The Tiger Print — April 2004 by The Tiger Print

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13-15 13-15 Check out spring sports

Blue Valley High School • W th St • Stilwell Kan • Friday April

Stretching the dollar Board approves cuts to district expenses W

newseditor

maneezaiqbal hat does the future hold for Blue Valley? Increased class sizes. Less time for counselors to help kids. The possibility of athletes paying to play a sport. Why? Budget cuts. The Blue Valley Board of Education approved a $ 2 million district-wide budget cut for the next school year at a board meeting March 8. The Board will further discuss budget decisions at a Board meeting t h i s month. S t a t e wide, school districts are forced to make budget cuts because less state funding is available for schools. “The state funding for education is driven by the sales and income tax,” assistant superintendent Dr. Al Hanna said. “Since 9/11 the state economy has worsened. As consumers, we pulled back buying new cars and clothes. Businesses create a tougher job market. As unemployment increased, the state is not able to collect as much income tax.” The school board has already cut $ 7.5

Will student education be compromised?

million from the budget in the last three years. “Teachers usually felt a minor point [with the budget cuts],” Hanna said. “This is the first year teachers will feel the true bite of it.” A big bite was the board’s decision to increase the staff-to-student ratio from 18.0 to 18.5 in the high schools. This decision is expected to save $450,00. However, BV is growing. Next year, about 100 new students are expected to attend, but about two less teachers will be hired. The result: increase in average class size. Teachers will have to teach more students in a class compared to this year. At the other high schools, staffs are being trimmed. “[Students will have] less individual time with the teacher,” counselor Sandy Fryer said. “[Also] the teachers will have to make tougher decisions regarding the class.” The biggest fear: Will student education be compromised? According to the Kansas National Education Association (KNEA), Blue valley students are ranked among the top 10 of all national standards. However, the budget cuts would force the school to cut certain programs and classes. In the last several years enrollment fees and course fees have in-

Photo Illustration by Brandon Lutz

creased. Principal Dennis King said that the teachers would work as hard as they are to continue the quality of education. But the budget cuts could compromise that effort. “No doubt the quality of education will be affected,” Hanna said. “Work days decrease as class size increases. The painful budget cuts will have a huge impact. “ The board also reduced extended days contracts by 25 percent. These teachers will work fewer days, receive less pay while doing the same amount of work. Counselors and department chairs will have less time to work with students and set programs. Counselors usually come in during late summer in order to help students stay on track with four year plans. “The time [lost] is used to work with students and parents,” Fryer said. “[And] it bothers me that we won’t be able to help as many people that we traditionally used to.”

Students frequently come in to the office to find resources and receive help with schedules. However, 25 percent of the counselor’s days will be gone and so will the opportunities to provide help. “We’re so dedicated to our jobs and we hope for a reward or a pat on the back, but instead we get a pay cut,” Fryer said. Another option to ease budget cuts is having athletes pay a fee to play in a sport. However a decision will be made in a board meeting this Monday about that. “The board asked to develop a plan [and is] seriously looking at that [option],” Hanna said.

Drill team returns to world competition staffwriter

michaelacross

Above: The Open Guard waits for the music to begin at the Mid-America Regional Feb. 14, in Tulsa. Left: The A Guard hits their ending pose at the same competition.

weirdnews:

maneezaiqbal

BV organizes blood drive Blue Valley will host its bi-annual blood drive Tuesday, April 13 from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the auxiliary gym. Sign ups were this week and students that are 17 years old and weigh 110 lbs. or more are encouraged to donate. “One donation can save three lives,” blood drive organizer junior Kate Reno said. “The Community Blood Center isn’t getting enough blood and every donation is especially important now.”

he Drill Team will travel to San Diego, Calif. to compete in the Winterguard World Championships on Tuesday. The competition consists of a prelim, and if either of the teams makes it in the top five of their round, they will move on to the semifinals and compete again in hopes of placing in the top 15 to move on to finals. Last year, the Open Guard made it into the finals and placed fourteenth in the world, and they hope to do the same this year. “I’m excited for the Open Guard to hopefully make it into finals again and for the A Guard to do their best,” junior A Guard captain Larissa Sadler said. Prior to this competition, both teams traveled to regional competitions to better prepare themselves for this world-class competition.

The A Guard competed in Springfield, Mo. March 26 and placed second in the MCCGA championships. They hope that this accomplishment will help them for the world competition. The Open Guard traveled March 26 to Dayton, Ohio, to compete against guards in their own Open class. They placed fifth with a score of 79.8. They are currently ranked twenty-ninth in their class. Both teams are nervous about what the outcome may be. Only 30 teams will compete in semifinals, so this creates a worry for the Open Guard members. “There will be a lot of good competition out there,” senior officer Colleen Borner said. The good competition comes from a mixture of 32 states and four different countries making a total of 454 guard units.

Photographer files suit

Excuses, Excuses

In February, photographer Robert Levin filed a $50 million lawsuit against a waste management company for injuries he suffered while taking a picture from atop a trash truck of Ground Zero in New York. While Levin was taking the picture, the driver, not knowing he was on top, drove away, causing him to fall. Levin claimed this action was “failure to respect (my) rights as a pedestrian.” (Printed with permission from www.newsoftheweird.com)

“I caught the senior flu.” “It was daylight savings time.” “I had to take my dad to the airport.” The attendance office sorted through over 55 pages of absentees, including over 230 seniors, April 5, the Monday after Prom.

Senior Count Down: days

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PR I N T

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FRIDAY APRIL

Choir goes to New York City Beat.” Classy Ladies, an all-girl sophomore, junior and senior group, will perform four songs, including “Cabaret” and “Blue Skies.” Both groups began rehearsing in August, and have since added numbers into the group’s repertoire. Beside the performance obligation, the remaining time will be dedicated to sightseeing. For many, this will be their first visit to New York. “I love watching people’s faces when they step off the subway and see Times Square for the first time,” Choral director Marsha Moeller said, who took the Chamber Singers and Classy Ladies to New York in 2001. “This year we have lots of talented seniors who have never traveled with the BVHS choir.” “I can’t wait to experience the feel of New York,” senior Chamber Singers member Heather Wise said. “The city lights at night, the buildings -

just everything.” The students and their parents will stay close to Times Square in the Sheraton Towers. During the day, the group will have the option of taking a tour of the Empire State Building or NBC Studios. Others may wish to take dance classes at Broadway Dance Center, go shopping in Chinatown and SoHo. “I’m definitely excited to go shopping, of course,” senior Classy Ladies co-president Abbey Reinhardt said. “What girl isn’t excited for the shopping?” At night, the group will eat dinner at famous restaurants like Rock Hard Café, and attend at least two Broadway musicals during the weekend, including The Lion King, Hairspray and Chicago. “These kids are so wonderful that they make me want to travel and do things for them,” Moeller said. “I’m so proud of their performance level. It’s a fun group.”

C h a m b e r Singers practice “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the musical Hairspray in preparation for New York. “You Can’t Stop the Beat” is the most dance intensive song the group will perform. photo by Kristen Palmer

2 for 1

Spring play cast will perform two plays for BV audience

staffwriter

katieabrahamson

udiences of the Spring Play will be treated to two, one-act plays in one night at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22 through Saturday, April 24 in the PAC. The Midnight Caller and Blind Date combine to form An Evening of Horton Foote. According to teacher Dan Schmidt, director of The Midnight Caller, An Evening of Horton Foote contains character-based comedy, and makes the audience ask themselves what they would have done in these situations. The Midnight Caller The Midnight Caller takes place in the early 1950’s in a Harrison, Texas boarding house for women. Rumor has it that the new girl, Helen, (sophomore Laura Cline) receives visits from her ex-boyfriend Harvey (junior Brady Skjervm) nightly. The play deals with the relationship between Helen and Harvey, along with the boarding home women.

“Horton Foote has a great sense of place,” Schmidt said. “Many of his plays are set in the same small Texan town. His plays are very low-key and funny, but also have a comforting, homey feeling. The audience may have even driven through a small town exactly like this one [The Midnight Caller], and can recognize the characters. His plays are different - almost ‘movielike.’ They are by no means big and broad, but they are still very light.” The cast, comprised of all grades, began rehearsals in early March. For some, performing in The Midnight Caller will be their main-stage play debut. Other cast members include senior Kadie McNiel (Miss Rowena), juniors Britney Chrisco (Alma Jean) and Zak Smith (Ralph), sophomore Amanda Castanon (Mrs. Crawford) and freshmen Alex Matteo (Cutie). Blind Date Blind Date also takes place in 1930s in Harrison, Texas.

Dolores, (junior Mandie Payton) an overbearing aunt, schedules a date for her niece, Sarah Nancy (senior Becca Bedell). Blind Date is a humorous look at the effects of dating and the relationship between an aunt and her niece. According to senior Michael Stevens, director, Blind Date is easy to relate to and is humorous. “This is my chance to be on the other side of things for a change,” Stevens said. “I now realize that the relationship between actor and director are the key to creativity. Through directing, I’ve learned to maintain contagious enthusiasm. If I’ve had a bad day, I can’t bring it to rehearsal because then the other actors will lose their enthusiasm.” “Rehearsals are very relaxing,” Bedell said. ‘It is easy to follow his directions because he makes it fun, and at the same time, we all respect him.” Other cast members include juniors Steven Karlin (Felix) and Dan McGillivray (Robert).

newsnotes Benson goes to Ladue District maneezaiqbal

staffwriter

hile juniors and seniors are participating in Community Service Day, the Chamber Singers and Classy Ladies will be visiting the city that never sleeps: New York. Fifty-three students and 32 parents depart for New York on Thursday, to perform in a choral festival and to sightsee. The Chamber Singers and Classy Ladies, along with seven east coast groups, will perform in the Festivals of Music in Madison, N.J. Nationally-recognized judges will adjudicate the groups on a rating system. “It will be interesting to see how we stand at a national level,” senior Chamber Singers member Kimber Van Cleve said. Chamber Singers, an upperclassmen group, will perform six songs, including “42nd Street” and “You Can’t Stop the

Blue Valley Superintendent David Benson retired recently after 11 years of service in the Blue Valley School District and accepted the superintendent’s position in the Ladue District, outside of St. Louis, Mo. After a nationwide search for a new superintendent, the Ladue Board selected Benson because of his reputation as a collaborator and team builder. Benson will officially begin as Superintendent of Schools in Ladue on July 1. Benson signed a three-year contract with a base salary of $ 180,000. “The Ladue School District has the support of the community, and its schools hold a track record of outstanding performance and traditions. I’m looking forward to beginning this next phase of my career and the opportunity to provide educational services to the Ladue community,” Benson said. “However, we have a lot to accomplish in the next three months in Blue Valley, and I will stay engaged in that process.”

NHS inducts new members

National Honor Society (NHS) inducted 100 new members on Tuesday, April 6. The members participated in the traditional candle ceremony and were officially inducted after they took the NHS oath. The members needed to get recommendations from teachers and activity sponsors and well as fill out applications. Members are selected on their display of scholarship, leadership, character and service. New members include : Ala Abdel-Halim, Shay Alford, Katherine Anderson, Austin Apple, Kevin Atherton, Kathleen Ayers, Danielle Bacon, Kelly Baker, Andrew Baldwin, Darcey Ball, Jennifer Bantham, Robert Bernard, Katherine Beye, Nicholas Biagioli, Andrew Blann, Kyle Boomer, David Borgerding, Aaron Brockmeyer, Marissa Brooks, Emily Bruschi, Jennifer Burki, Stacey Castor, Laura Cecil, Rachel Cecil, Katie Chinery, Mark Chinery, Michael Cobb, Diane Copeland, Krista Coulas, Erika Crews, Michaela Cross, Kaitlyn Davidson, Sara Erickson, Veronica Foltz, Kim Foster, Theresa Fox, Hillary Freeman, Emily Funk, Michael Gari, Michelle Geary, Todor Gogov, Stacy Griffin, Danielle Hamilton, Kayla Harrison, Jenny Hartz, Leanah Heather, Jeff Heine, Lucas Heinrich, Lauren Heist, Kimberly Hieber, Connor Humphrey, Maneeza Iqbal, Megan Johnson, Michael Johnson, Steven Karlin, Sara Kellermen, Esther Kim, Michelle Kim, Sean Kosednar, Emily Kramer, Chris Lee, Domenick Leto, Kaitlin Loughlin, Daniel McGillivray, Jeffrey McMullin, Scott McQuinn, Sarah McRoberts, Colin Mermey Anthony Miller, Christina Miller, Tanner Miller, Kaitlin Morris, Andrew Naglich, Arsalan Nazir, Lyndsey O’Malley, Amanda Payton, Michael Pittman, Meredith Plumley, Alicia Pollock, Katherine Reno, Kyle Rogers, Powell Runyon, Larissa Sadler, Sandra Sauer, Amanda Schiappacasse, Michael Schober, Katherine Schute, Adil Shabbir, Rehaan Shaffie, Lisa Skultety, Ashley Steele, David Tafreshi, Ellen Tangen, Kristen Trum, Jay Vaglio, Richard Van Trump, Andrew Vance, Ryan Wallace, Christine Wang and Melissa Webb.

maneezaiqbal

katieabrahamson

You’re Invited to…

7:54 p.m. every Monday night starting Feb. 2 at The Conveyor (151st and Travis/Metcalf).

Come see for yourself, it’s not like anything else.

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FRIDAY APRIL

ept. 11, 2001 is now long passed, but the repercus sions are still visible in poli tics today. What did the Bush administration know, and what could they have prevented? These are two of the many questions currently before a senate commission investigating the events surrounding 911. The commission began holding hearings when it became apparent that defense agencies weren’t working closely prior to the attacks. In light of the recent accusations of former white house counterterrorism chief Richard Clarke in his book Against All Enemies: Inside America’s War on Terror that the administration could have done more to prevent the terrorists from striking American interests, the commission has shifted its attention to the practices of the Bush administration before and after the attacks. After Clarke’s statements became public, Vice President Dick Cheney contended that Clarke, a holdover from the Reagan, Bush Sr. and Clinton administrations, had been “out of the loop” before the attacks in 2001. Rice disputes this statement, but disagrees with Clarke’s opinion that the administration “failed” the American people. In his interview with the commission, Clarke apologized to families of Sept. 11 victims saying, “Your government failed you ... and I failed you. We tried hard, but that doesn’t matter because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask ... for your understanding and for your forgiveness.” Clark went on to claim that the Bush administration ignored terrorism before 9-11 and that he finds it outrageous that Bush is running for re-election based on his performance in the fight against terrorism. “I think he’s done a terrible job,” Clarke said. After much debate Bush’s National Security council Condoleeza Rice will testify before the commission. In a tagteam approach, President George W. Bush and Cheney will also testify, but not under oath.

PR I N T

Community

to the

Students’ Relay for Life to fund cancer research brandonmurray-mazany

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opinionseditor

kylerogers

Back giving O

n April 23 Blue Valley will host its first annual Relay for Life, sponsored by the American Cancer Society. The Youth Relay for Life is a 12-hour event in which teams of eight to 10 take laps around the BV track to raise money for cancer research. The fundraiser will begin at 7 p.m. and end at 7 a.m. Heading the relay is senior Sameera Ali. “This is our first year doing this at Blue Valley,” Ali said. “I am excited to see the turnout.” Also working at the relay are seniors Lindsay Pond and Dani Hurst, who are in charge of activities. Senior Jordan Love is in charge of chaperones, freshman Jeff Tangney is in charge of dis-

tributing cancer information at the relay, junior Mandy Payton is in charge of inviting cancer survivors to the relay as well as the survival ceremony, and junior Kate Reno is also in charge of the survival ceremony. The pre-party kicks off at at 6 p.m., with a ceremony and a banquet to honor cancer survivors, victims and deceased; other activities conclude the following morning. The event will have a DJ at the opening ceremony, but due to Blue Valley High School’s neighbors, he will not be staying throughout the night. The banquet food, catered by Jason Acurso Deli on the Plaza, will include subs, lasagna, salad and other deli items, and will be free to all attendees. “The Cancer Society members and

survivors will be given sashes as well as a gift certificate to their favorite restaurant,” junior Mandy Payton said. “At the banquet the American Cancer Society will talk about what they do and survivors of cancer will speak.” Although this is the first year that the Relay for Life will be hosted at Blue Valley, it is almost sure not to be the last. “Hopefully it will go on for awhile,” Payton said. “This year will go pretty well, but in the next few years it should expand and we will get more participants, as long as there are no neighborhood complaints.” “All of the money collected goes directly to the American Cancer Society,” Payton said. “We are hoping for around $5,000, but more would be great.”

Juniors seniors to help out during service day michaelacross

staffwriter

Commission examines 9-11

T HE TIGER

eniors and juniors will participate in Community Service Day on April 16 at various locations throughout Kansas City. Community Service Day has been a tradition for four years. After one year when the entire school participated, it now includes only seniors and juniors. “This is our third year of only juniors and seniors,” Nancy Kissel said. “The seniors this year (also) participated in the all school Community Service Day.” Each student gets the opportunity to choose the location from a list for their service. Most students prefer to have a group of friends work in one place as a fun activity. “The juniors are excited,” Nancy Kissel said. “The people that I’ve talked to

[signed up] with their friends to do something different.” Places like the Kansas City Zoo, Oakride Stables and various parks, like Heritage Park, offer volunteer opportunities for students. Jobs like picking up trash and painting are offered to volunteers at the parks and when students aren’t picking up trash, they might have downtime to eat and play ball. The day consists of all attending juniors and seniors to report at 7:45 a.m. in the gym and then, after necessary information is received, students separate and leave, heading toward their sites. All students are then to report back to the school at 2:15 to watch a video compilation of the day and win door prizes. Door prizes include a gas card and other similar certificates.

Senior Matt Cantin signs up for Community Service Day on April 16. Juniors and seniors chose from a variety of locations to volunteer. Locations include the Kansas City Zoo, the Arboretum, the Heartland Book Bank, Village Food Pantry, Peacemaking Academy, Salvation Army, Ernie Miller Park, Olathe Police Department, Heartland Therapeutic Riding Center and Oakridge Stables. photo by Kristen Palmer

T HE TIGER

opinion

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FRIDAY APRIL

It is SeniorITIS: ‘Disease’ hits class of 2004 harder late in year theISH

austinisham

chose to write this story about senioritis and immediately after that I began thinking about how long I could put off writing it and still be able to turn it in on time. How cliche. To describe the made-up term “senioritis” is difficult, to say the least. This complex feeling of nothing has been baffling teachers for years. In a feeble attempt to describe it, one would say that senioritis is a bug that crawls into an unsuspecting brain and makes time slow down; it makes the victim a little sleepy, and it makes the words “I have Senioritis” drone in his or her brain. Underclassmen say they have it and giggle, but they don’t have the foggiest of what it’s about. If they truly did have senioritis they would not giggle;

in fact, having senioritis for longer than a year would send you into a spiraling depression and may even lead to one’s eventual dropping out of school. Studies have shown if you put a lab rat in a tunnel, the rat will walk toward the light at the end of the tunnel no matter how far away it is. You see, senior year is like that tunnel; no matter how much you want to stop, you keep going at whatever pace you’re being dragged. Spring Break is no help to this disease. This taste of summer that is spring break only fuels this desire to make something, that we have no control over, end. Having this disease is like hanging from the monkey bars over a pit of hot lava. Since the feeling cannot be described using funny little analogies, I will put it literally in my “Senioritis is” list: Senioritis is spending more time thinking about

why you can’t complete a task right now, than you would have spent on the actual task. Senioritis is when the thought “if I can only keep my heart beating for two more months, I will graduate,” enters your mind. Senioritis is barely graduating with the minimum credit requirements even though you only took three hours a day second semester. As you can see, senioritis is hard to explain, but when it hits you, you will know it. That’s a promise.

“Having this disease is like hanging from the monkey bars over a pit of hot lava.”

Staff Editorial

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Blue Valley High School

6001 W. 159th Street Stilwell, Kan. 66085 (913) 239-4946 The_Tiger_Print@yahoo.com

Staff ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Managing Editor~ Lindsay Pond Opinions Editor~ Kyle Rogers News Editor~ Maneeza Iqbal Sports Editors~ Kevin Loftus & Brandon MurrayMazany Entertainment Editor~ Mike Johnson Features Editor~ Andrew Robinson Assistant Opinions Editor~ Adam Lary Advertising Manager~ Kim Hieber Adviser~ Susan Agee Reporters~ Sam Boyd Adam Lary, Katie Abrahamson, Chris Bubeck, Nick Speed, Austin Isham, Michaela Cross, Dusty Riedesel, Matt Galloway Photographers~ Kristen Palmer, Brandon Lutz & Jamie Hisle Artist~ Kelly Baker 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 administration or Blue Valley School District # 229.

There’s no snow; let us go Why must Blue Valley make us go into June when we will have already completed the number of hours required by the state?

s school winds down, students get excited that the school year will conclude in May, right before summer, right? Wrong. Due to four snow days, students will get out on June 3, rather than the original May 28. Is this three-day extension really necessary? No, and here is why. Currently, the state requires that students attend 1,116 hours per year. But in the BV district we annually spend approximately 1,140 in class. Do the subtraction and you come up with the number 24. BV spends 24 more hours at school than others in the state, but why? That’s tacking on three days to the already lengthy school year. That BV has exceeded the state’s requirements for hours in the classroom is reason enough to dismiss in May, but the extra days serve no useful purpose, especially at the

high school level. First of all, 25 percent of high school students will not make up these days. Graduation venues are booked and the dates have been set. The seniors don’t make up days. But let us not forget the juniors and sophomores. Many of these students take at least one AP class. These dates will not change either. The curriculum must be covered,

preparations for the test will take place and the test administered on the established dates. Adding three days at the end of the year doesn’t help. But it’s not only advanced placement students who are affected. So are many of the performance class students as well. Band and dance team festival and contest dates aren’t changed. Yearbook staff members

couldn’t postpone their deadlines. These students came in after-hours to make up for lost time. Again, days tagged on at the end of the year are superfluous. Wanting to exceed the minimum is an honorable goal for school officials. But adding hours or days to a school year when most goals have been accomplished is a waste of time.

T HE TIGER

opinion

FRIDAY APRIL

PR I N T

Sound Off: Students recall Prom night, ‘A Masquerade’ “After-Prom was a lot of fun.”

“I just tried to stay up with my date, Lauren Heist. We had a great time.”

“I learned how to play craps and now I have to call 1-888-BETSOFF.”

junior Michael Pittman

junior Kathleen Ayers

“It was nice to see everyone having a good time.”

junior Katie Anderson

senior Lindsey McAtee photo poll compiled by Brandon Lutz

The ‘perfect’ date — does she exist? Will Riedesel find her? dustyriedesel

staffwriter

ight now is actually about three seconds ago considering the time it took to type this statement explaining that right now was three seconds ago. By the time you read this, right now is over a week ago. Anyway, I’m sitting at my computer right now typing this article about the perfect prom date. This is actually the third time I’ve tried to mold this woman out of words. The first girl started out successfully, but she ended up as shallow as a baby pool, and I would prefer a girl that makes me put some floaties on. I would have needed a submarine for the second girl. She was essentially perfect, an

intellectual Goliath, a colossus of humor and a goddess of beauty with a sense of self-awareness and humility that would send Jiminy Cricket to the roach motel. She was more than any mortal woman could ever aspire to be, in my mind, perfect. Then I asked my little brother, freshman A.J. Riedesel, what he thought would make a perfect prom date. “Dude, I just want her to keep it real,” he said. I didn’t know what that meant, but it didn’t sound like Albert Einstein, Will Farrell and Mother Theresa all thrown into Cameron Diaz’s body. I scrapped Wonder Woman and reached an understanding. I couldn’t write an article on the perfect prom date because

there isn’t one. There are hundreds. For me, I want a girl that is pretty, conversationally stimulating, not concerned with impressing others, and knows how to have fun from pickup to party. I’m writing this before the dance, but I know that my date, Hilary Clack, is all of the above. Everyone has his or her own criteria for a date, and I’m sure that nearly every date fulfills the respective requirements (why else would they have been asked?). That’s about as good as it gets, and isn’t that the definition of perfect? Senior Dusty Riedesel dances It is for right now. with ‘perfect’ date Hilary Clack at Prom last Saturday

United States military understated and misunderstood; citizens misinformed entertainmenteditor

michaeljohnson

uch of today’s generation is misinformed about the military. People have the general conception that it is for high school graduates with no future plans, who enlist because they can’t get into college. This is no longer true. Students should open their eyes to the new career and benefit opportunities now offered by the military. The first thing to realize is that the opportunities are endless. Each branch includes numerous programs that hand out education, money, retirement, healthcare benefits, job security, etc., all while allowing exploration of the world. These programs are designed to help enlisters achieve the rank of an officer while building a strong future, exploring a larger world and embracing responsibility. Most of the time, the risks of danger are minimal if set up in the right program, because much of the military now revolves around intelligence operations dealing with computers and various types of technology, rather than combat. With worries of danger aside, what does the military do for its enlistees? Job security is the main ad-

vantage. According to navy recruiter Captain Maury, college degrees are becoming less valuable in today’s world. People graduate from college with a good major and find themselves asking, “now what?” Some may not find jobs; or some may establish a career, only to be laid off when the company fails. These risks are diminished once the name is signed on the enlistment contract. If all requirements are met, the military will take care of its enlistees for the rest of his life, whether it be through retirement or healthcare. However, all benefits must be earned. Now that the job is secure, what kinds of jobs are offered? Careers in the military center around anything the enlistee wants to do. Talk to a recruiter if interested. For those who still want careers through a college degree with the security of the military, apply for programs such as the Medical Enlisted Commissioning Program (MECP), which leads to a degree in medicine while still obtaining military benefits. Another is the Corman Program, which is a nursing program similar to the MECP. Apart from the hospital setting, the Submariners Program offers a free $300,000 degree in nuclear engineering after serving in a submarine. This program is highly competitive. Now that the job is chosen, and of course secure, and

“The opportunities are endless.”

all required active duty is served, many benefits are now available. It starts with 30 days of paid vacation while serving in active duty. Medical and dental care is provided for life, free or low-cost entertainment and recreation facilities are offered while serving, housing and food allowances are taken care of while serving, and an excellent retirement program can be obtained with the 20 qualifying years of service. All of this may seem too good to be true. There are a few things the recruiters won’t mention when trying to “sell” a career. There are many qualifications including physical examinations, the ASVAP test, the language aptitude test, general ACT scores, high school GPA, etc. that limit the number of applicants into more specialized programs. If one cannot pass one of these to qualify into the program of choice, the recruiter will encourage one to sign as “open.” The military can assign these enlistees to anything. Enlistees can also expect to spend a significant amount of time away from home; the good side of that is that they’ll be exploring parts of the world thought to be possible. A drawback is that although safety has come a long way in certain military aspects, it is all still a part of the “armed forces.” Risks of war, injury and death are still possible. However, this should not scare anyone from exploring the adventure of a lifetime.

T HE TIGER

opinion

PR I N T

FRIDAY APRIL

Student Voice

The Tiger Print opened the editorial pages up to student submission, and the folowing are two of the entries received. We select well writen works that concern the students at Blue Valley.

Morning-after pill may be better option juniorAPCAIII

katieloughlin

very year in the United States, women become victims of rape. As a result of those rapes, babies are born and babies are aborted. These events all have serious effects on society. Rape is unpreventable. However, with today’s technology, the potential outcome of an unwanted pregnancy is preventable. The morning-after pill was made available over the counter Dec. 19, 2003. This pill, also known as “Plan B,” has been available by prescription only since 1999. If this pill is taken up to 72 hours after unprotected sex, it can reduce the risk of pregnancy by 89 percent. The morning-after pill should remain available over the counter in pharmacies throughout the United States. First, the popular conception of the morning-after pill is misleading. Many consider the morning-after pill to be a form of chemical abortion. Although the definition of abortion can differ from person to person, the most widely accepted definition is “the killing of a fertilized embryo.” The morningafter pill blocks ovulation and prevents fertilization of an egg, therefore preventing pregnancy. However, the morning-after pill cannot destroy a fertilized egg. The president of Planned Parenthood, Gloria Felt, reminds us that, “If a women is already pregnant, in fact, [Plan B] won’t work.” Paul Blumenthal, the associate professor in obstetrics and gynecology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore confirms, “This is a real win-win situation. This is the prevention of unintended preg-

“Because the pill pre vents the pregnancy rather than ending it the morning after pill holds true to its name It is a form of birth control simply used the morning af ter ”

nancy, not interruption of unintended pregnancy.” However, policy director of Concerned Women for America, Wendy Wight, insists that the stopping of implantation is the same as an abortion. This idea seems to put all contraceptives in the category of abortion. Is using a condom an abortion? Traditional birth control pills prevent fertilization in the same way as Plan B, yet birth control pills are not controversial. To clear up any other misconceptions, “Plan B” should not be confused with RU-486, an abortion pill that can be taken within the first seven weeks of pregnancy. Because the pill prevents the pregnancy, rather than ending it, the morning-after pill holds true to its name. It is a form of birth control simply used the morning after. By providing the morning-after pill overthe-counter, fewer women will be forced to cope with the side effects linked with abortion. Worse yet, recent studies show that abortion can lead to substance abuse, child abuse and suicide. The Christian Science Monitor recently state, “...having the emergency contraception pills available in the pharmacies right next to condoms could reduce by half the 3 million-plus unwanted pregnancies in the U.S. each year. One study already found that in 2000, when it was only available with a prescription, 51,000 abortions were prevented by its use.” Abortions could soon be a thing of the past, courtesy of the morning-after pill. The next issue is privacy. In many instances, a consumer of the morning-after pill would be a rape victim. According to the National Institute of Justice and Center for Disease Control and Prevention, “One out of every six American women has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape in their lifetime.” Many women are too embarrassed to consult a doctor after an assault. These women deserve the freedom to confidentially purchase the morning-after pill. With the power to purchase, they maintain control over their futures. Though they did not have control over the rape, they can control the outcome; the assaulter’s attempt to alter his victim’s life forever is denied. Many women

will benefit from the convenience of offering the pill over the counter. The morning-after pill was never intended to be used alone as a method of contraceptive. This pill has been affectionately named the one-night-stand pill by its opposition. The opponents suggest that making Plan B available over the counter sends out a message of false security. They believe couples will stop necessary precautions and find comfort knowing they can “fix it in the morning.” Mia Freedman insists, “To suggest that making [Plan B] more easily available will encourage women to be more promiscuous is as absurd as suggesting that selling condoms in supermarkets will do the same.” Freedman adds, “This issue is not about promiscuity. It is purely about preventing unwanted pregnancies and preventing more women from having to undergo abortions after a contraceptive accident.” Accidents are likely to happen to a married couple just as often as anyone else. A married couple could be taking all necessary precautions and, for instance, the condom could break. Who is to say that is this woman is not ready for a child her only available option is an abortion? This drug allows women to have continued control over their bodies in case of such an emergency. Knowing that accidents will undoubtedly happen, the pill can be seen as an answer to a long list of “what ifs.” Not offering the morning-after pill denies a woman control over her fertility. The morning-after pill is needed in today’s society. In the future, when other contraceptive methods become 100 percent effective, women are never assaulted and no one makes mistakes, the morning-after pill will not be necessary. Even though the morning-after pill is only 89 percent effective, that is still 89 out of 100 unwanted babies prevented. Understanding that these 89 babies never had the potential of receiving the love that every child deserves puts the statistics back into perspective. The morning-after pill prevents 89 out of 100 scared women from needing to consider the dangerous process of aborting their babies. The safety and lives of women and children are the true reasoning behind the pill.

Electric cars cleaner, more efficient I sarahjohnson

juniorCAIII

magine driving through the beautiful countryside of Utah enjoying the view of the Rocky Mountains. Coming upon the town of Salt Lake City, a huge cloud of smog hovers above it. You think to yourself, “That really takes away from this amazing landscape.” The smog, caused by the emissions from gas-powered cars, comprise this ugly haze. That is why everyone should drive electrically powered or gas-electric hybrid cars. One of the main reasons to drive an electric car is because there are no polluting emissions. The gasses released from the use of gas-powered cars are comprised of CFC’s, carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide, methane and nitrogen oxide. They also produce the deadly gas carbon monoxide. According to the

American Lung Association, this pollution kills between 60,000 and 120,000 people in the United States every year. It also causes $93 billon worth of medical bills. Electric cars create no polluting emissions and are up to 98 percent cleaner than gas-powered cars. The benefit to the environment of a car with no harmful emissions is enormous. Another advantage of driving an electric vehicle is lower upkeep and maintenance costs. Gas-powered vehicles have more parts that need continual check-ups and maintenance than electric cars. Gas-powered vehicles have fuel injectors, carburetors, mufflers, fuel pumps and distributors, all of which can fail. Electric cars also require no emissions control systems, which is one of the most expensive maintenance costs of gas-powered cars. There are no oil changes or tune-ups

for electric cars. Overall, the cost for driving an electric car is, on average, about 30 percent less than that of gaspowered cars. One other reason why electric vehicles are more efficient than gas cars is noise pollution. Gas-powered cars use a combustion engine, which is noisy and can be a nuisance. An electric car’s engine runs on batteries and is considerably quieter than a gas car. One of the only disadvantages of electric cars is their range. They can only travel about one hundred miles per charge. The average urban trip in the car is less than five miles; if this is taken into mind, then that is no big deal. Another reason to drive an electric car is because it is the wave of the future. In California, any manufacturer that sells gas-powered cars must also have electric cars available. The price of an

electric car is about $17,000. Many electric car enthusiasts have already converted their gas cars to electric. Converting a gas car to an electric one costs about $10,000. This is much cheaper than buying anew gas-powered car. Since electric cars are more efficient than gas ones, they are expected to last over 500,000 miles rather than a gas motors’ measly 100,000 miles. Therefore, electric cars are a better buy for the money. Now imagine driving through Salt Lake City and seeing no smog or pollution; it looks much nicer. Electric cars are good for the environment and have no harmful emissions. They are more cost efficient than gas cars. They are cheaper to buy and maintain. The benefits of electric cars far outweigh the disadvantages. Overall, electric cars would be a wiser choice as a mode of transportation.

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T HE TIGER

The Perfect Fit for Fashion Flip Flops: Cheap and casual

Shoes essential part of outfit kimhieber

staffwriter

michaelacross

From rubber to Reebok, shoes make history andrewrobinson

andals, clogs, mocks, flip-flops, and sneakers, what do they all have in common? Well they’re shoes, and date back to the time of Mesopotamia. The most commonly seen shoe found during the times of Mesopotamia were sandals, and believe it or not, there was no difference between the left and the right, Between the times of Mesopotamia and the early 1900’s the shoes were simple and the most popular form were the moccasins. But at the turn of the century shoes became more fashionable, got rid of some of the ridges and for the most part were only found in colors of brown and black. Massachusetts established itself as the shoe-making center . As the century continued to roll, boots made their entrance into the shoe market, some

featureseditor

staffwriter

hoes, in the last century, have become a major key part to the fashion of our country. Instead of a basic pair that will get one through the week, shoes now come in millions of brands, in millions of styles, in millions of colors. Shoes have become a national fetish. It used to be that shoes were just plain black or brown in color with usually a buckle to hold them on. In the last century or so, new shoes have emerged. Now there are shoes with Velcro, ties, lights and bows. You name it, it’s been made. A plain sandal is not just a plain sandal anymore. They now come in tons of different styles. There are woven sandals, thong sandals, high-heel sandals and even strap sandals. The latest fashion emerging for sandals is the “highheel flip-flop.” Tennis shoes have evolved in the last century. There are now low-top and high-top ones available with ties or no ties. Slip-ons are very popular lately as they require no type of work to bind them onto the foot. “Skater” shoes have become very stylish in the past year for both genders as stores.. Brands are an important part of our society today. For shoes, the hottest ones include Doc Marten, Nike, Adidas, Hush Puppies, New Balance and more. The brands are available at a wide range of stores including cheaper stores like Kohls to the more expensive stores like Nine West. Shoes have become a very essential part to every person’s outfit. Instead of owning one pair, women and men alike own over ten. It’s insane. This fetish will continue to evolve over the years and one can only dream of what the world will come up with next.

were flat, and some were heeled. In the 1960’s people had choices, there were pointed English mod shoes with wild colors, sneakers used for athletics, Italian shoes to go with European cut suits; the choices really were abundant. With the 1970’s came disco, Elton John and running shoes. The athletic craze was just beginning as Nike introduced a shoe produced from a waffle iron. That led Nike to productions for all athletic markets besides the already waffle shaped sole for running. In the 1980’s Boy George, Michael Jackson and Madonna all brought new trends to the entertainment world, and from the entertainment world and the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High came the popular patterned Vans, which are now used mostly for skateboarding. It wasn’t just the movies bringing us new fads

but also the sports world as the Converse All-Stars hit the shelves, the same Converse that the popular Dr. Julius Erving was wearing at the time he competed for the Los Angeles Lakers. And finally the ‘90s, Doc Marten’s hit the market as a stylish alternative to wear with the casual blue jean look. Outlandish platforms in even more outlandish colors also made their way into the shoe market. Athletic shoes continued to gain popularity and even were blamed for gang violence during the decade. New looks and flip-flops also had a large impact on society, especially since flip-flops had the ability to be worn with anything. Now that shoes have been tied to the last century, people can begin to lace up for another century of wild fashions, and more “sole” power to change the world.

oris can be traced back to being worn over twelve hundred years ago. Today, most everyone owns a pair and they can be seen throughout school halls and in stores. So, what really are zoris? Flip-flops are what these popular, plastic sandals were named when they became widely known after World War II. Before the United States became accustomed to these beach shoes, the Japanese had been wearing them for centuries. They are traditionally made of tightly woven straw or reeds with a cloth thong. They are also traditionally worn with a cotton tabi, which is a sock with the big toe separated from the rest of the toes to fit the shape of the shoe. The shoes easily fit the Japanese lifestyle as they remove their shoes before entering their homes. The shoes are easily accessible and can be slipped off at any moment. Finally, in the 1950’s, the U.S. started entertaining the beachwear trend and marketed the shoes out of plastic or rubber to be worn with a bathing suit. They were very popular with surfers and vacationers. Today, the shoes are marketed as cheap, casual and convenient and also come in bright and trendy colors to sell to the younger crowds.

T HE TIGER

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Which featureseditor

andrewrobinson

n the competitive wor on the market for con Personal Computers. computer, when looking at of its own.

toys of today staffwriter

mattgalloway

n the immortal words of Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, the machines are coming. Only this time, they’re coming to make our lives a whole lot easier. New technological advancements have been made in the robotic field for the benefit of humankind. Intelligent, mobile robots perform simple tasks that would normally earn an allowance, but no need to pay these machines. They could soon become a multibilliondollar market in only a few years. The first must-see robot is the iRobot Roomba, a self-propelled vacuum cleaner that sells for around $200. Its sensor avoids objects in front of it so it doesn’t bust a hole through one’s wall. Say goodbye to maids at hotels; it’s easy to travel with because of its small and compact size. Inventors are also targeting the health care market. A man who many consider the father of robots, Joe Engelberger, is trying to get funding to build robots that will dress, cook for and basically take care of senior citizens. “Nursing homes or live-in help is expensive, and you have personality conflicts,” Engelberger said. “The technology is available. It takes very good engineering but it does not take invention.” In addition to those, there are also robots created personally to drive harvesters, clear out sewer lines, clean up nuclear waste and fight other robots. No one knows what the future holds for these hitech creations, but one thing is for sure: there’s no off switch to this robotic revolution.

toys of tomorrow adamlary

opinionseditor

technology

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magine a microchip implanted under your skin that detects illnesses and automatically releases medicine and antibiotics to fight it. Or how about a watch that gives weather and traffic updates? What about “touchable” holograms? Believe it or not, these technologies, among others, are not as far off as one might think. Here are just a few of the emerging technologies listed on PCmag.com. Microsoft’s new Smart Personal Objects Technology (SPOT) uses a microchip that can be built into anything from watches to refrigerator magnets. Using a low-bandwidth data channel, SPOT can receive data from FM radio towers, transmitted at about 12Kbps, giving it information on the time, weather, stocks news, and even traffic situations. The technology will first appear this fall in watches from Fossil, Citizen Watch Company and Suunto Corp. Biosensors are another technology in the not-sodistant future. In fact, some are already in use in hospitals. I-Stat’s “lab on a chip” can almost instantly detect a heart attack in a patient by testing blood chemistry. Other companies are developing implants that track blood glucose levels and deliver

Photo by Kristen Palmer and Jamie Hisle.

insulin. Though these external biosensors are already in use, internal biosensors are to be expected within 10 years. Presently, the main application concerns biowarfare. Within the next year, Sandia National Laboratories is expected to complete a system that will detect biotoxins in five minutes. The system is expected to be placed in the Boston subway. It may also be eventually placed in military uniforms. Manufacturers worry that a malfunction could cause a false alarm. Even so, the benefits could outweigh the detriments. Ever wanted to reach out and touch the image on the computer screen? Or physically interact with characters in a movie? While that may be a little further down the road, a new technology developed by BT Exact could shed some light on the subject. Using 3-D scanners and special monitors, the new technology can send hap tic sensations (the sense of touch) over the Internet. Though the prototype is already under way, it may still be a few years before it hits the market. This development could lead to interactive holograms and more realistic virtual reality, a dream come true for gamers everywhere. With these and more technologies to look forward to, the future seems brighter than ever before.

ca u

A o w 17 fo th o

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h is better?

ld of computers there are two main types out nsumers to purchase. There are Apples and Although the Apple is a form of a personal its specifications, the Apple falls into a category

mac or pc T

Drop the gadgets

Society relies too much on technology, staff writer Chris Bubeck says

chrisbubeck hen was the last time you caught yourself getting down into the nitty gritty with your bare hands? When was the last time that you put a little elbow grease into your work instead of calling an 800 number to buy the year ’s latest contraption? Let’s face it, the world is bent on technology. Technology has become a part of virtually everyone’s everyday life. We depend on it as a key to our survival. Everyday it seems that we’re trying to make things quicker, smarter and lower maintenance. We have word programs that guess our successive keystrokes, car manufacturers that put out cars with the simple touch of a button to set it in motion and homeautomated systems are set to our personalities. People don’t even read maps anymore. They just float through life on the wings of their navigation systems, totally dependent on something that could fail at any point in time. The direction in which we are moving is obvious. We’re moving

staffwriter

pple currently claims that the G5 is the fastest computer for its category. Apple also offers the iMac, which can also be seen in Journalism and digital rooms at Blue Valley because of their apabilities when it comes to desktop publishing. The Apples are often sed for digital editing as well in Broadcasting classes. When thinking about purchasing an iMac there are three types that Apple offers. There is the 15-inch, 17-inch and 20-inch screens. Each ffer the same options, but the biggest difference in that you will see when looking at the stylish iMacs are the 1.25Ghz that are offered in the 7-inch and 20-inch computers. The 15-inch only offers 1Ghz. The prices or the iMacs are up in the $1200’s at starting prices and can get up into he $2100’s. The iMacs also include iMovie and iTunes, as well as iDVD n all the iMacs, as it comes standard with the computer.

hen there are the Personal Computer Desktops which range in price from the $700’s up into the $2200’s. What makes these computers different from those of Apples are the PC’s often come in a bundled package including printers and scanners. So for your money the PC’s found at the more popular retailers are the better deals. But as for desktop publishing and video the Apples take the cake. Both computers have their advantages. The best computer is determined by the consumer’s need.

toward dependency; we’re becoming lazy. What would happen to the human race if we all put our cell phones into one big pile and burned them to the ground? Would the world stop turning? Would many of us be able to keep our everyday lives going along their steady path? Not that technology isn’t fun, isn’t helpful, isn’t profitable. I’d agree with all these statements. It’s when everyday skills are replaced by technology that we need to worry, or when one technological failure causes widespread panic. The world needs to wise up before the day comes when we’re no longer running the machines, but the machines are running us, or the day when no one knows how to do anything because we’ve become so dependent upon our technology to work for us. Not to steal any thunder from Henry David Thoreau, but what if it’s not us that are riding the railroads, but the railroads that are riding us. Do the words “Terminator” and “Arnold Schwarzenegger” ring a bell? Think about it.

Faster computers make easier crimes W

managingeditor

lindsaypond ho thought it was possible to pay bills and play Texas Hold’em at the same time? How about having a deep conversation with a significant other while filling out college applications? With the advent of Internet technology, everything is faster and easier. Even stealing. It is possible to steal music while plagiarizing a research paper. Under such justifications as “it’s not stealing until you get caught,” and “everybody else is doing it,” it becomes ever easier to give into the temptations of less than legal software, music and even homework. “I think I have downloaded the entire Microsoft office system onto my computer, and I haven’t paid for any of it,” one student said. While industries complain of annual losses in the billions, North America continues to hold the lowest software piracy rate in the world. A global study by the Business Software Alliance found that software piracy in North America has actually decreased from 32 per-

cent in 1994 to 24 percent in 2002. The overall decrease is noteworthy; however, residents of the Midwest may not necessarily have contributed to the decline. In fact, a study by the same group found that Kansas had a piracy rate of 32 percent in 2003, eight points above the national average. Despite the higher piracy rate, BSA studies showed Kansas as accounting for less than $1 million in software industry losses. While the issue of software piracy has existed since the mid-1990’s, awareness of music piracy didn’t boom until more recent years. Since the close of Napster, many illegal filesharing programs have taken its place, including Kazaa, Gnutella and Bearshare. An Ipsos research study of college students reported that 69 percent of those in the study downloaded music off the Internet, and three out of four of these students never paid for the music they downloaded. Recently, companies like Pepsi have cashed in on consumers’ free music frenzy by giving away hundreds of

I-tunes, regularly priced at 99 cents each, promoting both their products and legal downloading. While it may be possible to reduce music piracy by offering a legal alternative, there is no legitimate alternative Internet plagiarism. Type in the word “cheat” on www.google.com, and over 19 million sites are found almost instantly. Dozens of sites offer synopses of course reading, downloadable essays and homework answers. There is no clear solution to the issues of integrity the Internet creates. However, teachers are not completely dependent upon their students’ sworn honesty. Scanning programs identify plagiarized text and deter students from copying information from the Internet. Criminal opportunities may continue to grow in the endless depths of the Internet, but no crime remains unchecked forever. Eventually law enforcement will catch up with the growth of technology. Internet regulation will increase, and piracy rates will decline. Internet crimes may never come to a complete halt, but few crimes ever do.

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Tigers turn to exercise staffwriter

katieabrahamson

fter a stressful day of school, some students eagerly flop on the couch, reach for the clicker and grab some Oreo’s for a “nutritious” after-school snack. As relaxing as this image may seem, the President’s Council on Fitness reported in early March that 43 percent of teens watch at least two hours of television a day, and consequently almost half of Americans ages 12 to 21 don’t get enough regular exercise. But just how much exercise is enough? According to Teenhealth.org, it is recommended that teens combine aerobic and strengthening exercises for 30 minutes, three times a week. For fat-burning purposes, physical education and health teacher Peggy Rose recommends exercising more than 30 minutes, while achieving 150 heartbeats per minute. Student athletes easily exceed the recommended amount of exercise. For those not involved in any sport or activity, exercising can become a rare event. For these students, Rose suggests running, cycling, hiking, rollerblading, swimming, fast-paced walking and following the exercises shown on Fit TV. “[When exercising] You need to choose something you like or else you won’t enjoy yourself,” Rose said. Lately, people have been motivated to exercise, thanks to the media being filled with advertisements on fitness and diets. In Kansas City, fitness clubs work ‘round the clock to accommodate everyone. Popular fitness clubs in the Johnson County area include 24 Hour Fitness and Prairie Life Center. “24 Hour Fitness has a good atmosphere with lots of nice people who can help you out,” senior Katie Hensler said. “It’s the perfect place to go to work out, because they have everything that you could ever want or need.” The images of athletic, thin and fit models shown in the media could help motivate teens to exercise. Some girls may enviously glare at Britney’s abs and guys dream of being “ripped” like Vin Diesel. “I exercise to stay fit and look good,” senior Andrew Lasche said. “I love working out because you feel really good afterward.” Statistics show that maybe teens should think twice before diving into the Doritos and begin exercising to “brighten their days.” Fifty percent of teens have already realized that exercising is beneficial to their lives by getting regular exercise.

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exercising

Right Junior Andy Lavender works out in the weight room before school on the Real Runner. Numerous athletes worked out before school because it was more convenient. photo illustration by Brandon Lutz

Americans bringing Atkins’ ways to table kylerogers

opinionseditor

ntroducing (insert res taurant here)’s new low-carb sandwich! The new Rueben, now only four grams of carbs! Stop taking in those horrible carbohydrates. These messages fly off billboards and out of television screens constantly now thanks to the Atkins and South Beach diets. Millions of Americans have hopped on the low carbohydrate bandwagon, and more restaurants are crucifying carbs daily. Rationale does, in-fact, lie behind this low-carb craze. Carbohydrates are the easiest way for bodies to obtain energy, so if they are deprived of this source, they will begin to tap into stored energy-a.k.a. fat. While possibly successful for adults, the idea does not hold true for youth. “Kids are growing so fast,” health teacher Peggy Rose said. “They’ve got to have sufficient calories.” Dr. Robert C. Atkins, the man behind the craze likely did not have adolescents in mind when he first published his book Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution in 1992. The diet was used throughout the ‘90s but has taken off in the 21st century. Selling over 15 million copies, Dr. Atkins’ New Diet Revolution, which has been on the bestseller list for 285 weeks, details the scientific reason for cutting carbohydrates and describes how one can eliminate carbs from his or her diet.

Unfortunately, these are not miracle diets. There are drawbacks. Initial weight loss comes in the form of water weight, according to Dr. Chris Rosenbloom of the American Dietetic Association. After that weight loss comes from fat but muscle mass can also be lost. The Atkins diet recommends foods high in protein and cholesterol and discourages the intake of fruits, vegetables and whole grains that groups like the American Heart Association recommend. Low carbohydrate levels decrease the fiber taken into the body and could lead to gastrointestinal diseases, and high fat consumption increases the risk for heart disease. “I can’t imagine throwing away the food pyramid and thinking this is not going to be harmful at some point,” health teacher Rick Rhoades said. “Some do it for short periods of time to lose the weight, but once you start eating healthy again your body will start storing the fat. Consumers often don’t know these sides to the Atkins diet because most material available is promotional. Restaurants have recently fueled this diet’s momentum by creating special meals and sandwiches that are “Atkins’ friendly.” Should Americans continue to use this fad diet, obesity may go down, but heart disease and other health concerns may become more prevalent.

entertainment PRINT Students welcome ‘Sopranos’ revival HE T TIGER

FRIDAY APRIL

staffwriter

nickspeed

ichael Corleone and Tony Soprano. Two leaders of mobster families, both great guys. Michael only had 570 minutes of Godfather fame, while Tony is still living his. Tony Soprano is the main character in the HBO hit series The Sopranos. This gangster series airs on HBO from 8 to 9 p.m. on Sunday. These two dynamic characters have lots of similarities. Michael Corleone had marital problems and now Carmela Soprano is asking for a divorce. Tony and Carmela first met each other in high school. Tony was a bad student whose ambitions included taking over the family. Carmela was a great student and wanted to go to college. Opposites attracted and they got married. From these two spawned Meadow and Anthony Jr. Tony Sr. is an uneducated street thug who now

owns a big business for the mafia. Tony was born in 1959 into a poor family in the Bronx. His dysfunctional family led him to see a therepist. He started seeing Dr. Jennifer Melfi to cure his problems, but it ended up causing more problems. Dr. Melfi has helped Tony deal with his problems but it also brought her troubles as well. The series has great action and great acting. James Gandofini (Tony Soprano) has won many awards for his work on this show. Others have very successful acting careers other than The Sopranos. This show also has a very inviting plot. For years people have been interested in mob stories. “I like it (The Sopranos) because it’s like a continuation of The Godfather,” junior Brandon Hermreck said. Meadow is now attending Columbia University. She, like her mother, was a very intelligent and hard-working girl in high school. After dating a

person with a different race, and her father not approving of that, she lost the better part of the relationship with her parents. But when her parents split, Carmela still had a rough time dealing with her situation. Tony Jr. lived up to his father’s name. Junior, just like his father, was a bad student floating in and out of trouble. He got caught smoking weed at his confirmation party, he wrecked his mom’s car without having a license, and he went to class drunk on stolen communion wine. Carmela is afraid for A.J. (Tony Jr.). A.J. is like his dad in his “scholarly ways” but not in his toughness or his resourcefulness street-smarts. This is why Carmela is worried about A.J. This is the typical family show with the average “hits” and “whacks” that are a part of everyday life. If HBO is available at home, watch The Sopranos on Sunday nights.

Local Talent

lot of people don’t know it, but there will be a semieuphonious war of sound inside Blue Valley Northwest High School on Friday, April 30 at 7 p.m. This Clash of crying combatants has already been billed as a Battle of the Bands, trite, but fitting. The call to bands went out district-wide nearly a month ago, and nine bands have been found w o r t h y enough to test the metal of their strings (no arrows) and axes (like the guitar). Anyone is allowed to see the skirmish and delightfully observe the horror as The Raging Hormones duke it out with Triple Nipple Exponential and Dead Sexy. One can witness the collision of two different worlds as 10 Cent Wonder challenges The Pavilions. Stone Groovy Dirty London and Evermourn will make an equally tenacious bid for victory while Etc. Etc. is barely important enough to mention (that’s a joke). These nine bands will play in no particular order, with the crown going to the group that rocks the most in what may seem closer to a war than a battle. Hopefully contenders will keep it clean and above the waist. Let’s get it on!

Battle of the Bands

Chappelle has students talking kevinloftus

sportseditor

staffwriter

dustinriedesel

hursday mornings have never been the same. That is since Chappelle’s Show debuted on Comedy Central last year. Actor/Comedian Dave Chappelle’s sketch comedy show, which airs on Wednesday at 9:30 P.M. seems to be what everyone is talking about the morning after. “I never miss an episode,” senior Joel Ehinger said. Chappelle, 31, is no stranger to the entertainment business. He got his big break when he starred in the action movie Con Air, but he is best known for his role as a pothead janitor in the movie Half Baked. “Ever since I saw Half Baked, I knew he was destined for big things,” senior Bryan Swallow said. One might wonder, “what makes this show so appealing?” It is true that the show pushes the envelope a bit with its sketches. For instance, an episode this season had puppets singing to kids about sexually-transmitted diseases and an epi-

sode last season featured a blind black man who was a member of the Klu Klux Klan. Racy language is also very common on every episode. “I could understand why some people might not like it because of the language and topics talked about,” senior Matt Cantin said. “But the language doesn’t bother me and every single sketch is hysterical.” Chappelle’s Show is definitely geared to a younger audience, but even some teachers find it amusing. “I’ve only seen 20 minutes of it and I laughed,” teacher John Holloway said. “But not all of the humor is appropriate for people of all ages.” While some teachers might not find it to be as funny as students, there is no denying its popularity. The first season of the show was released on DVD a few weeks ago and was promptly sold out everywhere. So if you’re looking for something to do on Wednesday night, try Cappelle’s Show.

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Top 10 comedies ...of all time

entertainmenteditor

michaeljohnson The Top 10 funniest comedies of all time are ranked from one to 10, one being the best and 10 being the worst.

American Pie. “Humorously crude” is the best way to describe this 1999 teenage sex joke. It outlines the sad but often times true views of teenage boys as they make a pact to lose their virginity by prom night. Jason Biggs as Jim Levenstein is the main character, possibly the funniest as well, due to his terrible luck when it comes to hiding his sexuality from his father. Something’s Gotta Give. This romantic comedy is more appealing to the old-timers that have followed Jack Nicholson from his early days in acting. The humor can be seen by everyone, however, as Nicholson continuously stirs up trouble while staying in Erica Berry’s (Diane Keaton) house. These two eventually fall in love with each other, but not for long due to Nicholson’s immature and shallow dating tactics.

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Starsky and Hutch. The comedy of this 2004 film, currently in theaters, comes from outrageous effect of two opposite cops colliding as one team. Starsky (Ben Stiller), and Hutch (Owen Wilson) team up to take down drug dealer Reese Felman (Vince Vaughn). Their stupidity takes down not only a drug dealer, but also an innocent pony when Starsky fires bullets into a garage. He also takes down the captain of the police force with his terribly pathetic attempt to shoot behind his back.

Big Daddy. This is Adam Sandler’s best film since Billy Madison, and it will remain a hard one to beat. Sandler incorporates the troubles of child raising in a hilarious way as he adopts a five-year-old boy named Julius “Frankenstein” McGrath (Cole Sprouse). Sandler becomes deeply attached to the boy and proves his own maturity to his father.

Caddyshack. A classic comedy. The talented cast of Chevy Chase, Ted Knight, Bill Murray and Rodney Dangerfield all contribute to the successful 1980 film. It’s main plot centers around a caddie’s attempt at a scholarship, but other funny subplots come up such as Carl Spackler’s outrageous attempt to kill a gopher.

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Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 1975 British comedy prevails in this historical comedy about King Arthur’s quest for the Holy Grail. Most of the humor is stupidly funny, but some points do go beyond slapstick. Some find it funny how many characters a single actor plays, such as Eric Idle who plays the dead collector (the guy who collects dead people), peasant 1, Sir Robin the Not-Quite-So-Brave as-Sir-Lancelot, The Guard Who Doesn’t Hiccough but Tries to Get Things Straight, Concorde, Roger the Shrubber and Brother Maynard.

Tommy Boy. Say hello to slapstick. Although it may be the corniest type of comedy today, Chris Farley (who played Thomas ‘Tommy’ Callahan III), packed this 1995 flick with slapstick worth watching. Tommy’s overexcited attitude contrasts with Richard Hayden’s (David Spade) lame attitude as the pair humorously attempts to help Tommy’s brother with his political campaign.

The case is clear: Evidence proves ‘Century City’ is crowd-pleasing tury City, a law show based in the year 2030. Nestor Carbonell, Viola Davis, Hector Elizondo, Ioan girl is raped. But the district attorney Gruffudd, Kristin Lehman and Eric Schaeffer are the won’t prosecute. So she comes to the stars of the show. Lukas Gold, played by Ioan lawyers of Crane, Constable, McNeil Gruffudd, is a self-discerning lawyer who focuses on and Montero. But the rapist cases that matter. A former D.A., was 20 miles away at the time Lukas has seen his fair share of of the crime. cases. But in the future with new “Century City blends Based in Los Angeles, the technology, crime itself must be lawyers of Century City must redefined. modern law with a fight and defend cases that go Though the cases are interestfuturistic twist” ing and the actors are excellent, beyond traditional law. One episode Century City goes a little over the tests the definition of rape. Using top. Some of the technologies, nanotechnology, a man can feel, see, smell, hear and taste whatever someone else is doing. such as computerized juries that act realistically, reWhen the man goes home and has intercourse with ally don’t seem reasonable. The show seems too much his wife, the nanobots transmit all of the five senses like it was pulled out of a Star Wars movie. Even so, to a receiver. That receiver was another man. Is it rape? the show doesn’t focus on the technology; it focuses That is what the lawyers of Century City must dis- on the cases. Overall, the show blends modern law with a futurcover. This is one of the episodes of CBS’s new show Cen- istic twist.

The Punisher

April 16

Connie and Carla

April 16

13 Going on 30

April 23

Man on Fire

April 23

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Old School. The basic concept of this movie is funny in itself: All the fun of college with none of the education. Three grown men put together a fraternity for anyone’s involvement, whether a college student or not. Every aspect of this 2003 movie is hilarious, especially the scenes involving Frank the Tank (Will Ferrell). Because of the great acting and outrageous ideas, this comedy is well deserving of the number one comedy in history.

Office Space. It’s hard to believe that a movie about an office job could be so funny. That’s where the creative humor behind this 1999 comedy comes from. Peter Gibbons (Ron Livingston) gets transfixed in intense meditation and starts to permanently avoid his job. His laid-back attitude leads him and his office pals to commit a genius crime to rob the company of millions over time. The plan goes awry when Michael Bolton (David Herman) puts the decimal in the wrong place while programming the scam.

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The Girl Next Door

Meet the Parents. It’s another one of those “nothing can go right for Ben Stiller” type of movies. His countless mistakes add up to make his fiancé’s family absolutely hate him. However, the ending is, of course, happy. Greg Focker (Ben Stiller) and Pam Byrnes (Teri Polo) are finally granted permission for engagement from Pam’s father (Robert DeNiro), but only after Focker passes his lie detector test.

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PLAY BALL

KC Royals look to continue last year’s success austinisham

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t’s springtime in Kan sas City again and ev eryone knows what that means; looking way down in the rankings to find your beloved Royal’s. But if you look for them in their normal pre-season ranking, you won’t find them. “This year’s team is giving us something to talk about in the barber shop,” teacher Keil Pittman said. “They get the focus off the Chiefs.” The Royals went into the preseason ranked ninth and many sports analysts are predicting them to take first in the American League Central. “I wouldn’t be surprised to

see them win the division,” teacher Robert Asquith said. “I love the Royals’ season, and now that they have a chance to win a bunch of games; I’m pumped,” senior Parker Snedden said. With the returning stars of Sweeny, Berroa, Randa, and Beltran, and the off-season pickups in Benito Santiago, Juan Gonzalez and Matt Stairs, the Royals are fairly well set for the season, as long as everyone stays healthy. Benito Santiago comes to KC as an established catcher in the major leagues. He played for the San Francisco Giants where he became only the fourth

catcher to catch 100 games at 38 years or older. Hitting sensations Matt Stairs and Juan Gonzalez should help the Royals, but their shaky pitching staff may let down. “I think (the Royals) are solid in every area except our pitching,” Pittman said. In fact, pitching is the only area of the Royals lineup that has been under attack. The KC Royals have a lot of talent on their team and are starting to fill the stands this season so if you don’t already have your tickets, get them soon. “These guys make me want to buy a ticket,” Pittman said.

Roid Rage New accusations tarnish MLB’s reputation mattgalloway

ith a new base ball season well under way, it’s a shame that the biggest topic around the water cooler has to be steroids. The March 2 edition of The San Francisco Chronicle broke the story that many of baseball’s biggest stars, including new Kansas City Royals catcher Benito Santiago, had received steroids from a Burlingame nutritional supplement lab. Barry Bonds’ personal weight trainer Greg Anderson is said to have supplied Bonds and the others with the BALCO steroids. The players have yet to be accused of using the steroids,

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Senior Brandon Turner shows off his support for the Royals by wearing a tee shirt at school. Many students missed school last Monday to attend the home opener. photo by Jamie Hisle

but the fact still remains that “America’s Pastime” may be diluted with illegal drugs. While it is true that homeruns equal ticket sales, what kind of message does this send to the kids who are aspiring to become professional athletes? The everyday fan may not care that Barry Bonds received a human growth hormone, just as long as he clobbers 50+ home runs a season. But how can one believe these or other players when they hit gamewinning homeruns against their own favorite

team? The game’s tradition still matters to a large number of baseball fans, even if the players have yet to be punished. “I think people should be innocent u n t i l proven g u i l t y, ” sophomore Tom Gnoza said. “But I do think steroids undermine the fans’ trust.” Steroids have been a controversial issue since their inception in the 1930’s when they were first created for medical purposes only. (Boy, have we come a long way.) But people immediately began using them in sporting events to get ahead of the competition before they were banned in most sports entirely with the exception of baseball. It is easy to blame the MLB Player’s Association for its unyielding position on its players’ rights, but MLB Commissioner Bud Seling is the only person ready to take the issue public. Unless they want baseball’s records to be in vain, they must reach an agreement to keep baseball pure. Steroids will always cause a brief jump in ratings and ticket sales, but once fans begin to realize the uneven playing field that these athletes play on, all sports will suffer the backlash. Until the rules for testing (and the consequences that come with them) toughen up, there will always be an asterisk by this era in sports; that just isn’t fair to everyone who plays fair.

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FRIDAY APRIL

kevinlftus

Spring Forward Seniors look to lead team to success

National pastime finds life

Senior J.P Leland takes a few practice swings in the parking lot before going to practice at Deer Creek last week. Leland looks to lead the Tigers to another strong finish at state in May. photo by Kristen Palmer Sophomore Patrick Cocherl perfects his swing during practice last Monday at Blue Valley West. The Tigers are expecting big things this year with 11 seniors returning . photo by Kristen Palmer

veryone’s favorite time of the year is here; spring has offi cially arrived. For sports fans, this may be the best time of the year. The final four just finished, NBA and NHL playoffs are on the brink, but the reason why every sport fan looks forward to spring is here, baseball. Our national pastime has made a comeback. Despite suffering some recent set backs, everyone is hyped for the start of the season. I’m excited for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, there are the Royals, after their first season above .500 in what seemed to be an eternity. Manager Tony Pena has the club believing in themselves and why wouldn’t they? The only major player loss was Raul Ibanez who fled to the Mariners. The Royals then countered that by signing Juan Gonzalez. The success of the team might hinge on the former Most Valuable Player’s health. Another reason to look forward to baseball this year is the renewed rivalries. The New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox already had the historic rivalry, which just improved after their classic American League Championship Series last year. Now, after the whole Alex Rodriguez ordeal, it has just added more fuel to the fire. This should make for an even more interesting season than usual. Finally, we have the local effect, our own baseball and softball teams. For coach Larry Hare’s Tigers, things are looking good. With a team that returns all but one starter from last year’s squad, the Tigers should be considered the favorite in the EKL. On the other field at BV South DAC is coach Greg Loveless’ Lady Tigers. They don’t benefit from as much experience as the boys, but seniors Danielle Orrick, Ashley Lewis and Anna Grover look to lead the way. So remember, if you’re looking for something to do in the next couple of months, head out to BV West or Kaufman Stadium; you’ll enjoy it.

playerprofile Name: Joe Cullinan

Name: J.P. Leland

Grade: 12

Sport: Baseball

Sport: Golf

Cullinan, who has been playing at the varsity level for three years, has some pretty big goals for this season. “My goals are to make first team Sun County and to be EKL champs,” Cullinan said. Even though Cullinan is a stellar fielder, his favorite part of the sport involves hitting. “The individual competition between the pitcher and hitter is the best,” Cullinan said.

Leland, who is in his fourth year as a varsity golfer might be the most experienced out of the whole group. “I’ve been playing golf for 18 years,” Leland said. “I started playing right when i came out of the womb.” Since the golf team finished third place at state last season, Leland is looking for bigger and better things “I expect to win state this year,” Leland said.

Name: Tim Olson

Name: Victoria Mitchell

Grade: 12

Sport: Tennis

Sport: Soccer

Olson, who is playing his third season for the varsity tennis team wants to be consistent this season. “My goals are to have a winning record and to qualify for state,” Olson said. Olson’s favorite part of the sport doesn’t have anything to do with the competition, just something he likes to do. “I enjoy hitting balls at the track team during practice,” Olson said.

Mitchell, who is entering her fourth season as a varsity player has some odd pregame rituals. “I like to eat nachos and other tasty treats before games,” Mitchell said. Some might think that pre-game munchies wouldn’t work for a soccer player, but it does for Mitchell. Mitchell has been playing for 13 years and spends her offseason playing for the Kansas City Dyamons.

Coaches select students for player profile. Photo poll compiled by Jamie Hisle and Kristen Palmer

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Spring brings rain, warmth, new season of sports Softball

esterday the Lady Tigers fast pitch team opened its season with a game against Washburn Rural, but results were not available at press time. The team is led by three seniors: Anna Groover, Ashley Lewis and Danielle Orrick, as well as seven returning varsity players, including juniors Missy Brooks, Hillary Freeman, Lyndsey O’Malley and sophomore Adrienne Fields. The team hopes to improve last year’s 4-18 record. Greg Loveless, in his fifth year of coaching Blue Valley, as well as assistant coach Anthony Orrick, a Blue Valley graduate, look forward to a successful year. Next Wednesday at 4 p.m. the Lady Tigers will play a doubleheader against Ottawa as a re-match from the canceled March 29 game.

Boys’ Golf

fter only losing two seniors from last year’s state qualifying team, the boys’ golf team is ready to finish what they started and bring home yet another State Championship. Sophomore sensation Adam Blue, seniors James Leland and Patrick Frickleton lead the golf team. Juniors Brandon Hermreck and Nate Steinwart are also back. Newcomer freshman Trevor Hampton will fill out the varsity squad. The varsity team will not open its season until April 19. The junior varsity team will open its season in Gardner on Tuesday at Gardner Lake Golf Club for the Olathe North Invitational. The JV team is lead by senior Kris Pascinelli. Also on junior varsity is junior Nick Speed and freshman Hank Driskell, Colin Schedler and Jake Osmundson. “J.P. and I would really like to end our already awesome senior year by bringing home a state championship trophy,” Frickleton said. “ I think we have a real good shot at taking home the title,” Leland said.

Baseball

his year’s baseball team looks promising as the Tigers return their entire starting cast from the 2003 baseball season. With 11 seniors and five all league players (Chris Bubeck, Joe Cullinan, Mitch Hall, Tyler Newton, and Andrew Christ) at their disposal, the Tigers will pose as a contender for the 2004 EKL Championship. As the Tigers roar into the 2004 baseball season they hope to bring home a league title and also to make it to the state tournament to compete for the 5A state championship title. Last Friday the Tiger’s played their first two games at Emporia and swept 9 to 7 and 5 to 2. With teacher Larry Hare as their coach, the young 2003 tiger team, of sophomores and juniors, hit out a commendable season record of 12-10. Playoff hopes looked promising last year for the Tiger’s who unfortunately fell to the Miege Stags in a stinger of an upset to cap off the season. This year the Tigers plan to avoid another costly mistake like that with the plethora of leadership that will be on this year’s team. Joe “Schizzo” Cullinan and Tyler “Raddler” Newton were elected captains of the squad by their fellow teammates. Both Cullinan and Newton are returning two-year lettermen and starters this year, bringing with them priceless experience and irreplaceable leadership. Next week the Tigers take on the Mustangs of Blue Valley North in a big rivalry home game, while contending for the EKL title.

Track and Field

ost kids, in the spring, go home after school and sit on the couch eating snacks. The last thing on their minds is running around in a circle. The track team has been conditioning since March 1. This, unlike all of the other sports this year, is not senior dominated. The seniors on the team, though, are the leaders. Senior boy captions include

Jon Edwards, Mike Lui, Chris Madsen, Arsalan Nazir. On the girls side, captains Emmy Bridges, Katie Hinsley, Jamie Hisle, Galina Toneva and Aubrey Tuk. “We really believe in our quote that our seniors picked out for this year ‘If you think you can or you think you can’t, you are right”, head boys track coach Eric Driskell said. “We are trying to create team unity in an otherwise individual sport.” The first Varsity meet was held at Blue Valley North on March 26. No official results were kept but Blue Valley won most events. “It was an impressive first meet,” assistant coach Rick Rhodes said. “It was a good way to kick our season off right.” The Varsity team traveled to Ottawa last Friday for the annual Ottawa Relays. The boys’ team placed third and the girls placed fifth. “We did well down at Ottawa,” Bridges said. “Our 4 x 1 team took first and our 4 x 4 team placed third.” The team hosts the Blue Valley District Relays tomorrow at Blue Valley High. The meet starts at 8 a.m. and concludes around 5 p.m. “I think we’re doing pretty well,” Edwards said. “I think we’ll have lots of people qualify for state.”

Girls’ Soccer

he girls’ soccer team continues its season to night at Shawnee Heights, hoping to improve on last year’s trip to the regional final and last place finish in the EKL. “In league play we should be able to finish in the middle of the league,” coach K. Dean Snell said. “We have the potential to finish third or fourth.” Thirteen varsity letter winners return this year and are augmented by three freshmen who should make an impact on the team’s success. “[The freshman] have excellent ball skills and above average speed,” Snell said. “They read the game well.” Snell says the team will be more defensive this year with all four starters back from last year, including Victoria Mitchell and Shay Alford who were first and second team all-EKL selections last year, respectively. Sophomore goalkeeper Becca Glenn returns as well, following her second team all-EKL selection last season. Snell hopes this nucleus of defenders will help propel the team into a successful post-season. “We have a real good opportunity to qualify for state,” Snell said. They dropped to 1-2 Monday, losing 2-1 to Blue Valley West. The game represents the best performance by the Lady Tigers against their rival since West opened three years ago. “I think we won some respect,” co-captain Shay Alford said. “They’re not just going to circle ‘victory’ on their calendar [when we play them]. Sophomore Tiffany Mitchell scored a goal midway through the first half to give the Tigers a one goal lead. The goal didn’t hold up, though, as West scored a goal before half to tie the game and another in the second for the win. “I was disappointed about the outcome because of a mishap in the first half that would have put us into overtime,” Alford said. The “mishap” occurred with less than five minutes to go in the half when goalkeeper Glenn attempted to stop a breakaway and was called for a foul resulting in a penalty kick. Glenn received a yellow card and had to come out of the game while West shot the penalty. Tiffany Mitchell played goalie for the penalty kick, but West scored and tied the game.

Boys’ Tennis

s the tennis season begins, so does another losing year, right? Wrong, the ’04 boys’ tennis team will be looking for its first ever state title this year after a strong finish last year, bringing home hardware for the first time in 23 years. Returning varsity players include sophomore Andrew Robinson, junior Tanner Miller, and a strong senior class including seniors Michael Moore, Ryan Mack, Jamie Mahoney, Tim Olson and Brandon Murray-Mazany; also on the varsity squad is junior

Chris Lee, who hopes to bring good things to the team. In regional competition last year the boys took second place, with strong finishes from Olson and Murray-Mazany. Olson, however, was forced to retire in the semifinal match due to a knee injury, though he had already secured a spot to state. MurrayMazany took second in the event. Olson and MurrayMazany were the lone players to make the trip to Wichita for the state championship. The team took ninth place overall, but is sure to better that mark this year, according to coach Nelson Elliot. They took fourth place in the Mill Valley Invitational last Thursday, lacking Olson. This was a good finish considering the competition of 12 teams including Mill Valley, Miege, DeSoto, Topeka Hayden, Baldwin, Shawnee Mission North, Bonner Springs, Maranatha, Derby, Lansing, Spring Hill and finally Blue Valley. Senior Jamie Mahoney finished 5-2 to claim third place in Number 2 singles, and senior Brandon Murray-Mazany finished 4-1 in Number 1 singles, but in a tiebreak did not make the final bracket. On Monday the boys squared off against Olathe South, losing 4-5. Olson and Robinson won singles and Murray-Mazany/Robinson and Mahoney/Olson won doubles. Last night they played Bonner Springs; scores were not available at press time. Next week the Tigers have a singles tournament at Bonner on Tuesday and then a doubles tournament on Thursday at Bonner. Last year the boys took second, but this time are looking to take home first.

Senior Jamie Mahoney hits a serve to his opponent. Along with four other seniors the team looks to take state after a strong 2003 finish. photo by Kristen Palmer

Swimming

oach Monique Marquette is the first swim coach to return to Blue Valley for a second year since 2000. However, many varsity swimmers including seniors Katie Sobczynski and Nicki Kirkton, and juniors Kirsten Rottinghaus and Kati Chinery have been swimming since their freshmen year. According to team members, team cohesion is a major goal for the season. “We would really like to increase the number of swimmers we take to state this year,” Kirkton said. “We’re also trying to get along better as a team.” The girls’ swim team opened its season March 25 at California Trail Junior High in a meet against Olathe East and Blue Valley North. Although the team did not win, they qualified for state in the 200-meter freestyle relay. Relay swimmers include Sobczynski, Chinery, Rottinghaus and freshman Meredith McKaig. The Tigers hosted a quad against Blue Valley West, Miege and Notre Dame de Sion March 30, placing second behind Sion. “It was a good one,” Sobczynski said. “We qualified all of our relays for state at our home meet.” The swim team competed at West on Thursday, but scores were not available. Following the quad at West, they will swim in the Olathe Invitational tomorrow. “It’s a big deal,” Kirkton said. “Twenty-two schools compete.”

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FRIDAY APRIL

A Masquerade

Four hundred-twenty students attended Prom held Saturday, April 3 at the Ritz Charles on 135th and Antioch. All juniors and seniors were invited to the dance on Saturday from 9 p.m. to midnight, followed by After-Prom at the high school from midnight to 4 a.m. Both the King and Queen were crowned at the dance. The nominees for queen were Becky Bing, Randi Leiker, Anna McCallie, Jenna Strieby and Tasia Sheets. The king candidates were Michael Denning, Andrew Fuller, Adam Pham, Michael Stevens and Ryan Zeckser. McCallie was elected Prom Queen, while Denning was elected King. The dance was hosted by the junior class, who provided the decorations, music and gift.

Senior king candidate Adam Pham escorted senior queen candidate Anna McCallie to the Crowning Ceremony. McCallie was later crowned Prom Queen. “I was very excited. I felt very honored,” McCallie said about winning.

Senior Victoria Mitchell shops for prom dresses at Cache before the dance. Many girls biggest worry was finding a dress that no one else would have.

Sophomore Nicole Sowden and senior Derek O’Dell break it down at Prom. “Prom was a great time, a good one to end the year on,” O’Dell said.

Senior Becky Bing pins a boutonniere on her date, senior Joel Ehinger. Bing and Ehinger attended both Prom and After-Prom.