Issue 5

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Bluestreak

Volume 34, Issue 5. December 2016

Find all five of me inside this issue!

Page 12-13

The Official Publication of the Andover High Student Body

Table of Contents News News in Brief

5 4-5

Photos Photo of the Month

6-7

opinions The Finals Debate

8

Features We’re Stressed Out

10-11

Let It Snow!

12-13

Holiday Traditions

14-15

a&E Popular Holiday Gifts

16

Festive Foods

17

Musician Spotlight

18-19

Sports

2

Old School, New Uniforms

20

Siblings Take The Court

21

December 2016 - Issue 5

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There were nights where I Stressed quote would go to bed at midnight and set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. just because I had so much work..

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22-23

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10-11

18-19

The Trojan BlueStreak Staff editor-in-chief Emma Starks managing editor Elise Lindemann copy editor Ashley Dorf design editor Emily Stybr assistant design editor Hayley Jones assistant design editor Sophie Braynock in-depth editor Grace Ball lead writer Ashley Shandy

sports editor Ben Smith photo editor Julia Schneider assistant photo editor Kamilla Sims web editor Stuart Jenkins staffers Natalie Anderson Megan Aune Avery Balderston Hannah Brumfield Ashlee Courson Bayli Ellerman Josie Hufman Ben Johnsen Annalise Matheny Abigail Parker Rachel Root Kaitlyn Seabrook Published by: Andover High School, 1744 N Andover Rd., Andover KS, 67002

From the Editor ‘Tis the season… for winter sports, activities, holiday shopping, finals and stress! In this issue, we cover the effects of stress on students and present some suggestions for minimizing the pressure you may feel. Stress is something all high schoolers can relate to. We have all experienced it in one way or another. But hold on just a little while longer, winter break is right around the corner!

For a little stress relief, we have included an elf search and a mad lib in this month’s edition. Our features include snow days, holiday traditions and festive recipes. Happy holidays from all of us at the Bluestreak. See you next year! Spear ‘em!

Emma Starks

keep up with the latest news in between issues on our website!

ahsbluestreak.com Follow us on twitter!

@ahsbluestreak BLUESTREAK editorial policy

The Trojan Bluestreak is a newspaper and public forum that is backed by the First Amendment. Freedom of speech permits members of the Bluestreak staff and the student body to express their opinions in the form of editorials or other opinionated articles. The views presented in opinion pieces do not represent the view of the Bluestreak as a whole.

If you would like to submit a piece for possible publication, please contact Mr. Conover in Room 112. The Bluestreak will not publish any piece that has distasteful elements including, but not limited to, libel, plagiarism, profanity, obscenity and falsification.

December 2016 - Issue 5

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News in brief

The Trojan Bluestreak’s monthly digest of events around the community

Scan qr code to support mason grimmett

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Photo: cotaforteammasong.com

Andover High School freshman Mason Grimmett was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis at birth. As a toddler, he was diagnosed with liver disease. Due to his condition, he needed a transplant, so he was placed on a transplant list this spring. On October 19, Mason received his first transplant from a living donor. The next day, his 15th birthday, the liver failed.

“As we were about to sing Happy Birthday, one of the transplant surgeons abruptly ended our party and asked everyone to leave the room except immediate family,” wrote Kristin Kienzle, Mason’s mother, on her CarePages. This happened because there were complications and no blood flow. When this happened, Mason and his family were notified that they needed a new transplant within 48 hours. Mason was then put on 1A status, which meant whenever a transplant came in he would be the patient to get it, because he did not have time to wait.

“He told us that Mason could live only two to three days while waiting, but assured us to be hopeful for a liver,” she said.

On October 21, they were told Mason had a donor. “The transplant surgeon came running up to our group in the PICU, out of breath and visually excited, to announce that a liver had been allocated for Mason,” said Kienzle. Since then, Mason has been doing better, other than being re-admitted a few times for minor problems. Now, Mason is staying at a Ronald McDonald house in Omaha, Nebraska and being closely monitored until he is well enough to come home.

Currently, an estimated $75,000 has been raised for Mason by Wichita and Kansas City friends. If you would like to donate, go to cotaforteammasong.com or scan the QR code above.

- averyBALDERSTON

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There have been rumors going around about a change to the Andover High School building, but they will not be rumors for much longer. A proposed master plan has many renovations planned for all levels of education in the Andover district. Andover High School in particular has two options.

The first calls for additions to the entrance of the building and near the auditorium. Another addition is a designated storm shelter with the remodeling and repurposing of the entire building. The estimated cost is $31 million.

The other option is to reconstruct the original building on site. With the estimated cost of close to $58 million, the new building will have a new layout around the standing gyms and an authorized storm shelter that would reshape the school entirely. The idea of a new school is exciting but it is not the only renovation possibility.

Andover District Stadium would be updated and tennis courts behind the school would be added with the estimated cost of $6.9 million. Finally, there is a possibility for an Andover High School district pool and locker room, which is estimated to cost around $6.7 million.

A date has not yet been released for any of these changes. No matter the final plan, Andover High has an exciting future ahead.

-meganAUNE

Andover High School principal Dr. Kristen Kuhlmann recently announced that seniors would be allowed to purchase and paint parking spots. She got this idea from a parent and she also had seen it at other schools before. So this year, she decided that AHS would follow suit.

It wasn’t a very easy process; Dr. Kuhlmann had to get approval from maintenance and Butler Community College’s board before she could announce the new program. If the seniors wanted to paint a spot, they would have to pay $25, which supports StuCo. The official paint day was scheduled for Nov. 27 but was postponed due to rain. If a student does not have a car but would like to paint a spot, they are able to paint the parking spots of administrators like Dr. Kuhlmann or Mrs. Grier.

- averyBALDERSTON

Courtesy photo

Dressember’s mission is to end modern-day slavery and the exploitation of women all around the world.

Wearing a dress everyday in December spreads awareness and raises money for the rescue missions. People form teams on Dressember’s website and set fundraising goals. Junior Sidney Rucker decided to join after she heard what the event was all about. “I found out about [Dressember] from somebody from my church; they told me and I loved what it stood for,” said Rucker.

Although wearing a dress everyday for an entire month seems like a large commitment, it came as an easy decision for Rucker. “I decided to do it because I think sex trafficking is such a big problem in today’s society. Right now we have more slaves in the world than we ever have,” said Rucker.

Last year, Dressember raised over $900,000 for International Justice Mission and the A21 Campaign. This year’s goal is $1.5 million and just under $500,000 has been donated as of December 8.

“Dressember is definitely something I will continue to do in the future. I hope that next year it will grow even bigger and that people will realize how bad sex trafficking has gotten,” Rucker said.

The heart of Dressember is to give freedom to all women. As the campaign grows every year the goal of freedom will someday be a reality.

-sophieBRAYNOCK

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Photo of the month >> Liana Tauke stars as Janet van de Graaff in The Drowsy Chaperone. Here her character is being interviewed about how she is giving up her successful career to marry a man she hardly knows.

“The fall musical is always such an amazing production, and being able to photograph it is so much fun. Especially being on the crew and going from the first read through to matinée day,” said photographer Sarah Miller. “Capturing a live production to remember forever is great, especially seeing the photos being featured as the photo of the month.”

Photo by Sarah Miller

The great debate Teacher and student spar about finals

Yes, We Need Finals!

The ability to synthesize information is critical.

I’ve already lost you, haven’t I? Moved on to the next article? Rats.

For my two or three remaining readers I repeat: synthesis. It’s a skill my students loathe but it’s a necessary talent in our evolving world.

What does this have to do with finals? High schoolers should be taking meaningful final exams that ask them to synthesize months of materials. In other words, our jobs as educators should be to prepare you to think critically, solve problems, and to expand your knowledge base.

In a way, a final is a performance. Will you ever have to present a proposal to a group of people? Will you ever be expected to take a variety of pieces of work, coordinate them, and put them into some type of meaningful, worthwhile format? I suspect the answer is “I have no idea.” I’ll help: Yes, yes you will. Thus, our exams should reflect your abilities to go beyond memorization as we should also be asking you to provide reasons as to why the content of course has meaning. And, as teachers, if we can’t do that then we’ve got a problem.

I appreciate that students may question the merits of finals if they already have an A or they’ve attended all of the classes this semester. Should we not keep the bar high? In this increasingly competitive and global economy, the last thing we should be doing as schools, as students, and as teachers, is trying to cut corners to “make it easier.”

Final exams--if administered correctly--offer us this chance. In other words, finals are this unique opportunity to ask- in any format- the students to examine why our previous months together were meaningful: to synthesize a cohesive, insightful, and knowledge-based response. Amen!

-joelSCHAEFER

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No, Too Much Stress!

High School Finals

By this point in our lives, most of us have experienced the dread that comes around this time of year as finals season approaches. While it is important for teachers to be able to gauge their students’ understanding of the content from the whole semester, final tests create a frenzy for students and requiring them for all classes seems excessive and overwhelming to students.

Many of us have experienced test anxiety at some point in our academic careers. We often psych ourselves out over the overwhelming importance of the answers we are putting down as we take a test; it often feels like our success depends on how we handle the stress in that moment, rather than how prepared we are going into the test. If more teachers adopted final projects rather than final tests, the critical nature of this hour and a half would be displaced into weeks approaching the due date. This method could also increase retention rates, as students can apply their knowledge rather than recite facts they probably memorized the night before.

It also seems unrealistic for a student’s grade for an entire semester to depend heavily on their performance on a single test, rather than solely the effort they put forth for the entire semester. A misstep in motivation at any other point in the semester would not hold the same severity as it would around finals, which adds to the stress surrounding these tests.

Many schools have adopted the policy where students who have As at the end of the semester are not required to take the final for that class. This would act as an incentive for students to keep their grades up as well as act as a reward for their hard work throughout the semester.

Because of this, teachers should not be required to administer finals, as these alternatives to final tests can offer a less stressful learning experience and can foster better retention of information.

-taylorCASADY

We Are Stressed Out

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WE are STRESSED OUT The Twenty One Pilots song has become an anthem for the American teenager, everyone sings in harmony, “We’re stressed out.”

Stress. Every high schooler has encountered it. It is the familiar twist in your stomach that keeps you up at night. Andover High School students have highlighted extracurricular activities, finals, college and advanced classes amongst others, to be their main stressors.

Stress is more relevant now than ever before due to the decreasing college acceptance rates and increasing need for scholarships. Students are pushing themselves to have high grades in challenging courses and a resumé chock-full of extracurricular activities and volunteer hours in order to impress admissions officers.

When first stepping foot inside Andover, most dream of being extremely involved and creating life-lasting memories-sports, clubs, activities, they want to do it all. However, once these activities start consuming their time, students get stressed. Some even feel that by adding extracurricular activities on top of a full academic schedule they created more stress than happy memories. “It almost makes you wonder if it was actually worth it,” commented freshman Camden Baxter.

Baxter is experiencing the heat his first year of high school. The most stressful element for him is the newness of high school.

“It is the fear of the unknown,” he said. Most freshmen do not know what they are getting into, causing them to see finals as one of the most daunting elements of their new school. This newness is an element of stress unique to the freshmen class.

Natalie Nichols is one of many juniors experiencing stress from AP classes for the first time. The extra homework and challenging concepts weigh down on students creating a new level of stress.

One of the first things that gets compromised when students have too much on their plate is sleep. When

"It almost makes you wonder if it was actually worth it"

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December 2016 - Issue 5

extracurricular activities and homework take up too much time after school, sleep is usually the first to take a hit. According to a study conducted by the American Sleep Association, 45 percent of public and private school students receive inadequate sleep on school nights.

45%

of students receive inadequate sleep on school nights

“There were nights where I would go to bed at midnight and set my alarm for 4:00 a.m. just because I had so much work. Once when I pulled an allnighter, I had an anatomy test first hour and I ended up being totally brain dead for it,” said Nichols.

When stressful situations cause students to get less sleep, they are less efficient the next day. If a student is tired and slower to learn and understand, they usually fall behind, generating more stress.

Despite its negative connotations, not everyone sees stress as a bad thing. Natalie Nichols’ brother, Senior Nathan Nichols attributes his success to stress.

“Personally, I like being stressed...it is where all my motivation [comes] from,” Nathan said. Stress has been relevant since the stone age when it pressured humans to choose fight or flight. In Nathan’s case, he chooses to fight. He stood his ground and worked hard, succeeding in his challenging AP classes. Though stress does put a burden on the high school experiences, it can also be used as a tool for success.

The best thing for students is a balance. High school is a balancing act; students attempt to balance homework, extra curricular activities, sleep, and their social lives. Even after graduation, students will find that their stressors may change, but the stress itself will remain constant. Stress is the tension that keeps the tightrope walkable.

-eliseLINDEMANN

on scale of ten

Reported stress level

8

ways to reduce

3.5

4.3

Matures Boomers

5.8

6.0

1 Eat Healthy

3 Meditate X-ers

Millenials

Millenials , ages 18-33, have the highest

reported levels of stress. apa.org

stress

5 Get a Pet 7 Music

2 Exercise

4 Take Breaks 6 Sleep

8 Laugh

everydayhealth.com

Stress effects on the Body Stomach ache: The increased level of hormones in the bloodstream can cause acid reflux or heartburn. Stress hormones can also cause existing ulcers to flare up. The way food travels is affected and can cause vomiting or a stomachache.

Pounding heart:

During a stress reaction, the body tries to distribute oxygen to the cells as quickly as possible, causing an increased heart rate.

Aching back: During a stress reaction, muscles contract to prevent injury, then the muscles release during relaxation. A person under constant stress doesn’t give the body the proper time to let the muscles relax causing strains and aches.

High blood pressure: Stress hormones released into the blood cause blood vessels to constrict. Constriction of blood vessel causes high blood pressure and allows oxygen to travel to the brain and heart faster.

Headache: The fight or flight instinct takes control of the brain when put under stress. The hormones the brain releases can cause a headache, even after the stressor is gone.

Trouble sleeping: The fight-or-flight instinct releases hormones into the bloodstream. Adrenaline and cortisol are hormones responsible for lack of sleep.

healthline.com

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Let it snow!

The weather outside is frightful, but snow days are so delightful Many students dream of having snow days. With Kansas weather, it is quite unpredictable if there will be days off due to weather.

There are many superstitions when it comes to having snow days. Some people believe that if you put water on your driveway or street overnight, it will freeze. Also people believe if you put a spoon under your pillow at night, you will have a snow day. Another typical superstition is flushing an ice cube down your toilet will result in having a snow day. Wearing your pajamas inside out while doing a snow dance in your front yard and eating ice cream for dinner are also common superstitions. Some people believe in throwing an ice cube out the window or yelling “SNOW DAY� into the freezer.

People also think wearing a colored sock on your left foot, but not your right will bring a snow day. People come up with different ways to make a snow day happen.

A main concern for most schools when it is snowing is problems with the school buses. Most buses have diesel engines and if it is cold enough, the fuel in them can turn gel-like. Also, buses must drive slower over the ice, which can result in late buses and students being late to class.

Predicted weather patterns for this winter from AccuWeather.com.

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In order for Andover High School to declare a snow day, the decision must be made before 6 a.m. that morning. In many cases, the decision will be made the night before.

Superintendent Greg Rasmussen is the one who calls snow days.

Many students post to the Andover Public Schools Twitter account or the Andover superintendent’s, trying to persuade them to call a snow day. Although tweeting the superintendent does not persuade him, the tweets are still funny to read.

The rumor that all snow days will have to be made up is not always true. Each state has a snow day limit and as long as they do not go over it, schools will not have to make up snow days.

A study in 2015 found that more than 800 people die each year in the U.S. due to driving on snowy or frozen streets. Frozen rain, sleet and snow make roads more dangerous for all drivers.

In the 2015-2016 school year, Andover High School never had an official snow day. This is completely different than the winter of 2011. A major blizzard hit Wichita and Andover on January 31 through February 1, 2011. Snowfall up to 18 inches was recorded during this blizzard. Schools were cancelled in most parts of Kansas, Oklahoma and even Texas.

In February 2013, around 14.2 inches of snow covered Wichita and Andover. Many roads and highways were shut down due to the amount of snowfall.

Although almost all students enjoy snow days, they can be hectic for parents. Most parents will still have to work even when their children do not have school. This creates a problem with younger students that cannot stay home alone.

Overall, the Andover High students are hoping for a snow day this year.

-ashleySHANDY

Snow Day Superstitions ' Y A D W O N S ' g n i l "..yel ..” . r e z e e r f into the

“Wear

ing yo u inside r pajamas out...”

ur o y r e d n u n o o “...put a sp ...” t h ig n t a w o l pil Images from Petapixel.com December 2016 - Issue 5

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Selin Ergul Eid

Happy Holidays

“I celebrate Eid which is a holiday in the Muslim religion celebrated 11 days earlier, for three days each year. It’s celebrated the day after a full month of fasting to be closer to God and learn self obedience. We visit each other’s homes, bringing food such as baklava, gyros, Turkish pizza and more. People dress up in nice outfits like dresses and skirts. Family and friends visit for most the day until it’s time to go home. One of my favorite traditions is when the children go up to adults and say Happy Eid, the adults will pass out money as a gift. I usually collect around $50$60 a day.”

Students celebrate diverse holidays during the season Every year, the winter brings a month filled with holiday celebrations and various family traditions that have been passed down through the generations. It is a time for family and friends to come together to make memories and enjoy each other’s company. Here at Andover High School, students celebrate the holidays in different ways, partaking in unique traditions.

-annaliseMATHENY & hannahBRUMFIELD

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Lukas Andersen Christmas in Denmark

“In Denmark on Christmas, we have a tradition where your mom cooks rice pudding, puts a nut in it, then mixes it around. Next, she’ll pour it out into separate bowls to serve to everyone in the family. We have a gift for whoever gets the nut in their bowl. It’s usually a movie theatre ticket or it can be a bigger gift. It’s especially what all the little kids love doing at Christmas.”

Annie Hiesterman Hanukkah

“The first night of Hanukkah, I go to temple and the second night I go to temple. It’s fun, I get eight presents.

Traditionally you’ll have a really nice dinner every night and there’s a lot of traditional food like latkes. You have the Menorah where you light a candle each night for every day of Hanukkah.

The reason we celebrate is because when there were Jews hiding from escaping concentration camps, they had a little bit of oil and a potato so they tried to make a candle out of it. The oil was only really supposed to last for one night because there wasn’t a lot but it burned for eight days.

So that’s why we celebrate the eight days of Hanukkah. Like most holidays it’s just important to be with your family.”

“I grew up in a ‘Christian-Buddhist’ kind of family. For Christmas we celebrate my dad’s birthday instead because he’s born on Christmas. So, instead of doing Christmas presents we do Christmas gifts for my dad and then the rest of the family gets new year’s presents. We don’t usually get Christmas presents we call them new year’s presents because it’s a part of your religion. And we usually go to the Buddhist temple and celebrate my birthday and everyone else’s birthday too. We just get together as a family, of course and eat dinner. We still go and celebrate with my dad’s side of the family because they’re all Christian and my side of the family is all Buddhist. So it’s just kind of a mixed cultural thing instead of one day dedicated for Christmas.”

Fhai Snook Inter-Faith

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DJI Mavic Pro Drone $999.95 Able to shoot true 4K video and Full HD slow motion, the DJI Mavic Pro camera drone is a powerful personal aircraft you can keep by your side and quickly launch to capture any moment. Just fold it up, drop it into your backpack or purse, and go. Flying it is just as easy—use the included controller or the app on your iPhone or iPad.

Kylie jenner lip kit $30 Kylie Lip Kits have been a huge success and are a popular gift for any lipstick lover. Although they are on the expensive side of a lip product, users find the long lasting formula is worth it. Due to the success of the lip kits, Kylie has now expanded her cosmetics line.

patagonia sweater vest $99 It’s impossible to go wrong with the Patagonia Better Sweater Fleece Vest. The lightweight slip-on vest is a must have for the upcoming cold weather. You may see a few of these vests on a student strolling around the halls of Andover High School.

The vest is made of knitted, heathered polyester fleece dyed with a low-impact process that can make all the difference in being toasty warm and bitter cold throughout the day. Although the vest is priced at $99, many students feel that it is worth every penny.

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Bath & body works candle $22.50 Who doesn’t love a nicelyscented candle? In addition to the wide range of popular candles, Bath and Body Works offers a variety of holiday-themed scents. Many times they offer special deals so you can buy one for you and one for a friend!

MACBOOK PRO WITH TOUCH BAR $1,799 It’s faster and more powerful than before, yet remarkably thinner and lighter. It has the brightest, most colorful Mac notebook display ever. And it introduces the Touch Bar — a Multi-Touch enabled strip of glass built into the keyboard for instant access to the tools you want, right when you want them.

Kendra Scott Necklace $50 A glittering stone sparkles at the center of a mesmerizing, versatile pendant necklace.

Pick your perfect stone, and in minutes you have a personalized piece to give as a gift or to keep for yourself!

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Festive Foods

Do-it-yourself holiday treats

White Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels Begin by laying out your parchment paper.

Place crushed candy canes in a bowl and set aside.

Pretzel rods Vanilla candy coating Crushed candy canes Parchment paper

Begin by breaking up your candy coating into cubes and placing in a pot on LOW heat. Melt while stirring with a rubber spatula constantly. Melt until there are no more chunks.

Pour candy coating into a skinny and tall cup/jar.

Dip pretzel rods into the candy coating and place on parchment paper.

Sprinkle with candy cane pieces and/or sprinkles and let set.

Grinch hot chocolate Stir together milk, vanilla, food coloring and 4 cups of milk of your choice 2 tsp. vanilla extract mint chocolate in a medium saucepan.

8 oz. mint chocolate chips 2 drops of green food Cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, coloring until the white hot chocolate comes to a Whipped cream simmer and melts. Do not let it boil.

Once done, pour into a festive mug and top it off with whipped cream.

Reindeer Rice krispies Melt your chocolate following the instructions Rice Krispies Treats on the package and then spoon it into a Candy eyeballs plastic bag. Cut a small hole in the corner of Red M&M’s your bag and begin to make the antlers.

Dark cocoa candy melts Use a small dot of chocolate under the candy eyes and m&m nose to attach them to the Rice Krispies Treat.

Photos by Julia Schneider

Sources: thirtyhandmadedays.com, thethriftycouple.com, lilluna.com

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MUSICians Junior Kale Rishel leads his youth worship band at Hope Community Church and is one of many musically talented students at Andover. With lots of practice and experience from a young age, he hopes to possibly include music in his future. He also has an impact on his community and church with his music.

How old were you when you got into music?

I began playing guitar freshman year.

What instruments do you play?

I play acoustic guitar, electric guitar, ukulele and a little of piano.

Do you plan to include music in your future job (or major)?

As of right now I would like to include music in my future job, but I’m still looking at choices and trying to decide.

How much time do you spend on music outside of school?

I spend about two to three hours a day.

What started your passion for music?

I think it was just time that gave me a passion for music. I began to fall in love with it more and more as I continued to get further into it.

What are two interesting facts about yourself?

I am named after a vegetable and I have played seven different sports throughout my life.

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SPOTLIGHT Zach Lorenson has been teaching for over a decade. Not only is he a helpful leader for the band department, but he also participates in music outside of school. With a major in music, his experience is one that has a positive impact on the students of Andover High.

How old were you when you got into music?

My first instrument was cello, which I started playing in 4th grade.

What instruments do you play?

I play all of the band and orchestra instruments a bit. My primary instrument is the bass.

How long have you been teaching band?

This is my 12th year teaching band.

How much time on band do you spend outside of school?

It depends on the week. The band teachers stay very busy with concerts, trips, parades, athletic bands, honor bands, etc.

Do you participate in music outside of teaching?

I play bass in my church orchestra and I play in a band.

What started your passion for music?

I have always loved music, but the person who made me want to become a music teacher was my high school band director.

What are two interesting facts about yourself?

I have a pet hedgehog named Henry.

I love to read.

-graceBALL

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old school, new uniforms

1990-1995

1995-2000

2000-2005

2005-2011

With a lot of changes happening this year at Andover High School, why not add a little more to the mix? The school district has always been open to new opportunities and had their eyes open for uniform options the past few years. A new Adidas deal has been made in place of the previous contract with Russell for Andover district athletic programs.

“Stuff like this has always been available, we were just seeing if there were better opportunities if we combined the middle schools and high schools,” said athletic director Brent Riedy.

The new contract is for both Andover and Andover Central, including the middle schools. Adidas was chosen because it allowed them to put both schools in the same deal.

Each sports team will receive new uniforms if their contracts with their current uniforms are up and Adidas offers that type of uniform.

The boys basketball contract had the team scheduled for new uniforms for the 2016-17 season which is why they were able to be the first team with the new Adidas jerseys.

“I’m excited about the new jerseys because ‘look good, play good.’ Also the new red accents on the jerseys give us much more options when looking at getting matching shoes,” said senior Nathan Hammar.

“The uniforms are very breathable and give you a lot of freedom to move around.

The material they’re made out of lets you put them in your locker without them getting wrinkled,” said senior Jacob Herrs.

Another big reason for signing a new contract was to allow the middle school to have the same resources as the high school.

“We were looking for a company that could provide middle school uniforms at a price they could make work,” said Riedy.

The contract is scheduled to be in place for the next five years unless the school board decides to extend the deal.

-benSMITH

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Siblings take the court Andover siblings share the spotlight In most cases, a sports team considers itself a family.

Players spend every day putting countless amounts of hours toward a collective goal. It is not too often that two people actually get to share that bond on another level. For the first time ever as Trojans, Ben and Nick Kellerman will both be playing on the same basketball court this year. The brothers have been playing basketball for as long as they can remember.

Although this is the first time playing together for Andover, they are used to sharing the court with each other.

“We’ve played together in a fall league before. We were the dynamic duo,” said Ben. Ben and Nick have been looking forward to playing with each other since they started their summer workouts for the team.

“It will be cool to practice together and be on the same team for the first time,” said Nick.

Being on the same team as your little brother can be tough at times, but Nick knows the opportunity he has this year to be a mentor to Ben. “I try and give him tips but not be mean about it. He’s not too hard on me, but he helps me out when he can,” said Nick.

“He has always been like another coach for me,” said Ben. Their playing styles compliment one another. Nick is a low post presence who knows how to finish around the rim. Ben, on the other hand, is more of a guard that can hit shots well behind the three-point line.

“My first option is always looking in the post for him and then getting ready for him to kick it back out,” said Ben. Watch

out for a lot of Nick-to-Ben assists this season.

In women’s basketball, the Wekamp sisters are also playing on the high school team for the first time together.

Sydney and Lyndsey are looking forward to the opportunity of playing on the same floor this year.

Like the Kellerman brothers, Sydney and Lyndsey are no strangers to playing on the same team. “We’ve played in multiple leagues together and when we were younger we played rec together,” said Sydney.

Team chemistry is one of the most important things you can have on the basketball court. With the experiences the sisters have had together, they expect to see things clicking early in the season.

“We have a connection, so I feel like that will help us on the court,” said Sydney.

With Sydney being a sophomore and Lyndsey a freshman, they are going to have multiple seasons to strengthen their connection on the court.

“We make each other better,” said Lyndsey.

Some people might think that the two sisters will give special treatment to each other, but that’s not going to be the case. “I like to treat her the same because, I mean, we are still teammates,” said Sydney.

Neither sister is shy about the excitement to play on the same court with each other, and they are looking forward to the opportunity they have.

“I’m excited to play with her because she is a good player and it is fun,” said Lyndsey. The Wekamp sisters are ready to take this season by storm together.

-benSMITH

December 2016 - Issue 5

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Baking up holiday FUn

Five AHS students participate in the first Bluestreak cookie decorating contest

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Winner: Brooke mcdonough, 9

AUndrea Reynolds, 11

Dawson wagner, 12

Hannah Russell, 12

Cooper anderson, 10

Senior Dawson Wagner carefully touches up his cookie designs during the Bluestreak cookie decorating contest on Nov. 22. This is the first competition of its kind the Bluestreak has held.

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December 2016 - Issue 5

Freshman Brooke McDonough fills in her polar bear cookie during the contest. McDonough won the competition when her cookies received the most votes via Twitter.

Photos by Elise Lindemann

The Bluestreak wishes you a happy holiday season!

December 2016 - Issue 5

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