April issue

Blue Valley North High School

12200 Lamar Ave, Overland Park, KS 66209

April 2018 | Volume 32 | Issue 6

The North Star

Walking Out for Change.

2| The North Star | April 2018

The North Star Staff Editors-in-chief Connor Clary Nicole Dolan Laura Evans Copy Editors Shantha Burt Mathew Cotton Lauren Graham Kristen Xu Social Media Editor Lexie Herman Photographers Grace E. Rudman Design Editor Taylor Mills

Staff Writers

Briley Everhart Katie George Angie Giglione Lyndsey Henkel Merall Janjua Sooim Kang Caroline Koenig Anna Martin Brooke Werp Graphic Designer Anna Krutz

April 2018| The North Star | 3

Table of Contents

School Happenings

22 A Minor Problem

4 The Foot in the Door

24 Game On

6 Let’s Get Germy 8 Clarifying the Clubs 10 Introducing Principal Ostroski 11 Walking Out for Change

Student Life 16 Life 360: Tracking or Trapping?

26 Let’s Talk 28 Freshman Year In Review

Honoring 30 Remembering Devika

The North Star is the official high school news publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distributed to all students six times a year. This is the April issue of volume 32. The North Star is printed by the Sedalia Democrat. This is a student publication and may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is not an expression of School District Policy.

Students and editors are solely responsible for the content of this student publication.

18 Plastic Surgery: Teen Trend?

20 BVN’s Hot Streak

ON THE COVER: Students gather together at the intersection of 123rd and Lamar to participate in a national walkout against gun violence. Photo taken by Sooim Kang.

4 | The North Star | April 2018

The Foot in the Door

Two students’ work on the Johnson County Executive Airport.

By: Taylor Mills

Savoy overviews the entire map of the airport complex in the classroom at CAPS.

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he Center for Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) is a magnet program for all Blue Valley high school students to gain real-world experience in the fields they are considering joining. Its subjects range from bioengineering to film making, with connections to local companies that could possibly hire these students.

When students enter the state-of-the-art facility on their first day, their experience is summed up in one phrase, “you get out of it what you put into it.”

Summer Savoy, a senior from Blue Valley North, and Lily Ehler, a senior from Blue Valley High, have in their one and a half years at CAPS invested themselves into a project unlike any other offered at the high school level in Blue Valley.

They have been designing an airport redo for the Johnson County Executive Airport. Through meetings with the clients, site plans and multiple critiques from the city and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), these two seniors have molded a vision onto a computer program.

“We’re a lot more of the design element of it rather than the actual construction plans,” Ehler said. “It’s more so figuring out the flow of the building and how people are

going to be moving through it.”

Savoy and Ehler were tasked last January to design a lobby, restaurant, office space and pilot break room in a two-story space. Both have shared an equal role in taking feedback from the client and drawing up various models.

“The timeline keeps moving, we’re following them through the whole process,” Savoy said.

The FAA and the city of Johnson County have standards that must be adhered to before any design is approved for construction. Savoy said that while these requirements may not always be logical, she and Ehler have to deal with it in order for their work to become reality.

They are not classified as interns — therefore, both Savoy and Ehler are not paid for their time or consultation.

However, the experience of real world restrictions and project management has helped both students grow in their time at CAPS. “They treat us like equals,” Ehler said. “It’s been really insightful as to how it will actually work in the real world.”

CAPS is also valuable in its connections. From working through the professional studies program, students engage with representatives from companies around the area. This

April 2018 | The North Star | 5

relationship is based on the work of the students, and it is their responsibility to maintain a good reputation.

“It keeps you on your toes because the stakes are kind of high and you’re dealing with real representatives from these companies,” Savoy said. “If you mess that up that company might not come back to CAPS.” Their class at CAPS is Civil Engineering and Architecture, taught by former BVN drafting teacher Mike Nelson. He was not available for comment.

The teacher at CAPS acts more as an adviser or consultant on Savoy’s and Ehler’s project. Nelson does not dictate any change or plan involved.

“You have a lot of freedom here,” Ehler said. “You have the ability to do what it is you want to do and learn what you want to learn, rather than what you’re required to learn.”

This independence does not make the job easier, according to Savoy. She, along with Ehler, are the minorities in the engineering program as women, with only a handful of other female students present in the classroom.

“In all of engineering in my first semester here there was me and one other girl. Next semester there were seven. Last

semester there were about seven, this semester there’s eight,” Savoy said.

This number is out of the dozens of students enrolled into a number of engineering programs. This representation can act as a deterrent for female students, said Savoy, as engineering is already an intimidating field to go into.

“As a baby junior I was in a room full of senior guys I was terrified out of my mind,” Savoy said. “CAPS overall is an intimidating thing, but to be put into that kind of social situation where you are kind of like the social runt is intimidating.”

Even with the stakes and the independence, both Savoy and Ehler acknowledge CAPS as one of the best high school experiences. With the connections, they as students have gotten their foot in the door at engineering firms such as Black & Veatch, Burns & McDonnell and DLR. “Everyone should take CAPS at some point in their high school career,” Ehler said.

The Johnson County Airport project is planned to be constructed by next Fall. Savoy and Ehler will work until the completion and approval of the design, even if it means through the summer.

Water Fountain

Lunch Table Front Entrance Floor

Headphones

Language Lab Sink Handles

let’s get

Microwave Buttons

300 Hall Doorknob

Locker Combination

6 | The North Star | April 2018

Photos taken by Briley Everhart

Personal Column by Briley Everhart

GERMY

April 2018 | The North Star | 7

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issing school for a runny nose the hallways, so with the help of science Ollig and I made sure to take cautious or a case of strep throat causes teacher Chris Ollig, I embarked on a steps, so the petri dishes didn’t leak and not only pain but also prevents journey. I collected bacteria from various infect the entire student body. Every dish students from attending school. Students locations and put them all to the test to was taped and incubated for three days. can miss work and often fall behind in see which sample would grow the most After going through the motions of classes. However, schools are full of germs, bacteria. swabbing and taping for eight different so students’ immune All of the locations including the language lab systems might not be variables, headphone microphone, the 300 hall as weak as some may including the bathroom sink handles and door knob, a “Most of the time think. amount of water locker combination, the water fountain when you get sick, Many schools on the swab, in the main locker hall, the microwave contain diseases like the petri dishes buttons in the cafeteria, a lunch table and you have picked it up E. Coli, pneumonia and what they the front hall floor, students and staff were at school because and salmonella, and contained and eager to see the results. they’re right in front the time spent “I will bet you money the microwave someone has been of us (and under our swabbing, buttons [have the most germs],” Yano said. irresponsible and nails). remained An overwhelming number of students The problem with constant. The and staff surveyed predicted that the has come to school most germs is they’re process was fairly language lab headphones would grow microscopic. In the easy. Put the the most bacteria. To their surprise, [sick].” -Julia Yano midst of cold season, gloves on, dip a the headphones took a big loss. The it’s important to Q-tip in spring headphones were the only sample with a know how to avoid water, swap the single growth. All of the others had at least them and where they come from. surface that is being tested, transfer the two.

“Most of the time when you get sick, bacteria to a petri dish and seal to avoid The top three germiest locations were you have picked it up at school because cross contamination. the water fountain, the front hall floor someone has been irresponsible and has The procedure is simple, but it is very and the microwave buttons. All of these come to school [sick],” school nurse Julia dangerous during the growths had Yano said. “If you’ve been vomiting, you growing and incubating at least one “I’m always very need to stay home for 24 hours. [The process. large growth rules] specifically [mention that you need “It would be surrounded conscious of germs to be] fever free for 24 hours.” dangerous to incubate— by smaller Students are a large population of keep and grow—cultures growths. and washing my victims affected by cold and flu season. at temperatures close So next hands.” -Matt Allin Staff members are just as much a target as to body temperature,” time the water the students. the British Broadcasting fountain looks “I’m always very conscious of germs Corporation like the best and washing my hands,” Spanish teacher wrote in Growing option, maybe Matt Allin said. “I guess I would be more Microorganisms in the head over to cautious during flu season, but yeah, I Lab, “doing so might the hot spot think you should always, doesn’t matter flu allow the growth of and pick up a season or not, always wash your hands.” pathogens harmful to bottled water.

There are many germs lurking in health.”

8 | The North Star | April 2018

Clarifying the A look into four different clubs at BVN.

By Angie Giglione and Mathew Cotton.

Ukulele Club

Smith’s room, is a place where students can go to learn about ukuleles, practice or just enjoy the music and the environment.

Junior and co-president of ukulele club Emma Brunner, thinks the environment alone is enough of a reason to attend ukulele club for the first time.

“When you first walk in, everyone is so friendly towards each other even if you’re just talking about your day,” Brunner said.

Freshman Mandy Unterhalter plays ukulele during North Co-presidents Brunner and Time. She started playing in November. Photo and icon by junior Grace Needham are also Mathew Cotton. founders of the club, which was hile BVN offers instruction for inspired by Needham’s passion many types of instruments during that began last year, which she then shared with school, ukuleles are not one of these Brunner. instruments. However, ukulele club, which “A little over a year ago, she got me hooked meets on Mondays during B lunch in Todd on [playing ukulele],” Brunner said. “And then

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we thought ‘Well if you just opened this up to me, maybe we could open this up to other students at BVN.’” The creation of the club has allowed students a place to take a break from the stresses of school life, and provided them a way to decompress, even for just 30 minutes.

“With all of the craziness of school, it’s nice to have Mondays to just do something you love,” Needham said.

Also, it isn’t necessary to have experience or even have a ukulele.

“You don’t have to own one, you don’t have to know how [to play]. We are very willing to help,” Brunner said. “At almost every meeting, someone will take out their ukulele and try to help other people learn notes from a song that they just learned.”

Ping Pong Club

in Mike Dudley’s room, is a spot for students who are interested in trying a sport that isn’t always easily accessible.

Sophomore Ivan Tonkovic thinks that ping pong club is a good way to try something that many students haven’t had a lot of experience with.

“It’s a club that people can go to experiment with a different sport and just have fun together,” Tonkovic said.

Because of ping pong club’s Sophomores Andrew Gillam, Ivan Tonkovic and Avery loose structure and accessibility, McCrary wait to play ping pong. They like to attend the the environment is laid back and club when they aren’t busy. Photo by Mathew Cotton. friendly, according to sophomore lthough sports like Avery McCrary. basketball, football, and soccer are “Ping pong club is a just a place to get usually prioritized in school settings, together and play ping pong,” McCrary said BVN has created its own unique spot for a more “It’s a great environment where you can make uncommon sport: ping pong. Ping pong club, friends and have some friendly competition.” which meets during B lunch on Wednesdays While McCrary’s favorite part about

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ping pong club is the thrill of competition and the opportunity to win. Tonkovic has different ideas about the best aspect of the club.

“My favorite part of ping pong club is that it brings in this sport that doesn’t require much effort to learn,” Tonkovic said. “It’s different and it’s fun to try out.”

Although playing ping pong is the main purpose of the club, students don’t necessarily have to actively participate right away.

Sophomore Andrew Gillam originally went into Dudley’s room in order to make up work, but ultimately ended up discovering the new club.

“I just came into Mr. Dudley’s room to do my work, and there was just a ping pong table in there,” Gillam said. “But I like ping pong, so I play sometimes now, too.”

Clubs q

April 2018 | The North Star | 9

Environmental Club

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nvironmental club provides students with an outlet to speak their minds, express their opinions, and make a change. It includes approximately 40 students who are dedicated to looking out for the environment.

“The purpose is to make BVN as a whole more environmentally friendly and to teach people and kids what impact their everyday actions have on the environment,” senior Mira Bhagat said.

The environmental club does not just sit in a classroom and talk about their ideas. Instead, they go out in the community and implement them.

“We split into different groups to work on different projects,” Bhagat said. “One project is the prairie project, and another one is with

cardboard boxes. The janitors usually throw all of them away, so a bunch of people got together and folded them up and recycled them in the big recycling bins outside.”

The long process that is the prairie project started at the beginning of this year.

“The end goal [of the prairie project] is that we have a functioning prairie on our campus,” A group of students observe a snake while on the annual BVN snake trip. Four teachers led the students to Miami County. science teacher Chris Ollig said.

Photo provided by Martha Tryban. Icon by Anna Krutz.

“We want native space out there that we can use, as well as the Chris Ollig said. pollinators and birds and insects. ... Our goal is Ashmika Behere, one of the seniors who is to just create another classroom space that isn’t working on the project, talked about some of typical.” the club’s inspiration for the prairie project.

Some of the people working on this project “We went around to other schools, like are seniors, so they will move on from this Lawrence Freestate, and saw their prairies and project when they graduate in May. really liked them and wanted to do something “A lot of people are seniors, so they’re kind like that at North,” Behere said. of getting it set up and leaving it as their legacy,”

Frolf Club

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sually, when people think of sports, they think of activities that are offered at school, such as soccer, basketball, volleyball or baseball. However, those are not the only sports that people can participate in at BVN. Another example is Disc Golf, or “Frolf.” This is the second year that this club has been at BVN. “Disc Golf club at North is a growing club with over 100 members, and we compete against other Disc Golf clubs [such] as schools like Northwest and West,” senior Andrew Gomen said.

Their sponsor, Ben Levy, described some of the basics of the game.

“It’s just like the regular game of golf, except rather than using a club and a ball, you use a special frisbee, and you throw it towards the gate,” Levy said.

Some people are under the impression that Frolf club is the same thing as Ultimate Frisbee club, but they are incorrect because they are actually completely different games.

“Ultimate frisbee is a team game,” Ben Levy said. “It’s kind of like football but with a frisbee.

The only way you can move the frisbee down is by throwing and catching.”

Senior Peter Kramer talked about why he enjoys being a part of this specific club.

Senior Rachel Anderson throws a frisbee toward a basket. She “[My favorite thing about played for the first time at Rosedale Park in Kansas City, Kan. frolf] is just going out with Photo by Mathew Cotton. Icon by Anna Krutz. friends and having a nice competitive match,” Kramer said.

“The reason frolf is so special is because it’s “Nothing beats it. In season, we go about once a a great hang out for you and your bros. The club week to play at Blue Valley West or Waterworks, is a great way to compete and make great new which is downtown.” friends,” Gomen said.

Gomen said that Frolf club is about more than just playing the game.

10 | The North Star | April 2018

Introducing...

Principal Ostroski

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A look at BVN’s new principal and what he plans to do.

tarting next school year, principal David Stubblefield will be taking on the role of Executive Director of Secondary Education. Current assistant principal of curriculum and instruction Tyson Ostroski will be stepping up as the new principal.

According to junior Megan Koenig, people will be sad Stubblefield is leaving, but change is not always a bad thing.

“With Ostroski being principal there will be new ideas coming in, and it may be good changes,” Koenig said.

This is Ostroski’s fifth year at BVN and 13th year working in the Blue Valley School District. Prior to BVN, Ostroski taught for five years as an English teacher at Blue Valley West, then three years as English department chair at Blue Valley Southwest.

Ostroski grew up in St. Joseph, Mo. with his sister and parents, and attended Missouri Western State University where he received his bachelor’s degree in secondary education. Later on, he received his master’s degree in education and doctorate of education in educational leadership from Baker University.

According to Ostroski, the biggest thing he needs to do before becoming principal is introduce himself to everyone and make sure everyone is comfortable with the leadership that is

about to take place.

“As an assistant principal, you see a lot of people every day, but you don’t see people on a grand scale like the head principal does,” Ostroski said. “A big part of my job for the next five months is to get myself in front of students, get myself out in front of parents.”

Ostroski’s personal goal is to be the school’s number one cheerleader and support all areas of the building.

“This community is successful based upon the kids, the teachers and the parents that have made this place home.”

-Tyson Ostroski “I want to continue the academic excellence that we have at this school,” Ostroski said. “That is [done] through continued, improved instruction within the classrooms, giving students and teachers the resources they need, give them the support they need to do a lot of cool things within the classroom and beyond the classroom.”

By Katie George According to administrative intern Kelli Kurle, Ostroski is not only knowledgeable and experienced, but he’s also passionate about students.

“I think he will be thoughtful and measured,” Kurle said. “He’s going to think through each decision, and he truly will put student needs at the heart of that process.”

In addition, Kurle believes Ostroski has a lot of qualities that will make him a great principal.

“Dr. Ostroski is able to remain calm and is the best problem solver,” Kurle says. “He has so much experience and knowledge of North and is able to put that to use.”

Ostroski said his favorite part of BVN is the community. He said the people at the school support one another, yet hold each other accountable to excel in academics and extracurriculars.

He added, the community is a mixture of different people, in which people are supported and celebrated.

“This community is successful based upon the kids, the teachers and the parents that have made this place home,” Ostroski said.

In the upcoming school year, taking Ostroski’s place as assistant principal of curriculum and instruction is Adam Wessel. Administrative intern Kelli Kurle will be taking Wessel’s current position as assistant principal of student affairs.

April 2018 | The North Star | 11

t a h w e m w o h “S s k o o l y c a r c o m e D like”

R E V NE N I A AG Students participate in walkout to protest gun violence and the lack of action to prevent it.

By Connor Clary, Laura Evans and Sooim Kang

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pproximately 300 students participated in a walkout on April 20, the 19th anniversary of the shooting of Columbine High School. At 10 a.m., students left their third hour classes and gathered in the field beside BVN at Lamar and 123rd Street.

The walkout occurred in tandem with thousands of similar walkouts across the nation, organized as part of the national movement against gun violence following the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The overall aim of the national movement was to protest gun violence and advocate gun reform.

“It’s really just the fact that it’s absurd that children are scared in schools where they’re meant to be safe,” sophomore Emily Perez said. “I mean, this shouldn’t even be a left or right issue. This is just normal human rights. People shouldn’t get shot while they’re learning.”

The walkout was also an event that some students hoped would get more people involved in the fight against gun violence by making it personal.

“The walkout’s important because I think it’s necessary to remember all the lives lost due to gun violence in America so [that] we can humanize the problem and realize people just like us are being affected by it,” junior Eden Brockman said.

The walkout was student-led, involving student speakers and a 17-minute vigil.

Student speakers covered a range of topics, including “common sense” gun reform, lack of congressional action, voter registration and the importance of elections.

One speaker, senior Amoge Wamkpah, spoke about the parallels between March for Our Lives — the movement for gun reform — and the Black Lives Matter movement.

“They both tackle the same thing, they’re both dealing with violence,” Wamkpah said. “I just feel Black Lives Matter, because it’s led by minorities and black people, that people try to take that down. I’m just trying to figure out why, because they’re both the same movements.”

Students also honored the lives of the Parkland shooting with a 17-minute vigil in honor of the 17 victims killed. Seventeen chairs were set in front of tables, each with a rose behind them tied with an orange ribbon —

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THIS IS JUST NORMAL HUMAN RIGHTS. PEOPLE SHOULDN’T GET SHOT WHILE THEY’RE LEARNING.

the color that represents the anti-gun violence movement. Seventeen BVN students, all representing a life lost, sat in the chairs one-byone as the names of each victim was read by senior Megan Macy, who attended elementary school with some students who attended Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, along with a short description of their life and a moment of silence.

The goal of the vigil was to bring the situation into perspective for students, posing the question asked by several signs held throughout the walkout: “am I next?” “[T]he point of this is to let people imagine how it would feel if people at our school were lost, to see students that we all know put in that same place, and to really make it real and connect it to the students here,” sophomore Patrick Schmidt said.

For some students, the walkout is not the end of the fight against gun violence, but is part of a larger movement that will influence those who represent them in office.

“I think a lot of the people here and a lot of people participating in the walkouts are going to vote this upcoming November, and I think there’s going to be some progressive people in office that can make it harder for people to have guns and make it so these shootings don’t happen anymore,” Brockman said.

LEFT: Senior Megan Macy speaks during the 17-minute vigil in honor of the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. She read the names of each victim who died, along with a short biography in memory of their lives.

TOP RIGHT: Junior Chris Lucas lays down his head during the 17-minute vigil. He represented the life of Peter Wang, a student who was a victim of the shooting in Parkland.

MIDDLE RIGHT: Senior Eleanor Mendelson gives a speech during the walkout. She spoke about voter registration and the importance of voting, particularly for young people.

RIGHT BOTTOM: Holding “Am I next?” signs, three students walk out of the school. Students gathered in a field next to BVN at Lamar and 123rd street.

17 14 | The North Star | April 2018

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he Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting occurred Feb. 14. By Feb. 22, the BVN Walkout group chat was formed. As the numbers in both the BVN and district-wide group chat began to increase, student organizers started to emerge and involve themselves in the planning of this nationwide event. Among these organizers was junior Grace Cote.

“I got involved in the organizing of the walkout because, following the Parkland school shooting, a few students and I were talking about how this just has happened way too many times,” Cote said. “[The walkout] eventually was something that was happening at other schools as well, so those groups of students kind of found each other. That’s where, at the district

“

YOU CAN GET INVOLVED IN POLITICAL ACTIVISM IN YOUR 40s AND 50s, BUT IF YOU HAVEN’T BEEN DOING IT FOR THE FIRST 40 YEARS OF YOUR LIFE, THEN THAT’S TIME WASTED, THAT’S CHANGE THAT COULD HAVE BEEN HAPPENING.

A look into the planning that went into the BVN walkout.

level, we sort of formed a group that’s now been working together to coordinate this.”

While Cote and others sought out involvement in planning the walkout, senior Eleanor Mendelson said she was enlisted to help after she was “being kind of extra” in the walkout group chat.

“There were a lot of things being said in the first walkout group chat that I wasn’t super on board with, so I just started kind of saying things, and then I ended up being one of the people who started organizing it because I just kept saying things,” Mendelson said.

Once the planning had taken shape, the organizers began to take on different roles. For example, senior organizer Colette Fogarty did most of her work at the school level.

“We’ve met with Stubblefield and talked about logistics for where exactly we’re going to go, the safety for that, administrative support, and then we’ve

just answered people’s questions along the way [and] helped with the T-shirt sales,” Fogarty said. “There are just definitely a lot of little details that you wouldn’t really think about.”

Principal David Stubblefield said that, in his interactions with the organizers, his priority was student safety, leading to the implementation of a one hour unexcused absence for the walkout.

“When you look through the lens of safety, being able to have supervision out here for longer than an hour would put, to me, students at risk, just because of the length of time,” Stubblefield said. “My conversation with them [was also about] just things that they weren’t thinking about, like what are you going to eat, what are you going to do about a bathroom.

Because obviously we can’t have kids going in and out of our building, that creates an unsafe environment for 1600 kids, so that’s kind of what I was thinking

April 2018 | The North Star | 15 about in terms of the hour.”

Cote has done this type of planning at both the school level and the district level.

“We’ve had a few in person meetings with the district wide committee, and then also we’ve done things like Google chats,” Cote said. “We also, a few weeks ago now, had a meeting at the Hilltop Campus where we had one of the principals from each of the Blue Valley high schools, which was a good experience as well for us to get our message consistent and then deliver it to all of the administrators so that they would all be on the same page as us.”

On the other hand, Mendelson found her role in attempting to alleviate concerns on a student to student basis.

“I had and I still have a lot of the same concerns that a lot of people have had, like should this really be an organized thing, is it good to have administrative involvement, so I’ve been trying to help work through some of those concerns,” Mendelson said.

Such concerns and criticism were readily offered due to the immediacy of a platform like GroupMe and the scope of the students involved.

“Overall, [we tried] making sure that this large movement fits the interests of a lot of people, which is something that

you’re going to encounter in any large group,” Fogarty said. “But I think it has been a positive thing, because without constructive criticism, where would we be?”

According to Mendelson, the planning team may have initially blundered when faced with constructive criticism.

“Obviously we made some mistakes early on with trying to prevent any discussion in the GroupMe or anything like that,” Mendelson said. “That’s not really productive, and I think a lot of people’s criticism with the way that was being handled was very valid... If people don’t have a way to ask questions or provide criticism about the way things are being handled, then what are we really doing here, and is this actually a studentled movement if we’re not genuinely allowing input from a large number of students?”

Mendelson noted that the organizers have made attempts to better consider the opinions of a wider group of students.

“We’ve been working on a way to try to facilitate discussion in a more productive way without just having a ton of people spamming the

LEFT: Senior organizer Colette Fogarty and junior organizers Taylor Mills, Grace Needham and Grace Cote stand in silence during the 17-minute vigil.

TOP RIGHT: Junior Sophie Slusher and sophomore Nicholas D’Souza sit as representatives of two victims of the Parkland shooting.

BOTTOM RIGHT: Junior organizer Grace Cote arranges posters moments before the walkout begins.

group chat,” Mendelson said. “We’ve tried things like Google Forms and surveys, and there’s a website up where people can ask questions and things like that.”

However, according to Cote, it can be difficult to please everyone with such a large group.

“We kind of have been trying to make sure that as much as possible, we allow freedom in terms of just feeling heard for this process, but that being said, obviously we can’t fully achieve that because that would be very difficult with that many students,” Cote said.

At the end of the day, Cote, Fogarty and Mendelson all considered an important takeaway for the walkout participants to be experience with student activism.

“Overall, I think this is a great experience for high schoolers like us to take part in because it shows us that we can make an impact,” Fogarty said. “You can get involved in political activism in your 40s and 50s, but if you haven’t been doing it for the first 40 years of your life, then that’s time wasted, that’s change that could have been happening.”

16 | The North Star | April 2018

Life 360:

Tracking or Trapping?

Parent versus student views on the Life360 tracking app. | By Shantha Burt

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he streets of Westport loomed ahead for junior Grace Glaser as she drove toward Insomnia Cookies with a longing for warm, gooey baked goods. Her standard curfew was 10:30 p.m., but on this particular night, Grace was out until midnight. She had told her mom she was at AMC 20 watching a late night movie showing, when in reality, she was speeding down Ward Parkway at 50 mph in pursuit of milk and cookies.

Unfortunately for Grace, her mom, Lori Glaser, possessed an object capable of foiling her cookie-getting endeavors — a phone.

With the application Life360, Lori Glaser was able to track Grace’s location, speed, battery percentage and more.

The savviness of Life360 has garnered the

attention of many parents. For Lori Glaser, Life360 is a way to ensure her kids’ security.

“I think [Life360] is a great safety measure, especially in today’s age,” Lori Glaser said. “There is so much ability for people to know where each other are, and you can’t really trust everyone. You want to make sure you know where your kids are and they are safe.”

In Lori Glaser’s opinion, using Life360 isn’t extreme or restricting — it’s part of being a good parent.

“When kids are young, you hold their hand to cross the street,” Lori Glaser said.

“When they are teenagers, you’ve got to keep an eye on them as well.”

She explained that there’s a fine line between being an adolescent and an adult.

“I just think the whole idea of having to know where someone is 24-7 can have dangerous implications.”

-Eden Brockman

April 2018 | The North Star | 17

“[Teenagers’] frontal lobes aren’t fully developed, so their decision making is not to its full extent,” Lori Glaser said. “Until they get to be full adults, I think it’s our responsibility to guide them and make sure they are safe.”

However, for Grace, Life360 has had some negative aspects.

“I feel like Life360 is detrimental to the motherdaughter relationship,” Grace Glaser said. “Parents should trust their kids, and not need to use an app for that.”

Junior Eden Brockman, whose mom also uses Life360, has a similar stance.

“The trust between you and your mom and the freedom to go where you want are both taken away with Life360,” Eden Brockman said.

Eden also explained that tracking devices can be dangerous if they are in the wrong hands.

“It’s annoying to think that multiple devices and the Internet know where I am all the time. What if someone hacked our Life360 and could see where I was? That could be dangerous,” Eden Brockman said. “I just think the whole idea of having to know where someone is 24/7 can have dangerous implications.”

More than anything else, Eden also stressed the issue of trust that surrounds Life360.

“It makes me feel like they don’t trust me,” Eden Brockman said. “Which makes me not trust them either.”

However, for Eden’s mom, Jenn Brockman, Life360 is a way to ensure the safety of her two licensed teenagers.

“Now that [the kids] drive, I have a harder time

knowing where they are,” Jenn Brockman said. “I don’t check it that often, but I think it’s a good safety measure to take.”

Junior Madelyn Kingsley also believes the app indicates her parents are untrusting.

This is especially frustrating to Madelyn, considering she has never deceived her parents, giving them no reason to deem her untrustworthy.

“When they started tracking me, they had no reason to think that I was doing anything wrong,” Madelyn Kingsley said. “They just started tracking me, which is really annoying.”

Furthermore, Madelyn believes the app can be excessive when used in situations where a simple text message would suffice.

“My parents do this thing where they track me and then text me asking where I am to see if I’ll lie,” Madelyn Kingsley said. “One of them will have their tracker on while the other texts me.”

However, Kingsley’s mom, Connie Kingsley, explained that while she trusts Madelyn, she doesn’t trust other people.

“It’s not that I don’t trust Madelyn, it’s that I don’t trust other people,” Connie Kingsley said. “Especially in areas where crime is more common.”

Connie Kingsley also believes that as a parent, she has a right to track Madelyn.

“I pay for her phone and car, so I have a right to make sure she’s safe with them,” Connie Kingsley said.

However, Eden explained that the app does offer some perks.

“The positive thing about the app is that it’s two-way tracking,” Eden Brockman

said, “so if my mom’s at Chipotle and I see her on the app, I can ask her to get me Chipotle.”

Lori Glaser said that, while trust may be a concern for kids, safety is a far bigger concern for adults.

“When it comes to Life360, I think kids raise the issue of trust a lot. However, for parents it’s not about trust, it’s about safety,” Lori Glaser said. “Soon enough Grace will be in college and we won’t be tracking her, so these are very important years to make sure we can get her to college safely.”

Lori Glaser also mentioned that the app was a side-effect of parents’ love, not their spite.

“What I always tell the kids is that everything we do with Life360, we do it out of concern and love,” Lori Glaser said.“It’s not that we are trying to catch you, it’s that we are trying to protect you.”

For Lori Glaser, Life360 is a way to ensure peace of mind when dealing with her seven kids’ schedules.

“If I think Grace is at Winstead’s, and I hear there is a fire at Freezing Moo, I’m not as concerned because I know Grace is at Winstead’s,” Lori Glaser said. “So I think it’s important to know where your kids are and when.”

However, many kids believe Life360 is an example of how technological advancements have depleted personal privacy.

“It’s weird thinking in this day and age that your parents have to know where you are all the time,” Eden Brockman said. “They didn’t have tracking when they were kids, and they turned out fine.”

Life 360’s

Features

Automate with Places

Parents can know when their kids come and leave home.

At-A-Glace Info Parents can see their kids’ location within seconds.

Drive Details Parents can have data of their kids’ routes and speeds.

Information from life360.com Icons from thenounproject.com Hand on left page provided by Megan Herrington; photo by Shantha Burt

18 | The North Star | April 2018

COME INSIDE THE WORLD OF HIGH SCHOOL PLASTIC SURGERY.

By Brooke Werp

*Name changed for privacy.

PLASTIC

There has been an influx of plastic surgery among teens in the U.S., according to growing statistics provided by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS). In 2015, 64,470 cosmetic surgical procedures were performed and 161,700 cosmetic, yet minimally-invasive procedures were performed on patients aged 19 and under.

Most common procedures in the realm of teenage plastic surgery reported by ASPS are rhinoplasty to reshape the nose, otoplasty to correct protruding ears, breast reduction, breast augmentation, correction of asymmetrical breasts and treatment for scarring caused by acne or injuries.

According to ASPS, motives behind these procedures and the want to correct certain physical features can be traced back to self-esteem and confidence. It is also common to see teens wanting plastic surgery to fit in with peers, whereas adults tend to have plastic surgery to stand out from others.

Local certified plastic surgeon Dr. Mark McClung from Associated Plastic Surgeons also pinpoints social media and pop culture as a significant influence to young individuals.

“I think it’s pop culture driven,” McClung said. “I think it’s social media driven in terms of what people think.

[People] want to conform to something that they have seen in the media, and I think that’s a big part for someone who is young. That overlays to self confidence and that they feel that they are not who they want to be if they don’t change something that they think is not adequate or sufficient enough to their look.”

For more than a year, sophomore Stella Herrera* has been contemplating the thought of having a breast reduction and definitely sees women in the media as an influence. Her want for smaller breasts also coincides with the look of her peers.

“I feel like a bunch of girls in my grade, even in my friend group, all have small boobs, and they can wear all these cute things, and I can’t,” Herrera said. “Kendall Jenner [too] and with any model, if I see them wearing something, I think ‘that’s so cute,’ but I could never wear that because it would be too much.”

Surgical reduction of the breasts can be attributed to the symptoms overly large breasts can induce such as back and neck pain. Because of this, insurance reimbursement is possible, whereas it is not possible with other common cosmetic procedures.

“As far as breast development goes, most females’ breasts are pretty fully developed by 16 to 17,” McClung said. “So women who have breast enlargement problems usually have it identified and have a matured breast size by that [age] range. [So women] sometimes undergo [a breast reduction] around that age once they have had stable enlargement symptoms of pain.”

Yet Herrera wants to wait until she is educated and matured before she actually chooses to undergo the

TEENAGE

April 2018 | The North Star | 19

procedure.

“If I were to get something like that, I’d probably be a little older,” Herrera said. “There is a lot influencing you, but maybe when you are older you won’t care as much, and you’d probably be more comfortable with yourself.”

McClung’s perspective is similar to Herrera’s in the way that changing physical features at an early age can be disruptive and an improper decision in certain cases.

“I would hope most high school students don’t think they need to change themselves starting at that age because they are very young, and there will be bigger issues in life that they’re going to deal with as they get older,” McClung said. “I don’t think that’s a great mindset to put oneself in, in terms of your future happiness and psychological well being. [However], if it’s something very important to a person, that’s the function of cosmetic plastic surgery. [It] is to help people achieve what they perceive their look to be, which is generally OK if their motives are good and they’re mature about it. It is a difficult thing for someone who is not fully matured and hasn’t lived in their skin long enough to really know.”

However, there are other outlying circumstances that may push young adults to look to plastic surgery. Senior Jensen Samuels underwent two rhinoplasty septoplasties at the ages of 15 and 16. These procedures involve both the cosmetic reshaping of the nose and the correction of septal deviation, a condition making it difficult to breathe properly through the nose.

“I got hit in the face with a basketball in middle school, and I didn’t like how my nose had a hump on it, and I couldn’t breathe very well, so I just wanted to get it done,” Samuels said. “I would always edit my pictures, because I hated the way my nose looked.”

Unfortunately for Samuels, he had to undergo the procedure twice due to an allergic reaction to the metal in his cast from the first procedure. However, Samuels was happy to find that this was the only painful outcome of the procedures.

“I actually had no pain. I didn’t take any Ibuprofen or any pills prescribed to me, which I was really surprised by,” Samuels said. “But other than that, the night before I had to take a Valium just to calm me [down]. Then I had to wash with Hibiclens, which is an antibacterial wash that I had to wash my whole body in, and then I had to do it again in the morning and shave my whole face.”

Samuels was also happily surprised by the overall support he got after the procedure. As a result, Samuels’s mentality toward plastic surgery has remained positive.

“Nobody cared at all,” Samuels said. “Everyone was very supportive. I think plastic surgery is amazing because if you can do something to make yourself feel better about yourself, then why not? Especially if someone has a deformity or even a burn victim, it’s an amazing tool that they could use to change their life.”

SURGERY:

TREND?

20 | The North Star | April 2018

BVN’s Hot Streak Tap to view Snap - 7:45 AM

6

Students share how they use Snapchat and their thoughts.

By Anna Martin

Cat Dissections

Orchestra Concert

The North Report Homecoming Parade

S

napchat is a popular app among many students and a way to communicate with friends. The main function of Snapchat is to send timed photos and videos to people, then the photos and videos disappear. “[I use Snapchat] to communicate with my friends and people I don’t talk to at school. I use Snapchat a lot more than any other social media,” freshman Mackenzie Meyer said.

Snapchat also has many other features such as looking at people’s stories, which are photos or videos that the people you follow post for everyone. Also, on Snapchat you can simply text your friends.

“My favorite part about Snapchat is just talking to all my friends,” junior Spencer Sobek said.

I’m really bad or boring with texting.

Honestly I like to see the person’s face. I think that’s really cool.”

According to “Business Insider,” every second 8,769 photos are shared on Snapchat. The site said that it would take 10 years to view all the photos shared on Snapchat in the last hour. By the time you’d viewed those, Basketball another 880,000 Game years’ worth of photos would have been shared. “[I Snapchat] Boat every day, pretty Races much every minute,” Sobek said.

It is a preferred way of communicating among many students. Many students are communicating through Snapchat throughout the day.

“I’m not addicted to Snapchat, although I am addicted to talking to people,” Sobek said.

April 2018 | The North Star | 21 “I just like to talk to people. I don’t care who.”

One feature of Snapchat is having streaks with people.

“A streak measures the number of days you and a friend have talked on Snapchat,” Meyer said. “I kind of think they are stupid. It seems like people just send pictures.”

While some people are very serious about having as many streaks as possible, others like to maintain a streak to keep in contact with people.

“I have friends that live far away, and we use it as pretty much our only form of communication,” Meyer said.

Snapchat can be used as a way to get to know someone.

“Without Snapchat, half the people would talk to half the people they are talking to now,” Sobek said. “I have streaks with people I like to talk to.”

Many people have used Snapchat to start or maintain a relationship.

“Relationships do start over Snapchat,” Sobek said. “People start talking, and realize that they like each other. Then one asks someone to hang out, and that’s how they start.”

Sobek and Meyer agree that Snapchat has helped many people get to know each other.

“Most relationships start on Snapchat because it is a really easy way to talk to someone,” Meyer said.

The app is used by many to keep in contact and keep communicating.

“Snapchat really helps relationships. Without Snapchat, you don’t really see [the person], so it really just keeps the relationship going,” Sobek said.

Another feature of Snapchat is looking at a person’s friends’ location on a map. There is an option to share the user’s location with all their friends or choose a few to share with. Every time they get on Snapchat, the location is updated.

Sobek does not share his location on Snapchat.

“I don’t like when people are in my business, so I don’t like when people stalk me,” Sobek said.

Meyer agrees with Sobek that location sharing on Snapchat can get personal.

“I think [sharing your location is] really creepy and a huge invasion of privacy. It’s scary how anyone who follows you can see who you’re with and where you are,” Meyer said.

Sobek says that he doesn’t look at the location, but thinks people would feel left out if they see their friends together without them.

Main photo by Cooper Kinley, smaller photos from left, clockwise by Taylor Mills, Taylor Mills, Emma Brunner, Annie Stier, Lila Johnson, Grace E. Rudman

22 | The North Star | April 2018

A MINOR Alcohol Problem An inside look at the culture of underage drinking at BVN.

A

ccording to a 2015 youth risk behavior survey reported by the CDC, 33 percent of high schoolers surveyed drank alcohol at least once a month, indicating that underage drinking has been an underlying issue in the social lives of teens.

School Resource Officer ChloAnn Rizzo has had to deal with students drinking on more than one occasion.

“In a school setting, I just don’t think drugs or alcohol have any place, but you’ll find that

many times, people are under the influence at school,” Rizzo said.

There are a variety of reasons that influence underage teens to begin drinking alcohol, whether it is at school or at home.

“I think teens drink because they think it’s fun and it’ll help them fit in,” senior Simon Taylor* said.

While many start drinking due to peer pressure, others said they start because they are curious about what it is like. However, because it is illegal for people

By Lexie Herman

under the age of 21 to possess alcohol, students take on a great risk when obtaining it.

Some teen drinkers believe that the drinking age should be lowered, so they can drink more freely without being punished.

“I think the legal drinking age should be lowered because kids are getting in trouble for underage drinking,” junior James Ryan* said.

“They’re going to do it anyway, even though it’s illegal.”

On the other hand, some believe that the drinking age

April 2018 | The North Star | 23

should be lowered because it is an issue of freedom.

“I think the legal drinking age should be lowered to 18, because if you’re able to fight for your country and lose your life you should be able to drink,” Taylor said. “There’s not much of a difference. Anyone under the age of 25 is still susceptible to brain damage from alcohol, so I don’t understand that argument.”

Rizzo, however, believes that is not a reason to lower the drinking age, but to raise it.

“I think the drinking age could be a little bit higher, and the reason is because your frontal lobe development isn’t complete before the age of 25, and yet you’re introducing chemicals that each person doesn’t know how it will affect their brains,” Rizzo said.

Because of the different effects of these chemicals, underage drinking can cause people to do things that may not be worth the feeling of being drunk. Even students who drink believe that drinking in high school may not be the most responsible idea.

“I’ve never been caught, but I have made mistakes, like things I regret the next day,” Taylor said, “things I’d rather not do again that I hadn’t done before and wouldn’t do sober.”

Recently, along with the rising popularity of different social media networks, teens have taken to posting about drinking, though some do it more subtly.

“I definitely think you shouldn’t post about drinking,” senior Catherine Foster* said. “When I see people posting a picture and they’re holding a drink in their hand and they put an emoji over it, that’s so stupid. Just don’t have it in your hand.”

While students like Taylor and Foster believe that some of the actions people take while under the influence are irresponsible,

senior Emma Van Lieshout said the whole concept of underage drinking is immoral.

“I think people who drink underage are making a huge mistake, because it is illegal, and you can be punished for a crime,” Van Lieshout said. “It’s kind of a waste of your potential to have to live with those repercussions.”

Although Foster thinks that students who are against drinking are only hesitant because it is illegal, Van Lieshout explained that she is against drinking because she wants to avoid the immediate consequences.

“I’ve never been caught, but I have made mistakes, like things I regret the next day.”

-Simon Taylor* “I don’t really fancy the idea of being impaired in that way, and it just doesn’t sound fun to me,” Van Lieshout said. “Like getting a hangover and not really remembering, that kind of thing just does not sound pleasant.”

On the other hand, Foster believes that starting to drink in high school will help to better equip her for college.

“In college, things can get pretty crazy, so I definitely think that getting used to it in high school is better than going to college and getting messed up,” Foster said.

However, according to an article published by a program

called Set to Go, which helps prepare high schoolers for college, there is a large range of negative consequences linked to underage drinking, the most prominent being increased risk of assault, drug use, cancer development and alcoholism. The article also states that approximately 4,350 people die from underage drinking every year and about 188,000 people are sent to the hospital with injuries or alcohol poisoning.

For reasons such as these, regardless of their standpoint on underage drinking, each of the interviewees agreed that it is a present issue in society.

“There’s always going to be a way for [underage drinkers] to get alcohol, like it’s never going to stop,” Taylor said.

While Taylor, Ryan and Foster each said they obtain their alcohol from friends with fake IDs, Van Lieshout believes that the main issue is with the parents.

“I think a lot of the problem has to do with parents making sure that they tell their kids that this is not something that you should do, and making sure that they’re watching what their kids are doing and where they’re going,” Van Lieshout said. “I know that there are some parents that will make it possible for their kids to drink, so they should strike a balance between giving their kids freedom and keeping them safe.”

Until this happens, the problem can be mitigated by raising awareness of the negative effects among teens. Ultimately, Rizzo warns that drinking isn’t worth it.

“Drinking isn’t really fun. A drunk moment is literally a wasted moment, pun intended,” Rizzo said. *Denotes names changed for privacy

GAME

24 | The North Star | April 2017

BVN students share their gaming experiences.

T

hrough all the changes BVN has gone through and will go through, there is one thing that has stayed consistent: a group of students playing video games every day before school.

Senior Noah Blackwood is one of these students. After stealing his older brother’s Gameboy Color at age 8 to play Pokemon, he fell in love with gaming. Once he was in middle school, he got his own computer and played more and more frequently.

“When I moved to Kansas for middle school, a year later my

brother helped me build my own computer,” Blackwood said. “So now I had something that could perform as needed [so I could] play the other games. It was mainly people introducing me to other games, and I introduce them to other games, and it’s just a cycle.”

Blackwood’s friends have affected his interest in gaming, which he typically does for two or three hours a day.

“Our group of friends has that as a tradition since middle school — that we would come to school early and get on the computer and play some games with each other,” Blackwood said.

Junior Nathan Nugent started seriously playing video games when he was in middle school as well; he has been going to tournaments since he was 13 years old. Although a single game takes around an hour, tournaments can last much longer — up to even a week long.

Nugent is a competitive gamer, Seniors Cormac Palmer and Nathan Preuss observe Blackwood’s gaming in the library.

N which he says is similar to being very involved with music, sports or any other extracurricular activity students at BVN are in.

“You can compete in something that’s not sports or academics,” Nugent said. “There are other options. There are other alleyways you can go to that you can take something you consider a talent or a skill, and you can actually take that and share that with people and make money off it potentially.”

And Nugent does make money from his hobby. The entrance fee to play in a tournament can range from 20 to 50 dollars, and the pot goes to the top player(s) of the tournament.

Nugent got third place in his first tournament when he was 13 years old, and he hasn’t stopped gaming since.

“As far as practice goes, I normally put in about 20 or 30 hours every two weeks if I can, and as a team, I try to get my team together to practice at least three times a week for about four or five hours,” Nugent said.

Blackwood has plans to get involved with competitive gaming as well in his future, but currently he uploads videos on YouTube. After approximately four years, Blackwood decided to create his channel noahth3pandatank to post videos of himself playing. Despite having nearly 500 subscribers, Blackwood doesn’t receive much money from these videos; they’re mostly made for fun. However, Blackwood says that

April 2017 | The North Star | 25 being paid for gaming is his end goal, but doesn’t see that happening any time soon. Because of his growing time commitments and YouTube’s changing monetization policy, he stopped uploading as frequently.

“I would just record [the video]

I just got hooked on the winning. It was a game where it was the skill of your team versus the skill of the other team — there was no luck.

— Nathan Nugent

and upload it after, not really doing any intensive editing or anything, but there was a couple of series I did that I would have to spend 30 or 40 minutes editing,” Blackwood said.

“I need to spend a pretty sizeable amount of money to upgrade my computer in order to continue uploading, but I plan to [continue to upload] in the future.”

Both Blackwood and Nugent primarily play Counter Strike Global Offensive (commonly known as “CSGO”), a game where the player plays on a team of five against a team of five.

“It’s more strategical than your typical first-person shooters,” Blackwood said. “There’s 30 rounds; each of those rounds are two minutes. There’s a terrorist side and a counter-terrorist side. The terrorist objective is to plant the bomb... The counter terrorists have to kill all the terrorists, or if the bomb is planted, they have a 40-second timer to go diffuse it.”

Nugent doesn’t just improve from the activity of gaming — he also watches competitive Counterstrike for entertainment and to hone his own skills.

“I watch a lot of competitive Counterstrike,” Nugent said. “A lot of it I watch as entertainment because it’s the same way as somebody who plays football is going to watch football. But also it’s great to learn from people who are better than

you. You get to see these people who travel all around the world to international tournaments, and you can see what they’re doing.

And they’re working with [the] exact same game as you are. The only barrier is skill. So you can see what they’re doing, and you can try to mimic it or change it, make it something that you do so you can implement that in your own play and improve.”

CSGO, according to Nugent, is no easy task to master.

“It’s a really weird balance,” Nugent said. “It’s part hand-eye coordination, it’s part reflexes, it’s part just knowledge of the game, it’s knowledge of who you’re playing against, it’s communicating with your team. You gotta be able to articulate. When you have five people and you’re all trying to get your point across, you have to come up with a system to get information from person to person efficiently.

Communication’s a big aspect of it, but it’s really an all-around thing.”

Despite the game’s difficulty, Nugent doesn’t plan on stopping his gaming any time soon. His reason for playing isn’t just for fun — he loves the competitive aspect of gaming.

“I just got hooked on the winning,” Nugent said. “It was a game where it was the skill of your team versus the skill of the other team — there was no luck, there was no chance. It was purely competitive, and when you have a game like that, every time you play it, you want to get better...It’s good to win. It’s awesome.”

This “awesome” winning mood has been more widely accessible with the release of the game Fortnite. Senior Max Orchard first downloaded the game because it was free, and has since begun to play it daily.

“I usually play every day,” Orchard said. “[Fortnite] is probably one of the games I play the most. I try to mix it up every once in a while and play different games [as well].”

Orchard observed that although games like Fortnite can become extremely popular, it still may not be for everyone. Other times, it can revive an old love for video games.

“I know of people who have come back to PlayStation ... just so they can play with their friends and play Fortnite,” Orchard said. “Then there’s kids who don’t even want to touch that game.”

Like Nugent, Orchard finds that winning his games only makes him want to play more. However, he also finds that losing is just as addictive.

“I mean there’s definitely a feeling you get when you win a game,” Orchard said. “You just feel really successful and proud. There’s two sides to it — when you lose, you get pretty upset. You can have fun strategy-wise, just trying to win a game, or when you’re in a fight, just trying to win that battle.”

While Fortnite’s popularity may not last, Orchard is sure other games will pick up.

“I think [Fortnite]’s definitely at

I know people who don’t like Fortnite; I know people who don’t like the shooter games. [The future of gaming] varies for everyone.

— Max Orchard

a plateau — I don’t think it can get any more popular than it already is, so it’s really only downhill from there,” he said. “It’s still fun, but it’ll eventually get repetitive. [The future of gaming] varies for everyone. I know people who don’t like Fortnite; I know people who don’t like the shooter games. Other people just play FIFA or 2ks and stuff ... With the future of gaming, you never know.

It’s whatever comes out.”

Blackwood agrees that gaming will never really go away — it’s popularity and significance in peoples’ lives is here to stay.

“I don’t think that gaming is going to go away any time soon,” Blackwood said. “I think it’s probably just going to keep on expanding … exponentially.”

By Kristen Xu

Let’s Talk about mental health 26 | The North Star | April 2018

Students and staff at BVN share their opinions and solutions regarding mental health.

R

April 2018 | The North Star | 27

ecently, discussions regarding mental health have opened up in the BVN community, often focused on raising awareness regarding the issue. However, while awareness is a step in the right direction, talking about a problem is not the same as coming up with a solution.

“Teachers are with us every single day,” junior Emma Brunner said. “They notice things that go on, they can ask what’s going on and how they can help them out, but even then, [mental health is] really hard [to discuss] because people aren’t always willing to talk about this.”

Brunner believes that there should be more to the solution on mental illnesses than raising awareness, and that there needs to be another step taken in order to head in the right direction.

“It’s really, like, taboo, like if you break your leg and you have a cast, you see that, and people ask ‘what’s wrong,’ but we don’t really treat mental illness seriously because it’s not seen,” Brunner said. “I think that it’s really important to know it can happen to anyone no matter who they are or how they act in the community, so honestly just talking to people and checking on people and making sure they’re okay [is really important],” Brunner said.

Unfortunately, simply talking and being supportive of everyone is not a solution that always works because this can be a difficult concept for people to open up to and talk about. However, there are other methods that the Blue Valley community is working on in order to get closer to finding a solution. “[There is an app] called ‘P3 Campus,’

which stands for ‘Public, Private, and Police,’” school resource officer Chlo-Ann Rizzo said. “It is an app that would enable students, if they had a friend who was causing them concern and might be suicidal, to anonymously send a tip to the app, and their friend could get the help that they need.”

While the making of this app is still in progress, the goal is to hopefully give students the opportunity to be another voice for those who are struggling with mental illness and get them any help that they might need.

Furthermore, students have organized a walk in the Blue Valley Community.

“The purpose of the walk is to raise awareness about suicide prevention (signs, where to get help, how to help a friend, etc.),” junior and one of the leaders of the walk Praneeta Nalluri said. “The walk is also meant to bring hope to the community, and the speeches and activities are centered around that message.”

Ultimately, the stigma surrounding mental health should be decreased in order to head in the right direction toward a solution, according to senior Liam McConnell.

“There is no definite solution to the mental health problem that our society is seeing more and more,” McConnell said.

“However there are many things we can do to improve it.

One of these is removing the stigma around mental health, which would allow people to feel more comfortable openly discussing their problems about their health.”

McConnell believes that one of the main solutions to the problem regarding mental health is to create a better relationship between students and staff at North.

“Another more focused solution is to open up communication between students and staff,” McConnell said.

“No one person has the answers, but by allowing conversation to begin, different ideas may be created by some of the most powerful forces of creativity and change accessible: students.”

The Walk

When: May 19, 2018 from 10 A.M. to 1:30 P.M. Where: BVN Track

by Lauren Graham

28 | The North Star | April 2018

Freshman Year

Review

Freshmen reflect on their year as a BVN student.

By Lyndsey Henkel

Photo by Taylor Slusher

E

very year, a new set of freshmen arrives at BVN. There are different types of people in each grade. Some take AP classes and focus on academics, while others make extracurriculars or sports their main priority. Although they choose different paths, everyone is trying to get through the school year.

In August, freshmen usually don’t know what to expect when it comes to high school, because they haven’t experienced it themselves.

“I expected it to be very competitive in high school because Blue Valley North is a competitive school when it comes to grades,” freshman Mackenzie Meyer said.

BVN is known for high achieving and ambitious students. Therefore, it can be

overwhelming, Meyer said.

According to freshman Lexie Henkel, movies can create unrealistic images of high school. They make it out as though anyone could leave school whenever they want or sing and dance on the rooftop.

However, students might get stopped by principal David Stubblefield if they tried that at BVN. “It’s nothing like the movies,” Meyer said. “High school is much more community-involved, and everyone gets along for the most part.”

Getting to know people can be difficult as a part of high school, but sports, clubs and activities encourage meeting new people. High school provides plenty of ways freshmen, or any students, can get

involved with the school.

“I definitely recommend trying out for dance team because it’s so much fun and you get to make friends that are older than you,” freshman Emily Grice said.

Along with dance, football encourages team bonding and getting to know one another, Grice said. Freshmen Omar Eldakak, Jake Marzullo, and Drew Freberg participated in football last fall.

“We were happy to experience something as fun as winning state, and it was awesome being a part of that freshman year,” Eldakak said.

Even though the freshmen did not play in the game, they still supported their team to victory.

“I didn’t get to go to state because I had

April 2018 | The North Star | 29

Favorite Teachers Based on 25 Freshmen

8

8 7 6 5 4 3 2

4

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Mr. Doll

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Hardest Classes Based on 25 Freshmen

Ms. Tankel

basketball, but my brother, Dylan, played, and he would tell you that it’s completely different from regular season,” Freberg said.

Many freshmen were given advice before they entered high school, but later dismissed or ignored it. Therefore, some current freshmen have advice for incoming freshmen, especially regarding how they utilize North Time.

“Use North Time, because if you have homework it’s really annoying if you don’t do it,” freshman Tommy Steinberg said. “Then you get home, you’re playing Fortnite and then it’s nine o’clock and you haven’t done your homework.”

Since North Time isn’t offered at many middle schools, freshmen entering high school may not know how to use it

Mr. Mrs. Bauman Chugg

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effectively.

“Don’t abuse North Time because they’ll take it away forever, and you’ll become the most hated kid in school,” Marzullo said.

Overall, most freshmen would agree high school wasn’t as bad as they thought it was going to be, even though according to Eldakak, some upperclassmen can be intimidating.

“Eric Baston is too scary,” Eldakak said.

“Get that man a wheelchair or something, so he’s shorter than us.”

However, senior Eric Baston believes there is a way to get over the fear of upperclassmen.

“My response to that is that all of them need to hit the weight room, that way

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Biology AP Human Honors Geography Geometry

they don’t feel scared every time I walk by them,” Baston said.

Weight room or not, Freberg said by the end of the year the seniors won’t seem as scary anymore. Overall, he thinks freshman year was enjoyable, as did freshman Grace Carlsen.

“Freshman year was so fun and pretty relaxed compared to the other years,” Carlsen said.

Next year, Grice, Henkel and Meyer hope sophomore year is more or as fun as freshman year was. They think the classes might get harder, but more freedom comes with getting older.

“Senior year can come quick, and the next thing you know, you’re graduating high school,” Grice said.

30 | The North Star | April 2018

D

evika Aggarwal loved Panera. She enjoyed walking around Town Center Plaza with her girlfriends and putting on crazy makeup from Sephora. Quick to respond to any text of distress from her friends, Devika made sure every one of her friends felt like they mattered.

“There are so many words that describe Devika: fiery, intelligent, knowledgeable, humanitarian and very generous and kind and just very open to people and very understanding,” junior Arianna Bono said.

“She gave everyone a chance. No matter who you were, she would listen to what you have to say and really hear what you have to say.”

Wednesday, March 7, students gathered in the commons to commemorate junior Devika Aggarwal who died March 5, 2018, at her home. She was born Jan. 25, 2002, in East Delhi, India, to Praveen Aggarwal and Alka Aggarwal and was raised alongside her younger brother Neil.

“Devika was a beautiful girl with beautiful heart,” mother Alka Aggarwal said. “She never said any negative thing about any one, even for strangers. She was always ready to help and [knew] not to judge people. Carrying lot of love in her heart, she brought so much joy to everyone around her.”

Devika had a passion for learning new

languages. She knew English, French and Hindi and decided to learn German and Spanish on her own. Always at the top of her class, Devika was on the Principal’s Honor Roll each year of high school.

“I remember when she was in pre-K, her teacher told a story, and Devika was so focused that she repeated the whole story as it was told,” Alka Aggarwal said. “She never needed any help in studies. She was an explorer and has passion for learning new things always. Devika was a very bright and intelligent girl.”

Devika took life light-heartedly and lived it the way she believed was right, like advocating for animal rights.

“Whenever she felt very happy, she would love to dance and sing and play piano,” Alka Aggarwal said. “Her smile [brought] joy in our life. Lately she became vegan, as she believed that animals are not kept in good condition. She loved to find and cook vegan recipes. She always cooked delicious food. One of those our favorites was vegan Chocolate mousse.”

Devika had always taken her passions and studies very seriously, but also took her relationships with her peers seriously, too.

“I felt very universally happy and accepted by Devika,” Bono said. “You don’t come across [a person] like her all the time, and she was just natural, and she was

attentive to each person she was with. You felt like you could be an idiot and she’d still love you.”

To her mother, Devika was just as selfless at home as she was toward her friendships and was always ready to help a person in need.

“She didn’t like to make mistakes for herself, but from others she always said that it was okay to make mistakes.

She didn’t want anyone to feel bad about themselves,” Alka Aggarwal said.

“Her heart was so pure and kind, that if someone shared their feelings with her she could feel their pain and could cry [with them] and was always there to help them.”

Junior Melissa Li agrees that her friendship with Devika was something special because Devika was amazing and uniquely her own person, as embodied through her bright red hair.

“Let’s talk about her hair,” Li said.

“I believe that she was just like her hair because she was very free and is very colorful. She was a mixture of a lot of amazing virtues, and I think that’s what makes her such an amazing person.”

Junior Yasamin Farahmandnia urges her peers to remember who she was: a free-spirited person.

“I want her to be remembered for how helpful she was, how good she was,” Farahmandnia said. “I want people to

Devika

Remembering

By Nicole Dolan Illustration by Anna Krutz Photos provided by the Aggarwal family & Melissa Li

Friends and family reflect on the loss of junior Devika Aggarwal.

April 2018 | The North Star | 31

remember her symbolizing the struggle that people go through. I want Devika to symbolize this strong person that we all mask ourselves as. We need to recognize her importance.�

The Aggarwal family would appreciate the North community to pray that she rests in peace and to know that, even though she is not with us, she will always be in our hearts and within every memory. “We want her to be remembered as a perfect friend, a perfect sister, a perfect human being like an angel; she was a perfect daughter that every parent would wish to have a child like her,�

Alka Aggarwal said.

Students, Staff, Families:

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