JagWire Newspaper Volume 15 Issue 2

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MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • VOLUME 15 ISSUE 2 • OCT. 16, 2014 • MVNEWS.ORG

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NEWS open enrollment

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SOCIAL MEDIA how it’s being used by students and for students

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SPORTS A&E • • 13 14 10 15thFEATURE concussion bands breakfast reviews anniversary

2 NEWS briefs

news in brief

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

STUDENTS ASSIST IN COMMUNITY EVENT Seniors in Community Service class volunteer at annual festival

BY MARGARET MELLOTT

reporter/photographer jagwire.margaretmellott@gmail.com

ABOVE: For her Community Service class, senior Abby Taylor volunteers to hand out pumpkins to kids on Saturday Oct. 4. “[I wanted to take the class because] I had friends that had taken it who really enjoyed it,” Taylor said. Photo by Margaret Mellott

WHAT’S GOING ON? See what’s going on in different clubs and activities OPERATION SMILE

TOP TWEETS

Students tweet about the different events during homecoming week using #mvhshc14

JAGPRIDE

The club will participate in the St. jagPRIDE is planning events for Red Jude Walk on Saturday, Nov. 22. Ribbon week, which will take place the week of Monday, Oct. 27.

This event helps raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital Junior Jordan Haase, a member of JagPride, will go to other schools DEBATE in the district to participate in the The debate team placed first at Red Ribbon week plans. the Paola Invitational for the past “We are going to elementary two years but was disqualified from schools and we are doing sidewalk placing this year on Wednesday, chalk [with the kids],” Haase said.

Oct. 8 because of a rule change.

“We are teaching them that drugs The team was unaware of the new are bad for them.” rule, which stated that in order for a team to place they had to have LITERARY MAGAZINE a Juior Varsity team compete. The The Literary Magazine will open team didn’t compete in the JV divisubmissions on Monday, Nov. 3, sion because of a lack of available and students will be able to submit team members. throughwinter break. Submissions, Junior Jack Booth said the rule which can be artwork, change was unfortunate. photography, poetry or short “It kind of sucks,” Booth said. “We stories, can be sent to would’ve gotten second place but MVHSjagslitmag@gmail.com or we didn’t know about the rule.” given to Literary Magazine sponsor Anna Nelson

Cover design and briefs design by Tori Aerni and Katherine White

As the cold morning began, students from the Sociology of Community Service class volunteered for the Scarecrow Festival at the Shawnee city hall on Saturday Oct. 4.

The Scarecrow Festival is a family-friendly, city-held event with a farmers market and stations for kids to build their own scarecrow and paint pumpkins.

“The city puts it on every year,” Sociology of Community Service teacher, Cory Wurtz said. “We haven’t done it every year, but the city contacts us consistently with events to help out with.”

Senior Abby Taylor, one of many students at the event, said that the

children at the festival enjoyed working with students. “[We got to] hand out pumpkins to the little kids,” Taylor said. “They would be so happy because they got their own pumpkins that they got to decorate.”

Besides doing the Scarecrow Festival, the class is constantly getting involved with the community.

“There is almost a community service event that [we] can do out of school every week,” Taylor said.

Getting out so often to do community service has it benefits according to Taylor. “[For] my daily commitment I go to Horizon Elementary and help a first grade class,” Taylor said. “The most rewarding part is knowing that I am a good influence on the them. I see them outside of school and they get so excited that I know them by name and that they have me as a high school friend.”

CLASS CUP Class cup points as of Monday, Oct. 16 25

15

14

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JUNIORS

SOPHOMORES

SENIORS

FRESHMEN

baker credits NEWS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

BAKER OFFERS CREDITS

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ABOVE: In her Baker credits class, junior Jenny Morrill works on a lab in AP Physics on Friday Oct. 10. “[Because of the credits], I don’t have to waste any of my time in college taking these classes,” Morrill said. Photo by Margaret Mellott

Despite possible benefits of concurrent enrollment, some students doubtful about advantage over other means of earning college credit

BY NICK BOOTH

news editor jagwire.nickbooth@gmail.com

BY SARAH MYERS

features/A&E editor jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com This fall, students gained a new opportunity to earn concurrent college enrollment credits from Baker University for three AP classes already offered: AP U.S. History, AP U.S. Government & Politics and AP Physics.

The school is using Baker credit to provide students with the opportunity for college credit in AP class-

“It’s good if they’re going to school in Kansas, and it’s a good way to earn credit.”

AP PHYSICS TEACHER ALYSSA MEYER es that were not previously covered.

“We’re trying to get as many of our AP classes covered with college credit as possible, and if I couldn’t get them covered with Johnson County Community College, [I could get them covered with Baker],” counselor Randy Burwell said.

“That was kind of the whole point of bringing Baker on.”

With these courses covered by Baker, in addition to courses covered by Johnson County Community College credits, college credit is now available for nine of 12 current AP classes. All of the classes covered

by Baker are AP. Junior Patrick Gambill is taking Baker credit for AP U.S. History as a backup so he has two options if he doesn’t do well either in the class or on the AP test.

“I did it so I wouldn’t have to take the AP test for [AP U.S. History],” Gambill said. “Plus, it [can also] give you another chance because you can take the AP test [if you don’t do well enough in the class].”

Classes that already offer college credit through JCCC CollegeNow will not offer Baker credits and classes offering Baker credits will not offer credit through JCCC CollegeNow. Both credits transfer to many of the same colleges and universities, but there are some differences between the credits.

Baker credits cost $100 per credit hour, while JCCC credits cost $88 per credit hour. JCCC also requires students to take the COMPASS test in order to test in to courses; Baker, however does not require that students test-in but rather that they have a minimum of a 3.0 cumulative GPA. Before the beginning of the school year, counselors had also planned to make Baker credits available for students in AP Music Theory and AP Studio Art. However, a lack of student interest and enrollment forced the counselors to drop the credits for those classes.

AP Psychology is also not currently available for dual credit through Baker due to the fact that AP Psychology teacher Mike Roush has not yet acquired a master’s degree in education.

Although she has the ability to, junior T-Ying Lin will not be taking

concurrent enrollment through either school, as those credits do not have as much transferability as the AP test. “[My main reasoning] behind it is I want to go to a coastal school,” Lin said. “Because I want to keep my options open, I’m choosing to use the AP [credit] rather than credits from Baker or [JCCC] because I don’t know exactly what school I want to go to.”

Junior Nadia Suhail has similar reasons for not wanting to take Baker’s concurrent enrollment college credits.

“Mostly it’s because Baker credits don’t transfer to the colleges I want to go to,” Suhail said. “I want to go somewhere out of state.”

However, AP Physics teacher Alyssa Meyer thinks the availability of Baker college credits will be beneficial for students.

“I think it’s a good idea for students [to use the college credit] if that’s the route they want to go,” Meyer said. “It’s good if they’re going to school in Kansas, and it’s a good way to earn credit. It’s also a cost effective way to earn credit.”

Burwell also sees financial savings as one of the biggest benefits of using concurrent enrollment credits. “[Students] are able to take college credit work at the high school level and get [it] at a reduced cost than what they would if they took these classes [in college],” Burwell said. “It’s a huge financial saving.

This will keep some of our families from having the college debt that you hear about in the news.”

Design by Nick Booth

4 NEWS open enrollment

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE LEFT: With the new open enrollment policy, sophomores Brady Herron, Aaron Kofoid and Garrison Fangman all decided to stay at Mill Valley, while freshmen Reaghan Wharff and Autumn King and sophomore Sophie Reeves took the opportunity to transfer to De Soto High School at the beginning of the school year. King is satisfied with her choice of switching. “With smaller schools you get more one on one time with teachers,” King said. Photos by Brooke Wiebe

ENROLLMENT

STATS

BOUNDARY

CROSSING

Open enrollment lets Mill Valley students transfer to De Soto

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com In her Biology class last year, then-freshman Sophie Reeves felt that she could never get the help she needed from her teacher on assignments. Since transferring to De Soto High School this year, Reeves has been able to get the help she needed due to smaller class sizes.

Reeves was one of 75 students living within Mill Valley’s boundaries who transferred to DHS after the Board of Education passed an open enrollment policy for the De Soto school district.

“I have friends at De Soto and they said class sizes were 10-15 [students] and at Mill Valley it was 2025 in each class,” Reeves said. “The teachers [at DHS] are very nice, helping and welcoming.”

Last year, the Board voted not to change boundaries to help with overcrowding at Monticello Trails Middle School and MVHS and undercrowding at Lexington Trails Design by Nick Booth

Middle School and DHS. This came after the enrollment and boundary committee spent months meeting and making plans to solve the issue, eventually presenting their plans to the Board. In addition to their decision to not change the boundaries, the Board opened enrollment to students within MTMS and Mill Creek Middle School’s boundaries to go to LTMS and students within MVHS’s boundaries to go to DHS. However, students within the boundaries of DHS and LTMS can’t transfer to other middle and high schools in the district.

Director of administrative services and community relations Alvie Cater believes that this change can benefit MVHS enrollment in the long run.

“This was done to help alleviate enrollment pressure at Mill Valley specifically,” Cater said. “If you can get students to voluntarily transfer ... then it buys Mill Valley some time in terms of enrollment capacity.”

While this may not have lowered MVHS’s student population by much, it did direct more students to DHS. Last year, MVHS had an attendance of 1,290 students and DHS had an attendance of 689 students. In comparison, this year 1,288 students attend MVHS and 739 students attend DHS.

World languages teacher Niti Kamath’s class sizes haven’t changed as a result of the open enrollment policy.

“I personally haven’t noticed [smaller class sizes], but elective classes are always large,” Kamath said.

DHS freshman Autumn King opted to transfer this year as well.

She also thought the smaller school and classes would benefit her, along with DHS’s athletic record.

“My friends at Mill Valley have complained about the size,” King said via phone. “I wanted to go to [De Soto] because it was smaller and I could have more one on one time with teachers ... Also, De Soto has been doing well [athletically].”

For Reeves, there were some drawbacks to transferring to DHS, such as the distance from her house to DHS. “We’re about 15 minutes from De Soto,” Reeves said. “There’s a bus that could pick me up, but it’s a five minute ride to the bus stop and it picks me up at 7 [a.m.].”

Some students chose to stay at MVHS after being given the choice.

“I didn’t have friends at Mill Valley when I was a freshman [so I thought about transferring to where my friends were],” sophomore Brady Herron said.

The open enrollment policy has been helpful so far from Cater’s point of view.

“I would call this a successful first year of open transfer ... I hope that trend continues,” Cater said.

“The new faces have brought some energy to [De Soto]. Having more Shawnee kids go to De Soto is ... building district unity.”

According to Board member Bill Fletcher, the Board plans on keeping the policy in effect until further notice.

“I don’t know if there’d be any purpose in changing it right now,” Fletcher said via phone. “I don’t think it’s doing either [school] any harm.”

Although choosing to go to DHS benefited her overall, Reeves still sometimes misses MVHS. “I just kind of miss being a Jaguar, like ... seeing how proud everyone was of being a Jaguar,” Reeves said. “Mill Valley just seems like a comfort zone for me.”

Altogether, King sees many positive aspects to her switch from MVHS to DHS. “I’m less stressed out and can get to places easier since it’s a little smaller,” King said. “Having less people, you can ... build better relationships ... I feel like I’m learning quite a lot.”

Statistics on the district’s enrollment

students who transferred from MVHS to DHS*

students who transferred that were freshmen*

students who transferred that were not freshmen* *One person = 10 students

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MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

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6 OPINIONS JAGWIRE INFORMATION

STAFF

Editors-in-chief Tori Aerni Katherine White Managing editor Justin Curto Photo editor Karissa Schmidt News editor Nick Booth Feature/A&E editors Sarah Myers Adri Talavera Opinion editor Jillian Leiby Sports editor Sam Lopez Web editor Jena Smith Business manager Raven Hodges Reporters/Photographers Claire Biles Sharnelle Bennett Madison Ferguson Lizzie Kulcsar Margaret Mellott Braden Shaw Grace Van Inwegen Brooke Wiebe

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

MILL VALLEY SHOULD CONTINUE TO IMPROVE Students and staff should work together to make Mill Valley even better

CENSORSHIP POLICY Kansas Senate Bill 62 guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists.

These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity.

EDITORIAL POLICY We value your opinions. If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor for the JagWire, you can do so by handing it in to a member of the staff or to the print journalism room (C101).

Additionally, you may email any member of the staff with opinions, as well as tweet us at @millvalleynews. Anonymous content will not be accepted. Please understand that we have the right to edit all copy that runs in this publication.

SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter/Instagram: @millvalleynews Facebook: Mill Valley News

YOU SAID IT How do you think Mill Valley could be improved over the next 15 years?

JAGWIRE OFFICE 5900 Monticello Road Shawnee, KS 66226 Phone: (913) 422-4351 Fax: (913) 422-4039 Email: jagwirenewspaper@gmail.com Adviser: Kathy Habiger khabiger@usd232.org JagWire, a monthly publication of Mill Valley High School, is printed by the Sedalia Democrat.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association The 2014 JagWire was named an All-American newspaper by the NSPA and earned an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. The Mill Valley News website earned an All-Kansas rating as well.

Staff Editorial

“I would definitely like to see more softball teams ... I would like to see the freshman team back.”

“It is always crowded every morning ... more space [would be nice].”

FRESHMAN BRIANNA HAYS

SOPHOMORE SHAWN HILL

“Students should be offered more of a variety of languages other than just French and Spanish.”

“Bring back the cookies and [have] senior parking spots.”

JUNIOR ABBY LANING

SENIOR COLTON BRAY

Illustration by Jason Chen

Looking back at Mill Valley’s 15 years of existence, it is clear we have come a long way. If you look around the hallways, you can see the various achievements of activities and athletics, but there are many other accomplishments and improvements of our school that go unrecognized.

While we celebrate Mill Valley’s 15th anniversary, we should also strive to continue to improve our school over the next 15 years.

What is perhaps the most noticeable change is the expansion of our school physically. The addition of space allows for more opportunities within the school, such as new classes. Adding new classes also greatly benefits students. The ongoing effort to add AP classes, such as the upcoming addition of AP European History, is a positive continuation for Mill Valley academics.

As well as adding classes, the Board of Education should consider continuing to improve the campus.

For example, adding a bigger theater or auditorium would be more fitting for a school of our size. At choir concerts, overflow audience members would no longer have to watch a livestream in the choir room as

opposed to watching live in the theater. The band would be able to have concerts in a place with much better acoustics than the gym, and the drama department wouldn’t have to worry about selling out despite the amount of shows they put on.

Athletic facilities could also be improved. Working to add turf and more seating to the football stadium would allow us to join and compete in a bigger league. Upkeep for the soccer main and practice fields could also be improved, and swim teams would benefit from having an aquatic center near campus.

Over the past 15 years, school spirit has only increased. The Class Cup competition further encourages students to show pride in their school. Improving facilities can also help increase school spirit. Ultimately, keeping up school spirit is dependent on students, so current and future students should continue fun traditions like spirit weeks.

Part of creating a good atmosphere for school spirit is spreading the love to all activities, not just major sports. While athletics are a big source of spirit and support, students and administration

alike should work to recognize the achievements of other groups. If we could inspire the same kind of excitement over a group like Debate competing at state as we do for football playoffs, then we would have a truly spirited environment. We’re all Jaguars, so let’s support and recognize each other regardless of the activity or sport.

In the past, the Board has experienced issues with keeping up-todate with technology, but in recent years they have begun to realize that action needs to be taken to better it for the benefit of all. The outdated laptops provided for students have held them back. The addition of the BYOD policy and new computers for technology classes is a step in the right direction, but is not an all-encompassing plan. New computers need to be provided for everyone, not just students in tech classes.

In the last 15 years, the students and staff of Mill Valley have successfully improved the school in many different ways. As we observe our 15th anniversary, let’s use the past improvements of our school to inspire Jaguars to make the next 15 years even better.

STAFF VOTE The JagWire staff votes on this issue’s staff editorial

Agree

Disagree

18

1 Absent

0

OPINIONS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

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HAVING A BOTTOM LOCKER MAKES LIFE A CONSTANT STRUGGLE

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

One reporter gives a satirical take on the issues students with bottom lockers face Finding out that I had a bottom locker devastated me. I’ve had a top locker ever since middle school started, which made sense given that I was always tall. But now, a bottom locker? I used to wonder why people got all bent out of shape about having a bottom locker, but after some firsthand experience, I truly realize how much of a hard-knock life it is.

In the morning, getting to my locker is quite an experience. The two seconds it takes for me to ask someone to move from sitting in front of my locker is time that I could spend doing way better activities. It also feels like I’m inconveniencing the person way too much by asking them to move from sitting on the ever-so-comfortable tile floor for less than a minute.

However, the morning is only one of six times each day when I go to my locker. During passing periods and after school, it’s still quite a problem to get there, as I have to take a break from standing for almost a whole minute to get what I need from my locker. Also, I live in a state of perpetual worry that the books and binders I’m shuffling around in my locker will take the 6-inch fall to the floor, and I will have to take another minute out of my day to reorganize them.

One of the worst parts of having a bottom locker, by far, is interacting with people around you who have top lockers. On the off chance that the person whose locker above me is at her locker when I get to mine, I have to wait a whole 30 seconds for them to finish getting her things and move so that I can get to my locker. And whenever I’m at my locker and there’s anyone within three top lockers of me, I constantly fear notebook paper or a copy of the frighteningly large “Of Mice And Men” will fall directly on my head.

So, try having some sympathy when us bottom locker folk complain about our problems.

It’s not an easy life, but we power through it so that all of you with top lockers can enjoy your lives of subtle indulgence.

COACHING TEACHES LIFE LESSONS

BY MADISON FERGUSON

photographer jagwire.madisonferguson@gmail. com

High school students should become coaches to improve daily life When I had to quit soccer due to a knee injury, I felt quite desperate to find a way to still participate in the sport. My youngest brother and his friends were in need of a new soccer coach and I decided that I would take it upon myself to fill that position with the help of my dad. I now coach the Green Tigers, a U9 (ages 8-9) boys soccer team. The experiences I have had while coaching this team has given me the perspective that high school students should coach younger children a sport of our choice as it builds character and life skills.

When I became a coach, I learned that I needed to be an effective leader to have the ability to teach children, or anyone, how to do something. I constantly have to teach new moves and positions to the players. For me being a leader has carried over into school, as well as life at home. Now I am secretary of NAHS and an example for my brothers of how a leader should be. I am not as afraid to take a leading role as I used to be.

Along with becoming a leader, coaching has taught me patience. Coaching is not easy when you are teaching the players a new

play or move and the kids don’t seem to understand. Also, the parents can be irritating at times when they try and teach their child in their own way during practice when my father or I are explaining a play. I have learned to calm myself and slow down drills when all I want to do is quicken the pace to get the objective done.

Flexibility in daily life can be difficult to achieve, but coaching helps me improve my ability to be adaptable. I have to be OK with having to change my plans to help players on the team with a move we worked on. If a player doesn’t understand a move, I would stay at the practice fields later to help him and I would have to cancel plans for that night due to the new practice. I am more open to the players’ ideas, such as what play we should carry out, as well as changing plans to fit the schedules of my friends.

High school students should ask around to see if there is a team in need of a coach or go online and sign up to be a coach. Coaching does more than teach life skills, it also gives a rewarding feeling at the end of the day. I view the players that I coach as my brothers and when I see them improve, I feel accomplished. Coaches have to know what they are doing and have a passion for helping children better themselves so people can still coach if they are not sports-minded. Coaching has impacted me personally, as I hope it would for whoever tries it out.

Illustration by Lizzie Kulcsar

Letter to the editor

BAND SHOULD BE HEARD, NOT JUST SEEN

BY JACK EARLENBAUGH guest writer

Music played over loud speaker at home football games drowns out marching band As a senior, I have witnessed a drastic and disturbing change over the course of my four years in the band. Slowly but surely on Friday nights during the home football games we have been forced out of the regular routine, as most of our playing time has been covered by loud music played over the speaker.

The band is an integral part of the Friday night experience: we play the fight song, perform the national anthem and march during halftime. However, that is the extent of what we are allowed to do during the games.

Throughout the night, at every opportunity we have to play, we are played over by recorded music from the press box. Not only is this loud, it is also demeaning, as some of the songs played are the same exact songs we have in our repertoire. According to junior Isabelle Crain, who kept time at the recent Homecoming game, the CD was played for 18 minutes and 47 seconds, and the band played for approximately 2 minutes and 30 seconds, not

counting the fight song or at half time.

This routine, as a longtime member of the band, is frustrating. We cannot succeed in performing on Friday nights if we are expected to play over the professional recordings.

We have even been played over when playing the fight song after a touchdown, one of the few instances we are still allowed to play.

Instead, such classics as “Party Rock Anthem” are played from the loud speaker. Last I had checked, this is not our fight song.

This is also an unusual practice. No other high school in this area, including De Soto High School, plays over their band during football games. It is not fair to allow the DHS band to plays, but not the MVHS band.

Many people do not know that for the band, Friday nights are also academic; we are graded on participation and attendance. I personally love the idea of Friday night football, so I don’t mind the required attendance.

However, I do not enjoy being required to attend and then not be needed.

The band spends hours of practice in and out of class to make sure that we can perform at an acceptable level on Friday nights. We go to contest, get one ratings and work hard only to be silenced. The administration should consider how playing loud recorded music on Friday night home football games affects the students in the band.

Design by Jillian Leiby

8 FEATURE social media SOCIAL STATS 461 students select their favorite and least favorite forms of social media and give reasons why

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

YOUTUBE

TALENT

Senior Hannah Phipps gains large following with relatable videos

“I use YouTube to look up how to do various things, Staring into the camera, senior whether it is for video games, instructions to assemble Hannah Phipps begins filming the things or just watch a funny video” first part a new YouTube video titled FRESHMAN MICHAEL SANDRI

“I like Instagram becasue I moved here this summer and I can see pictures of my friends in Iowa and see what they’re doing” FRESHMAN EVAN ZARS

“They are entertaining, interactive, and a great way to stay in the loop” SENIOR KATIE CARSON

“It is great to keep up with the latest trends [with Vine]” SOPHOMORE KEONNA JACKSON

f

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“7 Most Annoying Things EVER,” a satirical video in which she discusses ridiculous pet peeves, followed by a promotion for her friend Brooke Bennett’s fundraiser for an underprivileged famlies. After several takes, Phipps then edits the video on her computer before posting it on YouTube for her nearly 14,000 subscribers to view.

Phipps is one of many students who have made social media an integral part of their lives by using it to express herself, share opinions and offer advice to her viewers.

Phipps originally began using YouTube last December with the intention of posting original skits for fun. However, after posting a video response to famous YouTube personality (YouTu-

ber) Nash Grier’s video “What guys look for in girls,” her channel caught the attention of thousands in only about a month.

“It was a popular topic so it got a ton of views,” Phipps said. “It has over half a million views.”

De Soto High School sophomore Maddie Wegner, who helps Phipps produce her videos, said she supports Phipps’ endeavors.

“It’s pretty cool that [Phipps] has a voice and is able to share her opinion with 14,000 people,” Wegner said. “that’s crazy,” Phipps’ fan base grew as thousands of viewers continued to tune in to her videos. She gained popularity on other social media websites as well. Her Twitter has a little less than 1,000 followers and her Instagram has 14,000 followers .

“My Instagram is like all my friends Instagrams,” Phipps said. “[It’s] just pictures of [myself] and what [I’m] doing and stuff. I don’t really do a lot of inspirational stuff on there [like on YouTube].”

Some of those who follow her on social media websites also communicate with her via direct messages.

“It’s kind of weird,” Phipps said.

“Some of them will DM me on Instagram and be like ‘Oh my gosh, Hannah!

I love you, you’re my favorite person in the world!’”

Phipps’ videos usually do not require a script since her inspiration for them comes from her personal experiences.

“Most of my videos are not scripted. I just kind of sit down and film it,” Phipps said. “But most of the time, I just think of [what I’m going to say] right off the top of my head or from experiences. Like something will happen that day and I’ll be like, ‘Ooh, I wanna make a video about that.’”

If used correctly, she said social media can be constructive.

“I think social media can be a positive thing if it’s used in the right way, to promote positive thinking,” Phipps said. “But I also think it can definitely be a negative thing if it’s promoting bad choices and just negative thoughts.”

Phipps said YouTube offers its users a gratifying form of expression.

“It’s a good outlet for creativity and it gives you a lot of options to create a lot of different things,” Phipps said. “You can express your opinions and beliefs more on YouTube, rather than just tweeting a short sentence or posting a caption on Instagram.”

VIDEO PROCESS See how Phipps puts together her videos step-by-step from planning to the final product on YouTube

“I don’t like Facebook becasue my parents are on Facebook and they always tag me in stuff” JUNIOR DAN THOMAS

“I like [Tumblr] becasue I seem much cooler than I actually am” JUNIOR ALLIE KUBIAK

PLANNING

FILMING

EDITING

POSTING

“Pinterest is a place where I can find new ideas and ways to be creative” JUNIOR ISABEL CRAIN

“I prefer Reddit because of all the interesting posts made there. The comments are also interesting and provide insight on the post” JUNIOR RYAN SCHAMBERGER

social media FEATURE

social

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

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MEDIA MANIA

A look at the prevelance of social media in students’ lives, whether for education or fun

BY TORI AERNI

editor-in-chief jagwire.toriaerni@gmail.com

BY SAM LOPEZ

reporter jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com

BY ADRI TALAVERA

features/A&E/social media editor jagwire.adritalavera@gmail.com

BY KATHERINE WHITE

editor-in-chief jagwire.katherinewhite@gmail.com

TOP TWEETS

TEACHING WITH TWITTER

Junior Cooper Hutteger’s comedic tweets attract attention @cooperhutt

Teachers and coaches use social media as a resource to reach out to students and parents

What do you think about your tweets becoming “twittter famous”?

I didn’t really expect it. But one day someone texted me and said that there was someone tweeting my tweets and I looked at it and it had like 10,000 favorites and I was really surprised. I didn’t think it would get that big.

What kind of reactions did you get?

My friends thought it was really cool. I still think it’s pretty cool. People still ask me about it and random people recognize me from them.

Where did you get this idea?

“I use Twitter and Remind101 to tweet out assignments, test and quiz dates and BYOD or textbook reminders ... It also keeps parents in the loop too ... I’m teaching to 21st century kids. The live, eat and breathe by their cell phones, so to play their game, so to speak, I must be socially connected”

“I created a Twitter three or four years ago to use as a reminder for students when things are due, tests are coming up and that type of thing ... It seems repetitive, I don’t neccasarily think it’s that beneficial.

It kinda got kids out of the routine of how I run my class. I don’t think it really helps that much”

“It’s quick, easy, and the best way to keep kids updated with things going on in our program ... and determining whether we’re practicing inside or outside ... it’s the most efficient way to do things. I don’t put a bunch of nonsensible stuff like my feelings, mine’s just very informative”

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER KELLI HAEFFNER

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER MIKE ROUSH

VARSITY BASEBALL COACH JEFF STRICKLAND

INSTA STAR

Freshman Ashley Carlson’s Instagram gains large following @aashleyccarlson What caused you to gain such a large amount of followers?

People liked my pictures, so I just kept posting. I guess it’s just that I’m really outgoing, I get that a lot from people.

[They] tell me they like me because I’m outgoing and I really don’t care what people think about what I post or anything.

How do you feel about how Instagram’s impacted your life?

At first it was kinda creepy. People would text me all the time and tell they love me. But it makes me feel better about myself. It helps a lot with my self esteem.

I used to be really shy, but now I’m more outgoing. If it wasn’t around there really wouldn’t be anything to do.

Well, it just kind of came out one day. I was with my friends and I just said some stuff to her about being a trapper and I put it on twitter and it got like 50 favorites at first and then I posted another one and it went up to like 100 and then I posted the third one and it started getting big, like 500 [likes] and went on to get tweeted by bigger accounts and get about 9,000 favorites.

How did you go about doing this?

It all depends on what she replies with and if I can make something out of it. But there’s been multiple times where I’ve tried to make something out of it and nothing happens but it’s just...sometimes I’ll text her first to see if I can get a reaction out of her.

What does your mom think about it?

For parts three and four, visit mvnews.org

How has your account changed since you started it?

I started when I was in like sixth grade, so I posted a bunch of random stuff I got off the internet. It was really embarrassing. Then, I started more high quality pictures and took more time when I started editing, and made them look as good as I could get them.

She thinks it’s funny. Sometimes she gets mad at me when I tweet about her, but people talk to her about the tweets and she’ll laugh.

What urged you to get a P.O. box?

I had people telling me they wanted to send me things and that I should get one. It’s really cool. It’s great to see people care so much that they would take their time to send me something or write me a letter. It’s all pretty much been like letters and drawings and candy and stuff, like food.

Photos by Adri Talavera Graphics by Tori Aerni Design by Tori Aerni and Katherine White

15 10 FEATURE 15th anniversary

YEARS AT THE VALLEY

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

BY RAVEN HODGES

ads manager jagwire.ravenhodges@gmail.com

BY SARAH MYERS

features/A&E editor jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com When Mill Valley first opened its doors in 2000, a mere 539 students filled the school. With 108,000 fewer square feet than it has today – almost half its current size – and a student body that was 749 students fewer than that of the 2014-2015 school year, Mill Valley was just a fraction of what it is today in its 15th year of being open.

However, it isn’t just the exterior that has changed. In the 15 years the school has been open, students and staff have seen the school evolve inside and out.

Some students, including physical education teacher Sarah Haub and social studies teachers Jack Johnson and Dustin Stinnett, returned to Mill Valley years after graduating to teach.

“This school is nowhere close to

how it was when I went here,” Stinnett said. “The room [I teach in] didn’t even exist when I went to school here.”

Science teacher Eric Thomas has taught at Mill Valley for all 15 years it has been open. In that time, he has seen class sizes, extracurricular activities and academic opportunities develop.

“We’ve definitely moved from being a smaller school with the advantages and disadvantages of that to being a bigger school, also with advantages and disadvantages,” Thomas said. “[With extracurricular activities], you could be a really great athlete and play three sports at the 4A level, but that might not be possible at the 5A level. Academically, your opportunities change because you have more opportunities in terms of classes you can take.”

Communication arts teacher Justin Bogart has also taught at Mill Valley since the school’s opening.

“I think there’s a greater sense of Mill Valley’s place in the community,” Bogart said. “When we first opened, I think we really struggled with identifying ourselves, but especially in the last five years, I’ve seen a huge upswing

in school spirit and a greater sense of what Mill Valley is and what it means to the community.”

In addition to seeing students and their pride in the school grow, Bogart also said he has been able to work with a lot of great teachers.

“What’s never wavered has been the focus on academics. Our school has always been a very high-achieving school and I’m very proud of that,” Bogart said.

“I know there are outstanding teachers everywhere … it’s kind of hard to believe that so many of them are here at Mill Valley. Those individuals with whom I’ve worked for 15 years and those who have been recent additions to our school all seem to have that idea in mind: that this is a great place to get an education.”

Thomas and Bogart agree that throughout the last 15 years, Mill Valley has enjoyed great success, but Thomas believes there is much more to come in the school’s future.

“We have great kids. We really do. We have really great teachers, [as well]. How could you not be successful with that combination? We are also very blessed that we have a lot of parent involvement,” Thomas said. “All of those things are a recipe for success.”

Mill Valley celebrates its 15th year in existence and recognizes physical changes inside and outside

EXPANSION THIS

128,000

square feet in original floor plan

15,000

square feet added in 2004 Addition One

93,002

square feet added in 2010 Addition Two Design by Tori Aerni

LEFT: Former Mill Valley Homecoming royalty Domonique Johnson, class of 2007, and Andrew Eigsti, class of 2012, were recognized at the Homecoming football game on Friday, Oct. 10. “I was excited to come back, because it is my Alma mater.” Johnson said “I live around here and my brother [social studies teacher Jack Johnson] works at Mill Valley, so I was excited to come back.”

Photo by Claire Biles ABOVE: The construction site of Phase Two adding on the C-Wing and the expansion of the A hall is blocked off by a barbed wire fence in 2004. Photo by Drew Scanlon

EXPANSION NUMBERS

$13.5 million $18.5 million 750 spent on the initial spent on two expansions in the 1,550 construction of the building past 15 years

2000-2001 capacity 2014-2015 capacity

ADS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

11

Andrea Beatty, O.D. Eric Beatty, O.D. 16202 Midland Dr. Shawnee, KS 66217

p: 913.962.2010 f: 913.962.2013

www.westgleneyecare.com

Mill Valley Lacrosse is looking for new and experienced players to join the fastest growing sport in the country. High school team is forming now for the Spring 2015 season and all 9th-12th grade students are welcome! Register online now at www.mvlacrosse.com. Sign up by Nov. 24 and receive a free t-shirt and entry in a drawing for a free registration!

Free clinic for all ages and experience levels - Saturday, Nov. 15 - 1-2:30 p.m. at Garrett Park - 47th & Aminda in Shawnee.

High school parent/player meeting - Monday, November 24th - 6:30 pm at Shawnee Golf & Country Club - 6404 S Hedge Lane. Join us for pizza, information, and register for the upcoming season.

Questions? millvalleylax@gmail.com or 913-940-7489 (Kim Wright)

Design by Raven Hodges

12 SPORTS briefs

BY TORI AERNI

editor-in-chief jagwire.toriaerni@gmail.com

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

SCHEDULE UPGRADE In effort to challenge the Jaguar football team, changes were made to their schedule and are now facing tougher teams. They are making the switch out of the Kaw Valley League and are currently looking into new and bigger leagues to join.

Head coach Joel Applebee describes the change as a “mutual agreement” between the team and the league. Currently, they are still a part of the KVL, but they are playing teams who are not in the league.

“I just think it’s going to be a very positive thing for our school in all aspects,” Applebee said.

Wide receiver Christian Jegen also thinks it will be a beneficial change.

“I feel like it will make us better in the long run,” Jegen said.

BY LIZZIE KULCSAR

reporter jagwire.lizziekulcsar@gmail.com

SO FAR THIS SEASON

Junior Christian Jegen

Sophomore Maggie Bogart

Junior Christian Howe

Senior Callahan Eckardt

Sophomore Courtney Carlson

FOOTBALL

VOLLEYBALL

BOYS SOCCER

CROSS COUNTRY At Cat Classic

GIRLS GOLF

GIRLS TENNIS

1st

0-6

2-4 11-15 7-4 ROYALS

2nd place finish boys 3rd place finish girls

Senior Mikaela McCabe

in 4 of 7 at Regionals tournaments *as of Monday, Oct. 13

JagWire reporter gives his opinion on the Royal’s success

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com Since 1985, the Kansas City Royals haven’t played meaningful games in the month of October. Not ever witnessing any playoff games in Kansas City before this season has scarred me. The Royals haven’t won the World Series or been in the playoffs in 29 years. These years of futility have obviously frustrated me immensely. But recent acquisitions, an excellent minor league system and a winning mentality have changed this team for the better.

The fact that the Royals are even playing this late is insane.

Moments of this magnitude are memories I will have for the rest of my life. I have been dreaming of a championship for the Royals for a while now, and this is

Design by Tori Aerni and Sam Lopez

the time for that dream to come true. 2014 is the year for Kansas City.

The Kansas City Royals finished the regular season with a record of 89-73 and atop the American League Wild Card standings. This alone makes any fan elated, including me. The Royals have now ripped off six straight wins in a row as of last Saturday. The Oakland Athletics, Los Angeles Angels and Baltimore Orioles have proven to be no match for these Royals.

Excellent all-around play in every series has been a winning formula. This has resulted in a stellar run by a stellar team.

This postseason has been highly unpredictable, which is exactly what these Royals are about.

This team is a team of destiny, looking to bring a long-awaited trophy back home.

RIGHT: Rushing to get a first down, quarterback Logan Koch dodges the Staley defensive line during the Staley football game on Friday, Oct. 3. Photo by Karissa Schmidt

SPORTS SCHEDULE SPORT Football

Volleyball Cross Country Boys Soccer Girls Golf

DATE & TIME 10/17 @ 7 P.M. 10/24 @ 7 P.M. 10/18 @ 8 A.M. 10/22 @ 6 P.M. 10/16 @ 4 P.M. 10/25 @ TBA 10/16 @ 6 P.M. 10/20 @ 6 P.M. 10/20 @ TBD

OPPONENT vs. St. James @ Bonner Springs @ Olathe Northwest @ Piper @ Bonner Springs @TBD vs. Blue Valley @ Free State State @ Salina

concussion bands SPORTS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

13

HEADGEAR DEEMED INEFFECTIVE The Kansas State High School Activities Association recently banned the use of soft headgear in sports activities besides soccer LEFT: Playing Piper high school on Tuesday, Oct. 7, junior varsity goalie Parker Billings wears his concussion helmet because he feels that it gives him an additional level of safety during the game. Photo by Margaret Mellott

BY SAM LOPEZ

sports editor jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) released a new policy in September that bans the use of soft or padded headgear (commonly referred to as concussion bands/helmets) in sports in compliance to the National Federation of State High School Association’s rules, in all sports except for soccer.

This new policy was set in place because, according to KSHSAA’s statement online (kshsaa.org), “there is no medical or scientific evidence that soft or padded headgear products are effective at preventing concussions.”

However, physical trainer Clint McAllister believes that concussion bands may be able to help with concussions caused by direct blows to the head.

“If you can prevent one concussion from a direct blow is it worth it?

I think so,” McAllister said.

Jennifer Jamison, mother of sophomore Elise Jamison who recently had a concussion, has a similar view on this topic.

“If an athlete likes the comfort and assurance that a brace or band provides I believe that it is a personal choice and they should be allowed to make that choice,” Jennifer said via email.

McAllister does not agree with the new policy.

“I don’t see why it’s illegal,” McAllister said. “If you hurt your elbow, I can pad your elbow. So why can’t I

1

The main points of KSHSAA’s new headgear policy

> Student athletes are required to obtain a letter from from KSHSAA allowing them to wear concussion bands

pad your head if you hurt it?”

Jennifer compares the use of concussion bands to the use of knee braces in sports saying, “wearing braces or concussion bands cannot 100 percent promise the prevention of further injury.”

McAllister thinks it’s difficult to choose what’s right and what’s wrong.

“It’s really hard to say,” McAllister said. “If it’s not going to hurt anyone then what’s the risk of having them?”

Junior varsity goalie Parker Billings, although not affected by this change, uses concussion bands to provide a little bit more safety during his soccer games.

“I wear [my concussion band] if the team we’re playing is aggressive,” Billings said. “I haven’t been hit while wearing it yet but in the future I can see myself hitting something or getting hit [and get-

THE NUMBERS in 5 high school athletes will sustain a sports concussion during the season

POLICY OVERVIEW

ting hurt].”

Billings, like McAllister, also questions the banning of concussion bands in sports.

“I just think it’s dumb of them because if anything, [the headgear] is for safety,” Billings said. “If they’re taking away something that is meant to keep people safe it’s kind of ignorant.”

Children’s Mercy Hospital sports medicine program manager Nicole B. Fillingame argues that this may not be the case. “[Concussion bands] can also lead to injuries to the opposing player,” Fillingame said via email. “If the headgear makes contact with the opponent’s face or another exposed area of the body the equipment can cause lacerations, abrasions, etc.”

Athletic director David Ewers said KSHSAA is trying to prove a point.

“My opinion is that KSHSAA is

trying to make sure that soft or padded headgear isn’t seen as a preventive device for concussions,” Ewers said. “They don’t want to make kids feel invincible.”

Fillingame supports this idea.

“Wearing soft headgear may give the athlete a false sense of protection,, therefore making them feel they could be more aggressive which could lead to more injuries,” Fillingame said.

According to Ewers, KSHSAA is protecting itself and its players with this new policy by letting players know that concussions bands won’t fully protect them, so players should just wait until they’re fully healed to return to activities without having to wear headgear.

“We’re all governed by KSHSAA,” Ewers said. “If they make a recommendation, we have some flexibility. If they make a policy, we are obligated to follow it.”

> A signed statement from the student’s physician must be provided to KSHSAA stating the reason necessary > The physician’s statement must say the student athlete is able to play with or without the concussion band > There is no evidence that concussions bands are effective at preventing concussions > Both the NFHS and KSHSAA sports advisory committees support this policy > KSHSAA will continue to monitor concussion research and provide updated information

Statistics on high school head injuries

33

percent of all sports concussions happen at practice

3

sports: football, hockey and soccer, pose the most significant risk of head injuries

200

percent rise in concussions among teens ages 14 to 19

Information from headcasecompany.com and kshsaa.org Design by Sam Lopez and Madison Ferguson

14 A&E breakfast reviews

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

BREAKFAST CLUBBIN’ JagWire reviews breakfast restaurants in the Shawnee area

SANTA FE CAFE 9946 West 87th St. Overland Park

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com From the outside, Santa Fe Cafe looks like a typical breakfast cafe, with nothing too eye-catch-

EGGTC. 7182 Renner Rd. Shawnee

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

opinion editor jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com Walk into Eggtc. in Shawnee on a weekend morning and you are bound to encounter a huge crowd waiting to be seated for their breakfast. Despite the inevPhotos by Jena Smith and Sharnelle Bennett Design by Justin Curto and Jena Smith

ing to set it apart. However, the restaurant is clearly different from others on the inside, and so is its food.

Breakfast is the main focus of Santa Fe Cafe, which serves staples like eggs, biscuits and gravy, pancakes and French toast until 2 p.m. Overall, the food is very southern (along with the atmosphere), with most of the dishes falling into the category of classic comfort food.

When I went, I had the French Toast Breakfast, which included French toast, bacon and one egg. The menu promised the restaurant would cook eggs “to your liken’,” and this was true, as my egg was light, fluffy and perfectly scrambled. The bacon was also everything bacon should be: thick, crisp and salty.

At the same time, it managed not to be too greasy, a common problem for most breakfasts.

The real star of my meal

though, of course, was the French toast. It was warm, sweet, soft and not too egg-coated. Santa Fe Cafe makes their French toast using cinnamon swirl bread, which also added a nice depth of sweetness to a classic breakfast dish.

As a whole, the restaurant felt very welcoming. The decor was blatantly southern, but this matched the southern-style food served. Nearly every server also has a friendly southern accent, and makes sure to make you feel at home through being attentive and caring.

After this visit, I’ve resolved to come back to Santa Fe Cafe in the future. The food, atmosphere and service were all on point, making for an overall enjoyable breakfast experience. If you’re looking for a home-cooked breakfast without actually cooking at home, then Santa Fe Cafe is just the place to go.

itable wait, when the food finally arrives, the overwhelming aroma of bacon, bread and eggs will almost be enough to forget the hunger brewing from the wait.

Breakfast meals, such as the Classico that I ordered, are just that: classic. The Classico includes two eggs with a choice of meat, bread and either breakfast potatoes or fruit: the perfect portion for one person. Personally, choosing two slices of bacon and a baked croissant was a delicious combination. The bacon was crispy and the croissant was soft and warm.

Eggtc. is great at offering the customer endless combinations of food to try. Between optional selections of meat, bread, cheese and vegetables and the choices of pancakes, waffles, French toast, omelets and breakfast sandwiches, Eggtc. can satisfy

even the pickiest of taste buds.

Since Eggtc. is only open until 2 p.m., the restaurant remains incredibly busy during the early hours. The main floor is packed with small tables and the proximity between the tables can make you slightly claustrophic.

Further into the restaurant are coveted booths and larger tables, but they are almost always in use.

The decor is modern and upbeat but Eggtc. could benefit from a better layout.

Despite its amazing food, the wait did get in the way of an overly enjoyable experience. While it may be a good thing that a restaurant is busy, it shouldn’t take over an hour to be seated and receive your food. Beating the rush is important when deciding to go.

It may take some scheduling on your part, but Eggtc. is definitely worth the wait.

PEGAH’S 5354 Roberts St. Shawnee

BY ADRI TALAVERA

features/A&E/social media editor jagwire.adritalavera@gmail.com At Pegah’s Family Restaurant, where the motto is “comfort is just a spoonful away,” comfort is exactly what one can expect. Comfort food is served for cheap at breakfast, lunch and dinner by a hospitable wait staff.

One is greeted and sat almost immediately. Servers allow lots of time to look over the menu. Food is delivered in a reasonable amount of time.

The coffee is aromatic and freshly brewed. However, the food is mediocre. The presentation resembles what one might receive at home as very little is done to make the meal appear attractive.

For example, the chocolate chip pancakes are simply plain pancakes with a handful of chocolate chips sprinkled on top. The cinnamon rolls are alluring and of course, there’s no such thing as bad bacon.

Yet, the rest of the menu is pretty ordinary.

What the food lacks in memorability is made up for with the reasonable costs. You really get what you pay for, as servings are rather insufficient for someone with a large appetite.

Pegah’s is an ideal place for those on a budget looking to escape the monotony and work of cooking at home.

BONUS

BREAKFASTS Additional breakfast restaurant options

THE BIG BISCUIT 12276 Shawnee Mission Pkwy.

Shawnee bigbiscuitrestaurant.com

THE WOODEN SPOON 11823 College Blvd.

Overland Park (913)-345-9849

MOM’S KITCHEN

COZY’S CAFE

530 East Santa Fe St. Olathe momskitchenolathe.webs.com

6740 West 75th St. Overland Park cozyscafe.com

haunted house A&E

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

15

LEFT: Professional makeup artist Brenna Hoke applies makeup on one of the actors on Friday Oct. 10. Brenna’s mother, Rita Hoke, also works as a makeup artist at the haunted house. “[My job is unique because] I get to work with my daughter, who’s a professional makeup artist,” Rita said. “My son’s here too; he’s Bonkers the Clown.” Photo

by Margaret Mellott

BEHIND THE

Co-owner of 3rd Street Asylum gives a backstage look at the local haunted house

BY MARGARET MELLOTT

reporter/photographer jagwire.margaretmellott@gmail.com

BY ADRI TALAVERA

features/A&E/social media editor jagwire.adritalavera@gmail.com

BY GRACE VAN INWEGEN

reporter jagwire.gracevaninwegen@gmail.com Hearts race and palms sweat as bloodcurdling screams echo through the narrow corridor. Psychotic doctors, deranged clowns and animalistic pig men lurk around the building, seeking out new victims. Like most haunted houses, 3rd Street Asylum provides scares that exploit one’s deepest psychological fears. However, their history is nearly as chilling as their production.

In the late 1800s, bodies were laid to rest at it’s location at 3rd and Cedar in Bonner Springs, as it was originally the location of a ceme-

tery. When the cemetery was relocated, those who could not afford to move their deceased loved ones to the new cemetery didn’t, and a oneroom schoolhouse was built on top of the remaining bodies. After a fire destroyed the school, it was rebuilt and later replaced by a high school in 1918. After another 65 years of use as a school, the building was abandoned and sat empty for a quarter of a century.

Co-owner Steve Hoffine and his business partners leased the building from the city and officially began operating it as a haunted house in 2009.

To this day, Hoffine said the presence of the spirits of those left behind is still felt by those who frequent the building.

“Our actors all swear they’ve been touched, they get pinched, they get hair pulls,” Hoffine said. “People have seen things in here. [There is] stuff that moves [when] there’s nobody in [the] room.”

Whether or not the spirits mentioned exist, it is undeniable that the 3rd Street Asylum is terrifying.

The slogan this year “What are you afraid of?” focuses on fears such as darkness, claustrophobia, snakes, spiders and, oddly enough, pigs.

“The … really weird thing we found this year was that people don’t like pigs,” Hoffine said. “No idea why. Well, people in pig costumes, not just pig-pigs. People that

“Last year, we had a group that ran out bawling, tears coming out [of] their eyes.”

CO-OWNER STEVE HOFFINE look like pigs freak people out.”

By utilizing the senses, violating personal space and identifying the ideal victim, Hoffine and his cast have garnered rave reviews.

“Instead of somebody just scaring you [visually], it’s [the] smell, and that triggers emotion,” Hoffine said. “It’s sound, noise, it’s scratchy … So you’ve put people in a very uncomfortable position and they’re already nervous and they’re edgy that’s when you can really get them.”

There are rules in place to keep actors from actually touching haunted house goers as part of 3rd Street Asylum’s policy for maintaining the safety of both the actors and guests.

“Our policy is typically not to touch people … That’s not to say [guests] won’t get bumped or [ran] into or [an actor] gets really close … for some of us that’s how you get the best scare, you get right up in somebody’s face,” Hoffine said. “There’s a pretty good chance [an actor is] going to get hit … Not because somebody wants to hit you, but just because [the actor] has done their job and [the actor] has scared [the guest] and the [guest’s] reaction is

to swing.”

Hoffine and his staff take pleasure in scaring their guests to extreme extents.

“Last year we had a group that ran out [of the haunted house] bawling, tears coming out their eyes … The line was all the way out the door and down the street … people are just watching these girls scream and run and cry,” Hoffine said. “The actors take pride in listening to people say they peed. We’ve had [guests who have had] panic attacks … [We’ve] had at least two people throw up … they were so terrified they threw up.”

After surviving the entirety of the haunted house, guests often share their experiences with Hoffine.

“I really enjoy just talking to the people outside after they’ve gone through the house.” Hwoffine said.

“It’s really rewarding seeing how much fun they had despite how scared they were.”

FAST FACTS

Here’s what you need to know to check out 3rd Street Asylum

Tickets: $20 Purchase at door Design by Sarah Myers and Jena Smith

Dates Open: Fridays and Saturdays from Friday, Oct. 3 - Saturday, Nov. 1 Thursday, Oct. 30

Hours: 7 p.m. - Midnight

Location: 3rd & Cedar in Bonner Springs

Coupon: $1 off Dowload at www.3rdstreetasylum.com/coupon

16 PHOTO ESSAY homecoming week There’s no place like HOMECOMING

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

From the nearly perfect weather during the parade to the spirited Blue Bomb created by the seniors on Friday, Mill Valley students show school pride during Homecoming week from Sunday, Oct. 5 - Saturday, Oct. 11

ABOVE: The crowd begins to rumble as senior Sebastian Uriarte takes the mic at the pep rally on Wednesday, Oct. 8. “I just wanted to show the student body that I appreciate their support,” Uriarte said. “I just love everything that Mill Valley does for Jaguar football.” Photo by Brooke Wiebe

During the halftime of the Lansing football game, seniors Savannah Rudicel and Clayton Kistner were crowned Homecoming king and queen on Friday, Oct. 10. “It was a really cool moment with everyone cheering and people taking pictures,” Kistner said. Photo by Karissa Schmidt

ABOVE LEFT: After spending the evening at Mill Valley’s Homecoming dance on Saturday, Oct. 10 with senior Austin Moores, sophomore Natalie Carrera had a great time. “It was my first time going to Homecoming so I didn’t really have a lot of experience,” Carrera said. “It was a lot of fun getting out there and dancing and seeing everyone.” Photo by Brooke Wiebe ABOVE RIGHT: After the annual senior Blue Bomb, senior Macie Rouse celebrated her final Homecoming week with her classmates on Friday, Oct. 10. Photo by Tori Aerni

ABOVE: Riding on the sophomore float, sophomores Dalton Bray and Luke Sosaya cheer during the Homecoming parade on Wednesday, Oct. 8. “It was really fun ...

I liked being spirited,” Bray said. Photo by Karissa Schmidt LEFT: To participate in Homecoming week, sophomore Melissa Kelly strokes paper with a paintbrush on Sunday, Oct. 5. “I think [hallway decorating is] important because it raises school spirit and gets everyone excited to dress up and participate,” Kelley said. Photo by Madison Ferguson Design by Karissa Schmidt