The Tiger Print — August 2023

THE TIGER PRINT

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Students discuss period poverty initiative, stigma around menstruation

DESIGN BY AVA MCGUIRE

the periodproblem

ava mcguire | editor-in-chief

Period poverty: the lack of access to menstruation products and education.

According to the National Institute of Health, roughly 500 million women in the United States have insufficient access to menstrual products. For juniors Sarah Ye, Trisha Rastogi and Neha Katakamshetty, this fact left them feeling disheartened.

After doing much research into the topic and gathering inspiration from other period equity programs, the girls came together to create their own organization: Flow Forward Foundation.

“[Period poverty] is an acute public health crisis,” Rastogi said. “Sara, Neha and I had discussed wanting to do something to benefit our community through high school, especially after doing research to see how period poverty specifically impacted Kansas City.”

The foundation is dedicated to providing menstrual equity and alleviating the burden of period poverty in low-income populations in the KC area. Additionally, they hope to reach beyond KC in the future.

Ye remarked that throughout her community, she has noticed that many public restrooms are seldom stocked with period products.

This roused the idea that if these products are not provided adequately in an area like Johnson County, areas under the poverty line have no better chance of having the resources to provide their menstruating citizens with proper sanitation materials.

“I know many girls have experienced when you don’t have access — imagine not having access every day,” Rastogi said. “Going through that thought process of ‘What do I have to sacrifice? It shocked me that [one might] have

to choose between food or menstrual products. That often impedes you from being able to manage your period first of all safely and second of all with dignity.”

Focusing on menstrual education is also a primary focus of Flow Forward Foundation.

“Period poverty is currently one of the most pressing global health crises, but there’s not a lot of research surrounding it, partially due to the stigma,” Ye said. “A lot of girls receive a little bit of education about menstruation and it’s mostly just like ‘menstruation happens to you.’ That’s it.”

Katakamshetty said the trio said period education is important.

“Not a lot of girls and women learn how to manage their periods,” she said. “We want to help reach out to girls and help educate them on how to manage their periods safely.”

A crucial part of their foundation is finding beneficiaries and new growth opportunities.

“We want to expand and become a subsidiary of a larger nonprofit organization,” Ye said. “Becoming a subsidiary would help us reach more people and spread our outreach.”

Children’s Mercy and Hope House have begun to support Flow Forward Foundation, and in turn, Flow Forward Foundation provides menstruation outreach to those organizations.

For now, Flow Forward Foundation will mainly focus its efforts at BV, starting with a period product drive in September.

“We hope to host that in our school — we’re working on a time frame that is probably going to be from Sept. 10-16,” Ye said. “We’re trying to get multiple locations like the community library and other centers.”

With the foundation, they have one main goal. “We’re trying to create change.” Rastogi said.

juniors create initiative to advocate for period poverty through their organization

Flow Forward Foundation

Flow Forward’s Mission Statement

The Flow Forward Foundation is a student-led organization based in Overland Park, Kansas, dedicated to alleviating the impact of period poverty on our community and beyond. The Flow Forward Foundation was created by three high school students who envision a future without period poverty. A future where menstruators don’t have to miss school due to periods. A future where they can afford the basic hygienic products they need to manage menstruation with safely and dignity. We strongly believe in the power of breaking the chains of period poverty via extensive community involvement, empowering menstruators to live their best lives. Our name, “Flow Forward,” represents the progress and concrete change we aim to create in regard to the accessibility of feminine hygiene products. Through various initiatives such as drives, fundraisers, advocacy, and more, the Flow Forward Foundation utilizes the influence of youth in today’s world to impact the lives of those in need. With a goal to also create tangible change in Title 1 schools, our foundation is committed to helping every menstruator feel safe and comfortable. Aided by key community partners, we are determined to make a difference in our fight for menstrual equity. No one should have to suffer due to inadequate menstrual hygiene resources; the Flow Forward Foundation wants to make that a reality.

did you know...

globally, 1.7 billion people live without basic sanitation services in a 2019 study done on low-income women in the U.S., two-thirds stated they had trouble affording period products especially difficult for homeless or incarcerated individuals; in prisons, many women face exploitation in exchange for access to menstrual hygiene products families sometimes must choose between purchasing food or menstrual products

a national study by Thinx & PERIOD found approximately 20% of teenagers who menstruate in the U.S. were either unable to afford menstrual products or struggled to afford them

Flow Forward Foundation’s instagram

Sarah Ye, 11

Neha Katakamshetty, 11 Trisha Rastogi, 11

We want to assert that menstrual hygiene products are a basic human necessity. flow forward foundation

Students volunteer at Johnson Country Library Shelving Service Hours

gaby ayres | staff writer

For many students, the Johnson County libraries were — and still are — a beloved place to discover new books and to learn new things. Juniors Audrey Fullerton and Trisha Rastogi gave back to their community by volunteering at the library over the summer.

While searching for opportunities Fullerton discovered the open position for teens at the Johnson County libraries.

“[BVHS] has volunteer resources listed on Canvas,” she said. “So I looked there and found out about this.”

The process to become a volunteer at the library is not complex, with students only needing to attend a 30-minute orientation beforehand.

“I went to our local Blue Valley Library branch and asked if I could volunteer because I knew they have volunteering — they told me on the library website where I could find volunteer opportunities,” Rastogi said. “It’s really easy. You can sign up and they send you an email detailing the opportunities you can pursue.”

There were multiple volunteer opportunities students could undertake, including passing out the free summer reading books to children or working the circulation desk.

“I [wanted] to be a circulation volunteer which basically

just helps with filling holds and shelving and things like that,” Rastogi said. “[I was most excited about] shelving just because.”

One reason Fullerton chose to be a summerreading volunteer was because of the interactive nature.

“I like seeing happy children and their free books,” she said. “It makes me happy.”

The circulation desk offered two-hour long shifts, and summer reading volunteers worked three-hour shifts, making volunteering at the library a good way for students to collect service hours as well. For Fullerton, the choice to volunteer with a Johnson county library was obvious.

“I like to read, I like libraries, and it’s close to my house,” she said.

The reason Rastogi wanted to work for the library was more sentimental.

“The library always played a pretty significant role in my life when I was little,” she said. “I really wanted to help.”

“‘All The Light We Cannot See.’ It’s good so far.”

“‘The Poppy War’ trilogy. I really enjoyed that one.”

favbooks

design by gaby ayres

Stageworks Student

works at theater camp over the summer

harris jones | assistant editor

Many teenagers get a job over the summer in hopes of making some cash, but few get to be involved in an industry they plan on pursuing in the future. Senior Cy Conaway was one of these lucky people who worked at Stageworks, a theater camp, where he helped young kids and other teenagers put together shows.

“I’m an assistant to the adult workers who work there,” he said. “The kids are separated by age — high schoolers [and] middle schoolers, fifth and fourth graders, and then there’s second graders and younger.”

Theater teacher Jeff Yarnell is one of the adults who helps run the camp.

“Last year, I worked with Yarnell and the high schoolers at the very end, but primarily the second graders — what you do depends on what age you’re with,”

Conaway said. “When I was with second graders, time was always accounted for and about keeping them engaged, making it like playtime. When you’re with high schoolers, there’s still silliness, but you’re a little more focused on what you’re doing. The general job is you’re just making a show.”

Unlike last year, Conaway helped more closely with Yarnell and other high school students.

“I work with two groups, one

is kindergarten to second graders and the other is the middle school to senior group,” Conaway said. “Obviously I have no issue with the former but I also have no issue with the latter. What it ends up feeling like is that I am friends with all of the campers and having fun while also aiding Yarnell with whatever show we are currently working on.”

Conaway found the shows to be an enjoyable experience.

“The first show I helped was the little kids show which was cute, and then there was the improv show which was funny,” Conaway said. “The two live theater shows ‘Awesome 80s Prom’ and ‘Frannie Minkman’s Exquisite Bat Mitzvah’ were very fun.’”

The camp became an ideal place to work for Conaway as he considers future career options.

“[I want to] go into acting — seeing the process of shows being made and different styles is very important,” Conaway said. “Getting as many skills before I go off to college would be great.”

But more than future career options inspired Conaway to work at Stageworks.

“I’ve really enjoyed spending time with Yarnell these past few years — it’s been really enjoyable,” he said. “Theater is what I want to do, and having experience in that is awesome. Getting a paying job on top of that makes it all the better — so I figured why not?”

A FAIR DEAL

sophomore shares about experience at California festival

ava mcguire | editor-in-chief

Going to local county fairs is a long-standing tradition filled with enchanting experiences. Whether it be the rides, games or classic dishes, there’s a particular nostalgia associated with the fairgrounds. While most BV students tend to drift to the Johnson County Fair during summer nights, sophomore Bayli Donahue explored a fair a little farther from home — the San Diego County Fair in Del Mar, California.

Donahue holds this fair close to her heart, as she has attended for as long as she can remember.

“It’s sentimental but also insanely fun,” she said. “It is open every summer, so my family and I have gone every year.”

Joined by her sisters, Donahue made the most of her time at the fair.

“I went on as many rides as [I] possibly could,” Donahue said. “We got food from the food stands scattered throughout the fairgrounds before going back to the rides. We went in fun houses and on the tall swings to overlook the fair and how pretty it is.”

The San Diego County Fair was certainly filled with everything one could ask for. Donahue enjoyed carnival games, rides, markets and even pig races. Yes. Pig races. She said this spectacle was perhaps the most interesting affair of the night.

design by ava mcguire

“[During] the pig races, the speaker picks a person from each bleacher section to be the cheerleader for their assigned pig,” she said. “The pigs race and one even swims at the end.”

As a seasoned fair-goer with many established rites, Donahue knows exactly which attractions are worthy of a visit.

“One of our traditions is at the very beginning of the day,” she said. “Right when we get to the fair, we go into one of the convention buildings that hold the markets and buy two dozen mini cinnamon donuts. I ate 13 this year.”

Following the donuts, it’s customary for the Donahues to follow them up with cherry lemonades from the Hot Dog on a Stick store.

After enjoying her initial meal and taking minimal breaks between carnival rides, Donahue decided she would end this year’s fair trip with breath-taking views.

“We went on the tallest slides in the park that overlook the entire fair,” Donahue said. “It is so beautiful when it’s lit up at night, and you can see the ocean on the horizon.”

Just as Donahue has made the most of her fair days in past years, this year was as sweet as the rest and gives her something to look forward to for the years to come.

“I have so many amazing memories here,” she said. “I hope to make more for the rest of my life.”

| PHOTO SUBMITTED BY BAYLI DONAHUE

Seniors partake in challenging mental, physical program

ella lim | web editor

Summer brought an abundance of time that opened up opportunities for students. Whether through a summer job, a chance to study for standardized tests or the best feeling of laying in bed all day, seniors Elizabeth Dreiling and Maya Waymire participated in a demanding program called 75 Hard.

“75 Hard is a mental challenge to test self-discipline [and] grit, but it’s not only a physical challenge,” Dreiling said. “You have to do two 45-minute workouts a day — one outside — drink a gallon of water, read 10 pages of a self-help book a day, stick to some sort of diet and take daily progress photos.”

Trending across various social media platforms, Dreiling first saw it on TikTok but didn’t ever think she’d do it because she was never consistent with exercise. However, after deciding to participate in the challenge, she convinced Waymire to do it with her.

“[75 Hard] is something Elizabeth wanted to do, and it [was] a cool way to grow this summer,” Waymire said.

Starting in late May, the two friends began the program to hold each other responsible for maintaining their routines.

“[It was] a fun challenge to do over the summer since we [were] less busy,” Dreiling said. “We [kept] each other more accountable since we [hung] out every day.”

This intense program brought forth a plethora of benefits, both mentally and physically.

“It [helped] me be healthier and get into better habits for the next school year,” Waymire said. “It will make my lifestyle a lot better if I can actually keep up the habit.”

Dreiling said it had other advantages as well.

“The main one is being physical and having self-discipline,” she said. “It also improves time management, consistency and perseverance.”

Maintaining the regimen for 75 days straight was challenging, but Dreiling believed she already had some of the habits down.

“My favorite part [was] the 45-minute workout, which [was] also the hardest at the same time,” she said. “I tend to already workout that long every day, but when I [was] at the lake with my family, it [was] difficult to get myself to exercise and be able to focus and get it done.”

Still, 75 Hard was daunting for the pair because of the rule about restarting at Day 1 if a day is skipped.

“[The worst part was] making sure I’m being kept accountable for doing everything every day,” Waymire said.

As for Dreiling, the hardest part was the strict diet that she had to follow.

“I have a limited diet because of an autoimmune disease, so I can’t eat dairy, gluten, soy, added sugar, sodium nitrates, saccharine and most processed food,” she said. “But I [was] really busy with school and I started eating more things that were more processed and had sugar, so I [was] hoping that since it’s summer, I [would be] able to finally get back on track.”

Although a little fearful of the tough challenge, the two seniors were set on completing the strenuous 75day process.

“I [was] really excited to get started, especially since I [would] be doing it with my friends,” Dreiling said. “I [thought] it [would] be a good way for me to start the summer off.”

Journey to Japan

Seniors travel abroad over the summer

emma mcatee | staff writer

Over the summer, many students travel and gain new experiences. For seniors Claire Hannasch and Jahnavi Parasker, traveling to Japan was the highlight of their summer. They traveled from June 12-21 through EF educational tours. The two were accompanied by social teachers Molly Cowan-Johnson, Kim Thompson and Catherine Whitten.

Hannasch and Parasker had been planning to go on the trip since their sophomore year of high school. Although Covid pushed back their trip until this past summer, Hannasch was still excited to go and experience a new country.

“One evening in Atami, a small group ran down to the beach at night and went swimming,” Hannasch said. “We buried Nick in the sand with a mermaid tail. Other people were setting off fireworks, and you could see the city — everything was so surreal and beautiful.”

Parasker was excited to visit Japan due to its culture.

“The only other countries I’ve been to are India, Asia and Europe, so it was a great new experience,” Parasker said.

The group got to see many different spots in Japan.

“We landed in Osaka and spent the evening in the city to get dinner before leaving for Hiroshima the next day,” Hannasch said. “We visited temples, shrines and a couple castles.”

The trip had planned activities to explore and teach students more about Japan.

“We visited Himeji, Osaka and Kiyomizu,” Parasker said. “We got to tour Hiroshima and visit the peace memorial, which was emotional but a very educational experience.”

While in Japan, Parasker visited the famous landmark, Mount Fuji.

“We rode a cable car to see Mount Fuji and got a great view from the mountains,” she said.

Despite the challenges of being in a different country, food was one thing they didn’t worry about.

“The food was amazing — every day we had to find our own lunch, so getting to explore whatever town or city we were in with friends to find food was so much fun,” Hannasch said. “The food was always delicious, and the desserts were so unique and pretty”

Although traveling days were long and tiring, it all paid off with the amazing experience the group took away.

“We went to the beach three times and had late night beach trips,” Parasker said. “ I really enjoyed the beach with my friends and being able to experience such a great trip.

design by emma mcatee

STEM: Her Future Starts Here

Senior discusses volunteering at Wilderness Science Center

ashling bahadursingh | staff writer

Many students have been to the Wilderness Science Center (WSC) in the past, but not many have spent parts of their summers there. However, for the last few years, senior Molly James volunteered there.

James’ connection to the WSC goes back further than her time volunteering.

“When I was a kid, I would go to the Wilderness Science Center Camp every summer, like first grade all the way through sixth grade,” James said. “There’s a morning session and an afternoon session. You pick one and do stuff all about wilderness science, ecology [and] environmental science. I’ve always cared about the environment so that was really exciting for me to do. I loved the camp. I absolutely loved it. I thought it was so cool that there was this whole ecosystem that’s basically in my backyard.” Even after James was too old to attend the camp, she continued her time at WSC.

“You can’t do the camp beyond sixth grade, so the summers of seventh, eighth and now this summer, I was able to volunteer as a camp leader,” James said. “I’ll teach a lesson and help the kids. It’s basically a normal camp counselor role, but you also do a little bit more prepping and take care of the animals while you’re there.”

James’ love for volunteering at the WSC stems from getting to see people

connect with nature and science.

“I like seeing kids get excited about science that relates to them. I like people getting really interested in the animals and the lessons,” James said. “This summer, since I have more knowledge about environmental science after taking APES, I [made] my own lesson related to water systems and water quality.”

James was glad for the time spent at the WSC and will miss it in the future.

“I’m super excited for this opportunity,” James said. “I’m really going to miss it when I go to college.”

BUCKLE U P

Incoming sophomores get behind the wheel

ava poland | former staff writer

Approaching summer, some of the former freshmen began to get their first experiences behind the wheel. These 15 year olds obtained their first cars, driver’s permits and restricted licenses, alongside independence and new opportunities.

“I’ve had my restricted [license] for a while, but I just now got a Hyundai,” sophomore Graham Rothwell said. “It was my brother’s old car.”

Without an adult in the car, Rothwell embraced his new freedoms.

“The best part is since my parents aren’t in the car with me anymore, I get to listen to whatever music I want as loud as I want,” Rothwell said. “With my restricted, I only get to do this for school, church and soccer practice, but it’s still pretty great.”

Other students view these legal limitations as suggestions rather than law.

“I bend the rules so much — I drive everywhere all the time, and my parents are cool with it, too,” sophomore Jeffrey Cobb said. “It’s just so great not relying on people for a ride, so if I need to go somewhere I just get in my car and go without needing to ask anyone.”

Also lenient with driving rules, sophomore Cade Carter was living it up with his driver’s permit.

“I still have a permit, so ‘technically’ I can only drive places with an adult in the car,” Carter said. “I cheat the rules all the time though. I’ll go around and drive my friends wherever we want to go.”

Though these students were confident enough in their driving abilities to skip a few steps, others needed the time to develop the skill.

“I definitely had some issues at first,” sophomore Cecil Wysong said. “The first time I started driving, I hit the gas really hard and almost ran into my garage, but after a while I got better.”

The school parking lot was the real test of their abilities. Races for the best parking spots, roundabout traffic and excessively high speed bumps apply even more pressure on these new drivers.

“I’m not allowed to drive to school because I’m still 14,” Wysong said. “I can’t wait for when I can though because waiting to get picked up is so annoying.”

Getting picked up from the carline might not be as bad as he thinks because according to Cobb, the sophomore lot is pretty intense.

“The school parking lot can get stressful,” Cobb said. “My recommendation for dealing with it is to listen to loud music to drown out all the idiot drivers.”

Senior Johnny Perkins was named the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation’s 2023 Great Strides Ambassador. Perkins was one of the first patients to ever be diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis (CF) before birth. Through his role, he has helped educate CF awareness as a patient with CF himself and advocate for attending Great Strides.

Great Strides is an annual fundraiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to raise money for the cause of fighting CF.

“There are different branches of the CF foundation across the country — the one in Kansas City is the Heart of America Chapter,” Perkins said.

Each chapter organizes their own fundraiser involving food, drinks, music and a walk that helps raise money through sponsors and donations for further CF research. Ever since he was 3 years old, Perkins has attended the Great Strides walk.

“I have been known to have CF my entire life, which used to be very rare,” he said. “That’s why I’ve been able to attend for almost all of my life.”

Many major breakthroughs in research have occurred for treatments of CF. Perkins was on a clinical trial for medications to help with his CF.

“I got the opportunity to be a test case for it, and it has helped me dramatically,” Perkins said.

One evening back in January, Perkins’ parents broke the news to him that he was selected by the Heart of America Chapter as the 2023 Great Strides ambassador for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation not only for Kansas and Missouri, but for Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

“In these states, there are posters with my face on them given that I’m the ambassador,” he said.

This year’s walk was on May 13 at Crown Center Square. Each family of a CF patient has a team of around 20 or more people. Perkins’ team was named the Perkins Pacers.

“I have my own special tent that’s set up next to the stage for the CF ambassador,” Perkins said. “That’s something I’ve never experienced before — it [was] really fun being able to be a part of that and be the center of such a huge event.”

Before the walk, vendors often give away free frisbees and other toys people can play with. Games and prizes can also be found throughout the event.

Perkins finds spending time with his friends and family discussing the event and playing games to be his favorite part.

“I always really enjoy the time before the walk,” he said. “There’s a lot to do [during] that time with the games and activities.”

Perkins gave a speech to the participants addressing his story and further information about Great Strides and CF. The teams were to begin the walk after Perkins was recognized.

Perkins has continued to advocate throughout the summer and will continue to do so until December, when the fundraiser will close for the year. Events constantly occur on the Facebook page and the CF Foundation’s website. To find out about next year’s walk, the details can be found on the CF Foundation’s website along with links to donate and continue the cause.

“If you want to get involved, you can always use those resources,” Perkins said. “That can put you in a place to receive awards or recognition and continue to work to fight against CF.”

scan QR code to donate or learn more about the CF Foundation

senior discusses annual Cystic Fibrosis awareness walk, ambassador nomination

Shooting for the STAHRS Student attends UMKC Medical Program

aspen gallentine | staff writer

Plenty of students dream of becoming doctors one day, but not everyone gets the chance to participate in university-sponsored preparation programs for the field. Junior Glory Okeowo attended University of MissouriKansas’s Students Training in Academia, Health, and Research (STAHR) Scholars Program over the summer, where she and other participants had the opportunity to research various medical careers.

The program allowed students handson experiences with different medical professions. The program is six weeks of classes for students to explore and experience different medical professions, like dentistry and pharmaceuticals.

“I feel like I’m so closed-minded on what I want to do, so this [helped] me see what else is out there,” Okeowo said. “I [could] explore and get a better sense of what I want to do.”

Most of the course was online, in structured classes that lasted from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.

“It took up so much time, my whole morning and afternoon every day,” she said.

“It was 100 percent [worth it].” This program focuses on engaging and encouraging minorities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds to explore the medical field, and she said it did just that.

The program advertises itself as an opportunity to experiment with a variety of medical professions, allowing students to get a sense of what they would like to do later in life.

Before participating in the program, many students, Okeowo included, don’t know exactly what kind of medical professional they want to enter.

Afterward, however, many of the participants leave the classes having a better understanding of the field and which area of expertise they would like to go into.

“I’ve already had my mind on being a physician of some sort — either a pediatrician or a family physician,” Okeowo said. “[The camp] helped me dive deeper into medicine as a career.”

The program not only provided insight into the medical field and community, it also provided preparation for things like the ACT and college applications.

“My ACT score increased by several points,” she said. “Practicing writing a scholarship essay helped me acquaint myself with the process, preparing myself for the real deal.”

The camp has been given glowing reviews by students who took it, labeled as a place to connect with like-minded people, “I was surrounded by diversity and was able to discover my future,” Okeowo said.

design by aspen gallentine

HEY,

isaac hudson | editor-in-chief

Already considered “fresh” by Rotten Tomatoes, having become the highest-grossing film directed by a woman, and surpassing $1 billion at the box office, Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” is an instant classic.

The movie stars Margot Robbie in the titular role, supported by a star-studded Hollywood cast and a soundtrack curated by Grammy award winner Mark Ronson that features artists such as Billie Eilish, Charlie XCX, Tame Impala and Dua Lipa.

“Barbie,” released on July 21, won the opening weekend

box office against Cristopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” biopic. “Barbie” follows Margot Robbie as “Stereotypical Barbie” as she struggles with her existence as a doll and the problems women face in the real world. Her doll counterpart Ken, played by Ryan Gosling, revels in the real world and has a hard time readjusting to Barbie Land, a place where everything is run by the Barbies.

In its nearly two-hour runtime, the film does its best to not shy away from hard topics centered around gender inequality, feminism and the effects of the patriarchy on women as well as men.

“Going into the ‘Barbie’ movie, I wasn’t sure what to expect, but it surprised me and I think it could be movie of the year. The soundtrack with ‘I’m Just Ken’ and ‘Dance the Night’ was a true masterpiece.” - Dylan Stern, 12

“I appreciated how the ‘Barbie’ movie found a way to touch on important social issues. Although it was a lighthearted and fun movie, it still found a way to call out and question the problems within our society.” - Allie Heidemann, 12

“I thought the movie was pretty good, although it was definitely over-hyped. It was vibrant, fun and had a good message.” - Myka Beck, 11

“Every detail of this movie feels like it is filled with so much love and care. The movie also exceeded every single one of my expectations and has quickly become one of my favorite movies ever.” - Preston Baker, 12

Summer Lake Days

Name: Andrew Monahan, 10

What lake did you visit this summer?

“Linn Valley Lake.”

Favorite Lake activity? “Playing with the boys on the lily pad.”

Favorite Lake memory? “Sailing with my favorite buddy, Michael Leach.”

Name: Rowan Lloyd, 10

What lake did you visit this summer? “Lake of the Ozarks.”

Favorite lake activity? “Jet-skiing with my friend.”

Favorite Lake memory? “Falling out of the tube [while] tubing.”

Name: Brooklyn Baker-Denno, 10

What lake did you visit this summer?

“Lake of the Ozarks.”

Favorite lake activity? “Waverunning.”

Favorite lake memory? “Tubing with friends.”

TRAVELING TIGERS

BV students visit new places

ELLE MOULDER, 12 ARVADA, COLORADO

ALIYAH HAQ, 12 FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA

JUJU MAYERS, 12 YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

MAXINE BAKER, 11 SEATTLE, WASHINGTON

MORGAN WOLFE, 11 COZUMEL, MEXICO

RYLPI DONAHUE, 12 MALIBU CALIFORNIA

NICOLE CHENG, 11 NEW YORK, NEW YORK

RYDER CHRISTY, 11 EVERGREEN, COLORADO

Tiger community should help those in need in Johnson County

Johnson County, Kansas is commonly thought of as a place filled with “JoCo moms,” big half-million dollar homes and lake houses for the weekend.

Supposedly we’re the perfect picture of suburbia, but that isn’t the case for every resident — many don’t fit the stereotype of going to Cancun for Spring Break or stopping by Starbucks every morning

The total population of Johnson county is 597,574, according to Data USA, and out of that, 4.88% of those people are currently living in poverty

While nearly 5 percent does not seem like a large number in regards to a whole population, the total number of people comes to 29,162 people currently living in poverty.

On top of that 10.6% of the population in Johnson County was living with severe housing problems in 2022. The indicator grew by 0.286% since 2014.

The largest demographic living in poverty are females 18-24, followed by females 25-34 and then females 35-44.

Racial and ethnically, the largest group is white people, followed by Hispanic people and then black people.

While poverty is usually shown to disproportionately affect minorities it is important to remember that white people make up 80.2% of the population of Johnson County, while Hispanic people make up 7.52% of the population and black people make up 4.56% of the population.

Taking these numbers into consideration, minorities are still being disproportionately affected.

While experts say we are not technically in a recession right now, it’s no secret that prices are rising.

The price of milk at Walmart is anywhere from $3.22 to $8.34 as of August 2023. Even people who aren’t impoverished and never really have been are starting to feel the heat when it comes to the cost of living

Items that shouldn’t be seen as luxuries and should rather be seen as necessities such as period products are being cut out of people’s budget in favor of things like food and the electricity bill.

According to a survey by Period.org, one in every four teenagers have missed school or work due to a lack of period products.

The wage gap is getting larger across the United States, and Johnson County is no exception to that.

Of course there are ways to help combat this, such as donating to one of many food pantries that are easy to find on Johnson County’s government website, or donating to projects like “Equity.Period” which collects menstrual products for high schools in the Johnson County area. There are ways to help all around you if you just bother to look.

It’s easy to look at a statistic of 4.88% of people or 10.6% of people and say that it’s not that many. But in reality that is about 29,162 experiencing poverty and about 63,342 living with severe housing problems.

There are more than numbers behind this — there are real people. There is no shame in having luxuries like lake houses or taking a nice vacation — everyone wants those kinds of luxuries

But, we cannot ignore our own community’s shortcomings simply because it does not affect us.

editors-in-chief

Isaac Hudson

Ava McGuire

Rhylan Stern

assistant editor

Harris Jones

web editors

Jackie Chang

Ella Lim

photo editor

Ava McNiel

design editor

Katie Kennedy adviser

Michelle Huss

staff members

Gaby Ayres

Ashling

Bahadursingh

Dayna Bemiss

Ashley BrixeyThatcher

Isaac Burton

Amira Dvorak

Callie Dyches

Audrey Erickson

Colton Fieger

Aspen Gallentine

Miranda Henry

Emily Kozlowski

Michael Leach

Emma McAtee

Ryan Pribula

Olive Rolando

Marisa Ruth

Andrew Sharber

Nikoo Tahmasebi

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students six times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication.

“The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content. Letters should be submitted to Room 518, emailed to thetigerprint@gmail.com or mailed to:

The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th Street Overland Park, KS 66085

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