Volume 14, Issue five by JagWire newspaper

JAGWIRE MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL | VOLUME 14 | ISSUE 5 | JANUARY 30, 2014 | MVNEWS.ORG

“I CAN DO IT LATER ...” on pages 10-11

NEWS 4

Murals by NAHS

FEATURE 7

Pokémon comeback

FEATURE 8

Students in Scouts

SPORTS 14

Dive team added

A&E 16

Everything Olympics 2014

NEWSinBRIEF

LITERARY MAGAZINE REVIVED Magazine to feature students’ literary work

BY ELLEN MERRILL

jagwire.ellenmerrill@gmail.com

T ABOVE: Senior literary magazine committee member Kara Lewis flips through a magazine demonstration at the first literature magazine meeting in sponsor Anna Nelson’s room on Thursday, Jan. 23. The new magazine will support creative works such as short stories, poetry and art. Photo by Miranda Miller

he Literary Magazine is being reintroduced after nearly five years for students who have creative writing and art pieces they want to share with the school. Sponsor Anna Nelson is excited about restarting the magazine and giving students the chance to publish their work. “[The Literary Magazine] is a collection of short stories, creative stories or

artwork that students can submit,” Nelson said. “It is a great opportunity for students to read work by their peers.” English teacher Justin Bogart suggested Nelson restart the magazine since she teaches Creative Writing. “It seemed like a natural fit for her to oversee the magazine since she has some insight,” Bogart said. Nelson selected 11 students to be on the committee to create the magazine. However, students that wanted to be apart of the committee this school year but could not for any reason will have the opportunity next year. Any students can submit creative

BLOOD DRIVE HONORS COUNSELOR Middle school holds drive for Kansas City blood banks BY SAM LOPEZ

jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com

ABOVE: Special services teacher Pam Willcott donates blood at the drive hosted by Monticello Trails Middle School on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Photo by Miranda Miller

onticello Trails Middle School hosted its first annual blood drive in honor of school counselor Dave Anderson on Wednesday, Jan. 15. Anderson was diagnosed with leukemia in October and needed a blood transfusion to aid in his recovery. However, Anderson says that he wasn’t the main reason to hold the blood drive. “It was mainly because of the low blood banks in Kansas City,” Ander-

son said. “Those blood banks were something that I needed to tap into when I went to the hospital.” Over 100 people showed up to donate blood, but only about 75 were eligible to donate. Eighth grade social studies teacher Justin Pickens was one of the many first-time donors. “I want to make sure I am giving back to the community because it’s not that hard, so there’s no reason I can’t,” Pickens said. Anderson has a positive attitude about his future and is thankful for everyone supporting him. “I didn’t want to be down for long,” Anderson said. “I wanted to get back up and fight this thing.”

BY SAM LOPEZ

jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com

he district has introduced some minor changes to school security, which include new signs outside the building explaining the new safety features. “The signs are there to remind people to go around [to the west side] of the building,” school resource officer Mo Loridon said. Previously, both the east and the west entrances were open to visitors. Now that the east entrance is locked

2 BRIEFS

Design by Erika Kringen

during school hours, only the west entrance is open to visitors, decreasing possible contact between intruders and students. “If the intruders were coming in the [east] entrance, they would have to walk through the foyer to get to the main office,” Loridon said. “So now by locking those doors, [we are] only allowing people in on the west entrance … [They] will not have contact with the students unless there is a reason for them to come into the school.” This is one way the school is improving security. According to Loridon, “we are always looking at new and better ways to make sure that we keep the students and staff safe.”

TRENDING TOPICS CLASS CUP FRESHMEN #SOCHI2014 Many hopeful winter athletes, such as skier Mikaela Shiffrin plan on making it big at the Winter Olympics, which start on Friday, Feb. 23.

#OSCARS

SECURITY CHANGES

New signs show progress of school safety measures

stories, poetry and art work beginning after spring break. “We will announce the magazine eventually and put up posters,” Nelson said. “We will accept submissions after spring break and will get the magazine put together during fourth quarter.” There will be one issue of the literary magazine produced by the end of the year. “Maybe in the future we will have enough entries for the magazine to come out once a semester,” Nelson said. “Hopefully we will have 25-30 entries this semester depending on the interest of the student body.”

The Academy Awards nominations have been released. The Oscars are going to honor Hollywood’s finest on Sunday, March 2. “12 Years a Slave” is predicted to win Best Picture.

2 17 12 17

SOPHOMORES

JUNIORS

SENIORS #SUPERBOWL ABOVE: The new security signs inform incoming visitors of the available entrances. Photo by Miranda Miller

The Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks will face off at the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 2 in New Jersey.

*as of Monday, Jan. 27

Cover by Karissa Schmidt and Alana Flinn Trending Topics from MCT Campus

TARGETING

THE MARKET First year Marketing begins development of products

BY ALANA FLINN

jagwire.alana flinn@gmail.com

ABOVE LEFT: Senior marketing president of Blue 4 Nathan Brinker discusses the possible products his class will market on Friday, Jan. 24. “Not everyone likes the same product, so you have to first find your target market,” Brinker said. “[You have to] see what they like so you can select a product that best suits their needs.” Photo by Alana Flinn

he first year Marketing classes have begun creating their individual class products, which will be sold to students and staff beginning in March. Each class will have nine days to market their products and turn a profit. The Silver 4 Marketing class will offer a Jaguar decal. Senior Marketing president of Silver 4 Jacob Tharp said the class picked this due to the variety of ways the product could be utilized. “We took a bunch of ideas and wanted to focus on school spirit and something you can use at home or school,” Tharp said. “Plus, our school tends to base their spending capabilities on fun things they will enjoy.” Each class learned the fundamentals of marketing their products from consultants of Junior Achievement, a non-profit organization that sponsors economic education across the country. Marketing teacher Dianna Heffernon said the consultants meet with each class once a week to provide reallife scenarios to help students apply their knowledge to their companies.

“It’s an amazing program,” Heffernon said. “[Junior Achievement] is a huge hub for entrepreneurs.” Senior Marketing president of Blue 4 Nathan Brinker appreciates Junior Achievement for the advice the corporation provides to the class. “[Junior Achievement] really laid out the class course and how things get done,” Brinker said. “They’ve made it easier for making business decisions in the class.” Tharp is most excited because of the creative people in his class. “It’ll be interesting to see how the students are going to be able to think,” Tharp said. “Sales people have quotas that they have to meet so they have to be creative and get to that quota. So it will be interesting just to see what the students come up with.” Heffernon hopes students make a profit, but she mainly wants her students to leave her class loving business. “I hope by the end of Marketing, they understand and appreciate the entrepreneurial spirit,” Heffernon said. “I hope they leave loving marketing and being excited about taking the U.S. economy, which is one of the greatest economic systems in the world, and being able to apply that so they personally can benefit from that.”

LEARN TO ACHIEVE

Junior Achievement offers marketing education across nation

190,000 202,000 118 1919

classrooms affected by J.A.

volunteers.

J.A. operating areas in the U.S. first year of promoting business education.

Information from Junior Achievement

ABOVE LEFT: Looking for potential suppliers, senior marketing president of Silver 4 Jacob Tharp shops for an inexpensive deal on Tuesday Jan. 21 for the products his class will be selling. Photo by Alana Flinn ABOVE RIGHT: Marketing teacher Dianna Heffernon discusses selling strategies with her students on Thursday, Jan. 23. Photo by Karissa Schmidt Design by Katherine White and Alana Flinn

NEWS 3

NAHS BEGINS CREATION OF MURALS National Art Honor Society paints mural in C-wing BY SAM LOPEZ

jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com

BY RYAN FULLERTON

jagwire.ryanfullerton@gmail.com

he National Art Honor Society has begun working on a mural system intended to span the entire lower Cwing. They recently completed one mural by the C-wing staircase and are preparing concepts for future murals. “The primary reason we’ve created the murals for the C-wing is because right now it looks like an institution,” NAHS sponsor Jerry Howard said. “It looks like a prison. When you walk up and down the halls, they’re all the same color. They’re all the same institutional looking walls. The C-wing is primarily full of creative classes ... Yet when you walk out in the halls you’d have no idea [all these classes are here].” They plan to create a mural system that Howard describes as a “silhouette mural.” A line will span the course of that mural about a foot off the ground. When the line reaches a certain classroom, it will change into a visual representation of that class’s subject before transforming back into a line. “It takes the walls from being institutionalized, and it’s just kind of a creative way to do signage,” Howard said. “It’s just an informative mural. It’s really kind of a different twist. It’s not just aesthetic; it’s informative. It’s incorporating all those things together. That’s kind of our next thing.” NAHS vice president Steven Blaine

4 NEWS

Design by Ryan Fullerton

created the recent mural’s concept. “Each mural kind of has a different purpose,” Blaine said. “Mr. Howard had in mind for this mural to be a marker like the jaguar statue. So maybe if you’re a new student in the building, you can use it as a reference point.” In order to create a mural, NAHS members must submit their concepts to the administration for review. The concepts must meet certain requirements, but other requirements may be added later to the original concept. “We will submit an idea of what we want to do, and they will give us requirements,” Blaine said. “For [our most recent mural], we had to have a jaguar head, and it had to say ‘We ARE Mill Valley.’ They give us a list of criteria. Normally, they’ll give us the criteria first before we work on any concept.” In order to fund the project, Howard has to turn in a purchase order request to the administration for an approved mural. “Because we’re doing artwork for the school, the money is coming from the school. They’re paying those fees,” Howard said. Howard has also proposed a solution to “recycle” old murals for more wall space. He suggests that the school take a professional picture of old murals, archive them or hang them up for everyone to see. This would give NAHS more wall space to create more murals. “We wouldn’t want to mess up the heritage and the nostalgia of what was done in the past,” Howard said. “It’s just in the developmental stage right now. Now we just have to choose to implement it.”

MAKING MURALS

NAHS president Anna Frontaura explains mural plans Why did NAHS create the mural?

Administration wanted another painting for Mill Valley, and they thought that was a good spot to create something. We tried to do it last year, but the concepts were too difficult.

What are your plans for future murals?

We have another one that’s going to be a more colorful image, and it’s going to require more detail.

How do you hope students view the mural system?

ABOVE AND BELOW: NAHS vice president Steven Blaine puts a few finishing touches on the new mural in the C-wing on Thursday, Jan. 16. “The actual painting was hard, but when you finish it, it all just makes it worth while,” Blaine said. Photos by Madeline Lamons

That it’ll be timeless throughout the school ... We’re keeping it timeless by just reflecting the school mascot and having “We ARE Mill Valley” and always keeping the jaguar a big part of it.

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WHITNEY EPPS

Sophomore Whitney Epps recovers from surgery that took place on Saturday, Dec. 19 in St. Louis, MO BY JENA SMITH

jagwire.jenasmith@gmail.com

What is a lesion? It is a cavernous hemangioma, which is like a tumor.

How did you find out you had a lesion on your brain? We found out by getting an MRI [Magnetic Resonance Image], but we didn’t actually get the MRI first, which we should have. We got two week-long EEGs [electroencephalograms] first until [the doctors] said we needed an MRI. We got it, and found [the lesion] was there.

Can you describe an EEG? It’s a test where they monitor you in a room for a week, if you do a week-long EEG. They put electrodes on certain parts of your head depending on where your brain nerves are. They wanted to know if I had seizures. I knew I was having them, but [the doctors] wanted to know for sure. I was basically locked in a room for a week.

How long did you have the lesion before it was removed? We’ve known for three years, but I’ve had it since I was born. It was just too small to detect when I was a baby.

What kind of tests did you go through before surgery? I had so many MRIs, I don’t even know how many. I had an fMRI [functional Magnetic Resonance Image], which I had to get my braces off for because of the metal. fMRI is where you get to talk during the MRI and push buttons so the doctors can figure out where your speech area is. You also talk to the [technicians], and you answer questions and read stories off of the screen to detect your speech area.

What symptoms was the lesion causing?

At first we thought it was Tourette’s syndrome, but it wasn’t. It was causing seizures on the right side of my face. [The seizures] were tongue twitch-

6 FEATURE

ing and squinting of the eye, and [my] breathing pattern [would change]. As the years and the months went on, it progressed to my arms and legs. Then it progressed to me hearing sounds, and it changed my breathing. I couldn’t get up to walk. If I got up, I would fall. My strength was low after seizures.

What was life like having seizures? It was stressful. If I didn’t take my meds, I was scared because I would have to watch out for auras, which are mini-seizures. It just feels like I’m going to have a seizure because my tongue would twitch, and it felt like a magnet was pulling it to the right side of my face. [When] living life with seizures, you’d have to find the right medication to stop the seizures and stop the auras. My medication didn’t stop the auras; it just stopped the seizures so we progressed with surgery. It could be life threatening in the future [if it wasn’t removed].

How often were you having seizures and auras?

Without the medicine, I was having seizures a couple of times a week. With the medicine, I was not having seizures unless I maybe forgot a dose of my nighttime meds, which I only did in the beginning when I started. Now I never forget a dose. My last seizure was in April 2013.

What elements of your life changed with the lesion and the seizures?

Now I can grow up not having to live with seizures. I’m still taking the meds right now, but I won’t have to take those meds later on after a couple of years. It sounds like a long time, but thinking about how long I don’t have to take the meds [is more important].

What is the purpose of your epilepsy necklace?

If I have a seizure and the ambulance has to come and get me and they don’t know what’s going on, they will look first to see if I have medical identification. I have a necklace that shows them that I have epilepsy. And then they’ll

Design by Karissa Schmidt

know what to do from there.

How did you initially feel about getting an epilepsy necklace?

I had to wear it all the time and sometimes I would forget, but I had bracelets too. I would have to wear it to the pool, and I couldn’t go to the pool without someone who knew what was wrong. At first, I couldn’t go to the pool without a parent because my mom was scared I would have a seizure there. I understand why it would be scary for her.

What were you most concerned about going into surgery?

I was concerned about the risks because the lesion was right in between my motor strip and my speech area, and they had to wake me up during surgery. They put me down and then woke me up in the middle so I could talk. [The doctors] didn’t know what would happen. They thought for sure that even if they woke me up during surgery that I would have a speech deficit, but I didn’t.

How did you prepare for surgery?

We took it day by day. During something like [brain surgery], you need to talk to someone. I would talk to my mom and my dad. I’d even talk to my little brothers. I would talk to them and they would tell me it was going to be OK. My mom was a big part of everything. She took care of not just me, but everyone in my family. I don’t know how she did it.

What was it like being awake during brain surgery?

I woke up and the doctors made me count to 10 and stuff like that. I counted backwards, too. I asked this nurse there to hold my hand so I wouldn’t be scared. I didn’t want to be alone, and I didn’t want to be scared. I wanted to be strong. I needed to be strong. I could not freak out, and I wasn’t going to. I prepared myself for it. They needed to get [the lesion] out, and I decided I was not living with this thing in my head. Even when they didn’t ask me to count to 10 [when I was awake and the

doctor was operating] I was still talking to the nurse.

How has coming back to school been?

It’s been hard; I’m tired all the time. Band has a lot of moving around, and I play the cymbals, so I’m crashing them and standing up the whole time. I’m exhausted after school and after band. A lot of times I just want to go home and nap, but I don’t want to miss school and have missing work. My focus isn’t going to come back right away, so it’s going to be a hard couple of months. I go home at two o’clock each day so I don’t have to be in seminar and sit there. I can go home and go to sleep.

What steps to recovery do you still need to get through? My stitches haven’t all come out. I have to make sure I don’t itch my scar. I want to do swimming, and if I do, I can’t dive off the platforms because my skull isn’t fully healed yet. I’m getting headaches a lot. Since they [operated] I can’t feel my scalp. I may never get that feeling back.

Has your surgery made you a stronger person in any way?

Yes. It has made me a stronger person, a wiser person and a braver person. I see the world differently now. I saw so many kids in that hospital that had it way worse than me. I know that I am not alone and nobody else in the world is alone either. Everyone is strong, and everyone goes through a lot of things. People take life for granted.

ABOVE: Sophomore Whitney Epps displays a sign made for her by students at Olathe North High School before surgery. Photo by Jena Smith

For further coverage: http://www.mvnews.org

POPULARITY Popular video game from the past makes a comeback

BY JUSTIN CURTO

jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

ABOVE: Senior Joe Gunter plays Pokémon Emerald on his cell phone on Friday, Jan. 24. Photo by Amber Nguyen

fter walking away from a battle against another trainer in Pokémon Emerald, senior Joe Gunter celebrates another victory. Gunter is one of the students who plays the Pokémon video games, part of a franchise from 1996 that has recently experienced a revival among teenagers. “It’s a nostalgia factor,” Gunter said. “People are going back to what they played as kids because they remember having fun playing it.” In the video games, players act as trainers who collect and train creatures with special powers called Pokémon. They then use them to fight against other trainers. Players attempt to evolve (train until they change into a new Pokémon) their Pokémon and catch as many as possible in order to fill their Pokédex, an index of all existing Pokémon. Gunter said he plays the game because it’s both enjoyable and simple. “It’s something that’s easy and mindless to do,” Gunter said. “It’s just fun for fun’s sake.”

Fun and ease aren’t the only reasons for playing the video games, though. Junior Caleb Latas also enjoys Pokémon because of the whimsy and childishness associated with it. “I used to play it when I was little, so I kind of feel like a kid when I play it again,” Latas said. For junior Peyton Barton, an interest in Pokémon stemmed from the appeal of the different Pokémon. “[I started playing] when I was like five,” Barton said. “Ever since I was little, I just wanted all of these creatures to be real.” While Gunter, Barton and Latas both agree on many things about Pokémon, there is one difference of opinion: their favorite Pokémon. “I like Squirtle,” Latas said. “Squirtle’s pretty cool. He’s a turtle that shoots water.” Barton chose her favorite based on evolution choices. “[I like] Eevee because there’s so many possibilities [for evolutions],” Barton said. Gunter had a different approach to his choice altogether. “[My favorite is] Tyranitar,” Gunter said. “It’s a giant freaking dinosaur.”

Pokémon Profiles

Illustrations by Madeline Lamons Information from www.ign.com

A description of four Pokémon from the original video games

ABOVE: Junior Caleb Latas plays Pokémon on his Gameboy Color on Wednesday, Jan. 15. “The best part of Pokémon is catching them all,” Latas said. Photo by Madeline Lamons

Pikachu Type: Electric The mouse Pokémon Evolves into Raichu

Charmander Type: Fire The lizard Pokémon Evolves into Charmeleon

Squirtle Type: Water The tiny turtle Pokémon Evolves into Wartortle

Bulbasaur Types: Grass and Poison The seed Pokémon Evolves into Ivysaur

Design by Jillian Leiby

FEATURE 7

CONTINUING TO HONOR

THE PLEDGE

A LOOK AT

BADGES

Sophomore Luke Leininger describes some of the badges he has earned while scouting

Students and staff make a lifelong commitment to Scouts and serving their community BY ERIKA KRINGEN

jagwire.erikakringen@gmail.com

BY SARAH MYERS

jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com

s they have gotten older, some students and staff members have continued on as Scouts, earning advanced rankings and gaining more responsibility as well as leadership roles. As a Senior Girl Scout, junior Kate Schau has had many positive experiences and made lifelong friends since beginning Girl Scouts as a Daisy in kindergarten. “I’ve been with these girls in my troop for so long that it would be really weird to not see them anymore. Honestly, I would call them sisters at this point,” Schau said. “You make so many great connections with these girls ... I’ve basically grown up with them.” Music teacher Debra Steiner has been a Girl Scout her whole life and is currently still a Scout. She continues to serve as a mentor to other troops in the community. “I helped a couple troops earn music and marching badges,” Steiner said. “I just had a lot of fun doing it and have a lot of good memories from it.” Sophomore Luke Leininger earned his rank as an Eagle Scout in 2013. “I would say Boy Scouts [is a big part of my life], partly because it takes up a lot of time, and then it’s also taught me things that you can’t really learn anywhere else,” Leininger said. In order to receive his Eagle Scout rank, Leininger completed a number of steps including earning specific badges, including Lifesaving, Personal Fitness and First Aid, and displaying good character during Scout meetings. Leininger also worked on a community service project prior to becoming an Eagle Scout. For his project, he spent a month preparing and building display items for Fort Scott, including stands for demonstrations and a recreation of a coffin from the 1800s. According to Leininger, community service is one of the biggest parts of being a Scout. Leininger says that his troop works mostly on Eagle Scout projects. “Everybody does their own projects, and most of the ones we’ve been

8 FEATURE

SHOTGUN SHOOTING “You have to be able to hit targets and you have to be able to use the gun.”

doing are building something,” Leininger said. “We’ve built everything from a fence to hide a dumpster to building shelves and display cases for Catholic charities. We also do a lot of projects for non-profit places.” Schau also partakes in many service projects. As a Girl Scout, she has volunteered to help with younger Scouts at day camp, worked at food pantries and packaged Christmas presents during the holidays for less fortunate families. She also volunteers at local churches and through Salvation Army. “It teaches you the value of the community,” Schau said. “It teaches you the value of people and to value what you have because you see how many people don’t have a lot when you do stuff like that.” Scouts who continue to participate in the program through high school and beyond receive benefits such as scholarship opportunities. In addition to these scholarship opportunities, Eagle Scouts and Girl Scouts who have earned their Gold Award, the highest award given to Girl Scouts, automatic promotion to higher ranks in the military is also granted. “In school, it’s not really a big thing to be an Eagle Scout,” Leininger said, “but outside of school, if you have it on your resumé, it’s a lot easier to get into colleges.”

Design by Karissa Schmidt

ABOVE: While attending a Girl Scouts meeting on Tuesday, Jan. 21, junior Kate Schau decorates a card. She and other Girl Scouts wrote positive notes on cards and plan on randomly handing them out to people they meet. Photo by Hunter Bessey

FIRST AID “[The hardest one to earn was] the First Aid badge. The packet was 15 pages.”

CAMPING

ABOVE: Sophomore Luke Leininger stands by his Eagle Scout project in Fort Scott, KS. “I built posts with a gunny sack on top that are used for people on horses that would hit them with their swords.” Photo contributed by Kim Leininger

“[You can] camp a total of 20 nights, go on a backpacking trip, hike up a mountain at least 1000 feet, go snow camping, or go on a bike trip for 15 miles. I went overnight snow camping. I was probably 13.” Photos by Jena Smith

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THE ART OF: WHAT:

PROCRASTIN

“I would define procrastination as a delay of activity that we perceive as not pleasurable.” CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST MICHELLE COKER

WHY: “There is a process in the brain related [to procastination]. [The prefrontal cortex] is in charge of making decisions. It gets the job done, but it’s not automatic like the limbic system, which makes us give in to what feels good. People avoid work because pain comes with work, and we prefer not to experience pain.” CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST MICHELLE COKER

PLANNING FALLACY: Most people underestimate the amount of time tasks will take to complete. This is known as planning fallacy and is one of the most typical reasons people procrastinate. US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR

26 PERCENT: Of Americans consider themselves to be chronic procrastinators, a 21 percent increase since 1978. INDUSTRIAL PSYCHOLOGIST PIERS STEEL

ON AVERAGE: Humans spend two hours a day procrastinating.

CURBING THE HABIT:

PRUDENTIAL

DID YOU KNOW: “Birth order is a factor of procrastination. The firstborn child is typically more type A and less likely to procrastinate than the second-born.” CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST MICHELLE COKER

10 FEATURE

Design by Alana Flinn

“Begin with the hardest assignment. Attention is known to wane over time, so finishing the less pleasurable assignments first will cause you to look forward to the easier ones.”

“Make a comm ers. Organize a st you are being held by others, you are complete the task exam.”

NATION

mitment to othtudy group. When d accountable more likely to or study for the

BY ANNIE CROUCH

WHAT TYPE ARE YOU?

BY SARAH MYERS

Two students, one Type A and the other Type B, discuss how their personalities affect their procrastination habits

jagwire.anniecrouch@gmail.com jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com

BY ALANA FLINN

jagwire.alana flinn@gmail.com

“personalities are more likely to overcome that emotional push to avoid work because they are more driven.”

Type A personality causes student to not procrastinate

aking five advanced placement classes, senior Logan Robertson avoids procrastination to limit stress with her school work. “I have so many AP classes I’m taking that I start on my homework right when I get home,” Robertson said. “I don’t put it off so I don’t have to stay up late.” To stay on task with her work, Robertson does the more challenging work first. “I do harder subjects first so I am not completely fried by the time I get to the end,” Robertson said. “I kind of have to prioritize, because if I don’t I get so frazzled by the end and it becomes hard to do stuff.” Taking breaks from her homework is another strategy she uses to avoid procrastination. “I take breaks periodically because if I work on something for too long then I start losing interest,” Robertson said. “If I am getting frustrated with my math homework, I’ll stop and go work on something else for a while then come back to it.”

Photo Illustration by Karissa Schmidt

“Instead of looking at the forest, look at the trees. Chop tasks into smaller pieces. Working on assignments in more manageable chunks is easier to handle when completed step by step.” CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGIST MICHELLE COKER

“personality is more laid back and likely to go with the flow. Those are the people that have more of a tendency to procrastinate.” Definitions from clinical psychologist Michelle Coker

Senior’s grades and work suffer due to procrastination

lmost all high school students give in to procrastination at some point. Senior Brendan Frieders is no exception. “I usually say to myself that I can just do it later or that I have enough time,” Frieders said. “It doesn’t always work out.” As a senior, Frieders believes his work ethic has regressed as he has gotten farther into high school. With an age centered around technology, distractions such as phones, social media and video games are everywhere and never seem to

Robertson doesn’t like getting behind in school work, so being self-motivated is key. “I don’t like feeling like I’m constantly behind, because I feel like in high school especially, once you get behind in homework, you’re struggling the rest of the year,” Robertson said. “I just try to be proactive and get things out of the way so it’s not going to bother me.” According to Robertson, you should have balance with your studies. “My biggest piece of advice for people who struggle with procrastination, obviously you have to make time for yourself but you also have to think about your grades and academics,” Robertson said. “You need to find balance.” Robertson reflects on what causes her stress and recommends finding a happymedium. “Balance is important,” Robertson said. “If you are constantly working on homework, you’ll get bored of it, so you have to find ‘you’ time in between getting your stuff done. That way, you don’t get super bored with what you’re doing.” Robertson recommends focusing on portions of projects rather than the whole thing. “If it’s just a long project that you just don’t want to get started on, I’d try to chunk it out,” Robertson said. “If you try to think of the project all at once, it gets kind of overwhelming, but if you tell yourself ‘I’ll work on this for thirty minutes and see how much I get done,’ you can work then decide whether you want to continue working or take a break.” go away. Between these factors and hanging out with friends, Frieders has become an expert at procrastination. As a result, his quality of work in school suffers. “I don’t do my best. If I actually tried my best and did all my work on time, I could probably get all A’s, but instead, I have lots of B’s and C’s,” Frieders said. “When you procrastinate, you don’t end up doing your work to the best of your ability.” Although he says he gets most assignments turned in on time, Frieders has noticed the mental and emotional effects that procrastination has brought on. “I get stressed out more,” Frieders said. “It all piles up eventually.” Despite his constant procrastinations, Frieders said he would be willing to be more productive if he knew how to do so most effectively. “I would [try to change] if I knew how because I think I would do better in school,” Frieders said. “[If I stopped procrastinating], I could probably get more scholarships and stuff like that.”

FEATURE 11

STAFF EDITORIAL

MURALS IMPROVE SCHOOL

Murals painted by NAHS help school spirit and set a good example for other clubs

HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS TEAMS NEED TO TREAT FEMALES EQUALLY Getting rid of “Lady” could go a long way

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

Cartoon by Madeline Lamons

n hopes of creating a livelier school, members of the National Art Honor Society have begun to paint murals around the building. They recently added one in the downstairs C-wing, which is creatively designed and represents the school well. The JagWire staff is nothing but thankful for the NAHS members who stepped up to create a better school atmosphere through their art. One of the goals in creating the new murals was to provide timeless images rather than murals that only reflect one era at Mill Valley. The JagWire staff supports this idea; students who attend the school in the future should always be able to enjoy the artwork rather than view it is a memorial to classes that have already graduated.

We believe it would be beneficial for older murals to be photographed and then either framed or archived before being removed; this would allow for the wall space to be recycled for newer, timeless murals without completely forgetting about the work of students in the past. Through their contribution to improving the school, NAHS is also setting a good example for other activities. Active participation in improving Mill Valley is a way that every group can leave its mark on the school. In addition to building a better school environment, this could also lead to an increase in membership for these activities because potential club members would know for sure that there will always be something for them to

do in these clubs. In no way are we saying that other clubs do nothing. In addition to NAHS, activities such as NHS, StuCo, Student Leadership Team and other clubs have all served the school in some way and continue to make Mill Valley better whenever they can. This is the way that any student can do their part to improve their school at any time. We hope that activities such as NAHS, NHS, StuCo, Student Leadership Team and other clubs continue trying to make the school better. The combination of different skill sets, club intentions and goals will go a long way to making Mill Valley a place that every student is capable of enjoying everyday.

STAFF VOTE Agree

19 Disagree

0 Absent

ender inequality has existed in sports for many years. However, females have proven to be successful in athletic opportunities given to them. Last year, Mill Valley’s girls basketball team placed second in state, and the softball team were regional champions. Despite this success for female athletes at the high school level, athletic departments still feel the need to use “lady” to describe their girls sports teams. The word “lady” indicates a 1960s woman working in the kitchen while her male counterpart plays “real” basketball. With each “lady” that is put in front of a Mill Valley Jaguar logo, it starts to feel more like a reminder. Some may say it simply indicates these people playing are simply female. But maybe the name indicates to the audience to wait until the males begin playing, because they are in fact the “real” jaguars. That might explain the scarcity of a crowd throughout the first quarters of a varsity girls basketball game. “Lady” could also indicate a special category specifically for the women of the school. It seems pretty easy to deduce which gender is playing on the court or in the field. Is “Lady Jags” even necessary on uniforms? It seems disrespectful to the girls who are trying their hardest on the court to represent all students, boys and girls. Changing how female sports teams are treated in high school can be done with a few easy steps First, eliminate the use of “lady” to describe the girls teams. These athletes are true “Jaguars” without any need for cute nicknames. Second, come give support to the female sports teams. Supporting all athletes representing Mill Valley will go a long way to changing attitudes.

YOU SAID IT WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THE NEW MURALS AROUND THE SCHOOL?

“I think they’re really cool. They’re pretty creative. NAHS put a lot of work into them.” FRESHMAN SPENCER BUTTERFIELD

12 OPINION

Design by Nick Booth

“They’re nice because they all really differ. They’re drawn in different styles, which is great.” SOPHOMORE ANGIE LUGO

“I think the new mural is really neat. I never really noticed the murals before now.” JUNIOR RYAN AUCKLY

“They add to the school’s spirit. It shows that we have lots of artistic talent at our school.” SENIOR HANNAH KRULL

SHOULD THERE BE A LARGE FOCUS ON SCIENCE AND MATH CLASSES? Push for STEM education is necessary in modern American education

NICK BOOTH

jagwire.nickbooth@gmail.com

YES

ight now, high school students are experiencing part of a nationwide push for STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education. This is a result of the fact that we are sorely behind other countries when it comes to science and math. The United States needs to step up its game and get ahead of competing countries like China and South Korea. Although there is no doubt that English and social studies classes are necessary to learn and grow, we don’t need a push in that direction. Nobody’s taking away this education. All that’s being done is an effort to increase student’s proficiency in areas that nationally, we are weak.

STEM education prepares students for a future where a large portion of careers will require proficiency in science, technology, engineering math. Without this kind of effort, our country’s students will never be able to compete in a global marketplace. It’s true that English and social studies courses are not completely useless; they help students express their ideas into words and use critical thought. However, STEM education is needed right now. Among developed nations, the United States ranks 17th in science and 25th in math, according to the U.S. Department of Education. One of the main problems right now is that many students simply aren’t interested in these fields. According to the U.S. Department of Education, only 16 percent of seniors are both proficient in mathematics and interested in a STEM career. The important thing right now is America focuses on its weaker areas. According to NBC News, the U.S. scored above average in reading on the 2013 annual PISA exams, while it was below average in math and science. It is imperative that the country begins to make a change now.

English and social studies shouldn’t be left behind due to STEM push

BY JUSTIN CURTO

jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

e live in an age of technology. Almost all of our day-to-day tasks are aided by some form of technology. With this comes more technological careers, specifically in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) fields. Logically, students are now being prompted to take more STEM-related classes. With this push toward STEM-related classes, many are beginning to think that English and social studies courses have little to no worth in comparison. However, many necessary skills are learned from English and social studies courses. To some students, English and social studies courses are seen as almost useless. After all, if

you’re not going to write, teach or find a career in law or politics, why should you have to take English or history classes? Students with this mindset are neglecting one major aspect of these classes: the skills that they develop. Through English courses, we learn to write, analyze and synthesize information and communicate and defend ideas. These ideas are also learned and developed through history classes, specifically because of primary source document analysis. Other social studies courses, like government and geography, teach students how to contribute to society, form opinions on important issues and develop a comprehensive worldview. These are skills everyone will need to use at some point in their lives or careers, no matter what they decide to do in the future. Favorites shouldn’t be played within education. While STEM-related courses are more necessary than ever in today’s society, it shouldn’t be the favorite child of education. No one type of course is more beneficial than another; only with a well-rounded education can a student be fully prepared to have a career and make contributions to modern society.

GRADES ARE SOMETIMES NOT WORTH THE COST Students should not have to sacrifice personal well-being for the sake of their grades

BY JACK LOPEZ

jagwire.jacklopez@gmail.com

ost of us have been there at some point: it’s 1 a.m., you have only finished half of your homework, you have at least another hour to go and you are asking yourself why you’re even still up. That’s a valid question. Why stay up? There is an underlying problem in this situation: students are sacrificing physical and emotional

wellness for the sake of a letter on their transcripts. Teachers and students must work to find a happy medium between home life and how much time they (are forced to) spend on homework. Teenagers are encouraged to sleep for at least nine hours a night because these are the most important years in their development. According to the National Sleep Foundation, the number of teens that regularly achieve that is as low as 15 percent. As a result, daytime alertness is reduced by up to 32 percent according to Web MD, inhibiting memory and cognition and increasing the affected teens moodiness (teachers and parents beware). The causes vary, with some teens citing jobs, extracurriculars and social media as causes. However, most jobs get students home with plenty of time

to sleep and school activities rarely go later than 9:30 p.m. The problem begins when students have these activities or jobs and four hours of homework. Not only are students asked to give up sleep, they are asked to miss out on opportunities for physical fitness and sometimes even income because of the homework load they receive. A big decision many teens face today is the choice between a job or activity and schoolwork, a job in and of itself. Try to do both and sleep is sacrificed. Are we really asking students to give up their only source of income or their only means of physical fitness to complete their homework before midnight? The idea is ludicrous, and it only adds to the bigger problem. It’s time for students to make their health a priority. Cartoon by Madeline Lamons

JAGWIRE INFORMATION JAGWIRE STAFF Editors-in-chief Alana Flinn Ryan Fullerton Managing editor Jack Lopez Photo editor Ashley Kitchen Copy editor Jack Lopez Ads manager Miranda Miller

News editor Katherine White Feature editors Jillian Leiby Karissa Schmidt Opinion editor Nick Booth Sports editor Tori Aerni

Briefs editor Erika Kringen Web editors Justin Curto Amber Nguyen

Staff Hunter Bessey Annie Crouch Madeline Lamons Sam Lopez Callee Linton Ellen Merrill Sarah Myers Jena Smith Adri Talavera

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

MEMBERS OF Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association The 2013 JagWire was named an All-American newspaper by the NSPA

and earned an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. The Mill Valley News website was named a Pacemaker finalist by the NSPA in 2013. CENSORSHIP POLICY Kansas Senate Bill 62 guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists. These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity.

OPINION 13

INTO THE

DEEP END

Student interest sparks the addition of diving to the swim team BY TORI AERNI

jagwire.toriaerni@gmail.com

BY KATHERINE WHITE

jagwire.katherinewhite@gmail.com

ABOVE: Freshman Mitch Willoughby prepares to dive at the Olathe South Quad on Tuesday, Jan. 21. Willoughby placed second in both of the meets in which he has competed. Photo by Ashley Kitchen

ince the creation of a brand new dive team, two students, freshman Mitch Willoughby and junior Nick Stack, have taken a step into the deep end to make up the first dive team in school history. While the swim team was introduced last year, this is the inaugural season of the dive team. “The reason it was added is because some students expressed an interest, so we thought we would try it,” swim coach Alissa Ruffin said. “It’s another component to helping us establish ourselves as a swim team in the city and state.” Since neither of the swim coaches are qualified to be diving coaches, the divers will practice with their club team while competing with their school team, learning from each other. Ruffin said the team would benefit from the addition of a diving coach. “I think Mitch allows the district to experiment with something that could be great for the team,” Ruffin said. Willoughby said he would also like to see the addition of a diving coach, as well as expansion of the team. “I think it’s usually a smaller team especially compared to swim, but I’d really like to see [the team] get a coach and get more people interested in dive,” Willoughby said.

ABOVE: Preparing for his next meet, junior Nick Stack swims the breaststroke during practice on Friday, Jan. 24. Photo by Karissa Schmidt

14 SPORTS

Design by Tori Aerni

“I would like to make it more of a team and less of just an event added on to swim.” Willoughby and Stack both started the sport at a young age. Willoughby has been diving for six years, and Stack, who dove for four years before taking a break, is entering his fifth year. Stack started diving again due to the addition of the dive team. “I’m a little nervous because I haven’t done [dive] in a while,” Stack said. “My goal is to score some points for the team in a meet.” Stack has competed in swimming events and practiced for dive, but Willoughby is the only one who has competed in dive meets thus far. Stack plans to dive in the near future. As both a swimmer and diver, Stack sees many differences between the two sports. “Swim and dive are both difficult in different ways,” Stack said. “In swimming, you keep pushing yourself to get a faster time using endurance; diving is more about flexibility.” While Stack said he prefers to swim, Stack likes the feel of dive better, as it is more relaxed. “[Dive is] fun; it’s more fun than swimming,” Stack said. “You get to learn tricks, and it’s more laid-back.” Willoughby has placed second out of five to eight other divers in the two diving events he has competed in so far. Each diver does five dives, one of each type. Ruffin is happy with the way Willoughby has competed. “Mitch has done an excellent job in representing Mill Valley in this area,” Ruffin said. “He’s focused, driven, excited about the sport and wants to do well to represent Mill Valley more. I’m just really proud of Mitch; he’s independently taken this on and done really well.” As for Stack, Ruffin said it benefits the team to have someone who is good at both swim and dive. “He hasn’t competed [for the school] yet, but that doesn’t mean he won’t,” Ruffin said. “He has competed in dive in the past [outside of Mill Valley]. He’s mainly focused on swimming. It’s rare to find someone good at both.” Willoughby said that being a part of the first dive team in school history is a great feeling. “It’s funny because we’re the only two there, but it’s fun,” Willoughby said. “It’s exciting cause you feel you can contribute to help the swim team win and be a part of it.”

DIVING DETAILS Divers explain types of dives they perform and how they are scored

TYPES OF DIVES Fronts: any dive off the board facing forwards Backs: diving off the board facing backwards, usually involving backflips Twisting: when the dive incorporates twists Reverses: jumping off the board facing forwards and turning backwards mid-dive Inwards: jumping off the board facing backwards and turning forward middive

SCORING THE DIVES Each diver does five dives, one for each dive type The more difficult a dive is, the higher the diver can score Each judge gives a rating of the diver’s performance out of 10 The judge’s score out of 10 is multiplied by the difficulty rating After each judge’s score is multiplied by the difficulty rating, all of these scores from each judge are added together to make the final score

SPORTS STATS

BOYS BASKETBALL LAST GAME: PLACED 1ST @ COFFEYVILLE INTERSTATE CLASSIC RECORD: 7-4* NEXT GAME: HOME, FRIDAY, JAN. 31 VS. ONW @ 7 P.M.

Photos by Karissa Schmidt, Lindsay Roush and Ashley Kitchen

VARSITY

CLUB

GIRLS BASKETBALL LAST GAME: BEAT SMS 36-28 ON FRIDAY, JAN. 24 RECORD:3-7* NEXT GAME: EL DORADO TOURNAMENT, JAN. 30- FEB. 1

Club sports may have an effect on how student athletes perform in varsity sports BY ERIKA KRINGEN

jagwire.erikakringen@gmail.com

BY CALLEE LINTON

jagwire.calleelinton@gmail.com

ow more than ever, students have been playing both club and school sports to maximize their athletic potential. One student, junior Zach Hanna, has been playing club baseball most of his life. He believes club has offered him opportunities beyond school baseball. “It’s a dream of mine to play college baseball, and it’s a good way to get seen by college coaches,” Hanna said. Junior volleyball player Maddie Little also played club to receive more playing time. “I liked [volleyball] enough to want to play it more than the three months during school,” Little said. While Little took many things from club, she currently only plays school volleyball. Senior soccer player Colton Chapman has an opposing view of club. “My dad didn’t see a point in me playing club because he didn’t see me falling behind in high school soccer,”

Chapman said. “It’s not so much that I would be getting the same level of play and skill for club or high school as much as it was that I wouldn’t be getting worse.” Senior Alexis Crispin plays on both club volleyball and the school team and feels club has helped her grow most as a player. “I would not have made it as far as I have [in volleyball] if it weren’t for club,” Crispin said. “I have improved immensely from the coaching and extra hours I have gotten.” However, Crispin said she enjoys playing on the school volleyball team more than club because there is more chemistry between school teams. “At school, I know most of the players. On club, you barely know anyone when you start out,” Crispin said. “There is more competitiveness in school because you know about the teams you are going to come up against.” While Little has enjoyed playing club, she said one of the biggest downsides is how time consuming it is. “Club is more of a commitment compared to school because you have to travel on top of having three-hour

practices,” Little said. Chapman said that even though athletes play club, it does not always guarantee their success in school sports. “In my experience, I think the coaches do take into account if an athlete plays club or not, but I have never seen it affect their spot on the team,” Chapman said. “Only their skill determines their spot.” Hanna also believes placement on school teams has little to do with whether or not the athlete plays club. “Obviously it is going to affect it a little bit because they have been playing against better teams, but just saying they play club doesn’t have anything to do with them making it or not,” Hanna said. Overall, Crispin loves the bond the develops between club teammates. “You really get to know [the players],” Crispin said. “You end up spending most of your time with them.” Little said one of the benefits of club volleyball is the determination it taught her. “[Without club], I wouldn’t have my competitive drive I have now,” Little said. “Club taught me how to learn the competition of volleyball.”

WRESTLING LAST MEET: BEAT SHAWNEE HEIGHTS ON WEDNESDAY, JAN. 22 NEXT MEET: SATURDAY, FEB. 1 @ CHANUTE HS @ 9 A.M.

BOYS SWIMMING LAST MEET: PLACED 7TH @ BVSW ON SATURDAY, JAN. 25 NEXT MEET: THURSDAY, JAN. 30 @ BONNER SPRINGS @ 4 P.M.

BOWLING LAST MEET: PLACED 1ST @ TOPEKA ON TUESDAY, JAN. 21 NEXT MEET: TUESDAY, FEB. 3 VS. GARDNER @ 3:30 P.M. *As of Monday, Jan. 27 Design by Tori Aerni

SPORTS 15

THE Security personnel to be present in Olympic Park

37,000

The world record ski jump, in feet, set in 2011

809

Over budget, the most expensive Games ever

BILLION

$38

New events added to the 2014 Games

Countries with at least one athlete in the Games

NUMBERS

Bob Costas, voice of the Olympics, calls slopestyle events “just Jackass stuff that they invented and called Olympic sports,” so be sure to watch

WEDNESDAY, FEB. 12 Pairs Figure Skating

THURSDAY, FEB. 13 Men’s Ski Slopestyle

THURSDAY, FEB. 20 Ladies’ Free Skate

SUNDAY, FEB. 23 Closing Ceremony

FRIDAY, FEB. 7 Opening Ceremony

SUNDAY, FEB. 9 Men’s Luge Singles

MONDAY, FEB. 10 Men’s Speed Skating

TUESDAY, FEB. 11 Men’s Snowboard Halfpipe

Ted Ligety: Olympic gold medalist downhill skier tries for another medal Lindsey Jacobellis: Third time is the charm for this snowboard crosser Nick Goepper: Gold medal favorite in Ski Slopestyle. Triple flips galore Lolo Jones: The gold medalist sprinter takes to the bobsled track

BIG NAMES AT THE GAMES

jagwire.adritalavera@gmail.com

BY ADRI TALAVERA

SOCHI BY THE

jagwire.anniecrouch@gmail.com

BY ANNIE CROUCH

Your sideways view of the Winter Olympics

SKIING HALFPIPE AND SLOPESTYLE AND SNOWBOARD SLOPESTYLE ARE THREE NEW EVENTS IN 2014

FLIPSIDE

WHAT TO

Design by Jack Lopez

WATCH

A&E 16 Photos from MCT Campus

BUTTON: In curling, the smallest circle in the center of the house, the target for the stones

SWITCH: When a slopestyle or halfpipe skier skis downhill backwards

CORK: A trick in ski and snowboard slopestyle and halfpipe in which the jumper spins and flips simultaneously

JUMP: Six types in figure skating - axel, salchow, loop, toe loop, flip and lutz

AXEL: A jump in figure skating in which the skater rotates 180 degrees

TERMS TO KNOW

STOMACH = SKELETON

BACK = LUGE

DIFFERENCE

THE

Summer Aquatic Center Positions The City of Shawnee is seeking enthusiastic, dependable workers who possess fantastic customer service for the 2014 Summer pool season. Applicants must be able to work Memorial Day through Labor Day. Lifeguard certification classes are available through the Shawnee Parks and Recreation Department. Positions available include: • • • •

Assistant Pool Manager Lifeguard Swim Instructor Concession/Front Desk Attendant • Assistive Dive Coaches • Head Swim Coach • Assistant Swim Coach

Steve’s Home Improvement

• • • • •

Interior/ Exterior Paint Tiling Fences Decks And more!

913.645.9138 Serving all of Johnson County

10% discount for all students in February

Shawnee Chiropractic and Accupuncture

Pool Employment Information and Applications available on-line at www.cityofshawnee.org and at Shawnee City Hall, 11110 Johnson Drive, Shawnee, KS 66203.

21640 Midland Dr. Shawnee, KS, 6218 (east of Earl May off Shawnee Mission Parkway)

Positions open until filled. All positions require pre-employment drug screen. EOE M/F

Dr. Kimberly Flamin D.C. Dr. Alisa Joyce D.C. and Dr. Karl Wilen D.C.

MILL VALLEY NEWS

( 913) 422-1900 shawneechiropractic@yahoo.com

Your source for everything Mill Valley

www.mvnews.org Follow us on Twitter: @millvalleynews

Design by Miranda Miller

ADS 17

A DAY IN...

BY JUSTIN CURTO

jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

BY KATHERINE WHITE

jagwire.katherinewhite@gmail.com

IF YOUR IDEA OF FUN INCLUDES...

GARMENT DISTRICT 1350 Main Street

GRAMMY MUSEUM EXPERIENCE 1407 Grand Boulevard, in the Sprint Center

THE DUBLINER 170 14th Street

he GRAMMY Museum Experience is paradise for any music aficionado. The only satellite of the GRAMMY Museum in Los Angeles, the museum contains both music artifacts and interactive exhibits. Among the items available for viewing are outfits from artists such as Michael Jackson and Justin Bieber and awards won by artists like Ray Charles. However, that’s only where the fun starts. The interactive exhibits include scream vocal karaoke, a playable set of instruments and many other fun musical items. Although the museum itself is rather small, it is packed with exhibits, and any music lover could easily spend an hour looking around. While regular admission is $8, students with IDs will be admitted at a reduced price of $7. So, whether you’re a music lover or not, the GRAMMY Museum Experience is definitely worth checking out.

18 A&E

his Irish restaurant brings elements of Irish culture together with a comfy dining experience. The large dining hall contains not only soft seats and TV to watch but also a fancy architectural design with tall columns and dark brown woodwork. The menu includes both traditional Irish favorites, like a yummy mix-offlavors Shepard’s pie, as well as takes on classics like their sixcheese mac ’n’ cheese with garlic bread crumbs and bacon. The service was quick, and an advertisement for a bagpipe concert was left with the receipt, almost to serve as a reminder of the cultural ties of the restaurant. If you want

Design by Nick Booth and Justin Curto

WHAT TO KNOW

lothing from 32 brands for both men and women can be found at this boutique. In addition to the clothing, there is a jewelry section that includes a variety of unique rings, such as those with a golden rose or jaguar (great for spirit days) can be found. The downside to this shop is that their products are pricey. If you’re willing to spend some money, this store is a place to go for interesting clothing and accessories.

to secure your seat, they take reservations in advance on their website thedublinerkc. com, though there is plenty of room there. You can also view their entertainment schedule on their website to see when local bands will be performing. If you’re in the Power & Light district for a special event, this is a great place to stop to eat before; a coupon for 20 percent off of all food if a ticket for an event is shown can be found online. If you want to take a break and relax from a day of walking and refuel with some yummy and cultural food, The Dubliner is a great place to go.

BRGR 11 14th Street

f you’re looking for a great burger, BRGR is just the place. This modern restaurant has everything from classic cheeseburgers to burgers topped with hanger steak and horseradish cream cheese, or almost anything else imaginable. They also have “Not-So-Burgers” for those who’d prefer a sandwich as a meal. These include chicken sandwiches and veggie burgers, among other things. Be sure to note that sides like french fries and tater tots must be ordered separately but may not even be necessary, considering the generously-sized sandwiches and burgers that BRGR serves. The plating is also modern, with burgers and “Not-So-Burgers” being served on metal trays. Fries and other sides come in small metal mugs. This is consistent with the atmosphere of the restaurant, as light fixtures, tables, chairs and booths all work together to create a cohesive look that matches the food perfectly. It is also worthwhile to mention that their buns and sauces are all house-made, and very tasty. If you’re looking to treat yourself to an amazing meal, make sure to stop by BRGR.

Advice for your trip to the Power & Light District

PARKING > Make sure to plan where you will park ahead of time, and bring exact change to pay for parking to avoid wasting time. The parking garage near the Cosentino’s supermarket has a convenient location and a low charge of $2

TRANSPORTATION > After you arrive at Power & Light, walking will be your main form of transportation, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes. If you’d rather not walk, you can rent bicycles from B-Cycle stands (see more info on kansascity.bcycle. com)

TIMING

IF YOU WOULD RATHER EAT...

> Make sure to check times of the places you would like to visit because some stores and restaurants close early or are only open on weekdays. Additionally, many restaurants are only open to those 21 and older at night

Photos by Ashley Kitchen and Amber Nguyen Illustrations by Madeline Lamons

H S A D R E N I D

BY ALANA FLINN

jagwire.alana flinn@gmail.com

BY CALLEE LINTON

in Kansas City ts in jo r e rg u t the best b

jagwire.calleelinton@gmail.com

A look a

CORNER CAFÉ

TOWN TOPIC

4541 NW GATEWAY AVE RIVERSIDE, MO 64150

2021 BROADWAY STREET KANSAS CITY, MO 64108

2nd

versized baked goods and authentic American cuisine are the staples of Corner Café, a diner that is not really a café at all. The large red barn located in Kansas City, MO. offers large portions of home cooking in a country-themed eatery. The atmosphere is positively charming, as antique gas station signs hang on the walls and country music plays. I was almost reluctant to order a burger and fries because the rest of the menu looked so delicious, but the burger ended up being a great choice. There are three options: the one pound burger, a ½ pound and the one I ate, which is the ¼ pound burger. The patty was a little too salty

for my liking, but the fresh vegetables that topped the burger distracted from the onslaught of sodium. I ordered the french fries loaded (which is a $1 upcharge), and they were much better unloaded. The shredded cheese on top was not melted, and the bacon bits did little to help considering they were all in one corner of the plate. However, after I picked off all of the lackluster toppings, the French fries were very crispy and delicious by themselves. One of the downsides of the burger was how expensive add-ons were. You can choose from one free topping, which can be anything from cheese to grilled mushrooms. If you want a loaded burger, it is an extra 40 cents

HOMER’S DRIVE-IN 1320 S 4TH STREET LEAVENWORTH, KS 66048

3rd

t Homer’s Drive-In in Leavenworth, an old-fashioned CocaCola decorated diner offers one of the best-dressed cheeseburgers in town. While the patty was relatively small in size, the combination of fresh butter lettuce, tomatoes, onions and a liberal amount of pickles caused you to for-

per topping. While you will undoubtedly have leftovers from your meal, you cannot leave the Corner Café without eating a fresh baked good. I chose the cinnamon roll, which is about eight inches in diameter. The frosting is homemade, and the warm roll is enough to send you into a sugar coma. I recommend everyone at the table share this dessert, as it took three of us to eat only half of it. The restaurant also offers a wide variety of pies, which are all homemade and are offered as specials according to day of the week. Overall, this restaurant is worth the drive to eat some delicious homestyle cooking. give the miniscule burger itself. Needless to say, if you walk in hungry, make sure you order more than one patty on your burger. While the burger was the star of the meal, the fries were unimpressive. They were very crispy but thoroughly underseasoned. However, the hand-battered onion rings salvaged the side dish disappointment. They were incredibly crispy and salted to perfection. Another disappointment was the cherry shake. It is almost difficult to write a flavorful review of the shake considering it lacked so much thereof. While Homer’s is a great diner for a burger, avoid the classic shake and side of fries to save yourself the disappointment.

own Topic diner, a 24-hour diner in Downtown Kansas City, is an old-fashioned family style diner. After 75 years of business, the restaurant is still selling a great deal of hamburgers. When you first walk in, the small diner makes you feel as if you are at home once you notice there is standing room for about only eight people. Seating is also limited to six small booths. Town Topic has the typical greasy burgers, as a diner should, but they also sell breakfast and a variety of desserts. Town Topic has really good at a cheap cost. If you are looking for a greasy dinner, I highly suggest the classic single cheeseburger. It was one of the most delicious burgers anyone could ever have. The juiciness of the burger and the combination of all the

condiments make for a mouthwatering taste that you won’t forget. the edges of the burger were cooked to just the right crunch. The fries were cooked to a perfect crisp on the outside with a touch of fluffy on the inside. The fries also contained just the right amount of salt to keep you wanting more. This delicious classic meal was accompanied by a handdipped vanilla shake. Although it was slightly runny, the taste made up for the lack of what a traditional shake should be like. The service was also phenomenal. The waitress was friendly and always on top of checking on her tables. Adding to the quickness of service, you can really see the staff putting their heart and soul into making the food that has people standing outside waiting in line. Although the food was very good and the service was something you don’t get often, the diner wasn’t anything out of the ordinary. Town Topic is just another ordinary diner with exceptionally great food that is worth eating again.

IF YOU LIKE DINERS, ALSO CHECK OUT... COZY’S CAFÉ

CITY DINER

6740 W 75th St. Overland Park, KS 66204

301 Grand Blvd. Kansas City, MO 64106

COOK’S SHACK CAFÉ

ROB’S CAFÉ

8950 Wornall Rd Kansas City, MO 64114

15014 E. US Highway 40 Kansas City, MO 64136-1160

Photos by Miranda Miller and Alana Flinn

Design by Jack Lopez and Adri Talavera

A&E 19

GENIUS

Academic teams transform the halls into a competitive learning environment during after-school practice sessions

ABOVE: Using a soldering iron to tin a wire, sophomore Sarah Soriano helps junior Timothy Justice complete the electrical board at a Robotics work day on Saturday, Jan. 18. Photo by Ashley Kitchen RIGHT: Senior Brandon Heinson helps prepare part of the robot by attaching an elbow piece to the arm of the robot for the Robotics team on Saturday, Jan. 18. “I really like that I get to work with my hands, and I also like seeing something come together so well,” Heinson said. Photo by Amber Nguyen LEFT: Senior Alyssa Hobson maps out the robot’s electrical board on the laptop during a Robotics meeting on Saturday, Jan. 25. “Before I joined robotics, I had not even considered engineering,” Hobson said. “Now I plan on majoring in it, so [Robotics] has opened my mind to new career opportunities.” Photo by Miranda Miller

DIDYOUKNOW? There are three components of Robotics, which are marketing, building and programming On average the Robotics team practices about 21 hours a week There are 20-plus events to choose from when competing in Science Olympiad Science Olympiad placed fifth at state last year Quiz Bowl has hosted regionals for at least four years in a row. This year’s regionals competition will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6 The Quiz Bowl team’s home meet in December includes national parks and holiday question categories

Scan on your smartphone to see more photos online. 20 PHOTO ESSAY

Design by Ashley Kitchen

LEFT: Experimenting with different chemicals to produce a reaction, junior Chari Pierce uses her spare time mixing chemicals during a Science Olympiad session on Wednesday, Jan. 22. Photo by Miranda Miller

ABOVE: Working out a math problem, senior Andrew Hecht tries to solve quickly in order to buzz in faster than his teammates at a Quiz Bowl practice on Friday, Jan. 24. “My favorite part of Quiz Bowl is hanging out with friends,” Hecht said. “It’s a lot of fun; people should join.” Photo by Hunter Bessey