JagWire Newspaper: Volume 19, Issue 5

JAGWIRE MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL VOL. 19 ISSUE FIVE FEB. 7, 2019 MVNEWS.ORG

SOCIAL MEDIA: AN OUTLET FOR EXPRESSION pages 14-19

02 CONTENTS

Feb. 7, 2019

Cover by Annie Myers

JagWire

table of contents

SPECIAL SECTION: Expression on Social Media pages 14-19

04 NEWS:

06 OPINIONS:

Government Shutdown

Staff Editorial

pages 4-5

page 20

Updated District Drug Policy

Opinions pages 21-23

page 6

FEATURES:

SPORTS:

Dangers of Caffeine

Student Athletic Trainers

pages 8-9

page 25

Teachers’ Past Jobs

Rec Basketball Teams

pages 10-11

pages 26-27

Thrifting page 12

08 A&E: English Teachers Review Books page 28

Being Single on Valentine’s Day page 29

Review: Frozen Treats pages 30-31

PHOTO ESSAY: A Look Back page 32

JagWire

Design by Annie Myers

Feb. 7, 2019

2018-19 staff

H

ello again and welcome back to the first JagWire issue of 2019.

We can’t believe how quickly this year is passing by. We sincerely hope we can finish the year strong in the three issues following.

The thing that characterized the issue five production cycle was the simple idea of bettering the quality of our work from last semester. Our first week back from winter break, we were grateful to have been visited by Kansas Scholastic Press Association executive director Eric Thomas as well as former Indiana University journalism professor Ron Johnson to critique our paper and website respectively. They had plenty of insight to give, and we’re so grateful to have been able to use their advice in this issue, and in every issue from here on out.

Going into this issue, we were pretty sure we wanted to cover social media and its effects on our life, however, while researching we found that coverage of digital platforms was over-

STAFF

03

PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF whelmingly negative — this didn’t sit right with us.

While we understood the plights caused by social media, we as a staff didn’t truly think it was all that bad, and we later found out a majority of the school population didn’t think so either. So, our coverage revolves around an overarching positive: how students express themselves through social media.

Beyond the center spread, we have plenty of coverage. Our covered topics range from more serious things, like the impact of the longest government shutdown on our community, to slightly more light-hearted coverage, such as our step-by-step instructions to throwing a fantastic Galentine’s Day with your ladies. Needless to say, we have something for everyone to enjoy.

We hope you enjoy this issue as much as we enjoyed making it. We plan to make the most of our last three issues, so stick around friends.

happy new year,

Annie Myers Ally Nguyen Anika Roy

ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Katya Gillig Elizabeth Joseph Marah Shulda

MANAGING EDITOR Hunter Ristau

PHOTO EDITOR Andrew Tow

BUSINESS MANAGER Hunter Ristau

NEWS EDITORS Hannah Chern Tatum Elliott

FEATURES EDITOR Sophie Lecuru

A&E EDITOR Steven Curto

OPINIONS EDITOR Ben Wieland

SPORTS EDITOR Jakob Twigg

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Hannah Chern

REPORTERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Sophia Armendariz Jonathan Atchley Sam Hanson Addie Kemp John Lehan Anna Owsley Tanner Smith

publication information on the web jagwire office

censorship policy

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

The Kansas Student Publications Act guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professionals. These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, so far 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. This law also prevents censorship of any kind by the adviser, building or district administration.

professional associations Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association Journalism Educators of Metropolitan KC The 2018 JagWire earned an All-American rating from NSPA and an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. It is also a member of the NSPA All-American Hall of Fame.

visit mvnews.org for regular story postings:

editorial policy If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor to the JagWire, do so by handing it in to a member of the staff or to the print journalism room (C101). Additionally, you may email any member of the staff with opinions or tweet us at @millvalleynews. Anonymous content will not be accepted. Please understand that we have the right to edit all copy that runs in this publication.

@millvalleynews1 @millvalleynews Mill Valley News

04 NEWS

Design by Katya Gillig and Marah Shulda

Feb. 7, 2019

FEDERAL FAULTS

JagWire

by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

by ben wieland opinions editor

The longest government shutdown in U.S. history affected many different areas of students lives

A

fter 35 days, the longest government shutdown in U.S history ended on Friday, Jan. 25.

The reopening is only temporary, as the continuing resolution only funds the government for 21 days.

According to the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget, the majority of government agencies and programs rely on funding appropriations made by Congress. The shutdown occurred after a budget wasn’t approved due to debates over $5.7 billion worth of funding for a border wall. The continuing resolution did not provide funds for the wall, but President Donald Trump announced he anticipates Congress will approve increase spending for border security; if a negotiation isn’t reached, President Trump has said he’d use executive power.

During a shutdown, the federal Office of Management and Budget enacts a plan that identifies which government activities may The government shutdown has affected many families such as the Hayes family, whose father, Scott Hayes, was furloughed during it. “My dad is a furloughed government employee,” senior Josie Hayes said. “He is nonessential and has not been allowed to work at all during the shutdown.” //Jonathan Atchley

not continue unless appropriations are restored; usually, “essential services” affecting public safety continue to operate. Around 380,000 federal employees were furloughed, or forced into a leave of absence. Another 420,000 were required to report to work. It’s unclear when the workers will receive their back pay now that the shutdown is over.

Senior Josie Hayes and sophomore Gwyneth Hayes, whose father Scott Hayes works for the Environmental Protection Agency, were impacted both financially and in everyday life.

“Our family [spent] a lot more time together since my dad never [left] the house and the rest of us [couldn’t] really go anywhere that costs money,” Josie said. “On the downside, my parents have been very stressed and are often grumpy, but we’re all understanding and know that they are handling it all very well given the situation.”

Josie believes the shutdown caused

her father to partake in stress-induced activities in order to solidify their financial security.

“He’s been trying to find a lot of random ways to get money. My favorite started about a week into the shutdown when my mom found out he’d been trying to sell all of our belongings for a ridiculously high price on Craigslist,” Josie said. “My mom made him take half of it down because it either had sentimental value or was something we needed, but he still has quite a bit up. He has yet to make a sale.”

Todd Phillips, the father of sophomore Ryan Phillips and senior Abby Phillips, also works for the Environmental Protection Agency. Ryan feels that his dad has grown accustomed to government shutdowns, so their effects aren’t prominent.

“We [weren’t] really affected a ton by the shutdown,” Phillips said. “My dad has been working in government for many years. We’re kind of used to

JagWire

NEWS

Feb. 7, 2019

[shutdowns] because it’s not an out of ordinary thing. It’s not that uncommon.”

The list of students affected aren’t limited to familial ties. For example, senior Libby Mullican was impacted by the lack of resources available to alleviate a personal issue. Mullican was born in China and adopted at a young age, however, she’s struggling with financial aid for her undergraduate studies due to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid mistakenly flagging her social security number as a non-citizen.

“Since I was flagged and notified in December, I have worked to clear up my legal status. This included contacting my local representative to file a HIPPA release form,” Mullican said.

“I submitted my form. The only problem was that the form couldn’t be processed and corrected because the government was shutdown.”

Mullican believes that, whatever the solution, a new, long-term spending bill needs to be passed immediately to effectively avoid a shutdown.

“I am concerned about how prolonged this shutdown was. If the government shuts down again [on Friday, Feb. 15], I worry about the thousands of people who have already gone without a paycheck, our national parks and national security,” Mullican said. “It looks like there is no end in sight based off of how each side of the aisle is acting.”

THE EFFECTS

Days shutdown in 20182019, under Trump

The areas of government the shutdown harmed

Social Security Checks are sent out, but benefit verification as well as the issuance of cards would cease.

Environmental Protection Agency Halted site inspections to 1,200 different sites that included hazardous waste, drinking water, and chemical facilities.

The Food and Drug Administration delayed almost 900 inspections.

Internal Revenue Service Unable to verfify incomes and social security numbers.

Results in a backlog of requests such as morgage and other loan approvals.

Health and Human Services

Prevented from admitting new patients or processing grant applications. May need to resort to states funding money for certain grants.

PAST SHUTDOWNS

35

05

21

Days shutdown in 1995, under Clinton

National Park Service

Turned away millions of visitors to more than 400 parks, national monuments and other sites. Shutdown led to more than half a billion dollars in lost visitor spending.

Source: Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget

Comparing the lengths of the longest shutdowns in history

17

Days shutdown in 1978, under Carter

16

Days shutdown in 2013, under Obama *Source: The New York Times

06 NEWS

Design by Elizabeth Joseph

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT Penalties for breaking Student Substance Abuse Agreement

2

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

CURRICULAR CONTRACT

New punishments introduced for breaking Student Substance Abuse Agreement for extra- and co-curriculars in recent update

competition weeks or events forfeited on first offense

6

competition weeks or events forfeited on second offense

365

consecutive days spent banned from event activities on third offense

by steven curto a&e editor

T

he KSHSAA substance abuse policy was revised in December 2018 to specify consequences students in extracurricular and co-curricular activities face if they violated the agreement signed at the beginning of the year. The policy states that these violations consist of being caught using “alcohol, tobacco, nicotine delivery devices and other illegal substances.”

According to athletic director Jerald VanRheen, the district changed the wording of the contract to outline that students still face consequences during season and during offseason. “[The policy] used to be that if you were a basketball player and you violated this policy during the summer, outside of your season or in the fall before your season started, there were no consequences because you were out of season and the old verbiage

Student opinion differs on the recently updated substance abuse policy for students in extracurricular and co-curricular activities. According to junior Braeden Wiltse, students are impacted differently "since classes like band do different things than athletic activities." // Andrew Tow

says that it’s during your season,” VanRheen said. “What we’ve done is we have made this a year round document that includes the summer and it also does not recognize offseason.”

A student’s first offense results in “forfeited eligibility for up to the next two consecutive inter-scholastic event dates or up to two weeks of a competition season in which the student is a participant.” The policy states that a student’s second offense results in ineligibility for up to six weeks of a competition season. The third offense leads to “suspension from participation in extracurricular activities for a minimum of 365 consecutive days.”

Additionally, for all offenses, students are required to have a conference with an administrator, coach/ sponsor and parents, then fulfill responsibilities before reinstatement.

Junior basketball player Braeden Wiltse believes the policy is beneficial for many students.

“I think [the policy] is good for athletes because it kind of enforces and helps people make sure that they don’t do bad things, especially during the athletic season,” Wiltse said.

Although students signed the contract some, like sophomore band member Meg Carey. disagree with the consequences outlined in the policy, “I think that [the policy] is stupid,” Carey said. “I think that it can be too strict at times, like especially for the band.”

Involved students previously signed the substance abuse contract on enrollment forms when they agreed to play in an extracurricular activity or participate in a co-curricular activity.

“Since the policy is new and we have already had the enrollment period, we felt like we needed to get it out to everyone who is either in-season or who is in a year-round activity because [it] is different than what they originally signed,” VanRheen said.

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

Design by Hunter Ristau

ADS

Mill Valley Booster Club SENIOR SCHOLARSHIP PICTURE YOURSELF HERE:

2018 Booster Club Senior Scholarship Winners

HOW TO APPLY 1. Pick-up or print off a copy of the scholarship application

*Hard copies available in the Counseling Office FRIDAY, FEB. 1

*Printable copies on the MVHS Booster Club website *https://millvalleyboosterc.wixsite.com/mvbc/booster-club-scholarship 2. Fill out the application, write your essay, attach a resume and request a teacher recommendation 3. Turn everything in NO LATER THAN FRIDAY, MARCH 29 to the Counseling Office by 3:30pm

REQUIREMENTS 1. Must be a MVHS Senior 2. Parent(s)/guardian must be a member of the Booster Club

*Membership was due by December 19, 2018

*List is posted on the MVHS web site 3. Must have a 3.0 GPA 4. Must plan to attend a 2 or 4-year university, vocational or technical school

07

08 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

CRAVING for CAFFEINE ENERGY BOOST

Prevalence of caffeine intake among students and its consequential effects survey of 252 students

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DRINK CAFFEINE?

28% almost never

24% several times a week 21% daily 19% once a week

S

topping by Starbucks before school because you absolutely need a caffeine hit before the test you have second block ... oh, and you were up until 4 a.m. writing an essay due the block after that. As students get deeper and deeper into their high school experience, caffeine has become a way for many to keep up with all of the work. According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC), 73 percent of students consume caffeine daily with 24 percent of that being coffee.

Students drinking caffeine has become an everyday occurrence at Mill Valley with 21 percent of students drinking caffeine everyday and 64 percent of students drinking caffeine at least once a week. Although caffeine usage is high, 75 percent of students feels that the caffeine they drink affects them positively.

Although the majority of students (43 percent) receive their caffeine from soda, math teacher Jessica DeWild consumes her caffeine through coffee and tea like 24 percent and 12 percent of students

respectively.

“I don’t have soda ever,” DeWild said. “[I drink] 70 percent coffee, 30 percent tea. I just think it tastes good, honestly.”

“[CAFFEINE] DOESN’T ALWAYS MAKE YOU FEEL GREAT AND YOU CAN GET ADDICTED TO IT.” sophomore amanda mills

According to the Journal of Caffeine Research, caffeine can affect sleep and mood. Senior Dylan Wootton has seen some of these negative effects with his older brother Mill Valley alumni Jordan Wootton.

“In college, he would drink a pot a day, and now he cannot stop,” Wootton said. “He has to have at least a little bit or he will get a headache and

TASTY TOTAL

8% monthly

HOW DOES CAFFEINE AFFECT YOU?

75%

24% of

6% of

students

students

95165

27164

mG of caffeine

mG of caffeine

positively

25% negatively

BREWED COFFEE

ENERGY DRINK

JagWire

FEATURES

Feb. 7, 2019

by anna owsley reporter/photographer

09

by tanner smith reporter/photographer

For varying reasons, dangers are posed to individuals’ health due to a high comsumption of caffeine go through a bit of withdrawal at the end of the day.”

Sophomore Amanda Mills, who drinks two cups of coffee each day, agrees that caffeine has negative aspects. “[Caffeine] doesn’t always make you feel great and you can get addicted to it if you drink too much.

If you don’t drink it, you’ll get a headache for a long time after,” Mills said.

“Also, it’s just not ideal. You should be getting enough rest without having to drink coffee.”

Mills believes caffeine is overall beneficial for students despite its downfalls.

“I would say [caffeine] positively affects the people around me because, while people are still tired during school, they are much more ready to be active and try to learn [when they drink caffeine] versus just coming to school being super tired,” Mills said.

DeWild feels that caffeine is okay as long as it is consumed in moderation.

“You can probably over do it … and

coffee can be hard on your stomach if you drink a whole bunch of it, it could give you a bit of an upset stomach,” DeWild said.

Sophomore Abi Peters abstains from coffee due to religious and personal reasons.

“I am a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and we have been asked not to drink coffee by our prophet … It is a personal choice as well,” Peters said. “It is not like not drinking coffee is a demand, like we have to do it or we die, it is just something that I have decided to not do. I have seen people develop bad habits with and maybe get addicted, and I don’t really need that in my life.”

In contrast, Mills appreciates the energy that caffeine gives her.

“I like that it can help me stay awake,” Mills said. “There is always that option if I am staying up late the night before and I have so much to do, I can be like ‘It’s fine, I’ll just have an extra cup of coffee tomorrow’ and it makes me feel better.”

Popularity of caffeinated beverages and correlating caffeine amounts per eight ounces, according to Mayo Clinic

Before the morning rush, senior Ally Appl puts a Keurig K-Cup into the coffee maker on Tuesday, Jan. 22. “We get a lot of business and sell a lot of coffee,” Appl said. // Sam Hanson

BEHIND THE morning joe

survey of 252 students

Information about the Catty Shack’s morning coffee cart

12% of

43% of

students

students

2529

2446

mG of caffeine

mG of caffeine

coffee sales begin at

7:25

a.m.

coffee made from Keurig K-cups, yielding ounces per cup

8 75-150 each cup contains

BREWED GREEN TEA

COLA SODA

mG of caffeine

10 FEATURES

Design by Tatum Elliott

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

TEACHING their past CAREERS STUDY OF LIFE

Subjects science teacher Julie Roberts has studied

MINNOWS

During a soil productivity lab in AP Environmental Science on Friday, Jan. 25, science teacher Julie Roberts helps senior Liz Fraka compare the phosphorus level of a soil sample. // Hannah Chern

FROGS

MOSQUITO LARVAE

ALGAE CELLS

E

JULIE ROBERTS

xamining samples using a microscope is typical science class fare, but for science teacher Julie Roberts, it brings back memories of her past as a researcher for Bayer CropScience.

While crop scientists study many things, Roberts’ research focused more on the aquatic side of things.

“Bayer CropScience develops products that go on crops, so my research was to ensure that the products that were being created were safe for the aquatic environment, or anything that lived in waterways, or to make sure that the product was not dangerous to them.” Roberts said.

Though lab work typically had a steady schedule, sometimes things were shaken.

“My typical day was- I think I worked 7:30 to 4:30, but we rotated since we had live animals in the lab there always had to be somebody on call,” Roberts said.

Equipment used in studies could vary from project to project, according to Roberts “It depends on the study, some of

research biologist

the research was done using microscopes, so I could spend a whole day working at a microscope,” Roberts said. “There were complicated dilution systems set up for working with smaller fish and sometimes frogs.

Out of the many studies and research projects Roberts has worked on, one stands out amongst the rest.

“One of the last things I was working on while I was there was establishing a standard test procedure for a type of water plant,” Roberts said, “That was kind of exciting because I was designing and coming up with an experiment that was going to be used on a worldwide basis. It’s kind of neat to be part of that from the ground up.”

Past experience working in the field can provide assistance when teaching, according to Roberts.

“I think having done the research being able to bring the knowledge of the laboratory equipment but also conducting experiments and writing them up [helps educate kids],” Roberts said, “Having the real life experience I think helps me to be able to educate and teach kids the way it would be done in the real world.”

JagWire

Photos by Hannah Chern

Feb. 7, 2019

FEATURES

by sophia armendariz by sam hanson reporter/photographer

reporter/photographer

Teachers bring the skills they utilized in past careers into their current classroom curriculum

P

reviously working as an engineer at Honeywell, calculus teacher Brian Rodkey was able to take many of the principles from his past job and apply them to teaching math.

Engineering has always been an interest of Rodkey’s, and he wanted to use it to make a difference in society.

“I’ve always liked math and science and felt like that was a good fit,” Rodkey said. “I’ve always enjoyed taking things apart, knowing how they worked and I felt like what I wanted to do was try to make people’s lives better through technology.”

Rodkey said that when teaching, it is important to “understand something and communicate that,” in order to be successful.

“For example, what different voltages do [customers] need, how do they need that power, does it need to be filtered or not? Communicating things through teaching [is also important]. Trying to communicate an

E

BRIAN RODKEY

engineer

idea to students, taking concept and making it understandable to everybody in class,” Rodkey said. “The lecture is not the only part of the understanding, lecture, homework, quizzes, tests all go together to get the concept across and make it understandable to students.”

After working as an engineer for a while, Rodkey got to the point where he wanted to go into teaching, then he realized that was all he wanted to do.

“I got to the point where I felt like god’s call on my life was to teach, so that’s what I ended up wanted to do,” Rodkey said. “Then I had a great experience where I got a chance to go to Paris for around two weeks. We had designed the hardware for a flight management system … so I got to go over there to help interpret the document for [the French engineers] and answer questions that they had.”

xtending her passion of biochemistry, chemistry teacher Mary Beth Mattingly was able to continue teaching what she loves.

At the beginning of her teaching career, Mattingly got multiple jobs in the sought after university and hospital setting.

“When we lived in Virginia, I worked at Virginia Commonwealth University in their biochemistry labs,” Mattingly said. “Then I worked for a while in the Chicago area at the Veterans Administration Hospital and worked in endocrinology, looking at parathyroid hormones and [preformed] some radioimmunoassays.

Then I taught chemistry for a while back at my old college.

While working at VCU, Mattingly mainly studied certain enzymes and how they would react when matched with a substrate.

“We looked at the active site of a particular enzyme called aspartate

aminotransferase. We also looked at the signals as the substrate would go in, and how the enzyme would change, which are called transformational changes,” Mattingly said. “We looked at how the substrate would bind and how it affected the structure of the enzyme to see how the reaction went.”

When it comes to transferring skills from one profession to another, there is one key skill Mattingly still uses while teaching. “[There isn’t] a lot in terms of technology of what I used to do, because unfortunately we don’t have an electron microscope, that would be nice!

But, [It is important to] have patience with learning and trying to teach,” Mattingly said. “When you’re running experiments it doesn’t always work the first time. You have to be ready for trial two, trial three, and so on. You’ve got to do things many times over, and have the patience to do it.”

MARYBETH MATTINGLY

biochemist

11

12 FEATURES

Design by Steven Curto

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

SHIFTING to THRIFTING Students and teachers share why they enjoy thrift shopping

by sophie lecuru features editor

S

hopping for pre-owned items at thrift stores has become more popular and has even established its own verb: thrifting. Students and teachers at the school have been following the trend as well by doing some “thrifting” of their own.

Freshman Maddy Williams enjoys thrifting for clothes because of the low prices.

“I like thrifting because I can find a lot of stuff that matches my style and it’s so much cheaper, [so] I can buy more clothes,” Williams said. “I get compliments on stuff that’s like $3 which I think is really cool.”

Senior Dominic Martinez also likes to thrift for the low prices and the diverse options the thrift stores offer.

His style matches the options he finds at thrift stores.

“A benefit to thrifting is that it’s cheaper and I honestly feel like you can find a lot more of a variety of clothes at a thrift store because it’s literally everything,” Martinez said.

According to art teacher Erica Crist, thrifting is more time consuming than regular shopping. Shopping for something specific at thrift stores can be difficult because of the random assortment they have. “[Thrifting] definitely takes more time,” Crist said. “Sometimes I’ll just go thrifting if I have a little bit of extra time and I just keep a general list of things that I’m looking for so I just scan the aisles really fast and look for them. If you want something

really specific, then it’s a lot easier to just go to a regular store.”

Crist has noticed both the benefits and the disadvantages to thrifting.

“A benefit to thrifting is that you can save a lot of money,” Crist said.

“I think it helps eliminate some of the waste in such a consumer-driven society. It’s crazy how much stuff you’ll find there. However, a disadvantage to thrifting is just that it takes a little bit more time.”

Williams has experienced these disadvantages as well. She stresses the importance of being patient while thrifting.

“You have to go through every item of clothing so you just have to be patient and wait until you find something you really like,” Williams said.

While shopping at thrift stores is enjoyable for Martinez, donating to them is just as enjoyable for him.

“I think you should [donate],” Martinez said. “I do that a lot too because if I end up having a lot of clothes I don’t wear I just donate them and then somebody else can wear them.”

Crist’s experience thrifting has helped her gather helpful advice for someone looking to try thrifting for the first time.

“My advice would be to hit some of the thrift stores that aren’t as popular. There’s a lot of local churches and other organizations that have thrift stores that people don’t know about so [go] to those,” Crist said. “Also, go at the times when you know people are going to be getting rid of their stuff; a lot of people are getting rid of things at the new year. I’d also recommend finding a thrift store right when it’s opening.”

NIFTY THRIFTY PLACES 13233 Shawnee Mission Pkwy

Recommended by freshman Maddy Williams

THINGS TO THRIFT Avid thrifters share their favorite items to shop for Freshman Maddy Williams sweatshirts jeans

Senior Dominic Martinez jackets jeans

Art teacher Erica Crist oversized sweatshirts t-shirts jeans

Local places routine thrifters find the best bargains at and enjoy doing their shopping

9750 W 87th St, Overland Park

11225 Shawnee Mission Pkwy

Recommended by art teacher Erica Crist

Recommended by senior Dominic Martinez

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

Design by Hunter Ristau

ADS

13

14 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

300 HOURS

of videos are uploaded to Youtube every minute

60 PERCENT of Snapchat users are under the age of 25

AN EGG

is the most liked photo on Instagram The average user spends

There is a new social media user every

15 MINUTES

10 SECONDS

a day on Instagram

76 PERCENT of Facebook users check the site every day

The average Twitter user has

707 FOLLOWERS

Google processes

100 BILLION searches each month

Snapchat has

187 MILLION active daily users

68 PERCENT

of Americans use Facebook

9 PERCENT

of U.S. small businesses use Youtube

3.397 BILLION people use social media

81.5 PERCENT of Twitch users are male

There are

4.2 BILLION

Instagram likes per day

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

by hannah chern news editor/social media editor

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

FEATURES

15

SHOWING OUR

COLORS Social media used by students and staff for expression across platforms

Source: Brandwatch

16 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

THROW IT BACK

Senior Abby Hoepner comments on the growth of her visual presence on Instagram

AUGUST 2014

“I used to always use the white borders on my posts and try to make my pictures stand out with some sort of editing or effect, which now I think looks ridiculous.”

SEPTEMBER 2018

Social media allows selfexpression in various ways

I

n an increasing digitalized age, you may find yourself flooded with a constant stream of social media posts. You’ll find countless articles analyzing the negative effects these platforms have on teenagers, as well as parents, peers and teachers advising you to put down your phone. Despite this, in a survey of 265 students, 79 percent said they viewed social media as a positive thing.

For senior Delaney Kemp, who runs a healthy food Instagram account, social media has allowed her to explore her interests and meet new people with similar ones.

“I definitely think of it as a form of expression because nutrition is what I’m going to do in college, so it expresses my interests and my future,” Kemp said. “I’m definitely wanting a bigger audience, but I’ve made a lot of connections with other pages and users, so if that’s what I gain out of this page then I’d say that’s successful.”

Sophomore Leif Campbell also utilizes social media to express his interests, but he does it by livestreaming himself playing video games on Twitch.

“I have a dual PC setup, so I have one PC playing the game and another doing the streaming,” Campbell said.

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

“It lets me express myself in the way of showing other people what I like to do most. It’s just showing other people something that’s cool. I’d say it’s successful.”

Additionally, seniors Annika Lehan and Ryan Williams operate photography accounts on Instagram.

Lehan utilizes hers to showcase her work to a wider audience.

“I started my photography Instagram because I wanted a way for other people to see my work that wasn’t necessarily my family and friends,” Lehan said. “I also just don’t like posting my face on the internet so I’ve liked putting my work up instead.”

Williams agrees that social media has allowed him to reach a wider variety of users, but the opportunity it presents to express his own views.

“I see my photography as how I see the world through my eyes, it’s very much self-expression of how I see the world,” Williams said. “When I take a picture, that’s a picture I took, and it’s something I envisioned and saw and something I want to take a picture of and share it with the world. I think it’s really sharing my perspective on things and how I see the world.”

Like Williams, junior Noah Hookstra uses social media to express his perspective. Hookstra uses Twitter as a platform to share his thoughts and opinions, usually revolving around SENIOR DELANEY KEMP Instagram: @lilrunnerfuel

SENIOR ANNIKA LEHAN Instagram: @annikalehan

“Now my posts do a better job reflecting what’s going on in my life and are hopefully of better quality.”

Photos submitted by Abby Hoepner

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

culture or politics.

“I think that Twitter is a way of communicating the essence of ideas … It is the quickest way to put out a thesis,” Hookstra said. “If I think about something specifically and I don’t have an essay-amount of thought on it, but I just have a quick response to something in my life or the broader world, I will try and just put forward a quick Tweet just to document what I think about things.”

“I SEE MY PHOTOGRAPHY AS HOW I SEE THE WORLD THROUGH MY EYES, IT’S VERY MUCH SELF EXPRESSION OF HOW I SEE THE WORLD” senior ryan williams

Hookstra believes that Twitter is a platform where ideas can be discussed and spread easily.

Photo illustration by Hunter Ristau

“There was this concept in the Renaissance called salons where intellectuals will gather and just spit ideas off of each other,” Hookstra said.

“Twitter is both a refined and unrefined version of salons where I am able to say what I think about Kamala Harris’ latest speech and then someone else tells me I am wrong.”

Social media can offer a benefit for potential work or educational opportunities. When applying to the University of Illinois, Lehan linked her Instagram as an additional portfolio.

Similarly, Williams has also used his Instagram account as a portfolio.

“I’ve had people contact me based off my account, like there was this art show in Kansas City and they contacted me because they saw my work on my account,” Williams said. “So in the day and age of technology, it has become like the new portfolio, like ‘just go to my Instagram handle and see the photos I post.’”

Social media platforms can also be used to portray a different side of oneself. Although apprehensive to share her journey with depression in-person, senior Morgan Muehlberger utilizes YouTube as an outlet to document both her everyday life and more serious videos.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 18

FEATURES

17

TO POST OR NOT TO POST Students share things they believe make up an interesting Instagram post

“This is one of my favorite Instagram posts because of the memory behind it ... I think an interesting Instagram picture is something that is candid, colorful and meaningful.”

SENIOR LILLI MILBERGER

MATH TEACHER SARAH SIDES Instagram: @schoolinstyle

“First I find a picture that I think is entertaining, then I brainstorm a caption. I’ll make the post if it makes me laugh, if I think it’ll make other people laugh and if I won’t get arrested for posting it.”

JUNIOR NICO GATAPIA Photos submitted by senior Lilli Milberger and junior Nico Gatapia

18 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

IN THIS DAY AND AGE A survey of 267 students reveals how social media is portrayed and used by young people

WHICH SOCIAL MEDIA APP DO YOU USE MOST FREQUENTLY?

1.

2.

4.

3.

YouTube 23.1%

Snapchat 50.5%

5.

Twitter 6.3%

6.

Facebook 0.73%

DO YOU ACT DIFFERENTLY ON SOCIAL MEDIA THAN IN REAL LIFE?

29% yes

DO YOU VIEW SOCIAL MEDIA AS A POSITIVE THING?

83% yes

Instagram 19.0%

Twitch 0.37%

SENIOR RYAN WILLIAMS Instagram: @ryan._williams

24% yes

DO YOU ACT DIFFERENTLY ON DIFFERENT SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS?

79% yes

HAVE YOU USED SOCIAL MEDIA DIFFERENTLY AS YOU’VE GROWN UP?

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 “I definitely take more risks on YouTube than I do in person. I’ve always wanted to talk about mental health, but I’ve always been too afraid to,” Muehlberger said. “By making an account, I made a spot where I can talk about it. I’m not hiding behind a screen because I am still putting myself out there, but I get to really put myself out there in my own way. I can portray myself any way I want to online, which really helps.”

Due to the ability to showcase her personality, Muehlberger believes her emotional state improves while she’s logged onto her account.

“By giving me a good community to post what I want without fear of judgment, YouTube has allowed me to experiment with different types of videos and has helped me come out of my shell by being able to talk about controversial subjects,” Muehlberger said. “It’s my safe place. I feel better after I make a video and I feel inspired and it makes me feel good about myself.”

Much like Muehlberger, math teacher Sarah Sides uses a public

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

Photo illustration by Hunter Ristau

SENIOR MORGAN MUEHLBERGER YouTube: Morgan Muehlberger

FEATURES

19

POPULAR POSTERS

The top five mostfollowed Twitter accounts

JUNIOR NOAH HOOKSTRA Twitter: @Shookstra_LLC

1. Katy Perry- 106.9 million @katyperry 2. Justin Bieber- 105 million @justinbieber 3. Barack Obama- 104.3 million @BarackObama 4. Rihanna- 89.2 million @rihanna 5. Taylor Swift- 83.4 million @taylorswift13

Source: Statista

platform to inspire others. Sides uses Instagram to showcase her wardrobe.

“I DON’T USE SOCIAL MEDIA BECAUSE MY PARENTS FEEL THAT IT IS UNSAFE TO USE AND I FEEL LIKE IT’S A DRAIN ON MY ENERGY AND ANOTHER DISTRACTION.” sophomore aaliyah gonzalez

“I post a photo of my daily outfit which I would describe as affordable but also trendy and comfortable,” Sides said. “I really like to show people that you can dress fashionably without spending a ton of money and I also like to show students, girls especially, that you can be stylish and smart; they’re not mutually exclusive things because they can go hand in

hand.”

While social media can be an outlet for expression, it may also be cause for concern; many students refrain from using any digital platform at all. For example, sophomore Aaliyah Gonzalez does not have any social media and believes she likely won’t ever have one.

“I don’t use social media because my parents feel that it is unsafe to use and I feel like it’s a drain on my energy and another distraction for me,” Gonzalez said. “I probably won’t get any social media in the future because I already have a lot on my plate and I don’t want the distraction.”

On the other hand, for sophomore Alex Whipple, the decision to not use social media was mainly centered around his privacy.

“I’ve never really had a use for [social media],” Whipple said. “I believe that if you don’t know me personally, I don’t need to be expressing my beliefs or personal life to you.”

Additionally, Whipple believes that distancing himself from social media helps set boundaries.

“When I play video games with my friends, we use a private voice chatting service to speak with each other and I talk with them every day,” Whip-

ple said. “I also see them through Science Olympiad and Robotics almost all the time. If I had any form of social media, I don’t think I’d have a private life.”

Though Hookstra believes social media has negative impacts, he ultimately believes the benefits of social exchange outweigh the harms.

“I actually think that there is a lot of people who kind of rag on Twitter as a toxic, firestorm environment — and don’t get me wrong, it is,” Hookstra said. “A lot of people complain about a Twitter bubble and it being echo-y. I definitely think that it can be a problem, but my experience is that it is a good way to experience ideas and then bounce your own off of other people.”

Like Hookstra, Muehlberger ultimately believes social media not only lets her express herself through her creations, but also empowers her to take ownership over her creations.

“I will continue to post videos because it’s something I really enjoy.

I love editing and I love directing a video,” Muehlberger said. “It inspires me and makes me feel proud of the projects I’ve worked on. I’m excited for people to see my videos and I’m confident with myself in them.”

20 OPINIONS

Design by Ben Wieland

Illustration by Tatum Elliott

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

SOCIAL MEDIA: BEST USED IN MODERATION It's good to use social media as an outlet for creativity, but checking your phone too often could lead to depression and loneliness

I

t’s obvious to any student with a cell phone that social media is taking our generation by storm. Students who use YouTube, Instagram, Twitch and other platforms to express themselves demonstrate the beneficial effects of social media for many, but it is important to be wary of the consequences of overuse as well. Responsibly managing your social media use allows you to have the best of both worlds.

The prevalence of social media in everyday life offers a place to be kind to others, find humor or create something meaningful. Instagram comment sections are full of compliments. The masses of Twitter users and their witty humor is always good for a laugh. Even at our school, students are provided an opportunity to show off talents like photography and cooking to express themselves through social media.

However, sometimes the benefits of social media are so appealing that students forget about the potential negatives. Social media use has grown

rampant and even an addiction for some students. Most students realize their use of social media is a problem — nearly three-quarters of teens think tech companies are trying to get them to become more addicted, according to a study by Common Sense Media.

But some teens don’t try to avoid this addiction — Pew Research found that 45 percent of teens say they’re online “almost constantly,” and more than half of teens think social media distracts them from doing homework or hanging out with friends.

Social media addiction also affects the body itself. When people get a like on their picture or a view on their video, addictive chemicals called endorphins are released into the body; endorphins trigger the brain’s pleasure receptors and bring a jolt of happiness. However, there are other more damaging effects that social media addiction can have on the body. A variety of clinical studies have found causal links between increased social media use and negative effects like depression and loneliness. See-

AGREE: 20 DISAGREE: 1

ing the perfect lives of others online can make people feel isolated and left out. Finding ways to combat this addiction and limit it is key to enjoying your time online.

Even if you don’t feel addicted, it’s always good to take measures to protect yourself. On Apple devices, the Screen Time setting allows you to set time limits on daily app usage and disable non-critical notifications at night. Screen Time also sends you a weekly report showing how many hours you’re on your device every day.

Other third-party apps like OffTime and Moment help limit social media use as well. Using different methods to fight addiction will ensure that social media positively influences your life.

Social media use is a good thing — it gives everyone an opportunity to share and express themselves. Social media overuse, on the other hand, is a problem. Being responsible with your time on social media will allow you to reap all the benefits with less consequences.

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

Design by Ben Wieland

OPINIONS

21

SCHOOL PART TIME

IS A WASTE OF YOUR TIME

Staying at school senior year provides a better experience by marah shulda mill valley news editor-in-chief

I

n the grand scheme of life high school is a small blip, and it already feels as though my time at Mill Valley has flown by. I feel myself trying to hold on to all the memories that are passing by and hear myself saying many ‘lasts’. Why would you want to rush the end and miss out on the last few moments? Going part time causes seniors to miss out on the most important parts of their high school career by, often times, cutting there time at the school in half.

Being that high school is only made of eight semesters, cutting down one of them makes a significant difference. We hear our parents and teachers constantly telling us to remember these moments, because we may never get them back. By decreasing this last semester, seniors are missing out on these memories. Many of us will never here the end of the day bell signifying the close to another grind of a day; the satisfaction of walking out of the school after completing eight hours of work. While this may seem grueling right now, when looking back in 10 years we will miss these moments, and not everyone is able to say that.

Living in Johnson County and being able to go to such a excellent school is a luxury. We get to formulate relationships with teachers, take college classes and simply enjoy our time here. Some students at neighboring

schools don’t always get the same opportunities. While the course load sometimes seems too much, the club meetings seem too often and the sleep seems too little, these are all opportunities that not every high schooler gets. We should relish our time at Mill Valley, not shorten it.

As we near the end of our time at Mill Valley, every moment should be remembered. This last semester of high school is the last time to truly make a name for yourself. Once in college, no one cares who the homecoming queen or the valedictorian is.

The transition to adulthood starts the minute that we walk off that stage on May 18, so why waste the little time that we have left to truly be teens?

Now after saying all of this, some of our students need to go part time in order to finance their future education, and that is completely justified. That is the reason that part time was created, and it should stay that way in order to allow each senior to truly make the most of their time at Mill Valley. It should not be used simply as a reason to go home early or sleep in late.

To those students that are doing what they can to further their education, part time is the right path. For the rest of us that just want to get an extra hour or two of sleep, is it truly worth it in the long run to miss out on making these irreplaceable memories?

STUDENT VIEWPOINTS Mill Valley upperclassmen offer their takes on seniors choosing whether or not to go part time

“Senior half day is a good addition to help seniors pay for college and prepare for higher education. It allows you to take college classes to get those out of the way or work more.”

JUNIOR TRAVIS BABCOCK

“I think senior shortened days are good because [students] are given the option to go out and focus more on their future, either with work or school.”

SENIOR RILEY FERGUSON

22 OPINIONS

Design by Ben Wieland

Feb. 7, 2019

FLEXIBILITY IS THE BEST ABILITY Being too rigid in your schedule means you miss out on your life by john lehan reporter/photographer

M

onday signifies an upcoming work week, filled with responsibility and early mornings, until the weekend finally gives sweet release. Until the weekend arrives, many people merely try to survive the week. They fall into a pattern, each day the same as the last, just waiting for a small break. While a daily routine may be the simplest way to get through the day, making each day unique is important to live life to its fullest.

Routines help keep life manageable, and aren’t altogether terrible. If the routine isn’t broken, why fix it?

However, routines prevent us from being our best selves. Choosing to live the same day over and over because it is easy is effectively the same as having only one day to live. Furthermore, a study by Columbia University found bored teenagers are 50% more likely to smoke, drink or do drugs. Rather than conforming to a routine just because it is easy, seek out opportunities to make each day unique.

Trying new things does more than just break up a daily routine. Being open to trying new things broadens how much of the world you get to experience. Being flexible to new experiences can teach new hobbies and create new friends. Trying new music subconsciously activates our brain’s pattern recognition, which can yield

DON’T CLICK ON ONLINE CLICKBAIT Headlines desire your attention, don’t give them what they want by tanner smith reporter/photographer

A

man falls down and cries for help twice, the second time my jaw drops.” “9 out of 10 Americans are completely wrong about this mind-blowing fact.” “Here’s what actually reduces gun violence.” These are all examples of click bait. They are catchy tiles designed to make you what to read more and to get as many clicks as possible. These articles just looking for your clicks can be very dangerous because they can increase fake news and undermine real journalists.

While the ideas of clickbait headlines have some dangers, the real dan-

ger is that clickbait is very likely to be associated with fake news. A study by the Center for Information and Technology Studies at the University of California Santa Barbara found that clickbait is a common way to spread fake news, because it creates more curiosity. It is also dangerous because it

“THESE ARTICLES LOOKING FOR YOUR CLICKS CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS” tanner smith

JagWire

intellectual and satisfactory benefits, a study conducted by Valorie Salimpoor found.

While we will all die one day, we also have the opportunity to live each day. With such limited time, we can’t just survive till the next step in our lives, we have to make today’s step meaningful. Taking a small action each day, such as trying new music, will eventually cause a large impact on your life, but taking no new actions causes you life to have no impact.

It may be tempting to take the easy road and stick to your tried and true routine. However, trying new things will not overthrow your way of life, but it might help give you a way to have your best life.

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Percent who said having a flexible schedule increased their satisfaction with life, according to a study by Zenefits.

destroys the trust between journalists and the reader and shifts the focus of journalism to solely revolve around making money. The reason the United States has a free press is to keep people informed, but clickbait is not used to keep people informed. It is just used to make a quick buck by getting as many clicks as possible. This money centered model not only undermines real journalists and creates distrust in the system, it also makes people hate the sites that use it.

We can already see journalism taking a hit with all of these headlines because of the increased distrust that people have in journalists. Even our president is distrustful of the press, which is at least partially due to the increase in clickbait.

This has to change. Clickbait is an incredibly dangerous tool that undermines real journalism and hurts the readers by increasing the spread of fake news. If the United States wants to keep having a free press that keeps people informed, then clickbait is not the answer. It is our job to click on important articles from well-respected sources because without our clicks, clickbait dies.

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

Illustration by Anna Owsley / OPINIONS

HISTORY IS NOT GIVEN A CHANCE The school needs to offer more social studies opportunities by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

I

’m the self-proclaimed “golden child” of my family, so imagine the euphoria my parents experienced when a six-year-old me came home and proclaimed I wanted to be a doctor — and their expressions of shock 10 years later when I casually mentioned going into social studies instead.

Much to the dismay of my very traditional parents, the prospect of going into medicine brings me no joy. However, for many years, that was the plan.

I found math and science a bit boring, but I was decent at them. It wasn’t until I enrolled in the life-changing course AP United States History that

I realized I enjoyed the complexity of politics, social justice issues and history. I now plan on pursuing a double major in International Relations and Economics with the hopes of one day becoming an attorney.

While I’m grateful to have discovered my passion in high school, I wish I’d found it before junior year, and I wish there were more steps I could take to prepare for my future.

In the course selection guide, there are 18 different courses to fill the required three science credits; there are 11 courses to fill the required 3.5 social science credits. This divide continues over to the elective portion of the course guide, where technology credits are required and a majority of social studies-based courses can only be counted as a general elective. This

TWO PARTY SYSTEMS DO NOT WORK Having two parties divides us instead of bringing us together by sam hanson reporter/photographer

T

he only reason why the government shut down for over a month is because neither Republicans nor Democrats were willing to give the other side a political victory. That raises the question of: how efficient would the government be if there were no political parties?

During the past few years, political parties have destroyed our government as we know it. A Pew Research poll found 36 percent of Republicans and 27 percent of Democrats saw the other side’s policies as “a threat to the nation’s well-being.” Overall, each side bases their political agenda on

demonizing the other party, not about helping our country move forward.

The reason why very little is achieved in Congress today is because most politicians vote on party lines. Since the House and the Senate are basically 50/50 Republican and Democrat, if everyone votes on party lines, there is no way any controversial bill will pass. If there were no political parties, politicians would not feel pressure to vote along party lines, but instead be willing to vote for what they actually believe in.

Political parties have also divided the people. Some people, when voting, only look at whether there is a “D” or a “R” next to the candidate’s name.

If there were no political parties, people would need to do research to see

23

isn’t to say that STEM isn’t important — it very much so is — but the unequal balance speaks to the lack of opportunities for me, and students like me, to explore our interests.

I am also in no way arguing that the district is only prioritizing STEM; between STEM, the arts, journalism, business, etc., I get how social studies can get lost in the mix of student interests. I do believe, however, that the district should further their efforts to add complex and advanced humanities classes.

“I WISH THERE WERE MORE STEPS I COULD TAKE... FOR MY FUTURE” ally ngyuen

The majority of career paths have adequate opportunities within the course guide, but when it comes to social studies, options lack. I understand there are many students with many different interests — let’s make sure all of them are being supported. which candidate suits them, instead of voting purely on party lines. The thing about this is that no one cares to have their own individual thoughts anymore, because people feel like they have no other choice but to vote along party lines. So in a way, political parties are just two colossal cults that have divided our country.

George Washington said political parties would be the downfall of this nation, and he appears to be right. If we want our country to keep pace with the rest of the world, we need to eliminate political parties so our government can achieve what it originally set out to do.

24 ADS

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Feb. 7, 2019

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SPORTS

25

ATHLETIC APPRENTICES Student athletic trainers gain hands-on experience to apply to their future career fields in health by learning from athletic trainer Clint McAlister during games, practices and activites on a daily basis by sophia armendariz reporter/photographer

A

soccer player sits in the middle of the field, clutching their ankle, their faced scrunched up in agony. They don’t know what’s wrong with their ankle, but they’re certain it’s injured. There’s no need to worry though, help is on its way.

Student trainers are available to help treat injuries and assist in the recovery process.

Athletics Trainer Clint McAlister helps guide student trainers through some of their many duties.

“They just shadow me and learn evaluation techniques, therapy exercises, rehab exercises, some taping techniques, some preventative exercises and they help with practice and event coverage doing first aid and emergency care.” McAlister said.

While there is a lot student trainers have to learn, the road to becoming a student is quick with a bit of communication.

“There’s no prerequisite for it, they do receive a letter or certificate for participation, but we do have a manual that we read through and we have

to agree to all the requirements and procedures.” McAlister said The amount of students requiring aid varies depending on the season, according to experienced student trainer junior Maddie Valencia.

“We see a lot [of students], it just depends on the week and the season.

During the fall season since we have football and that’s more of a contact sport, we have more people come in,” Valencia said, “During the winter it’s usually not that bad since we don’t have a lot of contact heavy sports.”

With Mill Valley’s busy, sportspacked schedule, student trainers have to spend a lot of time working at the school.

“I’m here every day. I practically live here,” Valencia said, “On a normal practice night I leave around 6, and on a game night I leave around 9:30.”

Valencia doesn’t have much issue staying late, though. Passing time with the other student trainers is hardly a chore.

“It’s an extremely tight bond.

There’s four of us, and we’re all together all the time,” Valencia said, “Thankfully we don’t get annoyed with each other that much, but it’s

like we’re a group of sisters.”

While there aren’t any student trainer positions open, sophomore Katie Turner offers a slightly different route.

“If they’re interested in that stuff they should definitely look into other opportunities,” Turner said.

DAY-TO-DAY DAMAGE The most common injuries at Mill Valley, according to student trainer Katie Turner

TENDINITIS An inflammation of a tendon, typically caused from overuse

ANKLE SPRAINS Results from a rolled or twisted ankle, with a short recovery time

CONCUSSIONS An injury affecting the brain, most commonly caused by a blow to the head Student trainers junior Maddie Valencia and sophomore Katie Turner wrap blank Claire Kaifes foot in ice on Tuesday, Jan. 22. “We see a lot of tendinitus, concussions and ankle sprains,” Valencia said. // Jonathan Atchley

Source: Mayo Clinic

26 SPORTS

Design by Anika Roy

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN Many male students choose to participate in a recreational basketball league at Okun Fieldhouse

In a basketball game on Tuesday, Jan. 29, senior Colin Prosser jumps up into a defender to try and make a layup. The rec league allows for a casual chance to play classmates.

“We just kind of did whatever we wanted on offense,” Prosser said. // Jonathan Atchley As he celebrates making a basket during warmups, sophomore Nick Mason jokingly shoves his teammate before a game on Tuesday, Jan. 29// Jonathan Atchley

by john lehan reporter/photographer

by jakob twigg sports editor

T

he sounds of cheering and laughter filled the space of Okun Fieldhouse as recreational league basketball teams Brian’s Feet and A.N.D. duked it out in a tense matchup. As the last two minutes slowly petered away, both teams put up point after point in an effort to close out the game. When the clock finally hit zero, the players of Brian’s Feet cheered in triumph, while A.N.D. laughed the loss off on the sidelines.

Every Tuesday night, Okun’s high school recreational basketball league offers a break from the intense stress of school and work for it’s players.

Each game consists of two 20-minute halves with a running clock, except for the last two minutes if the score is within a ten point margin.

Games are every Tuesday at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45.

The Johnson County Parks and Recreation District sponsored league is for players aged 14 to 19, leading to the creation of teams with varying age ranges and skill levels. This season, the league is comprised of 13 teams, eight of which have students from Mill Valley high school.

Johnson County’s youth sports coordinator Stephanie Chase thinks the league provides less skilled players to still pursue the game of basketball in high school.

“Most area high schools hold com-

petitive tryouts and select only a ing to Chase. handful of players for school affiliated “At the time of registration, we ask winter basketball teams,” Chase said. team managers to communicate the “Given the large number of teams interest and skill level of each team,” that play at Okun Fieldhouse through Chase said. “When selecting match9th grade, it ups and schedis clear that uling league there are also play, we then many 10thuse that infor12th grade mation. The ulplayers who timate goal is to love basketcreate as many ball but have beneficial and aged out of fun matchups standard as possible.” league play.”

According The opporto senior Colin A.N.D. tunity to play Prosser, combasketball expetitive teams Ballers cited junior in the league Mason Scott, a have proved Nikebroncos player for Brichallenging, but an’s Feet. not unbeatable Brian’s Feet “I played for his team, during my The SkyhookStep Dads freshman ers.

M.J.M. year, and I “We started just wanted in zone defense, Skyhookers to play again just because and have that we are lazy and The Fiens experience,” have five playScott said. ers,” Prosser “Today’s game said. “Then we was great, we switched to man all came out, when we realwe all showed out, everyone was hus- ized that they could actually shoot.” tling around, we got the steals and we Likewise, sophomore Adam Traugot the W.” ernicht, coach of The Fiens, feels as Team managers are asked to report if his young team of sophomores is the average skill level of their team, in ready to compete. Trauernicht wants order to create a fair league bracket his team to focus on “lockdown dethat’s enjoyable for everyone, accord- fense” as well as going in to every

Mill Valley Teams:

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SPORTS

Feb. 7, 2019

27

During a game against the Spicy Boys, junior Jake Keller looks to receive a pass from his teammate on Tuesday, Jan. 29. // Jonathan Atchley

game “with a 1-0 mindset”.

Despite the presence of more competitive teams in the league, senior Doug Hotter still enjoys game day with a passion.

“Making friends, getting technicals, dunking on kids, that’s [what it’s about],” Hotter said. “We’ve lost both games [so far], but we are saying we tied our last one, because it was kind of close.”

According to Chase, the league provides an outlet for the players to “get creative” and “have a good time” with their teammates.

“Some teams get creative with uniforms and team names, some pregame entrances and warm-ups include rehearsed acts and music, and players attempt trick shots and wild plays,” Chase said. “As long as behavior is safe and appropriate, we allow teams to cut loose a bit and have some fun.”

Not only does the league allow creative freedoms, for Scott’s team it lets them show their love for the game, without the stress of practice.

“We do not practice, we just show up and have the biggest hearts in this

league, we are taking first place this year,” Scott said.

The league will conclude its final games on Tuesday, Feb. 26. The first and second place teams will walk away with individual player awards, a testament to their success.

Ultimately, Chase wants the players to enjoy their experience and gameplay.

“Altogether, our greatest success can be seen on any winter Tuesday night at Okun,” Chase said. “The players seem to have a blast and more teams join the league every year.”

DRESS CODE The created uniforms of teams

“Team Jesus” T-Shirts

Senior Brandon Davis M.J.M.

Handwritten “Nuts” T-Shirts

Senior Dylan Wootton A.N.D.

Taped “Brian’s” Crop Tops

Junior Jake Keller Brian’s Feet

28 A&E

Design by Katya Gillig

Photos by Andrew Tow

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

RECOMMENDED READS Select English teachers review one of their favorite books or book series

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

"EMMA" BY JANE AUSTIN really like Jane Austen’s "Emma." It’s a complete novel and it’s really well written.

It’s my favorite Jane Austen [book], a lot of people like "Pride and Prejudice," but I think Emma is her masterwork.

It’s more sophisticated, it’s better plotted, it's characters are more interesting ... and it feels more alive to me. It breaks further from the tradition of other novels at the time and is a more original piece.

I like Emma as a protagonist because she’s supremely confident in herself but the reader can tell she’s so unaware, and so to read the book is to find yourself combative with the protagonist. That’s a refreshing thing, as opposed to all of these protagonists we all just naturally agree with and like and love. Emma makes us furious.

Ultimately, everything works out, which is one of the nice things about Jane Austen's novels. They make for pleasant reading that way. //ENGLISH TEACHER PETER SHULL

"ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE" BY ANTHONY DOERR

I

I

really enjoyed the book because it’s based in World War II, which is one of my favorite periods of time from a historical standpoint. It’s told from the perspective of a young German male and a young French female and how their stories kind of intertwine. They’re very separate at the beginning and they slowly become closer until they finally meet at the end. The different perspectives are really interesting.

When you read books about World War II, it’s from one side, so to get [different] perspectives is interesting. It’s an easy read. There’s not a lot of complicated vocabulary; it’s reachable. It has multiple perspectives.

It’s like a bunch of short poems that come together to create a very interesting story. It’s written like a novel, but the language he und the way he spaces out his lines makes it feel like poetry, but you’re really reading a story. So if you hate poems and like a good story, it’s a really good book, the way it’s done. // ENGLISH TEACHER MADELINE BYRD

THE HARRY POTTER SERIES BY J.K. ROWLING

I

would have to say my all time favorite book is the Harry Potter series, because of the description, which leads to imagination.

I started reading those books in seventh grade, before any of the movies came out, so I

BELOVED BOOKS “It is a very advanced book for its time and the morals can be applied in present day, modern society."

JUNIOR ANNIE BOGART

I

got to imagine what that world was like. Being immersed in a totally made up world has always been a fantastic escape. The characters are well developed, plus I just love the idea of magic being everywhere. //ENGLISH TEACHER ASHLEY AGRE

"FINDING FISH" BY ANTWONE FISH

t’s hard to pick because I do have a lot of favorites, but "Finding Fish" has been my favorite for a long time, being a teacher. I have taught it every single year I have taught. It’s my favorite by far.

It’s real, it’s raw, it talks

about things that might make people uncomfortable, but it gets good conversations started. And it has a really happy ending! This little boy had the worst life but he rises above it all and it’s amazing. Despite the hard story, there is some good at the end. //ENGLISH TEACHER LOLA BRIGNONI

Students share their opinions on "To Kill A Mockingbird" by Harper Lee, which all students have to read sophomore year “It’s a good representation ... and it can still be applied to multiple generations."

SENIOR BRENDAN LOVING

JagWire

Design by Ally Nguyen

Feb. 7, 2019

Photos by Jonathan Atchley

A&E

29

A GUIDE TO by annie myers

Galentine's Day

editor-in-chief

WHAT IS IT?

Senior JagWire staff member Annie Myers and junior Morgan Blubaugh share their tips and tricks for hosting and planning a Galentine’s Day celebration

Typically hosted on Feb. 13, Galentine’s Day is an annual tradition among female students to celebrate a friendship-version of Valentine’s Day

MEET THE PLANNERS Myers and Blubaugh share why they enjoy Galentine’s Day

“I love Galentine’s Day because you can celebrate fulfilling, platonic love with your friends.”

THE PLANNING Decisions to make and steps to take to set the tone of the evening

NIGHT-IN DRESS:

PAJAMAS JagWire: comfort in a laid-back environment provides for a fuss-free evening.

Morgan Blubaugh: PJ’s are comfy and cozy, which allows you to relax.

JUNIOR MORGAN BLUBAUGH

DRESS: SEMI-FORMAL ATTIRE

JW: It makes it feel like more of an occasion. You look nice and feel nice.

MB: You can take cute pictures with your friends and feel good about yourself.

PREP:

PREP:

SELECT ROMANTIC COMEDIES JW recommends: “Sixteen Candles” MB recommends: “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” PLAN A GIFT-GIVING ACTIVITY JW recommends: Make each other homemade mugs and handwritten cards

MAKE RESTAURANT RESERVATIONS JW recommends: Sushi Mido MB recommends: Paulo and Bill CREATE A CAR PLAYLIST JW recommends: “Shake it Off” by Taylor Swift and “Juice” by Lizzo MB recommends: Early 2000s Pop Hits

THE GIFT-GIVING Step-by-step instructions for creating heart-themed mugs

SENIOR ANNIE MYERS

“Galentine’s Day is a good way to spend time with your gals and have fun, even if you don’t have a significant other.”

EVENING-OUT

1

Trace the handle of a plain, white mug on a sheet of paper. Fold the paper in half and cut out a heart shape.

2

Trace the heart onto contact paper and place the contact paper half on the handle and half on the mug.

3

Using a Sharpie oil paint marker, dot around the heart outline.

(Optional: doodle or write a message on the other side of the mug). Allow the paint to dry for 10 minutes.

4

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees and bake the mug for 20 minutes.

30 A&E

Design by Sophie Lecuru

Feb. 7, 2019

JagWire

FROZEN FAVORITES

by sophia armendariz reporter/photographer

by hannah chern news editor/social media editor

W

hen eating frozen dairy goods, such as ice cream, frozen custard or frozen yogurt, people often don’t think of what goes into making each. In the making of these frozen delicacies, the ingredients and ratios used to make them determines what is produced.

According to Kansas State University Professor Karen Schmidt of Dairy Foods Processing and Technology, the Food and Drug Administration has legal requirements that determine what goes into ice cream and frozen custard.

Stated in the FDA’s Code of Federal Regulation, for a frozen dessert to be classified as ice cream, it must contain 10 percent of milk fat and contains no less than 1.6 pounds of total solids to the gallon, and weighs no less than 4.5 pounds to the gallon.

On the other hand, frozen custard contains 1.4 percent egg yolk solids by weight of the finished food.

Though the FDA regulates the ingredients that go into making ice cream and frozen custard, the process of producing them is very similar, according to Professor Schmidt. The only component that makes them different is the ratio of ingredients.

Even though the FDA regulates the ingredients and the amounts that goes into ice cream and frozen custard, the standards do not cover frozen yogurt.

The differences between ice cream and frozen yogurt aren’t as plentiful

The differences between custard, ice cream and frozen yogurt as they may seem, according to family and consumer sciences teacher Ellee Gray.

“The only difference between custard and ice cream is that it has pasteurized egg yolk in it, so the egg yolk helps to make the custard creamier and denser, and it also can be kept at a lower temperature.” Gray said.

For junior Eva Burke, there is a noticeable difference between frozen custard and ice cream.

“I don’t think there is much of a difference between ice cream and custard except that there is an eggy taste in custard,” Burke said. “I guess ice cream tastes more creamy. You can taste that it comes from milk, and its richer.”

Sophomore Patty McClain can certainly tell the difference between the three foods in terms of taste and enjoyment.

“I don’t think frozen yogurt should be in the same category as ice cream and custard because it is not as fattening or delicious,” McClain said.

“You can certainly tell it is a lighter food when you eat it and that ruins the experience completely.”

While frozen yogurt may technically be a healthier base, it often doesn’t end up being a healthier treat, according to Gray.

“No matter what you’re looking at, whether it’s custard, ice cream, or frozen yogurt, the yogurt or the custard might be lower if you get vanilla in calories, sugar, and fat but once you start adding any ice cream mix ins, the chocolates and all of that, you’re canceling out any of it being necessarily healthy.” Gray said.

DESSERT DESTINATIONS

22

percent of students prefer custard

58

percent of students prefer ice cream

MEET the EXPERTS

The students who give their opinion on the treats

SOPHOMORE PATTY MCCLAIN

JUNIOR EVA BURKE

Students determine which type of frozen dessert is their favorite

20

percent of students prefer frozen yogurt survey of 262 students

JagWire

Feb. 7, 2019

RECIPE REVIEW The JagWire staff shares their thoughts on treat locations

SHERIDAN’S

Sheridan’s frozen custard is the best out of the three. The quality of it that stood out the most was that it melted really fast. Though the custard started dripping only minutes after we got it, the texture of it was very creamy and smooth. The taste itself was not too overpowering, and the balance of vanilla custard and fresh fruit was the perfect sweetness.

DAIRY QUEEN

Dairy Queen’s ice cream did not disappoint, but it didn’t excite either. There were certainly no issues with the texture, being perfectly smooth and not too thick. The ice cream also didn’t melt too quickly, holding its shape and keeping its chill to the point where it even tasted cold. The vanilla flavor was there, but not overwhelming like Peachwave’s.

The ice cream at Dairy Queen tastes exactly like how ice cream should. It doesn’t go above and beyond, but it doesn’t have to. This lands it in second place, certainly not the worst, but not reaching the best.

PEACHWAVE

Peachwave’s frozen yogurt was certainly not the best performer of the three frozen foods. To start, the flavor was overwhelming. It started as an unappealing splash of vanilla, completely masking any sort of yogurt taste. The toppings helped somewhat, but they still struggled to hold their own against the punch the vanilla fro-yo packed. The oddest thing about the treat was the texture. Perhaps the lack of dairy in the product may have caused this, but the yogurt had a grainy texture and a consistency similar to buttercream frosting. Normally being similar to frosting would be a good thing, but Peachwave manages to go against the grain. The food wasn’t terrible, but it didn’t hold a candle to its competition.

Photos by Hunter Ristau / A&E

31

32 PHOTO ESSAY

Design by Andrew Tow

Feb. 7, 2019

a look back A photographic representation of the past month’s happenings

JagWire

LEFT: During the 200-Yard freestyle, sophomore Cole McClure comes up for air at the Olathe South Swim Meet on Wednesday, Jan. 16. The boy’s swim team finished second. // Hunter Ristau BELOW: Quickly getting her hand to her head, junior Abbie Morgan tries to win a game of heads or tails at the Relay for Life rally on Friday, Jan. 11. // Andrew Tow

While at the woco coming decoration meeting on Thursday, Jan. 24, senior Lexi Knappen begins to cut out a decoration. // Addie Kemp

After the ball goes out of bounds, sophomore Vania Barnett tries to throw the ball into play on Friday, Jan. 16 against Lansing High School the final score was 59-48 MV. “I really enjoy how much we motivate each other,” said Barnett “[and] how encouraging upperclassmen are.” // Hunter Ristau

Gluing together two pieces of PVC piping on Thursday, Jan. 24, juniors Kevin Lee and Nico Gatapia complete one small part of the robotics team’s new competition robot for the upcoming season. // Jakob Twigg