JagWire Newspaper: Volume 17, Issue 5

JW

Jagwire

mill valley high school volume 17 issue 5 feb. 9, 2017 mvnews.org

state requires new suicide prevention training for faculty members Page 7

In this issue ...

NEWS 04 fake news 06 new classes 07 suicide prevention

04

FEATUREs 09 10 12 14

spotted: Lauryn Hurley senior photo models triplets driving safety

OPINIONS 20 staff editorial 21 opinions

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14

SPORTS 24 winter training 26 bonds on bowling team 27 overtime

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A&E 29 Breakout KC 30 couple gift buying

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PHOTO ESSAY 32 student jobs

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Design by Madison Ferguson

Cover by madison ferguson and margaret mellott

32 mill valley high school

Jagwire

letter

from the editors

W

e started off our last semester on staff having a longer production cycle than usual. We had nearly a month to complete what we usually do in three weeks.

Having more time allowed for the staff to establish what they wanted to cover in these last four issues. For us, that meant putting more content into a longer, 32-page paper.

Having more pages led to pages having fewer staff members assigned to them, as well as needing more ads to fill two pages.

We had to fill both pages of ads, or else we would’ve had to cut pages. Thankfully, our staff pulled through and almost filled up the two pages.

With most of the staff wanting to improve our publication, we decided to take out a recurring section that we added this year: Behind the Scenes. We acknowledge that it

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 the Sedalia Democrat.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS

Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association The 2016 JagWire was named a Pacemaker winner and an All-American newspaper by the NSPA, was inducted into the NSPA Hall of Fame and earned an All-Kansas rating from the KSPA. The Mill Valley News website was also named a two-time Pacemaker winner by the NSPA.

SOCIAL MEDIA

was a great concept to begin with, but we were running out of ideas and did not know how we wanted to execute it. However, we feel that taking it out will allow for more pages that the staff have better concepts for.

Also, for special section this issue we decided to touch on what may be considered a touchy subject: distracted driving among teens. We felt this was a necessary subject to cover since students from the district have been personally affected by car accidents recently. We felt we could inform our readers of how to avoid these accidents from happening.

Overall, everything this issue turned out even better than we could’ve hoped for.

While it was more stressful for some staffers, everyone really did the best that they could and we’re immensely thankful. As we finish up this issue, we could not be more proud of how far everyone has come.

Jagwire 2016-17 staff EDITORs-IN-CHIEF Madison Ferguson Margaret Mellott Braden Shaw

managing editor Morgan Gurwell

copy editor Alison Booth

photo editor Victoria Wright

business manager Madison Ferguson

Hunter Ristau

news editors Katya Gillig Annie Myers Margaret Mellott

features/a&e editors Claire Boone Tricia Drumm

Braden Shaw

CENSORSHIP POLICY

Kansas Senate Bill 62 guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists. These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity.

EDITORIAL POLICY

We value your opinions. If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor for 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.

opinions editors Nora Lucas Ally Nguyen

sports editors Anika Roy Jakob Twigg

social media editors Lexi Flipse Abby Layton

ILLUSTRATOR Avery Sheltra

REPORTERS & Photographers James Ball Carter Lawson Joe McClain Michael Sandri Marah Shulda Chris Sprenger

Twitter: @millvalleynews Facebook: Mill Valley News

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Design by braden shaw

staff information

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READING Between

the lines

by BRADEN SHAW

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

by MARAH SHULDA

reporter and photographer jagwire.marahshulda@gmail.com

The outbreak of fake news has grown over the past year, resulting in a lack of trust in the national media

T

hroughout the past year, especially during the presidential election, the outbreak of false information published to make money off website views — or fake news — has become prevalent in the social atmosphere.

In a survey conducted by the JagWire of 97 students, 92% said they have come across fake news. This fake news can include false headlines, a lack of attribution or misprinted dates, according to FactCheck.

Fake news has many purposes, such as making money off clickbait or giving people a laugh, according to University of Kansas journalism professor Eric Thomas via phone call.

“Sometimes the internet will create news that is intentionally fake,” Thomas said. “People will Photoshop, create memes and put things in fake places. It’s obviously fake and meant to entertain.”

Because of this epidemic, Thomas and his colleagues at KU have tried to combat fake news by preparing their students and educating them to adapt to this changing landscape with various

new teaching methods.

“We were scrambling to find resources. One of my colleagues even replaced two of her units in her editing class to news skepticism,” Thomas said. “When it came to trusting sources it used to be between an excellent source and a mediocre source. Now it’s come down to a good source and a fake source.

The fake news circulating has made

“If you put a name and a publisher on [a story] it looks credible.”

SOPHOMORE CLAIRE SEGURA many question what is trustworthy online and what is a legitimately reliable source, according to communication arts teacher Ashley Agre.

Theprobability

Four and a half out of five students have come across fake news

Survey of 97 students

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news

“It’s hard to find information that you know is true and right and correct and something that you can really go, ‘OK, that’s the facts,’” Agre said. “I pretty much look to NPR and Reuters. If they write about it, [it’s clear they’re] not speculating on anything. That’s probably pretty correct.”

Freshman Nathan Greenfield has seen people trusting these questionable sources, and believes that ignorance plays a key role in the furthering the problem.

“A lot of people who don’t pay the most attention to politics and they don’t look into the information that they get,” Greenfield said. “So, they end up just going off this fake information that they have. They made a choice that they didn’t know they made based on facts.”

However, most people don’t care enough to use a fact checker, such as PolitiFact or FactCheck, to check the credibility of a news source, according to sophomore Caroline Rutledge.

“When someone hears something they just automatically assume it’s true,”

top 3

most viewed fake news stories of 2016

1

Obama bans the Pledge of Allegience in schools

2

Pope Francis endorses Donald Trump for president

3

Trump offers one-way tickets elsewhere for citizens who want to leave Source: BuzzFeed

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Jagwire

Spotit

NPR and the News Literacy Project provides tips for detecting fake news stories and websites

Rutledge said. “Most people [either] don’t have the ability or want to go look it up and they just assume that it’s true.”

Sophomore Claire Segura agrees, and notices how easy it can be to fool the common person on the Internet.

“A lot more people think that they know what they’re talking about when they actually don’t and sometimes it’s not legit,” Segura said. “If you put a name and a publisher on it it looks credible.”

Despite this, Thomas has seen the media grow closer in a strange way amidst the scrutiny and dissent towards them as an entity.

“It’s been incredibly damaging [to the media]. Yet, it’s been an odd unifying moment for journalists,” Thomas said.

“They’ve bonded together and supported each other. When CNN was under attack, rival publications supported them on Twitter.”

on the

clock

Monthly

6%

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Daily

22%

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Since journalists have been criticized for the accuracy of their reporting, Rutledge believes a closer attention to detail will help solve the issue.

“They can avoid the spread by just fact checking and making what they are saying is right,” Rutledge said. “They can have reliable sources and be truthful about their work.”

With all of this fake news spreading and influencing many Americans, Thomas believes that the more people being aware will help solve the growing issue.

“There’s no way to put a number on the impact, which is probably the most troubling. It’s very much concerning,” Thomas said. “[But] you have to rely on the facts instead of how you feel.

Things that will always matter are the truth and accurate information. Those things will help ride out the trend.”

ation e punctu iv s s e c x E 1. n CAPS ca and ALL s w e fake n indicate L ends R U e e if th r a w e B .

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Survey of 97 students shows how often students come across fake news, on average Weekly

23%

Not Sure

46%

Photo illustration by Madison fERGUSON & cHRIS sPRENGER Design by Annie myers

news

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ContrastingCurriculums

by ALISON BOOTH

copy editor jagwire.alisonbooth@gmail.com

Classes at Mill Valley and De Soto High School change in the up coming school year

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s enrollment season begins, many students are noticing the surplus of new classes the district has added for the upcoming school year. However, some of these classes are projected to be available only at De Soto High School, while others will be available only at Mill Valley.

At Mill Valley, Leadership Service in Action will be offered next year. DHS will offer Game Design and Authoring

the Web, Emerging Technologies, AP Computer Science and AP Environmental Science. At both high schools, AP Spanish Language and Culture will be available.

The courses, according to USD 232’s Teaching and Learning department, were requested based on an increased interest by students in the areas.

“Additional opportunities for students in areas of desired curriculum will enhance their experience and further prepare them for college or career choices,” the department said via email.

The course proposals are then narrowed down and reviewed by the Board of Education.

Classes will be available district-wide, but “if students are interested in a pro-

RIGHT: Family and Consumer Sciences teacher Emily Schmidt, who will be teaching the leadership class next year, observes her students as she teaches them SMART goals, which teach life planning, on Thursday, Jan. 26.

Photo by Avery Sheltra

“Not having the access to these classes is a disavantange.”

SOPHOMORE ANDREW THOMAS

class comparison

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gram, they are encouraged to transfer to DHS instead of trying to fit it in their schedule,” according to the department.

According to DHS junior Zach Diebert, who is planning on taking AP Computer Science next year, the class will likely be helpful in the future.

“I think it will be a fun class to take,” Diebert said. “I feel like it will help make me better at computer science and programming, [which is] something I can eventually use for a job.”

On the other hand, Mill Valley sophomore Andrew Thomas wants to take the same class, but doesn’t want to fully transfer to DHS solely for that class.

Thomas said not having the same class at Mill Valley may hurt him later in life.

“I wish that Mill Valley did have these classes because I’m really interested in computer programming and I’d love to take that class here,” Thomas said. “The world is more technologically-based every day and not having the access to these classes is a disadvantage.”

Design by Katya gillig

A chart comparing classes offered at DHS versus at MVHS

The new class at Mill Valley, Leadership Service in Action, will be taught by Family and Consumer Science teacher Emily Schmidt, who said the class will be application-based and encouraged for all student leaders.

“It’s going to be leaders who are from different assets of Mill Valley,” Schmidt said. “We’ll talk about leadership schools, interpersonal skills [and] what it looks like to be a leader here.”

Schmidt said that while the class will only be offered at Mill Valley next year, the same or a similar class could be offered at DHS in the future.

“It’s something that’s maybe unique to Mill Valley and it’s something that we found our students needed,” Schmidt said. “I think it absolutely could be something that could be offered at De Soto at some point.”

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Jagwire

Spotting

the signs

by LEXI FLIPSE

social media editor jagwire.lexiflipse@gmail.com

by ALLY NGUYEn

opinions editor jagwire.allynguyen@gmail.com

Staff received suicide prevention training after state passes Jason Flatt Act to prevent teen suicide

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hile students were home for winter break on Tuesday, Jan. 3, teachers and administration had a professional work day in preparation for the second semester. Part of this preparation included a new type of training: suicide prevention.

This training resulted from Kansas being the 19th state to pass the Jason Flatt Act. The Jason Foundation began in 2001 because Clark Flatt created it as a memorial to his son, Jason Flatt, who committed suicide in 1997. After the foundation found success in Tennessee, it pushed for other states to require training at schools.

Social worker Debbie Gudenkauf, who co-wrote the curriculum for the training, followed a process in order to decide what information went into the hour-long video.

“We had to follow the state guidelines with different components that went into it,” Gudenkauf said. “We pulled pieces from the Jason Foundation because they have a lot of online training.”

A sophomore boy, who wished to remain anonymous because he has been

Support

shows

72 Jagwire

Percent of students think the training will be effective

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personally affected by depression and suicidal thoughts, hopes the training has an impact on students.

“I hope it will help. Depression is a hard thing to identify because on the outside people with it look happier than people without it,” he said. “This training might only catch a few kids, but it could encourage kids to talk [about it].”

“It was ultimately a teacher who had the most helpful impact on me.”

ANONYMOUS SOPHOMORE BOY

rather than their parents because it feels safer and they don’t want to upset their parents.”

Psychology teacher Kirsten Crandall agrees that teachers have a different relationship with students that allows them to recognize concerning behavior.

“I think I’m in a unique position because of the nature of things we talk about in [Psychology],” Crandall said. “I get to develop a report with my students where they can be more honest or open about things going on in their life.”

The anonymous sophomore believes the training is vital for students who are struggling with similar problems.

“Teachers knowing how to deal with kids who are depressed and suicidal is important,” he said. “It was ultimately a teacher who had the most helpful impact on me during the school day.”

Gudenkauf believes teachers should receive training because school and classes take up a large amount of time for students.

“Teachers are often times seeing kids more than their parents are,” Gudenkauf said. “Kids will talk to teachers

Survey of 116 students shows what impact the training could have

25

Percent of students have been affected by suicide

Photo illustration by madison ferguson

Design by alison booth

news

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ads

Design by Hunter ristau

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Jagwire

centerstage

Spotted

A series on our students and staff and what makes them unique

Junior Lauryn Hurley finds a creative outlet through theater

by MICHAEL SANDRI

reporter and photographer jagwire.michaelsandri@gmail.com

T

he theater at Mill Valley has a lot of different uses, but to junior Lauryn Hurley, uses the theater is a place to fall into character during a show, something that she has loved doing for a long time.

“My first experience with theatre was in the 2004 Theater in the Park production of ‘Guys and Dolls’ and it was great,” Hurley said. “Although I don’t really remember it that much because I was four.”

What Hurley does remember, however, is how her parents came to the decision to put her in the show.

“My dad [worked] so he couldn’t take care of me, and my mom didn’t want to pay for child support, so, since my mom was already in the show, and because we knew the director, they just decided to put me in the show too,” Hurley said.

“When she comes to rehearsal, she is solid.”

DRAMA TEACHER JONATHAN COPELAND Since then, Hurley has been in 22 shows and she has been doing two shows a year at Mill Valley with drama teacher Jonathan Copeland.

“She is very gracious and is the ultimate example of respecting fellow actors,” said Copeland. “She learns her lines and when she comes to rehearsal she is solid.”

Out of all of the shows that she has been in, Hurley has a special place in her heart for “Hello Dolly!” During the rehearsal of “Hello, Dolly!” Hurley played the lead role of Dolly and also discovered her favorite costume: a red, satin dress with embroidered beads.

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ABOVE: Junior Lauryn Hurley has participated in multiple shows with the Mill Valley theatre department. “My favorite experience was “Hello, Dolly!” at Mill Valley this last year because I had the lead and because all of my friends were really involved.” Photo by James Ball

The dress was worn through the Harmonia Gardens scene of the show.

“It was super spicy,” Hurley said. “My favorite part every night was walking through the gold curtain in that outfit and hearing everybody cheer for me.”

Hurley has another favorite part of the show that occurs before she even has a crowd.

“I really enjoy the first dress rehearsal because it revitalizes and reinvigorates the cast,” Hurley said. “That is when everything comes together and you can really dive into and get lost in the show.”

The biggest thing that made “Hello Dolly!” so memorable for Hurley was the fact that her friends were there with her on the stage and behind the scenes.

“A lot of my friends had other lead roles or were student directing, and I saw them at rehearsal every day,” Hurley said. “I feel like I really connected emotionally with them at the show.”

playbill

Junior Lauryn Hurley’s favorite theatrical productions

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“Hello, Dolly!”

“The Drowsy Chaperone”

“Peter Pan”

“Suessical”

design by joe mcclain

features

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sets, shoots and seniors

by ANIKA ROY

sports editor jagwire.anikaroy@gmail.com

Seniors model for local photographers

S

enior Kelsey Poje carefully holds a pose in front of photographer Heather Allen of Modern Monroe Portraiture in Shawnee Mission Park.

While it may seem like an ordinary shoot, Poje’s pictures will be used in advertisements and posted online for anyone to see.

Recently, many senior photography companies in the area have started using students as models for sample pictures on their websites and social media accounts. Two of the largest companies that directly incorporate several Mill Valley students include photographer Faith Bilyeu with Sweet Chai photography and photographer Heather Allen with Modern Monroe Portraiture.

A model for Modern Monroe Portraiture, senior Bella Italiano believes that the model teams for both photographers share the purpose of recruiting and encouraging high school seniors to use the company they model for.

“As a senior model, it’s our job to help promote the brand,” Italiano said. “We do multiple photo shoots throughout the year to help gain attention for the [Mod-

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ern Monroe Portraiture] brand, and try to get referrals for more senior pictures.”

Senior Natalie Carrera is proud of why she is a senior model for Sweet Chai because of her admiration for the company.

“I really like promoting her business because she’s a really great photographer and I think she’s got something that’s really awesome,” Carrera said.

While Sweet Chai’s models can join the team if recommended by a previous senior, Modern Monroe requires an approved application. Last spring, senior Kelsey Poje applied to be a model for Modern Monroe.

“It’s not a super stressful application process; it’s not really competitive,” Poje said. “[Allen] asked where we go to school ... and basic stuff like that. It also asked fun stuff, like why we want to be a model for the company.”

Allen and Bilyeu have unique styles when taking pictures of models to end up with a specific product. Carrera believes Bilyeu of Sweet Chai emphasizes the naturality in her photography.

“The whole process feels very natural when you’re out taking your senior pictures,” Carrera said. “All the photos, they’re not photoshopped or airbrushed because [Bilyeu] is really all about it being about you.”

According to Italiano, a historic, charming style is adopted in Allen’s photos to create an intriguing end result.

“Modern Monroe definitely is a more glamorous photographer,” Italiano said. “She really takes inspiration from old-time glamour, which I really liked about her. It’s all in the name, she just modernizes Hollywood in a way and the pictures that she takes are always so beautiful.”

Poje has enjoyed her time as a senior model mostly because she has been able to form bonds with girls she may not have spent time with otherwise.

“It’s girls from De Soto [High School] and from Mill Valley so you make new friends and it’s definitely a bonding experience,” Poje said. “It’s fun to have these amazing pictures of yourself and all these other girls.”

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Jagwire

walk the walk

Seniors Bella Italiano for Modern Monroe Portraiture and Natalie Carrera for Sweet Chai Photography describe the process for a photoshoot

first: getting ready

first: decide a theme

For Modern Monroe Portraiture, the models will go to manager Heather Allen’s house for hair and makeup. “When it’s a group photo shoot usually I help with the makeup,” Italiano said.

The Sweet Chai models and photographer Faith Bilyeu decide on a theme and how the models will dress for the shoot.

then: go to location

then: get prepared

Italiano and the other Modern Monroe models visit the location of the shoot.

“[Bilyeu] talks to us about what we’re trying to do, if it’s serious or fun,” Carrera said.

finally: pictures

finally: pictures

“We usually switch out three girls at a time taking pictures, and then we do individual shots,” Italiano said.

Now, the models can start the shoot, which lasts about an hour. “As the session goes on ... we get more comfortable and take fun pictures with each other,” Carrera said.

LEFT: Senior Bella Italiano chose Modern Monroe Portraiture because photographer Heather Allen “really connects and gets to know the models on a personal level.” Photo by Heather Allen

FAR ABOVE: Senior Sweet Chai models use a blacklight effect during their photoshoot. Photo by Faith Bilyeu LOWER ABOVE: To add depth to one of his photoshoots at Shawnee Mission Park, senior Austin Garner brings his dogs. Photo by Faith Bilyeu

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photo illustration by annie myers

Design by tricia drumm and hunter ristau

features

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built-in best friends

Being a triplet set makes for a unique family relationship by strengthening the close bond among siblings

ABOVE: Relaxing in the comfort of their home, seniors Anthony, Cindy and Marcel Meljanac enjoy exploring many hobbies and spending quality time with each other. Photo by Margaret Mellott

by TRICIA DRUMM

features editor jagwire.triciadrumm@gmail.com

by JOE MCCLAIN

reporter and photographer jagwire.joemcclain@gmail.com

O

ut of the students in Mill Valley, there are only a handful of who all share a similar trait: they’re all a part of a triplet set.

For senior Cindy Meljanac, one of the best parts of being a triplet is the close connection she shares with her brothers Anthony and Marcel.

“I’m not sure if [the twin theory is] true, but there’s definitely a connection [between us],” Cindy said. “That’s what I think there is because we’re so close, and usually with other siblings that … aren’t triplets or twins, they don’t have as close of a connection. It’s rare; people look at us and they’re like ‘Wow, I wish I had that with my sibling.’”

Especially with the inclusion of junior Briana Velez’s younger sister, freshman Natalie Velez, among junior Julian and sophomore Dariana, the connection the four of them have makes Briana feel more like a quadruplet than

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a triplet.

“I just like the close bond we have; we talk to each other, sometimes we make fun of each other, but we never fight, we never say mean things to each other,” Briana said.

Cindy feels that being a triplet is a blessing more than a curse.

“Family, to me, is one of the most important things,” Cindy said. “I wouldn’t call [being a triplet] a disadvantage at all.”

“People look at us and they’re like ‘Wow, I wish I had that with my sibling.’”

SENIOR CINDY MELJANIC Even though sophomore Joe Cosmillo sees what Cindy and Briana enjoy about being a triplet, like how he “always has someone there for [him] and [he’s] never alone,” he feels as if there is sometimes a disadvantage.

“You never really get any alone time,

ABOVE: Through school activities and sports, sophomores Alyssa, Joe, and Molly Cosmillo grow closer and strengthen the bond between each other.

Photo by Carter Lawson

and you can’t get away from them,” Joe said.

Additionally, while Molly enjoys having Joe and Alyssa as “built-in best friends,” she believes she “can’t be [her] own person” when she is associated with two other people.

While Cindy greatly enjoys her siblings and her life as a triplet, she agrees that there is a downside.

“Since they’re my brothers, they’re a little overprotective, a little too much,” Cindy said. “That’s the only part I dislike, but I know they’re doing it out of a good heart.”

Of the Velez triplets, Julian and Briana are juniors, but Dariana is a grade below them. Even though the three of them are in different grades, Briana doesn’t think their strong relationship has changed.

“It was like, ‘Oh, man, I’m not going to be with my sister. We’re not going to be in the same class,’” Briana said. “It was a little bit weird, but over time, I got used to it and she did, too. And now, we don’t feel strange. It’s still a strong bond.”

Despite the ups and downs of being a triplet, the most important benefit, according to Cindy, is how “you just have someone there and that [they] can always help each other.”

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at the

expense

A breakdown of the different costs for the Meljanic triplets

ABOVE: Spending time in the library most mornings, sophomore Dariana Velez and her siblings, juniors Briana Velez and Julian Velez work on homework. Photo by Carter Lawson

who’s most likely

The Hoffstetter triplets decide which sibling is most likely to do a certain task

most likely to...

FRESHMAN AUBREY HOFSTETTER

1 2 3

live in a big city watch romantic movies marry a celebrity

$150

spent on gas in one week

$600 $230

spent on insurance per month for two cars

spent on the monthly phone bill

FRESHMAN CLAIRE HOFSTETTER

1 2 3

FRESHMAN WYATT HOFSTETTER

1 2 3

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fall asleep in class laugh at the wrong moment be a drama queen

$300

spent on clothes every month

survive a zombie apocolypse forget a birthday go to the store and get more than one sample

$60,000 will be spent on college tuition for the first year only

Design by morgan gurwell

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driving safety

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special section

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n this school year alone, two car crashes have happened involving USD 232 students. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, car crashes are the leading cause death for teenagers, making up one third of their deaths.

DISTRACTED DRIVING Distracted driving is defined by the

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U.S. g ov e r n ment website for distracted driving as, “any action that could divert a person’s attention away from the primary task of driving.” This includes using a cell phone, texting or talking to passengers. Additionally, 10 percent of all teenagers who were involved in fatal car crashes were considered “distracted” at the time.

Seven students from Mill Valley were involved in a car crash on Woodsonia Drive near 51st Street on Tuesday, Nov. 23. Everyone involved in the crash was hospitalized for injuries, and two of them were considered serious. According to one of the students involved in the accident who wishes to remain anony-

mous, the crash has changed his mindset when driving or being in a car.

“When someone is driving [unsafely] or trying to have fun, you know I get that, but I’m just more focused on the road and stop messing around,” the anonymous source said.

Sophomore Taylor Stephens struggles with staying focused on the road when driving.

“When I’m driving, and I get a text or snapchat I look at my phone and if I’m at a stoplight sometimes I pick it up and see who all has texted me and it distracts me,” Stephens said.

According to the DMV website, in Kansas it is illegal for drivers with a learners permit or intermediate license holders to be on their cellular device at any time when driving. This includes hand-held devices, texting and calling.

As in most states, it is illegal for any driver, novice or not, to text while

story continued on page 16

Design by claire boone and margaret mellott

special section

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driving safety

speakingout Students reflect on reasons why people illegally text and drive

“A lot of people instinctively check their phones because we are connected to technology and it doesn’t change when people are in the car.”

SOPHOMORE CARLY TRIBBLE

story continued from page 15

“They want to be popular and they want to be [involved] in everything.”

FRESHMAN RODRIGO KELLY-PADILLA

“They just gotta shoot a quick text; they know it’s not that smart.”

JUNIOR BRENNAN SHULTE

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driving.

Stephens believes that today’s culture has contributed to her need to check her phone while driving.

“I think how society is now your phone is so important and it seems like if you don’t look at [your phone] you’ll miss something so I feel like I need to look at it to see what’s happening in my life,” Stephens said.

Concentrating on the road is a big factor of safe driving, according to the anonymous source, and he believes there are certain things drivers should do to stay safe.

“Be careful, stay on the speed limit [and] don’t do anything dumb,” the anonymous source said.” The driver has to stay focused on the road, even if your friends are in there. I’m just glad we are all OK.”

SEATBELTS Not wearing a seatbelt accounts for

nearly 85 percent of all fatal car crashes, including the accident on Friday, Dec. 16 that killed De Soto senior Sterling Franzwa. Franzwa was ejected from his truck while driving on K-7; he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt.

“If you lose one of your friends ... [in a car accident], you’ll never forgive yourself.”

SENIOR ANNA CLAYBORN Franzwa worked at Life Time Fitness with a number of other students from both Mill Valley and De Soto, including Mill Valley senior Jasmine Cousins.

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Jagwire

What does the Law Say?

Laws set in place by Kansas legislature regarding illegal driving habits TEXTING AND DRIVING According to Kansas driving laws, there is no specific law prohibiting drivers from using their phones while driving, except for novice drivers. Novice drivers are completely prohibited from using their phones.

INFLUENCE DRIVING UNDER THE

It is against Kansas law to drive or attempt to operate a motor vehicle while having a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or above.

CLICK IT OR TICKET According to Kansas driving laws, all police officers can stop, pull over and ticket any motor vehicle if the driver or front seat passenger is seen not wearing their seatbelt. Passengers in the back seat may only be ticketed if there is another citable offense at the time.

“[My friends and I] went and looked at his truck, and it was bad,” Cousins said. “It’s one of those things where you just have to be careful when you’re driving in that kind of weather; don’t speed, take it slow.”

Kansas law enables police officers to pull over vehicles and ticket them if either the driver or the front seat passenger is not wearing a seatbelt. Wearing a seatbelt is one of the most important things to do when driving, according to De Soto driving education teacher Bob Reeves.

“You must wear [seatbelts] all the time,” Reeves said. “The secondary restraint system does not work well if you do not have your seatbelt on.”

Senior Anna Clayborn, a student who worked with Franzwa, believes that driving recklessly can hurt the people around you both physically and emotionally.

“If it’s not someone they know or was close to, they don’t care and [the crash] doesn’t affect them,” Clayborn said.

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“Once it happens to one of their friends, it really does change their life; [they’re] like, ‘Wow, it might happen to me.’”

Cousins believes Franzwa could have survived if he had worn his seatbelt at the time of the crash, and says everybody should always wear their seatbelt. “[Not wearing a seatbelt is] definitely not worth losing your life over,” Cousins said. “It’s just something so small that there aren’t really any problems by wearing your seatbelt.”

Franzwa’s accident should serve as a message to other teenagers who don’t always take necessary safety precautions like wearing a seatbelt when driving, according to Clayborn.

“Even if they don’t think it can happen to them, it can,” Clayborn said. “At any moment something could happen, and [you must] wear your seatbelt and be careful. If you lose one of your friends or yourself, you’ll never forgive yourself for not doing that.”

seatbelt standards A survey of 134 students to see how many wear a seatbelt

NO

10%

YES

90%

story continued on page 18

photo illustration by madison ferguson

Design by claire boone and margaret mellott

special section

17

driving safety

speedystats

story continued from page 17

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

18

special section

A compilation of statistics regarding dangerous driving

have you driven while tired?

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, over 1.1 million people were arrested in 2014 for driving under the influence of alcohol or narcotics

how often do you drive?

8.15%

Daily Never

20%

.74% 38.52%

No

76%

Yes

24%

do you text and drive?

17%

Yes

83%

No

Monthly Weekly

32.59%

Yearly

Survey of 135 students

mythbusters s are put to the test in this compariso

n

on

be

f li e

Com m

Driving under the influence, or drunk driving, refers to operating a motor vehicle while one’s blood alcohol content is above the legal limit set by the state statute, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. In Kansas, the state law for legal breath alcohol content is point zero eight percent.

School resource officer Mo Loridon believes teenagers who drink and drive are at a greater danger to others on the roadway.

“As a teenager, they’re not an experienced driver, so they are not that great of a driver in the first place,” Loridon said. “You’re putting yourself at harm and then you’re putting other people at harm by being on the roadway.”

Designated driving, when one person doesn’t drink to get the group home safely, is something junior Whitney Burke has experience with, seeing as she has done it for some of her friends.

“It is definitely the much safer option,” Burke said. “It ensures that they will most likely be safer when you’re sober and in control of where you are going and how fast you are going. You are mentally [aware] so you can make sure everyone will be safe.”

Burke also believes drunk driving affects teenagers specifically because of a “motivation to be reckless and do what their friends do,” and believes teens would rather risk driving under the influence than face the disappointment from their parents.

There is no exception for drinking and driving, and those caught will be held before the law, according to Loridon.

“The message is, you’re not old enough to do it, and you should not do it,” Loridon said. “I mean this isn’t even a case of ‘oh I just had a beer at my buddy’s house that doesn’t even count’. It is illegal for you to even be drinking in the first place.”

The consequences of driving under the influence are why Burke she chooses to not drink and drive.

“I just could never live with myself if I ruined someone else’s life or my own because of one dumb decision I decided to make,” Burke said.

myth: Not wearing a seatbelt in the car is OK fact: Seatbelts reduce fatalities by 50 percent mill valley high school

Jagwire

dangers of drowsy driving

by MARGARET MELLOTT

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

T

his isn’t something easy for me to talk about, but last year I almost t-boned someone. It’s not because I was under the influence, but rather because I was tired. Not just a little sleepy, but I was exhausted. It’s really hard admitting to something like this because it is so terrifying, but this is a serious issue that shouldn’t be blown over.

Driving while tired is like driving while under the influence — you miss things from stop signs to joggers and I happened to miss a red light. It all happened so fast. One minute, I was just driving to drop a friend off and the next minute, she was yelling at me to stop. When I did stop, my car was maybe an inch or two from the other car. After a couple seconds of processing what happened, we both pulled over. I wanted to make sure that the

what should you do?

couple was all OK, and thankfully, they were, but I got yelled at. I have no doubt that I deserved it, but it was just one of those things where all I

It could happen to anyone of us. It almost happened to me. could think was “Did that really just happen? How could I let myself run a red light?”

I came home that night utterly

Take it from me, driving while drowsy is extremely dangerous shaken up. I didn’t tell anyone what happened for a few days and it just ate at me. It’s hard to describe, but it kept me up at night, at least until I told my parents. They were obviously disappointed (as I was) but nonetheless, just telling them made me feel better.

It wasn’t clear the night of the almost-crash, but it happened because I was tired. And I’m not the only one whose been affected by exhausted driving. According to drowsydriving. org, more than 100,000 police-reported crashes are due to drowsy driving.

It may not seem that high compared to America’s total population, but it’s a real issue and it could happen to anyone of us. It almost happened to me.

Driving while tired never going to be worth the risk. Your friends and family would much rather you pull over and call someone to come get you than for you to get into an accident.

So next time you feel yourself getting drowsy while driving, do yourself a favor and pull over to call someone to come get you. Make the right choice.

If you or a friend are put into a bad situation where the driver is exhibiting poor habits, here’s how to handle it

TEXTING AND DRIVING

DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE

DRIVING WITHOUT A SEATBELT ON

First, try to talk to them. Let them know you’re concerned. Next, try and ask them if you can text for them.

Before even getting behind the wheel, find a designated driver. Or, if that falls through, call a trusted friend or parent.

They would much rather you be safe than sorry.

When getting in the car, make sure everyone is buckled in. Also, try not moving the vehicle without all passengers properly buckled.

myth: Texting at a stoplight isn’t distracting myth: Distracted driving is only cell phones fact: The driver is distracted for about 27 seconds after texting fact: Eating and drinking are both forms Jagwire

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photo illustration by madison ferguson

Design by claire boone and margaret mellott

special section

19

think critically about F

fake news

rom Facebook and Twitter to CNN and ABC, the media has had a rough first month of the new year after being overrun with a worrying new trend: fake news. The American people are struggling to define what fake news actually is. It’s difficult because there is a very fine line between biased, political reporting and made-up information with the intent of making money off views. In the midst of all this, teenagers are in the middle, not sure who to believe. That’s why, as journalists, we believe students should think critically about the news they encounter.

Fake news has existed since yellow journalism in the Spanish-American War, when journalists created fake news stories about violence in Cuba just to go to war. Fast forward to the 21st century, and fake news has taken off.

Divided political beliefs have resulted in a surge of fake news since many people have become close-minded and refuse to read anything that disagrees with their beliefs. Throughout the election in particular, fake news articles about Trump and Clinton were released with little to no factual evidence to support them.

Fake news is successful because

many people simply do not do their research. Everybody knows the internet isn’t always trustworthy, but ignorance only makes it easier for people to believe outlandish stories and claims.

“I can write the craziest thing about Trump, and people will believe it.”

FAKE NEWS WRITER PAUL HORNER In an NPR interview with fake news writer Paul Horner, he admitted to making up news in hopes of bringing in money through clickbait, stories with the sole purpose of gathering attention.

“I can write the craziest thing about Trump, and people will believe it,” Horner said. “I wrote a lot of crazy anti-Muslim stuff — like about Trump wanting to put badges on Muslims, or not allowing them in the airport, or making them stand in their own line — and people went along with it!”

Staff editorial

The JagWire gives its opinion on a topic covered in this issue

Students should read from many sources to avoid fake news Fake news can be hard to spot, since sites can easily write lies and cover them up as facts. Fortunately, the News Literacy Project has compiled a list of 10 questions to ask yourself while determining if a story is fake news. You can read the full list on the website Checkology, but most of the questions involve gauging the emotional enticement of the content and checking for proof of credibility.

For example, the list cautions against headlines with strong punctuation and excessive capitalization, while urging readers to explore the post itself. Check the source for a byline and look for editorial standards or contact information that suggest a legitimate news site. Additionally, headlines with mentioning a secret that “the media” doesn’t want you to know is a huge red flag.

Faced with fake news and real news, it’s your job to determine the truth. Do your research by checking out balanced websites such as Snopes. Read multiple sources, think critically and avoid clickbait. Even social media platforms like Twitter make it easy to access credible news sources through the Discover tab.

Real news is out there, you just have to be willing to find it.

jagwire staff vote Agree

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Disagree 20

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Jagwire

spending valentine’s day single is perfectly fine by me opinion: Valentine’s Day is more fun when you are single.

Now it is unfortunately true that my experience with romantic relationships only stretches as far as me being an iconic third-wheel in a few of my friend’s relationships. The aforementioned aside, I have plenty of experience when it comes to being single on this lovely holiday and why it is such a blessing in disguise.

The one major difference would be

No shame to couples, but being single on Valentine’s Day rocks

by claire boone

A&E editor jagwire.claireboone@gmail.com

W

ith Valentine’s Day quickly approaching, a large majority of us are extremely single and will ignore this special holiday as it passes.

As a single girl myself, I seem to stand strong with an extremely unpopular

Being confident is where the majority of joy comes from. that of course, you aren’t spending this holiday with a significant other. Meaning there is no stress about buying the perfect gift and you’ll also dodge the

task of creating a picture perfect date.

Due to this miracle, you will have significantly more money to spend on yourself for the entire day. You should feel like you have the freedom to use this money to buy a nice lunch with friends, the newest album by your favorite band or even a new pair of shoes you’ve been wanting but never had a reason to buy. Stop denying yourself of these things that you’ve earned by surviving another year of being single or failed relationships. Just follow the wise direction of the “Parks and Rec” character Tom Haverford and “treat yourself,” because you are most definitely worth treating.

One thing that single people seem to forget to do on Valentine’s Day is to appreciate themselves in general. Sure, you can buy things for yourself and have the perfect day planned out, but being confident in who you are as a single person is where the majority of the joy comes from. So kick back, start your favorite television series to binge watch and thank God you’re single as heck.

being left-handed has struggles most people disregard

Living as a silent minority is something I’ve learned to handle

by abby layton

social media editor jagwire.abbylayton@gmail.com

W

hen I was 11, I received my first pair of left-handed scissors. Specifically designed for a left-handed person’s use, they are truly a beautiful thing. A majority of the world’s population, 90 percent to be specific, is right-handed.

Simple things like using regular scissors or using a standard notebook can be a challenge for a left-handed person.

While right-handed people might not find these challenges significant, they still need to be aware of them.

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During the Middle Ages, being left-handed could get a person accused of witchcraft, and this stigma has lasted all the way to at least the 1950s, when my great aunt was in school. She was left-handed and was therefore thought of as different. In grade school, she had her left hand tied behind her back until she could use her right hand just as well as her left. This superstition of left-handedness being seen as wrong has been seen in education, even when there was no proof to support the claim.

Now I know things have significantly changed over the years, seeing as no one has ever accused me of participating in witchcraft, but left-handed people are still left out in the cold when it comes to product convenience. I still have trouble using those pesky things called scissors, or heaven forbid I try to use my notebook in a way that doesn’t make my handwriting look like chicken scratch.

Now while the left-handed people of the world wait for our salvation in the form of mass produced, over-priced products designed specifically for our comfort, I encourage all the fortunate right-handed people out there to remember this: You might not find these problems significant in any way, but they are still a fact of life for left-handed people.

illustration by nora lucas Design by nora lucas and ally nguyen

opinions

21

Don’t solely pay attention to major events in the news the year, but I felt disappointed. Before watching these videos I considered myself a news-junkie who constantly kept up with current events. Afterwards, I was angry with myself for only paying attention to what I had deemed the “big” news and drowning out “minor” news.

Reading articles you’d normally skip helps shape world-views

by ally nguyen

opinions editor jagwire.allynguyen@gmail.com

If you only pay attention to major events, you’ll never be fully aware.

For me, big news is the headlining article that changes every morning.

Minor news is the articles that were interesting, but weren’t necessary to my knowledge of the world.

I know that schedules get hectic and

we don’t have time to read through all sections of the news. I also know that it seems like certain information is pointless. However, if you only pay attention to major events, you’ll never become fully aware of what is going on in the world around you.

Paying attention to little details is important. It helps make you a well-rounded individual and it can also make a fun conversation starter. In awkward situations, it’s best to strike-up conversation, and what better way to do that than mention a CNN or Fox article you read about a new group of bees that scientists discovered.

Overall, I’m not saying to spend 15 hours of your day reading every article of every news outlet, nor am I saying to stop paying attention to major news.

My only wish is that after catching up on the headlining news, you take five minutes to read an article from a category you normally wouldn’t click on.

This way, we learn something new and we’re able to alter our viewpoints.

A You don’t need to decide your entire life in high school s the holiday season fades away, one memory won’t disappear: when the “2016 highlight” video came out from Google. It featured positives from

ger. Instead, people want the real deal; they want to know where you want to go to college, what you want to major in and what you want your career to be for the rest of your life. But, what if you simply don’t know?

That’s completely OK. It’s unrealistic for everyone to know exactly what they want to do with their life at a mere 16 years old and it’s impractical to suggest that everyone should know.

It’s perfectly normal to explore different options for your career

by alison booth

copy editor jagwire.alisonbooth@gmail.com

A

fter finishing my first semester of junior year, I’m starting to hear the same question repeated by relatives, by family friends, even by my closest friends: what do you want to do to after high school? And every time, I have the same, carefully worded, immaculate response: I don’t know.

We’re constantly bombarded with this question as we get older, and there comes a time when the overzealous, dreamy response to be a ballerina or an astronaut simply doesn’t cut it any lon-

22

opinions

There’s nothing wrong with being a dancing astronaut.

In fact, approximately 75 percent of college students change their major before graduating and about 20 to 50 percent enter college as “undecided,” according to Pennsylvania State University’s Division of Undergraduate Studies.

Changing your major or changing what you want to do with your life is normal.

Having the opportunity to explore different areas in college is important, and should be encouraged among all students. Experiencing and immersing yourself in a variety of different

subjects can help you hone in on what you’re actually interested in, and is a great way to make the decision when the time is right.

That being said, you shouldn’t feel pressured to make this decision early.

Some people know from the moment they join a sports team or lead a club that that’s what they’re passionate about. For others, however, the task isn’t as simple.

Once you do come to a consensus on what you’re passionate about, remember that it does not have be absolute.

And, furthermore, you can have more than one thing that you’re passionate about. There’s nothing wrong with being a dancing astronaut that decides to be a computer-savvy artist when they’re 45; do whatever makes you happy for the sole reason of keeping you happy.

Also, when you’re deciding on your career, make sure you’re not solely thinking about the salary of the money that job will bring in. While, sure, money is important, ultimately choosing a job that will keep you happy is the most important thing.

So, the next time you’re at a family dinner and the daunting question comes up again, just remember that you don’t have to come up with a fake, tentative response. You can simply not know.

mill valley high school

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kansas should legalize marijuana for medicinal use ijuana, there are a lot of claims being thrown around with little fact to back them up. The federal government regards marijuana as an illegal substance for both medicinal and recreational use, but allows states to decide for themselves to uphold that law.

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 28 states have legalized marijuana for medicinal use. Neither Kansas nor Missouri is one of them.

Think of marijuana as a prescription, not a harmful drug

by nora lucas

opinions editor jagwire.noralucas@gmail.com

W

hether it’s tobacco, alcohol, ecstasy or marijuana, every drug is lumped together as dangerous and unhealthy. Recently, however, more and more states have begun to legalize marijuana out of recognition for its health and economic benefits. Here in Kansas, we’re looming in $179 million of debt according to the Topeka-Capital Journal, so some have begun to speculate that the taxation of marijuana could help bring our economy back.

Personally, I agree.

When it comes to medicinal mar-

Legalizing medicinal marijuana opens new discussion.

The federal Food and Drug Administration, or FDA, has approved two forms of medicinal marijuana in pill form, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse. There is no evidence to suggest that medicinal marijuana is linked to abuse in any way, but plenty to support claims that medicinal marijuana can be used as a painkiller and to reduce inflammation. Still, clinical trials are ongoing and require more time to see effects.

Twenty-eight states legalizing me-

dicinal marijuana is a big deal. There’s something stirring up in our country, and the future of marijuana legislation is up in the air.

For most legislators, they see the value of keeping medical care within state borders instead of forcing people to move for treatment. For example, in 2014, USA Today reported on the Botker family, who moved their 7-year-old daughter from Minnesota to Colorado as a last resort to combat epilepsy.

“We really tried everything with Greta,” mother Maria Botker said. “We put our child through brain surgery, so a plant like marijuana was not going to scare me.”

Legalizing medicinal marijuana opens new discussion for all types of legalization, including recreational. If it’s OK to prescribe cancer patients this relaxing drug as treatment, why can’t it be used for people to relieve stress?

Obviously, smoking is not good for you, but more research could lead to development of healthy alternatives that offer the same effects.

I have a feeling we’ll see a federal legalization of medicinal and recreational marijuana in our lifetime. It’s better to prepare our local medical and police force now, rather than later, to make sure we are prepared to handle whatever is thrown at us. After all, this country is nothing without our life, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

colorado’seffects Weighing the economic benefits of legalizing marijuana

$180.4 million dollars made off marijuana sales in 2016 (Denver Post)

$40 million dollars of that goes towards education (Denver 9 News)

Jagwire

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illustration by nora lucas Design by nora lucas and ally nguyen

opinions

23

extrahours

A rundown of what a runners offseason workouts look like At 3:00, runners meet in head boys track coach Chris McAfee’s classroom

For tempo runs, the runners use the track for the workout

2 times a week, the coaches will have them do workouts in the weight room

on the

t

run

o prepare for the upcoming spring sports seasons, many athletes have already began winter training. To bring out the best of their abilities, the athletes must put a lot of time and hard work into their winter workouts.

Winter training takes place from November to March. For cross country runners, this means that they begin winter training directly after the conclusion of their season.

Sophomore Greg Haynes had a very brief break between the two. He takes about three or four days off after the cross country season and then he begins training for the spring.

Despite having to put many hours into running, Haynes sees an advantage to having year-round practices.

“It gets a lot more miles on our legs and it keeps us fit all year round for the track season,” Haynes said.

Haynes believes that going straight from cross-country season to winter training will benefit him in track.

“It gives you that edge on other peo-

ple because while people are resting up and starting when everyone else starts, I’m out training and getting more miles in than anyone else,” Haynes said.

“My times in both my races really dropped a lot more than I expected.”

JUNIOR JUSTIN GREGA Junior Justin Grega runs almost every day during the winter; when he looks back at previous seasons, he notices a large improvement.

“Freshman year I didn’t really do winter training but last year I did and I have seen big improvements,” Grega said. “My times in both my races really dropped a lot more than I expected.”

RIGHT: During soccer winter training freshman Emerson Kaiser works out with freshman Morgan Koca on Wednesday, Jan. 18.

Photo by Marah Shulda

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sports

mill valley high school

Jagwire

LEFT: On Monday, Jan. 23, junior Cole Abram pulls the bar up while doing a high pull during his winter training with the baseball team.

Photo by Marah Shulda

by JOE MCCLAIN

reporter and photographer jagwire.joemcclain@gmail.com

Students actively participate in preseason workouts in order to prepare for the upcoming season This year, Grega wants to drop his times even more and get another shot at competing at state.

Grega only sees one real downside to winter training: the fact that it takes place during the winter.

“The five degree weather runs that we had in December were my least favorite part,” Grega said.

Junior Gavin Overbeck agrees that making the commitment to winter training will pay off during track season. Overbeck has yet to see a difference in his times, but still has high hopes for the upcoming season. “[There has been] not too much improvement,” Overbeck said. “I’m just staying in shape and I’ll hopefully start to improve towards the beginning of track season.”

On the contrary, Haynes has already seen some concrete results come out of winter training.

“I’ve been doing some indoor meets,” Haynes said. “I’ve gotten a couple personal records.”

Along with being his favorite part of winter training, Haynes feels that the indoor meets allow him to get some “more race experience under his belt.”

When the track season starts, Grega will run the 400-meter, 800-meter and he is going to try the 1600-meter. Grega uses winter training to prepare himself for all of his events.

“You get better and basically it gets you into shape because day one of track we don’t take it light,” Grega said. “We jump right into it and [winter training] better prepares you for that.”

The track coaches strongly encourage Haynes to participate in winter training to maximize his success in the season. Haynes compares winter training to an elongated warm-up for track.

“It’s something my coach pushes me to do,” Haynes said. “It’s something that I do to warm-up before actual spring season track comes around.”

pre season

preparation

“I started in December and I will do it up until the season starts. I want to prepare myself for track season.”

SENIOR ADAM GILLETTE Jagwire

mill valley high school

“I’m doing winter training to stay in shape for soccer, which is in the spring.”

FRESHMAN EMERSON KAISER

ABOVE: Senior Jakob Coacher and sophomore Greg Haynes run on Wednesday, Jan 18. Photo by Marah Shulda

Student opinions on why they participate in offseason training

“I’m doing winter training to get ready for baseball season and to better myself as an athlete.”

JUNIOR JACK CORRELL Design by margaret mellott

sports

25

BOWL TOGETHER ROLL TOGETHER Boys are encouraged to form a strong bond inside and outside of lanes

ABOVE: At a meet on Monday, Jan. 30, juniors Luke Guilford, Jayden Moore, Bradley Teasley, and Senior Cameron Ingram watch as their fellow teammates bowl. Photo by James Ball

by BRADEN SHAW

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

S

ports are usually built on team chemistry, with each member knowing each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

The boys bowling team is no exception, according to senior Spencer Butterfield, who joined the bowling team as a freshman as a joke but later took the team more seriously once he got to know his teammates better.

“The competition made me take it seriously,” Butterfield said. “That’s when I figured out there’s a whole community of people that love bowling outside of birthday parties.”

Junior Kyle Hirner also sees how the close-knit nature of the team has affected his overall experience as a bowler.

“Since this is my first year, I wasn’t really sure who everybody was, but I’ve grown close to everybody,” Hirner said.

“I think I would perform a lot worse personally without [the bond]. The team also plays better when we are closeknit.”

Butterfield also believes being so close has helped the team during meets as well as in achieving personal goals.

“I think we have good chemistry out there on the lanes,” Butterfield said.

“Just knowing each other and being comfortable with each other helps us to be able to give each other good advice when we’re feeling down. That’s because we’re friends outside of the sport and I can’t imagine the team without [the bond].”

26

sports

Design by Anika roy

Building this tight friendship began with small ways to get to know each other, according to Hirner.

“Everybody has nicknames written on their sleeves so you get to learn about people through their nicknames,” Hirner said. “It built the relationships even stronger and we have some good friendships on the team now.”

Outside of the sport itself, the team hangs out or sometimes even spends time together during extra practices.

“Sometimes we just go over to somebody’s house and play video games,” Butterfield said. “Or sometimes we go to the bowling alley and practice together on the weekends. We do that if we don’t have a meet the next day or we just want to get a few extra reps in.”

The coaches also push the team to become close in order to have a better experience and become a better overall team, according to head bowling coach Rick Pollard. “[The bond] helps them become a team,” Pollard said. “I’ve had a lot of other coaches express how awesome it is to see when we get off the bus, our group is one team. It’s not just a bunch of individual bowlers, in a sport that is an individual sport.”

Butterfield can not imagine having the same experience on the team without the relationship that has developed between members of the bowling team.

“If we don’t have a bond on the team then we’re just a bunch of guys out here bowling together and just wouldn’t care about each other,” Butterfield said. “But the bond is what holds us together and what makes the sport actually fun.”

ABOVE: The bowling team has grown close this past season.“It’s a good group of guys and this year has been a lot of fun,” senior Spencer Butterfield said. Photo by James Ball

Up Their Alley Boys vote on which of their teammates is best described Bowling Pin= One vote

Who could go pro?

1

Sophomore Ethan Lancaster

2 3

Senior Jesse Bowden Senior Hunter Turpin

Who is most likely to throw a gutter ball?

1

Senior Spencer Butterfield

2 3

Junior Kyle Hirner Senior Grant Moberly

Who makes it look best?

1

Sophomore Gabriel Hakes

2 3

Senior Hunter Turpin Senior Grant Moberly

mill valley high school

Jagwire

LettersGalore

OverTime

An inside look and additonal coverage on this season’s sports and athletes

Students at Mill Valley can letter in sports and can recieve a varsity letter at Mill Valley

Baseball Baseball Basketball Basketball

Play 1/2 of the total Letters can be awarded on coach discression varsity innings Play 1/2 of total varsity games

Letters can be awarded on coach discression

BowliBowli ng ng

Seniors letter by ensuring the teams success

Bowl in 1/2 of the varsity meets

Cross COuntry

Earn 6 varsity points

Provisional letters can be awarded

Football Football

Dress for 1/2 of the varsity games

Letters can be awarded

Golf Golf

Golf in 1/2 of the varsity meets

Provisional letters can be awarded

on coach discression

Q&a with

head girls basketball Coach Drew Walters Coach Drew Walters talks about his first year as head girls basketball coach

by MICHAEL SANDRI

reporter and photographer jagwire.michaelsandri@gmail.com

JagWire: How long have you been a coach at

Mill Valley?

Drew Walters: This is my first year as head coach Play in at least 1/2 of Letters can be awarded Soccer and my third year here. I was an assistant Soccer on coach discression varsity games coach for two years.

Play 1/2 of the total Seniors who played Softball Softball Jw: What brought you to Mill Valley? varsity innings all four years letter DW: Coach McFall, the coach before, called Score 60 varsity Seniors may letter on SwimSwi minmgming and asked me when I was coaching at a midpoints coach discression dle school if I would like to be his assistant Compete in 4 varsity Four year seniors TenniTenni s s [coach]. and I jumped at that opportunity. level competitions may earn a letter Jw: Have you ever coached a sport other than TrackTrack and and Qualify for the state Provisional letters Fi e ld basketball? competition may be awarded Field DW: Yes, I have done a little bit of everything, Letters may be awarded Play a majority of Volleyball Volleyball on coach discression I’ve coached football, I’ve coached golf, and the games I’ve even coached a little bit of track, but that Wrestle in 1/2 of the Can letter on coaches WrestliWrestli ng ng was a long time ago. varsity meets discression Jw: Which game has the team learned the most from?

DW: I would say that we learned the most from when we lost at Gardner. Sometimes A survey of 89 students, choose their you win with grace, but when you don’t end favorite superbowl pastime up victorious you have to learn from the loss.

Jw: What are some things that the team has 35.95% 32.58% The Game done well this season?

The Party DW: They battle, we are starting to show The Commercials some toughness and grit. They have really 31.46% been coming together as a team, and been forming some strong bonds with each other.

superbowl fever

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no easy escape ABOVE: Over winter break juniors Bailey Wagoner and Will Morris attended Breakout KC on Sunday, Dec 30, but were unsucessful in escaping.WWW Photo submitted by Will Morris

w

ith only one lock remaining before breaking free, time runs out, leaving junior Will Morris’s group unsuccessful in their attempt to break out.

Located in the River Market, Breakout KC is a top-rated escape room experience created by Matt Baysinger and Ryan Henrich.

In this game, players are locked into one of the company’s many themed rooms and must find clues to help them get out in 60 minutes.

While this idea is not necessarily original, Baysinger and Henrich have found ways to make their version unique.

“People love new experiences and

more importantly, people love shared experiences,” Baysinger said. “The cool thing is that you’re not going to do it by yourself. We see folks walk out and go to dinner and they won’t check their phones because they’re still talking about it.”

Although Breakout began less than two years ago, the company has opened four locations, two in Kansas, one in Missouri and one in Hawaii. For the pair, Hawaii was an ideal location as it was the largest place in the U.S. without any competitors.

“When we were expanding, we [looked] at large markets that didn’t have competition, because when we first opened in Kansas City, within

breakoutbreakdown Coming soon: Omaha , Nebraska

CEO Matt Baysinger finds ways to make Breakout KC special

by LEXI FLIPSE

social media editor jagwire.lexiflipse@gmail.com

months we had four or five copycat businesses,” Baysinger said. “So, we were like alright, are there any places we can expand to that have no competition?”

Since opening in Hawaii, Breakout has had high profile clients, including former President Barack Obama.

On Christmas Eve of 2016, the Hawaii branch of the company was booked out by what they believed was a celebrity client.

“About 30 minutes before their game was to start, the Secret Service showed up and said ‘we told you it was a celebrity client, but it’s actually the President and we need to sweep your entire facility to be able to bring him in.’” Baysinger said.

With only 13 seconds remaining, the former president and his daughters escaped.

Here at home, several Mill Valley students have taken part in this experience, including Morris, who visited Breakout KC over winter break but did not break out.

“I was invited to go, so I thought it would be fun,” Morris said. “It would have been better if we’d broken out, but I had fun.”

Whether it’s the president or the typical client like Morris, Baysinger believes Breakout appeals to all.

“Even though it’s an hour long, the shared experiences bring you back and give you something to talk about,” Baysinger said.

Breakout continues to expand across the nation

Honolulu, Hawaii

Kansas City, Missouri Lawrence, Kansas

Jagwire Mill valley high school

Colombia, Missouri

ABOVE: CEO Matt Baysinger, along with his business partner Ryan Henrich, owns four Breakout escape rooms across the country. Photo by Morgan Gurwell

Design by victoria wright

A&E

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valentine’sday on abudget

by KAtyA GILLIG

news editor jagwire.katyagillig@gmail.com

The JagWire gave three students $10 to buy their significant other a Valentine’s Day gift

meet the couples

Senior Aaron Middaugh and junior Caroline Gambill

Junior Drake Brizendine and sophomore Abby Philipps

Junior Nolan LaBarge and freshman Riley Timmons

buying time After being given $10 outside of Wal-Mart, the students were timed for 10 minutes to search for the perfect gift

ABOVE: Fascinated with holiday items, Gambill picks out her gift. “I didn’t have an idea of what I wanted, so it was kind of easy,” Gambill said. Photo by Claire Boone

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show it off

Couples presented the $10 gift to their significant others, who had mixed reactions

ABOVE: Already holding one gift from Brizendine, Phillips recieves another. “I do think he did a great job,” Phillips said. Photo by Claire Boone

ABOVE: Middaugh opens his gift politely.

“She makes up with the ice cream,” Middaugh said. Photo by Claire Boone

ABOVE: Junior Nolan Labarge takes a quick look at the unicorn t-shirt given to him by his girlfriend. Photo by Claire Boone

Twitter then voted on the best gift

the results 1

Nolan LaBarge and Riley Timmons

2

Drake Brizendine and Abby Phillips

3

Aaron Middaugh and Caroline Gambill

Jagwire

mill valley high school

ABOVE: Timmons laughs at the wings alongside LaBarge. “I tried to find a dad hat, but I couldn’t find it,” Timmons said. Photo by Claire Boone

photos by claire boone Design by nora lucas

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get to workmill valley Students work a variety of unique jobs in order to gain experience and make money

ABOVE: Sophomore Kaitlin Lutz restocks a fridge at B&B on Thursday, Jan. 17. Photo by Marah Shulda ABOVE: Working at the Animal Care Clinic on Tuesday, Jan. 17, sophomore Keme Platt cleans a treatment table. “I love my job because it gives me an experience that no one else really gets to have in high school,” Platt said.

Photo by Carter Lawson RIGHT: While working at Twisted on Sunday, Jan. 22, junior Myles Mustapich packs up a to-go order.

“Each shift you switch off from tacos, to wraps, to register,” Mustapich said.

Photo by Carter Lawson

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photo essay

LEFT: Junior Cameron Kremer sacs groceries at Price Chopper on Thursday, Jan. 19. “Sacking is my main job, and then I do chores like take out the trash,” Kremer said.Photo by Marah Shulda

ABOVE: Pulling the tractor into the barn at Covered M Arena, senior Victoria Hall prepares to clean horse pens. “[I like] to be around the horses all the time,” Hall said.

Design by Victoria Wright

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