JagWire Newspaper: Volume 19, Issue 1

JAGWIRE MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL VOL. 19 ISSUE ONE SEPT. 20, 2018 MVNEWS.ORG

IUD

SHOT

DIAPHRAGM

ABSTINENCE

SPONGE CONDOM

PILL

SPERMICIDE PATCH

FEMALE CONDOM

CERVICAL CAP RING

how consistent is our sexual education? pages 7-11

IMPLANT

02 CONTENTS

Cover by Annie Myers

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

table of contents

05

04

16

07 NEWS

FEATURES

OPINIONS

04 suicide prevention

05 entrepreneurs 06 India trip 07 sexual education

12 13

staff ed opinions

A&E 15 Bar-K review

SPORTS

PHOTO ESSAY

14

16

Prestons

a look back

2018-19 staff editors-in-chief Annie Myers

jagwire.anniemyers@gmail.com

Ally Nguyen

business manager

a&e editor

Hunter Ristau

jagwire.stevencurto@gmail.com

jagwire.hunterristau@gmail.com

jagwire.allynguyen@gmail.com

Anika Roy

jagwire.anikaroy@gmail.com

managing editor Hunter Ristau

jagwire.hunterristau@gmail.com

photo editor Andrew Tow

jagwire.andrewtow@gmail.com

news editors Hannah Chern

jagwire.hannahchern@gmail.com

Tatum Elliott

jagwire.tatumelliott@gmail.com

features editor Sophie Lecuru

jagwire.sophielecuru@gmail.com

Steven Curto

mill valley news editors-in-chief

reporters & photographers

Katya Gillig

Sophia Armendariz

jagwire.katyagillig@gmail.com

opinions editor Ben Wieland

jagwire.benwieland@gmail.com

Jonathan Atchley

jagwire.elizabethjoseph@gmail.com

jagwire.jonathanatchley@gmail.com

Marah Shulda

Sam Hanson

jagwire.marahshulda@gmail.com

sports editor Jakob Twigg

jagwire.jakobtwigg@gmail.com

jagwire.sophiaarmendariz@gmail.com

Elizabeth Joseph

social media editor Hannah Chern

jagwire.hannahchern@gmail.com

jagwire.samhanson@gmail.com

Addie Kemp

jagwire.addisonkemp@gmail.com

John Lehan

jagwire.johnlehan@gmail.com

Anna Owsley

jagwire.annaowsley@gmail.com

Tanner Smith

jagwire.tannersmith@gmail.com

JagWire

Design by Annie Myers & Ally Nguyen

Sept. 20, 2018

on the web

STAFF

03

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

professional associations Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City 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.

social media Twitter: @millvalleynews Facebook: Mill Valley News Instagram: @millvalleynews1

Homecoming 2018 Girls golf Boys soccer vs. Aquinas Volleyball vs. BV West Girls tennis tournament Football vs. Bishop Miege Board of Education meeting Debate tournament Opinions Blog: Nicole and Andy Cook

Enjoy diverse content this month on MVNews.org

MILL VALLEY NEWS ONLINE JAGWIRE NEWSPAPER | JAG YEARBOOK | MVTV

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censorship policy The Kansas Student Publications Act 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. This law also prevents censorship of any kind by the adviser, building or district administration.

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

letter from the editors

ey everyone, and welcome to the miracle that is issue one. The three of us couldn’t be more relieved to be distributing the paper to you, as we’ve spent the last month living and breathing the cliché of making lemonade when life gives you lemons.

We were first concerned about the challenges of having a staff consisting of so many new members. A lot of hard work goes into creating this newsmagazine each month and jumping in is scary. This being said, the JagWire is lucky to have these 12 driven sophomores that consistently ask questions and problem solve. A lot of learning has happened since Aug. 15 and we hope it shows.

However, the challenges within this production cycle extended beyond the staff to matters far out of our control. As of Aug. 25, our long-time

printing company declared they would no longer be doing business with about half of the student publications it prints. Having spent countless hours perfecting a design format for this year’s paper, this news was disappointing. Despite the issues this has caused us, we realize that we are not alone in our despair as multiple publications face the same misfortune as local printers have to shut their doors. Stay strong, everyone.

In light of these obstacles, however, there was never a lack of heart in C-101. Each staff member worked to meet deadlines, confident a solution would present itself. In particular, those working to create our sexual education-related special section went above and beyond to produce what you’re about to see. We’re incredibly proud of their eagerness to take on a project that we pre-

viously feared would be too difficult, broad and controversial to cover, and find the meatier story .

Again, the three of us want to thank our staff members for their flexibility, and you all for taking the time to read, enjoy, and learn from our finished product.

all our love,

04 NEWS

Design by Elizabeth Joseph

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH

District announces new initiative focusing on preventing teen suicide and promoting mental health

In an interview on Thursday, Aug. 30, superintendent Frank Harwood explains the goals of 'Enough is Enough.' "The bigger thing is helping teens and the broader community understand there are a lot of people that have suicidal ideations,” Harwood said. // Hannah Chern

by steven curto a&e editor

A

fter seeing a dramatic increase in teen suicides this past spring, the six Johnson County superintendents wanted to combat the growing issue. Together they came up with the ‘Enough is Enough’ initiative, a concerted effort to decrease teen suicide rates. "[The other superintendents and I] meet every month and [teenage suicide] was one of those topics that kept coming up month after month and we really started thinking about how we spent a lot of time reacting to what happens,” superintendent Frank Harwood said. “We would be better [if we spent] more of our efforts on prevention.”

In accordance with the new initiative, the superintendents of Blue Valley, Spring Hill, Olathe, USD232, Gardner-Edgerton and Shawnee Mission will meet each month to de-

liberate the best course of action to prevent future teen suicides and promote positive mental health.

The first phase of the initiative is called ‘Zero Reasons Why’ and the main purpose of the phase is to combat the stigma around talking about suicide and mental health. A parent meeting will be held at Mill Valley on Thursday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in order to address any questions or concerns parents may have as well as to give information on how to talk to students about mental health. Coordinating the meeting are school social worker Debbie Gudenkauf and Harwood.

“The biggest concern is helping teens and the broader community understand that there are a lot of people that, at one time or another, have suicidal ideations,” Harwood said.

“You're not alone in that situation and there's nothing wrong with you.”

The second phase of the initiative, which will be implemented at a later date, focuses on broadening the scope

from just teen suicide to a conversation about mental health.

"Suicide is a symptom of a larger problem having to do with mental health,” Harwood said.

Another effort that the initiative is trying to accomplish is empowering teachers, students and parents to feel comfortable discussing mental health.

"We're really focusing on building strong relationships with students and then recognizing some of the signs that there are problems going on,” Harwood said. "How can we help students feel comfortable asking that of their friends and then understanding [that] it's not your problem to solve, but [you can] get somebody to help."

“YOU'RE NOT ALONE AND THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU." superintendent frank harwood

The initiative is also going to focus on teaching students coping skills to help them deal with difficulties in a healthy manner.

“Just telling students that [mental health] is 'OK to talk about' is not enough,” Gudenkauf said. “We must help students learn the skills necessary to get through difficult times and practice healthy coping strategies ... so they don't get to the point where suicide feels like the only answer. ”

MENTAL HEALTH MOVEMENT Parts of the training parents received from district social workers on Thursday, Sept. 13 to approach suicide with kids

Watch training video

Discuss trends in mental health

Begin designing a recovery plan

JagWire

Sept. 20, 2018

Design by Marah Shulda

FEATURES

05

OUTSIDEOCCUPATION

Along with being full-time students, sophomores Leigha Torney and Madison Larson own businesses

by hannah chern news editor/social media editor

by tatum elliott news editor

S

tarting a business while in high school may seem daunting, but sophomores Madison Larson and Leigha Torney have found a way to make it happen.

Along with her school work and responsibilities, Larson creates and sells jewelry for her online business, Madi + Grae.

Though they did not narrow it down to jewelry instantly, Larson and her grandma had been discussing about starting a business for a couple of years.

All thoughts became a reality when Larson and her grandma found the motivation to start their business.

“Just one night I was like ‘let’s do this.’ So we got into Etsy and signed up,” Larson said.

While in her at-home workspace on Sunday, Sept. 9, sophomore Madison Larson creates different types of jewelry to sell on the Etsy site she created with her grandmother. // Jonathan Atchley

Over the past two years, Larson has seen her business grow from a dream to a reality and is happy that she started the business.

“Looking back, I’m really glad that I made [the] decision [to open an online store],” Larson said.

Like Larson, Torney has transformed her passion into a source of income, profiting off of handmade pieces of furniture and home decor.

Inspired by the television show “Fixer Upper,” Torney wanted to decorate her room in the same farmhouse style as seen on the show, but all of the furniture was too expensive for her.

Instead of giving up on the idea of redecorating, Torney decided to make some pieces of her own and added her personal touch to the style. It was not much longer before she was inspired to turn her at-home hobby and pas-

For additional coverage on other entrepreneurs visit mvnews.org

MILL VALLEY NEWS ONLINE JAGWIRE NEWSPAPER | JAG YEARBOOK | MVTV

In her garage workspace on Thursday, Aug. 30, Leigha Torney displays a board she painted. // Jonathan Atchley

sion for furniture making into an online business called Rustic Design by Leigha.

“I realized that it’s not that expensive to sell stuff, so I started building more stuff and posted it on Facebook and it blew up,” Torney said.

Now Torney sells a variety of home decor and furniture items in the same farmhouse style that had inspired her. In the future, Torney hopes to see Rustic Design by Leigha continue to not only make profits, but grow into her career.

“I would like to run a business of home renovations and building furniture for people as a career, so I’m hoping my business will continue on for a while,” Torney said.

06 FEATURES

in for the

Design by Sophie Lecuru & Anika Roy

ADVENTURE

by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

by tanner smith reporter/photographer

W

Sept. 20, 2018

hile some students may travel abroad for vacation, seniors Faith Dmyterko, Delaney Kemp and Madi Reishus had the opportunity to travel to southern India for ten days on a mission trip. The trip, sponsored by Westside Family Church in Lenexa, Kansas, required a total of four days of travel and cost over $3000 per person.

Each girl raised the money a different way. While Reishus raised her money through a GoFundMe, Dmyterko, who has gone on the mission trip for the last three years, originally sent letters asking for donations but then changed her approach.

“The first year I went we sent letters asking for donations,” Dmyterko said.

“But, the last two years, the leader of our church donated my mom and I’s money to us as our Christmas gift.”

On the other hand, Kemp used a multitude of ways to find the funds for her trip.

“I raised the money in a lot of different ways. I first started with selling my paintings and bracelets and I hosted a garage sale,” Kemp said. “[I also hosted] a yoga event at Shawnee Mission Park and I had an online Generosity account for people to donate money.”

While there, they had the opportunity to do a variety of volunteer work in order to benefit the local villages and communities.

“While we were there we worked in children’s ministries, so we visited orphanages,” Reishus said. “My favorite part was just getting to hang out with the kids.”

With the kids, they did different activities centered around spreading their faith.

“We went to New Life, which is a school sponsored by [Westside Family Church,] we had the opportunity to hang out with the kids and we did vacation bible study with them,”

DIRTY DETAILS

The logistical aspects of the three girls' Indian mission trip

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hour travel time

14 35

JagWire

Three senior girls embarked on a summer trip serving an Indian city

Dmyterko said. “I loved spending time with them and doing dances with them.”

Additionally, Kemp helped bring a vital necessity to the villages: water.

“The most important thing we did was planting the wells that we had donors give money for,” Kemp said.

“It brought water to communities that have never had water readily available.”

Although the trip was a great experience Kemp doesn’t know if she would go back.

“It really didn’t work well with my schedule at all,” Kemp said. “I had to put a lot of things on hold and it changed a lot of the things I am doing right now, it was a really hard trip and it took a lot out of me. I would love to go back but financially … I might need a few years before I could ever do it again.”

However, like Reishus, Kemp enjoyed the memories she was able to create while there.

“I loved being with the kids and showing them the love of Jesus doesn't stay contained within one area of the world,” Kemp said.

days spent

hundred dollar cost

Returning to India with her mom for the third consecutive summer, senior Faith Dmyterko stands with those she said she's connected with, including the child she sponsors. // Submitted by Faith Dmyterko

Sitting with a recently finished henna on her arm, senior Delaney Kemps immerses herself in the Indian culture the week of Aug. 11. All of the older girls love doing the henna," Kemp said.

"They love to give back and serve us like we are serving them.” // Submitted by Delaney Kemp

JagWire

Sept. 20, 2018

by elizabeth joseph mill valley news editor-in-chief

by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

by anna owsley reporter/photographer

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s a freshman, you may hear or may have heard rumors about what the required semester-long sophomore Health class entails. Maybe you heard about the unit focusing on nutrition, or the different lessons about drug usage and healthy

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

behaviors. More likely, you heard about Health as a “sex class” because, arguably, the unit focusing on sexuality education is the most notorious amongst students.

However, when it comes to sophomore year, students may find that the sexuality unit they experience varies from teacher to teacher. Some students may end up receiving knowledge about the different types of contraceptives available to them, while others may be told that abstinence is the only option to remain free of a sexually transmitted infection (STI) or an unwanted pregnancy. Even though Health classes are

FEATURES

07

expected to be uniform in curriculum, there are variations in what students learn.

The contrast in classes is due to the sexuality education standards set by the state, which leaves the curriculum to the discretion of the educator, so teachers decide what aspects of sexuality education are taught. While the district gives a baseline of nence-on-

LET’S TALK ABOUT Due to vague state and district standards, sexuality education varies between the student body

08 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

Speaking to the Kansas Board of Education on Tuesday, Sept. 11, Health teacher Amy McClure proposes an updated version of the state-wide Health education curriculum. // Marah Shulda

ceptives and birth control in her lesson plans due to her belief that such education is important for students abstinence-only sexuality education, to receive. it also allows teachers to add addi- “The sophomore Health education tional information regarding other that a student gets could potentially forms of birth control if they wish to, be the last class that a student gets in their educational career pertaining much like the state standards do.

For context, abstinence-only sexu- to their own personal health,” Mcality education refers to a curriculum Clure said. “In a way, that frightens that solely promotes abstaining from me, because you are 15 or 16 years old sex, while abstinence-plus education and these are skills that you’re going promotes abstaining from sex, but to use for a lifetime.” also informs students over other op- On the other hand, Health teacher tions such as birth control and con- Sarah Haub believes that discussions doms. Comprehensive curriculum regarding forms of birth control are does not promote any form of preg- inherently personal and need to be nancy prevention, but informs stu- left to students and their families to discuss, so her lesson plans reflect an dents of all options.

For example, absti- abstinence-only education. nence-plus educa- “I feel like I might be overstepping tion is taught at the the parents’ view in what they want school by Health their child to learn, so I try to make teacher Amy Mc- it to where [kids] can have converClure, who includes sations at home with their parents and can make decisions off of what contratheir parents value and what they value and they can come up with what they believe together,” Haub said. “I believe that some of the stuff that we teach has to do with your family and your family culture.”

Additionally, Haub feels that regardless of what students’ values are, birth control is ultimately a personal choice that students need to make with their family, not the In FACS teacher Ellen Gray’s Human Growth and Development class, school. anatomical models are used for classroom activities. // Hunter Ristau

“I feel like that’s a personal choice and a parental guiding choice. It’s not a discussion I should be leading with these kids. It doesn’t affect me; it affects your parents, siblings and other family members. It’s a family matter,” Haub said. “Although, if you’re not getting that information at home you can ask me about it and I’ll give it to you.”

As to the reasoning behind the design of the standards, education coordinator Joe Kelly attributes the vagueness of the district standards to being designed in a way that allows teachers to have control over what they teach, but lets students receive similar knowledge regardless of who is teaching them.

“We want to have a base resource, but we treat [teachers] as professionals, so they can bring in other things to help them teach health class. We usually like them to discuss that and make sure that they get input from everyone,” Kelly said. “Our perspective is that there is a spectrum of risk, and we are committed to teaching students about the safest way to approach those types of situations … there is a spectrum of risk involved in human sexuality and the safest route is abstinence.”

While abstinence may be seen as the best option for educators to promote, Dr. Kristen Wootton, gynecolo-

JagWire

FEATURES

Sept. 20, 2018

THE GREAT

DIVIDE = states with laws mandating abstinenceonly education = states without the specific law mandating abstinence-only education Source: National Center for Biotechnology Information

AL

AZ

AR

CO

DE

FL

GA

IL

IN

LA

ME

MI

MS

MO

NC

OH

OK

OR

NJ

RI

SC

TN

TX

UT

WA

WI

AK

CA

CT

HI

ID

IA

KS

KY

MD

MA

MN

MT

NE

NV

NH

NM

NY

ND

PA

SD

VT

VA

WV

WY

gist and mother of two students at the school, believes a comprehensive sexuality education is best and should include everything ranging from different types of intercourse to options regarding contraceptives.

“Most of us assume that everybody knows the basics, but you’d be surprised how many people that show up on my doorstep that I’m showing anatomy to even though they’re 27 years old,” Wootton said. “I think you need to talk about all types of sex … [because] if you don’t, people have misconceptions about what is normal or not normal and what consequences can happen from any of those actions.

Students need an open forum where they can ask any question that they want to ask and have it be answered in a safe and protected environment where they’re not made to feel like they shouldn’t ask.”

Similarly, junior Griffin Schenk would like to see a wider focus in regards to human sexuality than that currently offered by the curriculum.

“I think we should have more realistic expectations [with] the social environment, because that’s always changing,” Schenk said. “Abstinence isn’t always a realistic thing for everybody, so I think … it should still be presented as an option, but I think the more safe-sex approach is going to be much more effective. ” However, if students do want to receive more in-depth knowledge, supplemental elective classes such

as Human Growth and Development and Family Studies also explore topics related to sexuality. The curriculum for these classes is allowed to be

09

more thorough regarding safe sex and contraceptive options because students must choose to participate in these classes. Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Ellen Gray believes that such discussions are necessary because they may not occur at home.

“If we just rely on our parents to teach the children the sex ed, it wouldn’t happen. When I ask my students how many of their parents have talked to them, I probably have a handful of students out of 28 who will raise their hands,” Gray said. “So we have about three-fourths of our high school population whose parents have not said anything to them about sex education.”

Ultimately, Kelly believes that all lessons in Health class are aimed at preparing students to make safe choices after they transition from high school into living independently.

“It’s all about teaching healthy behaviors and that’s what we are committed to,” Kelly said. “It is a part of growing up and teaching kids about themselves and their relation with the world. The more that we prepare them, the better.”

The standards that the state provides act similarly to those from USD232, largely acting as recommen-

10 FEATURES

Design by Annie Myers & Anika Roy

Sept. 20, 2018

WHAT AM I MISSING? Birth control — not required to be taught under state standards — has benefits besides pregnancy prevention

?

The combination birth control pill is an oral contraceptive that contains both estrogen and progestin

|

Discomforts and health risks can be reduced or prevented by taking the combination birth control pill

| |

menstrual cramps

cysts in the breasts and ovaries

endometrial and ovarian cancers

periods

acne

bone thinning

iron deficiency

premenstrual syndrome

Source: Planned Parenthood

infections in ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus

“[Physicians] do take full histories and physicals if necessary so that we choose the right contraception for the right person. As long as you choose the right contraception, it is a safe thing for teenagers to have.”

DR. KRISTEN WOOTTON

JagWire

-dations for educators. In effect, the state has decided that “local school control determines content and extent of human sexuality education,” according to the Kansas Department of Education’s website. So, what is taught in a classroom can vary all across the state.

However, the standards do request that students “demonstrate an in-depth, extensive knowledge of the importance and benefits of abstinent behavior and risk-reducing strategies in the areas of substance use and sexuality.”

These standards have not been updated since 2007 and are currently being revised to include more updated focuses for curriculum content by the Kansas Health Standards Revision Committee, for which McClure is the chairperson.

The committee focused on updating said standards to add newer areas of focus, such as prescription drug usage. McClure presented before the state Board of Education on Tuesday, Sept. 11 on the behalf of the committee. However, the sexuality unit may end up fairly unchanged.

“We just wanted to outline recommendations for quality Health education,” McClure said. “It’s not what we necessarily felt needed to be taught, but it was more ‘here are the standards and the things we feel are important, and here are some things to make sure you think about covering in your health class. The changes that were made were pretty minimal. We really just wanted them to be updated with the highest quality information available.”

The proposed revisions pull from state and national standards and Social, Emotional, and Character Development (SECD) standards, according to McClure, to provide a more well-rounded focus for sexuality education.

A change that senior Liz Fraka would like to see made to the content of sexuality education classes is more focus on consent and sexual orientation than what is currently provided.

“Consent is the most important thing and it should be from a young age, even before kids start talking about sex,” Fraka said. “What I want from a better sex ed program is knowledge of contraceptives, increased emphasis on consent and an emphasis on science. [Also,] you should include

JagWire

FEATURES

Sept. 20, 2018

sexual orientation and gender identity in sexuality education.”

In addition, Wootton believes the job of informing students doesn’t solely fall on public educators. She says it is important for parents to have conversations with their kids regardless of how awkward such topics may feel and to keep an open dialogue.

“The way I view it as a mom is that I’d rather have my kids get the information they need from me than hear it from their friends or online where all the things you hear or learn can be so wrong,” Wootton said. “Maybe you don’t want your kids to know that, but they’re going to learn it anyway and there’s no better place to find it than in an education setting where you know they’re going to get accurate information that they can use lifelong.”

On the other hand, Wootton believes students need to take initiative by asking their parents questions or inquiring about any birth control they’re interested in.

“Have the conversation regardless of how uncomfortable you are.

Even though you may receive a little backlash or a little disappointment, eventually, most parents will feel like they’re glad that you came and talked to them. They will make sure that you get to a right place and a safe place and on the right form of contraceptive for you,” Wootton said. “In the long run, I think everybody will do much better if you have those discussions.”

Like Wootton recommends, senior Caroline Rutledge keeps an open dialogue with her family and turns to other adults whenever she needs to.

“I talk to my mom openly if I need

HOW AM I INFORMED? Students determine which sources are most influential on their individual sexual education Survey of 216 students

to and obviously I can go to my teachers too,” Rutledge said. “They all have, especially the family studies teachers, a lot of information.”

The benefits of keeping an open dialogue with students can be mea-

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sured in the rate of teenage pregnancies, according to nurse practitioner Karla Robinson, who formerly ran a women’s health clinic.

“The age group with more unplanned pregnancies is not teenagers anymore,” Robinson said. “We’re actually doing a better job because we encourage younger ladies to use contraception.”

However, if students are absolutely unable to talk to their parents, Wootton hopes they turn to another adult.

“If you cannot talk to your parents for whatever reason it is, talk to another adult that you trust,” Wootton said. “I would rather you talk to somebody and get assistance that way than just not do anything.”

Likewise, Gray hopes that for those students, she is a trustable and comfortable source of information.

“It’s always best to ask a trusted adult that will be honest with you about your questions,” Gray said. “I try to do that in my classes.”

Regardless of what is accessible to students in the classroom, McClure believes that sexuality education is a necessary component to students’ health and personal lives. “[Safe sex] is very practical information that I feel like everyone needs to know, but a lot of teachers and parents are scared to teach,” McClure said. “I want kids to understand that there are certain things in your life that may or may not affect you, but you at least need to be aware of them and you need to learn how to make good decisions or avoid certain behaviors in order to reach those goals pertaining to your health.”

12 OPINIONS

Design by Ben Wieland

Illustration by Sophia Armendariz

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

STAFF

ABSTAIN FROM ABSTINENCE-ONLY

Abstinence-only sexuality education prevents students from learning all of their options

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espite all Mill Valley students being required to take a semester-long Health class, only 49 percent of students in a survey of 185 believe sexuality education in health class is sufficient. Inconsistent sexuality education standards throughout Kansas have led to some students receiving an inadequate abstinence-only education in their Health classes, leaving those students unprepared.

This shortcoming is not the district’s fault. The state of Kansas requires that a sexuality unit be taught, but allows individual Health teachers to choose their curriculum as long as they meet a baseline of teaching abstinence-focused sexuality education. This allows teachers to teach an abstinence-only curriculum without focusing on other measures of contraception or birth control. While this is permitted by Kansas, this policy is unrealistic and leaves huge gaps in students’ knowledge of sexual health.

Legally, anyone in Kansas who is age 16 or older can consent to having sex. Additionally, in the state of Kansas, anyone of any age can receive birth control without needing parental permission. However, due to inconsistent policy and curriculum,

JAGWIRE STAFF VOTE

AGREE

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DISAGREE

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the sexual education that students receive at that age may not actually include a comprehensive lesson about birth control or practicing safe sex.

32% of students say they learn sexual education from school *survey of 216 students

Abstinence-only sexual education leads to students being uninformed about their own sexuality. Many students lacking an adequate sexuality education from their schools turn to their peers or the Internet for information. However, information from other students or the Internet can be inaccurate or embellished. If curriculum is limited to abstinence-only, there is no guarantee that students are achieving a comprehensive understanding of how to keep themselves safe from STIs or other risks.

Some parents and teachers may

believe that students having a comprehensive knowledge of safe sex and contraceptives could lead to an increased amount of students having premarital sex, but that is not the case.

According to Advocates for Youth, a non-profit dedicated to promoting sexual health among teenagers, a thorough sexuality education does not lead to more sex among teens, and also leads to fewer STIs among teens.

Overwhelmingly, comprehensive sexuality education is supported by both statistics and public opinion.

Another Advocates for Youth survey revealed that 94 percent of adults believe that sexuality education should teach about contraception, and 89 percent believe that sexuality education should focus on avoiding STIs and unwanted pregnancies.

As the Health education standards come under review by the state Board of Education, revising said standards to include a comprehensive curriculum is a must. While we believe that such programs were developed with the best of intentions, they are inadequate in educating. State standards that mandate more comprehensive sexuality education would be both more popular and more effective.

JagWire

Sept. 20, 2018

Illustration by Tatum Elliott

DON’T LET THE LIBRARY DIE After the library glamour wears off, keep the parking lot full by ally nguyen editor-in-chief

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ome of my best memories as a kid revolve around going to the library with my family to pick out a “Junie B. Jones” book. So, when my elementary school librarian announced there was going to be a library opening off of Shawnee Mission, you can imagine that nerdy,

eight-year-old me was extremely excited.

That excitement gradually wore off during the 10-year waiting period, but now that the Monticello Branch is open, I’m more thrilled than I’ve ever been before and you should be too.

The cool air whisking around your face as you walk through the modern, brightly-colored building should keep anyone wanting to come back a million times more. However, when sensory adaptation kicks in and the library glamour wears off, we need to keep the parking lot full.

BRAND CULTURE’S NEGATIVES Don’t let the brand of clothes you wear define you as a person to Gucci, a label can change the way an item of clothing is perceived radby sophia armendariz ically. A good portion of that is likely reporter/photographer due to price, as a Supreme hoodie can easily cost upwards of $150. There’s eeping up with the lives of ce- something glamourous about wearlebrities, procrastinating on homework, spending too much time on your phone, and caring too much about what other people think.

These are the four pillars of what teenagers are assumed to be, and while they are exaggerated, there is truth to parts of them.

In particular, the last one strikes a nerve. It’s human nature to want to fit in, and a big part of that is fitting the look. I’m talking about clothes.

That’s right, from cute rompers from the mall to Gucci slides that, let’s be honest here, managed to find a way to make ugly cool, a person’s apparel can say a lot about them.

Well, that’s the idea, at least.

From brands like Vans, to Supreme,

K

OPINIONS

13

We’ve always had the other libraries, and yet, many of my friends and fellow students didn’t have library cards until the Monticello Branch opened. Beyond the multiple, spacious meeting rooms and rooftop deck view, it brings so much to our community.

To start, no one should ignore a benefit that our own tax money pays for; in this case our $18 million investment. More importantly, however, the resources inside the building allow for anyone to access information, both inside paperback books and in the shiny screen of a Macbook, that they might otherwise not be able to use. Furthermore, the library offers a spot to create memories within our community.

So keep going to the library, now, weeks from now or next year. When the novelties wear off, just remember the beauty of the quaint building that ties our community together. ing nice clothes, and there’s nothing wrong with liking to wear brands, but problems arise whenever you start to expect that of others. It’s not like trendy clothes are exclusively expensive. Websites like RomWe provide fashionable clothes for good prices.

I’ll be the first to admit that there are some brands that have my heart, but they certainly don’t define me as a person. Judging someone based on their clothing is already irrational, but judging those purely on the brand is ridiculous. People shouldn’t be pressured to dress in clothes that are outside of their price range, or that they may just not like.

14 SPORTS

Design by Hunter Ristau

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

FOOTBALL IS

Transfers junior Marcus Preston and senior Jordan Preston join the football team as varsity offense After transferring from Lawrence Free State High School during the 2017-18 school year, junior Marcus Preston and senior Jordan Preston start for the varsity football team. // Annie Myers

Looking towards a receiver, senior Jordan Preston passes the ball on Friday, Aug. 31. // Hunter Ristau

by sophie lecuru features editor

by anna owsley reporter/photographer

A

lthough senior Jordan Preston and junior Marcus Preston have been students at Mill Valley since second semester of last year, they have already made a big impact on the football program. Jordan serves as the quarterback while Marcus is a wide receiver.

Since the brothers’ transfer from Free State to Mill Valley for the football program, the team has helped them adjust to the policies and traditions. Both boys have developed strong friendships.

After only being on the team a semester, Jordan was one of eight players on the leadership council; these players speak at meetings before games and help set team standards.

According to Jordan, Mill Valley is different from FSHS because “there’s more unity. There are more off-field [activities] that they do here to make us closer as a team.”

Head football coach Joel Applebee has witnessed the Preston boys’ good attitude and work ethic assist in creating their smoother transition into the school’s football environment.

“They have two different personalities but they’re both very good kids,” Applebee said. “They both work really hard and that was probably the

best part about their adjustment.”

Marcus and Jordan had each other to help ease into their transition.

“We’ve got that connection,” Marcus said. “We do a lot of throwing and working out on our own too, so we’ve built that since we were little.”

Their transfer to the school was influenced by Health teacher Christine Preston, who is also their mother.

Transferring has allowed the boys to spend more time with their mom.

“We get to see her here every day and go to her room whenever we want,” Jordan said. “It’s also helpful that she knows all the teachers here.”

So far the Preston boys’ overall experience at the school has been a positive improvement from FSHS. “[The school] has been good and very welcoming,” Marcus said.

“The football team is a family. They brought us in and helped us out. It was not a hard transition.”

Although the Preston boys agree that their transfer to the school was easy, there were some aspects they struggled with.

“For school, it was hard figuring out teachers and adjusting to the different ways they teach,” Marcus said.

Despite the boys’ early troubles, they have already proven their dedication to the school.

According to Marcus, “just knowing that we have a goal in mind and that we can reach that goal by doing everything we can to work hard” makes it all worth the drive.

DAILYLIFE

Senior Jordan Preston and junior Marcus Preston share their daily routine

5:15 a.m.

Jordan and Marcus wake up and get ready for school

5:50 a.m.

They leave their house in Lawrence for zero hour

6:30 a.m.

Zero hour starts and players lift weights and watch film before school

3:30 p.m.

Afternoon practice starts on the field and ends between 6:00 and 6:30 p.m.

7:00 p.m.

Jordan and Marcus return home after football practice and school

JagWire

Sept. 20, 2018

raise the

BAR K

DINING

mill valley news editor-in-chief

New dog-friendly restaurant opens at the Western edge of Berkley Riverfront Park

W

DOGPARK

JagWire reporters explain the features offered in the park

hile in the restaurant area of Bar-K, your furry companion will have to be on a leash. Tables offer leash hooks so you won’t have to worry about managing your dog while you’re eating. The restaurant menu offers casual foods, including anything from sandwiches, to smoothies, to breakfast items.

The three staff members that went tried the food at Bar-K, and the con-

Sitting together on the dog play gym on Friday, Aug. 31, staff dogs Mario Gillig and Kona Shulda enjoy their first trip to Bar K. // Andrew Tow

L

ocated downtown is a new restaurant with a built-in dog park. There is a $10 fee to get into the park, but it is most definitely worth it. It has something for every breed and is split up into three sections which include puppies, little dogs, big dogs and general. The big dog area is by far the largest, since everybody is able to use it.

The large dog area offers a play gym with stairs and ramps for dogs to explore on. All three of our dogs were entertained by the climbing area as they spent a lot of time climbing up and down the various paths on the play area. If you are looking for a place to wear your dog out, then Bar-K is the place for you.

There is also a wading pool for your pup to cool off on a hot day.

Which seemed to amuse our dogs

15

by katya gillig

sensus was that the food was adequate. The Mr. Smooth smoothie was heavy in a protein powder that had a chalky taste.

On the other hand, the Nanner was a good blend of peanut butter and banana. The bagel was perfectly toasted with a good amount of cream cheese.

More substantial foods, such as mac and cheese and protein bowls, are also offered on the menu. However, the ambiance is the real reason for going. The laid-back atmosphere is perfect for spending time with your dog.

The bottom section of the restaurant offers more secluded seats, while the top deck offers an pristine aerial view of the park.

JagWire reporters review the restaurant portion of Bar-K

A&E

Design by Marah Shulda

The Mr. Smooth smoothie at the Bar K is a healthier option on the menu containing ingredients such as spinach, green apple and protein. // Andrew Tow

PUPFOOD

The restaurant also offers a variety of different dog foods

$3 three Beer Paw Whiskey Biscuits

more than the other ammenities.

Dogs can wade in or completely lay down in the pool to take a break and relax.

They are also able to explore on the rock wall. Although, this feature requires agility on the part of the dog and none of the three newspaper dogs were able to get up the wall.

A variety of toys, such as frisbees and tennis balls, are available for guests to use at any time of the day.

We went around 2 p.m. and there were plenty of dogs there.

While your dog is playing around, humans visiting have access to a bar where they can get refreshments, but those looking for food will have to go to the leash-only restaurant. Seating with tables are scattered around the park so that owners can sit and relax while their dogs play.

$3 Ice Cream Nuggets

$3 Peanut Butter and Carob Puppy Cookie

24 PHOTO ESSAY

Design by Andrew Tow

Sept. 20, 2018

JagWire

Getting into the right mindset for their pre-game performance at the annual Friday Night Lights, the Silver Stars dance team huddles up before heading onto the field on Friday, Aug. 24. // Anika Roy

a look back

A photographic representation of the past month’s happenings

RIGHT: At the senior sunrise on Friday, Aug. 17, senior Joe McClain grabs a donut from senior Sydney Fisher. // Hunter Ristau BELOW: Running the ball down field, senior Jordan Preston gets touched down at Friday Night Lights on Friday, Aug. 24. // Hunter Ristau

LEFT: After being crowned Homecoming queen and king, seniors Lilli Milberger and Matthew Santaularia face the crowd. // Hunter Ristau BELOW: At the annual Blue Bomb on Friday, Sept. 7, senior Jameson Clark crowd-surfs on his peers around the jaguar statue. // Andrew Tow