The Bell September 25, 2015 Volume 92, Issue 1
SCAN & VISIT
LHSNEWS.NET
Table of Contents A New Found Liberty.................................................06
A New Gymeration......................................................07 No Place Like Home.............................................08-09 In the Key of Breakfast.................................................10 Marching to Success......................................................11 Numbers Game.........................................................12-13 Linking a Stronger Chain........................................14-15 Early Birds Gets the Worm.....................................16-17 Senior Sarah Phillips....................................................18 Junior Spencer Goff.....................................................19 Sophomore Molly Day................................................20 Freshman Jonathan Edens...........................................21 Teacher Michael Turpin..............................................22 Administrator Lois Magnuson....................................23 New Jays to the Nest..............................................24-27 Who’s the Smoothest?.............................................28-29 Niki’s Corner................................................................30 Is Liberty Hour Beneficial............................................31 Games........................................................................32-33 Columns....................................................................34-35 Athletes of the Month..............................................36-37 Get Served....................................................................38 We’ll Just Have Our Own............................................39
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Photo by: Malissa Pennington
Page: 30
Photo by: Kayla Watkins
Page: 38
Photo by: Elise Ciferri
Page: 07 Photo by: Malissa Pennington
Page: 10
Page: 06
Photo by: Hanna Davidson
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On the cover: Co-captain sophomore Natalie Griffin and freshman Grace Ordonio practices their color guard for band. Photo courtesy PhotoJ Come visit The Nest’s new location. Now open in the library in the morning and the afternoon! Morning hours: 7:45- 10:40 a.m. Closes: 12:50-1:40 p.m.
Staff
Adviser --> Lori Oyler Editors 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 --> Daryl Gichui Online Manager --> Erica Schmitz Reporters --> Alec Augustine Sol Kim Niki Benhardt Kamden Bernard Jackson Peña Hope Scobee Teegan Saunders Jenna Spence McKenzie Greenwood Riley Kelly Caleb Lautenschlager Katie Moon Joey O’Kelly Tommy Roseman Haley Stephenson Delaney Tarpley Paige Twenter Meg Whipple
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PSAT Sophomores and juniors are invited to register for the PSAT by September 30. The PSAT will be offered on October 14 at LHS. Registration is available on the front page of the LHS website. The test allows juniors the opportunity to compete for scholarships in the National Merit Scholarship Program.
Mission
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
Address --> 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO Phone --> (816)-736-5353 Email --> loyler@liberty.k12.mo.us Twitter --> @TheLHSBell
Jabber “Kearney and Liberty have homecoming on the same night, with the same theme. Don’t u think that’s a little Wizard of Odd??” -@mckenzie_hull “Follow @LTownSection for all updates on student section themes and activities! Don’t watch the game, be a part of the game!!” -@LHSSportsMktg
“*first day of senior year* ‘Mom you packed my lunch right?’” -@Jessierosee123
“Homecoming would be so much fun!! and by homecoming I mean the large artery clogging meal before and nothing else” -@alysonoldfam
“My future family will get “1738” tattooed on all of our ankles, we are not a family, we are squad.” -@lindsmarchand
“While sleeping with 2 socks on is bad, sleeping with just one is much worse.” -@darealarog
“THE spirit leader @ethan_ohair makes his debut tonight at the midnight scrimmage. proud of you!” -@moflem22
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A New Found Liberty Story by Teegan Saunders and The Bell Staff
Photo by Malissa Pennington
Liberty Hour has changed to support students academically this year. Changes have hit Liberty Hour this year. Instead of last year’s hour-long mix between lunch and tutoring, students now have 35 minutes between fifth and sixth period to do homework, go to tutoring, attend clubs or socialize with friends. For freshmen, the new Liberty Hour is all they really can imagine, but for upperclassmen this has been an adjustment. “At LHS, we are always looking for innovative ways to engage students in school and improve student achievement,” LHS administrator Rosemary Camp said. “Changing the format of Liberty Hour is just one example of how we hope to assist each student in succeeding at LHS.” Teams of teachers and administrators visited numerous schools before deciding to separate Liberty Hour from lunch. They communicated in person with different people within the school district. “We talked to chairmen, we talked to teachers, to custodians and lunch ladies,” Camp said. “We also looked at many different schools. We looked at North’s Eagle Hour and followed that schedule for the day.” This decision was discussed for around six months and went through much thought.
Camp made sure to look at the statistics for Liberty Hour to see the rise and fall in tutoring attendance. She observed what people often did during Liberty Hour outside of tutoring. “If you look at last year’s Liberty Hour, you’ll see that the peak in attendance was around a 71%. Then you look at the attendance thus far into this school year. One day the sophomore class even reached a 93% attendance to tutoring,” Camp said. “When I look around I see more kids working on school work with their friends which was the purpose of Liberty Hour.” The new version of Liberty Hour has its perks. Students do not have to focus on fighting through the lunch line, or worry about not having enough time to eat. The school has also set up a link on the LHS website that can help students find out about tutoring hours, club times and other actives relating to Liberty Hour. Many freshmen like the new extra time to do school work and get help. “I’ve benefited from numerous things, such as getting extended one-on-one help with teachers during Liberty Hour,” freshman Abby Potter said. “I see a lot of benefits, not just for me, but for other people. Such as when other kids don’t
understand in class, they can ask the teacher during Liberty Hour.” Upperclassmen are still getting used to it. “I could see the new Liberty Hour affecting tutoring, because last year whenever I would go in to get questions answered it would take a little while and I don’t know if 35 minutes is enough time,” sophomore Hannah Odom said. Some upperclassmen have even gone as far as to say the new Liberty Hour will not be as productive as the old one. “I guarantee I can’t get as much done as I used to be able to,” junior Kailyn Peterson said. “I could accomplish practicing on two of my four arts classes and I did not get my homework done. My homework got done during lunch just like during the old Liberty Hour, practicing for violin and my audition for the musical.” With the continued passing of time, students may change their opinions. “It is our goal that giving this time to students will result in deeper learning of content that will translate into greater student achievement in courses,” Camp said. One thing can probably be agreed upon by all students: better 35 minutes than no Liberty Hour at all. 540 students were asked: How do you like the new Liberty Hour? -I love it! 37 -It would be okay if there were more time. 110 -It would be better if there were fewer restrictions. 139 -I don’t have a preference. 12 -I liked the old Liberty Hour better. 239
37
239
110 139
12
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Above: Sophomore Emily Stevens and sophomore Kristen Stock use Liberty Hour for socializing and homework.
A New Gymeration Story by Caleb Lautenschlager
Photos by Elise Ciferri and Natalie Griffin
LHS welcomes the largest addition to the building since 1997. The new gym has been a project long in the making, but the countdown is almost over. The gym is expected to be finished sometime in September. It will be the biggest expansion of the school since 1997, when the original building was added onto. It is expected to add a lot to the school. “I love the plan,” basketball coach Roger Stirtz said. “I love the space, every location can be used for multiple purposes. Even our concession stand can be used for sports marketing. We’ve got a new dance studio that our body-sculpting and physical education classes can use. It can also obviously be occupied after school with teams, so it’s going to be a fantastic building and I think a lot of different teams and people will be able to utilize it.” The gym will be used for many things along the year, including school gatherings and assemblies. With over 400 more seats and new spaces, assemblies will no longer be as crowded as they were in Cokely Fieldhouse. “Right now during some assemblies part of the student body has to sit on the floor
in Cokely,” principal Dr. April Adams said. “Now everyone can be in the stands. Plus we can reopen events to parents which we’re really excited about.” The gym also has much more practice space that can be utilized by many teams. Sports teams can use the learning stairs that will act as an assembly-like setting for teams to review film. “We have five volleyball courts and three basketball courts,” athletic director Jason Cahill said. “The cool thing about it is that unlike Cokely, when you retract the bleachers you still get full sized basketball courts going sideways. There are not many high school gyms where you can get a full sized gym going sideways. It’s pretty neat.” Other uses for the gym range from classroom spaces, to aerobics. The gym will add a total of eight classroom spaces including a flexible learning space overlooking the Fieldhouse to be used by sports teams, clubs and for many other meetings and gatherings. The gym will also expand P.E. classes by providing a cardio room with treadmills
Above: The new gym is in its final stages of interior construction.
and bikes. The gym will feature an elevated track that will be used year round and can also be used to watch games from. If the gym is finished when expected, the first game to be played in the gym will be volleyball. Senior Morgan Fleming is an outside hitter on the varsity volleyball team and is really looking forward to playing in the gym. “I’m super excited. I think this gym will be around for a long time so we’ll go down in history being the first team to play in it and that’s really special,” Fleming said. The gym is bringing a lot of excitement to the school and the atmosphere is expected to be electric and exciting for anyone who walks into the new gym. “It’s going to be so amazing,” Adams said. “I believe the school spirit is going to triple because it’s such a beautiful space and there’s going to be so much school pride.”
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No Place Like Home Story by Sol Kim and Haley Stephenson
Photo by Morgan McNea
LHS is preparing for a fun-filled week leading up to Homecoming. The LHS Student Council is transforming the high school into the Land of Oz as Homecoming week approaches. From September 21-26, StuCo has planned a variety of events to get students pumped for the once-a-year extravaganza. StuCo has decided to bring back the tradition of having a Homecoming parade before the football game. The last parade was hosted in 2012. “It is a really fun tradition that was hard to see let go,” StuCo adviser Melanie Prince said. “[StuCo] is starting small this year, but hopefully we can build back the momentum it had for so many years.” Executive class president Desirae Leeson had the idea of bringing back the tradition of a parade. “I talked to the StuCo teachers and they were a little iffy about it, but I got them on board,” Leeson said. “Once I got them on board, we went to Dr. Adams and I had a meeting with her over the summer and then we were going to the school board, but we didn’t end up going to the school
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board because Dr. Adams went to talk to them personally and they were just like, ‘Go for it,’ so that was exciting.” The parade will be during the school day on Friday at 1:15 p.m. Students will be released to the parade and the parking lots will be closed for the parade route, so students will not be able to leave school grounds. Parade participants will include the spirit squads, class floats and the king and queen candidates. The parade is not the only new addition to Homecoming week. StuCo will be hosting a “Powder Party” before the Friday night football game. Similar to the Color Run, students will be given colored powder and be able to socialize in a party/ dance format. The event is open to LHS students only. The celebration will begin at 5:00 p.m. in the back of the parking lot. The dance will be held Saturday evening from 8:00-11:00 p.m. The dance will take place in the gym and tickets will be sold for $12.00. Students are allowed to bring one guest from another school, but any
non-LHS student must have turned in a registration form to the Counseling Office in advance. “Our decorations committee has decided to do a photo-booth this year which is cool,” junior class president Kamryn Downing said. “We’re going to make our own props that have to do with the theme.” StuCo encourages everyone to participate in the Oz-themed spirit days. Monday is “Welcome to Kansas” day where students dress up in their best country-styled attire, Tuesday is “Twister Tuesday,” otherwise known as mix and match day. Wednesday is “Wizard Wednesday,” students wear their most nerdy outfits. Thursday is “Over the Rainbow,” which is class colors day— freshmen are “wicked witch black,” sophomores are “yellow brick road,” juniors are “emerald city green” and seniors are ‘ruby red slippers.” Finally, Friday is “No Place Like Home” day where students show their Blue Jay spirit.
Big Football Game
This year students can look forward to having the Homecoming game on the high school football field, September 25. The team has been hard at work, preparing for their game against St. Joseph. “[The team] is really working hard out on the field,” sophomore Brayden Swope said. “We practice everyday from three to seven o’ clock. We just do a lot of drills and go over films of the other team’s plays,” There are some things that get the team motivated. “To win and to watch our team [play well] and maybe go to the playoffs and [perform] better than [the opposing team],” Swope said. The team’s hard work can be shown through their confidence. “I’m pretty confident,” senior Nick Kern said. “We’re getting a lot better as the season goes along and I think that’s how we’re going to win,” Understandably, the nerves are in high gear for the game. “I still get a little nervous, I think everyone does,” Kern said. “But it’s not
[as] bad like it was last year since I’ve gotten used to it.” To work through the nerves many players rely on their pre-game rituals. “We always say the creed,” Swope said. “We also pray before every game. We call it the chapel but we go into the choir room and the coach talks [to us]. It’s optional if [players] want to go in, but most of the team does.” Motivation is key when it comes to outstanding teamwork and Chad Frigon seems to be a pro at keeping the team pumped. “We as a team say a creed after the game whether we win or lose and it just keeps us level headed,” Frigon said. “No win is too big and no loss is too big to destroy us. At the same time we also always talk about how proud we are of them.” Frigon is one of the team’s biggest supporters. “[I’m] confident that our athletes are doing things right and getting better each week,” Frigon said. “As far as confidence, we really love [the players] attitudes. They’re a great group of kids to work with and you’ve got this culture where people
Above: Posters advertise Homecoming before the events.
are doing things right and trusting each other and knowing that they’re getting better. That turns into wins. We’re a big believer in that culture and the attitudes of the kids.” The football players are keeping a positive mindset on their Homecoming game—win or lose. “I think everyone’s happy about the Homecoming dance,” Swope said. “I mean, if we win then they’ll obviously be happy the next day, but if we lose, then that night they’ll probably forget and worry about the dance.” The school is buzzing with excitement for the football game and all of the Homecoming festivities that StuCo has planned. “I say just make sure you give your 100 percent [effort] during Homecoming week,” sophomore class President Amos Mwuara said. “It is one of the best weeks of the school year. It’s a chance to get everyone involved into one big party of a week. Yes we have tests and homework but you know what, come to the game, come to the dance, come to the powder party and it’ll be a blast!”
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In the Key of Breakfast Story by Joey O’Kelly
Photo by Emilee Moody
LHS Orchestra is hosting a pancake breakfast. What smells good, tastes good, looks good and sounds good? The annual LHS Orchestra pancake breakfast! From 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. on Saturday October 3, the most delectable Chris Cakes will be providing all you can eat pancakes, sausage, juice and coffee. This fundraiser will benefit the orchestra and hopefully bring in an abundance of profits. All one has to do is purchase tickets for $5.50. Tickets can be purchased at the door, online at Blue Jay Nation, or from an orchestra student. What makes an orchestra pancake even better? A cakewalk and a silent auction! “We’re going to have a cakewalk and a silent auction so that people can bid on themed baskets that students are providing and that’ll be fun,” orchestra teacher Michelle Davis said. These baskets that the students make could consist of anything from candy, to lottery tickets, to gift cards. Remembering those elementary school carnivals, a cakewalk is a game where one walks in a circle with numbered spots
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while music plays. When the music stops, one stops on whatever spot they’re on. The director of the game calls out a number and if that person is standing on that number, they win. And what’s a meal without a little bit of entertainment? Members from some of the different orchestras (chamber, symphonic, concert and freshman) will be playing at the pancake breakfast. “I do want to play at the event, because I think it will bring in more people to have them listen to us and enjoy their time while they’re eating breakfast,” sophomore Hollis Hagenbuch said. The audience will experience a performance from one of the top high school orchestras in the nation. The profits from this event will go towards making LHS’s orchestra, even better. “All the donations go towards the orchestra boosters and their students for clinicians and their trips and whatever they need for orchestra,” Davis said. “We submitted an application for the parade, so we might have a float with people playing.
We also have an opportunity to go to Emporia State for a jazz workshop. We’re auditioning for All-District and All-State orchestra festivals. We’re doing solo and ensemble festival.” The chamber orchestra brought back a lot of pride from ASTA back in March. This event could fund more trips like that. “I go to the pancake breakfast because I love music. I love to hear it, play it and see it. I want to support the orchestra program at LHS and appreciate how far I’ve come individually as well as some of the other members in my orchestra that are still here,” junior Berit Nuetzmann said. “In order for chamber to go to cool places like ASTA or MMEA it requires money, like everything else in this world. So the pancake breakfast lets our orchestras be as successful as they are.” Others simply go as to not break tradition. “I’m going because I’ve gone every year so far, so I mean no need to break tradition senior year, right?” senior Barcilio Blake said.
Freshman Kathleen Wilcox, orchestra teacher Michelle Davis and freshman William Laycock play their cellos.
Marching to Success Story by Tommy Roseman
Photo by PhotoJ Staff
The marching band keeps busy with fall activities. A morning breeze sweeps across the football field as a horde of marching band kids get their instruments ready- anxious, groggy and ready to learn. “Morning practice always has its ups and downs,” senior Sam Browning said. “You [have to] wake up at like 6 in the morning to get to school and then we’re on the field and marching by 7, but it’s actually a lot of fun once you get rolling.” The Blue Jay Pride marching band takes a lot of time to rehearse. In addition to performing their halftime show, the band will also be marching in the Fall Festival parade. The parade will run through downtown Liberty and will start at 11 a.m. on Saturday, September 26. While the underclassmen may be unsure of what is to come, band veterans know the parade is anything, but easy. “It can be fun, but I’ve only ever done it once because it got rained out our first year,” junior Josh Hanz said. “It is usually hot and uncomfortable, but people get to watch us so that’s the good part about it.” “When you’re at a performance it’s always really exciting to get moving and be putting on a show for the entire audience.” Browning said. “You know right as soon as it’s done if you gave a great show. But if it didn’t go over quite as well you get that feeling of disappointment that you didn’t do quite the best that you could have.”
Not only does the band memorize their music, they also have to learn the drill. The drill is where they stand and move during the halftime show. There are roughly 160 students in the band. Each is given a packet full of charts that show where they are supposed to stand on the field. In this year’s show alone, there are over 40 different formations that need to be learned and memorized by the homecoming game on September 25. “We are done with our third and fourth part [of the formations],” senior Adam Hayakawa said. “The third song is the drum solo which I’m pretty excited about.” The theme of the show is “Changes.” “We took songs about change and things that deal with changes and sort of put that all together in a package,” band director Eddie Owen said. “We mashed up all the four seasons with David Bowie’s ‘Changes’, John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and ‘Changes’ by a rock group called ‘Yes.’” Since marching band camp in July, the band has been working on the show and memorizing their music. “We started backwards, so we started with the last tune and we’ll end with the first,” Hanz said. “We’ve learned how to march the last tune and we’re pretty much done with the third one, too.” The band will enter two contests this fall. “We have two competitions that we’ll
The marching band begins practice at 6 a.m. every school day. See more pictures on the Gallery at lhsnews.net.
be attending this year; one of them is on October 10 in Fayette, Missouri at the Central Methodist Band Day and the other is on October 17 in Trenton, Missouri called The Missouri Day Marching Festival,” Owen said. Until the Fall Fest parade, students can see the band perform at every Friday home game and get a preview in the hallway beforehand. Just before school ends, the band marches through the building and plays the Blue Jay Fight Song. “It’s chaotic trying to fit the whole band through the little hallways,” Witt said. As the sounds of the drums echo throughout the building, not only does it get students ready for the game, it also gets them psyched for the band. Right now, the drumline is selling fan shirts to support the band. The drumline is made up of percussionists who wear and play their drums during performances. “We are selling shirts for new equipment like drum skins which make the drums look new and LEDs which are going to be for our pep rallies,” Hayakawa said. There will be a lot of improvement and success over the course of the season. “Seeing what [the band] can do from the beginning of our show to the end of our show is really tremendous,” Owen said.
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Numbers Game Story by Katie Moon
These numbers show LHS’s achievements and some fun facts.
1,788 Students
499
Student parking spots
Approximately how many lunches served per day
900
115
83
Faculty members
5
Counselors and Administrators
1,040
Hours in the school year Female students:
934
Clubs and Organizations
Male students:
844 456
Seniors took the ACT
23 8
Valedictorians: Salutatorians:
Average English score:
21.2
Average Math score:
64
New gym weather days
8-10
Hours a day spent working on the new gym
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Composite Score ACT:
21.7
21.1
Average Science score:
21.8
Average Reading score:
22.1
5
5
Awards for Cheer
Awards for Theater
Student Attendence at LHS
413 Juniors
469 Freshmen
14
District Championships
458 Sophomores
437 Seniors
12
Conference Championships
4
Regional Championships for Sapphires dance team
8th
Place at Nationals for Cheerleading
3.286
3.107
3.233
This year’s average: Sophomore GPA: 3.286 Junior GPA: 3.107 Senior GPA: 3.233
2
State Championships for Sapphires dance team
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Linking a Stronger Chain Story by Hannah Leonard
Photos by Malissa Pennington
Link Crew welcomes this year’s freshmen while building relationships between grades. A strong leader can guide an entire organization of people to success, but a strong crew of leaders can change the world. LHS’s Link Crew has been training to change the lives of freshmen one step at a time. Link Crew is an organization of upperclassmen who assist freshmen in their first high school experiences. Link Crew also helps to build relationships between divided grades, which supports students to achieve success regardless of age. It all starts with the proper guidance. The 2015 Link Crew leaders were handselected to prepare the freshmen for their high school careers. “The preparation for this year started in the middle of last year,” Link Crew coordinator Scott Gillespie said. “I met individually with each student who applied in an interview and we selected our current group of Link Leaders.” The leaders know first hand how difficult freshman year can be and are determined to make the experience more enjoyable for this class of freshmen.
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“When I was a freshmen I had a pretty rough transition to high school,” junior Isaac Leff said. “I wanted to be a part of Link Crew to make that transition a lot easier for them.” “Freshmen year is definitely a big one because you are setting up your high school career and the rest of your life, honestly,” junior Janin Hernandez said. “You can make a lot of bad decisions, but I want all the freshmen to stay on the right track and get where they need to be.” Training days were held for the Link Leaders both on the last day of the 20142015 school year as well as over the summer. “We came in three days before school to prepare for it and then the day before school we helped out the freshmen,” Leff said. During these training days, the Link Leaders prepared games and events for the incoming freshmen on orientation day, August 17. “We all trained for different activities that we did during the freshmen transition
day,” Hernandez said. “One of the most challenging ones was the 64 squares game. It explained how high school is a long journey and you’re going to have trouble along the way but you’ll get through it and we all have to find our way.” The orientation day was an opportunity to get the freshmen warmed up to the building and get to know one another before the first official day of school. “We start out with a big assembly to try and get everybody in one place and build some energy,” Gillespie said. “Link Leaders took their group of freshmen into their advisory classrooms and worked with them to get to know one another and build some comfort with one another and the school.” For orientation there was also a cookout where some of the administrators were introduced and the Link Leaders proudly taught the freshmen, school cheers. After the Link Crew interaction with the other students it was like a whole new atmosphere between grades with the nerves and tension diffused.
Juniors Sami Kottman, Alana Pendergraft and Kailyn Peterson collaborate on new ideas during a Link Crew meeting.
“When the new students first came in they seemed a little apprehensive,” Gillespie said. “As the day went on I really got to see a lot of the freshmen let their guard down and embrace the different activities, feeling more comfortable getting to know other students rather than just their best friends. When they left I think it was a whole different group of people, feeling confident, comfortable and ready for the first day of school.” For the first few weeks of school Link Leaders attended advisory with their freshmen classes to get to know each other better and create stronger friendships. “They are a lot more comfortable around me and each other,” Leff said. “They aren’t so worried about school anymore.” One of Link Crew’s goals is to make the freshmen comfortable in their school environment. “I was comfortable. I didn’t really need to go to them [for help] but I knew that if I did, they would be there for me to ask
them,” freshman Daniel Garrison said. Once a week on Thursdays during Liberty Hour, Link Crew has meetings in the Little Theatre to train the Link Leaders in further educating the freshmen in healthy habits for school. “So far they’ve basically been going over the syllabus and what to do online, cyber-bullying wise,” Garrison said. “One day they went over study habits and what we should do for high school. We did a worksheet on that, it was fun.” “We want to teach freshmen good study skills,” Leff said. “They want to teach them to be involved in school. They want to teach them to be outgoing to try as many things as possible and meet as many people as possible.” Freshmen are not the only ones benefiting from Link Crew. “There are a lot of benefits for our upperclassmen Link Leaders,” Gillespie said. “It changed the relationship that they have with the school itself. Taking
on a big leadership role means that those upperclassmen have to carry themselves differently. They’re looked up to.” From mentoring, building friendships, supporting one another and encouraging school spirit, the framework of the LHS student body has become enriched by the unity that is brought to school by Link Crew. “Even though there are a lot of different groups of people we are all in it together,” Leff said. “Link Crew gives freshmen a unifying experience.” There is no doubt that LHS has been empowered by what Link Crew does. “I think the biggest thing is the school culture,” Gillespie said. “Link Crew is one way that we can create the school culture and school climate that we want here at LHS. Our Link Leaders set the tone and we hope that our freshmen follow suit. I think really big things can happen when the right people are in place and everyone is doing what it is that they need to do.”
Left: Link Crew members get informed during their weekly meeting. Right: Link Crew Coordinator Scott Gillespie gives a speech to Link Crew members.
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Early Birds Get the Worm Story by Delaney Tarpley
Photos by Hanna Davidson
Early Bird Learning Center plans to grow with the help of the high school.
The Early Bird Learning Center (EBLC), created by Helen Winters, has been around for 19 years, and is preparing “Blue Jays of tomorrow” to leave the nest and head off to their next stop, elementary school. With an already significantly long waiting list, the center receives four to five calls a day from parents inquiring about signing their kids up for the program. The laboratory is full with a limit of 20 children. “Each day starts out with a lot of little voices and little people trying to talk and explain their day and their evening,” Liberty graduate and paraprofessional Macayla Witt said. The center serves as a real-life learning experience for the students in the LHS child development program, who work daily with the children. “The high school students in the Child Development courses come in to work and interact with the children,” teacher Amy Mallams said. “Authentic real-life learning experiences, such as development labs (aka “Buddy Labs”), focus on the evaluation of physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of children. Through such hands-on applications, the high school
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students develop a broader and deeper understanding of how children respond in everyday situations and are able to practice how to solve problems based upon the developmental needs of children. They also gain knowledge in the areas of caring for children, guidance, early learning, and supervision as applied to the workplace. Buddy Labs also provide for more personalized learning, so for example, if a child needs to work on fine motor skills, they will work on fine motor skills during that time. Students also create, organize and implement development centers where the kids are able to rotate through various play and learning activities. These students in the Child Development classes are leaps and bounds ahead of the kids that are going
“So far, all students who complete our program are entering kindergarten with at least a kindergarten reading level,” -Mallams said.
off to college for education.” The students in the child development classes are not the only classes that get to work with the children in the center. “The psychology courses come in and deepen their understanding of theories. The leadership class always includes the children in school pep assemblies, KLHS has that children on air for guest appearances, and last year we even had the Chinese courses come in to teach the children Chinese,” Mallams said. The district has been struggling to keep the program for a while due to budget cuts according to Child Development teacher, Sarah Adams. LHS students are overjoyed they still have it. “Without the program we would just read all the information from a book,” senior Anthony Robertson said. “We wouldn’t get to be face-to-face with these kids in Child Growth and Development class.” Teachers agree the program helps their students understand the class more than they would without it. “Until you actually are working with the kids you won’t fully understand,” Child Development teacher Sarah Adams said.
The children enjoy lunch with Early Bird Learning Center director Amy Mallams and paraprofessional Macayla Witt.
The program has inspired many to start teaching. “I took every single class, up through the highest level class you could take,” Witt said. “I did the Educational Internship Program, Child Care and Guidance and Child Growth and Development. I was working with the center in these classes, and it shaped me to become a teacher. That’s how I knew I wanted to be a teacher, was by working with these kids.” There are many benefits to having the center in our school. Students, teachers and community members recognize the advantages. “Something about being with children just brightens your day,” senior Brooklyn Balsdon said. “They’re really funny and they make you forget everything you’re
worried and stressed about, which is really great.” Teachers see a different side of high schoolers when they are around the children. “Even when you are walking down the hallways, even if they are not in the child development classes, the high school students will stop and let the children pass or will give them each high-fives,” Mallams said. “They take such an ownership for these kids and look out for them.” The center serves as a huge advantage for our school and our community. “I have been getting a lot of community support for this,” Mallams said. “We are investing in an early education now because now is when it starts. Now is when school starts for kids, not in Kindergarten,
not in first grade.” Not only are the teachers making a difference in these children’s lives, but the children are making a difference in the teachers’ lives. “I love my kids,” Witt said. “I love every single kid that has gone through this program, so I feel so happy and excited when I see them. Even if I’ve had a rough morning myself the kids can always turn that around and make you feel wonderful just walking in the door. I just feel so accomplished because I’m making a difference in these kids lives, even if it’s just helping them get a library book out of their backpack or helping them write their names. Each little step makes you feel so happy.”
Early Bird Learning Center students enjoy lunch.
Features 17
What are you involved in? “Academically I’m involved in Link Crew, National Honors Society, and Spanish National Honors Society. Spanish National Honors Society is kind of the same concept as NHS. We just learn about the Spanish culture and do community service. Outside of school, I love hanging out with friends and family. I [also] work on the weekends and I play Club Volleyball. Before volleyball I was a competitive gymnast for ten years and I just had a lot of injuries my last few years and it was just really hard to balance school with gymnastics. Volleyball was just great to meet new people at the high school coming in as a freshman and I’m an outside hitter.”
What are your favorite classes? “My favorite classes would be AP Bio and Medical Interventions. In college I plan to study biology and maybe go the pre-med route, so those are just classes that really don’t feel like much work at stuff I really enjoy working on. I really loved all of my biology teachers, I probably couldn’t pick [a favorite] so Mrs. Welzenbach, Mr. Block, and Mrs. Knowles have been great for me. Those teachers have really made me enjoy learning things about and the medical field and just biology in general.”
What are your passions? “My passions would definitely be sports, hanging out with my family and friends, focusing on academics, and receiving good grades. [Academically] I will probably go the pre-med route and afterwards I know that I will have a career in the medical field, I just am not completely sure what area yet. [At LHS] I am excited about all of the last things that will be happening knowing that I’ll have things to look forward to in college. But I’m also really looking forward to being able to use the new field house, and hopefully we’ll get to use that this season for volleyball.”
Block’s thoughts: “Sarah is a great student. She did very well in my class, simply because she is not afraid of hard work, she’s extremely thorough. She is sometimes too stressed out, but it motivates her and no matter what it is she is just going to do her very best.”
Senior
Sarah Phillips Spotlight 18
Story by Paige Twenter
Photo by Jessi Foster
How are you involved at LHS?
“I am involved in cross country, baseball, breakfast club, I’m doing Spanish club this year, and Spanish honors society. [I like to] hangout with friends, I like to lift, I like to play sports, just normal teenage guy stuff. [My favorite subject is] probably math just because it’s always been really easy for me and I can pick up on things really fast.”
What do you like about LHS?
“I really like all of the freedom that we get, even though some other people would argue that we don’t get that much freedom. I would like the Liberty Hour schedule to go back to the way it was last year because I like the fact that you would have the time to go to many different teachers if you need help in different classes or need to make up a test.”
What is your goal this year?
“I would really like to keep all of my grades up and do all of my work and hopefully get a 4.0 GPA. I will accomplish this goal by studying for all of my tests and quizzes and asking friends and other people for help if I need to.”
Jorgenson’s thoughts: “I’ve had the pleasure to get to have Spencer in class and witness firsthand his zeal for learning and care for his fellow classmates. Not only did he make Chemistry look easy, he is naturally curious about knowing more and driven to do his best. He is easy going and a blast to be around!”
Junior
Spencer Goff Story by Hope Scobee
Photo by Joe Miranda
Spotlight 19
What do you do in and out of LHS?
“I’m involved in Model United Nations, which is an extracurricular where we all get together and represent different countries and then argue on political standpoints. I’m also involved in the debate, the forensics side of theater, and then also in choir. Forensics is the other side of debate where we go and do competitions, and I don’t compete in the theater event aspect of things but I have lots of friends that compete in that one and I have cut some pieces. I’m heavily involved in my church youth group and I’m kind of like a youth intern for my youth group right now. And I also do Tae Kwon Do, which is a type of martial arts. I’ve been doing Tae Kwon Do for two and a half years now and I’m a blue belt.”
What made you join debate?
“I wanted to join debate because I really like to argue with people. I have been in the PEAK program since elementary school and we had a couple people come in and talk to us about it and it was really cool to hear about their experiences, so I thought I’d try it last year and I fell in love with it. Last year I was in policy but this year my debate teacher told me that I was too sassy for policy so I’m in public forum debate now and my favorite part of debate is being able to research things and get more knowledge on things you wouldn’t normally and then being able to go out and hear other teams and different points of views on certain things is really cool.”
What’s your favorite production?
“I was in Annie when I was eleven and I was Annie which made it a lot more fun, and I did that through Christian Youth Theatre which is another theater program organization that I used to do so that was definitely my favorite production. My favorite musical is definitely Wicked but I know it would to be super difficult to put on at LHS. And since it’s on Broadway right now it’s really expensive but that would definitely be my dream musical to be in so that would be cool if LHS could pull it off.”
Baldwin’s thoughts:
“Molly is an incredible person with a real radiant personality. She is super involved and she always seems to excel in anything she does; whether it’s choir, theater, or debate. She is always a real positive addition to whatever community she involves herself in.”
Sophomore
Molly Day Spotlight 20
Story by Paige Twenter
Photo by Hailey Smith
What kind of things do you do? “Well, In school, I’m involved in band, I’m involved in competitive theatre, Thespians club, Blue Jay honors choir, nine ten honors choir, I’m trying out for the musical and I run cross country. I have been involved in these things since the beginning of my sixth grade year, so I want to say about four years now. I’m a real people person so I love being surrounded by people that I love and just people that make me smile and make me laugh. Outside of school I really like to sleep a lot and I like to eat a lot. I said earlier I run cross country so obviously I like to run.”
What do you like about LHS? “My favorite thing about Liberty High School is probably just seeing all of the people I knew. In eighth grade I had a lot of high school friends that I barely ever got to see so being in the high school is really cool because I can see them in the hallways and be like, “Hey Bud!” so that’s pretty cool. My favorite school subject is probably Advanced Comm Arts because ELA has always been something that has been really easy for me and it’s been something that I have always understood really well.”
How do you feel about freshman year? “The thing I dislike most about being a freshman is just that all of the people are always above you. Even some of the other freshmen go around and try and insult people by calling them freshmen and that’s just not really nice. My main goal this year is just being myself and not letting people change who I am as a person. I will achieve this goal by surrounding myself with good people and people that help me be the best person I can be.”
Turpin’s thoughts:
“I have known Jonathan just just a couple of months now. He is in my competitive theatre class. From the short time I have known him he seems like a very pleasant, nice young man, I am very excited to start working with him as far as the speech and debate program goes and I am excited to see what he can do not only at competition but also on our stage.”
Freshman
Jonathan Edens Story by Hope Scobee
Photo by PhotoJay Staff
Spotlight 21
What do you teach at LHS?
“I teach competitive theater, theatre, stagecraft and after school I help run the rehearsals for the theatre productions. When I am not doing that, I am coaching the forensics students and debate team. [This is my] third year of teaching, I started two and a half years student teaching with Mr. Johnson and the following year I was hired on as a full time teacher when they created another theatre position.”
Why did you become a teacher?
“Sophomore year in high school is when I really started to think about it. I started my sophomore year in high school and my high school teacher basically pushed me up on stage and asked me to say something and I guess he saw potential in me when I didn’t see any potential at all. After my first year of college, I was originally going into college for theatre performance, but I realized the reality of today and this day and age of society, so I realized that if I got a theatre education degree I would still be able to go the performance route if I wanted. I would also have that backup teaching plan. So, the teaching route was the direction I went.”
What goal do you have at LHS?
“I always told myself if I could just reach one student per year then I feel like I’ve done my job. As far as productions and speech and debate, I just hope that every season, every year is successful and we just keep improving and building on the success we had the last year. It’s great. I know that having a class full of kids that are not always interested in theatre [is inevitable], but I see and come to teach every kid that comes into my class.”
Josh Munden’s thoughts:
“Turpin is an amazing director and is very knowledgeable for his age. He knows more than most for his age and as a teacher, he is wonderful. He really makes students feel special and that he is there for them and makes them feel like they have a voice.”
Teacher
Michael Turpin Spotlight 22
Story by Alec Augustine
Photo by Corben Phillips
What is your job at LHS?
“My title is Administrative assistant to the counselors, and I do everything from making appointments to working out their schedules, working with students with their schedules, transcripts, class changes, and clubs. I have been administrative assistant for many different companies and really like working in the school. I used to work at Lillian Schumacher Elementary and really liked that, so I just really like being in the school system and interacting with students.”
Why did you join LHS?
“Well, I actually have a degree in children’s ministry and psychology and so I did that for several years while my kids were young and so this job works well with my husbands schedule so I get the weekends off and even get to travel. I hope to retire from the school system and personal goals are just to create personal relationships with students and watch them become adults and be successful in their life ahead. I have always been a people person so I think that, well I was just born for it!”
What is it like to work here?
“It feels great when I go out into the community and I see students that have graduated and I see them come back as teachers or I just hear what their doing and it feels like I was a part of their life in some small way. The students and interactions with adults always keep my busy and I like to be busy, not idle. I always like something to do.”
Isaac Elliott’s thoughts:
“She is always willing to help people and you can tell it’s something she looks forward to everyday when she comes to work. She loves to help people. It’s what she likes and it’s what she’s here for.”
Administrator
Lois Magnuson Story by Alec Augustine
Photo by Hanna Davidson
Spotlight 23
New Jays to the Nest LHS welcomes new teachers.
Story by Lacy Williams and Kamden Bernard
Cameron Brenton
April Shea
Indepth 24
Photos by Casidy Meeks
LHS welcomes special education teacher Cameron Brenton from Heritage Middle School to LHS. He taught at HMS for two years and also taught high school art at Cameron High School before coming to Liberty. He does not stray too far from the Blue Jay nest. “This is where I went to high school,” Brenton said. “It has been extremely helpful to be familiar with the building and some of the staff that are still here.” He has grown to love everything from the students to the staff. “The three things I have noticed the most are the construction of new spaces, and a great mutual respect between faculty, students and administration,” Brenton said. “LHS
is a cornerstone of the community.” Outside of school he has a busy life with volunteer work and his two cats. “I volunteer as an Adult Leader in a local Boy Scout troop and I am heavily involved in Restore Community Church,” Brenton said. “I have a pottery studio in my basement, I love to go rock climbing at any of the three gyms in the KC area and climb outside. I love playing with my cats Han Solo and Chewbacca.” He has some big goals to accomplish this year. “One goal is transitioning my students from middle school to high school so that they may be comfortable in their learning,” Brenton said.
Brand new algebra teacher April Shea has high expectations this year. She wants to get people loving math just as much as she does. “My main goal is to get all my students understanding math and hopefully get them to share the passion I have for math. I know that won’t happen with everyone but my goal is to at least to get a couple of kids over to the other side,” Shea said. She became a teacher because of her college professor and her love for math. “I actually had a professor in college who was very inspiring to me and her love for education, specifically her love for math, is what inspired me to become a teacher,” Shea said. She also stays busy when she’s not
at LHS. “Outside of school I do a lot of traveling when I can,” Shea said. “I like to read a lot and be with my family and friends.” To her there is no other place to call home but Liberty. “This is my community, I grew up right outside of Liberty,” Shea said. “That’s why it has a special place in my heart.”
You may have heard of jumping from book to book but you have never heard of jumping from library to library! Our newest addition of our librarian staff is Lori Riedel. This will be her 20th year teaching, but her first at this high school. She’s been a librarian at the elementary schools as well as a fifth grade teacher. “I will be helping with technology support for teachers and students, research and ways to express learning for [students who] have information and want a creative way to share it,” Riedel said. Riedel’s enjoying the flow of the high school. “There is more freedom in the structure of blended classes with a flexible schedule whereas in elementary there was a set schedule,” Riedel said. She had many role models and reasons
to become a teacher. “I had fabulous teachers in my life, especially my fifth grade teacher,” Riedel said. She also really looked up to her grandparents on both sides of the family and is still close with them now. Family is a very important part in her life and she looks out for the health of those around her. “I am a group fitness instructor and nutrition coach at the Community Center,” Riedel said.
Can you imagine being able to travel to a new school and speak two languages fluently? That is no problem for German I and II teacher Christine Hernandez. Not only has Hernandez traveled from Germany to teach at LHS, she has been able to travel between LHS and LNHS. “I have amazing co-workers and mentors in the foreign language department as well as fantastic instructional coaches,” Hernandez said. “They help me be successful at what I do and give me great ideas.” LHS is a little different than growing up in German schools but Hernandez has easily adjusted to it. “I grew up in Germany and we have year-round schooling with additional breaks between the school year,” Hernandez said. “Our schedules and school hours are different as well as the amount of homework each student
gets.” There are a lot of different aspects of why teachers become teachers but Hernandez has many reasons. “First, I get to speak and teach my native language every day and I get to teach students about my native culture and customs,” Hernandez said. “I get to meet amazing students that teach me many great lessons.” Outside of school Hernandez enjoys reading and swimming as well as traveling back home to Germany with her family and traveling to new countries.
Lori Riedel
Christine Hernandez
Indepth 25
Eniola Ajayi
Amanda Derryberry
Indepth 26
If you could be a teacher what grade would you teach? In Eniola Ajayi’s situation, it did not matter; she did not have to decide but at least she knew the topic! “This is my fifth gig so far, I’ve taught fifth grade elementary, sixth grade social studies, seventh grade math, eighth grade math, and now I’m at the high school,” Ajayi said. Each building has a different aura and style to it. “Every building has their own vibe,” Ajayi said. “At the high school there’s a level of independence and I don’t have to baby sit.” Ajayi has a very obtainable but somewhat difficult goal to reach. “My biggest goal is to develop a good relationship with students to help them not be afraid to take risks, have fun, work, learn and still laugh while learning]” Ajayi said.
Ajayi believes in the teacher gene and thinks she ended up with it in her family as well. “My grandfather was an educator and my mom was a professor so teaching was a natural fit,” Ajayi said. “I knew I wanted to work with students somehow.” Outside of the classroom Ajayi is a runner but only in the cooler temperatures and she has a very special bond with her family. “I like spending time with my kids and family,” Ajayi said. “Weekends are sacred, it’s family time.”
If you think the Liberty Blue Jays have spirit, just wait until you meet the newest member of the English department “I started coaching dance at Northwest Missouri State and saw a lot of improvement in personality and skill and I realized I enjoyed watching people grow,” Derryberry said. “It made me realize how much I wanted to impact and inspire people which led me to get my masters in education.” Derryberry, who is a Liberty grad herself, is teaching English classes as well as the Broadcasting class for KLHS. She has a lot of students and is looking forward to seeing growth in her students just as she has the dancers on her team. “My goal is to really build relationships with students and impact them in a positive way and to see them grow in school and in their personal lives,” Derryberry said. Derryberry is enjoying the interactions of LHS and the different people she has
come in contact with. “Students are eager to learn and I have a lot of leaders who enjoy their courses,” Derryberry said. Derryberry has spent her weekends traveling to Northwest Missouri State to coach the dance team. She also enjoys spending time with family and friends, with occasionally reading a book in between activities. Derryberry had an important role model who gave her words to live by. “My mom was always my role model,” Derryberry said. “She taught us we could do whatever we set our minds to.”
Jordan English has moved from the small house to the big house. He was an elementary teacher at Meadowbrook for two years and is now a biology teacher at LHS. English is experiencing a giant transition from elementary school to LHS. “I think the relationships that I’m able to build are just a lot better and I enjoy the students a lot,” he said. Outside of school he coaches for the cross-country team. His biggest inspiration growing up was his own coach, which is why he became a coach himself.
“My role model was probably my basketball coach and now as a coach, makes sense; I like the role that a coach has in the students’ lives,” English said. This year, he has one primary expectation. “My main goal for myself as a teacher is to become comfortable with the school and my new role teaching at the high school level and building relationships with students,” English said.
Davis comes to LHS after teaching orchestra in many different areas at multiple different levels. “I taught beginning strings and middle school orchestra in Oak Park, Illinois for five years,” Davis said. “ My second job was in Farmington, Michigan teaching middle school orchestra and I was there for eight years. Then I taught at Liberty Middle School orchestra for nine years.” Orchestra has held a special place in Davis’s heart for a while now. “I believe music saves people,” Davis said. “I wanted to share my passion and love of music with others around me.” Outside of school Davis enjoys the
company of family and friends. “I love to take long walks, go to the theatre and be with friends and family,” Davis said. This is the first year Davis has been at the high school level. She is enjoying the age of the students and being able to challenge them with more complex music than she would at the middle school level. “I love the fact that I get to teach such wonderful, curious and intelligent kids,” Davis said.
From St. Teresa’s Academy to Liberty, the newest spanish teacher Abra House has landed in the Blue Jay’s nest. “I did my undergraduate studies at The University of North Carolina Chapel Hill where I earned a BA in Psychology and a minor in Spanish,” House said. “I also have a Masters degree in education from Rockhurst University.” She wanted to become a Spanish teacher because of the language and culture. “I enjoy working with kids and I love
the Spanish language and culture,” House said. “It is so rewarding to feel like I am making a difference in the next generation.” Outside of school she loves to be outdoors. “I really enjoy running and I am running two half marathons coming up in the next month,” House said. “I also enjoy cooking, being outdoors and spending time with my friends.”
Jordan English
Michelle Davis
Abra House
Indepth 27
Who’s the Smoothest? Story and Photos by Jackson Peña
A Bell Reporter stops by a few prominent smoothie places in Liberty.
Smoothie King Smoothie King is a new place in Liberty that just opened in August. When I arrived, I noticed how clean and fresh everything felt. There was a scent of fresh fruit wafting in the air. I walked over to the counter and the woman was ready to take my order. I decided on a small strawberry smoothie. I was handed a 20-ounce cup that cost me $4.79. I was caught by surprise because I thought that was a great value. I also noticed snack items that could be purchased to go
Morning Day Café Just after school I headed to Morning Day Café, a quaint little coffee shop located on The Square. Upon arriving, I first noticed the smell of coffee. The eclectic décor they had there made for a fun and relaxing environment. I ordered the small strawberry smoothie, which was 16 ounces and cost $5.41. The lady at the counter
A&E 28
was very friendly and we had a pleasant conversation. She made sure to tell me that they use natural ingredients as she handed me my drink. The smoothie itself did have a very natural flavor to it, although at the same time it was very sweet. I am looking forward to returning to the Morning Day Café to sample more of their flavors.
with your smoothie. It appeared that health and nutrition was a main focus at Smoothie King. My strawberry smoothie itself was very sweet and creamy. The service of Smoothie King was very fast and I was in and out within five minutes, which is really good for those who don’t have the time to sit and relax. I really enjoyed my experience and will most likely return to Smothie King for more.
Dairy Queen As I headed to this new spot in Liberty, Dairy Queen, I could not help but notice how busy they were. The parking lot was full and the line for the drive-thru stretched out into the street. I braved the congestion anyway to get a small strawberry smoothie. Dairy Queen’s smoothie was approximately 12 ounces and the cost was $3.02. The texture was more like a milkshake with
ice chips in it and the flavor was okay. The service was friendly but not very relaxing due to the busy crowds. I do not think that I would venture back for another smoothie but Dairy Queen has many other great items to choose from that would bring me back.
Starbucks My final destination was Starbucks. This is a personal favorite of mine and I was excited about trying a strawberry smoothie. I walked inside and was instantly at home when I smelled the scent of coffee. As usual, the building was packed and there were several people waiting for their drinks. I tried to order a tall strawberry smoothie but was told the smallest size
would be a grande, which is 16 ounces, and it cost $5.95. Unlike the other places I tried, Starbucks had a taste of banana mixed with strawberry. This was my least favorite smoothie and the most expensive. I walked away slightly disappointed with my smoothie but overall, I enjoy Starbucks and I will be return in the future for their other products.
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Niki’s Corner Photos by Niki Benhardt
Above left: Niki’s eye is drawn to this favorite hallway view. Above: Senior Brenna McCleery is one of many students working in the new 400s seating area. Left: A bird’s eye view. Bottom left: Juniors Hannah Kiely, Mallory McGee and Megan Jackson are in the seating area near the 400s working hard on their computers to prepare for class. Bottom right: The Commons are rarely empty, revealing the architectural design.
A&E 19
Is Liberty Hour Beneficial? Liberty Hour is quite the hot topic this school year. With major changes to the everyday Blue Jay schedule, the most important being the separation of lunch and Liberty Hour, students are beginning to ask questions. Is the new Liberty Hour truly beneficial to students? The Bell staff discussed the many pros and cons that have come with the changes to Liberty Hour this year. More than one member suggested that it helped them become more focused. A separate time to eat lunch and separate time to do homework allows for more dedication to one thing at a time, rather than trying to get everything done at once. According to the staff, Liberty Hour feels more dedicated to studying with the new schedule and it feels like there are more breaks throughout the day. One teacher even suggested that the new Liberty Hour structure is beneficial because it dedicates 35 minutes to just homework or even socializing, which, added by another teacher, can be just as important as homework. One staff member suggested that the
new Liberty Hour is a lot less chaotic, giving way to a more quiet work time. Many staff members could recall the messiness of Liberty Hour last year, with students sitting down in the hallways and overflowing throughout the building with trash littering the floors. The staff felt that with the changes made to Liberty Hour, the messiness has subsided and there is more of a feeling that everyone in the school is on the same page. Also, as pointed out by one teacher, students who need structure in order to get things done are given that structure with the new Liberty Hour. Overall, there is less chaos, more structure and more focus involved in Liberty Hour this year. However, the staff did point out some downsides to Liberty Hour. Because of the new restrictions of the freedom of students, does the new schedule take the liberty out of Liberty Hour? There are many increased restrictions on being able to move from place to place. Some members felt that it takes away from the purpose of going to see your teachers. Some students need to ask
more than one teacher for help, and the new Liberty Hour prevents them from doing so. One member suggested that there was not enough time given during Liberty Hour for students to be able to grasp concepts in a way that is effective. A custodian even thought that it is more like a recess for high school students and it is more like social hour than a time to get things done. Many members agreed that the new Liberty Hour got in the way of commitments to clubs, and one teacher suggested that it doesn’t allow them to help their students and run a club at the same time. A few members said that they liked the new Liberty Hour, but they did not like the amount of restrictions. So is the new Liberty Hour truly beneficial to students? Considering the significant decrease in chaos and the dramatic increase in focus and structure despite the new restrictions, The Bell staff overall thinks that the new Liberty Hour is indeed beneficial to students.
Illustration by Daryl Giuchi
Staff Vote: Yes - 18 No - 7
Opinion 31
Ring the Bell! Start from the left side and make your way down to the clapper!
Games 32
Searching for a Date G D I N N E R S T N B S M Y G A P A K S
R N A S Z E E A T N N Q F D D N E W F W
C S I L Z C N R Y O S P O Z P P P U K A
R O L M N D A G I N X Z O W R A V U Z V
S A R A O D J T D A K G T V K P V Q D V
F U D S I C A Y Y U R N B B Z H G Z M T
G O I T A R E S J N S E A G N Z I V Q X
E Y I T O G V M U M M S L K C C Z N N O
F O K C R W E F O J G C L K X V R Z X M
N N E E C Q I D X H U T I A E I V J D P
L D G R I P Y E K C O J C S I D I S B F
Z O O E R T O Z D D S J P I U E Z A L N
D W C I X L I M O K S D C J B M A J E H
N J Z N F J Z Q S G V A C B N Z F X Q L
A O S N E O A K K N F T B M X I I G W F
F S Q O T M C R K I G E B C U X Y B D C
L S F T V O H D A K A A M Z N I L L R E
N E E U Q A Y C F C R N Z X H V K K P F
T R H O B I Y R Q D P Q M G E W R S W X
P D M B A E W F V M L U Q D I B E G W Q
BOUTONNIERE CORSAGE CROWN DANCE DATE DECORATIONS DINNER DISCJOCKEY DRESS FALL FOOTBALL GYM HOMECOMING KING LIMO MUSIC QUEEN SUIT TIE TRADITION
Games 33
The Memory of an Athlete Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Tara Prindle
I am an athlete. I’ve played softball for 14 years and I’ve played hundreds of games in the matter of these years. At this point in my mind, I don’t remember every batter, every out, or every play. When it comes to games, I simply have a short-term memory. My dad recalls every pitch from every game that I’ve played, but when he asks me if I remember too, I just smile and nod to give him reassurance. In all honesty, it’s a
blur. It might be because I’m in “the zone” or my focus is on what’s happening in front of me, rather than the past out or error. It’s not a complicated thing, I suppose, when you think about it this way. At first I tried to keep my softball life and my personal life separate, which was ridiculous because softball is my personal life. I apply it to everything I do because it is part of who I am: it makes up my characteristics. I am respectful, I am strong both physically and mentally, I am aware, I am forgetful, I am wise and I remember because of softball. It brings joy, pain and memories along for the long ride of seven innings. Since I am the pitcher, I live in the loneliest part of the field: The Circle. I don’t see anything, not even the batter, but my catcher’s glove. I don’t hear the other team; I block everything out except for the play call and hearing my dad from his usual place behind the fence. It calms me down; it brings peace, even if the game is going
south. I don’t remember every game, I don’t remember every pitch, but I do remember the moments. I remember when my friends come to support me for games, I recall the time I broke my arm or got hit with line drives and just kept playing, but most importantly I remember my dad. He’s always at the game, he always helps me with my art, reminds me to have pride and to always, always keep my head held high. So whether or not my team wins or loses, no matter the score, I will never hang my head because all my life I was taught to be strong and to come out of each game feeling proud of the good things I have done and learning from my mistakes. To quote my dad, “it’s just a game, go out there and have fun and remember I’m proud of you and I love you.”
I Have No Passion for Fashion Editorial by Design Editor Alex Wilson
There are three days a year that I actually care what I am wearing: the first day of school, Saint Patrick’s Day and Halloween. I just don’t understand the concept of fashion on a day-to-day basis. Of course, I understand dressing nice for a special occasion or even a remotely special day, but dressing up everyday is way too much. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if there
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weren’t these fashion laws or codes to follow that change every other month. One day wearing tie-dye is cool, then the next day shutter shades are what’s in, then the next day sweatshirts are popular. Why can’t we just stick with one thing? We had fashion down to a science in the 70’s when everyone put as many patterns in an outfit as possible. I despise this minuscule daily struggle so much that instead of doing my part and solving the world’s problems, I put my annoyances first and have figured out a way to wear somewhat passable clothing everyday. The secret can be found in polos. People think they are the worst qualities of formal clothing and the worst qualities of casual clothing combined, but that’s what makes them so great. Because of these fabric abominations, I can wear formal clothing and casual clothing at the same time with minimal distaste in people’s eyes. Polos subliminally
tell the world that I don’t care about fashion and I just want to go home and wear my next polo tomorrow. There are days when I run out of polos and I just wear whatever I find first. Either way, I put no effort into something that would only take me a minute to accomplish. The only thing I look for in clothes is comfort. If I had a penguin costume that was comfortable to wear, I would just put that on everyday. It accomplishes the same task as a tuxedo or even a pearly outfit similar to the ones on the cover of Icky Thump. The point I am trying to make is, instead of worrying about what to wear for the rest of the week, just wear something comfortable and have a productive day without weird articles of clothing getting in your way. For the record, that is definitely my point and not just an excuse for being lazy every morning.
This is No “High School Musical” Editorial by Opinion Editor Emily Johannes
I can’t even begin to count the number of times I have sat in class and desperately craved to break out into song. It’s definitely been more than five. I guess this comes from my (slightly unhealthy) obsession with “High School Musical” and the adorably baby-faced Troy Bolton.
Why do the students of East High get to challenge the status quo, break out into spontaneous music numbers and seemingly never attend a class? Why do I have to struggle with the quadratic formula, trudge along in my sweatpants and never ever sing heartbreaking songs about going my own way? I know, I know, I can just imagine what you are thinking: “This is the real world, Emily. Get over it.” I wish I could, but the idea of the idyllic high school experience is one I can’t let go of. Everyone wants those perfect grades, perfect school dance experiences and the perfect outfit every day of the week, but unfortunately, this is indeed the real world. These past few years have been filled with mediocre grades, no dancing and lots of gross t-shirts thrown on in a hurry to get
out the door. It’s been full of long stressful evenings spent on studying, forgetting obligations and disappointing myself and others. Maybe that’s the reason I am so enraptured with “High School Musical” (and know all the words to all the songs). I’m in love with the thought of having a seemingly flawless high school career. I’m in love with the idea of having a perfect singing voice, but mostly I’m in love with Troy Bolton. However, I realize this point of perfection is impossible to reach. So I am resigning myself to yet another year of spilling food on my favorite shirts, forgetting to do my homework and scaring cats with my singing. But, who knows? Maybe I can sneak in a musical number every once in a while.
It’s Gonna Go It’s Own Way Editoral by Ads Manager Daryl Giuchi
I’ve always been a huge planner ever since I was little. In elementary school I was the fifth grade class manager. I kept track of everyone’s homework and checked their forged parent signatures and organized graded assignments; it was pretty awesome. To this day I still plan most of my activities from how much I eat, when I sleep, recording the miles I run each day, how long I study; whatever it is I’d rather have it structured. But no matter how well you try organize yourself, life always has a
way of taking those daily plans and tossing them down a pit of angry, smelly bears that just woke up from hibernation. Whether it’s a weekend with some friends or a spending the rest of your night finishing those last few pages of a chapter for class, something comes up and disrupts your flow. Suddenly your relatives visit from nowheresville occupying your free time with friends and then those 30 minutes of study time on your computer turn into a two-hour blur of “Hit the Quan” videos and too many visits to the kitchen for peanut butter crackers. Certain plans don’t always go as wanted, and it can be tough to deal with especially when it’s something you’ve spent days or even weeks working out, forcing you to change plans. Over this summer on a two month long running hiatus due to a hip injury I learned that firsthand. Two weeks I would’ve spent doing arm and ab workouts, I used tutoring sixth graders during summer school for A+, honestly, I feel like they taught me valuable lessons, like not to sweat the small stuff in
life, they opened my eyes to how impactful kind words and actions can be to others. The month with my physical therapist spent doing football-style agility workouts and long, uncomfortable static stretches to build my physical leg strength taught me how to be calm and patient in tough situations and how going the extra mile whether its in a small maintenance exercise or literally really makes all the difference. The rest of the time I spent at home drawing, playing music, a lot of video games and talks with my mom helped me to understand how lucky I am as person to have friends and people around me who support me and care about my well-being. What I’m trying to say is some things in life don’t go exactly how we want and while it may be hard to deal at first, if we stick through the tough times and take that opportunity to grow, we might come out smarter, stronger and more grateful people who’re less stressed when our plans get shaken up by some stinky, sleepy bears.
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Athlete of The Month
LIBERTY
LIBERTY
Derek Karr
Lindsey Gercken
Grade: Junior Sport: Soccer Position: Defender Height: 5’11” Favorite Food: Honey BBQ Wings
Grade: Senior Sport: Tennis Position: Doubles and Singles Height: 5’8” Favorite food: Popcorn “I picked tennis up in about sixth grade. I love the feel of the atmosphere when you get on the court, it’s just calming and relaxing. Everything just kind of stops, It’s just you and your opponent and the ball.” -Lindsey Gercken “Lindsey is always positive and has a really good attitude about tennis, she just really likes to have fun. She is always really caring and uplifting, so if you are having a bad matchor you’re not doing very well that day, she knows what to say to you to put you in a good mood.”
“I like everything about soccer, I like running around, kicking the ball and having a blast. My favorite school season memory would be going to districts last year, it was pretty fun.” -Derek Karr
“Lindsey works extremely hard, she’s committed to being the best tennis player that she can be. She has worked extremely hard to become a varsity player. Her teach-ability is really my favorite part.” -Coach Kevin Goodwin
“Derek is a hardworking kid who has improved tremendously every year. He does what I ask him to do, with guys that sometimes doesn’t happen, when you tell him something and show him something he tries it and does it to the best of his ability.” -Coach Tom Rottjakob
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-Lauren Ryan
“I have known Derek since birth and I’ve played with him for ten years. My favorite part about playing with Derek would be that I have a connection with him on and off the field. As a player, he is a risk taker and usually I’m there to clean it up.” -Dane Larasen
BobbleJays
LIBERTY
Rhiannan James
Grade: Sophomore Sport: Cross Country Favorite race: KU Height: 5’1” Favorite Food: Crab legs dipped in butter “My favorite part of cross country is definitely the family feel of it. My favorite memory would be the away meet last year, when the coaches made the horrible decision to put three freshmen together in one hotel room.”
-Rhiannan James
“She’s a strong athlete, she’s willing to push through things and she doesn’t quit. She is someone you can always count on and she is spunky and fun.”
-Payton Adams
“Rhi was successful last year, we expect big things from her this year. She is a hard worker and has talent.”
-Coach Robert Marquardt
Sam Koday
Grade: Freshman Sport: Swim and Dive Best stroke and event: Breast stroke and 500 free style Height: 5’9” “My favorite part of swim and dive is hanging with the guys on the Liberty and North team. Many people don’t understand the mentality of swimming. It’s as much in your mind as it is in your kicks and strokes.” -Sam Koday “Sam is really energetic; he always has a smile on his face, always trying to uplift the team. He is always ready for another challenge. He is just all around happy.” -Cameron Murphy “Everybody loves Sam. He’s probably the happiest kid that I have ever met and he works very hard in practice, so he’s just a great person to have on the team. Sam works hard and makes everybody around him want to work hard.” -Coach Chris Murphy
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Get Served Story by Kati Benhardt
Photo by Kayla Watkins and Adam Pouliot
The girl’s tennis team has crossed over from summer tennis to school-season tennis. The girl’s tennis team has aced their way into the 2015-2016 season. This season is a time of transition because of all the girls playing with the team this year. “I feel good, we’re kind of in a rebuilding year. We lost four of our six seniors at the varsity level. So a lot of girls have not had varsity experience, its kind of a learning time for them,” tennis coach Pam Koch said. “We also have 31 girls out, which is a pretty large number and we have 11 freshman out. So, we have a lot of people learning and so it’s a great team.” Tryouts were held before this school year started and the players competed in a ladder match to figure out what tennis team they were going to be put on. “It wasn’t like a scheduled tryout, they had us play this ladder match, where we started at the bottom and there were different pools, like pools A, B and C. You moved up depending on whom you
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played and if you won or not on the team,” freshman Sara Benson said. “If you were better, then obviously you moved to the next pool.” Once team placements were made, the team got into a routine for practice. “We start with warm-ups, running and stretching, dynamics and then we warm up with our doubles partner, hits and what not, coach Koch will have us work on doubles or singles or specific drills games/ stuff we need to work on,” junior Alex Rogers said. Senior Alex Kretsinger has been playing since she was little and described her favorite part about playing on the team. “I think I’ve been playing since I was like six,” she said. “I think I like the team atmosphere, I really like the girls on the team and team bonding, winning matches is nice.” Sophomore Megan Dolsky also got an early start with tennis.
“I was 12 when I started playing [tennis],” she said. “I like just being apart of a team and the atmosphere, its a lot of fun.” The tennis team has important tournaments coming up. “We have the Liberty tournament coming up next weekend, which is a tournament that we host. Then, we will go to Rockbridge in Columbia and a tournament on the Plaza,” Koch said. “And then the last week of September, first week of October, the season is over and we are getting ready for districts. So we have three to five matches in one week.” The tennis team has been working hard this season and it shows. “We have a great group of girls this year. Almost every match we have played has been extremely competitive,” Assistant Coach Kevin Goodwin said. “They work hard at getting better and we are seeing that on the court as the season goes on.”
Left: Emily Norris prepares to hit an incoming serve from her opponent. Right: Alex Rogers gets prepared to recieve an incoming serve.
We’ll Just Have Our Own Story by Jenna Spence
Photo by MaryAnn Johnson
The LHS softball team decides to have their own Homecoming. During Homecoming weekend, most of the students at LHS will be celebrating in town. But for 15 varsity softball players, they will be playing three hours away in Springfield, Missouri for a tournament. The Springfield Tournament is a Friday and a Saturday, September 25-26, the same weekend as Homecoming. There were mixed emotions from the Lady Jays about the fact that they will not be able to attend. “I was upset because it is my senior year and I would like to go to Homecoming,” senior Ashlyn Sutton said. “It’s something that I enjoy along with most of the other girls on the team. I was mad about it.” While most of the team agrees with Sutton, some might view this as a weight off their shoulders. “I had a happy moment when I realized I don’t have to buy a 100 dollar dress and I don’t have the pressure of getting a date or a group,” junior Janai Simpson said. “Overall I had mixed emotions on not going this year.” Optimism is a key essential in athletics and that is something that the softball squad has. Instead of being sad about not going to Homecoming, the ladies decided they will have one of their own. “When we were warming up for practice one day, we thought of it,” sophomore Autumn Avery said. And that was all it took.
“We were all standing in a group talking about how we were missing Homecoming and somebody sarcastically suggested that we just had our own homecoming in the hotel in Springfield,” Simpson said. “Now it has turned into an actual idea where we actually are going to have a Homecoming.” “I think we’ll probably either do it in someone’s room or we’ll talk to someone at the front desk,” Sutton said. “Usually they have a little lobby area that anyone is welcome to go to so hopefully we can do it there.” The girls plan on buying ‘ugly’ dresses from a local thrift store and attempt to have as close to a dance as they can get. But the Lady Jays still can’t forget the true reason why they are in Springfield and that is to play softball. “The Springfield tournament is basically a tournament that we go to every year,” Simpson said. “We always look forward to this tournament. Everyone looks forward to being in a hotel room with your friends and to play softball on a field other than your own. It’s really nice.” Head varsity coach Scott Howard agrees. “It’s a good tournament,” he said. “The thing I like about it best is that we get to go down there and spend a couple nights as a team. It’s a lot about the team bonding. We also get to see different teams than what we see here.”
Left: Autumn Avery gets ready to hit for an incoming pitch. Right: The girls on the field huddle up to talk about their plan of attack.
According to Howard, the team has always executed very well in this tournament. They have played in this tournament four times, taking first place in two outings and second in the other two. “I expect the same thing this year,” assistant varsity coach Zach Werner said. “Our pool is a pool that I think we have a really good shot at winning. We want to win our pool and then get into bracket play where we can face some good teams. We should be able to compete and give ourselves a chance at winning the thing.” Last year’s team found themselves in the championship against Nixa High School. The Jays lost in the bottom of the seventh. “I expect us to play really well and get back to the championship like how we did last year,” Avery said. “I want redemption.” The ladies are very excited about the season and having a homecoming of their own this year after all. “We’ll just have to see,” Simpson said. “Shoot it from the hip and wing it.”
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The Bird House is selling hoodies! Place your order or discuss payment/pickup options at LHSbirdhouse@liberty.k12.mo.us
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