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Volume 89, Issue 3
the Bell
Liberty High School november 9, 2012
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Table Of Contents on the cover: Junior Meranda Dooley volunteers in a political campaign for her AP Government class. Read more about student involvement on page 29. photo by Lauren Pope
page 27
Sophomores Logan Shaver and Lindsay Mehaffey sell t-shirts to support GSA during lunch. photo by Kelsey Neth
page 44
Senior Ben Mayes secures a wheel in place during an Auto Tech class, where students gain hands-on experience and do maintenance on students’ and faculty’s cars. photo by Sarah Hartley
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Senior Ashley Bird and junior Lizzie Broyles discuss their outcome of their day on the course. photo by Sammi Novak
the bell staff
our mission
Editor In Chief Nathan Hunt Reporters Features Editor Michaela Lamb Haley Vickers Sports Editor Lauren Kenney Mat George Alix Messer Opinion/A&E Editor Preston McConnell Diana Timmermans Nick Palmarine News Editor Meredith Crouch Madi Denton Amanda Kovac Ads Manager Grace George Shelby Curtis Aly Copp Online News Manager Zach Kilgas Jake Boese Sydney Perkins Managing Editor Sarah Hartley Madi Hayter Molly Meeks Website Technical Support Tyler Eggleston Photo Journalism Adviser Photo Editor Sammi Novak Lori Oyler Assistant Photo Editor Breann Koch
Our Mission for the 2012-2013 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 us Address 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068 Email thebell@liberty.k12.mo.us Phone (816) 736-5353 Twitter TheBell_LHS
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jays’ jabber one homeless night Tonight, the Serteens club will host a One Homeless Night event where they sleep outside to raise money and awareness for Synergy Services to combat teen homelessness. It starts at 6 P.M and goes until 7 A.M Saturday morning. Contact Sara Langford for more details on this event.
photo courtesy of Jill Hertzog
photo by Diana Timmermans
Hide and seek!
If you haven’t purchased a 2013 yearbook yet, don’t miss your chance! Books are on sale for $55 from now until Nov. 20 (Thanksgiving Break). After Nov. 20, the price increases to $65. The LAST day to purchase your book is Jan. 11. After Jan. 11, you will have to wait until distribution day and purchase an extra book on a first-come, firstserve basis. Purchase your book in the attendance office or go online to the LHS Web page. There is a link to buy a yearbook at the bottom of the left side of the Web page.
Medical careers night Happening at Liberty Hospital in the Education Wing, on November 14, going from 6-8:30, an educational fair will be held for any and all students interested going into the medical field after graduating high school.
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Help find the legendary theater cat! After the performance last night, someone took the cat right off the stage! They need their good luck charm before tonight’s performance! The first person to find Johnson’s cat and “return it” to room 513 at the beginning of seventh period will receive a prize -- a coupon for a free Super Cuts haircut, courtesy of The Bell Staff.
yearbook sales
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Are we there yet? by Meredith Crouch
The African American Association sells chocolates to go on the second HBCU tour. Left. Senior Sarah Hassan is given a warm welcome at one of AAA’s meetings. Right. Junior Justice Tyson presents information to juniors Trey Hall, Nyshelle Posey, Jessica Garret and sponsor Eric Greely.
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Photos by Summer Turner.
Students may often find themselves having a craving for something sweet during the school day, or may just need a quick snack to hold them over until lunch. Luckily, members of the American Association (AAA) are selling chocolate bars during the school day. During spring break of 2013, AAA and the Diversity Club from LNHS will go on the Historical Black College and University (HBCU) tour for the second time. Last year, members had the opportunity to travel to Louisiana, Alabama and Tennessee, visiting historically black colleges like Louisiana State University and Xavier. Many of the members want to go this year and some who went last year are hoping to go a second time. This spring, members will be going to Florida, Alabama and Georgia, where they will be visiting schools like Emory University and Morris Brown College. “We went to about seven different colleges last year,” senior Artie Tuggle said. “It was very interesting to find out what they expect on your ACT score and what their campus is like.” To help lower the cost of their $480 trip, the members are selling chocolate bars at $1 each. For every box of 60 chocolates they sell, they get $25 to go towards
their trip. The number of students who can go is limited because the bus can only hold 49 students. Like last year, they will travel by bus the entire time. More than 10 hours at a time on a bus may seem unbearable, but students pass the time by getting to know new people and eating snacks provided for them. The bus is also equipped with reclining seats, wireless internet and a DVD player. Assistant Principal Eric Greely, who sponsors the organization, believes students should be strong in their academics. He pushes them to take AP classes and to study hard for finals and tests, like the ACT. “The HBCU tour introduces students to alternative colleges and inspires them to continue to seek the benefits of education,” Greely said. “Students who are African American have a better chance of graduating at a historically black college than they would graduating a large, popular school,” Many students find Greely’s advice helpful and inspirational. “Mr. Greely is a very good leader, he gives us advice in a way that is easy to understand,” sophomore Isaiah Cubit said. Junior Nyshele Posey, who is president of the organization, went on the trip
last year and plans to go again. She loves having the opportunity to lead her peers. She enjoys organizing the meetings and motivating the members to be better students and people. “The HBCU tour was very beneficial to me because I got to see people like me make improvements to their lives rather than being stuck in the same habits that their families had been in,” Posey said. Not only do students have awesome opportunities to go on college visits and reach out to the community, they are also guided through high school by Greely. Chocolate bars can be purchased from members selling them in their classrooms and during passing period, as well as at a table during lunch. The organization is open to all students who are interested in impacting cultural change for African Americans and other minority students at LHS. Their mission is to improve academics, engage in community service and to have unity amongst members. It gives students the opportunity to have a leadership position within the organization. They also do community service by mentoring junior high students and helping with the Halloween Night Out. This organization meets on Tuesday mornings at 7:15 in room 101.
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news StuCo gets together for a photo while at the Northwest Regional districts in Chillicothe.
photo courtesy of Nathan Hunt
ultimate Balancing Act by Zach Kilgas
On October 26, Student Council learned the importance of combining work and play. to overcome the obstacles he faced throughout his life. Later in the day each member will attend various workshops. “We each get to go to different rooms. We listen to their presentations about games, and new events their school have tried. We get told what is successful and what not to try,” junior class president Jakoby Swanson said. Some of the workshops are entirely for fun; activities to help everyone open up and break out of their shells. “We did an activity where we had to dress up in theatre costumes and have a runway and dance down the runway, I have no idea what the point was, but it was a lot of fun,” Swanson said. The day does not end there. At the end everyone is reunited back into the main gym, for the grand closing ceremony: a party without prejudice against those who cannot dance and the uncoordinated. “The party is mainly a huge dance, it’s
in a gym so they turn off all the lights and usually they have different colored lights all around and we all just dance, but what makes it so fun is the fact we all know each other and it’s all Student Council people” junior class vice president Serena Baker said. “I would even go as far to say that for me it’s more fun than a school dance.” “Student Council districts is important because not only are we learning and sharing ideas, but we’re also teaching the younger members to be able to really lead the rest of the group by the time the seniors leave,” senior member at large Audrie Estrada said. “Last year was my first year, but we danced, did cheers and there’s even a DJ,” Student Council Advisor Marla Badalucco said. This year the Student Council enjoyed a day of learning and sharing ideas, as well as the party, which some live for.
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Some claim that life must be divided between work and play, and for those who wish to achieve, they claim life is all work and no play. Luckily for Student Council, that is not true. On October 26, they traveled to the annual Northwest Regional Student Council Districts in Chillicothe, for a day divided equally between work and play. Student Council districts is an important part of the Student Council machine; this conference is a place where ideas on everything about Student Council can be shared to make each group stronger. “At Student Council Districts, I learn how to be a better leader, and how to positively help my school by learning new ways to connect our council to the students,” sophomore representative Alexia Harman said. The stage is set in the morning with various motivational speakers who tell their personal stories of triumph, such as a man who was born without any arms, who tells his story about his dedication
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Peace
,
LOVE
by Aly Copp
The Gay-Straight Alliance works hard to make LHS more accepting.
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Below. GSA pride and acceptance t-shirts have been sold during lunch by students in the club. Right. Administrators April Adams and Brett Coffman stand in the halls and watch as their example of tolerance and respect is met by the rest of the student body. Photos by Breann Koch
Have you heard of a place where anybody is accepted for who they are? How about a place where the people all strive to make everyone feel like they’re in a good and safe atmosphere all of the time? Maybe even a place where people can be themselves without any judgment? A place like this almost sounds too good to be true, but it is not. GSA, also known as the Gay Straight Alliance, is a club that provides all of this. “GSA, or better known as Alliance in our school, is basically here to promote acceptance between not just straights and gays, but all races and religions,” junior Breanna Hagenbuch said. “It’s just a very accepting group and we try to really promote that so that things stay fair throughout our school.” GSA is very active in the school atmosphere. Most recently, the alliance members have been seen selling t-shirts at lunch. There is a wide variety of shirts. They include the “Gay? fine by
me,” the “Hate free zone” and the “Gay Pride” T-shirts. All of these t-shirts are in an assortment of colors and sizes so anyone can wear them. GSA also had a fence decoration to celebrate homecoming. Since October is known as Lesbian Gay Bisexual Transgender, (LGBT) month, GSA promoted National Coming Out day on October 11 and Purple Spirit Day on October 19. “National Coming Out Day is a day where we need to be more accepting than usual,” senior Alli Vest said. “I also know that obviously a lot of people come out on this day. It started originally just to give one day to just kind of recognize that there are differences in people, and that’s okay.” On this day, GSA asks everyone to try and be extra caring and accepting towards all people.
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E C N A T P CE
Sophomores Logan Shaver and Megan Bircher proudly wear purple on Purple Spirit Day, hosted by GSA. photos by Lucas Carrel
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“Purple Spirit Day was an event that was actually started on Facebook,” GSA sponsor John Barreca said. “LGBT students have had a very high rate of suicides and suicide attempts and it was two years ago that there were nine suicides in a six month period that caught national attention. So the day was created to honor all of the students or victims of bullying who have taken their own lives and to stand united against bullying so hopefully the number of LGBT suicides goes down.” On Purple Spirit Day, people were encouraged to wear
purple and GSA passed out purple ribbons. The reason the color purple was chosen is because purple is on the pride flag and it represents spirit. Thus, purple spirit day was born. Everyone from Oprah, the Jersey Shore cast, and even the White House have worn purple on October 19 to commemorate the lost lives of many LGBT students across America. Students have a lot of reasons for joining GSA. “When I heard about GSA, it just kind of sparked,” sophomore Logan Shaver said. “It just sparked something in my mind to think that the people in this club are accepting of everybody, and I thought that was really cool.” A lot of students also agree that it is a truly amazing thing to have a club that is accepting of anybody. “I joined GSA, because I am gay,” Vest said. “We have a fun crowd and we just kind of hang out and get to know each other really well each year. It’s a really good environment. Sometimes in such a big school it’s hard to find a crowd that’s all just super down to earth and super accepting. We’re all just buddies.” It is safe to say that a place where the overall goal is to reduce bullying in the school, promote acceptance of everyone, and make our high school a safe place really does exist. They meet every Tuesday after school in room 914.
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Project halloween: Success by Lauren Kenney
Peer Helpers host a frightfully fun dance at Odd Fellows to celebrate Halloween.
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Clockwise. Officer Corrum warns students about the ghostly dangers of wandering off alone at Odd Fellows. Students show off their moves on the dance floor. Junior Libby Aguirrie and Senior Hannah Dawson battle it out in full costume. photos by Lauren Pouliot
Whether they are organizing a meeting, helping out the community, or showing a new student around, Peer Helpers are always doing something. This is a club that provides sophomores and new students with a support system, through peer counseling, programs, and community outreach. Their main goal is to be positive role models who strive to create a healthy unified school. This year they decided to do something they have never done before. Peer Helpers hosted Project Halloween, a dance at the haunted Odd Fellows Home that was held Thursday, October 25 from 8:00p.m-11:00p.m. “Most of us are too old to trick-or-treat but still want something to do, so the next best thing is going to an awesome Halloween dance,” senior Carlos Valles said. “We wanted to give everyone a safe option for Halloween, somewhere where they can have fun but won’t
be getting into any trouble,” senior Cheyenne Ogden said. The process went very well. “We already had decided how to decorate every room and our decorations were mostly traditionally Halloween,” junior Caroline Abbott said. Peer Helpers tried making this a fun event. There were many activities going on, such as a DJ, a mad science lab, pictures (done by One Tree Photography) and face painting by a makeup expert from Worlds Of Fun Halloween Haunt. Snacks and sodas were sold too. “The theme was Disney characters because it’s something everyone can relate to and costume finding will be easy. However, costumes do not have to be Disney, the school dress code just had to be followed,” Ogden said. “Costumes were a must though,” guidance counselor Amy Tuso said.
Tickets were only $6 and to make them easy to get, they sold them at lunch from October 22-25. Peer Helpers got the information out by putting it in KLHS, posters were all around the school, and some students even took it further and decided to show off costumes throughout the week. Peer Helpers hoped to have sold around 200 tickets, “Now will we sell all 200 tickets this year? No, but that’s how new things are, a few people test the waters, then a few more, then the everyone just jumps in,” Valles said. “I think it is going to be awesome and I really hope a lot of people come. They will be missing out if they don’t,” Ogden said. Hopefully you were not the only one missing out on this event and came dressed to impress!
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news FBLA sponsor Ms. Wyatt leads a conversation with five of the 15 students participating in the club at one of the monthly meetings.
Photo by Amanda Kovac
future busy bees by Amanda Kovac
FBLA molds students for their future careers in business. one of those. There’s other people from different districts getting together and it’s just a lot of fun,” senior Shelby Mann said. Meeting time is also used to prepare business presentations for competing. Students, such as junior Kayla Ford and Gabrielson, who joined this year, are also saying they are excited for the competitions.
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I’m planning on going into business, maybe international business, so it just gives me a sense of what it’ll be like in the real world, -junior Kayla Ford said.
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“[My favorite part is] my friends, and the events, because we can all go together,” Ford said. Three years ago, Personal Finance and International Business teacher Sara Wyatt became the sponsor. “When I took over FBLA a few years ago we had about nine or 10 people in it and last year I think we had 13 or 14,” Wyatt said. This year FBLA has about 15
students interested in learning the ins and outs of business. FBLA is a nationally known club, which makes it look great on a college application or resume. The club also teaches good leadership qualities, giving unlimited benefits when it comes to the work field. FBLA has been a national club since 1937. They meet about once a month to practice for competitions. The meetings are held in room 700, Wyatt’s classroom, in the morning. The meeting times and dates vary. FBLA is the future for those students who dream of one day entering the business world.
contact ms. wyatt for more info!
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When growing up, children have dreams of becoming president or an athlete and in a few cases, a strong business owner. Future Business Leaders of America, (FBLA) teaches students about the economic and social world of business. It gives them strong leadership abilities and a boost on a college application. The club has all the tools needed to prepare students for leadership positions in corporate careers. It takes students beyond the strategies and customer service knowledge they receive and gives them practice in the field. The competitions can be done in a presentation or can be taken online. The competitions cover categories such as accounting, advertising, desktop publishing, and job interviews. Each student chooses the category they would like to compete in and each meeting is spent prepping. This year, the club is hoping to send students to the state competition in Columbia again. “It’s not that big of a time commitment. It’s once a month and with my athletics ending soon I’ll have some free time,” junior Kyle Gabrieson. “I like the big meeting that we have at competitions. That’s when the oral part of the competition takes place if you’re in
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news Seniors Caleb Schaefer, Sam Buhlig, Ryan Prewitt and William Xaio work together to move up in Operation Lapis, and to increase their knowledge in Latin. Photo by Rachel Untch
Game on: Operation Lapis by Alix Messer
Latin students enter into a new realm of learning.
response to me using Edmodo.” As the students weave their way through the different missions, they pick up clues as to where they can find the lapis saeculorum. It sounds simple enough, but there is a lot more involved. “We are just getting underway with it, mostly because it has been a very steep learning curve for me,” Kurtz said. “The setup interlacing the Edmodo platform and Google Docs, coupled with the spontaneity of the immersion episodes, is rather complicated.” Operation Lapis has a steep learning curve for the students and teacher. But the different missions, which are similar to Legend of Zelda dungeons, make it fun. “I have never played such role-playing games as the old Dungeons and Dragons or Zelda or Final Fantasy,” Kurtz said. The Latin program, while it has been challenging, has helped the students significantly. “I would definitely say it has helped. It’s shown in an easy to understand way how Latin works, which is useful considering how complicated Latin can get,” Williams said.
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The goal is to find and translate the lapis saeculorum, The Stone of the Ages, before the volcano erupts. This is Operation Lapis. “[Operation Lapis] is an online game that’s been created to help people learn Latin. It’s in development and we’re testing it,” junior Cailean Williams said. This game does not only test the students’ grasp of the language but also their adventuring skills. “You’re searching for a stone and going through different missions to find it,” sophomore Isaac Knopf said. But these missions are not that easy. The program tests everything the students know about the Latin language. “There’s more encounters of vocabulary and speaking structure,” senior Ryan Prewitt said. Luckily, the students get to work in groups to determine their responses to the different missions on Operation Lapis. “The students in Latin I are set up in teams that represent various people in the Roman state,” Latin teacher Patricia Kurtz said. “The students in the group collaborate on their responses to the immersion scenario and then the team leader posts their
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news Right. Senior Vonnesha Bynes nurtures her growing garden of herbs and other plants.
photos by Logan Floresch
testing out our green thumbs by Sarah Hartley
Student gardeners grow herbs and peppers for culinary arts classes. were grown only in the spring and then sold to teachers. “I enjoy growing them because you get to work with dirt and be outside,” sophomore Austin Whaley said. Preparation for the gardening includes understanding what makes plants grow, what the different types of plants are and during the sale, interacting with customers and handling money. “You need to learn how to take care of a plant, how to water properly and not overflow it,” junior Josh Thompson said. There are benefits to growing the plants, as opposed to buying them from a store. “When you plant them, you get to control and observe the process of growing them,” Whaley said. “When you buy them from a store, you don’t get to see any of that.” Some of the students also thought that growing the plants makes them less
harmful. “It’s healthier if you plant them,” Crispin said. To ensure that the conditions for the plants are perfect, the classes water them every other day. They also clean the greenhouse twice a week, which is located behind the window in the hallway between the 100s and 200s. This year, the classes are also searching for ways to beautify the greenhouse. “We’ve asked art classes to paint murals in there,” Barreca said. “And we’re looking to get a pond in there to put fish in.” Overall, the grennhouse experience benefits everyone. “It provides the vocational prep students with a chance to learn on-thejob skills that they may not otherwise get a first-hand opportunity to do,” Barreca said.
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Culinary arts students are getting to work with some of the freshest veggies in town. For the past few years, the Vocational Preparation classes have grown herbs and peppers for the culinary arts classes.Last month, they planted over nine different herbs and peppers in the school’s greenhouse, including basil, parsley and cayenne peppers. The amount of time each plant needs to grow differs greatly. “Some grow faster than others,” Vocational Preparation teacher John Barreca said. “Basil is getting to be about ready. Some of the herbs may take another month or so. The peppers will probably take even longer, maybe another 45 days.” The two classes will be growing them year-round during first and second hour, unlike the previous two years where they
Photo by Lauren Pouliot
Photo by Rachel Untch
Sophomore Dani Hammintree busts a move at the homecoming dance with senior Lauren Pouliot.
A Month
Dr. Adams gets into the Halloween spirit and dresses up as a pumpkin for the Peer Helpers dance.
Spread by Madi Denton
one of the many kid friendly stations at safe halloween on october 30.
Photo courtesy of Spencer Hurla
Photo by Kathrine Kuhlmann
senior spencer hurla poses with his spiderman “mini-me” at safe halloween on october 30.
Photo by Kelsey Buehler
Photo by Lauren Pouliot “Being twins with Lauren Holm was awesome because we share so many interests, as you can see. Not to mention she was the Senior Mrs. Peppy this year.” -Senior Staci Gann
junior taylor wetzel and seniors hannah knapp, sarah hassan and regan lawler took part in juniors vs seniors powderpuff football.
photo by Shelby Springer photo by Cheyanna Schaefer “After coming off two big losses, we had to come back and beat Park Hill. Not only was it a big game for us, but with many former Jays coming to watch, we wanted to make them proud and bring in a win.” -Sophomore Jacob McGowan
photo by Shelby Springer
on october 17, after the act plan test, Senior emily duncan announced names of national merit scholars and other awards.
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Pictures Homecoming King Jimmy Sitzman and Queen Kelsey Buehler pose for a photo after being crowned during the halftime show.
“We really enjoyed performing at the halftime show. We all worked very hard to learn the routine, and I know a lot of us were excited to be a part of it.” -junior Mikaela Vittoria
photo by Breann Koch
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news Sophomore Malte Oberskirtch chases after the ball in an intense game of soccer.
Senior Mario Martinez steals the ball from his competator during gym class.
Photos by Cody Winters
sports: not so foreign by Haley Vickers
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The foreign exchange students have no problem participating during P.E. If there is one language spoken world-wide, it would be sports. Our foreign exchange students may struggle with English, but they have no issues understanding sports in P.E. class. Foreign exchange students, Mario Martinez from Spain, and Malte Oberkirsch from Germany, are participating in a team sports class this semester. They are learning new games and sports and experimenting with their athletic ability. “Mario and Malte are definitely a positive influence. They each bring a new and exciting element to the class,” teams sports teacher Roger Stirtz said. In the team sports class, they have completed a flag football and lacrosse unit. Students learn to play the sport, practice and then play in class. Each unit has a bracket in which students play to win. “Flag football was fun. It was different; we have never played it in Germany. And I don’t think Mario has played it in Spain either,” sophomore Malte
Oberkirsch said. Mario and Malte also have P.E. classes in their own countries. They are quite different than the team sports class here. “In Spain, you don’t have it all the days. You just go two days a week. Also, everyone in the school is required to go to P.E. in Spain,” senior Mario Martinez said. “Here we always play the sports. They talk about it for one or two lessons and then we play it. In Germany, we practice and then we play it. When we talk about soccer, we will talk about passing one week, and then shooting goals one week. It is so boring!” Oberkirsch said. The foreign exchange students also talked about their favorite sports back home and how sports are different here. “Canoeing is my favorite sport. In a two-person canoe, I am usually the front person. It’s fun and I love to do it in my free time,” Oberkirsch said. “I play soccer for my high school and I pay to play in a league at home,” Martinez said.
Students enjoy having Malte and Mario in their team sports class and they really contribute a lot to the class. “They are actually better than half the students in the class,” senior Deneisha Daugherity said. “They are fun and enjoyable to have around.” “Each of them came to the United States in really good shape and they’ve enjoyed and learned about some sports they don’t play in their home countries,” Stirtz said. Whether joking around with students or playing sports, Mario and Malte have been a positive influence on their team sports class and are continuing to improve at sports every day. “Their language hasn’t limited them in any way in class. In fact, sports have improved their communication ability. Our Liberty students have been wonderful with helping the foreign exchange students,” Stirtz said, “They have developed many friendships and positive relationships through the platforms of sports.”
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news Left. Robotics club gave demonstrations with their robot to raise money. Right. Seniors Alex Thomas and Luke Simpson work to set up before the fudraiser. Photos by Madi Hayter
The rebound rumble by Sydney Perkins
The Robotics fundraiser was a hit, raising money to go to competions and various other projects. “The robotics team and parent volunteers spent hundreds of hours to make this event happen.” Lesli Hayter, mother of senior Morgan Hayter said. There were many events throughout the fundraiser. The major events that took place were test-driving the Fords, and a silent auction. “We were also selling light bulbs because as a team we do sell L.E.D. light bulbs,” Pierson said. “We were outdoors. We had the robot going and kids games set up.” This fundraiser also gave them a great chance to show off their robot. “Our most recent robot plays a game called Rebound Rumble.” junior Chase Hill said. “It plays basketball.” This fundraiser was significant for the team. “Any other fundraiser that we do is going to involve just straight up selling things. This has a much greater community outreach to it,” Pierson said.
Many students on the Robotics team enjoy this event, because many students feel it is a great way for the team to bond. “I really like it when we are together as a team and people from the community who have maybe never seen what the team does gets to come up and see what the robot was like last year or how it functions,” Pierson said. “It is fun hanging out with the robotics kids” Hayter said. “It was also nice talking to parents and other people in the community who had no idea what robotics was and explain what you’re doing.” Hayter said. Last years fundraiser focused on selling food and candy. This year’s Ford event proved more effective. “We made more money this year than we have in the past because the amount of work that students and parents put into it,” Mrs. Hayter said. “We owe a great big thank you to the community merchants who supported us, as well as the individuals who came out to support our event.”
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LHS Robotics Team hosted a fundraising event, sponsored by Gary Crossly Ford on September 22. The event lasted from 9:00a.m- 3:00p.m, and was held at the Liberty Public Schools District Administration Building. Licensed drivers over the age of 21 were able to test-drive a brand new Ford vehicle. For each ride, Crossly donated $20 to the Robotics team. This event is important to the club of 47 students, as it helps raise money for their robot. They have to pay for each individual part on the robot and it adds up to $3,500. “The money goes to pay for our different competitions and any other kind of cost that our robot will need,” Hayter said. “We have to pay for what we put on the robot. Also, just going to competitions because it can cost a lot of money to go.” Students, teachers and parents dedicated a lot of their time and are the reason behind why the event was a success.
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kickin’ it at kickapoo by Michaela Lamb
Liberty’s debate team takes first at the Preliminary for Nationals. The weekend of October 13 marked the start of the Forensics and Debate season for schools all across Missouri. This was the weekend of the Kickapoo/ Glendale tournament, in Springfield, Missouri. LHS has been a serious contender in this tournament for years, and this year was no different, with Liberty taking first place in the Varsity division. This promising start to the season is welcomed by the Debate and Forensics teams as they gained a new coach this year, Mr. Baldwin.
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I don’t necessarily always go to win. I like to treat it as a learning experience, I don’t need to bring home a trophy every time. -senior Christine Conge
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Kickapoo serves as a preliminary for Nationals and students tend to use Kickapoo as a practice round to get their events in order and to see what they need to work on the rest of the season. “I don’t necessarily always go to win,” senior Christine Conge said. “I like to treat it as a learning experience, I don’t need to bring home a trophy every time.” Kickapoo events are limited to events most likely to be seen at National Competition later in the year. “There are fewer events than we regularly see in a tournament, but they are the main types of events that we see at the national tournament,” Baldwin said.
“There’s Policy Debate, which is where students debate a resolution that the government aught to change. There’s Lincoln Douglas Debate, where students are debating one on one about value topics and there’s Public Forum, which is more fact based. The Forensics Events are Humorous and Dramatic Interpretation and Duo Interpretation,” Baldwin said. Being a preliminary for Nationals makes this tournament one of the most competitive of the season. “You [usually] see somebody from one of these schools who makes it very deep into Nationals,” Baldwin said. Students are eager to try out their arguments at the tournament each year. together,” Conge said. “I do Policy Debate, which is talking about government policies that are in place and also Foreign Extemp.
“I think its fun, it just feels different going out of town together where you stay at the same hotel and wake up at five in the morning. “Its great to support your friends.”
I’m really looking forward to it,” senior Chris Vlamis said. Kickapoo is also a great team building experience.
Sophomore Ben Anderson and senior Christine Conge relax and chat between rounds.
Senior Nikki Jennings rehearses her case before her competition. Photos by Kathrine Kuhlmann
The Bird House Liberty High School Store
$2.00 off an Apparel Item with Ad
Ryan R. Snyder, M.D
Open During 5th Hour
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Features “The seats are made out of a material similar to what wet suits are made out of so you can literally just take a hose and spray the inside of the car down,” Mrs.Beirman said. Junior Samantha Tallant took an ordinary 96 Honda civic and turned into something extraordinary. The exterior is purple and the interior is purple as well with a zebra design. “My dad painted the car for me because he owns his own body.” Tallant said. T h e color of the car isn’t the only reason Tallant likes her car. “Another reason I got my car was because I drove a stick shift before so I wanted a stick shift car,” Tallant said.
THE BELL
There are few special cars that stand out. When looking across the lot, one may see the top of a circular shaped car, belonging to senior Lucas Carrel. “My car is an orange bubble shaped car,” Carrel said. “I actually got two cars, one nicer than the other, and put them together to make the car I have now. One thing that special about my car is the horn because it sounds like the old fashioned cars.” Lucas finished the car when he was fifteen and has been using it every day since.
Features
s r
lu
e k n Classics And
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by Grace George and Lauren Kenney
c
Big cars, small cars, red cars, blue cars, shiny cars, dull cars, expensive cars, cheap cars, cars on cars on cars. When looking around the parking lot at LHS, there are all different types of cars. Cars made in the 1980’s to brand new 2012’s, there is a wide variety of automobiles and some reflect their owners.
THE BELL
After searching for a while, sophomore Grant Perkins found a car he fell in love with. Trying to stay in his price range and find a car that fit him well was hard, but Perkins pulled it off. “I got my car two months before my 16th birthday and you could say I was more than excited,” Perkins said. “It’s a black Mazda 305. I drive it pretty much every day and I take it everywhere.” Like all cars, Grant’s has a few flaws; one being the high price of washing his car, and another being the dent inside his passenger car door. “Ahh, the dent,” Perkins said. “One of my friends opened the door while I was driving so I turned around to see him and when I turned I hit something and boom. There was a dent in my car.” Dent or not, Perkins loves his Mazda. When researching the best car for dog owners, Cynthia Beirman came across the Honda Element. She made her final decision when she saw all the extra effects the vehicle had. The Honda Element is a great car for camping and an exceptional car for people with dogs. She owns a Jack Russell terrier and a German Shepard. “The seats are made out of a material similar to what wet suits are made out of so you can literally just take a hose and spray the inside of the car down,” Frau Beirman said.
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Spotlight on Sophomore
Cheyanne Jackson The last Time...
by Amanda Kovac
I stayed after school “Rugby. We had practice and we did tackling and ball handling drills. I tackled Kallin, but when I was about to tackle her, she was already on the ground, so I just kind of landed on her and rolled over. It was painful but we couldn’t stop laughing.”
I Ate Out “I ate at Olive Garden for Homecoming. I don’t usually eat out much, being vegetarian. I had the pasta with alfredo sauce. It was delicious.”
I Did Chores “I had to clean my turtle Ersa’s cage. I have to clean it at least once a month. He gets to roam around the yard for exercise when I clean it.”
photo by Jaileen West
THE BELL
Thoughts on Cheyanne “Cheyanne is very motivated, organized, and passionate about GSA. She has worked very hard to promote the club and raise money. Cheyanne is very genuine and cares a lot about making the school a better place for everyone.” Mr. Barreca said.
Spotlight on junior
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Sam griffin by Nick Palmarine
The last time...
I went to an LHS Event “The last LHS sporting event that I attended was the volleyball game against Kearney. The girls won in two games.”
I spoke to Someone “The last person I talked was Austin Nash. We talked about how much the Kansas Jayhawks were better than the Kentucky Wildcats. We exchanged some fighting words. We came to an agreement that Kansas is way better than Kentucky and that Kansas is pretty much the best basketball school in college basketball.”
I Cried “The last time I cried was when I was playing a game of Madden 13. I was playing Jackson Jones and I scored with 2 minutes left in the game and converted the 2 point try to go up by one. Jackson then drove down the field and kicked a game winning field goal with 10 seconds left. I had one more shot and I chucked a “Hail Mary” down the field, it didn’t work. I then threw my controller at the wall and I cried a little bit. Winning in Madden is very important to me.”
photo by Jaileen West
“Sam is a tremendous young person and player. He does an excellent job for us on the court; he’s a very strong competitor. He’s going to have a great year for us. He does a great job in the classroom and off the court as well. He has a bright future and we’re very proud to have him in our program,” Coach Stirtz said.
THE BELL
thoughts on SAm
22
Spotlight on Senior
allie holyfield The Last Time...
by Mat George
i dreamed “My whole entire family became part of the circus. They left to travel with the circus, because they though it would make them millions. I told them it was a bad idea but they left anyways. After they left, I went and stayed with Kelsey Buehler, but my friend kept making me watch their circus shows. I then moved out of there into a dumpster mansion. It looked like a dumpster on the outside but it was a mansion on the inside.”
my pet died “At the Fall Festival I won a gold fish. I got home and realized that all I had was Beta fish food. When it didn’t take to it I had to resort to feeding it some honeydew we had lying around the house, but it didn’t like that either. Then I asked my friend to bring me fish food but by the time they got to my house it was too late. The fish had died.”
Embarrassed myself
Thoughts on photo by Sammi Novak
THE BELL
“I don’t get embarrassed very easily, but this one time my friend Bailey Williams and I were going to pick up Exit 16 shirts from Anna Kain’s house. I thought I knew where I was going so I called her to let her know I was outside, and she told me to just walk on in. For some reason I didn’t and I just knocked on the door. When the door was answered I walked in and started petting the dog. Then I looked up and realized that the family sitting in the room was not the same ethnicity as Anna. We quickly explained our mistake and left. We ran out, got in the car and started backing out. Then we accidentally hit their mailbox and had to go back in and tell them that we did.”
“Allie Holyfield is an incredible student. Whenever she walks into the room she adds color to the classroom. She is 100 percent optimistic. She is an excellent team player and has a magnanimous personality,” Mr. Baldwin said.
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Spotlight On teacher
the last time...
by Madi Hayter
photo by Jaileen West
Mr. Baldwin I HAd an Awkward Conversation “I tell you, I just had a real awkward conversation about our ACT proctoring session with a teacher upstairs, like two minutes ago. We were talking about when to record scores, it felt like... Let me rephrase... I’m naturally an awkward person. So a lot of the conversations I have are awkward and so I’m literally telling you the interpersonal exchange that I had with a person. I felt like I left it awkward. Like there was some misunderstanding. I word things wrong, and have the wrong tone, I typically and probably do.”
I went to a Concert “The last concert I went to was at the end of the summer. It was James Taylor. He was my dad’s favorite artist. I took three of my vinyl records there and got them all autographed by James Taylor. It was a real, huge experience. I listen to all types of music; classic, singer-songwriter, classic rock, and then some more modern stuff. I have really been on a Black Keys kick this last year, and a Modest Mouse kick. I also like listening to Led Zepplin.”
I Dreamed “It was crazy, it was this weekend, it was about the zombie apocalypse, and I was foraging for supplies with a co-teacher I don’t want to name, because it was just strange. We were foraging for black beans, in a supermarket.”
“Mr. Baldwin is a an intelligent, helpful, and charismatic teacher. He helps me succeed whether or not I feel confident, and I can always count on him to explain something to me or work me through something I’m having trouble with,” sophomore Ben Anderson said.
THE BELL
Thoughts On Mr. Baldwin
Sober story by Zach Kilgas and Merideth Crouch design by Michaela Lamb
The Bell staff wants to know: what are you doing this weekend? Nowadays, partying constantly bombards teens. Music compels teens to “party like a rock star” or “get the party started.” TV shows like Jersey Shore show the wild side of being of legal drinking age, these extreme examples and situations have affected teen’s perception of partying. It may seem like the cool, or popular choice at the time, but irresponsible decisions in high school can change a teen’s life forever. Throughout LHS, partying takes many different forms based on each student’s individual choices, experiences, and openness on various social media sites. To guide our investigation, The Bell defined partying as when a group of five or more people get together for some fun. For teenagers, “fun” can be as simple as hanging out with a group of friends, watching movies and eating food together. For some teens, however, partying can also be when a considerably large amount of people gets together with loud music, games and possibly even the use of illegal drugs like alcohol and marijuana. According to the Missouri Student Survey taken by LHS students in 2012, 76% of students surveyed do not drink alcohol and 85% do not use marijuana. A majority of, 49% of students who were interviewed over student email, by The Bell Staff say that they would never use alcohol and other drugs however, there still remains a small 5% of students who believe that a party is not a party without them. Even though there is a significantly smaller portion of students who use illegal drugs councilors and administration are still concerned. Unfortunately, school policies, though strongly affective, cannot always protect students from making bad decisions outside of school. Some students attend parties almost every weekend, despite the known consequences and potential health risks associated with illegal drugs and drinking. “I have no idea, way too many to count,” senior Savannah West said when asked how many parties she has attended. Each student had their own personal reason for their attraction to the illegal activities associated with partying. Many students explain that they use alcohol and other drugs as a way to “have fun” and to “connect to new people with similar interests”. Teens are attracted to parties because of the music, games and food but they mainly go to spend time with friends. When it comes to
h
partying, the people involved seem to be the main attractant. “I like to party, it’s fun to be around friends just having a good time with people. ” West said. West, along with other students interviewed, admitted that their risky behavior has lead to dangerous situations. “At one party, I was unresponsive for almost thirty minutes, and people were trying to wake me up but I couldn’t because I drank so much,” *Kyle said. Overconsumption of alcohol can cause alcohol poisoning, which is likely the reason this teen passed out at the party. Many students don’t to grasp the seriousness of situations like this. Alcohol poisoning is dangerous often fatal, in all these situations the person must receive medical attention immediately. Another student had a brush with the law while at a party, and jeopardized her personal safety while attending a party. “The worst thing that’s ever happened to me at a party was having to hide in a closet so more people started fighting,” *Sasha said. Social Studies teacher, Vince Armilio, has detected strange behavior in students that he has linked to partying with alcohol and other drugs. “Usually you can tell by their behavior in school that they party. If they have their heads down on their desk and look lethargic, it leads you to believe they haven’t had a lot of sleep. Redness around the eyes can show that they may have been drinking, they also have to hydrate a lot by drinking water,” Armilio said. Most students know that they will be suspended for coming to school under the influence; they may not know that they can still be suspended if the administration discovers they had participated in illegal activities the night or weekend before if the substances are still in their system. In the eyes, of teens that do not party, teen partying is viewed in a negative light. Some students choose not to party because they have had friends who have had bad experiences or heard about how a fellow student got into trouble with the school, or the law for their behaviors. “Right now in high school is when everything is on the line. Whether its NHS or scholarships, this is when everything really matters.
o G d An Home The key to having an enjoyable time with friends is to make smart choices. “There is no such thing as partying “smart” when it involves alcohol and other drugs. The overwhelming majority of people who use substances become addicted because it changes the way the brain works,” Tuso said. At this age, partying seems like innocent fun, but it can have negative effects when unsafe decisions are made. Every LHS counselor is available to offer help to those in need. It is important to make good choices and to stay safe both in the classroom and on the weekends in order to have a successful and enjoyable time in high school.
a poll to show 32%
41%
14%
I would never use it
I can have fun without it
I don’t care
8%
Only sometimes
5%
Its not a party without it
And making that 30 second decision on whether you are going to smoke that joint or take that sip can change your life forever,” junior Olivia Bisges said. “I hate to sound like my mother, but really you have to make good choices, and I don’t think partying falls into that category,” sophomore Desiree Johnson said. “I think partying is fine as long as students aren’t doing illegal activities but unfortunately that’s all partying is now a days. Illegal substances are obviously illegal for a reason,” sophomore Lucas Simpson said. These students explained they frequently hang out and do so without illegal substances. It is very easy for a newcomer to quickly assimilate to the group’s demeanor, peer pressure can be a huge factor in whether a teen chooses to use alcohol and other drugs at a party. In sharp contrast to the views of a teen partier, administration had a different opinion. In an exclusive interview with Principal April Adams, she explained not only the school policy about drugs and alcohol, but also her personal opinion on the subject. “I think it’s very dangerous, your body is at a developmental stage and there are reasons why there is a drinking age. Your body isn’t done developing until the age of 21,” Adams said. Some students believe that what they do at a party over the weekend has nothing to do with their school life. Unfortunately, some party habits can follow a student throughout the school week. This includes destructive behavior during class and even the use of drugs and alcohol during school or at school events. “The consequences for using any kind of substance, whether it’s alcohol or marijuana, include student’s grades starting to fall. Suddenly, A students become B students then, B students become C students and so on. We do see, as usage progresses that coming to school and making it from class to class becomes less of a priority. There may be some students who lose friends because of their use and may skip classes to avoid these people,” Prevention Coordinator Amy Tuso said. The administration has set consequences for partying habits that are harmful. “If you are under the influence or intoxicated at school, it’s an automatic ten day out of school suspension and a 45 day follow up,” Dr. Adams said. “If you are distributing, it is 180 school days of outof-school suspension.”
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Features
a war On Terror by Molly Meeks
THE BELL
American teenagers remain ignorant of events happening in the war torn Middle East. Middle Eastern countries are constantly in the news, showing riots and political unrest. Americans are often found considering anyone who looks Middle Eastern to be a terrorist. But do students know what is actually happening? Debate students research these topics daily, and can give informed opinions on worldly topics such as the Middle East. Syria has taken a large focus of the recent world news. The Syrian government and citizens have been fighting with each other in a civil war. Violent riots fill the streets almost daily, and rumors of cluster bombs being used were spread across the world. “I’m pro ‘getting in there and helping Syria.’ I’m pro ‘US intervention,’ because I feel like having the military that we do and having the world status that we do, we have an obligation to protect citizens from their tyrannical governments,” senior Spencer Nelson said. The Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, has been asked by his citizens to step down from office. Similar to other Middle Eastern rulers, Assad is not willing to step down. The ongoing war has recently been affecting their neighboring country, Turkey. Syrian troops have gone onto Turkish soil, meaning that the Turkish government is beginning to get involved. In another part of the Middle East, a young girl from Pakistan named Malala Yousufzai, who is 14 years old, fought to go to school. The Taliban does not allow girls to be educated, but for Yousufzai this explanation was not enough and she demanded an education. Yousufzai was recently shot in the head and was taken from her home country to Britain for emergency medical treatment. The attempted assassination created an outrage. Pakistani citizens have taken this as yet another example of the Taliban’s power over stretching their bounds. This incident created a domino effect of other events, including the
burning of several schools. A few countries away from Pakistan, Israel and Palestine are at war, constantly attacking each other and killing many people along the way. “Why are we not helping Israel/ Palestine? You can’t make one argument for Syria but then be hypocritical when it comes to Israel. I like Israel/Palestine,” senior Jesse Drewry. Several countries in the Middle East are currently suffering from political distress and innocent lives are being taken. American troops are still stationed overseas in the Middle East and contrary to popular belief, there seems to be no hope of them being sent out anytime soon. Many Americans, especially students, are unaware of the troubles in the Middle East. Many do not even know which continent the middle east is on. Which poses the question, if the events in the Middle East are considered small enough that most Americans are unaware, should America still be involving themselves? “We shouldn’t bomb Iran, I think that’s pretty reasonable. Because first of all, the war on terror isn’t really a war we can win; it’s a war on ideology and not a war on an actual being or country. The culture in the middle east is obviously pretty different from ours and we shouldn’t
be imposing our views upon them,” Drewry said. They may be on the other side of the Earth, but Middle Eastern countries have become prevalent in recent world news. The American government has inserted themselves in several Middle Eastern countries, and may never be taken out. Interested in learning more news from the Middle East? Resources include CNN and newspapers like the New York Times, The Kansas City Star, or Liberty Tribune.
27
Features left. Junior Austin Hayes works over one of the several industrial quality machines in the shop right. Senior Robert Dodd inspects an engine block during class time. Photos by Ashley Van Black
Who Needs Jiffy Lube? by Preston McConnell
Auto Tech students gain hands on experience in a variety of vocational fields. class, organization is key. Students wanting to work on their own vehicles have to schedule a time to do so. “We currently have 105 auto tech students and our shop holds only two vehicles at a time, so careful planning has to be done,” Auto Tech teacher Joe Wheeler said. To start the class, bookwork must get complete. “Right now it’s not very exciting because we are learning the material, but when we learn all of it, we will be able to go out into the garage and work on the cars,” sophomore Damien Brown said. Students must know the theoretical side of the cars they are fixing, so there is no room for error. When it is time to work on the cars, students have some responsibilities. “Yeah we do, but the students must buy the parts,” Schrorer said. Even though
parts are expensive, labor is expensive too. Using the class for repair work could really save some money. The students in this class can fix American made and foreign cars, it does not matter. Their skills do not stop at fixing cars either; the students learn to fix anything that involves a small gas engine. “Other than cars and trucks, we also work on dirt bikes, motorcycles, ATVs and lawn mowers, or anything with a small gas engine. In most cases, we are able to fix everything that comes into our shop. The trade-off is that some repairs we do take longer than a regular shop due to class schedules,” Wheeler said. The classroom is located right next to the garage and it really makes the students feel like they are in a car shop. “I
want to do something with auto tech and I plan on going to college for it,” Schrorer said. This class will set up the students for success in the near future. “Oh yeah I would recommend this class! Not really for girls though, but guys for sure!” Brown said. For girls out there though, just because Brown does not think so, does not mean a female cannot have fun and succeed in the class. “We typically have at least one girl in each class. Girls do just fine in the classes. We currently have a female student who is planning on becoming a professional technician,” Wheeler said. Sign up for repairs on the sheet in Mr. Wheeler’s room and just pay for the parts, not the service. You can get quality work on a car by well -taught students.
THE BELL
The smell of oil and the sounds bring everything into play and give students the experience needed to make this profession a career. For those people that do not know, Auto Tech is a class here in the high school where your cars get quality repair. It might be one of the classes most similar to the real world. “Yeah, I enjoy this class better than other classes because this one is more hands-on and like the real world,” senior Riley Schorer said. The classroom is located in the basement of the school and can be reached through the doors by the industrial technology hallway. The students in the class with the most experience are hard at work fixing cars all class period. With more than 100 students enrolled in the
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Features
Help, We’re Trapped! by Alix Messer
The trap team abandons homecoming for guns and clay pigeons at the Pheasants Forever event.
THE BELL
The Liberty boys and girls trap team shot at the Pheasants Forever event Saturday, October 6. Choosing to skip Homecoming was a big decision for some students. Though this interfered with Homecoming, a handful of dedicated shooters chose to attend the event instead of the dance. “This past weekend we did “Pheasants Forever,” which is a youth shooting event,” junior Austin Van Black said. “The flight I was on, which was five people, got first place.” The team swept the floor, taking first in varsity, second in JV, and the ladies team taking first as well; the competition was fierce. “750+ high school shooters from across the state shoot at the Missouri State Trapshooting range in Linn Creek MO,” Trap Shooting coach Ken Lenger said. The students get to shoot 100 clay pigeons, although it is hard to achieve 100%. “During practice, my percentage was 65% and I actually did 65/100,” sophomore Nick Osborn said. “It was fun to see my average.” Most of the trap shooting team grew up shooting guns or hunting, but not everyone has been around guns their whole life.
“I’m definitely not the norm,” senior Jesse Drewry said. “Most people on the team have grown up hunting or going out with their parents, but I have no hunting background. I didn’t join out of interest. I just wanted to get into something new.” Some of the trap shooters had siblings on the team and wanted to follow in their footsteps. “My sister is a year older than me and she kind of inspired me to start trap shooting,” Van Black said. The teams, no matter what their background, work hard towards competitions, especially for state in April. “I’ve [gone] to state for [the past] two years. State is a completely different experience. It’s an overnight trip and there’s a lot of comradery with the team, so it’s a fun bus ride,” Drewry said. The team is constantly working towards their state goals, always trying to improve during practice and at competitions., but the team is not always serious. “My gun’s name is Tiffany,” Drewry said.
left. The LHS 2012 Trap Team poses for a team picture. photo courtesy of Dice Photography right. Senior Shona Choice takes aim at the Pheasants Forever event. photo by Lauren Pouliot
29
Features
Politics getting Phone-y by Molly Meeks
AP Government students volunteer at local campaign offices during the election season. left. Junior Erin Kiely creates hand outs as part of her AP American Government volunteer hours. right. Juniors Kaley Nicholson, Meranda Dooley and Mackenzie Malicoat answer phones at campaign headquarters. photos by Lauren Pope Campaigning included everything from hand addressing letter’s to marching in the fall festival parade to making phone calls to voters. “The assignment was fun; I did it with my friends, and it was useful, it wasn’t a waste of time and was pretty easy to get done,” junior Logan Gordon said. These students were doing more than just making phone calls and hanging out with friends during this assignment; they were learning the inner workings of an important government process. “It gives more insight to the political process and how campaigns work. The presidential election years are really the years where it works the best, because there is more interest generated more people are paying attention to what’s going on,” American government teacher Ron Ludwig said. During class, AP
government students spend time learning to understand what our government does, and how it works. But students can only learn so much with notes. Getting out and learning first hand how a campaign works provides an entire new perspective. “It’s not an easy grade to get; it’s a lot of work. You can’t just study from your notes, it’s more application you have to really apply your knowledge,” Braun said. Even when most AP government students did not vote in the election, because it is a junior heavy class, they still must edit out their own political views and be prepared to have several other political views thrown in their face throughout the campaign. “I agree with Myrons views, but it’s kind of hard not to share any of my opinions to people who are really liberal. You get some pretty interesting people on the phone. I’ve had some
who will be like, ‘all I vote is democrat’ and they don’t want to hear the rest of the survey,” Braun said. Along with the knowledge gained in this assignment there was also some fun to be had by the government students. “Typically when students look at the assignment initially they’ll be resistant to it and not really want to get into it, but the comments I hear back from the students is ‘I didn’t really want to do it but once I got into it, it was really fun, it seemed to go by pretty quickly’ and they say especially when you do it with your friends and do it in a group because then you’re out having fun as well as fulfilling a requirement,” Ludwig said. For better or worse the election is over and the candidates have been chosen and AP government students played a unique roll without voting.
THE BELL
The primary races have ended, and the candidates have been chosen. Most of America focused their attention on the actual election, however, some select students focused their attention on the behind the scenes action of the election. Advanced Placement American Government students received an assignment that only rolls around every two years. Their job was to complete five volunteer hours on someone’s campaign for the 2012 election. “I’ve campaigned for Myron Neth at the Thursday night call centers. You make phone calls to voters asking them to answer a brief survey about who they would vote for today,” junior Jordan Braun said. Government teachers provided some assistance to their students, and announced upcoming possibilities to fulfill mandatory campaign hours.
30
pains
Features
of
parking by Haley Vickers
Liberty High School students feel the pain in their wallets when paying for yearly parking passes.
THE BELL
Why do parking passes cost $60? Where does all that money go that gets collected? These passes allow students access to park in multiple lots, located around the school for a full school year. Prices are prorated, so if a student buys a pass at semester, the cost is $30. “When fees are set, it’s relative to expenditures, relating to those fees,” Chief Financial and Operations Officer for the district, Carol Embree, said. Students often wonder what the parking fee pays for and how it helps the school. “I think parking is expensive. I don’t understand why it needs to cost that much and what the money goes towards,” junior Laurel Silcott said. “Previously, we had designated that any of those funds would go towards maintaining the parking lot, the repaving and striping. We are looking at all of our fees to determine if this is where we need to be,” Embree said. “We do not want this to be
burdensome for our students and families.” In the 2011-2012 school year, an estimated 602 parking passes were sold to students at $60 each. So far this year, 609 parking passes have been sold and there will be more bought at semester as more sophomores start driving. That is a total income of $36,540 this year from parking passes. “If parking was more, I probably wouldn’t park here. I would ride with someone else or ride the bus. I wouldn’t pay any more than $60,” junior Phil Dunlap said. “My parents paid for my parking pass,” sophomore Josh Anderson said. “I’m not sure if my parents will pay for it in the future.” “Compared to college parking, it’s not too much, but for the full year, it seems like a reasonable price. Up front it is a little intimidating though,” senior Melanie Kieffer said. According to other district’s handbooks,
all North Kansas City schools charge $35 for a year parking pass and $20 at semester. Lee’s Summit’s parking permits cost $25, and at Kearney High School, it is only $5. “If the parking lot was nicer, $60 would be a good price. I think $50 would be more reasonable,” Kieffer said. The parking pass price is still set at $60 for now, but don’t give up yet. There is a possibility that parking passes could change in the future. “I have been in conversation with Dr. Jacobs and Dr. Adams, because that is where we charge for parking, would be at the high school sites and for all of our fees, we are looking at those to determine if we can make some adjustments,” Embree said. If adjustments are made, for future students, the cost, the parking lot and the passes could be different than what they are now. Who know what the future will bring for parking passes?
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opinion
bluejay every day Battle for the city
the bell
Preston McConnell Reporter
pro
pro
Just a couple of years ago, one of the biggest rivalries ever was brought to the city of Liberty. In 2010, Liberty Public Schools opened up a new high school named Liberty North. Many people were split on this whole separation, the boundaries were a very big ordeal and they are getting revised after this year. Kids throughout both schools have many mutual friends and get along with each other, but when it comes to sports and competing in general, the competiveness is paralleled by the likes of other metro area schools like Blue Springs, Park Hill, Rockhurst and all the Olathe schools. These schools have another high school in their district, besides Rockhurst, and it is a very big deal to beat each other. Just like Liberty, there was the original school with all of the history and now comes the new school that wants to make a history of its own. This usually doesn’t go over well with the new school and is in the schools main objective to stay number one in the city. When it comes to Rockhurst though, they always have the bulls-eye on their head by every school. You could even compare it to The University of Kansas and The University of Missouri minus all the history, but the feel of need and pressure to beat each other is still there. This year, both LHS and LNHS played each other in the pre-season jamboree at William Jewell. The fight went on more than just the game. With LHS getting the win, LNHS was a little bit devastated and
pro
hurt. The arguments went as far as social networking and people were showing their school spirit. In a good way though, the students were just showing their love and support of their high school. I think it’s cool that sports and who wins is a big deal to the students, it makes everything more exciting and really gives the athletes something to play for. I, personally, think that the rivalry between these two schools is absolutely great. People still get along when it is not dealing with sports or other clubs, but when they play each other; it catches the eye of the entire community. With the rise of North’s basketball team last year and Liberty’s steady strength in many sports, the fight kept going back and forth. With the community noticing the rivalry, more people will be coming out to support the kids and will make the younger kids want to be more active and look up to the players. Encouraging the younger kids to keep working hard and they might one day become to be a Jay or an Eagle, depending on where they live in the boundaries. Rivalries can also give the season hope even if you have not won a game yet, as long as you beat your rival, it could be considered a successful season. Some people might be against the rivalry with each other, but I think that is what makes this town so exciting. To have these two teams playing is something people for which cannot wait.
pro
pro
33
opinion
What Rivalry? can we just get along?
con
con
from Liberty. To me, it just is not worth it. Some people say that the rivalry stems from the fact that North is new, and that they get better facilities. While this is true about North, disliking the students that go there because of this is pure jealousy and spite. Why would we want to be that petty? Yes, they have newer buildings and a better gym. Who cares? Liberty Public Schools is one of the best districts in the state of Missouri. And guess what? Liberty and Liberty North are included in that district. We should be proud and thankful of the excellent education that we are all getting instead of focusing on how nice our facilities are. Honestly, I do not see the point of getting so worked up over this ‘rivalry’ that we have going on. I am graduating this year and when I am in college, none of this will really matter that much at all. High school is a short four years of our lives. Why would we want to fill those four years with hate for people who live in the same town, and who we see on the weekends at the movies or restaurants? It would make high school much more enjoyable and less dramatic if we all just ignored this so-called rivalry and were just friends with everyone, despite their school colors or their mascot. The difference between Liberty and Liberty North is a few miles. North kids are our neighbors and friends. We should be able to coexist with them and focus on what we are here for; four short years of education. So how about we enjoy them?
con
Michaela Lamb Features Editor
con
con
the bell
I understand that a little bit of competition is good for you. I’m actually a pretty competitive person. But I don’t think that Liberty’s rivalry with Liberty North is a big deal. I cannot get behind it or get excited about something that I do not have faith in. Maybe it’s because I have friends who go to North and I would like to keep a healthy relationship with them. I do not think that it is worth alienating people that I still talk to and hang out with just because they go to another school. I have friends at Park Hill, Winnetonka and St. Pius as well, but that doesn’t mean I get competitive with them over school related issues. In fact, we never compare our schools, unless we are doing so in a joking manner. We get along fine with most of the other schools in the Kansas City area, so why should North be any different? Another reason I do not support the North rivalry is because my sisters may end up going there if the boundaries shift, as will a lot of people who had planned on going to LHS. I live right on the border between Liberty, Liberty North and Staley, I could have gone to any of those schools. I love Liberty and am happy that I go here but I know that it was just luck. Why get worked up about something as insignificant as a few miles difference between the schools when it is something that you cannot change? I do not want to create a rivalry in my own house if both of my sisters go to North and I graduate
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opinion
Staff editorial Do you perceive Lhs to be a party school? Hearing story after story of weekend parties, the question arose among the staff, is our school perceived as a party school? The Bell staff determined that our definition of partying, for this case, a group of five or more kids with the innuendo of something illegal occurring, which is not including all the parties LHS has or attends, which could be free of alcohol and drugs. After discussions between staff leadership and reporters, the majority opinion is no. Of course, high schools are going to have parties involving these things, but the question is, when LHS comes up in a conversation, do other school’s students immediately think “party school”? We may have a few other negative perceptions, but The Bell staff thinks that “party school” is not one of them. It is largely believed among the staff that many other schools in the Kansas
City-Metro area party just as much or even more than here in Liberty. Through numerous interviews, it is popular opinion also among the teachers that Liberty is not considered a party high school. Teachers explain that they have heard many stories as well, but that overall, partying is not one of LHS’ main concerns because LHS parties occur regularly, with numerous students attending, free of alcohol and other drugs. The staff hopes that we can keep the positive perception of LHS that is more of a school that gets good grades and does well in sports overall and not move towards the perception of a “party school” like many other KC area schools have done. Although, the school’s overall perception may seem to be shifting, the staff still decided that in most cases, LHS is not perceived as a party school.
what the bell thinks...
3 Yes, I do perceive LHS is a party school.
15 No, i Do not perceive LHS is a party school.
The articles on this page do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment, criticize, or condemn anything you see on this page in a Letter to the Editor at thebell@liberty.k12.mo.us
staff Columns
the bell
Putting the E! in “Election” The polls are in, and by now we all know who the next President of the United States will be until 2016. It is crazy to think that four years ago, I was sitting in my 8th grade Social Studies class, chatting with friends, pondering who would win the presidential election that we never thought would affect us. Yet, in the past term, there have been many decisions made that will shape our lives. However, in this historic election, it directly affected me because I had the privilege of being able to vote. Do not fret, I am not going to go off on some rant about politics and what political party I prefer, but I will voice my opinion on one subject. My generation is very content with being uninformed. The phrase, “ignorance is bliss,” defines most young adults these days. Choosing to keep up with the Kardashians rather than the world news that is happening right outside our window has become a norm. It is
Editor in chief Nathan hunt
so crucial for all kids my age to be knowledgeable of current events. It might not be as exciting as Kourtney having her baby or as funny as Kim parading around in different wigs, but it is very wise to be able to know the topics of critical points of discussion that affect us, such as the economy, health care and student loans. So while I am hoping that every 18-year-old went out and performed their civic duty by voting on November 6, I know that this is a very naïve thought on my part. I cannot make every person care about the issues, but I at least wanted to express to them the importance of it. We fought for this right and it should be demonstrated with pride every election. So I ask you this, regardless if you are of age or not, do you care? And if not, why not try changing the channel from E! to CNN the next Saturday when you are bored and see what you might learn.
opinion boo on you! By now, Halloween has passed and I have gotten out of my Halloween funk. I do not know what it is about Halloween, maybe it is the fact that I do not do the whole scary thing. I have never gotten the reason for haunted houses, or any of the paranormal activities. They are dumb. Why waste your money on something that is going to possibly make you need to change your pants? Halloween is one of those holidays most people love, but I have never understood, like Valentine’s Day… do not even get me started on that “holiday”. People invest so much for one night, but for what? Well, I guess you make the trick-ortreaters happy, but honestly where I live, we never get a lot of trick-or-treaters. I laughed when my younger brother and my mother came home a few weeks ago with a bunch of Halloween themed things. “What’s that? Why’d you get that?” I asked. My little brother replied, “We are going to be the scary house this year!” My laughter was cut short by my mother’s stare-down. Who was the strange guy who even came up with the idea of haunted houses? What kinds of things was that guy thinking? “Hey guys, let’s have a building filled with really scary stuff, stuff that would make small children cry, and charge people admission. It would be hilarious and we’d make millions off those suckers.” Same goes for scary movies, they are pointless. I could scare you better than half those movies and I would not charge you.
a painful vacation
opinion editor diana timmermans
Another thing I find hilarious about Halloween is costume parties. I have been invited to multiple costume parties and none of them were any better than normal parties, some were even worse, but that is beside the point. No judgment, but why is it that it is almost a requirement for girls to have a provocative costume? I mean really, it just clouds the squeaky clean image and probably offends black cats, bunnies, nurses, police officers and angels everywhere! If you want to win that costume contest, then I fully support you, I will even slow clap for you. I am just telling you up front that you will not see me up there, “shakin’ my thang” in a sexy costume. Do not get me wrong, I love fall. Basically, I love everything about it, home football games, hoodies, jeans, bonfires, shorter days, colder nights, the leaves changing colors, but Halloween is what I call “the halfway point of fall”, it is like fall is saying to me, “oh hey, well, I probably should go soon. But you know I’ll see you next year. Stay golden.” After Halloween, fall is all downhill. I do not know what made me dislike Halloween so much because I have some pretty great memories of Halloween. Most of my Halloween memories are from the fact my older brother’s birthday is on Halloween. So now, I just see Halloween as it really should be to me, my older brother’s birthday.
Ads Manager Shelby Curtis
under the dark sandy water. After a moment of contemplation, boogie board in hand, I decided to just go for it. Not two minutes in the water, I felt a dull fire on my leg. It was just a tickle at first and then turned into a thin string of burning that wrapped around my ankle. I yelled a few choice words and high-tailed it outta there. One of the lifeguards told me to rub sand on my leg to get the barbs out, which hurt worse than the sting. Then she sprayed straight vinegar on my leg. Surprisingly, that felt good on my bright red ankle. It was my own fault, I blame myself. And the worst part was, I went back in the water twice before the vacation was up. Luckily, nothing happened to me again, but the guy next to me had a jellyfish go up his pants. No one wanted to see him strip down at the speed of lightning, but what else can you do in that kind of situation? Moral of the story is, weigh your options carefully, learn from your mistakes the first time, and wear jellyfish proof pants.
the bell
Once upon a time...I had this weird idea in my head that I was lucky. I don’t know why at this particular moment I thought this, as I had never been lucky before. You would think the memories of broken bones, spilt milk at lunch and missing the bus every day in elementary school would have come to mind, but they did not. Hilton Head Island, South Carolina was under a jellyfish alert. They weren’t deadly jellyfish, they just hurt really, really bad if they stung you. How would I know? I weighed the odds in my head and not being good at math, I chose wrong and decided to go boogie boarding in the ocean. My thought process went as follows. We had been there two days, and only two people in our family had gotten stung. My mom had been lucky, and so had my friends. On the other hand, I knew there were hundreds, maybe thousands of jellyfish waiting to attack me. To make things worse, they did not float on the surface, they were completely submerged
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arts & entertainment
what’s trending? “I’m Six, and I’m A Beauty Queen” by Sydney Perkins
Everyone is talking about the surprising new hit series Here Comes Honey Boo Boo. But who is this so-called Honey Boo Boo child? If you watch her reality TV show, you will learn her name is Alana Thompson and she’s just like every other six year old… for the most part. Originally born in McIntyre, Georgia this small town girl has become an Internet sensation. She first debuted on the hit show, Toddlers and Tiaras. After a clip on the show went viral, she has become a household name. Alana is mostly known for her wild over-the-top attitude, not to mention her memorable catch phrases. Her family is comprised of her dad Mike (Sugar Bear), mom June, and her three sisters, Lauryn (Pumpkin), Jessica (Chubbs), and Anna (Chickadee). And I can’t forget to mention Alana’s beloved pet pig, Glitzy. Her 17-year-old sister, Lauryn, recently gave birth to Baby Kaitlin, which is a new addition to the already crazy family. For most people, this show is their guilty pleasure. They hate that they love it and for some reason can’t get themselves to stop watching it. In fact, its already been renewed for another season because of its success. However some viewers feel that this show is somewhat glorifying a redneck
lifestyle. For example their hygiene isn’t exactly top notch, with momma June’s forklift foot or their habit of washing their hair in the sink. Other questionable actions include poor grammar and unhealthy food choices. Also viewers feel Alana is not well mannered.
Her family is the epitome of a redneck family and they are not shy about it in the slightest. They all enjoy competing in their local redneck Olympics. “The Redneck Games is a lot like the Olympics but with a lot of missing teeth and butt cracks showing,” June said. Events
include bobbing for pig legs (yes, real pig legs) and mud sliding. Alana is a pro when it comes to getting down and dirty, but she also knows how to clean up well. Even though Alana is an animated little girl, she does take pageants very seriously. The family spends thousands of dollars a year on pageants. Their money goes towards the various outfits, coaches, entrance fees and hair and makeup stylists. She works very hard on her routines and hopes to one day win the grand supreme title because, “A dollar make me holler honey boo boo.” During pageants, Alana drinks her special go-go juice to give her an extra boost of energy. The juice is a not-so-healthy combination of Mountain Dew and Red Bull; which is probably the last thing an energetic girl like Alana needs. Although Alana enjoys pageants, they come at a price. Alana’s family tries to save money in any way they can. Her mom, June, is a penny pincher and a self-proclaimed coupon queen. Over the summer, they even held their very own roadside lemonade stand to try to save up money for pageants. Whether you love to hate her or hate that you love her, you can’t deny she’s pretty entertaining and without a doubt, a beauty queen in viewers eyes.
the bell
tuned in to reality tv... “I so love watching reality tv shows. I think I love the drama the most. In the shows I watch, I can tell most of it is fake but I still love it.” senior Macayla Witt said. Photo by Nathan Hunt
“For me, I don’t see it as actual reality; I think human behavior significantly changes when you know that someone is watching you. So even though they say they’re reality TV, if you had a big camera in your face you’d act a little different as if you were doing your normal everyday thing,” science teacher Stewart Jorgensen said. Photo by Diana Timmermans
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arts & entertainment
It’s beginning to look a lot like christmas by Diana Timmermans
Christmas is coming to Liberty High School’s Little Theater. matinees on November 10 and 17 at 2 PM. Tickets are $6 for children, students, and seniors, adult tickets are $8 at the door. A longer run of shows comes with more stress on actors and actresses. “In the real world, that’s how plays are performed, they are done not just for three days, they are done over several weeks,” Johnson said. This year they are trying to create real a theater experience with these new additions. “Definitely more stress, especially because we are in Blue Star, which is an award for theater and it’s very stressful, and we work a lot harder to be better than other schools,” Staton said. The Blue Star Program is an award program through Starlight Theater where students can be nominated for best actor, best actress, best supporting and the musical itself will be judged. It creates opportunities for kids to audition in New York and other places. Even with the stress of performing, the cast is very excited to perform what they have been rehearsing for numerous weeks. “Out of all the parts I’ve played throughout my life, I’ve been in quite a few shows, it’s one of the most exciting because you have to have the Christmas spirit and the joy and you have to be happy,” said senior Kelsey Lewis who plays the ghost of Christmas Present.
what’s the story on that cat?
the bell
“Mr. Johnson’s grandma showed up to all his shows. That was her ceramic cat she owned. When she died, Johnson kept that cat with him and every show he does he puts the cat on the stage somewhere...” senior Robert Louthain said. This ceramic cat has appeared in all of Johnson’s shows. Can you spot the cat in this year’s performance?
Photo by Diana Timmermans
This year the theatre department is decking the halls a bit earlier. The show is “A Christmas Carol” with a few more twists than musicals in the past. “The original Christmas Carol was not a musical, so for one thing, this is a musical. The story lines are somewhat different as far as where the ghosts come from because they are everyday people or characters that Scrooge runs into usually on a daily basis around town,” director Don Johnson said. “Everyone knows the basis of the Charles Dickens book, but there have been many different renditions of the same storyline of Scrooge. The main character is visited by three ghosts, Christmas past, present, and future. But the question is, how are they going to make these ghosts come to life? ‘Magic,’ Johnson said, “We have some tricks up our sleeve, and we are hoping to work some of those out once we go into technical rehearsals, lots of fog, lots of lighting.” Usually, the musicals are performed in the Liberty Performing Arts Theater, but for “A Christmas Carol,” they decided to perform in the Little Theater. “This is a musical that really lends itself to a small intimate space, and that’s what we have here. The Little Theater is very small and very intimate,” Johnson said. “We can build our set here and not have to travel it anywhere because it will go all the way out into the lobby area, so that’s why we are doing it here this year.” The cast can see the benefits and the conflicts of this decision. “I like the smaller venues; I like them a lot better than the larger ones, because I can concentrate on the character rather than projection,” senior Robert Louthain said. Louthain plays the part of Scrooge. “I like how I don’t have to drive to the middle school every day, but the space is a lot smaller, not a lot of seating,” junior Turner Staton said. Staton plays Marley, a friend of Scrooge Another twist to this musical is that this year it is running for a longer period of time. Instead of the one weekend of shows, they have decided to have two weekends of shows, November 8, 9, 10, 15, 16, and 17 starting at 7 PM, they also have Saturday
38
you get
arts & entertainment
Where do
1.
zona rosa
A rating of 1-4 of shopping centers in the metro area by reporters Aly Copp and Sarah Hartley.
Aly: Zona Rosa has attractions that spark the interest of all ages.
For children, there are stores like Children’s Place, Justice and a Toys R Us. There is also a fountain in the center that kids like to run through in the summer. At any season, children can play in the indoor playground located inside of Marshall’s. For teens and adults, there are lots of stores. Some of my favorites are Forever 21 and American Eagle. Aside from some good stores, it also has many places to eat. For a heavier meal, you could dine at Bravo’s Italian restaurant, Granite City or Hereford House. If you want a lighter snack, you could go to Yogurtini for some frozen yogurt or my personal favorite, Pretzel Maker for some pretzel bites and cheese. This would have to be my favorite shopping place because not only is it pretty close, it is a family-friendly environment that is fun for all ages.
Sarah: It was extremely hard for me to find anything bad about Zona Rosa. I have always been a fan of outdoor malls, so I was bound to fall in love with this one from the beginning. If the traffic is ever noticeably horrible, I think that the outdoor experience and restaurants make up for it. The selection of stores is not as diverse as the other malls, but that does not ruin anything for me. They offer a ton of great restaurants that you can eat at for decent prices. During the summer, I ate at one of the restaurants on a Friday night, and not only was the food amazing, but there was a band playing outside the whole time which we stuck around to watch, which ended up being the highlight of our night. This is definitely my favorite of the four.
the bell
Sarah: Anyone who has ever been to The Plaza knows how beautiful it is around the holidays. I think driving there just to see the lights and decorations is well worth it. When I walk around at Christmas, I feel like I am in a cheesy Lifetime movie and that is a great thing. The stores don’t seem to be geared for your average teenage shopper and they’re a lot more expensive than the stores at the other three malls. I might even call the stores more “sophisticated.” This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on how much money you like to spend on your clothes. Overall, it is a good shopping area and an even better shopping area around the holidays. I would wait until December to make a trip there.
2.
The plaza
Aly: The Country Club Plaza is high end, beautiful and pretty much amazing. A trip here is a really fun thing to do anytime. Not only does it look nice and clean with the brick and stone store fronts and the gorgeous sculptures and fountains dotting the area; it also has amazing stores. The downside is, the shops tend to be pretty pricey. Some other bad things are how busy it can get and the distance you have to go to get there. On a Saturday night, I would not suggest making a spur of the moment decision to go to dinner here. The restaurants are packed, so I strongly suggest making reservations to any restaurants you want to go to. It also takes a good 30 minutes to get there. It is a great place to shop, just in moderation.
designer duds?
39
arts & entertainment
r u o y
the legends
Aly: The Legends Shopping Center, located in Kansas City, Kansas is a large outdoor shopping center similar to Zona, it’s just
a little bit bigger. The stores here are what teenagers would like: Pac Sun and The Buckle. Some people would describe this as “overpriced” because Kansas taxes are at 6.3% while Missouri’s is 4.225%. I think that the drive is not worth it, when we have an outdoor shopping center much closer to Liberty; especially with gas prices these days. In my opinion, the only thing that truly makes this stand out is the giant T-rex Café, where you can build your own dinosaur and the mechanical bull at the restaurant Wild Bill’s Legendary Steakhouse and Saloon.
3.
photos by Nathan Hunt
Sarah: Though the drive is longer than the other three, Legends is
one of those classic malls people go to without caring how long it takes to get there. One of the most famous places here is the T-Rex Cafe, a restaurant that centers around a dinosaur theme and offers a huge selection of food, drinks and souvenirs. If that does not tickle your fancy, no worries, there are over thirty other restaurants you can eat at, ranging from Chinese food to Mexican. The majority of the stores at Legends are outlets, so the prices are reasonable. There are not very many significant downsides, though the drive can become a burden if you are not a fan of being on the road. Other than that, this is a great option for the shopping and food.
independence center
Aly: Independence Center is not as popular as the other malls. With the trend of the decade being outdoor shopping centers, people wave goodbye to the indoor shopping malls that were popular in the 80’s and 90’s. The convenience of it is that it is close and if there is bad weather, you can take shelter and shop indoors. A couple of the reasons this mall is so unpopular is past events that have occurred here. One of these is a shooting that occurred in January, 2012. The other event was a 26-year-old man falling off of an escalator two stories to the food court. Another thing that I don’t really like is that there are constantly stores closing. All throughout the store there are black shops with bars in front of them. Needless to say, this is not my favorite place to shop.
4.
the bell
Sarah: I have very mixed feelings about Independence Center. It has tons of great features, but then it has a few bad features that can ruin your shopping experience. A good thing is the wide variety of stores it has that cater to many different kinds of people. They also have lots of food stands and restaurants around the building. If you are hungry or thirsty, you don’t have to walk far to buy a pretzel or a shake. However, a bad thing is the amount of people that are always there. It is often very loud and you constantly are having to avoid running into tight groups of noisy people, which gets old fast. If you are willing to put up with those couple of downsides, then I would recommend Independence Center.
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41
Sports
Behind the mask by Mat George Spots on Team Blue Jay are available all year long. Kearney’s is the Bull Dog, Staley’s is the Falcon and ours is the Blue Jay. The mascot shows up to home games, assemblies and other high school events in order to get the students riled up. Instead of there being just one person in the blue jay outfit, there are a team of people who take turns. The group of students who wear the mascot uniform are known as “Team Blue Jay.” “This is the first year for the concept of Team Blue Jay,” assistant principal Penny Holm said. “Interested students had to fill out an application and get a sports physical to meet MSHSSA requirements,” she said. Although this is the first time for some of the members, being the mascot is a familiar thing for some people.” “I did it junior year. It was fun and we got to pump people up before games, at assemblies and at tailgates,” senior Staci Gann said. “I do it because it’s fun and brings excitement to the game. It’s definitely a plus to be able to say that you’re an excitement factor.” There were many ways that Holm tried to get the word out about tryouts for the mascot team. “I found out by the fliers. I figured
there’d be a huge crowd so I turned my paper and physical in early,” junior Kyle Gabrielson said. “I was the first person to officially sign up.” There are a couple of downfalls to wearing the suit. “It gets really hot in the outfit. If I were to rate it on a scale of one to ten it would probably be at an eleven,” Gann said. “We’re not allowed to wear it when it’s raining because it would ruin it and it’s very expensive to replace. It’s hard to see out of so you have to have someone escort you everywhere you go.” In some students’ opinions, Team Blue Jay is a great way to get the rest of the crowd cheering. “I think the blue jay mascots are an inspirational tool for the community of Liberty High School,” senior Hannah Knapp said. “It’s a great way to build school spirit.” Team Blue Jay mascots have their favorite parts about being on the team. “My favorite activities to be at are the assemblies because everyone is so engaged and excited so you can run around like an idiot,” Gann said.
Team roster
The mascot makes an appearance at the Pink Out football game. photo by Jessica Renzelman
Interested in signing up? It’s not too late! All questions can be directed to Counselor Scott Gillespie in the counseling office or assistant principle Penny Holm in the administrative office.
THE bell
Senior Staci Gann Junior Jack Karriker Junior Kyle Gabrielson Junior Konner Laubaugh
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Sports
aced at love by Nick Palmarine Despite the setbacks, the tennis team had a succesful season.
THE bell
The girl’s tennis team finished off the season by sending the doubles team of sophomore Mia Graham and sophomore Cassidy Paul to the district tournament championship match. Although the girls came up short, falling to the Park Hill South team of Marie Gherke and Katie Smith, they had a great comeback victory in the sectional tournament against the St. Teresa’s Academy pair of Grace Wells and Hannah Bredar; giving the girls a shot in the state tournament. Many of the girls on the team did not qualify for state, but they can all agree that the whole team contributed to the success from this season. “Everyone’s support can help you succeed,” junior Taylor Wetzel said. “The team makes it fun and when you’re having fun, you play better.” Although most of the time the girls spent together was at practices or matches, they often did things together off the court. They had team sleepovers and weekly team dinners at their favorite restaurant, Buffalo Wild Wings. The strong relationships between all the girls on the team helped their performances on the court. These activities helped the team grow closer and improve in their play from last season. “We’ve been known to be a team that competes well and goes to state,” senior Nikki Jennings said. “Then we dropped off, I think that this year we have shown a great improvement.” The season, however, did not go as smooth as planned when Wetzel was lost for the season with a foot injury. Wetzel was Paul’s doubles partner and it left Paul looking
Sophomore Mia Graham follows through after a strong backhand return. photo by Jake Stansbury
for a new player to share the court with. “We all had to step our games up when Taylor went down,” Paul said. “We definitely played well, after.” Soon after Wetzel went down with the injury, sophomore Mia Graham stepped in as Paul’s new doubles partner just weeks before the district tournament. “I was very proud of the girls,” Wetzel said. “Mia stepped in and they played great, and now they’re on their way to state.” The girls responded well to the adversity and it paid off for them. The whole team played well all season as the girls improved from last season. The team sent Graham and Paul to Springfield where they played hard and finished 13th out of 16 teams at state. “It was intimidating and scary at first especially since we didn’t know what to expect” sophomore Mia Graham said. Although Graham and Paul did not finish where they had hoped they would have in the state tournament, it was the experience that they gained that was most beneficial for the duo. “It was really good to see what we need to expect in the next two years,” Paul said. “It helped show what we need to do to improve on.” As this season came to an end the girls are already looking forward to a promising 2013 season. The team is returning with four of their top five players, including the doubles team who played in the state tournament in 2012.
Sophomore Cassidy Paul focuses on her opponent as she anticaptes a hit.
Junior Taylor Wetzel loads up for a forehand return. photo by Nicole Throckmorton
43
Sports
Keep Calm and play rugby by Grace George Girls’ team takes state title.
Junior Hailee Ames looks for an open teammate to pass the ball to. photo by Breann Koch
THE bell
“Crouch, touch, pause, set,” a term most rugby players know, including the rugby athletes in Liberty. The Liberty United Girls Rugby Football Club is a school sports club with students participating from LHS, LNHS, and the two junior highs. The team is full of athletic girls who love everything about the sport. For some, rugby may be an unfamiliar thing. Rugby is a game played by two teams going head to head in a rough battle for two 40 minute halves. The game is played on a field which is no more than 100 yards long, and 70 yards wide. The goal of the sport is to score more points than the other team by kicking, carrying, or passing an oval ball down the field. There are four ways to score: a try/penalty try which is worth 5 points, a penalty goal worth 3 points, a drop goal worth 3 points, and lastly a conversion worth 2 points. Though people may not think of rugby as a favored sport, some girls live it and love it. “This is my third year of playing and I love it. I think it’s cool that we’re on a team with Liberty North,” junior Hailee Ames said. There are also a lot of great things about playing on a team that has players from both Liberty and Liberty North High School. “I like playing with North because it gives me a chance to see people that I usually wouldn’t get to see. I think more people should join the team because it is a lot of fun and it’s like a big family,” sophomore Nina Hawkins said. Head coach, Tracey Davis, is an expert at the game. Having played in college and on the USA national team, rugby is no joke to her. Not only does Davis coach the Liberty United Girls Rugby Football club, she is also the head coach of the Kansas City Jazz women’s rugby team and the Kansas City Dragons Club, a club team for young girls who have an interest in playing competitive rugby. It is disappointing to everyone involved that rugby is not recognized as a school sport, only a club. “In order for rugby to be recognized as a school sport, it would have to meet MSHSAA’s requirements,” Davis said. “At some point, we do hope that rugby will be a varsity sport because universities are starting to offer scholarships and it will be in the 2016 and 2020 Olympics.” Players agree with Davis’ opinion on the topic. “It is disappointing that it’s a club sport and not a school sport, because we don’t get the recognition that we know we deserve and people don’t come out to our games like they do the other sports,” junior Noelle Prideaux said. Even without the formal athletic department support, they had a successful season. They finished strong with a state title on October 18. They played the Kansas City Dragons at Hodge Park Athletic Fields and came out victorious. The state trophy will be visiting LHS, LNHS, and the two junior highs. It is now time to “crouch” down to realize what the girls have accomplished, “touch” the trophy of magnitude, “pause” to embrace the moment, and “set” themselves up to prepare themselves for another impressive season in years to come.
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aim low by Jake Boese The girls golf team cannot help but smile at the end of the season.
THE bell
When it comes to playing JV or Varsity sports in high school, it is usually played only to win and for possible college scholarships. When it comes to the Girls’ Golf team, they not only play to win, but also just to socialize and have fun with friends. For some players, their favorite part of golf is just being able to spend time with friends. “The best part is being with friends on the team. The best part is the driving range because I get to talk to my friends. I don’t like being on the course as much as the range,” sophomore Mallory Bell said. Even though not all players moved on to postseason, the year was still considered a success. “For my senior year, it was a good way to end my high school golf career,” senior Christine Conge said. “I didn’t get to state but I didn’t really expect to going into the season. But golf is something I play for fun. It was nice to help the team get second at sectionals, which we didn’t expect to
Paige Warnock adjusts her stance in order to putt the ball. photo by Taylor Jackson
get. It was nice to get to spend more time with the varsity girls during the postseason.”
“
It was a good way to end my high school golf career. -senior Christine Conge said.
“
Although it may not lead to playing golf in college, it is still a sport that a student will be able to play for the rest of their life. “I play because it’s something that’s going to last after high school. Other sports are difficult to play after high
school or college, but I will be able to play golf for the rest of my life,” Conge said. Although a lot of players enjoy the social benefits of golf, some are still very successful, even making their way to state. “I got to state by practicing everyday and playing at every chance I get,” junior Paige Warnock said. To stay on track during state and all other previous tournaments, Warnock found a comfortable process to help her be as successful as she can. “After every shot when I set up my next shot I get ready by stepping back and doing the same routine,” Warnock said. A 27th place finish at the state tournament capped off Warnock’s season.
Junior Paige Warnock and sophomore Alexia Harmon walk together to find their golf balls. photo by Logan Floresch
LIBERTY ROBOTICS FIRST TEAM 1764 would like to thank Gary Crossley Ford for hosting a Ford Drive One 4 UR School Fund raiser for our team. We had an amazing day and our silent auction was a huge success thanks to the generous donations from the local business community. We are extremely grateful to students, parents, teachers and the community at large who came out to support the event.
THANK YOU FROM FIRST TEAM 1764.
Shoal Creek Plaza 152 & Flintlock 816.792.5970 www.costcutters.com
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Sports
run blue by Madi Hayter
The coaches have a big role in the success of the Cross Country team.
THE bell
“It’s the final hundred yards, you’ve just entered the chute and you can hear your teammates yelling at you. Your heart is pounding, your legs ache from the changing terrain of the course. You have one hundred yards to express yourself and to pass this one last guy, you can hear him breathing; you can hear his feet slamming against the ground. You give it all you’ve got and push for the last few yards across the finish line. You get across to see your coach and your teammates congratulate you. You did it. You finished the race,” sophomore Jared Karr said. It is a new year and a new team, and Cross Country has had a successful year so far. On homecoming weekend, the team hosted a meet at Stocksdale Park. “It went really good. Our guys performed really, really well, and we came in close second against Ray-Pec.” Junior Austin Gale said. “[The JV Boys,] we performed really well compared to how difficult the course is. Everyone got a lot of personal records,”
With two meets already hosted, as of October 6, Liberty has hosted all of these at Stocksdale. Stocksdale is the second hardest Cross Country course in Missouri. The route is a 5K, or 3.1 miles. “There were about three seasons in a row where we didn’t have a course, we didn’t host a meet. In the last ten years, it’s been at Stocksdale, our home course,” Coach Tim Nixon said. The Cross Country team seems to be very close, having many traditions or team bonding often. They recently visited the corn maze. “A lot of parents either host a party or dinner. They have spaghetti dinner or pasta, carbohydrates before a race,” Marquardt said. “We do a lot of traditions hosting parties. We like to have a good time. We have a lot of parties, we have a MU banquet. We take them out to the pumpkin patch, and they run out in the corn maze, we have a pizza party.”
Left to right. Junior Jennifer Myers, junior Kyle Gabrielson, senior Spencer Nelson.
Sophomore Madison Nasteff lays on the ground to catch her breath after running a tough, muddy course. photo by Lucas Carrel
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jays run
meet. “Usually it’s a good meet if you run well, and have fun. A lot of meets when it’s really hot outside don’t run as well or when it’s raining, and some people don’t run as well. But then if you run really well, you’re usually in a better mood, and people usually have more fun.” Gale said. When a meet goes well, it can become a runner’s favorite. “My favorite meet was the state meet, last year, in Jefferson City. The environment was crazy, it was so much fun. We got there a day early, and got to stay in a hotel, which is also really fun.” Nasteff said. “Whenever we got to the meet in the morning there were just so many teams, it was incredible experience to be able to run with the fastest people in the state.” Having a good time is just another benefit to running Cross Country. The team experienced a whole different environment than they are used to down in Joplin. Nixon described it as nothing they could have prepared themselves for, but it was a successful meet.
“This whole year has been fun for me, this is my first year on varsity, [I have] always been JV. But every meets exciting, my favorite meet this [would be] year probably Missouri Stampede, down in Joplin.” Wilburn said. “Down south it rained really hard for a couple days straight. The course flooded, we were running through puddles of water the entire time, there were probably about 10 or 12 times we were running through these like actual rivers that were across the course, we were about shin deep in water,” he said. “The most fun part of the race was the finish line, there’s probably about 100 meters left, there was a giant pond of water, about 20 yards long, just running knee deep in water. Then coming across the finish with a bunch of people cheering,” Wilburn said. The good times seem to keep rolling with the Cross Country team. At the end of each meet the team says that they thank the coaches who made the meet possible. As a coach, Nixon says that it means a lot to him when people thank him, so he has the team do that for others. He is getting them to develop what they call a “gratitude attitude.”
THE bell
Austen Ruwe bends over and rests after finishing a race. photos by Ashely Van Black
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