JagWire: Volume 18, Issue 7

JAGWIRE NEWSMAGAZINE

THE BOND ISSUE: FINDING THE RIGHT FIT PG 14-19

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL // VOL. 18 // ISSUE 7// APRIL 12, 2018 // MVNEWS.ORG

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CONTENTS

Cover by Victoria Wright

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Mill Valley High School

JagWire

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07

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32 NEWS

OPINIONS

A&E

04 student walkouts 06 career fair 07 Relay for Life funds

20 staff editorial 21 opinions

28 podcasts 29 world BBQ 30 car accessories

FEATURES

SPORTS

PHOTO ESSAY

09 Bella Line 10 group painting 12 sneaker lovers 14 bond issue

24 swim ventilation 26 The Phillips

32 cosmetics

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

Design by Victoria Wright

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

H

ey y’all, welcome to issue seven of the JagWire newspaper. This issue has been a little crazy as we had spring break in the middle of our cycle, sickness is ever spreading and our stories have been challenging in and of themselves. Nora declared the theme of the issue to be “We don’t know anything” because we struggled to find focus and concrete information for pages such as the bond special section and the swim story.

We know you’ve been inundated with information about the bond, from assistant superintendent Alvie Cater visiting seniors to an entire tab on the district website dedicated to informing the public about it. Still, we felt the topic was larger than what had already been reported, so we decided to dedicate special section and the staff editorial to going in-depth as to how students, staff and the community will potentially benefit from the bond passing.

The special section is broken up into the six section for the bond issue: safety and security, educational technology, career

and technology education, early childhood, school facilities and future needs. We hope these sections give a personal explanation of how the bond will affect the community, and ask that you read the district’s information online to stay informed, especially if you’re voting.

The semester is almost over, and there’s only one issue left to read these wonderful letters from the editors. Next up is senior issue, which seems to us as our last hurrah as your editors-in-chief. From ice storms to chair lockouts, this year has been a crazy, wild ride, but through it all, we rolled with it.

SINCERELY,

Alison Booth

Alison Booth Nora Lucas Victoria Wright

MANAGING EDITOR Claire Boone

COPY EDITOR Anika Roy

DESIGN EDITOR Annie Myers

PHOTO EDITORS Hunter Ristau Marah Shulda

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 2017 JagWire has been named a Pacemaker winner, its third consecutive honor.

It was also inducted into the NSPA Hall of Fame and earned an All-Kansas rating from the KSPA. The 2017 Mill Valley News website was also named a two-time Pacemaker winner by the NSPA and received an All-Kansas rating.

SOCIAL MEDIA

CENSORSHIP POLICY Nora Lucas

Victoria Wright

BUSINESS MANAGER Hunter Ristau

MILL VALLEY NEWS EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Jakob Twigg

Tricia Drumm Morgan Gurwell Ally Nguyen

FEATURES EDITOR

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

NEWS EDITOR

Annie Myers

A&E EDITOR Abby Layton

OPINIONS EDITOR Ally Nguyen

SPORTS EDITOR Katya Gillig

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Twitter: @millvalleynews Facebook: Mill Valley News

JAGWIRE 2017-18 staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

STAFF

Lexi Flipse

REPORTERS & PHOTOGRAPHERS Drake Brizendine Elizabeth Joseph Carter Lawson Jordan Robinson Michael Sandri Andrew Tow

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.

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NEWS

Mill Valley High School

Design by Annie Myers

JagWire

VOICESofCHANGE

After the 17 minutes of silence at the start of the walkout, senior Claire Boone gives a speech on Thursday, March 8. “In my speech I was just telling people why we were there,” Boone said. “Also, making it clear that we were not making a political statement.” // Hunter Ristau

ELIZABETH JOSEPH

reporter/photographer jagwire.elizabethjoseph@gmail.com

ABBY LAYTON

A&E editor jagwire.abbylayton@gmail.com

Students participate in rallies to voice opinions on gun violence

S

tudents across the nation have organized rallies and walkouts in response to rising instances of gun violence. A series of rallies titled ‘March for Our Lives’ took place on

STEPS FORWARD Students protest following Parkland, Florida school shooting

Saturday, March 24, while students at the school held a walkout in memorial of those killed in the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School.

In the 19 years since the Columbine High School shooting, there has been an average of 10 school shootings per year, according to the Washington Post. In 2018, there have been 17 school shootings, with the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School and Great Mills High School shootings being the most detrimental so far.

According to a statement released by principal Tobie Waldeck, the walkout organized by students at MVHS was “well-planned, appropriate and

respectful in its purpose.” The statement also said that the school would “not consequence students who take part in the activity.”

Walkout participant freshman Ben Wieland feels that gun violence has grown in recent years, which is why he supported the school walkout and the March For Our Lives protest.

“It’s absurd how many people die from gun violence here in America,” Wieland said. “We need to stand up, as the future leaders of America, as children, as high schoolers.”

Senior Maci Montee is personally against increased legislation regarding gun control, but supports students

FEBRUARY 14, 2018

FEBRUARY 25, 2018

MARCH 5, 2018

Shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida kills 17 people

MVHS students send letter to administration outlining student-organized walkout protest

MVHS students gather to make posters recognizing victims of the MSD shooting

JagWire

NEWS

Mill Valley High School

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MAKING OUR

MARCH Organized events in local and national communities serve as outlet for student voices

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Signs held by students at school walkout to honor Parkland shooting victims

Students walk out of class during second block on Thursday, March 8. // Hunter Ristau

Junior Jacob Hoffman attends March For Our Lives on Saturday, March 24. // Hunter Ristau

expressing their opinions.

“I hope that kids from different political [backgrounds] are standing up to what they believe in [and are] getting involved because one day … we’re going to want change in our world,” Montee said. “You can’t sit around and not care because things ... aren’t getting fixed; you need to have a voice.”

Wieland feels strongly about the importance of walking out, but also emphasizes taking action beyond that.

“It’s not enough to simply participate once,” Wieland said. “You have to really care about an issue and engage with it if you want to try and fix it — that’s how social justice works.

You aren’t going to have one walkout and that’s going to change everything, but if we have years and years of constantly beating it into our lawmakers’ heads that we want change to happen, then maybe something will happen.”

However, despite the controversy when it comes to taking action to prevent gun violence, Montee stresses the importance of empathy when discussing the topic.

“I think that it’s important to respect the views of other people even if you don’t agree with them,” Montee said. “Respect them for being able to stand up and speak for what they believe in.”

MARCH 8, 2018

MARCH 14, 2018

MARCH 24, 2018

MVHS students leave class at 10 a.m. to participate in silent walkout

Students across the country participate in National Walkout Day

Community participates in March For Our Lives protest in Kansas City

300

Approximate number of students who participated in walkout

5-6

Thousand estimated participants at Kansas City March For Our Lives event

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March For Our Rights counter-protests in Washington, D.C., Utah and Montana Source: Kansas City Star and ABC News

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NEWS

Design by Lexi Flipse

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

OCCUPATIONEXPLORATION

Kansas University admissions officer Emily Hoffman explains the enrollment process to a group of Mill Valley students.

“I look at all the schools that are coming [to the career fair] and get a judgement of how many students are going to attend [Kansas University],” Hoffman said. // Jakob Twigg

Career fair allows students to gain insight into differing careers

MICHAEL SANDRI

reporter/photographer jagwire.michaelsandri@gmail.com

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epresentatives from 45 companies appeared at De Soto High School for the district’s first ever career fair on Friday, March 30. Originally scheduled for February 22, the fair had to be moved due to ice storms.

Alongside MVHS, students from DHS, Lawrence Free State and Eudora High School attended to explore their career and postgraduate options.

Counselor Chris Wallace said that the district values the interests of stu-

Discussing his plans for the future, senior Josh Leffort asks a navy recruitment representative questions. // Jakob Twigg

dents and thought that having a career fair would help better expose students to information about various jobs.

“One of the goals of our accreditation process is to try and focus on areas of college and career readiness,” Wallace said. “As a district we felt that this was an area that we could improve on.”

While all of the attending students sought information to help plan for their futures, some students, like junior Tyler Hilk, had already narrowed down their interests.

“I just wanted to further my job application and see what [would] interest me in some of the companies that were there,” Hilk said. “I also wanted to collect more information about how I could better fit into the career that I would like to have.”

Unlike Hilk, junior Will Anglemyer was unsure of what his next steps would be and attended the career fair hoping to figure them out.

“I realized that next year is my last year of high school, so I wanted to see what’s out there in the career field,” Anglemyer said.

After the career fair, Anglemyer had cut down his options more and says that the career fair would help other unsure students do the same.

“I think that this place would be great for anyone who doesn’t know what they want to do next,” Anglemyer said. “If you have no idea what you want to do in life, then come here and you will get ideas.”

PRO-FILES Various professionals share why they attended the fair

“We came to [give students] interested in education an opportunity to be a part of our center.”

LITTLE LEARNERS DIRECTOR CHRISTI EATON

“[I came] to inform students [about] what it takes to become an engineer.”

STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING ASSOCIATES ENGINEER MATT HELLER

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

Design by Victoria Wright

NEWS

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BEHIND THE $82,000 1

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1: Members of the community peruse available items in the silent auction. // Kristen Garrett 2: Senior Emmy Bidnick plays tug of war at an onsite fundraiser. // Ciara Pemberton 3: Sophomore Avery Altman turns in her team’s money at bank night on Wednesday, March 21. // Andrew Tow 4: A member of the community partakes in an on-site fundraiser. // Kristen Garrett 5: A member of the community shoots a Nerf gun during an on-site fundraiser.// Kristen Garrett 6: A member of the community plays Whack-A-Mole at an on-site fundraiser. // Ciara Pemberton

TRICIA DRUMM

Mill Valley News editor-in-chief jagwire.triciadrumm@gmail.com

Relay for Life funds came from a variance of sources

A

t Relay for Life, the on-site fundraisers — including Disney twists on classic games, “Mario Kart” races and pies to the face — largely provided to the overall fund. However, these fundraisers weren’t the only way people raised money in support of cancer research. There were plenty of other fundraising opportunities that contributed to the working fundraising total of $82,269.44 as of Wednesday, April 4.

Before the event itself on Friday, March 23, students participating had to raise $100, while individual teams had a $1,000 goal. Luminarias were purchased at $10 a bag. Sponsors, businesses that donate in return for advertising, and community members who donated items for the silent auction also helped fundraise for the event.

Furthermore, students could share

their RFL pages on social media and encourage others to donate. However, the community wasn’t the only ones checking couches for change. “[The RFL committee does] all kinds of fundraising on top of the donations, because if we didn’t, [the money] would come out of the donations, and we don’t want that to happen,” sponsor Cory Wurtz said. “We want everybody’s donations to go to American Cancer Society.”

The funds to consider when planning RFL, according to Wurtz, depended on what activities the committee wants to pursue. Additionally, the committee fundraised through various events such as cleaning up Lakeside Speedway and selling doughnuts at football games. Teachers could also donate $5 to wear jeans for a week. The money raised was for the committee to buy items such as pizza and silent auction prizes the night of the event.

The donations and funds were handled by the accounting team, which is responsible for recording the money raised thus far. Bank

night, Wednesday, March 21, was the accounting team’s opportunity to track incoming funds.

While the committee doesn’t keep track of how much each fundraising piece raised, accounting event leadership team member junior Jessie Coleman noticed the “send your friends to jail” fundraiser’s popularity and how senior Conner Ward alone brought in $155 from the Mr. Relay competition.

“The thought of one person being able to bring in $155 [is cool],” Coleman said. “Silent auction helped us a lot because we get a lot of money from that, and that really boosted our total.

We raised $8,000-$10,000 the night of.

The total of all of those events really helped.”

This year’s fundraising goal was $75,000, and Jaguar Nation well surpassed that goal.

“Every year we’ve raised more money,” Wurtz said. “Where that money comes from doesn’t matter to us as long as that total keeps on getting bigger. ... We’re gonna knock on every door and try and get everybody to get involved.”

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ADS

Design by Hunter Ristau

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

(913) 422-4471 5428 Roberts St, Shawnee, KS 66226

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Mill Valley High School

Design by Annie Myers

FEATURES

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CAMPAIGNforKINDNESS

Emphasizing the importance of showing kindness on social media, junior Bella Line presents to fifth graders at Prairie Ridge Elementary on Monday, March 26. // Anika Roy

Campaign allows junior to stress importance of kindness

ALISON BOOTH

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

J

Junior Bella Line stands in front of a crowd of Prairie Ridge Elementary fifth graders, reading through her PowerPoint presentation centered around the connection between social media and kindness.

Afterwards, Line answers questions from the kids and passes out pens and stickers with “Consider Kindness” stamped on them.

For Line, this activity is routine, since it is a part of her overall Consider Kindness campaign.

Line began the movement because of her involvement in the Miss Kansas

Outstanding Teen Program, which she is a contestant for. For the program, contestants must choose a platform to develop and champion throughout their local communities. Line will present her platform at the competition, which runs from June 2-9.

Since January, Line has been spreading her Consider Kindness campaign not only to nearby elementary schoolers, but also through her Instagram page, volunteer work with the Children’s Mercy Hospital Network and being an ambassador for Give 7 Days, a local organization that strives to recognize acts of kindness and differences. According to Line, the message of the Consider Kindness campaign is simple.

“Consider Kindness is a movement more than a campaign,” Line said.

“It’s to recognize those random acts of kindness that other people are doing for each other, especially with a world that’s filled with hate.”

She chose to center her platform around spreading kindness because she was recently “affected [by] teen suicide indirectly but personally.”

“I wanted to spread this message not only to help them and bring them confidence and know that I’m here for them,” Line said, “but also for other people to realize that you can still be nice even though there’s mean things happening all over social media and in the news.”

In addition to her volunteer work, Line has been passing out Consider Kindness stickers to students and teachers around the school.

“I created the stickers as an emblem for something easy to pass out that reminds people every time they look at it that today you can be nice,” Line said. “Even if you’re having a bad day, you can look at the sticker and think, ‘I’m having a bad day and someone else might be having a bad day but I can make their day better.’”

Junior Caroline Rutledge admires Line’s involvement, and said that Consider Kindness has impacted her personally.

“Knowing that there’s other people that want to spread kindness, especially with everything that’s going on,” Rutledge said, “it’s a lot harder to find good things and I think this is one of the really good things.”

Moreover, Bella’s mom Julie Lair, who helped Line start the movement, said Line has also changed since January, and noted she is “more mindful and notices more when other people do great things.”

Ultimately, Line hopes Consider Kindness impacts the community as a whole.

“I hope that they see that you can make an impact with something so small,” Line said. “It doesn’t have to be a great act of kindness that makes someone’s day. I want people and everybody to realize that the small things usually mean the most in someone’s heart.”

SPREADING

KINDNESS

Themes for Give 7 Days, dedicated to creating positive change during the week of April 16 - 20

MONDAY LOVE: wear red

TUESDAY DISCOVER: wear gray

WEDNESDAY OTHERS: wear yellow

THURSDAY CONNECT: wear blue

FRIDAY YOU: wear your favorite color

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FEATURES

Design by Anika Roy

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

A PERFECT PICTURE Students get involved in painting groups to express their creativity and to spend time with friends Spending the morning together on Saturday, March 31, junior Caroline Rutledge and senior Hailey Stelle paint pictures as a way to disconnect from technology and instead better connect with one another.

“I think other people should get together to paint because it gives them time to get off their phones, just find beauty in the simplest thing and paint it,” Rutledge said. // Claire Boone

TRICIA DRUMM

Mill Valley News editor-in-chief jagwire.triciadrumm@gmail.com

LEXI FLIPSE

social media editor jagwire.lexiflipse@gmail.com

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urrounded by various paints, brushes and blank canvases, senior Hailey Stelle and junior Caroline Rutledge sit at Stelle’s kitchen table, brainstorming ideas of what they should paint.

While many students are familiar with the idea of painting, several students have put a new twist on the classic art form by inviting friends over to add a social aspect to the activity.

When painting on people’s backs became popular a couple years ago, Stelle and Rutledge decided to start painting with each other for fun.

While Stelle and Rutledge initially “didn’t sit down and just want to paint,” they’ve come to want to paint every once in a while.

“We just find it something fun to do while we’re hanging out,” Stelle said.

“We can improve on it, so that’s kind of fun to see that side of it.”

Because her mom is an art teacher, sophomore Annie Bogart has maintained an interest in art from a young age. Today, painting with friends like sophomore Sophia Ralston is just one way for her to express her creative side.

“It’s mostly just a free-for-all thing, just being creative.”

SOPHOMORE ANNIE BOGART

“I’ve always been one to doodle and my neighbors have too,” Bogart said.

“They come over and we Pinterest a lot of things and we paint examples for [my mom’s] class.”

According to Bogart, when she’s

painting and doodling with her friends, no two sessions are alike.

Each session, she and her friends produce different ideas and new, inventive ways they can experiment with different artistic pieces and various methods.

Sometimes Bogart and her friends will paint on a canvas; other times they’ll paint on their legs or phone cases.

“We’ll start on one piece we have in mind [and] by the end, we’ll have 20 different things,” Bogart said. “It’s mostly a free-for-all thing, just being creative.”

Despite having been involved in art for a while, Bogart contends that a painting session does not usually require extensive amounts of skill.

“The only thing you have to have is some sort of [creativity] in you, some sort of idea of what you want to do,” Bogart said. “You don’t have to be talented; Lord knows I’m not.”

Stelle concurs with Bogart in the sense that one doesn’t need extensive artistic abilities to enjoy their time painting with peers.

JagWire

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TO EACH THEIR OWN

Three various types of brushes and their unique uses

FLAT BRUSH

SPONGE BRUSH

-Spreads paint quickly and evenly -Longer hairs

-Exact circle shape -Gives sponge texture

After looking for inspiration on Pinterest, senior Hailey Stelle reaches for more paint on Saturday, March 31. // Claire Boone

ROUND BRUSH “I’m not very artistic, and I personally have very shaky hands, so I’m not very good at painting,” Stelle said. “If you want to freehand it, you’d probably need more skill. But if you want to copy things or just do it for fun, I don’t think you need any skill to get started.”

However much she may struggle when she paints, Stelle emphasizes that “it’s really fun to get to try different things” with her art.

“It’s cool to see how your [art] compares to [the ones on Pinterest] and you can make it your own and just do whatever you want with it,” Stelle said.

Ralston also enjoys the artistic freedom that painting allows.

“You can kind of just do anything and you can customize your own stuff and make decor,” Ralston said. “It’s really relaxing [and] if you get a big group of people to do it, it’s really fun.”

Bogart agrees that painting with a group is good for de-stressing, and overall a socially and artistically stimulating activity to take part in.

“It’s really stress-relieving,” Bogart said. “During the winter, it’s a really

-Pointed tip -Long, closely arranged bristles for detail

great thing to do because it’s cold outside and you have to always stay inside, which really sucks. It’s calming, [so] you get some good conversation out of it, too.”

Ralston enjoys the social aspect of the activity best.

“I’ve always painted in group settings,” Ralston said. “I think it’s more fun that way.”

ABOVE: Holding two of her recenly completed art pieces, sophomore Sophia Ralston displays her paintings on Monday, April 2.

“Painting’s really not that hard,” Ralston said.

“You can paint anything.// Claire Boone LEFT: Painting an Easter-themed picture on Saturday, March 31, junior Caroline Rutledge focuses on her brush strokes. // Claire Boone

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FEATURES

Design by Morgan Gurwell

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

PUMPED UP KICKS Collecting pairs of sneakers in large numbers proves to be a unique hobby among students

ABBY LAYTON

A&E editor jagwire.abbylayton@gmail.com

A

s junior Abby Berner walks up her driveway after school, she sees a shoebox she’s been expecting sitting in front of her house.

This isn’t the first pair that’s arrived at her doorstep in the last year, and it certainly won’t be the last.

According to Berner, she began to collect shoes about a year ago, and her collection has grown rapidly since then. She now has 116 pairs of shoes to date.

“I just keep buying more shoes,” Berner said. “I love seeing all of the different kinds, [and] I look for [a unique shoe] that not a lot of people have.”

However other students, like junior Greg Haynes, have been collecting shoes for a lot longer than that. His parents began buying and collecting

FOOTWEAR FAVORITES

“I like that they’re flashy, but not over the top. I think the colors go with a lot of things, so they’re pretty versatile that way.”

SENIOR TOM COLLING

shoes for Haynes in 2004 until Haynes began buying his shoes himself. Today Haynes has around 30 to 40 pairs he can wear since he began collecting them.

“I think [shoes are] something that’s important to me,” Haynes said. “It’s cool to have a lot of different pairs of shoes I can wear any day anytime.”

When students begin to collect shoes their methods of storing them can differ greatly. Sophomore Jackson King likes to keep his shoes on a shelf and meticulously organizes them.

“I usually get a new pair of shoes every month or two,” King said. “I have a shoe rack, and put them on there from darkest color to lightest color.”

Recently, Berner has built floor-toceiling shelves for her shoe collection and plans to expand those shelves in the future. “[The shelves are in] my bedroom, but it’s like my whole wall,” Berner said. “I saw a bunch of pictures online of shelves on walls, and I thought

‘why don’t I just make my whole wall like that’ and then I might switch my room and make it a whole bedroom of shoes.”

“I [like my] shoes because of the story behind them.”

SOPHOMORE JACKSON KING

While Haynes does not have a wall of shoes, and does not organize them by color, one thing he does enjoy about collecting shoes is the frequency at which new styles of shoes are released. “[I like] seeing all the new [shoes] that come out,” Haynes said. “You buy a new pair and then two months later a newer model comes out and it’s just

Students explain what makes up their most valued sneaker

“They were the shoes that Forest Gump ran around the United States in… It’s an old Nike color scheme so you don’t see them around as much.”

“I’ve kept them this long because I never really had a reason to throw them away and they’re my favorite pair because of all the memories behind them.”

SENIOR CORI CARVER

JUNIOR ZACH STEIGER

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

FEATURES

Photos by Marah Shulda & Jordan Robinson

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While standing in her room on Friday, March 16, junior Abby Berner is surrounded by around her 116 pairs of shoes and she uses them to enhance her room and outfits. “If I’m wearing a bad outfit then people pay attention to your shoes and that makes your outfit look good,” Berner said. // Marah Shulda

cool seeing them all.”

Berner believes that when she began to seriously collect shoes, her friends’ were not entirely supportive.

However, she has continued with the hobby despite this.

“They think it’s ridiculous,” Berner said. “They were like ‘you don’t even

wear half of the shoes that you have, why are you buying more?’”

In contrast, Hayne’s parents have supported his hobby by passing down their tradition of collecting shoes.

“Both of my parents have a ton of shoes too, so it just kind of came in the family, I don’t think they think any-

thing about it,” Haynes said.

Unlike Berner, King chooses to wear all of the shoes he buys, as he has an emotional attachment to them.

“I wear [my shoes], I don’t keep them in the box like other people do,” King said. “I [like my] shoes because of the story behind them.”

SNEAKERSTATS Starting over a year ago, junior Abby Berner has built up her collection of different kinds of shoes

favorite brand:

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NIKE

^

^

116

pairs of shoes

$200 $80

most expensive pair:

cheapest pair:

pairs are customized

oldest pair:

4

years old

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FEATURES

Design by Alison Booth & Victoria Wright

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

2000

IT’S TIME TO ELIZABETH JOSEPH

reporter/photographer jagwire.elizabethjoseph@gmail.com

NORA LUCAS

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

Proposed bond will potentially lead to increased space and facilities

2010 - 2016 In 2000, Mill Valley opened in a school designed for 750 students. With continued growth in Shawnee, more space was needed, so a bond passed in 2004 which added to the A-wing, increasing capacity to 1,000 students. Another bond passed in 2010 which brought the addition of the C-wing, auxiliary gym and added on to B-wing, raising capacity to 1,500 students. The board has now proposed a fourth bond with six different areas of needs, including additions to make MV’s current facilities the right size for students. // Photo illustration by Victoria Wright

JagWire

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2004

RIGHT SIZE U SD 232 residents now have the ability to vote on an $85 million bond issue that will address six needs for schools in the district: safety and security, educational technology, career and technology education,

2018 BOND ISSUE

early childhood, school facilities and future needs.

The bond issue was proposed to alleviate these needs, without increasing the tax rate. Taxpayers are currently paying for the previous

bond, which sponsored the expansion of DHS as well as the construction of Starside Elementary and other facilities, so taxes will remain the same if the new bond is adopted. Ballots are due by noon on Tuesday, May 1.

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FEATURES

Mill Valley High School

Design by Alison Booth & Victoria Wright

FACILITIES

DISTRIBUTION OF MONEY

Spaces designed for 750 students now require larger facilities

A

large portion of the funds will be allocated to larger facilities, such as a bigger theater, competition gym, weight room and a new fieldhouse.

The theatre addition is highly anticipated by drama teacher Jon Copeland, who believes that increasing capacity from 354 to 800 people will provide new opportunities for students.

“There’s just a number of technical things that are lacking in our theatre,” Copeland said. “We’re not really equipped to deal with the large scale shows we do here on a regular basis.”

Band director Deb Steiner would also be able to take advantage of a larger theatre.

“We’d actually get to the play in the theatre as opposed to the gym,” Steiner said. “We’ve never been able to have a concert band on a stage; this would

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percent facilities

43 staff members responded to survey

$1,468,659 MV stadium renovation

$539,280 MV track renovations

$1,080,757 Upgrade baseball, add softball facilities

$820,186 Resurface MV tennis courts

The current theater holds 350 people, not large enough to hold a class meeting or parents attending a band concert.

A new theater would cost $7.5 million and would hold 800 people.

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Breakdown of funds for needed renovations

mean that we could actually do that.”

Other plans in the bond call for a larger competition gym and stadium fieldhouse that would accomodate larger crowds at 6A-level competitions. The plan also calls for the current auxiliary gym to be converted to a larger wrestling room. This would be beneficial to the growth of the program, according to head wrestling coach Travis Keal.

“In wrestling, we’ll have more numbers,” Keal said. “Right now, I get to a certain number and I don’t cut, but I don’t go around chasing a lot more people. We don’t have enough space for them.”

Head basketball coach Michael Bennett agrees more space is needed.

“As we grow and get larger, we need more space, and that space is being created with some of these building projects,” Bennett said.

Members of “Pride and Prejudice” cast attempt to learn a ballroom dance for the upcoming play on Monday, April 2, while set pieces remain on stage due to limited space percent availability. // Hunter Ristau yes

JagWire

Which section of the bond issue is most important to you?

facility improvements technology safety & security career technical education future needs

Do you support the district bond?

100

100% yes

percent yes

STAFF

JagWire

Source: USD232

Mill Valley High School

Classroom audio/ visual upgrade

FEATURES

17

$2,159,500

Additional technology devices $2,000,000

62

percent yes

Outdated AV equipment will be replaced

TECHNOLOGY

A larger competition gym would be built with a seating capacity of 2,800 to 3,000.

Including the increase of wrestling and weight room space, the additions would cost $8.6 million. The existing gym would become the auxiliary gym.

On a scale of 1-5 (5 being the most knowledgeable), how knowledgeable are you about the upcoming district bond?

42% 1 20% 2 18% 3 14% 4 6% 5 Survey of 419 students

T

echnology updates are also be included in the bond proposal, such as replacing projectors and audio systems. Problems with the current projectors at school have been prevalent for some students, such as junior Deanna Newman.

“During MVTV, around the weather, our projector just cuts out the livestream,” Newman said. “I’ve heard people say we should restart the stream and we’ve tried it, but it doesn’t work.”

The projector systems can also have problems with audio, according to freshman Alex Whipple.

“We’re had [situations] where we’re in a class and the teacher’s like, ‘we’re going to watch a video’ and there’s no sound,” Whipple said. “Then the teacher says, ‘I’m going to play it from my computer,’ and when you’re in the back, you can’t hear.”

The bond would also free up funds that would be used to purchase new devices for students, such as laptops, benefiting students like Whipple.

“I’ve noticed when I’ll be typing a paper, the computer will just update or shut down on me, and I’ll lose what I had on the paper,” Whipple said.

Do you support the district bond?

62

percent yes

62% yes 33% I don’t know enough 5%

no

STUDENTS

Weather Advisory

2:10

18

FEATURES

Mill Valley High School

Design by Alison Booth & Victoria Wright

JagWire

SAFETY & SECURITY Weather Advisory

2:10

Security systems, such as cameras and doors, could be updated and replaced in the bond Security Alert

T

he bond proposes an update to security throughout the district, including improved entrances and communication systems. The school’s current security technology consists of “locked doors and security cameras,” according to School Resource Officer Mo Loridon.

“I think [cameras] plays a huge role,” Loridon said. “Not only am I watching them at all times, but the secretaries are watching them and I can remote into them so I can watch the cameras from home if I need to.”

An updated security system could mean doors from the original building, such as part of A-wing, would be able to lock from the inside, reducing danger for students and teachers during a lockdown. Math teacher Laurie Deuschle is in favor of this potential upgrade.

“I don’t keep my door locked on a regular basis because it’s annoying,” Deuschle said. “So, if we hear a suspicious noise, I can get that door locked before anybody could possibly come into our room.”

$244,500

$920,000

$145,000

Door access system for all facilities

Security camera replacement and addition

Upgraded handheld radios

FUTURE NEEDS LAND AQUISITION

NEW WAREHOUSE SPACE

Additional facilities due to projected population growth

Centralized and tied to the Career Technical Education Center

HOW DO I VOTE? 1

Voting ballots will arrive via mail by April 11

2

IP Mass Notification, Paging, Strobe, Intercom System 2:10

Weather Advisory

Security Alert

Intruder Alert

Accommodations for hearing impaired

Weather Advisory

Replace aging Security bell systems Alert

Intruder building Alert

Placed in every classroom at all schools

Intruder Alert

Security Alert

Remaining funds will be used toward additional projects

STORAGE FOR Intruder GROUNDS DEPT. Alert

More efficient location to house supplies in Shawnee

Seniors who are 18 by Tuesday, May 1 will be eligible to vote on

Mark your choice and sign the Affidavit of Voter

3

Return ballot by mail with given envelope

JagWire

FEATURES

Mill Valley High School

19

T

he bond proposes opening up a Career and Technical Education center which, according to superintendent Frank Harwood, would be “very flexible so it can be adapted to changes in program and workforce needs.”

The building would include an Early Childhood Center to take care of PreK students, who are currently at other elementary schools, and give students in teaching pathways a chance to work with younger children. One student in the pathway, junior Payton Totzke, embraces the opportunities the center would bring.

“A lot of students learn best handson and it would give a real feel for what it’s like,” Totzke said. “If a student decided after working with children they didn’t like it, it would give them enough time to find a different pathway that might work better.”

Conversely, junior Josie Hayes said the Early Childhood Center would mostly serve as an experience for some parts of education, but not all.

“I think that would be very beneficial for those wanting to go into early childhood education, but those wanting to go into secondary wouldn’t get much,” Hayes said. “There are so many different aspects of teaching [that] it’s difficult to make sure that everyone is getting what they need.”

If approved, the bond would use land next to Mill Creek Middle School at Mize Road and 83rd Street to build a Career and Technical Education Center. // Hunter Ristau

The Career Technical Education Center would cost $14 million. No specific plans for the center have been introduced, except for the Early Childhood Center. It would be built at 83rd St. and Mize Road, next to Mill Creek Middle School, on land already owned by the district.

“A LOT OF STUDENTS LEARN BEST HANDS-ON AND IT WOULD GIVE A REAL FEEL FOR WHAT IT’S LIKE.” JUNIOR PAYTON TOTZKE

EARLY CHILDHOOD $4,228,556 Expand and relocate current programs from Belmont and Starside Elementary to the Career Technical Education Center

50 percent peer model students 50 percent students receiving special education services

CAREER TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER New center will be built to expand current CTE course pathway options for students

4

All ballots are due to the election office by May 1

MAIL

Addressing the senior class, assistant superintendent Alvie Cater explains the purpose of the bond and how students over the age of 18 by Tuesday, May 1 can vote on bond issue. // Jordan Robinson

20

OPINIONS

Design by Ally Nguyen

Illustration by Marissa Olin

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

STAFF EDITORIAL

SUPPORT THE DISTRICT: VOTE YES The proposed bond would allow the district to grow without financial burdens to the community

A

lthough the population of Mill Valley is comparable to other high schools in the area, the quality of other facilities tends to be better than ours. The proposed bond would allow the district to allocate funds to facility improvements, educational technology and the construction of a career and technical center, and more. Voting in favor of the bond issue ensures that students will receive the accommodations they need as well as provide a secure future.

The bond will allow us to retain our name as one of the best school districts in Kansas.

We want Mill Valley and our district to continue its success long after our departure and the only way to ensure this is by updating the district facilities. Our facilities were only meant to support a 4A student population, and aren’t adequate for the largest 5A school, which is still growing.

The bond will allow us to retain our name as one of the best districts in Kansas and the opportunities would come without a significant financial burden to the community. According to the district website, the bond issue would not increase the tax rates, but rather continually decrease it in the future. Therefore, voting in favor of the bond would provide no foreseeable negative consequences to voters.

The JagWire staff is filled with diverse individuals whose academic needs represent a vast majority of the student body and community. Our students are active in the fine arts department, athletics, career and technical classes and multiple other clubs. The current theater isn’t ade-

quate for the needs of the drama and music department, all of whom would benefit from a larger space and higher quality stage. In addition, student athletes would benefit from a new weight room, gym and fieldhouse as these would make our school more competitive with other similarly-sized schools.

The bond provides so much for our school and district. Whether it be providing a space for the theater students to dress, allowing more room at graduation or providing a fieldhouse so that athletes have easy access to water, there is something for everyone.

Voting yes would ensure a brighter future for all De Soto school district students.

JAGWIRE STAFF VOTE

AGREE

21

DISAGREE

0

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

Design by Ally Nguyen

OPINIONS

21

LET’S CREATE HOPE FOR THE HOPELESS Our nation needs to finally reconstruct our mental health system mental health epidemic that is sweeping our nation.

My dad recently sent me an article regarding the lack of facilities available to treat those with mental illnesses in the U.S., and the data was noth-

CLAIRE BOONE

managing editor jagwire.claireboone@gmail.com

G

rowing up with a family member who has suffered from mental illness has made me realize just how serious these illnesses can be. When someone is battling with an internal force, such as anxiety or depression, they may feel like there is no hope and nowhere to turn for help. The disappointing reality is that they are not completely wrong.

Treatment options available for those struggling with mental illness are extremely scarce, only perpetuating the

It is our responsibility to not just tell them there is hope, but to provide it. ing short of frustrating.

A 2012 report by the Treatment Advocacy Center found that from 2005 to 2010, the number of psychiatrics beds decreased by 14 percent. Additionally, in 2012 there were only 50,509 state psychiatric beds available, meaning that per 100,000 individuals that need-

ed extended care, there were only 14 beds available.

With the influx of people with mental illnesses, as reported by author Judith Weissman, PhD, a research manager at NYU Langone Medical Center, more than 8 million Americans are suffering from serious psychological distress (SPD) — a term used to identify individuals that are at high risk of mental illness that impairs physical functioning. However, these people may not feel like they have a safe place to ask for help.

With the great lack of overnight care and facilities of that nature, these people are tackling this alone. Constantly telling them that “it gets better” and “there is hope” is not going to do them any good anymore. Every individual battling with this deserves a fighting chance, and we have to create that for them. It is our responsibility to not just tell them there is hope, but to provide it.

WE NEED MORE LGBT REPRESENTATION Entertainment media possesses a way to spread acceptance

DOMINIC MARTINEZ guest reporter

I

n today’s world of television and film, the LGBT community doesn’t get much representation at all.

When it does, it’s usually tainted with stereotypes and negativity. Personally, I feel that it is important and necessary to have positive LGBT representation in films and TV. I feel so strongly because having this type of representation will remind those who are closeted that they are not alone and that they are understood.

Recently, a film titled “Love, Simon” was released and put onto the big screen for millions of eager eyes to watch. It is a cheesy, coming-of-age film about a closeted, gay teenage boy trying to lead a normal life while keeping his secret.

Many have been quick to say that the film is unnecessary and trying too hard to force the LGBT lifestyle into people’s lives. What they seem to miss is that a film such as this one is extremely necessary. It stays true to the classic, cheesy coming-of-age film style that draws an audience of all age groups, but stars a gay male character and other minority members of the community. It is enough to make those who are closeted or even those who are out, feel truly understood and heard. When I was closeted, seeing a film such as “Love, Simon” would have empowered me and inspired me in many ways. It would have given me

the courage to be who I am, and earlier.

Unfortunately in today’s society, it is seen unnecessary for LGBT representation to be shown in films or on television. According to many, it forces those beliefs upon the lifestyles of others, but they don’t realize that a vast majority of cinema features straight characters and heterosexual love stories. Looking back to when I was closeted, I rarely saw any positive LGBT representation. I know for certain that if I had seen that representation, it would have been easier for me to make amends with who I am and to accept myself.

So why are people so against representation in more works of cinematography? What is really boils down to is blatant homophobia, which is all the more reason why there should more LGBT representation in films and television.

22

OPINIONS

Mill Valley High School

Design by Ally Nguyen

JagWire

ALWAYs REMEMBER TO...

A collection of mini editorials sharing things students should remind themselves

DO THINGS FOR YOURSELF ANIKA ROY

copy editor jagwire.anikaroy@gmail.com

B

eing told I “don’t have a backbone,” or something along the lines of being a “pushover,” is something I’ve become all too familiar with. While I typically don’t take these remarks as compliments, I recognize I can hardly be upset by them. It’s very true that I, more often than not, concern myself with the wishes of others over my own. I must remember that, in some cases, it’s perfectly acceptable to not do so.

Driving home from school, practice, work or church the past year by myself has become critical in my attempts to fix this characteristic, whether in silence or accompanied by the off-key singing of an old Taylor Swift song. Though I’m also infamous for never wanting to do anything alone, I’ve discovered that this ten to 15 minute block of time on a daily basis promotes self-reflection, as well as the heavy consideration of what in my day made me the happiest. I’m then able to strive the next day to find more of what I’ve concluded that thing to be.

The concept of thinking about

yourself usually possesses a negative connotation. No one wants to be known for their selfish or inconsiderate tendencies, and I spend an embarrassing amount of time worrying that others may think of me as unkind. But, I do believe the perfect ratio exists between caring for others and for yourself. I, as well as most busy teenagers, am constantly complaining about my lack of time, though I must remember I’m fully capable of making the time to improve my personal well-being. It doesn’t have to be hours on end, but rather a ten minute conversation with a close friend or again, a drive down Monticello. In any occasion, never

TASTE FOOD WHEN YOU EAT IT NORA LUCAS

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

W

ith my dad as a chef, our family takes food seriously. Whenever we travel, we coordinate our entire schedules around restaurants and trying new food. I’ve had some pretty amazing food over the course of my life, from oysters in Quebec to scallops in Washington, D.C.. But I’ve also had plenty

of bad meals, such as an awful pizza outside of Yosemite National Park that dripped oil like a 7/11. No matter what you’re eating, you have to be cognizant of what it tastes like, or what’s the point of eating at all?

The next time you eat lunch, take a second and focus on what you’re doing. If it’s good, then eat slowly and savor that good moment as long as you can. Enjoy the taste and try to remember it next time. If it’s bad, throw it out. Don’t waste time on things that

aren’t enjoyable if you don’t have to.

The point of tasting food is to be present in the moment. Be mindful about both the good and the bad, but challenge yourself to focus on what’s sitting right on your plate.

In my last few months of high school, sometimes I like to eat my lunch slowly so that I remember the taste of Bosco sticks years from now.

So much of our life is surrounded by food; make the three meals a day worth it.

JagWire

OPINIONS

Mill Valley High School

HAVE CONFIDENCE

FORGIVE OTHERS

TRICIA DRUMM

ANNIE MYERS

Mill Valley News editor-in-chief jagwire.triciadrumm@gmail.com

23

design/features editor jagwire.anniemyers@gmail.com

T

here’s nothing better than a warm bowl of self-confidence.

For some of us, it’s difficult to fathom, and may even be rare. To describe it, confidence is the way your heart jumps out of your chest. With confidence, you can practically conquer anything.

At times, criticism brings us down.

Doubt weighs on our shoulders and hangs around in a rain cloud-like fashion. That feeling sort of sucks. Not sort of — really sucks.

To combat the hesitation, do yourself a favor and get out of your head.

It sounds like a hard thing to do, and sometimes it is.

Here’s an example: I am not a confident person. In fact, I have the courage of a slice of bread. Part of this reason is because I self-reflect like nobody’s business, and that’s been holding me back. I just become self-aware about all these aspects I can't change.

And that's just it: I can't change. We are who we are for a reason, and when we figure that out, we get one step closer to confidence.

In the end, the sooner you realize you have so much to offer, the more confident in yourself you'll be.

D

epending on the misdeed, forgiveness is not always easy to grant, whether it be face-to-face or internally. In my short 16 and a half years on Earth, I’ve experienced many sides of that spectrum, through which I’ve found that the act of forgiving always brings about eventual peace of mind.

Especially with age, the ability to forgive seems to grow more complex as the situations do. In my most prominent struggle to forgive, I was ashamed at the fact that I didn’t really want to forgive the people who had hurt me. After all, my boyfriend had cheated on me with someone I’d come to trust.

However, the more I fostered those feelings of bitterness, the more I moved away from closure and, consequently, remained stuck in a negative and non-productive headspace.

People are so much greater than their actions; realizing this and accepting that mistakes truly may be mistakes allowed me to stop dwelling on an unfortunate situation. The resulting freedom to move on proves forgiveness to be a beautiful, wonderful thing.

APPLY YOURSELF MARAH SHULDA

photo editor jagwire.marahshulda@gmail.com

M

ill Valley is home to many groups, clubs and organizations and because of that, students have the opportunity to get involved in a number of activities. This diversity allows us to learn a number of valuable life skills such as leadership, respect and personability.

By being involved in different

things, we are able to meet people we otherwise never would have. One of the many reasons that I have come to love participating in the band is that I am able to meet people that I never thought I would, and many of them have become my close friends.

We are also able to develop leadership skills in sports or organizations.

In a sport you may be the team captain and be seen as a leader by your peers, which is a great life skill to have. WhileW in band you may be a low chair and have to seek guidance

from those above you rather than being the leader, which also a great life skill. I have been in both of these positions and can attest to the fact that each skill is valuable. Each individual skill allows you to connect with your peers and the leader is able to relate the followers and vice versa.

Though being involved is tiring, time consuming and a lot of work, it is beneficial for students to try and widen their horizons and apply themselves to groups that they wouldn’t have otherwise tried. I know I’m glad I

24

SPORTS

Design by Elizabeth Joesph & Victoria Wright

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

VENTILATIONAGGRAVATION Swimmers face difficulty in pool facilities at Indian Trails Middle School due to ventilation issues

LEXI FLIPSE

social media editor jagwire.lexiflipse@gmail.com

NORA LUCAS

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

B

oth the boys and girls swim teams have consistently had problems with ventilation at their practice location, Indian Trails Middle School. These problems cause athletes to have trouble breathing, making practice more difficult and decreasing performance. After contact between coaches, athletic director Jerald VanRheen and staff at Indian Trails, the situation itself is unclear and the cause of the issues is still unknown at this time.

In response to questions regarding the lack of ventilation, assistant director of operations for the Olathe school district Denise Purvis directed all contact of the issue to VanRheen.

Purvis relayed information from the outside pool company hired by Olathe, addressing one mechanical problem from the end of last month.

Both VanRheen and the staff at Indian Trails were unaware of other complaints from earlier in the year.

Assistant boys swim coach Elca Wagner noticed these issues within the facility around early January, and while the cause is undetermined, she attributes the problem to both physical and environmental reasons.

“The ventilation ... is poor,” Wagner said. “Between the kids exercising, the amount of chlorine and the lack of ventilation in the pool area, it’s got to do a lot with those three problems.”

Complications within the pool have resulted in physical difficulty among the athletes, according to sophomore swimmer Avery Lawson.

“When you breathe in on every stroke, it hurts your lungs and causes you to cough,” Lawson said. “You get in these coughing fits [where] you just can’t stop.”

“When you breathe in on every stroke, it hurts your lungs and causes you to cough.”

SOPHOMORE AVERY LAWSON

The coaches took various measures to alleviate symptoms during the boys season, including contacting Indian Trails assistant principal Doug Hay in an effort to reach a solution. Since the district practices together, in January, DHS boys swim coach Alissa Ruffin emailed Hay, who passed the concerns along to the district’s building and grounds director.

“I notified them of the coughing that the athletes were experiencing and asked them if they knew of the c a u s e ,” Ruffin said via email.

“They told me they would notify the pool company and look

into it. I never heard from anyone beyond that email response.”

After VanRheen became aware of the issue at the end of March, he contacted the pool company and the issue was investigated.

“I asked some questions of our coaches and they were like ‘well yeah, there are some kids thinking something’s going on,’” VanRheen said.

“That’s when I reached out to Olathe.”

The pool company said issues with ventilation and chemicals were due to the recent repair of the chlorinator.

The repair took place on Wednesday, March 28, months after the complaint had already been made by Ruffin, so underlying causes are still unknown.

During the boys season, Wagner and the team relied on temporary fixes to help alleviate the breathing troubles.

“As much as we could prop doors, we did,” Wagner said. “Every now and then, if someone was having a major coughing fit, we’d tell them to go up and get some air.”

Toward the end of the boys season, Ruffin felt that the complications with the facility did seem to subside a little.

“I would say the issue did improve,” Ruffin said. “There are a variety of theories behind the poor air quality, so I can’t speak to why it improved, but it did seem to be less of an issue the last month of practice.”

However, according to sophomore swimmer Hannah Davie, the same problems with breathing have been occurring throughout the entirety of the girls season, which began in February.

“The harder the workout, the more I would cough,” Davie said. “It definitely makes it harder to keep doing the workouts.”

Still, VanRheen said they will keep in contact with the staff at Indian Trails.

“At this particular time, it sounds like there was some work done … so it sounds like that issue has been resolved,” VanRheen said. “And at this point, if there’s anything else that pops up, we’ll just have to talk to them about it.

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

SPORTS

25

WATERING IT DOWN

Survey of 36 swimmers about their practice environment Have you experienced coughing due to ventalation at practice?

59% yes 22% somewhat 19% no Do you think it affected your performance while swimming?

38% yes 35% no 27% somewhat

On Thursday, March 8 members of the girls swim team practice at Indian Trail Middle School, where ventalation issue have caused coughing among swimmers. // Hunter Ristau

26

SPORTS

Mill Valley High School

Design by Morgan Gurwell

JagWire

JUMPING TO TRADITION Junior Abby Phillips is joined by her dad Todd Phillips who has taken on the role of the pole vaulting coach this season. // Carter Lawson

Pole vaulting serves as bonding activity between junior Abby Phillips and new coach Todd Phillips

KATYA GILLIG

sports editor jagwire.katyagillig@gmail.com

O

n a warm spring day, track coach Todd Phillips films his daughter junior Abby Phillips as she pushes off her pole and falls down on the other side of the pole.

Although this is a familiar routine for the two, this is the first season that Todd has been her official track coach.

Todd started pole vaulting in seventh grade and continued vaulting in college at Butler University. He was inspired to pole vault after watching his father and brother.

Because he was familiar with the community, Todd believed that the job would be right for him.

“Being in the Mill Valley community and knowing a lot of the kids ... also just my passion for pole vaulting,” Todd said. “It was just like a no brainer for me to be able to come and coach at Mill Valley.”

Abby thought that the job was a natural fit for Todd.

“He loves it. It is his passion and he has always wanted to coach,” Abby said. “It has been a dream of his. So I thought just that passion for it would be a really good addition to the team.”

Freshman Lily Fleetwood doesn’t notice any difference in the way Todd treats Abby.

“Abby’s kind of sassy towards him,

FAMILY RECORDS Three generations of pole vaulting personal records

14’9” 12’6”

COACH/DAD TODD PHILLIPS

GRANDPA BILL PHILLIPS

9’

JUNIOR ABBY PHILLIPS

they joke around sometimes,” Fleetwood said. “[But] he doesn’t really treat her differently than all of us.”

Abby believed that it was a natural progression for Todd to be her coach, as he has served in that capacity for many years.

“He really has been the one who has helped me all the way through,” Abby said. “He got me started, he got me signed up for meets, he’s really been my coach since seventh grade.”

Although he was worried about coaching Abby, Todd has yet to have any problems.

“That’s something you always worry about when you coach your own kid,” Todd said. “But I think … that when we’re at practice I’m her coach and when I’m at home I’m her dad. I’m always her dad but she does a good job of separating that.”

Todd hopes to continue coaching after Abby graduates, wanting to create a stronger pole vault program.

“I definitely am looking forward to [continuing to coach],” Todd said.

“We’ve got a really good group of freshman that are really coming along nicely after just a couple weeks of practice.

So I see this hopefully an ongoing for many years and hopefully build the pole vaulting program at Mill Valley.”

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

Design by Hunter Ristau

ADS

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A&E

Mill Valley High School

Design by Annie Myers

JagWire

LISTENING EARS ON STARTINGUP Multimedia Music and Audio teacher Elca Wagner gives steps to creating a podcast

1 2 3 4 5

ELIZABETH JOSEPH

reporter/photographer jagwire.elizabethjoseph@gmail.com

Podcasts serve as entertainment, news sources for students and staff

POPULARPODCASTS

Students, staff share about their love for their favorite podcasts “Even though some of these people live very extreme lives, it’s good to hear other people out and they can even teach you something you never knew. I feel like everyone has something to teach but if you never take the time to listen you’ll never know.”

Brainstorm general ideas and then specify them

SENIOR BRADY WATKINS // OTHER PEOPLE’S LIVES

Create outline and script, then interview as needed

“It’s really funny and has people I know and enjoy on it.

You can [listen to podcasts] while doing anything, like you can hear the news while you’re working. It’s not something you have to sit down and put your time into.”

FRESHMAN BETH DESTA // SHANE AND FRIENDS Record podcast

“Find something that does interest you because there’s so many out there that there’s going to be one to fit any of your interests. Hearing conversations or hearing people discuss things that are interesting, I don’t know how that could be boring or dumb.”

Edit by adding clips of music and advertisements

MATH TEACHER ALEX HOULTON // REPLY ALL “I like to listen to people’s experiences, it’s really interesting. It provides a different commentary and insight that TV and other radio outlets wouldn’t provide. I think it’s just a lot more detailed and personal.”

Export podcast as an mp3 file and publish

FRESHMAN PATTY MCCLAIN // THE MOTH

LISTENINGLEVELS Survey of 419 shows popularity of podcasts within student body

59%

56% of students have listened to a podcast 26% 10% NEVER MONTHLY WEEKLY

5%

DAILY

How often do you listen to podcasts?

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

BARBECUETIME ansas City barbecue refers to the slowly smoked meat that is typically thought of as traditional barbecue. Kansas City is often regarded as the world’s barbecue capital by many locals. Unlike other U.S. regions of barbecue, Kansas City barbecue uses a mix of all meats because of its influences from other regions such as Texas, North Carolina and Memphis, due to their proximity.

Kansas City barbecue is rubbed with a dry rub and slow-smoked over wood. Ribs, brisket and burnt ends are the most commonly served main dishes. The dishes come coated with sauce. Most Kansas City barbecue sauces are a mix of sweet and spicy flavors, typically a thick, sweet mo-

lasses and tomato combination. Kansas City barbecue is also known for its side dishes, which include baked beans, french fries and coleslaw. The Kansas City area is home to more than 100 barbecue restaurants. Many of these restaurants are world renowned. The walls at Joe’s Kansas City Barbecue, along with other local barbecue restaurants, are adorned with trophies and magazine articles.

Kansas City is famous for it’s burnt ends, the ends of brisket. This along with other signature dishes, such as the Z-Man from Joe’s Kansas City barbecue, is what makes Kansas City barbecue unique. Kansas City offers a vast selection of unique twists on traditional American barbecue.

If restaurant goers are looking for this traditional b a r b e c u e, Kansas City has numerous restaurants.

CHOSUN

HUHOT

KATYA GILLIG

sports editor jagwire.katyagillig@gmail.com

JOE’S KC 5267, 11950 S. Strang Line Rd., Olathe

K

12611 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park

K

orean barbecue is prepared on a grill built into the dinning table.

Most meats are marinated prior to cooking. The meat is sweet, with tangy undertones. It is traditionally served with rice and salad as well as other Korean specialties. If the customer chooses to cook the food themselves, waiters will bring a variety of raw ingredients to the table which can then be cooked on the grill. The food comes with a variety of Asian sauces, including a vinegar and soy sauce mixture, soybean paste and regular soy sauce.

A&E

Design by Hunter Ristau

13342 W 62nd Terrace, Shawnee

C

ontrary to its name, Mongolian barbecue is only loosely related to barbecue and is not Mongolian. Mongolian barbecue is stir-fried dishes in which meat, vegetables and noodles are prepared on a round griddle. Customers can assemble their own bowl to create a dish with the taste they are looking for. Bowls can be sweet, spicy or anything in between.

Restaurant attendees then give it to a chef, who will cook it for them on a large circular grill. Hu Hot offers an all you can eat format, where diners can take unlimited trips to the grill.

Contrasting different cultures of barbecue

LOST IN THE

SAUCE JOE’S KC Joe’s KC offers a custom sauce that they made after first opening in Janurary 1996

CHOSUN Chosun offers classic sauces that is essential to Korean barbecue, includes soy sauce paste

HUHOT HuHot offers soy sauce and sweet chili sauce and other types when you make your meal

Photos by Carter Lawson and Jacob Twigg

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Comparison between sauces used at barbecue restaurants

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A&E

Mill Valley High School

Design by Claire Boone

JagWire

PIMP YOU R R I D E Students talk about the significance that their car ornaments hold, along with the many memories and emotions that they represent

SCENTTIME

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LITTLE TREES PRICE $1.96 SCENT coconut LIFESPAN 7 weeks

YANKEE CANDLE PRICE $3.95 SCENT strawberry lemonade

LIFESPAN 4 weeks

FEBREEZE

PRICE $2.97 SCENT blood orange LIFESPAN 4 weeks Source: Walmart

L

ogos and clever puns are typically what one would see as a bumper sticker, so it is unusual to come across stickers, like the ones owned by junior Hannah Barnes and senior Hayden Shaw, that hold a deeper meaning.

Barnes’ bumper sticker is in the shape of an oval with a blue border and text that reads “CMY”, which stands for Camp Manito-Wish YMCA,

MICHAEL SANDRI

reporter/photographer jagwire.michaelsandri@gmail.com

a summer camp in Boulder Junction, Wisconsin that she has been attending since she was in the fourth grade.

Shaw’s sticker is in the shape of the Wu Tang Clan’s logo (the silhouette of a shaolin bird) and depicts characters from the show Full House making ‘W’s with their hands.

Although the two stickers are much different in size and shape, they both represent something very important and personal to the owners who flaunt them.

“My sticker holds sentimental value to me because I did a lot of my growing up at camp,” Barnes said.

“Every summer, that’s where I made memories and found who I actually was and grew more as a person.”

Shaw says that his sticker also helps him remember a time that is special to him.

“When I look at my sticker it helps remind me of the good ol’ days and

WHEELSHIELD

Students discuss meaning of their tire covers “I just wanted something [decorative] on the back since [Jeeps] have tire covers. I was kind of hippy when I bought it, so I chose that one.”

“[I got this because of ] my love for the game. I feel like it really shows me off. I like baseball and I thought it was pretty neat.”

SENIOR ALEXA HORTON

SENIOR BRAYDEN CARR

JagWire

Mill Valley High School

A&E

Photos by Morgan Gurwell

CUSTOMPLATES

31

Students share the story behind unique license plates on their cars

“I’d seen lots of other monogrammed license plates that I liked, so I decided to try it out.”

“It’s tradition. I’m like the littlest Miller. It stands for ‘little Miller’, so shortened it’s ‘Lil Mil’.”

JUNIOR LEXI KNAPPEN

SOPHOMORE ABBY MILLER

two of my favorite things,” Shaw said.

“It reminds me of when Wu Tang Clan was always on the radio and when I could watch full house on TV and not have to watch it online.”

Both Barnes and Shaw have went in depth with others about their stickers and the significance they have. Barnes has explained the value of her sticker to her close friend Junior Kate Backes, and Shaw has shared the meaning of his sticker with curious strangers who ask him about it.

Backes says that Barnes’ sticker helps allow her to demonstrate the amount of pride she has for being a member of her camp for so long.

“Camp Manito-Wish YMCA is something that she goes to almost every summer and it means a lot to her,” Backes said. “She loves it, she talks about it at least every other time that we hang out and she’s always looking forward to it.”

Shaw describes his interactions with drivers who ask about his sticker and says that he is always prepared to talk about it.

“A lot of times people will pull up alongside me at a red light or at an intersection and roll down their window to ask about my sticker,” Shaw said.

“I think it’s fun to tell people about it because they always end up driving away giving me a thumbs up or saying something nice.”

On one occasion, Shaw says that a stranger did more than just ask about the bumper sticker.

“The funniest thing that’s happened when I’ve been driving is was when some guy I had never seen before pulled up next to me in a parking lot and started blasting the Full House theme song through his speakers,” Shaw said. “All I could do was laugh because he just pulled up next to me for the duration of the song and didn’t break eye contact.”

Having already showed off his sticker and gotten some interesting reactions, Shaw says that he is excited to see how much joy it will continue to bring people in the future.

“I just think it’s really great and kind of funny that everyone likes my sticker so much,” Shaw said. “I never would have expected it to be such a big hit, but I’m happy that it’s been making people happy.”

WHAT’SHANGING?

Special items that students hang from their mirrors

“Now that it’s been up all year, it’s kind of been like a reminder to keep going, not get senioritis and to keep working hard.”

SENIOR EMMA BARGE

“I work as a lifeguard, so when you get [the whistle] wet in the pool, you don’t want to just put it in a bag, because then it gets all moldy. So if you hang it up, it’ll dry.”

SENIOR MIKE TURNER

32 PHOTO ESSAY

Design by Hunter Ristau and Marah Shulda

Mill Valley High School

JagWire

At Great Clips, junior Kaiden Beck gets his regular haircut, on Monday, March 26.

“Getting my haircut makes me feel fresh and it helps me style my hair in the morning rather than when it is long,” Beck said. “I enjoy getting my haircut because my gets to long and I like it to look a certain way.”// Andrew Tow

PAMPERYOURSELF During a visit to Nail Art, sophomore Khloe Knernschield has her nails filed before they are painted on Wednesday, March 21. “I usually change the color every time,” Knernschield said. // Carter Lawson To save time in the mornings, junior Lindsey Edwards applies makeup in class on Thursday, March 29. “I think it’s interesting how you can look totally different with makeup,” Edwards said. // Drake Brizendine

Students utilize beauty tools and resources to enhance personal looks In preparation for Relay for Life, senior Dani Crispin gets her hair dyed purple to show support on Tuesday, March 20.

“Purple represents the American Cancer Society, and for me, it represents my dedication to the fight against cancer,” Crispin said. // Marah Shulda

As she gets ready for school on Tuesday, March 20, junior Claire Segura applies lipstick, along with the rest of her makeup. // Marah Shulda