JagWire Newspaper: Volume 20, Issue 2

JAGWIRE MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL | VOL. 20 | ISSUE 2 | OCT. 17, 2019 | MVNEWS.ORG

a path to acceptance pages 12-15

02

Table of Contents | Cover by Tatum Elliott

contents news

04 required ACT

06 xello

features

08 john fraka 10 nathan meacham 11 LGBTQ

opinions

16 staff editorial 17 opinions

sports 19 fantasy football

20 playoff preview

a&e

22 toy museum

photo essay

24 student section

October 17, 2019

letter from the editors hey mill valley!

As you may be aware, Shawnee recently enacted a nondiscrimination ordinance for LGBTQ protections. This ordinance follows the nondiscrimination policy that was passed last year by USD 232. We felt that it was important to acknowledge this and provide a platform for the LGBTQ community within our school to share their experiences. We hope that we’ve captured the messages and sentiments that those people wished to share, and we would also like to express our gratitude for their involvement in this issue.

Each of the JagWire’s staff members has put an immense amount of effort

into making this issue possible, and we can’t wait for you to see what they have accomplished. It’s another issue complete, and there’s only six left, so we hope to keep providing quality work for everyone.

We hope that each person who reads this steps away with new insights on this community we value so much, and we cannot wait to see what the rest of this year has in store for us!

your editors,

staff 2019-2020 editors-in-chief

Hannah Chern

jagwire.hannahchern@gmail.com

Tatum Elliott

jagwire.tatumelliott@gmail.com

mill valley news editors-in-chief

reporters & photographers

Isabel Aerni

jagwire.isabelaerni@gmail.com

Aiden Burke

jagwire.aidenburke@gmail.com

Julia Fair

jagwire.juliafair@gmail.com

Anna Owsley

Claire Franke

Ben Wieland

Quinn Franken

jagwire.annaowsley@gmail.com jagwire.benwieland@gmail.com

photo editor Andrew Tow

jagwire.andrewtow@gmail.com

assistant editors Steven Curto

jagwire.stevencurto@gmail.com

Sophie Lecuru

jagwire.sophielecuru@gmail.com

Tanner Smith

jagwire.clairefranke@gmail.com jagwire.quinnfranken@gmail.com

Jordin Harris

jagwire.jordinharris@gmail.com

Anastasia O’Brien

jagwire.anastasiaobrien@gmail.com

Hayden Resch

jagwire.haydenresch@gmail.com

Evan Sherman

jagwire.evansherman@gmail.com

Zach Shrader

jagwire.zachshrader@gmail.com

jagwire.tannersmith@gmail.com

@millvalleynews

find us at:

mvnews.org

@millvalleynews1 Mill Valley News

jagwire office

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

Content by Aiden Burke | Design by Hannah Chern |

JagWire

News Brief

03

HAVE YOU HEARD? A review of the significant news highlights and events to remember for this month

Impeachment Inquiry

Initiated Tuesday, Sept. 24

Jordan Prestia

House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi initiated a formal impeachment inquiry against President Donald Trump on Tuesday, Sept. 24.

Amidst much party division, democrats found unity through impeachment. The impeachment inquiry was brought into question from suggestions that Trump was using his relationships with other international leaders as leverage to advance his personal political interests. photo source Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images/TNS

Kansas City Bar Shooting Leaves Four Dead Sunday, Oct. 6

In the midst of a shooting at a bar in Kansas City the morning of Sunday, Oct. 6, four were killed and five more were left injured by the attack. Two men were responsible for the shooting at Tequila KC and security camera footage of the perpetrators was released to the public by the Kansas City Police Department, who are still on this manhunt. photo source Tammy Ljungblad/The Kansas City Star/TNS

Can Someone Be Fired for Their Sexuality?

Tuesday, Oct. 8

The Supreme Court began their new term with consideration of whether or not somebody can be fired for their sexuality. The majority of the court’s cases on LGBTQ rights were triumphed by former Justice Anthony Kennedy, now retired, which may inhibit their ability to champion LGBTQ rights cases. photo source Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

professional associations

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

censorship policy

The Kansas Student Publications Act guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists. These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity. This law also prevents censorship of any kind by the adviser, building or district administration.

Chocolate Day Monday, Oct. 28

“I love chocolate so much!

[Chocolate] deserves its own week.”

sophomore hadley rupe

Halloween

Thursday, Oct. 31

“Halloween is quite useless now [because] … we’re too old to dress up and grab candy.”

sophomore noah reed

Late Start

Wednesday, Nov. 6

“I’m thrilled to be getting more sleep, but late start does complicate the schedule a little.”

junior patty mcclain

editorial policy

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

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News | Design by Anastasia O’Brien

October 17, 2019

RECONSIDERED REQUIREMENTS

State board considers replacing current state assessments with ACT/ACT WorkKey

ANNA OWSLEY

mill valley news editor-in-chief

SOPHIE LECURU assistant editor

T

he Kansas State Board of Education is discussing a possible proposal to replace the current Kansas-developed high school assessments with a required ACT, a standardized test for college admissions, and an ACT WorkKey, a standardized test measuring foundational workplace skills, for juniors across the state.

Conducted at the latest meeting of Curriculum Directors on Friday, Oct. 4, an anonymous vote of 94 district representatives found that 48 voiced support for the replacement of state assessments, 29 stood against it and 17 remained undecided.

The next meeting will take place Tuesday, Oct. 15 for further discussion on the topic. With half of the districts advocating for the change and the rest carrying skepticism, there are many points for the board to consider.

Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson identifies the most vocalized argument for replacing the

state assessments – its streamingling effect on standardized testing for students.

“Well over 75% of [Kansas students] already take [the ACT] on a volunteer basis, so why wouldn’t we just cut down the number of tests that kids have to take and use [the ACT]?”

Watson said.

Former ACT Prep teacher Peter Shull believes the proposal would not only benefit students, but it would improve score accuracy.

“Students would be more invested in the [ACT] because students recognize that the ACT is a test that gets

ACT AS AN ASSESSMENT

Many people are divided on the issue of requiring an ACT

Do state assessments or the ACT better represent what students know?

survey of 252 students

State asessments are a better representation of what students know The ACT is a better representation of what students know

24%

76%

Which states have a required ACT?

States that do not have a required ACT States that do have a required ACT source: Chariot Learning

News

JagWire

Taking a practice test in Jeff Wieland’s ACT Prep class, junior Chloe Carr prepares for her standardized ACT test, which may soon replace the current Kansas State Assessment. | Evan Sherman

them into college, whereas the general state test didn’t mean anything to students,” Shull said. “I think a lot of students would work harder, and I think a lot of outcomes would be better.”

Contrary to this point, assistant principal Jennifer Smith describes the most common argument against the proposal: requiring students to take the ACT would take away from students who currently benefit from the Kansas-developed assessments created to look at specific grade-level goals. “[Kansas does] still have a large

population that does go into the military ... or those that are going to a trade school ... and is [the ACT] something they necessarily need to take?”

Smith said. “Finding an [assessment] that will give you information to see how [the student] is specifically doing at [their] grade level—which is what our state assessment does—is helpful because it allows you to evaluate your programming, your curriculum and your individual buildings. The ACT doesn’t allow you to do that because of how it’s designed and what the in-

05

tent of it is.”

Senior Nathan Greenfield disagrees because he believes current state tests are ineffective at testing aptitude.

“The current state assessments seem to do more harm than good,” Greenfield said. “They take away class time that could be used for teaching and aren’t enjoyable for the students or the teachers. I know many of my peers approach it with an ‘it doesn’t matter’ attitude and so they don’t try their hardest.”

While senior Ashley Baranczuk agrees that the ACT is a superior method of testing, she also notes the negative effect it has on students.

“I think [the ACT] is a better representation of our education level, but ... I think some students stress over it too much,” Baranczuk said. “Colleges care about it way too much and that stresses out high school students.”

On the other hand, Shull thinks the ACT would reduce an aspect of stress and improve student performance.

“I think that some of the student frustration toward the state tests in the past would be relieved because students would know that the test they were taking mattered and that it could get them places,” Shull said. “I think that our ACT scores in the school would go up because I think that more of the teachers would spend more time working toward ACT success.”

According to Baranczuk, another key difference is that “there are a lot more resources out there” for the ACT while students “can’t really prepare for the state tests.”

PROS AND CONS

PROS OF HAVING A REQUIRED ACT

CONS OF HAVING A REQUIRED ACT

Reduced Testing Time

Doesn’t Align with State Curriculum

Score Accuracy The ACT provides more benefits for students, encouraging students to try their hardest.

Overemphasis on College Prep

State assessments are divided between subjects, but the ACT encompasses every subject, reducing time spent testing.

Postsecondary Education Purpose Taking the ACT is required for most students who plan to attend college.

The ACT would not be able to indicate curriculum effectiveness of individual school districts.

The ACT would largely benefit students who plan to attend college opposed to entering the work force

Special Education Concerns

The ACT poses more difficulties when accommodating special education students. source: Chariot Learning

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06 News | Design by Anastasia O’Brien

October 17, 2019

a change in program

The program many students use to plan ahead for their future has been rebranded

QUINN FRANKEN

reporter/photographer

HANNAH CHERN editor-in-chief

T

he district has chosen to implement Xello – the replacement of its parent program, Career Cruising – as the new program for students to utilize when planning out their future career plans.

During seminar on Tuesday, Oct. 8. sophomore Lauren Payne browses through the careers recommended based on the answers she gave during her matchmaker assessment on Xello. | Jordan Prestia

over the years

A timeline of Career Cruising development

First version of Career Cruising is released with 150 job profiles

1995

Career Cruising is founded by Matt McQuille, Jeff Harris and Angus McMurty

1997

The Kansas State Department of Education requires that all school districts set a curriculum called Individual Plan of Study for all of their students. According to a flyer by the Kansas State Board of Education, “an Individual Plan of Study is both the actual product a student develops and a process the school implements to guide students in developing their unique IPS.” According to counselor Chris Wallace, districts are required to provide students with programs such as Xello.

“The [Kansas] State Board of Education dictates that we have to deliver content such as [Xello] to students,” Wallace said. “So, Career Cruising, now Xello, is the state-sponsored program that all districts are encouraged to use. There are some other software programs out there similar [to Xello], but I do feel like Xello is the best platform out there for students.”

Students will utilize the time provided during Mentoring Mondays and use Xello to create a portfolio that students will eventually use to create a presentation for their seminars, according to Wallace.

“Each student will complete three

The rebranded company, Xello, is launched

.

2014

Development begins on a next generation project

2017

News

JagWire

lessons and then there will be a fourth lesson tied to their long-term planning.

For underclassmen, it’s going to be a four or five-year plan,” Wallace said.

“Seniors are going to be more focused on their presentations with regard to their future goals and aspirations.”

This year, students are required to create a presentation one of two ways, according to Wallace.

“For the first option, [students] … pick the career that [they’re] interested in, the school that they want to go to, and the degree that they need,” Wallace said. “The [second option] is the About Me page. As you guys go and complete lessons and some of the inventories, Xello is going to start populating information about yourself, your learning style, your schools of preference, your areas of interest and work values. [The About Me page] is an overview of each student’s life ... in high school and what their plans are moving forward. [The presentations are] really nothing overly personal nor is it really overly difficult.”

According to Wallace, Xello mostly has the same features as Career Cruising, but it is displayed in an easier manner.

“A lot of the content that Career Cruising had has rolled over to Xello; it’s a lot of the exact same components,” Wallace said. “[The content in Xello is] just delivered in a much more user-friendly manner and a much more refined manner, so the results are better tailored to the students with the students’ answers.”

For junior Kylie Overbaugh, one major difference she enjoys about Xello is that activities include personality quizzes and inventories instead of having to type out assignments.

“I like Xello a lot more than I liked

“I FEEL LIKE XELLO HAS BEEN BETTER AT BEING ABLE TO SEE WHAT [STUDENTS] ARE LOOKING FOR IN A JOB.” junior kylie overbaugh

Career Cruising because it’s more like a quiz which is more interesting than me typing out a response to a question about a job,” Overbaugh said. “I like it better when it’s like a personality quiz because you can see what you’re actually interested in.”

As for senior Harrison Canning, he believes that Xello is more user-friendly than Career Cruising. “[Xello is] a lot easier to log into,

student stance

that’s for sure,” Canning said. “[It is] easier to manage and work, especially if you don’t know how to work computers.”

Through her use of Xello, Overbaugh hopes that Xello will help her to limit her career options to a few that she is interested in.

“I’m hoping that [Xello] helps me narrow down my options as far as jobs and colleges go more than Career Cruising could,” Overbaugh said. “I feel like Xello has been better at connecting with the student and being able to see what they actually are looking for [in] a job.”

Since Canning is set on his plans for college, he hopes that Xello will help him solidify his future career plans. “[My goal is to] know for sure what I want to go to college for,” Canning said. “I know you get time to change [careers in college], but it would be nice to just be set and know what you want to do as soon as you get [to college].

Lastly, Wallace believes that students should optimize Xello to its fullest capacity in order to benefit themselves.

“If you put forth minimal effort and don’t pay particular attention to what you’re doing, Xello is not going to be a useful tool for you,” Wallace said. “But if you dive into [Xello], take your time with it and think about what you’re doing. [Xello] can definitely help provide some information to help you with your future plans and goals.”

Survey of 252 students weigh in on Xello 9.1%

8.7%

91.3%

Students who prefer Xello Students who prefer Career Cruising

07

90.9%

Students who found Xello more helpful when considering a career

Students who found Career Cruising more helpful when considering a career

08

Features |

Design by Hayden Resch

October 17, 2019

Playing music outside of school gives junior John Fraka the ability to see what playing guitar would be like in a professional environment. | Andrew Tow

GUITAR HERO

Junior John Fraka showcases his passion for guitar to others

BEN WIELAND

mill valley news editor-in-chief

A

s congregation members slowly filed into Grace United Methodist Church for Sunday morning services, the church’s musicians, gathered in a corner of the stage, rehearsed. A vocalist went through her warmup drills. A violinist tightened her pegs. In the middle of it all, junior John Fraka softly strummed E minor.

Fraka has dedicated a majority of his time to music. He’s the first chair alto saxophone in Mill Valley’s jazz band and symphonic band, earned a spot as the district band’s lone jazz guitarist last year and was recognized

TANNER SMITH assistant editor

“I GOT A CHEAP ACOUSTIC AND ... I’VE KEPT GOING EVER SINCE.” junior john fraka

as the Kansas All-State jazz guitarist last year. He also works a $30-an-hour weekly gig as his church’s guitar player.

Fraka wasn’t born with the affinity and appreciation for music he has today; however, when an opportunity arose for him to begin playing guitar, he seized it.

“I started [playing guitar] in fifth grade, but then I dropped it because I thought ‘this is kind of lame,’” Fraka said. “Then in seventh grade, I was going on a mission trip. They needed a guitar player for the youth group. I

Features

JagWire

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REVIVER’S GIGS A calendar of the gigs Reviver has booked

Back to School Convocation AUG

08

In front of the congregation at Grace United Methodist Church, junior John Fraka plays his guitar in worship on Sunday, Sept. 29. | Avery Liby

told them, ‘I did that in fifth grade. I’m pretty sure I could pick this up pretty quickly.’”

During that mission trip, though, Fraka was hooked. He loved the experience of playing guitar, and wanted to make it a regular part of his life.

“I got a cheap acoustic guitar and I started playing that,” Fraka said. “I just kept going, and I’ve kept going ever since.”

Fraka estimates that, on top of his busy schedule, he practices guitar for at least an hour every day in addition to his band classes and rehearsals.

To fulfill his desire to play even more music, Fraka also joined a band, Reviver. The band, which also features physics teacher Chad Brown as a guitarist and vocalist, has caused Fraka to become even more dedicated to the music.

For Brown, the presence of music has always been an important part of his life.

“I originally played trumpet in high school and college,” Brown said. “After college, I also joined a band in which I

During a Jazz Band rehearsal on Friday, Oct 5, junior John Fraka performs a saxophone solo. | Andrew Tow

also played trumpet, but I learned to play guitar while I was in my band and eventually toward the end of college started singing as well.”

While the band has already gotten a couple of gigs, Brown is hoping to continue to expand.

“We played a back to school party for some of the teachers here,” Brown said.

“We’re playing at a pumpkin patch ... and we have a couple other gigs, possibly in the near future, but we are just ... getting [started].”

Brown credits a lot of the bands success to efficient networking.

“It’s a lot of marketing,” Brown said.

“We have business cards, we have a Facebook page, we have an Instagram account. Our drummer takes care of a lot of that ... and has the knowledge that has been putting us out there.”

In the future Brown hopes the band can continue to expand and play more gigs.

“I’d like to be gigging at least once a month,” Brown said. “We’d like to record eventually, I’ve been writing some original material.”

Meuschke Farms Pumpkin Patch OCT

13 Second Gig at Meuschke Farms Pumpkin Patch OCT

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10 Features | Design by Claire Franke

a need for a lead October 17, 2019

Senior Nathan Meacham takes on a lead role for his first theater production this fall STEVEN CURTO

L

assistant editor

ike all seniors who tried out for the musical, senior Nathan Meacham went through the audition process, but unlike most in the musical, Meacham had never auditioned before. Still, Meacham was given the lead role of Davey in the fall musical production of “Newsies.”

Although it’s not common for seniors with no prior shows under their belt to get a lead role, drama teacher Jon Copeland stated that there have only been around one or two instances in the past few years where it has happened. “[Seniors getting lead roles after never auditioning before] does happen occasionally,” Copeland said. “I remember when we did ‘The Man Who Came to Dinner’ there was a student who had never done a show before and he got a good role, so it’s not common but it’s not unheard of.”

Prior to this year, Meacham believed musicals were boring which led him to never audition, but after choir teacher Jessie Reimer’s recommendation he decided to try out.

“The reason I waited until my senior year to try out for the musical is because I always thought the musicals sounded lame,” Meacham said. “I’m an awful dancer and actor, but when the new choir teacher, Mrs. Reimer, told me about “Newsies” and how most of the cast was male and they were low on males I thought why not audition?”

Since third grade, Meacham has

During an after school musical rehearsal on Monday, Sept. 30, senior Nathan Meacham practices a dance for the upcoming fall show, “Newsies,” alongside his fellow cast members.| Andrew Tow

had a passion for singing. His passion for it motivated him to take choir.

Meacham realized how much he enjoys singing during his first concert of junior year.

“I HAVE MADE A FEW NEW GOOD FRIENDS.” senior nathan meacham

Although he has a profound passion for singing, when it comes to other components of the musical Meacham is less enthralled.

“Dancing [has been the biggest

musical breakdown

80 cast members

struggle] because I hate it and I’m bad at it,” Meacham said.

Senior student director Shaina Isaacsen has worked with Meacham daily during the production of “Newsies” and is pleased with the amount of effort he gives at rehearsals.

“I think [Meacham’s] doing very well. He puts in a lot of effort and it shows,” Isaacsen said. “[He] has been practicing a lot and he listens to direction and responds well.”

Overall, Meacham is extremely happy that he chose to audition for the musical and was able to make new friends alongside rekindling an old friendship.

“I have made a few new good friends at the musical and I even reconnected with an old friend,” Meacham said.

Stats behind the upcoming musical

15 crew members

eight sets being used

JagWire

Design by Molly Smith | Ads

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FREE TO BE ME Features |

Design by Tatum Elliott & Quinn Franken

Students and staff speak on the LGBTQ community’s acceptance at school, in the city and across the nation

October 17, 2019

AIDEN BURKE reporter/photographer

TANNER SMITH assistant editor

BEN WIELAND

mill valley news editor-in-chief

SCHOOL

A

Ahead of the GSA float, senior Jay Zuch waves a rainbow flag on Wednesday, Sept. 18 | Avery Liby

classroom right before passing period can reveal a lot about the treatment of LGBTQ students at the school. Pro-LGBTQ stickers cover the laptops and water bottles of some students, while simultaneously other students jokingly use anti-gay slurs to mock each other.

This scene is a microcosm of the treatment of LGBTQ people at Mill Valley. Some corners of the school are teeming with acceptance and kindness towards every student regardless of their identity, while others feature derogatory language and disdain for students whose identity does not match their own.

Transgender senior Park Zebley thinks a majority of the student population fits into the kind and accepting category.

“Generally, the student population was pretty good with it,” Zebley said.

“It was really just dealing with adults which was difficult, which was surprising to me.”

He believes that the reason some adults are less accepting than the student body is because of tradition and lack of knowledge. “[Adults are] used to how things are, and a lot of adults and administrative positions aren’t really trained on how to make everybody as comfortable as possible,” Zebley said.

Some adults are working to break their stereotype of intolerance. Health teacher Amy McClure makes it a point of emphasis in her classroom that LGBTQ students are accepted and derogatory slurs are not.

“I don’t tolerate [slurs],” McClure said. “I always tell kids, if you’re referring to a math test, your math test is not gay. Your math test doesn’t have sexual orientation. Don’t use that term in a negative way.”

Bisexual junior Madelyn Augustine

Features

JagWire

how to be an ally

Some simple ways to support people in the LGBTQ community

Due to the stigma surrounding her sexuality, junior Madelyn Augustine feels judged within the community at her church. | Jordin Harris

Without access to a nearby bathroom, senior Park Zebley thinks the bathroom policy is inconvenient for transgender students. | Evan Sherman

has a more cynical view of students.

She believes that if students felt comfortable harassing her, they would; however, they’re afraid to make derogatory remarks at school.

“I don’t think people have the courage or the guts or even the second thought to say anything mean to me,” Augustine said.

The district attempted to institutionalize an atmosphere of tolerance by adding sexual orientation to the district’s non-discrimination policy last spring. While superintendent Frank Harwood is glad the policy was passed, he’s also thankful that it hasn’t been needed thus far.

“In day to day things, [the non-discrimination policy] doesn’t make any difference. What it does is make our policy more inclusive,” Harwood said.

“We want to make sure that [LGBTQ students] feel like [they’re] included.”

However, there are still a few areas where LGBTQ students aren’t equal.

One of the most visible is bathroom use. According to Harwood, transgender students are not forced to use a bathroom that doesn’t match their gender identity, but they are also not allowed to use bathrooms corresponding with their chosen gender.

Due to this rule, only the four unisex bathrooms in the school are available to transgender students. One, located by the art room, is only accessible with a key that must be obtained from an art teacher. Two, located in the nurse’s

office and the main office, require permission from either the nurse or office staff to use. Zebley is primarily limited to one bathroom in the library.

“I’m just left with [one bathroom] during the day, which can be frustrating if I need to get to classes and get

“I DON’T THINK PEOPLE HAVE THE COURAGE OR ...

EVEN THE SECOND THOUGHT TO SAY ANYTHING MEAN TO ME.”

Don’t assume that everyone is straight

Understand Pride and what its purpose is

Use gender neutral language

junior madelyn augustine

things from my locker,” Zebley said.

Zebley thinks that while there is still progress to be made, the school is tolerant compared to other places.

“We’re pretty lucky here. Obviously, there’s still some people that are just ignorant or trying to get a reaction.

But in the circles I’m in it’s all really, really good. Most people don’t even really care.”

Avoid ignorance by gaining knowledge on LGBTQ issues

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Features | Design by Tatum Elliott & Quinn Franken

October 17, 2019

gay straight alliance Looking into the purposes for GSA groups

Concentrating on the board, junior Madelyn Augustine and senior Madelynn Hodes prepare the agenda and develop ideas for posters during the GSA meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9 | Jordin Harris

LOCAL

advocacy

further the fight for LGBTQ issues

MV

Safe Space

support

provide a safe environment for LGBTQ people

community

bring LGBTQ people and allies together to bring a sense of community

T

he “purple area,” as Zebley nicknamed the community around Mill Valley for its blend of liberal and conservative views, maintains a lot of variance in the way its LGBTQ residents are treated. In some places, LGBTQ people are treated well and accepted as members of the community. In others, LGBTQ people are ostracized and feel unwelcome. According to Augustine, one of the scariest places for LGBTQ people like her in the community is her church.

“Every time I walk into church, I feel like there is this huge target painted on my back. All it takes is one wrong word,” Augustine said. “I don’t know what they could do to me. But it’s going to be bad.”

Outside of a few select intolerant places, though, Augustine still believes that the larger community appears tolerant of her — however, she’s not sure how real the apparent tolerance is.

“I feel like we do have a pretty tolerant community. But the people who are upset about [my sexuality] will not say it to my face, or they assume that I am part of the straight community and they will just mention it under their breath,” Augustine said.

McClure echoes Augustine’s sentiment; she agrees that while on the surface Shawnee appears accepting, there is still a less tolerant population where progress needs to be made.

That population revealed itself at a Shawnee city council meeting where a city ordinance to add LGBTQ people to the city’s nondiscrimination policy

was discussed. The ordinance passed in a 5-2 vote; however, it passed only after four hours of deliberation that featured criticism of the ordinance from members of the community.

At the meeting, councilman Eric Jenkins, who voted against the ordinance, claimed that there was “no evidence presented that there have been instances of sexual orientation or gender discrimination in [Shawnee].”

Council president Stephanie Meyer, who voted in favor of the ordinance, disagrees with Jenkins’ assessment, citing the four hours of public discussion as an example of where progress is needed.

“I believe Shawnee is a welcoming place,” Meyer said. “That being said ... it was clear from some of the public conversations that we still have some work to do in better understanding the struggles these individuals still face.”

Augustine is afraid of this intolerance in her personal life, and she notices the same concerns Meyer has about the adults in the community.

“I can’t handle the fact that adults that I am close to and I have known since I was young could one day be weird around me because of [my sexuality],” Augustine said. “I just I don’t know if the adults in this community are as welcoming.”

McClure agrees with this assessment: while the community is generally accepting, there are areas with a lot of work left to be done.

“I do know that there is still discrimination going on. We’re not perfect,” McClure said. “But I think [our area is] better than some other areas in the state of Kansas.”

Features

JagWire

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During the GSA meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 9, freshmen Kimberly Ornelas Garcia and Noah Basso use laptops to plan ideas for posters. | Jordin Harris

NATIONAL

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hile it appears that LGBTQ people are making progress towards acceptance at school and in Shawnee, this progress has not been matched by the rest of America; instead, some LGBTQ people like Augustine believe that their rights “have never been closer to being ripped away.”

Evidence of this rise in hatred for LGBTQ people can be seen in rising hate crime rates: in 2017, the hate crime rate increased by 17%, and 1,130 hate crimes were committed due to the victim’s sexuality or gender identity. The largest attack against the LGBTQ community in American history, a shooting at the primarily gay Pulse nightclub in Orlando which left 49 people dead, also took place in 2016.

Augustine attributes this spike in hate crimes to the attitudes of the executive branch.

“Since Trump has been elected, there’s been an insurgence of hate crimes in almost every minority group,” Augustine said. “It’s because he and his openly transphobic and homophobic vice president have been

elected to office.

Legal challenges to LGBTQ people have also been on the rise. Although gay marriage was legalized by the Supreme Court in 2015, recent Supreme Court cases have called into question whether LGBTQ people can

“[LGBTQ PEOPLE ARE] DEPICTED AS PEOPLE WHO WANT TO OVERTURN THE ENTIRE STATUS QUO ... I JUST WANT TO GO TO SCHOOL.” senior park zebley

be fired for their identity. These legal challenges and hate crimes represent what some members of the LGBTQ community perceive as a dangerous regression in attitudes across America.

According to Zebley, a large part of this spike in hatred is due to depictions of LGBTQ people in the media and on social media. He thinks the stereotypes are ignorant and misrepresent LGBTQ people, painting them in too negative of a light. “[LGBTQ people are] depicted as really easy to offend and inflammatory people who just want to overturn the status quo,” Zebley said. “It’s just not like that. I just want to go to school. I want to go to chemistry class, man.”

Augustine singles out social media as a cause for this recent movement.

“Because of social media… kids who have been raised by parents who [are homophobic] can talk about it publicly for everyone on the Internet to see,” Augustine said.

Zebley thinks that ignoring these stereotypes and allowing LGBTQ people to speak and be understood is one of the best ways that non-LGBTQ people can fight this prevalent hatred.

“I think [people] can be better by being willing to listen. A lot of what you see in the media isn’t really true about us, like how we get offended over everything,” Zebley said. “A lot of us are just willing to listen to you, as long as you listen to us.”

16 Opinions | Design & Illustration by Tatum Elliott

October 17, 2019

staff editorial:

KEEP MOVING FORWARD The fight for LGBTQ acceptance does not end with the nondiscrimination ordinance

L

GBTQ discrimination has permeated so far into society that no sector of life has been left untouched by its stranglehold. Legislative bodies are actively taking steps toward preventative action against LGBTQ discrimination, but the steps that have been taken pale in the face of the bigger picture.

While measures such as the nondiscrimination policy passed by the USD 232 school district and the city of Shawnee and the 2015 Supreme Court decision to allow for samesex marriage have made meaningful strides, it is important to continue to push for more equality for everyone by being aware of the problem and actively taking steps to be more inclusive. Although it is easy to get lost in past triumphs, many still suffer from things the average person might take for granted and it is our generation’s job to fix it.

Transgender people such as senior Park Zebley have to wonder if they will have a restroom that suits their gender identity. Currently, transgender people at Mill Valley have to use unisex bathrooms instead of the bathroom they identify with. People in the LGBTQ community also have to worry about having services refused to them, like in Denver when a baker refused to sell to a gay couple simply because of their sexual orientation. People all across the LGBTQ spectrum still have to deal with the harsh reality that they may be fired solely based on what they identify as.

Many people in the LGBTQ community have to deal with daily microaggressions which are subtle and sometimes unintentional acts of discrimination. For example, terms like “you guys” and “dudes” can be exclusionary for people whose gender identity or sexual orientation does not fit

with the connotations of those words.

Another common instance of microaggression that goes under the radar is accidental misgendering or confusing someone’s pronouns. While this may not seem like a big deal, it can be difficult for those who have completely shifted their gender identity to be called something that they have worked so hard to change.

That brings about the question of how we can do more. It can be as simple as correcting someone’s microaggressions or being more welcoming to people in the LGBTQ community.

New legislation and court decisions might change the law of the land, but that won’t make any difference until we begin to implement those decisions into our surroundings. Only a generation that is committed to making a change and influencing their peers, parents and friends can stop LGBTQ discrimination dead in its tracks.

Design by Tatum Elliott |

JagWire

ANNA OWSLEY

mill valley news editor-in-chief

W

alt Disney once said, “We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and doing new things, because we’re curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” While this mindset was the driving force behind the creation of beloved Disney classics, it certainly doesn’t hold true for Walt Disney Studios as we know it today.

Disney has instead decided to spend its time recreating and extending decades-old films. Along with a steady stream of sequels, Disney’s live-action remake count sits at 13 films and is skyrocketing with 14 more already in the making, according to IMBd. While remakes and sequels aren’t fundamentally horrible, these movies have continuously fallen short and are distracting from the fact that Disney is losing its spark for creativity. When stripped of their nostalgic sentiments, we are left with lackluster, underachieving films.

For example, “The Lion King” was merely a scenic, frame by frame replication of the original that lacked Timon’s iconic hula dancing scene, was worsened by distracting voiceovers and turned fan favorite songs into underwhelming sleepers. Similarly, “Aladdin” was a weak imitation of the 1992 film that was only redeemed by the handful of comedic and dramatic scenes added to the 2019 version. The recent “Dumbo” remake, while it successfully left out the racism showcased in the 1942 original, was chock-full of underdeveloped characters, poor acting and a plot so unrealistically dramatic it almost passed for comedy.

Preying on society’s nostalgia for childhood memories, the studio is opting to pour the majority of its re-

Opinions

STOP THE REMAKES

17

We need to end Disney’s lack of effort and creativity by boycotting all sequals and live-action remakes sources into this strategy of producing mediocre films for one singular reason: more money. And can we blame them? Millions of Disney fans, myself included, have thrown their money at Disney because they want to re-experience their childhood through this ever-growing string of re-makes.

“THESE [REMAKES DISTRACT] FROM THE FACT THAT DISNEY IS LOSING ITS SPARK FOR CREATIVITY.”

remake rundown Recapping recent Disney live-action remakes

DUMBO

released March 2019

junior anna owsley

However, our support of these films is selfish. By endorsing this trend, we are halting the creation of new Disney classics; films that could capture the societal issues that children face today.

Disney should be utilizing its increasingly phenomenal digital technology – showcased in the recent live-actions “Dumbo” and “The Lion King” – to launch new, magical worlds into existence. They could be spending their $1 billion plus budget on creating films that will make everyone tear up in theaters, not just those carrying nostalgia for the past.

The only way to reverse the trend is to boycott every single remake and sequel; let’s show Disney that they can no longer get away with their lazy, money-grubbing scheme.

ALADDIN

released May 2019

LION KING

released July 2019

18 Opinions | Design by Tatum Elliott | Illustration by Anna Owsley

October 17, 2019

BEN WIELAND

mill valley news editor-in-chief

Horror movies are creative and enjoyable to watch ly-written horror films like “Get Out” and “Hereditary” have recently proven that scary movies can be well-made movies too. Because the genre affords

I

n Hollywood, a market dominated by repetitive action sequels, poor Disney reboots and Oscar-bait dramas, only one genre is consistently entertaining and creative: horror. Between groundbreakingly creative films like “Us,” traditionally scary movies like “Insidious,” genre spoofs like “Shaun of the Dead” and entertaining messes like “Santa’s Slay,” horror has never been so clearly the best genre.

My love of horror comes first and foremost from movies that push the genre forward. Recently, as moviegoers grew tired of sequels, the genre underwent a bit of a renaissance. Tight-

SOPHIE LECURU assistant editor

“MY LOVE OF HORROR COMES ...

FROM MOVIES THAT PUSH THE GENRE FORWARD.” junior ben wieland

these films so much creative liberty, they’re able to provide truly unique and incredible viewing experiences.

There are also enjoyable horror movies that follow all the rules to perfection; basically all of James Wan’s filmography is an excellent example of this. However, my personal favorite rule-followers don’t take themselves too seriously. “Scream” is my favorite example of this: the movie itself is a straightforward slasher, but the self-awareness of the villains makes the film a blast to watch.

Even the absolute worst of the worst, like the aforementioned “Santa’s Slay,” are entertaining. A bad drama or action movie just drags on and on; the unintentional humor in a god-awful horror movie makes it instantly incredible.

With everything unique, creative and fun that horror brings to the table, the fact that it’s not universally recognized as the best part of Hollywood is, well, scary.

HORROR horrifying or horrible?

Haunting imagery and bad acting have ruined horror

E

ach year, I dread the day that’s slowly creeping up on all of us: Halloween. I’m spooked by anything even remotely scary. I dislike the creepy jack o’lanterns, killer clowns running through the woods, and most importantly, I hate horror movies. Of all the possible movie genres, horror is by far the worst, and it’s not just because it’s too scary.

The first problem with horror movies is they have the potential to create phobias in people. They’re designed to immerse you in the film, but sometimes it can go too far, and the components designed to scare you in the film linger in the back of your mind and end up haunting you in your daily life. According to a study conducted by the University of Michigan, about 52% of people reported disturbances in sleeping after viewing a horror film or show. Allowing these phobias to af-

fect you can prevent you from living your life freely and to its full potential.

“HORROR MOVIES ... ONLY LEAVE YOU PARANOID.” junior sophie lecuru

In addition to being scary, horror movies are poorly made. It’s widely known that horror movies feature some of the worst acting in the film industry. Given that horror movies are cheap, it’s a common theme that the better, well-known actors and actresses aren’t affordable. This being said, viewers can’t help but cringe as the

actors continuously embarrass themselves throughout the duration of the film.

Not only is the acting in horror movies below average, the plot lines leave much to be desired. They’re so predictable that even when the movie has hardly begun, I find myself successfully assuming which characters will die at the hands of the antagonist. This may have contributed to the reason that the 15 most popular horror movies from 2000-2006 earned an average rating of 57% from Rotten Tomatoes. The best movies tell a thoughtful story, whereas horror movies have no substance and only leave you paranoid of your surroundings.

JagWire

football frenzy The NFL season means fantasy football is in full swing

Design by Isabel Aerni |

Sports

19

STUDENT STATS Students share the time they spend playing fantasy football

23% of students participate in fantasy football

39%

of students spend 0-1 hours a week on fantasy football

Looking at his fantasy football team on his laptop, sophomore Christian Uhde makes final changes to his team and prepares to watch football on Sunday, Oct. 6. | Claire Franke

ZACH SHRADER

reporter/photographer

F

ootball season has arrived. That means for the next five months America will eat, sleep, and breathe football.

One of the most popular ways people indulge their football craving is by having a fantasy football team.

According to senior Jenna Walker, she decided to join fantasy football this year because it sounded like a fun opportunity and a good way to gain exposure to the NFL. “I decided to do fantasy football because my dad does it and it sounded fun. I am glad I did it this year, because now I pay more attention to the games.”

However, Walker hasn’t spent a ton of time working on her team.

“I spent about 30 minutes drafting my players with the help of my dad,” Walker said. “Otherwise, I don’t spend much time doing anything else fantasy football related.”

Junior Prathik Gadiraju used his prior knowledge of football to guide his fantasy team. “ [I drafted] what I’ve seen [in games], players that are good, or players that are expected to be good. I also looked up stats and projections for about ten minutes, but I didn’t do in

depth research,” Gadiraju said.

According to sophomore Jack Weber, playing fantasy football puts his pride on the line. “[Winning] is very important because if I don’t win, then I get to hear from my dad and my dad’s friends,” Weber said.

But, winning isn’t everything. According to Walker, she enjoys having fun with her friends while playing fantasy football.

“I would love it for my fantasy team to win, but I think it’s fun to play with friends and check on how my players are doing.”

Even some of the staff are getting in on the fun, like football coach Ian Nichols, who is in a league with the rest of the football coaches.

According to Nichols, fantasy football is a good way to stay plugged into the NFL. “[Fantasy football is] a way to keep tabs on the NFL and it gives you a little bit of interest in more games than just the Chiefs game,” Nichols said.

However, sophomore Jay Ybarra doesn’t do fantasy football because it takes too much time.

“I don’t do fantasy football because it’s too much work. It takes too much time out of my day,” Ybarra said. “I always quit [fantasy football] by week four.”

36%

of students spend 1-2 hours a week on fantasy football

24%

of students spend 2+ hours a week on fantasy football survey of 281 students

fan favorites Students share their best fantasy football players of this season

“Patrick Mahomes is going to get me a lot of points.” senior andrew glunt

“Nick Chubb is my most consistent player.”

sophomore nick brubeck

20 Sports | Design by Isabel Aerni

CHAMPIONSHIP

October 17, 2019

Sports teams prepare for regionals and playoffs in an attempt to make it to state

girls golf

Ranked second in 6A

Sophomore Libby Green is third in 6A Senior Hannah Davie is fifth in 6A

N

earing the end of the season, the girls golf team has been performing very well, earning a ranking among girls golfing elite in Kansas. The team has been focused on repeating what they did last year at the state tournament.

Sophomore Libby Green, who placed third at state last year and is ranked third in the state right now, said that after a rough start the team has bounced back and dominated.

“In our first tournament our performance was not our best, so we came together and discussed that this was not where we wanted to be as a team,” Green said. “We worked hard

Swinging her golf club, junior Caroline Lawson watches where the ball will land after she hits the ball across the green during the Eagle Bend Invitational on Wednesday, Oct. 2. | Julia Fair

and went on to win three tournaments after that.”

Green is very impressed with everyone’s dedication and work ethic.

“The team’s dedication towards the game has impacted our results this year by a lot, for example this summer the girls on the team would go out and practice almost every day which in turn helped our scores in competition which is why we have improved a lot this year. Everyone is very driven to beat their scores from last year and to improve their game,” Green said.

According to junior Caroline Lawson, the golf teams work ethic will bode well for them the rest of the season.

football Ranked sixth in 6A 2-3 Record *all statistics are as of Thursday, Oct. 10

“I think we will perform well [the rest of the season] because we all know what it takes to win. We each know our individual strengths and how to use them to our advantages,” Lawson said. “We also have a lot of good work ethics and are willing to work hard to get the result that we want.”

Green also has high expectations for herself and the team as they head into the regionals and state tournaments.

“We hope to do well in regionals and state,” Green said. “Our team has a goal to repeat our win from last year and I have a goal to improve upon my third place finish from last year.”

volleyball Ranked second in KVA 6A coach’s poll 20-8 Record

CHANCES

Sports

JagWire

STEVEN CURTO

21

assistant editor

ZACH SHRADER

reporter/photographer

girls xc

Placed third in Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival Ranked first in 6A coach’s poll Running alongside her opponent, senior Morgan Koca pushes for an eighth place finish at the Rim Rock Classic on Saturday, Sept. 8. The girls finished first in the gold division. | Avery Liby

W

ith regionals right around the corner on Oct. 26 and the added pressure of winning state again, the cross country has been working hard to finish the season strong.

Senior Morgan Koca thrilled with how the cross country team is performing.

Koca is very confident in her team’s abilities, and believes that they can repeat exactly what they did last year.

“I am so extremely confident that my team can do exactly what we did at state last year, again this year. We have already proven to other teams

across the state this season that we are unstoppable,” Koca said.

Additionally, Koca believes that cross country coach Chris McAfee has benefited the program with his constant dedication and enougarment.

“None of the results that the teams are receiving would be anything like what they are if it weren’t for [coach McAfee],” Koca said.

The players love for McAfee is mutual, as McAfee has very high praise for his runners.

“Without [the runner’s] hard work and great attitude, we would not be very good. They’ve been incredible” McAfee said.

boys xc

Placed fifth in Chile Pepper Cross Country Festival Ranked first in 6A coach’s poll

boys soccer

girls tennis

Ranked 14th in 6A

Placed sixth in the EKL tournament

4-2-4 Record

Junior Sophie Lecuru is 18-7

22

A&E | Design by Tatum Elliott

a smaller scale

October 17, 2019

BEN WIELAND

mill valley news editor-in-chief

STEVEN CURTO assistant editor

Staffers review what the Museum of Toys and Miniatures currently has on display

RATED

One of the sections in The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures features various sizes of dollhouses that are built in different styles. |Hannah Chern

DOLLHOUSES

C

hecking out the multitude of dollhouses on display at the National Museum of Toys and Miniatures in Kansas City was definitely one of the highlights of our trip. The houses, crafted out of ornately painted wood, are incredible in both their magnitude and their painstaking attention to detail. Most of them are miniaturized models of pretty traditional American houses, featuring absurd amounts of detail; one featured a tiny shampoo container on a bathroom shelf that couldn’t have been more than a tenth of an inch wide, while another contained at least five or six kitchen knives askew on the tiny kitchen counter. A few houses take unique approaches to the genre. One, representing the Southwest section of the gallery, depicted a frontiersman’s house complete with chopped wood, a rustic campfire and a hatchet. The most memorable part of the dollhous-

es, though, was the miniature figurines that filled the meticulously designed rooms. Some of the dolls were fairly normal and realistic and completely unassuming. Other dolls, due to either their odd facial features, their strange composition or a combination of both, ranged from vaguely unsettling to horror-movie-level fear-inducing.

One dollhouse featured figurines so viscerally intimidating that we struggled to look at it for continued periods of time. Creepy or not, the figures all had just as much attention paid to them as the houses themselves. While the dollhouses definitely had varying levels of attention paid to them, with some mass-produced by early toy companies and some hand-crafted by dedicated collectors and craftsmen, they were all impressive for various unique reasons. If you haven’t visited the museum before and checked out this display of various dollhouses we recommend making a trip.

A&E

JagWire

talking toys

Breaking down the number of toys at the museum

The toy section of the museum features antique toys that were popular back then. | Hannah Chern

TOYS

T

he museum’s toy exhibit took us down memory lane in an effectively designed floor plan which took the visitor through toys that consumed the market during certain decades starting with the early 1900s. Although we did not live during certain periods, we were able to see how much

each toy meant to the children of that specific decade through videos the museum displayed as well as stories of children who owned and cherished that particular toy. The variety of toys the museum has, including the toys from the early 2000s, not only shocked us but allowed us to revisit the iconic toys that consumed our childhoods such as Hot Wheels, American Girl Doll, Bratz and Furby.

51,000 toys

3,320 dolls

In the miniatures section, a historic room features intricate pieces of furniture.| Hannah Chern

MINIATURES

T

he fine-scale miniatures were by far the most impressive things we observed at the museum.

The painstaking attention to detail in even the most minuscule of figures was incredible. One depiction of an engineering classroom featured neat and detailed blueprints on a piece of graph paper no wider than a person’s thumb along with small protractors and rulers. Another exhibit showed off twenty or thirty intricately designed pots in the model of traditional African art. We were enraptured with two fine-scale

miniature houses that were on exhibit which included the Port Townsend and the Twin Manors house. The attention to detail of these displays was exquisite and exceeded both of our expectations. The artists’ detail of the craftsmanship on the walls and ceilings throughout these houses was astounding and demanded the attention of the viewer. We were also very impressed with the complexity of some miniature designs in the exhibits such as intricate chairs and other pieces of furniture. Overall every aspect of this exhibit from minature houses to miniature clothes awed us and made our experience that much better.

1,600 dolls

23

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Photo Essay | Design by Andrew Tow

October 17, 2019 During the football game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, Sept.

27, the student section holds up a sign referencing the stadium’s nickname. The team would go on to lose 28-21. | Hayden Resch

WE GOT SPIRIT

Activities over the past weeks give students the ability to show off their school spirit

From the sideline, junior Chloe Carson cheers on the team on Friday, Oct. 4. | Julia Fair After getting a first down, junior Jason Kingsbury holds up his hand and chants along with fellow band members at the football game against St. Thomas Aquinas on Friday, Sept.

27. | Jordin Harris

During the SLT pep rally, senior Morgan Blubaugh leads the cheer by yelling to the audience, “Are you ready kids?” | Quinn Franken After the girls volleyball team scores a point, junior Dylan Henke cheers them in the student section on Thursday, Oct. 3. | Steven Curto