Volume 92, Issue 7

The Bell April 8, 2016 Volume 92, Issue 7

Visit us at LHSNEWS.NET

Table of Contents Safe and Sound..................................................................06-07 It’s In-Tents.......................................................................08-09 Improv is No Joke...............................................................10-11 How About a Shave?...........................................................12-13 “I Am”......................................................................................14 Senior Justin Tuttle.................................................................16 Junior Jessica Maschino..........................................................17 Sophomore Miles Allain.........................................................18 Freshman Khushi Talati.........................................................19 Teacher Joe Wheeler..............................................................20 Support Staff Michele Kist....................................................21 Seeing Double...................................................................22-24 It’s Not Quite Breakfast....................................................26-27 Staff Editorial.........................................................................28 Niki’s Corner...........................................................................29 Columns..............................................................................30-31 Athlete of the Month..........................................................32-33 Believe in Blue...................................................................34-35

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Photo by: Adam Pouliot

Photo by: Liz Lovesee

Page: 12-13

Page: 20

Photo by: Katie Lamb

Page: 06-07 Photo by: Kasey Allshouse

Page: 33

Page: 08-09

Photo by: Hanna Davidson

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On the cover: Senior Morgan Fleming at the sectionals game against Belton High School.

Photo by Morgan McNea Congratulations to Robotics!

At the Greater Kansas City Robotics Competition, on March 12, Liberty Robotics, Team 1764, represented both LHS and LNHS, won the Chairman’s Award. It also qualified the team to compete at the World Championships in April.

Join a club for Silent Library during Liberty Hour with Leadership to play different games and do activities. Whichever club is the most silent and completes the most games wins the competition.

Staff

Mission

Adviser --> Lori Oyler Editor-in-Chief --> Tara Prindle Design Editor --> Alex Wilson Opinion and A&E Editor --> Emily Johannes InDepth Editor --> Teresa Parra Features Editor --> Lacy Williams News Editor --> Hannah Leonard Sports Editor --> Kati Benhardt Ads Manager and Cartoonist --> Daryl Gichui Online Manager --> Erica Schmitz Reporters --> Sol Kim Niki Benhardt Kamden Bernard Teegan Saunders Jenna Spence Riley Kelley

Caleb Lautenschlager Katie Moon Joey O’Kelly Tommy Roseman Haley Stephenson Delaney Tarpley Paige Twenter Meg Whipple

Our mission for the 2015-2016 school year is to unite a diverse group of people and ideas to compose an informative and entertaining magazine using articles, photographs, and commercial messages. As journalists in training we endeavor to give the best representation of the community of Liberty High School. The Bell student newspaper is a public forum for student expression.

Contact

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

Jabber

“I wouldn’t have wanted to spend my last MASC State convention with any other people. Thanks for making it the best” -@DDleeson

“list of possible triangles: SSS SSA SAS Most importantly..

S.O.S” -@grace_amazed

“when ur mom is your best friend on snapchat.... #phone #stays #dry” -@marissssabaker

“Congratulations Crystal Bosch 2016-2017 LHS Teacher of the Year. #bluejaypride” -@LHSNews jackzhang898 “The entirety of my Spring Break: Netflix Shelby’s awesome B-Day party A surprise acceptance from Berkeley”

“in the middle of calculus a motivational poster that says ‘success’ fell off the wall and glass shattered everywhere #senioryear” -@AbbyonaHill

“Congratulations to @moflem22 on the amazing accomplishment of All-Time leading scorer for @LHSLadyJaysBB!!”

-@LHSSportsMktg

Jabber 05

Safe and Sound

New security changes are made to ensure safety in the building.

Story by Paige Twenter

Photos by Katie Lamb

Everything is about give and take, we’ve all grown up with the concept. Without compromise, nothing would ever get done or improve. At LHS, we all need to compromise for the sake of everyone’s safety. Although it can be a burden to go through so many security measures, isn’t the purpose worth it?

Recently, LHS has made several major security changes supported by the school board.

“LHS, along with every other school in the district, has been equipped with the new system that runs an instant background check on every visitor that enters the school during school hours,” director of safety and security Gary Majors said. “The background check identifies anyone on a sexual offenders list as well as anyone on the districts No Trespassing list and instantly notifies both school administrators and security that this person has attempted to gain entry into our school. Other changes have been made to the deployment of our mobile security staff that results in a quicker response time to calls for service at the schools. Campus security officers have also had their duties modified to include maintaining a visible

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presence inside the school during lunch times and to conduct a physical check of exterior doors on a more frequent basis.”

These changes not only result in extra security detail, but also more order and organization.

“With the changes, visitors that haven’t been here before know that they’re immediately with someone, whereas beforehand, they were in kind of an open area and didn’t know where they needed to go to check­in,” attendance secretary Michelle Dickey said. “So right now they’re forced into the attendance office and we immediately help them.”

Even though the idea of change can be a bit unnerving, when it regards safety at LHS it is always made with the best intentions.

“The changes are intended to further increase our ability to provide a safe and secure atmosphere that is conducive to a positive learning environment,” Majors said.

Sophomore Tucker Evans expressed his concerns with the new security r­ elated alterations.

“I do feel safer,” he said. “Although, because you can still walk through the

main doors and if a person was trying to break in, they could easily just go through the second set of doors without going through the attendance office, but yes, for some people they might feel safer with the new attendance office.”

When Evans expressed the idea that a visitor can get into LHS without going through the attendance office, we decided to follow up with district safety officer John Neldon to see if this was true.

Neldon explained that the second set of doors locks at 8:15 a.m. which forces all visitors through the attendance office.

Both the staff and the student body are grateful for the recent changes.

“I do feel safe at school. It does seem like a nuisance when it’s like really cold outside and you just want to get in as quickly as possible but our building is taking extra precautions to make sure that everyone comes here is coming here to learn and not be harmed or anything like that,” junior Dana Bartch said. “So I am grateful that our school is doing that, so while it kind of seems annoying at times, I understand where they’re coming from and I appreciate that.”

Left: Check out signs are placed on the front doors, directing students to notify the attendance office before leaving the building. Right: Officer Corum patrols the hallways.

Left: A student checks in with the attendance office. Right: Fire alarms are located throughout the halls of the school. Bottom: Security cameras are placed in and around the building.

Some students feel that some of the long­lasting security details need a few tweaks and adjustments.

“Yeah I think active shooter drills are good, but I feel like a lot of times they aren’t done right because a lot of times teachers walk by and shake the door handle and a lot of times it comes open and if that were real, you’re done,” freshman Jane Sundell said.

The first step of 100 percent safety is being a community aware of its surroundings. Repetition, practice and having the right precautions in place follows.

“If a shooter came in, honestly I wouldn’t feel prepared at all. I wouldn’t really know what to do,” Bartch said. “I think we have drills once or twice a year and I don’t think that’s enough. I think

there needs to be a lot more just so that we’re prepared.”

With these new additions, a better representation of LHS follows.

“Long­term effects we just hope that it help keeps the school safe and keeps the students and faculty safe and that’s the number one concern,” Neldon said.

“Short­term effects are that everybody knows if you come to LHS we have resources and a place to protect the students from the system we have in place, to our off­-duty Liberty police officers who drive the lot, to our off­-duty state troopers that are in the building, to officer Corum who rotates around buildings, I think that you should feel safe when you come to school because we have a presence of safety here in this building.”

Just like the mindset of continuous

improvement in the classroom, LPS is always looking for different ways to get better.

“With all these changes that are put into place we review and consider if the change has been positive. After a careful review we can then tweak, modify or totally change directions if warranted,” Majors said. “We are always looking at procedures, technology and process that can improve what we do.”

The practice of safety doesn’t stop at the school board and the security department, it also needs the aid of students. Students and the faculty need to be serious during drills, follow the protocol rules and continuously be aware of different safety plights to find an equal compromise.

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It’s In-Tents

LHS teamed up with LNHS to present this year’s telethon.

Story by Lacy Williams

Photos by Kasey Allshouse

The telethon had their ducks in a row this year with the 24-hour telethon on March 11.

The theme was battling camps. Our broadcast was Camp KLHS and North’s was Camp KNET. During the day, LHS and LNHS had separate broadcasts, but after school the two programs joined together to air at LNHS. “It was cool to work with new people in a studio I rarely go to,” junior Isaac Yates said.

Students had the opportunity to collaborate with North’s students despite the school’s differences.

“Even though our schools have a rivalry, it’s nice that we can come together to create an amazing production with our two studios,” junior Marcella Reeder said.

One of the biggest goals of the 24-hour broadcast was to make sure the segments were interesting and something the student body would want to watch. For example, one student created a segment about the band.

“The segment was about our last competition for the marching band season and taking viewers with us to see what it’s like to be a part of the band family,” Reeder said. “From the bus ride to before

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and after the competition, people can see first hand what goes into competition days from me recording all day.”

There were activities such as a lip dub, contests that students were able to be a part of over twitter, a dodge ball tournament, a Liberty’s Exit 1-6 versus North’s BBFP improv show, a live talent show, a blind tasting game and other games to keep the students involved.

Competitions for the dodge ball tournament were from LHS and LNHS. It started at midnight at LNHS. The requirements were $20 per team and five to eight people per team. North ended up winning the tournament.

The next hardest part to achieve was the preparation for the 24-hour broadcast.

Since it is different than the daily broadcast, the students started working on the telethon starting in December and worked up until the day of. They also had a more creative range when working on the telethon because there is more time to fill.

“The daily broadcast consists of weather, daily announcements, sports and some featured packages,” broadcast teacher Amanda Derryberry said. “With the telethon, we have the ability to do pretty

much whatever we want.”

There are a lot of jobs that had to be filled in order to produce the show.

“A lot more goes into the production of these broadcasts than people expect,” Yates said. “Throughout the entire day we will need someone directing, people on cameras, someone taking the graphics on and off the screen, someone on the audio board and more. Since the telethon will be going on for 24-hours, the jobs won’t be done until we go off air the next morning.”

There are more specific jobs, such as being the director.

“My job varies, but it’s mainly the director,” Reeder said. “I get the cameramen, prompter, audio, anchors and everyone else ready to go and make sure the show runs smoothly. This is the same for the telethon, but more stressful because it’s live; if you mess up you have to keep going. I love my position because leading others is one of my strengths and passions.

Even though there’s a lot of stress on my shoulders and many people are relying on me, I’m always able to make the show great and having the studio atmosphere positive and fun.”

Left: Freshman Cayla Ralston films telethon activities. Right: The dodgeball game between LNHS and LHS begins.

While there are many jobs, some are very tedious such as being the one to edit the clips that will be seen.

“Whenever we get the clips, we record more than what we need and we go through and try to find b-roll, which are camera shots,” sophomore Josie Wilkerson said. “Rule of thumb is don’t show a shot for more than 10 seconds because it bores people. We also want to make sure our audio levels are the same all the way through. Sometimes we have to add voiceovers. For me it takes about a week, but that’s because I’m really picky.”

Each broadcast student was required to fill 15 to 30 minutes of air space and work approximately two hours of the broadcast, as well as getting sponsorship.

“Every student is responsible for their content, so while a lot of students will be doing things live, many have made videos and vlogs, which are kind of like a blog except with videos,” Yates said.

“Tons of time was also put into getting sponsorships, organizing events and creating a schedule.”

The sponsorship helps the broadcasting team raise money for their broadcast and

the equipment they use. Last year they raised $9,132.95, setting a new record.

However, this year they did not raise as much. One of the sponsorships this year was from Feldman Farm and Home. Two students went to Feldman’s and came back with two baby ducks and all the things needed to house the baby ducks. The baby ducks were then featured in the broadcast for over 45 minutes.

The broadcast students will be waddling into next year hoping for just as successful of a telethon.

KLHS

Left: Junior Dane Larason participating in the dodgeball tournament. Right: The Blue Jays race to the line against the Eagles in dodgeball. Below (left to right): seniors Chase Wrigley, Mary Burns and coach Noah Simpson play a taste test game.

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Improv is No Joke

Improvization troupe is preparing for their final show and tryouts for next year.

Story by Tommy Roseman and Kamden Bernard Exit 1-6 is the improv troupe that brings laughter and joy to LHS. The group consists of sophomores through seniors. Members of the group feel that being part of Exit 1-6 affects their life in many different ways.

“Being in Exit 1-6 impacts my life and world because I can be anything I want,” junior Hope Lundgren said. “It makes me confident, it just makes me put myself out there.”

The improv group at LHS loves to bring laughter to the school and the group feels like the audience does an amazing job getting them in the mood to perform.

“When the audience is really pumped and excited for the show, it gives us energy on stage,” senior Hannah Dipoto said. “The vibe is just different, but sometimes when it’s been a long day for everyone, maybe a lot of tests happened that day or the weather is dreary, the audience is definitely more down and it’s our job to get them pumped up a little bit. It depends from show to show, usually we try to get ourselves really, really pumped before the show in order to

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Photos by Mikayla Hill

get them excited no matter what vibe is out there.“ Not only is the improv group involving their audience in the shows, but outside of the shows, the group stays close to each other. Members enjoy the relationships they have made during the season.

“I like getting to rehearse and come together with all the people and the troupe,” sophomore Kate Turnage said.

“We get really close and it’s really fun to do all the performance and just make people laugh.”

Each member of the group has a different idea of what they like.

“I really like how it’s a lot of different people from a lot of different groups coming together and we just have a lot of fun. We just like being silly and laughing together,” Lundgren said.

The group does have favorite overall part of their season in Exit 1-6, and they also have their favorite skits. Even the group’s advisor has some favorites to do.

“We call them ‘games’ and ‘forms.’ I enjoy the character-driven stuff, like ‘Dating

Game’, ‘Panel of Experts’, and ‘Pan Left/ Pan Right,” advisor Trish Berrong said.

“I’m always excited when they want to do long form.”

The games that they play are the dating game, a bachelor-style game where the volunteer picks the winner. Pan left and pan right, is a game where four people form a type of trapezoid.

Although the improv group feels they are doing well, they think there are some areas they can improve.

“We’re good, but being more willing to add different people from different groups such as adding more jocks [would be beneficial],” Lundgren said.

These student also believe that being in the group has helped them improve their skills.

“I’ve alway liked doing theatre and that kind of thing. Improv just helps you with a lot of skills,” Turnage said. “There may be time where you have to go up and speak in front of people or make things up on the spot.”

Left: Sophomore Amos Mwaura gets interviewed by senior Hannah Dipoto during “Dating Game.” Right: Kailyn Peterson, Hope Lundgren, sophomore Troy Saviano, Dipoto and Mwaura are enthused about their trophies.

Try-outs Exit 1-6 welcomes everyone to come to their tryouts. There isn’t an official date set yet, but they’re always at the end of the year. The group is looking for students who can think on their feet and work well as a team.

“We basically warm you up and you play games with the Exit 1-6 members.

Afterwards we bring you into this room and ask you to make characters and do scenes with other characters,” senior Isaiah Brisbin said. “If we call you back and you make it past the second try outs, we’ll call

you back for a last one. After those you’re basically in.”

The current members encourage anyone that is remotely interested to try out.

“I had a few friends that were going out to the tryouts,” sophomore Troy Savaiano said. “I figured, why not?”

Students don’t have to be “funny” or even have experience on stage. No matter the circumstances, everyone goes in nervous.

“When I first tried out, I remember being really scared,” junior Kailyn Peterson said.

“It just feels like you’re not funny at all, but you’ll say something and then everyone starts laughing.”

Improvisation is something you learn, not something you’re born with.

“There is a lot to becoming a good improviser,” coach Rene Boudreaux said.

“But teamwork is really important.”

The group loves performing and making people happy. They want more people to come to shows especially those who haven’t come to a show before.

“It means so much when people come to our shows and have general interest in the troupe,” Dipoto said. “I personally only have a couple left and I’d love to see lots of new faces at them.”

Top Left: Peterson, Lundgren and Turnage work on improv drills. Middle: The Exit 1-6 Logo. Top Right: Senior Isaiah Brisbin and the troupe are rehearsing for March 31.

Bottom Left: The troupe practice “Pan Right/Pan Left”. Bottom Right: Senior Bridget Prewitt gets senior Michael Barreca to be quiet during rehearsal.

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How About a Shave?

Reader’s Theatre performers “Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.”

Story by Katie Moon

Photos by Adam Poliot and Madison Parry

“Sweeney Todd” is creepy, interesting and famous. LHS reader’s theatre team has taken on the challenge of transforming this two hour and 30 minute production into just 30 minutes and performing it for competition.

The most interesting aspect of “Sweeney Todd” is the story line. Catching the viewer’s attention is exactly what it does.

“The story of ‘Sweeney Todd’ is about a barber who was thrown into jail by a corrupt judge and was sent out of London,” senior Ian Whitsitt said. “He is coming back, years later and he has kind of gone insane and he is out for revenge.

It is the story of how this woman works with him at her pie shop. He is hunting out the judge and meeting a bunch of different people along the way.” No spoilers for the end of the story here, see it to find out.

Sweeney Todd is not the only one who is out for revenge; the reader’s theatre team is seeking some themselves.

“At the state tournament last year, which is based off a rating system one being the best and so forth, we went 1-2-7,

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seventh is the last place,” director Michael Turpin said. “Obviously we did not make it to the final round of state, so we were quite disappointed. When selecting the next reader’s theatre I thought, ‘well what is something that we could do that would portray the revenge that we were personally seeking’ and therefore came ‘Sweeney Todd’.”

With “Sweeney Todd” being such a dark story, it can sometimes be difficult for the students to get into character.

“I am a 15-year-old kid, so I can’t really relate to a lot of the things this guy is going through, like thinking that his wife is dead and not seeing his child again,” freshman Jake Kane said. “I also like to think that I am a normal person, so it is hard to be this crazy murderer.”

Due to other performances and activities for the school, the practices for their performance start at 7:00 a.m. and go until 7:45 a.m.

“We are down in Mr. Turpin’s room. We get out all of our boxes and stools, and then we run it from the top. After we get through the whole show, Mr. Turpin gives us his notes and we work on what is needed until the bell for first hour rings,” sophomore Emily Goodwin said.

“At last my arm is complete again,” says, left, freshman Jake Kane as Sweeney Todd.

Left: The set is only made of boxes and a ladder and there is no stage crew. Right: Kane pretends to get mad at freshman Aubrey Peterson during a scene.

Pre-Districts Performance

On Wednesday, March 16, the reader’s theatre performed “Sweeney Todd” in the Little Theater at LHS. “It was for friends and parents that were not going to the competition on Friday,” Whitsitt said. “It was nice to do it in front of an audience before the final performance.

It was more practice, and the audience even gave us a standing ovation when we finished performing.”

Districts

Districts were held on Friday, March 18 at LNHS. They took second overall and were pleased that their work paid off.

“Honestly second was the best place we could have gotten,” sophomore Molly Day said. “It was enough to be able to have gotten a second chance to go to state, but it was also enough to motivate us to do better.

This was a great way of showing how to improve rather than us going to state thinking we were already on top. We’re all

ready to get back into it and do everything we can to help our show improve.”

State will be held on April 22 and 23 at Missouri State University and the goal is to receive first place.

“We will prepare for state by rehearsing a lot more, reading the ballots the judges filled out, improving where we can and overall just becoming the best that we can be,” Kane said.

Top Left: Senior Ian Whitsitt, sophomore Emily Goodwin, junior Trevor Harr, sophomore Dylan Moran, senior Truman Butler, freshman Lukas Hudson and junior Alana Pendergraft perform “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd (Reprise)”. Top Right: sophomore Katie Waterman, Kane and junior Emma Kern perform a scene together.

Bottom Left: Pendergraft reacts to the scene around her. Bottom Right: sophomore Molly Day, Moran, Hudson, Butler and sophomore Callie Broyles perform “The Ballad of Sweeney Todd.”

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Breakfast Club has been making a change in the middle schools.

Story by Teegan Saunders

Photos by Brieann Wynn

Breakfast Club has always been seen as a group of people that helps bring kindness and unity to students, but their most recent endeavor has been specifically for the middle schools in LPS. They have been teaching middle schoolers about being aware that each person is an individual and will have different beliefs, opinions and struggles.

To help spread this message, Breakfast Club uses activities called the “I Am Wall” and anti-bullying camps. Both activities give middle school students the chance to express themselves and meet other people who may have been dealing with similar situations. It also helps destroy boundaries that may be separating students due to cliques and beliefs that one person is better than another because of certain characteristics they may hold.

“The Breakfast Club tries to get middle schoolers to reach out beyond the comfort of their little group of friends and get to know more and different types of kids,”

teacher Bruce Failla said. “The wall and the other diversity work we did in the first semester are a vital part of our efforts to help the middle schoolers get a jump start on this helpful social maturity.”

The “I Am Wall” is an activity where middle school students are each given a slip of paper to write a quality that they have and are proud of. After all the middle school students are finished, they put them all up on a giant wall to see the different qualities each person has.

“It’s really to just show that people identify themselves in many different ways, but each aspect can make up this much bigger thing when they come together like the wall,” sophomore Kayla Jones said. “It also shows kids that it’s alright to be different and to accept difference in others.”

In the anti-bullying training camps Breakfast Club talked about the different ways to help prevent bullying and what to do in a situation where they or another person is being bullied. They describe what

to do by using techniques and stories.

“Techniques are just the skills they can use in a bad situation; if they saw a friend getting pushed around, they now know the best way to handle it,” junior Mallory Vickers said. “It’s just important that kids know how to do things like this because we want to make sure they aren’t bystanders, letting whatever happens happen.”

The high school’s Breakfast Club representatives talked to the middle schoolers about times when they had changed some aspect of themselves to fit into someone else’s view of how a ‘popular person’ should be.

“We all come in and start talking about how important it is to not try to be something you’re not and to prove that we understand putting up a false act, we talk about times in our lives where we felt like we had to change ourselves to fit the status quo,” senior Allison Niemeier said. “It’s to connect with everybody and show we aren’t just there because we have to be.”

Left: Seniors Emily OHair and Alex Russell sit with Heritage Middle School students and talk to them about situations where bullying has happpend. Right: Senior Sam Browning and junior Jasmine Hackett talk to middle school students about ways to prevent bullying. Above: The “I Am Wall” is at Heritage Middle School.

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$12 HAIRCUTS EVERY TUESDAY *No Double Discounts

Come to the Nest!

Open From: 7:45 to 10:35am & Liberty Hour

Monday-Friday

Link Crew Karaoke Night Tickets are $3.00 when you buy them at lunch and $5.00 at the door, which includes food and drink. Bring your friends to have a fun time!

TONIGHT: You’re invited to the first Link Crew karaoke night! Everyone is welcome. There will be pizza, soda, board games and karaoke from 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. in the back of the cafeteria.

Why do you play guitar?

“My dad and our neighbor always listened to classic rock, but when I first heard the American Idiot album from Green Day, I knew I was hooked. It’s one of the few things I use to express myself other than clothing.

It’s awesome because you can create something that’s never been heard before with the instrument that’s in your hands.”

Why do you like culinary?

“I’m in culinary because I used to be super buff and loved food. Now I’m not buff anymore and still love food, so I want to figure out how to be healthier after high school. My favorite part of culinary is definitely my teacher, Mrs. Bryant. She’s so awesome and really funny.”

What else do you do?

“I played varsity football for a little bit, but didn’t play this year. I’m on Liberty’s Rugby team. Outside of school, I’m part of the School of Rock program where I play shows in front of tons of people. I love exploring new mediums in which I can express myself in ways such as art, clothing and style.”

Emily Bryant’s thoughts:

“One of my favorite things about Justin is that he perseveres through anything. He never, ever gives up.

He is a talented student and musician. Justin is confident and a strong leader in my classroom. I know that no matter where Tuttle ends up after high school, he will be a success!”

Senior

Justin Tuttle Spotlight 16

Story by Joey O’Kelly

Photo by Hanna Davidson

What are you involved in?

“I’m in band, so I do marching band too. I’m in Link Crew, manager of the volleyball team and I’m also going to be part of the commissioner’s team for Link Crew next year. I like Link Crew because we are helping people, like the freshmen. It’s just really cool to know that someone kind of looks up to you, so that’s my favorite part is that I am kind of a role model to them.”

What’s being a manager like?

“The volleyball girls, they’re all so fun. It’s fun to get to do all the behind-the-scenes work and make things happen for them and get things ready for them. Especially when we do really well, it’s a good thing to be part of the team, even if you aren’t playing. The coach is really nice too.”

What’s your favorite memory?

“I’m from Tennessee, I lived in Bristol before I moved here.

I once took a day-trip to Tennessee, my whole family went to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg one day, and we got a cabin and stuff. My favorite part of that was when we got to do a helicopter ride above Tennessee. It was just me, my siblings, my dad and mom. I think it was my favorite memory because we were all together and got to experience our first helicopter ride and seeing all the scenery down there. It was so pretty.”

Pam Koch’s thoughts:

“She works very, very hard. She is enthusiastic about learning.

She is sweet, kind, someone who enjoys her classmates; she is very kind to her classmates. I have had her for two years and I think she is just a great person. I think she will go far in life, that she has ambition. She wants to do well, will work really hard at it and that will lead her to a successful pathway, whatever she chooses to do.”

Junior

Jessica Maschino Story by Meg Whipple

Photo by Kasey Allshouse

Spotlight 17

What is Chinese language like?

“My favorite thing would be that it’s a unique language and not many people can speak it. There’s a business application to that, so if I can continue Chinese through college, then that means that if I own my own business or work in a large corporation that will benefit in the terms of what I could do and my job potential.”

Why do you enjoy debate?

“First off, there’s a life application of learning how to deal with large problems and coming up with resolutions. For example, one of those would be resolved the United States should ban private ownership of handguns and so looking at that, I try to find a moral perspective because I do Lincoln/Douglas debate. It’s combining morals with empirical data. Not only is it just learning how to solve problems but it’s also learning the legal aspect. I also do international extemp. so I’m basically trying to know everything that’s going on in the world and trying to form your own opinions on that. You’re given 30 minutes to make a seven minute speech so it teaches you how to ad lib.”

What are your passions?

“I would say I’m passionate about science. Really all the work that I do I choose to be passionate about because that’s something that motivates me to do better. Most of my academic related stuff or most of my hobbies and ambitions I choose to be passionate about all of that because I’m not going to do something I don’t care about. Outside of school I’m involved in Scouts. I got my Eagle Scout award this year.”

Maria Knowles’ thoughts: “I think Miles is going to be a very successful young man someday in whatever interest he pursues. He has a real passion for some of the aspects of science. He’s very inquisitive. He always asks really good questions and sometimes he even challenges me a little bit and asks a question that I’ve never even thought about before.”

Sophomore

Miles Allain Spotlight 18

Story by Riley Kelley

Photo by Emilee Moody

What is StuCo like?

“Just being able to collaborate with all of these people that are really involved in all of the different things happening in the school with different clubs or making the school a better place. It’s just really fun being in that environment where everyone is working together and making the school a better area with a collective group of people.”

Why do you enjoy debate?

“I’m a super factual and work-oriented person, so I like to be able to research and learn things that I wouldn’t otherwise. The people are amazing, I’ve become really good friends with a lot of people that do debate, and the group of people collectively are smart and caring. I just think debate’s fun and being able to get up and talk about different ideas really appeals to me.”

What else do you do?

“At school, I’m involved in tennis, Breakfast Club, Key Club, debate and Model United Nations. In my free time I do a lot of church activities and a lot of things at my church.

I also like playing tennis and being able to spend time with my family and friends. I’ve been playing piano for six or seven years. I also used to ride English equestrian. I did jumping, so I had a horse for two years and I did shows with him. Another interesting thing would be that I have a photographic memory. It’s not in the sense of numbers and statistics, but I can see visuals once and remember them almost exactly, which is really useful for school. I don’t have to worry about memorizing words and definitions because the picture of that notecard is basically stuck in my head.

It also works for books, I can quote some phrases exactly.”

Tim Baldwin’s thoughts:

“I’m always impressed with her ability to inquire and ask questions that are critical and think critically of herself and self-improve. That’s one thing that really impresses me about the way she works. Then her ability to kind of throw everything behind her efforts is also incredibly impressive.”

Freshman

Khushi Talati Story by Riley Kelley

Photo by Madison Ray

Spotlight 19

Did you always want to teach?

“Not at first. I almost became a police officer before I started teaching. I became a teacher because my wife told me to, since she is also a teacher. I have been teaching since I graduated from UCM in 2007. So I was a student before I became a teacher.”

What do you enjoy doing?

“I like helping run my Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu club, playing airsoft with my brothers, playing games like Halo, Fallout, The Division and running in events like the Tough Mudder. I also enjoy reading and most of all spending time with my family.”

Where did you grow up?

“I grew up in Blue Springs. I went to college at UCM and then moved back to Kansas City. Growing up was great. I spent a lot of time playing sports, going camping, riding dirt bikes and getting into trouble with my brothers. I have a twin brother. Not identical, but we look like we are. I do like being a twin. He is a financial planner.”

Jordan Freed’s thoughts: “He is a great teacher; he’s a really relaxed teacher. He trusts that you will get your work done in class and will let you do your own thing as long as you are on task. I know him more on a personal level. It’s more than a student-teacher relationship it’s more of a friendship with him. We talk a lot outside of class, during class about stuff that’s not school related. We know each other really well. I have had him since my sophomore year.

We always have a good time in Auto-Tech. He likes to work on pretty much anything.”

Teacher

Joe Wheeler Spotlight 20

Story by Meg Whipple

Photo by Liz Lovesee

What did you do before LHS?

“I had retired and found that I could not just stay home so I interviewed at Liberty Public Schools. I did long-term-care for about 17 years. I also built an Alzheimer unit from the ground up. I picked the staff and I got to pick all of how it was going to run and the activities, that sort of thing. I did a lot of work with dementia patients.”

What’s the best part of LHS?

“The best part of my job is the students and being able to interact and stay current with today’s views with the youth. I have grandchildren coming up and going to high school, and it’s actually making it to where I can relate on their level. I know what their music likes are and we have some pretty good interactions, so I would definitely say the best part is staying current with our interactions.”

What do you enjoy doing?

“I was a snow-skier, I did gymnastics, I played baseball and I was really into muscle cars. I like many different things, but probably my biggest passion is my horse farm. We raise quarter horses; we’re getting ready to have a new foal any day now. My time will be spent training and getting it ready to go out to the racetrack.”

Alyssa Williamson’s thoughts:

“If you’re having a bad day and you go talk to her, she never fails to make sure you’re feeling better. She genuinely cares about every student individually. Even if you don’t have a special bond with her, she’s still great. She’s like my second mom.”

Support Staff

Michele Kist Story by Joey O’Kelly

Photo by Erin Manis

Spotlight 21

Seeing Double

LHS explores families, friends and people who look alike.

Story by Hannah Leonard and Kati Benhardt

Photos by Teresa Parra and Hannah Leonard

Most people don’t pay close attention to who they pass in the hallway. For most, the many faces seem to blend together. Others may feel like they are actually seeing double. Perhaps it’s because they are. From genetics to coincidence and celebrity look-alikes, LHS has quite a few doppelgängers roaming the halls.

Sophomore Ale Diaz: “We do this thing,” Sophomore Romeo Salih: “where we can,” Diaz: “finish each others,” Salih: “sentences.”

Seniors Jay and Truman Butler

Jay: “I think it depends on the person whether or not they think we look alike, it’s more like the people we don’t know.”

Truman: “We get that we look like Zack and Cody a lot, (Dylan and Cole Sprouse). So those are the celebrities we get a lot.”

“We became friends because we saw the resemblance when we first met,” Diaz said.

Special Services teacher Jordan English

“One that I have gotten since high school is Neil Patrick Harris from ‘How I Met Your Mother’, which is funny.

There will be random strangers that feel the need to tell me that. I don’t really know why.”

Junior McKenna Still

Indepth 22

“Yes, I have gotten Neil Patrick Harris. Fun fact, one of my eighth grade teachers used to call me Doogie Howser because I looked so much like him, which is a character that Neil Patrick Harris played.”

Below left to right: Juniors Sarah, Sam and Katie Parrott “It’s fun being a triplet. I enjoy it. It’s hard because it’s very competitive. We are all very competitive in everything that we do.”

- Katie

“More often than not when we are out in public, if we are at a grocery store and we are all in line the cashier says ‘are you guys twins?’ and we say ‘no we are triplets.’”

- Sam

Basketball Coach Roger Stirtz

“What’s interesting is my father was at one of the previous games and someone came up to us and said, ‘aww you really look like your dad.’ Especially, I think our sixth grader Bennett and I resemble more than Mason, Cooper or even Caden [pictured next to Coach Stirtz]. I think if you lined up Benett, me and my father you’d see three generations there of resemblance.”

“I always wanted to play a prank like in elementary school, pretend I was Sarah for a day and wear her glasses. Since we are not actually identical, we are fraternal; the teachers would have figured it out. We have different personalities too.

She is very outspoken, very outgoing and really personable. I used to be really shy and quiet.

They would have been able to tell right away just by personality. When people say ‘oh you look so much alike’ between Sarah and I, we don’t see it.”

- Katie

Senior Jay Gordon says: “It’s sort of funny, people joke about it in class and it’s just fun.

During the World Series parade a few people around the street said something to me and my brother about it.”

Mike Moustakas Photo courtesy Twitter

Indepth 23

English teacher Melissa Jones

“I see the similarities, but I also see a lot of differences. I noticed it the most when kids come back to sharpen their pencil and they are looking at all the pictures and they’re like ‘you look just like your daughter.’ I’m glad we look alike because my son doesn’t look anything like me so it’s nice to have one of my children [look like me].”

Emma Jones

Sarah Ragan “I don’t get it a lot that my mom and I look alike.

Actually there are a lot of times that when people figure out that she’s my mom, they’re shocked.”

Audrey Azpell

“We do sound alike, our laugh is exactly the same.”

Math teacher Sandra Ragan

“It’s awesome having my daughter look like me.

Sarah reminds me of when I was younger; she looks very similar to what I did when I was younger.”

“We were in the front seat, she’s driving, I am in the passenger’s seat and my (used to be) boyfriend was like ‘hey babe’ and she was driving. I’m like, ‘I’m right here!’ He was like, ‘oh my gosh!’ It was so awkward.”

Braylin Stevens

“My mom has called me Audrey before. I walked downstairs and she goes ‘Audrey what are you doing here?’ I was like ‘Mom! It’s Me! Your daughter, Braylin!

Would you rather me go get Audrey?’”

Attendance Secretary Michelle Dickey

Indepth 24

“I guess it’s a compliment. Feels good. It’s odd. It’s all new. I am not used to being told I look like anybody [Hope Wanless picutred to the right].”

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It’s Not Quite Breakfast

A Bell reporter went to different brunch places around Liberty to try out their menus.

Story and photos by Sol Kim

Ginger Sue’s Nestled in the charming historic downtown Liberty area, Ginger Sue’s is sure to hit the spot for your brunch cravings. A young married couple owns and runs this restaurant and their hearts and heads are in the right place for food. With a variety of menu options, this local business has something for everyone. My personal favorite is the chocolate chip pancakes. Just the aroma of any of Ginger Sue’s brunch options will leave your mouth watering. The portion

sizes are generous and just a half-stack left me full. Almost all of the dishes at Ginger Sue’s are under $10. The service is great and the atmosphere feels very “homey,” with rustic décor and relaxed music playing. The place itself is pretty small, so for a place this tasty, be prepared to wait if you go during a peak breakfast time. If the restaurant weren’t so busy all the time, I would require restraint not to eat there every weekend.

Morning Day Café

A&E 26

When walking into Morning Day Café, I was instantly greeted by a smiling staff member. Although there was a wait to be seated, the café offered free Wi-Fi to keep customers occupied. This would not be the best place to read and enjoy brunch quietly due to the large attraction of people in the mornings; the noise level can get high. The café attracted many families and there were even toys at the café for children to play with.

The brightly colored walls and chairs and cool artwork create a fun and quirky environment to enjoy brunch.

There are many vegetarian and vegan options, as well as an assortment of smoothie flavors. I tried a smoothie with dark chocolate, pomegranate and avocado and it was surprisingly very tasty. Was it the fastest service?

Not really, but it’s also not a fast food joint. It is nice to slow down and enjoy an extra cup of coffee. The menu is fairly priced and is comparable to Starbucks or other coffee houses. This place is as eclectic as its menu and adds a modern touch to the Liberty Square.

Rock and Run Unlike its other brunch competitors, Rock & Run has plenty of convenient street parking. The entire front of the café is windowed garage doors.

The warehouse-like space has high ceilings, a mix of booths, tables and high-tops. The atmosphere is very hip and I felt like I was in Westport.

This was my first time dining here and the server was very helpful in recommending good brunch options.

I went with the breakfast pizza and was pleased with the adequate amount of cheese, sausage and scrambled eggs on the crispy dough. The brunch menu runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on

Saturdays and Sundays. When they’re not serving brunch, Rock & Run also has a regular lunch/dinner menu.

Prices are a bit higher, but under $15.

The service was friendly and the owners were walking around chatting with customers. The majority of the crowd were adults and there were very few families. Since Rock & Run is also a brewery pub, it is not the best kid-friendly option. This café provided a fun atmosphere and wonderfully presented food that tasted as good as it looked – it doesn’t get much better than that.

The Big Biscuit A new restaurant recently added to Liberty, The Big Biscuit, is a very simple dining option with a casual atmosphere. While the décor wasn’t anything remarkable, the interior was clean and well maintained. This was my first visit here and I did not know what to expect. I was greeted right when I walked in and the staff was very attentive. I am one who enjoys fancy combinations and unique food options but sometimes it is nice to just have some good home-cooked food.

I felt obliged to try the biscuits and gravy since I was at The Big Biscuit!

Huge and fluffy, these biscuits were as big as my waistline after eating here.

The prices are great for the amount of food you receive. Almost everything is under $12. Since this is a newer restaurant, the parking lot was nearly full and it was quite crowded inside.

Nonetheless, The Big Biscuit is the perfect option for someone with a large appetite and a simple state of mind.

A&E 27

Do you feel safe at school?

Do you ever think about what you would do if an intruder entered the school?

Unfortunately, today many people may have these thoughts. Though we may think about what could happen, do we really feel that an event like this could happen?

The mission of the LHS administration is to provide a safe learning and working environment for all 1600 plus students and staff members. Fortunately, we have not had any major incidents in past years, but it is still reasonable to question if our students and staff feel safe at school.

The Bell staff discussed the feeling of safety at LHS, with the majority of The Bell staff saying that they do feel safe at school. The staff agreed that our school administration and district security take the necessary precautions to keep us safe and that their students’ safety is their primary concern, but that nothing is ever 100 percent preventable. The general consensus is that our school takes adequate measures to ensure the safety of everyone in the building, but some teachers keep their doors locked for an

added feeling of safety. Most teachers go through active shooter training and from that experience they make modifications to their classroom, such as keeping their door locked, but leaving it propped open. In addition to active shooter training, fire and tornado drills are as much practice for our teachers as they are for the students.These scenarios are practiced not because there is an imminent threat of anything dangerous happening, but because it is good to be prepared.

A concern staff members had about school safety was students opening locked doors for other students. Teachers, administration and other staff members have time and time again warned students to not let other students into the school through a locked exterior door, but it still happens frequently. This is a major concern for our school’s safety because there is no telling who could be waiting around the corner to use the opportunity of the open door to make their entrance into the school. Students need to listen more to staff about issues that concern safety.

Another concern addressed by staff members was that students do not take fire, tornado or lockdown drills seriously.

This could be due to a number of reasons including students believing that nothing bad could actually happen at school, therefore believing these drills are not necessary. The staff discussed that in the event of an actual crisis a student may not act the way they should, which could endanger their life or the lives of others.

These drills are important to practice because in the event of an emergency, students and school staff members, need to know where they should be safe.

The Bell staff concluded that most of us feel safe at school, but we are aware that even the safest of places can be susceptible to dangerous and unsafe situations. We believe that if students stop opening locked doors for other students and takes emergency drills more seriously, there will be a more general feeling of safety in the high school.

Staff Vote: Yes: 21 No: 2

Opinion 28

Illustration by Daryl Gichui

Niki’s Corner Photos by Niki Benhardt

St. Patrick’s Day was a great day because Breakfast Club passed out shamrocks that had quotes on them to make people smile.

Top Left: The varsity girl’s basketball team got sent off to state. Bottom left: sophomore Shae Williams. Top right: freshman Jacob Jimenez.

A&E 29

Do You Love Yourself?

Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Tara Prindle

How many people in this school can honestly say they love themselves?

The number would probably be small.

However, I’m one of the few people who can confidently say I love myself, I think I’m beautiful and I love who I am because I don’t pretend to be someone else.

In my past columns, I’ve expressed that I’m a Ferris Bueller disciple, (a classic 80’s lover in general), an avid Star Wars and Dallas Cowboys fan, a softball player, a kid-adult forever and that I really love my incredible family. This is who I am and I’m not ashamed to be quirky and eccentric. I can be silly just as much as I can be mature. I’m not afraid to speak my mind and be brave when it really matters.

This column is one of those times. I’m here to say that it’s okay to be yourself because you shouldn’t be acting like someone you’re not. You don’t have to act perfect or look like a super-model. I’d rather see originality than see the same person over and over again. I think of people like individual gems, even if they don’t think they’re beautiful, they each shine in their own different way.

I didn’t always used to be like this, it’s hard to be born with this kind of mentality.

I used to try to tone down my quirks and

be what someone else deemed as normal, but what’s the fun in that? I’d rather be singing “Smelly Cat” from Friends at the top of my lungs, instead of worrying about what other people think.

I honestly thought I needed to change my hair, face and body to fit the standards that someone else set, to follow the rules I didn’t write. I’d look in the mirror and smile at the person I see, rather than hear the words of society in my head that say I’m not good enough.

Don’t consider it egotistical or vain, consider it confident to be who you are and love it. You can be anything you want in this life, why be someone else?

You don’t need to change who you are or change the way you look. It’s okay to be different, that’s how it’s meant to be. That’s my perception of beauty, of perfection.

Senioritis Outbreak Editorial by Design Editor Alex Wilson

I firmly believe the only difference between a senior in high school and a senior citizen are the thrift store discounts.

I’m at a time in my life where all I want to do is listen to Led Zeppelin, play video games and pet my dog; possibly all at

Opinion 30

once. It wasn’t always like this, however, in fact I just recently developed the legendary “senioritis.”

Most of my effort this school year has been fighting off senioritis. I told myself as long as there is a white moon and a yellow sun I will not succumb to senioritis. Then I realized the sun is orange and the moon is more of a grayish color.

So, I will admit I have a mild case of senioritis, but it’s more like a senior allergy. I will do my work, it’s just a little bit harder to get motivated than usual. It’s like walking across a street, but for some reason the road is made of tar.

For some classes, I do not have one bit of senioritis, newspaper is the best example. I want to do my work and I do my work quickly and efficiently, not just to get it done, but because I want to.

I’m not writing this column just because I have to, but because I want to. Also, I make our spotlight pages and make pages

to be published in the Liberty Tribune pages every month, and I have not shown any signs of slowing down. To further my case, I wrote this column two weeks before it was due, which is very ironic.

Being a motivated senior is just as difficult as walking up a greased slide.

When people say that twelfth grade is a piece of cake, they are wrong. Sure, some people may find it easy, but many of us find it to be a real struggle. Seeing the goal in sight makes it hard to focus on everything else, even if we don’t know what lies after that line.

Even though I have senioritis, I will continue to fight it and make sure it does not get any worse. I also know that many other seniors feel the same and will continue to jump over any obstacles that get in the way of our goals. And just like senior citizens, we will continue to visit a thrift store every once in awhile.

Finding My Role Editorial by Opinion Editor Emily Johannes

For every stage of life, we look up to different people. As high schoolers, we haven’t had very many different stages, but by this age, we have had a few role models. In many cases, the people we

idolize affects how we act and treat each other.

As a small child, usually everyone’s role model was his or her parents. It’s unavoidable. They are way taller than us, make all the decisions and feed you.

However, as I’ve grown older, I’ve had many different role models. In elementary school, it was my teachers. In middle school, it was Gabriella Montez from High School Musical. She was smart, capable and didn’t change who she was to get the guy.

Going into high school however, I’ve had a different role model for every year. Freshman year it was Taylor Swift. Sophomore year, it was my youth leaders. This year, I’ve had so many role models, so I’m just going to list them out.

Taylor Swift is still on the list, as well as Gabriella Montez and my youth leaders.

Joining them are Supreme Court Justice

Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the friends I have made this year because in my opinion, no one is ever too young to be looked up to.

I think it’s important to have these people to look up to, to have a person to model your behavior after. As children and even teenagers, our minds are impressionable and therefore, we need positive influences to guide our actions and keep us from making stupid mistakes.

Now, I’m not saying that they can prevent us from doing stupid things entirely, but it provides a guide for us to see how we should live.

In a year or so, I may have a completely different role model, but the purpose and intent will be the same. I will continue to look up to certain people to help guide my actions and learn to do the right thing.

Will You Accept This Rose?

Editorial by Ads Manager Daryl Gichui

Action, romance, suspense, secrecy, heartbreak. No, I’m not trying to describe a James Bond movie, I’m talking about the TV show The Bachelor. It recently had its twentieth season finale in March.

Now I know what you’re thinking, “Daryl, you watch The Bachelor!?” And I would quickly answer, “No, I don’t just

watch The Bachelor, I live for it!”

Weekly, I devote two hours of my Monday nights to my TV screen. I laugh at all the funny and silly moments, gasp at the “OMG!” moments and sometimes even shed a little tear at the emotional scenes, which happen every episode. It’s a blast.

At first when I got into the show, the fact that it might be a little girly never really crossed my mind, but I can see why some people, especially guys, would be a little surprised about it. Most would think of it as romantic and lovey-dovey kind of show, so girls are the only ones who’d really be into it, but I disagree. Tons of other shows like Game of Thrones or The Walking Dead are definitely more action packed and gory than The Bachelor, and could be seen as more male oriented shows and still millions of female fans tune in to watch them regularly. I feel like the same standard should go for The Bachelor.

Even though it is a reality show you could say I’ve learned a lot from watching

and discussing it. Things like different ways to communicate or how to pick up on body language, tone and most importantly, I’ve learned that trying to balance 25 different relationships all at once probably isn’t the best idea.

However the thing I value most from the show is the friendships I have been able to build thanks to it. Almost every week I’ll talk with Mrs. Oyler or Mrs. Sherman and some of my friends about our favorite moments of the latest episode, our predictions for who will get sent home next week or who we think might end up with The Bachelor.

I’ll admit this show has its crazy moments and it is a little unusual to hear a guy gush over a show about love and relationships, but I’m definitely thankful that I stepped away from the status quo and fell in love with the show. Rest assured, I’ll be setting my DVR for this upcoming season of The Bachelorette over the summer.

Opinion 31

Damon Braughton Story by Haley Stephenson

Photo by Malissa Pennington

Athletes of

“I’ve been wrestling since second grade. Most of my family wrestles or has wrestled at some point in their life. My favorite part about it is when you win a really tough match, not the ones that you know you’re going to win, but when you really have to work for it. I think when you’ve really been doing it for a while it gives you a sense of drive. My favorite memory is probably going to state this year; it was good to go finally after quite awhile. The atmosphere there is really cool, there are just so many people there who have worked all year for this sport and it’s good to see them all in one place.”

-Damon Braughton “He always tries to lift you up and encourage you, especially in practice. He tells you to keep going if you’re dragging behind and he’s really experienced with wrestling so he’ll help you out if you don’t know what’s going on. He’s really supportive. He’s a cool guy, he’s funny. If you need something he’ll always help you out. He’s very hardworking. I’ve never seen anybody that works as hard as he does. His whole family wrestles so it’s really crazy to watch him wrestle.”

-Junior Jordan Prokosch

Grade: Senior Height: 5’11” Weight Class: 220lbs Favorite Food: Cheeseburgers

“Damon is a respectful and hard working wrestler. He’s been with us for four years and he was also in the youth club for quite a few years. My favorite moment was when Damon won his third place match at Districts. He always wrestles hard and cares about his performance and he is very smart. He does a modified fireman carry move. It’s his signature move. His last match was what qualified him for state. He could have lost that match and still qualified, and that was the nice thing. He didn’t have to win but he went out there to win.”

-Coach Michael Hammer

Tianna Fry

Story by Jenna Spence

“I started cheering freshman year, so I have been in it for three years now.

This is my first year on varsity. My favorite part about it is I love that it challenges me. I never thought about how much I would learn from it. I have to keep my grades up and I also have to be committed to it.

My favorite memory is nationals. It was an awesome experience. I love cheering; it’s so fun to me. I always practice at home and I think it’s so fun. It makes my high school experience ten times better.”

-Tianna Fry “I have known and cheered with Tianna since freshman year. She is so entertaining and so much fun to watch. She always has a huge smile on her face and always boosting everyone’s mood. She is super cute, peppy and really fun. She is super sweet and kind and never has anything negative to say. She’s a really good person.”

-Junior Maddy Kudrna “Tianna is a hard worker, she’s always seeking to improve her skills. My favorite memory of Tianna was watching her at the national competition in the opening tumbling--she executed a skill and added her own “twist” on it, without missing a step. Tianna has one of the most genuine hearts of anyone I know. She is compassionate towards others, works hard, and exemplifies what it means to be an outstanding teammate.”

-Coach Brenda Moats

Sports 32

Photo by Hailey Smith

Grade: Junior Height: 5’6” Position: Back Spot and Base Favorite Food: Spaghetti

the Month

Story by Haley Stephenson

“I’ve been around the sport for a long time because my whole family does it. My brothers, all three of them have played rugby. They’re all inspirations. There hasn’t been a rugby season without a Gale in it for the past ten years. From the first day I just knew, this is what I want to do for the rest of high school. My favorite part is the brotherhood of it.

It’s a very close sport.”

-Ben Gale “He’s a team player and he’s willing to learn more and more about the game, he puts everything that he has into the game. He’s one of the hardest working players and he constantly tries to better himself and everyone on the team. He constantly cares and tries to make everyone do their best and work for it even if it may be a struggle. He helps to lead the team in a positive direction. He has a talent that runs through the family”

-Sophomore Michael Willett “Ben is an intensely focused player who is very committed to his team. One of my favorite memories of Ben is at the Gateway Rugger fest Tournament in one of our games. He took the ball up the field and ran through some tackles and scored a try. He was pretty excited about it. Ben has made a commitment to his team and he doesn’t let anything stand in the way of him getting to practice. Ben is the fourth brother from the Gale family to play rugby for me. It is exciting to see such a strong family love for one of the greatest sports on earth. He is carrying on a wonderful rugby tradition that runs deep in his family.”

-Coach Tracey Davies

Ben Gale Photo by Madison Parry

Grade: Sophomore Height: 6’0” Position: Back Favorite food: Mac and Cheese

Brynn Baymiller Story by Jenna Spence

Photo by Hanna Davidson

Grade: Freshman Height: 5’7” Team: Varsity Sapphires Favorite Food: Vanilla Ice Cream

“I have been dancing for twelve years. I’ve always done competition dance at Priscilla and Dana’s School of Dance. I like going to the games and getting to cheer on all of the sports. My favorite part about dancing is that you get to express your feelings and show people the art of dancing. My favorite Sapphire memory is going to state. When we won state, it was really exciting. It was really good to win state because our hard work paid off. ” -Brynn Baymiller “I have known and danced with Brynn since we were about five. She has everything straight on and she’s never wrong, so I always rely on her. She always gives 100 percent and never slacks. She’s a really good friend in general.She’s so incredibly smart. She does all of the advanced classes and also does orchestra, Sapphires, and competitive dance all at the same time.

She’s everywhere doing everything all of the time and she handles it all really well.”

-Sophomore Alexa Smith “Brynn Baymiller is a Sapphire who truly represents the meaning of team.

From day one, she has worked hard, not for herself, but for her teammates.

She always strives to do her best everyday in practice, outside of practice, in school and in her community. She respects her teammates and appreciates the opportunities given to her. I loved watching her consistently perform well at regionals, nationals and state because of her additional hard work.”

-Coach Maggie Willis

Sports 33

Believe in Blue

A reflection on the 2015-2016 Lady Jays basketball season.

Story by Caleb Lautenschlager

“Unfinished business” had been the consistent motto for the 2015-2016 Lady Jays basketball season. The 2015 season left a bitter taste in the mouths of many Liberty girl’s basketball fans and players.

They were only one game away from winning a state championship. The second place finish in 2015 was impressive, but the remaining players and coaches were ready to get back to state this year and win it all.

The 2016 season was the first ever girl’s basketball season to be played in the new LHS fieldhouse.

“It’s super awesome, it makes the entire experience for each game a lot more fun,” senior Taylor Gerstner said. “We have fans and a student section that’s able to fill up the fieldhouse and cheer super loud. It’s just a lot of fun.”

The girl’s basketball regular season was very successful as they picked up where they left off, finishing with only three losses in the regular season.

“It’s been great so far. We’re 25-3, won a tournament, played great against top competition in Orlando, finished second in another tournament, were conference champs and districts champs,” assistant coach Zachary Werner said. “We’ve been

Sports 34

Photos by Hailey Smith and Brieann Wynn able to check off a lot of goals we had at the beginning of the year.”

As the coaches and players prepared for the playoffs, they felt like this year’s playoff run came with more pressure to win than last year’s.

“I think there’s a little bit more pressure this year because a year ago we didn’t really know any better. It was kind of a shock to everyone that we were making the run we were making,” coach Noah Simpson said. “I think this year it’s expected now so it adds more pressure to complete it and finish our run with a championship.”

The playoffs started with districts being held at the new LHS fieldhouse. The Lady Jays easily advanced through the tournament all the way to the final game against North Kansas City. Liberty packed the new fieldhouse house with over 1,600 people in attendance and helped Liberty win districts back to back for the first time since 2011.

“Winning districts back to back at home with a great crowd each time is probably my favorite moment. We had such a great crowd against a good team and it was really cool to be able to do it at home,” senior Morgan Fleming said.

The Lady Jay’s next challenge would be a tough St. Joe Central team at Silverstein Eye Arena. The team was familiar with St. Joe already, as this would be the fourth time they met this season. The regular season record between the two was 2-1 as St. Joe was able to be one of few teams all year to defeat Liberty.

“For St. Joe, this is our fourth time playing them this year, so we kind of know what to expect,” Fleming said. “In practice, coaches have been preaching that every night, every game is a 1-0 situation.”

The student section was roaring but the team was lacking the first quarter and dug themselves in a tough situation as they found themselves down by 16 points with four minutes left in the first half. The team then went on an impressive 47-16 run through the last two and a half quarters.

The team was able to come back from the deficit and win the game 59-44.

“Anytime you’re down by sixteen points in any game it’s almost too much of a deficit to overcome, but to be able to do it in a do or die situation where you know if you lose it’s over,” Simpson said. “It was a huge win and a lot of fun to be a part of.”

Left: Senior Taylor Gerstner throws in the ball. Right: Senior Syndey Offeild shoots a free throw during the Lady Jay’s third place game against Francis Howell.

Less than a quarter into the game history was made. The entire stadium cheered as Morgan Fleming hit her free throws to break the all time career points for Liberty girls basketball. The record had been previously held by Andi McAlexander with 1,587 career points set in 2002.

The game continued and remained close as Belton stayed with their game plan of dramatically slowing the game down.

The first half ended in a three point game as Liberty led 18-15. The Jays would come out firing the second half as they doubled their first half score with nearly five minutes remaining in the third quarter.

Liberty ran away with the game and won 56-37 to advance to the final four in Columbia, Missouri against the Kickapoo Warriors.

With only one game remaining until the state championship, the excitement built.

The school gathered around the entrance of LHS to send off the team. Along with the send off LHS also loaded five spirit busses with eager students to make the trip to Columbia. The students loaded in Mizzou Arena as they readied to watch their Jay’s take on Kickapoo. The Lady Jays were in control of the game, but Kickapoo never backed down. The first

half ended with Liberty in the lead 24-21.

As the second half began Kickapoo came out firing going on an 8-0 run and taking the lead with six minutes remaining in the third quarter. With Liberty getting in foul trouble in the third quarter and Kickapoo making many of their shots Liberty found themselves in a tough situation as they were down by eight with six minutes remaining in the game.

Liberty was able to claw their way back and make it a two point game with two minutes remaining. In a stunning play with 30 seconds remaining, Kickapoo missed their free throw to take a three point lead but was able to get the rebound and quickly score, extending their lead to four with 27 seconds to play. Once again Liberty didn’t give up though as Fleming made it a two point game with 21 seconds remaining. Despite the fight put on by the Jays, they couldn’t pull off the win, losing 55-49. Liberty would play Francis Howell for third place.

The game started off slow for Liberty as they ended the first quarter trailing 7-4 and scoring only off free throws. Fouls also were an issue for both teams as they reached bonus in the first quarter. The second quarter looked no different for the

Jays as they ended the half with only two points from the field, and 11 points from the free throw line. They trailed 21-13.

The Lady Jays weren’t done though as they came out determined to finish the season on a win. The Jays came out firing as they were able to score 19 points in the third quarter alone. The quarter ended with Liberty coming back from behind and leading 32-31. Liberty continued to leave everything they have on the court as they battled in a closely contested game, but were able to keep and extend their lead in the fourth quarter. Liberty ended their spectacular season winning the game 53-46.

Liberty received third place at the state competition. The overall season was a success. The Lady Jays basketball team has made three final four appearances in program history. Two of those appearances have been accomplished in the last two seasons with this group of very talented players. The past two years has reignited the program and given so many people great memories. Plus, there will still be memories to make for the years to come.

Left: Senior Morgan Fleming jumps ball and passes it back to her teammates. Right: Senior Hilliary Protzman shots a shot against her defender.

Sports 35

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