JagWire Newspaper Volume 15 Issue 3

jw J AGWIRE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • VOLUME 15 ISSUE 3 • NOV. 13, 2014 • MVNEWS.ORG

“ANXIETY

holds me back almost every day” pages 8-9

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NEWS musical

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6-7

FEATURE sexting

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12

SPORTS post-season results

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14

A&E Pringles showdown

2 NEWS briefs

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

news in brief

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com

BY GRACE VAN INWEGEN

reporter jagwire.gracevaninwegen@gmail.com

WHAT’S HAPPENING? CATTY SHACK OPENS

The Catty Shack opened for business starting on Nov 4. The store is ran by Advanced Marketing students and supplies students with an assortment of items from Mill Valley spirit wear to Jamba Juice.

QUIZ BOWL SUCCESSFUL

Quiz Bowl has had a successful start to its season, placing first out of four tournaments, and a third place win at an Olathe Northwest tournament. The team goes until late January.

SLT MAKES CHANGES STUDENT OF THE MONTH

TEACHER RECOGNITION

One thing that Student Leadership Team believes can be improved is the student relations within the school. A Student of the Month award is one implementation that will give students a chance to recognize each other for acts of kindness.

Teachers being recognized by their students will be new and improved for this school year. Student Leadership Team’s goal with the change is to have teachers be recognized for deeds that go unnoticed, and to be given recognition even if the teacher doesn’t win.

NEW WATER FOUNTAINS

NEW BANNERS

The building improvement group is looking into trying to get bottle-fillers added to the water fountains in the different class hallways. The problem is that funding is a major issue for the enhancements to be put into effect.

In efforts to increase the school spirit within the student body, SLT is adding new banners with the words of both the fight song and alma mater to the main gym. SLT hopes to bring the student body closer together by singing the songs as a whole.

Design by Nick Booth

NHS BEGINS TUTORING

Members of NHS have the opportunity to tutor any students in the district that need extra help in class.

This is the third year that NHS will have a tutoring program. The two main schools NHS tutors at are Mill Valley and Monticello Trails Middle School.

REPUBLICANS WIN MIDTERMS > Kevin Yoder defeated challenger Kelly Kultala in the race ofr the third district. > Pat Roberts defeated Greg Orman in the Senate race. > Sam Brownback earned a second term as Governer, defeating Paul Davis. > Kris Kobach beat Jean Schodort for the Secretary of State.

teacher contracts NEWS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

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CONTRACTS UNDER NEGOTIATION Salary and fair due process procedure at the heart of months of negotiations with the Board of Education that still have not yielded a 2014-15 contract for teachers

BY NICK BOOTH

news editor jagwire.nickbooth@gmail.com

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

BY SAM LOPEZ

sports editor jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com The De Soto Teachers Association negotiations team has reached a tentative agreement on the contracts for the 2014-2015 school year with the Board of Education. Currently, the teachers have contracts based on the 2013-2014 school year. The new contracts, which teachers are currently voting on, include no change in the teacher’s salaries in addition to a clause establishing a fair dismissal firing policy that will take effect in the 2015-2016 school year. This compromise comes late after negotiations that typically start in February.

Negotiations team representative Andy Shelly said the negotiations have been difficult due to differing ideas on salary.

“You have two different sides which have two different perspectives on what is a realistic salary increase,” Shelly said.

“We feel teacher salaries should be a priority in the district and I think the district would like to see salaries to be higher but their belief is that they don’t have the resources to raise salaries.”

The district declined to comment on the issue.

THE DISTRICT’S BUDGET

The De Soto district’s budget is split up mostly into three main sources of funds: bond and interest funds, capital funds and operational funds.

Bond and interest funds are designated specifically for paying back investor who have given money to the district, including interest. This money is mandated for this purpose by the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC). Capital funds are designated for purposes such as building repair or new technology and these funds are mandate to be used for this purpose under Kansas state law.

Operational funds are the funds used for normal activities and expenses in the district, such as teacher salaries. The district has no operational funds left in the budget for the 2014-2015 school year.

TEACHER SALARIES

The teachers have tried to negotiate for better salaries in the new contracts.

The current average salary for a teacher in the De Soto school district is 48,034

dollars per year, including employee reductions such as fringe benefits and supplemental salaries. That’s compared to 53,599 dollars per year in the Blue Valley school district and 58,536 dollars per year in the Shawnee Mission school district.

Teachers have the ability to move up in salary each year. Each teacher’s salary is determined by a combination of his or her education and experience.

Since the 2008-2009 school year, the teacher’s average salary has seen a net increase of 8.1 percent. Again, that figure does not include fringe benefits or supplemental salaries.

According to Mill Valley teachers representative Jeff Wieland, inflation can distort salary information.

“In real dollars, I know that what I take home now is less than what I took home six years ago, and I’ve even gone up on the pay scale,” Wieland said. “Often people like to play around with nominal dollars to make it look like things are going up. It looks like I’m making a little more but I’m actually [making] a little less.”

COST OF LIVING

Cost of living has greatly influenced negotiations. Based on data from the MIT Living Wage Calculator, a teacher would have to currently have a masters degree and have worked in the district for 13 years in order to make enough money to support themselves and two children in Shawnee.

Communication arts teacher Dorothy Swafford sees the lack of a formal salary increase as a problem in relation

“It’s just that we want to be protected so you can’t just offhandedly fire teachers without explanation.”

TEACHER REPRESENTATIVE JEFF WIELAND

to the cost of living increase.

“Everything around us goes up and in order for us to stay on top of it and provide well for our personal families you have to be compensated for that or else people will start seeking employment outside of our district that will compensate for their need,” Swafford said.

DUE PROCESS REMOVAL

Teachers are also concerned about

DISTRICTSALARYCOMPARISONS

Living wage data for 1 adult and two Children from MIT Living Wage Calculator

$48,034

-1.3%

De Soto School District Average salary not including fringe benefits

Percent below the living wage of $48,686 in Johnson County

$53,599

+10.1%

Blue Valley School District Average salary not including fringe benefits

Percent above the living wage of $48,686 in Johnson County

$58,536

+20.2%

Shawnee Mission School District Average salary not including fringe benefits

the rights to due process and teacher tenure that they have had since a Kansas Supreme Court decision in 1957.

Although Kansas passed a law in April getting rid of due process for teachers, school districts were encouraged by the state legislature to incorporate due process into teacher contracts. Currently, without due process, teachers can be terminated without a hearing.

A due process hearing means that when a teacher is fired, he or she has the right to be at a hearing where he or she will learn why the administration made the decision and have the right to defend himself or herself.

Wieland said the due process and fair dismissal (terminating a teacher according to the standards of due process) issue will prove to be imperative in his voting on contracts.

“I don’t think any of us support the idea of that getting rid of teachers [is] bad. It’s just that we want to be protected so you can’t just offhandedly fire teachers without explanation,” Wieland said. “I wouldn’t vote for any contract that didn’t include the fair dismissal policy because I wouldn’t want it changed without the consent of the teachers.”

Percent above the living wage of $48,686 in Johnson County

“Funky Munky Music: silly name, serious music.”

Parker Daniels Store Manager - Funky Munky Music 12710 Shawnee Mission Parkway Shawnee, Kansas ww66216 913-268-5555 Design by Nick Booth

4 NEWS musical

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE FAR LEFT: Junior Gretchen Gambill does her makeup before the musical in the dressing rooms on Thursday, Nov. 6. “We’ve done really well,” Gambill said. “It’s been a lot of fun, it’s hard work and everyone is super stressed out before the show but everyone loves each other.”

LEFT: Rehearsing for the upcoming musical in the theater on Thursday, Nov. 6, senior Lacie Moore continues to put in hard work. “I’ve been rehearsing every day of the week except Fridays for the past two months.” Moore said. “I never know when the practices will end.”

BELOW: Junior Abby Laning checks the mics in the theater on Thursday, Nov. 6. “Being behind the scenes, [I get to] make the magic happen,” Laning said.”It doesn’t all just happen on stage.” Photos by Brooke Wiebe

CURTAINCALL

Different aspects of the musical, both on and off stage, work together to produce the musical

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com

BY KATHERINE WHITE

editor-in-chief jagwire.katherinewhite@gmail.com In rehearsals during tech week, part of the preparation process for the fall musical “Guys and Dolls,” director Jon Copeland manages the combination of different aspects of the musical as they all come together for the first time. Members of the cast, set crew, tech crew and pit orchestra practice for their shows from Sunday, Nov. 9 to Saturday, Nov. 15.

Despite tech week being the first time that all the groups involved in the musical come together, the preparation begins long before.

“For me it starts in April,” Copeland said. “[That’s when I am] selecting a musical and then over the summer studying the script, making set designs and planning out the various ensembles. [Then comes] the two-week audition process ...

For me [the most difficult part] is figuring out how to divide the cast into ensemble groups and deciding what scenes each ensemble will appear in.”

One of the difficulties the cast had to overcome at the beginning of rehearsals was having to block Design by Madison Ferguson and Adri Talavera

scenes themselves, according to senior Michaela Mense, who plays Sarah Brown. Blocking is figuring out where you’re going to be on stage, what your actions are and when they happen.

“Usually the director does [blocking], but since Copeland’s been so busy with other aspects of the show, [senior] Adam [Segura] and I have had to block a lot of the scenes ourselves, as well as some other characters.”

The musical takes about eight weeks of rehearsal total. The set building crew joins the effort about a week in.

“It’s challenging because we are very limited on space,” assisstant director and leader of set building crew Jerry Howard said. “Most of our sets are two-sided ... so it’s just very challenging on how to build [sets] and be as efficient as possible with the limited space that we have.”

After set building crew, the other parts of the crew, which include the set moving crew, tech crew and the pit orchestra, begin their preparation for the shows.

Tech crew is made up of six students who work the sound and the lights. Sophomore Jordan Fullerton works the spotlight as part of the tech crew.

“It’s a pretty small team,” Fullerton said. “Copeland had an open spot for spotlight and I liked tech-

nology so I thought it would be cool to jump in and do it. I like to run spotlight ... [It’s] fun.”

The pit orchestra learns music for all of the songs as well as the transition music between songs in order to accompany the performers on stage.

“The pit orchestra also does a ton of preparing,” junior Michaela Mense said. “If a performer changes the tempo or skips part of a song, Steiner has to keep the pit on track.”

Tech week, bringing together all parts of the musical, occurs about seven weeks in the proccess of preparation. Mense said that while tech week is important, it is also irritating.

“It’s really frustrating to line it up,” Mense said. “It’s arguably the worst part of the process, especially if there are a lot of microphone issues.”

The week after tech week, dress rehearsals take place, and then the musical begins showing. Three-time pit orchestra member senior Eric Marquardt said that being a part of the musical is worth the work, because he enjoys being around the other people involved.

“I love spending time with people that are in the musical, whether it’s pit orchestra or musical people,” Marquardt said. “They are all just a bunch of really talented kids so it’s fun to hang out with them.”

MUSICAL NUMBERS Students contribute their talent to the musical in various ways

5

9 98 6 18

Set Moving Crew

Tech Crew

Pit Orchestra

Cast

Set Building/Painting Crew

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

Design by Raven Hodges

6 FEATURE sexting

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

TO SEND OR STUDENT SEXTING STATS Students provide information about their sexting habits

Over one in five students have sent a sext

Over two in five students have been asked for sexts

Over one in 10 students have asked others for sexts Data from a survey of 200 students Photo Illustration by Karissa Schmidt

She thought it would solve everything.

After having a fight with her then-boyfriend, a junior girl who wishes to remain anonymous sent him a sext, a photo including partial or full nudity, to “make it up to him.” Four years later, she sexts almost weekly.

“I thought he would like me more,” the junior said. “Now I send them to pretty much anyone I have feelings for.”

PREFACING THE PROBLEM

Although sexting has existed since the popularization of cameraphones, it recently resurfaced as an issue among teenagers across the nation.

Typically, sexting situations begin with one student sharing sexually explicit, usually nude, photos with another student. More often than not, the intended receiver sends out these photos to others. This is when authorities get involved.

Students caught with explicit photos on their device face legal consequences and possibly jail time.

If someone under 18 sends a sext or asks for one from someone who they know is under 18, he or she can be charged with a felony, fined and possibly jailed for up to 34 years.

Sexting charges also lead to registration as a sex offender.

A COMMON ISSUE?

According to a study conducted

by GuardChild, one in five teenagers have sent or posted online nude or semi-nude photos or videos of themselves. Similarly, a JagWire survey found that 22.5 percent of Mill Valley students surveyed have sexted.

Despite these numbers, school resource officer Mo Loridon has not yet arrested a student for sexting.

“I can’t say I’ve really charged anybody,” Loridon said. “I only know of one case since I’ve been here at Mill Valley that actually got charged.”

NOT JUST SENDING

Some, such as a sophomore girl who wishes to remain anonymous, have resisted the pressure to sext after being asked on multiple occa-

sions.

“It’s not how I wanted things to go,” the sophomore said. “I wasn’t up for [sexting]. I was kind of offended because I thought he liked me.”

The students who send sexts are not the only ones involved in the issue. According to social worker Deb-

“I wasn’t up for [sexting] ... I was kind of offended because I thought he liked me.”

ANONYMOUS SOPHOMORE bie Gudenkauf, those asked for sexts, typically girls, often feel pressured to get involved themselves.

“What I’ve seen is guys typically ask and girls don’t know how to say ‘that’s not appropriate, I’m not going to do that,’” Gudenkauf said. “Often, they like each other … What may start out as just flirting and teasing goes to that level.”

However, when someone sends a sext, it doesn’t always stop at the per-

son to whom the picture is sent.

“Sometimes I share them with my friends,” the junior said. “I’m pretty sure [my ex-boyfriend] has shown some of his friends.”

RESPONSES TO SEXTING

Though it often goes unreported, Gudenkauf offers many students advice after negative experiences with sexting. “[I deal with] several [cases] a year,” Gudenkauf said. “Usually girls and parents of girls are the ones I hear from … I just talk with people about respecting themselves and others, but what’s done is done.”

Loridon said he would not be reluctant to charge students with sexual exploitation of a child, the penalty associated with underage sexting.

“If the other person that received the picture was offended by the picture and they didn’t like it, then I have no problem with charging it,” Loridon said. “[If there’s] any crime, it’s my job to do something.”

EDUCATING STUDENTS

While Mill Valley currently does

not have any programs for sexting education, guidance counselor Trish Chandler said it could be included with education about other illegal activities.

“I think it can be related to choices in general besides sexting [like] drinking [and] drugs,” Chandler said. “I mean, I think they all go hand in hand that way.”

Others, like Gudenkauf, think the responsibility to educate students about sexting falls on their parents.

“If they’re going to allow their kid to have technology, there needs to be a discussion about what’s appropriate and what’s not,” Gudenkauf said. “I don’t think it’s a school’s responsibility to teach that … I say that as a parent myself.”

FIRSTHAND ADVICE

Even though she sexts, the junior does not think others should.

“I know kids in the fifth and sixth grade who sext because they think it’s cool, when in reality it’s not,” the junior said. “Don’t sext. It’s not smart.”

sexting FEATURE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

NOT TO SEND Despite legal and social consequences, some students still choose to sext

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

BY MARGARET MELLOTT

reporter/photographer jagwire.margaretmellott@gmail.com

BY ADRI TALAVERA

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

IMPLICATIONS OF IMAGES

SKILLED SUPPORT

A look at the penalties for sexting as a minor in Kansas

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault coordinator of education Cheyenne Clonch advises teenagers with sexting-related issues

34

How prominent of a problem against a person. It can be used in a dating violence relationship [as a is teenage sexting?

18

Maximum years in prison for sexual exploitation of a child

87

Age you must be to legally sext or receive sexts

I think at the high school level sexting isn’t as popular as most adults think. The sexting that [does go] on is more well known.

It also seems to be a form of social currency.

What does MOCSA do to educate teens about sexting?

We talk about how it can be used

Percent of students know about sexting’s legal consequences

7

threat]. We talk about [sexts] in terms of harassment. All of that is part of sexual abuse.

What are some of the mental and emotional effects that a teenager may experience after a sext of theirs is kept or shared?

The same things [as assault and abuse]: embarrassment, shame,

fear, being bullied, ... depression [and] anxiety. What’s different is it doesn’t go away as quickly [and] it’s not taken as seriously.

What advice would you give to someone who is experiencing issues resulting from sexting?

Seek out support from whoever you trust. Call us, we can help you work through that. Sometimes you may choose to report it to police, a counselor or a parent. If you receive an image you don’t want to receive, ask the person not to send one again [and] report it before you delete it.

Data from a survey of 200 students

HELPFUL HOTLINES Hotlines provide aid for students with problems related to sexting

Fight For Zero (724)-656-7867

teen.fightforzero.org

love is respect 1-(866)-331-9474

loveisrespect.org

Metropolitan Organization to Counter Sexual Assault (913)-642-0233 www.mocsa.org Rape and Abuse Crisis Center (701)-293-7273 www.raccfm.com U.S. National Domestic Violence Hotline 1-800-799-7233 www.thehotline.org

Photo Illustration by Karissa Schmidt Design by Justin Curto and Jena Smith

8

FEATURE anxiety

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

WHEN ANXIET GET HELP

BY TORI AERNI

Inofrmation from the National Institutue of Mental Health to help those who do or think they might have General Anxiety Disorder

BY SARAH MYERS

> If you think you have Anxiety, the first person you should talk to is your family doctor. They can diagnose you with Anxiety, or investigate if it is another kind of medical issue. > The next person to talk to is a mental health professional.

They can talk to you, prescribe medicine and provide therapy. > Cognitive behavior therapy, a type of psychotherapy, teaches patients how to think and respond to situations differently in order to help relieve Anxiety. > Anti-Anxiety and antidepressants are common medications to help Anxiety. Anti-Anxiety medicines are powerful, often work right away and should not be taken for long periods at a time. Anti-deppressants, which are usually used to treat depression, can also help Anxiety. However, they take longer to go into effect, and can have serious side effects. Doctors can prescribe these medicines. > Call the National Institute of Mental health for questions 1-866-615-6464 (toll-free) Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

editor-in-chief jagwire.toriaerni@gmail.com features/A&E editor jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com

BY KARISSA SCHMIDT

photography editor jagwire.karissaschmidt@gmail.com Singing the national anthem solo at a boy’s soccer game is something senior Brienna Kendall has always wanted to do.

Now, in her last year of high school, she is forced to give up her final opportunities to do what many others in her choir classes have been able to. What holds her back each time? General Anxiety Disorder - something she has had to deal with for nearly six years.

Although the word “anxiety” is often used loosely to describe feelings of stress and fear, the term addresses more than just that. Oxford Dictionary’s psychiatric definition of Anxiety is “a nervous disorder characterized by a state of excessive uneasiness and apprehension, typically with compulsive behavior or panic attacks.”

“I would say Anxiety is an overwhelming feeling of being out of control,” Kendall said. “You worry about little things that may not matter, but it’s not something that you consciously do ... It’s definitely mental, emotional and physical all in one.”

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, Anxiety Disorder is the most common mental illness

in America.

Senior Hannah Hilton said she has been experiencing Anxiety symptoms her whole life, but was not diagnosed until last year.

Her breaking point was last year in her Anatomy class when she continually felt as if her chest was “going to break open.” For Hilton, Anxiety makes many aspects of her life more difficult than they should be.

“Anxiety holds me back almost every day ... I’ve had to end relationships because I’ve gotten Anxiety about it for no reason.

I’ve been sick to my stomach thinking what could go wrong,” Hilton said. “Everyday I keep myself from doing things that I probably can do because I think, ‘What if?’ and the ‘what if’ kind of outweighs the ‘What if it’s good?’”

Junior Margaret Hempleman was diagnosed with Anxiety during the start of her freshman year. She describes the disorder as “feeling like you’re in a box and there’s not really anything you can do to get out of it ... the longer you sit there, you feel worse and worse.” Isolation, the dark and stress are among the things that trigger Hempleman’s Anxiety.

“I was scared when I first started noticing the symptoms because it was really uncomfortable and I felt trapped,” Hempleman said. “When I was first diagnosed, I was really [frustrated] because I knew I was going to have to deal with it for a long time, but also kind of happy because I knew there was something they could do to fix it.”

Doctors go about treating Anxiety in a

variety of ways, but according to T tional Institute of Mental Health, is generally the most effective treat “A type of psychotherapy called tive behavior therapy is especially for treating [General Anxiety Dis according to an article from NIM teaches a person different ways of ing, behaving, and reacting to sit that help him or her feel less anxio worried.”

Anxiety attacks can present them in a number of ways depending on t son. Hilton’s Anxiety attacks initial heavy breathing, which quickly tur a tight, burning chest and the fee “choking on air.” Hempleman als heavy breathing as a symptom. described her most severe attacks bilitating.” Her stomach tightens, h is “scattered” and she can’t put he tions into words. As it progresses, s into cold sweats, shakes and becom seous. On a few occasions, during panic attacks, she has thrown up, out and become unable to speak.

Although Anxiety disorders ofte weakening during episodes, Kend learned how to cope with her Anxie order.

“Don’t be afraid to say you hav ety ... It’s not negative,” Kendall said treatment; therapy can help and m can help, but that’s not the only [Do] whatever works best for you b it is a mental disease and [how to all depends on the person.”

anxiety FEATURE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE Photos by Karissa Scmidt

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ANXIETY TAKEN TOO LIGHTLY

BY LIZZIE KULCSAR

reporter jagwire.lizziekulcsar@gmail.com

Panic attacks and Anxiety are not taken as seriously as they should be

TY ATTACKS

The Natherapy tment. d cogniy useful sorder],” MH. “It f thinktuations ous and

9

CALMING STEPS Senior Hannah Hilton provides advice on how to calm down someone having a panic attack

1) 2)

The best thing to do is say [something like] “Hey, what’s going on?” and ask “Are you having an Anxiety attack right now?”

SYMPTOMS & SIGNS Inofrmation from the National Institutue of Mental Health on symptoms

> Finding it very difficult to relax > Having trouble concentrating > Stressing or getting startled easily > Having trouble falling or staying asleep

If you’re going to take [them] somewhere, ... change the subject and be like “Hey, so what are you doing after school?” Change the subject and get it off their mind

DON’T:

> People think that comforting you is better but it’s

really not, at least for me. Because if you’re going to comfort me, then it just puts more sympathy on me, and I’d rather just have them be like “Hannah, it’s OK you’re fine, you need to breathe”, and be more realistic. Because if they say “Oh sweetie,” and rub my back, I’m just going to continue to freak out.

> Being unable to stop worrying despite knowing that the concern is unwarranted > Experiencing physical symptoms such as fatigue, muscle tension or aches, trembling and twicthing, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, hot flashes, feeling out of breath, having to use the bathroom often and having trouble swallowing > Symptoms often begin starting in teenage years > Symptoms come and go and can vary in levels of intensity > General Anxiety Disorder can be very mild, only slightly affecting the person who has it, or it can be very severe, hindering daily activities

“Oh my gosh I just lost my phone and totally almost had a panic attack.” I cringe whenever I hear this or something similar.

In today’s society, words like anxiety and panic attack are thrown around lightly when it should be the exact opposite. Personally, I’ve dealt with severe panic attacks since seventh grade. I am now a sophomore and was officially diagnosed this past summer. I now take a medication daily called Fluoxetine; an antidepressant that helps in suppressing my Anxiety. There are many different symptoms people with Anxiety face but for me, it shows up mainly in the form of panic attacks.

For those of you who don’t know what it is like to have a panic attack,a I will describe what a regular experience is like for me. An attack can range anywhere from ten minutes to over an hour. I have also had them in all sorts of places such as in restaurants, bathrooms, pools, my house, other people’s houses, parties, even almost in an airport.

Basically it feels like your entire world is ending for no reason. It hits without warn-

“It feels like your entire world is ending for no reason.” ing, I crumble down and burst into tears. I can’t breathe or think; all I can do is cling to the item next to me and wait for it to end. It ends in hyperventilating almost to the point of blacking out. Screaming helps release the pain faster. It’s not physical pain (although eventually the hyperventilating and crying do lead to a strong migraine, dry throat and upset stomach) but mental and emotional pain. For whatever reason I mentally feel as if I’m going to die; like the entire world is ending and I have no control over anything. If I can’t calm down, I have to take a medication called Xanax to stop it. This medicine knocks me out and when I wake up my head pounds, my stomach churns, my throat is extremely dry and I am groggy. Living with this disorder is not easy and can be embarrassing.

I’m putting myself out there like this not to get sympathy or attention, but to give people a better understanding of what living with anxiety is like. If you are suffering from Anxiety or think you might be, you’re not alone.

One day I hope for mental disorders to not be an embarrassment or the punch line of people’s jokes. People should be able to feel like they are able to talk about this issue without being judged or not being taken seriously.

Design by Tori Aerni and Katherine White

10 OPINIONS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

JAGWIRE INFORMATION

STAFF EDITORIAL

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 Sharnelle Bennett Claire Biles Madison Ferguson Lizzie Kulcsarww Margaret Mellott Braden Shaw Grace Van Inwegen Brooke Wiebe

TEACHER DESERVE MORE IN NEW CONTRACT Board of Education should include a salary increase and fair dismissal policy in new teacher contracts

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Illustration by Jason Chen

The De Soto Teachers Association negotiations team has been discussing teacher contracts for this school year with the Board of Education since February. Currently, De Soto teachers have contracts based on the 2013-14 school year, and will have the ability to vote on a new contract on Friday. The negotiations team is requesting higher salaries and a fair dismissal policy to be included in new teacher contracts, which are not a part of the new contract up for vote. The JagWire believes these are two imperative issues that should have been included on new contracts.

The average contracted teacher salary last school year, without benefits and supplements, was $48,034. In contrast, teachers in the Blue Valley school district were contracted to be paid $53,999 and those in the Shawnee Mission school district were contracted to be paid $58,536.

De Soto teachers consistently get paid lower than teachers in other area districts, but they are doing the same work. This gives these other districts a competitive edge in hiring. If De Soto wishes to continue to hire the most qualified teachers and keep those who are experienced, an increase

in salaries would be necessary.

While the district does not have enough funds left in the operational budget to increase salaries this year, it should use this money more wisely next year to do so.

A cost of living increase should also be factored into the salary decision. With the current salary schedule, a teacher must have a masters degree and have worked in the district for at least 13 years in order to support himself or herself and two children in Johnson County. This would mean that a majority of De Soto teachers are not currently making enough to support him or herself or their families, which can be financially detrimental.

Cost of living is ever-rising, especially in today’s economy. In the past, teacher’s salaries have only increased about one percent. The salaries of our teachers should keep up with these expenses.

Last spring, the Kansas state legislature voted to get rid of tenure (something given to teachers who have been teaching in the district for a certain amount of time that guarantees they will be given a reason for their firing) and due process for teachers. This means that teachers can be fired more easily, without a hearing to give them explicit reasons for the decision. After taking away due process, the state legislature recommended that individual districts add a fair dismissal policy into their contracts, allowing teachers to have a hearing telling them what they can improve before being fired. This has not yet been added to De Soto teacher contracts. This is crucial to add to contracts, as it would give our teachers better job security and more rights throughout the termination process.

While the JagWire understands that compromise will be necessary in order to draft a contract that benefits both the teachers and the Board, these compromises should not be made at the expense of our teachers. The De Soto school district has many great teachers, and it’s time they be given benefits to reflect that.

YOU SAID IT If you could have anything on your contract, what would it be?

“I think that [the district says] they respect the teachers and they support us ... [but I wish] that was something that they actually carrried out in practice.”

“Of course [I want] more pay, but I don’t know how realistic that is.”

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCES TEACHER REBECCA CAVES

SOCIAL STUDIES TEACHER ANGIE DAL BELLO

“If you compare our district to other districts, achievement-wise, we are up there if not above ... but we’re not getting paid like those guys are [based off the salary schedules].”

“It has gotten very expensive to have a baby, basically, as a teacher unless you’ve been working in the district a long time, is my understanding.”

WORLD COMMUNICATION LANGUAGES ARTS TEACHER TEACHER JAN ERIC AMMERMAN GOOD-BOLLINGER

STAFF VOTE

The JagWire staff votes on this issue’s staff editorial

Disagree

Agree

19

Absent

0

0

Photos by Margaret Mellott

OPINIONS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

AN ACADEMIC MISSTEP CAN RUIN LITERALLY EVERYTHING

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

opinion editor jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

One reporter gives a satirical take on the high level grades are held in high school Junior year is hard. This is what everyone told me. In my young, underdeveloped head, I was sure that I was going to be the exception.

I was going to have a successful and easy junior year. Who cares what anyone else says? I am the best at everything ever.

Then, all of a sudden, first quarter has ended and I have a C in two classes. Two Cs. One in AP U.S. History, the class so dreaded by juniors that only 20 or so students actually signed up for it. I suppose I couldn’t have gotten an A for effort. The other was College Algebra, which completely affects my entire college career.

I checked Skyward every few minutes to be sure that it was really true. Every time I saw those grades, it was like a punch in the gut. I

could literally feel the weight of disappointment on my shoulders. My mother would kill me, or worse, disown me. My father would give the disappointed look that he has perfected over the years. The forehead wrinkles would be on full display as he looks at me and says the word “unacceptable”.

On a less life-threatening note, my car was in jeopardy. Visions of riding the dreaded bus with annoying middle school students filled my head. How could I survive another year of loud and obnoxious children? All this because of one academic misstep in a series of pretty solid high school years.

In all seriousness, this isn’t a long opinion about the injustice of grades and how they don’t actually represent the intelligence of a student. I’m smart enough to know thawwt nothing I say will ever change the grading process. Especially in high school, it is crunch time for every student wanting to get into college. Every grade counts. I do, however, believe that a history of good grades should mean something to the authority figures I am so afraid of. Maybe there is something wrong with the system when an average grade immediately elicits this terrified reactions.

BODY ART SHOULD BE ACCEPTED

MEDIA SHOULD ADVOCATE THE RIGHT OF PRIVACY FOR EVERYONE

BY NICK BOOTH

news editor jagwire.nickbooth@gmail.com

Public response to the Hollywood nude photos leak has proven hypocritical Over the past few months, the media has been in a state of uproar over the leaking of multiple celebrity nude pictures over the internet. The actions of the individuals involved have been called disgusting and vile. It’s been called a form of sexual harassment. Every media outlet that wants to claim the moral high ground has jumped on this like a pack of vultures.

There’s just one problem with this: The writers claiming the moral high ground in this scenario don’t actually have it. None of the defenders of Jennifer Lawrence’s honor seemed to care when the privacy of former Clippers owner Donald Sterling. Was the tape of him that leaked not an invasion of Sterling’s privacy? The conversation was recorded without his consent. I really don’t care if the comments he made were racist; he had a right to privacy and it was violated.

The same applies to Anthony Wiener.

Nobody in the media worried for his privacy

they want to be. Whether that be a colorful tattoo, a simple ear lobe piercing, or dyeing reporter/photographer your hair bright purple. jagwire.margaretmellott@gmail.com As for my future, I am not too terribly worried about finding a career. As time changes, so do people’s opinions. By the time I’m an Parents should reguard body alterations adult and looking for a career, I doubt that my piercings (and future tattoos) will get in the as a means of self-expression for teens way of my chosen career. Before getting a new What comes to mind when you see a teen- addition of body art, I do agree that it’s always ager with piercings, tattoos and dyed hair? a good idea to think about your future job.

Usually, that person will be given skeptical There are varying excuses parents use to looks; and unfortunately for a girl like me that prevent their teens from making permanent participates in this kind of individuality, I re- choices. From “It is against our religion,” to ceive these looks constantly. I express myself “You will regret it when your older,” which are in many forms of body art; I have triple lobe both understandable. I get that parents do piercings, two cartilage piercings, dyed hair not want their kids to express themselves in and many more forms to come. a way that will affect them throughout their Just like everyone else with this kind of lives. However it really is not the parents job expressionism, I am constantly being asked, to make this type of choice for their teenager, “How could you do something like that to but it is their job to educate them. yourself?” and “How do you plan to get a job So before you judge that teenager walkwhen you’re older?” Not surprisingly, it is ing down the street, or applaud parents who adults who ask me these questions - people prohibit their kid from expressing themselves who grew up in a completely different time through this manner, remember that it was than I did. After a while of being asked these their choice. It is them that have to live with questions, I have formulated the perfect re- the permanence of the these body-altercasponse. tions, not you. Always remember that feeling For the question that demands the rea- you had when you wanted to dye your hair, get soning for my body alteration, I will express a piercing, or a tattoo and the people around myself however I want, because it’s my body you that shot you down, and try to not be one and therefore it’s my choice. I believe that of them. Remember you were once young, piercings and tattoos are a wonderful form of so encourage others to embrace their youth expression that allow many people to be who while it lasts.

Illustration by Lizzie Kulcsar

BY MARGARET MELLOTT

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when he was involved in a massive sexting scandal with Sydney Leathers. Wiener intended for explicit pictures he sent to be seen by one person, but they were instead viewed by the entire world. Yet, nobody in the media seemed to care. Wiener was painted as a disgusting creep that deserved what happened to him.

It’s illustrative of the hypocrisy that can be seen throughout the coverage of the photo leaks. Jennifer Lawrence publically stated that it’s her body and should be her choice and the magazines and news sites picked up

“... it’s your body and your choice, as long as you’re ... an actress.”

JUNIOR NICK BOOTH on the idea almost immediately.

Now, I’m not saying that people shouldn’t have a right to privacy over their bodies.

It doesn’t matter if what you do in private is considered disgusting or morally wrong; it should stay private. It seems that in our society today, it’s your body and your choice, as long as you’re an attractive young female actress. Both the media and everyone else rising up in the defense of the victims of the nude leak need to try to apply their sympathy for Jennifer Lawrence to everybody else.

Design by Jillian Leiby

12 SPORTS briefs

BY TORI AERNI

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

POST-SEASON RESULTS

BY SAM LOPEZ

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

WINTERSCHEDULE SPORT Bowling Boys Basketball Girls Basketball Boys Swim Wrestling

DATE & TIME OPPONENT

1/9 @ 8 A.M. 1/10 @ 8 A.M. 12/9 @ 7 P.M. 12/12 @ 7 P.M. 12/5 @ 7 P.M. 12/9 @ 6 P.M. 12/9 @ 4 P.M. 12/17 @ 4 P.M. 12/6 @ 8 A.M. 12/6 @ 9 A.M.

@ Free State @ Free State @ Gardner @ Free State @ Bishop Ward @ Gardner @ BV West @ Turner @ Park Hill @ Misson Valley

CROSS COUNTRY

GIRLS TENNIS

> Four state-qualifiers - boys finished in 15th, 26th and 60th place and girl finished 16th > Team finished in regionals

> The team ended their season in regional tournament at Mill Valley

BOYS SOCCER

FOOTBALL

> Team finished season in state quarter-finals against Aquinas

> Ended their season in regionals against Pittsburg with a 42-21 loss

GIRLS GOLF

VOLLEYBALL

> Freshman Bella Hadden ended season in 11th place at state

> Finished season at sub-state in two games against Blue Valley Southwest

PRE-SEASON LOOK

A look at how winter sports competed in the 2013-14 season, and changes to each sport

GIRLS BASKETBALL 2013-14 record: 14-8

BOYS BASKETBALL 2013-14 record: 13-9

Seniors:

New head coach:

lost in first substate game

Five returning

lost in substate championship Mike Bennett

BOWLING 2013-14 result: 32nd

WRESTLING 2013-14 result: 6th

Team high scores:

Top returning state placer:

in state, one state qualifier 2626 (boys) 2047 (girls)

BOYS SWIM 2013-14 result: 19th

in state, seven state qualifiers

Season accomplishment: won KVL championship

Design by Sam Lopez and Karissa Schmidt

in state, 12 state qualifiers Senior Bryan Burnett (4th)

Keep up with winter sports this season at: www.mvnews.org/sports

LEFT: Planning his next pass, junior Christian Howe dribbles down the field, helping the team win the regionals boys soccer game, 6-0, against Highland Park on Tuesday, Oct. 28. “We were so close last year and this year we got [to play in post season],” Howe said. “Personally, [this post season] feels very successful.” Photo by Madison Ferguson

cost of sports SPORTS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

13

CO$T OF $UCCE$$ A look at how much money students spend in order to participate in their sports during club season

Sophomore Adam Grube

Junior Alicia Pickett

Freshman Jessie Haase

Junior Cole Griggs

SOCCER

VOLLEYBALL

DANCE

BOWLING

What equipment or costs go into the sport?

You have to pay for shoes and uniforms, warm-ups, and hotels ... stuff like that.

You have to pay for tournaments, but I think that is just part of the annual fee that you have to pay for just to play volleyball Dynasty. Which [I think] is $2,380 this year.

What equipment or costs go into the sport?

[You pay for] company fees, costume fees, competition routines, professionally taught classes, spirit wear, choreography, hair pieces, rhinestones, makeup, jewelry, company jacket.

What equipment or costs go into the sport?

Not much; you mostly just need a ball, some shin-guards, cleats. The cleats are expensive. That’s a lot of money there.

What are the benefits of paying said amount of money to be on a club team?

Well, you get more opportunities to go play in college. You get to further your [skills] for the game of soccer and get better. And if I were to keep playing recreational soccer then I wouldn’t have as many opportunities.

Is it worth the expenses?

Yeah, absolutely. If you love the game I feel like you should try and see how far you can take it and the only way you can is by playing club soccer, getting better, trying to get an opportunity to play in college and beyond that it’s your choice.

How supportive have your parents been?

They have been extremely supportive.

They do not mind paying all the money for soccer, all the trips we have for soccer, all of the cleats I go through, the shinguards I lose, socks I lose; we are always okay paying for the extra stuff. I feel like it’s because they know I have a passion for the game and they know I want to go play in college.

$800

TOTAL COST

=

Most Expensive Item/Cost

per year

=

Tournaments

What are the benefits of paying said amount of money to be on a club team?

You get better coaching and great experiences. You get to make great friends and you have really good competition. I learn a lot more through club and I get a lot better. I want to play [volleyball] in college, so being on a club team will help prepare me for that.

Is it worth the expenses?

Yes. I’ve gone to nationals every year I’ve played for club and that’s actually really amazing because only about 5 or 6 percent of people actually get to go, so being able to go and play the best teams in the United States has been a great experience.

How supportive have your parents been?

They come to every tournament. My dad is an assistant coach for me so he’s always on the sidelines at my games.

TOTAL COST

Most Expensive Item/Cost

=

$6,000 per year

= Travel

What are the benefits of paying said amount of money to be on a club team?

It is all pretty similar, but with company, I feel like you get more out of it. When you are on company, you’re around everyone else for longer periods of time, so you make more friendships and I just think it really helps you improve as a dancer.

When you go to a competition, that makes you want to work harder when you see the people around you, so I feel like that also helps make you improve as a dancer.

Is it worth the expenses?

Definitely. I guess it depends on how much you love it. I’ve been doing it since I was little, so I can’t imagine my life without it, so I think it’s totally worth it.

How supportive have your parents been?

They’re always trying to help me find what’s best for me. They’re always taking me to my classes and they’re always there at my competitions.

TOTAL COST

Most Expensive Item/Cost

=

$5,000 per year

= Costumes

What equipment or costs go into the sport?

You don’t have to buy shoes, you can go to a stand for used shoes and use their shoes and bowling balls, but if you want to succeed and do better than everyone else you buy your own stuff. That’s where the extra costs [come into play].

What are the benefits of paying said amount of money to be on a club team?

[If you pay] more for a ball you get more reactant out of the ball. The core of the ball is different, and you pay for different styles of how they attack the pins. If you have different balls you have different ways to attack the pins. Basically guaranteeing a high score everytime.

Is it worth the expenses?

I would say yes. At some points I am like ‘Why did I choose bowling?’ because some people think it’s not a sport. I come out sweating, I bowl better than everyone else.

How supportive have your parents been?

They weren’t very supportive at first because it’s bowling, not basketball games or anything like that, and I don’t like the pressure. If I had pressure on me I didn’t bowl as well, but I love pressure now.

They are pretty supportive.

TOTAL COST Most Expensive Item/Cost

=

$1,000 per year

= Practice

Photos bySharnelle Bennett, Karissa Schmidt and Jena Smith Design by Sam Lopez

14 A&E pringles

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

THE SHOWDOWN

PRINGLE EDITION Six students taste test five unique Pringle chip flavors

FINAL

FAVORITES Taste test participants and the JagWire staff choose the best and worst Pringles

PARTICIPANTS’ PICKS TANGY BUFFALO WING

last

“It tasted kind of like a bacon flavor.

Who doesn’t like bacon?”

FRESHMAN MCCALISTER HALL

“[The chip] is one of those chips that seems gross and intimidating... I can honestly and happily say that it is disgusting and intimidating.”

JUNIOR CARSON VITT

1st

JALEPEÑO

“They tasted sweet. Chips aren’t supposed to be sweet.”

“I was definitley not a fan. They were much too spicy.”

SENIOR KATIE FLIPSE

SOPHOMORE MARY PETROPOULOS

JAGWIRE STAFF PICKS

1st

SCREAMIN’ DILL PICKLE

TANGY BUFFALO WING

last

“There were too many flavors and my tongue could not comprehend.”

SOPHOMORE GARRISON FANGMAN

Design by Sarah Myers and Jena Smith Photos by Jena Smith and Brooke Wiebe

“I would maybe eat these if I were starving on a desert island.”

SENIOR KYLE FOLEY

books A&E

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

IF YOU LIKED...

JagWire recommends books to read based on what required reading in English classes you enjoyed

BY JUSTIN CURTO

BY LIZZIE KULCSAR

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

BY KATHERINE WHITE

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com opinion editor jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

15

reporter jagwire.lizziekulcsar@gmail.com

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

“ROMEO & JULIET”

“NICK AND NORAH’S INFINITE PLAYLIST” BY RACHEL COHN AND DAVID LEVITHAN

“FAHRENHEIT 451” “READY PLAYER ONE” BY ERNEST CLINE

“Fahrenheit 451” by Ray Bradbury combines elements of dystopia and science fiction to tell the story of a person searching for something better in a oppressive, futuristic society. Ernest Cline’s “Ready Player One” takes a similar formula and makes a novel that applies to young adult readers today.

The creator of the virtual reality program OASIS, an integral part of the broken society in Cline’s novel, dies and releases a video announcing that whoever finds an “easter egg” hidden in the program will win his fortune.

While protagonist Wade Watts, who attempts to win the fortune, is a teenager, this book feels different than your typical adolescent dystopia story.

The story retains elements of the genre without becoming a repetitive copycat.

Cline’s prediction of what may lie in our own future is quite possible: virtual reality is steadily gaining traction in our world. Fans of sci-fi will enjoy seeing how the technology works in the near-future of “Ready Player One.” The novel combines combines elements of the sci-fi and dystopia to form a book to rival “Fahrenheit 451.”

“TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD”

“THE GREAT GASTBY”

RUTA SEPETYS

No one beats Gatsby. F. Scott Fitzgerald’s “The Great Gatsby” is considered one of the greatest American novels. Set in the Roaring ‘20s, the story of Jay Gatsby and his obsession with Daisy Buchanan has entertained readers for just under a century. With vivid detail, Fitzgerald describes the disillusionment of high society.

“We Were Liars”, by E. Lockhart takes place in present day. The novel emits the same loneliness found in a rich lifestyle. Narrated by Cadence Sinclair, the heiress to a family fortune, “We Were Liars” tells the story of the summers she spends with her fellow cousins, or Liars, at their vast family estate. One summer, an unexplained event occurs which changes all the Liars’ lives forever.

“We Were Liars” has the same twists and turns as “The Great Gatsby”. Both novels are filled with tension and suspense that leaves the reader on the edge of their seat.

While nothing will replace “The Great Gatsby”, “We Were Liars” is a close equivalent. Check it out if you are looking for an interesting easy read.

“BETWEEN SHADES OF GRAY” BY If you liked “To Kill a Mockingbird”

by Harper Lee, then check out “Between Shades of Gray” by Ruta Sepetys.

Although the plots are different, both protagonists are young girls living a life full of prejudice. “To Kill a Mockingbird” is about a girl named Scout who lives during the Great Depression.

In “Between Shades of Gray,” the main character is Lina, a young girl living with her brother and mother in a camp after being captured by Soviet officers during the Stalinist repressions.

Both girls are social and they continue to make new friends and discover more about hardships and oppression.

They also work to see the good in people even through these hardships.

Through the prejudice they face they are able to maintain positive outlooks.

The strong characters and detailed plots will truly take you back in time, allowing you to empathize with the characters and the discrimination they suffered. Fans of historical fiction like “To Kill A Mockingbird” will enjoy “Between Shades of Gray.”

“WE WERE LIARS” BY E. LOCKHART

READINGRECS Recommendations for books based on school reading from students and staff COMMUNICATION ARTS TEACHER ANNA NELSON

“If you enjoy ... “Fahrenheit 451,” “1984” or ...

“Frankenstein,” you should check out “Never Let Me Go” by Kazuo Ishiguro. It tells the story of ... students who must come to terms with their own destinies in the name of scientific advancement and medical discovery”

JUNIOR ABBY BROWN

“[For] “Fahrenheit 451,” I think the most relatable is “Divergent” ... It’s dystopian and ... the series is very similar to “Fahrenheit 451.” I liked it because I really like dystopian books about the future”

I would probably be one of the first high school students to admit that I love reading William Shakespeare’s plays. In terms of greatness, I firmly believe that none can surpass the classic of classics and pinnacle of English 9, “Romeo and Juliet.” If you, like me, enjoyed this tragic tale of two star-crossed lovers, then you’ll be sure to enjoy “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan.

“Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” is the story of a bass player named Nick and a music lover named Norah who meet at a concert and go on an epic allnight date. Nick and Norah are, of course, the Romeo and Juliet in this story. Instead of being annoyingly in love (or lust as communication arts teacher Ashley Agre would put it) like Romeo and Juliet, though, they annoyingly fall in and out of love. Nonetheless, Nick and Norah hold a place right next to Romeo and Juliet as two of the moodiest and most annoying characters who I have ever read about.

The character similarities do not stop there. Nick is initially trying to get over a past love, Tris, in the same way Romeo obsessed over Rosaline before he saw Juliet. Nick’s bandmates, Dev and Thom, support him like Benvolio and Mercutio supported Romeo, and also prove to be good confidants a la Friar Lawrence. Norah’s old lover, Tal, proves to be a very Tybalt-esque figure in that he both has a connection to Norah and does not get along well with Nick.

Although their families have not put them quite in a position of tragedy, Norah is still reluctant to tell Nick that her father is a big name record executive out of fear that Nick will only love her for because of that. Nick and Norah also do not die in the end (spoiler alert), but they still go through their emotional ups and downs.

While “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist” may not be a carbon copy of “Romeo and Juliet,” the two are still very similar. Any fan of “Romeo and Juliet” ought to read “Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist,” as it puts a refreshingly modern spin on a classic storyline.

Buy ONE public skate get second FREE 19900 Johnson Drive Shawnee, KS 6618 Phone: (913)441-3033 www.kcicecenter.com Limit 1 per person per day Design by Madison Ferguson and Katherine White

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PHOTO ESSAY archaeology

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

DIG IT

Offered to students from both Mill Valley and De Soto High School, social studies teacher Keil Hileman’s Archaeology class offers students the opportunity to learn through interactive digs and the study of artifacts

ABOVE: Senior Tarah Shane examines an artifact on Wednesday, Nov. 5. in social studies teacher Keil Hileman’s Archaeology class at Monticello Trails Middle School. “Finding the artifacts are awesome, and so are the stories that come with it,” said Shane. Photo by Brooke Wiebe

ABOVE: In his Archaeology class at Monticello Trails Middle School, De Soto High School senior Travis Fraker uncovers small rocks from the dig on Friday, Oct. 31. Photo by Karissa Schmidt LEFT: Working on a prehistoric dig in social studies teacher Keil Hileman’s Archaeology class at Monticello Trails Middle School, senior Tyler Beyer brushes dirt off a rock buried by fellow classmates on Tuesday, Nov. 4. Photo by Claire Biles

ABOVE: Senior Logan Marney cleans and identifies the artifact she dug up in her Archaeology class on Friday, Oct. 31. “My favorite part [of the class] is seeing something new everyday and enjoying the process [of digging],” said Marney. Photo by Karissa Schmidt RIGHT: Social studies teacher Keil Hileman explains the history of an artifact in his Archeology class on Wednesday, Nov. 5. Photo by Brooke Wiebe Design by Karissa Schmidt

LEFT: Listening intently to social studies teacher Keil Hileman, senior Andrew Holman holds up a rock from the dig on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

“I love learning about all of the different things that the class offers,” said Hollman. “[The most unique part of the class is] the digs. I really enjoy participating in them.”

Photo by Margaret Mellott