April 2023

LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL’S

Cover by Madison Remley

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

t’s officially time for the 2022-2023 Editorial Staff to say goodbye to their former positions. Annually, our April issue marks the end of an era and beginning of a new one--as cliche as it sounds. Current senior editorial staffers will step-down to being reporters and photographers (respectively) while underclassmen take over the management of The Bell. Watching this staff grow so much in their skillsets in less than a year is amazing, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish next--starting with the May 2023 issue.

Many seniors are anxiously awaiting scholarship decisions for the 2023 Community Scholarship Program. The award night is Tues. May 3 at LNHS and will give a total of 42 scholarships to LHS and LNHS seniors (p. 5).

While some students have their attention focused on their upcoming graduation, others are spending their free time watching (or rewatching) the newest season of Outer Banks. Junior Lauren Stewart and sophomores Anna Combs and Trenton Dolato discuss the highs and lows of season three (p. 14).

One of the least popular sports in Missouri is hockey, but not many people seem to know why. Spotlight Editor Victorya Wilkinson explores the topic and highlights a student fond of the sport in this issue’s sports section (p. 16).

Being Editor-in-Chief of this publication for the last year has been a

Editor-in-Chief, Copy & Design Editor |

Kaiya Lynch

Managing, A&E & Online Editor |

Lucy Boyle

News & Sports Editor |

Brodey Hutton

Spotlight Editor & Photo Jay Equipment Manager | Victorya Wilkinson

Opinion & Features Editor |

Jenna Shores

Photo Jay Managing Editor |

Ethan McMenemy

Photo Editor |

Sam Brusven

Reporters

Brodie Jobe

Chloe Franklin

Mary Biesemeyer

Brookelyn Jadwin

Bianka Mancia Castillo

Connor Rizek

Photo Jay

Richard Burns

Lizzy Garr

Madison Remley

Designed by Kaiya Lynch

BY SAM BRUSVEN

BY MARY BIESEMEYER

JENNA SHORES

BY BROOKELYN JADWIN

Photo by Lizzy Garr

Lady Jays’ Varisty team wins their home opener 7-0 over Central High School on Mar. 17. Keep up with the current events on The Bell’s InstaOPINION 18

THANKS FOR “OUTER BANKS”

THE THIRD SEASON OF THE HIT TV SHOW OBX DROPPED ON NETFLIX AFTER A LONG AWAITED ARRIVAL.

BY CHLOE FRANKLIN

ART-IFICAL INTELIGENCE

AI ART TAKES OVER SOCIAL MEDIA, BUT AT A COST.

A HARD PUCK TO SWALLOW

KANSAS CITY IS NOT A HOCKEY TOWN AND HERE’S WHY.

BY CONNOR RIZEK

OPINION COLUMNS

NO REGRETS & WILLOW PROJECT

BY VICTORYA WILKINSON

BY KAIYA LYNCH & LUCY BOYLE

Designed by Kaiya Lynch

Photo by Ethan Mcmenemy

MONEY ON THE MIND

Starting next school year, LHS is partnering with William Jewel College for a new nursing program called The Collegiate Nursing Academy. The program will also partner with Liberty Hospital. “I have been interested in nursing since I knew what the job was. I grew up hearing stories about my sister, who I never met, and the wonderful nurses and doctors that helped her. The dedication and thoughtfulness of the people in these stories made me want to be just like them, especially my mother,” junior Chloe Stimpson said.

FOR BETTER OR FOR NURSE

Reported by Mary Biesemeyer | Designed by Brodey Hutton | Photo by Victorya Wilkinson

s of this year, the high school has partnered up with William Jewell College in the creation of a new nursing program for the upcoming 2023-24 school year. The Collegiate Nursing Academy, hosted at the William Jewel College, is a program offered for seniors and takes up two and a half hours of the school day or about 75 hours altogether.

This course is offered for both the fall and spring semesters, with fall classes on Tuesdays and labs on Thursdays. The labs are taught by a registered nurse. The spring semester partners up with Liberty Hospital and has about 100 hours of clinical instruction. Students get hands-on training and participation in the CNA or Certified nursing assistant exam, with guidance from both the hospital and William Jewel.

“I still haven’t decided what exactly I want to do in the medical field yet,” junior Chloe Stimpson said, “but I’m hoping that by getting experience in a hospital during my clinicals to get my CNA license, I can narrow down exactly what I want to do.”

Applications were due Jan. 17th of 2023 and classes start Aug. 2023. The requirements for the program include; a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher, a grade of B or higher in all science courses, one must be a senior in the fall of 2023, one must provide an official student disciplinary record from the school, have a record of at least 95% attendance, have a completed application and a signed agreement to abide by the expectations and responsibilities of the Collegiate Nursing Academy.

To learn more about the Collegiate Nursing Academy, go to the Liberty High School website and click on the counseling tab. There’s a section dedicated to offcampus opportunities. There, students can find information about the program and more off-campus opportunities. Contact Colleen Jones via phone at 816.736.5320 if interested. Visit the website: lps53.org/domain/6242, for more information about the program. Students can find more information about William Jewell college via twitter, @williamjewel.

hen going through high school, some of the first questions a student might ask are “where will I go to college?” and of course, the dreaded question of “how much will college cost and how can I pay for it?” Among the Liberty, MO community, there are plenty of scholarships to take some stress out of paying for future education.

One of the many opportunities is the A+ program, which promotes community service and tutoring in exchange for scholarships and even free community college education. Many four-year universities offer a fraction of tuition costs to be cut. To qualify, students must obtain 50 hours of tutoring as well as filling out a form and attending a training session.

A simple way to find more scholarships is through Naviance, which is a future planning website offered by the school. To find scholarship opportunities, go under the college tab and find the link labeled Scholarships and Money. There, students can search for specific scholarships, scholarships for certain colleges and national scholarships offered.

“Naviance is a one stop shop for all things scholarship and transcripts. It is a great way to have national scholarships and local scholarships in one place.” Counselor Jamie Jensen said “Plus, students have to use Naviance to request their transcripts, so it’s pretty easy to push a few more buttons and have hundreds of scholarships right at your fingertips.” Another opportunity is KC Scholars. KC Scholars is designed to positively impact the Kansas City community by offering simple and easy ways to get scholarships for low or modest-income families.

To learn more about scholarship opportunities go to the high schools website, click on the counseling tab and scroll down until the Post High School Planning tab is seen, underneath there are scholarships and financial aid options. Visit the A+ page under the academics tab, where students can find the application form. After filling it out, turn it in to Jane Wolfly in the office. Students can access more information on A+ on the high school website, or via the web address: lps53. org/domain/5171. Students can also find Naviance by searching: student.naviance.com.

Paying for college is challenging, here’s what students are doing to afford it.

Reported by Mary Biesemeyer | Designed by Brodey Hutton

LEADING A CHANGE

Global Leadership class announces campaign to shift to reusable plates

Reported by Kaiya Lynch and Lucy Boyle | Designed by Jenna Shores | Photos by Ethan McMenemy

eet shuffle through the cafeteria line. Plastic forks and cardboard plates crash together as they make their way into the trash can. At LHS, this is a daily occurrence—and the reason why EDGE’s Global Leadership class is working on a campaign to mitigate waste.

F

“The campaign was brought to us [Global Leadership] by Nutrition Services, and it’s just a good push to be a good citizen and pick up after yourself,” junior Eric Rotert said.

Rotert heads the Internal Logistics Committee and joined the initiative when it started in Feb. 2023. The campaign poses no cost deficit to the LPS 53 district and

is projected save money in the long run.

“By doing this, we’re being more sustainable and reusing plastic,” Rotert said.

The campaign started when Nutrition Services reached out to EDGE’s Global Leadership class after seeing some of the projects they did last year on reusable kitchenware. According to senior Kennedy Dressler, cafeteria pollution has been a concern through EDGE and something they want to change.

“We’ve made a video, we’ve made infographics and we’ve made social media posts. They will all eventually get pushed out to the students when we start to introduce the

project,” Dressler said. “We really just jumped on the opportunity when it was presented.”

The school-wide rollout date was Mon. Mar. 27, immediately following spring break. EDGE plans to have another celebration for Earth Day on Apr. 22.

“Liberty Public School Nutrition’s goal is to be good stewards of our environment and community resources,” Support Services Director Misty Newland said. “We’ve been slowly transitioning all LPS schools to reusable plates & utensils over the last few years.”

District high schools, including LHS, were in the final phase of the transitoin due to the volume of meals and staffing concerns.

“The supply chain, over the last two years, has been tenuous. Reliance on disposable plates and utensils requires weekly deliveries and a good supply chain, so [with this campaign] we’ll have plates to eat on,” Newland said.

For both LPS 53 and EDGE, the ultimate goal for this project is to teach fiscal and environmental responsibilty. According to the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency, “the benefits of reusables increase the longer they’re in use. Over three years, the schools could anticipate saving an estimated $23,000.”

“I hope that we’re a district that can show this is a viable option for other districts and that we can also push to be more sustainable,” Rotert said.

Students in EDGE Microschool’s Global Leadership class prepare for Liberty High School’s rollout of reusable utensils and plates by hanging up posters around the building and creating an informative video. The class has helped to campaign for change by introducing more sustainable methods. “We in EDGE believe it’s [nonreusable trays and utensils] a problem. We have done projects with composting and different sustainable options like that to help with this. So I think this project will make a difference,” senior Kennedy Dressler said.

lifeexpectancythansmoking,HIV

Airpollutionhasanearly$3trillion economiccost,equivalentto3.3%of theworld’sGDP

“M-I-Z

Z-O-U”

W alkways filled with the sound of eager chatter. Camera shutters click from every direction. The tension of 1,500 students waiting to be awarded for a year’s worth of hard work. This is MIJA Journalism Day–and on Wed. March 29, buses from 50 schools lined up in front of the University of Missouri - Columbia Jesse Hall Auditorium to begin a day of sessions and awards.

Over 1,000 high school journalists attended the MIJA J-Day, which occurs annually every spring. This gives scholastic journalists and advisors an opportunity to grow and reflect, and included members from The Bell, Spectator Yearbook, PhotoJay and KLHS.

“One of my favorite memories is being able to bond with my peers from Liberty and enjoying all the little moments we get to spend with each other. It’s really great to be able to see the different sides of the Blue Jay journalism programs,” senior and Spectator PhotoJ member Emma Murphy stated.

The welcome ceremony opened up with a keynote speaker, Art Holliday, from KSDK. He spoke about the importance of inclusivity and diversity in the newsroom. This acted as an opportunity for all attending students to learn from a professional in the workplace.

“I thought the story Art Holliday told was the most memorable. He told us about how he got his career started, and he gave us tips about how to pursue

IT’S ALL LED UP TO THIS

How a single convention helps hundreds of student journalists grow.

journalism in college,” freshman and Spectator PhotoJ member Teresa Robbins said.

Students may opt into the on-site contest: featuring head-to-head competition in broadcasting, social media, news writing and photography. Students were given a prompt and competed against other schools in a matter of hours. There were a total of four winners in on-site contests from LHS. For the first time, MIJA introduced the Strategic Communications category to on-site contests. The Bell’s Editor-in-Chief, senior Kaiya Lynch took home the Excellent award for the category. KLHS members and seniors Sam Brusven, Alex Cronin and Truman Schulte placed Excellent in the Broadcast category.

“That was the first award that had my name on it, even though I heavily contributed to the KLHS show awards. It was nice to hear my name get called at a state-wide competition,” Schulte said.

Fifty-three sessions from 24 professionals in the industry gave lessons on design, writing, photography and even more unique fields, such as a class which covered drone usage. There were also sessions on college expectations and Q&A sessions with professionals in the industry.

“I went to a class about story topics and it gave me a different viewpoint on how I

could come up with various topics for my work. It showed me how to get inspired, even when you have nothing to come up with,” sophomore and KLHS reporter Cheyenne Franklin said.

The ending ceremony featured the longanticipated State awards. The Best of Show award is given to a school who submitted the overall best piece and the All-Missouri Award is to the top 10%. With over 1,400 entries sent in by schools around the state, these two highest placements are sought after by all schools who attended but are not the only awards available. Also available were superior, the top 20% in the state; excellent, the top 30% in the state and honorable mention, the top 40% in the state.

Liberty took home a total of 43 awards during the 2023 J-Day. The Best of Show and All Missouri are The All-Missouri Broadcast Announcement show, All-Missouri Broadcast Newsmagazine show, Two All-Missouri Sports Action Photography, Best of Show Broadcast News Story, Best of Show Broadcast Sports Feature, Best of Show Opinion Editorial, Best of Show Academic Photography, Best of Show Yearbook Writing, Best of Show Yearbook Mod, Two All-Missouri Photo Illustrations, All-Missouri Student Life and Organizations Photography, All-Missouri Overall Yearbook and All-Missouri Online Breaking News.

Publication members also received the honor roll status, which was awarded to seniors Charlie Marshall, Kaiya Lynch, Abby Chambers, Truman Schulte, Alex Cronin, Claire Hamilton, Emma Clark and Olivia DiGiovanni. Brusven made the 2023 MIJA All-State Journalism Team.

“It was a really awesome experience to hear my name announced for Best of Show on my KC Currents package, since it was something I worked so hard on. I think what led me to that is just my passion for telling stories through video and film but also the constant repetition of doing so,” junior and KLHS Director Megan Gifford said.

More information regarding the awards and accolades earned by Liberty High School can be found on the MIJA website at mipajournalism.com, or on The Bell’s Instagram, @thelhsbell. The publication’s next competition will be at the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City awards on Apr. 27. Updates regarding the status of this event can be found at jemkc.org.

The publications have already begun to pursue victory through its members of the coming 2023-2024 school year, as applications were due in Feb. For all interested in joining one of the LHS journalism programs, visit the school website at lps53.org/LHS, or contact Jamie Munoz at jamie.munoz@lps53.org.

The University of Missouri-Columbia (MIzzou) School of Journalism (J-School) is commonly referred to as one of the greatest journalism schools in the United States, ranking second overall on collegevine.com. The Mizzou J-School was also the first college in the United States to offer a master’s degree in journalism. “I find J-Day to be very important as a student journalist because it allows us to have the opportunity to learn from professionals in the field, gaining advice from them on our personal careers and receive guidance on advancing our abilities,” junior Grace Halter said.

Reported by Sam Brusven | Designed by Jenna Shores | Photo courtesy of Kymon Warman

FRESHMAN ABEL ENRIQUEZ

Student’s involvement in theater and choir inspires future plans.

Reported by Jenna Shores | Designed by Victorya Wilkinson | Photos by Lizzy Garr and Richard Burns

F eeling the hammering of nails from the tech crew working on the set building. Hearing other actors practicing musical numbers including, Under The Sea, She’s in Love and Poor unfortunate souls. The flurry and frenzy of many different things going on in the theater as everyone is getting ready for the fall musical.

From being a Hyena in the “Lion King” in sixth grade, to Prince Hans in “Frozen” during eighth, Abel Enriquez’s love for theater has been forming since the summer 2019.

“I just felt a big connection,” Enriquez said. “My sister did a show in the theater for summer school, and I thought that it was interesting. Then I started doing it and thought it was very fun.”

According to Arts Education Partnership, theater education benefits are numerous, and powerful and exist across student populations, age levels and learning environments. Theater education can help young people develop a strong sense of self and identity, build empathy and learning among peers and broaden the ways they make meaning of the world.

“You get to do a lot of things,” Enriquez said. “You get to meet new friends and you create a new family. It’s fun to be there.”

There are two different types of theater productions, both a play and musical. A play deals with mainly speaking and acting out a story like the one act play that was put on this year; Eurdice, while a musical involves singing, dancing and speaking like The Little Mermaid, which was the fall musical this year: Enriquez

did both.

“Musicals are my favorite type of show to do because it’s a lot of singing and dancing, and I like to do that. Plays are also fun because plays are more dramatic, and it has that fun part to them.”

Starting in the summer of 2019 and continuing in middle school and high school, Enriquez has done over eight shows in his acting career.

“I have been able to work with him in the musical, readers’ theater and the spring play,” Director of Forensics & Theatre teacher Mick

Freshman Abel Enriquez reads the script for his ensemble role in Liberty High School’s production of Seussical. The show earned its place at the state competition after placing first in the MSHSAA Districts. “It’s fun to do, you get to do movements, you get to sing, which is my favorite part,” Enriquez said.

Turpin said. “In all of those situations, I see Abel improving on all of his skills in performance: speaking, singing, dancing, movement.”

According to Appalachian University, Many students find that theater helps them develop the confidence that’s essential to speaking clearly, lucidly and thoughtfully. Acting onstage teaches you how to be comfortable speaking in front of large audiences and some of theatre classes will give additional experience talking to groups.

“Abel brings a positive presence with

him and adds fun to any environment he is involved in.” Turpin said.

Other upcoming events available to get involved in the theater program include; the exit 1-6 performance on Mar. 30 and the MSHSAA District Solo/Ensemble Festival which is from Mar. 31 to April first.

Readers Theater placed first at districts and will he moving to State later in April

always gives everyone a laugh and joy to experience” Director of Forensics and Theater teacher said.

“Seeing Abel do weird and wacky things

“Seeing Abel do weird and wacky things

always gives everyone a laugh and joy to experience,” Director of Forensics and Theater teacher Mick Turpin said.

Freshman

in the Liberty High School theatre class. Enriquez has been doing all forms of theatre since third grade and plans to go to Oklahoma City University for fine arts. “I felt a big connection with it, my sister did a show in theatre for summer school and I thought it was interesting,” Enriquez said.

Abel Enriquez stars

JUNIOR COURTNEY VEILLEUX

Nothing can stop her, nothing can bring her down.

Reported by Brookelyn Jadwin | Designed by Victorya Wilkinson | Photos by Lizzy Garr and Victorya Wilkinson

Junior Courtney Veilleux has been on the junior varsity cheer team for three years. Veilleux was diagnosed with Nephronophthisis when she was seven, affecting her kidneys and was given a transplant in 2014. She now has to take an immunosuppressant, a specialized medication, to prevent her from rejecting the transplant and has to have routine blood work done. According to The European Journal of Human Genetics, “Nephronophthisis (NPHP) is an autosomal recessively inherited renal [kidney] disorder, which leads to progressive renal failure, usually within the first 3 decades of life.”

ne life changing moment, one sentence being spoken into the world, this could change life forever. Constantly being aware of what is done to prevent it, but nothing seems to erase what’s already been done. Courtney was only 7 when she was diagnosed with a disease that goes by the name of ‘Nephronophthisis’, she was finding things that were once easy to do, such as cheer, more challenging. Missing many days of school, cheer, social events, friends, just for appointments.

Childhood spent in isolation, Junior Courtney Veilleux longing for a normal life. She is Fixated on how nothing will ever seem the same, she fights every day to make the most of it.

“It’s often difficult to see the positives of my situation. However, the last eight years have

shown me that I have a great support system through my friends and family. I’ve had a lot of ups and downs, and my friends and family are always there for me,” Veilleux said. ‘Nephronophthisis’, another name for a type of kidney failure. Which is characterized by inflammation and scarring that impairs kidney function.

Following her diagnosis she was put on dialysis for five months. In May of 2014, she received a kidney transplant. This isn’t a cure, but a long term treatment plan. Once she received her transplant, she started taking immunosuppressant (an agent that decreases the body’s immune responses, it also reduces the body’s ability to fight infections and other diseases) and drinking four liters of water everyday. At least once a

month she has a doctor’s appointment, maybe even more, depending on her status.

According to MedlinePlus, 1 in 922,000 in the United States are affected by this disease. About 85% of all cases of nephronophthisis are isolated, which means they occur without other signs and symptoms. Nephronophthisis can occur as part of separate syndromes which affect other areas of the body; these are often referred to as nephronophthisis-associated ciliopathies.

After the transplant she was informed she wasn’t allowed to partake in certain activities, including cheer. Cheer was a major part of her life, so this news wasn’t something she had wanted to hear.

“This was really heartbreaking for me because I loved cheer and I made a lot of friends through the sport. I didn’t want to give up on something

that was a big part of who I am,” Veilleux said.

A few months after her kidney transplant, Veilleux decided to try cheer again. Even though it took her a while to get back into the groove, she didn’t regret her decision. Pretty soon, she was back to her normal self, living her life similar to how it was before. Veilleux has been cheering for 11 years now, three of which have been spent on the Liberty High School cheer team.

“My kidney disease is a very big part of my life. It is something that I think about constantly. I only have one working kidney now, and I am persistently doing things to take care of it.,” Veilleux said.

While her disease limits her, she takes every precaution to keep going in life, not taking shortcuts along the way. Her disease may affect some aspects of her life, but she’s determined to not let it affect any more of how she lives.

This is something no one should go through alone. Veilleux credits her family and friends for being such an amazing support system. While it may not seem like it, support is something many people need.

According to AmericanBarAssociation, Research has shown having a strong support system has many positive benefits, such as higher levels of well-being, better coping skills and a longer and healthier life. There are three core groups that make up a strong support system— family, friends, and professional colleagues.

To follow Courtney Veilleux’s journey, feel free to email her or her peers and ask respectful questions.

ART-IFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

AI art takes over social media, but at a cost.

Splashes of color across phone screens. People stare blankly, waiting for a masterpiece to be generated. TikTok’s AI art filters have taken the internet by storm, giving users an array of artificial intelligence features to be used while on the app.

As of 2020, apps like TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are using AI generators to create filters. Controversy has risen questioning if this

TikTok also poses a security concern with AI. In order to train a AI system, it requires heaps of data. That being said, many are questioning whether that data is being collected from TikTok users or outside sources.

“A ton of copyrighted material is used to teach AI and I question the ethics of using artist material to teach something thats not a human

A recent TikTok trend has garnered controversy after users claimed the filters steal copyrighted material for their creations. Filters using artificial intelligence require samples to base their algorithms from, opening the door for protected material to be taken. “It doesn’t have the work and heart put into it like art from a person would,” freshman Denis Petersohn said.

violates artistic property. With over 150 million Americans using the platform every month, people are concerned about whether or not Tiktok is stealing data from users.

According to Bloomberg, “Liking, sharing, or commenting improves TikTok’s algorithm further. Within a day, the app can get to know you so well it feels like it’s reading your mind.”

Specifically artist on the platform are concerned that their art is being use to generate these filters. One popular filter, the Al Anime filter is a filter that takes a picture of whats on the screen and transforms it into an anime looking animation. If this is the case, and TikTok is using their work, it would be stealing their work without consent or permission.

“I feel like it just takes work away from an artist which takes money away from artist,” freshman Denis Petersohn.

to learn something,” history teacher Tim Baldwin said.

TikTok has been caught multiple occasions using private data from users to source a project like AI, and with the recent popularity of AI, the American government is concerned this is another example of it. Most recently, the government has considered banning this app due to its violation of privacy.

According to CBS News, “There’s probably a 90% chance that that would be ruled unconstitutional [because of] the First Amendment. You’re banning an information source, you’re banning a publication.”

Artificial intelligence is a powerful resource being using all over the internet. Although it can be used for good, oftentimes it fails to be --and TikTok is a prime example.

Reported & Designed by Lucy Boyle | Photos by Ethan Mcmenemy

“

“

AI is very powerful in its ability to absorb and learn skills

History teacher Tim Baldwin said.

THANKS FOR OUTER BANKS

The third season of the hit TV show OBX dropped on Netflix after a long awaited arrival.

aves crashing against the shore. A group of five familiar faces sitting on an island. Their hair is grown out from months on a deserted island and sand is on their body.

On Feb. 23, 2023 the new season of “Outer Banks” was released on Netflix. After getting much love for the first two seasons, fans from all across the world joined together in excitement to watch the new episodes.

The show takes place in Outer Banks, North Carolina and follows the five main characters: John B, Sarah Cameron, JJ, Pope and Kiara as they hunt for treasure and battle both internal and external struggles with relationships and gold hunting. In the last season, the show ended with the group stranded on a deserted island, and the new season picked up after they got rescued and their return back home. While the season had mixed reviews from the audience, majority loved the new season and all the development it brought for the characters and plot.

“I think it’s really good. I would say that the new season is just as good as the previous,” junior Lauren Stewert said.

There are many new scenes which introduce new characters who make an impact on many people and end up with new favorite action-packed scenes from the whole show. Such as the moment where John B got reunited with his dad Big John for the first time in years at the church.

While there are high quality scenes with the new additions, by introducing new characters the show wasn’t able to dive in on any one topic and were jumping around between scenes.

The best scene is the final scene where Ward took a bullet for Sarah. His behavior showed how he tried to make problems right with her after betraying her in the first two seasons. This also shows how much he loves her.

“My favorite scene was the very ending scene where Ward takes the bullet for Sarah, or the scenes in season one when John and Sarah were getting to

Reported by Chloe Franklin

Designed by Lucy Boyle

know each other,” sophomore Anna Combs said. Another fan favorite scene was the very beginning with Rafe and Kiara.

“I really like any scene with Rafe and Kiara in Singh’s house where they have to work together to get out,” Stewert said.

While the new season was very interesting, it wasn’t as well liked by fans as the previous seasons. It could have had some improvements such as character development and adding unnecessary side characters. According to Forbes.com, “The rest of the show is drama for its own sake, and it’s getting frankly a little exhausting that the series refuses to let its cast members ever, ever win for more than two seconds,”. Instead of introducing John B’s dad, Big John, they should have focused more on developments in the main five’s relationships early on in the season. It would have kept viewers more focused and interested in the new season.

“The only reason I think it’s getting worse is because they keep adding to the plot line, and it’s getting a little busy, but it’s still good,” Combs said.

By introducing new characters, the show wasn’t able to dive into one topic very deeply like building on a relationship. That being said, on the opposite side of the spectrum it was nice that the entire show wasn’t focused mainly on John B and Sarah. This gave more opportunities for fans all around to have new favorite characters.

“It’s a great show and I can’t wait for season four to come out,” Sophomore Trenton Dolato said.

While there could be some improvements for the new season, it is agreed the new season was exciting, and they are looking forward to the next season. Viewers can watch the new season streaming on Netflix.

A HARD PUCK TO SWALLOW

Kansas City is not a hockey town and here’s why.

urrently, Kansas City (KC) is known for something other than hockey. It is known for its 1970, 2020 and 2023 Super Bowl-winning football team, 1985 and 2015 World Series-winning baseball team and championship runner-up KC Current soccer team. In 2022, according to KSHB, there were only 1,065 kids part of the Kansas City Youth Hockey Association. Less than a four-hour drive from KC, for their team The Blues, St. Louis is one of the largest hockey cities, yet KC lacks hockey fans.

Though there is a lack of fans, this does not keep people from finding a love for the sport. Sophomore Samuel O’Reilly has been playing hockey for 10 years, currently playing for the Kansas City Fighting Saints.

“My dad played hockey and so did his brothers. Hockey is really big in my family. They had forced me to play, and I ended up quitting temporarily, but then I played again when I was seven and fell in love with it,” O’Reilly said.

One reason for the lack of fans could be the fact KC does not have a National Hockey League (NHL) team anymore. In 1974 KC introduced the Scouts, a short-lived

team which disbanded in 1976. Many factors led to the failure of the team including: a lack of known players and a rush in building the Kemper Arena, originally built to double as a hockey and baseball arena as a failsafe and their overall stats. The Scouts posted a record of 57 wins, 107 losses and 15 ties for 129 points overall finishing last or second-to-last in all three seasons.

According to The Athletic, “The fans in Kansas City, they weren’t that naive or starryeyed that they were just going to go sit there and watch a last-place team get clobbered.”

Though there is no NHL team, there is still an opportunity for students in KC who love hockey to have an opportunity to play. There are many local youth teams all of which can be found on the Kansas City Youth Hockey Assosiation website. Hockey is a travel sport as O’Reilly is in a league that spans from Oklahoma, Arkansas, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska.

“My most challenging game was during this season,” O’Reilly said. “We lost by a lot, it was playoffs and everyone just started to give up including myself, it was one of those games where no one played well.”

If any students are interested in watching a Mavericks game, the season isn’t over yet. Students and families can visit kcmavericks.com to purchase tickets to one of their home games at Cable Dahmer Arena until their last game on Apr.15. Tickets start at $25 for single attack end and go up to $100 for center ice seats.

Reported by Victorya Wilkinson | Designed by Brodey Hutton | Photos Courtesy of Samuel O’Reilly

“Hockey isn’t really developed, it’s very popular in St.Louis but not in Kansas City. Since we don’t have an NHL team, I think football and baseball just overpower everything,” sophomore Samuel O’Reilly said.

As the hockey season comes to a close, there is an urge to get the sport’s name into mainstream media. With there being no NHL team here in Kansas City, sophomore Sam O’Reilly is trying to get the word out about hockey. He has played for The Kansas City Fighting Saints for 10 years after being introduced to the team by his father. “I wish hockey didn’t have all the fighting. I feel it’s a gentleman’s sport because everyone is supportive of each other. I also feel like it’s a harder sport to join later on because of how much there is to learn,” O’Reilly said.

“This year I think we have 1,065 or almost 1,100 kids playing hockey under the KCYHA,” Bob Brwon president of the Kansas City Youth Hockey

According to KHSB

Reported

No Regrets

Alternative educational formats can greatly benefit students.

senior in high school and a sophomore in college; 17 years of age, barely. I’ve been labeled both an overachiever and perfectionist, and even though I’ve faced stress and burn out, I don’t regret choosing the educational path I’ve ventured down. “I took the road less travelled and that has made all the difference,” to quote Robert Frost.

I started preschool in the traditional group setting at a local private school. While my peers were venturing into all-day kindergarten, when I was five, my parents chose to educate me at home. And while they were learning their colors and numbers, I was already reading easy chapter books and writing in cursive–something most aren’t taught until third grade.

I continued to be educated by my village of homeschool parents, co-ops and extracurricular activities, across multiple states and throughout my elementary school years.

Although many would argue homeschooling causes learning disadvantages, a study by National Home Education Research Institute found 78% of the compared and reviewed studies confirm homeschooled children performed significantly better than their public schooled peers academically.

When I moved to Missouri at 12, the homeschool groups were not as prevalent as in other states we’d lived in–and, my extroverted self needed to rub shoulders with others. I entered the public school system at 13. COVID-19 hit that spring.

Looking at the high school course selections, it became apparent that I was already ahead and, since everything was on lock-down, I decided to go ahead and pursue college at the same time I was working through high school, at the age of 14.

According to Best Colleges, high school students taking college courses gain “early exposure to college life, a diverse array of classes” along with earning their degrees faster and cheaper. With the outstanding student debt in the U.S. being $1.76 trillion, the last point stands out among the rest–especially with reports of President Biden cancelling the Student Debt Relief Program.

In conclusion, my educational experience has been nothing short of unique; building up to the chaotic whirlwind of my high school and early college years. In May, I will graduate high school in just three years with 52 college credits and a full resume of experience.

Willow Project

Opposing points from activists debate whether the Willow Project is improving or damaging Alaska’s ecosystem.

ccording to CNN, “600 million barrels of oil being drilled caused 263 million tons of greenhouse gasses to be emitted into the air.” On Mar. 13, President Joe Biden approved this controversial Willow Project, an oil drilling on Alaska’s North Slope in the National Petroleum Reserve. This effect has only caused destruction, stealing land from natives and animals in Alaska. This project has been in the works for years, but their has been recent petition to move this effort forward.

The discussion was first brought up by ConocoPhillips, an American oil company with efforts to reserve and produce gas. They claim this project is built for Alaska’s economy while giving America a chance to build up its resources.

According to ConocoPhillips, “We write to make things clear: the majority consensus on the North Slope support the Willow Project.”

This projects has a big role in Alaska’s economy, generating anywhere between $8 billion and $17 billion. Additionally Willow will lower gas prices globally. It will create more jobs, resource and overall more money for Alaska, which will spread change globally.

While there are economic benefits to this project, some Natives in the community of Alaska have a different stance. Not only is this project releasing about 287 million tons of greenhouse gasses, but it is also affecting the natives of Alaska and beyond. The pollutants this project emits can cause serious cardiovascular, kidney, and chronic respiratory problems. This effort also majorly affects the animals of Alaska like caribou, polar bears, and migratory birds. This project will deteriorate habitats that animals live in and disrupt animal migration patterns.

Jeremy Lieb, an Alaska-based senior attorney for Earthjustice told CNN, “We and our clients don’t see any acceptable version of this project. We think the [environmental impact] analysis is unlawful.”

Environmental activists have also taken action against this plan with various petitions, one reaching over three million signatures. Others have promoted a #StopWillow campaign on social media, with intentions to reach out to promote clean energy.

According to the New York Times, “President Biden’s decision to move forward with the Willow Project abandons the millions of young people who overwhelmingly came together to demand he stops the project and protects our futures.”

While the list of pros and cons go on and on, something is clear, the Willow Project has only caused problems.

by Kaiya Lynch | Photo by Madison Remley | Designed by Jenna Shores

Reported by Lucy Boyle | Photo by Madison Remley

A&E.

Designed by Kaiya Lynch | Photos by Madison Remley

JUNIOR

MARY JO GUARINO

“ONCE, FOR APRIL Fools, I did the upside down cup trick with a piece of paper under it. My mom picked it up, spilled the water and got mad because it was on the kitchen table, which was made of wood.”

19 LHSNEWS.NET

APRIL 1 IS KNOWN IN THE U.S. AS APRIL FOOL’S DAY. TWO STUDENTS SHARED THEIR FAVORITE PRANKS DONE TO CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAY.