Love is in the air and we hope you all had a wonderful Valentine’s Day filled with love. Our class celebrated with our yearly tradition of making boxes and handing out Valentine’s. This issue is filled to the brim with interactive activities with five game pages ranging from Valentine’s inspired I Spy to a word search puzzle honoring Black History Month.
Speaking of Valentine’s day, reporter Katelyn Smith touches on the history and how different it is today compared to its origin (see page 12).
Besides Valentine’s Day, during the month of February there are many activities such as the Blue Jay Nation trivia night to raise funds for the Liberty Bell (see page 5), and some have been canceled such as the courtwarming dance (see page 10).
Though the trivia night is for the adults in the district, there are still many opportunities available for students in the school including choosing classes available to obtain a Market Value Asset course (see page 22), or even Model UN who just traveled to Boston for a conference to Harvard University (see page 4).
Have a wonderful February and we will see you for our next issue. This will sadly be the last for our current positions in staff.
Victorya Wilkinson
EDITORIAL POLICY
The Liberty Bell strives to provide correct and factual information in which does not misconstrue statements given by students, faculty and outside sources. If at any time while reading through our paper misinformation is found please contact our advisor jamie.munoz@lps53.org and our Editor In Chief vwil9446@lps53.org immediately so our staff can be aware of the mistake. We will take such information into account, discussing ways to properly handle it in the future, as well as provide a written apology in the next printed issue to take accountability for our actions.
ON THE COVER
February is the month to acknowledge love, and for the last 1,528 years love has been celebrated with Valentine’s Day. “I am going to have a Galentine’s Day party with my friends and we are making cookies and watching a movie,” sophomore Adilynn Leimkuhler said.
ONLINE PHOTO GALLERY
Photos by Ayla Espinoza
Check out photos on lhsnew.net under the photo gallery section
Photo by Ayla Espinosa
PORTRAYING Policy
Designed by Addi Fung
Reported by: Brodey Hutton
Indepth Section Editor
From Jan. 30 to Feb. 2, the a 12 person group from the Model United Nations club attended the 72nd Harvard Model UN Conference where they simulated Model UN conferences by representing different countries from around the world in hopes of winning awards and their committees.
“I’m really excited to get to bond with my team,” senior Jadyn Fleckal said. “I’m also very excited to go to a bigger conference because the more people in your conference, the more you have to speak up and give more speeches and write more position papers.”
The Harvard Conference is the largest Model UN Conference in the country, featuring 3,000
U.S. students and also students from 52 other countries who compete in committees of up to 400 people. It will feature 11 committees which will cover various issues which the real UN faces today such as a social, humanitarian and cultural committee, an economic and financial committee and a World Health Organization committee.
“I really like it when you’re in committee and you just get to argue with other delegates,” senior Matthew Esser said. “It’s very fun and I just enjoy arguing with them in a productive way.”
Students participating in the conference will have to write one page long position papers prior to their conference to cover the issue relevant to their committee while also writing their position paper in line with the current situation of
the country they represent. Policy writing, along with public speaking and debate skills are the biggest skills gained from Model UN.
“I think people have this assumption that it’s boring and that you don’t really do a whole lot, but it is really fun getting to work with people from other high schools and creating drafts that help the world,” Fleckal said. “It gives you a lot of cultural intelligence and that you’re able to understand what other people are going through and being able to come up with resolutions that help your country and other countries.”
For more information on the conference go to https://www. harvardmun.org/ or for more information on Model UN in general, visit https://www. un.org/en/mun.
Local Model UN club goes to Harvard Conference.
Model UN club travels to Boston for a conference at Harvard University. “Another reason I joined was because it was something I had never really done before and it challenges me to be more knowledgeable on the countries around me so it’s grown my knowledge of the world in that way,” senior Jadyn Fleckal said. Photo courtesy of Lucy Boyle.
Photo by Madeline Phillips
FUNDRAISING for the Bell
Designed by Addi Fung
Reported by: Lennon Camara Reporter
The bell, rang for significant occasions, but is currently left without a permanent home. It is being stored on a pallet cart at Liberty High School and rolled out on a temporary stand every time it is used.
However, a permanent home for the bell is in the works with the help of Blue Jay Nation through a fundraiser. The structure will sit adjacent to the memorial wall in the athletic complex. The site has the proper footings to hold the weight of the bell and the location is secure and has active surveillance. Trivia night, being held on Feb. 8 at Liberty High School.
Since The Liberty Bell was built in 2018, it has been rung by students and teams on big occasions including the wrestling team winning state championships the last five years in a row and fine arts showcasing their work at a
national level last year. It’s also used when scoring touchdowns at football games and during the beginning of the crosscountry season.
“The Bell was built as a symbol of unity for LHS and a physical structure upon which traditions could be built.” Blue Jay Nation executive board member Jody Magera said.
The new structure will come at an estimated cost of $40,000 to
purpose of the structure will be to provide a permanent home for the bell. Blue Jay Nation Executive Board President Troy Sheeley said.
$50,000 and fundraisers will be a big part of financing this project.
The main goal of the trivia night is to fund teacher classrooms where the first $2,000 will go towards classrooms but the remaining balance will be going toward the planned structure to hold the bell. It is undetermined how long it will take to raise enough for the bell’s new home, but it is estimated to be several more years before the bell sees its permanent residence and in the meantime, the organization is starting to plan for the future.
“Blue Jay Nation looks forward to establishing new traditions, such as having incoming freshman students ring the bell at their orientation and having graduating seniors ring the bell on their final day at LHS,” Blue Jay Nation board member Jody Magera said.
The trivia night raised nearly $7000, $2000 of which will support grants for teachers classroom and the rest toward the Bell’s permanent home.
School holds fundraiser for The Liberty Bell
Blue Jay Nation (BJN) fundraises for a permanent home for the bell. BJN held a second annual trivia night on Feb. 8 raising $7000. Photo by JaiDynn Sargent
THE Start of an Era
Designed by JaiDynn Sargent
Reported by: Addi Fung News and Opinion Section Editor
The sound of number four making her first three-pointer of the night against Blue Springs South High School on Jan 18. Sophomore Elecea Norman faces the line and makes her first free throw of the night, she will finish with the team high and put up 16 points. The pressure that sets in for junior Enslie Dryer as she reaches for the jump ball at the start of the game against number 20 on the opposing team, tipping it to Elecea to score the first point of the game. In a back and forth game, Liberty falls 39-56.
The Blue Jays women’s basketball team entered a new beginning. This season the team has accomplished some goals along with the addition of Head Varsity Coach Aaron Neeser to their coaching staff. On Jan. 24 they celebrated a win against
Park Hill, the final score being 56-46.
“Coaching Liberty is a privilege,” Neeser said, “From the very beginning of the year, the kids were really buying into the ideas of what we want to do, offensively and defensively.”
With this being his first year at Liberty, some adjustment has been required. Offensively, Neeser has talked about making as many baskets as possible, and when that happens, the team thrives and it adds to the competitive spirit.
“I like that he believes in us and he holds us to a standard that he knows we can all reach,” junior guard Rowan Ricklefs said.
When looking back on the season with a new coach, players felt he helped them stay focused on their goals at hand. Notably creating a stronger, more skilled
Starting at Park Hill South, women’s varsity basketball team’s new coach Aaron Neeser leads them to a current record of 9-7. “It is going awesome. The kids are amazing. They work hard and the chemistry is coming together,” coach Neeser said. Photo by Ceily Tiemann.
LHS female basketball players welcome a new head coach.
and developed team, according to players.
“We’re a completely different team. I am loving where we are right now,’ senior Isabella DeSchepper said. “He’s made the year fun for everyone, and not just a group of people, he’s worked really hard to make it fun for everyone.”
Many of the girls have put in work outside of practice and focused on getting shots up. Nine of them completed a 10,000 shot challenge over the summer, enhancing their shooting abilities with practice.
“I think the new coach has been a big asset when it comes to coaching style and how to really help the girls stay focused on the game,” junior basketball manager Maddox Smith said.
With new coaches, often comes improvement. When it comes to strategy and execution, the ideas that the coach has have been different from the girl’s last coach, “From the very beginning of the year, the kids are really buying into the ideas of what we want to do, offensively and defensively.” Coach Neeser said According to the blog Go1, “70% of individuals who receive coaching noticed improved work performance, relationships and more effective communication skills.”
While the team faced challenges of their own, like communication and readjustments to new staffing, Neeser found ways to connect
the group through this.
“This season has been a big improvement all around with teamwork and effort. One struggle they faced this year was working together at first, but after the season progressed, they’ve learned how to better communicate with each other,” Smith said.
The Liberty District is recognizable for its girl’s basketball program, and coach Neeser was extremely excited to get here and see how much the girls love basketball. On March 3, the girls will attend Districts. The location of which will be determined by the higher ranked school.
SIBLING Rivalry Fuels Tennis Passion
Siblings Share Love of Tennis.
Designed by JaiDynn Sargent
Reported by: Destinee Davis
Repoter
The brittle sound of the vibrant yellow ball hitting the racket and the sun beating down on the green court, and the taste of victory just a few swings away.
Two siblings sophomore Ava and eighth grader Andrew Beltran play tennis at different levels but still bond over their shared love for the sport.
“There is competition, but it is great because we push each other to get better,” Ava
Beltran said.
Ava Beltran has been playing tennis since she was six so nine years and she also plays tennis for two clubs outside of school. The clubs she plays for are Clawview and Blue Hills. Even though Andrew Beltran is an eighth grader; he has been playing tennis since he was four and he is also in Clawview and Blue Hills tennis clubs. They also have a younger sister who is eight years old named Audrey also plays tennis.
“I think I have more potential than tennis in my other sports and my coaches and my family
saw that,” eighth-grader Andrew Beltran said.
Ava and Andrew practice everyday or every other day together after school for two hours. They also both have club practice five days a week and
Women’s Varsity Tennis team consisting of seniors Kiley Hill, Sidney Rodjers and Ella Campbel, juniors Ava Beltran and Kate Ornelas, sophomores Emma Ford and Corrine Korte, as well as freshman Taylor Londquist place third at state.
“Ava has always been serious about everything she does. She’s so confideint in everything she does but I think the pictures you see of her playennis is just the look of her playing, she’s always so focused,” sophomore Zoe Moore said. All photos courtesy of Ava Beltran.
still the two days they practice on their own.
“It just gave me life lessons that teach you to be independent and be able to problem solve, I apply all the life lessons I learn into my daily life.” Ava Beltran said.
Ava got an award on Nov 10, 2021 for sportsmanship award for UTSA. UTSA is one of the largest tennis leagues that isn’t just Kansas city it is Missouri, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and St. Louis. At UTSA athletes get nominated for sportsmanship by their peers and coaches for going above and beyond.
“She has an extreme work ethic. She’s always working with different coaches before school, after school, and on weekends, hitting with different individuals, and just trying to get better,” Tennis coach Pamela Koch said.
Koch went on to say that Ava is one of your ideal athletes; she is very coachable even at the level she is at she still takes feedback to grow as an athlete. She works very hard, before school, afterschool, and on weekends. She trains with multiple different coaches.
“She’s the nicest person I know, she’s so smart, she’s so humble, or she’s so amazing and everything, but she never backs out of it, she’s so sweet,” sophomore Zoe Moore said.
Ava was a very skilled tennis player, but her friends knew her for more than just her skills on the court. Her friends, teammates, and coaches had nothing but good things to say about her.
“Me and her just have always been competitive, and we don’t like losing to each other. We push each other to our full potential,” Andrew
Beltran said.
All the practice Ava and Andrew do together they have learned from each other’s strengths and weaknesses. They have always been competitive with each other and don’t like losing to each other but that doesn’t stop them from being siblings.
“This upcoming season my goal is to win and just try to be the best player and best person I can be,” Ava Beltran said.
Ava’s goal for the future is for the upcoming season to be the best player she can be. Andrew’s goal for the future is to play D1 in tennis. He also wants to one day make it to the top 100 in the country.
I feel like tennis has given me many relationships with people all over the country. It’s great when I go to these tournaments and I get to see them after a while. It’s great to get to talk with them and create both new and stronger bonds, Sophomore Ava Beltran said.
Find out more at:
skojays LHSCoachKoch
SNOW Cancels Disco
A week of snow days cancels big school plans.
Designed by Madeline Jones
Photos by Ethan Chase
Reported by: Camdyn Johnston Reporter
Walking into the gym with bright neon lights reflecting in the Fieldhouse on January 10th, the beats bouncing into your ears like lightning, with an array of colors. Walking into a silent disco the headphones light up
with different colors.
The courtwarming silent disco was canceled due to the five snow days. However, the spirit week was rescheduled to February 3-7 to be able to dress up during spirit week, and crown the court king and queen. The dance was supposed to be in Cokely Gym, which would have been decorated with neon and black lights, and glow sticks would have been
handed out. It was going to be dark with colorful lights from the headphones and neon decorations, floating and surrounding the gym.
“We’re a little disappointed, we spent a lot of time, money and effort trying to plan it out. So the student council is trying to figure out how we can keep the school’s spirits up and keep the tradition going next year,” sophomore Lucca Camara said.
“We went on the internet to see what options we had for themes, to try and make the dance more lively, to get more people interested,” sophomore Hadley Tran said.
The student council wanted to bring back the old tradition of courtwarming and used the theme to tie into our mascot with the dance titled ‘Neon Nights on Blue Jay Drive’.
“We chose neon because we wanted it to connect with the theme of Throwback Night for the basketball game,” Tran said.
The sophomore class officers,
Camara, Ally Enochs, Ava Beltran, Tran and Saba Deickoff planned the dance in October. Lucca Camara, the sophomore class president, assigned people to work on advertising, decorations, tickets or if they have any questions. Sophomore Hadley Tran is a class cabinet member who has worked on it with her fellow cabinet members and helped plan the dance and advertise.
“Courtwarming is usually a dance that is not highly attended but we’re trying to raise attendance. We decided and then asked the student council if they thought it was okay to have this silent disco for our high school,” student council advisor Kara Geisert said.
The silent disco dance uses headphones with three channels of music so during the dance the attendees could switch between the channels to get to the type of music they wanted to listen to. The first channel is usually music the company provides, the second is the music students wanted for the dance the DJ would then play and the third was ‘80s music to go with the neon theme. The headset would then light up with different colors for each channel.
“We just figured silent disco would be a really fun tradition to start up and be a good way to get more people involved in court warming,” Camara said. The first week back from break the student council had to return the headphones to the
We figured silent disco would be a fun tradition to start up and be a good way to get more people involved in courtwarming, sophomore Lucca
company before the dance could take place. They rented 500 pairs of headphones and it cost 3000 dollars.
“We’re sad it got canceled and we were really looking forward to it. So, we’re hoping to get a credit so we can have a silent
disco next year,” Geisert said. If the dance were to happen next year, it would have to be sometime not in courtwarming season because of the large chance of snow happening and postponing or even canceling the silent disco dance again. They paid for decorations, the DJ, and neon party favors ready for the dance.
“We’re really disappointed that it got canceled and we really hope that if we do it next year people are still excited about it,” Camara said.
The dances are self-funded so the tickets would have paid back for the event.
“All things that we do for student council, usually the event we put on pays back for the event so we don’t ever usually do any fundraising unless it goes to our charity which is the Special Olympics,” Geisert said.
The assembly on Friday, February 7th, was going to be a celebration of all things LHS.
“We’ll probably look at trying to do another dance not during courtwarming because it’s usually going to have some sort of snow but maybe another time and maybe another dance,” Geisert said.
neon themed Courtwarming silent disco was cancelled due to bad weather. Photo by Ethan Chase
The
The neon-themed Courtwarming dance on Feb. 11. was canceled due to inclement weather. “It was definitely sad to hear that the Dance was canceled given that it would be the first silent disco and I loved how they were changing it up,” senior Morgan Gable said.
Photo by Maddox Calvin.
MORE Than Chocolates and Roses
The long history of Valentine’s Day
Designed by Madeline Jones
Reported by: Katelyn Smith Reporter
The feeling of overbearing love when waking up on Feb 14 with the smell of fresh roses from the local flower shop. The taste of chocolates starting at the price of $2, the noise of love being spread amongst others.
Students at Liberty High School plan how to celebrate Valentine’s Day as the date approaches to show their affection for their loved ones by writing cards and giving gifts.
“It’s honestly an event where no one has to feel alone. Sometimes people do feel alone, but on that day, I usually try to get out the most love and writing, just telling people that special because there is always someone who’s going to love
what are our faculty couples doing this Valentine’s Day?
them,” sophomore Wallis Love said.
Valentine’s Day was first celebrated in 496 AD in Ancient Rome. It was originally called the Lupercalia and was celebrated to mark the beginning of spring and to grant women fertility in the year to come. They would celebrate by sacrificing a goat and a dog, which is vastly different compared to how it is celebrated today.
“Valentine’s Day is a holiday to spend time with your family, with people you love and care about, and also to celebrate what love you have for those people in your life,” senior Dafne Henandez said.
The badaluccos
“We usually spend Valentine’s Day running our kids from one activity to another,” Mrs. Badalucco said.
Photo by Ayla Espinoza
There are many different ways Valentine’s Day has been celebrated even to this day. For example: in Denmark, it is normal to send Valentines with jokes. However, instead of signing their name, the sender writes a series of dots representing the number of letters in their name. In Germany, the celebration is all about pigs. It is customary to give each other pig merchandise. According to Templeton Honors College, “Another story focuses on St. Valentine’s association with romantic love and marriage. During the persecutions in Rome, it was forbidden for couples to be married in a Christian
ceremony. As part of his ministry to the Church, St. Valentine is said to have married Christian couples in secret, demonstrating his piety and respect for marriage as a Christian sacrament.”
When Saint Valentine was exposed for his illegal acts (marrying Christians in secret), he was arrested. Valentine was going to be killed. However before he was taken away, he left a note for the jailer’s daughter which was signed: “Your Valentine.” This was the first Valentine ever written. Today…
“Other holidays are usually about buying things for people but for Valentine’s Day, I feel
The Gehrleins
“For Valentine’s day, we are going to go out for lunch during our professional development day,” Mr. Gehrlein said.
Photo by Ceily Tiemann
like it’s all about crafting in a way. Like people will make gifts for others,” Love said.
He went on to say that in his opinion, it is more meaningful to receive a handmade gift than a store-bought gift. For example, a sweet note, list out some reasons why you love them, make them a paper flower, etc.
According to the Meeteetse Museum, “The first Valentine cards and gifts were sent in the eighteenth century. These first cards were handmade, consisting of paper decorated with romantic symbols like flowers and love knots and often including puzzles or lines of poetry.”
Currently, the most popular gifts for Valentine’s day are candy, cards, and flowers. According to Moosend.com, “44% of shoppers say they will purchase candy/sweets (with a box of chocolates being a must).”
Jays are making plans for Valentine’s Day using the occasion to have a fun night out or a chill night in. Though Valentine’s Day is celebrated differently, students who want to partake in old traditions could: write valentines for friends or family members, go birdwatching, or create a homemade gift for a friend.
The Turpins
“Our daughter has a dance recital on that day, so that will be our family Valentine’s Day, Mr. and Mrs. Turpin said. “We typically don’t celebrate on Valentine’s Day, but we do dinner and a movie later.”
IllustratedbyMadelineJones
Photo by Maddox Calvin
Designed by Victorya Wilkinson
THRIVING On and Off the Track
Designed by Kora Smith
Sophomore Ayodeji Nilson balances being an athlete and fine arts.
Photo by Ayla Espinoza
Reported by: Abbi Mota Reporter
Sophomore Ayodeji Nilson lines up on the track. Adrenaline rushing as he gets in his lane. Hands down on the ground and spikes on looking only at what’s ahead of him. “Runnin, runnin, runnin” Is all that plays in his head before the flare goes off. Hyping himself up with music, which helps to calm him down before
From lining up and getting a good block start on the track to singing in JayBlues and chamber choir, Nilson manages to balance between both and find enjoyment in each one with the help of his family. Nilson discovered his passion in both athletics and choir when he was in middle school. For track, Nilson was a freshman on varsity with a PR of 51.00
400-meter dash and 11.5 seconds in the 100-meter dash. Nilson gives credit to his mom, an Edge teacher, and women’s head track coach, Enola Ajayi, for always pushing him and helping him become a better version of himself each year when balancing between the two.
“Over the summer and winter, my mom helps me with conditioning
and workouts a lot including what I should be doing in the gym, and how I should be eating as well so it’s very helpful,” Nilson said.
Not only does his mom coach track herself, but she also makes time to help coach his older brother, senior Femi Nilson, a multi-sport varsity athlete.
“I’m just proud as a mom to see them grow as athletes or as choir students, but just as people in general because one of my big things is to raise people that are kind, treat people with dignity no matter what their positions are. And it’s just great to see that in action because I’ll have teachers tell me that they’re good boys so it just makes me proud. I’m very proud,” Ajayi said.
F. Nilson also will run track with his brother for another season, making it a good season for them, and a memorable one for sure. Near the end of the season, they got to run in a 4x4 race together. Both strive to be “very devoted to their craft,”
F. Nilson said.
“This was always the plan to come into the high school my mom works at and run track with my brother. It’s fun being in an activity with him and just being to grow and seeing him develop as a track athlete and my mom helping me coach, having that motivation in that school and track realm and pushing me is amazing,”
F. Nilson said.
And while this family has a passion for running, A. Nilson is
Photo by Ayla Espinoza
also involved in singing. Being a part of both the most competitive choirs, JayBlues which is an Acapella group, and show choir, singing as a baritone. A. Nilson puts in hours of work doing this, committing to it all year and even private lessons on the weekends to help him improve.
In Jay Blues his A Capella group achieved 4th place in the Jayblues semi-finals last year when they competed against
every state in the Midwest region. This year he’s been singing at assemblies, an MLK day event, and a competition on the 14th.
“I think it’s great that he’s an athlete and also a fine arts student and I enjoy seeing him in both things, so I think it just opens up the door of opportunities for me because I get to be involved in both worlds. So I love it, I enjoy it,” Ajayi said. And even in the future,
A. Nilson still wants to be able to pursue both athletics and fine arts. In college, he hopes to get into a Division 1 school for track and field as well as doing show choir.
“You could definitely do both, I know a lot of times they seem like two separate kinds of worlds but they can mix and you become a more well-rounded person if you pursue both,” A. Nilson said. Find him on Instagram at @nilsonayodeji.
Choir Acapella group Jay Blues practice in the choir room preparing for their competition on Feb. 14. “Being part of Jay Blues means being a part of a group of amazing and talented singers. I love that we get to use our gifts for something different than the typical choir we are all used to. I enjoy being able to show other studends in a way everyone can enjoy,” senior Spencer Jackson said. Photo by Madeline Phillips.
Designed by Victorya Wilkinson
QUIET On Set
Designed by Kora Smith
An eager dancer stars as the lead in the fall musical.
Photo by Ayla Espinoza
Photo by Ceily Tiemann
Reported by: Madeline Jones
Features Section Editor
The applause from the audience rings as the seven-minute-long tap number comes to an end at Liberty High School. The stage lights shine across her face as they reflect a smile of accomplishment. The taste of tea sticks to her tongue from the gin bottle as she squeezes her costar’s hand in recognition of their presence.
Senior Ellen Sheeley worked her way up and overcame selfdoubts as she pursued her lead role in the production of “Anything Goes” in November 2024.
“I just wanted to hear the applause because it’s really cool,” Sheeley said. “It’s 50 some high school kids all tapping at once, which is really awesome, so I would always listen to the tapping sounds, then I would listen to the reaction from the audience afterwards.”
When the musical was announced last school year, Sheeley knew she was going to audition. She started preparing
at the end of July 2024. She learned the music specific to her role in the musical and used the skills from her 12 years of dancing.
“The girl who reprised the role, her name is Sutton Foster, and I’ve always said anything involving Sutton Foster had always been my dream role,” Sheeley said.
Sheeley was in “Prom” and “Something Rotten” at the Musical Theatre Kansas City (MTKC), a preparatory theatre program located in Shawnee, Kansas, along with some of the classics such as “Bad Viper.”
“I spend most of my summers down there, so I started to get into it only two years ago, but I’ve been doing shows since sixth grade,” Sheeley said.
Sheeley has been in 17 musicals at MTKC along with 10 middle school and high school shows . Both of Sheeley’s siblings entered theatre before she did; her older brother, Patrick, became involved in theatre when he was a freshman and her sister joined several years later.
“I loved watching my brother, and then my sister joined when she was eight, so both of my siblings were doing it,” Sheeley said. “I was watching a bunch of shows, but I’ve always been like, no, I’m just a dancer, but then I finally started auditioning.”
According to Backstage, a study conducted in March and
Senior Ellen Sheeley played the lead role of Reno Sweeny in her performance of Anything Goes. “I’ve always said anything involving Sutton Foster has always been my dream role. When it got announced that it’s a Sutton Foster role I pretty much started preparing immediately,” Sheely said. Photos courtesy of Ellen Sheeley.
April revealed more than 80 percent of professional actors have suffered from stage fright at least once in the span of their career.
“The biggest obstacle is confidence,” Sheeley said. “I thought I was just a dancer but then, having the ability to be,
no, I can do what my siblings do. I can do what my family does. I can do what these kids do.”
According to ScholarWorks@ BGSU, a survey found 13.21%of dancers feel anxious, 13.21% feel stressed, 30.19% feel embarrassed, 26.42% feel angry, 5.66% feel sad, and only 3.77% feel motivated.
“You’re always comparing yourself to others; you have to look like the girl next to you, but I need to have confidence in myself, in my body, in my presence and my looks,” Sheeley said. “That is definitely one I had to get used to and figure out for myself because otherwise I wouldn’t have gotten what I got.”
According to Dancer Nutrition, comparison in dance studios is a common obstacle facing many dancers. They will often compare their bodies, skills, progress, and achievements to their fellow dancers.
“I made it a priority for myself to find a moment to look out into the audience and take it all in because that’s what our theater teacher, Mr. Turpin always says, is to soak it all up,” Sheeley said. “ He wants us to embellish in what we are doing.”
Check out the Blue jay’s theatre Instagram page to keep in touch with any upcoming shows and performances. @ bluejaytheatre
THE Future of Education
The importance of Market Value Assets in high school education.
Designed by Brodey Hutton
Reported by: JaiDynn Sargent
Sports Section Editor
As everyday life modernizes Kansas City school districts are looking for ways to prepare students for their future after education further. Liberty has decided to do this through a new graduation requirement: Market Value Assets.
According to Real-World Learning “By 2030, 100% of Kansas City area students will graduate with one or more Market Value Assets (MVA).” These are defined as “industryvalued and recognized skills acquired in high school that create a more seamless transition from school to postsecondary education and/or the workplace.”
Why Were Market Value Assets Added?
Liberty Public Schools adopted a new three-tiered diploma program last year, starting with the class of 2025. The program includes a Silver (24 credits), Gold (25.5 credits) and Platinum Seal (28 credits), which students are encouraged to check as they develop their interests and career plans throughout high school.
The addition of MVAs in LPS is part of Real-World Learning, an initiative in Kansas City aims to prepare the region’s students for the future. Real-World Learning is an Initiative in Kansas City that works to prepare the workers of the future early, through experience in high school.
“We’re activating communities to
Many students are applying for course classes next year. Some students have submitted classes for their MVA’s.
“I took child development and got an MVA through there and I’ve taken three AP classes which counts as one MVA, leaving me with two MVAs to graduate with my platinum diploma,” junior Qorianka Hyde said.
by Iyari Hyde.
provide all students with real-world experiences. We are a coalition on a mission to give every student the opportunity to achieve their potential and help employers invest in the long-term success of their business by engaging, supporting, and inspiring the workforce of tomorrow,” Real-World Learning said.
Positives of MVAs MVAs give students a different learning experience than a typical class provides. By teaching students true life skills such as leadership and communication. These classes help students prepare for life posthigh school.
According to a Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching interview with Dr. Bill Nicely, “MVA experiences lead students to develop, mature, and gain these outgrowths. They grow into them, which is where the name came from. As a result, students are different. Their brains have been rewired, and they’ve experienced real progress. Unlike a concept such as the quadratic equation, this skill set is something that students will possess and carry with them for the rest of their lives.”
“I
got my MVA credit by doing Global Activism within the EDGE Microschool.”
“Freshman year I took AP Human Geo and have skipped out on MVAs this year but I plan on taking more AP classes next year and doing an internship.”
Photo
Sophomore Bayad Abdulla
Senior Alethea
How did you get your MVA?
Photos by Maddox Calvin
Students of this generation don’t feel they find success sitting behind a desk, they would rather physically do something to understand a learning concept.
“I really like Graphic Design because I get to make something instead of just learning a process, I can actually see and do it which helps me understand it,” Sophomore Abby Means said.
Education has seen a strong push towards hands-on learning approaches in the classroom, as not all students learn the same way. Through hands-on learning, each student has a way to experience a concept in more than just one way.
Introducing Digital Badges
There are six ways to earn MVAs: Work Experience, College Credit, Industry Recognized Credentials, Entrepreneurial Experiences, Course Embedded and Build Your Own. After completing an MVA students can earn a Digital Badge, a visual “indicator” of the accomplishment. Digital Badges can be displayed on social media, included in Email signatures, or displayed on resumes for potential employment.
research and solve it. Leveraging input and support from stakeholders, students iteratively analyze, prototype, implement, reflect, and adapt potential solutions.” Students need to have admin approval before starting an “experience” if they are planning to use it as an MVA.
Course Embedded classes are classes in which you earn an MVA through the coursework. These classes can include: Microschools, Culinary Arts, Advanced Sports Marketing, Yearbook, Advanced Broadcast, Newspaper, Photo Journalism, Northland Career Center, and Area
“I got my MVA credit by getting a job, and I will get another one through the Leadership class for STUCO.”
Work Experience MVAs may include internships such as Network 53, the Education Internship Program (EIP), Northland CAPS, Collegiate Nursing Academy, school-based work opportunities and part-time jobs. For a part-time job to qualify as an MVA, students just need to work 120 hours and complete a form to be signed by their employer.
How do I Earn a Digital Badge?
I am getting my second MVA in Graphic Design II. The entire class is signing us up for competitions outside of the school: like painting murals or designing logos for businesses. I pretty much get to design and possibly make money for it,” sophomore Abby Means said.
Career Center.
“I got my MVA credit by taking AP Calculus BC, AP Physics 1 and AP World History.”
Any nine or more hours of collegelevel credit equals one MVA this qualifies for the College Credit Badge. Students are able to earn this credit through Early College, completing Dual Credit with a C or higher or Completing an Advanced Placement exam with a 3 or higher counting as 2 credit hours.
Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) can include certificate programs such as CPR Certification, the Seal of Biliteracy, or Career Center Certifications. Entrepreneurial Experiences are defined as “identifying a compelling social or market problem, mobilizing resources to
“I am getting my second MVA in Graphic Design II. The entire class is her signing us up for competitions outside of the school, like painting murals or designing logos for businesses and stuff like that. I pretty much get to design and possibly make money for it,” Means said.
Build Your Own MVA is a studentcreated experience where students create a plan to solve a problem by consulting experts during a research stage, developing essential skills and presenting their solution to relevant community members. If you have an idea fill out the form found on the LHS website.
If you are interested in finding out more about Market Value Assets or the New graduation requirements visit realworldlearning.org or lhs. lps53.org under the counseling tab.
| @thelhsbell
Senior Yuhao Xiao
Junior Bella Mota
CONCERTS at What Cost?
Students spend money on concert tickets while prices are rising.
Designed by Jenna Shores
Concerts coming to MO SZA
Reported by: Kora Smith Spotlight Section Editor
Loud music and flashing lights fill the T-Mobile Center on Feb. 8 for Tyler the Creators’ Concert. The loud teenage crowd of about 18,000 people singing along to “See You Again” is heard in the arena.
Artists including, Kendrick Lamar, SZA, Forrest Frank, CG5, and many others are taking the stage this year, and students are spending their savings on tickets. Music fans are willing to spend between 100 and 499 dollars according to CNBC.
According to headphonesty. com, “Buying concert tickets used to mean choosing between good seats and great ones. Now, it often means choosing
between going into debt and seeing your favorite band.” The amount the average student in Missouri makes ranges between $12.84 and $17.36 an hour and they work around 15 hours a week since finding free time to work while still in school is often difficult. This can result in smaller paychecks, making ticket purchasing even harder.
“I couldn’t really spend money after because it took my whole paycheck,” junior Caleigh Brownfield said.
Students missed out on opportunities to experience concerts because of high prices.
“I was planning to go to a Benson Boone concert, but it was over $400 for seats that weren’t even that great,” junior Evan Cramer said.
But why are concert tickets so expensive?
“Tours are expensive. You’ve
got the cost of the merchandise, the transportation, the hotels, the equipment, and the tour manager. That has to be accounted for.” Pop music artist CG5 said.
Not only are prices high, but just buying a ticket is a challenge in itself. Students use Ticket Master, Seat Geek, and AXS to purchase tickets. These apps and websites will also require a purchasing fee of up to 50 dollars, which just adds to the concert expenses.
According to The Hustle Daily, “When we analyzed fees on 40 tickets to recent concerts, including the Eras Tour, the average fees took up 28% of a ticket’s face value.”
Ticket buyers are often required to set an alarm to be on time to join a queue and then wait in the queue for an indefinite amount of time.
Adobe Illistrated by Jenna Shores
Once it is the buyer’s turn to purchase, they are often faced with the reality of seeing the show sold out, prices are too high and time is just wasted.
Concert culture is an increasing expense in younger generations. As social media awareness rises for artists, ticket prices, and venues, like the vast T-Mobile center, raise their costs. Photos by Madeline Phillips.
Megan Moroney Tyler The Creator
them when they were all resold tickets,” Brownfield said. She ended up paying about $600 for a total of two tickets, including tax and fees.
The Driver Era
concert because I loved the album and it is my favorite of his, so it is so special,” sophomore Joey Wilson said.
Another common problem is scalpers. Scalpers buy concert tickets and then resell them for a much higher price, especially when the demand for them is high. In 2022, Ticketmaster violated federal antitrust and unfair competition laws and misled consumers in the sale of tickets for The Era’s Tour according to Rolling Stone. This resulted in a lawsuit against Ticketmaster. According to the lawsuit, Ticketmaster allowed 14 million unverified Ticketmaster accounts and other bots to participate in presales. Because of this millions of real fans were unable to purchase tickets.
“I don’t think I paid a good price for my tickets, but I bought
The costs of concerts doesn’t stop at the ticket though. Because of high ticket demands, some concertgoers have to cover the costs of travel. People also spend on an outfit for the show and buy artist merchandise once they get there. This was displayed in Taylor Swift’s “The Eras Tour” which started Mar. 17 2023 and ended Dec. 8, 2024.
According to U.S. Travel. org, “Swift fans––“Swifties”––averaged $1,300 of spending in local economies on travel, hotel stays, food, as well as merchandise and costumes.”
After many costly sacrifices, students are still willing to attend concerts.
“I really wanted to go to this
Some students see concerts as more than an evening out, its and opportunity.
“You never know when artists will stop going on tour or stop making music so this could be a lifetime opportunity,” Brownfield said. From an Artist, perspective, concerts can be more than just listening to live music. Concerts are a place to make new friends as well as memories, the money will come back, but the opportunity and experience can only be lived once.
“This tour tells a story, people love to sing along with my songs and get pulled into the story. It’s a great opportunity to be with other people who belong to the CG5 fandom,” CG5 said.
25 LHSNEWS.NET | @thelhsbell
Designed by Victorya Wilkinson
Designed by Victorya Wilkinson
Designed by Victorya Wilkinson
IS Your Head Screwed on Right?
The Supreme Court needs to redirect its priorities.
Designed by Addi Fung
Reported by: Jenna Shores Managing Editor
The Supreme Court serves as the highest court in the land, and they ensure the promise of equal justice under law. The interpreters of the Constitution, the Supreme Court’s number one job is to interpret laws. They vote on bills to be made into laws and one of them this year includes the banning of TikTok.
The ultimatum given to the CEO of TikTok, Shou Zi Chew, was to either sell the app entirely, or the app would be banned in U.S. territories. This TikTok ban has proved why the Supreme Court needs better priorities rather than banning a social media app.
“I do not agree with it,” freshman Kenley Painter said. “Tic Tok was some people’s jobs, they took away part of their livelihood that wasn’t confirmed affecting anyone.”
In March of 2024, the House of Representatives passed the
Photo by Ayla Espinoza
TikTok ban-or-sell bill. Then in Dec of 2024, “Presidentelect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a political ‘resolution’ to the issue,” according to apnews.com.
Then, Jan 17, the Supreme Court unanimously voted into law starting Jan 19 TikTok will be banned unless it is sold by its parent company in China. The decision was made because officials believe its connection to China poses a national security risk.
According to the Supreme Court, “as of January 19, the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act will make it unlawful for companies in the United States to provide services to distribute, maintain, or update the social media platform TikTok unless U.S. operation of the platform is severed from
According to TechTarget, U.S. lawmakers are concerned ByteDance might leak U.S. user data to the Chinese government if forced to.
Chinese control.”
In the end after only 12 hours of being banned, TikTok came back.
According to forbes.com, “TikTok has resumed operations following its scheduled ban, thanks to intervention by President-elect Donald Trump. The move represents a remarkable reversal for Trump, who in 2020 attempted to ban the platform through executive order, calling it a threat to national security. Now, with over 14.9 million followers on the platform, he positions himself as its defender.”
Five years of focus and attention for it to be down for 12 hours is a waste of the Government and Supreme Court’s time. The Supreme Court should be worrying about pressing issues, including the 21 shootings according to CNN, that have already happened in 2025 and the LA fires.
EQUALITY is Not a Discussion
Progress cannot happen if we continue to go backward.
Designed by Addi Fung
Reported by: Victorya Wilkinson Editor In Chief
Idaho House Republican Representative Heather Scott has proposed a draft to the Supreme Court to reconsider their decision on Obergefell v. Hodges, which allowed for nationwide marriage equality. When it comes to rewriting laws, love should not be on the ballot.
According to Idaho’s Legislature Committee notes, “The purpose of the proposed resolution is to reaffirm the state’s authority to regulate marriage. It encourages the Supreme Court to revisit Obergefell vs Hodges and request reconsideration and the purpose to restore federalism.”
The argument is the power should be given back to each state’s choice. The problem with this, similar to the overturn of Roe v. Wade, is allowing it to be in the state’s hands permits the opportunity to greatly
lessen the chances of marriage among same-sex couples.
According to the Julliard Journal, in 2008, prior to nationwide marriage equality, same-sex marriage was only legal in two states: California and Massachusetts. Whether it be from their statute or through their constitutions, 44 states at this time defined marriage as a union of a man and a woman.
This was only seven years before marriage equality was put into place by the Supreme Court ten years ago. We simply cannot let our country continue to regress the progress toward equality for everyone.
“Same-sex marriage should not be left for the states to decide,” senior Aisha Diallo said. “Anyone who wants to get married should be able to without their rights revoked because of who they want to marry.”
An argument I have seen continuously throughout my research states the law should have never been taken out of the state’s hands in the first place as this was overreaching by the government.
Senator Ted Cruz of Texas spoke on the matter, according to The Hill, “‘Obergefell, like Roe v. Wade, ignored two centuries of our nation’s history,’ Cruz said, arguing that marriage had always been left to the states, and the democratic process should have been allowed to continue at the state level.”
If this is truly about the democratic process, which is listening to the people, then the people have already spoken. On June 26, 2015, after their tireless fight, a same-sex couple’s right to marry was signed into law because the Supreme Court deemed it unconstitutional to deny it from them. They shouldn’t have to fight again.
Photo by Iyari Hyde
BREAKING the ACT
With ACT scores becoming optional for most universities, testing should be altered to fit all students.
Designed by Addi Fung
Reported by: Lucy Boyle
Online Managing Editor
Five minutes remaining” tick, tick, tick, it’s a race for the clock. Palms sweaty and pencils breaking. Each circle being neatly filled in. Some completed, some with little evidence of completion. It is a feeling some have on ACT day. The ACT is a standardized test used for college admissions in the US. Nineteen states have worked with the ACT program to provide an annual free testing day for students to take the test, while the others have dates in which students can pay to take the test.
The ACT has always been a crucial item in the college application process, but in recent years, with COVID-19, most schools have opt out of this step and left in optional to applicants.
According to FairTest, “More than 80% of U.S. four-year colleges and universities will not require applicants for fall 2025 admissions to submit ACT/SAT scores.”
This test includes four sections: English, mathematics, reading, and scientific reasoning. While beneficial to identify what students know and have memorized in school, this test lacks the ability to show students talents. This two hour and 55 minute test doesn’t not antique show students talents, and outside of these four sections, there
are a multitude of other skills students thrive in.
According to the Coalition of Essential Schools, “Conventional tests spotlight children who have certain abilities-especially memory and abstract-analytical ones-but leave in the dark children with other kinds of abilities, such as creative and practical ones.”
For schools who do not provide students to take the test for free, and for students who are looking to get a better score, it can become expensive for students to afford a test that will ultimately give them a number to put on an application.
According to ACT, “On average it takes students 2-3 times to achieve their testing goals..
It is understandable for colleges to need a baseline idea of students skill level. Something that no other test does is highlight a students ability to with advanced, college-level topics. Though it does well in showing the small population who thrives in stressful testing environment, The ACT may not need to be the only option.
It might be time for colleges to start thinking of new, innovative ways for students to highlight their ability.
