“Shrek the Musical” actors left to right: Zach Fisher (Donkey), Bret Fritz (Shrek), Courtney Payne (Fiona), Luke McGowan (Lord Farquad).
What’s Inside?
The Johnson Flag p. 2
CC Team Takes 6th at State p. 3
Shrek the Musical p. 4-5
Safe Ride Programs p. 6
Spotlight Athlete p. 7
The Johnson Flag by BLHS social studies teacher Tim Johnson
In 2009 when our middle son Kris (2004 graduate of BLHS) deployed to Afghanistan as an IED/bomb specialist, he bought several American flags and would put them on his MRAP command vehicle as he worked some of the most dangerous roads in the mountains of Afghanistan. After 30-40 days he would ship home one flag to a family member as a keep-sake and then put on a new flag and repeat the process. When his last flag arrived home after being carried through several battles, we put it up inside our house. His command vehicle was destroyed by an IED just weeks after he sent the flag home. A few months later in the fall of 2010, our son Swede (2008 BLHS grad) asked his college football coach if he could carry his brother’s flag onto the game field each week before Mid America Nazarene’s game. So the flag was loaded up and proudly carried out for 14
weeks to honor the soldiers fighting in the war. This same season at Homecoming, our oldest son Branden attended the game at MNU where he had played football several years earlier. Branden, also an IED/bomb specialist, was home for one last week before he left for a second tour of duty in the Iraq war. As the flag was carried out, the announcer asked our son to stand up and told the crowd of his pending return to the war. He received a standing ovation from the crowd as his younger brother waved the flag on the field. Several weeks later after the season ended, the flag was shipped to Iraq where oldest son Branden would also display the flag on his command vehicle until his year of duty ended. Again the flag would see conflict and attacks from terrorists. In his senior season in 2011, our son Swede would carry
Lt. Branden Jones stands with flag on his command vehicle in Iraq in 2012.
BLHS grad Swede Johnson carries flag onto the field in 2011 before the national semi-final playoff game for small college football.
out the same American flag a second season before each MidAmerica football game, ending just one game short of a national small college championship. Then in 2012, the flag would be sent overseas one more time with Kris Johnson for his second deployment to the war in Afghanistan.
2004 BLHS grad Lt. Kris Johnson in the desert of Afghanistan in 2010.
There it has been flown over the military base just outside of Kabul, the site of numerous Taliban attacks on the military compound. It will come home again in a few months when our son returns from the longest war in US history. We will proudly display the Johnson flag in our home, until it is called to duty again.
The flag is shown on the MRAP command vehicle of Lt. Kris Johnson in Afghanistan in 2009, just months before the vehicle was destroyed by an IED.
Basketball Preview Basketball season is just around the corner, and both the girls and boys teams are more determined than ever to take their team and the community back to Salina this year.
by Susette Garcia
Although Pat is new to the Basehor community, he played with the team over the summer and got the chance to start building chemistry with his new team.
“Our goal is always to make it to State and win, so we are going One last this Pat would like to add is, “We better have a large and to work hard every day to get there this year. I want to finish my rowdy student section cheering us on every Tuesday and Friday high school career as a basketball player with another ring,” senior night!” Chase Younger said. Last year the girls team had a record of 7-14 and boys had a record The girls team is just as anxious to make it back to Salina as well. of 13-8. Sophomore Ryann smith said, “We’re definitely going to be winning a lot more games this year than last year.” “Last time our girls basketball team went to state was three years ago. I still remember the feeling of being there. Now as a senior, “Last season wasn’t our best season we’ve had, but I guarantee you, before I leave high school I want to go back to Salina one more we will make every basketball game this year a good one,” senior time,” senior Victoria Smith said. JP Downing said. The boys team welcomes a new addition to the team this year: junior Patrick Muldoon. Pat’s main goal for this year is to give coach McBride and his teammates everything he has in order for them to have a successful season.
Yearbook Staff Wins Award
The 2012-2013 yearbook staff was recently announced to win the Jostens National Yearbook Program of Excellence award for the 2013 yearbook. This is the second straight year the staff has won this award. Jostens typically only recognizes about 5 percent of its clients each year. To win the award, staffs must sell books to 70 percent of the school, include at least half of the students in the book three times or more, and meet all deadlines. The staff met and exceeded each criterion along the way. - Contributed by Kristen Loney
Students Win Math Contest
On November 5, several BLHS students attended Washburn's Math Day and participated in two competitions. The morning contest was a traditional math contest where students worked through math questions during a timed session. Our team was the runnerup for the 4A schools. In the afternoon they had a "Mathnificent Race" where students were given a sheet of clues and had to go to various places on campus to collect information and then solve problems based on the information. All schools competed against one another and our students took first place. - Contributed by Emily Snyder
The season starts Monday, November 18 with the first games coming in early December. From the words of the players themselves, it sounds like you won’t want to miss a game this year.
CC Team Takes 6th at State Meet
Congratulations to the cross country team for breaking several school records this year. Overall, the boys team got sixth out of 12 teams in 4A. They reached the highest finish in school history. Individually, senior Luke McGowan finished 22nd, leading the Bobcats. Other results: Tanner Tavis was 37th, Mark Vitt 41st and Johnny Fulkerson 47th, all within the top 50. Freshman Zach McKnight performed remarkably as well, in 64th place. Junior Casey Jones took 87th and Jacob Cook, 92nd. Quinnlyn Walcott was the only girl that qualified for State, and she ended up taking 34th in the 4A girls race. The state meet was bittersweet due to it being the end of the season. Tavis said, “As of today, I am no longer a cross country runner. After five years of the sport, I was able to end my career placing 37th individually and 6th place as a team at State. I’ll never forget the memories I’ve made with the team, like being the first team to qualify for State in 31 years and going down as the best team in school history. I’ve been blessed to have met some of the greatest people I’ve ever known. I’ve made some of my best friends because of this sport. Thank you to everyone for everything you’ve done for us. Also, thank you for making our senior year so memorable.”
When choosing the perfect person to play the role of Shrek in “Shrek: the Musical,” there are several different things you must consider. For example, there are about 650 students in our school. Of those 650, you could estimate that there are roughly about 325 boys. Of those 325 boys, the character Shrek has to be someone who not only has the physical build of Shrek, but also someone who can sing and dance, someone who likes acting, and someone who is willing to put in the time and effort of practicing nearly every day for two months. Anyone come to mind? If not, just picture it: Bret Fritz as
SHREK
Shrek. Easy to picture, right? Bret loves performing, so that’s a huge reason why he auditioned for the musical. He’s come to really like acting after the past few months of having to do it almost every day for several hours at a time. “I tried out specifically for the part of Shrek. I would’ve been happy with any part, however,” Bret said. One thing he really likes about the character is that he’s big, green and scary. This is Bret’s “theater debut,” as he put it; or in other words, the first performance he will partake in. You can only guess
Behind the Scenes
by Rachael Bell
how anxious he must be as one of the main characters in the first play he’s ever been in. “Being the main character is something I love,” Bret said. “I like having the spotlight on me. I wouldn’t choose to be any other character. I enjoy my role greatly.” For anyone who has seen the movie Shrek, they know that to understand it, one has to know how to laugh. Bret believes that is one of his strongest attributes: a sense of humor. Plus, as you can imagine, a very powerful voice.
Yes, it really happens; and yes, it is an actual real kiss. As awkward as it may seem, Bret doesn’t really think it is all that much. “It’s just acting,” as he said. You could say that Bret is really getting into character, because although he has a full head of hair now, once the musical comes around it’ll all be gone. “I will be shaving my head for the production. If Shrek doesn’t have hair, I shouldn’t either,” Bret said.
And for all of you wondering about the kiss with Courtney?
Dragon & Lord Farquad
by Ashley Novo-Gradac
Throughout the entire first semester, Ms. Knowles’ play production class prepares everything for the musical. Students get to build parts of the set, paint, design costumes, etc. Without the play production class, it would be nearly impossible for everything to be done on time for the musical. “Being in the musical, I am so thankful for the play production crew. They don’t get the credit they deserve, but they are awesome!” Ashely Novo-Gradac said.
Top to bottom, clockwise: Ms. Knowles and Brooke Fry; Katie Lucas; Chet Sarlls; Connor Scherer.
BLHS sophomore Claudia Jacobs, who has the role of Dragon and many other parts, has been in every musical production since her 7th grade year. Claudia not only received the role she had hoped for, but was also given several other parts. She will also be cast as a Dulocean, a rat, a guard, a bird and a happy person. Senior Luke McGowan just became involved in BLHS’s musicals last year. He participated in every theater production during his junior year. Luke will be starring in the role of Lord Farquad, but had truly anticipated winning the lead role as Shrek. Although he did not receive his first choice as lead role, Lord Farquad was his next best choice. Claudia said she has enjoyed the music of this production. She claims it makes her happy and cheerful. Luke, on the other hand, has enjoyed working with Knowles and Reynolds. He also mentioned how fun his fellow cast members have been to work with. Claudia’s favorite character is Donkey. Zach Fisher holds the role as Donkey, and she brags about how well he portrays this character. Luke’s favorite character in this musical is himself as Lord Farquad. He claims his own role is covering the part of a funny little egotistical maniac who is bent on power. He does a great job of taking this role. Claudia’s favorite line in this musical comes directly from the white rabbit, “It smells like bum! Luke adores the line, “I can see my future and so it shall be done. It’s total domination with some torture just for fun.” Be sure to watch and listen for your favorite parts and lines as you enjoy the show.
With the premiere of, “Shrek the Musical,” next weekend, the Basehor-Linwood community is hyped with excitement and anticipation. Senior Courtney Payne is also thrilled seeing as her playing the part of main character, Fiona. “I love the character and Fiona’s songs. I’ve always wanted to get a lead role as a princess and I knew it would be so much fun,” Courtney said. Courtney has a background in theatre as well. “I did the Missoula Children’s Theatre a few times when I was younger. I’ve also done every musical since I have been in high school: Seussical the Musical, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and The Wizard of Oz,” Courtney said. Acting has never been forced
FIONA
upon Courtney, either. She has a genuine love for it.
“It gives you a chance to be someone you’re usually not. Being in the spotlight knowing that hundreds of people are enjoying what you are doing is an incredible feeling,” Courtney said. Although she is psyched to play Fiona, Courtney doesn’t consider herself similar to the character at all. “In general, Fiona is a little more sassy than I usually am!” Courtney said as she laughed. Courtney, along with the rest of the cast, have been rehearsing for multiple hours a day for the past few weeks. Even though she thoroughly enjoys every aspect of the musical, it can take a toll on her. “It [preparing for the role] requires a lot of time balancing between college credit courses, off season and
by Allison Crist
three plus hours of rehearsal every night. It’s so worth it though,” Courtney said.
beginning of act two. “I have a solo that leads into a dance. It’s a lot of fun,” Courtney said.
A lot of that time is used to memorize the plethora that are her lines. “I have way more [lines] than I can count. I also have about seven songs that are either a solo, duet or a part in,” Courtney said, “I always try to really get into character and think about how I would be acting and what I would be saying if I was actually Princess Fiona.”
She has already made lots of memories and knows there will be more to come. One that stands out in her mind dates back to the first practice with the pit. “The people in the pit accidentally sped up our final, ‘I’m a Believer,’ song at least twice as fast as possible. We just went with it. It was interesting!” Courtney said.
Through everything, Courtney has worked her hardest because she knows it will pay off. “I can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions. There are so many scenes that are really funny and hearing the crowd laugh and applaud is the best feeling ever,” Courtney said.
Make sure to come support Courtney along with the rest of the “Shrek: the Musical” cast on November 14, 15, and 16 at 7pm and November 17 at 2pm. Tickets are $4 for side sections and $5 for the center section.
Speaking of scenes, Courtney is mostly looking forward to the
Graphic Design Class Competition Provides Posters and Tickets for Musical Mrs. Loney’s Green 2 and Green 3 graphic design classes were charged with the task of creating promotional tickets and posters for the musical this year. Posters and tickets were submitted to the cast and winners were chosen for each category, including the promotional poster, reserved ticket, and general admission ticket. Congratulations to the following students on having their designs chosen:
Siera Bernard: Poster Abigail Schif: Reserved Ticket Kailey Drennon: General Admission Ticket
DW not I By the end of high school, 72 percent of students have consumed alcohol (SADD). Although not every single high schooler chooses to drink, a large majority do or have done so throughout their four years. Groups like SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) and D.A.R.E. do their best to prevent underage drinking and consumption of drugs; however, there is only so much that can be done. Prevention measures are often disregarded after the matter and many students end up doing what they want, no matter the consequences. One of the worst outcomes occurs when intoxicated people decide to get behind the wheel. Almost every 90 seconds, a person is injured in a drunk driving crash (MADD). Additionally, an average drunk driver has driven intoxicated 80 times before first arrest (MADD). Colleges around the U.S. provide programs that take preventative measures against drunk driving. A lot of these programs provide transportation for intoxicated students for free. For example, KU and many other colleges use a service called SafeRide. This program began in the 1980s to provide a safe way home for all students and to decrease drunk driving. SafeRide operates three to eight
cars from 10:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. There are multiple fixed routes in order to serve all college students. However, colleges are not the only educational institutions providing an opportunity for free rides home. A solid four high schools in the entire country use SafeRide as a resource for their students. Mountain View, St. Francis, and Los Altos in California and Newton in Massachusetts offer high school students a free ride home on Friday and Saturday nights between 10:30 p.m. and 3:00 a.m. Newton High School requires a letter of consent signed by parents in order for their children to participate. The letter of consent explains that their “intent is to ensure that all students have access to a safe ride home from situations where they feel unsafe.” Additionally, in the letter of consent, “This service is not meant to provide a convenient means of transportation or replace and/or undermine well-established family arrangements to handle unsafe situations.” Furthermore, the reasoning for a ride includes any of the following: a teen’s date is speeding or driving erratically, a teen gets dropped off at a party and is uncomfortable with the scene/feeling unsafe, a teen’s ride left him/her
by Allison Crist
stranded and he/she is unable to reach a parent/guardian, the person a teen is with has become aggressive, a teen’s driver is intoxicated or a teen is under the influence of alcohol or drugs and realizes he/she should not drive.” Due to the inevitable controversy that comes with high schoolers using SafeRide, a lot of non-college institutions are fearful of enacting the program. When a random group of students and staff at BLHS were surveyed about this idea, the opinions were conflicting. “It would be awkward, but it seems like a good idea” - senior Amanda Batesel “That’s actually really cool, I would agree to it” - senior Logan Potts “That’s stupid. Let the parents deal with that” - Mr. Stromme “That’s good” - junior Jordan Eriksen “I feel like that would cause some problems” - senior Austin Sinclair “That’s awesome” - junior Cody Waterman “I don’t see that as a good idea at all” - senior Alex Gorman “I like that idea” - senior Jacob Merrick
“I see both sides of it. I would actually be for something like that. If it meant keeping students safe, I would drive a bus myself. When I was 15, my friend was hit by a drunk driver, so I feel very strongly about this subject” - Mrs. Nahrebeski “I do not agree with the idea. It condones underage drinking” Mrs. Herbster “I’m against that. Why not just improve parenting?” - Mr. Schwartz. It’s obvious there are lots of mixed opinions on the subject of SafeRide. Although only four high schools in the nation offer this program, there are many groups of parents that have gotten together to create mock services in order to prevent drunk driving. These parents do the exact thing that SafeRide does provide a safe way to get home. Then, of course, there are groups like MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving), that campaign against drunk driving for all ages. Although SafeRide is not coming to our school, if you find yourself in a dangerous situation, contact a friend, peer, parent, or anybody that can get you home safely.
The Comments Behind the Make-up
by Allison Crist designed by Alli Kasick and Breann Drew
Recently, I took on the challenge of a brief social experiment. Nearly every week, someone comments on my appearance - good or bad. I was curious to know what they were saying specifically in correlation to how much make-up is on my face.
No make-up at all
“Did you just wake up?” “Lookin’ good [sarcastic tone]” “Dang, someone just hopped out of bed,”
“No make-up” make-up
Everyday make-up
Full on cake face
(foundation, bronzer, mascara)
(Foundation, bronzer, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, mascara)
(Foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, shimmer, fake eyelashes, eye shadow, eye liner, lip gloss, eyebrows filled in)
“Why are you so done up?”
“You look good in a different way,” “Your skin is perfect,”
Spotlight Athlete
“You look so pretty!”
*no comments*
“You are so cute,” “I love your hair and makeup but how long did that take?”
“Make-up is a harmful drug. Once you start using it, you’ll feel ugly without it,” -Anonymous.
by Cassie Batesel
Senior Cory McCleary was nominated by Coach Hopkins to be this issue’s Spotlight Athlete. “He is an extremely hard worker and a great leader,” Hopkins said. Cory has played football all four years of his high school career. He is a middle linebacker on the varsity team. We asked Cory a few questions before the season ended.
Q:
A: Q: A: Q: A: Q: A:
Who is one teammate that has influenced you this year and why? I can’t just pick one. I have to say two people, Otto Metzger, and Bret Fritz. They have influenced me into getting out more and getting a better social life. Who is one coach that has influenced and why? The one coach that had the best influence on me was Coach Merino. He was my DB coach freshman and sophomore year. He was the best coach I have had. I loved playing for him. He is the reason I go so hard in football. What will you miss the most next year? I will miss the team dinners and probably the team breakfasts we would have when we didn’t have school on a game day. What is one of your favorite memories from playing in high school? My favorite memory is at the game against Perry-Lecompton last year when I scooped the fumble and ran it all the way down to the 3-yard line.
Cory plans on playing football and wrestling in college while getting a degree in mechanical engineering.
Their
stories compiled by Rachael Bell
...craziest
...heart-melting
...funniest
When Kaitlyn King and I drove my 4-wheeler into my pond. -Julie Johnson, freshman
When I went to IFCA and it helped me decide I’m going to be a preacher, and I met my girlfriend (and possibly future wife) Olivia. -Alex Elliott, junior
I was 13 and went TPing with my friends and I tripped over a tree and flew like five feet into the air and laughed so hard I peed my pants. -Duncan Witt, senior
...life-changing
...scariest
...light bulb
On December 4, 2010 I met my mom for the first time and found out that we had both been looking for each other at the same time. -Amanda Batesel, senior
Freshman year I went camping in the mountains of Grand Lake, Colorado. After constantly hearing noises and my brother not believing me, I turned around and there was a giant brown bear about 12 feet away from us. -Liz Morris, junior
The first metal show I went to was Miss May I and Whitechapel, and it was one of the best experiences of my life and made me realize my true passion is music. -Melanie Johnson, junior
moment. EXPRESS staff
Make sure you visit
Front Row: Susette Garcia, Allison Crist, Liz Morris, Rachael Bell, Breann Drew Back Row: Cassie Batesel, Alyssa Foster, Mitchell Mikinski, Ashley NovoGradac, Allison Kasick. Editor-in-Chief: Allison Crist Managing Editor: Mitchell Mikinski Adviser: Kristen Loney
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