January 2020 by Liberty Public Schools

the bell.

January 2020 Volume 96, Issue 4

Liberty High School lhsnews.net

contents.

Staff

Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry Mangaging Editor Zahra Khan Copy Editor & Opinion Editor Alyah Craig Copy, News & Co-Sports Editor Jennavieve Carmony Features Editor & Co-Sports Editor Emma Stauffer Indepth Editor Ashley Tindall Spotlight Editor Derek Katzer A&E Editor Regan Johnston Online Manager Liz Gammon Ads Manager Caroline Parry Reporters

Ethan Atkins Jenna Henderson Sarah Blankenship Lucas Kilgore Shane Bass Anthony Savastino Caty Franklin Ari Revella Rosie Frederick Alexis Tindall Jade Garbani

Photo Jay

Photo Jay Managing Editor Ashley Ritter Photo Editor Charlene Nguyen Online Manager Kaleigh McCarthy Camera Operator Mercedes Peck Camera Coordinator Emma McDonald Photographers Grace Bushroe Connor Callahan Alyssa Griffith Hattie Ludwig Hannah Mayfield

Pearl Pritchard Makenna Smock Kayley Twenter Kylee Williams

On the Cover

Sophomore Elizabeth Krauss looks to therapy dog Bear for loving attention. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our foundational purpose is to establish additional support and resources for students with anxiety, mental health concerns, depression and students who would benefit from the loving interactions of highly trained therapy informed facility canines,â&#x20AC;? Principal April Adams said. Photo by Mercedes Peck

the bell January 2020 Contents

Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry slow9330@lps53.org

Adviser Lori Oyler (816) 736-2827 x 2827 lori.oyler@lps53.org

Questions, Comments or Concerns? If you have questions, comments, concerns, or a topic you would like The Bell to cover, write a Letter to the Editor. Your letter must be a maximum of 250 words and your topic must be appropriate for our underage audience. Writing a Letter to the Editor does not mean it is guaranteed to be published. Submit your letter to: Opinion Editor Alyah Craig acra5623@lps53.org or the Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry slow9330@lps53.org

contents.

Features 6

Engineering a Female Future by Ashley Tindall

The Journey of a Lifetime

A Studentâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Best Friend by Caty Franklin

Photo by Kylee Williams

Spotlights 10

Freshman Grace Wratchford by Jade Garbani

Sophomore Brady Matherly by Derek Katzer

Junior Anatasia Reed-Comeaux by Jenna Henderson

Senior Phillip Cleary by Ethan Atkins

Indepth

News

by Emma Stauffer

Photo by Emma Mcdonald

Spread the Word by Regan Johnston & Sarah Blankenship

Contents lhsnews.net

contents.

Letter from the Editor The beginning of this issue was some sort of chaos I have never seen before. Not only was it the beginning of the semester, where all of the reporters and editors were coming back from their two-week-long break, we also started immediately with story ideas. On the second to last day of finals, the leadership team realized our calendar was messed up and we were cutting ourselves really short on the time we had to produce this issue. We told the reporters they needed to have their story ideas sheets filled out when we came back from break, which gave them a total of one day to get all of their contacts done. They usually have two or three to fill it out. I think this issue came as a shock to some of the new reporters. They don’t fully understand the concept of deadlines still being deadlines even when we don’t have school. It really showed when we had our adviser deadline and quite a few of them missed it because they took that snow day to relax instead of quickly making their edits. During this issue, leadership also had to prepare for State competition. We scrambled to find options, make the edits and finalize all of the stories that were being sent. State

Newsbrief

is something that requires a lot of time and attention, and this issue we were already running short on both, so we struggled quite a bit with getting everything done. As I sit here on a Monday night in Hammerhand, a local coffee shop, leadership is working on the current issue, as well as State submissions and honestly, it’s a lot of work. Despite missing deadlines, and the race against time that we have been fighting since

Photo by Makenna Smock

the beginning of this month, we have yet again successfully been able to complete another issue and submit stories to State.

An Update:Vaping grows in danger.

Reported by Jennavieve Carmony & Caty Franklin

In our September issue, The Bell investigated vaping and reported six deaths nationwide. As of Jan. 14, that number has grown to 60, according to the FDA. And the number of hopitalizations has grown too, to nearly 3,000 cases of e-cigarette and vaping-related lung injuries. EVALI is the lung disease scientists have linked with vapes and e-cigarettes containing THC, a derivative of marijuana. In September, school nurse Becky Kovac said she was seeing students in her office for vaping related symptoms. Cases have now been reported in all 50 states, according to the FDA. Of those 3,000 hospitalizations and 60 deaths, they came from 27 states. The FDA continues to discourage people from vaping or using e-cigarettes that contain THC. The FDA also raised the legal age to purchase tobacco products from 18 to 21 on Dec. 20, 2019. This includes cigarettes, e-cigarettes and vapes. “Whether or not children continue vaping is important -- the longer and more frequently you vape, the more you’re exposing yourself to toxins in e-cigarette aerosol and put yourself

the bell January 2020 Contents

at risk for nicotine addiction,” director of the USC Institute for Addiction Science Adam Leventhal said in a study done by Science Daily. In a study done by Science Daily in October 2019, scientists showed that people who use e-cigarettes with flavors are more likely to continue doing it. Nearly 65% of teens who used the flavors continued vaping, while only around 43% of teens who used traditional flavors such as tobacco or menthol continued. “Regulations that reduce youth exposure to flavored e-cigarettes may aid in preventing young people who try e-cigarettes from becoming long-term e-cig users, and also from inhaling more of aerosol into their lungs,” Illinois Senator Dick Durbin said in a New York Times article related to the study. “Any serious solution to skyrocketing rates of youth e-cigarette use must include the removal of kid-friendly flavors, not just the tobacco industry’s preferred policy,” he said. “Regulations like these could also encourage millions of U.S. adolescents who already use e-cigarettes to quit vaping, especially if they can no longer access e-cigs in the flavors.”

Photo by Kayley Twenter

Mustaches and Warped Time/Picture Perfect

Opinion

by Sidney Lowry & Zahra Khan

19 Tunes of the Soul/And the Oscar Goes To... by Alyah Craig & Caroline Parry

A&E 20

The Force is Strong With This One by Jennavieve Carmony

Harry Styleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Fine Line Review by Ari Revella

Photo by Hattie Ludwig

Sports 24

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Rise to the Top by Anthony Savastino

Photo by Hattie Ludwig

Contents lhsnews.net

features.

Engineering a

Female Future

Freshman Liberty Dilbeck, sophomore Emma Tatum, club sponsor Eniola Ajayi, and junior Elizabeth Hall are part of Society of Women Engineers. The club explores STEM opportunities. Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Society of Women Engineers gives STEM opportunities to girls. Reported by Ashley Tindall Design by Emma Stauffer

Women only make up 28% of the science and engineering workforce, according to the National Girls Collaborative Project. This is a small percentage when compared to their male counterparts. Society of Women Engineers, SWEnext, is a dedicated to get girls involved in science, technology, engineering and math. “SWEnext is a global organization that supports women engineers,” club sponsor Eniola Ajayi said. “Our club is a branch of that, trying to include high school and middle school students as well.” SWEnext helps girls who like math and science explore engineering and STEM opportunities. The club also gives girls a chance to be around people who have similar interests and create friendships that are unique to the club. “Just like any club, it is nice to be around a group of like-minded individuals,” sophomore Sophia Rakestraw said. “We talk about what we are learning about in our classes, what the plans are for the rest of our high school career and going into college, as well as a shared passion for helping younger girls.” SWEnext works on many projects throughout the year. Last semester, the members worked on an entry for Battle of

the bell January 2020 Features

the Brains, a K-12 STEM competition where schools compete to win money for their programs. The Kansas City branch is hosted by Burns and McDonnell, a construction and engineering company. “We started by brainstorming and coming up with ideas that were anywhere from climate change to ants,” junior Elizabeth Hall said. “Then we developed a few of our favorite ideas and got a rough idea of what it would look like. From there we choose our favorite, which was a timeline of how technology has developed and where it might go. Then we refined our idea and went through things like the floor plan, what would be in the exhibit and how much it would cost.” This semester,the club is focused on a fieldtrip which will better educate them in the world of female engineers. “We are going to Introduce a Girl to Engineering Day, hopefully in February,” Ajayi said. “We are trying to work with a Girl Scout troop, to just bring them in and do some STEM activities with them.” Members of the club were introduced to engineering differently, but they have all been drawn to the SWEnext program. “I went to a career exploration meeting when I was 10 or 11 and I found a woman

from SWEnext and she explained to me what engineering was,” sophomore Emma Tatum said. “Since then, I thought that it would be so much fun to get into.” SWEnext sounds like a high tech club, but any girl at any experience level can join. “Engineering sounds really scary, but it can be a lot of fun, just as long as you find the right people to teach you,” Tatum said. “It can open up an entire world of opportunities.”

Are you interested in joining SWEnext? The club is still accepting new members. When? Thursdays during Liberty Hour Where? Room 503

features.

The Journey

of a Lifetime

Senior Rita Momue is a foreign exchange student from Liberia. She arrived in the United States in August. “I wanted to become a foreign exchange student because I wanted to know a new part of the world,” Momue said. Photo by Kaleigh McCarthy

Senior Rita Momue describes being a foreign exchange student from Liberia. Reported and designed by Emma Stauffer

Snow falls in sheets, covering the ground and forming an iridescent layer. While many students take snow totally for granted, or as only a way for school to be canceled, senior Rita Momue watched in awe from the window of her new home. This was her first snowfall. In her excitement, Momue said she rushed outside without even putting on a jacket or shoes. She took a tentative first step into the snow-covered grass, the cold biting her bare feet. She said she picked up her first handful of snow and just marveled. “We don’t have snow in my country, so it was my first time to see snow and I was so excited,” Momue said. “Usually we just watch movies about America and people in snow, but we don’t get to see snow and touch it.” In August, Momue flew away from Liberia for the first time. She was beginning a journey that would change her life forever: becoming a foreign exchange student at LHS. Momue’s desire to become a foriegn exchange student filled her with both excitement and anxiety. “I wanted to know a new part of the world, and to come and live here and get used to the American culture,” Momue said. “I was kind of nervous because it was the first time

leaving my family to go somewhere else. I was also excited because I was going to a different place to experience a different life.” Since starting the school year, Momue has noticed many differences between schools in Liberia and here. “Mostly, I’m not used to shifting classes, so it was hard for me to look for my classes here,” Momue said. “[In Liberia] we stay in one classroom and our teachers come to us. Also, we don’t use laptops or computers back home and we have to wear a uniform to school. Basically, we have the same courses, but they’re a little bit different.” Food is another significant difference between the two countries. In Liberia, Momue said rice is the main ingredient in most dishes, and food is cooked fresh everyday rather than using refrigerators and freezers to preserve it. She has decided her favorite American food is cheeseburgers. Junior Jordyn Pritchett, Momue’s host sister, has enjoyed getting to know her and being exposed to a fresh point of view. “It’s really nice to figure out new things from where she is from and to talk to her and try to figure out a different perspective on things,” Pritchett said. “She is really nice and outgoing once you get to know her.”

Momue’s chemistry teacher Elise Carpenter enjoys having her in class. “It’s always interesting just to have a different perspective on life and how students are raised, and how not everyone comes from Liberty or the same setting,” Carpenter said. “It’s good to have diversity and different backgrounds. Rita is motivated and cares a lot about her grades. She also does a good job of asking questions when she is struggling with the information.” Outside of school, Momue has joined her host family’s church choir and youth group. She is learning to play the piano with the help of her host dad. She plans on joining the track team this spring. Momue will return to Liberia in June, where she will attend one more year of high school. She hopes to continue her education into college and become a doctor. She has advice for anybody considering the foreign exchange student program. “You need to try it because it doesn’t matter if you are from a different country or continent, what matters is that you should go and live in another culture to learn about it,” Momue said. “We should not have stereotypes about different areas, you should go and see the world for yourself.”

Features lhsnews.net

news.

A Student’s

Best Friend

Emotional support dogs Bear and Bentley are some of the newest faces around LHS. Juniors JJ Morgan, Jude Russell, Jaxon Emry and Ben Ervie found Bear in the library to help them de-stress from school. Photo by Charlene Nguyen

New emotional support canines are reducing stress and anxiety for students. Reported by Caty Franklin

Design by Jennavieve Carmony

Room 100 is a noisy, chaotic, chorus of commotion and movement. Bentley, a yellow lab mix, ambles over to a student who is trembling. He sits patiently at her side, and then, there is peace. After trying two Weimer Reimer dogs first semester who couldn’t settle into the school setting, two new labs, Bentley and Bear, are trotting into the lives of LHS students this semester. After the missteps first semester, administrators did not give up on their commitment to bring emotional support dogs to the building. Principal April Adams worked with Warrior’s Best Friend to find two new dogs that would be a better fit. Bentley now works in the special education Essential Skills class and Autism program and Bear is assigned to the Therapeutic Learning Classroom and the Counseling and Social Work offices. Special education teacher Dannie Ravenscraft helped choose the new dogs. He is now Bentley’s handler, and spent many hours training to help integrate the dogs

the bell January 2020 News

into school life. He is passionate about how support canines can help assist students with special needs. “Warriors Best Friend brought in a few dogs. They had three at the time,” he said. “Two of them, Bear and Bentley, loved all people. The trainer was taking them to stores and they were wanting to approach other people. We quickly realized Bear and Bentley were going to be a good fit.” Adams added that she is especially thankful for Joe Jeffers and his daughter Bella, who prepared the dogs at Warrior’s Best Friend for four months before the dogs started school in January. She truly believes the dogs will make student lives better. “Petting a dog produces an automatic relaxation response and even stabilizes blood pressure,” Adams said. “In a school setting, animal assistance programs improve mental health, reduce anxiety, improve academic performance, increase attendance rates and create a calm environment where students feel safe, accepted and loved.”

Where can I find the dogs? Bear is located in the Counseling office for most of the day. Bentley moves between the 100s hallway and room 405 during the day.

news.

Freshman Calvin Wager and Bentley sit nose-to-nose in a classroom.

Photo by Makenna Smock

Ravenscraft also mentioned a new and unexpected idea for the dogs. “Some of my students are interested in getting jobs that involve dogs, so working on things like taking care of the dog, walking the dog, and building a relationship will be beneficial.”

“

Bear and Bentley love all people... We quickly realized Bear and Bentley were going to be a good fit for our school.”

making his way slowly around the classroom. One girl bent down to coo at him, stroking him just behind the ears. A boy laughed as Bentley’s wagging tail bumped up against him. Another girl rested a hand on the curve of his back,

smiling. There was an undeniable shift in the atmosphere of the classroom. Bentley and Bear are leaving their paw prints on the hearts and minds of LHS students.

- Special Education Teacher and Bear’s Handler Dannie Ravenscraft

lllFreshman Trevor Ross has been excited for the new dogs, and has been connecting with Bear in the counseling office. “The dogs are helping people feel more comfortable and safe around our school,” Ross said. “They make people happy.” Social worker Kris Boyle is Bear’s new hanldler. Bear is a black lab. “Bear is in the counseling office, so he is available to all students,” Boyle said. “We go out sometimes during passing periods so kids can see him and we walk the halls when we have time.” Students working on math problems may not be completly engaged, but with Bear or Bentley around, these students are super motivated to get their work done if it means more time with the dogs. In fact, on this day, Bentley moved from student to student,

Sophomore Elizabeth Krauss and Bear relax in the LHS coffee shop, The Nest. Photo by Charlene Nguyen

News lhsnews.net

spotlights. Wratchford follows her passion of modeling and golfing. Reported by Jade Garbani Photo by Kaleigh McCarthy

lllStudents sometimes have trouble fitting in and figuring out what they want to do, especially incoming students who are new to high school. Freshman Grace Wratchford has figured out exactly what she wants, which is improving as a model. Camera lights started pointing at her at a

Design by Derek Katzer

young age. She discovered that with modeling, you don’t just pose and look pretty, you have to prepare. lllWratchford takes debate to help her with her modeling career. She’s taken her practiced skills from class and translated them to television commercials for

Freshman

Grace Wratchford 10

the bell January 2020 Spotlight

Worlds of Fun, Spira Care, St. Luke’s, Medical Care and Children’s Mercy. “If it’s for a commercial, I have to get lines ready so they see that I don’t stutter over my words,” Wratchford said. She decided something new and fun to try at the high school level was sports, which helps with her modeling career too. “I want to try pole vault just because I think I have enough speed and leg power to get myself over. It sounds like a fun thing to do,” Wratchford said. Wratchford was involved in track last year with her best friend, freshman Taylor Coonrad. “She’s a good teammate,” Coonrad said. “She will push you and try to get you to do better.” Wratchford is involved in golf here at LHS as well. This year, she made JV. “I’ve been doing golf since I was ten with my dad, and this year I went out for the team and I was surprised I made JV,” Wratchford said. “I went up to two varsity tournaments. My favorite thing about golf is all the relationships I’ve been able to make. I didn’t think that I would make friends with upperclassmen but I’m really happy that I did.” Upperclassmen aren’t the only new friendships she built-in golf, coaches as well. “Golf practice is really fun especially with Coach Burt by my side, he always makes me laugh,” Wratchford said. lllNext year, as a sophomore, she would like to try to make the varsity gold team. “I’m in a golf program at Shoal Creek called Youth on Course,” Wratchford said. “I golf there when it’s nice enough outside but because it’s winter right now, it’s hard. I get to golf with my coach and he helps me improve so that next year I can take the number one spot.” Wratchford sets high standards for herself and tries to get into as much practice as possible to achieve her goals. Her gym teacher Stan Grosdidier enjoys having her as a student. “She is a joy to have in class, works hard every day and cares about getting better in the weight room,” Grosdidier said. “She asks questions as to ‘why’ we are doing certain lifts or drills. She has a great personality. She is fun to be around and enjoys conversation.” Wratchfords main goal is to improve and go places with modeling. “For anyone that is thinking about going into modeling, remember that you don’t have to be perfect at modeling,” Wratchford said. “It’s not about being the perfect person. It’s about having a really great personality and being really good at communicating. It’s not all about looks.”

spotlights.

Sophomore

Brady Matherly

Matherly stands out in cheerleading and entrepreneurship. Reported by Derek Katzer

Photo by Hannah Mayfield

The dream of doing what you love is enough to overwhelm anyone. Many, unable to bite down and swallow their fears, the dream stays a dream. Sophomore Brady Matherly did not let fear stop them. By using his ambition and passion, Matherly cheers competitively and for LHS, runs his own business, BAMtech. “My competitive cheer career started when I was a lot younger,” Matherly said. “I found it to be a really interesting sport, the competitive side has a lot of really cool tricks and performances. On the school cheer side, after doing competitive cheer for a long time, I decided to join high school cheer, which was a great opportunity to get scholarships. Since I want to cheer in college, I decided to cheer in high school and get used to it.” Besides cheer, Matherly started his own business. It all started when Matherly wanted to use his passion of computers and electronics to help those around him. This business offers computer and phone repairs cheaper than big

Design by Derek Katzer

name companies. “I thought I would take the research about electronics I’ve been doing and an idea I had and throw them together,” Matherly said. “I got to know more about what running a business is like and I got to make my own money.” Creating his business was no easy task. From law to aesthetics, Matherly had to deal with everything relating to his business. “I had to set up a business plan, which was edited throughout the process of creating the business,” Matherly said. “I had to create a name and design and make it aesthetically pleasing. I had to work on my legal documents. After that, I had to start advertising for my business. I was looking to put advertisements in small local newspapers, grow my business on social media, trying to shape it into something I can profit off of.” Matherly’s business has experienced it’s successes and disappointments, but he resists the urge to give up. His passion for electronics can be easily found

at school as well. “I walked into the classroom one day and he had his phone completely disassembled on the desk,” history teacher Daniel Loomis said. “He brings a positive energy to the classroom.” Even with the demanding schedules of running a business and cheer, Matherly makes time for friends. “He’ll FaceTime me and make sure I’m doing my homework and he’ll make sure I wake up for school,” sophomore Lexi Hurley-Gray said. “He’s always wanting to be there for you, he wants to make sure you’re on the right track. He’s really been there for me this year and I really appreciate him being around.” Matherly accredits his accomplishments to his outgoing personality. “[I put] myself out there in positions people normally wouldn’t, doing things in entrepreneurship that a lot of people wouldn’t risk,” Matherly said.

Spotlight lhsnews.net

spotlights. Reed-Comeaux displays her passion for engineering. Reported by Jenna HendersonllllllPhoto by Pearl Pritchard Design by Derek Katzer Junior Anastasia Reed-Comeaux is soaring through high school leaving no page unturned. She describes herself as a hands-on learner.

Junior

This may be a reason this is her second year in Technology Student Association (TSA.) “My favorite thing about TSA is that

Anastasia Reed-Comeaux 12

the bell January 2020 Spotlight

it’s challenging,” Reed-Comeaux said. “Everyone gets to choose an event they work on year-round and there are pretty cool competitions like computer programming or song composing.” She has found where she belongs TSA, but she also joined Flight club, Book club and National Honor Society. Although this is her first year of Flight club, you can typically find her at more hands-on work: building drones or reading schematics. “I entered into a competition called Aspiration in Computing for girls interested in computer science,” Reed-Comeaux said. “I’ll get the results sometime next week.” By winning this competition, she could earn scholarship and internship opportunities. “When I graduate, I’m planning on being a computer software engineer and eventually becoming freelance or maybe starting my own business,” Reed-Comeaux said. In her free time, she listens to music, spends time with her family and loves to reads. “My favorite thing about Book club is just being able to talk with people about books and giving as well as receiving recommendations on what to read,” Reed-Comeaux said. If she was given the opportunity to ask a question to any person in the world, she would pick her favorite author, Sarah J. Mass, who wrote the Throne of Glass series. “I’d ask if she could make the series into a show or book or something because I need more of it,” she said. Junior Diego McDonald has known her for nine years and they are in book club together. “My favorite memories of Anastasia would be all the times we have stayed up and laughed at stupid stuff,” McDonald said. “She’s the best person that I know. She makes me smile when I’m sad, laugh when I’m mad and overall accepts me for who I am,” Industrial technology teacher Gary Pierson has only had Reed-Comeaux in class for a year but can already see how she excels. “Anastasia brings in a positive attitude every day, a motivation to learn that is in a lot of cases head and shoulders above her peers, and wonderful attention to detail,” Pierson said, “She has an educational maturity beyond her years.” One reason for this might be because she is a member of a large family. She is the middle child out nine. “My favorite thing about having a big family is that I’m never alone,” Reed-Comeaux said. “I always have someone to talk to or hang-out with.”

spotlights.

Senior

Phillip Cleary

Cleary expresses his love for cross country and orchestra.

Reported by Ethan Atkins Photo by Emma McDonald Design by Derek Katzer Cross country is a big part of Senior Phillip “He’s a really hard worker, especially in the Cleary’s life. He started his journey during offseason,” Malisos said. “He’s always looking freshman year, when the seed for running was forward to the next season and trying to see planted. what he can do to better himself so he does “I was a soccer player freshman year, and I better than last season.” liked soccer but I wasn’t that great at it,” Cleary Cleary’s ecperiences throughout his cross said. “I enjoyed it, but I was discovering that I country career that have changed his life. was good at running. I also had some friends “I would say I’ve definitely learned a lot about who were in cross country who convinced me not just doing hard work, but enjoying hard to join and I liked it from there. I felt like I was work,” Cleary said. “In season we work hard, a little bit gifted toward running and I’m not but it’s always a blast. I think one of the best that coordinated.” things is that everyone is so positively focused Cleary loves running cross country, but on working hard and doing their best.” running isn’t the main thing he loves about it: Cross country isn’t his only passion. He also it’s the team. enjoys playing his cello. “You always have a great group of guys He has been playing the cello since the 5th wherever you go in high school, I love the grade. Even though he’s been playing for so team,” Cleary said. “We have a great team and long, he still doesn’t consider himself an expert. we are all dedicated to working hard and the “There’s people who spend their whole life in team aspect is the best part of it.” an instrument and get really good at it,” Cleary Cleary is always trying to better himself in all said. “I feel like I’m pretty good, but you can get aspects of his life. His friend and teammate, so much better.” senior Adam Malisos sees this in Cleary’s Orchestra has taught Cleary many lessons he running career. implements into his life every day.

“I think that orchestra is nice because you get what you put into it,” Cleary said. “In orchestra, you have to be reactive, you can’t shut down. You have to be able to react well to whatever is happening.” Cleary’s friends have been with him for many years and have seen great things in him. “He’s always a happy guy and he always brings up the level in the room.” senior Connor Looney said. “He’s never angry.” He is always there with a helping hand for his friends. Cleary has also helped Looney out with school and is there for him when he needs it. Cleary is a teacher’s assistant for history teacher Daniel Loomis. “He has helped me by being a role model for other students and providing anecdotes about high school for other students,” Loomis said. Cleary has one piece of advice he wants others to know. “Work hard at whatever you’re doing, but take time to enjoy it too,” Cleary said.

Spotlight lhsnews.net

indepth.

Spread

the

Word

Bringing attention to January, the Human Trafficking Awareness Month.

In the last 10 years, there have been almost 50,000 cases of human.trafficking reported to the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the US alone, according to the Polaris Project. Worldwide, there are around 40.3 million victims of human trafficking. This January, for Human Trafficking Awareness Month, it’s important to educate people about the severe and growing dangers of human trafficking, how it effects our community and what we can do to minimize it.

Reported by Regan Johnston and Sarah Blankenship Design by Sidney Lowry and Ashley Tindall

What is it? Human trafficking is human slavery. According to the FBI, this includes, but is not limited to, forced labor, domestic servitude and commercial sex trafficking. “Every country has some version of human trafficking,” ELA teacher Brenda Parker said. Parker teaches her junior students about human trafficking every year and has them research to educate others. “People are selling their daughters for sex trafficking, they’re selling their sons to be slaves and there’s drug trafficking that’s coming into play.” Many of Parker’s students were surprised to find out how much human trafficking activity there is in Kansas City. “It made me realize how serious the problem was,” senior Wendy Tan said. “Even though it is serious, the world doesn’t seem to notice it.” In countries that are less fortunate, poor

Photo by Pearl Pritchard

families use human trafficking as a way to get money to survive. “The sad part on why it happens, and the number one reason it happens is poverty,” Parker said. “These people are poorer and are unfortunately willing to do whatever it takes in order to feed their family.” Though that’s what human trafficking looks like in other countries, Officer Bill Keeney of the Kansas City Missouri Police Department explains that in Kansas City, human trafficking is a lot more subtle. “The form of human trafficking that people picture is the big huge truckloads of immigrants being imported or exported,” Keeney said. “Or they picture the person driving around in cars and abducting kids or women getting taken and sold into sex slavery and the reality is, in Kansas City, it’s different.”

How Does it Affect Our Community? Our community is one of the biggest human trafficking locations in the country. “Kansas City is a hub,” LHS’s Internal Security officer Kim True said. “Most of whatever comes from the East coast comes to us to go to the West coast. They transport [people] a lot from this Midwest area.” According to a poll sent to students at LHS, nearly 29% of 133 students, did not know that

the bell January 2020 Indepth

human trafficking happened near them. One of the main forms of trafficking Kansas City police deal with is sex trafficking. They monitor sporting events closely for signs of prostitution. “Believe it or not, the number one event where we see an increase in sex trafficking is NASCAR,” Keeney said. “The second event would be a football playoff game, so we’ll have

a task force that will work that heavily. We have task forces that monitor online activity, go undercover at these events and try to solicit, and things like that. Generally, when we have big events like the playoffs, we’ll have detectives work at things like that. A lot of the numbers in the stats that say Kansas City is a major hub for human trafficking come from things like that.”

indepth. What Students Know The students from Parker’s class have gained more knowledge on human trafficking because of the human trafficking project she’s had her students do in the past. The project starts with students picking one of the top 50 countries affected by human trafficking, then base their project on that certain country and explain the major problems faced there. “I definitely learned more,” senior Isaac Letsch said. “At the time, I did not know that Kansas City was the human trafficking place to be in the United States. I didn’t know it was such a problem so close to home. You always figure it’s in a different state, that it won’t happen to me, but it happens here quite a bit.” It was eye opening to the students how often human trafficking occurs in Kansas City. Senior Bella Cordero said the problem is all

the different branches of trafficking happen in the metro area. “Before the project I already had some prior knowledge on human trafficking,” Cordero said. “I attended a few Kansas City sex trafficking awareness events so I kind of knew about the Kansas City problems, but doing the project really helped me understand all the other problems affecting the different countries and different states around the world.” The students from the project now know the effect human trafficking has on people. “It made me notice what’s going on in other parts of the world and how it affects people’s lives,” senior Gillian Litten said. “How they cope with what they are going through and how it affects people’s families, children, and all parts of their lives.” Photo by Hattie Ludwig

Do you think human trafficking happens near you?

Number of Polled Students

From 133 student responses

Have you personally ever felt unsafe or in danger of being a victim of human trafficking?

Number of Polled Students

From 133 student response

109

How to Protect Yourself When students were asked in a poll if they ever felt unsafe or in danger of being a victim of human trafficking, 18% of responders said yes. With that in mind, it’s important for students to protect themselves against human trafficking. “Like anything else, know your surroundings, know if something happens, how do I get away, and know how to protect yourself,” True said. “I mean just the simplest of things if you’re going to an area that isn’t the easiest of areas, you need to be aware. If you are remotely suspecting that could be happening, call your local law enforcement. We can always be wrong, but that one time we are right, we could save someone’s life.” Cordero takes True’s ideas to heart when she is in the metro area. “I always try not to be downtown when the sun goes down, I always have my keys in my hand, I also have my phone on dial if I need to call someone,” Cordero said. “You should be with a friend, be with a group of people if you can. Try not to walk alone.” Letsch believes there are safer ways to travel to be safer in public places. “The most effective way to be safe is if you’re going to go somewhere, travel in a group of three or more people,” Letsch said. “Bringing a

buddy just doesn’t do that much anymore, they will end up taking both of you. So travel in a group, make sure you have a cell phone and tell someone where you are going.” Cordero’s knowlege of human trafficking has made her more aware of her surroundings so she is prepared for anything that could go wrong while she is downtown. “I spend a lot of time in Kansas City which unfortunately is, statistically, really high when it comes to human trafficking,” she said. “So when I’m down there I have to be a little bit more aware. Whether you are a girl, boy, adult or kid, no matter who you are, you should always be aware of your surroundings.” Technology is another factor of human trafficking, they provide a new way for tracking potential victims and are a major distraction. An example includes cell phones and headphones. If students are wearing headphones, they aren’t able to hear their surroundings which puts them in danger. Along with that, if they are looking down at their phone they become preoccupied and aren’t conscious of what’s happening around them.

Continued on page 16 Indepth lhsnews.net

indepth. Solutions One of the reasons students can become victims of human trafficking is because of lack of education and awareness. “We need to start educating our kids as young as 6th grade,” Keeney said. “That’s when we need to start slowly educating kids. When you look at the D.A.R.E program, I don’t think it’s very effective. I think we need to have honest and open discussions.” Keeney explained that people (especially teenagers) try to deal with stress and may turn to the wrong coping mechanisms, which can lead to becoming a victim of human trafficking.

He suggested a way to get ahead of the problem is to have good mental health. “Human trafficking is not the big picture,” Keeney said. “We’re looking at it as if it is the big picture because it is so grotesque. The bigger picture is the inability to cope. Human trafficking is a by-product of that. We have a traumatic issue that is happening within our high schools of the inability to cope. We have to make sure we are protecting ourselves by doing preventive maintenance to make ourselves mentally healthy.” Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Photo by Kayley Twenter

“The most effective way to be safe is if you’re going to go somewhere, travel in a group of three or more people. Bringing a buddy just doesn’t do that much anymore, they will end up taking both of you. So travel in a group, make sure you have a cell phone and tell someone where you are going.” - senior Isaac Letsch Photo by Hattie Ludwig

the bell January 2020 Indepth

staff ed.

Do students at LHS know how to protect themselves? Reported by Sarah Blankenship Design by Alyah Craig Whether it’s going to a concert, a Chiefs game, or shopping with friends, these are moments when students may be in danger. The scary thing is, they may not realize it. The staff was shocked to learn in a poll that over 30% of the respondents thought there were no dangers in our area at all. The Bell staff discussed the best ways for students to be prepared because they may be targets of human trafficking. The biggest concern The Bell staff discussed is that students are distracted and aren’t even aware of their surroundings. We stare at our phones or have earbuds or headphones on while we’re alone in public places. Being aware at all times is critical for students to protect themselves. The Bell staff was also concerned that many students have the mindset, ‘this could never happen to me.’ Liberty is generally considered a safe place, but as the population grows, it is becoming less and less safe. We’re surrounded by a hub for human trafficking in Kansas City where major highways go to and from each coast.

Human Human Trafficking Trafficking Prevention Prevention Human trafficking is simply defined as human slavery. It is most typically used for exploitation to some degree.

The reality is, even if teens are aware 90% of the time, there’s still a 10% chance where someone is not. That’s dangerous. Another misconception The Bell staff noticed in our poll and interviews is students think only females can be taken.

Staff Vote

Yes: 1 No: 18

That’s wrong. Human traffickers take both men and women. Another concern is students don’t get enough education from their parents or the school about this issue. A lot of parents have trackers on their child’s phone, but that isn’t enough. If this topic isn’t discussed, students won’t be vigilant about personal safety. This leaves students to be in dangerous situations alone. Nowadays traveling in pairs isn’t even enough, traffickers have been known to take pairs too. Teens should travel in groups. Overall, the staff agreed self-defense class should be required for all students. This class could be a P.E. credit. Our school also has the Safety 360 day, but it doesn’t cover human trafficking. It must be added to the roster of all the other safety classes. With these changes, we sincerely hope students at LHS will be safer.

Resource. Social media is one of the most prominent ways of spreading information in today’s society. However, there are many dangers lurking within the internet that use social media platforms to target individuals. It is important to be aware of predators and their intentions.

Spread the word. Speaking up about tragic events that occur, such as human trafficking, allows for people to become more aware of their surroundings. This could minimize the damage done by these events as a whole.

Self-defense. Knowing how to defend yourself in a dangerous situation can be life-saving information. There are many movements and actions that can create an upperhand in a threatening environment. Attending some sort of class on the topic could benefit students in a variety of ways.

Opinion lhsnews.net

opinion.

Mustaches and Warped Time

I haven’t had a dream since 5th grade, now they’re back and getting weird. Column by Sidney Lowry Design by Alyah Craig

On Jan. 14, I had a dream that I grew a full on mustache and I was completely embarrassed to come to school. I told someone about this dream and he immediately said that it might have been because I am insecure about myself in real life. This completely ties together the fact that I am insecure about the choices I am making for my future, but why a mustache? On top of being insecure in real life, I had also dreamt that I failed as a writer and precisely 23 people left hate comments on my story I wrote for The Courier Tribune, but why would I have grown a mustache? What was my subconscious trying to tell me by giving me this? Me waking up and petting my upper lip made me realize that I haven’t dreamt for a long time until recently. There is probably some scientific explanation for this, like a chemical in my brain or maybe the fact that I get less than six hours of sleep at night, but I have noticed a pattern. Once every few months I have one of two types of dreams. The first dream is something about my future. In my day-to-day life I am constantly thinking about my future and you would think I would get a break from it at night, but unfortunately my fears creep into my late

Photo by Alyah Craig

night thoughts. The second are just completely random like me growing a mustache. Dreams about my future start out normal. Take my most recent one for example. I start out on campus at Northwest Missouri State University, I had just gotten ready for my first day of classes. I was excited and nervous, as most people are their first day at a new school, but then something is off. The clock starts moving at an insanely fast pace while my thoughts become jumbled and make me forget where my first class is. I am no psychologist, but I think the underlying messages of these dreams are quite simple. The clock racing symbolizes how I feel like my life is speeding up and I can’t catch up with it. I think the reason I get lost in my dream is because of the confusion I have about the choice I have made for my future. Every holiday I have at least one relative –usually one of my uncles– say I should pick a safer career, and I think it is now taking form in my dreams. No matter what my dreams are trying to tell me about my present or future, I just know that I was happy to wake up without a mustache and a clock that was moving at a normal pace.

Picture Perfect

Social media poses a risk to young people’s health but there are ways to combat it. Column by Zahra Khan

Every day after school I plop onto my bed, backpack out of sight and phone in hand. I scroll aimlessly through my feed, skimming past the same celebrities, friends and relatives I know. I stop on one photo, noticing how happy the girl is in the picture. She seemed pictureperfect, she seemed to have it all. But I didn’t. That’s what I thought at least. “Hey look at me, here’s a photo of me looking so happy.” That’s what my Instagram seems to be, a photo of me at homecoming with my friends, a photo of me with my dog, or my family. I look like I’m loving every moment. But sometimes, I’m not. In those family photos, you can’t hear my family argue over who should be on what side. You can’t hear my mom telling my brother to smile for the fifth time. You can’t feel the discomfort I was feeling as my toes were being squished in my high heels for homecoming. You can’t see me struggling to keep my hyper dog, Rex, still. Social media has made everyone believe that everyone’s life is better than it is and we should be too.

Photo by Kaleigh McCarthy

We hold ourselves up to an unrealistic standard not allowing ourselves to truly show any other

the bell January 2020 Opinion

emotion on social media other than happiness in fear of what people might think. It’s making kids feel so bad that they’re going extremes, even suicide. In a NPR article, “The Risk Of Teen Depression And Suicide Is Linked To Smartphone Use,” Study states that “teens who spend five or more hours per day on their devices are 71% more likely to have one risk factor for suicide.” How do we solve this? We can’t just eliminate social media. One way to combat this is to reducing screen time. Jean Twenge who is one of the authors of the study says this is a good healthy amount for teens. We need to teach young people that we don’t have to live up to the people on our screens and that it is okay to allow ourselves to not be happy. lllLately, as I go on social media I have been seeing accounts promoting self-love to young people and just happy positive news. These accounts help young people know they’re not alone. Instead of opening Instagram or Twitter filled with unreal expectations, I can open it to more positivity. For people like me, this is so encouraging to know I’m not alone and that it’s okay to feel upset or less than happy at times.

Tunes of the Soul

opinion.

Music makes the world go around. Music is everywhere. I will wholeheartedly stand by this statement until the day that I die. Not only has it affected my life in a variety of ways, but it has also altered my perspective on the world. Like many people, my taste in music has been continuously changing over the past ten years. My elementary school years mainly consisted of listening to whatever was blaring through the radio of any given car ride, or finding an interest in the songs were forced to sing our after school choir group Syncopations. Middle school, however, is a completely different story. Call it what you want, but the stereotypical “emo phase” definitely hit me harder than most. Dark clothes and colored haired most certainly came my way, but the music is what really fueled my newfound flame of angst. Post-hardcore rock is, to this day, some of the best music I have ever come across. At the time, everyone else was still stuck in the groove of simply listening to the latest hits on the top charts. I felt like my love for rock culture had to be disguised, hidden in a whirlwind of Katy

Column by Alyah Craig

Photo by Kaleigh McCarthy

Perry, Taylor Swift and One Direction songs. High school is basically the mixing of the different musical worlds. The weirdest of rap songs found their way into my heart, indie music started to create the most beautiful background noise and my rock playlist arose from the depths of Spotify. I don’t understand why it took me such a long time to wrap my head around the idea that music is not only universal, but subjective as well. Music is one of the few things that everyone can relate to and make some type of connection with. Lyrics with underlying meanings or storytelling are combined with all sorts of different beats to create what we perceive as an ultimately perfect song. No matter the genre, artist, or symphony of instruments, all music has power. Music can move you, break you, heal you and even alter you. It all depends on the person, place, or thing. In a way, I believe we are all somewhat reliant on music. I certainly was in middle school and, as a current senior, can honestly say that a day without music is a very dull one.

And the Oscar Goes To...

I’ve always loved critical thinking movies. Column by Caroline Parry

Golden Globes, the Oscars and the Grammy’s, all mean one thing: it is award season. My family doesn’t really watch these award shows, but we always look at the “what happened that night” on the morning news. Though I am not a huge fan of music awards, I love the ones with movies. The Oscars always seemed to grab my attention. Close to the end of last school year there was a couple good movies that came out, and coming to the end of 2019, there were a handful of movies that seemed interesting to me. On the weekend we would have movie nights if we weren’t doing anything else. My dad and I went to see “Knives Out.” I saw the trailer for it and it seemed okay, I didn’t know what to expect at the end. Though the beginning of the movie was a little slow for me, I was engaged the whole time. In the movie there was a family that was trying to get their inheritance and finding out who killed their father. This movie was pulling me each direction into who had a motive killing him. I was impressed because it had

me thinking the whole time I was watching. Throughout the movie, the person who killed him came out, but it went much deeper than that. Another movie that met my standards was “Two Popes”. My family was just looking for another movie to watch on just a normal Saturday Night. I got to choose. I also like movies that tell a true story. This movie always had me asking question, who, what and why? During the movie I wanted to ask my dad questions because he knew more about Pope Benedict XVI. This movie also revealed more about one person’s story, which I found interesting. It took place when Pope Benedict XVI wanted to step down and he wanted to talk with a cardinal, which was the “second” Pope. This movie honestly deserves an Oscar. The movies “Two Popes” and “Knives Out” were both engaging and wanting me to ask questions all throughout. These were my favorite movies this past year. Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Opinion lhsnews.net

A&E.

STar Wars

The force is strong with this one We’re still watching 43 years later. Reported by Jennavieve Carmony Design by Regan Johnston

As the newest Star Wars trilogy comes to an end, it’s time to look back and see what Star Wars superfans loved -and hated- about the Star Wars film, “The Rise of Skywalker.” Fans opinions on the film some Liked itare mixed, with

some enjoying the film, and some disliking nearly everything about it, according to the six questions The Bell asked students in a poll. Senior Alex Simmons was one of the fans who enjoyed it. “I actually really liked it,” Simmons said. “Some people didn’t like how it tied everything together, but I liked how it incorporated even the TV shows into some of it. You hear a lot of negativity towards the movie, and there’s always room for improvement, but I enjoyed it. I thought it wrapped everything up really well.”

the bell January 2020 A&E

“

I would say it’s worth seeing, even if you aren’t a Star Wars fan. It’s money well spent. It’s a good popcorn movie if you want to kill a few hours.” - Freshman Lexi Gonzales

some it Joe Eikel, on AmericanHAted Government teacher

the other hand, didn’t like the film, pointing out many plotholes and inconsistency throughout the new trilogy. “To be fair, to explain the problems of the new movie, it’s the problems of the movie before it,” Eikel said. “They didn’t have the full trilogy written out before they started it, and that’s problematic and tells me Disney wants to make money.” Junior Lindsey Walther hasn’t seen the new movie yet, but she’s heard mixed reviews from everyone around her. “I’ve heard either that it’s super good and that it goes with everything, or that it tears apart the whole series,” Walther said. “I haven’t had time. You have to put your heart into those movies.”

A&E.

“The Rise of Skywalker” was available to watch at B&B’s Liberty 12 Theater, among other movie theaters. People were able to watch it on Liberty 12’s Screen X, one of the biggest movie screens in the world. Photo by Hattie Ludwig

Some grew up ontheit Whether or not you loved or hated new

movie, Star Wars has something for almost everyone. Sophomore Caden Murphy grew up watching the films. “I grew up watching the original trilogy, and then started watching the prequels,” Murphy said. “I think me growing up with it, I like the new trilogy more, but I also definitely do love the original trilogy.” Like any film franchise, Star Wars doesn’t interest everyone. Junior Nirbhay Vohra never found the original films interesting, but did enjoy the new Disney+ series, The Mandalorian. “I’ve seen a few movies. They’re old. I don’t like old things,” he said. “The Mandalorian though, that’s pretty good. It was in HD. It was immersive.” With three trilogies to choose from, everyone seems to have a favorite. Freshman Lexi Gonzales prefers the 1990s sequel trilogy. “I like the prequels the most,” Gonzales said. “There’s a lot more Jedi and Sith and we hardly see any of that in the new trilogy and the original trilogy. I think it’s cool seeing all of the Jedi out on the battlefield taking care of business.” Both the prequel and sequel trilogies have brought up controversial opinions between lifelong Star Wars fans. Senior Landyn Cowger’s favorite film in the nine-movie franchise is “Episode V: Empire Strikes Back,” a fan favorite among self-proclaimed Star Wars super fans. “The original trilogy is my favorite just because it started it all and because it has

Episode V in it and that’s my favorite of all of them,” Cowger said. “I grew up with it. I watched The Clone Wars whenever that was animated on Cartoon Network. I’m actually rewatching it now, and I think that watching it is only making me love Star Wars more and it really makes me miss how good all of the old movies were.” The end of the Star Wars franchise is something that has many fans feeling bittersweet over the final film. “I love Star Wars,” Walther said. “I used to watch it all the time when I was little, so they’re all super nostalgic for me. I think it’s super exciting to get into, and once you’re in it you don’t really want to leave it.”

American History teacher Joe Eikel considers himself a Star Wars enthusiast. He has seen all the movies multiple times and read all the Star Wars books. Photo by Connor Callahan

A&E lhsnews.net

Gift and Activity Guide How often do you go on dates?

Often

Not Often

Activity or Food?

Do you know them well? Yes

Are you competitive?

Willing to spend money?

Yes

Yes Willing to spend money?

Can you cook?

Yes

No Yes

Flowers, Candy, Card

Make a Gift

Food

Activity

Gift Card

Date Idea planner

Mini Golf, Bowling

Movie Night, Picnic

Cook for Them

Go To a Restraunt

Watermelon Sugar, Adore You, Cherry, Falling, Canyon Moon

Harry Styles

Fine Line Review

Opinion by Ari Revella Design by Alyah Craig

Personally, I never cared too much for One Direction’s music, let alone Harry Styles’ debut self-titled album back in 2017. There were a few great moments on the self-titled, specifically the singles, but it was inconsistent and didn’t flow well. But this album, Fine Line, is a step up from his first album. If I’m being totally honest, I went into this album with low expectations, but left with them exceeded. I would argue the first half of it is fantastic. It starts with “Golden,” a really catchy poprock tune throwback to the 80’s. It’s got a catchy hook and some luscious instrumentals, and Styles’ performance being pretty top notch

er 13th, 2019 b m e c e D d e s Relea minutes 12 tracks, 46 as well, it was safe to say I was pretty intrigued. “Watermelon Sugar” is another step up in the tracklist. Despite a flawless hook, another instrumental throwback and amazing vocal performance, the lyrics aren’t anything super interesting. The overall vibe of the song makes up for it, though. “Adore You” might have my favorite performance from Styles. It had another solid hook and lyrics that were a bit more interesting than the first two tracks. “Lights Up” is another cool moment in the tracklist. I like the production on this one, but I think the lyrics really shine on this one, talking about freedom and self-reflection. I personally think the track “Cherry” is pretty underrated. Yes, the lyrics are really one-note, but I think his vocals go really well with the acoustic folk style backing. I think the production is pretty great too. Overall, definitely a good track. My favorite track, “Falling,” is the last track of the first half. I think his performance steals the show, with the piano instrumental being a great backing pick. The chorus is fantastic as well, I think it’s his best ballad. Sadly, at this point, this is where the album kind of trails off. “To Be So Lonely” is okay. I don’t care for the instrumentation that much,

Final Score: 7/10 but the lyrics are compelling, and the vocal harmonies on the track are pretty cool as well. I think the track “She” is just tedious. I thought his performance was fine, but did this song really need to be six minutes? No, not really. He repeats the chorus a total of eight times in the song. It’s really a slog to sit through. “Sunflower, Vol. 6” is a bit of a bright spot in the second half. It’s not a personal favorite, but I did like the instrumentation a lot. It’s definitely a change in stylistic pace for the album, and that’s a good thing. I think “Canyon Moon” might be my favorite song from the second half. With the groovy folk instrumentation and the vocal layering he brings, it’s really refreshing to hear. My least favorite track by a mile is “Treat People With Kindness,” ironically. I think that beginning sample that’s played throughout the track is just very annoying. It’s probably the most one-note song on the entire album. I think the album ends on a somewhat strong note, with the title track. Again, I find it to be kind of tedious with it being six minutes long, but it’s very compelling lyrically, with the track talking about needing a balance of highs and lows in life. It’s a definite strong thematic ending to the album, but sonically, it’s a bit repetitive.

Opinion lhsnews.net

sports.

Rise to

the Top

Senior Grant Stubbs scores against the Kansas City East High School Bears in the annual C.W. Stessman boys basketball tournament. The LHS Bluejays defeated the Bears with a final score of 75-29. Photo by Jennavieve Carmony

Girls and Boys Basketball teams have their eyes on State. Reported by Anthony Savastino Design by Jennavieve Carmony

Shoes squeak, balls dribble and nets swoosh while the crowd cheers with an overpowering roar; this is BlueJays Basketball. Both basketball teams have an influential part in the role of the school’s sports program and the school’s overall image. Both girls and boys basketball teams are going full speed ahead for the state title. Lady Jays Basketball team currently is currently undefeated, as of Jan. 22. This record couldn’t have been done without the work put in during the off-season “The summer is a really big time for us, our off-season really starts back during the Spring and Summer,” assistant girl’s coach Zach Werner said. “We go to team camps and day camps where we go play teams during the summer. It’s a team-building time, but it’s also a time to start putting in some things that we want to work on during the season.” Another important aspect of the teams is that they are learning and growing from weaknesses that they faced last year. “We did a lot of weights because our problem last year was that we weren’t strong enough and that’s one of the reasons we lost to North Kansas City,” junior Olivia Nelson said. “That’s why this year we focused a lot more on weight lifting.”

the bell January 2020 Sports

Senior Oliva Nelson gaurds the ball from her oppnents during the Liberty vs. Liberty North game. Photo by Alyah Craig

lllThe girls not only spend time together on the court, but they find time off the court to increase their bond as a team. They have lots of group activities that make them even closer teammates and friends. “There’s a good group of them that have been friends for a long time, so I see them spending a lot of time together,” Werner said. “They have team sleepovers and team dinners. They spend a lot of time outside together because the more time and the better they know each other off the court, the more it benefits us on the court.” The season ahead has many solid and strong teams standing in the way of the Lady Jays, but the team has a way of handling this challenge. “After each game, we get ready for the next,” freshman Katie Mihelic said. “We just take every game as the next game and we try to focus on doing what we have to to win.” In the end, there is one goal that they are trying to accomplish. That goal is to beat each and every team that stands in the way of a state title. “We have a phrase that we use, move to the right. If you win you move to the right in the brackets,” Werner said. “Always try to win and

give yourself a chance for a championship.” As of Jan. 20, the boy’s team sits at a record of 11-3. The men have been putting in a lot of time in for a successful season.

“

After each game, we just get ready for the next. We just take every game as the next game and we try to focus on doing what we have to do to win.” - freshman Katie Mihelic

Junior Kellen Goodwin scores against a player from Kansas City East High School. Photo by Sidney Lowry

lll“During the off-season, we have eight weeks of workouts, which include a lot of cardio and workouts out on the track,” boys head basketball coach Roger Stirtz said. “Now that we are in season we get into the gym every day and are always trying to improve.” “I think the biggest thing is experience,” senior Grant Stubbs said. “Last year we had talent, but we didn’t have a ton of experience, which led to some close losses. This year we

sports.

have experience and our young guys are playing well, which is helping us a lot.” The underclassmen have a large role on the team this year and they are always looking to improve their game. “We’re working on defense a lot,” sophomore Bennett Stirtz said. “We are also working on some more passing.” With a balanced mixture of upper and lowerclassman, the team has something that really sets them apart from other teams. “I think our team chemistry, how well we play together, and how close we are sets us apart from other teams,” Stubbs said. “We all have the same amount of trust in each other and that really helps us elevate our game.” On top of a State title, the team has been setting goals along the way. “One of our team goals was to beat Staley, which worked out for us,” sophomore Luke Stubbs said. “Another one for us was to beat North at home and at their place. We’re also trying to win districts, and make it as far as we can in the postseason.” Moving into the second half of the season, they are trying to keep their eyes on a state title. “Honestly, every opponent is our next big opponent,” Stirtz said. “We really try not to get caught up in the stress or pressure of playing specific teams.”

Senior Jermaine Booker and freshman Oliviya Tinoco Athlete Jermaine Booker

Reported by Lucas Kilgore

“My teammates, coaching staff, friends and family put me in the position to win Athlete of the Month. They push me every day to be better and to get better.”

Athlete Oliviya Tinoco

Not only when I’m in the game, but when I’m out of the game I always want to make my teammates happy and cheer them on. It’s feels really cool.

Coach Joe Price

Coach Roger Stirtz

“He’s become an impactful player for us on both ends of the field, particularly defense. He’s one of our hardest workers. What separates him from some of his opponents is his knowledge of the game.”

“She brings a lot of athleticism on the defensive end. She’s a really good on-ball defender. She has a toughness about it. She’s always at practice on time. She focuses on her individual skill development.”

Junior Kellen Goodwin

Senior Jilliian Fleming

“He’s phenomenal at defense. He has a lot to offer just as a leader on our team. In the weight room, he’s always motivating people to lift more weight. I’d say he’s one of the hardest workers on the team.”

“She shows up to practice, she works hard when she’s there. She’s really done a nice job this season. She’s played hard, and gave us a good look on the varsity floor this year.” Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Sports lhsnews.net

The Spirit Stop Official Blue Jay Spirit Wear

Student-designed and a student-operated store. When 1st Hour and Lunch or contact Marla Badalucco marla.badalucco@lps53.org

Twitter: @TheSpiritStop1 Facebook: Liberty Spirit Instagram: thespiritstop spiritstop.liberty.k12.mo.us

Senior Class of 2020 The Communty Scholarship deadline is quickly approaching February 3 at 4p.m.

No essays will be accepted after that time.

For more information, use the QR code to visit LHS Counseling Office Website for more information

Read more of our January Stories online at lhsnews.net.

Photo by Charlene Nugyen

No S ch o ol , Snow P robl e m

by R o s i e Fre d e r i ck

Hu l u vs . Net f l i x

by Shane Bass

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Photo by Hattie Ludwig

last but not least.

History Teacher

Damon Jasperson Reported by Lucas Kilgore Photo by Pearl Pritchard

Design by Derek Katzer

Jasperson is one of LHS’s newest additons to the social studies department. He teaches AP World History in room 911.

Sophomore Carver Channey “He teaches in a more focused way. He jokes around with us and does a lot of different activities like guided notes. He’s more relaxed than other teachers and he gives kids more leniency than other teachers. He compares the information to modern day situational politics.”

Sophomore Nirbhay Vohra

“He’s a good teacher. He’s a funny guy and he knows how to teach. He’s very interactive. He gets to know each student personally. He tries to enrich their lives. We can do independent work time or group work time. We can talk with our friends and socialize. He also brings in jokes in his teaching. We do Kahoots together and have group, or independent work time.”

Sophomore Ariel Chen

“He’s pretty laid back compared to most people, but also goes more indepth about a lot of things. You can pretty much do whatever you want in his class as long as you’re on task. He opens up a lot of discussions and lets us state our opinions. Being able to put in our own input during discussions really makes a difference.”

last but not least lhsnews.net

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