March 2021 by Liberty Public Schools

The

March 2021

Bell

Volume 97, Issue 6

Liberty High School lhsnews.net

Contents

Letter from the Editor

Staff

Editor-in-Chief & Ads Manager

Regan Johnston

Managing, Copy, & Spotlight Editor

Emma Stauffer

Online Manager & Indepth Editor

Paige Hodges

Opinion & A&E Editor News & Co-Sports Editor

Derek Katzer Caty Franklin

Asst. Copy, Features & Co-Sports Editor

Sarah Blankenship

Reporters Lejla Aganovic DJ Binns Lucas Kilgore Alex Klein

Ari Revella Lucia Umbreit Sadie Watkins

Photo Jay

Editor-in-Chief

Charlene Nguyen

Section Editor

Hattie Ludwig

Photographers Julissa Balderas Kendin Bittiker Richard Burns Chloe Gerardy Nicholas Dillon Kalea Faubion Katie Glasford Claire Hamilton Santana Hiatt Bianca Jackson JP Ngugi

The Bell

March 2021

Brynna Namanny Brenna Oxley Collin Parker Dhanita Patel Henley Schmalz-Turner Erynn Sly Aidan Thieme Emra Tmusic Aidan Waggoner

For the March issue, The Bell staff thought it would be best to focus on perseverance, as that is a trait that is desperately needed in the middle of the second semester. The staff agrees, even during a normal school year, the middle of the second semester can be brutal, but during a pandemic, the second semester is much harder than normal. Perseverance is a quality many careers, activities and employers look for in students. But the one place that may need the most perseverance is the military, which is an option that many students consider as they get closer to graduation (page 6). The military offers many benefits for those willing to put their perseverance to the test. Another group of students who need perseverance are student journalists in Missouri, as they fight for their First Amendment right to Freedom of Press, which has been censored by the state legislature and sometimes school administrations (page 8). The Cronkite New Voices Act student journalists are working to pass will give student journalists the same freedoms as their adult counterparts and provide uncensored news to student readers. A community in Kansas City that needs perseverance the most are the homeless (page 14). Because of the pandemic, the homeless community of Kansas City is struggling more than ever: the resources they used to have are dwindling and fewer people are willing to help because they have their own problems or do not want to risk getting sick. During these hard times, it is important to remember that a little charity goes a long way for those less fortunate. With help from others, the homeless of Kansas City can persevere. The leadership team thought about what parts of our lives could use some perseverance. I decided it was time to become more adventurous and to try new things as I get older. Our Managing Editor realized that March was the National Month of Optimism and considered how she could try to find ways to be more optimistic. And our Online Manager and InDepth Editor thought about how striving towards perfectionism can sometimes be toxic and decided to try to let go of making everything perfect all of the time (page 16). Lastly, Men’s and Women’s Rugby clubs found a way to participate in the 2020-2021 school year, despite the pandemic (page 20). By pushing back their practices and games to later in the second semester and over the summer, rugby players still get to play this year, allowing the brother and sisterhood of rugby to continue. Though this school year, and certainly this semester, may be challenging, students and the people in the Kansas City community still find ways past their struggles to strive for a better future.

On the Cover

Varsity basketball player and senior Javion Byers jumps before he throws the ball into the hoop on Feb. 5 in a game against Lee’s Summit North. Jays won 73-52 and are currently 17-4 this season. Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Contents

Features

Stand to Serve

Reported by Sadie Watkins

News

Freedom of Press?

Reported by Lucia Umbreit

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Spotlights

10 11 12 11

Photo by Brenna Oxley

Freshman Naomi Fuller Reported by Lucas Kilgore

Sophomore Calvin Wager Reported by Caty Franklin

Junior Iman Ali Reported by Ari Revella

Senior Ruben Mendoza Reported by Alex Klein Contents

lhsnews.net

Want more stories? Check out The Bell’s website at lhsnews.net or scan the QR code below.

Liberty High School 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068 Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston (816) 448-1272

rjoh3357@lps53.org

Adviser Jamie Gumina (816) 736-5353

jamie.gumina@lps53.org

Twitter @TheLHSBell Online lhsnews.net

Summer School 2021

Questions, Comments or Concerns? If you have questions, comments, concerns or a topic you want The Bell to respond to, write a letter to the Editor. Your letter must be a maximum of 250 words and appropriate for an underage audience. Writing a Letter to the Editor does not mean it is gaurenteed to be published. Submit your letter to:

Opinion Editor

Derek Katzer dkat7119@lps53.org or

Editor-in-Chief

Regan Johnston rjoh3357@lps53.org

Are you interested in summer school? Enrollment is open from March 1 to April 30. More information about summer school and the specific classes offered can be found by scanning the QR codes below.

Summer School Quick Reference Sheet Summer School Course Catalog Photo by Bianca Jackson

The Bell

March 2021

Contents

InDepth

Home to All

Reported by Sarah Blankenship

Opinion

What Do You Do For Fun?/ Positivity For a Pessimist Opinions by Regan Johnston & Emma Stauffer

The Imperfect Truth About Perfectionism

Opinion by Paige Hodges

Photo by Brenna Oxley

A&E

Every Work Tells A Story

Reported by Lejla Aganovic

Sports

Beyond the Scrum

Reported by Derek Katzer

Photo by Bianca Jackson

Contents

lhsnews.net

F News

reedom of Press? The Cronkite New Voices Act aims to restore the rights of student journalists.

Reported by Lucia Umbreit

Missouri is the latest state to introduce legislation that will protect the free speech and free press rights of student journalists in public schools and colleges. The Cronkite New Voices Act aims to give student journalists the same First Amendment rights as professional journalists and is supported by students and educators across Missouri. Nearly thirty years ago, the Supreme Court Case of Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier, centered around a Missouri school district, ruled in favor of school administrators, drastically decreasing the rights of student journalists. Students in the Journalism II class at Hazelwood East High School published stories about their peers’ experiences with teen pregnancy and the impact of divorce, however, the principal deleted the pages that contained the stories prior to publication without telling the students. In a 5-3 ruling, the Supreme Court held that the principal’s actions did not violate the students’ free speech rights since the paper was sponsored by the school and, as such, the school had a legitimate interest in

“

Design by Caty Franklin

preventing the publication of articles that it deemed inappropriate. The Cronkite New Voices Act aims to restore these rights and would prohibit school officials from exercising restraints over student media unless the reporters were about to publish anything such as libelous or slanderous material, invade privacy, violate the law or incite a disruption at school. Senator Barbara Anne Washington serves in the Missouri State Senate, representing District Nine, and is a sponsor of the bill. She believes strongly in the voices of young people and the importance of student journalists. “Our young people are the future leaders of the world, and I believe it is essential that they have an opportunity to express how they feel about issues that they find important to them,” Senator Washington said. “Schools should do everything in their power to support student journalists and not inhibit their rights to freedom of the press.” The Cronkite New Voices Act has been filed by Senator Washington every year

since she was elected to the Missouri Legislature. Currently, the bill has been “First Read” in the Missouri Senate which is one of the early stages for a bill to become law. The next step in the legislative process is for the bill to be referred to committee for a public hearing. “This bill’s focus is to encourage more high school students to get involved in journalism and improve their writing skills,” Senator Washington said. “I hope that the Cronkite New Voices Act will capture our young people’s interest in journalism and develop skills that will be utilized throughout their careers.” The censoring of student journalism has harmful effects. Policies vary from school to school, but some student publications are required to run every story by administrators, which can affect the authenticity of the news. Here at LHS, student journalism is celebrated and trusted by administrators, but not every school has this freedom. This degree of censoring also makes it difficult for student journalists to cover relevant

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” -First Amendment to the Constitution

The Bell

March 2021

News

Photo by Hattie Ludwig

topics for the student body such as the dangers of drug use or sex trafficking. Allowing student journalists the freedom to report on difficult topics, like these, prepares them for journalism in their adult lives. Senior Thomas Hand currently covers sports on KLHS, and recognizes the value of de-censoring student journalism. Next year, Hand plans to attend the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Journalism, one of the best journalism schools in the world. “I think it’s important for student journalists to have these First Amendment rights because if we can cover things that are not controlled by the school, then we not only get more professional experience but we can also make stories about things that we’re passionate about,” Hand said. “To have that free will, it’s a big deal.” Oftentimes, the role of student journalism is to provide a bridge from young people to news, which can often be detached from the needs of students.

“

The media nowadays isn’t very accessible and who better to relate to students than other students?” -Senior Bella McCaslin said

“I feel like a lot of the time, for our generation, the news is inaccessible,” junior and Editor-In-Chief of the yearbook Paige Magera said. “They use really confusing jargon and it’s almost impossible to understand. I think passing this legislation and allowing student journalists to be able to write about news in a way that’s understandable for every student at LHS is really important.” Senior Bella McCaslin, producer of KLHS, echoes the importance of student voices in the news. “I think it’s really important to have

student voices be heard because the media nowadays isn’t very accessible and who better to relate to students than other students?” McCaslin said. Supporters of the Cronkite New Voices Act, also known as Senate Bill 434, are hopeful that the bill will cross the finish line this year and become law. Senator Washington is passionate about the bill and about journalism, working for a variety of different Kansas City newspapers before holding elected office. “It has always been a passion of mine to cover issues and subjects that mattered to my community and to be that voice for those that did not have the platform that I had,” Senator Washingon said. “If Senate Bill 434 passes, it will create a safe environment for student journalists to develop their skills and bring about vocal change to their community.” Senator Washington, as well as the rest of the bill’s supporters, will continue to fight to get the bill passed and restore the rights of student journalists in Missouri.

Top: Censorship often leads to an inaccurate protrayal of the student body. “I think it’s important for student journalists to have these First Amendment rights because if we can cover things that are not controlled by the school, then we not only get more professional experience but we can also make stories about things that we’re passionate about,” senior Thomas Hand said.

News

lhsnews.net

Spotlight Freshman

Naomi Fuller

Fuller shares her passion for what she values in life. Reported by Lucas Kilgore Design by Emma Stauffer

Practice, persistence and passion: freshman Naomi Fuller embodies these principles day to day. As an athlete and a student tied up with a busy week, volleyball and school are both a huge part of Fuller’s life. She plays volleyball for the school during the fall season, and for the winter and spring seasons she plays club volleyball. She is a middle hitter and blocker. “I really like this position,” Fuller said. “I used to be an outside hitter, but I like playing middle better because I can get more blocks and the sets are faster and closer to the net. This means I can get on top of the ball and slam it down easier.” Volleyball has created great memories of her and her friends due to the six years she has been in the game. “What really made the school season fun this year was being able to play with my friends,” Fuller said. “My favorite volleyball memory was in October, when we had a Dig for the Cure night against Liberty North. It was really exciting and especially fun being able to experience it with my friends. Everyone had so much energy, and the crowd went wild after every point. What made it even better was that it was the third time we beat Liberty North that season.” Academics is also important to Fuller. She loves taking advanced classes and challenging herself. She is in Gifted ELA, Honors Biology and Algebra II. Next year she plans to take AP World History, Honors Theoretical Chemistry, Advanced PreCalculus and Gifted ELA. This is a handful to balance with volleyball, but her teachers continually note her as a great student. “Naomi is a freshman in a junior level class, and you wouldn’t know it by just looking at her,” math teacher Eniola Ajayi

The Bell

March 2021

Photo Courtesy of Naomi Fuller

said. “She is very confident in who she is and doesn’t feel the need to call attention to herself and that is unique at this stage of life.” Even with her busy life, Fuller never fails to be a good person and make people smile with a great sense of humor. “She listens to me all the time,” freshman Paiton Hodges said. “We are able to laugh and joke around. She has a really good sense of humor. She’s very goofy and will laugh at anything I say.” Fuller is drawing up plans for her future, in college and her plans as a high school graduate. “I still haven’t decided for sure if I want to play volleyball in college, but I think I will,” Fuller said. “Career wise, I want to go into business and marketing. After college, I’m thinking about going into marketing management or something along that path.” Fuller remembers the people she values most in life and remembers what is truly

Spotlight

important to her. “Friends and family are some of the most important things to me,” Fuller said “They’re always there for me, and I don’t know what I’d do without them. They fill my life with joy and there’s never a dull moment.” Fuller knows her potential and is already doing great things academically, athletically and personally. “I also value opportunities,” Fuller said. “I feel like I take a lot of things for granted and when I slow down, I realize how lucky I am to be able to participate in different activities.”

“What really made the school season fun this year was being able to play with my friends,” Fuller said.

Sophomore

Calvin Wager

Wager uses his strengths to continually grow and explore new opportunities. Reported by Caty Franklin

Sophomore Calvin Wager is known for his many talents, but above all, he is known for his perseverance and ability to brighten anyone’s day. “Calvin is a determined learner,” special education teacher Jessica King said. “He always has something positive to contribute to every conversation within the classroom.”

Spotlight One of the biggest goals Wager hopes to accomplish before he graduates high school is making a music album. He currently has eight songs in the works and plans to release some of his music soon. “The funny thing is, I wrote a song a long time ago, before I even knew that I wanted to songwrite,” Wager said. “Basically, I went from there and started making music of my own.” Wager believes one of his biggest strengths is his creative ambitions and his songwriting utilizes that strength. “Calvin’s love of music and thought provoking questions have positively impacted me as a teacher and our classroom as a whole,” King said. He uses his love of music in all aspects of his life, even singing the Star Spangled Banner at one of his own Men’s Swim and Dive conferences. Wager joined the Men’s Swim and Dive team his freshman year and has enjoyed meeting new people through his experience on the team. Another of Wager’s strengths is perseverance, something he showed with

his participation in KHLS and broadcasting. He joined broadcasting in eighth grade at Discovery Middle School and continued to enroll in a broadcasting class his freshman year. That year provided Wager with challenges he wasn’t expecting. “It was a little hard because I wasn’t used to it,” Wager said. “I didn’t know how to put things together. I learned a lot and then I went on to do advanced broadcasting. It seems hard, but it’s getting easier.” One of Wager’s long-time friends, sophomore Allie Gosche, admires his confidence and caring attitude. “I would describe Calvin as carefree, confident and thoughtful,” Gosche said. “Calvin does not care what you think of him, he just says what he wants to say. I admire that so much. I would describe Calvin as thoughtful because he is always trying to make you smile. He’s very good at that.” Wager describes himself as both funny and serious when he needs to be, which makes him a great friend according to Gosche. “Calvin has impacted my life by being a really good friend and always knowing when I need a good laugh,” Gosche said. Whether it’s in the classroom or surrounded by his friends, Wager knows how to use his strengths to explore his passions and leave a positive impact on the people around him.

Look for Wager on KLHS by Scanning the QR Code Below

Photo by Brenna Oxley

Spotlight

lhsnews.net

Spotlight Junior

Iman Ali Ali shares her career goals and her love for family. Reported by Ari Revella Design by Emma Stauffer

Junior Iman Ali has a tough decision to make for her future: juggling between medical science, writing and law. She has been struggling with this decision since her freshman year. “My mom’s a doctor, which has helped me think about a career in medicine,” Ali said. “I’ve always liked science. I’ve been into Human Body Systems basically, I think it’s a miracle how the human body works, and I’d love to learn as much as I can about it. However, I’m also interested in writing that’s completely the opposite, as well as learning more about law.” This year she’s currently taking AP Government to help with her career search and see if she wants to pursue studying law after high school. “We’re talking about Supreme Court cases, which is peaking my interest,” Ali says, “I’d have to look for more course opportunities for that next year. I don’t think I’ve signed up for that in terms of that field.” Before the pandemic, she participated in shadowing and mentoring opportunities for these career options. “Last year, I got the awesome opportunity to shadow a neurosurgeon at KU Medical Center,” Ali said. “I learned a ton, but I think it’s more improbable for me to do it now than it was then.” She was a part of the FRESH club her freshman and sophomore year, with FRESH standing for “Finding Reasons to Exercise Safe Habits.” While FRESH was unable to continue this year due to being unable to find a sponsor, she still plans on finding one for next year. She cites FRESH as an influential club. “FRESH definitely helped me with caring about health more,” Ali said. “I see how totally influential it is to stay healthy for your own life and for others around you.

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March 2021

Photo by Chloe Gerardy

Especially the case with your own family, with the people you love.” Ali has big plans for her senior year. She plans on enrolling in two AP classes, making it a total of five for her whole high school career, letting her graduate as an AP scholar, an honor that you recieve when you have outstanding performance in several AP exams. She also has some classes that lead down the biomedical science route. “In terms of more influential stuff for later down the line, I’d have to say that most of that’s going to happen next year because that’s when most of my college planning is going to come into fruition,” Ali said. “I’ve been spending as much time as I can with family,” Ali said. “I’ve also been praying and counting my blessings and keeping my faith.” Ali is staying positive during the pandemic, using writing, family and especially music to help keep stress under control. “I love almost every music out there,” Ali said. “I love listening to it, I love making it. I’m a violinist, I’m in chamber orchestra and I play piano on the side. That’s definitely been helping with my stress.”

Spotlight

Junior Brooke Burnham, who has known Ali since sixth grade, knows her as a very smart and considerate person, willing to help people and thinks that resonates with her goals that Ali set for herself for the future. “She’s very determined, and very hard working,” Burnham says, “Even if it means that she has to work harder in a subject that she doesn’t necessarily like that much. She will still put in the effort in order to succeed in that subject.”

Scan Here to Learn More About the Orchestra Program

Senior

Ruben Mendoza

Mendoza works hard through high school and his busy schedule. ff

Reported by Alex Klein

Many have found themselves working really hard this school year to keep caught up in classes and extracurricular activities. Senior Ruben Mendoza is working 24/7 keeping up with his school work. Although he could skip it for free time he gets through and keeps steady through the year.

Mendoza is a very involved student in the community and school, works hard to stay ahead in school and basketball. Mendoza cares very much about his fellow students and teammates. He might be shy at first, but he slowly comes out of his shell the more people talk to him. “He is a pleaser and tries to live up to expectations, and he takes it to heart if he doesn’t,” math teacher Morgan Perkins said. “Sometimes he likes to think he is not capable of things he’s capable of doing and people like Coach Stirtz hold him accountable for that.” Mendoza works at Five Guys in Liberty and it has taken a toll on his free time. He is on such a tight schedule, he is constantly looking for time to do his homework and school assignments. “I work at Five Guys, and lately it has gotten in the way, where I work mornings and go straight to practice,” Mendoza said. Mendoza is a very hardworking basketball player, and plays point guard for the varsity team. His teammate senior Keaton O’Connor thinks highly of him. “He is not a ball hog in basketball, he

Spotlight

passes, but he definitely should be a ball hog with the way he plays,” O’Connor said. He has one big inspiration to bring him through his basketball career. “I liked basketball because growing up, I watched the Chicago Bulls. Derrick Rose is a big inspiration to me. I wear his stuff all the time,” Mendoza said. Post high school plans are on the minds of most seniors, and it is very present in Mendoza’s mind. “I’ve been playing basketball all four years of high school, and I am trying to go to college,” Mendoza said. “I have three options: to go to Maple Woods for a year then go to Mizzou, or straight to Mizzou or K- State is my other option.” Playing basketball, setting up his life through college plans and working constantly whether it be on school work or at Five Guys puts a constant stress on Mendoza, but that doesn’t affect his ability to go into everything open minded. “My favorite thing about Ruben is although he has a lot going on in his life, he shows up to class everyday with a smile on his face,” Perkins said.

Visit the LHS Basketball Website by Scanning this QR Code

Watch Ruben Play Live on the KLHS Youtube Channel

Photo by Brenna Oxley

Spotlight

lhsnews.net

Home To All

Missouri’s homeless community faces greater hardships during the pandemic. Reported by Sarah Blakenship Design by Paige Hodges

As of

2019, there were 6,179 total homeless people in Missouri, of which 622 were youth (ages 15-24), reported by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. According to National Public Radio, the annual street count for homelessnes has cancelled the calculations for 2020 due to COVID-19. Homelessness in Kansas City has affected both the adult and youth population. Those numbers are rising each day that this issue isn’t taken care of.

Homelessness Within LHS

The Bell

March 2021

Housing Options

The City Union Mission is an organization established in 1924. The shelter is a Christian ministry committed to spreading gospel and fulfilling the spiritual needs of men and women a part of the homeless community in Kansas City.

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Homlessness has taken a toll on people close to home. Social worker Kris Boyle gives insight on homelessess within the student body at LHS. “We have seen an increase in families struggling financially during the pandemic,” Boyle said. “Families are struggling so we try to help anyway we can - food, school supplies, Hot Spots, etc.” Boyle has excperience with helping students at LHS who don’t consistantly have a place to live. She says there are changes that need to be made in order for the amount of youth homeless cases. “More affordable housing, more homeless shelters in suburban areas, shelters that help families can be a solution,” Boyle said.

“Call 211 from your cell phone to ask questions about resources in the area.”

We have seen an increase in families struggling financially during the pandemic.

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- Social Worker Kris Boyle

“In 2020, we provided 296 daily average stays in our shelters,” church relations Dennis Ellis said. “We served 218,140 meals, 108,227 bed spaces and over 6,703 services provided in our Medical Services.” With the added disadvantage of COVID-19, this has changed the way shelters and organizations take care of the homeless. The average number of homeless cases has decreased because they stay longer in the situations they were in prior to

InDepth

COVID-19, whether that’s having to stay on the streets, or staying in a shelter. On the other hand, in the past month or so those numbers have gone back up because of the protocols the organization has placed. “The largest challenge was keeping all five of our shelters and the 150 or more staff members healthy,” Ellis said. “We have instituted several protocols within the Mission to provide as much safety from the COVID-19 as possible. Yes, we have had some incidents, but were able to get them quarantined and moved to another facility provided by Kansas City for their recovery.”

Community Solutions

The City Union Mission isn’t the only operation in the metro that has noticed an increase of the pandemic on the homeless community. According to FOX 4, “Last week, Mayor Quinton Lucas and City Manager Brian Platt opened Bartle Hall as a warming center for the city’s homeless population…” The Kansas City Star reported the warming center was named after Scott Eicke, a homeless man who died from freezing to death on New Year’s Day. The volunteers took precautions, and they prevented the spread of the virus among the community. The center is open at 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. and will be open through Mar. 31.

Student Involvement

Two students at LHS made an effort to help the homeless community. Freshmen Bellan Vansell and Elizabeth Shukri volunteer, with their families, to help others in need. They have various ways to provide assistance to the homeless. “We make blessing bags which are just a little something that we sometimes carry in the car so that when we see someone who is homeless, we can give it to them,” Vansell said. “We get gallon-sized Ziplock bags and fill them with things that we think will help the person we will give it to. I also like to make a little note of the slide into each bag. The last time we made these, my note said ‘You are Loved.’ I think that things like this can make someone’s day.” Along with volunteering at Harvesters, Meals on Wheels and serving meals to the homeless, Vansell and her family are making life easier for the homeless. Shukri and her family make lightweight and transportable mats for the homeless to have a place to sleep.

“Making the mats is definitely a lot easier than it seems, but it is very timeconsuming,” Shukri said. “Every time my mom and I go to the store we keep the bags and store them until we’re ready to use them. When we’re ready to, we sit at the kitchen table and cut the bags into loops and loop all of the loops together. I have an arrangement with my mom where I crochet the plarn into a mat, while she continues to make more plarn.”

How You Can Help

Even doing something small can help so many people among the homeless community. Volunteering at organizations, donating or making homemade items for the homeless are easy ways you can lend a hand. There are many local organizations where you can volunteer like Harvesters or soup kitchens like Kansas City Community Kitchen. So from one community to another, take the time to volunteer to support the homeless in the KC area to make a greater impact on their future.

Photo courtesy Isabella Vansill

Isabella Vansill, 9 “We have helped in homeless shelters before, and we like to help at Harvesters. We also like to make blessing bags that we give to people.”

Capacity to Serve: Number of Homeless People vs. Number of Available Beds, 2019

Bed Shortage/Surplus - Families

Bed Shortage/Surplus - Individuals

2,433

4,070 2,006

3,276

People

Total Beds

Total People

Beds

427 -794

Difference

Photo courtesy of Thriftyfun.com

Elizabeth Shukri, 9 “I make plastic yarn and crochet it into sleeping

Bed Shortage/Surplus - Youth Under 18 103

157 54

mats and I make food with my mom so people without homes can have something to sleep on and some food. We also take clothes to some of the shelters. In the winter months, we go around buying coats and matches.”

Information courtesy of endhomelessness.org

InDepth

lhsnews.net

Opinion

What Do You Do for Fun?

Learning to expand my horizons.

Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston I discovered very recently a sign that I am becoming an adult. Or at least a sign that I am now incredibly boring. People tend to confuse the two, but I know that there can be adults who are active and fun and then there can be kids who are soul-suckingly dull to be around. The sign I discovered that I am growing up (or that I’m boring) is whenever people ask me what my hobbies are, I can’t think of a single thing I do for fun. All I think about are my obligations like school and work. The answers always lean towards reading, writing (both of which I do for school) and taking a nap (which I do when I get exhausted from school). Even during quarantine, when people used their extra free time to discover new hobbies, I had become Editor-inChief, was working on the Back-to-School issue, designing what this year’s volume was going to look like and planning the upcoming year. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an incredibly

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

happy and positive person, I just do not have any set hobbies. My life is a set routine of school work with intermissions of things I enjoy. But isn’t school what I should be focusing on? What’s the problem with staying dedicated to work and waiting for random moments of fun? The problem is, the things I enjoy doing

Positivity for a Pessimist

Design by Derek Katzer

in my spare time depends entirely on other people. I like doing dumb stuff with my friends like eating Cane’s in a parking lot and getting ice cream. I also love spending time with my family. If I’m not doing schoolwork or hanging out with friends, I’m spending it with my family watching TV, playing games or going outside. So the problem is not that I do not have any hobbies, I just don’t really do anything on my own. It stems from the fact that I do not have any free time because I am so busy. When I was younger, I had even more severe anxiety than I do now. It prevented me from socializing that much, so I think I am trying to make up for the lost time. While socializing and spending time with family is great to do, in the future, I am going to work on finding time for myself and learning to have fun without depending on others. College will be a great opportunity for me to explore things I am interested in. I’ll get the chance to be a fun-loving adult.

Making a goal for the National Month of Optimism. Editorial by Managing Editor and Copy Editor Emma Stauffer I recently learned an interesting tidbit of information about the month of March: it’s National Optimism Month. Although I was at first surprised they would assign a whole month to represent what I sometimes feel to be a vague idea, I suppose it makes sense, when I really think about it. The fact of the matter is that I don’t believe myself to be an optimist. I vividly remember the glass half empty or full demonstration in elementary school, but (as I’ve gotten older) I’ve realized that it’s not quite that black and white. I’m not necessarily someone that is positive all the time in that I believe the best possible outcome will occur in every situation, nor do I think the worst possible outcome will occur in every situation. Pessimistic people still value kindness and compassion. They just think bad outcomes happen more often than good outcomes. I feel like pessimists get a bad wrap. I’m not trying to idealize being a pessimist because I value being positive, but I do think that all people are pessimistic to

The Bell

March 2021

Photo Courtesy of Emma Stauffer

various degrees, or at least have the ability to be pessimistic. I have both glass half full and glass half empty moments every day. I often have difficulty seeing the best outcomes in situations, thus tending to dwell on them and become anxious. It can also manifest itself in judgment and negative doubt towards those around me and myself. I can also be very critical of

Opinion

myself and of my work, a great example being this column, which I have rewrote multiple times in an attempt to get it right. A goal of mine going forward is to be more positive. Positivity, according to Verywell Mind, is associated with increased health, happiness and longevity, and even cited a study that found optimists live 15% longer than pessimists. Positivity is something I want to not only incorporate into my life more, but also value and encourage others to do the same. I don’t believe that my pessimistic tendencies will magically disappear, but I do think that with all things balance is key, and as Psychology Today says, “It’s not either/or; the most successful people balance the two mindsets.” Trying to be more positive is a resolution all people can and should implement into their lives, but we should also not put too much pressure on ourselves to suppress the pessimistic feelings if that’s the way that we truly feel. I’m going to settle for a balance of both and accept myself for how I feel.

Opinion

The Imperfect Truth About Perfection

Modern culture conveys perfectionism as positive, but research says otherwise, so what is the solution? Editorial by Online Manager and InDepth Editor Paige Hodges I stood with the counselors watching as fourth graders sifted through recycable items to build their final inventions. As the clock reached zero, all students, but one, brought their projects to the judges’ table with smiles on their faces. “It’s just not right. It’s just not right. I don’t want anyone to see it,” Blake rambled while tears streamed down his cheeks. My heart dropped as I watched Blake throw his project into the trash. Blake’s feelings were the result of perfectionism. Blake was so driven by the goal to create something perfect that he disregarded the endless hours he spent on his invention. In early November, I analyzed that moment in an English essay; I wrote about the information I collected from researching the process of overcoming perfectionism and since then have tried to practice the process myself (accepting the negative effects of perfectionist ideals, practice positivity, utilize interpersonal relationships for accountability).

Photo Courtesy of Paige Hodges

Every day I am reminded how difficult the internal battle is for “overcoming perfectionism. Even though I know achieving perfection is impossible, I still feel inferior when I don’t come close. Unfortunately, this feeling is not unique to me. Students at LHS have expressed the negative effects of striving for

perfectionism; developed suicidal thoughts, had a difficult time sleeping, or even attempting anything at all in fear of failing. “As many as two in five kids and adolescents are perfectionists,” says Katie Rasmussen, child development researcher. Perfection is encouraged through the competitiveness in sports, school and social media; focusing on grades, winning or gratification. The intention is to breed success, but each generation isn’t actually becoming more accomplished, but rather ruining their potential. “A meta-analysis of 284 studies found that ... perfectionism were correlated with depression, anxiety, eating disorders, deliberate self-harm...and [OCD],” a 2019 Vox article said. Although making no mistakes would be ideal in life, striving for perfection is as unhealthy as it is impossible. And as I continue on my journey to “overcoming perfectionism” I remind myself and others like me that it is ok to be imperfect.

March Trivia 1

Each year, Spring begins between which dates?

The month March is named after which Roman god?

Saint Patrick’s Day is celebrated on what day?

Key: 1) March 19-21 2) Mars 3) March 17 Opinion

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Features

Beyond the Scrum

with

Rugby culture continues to last even through COVID-19. Reported by Derek Katzer

Design by Sarah Blankenship

The Liberty Rugby Club first took to the field in 2009. Since then, the women’s team won the State championship in 2014 and the men’s team won the 2018 Tier 2 Championship. The worth of a culture, however, is not measured by what it has accomplished, but in how those accomplishments last and in how they are remembered by everyone. The sport of rugby has developed a unique culture, centered around brother and sisterhood. Last year, the men’s rugby season was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The rugby value of brother and sisterhood could not be practiced, as players were no longer able to play with each other. And yet, even with COVID-19 still affecting the world, the rugby tradition of brother and sisterhood continues to last. “The first practice, getting to see the community and the brotherhood around rugby, it was addicting,” junior Alex Wexler said. “I had a blast as well playing the sport. But really, it is the people that I love. It’s a brotherhood in terms of you’re close

everyone on the team. We don’t care if you’re a freshman or a senior, who you are or what your background is, we’re all here to playing rugby together. We’re brothers on the field and off the field.” Junior Treven Crowley noticed the relationship helping him on and off the field. Players bond over the heart it takes to play rugby. “It’s kind of like a chemistry thing,” Crowley said. “If you have chemistry with that brother that you’re playing with, you’re going to perform better on the field and become friends with them outside of school. You can count on one another to play better and learn off of them.” Policies implemented in an attempt to stop the spread of COVID-19, such as underclassmen and upperclassmen practicing separately, social distancing and masks, have made it harder for rugby players to connect with their brothers. “While player safety has always been a focus of our program, we are even more attentive to it in regard to COVID-19,” men

and women’s rugby coach Tracey Davies said. “We are following district procedures as well as Missouri Youth Rugby and USA Rugby procedures. We have players check in electronically, answering questions regarding COVID, wearing masks, socially distancing at every opportunity possible and encouraging players to make good choices off the field so that we can stay as safe as possible in a contact sport. In the past, we could have multiple games in a week. Missouri Youth Rugby has mandated that there must be at least six days between each game.” COVID-19 even put a stop to women’s rugby in the Fall. While other sports continued to play, the state based rugby organization, Missouri Youth Rugby, postponed the women’s season. Even with such a setback, players will still be able to play rugby in the 2020-2021 school year. “Due to multiple coaching staffs in the state, who coach both their men’s and women’s programs, it was decided to stagger the seasons and start up with the girls, in May, instead of them not getting an opportunity to play this school year,” Davies said. One unique aspect about rugby are the team dinners. After players finished facing each other, both teams sat down afterwards and ate dinner together. It was a unique tradition that exemplified rugby’s brotherhood, but will pause this year due to COVID-19 concerns.

All photo courtesy of Jacob Weaver

The Bell

March 2021

Sports

Features “[Team dinners] will probably be a tradition that pauses this year, due to the safety of our players and their families,” Wexler said. “It isn’t about the dinners, it’s about the message behind it and the meaning. We’ll be enemies on the field, but we’ll still be brothers off the field, even if you are on the other team.” Even with COVID-19, the unique culture of rugby will continue to last and be remembered by its players. “We have an outstanding base of players who love the game,” Davies said. “They are working hard to continue the legacy of rugby in Liberty that started in 2009. They have bought into the core values of World Rugby which are discipline, integrity, passion, respect and solidarity and I couldn’t be more proud and blessed to coach in Liberty.” Rugby practice started February 1. Look forward to their first game, held on March 5 against St. Thomas Aquinas High School.

Check Out the Blue Jays Rugby Website Schudules Photos Game Film Player Rosters

First page: Rugby players attempt to gain possession of the ball from Liberty North in a scrum in March 2020. Second page: 2020 graduate Quinn Tilley runs from Liberty North players with the ball in hand.

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March Maze

The Bell

March 2021

Games

English Teacher

Taryn MacGee

Reported by Derek Katzer

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Design by Regan Johnston

Photo Courtesy of Taryn MacGee

Senior Sydney Zellak

Don’t take a teacher like her for granted. She’s super cool and understanding and she really does want you to succeed, and she personally cares about you and your grade. When you come across a teacher like that, take advantage of it.

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Junior Shelby Johnson

I honestly just love everything about her. I never feel tired in her class. Sometimes, in classes, it puts you to sleep a little bit. In her class, I’m always awake; I’m intrigued. I feel like she wakes us up and gets us learning and enjoying learning.

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Senior Noah Koch

For me personally, I wouldn’t be the writer I am today without my two years in Mrs. MacGee’s class. She does a fantastic job of challenging her students to write with purpose, instead of just stating facts.

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Senior Isaiah Rodic

She’s been a very forgiving teacher throughout my senior year. We’re in the hardship of COVID-19, but she has made ELA interesting.

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Photo by Emma Tmusic

Celebrate Women’s History Month

Unscrable the names of these influencial women. riahetr mutbna nsuas b noaynth drifa lhoka lihcelem oamab turh bdrea subrggin oasr srapk amaall szafiayuo *Be the first to unscramble these names and win a free The Bell 2020-2021 T-shirt from room 707. The first student or staff member to send a picture of their completed names to @TheLHSBell on Twitter wins.

$3.00 OFF LUNCH

With Purchase of 2 entrees & 2 Drinks NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS

$4.00 OFF DINNER

With Purchase of 2 Dinners & 2 Drinks NOT VALID WITH OTHER OFFERS

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