The Bell February 5, 2016 Volume 92, Issue 5
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Table of Contents
The Americas Unite in KC..............................................06-07 #Glow Big or Go Home......................................................08 Freezing for a Reason............................................................09 Beyond the Four Walls.......................................................10-11 The Nest Birthday Party........................................................12 United We Stand.....................................................................13 The Patriots............................................................................14 Senior Daria Locke.................................................................16 Junior Natalie Schaller............................................................17 Sophomore Romeo Salih........................................................18 Freshman Weston Brown......................................................19 Support Staff Jenna Welch....................................................20 Teacher Roger Stirtz...............................................................21 Valentine’s Day...................................................................22-23 From the Page to the Stage...............................................24-25 Staff Editorial..........................................................................27 Niki’s Corner...........................................................................28 Games......................................................................................29 Columns..............................................................................30-31 Athlete of the Month..........................................................32-33 Calendar..................................................................................34 We Love Our Special Olympics.............................................35
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Photo by: MaryAnn Johnson
Photo by: Hanna Davidson
Page: 32
Page: 13 Photo by: Morgan McNea
Page: 08
Photo by: Lacy Williams
Page: 18
Page: 06-07
Photo by: Hanna Davidson
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On the cover: The student section showed up in typical high numbers to support Special Olympics. Photo by Casidy Meeks
In memory of Shawn Bonchek September 8, 1998 - December 19, 2015
U. S. Navy representative Roberto Saavedra and Nuclear Field representative Brian Litle spoke to Future Soldiers of America Club in January. They talked about life in the military, colleges and job opportunities. Photo by Hannah Leonard
Staff
Mission
Adviser --> Lori Oyler Editor-in-Chief --> Tara Prindle Design Editor --> Alex Wilson Opinion and A&E Editor --> Emily Johannes InDepth Editor --> Teresa Parra Features Editor --> Lacy Williams News Editor --> Hannah Leonard Sports Editor --> Kati Benhardt Ads Manager and Cartoonist --> Daryl Gichui Online Manager --> Erica Schmitz Reporters --> Sol Kim Niki Benhardt Kamden Bernard Teegan Saunders Jenna Spence Riley Kelley Caleb Lautenschlager Katie Moon Joey O’Kelly Tommy Roseman Haley Stephenson Delaney Tarpley Paige Twenter Meg Whipple
Our mission for the 2015-2016 school year is to unite a diverse group of people and ideas to compose an informative and entertaining 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
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Address --> 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO Phone --> (816)-736-5353 Email --> loyler@liberty.k12.mo.us Twitter --> @TheLHSBell
“I would consider today pretty productive... I deleted 1,156 emails from my school email.” -@twiterless_jens
Jabber
“Jazz 2016” -@LHSSapphires
@jordancowgirl “I never thought I’d reach the end of this week but I’m sure glad it ended with a bang. 3rd place in Champ Public Forum with my (most of the time) favorite partner!” #parkviewpilgrimage #itsfine
“all I want to do today was stay in my pajamas for 18 straight hours but I guess school’s cool too” -@sadie_jess
“So proud of this group!! We are the Lee Summit North JV Tournament Champions!!!” -@CoachWern
“The Ap bio class is having a blood drive on February 19! Save 2 lives, skip a class & get free snacks! Find an Ap bio student to sign up!!!” -@LHSblooddrive16 “*on college/scholarship essay* I aspire to one day be able to wear nothing but Yeezy’s and Patagonia flannels” -@TheOnlyOrrin
“LHS has the nicest custodial staff in the world” “We are the Blue Jays!!!” -@CoachWern -@alywritesthings
@taygersh23 “go jays”
Jabber 05
The Americas Unite in KC The art program gives students experience outside of the classroom. Story and Photos by Lacy Williams
Imagine an exhibition for art students where the entire KC Metro area gets to observe and admire. Add an organization that helps unite countries. After that, insert important figures like Mayor Sly James. What do you get? You get the Grand Boulevard of the Americas Student Art Competition Exhibit. Art students have a unique way of expressing themselves, but it is sometimes more difficult for their work to be seen. The Pan American Association of Kansas City held a student art competition exhibit at ArtsTech in Downtown Kansas City on the evening of January 6. “I’m going to guess that there are not frequent opportunities for students from around the area to display their art side by side with other students and I think that’s especially true when you add in that this has a very definite theme,” Mayor of Kansas City, Sly James said. “I think this is something that allows students to get out and see other students from around the entire Metro Area and see how they measure up and see how the art measures
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up and maybe pick up some new ideas or exchange information.” The students created a representation of a country of their choice from one of the Americas. The art showed the culture, people and traditions of the country rather than any political interests.
“Art is the ultimate way to express yourself.”
- sophomore Michael Ricker
“I chose Chile because the Chilean style of art and street art was the most vibrant and colorful of the countries we had to pick from,” junior Kaitlyn Heishmann said. Senior Shannon Best also represented Chile. “Mine represented the recent lava eruption and in front the volcano eruption are two people doing the traditional dance,” Best said. The Pan American Association was promoting the Americas through artwork. “Our goal was to educate young people
about the countries of the Americas through art,” Pan American Association President Jim Malouff said. “They do two things; they advanced senior art education and they’re getting cross curricular education.” Using different media “I started off with acrylic paint and I went over with chalk pastel,” senior Sarah Ragan said. “I had a lot of problems with it. I really like [acrylic], but I didn’t have many reference pictures and it wasn’t really working out, so I switched to chalk to make it more expressive and colorful.” Some students used the sports culture to enhance their art and make it more personal. “I had known that Argentina was a big soccer country and I wanted to focus on that,” Ricker said. “It had the sun from the flag setting over the water with a soccer ball reflecting in the ocean and a bright dynamic sunset.”
Left: Senior Brenna Newberry’s piece Schneider. Center: Sophomore Michael Ricker’s piece The Brightest Sunset. Right: Senior’s Patrick Sullivan’s piece Mayan Toucan, all featured at the Arts Tech building located in Downtown Kansas City.
Each country category and the winner from each category will be represented on a banner Downtown. The pieces can be found online: Brielle Buntin, Senior – Argentina http://bbun15-16.blogspot.com/
Kaitlyn Heishman, Junior – Chile http://khei15-16.blogspot.com/
Madison Baker, Junior – Belize http://mbak2015-16.blogspot. com/
Brenna Newberry, Senior – Haiti http://bnew15-16.blogspot.com/
Taylor Soehlig, Sophomore – Chile http://taylors15-16.blogspot.com/
Sarah Ragan, Senior – Haiti http://sragan2.blogspot.com/ Logan Kesler, Senior – Paraguay http://lkes2015-16.blogspot.com/
Above left: sophomore Hannah Odom’s piece Mother in Nature. Left: Mayor of Kansas City Sly James with senior Shannon Best and her piece Cueca in the Flames. Right: Junior Madison Baker’s piece Belize Pride on the First Fridays Downtown. Other students utilized declining socioeconomic conditions to highlight the good in the country. “The real reason I picked Haiti is because I think it’s a beautiful country and there’s a lot of poverty, but I wanted to show how it’s pushed through the hard times it’s had,” Ragan said. “I had the three people in the front in red clothing to show love and red is one of the country’s colors. I put them on a street in Haiti to show what it’s actually like there.”
Students had free reign on how they wanted to portray and create their piece, but the goal was to create unity of the countries. “I really enjoyed watching students connect their research about cultures to the artwork and seeing the finished work in the exhibition,” art teacher Debra Martin said. The artists’ originality is what brings the viewers to appreciate their pieces. “My favorite part is just looking around
and seeing various interpretations of things and the mediums that are being used,” James said. Students worked very hard to create nothing short of a masterpiece. “I’m just absolutely amazed at the student art,” Pan American Association member Licia Clifton-James said. “I’d just like to say how talented the students are around the city and we are so proud, absolutely proud.”
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#Glow Big or Go Home
StuCo organized an entire week of activities to get students excited for Courtwarming. Story by Teegan Saunders
Photo by Morgan McNea
Bright lights, neon and lots of fun are all part of the 2016 Courtwarming dance. Join the student body this Courtwarming for a neon dress-up day and one of the brightest dances of the year. Courtwarming week started February first and finishes tonight with the dance. It is tonight directly after the boy’s varsity basketball game, which starts around 7:30 and the theme is neon so wear bright colors! The dance is sure to be very exciting after seeing all the energy StuCo put into the idea and all the different posters hung up around the building. “The theme is ‘Let’s Glow Crazy’ and it’s the theme we’ve done a lot for courtwarming,” junior Sarah Parrott said. “The only difference that we now have a dance. The theme is still neon and bright colors as it’s always been in the past.” To be precise, this mean the dance will be a black light dance with glow in the dark bubbles being pushed out into the crowd. When the bubbles hit a surface they pop and create a neon glow in the dark stain. Cokely will most likely be done up with black to make sure that the
bubbles and bright lights the focus during the dance. “I’m excited to see how the dance will turnout because it’s a really cool idea,” Parrot said.
Today: an assembly featuring the king and queen candidates, plus a winter sports lip dub! Themed dress up days also occurred throughout the week. “Friday is ‘Neon’ day and that is also the theme for that basketball game so it works,” freshman Tiffany Huymn said. Students should also make sure to wear the t-shirts, handed out by Stuco with the purchase of a ticket, to the basketball game and the Courtwarming dance. Students that attend the basketball game before the dance should make sure to follow the set path that will lead out of the field house, through the 800’s hallway straight to Cokely, as to make the transition quicker and easier. “We have worked really hard on
promotional posters to make sure as many people as possible are aware of the dance,” sophomore Hannah Berry said. “We also worked with KLHS to get a video on the Broadcast.” It’s great to know that Stuco has put so much into Courtwarming this year and it’s sure to be a blast. Everyone should make an effort to attend the dance to show appreciation for StuCo and Leadership. With Courtwarming week coming to a close, StuCo along with Leadership, worked to make sure it would be a great time for all the students and teachers involved. To say a Courtwarming dance was a risk could be very true, since the school has not had a dance for almost five years now. “Courtwarming was very difficult for StuCo since there was a lot of confusion about when we would have the time to hold a dance,” counselor Melanie Crawford said. “We all worked really hard though so I’m happy to see how it all works out.” Make sure to attend the dance and bring all the energy you can, because a black light dance is bound to be crazy!
StuCo promotes Courtwarming activities with fun and colorful posters put up around the school.
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Freezing for a Reason
Students participated in the 2016 Polar Plunge. Story by Sol Kim
Photo by Morgan McNea
Even the frigid temperatures of Longview Lake didn’t keep swimmers away from the annual Polar Plunge fundraiser, sponsored by Special Olympics Missouri. On January 30, students braved sub-freezing temperatures as they plunged into Longview Lake alongside hundreds of other Polar Plunge participants. All of this effort will provide year-round sports and training opportunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities. The LHS Student Council hosted their own fundraiser to raise money for the Polar Plunge. “Our overall school goal was a thousand dollars,” StuCo adviser Melanie Crawford said. “We hosted a school-wide fundraiser that took place the week of January 25.” This may seem hard to believe, but Polar Plungers had many things to look forward to about the plunge. “I enjoyed seeing all the different levels of people that showed up,” senior Orrin Donaldson said. “Some people go out in like full body swimsuits, others in speedos. Some people there have done it before and you can tell. It was fun to see people’s reactions when they jumped in for the first time.”
This wasn’t the first time for some students to participate in the Plunge. “I went to Polar Plunge back in junior high,” senior Alex Kretsinger said. “I remember running in the lake and we had to reach a certain point in the water and then run back out. They had a heated tent afterwards which was probably my favorite part.” StuCo president Desirae Leeson participated in the Polar Plunge in years past. “I participated twice as an eighth grader and ninth grader,” Leeson said. “The water was extremely cold. By the time I was walking out of the water I could only feel my legs burning and I was almost in tears, but it was a fun experience and a great charitable activity.” After participating this year, Student Council hopes to make Polar Plunge a yearly event for the high school. “StuCo wanted Polar Plunge to become an annual event several years ago when we first participated,” Crawford said. “This year we really ran with it. We talk about it every year but it just doesn’t end up coming together. There are schools that have huge groups and participation so it’d
be cool if Liberty could be like that.” After having gone to Polar Plunge in the past, Crawford has some advice for future plungers. “I would say make sure you bring an extra change of clothes,” she said. “Bring a towel and some warm clothes to put on afterwards. Oddly, I think that probably the fewer clothes you wear into the water, the better. It’s probably not the best idea to wear sweatpants thinking that they’re going to keep you warm because they’ll end up getting drenched.” StuCo members encourage everyone to participate in the Polar Plunge next year. “I hope Polar Plunge becomes an annual event for the high school,” Kretsinger said. “All the proceeds go towards a great cause and Special Olympics deserves more recognition.” Even if students are not interested in plunging, they are encouraged to support the event in the future. “It really is a fun experience,” Crawford said. “Even if you don’t want to plunge, just come and check it out. You can’t go wrong supporting Special Olympics.”
LHS
LHS
Left: StuCo discusses the Polar Plunge during one of their meetings.
News 09
Beyond the Four Walls Students and staff praise the school’s new learning spaces. Story by Jenna Spence
Photos by Adam Pouliot
Remember dodging tarps in the hallways? Or do you recall the mysterious banging on walls that had to be ignored while you were trying to concentrate in class? Before our school had access to the new learning spaces, students and staff faced construction hurdles during the 2014-2015 school year. Finally, students and staff have been rewarded with new innovative learning spaces placed around the school this year. The preparation for the learning centers dates back to Dr. April Adams’ first year of being a principal seven years ago. “I was reading some books on how to change schools for tomorrow,” she said. “I was doing research on how colleges are shifting and how their spaces look for their learners based upon the learners’ needs.” Adams started researching what some schools around ours are doing to be more innovative with their use of space. She started asking a team of teachers how they could use the space they have at the school more creatively and efficiently. Overall, the learning space construction was about a three-and-a-half year project. There are twelve learning spaces placed around the school now. The spaces are said to give students space to do homework, class work and visit
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with friends. Teachers use the spaces for activities and to have students present and work on group projects. The development of the spaces was a challenging task. Teachers’ offices were located where the student centers are located today. Those offices had to be completely gutted for an entire school year in order for the learning spaces to be built. “It was like putting the chocolate bar in front of you and telling you that you can look at it while it grows every day but you can never eat it,” Adams said. “It was a space that was not functional and I felt horrible.” Some of the learning spaces, like the 400’s learning space, provide high-tech supplies, like an interactive whiteboard. “There are these fancy pens that come with it,” department chair for international languages Charity Stephens said. “Kids come out and do grammar lessons with it or do things like pictionary to get to know the foreign language vocabulary.” There has been debate on whether or not students are using the spaces appropriately. Some students admit that it is easy to be distracted and talk to friends in the spaces during work. Other students also claim that they use the spaces solely to get their work done.
“I would say I use them for class purposes, so I use them appropriately,” junior Peyton Trester said. “I don’t really see anyone else use them inappropriately either.” Math teacher Candace Cole agrees. “With our space, it is going pretty well,” she said. “It is open, so we don’t have a lot of misbehavior in there because you can see from the front to the back.” Students praise the laid back atmosphere and claim that the spaces benefit their learning experience. “I don’t feel as pressured in the spaces as I would in a classroom,” sophomore Kiarah Mosely said. “I feel at the learning spaces I can get stuff done at my own pace.” Students report to have never used the learning spaces while others claim to use it every single day. “I use it every seventh hour,” senior Jay Gordon said. “We go out there and usually read, unless my teacher has an assignment in class.” The learning spaces have been surprising students and staff with how useful they can be. Whiteboards and conference tables have allowed students and staff to work together on projects.
Left: the learning spaces in the math hallway feature white board surface tables and comfortable seating. Right: Seniors Ethan O’Hair, Morgan Fleming and Nicole Griffin studying in the English hall flex spaces.
264 students were asked, “What do you use the learning spaces for?”
24.7%
ELA
44.1%
26.2%
MATH OTHER
20.9%
28.1%
24%
NO SELF DON’T CLASS STUDY USE
Above left: high elevated white board tables can be found in the learning areas. Above right: senior Sarah Phillips takes notes for a reading assignment. Bottom right: A student poll on use of the learning spaces. Bottom left: Senior Nick Ellis reads in a study area. The cushioned chairs and couches provide comfortable places for students to work and visit with classmates. These spaces were designed to support students’ creativity and collaborative skills. “The setup of the math area is very conducive for work and students using the area are focused and productive,” Cole said. Other features include balance chairs and the learning stairs by the 200’s and the fieldhouse. The learning space in the library was based on a coffee shop theme with
calming colors. They also tried to replicate what a studious environment would look like in college by updating and maturing the space. “The theme we were going for was a studious environment,” Adams said. “The library needs to be the brain or the hub of the building and the most comfortable place to go to.” Students and staff agree that the areas are very beneficial for teachers’ lessons and students’ learning. “Today’s learners are very independent,” Adams said. “They know how to manage
their time. The dynamicness of the thinking that goes on with our learners today is just phenomenal.” The workers who put together the learning spaces are pleased with how the students treat the learning spaces. “It’s the students’ school,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, we have to make sure that our students are happy in their school environment.”
News 11
The Nest’s 5th Birthday Photos by Niki Benhardt and Meg Whipple
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It was the Nest’s 5th Birthday and with every purchased drink, students and staff received a free doughnut. Top Right to Left are junior Jordan Giacometti, sophomores Kristian Smith and Micheal Welch. Middle Left are Adrienne Fowler’s daughters Emma and Caroline. Bottom left to right are Christine Anderson, Jessica King and Senior Jessica Ballew. Freshman Becca Nestlerode and Michelle Jankovich.
United We Stand
Model United Nations gets ready for their conference in Chicago. Story by Tommy Roseman
Photos by Madison Parry
What do you get when you mix the debate team with current events club? Model UN. The Model UN club has been preparing for a massive conference in Chicago. “The University of Chicago hosts this conference and they emphasize making it as authentic and educational as possible,” sponsor Ellen Meade said. “Though it may just sound like a fun trip to Chicago, our MUN delegates will spend around 20 hours in committee sessions over the weekend.” As it turns out, conferences are not unlike debate tournaments. “It’s all the delegates standing around and we have a country that we represent. Then we’re going to debate world interests,” freshman Carly Mantia said. “Mine are outer space and peace keepers.” Model UN itself dates back to when it was still called the League of Nations in the 1920’s. It did not become the United Nations until 1945. It’s an educational simulation to put students in the shoes of different countries. Participants, called delegates, discuss international relations while representing a particular country. During every conference the Model UN team represents a country. “I personally enjoy the fact that we are the nation of Botswana,” senior Paul Ambrose said. The Republic of Botswana is an African country with about two million people. It used to be known as the Bechuanaland
Protectorate until it claimed independency from Great Britain in 1966. Since then, it has been a representative democracy. Being a lesser- known country, it will be interesting to see how the team competes against superpowers like China and the United States.
In addition to the Chicago trip, another conference will be held in St. Louis in the spring. Model UN raised money this year by selling chocolate bars, but a lot of the budget comes out of their pockets. “I’ve only been to one tournament,” Ambrose said. “I was Malaysia and I ended
up winning actually.” While members have to put in a lot of work, they also make a lot of memories. “I like to participate in the conferences. You get to learn a lot and you get to meet a lot of different of people. I’ve learned a lot that I might not have ever learned through UN,” junior Jacklyn Drewry said. “My favorite memory is when we went to St. Louis for the Washington University trip.” “I think the best part about Model UN is working with my friends because it’s a lot of group-based activities,” sophomore Connor Wilcox said. “Either you do it with your friends or you get to meet new people.” Model UN is a great opportunity for students to learn about the world and get more involved in politics. It’s always accepting new members, but if you join now you would not be able to attend the Chicago conference. “August and February are good times to join,” Meade said. “In the fall, the delegates compete to be selected for our Chicago trip. In the spring the delegates compete to be selected for the St. Louis trip.” Students can join by either emailing Meade at emeade@liberty.k12.mo.us, stopping by room 905 or just by showing up to after school meetings.
Above: Junior Lynsie Daniels points out what country she’s representing. Left: Juniors James Kennedy, Sophie Jess, Natalie Schaller and Daniels collaborate on their position papers.
Features 13
The Patriots
The Scholar Bowl team is looking for new members, especially sports fans. Story by Katie Moon
Photo by MaryAnn Johnson
Do you like the shows Jeopardy, Are You Smarter Than a Fifth grader, and The Chase? If you do, then check out Scholar Bowl. Even if you are involved in other extracurricular activities, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover Scholar Bowl is very flexible to your schedule. Scholar Bowl is an academic competition that questions students in four core areas: math, science, history, English, along with fine arts, current events, sports and pop culture. To prepare for the tournaments, students go through lots of practice rounds they might see at the event. “The practices are very similar to the stuff we do in the tournament, but it depends on who’s there during the practice,” freshman Ashna Ali said. “Sometimes it is split into teams of boys versus girls or we just have individual teams of both.” The Scholar Bowl team usually attends one tournament a month that is held on a Saturday. “Most tournaments you play three games in the morning,” teacher Karla Schaeffer said. “In some tournaments, all teams come back and play more games in the afternoon, but sometimes they knock people out, based on win-loss records after the morning
rounds and then it becomes elimination in the afternoon.” Just like in most activities, doing well cheers not only an individual up, but also the whole team.
“Getting a question right feels great because they are so broad,” junior Sam Straub said. “Also, when I see my teammate getting a question right that was out of the blue and I didn’t expect them to know it surprises me and it is really cool.” The knowledge of the team varies between
each member. They all have subjects they are best at and their individual strengths balance the team. However, it is not always easy. “We never can get the sports questions,” Straub said. “That’s why on the front of our shirts; it says Patriots because we know the Patriots are a sports team. That’s our go-to answer for all of the sports questions.” Being positive is a trait that always helps while competing in a tournament. “When I first joined the Liberty Scholar Bowl team my sophomore year, we would be middle to lower middle of the district; we’ve risen since then,” senior Roman Accardi said. “Last year, we placed second in the district. I really think that we could be first in the district this year.” Not only is Scholar Bowl an academic activity, but also the members find it very enjoyable and helpful in life. “Scholar Bowl is very fun and intense, that’s what I love about it,” Ali said. “It also helps you learn more in school and looks good on college applications, because a lot of colleges want people who were involved in school activities and clubs that help with learning and education.”
Above: Senior Meredith Malone and freshman Ashna Ali compete against the boys in the trivia round. Left: Sophomores Jackson Witt and Robert Stepp and junior Blake Newland answer the trivia questions teacher Trace Larson asks.
Features 14
Saucy is back.
$1 for a 2nd McRib when you buy a McRib meal.
What are you involved in? “I do advanced art and advanced placement art. I love to work in acrylics, watercolors and ink. In my free time I do a lot of makeup for other people and for myself and I do a lot of my art outside of school. My favorite thing about LHS would be the teachers, we have really nice teachers. They always seem to be pretty dedicated to what they are teaching.”
What are you doing after LHS? “After high school I’m going to beauty school; first for nails and then for makeup. When I graduate from beauty school I’m going to work at a salon. I thought about working for MAC because they pay for you to go to New York to go to beauty school and train them especially for their company which would be amazing. So I’m shooting for that.”
What is your passion? “I’m passionate about the arts and people, and I think makeup was really nice way to mesh them into one, so I get to paint on your face and talk to you. I enjoy going to art class because that’s my safe place in the school. Everyone there is really chill and relaxed and we all just joke around and tell stories while we paint.”
Debby Martin’s thoughts: “Daria is working with some really interesting feminist themes in her AP Studio Art concentration. She has gone above and beyond in her own research into the traditional figurative studies and has combined the concepts of strength and individualism into the thematic concentration section of her portfolio. This work is truly college-level in its quality and subject matter. I feel Daria has grown so much as an artist over the three years she has been in Observational Drawing classes and now in AP Studio Art, and I hope she will continue to develop her skills as her life unfolds.”
Senior
Daria Locke Spotlight 16
Story by Meg Whipple
Photo by Hanna Davidson
What are you involved in?
“I’m in Debate, Model UN, Witness Protection, Current Events, Free-Thinkers, Young Democrats, Women’s Issues, German Club, German National Honors Society and National Honors Society. In addition to that, it’s junior year and that means college searches and mainly academics. Aside from that, I really like to travel internationally. My family is from Germany, so we go back quite frequently.”
Why do you like debate? “For one thing, Liberty’s debate team is an incredibly closeknit and fantastic community. Aside from that, often times not every class in school is challenging and debate really requires you to think critically in ways that you don’t necessarily do in other classes. It’s a really unique sort of challenge. I think it puts kids in a position where they learn how to advocate for themselves. They learn about social justice and learn about how they can impact the larger world around them. Just the fact that you have a great atmosphere and a forum to learn to communicate, I think are my favorite parts.”
What are you doing after LHS? “I couldn’t point to one career, but I definitely want to work in some sort of legal, government or political setting. Essentially, I want to do something that lets me help people, and with the government, while it tries really hard, not everyone has the best interests of everyone at heart. I want to be in a position where I can help institute some sort of institutional change for people and something where I can make laws do good for society.”
Tim Baldwin‘s thoughts: “Natalie is one of the hardest-workers I’ve ever met in my entire life. She’s a really brilliant person with a magnanimous personality and is consistently giving to her classmates. She’s a real asset to her team and an awesome student to work with.”
Junior
Natalie Schaller Story by Joey O’Kelly
Photo by Corben Phillips
Spotlight 17
What do you do outside of school? “I like to play soccer and mess with cars. My cousins have a little business and when my dad worked there, he started making a lot of money. He asked me to help him once, so I started to take an interest in cars. I started soccer because it’s a family thing. My dad played soccer and I got kind of interested in it. As I started to grow, I loved it. A lot of my friends play, so I would have caught up with what they’re doing and would’ve probably played anyway.”
What do you like about LHS? “The people, some of them are nice. I like that we have an hour to do what we want. I like lunch and Liberty Hour. I like Theoretical Chemistry because it’s fun doing all those experiments. My other favorite class is World History because of Mr. Hammer. He makes it better. Mr. Hammer, he’s wise, funny and a great guy. My friends keep me positive and help me keep going. They have awesome lives and they crack me up a lot. They’re what keeps me smiling. If I’m having a really bad day and someone just cracks me up, and I get in a good mood. I like funny, kind and generous people.”
What are some facts about you? “My favorite time of year is winter because it’s around my birthday, the snow, and the cold. Since it’s snowing outside I play indoor soccer since I’m very good at soccer. I also like to make forts out of snow. Also I’ve traveled to Pakistan and Iraq because my mom was born in Pakistan and my dad in Iraq. I also feel I’m very caring, I put myself after everyone, I like to be social, I don’t like being alone I get bored easily and I like being around people.”
Mike Hammer’s thoughts: “Romeo is always pleasant in class. He is interested in the things we talk about in class and enjoys learning about history. I believe Romeo appreciates the effort and enthusiasm I have for teaching history and that helps motivate me as a teacher.”
Sophomore
Romeo Salih Spotlight 18
Story by Kamden Bernard
Photo by Hanna Davidson
What is theatre to you?
“Theatre, to me, is my drive. Theatre is what gets me up in the morning and gets me going. I start my day by rehearsing from 7:00 to 7:45, then right after that I have competitive theatre. I have tournaments almost every weekend. I have rehearsals every day and performances on performance weekends. I love it so much that it makes me strive to be a better person, to work harder for my goals.”
How would you describe theatre?
“A lot of my best friends are into theatre. We have little group names for ourselves and little sayings. It’s really fun and I consider everyone in that theatre to be some of my closest friends. We’re kind of pegged as the “theatre kids,” and we honestly are. We hang out with each other everyday. It’s just this big, happy, singing, dancing family. I love them all.”
What are your hobbies?
“I like to go out and play football with my neighbors; that’s pretty fun. I love the Kansas City Chiefs. Other than theatre and my friends and family, the Chiefs are my favorite thing in life – and food. I also like to help coach my little brother’s basketball team. I also read and free-write sometimes. I listen to music and practice voice as well.”
Michael Turpin’s thoughts:
“The qualities that make Weston spotlight worthy are by far, his respect for other people. Weston is the nicest person I have ever met. Not only does Weston treat his fellow students and teachers with respect and unconditional kindness, but he never settles for anything less than his absolute best.”
Freshman
Weston Brown Story by Joey O’Kelly
Photo by Emilee Moody
Spotlight 19
What do you do outside of LHS? “I love playing soccer, I like to watch movies, read and spend time with family and friends. I have played soccer since I was seven and it’s a passion of mine. I love my friends and family. I have lived in the San Francisco/Bay Area, Oregon, and Omaha. I’ve traveled to Italy, Spain, Japan, Mexico, and a number of U.S. states. My favorite is Spain, specifically Barcelona. A lot of it has to do with my love for the soccer team there, it reminds me a lot of San Francisco.”
What did you do after college? “I graduated college wanting to be a strength and conditioning coach and I did that for nine years. I now have decided to change careers to become a high school P.E. teacher. The most important thing in my life are my photos. They are memories of my past and of the time I spent in San Francisco. I’m from here, but I lived in the San Francisco Bay area for eight years. That’s where I did a lot of my coaching and I have a lot of great friends out there.”
What’s most important to you? “Probably my husband right now, it used to be my mom. She still impacts my life a lot. However, I would say my husband is the most impactful because he is in my life everyday being supportive and challenging me. He is my best friend. Also, I do have an obsession with food and sweets. Most everyone knows that though. My favorite sweet is usually anything homemade. I love candy but it can last for like a year but baked goods last for a few days. I can’t say no to a cookie or a piece of pie, usually chocolate.”
Lois Magnuson’s thoughts: “I think here at LHS Jenna is just doing a fantastic job. She’s good at finding things to do and keeping busy. She’s good at being in the right place at the right time. She just moves students right along where they need to go. As a person, she is extremely organized. I really like her a lot.”
Support Staff
Jenna Welch Spotlight 20
Story by Kamden Bernard
Photo by Katie Lamb
What do you do outside of LHS?
“Outside of school I like to be with my family, enjoy the outdoors and spend time with friends. I like being with my cycling group. They’re a great group of guys. Cycling is very challenging and it’s helped me stay in decent shape. I used to play basketball, but had to stop due to old age, but, I can still play a good game of H.O.R.S.E.”
Have you always lived in Liberty?
“I’ve lived in three places: On our family farm outside Abilene, KS, in Emporia, KS while at ESU and Liberty. Liberty is an awesome place because there are so many quality people in this community. The best thing about Liberty is coaching at LHS is working with an amazing group of young men. I really enjoy every minute we have together. It’s an honor to be one of their coaches.”
Tell us more about yourself. “I married my high school sweetheart, Renee, and we’ve been married 22 years. She’s an incredible wife, mom, teacher and friend. We have four boys: Mason, a senior; Caden, a freshman; Bennett, a sixth grader; and Cooper, a third grader. As you might think, our house is rather loud and active. I think that’s why my wife goes on really long runs.”
Joe Kinder’s Thoughts:
“He is a guy who is energetic and wants to see his players succeed. He is more team first, he doesn’t do it for himself, he does it for the rest of the team. He wants everyone to give their full effort. He wants everyone to have fun, but at the same time do the right thing. He cares about you on and off the court, but makes sure you do the right thing on and off the court. He cares about you as an individual not just as a basketball player. He does a lot of hard work, finding out about the teams we play, coming up with a game plan, making possible in-game situations.”
Teacher
Roger Stirtz Story by Meg Whipple
Photo by Adam Pouliot
Spotlight 21
Celebrate Valentine’s Day Story by Riley Kelley and Delaney Tarpley For most people, Valentine’s Day is a holiday spent celebrating with friends, family, or a significant other. Valentine’s Day also typically goes hand in hand with
Photos by Teresa Parra
gift giving. Images of couples spoiling one another with flowers, jewelry or chocolate usually come to mind in the days leading up to Valentine’s Day. Whether you are a
Several people this year are choosing to celebrate the holiday with the person that they love, like sophomore Jakan Duncan. “I’m going to spend Valentine’s day with my girlfriend,” Duncan said. Many people, including Duncan, are choosing to go the traditional route
and are taking their significant other out to dinner. “My girlfriend and I are probably just going to go and have dinner somewhere and then just hang out,” Duncan said. Duncan doesn’t think that you need to go all out when it comes to presents.
The important thing lies in your heart. “You don’t really have to give a gift, you just have to let the other person know you care because that’s the best gift, at least to me,” Duncan said.
Valentine’s gifts are already stocked up on the shelves in their specific ‘Valentine’s Day’ aisles of several popular department stores. Brisbin like others, prefers to think outside of the box for his gift of choice. “This one time, my old girlfriend wanted a panda, but that wasn’t going to work because you can’t actually buy a real panda.
So I went to target and there was this big panda stuffed animal. I thought what I did was cute, but it was probably really weird, so what I did was that I cut open the panda and put more little tiny stuffed pandas in it. I know it’s really weird, but when she opened it she thought it was really cute. I was like ‘Hey, check inside the panda,’ and then there
were more pandas and other stuff,” Brisbin said. Several people, including Brisbin are focusing more on the giving this year rather than the receiving. “I’m more of a giver than a receiver and I think the best Valentine’s Day gift would be a necklace or some type of jewelry, but it’s more of the way you give it,” Brisbin said.
Sophomore Hailey Smith says that there is one special person that is most important to show love on Valentine’s Day, yourself. “In seventh grade, I didn’t have a Valentine because you know, it was only seventh grade,” Smith said. “I bought myself my own box of chocolates. Just a gigantic box of chocolates for myself. I posted a
picture of it on Instagram and I said to my mom ‘I don’t need no man to buy me chocolates.’” There is one sweet surprise that Smith recalls in which someone other than herself spoiled her with a special Valentine’s Day gift. “I love flowers,” Smith said. “When I was really little, my dad got me
roses for Valentine’s Day. I wasn’t expecting it, but I came home and there were flowers.” Although the most important person to love is yourself, which Smith proves can be rewarding in its own way, the holiday can also be made special through the moments cherished with family, friends, and loved ones.
Indepth 22
student or a teacher at LHS, Valentine’s Day is an exciting holiday that calls for exciting celebrations in many forms.
Jakan Duncan
Isaiah Brisbin
Hailey Smith
If you’re a student at LHS, it is likely that you are familiar with the scienceteaching power couple, Biology II and AP Biology teacher Rick Knowles and Biology II and Zoology teacher Maria Knowles. Throughout their marriage, the couple has spent many Valentine’s Days together, sharing both funny and sweet memories. Mrs. Knowles remembers one exciting and unique Valentine’s Day date that has remained her favorite. “One time Mr. Knowles bought tickets to go to this thing called Stomp,” Mrs. Knowles said. “It’s a band that uses their bodies to make music. They put trash cans on their feet and they all work together and make really good music with their bodies. It’s a little bizarre. It was nice because we went to dinner and we went to Stomp. It was really nice and cool, just a little getaway for us.” For the Knowles, there is one Valentine’s Day memory that continues to makes them laugh every year.
“Years ago, Mr. Knowles was going to try to give me some flowers here at school,” Mrs. Knowles said. “He ordered them and it just so happens that the day he ordered the flowers to be delivered we had a snow day. Usually a snow day makes us so happy but he was so upset. He was finally able to get them to bring them to the house and I got the flowers there.” Since Mrs. Knowles works with high school students, she has wise words of advice for students trying to find the best way to celebrate Valentine’s Day. “Sometimes I feel like it is a very overrated holiday and it makes people feel really bad if they don’t have someone,” she said. “It’s nice to do kind things for people. It doesn’t have to be the person you’re in love with, it can just be people you like or people you’re friends with. It’s the daily things you do for people that show your love for them.”
What’s the best Valentine’s Day gift to give/recieve? 444 students respond. 18.5% Flowers 14.4% Other 7% Jewelry
Kaiden Hulett
22.3% Teddy Bear
Almost every person remembers their elementary school crush. Gazing at them from across the small animal postercovered classroom and playing with them at recess was the everyday routine, but Valentine’s Day was the biggest day of the year for elementary school crushes. Valentine’s boxes decorated in stickers and glitter sat on every desktop waiting for personalized notes to be dropped in their slots. A couple of LHS students remember taking advantage of the holiday to show their feelings for their elementary school crush.
Junior Kaiden Hulett remembers one Valentine’s Day rejection that has stuck with him over the years. “One funny thing that happened was in fourth grade, I asked this girl to be my Valentine and I got rejected,” Hulett said. “I slipped a note in her Valentine’s box. She threw the note back at me and said she wouldn’t be my Valentine.” Freshman Jeniyah Smith remembers being on the receiving end of one of these elementary school Valentine’s Day gestures. “I was in fourth grade and this guy put a foam heart inside my desk,” Smith said.
37.7% Chocolate
Jeniyah Smith
“The heart had an actual gold key on it that said, ‘you’re the key to my heart.’” As for the boy in Smith’s fourth grade class who gave her the key to his heart, his plan had a few flaws that allowed Smith to guess who made this bold Valentine’s Day gesture. “On the back of the heart there were four question marks and he was the only one in my class with four letters in his name so I was able to guess who it was,” Smith said. “I asked him if he put the heart in my desk and he admitted to it.”
Indepth 23
From the Page to the Stage The story of Anne Frank meets the spotlight at LHS. Story by Paige Twenter
Photos by Madison Ray
The story of “The Diary of a Young Girl,” by Anne Frank, gets lifted off the pages and will brilliantly shine in the limelight as an LHS production. The play is closely correlated to the true story of Anne Frank. “It’s really just like it because it comes directly from her diary and this is the new version of it,” director Don Johnson said. “It’s an adaptation that is a little more than what the first one was, it is basically the same, but they’ve added and mixed things around.” The production follows the historic retelling of Anne Frank’s story of the Holocaust and the hardships she and her family faced. “It’s about the Frank family and then the Van Daans, who they were staying with and they were in their secret annex for two and a half years while the war was going on,” freshman Sarah Keenan said. “It’s
about their relationships, how they grow, how they live through this time and hiding from the Nazis.” The actors, directors and crew members spend countless after school hours perfecting every single line, look, and emotion into the show. “Whenever you are in a play or musical you really need to time manage yourself and you have to make sure you have enough time for other clubs and other school work,” freshman Macey Kern said. “It has kind of limited how much time you have on homework and your social life.” Managing time for schoolwork and other extracurricular activities is always challenging for the performers and crew members in a production as this production’s actors can attest to. “I am super busy, rehearsals go to 5:30 after school, from 3:15 to 5:30,” senior Madison Cantwell said.“I have church
right after that so I have very little time to fit in homework, so I’m usually up until like midnight doing homework every night and then getting up at six for school.” Expectations run high for the show to break a new state record because of the long-lasting history of winning awards as evident by the abundance of trophies outside the Little Theater. “This is my second show here at the high school. It’s a lot more laid back, but we still have more pressure on us than we had in the musical,” freshman Kelsey Pierce said. “We’ve won state two years in a row, so there’s a lot more pressure on us to be the first school in Missouri to win state three years in a row for our one act. We block what we need to and then we have the choice and freedom to do what we want for the rest of the time.” Since the story took place during the 1940s, the actors are not only learning
Left to right: Sophomore Andrew Cable, freshman McKenzie Greenwood, junior Cameron Prater, senior Madison Cantwell and freshmen Brandon Barksdale, Kelsey Pierce, Grace Keenan and Sarah Keenan practice their scene.
A&E 24
their blocking and stage presence, but also the depth of their characters. “Most students of their age could not really relate to what these characters are going through, so we have to find some type of relationship or some type of experience that they’ve had that they can kind of correlate to,” Johnson said. The dark subject matter and emotional toll of the characters’ lives has deeply affected the actors in this production. “Mainly it kind of takes an emotional toll on me personally,” Cantwell said. “Kenzie Greenwood, who plays Mrs. Van Daan, and I were discussing that at the very end of the show we get caught by the Nazis and they’re like throwing us across the room and holding guns to us it’s just so
surreal and scary, so it’s kind of emotional for us to go through that every single day.” Sarah Keenan believes there are also upsides to playing Anne Frank in the production. “It’s pretty fun, it’s not a really dark play most of the time besides what’s going on. It’s fun to play because she’s kind of rebellious and kind of spunky,” Keenan said. Members in the production are getting pushed out of their usual comfort zone and exploring different genres. “The best thing is that it gives us the opportunity to teach kids about a piece of history they may not be aware of and also lets them be part of a different time period that they wouldn’t experience and
probably wouldn’t even gravitate to,” Johnson said. Johnson thinks the actors are benefitting immensely from learning such a significant part of history. “I don’t think that I’ve ever really done a show that’s nonfiction before and this is a nonfiction show,” Cantwell said. “The Holocaust is such an important event in our history. I don’t think I’ve ever done anything this monumental before.” The play will be presented in the Little Theater on February 18, 19 and the 20. Tickets will be five dollars for children and seniors, ten dollars for adults and can be bought at the door or online at showtix4u.com.
Left: Freshman Sarah Keenan practices her lines. Above: Freshmen Grace Keenan, senior Madison Cantwell and freshman Kelsey Pierce run through their lines. Below:Sarah and Grace Keenan dance together.
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45 Days Until Spring Break!
Find My Heart
Are learning spaces used efficiently? Creating a new and fun learning environment for students that have tools that aren’t normally provided in a typical classroom setting is undoubtedly beneficial. However, are the new learning spaces being used to their full potential? The Bell staff discussed how efficiently the flex spaces are being used. After gathering the opinions of teachers and discussing in class, the staff concluded that how well the space is used depends on the student and how responsible they are at getting work done or how respectful students are of their surroundings. In order for the spaces to be used efficiently, they need to be used to begin with. Not all teachers use the learning spaces in their classes. Since this is the first year, teachers are still learning how to sign up and some find it is too complicated or that they are too booked to find an opening. Other teachers are located too far away from them to move an entire class for only 45 minutes. For students with independent study time, they may not know if they are allowed to use the areas at a certain time or what the purpose for the areas even is. On the other hand, there are some teachers using the spaces multiple times a week for students to work on projects,
workshops or use the great tools that are provided such as the whiteboard surfaces and Apple TVs. There has been much praise about the furnishings and technology in these areas to provide a better learning experience. They have opened new opportunities for students to exercise their knowledge in a fun and creative way. There are students who find that the spaces are a convenient place to get some homework done before school starts or use it as a comfortable place to read. However, depending on the individual and the class, there are ways that these privileged areas and resources can be misused. Some students admit that when using the study areas independently, it is much easier for them to become distracted with other things. This sometimes leads to dozing off on one of the comfy couches, watching movies on the Apple TVs and socializing. Perhaps this is because some students aren’t certain what the guidelines for using the flex spaces are. Maybe it is a lack of supervision that leads to the misconduct. One thing is sure, the flex spaces are intended to be quiet areas when times of independent study are occurring and not somewhere that students can go to slack off.
Having a clear set of rules listed reminding students that the spaces are to encourage education may be a quick solution. Certainly students don’t need to have a babysitter or authority figure hovering over their shoulder, but teachers and administrators should be aware of who is in the areas at certain times throughout the day. The spaces may be a good place for students to relax quietly during Liberty Hour even if they don’t have a pile of homework to get done. The greater issue is when other people are disruptive to the students who are trying to focus. This is the first year the spaces have been here and like all new additions to the school they will take some getting used to. It may take time to work out the kinks and find the best way to operate for teachers and students to fully take advantage of the areas. There is no doubt that the learning spaces have been a beneficial and wellliked addition to LHS, but their full potential can only be discovered through trial and error. The efficient use of the learning spaces only has room to grow and bring the school greater success even if students and teachers alike are still figuring things out.
Staff Vote Yes: 8 No: 12 Illustration by Daryl Gichui
Opinion 27
Niki’s Corner Photos by Niki Benhardt
Top left: sophomores Tally Hill and Megan Dolsky, Middle Left is Andrew Cable. Bottom Right: is Joe Galetti and Savannah Parry and Andrew Cable in their health class.
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The Search for Love
J V R R E I L H Y Z E L Q S L I N H P M
D U E U S Z O X D F N T I G C M E D I P
E D Z E P K C S O X L A X U K S Y U H A
G T S E N I T N E L A V E H U W G U S W
J O A T S F A F G S B O V Y U Q Q W N T
ADMIRE AMOUR CARD CHOCOLATE CUPID DATE DOVES
R W X L A B E P P R U W B S R S S O O U
S U M M O B W O S D W H N V D Y E I I Y
C C O N R C Z M Q I E J U Y J J O A T E
N U W U R I O H Z B C Y R E C U W X A X
R A A K J B T H Z F L T R W Y T O Q L M
Q R D S R M K R C Y Z W J B W O D S E R
FEBRUARY FLIRT GIFT HEART HUGS KISSES LOVE
Y L O M W Y I J I W R H N P V Q H E R U
F P H N I B S D E L H H Y O X C B S T W
S E V O D R S J P Q F E U E H V L N R F
C T I E F V E D K Z D H T M W Q P J A V
B T T A E K S R X G L E L S U V U P E S
F A F V C U P I D I I O E K K J D T H J
D B N I F Q H V B L T I V P V O K V X F
K N I P G X F R I E X L C E N Z F H D R
Y K F A P Y A E J J T C A R D C O S J V
PINK POEMS RED RELATIONSHIP ROSES VALENTINE
Games 29
The Force is Strong in my Family Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Tara Prindle
I have been a Star Wars fan ever since I was in first grade, when Episode III came out. I used to draw battle droids in my art class, I still know the pointless trivia questions, I have old action figures covered in dust in my basement and an old lightsaber that is duct-taped from all the backyard battles my sister and I had. However, now that the new movie has
been released, as soon as I heard the familiar theme music blast throughout the theatre and those nostalgic golden words scrolled past the screen, my old love for Star Wars was reborn. Star Wars was, and still is, almost a religion in my family, which is the reason why I love it so much. My dad would often sprint outside in a hooded Halloween cloak, holding a red candy cane that we used for Christmas yard decoration as a lightsaber, for a duel with my sister and me. Our little Star Wars trio would stay up on Friday nights to watch the movies and play Lego Star Wars or Battlefront. I even dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween one year. This was my childhood, full of wonderful movies, playing video games with my dad and screaming on Christmas morning when I found a pile of action figures and a brand new lightsaber. This was all mostly because of my dad, who grew up around these movies and wanted his daughters to do the same.
The “Sage” Sage Editorial by Design Editor Alex Wilson
In my family, I have a brother, a sister, a mom and a dad. Everyone in my family is unique in their own way but for this column, only my older sister, Emily, deserves all the attention. After high school, Emily moved down to Florida to live with our grandma, then
Opinion 30
with her fiancé. However somewhere between the end of high school and now, she discovered the spiritual world. My sister likes the spiritual side of things, fortune telling, tarot cards and especially sage. My sister loves sage. She recently flew in for Christmas to visit, but of course before she left, she sprinkled sage around the house to protect it from the pesky little spirits that may be lurking. Once she took me to a pseudo science store and right off the bat, I was interested. They had shelves full of cool looking dragons and Egyptian stuff. Then I walked around the store and saw crystals, scented herbs, bowls that made UFO noises and a real magic kit. I think it was the magic kit that got to me because one of the kits was money-focused and allowed you to summon money. I didn’t like the impact this could have on the economy, so right then and there, I left the pseudo-science stuff to my sister.
However, as I grew up, those memories and old love for Star Wars was replaced with other phases, which tends to happen to everyone. Although I’m not obsessed with Star Wars, it will always be nostalgic. Now, I want all of the lightsabers, all of the Kylo Ren merchandise and, a subtle hint to my parents, a Darth Vader leather jacket. I’m not saying I belong to the Dark Side of the Force, but I’m secretly hoping that with all the merchandise I buy, then Disney will make movies or extended shows. Though I have to say, it hurts me when I can subtly tell that Disney has taken over. For example why is there a Darth Vader Christmas ornament where he is wearing a festive Christmas sweater and defacing his truly evil nature? I hope that’s as far as they go with the irony of making one of the most ruthless villains in movie history wear Mickey Mouse hats and dance the Hammer Time. However, like my love for Star Wars, hopefully some things will never change.
Sage is probably my sister’s go-to form of spiritual inspiration, but she likes to meditate with fancy candles too. I think the candles let spirits connect with people because ghosts only like name-brand candles with a high price tag or maybe it’s the scent of lavender. I have no problem with pseudo-science or spiritual contact, you can believe what you believe and I won’t think less of you. You could worship a box with nothing in it for all I care, just be yourself, I just think pseudo-science is very unique. As far as I know, that is the extent to my sister’s unique activities. She has told me she is trying to learn how to read tarot cards, so take that with a grain of sage. I love my sister, I really do. She made growing up fun and I wouldn’t take that back, but she’s distinct from the rest of my family. No matter what happens though, I will always love my one and only sister, Emily Ann Wilson.
Sisterly Love Editorial by Opinion Editor Emily Johannes
Anyone who has siblings knows they can be annoying and irritating. They get in your personal space, ask incessant questions and exist solely to make your life difficult. Sibling rivalry can also be a big part of having a brother or sister. For example, my sister and I are only two years apart, which emphasizes the level of competition
between us. When we were younger, we did a lot of the same activities like gymnastics and art. This caused friction between us. In fact, when I mentioned some of the details of this column to Grace before going to write it, she told me, “I was better at gymnastics than you.” Even though we both quit over six years ago, it is still a source of animosity. Several years ago we both entered artwork into a competition. Grace was accidentally entered into my age category without us knowing. They called my name for second place and I was ecstatic to have won a ribbon. About five seconds later, they called out her name. We had been entered in the same category and she had beaten me. This led to tears for many hours and the subsequent throwing away of my ribbon because I couldn’t bear to look at it. I actually still resent her for it to this day. As we’ve gotten older, the resentment has faded slightly. We aren’t as likely to
compete with each other for recognition of our achievements. She gets trophies for debating and I get awards for writing for the newspaper. Being different from her in many ways eases the tension between us and makes it easier to acknowledge each other in the hall when we pass by. We are more likely to open up to each other and I actually appreciate having a sister close to me in age. We still argue and fight over stupid stuff like the radio, who gets the front seat and how she ate the leftover pizza without me knowing. However, I’ve found that it’s easier to support someone else’s achievements when you’re no longer in direct competition with them for everything. I wouldn’t go so far as to say we are best friends, but we definitely are able to be in the same room without destroying each other, so that’s a start.
The Pokémon Life Chose Me Editorial by Ads Manager Daryl Gichui
School used to merely be a hobby and Pokémon a lifestyle. I’d spend hours upon hours making teams, collecting new Pokémon, battling trainers over and over to evolve Pokémon or get them to learn a super awesome attack. I got my very first Pokémon game from
my neighbor, Jack. He’d often come over to hang out and help me with my math homework. One fateful day he brought his Gameboy. My mind was blown. The only gaming device I had was a beat up Playstation, so all the sounds and colors coming from his Pokémon Silver game on the box’s tiny screen was incredible. Instantly, I was hooked and all I wanted to do for the rest of my life was to capture, collect and evolve monsters that can shoot lightning bolts and spit giant flames from their mouths, the graphics didn’t even matter. Jack eventually let me keep the game after I got my own Gameboy and I would rush from school everyday just to play it. I would apply things I learned from Pokémon to school, like how evolution ties in with the metamorphosis of insects or knowing what the word, “embargo” meant since I’d seen it in the games.
To this day I still love playing Pokémon. I have at least two other games where I’ve logged over 900 hours on each. I’ve replayed my Pokémon Diamond game at least six times and I’ve also completed the Pokedex, which means I’ve captured over 700 different Pokémon in existence. I’m grateful for knowing Jack and that he introduced me to a world that’s been a huge part of my life and even though I still enjoy the games, they’ve slowly become more of a hobby for me. There are more important things like school work, friends, driving and running that take up my time. I think it’s always great to enjoy things from the past, but as I’m turning sixteen soon, I’ve realized it’s also important to enjoy the opportunities I have now as a high school student and carry them with me in the future.
Opinion 31
Taylor Gerstner Athletes of
Story by Haley Stephenson
Photo by Hanna Davidson
“I like being around my team because I play with all of my best friends and I think it’s a lot of fun and it’s a great way to spend my free time. I make sure that I do the little things; I don’t care if I score and I make sure that I box out. I make rebounds or take charge and make sure that I help my defense.” -Taylor Gerstner
“She plays great defense and is always helping to stay positive. Taylor is a very hard worker. She’s going to do everything that she can for the team. She is a sweetheart and is a very genuine person. She works really hard and you can tell.” -Senior Hanna O’Leary
Grade: Senior Height: 5’9” Position: Shooting guard Favorite Food: Chicken Alfredo
“Taylor is probably one of the hardest working players we have, she’s the person that will go out and get rebounds and will dive on the floor, she’ll take charge. She’s just an all around complete player that does a good job. She’s the one that’ll sacrifice her physical well being for the good of the team and she took a charge when we played against Raytown and she’s constantly trying to help the team.” -Coach Noah Simpson
Katie Plubell
“I have always loved swimming from an early age. I love everything about swimming. I have swam on Story by Haley Stephenson Special Olympics team for years and also a couple of summers at Clayview. Backstroke is my favorite style. I even got first place in it! I love being a Blue Jay!” -Katie Plubell
Photo by Kasey Allshouse
“Katie is just a really hard worker and she’s such a sweet person and she’s such a great teammate who wants the best for the team. She’s very encouraging to our team and she’ll cheer us all on. She’s just a very positive person and she’s someone that everyone would love to know and be around.” -Sophomore Carly Simpson “She really brings everyone’s spirits up. Every time she swims in a meet it’s fun to watch because she’s so happy when she gets to compete. Her attitude is always great and she’s always smiling.” -Coach Christopher Murphy
Sports 32
Grade: Junior Height: 4’5’’ Position: 50 Free Favorite Food: Pizza
the Month “I’ve been surrounded by basketball my whole life. I like competing against different people and going to different places in the summer. My favorite high school basketball memory is probably freshman year, when I did the buzzer beater against Rockhurst.” -Jalen Lewis
Jalen Lewis
Story by Kati Benhardt
Photo by Elise Ciferri
“He’s a great player; honestly I’ve never played with somebody like him. He’s a big shot maker, very clutch and he likes to get everybody involved, but he knows when he has to take over a game. He pushes me to do my best. He has fun on the court, but knows when to get serious.” - Senior Hal Tyson “Jalen is a multi-talented player. He does so many things well: passing, shooting, dribbling. He has a great understanding of the game and he still wants to learn more. He’ll continue to practice well after his practice is over. I love seeing the passion Jalen has for the game. Those are the guys that are extra fun to coach. I’m also so impressed that Jalen is a ‘we’ guy. He’s very unselfish and wants the team to do well. He’s an outstanding competitor.” -Coach Roger Stirtz
Jacob Selock
Story Kati Benhardt
Photo by Erin Manis
Grade: Freshman Height: 5’6” Weight class: 132 JV Favorite Food: Pizza
Grade: Sophomore Height: 5’9” Position: Point guard Favorite food: Spaghetti
“It’s fun to be with all the guys. It’s one of those sports that even though it’s not a team sport, you still get to be as a team. I think people should maybe try wrestling; it’s one of those sports that is kind of over looked, but is still a good sport. It’s one of those things you have to try and experience before you knock it.” -Jacob Selock “This is the second year wresting with Jacob and he is a good partner and he is always looking for ways to get better. He’s always helping people, he’s nice and a good friend.” -Freshman Philip Manion “He seems very determined and really wants to learn how to wrestle. He always has that look; he really pays attention and he really has the desire to improve. He’s consistent, he knows the value of practice and showing up and that’s big.” -Coach Mike Hammer
Sports 33
February Sunday Monday
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Wednesday 2
Thursday
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Friday 4
Groundhog’s Day
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11 Early Release
14 Valentine’s Day
21
15 President’s Day No School
22
28
16
17
23
24
18
Diary of Anne Frank @ 7pm, Little Theater
25
6
12
13
Lincoln’s Birthday No School
19
Diary of Anne Frank @ 7pm, Little Theater
26
20
Diary of Anne Frank @ 7pm, Little Theater
27
29
Wrestling
Boy’s Basketball Date 2/2 2/1-6 2/2-5 2/5 2/9 2/9 2/12 2/12 2/16 2/19 2/23 2/26
5 Courtwarming Game and Dance
Spike-it-Up
7
Saturday
Opponent Level Truman Soph./JV/Var LN Tourney (A) Fresh BS South Tourney Fresh St. Joe Central Soph./JV/Var Park Hill South JV/Var Park Hill South Soph. Ruskin JV/Var Staley Soph. Park Hill JV/Var Truman JV/Var St. Joe Central JV/Var Park Hill South JV/Var
Location Time Truman 4/5:30p LNHS TBA Fr. Center TBA Home 4/5:30p PH South 5:30p Home 5:30p Ruskin 5:30p Home 5:00p Home 5:30p Home 5:30p St. Joe Central 5:30p PH South 5:30p
Girl’s Swim & Dive Date Meet 2/4 Dive 2/5 Conference Prelims 2/6 Comference Finals 2/13 Last Chance Meet 2/19 State Swim 2/20 State Diving 2/20 State Swim
Location Henley Henley Henley Gladstone St. Peters St. Peter St. Peters
Date 2/2 2/4 2/6
Opponent Truman PHS/ Oak Park LS North Tourney
Location Home PHS LS North
Time 5:00p 5:00p 8:00a
Girl’s Basketball Time 4:00pm 4:00pm 2:00pm 9:00am 3:00pm 9:30am 3:00pm
Date Opponent Level Location Time 2/1-4 Park Hill Tourney Fresh Park Hill TBA 2/8 Park Hill South JV/Var Home 5:30p 2/11 Ruskin JV/Var Ruskin 5:30p 2/15 Park Hill JV/Var Home 5:30p 2/19 Truman JV/Var Home 5:30p 2/22 St. Joe Central JV SJ Central 5:30p 2/23 St. Joe Central Varsity SJ Central 5:30p 2/25 Park Hill South JV/Var PH South 5:30p
We Our Special Olympics A Special Olympics halftime basketball game was the end to a week of fundraisng. Story by Caleb Lautenschlager
The student section roared all throughout halftime as a group of athletes took the court. The LHS Special Olympics basketball team was given the opportunity to play a short game during halftime of the first home game of the boys varsity basketball team. The game was a success, as sports marketing helped raise over $700 for Special Olympics. Emma Jones and Anna Carl are two seniors who were behind making the halftime event a reality. The two wanted to help out Special Olympics by giving them publicity and raising money for them. “We were creating a project at the beginning of the school year and it came to our minds that Liberty is so big on Special Olympics, but they don’t get enough big moments in front of everybody, especially a fan section like ours,” Jones said. “So we thought: why don’t we have them play at halftime in front of the fan section that’s going to be cheering crazy for them?” Emma and Anna brought their idea of raising money and allowing them to play at halftime to sports marketing. From there, the sports marketing team helped make everything happen. “We proposed our idea to sports marketing and they helped us with
Photo by Casidy Meeks
knowing who to contact, the script and how to sell,” Carl said. The sports marketing team was able to get the Special Olympic t-shirts donated to them and sold them for $10 at lunch and the game. They also worked on getting the word out of the halftime game and donated all the proceeds to Special Olympics. “We designed the t-shirt graphic, found a local company to make the t-shirts. We also tweeted about the event, emailed leadership and our student section,” sports marketing teacher Sara Haverman said. The game was a big hit with the fans and has become a highlight of the athletes who were able to play. “It was scary at first, but then when I heard people cheering I felt happy,” said junior athlete Reggie Koger. As far as the organization itself, Special Olympics is a sports organization where people all around the world with disabilities compete in numerous sporting events. “We have basketball, bowling and a track team,” basketball coach Michelle Jankovich said. “The kids come and compete like any other athletes would at the school and compete with kids from other districts in the area.”
The team practices every Saturday at Liberty North for an hour getting ready to take on their next opponent. “We have similar expectations you would have in a high school. We run drills just like anyone else would and have them scrimmage,” Jankovich said. The Special Olympics basketball season consists of three tournaments. One has already been played in which the team gold team finished 2-0. The next tournament will take place February 13 at Blue Springs. Depending on how well that tournament goes, the team could advance to the state tournament in Fort Leonard Wood Missouri on March 18 and 19. The love and support from everyone cheering for them was greatly appreciated by all the Special Olympic players and coaches. “It was incredible, the kids were talking about it all week. I really think it’s important that they get to feel celebrated just like the kids at the high school were,” Jankovich said.
Left: Sophomore Henry DeVry dribbles next to his teammates senior Pj Hansen (left) and freshman Billy Green (Right). Right: Senior Alex Untch shoots a lay up at the start of warm ups.
Sports 35
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