BLHS Express March 2013 by BLHS Express

What ’s Inside?

• Cell Phones In Class • Forensics • Tanning

• Student Spotlight: Heather Francis

Spring Sports Previews

By: Abi Batesel, Tori Powell, Mitchell Mikinski and Sarah Ford

BOYS GOLF All bets are off for senior Cameron Kennedy. Cameron, a second year golfer, is excited for his senior season. But it’s not just the excitement of getting to go golf for free on a daily basis that excites the future K-State student, this is his last go around and with the rest of the seniors who are also going out for golf it is sure to be fun. Why golf? Why would you do that as opposed to T.R.A.I.N. or baseball? For Cameron the reason is simple, “The sport’s the most mentally challenging or certainly one of them” he also said, “Golf is very relaxing. Nothing calms your mind like just going out and hitting some balls.” The first Varsity meet is April 1 at Gardner.

BASEBALL This year’s baseball season, didn’t start out as expected. The first day of all spring sports was canceled due to the excessive amount of snow that Basehor received. Coach Lohafer said, “It has been an extreme hassle for all the spring sports since there are only two gyms, and you have five sports, track, baseball, golf, softball, and girls’ soccer, that are struggling to find a place to practice.” With that being said he also said that he is very optimistic for this season. The senior boys this year are the kids that he started out with and he is excited to see what they will accomplish this year. Senior Zac Hevel said, “If we come together and play as a team, we’ll have a pretty good shot at going to state. It’ll be an amazing feeling to play at the Community America Stadium and to have plenty of team bonding.”

Hopefully all the snow melts in time to get all the time trials done before the first meet. Good luck to the track team and all other spring sports this season.

SOCCER Soccer season just started and because of the big snow storms, the team has had less practice than they are used to. Since the school doesn’t have much wide open space within the halls of the school, it was crowded with all the outdoor teams trying to practice indoors. Junior Jordan Nirschl said, “Coach considered shoveling the field so we could practice, and Keeler considered using a push broom.” Neither happened, and the soccer team ended up running hallways the their practice. Nirschl said, “All of the snow will have a major effect on our first game because we haven’t had much of a chance to touch the ball or run any kind of drills.”

SOFTBALL The softball team was also forced to practice indoors over the first two weeks

of the season. Freshman Madi Osterhaus said, “We were able to use the gym so we could practice some, but it wasn’t the same as an actual field.” Some of the practices were even canceled because with all the teams inside, there was not enough room for everyone to practice at the same time. “The snow probably hurt our chances of playing a good first game because we won’t be used to the fields and the weather conditions,” Osterhaus said.

The BLHS softball team runs laps in the building during the first week of tryouts. With gloves in hand, freshman Hayley Barnes and sophomore Miranda Lipps lead the pack.

TRACK & FIELD Dealing with the snow has been difficult with all spring sports. Because of the snow, all of the spring sports are forced to practice inside right now. Literally every hallway is full of a different sport trying to get some practice in. “As a thrower, it’s really hard dealing with the snow. We can’t do much but form work in the halls and that’s not so easy either. We’ve been kicked out of the mezzanine, the gyms, and even the senior hallway. We have had to resort to the math hallway, but there’s still people running through and interrupting us every few minutes,” sophomore Ashley Novo-Gradac said.

Express staff left to right: Maddy Mikinski, Brittni Wilhelm Tori Powell, Ali Patterson, Mitchell Mikinski, Lindsey Schubert, Abi Batesel, Alexis Nichols, Sarah Ford, Elissa Freemire, Julia Stevens, Rachael Bell, Susette Garcia, Allison Crist. Not pictured: Liz Morris.

The

Square

By: Mitchell Mikinski

The Square. If you are a senior or have heard of them, then perhaps the name brings a smile to your face, perhaps it makes you roll your eyes, or maybe you’re one of the people who thinks all they do is cause trouble. But regardless of the reaction, one thing is undeniable: they will leave a mark and a memory on the high school that they have called home for the past four years. The Square was originally The Triangle; three friends Janrae Bondoc, Paul Rehm, and Jared Kenton, who were sophomores at the time, dedicated to achieving a higher purpose; standing for three principles: Justice, Intelligence, and Brotherhood. The Square however was missing a key principle, Spunk, and as a

result one day in the pool of Cameron Kennedy the men decided to introduce a fourth man, Gage Zumbrunn; thus making The Square. In order to understand The Square you first must realize the sense of humor that the men of The Square share, and frequently banter within their day-to-day conversations, and the fact that nothing that’s seen in the paragraph above can be taken seriously. Another thing you must realize is when being interviewed, The Square shouts a chorus of responses before they eventually agree on a consensus. They also say, “Use big words so people will think you’re smarter,” and so that’s what’s been done throughout the following work. The Square is in its essence is just a group of friends who enjoy irritating teachers, living life, and maybe owning their own seven-star hotels in Dubai later on in life, just like the rest of us, but that will be brought up later on.

One of the Square’s many aspirations, they said, was to build and engineer a fully operational Death Star with their engineering skills provided to them by their teacher, Stephanie Harris. Another of the many beliefs they have is that of intergalactic domination which they believe to firmly be in their grasp once their Death Star is fullyoperational. No word on when the completion date is. This is yet another thing that cannot be taken seriously at all. The Square generally prefers to do its communing in private at Gage’s house on weekends for “Hot Tub Time,” or Jared’s house on weekdays, and sometimes they meet underground in an undisclosed location as opposed to someplace more public where many people hang out. Although no one can be sure it is believed that The Square does this to stay close and make sure the Square’s bond is never

broken. The Square also has more normal goals like, “Being respectful to women... unlike Gage” and “Being gentlemen of the highest breed”. No word yet on how that’s going. In their free time they enjoy watching Nick Cage movies, as well as the Dark Knight Trilogy. They also enjoy a good game of “Cat & Mouse” which is them chasing Gage around, as well as taking time to “taste the steaks” which according to them is exactly what it sounds like... eating steaks. When they tire of these things they commune with their network of anonymous associates spread throughout the school and globe. The Square is currently in the midst of a membership debate of whether they should admit Joe Levinson thus making them the Pentagon. In closing they only wish me to put #squarelife, their Twitter trend, in this article.

In Your Own Backyard There are 590 students at Basehor-Linwood High School, and that’s not including teachers and administration. Imagine how many people you don’t really get to know. You go through four years not knowing much about others. There are so many little things you’ll never get to figure out about people. Allow The Express help you get to know to a few people at BLHS.

SOFTBALL JAZZ Anya Armstrong, can tie a cherry stem with her tongue in five seconds. She doesn’t just do that, she also has been playing softball since she was 7 years old.

By: Liz Morris

TAKING PHOTOS TO ASSIGNING HOMEWORK

We all know that there is a photography teacher in the school but did you know that there is HOLA! TO another teacher that SCORE! likes to take pictures? Mrs. Darr received You may know Mrs. her first camera when Shields the Spanish 2, she was 10 and started 3, 4 and French teacher. taking pictures. Mrs. She has been able to Darr loves to take ride a unicycle since she nature and landscape was 10 years old. She From left to right: Anya Armstrong, Nancy Shields, James Harkness, Vicky Herbster, Vicki Darr, Josie photos, since she is a was also a drum major Stephens. Doing splits: Megan Stephens. No, Josie and Megan aren’t related. biology teacher. Darr and a baton twirler at said,” I have always Kansas State. YOLO loved science and enjoyed teaching. Señora Shields said, “My granddad I have worked more seriously on my Sophomore James Harkness is a rapper. ran a motorcycle and bicycle shop in photography since my kids graduated He started rapping when he was 10 Dodge City, and on my birthday my and I had more time to travel and take years old and makes rap’s up in his mom and dad gave me a unicycle from pictures. I mostly take pictures for my spare time. James said that his favorite my Granddad’s shop. I could ride it and enjoyment.” thing to rap about is just life. One of shoot hoops at the same time.” his favorite sayings is, “Yolo: you only CHEERLEADER TO FROM FUTURE VET TO live once.” James doesn’t just rap, but he also likes to play chess, especially in BEHIND THE GLASSES BIOLOGY TEACHER advisory when he has no homework. Another student that you may not have One teacher that you may not have known some things about is senior thought wanted to be a veterinarian is DANCER PROBS Josie Stephens. She recently moved Mrs. Herbster. Herbster went to college Sophomore Megan Stephens used to to BLHS from Clear Creek Amana in to be a veterinarian but changed her compete in gymnastics. She started Iowa. Josie has been cheerleading since plans when she realized she was allergic when she was 4 years old after she her sophomore year. She cheered at her to many animals. She also is a song realized she was tired of ballet. Megan old school before she moved. Josie isn’t leader at her church and is very active. used to be able to do many things just a cheerleader, she is also interested Mrs. Herbster said, “I work out for until she found out she had a rare back in robotics, which involves building many reasons: to stay in shape, be problem. robots to compete against other schools healthy, the competition (I hate to lose) Another thing Megan is good at in robot games. Josie said, “I like being and because I want to be a lifelong is Spanish, or any foreign language. in robotics because I get to show another athlete. I hope to be running when I’m She said,”I used to live in Europe, so side of who I am and interact with 80. The main reason I work out is for languages come quickly to me.” different types of people.” the sense of accomplishment. It’s not always fun while working out but the rewards are many.”

Teen Fathers: Are They Getting the Short End of the Stick? In 2012 it was announced that the rate of teenagers becoming mothers is rapidly declining, according to a new report published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, many people think that teen pregnancy is still both supported and glorified. With shows like 16 & Pregnant and Teen Mom, it’s hard to ignore a topic like this. Are teen dads getting the attention they need, though? Fact: Of teenage women who become pregnant, about 35% choose to have an abortion (National Abortion Federation). Here’s the shocker though: there are no laws which allow a biological father to stop an abortion. American fathers have no rights until the child is born. Despite anyone’s specific beliefs about when a child becomes a child, the law is the law. Many believe this doesn’t make sense due to the fact that in

most cases a pregnant teen cannot legally choose adoption if the father disapproves. Therefore, according to the law, a father can stop an adoption but not an abortion. There are plenty of different opinions on whether this is fair or not. Junior Tori Bejarano said, “The father isn’t the one who’s going to be carrying the child. Ultimately, it should be the mother’s decision whether or not to get an abortion. He could say, ‘No, don’t get one,’ and disappear after that. Then, the mother is left to take care of the child on her own.” Other opinions differ. “In my opinion, I believe a father should have a say. If the mom doesn’t want to take care of the baby, the father should have the opportunity to take care of him or her. He can have full custody. It’s just as much the dad’s baby as it is the mother’s.” Amber Garver, also a junior, said. In most states, the

teenage father of a child is still required to pay child support if separated from the mother. If he cannot provide, his parents must. If a teen father is forced by the law to pay child support, should he have the right to stop the mother from getting their baby aborted? It is a question many people are beginning to ask. Another issue that arises with teen abortion is whether or not the girl should have to get parental permission. Only certain states require that one parent must be told of the decision to get an abortion. Schools aren’t allowed to give students aspirin without parental permission; yet, an abortion is allowed without permission in multiple states. This is a touchy subject overall because it all comes down to a person’s beliefs. People will either support or condemn the decision to get an abortion. Sophomore

By: Allison Crist

Joe Gorman said, “I’m against abortion but that’s my opinion. I think someone who gets an abortion will regret it later in life because they can’t take it back. Plus there are a lot of risks.” Although abortion is a right anyone has, there are many risks. Studies have proven that abortion may lead to an increased chance of breast cancer, Pelvic Inflammatory Disease, depression, and the contraction of Viral Hepatitis, not to mention death due to excessive bleeding or other complications. A student who would like to stay anonymous explained, “This is really personal, but I think it’s important for people to know. My aunt got an abortion when she was 17. Obviously, she wasn’t ready to be a mother and didn’t want to be humiliated at school. So, she chose to do what she did. To this day, she still suffers from depression that stemmed from the abortion. She told me

for the longest time, she just felt empty and that it’s her biggest regret.” Another student here at BLHS who didn’t want their name released said, “Although Kansas is made up of mostly Republicans, I remain pro-choice. Whatever happened to separation of church and state? One person’s religious beliefs are no better than another’s. Who can decide what is wrong and right?” There are hundreds of aspects that could be argued in regards to abortion. In the end, what it comes down to is personal beliefs. Should it just become illegal? “I feel like there are plenty of couples out there who are ready for a baby but they can’t. It’s not fair. Instead of killing the baby, give it up for adoption to someone who is ready to be a mother,” Senior Hannah Ford said. However, it is a right granted to all Americans, and the father’s say in that decision currently remains unprotected by the law.

SPRING BREAK BY 5+

68%

12%

How many Spring Breaks have you traveled over?

43%

T STAR

...of the Student body has Practice over Spring Break

BY THE NUMBERS

Who travels49% 21% % where??23%

Spring Break Plans... Travel

14%

Sleep & eat all day Hang with Friends

17%

22%

Working 32%

Other

1 in 4 students will be traveling over Spring Break 2013

Theater-itis:

Seniors In the Theater

By: Maddy Mikinski

In BLHS theatre, just like its sports and other extra-curriculars, seniors dominate the scene. In the plays and musicals, seniors are usually cast in the lead roles and pull the most weight of those involved. “I thought they were the coolest people ever,” Rachel Bennett, senior, said of the seniors during her freshman year. Bennett has just completed her 11 show at BLHS and has been involved in theatre since the 2010 production of The Snake in the Grass. Predictably, the seniors in theatre set the pace for everyone else. “We provide the enthusiasm,” senior Jessica Morris said. “Their attitude will determine the mood of the rest of the cast,” Heather Francis, senior, elaborated. Anyone who has been to a play or musical practice can see it’s true. Underclassmen take cues from the seniors and look up them as leaders, maybe to the same extent that they look up to director Rebecca Knowles. Though they are fellow leaders, the seniors have their own kind of respect for Knowles. At the end of every production, seniors on the cast present her with a different present–usually one with a theme taken from the current play or musical. “I think that [the gift] causes the underclassmen to see the seniors’ appreciation for Knowles, and they appreciate her also,” Francis said.

The number of seniors in this year’s one act play, A Walk in the Woods.

The number of hours per week theatre students rehearse for musicals (10 for plays)

Seniors Heather Francis and Jessica Morris (right) share the stage with junior Rebecca Carroll at the BLHS theatre production of Tim Kelly’s Headin’ for the Hills.

This gift not only serves as inspiration for the lower ranks, but it also shows how close Knowles and the seniors really are. Knowles thinks the world of her seniors. “The seniors are especially good at leading by example,” she said. The seniors set an example of integrity by auditioning for production after production and sticking with the theatre department for years at a time. The underclassmen see the seniors arriving to practice on time and throwing their all into performances and want to do the same. Senior Sarah Jacobs says the real purpose of seniors is “to teach those who

The combined number of BLHS productions the senior class has participated in

will be seniors to be awesome seniors”. This brings up the question of those who will be seniors next year. As the 20122013 school year slowly draws to an end, this year’s juniors will have to prepare for being next year’s leaders. They will inevitably step into the same spotlight that this year’s seniors have been in and lead by the example set by those before them. They’ll soon have the job of giving Knowles her gift and training the underclassmen to be awesome seniors as well. “I have faith in them to do great things,” Bennett sums up.

11,400

Estimated number of tickets sold to productions seniors have participated in over the last four years The number of theatre productions senior Sarah Jacobs has participated in (the most of any BLHS senior)

Trending Apps

These days, electronics are all over the place, whether it be a cell phone or an Apple product. Here’s a list of this month’s trendiest apps.

Entertainment Instagram

Games Subway Surfer

Free

Be quick, snatch the coins, and dodge incoming subways to escape from the inspector and his dog.

Free

Twitter

Temple Run 2

Free

The sequel to the original Temple Run, this game has many new twists and turns throughout. Grab the jewels and outrun the cursed idol. “This game is way harder than the first, and this time there’s no cheats,” said Zac Hevel.

Free

“They make texting more exciting and it helps describe your emotion in the moment through a text,” Lindsey Schubert said. 2,000 or more icons to add to SMS text, emails, notes, Facebook statuses, and Tweets.

Pandora Pandora

What’s the Word?

Sarah Ford said, “This game is really addicting. It makes me wanna punch the wall when I can’t figure out a word.” An app that shows you four pictures with one word in common. Can you guess the word?

Only using 140 characters, tweet as many times as you want a day! Follow friends and read their tweets on your timeline. Alec Otting said, “Twitter is like a giant group message, where we come together as idiots to express our opinions that basically do not matter at all. ”

Emoji

Ruzzle

Play against strangers or invite friends! Find as many words as you can by swiping the screen to match up words. There are three rounds and the high score wins. Jordan Eriksen said, “Ruzzle makes you smell bad because you get really addicted and forget to shower.”

A great way to connect with people by sharing photos with friends or people you follow. Like a photo with a double-tap on your screen. “It offers an easy way to cyber bully Gage. It also satisfies my need to publish ugly bathroom mirror pictures,” said foreign exchange student, Juho.

Free

A personalized radio app that will play the kind of music you’re in the mood for. Type in your favorite artist or song and Pandora does all the work, creating a “station” that is similar to all your favorites.

#Snowpocalypse

(From left) Shawn Mercer (Freshman), Anya Armstrong (Freshman), Kali Jacobson (Freshman), Alex Reid (Fifth Grade) enjoy the snowpocalypse.

This February has left us with giant piles of snow and a few days off school. The midwestern blizzard set new records and left us stranded in our houses for days. The first round of snow came early in the morning on Thursday, Feb. 21. School was called off both Thursday and Friday, as much of the area saw up to a foot of snow fall. Students returned to school the following Monday, and another storm blew through late that night, dropping another foot of snow and canceling school Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. The second round of snow was much heavier and better for making snowmen, snowballs, and snow forts. Many students at BLHS had fun on their days off, but some were getting bored by the end of our snow days.

By: Julia Stevens

“I carried on the tradition of sliding down the giant hill in my backyard with my niece,” junior Rachael Bell said. The feelings were all mutual about not having school and being able to sleep in. Junior Haleigh Linden spent her snow days sleeping in and watching it snow. Sophomore Kailey Bender was also excited there was no school, although she thought there was way too much snow. Most of the students at BLHS played in the snow, making snowmen, snowball fights, and igloos, including; sophomores Liz Morris and Kailey Bender and junior Haleigh Linden. Although Haleigh said she wished she could have spent the snow days with her boyfriend, she was happy that she wasn’t at school.

Liz Morris spent her snow days sliding down her icy street with her little brothers. She also had to help her dad shovel her back porch.

Bender enjoyed her snow days although she said she wished there wasn’t so much snow. Morris wanted to make a giant igloo using all the snow from her yard. Many of the students weren’t excited about being snowed in for two days, but they had fun on their days off playing in the snow. Overall, the snow days seemed to be a success and many of the students at BLHS enjoyed all of the snow.

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Liz Morris

Want to CONTRIBUTE PHOTOS to the BLHS yearbook and newspaper? Our publications are more interactive now than ever before! Go to www.replayit.com and register for an account with BLHS. The password is bobcats1. You can upload your photos directly on to this site.

Liz Morris

Taylor Sherley

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Amber Garver Kristen Loney Lindsey Schubert

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