The North Star / September 2016 by The North Star Newspaper

The

North

Star

Blue Valley North

Volume 31 | Issue 1 | September 2016 | bvnnews.com

A Look Inside BVN Subcultures Sporty Siblings

Profile on Sam Disette Coffee Addiction Homecoming Q&A

Se fo e b tra r fa ac di ll s k c ng p o ca ort ver rd s s!

A Midwestern Renaissance

Navigating The North Star 4| Galloping Across the Globe

18| Sam Disette Profile

6| Summer Recap

20| Relax... Your Coffee is Ready

8| Back to School for Teachers

22| Midwestern Renaissance

7| Escape Stress

10| BVN Transfer Students

26| Dogs—More Than Pets

Galloping Across the Globe

Sam Disette Profile

How to use:

Aurasma

1| Download the Aurasma app to your phone 2| Log into the BVN account, using the username “bvn” and the password “mustangs” 3| Look for the photo with this symbol (Located on page 18) 4| Click the purple square and scan the photo and watch a short clip from Studio 424.

Midwestern Renaissance

Behind the Scenes of Homecoming

Meet the

North Star

Staff

The people and faces behind the pages of the newspaper

Gigi Wildman Editor in Chief

Sammy Galapo Editor in Chief

Kusal Kularatne Business Manager

Lila Johnson Design Editor

Nicole Dolan Section Editor

Laura Evans Section Editor

Amanda Mok Section Editor

Sri Veerisetti Section Editor

Ellie Anderson Staff Writer

Emily Birger Staff Writer

Shantha Burt Staff Writer

Mathew Cotton Staff Writer

Lauren Graham Staff Writer

Lexie Herman Staff Writer

Tara Kaplan Staff Writer

Anna Martin Staff Writer

Taylor Mills Staff Writer

Sophia Roldan Staff Writer

Kristen Xu Staff Writer

Publication Adviser

Miss Klote

By Shantha Burt

4 / The North Star / September 2016

GALLOPING ACROSS

THE GLOBE Numerous students traveled internationally this summer and used what they had learned at BVN on their trip.

any students ponder whether or not what they learn in school will ever apply to them in the future. After all, why would a famous tennis player need to know linear programming, or an artist need to know about cellular respiration? Yet through the summer trips of various BVN students, it becomes apparent that what we learn in school can give us an enlightened perspective of the world and an enhanced appreciation for different cultures. Sophomore Sneha Kannan recognized this while vacationing in India and the United Kingdom this summer. She said

that her prior knowledge on the historical affairs of the two countries allowed her to find similarities in the two cultures and appreciate the trip more. Kannan speaks Tamil, a native dialect of southern India, as a second language. She stated that understanding the native language and culture made a difference on her trip. â&#x20AC;&#x153;[The most rewarding part of the trip] was being able to speak about it knowingly and not just out of randomness,â&#x20AC;? Kannan said. With her understanding of the language and culture, Kannan was able to navigate her way through central London and the booming streets of Chennai, India.

Photos courtesy of Reena Burt and Maggie Nuss

September 2016 / the North Star / 5

However, she was not the only Mustang During the second week of their trip, “We went to Mycenae, which was who explored intercontinental travel this students lived in a French household and thought to actually be a legendary city,” summer. received a taste of what Baldwin said. “Then it was Sophomore Maggie Nuss also took it would be like to live discovered at the end of the “They get to an overseas plane ride on her journey in France on their own. nineteenth century; that was go and see to Austria, France, Germany and the This allowed them to the city that the legendary United Kingdom. Nuss also said that live like locals. King Agamemnon was from.” the places that understanding the history of the countries “The immersion As they had done with was helpful on her trip. [did not make it] they have been the Latin culture, students “[Knowing the history] allowed me to a tour. It [was] were also able to display reading about understand what the different countries in an educational their knowledge of the Latin Europe have gone through,” Nuss said. experience,” Johnson language. and learning This summer, the language department sais. “In Italy in particular, about in class for they had the opportunity took two big trips: one to France and Surrounded by a another to Italy. The French trip was family that only speaks to see a lot of Latin ancient several years.” organized by English as a inscriptions,” Baldwin said. Blue Valley second language, —Jonah Baldwin In the end, students’ strong “The fact that and Shawnee students were foundation of mythological Mission teachers they are learning able to truly feel knowledge, Latin writing and and took place French. With their prior knowledge Roman culture impacted their trip. French in during midabout the language and culture, “In Latin they had a lot of exposure to June. Students students could appreciate this mythology and history related to many of my class and saw the sights of experience. the sights they were seeing,” Baldwin said. Paris, navigated speaking French “We also had preparation From France to Greece, Italy, the the streets meetings about once a month that United Kingdom and India, students there the entire of southern really prepared them for the different traveled the globe embracing new cultures France and were time makes culture pieces and linguistic pieces, through their acquired knowledge. surrounded by like how to enjoy the food, and how “[Having that] knowledge has helped them completely to use the metro,” Johnson said. culture. me achieve a deeper appreciation of what immersed in the “One of the Students on the Latin trip had other countries symbolize,” Kannan said, things that is a a similar experience. They saw “It allows me to empathize for a culture, culture.” requirement for numerous monuments as they and not be ignorant of the diversity in the my trip is that world.” —Jodi Johnson traveled across Greek islands and we speak only through the streets of Rome. Many French from the of the places they visited and things airport in KC to the airport in France,” they saw connected to what they had French teacher Jodi Johnson said. “The previously learned. fact that they are learning French in my “They have familiarity with all of these class and speaking French there the entire stories,” Latin teacher Jonah Baldwin said. time makes them completely immersed in “They get to go and see the places that they the culture.” have been reading and learning about in During the first week of the trip, class for several years.” students traveled as a group, were Students visited renowned islands, educated about French history and ancient cities and palaces. They traveled practiced language skills that they studied to the palace where the legend of the in class. labyrinth and minotaur supposedly “They are getting the value of the originated. Another one of the islands they linguistic piece plus the other cultural visited was thought to be nonexistent until elements,” Johnson said. a century ago.

Summer Rewind 6 / The North Star / September 2016

Students reflect on summer by sharing about their favorite music, movies and media from summer 2016. by Emily Birger “Broccolli” By D.R.A.M

MUSIC

Every year, one song is declared ‘song of the summer’. In 2014, the ‘song of the summer’ was “Happy” by Pharrell Williams. In 2015, it was “Uptown Funk” by Mark Ronson featuring Bruno Mars. Sophomores Abby Sublett, Lori Mitchell and Danny Nam agreed that the song of this summer was “Broccoli” by D.R.A.M. However, freshman Mckenna Harvey said the hottest song was “Alexander Hamilton,” from the musical “Hamilton” by Lin-Manuel Miranda. According to a survey of students regarding their summer favorites, the most listened to song this summer was “One Dance” by Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla Reid.

“Don’t Mind” By Kent Jones “One Dance” By Drake featuring Wizkid and Kyla Reid.

NETFLIX

Some students this summer found themselves glued to their screens, bingewatching series after series on Netflix. Students spill their Netflix favorites from this summer. “My mom had to drag me out of bed because she thought I shouldn’t be watching so much TV everyday,” Harvey said. “She was probably right, but I still started and finished all nine seasons of ‘The Office.’” “This summer, I started ‘The Walking Dead,’ ‘Game of Thrones,’ ‘Bob’s Burgers’ and ‘Jane the Virgin,’” junior Emma Ariagno said. “I finished all of them. It was probably one of the most productive summers of my life.” “This summer I was completely obsessed with the show ‘Stranger Things,’” senior Oscar Chase said. “It’s definitely one of my favorite shows of all time.” “Captain America: Civil War” “Nerve” “Suicide Squad” “Ghostbusters” “Me Before You” “Finding Dory” “Central lntelligence”

“Heathens” By Twenty One Pilots

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” By Justin Timberlake

Another Mustang favorite this summer was the reality TV show “The Bachelorette.” This season, JoJo Fletcher ended up with Jordan Rogers, upsetting an entire fanbase that claimed he was ‘just in it for the fame.’ “This season of ‘The Bachelorette’ was the most exciting one in Bachelor history since season 13 of ‘The Bachelor’ when Jason dumped Melissa for Molly on ‘After the Final Rose’. said Harvey One of the top trends on Twitter this summer was the Olympics in Rio, Brazil. According to TopEndSports.com, the most watched Olympic sport this year was gymnastics, as opposed to the past few years where it had been track and field. “The sport I watched the most this summer Olympics was soccer,” junior Jordan Taylor said. “It’s because I’ve been playing soccer for over 12 years now. I love it more than anything.”

MOVIES

The most talked about film on social media this summer was “Suicide Squad” starring Will Smith, Margot Robbie and Jared Leto. While a few self-proclaimed ‘super-fans’ say that the movie was Oscar-worthy, many say that the movie tanked. “If you’re a fan of the comics and you see the movies, you’ll be disappointed,” sophomore Johnny Bordeau said. “If you haven’t read the comics, you’ll think it just didn’t live up to the hype.” Another major box-office hit this summer was “Finding Dory.” The film’s prequel, “Finding Nemo,” came out in 2003 and is still one of the highest grossing Pixar movies ever. It seems as though they have not lost touch with their fans as people have been waiting 13 years to see the sequel. “Finding Dory” was the number one movie this summer according to the students surveyed. “After seeing the movie twice, I can honestly say it was worth the wait,” junior Molly Hendrick said. “My favorite character by far was Hank the octopus. It was just an amazing movie!” “I cried a lot,” freshman Olivia Humphrey said. “They were definitely happy tears though. It was just so cute!”

by kristen xu

EscAPe Stress

September 2016 / the North Star / 7

Pros, cons, and advice about AP classes.

s students file into the hallways, should try to challenge themselves and break,” Trikkur said. “I’ll just go over chatter of classes, teachers and take AP courses in subjects they may not first semester topics, things that I need inevitable stress are among the most particularly like,” freshman at Georgetown to remember for the AP exam and I’ll go commonly discussed topics. Advanced University and BVN alumna Orunima through some prep books. I’ll practice Placement classes, more commonly known Chakraborti said.“It may be a stressful writing FRQs, or any sort of writing as AP classes, consistently seem to be the experience, but I feel like it teaches you supplement that goes with the exam.” major source of anxiety for students. about yourself, because someday you Some people don’t study much in Taught at a college level, will have to take a advance. In the end, it’s about which “I do personally think difficult class in a Advanced Placement classes studying method works best for a student are typically more demanding, subject that gives and their own strengths and weaknesses. that kids should try to fast paced and material-heavy you some trouble, “Usually like the week before I get a challenge themselves and it’s nice to than normal classes. The prep book and read it,” Li said. and take AP courses have some past whole process of taking an AP Choosing, studying for and working class can be confusing, but experience to help for AP classes and exams is different for in subjects they may those who have gone through you.” everyone. No matter what one wants to not particularly like.” the process have advice for For some get out of an AP class, they’re typically -Orunima Chakraborti newcomers. people, challenging seen as a place where one can challenge Many students think that material is desired, themselves and test their personal taking AP classes is the way to success - a but AP classes can often overwhelm a academic limits. However, if one isn’t high GPA can lead to better chances with person and cause them to stress. A student capable of keeping up with coursework college admissions. However, this isn’t can prevent this by thinking about what and the fast pace of a college level course, necessarily the only reason to take an AP classes they’ve taken in the past and then they might want to reconsider and class. Senior Lucy Li is taking five AP deciding from there. only take the AP classes they know they’re classes this semester and six the next. “Choose based on what you like and capable of handling. “I think it’s interesting to be able to what you want to learn more about,” Everyone has different interests and take challenging classes in high school in Trikkur said. “If you want to challenge ideas for their future, so Chakraborti, Li, all subjects,” Li said. “Even if I don’t think yourself in everything and you’ve been and Trikkur all advise to take classes that I’m going to major in [these] subjects, taking honors and rigorous classes before, one is sure to work hard and succeed in. In it’s interesting to learn about them on an then I would say go ahead and take all the any case, an AP class can show colleges — entirely new level and decide whether I AP classes you can. Choose based on your and students themselves— that they can be would be interested in pursuing [them] in strengths and choose mindfully. Like if challenged and expand their knowledge. the future.” you know that you’ll procrastinate… make Because many students don’t know sure you have some electives in there to what they want to major in when they first have a break and relax.” start high school, the choice to take an A big part of “Choose based on AP class may be difficult. However, some taking an AP class your strengths and students do know exactly what they want is the AP exam to do when they get older and use that at the end of the choose mindfully. Like knowledge to take AP classes that pertain year. Graded on if you know that you’ll to their future. Senior Samyu Trikkur has a scale of 1-5, procrastinate… make had her future planned out for a while. college credit can sure you have some “The AP classes I’m taking currently, be earned with a electives in there to AP Biology and AP Physics 2, are really 5,4 and sometimes relevant to what I want to do in college,” even a 3, have a break and Trikkur said. “I want to be a biomedical depending on the relax.” engineer that’s also focused on pre-med, so school. Because the -Samyu Trikkur physics knowledge, chemistry knowledge annual AP exams and biology knowledge are super cover a year’s worth important for that.” of college level material, most students Even if one does only take AP classes strive to get their ideal score the first time just because they’re AP classes and they they take the exam. think it will help them look better on Many people have different ways of college applications, there are still benefits studying for these tests. Some prefer to to taking a difficult course even if the start early. subject is one they’re not interested in. “I typically start to completely focus “I do personally think that kids on the AP exam right around spring

8 / The North Star / September 2016

Falling Back To School

Teachers share their thoughts and opinions about coming back to school. by lauren graham

s students, we most likely all feel the same way about coming back to school. Whether we want to be here or not, all of us are wishing that summer stuck around a little while longer. “I like summer because there is no school,” junior Avery Hoffpauir said. “The thing that I dislike most about school is the homework and tests.” “Who wants to go back to school?” junior Anna Wolock said. However, we never really stop and wonder how teachers feel about going back to school. Most of us, like Hoffpauir, probably just assume that teachers feel the same way about school

as everyone else does. “Teachers are not excited to go back to school because they don’t want to be back at school. If they are excited to go back to school, then they are crazy,” Hoffpauir said. Jeremy Chugg, a new English teacher, enjoys coming back to school and is excited to see the new students that he will be teaching that year. Chugg knows that because he has the opportunity to teach students, it makes him feel like he is doing something that will help our future generation. “The idea that I get to spend time teaching young people how to think, and I do not have to teach them what to think

but how to think, and by teaching them how to think, they become responsible citizens, and the world is a better place for them,” Chugg said. He also believes that although learning would not happen without homework, he dislikes it very much. “I don’t like having to take home stacks and stacks of papers, and I know that kids have other priorities outside of school, as do I,” Chugg says. Despite the papers, Chugg enjoys teaching because it makes him happy being able to interact with his students. However, Chugg is not the only teacher who enjoys being at school. Laura

September 2016 / the North Star / 9

O’Connell, a math teacher, also strengths and weaknesses throughout enjoys coming the school year. back to school. “I like helping students “I get excited, “I get excited, most- figure out what their strengths mostly because are, and maybe turn a ly because in the in the summer, I weakness into a strength. get bored. I like summer I get bored. I like science and I like being here and I like being here and chemistry, but that’s kind of being around the means to be able to work around people all people all day,” with students. High school is O’Connell said. day,” a tricky time of your life, and “Once it hits July — Laura O’Connell I like supporting students and 1, there is only helping them in realizing who so much time my they are,” Wiese says. dog and I can spend together, and then Wiese also enjoys meeting her new I’m ready to be back at school.” students, and being able to see, meet, O’Connell enjoys being around and get to know who the person behind people, so having the opportunity to the picture is. teach is something that she loves. “I am always eager to find out who “I love that I get to talk numbers and the person is behind the picture. I am problems all day, and I love that I get to coming from an online school where I have conversations with students, and never met some of my students, and so I get to laugh, and I get to be goofy and I like that when I am here, I get to find weird,” O’Connell said. out more about who that person is,” Amy Wiese, a science teacher, loves Wiese says. coming back to school, too. Wiese enjoys teaching because she “I think it’s exciting. I think teachers gets to help students through their get to experience two New struggles, and Year’s, and with each new year “I like helping stube able to realize you have a fresh start, and you their strengths, have all these great resolutions. dents figure out as well as what So for teachers, back to school what their strengths kind of a student is exciting and has a lot of they are. are, and maybe turn promise, and it’s similar to It is fairly New Year’s Eve, because you safe to say a weakness into a have a lot of things to tackle that most, if strength,” and make better,” Wiese said. not all, of the Wiese loves to teach teachers here — Amy Wiese because she loves to help at Blue Valley students discover their North love to

teach, and that coming back to school is such an amazing and exciting time for them. If only all of the students could feel this way about coming back to school…

(Above): Amy Wiese shows a student the rules for significant figures. (Top Left): Jeremy Chugg shows a student what one of his favorite stories is. (Top Right): Laura O’Connell teaches her Pre-Calculus students new functions and equations. (Opposite Page): Laura O’Connell laughs with her students.

Leaves by Carla Dias, the Noun Project

10 / The North Star / September 2016

Transferring Troubles By: Amanda Mok

Putting perspective about starting at North from newcomers.

pproximately 104 out of the 1,689 students attending BVN this year are transfer students from all over the country and the world. These students find heading back to school harder than the rest, from worrying about making new friends and fitting into the classes themselves. “I was nervous about making friends and meeting new people — that kind of really made me nervous,” Melissa Li, sophomore transfer student from Beijing, China, said With the social difficulties of transferring schools that students like Li face, it is also difficult for students to make sure that they are taking the right courses and will receive enough credits to graduate. To help these students, the counselors have been making these students’ transfers go smoothly. “Lots of teachers and counselors and all of my classmates they’re all helping me out [with school],” Li said. “[My counselor] helped me with a lot of

paperwork and when I was choosing my classes he recommended some.” The MAP testing system helps counselors determine a student’s academic level in that subject and place them in the correct class. “We give each student that’s new a MAP test,” counseling department chair Vicki Peterson said. “For the MAP test, there’s an English and a math version, and if they score below a certain level in English we have them tested again with a different reading test. If they score below a certain level in math, it’s a grade level kind of thing, so if it’s showing that they’re below the grade level significantly, then we have a class here that they can take.” Being that the Blue Valley School District was ranked as one of the top ten districts nationally, and that Blue Valley North was ranked as the top school in the state of Kansas, according to US News and World Report, many of these new transfer students may find the Blue Valley courses more difficult and challenging for them.

“I think that the way [the teacher help system] is going right now is just great... I get to talk to different teachers, like before class, after class, after school, and they will just help me out with my problems.” -Melissa

September 2016 / The North Star / 11 “[Challenges would] probably be academics,” Simone Hamilton, junior transfer student from Las Vegas, said. “Las Vegas is ranked the lowest in the country [academically] so coming here and being one of the best, it’s different. Definitely pretty hard.” There are some classes provided by the school that can help those students struggling with the harder Blue Valley District courses. One such class is Study Skills. “[Study skills] teaches you different study skills in life to be able to study easier and be organized,” Blythe Cahoon, sophomore transfer student from Utah, said. “For the next three years this [class] is going to be a big help.” Many of the transfer students also find the help teachers provide before and after school useful and comforting. “I think that the way [the teacher help system] is going right now is just great,”

Li said, “because I get to talk to different teachers, like before class, after class, after school, and they will just help me out with my problems.” In addition to the teachers and counselors that are helping students with their transition into a new school, some of the students at BVN have also been a great help. “The best thing is that everybody is nice, it was really hard for me at first .... but everybody is really nice and there’s no kind of mean girls like the movies and stuff like that,” Li said. “It has just kind of really helped me.” Cahoon also shares these same sentiments. “[BVN] has such a great vibe around the whole entire school and everyone is nice to you,” Cahoon said. For the new students, there are many ways to assimilate to BVN, and one of the ways to do this is to join activities and clubs that they take interest in. This is also another way for students to meet new

“[BVN] has such a great vibe around the whole entire school and everyone is nice to you.” -Blythe

Las Vegas

ina h C

people with similar interests and make new friends. “There are so many different things to do here, athletics, theater, there are all kinds of after school activities, clubs and performing arts. So there’s something for everyone coming here, even just joining one thing where they can start to get to know other students on a smaller scale, it won’t make the school look so big,” Peterson said. China by Nikita Kozin, Ohio and Kansas by Maria Darron, USA by Pumpkin Joice, horeshoe by Oliviu Stoian from The Noun Project Photos by Amanda Mok

Ohio

Join the Club

12 / The North Star / September 2016

by laura evans

Flyers for clubs can be found all around the school. Pictured above are flyers hanging in the 100 hallway for Anime Club, Project READ, REbeL, K-Pop Club, Diversity Council, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, Science National Honors Society and National Art Honors Society

unior Suhaib Ansari, a member of Anime Club, has noted that smaller clubs do not receive much attention. “Not a lot of other clubs are ever talked about,” Ansari said. “There are a lot of clubs that I start to hear about, and then I’m like, ‘Wait, I’ve never heard of that club,’ but it has always been around.” One such club is Anime Club. Anime Club, which advertises their meetings around the school with posters, watches and discusses anime in the tech lab every Friday after school. “A typical meeting is kind

Anime Club

K-Pop Club

f a student isn’t interested in anime culture, there are other options to explore, such as K-Pop Club. Senior Katie Hensler, the covice president of K-Pop Club, founded the club last year along with senior Subin Park and senior Lina Satpathy. At

As the new school year starts back up, students have a fresh opportunity to get involved in activities and clubs. Even though activities such as Debate and FBLA gross over 100 members, some smaller clubs can still be overlooked.

Club is open to students of chaotic at the start, but no matter their amount of once the anime gets playing, preexisting anime knowledge. everybody is seated, and “Regardless of what we everybody wants to watch,” do, we all just try to have fun Ansari said. and enjoy our time,” Ansari While the club has said. “Please join us if you are around 30 members, they just interested in watching are still interested in growing entertaining banter.” membership. “The anime club, I think, could use a little bit more attention and maybe have some better marketing so that we can get a more diverse crew of people into our club,” Ansari said. Sophomores Peter Filby, Tram-Anh Ho and Carson Bishop during a discussion about the upcoming Anime Kansas City Japanese Culture Festival

the diversity assembly last year, the club performed a dance to Korean Pop music, but this year, the club is planning to branch out to more than just dancing. “This year we’re putting in more Korean culture rather than just Korean music,” Hensler said. “We will usually listen to new music videos, do some dances, and play games.” Even with the performance last year, K-Pop Club is still working to bolster attendance

rates. “If we could let the student body know what K-Pop is and what goes on in there, then I think a lot more people would come,” Hensler said. Although K-Pop Club is attempting to wrangle in new members, Hensler noted that misconceptions about the club can be harmful to student participation. “If they think that it’s strange, then they won’t come,” Hensler said. “We went on the

September 2016 / the North Star /13 back to school night. I had a lot of freshmen come in, and they were just like, ‘I’ve heard things about your club. Don’t talk to me.’”

Project READ

roject READ is another relatively new club. While K-Pop Club is centered around a passion for Korean culture, Project READ is a community service-based club. Through Project READ, students have a chance to make a difference in the Kansas City area with monthly trips to Hartman Elementary School. “Project READ is a club that helps inner-city schools in Kansas City, Mo. with education,” junior Shwetha Ramachandran said. “We work with kindergarteners and first graders... we have a lot of fun, and volunteers really make a difference in students’ lives.” Ramachandran cofounded Project READ with her brother, Rohit. Similar to Anime and K-Pop Club, Project READ is still trying to increase student participation and get word out about the club. “A lot of times people see Project READ and they think it’s a reading club,” Ramachandran said. “It’s not a reading club, it’s an acronym.” The acronym stands for “Richly Educated and Determined.” The volunteers in Project READ strive

While preconceptions about K-Pop Club may exist, Hensler urges her fellow students to keep an open mind. “If you’re unsure about it,

come talk to one of us or come to the club to find out more about what’s in it and if it’s a good fit for you,” Hensler said.

to instill these values of education and determination in the children of Hartman

volunteers could make a larger impact. “If the club was more advertised, then we would be able to get more volunteers and more effectively help the children,” Ramachandran said. “Although we do spend our time really wisely when we go there, I think it would be spent more wisely if we had a lot more people. ” While the club makes a difference in the lives of many children, the process is also beneficial for the volunteers. “It is definitely rewarding,” Ramachandran said. “There is so much happiness you get inside, and I know a lot of the volunteers have said that this

“People see Project READ and think it’s a reading club. It’s not a reading club, it’s an acronym.” - Shwetha Ramachandran Elementary. For Project READ, more student participation and awareness about the club would mean that the

Junior Anna Castillo, a member of Project READ, is pictured above with her group of first graders and kindergarteners at Project READ’s bimonthly trip to Hartman Elementary School.

Anime Club, K-Pop Club, and Project READ are only three of the many clubs available. With options including Chess Club, the Gay Straight Alliance, Environmental Club, Political Science Club, and many more, every student has an opportunity to find their niche at BVN. Each club has a specific culture, a different segment of students, and their own activities and customs.

-Anime Club meets every Friday after school in the Tech Lab off of the library. -K-Pop Club meets every Tuesday after school in room 413. -Project READ meets the first Tuesday of every month in room 238 after school, and volunteers at Hartman elementary school two Tuesdays each month.

14 / The North Star / September 2016

How School to Balance

and

Work

by sophie roldan

Created by Ferran Brown from Noun Project

Many students have a job during the school year, but their reasons for working and ways that they balance it with school are different.

he pressure to get good grades in high school requires many students to spend additional time after school working on assignments for class. According to US News, the average student spends three and a half hours working on homework each night. The school day is seven hours long, with homework that adds up to 52.5 hours spent on schoolwork each week, a full time job is considered 40 hours a week. While school may seem like a job, some students have a part time job on top of it. Students have many reasons for having a job during the school year. Some students, such as senior Haley Solowy, have a more pressing reason for spending so much of their free time at work. “I have to help pay rent and I have a financial burden that I have to work for,” senior Haley Solowy said. While the need for money appears to be the most common reason for having

a job, some people work to support the community, including junior Brielle Robinson, who works at Pita Blu. “I know we don’t have as many employees since we’re new, so it’s good that I work because I want to support the business,” Robinson said. Depending on someone’s work hours and class load, it can be difficult to complete homework on days that students have work, Solowy said. “I usually find a way to wake up early in the morning and get all my [homework] done, but it’s hard to study because you have to be alert to study and I’m just tired all the time because I work all the time,” Solowy said. “Tests are hard for me because it’s hard to find time to study and then if I do find the time to study, I usually end up falling asleep.” While it may be difficult for some students to get all of their work done, junior Connor Clary said it is easier if

students have a plan. For students with a job, it is helpful if they take every opportunity they have to work on assignments. “The best way that I’ve found to stay on top of homework is to finish it as soon as possible and during times in school that you may not be working on anything else,” Clary said. Students have different approaches to handling work and school, and their approach often depends on whether they prioritize school or their job. “I prioritize work over school, but it’s hard to balance those two because I’d say you have to pick one, you can’t just go half and half,” Solowy said. Along with having work and school, many students are involved in other sports or activities which take up more of their already limited time. This means that some students are going from school to practice to work and then having to come home to

September 2016 / the North Star / 15

Above: Solowy uses her extra time in class to get assignments done. Photo by Sophie Roldan work on homework and study. “Sometimes during tech week and show week I’ll take off two weeks of work,” Robinson said. With school, work and other activities, Solowy said there is hardly any time left for relaxing and spending time with friends. “Every once in awhile I kind of miss having free time,” Solowy said. Many students often say that they need or want a job, but working during the school year is not for everyone and can lead to students getting behind in class. Once students fall behind in class, it is hard for them to catch up, Clary said. For students with jobs, this means staying on top of their school work. “If you’re not motivated then you should not [work] because you will get behind,” Clary said. Some students such as Robinson think that it isn’t a good idea to have a job if it

isn’t necessary. “I wouldn’t really recommend it unless you need the money or have the time because it’s a lot on your plate,” Robinson said. Despite having to sacrifice some of their time, some students still recommend getting jobs because of the real world experience. “School work is a lot different from physical work and a lot of high school kids aren’t familiar with what it’s like to have a job and work for what they own,” Solowy said. “I recommend having a job because it teaches you a lot about working full time and I think that having a job for the last two years has taught me a lot about what real life is going to be like.” Right: junior Jenna Russo restocks the refrigerator at the Blue Valley Softball Complex after school. Photo by Sophie Roldan.

16 / The North Star / September 2016

b y anna mar t in

What RUNS in the FAMILY Siblings talk about what it is like to both compete in the same sport.

“Y

our team is like your family but she’s literally my family,” junior Emily Stier said. There are many sets of siblings who compete together in the same sport. Emily and Annie Stier participate in cross country together, while Chloe and Ellie Kuckelman compete in tennis and basketball. Last year Emily Stier competed on the varsity cross country team, which won regionals and went to state. Now Emily’s sister Annie, a freshman, is running cross country this season. Sophomores Chloe and Ellie Kuckelman both compete on the varsity tennis team, where last year Chloe came in third and Ellie came in sixth at state. Chloe and Ellie Kuckelman were also both on the varsity basketball team, which lost in last year’s sub state championship. When outside of practice Emily and Annie Stier found that it was nice to have a sibling to talk to about the sport. “I get to go home and talk about it with my sister,” said Emily. Emily and Annie often like to sit down and write out cross country times for the upcoming meets. Emily also said after practice she and Annie will sit down and write out race times for the cross country season. “She knows I struggle sometimes so she tries to encourage me,” said Annie

Stier. Alongside running, the Stier sisters also enjoy encouraging each other and passing on advice to each other. Although both Kuckelman girls like to win, they also care about their sister equally as much as they care about themselves. “I just hate when I have to play her because, I mean I want to win, but I feel bad when, if I do win, because that means she lost,” Chloe Kuckelman said, “I honestly would rather lose to my sister than anyone else because I know she’s good, and I don’t feel bad or ashamed when I lose, just because I know she’s good.” Even when they lose to each other, they are still proud of each other and each other’s accomplishments. “I want her to do good — as long as she did her best and I did my best then I’m happy,” Emily Stier said. Although the sisters enjoy being on the same team together it is not always easy to be on the same team as your sister. “Everyone expects me to be just as good as her,” Annie Stier said. Not only do other people expect more from one sibling because of their other sibling’s accomplishments, but the siblings also put themselves under pressure to perform as well as the other when playing

against their siblings’ previous wins. “If she has beaten a girl I’m supposed to play I feel like I’m supposed to win because she did,” Ellie Kuckelman said. The older siblings pressure themselves because of the natural competition between siblings. “Especially since I’m older I feel like I have to beat her,” Emily Stier said. No matter where they are, or what they are doing, the girls constantly find themselves competing with each other. “Even outside of sports we’re really competitive,” Chloe Kuckelman said. Competitiveness can be a good thing; for example, when one sister wants to get better so she can beat the other sister; however, the other sister might want to better herself so she can beat the first. At that point, it turns into a chain reaction of the sisters improving together. “She is probably striving to be as fast as me and I’m striving to not let her be as fast as me,” Emily Stier said. In the end, all the sisters agreed that they are thankful for each other. As sports bring the sisters closer together, competing together also helps them improve together and as individuals. “Don’t let sports in any way separate you,” Ellie Kuckelman said, “Make them bring you closer together.”

September 2016 / the North Star / 17

EMILY & ANNIE STIER

ELLIE & CHLOE KUCKELMAN

photos by anna martin and colette fogarty

18 / The North Star / September 2016

Senior makes it to the Sam Disette: BVN Olympic Time Trails

s many Blue Valley North students were spending their summer vacations relaxing on the beach, hanging out with friends or just chilling, one of their fellow Mustangs was preparing for the opportunity of a lifetime. On Friday, July 1, senior Sam Disette swam as part of the sixth preliminary heat in the Men’s 50 Freestyle at the U.S.A. Swimming Olympic Trials in Omaha, Nebraska. Disette’s accomplishment was no surprise to his coach at Kansas City Swim Academy, Mary Jo Klier. Klier described Disette as a focused, dedicated, hard worker who is “willing to do what he needs to do to be great.” It has been a long journey for Disette to get to where he is today. He began swimming, with friends and family, at a young age. “I started swimming when I was about 8 years old for Leawood South Country Club,” Disette said. “It was just kind of a thing for fun, all of my friends did it so I’ve done it ever since.” After all these years, he still remembers how much fun it was to swim with his friends. “As a kid, at all of the morning practices, we would just mess around and coach would start yelling at us [were really fun], but all the meets were pretty big too… racing against people from BVN like Will Vance and Mitch Fisher,” Disette said. Despite all the good times he had swimming in his childhood, Disette decided to focus on other sports as he got older, opting to play high school basketball and baseball rather than swimming for the Mustangs. “I didn’t start swimming for school until my sophomore year, I played basketball and baseball my freshman year instead,” Disette said. Between his freshman and sophomore years, Disette was convinced by his friends to join the swim team. Some of these same

friends were the ones he had swum against “I’m looking forward Use Aurasma in his childhood. to all of our fast guys (directions in “We knew he was really fast,” senior winning their events the table of Mitch Fisher said. “Will Vance and I really at state, obviously Sam contents) to tried to convince him to swim sophomore is going to win his two view a preview year and we’re glad he did because events, I hope I can for next weeks obviously he has been extremely successful win mine, and I hope North Report! and been a big help our team for our team.” can finish in the top three,” “[Swimming’s] what Disette’s hiatus Fisher said. makes me happy... from swimming Yet Disette’s most heralded his freshman That’s what gets me accomplishment was year wasn’t as qualifying for the U.S.A up in the morning, detrimental as one Swimming Olympic Trials. He pushes me to be would think. He was able to travel to Omaha, credits the other Nebraska and compete against a better swimmer, sports he played the best swimmers in the world better person,” with teaching him like Michael Phelps, Ryan -- Sam Disette some of the more Lochte and Nathan Adrian. mental aspects of “Omaha was really sports, like hard work and discipline. overwhelming. Seeing all of those amazing “[Those other sports helped] with the guys that are well known and tall and practice part and everything, being a hard twice your size, it’s pretty overwhelming,” worker, learning from my mistakes, being Disette said. “It really matured me as a able to be coachable, learning new things swimmer, getting to swim against all of and all that,” Disette said. the top professional swimmers, seeing Disette began his career as a Mustang what their strengths are compared to mine swimmer hitting the ground running — or and what my weaknesses may be. I mean in this case, the water swimming. it will help me a lot at becoming a better “Probably one of my favorite memories swimmer.” is our 200 medley relay at state my As the opportunity to compete in the sophomore year. I swam the fly leg and trials approached, Disette really began we ended up winning that,” Disette said. focusing as much as he could on his “[We] got the automatic All-American swimming and doing whatever it took award and broke the state record by quite to stay competitive against some of the a bit.” legends of U.S.A Swimming. Since then, he has been racking up both “He swam every day over the summer, team and individual awards with the in the mornings, in the afternoons; he Mustangs. changed his diet, he started working “Last year I broke a 20-year-old standing out a lot, he just got a lot faster over the record in the 50 free, and then also won summer,” Fisher said. the 100 free, the 400 free and 200 free [at At the trials Disette swam the 50 Free. state],” Disette said. “I felt I did pretty well. Judging from the Disette’s domination in the pool has people around me, I moved up about 25 been so apparent that some of his own spots from where I qualified at to where I teammates have already began to pencil finished at in the trials,” Disette said. him in as this year’s state champion in his Now back at school, Disette and his events. teammates feel that some of the experience

September 2016 / the North Star / 19 he gained from Omaha can the junior meet and help them in their preparation try to win that,” “We have a pretty for this swim season. Having Klier said. ambitious program someone who swam in the Despite his Olympic trials can help a team complicated for the year,” bond and find a leader to get schedule, Disette’s -- Mary Jo Klier behind. friends and “[Having a teammate who swam at the teammates still believe that he can make it trials] is really cool, and it’s special, and it back to the Olympic Trials, and even take kind of gives you this feeling that it’s a little that one step further. more than just a high school swim team “I believe 100 percent that he will be and it’s a little more than just competing competing in the next Olympics in Tokyo,” for first place,” junior swimmer Ian Fisher said. “There’s nothing that is going Hulshof said. to stop him from achieving his goals.” Disette has been named captain of the It doesn’t matter to Disette that he took Mustang’s swim team for this season and off a few years from swimming, he still looks to lead his team to success. loves it. He loves swimming with his “I was named the captain of our swim friends, swimming against his friends, and team, and being that I take pretty big swimming in general. In his own words, it responsibility in being the leader… I feel is his everything. that I’ve always been a role model for “Swimming means everything to me, it’s people around me. I usually had led my what makes me happy, it’s what those 5:30 lane, and kind of pushed my lane, pushed in the morning practices are for. That’s the people around me to be better,” Disette what gets me up in the morning, pushes said. me to be a better swimmer, better person,” Disette and his teammates are looking Disette said. forward to the long journey they have Four years from now, when you turn ahead of them as they try to make their on the television to watch the 2020 Tokyo way back to state. Olympic Games, don’t be surprised if you “I’m looking forward to everything, all see yet another Mustang representing the the meets, all the practices, state especially. United States, but this time in the pool. [State is] something you think about all (top right) Disette stands atop the podium at state. summer, think about all year, up until that (upper right) Disette and his teammates accept a plaque after a first place relay finish. moment you’ve just been waiting for it,” (directly right) Disette stands next to a poster at KC Swim Disette said. Academy after qualifying for the trials. In terms of his individual swimming (below) Disette takes a break between races. career, Disette is planning on continuing work with his coach at KC Swim Academy and preparing for another chance to swim in the next Olympic trials in 2020. “It’ll be my junior year of college, so it will be the perfect time to go out again before my senior year,” Disette said. Disette is currently being coached by Mary Jo Klier, who was the only swim coach in the state of Kansas to send any • 1st in state in 50 swimmers to the Olympic Trials. In fact, she sent three. Disette credits Klier with a freestyle and 100 lot of his success as a swimmer. freestyle “She knows everything about me, she knows what I need to work on, • 1st in state in 2x50 knows what my strengths are, what my relay and 4x100 relay weaknesses are, and how to get better at those,” Disette said. • Finished 106th out With Klier’s guidance and coaching, of 200 swimmers in Disette has been able to qualify for national events and has a good-sized the 50 freestyle at the swimming schedule ahead of him. “We have a pretty ambitious program for Olympic Trials the year. [Sam] has Junior Nationals, he has qualified for seniors, but we will attend

Sam’s Accomplishments:

20 / The North Star / September 2016

Relax ...Your Coffee Is Ready by sri veerisetti

The effect of coffee on students and adults and the resulting coffee addiction

In 1971 Starbucks opened its doors to hundreds of customers in Seattle, Washington. The company had no idea that it would be making $19.2 billion 45 years later. Coffee has been a large part of many people’s lives and is a driving force in the food industry. Today, coffee has a large influence on the daily schedule of many people, some people even feel as if they absolutely need coffee to continue their daily routines. On a daily basis, Americans drink 11,947,500 pounds of coffee, suggesting that coffee is a crucial part of the lives of many americans. Why do students and teachers drink coffee? Students at Blue Valley North work diligently to finish their school work, but this takes a lot of time and effort. Some students drink coffee to give themselves a small boost to continue their day. “I don’t drink coffee on a daily basis,” senior Addison

Schlatter said. “I drink coffee when I need the extra boost, like before a long day of tests or before a night of studying. When I drink it, I drink a ton, and with lots of espresso.” So why do students in high school start drinking coffee in the first place? Some students drink coffee because they have been accustomed to seeing their parents drinking coffee and have just joined along. “I started drinking coffee originally when I went to India,” BVN alumnus Nidhi Vinod said. “[We’ve gone] every three years since I was 10 as it became a tradition for me to drink it with my grandma. However, I only started drinking coffee on a regular basis my sophomore year because I was not getting enough sleep with my hectic schedule.” Others have started drinking coffee because they feel like they need the psychological boost that

coffee presents to keep their grades up and help them finish their homework. With extracurricular activities, community service, and school, many students just can’t keep up with the workload and need a source that can re-energize their minds. “I started sophomore year when I was too tired at school because I was getting very little sleep,” senior Yang Kelty said. “Everyone’s lives are so busy nowadays. People don’t get enough sleep, but they still need to be energetic in order to be efficient. The best and tastiest solution for that is coffee.” People see coffee as an outlet and a temporary boost to help get things done in a quick period of time. It helps them wake up and get started on things they need to accomplish. “I believe that it wakes you up more, so I feel like I am being more productive, but

September 2016 / the North Star / 21 that could also be a placebo effect. I am more eager to work and get things done when I have coffee with me” person said. If coffee seems to be working for so many people, then why aren’t there more students drinking coffee? Some students just don’t have the appetite for it and continue without it. “I don’t really enjoy the taste and my taste buds don’t really enjoy coffee very much,” senior Max Schanker said. “I have thought about drinking coffee, but I tried it, and I just really didn’t enjoy it.” Other students have realized that coffee just hasn’t given them the same boost that it has given other people and have also stopped drinking it. “I thought it was an adult thing to do,” senior Noora Batrash said, “and I used to drink it before debate tournaments, but it messed me up before the tournament and just didn’t make me feel right.” High school students aren’t the only people that rely on

coffee to get past their tough days. Many teachers across high schools in the United States drink coffee to stay attentive and teach their classes for the day. “I like the way it tastes, and it’s hot so it helps to wake me up,” debate teacher Kelly Thompson said. “I don’t necessarily think it is for the caffeine, but it may be. I just think it helps to wake me up.” What are the effects coffee has on people? As school work slowly piles onto the plates of many students and teachers, they quickly turn to coffee and other caffeine drinks to stay awake to solve their problems. Extracurricular activities, long hours at work, or even long hours at school because many students to become very sleepy. So is coffee really worth drinking? According to a recent article, written by the American Psychiatric Association, coffee consumption has many negative effects:

Coffee Craze data from the huffington post

“Excessive ingestion [of coffee] leads to a state of intoxication known as caffeinism, which is characterised by restlessness, agitation, excitement, rambling thought and speech, and insomnia. These symptoms clearly overlap with those of many psychiatric disorders. The potential harmful effects of caffeine have long been recognised.” With coffee presenting so many negative consequences, why do students and teachers still drink it? Unfortunately, there are many students that just unaware of the consequences coffee presents. “I don’t know the negative effects that coffee has to the extent of what I should know” Schanker said. Coffee is quickly taking over as a modern day fad because of its excellent ability to act as a power source for so many people. The people that do know the consequence still drink it because the addiction is just too great to handle.

9 oz.

The United States imports $4 billion worth of coffee each year

65% of coffee is consumed during breakfast hours

The average coffee cup size is nine ounces

Americans consume 400 million cups of coffee a day Icons Created by: Jennifer Knotts, artworkbear, Nikita Tcherednikov, Icons Eazaar from Noun Project

We Drink Coffee Because... “It’s not easy to meet those expectations without help, and thats where coffee comes in. Also, it tastes good.” - Addison Schlatter

“I like coffee and the way it tastes and the hotness of the drink. Compared to other drink choices I could be making, I feel like coffee is the least harmful.” - Kelly Thompson

“People don’t get enough sleep, but they still need to be energetic in order to be efficient. The best and tastiest solution for that is coffee.” - Yang Kelty

“I believe that it wakes you up more so I feel like I am being more productive, but that could also be a placebo effect. I am more eager to work and get things done when I have coffee with me.” - Nidhi Vinod

22 / The North Star / September 2016

A MIDWESTERN RENAISSANCE

September 2016 / The North Star / 23

PA R T O N E

t all started on the “Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon”, almost a week after the Kansas City Royals defeated the New York Mets to win the World Series. Salvador Perez and Eric Hosmer were sitting beside the Emmy-winning host.

Center for the Performing Arts were quickly placed on the forefront of city life — and even recognized on the national stage.

“I didn’t even know there are that many people in Kansas City!” Fallon exclaimed as he studied the picture of the sea of blue in front of Union Station during the World Series celebration.

This resurgence in the city has been discovered at BVN, as students have taken advantage of the new downtown concert venues and events that have emerged in the past few years. While these places what have their highlights, we wondered else is on the brink of revival? What else is putting Kansas City back on the map?

It was a valid comment, as Kansas City is only populated by 470,000 people, and is usually known for its barbecue and jazz. However, Kansas City has proven in the past few years that population doesn’t limit potential, as establishments such as the Power & Light District and the Kauffman

From the West Bottoms coated in art and culture, to the River District surrounded by history and charm; through this series we get a glimpse of a city of potential, areas full of promise, and those who are seizing its opportunities to shape the future. This is the Midwestern Renaissance.

written by taylor mills

photography by tara kaplan

24 / The North Star / September 2016

In order from left to right, entrance to the historic City Market; a bike outside of a local restaurant; produce on sale at the City Market from Good Acres Farms; a photo of Quay Coffee Shop; red-brick buildings along Delaware Street; florist Paula Xiong and her daughter at their stand in the City Market; a piano placed outside of the market; a one-man band entertaining shoppers and visitors; Muhammedâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s spice stand with over 150 spices.

September 2016 / The North Star /25

THE RIVER MARKET Just north of downtown and across I-70, the quaint River Market sits along the Missouri River, stuffed with old warehouses and buildings once used for trade. In the hub of it all is the City Market, a farmers’ market established in 1857. While it may seem like a neighborhood already past its prime, the need for the in-town living experience has pushed the revamping of the old. New businesses and residents are taking advantage of the history within this area as they try to create their own, redefining the standard of city life.

market, filling the streets with sound and color. While these aspects are nothing new, they are the building blocks for the social developments happening in the River Market. “It’s very creative, very fun, and a lot of work,” a second generation farmer and flower vendor, Paula Xiong said. “We will definitely continue [business] at the market.” Surrounding the historic hub are walking trails, parks, pedestrian friendly streets, docks, a museum, and even off-leash areas for dogs.

“It’s come a long way,” Xiong said. “It’s very vibrant, friendly, and there’s always a lot of RESPECTING people.”

“PEOPLE ARE CULTURE, AND UNIFYING WITH GREAT FRESH FOOD” - Meghan Gallant

Residents also take advantage of the number of activities in this area, such as fitness classes, yoga and Wednesday night markets.

“I love the idea of moving city life near the river,” a vendor for Good Acres Farms, Meghan Gallant said. “I would say that my favorite thing is how diverse it is; you see people from different countries.”

Between all this hustle and redeveloped residential buildings are the up and coming businesses. This commercial resurgence ranges from local shops to some of the largest firms in the region.

Diverse is surely a word to describe the area, as there are over 80 local farmers and retail food vendors within the market, and an international blend of restaurants with cuisines such as Ethiopian, French, Mediterranean, Vietnamese and Italian on the surrounding streets.

“It’s given a lot of people a lot of creativity,” the general manager at the new American restaurant The Farmhouse, Heather Searles said. “A lot of people that didn’t have a creative voice before do now. Kansas City in general is exploding.”

Almost 1,500 people visit the City Market every weekend, attracted by these unique foods and ingredients that are hard to find in regular supermarkets. “I think the people of Kansas City are getting out and are [taking advantage of] the market,” Gallant said. “People are respecting culture, and unifying with great fresh food.” The culture doesn’t just stop at the food, however. Musicians and artists alike display their newest works in restaurants and in the

The economic growth has not only filled the once empty warehouses, but has instilled a new identity into the the area as a historical district full of potential.

its involvement in the smuggling of alcohol and gang violence to a community that is connected through multiple residential associations. Gibbs Road Farm and Roots for Refugees, for example, extended the diverse aspects of the area to food droughts, and have given way for job development and progress. While the list of amenities and experiences the district offers continues to expand, the demand for such a secure and thriving place to live is growing as well, resulting in higher living costs. “People like myself, the servers, and other people who have lived in this neighborhood for generations can’t afford to live here anymore,” Searles said. “It’s kind of like a catch-22.” Another addition to the neighborhood that has proven both a triumph and a trouble for Searles’ business has been the streetcar. The new development connects visitors from landmarks such as Union Station and Power & Light to local businesses, bringing in new customers and revenue, but also increasing traffic. However, she is optimistic for the farm-to-table experience the restaurant has to offer, as well as for the future development of the area.

“A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO DIDN’T HAVE A CREATIVE VOICE BEFORE DO NOW”

“I do see a lot more people asking questions — wanting to know the history of the buildings,” Searles said. “We have basements that have tunnels reaching all the way to the river from the Prohibition ages. People are kind of recognizing that if they hadn’t before.” The River Market has grown from

- Heather Searles

“It’s an interesting place to live,” Searles said. “We don’t have the boastful beaches and the gorgeous hiking trails, but we do have really good food — and finally we are being recognized for being a friendly city, hospitality-wise and as far as entertainment goes.”

26 / The North Star / September 2016

D gs— M re than Pets by ellie anderson

From dog parties to a therapy dog in the library during finals week, dogs seem to be a priority in the lives of BVN students. While some students have personal reasons as to why dogs improve their lives, some may not be aware of the scientific research that shows how dogs affect their health. These canines can be more than simple

companions, and can impact both physical and mental health. A 2001 study on AnimalSmart.com proved that petting animals, specifically dogs, increases levels of stress reducing hormones such as oxytocin. Also, it can decrease the production of cortisol, which causes stress. Animals are specifically known to reduce stress before tests and public speaking, especially for young children. Dr. Donald Dinges, vererinarian at Camelot Court Animal Clinic, said that dogs are often used to fight depression and anxiety. “They serve as another entity in the household to take the worries off of you,” Dinges said. In events such as the Orlando nightclub shooting in June, therapy dogs were brought in to comfort the victims, according to Dinges. People who had suffered pain and loss were able to pet the dogs as long as they wanted. “Their unconditional love really

helped people get through that stress,” Dinges said. In addition, he said these dogs are often brought in for patients after they have had heart bypass surgery. Heart bypass surgery is a large ordeal, and requires a major lifestyle change once it is done, which is often hard for patients to cope with. “There is a huge post-operative depression rate with cardiac patients, and pets really fill that void for depression and loneliness,” Dinges said. “Pets give senior citizens a reason to get up in the morning—to feed someone other than themselves.” In addition to helping people get through emotional trauma, dogs can also have a large impact directly on physical health. “When children are introduced to pets early in life, their allergy predisposition goes way down. If they’re not exposed, they tend to be more hypersensitive to allergens,” Dinges said.

September 2016 / The North Star / 27 Even within BVN, dogs have been used as a method to relieve stress. Last year, senior Katie Kirwan brought in her therapy dog Meeko during finals week for students to pet to relieve their tension. As a puppy, Meeko was trained as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs are specifically trained to provide comfort or affection to those in need, and while they are different from service dogs, their effect is known to be just as positive. “He’s so intuitive when it comes to people’s emotions,” Kirwan said.. “I could have had the worst day at school and he would know. If I’m upset he’ll just lay in my bed with me with his head on my chest. He’s definitely a stress reliever and has helped my mental health, as well as the health of many others.”

Meeko works at Villa St. Joseph, a nursing home, where he works with senior citizens. Last year, Meeko was shot directly in the face when Kirwan’s house was broken into. He survived, but had to miss work for a month, which saddened the senior citizens. When he was finally able to go back, the patients were overjoyed and even threw him a party. “They brought him a McDonald’s

hamburger and a huge card that they all had signed,” Kirwan said. “The way he impacts the people at the nursing home is amazing. Silent people will sing to him, people that always cry will smile at him. He has sat with people whose parent or grandparent have just died and will comfort them.” Along with Kirwan, many other students have also been positively impacted by dogs. Some students use their dogs to cuddle, some to take walks, and others as a means to relieve stress. “Dogs are the best thing to happen to humankind,” senior Addison Schlatter said.

“It’s kind of an unspoken relationship.” — Mickey McMahon Many students feel that one of the best things about dogs is the unconditional love they provide. “It’s kind of an unspoken relationship,” sophomore Mickey McMahon said. “One time, my dog Coco ran away, she just bolted out the door. The best way we knew to get her back was to lay down on the sidewalk and pretend that we were sad, because we knew she would come back and try to comfort us.” In addition to the tales of selfless love that appear on the Internet every day, each dog has its own story.

Opposite Page Dog Icon: Credit to Nut Chanut at the Noun Project. Tennis Ball Icon: Credit to Ismael Ruiz at the Noun Project. Opposite Page Top: Meeko is pet by residents at his return party. Opposite Page Bottom Left: Meeko gives a Villa St. Joseph’s employee a hug. This Page Top Right: Meeko smiles at the camera. This Page Middle Left: Meeko gives a kiss to Villa St. Joseph senior citizens..

Meet the Pets

Sophomore Ethan Vlasic and dog Lola

Sophomore Mickey McMahon and dog Coco Senior Sam Brown and dog Brinkley

First Two: Photos taken by Ellie Anderson Third: Photo taken by Lila Johnson.

28 / The North Star / September 2016

Breaking Out

An exploration into gender stereotypes, how they effect us, and how to break out of them

by Lexie Herman

ll women want to marry and have children and all men love nothing more than sports. At least this is what it says on healthguidance.org, which argues that these are two of the most common genderrelated stereotypes. However, it is debatable as to why stereotypes like these exist in the first place. “Stereotypes exist because people would rather be in a world where they can attach one simple characteristic to somebody rather than actually explore them as a human being,” senior Haley Solowy said. According to an article from Cosmopolitan Magazine, 80 percent of the first things guys notice about girls are related to appearance. On the other hand, some girls may tend to stereotype guys based on personality traits. For instance, some girls think that guys believe they are more physically able-bodied. “I was helping a girl move and I thought she wouldn’t want to lift the big things, so she thought that I thought she was too weak,” junior Nathan Spencer said. Pop culture portrays gender stereotypes, as well. “Just look at any piece of media, you’ll see a woman objectified and a man positioned as if he were subtly more powerful,” junior Calla Hinderks said. Men are held to specific standards in the media just as women are. “I’ve seen male celebrities wearing stuff and [critics] will say things like ‘look how feminine this is!’” sophomore Noah Davis said. Guys are given the impression that girls assume that they have it worse than guys do. “Girls think it’s always so hard to be a girl, but it can be hard for guys too,” Davis said. Some people are frustrated with the fact that society views it as unmanly to be emotional. “I don’t like the stereotype that men can’t be emotional… I think that it’s seen that if a man shows any sense of emotion he loses a sense of manhood,” Solowy said. Despite the fact that gender stereotypes can be found all throughout today’s culture, they are often misleading about the majority of the group they are targeting. “No stereotypes are true for every single person. Girls aren’t all girly or wear pink or don’t play sports,” sophomore Grace A. Rudman said. No matter what a person’s gender, the stereotypes that come along with it can feel degrading and hurtful. “Sometimes, it makes me think that I have to do specific things that are linked to my gender, when I don’t feel related to

“Just look at any piece of media, you’ll see a woman objectified and a man positioned as if he were subtly more powerful.” -Calla Hinderks

those things at all,” Davis said. While some people, such as Davis, feel pressured to conform to their genderspecific roles, others are ostracized for not fitting in. “It makes me feel limited. Don’t put me in a little box and tell me how to be,” Hinderks said. According to a statement posted by the press secretary of the White House, exposing children at a young age to more opportunities and diversity can help them to break past the societal boundaries of their gender. As well as giving ideas on how to stop gender stereotyping, this statement lists widely known companies such as Netflix and Scholastic that are beginning to attempt to spread ideas of gender equality to teens all around the country in the form of books, movies and television shows. “I think that things will become more equal and change as people start to realize that they’re not right,” Rudman said. As new ideas breaking free from gender stereotypes spread, the students of BVN will become one step closer to seeing each other for who they really are.

Gender Stereotypes in Pop Culture Movies With Male Leads Vs. Female Leads

23.

Men Vs. Women Portrayed as Powerful Leaders in Films

Men Vs. Women Sexualized in Media

Data taken from the Huffington Post

13.9

24.8% 9.4%

86.1

Men Women

September 2016 / The NorthStar / 29

Are You Homecoming to the Dance?

YES

tudent council puts a lot of effort into homecoming by selling tickets, decorating the gym, and advertising about the dance. In addition, the week leading up to the dance includes a bonfire, football game and a parade that students can attend. But what do students think about attending the actual dance? We typically decide whether we’re going to the dance or not according to what the group wants, and my date wants to go this year so we’re going, according to senior Vaughn Gessley. For seniors it is the last year to attend the dance, therefore many of them feel added pressure to go to it. “I think seniors would be more inclined to attend the dance because it’s their last chance,” Gessley said. Even if not attending the physical dance, some students prefer to participate in the festivities by going to dinner, taking pictures and attending an after party. For freshman, homecoming is their very first

high school dance. Homecoming can be seen as a sort of high school privilege and right of passage for students. “Since we’re freshman, it’s our first time going to something that isn’t a mixer… it’s our first time that we can go to an actual high school dance,” freshman Emily Pevez said. Freshmen expectations are set for their first homecoming and they’re excited about it; they look forward to all that homecoming holds. “I’m excited about going to homecoming,” freshman Cameron Mendelson said “I think my favorite part about homecoming will be just having fun, and I’m asking someone so that will be fun,”.

or some students, the loud music, large crowds and the fact that it’s located at school steers them away from going to homecoming. “Since it’s only been a year for me I’ve only been to it once. I don’t think I’m going to go again, I didn’t really find it that interesting” sophomore Sophia Villareal said. “It was just rap music and people jumping up and down,” One thing that Sophia found unappealing was the music that was played at the homecoming she attended, and it

tainted her experience. The music played at the dance was not of a very wide variety and was played very loudly, which was offputting, according to Villareal. For some students, the fact that their friends aren’t going influences them to also not attend the dance. “I only have about two or three friends going to the homecoming dance, I don’t think I would have much fun going to the dance unless a bunch of my friends were going too,” junior Angie Giglione said. Without the company of friends Giglione expressed that the dance is not enjoyable and that is why she does not go.

30 / The North Star / September 2016

Behind the Scenes of the Homecoming Game

by nicole dolan

omecoming week involves several layers of hard work, practice, and time that go unnoticed. For all the hours of preparation, football players, band members, color guard and cheerleaders alike all aim for Friday night to go as smoothly as possible. What does the HC game mean to the school as a whole? What’s the hype, the tradition, behind it?

Senior Cole Chapman, football captain: “Traditionally it hasn’t been all that hyped, and we’re trying to make a statement that football really makes homecoming special.” Junior Colette Fogarty, color guard member: “A bigger crowd comes out and there’s a lot more energy; there is a lot more pressure on both the guard and the band to impress the crowd because so many people are watching. It is a lot of fun.”

photos by nicole dolan, audrey brooker and kylie sweeney

Senior Margaret Hubble, drum major: “[Both the band and the color guard] work around the football players and we have a limited window to set everything up. The hours and hours of practice are the most important; even for football games we have to make sure that everyone understands what is going on throughout the night.”

Not only do homecoming proposals begin to appear on social media, but the whole school becomes more attentive of all the events going on throughout the week. The environment at school on and off the field may have a boost of energy but the nerves still get to the performers. Describe the environment during spirit week. CC: “There’s definitely more school spirit and everyone is talking about the game. Everyone pays attention more.”

Senior Madison Shewmaker, cheer captain: “As you get older the hype increases. We go all out and motivate each other to have school spirit and be hyped for our school.” Senior Roxanna Hamidpour, band section leader: “It’s pretty unified. As a band we are always spirited so when spirit week comes around, it’s pretty normal.” CF: “The team definitely feels more nervous since it may be the audience’s first color guard encounter. The nerves come in harder as Friday gets closer. Everybody gives their all on the field and after all the hard work that night you get to wake up the next day and it’s Homecoming. It is a busy time, but you look forward to it.” What makes the HC Game different than any other game? Senior Harrison Frazier, football captain: “Usually it’s the game that people come out

September 2016 / the North Star / 31 to the most and we’re playing Miege who’s a big team to beat, so we’re going to have to play our best.” Junior Vencent Allen, football player: “It’s our home game, so we have that pressure to win for our school, and when we beat Bishop Miege it’s going to be a big game to really kick off the season.” CC: “It’s just another week for Coach Sims. He tries to make everyone go out there like it’s always homecoming week.” MS: “There’s so much hype during the week depending on who we play. The assembly is the biggest thing because we have to perform a huge routine that has a lot of sections and it is the first time JV is incorporated.” The hours of practice take up a lot of time out of every player’s day and night. In fact, the team has weekend and early morning practices along with their after school ones. Along with the football team, the cheer squad takes time out of their school day to prepare for all the extra crowd pleasing activities. Color guard also put in the extra hours over the summer and after school alongside the band to perfect routines. What would you like your peers to know about what goes into the game that they might not know about? Keilon Hunter, senior captain: “All the hard work that we do, [our peers] get to go home and nap [while] we’re out there working or watching film. [I want them to know about] the work we put into [the game] that they don’t see to be good.”

ups but everyone is really working hard to do well for our audience.” Junior Tory Fortunato, color guard captain: “We really put a lot of hard work into our routines and learning them. It is not simply just turning a flag, and there are so many factors that go into flagging. The weather and the position of the sun when you’re flagging and all of these factors affect the way you flag; it is either a blessing or a curse.” Who all is involved that is underappreciated?

CF: “Every single move that you see has been practiced more times than you can imagine. It is a fun time to be out there on the field and you may see some little slip

KH: “It’s going to mean a lot for our confidence and [will make] a statement to anybody else that we play after that because it’s one of the best teams we play.” MS: “Win or lose [I want to] show that I take pride in our school and all the good things about it.”

“It’s gonna be one of the best games of the season and it’s going to bring out the best of us.” -Keilon Hunter

HF: “All the assistant coaches don’t get a lot of attention. Our trainer, John Derington, definitely needs more recognition.”

VA: “The booster club makes sure that we eat and that the smoke and the tunnel is ready for us. They provide everything that the coaches can’t provide for us. All those banners are because of the booster club.” CF: “Our coach, Amanda Sipes, doesn’t get a lot of recognition and she does everything from organizing where the costumes come from, choreographing the routine, organizing equipment and making everyone feel appreciated. This is the second year at North that the color guard was put in place and Sipes literally single-handedly taught 18 high school girls who may or may not have any dance experience almost everything about color guard.”

“Every single move that you see has been practiced more times than you can imagine.” -Colette Fogarty

MS: “Seventh hour isn’t a study hall because we actually practice and put in a lot of hard work. We leave for the game early, especially if it is an away game, and practice the banner run through over and over again until we have it just right.”

What effect does the game have on you?

TF: “Miss Sipes is strictly a color guard coach and she comes here for all the practices while she’s getting her master’s at KU. People don’t realize all the work she puts into the program while managing to get her degree.” MH: “People do not realize what the percussionists put in outside of normal rehearsal. They have so much equipment to set up and work with. Blake Vignery is the percussion instructor and he has to make sure that everyone has everything they need.”

TF: “There’s a lot of excitement and anxiety on how we are going to perform and it takes a lot of confidence to perform something you’ve been working hard on in front a whole bunch of people. It is definitely nervewracking.”

MH: “I want my peers to know that every person matters and if one person isn’t doing their best, then the entire group is affected.” Senior Jacob Krieg, drum major: “I want to make this performance the biggest, bestest show as of yet. Marching isn’t easy and it comes off as easy but people ignore it and a lot of time and effort goes into it and I think that people need to appreciate it more.” Why should people come out to the game? VA: “It’s the biggest game of the year and you got to show your school spirit.” KH: “It’s gonna be one of the best games of the season, and it’s going to bring out the best of us.” MS: “Come out to show school spirit!” CF: “The football games are great all around for everyone; whether you are on the field or not, it is a way to be involved at school. It is definitely a high energy night all around and the next day is the day of the dance which is also exciting.” TF: “We work really hard. Not only does the crowd get a lot of energy from the band but the band gets a lot of energy from the crowd.” JK: “It is the homecoming game and people should be willing to come and support our team.”

Karen Yan (Tennis)

Jack Bryan

Rachel Rhyner

(Soccer)

(Volleyball)

Keely Gaedert

Peter Klug (Football)

(Golf)

Carter Williams (Cross Country)

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