JagWire Newspaper: Volume 23, Issue 5

BAD HABITS

As teens consistently make unhealthy choices, learning to improve is vital

01:00am

PAGE 4

Youth for Refugees begins new “House to Home” Project

PAGE 7

Tips, tricks and methods for students beginning spring cleaning

PAGE 13

Students discuss the appeal of a variety of coffees and a simple drive-thru at Dutch Bros

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Madelyn

Anna Zwahlen

Maggie Wieland

Leah Dresvyannikov

Hailey Perrin

Abby Riggs

Ian Chern

Luci Guess

HARD HABITS TO BREAK

Recognizing poor health habits can be the key to adopting some healthier habits

by jagwire staff

It is no secret that many teens struggle with maintaining healthy habits. With adults expressing concerns about things like a lack of sleep, caffeine addiction and unhealthy eating habits to no avail, it can seem like teens are not aware of the problem. But for many students, the real issue isn’t the habits themselves, it’s finding a solution.

It is an unfortunate truth that many bad habits are frequently glamorized among teens. Most teens are acutely familiar with the competition for who can get the least amount of sleep while still functioning. This kind of rhetoric, though, normalizes the problem rather than normalizing working toward solutions.

According to a 2011 National Sleep Foundation poll, by the time U.S. students reach their senior year in high school, they are sleeping an average of 6.9 hours a night, down from an average of 8.4 hours in the sixth grade. The Sleep Foundation explained that this problem is confounded by an increase in caffeine consumption, which is shown to make “you fall asleep later, sleep less hours overall, and make your sleep

feel less satisfying.”

In an article by Medical News Today, a study said that 83.2% of teenagers consume caffeinated beverages regularly. With this knowledge, it

The CDC found that during a study conducted from 2015 to 2018, children and adolescents consumed on average 13.8% of their daily calories from fast food. This is up 4% from 2010. These common fast food habits create a vicious cycle that can have serious health issues down the line.

Teens should acknowledge the consequences of bad health and feel empowered to make changes to these habits because they know it is good for them. This doesn’t mean they should criticize bad habits, it means that they should be working against glamorizing them and taking small steps toward healthier lifestyles.

Adults can help by modeling these changed, healthier habits for the teens in their lives. They can also help spread awareness of the consequences of excessive caffeine, fast food intake and of a chronic lack of sleep.

would make sense that teens are having issues with sleep. Furthermore, many teens find themselves having to stay up later or making fast food runs just to save time.

There are many things that teens and adults alike can do to tackle this problem. Actively recognizing bad habits and working to create a more positive conversation around their consequences is vital to living healthier lives.

Teens should acknowledge the consequences of bad health and feel empowered to make changes to these habits because they know it is good for them.

Jagwire Staff

Since Jan. 23, Youth for Refugees has been collaborating with local refugee reassignment organization Della Lamb to collect donations for the House to Home project. House to Home, a project created by Della Lamb, aims to furnish a home and stock a refrigerator for a refugee family arriving in Kansas by re-purposing gently used furniture and household items.

Youth for Refugees, plans to collect all necessary items via donation from students and surrounding community members to furnish a house for a refugee family coming to Kansas City.

The club is still in need of big ticket furniture such as dressers, food storage sets, mattresses and bed frames. YFR plans to end their donation drive “when all necessary items have been collected” with a goal of gathering all necessary donation items by the end of March. Should there still be items that have yet to be donated, YFR will extend the house drive for as long as needed.

What started in October as a tour of Della Lamb’s Kansas City facility to ask about potential service projects developed into a partnership with the refugee organization to undertake their largest service project offered.

According to YFR volunteer coordinator and junior Gwen Heideman, House to Home’s hands-on service work piqued the curiosity of the club’s officers upon its initial introduction.

“The House To Home project was one of the things that really caught our attention,” Heideman said. “It was something that we

could directly contribute to rather than just donating money and, as Youth for Refugees’ officers, we really wanted to do something that

HOUSE TO

Youth for Refugees partners with Della Lamb for House to Home project

would make an impact. We used [Della Lamb] as a catalyst to get started with our [project]. They would fit our needs and we just wanted to help them.”

Since starting their donation drive-thru SignUpGenius, YFR has received support from the school and surrounding community in receiving a little over half of the items requested within the drive’s first month.

Project donors like junior Sarah Reynolds, who donated a side table, said that she already wanted to give the item away. Finding a good cause for the table made it all the more special.

“I looked at the sort of items they needed and noticed they needed a bedside table, and I had just moved mine out of my room because I didn’t have space for it anymore,” Reynolds said. “It was al-

by madelyn writer/photographerwelch

by gabby delpleash online editor in chief

Members of the football team, juniors Gavin Johnson, Daniel Blaine and Ryan Deverill team up to unload a donated bed out of a truck for Youth for Refugees Tuesday, Feb 28.

Photo by Ian Chern

I want [this family] to know that we support them and that Kansas City is welcoming and that we support them through and through.

Junior Gwen Heidman

ready cleaned out and everything, so I signed up to give it to someone who could use it more than I was.”

Della Lamb engagement director Cori Wallace made it possible for YFR to use the organization as their project “catalyst.” Wallace, who first met with the club’s officers over a Zoom call in September, says YFR is the youngest group of students to tackle the House to Home project from beginning to end; a project that takes adult-run organizations an average of six months to complete, YFR plans to have accomplished in four months.

“I have all the confidence in the world that Generation Z really understands the nature of displaced people and have a real sense of empathy and curiosity,” Wallace said. “When I have a curious group of young, Generation Z women leading this charge, I want to strike when the iron is hot because I knew they would be motivated and capable and I found that to be true.”

Junior Grace Cormany, who is in charge of media marketing for YFR’s involvement with House to Home, says the club’s officers took great pride in methodically outlining the process of partnering with Della Lamb to launch the project.

“Lots of planning went into the House to Home project. At the beginning of the year, we knew we wanted to get more involved, so we initially started looking at volunteer opportunities. It was then that we came across House to Home,” Cormany said. “After reading about

THE CHECK LIST

Bigger items that Youth for Refugees needs to supply for the final touches of the project

BED FRAMES MATTRESSES MICROWAVE TV/ RADIO LOVE SEAT

their mission, we knew we wanted to work with them, so we reached out and got set up. We had to find a storage unit for all of the items, figure out transportation for larger items, and brainstorm how to get the word out. We’re so happy that everything is up and moving now.”

Though the donation drive has already experienced been successful so far, Cormany believes the upcoming spring cleaning season will help boost their donations even more to help YFR eventually reach their end goal.

“The project is going so well. We get closer to reaching our goal every day, but we still have some items that need to be signed up for,” Cormany said. “With spring cleaning coming up, take a look at our SignupGenius to see if any of your extra items can be donated to help a family in need.”

Pioneering a new degree of refugee advocation within the school, Heideman hopes to extend the support raised through House to Home to all refugees in Kansas City and beyond.

“I want [this family] to know that we support them and that Kansas City is welcoming and that we support them through and through,” Heideman said. “I hope that they’re able to take this act of kindness and push forward and do something great with themselves and be able to become financially independent and be able to support themselves. I know it’s got to be hard coming to a new place. Just giving them the little boost they need can really help.”

2 ACCENT CHAIRS KITCHEN TABLE

4 CHAIRS

Junior Ryan Deverill carries a box spring, donated by junior Anna Zwahlen, up the access ramp, toward a lower B storage room, for Youth for Refugees Tuesday, Feb 28.

Photo by Ian Chern

GARDEN GLAMOUR

The prom committee has been hard at work to make this year’s prom a reality

by madelyn writer/photographerwelch

Asmall committee of around five students and two teachers are in charge of making prom a reality. They have many responsibilities for planning prom and are currently working through decoration and invitation ideas. Prom will be held Saturday, April 1 at the Ball Event Center in Olathe.

Prom Committee leader Angie DalBello explains what else the committee is responsible for.

“We have to book a venue. That’s probably first and foremost,” DalBello said. “We usually do that one to two years ahead of time, obviously [set] a date, which is also more challenging than you would think because in the spring there are spring sports and other school activities.”

Junior Addisyn White, who is on the prom committee, talks about how the group came up with this year’s prom theme.

“Our theme for prom this year is

everyone is a challenge for DalBello.

“Surprisingly, there’s not a lot of options [for venues] in Kansas City because when you think about it, you have to have a place that can accommodate 550 to 600 kids,” DalBello said. “When you think about places you’ve been to for weddings you think oh yeah, that’s a big place, but it probably can only hold like 200 or 250.”

White was very eager to join the prom committee at the beginning of this year because for her it is satisfying to plan something and see it come to fruition.

WANT TO ATTEND?

What you need to know to make it to prom on time and with tickets

When:

8-11 p.m. Saturday, April 1

Where:

Garden of Glamour. We first started out by just brainstorming some ideas, we had some prom books and the members of the committee asked their friends for any ideas,” White said. “We then, over the course of a few weeks, narrowed down our selection. In the end we had two contenders but we decided on this theme because it combined the two.”

Since booking the venue is a task that needs to be completed years ahead of time, trying to find a quality building that can accommodate

“I decided to join the prom committee because I wanted to help make prom the best it can be,” White said. “I wanted to be involved in the decisions that are made into a reality.”

DalBello admits she was skeptical at first about coordinating prom when her co-worker asked her to help lead the committee years ago, but she is glad that she took the opportunity.

“I’ve been doing this [for] eight years maybe longer,” DalBello said “and then it turns out I love it.”

Tickets:

Theme:

You must arrive before 9 p.m. Ball Conference Center in Olathe $30 per person, only sold at school Garden Glamour

Junior Avery Gullach-Ruiz discusses the layout of fake flowers in a vase for decoration along with Junior Sophia Franco for the upcoming prom that will take place April 1

Photo by Hailey Perrin

I decided to join the prom committee because I wanted to help make prom the best it can be.

Junior Addisyn White

Design by Katelyn Krosky

SPRING CLEANING CLEANING TIPS

& TRICKS

Six tips to get you started on your spring cleaning

Keeping Your Car Clean

Part of cleaning your car means making sure your car smells good. For a cheaper cost you can make your own fabric refresher. Just mix fabric softener, baking soda and warm water in a spray bottle.

*Source: One Crazy House

Tackling Closets

Bring organization into the game by decluttering closets. “When cleaning your closet, pull everything out and place it on the floor. It makes it easier to go through everything,” said an anonymous student. Also, consider donating clothes that aren’t worn often. *Source: Student Survey

Organizing Your Bedroom

Cleaning your bedroom may be a daunting task. Take just 15 minutes a day to clean your room to make your chores easier. Working around this mentality and listening to some music should make cleaning a breeze. *Source: How Stuff Works

CLEANING CHECKLIST

Get the most out of your spring cleaning by following this checklist

Change sheets/ flip mattress

Flip Mattresses

Flipping over mattresses can make them last longer. Not only does it prolong the life of the mattress, but it can assist in a better night’s sleep. *Source: Healthline

Staying Green While Cleaning

If you want to minimize cleaning products, try this friendly alternative. To get rid of stubborn stains on windows and mirrors, you can make your own all-purpose cleaner by mixing up 1-part white vinegar, 1-part lemon juice and 4 parts water. *Source: Advent Air

Cleaning Screens

This is something that most people say they are going to do but never get around to cleaning their electronics’ screens. Take some time to wipe down your electronics: phones, tablets, laptops and even your TV.

*CNet

STUDENT THOUGHTS

Students share their opinion on spring cleaning

*Survey of 76

77% of students typically clean their bedroom first

95% of students listen to music while they clean

Dust all flat surfaces and shelves

Sweep, mop, and vacuum floors

Purge & donate items no longer needed

Organize closets and drawers

Clean out trash and unnecessary items from car

Wipe down windows and mirrors

I always, always love to listen to music when I’m cleaning. I like to do throwback songs to make it more fun, because cleaning is not super fun, but I always start with picking up everything first. Then I can have everything off the floor, and then I will normally vacuum. Then I’d go into cleaning with my Norwex cloths and actual chemical cleaners.

- Sophomore Bella Guess

Spring cleaning can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be

UN

HEALTHY

by avery gathright editor in chief

by emma clement online editor in chief by anna writer/photographerzwahlen

HABITS 01:00

Students describe and explore the cause of their unhealthy eating, drinking and sleeping habits

NOT SO HEALTHY

It’s not uncommon for teenagers to have bad habits they just can’t seem to break, but when it comes to habits that affect health it gets even more complex. Experts often point to teen’s seemingly never ending schedules as a source of these habits, and address concerns for the effects these habits may have in the future. Many teens have unique struggles with keeping healthy habits a part of daily life. Students share their stories about sleep deprivation, caffeine intake and fast food consumption and how these habits affect their lives.

CRAVING CAFFEINE

Teen’s often unhealthy sleep cycles can lead to another unhealthy habit: caffeine consumption. When students can barely stay awake, turning to caffeinated beverages like coffee and energy drinks to help seems like an obvious and easy solution. However, it can also lead to health issues down the line.

Senior Jayden Mendenhall is one student who regularly drinks coffee in the morning and energy drinks before she goes to work. Mendenhall has noticed how not drinking caffeine can affect her.

“I don’t necessarily view it negatively,” Mendehall said. “I feel like it isn’t that bad for me, but it is definite-

ly an addiction because when I don’t drink caffeine, I can feel it. I can tell I’m going through withdrawal and stuff. I get really tired and I don’t want to talk to anybody.”

Mendenhall cites her sleep schedule as the source of her caffeine addiction.

“I think I started getting into the habit because of my lack of sleep,” Mendenhall said. “I was staying up super late, so in the morning, I started noticing that I was super tired. I just tried to make up for it through caffeine. I just got hooked on it.”

According to Lauer, although caffeine consumption can help people stay awake, it can also come with a myriad of negative effects, some more immediate than others.

“It can make us more alert but

when overdone it can make us jittery, edgy [and] anxious,” Lauer said. “It is also important to keep in mind that the adolescent brain is still developing and maturing and using psychoactive medications of any type may interfere with that maturation process. Caffeine can also work in the kidneys to make us urinate more, which can lead to mild dehydration if you’re not getting in enough water.”

Mendenhall believes that the caffeine helps make her schedule more manageable.

“My average weekday is I wake up at 6:30 and I don’t stop doing stuff and working until about 9:30 at night,” Mendenhall said. “I get up in the morning, I go to school, [and] I go straight from school to work. I don’t get home until like 9:30. Without caffeine, you just wouldn’t be able to do that … You just kind of have to make up for that make up energy somehow.”

To avoid having teens’ caffeine intake affect their sleep schedules, Lauer advises students to be conscious about the amount of caffeine they are drinking and to avoid consuming it later in the day.

“The suggestion is to keep it to one cup of coffee a day, or no more than 100 milligrams a day,” Lauer said. “Remember that many soft drinks contain caffeine as well so for instance a 16 ounce Coke has 65 milligrams of caffeine. Most “energy” drinks work

FAST FOOD FIXATION

Finding time to prepare, cook and eat a meal is especially difficult for some teenagers, many of whom turn to fast food runs for the sake of convenience amidst their busy schedules. With packed agendas, speed and convenience can take precedence over healthy food choices, despite the dietary risks of frequent fast food meals.

According to a JagWire survey, 87.9% of students who responded eat fast food at least once a week. After school activities can frequently crowd evening schedules making it difficult to maintain healthy eating habits. This is the case for students like Cowen.

“Every Monday I go to McDonald’s after scouts,” Cowen said. “And then on most Wednesdays and Thursdays I have play practice followed by robotics. So I just go [to McDonalds] on the way”

Despite their fast food eating routines, many students, like sophomore Zacheus Chesser, who finds himself at

CONCERNING CAFFEINE

Students share the source and the amount of their caffeine intake per day

by adding caffeine, so you should read labels to understand what is going into your body. In addition, the general advice is to not drink caffeine after noon; everyone is different, but for some people drinking caffeine later in the day can interfere with getting good sleep that night.” 31.6%

27.6% of students get their caffine from energy drinks

23.7% of students get their caffine from soda

McDonald’s more than once a week after school, are aware of the negative costs of eating fast food regularly during their week.

“It’s a lot of money that I spend instead of cooking something,” Chesser said. “But I usually try to eat dinner at home - something healthier.”

Once more, teenage schedules prove to be the bane of a healthy, home cooked meal. While most parents may disapprove of these habits, students like Chesser have found that their opinions on the matter are minimal.

“[My parents] don’t like it too much,” Chesser said. “But sometimes I pick stuff up for them so they’re not too mad about it.”

Cowen has had similar experiences with his parents and their opinions on his eating habits in addition to the reactions of his friends.

“My dad doesn’t approve too much,” Cowen said. “My mom doesn’t seem to care and most of my friends just think it’s funny.”

While medical recommendations, financial considerations and peer opinion are all factors that play into habitually eating fast food, ultimately these dietary decisions are made by the individual.

According to Chesser, dietary decisions can and should be made based on the individual and their lifestyle, as they depend on fitness, finances and reasoning for the habit.

35.5%

of students describe their caffeine habits as healthy

44.7% vs. of students describe their caffeine habits as somewhat unhealthy

HOW MUCH CAFFEINE (SERVINGS) DO YOU CONSUME A DAY?

0 servings

1 servings

2 servings

3 servings

4+ servings

“I think if you can afford it and if you work it off, it’s pretty good,” Chesser said. “But if you just do it just to eat fast food, it’s not good for you.”

Despite the low nutritional value of fast food, Chesser finds himself eating fast food not only for the speed, but also for the price.

“I know it’s a pretty bad habit,” Chesser said. “But it’s also really convenient, so I do it a lot and it’s pretty cheap: probably like 40 bucks a week, so not that much”

Frequenting the drive-thru not only has financial costs, but physical costs as well. According to Lauer, the significance of a healthy diet outweighs the convenience of a fast food meal.

“Without a healthy diet balanced with a healthy exercise regimen, it is very challenging to stay healthy and be able to do all the things we want to in life,” Lauer said. “So it’s important for everyone, adolescents included, to understand the health benefits of a healthy diet.”

FAST FOOD FRENZY

Students respond to a survey with their fast food preferences

52.6%

Getting enough sleep is a common struggle, but with balancing school, free time, activities and potentially a job, teens have an especially unique challenge in finding the time to get enough rest.

Junior Noah Johnson is well-aware that his sleep schedule is a problem, and finds that his schoolwork can worsen this.

“I generally stay up pretty late and I wake up about as late as I have to

SLACKING ON SLEEP MAN ON THE STREET

in order to get out the door on time,” Johnson said. “I definitely don’t get enough sleep. Ideally, I would get around 8 hours [per night] but it ends up being more like 5 hours. As the year goes on it decreases, so now it’s about 4 hours.”

According to Steve Lauer, Associate Chair of the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Kansas Health System, a healthy amount of sleep for teens is typically around 8-9

hours per night. According to a JagWire survey, only 30.3% of students actually get this amount each night. With his regular routine of getting only four to five hours of sleep each night, Johnson falls into the 69.7% of students who get less than 8 hours. Lauer explains the harm of getting this amount on a regular basis.

“We all need sleep to allow our brains to rest from all of the activities of the previous day as well as get

Students were asked what their usual sleep schedule looks like and why it looks that way

I get about 8 hours of sleep. I relax at night by watching dance moms.

Sophomore Bella Supica

I get 6 to 7 hours of sleep. I stay up with my friends and on social media.

Junior Izzy Skramstad

students say that Chick-fil-a is their go-to fast food restraunt

students say they eat at fast food restraunts 1-2 times a week

72.4% of students describe their caffeine habits as healthy

34.2% vs.

of students describe their caffeine habits as somewhat healthy

35.5%

Survey of 76 students

ready for what’s coming our way tomorrow. If we don’t get enough sleep, our brains won’t be able to function as well the next day. It’s hard to learn new things when you are tired.”

Even with the effects considered, teens like Johnson oftentimes find themselves awake late naturally. According to senior Garrett Cowen, his thoughts can often prevent him from falling asleep. When this happens, he believes that he might as well fill his time.

“There’s just a lot more on my mind, so I couldn’t fall asleep anyway,” Cowen said. “So I want to distract myself.”

Johnson relates to this sentiment, with a variety of things that keep him from going to bed: schoolwork, hygiene habits and YouTube. Johnson explains the effects this lack of sleep has on his life.

“I have a lot of brain fog when I don’t sleep and it affects my ability to

much sleep is healthy as a not-so-subtle hint to me. They’re trying to help me get more.”

Even with this familial support, Weatherman has struggled to get good amounts of sleep due to schoolwork.

“Some nights I go to bed earlier, but I can never get a consistent schedule with homework variation and all that,” Weatherman said. “It’s usually just working on schoolwork, after school clubs and activities and just wanting to have time by myself after a long day.”

Improving sleep is important, according to Lauer. He describes some of the more serious and long-term effects of sleep deprivation.

“Poor sleep habits and sleep deprivation are associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression,” Lauer said. “A tired brain mixed with the social isolation of the pandemic, is much more likely to develop mental health issues than a rested brain. In addition, being tired makes it very difficult to get school work done, adding to the stress and anxiety of adolescence. I frequently tell parents and teens that I can’t tell a tired brain from an ADHD brain. Long term sleep deprivation makes it very challenging for the development of executive function skills to proceed in the right manner, making it eventually more challenging to do well at work or in college.

While Lauer wants teens to understand a lack of sleep’s negative effects, Weatherman believes that adults should understand that it is a common problem for teens and that finding a solution is not as simple as it may seem.

SLEEP STATISTICS

The current sleep scheadule of students and the cuases behind them

57.9%

of students say that their main cause of lack of sleep is due to homework

55.3%

of students say that they get around 6-7 hours of sleep on average per night

focus on schoolwork, talk to other people and everything in general,” Johnson said. “My friends also do not get very much sleep and my family, they make fun of me for it, but it’s just kind of a fact of life.”

Freshman Ian Weatherman has similar experiences with sleep to Johnson and Cowen. Weatherman’s sleep deprivation is a habit his family is trying to help him break.

“My mom and dad are trying to fix it,” Weatherman said. “My mom has brought it up on my last few doctor visits. She’s asked the doctor how

“I think [adults] should know that [sleep deprivation] is not in just a few people,” Weatherman said. “This affects most of the teenagers that I know. You shouldn’t expect everyone to have full energy early in the morning, even with coffee and such things. There are just some people that do better work at night.”

One thing teens can start with when it comes to improving sleep is finding the amount of sleep that is right for them. Lauer encourages teens to figure this out so they know what their body needs to feel ready for the day.

“The real answer is that each person is different and the right answer for a friend may not be the right answer for you,” Lauer said. “You need enough sleep to be able to wake up feeling rested and organized about the new day.”

51.3% of students would describe their sleep habits as unhealthy

Survey of 76 students

The real answer is that each person is different and the right answer for a friend may not be the right answer for you. You need enough sleep to be able to wake up feeling rested.

Steve Lauer

FOCUS ON THE PROCESS

Applying yourself to the learning process is vital for long-term academic success

by anna writer/photographerzwahlen

As the final stretch of the school year looms closer, students begin to set their focus on raising their grades, seemingly at any cost. In reality, by focusing exclusively on grades and scores, many students end up cutting corners, which sets them up for failure in the future.

For many students, final transcripts are the defining factor of an application’s success, whether it be for honor societies or colleges. However, when a student takes shortcuts to get that “A” on their transcript, they lose the soft skills that they could have gained from the process of doing the assignment with their full effort.

Admittedly, I, like so many others, have fallen into the grade-obsessed mindset. I’ve cut corners to get the grades I want by copying from friends or Google just to complete assignments, for example. However, when tests rolled around and content got harder, I had to heave myself out

of those habits. It simply became impossible to succeed without the skills that those smaller assignments had been meant to build.

Instead of focusing on getting a good score on assignments, I should

grade-oriented approach on assignments to a process-oriented approach is, admittedly, very difficult. It requires not only a shift in mindset but also a shift in work ethic. For example, where I would normally try to get an assignment done as fast as possible, I instead have to take a moment and find the areas where I struggle, then ask myself, “what makes this assignment difficult?”

have focused on the skills those assignments were building, like argumentation, critical thinking and math techniques. Ultimately, my obsession with letter grades let me down.

Making the change from a

Though ending high school with a high GPA may assist in college admissions, that doesn’t guarantee success in university. If you take too many shortcuts to achieve that GPA, you haven’t developed the skills necessary for success at the college level. On top of hard, learned skills, completing assignments with a good work ethic builds the soft skills like autonomous learning and organization that are necessary for that success. Actively seeking out areas of skill development in assignments may take longer than looking up the answer, but the long-term learning involved in the process is more beneficial than the alternative of cutting corners.

The long-term learning involved in the process is more beneficial than the alternative of cutting corners. Anna Zwahlen

Design by Katelyn Krosky

COFFEE

by abby writer/photographerriggs

Students today are constantly busy, balancing school, work, and other extracurricular activities. This strenuous schedule that many students deal with can make it hard to find time to enjoy simple pleasures like a quick coffee break. Drive-thru coffee shops provide a quick and easy solution to balancing a busy schedule. They have become increasingly popular among high school students.

Sophomore Jada Winfrey is a frequent visitor of Dutch Bros Coffee, a drive-thru coffee shop located off Shawnee Mission Parkway. Dutch Bros is a franchise found across the country that offers a wide array of beverages and pastries including coffees, smoothies, energy drinks, lemonades and milkshakes.

“Dutch Bros is one of my favorite places to get coffee. The coffee is really good and there is a big variety of drinks,” Winfrey said. “I really like their holiday drinks, one of my favorite things to get is the Sugar N Spice Oak Milk Latte. The workers are also always nice which just makes the experience good.”

Winfrey enjoys the convenience that Dutch Bros and other drive-thru coffee shops like it provide.

“I really like how [Dutch Bros] is fast and easy,” Winfrey said. “You don’t have to get out of your car so I can go there still wearing pajamas

Drive thru coffee shops make getting your drink more convenient when life gets busy

and it has pretty long hours so I can go early in the morning or late at night.”

Sophomore Seville Skinner is a coffee and tea fanatic who is rarely seen without a drink in hand. Like Winfrey, Skinner is a frequent visitor of Dutch Bros Coffee.

“I love having something other than water with me all the time,” Skinner said. “My go to order is the aftershock Red Bull drink [from Dutch Bros].”

Skinner finds drive-thru coffee

ON THE GO CONVENIENT COFFEE PLACES

shops to be a refreshing way to try new places while trying to balance a busy schedule.

“I love trying new drinks and new places but sometimes it’s hard to have time to go to cute little coffee shops,” Skinner said. “That’s why drive-through coffee shops are nice because it’s an opportunity to change things up instead of always going to somewhere like Starbucks. They’re really quick so you can try something new without taking too much time out of your day.”

At the local Dutch Bros on Shawnee Mission Parkway, sophomore Jada Winfrey enjoys her Golden Eagle Chai and sophomore Seville Skinner drinks her Aftershock Red Bull drink Saturday, Feb. 25.

Photo by Sydney McGlassen

THE WAITING GAME

A shortage of bus drivers is forcing students to miss an entire block of their school day when they leave for their extracurricular activities

Wieland

by lucienna writer/photographerguess by abby writer/photographerriggs

Job shortages have affected almost every industry and school transportation is no exception. The lack of bus drivers has forced students to adapt to inconsistent bussing schedules that often cause them to arrive at an opposing team’s school hours before they play. Head boys basketball coach Kurt

Bangle and his athletes first became affected by the driver shortage after the return to sports following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“[The bus driver shortage has] still just continued. [It’s] something that’s not easily fixed at the moment.” Bangle said. “A lot of times, we’re getting students out during

AN UNWANTED BREAK

their last block of the day so students will arrive around 2 p.m. so they’ll have about two hours before their game starts to go sit in some classroom or hang out around whatever school we go to.”

Buses are provided to the district through an outside company called First Student. According to Bangle, this leaves the district with little control of the bus schedules.

Rob Moser, the coordinator of safety and transportation for the district, said in an email that the staffing issues “mirror what we’re seeing in other areas of employment.”

The higher licensing requirements needed to work as a bus driver results in a smaller group of qualified applicants for the position. Moser reports this issue is something the district recognizes and is working with First Student to help adapt to the current circumstances.

“The district has assisted First Student by advertising for new drivers on the district’s website and allowed for school buses with advertisement banners to be placed on district property,” Moser said. “First Student is trying to attract new drivers to the job by getting creative with advertising methods and reaching out to the community through new avenues, but the challenge persists.”

Moser also recognized how schools within the district have been

What a game day looks like for a player on the girls varsity basketball team

Looking at their phones, girls basketball players wait in the Shawnee Mission East gym between their arrival at the school and warm-ups before their game Friday, Feb. 10 Photo by Maggie

leave class to change clothes

The bus ride from Mill Valley to Shawnee Mission East takes 30 minutes

Girls varsity basketball players wait three hours - twice the length of an average high school basketball game - between their arrival at Shawnee Mission East and warm-ups for their game Friday, Feb. 10.

supportive despite current transportation issues and appreciates the relationship the district has with First Student.

“That strong partnership has helped us continue transportation services nearly unchanged in this district,” Moser said. “While other districts around us have implemented strategies to reduce the amount of service they provide as a result of their staffing shortages.”

As a result of the inconsistent schedules, Junior varsity volleyball player, Kaitlyn Burke, has found ways to stay on top of her school work while missing the entirety of her last block on away game days. She spends her time working on her homework on the bus or inside the opposing team’s school.

“[If] we leave at 2 p.m., but our game is not until 4 p.m., we would have to do our homework on the bus,” Burke said. “When we got there, [the opposing school] would give us an individual study room. We’ve learned we need to tell our teachers [we’re leaving early] in advance. Throughout the season, we learned to help each other with our homework.”

Sophomore basketball player Addie Riffel, who frequently misses her fifth block for every away game, notices the schedule adding unneeded stress to her academic career. However, Riffel has managed to stay on top of her schoolwork and has kept herself from falling behind in the classes that she frequently misses.

“Last year I had math fifth block and that was a class that was hard to miss because it’s hard to teach yourself math at home so that was difficult,” Riffel said. “I’ve never struggled too much with making up work and I’ve always managed to catch up when I get behind.”

As homework isn’t always an op-

tion, Bangle finds the biggest problem for his players is finding productive activities to occupy the players time with before they begin warming up for their game.

“The biggest thing is them trying to fill that time whenever they get over to an opposing school. You don’t know if you have a classroom

Laying against the bleachers, members of the boys basketball team pass the time between their arrival at Shawnee Mission East and the beginning of their game by listening to music and talking to each other Friday, Feb. 10.

a classroom.” Bangle said. “[The hardest part] is trying to figure out how to keep those students doing something and not just kind of sitting around the whole time.”

Riffel and the girls basketball team spend their time not only doing school work but spending time together and growing closer as a team.

“You really just hang out with your teammates and spend time together until it’s time to play,” Riffel said. “Sometimes the girls will braid each other’s hair and do that sort of thing while we wait or we’ll just sit and talk or walk around.”

With the school having no direct control of the issue, head girls basketball coach Adam Runyan hopes school administrators can continue to help accommodate schools when arrival times are irregular.

[so students don’t always] bring their computers to work on things but we’re not always guaranteed to have

“With every single school in the state struggling with this issue, I think it’s a matter of people being flexible. Hopefully, more bus drivers sign up to drive for the bus companies,” Runyan said.

During the break, the players do homework, listen to music and do other things to pass the time

After 15 minutes of warm-ups, the girls varsity game lasts just over an hour

p.m.

Photo by Maggie Wieland

I could say the [the bussing issue] made us closer.

I’d say we spend more time together because of it.

Kaitlyn Burke

ROCKIN’ ROBOTS

Due to an increase in membership, the district’s robotics team split into two teams: Varsity Team 1810: Catatronics and JV Team 9316: Cub-atronics

Team 1810’s robot has an aluminum chassis, a first in team history. The robot will compete in the FIRST Robotics Competition 2023 game, Charged Up, and will be able to pick up cones and inflatable cubes.

Photo by Gabby Delpleash

At a team practice, junior mechanical sub-team captain Evan Mack leans over the varsity team’s robot, using a screwdriver to carefully secure a part. Thursday, Feb. 23

Photo by Baylen Monson

In the CTEC shop, junior mechanical subteam captain Evan Mack sands down a part for the varsity team’s robot Thursday, Feb. 23.

Photo by Gabby Delpleash

Building a battery cart for the junior varsity team, sophomore Jackson Pursell uses a nail gun to join pieces of plywood Saturday, Feb. 25.

Photo by Luke Wood

De Soto junior and programming sub-team captain Jack Williamson, junior Sebastian Smith and mentor Neil McLeod examine the varsity team’s code to ensure the robot will work during reveal, Saturday, Feb. 25.

Photo by Luke Wood

Following its exhibition, freshman Zach Chang holds the ramp in place on the JV team’s robot while mentor Gary Hannah measures its width Saturday, Feb. 25.

Photo by Gabby Delpleash

Design by Natalie Merley