The Trojan Bluestreak, Issue 7

e h T

Bluestreak Volume 33, Issue 7, April 5, 2016

What’s Inside: Pizza of the ICT pp. 6-7 Anniversary of Andover Tornado pp. 12-13 Pushing the {Age} Limit pp. 14-15 Would You Rather pp. 22-23

The Official Publication of the Andover High Student Body

The Trojan Bluestreak Table of Contents

Bluestreak Staff

4-Photojournalism Gallery 6-Best Pizza of ICT 10- Running in the dark 14-Pushing the {Age} Limit 16-Editorial 18-Spring Sports 22-Would You Rather...

25-Dear Seniors 27-Calendar Addy Maples Editor-in-Chief Megan Curry Managing Editor Madi Hearne Design Editor Elizabeth Hartley News Editor Abby Beaver Pop Culture Editor Emma Starks Social Media Editor Stuart Jenkins Web Editor Elise Lindemann Photo Editor Grace Ball Sports Editor Emily Stybr Feature Editor Rebekah Martin Columnist Carrie Friend Columnist

Staffers Sophie Braynock Daryan Davis Ashley Dorf Maddy Bishop Hayley Jones Izabelle Kirkendoll Savitri Lazarus Trevor Newton Ashley Shandy Kamilla Sims Josie Beaver Sarah Sage

Follow us On Twitter! @ahsbluestreak

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STATE WRESTLING

Courtesy photo

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March 18, 2016 is a day that seniors Nicole Klusener and Christian Dell will never forget. Dell was flying a M20CMooney with Klusener as his passenger. They were enjoying the flight home from Nashville together when suddenly they noticed a strange silence.

“The plane just went silent and I really didn’t know what was going on or what was going to happen. Christian said we had engine failure and that we couldn’t make it to the final and had to land on the golf course. I was really scared but I trusted Christian that he would know what to do,” senior Nicole Klusener said.

They knew they could not make it back to the Colonel James Jabara Airport so Dell chose to make an emergency landing on the Tallgrass Golf Course. Klusener and Dell both received concussions and black eyes. Klusener also bruised her tailbone and Dell broke his nose and cheekbone.

“It’s incredible that nothing worse happened to us. God is good!” Klusener said.

From the beginning to the end, the Trojans had a very successful season.

The mindset of the wrestlers as a team was to do the best of their ability, and work towards a team championship title.

The trojans had a successful season with a state champion, a runner-up, and third, fifth, sixth place finishers. In addition, Coach Brett Fiene was named the 2016 5A State Wrestling coach of the year, they were able to finish sixth place as a team, with five state medalists. Four of the six seniors were on varsity with two qualifying for state.

“We had a great year. Our team practiced hard and finished great at the state tournament. Personally, I am not satisfied with my results, but I will be practicing hard to be the best I can possibly be for next year,” junior Carter Guyer said.

The Trojans are going to continue to strive to be the best, and receive higher results than this year. Next year’s four seniors who were state qualifiers are looking forward to representing the trojans again next season.

-graceBALL State Placings 113 lbs. - Carter Guyer - 5th 126 lbs. - Griffin Bossingham - 3rd 132 lbs. - Paul Stuart- 1st 138 lbs. - Chris Towry - 6th 145 lbs. - Jack Maki - 2nd

Bumpy Ride

Photo by Christian Dell

-ashleySHANDY

April 5, 2016

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PHOTOJOURNALISM 1 2

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The photographs on this page were taken by students in the photojournalism classes. A wide variety of imagery is presented here, spanning multiple photography genres. A total of about 150 students enroll in photojournalism classes each year, with a good portion continuing beyond photojournalism and going into writing, video and graphic design.

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GALLERY

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Photos by: 1. Miriam Young 2. Lida Hudska 3. Oliver Milmine 4. Lexi Herndon 5. Abigail Parker 6. Baileigh Pepper 7. Elizabeth Bernal 8. Dena Martinez 9. Miriam Polanco 10. Christina Rebarchek

April 5, 2016

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Knolla’s Pizza

Knolla’s Pizza, located on Central, has been around for nearly 18 years and is one of Wichita’s favorites. The pizza place is known for their cheesy bread and thick crust pizza. Knolla’s is one of Wichita’s oldest pizza shops and has a mixture of diverse homemade pizzas along with appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts. Knolla’s earned 5 out of 5 stars because of its quick service and delicious slices.

Picasso’s Pizzeria

621 W. Douglas Ave., Wichita, KS 67213 Picasso’s, located on Douglas, is another Wichita favorite. You can order an entire pizza or you can just get it by the slice. Picasso’s specializes in huge slices of pizza and nearly any kind of topping you could ask for. The pizzeria has a variety of gluten free crusts, different kinds of cheeses, and many specialty pizzas.

Picasso’s earned 4.5 out of 5 stars because of its good prices and large slices of tasty pizza.

Wichita Brewing Company 535 N. Woodlawn, Suite 375, Wichita, KS 67208 Wichita Brewing Company has two locations on both the East and West side of Wichita. WBC has an extensive menu varying from delicious appetizers to pasta dishes and many different and diverse pizza choices.

The restaurant has a great feel to it, multiple TV’s and quick service. The pizza is gourmet and has a long list of different kinds of toppings and crusts to make your pizza perfect for you. Wichita Brewing Company earned 3.5 out of 5 stars because of their extensive menu and various options of personal pizzas.

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Slic

7732 E. Central #123, Wichita, KS 67206

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p u it

Staffers visit pizza places around the ICT in search of the best.

Ziggy’s Pizza

Clifton Square Village, 3700 E. Douglas Ave. #100, Wichita, KS 67208 Ziggy’s Pizza is located in Clifton Square on Douglas. Ziggy’s has a long menu of many different kinds of specialty pizzas with a variety of unique toppings and sauces. Aside from pizza, the restaurant also has an abundance of tasty appetizers, fresh salads, and toasty sandwiches, along with the option to build your own individual pizza. Ziggy’s earned 4 out of 5 stars because of their diverse speciality pizzas and great prices.

Bob & Luigi’s 325 W. Central Ave., Andover, KS 67002 Bob and Luigi’s, located in Andover, is a family owned business and has been around for many years. Bob and Luigi’s specializes in thin crust pizza with a large variety of different toppings, sauces, and unique specialty pizzas. The restaurant also has a few different kinds of dessert pizza such as apple cinnamon pizza or strawberry cheesecake pizza. Bob and Luigi’s earned 4 out of 5 stars because they have great thin crust pizza and tasty desserts.

Poplar Restaurant 127 US-54, Andover, KS 67002 Poplar is another local Andover business with a great menu and quick service. Poplar has a variety of Buffalo wings, sandwiches, and pizza. The restaurant has a few different choices of thick crust pizzas and a long list of different kinds of “loafers”, which is basically a calzone. Poplar is very family friendly and an excellent place to get a great slice of pizza. Poplar earned 3 out of 5 stars because of their different kinds of pizza, wings, and loafers.

-elizabethHARTLEY

April 5, 2016

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Common

c re

Continues

Kansas turns down removal of national standards The Kansas House of Representatives rejected a bill that could have repealed Common Core standards on March 22.

The bill would have required that the state of Kansas adopt new teaching standards beginning July 1, 2017.

Substitute House Bill 2292 called for the abolishment of the current Kansas College and Career Ready Standards because they are related to national Common core initiatives. Described as “enacting the local control of Kansas education act,” it proposed that the state board of education (BOE) set new “model” standards for subjects such as math and reading that would be determined solely by the state.

The bill was reintroduced from last year by a group of state House members.

Supporters of the proposed bill said Kansas should regulate its own education standards and that the current ones rely too much on test taking for students to succeed. On the other hand, critics felt it would cause endangerment to dual credit, Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) classes and that Common Core is effective to help students prepare for college and beyond.

Melinda Fritze, President of the Andover Board of Education, said the current standards, which contain elements of Common Core, are tougher and state tests have become harder in recent years. As a result, state test scores have dropped. Nonetheless, Fritze commented that Common Core has been successful in the Andover district with the new standards and test scores, comparing very favorably to other districts in Kansas.

Andover USD 385 is in its fourth year of integrating Common Core into classrooms. According to Fritze, the district has spent over $750,000 on curriculum and materials aligned with the standards. She reiterated that the Kansas State Board of Education voluntarily adopted these measures and that Andover teachers have spent thousands of dollars in professional training to learn to teach the new standards.

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Also known as College and Career Ready Standards in Kansas, Common Core is designed to use critical thinking to find and justify answers instead of just memorizing facts.

Supportive organizations stress that guidelines are given to achieve certain skills by certain grades, not dictate lessons and resources used. The lessons and tools are left for individual school districts to dictate.

The state of Kansas adopted the Common Core benchmarks in October 2010. Since then, more than 40 US states have adopted the standards. However, several states have also tried to pass legislation banning Common Core.

Teacher Chelli Cranmer was against the proposed bill.

She felt that the current standards are only guidelines and are up for interpretation.

“There are teachers on the state level that helped develop the Kansas standards. Each of the school districts in Kansas, then, takes those standards and makes them their own,” Cranmer said.

The bill stated: “The state shall retain sole control over the development, establishment and revision of K-12 curriculum standards. If advanced placement, international baccalaureate, dual credit or other similar courses and tests are administered to public high school students after July 1, 2017, they shall be aligned with Kansas curriculum standards.”

The bill passed the state education committee and was sent to the House floor. When a vote was conducted, the House voted 44 to 78 against the proposal.

Programs that contain elements of Common Core and national standards include AP and IB classes, ACT and SAT tests, and Lexia, a digital reading platform.

If the bill had passed, the cost to the state of Kansas to establish the new state standards and create new student tests was estimated to be $9 million.

-ashleyDORF

2016 PresidentIal Candidates Frontrunners of upcoming election update The presidential candidates continue to campaign for the 2016 election. The primary elections are over halfway conducted and the general election will be held in November. The three republican candidates are Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich; the two remaining democratic candidates are Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.

Iowa was the first state to hold a caucus--a government organized event where voters gather to select candidates, similar to a primary--this election season; many people consider this to be the biggest indication of who will be elected.

For the republicans, Ted Cruz won the majority with 27.6 percent, followed by Donald Trump with 24.3 percent. On the democratic side, Hillary Clinton won a close victory with 49.9 percent, while Bernie Sanders ended with 49.6 percent. The next states to hold caucuses or primaries were New Hampshire followed by Nevada and South Carolina.

After these four states hold elections, a day known as “super Tuesday” allows the remainder of the states to begin holding their primary elections. While some states do hold primaries on this day, there are elections spread out until mid-June.

Since early February, Martin O’Malley, Carly Fiorina, Chris Christie, Jeb Bush, Ben Carson, and Marco Rubio have all ended or suspended their campaign. Candidates often suspend their campaign, rather than end it, so the delegates they earned will not be redistributed to their rival candidates.

Bush and Fiorina both endorsed Ted Cruz after they dropped out and, Carson and Chris Christie both began endorsing Donald Trump. Martin O’Malley never officially endorsed anyone, although he encouraged his supporters to vote for Sanders. Marco Rubio has not yet endorsed anyone; he has publicly voiced a negative opinion of the republican candidates.

The Kansas caucus was held on March 5th; the outcome showed Ted Cruz and Bernie Sanders winning. The main locations for Andover/Wichita had democrats at the Andover Recreation Center and the Republicans at Century II. A potential contender considered running as a thirdparty candidate; Michael Bloomberg contemplated running as an independent. Bloomberg would have been the biggest

threat to Bernie Sanders; Sanders wants to tax the top 1 percent, and Bloomberg fits into that category, being the 8th richest person in the United States. Bloomberg publically announced he would not be running on March 7th. Bloomberg recognized the unlikeliness of winning the presidency as a third-party candidate, especially with his late entry to the race. Although he would have run as an independent, he feared he would weaken the democratic candidates and wanted to avoid giving the presidency to one of the current republican candidates.

Swing states often have the most impact of any type of state. Swing states are states that don’t have support from one party over another. There are 11 swing states, they consist of: Nevada, Florida, Colorado, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, Ohio, and New Hampshire. A few swing states have already held their primary election, but most of them have not yet voted. The results are expected to heavily influence the election.

While the race continues to be very close, Hillary Clinton remains the frontrunner, ahead of Bernie Sanders by a small margin. Sanders had a surprise victory in Michigan, which is considered to be one of the more important states for the Democrats; it had been predicted by political scientists that Clinton would win with a sizeable lead over him. Although Sanders won Michigan, the same day Clinton won Mississippi, which is another meaningful win.

Marco Rubio was the former senator of Florida, and he hoped this would give him a victory there; Rubio lost to Trump by 18.7 percent. Florida is a “winner takes all” state, meaning the winner receives all the delegates offered from that state. This essentially established inevitable collapse of his campaign, leading him to suspend it.

In order for a candidate to win the nomination, they must accumulate a certain number of delegates throughout the primaries. The democrat nominee must earn 2383; frontrunner Clinton currently has 1712. The republican nominee needs 1237; frontrunner Trump has 739.

-carrieFRIEND

April 5, 2016

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Running in the dark Blind AMS seventh grader races against all odds

[ ] “Their personalities compliment each other and it seems to help them communicate better.”

-Abigail Yamamoto

Many people might think that most--if not all--sports require the sense of sight. As Andover’s seventh grader Rich Yamamoto has proved, this is not the case.

Yamamoto has been blind since birth. His blindness can be attributed to Norrie’s Disease, a rare disease that causes early blindness in male infants at birth or soon after. In extremely rare cases, females can develop this disease as it is X-linked, meaning the disease comes from a mutation in the X chromosome. In this case, Rich inherited Norrie’s Disease from his mother’s father.

Yamamoto became involved in track and cross country through his family.

“My dad has been running all of his life. Because I can’t really do football or tennis, I figured running would be a better idea for me,” Yamamoto said.

Since late July, Yamamoto has been running with his dad on occasion. “I don’t really care about the fact that I am blind. I just make fun of it everyday, because I just don’t care what people think.”, Yamamoto said.

Junior Trevor Bateman has volunteered to act as a running guide for Yamamoto.

“It’s been really great, he’s a great kid, he’s pretty funny,” Bate-

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man said.

With the help of various tools such as a tether on both runners or a pole that Bateman holds in front of Yamamoto, the two are able to stay on the track.

There was one problem with official National Federation of High School rules that track coach Dustin Murray had a fear of at first. According to the NFHS Track and Field and Cross Country Rules Book: “Disqualification will occur if a competitor receives any assistance from any other person.” A few e-mails between KSHSAA and Murray later, Bateman and Yamamoto were able to start practicing.

Rich’s biggest supporter through all this happens to be his older sister, sophomore, Abigail Yamamoto.

“Their personalities compliment each other and it seems to help them communicate better,” Yamamoto said.

There were never any initial concerns from the family; they strongly believe in this young man.

“I don’t really know, since that hasn’t happened to me yet. One of my goals is to break my mile record on the track. I want to cut my time down to eight minutes. My record right now is nine minutes 35 seconds,” Yamamoto said.

-stuartJENKINS

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Junior Trevor Bateman (left) and Rich Yamamoto (right) practicing on the track behind Andover Middle School. Bateman keeps pace with Yamamoto by holding onto the end of a shared strap--almost like holding hands.

Yamamoto is guided by Bateman to an area for them to stretch and warm up before practice.

Bateman runs with Yamamoto every day after school during middle school track practice. He began volunteering with the AMS student this season.

Photos by Abigail Yamamoto

April 5, 2016

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Looking back on historic tragedy On April 26, 1991, a series of tornados scattered from Nebraska to Texas began wreaking havoc on the Midwest. More than 50 tornados were reported across the region on that day. The most infamous and disastrous of these storms, a category F5 tornado, caused destruction in and around Andover. This tornado is known by locals as The Andover Tornado. This April, Andover recognizes the 25th anniversary of the tragic event.

The National Weather Service warned residents that the day was to be active concerning weather. The Andover Tornado formed near Clearwater, Kansas, and eventually fizzled out just past El Dorado Lake. At its largest, the tornado was reported to be as large as 1,800 feet wide. Along its path of destruction, this twister killed 21 people, 17 of which were from the Andover area.

One of the areas most critically affected was the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park in Andover. The tornado sirens in this area failed to sound, leaving the people of this area in a state of confusion. An Andover police officer drove through the mobile home park with loudspeakers, warning the residents to exit their homes and take cover in the small communityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s only storm shelter. While most residents heeded their advice, some stayed in their homes to wait the storm out. For many of those, it was a fatal move; 38 residents did not seek shelter and 11 were killed. 85 percent of the homes in the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park were destroyed, leaving many temporarily homeless.

While the damage to the town was very visible, there were undeniable emotional scars on the people of the town that could not be seen. People were affected by the lives lost, the homes and memories destroyed, and the emotional trauma of the experience.

As every town does after a natural disaster, Andover slowly started to heal both the damage to the town and the emotional wounds that came with the storm. Across the midwest, there was over $250 million in damages. The physical damage began to be repaired and the Golden Spur Mobile Home Park was rebuilt and renamed â&#x20AC;&#x153;Andover Estates.â&#x20AC;? As the community looks back on that disastrous day 25 years later, the growth of Andover seems all the more meaningful. From a sleepy small town to a thriving suburb, Andover has shown that the strength of its tight-knit community can overcome a tragedy as devastating as the Andover Tornado.

-rebekahMARTIN

25th Anniversary of the Andover

Tornado

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April 26, 1991 6:45 p.m. e h t n o d e y or a f t S d un o r g

70

s e l i m

600 yards Wide

F5 on the Fujita Scale

Started south of Clearwater

The red line represents the path the tornado took and where the greatest damage in Andover was.

April 1, 2016

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}

IS IT WOR TH IT ? % said

% said

66 YES 34 NO

{

Approximately how often do you consume any amount of alcohol?

to escape problems

dont drink

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April 1, 2016

49%

I don't drink

0

10

20

30

40

50

SOMETIMES NO 39 % said they DO NOT DRINK YES

% said % said

bc my friend

daily

]

for fun

12% 15%

once a week

18 % said 16 % said 27 % said

34 YES 66 NO to get drunk

once a month

When you consume alcohol, do your parents know?

Have you ever tried a form of tobacco?

These statistics are based off of an Andover student survey of 157 students from 9th to 12th grade.

24%

once a month once a week daily I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink

If you drink, why do you drink?

11% to get drunk 32% for fun 5% because my friends do 7% to escape problems 46% donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t drink 0

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If you drink, where do you get your alcohol?

]----

Have you ever consumed alcohol?

20

30

40

50

57% friends

23% parents

15% fake I.D. 6%

siblings

PUSHING THE {AGE} LIMIT science behind adolescent Substance abuse 23% 9th grade - 20% 10th grade - 23% 11th grade - 34% 12th grade

High schools around the country are in the midst of a battle against drugs. Some Andover students were surveyed with questions concerning drugs and alcohol to give the Bluestreak staff some “local” statistics to ensure accurate information was published that pertains directly to the students in the district.

Weed, prescription drugs, and alcohol--yes, alcohol is a drug-are popular choices among young people around Wichita.

The human brain isn’t completely developed until around age 25. More specifically, the frontal lobes--the area of the brain responsible for logical decision making--is only partially connected to the rest of the brain during adolescence. Basically what this means is: teenagers are physically unable to foresee the effects of their actions on other because of a lack of matter.

‘What were you thinking?’ is actually a very relevant question coming from the concerned parent of a rebellious teen; recent studies have suggested that it’s not so much what the teen thinks, it’s how his brain thinks.

Adolescent brains truly are different. In addition to being underdeveloped compared to an average adult brain, teens lack a fair amount of white fatty matter that allows impulses to travel through the body. This incompletion is referred to as “neural insulation.” It loosely translates to young adults having a slower ability to access this crucial area of the brain.

“Think of it as insulation on an electrical wire. Nerves need myelin for nerve signals to flow freely. Spotty or thin myelin leads to inefficient communication between one part of the brain and another,” said Richard Knox of National Public Radio (NPR).

These two scientific proofs of adolescence go hand-in-hand.

Because of these, though, teens are more susceptible to addiction of any sort. That’s why people are better able to learn new things the younger they are. Children’s brains are designed to be receptive to

everything around them.

The Bluestreak’s survey responses consisted of 23 percent 9th graders, 20 percent 10th graders, 23 percent 11th graders, and 34 percent seniors. A majority of 65 percent of respondents said they knew someone under aged addicted to some form of tobacco.

Media outlets have been bringing up age restrictions for various things in recent years. Marijuana is a big one--in the few states that have legalized it at all, many voters are pushing for the age restriction to be lowered from 21 to 18 years old. With presidential elections occurring, this along with other substance restrictions are bound to be discussed.

Fifty percent of students said the drinking age should be lowered to 18. Modern science should discourage this. Young brains cannot make a logical decisions, especially concerning substance use and abuse. A 15-year-old in high school can’t grasp the gravity of becoming addicted to a substance at such a young age; cancers are running rampant around the nation and many older patients attribute their illnesses to substances taking control of their lives when they were young adults.

“Approximately 1.5 million American teens could be considered chemically dependent or addicted in 2009,” according to the TEDS report from the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality.

For the same reason they became addicted, the earlier in an addiction an affected teen receives treatment, the greater chance he is able to recover--his brain is still impressionable. It can be trained to lose addiction just as they were “trained” to gain it.

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>>>If you think you or someone you know could be suffering from an addiction, visit recovery.org to find a treatment center near you.

% said it should be 18 % said it should be 21 % said other

50 32 18

Do you know anyone underage who is addicted to tobacco?

68 YES 32 NO % said

What do you think the drinking age should be?

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- meganCURRY

% said

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Staff Editorial

BLUESTREAK editorial policy

The Trojan Bluestreak exists to inform, persuade and entertain its readers concerning topics of importance. The newspaper recognizes all rights and responsibilities under the First Amendment.

The Bluestreak operates as a public forum for student expression and the staff takes full responsibility for newspaper content and its ramifications.

The Trojan Bluestreak will not publish material considered to be legally unprotected speech, libel, obscenity copyright infringement,unwarranted invasion of privacy or material that could disrupt the educational environment.

The Bluestreak is a CSPA Gold Medalist and KSPA All-Kansas honor recipient.

<<Megan Curry>>

Addiction: more than just a high

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Now, the peer pressure we face isn’t at all like the peer pressure health classes and advertisements warn us against. It’s not standing behind the school building between classes “Hey, man! Take a hit off my blunt! Nah, don’t worry it’s no big deal; no one will find out.”

Has anyone really experienced it that way? In my experience, it’s a lot more like just hanging out at a party and feeling displaced from everyone else there drinking or smoking. But it really isn’t a big deal to be set out from the crowd. If you don’t want to do something, you don’t have to do it. And you definitely don’t have to feel weird about not doing it. In addition, just because you do it on one occasion doesn’t mean you have to do it the next time, or any other for that matter.

Honestly, just do what you’re comfortable with, and as long as you act smart about the decisions you make, you’ll probably be in the clear. Don’t stray from your own beliefs and don’t involve yourself in anything that makes you uncomfortable.

Cartoon by Kamilla Sims

We’ve all watched people spiral down into the abyss lured by drugs, their decisions lubricated by alcohol, whether it be a relative, friend or character on TV. Drugs are all around us in these halls— some prescribed and some self-prescribed, if you catch my drift, and I know you do.

For me, it was my brother. I watched him experiment with drugs throughout high school and wash them down with drinks, though I didn’t know about the latter. I watched him lose weight and become angry. I stood by while he stayed out all night and did his best to avoid our parents at all times. I was there when we returned from vacation late one night only to be awaked a few hours later by the local police—he had been found “asleep” in his car in a lonely parking lot in the wee hours of the morning, after presumably driving under the influence. He’d had enough marijuana with him to sink a battleship.

I stayed on the sidelines of our family through the court dates, family therapy, and never said a word. Before I was even a freshman, our family was torn apart.

Even as I worried and warned our parents: it couldn’t be! He came from a good family in a nice neighborhood. He had two parents who worked to support us both.

We never think it could happen to us, whether “it” be this kind of situation, an accident or other likewise disaster. It happens to “other people.”

Guess what? Those other people are all of us; we all think it of each other.

Something else: we aren’t immune to the existence of these toxins simply because we live in the ever-privileged town of Andover. If we’re being honest, drugs and alcohol are more present and available to us, if anything, because so many families have the extra money. In low-income areas, high schoolers are typically the ones selling the drugs to grab some extra cash rather than doing them to get high.

They’re all over parties, at all the bonfires, stimulating teenagers at two in the morning.

High schoolers these days are smoking weed and downing several bottles of various liquors at parties every weekend. It’s so prevalent and readily available, we don’t concern ourselves with how difficult it could be to gain access to that upper before we go out with friends.

Social media harassment Every post circulates, never goes away

Too often do I see a victim of a cruel internet meme share their story. Making fun of others seems like it has become a main form of humor for too many; teens thrive from the humility of others.

Vine, Twitter, and other forms of social media attack vulnerable people who can easily be made to look bad.

The popular meme “meth Curry” displayed a man who looked similar to Stephen Curry, but with destruction of most of his upper body. The man, Leon Mitchell, was labeled a meth addict but in actuality he was a cancer survivor. Mitchell posted to his instagram: “I’ve struggled deeply for years with the devastating effects cancer treatment plagued my body with...I am more than a meme, I am a father, survivor, mentor…Proud to have endured and conquered everything I have!”

Young people who attack innocent people like this don’t realize the effects they have on their lives. While they retweet these things to their twitter timelines, the victim often only sees the negative attention they

are getting. Many teens don’t have the foresight to realize the effects their actions will have on others in the future.

We don’t know people’s stories; we cannot make fun of people for things they can’t control. Possibly the most cliché statement,“treat others the way you want to be treated,” is extremely relevant in this situation.

It’s hard to understand that spreading this negative content really is affecting someone’s life, because we don’t see anything from them past the “meme” they are involved in.

Wentworth Miller responded to articles titled “Hunk to Chunk,” in which he had been suicidal, and rather than resorting to drugs or alcohol, he ate to help him through his depression. It’s important, especially for someone who suffers with depression, to find something to look forward to--in his case it was food; he put on some weight.

Every time he sees the images and articles of him circling the internet, he is reminded of the dark time he was going through.

<<Carrie Friend>> It goes beyond the internet; magazine tabloids have some obsession with bashing women who they believe shouldn’t be wearing a bikini.

It seems like people go out of their way to hurt others. You would think the maturity level of the majority of people would be high enough to realize this but that doesn’t seem to be the case. Situations like this obviously won’t go away overnight, but more people recognizing the difference between joking and harassing is the first step toward making a difference. Be the better person; make a change.

Bathroom bills

SB 513 & HB 2737 Threaten Transgender Rights

<<rebekah Martin>> Recently, Kansas lawmakers introduced a law targeted at transgender youth. These bills, known as the “Student Physical Privacy Act” or SB 513 and HB 2737, state that all students of public schools and universities must use the bathrooms, shower rooms, and locker rooms designated for their sex assigned at birth. A separate clause would allow students to be awarded $2,500 for reporting a transgender person using the “incorrect” bathroom.

The first glaring problem with this bill is that it is incredibly unfair towards transgender people.

While this might seem obvious to some, many will not consider the harm this could bring to trans people.

By passing this law, transgender people would essentially be forced to identify with a gender that they don’t feel fits them. This could cause problems, as these people are put in an environment that they don’t feel they belong in.

Another problem with this bill is that it openly encourages judging people based on how they present themselves. It gives people ground to make assumptions about somebody else’s gender identity (something they have no right to assume) based on traditionally masculine and feminine qualities.

Similar laws have also been introduced in other areas of the United States.

One such law, introduced in North Carolina, has faced backlash not only from the media, but also from the White House. North Carolina is also being sued by LGBT groups for violating the Fourteenth Amendment.

Rather than protecting students from the “emotional trauma” of simply seeing another student in a bathroom, could it be that this bill is actually only serving to unfairly target transgender youth? Did the lawmakers who introduced this bill consider how emotionally harrowing their law could be on children struggling with their gender identity? This bill seemingly exists only to isolate and incriminate transgender youth simply for identifying with what makes them feel the most comfortable.

April 5, 2016

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Spring Sports Preview TENNIS SOCCER Boys’ tennis can be under appreciated, but great success during the girls’ season has giving fans a revival of support for the sport.

“The continuity of our three seniors--Stephen Le, Jamil Alkhoury, and myself--that have experienced State before should help us contend at the State tournament this year too,” senior Tabor Bayles said.

The boys--especially senior members--have shown an interest in having a greater group of spectators at tournaments this season.

“We’re ranked 4th in 5A right now, actually,” Bayles said.

Go out and support Trojan spring sports!

One of the common threads during the beginning of every sport season is assessing player turnover from one season to the next. For the girls’ soccer team, this means filling the shoes of past seniors.

“The last two years that I’ve played, we’ve always had a lot of upperclassmen girls be leaders and take control and have the field,” junior Delaney Drumright said.

This year’s varsity squad, however, has stepped up to fill some of the vacancies with freshmen taking a handful of the player spots. Though the season has only just begun, new and returning girls are already bonding well.

“Throughout the season, we’ve been really growing together as a team,” freshman Rebecca Endsley said. All players can agree that growth is the key element to success.

“Our first game we won 6-0 and that was really a starting point for us to grow together,” Endsley said.

The team is showing promise for the upcoming season. Coach Chris Lemons was excited to grab such a solid win so early in the year.

“This year our team chemistry is amazing,” said Drumright. “We just hold really well together and I think that’s what’s going to make

TRACK

stories by Grace Ball and Ashley Dorf photos by Riley Evenson, Gili Tamir, Trent Paske and Trevor Newton Trojan track and field returns this spring with hopes to continue the success of recent years. Filling all the spots on the roster is one of the challenges the squad faces this season.

“Our distance crew is looking pretty lit,” sophomore Caroline Schwab said. "We have like eight distance runners but we don’t have a lot of sprinters or throwers or jumpers."

With only one returning senior girl, Nicole Klusener, the girls' squad is facing more personnel changes. The team is making due with current resources until the first meet (3/29 at Circle).

We’re preparing for meets by running and doing workouts and long runs for long distance,” freshman Emily Book said.

18 April 5, 2016

While many of the events in track are solitary events with athletes competing solo amongst competitors, others require a more complex mix of planning and teamwork.

Junior Brooke Wiltshire expressed that she likes the teamwork involved in the 4x800 relay event and looks to continue that event's participation at state.

"We just never really placed very well in the relay race [at state]," she said. "But I think this year with the conditioning and the work we’ve put in and the work we’re going to put in we can definitely make it to state and on top of that have a much better place than we have in the past.”

SO F T B A L L

SWIMMING With a switch from being a combined AndoverAndover Central swim team, to being individual, the Trojan swim team is adjusting to this new change. Last year, there were 35 girls on the team combined with Central, and this year practices, meets, and the amount of girls on the team is different than last season’s. Last year with Central, the team was able to get first at every meet except for one. Andover won first place and League, and fourth overall at state; there was also nine state qualifiers.

“Splitting from central this year was difficult because we were a family, but will maintain our bond through combined team dinners, and riding to meets together,” junior Liana Tauke said. With seniors Meg Curry, Julia Corrieri, Savitri Lazarus, Emi Hayashi and Lida Hudska the team is striving to maintain a bond with each other and have a successful season.

GOLF

The Andover boys golf team is aiming for a better, stronger season this spring.

"We have five of the six guys back from last year's team that made it to the state tournament, so we're looking to build on that experience. We didn't play well at state last year but we are hoping to use it as fuel to possibly place at state or even win as a team," said senior Trent Paske.

However, sophomore Patrick Chan admits it will not be an easy road to victory. Some of the top competitors include Kapaun Mt. Carmel, Maize South and Wichita Collegiate.

Nonetheless, Chan hopes the team can qualify and win first at state. The first golf competition will be the Andover Invitational at Crestview Country Club on April 4.

BASEBALL

This year softball got a later start than normal, with the first game not starting until April 4. Despite the late start, the teams hope to get up to speed quickly.

“I think this coming softball season is going to be great because of the young talent that we have,” said Sara Weber, junior. The varsity team is largely filled with freshman and sophomores this year.

One thing Weber said she’d like to accomplish is to have more people in the stands.

“I understand that the majority of our school student section would rather watch baseball, but it wouldn’t hurt to stop by every once in a while even if it’s just to check the score or say hi to one of your friends,” she said.

Teamwork is always something the players are always looking to improve on. “It isn’t one of those sports where you can do everything yourself. You really need all eight other players out there to make a win happen,” she said.

The baseball team is excited to begin the season. Last year with four seniors, the Trojans lost to Liberal in the first round of Regionals. With seven seniors this year, they are looking forward to making their last season count and make it to state.

“We all have the same expectation to win and go as far as we can.

Individually, what I am looking forward to the most is having fun with my teammates, and enjoying my last baseball season,” senior Cody Peterson said. The Trojans are seeking to use the seniors’ experience on and off the field for better results than last season’s and to grow together as a team.

April 5, 2016

19

Trojan Spotlight The Bluestreak wants to recognize some of the students around AHS, and give them an opportunity to share their talents.

Featuring Ashlea Hall

How long have you been bowling?

“Since I was three.”

Did you participate in bowling leagues as a child?

“Yes, I did throughout my childhood.”

How many years have you been on the AHS bowling team?

“Three, I wasn’t in it Junior year.”

Have you ever gone to state before this year?

“No.” What do you do in your free time besides bowling?

“I draw. I draw anything random that comes into my brain.”

Do you take art classes at Andover?

“Yes, I’ve been in them for two semesters.”

Do you play any other sports?

“No.”

If you were given the opportunity to play other sports would you?

“I used to play softball so I guess if I had the opportunity I would play that.”

Do you see yourself bowling professionally in the future?

“Probably not.”

20

april1, 2016

reviews “NO”

by Meghan trainor

Meghan Trainor released the first single called “NO” from her upcoming sophomore album, Thank You. Written as a diss to her record label executive L.A. Reid, the strong components of pop, R&B and more give Trainor a newfound sound.

According to Billboard, Trainor became upset after Reid told her she had no lead single for her album. Immediately afterwards, Trainor created “NO.” Listeners who note her typical old-school style will find themselves surprised by a new, modern spin on Trainor’s music.

The song begins with a retro feel similar to her previous songs, then shifts to an intense pop beat unlike anything Trainor has done before. While not lyrically significant, “NO” does justice as a powerful anthem that any pop music lover would be happy to hear.

The sassy chorus is a bit repetitive but not so long that it becomes intolerable. Trainor raps, “My name is no/My sign is no/My number is no/You need to let it go.” The catchy melody of the verses is extremely reminiscent of Britney Spears’ “Oops!... I Did It Again,” reiterating the early 2000s sound the track is trying to imitate.

All in all, if Thank You is anything like the debut single, “NO,” fans will be pleasantly surprised to hear an ambitious Trainor stepping out of her comfort zone. Trainor is currently shooting the music video for “NO” and the rest of the album is expected to be released May 13.

-ashleyDORF

BlackBOx

Has anyone ever thought, “I wish there was an app that turned my entire phone into a giant puzzle?” Probably not, but for those people who have too much free time, Blackbox has arrived.

Blackbox is an interesting app that makes the player think outside the game to say the least. The best part: the player never touches the screen. Well, they do, but not while the app is open to a specific puzzle.

All of the puzzles in Blackbox involve using various components of an iPhone. From turning on the ringer or moving the app to a specific location on the home screen, to the player getting in their car and driving some ridiculous distance using the preloaded location app. I tried driving about 20 miles out of my way one day and I had only completed one quarter of the puzzle, apparently.

Some puzzles seem simple but can be rather time consuming in Blackbox, such as the clock puzzle. The best way to solve this one, from my own personal experience, is to just leave the phone on all night with the app open. Other puzzles give the player little more than a strange design and the hope that something happens.

For those looking for a new type of puzzle game, Blackbox is perfect. However, it seems to go stale very quickly as some puzzles cannot be solved by simply staring at the screen.

Blackbox is available to play for free on the App Store.

-stuartJENKINS

April 5, 2016

21

Would You Rather s l o o F l i Apr n o i t i Ed Belated

Successfully fool Mr. Riedy

OR

Have someone put itching powder in your underwear

Mrs. Grier

OR

Have your sandwich filling replaced with used gum Be caught pulling a prank on Mr. Weidert

Have your sibling shave your head in your sleep Set pigs loose through the school

OR

Wake up with your hair dyed rainbow

22

April 5, 2016

OR

OR

a rat in your backpack?

OR or play-doh?

Mr. Baier?

OR give you a terrible haircut?

put skunks in all the classrooms? with a giant â&#x20AC;&#x153;I heart MOMâ&#x20AC;? tattoo?

ha! joke’s on you!

6 Easy April Fools Tricks Put food coloring in the hand soap dispenser Glue a dollar to the floor of a busy place Reset all the clocks in your house two hours ahead Tell your friend their shoelace is untied #GOTEM Put salt on someone’s toothbrush Place a paper cup filled with confetti on top of a door

April fools history On this day in 1700, English pranksters begin popularizing the annual tradition of April Fools’ Day by playing practical jokes on each other.

Although the day, also called All Fools’ Day, has been celebrated for several centuries by different cultures, its exact origins remain a mystery. Some historians speculate that April Fools’ Day dates back to 1582, when France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, as called for by the Council of Trent in 1563.

People who were slow to get the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had moved to January 1 and continued to celebrate it during the last week of March through April 1 became the butt of jokes and hoaxes.

Best Youtube Pranksters Is one day not enough ? Check out these YouTubers for awesome pranks.

Prank Vs. Prank

Roman Atwood Sources: dailydot.com and history.com

Jack Vale

Magic of Rahat

Stuart Edge

April 5, 2016

23

r a e

, s r

o in

D

e S

A letter to seniors heading into their last quarter of high school Senior pranks, AP classes, shortened schedules, college visits, and the sight of the finish line at graduation: you are almost there. It seems as if yesterday was freshman orientation, but now it is your last couple of months where you are making decisions that can change your future.

Knowing you have just months left can be exciting and relieving, but as seniors you influence underclassmen and your classmates’ memories.

These last days of high school began to show you who are you as a person, and who you are going to be. Spend these last months, not as just a time you have left until you are done with high school, but to make the most of it. Cherish your friends, and the memories you are able to make without the worries of future. Take these last months to value your grades, high school teachers, coaches, and living with your family. Make your last memories with your class and appreciate those around you before you go off to college. Reach out to the underclassmen to come to school events and participate in student sections with you as the leaders. Hold on to these last high school moments, and be the class that others look up to and remember. Even though it’s only four years of your life, your high school memories can last forever; so don’t just wish away these last months of high school. Make them count.

-graceBALL & josieBEAVER Photos by Reilly Peare, Trevor Newton, and Elise Lindemann

24 April 5, 2016

April

WHY WE

ANDOVER

Reasons why Andover High students love Andover

The two gee se

y t i n u m m o c l smal

High School Rivalry

The Popcorner Timbuktu

DISTRICT STADIUM s â&#x20AC;&#x2122; i g i u L Bob &

Central Park

Butler

Andover Road

YMCA

Heath

Kintzel

April1,5,2016 2016 Apr.

25

“Don’t hate yourself, celebrate yourself!”

Don’t take my picture, take someone else’s picture.

- Chris Weidert

26 April 1, 2016

-ChrisWeidert

April 2016 Sunday

Monday

Tuesday Wednesday Thursday

Friday

1 2

April Fool’s Day

Stuco Campaigning Golf @ Crestview Country Club

V Tennis @ Ark City

Play Matinée V Golf @ Wellington

Saturday

SAT Registration Baseball @ Andover Softball @ Andover

Tennis @ Emporia Soccer @ Goddard

ACT Regional Music Festival

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 JV Tennis @ Goddard

JV Golf @ Augusta

Softball @ Great Bend

Tennis @ TBA

Track @ Maize

Junior Research Presentation V Golf @ Terradyne JV Golf @ Sierra Hills

Soccer @ Campus

V Golf @ Augusta JV Golf @ Hesston V Tennis @ Salina Central JV Tennis @ Hesston Swimming @ Newton

Soccer @ Andover

State Music Festival

Track @ VC

Play Matinee

Play Matinee

V Tennis @ Goddard

No School

V Tennis @ Oakdale Park

Earth Day

Track @ Augusta

Regional Speech & Drama Festival

10 1112 1314 15 16 Tennis @ Conway Springs

V Tennis @ Collegiate JV Tennis @ Eisenhower

JV Tennis @ Central Soccer @ Andover

Softball @ Valley Center Soccer @ Andover

Swimming @ Northwest

Track @ Buhler

Soccer @ Maize

Track @ Andover

COTY Zoo Trip

Passover begins at sundown V Tennis @ Emporia Track @ Buhler

State Music Festival

1718 19202122 23 24 26 272829 30 Baseball @ Andover

Softball @ Andover JV Golf @ Sierra Hill

NHS Inductions

V Tennis @ Eisenhower

V Golf @ TBA

Swimming @ Hutchinson Baseball @ Andover Softball @ Andover Soccer @ Andover JV Tennis @ Oakdale

JV Tennis @ Andover Soccer @ Andover

Athletic/Activity Assembly V Golf @ TBA JV Golf @ Hidden Lakes Soccer @ Andover Off the Wall Auditions

Softball @ Arkansas City

No School Baseball @ Goddard Softball @ Goddard Track @ El Dorado V Golf @ TBA

Swimming @ Wichita Swim Club

State Speech & Drama Festival Swimming @ NW YMCA

April 1, 2016

27

MORP! Let’s Make Some Art and Hang Out at the Wichita Art Museum MORP! is a special night just for high school students to meet local artists, get creative with art, dance, listen to music, enjoy food and explore the museum’s exhibitions.

And it’s all FREE Friday, April 29 from 6 to 10 pm FREE ADMISSION but advance registration is required at wichitaartmuseum.org/registration For additional info email education@wichitaartmuseum.org

1400 West Museum Boulevard