Sept2015

SPOTLIGHT Sept. 23, 2015

Blue Valley West High School, 16200 Antioch Rd., Overland Park, Kansas, Vol. 15, Issue 1

Tipping Point Stories pg. 6 Bye-lingual pg. 7 On the grow Pg. 8 Empower

Pg. 11 Honor Code Pg. 21 Gender Pg. 24 Cultural Appropriation

spotlight

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Photo by Sabrina Cline

Find out why and how two seniors help children around the world

contents

More athletes join a fall sport than any other season; find out how they are doing

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P A G E

Photo by Sydney Hendin

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Photo courtesy Lauren Garcia

Senior pictures are a popular tradition; find out how to have a successful session and specifics about photographers

KC Superstar showcases local talent and BV West junior Kate Cosentino

Photos by Ryan Barrett

every day’s a holiday

9/26

9/27

10/1

National One-Hit Wonder Day

Blood Moon

Vegetarian Day

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

PA G E

Photo by Mikaela Schmitt

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Photo courtesy LKMS

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A picture is worth a thousand words but a cartoon can suggest even more.

Freshman Jaden Dudrey and sophomore Shaye Herman have journalistic art to share.

Wondering what to wear each day of Spirit Week? Check out the Spotlight fashion show photo essay.

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P A G E

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

Art by Jaden Dudrey

They’re baaack...all of those painful middle school traditions you tried to block out.

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

P A G E

10/2

10/6

Custodial Day

Mad Hatter Day

Photo by Lexi Koch

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Learn about the world in Beyond the Bubble.

Photo courtesy MCT Campus

4 Masthead

The

Tipping Point Note from the editor...

Change. In this edition, our writers worked on various stories evaluating moments of transition.

The tipping point is the transition from the simple to the complex, from the ordinary to the meaningful.

The Tipping Point theme came to inception during a roundtable meeting at the beginning of the press cycle. As our staff tossed out more and more story suggestions, it became apparent how intrigued we were by the complexity of change. The conversations we had about cultural appropriation and learning languages, about obeying the honor code and growing up, demonstrated a consistency of complexity; we wanted to discuss grey areas. We wanted to explore concepts that are changing before our eyes, in our touch-and-go modern society. This issue, framed by the Tipping Point concept, is the result of our labors.

Our cover was inspired by this image of a protester. This protest was an example of a Tipping Point issue in modern America, and the composition of the photo is fantastic.

Until next issue, Carly McDonald, Editor-in-Chief Photo courtesy MCT Campus

Cover Photo by Alexis Larson

Spotlight Staff Carly McDonald Editor in Chief

Grace Lamar Leah Zimmerli

Managing Editors

Rebecca Abraham Ryan Barrett John Byrket Beth Gasser Shaye Herman Editorial Board

Jaden Dudrey Melissa Franano Mara Hennessy Stephen Kinder Madeleine C. Lewis Chloe Maher Alexis Melson Dana Nasr Ethan Paine Mikaela Schmitt Alexa Turiello Contributors

Spotlight is printed six times a year for the BV West students and community. Its goals are to inform, entertain and interpret through editorials and bylined articles while providing an open forum of communication for the diverse student population and faculty members.

Spotlight aims to be fair, accurate and impartial. The content of the publication 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 opinion of the faculty adviser, the administration of Blue Valley West or USD 229.

III

I. VATICAN CITY Pope Francis

beckoned Catholics to provide safety and housing for refugees. This call to action was met with resistance by many Polish Catholics, but the Pope has been adament.

He said in mid-september that if churches complained about not making money from the refugees, then they should pay taxes.

I

II. SAUDI ARABIA In Mecca, a

II

Bey nd the Bubble Carly McDonald Editor in Chief

A continuing series on world events

spiritual center of Islam in Western Saudi Arabia, a crane collapse left 107 dead and others injured. The crane collapse came days before Hajj, an annual pilgrimage of millions of muslims to Mecca.

III. GERMANY A surge of refugees

have come into Europe, sparking a discussion in the European Union (EU) and other European countries about how to handle the new people. Germany, a leader in the EU, declared it would be unable to accept refugees past its declared limit.

IV. CHINA

When the Chinese economic market fell in August, the world took notice. This decline of China’s yuen by 2.5 percent is not nearly as drastic as the recent decline in Japan’s yen, which dropped close to 60 percent since 2012.

According to the Wall Street Journal, this problem was caused by “heavy-handed, incoherent” handling of stocks.

V. TAIWAN Taiwan’s

presidential election is in just a few months. The elections are straining Taiwan’s relationship with China, as China-friendly nationalists are expected to lose in the election.

This election could also lead to the first female president for Taiwan.

According to the New York Times, two of the three leading candidates are women.

IV

V

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5

6 News

Bye-Lingual

Alexa Turiello Contributor

World language offerings dropped

C

HANGES OCCUR AT THE START of each school year. One of these changes was a readjustment to the World Language department with the consolidation of German offerings and the eliminationof Latin.

As recently as last school year languages offered included Spanish, French, German, and Latin.

Enrollment trends have shown that Spanish and French are the most popular of the four. Enrollment shifts lead to the changes students are dealing with currently.

“Having my German class include both (German) 3 and 4 is a big hectic,” junior Sydney Schranz said.

“But I’m glad that at least we still have it.”

German and Latin will no longer be offered at BV West. Over the last few years, the numbers of students enrolling in these classes has declined to the point where administrators both at BV West and at the district level felt they needed to look at staffing.

Dr. Tonya Merrigan, Assistant Superintendent of Academic Services at district office. Many options were discussed including trying the digital bridge classroom platform where one high school teacher video transmits to the other schools or by providing online classes.

“The high schools did not think they would be able to staff German because of low enrollment numbers.”

Merrigan said.

Starting in the fall of 2015, German is no longer offered and the high schools have already worked together to accommodate the students who were looking to finish out the classes they had already started.

As for Latin, BVW has cut the course offering completely yet, it is still available at the other high schools. Enrollment numbers had declined over the last few years causing our school to eliminate it.

While the administrators had to make the difficult decision to cut the courses; the students directly feel the impact of the decision.

“I was kind of mad because I wasn’t able to finish German teacher Elissa Schlumpf works to balance her computer and teaching materials in her German 3/4 the four years with that language.” senior Keely class. Teaching two classes in one creates unique chalGrosvenor said. “And even though no one speaks it lenges for Schlumpf and her students. anymore, it has helped me in various areas of my life.

Students teach each other some of the course material Now we only have two different languages students in the combined German class. There are benefits to having the classes combined as students are able to enjoy can choose from and there are so many other people some enrichment and leadership opportunities. in the world.“ Photos by Sydney Schranz

This new intersection is a result of a larger expansion of population in southern Johnson County. Photo by Ryan Barrett

Expansion of BV West Class sizes grow due to Johnson County’s population growth Carly McDonald Editor-in-Chief HE FRESHMAN CLASS IS OVER one-hundred students larger than the senior class, and is one of the largest classes on record for this nearly fifteen year-old school. Having more students influences the obvious: class sizes grow, new teachers are hired to accommodate the influx, and people complain about traffic as more cars are added to the regular flow.

Even for seniors accustomed to BV West’s parking lot, this year presents a unique challenge.

“It was awful the first week, it took me 45 minutes to get to school,” senior Sasha Arteaga said.

Part of the traffic issue came from students being unused to the new traffic light. The city of Overland Park placed a traffic light at the entrance of

the school over summer to aid traffic flow.

Since the school was founded in 2001, the population of Johnson County has grown by over 100,000 people.

New traffic lights and developments signify a migratory trend away from Kansas City into more suburban areas. As the average wealth in this area impoves, families are more tempted into picketed fence neighborhoods with larger yards and community pools.

As more families are drawn into this idyllic lifestyle, more neighborhoods spring up further south to compensate.

More families means more students, and more students means classrooms are getting crowded. To repeat: the freshmen class is over one-

hundred students larger than the senior class, and class sizes are only expected to increase.

“On the one hand, I think that this is the most spirited freshman class West has seen,” Arteaga said. “On the other hand, what makes West special is the relatively small, close knit classes and I’m afraid having large classes be the norm will take that away.”

The future looks bright for future generations of students, once they adjust.

“We have just got to get more used to it,” freshman Peyton Kennedy said. “I feel the more assemblies we have, the more comfortable we will get with each other and the louder we will get. Our BVW spirit is building for sure.”

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7

Empower, Educate, inspire.

T

HERE IS A KIND OF PASSION that the people who change the world possess; an intrinsic motivation that makes them unique individuals who glow with the love they have for their cause and for the people that it effects. This glow is in two BV West seniors, Caroline Kennedy and Divya Jain. The duo, with the help of many people throughout the country and the BV West community, have created their own non-profit organization, Empower: Educate and Inspire, Inc., dedicated to teaching today’s youth about major global and societal issues. As many great things often do, the idea for this organization arrived unexpectedly.

Kennedy was in the eighth grade when she met Sonia. Having witnessed some of the most horrible things that humanity has to offer as a Holocaust survivor, Sonia Warshawski, or Big Sonia as she is often called, was sharing her stories to a class of students that were 13 or 14 years old for the filming of a documentary about her. The documentary, titled Big Sonia, is projected to be released to Netflix next year. The impression Sonia’s story had on Kennedy planted the seed that would later grow into Empower: Educate and Inspire, Inc. That day, Kennedy was a part of a select group of students set to be interviewed themselves for the documentary. She was asked what she thought about Sonia’s story and what it made her feel in a separate interview. Kennedy formed a strong connection with the documentary staff and Sonia herself. After the interview process, she kept in touch with them.

“Something with her story really resonated with me,” Kennedy said. “I always wanted to do something about it, and I just had an idea one day about it. Basically I just wanted to help people

Two seniors spend their summers creating non-profit organization

Leah Zimmerli Managing Editor

understand what’s going on in the world around them and stop human suffering.”

HE TIPPING POINT FOR KENNEDY came when Ttoday she realized just how much oppression still exists and just how little people know about it.

“People don’t really realize what’s going on outside of our JoCo bubble.” Kennedy said. “Discrimination is still alive today and people don’t even realize it.

That’s what really bugged me so I just really wanted to do something. I had the idea to start this organization and tell people about it so people can know about how prevalent discrimination is. I owe it all to Sonia and the documentary producers.”

Kennedy’s passion grew into the idea that she shared with one of her best friends, Jain.

“Not only is Divya one of my best friends but she’s also a super hard worker.” Kennedy said.

“Immediately when I told her about it, it came to fruition.”

Jain and Kennedy make an excellent team because they both share excitement and have passionate opinions about their work.

“The power of knowledge is limitless. Any education of anything is limitless in a sense that you can do absolutely anything with that, it just holds so much power. These people are going to vote soon and they’re going to need to know what’s going on.” Jain said.

“Things that are happening both inside and outside the country are just so important to us. So many people either don’t realize or they’re misinformed, so we are teaching young adults because they’re more susceptible to learning things and opening up their opinions.”

By the numbers 501C3 Application:

Apply for government registration as a non profit to recieve tax exemptions.

$400

20 pages

20 pages

Graphic Designer: $2,000

Time spent per week: 30 Hours

ITH THIS CLEAR MISSION, Kennedy and W Jain put their plan into action. They created an after school club where lessons are presented in an

understandable and interactive way. The club has multiple meetings about a topic where students are engaged in their learning through discussions, research, and verbal presentations.

Having the groundwork in place with a website and a social media presence, the next goal was to grow the size of the group. With schools planning to open chapters on the east coast, and other chapters opening in the Blue Valley community, their organization has grown exponentially. The organization has gained support from the likes of Amy Poehler and Caitlin Jenner, who were connected to it through the documentary producers.

Seniors Ehsan Javed, Caroline Kennedy, and Noah Pollock work together “We want to spread it as far as we can because at a meeting of Empower, Educate & Inspire that occured over the we want the information to go as far as it can, which summer at Kennedy’s home. Photo by Sabrina Cline is really the most important thing about what we’re “I made so many connections when I went to a camp doing.” Jain said. at Georgetown,” Jain said. “I don’t really know how it comes up in conversation but it does, and people seemed really interested in it.”

While Kennedy and Jain did put in quite a bit of work, they couldn’t have done it without all of the connections and friends that helped them out on the way, from friends and family who donated money to the cause, to BV West seniors who put together the lessons and activities. Ehsan Javed and Devon Arnold were key contributors to the creation of Empower: Educate and Inspire.

“One of the biggest things I’ve learned from starting this is about how cool it is to work with other people,” Kennedy said. “At first, Divya and I wanted to do this on our own, but as more and more people got involved, the more ideas we got, the more help we got, and our organization has grown exponentially.”

THE HARD WORK OF EVERYONE UclubLTIMATELY, involved paid off on Wed., Sept. 2, when the hosted their first meeting, a huge step for the organization.

“We are trying to foster a generation of people who know what’s going on, who feel empowered to make their own opinions, people who don’t pass immediate judgement on others, and we want to inspire people to take immediate action in the things they’re passionate about.” Jain said.

Dedicated members of Empower; Educate & Inspire discuss their goals at a meeting over the summer in senior Caroline Kennedy’s kitchen. Photo by Sabrina Cline Members of EEI pose for a group photo to post on their web site.

Students in the back row:Will Koneczny, Noah Pollock, Devon Arnold, Carly McDonald, Harrison Lou Front Row Founders: Caroline Kennedy, Divya Jain, Ehsan Javed Photo by Ryan Barrett

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9

10 Find out more at http://bvwnews.com

CAPTION THIS:

This month, the Spotlight is holding a caption contest for this picture created by Jaden Dudrey,

Spolight Illustrator.

To submit your captions, tweet @BVWSpotlight, send in your submission by email to

BVWSpotlight@gmail.com, or rip off this form and turn it in to Room 233.

The winner will be announced on the Spotlight twitter.

Name: CAPTION:

GRADE:

the truth behind the honor code

Leah Zimmerli Managing Editor

Origination of new policy explored

A

NEW HONOR CODE WAS IMPLEMENTED at BV West, but the concepts that the Honor Code stand for are not new at all. Academic dishonesty has never been tolerated. The only thing that has changed has been the policy in dealing with it.

The tipping point that led to the creation of the Honor Code occurred during the spring semester last year when principal Dr. Brett Potts noticed an increase in reports of cheating and plagiarism.

“Just like everything that happens here, I take some time to look into issues, and if there appears to be an issue that is recurring, or an issue that we could address differently to make things better, I’m always looking into ways to make things better,” Potts said. “Trying to get a handle on how much [cheating] there is and how much there used to be was really hard, because sometimes a teacher would deal with it within their classroom and nobody would know about it.

Another time, they’d tell one administrator about it and that administrator would handle it one way and another administrator would handle it slightly differently.”

Potts and many staff members at BV West felt a standardization of policy would be required to get a handle on the academic dishonesty occurring.

“We wanted to look at [cheating] in a different way, a proactive way rather than a reactive way.

The policy we had in place before was simply, ‘if this happens, you get this punishment,’ what we wanted to do was to create a system that would stop it from happening in the first place,” Potts said.

Maybe 0.02% yes 18.3%

no 79.6%

A team of teachers spent their summer pouring over research about academic dishonesty and why kids cheat. During their research, the teachers found that the best way to prevent students from cheating in the first place was to have some kind of honor code or system in place. The teachers, including Mr. Stuewe, Mrs. Grimaldi, Ms. Young, Dr. Hall, and Ms. Tritt, first created a definition of cheating that would help clarify any confusion that students have. Then, they studied honor codes from places such as Cornell University, Kansas State University, and even Blue Valley High School.

“We didn’t change any rules, but we made it clear what cheating and plagiarism is, what the expectation is for teachers, and what the consequences are for students. We asked the students to say ‘Hey, I’m committed to doing my own work’.” Potts said.

Though many students have a negative opinion of the Honor Code, it is important to remember that the Honor Code is not only a work in progress but it is also there for the fair treatment of students.

Most of all, Potts hopes for this school to become more learning oriented rather than grade oriented.

“School shouldn’t be about the grade, it should be about the learning, so my hope for all of this is that there is a shift in focus toward learning in this school and not toward getting the points and getting the grade.”

STUDENTS Students RESPOND Respond In a recent poll, students were asked if they believed the Honor Code would be effective.

Here are their responses. Follow @bvwspotlight on Twitter for more polls and the oppourtunity to share your opinions.

11

12 Sports

Girls Golf

FALL SPORTS BRIEFS Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Melson & Lexi Contributor

Photo courtesy of Aimee Price

Cross Country

OLF IS TEEING UP FOR a great season and are led by head coach Aaron Anderson and seniors Alexis Larson, Allison McCausland and Nikki Reyes.

“We have been playing very well, we have won our first two tournaments,” Larson said. “I have high expectations, and hope that we get to go to state as a team.”

Come out and cheer on the BV West lady jags in their next tournament this Thurs. Sept. 24 at Heritage at 12:15.

OR ALL THE SUPERFANS AT West, the ultimate fall sport to attend should be girls golf--for an interesting reason.

“Nobody comes but parents [to tournaments],” Larson said. “I don’t mind fans but I think some girls get nervous when people watch.”

Student attendance is so low at tournaments, that even the smallest effort would make a difference.

Regulations require fans to stay on the golf cart path, and at least fifty feet away from the players. For fans, the best way to avoid any embarrassment and observe golf course etiquette is to follow the parents around the course.

If any students cannot decide which golf meet to attend, the St. Thomas Aquinas Invitiational Tournament is a good introduction to the sport. “[The tournament] is really fun to watch because two teammates play together” Larson said.

The tournament will be at the Overland Park Golf Club at 2:15 pm on Thursday, Oct. 1.

Photo by Alexis Larson John Byrket Contributor

ROSS COUNTRY IS GEARING UP for a strong start to the season. Leading the team on and off the field are Caleb Moes, Shannon Willis, Kelsey Southard, Griffin Lenihan, Abby Skram, and Eve Pateidl. Head coach Mallory Huesman is training her runners for some challenging meets, including the KU Rim Rock. “[The] KU Rim Rock course is the hardest and most important race of the season,” junior Abby Skram said.

“Everyone on the team is aware of the race and we continue to train harder for it every week.”

These experienced cross country runners will position the team for success this season. Help the jags run hard in their meet against BV Northwest on October 15.

LTHOUGH CROSS COUNTRY LACKS support at meets, the team has more than compensated within their ranks.

“We’re a tight fam that runs around the course to cheer and support other runners during the race,” senior Shannon Willis said.

At meets, spectators can almost see the endorphins in the feelgood atmosphere. The races last about twenty minutes, and they are typically located in parks such as Lone Elm or Shawnee Mission. The most intense moments during races to watch for are the first and last three minutes of the race, when runners make critical moves to establish their spot. For fans, junior Jack Anstine offers some advice.

“Students should try to move around the course to root on all the runners several times,” Anstine said, adding that “[cheering] goes a long way in the middle and at the end.”

Boys Soccer

John Byrket

OYS SOCCER OPENED THEIR SEASON with a win against Blue Valley; subsequent 9-0 win against Topeka West gave the jags more confidence. The four captains (senior Matt Perumal and sophomores Evan Carlile, Mikey Chalupa, and Nate Watkins) are working hard to make sure that their teammates are doing everything possible to prepare for the tough season ahead.

“We need to work on staying together. This year has been difficult for us and we need to make sure that we stayed connected as a team or else this year will fall apart.” Perumal said.

With a team composed of an array of ages and backgrounds, the players will tackle the challege of becoming a cohesive force on the field HOUGH BOYS SOCCER DOES NOT attract the numbers that football does, the fans make up for the difference in enthusiasm. Senior Matt Perumal described the ideal fan as a bit of a loudmouth. “[The ideal fan is] a crazy, loud, rambunctious son of a gun, a person that is willing to cheer and yell for 90 minutes straight.” Perumal said. Moreover, players often transfer energy in the stands to energy on the field, such as with goalkeeper Ryan Morrison, who is often close to the stands and away from the play.

“When fans come to the games and cheer us on I feel like it improves my play,” Morrison said.

For those fans who seek to elevate their dedication to the next level, cheer captain Emery Braun suggests that they hit the road--literally.

“It shows our sports teams that there are people who still care and are committed to cheer them on regardless of how far away the game may be,” Braun said.

Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Photo by Sydney Hendin

Photo by Sydney Hendin

WEST HAS ITS OWN LEGION of committed fans--Superfans. A tradition created by the Class of 2013, Superfans are senior volunteers who “sponsor” an athlete.

“The Superfan supports the male athlete throughout the season through treats on game day and going to the games,” senior Paula Walewicz said. “Each girl has one player but you can also be a general superfan so you aren’t assigned to a certain player.”

This year, the cheer captains initiated the process of assigning Superfans. In previous years, the organizers were often affiliated with JPCo or involved in multiple clubs and so the captains felt they could reach out to a wide number of girls to participate. Superfans were organized in every male sport-though not for every male athlete--with the goal of continuing the tradition for winter and spring athletes as well. However, some fall female athletes like volleyball player Alissa Zeitelhack wish that the privilege was extended to both genders.

“The seniors would greatly appreciate motivational snacks on game day,” Zeitelhack said.

Whether the upcoming seasons will feature male Superfans or not, the seniors this year appreciated their chance to embody school spirit in a unique way.

“The senior classes always seem to enjoy superfans as a privilege of senior year, especially because it is the athlete’s last year to compete in their sport” senior Madison Usher said.

Superfans

Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Follow @bvwspotlight on Twitter

13

14 Sports

Football

Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Photo by Sabrina Cline

Photo by Sabrina Cline

John Byrket

est varsity football is looking good this year. Coach Wright is working the boys hard to prepare for a winning season. This year may have some challenges, with few returning seniors. Mike Beasler, Quarter Back Coach, is working hard to get Nathan Wiles ready for the season. Along with Wiles, junior Johnathan Lacy, starting running back, has been working hard on and off the field to prepare for the season.

“Something we need to work on this season would be stop making mistakes and working on the little things,” Lacy said.

With the football team working hard, the students should come out and support their fellow students. On October 9 come cheer on the jags against BV Northwest.

ANY A CRISP FRIDAY NIGHT, BV West students can be found strolling from parking lot to stadium under towering lights, a hole-punched student ID or cash in one hand and a phone in the other. Friday night football games are almost a rite of passage for most high schoolers; football is undoubtedly the leading fall sport both in visibility and student attendance. Senior Andrew Stoothoff, rumored to be unrivaled in his enthusiasm for the entirety of BV West’s athletic department, offers some advice to ‘warm-up’ for games.

Stoothoff gets himself in the cheering mindset with “pump up music and just talking with my friends about how great our school is.” A student ID is also crucial for games-literally, you won’t get into home games without it. Money for concessions and BV West attire is also advised. However, the student body’s participation in football games is not down to a science just yet.

“I wish everyone was committed to staying for the fight song and alma mater at the end of each game,” senior Ali McGuire says.

These songs remind students that, no matter the score, everyone belongs to the #bvwfamily. Football games are not all about the players themselves either; the Red & Silver Brigade, color guard, cheerleaders, and the dance team

Do fall sports have a hierarchy?

Football “I wouldn’t say football hogs all the attention, and that’s because we don’t ask for all the attention.” senior Cole Richenburg Soccer “Every student shows so much enthusiasm and spirit when it comes to Friday night football, but that is rarely brought to the soccer field.” senior Emery Braun Volleyball “We love crowds and support just as much as the football team.” senior Alissa Zeitelhack Girls Tennis “It would be super nice to have our peers come out and support us like they do at volleyball games per se.” senior Frankie Skinner Cross Country “Not many people at all come to the meets.” senior Shannon Willis Girls Golf “Nobody comes but parents.” senior Alexis Larson

Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Melson & Lexi Contributor

Photo by Kylie Kuska

Girls Tennis

HE TENNIS TEAM HAS BEEN doing great in their matches. Led by head coach Traci Rhodes, and senior team captains Frankie Skinner and Madi Comeau, the teams have been practicing and playing nonstop. Varsity has been on a roll and is off to a great start with Skinner, Comeau, and Mia Obermueller who have been doing great in doubles, and junior Brylin Staats has been doing great in tournaments also.

“The dynamic of the team this year is the best it has ever been. My expectations for this season are that our team will continue to grow and we will become stronger as friends and as players,” Skinner said.

Go on out and support the lady Jags as they take on BV Southwest at 6 pm Sept. 23.

ERE AT WEST, THE HIERARCHY of fall sports leaves little room for girls tennis. The absence of fans does not go unnoticed either, as many of the players feel that they are not as important or worthy as other fall sports.

“No one ever comes to our matches,” said senior Frankie Skinner, “it would be nice to have at least one student show up per match.”

With such a small quota, surely the students can meet the tennis player’s goal. For students who are interested in attending a tennis match, the home matches are the best bet. Fans often sit in the bleachers next to the court, or bring foldable chairs. For students new to the sport, tennis matches differ from football or soccer games in one respect.

“Respectfully it’s assumed that it’s quiet during the match,” said Skinner.

The trusty golf clap or a simple “good shot” are the most common ways that fans show their support.

Volleyball

AGUAR VOLLEYBALL GREETED A NEW head coach for the 2015 season. This year the volleyball team has a new head coach Jessica Kopp after old head coach Terry Flynn made the tough decision to retire coaching volleyball.

“I am very honored to have this position because my varsity team is extremely talented. I am very happy where I’m at,” coach Kopp said.

The team is led by seniors Alissa Zeitelhack and Emily Engelken. Varsity’s first tournament was August 29th at Saint James Academy. It was a tragic loss but the team will bound back from the loss next week on Sept. 29 at 6 pm at the EKL Triangular where they play against Bishop Miege.

TANDS AT BV WEST VOLLEYBALL games lack the student support that some fall sports receive, though the team boasts five athletes committed to play in college. The players on the court notice the student absence as well.

“We love crowds and support,” said senior Alissa Zeitelhack.

Volleyball offers a unique opportunity to fans as well: close-ups. The bleachers are so close to the court that the energy of fans can greatly influence players. For those students who wish to see this opportunity for themselves, Zeitelhack has a match in mind.

“Dig Pink is by far the best match to attend during the season,” Zeitelhack said. “As a predominantly women’s sport, volleyball is the most adamant and active about breast cancer awareness so the teams and team parents really go all out. It’s essentially a giant fundraiser.”

Dig Pink is on Thursday, Oct. 15 at 5 pm against St. James Academy and Shawnee Mission East.

Photo by Sabrina Cline

Follow @bvwspotlight on Twitter

15

gg ll oo ww cc oo mm ii nn gg L

ONG BEFORE GIRLS BEGIN SEARCHING the mall for the perfect dress and guys are racking their brains on a way to ask their date, some of BV West’s clubs begin planning the week’s festivities for homecoming. Jaguar Pride Coalition (JPCo), Student Council (StuCo) and National Art Honors Society (NAHS) are just a few of the organizations involved in making Homecoming Week a success.

The first step in the long planning process is picking a theme for the dance, which this year is Glowcoming. Once decided, these organizations begin their work.

StuCo is in charge of the carnival and parade.

StuCo works with other organizations around to set up booths for the carnival, sell and manage tickets, and plan the parade that occurs before the bonfire.

Homecoming Court voting is organized by StuCo and is conducted through the English teachers. Once students have submitted who they would like to see on the court, StuCo compiles a ballot of eligible candidates that will be voted on during English class. StuCo counts the votes, making sure the process is fair and respectful.

They also work with the candidates and their parents to present the Court at the Homecoming assembly and football game.

While students are picking up flowers and getting their hair done, StuCo will be setting

up the gym for the dance on Sat. night. The stage and check-in tables will be set up, and decorations fitting to the theme will be displayed.

Along with all of these responsibilities, StuCO is the “go-to” organization whenever something little needs done (laying out bags for shoes, setting up coat racks or making sure there is water available for chaperones). They are always on standby to answer any question and help put the finishing touches on the night.

“We set up the day of dance and teardown the morning after,” senior Carter Bryant said. “It takes two to three hours and then takes an hour at most the morning after. Janitors are there as well helping out. We buff out the scuff marks from shoes on the gym floor, and tear down the decorations.”

JPCo works to plan the bonfire, assembly and spirit days that occur the week of homecoming. Along with these responsibilities, JPCo also plans school spirit assemblies, attends athletic, academic, music and art events and spreads school spirit.

“The administration often uses JPCo as a sounding board for the things that are going on in the school,” teacher Laura Restivo said.

“They represent their classmates opinions.”

While JPCo and StuCo are planning the events for the week of the dance, NAHS is hard at work on the mural.

Planning a party for 1500 Chloe Maher and Mikaela Schmitt Contributors

Senior Marin Hodges and other members of NAHS work on painting the mural that will set the stage for the Homecoming Dance on Oct. 3.

Homecoming

Planners • StuCo • JPCo • NAHS

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kc SPIRIT DAY

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cARNIVAL & BONFIRE

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3:00-9:00 9

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superhero day

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Destination day

Class 1 color day assembly

Photo by Delaney Deming

NAHS decides what the homecoming mural will look like that StuCo will hang behind the DJ at the dance. A small number of students research and decide on an image. It is then graphed and sketched to scale on large pieces of paper.

“After that, it’s really easy, like fill in the blank,” teacher Debra Waldorf said. “So anyone with any painting ability, from zero to highly accomplished can be apart of this.”

The mural typically takes two to three weeks to complete, with numerous students and NAHS members working after school every day.

Once NAHS completes the mural, it is hung behind the stage, along with the many other decorations around the gym.

“I do decorations and I’m in all three things,”

football game 7:00 VS. MIEGE

Bryant said. “The past two years I’ve been really hands-on. We do the mural in NAHS with the theme. I have a vision in my head, and I put that on all the paper. The mural is my favorite because it’s so big. I enjoy putting all the decorations together, and working with all three groups.”

All of these organizations work together behind the scenes to make the weeklong festivities as enjoyable as possible for the student body. Their combined efforts makes Homecoming an event to remember.

“Those kids work really hard and they are always thinking about what their student body would want to see or want to experience.”

Restivo said.

Dance 8:00-11:00 10 10 2 3 nEON day Follow @bvwspotlight on Twitter

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glowcomingfashion fashion Fashionshow show Show glowcoming

What to wear for each day of Spirit Week Chloe Maher & Mikaela Schmitt Contributors

M KC Spirit o n d a y

t Comic Book Hero u e s d a y

Senior Ben Viestenz is showing his KC spirit by wearing a Royals jersy and a Sporting KC scarf.

Freshman Gillian Boehemer is wearing a Royals shirt and hat, supporting the sucessful team.

F neon day R i d a y

W destination day e d n e s d a y Freshman William Martin is ready for the Arctic, wearing a winter coat, scarf and hat. The Wild West is expecting sophomore Maggie Gallaway, wearing a plaid shirt, cowboy hat, jeans and boots. Junior Jeremy Kline is enjoying his time in the tropics, with his Hawaiian shirt and sun hat.

Senior Donya Jahandar is prepared for a mountin expedition with her vest and flannel shirt.

Thursday

class color day

Soph0more Adam Davis is ready to save the day in his cape, suspenders, and a DIY Superman shirt. Junior Haley Bates is sporting a superhero onesie.

Gallaway is glowing in her bright socks, shorts and tank top. Kline sports a bright jacket, and multicolored headbands and socks to stand out on Neon Day.

Seniors-Black Juniors-Red Sophomores-White

Freshman-Silver/Gray

What We Left Behind

Grace Lamar Managing Editor

Reminiscing on Middle School

M

Y FIRST ENCOUNTER WAS IN Ms. Sutherlands’ eighth grade choir class, while I was concentrating on maneuvering my cinnamon gum under my tongue and away from her reprimanding gaze. Hearing my name, I looked towards the noise, just in time to receive an unsolicited stream of disgusting saliva across the entire left side of my face. Borrowing from my middle school vocabulary, all I can say is, “Grody!!”

As students ease into the routine of a new year at BV West, how about a trip down--repressed-Memory Lane into the abominable habits left behind.

Defined as: the projection of a concentrated jet of pure saliva from the submandibular gland upon compression by the tongue.

Gleeking

on everything.

Peeing In eighth grade, a canine-like phenomenon

occurs, where the boys get an impulse to urinate--all over the bathroom. In my personal experience (looking at you, LKMS’s Class of 2012), this ends with a locked-off boys bathroom and a looong line for the office bathroom, complete with a sign-in sheet.

Kona

Ice Trucks. Student attendance at athletic events seeemed contigent upon the Kona Ice Truck.

Rigging

a carefully-placed pencil could “rig” a locker into perpetual openness. However, as a corrupt teenager, I see an opportune coincidence in leaving one’s locker open during the years where we actually used--and even decorated--lockers.

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my school, but I will leave the theme up to the imagination of those who did not partake in the violence.

Remember these other middle school trends?

Over-involved wingmen Feather extensions Poptropica Extensions Silly Bands Planking ZAP! -ing

Star Friday. Tell me, why did we designate a day where we slapped each other? I had a multitude of things to anticipate on Fridays, like Mr. Currier’s “Frank Sinatra Friday’s,” no need to add an optional leave-a-tinymiddle-school-handprint-onsomeone’s-epidermis to the mix. Wednesday was also a painful Cute photo of senior Frankie Skinner back in “day” for all sixth grade, rocking the the girls librarian look in

Courtesy of LKMS

the lockers.

Middle

school was an ingenious time for some of us, a time where

Wearing matching hoodies and chesire-cat grins of excitement, these studs are getting ready for an intense middle-school football practice Courtesy of PRMS

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20 Feature

Sex vs.

Gender The difference between them and SEX:noun

why it matters

/seks/ . either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and many other living things are divided by reproductive parts.

F

OR QUITE A LONG TIME, society has distinguished the human populous into two distinct categories: male and female.

Whatever “parts” someone has at birth, shoves them into a mold of behavior, roles, and expectations that are believed to be part of biology. The problem with this ideology is that “sex” and “gender” are two different things, and people can have a gender that doesn’t match their sex.

Sex is the set of chromosomes that determines male and female body parts, with the exception of intersex individuals, who are born with both male and female bodily characteristics. Gender, on the other hand, is a spectrum of societal characteristics pertaining to, or differing from, masculinity and femininity.

Similar to the Kinsey scale of sexual orientation, there is a spectrum of gender identity, with masculine at one side, feminine on the other, and agender, non-binary, and genderfluid at the center. Many people (due to societal norms,) are not aware of this spectrum and don’t explore their gender identity.

Others identify as a label fitted on the spectrum.

People have a tendency to find it

Shaye Herman Contributor

GENDER: noun

/jen-der/ . either the male or female division of a species, especially as differentiated by social and cultural roles and behavior.

hard to empathize with individuals who have faced the struggle with an “abnormal” gender identity.

Most of the time, it’s because they are uninformed of the possibilities.

Other times, it’s because they have always felt comfortable in their own biological skin, and cannot comprehend what it must be like to feel otherwise.

These concepts have always existed, but since the labels have been created to help these individuals in modern-day society, there is an argument that these labels have been “made up.” Ever since the creation of binary genders, there have been people who do not fit in. Gender is not correlated to biological sex, and is rather a human invention born from the urge to fit people into distinct categories. Masculinity and femininity go along with each biological sex because society enforces it and it is ingrained into our culture. If it weren’t for the concept of man and woman and the stigmas that go with being each gender in our society, they would not exist.

With transgender people thrust into the limelight, such as Caitlyn Jenner, Laverne Cox, and Leelah Alcorn, (an interesting lack of media attention is shown towards

transgender men, but that’s a topic for another day) society is gradually growing more informed about the concept of gender identity, but mostly only toward individuals who are transgender. It is also seen that these transgender people are not a “real man” or a “real woman” until they actually physically transition to male or female sex. For example, many people, even after they knew that Caitlyn Jenner identified as a woman, continued to use male pronouns and her birth name until she had the sexchange surgery. Some people still use male pronouns and her birth name regardless.

Despite this, society is gradually inching towards a more progressive attitude towards the separation of sex and gender. Since the biggest issue is that most people are ill informed of this topic, the biggest step forward is education. It’s important for everyone to know that there are more genders than “man” and “woman”, and that sex is not the same as gender.

Remember that every individual is different, and that at the end of the day, the first thing you should notice about a person is not that they might be a man or a woman, but that they are a person.

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terms to know: Cisgender: The state of being the same gender as the sex assigned at birth. Also known as “Cis”.

Transgender: The state of being the opposite gender than the sex assigned at birth. Also known as “Trans”.

Information sited from genderdiversity.org, apa.org/pi/lgbt/resources/sexuality and wow.com

gen

uid

id

flu

maMale le

rfl

er

nd

ge

de

Genderfluid: Alternates between identifying as male and female. a genderfluid person may present as feminine one day and prefer she/her pronouns, then present as masculine the next and prefer he/him.

Non-Binary: The state of having no gender; identifying as neither male nor female. Also known as “agender”.

A non-binary person may prefer gender-neutral pronouns of they/them.

Genderqueer:

fe Fem

ma ale l e

An umbrella term for having a gender identity differing from cisgender. It is sometimes used for people who are not 100% sure of their gender identity.

dd e rer

ag A e ngen

28 Feature

T

Sen your Pictures

Beth Gasser Editorial Board

AKING SENIOR PICTURES CAN BE a tricky business. These photos epitomize your time at high school and will be seen more than a generic yearbook photo. Use this guide to help decide locations, clothing options, and poses.

POSING Arms and Legs

These limbs you have lived with all of your life suddenly become awkward appendages. Figuring out what to do with them can help your pictures be more relaxed. Having a different position with your arms and/or legs with every few photos, even if it feels ridiculous, might look good. Try using 90 degree angles and 45 degree angles with your arms and legs.

The more you move the more variety of pictures you will have to choose from.

Sitting Be relaxed and do not

stiffen your muscles, but do not slouch. Try crossing your legs, resting your face in your hands, and other different positions. The same rule applies from the section above, keep trying new ways of sitting and the more variety of pictures the better.

Senior Kollin Schechingar exemplifies how to stand and place his arms and legs.

Face Smiling is nice, but sometimes

being a little serious does not hurt either. Just like with arms and legs, try experimenting with different facial expressions. Do not always look at the camera, look to the left, right, looking straight into the camera at all times is not necessary.

Senior Courtney Schmitt illustrates how a musical intrument can provide insight in a students interests.

Locations Pick a location

that represents you and your personal interests. If you love the city, take your pictures on the Plaza or the West Bottoms.

If running is your passion, take a picture on a track. The important thing is that the location is a reflection of you.

Senior Allyson Smith is demonstrating how posing with pets can bring insight in to their personality and life.

Clothing Do not stress

about having every stitch in place. Look nice, but be comfortable. If you are not a dress or suit kind of person, then do not wear one; but senior pictures are more than a “t-shirt and worn out jeans” event, but you will want to be able to look back on the pictures someday and recognize who you were in 2015.

Senior Kyle Seager shows a natural background and classic clothes.

tips

1. Try asking the photographer to vary the angles. Have the photographer go above and shoot the photo downwards or vice versa.

2. Do some research. Google “senior portraits” and look at the plethora of options. You could also look in the yearbook for the senior ads to see what you like and do not like.

3. Talk to your photographer. Tell them what you want. Do not be shy or passive. Your parents are paying a lot of money; you want the pictures to be good.

4. Use props. An old chair, confetti, bubbles, sports equipment, favorite things, or pets will make your pictures are unique. The key is to just have fun.

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30 Cartoons

Personal Questions illustrated by Shaye Herman

illustrated by Jaden Dudrey

Last Minute

gg ll oo ww cc oo mm ii nn gg Designed by Melissa Franano

proposals

Make your own corsage

I hope its not too late but, Out of all the fish in the sea I will you be my homcoming date? want you to go to homecoming

with me?

Yes No

Yes No Follow @bvwspotlight on Twitter

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BV West Spotlight 16200 Antioch Rd. Overland Park, Kansas 66085 @bvwspotlight For more coverage: http://www.bvwnews.com

POSTAGE HERE

kate cosentino

22 Photo Essay

Ryan Barrett Editorial Board

Junior performed as finalists in prestigious local talent show

superstar

Pg. 22 Junior Kate Cosentino is interviewed by Overland Park native comedian Rob Riggle. Cosentino performed as one of 10 finalists in the 2015 KC SuperStar Competition held at Johnson County Community College on Aug. 23. “Rob Riggle is an extremely humble, kind and fun hometown guy,” Cosentino said. “He’s awesome to work with. It was a blast again this year.”

Pg. 23 Cosentino performs the jazz standard All of Me at the KC SuperStar Competition. “I was really proud of myself for scatting this year.” Cosentino said.

One of the other finalists, Monica Stanley, performed with back up singers and choreography at the two hour event.

BV North student Sebastian McCarty performed a ballad at the event. “All of the contestants were extremely talented and a joy to work with.” Cosentino said.

Dayton Moore, general manager of the Kansas City Royals, was presented with a special KC SuperStar Award for all of his community service projects. Moore was presented the award by The J Interium President and CEO Jim Sluyter. The selection of Moore as the recipient of the award kept with the theme of local talent. Moore was born in Wichita, Kan. Moore began his career in baseball as a scout for the Atlanta Braves and started working with the Royals in 2006.

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24 Special Feature

“MELTING POT” Western culture hijacks diversity Rebecca Abraham, Dana Nasr, and Maddy C. Lewis Contributors

app ro pria

tion Art by Jaden Dudrey

AMERICA’S CULTURALLY DIVERSE LANDSCAPE HAS convinced the majority that it is acceptable to take or wear objects of significance to another culture without being apart of that culture or even understanding the significance behind the object.

Henna, corn rows, urban slang, Rosary beads as jewelry and ceremonial garb as fashion. Bruce H. Ziff and Pratima V. Rao, authors of “Borrowed Power: Essays on Cultural Appropriation” define cultural appropriation as “the taking-from a culture that is not one’s own-of intellectual property or artifacts, history and ways of knowledge.”

Certain aspects of cultures in specific instances can be shared respectfully, usually with expressed involvement within the culture. For example, wearing the traditional wedding clothing of the spouse’s family at the ceremony. When there is an understanding of the significance that a certain garment, style, or practice holds, cultural appropriation can become cultural exchange.

The practice of cultural appropriation is intrinsically oppressive, whether intentional or not, and reasserts the ideas that keep a minority group oppressed. It could be argued that by wearing a Native American headdress is honoring or appreciating the culture, but this is not the case.

Sociologist Lisa Nicki Cole explains how appropriation denies the culture of its true significance to instead be fit within Westerner’s stereotypes of what it represents.

“Troublingly, the act of reducing a culture to a wearable or performative trend today serves to obscure the racial injustices and atrocities members of that culture have suffered, and continue to suffer...The unfair and unjust nature of cultural appropriation today often boils down to the disconnect between cultural symbols and their politics.”

Religious symbols as adornment

Writer Jaya Bedi describes this disjuncture through the example of non-South Asian woman wearing a “bindi” (the red dot on the forehead), which is a decoration with deep religious and cultural significance primarily worn by South Asian women.

“On her, it’s unquestionably cool; on me, it’s yet another marker of my Otherness, another thing that makes me different from other American girls.” Bedi said. “They lend the bindi an aura of cool that a desi [South Asian] woman simply can’t compete with, often with the privilege of automatic acceptance in a society when many non-white women must fight for it.”

Melting pots dissolves uniqueness

Many people cite appropriating cultures as being irrelevant due to the various blends of cultures in today’s globalized “melting pot” society. The “melting pot” metaphor in reference to American culture describes our country as an even mixture of cultures where aspects of each shared among the general population. This Relating to cultural problems are idea misrepresents the reality going on in our When attempting to honor, respect, or appreciate country and in our school. a certain culture or people, it is suggested that When addressing the topic of cultural people should learn to listen the problems exchange, it is important to recognize the others face such as colossal rates of suicide and imposing factors of cultural exploitation and alcoholism on reservations or the continued theft cultural dominance. Cultural exploitation is of Native lands by resource extraction companies. appropriation of a subordinate culture by a To identify with a certain trend takes the dominant culture without any compensation, essence of those whom hold the item to be sacred permission, or mutuality. for personal exploitation Cultural dominance at someone’s arrogant “They can wear bindis essentially forces the discretion. It allows the subordinate culture to and henna, but stay majority to turn a blind assimilate to the dominant eye to the issues minorities silent when the ethnic culture. may face, only reinforcing The recognition of minorities who hold the oppression the Western the existence of cultural world has had on others. those items as culturally appropriation has risen in This offensive take significant are oppressed, the past few years. occurs because people Stereotypes are a primary belonging to marginalized thus solely satisfying a proponent of these minorities do not have issues in the sense that personal need for selfthe luxury to pick and they are used to justify choose their culture. expression, which is discrimination and allow Culture has always been the dehumanization of essentially an exercise of political for them. It subordinated groups. An was used to assimilate privilege.” example of the former term indigenous populations is when Black men and during colonization and women were considered dumb, violent, and were now is banning ethnic courses and studies as was compared to children in need of instruction in recently done in Tucson’s public schools. Arizona order to justify slavery. An example of the latter passed a law in 2010 prohibiting courses that are the stigmas attached to authentic ethnic could potentially cultivate ethnic solidarity over cuisines whilst westernized versions of those concerns that these courses politicized students cuisines are widely popularized and accepted. and encouraged ethnic resentment against It is significant to understand why whites. appropriating a culture can create an internal Western culture has, for centuries, pushed conflict for those in the majority and for the their ideals and practices on to minority groups people belonging to that culture. An example whilst picking and choosing aspects of those of this can be unknowingly wearing a specific minority cultures to use as fashion statements or symbol of meaning to a certain culture. in pop culture. One main issue in this is that often Conflict occurs when majority groups those that appropriate do not educate in return. continue to wear something of meaning to They can wear bindis and henna, but stay silent another culture can start to devalue the symbol when the ethnic minorities who hold those items and even change what its original conception is. as culturally significant are oppressed, thus solely Although many can argue that this isn’t an issue satisfying a personal need for self-expression, initially, history has proven that appropriation which is essentially an exercise of privilege. can completely change the way a sacred object or symbol is perceived. The Swastika is a perfect example of how a huge cultural impact can take over the meaning of a symbol.

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26 Special Feature The Swastika was used for nearly 5000 years before its association with Hitler and World War II. The symbol actually has a meaning of good fortune or well-being. It was used in several cultures and religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism and had a peaceful and welcoming connotation to it until the Nazi party in Germany adopted the symbol. After World War II, the symbol was stuck with a terrible connotation and became an inappropriate symbol representing anti-Semitism and the terrible times of World War II. It became difficult for people of certain religions and cultures to use this symbol because its initial meaning was stripped and given a whole new

definition when it was appropriated by the Nazis.

It appears as if the responsibility of people of marginalized cultures is to understand the exploitation and appropriation they have faced to the best of their ability. To educate themselves so that they are able to respectfully engage with other cultures in this era of globalization.

It would also appear that it would be important that those in the majority to become sensitive to their acquisitions and appropriations by becoming sensitive to what is important to others.

Photo courtesy MTC Campus

“The continuance of wearing something of meaning to another culture can start to devalue the symbol and even change what its original conception is.�

The Sanskrit origins of the svastika came from Hindu and Buddhist religions. The photo above is an example of the traditional usage of the symbol.

WESTERNIZED

Significant examples of cultural appropriation

HENNA The word ‘henna’ originally comes from the Arabic word “Al-Hinna”. The origin of henna is hard to pinpoint with its interconnection with many different types of cultures and traditions and its migration across places within South Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. This makes it hard to know which culture or group of people it would be appropriating when it’s worn. The spread of henna to these places allowed it to be incorporated within people’s cultural events such as weddings, and religious celebrations.

The use of henna can date back to ancient Egypt, where it was applied to stain the fingers and the toes prior to mummification. Although henna today is still worn for cultural and traditional purposes, it has also been adopted by the American culture for its aesthetic appeal.

CORN ROWS

Cornrow braiding originated in Africa.

It covered a wide social terrain including religion, status, age, ethnicity, kinship and other factors of identity expressed in their choice of hairstyle. The purpose of the hairstyle for African women is to create a way to keep their hair protected and kept together because often times, in the hair’s natural state, it can be easily damaged from heat and humidity allowing the hair to become dehydrated.

Today many celebrities and people around the country have adopted this hairstyle after it became a trend on high fashion runways.

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