SENIOR NIGHT
Behind The Comeback By Calder Hollond
It’s the quintessential aspect of high school life: the Friday night lights, the shocking upsets, the star players, the amazing plays. However, while for spectators football simply means taking pictures with their friends and making signs for their favorite players, football means much more to the players themselves. It’s an uphill battle the whole season, like most sports, with afternoons spent practicing in the sweltering August heat and frigid October air. It’s a second family, with friendships forged between people of all grades. It’s the cause of many pre-game nerves and sleepless nights spent mentally running over plays. And for the seniors who are about to finish their high school football careers, it’s a lifestyle. Being in a sport for four years means that they’ve seen a great deal of change throughout the team. These particular seniors haven’t just seen the usual fluctuation of upperclassmen graduating and new freshmen joining the team. They’ve also experienced being both a great team and a not-so-great team.
“Freshman year we were pretty successful, and then we had a little drop, and then we’re coming back this year,” senior Dean Cochran said. The seniors have different ideas as to what has caused this comeback. Senior Boston Henry said, “My freshman year we were actually really good. We just had a lot of talent on the team, and we really couldn’t do much about these past few years. We had talent, but the team wasn’t confident at all.” However, Henry believes that the uncertainty the team once had is gone, and has
been replaced by a renewed confidence from both the players and the coaches. “We have a different attitude this year, and it’s pretty hard to describe, but just on the field we feel different, and we’re confident in everything we do,” Henry said. While Henry cited confidence and self-esteem as the major change the team has made this year, seniors Tyler Kendrick and Jesse Smallwood have another reason for the team’s recent success: becoming closer as a team. “As a team, I think we’ve gotten a lot closer to each other, not
only as just teammates. We’ve grown to be more of a family, and becoming a family actually has helped us band together and win some of these...games,” Kendrick said. Like Kendrick, Smallwood also thinks that the team’s closeness has helped them become better as a team. “Our leadership’s gotten a lot better, because our seniors don’t fight with each other,” he said. “We’re more about getting everybody playing time...everybody’s going to be a part of the team.” Whatever the team’s doing in terms of confidence and closeness seems to be working, as the seniors are excited to be ending their season - and career - on a high note. As Smallwood said, the team has “had ups and downs, but we’ll be finishing on an up.” Cochran agreed, and said, “I’m proud to be a part of the football team.” The four years have been an uphill battle at some points for the seniors. However, as the season draws to a close and the Friday night lights begin to dim, it’s apparent that it’s also been a very worthwhile and satisfactory one.
Striking A Note By Adam Crouse
“The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.” -Vince Lombardi Everyone who plays a sport knows this quote is true. It’s not so much whether you win or you lose that makes the game worthwhile, it’s whether you try your hardest or slack off. Students aren’t just dedicated to sports. They’re dedicated to music too. Every time a marching band member walks off after a competition, they know that they either did their best or failed, and the scores may not reflect that. Every time a choir student finishes a song at a contest, they automatically know whether or not they did their best. And whenever an orchestra member comes off after a performance, they know whether or not they tried their hardest. When it comes to a contest or performance, the musician knows how well they did better than the judge. Tabor York shows this dedication; He’s been in band since the fifth grade, when he started out on clarinet. Now he plays bass clarinet in the marching and concert bands, as well as baritone saxophone for the jazz band. Emily Vitt has been playing violin for nine years and piano for eight, as well as singing in choir for four.
James Blauvelt has been playing trumpet since fifth grade, throughout all three bands at the high school. Musical activities create many great memories as well. James said his memories came from as far back as fifth grade. “One would probably be when we first met as a band in our trailer for rehearsal in fifth grade, and Mr. Westbrook and Mr. Kazmier had a saxophone war. They went back and forth playing little snippets of songs. It was a really fun time.” Tabor said that his favorite memory came from his freshman year. They were at Central States Marching Festival, and they all lined up for a huge hit in the music. They played the note, and everyone was in tune. It was glorious. These activities also give kids
something to do with free time, and even as a career. James said that he planned to pursue music further, and Emily agreed. “I plan to continue with piano, violin, and choir in college, hopefully to get a few scholarships, but I do not plan on continuing music as a career.” Some say that band isn’t a class. It’s a lifestyle. Some orchestra kids say that orchestra jokes are some of the best. Choir may not be the hardest class, but it takes just as much dedication. This goes for all of them. Band, choir, and orchestra all require just as much dedication as any other class, and any sport. A select group of seniors have chosen to dedicate themselves to the family of musicians. And it has changed their lives forever.
Seniors With Strange Pets
By: Emma Hall
Cassie Beattie is a senior who owns what “looks like a mixture of a squirrel and a rabbit that is really chubby.”Beattie’s pet’s name is Mosh, and the strangest thing about him is that it’s unclear exactly what species he is. Mosh’s daily activities include “cuddling in his hammock and eating his spinning wheel.” “He can bark, hiss, and likes to jump off walls. He also eats food with his hands like a person,” Beattie said about her pet’s special talents. Mosh is native to the Andes Mountains in South America, and a special license is not needed to own an animal like him. Pierce Holyfield owns a potbelly pig named Dexter. Dexter’s daily activities include playing with dogs, sleeping in his kennel, and bathing in the sun. There is no special license needed to own a potbelly pig like Dexter. “Oh, he will fly. When pigs fly. Get it?” Holyfield joked about the idea of a flying pig. potbelly
pigs are, on average, about 30 inches tall and weigh anywhere from 90 to 160 pounds. Dexter is big enough to ride for short distances. Dexter’s special tricks include going to his kennel on command and snorting on command. A potbelly pig’s diet is very important. Dexter’s diet consists of swine food, dog food, and lots of fruit.
What happens after 2:45?
by Ashley Novo-Gradac
As a newspaper staff, we always are featuring people who are involved in something like a sport, club, or even a musical. I decided to think outside of the box and try to talk to some seniors who aren’t involved in sports or other extracurriculars to get their voice out there. First, I thought I would talk to Nick Dahlin and ask him what he does after 2:45 everyday. Nick said he enjoys going home after school, taking a shower, and then watching some TV. Occasionally he likes to go out to eat with his friends Colin, Cullen and Dominic. Their favorite place to eat is Danny’s at Legends because they have “Taco Tuesday”.
When Nick is not hanging out with friends, he likes to go home and play video games. His favorite game is League of Legends. A few weeks ago, he stayed up until 3:00 A.M. to watch the League of Legends World Championship. He said he usually goes to bed at 2:00 A.M anyway so the extra hour or so wouldn’t hurt. He seemed a little upset he was not competing himself.
I asked Nick what his favorite part of high school has been. He said, “I went to my first football game this year and actually enjoyed it. I loved the student section and I want to come to a basketball game this year.” He said he regrets not going to games the past few years, but does not regret not being involved in extracurriculars.
The next person I thought I would talk to is Julia Stevens. Everyday after school, she goes home to get ready for work. She works at Simple Simons in Basehor. She tries to work as much as possible to earn money. She has been working there since the beginning of her junior year. On the weekends she hangs out with her friends: Melanie, Liz and Rachael. One thing she regrets is working so much during her junior year because she missed all of the football games.
Julia said her favorite part of high school was being in the student section during big games. Her favorite class is math because it is something she is good at. Next year, her plans are to attend KU for finance. Some students may not spend any extra time here at school, but they deserve recognition, too.
Cast of Characters at the Renaissance Festival
Mid-Life Crisis Merlin Crime: Poorly put together outfit, easy to tell that he is simply wearing cutoff jeans and no shirt. Making drawn out eye contact that is on the verge of being creepy Victims: Any shopkeeper or Renfest attendee who is assaulted by his stunning figure
Execution is Everything Crime: Scaring everyone in a 10-foot vicinity with his quiet insidious character. Was arrested when he attempted to use battle ready axe on camel who was unable to carry his larger figure Victims: Camel, small children
Grave Nature Crime: Being unable to find another outlet for her teenage angst. Tripping over her costumes many cobwebs and shadows Victims: Positive attitude of everyone
by Erin McGowan
Cinched Wench Crime: Making the families uncomfortable and cinching fellow maidens corsets far too tight. Runs the dress shop Victims: Breathing patterns of her customers
Little princess Crime: Screaming for ice cream, turkey leg, funnel cake etc. Victims: Her worn-down parents who stopped trying to argue with her months ago
A Link to the Nearest Comic-Con Crime: Going overboard on costume and putting way too much effort into method acting. Attacking various creatures and attendees, whilst trying to find an old man in a cave Victims: Harmless chickens, pigs at petting zoo, old shirtless man and shrubbery
Changes in Foods offered at school cause students to adjust behavior By Jill Espinoza
All around the world there are vending machines placed in high schools. Since Michelle Obama’s health kick, many things have been changed in the vending machines at school: no candy, reduced fat, smaller packaging, only diet pop and water, and higher prices on the sweeter treats you can purchase. My freshman year we had many things to choose from when it came to vending machines. There used to be lots of candy and salty snacks to choose from. I can’t even think of the healthiest thing that may have been in the vending machines. Like I said, if you want the
sweeter treats then it’s gonna cost ya. For example, last year at Basehor-Linwood you were able to purchase two pop tarts for $1, now if you want a poptart you have to pay $1.25 and you only get one instead of two. Another thing that changed a few years ago is the school lunches. OPPA now regulates what we eat and how much we eat at school. My freshman year we had regular school lunches and many choices from the a la carte menu. We used to have things like: taco salad, crispitos, chili frito pie and much more.
Since OPPA started two years ago, all of those things have been taken out of our lunchrooms and were replaced with much healthier foods. All of the hot lunches are homemade and cooked fresh, we are no longer eating leftover and processed foods. There are also certain things you cannot purchase as an a la carte item, like mashed potatoes, you must have them with hot lunch only. If you want more you have to purchase another hot lunch. This was a huge issue at school, the mashed potatoes were one of the best and most popular things we had and when they
SLEEP STUDY
If you ask somebody what they are doing on their day off, the answer may be sleep. According to a survey conducted at Basehor-Linwood High School, the average sleep attained by an average student is 7 hours and 13 minutes of sleep on a weekday night. This is well into the normal 6-8 hours of sleep that everybody
is ‘supposed’ to get. But what some researchers believe is that 8-10 hours of sleep is actually the best for active young adults, or many Basehor-Linwood high school students.
recommended hours of sleep active young adults should get each night
average hours of sleep a BLHS student gets during weeknights (according to an October 2014 student survey)
The poll included 109 students which is about 17% of the school’s enrollment (as of October, 2014).
In this poll, it was determined that the amount of sleep by students ranged from 4 hours on weekday nights to 9 hours and 30 minutes. On weekends, students had anywhere from 4 hours to 12 hours of sleep. Students are involved (or not involved) in a wide variety of activities. This could include
8-10 7.25 4
lowest reported number of hours of sleep per night according to BLHS student survey
started limiting our intake of them people, including staff, were terribly upset. People have figured out that if they don’t enjoy the things that are put in the vending machines or the school lunches then they can bring their own lunches and snacks. Despite all of the negativity about the potatoes, OPPA isn’t too bad anymore. It took some time getting used to, but it definitely feels better to know that we are putting much healthier things into our bodies.
by Clay Beebe band competitions, sports, play practices, or going out and having fun with friends. For anyone, sleep is important. Students should always make an effort to sleep… as long as they aren’t missing class for it.
9.5
highest reported number of hours of sleep per night according to BLHS student survey
Textbook vs. Tablet War By Alyssa Foster
A common sight while walking through the halls of BasehorLinwood High School is students lugging around a full stack of textbooks to and from classes. Depending on the subject, most books weigh between 5 and 10 pounds, so each student is having to support quite the load if there stack is a minimum of two books. Their stack also includes several binders, folders, and possibly a novel. Traveling between classes can be a struggle with carrying a full load, while trying to battle the student traffic. This is one reason why many schools have been considering to convert all textbooks to online books. Textbooks that are put online
are much more accessible for students who don’t want to lug a hefty textbook home with them. They take up way too much room and put strain on one’s body during transportation. Another plus of having online textbooks is that they can be pulled up almost anywhere, so there isn’t an excuse for not getting homework done. “Having online books have been convenient for me whenever I forget my book in my locker. It has helped save me more times than I can count,” junior Madison Wheeler said. In addition to always being accessible, teachers won’t have to worry about not having enough books for everyone.
This is a current problem with the Anatomy and Physiology class at our school. Although online books sound like the perfect solution to all these issues, there are also troubles that can occur if all textbooks are converted. One major problem that many students run into is the inability to access these online books because people either don’t have Internet or they don’t have a device to support the book. Many students also prefer having a physical textbook in front of them because it allows one to quickly locate multiple pages at one time. “I like having my own book sitting in front of me. It makes
it easier to read the problems and flip back and forth between pages rather than reading them from a computer screen,” Wheeler said. Conflicts can also occur with online books if the device fails or the internet is having issues. “There have been multiple times when I forgot my book at school, and the online book wasn’t working right. Then I had to explain to my teacher why my homework wasn’t done. It sucks that the online books aren’t 100 percent reliable,” Wheeler said. As one can realize, there are many debates about whether or not all textbooks should be converted to online books. What do you think?
The True story of Halloween By Kelsey Coleman
What is Halloween to you? Going around your
People would wear costumes and masks to confuse
neighborhood saying “trick or treat” and getting candy?
the evil spirits. They would also set out food and drinks aka
Probably. The idea of Halloween has become so warped from
candy to keep the spirits happy.
the original history of the holiday.
costumes performing tricks for candy. Eventually Halloween
Halloween actually originated from the 31st being
In addition that, people went door to door in their
the Day of the Dead. This day marked the change from
has evolved to children going door to door saying “trick or
summer to winter that would allow spirits to roam. Not only
treat” and getting candy.
the good spirits but the bad as well.
Halloween costumes early 1940’s
Today
Questions:
BLHS’s Artistic Talent
• what influenced you to be artsy? • how long have you been [drawing, painting photography, ect...] • do you have any future plans to make this go from hobby to career? • have you taken any classes outside of school? • what’s your median (pencil, pen, paint, tablet, camera, ect...)?
By Ashley Hicklin
Kelsey Coleman
Abby Lee
• cartoons • since I was 4 years old • freelancer and/or graphic designer • Yes. At the Lawrence Art Center and KCAI, but I’m mainly self taught. • a little bit of everything
• I could never draw, but I enjoyed art and expressing myself artistically. • I’ve been doing photography for 4 years • I plan on traveling and documenting it with my camera. • yeah, I went to photo camp • camera
Gabby Ross
Allison Johnson
• I got told u was good when I was younger, and I’ve just sorta gone from there. • about 4th grade • Yes. A career in graphic design or photography • No. Just self taught • pencil and digital
• colouring books, anime and nature • kindergarten • animation • mainly self taught • mainly tablet and stylus
EXPRESS STAFF Editor-in-Chief: Alyssa Foster Managing Editor: Mitchell Mikinski Bobcat Network: Casey Jones, Zach Fisher, Damien Laffoon, Colin Barclay Reporters: Kelsey Coleman, Ashley Hicklin, Calder Hollond, Ashley Novo-Gradac, Liz Morris, Erin McGowan, Clay Beebe, Adam Crouse, Emma Hall, Jill Espinoza Adviser: Kristen Loney
@blhsnews expressblhs@gmail.com
PHOTOS OF THE MONTH
Photo by: Claire Walsh
Photo by: Ashley Novo-Gradac
Photo by: Kailey Drennon Photo by: Alyssa Foster
Photo by: Kailey Drennon