January 2015 by Liberty Public Schools

SCAN & VISIT

LHSNEWS.NET

The

February 6, 2015 Volume 91, Issue 5

Bell

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Table of

Contents

#HittingTheRoads.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .06

Blue Jay Business.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07 Time To Build . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 08 Coffee Migration.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .09 Heed Worldliness And Respect . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 New Year, New Me.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Bringing Science Back.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 Anime Nation.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Senior Ben Anderson.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14 Junior Orrin Donaldson.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Sophomore Emily Azpell.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Freshmen Tally Hill.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 Teacher Todd McDonald.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Admin. Assistant Sarah Burt.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Midlife Crisis.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Subs And Clubs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22-23 What's In A Name?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26 Do New Years Resolutions Really Benefit?.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Staff Columns.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30-31 My Girl Can Fly.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35 The Peppiest Place On Earth.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Future Shots.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37

Photo by: Danni Hammontree

TOC 03 Photo by: Molly Filger

See Page 37 Photo by: Arley Emery

See Page 38

SEE PAGE 10

Photo by: Adam Pouliot

See Page 39 Photo by: Chris Marnell

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On the Cover: Senior AJ Cambric warms up before a game. Photo by Danni Hammontree.

Come TO The Liberty Spike It Up Tournement!

Courtwarming Week! Monday, FEB. 9 - Black Out Tuesday, Feb. 10- Flannel Wednesday, Feb. 11- American Thursday, Feb 12-NEON

Staff

Adviser --> Lori Oyler Editors in chief --> Aly Copp & Zach Kilgas Opinion Editor --> Amanda Kovac A&E Editor --> Kennedy Allison Features Editor --> Tara Prindle News Editor --> Alex Wilson Spotlight Editor --> Teresa Parra Sports Editor --> Jeffrey Walters Ads Manager --> Michael McHale Online Manager --> Erica Schmitz Reporters --> Sarah Hartley Katie Crouch Katie DeClue Teryn Deshler Sol Kim Kasey Allshouse Brooklyn Balsdon Kati Benhardt Kamden Bernard Daryl Gichui Addy Gray Emily Johannes Jackson Pe単a Hope Scobee Lacy Williams Annika Fuller Hannah Leonard Teegan Saunders Jenna Spence Hannah Berry

Mission

Our mission for the 2014-2015 school year is to unite a diverse group of people and ideas to compose an informative and enter taining magazine using articles, photographs, and commercial messages. As journalists in training we endeavor to give the best representation of the community of Liberty High School. The Bell student newspaper is a public forum for student expression.

Contact

Address --> 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO Phone --> (816)-736-5353 Email --> loyler@liberty.k12.mo.us Twitter --> @TheLHSBell

Jabber

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@syd_millz “The line of the day from school that is still stuck with me is ‘Mr. Kiser, your hat reminds me of quilts.’” -@Mathwizard15

“I want to be on a beach rn.” -@MacyBrinnRich

“There is not a thing on this earth I love more than my Liberty Sapphires.” -@JessieRosee123

“I need Summer, asap.” -@lindsmarchand

@LHSJaysCheer “Saw a van with, ‘PUPPIES’ printed on the side with a number. Such a great advertisement that I about lost control of my car when I saw it” -@maddieeekernnn

News 06

#HittingTheRoad Story by Brooklyn Balsdon

Photos by Chris Marnell

Breakfast Club aims to stop texting and driving. Breakfast Club is saving lives one text at a time. They’re taking a stand against texting and driving. “The Pledge #X is taking the pledge to say that you will let your friends know that you won’t text and drive,” sophomore Kaylee Hoeflicker said. “You send that [#X] and it lets them know that you are driving.” The #X Pledge is trying to put an end to car accidents and deaths due to distractions while driving. Breakfast Club doesn’t just want to make LHS better, but also the community. “I think texting and driving is really bad and really dangerous,” sophomore Olivia Book said. “It’s definitely easy to catch yourself doing it because we are on our phones so much.” By plastering posters all over the walls around school, Breakfast Club members hope to inform students and staff about the pledge. “Our goal is to have the entire student body and staff make the #X Pledge, which means they will not text and drive,”

Guidance Secretary Melissa Allshouse said. “If you are in a conversation texting, texting #X means we are pausing our conversation until I am done driving.” KLHS will also help Breakfast Club spread the news about #X Pledge at LHS. On January 13, Breakfast Club members filmed their informational video with KLHS. The video was then broadcasted during advisory to help students learn how to take the pledge. “I hope students will catch on,” senior Nina Hawkins said. “I think [texting and driving] is just the same as drinking and driving. Pretty much you’re not looking at what you are suppose to be looking at.” Breakfast Club is tallying every student that takes the pledge in advisory every day from January 15 until February 14. “We shot for Valentine’s Day because it’s about hearts,” Allshouse said. “We want to get the message across that if you look at the last text you sent, is that text worth dying? It’s really not that important. It can wait.”

So far, more that 5,500,000 pledges have been made on itcanwait.com. “You go to the website and there is a link button to make the pledge and sign up,” Allshouse said. Members of Breakfast Club hope that students and staff continue the pledge even after Breakfast Club ends the accounts during advisory. “I’m hoping it [the pledge] brings overall awareness and it brings to their attention how serious texting and driving really is,” Book said. Breakfast Club is made for everyone, no matter the differences. The club members are excited that this pledge is made for everyone, not just a specific group of people. “The whole idea behind Breakfast Club is that everybody is different,” Allshouse said. “It doesn’t matter what your interests are. You can choose to be whatever you want, but we are still Blue Jays.”

Make the pledge! Visit itcanwait.com Left: Juniors Samantha Bennett and Avery Prine working together to plan ways of raising awareness of #X.

Text “#X” to your friends before driving. It could save your life.

Bluejay Business Story by Daryl Gichui

News 07

Photo by Danni Hammontree

Recently FBLA journeyed to districts. The word business may not mean much to high school students, but out in the real world this is what keeps the world moving and companies like Apple and Google thriving. FBLA, Future Business Leaders of America, is a club that introduces students to the business world, and helps you learn, understand, and adapt to its methods. FBLA visited Pleasant Valley Baptist Church on January 30 for district competitions. At the competition, all members compete individually or in groups in various performance competitions against other schools that range from public speaking, to business mathematics, or even creating solutions for business problems. Members took district business tests based around business topics online and received awards for their performance while students that performance, These competitions could propel students on to the state competition. “They also vote on officers for FBLA and they also get awards and find out who won the online contest, the online test that they do at school [is] prior to districts,” club sponsor Sara Havermann said. Several members have made it to state in years prior and hoped to make it to state again. “Sophomore year, I placed in state and it’s been about the same every year,” senior Lucas Simpson said. “It’s always

at Pleasant Valley, [and] it’s always pretty smooth how they run [it]. It’s really like a leadership conference, so I’d like to make it to state, [or] qualify at least.” Preparation was key for district competition, however the type of competition also plays a big role in it. Public speaking and problem solution competitions require business and speaking skills that can be gathered from FBLA and business classes, while events like online testing just need some common sense as well as some knowledge in business. “We basically just read online the requirements for the event that you do, so normally in impromptu speaking I would brush up on rules to make sure I knew exactly what it was I was supposed to be doing,” junior Cole Kelley said. “And then in like business ethics and business presentation you really have to make sure what your topic is and what you can and can’t do.” With any club or sport the goal is for the group to succeed. “I always hope that they (win), I would like for everyone to qualify for state in something and I would like to take the whole team [to districts],” club sponsor Sara Havermann said. “I would really like to see my whole marketing team, my sports management team, to go to nationals, that would be awesome.” While FBLA is mainly focused on

business, it also teaches students practical life skills. Each type of competition, whether it be mathematics, problem solving, or speaking, requires students to practice different skills that can apply to business as well as other things in life. “I think for FBLA the skills that you learn can be transferred other places as well,” senior Rachel Young said. “I use [Excel spreadsheets] for Science class, I use them because I actually have a giant one figuring out college finances. You also learn really valuable leaderships skills if you decide to staff the club.” FBLA even hosts concessions for different sports and tournaments at LHS, in sort of a lemonade-stand type of fashion. “FBLA is more helping you to be able to work in really simple conditions like in concession stands for tournaments and working registers, freshman Rae Dennis. “It’s stuff not a lot of places give you a chance to do.” Kelley agrees, “I feel that everyone should join any kind of speaking club whether it be debate or FBLA just because in life you’re going to have to talk to people, you’re going to have to talk to your bosses, you’re going to have to talk to a board of educators for college scholarships,” Kelley said. “So I feel like being able to talk to people is the number one point of business, and just the number one point of life in general.”

Right: This year’s trophy design for FBLA districts. FBLA members gather together every wednesday to discuss business and upcoming events including districts.

News 08

Time to Build

Story by Emily Johannes

Photo by Madi Hayter

Robotics prepares to compete against other teams using robots and programming. For students involved with robotics, January means build season has begun. Build season is the month when students work together to build a robot to take to competitions. “In robotics, you have six weeks to finish building the robot,” sophomore Sydney Scholes said. “You have six weeks and that’s all. You can’t go past the end day, you have to stop and package up your robot and you’re done. Then you go to competitions. Hopefully at the end of those six weeks you have a working robot that is programmed to operate.” Build season definitely has its high points for the students. “My favorite part is working on the robot all the time,” junior Liam Floyd said. “It’s cool, especially towards the end when it comes together.” Students aren’t the only ones though who enjoy the process. “For me, it’s getting to see all the students doing things they’ve never done before,” adviser Jason Lowe said. “People who have never lifted a screwdriver before are using power tools so that’s really exciting to see. I also like to see the progression,

how all the creativity comes out in the start. As a team we brainstorm ideas, we prototype everything and as a team we decide what we want to do. Seeing the robot getting built from scratch is a really cool experience.” Of course, as with all challenging activities, there come challenges and frustrations. “We get some people that get distracted pretty easily or some who are unsure of what they need to do so they don’t ask for help,” Lowe said. “And of course, with any project, students procrastinate, so we don’t get as much work done at the front end of build season and then we get down to the end and run out of time,” senior Brooke Yanez agreed. “I get frustrated when everything is going right and then one thing goes wrong and you have to restart everything,” senior Brooke Yanez said. All these frustrations are eventually worth it to those participating when it comes to competing. For competitions, students program the robot to perform the task given to them. The different tasks vary from year to year.

“The task this year is Recycle Rush where we have to lift boxes and move them onto scoring platforms,” Yanez said. “We’re stacking totes and then we have to put recycling bins on top of those and then put pool noodles in the recycling bins using the robot,” Scholes said. The difficulty of the tasks can vary from year to year and so can the different elements of the tasks. “[This year] is definitely different from others,” Floyd said. “Last year’s game was throwing an exercise ball and this year is stacking crates. It can be more difficult just with having to stack all the crates. It’s different, which I think does add a bit more of a challenge.” Those who participate find it a rewarding activity and would encourage others to join. “Robotics is a lot of fun for anyone who loves to do anything with their hands,” Yanez said. “And it’s not just working with your hands, there’s something for everyone.” Whether it be design, programming or building, there really is something for everyone.

Robotics Club members work together to prepare for an upcoming event.

Coffee Migration Story by Hannah Berry

News 09

Photos by Adam Pouliot

The construction of the new Nest continues. The Nest is burrowing into the library this month as the construction has started to take place. Many students and staff are excited for this new change that will bring a new atmosphere to the LMC. “I think the coffee shop will be a great addition to our school because not a lot of schools have coffee shops in their library,” sophomore McKenna Still said. “I think it will be a relaxed setting that students can go to and study or talk to friends, sort of like a college library setting.” The construction of the Nest is expected to finish by the end of February, and at the latest, the beginning of March. The new coffee shop space will provide more space and seating room for students and faculty. According to the architectural drawing the new area is expected to seat between 20 and 25 people. However, Mrs. Fagan and Mrs. Anderson previously applied for an Excellence in Education grant for the high top tables that are in the library. They will be moved closer to the Nest to provide

additional seating. “We hope to have extended hours, so there will be more availability for students to use it throughout the day, Liberty Hour, or during passing period, however the actual hours are still being decided,” ESC program teacher Jessica King said. The Nest will be a place for students to sit and study, read a book, or just take a break. “It will be a lot different when the Nest is in the library, it will make it seem like the library is more of a hang out, a place that you can come and study, and not feel tense like you’re at school; it will hopefully create a more relaxed environment,” freshman Hailey Smith said. The Nest will not only provide a great experience for their customers, but a work environment for the students in the Essential Skills Classroom (ESC) program. “The Nest provides the ESC students with a valuable work experience a real world experience that is supervised,” librarian Glory Fagan said.

King agrees that it will provide a great experience for the ESC students. “The new location in the library provides more space, the students will have more ownership of it, and my students [in the ESC program] will be able to have a little more pride in the service that they provide for the school,” King said. “We aren’t always the fastest, but my students want everyone to be satisfied, and they really care about what they are doing. It’s a place for them to develop valuable life skills and a work experience.” Many teachers and students are excited about the opening of The Nest in the library. While the construction continues the original Nest remaining open, but students and staff are excited for the opening of the new area. “I am really looking forward to it opening, and seeing what the new location has to offer,” senior Danni Hammontree said.

Left: Senior Curtis Mayabb giving senior Chris Marnell the coffee he ordered. Below: A construction worker works hard to ensure the new Nest will be finished soon.

Features 10

Heed, Worldliness and Respect Story by Annika Fuller

Photo by Arley Emery

Ignorance; noun: to have a lack of knowledge or information. “I think it’s easy as a high schooler to be wrapped up with everything that’s going on in your life and to sometimes not really realize that the things going on around you can affect your life,” French teacher Madame Lumetta said. Every Tuesday during Liberty Hour B, Current Events Club meets to discuss that week’s worldly events. Madame Lumetta believes that high schoolers need to be informed about what is not directly affecting them, but is affecting those around the world. This persuaded her and some of her students to begin the Current Events Club. “The things that are happening today affect the choices they will have, not only today but also in the future. It is better to be well informed than unaware,” Lumetta said. High schoolers are able to join together and become informed and help inform others in the club about what has happened recently. “I’ve always been interested in debate and current events,” sophomore Alison Potter said. “Madame Lumetta is my French teacher, so I thought it’d be the perfect thing to do.”

Current Events Club welcomes anyone who is interested in things other than what directly impact their lives. Students may join at any time, as long as they are willing to share their opinions and respect those of others. Students who are considering coming to the club’s meetings are recommended, but not required, to spend time looking at the news to have a view on the events of the week. Students have had chances to discuss events that have caused major uproar around the world such as Ferguson, Paris and gun rights. “When we talk about guns, that is one of the things that really sparks a lot of debate, there is definitely a lot of opinions about that, especially around here,” junior Sadie Jess said. Although many of the topics debated in Current Events Club are intensely controversial, they have yet to come to a topic that is off limits. “If someone is uncomfortable we avoid it, but there isn’t anything that’s said off limits in current events club,” Jess said. “We are just very careful to respect other people’s opinions. There’s a lot of respect in the club.”

The tragic events that have occurred in the past months are not unfamiliar news to many, including the Current Events Club. The topics discussed in the club can be very humbling. The students involved in the club recognize the impact and importance each event has on the world. “[After a meeting] I reflect on what is happening beyond my own world and things that people are going through that I wouldn’t necessarily experience,” Potter said. Ferguson, gun rights, gay marriage and the attacks on Paris have been major points of discussion that have provoked many debates. With topics as controversial as those, there are many opinions and different views. However, Madame Lumetta makes sure the club is centered around respect. “Madame really puts a focus on don’t disrespect someone else’s opinion because it is an opinion and it changes, just present your side and argue it properly,” sophomore Rafae Pasha said. “[The main atmosphere in the club is] not calm, but it’s not up there and highly energetic. It’s civilized and sophisticated,” Pasha said.

Left: (left to right) Sophomore Jackson Ferguson and sophomore Sophie Jess discussing the event topic for that day. Right: (left to right) sophomore Annika Fuller, sophomore Sophie Jess, sophomore Jackyln Drewry and Madame Lumetta debating and having fun during the current events club meeting.

Features 11

New Year, New Me Story by Addy Gray

LHS makes New Year resolutions for 2015.

As the clock strikes midnight and the New Year rolls around, many students set resolutions to conquer in 2015. 33 percent of LHS students said that they sometimes stick to their easier resolutions and another 11 percent stated that they always stick with them throughout the year. From losing weight, to learning how to speak foreign languages, there are many resolutions set by students at LHS. “My New Year resolutions are to go to the seven pools in Iceland because I will be going on a cruise there this summer and I also want to learn the language of Danish because I will be going to Denmark,” sophomore Stephanie Phillips said. Resolutions are fun ways to set a goal and hopefully carry it out for the rest of the year. Many students feel that New Year resolutions are perfect ways to change bad habits and start off with a blank slate.

“Getting the chance to start fresh is always one of my favorite parts about starting a new year, and I think New Year resolution’s are very beneficial because they can push you to eliminate stuff about yourself you don’t like,” sophomore Cheyenne Bledsoe said. One of the most common New Year resolutions is to lose weight. Americans around the country set different types of goals to reach ideal weight. One student here found an interesting hobby to get his dream body. “I plan to start off Jazzercise, maybe learn a few moves and burn some fat to get a toned hot body,” junior Satchel Manley said. “Those Jazzercise ladies don’t mess around, but I think I can hang.” One common New Year resolution for guys this year was learning how to dunk. “My resolution is to be able to dunk by

When asked: Are New Year resolutions beneficial throughout the year to you? 182 students responded.

I don’t even make resolutions.

32%

No, I don’t find them beneficial.

Yes, I always stick with my resolutions.

11%

Sometimes I stick with easier resolutions.

33%

I stick with them for a week or two, but go back to my own ways.

20%

February and do a 360 between the legs dunk by March,” senior Ben Sullivan said. Science teacher Ryan Brewer also plans to learn how to dunk and get a six-pack to impress his fiancé. “These have been my New Year resolution’s for the past seven years, but I have done a lot of visualization exercises and meditation to finally achieve these goals,” Brewer said. New Year resolutions can be an excellent way to push yourself to achieve your goals and stay committed throughout the year. “I like New Year resolutions because they can help you improve on some qualities you don’t like about yourself,” freshman Jackie Quigley said. “They’re ways to set a goal and work towards that goal, it’s just a great life lesson.”

Features 12

Bringing Science Back Story by Lacy Williams

Photos by Stuart Jorgensen and Bailey Eddy

The annual science night is coming up fast.

Do you remember going up to the high school in elementary school for a fun night full of science experiments and knowledge? Last year science night was brought back to LHS and will be continuing this year. The event will be held in room 200 in the science wing on Tuesday, March 10 from six to eight in the evening. Chemistry Club, Environmental Club and the Physics department are all going to be participating. Junior Bailey Eddy took the initiative to recreate science night and make an enjoyable night not only for herself, but those who share her passion for science. “The first thing I did was talk to the head of the science department, Mr. Jorgensen and Dr. Adams,” Eddy said. “Then I made a plan of how I wanted the demonstrations to be organized and I found volunteers and it implemented itself.” Last year there were over 25 students and seven instructors who supervised and helped with experiments. There are even more this year hoping to participate. “[Chemistry Club] will have a variety of different activities the students can participate in such as the mole cannon, flammable vapors, methane bubbles and

dry ice,” chemistry club sponsor Stuart Jorgensen said. “[For Environmental Club] we will teach the kids about conservation and different endangered animals,” junior Katie Baker said. Each experiment has its own preparation but overall they are quite similar. “I had to go in early during Liberty Hour last year and dissect my shark,” senior Christian Hannah said. “I also had an informational packet to properly educate the students on what they were seeing.” Students are assigned specific experiments depending on what they are comfortable with, enjoy or belong to the club that is putting on that experiment; which makes the preparation not as difficult and more enjoyable. “There’s advertisement, then prep for the demos we’re going to do,” Baker said. Not only do high school students get community service hours, they get an opportunity to share their knowledge and passion of science with younger students. “[My favorite thing is] seeing the children learning new things, and seeing them get excited about the things I get excited

about,” Eddy said. The younger students are not the only ones who enjoy learning new things from the science night and show their passion for science. “You get to see all sorts of things you don’t usually get to see,” Hannah said. “You get to see massive snakes and fire, it’s the things that draw kids to science in the first place.”

Right: Elementary students in the environmental department observe a live snake. Above: The science night students and teachers volunteer their love for science.

Features 13

Anime Nation Story by Alex Wilson

Photo by Natalie Grusch

Anime Club is determined to bring students of all backgrounds together. Over the years LHS has been very prominent in extra curricular activities. No matter anyone’s interests or personality, LHS has a club for everyone. Last year, after a short break, Anime Club made a triumphant return, bringing together many students in an environment that is supportive of Japanese Culture and animation. Anime is a type of animation style prominent in Japan that features colorful visuals, vibrantly drawn characters and different genres from fantasy to horror. “Anime is a type of television program that is an animation with several different genres using that style of animation,” club sponsor Stuart Jorgensen said. “There are a lot of different types of anime, there are a lot of different subsets of it and they all fall within the animation style.” Every Friday after school, members of Anime Club get together simply to watch anime and hang out in room 202. Anyone is welcome and whoever joins will be greeted with a nice positive environment. “We hope to bring more people in to show the love of anime. We watch anime and sometimes movies, we vote on it. [This year] there are more freshmen and we are more productive in watching anime.

Jorgensen picks a anime we haven’t seen instead of watching just one over and over,” junior Deborah White said. “We don’t watch a whole series of anime, we just watch one episode and if you like it, you can watch it yourself. We actually watch movies now, most of it’s in English so that people who aren’t used to subtitles can actually enjoy themselves.” Anime Club used to be a club at LHS, but unfortunately faded into obscurity until last year when a few students requested to bring back to the high school. Each year the club hopes to improve and has done so. “This is the second year of Anime Club coming back. Last year, we spent most of the time watching just one anime. Now I actually take suggestions and we rotate anime so it is different each week,” Jorgensen said. “That way if somebody doesn’t like an anime for that week there will be a new and fresh one next week. It also gives us a broader taste on the different types of anime instead of watching just one.” Another very important part of Anime Club is Naka-Kon. Naka-Kon is a convention held at Overland Park Convention Center for anybody interested in anime. Naka-Kon has plenty of activities for anime fans to do

like a craft station, panels featuring voice actors and animators who share stories and sometimes even answer questions. There are scene reenactments, concerts, a ball and even a video game room. Naka-Kon takes place on March 13-15 all weekend, for more information visit naka-kon.com To raise money for the convention Anime Club members will start a group fund in order to make things easier and cheaper. They also plan to hold a fundraiser like they did last year in the form of a video game tournament in February. “We plan to do a gaming tournament to raise money,” junior Courtney Dodd said. “Right now we are planning on fighting games like Smash Brothers.” Overall, Anime Club is the perfect club to wind down after a school day, hang out with friends and be entertained. The club hopes to bring people together no matter their background. Anyone interested in anime or who just wants a nice environment after school can join because Anime Club is open to all students. Anime Club meets every Friday, 3:15-4:00 p.m. in room 202. “It’s a fun place to hangout after school. It’s pretty fun and I would take [Anime Club] again. It brings people closer together,” sophomore Paige Eddy said.

Anime Club 2015: Right: (left to right, top row) junior Jenna Ek, Kelli Walther, sophomore Zach Weddle, freshman Kevin Lam, sophomore Matthew Groves, senior Kyle Newport, senior Daniel Jennings, senior Hannah Bisges, senior Caleb Kramer, senior Alec Moeller, Mr. Jorgensen, junior Allison Niemeier, junior Jaci Ek, (bottom row) junior Seth Langford, sophomore Sky Ratcliff, sophomore Paige Eddy, freshman Amberlie Gonzales, freshman Darian Althoff, Person, junior Sophie Rasberry, junior Deborah White, junior Courtney Dodd, junior Brianna Gosa, sophomore Jacob Salas, junior Jasmine Smith-Marley

Features 14

What are your outside activities? “I play violin and piano and I also play violin for the Kansas City Symphony every Sunday afternoon. Most of my weekends are taken up by debate tournaments. I do Exit 1-6 and Model UN as well.”

What do people not know about you? “This is an ongoing thing. Every night, I take an apple into bed with me and I eat it before I go to sleep. When I was growing up, whenever I would get in trouble, my parents would take away my apple privileges and it actually worked; I was always devastated. That’s how they kept me in line.”

Which teacher had the biggest impact on you and why? “I don’t like to play favorites because I like all of my teachers but I owe a lot to Mrs. Kurtz. I enjoyed AP Lit and she made me a better writer. When I didn’t have time this year for an English class, she allowed another student and me to do an Independent Study with her. She did that out of her own good will. We figure out our own curriculum; we read books she wishes she had time to read in her classes. “

Patricia Kurtz's thoughts on Ben: “Ben is a student who loves learning. It seems there is not an academic discipline that does not fascinate him. In addition to his serious scholarly pursuits, he also has a sense of humor and highly developed sense of irony.”

Senior

Ben Anderson Story by Sarah Hartley

Photo by Natalie Grusch

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What's your favorite thing StuCo? “StuCo is really fun because you get to be involved in a lot of the stuff that goes on at the school. This year I am a junior, so I am basically one of the kids in charge of prom. I get to choose the theme, the decorations and how it happens. It’s really cool because I get to be a part of the big decisions that go on. It is really fun but it’s also a lot of work that we have to do. But I think it’s definitely something that’s worth it.”

What are you look forward to next year? “I am going to look forward to being in charge of StuCo. A lot of the big decisions will fall onto my classmates and me because we are going to be the seniors. It’s going to be our job to facilitate everything that goes on in Student Council.”

What have you learned from StuCo? “I learned that it’s good to be involved. Being in Student Council is fun; it’s fun to do things. It’s good to see the final products of something that you have worked on.”

Erin Ramsey's Thoughts on Orrin: “Orrin is a really hard working person. He always makes sure that he’s giving his best to whatever we have planned. A fun quirk that Orrin has is his laugh. I would know his laugh anywhere in the building at any time. Whatever Orrin decides to do his senior year, I know he’s going to come out doing something really special with his life.”

Junior

Orrin Donaldson Story by Jenna Spence

Photo by Danni Hammontree

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What clubs are you involved in? “I am a part of Breakfast Club, StuCo, Spanish Club and Young Republicans. I joined these clubs to be more involved here at LHS. What I like about Breakfast Club is that it includes all kinds of people and our main goal is to include everybody and make Liberty a fun place to be. StuCo is filled with a bunch of leaders and it’s a really good atmosphere to be involved in. I recently joined Spanish Club because who doesn’t love Mrs. Ruiz? I’d also like to further my knowledge in Spanish. In Young Republicans we talk about politics as well as our country’s issues. I love to talk about these topics and that’s why I joined.”

What sports do you do? “I play volleyball. It’s my favorite sport. I love playing volleyball and being on the court with all my friends. Volleyball makes me try to be the best I can be. My coaches and teammates have taught me so much about the game. They have taught me how important a team can be, how communication is always necessary and that if you think you can’t do something, you can. It’s taught me to never give up.”

What don't people know about you? “Science is my favorite subject, Luke Bryan is my favorite musician and I’m obsessed with One Tree Hill.”

April Fleming's thoughts on Emily: “Emily is a very dedicated athlete. She is always working hard and doing what she needs to do to improve her game. Emily is an athlete who works hard, a good teammate, but most of all, a GREAT person!”

Sophomore

Emily Azpell Story by Hannah Leonard

Photo by Aubrey Lytch

have you changed since you made cheer? “Most definitely. I have changed my views on high school cheer in general. I know there are a lot of stereotypical things about high school cheerleaders, but to be a part of it is very different. It’s very structured and has taught me a lot about being responsible and keeping my school work up.”

What was it like to win state? “It was emotional. We competed against two teams we’re really competitive with. There was a tie for second, so it was just between us three. I just remember that exact moment when they called both of the two teams before us and we all just froze. It was crazy and it was so much fun. I’m very proud of everyone. I love my state championship ring. It’s so cool to have it. People always ask me if I have a class ring and they’re always really surprised when I tell our story.”

How do you feel about Nationals? “I am so excited. I have been to Florida one time before and I went to Disney World. Now I get to go with my entire team and it’s going to be so much fun. Getting on a plane at seven o’clock in the morning is going to be a blast. Prepared-wise, we just got done with Regionals a couple weeks ago and I think we’re cruising pretty well. I think we are definitely going to be prepared. We keep improving every practice. Every year we have moved up spots placewise. Last year at Nationals we got twelfth. We’re going strong right now so I’m expecting top ten. I’m going in expecting the worst and hoping for the best mentally.”

Tim Baldwin's Thoughts on Tally: “Tally is really enthusiastic. She can juggle a lot of things between cheer and debate and all of the other activities that she’s in. She can be overly sarcastic and has a really dry sense of humor, which I like. I would describe her as quirky.”

Freshman

Tally Hill Story by Jenna Spence

Photo by Molly Filger

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What jobs did you do before teaching? “I was in full time youth ministry for two years in Orlando with a ministry called Student Venture. After that, I moved to St. Louis and worked at Dr. Pepper/7 Up for five years. I was what you would call a “Quality Control Technician.” I used my chemistry skills to test acid levels, pH, color, etc. I also tasted everything I tested. Yes, I know the secret formula for Dr. Pepper, but I can’t tell.”

What is your favorite experiment? “Nitric acid and copper. I’ll take full strength nitric acid and drop a piece of copper in it. It forms a brown cloud and there’s lots of heat as well as changing colors. The brown gas smells very foul. It’s my favorite because it shows several types of evidence of chemical reactions at the same time.”

Where do you see yourself in ten years? “Still teaching chemistry, lighting methane bubbles on fire, and working out chemistry problems- and probably still coaching swimming. Probably at LHS - I like it here. Liberty is where I graduated and grew up.”

Matt Alvey's thoughts on McDonald: “I really like Mr. McDonald as a teacher because he gives students the opportunity to learn on their own, which is a necessary skill to have. If you don’t understand something after trying it on your own, he really steps up to explain it to you.”

Teacher

Todd McDonald Story by Sarah Hartley

Photo by Morgan McNea

What is the coolest thing that has ever happened to you? “My husband won a trip to Hawaii last year for free. The trip was amazing. I would go back again, however I got an ear infection on the flight over there so I was sick for the first two days until I was able to get antibiotics. But snorkeling was fun and paddle boarding was too.”

What is it like to be Dr. Adams' assistant? “Very busy, she keeps me on my toes. I am more teacher and building related than I am student related. Dr. Adams is an amazing boss, she is always there to support me and she holds many things on her plate and balances them very well, I just try to assist her the best that I can. I love it, I wouldn’t change it for the world, I think she is the best boss.”

What is one of your greatest passions? “I really enjoy working out. It makes me feel well and promotes good influence to my two daughters. I work out six days a week and try to eat well… 90% of the time I try to eat well.”

Tricia Middleton's thoughts on Sarah Burt: “I think she is fantastic. She is very helpful. She is always willing to help with anything that needs it and she is very busy. That’s why I love her.”

Administrator

Sarah Burt Story by Hannah Leonard

Photo by Alli Collins

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A&E 21

Midlife Crisis

Story by Kamden Bernard

Photo by Arley Emery

The theatre department presents a play that looks into the darker side of humanity. On a normal day in New York, salesman Willy Loman scrapes by in hopes of reaching the American dream. In the play, produced by the Theatre department February 19-21 at 7 p.m., audiences will have a look at Willy’s struggles. There is a very small cast including senior Noah Pozel as Willy, senior Noa Adams as Linda, senior Austin Cable as Biff, senior Andrew Dipoto as Happy, junior Truman Butler as Ben, sophomore Trevor Harr as Stanley, junior Jay Butler as Charley, sophomore Corben Phillips as Bernard, freshmen Joe Galetti as Howard, junior Samantha Bennett as Jenny, sophomore Hope Lundgren as Letta, senior Taylor McGrath as Miss Forsythe, and senior Josie Emery as the woman. Students in the play are doing little things to get to know how people acted in the 1940s and what their characters would be like. There are no small characters in the play. Butler, who plays Willy’s

older brother, is doing things to make his character special. “The directors have actually got these resources so we can read the background information,” Butler said. “It is set a little in the past so I think every person has things to bring to their character and they get their own idea. I think everyone is doing their homework to create their own character.” The actors are doing everything they can to tell this dark story and show how things from the play relate to real life. “The characters and the dialogue [set this play different against other plays],” Harr said. “It’s just like a normal show. It’s not like Macbeth. It’s normal everyday life.” The play is teaching a lesson about the American dream and how the main character,Willy, can achieve success through hard work and determination. “I think it’s different because it’s very American and a lot of ideas from it are still here today,” senior Noah Pozel said.

Seeing how the play has a dark meaning and is about the American dream it’s hard to tell what people will feel when they go to see this play. None of the characters in Death of a Salesman are perfect. There are characters like Charley, who is a voice of reason. Bernard is a bit of a nerd. And Ben has a slight twist. Each character can make the audience feel something special and none of the characters make the audience feel the same thing. “I think they will feel super depressed and have more respect for their lives,” Galetti said. The people in the cast are growing stronger as actors and as friends. Freshman are connecting with the seniors and having such a small cast helps them grow closer. “I love being involved in the play. There’s always a lot of drama in a small cast so you really get to know people,” Pozel said.

Above left: Noah Pozel as Willy and Noa Adams as Linda. Above right: Austin Cable as Biff, Andrew Dipoto as Happy, Noa Adams as Linda.

A&E 22

Subs and Clubs Story by Kati Benhardt and Hope Scobee

Bell reporters check out four of our popular sandwich places in Liberty.

Jimmy John's Hope: I ordered the Vito eightinch sub sandwich. This includes Genoa salami, provolone cheese, onion, lettuce, tomato and I ordered mayonnaise instead of the original Italian vinaigrette. While ordering, I told them I wanted no onions, extra mayonnaise and wheat bread instead of white. I was expecting to get just that but instead, I received my sandwich on white bread, with onions and almost no mayonnaise.

It was very unfortunate. I decided to go back and give them a second chance. My second time at Jimmy John’s was much more enjoyable. I once again ordered the Vito sub sandwich with mayonnaise instead of vinaigrette and this time, it was absolutely perfect. The employees at Jimmy John’s were very polite, which is why I had high expectations for the sandwich. Even though it came

out to be switched around the first time, the flavors were all still there and even better when my order came out to be correct the second time. As I walked in, I noticed a few people in line ordering and a few people sitting down but it wasn’t too crowded. The employees made sure I felt welcome both times by greeting me when it was my turn in line to order as well.

employees that I talked with during my experience as they were all very polite and full of energy. My six-inch long BMT [bigger, meatier, tastier] on Italian bread including salami, black smoked ham and American cheese was full of different flavors and textures that seemed to come to life the moment they hit my taste buds. I can honestly say I was impressed. Adding black olives, lettuce and mayonnaise tied the sandwich together very pleasantly, creating a freshness that I was expecting based

on other reviews. I enjoyed being able to customize my own sandwich and I liked how they asked me questions going down the line to make sure they knew exactly what I wanted. Ten minutes waiting in line may seem like a long time for a sandwich, but the precise amount of everything and the fact that I was full and satisfied after eating the sandwich made the wait worth going back.

Subway Hope: As I walked into Subway for the first time in my life, there were many respectable things that caught my eye. As soon as I walked in the door a young, female worker greeted me by saying, “Hello, welcome to Subway!” This made me feel very welcome around the two other families who were waiting in line for their meals. Another thing that I liked about the restaurant is that they had multiple colors from red, yellow, green, blue and orange all along the walls. The colors fit the personality of every one of the

A&E 23

Planet Sub Kati: Planet Sub offers hearty, healthy subs, wraps and salads. At Planet Sub I got the creamy club, which included oven roasted turkey, bacon, cream cheese, sprouts, tomatoes and mayonnaise. I decided to get a whole sub; it was huge and very filling. I have never eaten sprouts before, but eating them on my sandwich was a great idea, because the sprouts really added a crunch to my sandwich. I love all the individual ingredients that

were in my sandwich by themselves, but having them all together on a sandwich on well-made, tasty toasted bread was amazing. There are vegan, vegetarian, and gluten free options. Planet Sub never settles for less than fresh baked bread and it shows. They bake their bread daily from scratch. When you walk into Planet Sub you can witness first hand the bread being made. After you order your meal, you receive a card from a

deck of cards; I got an ace of hearts. This was a fun and unique way to decipher whose order is who’s and was very effective. As you’re waiting for your food you can sit at a booth or table and admire the décor, the atmosphere was cozy and relaxed. If you get a whole sub like I did and eat it all you will go into a food coma, but it will be well worth it. Planet Sub is hearty and healthy and will leave you wanting to come again.

Firehouse Subs Kati: Firehouse Subs states that their sandwiches are, “steam heated and piled high for maximum deliciousness.” Firehouse Subs has a wide variety of tasty subs, salads, drinks and desserts, along with a very relaxed atmosphere, which I enjoy. I was able to hang out and eat with my family and watch the football game that was on at the time. I did not feel a rush to get out of there. The service was timely and convenient and the workers were friendly and had smiles on their faces. It was a very comfortable environment.

I got a turkey bacon ranch sandwich and a drink with chips. This sandwich had smoked turkey, Smithfield bacon and sharp cheddar cheese topped with peppercorn ranch, mayo, lettuce, tomato and onion. My sandwich tasted like nothing I have ever tasted before, I really loved the taste of the ranch, bacon and turkey, the different flavors worked really well together. This filling sandwich was fresh and left me wanting more. I enjoyed eating at Firehouse Subs because there is an abundance

of firehouse décor depicting both national and local events where firefighters have benefitted the community. There were pictures above my table showing a college frat house on fire and wildfires being distinguished by firefighters. One of the things I loved was the Coca-Cola freestyle machine. It took me a minute to figure out how to work it; I had trouble deciphering the ice dispenser and the actual drink dispenser. There are over 120 drink options to choose from. I was indecisive, because there were so many great choices.

Indepth 24

What's in a Name?

Story by Teresa Parra and Teryn Deshler Photos by Sarah Hartley and Teryn Deshler

There are 1,728 names at LHS, all in an orderly list organized by last name. When looking at this list, many perceive it as just that; a list. But if you look closer, there is so much more. Many people may have the same first name or same middle name, but each name has different spellings, meanings and backgrounds. Taking a look into each name, you will find the longest name in the school, the shortest name, the most common names and their meanings. Take a look at what we discovered and ask yourself: whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s in a name? Right: The wordle of student and faculty last names shows who The Bell interviewed most during the first semester.

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What are the most common first names?

Jacob

(Spellings: Jacob, Jakob) Meaning: Biblical name

Hannah

“grace of God.”

(Spellings: Madison, Maddisen, Maddison) Meaning: a medieval girls’ name short for Madeleine or Maud.

21 Emily

Aemilia, meaning “striving”

helper and defender of mankind.

Meaning: Hebrew for “favor” or

meaning“he who God protects.”

Alex

(Boys and girls!) Meaning: Form of Alexander, helper and defender of mankind.

22 Madison

Meaning: from the Latin name

Josh

Meaning: Form of Alexander,

What are the most common middle names?

48 students have the middle name Michael 70 students have the middle name Marie 71 students have the middle name Nicole (Spellings: Nikkole, Nicole, Nickole, Nykole, Nekol. Nicolle, Nichole)

Did you know? 38 students have no middle name

What are the most common last names? 18 Smith

8 Brown

7 Davis

8 Jones

6 Johnson

Adams

Indepth 26

Who has the shortest name? Junior

Sol Ah Kim

Destiny

Cheyenne

(8 letters)

W h o h a s t h e l o n g e st n a m e ? Sol

Maria Allysa Sobrenilla Bongala (28 letters) Junior Destiny Stephanie Diane Hubbard (28 letters) Sophomore Cheyenne Kennedy Deaton-Bledsoe (28 letters) Sophomore

According to Social Security Online,

In Missouri the most popular names were... 2013 1999 1998 1997 1996

William (432 Boys)

Emma (422 girls)

Freshman

Jacob Emily

Sophomore

Jacob Emily

Junior

Jacob Emily

Senior Jacob

Do you see a pattern?

Emily

Are New Years resolutions beneficial all year long? Whether it’s dieting, a new outlook on life, or plans to embark on a trip, the Bell Staff agrees that we have all made a New Years Resolution at some point in our lives. The question is, does making a New Years Resolution benefit a person throughout the entire year? In most cases, maintaining a New Years Resolution is not as easy as you might have hoped when you proudly proclaimed your plans for change on the first of the year. The key to succeeding in a resolution is to not bite off more than you can chew. Instead of making a resolution to lose a ridiculous amount of weight, try to lose an attainable amount each month. It is important to make short-term goals in order to achieve your long-term goal.

The first day of the year is a symbol for change for many people around the world. The Bell staff would agree that you should take opportunities for change and growth throughout the year, not just on New Year’s Day. Changing your lifestyle is much more a journey than it is a sudden proclamation, so it’s good to start the journey any other time of the year. Then there’s the die-hard New Years Resolution-makers who see the day as a reset button and perfect opportunity for a change. Usually in this group are the people who make actual commitments to their resolution for an entire year, and also the people who decide to quit something but end up doing it again shortly after New Year’s Day. The Bell staff thinks that if you’re the type

Opinion Opinion 28 27

of person to make a New Years Resolution, then you also wouldn’t find it hard to change yourself any other time. There are many opportunities throughout the year to achieve your goals. As a staff, we decided that making New Years Resolutions are great if you set realistic goals to achieve along the way. However, there’s nothing wrong with wanting to change your lifestyle at any point in the year.

The articles on these pages do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment in a letter to the editor.

Editorial Cartoon

Staff Topic Vote Yes - 9 No - 22

Illustrated by freshman Teegan Saunders and Hannah Berry

Photo by Amanda Kovac

Only Victory Dancing Allowed

Dim lights, loud music and swish of dresses followed by the shouting voices that can barely be understood as the lyrics to one of your favorite songs. The sweat and heat radiate off of the dancing bodies in the gym and the aching feet and droopy eyes as you dance the night away, leaving you hungry and slap happy. This can only mean you went to a school dance. At LHS our Student Council sponsors dances and they work very hard to produce an enjoyable night for the students at the dance. The one thing that a lot of people forget is the money and time it takes to

Story by Kasey Allshouse

produce a school dance. To have a successful dance you have to have people interested in buying tickets, which was a problem with our Courtwarming dance. Thankfully LHS had the Spike it Up volleyball tournament as a part of Courtwarming and these past two years it has taken center stage. StuCo has made it clear that the dance is canceled, not Courtwarming itself. So finally it’s time we throw our heels out the window and put on some shoes suitable for the battle of the grades. The competitive school spirit comes out of all of us once we all had a small taste of the competition on the court. One of the best parts of this event is that it is for everyone, the athletes, singers, actors, artists, and mathletes. Each team has an open roster and its first come first serve until the teams fill up, which ideally would be 24 per grade. It really doesn’t matter what your experience is with volleyball, just go out there and have fun, that’s what everyone expects. Not only is it open for everyone but it`s fun, and like in any sport, anything can happen. Last year the freshmen team almost beat the seniors. It was a big deal for the freshies.

Opinion 29

I mean come on it was our first year in the high school and you are at the bottom of the food chain and then your team almost beats the senior team! It makes you feel proud of your class. Now, did that change that we were at the bottom of the popularity totem pole? No, but it did make you feel more a part of the school. Spike it Up is just a fun way to get closer to your class, but that’s not it. Spike it Up is actually a big fundraiser for our Special Olympics program. Our school is helping students be part of something that affects their student’s lives. So instead of StuCo using all that time and money for a dance that quite frankly isn’t successful, they put it towards not only a successful program but, a good one. I would rather have one fun dance well done with the time and money needed and a fun game of volleyball for a great cause and a good time. So girls it’s time to wipe off that makeup, boys, take off that tie and put on some face paint. It’s game day.

Pro/Con: Courtwarming Activities I Want My Pretty In Pink Moment

McCarthy will be waiting around for a waltz due to the fact that we only have two school dances. If we had the Courtwarming dance back, then more of us daydreamers could have one more chance to have their cute magic and subtly cheesy moment with Mr. McCarthy. I understand the reason the dance was cut from the school schedule was due to the fact that students simply did not show up for the event. I am sure a good amount of freshman and sophomores would love going to a Courtwarming dance since they cannot go to Prom unless they find an upperclassman date, which, in my opinion, is hard enough to find a date as it is. Our school is a place that takes pride in its school spirit and we could increase that if we add this dance back into the school’s schedule. For example, if attendance was down at Prom for a year, then would the school just cancel it? Not at all. Prom is part of the high school tradition. StuCo mostly focuses on the big dances of the school year, but if they brought back the

traditional Courtwarming dance and hoped that it wasn’t scheduled on Valentine’s Day or base it around the holiday, then attendance might go up. It may take some work, but I know that I would love to dress up for one more dance in the year. It is also a little odd to me that Liberty North still has the traditional Courtwarming with a theme and dance while LHS just makes the court even hotter with a volleyball game. All profits from Spike It Up go to LHS’ Special Olympics, however we could really make something extraordinary out of a Courtwarming dance next year with the new field house we are being provided, which could bring even more donations for Special Olympics. Whether it just be with a group of friends, a date or with your 80’s sweetheart, Courtwarming dance is missed and will not be forgotten. I hope future generations at LHS will be able to get to experience the dances that their parents would reminisce about.

Photo by Amanda Kovac

Who else recalls those really cute and cheesy 80’s movies where the good guy gets the pretty girl during their senior year of high school and they dance the night away at one of the school dances? I would completely love for that to happen to me. Although sadly, I don’t think Andrew

Story by Tara Prindle

Opinion 30

I Am a Planner

You are never going to be prepared for everything that life throws at you. This is one of the harsh but true lessons I have learned in my 17 years. Now that all I have is a single high school semester looming over me before college, this lesson is proving to be more true than ever.

I’m not the stereotypical bratty, disobedient, disrespectful teenager who just can’t wait to get out of the house so I can leave my “annoying” parents behind. I am actually very close to my family and share just about everything with them, good and bad. As excited as I am for college, the thought of leaving my family and not seeing them for long periods of time is upsetting. This is something that is not easy to prepare for, but is gradually becoming more and more real as each day passes. I believe there are two types of people: Those who plan, and those who go with the flow. I am a planner: the type of person who likes to plan everything out, know all of the details and be ready for anything that comes my way. When I don’t know how something is going to play out, or something throws a wrench in my plans, I

Hot Sauce in the Freezer

Other than being the worst driver known to mankind, I have another huge flaw; for the longest time, I trusted the snap judgments I made about people and thought them to be true. Luckily, through my experiences with the Missouri Association of Student Councils, or MASC, I’ve learned to look past the cover and open the book. While many of you enjoyed a long weekend for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, I ventured down to Lake of the

Ozarks to be reunited with 100 MASC kids. Many of the faces were ones that I recognized. As I was reunited with my friends, I remembered the first time I met them and the impressions I had. The first person I realized misjudged was “boot heel” resident, Alexa. When I first met her, all I could hear was her Southern drawal. She seemed like the personification of country music and I was not a fan. The next person I misjudged, Kennay seemed rambunctious and way too talkative. She told bad jokes, asking questions like, “If I put hot sauce in the freezer is it cold sauce?” The last, Maddie, was immediately written off in my mind because of her outrageous beauty and almost ditsy clumsiness. However, as I got to know them over time, one on one, I realized that these were the most unique, hilarious people in Missouri. Snap judgments allow us to look at a person and decide how we feel without ever knowing the content of their character. The lessons I’ve learned at MASC events translate well to my life at home. Sophomore year, I met Aly Copp for the

Editor in Chief

Editorial by Aly Copp get mildly anxious. This is one of my fatal flaws. This is something I have unintentionally been working on this past year. I believe that part of growing as a person is taking life as it comes. No amount of planning, scheduling or preparing can make you ready for the twists and turns that your life has in store for you. Whether it’s college, car crashes, family situations, or even weather, life is unpredictable. If you live in the present and don’t try to prepare for everything it will make the twists and turns in life a little easier to deal with when they come your way.

Editor in Chief

Editorial by Zach Kilgas first time. Initially, I saw only her physical traits and set my mind up, she was a person with whom I wanted no interaction. Over the course of two years, I was able to see past this petty judgment. Skipping forward to today, we spend nearly everyday together. It’s an MASC tradition to close every event with a song. “Friends, I will remember you, think of you, and pray for you, and when another day is through I’ll still remember you.” Everybody participates, no matter whether they have a voice that fits in a choir. We join in because we are surrounded by a group of people who are our family. The people I’ve met in MASC have inspired me not only to be a happier person, but braver as well. I would not have learned this if I had trusted my initial judgments about them; their pages revealed much more than their cover ever could.

Reassured at Red Robin

Since the end of sophomore year, I’ve worked at the Red Robin here in Liberty and I’ve loved [almost] every minute of it. I started there as a host when I was 16 and I’m shocked at how the time has flown by. Over winter break, I did what I’d been talking about doing for months: I became a server. Fortunately, transitioning from hosting to serving was smooth for me. Even though it all seemed easy at first, the nerves kicked in

Ads Manager

Editorial by Michael McHale

when I knew my managers and coworkers were watching me. I got through it, passed all my tests and am officially a server. Becoming a server has taught me more about Red Robin, my coworkers and even myself. When I was hosting, I would watch other servers holding full trays of food, talking to tables and using the computer systems with ease. All of these things seemed terrifying to me at first, but I realized that I’m more than capable of doing all of those things. I underestimated myself a lot during my training. My first day I quietly stood back and observed, but then on my second day my trainers wanted to see how I’d handle doing all the talking. Within a couple hours, I was doing everything by myself. My trainers were shocked, my managers were shocked and I was shocked. Because of my progress, my general manager let me take my final test a day early, because I knew I was ready. I always have issues with underestimating myself and never realized it until this point.

Out of the Comfort Zone

Over winter break I attended The Night the Buzz Stole Xmas (night two), which is an annual holiday concert put on by 96.5 the Buzz. I went last year with my brother Mitch and had a great time seeing Arctic Monkeys and Bastille. This year my brother and I made plans to go again with his girlfriend Marisa. It’s not exactly fun being a third wheel but I wasn’t going to miss Misterwives just because I had some plans fall through. Instead of sitting and being a

Opinion Opinion 31 27

I know for a fact that I am not the only one who feels like this. My new position has opened my eyes to a lot of things. I’ve learned that people are not always as they seem. You can’t assume things about people before you get to know them. For example the other day, as I watched a group of ten people be seated in my section, I became terrified. After a few hectic minutes of grabbing drinks for everyone, I relaxed and kept going. As it turns out, that group was my easiest table of the day and they were the sweetest people, too! Basically what I’m trying to say is that you never really know how things are going to turn out, but you can always hope for the best. So, what I have to say to you out there is this: never underestimate yourself. Don’t sell yourself short. Never tell yourself you can’t do something, because you’ll never know until you try. And most importantly, no matter what you can or cannot do, be proud of yourself.

Opinion Editor

Editorial by Amanda Kovac

third wheel all night, I decided to use the opportunity to prepare me for next year in college. I stepped out of my comfort zone and made some new friends. In most situations with new people, I’m not very outgoing. It’s one thing that I’m hoping to change before college. It wasn’t until after the second set with the band BANKS that I finally started a conversation with someone. It turned out that the guy who had been standing next to me during the set, Andrew, had wandered down to the floor level while his friend sat in the balcony. Within ten minutes I learned that Andrew had moved from a small town for a job in Kansas City as a chemist. It wasn’t hard at all to keep the conversation going once I actually started talking. Sure, there was the occasional awkward pause in conversation as one of us dug for another question to ask but after a few seconds the conversation would pick up right where it left off. I even discovered that he had seen my favorite movie, Real Genius, a hidden

gem from the 80’s. It was shocking to me that all it took to start up a conversation was a simple introduction and a friendly smile. It’s possible that it could have just been luck that I met someone with so many common interests as me but I doubt it. I also met a girl named Emma in the lobby during one of the set changes. Emma is a college student at Notre Dame, back to visit her family for the holidays. Her sister and a friend had brought her to the concert but Emma had gotten a headache and went out to sit in the lobby. One of the things I found that Emma and I had in common was that she was on the newspaper staff at her high school. We ended up having a ten-minute conversation just comparing the styles of school newspapers and the use of color. While the music was great, I couldn’t help but relish the fact that I had pushed myself to go out of my comfort zone and make some new friends. It wasn’t exactly easy but I think that the night gave me a taste of what finding friends in college will be like.

Editorial Photos by Amanda Kovac and Tarra Prindle

GAMES 32

Lost In Love Help Cupid Find his arrows!

GAMES 33

Searching For Love L

FLOWERS

SWEETHEART

ARROWS

CHOCOLATE

ADORE

HUG

HEARTS

ROMANCE

FEBRUARY

VALENTINE

ADMIRER

CANDLES

CUPID

KISS

CANDY

TEDDY BEAR

ANGEL

LOVEBIRDS

LOVE

PASSION

CRUSH

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28 7 2

Men’s3 4 B Women’s B asketb a Wres sketb tli

all

1 22 23 24 2 25 20

all

7 8

February Sports Calendar Game Days In Red

9 10

15 16

Level Soph JV/Var Soph JV/Var Soph JV/Var JV/Var JV/Var Soph JV/Var Soph JV/Var

Location St.Joe St. Joe Park Hill South Park Hill South Liberty HS Liberty HS Park Hill Truman Liberty HS Liberty HS Liberty HS Liberty HS

Time 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 5:30 pm 5:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm

2/9 2/12 2/16 2/20 2/23 2/26

Park Hill South Ruskin Park Hill Truman St. Joe Central Park Hill South

JV/Var JV/Var JV/Var JV/Var JV/Var JV/Var

Park Hill South Liberty HS Park Hill Truman Liberty HS Liberty HS

5:30 pm 5:30 pm 5:30 pm 4:00 pm 5:30 pm 5:30 pm

2/7

Lee Summit North Tourney

Women’s Basketball

Wrestling

Lee Summit North 8:00 am

Opponent St. Joe Central St. Joe Central Park Hill South Park Hill South Staley Ruskin Park Hill Truman St. Joe Central St. Joe Central Park Hill South Park Hill South

Date 2/6 2/6 2/10 2/10 2/13 2/13 2/17 2/20 2/24 2/24 2/27 2/27

Men’s Basketball

My Girl Can F ly

Story by Teegan Saunders

Sports 35

Photo by Christopher Marnell

Girls Swim is making a big splash this season.

The girls swim season has been full of great times and now LHS may go to the State Swim for the 200 relays. “So far right now, we are closest in our 200 free relay. We’re less than a second away from making time, so we are hoping to get that soon,” senior Maria Martin said. “Then our 400 free relay is really close too, and hopefully individuals for whoever makes it.” The team did end up qualifying for state in the 200 and 400 meter relays. Martin, along with junior Kendyl Beatty, freshmen Madeline Pittman and Shea Williams are all on the relay team that qualified for state. State will be held in St. Peters, near St. Louis, with around 60 different teams from all around Missouri coming to compete. It is still unknown the exact date and time To compete at state the individual or team must be on varsity. The individual or team has to make a certain time in completing the event. If this time is not by a certain deadline, then the team or individual are not allowed to compete in State. That tends to lead to pressure for the swimmers. “I think I’m going to be super excited and I think it is the best feeling in the world, getting to go to state,” Pittman said. “Not many people get to do it, and that means you’re one of the best. It feels so good to know you’ve been working so hard to get there.”

The girls have been training all season for the chance at state. They have been working and pushing themselves to reach this goal. This means they have also had plenty of time to bond. “I love my teammates for the relays,” Williams said. “They all work so hard and are so supportive of each other, and I love racing with them.” There will most likely be only four girls advancing to state, with two alternates and any seniors who want to see the competition. It is not very common for a swim team to have more than six people to compete at state. Several teams may only have two swimmers to represent their team. “The atmosphere is the most important thing,” Beatty said. “If you put everyone else in a good mood then you swim better and cheer on everyone. At practice we encourage people which is the most important thing.” There are several events that a team can compete in. There are the 200 and 400 meter relays, which is where a team of four girls has one girl swim down and back then tag the other swimmer to swim down and back until all girls have swam. There is also the individual, where one girl swims as fast as she can go for a certain distance. “I’ve been swimming for a very long time and throughout all the years I have been working, training for [state] basically,” Pittman said. “I have just been working a

lot harder through high school because I know I’m capable of making it.

Top: Freshman Sol Kim practices butterfly stroke. Above: Senior Maria Martin practices her stroke.

My Girl Can F ly

Story by Teegan Saunders

Sports 35

Photo by Christopher Marnell

Girls Swim is making a big splash this season.

lot harder through high school because I know I’m capable of making it.

Top: Freshman Sol Kim practices butterfly stroke. Above: Senior Maria Martin works hard on improving her technique,

Sports 36

The Peppiest Place on Earth Story by Jeffrey Walters

Photo by Molly Filger

Cheer team prepares for nationals competition.

The National High School Cheerleading Championship (NHSCC) is the most prestigious cheerleading competition the country. The NHSCC is held at the Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando, Florida, and is nationally televised on ESPN and ESPN2, to over 100 million homes and 32 countries nationwide. Last year Liberty was the only team from Missouri to advance to the finals. They competed in the Large Varsity Division 1 category. This is the fourth year in a row Liberty has been invited to compete at the national level after qualifying at the regional level in Missouri. Over 550 teams from across the country travel to Disney World for this prestigious event. The competition will air on ESPN in March. Last year, our Liberty Blue Jay Cheer team placed 12 in the nation, an all time best for our high school. “Last year we reached 12th place at the National level which is a huge deal considering we compete against the nation’s best teams,” senior Hayley Odom said. “This year our team is working towards much higher skills than we even dreamed of attempting last year and we’re actually quite successful with what we’re trying. There is so much talent from all 31 of us that we are reaching for at least top 10. Unlike most teams, we do not compete for the title, we compete for our own improvement and progression. As a team we have a saying: ‘Be better than you were yesterday.’ This means that we don’t play to win, we play to improve ourselves.”

To get to the NHSCC it takes hard work, teamwork, a lot of spirit and literally, some blood, sweat, and tears considering Annabelle Anderson had recently broken her hand practicing some of her stunts. “In order to get to nationals, we had to qualify at our regional competition this past December,” Odom said. “As a competitive team, we have four competitions: summer regionals, which qualify us for State, then obviously we compete at State and after State we work towards Nationals. We practice 24/7 and must first qualify at the regional level. Once we qualify, we practice even more for Nationals in February.” When it comes down to getting ready for The NHSCC all you can do is practice, practice and then practice some more. “Preparing for Nationals is the hard part,” Anderson said. “From making our routine 10x more difficult, to cramming 9 mats into a truck so they can be driven down to Florida. Everyday after school, sometimes weekends, we practice for 2, 3 or even 4 hours. Once we get there, we start setting up mats in the parking lot of our resort and practice. You can never practice too much when it comes to Nationals.” Head Cheer Coach Brenda Moats talked to us about their hard work. “We started practices in April of 2014 in hopes of qualifying by working to advance their skills to a high enough level to compete with other high achieving teams in the country summer practices helped with this as well as our 2-3 hours of practice daily since August.”

Senior Maddie Wittman and Freshman Tally Hill getting the crowd involved in the game.

Having very talented athletes who are capable of doing a stunt like a triple full step out back or a spring double tuck back and spring triple full is valuable to the team, but something even more valuable to the team is having a great bond. “The chemistry on our team is absolutely phenomenal. I know it may be hard to believe, considering we’re a group of 31 teenage girls and cheerleaders, and have a false reputation for being ditzy, mean girls. But the girls on my team are all amazing women and we are family,” Odom said. “We have to rely on each other and trust one another constantly. This team is what made my high school experience memorable and I know that they would all tell you the same.” Teamwork is something the Blue Jays definitely don’t lack in, and a reason for that is because of the seniors. Unfortunately this can also be a very difficult thing for this future season. “12 seniors are a lot of people, it’s crazy but were hoping that our junior, sophomore and up coming freshmen will step up.” Sophomore Madison Kudran said. Odom left the underclassmen with some encouraging words. “Girls on the team are a leader in their own way and I have full faith that that leadership will continue next year the skill levels will continue to increase and I can’t wait to see how next year’s team will take our legacy farther!”

Sports 36

The Peppiest Place on Earth

Story by Jeffrey Walters

Photo by Molly Filger

Cheer team prepares for nationals competition.

Senior Maddie Wittman and Freshman Tally Hill getting the crowd involved in the game.

Future Shots Story by Katie DeClue

Sports 37

Photo by Danielle Hammontree

Varsity Boys’ Basketball discuss upcoming games and goals.

Nothing screams winter more than Basketball season. Whether it’s watching the Lakers play a game on ESPN, prepping your March Madness bracket early or watching the LHS Varsity Boys Basketball team start their season this year. Their season started back in December and the team won their first home game against Fort Osage on December 12, with the final score of 65-56. Varsity has been putting in a lot of work during their practices to get ready for the upcoming games. “Sometimes we lose our men on defense when transition but we’ve been working on that and we’ve gotten better so I think we won’t have too much of a problem with that, ” junior Hal Tyson said. The boys have also been working on becoming healthier and playing their best. “Some [of our] guys have been sick, but we’re getting healthier and we’re starting to play better basketball,” Head Coach Roger Stirtz said. [The] guys are getting use to the rolls and that it[self] takes some time and it’s a process of understanding those [struggles] and fulfilling those.” “Things are starting to click and get better, [and] you know there’s going to be some steps backward, but overall right now we’re headed in the right direction [and] I’m really excited about that,” he said. Even though the Blue jays are working hard, they still had some difficult games to get through to get to where they are now. “We played Blue Springs. They were undefeated and it went into overtime and we actually got to win so that was good,” freshman Jalen Lewis said. The team has hopes for what they want to accomplish further into the season. “Well, I mean of course we’re wanting to get into the postseason, make some noise there [and] do something as a team,” sophomore Clayton Adams said. The team has even bigger goals they want to achieve than just making it into the postseason though. “I just hope that we can do well in Districts and get as far as we possibly can,” senior Josh Mapel said. The Bluejays want to make it to not only

to Districts but to State as well, Tyson agreed “[I want] to go far in the Playoffs, Districts, and hopefully win a State championship but we’re young so that would be challenging. We just wanna end with a winning record,” Tyson said. With the building of the new gym for next year, the Bluejays will have a new place to call home. “[The old] Cokely Fieldhouse has been awesome to play in but our guys deserve a nice place, and not that Cokely isn’t nice but they deserve a locker room that’s nice and a new facility, its been due to them,” Stirtz said. “I’m excited for our guys that they have the opportunity for it, and I think it’s something that our Volleyball players, our girls Basketball players, our boys Basketball players and everyone [and] all the community that gets to take part of it, it’ll be an awesome experience and I think it’s going to be very, very beneficial to each one of our programs, but more importantly to our school and to our community, it’s going to be a great place.” The Varsity Boys Basketball team has an exciting season ahead of them and they play not only for the goals of getting to Districts and going further on into the season, but because they enjoy what they do. “Well, I just love the game [and] I love the team. There’s not much else to it really,” Adams said.

Up: Coach Stirtz Watching his players on the court score points on Kearny. Below: A.J Cambric jumping up for the ball to start off the game.

Future Shots Story by Katie DeClue

Sports 37

Photo by Danielle Hammontree

Varsity Boys’ Basketball discuss upcoming games and goals.

Above: Coach Stirtz Watches his players score points against Kearney. Below: Senior A.J Cambric jumps up at the ball to start the game.

Sports 38

Mallory Bell Story by Sol Kim

Photo by Natalie Grusch

“Swim is a sport that really challenges you on an individual level, as well as a whole team. I have loved seeing the progress that I’ve made over 4 years, and how far we have come as a team.”

-Senior Mallory Bell said. “Mallory is great to have on our team. She is having a great senior year and is developing into a leader. She is one that everyone looks to when they need something, whether it is an extra pair of goggles or encouraging words.”

-Coach Christopher Murphy said.

Senior Swim Best stroke: Freestyle Height: 5'9" Favorite Food: Pancakes

“Mallory and I have swam together for five years and we always have so much fun together. Through the years, she has grown into a strong swimmer and I’m sad for this to be our last year together.”

-Senior Lauren Taylor said.

Sydney Offield Story by Sol Kim

Photo by T.J. Stansbury

“I love being a point guard because at times there’s a lot of pressure on me to get the ball to where it needs to be and it’s one of my favorite feelings in the world. I love being able to go to battle with 7-10 of your closest friends/ teammates.”

-Junior Sydney Offield said.

“Sydney is one of the hardest working athletes I have coached in my career. Syd takes great care of her teammates and has the ability to push others to greatness. Sydney as really settled into our PG spot this year and we are expecting even more great things to come for her!”

-Coach Noah Simpson said. “Sydney is a great teammate and friend. She always gives 100% in both games and practices, pushing herself to be the best she can be. Her dedication to the game is admirable and I can’t wait to see what the future has in store for her.”

-Junior Taylor gerstner said.

Junior Basketball Position: Shooting guard Height: 5'7" Favorite Food: Sushi

Sports 39

Michael Shelton

Story by Jackson Pena

Photo by Steve Nyepon

“My dad talked me in to [wrestling] because it’s really competitive and I just really wanted to get my body in shape it was just something that I really liked. In a day I would say I put probably two and a half [hours] in to wrestling. No, [school and wrestling is not that hard to maintain], it’s all just about how hard you try, it’s not that hard if you try. I’ve been doing wrestling for about 4 years now.”

-Sophomore Michael Shelton said. “I think Michael is very dedicated to wrestling and football. I think his goal is to try to get better so that he can be a varsity competitor at both levels. He went to summer camp for wrestling. He’s dedicated to lifting weights to get better.”

-Wrestling coach Mike Hammer said.

“He’s a great wrestler, he’s helped me out with a lot of things, helped me learn some new moves. He works hard and wins a lot of matches. He’s pretty dedicated I mean, he shows up for practice and I don’t think he’s missed a meet or anything. So yeah he’s pretty dedicated.”

-Freshman Jack Snyder said.

Sophomore Wrestling Height: 6'0"" Favorite Food: Buffalo Wings

Jeremiah Garrett

Story by Jackson Pena

Photo by Maddie Wurtz

“Sometimes [it is hard to balance my schoolwork and basketball] but I just have to make time for both, but sometimes it gets a little hard. I would have to say I put about two to three hour a day into basketball. [I’ve been playing basketball] Since I was four I believe”

-Freshman Jeremiah Garrett said.

“His best asset, is he’s a phenomenal athlete and he’s a great competitor. He is a tremendous teammate. We were very fortunate to have Jeremiah on our team. I think he’s going to have an extremely bright future. He’s a winner and he makes the other people around him better. There are a ton of great qualities about him.”

-Basketball coach Roger Stirtz said.

Freshman Basketball Position: Playing Guard Height: 5'9"" Favorite Food: Pizza

“Jeremiah is just a great basketball player and he’s also a really nice guy on and off the court. He’s always the first one there to help someone up or the first one to say good job. He’s just a good teammate over all. Jeremiah is very dedicated to the basketball team.”

– -Freshman Robert Rawie said.