December 2019

hilife

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LEE’S SUMMIT HIGH SCHOOL

HI-LIFE MAG.

H O L I DAY VO L U N T E E R I N G

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Local organizations and clubs serve the community this season.

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H I - L I F E M AGA Z I N E VOLUME 99. ISSUE 3. DECEMBER 20.

THE WINTER EDITION

editor-in-chief

AUDREY BADGEROW design editor

C H E YA N N E K E N N E D Y copy editor JORDAN WILSON web editor BIANCA STEWART sports director CAMERON SCHULENBERG photo director LEAH HASKELL adviser MARC RUSSELL reporters

ELEANOR AMMERMAN, AMBAR APPEL, EMMA BAUMAN, ETHAN FLEMING, L I B E R T Y G E N T R Y, A B I G A I L H E C K , M AC K E N Z I E H E N K S , TO R I H I C K S , LILLIAN MANN, JAEDEN MILLER, K I N L E Y M O N K , M C K U L L A PA S C K I E W I C Z , R O M A N R E Y E S , FA I T H R O A C H , D A LT Y N S C H A F E R , N O A H S W O P E S , LY R I C W E S T L E Y, J O R D A N W I L S O N , G R A C I E WITHROW

FROM THE EDITOR

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new school year calls for a new staff, and sometimes this can be a challenge. The first issue is always hard because you’re just getting to know eachother and everybody is busy learning the trade. This time of year, however, is when everyone comes together.

AUDREY BADGEROW This special winter edition of the Hi-Life really emulates the EDITOR-IN-CHIEF level of concurrence that the staff has come to be on. At our issue release/winter/holiday/ food/secret santa party, my hope is that all of the staff will as fond of this issue as you readers will.

This issue’s centerspread focuses of the side of the holidays that we can lose sight of, what with all of the consumerist aspects that often overtake what they’re really about.

I spoke with a couple representatives from some larger service organizations within the metro area, as well as a few from some service-based clubs here at LSHS. One of my favorite things about this spread is hearing about the good that others are doing, not just around the holidays, but year round.

There are so many amazing stories in this issue, as well as online, this month. Among my favorites would have to be reporter Emma Bauman’s reporting on how to make the school more eco-friendly, sports director Cameron Schulenberg’s story on skateboarding, and reporter Eleanor Ammerman’s story which compared the lunch available here at school, to the recommended diet for teenagers.

In short, this issue is one that we’re all extremely proud of, so with that - - see you in February.

Sincerely,

new on hilife.jlabmag.com h o l i d a y h o t s p o t s - .T h e H i - L i f e d e t a i l s s o m e f e s t i v e

events to keep LS occupied during the long winter break.

b e t h e l i g h t - Reporter Liberty Gentry offers approaches to coping with negativity.

gender and the ACT 11.

academic art 4.

ms. jordan 12. hope kelsey 7. mr. hoffman 13.

S TA F F E D .

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homebound 10.

dressed to impress 8.

health + fitness

personality

features

rebuilding LSHS 18.

opinions

INSIDE.

andlelighting is a proud tradition at Lee’s Summit High School which will unfortunately not be held this year.

Still, for future years it is important to be informed about this tradition. It is run by the local chapter of the National Honors Society also known as NHS which is an organization promoting good character among high schoolers.

“Candlelighting is a time that students can come together in a meaningful way before break and is one piece of Lee’s Summit High School tradition that has been occurring for over 60 years.” NHS sponsor Mrs, Warden said.

Originally the program focused entirely on Christmas, but in the 1980s the school district was

threatened with a lawsuit due to this program’s violation of the separation between church and state. The school district decided to cancel the Candlelighting program to avoid the lawsuit though 93 students protested this decision leading to their suspension. Eventually, Candlelighting was brought back with a broader focus then it had previously.

“Members of NHS speak about the main religions of the world as well as the lights of hope, peace, love, joy, and understanding.” Warden said.

No matter its theme Candlighting always demonstrates what makes Lee’s Summit High School special. It takes tremendous discipline

steady shredding 17. teen anxiety 24. shrinking sports 27.

and pride to remain silent during the ceremony.

Other schools have tried and failed to replicate the ceremony showing how impressive it is that Lee’s Summit High School has maintained the tradition for over 60 years. Perhaps it is the value that the program provides that has allowed it to last so long.

“I think it is important because it exposes students to different beliefs and reminds us of our own values, keeping students open-minded.”

NHS Vice-President Yolonda Zhuo said.

Over its 60 years of existence, only two other Candlelightings were canceled. These cancellations were also due to snow. This year missing Monday and Tuesday led to

Wednesday being dropped as a finals day.

Therefore the finals schedule on Thursday and Friday had to be condensed which does not leave any time for Candlelighting.

“I do not feel there is any right choice in this situation given the multi-faceted school community we have. The hope is that the cancellation of Candlelighting reduces the stress on students because they have more time to prepare for finals, especially time with teachers prior to finals, so it was in the best interest of the students.”

Keeping student stress levels down is important especially while finals are going on, but it is sad that so many students

will miss out on this proud tradition. This is especially sad for new students who will miss out on this defining tradition during their first at this school. The spirit of Candlelighting must not be forgotten just because the program itself was canceled, however.

“Candlelighting is not the only opportunity to learn about other religions; respectfully interacting with peers of different religions or doing your own research is an alternative” Zhuo said.

It is unfortunate that such a long-standing and special tradition as Candlelighting has to be canceled, but hopefully, the students and staff of this school will still remember the important lessons that Candlelighting teaches.

ART

ACADEMICS

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Meet the new art teachers.

wo beloved art teachers left the school after many years of working here. Building their career, and helping young minds find the beauty in art. It was going to be a very difficult task to find teachers to replace the ones that left, but the district did a very good job. Both teachers were interviewed by John Faulkenberry before he retired. Jacob Corcoran and Melissa Chaney

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have officially accepted the task of working in the school.

After art teacher Melissa Woody moved to Lee’s Summit West and art teacher Williams retired, the school needed two new art teachers to take up the mantle. Corcoran and Chaney were hired as the new art teachers.

Corcoran teaches in Williams old room, while Chaney teaches in Woody’s old room.

Both teachers have a

MEGAN HUGGINS

history of teaching art, and their transition to Lee’s Summit has gone quite smoothly.

“This is the most fulfilling job, because not only do I get to create things for a living, I also get to see young minds create,” Corcoran said.

According to Corcoran, LSHS offers more opportunities than the others he has worked at. Corcoran began teaching in Sweet Springs, Missouri, where he taught K-12 every day.

After working at Sweet Springs, he moved to Pleasant Hill, where he taught high school students. He taught there for one school year, before he moved to Lee’s Summit.

Corcoran decided to become an art teacher due to the lack of art education he received as a kid, and he wanted to show students that there are multiple routes you can take in the art field.

“Once I graduated high school, I knew I wanted to go into some art-related field, but I also knew there was

ALEXIS Jones no money in it. I just wasn’t good enough to become a freelance artist. Illustrating a children’s book is still on my bucket list,” Chaney said.

Chaney is in a similar boat to Corcoran. She has taught in four different school districts in the span of her career, starting at Cast Midway in a K-12 school.

Originating in Chicago, she ended up moving to Missouri and Cast Midway was the first job opening she could find. After working with both young students and older, she decided she likes working with older

students more. She went on to work at Ray-Pec, and now she has finally moved on to LSHS. The arts in Lee’s Summit are a very large part of our culture, and many students decide to take art for more than just the credit. After losing two well-liked art teachers from our school, it was going to be hard for the district to find replacements for them. However, it worked out in the end. Students and faculty alike should all welcome Mrs. Chaney and Mr. Corcoran into the school with open arms.

Hear from LSHS’ young artists.

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ALYSSA HARMON

DIEGO ORTIZ Wr i t t e n b y J a e d e n M i l l e r, Photographed by Leah Haskell, Designed by Audrey Badgerow

hile walking around the halls of the school, it is rather difficult not to notice the abundance of art hung up. Coming from all the very talented artists at the school, the art hanging on the wall helps give the buildings a sense of life and personality.

“Creating art for the school is really fun. I really enjoy the fact that the art teachers are willing to give us supplies and the things we need.

They take care of us and let us have access to different materials that help me express myself,”senior IB art student Alyssa Harmon said.

Alyssa Harmon is a very talented artist that has art up around the school on occasion.

According to her, she often loses track of the pieces she has up because she ends up getting tired of seeing them. Harmon currently has no pieces up, but she thinks it is neat to see them up when they are. She says never likes to talk or brag about the pieces she has up, but she will point them out to her friends if they pass it.

“I don’t really think about it as making art for the school, but making art for myself, just because I chose to take the class as an individual because I like

making art,” junior IB art student Diego Ortiz said.

Ortiz has been making art since middle school, when he discovered that he had a knack for it. He never really thinks about a piece going up around the school, because he prefers to create art for his own passion, rather than an assignment. According to him, creating art is simply a relaxing thing that he enjoys doing.

He does not do it for the attention it could bring, but rather, a sense of fulfillment.

“In my class, we get a lot of freedom and we get to create anything that speaks to us personally,” junior IB art student Megan Huggins said. ​Huggins is an IB art student that is entirely passionate about her art.

According to Huggins, being able to create art for the school is an honor.

She feels as though she is very lucky to go to a

school with such an emphasis on the arts, because some do not put any on them.

“I really like the creative aspect of creating art for my school. I think it’s really fun and I have been making art my entire life,” sophomore Alexis Jones said.

According to Jones, she gained her talent in art from creating it for nearly her entire life.

She started drawing when she was very young, and simply enjoyed it. She Loves the community surrounding the arts at the school, and credits some of her friendships to being in art classes.

Being an artist often times means being unknown, and they do not get the recognition that they deserve.

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TIGERS GO GREEN

The Hi-Life questions how LSHS can become more eco-friendly.

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itting down at lunch, a student realizes she forgot to bring silverware from home.

Grabbing the plasticwrapped plastic utensils, she decides she wants a water bottle, and purchases a plastic one from the snack counter.

At the end of the lunch period, this waste and more gets dumped into the trash cans.

Plastic garbage cannot biodegrade, meaning it often ends up in oceans and other places where it harms wildlife. Yet, this person’s role in the damage could have been easily avoided with just a few conscious steps taken with the Earth in mind.

As issues regarding sustainability and the environment weigh heavily on people’s minds, some of this focus goes to the places where millions of children and adults

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spend eight hours a day: schools.

“We run a large institution, so energy cost and usage are high.

Obviously, with the fact that we are a school, our paper usage is out of control,” Principal Kari Harrison said.

With this in mind, many are taking action to help our planet through the school’s Earth Club.

“I think that people should want to take care of the environment they live in,” Earth Club member Caitlin Bray said.

Club supervisor Olga Burwell shares these beliefs and strives to encourage students to be more conscious of the Earth while they are at school.

“Our school could be more environmentally friendly by not leaving trash outside and recycling the way we do,” Burwell said.

Organizations like Earth Club are applauded by the administration, as it is a way to push for changes that cannot always be a priority for the higherlevel school and district staff.

“I think they are vital, and I am very appreciative of the fact that we have an Earth club, and the efforts they put in to raise awareness and take action,” Harrison said.

Student and teacherdriven efforts can make the biggest changes in LSHS, with these grassroots movements bringing attention to solvable issues that may persist within the school. As long as it is gone about in the right way, these efforts can bring change.

“I see nothing wrong with a group trying to put together a proposal, or engaging in conversations with

members who would make those types of decisions. When proposals are brought forward, we do what we can to try to assist,” Harrison said.

Big or small, ecohelpful endeavors made by students and teachers can demonstrate that there are people at LSHS who care about the state of the Earth.

“It is always a possibility that someone can make an encouraging change if they approach it the right way and get more people involved,” Burwell said.

New changes could also be coming with the possibility of new redevelopments being made to the campus. As designs and modifications are being considered, so are advancements that could lessen the impact of LSHS on the

environment.

“Looking at potentially new renovations to the building, sustainability is part of the discussion.

Trying to make ecoresponsible decisions as we consider building materials and providing energy building, those sorts of things have been discussed,” Harrison said.

Through all of the buzz about ways to help the Earth, it is important to remember that changes can be made right at LSHS. As the administration works to do what they can, students and teachers can propel Earthsaving efforts through responsible advocacy.

Through these efforts, tigers can help make LSHS a little greener.

Written by: Emma Bauman, Photographed by : Abigail Heck, Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

HOPE ON THE SIDELINES

Senior Hope Kelsey hits home with her home game hype videos.

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he football team rushes out from the tunnel under the Friday night lights. They circle around a coach and begin to sway back and forth in their pre-game ritual. Amidst the chanting players is Senior Hope Kelsey looking for the perfect shot. Hoping to capture the moment, she raises her camera up over the heads of the players. Every home football game this season, Kelsey could be found on the sidelines getting shots like this one.

“I just try and get shots of good plays and what the players are doing on the sidelines warmups and handshakes. You know, all of the fun stuff that they do to hype each other up for games. Then, every Thursday night, I put it together and make like a little recaphighlight-hype-video kinda thing to get the players ready for the game the next day,” Kelsey said.

Kelsey began making her hype videos after filming her first home game for Tiger Broadcast.

“I loved it. I had so much fun. Like, the atmosphere down on the sidelines is so different. So, I went home that night put together a football video and posted it,”

Kelsey said.

The response from her first video encouraged Kelsey to continue to showcase the team’s intimate moments. Since then, her videos have accrued quite the fan base.

“Oh my gosh those things are legit,” broadcasting teacher Elaine McDonald said. “It just seems like, in the last year or two, these hype videos have become fairly popular. She started uploading them to her Instagram posts last year and she kind of had some followers. Maybe a hundred two hundred and three hundred last year, but now, this year they’ve blown up. We’re talking seven hundred, eight hundred views,” McDonald said.

McDonald is not the only one impressed

by Kelsey’s videos. The football team appreciates her work as well.

“Her videos show the human aspect of it,” coach Chris Reichert said. “Show the players getting excited, coaches reacting them, reacting to plays on the field. It’s just another way to promote our program and also just show you know how exciting football can be,” Reichert said.

Kelsey uses her hype videos as an

SMILE: Senior Hope Kelsey watches from the sidelines while the Tigers played at home against Truman. “They’ve changed a lot, looking at my first one and then my most recent ones. I’ve come so far in the different types of shots I’m getting.” Kelsey said.

opportunity to develop her film skills.

“I try to make each of my videos different than the one before, like one-upping my game. So, I try and make sure everything’s centered, you know the like basic part of it, but then also getting creative and getting shots from different angles that people haven’t seen before,” Kelsey said.

McDonald has also taken note of the progress Kelsey has made in her videos.

“She does a really good job of doing what we call sequencing and just getting up close to the players and trying to get us as an audience to feel like we’re in the huddle so to speak with the football players,” McDonald said. “She makes it look so cool, so professional,” McDonald said.

Kelsey hopes to use these same techniques in her future career.

“My dream job would be to follow an artist or someone on tour and make their film diary for that, or even working for a sports team is also something that I’m interested in,” said Kelsey.

According to McDonald, Kelsey is going above and beyond to achieve her dream.

“A lot of times she’ll say ‘Oh I’ll do it, I’ll do it!’ She always volunteers to film some things. She actually went just this September to LA and worked for free as a production assistant on a short little commercial piece.

She got to really experience it and see if she really wanted to do something like this and she still does. She just this last week produced like four films in like four days. I mean it’s just constant she just loves it,” said McDonald.

Kelsey’s diligence is sure to carry her through her career as a filmmaker and the rest of the football season.

Wr i t t e n b y : Fa i t h R o a c h Photographed by: Abigail Heck Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

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Your 2019 Winter Style Guide with Johnny and Raegan.

Raegan

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rom scarves to pants to sweaters and more, girls have an abundance of fashion choices for the winter months. Even so, lots of ladies are

looking for ways to step up their style and create some knockout looks for the winter months. Junior Raegan Clark knows a thing or two about style and offers a unique perspective on less expensive ways to obtain a trendy outfit. Fashion does not have to be expensive or complicated if one only knows where to look.

For many, their clothing is an outlet for

self-expression. The right outfit can boost confidence and showcase personality in a subtle yet effective way.

“Fashion is a great way for people to express themselves. In school, I tend to wear the same things: sweaters, jeans, and hoodies.

When I am not at school, though, I love to step outside of my comfort zone with my outfits,” Whether one chooses to express their fashion inside of school or out, there are many simple yet cute outfits that can be both cute and comfortable for a day at school, work, or with friends.

“Grunge coats, ripped jeans, and rawhemmed shirts and sweatshirts are warm.

These outfits look so cute with oversized hoops and pigtail braids. If you want to wear a cropped tee but it is too cold outside, having a favorite coat that is stylish helps.

Personally, I have a fluffy zip-up teddy jacket that goes with every outfit,” Clark said.

Following the latest, always-changing trends can be expensive, but these pieces are not just found at Forever 21. Thrift stores are known for their dirt-cheap prices, but what many do not know is that trendy outfits can be found or made from thrift store clothing.

“I love to thrift my clothes. It may be weird, but the men’s sweater section is the best part for me. Often, these sweatshirts are from nice name brands like Nike, Carhartt, Champion, Nautica, and more, but people look over them. You can crop them and pair them with skinny jeans and cute sneakers,” Clark said.

Johnny

Jacket: $79.99 Shirt: $17.99 Boots: $39.99 Jeans: $29.99 Belt: $9.99 From H&M

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Skirt: $34.99 Top: $24.99

Boots: $39.99 From H&M

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s the weather gets colder, many guys may just want to reach for their favorite pair of Nike sweats.

However, junior Johnny Brackins takes the winter months as an opportunity to showcase his style.

Known for being fashionable, Johnny

“I do order a lot of my clothing, but as far as in-store, I like to go to Express and Urban Outfitters. I also like to go to Dick’s Sporting Goods when I need athletic wear,” Brackins said.

People’s style tends to change a bit in the colder months, not only to fit the weather but also to feature some colors, materials, and styles that are exclusive to winter.

“My style in the winter consists of a lot of neutrals and more dull colors. I also like to bring out all of my jackets and heavier clothing in the winter. You will see me in more wool, denim, and suede,” Brackins said.

When shopping for the winter months, it can be easy to gravitate to the same hoodies and sweats that are guaranteed to be comfortable. However, with even a little bit of effort and a step outside of what is comfortable, a fresh new look can be created with ease.

“Try something you would usually never try. Try a color you have none of, try some different shoes, find what shades compliment your skin, and find what materials fit how you like them. Just do not be afraid to stand out,” Brackins said.

The colder season does not have to mean boring clothing. With a little bit of effort, even the simplest clothing pieces can be used to create enviable looks. Ditch those sweats and step outside of the box this winter unforgettable style and the knockout confidence that can always be had when wearing a fresh outfit.

Jacket: $49.99 Boots: $59.99 Jeans: $24.99 Sweater: $24.99 Beanie: $9.99 From H&M is always seen in well-coordinated, trendy outfits. However, he does not have a specific label for his style.

“I would describe my style as diverse, I am full of surprises. Some days you may see me in a windbreaker, jeans, and a matching shoe. The next day, you can see me in a sweater, jean jacket, and Chelsea boot,” Brackins said.

Even with a diverse style, Brackins knows what he likes and tends to be drawn to certain styles.

“I gravitate towards colorful things and clothing I know no one has. I like to find clothing with a unique look or complex color pattern and make a coordinated outfit with it,” Brackins said.

Once someone starts to define their style, they tend to shop at the same stores, as they know they will be able to find what they are looking for. Knowing what he likes, Brackins has a few stores that are his go-to’s.

Jeans: $24.99 Shoes: $34.99 Jacket: $34.99 Beanie: $9.99 Hoodie: $24.99 From H&M

Jeans: $24.99 Shoes: $34.99 Jacket: $34.99 Beanie: $9.99 Hoodie: $24.99 from H&M

Written by: Emma Bauman D e s i g n e d b y : Fa i t h R o a c h P h o t o s b y : Fa i t h R o a c h

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HELPLESS HOME BOUND

Learn what being on homebound is like from students who have experienced it first-hand.

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here are thousands of injuries and pregnancies among high school students every year, leading to major difficulty for attending school. When a student is under any sort of condition, it can be very difficult to not only attend school, but to make it from class to class.

In order to provide assistance with this, many school districts around the nation have started to provide a new program; homebound.

There are over one hundred school districts around the country that offer homebound services, allowing for students who are injured or unable to attend school to continue their daily education. A student may apply for homebound services whenever they are in a situation that does not allow them to attend school.

“Homebound is a program that the district offers for students who, for a variety of reasons, are unable to attend the regular school day.

Typically, students would access homebound if they were going to be absent for a long period of time, and it

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would be difficult for them to continue their course work,” counselor Connie Ficken said.

In order for a student to receive homebound services, they must have a note filled out and signed by a medical doctor that states that the student will be unable to attend school for one reason or another. In order for a student to access homebound services, a student must be planning on being absent for at least six weeks of school.

“When in homebound you spend most of the day working on assignments that your homebound teacher has brought you and a couple of times a week your teacher comes to give you new assignments or give you a test,” junior Elisabeth Roach said.

Homebound can be a very dangerous option for students, because when on homebound, students have to make their own motivation to do all of their work. When in a school environment, there are teachers and other students there to motivate everyone.

When at home, students are surrounded by different

comforts, which can make it very difficult to motivate oneself to actually get up and do school work.

“From a student perspective, there are classes that are not able to be provided with homebound instruction. The district publishes a list of classes that would automatically qualify for homebound. But if a student is enrolled in classes that are not on that list, it’s really teacher discretion whether or not they can continue in those classes, and sometimes it’s just not going to be possible,” Ficken said.

Altogether, homebound can be a very positive option for schools to provide to students. It can allow for continued learning, even while a student is unable to attend school. However, students should not go on homebound unless absolutely necessary. So, while homebound can be a great option, students and parents should use major discretion and do a lot of research on the program before making a final decision.

50%

of teen mothers receive their high school diploma by the age of 22.

5

hours per week is the minimum hours of schooling you need in the homebound program.

ADVANTAGE

If students are unable to thrive in the school environment, they have the option of going homebound to finish their schooling.

DISADVANTAGE

You are missing out on face to face interaction. Since students are unable to receive direct instruction from their teacher, they cannot ask questions if they are confused. Often times student lose motivation to work.

Written by: Jaeden Miller Photographed by: Lillian Mann Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

SShho ouulldd g geennddeerr bbee o onn tthhee AACCTT??

The Hi-Life investigates how gender on the ACT affects test scores.

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s the test starts the question of gender is proposed and a sense of worry associated with the need to succeed makes itself present because they want to represent their

groups,​” science teacher Amy Middaugh ​said.

There has been an influx of studies suggesting that when students are asked their gender they often perform less favorably.

This is called the Stereotype Threat.

them,” english teacher Stacy Allison said.

Asking students about gender or ethnicity has a negative effect on minority groups. Based on this knowledge that question should be avoided.

“There was a study

they will perform a certain way on a test, they may subconsciously be impacted by the bias.

“ACT is a business.

The ACT is not going to do anything to benefit the test taker. It benefits them that students do worse based on these

gender with stronger test scores. “​I am not sure including any demographics is necessary for the ACT and SAT. Studies do seem to indicate that asking for gender and race can lower scores for girls and minority

When a certain group of people are stereotyped to perform one way they will often subconsciously apply to the stereotype and be affected by it.

“If asking a student his or her race and or ethnicity has a negative effect on their overall score, then don’t ask

about gender in the 1960s consisting of researchers reminding women of their gender before taking a test and they, on average, performed less favorably than the participants that were not primed with that information,” IB psychology teacher Debbie Baanders said.

When students are primed to believe that

questions because then the student pays to take it again.” Allison said.

The ACT’s main priority is to make money and students’ success often comes in second. Each test that students take that is not provided by the school costs $46, so when students do not get the score they want they then need to pay the fee of the

Designed by: Faith Roach Written by: Jordan Wilson Photo by: Mackenzie Henks

exam again. “​I could see it being used, however, to gauge implicit bias within a test. If that is the case, and the test creators want data to assess the effectiveness of their own test, perhaps they can ask for the data after the test is completed not before,​” ​Middaugh ​said.

The results could be helpful to determine the differences between different groups, but if there has been a noticeable difference in test scores the data gained may not be worth it.

“It is not all to do with stereotype threat there could also be innate differences in how women and men have been socialized and how different chemicals in their brains could impact the way they perform on a test,” Baanders said.

It can not be stated that the stereotype threat is the only effect on ACT scores because the way people think is far more complicated than just a reaction to one stimulus.

As the test booklets are closed the question is presented whether or not the statistics gained from the survey at the beginning were worth the possible degradation of the grades minority groups grades.

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MISS

JORDAN

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Teacher Kimberly Jordon is more than what meets the eye. ll students have to take Health to graduate, so chances are most students have met Kimberly Jordon. With a very cheery and outgoing personality, . Jordon has made strong impressions on many different students throughout her years.

“I believe that every student is capable of learning and that we have to figure out what method works best for each,” Jordon said.

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Jordon teaches lessons mock interviews to help “I own my own house to help all kids learn prepare for the real thing. and I don’t get paid the content, using “​I am passionate about enough as a teacher, so examples from the real teaching all students having a second job world to help students self-advocacy skills, in really helps pay bills,” visualize what is being order to prepare them Jordon said. discussed. for whatever they do With the starting “My philosophy at once they graduate high teacher salary in Missouri the high school level school,” said Jordon. being ranked the second is to make my content Students that work a job lowest in the country, relative for students,” know what it is like to teachers can struggle to Jordon said. spend all day at school afford living, especially Teaching her and then spend all night when there is only one own class of social at work. . Jordon is the form of income. . Jordon development, . Jordon same way by juggling does what she needs to do helps kids learn how to multiple jobs, sometimes for herself without fill out job applications, having no free time to complaint, while staying resumes, and even have herself. happy and social Written by Emma Bauman, Photographed and Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

at school.

“It’s sad, but it’s also okay because I enjoy working both jobs,” Jordon said.

Ms. Jordon only works at her second job at Third Street Social on weekends to avoid stress, but she occasionally picks up shifts after school if she needs to.

“I originally picked up a second job because I was absolutely bored during the summer, I wasn’t coaching and since I didn’t have a coaching salary it really helped with the bills” Jordon said.

Jordon also works at the underclassman events during the week after school, dedicating more time to LSHS over her own free time.

“Some days I am an admin for sporting events,”

Jordon said.

Since every event needs an administrator, . Jordon sometimes acts to fill that role if the administrator is missing. Ms. Jordon also keeps score at the home football, soccer, volleyball, and basketball games. Ms. Jordon is much more than meets the eye when you see her co-teaching in the health classroom, from working many different school events, to working extra for herself.

H EY, Mr. HoffmanN What you need to know about Mr. Hoffmann.

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s he wakes up in the morning, he begins planning out the lessons of that day and how he is going to change students’ lives.

This is the reality for english teacher Kevin Hoffmann.

“Before I worked as a teacher I worked for the Kansas City star.

Being a teacher has been my hardest job by far,” Hoffmann said.

Mr. Hoffmann worked as a journalist for the Kansas city star for 14 years and often helped to train the new journalist on their staff and this opened his eyes to teaching.

“I went back to college to get my teaching degree at UCM, so I could pursue teaching people how to write,” Hoffmann said.

Mr. Hoffmann has always enjoyed teaching people and decided that becoming a teacher would be a career that he would feel very passionate about.

“I started 6 years ago at LSHS. I started as a sub at all of the three different high schools,” Hoffman said.

Mr. Hoffmann has been

teaching in the Lee’s summit area for 7 years in total. His wife also teaches in the district at Woodland elementary school as an art teacher. “​My favorite thing about Mr. Hoffmann is that he understands teenagers, and isn’t strict but we still get stuff done,​” ​Madison Hetzel​ said.

The dynamic in his classroom is welcoming and is a strong environment to get work done in.

Students seem to feel welcome in his classroom. “​He wrote one of my letters of recommendation for a scholarship which I ended up receiving, so for that, I am very thankful for,​” Senior ​ Jennifer Garciga s​ aid Mr. Hoffmann makes a connection that is more meaningful than just teaching a class rather he tries to make a strong connection. “​My favorite thing about Mr. Hoffmann is how caring he is. He truly cares about the well being of students, their academic career included,​” junior Alana Rogers said.

Mr. Hoffmann tries to be there for students when they need him. He

tries to understand where they are coming from.

“When I see students are struggling I listen to them so I can help them manage their stress.

My favorite part about teaching is the everyday interactions because you never know when you will make a difference and then you get to see how you helped them,” Hoffmann said.

Mr. Hoffmann tries to be involved the best he can in his students’ lives and he tries to make a difference for all of them and above all, he wants to see them succeed.

After he finishes grading and replying to emails Mr. Hoffmann prepares for the classes of the next day.

After working at the Kansas City Star for 14 years, English teacher Kevin Hoffmann decided to take on the role of teaching students how to become better writers. “Working at the Kansas City Star taught me how to juggle many different tasks. Teaching can be just as hectic,” Hoffmann said.

Written by Jordan Wilson,Photographed by: Ke n z i e H e n k s , D e s i g n e d b y : Fa i t h R o a c h

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HOLIDAY

VOLUNTEERING Local organizations and clubs get involved to give back to their community around the holidays.

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he days

becoming colder, the

nights becoming longer, the stores putting out their holiday selections, and the Christmas music becoming essentially unavoidable, are all signs of the season which seem to come sooner and sooner every year. This often brings an emphasis on the material things, and what with all of the hustle and

bustle that the holidays bring, one can often lose sight of what the season is truly about.

Many, however, are combatting this notion of the changing ideals regarding the holidays. This occurs at a global, national, and local level. In Kansas City, organizations like ServeKC and the Rose Brooks Center resist this idea with service, with specific projects targeted towards holiday assistance.

The Rose Brooks Center is an

organization which focuses primarily on breaking the cycle of domestic violence, by offering emergency support to those in need.

“The bottom line is Rose Brooks Center is about saving lives. We not only protect hundreds of women, men, children, and pets who need emergency shelter to escape lifethreatening abuse, but thousands of families in the community who need support and resources.” Rose Brooks director of donor stewardship Scott Mason said.

Around the holidays, Rose Brooks hosts a holiday store through December which collects gifts for the families. They also have a Santa visit and provide meals for those in shelter.

Uncover KC is also

an organization that aims to give back to the community.

“Uncover KC creates positive social impact through community engagement. We achieve that by establishing unique, creative connections with people and organizations to facilitate volunteerism, education and events. We work to create volunteer opportunities for people in whichever way they are willing and able to give back to their community.”

Uncover KC president Brent Lager said.

Other service organizations would agree that there is a spike in volunteers around this time of year, with many wanting to give back to their communities.

“There are definitely more people looking to give back during the holidays. As we near the end of the year and people are reflecting on how thankful they are for all the good things in their lives, there is often a desire to give back some of that good to the community.”

Uncover KC president

Brent Lager said.

Lager believes this attitude should carry on throughout the year.

“While this is a great way to end the year, the need doesn’t end when the holidays do. There are always a variety of ways to give back to your community.

Even a little bit of your time can make a huge impact in our community.” Lager said.

This desire to serve others is not only present throughout the city, but in the school too.

“This month we have done Freeze Out, which is where we collect food and clothing donations.

We sit outside for 4 hours in the cold and pick up donations people drop off while experiencing what it is like to be homeless.” Tiger Smart member Emma Jenkins said.

This is Jenkins’ favorite service project

with Tiger Smart. “ It is also a great feeling knowing that you are helping out the community by collecting a lot of clothing and food donations that will really help families in need this winter.”

Jenkins said.

Clubs like National Honor Society hold Candlelighting to raise awareness of different points of views and religions. Student Senate also has Polar Plunge.

“For Polar Plunge, we run out into a freezing lake, high-five the officials out there in the lake, and then run back. It’s to raise

money for Special Olympics.” student senate member Eghosa Ogbevoen said.

All of the service present throughout this season truly shows how dimensional the holidays can be.

CHECK MATE There is a possibility of a new chess club being implemented.

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ixteen warriors stand in ranks ready to battle their foes.

Sometimes they’re stark white, earthen brown, shining silver, clear crystal or hundreds of other forms, but their roles are always the same. They are pieces in the game of chess, where players use their strategic skills to try to defeat each other. Those pieces in their various forms may soon come to Lee’s Summit High School as a new club. ​ “I am trying to gain interest for a year or two to get the club going.”

Science teacher Kim Rush said. “It will start next semester at the earliest.” ​Rush is a new teacher at this school who is interested in making a club dedicated to the game of chess. She successfully ran chess clubs at the previous schools where she worked and wants to start one here. At those schools, the clubs formed naturally, but Rush has been actively

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looking for people interested in joining a chess club. ​ “I enjoy chess and I think it would be cool to have a whole club dedicated to it.” freshman Will Eckert said. ​Eckert thinks that it would be great to introduce more people to chess through a club dedicated to the game. He thinks that the strategic thinking involved in chess can be important for people to learn and put into practice in their everyday lives. He also thinks that a lot of people would enjoy playing chess in the form of a club where they might find out more about chess. ​ “There is a larger chess world than most people believe,” Eckert said. ​Rush currently does not have any hard set plans for what the chess club will do. At one of her previous schools, the chess club arose naturally from student interest and Rush believes that it is

important for students to have a say in what the club’s goal will be. ​“It should just be about playing a lot. Going to a state competition could be a goal for the club,” freshman Conner Dugan said. ​ Forming a new club here requires someone involved to fill out the club application form and give it to the Building Activities Director. This form includes filing out the purpose of the club, when the club meets and who the teacher sponsor of the club is.

This means that the club could be set up at any time if there is enough support for it which Rush hopes to find. ​“Anybody interested just come learn chess and have fun.” Rush said.

Though the face of the game might change it seems that the goal behind it of having fun and making strategies to win does not. Soon the game in all of its forms might make it to Lee’s Summit High School.

Written by: Ethan Fleming,Photographed by: Lillian Mann Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

The game of chess was created in India and began to make its way west in the 9th century.

The longest possible game of chess in 5,949 moves while the shortest is 2.

The longest chess game had 269 moves and lasted over 20 hours before ending in a draw. https:// amazingfacts4u. com/chess/

STEADY SHREDDING This overlooked sport is gaining popularity.

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liding around on smooth pavement easily, the skate park ground was moving faster and felt much better than the rough parking lot where he first began.

Balancing himself on an 8 and a half inch wide board, senior Alex Ripplinger was getting his first taste of skateboarding.

“I started a little over two months ago, and I started because I thought it was cool and my friends and I all needed a hobby,” Ripplinger said.

Skateboarding requires balancing your weight evenly on your feet so you stay upright. Shifting weight to the toes and heels is how to turn, requiring skill

of being able to shift weight throughout the foot.

“I see myself improving everytime I skate,” Ripplinger said.

According to Braille Skateboarding, skateboards were first invented in the 1950’s and have come a long way since then. At first skateboards were used to just ride around, the riders having no idea how drastically skateboarding was going to change in the decades to come. Over the years with more experimentation by skateboarders, the idea of doing tricks with their board were filling more minds.

“I am very scared when it comes

to tricks but my confidence is going up each time I practice,” Ripplinger said.

The ollie is the first trick most skaters learn as it is the most basic and stems into many other different tricks.

An ollie is done by popping the tail of the skateboard into the ground, causing the board to go up into the air while the rider jumps above the board and lands. Tricks can be especially hard to do because of the many different steps and unnatural movement of ones feet and legs.

“I feel that trying tricks can be very hard and frustrating but once you figure them out it’s very rewarding,” LSHS Alumni Damon Bedenbender said.

Skateboarding can be picked up by anyone and it is viewed as an art by other skaters. There is no being wrong in art, like there is no being wrong in skateboarding. It does not matter what the rider does when they skate, only that they are out having fun.

“Skating to me is a way to both relax myself and to show off,” Bedenbender said.

Skateboarding is still on the rise to this day and many different countries are into it. The 2020 Olympics will be the first Olympics to have skateboarding as a competition, proving that more and more people are becoming interested in this growing sport.

Written by: Cameron Schulenburg Photographed by: Leah Haskell Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

CADE PEETOOM

DAMON

BEDENBENDER

ALEX RIPPLINGER 17 health

LSHS

REBUILDING The district will decide if the Lee’s Summit High school will receive a major update or remain outdated.

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omorrow, December 19th, the future of the district and Lee’s Summit High School will be determined in one room. Eleven Chairs and desks arch in a half-circle where the Board of Education will sit. Large letters on the wood panels behind the desks read “We Prepare Each Student for Success in Life.” It is up to the board to decide how to best accomplish that which may mean rebuilding Lee’s Summit High School. Or perhaps leaving the over 60-yearold building behind to update the middle schools to give the younger students a better chance.

For over a year the LSR-7 school district has been working on the expansive Comprehensive Facilities Master Plan. Phase I of the plan included various community surveys and meetings along with boundary changes to better address the changing population

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of Lee’s Summit. On December 19th the school board will meet and decide what projects will be included in Phase II of the plan.

“Lee’s Summit High School is one part of the plan. The other parts are a new middle school and changes to the 3 current middle schools with 6th graders.” Principle Kari Harrison said.

Peachee believes that our school needs an update as her room has wood pieces falling and she does not even use some of the run-down drawers anymore. The new bond could provide teachers with modern classrooms to replace their outdated ones. It is hardly a guarantee that this will happen, however. The Board of Education has already approved moving the 6th grade to the middle schools making the changes to the middle schools necessary which could lead to Lee’s Summit High School being left out of the bond issue.

“There is not enough money for everything,” Harrison said.

Even if the Board of Education approves the bond in December then the bond will go to the voters of Lee’s Summit who will ultimately decide if the bond is funded.

“The primary goal would be consolidating the campus and addressing a security need. The second goal would be to create a future-ready learning space. The third would be to update the mechanical systems.

The fourth would be to preserve the tradition and legacy of Lee’s Summit High School.” Harrison said.

These improvements could provide new opportunities for students and better facilities for teachers.

This could bring a bright future here, as long as those who decide the school’s fate remember what has led the school in the past, “Tradition.

Pride. Excellence.”

Written by: Ethan Fleming, Photographed by: Abigail Heck, Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

MORTIFYING

MOMENTS

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Theatre cast members tell about their most embarassing moments on stage.

mbarrassing moments are bound to happen, especially when performing.

“When I was in the musical Footloose, there was a full cast quick change to go into the finale. Everyone was frantically running around and trying to get changed in time. I had an older dress for a costume so I stepped on stage and the back of it automatically popped open. I could not not do the choreography that I had been given so my whole back was out for the rest of the show. That ended up happening two more times before they changed the zipper,” senior Avery Beavers said.

One of the most common causes for performance mishaps is costume malfunctions. The costume could be ripped, have buttons/ zippers that do not work or have missing pieces.

When this happens to a performers costume, it can be

pretty embarrassing and will make the performer constantly worry about the malfunction.

“In one of the rehearsals we were helping work on the set. Everyone had just gotten done painting all of these walls that we would put together later.

We kept rehearsing scenes and a lot of them required dancing. At some point I got very tired and decided to sit down on the side of stage. When it was my turn to get back on stage I stood up and started walking.

Everyone started laughing so I turned around and saw a butt-print in the fresh paint where I had just been sitting. I wasn’t allowed to leave rehearsal so I just had to toughen through it. I had a huge black stain on the back of my jeans and was never able to get it out,” Beavers said.

Since theatre sets are still being worked on when rehearsal is going on, it is pretty easy to trip over and/or

bump into the set pieces. When sets are still in progress, then someone will almost always end of with paint either on their skin or clothes which is always a hassle to remove.

“One of the most embarrassing things that happened during a rehearsal happened during Footloose during our Wet Tech rehearsal. We were rehearsing about a two minute quick change where the entire cast of about 65 people had to change backstage from a church outfit to huge prom dresses and tuxes to perform the finale number.

When the scene finally approached, panic literally struck every single person.

Mad Chaos. We have this rule that taught by Hensley that no matter what, we never miss an entrance. The music was speeding up and about to be our entrance.

All of our dresses weren’t zipped and the pieces of the boy’s tuxes were not buttoned or on at all.

We all went on stage

and performed the number half naked.

We all finished the number laughing so hard and we had to run that quick change about ten more times to get it right,” Raegan Maintz said.

When there is any type of malfunction or issue of when performing, the performer will feel way better if they were to see their cast members having the same problem since it will be less embarrassing. With events like that hilarity can be added to the moment which makes people both on and off stage feel better.

“During Hunchback of Notre Dame during my sophomore year, there is a scene where one of the characters sets the other character on fire in a pit. This is portrayed through holding a lantern with a flame and then having lighting effects making it seem as though she is in the fire. Well, during one of our performances, the

Written by: Lyric Westley, Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

flame on the torch fell over on the set piece. Which was wooden, so it started spreading so fast. We were in the middle of a musical number and had to wait out the song before putting it out. All of the actors started panicking but had to keep a straight face for the audience. The number ended and we had someone in our cast punch out the fire backstage.”

Fire is definitely no joke, so when it gets onto something it can be surprising and scary. While it may not have been the best to wait so long, the musical cast was eventually able to get rid of the fire and that is what matters.

There are many types of embarrassing moments that can happen onstage whether it is during a theatre performance or not.

These situations are unavoidable, so the best thing to do is to keep one’s head high and pretend it did not happen.

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CELLPHONE STRUGGLE Are cellphones affecting your relationships?

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any teens are addicted to techonology with relationships being impacted in a huge way. This is due to the fact that teens, in today’s society, need their social skills, and their technology addiction is pulling them away.

“The biggest struggle is the loss of skill with having face-toface interactions.” sociology teacher Stacey Moore said.

Conversations over social media apps, such as Snapchat and Instagram are not to be considered real conversation.

Human reaction is a powerful thing and can make an enormous impact.

This especially holds true because conversation over social media can be

very easily taken in the wrong context.

This lack of human reaction provided can also push teens to then start to internalize their issues because of their lack of faceto-face skills. They stop interacting with other people thar are not in their phone.

“There needs to be a very strict policy of when and where [technology] should be allowed.”

Moore said.

Whether limited at school or home, there should be a well-thought out plan where technology is concerned. Schools already generally have no-phone policies during classes, but every class has their own special rules when it comes to phone usage. At home, though, it all comes

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down to the parents or guardians. From teens only being on their devices for a few hours, to none at all, or no restrictions, there are many different levels associated with this. Teens need to reestablish those emotional support systems, and this is a big way of doing this.

“It takes willpower to start small and expand from there.” Moore said.

To overcome this addiction, baby steps are needed. The goal is not going to be accomplished in one say. A great start wouuld be to just put it down for maybe an hour every day and go from there.

Losing connection with no warning can negatively impact

relationships.

Today, most teens communicate through social media platforms and texting.

This can weaken relationships due to the lack of social skills involved.

Teens lack the skill of being able to speak face-to-face to one another.

Instead, they use technology to say the things that they would not have the courage to say in person.

Relationships are important and essential in every person’s life. Technology though, can negatively impact these relationships.

Technology along with all of the great bridges that it creates can also become addictive and cause problems for future generations.

- 84% of adults cannot go an entire day without their phones in their hands.

- Of 75,000 married couples surveyed, 79% said technology distracts them from connecting with eachother.

- 84% of smartphone user check their device while speaking with friends and family.

- 92% of Americans believe that smartphone addiction is real.

- 2/3 of Americans say that they agree that ‘unplugging’ or taking a ‘digital detox’ is important for their mental health.

Information is courtesy of: bagby.co

Written by: Katie McKitterick, Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

THE SCARY SIDE OF

SOCIAL

Written by: Jordan Wilson Photos by: Kenzie Henks Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

MEDIA

What makes social media unhealthy?

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fter opening up Instagram and scrolling from a while a sense of jealousy and envy begins building. This sentiment is not uncommon for students using social media. “​The things people see online are the best snapshots of the posters life or situation. It isn’t their real-life or even representative of what they experience every day If people are comparing themselves to these images or ideas of the perfect life they will always fall short,​” Sabata said.

get to chose what they post so it may not be the full version of their story.

Popular posts are designed to look perfect but they almost never reflect reality. “​It’s the thought of not being enough or not even being able to measure up that chips away at one’s self-esteem and sense of worth,​” Sabata said It is common for people to feel lesser after seeing an elaborately constructed version of a person’s life posted on social media. It is okay to view these posts on social media but it is equally important to know when it affects mental health in a negative way. “​Keep what you see online in perspective.

Limit the amount of time you spend online and interact with people in person,​” Sabata said.

As long as the time spent on social media is not exceedingly large and is kept from the perspective of reality it can be a fun way to spend free time, but it is still important for people to make person to person connections. “​Promoting safety and positivity can really start with each individual person.

Keep in mind that people get to chose what they post so it may not be the full version of their story.

When viewing posts on social media people should keep in mind that people

Make sure you are trying to model good behavior,​” Sabata said.

Often people like to create and foster negativity on the internet, but small changes of positivity within each person can allow for a more healthy perception of social media. Instead of getting angry about something somebody says try to educate them in a polite way that promotes a healthy experience. “​Social media isn’t good or bad, it just is. It’s a great way to stay in touch with people and get info super fast,” Sabata said.

Social media in moderation is whatever it is made out to be, so it is often better to avoid negativity and embrace positivity so the experience can be a net positive experience. When viewing media it is always a good idea to keep in mind the perspective the person is coming from and try to be understanding of it.

After closing the app and realizing that most of what is posted on social media is the best version of a person life through the best angle, there is finally the feeling of content.

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WIDE AWAKE Insomnia can create a variety of problems for teenagers.

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he inability to fall asleep, as well as the inability to stay asleep is characterized as insomnia. “​Acute (short term) insomnia is not uncommon. Many things can cause or contribute to this.

Stress and anxiety from upcoming exams or strained friend/family relationships are a couple major causes,” Director of Clinical Operations at PM Sleep Lab Vince Perry said.

Insomnia can cause many physical issues, but it can also have a serious effect on the mind.

“I think insomnia and lack of sleep can mimic a lot of mental health

issues. Depression and anxiety being at the top of the list. Not only that, when you experience chronic or even short term lack of sleep anger levels increase and our ability to effectively handle everyday situations diminish,” School counselor Sally Sabata said.

For teens depression is on the rise, and the connection to sleep and depression is definitely there.

“Not getting enough sleep has an impact on my daily life, and my mental state,” freshman Anthony Elliot said.

As teens, school is a daily routine,

and the constant lack of sleep can eventually have a negative effect on academic standing. “​Students who have experienced insomnia may not have the energy or ability to think clearly in a learning environment.

They could forget timelines/deadlines, have difficulty recalling learned information, have difficulty completing work in class or storing learned information to long term memory. It could impact their attendance and access to learning opportunities,” school

- Only 15% of teens report sleeping 8.5 hours on school nights.

- Many teens suffer from treatable sleep disorders, such as narcolepsy, insomnia, restless legs syndrome or sleep apnea.

www.sleepfoundation.org

Written by: Liberty Gentry Photographed by: Kinley Monk

Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

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Psychologist Kay Kelly said.

Getting a student’s point of view can end up being more helpful to others, because they might relate to similar situations.

“Not sleeping makes me super tired and I can’t focus,” Elliot said.

The lack of sleep can often come with serious consequences that could affect more than one person.

“The most noticeable consequences of insomnia are the effects of sleep deprivation, like poor attention in school or while driving.

This can lead to poor grades and motor vehicle accidents,” Perry said.

When left unrecognized insomnia can become dangerous.

“When left untreated insomnia can develop from an acute problem to a chronic problem.

Usually, this means that this underlying issues are harder to reverse or treat,” Perry said.

Going to see a local sleep doctor, or even a personal physician could help prevent irreversible issues caused by this very common disorder.

THE POWER OF YOGA Yoga can have many benefits both mentally and physically.

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Written by: Eleanor Ammerman, Photographed b y : M c Ku l l a Pa s z k i e w i c z , Designed by: Audrey Badgerow

he ancient practice of yoga has traveled from culture to culture, evolving and developing to fit the needs of those who practice it. Today, people all over the world have found comfort in its many benefits; practicing yoga has demonstrated in many cases to relieve pain, improve mental well being, reduce stress, increase strength, flexibility, and much more.

“A regular yoga practice instills a deep sense of gratitude in all aspects of life. Things that I might have thought were stressful before, I now view differently,” Core Balance Yoga Center owner Leah Morgan said.

Stress is neither unknown to students nor adults. Finding healthy ways to handle the stresses of life, however, can be an oddly difficult task, even for adults. However, Spanish teacher Kara Farren has found yoga to provide many personal benefits while dealing with stress.

“Yoga gives you various tools to learn how to manage and reduce stress on a physical and mental level,” Morgan said.

With lowered stress levels come many other benefits affecting not only those who practice yoga, but those around them.

“Mentally, I am much less reactive than I used to be. I have a lot more grace and patience and I am able to be in the moment.

That is definitely one of the biggest benefits of a regular yoga practice,” Morgan said.

Some forms of yoga maintain a focus on being present in body and mind, which can help calm anxiety and worry for anxious students.

“It has changed how I handle stress because it taught me breathing techniques, and also being able to just focus on nothing but my body and mind is actually really calming,” freshman Josie Gutierrez said.

Not only is yoga beneficial for handling an overwhelmed mental or emotional state, but yoga has many amazing benefits for the body.

“I used to only spend time doing cardio or lifting weights, but once I started doing yoga I realized I was missing out on quite a lot. I definitely am stronger and have a very strong core. Yoga is great for strength and flexibility,” Morgan said.

Yoga has many exercises that are very different from other sorts of physical activity. This type of physical activity benefits all physical movements with its focus on the core.

“It makes you stronger physically and more in tune with how all actions depend on your core,” Farren said.

The profound physical and mental benefits of yoga encourage those who begin to continue on their

path with yoga.

“Seeing people enjoying the benefits is the biggest reward. I have seen it reduce pain for a lot of people, and increase their strength. Most people who have been practicing for a while also report wonderful mental health benefits and lowered stress,” Morgan said.

With the physical benefits of yoga come improved core balance, strength, posture, and flexibility. These benefits apply not only in yoga practice but in many other areas of life.

“Yoga supports any athletic activity you want to do, it helps with lowering stress, and, if you do it often enough, elongates your muscles and makes you look better,” Farren said.

Especially with the stresses of school, yoga benefits students in their school endeavors with stress management, staying fit, and the ability to focus in the moment.

“It has affected me mentally because I genuinely think it has helped me be more at peace with my thoughts, and physically it has helped me with staying flexible,” Gutierrez said.

Yoga yields many physical and mental benefits that can benefit anyone of any age. Life always has its burdens, but finding a productive outlet, like yoga, can make handling life a little easier and a little more fun.

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A n x i A A n x io ou A u ss S tt u d en n ttt sss ud

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Anxiety in teenagers is higher in today’s world

he student looks at her to do list and then back at the pile of homework she has been working on for the past two hours. There is too much to do and too little time. The student feels the beginning of an attack coming on because of her difficulty breathing and tries preventative measures to stop it.

“Anxiety is the body’s reaction to alert your senses to address a threat. Anxiety can be healthy and beneficial, it helps us be more cautious during uneasy situations and remain safe [not get bit by snakes, question strangers, and exit burning buildings, ect,] Anxiety can also be unhealthy and cause serious disruptions to a person’s daily life.

When your system is constantly activated to produce anxiety vs only producing in times of need it can override your senses and make it hard to know how to react to keep yourself safe, misperceive safe situations as unsafe situations, ect,” school psychologist Kay Kelly said.

People with anxiety suffer through intense stress, worry and even fear. It can present itself through restlessness, intrusive thoughts and

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hypervigilance, among other things. There are five major kinds of anxiety as well. For example, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Specific Phobia Disorder, Panic Disorder, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Social Anxiety Disorder.

The most common form of it in teens is specific phobia. Anxiety can be hereditary and can be caused by a long period of stress causing events, abuse, drug (pharmaceutical and other) and more. Anxiety can also be created or be worsened by the many demands of school such as the enormous workload, hours spent at school and doing school work and the pressure of having high grades. Not to mention courses such as IB that are heavier in homework and time needed to study.

“From my experience IB provides an opportunity for students to experience learning in a different way, be able to dive deeper into areas of high interest that may not be available through typical classes and remain connected to school. I have had some students who struggle with a work/ life balance struggle within the IB program due to unhealthy anxiety that comes when they

feel overwhelmed by the workload, feel like they have to participate to uphold some ideal of what a good student is, or take IB in all areas and excel at the highest levels and that can be exhausting,” Kelly said.

When someone has a class like this or more, there is a lot of pressure

said.

Stress created by the demanding coursework can prompt someone’s anxiety. Juggling the difficult class along with all the other obligations

around. Being tested and assigned grades could produce feelings that filter into negative feelings and thoughts about oneself. The desire to succeed, go to college,

and activities can be stressful enough, but for someone with anxiety, it can be a worse burden.

For people with anxiety, things can be more difficult and mentally draining to handle.

“I definitely think teens have more anxiety now than when I was a teenager. The fast pace of our society, the never ending social media, the push to be the best are contributing factors.

Stress surrounding school has always been

know your career path early on really does weigh on individuals who are more prone to anxiety,” Sabata said.

In 2019, so many things are weighing down on teenagers such as school, global affairs and not to mention, the stress of being a teenager. Nowadays the pressure to be perfect in the academic field is stronger than ever which can be detrimental to student’s mental health.

The desire to succeed, go to college, know your career path early on really does weigh on individuals who are more prone to anxiety. to keep grades up and to be able to balance everything. For those with anxiety, it can worsen their stress and worry when there is a huge amount of things to do and keep up with and so little time.

“Taking the most rigorous courses eats up a lot of time and lots of hard work.

When you couple that with a job, sports, family obligations, and friends, the demand of IB classes could get to be overwhelming,” counselor Sally Sabata

Written by: Lyric Westley Photographed by: Kinley Monk D e s i g n e d b y : Fa i t h R o a c h

WHAT QUALIFIES AS A SPORT?

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Wrestling: Boy’s Varsity MSHSAA State Championships 7:00pm-9:00pm

Students and staff involved in activities question how the school defines sports.

wo friends sit at a lunch table, arguing. One of them argues that they play a sport while the other claims that it is not really a sport.

It can seem like a trivial argument but for people involved in it, the debate is serious.

There is a wide variety of activities offered at this school but they have always been put into two categories, sports, and clubs. Each of which is viewed differently by the student body. In most cases, this distinction can feel intuitive.

Members of bowling, color Guard, cheerleading, trapshooting, and other clubs at Lee’s Summit High School believe that they are in fact sports despite them currently being

categorized as clubs.

“We have 20 Varsity sports that are recognized by MSHSAA. Those are the sports that we recognize as a district.” Activities/ Athletics Director Tracy Bertoncin said.

MSHSAA is the Missouri State High School Activities Association which regulates sports and activities. MSHSAA has three different categories of school groups under its purview. There are sports such as baseball, basketball and cross country all of which involve physical competition.

There are activities such as music activities, scholar bowl and speech and debate can involve physical activity and competition though

TIME & PRACTICE: Golden guard captain Ainsley Kempin hones her performance. “I think it’s crazy when people say guard, cheer, dance, etc. aren’t a sport. We practice just as much as the other teams at the school and work extremely hard.”

not necessarily both. Finally, there are emerging sports/activities such as bass fishing, bowling, and chess which are not widespread enough to be recognized in either of the previous categories. This makes the distinction clear though others can have different definitions of what a sport is than MSHSAA. “My definition of a sport would be a competition against others.”

Darnell Sims said.

Sims is a sponsor for the trapshooting club here.

Trapshooting falls under MSHAA’s current definition of target Shooting which is categorized as an Emerging Activity. By his definition, other activities such as bowling, color guard, cheerleading and possible even academic activities like scholar bowl could be considered as sports. For color guard members being called a sport would be a great improvement from their current label.

“We do all this hard work and are proud of it, but then we get put down and told that what we’re doing is not as important or as hard as a different sport.” Senior color guard member Emma Oesterly said.

It seems that this issue of what exactly sport is, won’t be resolved satisfactorily for a long time to come. In the end, both sports and activities have a chance to flourish at her and neither should be looked down upon just because of what they are called.

Written by: Ethan Fleming P h o t o s b y : M c k u l l a Pa s z k i e w i c z Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

Varsity Girl’s Basketball

Conference Game LSHS Field House 7:00pm LS vs. TRUMAN

Varsity Boy’s Basketball

Conference Game LSHS Field House 7:00pm LS vs. TRUMAN

Winter Guard Competition LOCATED IN LIBERTY

SPORTS OVERVIEW 25 health

SCHOOL LUNCH vs TEEN DIET How are school lunches affecting your nutrition?

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tudents begin to pull apart their cafeteria food, excited for their favorite food to be on the menu today.

Tables across the cafeteria receive trays full of schoolserved cookies, tater-tots, fries, chicken strips, chips, pizza, and greasy vegetables. With the unappealing prepackaged salads hidden and steaming pizza appetizingly laying out for anyone to take, the choice of what food will go on the tray has been quickly made.

“I will walk in and see how the sandwiches and salads are packaged versus the pizzas and nuggets and stuff, and how they are not advertised or showcased nearly as much as everything else.” sophomore Chloe Doak said.

The difference between school lunches in the district being healthy or unhealthy does not rest on what schools do not serve, but rather what they market in addition to their healthy options.

“I do believe that school systems are trying, but I also think that they showcase the high sugar and unhealthy kind of food right when you are about to check out with your lunch” Doak said.

The need for proper nutrition

health

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affects everyone, but growing teen bodies and brains need special diet-based attention.

Large amounts of ‘junk’ foods can poorly affect a teen’s growth and health.

“Eating large amounts of junk foods during the teen years is associated with poor mental health, poor gut health, weaker immune system, poor focus and increased risk of health problems in the future,” Kansas City-based family nutritionist Georgina Lile said.

Learning abilities in the classroom rely on a wellnourished body and mind.

Students eat their lunches in the middle of their school day, so the nutritional value of their meal can affect a student’s performance level tremendously.

“Studies show that a balanced school lunch that includes fruits and vegetables improves academic achievement and attendance as well as the overall health of students,” Lile said.

Nutritious school meals are important for school performance, but they greatly affect overall student health because of their large contribution to a teenager’s daily nutrition.

“Research tells us that on Written by: Eleanor Ammerman

average, students get over 50% of their daily calories at school.

This means they can have a large impact on the quality and nutrient value of foods students eat which can largely impact a student’s overall health and ability to learn,” Lile said.

As the importance of school lunches in a teenager’s diet becomes increasingly evident in schools, a change in school served food has been spurred.

“One of the biggest changes made over the past decade is that we have significantly lowered the sodium content of food products we serve and sell. We have also implemented whole grains in our bread products and have started offering more fresh fruits and vegetables daily,” district assistant director of nutrition Lindsay Salazar said.

With schools pushing to make progress on nutritional meals in school, students also become more accountable for their own daily nutrition.

Many important factors affect the nutritional value of a meal, but the easiest way to meet the body’s nutritional demand is to make a plate of variety.

“We offer low-fat milk at both breakfast and lunch. We also offer a wide variety of Photographed by: Kenzie Henks

fresh fruits and vegetables, every day, for all students, so they have access to a wide variety of vitamins and minerals to help their growing bodies,” Salazar said.

However, understanding how to create a nutritional plate is vital to maintaining physical and mental health. To build a healthy meal, it is important to be able to proportionately distribute the items on the plate to ensure varietal nutrition in the meal.

“Imagine there is a line down the middle of your plate.

Fill half your plate with fruits or vegetables or both. Fill a quarter of the plate with whole grains and starchy vegetables.

Fill a quarter of the plate with proteins. This method ensures we get a variety of nutrients and balance in our meals,” Lile said.

Nutrition affects the main aspects of health, so with school lunch being responsible for a large portion of daily nutrition, everyone should be wise when choosing the value in their meals. Nutrition founds healthy living, so both schools and individuals become responsible for respectfully nourishing their bodies.

Designed by: Cheyanne Kennedy

shrinking sports Fewer and fewer students are participating in high school sports. early eight form of school spirit for activities and clubs for

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million students play high school sports annually. However, that is beginning to change.

With fewer and fewer students participating in traditional high school sports, questions are starting to arise on how severe it really is.

High school sports have been a very popular

Written by: Jaeden Miller Designed by: Fa i t h R o a c h

decades. Students are able to come together to learn about teamwork, dedication, and loss.

However, despite these facts, the participation of students in high school sports is beginning to decline.

“Sports have declined over the last few years and I believe that is due to young teens wanting to play video games and parents being afraid of their children getting hurt,” football coach Rick Shriver said.

Football, being one of the most popular high school sports, is also the one that has declined the most. Young men are not participating in football anymore, for one reason or another. According to the National Federation of State High School Associations, or NFHS, there was a decline of 43,395 in the 2018-2019 school year. The report has not found a decline like this since 19881989.

“I decided to quit football to be in the school musical. I have always been conflicted between athletics and the arts, since I thoroughly enjoy the experiences and people of both groups,” junior Jace Vendelin said.

Another very popular high school sport has declined drastically; basketball. Just like football, students simply are not participating in basketball as much

as years prior. The total amount of girls playing basketball has not decreased as much as it has since 1992-93.

Approximately 399,000 girls participated in high school basketball in 2018-19.

“I think sports are put on a pedestal in society as the greatest and best, and in turn, it is a thought that we should be putting our kids into sports at a young age,” junior Raegan Clark said.

Although these sports have declined very drastically, many other sports are actually on the rise. All girl’s football has become much more popular in high schools, doubling participants in the last ten years. There are also 156 more schools offering 6-man, 8-man, and 9-man football as opposed to the usual 11. Regardless of these sports increasing, they are rising at a much slower pace than many other popular sports are declining.

“There are numbers released by the National Federation of High School Sports that say there is a slight decline in high school athletics overall in the United States. There are lots of different theories on why. Club sports are enormous, probably bigger than they have ever been. We also have a wider range of

kids to get involved in,” Activities Director Tracy Bertoncin said.

Although football and basketball have both declined in recent years, it is also very apparent that some sports have become much more popular. A good example is soccer here in the United States. Soccer has been a popular sport in other countries for decades, but in recent years it has exploded in popularity here too.

Between club soccer and school soccer, people are becoming more and more passionate for the sport from a young age.

“I think playing a sport can improve grades in moderation. If you have a healthy balance of practice and study time, exercise is supposed to improve academic performance,” Clark said.

Although many sports can be very stressful, they can also have many benefits for students. According to a report from The University of Rochester, participating in sports helps teach students discipline, responsibility, self-confidence, accountability, and teamwork. Sports also provide a very healthy form of exercise for students, helping to keep them in shape.

“One of the things that concerns me as an athletic director is that we have less multi-sport

athletes than we have ever had,” Bertoncin said.

Sports have been a large staple in high schools for decades.

With the number of students participating, it can be difficult to see the decline that has occurred.

However, based on many different forms of data, it is very clear that there has certainly been a decline. It is hard to know what kind of effect this will have on schools, if any, and if the decline will continue to become more and more drastic.

27 health

CHITTY CHITTY Caractacus: Junior Jace Vendelin hypes himself up before he gets on the stage to play Caractacus Potts.

“That first couple of steps onstage feels like being on the football team running through that inflatable on Friday night. It’s pretty magical to me.”

Truly: Senior Avery Beavers takes the stage as Truly. Avery shows her love for the show when she performs as Truly. “I am feeling whatever Truly is feeling. If Truly is sad then I am portraying that emotion and crying. It’s almost impossible to have personal feelings on stage when you are fully invested in a character.”

Boris: Tristan Pettorss shows how much a freshman can get involved in the musicals. “. The feeling of acting with Sid was surreal, it seems like it was yesterday that I saw him in Footloose and then I go up and sing alongside him, it’s crazy.”

Hensley: Mr. Hensley helps his students put on an amazing

show. “Hensley is a super-human for the things he does. There were a few moments where we didn’t know if the show was going to run..but it did. That man should take all the credit for that.” Tristan Pettross said.

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Family:Being apart of the musical is being a part

of a big family You grow really close with your cast.

There’s always someone willing to be there for you.”

Jace Vendilin said.

Photographed by: Leah Haskell