In the Name of Privacy

Page 1

In the Name

the chronicle Olathe North High School 600 E. Prairie 66061 Volume 9 Issue 110 | 2022
of Privacy The Olathe School District’s new policy regarding pronouns and preferred names has received backlash from Olathe North students page 7

table of

Monkeypox:

In the Name of Privacy

the Teachers

Struggles With Mental

Voters

Freshman Fears

your kid to work...

day?

Opinions

Go Big or Go Home

Steroid Era Back in Baseball?

Kansas Senate Bars

from the Floor

North Students Need to Learn How to Drive

Directioner vs. Rusher

Sports

Getcha Head in the Game!

A&E

ON Confessions

Olathe North Assembles

of the Summer

Vacation

Your Homecoming

We’ll Find

it in the Hallways

Page 26 | A&E 2 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | October 2022
the new COVID? 4 Budget Cuts Continue to Affect Classes and School Programs 5 Ukraine Update 6 News Features
7 Meet
10
Health 12 New
13
14 Bring
every
12
22
25
26 Movies
28 Summer
29 Plan
Dance and
Your Celebrity Date 30 Heard
31 Page 14 | Features Page 22 | Sports Page 29 | A&E
16
17
Journalists
18
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20

letter from theeditors editors

Contact Information

Mailing address: 600 E Prairie St. Olathe, KS 66061

Email: onpublications@gmail.com

Responding to the Publication

Letters to the editor can be sub mitted to the email address listed above. Letters may be published in print. Letters may not be per sonal attacks against an individual and may be edited for brevity or legibility.

Advertising

Dear Eagles, Welcome back for the 20222023 school year! We’ve had the privilege of serving on a team that’s highlight ed issues in our school and created change. We are so excited to continue tackling the big stories in both our local community and our world as a whole this year!

Journalism is our advocacy tool for the things we care about most, and we want to provide that same voice to all Olathe North students. Our goal here at the Chronicle is to broaden perspectives and tell the stories of the peo ple that we represent. And we hope this issue accom plishes that.

The Chronicle accepts advertis ments. These can be submitted to the email below. Pricing and other information can be obtained by contacting us at: cgbabb@olatheschools.org

Purpose

2022-2023

Editors-in-Chief

Menaka Garapaty

Eve Loehrer

Copy Editor

Jackson Stephens Online Editor

Mallory Graybeal

Menaka Garapaty

Eve Loehrer

staff staff

Staff Editors

Bria Dawson

Paige Keith Graphics Editor

Alex Rhodes-Irvine

Staff Writers

Advertising Manager

Vin Parazin

Nate Gunderson

Whitney Graybeal

The Chronicle is the official high school news publication of Olathe North High School and open forum distributed to all students through out the year.. This is the second issue of volume eight. The Chron icle is printed by Osage Graphics. This is a student publication and may contain controversial material. The Olathe Unified School District No. 233 and its board members, officers, and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is an expression of the School District Policy. Students and editors are soley responsible for this student publication.

KJ Jackson

Lili Madden

Reese Pope

Denise Villa

Staff Designers

Jasmine Saldana

Pidge Stephens

Photo Editor

Taylor Sales Adviser

Crystal Babb

October 2022 | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 3

Monkeypox: the new COVID?

Monkeypox

has affected many communities, but will it affect Olathe North? There are differing views on how we should be responding to the situation. Should the students, teachers, admin, and health professionals be wor ried about the spread reaching our school?

According to the CDC, mon keypox originated in 1958 in monkeys and spread to humans for the first time in 1970. It spreads through contact like intimate touch and touching anything that had pre viously come in contact with monkeypox. Initially, the majority of cases prior to Af rica had been linked back to internation al traveling to countries where the disease was frequently reported through animals that were imported. The newly found 2022 cases in the U.S. were due to travel associ ated cases. A sophomore at Olathe North, Jayla Brock, is concerned about the disease.

“I think it’s a big deal,” Jay la Brock said. She felt awareness “should be spread around more.”

Although there is concern for the disease, students don’t know much about monkeypox. The information about this disease should be taken se riously and used to notify others. As of now a substantial amount of students are unaware of the concerns of this dis ease, including junior Marlee McDonald.

“I hadn’t heard of it until a couple weeks ago,“ McDonald stated. “I think it is something to be cautious about, but I don’t think it’s going to turn into a pandemic like COVID-19 did.”

Some see the disease as a con cerning topic, but believe it does not hold as much danger as COVID-19. As monkey pox is not new, it may be easier to prevent an outbreak. Erica Gilliland, an English teach er at Olathe North, expresses her argument.

“I wasn’t really that con cerned,” Gilliland said. “I don’t think they’re going to do anything about it,

I also don’t think it’s going to get that bad because there’s already a vaccine.”

Even though this disease is being rediscovered, we already have medical treatment to keep more peo ple and whole communities like ours safe. It will also be easier to keep it un der control because we have experi ence with the recent disease COVID-19.

“I think it has been blown out of proportion for drama in some ar eas” junior Eli Madden said. “In far away

as gay and bisexual men. Without prop er understanding the outbreak could grow. Would our community at Olathe North be able to handle it like how it happened so suddenly with COVID-19?

“I think it would be easier in some aspects because we already have those routines, and we already know what to ex pect,” Gilliland said. “For those that online or hybrid, [learning] was not a good fit”

In some ways we have experi ence from COVID-19 but the previous adaptations were not suitable for every one. Monkeypox is a completely different illness and has different characteristics.

For instance, unlike COVID-19, which spreads through moisture in the air, monkeypox spreads through skin con tact. The regulations to protect us from it would be new considering the differ ence in characteristics of the disease.

areas it’s crazy, but around us it’s not.”

There is some belief the infor mation being given about monkeypox is being exaggerated because of our pre vious pandemic experience. There are many states who have had more cases of the illness reported than Kansas. With out proper treatment and awareness about the disease it can spread rapidly.

“For it I just felt like kind of negative stigma that wasn’t neces sary,” Gilliland said, “They put out some warnings for gay and bisexual men that it was spreading in that community.”

The local information comes across as accusatory rather than as a message to help raise concern. The state ments related to monkeypox are direct ed towards certain groups of people such

“It would be such different health and safety protocols because it’s passed through skin contact, so I think that would be a lot more difficult to mit igate.” Gilliland said, “Right now peo ple are still getting sick and dying from COVID, so I don’t see that going well.” COVID-19 still exists and people in our community are still dying because of it. To add a new threatful illness on top of that would lead to even more deaths.

To prevent monkeypox fol low the recommended prevention reg ulations as well as getting vaccinated if you have been exposed to someone who is suspected of carrying monkeypox.

If you are sick with mon keypox there is no specific treatment. Your treatment plan depends on how sick you are or could be. Most people are able to recover fully without medi cal treatment within two-to-four weeks. Others who need to seek medical care will get a prescription drug, through the state or local health department.

4 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | News | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer
“I THINK IT IS SOMETHING TO BE CAUTIOUS ABOUT, BUT I DON’T THINK IT’S GOING TO TURN INTO A PANDEMIC LIKE COVID-19 DID.” -MARLEE MCDONALD, 11

Budget Cuts Continue to Affect Classes and School Programs

Afterthe Olathe School District announced sweeping budget cuts last April, staff have experienced numerous changes in their profession.

The budget cuts have affected de partment funds and the number of teachers in the building among various other changes.

Numerous teacher positions were cut following the 2021-2022 school year, which reduced the number of avail able classes for students to take. Tammie Milke, who is the lead counselor at Olathe North, says that the budget cuts put a ham per on creating this year’s master schedule.

“We shut down class es and moved classes to make things fit into the schedule,” Milke said.

Teacher Careth Palmer, who is the En glish Department Chair, explains that while these budget cuts are nothing new, they haven’t been as significant in the past.

“We’ve had budget cuts to our department for the past four years. We no longer buy Kleenex as a department and instead give it as extra credit,” Palmer said. Teacher Erica Gilliland also states that the department chair funds decreased. “This year was the first year we were like ok we’re just gonna do away with anything non-essential”, Gilliland said. “We’re not going to have a department shirt.” Palmer also states that many teachers, like her, have had to be more aware of making paper copies of materials and has generally reduced the amount of pa pers that have been handed out in her class. This is partially due to the fact that the copy room attendant, a position formerly held by Ms. Stutesman was removed this year.

“ I don’t want to have to wor ry about sending things to the dis trict in X amount of time and be three months planned out, [so] to combat this issue, I’ve turned pretty much everything online,” Palmer said.

Teachers that are involved in 21st Century Programs may have also seen bud get cuts. According to the Olathe District Website, all 21st Century Programs have experienced a 50% decrease in funding.

Palmer adds that these budget cuts, espe cially for 21st Century Programs, were less specific than what she would like. “I think that looking at more than just the numbers would need to be where we start,” Palmer said. “We need to look at more than just the cold bottom line.”

Design by Eve Loehrer | October 2022 | News | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 5
“I THINK THAT LOOKING AT MORE THAN JUST THE NUMBERS WOULD NEED TO BE WHERE WE START. WE NEED TO LOOK AT MORE THAN JUST THE COLD BOTTOM LINE.”
-CARETH PALMER
Teachers are facing new challenges after the Olathe School District cut $20 million from the budget “WE SHUT DOWN CLASSES AND MOVED CLASSES TO MAKE THINGS FIT INTO THE SCHEDULE.” -TAMMIE MILKE

Ukraine Update

Theworld looked on in shock when Russia launched a full scale invasion of Ukraine last February. Attacks came from land, sea, and air as Ukraine scrambled to assemble its armed forces to prepare a counterattack.

Soon after, Russia was sanc tioned by the United States and the European Union, among others, as well as suffering from having myriad businesses close their doors to Russian citizens.

One of the main reasons Rus sian President Vladimir Putin ordered the invasion was because Ukraine has become increasingly similar to Western nations in terms of political structure and ideology. Putin felt that because of this, Russia could not feel “safe [and could not] develop and exist”.

Ukraine recently expressed interest in joining NATO (Atlantic Treaty Organization), a defensive alliance formed after the second World War by Allied countries in an attempt to counter the Soviet Union’s Warsaw Pact, a similar defensive alliance that consisted of Russia and its spheres of influence.

The Russia-Ukraine War has seen its ups and downs but Ukraine has largely been successful in stopping the Russian offensive and in some cases been able to regain territory.

Ukraine has also seen some economic victories, such as on July 22 when Russia and Ukraine reached an agreement that allowed Ukrainian ships carrying wheat to leave Ukrainian ports for the first time since the invasion began, meaning that farmers would be able to profit off this year’s harvest.

Russia fired back four days later however, announcing that it would reduce the amount of gas it sent to Europe from 40% to 20% of maximum capacity, halv

ing Europe’s supply. European leaders were forced to reduce natural gas usage by 15% as a result.

There has also been a nuclear scare involved in this conflict because of a nuclear power plant in a city called Zaporizhzhia. The plant has been hit by multiple missile strikes, which caused the reactors inside to become damaged while Russia, who occupied the plant at the time, would not allow United Nations nuclear inspectors inside to evaluate the

chances of a nuclear accident. Now, entering the sixth month of the war, many domestic issues have demanded the attention of Americans from the European conflict. When the conflict first started, influencers with a large platform urged their followers to stay educated and provide support of any kind. But with a summer filled with political scandals and overturned Supreme Court cases, activism has waned amongst the common American, and only continues through the motivated few or large organizations. This change is prevalent even at Olathe North.

In May of 2022, both the Eagle Service Club and National Honor Society hosted a fundraiser for Ukrainian aid. Through a bake sale, the two clubs collected over $250 in funds. However, there have not been any recent school-led initiatives, especially with summer break beginning shortly after the invasion. Ukraine’s recent efforts have brought them closer than ever to a country free from Russian influence but all that can change in the blink of an eye. Whether you’re an Olathe North student or a cashier in New York, staying up to date on events in the region is important as the whole world is watching this firstof-its-kind conflict.

extent of the damage.

The plant was shut down on September 11 by engineers who found a way to reconnect the plant to Ukraine’s central power grid, allowing them to power off all of the plant’s reactors and put the plant into what is called a “cold shutdown,” a state that greatly reduces the

6 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | News | October 2022 | Design by Vin Parazon
“The RussiaUkraine War has seen its ups and downs but Ukraine has largely been successful in stopping the Russian offensive and in some cases been able to regain territory.”
“Staying up to date on events in the region is important as the whole world is watching this first-of-itskind conflict.”

In the Name of Privacy

Design by Eve Loehrer | October 2022 | Features | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 7

What’s

one of the many things about the beginning of the school year that high school students dread? Student info sheets. Writ ing down your favorite drink and what pets you have can seem a little unnec essary, but these sheets can assist some students in conveying important in formation about their identity to their teachers without a face-to-face confron tation. However, due to district policy, teachers can no longer ask for students’ pronouns and preferred names, in any context, including on student info sheets.

At the Olathe school board meeting on December 2, 2021, former Shawnee Mission North student Jae Moyer spoke on behalf of Equality Kansas of Met ro Kansas City about their experience as a transgender student in Johnson County.

“I got judged for the way I looked every day, the way I dressed, the way I talked, the way I stood,” Moy er said. “Specifically I can think of one of my peers who was bullying me ev ery single day and calling me names, and saying all of these terrible things.”

Moyer was not supported by the adults in the building while they were being bullied, and they were concerned about the rumors they’d heard about the Olathe School District’s new policy re garding pronouns and preferred names.

“When I tried to go to an associ ate principal about the problem, they told me to just ignore it, just shrug it off and let it keep happening. And I could not talk to my teachers because they did not feel like they were in a position to communicate with me,” Moyer said. “And I am saying this specifically because there is a rumor go ing around that the Olathe School District might adopt a policy that students cannot talk to their teachers and vice versa about preferred pronouns and preferred names.”

It’s not just a rumor anymore. On the same day, Olathe faculty received a document on Guidance Related to Gen

der Identity, which outlines the district’s policy on handling students’ preferred names and pronouns. According to At torney Chris Pittman, the foundations of the policy are Title IX, which protects sexbased discrimination, and the Family Edu cational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

“If we have a student who has disclosed that they are [transgender] and

ger, and this is just my personal feeling, I feel like we are moving away from protecting kids and not having our teachers and ad ministrators out kids to their parents, and I hope that we can, with more legal guidance and a better plan and better goal, come up with different guidance that wouldn’t put kids or teachers in an awkward position, as you used, while maintaining the priva cy of those kids who decided to confide in a trusted adult in the building,” Boyd said in response to Yeager’s comments at the December 2021 school board meeting. Consistent with the district’s nondiscrim ination policy, staff are expected to ad dress students by their preferred name and pronouns. However, “Staff should not solicit (request or ask) students to share their pronouns or preferred names,” in the name of protecting the privacy of students. Junior Madi Reseigh is skep tical about this clause as having the op portunity to share their pronouns in a less formal way, such as on an info sheet, makes them feel more comfortable.

shared with the counselor, the teacher, you know with anyone, that they maybe identify as a gender different than what their birth was, that’s disclosing their gen der,” Pittman said. “And the question then is, before that is publically shared in the school community, should the parents have the right to be aware of that? And parents have the rights under FERPA.”

Superintendent Brent Yeager supports this policy.

“Our intent is to continue to pro tect the privacy of our students,” Yeager said.

School board member Brad Boyd believes this new poli cy could violate the privacy Yeager said the district intended to protect.

“From your comments, Dr. Yea

“Because I appear more feminine, people automatically assume my pronouns are she/her, and it’s not that way,” Reseigh said. “Even with friends, I am pretty uncom fortable trying to correct them, so when it’s an adult, and a teacher in a professional setting, [...] I don’t want it to be uncom fortable for me, the teacher, or other peo ple to say ‘hey, those aren’t my pronouns.’”

When teachers ask for pro nouns on their info sheets, it gives trans gender students an idea of whether or not it’s safe to come out to their teachers

“At least when teachers passed out those little information sheets, it [gave you an idea] if they’re supportive or not. And now I don’t really know,” Reseigh said.

The district states that “best practice is for staff to obtain paren tal consent before addressing the stu dent publically by their preferred name and/or pronoun.” But for many trans gender students, this communication

8 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Features | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer
“AS SOMEONE WITH NOT COMPLETELY APPROVING PARENTS, IT ALWAYS SUCKS TO SEE THAT ‘PARENTAL CONSENT’ IS GENERALLY SOMETHING HEAVILY ENCOURAGED.” -MERCURY HASTY, 10
The Olathe School District’s new policy regarding pronouns and preferred names has received backlash from Olathe North students

with their parents can be dangerous.

“If teachers are required to tell the parents, ‘your children are us ing these pronouns and this name,’ and the parents find out about this and get really upset, it could put the child in real danger,” senior Michael Hanzelka said.

The guidance says a student’s request to use their chosen name and pronouns that don’t correspond with their gender assigned at birth should be honored “without causing trauma to the student during the process,” but having to inform parents of this change is of ten in conflict with keeping students safe.

“As someone with not com pletely approving parents, it always sucks to see that ‘parental consent’ is generally something heavily encouraged,” soph omore Mercury Hasty said. “School is a place where kids should all feel safe and they shouldn’t have to hurt at home and at school because of their parents.”

Reseigh is against this policy because it takes transgender students’ de cision of who to disclose their identity to out of their hands. Reseigh believes a better policy would be for teachers to ask in which environments the student is comfortable using their preferred names and pronouns.

“Not even talking about the risks of causing mental stress, it should be up to the student, not the teacher or the board,” Reseigh said, “If parents need to

give permission or know about a student telling a teacher their preferred name and/ or pronouns, why don’t they need permis sion for other things that are ‘personal?’”

This policy has not only affect ed how teachers handle pronouns and preferred names in their classrooms, but also students as a part of school-affiliated clubs. For example, Link Crew students were told that they weren’t allowed to ask their freshmen what pronouns they use.

“Many teachers, if given the choice to allow students to share pro nouns, would say yes because they care about their students’ feeling safe and being able to express themselves, but their hands are tied behind their back because of district policy and that makes everything hard,” Hanzelka said.

English teacher Amanda Kelt ner says nothing has changed in her classroom, despite the district policy.

‘Respect for students comes first and foremost—they are the reason I am here and it is my job to provide sup port for them however I can,” Keltner said.

However, other teachers have not handled the situation as gracefully.

“The various ways that I’ve seen it handled have just very, I mean, for lack of a better word, discriminatory, even though I can almost [...] see where the policy is tryna go in under the guise of [being] anti-discriminatory,” senior Mel Dugblo said. “But the way that it’s handled typically feels like it’s being very much more counter-intuitive and coun teractive to the people that are most affect ed rather than being helpful in any way.”

Many students have also taken issue with the district’s guidance regard ing students with developmental disabili ties. The policy states that “Informing the decision to disclose to a parent/guardian considerations related to [...] whether the student has developmental disabilities.”

“I feel like I don’t even need to point out the ableism that’s also in this document by specifying students with ‘developmental disabilities,’ as if able-bodied and able-minded students are the only ones that have identities which are perfectly normal for everybody on the planet,” an Olathe North student who did not wish to be identified said.

Other considerations staff were told to take into account when de ciding whether or not to inform parents

are “the age of the student; [...] whether or not communications with the parent would cause trauma to the student, and a fear for the child’s health as a result of the communication.” Dugblo said they could see the value in considering the oth er three points listed, even if they didn’t personally agree with them, but did not believe there was a reason to include the caveat about developmental disabilities.

“From any perspective I try to see it from, I absolutely cannot see any type of correlation between the very much outta pocket developmental disabilities comment and the subject of whatever the rest of this article is about, because if some body here at our Olathe Public Schools USD 233 can provide me with a correla tion, connection of any type I would be delighted to hear it because I’m really racking my brain right now,” Dugblo said.

Considering the implemen tation of this guidance and the large number of bills regarding transgender people being introduced at both the state and national levels, the debate on policy surrounding transgender stu dents will not likely stop any time soon.

“I realized from a pretty young age that I’m never going to be al lowed to just be me,” Hasty said. “There will always be rules upon rules gov erning how other people respect me, which shouldn’t be up for debate at all.”

Design by Eve Loehrer | October 2022 | Features | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 9
“IF PARENTS NEED TO GIVE PERMISSION OR KNOW ABOUT A STUDENT TELLING A TEACHER THEIR PREFERRED NAME AND/ OR PRONOUNS, WHY DON’T THEY NEED PERMISSION FOR OTHER THINGS THAT ARE ‘PERSONAL?’” -MADI RESEIGH, 11

Meet the Teachers

This year, Olathe North welcomes nine new teachers. Read more to learn what they want you to know about them!

Kamiel Zimmerman | Assistant Principal

Q: Which students do you serve as an administrator for?

A: “Assistant principal for Ro-Z.”

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: “This is my 23rd year teaching in Olathe. [I] started off with teaching 3rd, 4th 5th and 6th.”

Q: Who were your favorite music artists in high school?

A: “Madonna, Britney Spears, Jennifer Lopez.”

Crystal Babb | English

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: “Sophomore English and Newspaper.”

Q: What’s your favorite snack?

A: “Extra toasty Cheez-Its,”

Q: What’s your favorite TV show/movie?

A: “Shawshank Redemption. Anything NFL too, I love football and sports.”

Adam Loecker | Math

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: “Algebra II and Intermediate Algebra.”

Q: How long have you been teaching?

A: “This will be my 11th year teaching.”

Q: Who do you look up to the most?

A: “My parents. They are wonderful examples, and I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for my parents.”

Israel Marshall | History

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: “Modern World History.”

Q: Who was your favorite music artist in high school?

A: “Led Zeppelin.”

Q: If you could teach any other subject, what would it be?

A: ““I think every P.E. teacher is living the dream. [I also played] football in college.”

10 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Features | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?

A: “When I was in college. I knew I wanted to devote my love languages and I also wanted to help others.”

Q: What’s your favorite snack?

A: “My favorite snack is probably Cheez-Its. My favorite fruit is apples. I should probably eat more apples than Cheez-Its in any given week.”

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: “FAID, Culinary Essentials, and Apparel Production I.”

Q: Who was your favorite music artist in high school?

A: “Def Leppard.”

Q: What’s your favorite snack?

A: “Popcorn.”

Stevie Less | Resource

Q: What classes do you teach?

A: “Three sections of Resource and I co-teach ELA 2 and ELA 3.”

Q: What was your favorite album in high school?

A: “Oh! Escape by Journey.”

Q: What’s your favorite animal?

A: “Hippopotamus.”

John Gerrity | Resource

Q: When did you know you wanted to be a teacher?

A: “I knew I wanted to be a teacher after working in differ ent industries as an accountant and realizing that I want to make a difference in the students’ lives.”

Q: What’s your favorite animal?

A: “My favorite animal actually happens to be the eagle because it is an apex predator and it is beautiful and graceful.”

Stephen Meiller | Assistant Band Director

Q: Why do you teach band?

A: “[My] dad was a band teacher, [my] family all did something with band.”

Q: Who was your favorite music artist in high school?

A: “Taylor Swift.”

Q: What’s your favorite show/movie?

A: “Marvel.”

Design by Eve Loehrer | October 2022 | Features | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 11

Mental HealthMental Health Struggles WithStruggles With

Yourlife can be affected by many different forms of mental health is sues, whether it’s because you have some type of mental illness or just because you don’t take enough care of yourself.

self,” sophomore Alana Rodrguez said.

Mental health is a large topic in life; it’s what keeps people together most days. When someone doesn’t take care of themselves, it can affect their mental stability, which inturn can affect their day to day life.

If you’re feeling down or anx ious for a long period of time, you may have depression or anxiety. You might consider talking to your doctor about help.

“I highly suggest getting a thera pist because even though it may seem that nothing is going to change or get better by just talking to someone about your issues, it actually can help a lot because of the re lease that you can feel when talking about your problems with someone you can trust,” sophomore Alana Rodriguez said.

What is burnout? Burnout is almost like writer’s block, but it can be from anything. Whether it’s art, writing, school, or work, burnout can affect your mental health severely if you don’t take the time to have a break from some of the unnecessary added stress. Taking a day off school or work can be a good idea be cause it honestly can help. If you strug gle with some of these effects, it’s okay. It’s also okay to not feel okay or at your best self. But never think you are alone.

to reach out to someone for support. They are beyond wrong. Finding the strength to reach out to someone takes so much bravery.

“Don’t focus on what every one thinks about you when you’re trying to heal, just think of it as we are all hu man beings,” senior Teagan Jestice said.

If you’re not getting enough sleep it can cause you to feel drained and unable to do simple tasks.

“Mental health has made my life difficult because I often strug gle with being happy and loving my

“Personally I know what it was like to go home to a really bad environ ment that has left mental and physical scars, then stressing about school took the only time I had to take a break from everything,” one Olathe North student who did not want to be identified said.

There is someone who cares, whether it’s a friend, a parent, a family member, a teacher, or a therapist. Most peo ple think it makes them weak or a burden

“Mental health is extreme ly important to me because if you ar en’t in the right headspace life is go ing to be a whole lot more difficult,” sophomore Alana Rodrguez said. There are ways to get out of a mental slump. School can be a major stress or when you struggle with mental health, so there are many different things a student can do to reduce some of the stress, from not worrying about homework, to being able to relax in a comfortable home environment.

“Video games [have] helped a lot because it distracted me. I never got therapy because my family didn’t know and didn’t really believe in mental ill ness, but other than that I used to workout to help,” one Olathe North student who did not want to be identified said.

Please contact the 988 life line if you are feeling any of these sys toms or experiences, it is ok to get help.

12 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Features | October 2022 | Design by Alex Rhodes-Irvine
“Personally I know what it was like to go home to a really bad environment that has left mental and physical scars, then stressing about school took the only time I had to take a break from everything,” -one Olathe North student who did not want to be identified Mental Health Matters!Mental Health Matters!

New Voters

Voter turnout for the Kansas 2022 Primary Election dramatically increased since the 2018 mid terms, and it’s largely due to the critical amendment that was proposed on the ballot. This attracted a number of young adults to the polls, leading to a spike in overall voting presence to 46.6% turnout. This level of engagement is double the amount of the 2012 and 2014 primaries.

Some of the young voters who contributed to this high percentage are seniors here at North. For the few that could vote, August primary was their first time at the polls, passionate to make a political difference with their recently-at tained right. However, most students were not able to vote, but that didn’t stop them from contributing to the high turnout in other ways. As engagement from high school students increases, another spike in young voter turnout is highly probable for the approaching November Midterms.

Senior Zoe Willoughby-Neal was one of the many new voters that took to the polls for the first time in August. She believed it was her duty to vote and be a voice for her peers, especially since this election directly affected her and her friends, many of whom could not vote.

“Voting for the first time was very important because I got to have a say in something that is meaningful to my future,” Willoughby-Neal said.

She plans to exercise her right again in November and urges other young adults to do the same. But for the many students who are unable to vote, there are other ways to help with vot

er turnout, and senior Alex Teasley has done their fair share to stay involved.

“I’ve canvassed, called vot ers, cut turf, and organized volunteers,” Teasley said. “I’ve done pretty much any of the menial work at some point.” Teasley urges others, both vot ers and nonvoters, to start with the little things, from writing postcards to going door-to-door, if they wish to contrib ute to this wave of political involvement. “Find a candidate you like and reach out,” Teasley recommended. “I don’t know of a single campaign in the area that isn’t itching for volunteers.”

rectly on an issue that would impact them.

“Roe v. Wade being overturned has a direct impact on young people who are entering the stage of their lives where reproduction, and thus reproductive rights, have to be considered,” Teasley explained.

“It is also easy for young people to see things that impact them with other estab lished rights being called into question.”

Many more seniors at North will be of age to vote for the November midterms. Because of the increase in ac tivism leading up to the August midterms, it is likely to see this involvement return in the coming months. Teasley will be voting in November and urges the many first-time voters at school to exercise their democratic duty. They believe that Kan sas is among the states most poised to al ter the delicate 50/50 split in the Senate.

Teasley, who has been polit ically involved since the age of 12, has witnessed first-hand this massive spike in young voter turnout. They believe it is due to the immediate impacts of lawmakers’ and the government’s actions, as well as the rare chance on August 2nd to vote di

“Regardless of how you vote, recognize that your vote could have na tional impacts,” Teasley said. “Even if you don’t care about national politics, the state candidates are incredibly important and multiple Kansas Supreme Court jus tices are on the ballot. All of these peo ple, for better or for worse, impact you.”

13
“Regardless of how you vote, recognize that your vote could have national impacts.” - Alex Teasley, 12
Are you eligible to vote in November? Scan this QR code to register! Design by Menaka Garapaty | October 2022 | Features | Issue 1 | The Chronicle

Freshman Fears

All

freshmen had their wor ries when they made the big step to high school. We inter viewed some freshmen within the first month of school at Olathe North to get an idea of what some of the most in timidating parts of high school are. What are some things that freshmen are scared of? Maybe getting lost in the new school? Making new friends? Find ing a spot to sit at lunch? Freshman, Cadan Manny, is amongst these students.

“I was scared that I was go ing to get lost,” Manny said. “The first few days I definitely did get lost, but I don’t get lost anymore.”

It’s a big change to a whole new school but as you get used to your daily schedule you get more comfort able. A way to help reduce this fear is to have easy access to a school map on your phone or printed out on a piece of paper.

Freshman Charlie Se nuta was worried about friends.

“A lot of my friends are at

ple and help them feel comfortable whether it’s by inviting them to sit with you at lunch or helping them understand a homework assignment. Kelvin Parker found the old er students and teachers to be threatening.

“Yeah I was scared of Dev on Lowe and Coach McCartney,” said Parker, “McCartney still kind of spooks me every now and then because I nev er know when he’s serious, but Dev on Lowe, him and I; we’re cool now.”

Over time these students feel more welcomed to the environment. Though older students can certainly help them feel more comfortable by socializ ing with them or helping them learn their way around. We have all been in their shoes at one time or another and it’s good to set new students off on the right foot.

Freshman Jayden Ar rington was worried about be ing prepared for school activities.

“Not being ready for

football probably,” Arrington said, “I’m cool now, we’re good.” You have to reach big goals and you can’t let a little fear get in your

-Cadan Manny, 9

way. New school, new you, you leave the middle school past behind and as a highschooler learn and grow to be your true self. Expose yourself to new oppor tunities and communities to figure out your potential future. Take school se riously, but enjoy the things that come

-Charlie Senuta, 9

East, so I was worried my friend group was going to fall apart,” Senuta said.

[Olathe]

Having to make new friends in a new community can be intimi dating for many. Many people trans fer through academies so many stu dents don’t already know each other.

Sasha Shakleford, doesn’t relate to this fear because they already know people.

“Not really, ‘cause I got friends who go here,” Shakleford said

Even if you’re not afraid or ner vous about anything, there may be others around you that are. Take notice of these peo

14 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Features | October 2022 | Design by Reese Pope
“A lot of my friends are at [Olathe] East, so I was worried my friend group was going to fall apart.”
Many freshmen mentioned being worried about joining school sports, including foot ball. | Photo by Leandra Ho
“I was scared that I was going to get lost,” Manny said. “The first few days I definitely did get lost, but I don’t get lost anymore.”

Bring your kid to work... every day?

There are a plethora of North students that are related to staff here, which spiked my curiosity of what it’s like to have your parent work at your school. Finally, I got my answers.

Q: “What is it like having your mom work at your school?”

A: “There are definite positives and negatives. Fresh man year, she was able to drive me to school and I didn’t have to ride the stupid bus. I also feel more comfortable with my teachers when she’s around. However, it can be a little anxiety inducing that she’s too involved at times”.

Q: “How often do you see staff outside of school?”

A: “ When I was younger all of the admin and their kids would hangout on the weekends or go out to eat to gether. I have walked into my basement at times and seen teachers hanging out with my parents (side note: my stepdad is also an admin for Olathe West) so it’s a little weird. Now, I’d say staff are over every once in a while after a big game.”

Q: “What is your favorite/least favorite part about your mom working here?”

A: “My favorite part of having my mom work here is that she has food in her office that I can get. My least favorite is probably that she knows what’s going on and if I get in any trouble she knows about it, which isn’t good because I can’t get away with anything.”

Q: “Are there benefits to having your mom work here? If so, what?”

A: “There are a couple benefits to having my mom work here. Usually she knows what’s going on around the school and can tell me when I forget something important. It was also really helpful that she worked here when I transferred so that someone could tell me where everything was and how everything worked.”

Design by Paige Keith | October 2022 | Features | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 15
Vin Parazin,
12 Dakota Oliva, 12
Nate Gunderson,
11 Alex Gunderson, 12

Go Big or Go Home

Ican

say with confidence that my drive to overachieve has come from the praise the adults in my life have given me.“She’s doing her homework at the kitch en table right now, so I’m trying to keep my voice down. She’s the only kid in this house I actually see do their homework,” my step mom whispered into the phone. “Everyone see how red she is? I want you guys to be like her,” my dance teacher said as I was dripping in sweat during practice. “No tice how your sister does her homework? I’ve never once had to ground her for her grades,” my mom said to my brother while he was spending his night grounded due to his poor grades. “I want to show you how thankful I am for you committing to your school work. I never have to nag you to take school seriously” my dad says as he gives me money for my good grades.

I choose my own school course load, without my parents’ input. The Honors and AP classes I have taken have been my personal choices. In the class es I take, the fear of my parents’ dis appointment is what drives me to do well. I don’t face any tangible punish ment for my academic choices at home.

I love being used as an exam ple, both in class and at home. This is what impels me to overachieve. For oth ers, motives may be completely different. Junior Andrew Dai is taking all AP classes. As someone who’s AP class lim it is at one, I was genuinely curious as to what directed Dai to that path.

“My brother was a bigger overachiever than me so that influ enced me,” junior Andrew Dai said.

Pressure to overachieve resulting from siblings’ achieve ments seemed to be prevalent.

“[My parents] tell me to take advanced classes so I can be like my brother,” senior Pery Sand hu said. “He’s going to dental school.”

Parents also seemed to be a common factor among stu

dents opting to take advanced classes.

“My parents do influence my decisions regarding my course load,” senior Alyana Spence said. “They do their best to control [my classes], and if that is not possible, manipu late me into selecting what they desire.”

Junior Jimena Saldivar also takes advanced class es with influence from her parents.

“[My parents] encourage me to take harder classes and be involved in a lot of things, so it looks better for colleges,” Saldivar said. “Both of my parents are im migrants, so even if it gets stressful, I know they just want what’s best for me and would never push me harder than I could take.”

Although some students take advanced classes because of en couragement from their parents, oth ers are just interested in the subject.

“I’m taking AP Bio because I’m alright at bio,” senior Aayush Gajakas said. “I’m taking AP Psychology because I was in terested, but mainly because of my friends.”

Senior Andie Carly also takes advanced classes based on her interests.

“One of my advanced classes is AP Gov. I’m in that class because it’s one of the easiest AP classes you could take,” Carly said. “I’m also in AP Psychology, and I want to major in psychology, so it’s an easy way for me to get college credit.”

I’ve always done well in school, partially because my parents would threat en me with punishments if I had a poor ac ademic performance. If I had a C, my mom would threaten to ground me for the week end and that’s all it took for me to fix it. If StudentVue said I had missing assignments, my phone was gone until I was caught up with my work, no matter how long that took. Students being grounded or facing punish ments for poor grades is not uncommon.

“If I have a C, my mom takes my car keys away for the day,” junior Andie Carly said. “Anything lower than a C results in my phone being taken.”

While some fear their par ent’s punishments, other’s fear the disappointment of themselves.

“If I have a C, my mom takes my car keys away for the day,” junior Andie Carly said. “Anything lower than a C results in my phone being taken.”

While some fear their par ent’s punishments, other’s fear the disappointment of themselves.

“I don’t face any repercussions from my family if I get a poor grade, but I do get disappointed in myself,” senior Aarushi Pore said. “I set higher expec tations for myself than my family does.”

It is common for some overachiev ers to hold themselves to a higher standard.

“My family doesn’t act on my bad grades, I just become disappoint ed in myself. Especially when I know I could do better,” junior Andrew Dai said.

It is definitely interesting to see the different reasonings behind what push es students here at North to academically succeed. Some are hounded by their par ent’s, while others are the ones that hold themselves to high standards. Regardless of what pushes them, all overachievers have the appetite of success in common.

“I don’t face any repercussions from my family if I get a poor grade, but I do get disappointed in myself,” senior Aarushi Pore said. “I set higher expec tations for myself than my family does.”

It is common for some overachiev ers to hold themselves to a higher standard.

“My family doesn’t act on my bad grades, I just become disappoint ed in myself. Especially when I know I could do better,” junior Andrew Dai said.

It is definitely interesting to see the different reasonings behind what push es students here at North to academically succeed. Some are hounded by their par ent’s, while others are the ones that hold themselves to high standards. Regardless of what pushes them, all overachievers have the appetite of success in common.

16 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Opinions | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer

Steroid Era Back in Baseball?

OnAugust 13th, 2022 news broke that would shake up not only Major League baseball but the sports landscape as a whole. The face of the MLB San Diego Padres superstar SS Fer nado Tatis JR had tested positive for a steroid called Clostebol and would be suspended 80 games. The dark shadow looming over Baseball since the early 2000’s had returned. The steroid era had re turned to Baseball just as analysts and critics throughout the coun try had been speculating for years.

The immediate reaction to this was one of utter disgust. Yet an other Major League Baseball player had been busted for taking steroids.

Closetebol is an inject able, muscle building anabolic agent first developed by the no torious steroid using East Ger mans in the 1960’s. However, it isn’t as potent as other steroids.

The FDA doesn’t allow Clos tebol in over the counter antibiotic ointments in America, but in Europe, Italy, Brazil and Tatis’ home country of the Dominican Republic, it is used to treat skin abrasions or lesions. This is where the point of contention is, as Tatis claims he took the substance to treat Ringworm. However, he still decided to own up and not appeal the suspension. “I should have used the resources avail able to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what

I took. I failed to do so”, Tatis said.

However, even if Tatis did cheat as the MLB claimed he did so by suspending 80 games, it wouldn’t really make sense for him to take Clostebol as his choice of performance enhancing steroids.

The President of the Banned Substances Control Group and known anti-doping specialist, Oli ver Catlin, backed this when he said, “...Clostebol is generally considered a weak Anabolic steroid. Frank ly, It wouldn’t make much sense to use it if you were really trying to build muscle as there are much more powerful and effective anabol ic steroids that are easily available”.

Tatis signed a 14 yearsss 340 Million Dollar contract last year and has more performance enhancing substances available to him like HGH, Stanozolol, and Turinablol. This begs the question: why wouldn’t he decide to take these instead? Tatis chose to use Clostebol, a so-called weak ste roid that is commonly used to treat skin abrasions such as Ringworm, which Tatis again claimed he had.

Despite this, Major League baseball Commissioner Rob Man fred suspended Tais for 80 games, which will not only prevent him from playing the rest of this year, but potentially the start of next year as well. This will not only hurt Tatis, but the Padres as well who were looking and primed to make a deep playoff run this October. But potentially the most far

reaching effect is how this will af fect the perception of Major League Baseball. The MLB is notorious for steroids, so much so that the time period from the late 80’s to early 2000’s is referred to as the steroid era.

The league’s tremendous mismanagement of the Tatis situ ation will cast a dark shadow over

baseball, painting it in such an ap palling light that not thousands, but millions of people will stop tuning in to watch America’s Greatest Pastime.

Design by Pidge Stephens | October 2022 | Opinions | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 17
“I should have used the resources available to me in order to ensure that no banned substances were in what I took. I failed to do so.”
-Fernando Tatis Jr.

Kansas Senate Bars Journalists From the Floor

Whenthe Kansas Senate began their 2022 session in January, one key aspect was different: journalists were no longer allowed to do their job from the Senate floor. They were instead relegated to the upper gallery. This may not seem like a huge issue, but not being in the center of the action makes a journalist’s job much harder. For example, being removed from the floor makes it much more difficult for reporters to cultivate a relationship with legislators and clarify information.

they’re rushing away from you,” Sherman Smith from the Kansas Reporter said.

Similar measures were tak en in Iowa, and Cedar Rapids Gazette journalist Erin Murphy expressed the challenges he faces with these changes.

“When we’re on the floor, those lawmakers are accountable to us because we can observe their work and communicate with them and chal lenge their work,” Murphy said. “When they’re accountable to us, by extension they’re accountable to the people of Iowa.”

And what reason was given for limiting journalists’ ability to do their jobs and, by extension, the information avail able to the people on the actions of their elected officials? According to Mike Pirner, the spokesperson for Senate leadership, the reason is an increasing number of news outlets and journalists covering the Senate.

However, this claim is simply un true. According to an editorial by former Kansas Senator Steve Morris, the presence of reporters at the capitol is actually decreasing.

In the words of Morris, “Placing restrictions on journalists in the Senate chamber suggests there is something to hide.”

WHEN SENATORS ARE CREATING PUBLIC POLICY, IT SHOULD BE MADE PUBLIC.

are further alienated from the decisions be ing made on the floor that they are charged with informing millions of people of. Journalism is crucial in politics, especially today, as it keeps politicians ac countable and voters informed. However, distrust of the media has grown in recent years, due in no small part to former pres ident Donald Trump, who spread the idea that the press is an ‘enemy of the people.’

When Senators are creating public policy, it should be made public. Constituents have a right to know what decisions their elected officials are mak ing, and allowing journalists full access to the Senate floor is a large part of this.

“It’s a little bit harder to do that when we’re sitting in a balcony above and your best chance at trying to clarify some thing or getting a sense of what’s going on is to wait, race down the stairs, and try to grab somebody in the hallways as

And with a new wave of controversial laws targeting abor tion and the rights of transgen der people, there very well might be.

By not allowing journalists easy access to Senators to ask questions and cul tivate a relationship with them, reporters

Most high school students, in cluding me, will not be able to vote in the midterm elections. But it’s important to stay up to date and informed on new gov ernment policy, even if you aren’t eighteen, because it can still affect you, and the easiest way to stay informed is through journalism.

18 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Opinions | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer
“WHEN THEY’RE ACCOUNTABLE TO US, BY EXTENSION THEY’RE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF IOWA.”
-ERIN
MURPHY

North Students Need to Learn How to Drive

Isit

in the dreaded Olathe North park ing lot at 3:05, anticipating the next move of the car in front of me. I lift my foot off the brake and inch forward, hoping they will let me through to join the exit line. The driver looks over to me; they can see me trying to fit in, but they have no sympathy. I watch in horror as the car cuts me off, leaving me to repeat this cycle with every other car in the line.

The people driving and exiting the Olathe North parking lot include staff, students, and parents picking up their stu dents. This causes high traffic and confusing right of way situations, which may be espe cially stressful for new drivers. New drivers are potentially unaware of how frustrating their behavior may be to more experienced drivers. It is important that they learn how to drive in a parking lot, specifically a busy one, but that is extremely hard unless sea soned drivers are able to educate them.

I believe that some of these park ing lot issues could be solved within the school day. Every Thursday, lessons are taught in advisory classes about various topics, such as mental health, bullying, and various school related activities. Utilizing

one of these times to create an informa tive video on how to appropriately exit the parking lot could help out everyone after

IT IS IMPORTANT

THAT [NEW DRIVERS] LEARN HOW TO DRIVE IN A PARKING LOT, SPECIFICALLY A BUSY ONE, BUT THAT IS EXTREMELY HARD UNLESS SEASONED DRIVERS ARE ABLE TO EDUCATE THEM.

school is over. Several techniques, such as the ‘zipper method,’ letting every other car into the main exit line instead of just

waiting until someone feels like letting an other car in, may be unknown to newer drivers. It would be best for everyone in the parking lot if students were instructed on how to appropriately use the parking lot. Trying to leave the school park ing lot is unnecessarily long and stressful. People are not assertive enough when it comes to trying to leave the lot. The zip per rule is an unspoken rule (although it should be mentioned much more). Not only are students not aware of the regula tions of the zipper rule, they do not have any authority when it comes to forcing their way through the mess of the parking lot. People will sit and let several cars go by and not try to get into the parking lot. The Olathe North parking lot is an unnec essary stress in students and teachers’ lives.

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Directioner------------

----------------Rusher ----------------Rusher

One Direction has three sides: rock, sad, and sexy.

You can see their rock side dis played in “Rock Me”, my angst anthem at the ripe age of 9, their sexy side in “No Control,” (“Waking up/Beside you I’m a loaded gun/ I can’t contain this any more/ I’m all yours I got no control, no control.” It’s right there). They also of fered plenty of songs to cry to, such as “Over Again” and “Truly Madly Deeply.”

OneDirection, like every other boy band, had a way of making you feel special, successfully wooing a gen eration of girls with their five studio albums. Without One Direction, bands like Big Time Rush would not have been successful.

The British boy band was put together in 2010, with the five boys be ing 16-18 years old, and attracting sub stantial attention from young girls. Big Time Rush consisted of four men be tween 19-20 years old. They cannot clas sify as a boy band; they are a man band.

One Direction grew with their audience, offering a more mature and unique sound with each record, and listen ing to the difference between tracks on “Up All Night” and “Made in the A.M.” clearly illustrates this. This is more than Big Time Rush can say, as they released the same stuffy, autotuned pop sound on each track.

The British boy band knew how to hit every emotion in their music, offer

ing every genre, helping it remain relevant to me as a seventeen year old girl just as much as it had when I was eleven. They produced a variety of music for me to grow up to, guiding me through adolescence.

I asked history teacher Brent Schulte if he considered himself a One Directioner or a Big Time Rusher.

“Well, I don’t know what the second one means, so I’d say I’m a One Directioner,” said Schulte.

I asked Schulte how he knew about the band, considering they went on hiatus seven years ago.

“I had many students whip out merchandise with their [One Direc tion]faces on it, like folders and note books. I also remember the tragic day Zayn or Zan left. I don’t know his name.”

Do I love “Boyfriend” by Big Time Rush? I deeply do. I will give them props, it is quite a catchy song. Howev er, even with how well that song grac es my ears, I still have to give the best “Boyfriend” title to Justin Bieber. Even when I’m complimenting Big Time Rush, they aren’t number one to me. The inevitable boy band battle royale surely divides us all, so make your allegiances clear.

20 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Opinions | October 2022 | Design by Alex Rhodes-Irvine
Directioner------------
“Well, I don’t know what the second one means, so I’d say I’m a One Directioner.” -Brent Schulte
V.S. V.S.

Are

you a Directioner or a Rusher?

As some of you may know, Big Time Rush has made a comeback!

I attended the Big Time Rush Forever Tour on July 30th at the T-Mobile Center. Many people grew up watching the Nick elodeon tv show Big Time Rush, including myself. The show was a heartfelt com edy about the boy band we all know and love, and their return was very exciting for those who grew up with Big Time Rush.

Nostalgia can hit hard as you get older. Maybe you see an old video or hear a song that you used to know every word to. A lot of people would say that’s what Big Time Rush is for them. BTR has three al bums and multiple Singles and EPs. When teens today think about or bring up BTR, they most likely will think of the song “Boy friend’’ because it is still popular to this day. Open TikTok and the song will be on the For You Page. BTR also has many other songs that are incredibly and beautifully writ ten, such as No Idea and Confetti Falling.

The thing that makes BTR’s songs so powerful is that all four members of the band work together to write each song, which makes the song fit their voices perfect ly and the lyrics more relatable and special.

Big Time Rush came into our lives in 2008, the television network Nick elodeon created a TV show about a boy band. Kendall Schmidt, Carlos PenaVe ga, James Maslow, and Logan Henderson were chosen to be the boy band in this new creation, and instantly became best friends. They filmed season one and it was a hit. The four guys realized they all loved being a band and writing music, so they decided to become a real band with con certs, tours, music, and all that boy band press. “We were a hired band, a hired cast,

a hired tv show, but then after the first season, the four of us were like, let’s really do this…we took control, we can actually sing, we can actually write, we can actu ally dance.” PenaVega said in Big Time Rush’s interview on the Zach Sang Show.

Fellow Boy Band One Direction was very popular, but broke up in 2015. Directioners still listen to their music be cause they are holding onto their child hood and hope they may make a return.

The Big Time Rush boys have stayed in touch and remained close friends even through their hiatus. All of the mem bers are uncles to Penavega’s kids, all of the guys’ significant others are best friends, come to their shows, and get together for dinner and vacations. Big Time Rush has been creating a fan base since day one. The kids that watched their show when it first aired are now adults and still sup porters. At the BTR concert in July, James Maslow asked how many shows people had been to. Some people raised their hands

to go to over 10 of Big Time Rush’s shows.

While their original fans still support them, over the years, there have been many new Rushers, even in their time off. In 2021, the TV show Big Time Rush was added to Netflix. This brought in lots of new fans. This helped when Big Time Rush decided to relaunch and start making new music. They have gained many new fans as they keep releasing new music. Big Time Rush’s new Spanish EP Dale Pa’ Ya has even been trending on TikTok with a dance. One Direction was formed in 2010. Though their fan base is not as big or old as Big Time Rush, , One Direction and Big Time Rush share some fans. A lot of teens, including my self, grew up watching and listening to both bands. Both music groups have even shared that they support the oth er band and love cheering each other on. One Direction came to the Big Time Movie premiere in 2012. At the red carpet, the boys of Big Time Rush were telling a reporter about all the amazing songs and success One Direction has had. In an interview with Popstar! One Di rection states that their favorite Big Time Rush’s song is “Music Sounds Better With You” and then goes on to sing it, which a bunch of fans saw as a peace offering between the Rushers and Directioners.

Even though the bands have openly stated that they support each other, there has always been a big rivalry between the two fan bases. To this day the rivalry is still a issue, even though One Direction has broken up for good. The fans like to argue over who has better songs, more talent, etc. but both groups are extremely talented. Even though I am team Rusher, I still support and listen to One Direction.

Design by Alex Rhodes-Irvine | October 2022 | Opinions | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 21
“After the first season, the four of us were like, let’s really do this… we took control, we can actually sing, we can actually write, we can actually dance.” -Carlos PenaVe ga

Getcha Head In The Game!

Have

you ever wondered what the football team does before they play a game? What goes through the cheerleaders minds be fore a stunt? It is important to focus and be in the right mindset whenever you are about to perform or compete. You need to be warmed up and ready phys ically, but more importantly mentally.

The Olathe North Scream in’ Eagles Marching Band performs a pre game routine in the band room at all of the home football games.

“Before we get on the bus to go to football games, we do a chant to hype us up,’’ senior Mallory Graybeal, one of the clarinet section leaders, said. “The whole band screams it together and it really helps us feel united and excited to perform.”

The band’s job is to keep the en ergy and music going during the intense games. They also entertain everyone with their field show during halftime. This year’s show is called “The Birth Of Planet Earth’’.

There is a lot of pressure being a cheerleader. You have to trust your team mates, and they have to trust you. It takes a lot of strength and bravery to hold up the flier in a stunt or to be the one flying.

“Before we do a stunt, I wipe my hands on the bottom of my shoes, and then we say hit it and go,” Freshman Varsity cheerleader Makenna Scoma said.

Before the cheerleaders’ big pep assembly routines, they al ways warm up and are given a pep talk before stepping out on the floor.

Some teams just go out there and give it their all, with no pep talk or shake down.

“The tennis team just stretches and then goes out there and plays,” Isabelle Campbell said.

Some teams have similar tra ditions to the other temas. The girls golf team also has some fun traditions that are similar to the tennis team.

The girls golf team “just eats donuts in the van on the way to the game,” Bria Dawson, a soph omore on the varsity team, said.

Football is a big part of Olathe

“Before games, we all usually play music on a speaker and get in the right mind set to play,” Wyatt Flood said. “Before we go on the field we sit down together and coach Richardson gives us a pre game speech, and then we go out on the field and play.”

There are lots of elements that go into Friday night lights. Along with the football game itself, the Eaglettes dance team is in charge of entertaining and getting the crowd excited and involved.

Lillia Wywrick said that before the Eaglettes Dance Team performs “we stand in a circle and our officers and coaches give us little pep talks and then we do a chant.”

North. It is a lot of pressure for the foot ball team to go out on the field and rep resent our school. The football team takes the games very seriously and has some pre-game traditions to prepare for that.

The dance team has many differ ent opportunities and events. While they are attending camps and workshops, they also have to perform on the sidelines at dif ferent sport games, perform with flags in the field show at football games, and they also attend competitions including nationals.

Every Olathe North team, athlete, and performer has their own way of getting ready and prepared for their performance.

The Chronicle | Issue 1 | Sports | October 2022 | Design by Mallory Graybeal
22
“Before we go on the field we sit down together and coach Richardson gives us a pre game speech.” -Wyatt Flood, 10
Varsity
football bonding at a team dinner on Friday, September 23. | Photo by
Crystal Babb

The Screamin’ Eagles

Marching Band playing pep music in the stands during the football game against Olathe East on September 2nd. “I love the energy that the band has while cheering for our Eagles,” senior Edwuar Flores said. “My favorite song to play is Seven Nation Army.” | Photo by Whitney Graybeal

Sophomore Keegan Wright and Junior Braden Hales conversing before the Varisty football game against Shawnee Mission Northwest on September 9th. The Olathe North Eagles won with a score of 49-35. | Photo by Paige Keith

Senior Ella Robinson performing on the sidelines at the Varsity football game against Shawnee Mission North west on September 9th. “My favorite part about football games is getting to spirit on the sidelines,” senior Ella Robinson said. “We used to not be able to be down on the track and now we can.” | Photo by Paige Keith

Design by Mallory Graybeal | October 2022 | Sports | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 23
24 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer Want to advertise your business in The Chronicle? Email us at onpublications@gmail.com We offer student rates and subscription discounts! Follow us on social media! @onhsnews Check out our website! onhsnews.com

ON Confessions

Weall have our moments in high school. As much as we hate to admit it, we can have embarrassing moments. I put out a google form and let people anonymously admit some confessions and most embarrassing moments.

“I used to be a waitress after school and I was always super hungry so when I bussed tables I would eat the breadsticks off.”

“I’m not from North but it’s related to it. So I went there for a track meet and took a massive poop in the toilet. So what I do next is go to my car, grab my littles sister’s old toy minion fart gun, and shove it down the toilet.”

Design by Menaka Garapaty | October 2022 | A&E | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 25
“After a really bad breakup I had a moment and kissed two girls in the same week... I’m AFAB.”
“I cried at the haunt at Worlds of Fun freshman year.”
“Before we started dating, I made out with my boyfriend’s triplet.”
“I shower in cold water.” “I pour SpaghettiOs on my toes as a moisturizer.”
“I have a crush on one of my bestfriend’s old crushes.”

Olathe North Assembles

26 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | A&E | October 2022 | Design by Jackson Stephens
Above: The ON Varsity Eaglette dance team tears up the gym floor in an explosive dance number. Below: Juniors Joe Ouellette, Isaac Goitom, Jacob Durant, Eli Madden, and Braden Hales pose for a picture before competing in a game between grade levels.

Left: The Olathe North band plays their hearts out at the first pep assembly of the year.

Design by Jackson Stephens | October 2022 | A&E | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 27
Above: Principal Jason Herman hypes up the student body for a brand new school year and a brand new theme: Back to the Scarlet & Blue. Above: Eagle Flight Crew celebrates an assembly well done.

Movies of The Summer

Themagic of the movies shined through this summer in a way unseen in the last several years. Blockbuster hit followed block buster hit during the first post-COVID summer where the theaters were bustling with moviegoers. To find out which film was the greatest, The Chronicle sent out a survey for students to vote on their favorite summer movie.

Top Gun: Maverick

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness

Jurassic World: Dominion

28 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | A&E | October 2022 | Design by Eve Loehrer

Summer Vacations

Top Left: Junior Maddie Holscher poses for a picture after competing in figure skating competitioan.

“I spent all of my summer figure skating 6 out of 7 days per week,” Holscher said. “I performed in shows, and I attended a competition in Nashville.”

Seniors Mallory Graybeal and Paige Keith drink coffee to gether at Sweet Tee’s coffee shop. “I spent my days with fellow Chronicle online editor Mallory Graybeal, usually going out to brunch or coffee.” Keith said.

Bottom Right: Senior Alyana Spence saw The Weeknd in concert this summer. “Seeing The Weeknd was one of the best experiences of my life,” Spence said. “I’m so glad I got to go.”

Top Right: 12, Shelby Thorn ton, takes a trip to Denver, Colorado.

“My favorite part of Col orado was hiking up the glacier that was behind our cabin” Thornton said.

Left: Seniors Paige Keith, Mallory Graybeal, and Ed wuar Flores pose for a sel fie. “I got sinus surgery this summer,” Graybeal said. “I had to wear this nose bandage for a few days and had plenty of visitors, including fellow Chronicle editor Paige Keith.”

Design by Bria Dawson | October 2022 | A&E | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 29
Summer is the time to hang out with friends and family. As the new school year starts, students share what they did over their summer break.

Plan Your Homecoming Dance and We’ll Find Your Celebrity Date

It’s

Olathe North’s homecoming week! This week is one of the best weeks to be a high schooler. To celebrate, I created a quiz to help find your celebrity homecoming date according to your Saturday night plans! Whichever letter you circle the most will correspond with your date.

A. C.

I’m going single Social Media

B A. C.

Nordstrom Windsor

will you take pictures?

B. D.

Sign Cute ask and flowers

A. C.

Prairiefire Sar-Ko-Par Trails Park

will you eat?

A. C.

B. D.

B. D.

Dillard’s Lucy in the Sky

Shawnee Mission Park Olathe Community Center

B. D.

What are you doing afterward?

A. C.

Cheesecake Factory Hira’s Steak and Sushi Big Afterparty

B. D.

Olive Garden Silo Modern Farmhouse

I’m Going to Bed

Got....

D.HarryStyles

A.ParisHilton

C.JackHarlow B.TaylorSwift

30 The Chronicle | Issue 1 | A&E | October 2022 | Design by Vin Parazin
How will you create your Hoco proposal? D Where will you get your outfit? Where
Where
Sleepover
IHOP You

Heard It in

the Hallways

Design by Eve Loehrer | October 2022 | A&E | Issue 1 | The Chronicle 31
“We’re not drinking milk from cows everyone, stop drinking milk from cows.”
“Ohh I took a picture of Shrek, I thought it was you for a second.”
In this special edition of “Heard It in the Hallways”, read some wacky, authentic, out of context quotes from the Chronicle staff!
“I could talk about my fear of belly buttons.”
“I’m a football because men can’t catch me.”
“I stole the plot from a Degrassi episode.”
“Did you know the orchestra teacher goes to your house and kills you if you don’t bring your instrument home on Friday?”
“Stop eating your frittata, we’re evacuating the building.”
“Everyone reproduce right now.”
“So... you know Cavetown?”
“Where did the cows come from?
“You called me ‘country bumpkin?’”
“While we’re talking about conception in space...”
“I’ll just do the splits in a public place and see what happens.”

Northviews October

Above: Senior Leadership decorates the Main Hall for Homecoming Spirit Week | Photo by Delilah Melendez Above: Freshmen Ava Key and Celes Kramer play in the Mill Valley Invitational on September 15. | Photo by Leandra Ho Above: The Feminist Club attends the KC Current Inspiring Women’s Night game on August 28, 2022. | Photo by Menaka Garapaty Above: Junior Megan Avey jump serves to Gardener Edgerton during a varsity volleyball game. | Photo by Rubi Reza-Galindo Above: Seniors Brooke Wagoner, Emory Morgan, and Caiden Horn wait for the sun to come up during the Senior Sunrise. | Photo by Leandra Ho

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