SPOT LIGHT Blue Valley West 16200 Antioch Rd., Overland Park, Kan. Volume 20 Issue 3 Mar. 9, 2021
INSIDE Photos by: Ansley Gildemeister
Little Mermaid.........04 Vaccine Debate........08 Pandemic Pets..........20
Masthead Our Cover Congratulations to our swim team for their three-peat state championship! We are so proud of the obstacles they have overcome to get here. It is refreshing to celebrate a win and show school pride after such a stressful year. A member of our staff, Kevin Glenn was a part of the winning team and shared his perspective in this edition. Good luck to all of the spring sports athletes who will be trying out and competing in the upcoming weeks!
Letter from the Editors Despite our struggles with the hybrid schedule, we are so excited to release another edition of the Spotlight. We are so thankful to have a passionate and patient staff that continues to work hard and help share news from around the school and in our current world. In this issue we celebrate different accomplishments of BV West students as well as talking about real world problems. We loved learning about different members of the school family and have the honor to share their stories. We hope you enjoy this addition and finish this last quarter strong!
Kolbie, Natalie & Kiley Spotlight is printed at least six times per school year for BV West students and the community. Its goals are to inform, entertain and interpret through bylined articles, opinions and editorials, while providing an open forum of communication for the diverse student population. Spotlight aims to be fair, accurate and impartial. The content of the print publication, online news site and social media accounts is determined by its student editors as determined by the Kansas Scholastic Press Act and may contain controversial subject matter as the staff exercises their First Amendment rights. (Spotlight does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty adviser, the administration of BV West or USD 229.)
Blue Valley West High School 16200 Antioch Road Overland Park, Kan. 66085 Phone: 913-239-3700 Email: bvwspotlight@gmail.com Web: www.bvwnews.com Social Media: @bvwspotlight
Staff Members Kolbie Christensen Natalie Lindmark Kiley Peterson Lucy Call Caroline Erickson Jordan Faller Kevin Glenn Reese Hager Rajneet Lehal Ally Madden Lauren Miexner Rachel Park Nabila Qureshi Madison Shuey Aminah Syed
In This Edition Arts and Entertainment 04..... Little Mermaid Sports 06..... State Swim Narrative Opinion 08..... COVID-19 Vaccine 10..... Patriotism Feature 12..... Student Run Businesses 14..... Parenting Styles 16..... Sources of Strength News 18..... Debate Success Interactive 19..... St. Patrick’s Day 20..... Pets in the Pandemic 22..... Best Places to Do School
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NOW SHOWING: “THE LITTLE MERMAID” It’s that time of year again: Show Time!
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his school year may be different but one thing is the same, the plays and musicals put on by the theater department. Each year, the performing arts department combines forces to create the school musical. Like other groups, activities, and sports, the obstacles to doing what they loved presented by COVID-19 were daunting. Due to mask-wearing and social distancing imposed by COVID-19, unique accommodations had to be made. The production chosen this year is “The Little Mermaid,” a fun and inspiring Disney performance. Theater director, Reed Uthe, is in charge of the musical. Formerly in command of the speech and drama department at Lakewood Middle School, his first musical as a high school director is different from expected “In high school, everything’s offered at a higher caliber. The acting and the singing. There’s a lot of technical aspects to it,” Uthe said. Uthe had to look for solutions
to overcome the challenges while still delivering a story through the musical. His idea? Lip-syncing. “Why not just record all of the audio, and then stage it with dance and movement and blocking and everything,” Uthe said. “So that’s what our plan is because that way, we won’t have to wear the super big surgical masks. If you’re actually singing this way since nobody’s technically singing out loud, there are no aerosols going out.” This creative solution allows actors to move around on stage without having to worry about mitigation of COVID-19. A safer environment is established for the performers and the audience. However, this new way of performing creates challenges for the actors. Another complex aspect of the musical this year is the technological factors that play into the set. The new technology used to enhance the set and play into storytelling posed a unique challenge.
Rachel Park
reporter “My goal is to have digital backdrops instead of the physical ones that come down,” Uthe said. “We can project digital images that are like moving images. We’re running into some technical issues with projection lenses and screens and things but we’re working out on a few things,” This innovative solution, although challenging, allows for more creativity and freedom to play around with the background of each scene. Junior Gracie Hernandez plays the lead role of Ariel. As the lead, she is familiar with what is expected of her and the obstacles the musical presents. With the process struggles this year, she’s relying on her experiences dealing with auditions, masks, and technology. Auditions are one of the biggest aspects of any production. The usual buzz of nerves from students hoping to audition for the role that they want, was not possible.
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“We didn’t get to do them in groups this year. One person goes in at a time for the singing audition and then acting auditions are the same type of thing,” Hernandez said. Although the auditions brought some disappointment, Hernandez still pushed through the different processes. Throughout rehearsals, masks are always a requirement. This has created a new set of challenges. “I think it’s harder in the acting aspect,” Hernandez said. “Normally a lot of acting comes from your mouth when you’re talking and you can see your motion and stuff like that. But now, it’s from the nose up. Another thing is singing in general. You can’t hear other people as well so it takes a lot of studying your music and making sure you’re right because sometimes you can’t hear other people around you,” she said. Although the lip-syncing and masks make up a new challenge to overcome, Hernandez relayed that they have been figuring things out
slowly to portray the best story they can. “We have a little bit of a longer span of time just so we have more time to really solidify some of this stuff because this will have a lot to do with recording and blocking on stage. It’s been a brand new dynamic with COVID-19,” Hernandez said. While making theater during the pandemic was challenging, Hernandez made the best out of what has happened so far. She makes sure to keep a positive attitude throughout the complicated process of the musical. Senior Ashely Warunigi plays the role of Andreina, one of the sisters, in “The Little Mermaid” and has also had to rely on her theater experiences. “I’m glad that we’re figuring out a way with the musical, we’re doing a lot of tech things which means the images are going to be so much cooler, so I’m excited about that,” Waruingi said. With the heavy technology for background sets, it was different
THE L ITTLE MERM AID April 1 , 2, 3 (2021) 7:00 P.A.C @9:00 P.M. BV We st
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for all of the actors who are a part of the musical. “It’s so strange because part of the pressure is singing live and singing well,” Waruingi said. “So being able to just like take a long time to make this musical perfect and just like overall really really awesome is really nice. And there’s less pressure which makes it more fun.” As a senior returning to the theater department for her last musical, Waruingi appreciates the break from the pressure and uniqueness of this year’s production. The performing arts department is overcoming the obstacles of creating a musical during a pandemic. The Little Mermaid will be performed on April 1, 2, and 3 at 7 p.m. in the PAC.
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Sports
CHAMPION’S STORY
Kevin Glenn
reporter
Senior swimmer gives first person account of boys State Championship Three-peat “When I heard the Spotlight Staff was brainstorming a first-person account of state swim, I was hesitant. I swim for BV West to help the team and my school. Swimming for personal recognition is not what I’m about. Anyone who knows me, knows I try not to draw attention to myself. I hope this narrative gives credit to my teammates, they deserve it.” -Kevin
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he week of the state meet our practices were a bit shorter and easier. Swim workouts progressively get harder throughout the season and then get easier toward the end, so we aren’t tired or sore for big meets like State. Swimmers always look forward to this time we call taper. We feel strong and rested. I could tell by how much all of the guys were laughing the night before at senior Sam Pankratz’s house that they felt good. The morning of the meet, we had to go to our classes. Needless to say, it was hard to concentrate. I knew I needed to have some food, so I’d have enough energy for my races but it’s hard to eat on race days. We met at the school vans around 1 p.m. With so many guys qualifying, we needed three vans to get everyone to the pool. The Team Mom, Marty Sinclair, met us at the vans with snacks, drinks and balloons. (She’s the best!) For the first time since _____ state swim was not in Topeka, Kan. We only had to travel about 20 minutes to the new Shawnee Mission natatorium in Lenexa. A few of the guys are on my club team, the Kansas City Blazers; we’ve been practicing there when we can, so we were familiar. I still got a little nervous walking in. Even with the new “COVID-19” format, no finals and no spectators, it was still State. Each team was assigned a place
in the stands. We sat right in front of Shawnee Mission South, behind our coaches. We had a great view. We put on our warm-up suits, most wore Speedos, and jumped in. Most of us swam about 1100 yards. Everybody swam some freestyle, besides that, guys practiced the strokes they’d qualified in, as well as starts and turns. Once we got out, it was time to suit up. Swimmers have lots of suits, but most have a racing suit that they feel helps them swim faster. I wore my new Mizuno. It was pretty tight, looks a lot like boxer briefs, and took almost 15 minutes to get on. The first event was the 200-medley relay. Each school can have one group of four guys with each doing a different stroke. We were in the final heat of three; it was considered the fastest and we were seeded first. (We were supposed to win.) While we thought we could win, we also knew we had a shot at the state record. Sophomore Grayson Moyer went first doing the backstroke. He had to be nervous-only three seniors wanting the record were behind him. Moyer was great and did what he had to do to keep us in the race. Senior Ethan Evans was next doing the breaststroke and took the lead in the first 25 yards of his 50-yard swim. I was next doing the butterfly. My fly felt great in practice all week and even better that night. When I touched the wall, our lead was expanded. Pankratz was our last swimmer. It was clear that we’d probably win. The record? It was going to be close. Pankratz popped off a great swim. 1:34.02 ! 1st Place. State Champs. State Record. School Record. All-American Consideration. What an amazing feeling! Our team went nuts. (BV West was winning this meet.)
Next up was the 200 freestyle. Moyer and Pankratz were up again. Moyer got 13th; a good swim considering he just did the relay. Senior Hunter Rey swam a respectable 1:45.31 to get 7th but Pankratz was still full of adrenaline from the relay and dropped more than three seconds to get 4th with a 1:44.53. Nice! The 200 Individual Medley was next. Instead of four swimmers each doing one stroke, one swimmer had to do all four. Three of us were in the race. I was seeded first but my time was not fast, I really wanted to have a good swim. Sophomore Jack Schreiber swam in the first heat and swam a best time by more than a second. Senior Sam Foster swam in the second heat and got 11th overall. I knew the two Shawnee Mission East guys next to me from Blazers, I really wanted to beat those guys but also the two guys from Olathe East. If any team was going to beat us for the team title, it would have been OE. “Swimmers take your mark.” Beep. I was out in the fly almost as fast as on the relay. My goal was to get a good lead. The backstroke was next. I wanted to put a lot of water between me and the rest of the field. When I flipped onto my stomach for the breast, I could see the other swimmers still doing backstroke. That pumped me up to really press it. Once I hit the wall for the freestyle, I just let my legs take over. Coaches always say, “kick to win” and that is what I was doing. When I was done, I’d dropped more than four seconds to go a 1:52.48. That was a good one! I lowered the school record in the event. I knew Coach Sample was proud. The coach of the winning swimmer gets to give out all of the medals. What a great feeling to get that handshake.
Sports While I was cooling down by swimming a few laps in an adjacent pool, the 50 freestyle was going on. Everybody loves that race; it’s just never been my favorite. Clearly it was good for Evans who was close to our school record with his 3rd place 21.39 swim. A Google search shows that he got 3rd in Alaska at their State last year. Boy’s fast. The next swimming event was the 100 Butterfly. Even though Rey has our school record, he already swam the 200 free and had the 100-freestyle right after the fly so it was up to junior Aidan White to get us some points. After waiting the whole day to race, he was ready. White won the “B” heat and went so fast that his time put him above three other guys in the “A” final to get 5th. Nice! Unfortunately, the final round of diving took place after the 50 free and OE had two guys in the top three. They also had a kid win the fly. They were ahead. Some guys were starting to worry about our three-peat. I remained confident. I just kept saying, “look at the heat sheet.” OE may have been up for a little while, but we had some power coming up. Rey’s time to shine had arrived, the 100 freestyle. He already had the BV West school record by beating the time of one of my older brother’s friend’s time from 2011. He got a best time and almost won the race by going a 45.84 to get 2nd. Great swim. Up next was the 500 freestyle. Our training was some of the best but so was OE’s. We had two great guys in the event and so did they. Their top distance guy, junior Keaton Kristoff, took off like a rocket. All of our team thought for sure, the kid would “die.” He did not. He just kept going faster and faster. We were shocked. The kid went a 4:39.47-really impressive. Almost as impressive as White. He was seeded 6th, dropped more than seven seconds and got 3rd-another
podium swim! Our team went nuts. Foster was seeded 1st but got 6th. Unfortunately, OE scored 29 points from the event and so did we, they were still ahead. The 200-freestyle relay was next with White, Foster, Rey and sophomore Sean Willer. The guys swam a season best of 1:29.45 but got 3rd. It’s tough to get medals from a coach from a different school. Making matters worse, OE extended their lead over us by six more points. Dudes were getting worried. My response? “Look at the heat sheet.” BV West had the three fastest times in the state in the 100 backstroke. OE? ZERO swimmers. 0! I planned to win, thought Pankratz would get second after seeing him do some impressive work in practice, and knew Moyer, even as a sophomore, had the talent to get third. We all waited in the “ready room” for the final heat. We walked out together. Moyer in lane five, Pankratz in lane three and me in the middle. When the starter gave the signal, we all jumped in the water, planted our feet, grabbed the starting block and waited. “Swimmers take your mark.” We all lifted ourselves up to our starting positions. Beep. I could see Pankratz out of the corner of my eye. What a great arch! I knew I needed to have great underwaters. I dolphin kicked for as long as I could without breathing or getting disqualified. Damn, I timed the turn wrong. I swam hard. Damn, I timed the second turn wrong. I really worked my underwater dolphin kicks. Damn, I missed the final wall. I kept my head back and swam toward the finish. Boom. The clock read 49.54. New best time. New State and school record. All-American consideration time. I was right, Pankratz hit next followed by Moyer. We scored 53 points. Olathe East? Zero. BV West back on top. Let’s goooo!
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The Jags weren’t done yet. Two events to go. We had three swimmers entered, OEt just one. Our guys blew us away. Schreiber dropped time and moved up to 13th. Sophomore Eric Sinclair was supposed to get 16th but swam up to 9th by dropping more than two seconds. Evans brought it home. He was seeded 4th but stunned the field by winning the event. What a night! We were all so pumped; we could feel it. The last event was the 400-freestyle relay. Our team of four seniors, Rey, Pankratz, Evans and I, were seeded first and all of us wanted it. A lot. Rey was first and held his own against the strong field. Pankratz was next and swam a 47.25-nice. Evans, straight off of his 100-breaststroke win, went a terrific 48.45. Once Evans tagged the wall, I shot off of the blocks. I didn’t think we could get the record but wanted to put as much time as possible between us and the other teams. I swam the fastest 100 freestyle split of my life with a 45.46. We won. The race. And the meet by 79 points. Winning our third State Championship felt like a win. In 2019 we beat BV North by 2.5 points. Last year we beat Olathe East by just 1 point. I knew we could win by a lot, I hoped maybe even by 100, but we had a few swims that didn’t quite go the way we wanted. In all honesty, that’s OK. Fighting for the win made it that much sweeter. I can’t thank the team enough for all of the great meets, State Championships and fun. Seriously, you guys are the best. Thanks also to Coach Sample, Coach Rowlen and Coach Stack. They put up with my unique training; not a lot of coaches would have believed in me like that. Last thing. Can we get a reasonably sized ring this year?
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Opinion
IT’S TIME TO TAKE A SHOT Kiley Peterson
Students express the pros and cons of getting the COVID-19 vaccine
editor-in-chief
Lucy Call
reporter
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hroughout the last couple of months, the COVID-19 vaccine has been a hot topic. As the vaccine is becoming more available, people are struggling with the question of “should I take it?” For some, the answer to this question is “100% yes” while for others, they are having more of a hard time deciding. So how do students at BV West feel towards the vaccine? Are there as many people hesitant to get it as there are eager? We asked a wide variety of the Spotlight’s Instagram followers if they were willing to get it or what their thoughts were on the vaccine. Out of 155 people, 68% said yes, they were willing to get it, and 32% said no. The Spotlight reached out to a few people to gather their thoughts on the topic, and what causes them to feel the way they do about the new vaccine. Junior Humphrey Luo and Junior Sophia Chrans both voted that they would be willing to get the vaccine, and elaborated on why they’ve come to the conclusion that they have. Both students are happy they are of age and looking forward to getting it, though complications still threaten. There aren’t
always perfect circumstances surrounding the virus vaccine. Chrans is still hoping she gets the opportunity for it, though for her specifically it could prove challenging. “I have a large combination of severe chronic medical conditions,’’ she said. “[I’ve had] ...allergic reactions. And a bad history with vaccines in the past.” The possibility of having a severe allergic reaction lends caution in Chrans and her doctor. Due to this, there is less certainty around her ability to get vaccinated in the near future. This type of caution and danger sur-
rounding the vaccine could be a concern for many people and is worth noting. However, Chrans sees her circumstances as a specialized, individual case. She is also willing to do whatever she can to help defeat the virus and hopes things can be worked out with her immunologist. She advocates for the vaccine being distributed amongst the general public. “I believe it’s safe, it’s effective, and it’s the only hope we have for curing this pandemic,” she says. Luo is comfortable putting his trust in the manufacturers and scientists behind the vaccine. “...I feel like the people making the vaccines are very specialized in their field and are knowledgeable about disease control,” he said. Luo is concerned with herd immunity and the importance of mandating the vaccine, though he recognizes the discourse that might ensue. “Not just political, but religious and personal I think,” Luo said.
Opinion Opinion
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...OR NOT Both juniors are able to understand why others are hesitant to get vaccinated. “But I think that, even though some people are hesitant, when more research comes out they’ll be less so,” Luo said. “Side effects... [Thinking] that it’s sketchy. I totally understand this,” Chrans says. She acknowledges the safety concerns or differences of opinion others may have. Though they don’t agree, these pro-vaccine students are able to see the other side of the debate and how it too means a lot to people. Senior Krysten Hearron and sophomore Kate Gifford both would agree that at this point in time, getting the vaccine isn’t in their best interest. “I have my doubts about whether the vaccine is safe, I have a hard time believing it, just because of how quickly they had it manufactured,” Hearron said. Before the COVID-19 vaccine, the fastest that any vaccine had been developed to the point of approval was 4 years. The current COVID-19 vaccine took less than a year until it was approved, so it makes sense that some people have their doubts. “I am pretty cautious about how quickly it was distributed as that is something they have never seen before,” Hearron said. “Especially with an mRNA vaccine that hasn’t been used before.” One of the many things that makes the COVID-19 vaccine unique from any other, is the fact that it
has to do with mRNA. This type of vaccine benefits from the protein making process in our bodies, and it triggers a response to help build immunity to SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19. mRNA is a type of protein that sends messages to cells in our body, and is used in the vaccine to send messages to our cells to make a certain type of protein that aids in the production of antibodies from our immune system. While this type of
vaccine is new, it’s something that has been studied for more than a decade, according to the CDC. However, because it is so new, there is no way of knowing the long-term side effects this vaccine could have, which is something that concerns many people. “I personally would not [get the vaccine] with my age and health because of the unknown long term
effects of the vaccine,” Gifford said. On the Houston Methodist Leading Medicine website, Dr. H. Sostman, president of the Academic Institute at Houston Methodist, states that there certainly isn’t anything in the technology to-date that suggests there is any reason to worry about the long-term side effects of the vaccine. However that same website states that “the reality is that these vaccines haven’t yet been studied for the long-term, so it’s too soon to answer if any unknown risks may exist.” Whatever the reason may be, it is important to acknowledge that there are people who are hesitant to get the vaccine. When it comes to taking a vaccine that is so new, of course people would be cautious when deciding whether or not to take it. While there are students who discuss their opposition or support for the vaccine, there are some who have already gotten it. Senior Hannah Cowen is one of those students. Cowen works as a Certified Nursing Assistant (C.N.A.) at Bickford Assisted Living in Overland Park and when the opportunity to get the vaccine presented itself, she decided that taking it made the most sense for her, and the community. “I got the vaccine offered to me, free through my work, and I got it because I wanted to try and slow down the spread of COVID-19.” Cowen said.
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Hey Siri, Define “Patriotism” Opinion
A take on what defines modern patriotism in 21st century America
Aminah Syed
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onday morning, 7:45 a.m., the last bell rings. “I pledge allegiance, to the flag, of the United States of America,” Most of us remember standing at our seats in elementary school, facing the American flag hanging on the teacher’s whiteboard, hand over our hearts. “And to the Republic for which it stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” Students are taught from a young age that America is “the land of the free” and that we should be proud of our history. America is supposed to be the shining star; America is the example. Unfortunately, in the last few years, America is the laughing stock of the global media. The issue of patriotism has been muddled. After #MeToo, George Floyd, and Jan. 6, how do Americans express patriotism in the 21st century? What is patriotism in 21st century America? Where do we begin? The Google definition of patriotism states that it is the feeling of love and having a sense of attachment to your country and a connection with other citizens. With all that has happened in the last 12 months, America cannot live up to its original ideas of patriotism because the relationship between the United
managing editor
States citizens is broken. The definition of patriotism also fluctuates with contemporary generational issues and relevant events that occur. For example, most of Generation Z’s parents faced the Cold War’s aftermath and experienced 9/11 in their time. In contrast, Generation Z has faced a global pandemic, disuniting politics, and impactful social media movements. Views of patriotism are bound to change as time progresses, and what is evident is that many people grasp on to the ideas that have been fought on multiple various fronts for their immorality and continue to promote them. The concept of patriotism Americans are taught is no longer applicable and cannot even match the Google definition. Loving this country or being patriotic means that we must correct the flaws that are hurting the country and that we can give constructive criticism to one another. We, the people, need to do better, and our elected leaders must do better as well. The persistent problem of racism has continued since the dawn of the country’s independence: it contradicts all America stands for. Slavery defied justice, and the continued racism that persists today defies justice. Ignoring that these issues exist is not patriotism. The people were given the right to speak.
As Bryan Stevenson said in his memoir, “Just Mercy,” “We are all implicated when we allow other people to be mistreated.” There does not need to be violence or harassment. When something is wrong, civil discussion is an option. Whether that takes the form of a protest, writing to a representative, or talking it out on social media, there is a way. After all of the calls for unity, it seems we are more divided than ever. It is genuinely hard to make progress on health care, the economy, infrastructure, or advancing social justice when there is so much conflict between parties and ideologies. Both parties either offer lip service with zero action or contribute to maintaining a legacy of heavy-handed oppression.
Black Lives Matter protesters in the UK speaking out against police brutality duirng the summer of 2020 Source: The Guardian, Ben Birchall
Opinion January 6, 2021, the election was due to be certified by the senate. President Trump holds a rally inviting his supporters to “save democracy.” January 6, 2021, 1:26 P.M Trump rioters reached the Capitol. While millions of people claim that the insurrection was an act of “patriotism,” the rest of the world views that it was an act of domestic terrorism. Threats to lawmakers, vandalism, theft, and five people died on Jan. 6. What America witnessed on live television and through live footage on social media has awakened America with a jolting alarm that can no longer be snoozed. We are all witnesses to how patriotism has been morphed into division and destruction. America is so divided that when one crucial movement starts, there is suddenly a countermovement purely made of spite with zero purposes. American citizens are eating each other alive. This issue did not just begin recent-
ly; this was just the tipping point for America. This debate over what patriotism is to different generations of America causes polar bipartisan fighting, which is ultimately the fall of our democracy if it continues. Hopefully, this event will spark change in the eyes of lawmakers and citizens alike. If there ever was a wake-up call for Generation Z, it is right now. As the upcoming adults in this world, Generation Z has an obligation to stay awake and act upon re-
“to put our future first, we must first put our differences aside. We lay down our arms so we can reach out our arms to one another.” -Poet Amanda Gorman in her inauguration poem said.
alizations of generations before and to mend our cultural relationships and reconcile our collective ideologies. One day, in the near future, American citizens will be able to see each other eye-to-eye without violence, threats, or insults. In the end, what will the history books say about patriotism? What will Google or Webster Dictionary say? Right now, America has a lot to process, but America needs to come to a decision on how it will define its national pride and identity. America needs to heal, and when it is ready to be fixed, Generation Z has to be ready to mend the broken bonds that currently divide America today. To emphasize, it is completely fine to be patriotic and love the country, but to love, one must recognize the faults that are hurting others and understand that the people were given the authority and autonomy to fix America as a whole.
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Feature
HELICOPTER VS. HANDS OFF Students discuss how their family’s style of parenting impacts them
Kolbie Christensen
editor-in-chief
Natalie Lindmark
editor-in-chief
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t a time in high schoolers lives where discovering oneself and approaching the real world is in front view mirror, parents can sometimes slam on the brakes for them. Parents have long lasting effects on high school kids specifically when it comes to how they parent and their parenting style. Whether it be a strict or laid back, hands on or hands off, helicopter or distant, parenting styles have a large effect on their children’s motivation, decisions, grades and thought process and a variety of different ways kids respond to these styles. Students in this feature have been left anonymous as a way to fully describe their parents’ rules and restrictions. Anonymous senior girl at BV West would describe her parents as strict and overbearing. Watching her grades closely and monitoring that she turns assignments in on time are two things her parents do frequently. “My parents look at my classes pretty often and always check for late/missing work even if I didn’t get points off. They get very upset and I’m not allowed to do anything with friends or for personal pleasures during the week if my grades are bad,” Anonymous said.
Another aspect of their parenting style is expecting her to get A’s and high B’s in all her classes, and aren’t allowed to hangout with friends when her grades are bad. Phone tracking apps are a constant debate between children and parents all over and Anonymous has the same debate with her parents. Meaning she has the app but most of the time she leaves her phone in another place than where she truly is to avoid her parents. Anonymous first noticed how strict her parents could be two years ago and due to those rules and restrictions feels as though she can’t always tell her parents the truth. “Probably sophomore year when I had to start lying about a lot that I was doing even though it wasn’t really wrong, I just knew they would say no if I asked,” Anonymous said. As a senior she knows that her next step is college, which she is looking forward to. Not having her parents constantly watching over her is a big plus. But, she does share the warning her parents gave her about going to college. “I am going to a school far away so I will have a lot of freedom. My parents are paying for part of my college though and they have warned me that if I get bad grades I
will be right back at home,” she said. Another anonymous senior boy feels the same about his parents and believes that they are too strict on him. Stating that his parents are constantly aware of all his plans in and out of school. Anonymous has felt their overarching presence since seventh grade and feels it has never been lifted. Like many kids with strict parents Anonymous is expected to get good grades and is grounded when he doesn’t achieve those standards. Which has happened to him before. With the recent COVID-19 pandemic and school being online since August, parents have new ways of monitoring their children and their school work. Including making sure kids don’t miss their class Zoom. Anonymous knows what it’s like to miss a class, even if it was an accident. “Yes they do and for the one class I missed because of a mistake, they flipped out and lectured me,” he said. Similar to the senior girl, Anonymous is planning on going off to college next year and still knows that he will feel his parent’s presence and pressure. “I know that my parents
Should Parents Be Able to Sit in on Their Kids’ Zooms?
11% Yes
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89% No
Poll conduced on Instagram Mar. 1st, 2021
are going to continue to track me in college and I’ll have to be careful with what I do. I’m not going to let them stop me from having a good college experience tho[ugh],” he said. While some strict parenting styles might leave a sour taste in their kid’s mouth, a more laid back style of parenting is preferred. The kids who do have those kinds of parents, are definitely grateful. The Spotlight interviewed another senior who feels her parents are more laid back. One senior girl explains that her parents don’t feel the need to constantly check Canvas or make sure she has everything turned in. She lets them know of any upcoming big test, but other than that her parents usually stay out of her school work. Similar to grades, her parents don’t give her any reminders of when her Zooms are or when an assignment is due. In high school, many boundaries are set between parents and kids about how much information should be shared with each other and how involved they should be in their lives. Anonymous senior girl adds that
those boundaries extend even into Zoom. “My parents have never sat in on my Zoom calls. They trust the school and all the teachers and would feel the need to do something like that. We are in high school and should be able to handle any subject or topic in school without our parents hovering,” Anonymous said. Involving her school work anonymous senior girl believes her parents are laid back and let her run her own life due to the trust that they have in her. That trust continues outside of school when it comes to curfew and phone tracking apps. “Yes I have Life 360. Some kids think it’s an invasion of privacy but I honestly don’t feel that way. My parents have never questioned where I am or made me come home. They just want me to be safe and it’s good to have in case of an emergency,” she said. With the combined trust they have in their daughter and Life 360, Anonymous has never had a set curfew. As long as she stays in communication with her parents and lets them know her plans. Like the other seniors
mentioned before, Anonymous herself plans to head off to college after high school and feels as though her parents have prepared her. “The freedom my parents give me will definitely make being on my own in college next year easier. I’ve grown to be very independent and know how to balance my own life. I’m thankful for the trust and freedom my parents give me,” she said. As Anonymous prepares for that next step in her life, she can look back at her parent’s technique and be grateful. “I think my parents’ technique takes a lot of trust but it also has formed me into the person I am today. Getting to make my own decisions and having to stay on top of my school work, job, and social life has taught me how to be independent. I think their technique is a great way to build trust between kids and their parents,” she said. Every family has their own unique parenting style even when it seems it’s not quite ideal for the kids. Parents do their best to try and prepare their kids for what comes next in their lives.
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Feature
SOURCES OF STRENGTH Learn more about mental health awareness club
Caroline Erickson
reporter
M
ental health is all about getting people the support they need and deserve to help them when they are struggling the most. Sources of Strength is a mental health awareness club, working to prevent suicide in our community. The club has been growing each year with new members ranging from freshman to seniors. Their goal is to provide the maximum amount of love and care for every student, as well as someone to lean on during times of need and uncertainty. “It has been incredible watching this club grow into what it is from the 11 members we had in 2018,” senior Sydney Nissen said. “BV West has the biggest Sources [of Strength] participation in the whole district so not only are we influencing students at West but the whole community; which really goes to show how we have grown and how we can make a difference.” Along with several upperclassmen, Nissen has been a part of Sources of Strength since the beginning. “Ms. Madderom was one of the original sponsors for the club and was also my JV cheer coach so she encouraged me to join. I had never heard of Sources but after finding out more about the club I really wanted to join. I also have dealt
with and watched family members struggle with mental health issues so I thought this would be a good platform to advocate about it,” said Nissen. Over time, the club has adopted several traditions and strategies to spread their message. Due to COVID-19, this year has been quite different for these students. “We have hosted Zooms on certain issues that students might be dealing with and make sure to post relevant content on the Instagram that correlates with the circumstances,” Nissen said. Despite the lack of hands on group collaboration, the Sources of Strength members continued to spread their message by adapting to the pandemic lifestyle. “Big or small so many people have dealt with mental health in the midst of this pandemic. We strive to normalize this in efforts to bring more positivity and light in such a dark time; I think we have been able to do so especially through our social media platforms,” said Nissen. Just like balancing social life and phone use is often important to our generation, social media as seen as a tool for good but with the potential for bad. Every social media platform has its pitfalls, but can also be used to benefit individuals and society. For Sources of Strength,
Instagram became a huge part of spreading positivity and awareness when practicing social distancing. Junior Shanzay Qalbani plays an active role on the Instagram. “We have made a very prominent position on social media due to that being one of our only outlets of being able to connect with students right now. We have hosted Zooms on certain issues that students might be dealing with and make sure to post relevant content on Instagram that correlates with the circumstances. Go follow us! @ b v w s o u r c e s o f s t r e n g t h ,” s a i d Qalbani.
“Our mission is to spread hope, help, and strength to every corner of Blue Valley West High School”
Social media helped groups such as Sources of Strength gain new followers by actively posting content of their own. Without this outlet, connections between students could not be made as often. In particular, Qalbani focused on bringing awareness to body positivity and connecting to those struggling in silence. “Personally, I have dealt with hardships in disordered eating and not feeling confident in my body,” said Qalbani. “This club has been a place where I have been able to openly talk about it and share my story to people that had also felt that way. It made me feel less alone, and that is exactly what I want for others to walk away with. A feeling of “ok I can really do this” a feeling of “my problems are nothing I can’t handle,” she said. Sources of Strength is not restricted to any particular part of BV West. All grades are welcome to join. Like many others, sophomore Madi Skourpan was inspired by the kindness of this group of students. “I joined Sources, because it looked so fun, and it also was a good way to get involved. I had many friends who showed me Sources of Strength and that they welcomed anyone and everyone interested in joining, I have found that Sources
of Strength is a place to make fun new friends and also make your life mentally more positive. No matter who you are and how much you participate in the club, it’s always happy and positive,” said Skourpan. If you are interested in helping spread mental health awareness, Sources of Strength is always looking to expand their membership. “There are very minimal commitments in this club and all it does really is pick you up on days when you really need it. The people in this club genuinely care about the well being of their peers and it provides you an outlet of people that can be dealing with the same things as you, especially if talking to adults intimidates you,” said Qalbani. As many of the beginning members of sources of strength graducate this year, they hope for students to continue the legacy that Sources of Strength team has built throughout its short time here at BV West. “I really hope that after I graduate and this club continues to grow, that the members don’t lose sight of the core values of Sources. I want the members to continue spreading light to the students of BVW and out in the community” said Nissen.
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Photos from BV West Sources of Strength instagram page
BV West Sources of Strength uses their instagram page to promote safe activites to participate in during the of COVID-19.
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News
Let the world hear you Award-winning debate program brings pride and life skills to students
B
V West’s school halls can’t go a day without hearing something about the sports teams, the next play, the next concert, the next game, which schools are playing against which, who’s playing who, and what songs are going to be sung. The one thing that seems seldomly heard about is Debate. “Debate isn’t what a lot of people think it is,” Debate Coach Anne Goodson said. “When you see debate depicted in movies or TV shows it’s usually a student standing in front of a huge audience giving a speech about something personal, in reality, debate is a game, just like basketball or soccer, and there are rules and parameters, just like any other game.” Goodson said. It seems that Debate has a lot more in common with physical sports than meets the eye. “We debate a central topic all year—this year it was criminal justice reform—and research and argue all angles of that topic, not just our personal beliefs. Students debate on teams of two against pairs of students from other schools on weekend tournaments throughout the metro, and take turns arguing for and against the assigned topic,” Goodson said. Debate isn’t just standing at a podium and talking about controversial issues, it’s a strategic battle of wits, almost like chess, and physical sports to some degree, and like those sports, Debate also has plenty of work that goes into it. Senior Supta Das, a member of the debate team had this to say about initially joining the team. “
“Joining debate at first is intimidating. There’s a lot of debate jargon and technicalities that make the activity look super challenging,” she said, “The idea of being judged by someone and the unpredictable nature of your opponents’ arguments can also make it daunting. However, after my first practice debate round as a freshman, I got past a lot of these concerns. Once you start, it’s much easier to navigate and win debate rounds.” Debate is a lot less complex than someone might think at a first glance. Easy to learn, but hard to master, Das goes on to expand on some benefits people may be interested in. “There are so many merits that debate has. Not only do I get to research and learn about a wide variety of relevant topics, but I also learn to become a better critical thinker. This is especially relevant when analyzing the news, and social media, which is extremely important in an age with lots of misinformation being circulated. The friendships and mentorship you receive in debate is extremely valuable. I quickly learned to trust my teammates and to seek resources from my coaches and judges as well. There’s so much opportunity for growth and improvement in debate, and there are even more people who will help you succeed.” said Das. Another student that was interviewed; Sophomore Nargis Suleman, supported that idea. “Doing debate allowed me to be more advanced not only in my critical thinking , but also in public
Jordan Faller
reporter
speaking,” Suleman said. “Once I started to see how much I was able to improve, I knew that this was an activity I would want to spend more of my time in. I have also been able to meet kids from other schools and states just because of debate and also have been able to become a lot closer to people I go to school with, which was something really awesome.” Establishing connections is extremely beneficial during and after high school, and if the extracurricular interests you, Debate seems like a good place to do just that, along with helping develop writing, speaking, and critical thinking. Skills that Debate Coach Ms. Goodson believes you will carry throughout your life. “Debate will change your life forever. Not only will you make some incredible friends, get to compete all across the state (and even the nation), and learn a ton about the world around you, but you develop invaluable skills you will carry with you the rest of your life. Debate makes you a better writer, thinker, researcher, and speaker, and you see the benefits of participating in this activity in every other class you take. After even just a semester of debate, speaking up in class, completing a timed write, going on a job interview, and asking for what you want will be second nature for you. Debate gives you the confidence to advocate for yourself, and a platform to tell the stories that are important and debate lets the world hear you!” said Goodson.
Saint Patrick’s Day
Interactive
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Shamrocks, leprechauns, celebrating, and the Irish. All of these make for one fun Saint Patrick’s day. However, what is the real reason for celebrating this holiday?
Lucky
Charms
Rice CRispies
Treats
Saint Patrick’s Day started with St. Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland. In the fourth century St. Patrick at the age of sixteen was taken to Ireland as a slave. After escaping, years later he returned to try and convert the Irish from Celtic Paganism to Christianity. St. Patrick succeeded by establishing churches, schools, and monasteries. On March 17, 461 St. Patrick passed away and his death date became a day of religious celebration and feasts.
The Christians in Ireland celebrate this day by attending Church. They wear their best clothes with a shamrock pin on their chest. The pins are blessed all over Ireland and are known as the Blessing of the Shamrock. The most popular meal on Saint Patrick’s day in Ireland is a large roast dinner. Other ways the Irish celebrate the holiday includes watching the parade in Dublin that started in 1995. Participating in the Harbour-2-Harbour Walk for charity which includes a 16 mile walk around the coastline with music and food in the middle. Another tradition on Saint Patrick’s day is visiting the former home of St. Patrick. Ireland adapted the big celebrations of parades from the United States, where huge parades are held in major cities including Kansas City. The parades in Ireland are mostly for tourism purposes due to the large crowds that make their way to Dublin during the holiday.
Green
Velvet
Saint Patrick’s Day
Cupcake Cupcakes
Brought to America by immigrants, Saint Patrick’s Day became a large celebration of the Irish. Starting in 1737, Boston held the first Saint Patrick’s Day parade. From there major cities held their own parades including New York, Chicago, New Orleans, Boston, and many others. Since 1962, Chicago has turned their river green in support of the holiday. The most common way to celebrate is embracing the color green by wearing all green and having green food and drinks. Other ways Americans celebrate include doing Irish traditions such as music, dance, and food. Many spend the day out on the town or with friends and family. Shamrock
Shake
Credit to History.com
20 Interactive
PETS IN THE PANDEMIC Student share their new pets they got during lockdown
Nabila Qureshi reporter
“We got her as a gift for my grandparents because they lost their dog in February. We kept her for a couple months and trained her and then took her to my grandparents house around June. She was a great friend and company during the quarantine, and gave us something to do and look forward to.”
“So back at the end of February 2020 my older sister and my parents told us they were getting a dog, an aussie doodle named Oliver. He was going to be our family dog and my older sister’s emotional support animal. We ended up getting him in March after quarantine started. my parents and sister though had started planning getting him back in December of 2019. we have had him for almost a year now, and he has grown quite a bit. he is also becoming an even better emotional support dog as he trains.”
- Libby Schwabauer
-Lamya Alam
Interactive
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“This is Maui and one day this past summer I just showed up at my house with him without telling anyone. I already have 4 other pets but I saw him and he needed a home so I just b ought him!”
“My brother had left for college and my mom wanted something to fill the gap so we got Maggie from a shelter that saved dogs from a breeder that abused the dogs”
-Madison D ecker
- Izak Johnson
“This is Mulligan. He is a mini sheepadoodle and we wanted to bring some more joy into our lives during this pandemic!”
“Here is my dog Teddy! My parents actually came home and surprised us with him. They said they were going to the grocery store. My mom has always been allergic to dogs and said repeatedly that we are never going to get a dog. It was quite a shock when they surprised us! She said we were so sad, and we also needed something to do. That’s how we got Teddy!” - Samantha Souan
- A s h l ey R e e c h t
Online - on the JINKIES 22 Interactive
5/10 WIFI: Locked, didn’t see any posted password Environment: Calm, cute decor, have outlets Noise: Not super noisy Crowd: Mainly adults COVID: Not very socially distanced, no closed tables
Pilgrim Coffee 7/10 WIFI: Locked, but is posted by menu Noise: Very noisy, loud music Environment: Limited outlets, a good amount of seating, and space COVID: Not very socially distanced Crowd: High School students/some adults
Panera 6/10 WIFI: Not locked, good connection for zooms Noise: Relatively quiet; Good work space Environment: Good distribution of outlets Crowd: Adults, some teens COVID: Socially distanced, Every other table is closed
GO
Many students travel around the Kansas City area to find new and fun places to get work done. Whether it be a new enviornemnt, a more quiet place to study or work, or a COVID-19 safe place to mingle, we went to find the best places that fit the part.
Cafe Equinox 7/10 WIFI: Not locked Noise: Calm Environment: Outside/in a greenhouse, warm, can be hard to find the actual seating area COVID: No closed tables but fairly spread apart Crowd: Mainly college students/adults
Fat Bee 3/10 WIFI: Locked, password posted but not very visible, strong Noise: Noisy, blenders going off Environment: Not a lot of seating COVID: Not socially distanced Crowd: Teens/adults
Enjoy 4/10 WIFI: Locked, WIFI is not posted, not strong, took a while to join Zooms Noise: Not super noisy Environment: Has outlets, cute decor COVID: Closed tables, socially distanced Crowd: Mainly adults
Interactive 23 Reese Hager Rajneet Lehal
reporter reporter
Blue Valley West Spotlight 16200 Antioch Road Overland Park, Kan. 66085 Email: bvwspotlight@gmail.com Web: www.bvwnews.com Social Media: @bvwspotlight
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