The Tiger Print — January 2011

the

print TIGER BLUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Vol. 41 Issue 6

January 2011

Stilwell, KS

Student leaders work to promote cultural acceptance pages 12-13

inside ‘Get back in the kitchen’

The ultimate Girl Scout

That band totally sold out

page 7

page 16

page 21

Women jokes become normal teenage conversation

Experienced scout mentors her own group of Daisies

Hipsters avoid mainstream music, fashion, reject modern trends

inthenews

in the halls...

4-Speaker debate team finishes 2nd at state

1. Literary magazine staff honored with 1st place award The 2010 Headrush staff received first place and won Best Design for Art Pages in the American Scholastic Press Association’s [ASPA] annual magazine competition. According to ASPA.com, the contest was designed to give schools the chance to review the quality of their publications and how they present themselves to their readers. “It’s a great honor to get this award,” Headrush sponsor Keil Pittman said. “But it just highlights the work our staff put in. They are really good at putting Headrush together and I’m glad they were able to be recognized in a national competition.” This year’s Headrush magazine is currently in production, and distribution is scheduled for after Spring Break. “I can’t wait for the school to see the final product,” Pittman said. “It’s a great magazine and I’m excited for the staff to get to share it with the community.” By Stephen Karst.

2. Colleges scheduled to visit The following colleges will visit BV during January and February. Missouri Southern State University — Jan. 31 Fort Hays State University — Feb. 2 Kansas State University — Feb. 8 Emporia State University — Feb. 16 Oklahoma Baptist University — Feb. 16

Senior Allen Xu studies a solvency card during his cross examination at the 5A State Debate Tournament on Jan. 14. Xu and his partner, senior Samantha Nichols, went undefeated as the Negative team, winning BV a second place title for Four-Speaker debate. “The debate gods weren’t with us this time,” Xu said. Photo by Evelyn Davis.

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speaker teams only debate one side. The four-speaker state team finished with a 10-4 record. Negative team seniors Samantha Nichols and Allen Xu ended with a 7-0 record, while the affirmative pairs of seniors Raven Brower and Bo Ament and junior Sam Nicol and sophomore David Cline finished with a 3-4 record. The debaters argued the topic of whether or not the United States federal government should substantially reduce its military and/or police presence in one or more of the following countries: South Korea, Japan, Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq or Turkey. This is the same topic they debated over the course of the season. Debate rounds are critiqued by a panel of three judges and teams must win two of the judges’ ballots to win that round.

Senior Ryan Jaspal, who placed fifth in two-speaker with junior Danny Theisen, said he felt unsatisfied with BV’s overall scoring, but enjoyed competing at state. “When our success depends upon it, that is, when you feel the thrill of competition and your just on the edge,” he said. Though the season did not end exactly as she hoped, Nichols said she is extremely proud of the debate team this year. “We had a very dominant season,” she said. “We were beating teams like West and North, and Allen and I dominated Southwest.” Riffer said his team put in excessive amounts of preparation time leading up to state to compete at the highest level. “Hours and hours,” he said. “Just to get ready for the state tournament, debaters probably put in 15 to 20 hours a week for a month leading up to it.”

Feb. 12

The four-speaker debate team placed second at the 5A State Championship tournament at Blue Valley North on Jan. 14 and 15, while the two-speaker teams placed fourth overall. Blue Valley Southwest took first overall. At the state tournament, BV debaters finished with an overall record of 30-13, which coach Chris Riffer said he is proud of, despite not walking away with a state title. “At the state level, if you win 30 rounds as a squad you obviously have a lot of teams and a lot of teams being successful,” he said. Four-speaker teams compete as affirmative and negative duos, while two-

Feb. 17/18

Repertory theater group attends informative state conference

To sign up for any of these visits, see counseling secretary Cindy Snell in the office. By Odi Opole.

this month... Feb 9/10

Parent Teacher Conferences 4-7:30 p.m.

Feb. 11 No School

Sweetheart Dance Beauty and the Beast musical 7 p.m.

Feb. 19

Beauty and the Beast musical 2:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.

on the cover... After racial comments from fans at a boys basketball game in December, Principal Scott Bacon leads school in promoting cultural acceptance. The diversity assembly is scheduled for Feb. 3 during Tiger Time. Cover illustration by Tiger Print photography staff.

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jordanhuesers features editor A group of repertory theater members traveled to Wichita for the State Thespian Conference on Jan. 20-22. They attended sessions led by professionals, covering topics like preparing a monologue and play writing. “One of the classes called ‘Actor as Storyteller,’ led by Bruce Miller from the University of Miami, was so brilliant,” junior Alex Petersen said. “It focused on objective — what your character wants. He taught us that a lot relies on objective. He basically pounded it into our heads.”

Thespian troupes from across the state attended this event. “I met all different people from different schools,” Petersen said. “I also got to see people I knew that I hadn’t seen in awhile.” The repertory members watched four performances presented by the schools who qualified for state. “We were able to look at the people who made it to state and the way they performed,” Petersen said. “We could see what worked and didn’t work and what we need to improve upon.” Junior Jake Miller said he learned many new acting techniques to apply to his performances. “It was good to see the different ways people carried out the shows, with the different sets and such,” Miller said. “We got to see a lot of people who are really good.”

inthenews

Students compete at technology event, win multiple awards odiopole staff writer On Thursday, Jan. 13, 17 members of the BV Engineering Club went to Johnson County Community College’s firstannual Competitive Technology Event. The event hosted students from Johnson, Miami and Douglas County high schools and offered 27 events for competition. Event coordinator Damon Feuerborn said he had the idea for the event after attending similar ones in the past. “While I was [teaching] at Olathe, they did a similar event,” he said. “Then while I was at Blue Valley, they did one too. So when I became a professor here [JCCC], I decided it was a good option and a good event to have.” The JCCC Competitive Technology Event offered a variety of contests. Events like Dragster Design and Transportation Modeling were centered around cars, while other categories included fashion design and tower-building. Feuerborn said he used his high school teaching experience to brainstorm events. “Just by looking at things from my time in high school, and working with other teachers, we went through the possible events and found our 27 to start with,” he said. He said they also considered demographics when planning categories. “In the technological fields, females are kind of a minority,” Feuerborn said. “The fashion event was an effort to

bring in some more girls. There was a male team too, which I thought was pretty good.” Of the 17 BV students who attended the event, 12 placed in at least one event. Blue Valley students placed first, second, third and fifth in the Dragster Design event. The team of sophomores Nathaniel Dorr and Cordell Frazer placed first in the Structural Analysis event, in which competitors had to build a strong tower. The freshman team of Eamon Mankle and Michael Thompson won second place in the Problem Solving Challenge. While all events were judged using a 100-point rubric, different events were analyzed using different criteria. Judging a competitor for a presentation-based event such as Music Production was focused more on subjective criteria, while events like Dragster Design were all about the numbers. For example, in the Structural Analysis event, pressure was applied to the top of small wooden towers, and the structures were judged based on how much pressure they could take. “Whichever [tower] smashes last, wins,” event judge Glen Davis said. Mankle said the freedom to determine their events contributed to their success as a team. “Each person got to choose what they wanted to do, unlike most schools,” he said. “For the competitions we were in, we dominated them and got first or second.”

Rackin’ up awards The Engineering Club placed 1st, 2nd and 3rd in 8 different categories:

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st

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Transportation challenge: sophomore Nathaniel Dorr Structural engineering: sophomores Cordell Frazer and Nathaniel Dorr Dragster design: freshman Josh Krestine

presentation: sophomore nd Prepared Nathaniel Dorr

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rdrd

Music production: senior Luke Dickerson Problem solving: freshmen Famon Mankle and Michael Thompson Dragster design: freshman Brad Rowland Transportation challenge: junior Ron Bellows CAD 3-D engineering: junior Danny Wheeler Dragster design: freshman Jake Ackland

JANUARY 2011 0 3

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outloud

The Tiger Print editor-in-chief Caitlin Holland

web photo editor Conor Storm

managing editor Sara Naatz

ads manager Sam Brennan

news/web editor Annie Matheis

circulations Courtney Woodworth

opinion editor Jacob Pruitt features editor Jordan Huesers

photographers Maria Fournier Juliana Himmel Olivia Roudebush

sports editor Clay Cosby copy editor Emily Brown design editor Jordan McEntee Cartoon by Evelyn Davis.

$10 Tuesdays, iPod giveaways should be appreciated staff editorial 16

agreed

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disagreed

The BV administration gives away $10 every Tuesday and brand new iPod Touches once a month for students to enjoy. These rewards don’t just fall out of the sky and walk into the office five times a month. Anonymous donors supplied us with $1,972 worth of merchandise this year alone. BV students often take these rewards for granted. Keep in mind, this is during the worst recession America has seen since the Great Depression. Meanwhile, schools across the country are having their art departments and sports programs shut down. In California, teachers are forced to take

three days off each year without pay, because the state can’t afford to pay their whole salary. Businesses in our area supply us with these benefits — we shouldn’t forget that. We as students are being rewarded for what we are already supposed to do. Cherish it. This kind of thing doesn’t happen anywhere else. But we also shouldn’t expect this to continue if we don’t appreciate or acknowledge what the administration is doing for us. Ever wonder why it is mostly underclassmen who win these things? It is because they are the only people meeting the criteria. The money and iPods are given out to a name drawn at random, as long as that student meets the requirements. The criteria broadly being ‘be respectful’ and ‘be responsible.’ If you don’t skip school, aren’t late, turn in your assignments and don’t have any referrals, you are eligible to win either prize. Somewhere along the way, the upper-

raise your voice

freshman Nate Helder They help, because they inspire students to do better.

classmen stopped meeting those easy goals. It’s not as if we are bad students. More than one thousand Tiger Tokens were awarded last semester. Clearly, our teachers like us. We know how to act responsibly and respectably. So why can’t we do everything that is asked of us, when we know we could get easy money or a free iPod? At the end of last semester, we had the fewest D’s, F’s and discipline referrals in BV history. That’s not enough. With all the second chances to make up tests or turn in assignments, grading curves, teachers going out of their way to help you understand a subject and being paid to do your work, that isn’t enough. There should not be a few D’s and F’s. There should not be any at all. Just do what you are supposed to — you’ll be rewarded with good grades and maybe an extra $10 or iPod.

staff writers Kelly Cordingley Stephen Karst Odi Opole

cartoonist Evelyn Davis

photo editor Maegan Kabel adviser Jill Chittum The Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Unified School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, e-mailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085 phone: 913-239-4800 Pacemaker finalist, 2009 and 2010 Member, Kansas Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association

How do rewards given to students who do their work make you feel?

sophomore Bailey Outlaw They’re nice motivation for students to do well in class and other aspects of school.

junior Haley Schroer I think that they are a good way to get students to work hard.

senior Patrick Lewis I think it’s good that they are rewarding us, but it’s stuff that we should be doing anyways.

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outloud

Drastic Measures

Tunisia

Tunisian protest draws international attention

all.

As I walk down the halls of our school, I hear the occasional comment about our government. Not once has it been anything but negative. We fret about the inequality and unfairness of it

All those big guys in the White House seem to be out to get us, the little people. Everyone is always complaining. But was there ever a time you really had to fight for anything? Was there ever a time in your life when you wanted change in your government so badly that you would set yourself on fire to bring attention to your cause? I highly doubt any of us have felt that sort of desperation. Unfortunately, not everyone is as lucky. Tunisia, a country in the northern part of Africa, has been chaotic since dozens of riots erupted across the nation. This craziness was sparked by a young food vendor, Mohamed Bouazizi, whose very living was taken away when the police confiscated his cart. In protest, he set himself on fire to condemn job shortages and low wages. What happened next is nothing short of a youth revolution. As news of this act spread across the web, the people of

Algeria

Tunisia, especially the younger generation, started to stand up against their extravagant dictator, President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ruler for 23 years. They accused him of growing rich while the poor grew poorer. He denied people freedom of press and was accused of rigging numerous elections. Independent international human rights groups like Amnesty International and Freedom House criticized Ben Ali’s government officials for restricting political rights. As the unrest grew, the Tunisian military started to shoot into the crowds of rioters. Members of the legislation (and parts of the military) decided that change was necessary before the death toll grew any higher. Before fleeing the country, Ben Ali handed over power to Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi. Ghannouchi took control of his self-described “temporary” government but lost his position when the country’s constitutional court declared the transfer of power unconstitutional. One man’s act tore apart an entire authoritarian and undemocratic Arab regime. And now the implications of Tunisia’s ousted leader are spreading across the world. Demonstrators in Egypt, Mauritania and Algeria set themselves on fire to replicate the occurrence in Tunisia. Just as the food vendor was tired of injustice, young Middle Easterners are growing sick of their autocratic governments.

Something we could never fully understand. I can’t help but wonder if anyone in this school would ever go as far as setting themselves on fire to make a point. Would you ever dare to die to change your government? I would guess not. Here, it isn’t necessary to die or seriously injure ourselves to be heard. But whether you answer is yes or no, keep in mind how very fortunate we are. The next time you start whining about our democratic government, think about all the people in the world fighting for their rights. Think about the courage it takes. Most of all, be thankful that our country isn’t immersed in turmoil and we don’t have to fight to be heard.

Check out Emily’s political blogs at bvtigernews.com Read about... Pakistan’s struggle the threat of North Korea the Wikileaks scandal the importance of the flag If you want to read a condensed version of international news and politics, head to the opinion tab on our website.

Strong districts should reach out to assist struggling schools across nation On the day we got back from winter break, we all went to a class meeting. We heard the pep talk about how we are working towards being the best school in the country. Most kids either seemed excited or were busy chatting with friends. I was sitting, smoldering in my chair. Over winter break, I went to St. Louis to visit close family friends for the new year. While at Steak ‘n Shake, my friend and I got into a conversation about school. Talk about a reality check. He told me his textbooks were only in classroom sets. Not many of their computers worked. Most were missing so many keys it was difficult to do anything. On top of these academic challenges, my friend started a fight and ended up breaking his hand.

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The fight was triggered by incessant teasing about a hand deformity he’s had since birth. Things aren’t this way at BV. If he went here, that bullying would have been put to a stop, if it existed at all. The golden ghetto. The JoCo bubble. Call it what you will, it exists. My question to BV is this: Why not spend time trying to help improve other schools instead of just localizing positive progress? The education system could majorly benefit from successful principals getting together and sharing their tactics with leaders of struggling schools. Granted, communities and funds play a huge part in how a school develops. But in order to change the attitudes of communities, the future parents have to care. Those future parents are the current students. It is a constant cycle. I hear my parents talk about their schools growing up, and they were nothing like BV.

Their desire for their children to have the best is what caused them to move here. If students were put in a safe, fun environment then maybe they would care about education. It’s sad there is a growing gap between schools. Soon there will be no middle ground, just the best and the worst. It is up to the best schools to help struggling schools improve education everywhere. Someday we will all be thrown in with kids from other places — kids with varying backgrounds. It is only then we will realize how fortunate we were. But by then, it’s too late to do anything about it. What if a student got the opportunity to visit a better school for a day? If you pick the right student, it could be the open door to start improvement for a school. We are one of the wealthiest counties in the country. With that also comes a well-off commu-

nity in which to grow. Why, then, are we keeping all of this to ourselves so we can be extravagantly ahead? Those other schools’ kids deserve the same opportunities we enjoy here in the Blue Valley district. We can excel as an individual and leave others behind, or we can spread what we have so we can meet the requirements as a whole. Instead of being the best in the country, maybe we should strive to help our country be one of the best.

Check out Maegan’s lifestyle blogs at bvtigernews.com Read about... healthy eating AP classes cancer awareness gay rights If you want to read more of her lifestyle blogs, head to the opinion tab on our website.

outloud

e t a b e d r e d n e g t a e r g e th become s e k jo n e m o e as w 2 sides emerg llways a h in n io t a s r onve mainstream c the guys: Katy Johnson, Miss Vermont, 1999. To every girl who is sick of being told to get back in the kitchen, you can thank her. Right after you make me a sandwich. Tucker Max, creator of TuckerMax.com, posted a story about a relationship with Johnson on his website, specifically mentioning Johnson’s promiscuity, drunken embarrassments and how immature and idiotic she was during the course of their relationship. Johnson sued Max for invading her privacy. Initially, Max was forced to take the story down. However, the American Civil Liberties Union got involved and eventually the ruling was overturned. Not only did this allow Max to keep the story up on his incredibly inappropriate website, but it also propelled him to internet fame, allowed him to publish two books filled with all sorts of hilarious debauchery and produce a movie based on one of his novels. And so, the literary genre known as ‘fratire’ was born. If you haven’t heard of it, I’m willing to bet every guy out there has used it at some point. Tell a girl to get back in the kitchen, to only speak when spoken to or that a hilarious joke is women’s rights. That is fratire. Some women out there might take offense to fratire. They probably don’t realize that fratire is a simple combination of the words ‘fraternity’ and ‘satire.’ Satire is the key word there. That’s right, ladies. It’s all a joke. Just like when I ask ‘how many feminists does it take it change a light bulb’ (trick question, feminists can’t change anything), it is meant to get a laugh or to lighten the mood. If you’re offended, you don’t have a reason to be. It’s not like you have personally marched for the feminist cause. That’s a whole different story. I have nothing but respect for the original feminists who fought for their right to vote and the second-wave of feminists who fought for equal rights under the law. But for the current wave of feminists? Their only cause is to show that they aren’t all ‘sisters.’ Our generation shouldn’t be offended at casual, offhanded jokes because they have been told they should be offended. They simply haven’t had to go through the same trials and tribulations women of past generations have. That is why I maintain fratire is the greatest thing to happen to this generation since the invention of the Snuggie. It shows us that we shouldn’t be sorry for what earlier

generations of men did to women. We haven’t kept them from the rights they deserve, which is why I never feel bad telling a woman that I’m hungry, and it is her job to fix that. Students today have grown up in a period of time where no one is legally oppressed. Everyone is on an equal footing now. So calm down, take a deep breath and realize you have nothing to worry about. Everything you might consider fighting for has already been taken care of by earlier generations. Relax and learn how to take a joke.

the girls: Want to hear a joke? Women’s rights. Everyone has heard it before — the playful wisecrack, the joking “Get back into the kitchen,” the laughter that always follows poking fun at women’s rights. Why is it funny? It’s not. Women’s rights jokes are disrespectful to the past, present and to those around you. Before you judge me as one of those crazy feminists and stop reading because you assume I’m uptight, wait just a second. While in your mind it might be harmless humor, it’s important to understand how the humor affects those around you. Looking back at the history of America, and even the world, there are thousands of cases of women spending their entire lives struggling for what they deserve — equality. Think of all the women who have fought for not only women’s suffrage, but also the bigger picture. A world without Marie Curie, Mother Teresa, Rosa Parks and Oprah Winfrey would certainly be a world worse off. The present also displays the flawed comedy in women jokes. Many countries didn’t grant women the right to vote until the 21st Century. There are still nations in our so-called progressive world that do not extend rights to women, such as Saudi Arabia. The women’s rights situation is especially dire in Iran. In 2008, four women’s rights activists were convicted of spreading propaganda against Iran’s Islamic system after convincing the government not to pass a bill that would make polygamy easier for men to practice. These four women were the leaders of the One Million Signature campaign, which sought to gather the signatures

Tiger Print cartoonist Evelyn Davis’ great grandmother, Blanch Ames, drew this illustration published on Nov. 20, 1915 in the Boston Transcript. The drawing, entitled ‘The Next Rung’ features a woman climbing through a layer of injustice to reach progress. Illustration submitted by Evelyn Davis.

of Iranians in support for equal women rights. It’s just so funny that women are being arrested for trying to exercise rights that belong only to men. Except not really. In reality, it’s a tragedy that the ‘hilarious’ women jokes are only perpetuating. Then, there are the females around you. The ones who you probably assume don’t really care, because the women’s rights movement was so long ago, and everyone knows that you are “just kidding.” Heads up, American women gained the right to vote less than 100 years ago. Pretty recent. It might be surprising, but some girls actually find these jokes insulting. When a girl is working so hard, it’s frustrating to hear that she should be hanging in the kitchen instead of hanging in the gym, getting men food instead of getting good grades and making sandwiches instead of making art. But if you still aren’t convinced, that’s your decision. Laugh off my column, maybe tell a kitchen joke for good measure. Maybe you could go the extra mile and tell your mom to quit her job. You don’t really need her to provide for you — you need her to get back where she belongs: making sandwiches. And, by all means, in 20 years when you daughter tells you she wants to be a doctor when she grows up, let her know it’s not going to happen — because “she belongs in the kitchen.”

JANUARY 2011 0 7

outloud

e r o f e b ll a it n e e s e Skins? We’v

My friends and I watched the premiere of MT V’s new show Skins on Monday, Jan. 17. and actually enjoyed it. The show, a highly controversial portrayal of modern teen-life, is a recre-

has a crazy story involving some sort of car crash. And if you don’t know someone personally who has done any of those things, you’ve seen it on TV or in a movie before. The “racy” content on Skins isn’t anything new, and that’s the most shocking part. I was shocked that after the show ended I wasn’t shocked. The truly concerning part of the Skins experience was realizing that writers who spend all of their time trying to come up with mind-blowing teenage drama can’t compete with reality shows or real life. It’s time for TV programs to stop running on pure shock value, because honestly, nothing shocks us anymore. What actually would come of ce ten All of that in one sen across as new and innovative is ation of the very popular British as nd sou it kes ma ly bab pro text a show with substance — one show of the same name. mpro its to up d live if the show with characters dealing with Before watching, I expected ise. problems we can relate to. Skins to be all it was hyped up to ly. real But Skins has the potential to be be — racy and controversial. like nds sou t tha of ch How mu that show. The characters seem The first episode, entitled of rd hea en’t hav something you to have interesting backgrounds “Tony” after the ringleader of the before? and traits that could be develSkins group, featured a character has who e eon som w kno You oped over the season. (Stanley) trying to lose his virginw kno ly bab pro had sex. You We want to get to know them, ity, the purchase of four ounces or gs dru d someone who has use experience their daily ups and of weed, a stolen car crashed You l. wel as ore bef hol alco nk dra downs — not just watch them into a lake and a drug overdose. who e eon som w kno may even party their lives away.

s r e t c a r a h c e h t t e Me name: Tony Good-looking, talented, natural leader of the group

name: Tea Openly gay, struggling to determine who she really is

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name: Michelle In a relationship with Tony, knows Stanley likes her

name: Daisy Amazing trumpet player, smart and the voice of reason

name: Stanley Tony’s wing man, struggles in school and may have to repeat junior year name: Chris Believes high school will be the best years of life, so live it up

name: Abbud Rebels against his parents and has a thing for his best friend name: Cadie Product of a dysfunctional family, struggles with self-esteem

Photos used with permission from

MTV.

upclose

Friend shaves head to honor cancer patient

S

emilybrown copy editor

ophomore Parker Gordon sits in a chair in his kitchen. His expression is a mixture of a grimace and a smile. His family cracks a few jokes before the razor begins buzzing. His grandmother starts at the very middle of his forehead and with a few swipes of the razor, ten inches of hair disappear. As she continues shaving his head, blond locks fall to the floor. When it is all done, Gordon is completely bald. Six months ago, Gordon’s mother, a nurse practitioner, introduced him to Brandon Steffen — a cancer patient at Children’s Mercy, a JCCC student and a talented musician. “The first time I met him, it kind of hit home to see him completely bald after finishing a round of chemo,” Gordon said. “It is hard to describe that whole moment. I realized how my problems are so unimportant.” While Steffen taught Gordon how to play the saxophone, a friendship started to form. Every week they would spend about an hour talking and playing music. “I feel like every time I have a long conversation with him it is memorable,” Gordon said. “A person in his situation can teach everyone so much about life and about themselves. I feel like I have learned more about myself as a person.” Steffen said he enjoys teaching his friend and strives to live a normal life. “I have this motto ‘The meaning of life is to live it,’” Steffen said. “For me, what that means is that I am going to

I have this motto: ‘The meaning of life is to live it.’ For me, what that means is that I am going to fight it the best I can. I might have some really, really hard times. But in the end, when I’m done with treatment, I’m just living a regular life.

Brandon Steffen

fight it the best I can. I might have some really, really hard times. But in the end, when I’m done with treatment, I’m just living a regular life.” After Steffen’s third relapse, Gordon said he wanted to support his friend in any way possible. “He had such a battle on his hands,” Gordon said. “As a friend, I almost felt helpless. I thought, ‘Well, I can shave my head. It is just hair.’” Steffen said he was touched when he learned Gordon was shaving his head. “It was neat that a friend like that would do that,” Steffen said. “I told him he didn’t have to shave his head but he said that he wanted to do it. I give Parker all the credit.” Gordon said the whole act of shaving his head was supposed to be a moment. He does not plan to keep his head shaved. “He is such a good friend; this is what I could do for him,” Gordon said. “It was not supposed to be just a new haircut.” Gordon said this experience has put all of his trials and problems into perspective. “It is one thing to donate to a whole cause,” he said. “But it is a completely different thing to have a close friend seriously affected by cancer. You want to do anything you can to help.”

Sophomore Parker Gordon and friend Brandon Steffen inspect their saxophones during a lesson. Gordon shaved his head to support Brandon during his fight against cancer. “He is such a good friend,” Gordon said. “This is what I could do for him.” (above). Playing the saxophone, sophomore Parker Gordon spends time with his friend Brandon Steffen. The two became friends when Gordon’s mom and Steffen’s nurse introduced them at the hospital (top). Photos by Courtney Woodworth.

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Communication arts teacher takes time out of schedule to pursue Ph.D. saranaatz managing editor

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Communication arts teacher Jennifer Balke balances teaching and earning her Ph.D. Balke is considering teaching at a university once she gets her degree. Photo by Juliana Himmel.

A 200-page paper about life and literature in the Middle Ages. Twenty-four credit hours in eight class periods. A three-hour test over an extensive list of books. All while teaching high school. Communication arts teacher Jennifer Balke works a vigorous schedule to earn her Ph.D. in English from the University of Kansas, balancing both teaching and being taught. “I don’t manage very well,” she said. “I make use of long breaks like summer break, and during the school year I try to carve out my weekends. I try to do at least one night a week.” Junior Grace Smith, one of Balke’s students, said she respects Balke for furthering her knowledge. “She seems like a person that really values her education and that’s just the next step for her,” she said. “She is a really good teacher who has a really good understanding of the English language. She has a lot to teach us.” Balke said she made the decision to pursue a Ph.D. because she wanted a change of pace. “I was in the mood for change,” she said. “I decided to go

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to grad school, and when I went I wasn’t sure if I was going to get a master’s degree or a Ph.D. I just went ahead and decided to do it.” Balke said she will consider teaching at a university once she receives her degree. “I’m uncertain,” she said. “When you teach at the college level, you have fewer classes, but most places require you to publish. Here I have more papers and classes but I don’t have to worry about publishing.” Smith said she thinks Balke would be an excellent college professor, but she would be missed at BV. “She does a great job working with people who are more mature and serious about their education,” she said. Smith said Balke’s degree will make her a better teacher. “She’ll be able to connect with us on another level because she’s a student too,” she said. “She also might have a fresher understanding of the books because she will have read them in the recent past.” Balke said in addition to having more time for her students after earning her Ph.D., she will also have more knowledge on how to teach her students. “I’ll have a better perspective on what to prepare [my students] for, for college,” she said. “I’ll be able to give them the skills they need going into it.”

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Auditioning forcollege

After years of preparation, high school dancer competes for spot on college team caitlinholland editor-in-chief Number 79 walked into a dance studio at Texas Christian University alongside 83 other girls from all over the country. She stretched out while shaking off the pre-audition jitters. This was the day she had been waiting for — two years and running. She loved the school — the campus, the vibe from the students and of course, the

dance program. Senior Jamie Florack found everything she was looking for in a school at TCU — most importantly a school with a great dance reputation. Florack auditioned for TCU’s dance team on Jan. 22. Her acceptance to the team will determine whether or not she will attend her dream school in the fall. “The day before the audition I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “But an hour before I wasn’t so nervous — just excited to be

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there.” After flying in to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport earlier in the day, Florack checked in at the studio and entered the dance room. She eyed several judges walking the floor who would determine the fate of her dream. “The judges were really intimidating to look at,” she said. “But at the same time, it felt like I could just concentrate because it was familiar to me — just class.” The dancers started the audition at the ballet bar and Florack lost track of time. After that, dancers auditioned in either ballet or modern. Florack watched the other dancers’ technique to see where their strengths were. “I felt like a lot of them were really well-trained in ballet,” she said. “Some you could tell that they were just born to do ballet and they were really good. When it came time for modern you could tell that the ones trained in ballet were losing their technique. That was an advantage for me because I’m not as strong in tech-

nique as some of those girls are.” Florack said her acceptance to a college that offers a dance major is critical to her dream of one day owning her own studio. She plans to pair a minor in business with a major in dance to prepare for years of dancing in the future. “I realized that I really love dancing and it wasn’t just a hobby or something I was doing for fun,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine myself not doing it. I realized if I wasn’t dancing, I wouldn’t be Jamie.”

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Preparing for pointe, senior Jamie Florack puts on her ballet shoes. “I waned to take dance lesosns and voice lessons, but I got into dance and I loved it so much that I stayed with it,” Florack said. “I developed a love for the art of it.” Photo by Maria Fournier.

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There’s

no place like BV Photo Illustration by Evelyn Davis.

New brick by brick wall incorporates different theme, deviates from past years jordanhuesers feature editor A football player representing the Tin Man. A spirited student as Dorothy. An artist as the lion. And an intellectual representing the scarecrow. Juniors Hannah Sittig and Aubrey Illig dedicated around 100 hours to painting the new brick by brick wall with a Wizard of Oz theme. Art teacher Cheryl Mattke presented Sittig with the opportunity to paint the wall at the beginning of the school year. Sittig then asked Illig, her fellow art student, to join her in this project. Sittig took an independent study with Mattke with the brick by brick wall as her project. To start off, they spent hours brainstorming different ideas. Sittig researched and Illig designed rough sketches of each idea. “I came up with some ideas but it pretty much was group effort,” Sittig said. “We fed off of each other and made ideas even better.” Finally, the girls settled on a new theme — The Wizard of Oz. Illig sketched the design with colors on a grid. Before gathering paint supplies, the girls began drawing the characters on the wall. Over the next few weeks, they spent many nights at the school drawing out the people and making them look realistic. Sittig then suggested the idea of the brick wall as the background. The painting process began Nov. 10. They first taped the bricks out, a process which took 10 hours. Then they painted over the tape twice. A problem then arose for Sittig and Illig. They attempted to remove the tape, but the paint peeled up along with it. They were then forced to use an X-acto knife to cut the tape off the wall — adding an unexpected five hours of work. “People don’t realize how much work truly goes into every detail of that wall,” Illig said. “All of it is much easier said than done.”

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Juniors Aubrey Illig and Hannah Sittig stand by their complete masterpiece, the 2010-2011 Brick by Brick. Illig and Sittig put over one hundred hours into the wall during the fall semester. Photo by Evelyn Davis.

Next they painted the landscape: first the sky, then the ground, finally the characters and details. Time became an issue. The end of the semester was approaching and so was the deadline for this project Sittig sought outside help from good friend and artist Lisa Gentile. Gentile studied art at the Kansas City Art Institute in the early ‘90s. Gentile walked them through the process of painting a mural and offered a lot of tips. She also assisted in painting the faces and feet of the characters. “They did a fantastic job,” Gentile said. “The composition is great and the fact that there is trompe l’oeil (illusion of seeing reality) makes it full to the eye. It tricks the eye, giving the illusion that the people are standing in front of you.” Illig said the hands were the most difficult to draw and paint, but the little details made the brick by brick great. “People can say what they want about the wall and how

it turned out, but I’m proud that I was such a huge part of making it,” Illig said. Illig said each year the brick by brick is an artistic recreation of a Tiger, and they wanted to go beyond and try something new. “It’s great to be a Blue Valley Tiger, but there is so much more to our school and our students than the mascot,” she said. “We wanted to create something that the students that walk by that wall every day could connect to.” Illig said although she and Sittig did not always agree and fought about who had to clean out the paint rollers, it was great to work with together. “I couldn’t have asked for a better person to work with on this,” Illig said. “When you’re partnering with someone on something this involved, you have to be able to roll with the punches.”

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Kindest Blue Valley-ans

The Kindest Kansas Citian Award allows students to write essays nominating inspiring and kind members of their community. Students share individuals who they believe to be the Kindest “Blue Valley-ans.”

Nominator : Freshman Meg Garton Nominee: K. Dean Snell

Nominator : Sophomore Sarah Hill Nominee: junior Evelyn Davis

Garton said she particularly admires Snell’s motivation and sense of humor. “He’s really funny and encouraging,” she said. “He’s always there to listen to you when you have problems.” Snell is also the sponsor of BV’s Fellowship of Christian Athletes group, which Garton participates in. “It’s cool how Mr. Snell really takes his enthusiasm into the classroom and to his religion,” she said. “He definitely shows

“She’s just not caught up in all the drama of high school,” Hill said. “So many people think they have to dress or act a certain way, but she really reaches out to people who no one else really pays attention to.” She said Davis is one of her role models in the aspect of showing compassion toward others. “I want to be someone like her who can just make people’s days better,” she said. Hill said she strongly admires Davis’ authentic and unique personality. “She’s super outgoing, sincere and genuine about who she is and everything she says,” Hill said.

that and gets it into our minds.” Garton said she loves how easily Snell relates to his students. “He acts like he’s a kid — a teenager,” she said. “He does things that you and I would do.”

Nominator : Junior Brian Witt Nominee: Tina Martinat

“Señora is always smiling and she’s always so sweet,” Witt said. “She’s like sunshine in human form.” Witt said Martinat is a role model for him because she shows a lot of patience. He said he thinks her son Joe, who has Down Syndrome, is a huge reason why she is so patient. “Joe is a big inspiration,” he said. “He’s definitely a factor in helping make her the patient and kind person that she is.” Witt said he really enjoyed having Martinat as his Spanish teacher freshman and sophomore year. “I had her for Spanish 2.5 and 3.5,” he said. “Those were the golden days.”

Nominator : Senior Kevin Chung Nominee: Neerav Shah

Chung said he would nominate Shah because of his enthusiasm in the science classroom. “Dr. Shah is so passionate about what he does, and he’s really, really kind,” he said. “He’s the type of guy who is kind to literally everyone.” Chung said he truly appreciates how Shah will always go out of his way to help his students and make sure they understand the material. “He always asks if you get it,” Chung said. “And he never gets mad about it. He just keeps on asking and keeps teaching it until everyone gets it. I think he would go over it 100 times if we needed him to.” Story by Jordan McEntee.

The deadline to submit Kindest Kansas Citian essays or videos is Feb. 11. More information about the contest is available from Cindy Snell in the Counseling Office.

Student-run charity sponsors dress donation benefiting cancer patients jordanmcentee design editor During the fall, junior Megan Kuharich, and sophomores Lexi Kuharich and Maddie Beal started a charity group called The Dream Team. The group kicked off its event “Couture for a Cure” this past weekend by renting gently used formal dresses for the Sweetheart Dance, and raising the money to go to Braden and Deliece Hofen in their fight against cancer. “Maddie and I were on our way to Omaha for a volleyball tournament and my mom was saying how we should get our old dresses that we never wear anymore and sell them,” Lexi said. “So that’s when we got the idea of collecting other people’s dresses and selling them.” The Dream Team began collecting dresses a few weeks ago, so shoppers could come down to the Kuharich’s basement and try them on. The initials of the person who donated the dress are written on the inside, and these initials, along with the size and a description of the dress, are written down when someone rents a dress. The buyer pays $30 to rent the dress for the dance, then it is returned to the owner two weeks after Sweetheart. In total, the girls collected more than 70 dresses and are still accepting more donations. They’ve already raised more than $400 and will still be open for sales this weekend, Jan. 29 and 30. “Everyone should at least give the dresses we have a chance before they go out and buy one from the store,” Lexi

said. Megan said she was a little nervous about how the sales would go once they had received dress donations. “It’s definitely going better than we thought it would,” Megan said. “At first I was a little hesitant. I was kind of thinking ‘I really hope that people actually come.’ But then some of my friends from [Blue Valley] Northwest came and things started moving.” The Kuharichs said they strongly encourage high school girls to consider renting a dress from them because the money goes to a great cause. “Realistically, you’re only going to wear the dress like one time,” Megan said. “It seems like a waste to spend around $150 on a dress when you could spend $30 and the money goes to a boy with cancer.” The Dream Team plans to present the money to the Hofens at Braden’s Race for Life and Miracle Mile in April. “Every year the money will be for a different person — really just whoever needs it the most,” Megan said. “We heard Braden and Deliece’s story and they were the perfect candidates.” Megan said anyone interested in helping out their community should stay motivated for their cause when challenges present themselves. “If you want to do something to help, you’ve got to go full throttle and do it whole heartedly,” she said. “There will always be kinks in the plan but you can work past them.” Anyone interested in donating or renting a dress should contact Megan Kuharich at (913) 832-4948.

Looking through dresses, junior Megan Kuharich suggests options for Sweetheart shoppers. Kuharich will donate the profits of the dress sales to Braden and Deliece Hofen. Photo by Maria Fournier.

JANUARY 2011 1 5

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Troop leader guides into

Daisies bloom Former Girl Scout educates first graders about life-lessons through various activities anniematheis news editor An air of excitement floats throughout the room. Little girls’ voices chatter about the day while they munch on a snack. A voice then calls for attention to introduce the lesson for the afternoon. Senior Sarah Moore leads a Daisy troop of 12 first-graders. Before she could become a leader, Sarah took the required training classes, which included a leadership essentials course, a class on Daisies and becoming CPR and firstaid certified. After training, Sarah was able to lead a Daisy troop of five kindergartners She said she enjoys teaching all the girls about things they might not know yet, like the virtues. “It is so much fun — I probably have just as much fun as the girls,” Sarah said. “It is fun to plan activities to help them learn something that is completely new to them.” As a troop leader, Sarah plans all the meetings and develops the activities to educate the girls on the lesson of the day. Sarah made a life-size board game where

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the girls got to be the pieces to stress the importance of being honest and fair. To teach the girls about the virtues of courage and strength, Sarah Moore took the troop to a fire station. At the fire station, the firefighters gave the troop a tour of the station, including where they slept and where they made their food. The girls also toured the inside of a firetruck, where they were able to put on the headsets the firefighters wear. They also got the chance to see Sarah hooked up to a heart rate monitor, and, in the end, they all got free plastic firefighting hats. Sarah participated in Girl Scouts until she reached eighth-grade and always wanted to be a troop leader. She said the virtues she learned as a Girl Scout help her teach her girls. “I feel like I use a lot of the virtues that I learned in Girl Scouts today,” she said. “It teaches you life-long lessons. I am stepping

Light Blue: Honest and Fair Red: Courageous and Strong

Green: Use resources wisely

To become a Brownie Girl Scout, a Daisy must learn all the virtues. Each time she learns a value, she earns a petal.

Yellow: Friendly and Helpful

Spring Green: Considerate and Caring

Violet: Be a sister to every Girl Scout

Photo by Courtney Woodworth. outside of my comfort zone and being courageous by standing in front of these girls and teaching them something they will use for the rest of their lives.” When she was in Girl Scouts, fellow troop-member senior Lauren Worley said Sarah was very involved. “She was always up to try anything,” Worley said. “She was always participating and there for everything. [She was] a good role model.” Sarah’s mother Pam Moore was the leader of Sarah’s troop starting in fourth grade. Sarah said that her mother influenced her to become a leader. “She has always liked kids, so it is a natural fit for her,” Pam said. However, Sarah said it can be challenging at times to think of the activities for the meetings. “When you are teaching a first-grader what responsibility is, they might have an

idea of what it means,” she said. “But it can be difficult thinking of a game that they can play involving it.” Pam said all the planning and organizing Sarah puts into her troop has a very positive effect on her. “It has forced her to look beyond what is going to happen today,” Pam said. Sarah said leading her Daisy troop helped improve her patience. “With lots of things that I think should go really quickly, they could take longer to get, or want to do the activity the whole time,” she said. “They just have a blast doing anything.” Sarah said the goal of the Daisy troop is to obtain all the petals, meaning they have learned all the virtues, within two years. “I love what they stand for,” Sarah said. “It really instills virtues you will use for the rest of your life.”

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Websites offer multitude of time-wasting opportunities Time-Waster Rating: 4/5 MicroMarching.com makes it possible for anyone to be a band kid. On the site, you can choreograph marching shows, share them and watch other shows people create — and gain a new respect for the people who come up with marching shows in reality. The main goal is to create a show that is visually dynamic and entertaining — which is hard to do when your only tools are visual. You are given a “football field” to work with, along with however many marchers your show requires. In addition to the choreography, you are in charge of the uniform and flag colors, any extra props (columns, small arches, etc.), and the instruments represented in your marching corps. Once you create and publish your show, it can be judged by other people on the site, or it can be entered in a tour, where it can be seen by more people. Although there is no music provided, MicroMarching.com is a cute and entertaining way to waste your time.

Time-Waster Rating: 0/5 TED.com, Technology, Entertainment, Design, is a website dedicated to the spread of ideas. TED is a nonprofit organization that started in 1984 and originally commissioned speakers for its annual conferences. Each speaker had roughly 20 minutes to cover anything from parenting to sociology in modern civilizations, and the goal was simply to spread knowledge to as many people as possible. Once the Internet became more widely used, TED.com was added by the organization as another way to bring discussions and speeches to people around the world for free. In addition to speeches from the biannual TED conferences, speeches are pulled from other events and from corporations like RSA Animate, which plays the speech in the background while a cartoonist illustrates the speech as you watch. TED.com is a great way to spend time, but it’s not a time waster. If you’re on this website, you’re thinking about something important, whether you know it or not.

Time-Waster Rating: 2/5 Unhearit.com is a life-saver for people who listen to music too much — or those of us who have heard Spongebob’s

F.U.N. song one time too many. If there’s an obnoxious song stuck in your head, Unhearit.com will play you another track to get rid of it — one guaranteed to be equally or more obnoxious than the first. The site does what it says it will, but it won’t have you spending hours online. It will, however, come in handy after a marathon of your favorite children’s TV show.

Working

hard orhardly working Time-Waster Rating: 3/5

MLIA. MLIA. MLIA. Who knew one acronym could be so fun? MLIA.com, My Life Is Average, is a site full of hilarious stories about people who have lives that are just, well ... average. MLIA also caused the birth of spin-off sites like My Life Is Harry Potter, My Life is Twilight and, yes, My Life Is Justin Bieber. While not everyone will like every spinoff site, most people can find something to laugh at — ­ whether they’re looking at MLIA or MLIT.

Time-Waster Rating: 5/5 StumbleUpon is a website that becomes your own personal Narnia — there’s something for everyone. Once you create a profile on the site, a toolbar pops up. It has a stumble button, a like or dislike button and topic options. The topic preferences help you narrow the range of websites the site offers you. You can pick from topics such as animals, oddities, online games and web development. Once you set your topic preferences, you start “stumbling.” You can stumble onto sites like ThisDayinMusic.com, which tells you the number one song on any day in any year from 1946 to now. From there you could skip over to designboom.com and learn exactly how the Dentsu creative studio teamed up with photographers to “paint with sound.” You have no idea what you’ll find until you find it, and the site keeps you guessing. StumbleUpon is a great time-waster because there’s always something new for you to see.

JANUARY 2011 1 7

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George Banks, Jr.

Time working at BV: 12 years, retired for five months, came back and has worked for another two years Goes by: George Favorite part of your job: All of it because I scrub and wax and that’s how the floors stay shining all the time.

Q & A with George

So why did you decide to come back after retiring? I got bored sitting at home. How did your coworkers respond? They were glad to see me come back. Do you have any interesting stories? There ain’t no ghosts. I work nights. I started off 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., then 9 p.m, to 5:30 a.m.. For 12 years I’ve never seen any ghosts. Everything’s been cool.

s Top 5 Thing ’s e k n u H l ro Ca n Do to Help Students Ca e

All in a day’s work

senior loung 1. Keep the ave picked up s — don’t le n a c sh a tr se 2. U the floor the trash on on bathroom 3. Don’t write ers ker walls or lock uff in the loc st r u o y p u 4. Pick rooms e e trash in th 5. Don’t leav hallways

Night custodians clean up the gym after a basketball game. After the floor is swept and all of the trash is removed from the stands, the bleachers are folded up and custodians move to clean other areas. On nights with events, custodians team clean assigned hallways and then, after the game, clean locker rooms, bathrooms and gyms. Photo by Katie Campbell.

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maegankabel photo editor The floor buffer hums its way across the tile hallways. A nozzle sprays water and chemicals across bathroom floors. Trashcans are emptied and refilled with clean plastic bags. The bleachers, filled with trash, get swept and put away. Each of BV’s eight night custodians is responsible for 25,000-30,000 square feet of the school to clean. “We use International Sanitary Supply Association standards to figure the time to clean classrooms, bathrooms, things like that,” Coordinator of Custodial Services Paul Sharp said. “I have these formulas I apply to find cleaning times for each of the classrooms, hallways, you name it. We have an Excel spreadsheet of all the areas, classroom by classroom, hallway by hallway, tile or carpet. We figure it up.” Four district supervisors perform regular cleaning inspections. On each inspection, the custodians must score at least a 95 percent. “We are here to create a healthy, safe and clean environment for teachers and students,” Sharp said. “It’s all about supporting the learning process.”

Although custodians are primarily responsible for cleaning, they also have many other jobs around their assigned schools, including snow, ice and graffiti removal and small maintenance issues such as dead lightbulbs and broken ceiling tiles. Sharp said district custodian Mike Gauvin is a great support to the district. This year at BVHS, Gauvin repainted the football locker room, patched all of the holes and repainted the gymnasium and also helped clean up and repair damage from past floods. On snow days, if not assigned to a school, he delivers ice melt and helps other schools clear sidewalks and entrances. However, not all of his jobs are so routine. On Feb. 10, 2010, Gauvin encountered the most extreme situation he’d seen in his 10 years in the district. “[The fourth grader had] come up to the lunch monitors and he was showing signs that he couldn’t breathe,” he said. “I recognized the signs and I immediately spun him around and gave [the Heimlich maneuver] to him. After two times, it dislodged the chicken nugget and I took him to the nurse’s office.” Although Gauvin felt good about his quick response, he was still concerned.

“To be honest, I was more worried about me hurting the child because I did the Heimlich on him twice and I had to use that much pressure,” he said. “Afterwards, he wrote me a short little note thanking me for saving his life.” No custodian at BVHS has encountered such events, but they are a major part of keeping the school up and running. “We clean, do set-ups, keep maintenance up, in the summer we scrub and wash the floors and we change the locker combinations,” BVHS lead custodian Carol Hunke said. “Basically, we do everything but teach.” One of the common concerns of the custodial staff is time. “You’ve got areas and a custodian for each area,” Hunke said. “If the custodian is gone, someone else has to be pulled off what they’re doing to do that. It slows down everybody, and we may not be able to clean everything as well as we’d like to.” Sharp said he feels the hard work is the defining feature of the custodial staff. “A custodian is different from a janitor because we take responsibility for the school and it being safe and clean and doing what it takes to help the school be successful,” he said. “They don’t just pick up.”

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Roxanne Paul

Custodian John Rood unrolls trashbags as he prepares to clean photo teacher Michael Johnston’s classroom. Rood started working at BVHS 18 months ago. “My least favorite part of the job is cleaning up the stadium and the bleachers in the gym,” he said. Photo by Courtney Woodworth.

Time working at BV: Since summer of 2010 Goes by: Ms. Paul Favorite part of your job: I really appreciate that I have a great crew of people I work with and the teachers are friendly. Least favorite part of your job: Dealing with bathrooms.

Custodians work night and day to keep BV up and running Shawn Lewis

Time working at BV: 1 1/2 months Goes by: Shawn Favorite part of your job: Pay day, of course Least favorite part of your job: Rock salt. I hate that stuff. It gets everywhere.

Patty Clark

Time working at BV: Since summer of 2010 Goes by: Ms. Patty Favorite part of your job: I really like doing bathrooms because of the machine — it does it for you. Least favorite part of your job: Dusting

Jerry Snorgrass

Time working at BV: 3 years Goes by: Jerry Favorite part of your job: Enjoying the kids and helping them. Least favorite part of your job: I haven’t found it yet.

JANUARY 2011 1 9

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In a league of their own Online game League of Legends attracts large fan base jacobpruitt opinion editor LOL has come to mean more than just laughing out loud with the growing popularity of the online game League of Legends. It is a free-to-play, real-time strategy game downloaded from leagueoflegends. com. Players select one of 64 champions and level-up their character over the course of the game, gaining more power and abilities. They fight in teams of five. The object of the game is to beat back the computer-controlled enemy minions and the player-controlled champions and destroy their base. “Think about it like football,” senior David Motsonashvili said. “There are endzones, but instead of getting a ball into the endzone, you blow it up. So it’s a bit different.” Playable champions are separated into different classes that show what they proficient at doing in the game. A tank is good at taking damage. A fighter is good at dealing damage. A support focuses on helping and improving other champion’s abilities. Motsonashvili said League of Legends

aims for players to coordinate their actions in their games. “It’s a lot of teamwork, which makes it fun,” senior Gautham Prakash said. “You have to communicate to beat the enemy. Of course, it’s always fun to absolutely destroy the other team.” League of Legends appeals to groups of people looking for a multiplayer experience. “Some of the best games I have are the ones where I get to play with my friends,” Motsonashvili said. Over the course of each 40-minute game, the players’ skill increases from level one to level 18. Each new game starts at level one. Outside of the game is the player’s profile. The profile levels up slowly over time, granting small in-game bonuses. This feature gives experienced players something to show for their work. It keeps track of your statistics and gives small bonuses in the game ­— little boosts to help players. Everyone should try this game, Motsonashvili said. “It’s fun, it’s free, so there is nothing to lose by trying it,” he said.

Photos used with permission from leagueoflegends.com.

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2 0 JANUARY 2011

ARE

YOU

A

HIPSTER

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BEANIE LONG HAIR WITH SIDE PART

By Kelly Cordingley.

The term Hipster dates back to the 1930s era when jazz was called hip, according to a Time article. Eventually the adjective became a noun and the “Hipster” was born. It was a term used to describe young, white people looking to become more like the jazz musicians they admired.

T

he first age of the Hipsters occurred during World War II. An American novelist, Norman Mailer, described them as people who wanted to “divorce oneself from society, to exist without roots, to set out on that uncharted journey into the rebellious imperatives of the self.” Eventually Hipsters morphed into Hippies who took on the persona that the community was more important than the individual. Hipsters resurfaced during the early ‘90s. They were a group of youths who enjoyed alternative music and art and gathered old ideas to become their new identity. In 2003, Robert Lanham wrote The Hipster Handbook as a guide on how to become a Hipster. It also goes on to define Hipster terms, literary interests, personality traits, etc. Since then, books and websites have been dedicated to the Hipster lifestyle.

MUSIC FROM RELATIVELY UNKNOWN BAND

“UGLY” ‘80s JACKET

Q and A with a hipster (senior Joseph Davies) What is a Hipster? “A Hipster is someone who rejects mainstream society. I’m a Hipster.” What about your outfit is Hipster? “It’s all about irony. Take my ‘80s jacket, it’s disgusting. Because I’m a Hipster I can wear ugly things.” Will you continue to be a Hipster when you leave high school? “For sure, I’m already starting to grow out dreadlocks.” Does the Hipster look cost a lot? “If you’re a Hipster you’re either really expensive or really cheap. You either buy stuff at Goodwill or Urban Outfitters, that sort of stuff.”

What clothing incorporates being a Hipster? “You’d wear skinny jeans, cardigans and beanies. Oh, cord shorts are super Hipster too.” How do Hipsters feel about mainstream music? “First off, Hipsters never, ever listen to the radio because it’s mainstream. Indie music would be considered Hipster but Indie is dead now.” Why is Indie dead? “The music business killed the independent label.” Are there certain things that make a Hipster a Hipster? “Well, we’d never buy name brands or go to Starbucks.”

Tall boot takeover: Winter trend picks up where Uggs left off sambrennan ads manager

tall suede

Look down at the feet of the females walking around. Chances are you will see Uggs, Sperry’s, Nike tennis shoes, ballet flats and now high boots. Lengths that range from ankle to above-the-thigh boots seem to be everywhere. The boots hold a mass appeal with many different styles such as destroyed, suede, buckles, chains and more. These boots range from flat to high-heeled. “I think they are cute and comfortable,” senior Alexa Mealy said. “They are something different than wearing Uggs or flats everyday.” Mealy owns two pairs of boots, both ending below the knee, in the colors brown and gray. Mealy joined the trend in October when she purchased her first pair. During winter break she bought a new gray pair. “I had the brown pair,” Mealy said. “But I really wanted a gray pair that so that I could wear them with other clothes.” Mealy said she normally wears the boots with skinny jeans and a sweater. “I like wearing them,” she said. “I think they are comfortable and they look good.” Mealy believes this trend is here to stay. “Ugg boots have been in for the past couple of years, so I think it will be the same kind of thing.”

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Former athletes inducted into BV Hall of Fame claycosby sports editor The Blue Valley Athletic Hall of Fame is inducting new members from the period between the 2002-2003 school year to the 2008-2009 school year. Individuals must have graduated more than one year ago to be nominated. Athletes and coaches will be inducted. Teams, in addition to individuals, can be nominated for the award. Individuals qualify automatically by garnering first team AllState honors. Non-automatic qualifying nominees are determined by the athletic council which consists Before the varsity basketball game on Jan. 7, soccer coach K. Dean Snell presents plaques to the new inductees. Athletes of all coaches as well as Athletic from all sports, some who graduated eight years ago, were inducted because they met qualifications set by the coaches. Director Bob Whitehead and Photo by Maegan Kabel. principal Scott Bacon. Whitehead said special recognition a player received, such as Volleyball John Schaaf ‘03 Lauren Wismer ‘09 being named to an All-EKL team Lindsey Muller ‘08 Matt deFlon ‘03 Wrestling or breaking school records, are taken into consideration for the Lindsey Petrick ‘07 Erin Lewis ‘06 Pat Ross Hall of Fame. Golf Shay Alford ‘05 Keaton Baker Each coach decides what the Jessica Wagner ’02 Basketball Baseball criteria will be to evaluate indiAdam Blue ‘05 Brianna Eldridge ‘08 Nate Kerkhoff ‘08 viduals in their sport. Soccer Taylor Hanson ‘08 Softball “They [athletes] have to meet Craig Cook ‘07 Swim and Dive Lindsey Muller ‘08 four out of five or six criteria, usu-

new hall of fame inductees

Mohammad Ramahi ‘08

Parker Sergeant ‘06

ally if they make the higher ones they will get the lower ones,” girls basketball coach Andy Unrein said. “Then we will look back and say ‘OK, now is that stringent enough?’ We had a lot of kids [get inducted] this winter and we will put in more in the fall.” Whitehead said next fall’s induction class will include football players instead of having the sport nominate athletes at this time. This year’s induction class includes 17 athletes in sports including volleyball, girls and boys golf, girls and boys soccer, girls basketball, wrestling, boys and girls swim and dive, baseball and softball. The new inductees also include one athlete, 2009 graduate Lindsey Muller, who is being inducted for two sports: softball and volleyball. Teams that got the nod include the 2008 5A State Championship baseball team and the 2005 5A State Championship boys golf team. Teams automatically qualify for induction by winning a state championship, which means both the 2010 football and girls tennis teams will qualify for nomination in the future.

Coaches face challenge of working off BV campus, balancing tough schedules saranaatz managing editor It’s 4:30 p.m. A black sedan pulls into the Blue Valley parking lot and a man dressed in soccer attire slides out. Junior varsity soccer coach John Dale hurries to the field, barely making it to his girls practice. Dale is a husband and father of three kids, all under 10 years old. He is a graduate student at Baker University, studying to earn his MBA. He runs his own broadcast consulting business from home. He handles audio and visual streaming, programming and does occasional voice work. “The biggest reason I took the job [at BV] was because I work at home,” Dale said. “It gets me out of my house and is a way to channel and utilize my love for soccer. I really enjoy

a day in the life:

7:45 a.m. update newscasts

Coach Dale 2 2 JANUARY 2011

8:30 a.m. work and studying

8 a.m. get kids off to school

being part of the team and coaching at Blue Valley.” In order to keep up with his busy lifestyle, Dale follows a very exact routine. “I have to be very judicious about my time and I have to be very disciplined,” he said. “It helps that I already know the schedule for the entire spring. I plan ahead with school and work.” Chris Paisley coaches wrestling at BV, while teaching Social Studies and Physical Education at Blue Valley Academy. “It’s not easy being out of school,” Paisley said. “I’m not always there to check up on [the team], and I feel badly about that.” Paisley said he thinks coaching wrestling is a good way to stay involved with a sport he loves. “A thousand years ago, when I was in high school, I wrestled,” he said. “I think I just really wanted to stay involved.” Dale said coaching high school soccer gives him an 12 p.m. break for lunch

11 a.m. 12:30 p.m. conference technical work for call radio station

3 p.m. plan soccer practice

4:30 p.m. head to BVHS

3:30 p.m. more radio technical work

5 p.m. soccer practice

outlet. “Players at the high school level have a desire to play and improve,” he said. “That’s what I appreciate. It also gives me a reason to be on an unlimited texting plan.” When he and his family moved here from Colorado, his mother-in-law, the principal’s assistant Margaret Upchurch, told him about a coaching opportunity at the school. He said that though it may be difficult to balance running his own business, being a father, going to school and coaching, he plans to continue. “It’s been great,” Dale said. “I’ve enjoyed it thoroughly. As long as they’ll allow me to coach, I’ll be here.” Paisley said he hopes to have an impact on the wrestlers before they graduate. “Hopefully you can have an influence on the kids before they are set in their ways,” he said. “Not necessarily in sports, but in life in general.” 6:45 p.m. dinner at home

8 p.m. put youngest child to bed

7 p.m. help kids with homework

9 p.m. download programs

8:30 p.m. conference call

10 p.m. run through program checklist

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Wrestlers cut weight to compete at highest level stephenkarst staff writer Starvation. Dehydration. Excessive exercise. All for a few pounds lost. Wrestling weight classes were created so that every athlete could battle on the mats with opponents about the same size. This helps level the playing field so competitors remain physically equal. Each weight class ranges about 10 pounds and athletes will gain or lose pounds at a time to qualify for a certain class. To attain an advantage, wrestlers try to stay at the top of a certain weight class instead of being a lightweight a class up. This means wrestlers are in a constant struggle to make weight. Wrestlers say the process of rapidly gaining or losing pounds can be physically grueling for an athlete. In recent years, attention has been drawn to the negative effects of the system and players are encouraged to maintain a healthy living style, coach Chris Paisley said. “Cutting weight has been a part of wrestling for a long time, but it’s not the bottom line,” Paisley said. “During meets, it all comes down to how much effort the guys put out. Usually the guy who wants to win more will.” Paisley said he hopes his attitude toward cutting weight is passed on to the team. He emphasizes making smart decisions and working hard during practice throughout the season. “I don’t think about it a whole lot during the season,” senior Tyler Hendrickson said.

“I generally weigh in about the same every time so it’s not a huge deal. It’s nice to have a little size advantage but it comes down to technique and conditioning in the end.” Some athletes, however, use the weight classes as motivation to get stronger and stay fit. Wrestlers know there are good ways to stay in shape as well as bad ones, senior Ross Riley said. “During the season I eat salads at lunch just so I feel good at practice,” he said. I had a burger and fries one day early in the season and I was dying. It felt awful. Lesson learned, again.” If a grappler is on the border of a class, there are tricks they use to lighten themselves up. These are used to shed a pound or two at most: use the restroom, sweat (jog on a treadmill in layers of clothing) and spit, junior Cameron Bruce said. “Before weigh-ins avoiding liquid is good because it is heavy,” he said. “We know when it’s not worth it, though, so we’ll stop before we get dehydrated. After the weigh-in, we replenish the water we lost so we’re smart about it.” Hendrickson said athletes are encouraged to set a goal for a weight class they feel they can succeed in, and most of the work is done in the off-season to reach it. “I did more out-of-season work to get muscle to put me in my class now, like lifting,” he said. “I’d go to Life Time or use the weight room at school to work out then follow a diet to make sure I was building muscle. Practice is more for refining technique and getting the little stuff right so I’m prepared for matches.”

Senior Tyler Hendrickson searches for an opportunity to take down his opponent during the wrestling tournament on Jan. 21 at Blue Valley Northwest. Photo by Conor Storm.

For some, it is a long road of shedding pounds. Riley said every once in a while, a wrestler will sell out and drop several classes to get to a desired weight. He also said it takes determination and starting with an end goal in mind. “I dropped from about 180 to about 140 from the end of football to the start of wrestling,” Riley said. “I was on a diet and exercising all the time just trying to get where I wanted weight-wise. It’s working so far, I feel like I’ve been performing better than other years, and I’m proud of myself for that.” According to WebMD, rapid weight loss

methods such as starvation or dehydration can cause severe headaches, loss of consciousness, nausea, vomiting and dizziness, especially when coupled with intensive workouts. Coach Jason Peres said, when done correctly, shedding a few pounds before a match can give an edge, but athletes must be careful. “As long as guys are smart about their decisions, I like it that they’re trying to find ways to win,” he said. “It shows they really want it. It takes dedication and discipline to excel in wrestling, and we are fortunate to have quite a few guys who have that.”

Sports In Brief Boys Basketball

Girls Basketball

Boys Swim and Dive

Wrestling

Record: 5 - 5 Previous Action: 1/22 vs. Olathe Northwest @ Shawnee Mission West tournament L 44-35 Key Athletes: Seniors Hayden Murray and Paul Debey Upcoming Action: 1/29 @ Bishop Miege, 2/1 @ Blue Valley Northwest

Previous Action: 1/18 @ Blue Valley District Meet, 2nd place Key Athletes: Seniors Adam Chinery and Cameron Gallet and sophomore Chris Hearl Upcoming Action: 1/29 diving @ Shawnee Mission East, 2/4 EKL @ Blue Valley Northwest

Record: 5-3 Previous Action: vs. Gardner-Edgerton, L 52 - 43 Key Athletes: Seniors Taylor Popp and Aerial Smith and junior Mackenzie Johnson Upcoming Action: 1/28 - 1/29 @ Lawrence Free State tournament

Previous Action: 1/21 @ Blue Valley Northwest — Tyler Hendrickson placed second Key Athletes: Seniors Tyler Hendrickson, Caleb Fehr and Jon Hayward Upcoming Action: 1/29 @ Shawnee Mission North

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Baby, it’s cold outside Record snowfall brings 3 snow days for district

Snow through the years Total accumulation rates for Overland Park are higher than ever before *Information collected from accuweather.com.

2008 Jan. 16 .8 inch Jan. 17 .3 inch Jan. 29 .4 inch Jan. 31 .1 inch Total: 1.6 inches

2009 Jan. 16 .3 inch Jan. 23 .1 inch Jan. 27 .3 inch Total: .7 inches

2010 Jan. 2 1 inch Jan. 3 1.1 inches Jan. 6 3.4 inches Jan. 29 1 inch Total: 6.5 inches

2011 Jan. 8 .1 inch Jan. 10 6 inches Jan. 18 .1 inch Jan. 19 6.8 inches Jan. 20 .1 inch Total: 13 inches

What did you do on snowdays? Go sledding Watch movies Sleep Hang with friends Drink hot cocoa

45% 62% 75% 65% 50%

Survey of 147 students. Each snowflake is equivalent to 10 percent.

Carefully packing snow, sophomore Grace Anne Johnson builds a snowman on Jan. 20. Blue Valley students found numerous forms of entertainment during the multiple snow days in January. Photo by Courtney Woodworth.

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