sophomores.”

— Naybert “Well, there’s a lot of things. It’s very segregatviews on nal “I ed. It’s very cliquey. People pretty much keep r o e am a s li r to themselves. If someone tries to reach out, pe Christian. I grew up gio often times people will act weird about it in a Christian home, but my and run back to their own friend group. parents believed in having me find Why can’t we all just be friends? That my own way to religion. They gave me makes me sound like a commumy own freedom of choice.” — Naybert nist or something.”

“I am an Atheist. I don’t consider it a spiritual — Gemperli belief, but a lack of [one].” — Honeycutt

nd sa

e

ls

ce

ne

n

Gemperli

als

o “My mom’s a Jew. My dad’s Christian. But they eg f i l don’t really care about religion — they just “Honestly, I want kind of left me in my childhood to decide to be different. I just don’t for myself. I didn’t even know what a want to fit in with the crowd — I god was until I was at least 7.” want to be true to myself, and I want — Gemperli to do what I want — as long as I don’t go kill someone or something. I don’t want anything else to get in the way of what I want.” — Gemperli “I don’t exactly have a goal in my life.

I’ve never had the time to go through my life and think about where I want to go.” — Naybert

Honeycutt

Naybert Page designed by Courtney Carpenter.

Quotes gathered by Courtney Carpenter.

12 upclose September 2015

Making it Public

Private school transfer students share differences between schools

taliaamjadi staff writer According to “The Huffington Post,” in the United States today, about 10 percent of students are enrolled in private schools, and about 90 percent are enrolled in public — 33 students at Blue Valley have recently transferred from private schools to BV. Sophomore Grace Solomon transferred to BV from Notre Dame de Sion, an all-girls private school.

“Sion really wasn’t a good fit for me,” Solomon said. “I just thought since I had been in private school my whole life, I didn’t really have a choice since that’s what I was put in. It wasn’t necessarily what was best for me, and it didn’t offer the best things for me.

The electives were extremely limited, and the school in general is super small, so you meet everyone in the first two weeks. There aren’t many options for friends, and it is really hard to meet new people.”

For freshman Lauren O’Donnell, coming

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nology,” Solomon said. “At Sion, everyone brought their Macbooks to school, carried them to every class and had all their material for classes on the laptops. You could take notes and do assignments and things like that. But here you can’t do that. The WiFi was [also] a lot better at Sion since we had Google Fiber.”

Even though these students transferred schools, Solomon and O’Donnell both said they have no regrets or second thoughts.

“I really like it here at BV, everyone here is super nice and easy to get to know,” O’Donnell said. “I’m really looking forward to the rest of my high school experience.”

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from a private middle school — St. Michael’s — was a different story.

“I just came here because my sister goes here, so I just wanted to be at the same school since she’s been coming here for the last three years,” O’Donnell said.

Solomon said thoughts consume student’s minds while transferring to another school especially while going from private to public.

Some things about public school actually were surprising to new students.

“At first I thought it would be really hard to choose outfits, but it’s not at all,” Solomon said. “Honestly, I expected it to be more chill, since it’s public school. But, it’s actually better academically, which really surprised me. At Sion, it was way too chill and relaxed, so it was harder for me. Here, it’s so much more structured, which is a lot better.”

O’Donnell said differences between private and public schools vary from dress codes to homework, but all transfer students have a different perspective.

“The biggest difference would be tech-

19 /63

students came from other private schools in KS

Page designed by Talia Amjadi. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

September 2015 upclose 13

Graduating High School as a

College Sophomore

Student challenges himself by taking seven college courses macielawrence staff writer Enrollment in Advanced Placement courses has skyrocketed in the past few years for many reasons.

Students believe taking AP classes will give them an edge in getting into college, help them do better once there and save them money, according to KQED news.

Senior Jacob Lester is enrolled in his thirteenth AP class at BV, seven of which he is taking this year. These rigorous courses introduce students to college-level academics, and they also offer an opportunity for students to get a mass amount of college credit.

“I wanted to make myself as competitive for college scholarships as possible,” He said.

Lester said he is considering colleges with strong doctor and veterinarian programs and hoping to finish this year with 63 college credit hours — approximately two years of college.

“I really like Washington University in St. Louis and Duke [University], but I am also applying to University of Oklahoma and K-State,” Lester said.

Even though he has seven or eight hours of homework a night, Lester said he is very involved in numerous extracurricular activities at the school.

“I’m on the debate team [and] the varsity track team,” Lester said. “I’m the executive secretary of student council. I’m in the National Spanish, Science and History Honor Society. I’m in book club and in Science Outreach.”

In his limited amount of free time, he said he enjoys running, hanging out with friends and watching “Grey’s Anatomy.”

Lester said he is very appreciative of his educational career so far and is constantly challenging himself and trying to excel in what he is good at.

“I have always been good at school, so I figured I might as well play to my strengths for college applications and try to do the best at what I am good at,” Lester said.

Lester said sometimes he wishes he could spend more time doing other things rather than just studying.

He advises students planning on taking multiple AP classes to know that before you sign up for AP classes, there is an opportunity cost — for every hour you spend studying, you could be doing something else.

“A lot of times you’re made to think that studying is the best and most productive thing you could be doing with your time,” Lester said.

“But sometimes hanging out with friends or getting a job is a better overall experience for your personal growth.”

SCHEDULE: Hour 1: AP Calculus AB Hour 2: AP US Govt & Politics Hour 3: AP English Literature Hour 4: AP Physics 2 Hour 5: AP Human Geography Hour 6: AP Spanish Language Hour 7: AP Biology

Page designed by Macie Lawrence and Sheila Gregory.

Photos by Chloe Breau.

14 payin’thebills September 2015

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September 2015 upclose 15

cultivating

success Sitting in the crowded PAC on the first day of school, principal Scott Bacon addresses each class on the expectations for the year.

It’s the same message every year — Blue Valley is one of the best schools in the nation because it pushes students to excel in all areas — especially academics.

With an average ACT

score of 25, BV students surpass the national average of 21.

BV cultivates a learning environment throughout the school by emphasizing the importance of hard work and honors and AP classes.

Now more than ever, students’ schedules are loaded with AP, honors and very few breaks.

Where does this need to

take copious amounts of college classes come from?

Are we as a student body getting smarter, or does the pressure to be smarter influence our schedule choices each February?

BV is obsessed with this culture of excellence, and this academic pressure to succeed in every endeavor can sometimes prove overwhelming for students.

Story continued on page 16-17.

Story by Hope Brown and Sheila Gregory.

Photos by Sophia Ragomo and Sheila Gregory.

Advanced Pressure 16 upclose September 2015

Senior Helen Kontopanos is enrolled in four Advanced Placement classes — AP Calculus AB, AP Environmental Science, AP Literature and Composition and AP French 5.

“I want to challenge myself so the transition from high school to college is easier and also for college credit,” Kontopanos said.

Senior Nathan McClain — who is taking two AP classes and an honors class — also said his future plans motivated his schedule decisions.

“I’m taking Honors Multivariable Calculus because I am accelerated at math,” McClain said. “Plus, I have to be in a math class to be in National Math Honor Society.

I’m in AP Physics 2 because I’m thinking about a major or minor in physics. I’m in AP Government because I’ve heard it’s a relatively easy AP class with light homework. It’s just another weighted credit.”

McClain said the pressure to take difficult classes derives from a student’s desire to improve his or her academic standing.

“I think class rank is a very important motivator for both myself and my parents,” he said. “You want to be toward the top, and if you don’t take these honor and AP classes, there’s no way you’ll be near the top of [the] class rank. Colleges look at class rank, both weighted and unweighted, and if you aren’t taking AP classes, you won’t be [considered].”

In second semester, when students determine classes for the following year, McClain said stress levels increase.

“

Students, pr BV’s culture

“It’s a feeling — especially around time of enrollment — that you need to be in these honors and AP classes,” he said. “Then, when classes start, it’s balancing the workload and extracurricular activities, sports, clubs and homework.

It’s just a lot [to handle] for these AP classes that have a lot of work.”

When students who are not enrolled in AP classes learn about Kontopanos’ schedule, she said they are surprised.

“I don’t think [other students] treat me differently,” Kontopanos said. “But when they find out, they definitely say, ‘Oh wow, how do you do it?’.”

Comparatively, McClain said there is a difference between AP and non-AP students.

“I took regular English last year, and, in general, the level of commitment to the class is lower in regular classes as opposed to AP classes,” he said.

“If you are coming from an AP class to a regular class, it’s a hard transition. You’re still trying, but no one else is.”

Kontopanos said she is motivated in her studies because her goal is to major in environmental sciences in college.

“I think [pressure] comes more from myself because I know what I want to do beyond high school,” Kontopanos said. “I know what I need to do to get where I want to be.”

After enrolling in AP Biology her junior year, Kontopanos said she sometimes had to take extreme measures to remain caught up.

“The craziest thing I’ve done to get a good

‘Well, is getting a B bad?’ No. Relax.

It’s OK. Is getting a C in an AP class bad? No. GPAwise, it computes to a B. It’s OK. — Principal Scott Bacon

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September 2015 upclose 17

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grade is [pull] an all-nighter to get everything done,” she said. “The next day I felt horrible.

Usually it’s because of procrastination, but I’ve learned my lesson.”

Kontopanos said BV emphasizes a demanding course load in order to prepare students for college.

“Because [principal Scott] Bacon is so fired up, he wants all of the people who graduated from BV to be able to get into good colleges,” Kontopanos said. “[BV students] have a head start compared to people from other high schools.”

However, McClain said he believes the decision to enroll in challenging courses falls on the students’ shoulders instead of the BV community.

“The fact of the matter is, we get to choose these classes,” he said. “They’re going to offer these classes, but they’re not forcing us, saying, ‘You have to take this many AP classes.’ I think it comes down to individual freedoms to take the classes you want in the fields that interest you.

You don’t have to sign up for that many — you don’t have to sign up for one. It’s [up] to the individual.”

Kontopanos said the culture of excellence at BV results in academic success.

“I know we are a really good school district and have high standards and expectations, [which] definitely brings more stress,” she said. “But at the end of the day, the BV kids are coming out on top because we’ve had these high standards throughout high school, so we’re better off and ready for college.”

While McClain said there is pressure to be successful, it ultimately depends on the student’s motivation.

“I think [BV] hold us to such a high standard because they know we can achieve that standard,” he said. “They have the bar set so high, and we have this drive to meet that. When you set the goal so low, people are going to say ‘I’ve already met that — I’m not going to challenge myself anymore.’ But, if you set the bar higher than you think you can, you’re constantly trying to achieve that while pushing yourself harder each day.”

with Principal Scott Bacon

Q&A

nd time of enthese honors en classes nd extracurhomework.

P classes that

Question. Do you think your class meeting at the beginning of each year puts pressure on students?

Answer. “Every year, our students tell me they’re here to learn and prepare for the future. They always tell me that one of their dreams for this school is for us to be the best. If we’re going down the tubes emotionally, and we’re stressed out and freaking out, and we’re sick because we’re trying to ‘be the best,’ then I don’t think that’s a good thing. I’ve never asked our students to be the best. What I’ve always asked them is [to] put forth their best effort.

There’s a big difference there. We’re not always going to be the best. That’s OK. Your best effort may be different than my best effort. If you don’t know how to do something, find people who can help you. I think we’ve got a structure in place that can help us knock the socks off whatever it is that we’re trying to do. My concern is when I talk to students down the line, and they’re stressed out and feeling like they’re carrying the weight of the world because they’re not performing at the level they want to. That conversation is, ‘Well, is getting a B bad?’ No. Relax. It’s OK. Is getting a C in an AP class bad? No. GPA-wise, it computes to a B. It’s OK. I think sometimes — and as a student I was like this — if I wasn’t perfect, or if I didn’t meet my level of expectation, I was a failure. We’ve got to get away from that. There are days I come to work and I meet my expectations, and there are days that I don’t.

The days I don’t doesn’t mean I’m a failure. I just need to regroup, reevaluate, and ask myself, ‘How can I do better tomorrow?’ That’s part of growing up. We all continue to grow up. Just because I’m in my 50s doesn’t mean I’m done growing up.”

Q. Why does BV hold students to high standards?

A. “That’s the expectation in our community. Certainly, as a parent, when I send my child to school, I want them to learn well. I want them to be prepared for what comes next. Not kind of prepared — well prepared. Our parental community expects that of us, and we expect that of ourselves. Our students want that. Whatever your next step is, you want to feel like you’re ahead of everyone else. I get letters all the time from our students [who] go to college, and they’re thinking, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m way ahead of the game.’

We all have that mindset. That’s just the culture here.”

Page designed by Sheila Gregory and Hope Brown.

18 centerstage September 2015

From

How to transition summer style to fall

Swimsuits to Sweaters

Maxi Dress

What It Is: A long, floor-length dress with thin cami straps, often worn for casual occasions.

For Summer: Typically worn with a pair of flat sandals and some jewelry, such as layered necklaces or a cuff bracelet.

For Fall: A sweater in a neutral color, like black, gray, cream or navy, and a pair of boots in either a black or brown leather can prepare you for the cool weather.

Story, design and sketches by Sophia Ragomo.

Denim Shorts

What They Are: Casual shorts made from denim, coming in a variety of styles and washes.

For Summer: Usually worn with other casual items, for instance a T-shirt or a tank top and a pair of sneakers or flip-flops.

For Fall: The key is a pair of tights. A sweater and a pair of boots or sneakers can then be added on top of that.

Wedge Sandals

What They Are: Worn to help dress up a look, they are any pair of sandals that have a wedge as a heel.

For Summer: Typically worn with a nice pair of shorts or a sundress.

For Fall: It is preferable for the shoes to be a leather or suede material. A heavy, knit pair of socks can be worn with the sandals, and then, for the rest of the look, wear a dress or skirt with a jacket.

September 2015 centerstage 19

FALL FESTIVITIES

Even though school has started, there are still fun activities and events to do in Kansas, so mark your calendars for these upcoming events.

SPORTS October — KC Royals Game (Away Games) Oct. 1: White Sox Oct. 2-4: Twins October-November — Chiefs (Home Games) Oct. 11: Bears Oct. 25: Steelers Nov. 1: Lions Nov. 29: Bills October — Sporting KC (Home Games) Oct. 21: Colorado Oct. 25: LA Galaxy

MOVIES Oct. 2 — “London Has Fallen” crime, thriller Oct. 16 — “Crimson Peak” drama, fantasy, horror, mystery, romance, thriller Oct. 30 — “Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse” comedy, horror Nov. 6 — “Spectrum” action, adventure, thriller Nov. 20 — “The Hunger Games: Mockingjay — Part 2” adventure, sci-fi, war

FESTIVALS Oct. 15 — Safe In Sound Midland Theater Oct. 17-18 — The Great Pumpkin Run Belton, Missouri Sept. 5 - Oct.18 — The Renaissance Festival Bonner Springs

CONCERTS Oct. 2 — Of Monsters and Men Midland Theatre alternative music Oct. 12 — Mikky Ekko The Record Bar alternative music Nov. 8 — AWOLNATION with Meg Myers and Irontom Midland Theatre rock, pop music Nov. 19 — Dustin Lynch and Chris Lane Midland Theatre country music

Page designed by Lydia Hsu.

20 centerstage September 2015 Senior superlatives released at the end of the school year are looked back on years later by members of the graduating class Blue Valley staff with fondness.

Each member of the surveyed about senior class has the other teachers, opportunity to vote administrators for the classmate they

Most likely to...

Class Clown

Social studies teacher Kim Coffelt

Best Advice

Social studies teacher Diane O’Bryan

think is the funniest, most artistic, most athletic and more. In the senior issue of “The Tiger Print,” it is one of the most looked-forward to stories. However, this time, it’s the teachers’ turn. Some of the categories were close, but here are the results of a teacher-polled survey. Polled from 160 faculty members.

Most Unique

Math teacher Richard Gill

Most Likely to Brighten Your Day

Math teacher Robin Lerner

September 2015 centerstage 21

Most Athletic

Science teacher Andrew Hulse

Hardest Worker

Principal Scott Bacon

Best Dressed

Social studies teacher Kristoffer Barikmo

Biggest Nerd

Math teacher Adam Wade

Biggest Team Player

Science teacher Manal Siam

Most Creative

Art teacher Mark Mosier Story and page designed by Maddie Davis. Photos by Sophia Ragomo.

22 centerstage September 2015

Students answer questions the opposite gender wants to know

kaitlinyu staff writer Everyone has questions they want to ask the opposite gender; however, they don’t necessarily want to ask them directly. We collected questions from guys and girls. Sophomores Garrett Menees and Olivia Toles and junior Karishma Shah answered these questions.

GENTLEMEN: What does being hit in the groin feel like?

“Like someone is using a jackhammer to remove your insides.” — Menees How much do you care about your fashion or clothing?

“I don’t care that much about fashion. I’ll pretty much wear anything except an Oompa Loompa suit.” — Menees Boxers or briefs?

“I don’t really have a preference. Both boxers and briefs have their own advantages. I think it’s just personal preference — longer or shorter, tighter or looser.” — Menees How do you feel about makeup?

“Makeup is a complicated topic. I don’t really know how I feel about it. It’s [a girl’s] choice how much makeup [she wears], and I’ll try not to judge, but too much makeup looks a little strange.” — Menees What is the most important thing to you

about the person you want to date?

“The most important thing to me is that I like them. What’s the point of dating them just for their looks?” — Menees Do you think you feel Menees as much body standard pressures as ladies do?

“We definitely don’t feel as much body standard pressures as the ladies, [but] being ripped is one. Although, I’m completely OK with not having [muscles].” — Menees What is something about girls you are envious about?

“The stereotype is that guys have to ask the girls out, and I would say I’m envious about that, but it’s the 21st century — it’s happening in the reverse a lot more.” — Menees What is one thing you want people to know about guys?

“We’re not all the same. There are actual ‘good guys’ out there.” — Menees

September 2015 centerstage 23

LADIES: What does a period feel like?

“It’s not a magical experience or anything.

There’s a lot of pain that comes with it like cramps. Those suck.” — Toles Why do girls complain about bras?

“They’re painful because they create huge red marks on your shoulders. [Breasts can be] heavy, and [bras are] tight — you have to worry about your straps showing or your actual bra showing all day.” — Toles Why do girls travel in packs to the bathroom?

“We all have to do something in there, or we’re able to go in and go, ‘Hey, do you have a tampon?’ Or you go in there and talk. It feels more safe to be with other girls, especially if you’re in an area you don’t know very well. It’s intimidating to be by yourself.” — Toles How often do girls shave?

“Depending on the girl, it’s a completely personal thing. The majority of people I know shave their armpits daily, their legs every other day.” — Toles Do girls care about their eyebrows?

“I care about my eyebrows because they frame my face. I think most girls care about their

eyebrows.”

— Shah Why do girls spend so much time and money on Shah Toles makeup?

“It’s so fun to paint your face if that’s the kind of person you are. Also it’s a social standard, in a way. You get to a certain age, and you start wearing makeup.” — Toles What are annoying things guys do? “[Saying] inappropriate things to girls in public. I was walking down the street downtown one time, and a group of guys pulled up next to me and [asked] for my number. It was probably one of the scariest things that has ever happened to me.” — Toles What’s one thing you want people to know about girls?

“Be sympathetic to your friends, girlfriends or sisters when they’re on their period. Don’t automatically assume they are [on their period] just because they’re angry. Maybe they just had a bad day.” — Shah Page designed by Kaitlin Yu.

24 centerstage September 2015

twice as

SPICE pumpkin squares

Makes: 16 Time: 40 minutes

Instructions: 1. Preheat oven to 350o 2. Grease an 8x8 square pan Ingredients: 3. In a large bowl, whisk 1 cup flour together dry ingredients 1 tsp. cinnamon 4. In another bowl, mix 1 tsp. baking powder pumpkin, egg whites, maple ½ tsp. ground ginger syrup and vanilla ½ tsp. baking soda 5. Mix together wet and dry ¼ tsp. salt ingredients until batter 1 cup pumpkin purée forms 2 egg whites 6. Pour into pan, and ¼ cup maple syrup spread evenly 1 tsp. vanilla 7. Bake for 20-25 minutes Optional: ¾ cup frosting until firm. Bars will be

Makes: 1 serving Time: 8 minutes

gooey; place them overnight to dry out, if desired 8. Frost, if desired 9. When ready to serve, cut into 16 squares (adapted from yummly. com)

Rating: The bread-cake hybrid is the perfect mix between sweet and spicy.

The optional frosting goes a long way.

maple spice popcorn

Ingredients: ⅓ cup popcorn kernels 1 tsp. ground cinnamon ½ tsp. ground ginger 1 tbsp. butter 1 tbsp. maple syrup Pinch ground nutmeg Optional: ¼ tsp. salt

Makes: 12 Time: 35 minutes Ingredients: ½ cup peanut butter 2 tbsp. honey 1½ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. ginger ½ tsp. nutmeg ⅔ cup old-fashioned oats ⅓ cup dried cranberries

Fallthemed recipes for the autumn lover in you

Instructions: 1. Pop kernels in microwave 2. Melt butter in microwave; whisk in maple syrup; drizzle over popcorn 3. Combine cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a small bowl. Sprinkle over popcorn to taste (adapted from thekitchn.com)

Rating: The spiced seasoning creates a quick and unique twist on popcorn. This recipe can make anyone want to cuddle up by the fire with a hot cup of cider for a movie marathon.

Warning: very spicy — have water on hand!

granola bites Instructions: 1. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients 2. In another bowl, mix peanut butter and honey until smooth 3. Combine dry ingredients with wet ingredients until evenly mixed 4. Roll into balls with hands; if too sticky to roll, place mix in refrigera-

Story, photos and page designed by Alli Williams.

tor for 20-30 minutes 5. Store in fridge (adapted from yummly.com) Rating: The peanut-butter-cinnamon-combo tastes eerily similar to chocolate in the best way. These are easy to make and even easier to eat, with lots of protein and lots of flavor in each bite.

September 2015 tigerturf 25

Start Strong, Finish Stronger Teammates say: ‘New coach has innovative vision of tennis’ future’ connorheaton staff writer Last spring, Blue Valley Ten- nis welcomed art teacher Kim Francis as its new head coach.

The boys team, led by their new mentor, went all the way to State and snagged third from BV North in the final tournament.

This year, though, Francis is honing in on the girls — an opportunity she said is invaluable.

Francis assumed the role of head coach immediately after the previous coach Nelson Elliot stepped down.

“We have very different management styles, but I like to focus on the players —and it’s all about our number- one team expectation: have fun,” she said. “I believe that can look like a lot of things — team dinners, effective practices with lots of variety, winning matches, improving or learning something new even when you don’t win and spending time with some really awesome teammates.”

Senior Lizzy Meinzenbach said she is excited about having coach [Francis] as the head coach this year.

“She has a plan and a vision for our team, and I believe she will help build a great program for BVHS,” Meinzenbach said.

Francis said she operates through positive communication and family atmosphere to empower players to take leadership roles and unlock the team’s true capacity for greatness.

“I believe I have achieved many goals, especially athletically,” Meinzenbach said. “I worked hard over the summer and made varsity sophomore year. I also wanted to be a senior captain, which I accomplished this year, alongside my co-senior captain Mandy Novicoff and junior captain Karishma Shah. I also never planned on going to Regionals, but I made it there last year.”

Francis said she believes the key to achieving these goals boils down to the girls reaching their potential — just like the boys did.

“Both teams have unbelievable skill,” Francis said. “I can’t wait to show everyone what we are capable of.”

Francis said the players will focus on the mental aspect of the game — especially for varsity and JV. “Tennis is a very mental game,” she said. “When you walk out onto the court not as confident with your ability to beat your opponent as they are about you, it makes the match much more difficult.”

Francis said tennis isn’t the most popular game to play and watch, but she wants to improve the team’s popularity this year.

“I would absolutely love to start generating a fanbase,” Francis said. “We talked about that during our parent meeting — getting parents involved along with their whole families. I’d like to get Blue Valley students involved also.”

Student leadership is one of Francis’ biggest focuses this season, which, she said, ties into the team motto — “Start strong, finish stronger.”

“Our motto was thought of by myself and the other 12 seniors on the tennis team,” Meinzenbach said. “Before we had captains, coach brought the senior girls together to figure out how we wanted to represent the team.”

Already, Meinzenbach said she believes Francis has set the precedent for all high school tennis teams to follow.

“This year will definitely be one to remember — not just because I’m a senior but because I know we are going to have an awesome team — on and off the court.” Meinzenbach said.

Photo by Isabelle Allen.

Page designed by Connor Heaton.

26 tigerturf September 2015

dancing past barriers

Male student breaks gender stereotype, joins female-dominated activity

S

alliwilliams staff writer

Since early history, dance has been a large part of numerous cultures throughout the world. From ancient Egyptian entertainment in 1400 B.C. to the Italian arts during the Renaissance, dance has been enjoyed by men and women alike for many centuries.

So why is it that dance is so often deemed a sport exclusive to girls?

Junior Tristan Jacobson has broken down this gender barrier at Blue Valley. Jacobson is the only boy of 33 dancers in BV’s color guard and dance team.

“I wanted to be more involved in extracurricular activities, and I wanted to do more dancing,” Jacobson said. “That’s why I auditioned.”

Jacobson said his favorite part — besides dancing — is the team’s tight bond.

“We’re all just a big family,” he said. “We got each others’ backs. If we have a bad day at practice then we cheer each other up. We’re all a team — gender doesn’t really matter.

Anyone can join.”

Jacobson said he was nervous when he first auditioned for the team.

“There [were] a lot of good dancers and I was [thinking], ‘I don’t stand a chance against them,’” he said. “I just kind of went for it.”

Even now that he’s made the team, Jacobson said he still can sometimes feel intimidated by other dancers.

“There [are] amazing dancers on the team, so you feel compelled to push yourself, and you want to get better,” he said. “[In practice] everyone goes to their full extent, and you can see who can do this better, who can do that better. Once we start working we all have to be at the same [level]. I think people have high expectations for me because I made the team, so people expect me to be a good dancer, which isn’t always true.”

Jacobson’s teammate, sophomore Halle Arnold said she enjoys having Jacobson on the team.

“It’s really fun [dancing with him, but] it’s not any different than dancing with my other friends,” Arnold said. “It’s just like dancing with the team.”

Arnold said she doesn’t think gender should matter in sports.

“A girl could do anything a guy could do,” Arnold said. “Dance could be for anyone if

Page designed by Alli Williams. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

people applied themselves to it.”

Even though he is treated the same as everyone else on the team, Jacobson said he is still aware of the stereotypes.

“Often male dancers are considered very homosexual, but it isn’t always the case,” he said. “If you like dancing it’s not because you’re gay or very girly — you just like it. I can guarantee you for the guys doing male-dominated sports, like football, if they tried out dancing they would be done. It’s a tough sport — big time.”

Arnold said she agrees there is little difference in the physicality between female-dominated sports and male-dominated sports.

“Band camp is so intense,” Arnold said. “If I counted it all up, we do over 10 hours [of practice] a week — it is unbelievably intense.

We practice just as much as any other sport does.”

Jacobson said the only thing influencing involvement in sports is what the person enjoys.

“It doesn’t really matter what gender you are if you like doing something,” Jacobson said. “You shouldn’t hold back just because you’re the only other person [of a certain gender] on the team.”

September 2015 tigerturf 27

GOING THE EXTRA KILOMETER

Girls cross country races transition from 4K to 5K meganhegarty sports editor Even though girls ran 5Ks in 46 of the 50 states, girls in Kansas ran 4Ks until this season.

The change to 5Ks is something cross country coach Diana Huber said was a long time coming.

Until 10 years ago, the girls race was only two miles, Huber said.

“It [changed to] 4Ks because they didn’t think girls could go from a 2-mile to a 5K,” Huber said. “That was their meeting in the middle.”

Huber said she’s spent the last 10 years trying to finish the transition to 5Ks. “Other states have the girls run 5Ks, [and] I don't think girls in Kansas are any weaker,” Huber said.

Senior Erin O’Toole has run cross country for three years and agreed girls can run just as far as the boys.

“Boys run 5Ks, [and] it seemed unequal to think we couldn’t run 5Ks because of our gender,” O’Toole said.

Even though they didn’t run 5Ks in Kansas, the cross country team competed in two meets a year in Missouri, so the girls could have a chance to run 5Ks. “Most of the varsity at least is excited that it’s a 5K and not a 4K,” Huber said.

Huber said she’s increasing the varsity team’s training so they can excel in the extra

distance.

“It won’t change much for JV, but for varsity, we’re doing two-a-days [with] a cross-training workout to supplement without hurting them,” Huber said.

This year, the team is utilizing the district cross country course, which is conveniently located at Blue Valley. It was redone this summer after the original course was turned into the new practice fields.

“As long as the middle schools aren’t on [the course], we’ll practice there at least once a week,” Huber said.

There are going to be multiple meets run on the new course this year, she said.

“It’ll be a benefit because we’ll be there so much that we’ll know the nooks and crannies,” Huber said. “It won’t seem as hard or as hilly because we’ll be there so often.”

O’Toole said she’s worried about how the extra kilometer is going to affect her season.

“I probably will not do as well as I have the past few years because I’ve noticed my 5K times don’t correlate by just adding the equivalent time of [six-tenths] of a mile,” O’Toole said.

O’Toole said her 4Ks are better because it’s easier for her to keep a good pace.

“I was able to do better with the shorter distance and was able to [quicken] my pace,” O’Toole said.

She said even though she might not excel in the 5Ks, some girls definitely would.

“Others might be a lot better because they’re used to running long distances at the

same pace,” O’Toole said.

O’Toole said she has to make adjustments for the extra distance.

“Is crying a possible solution for adding the extra half mile? I think I’ll cry,” O’Toole said.

Junior Meredith Wilcox runs in her first meet for Blue Valley. The meet was against BV Northwest, and the girls placed first. “The last 200 meters are my favorite part because I just sprint to the finish line and know I’m done,” Wilcox said.

Photos and page designed by Megan Hegarty.

September 2015 payin’thebills 28

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September 2015 tigerturf 29

Exchange students join soccer squad, provide unique experience for all players

Gonzalez

Chan maddiedavis co-editor Blue Valley’s boy’s soccer program welcomed two foreign exchange students to the varsity team this season, Hong Kong native senior Marcus Chan and Mexico native senior Daniel Gonzalez.

Gonzalez said the format of teams in Mexico is different than in the United States.

“At home, I play for my school, but there is a selection process,” Gonzalez said. “The best high school players and some of the university players all play on the team I am on.”

Chan said in Hong Kong, the level of play is very different.

“I was a little nervous to try out for the team here,” Chan said. “It’s quite intense

Putting his arms around his teammates, senior Colin Strickland gets ready for a game against Park Hill South. Strickland plays goalie on the varsity team. “I think it’s a great experience to have players with a different style of play on our team,” he said. “Having those unique assets boosts competition in games and in practice.” Photo by Maddie Davis.

compared to soccer in Hong Kong — [here,] everyone tries very hard all the time.”

Varsity coach K. Dean Snell said both players add a lot to the team as a whole. “[Gonzalez] is starting for us in the back,” Snell said. “Talent-wise, he’s really helped us out. I think [Chan] will really start helping us out in the midfield, too.”

Gonzalez said back home, soccer is commonly played, and he is glad he has the opportunity to play it here.

“Soccer is the most popular sport in my country,” Gonzalez said. “Pretty much all the kids there play it.”

Chan said he thinks highly of the coaching staff.

“The coaches are quite nice,” Chan said.

“They give us a lot of motivational speeches, and they encourage us to do our best.”

Gonzalez said playing on the soccer

team has given him the chance to meet new people.

“I’ve met a few good friends so far playing soccer — [senior] Ian Mackenzie and [sophomore] Nate Ezyk,” Gonzalez said.

Chan said he is happy he joined the boy’s soccer team.

“I am excited to play a lot of games,” Chan said. “I think it’s a great opportunity.”

Gonzalez said he has set a goal for himself and the team for this season.

“I want to go to State,” Gonzalez said. “I think it would be neat to go back home and say that I had won a State title here.”

Snell said having foreign exchange students on the soccer team provides a unique opportunity for everyone on the team not only on the field, but off the field as well.

“They bring a cultural difference, which is awesome for the rest of the team to see,” Snell said.

Photos by Maddie Davis.

Page designed by Maddie Davis.

30 tigerturf September 2015

TIGER

TURF

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BV SPORTS

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1. Senior Keegan Donahue runs at the first cross country meet on Sept. 3. He was a member of the State championship team last season. “It’s definitely a younger team,” Donahue said. “They’ve stepped it up and have been working really hard to repeat last year.” Photo by Megan Hegarty.

2. Waving to the crowd, sophomore Emma An-

dersen performs at the first home football game.

The Tigerettes’ next performance will be at the home football game Oct. 2. “We encourage everybody on our team,” Andersen said. “It is a really positive enviroment.” Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

3. Sophomore Katie Upton and senior Liz Allen go up for the block while junior Lauren Stubbs

stays on the ground to cover. BV beat BV North 25-21 and 25-23. “Winning against North was a great feeling because we played well as a team,” Allen said. “It just felt good to finally come together and do such a great after going through some ups and downs.” Photo by Courtney Carpenter.

4. Jumping in the air, senior Alexa Tiefel serves

September 2015 tigerturf 31

4.

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the ball while playing against BV Southwest.

Tiefel plays doubles with senior Mandy Novicoff.

“We’re expected to get third [at State],” Tiefel said.

“It would be awesome if we could live up to that standard.” Photo by Isabelle Allen.

5. Dribbling by a defender, junior Alec Wilson looks to pass the ball to a teammate. Wilson is one

of the captains of the varsity team. “My responsibilities as a captain are to make sure the team is prepared, keep them focused and be a leader on and off the field,” he said. Photo by Maddie Davis.

6. Freshman Loren Reed prepares to swing at practice. Varsity will compete at EKL in Lawrence on Sept. 30. “Golf is a game where you can go out

and forget about everything,” Reed said. “You’re there in the moment.” Photo by Chloe Breau.

7. Raising her arms, senior Meredith Strickland smiles at the crowd. Strickland is one of 14 senior cheerleaders. “My favorite thing about cheering for football games is watching the players and fans get fired up,” she said. Photo by Maddie Davis.

Pages designed by Sophia Ragomo.

32 snapshot September 2015

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FIRST IN, LAST OUT The Blue Valley Tigers win 62-27 over Shawnee Mission Northwest, start off season with a victory

1. Raising his helmet, junior Harrison Van Dyne watches the kickoff. Van Dyne plays wide receiver and center. “Playing as one unit and overcoming tough opponents will be our biggest struggle this year,” he said. “We have great chemistry on the team, though, so we will be able to get over these hurdles and beat the good teams.”

2. Celebrating after a touchdown, senior Jarrett Alley pats his teammate on the back. Alley has played football since second grade. “I thought our game against SMNW was a great first step,” Alley said. “However, we will continue to work and get better every day until we reach the ultimate goal.”

3. Sprinting to the endzone, senior Colton McCumber scores a touchdown. McCumber scored one passing and two rushing touchdowns against SMNW. “I think this first game was a good start for us,” McCumber said. “It helped us see where we stand for the season.”

4. Quickly changing directions, junior William Evans escapes a tackle from the opponent.

Evans plays running back. “My favorite thing about this team is the family atmosphere and the love we have for each other and the coaches,” Evans said.

5. Listening to his teammates, senior A.J. Totta joins the team huddle. Totta has played on varsity for three years. “The team works well together,” Totta said. “The bond is stronger than past year’s teams.” Photos by Maddie Davis.

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Page designed by Maddie Davis.