The North Star, Volume 34, Issue 5

THE NORTH STAR March 2020 | Volume 34 | Issue 5 Blue Valley North High School 12200 Lamar Ave, Overland Park, KS

FREEDOM Student entrepreneurs are experiencing the freedom money offers - page 16

Photos clockwise from left Working Force Two seniors explain their job experience as interns on page 18.

From portfolio to ap art Blue Valley School District plans to change high school portfolio art classes to AP Art in the fall of 2020 on page 20.

Breaking Pointe Student dancers discuss the body standards of ballet and dance on page 22.

Editors-in-Chief The North Star is the official high school news publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distributed to all the students six times a year. This is the March issue of volume 34.

The North Star is printed by the Sedalia Democrat. This is a student publication and 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.

2 | The North Star | march 2020

Briley Everhart Megan McConnell Delaina Sanden

Staff Writers Maddie Austin Reece Bachta Margaret Behner Ellianna Cierpiot Caroline Clarke Ana Curi Lopes Alex Doege Scarlett Jones Aubrey Karns Olivia Miller Annabelle Muller Charlotte Raley Yasmeen Saadi Yahav Sal Kara Deskin Angelica Henson Charitha Lakkireddy Max Wolf

Scan here to go to bvnnews.com

Table of Contents Current Events

Health and Education

4

Route to 2020 Elections

20 From Portfolio to AP Art

6

America Decides

7 8

The Presidential Election Explained Mayhem on Macbooks

21

10

Worth the Wait

12

BVN in Business

Business 14

Money Talks

16

The Shoe Biz

18

Working Force

New to bvnnews.com this month Work Force, continued

The Power of Music

22 Breaking Pointe 24 Sites of Spring Break 26 2020 Concert Guide 29 Freedom 30 Budding Businesses

The North Star Social Media Facebook

@bvnnews

By Charitha Lakkireddy

Twitter

Which north star staff member are you?

instagram

By Scarlett Jones

@bvnnews @bvnnews Website

www.bvnnews.com

march 2020 | The North Star | 3

ROUTE TO 2020 ELECTIONS FEBRUary- CAUCUSes and Primaries

MARch 7+9DEMOCRATIC RALLIES

Feb. 3: Iowa Caucuses- App Failure A new app was introduced to keep track of and report results of the caucuses, but it was unsuccessful. Voters struggled to login and download the app. Furthermore, the app had problems reporting results, causing delays.

Buttigieg was declared the winner.

In anticipation for Missouri’s Democratic primary on the March 10, candidates Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders both held rallies in Missouri

IOWA

democratic party

CLICK HERE TO LOGIN

Feb. 11: New Hampshire Primaries Sanders wins the popular vote with Buttigieg in close second for the Democrats. Trump wins in the Republican primary.

Biden’s Rally in Kansas City

Biden and Sanders’ Rallies in St. Louis

Feb. 22: Nevada Democratic Caucuses Sanders wins with 46.8% of the votes and 24 out of 36 delegates.

Feb. 29: South Carolina Democratic Primary Biden wins receiving 48.4% of the votes and 39 out of 54 delegates.

MARch 3- SUPER TUESDAY Super Tuesday is the US presidential primary election day when the greatest number of US states hold primaries and caucuses. This year, 14 states held primaries and American Samoa held its caucus.

VOTE 2020

Results: Republican: Trump wins Republican primaries Democratic: Biden wins 10 states including Texas; Sanders wins four states including California; Bloomberg wins American Samoa’s caucus

MAR. 1+2

March 7: Biden’s Democratic Rallies in Kansas City, MO and St. Louis, MO Biden held campaign rallies in both Kansas City and St. Louis, MO. In Kansas City a crowd of over 2,000 attended Biden’s rally outside the National WWI Museum and Memorial. Biden’s St. Louis rally took place outside of Kiener Plaza Park and attracted a crowd of hundreds.

March 9: Sanders’ Democratic Rally in St. Louis, MO Sanders held a campaign rally outside Stifel Theatre in St. Louis, MO. The campaign attracted a crowd of thousands according to KMOV4.

March 10: Missouri Democratic Primary Biden won the primary earning 44 delegates and 60.1% of the votes according to The Associated Press. Sanders followed Biden, earning 24 delegates and 34.6% of the votes.

Buttigieg and Klobuchar drop out of the race, both endorsing Biden

YOU ARE HERE (updated as of mar. 10) MAR. 4+5 After the results

4 | The North Star | march 2020

of Super Tuesday Bloomberg and Warren drop out of the race; Bloomberg endorses Biden

B. SANDERS - Free healthcare - Immigration reform, dismantle deportation programs - Tuition and debt-free public colleges and universities - Tax reform - Climate crisis

J. BIDEN

- Rebuild middle class - Immigration reform - Reforming criminal justice system - Education reform - Climate change

T. Gabbard

- Redirecting funds and tax dollars - Protecting voter rights and elections - Environment protection - Withdraw US from foreign conflicts

MEET THE CANDIDATES D. TRUMP -Tax cuts -Affordable health care -Restricting immigration -Decrease unemployment rate -Renegotiate trade

W. Weld

-Stable, bipartisan foreign policy -Free trade -Environment conservation “Simplicity” in taxes -Reduce government spending

*Policies from each candidate’s respective official website

Caucuses, Primaries: What’s the Difference?

VOTE

A primary is a ballot election open to all eligible voters. Voters cast a ballot for the candidate of their choosing. A caucus is a more time-consuming and is organized by political parties. At a caucus, supporters of a political party gather to elect delegates to choose who should be the candidate.

July 13-16

MAY 2

Democratic primaries and caucuses in Kansas

2020 Democratic National Convention (party’s nominees for president and vicepresident are chosen)

AUG. 24-27 2020 Republican

National Convention (party’s nominees for president and vicepresident are chosen)

March 2020 | The North Star | 5

America Decides Once every four years, BVN offers an elections-based class

By Olivia Miller

2

000. 2004. 2008. 2012. 2016.

What do all these years have in common with BVN? They’re all election years. The next presidential election will take place during the 2020 school year. During the first semester of the 2020-2021 school year, one of the least offered course credits will be available for the first time in four yearsAmerica Decides: The National Election, taught by Jason Smajda.

“The presidential elections are what gain the most interest,” Smajda said. “[And the class is] right in the middle of [the] election.”

The class was first offered in 2000.

Since then, Smajda has only taught the class five times and was actually involved in creating the course’s curriculum.

“A district social studies [coordinator] brought the idea to me,” Smajda said.

“Then he and I and one or two other teachers in the district wrote the class. The purpose was to not just teach kids about the electoral process but to engage them in it. We don’t just sit in the classroom and learn about elections, we actually engage: we watch debates together, we watch the election night coverage, we have options.”

One of the largest components of the class, according to Smajda, is a series of optional assignments that students can choose from.

“They range from working on a campaign to going to middle schools and elementary schools trying to teach young kids about the election [and conduct] mock elections on election day,” Smajda said. “If [a student is] 18, [they] can actually work the polls, so a lot of seniors [that] take the class actually go work the real election site on election day. It’s all

about really getting out of here and trying to do some things in addition to what we do in the classroom.”

Smajda said the focus of the class is not just on the current presidential election.

“

If you think of the class as a wheel, the hub is elections.

- Jason Smajda

“

“If you think of the class as a wheel, the hub is elections,” Smajda said. “The focus of the class isn’t just the presidential election but elections in general. The key component to it isn’t who’s going to be the president. The key component is how does this process work and how can I, as a student, be involved? So what they’re learning are [the] steps along the way: how it works, how they’re involved, why it matters, and how that upholds our democratic principles, the basic foundation of who we are [as a nation].”

Smajda said the class is not meant to be political, but about the process of electing a president through attention to detail. “[We learn to] understand and better evaluate what a candidate should be about,” Smajda said. “We rank presidents, we decide what attributes a candidate should have, and we evaluate the political process in a way that hopefully leads [students] down the road of ‘how can this

6 | The North Star | March 2020 | Current events

be better?’ It’s not meant to be a political argument. It’s meant to be an analysis.

We don’t come in and start yelling and screaming[ing] like cable news. We don’t come in and raise our hands [for] who’s a Democrat or Republican. We always try to keep it analytical instead of judgmental or subjective.”

The class is offered for two hours and is mainly open to upperclassmen.

According to Smajda, the class is always highly requested and his classes are always full. Students, like current junior Sofia Lamento, are interested in the class for a variety of reasons. Although Lamento will not be able to vote in the presidential election of 2020, she plans to take the class in order to become more aware.

“I’m super interested in [politics],” Lamento said. “I think politics are really vital, especially for our age group, to understand the world around us and have a good understanding of the election.

I think it’s good to be more informed because I don’t want to [just] blindly vote for someone just because I hear certain things. I think it’s something that everyone should do or get the opportunity to do.”

America Decides is Smajda’s favorite class to teach.

“No other class that I teach makes me feel like I’m actually doing something good,” Smajda said. “I’ve had students come back and tell me ‘I still work on campaigns in [my] 30s.’ I feel like once you get an idea of how to dip your toe in the water to be involved; it takes off. So it’s really, really important that people learn that we do play a role, other than throwing things at the TV and voting once every four years.”

The Presidential Election Explained The election can be complicated. Here’s a rundown of all its parts.

By Olivia Miller

W

ith the 2020 national election only eight months away, presidential campaigns are beginning to heat up. Democratic party debates are ongoing in an attempt to narrow down the pool of candidates. With primaries and caucuses ongoing and party conventions in July, so many facets of the election are beginning to come into play. But in such a complicated process, it can be hard to keep up with what is happening in the election and how it all works. This is a step-by-step guide, with commentary from AP Government teacher Krista Chugg, to all the major parts of the election and how they will come to play in choosing the next president of the US. Primaries vs. Caucuses During an election year, a state will hold either a primary or a caucus for each political party to determine which candidates state delegates at the national conventions will vote for.

Similar to a typical election, in a primary, voters can show up to their polling place to choose their party’s candidate, cast their ballots and then leave — resulting in a higher turnout, according to Chugg.

In a caucus, members of a political party show up at a designated precinct, typically a gym or community center, and physically move to a side of the room to show their support for a candidate. If a candidate receives less than 15 percent of support, voters must realign themselves with a new candidate. Caucuses can take anywhere from 45 minutes to four hours. If participants leave early, their votes won’t be counted.

“The voter turnout is a lot less,” said Chugg. “[Caucuses] exclude people, it leaves a lot of people out. If you have a job that’s not flexible in hours, it’s really tough to make your voice heard.”

State parties decide the rules of each system. “[Kansas] Democrats are having something called ranked choice voting this year,” Chugg said. “You get to choose your top choice and then your second and third choice. They essentially make sure that whoever wins has more than half of the votes. That works really well when you have a ton of different candidates.”

Voting According to the U.S. Census Bureau, only 46.1 percent of 18 to 29 year olds voted in the 2016 presidential election compared to 70.1 percent for those 65 and above.

“I want [young people’s] voice[s] in government to be heard and the issues that they care about [to] be reflected in government,” Chugg said. “The only way for that to happen is if they actually show up and vote. Kids are passionate about political issues, but that doesn’t always translate to them voting. They have to flip the switch of, ‘oh, the way that the issue I care about gets advocated for is if I vote.’

There are two ways to register to vote, according to VoteKansas: online or via a mail-in application.

Voters must be 18 by the election date: Nov. 3.

Debates According to the Democratic National Convention, the Democratic party will hold a total of 12 party debates, with six in 2020. After the party nomination process, the two nominees will likely participate in four presidential debates, as in 2016, according to the Washington Post. “[The point of a debate] is to try to decide who you support,” Chugg said. “But also just to know kind of know where all of the candidates align on issues, [how] they stand, [and] where they’re similar where they’re different.

[It] is [kind of] who you feel like could maybe beat the other party.”

According to the New York Times, the Democratic National Committee has made it progressively harder to qualify for debates to narrow down the candidates invited onstage. The rules as of the Feb. 25th debate required two national polls at 12 percent or more in the state the debate is held and four or more polls at 10 percent in national surveys.

Party Conventions After every state has had a caucus or a primary, each political party gathers for a party convention to decide on which candidate they will nominate. According to party websites, the Democratic National Convention will begin July 13 in Milwaukee, WI, and the Republican National Convention will begin Aug. 24 in Charlotte, NC. The main goals of a convention are to choose the party nominee and unite the party. Delegate numbers for each state are based on population, but each party decides a different number of assigned delegates for every state.

According to 270toWin, the Democratic party convention has a total of 3,979 delegates, with at least 1,991 to win. Kansas will send 39 delegates to the Democratic convention.

“In the first round [at a convention], they roll call the states,” Chugg said. “All the delegates [vote how their] state voted [in the primaries and caucuses], even if the candidate [has] dropped out. If at the end of the roll call of the states, there’s not a majority [or a] clear winner, then they’ll do a second roll call of the states, and the delegates that were pledged to candidates who are no longer in the race can vote however they want.”

Current Events | March 2020 | The North Star | 7

Mayhem on Macbooks A recap of the online ACT juniors took on the Feb. 25 and other changes coming to the ACT in 2020

By Charlotte Raley

Old vs new

coming September 2020 According to College Board 8 | The North Star | March 2019 | Current Events

J

uniors throughout the district took an online ACT on Feb. 25, the first online test for the Blue Valley School District. Issues arose relating to the online format including some students getting logged out of the testing application mid-test. Although this is a new concept for many students, online ACT’s have been purchasable for school districts for years. Along with this new testing format, other changes to the ACT, such as section retesting, will be implemented in September.

Students like junior Mandy Underhalter have been practicing test strategies for a written test, not an online test. Before the ACT on Feb. 25, Underhalter had some doubts about the online format.

“I am not excited to take it online because when I stare at screens, I usually zone out or have eye strain,” Underhalter said, “I feel like on paper, it’s so much easier to mark things, and it’s just how we practiced it. It makes me a lot more uncomfortable and nervous and I have to think things through more when I’m on the computer.”

Along with the differences in the online test format, it can be taken anywhere a computer is available. For students at North, this means a testing environment surrounded by students, classrooms, and teachers they are familiar with.

“I feel like taking it with peers I know in a class that I know will make it easier for me to zone out because I’m so comfortable there,” Underhalter said, “Using our own personal Macbooks is interesting because usually, it’s so official.”

Section retesting is another new option available to students in the fall of 2020.

This gives students the opportunity to

The full ACT test

Section retesting

VS

showcase their skills and accomplishments gained over a lifetime and not only their test-taking abilities on one particular day, according to College Board.

“I think it’s really helpful because testing for four hours is crazy,” Underhalter said. “By the time I get to the last section, I am pushing through. Being able to retake sections will definitely have positive effects.”

Underhalter took her first ACT in December of 2019. Transitioning from the paper test to the online format can be difficult for some students. After having taken the online version, Underhalter had experienced a completely different ACT experience than she had last semester.

“It went better than I had expected it would,” Underhalter said. “I think I still prefer paper though. I was able to focus on one question and only one question instead of like wandering the page. But at the same time, I couldn’t look ahead and see what questions were easier to answer.

It kind of screwed up my strategies.”

Underhalter’s difficulty with her testing strategies was not the only obstacle she and her peers encountered. Juniors were advised to be in their testing room by 7:30 A.M. the morning of the test so that the exam could begin soon after and allow a full North Time for Juniors.

“We didn’t start until I think 9:45,” Underhalter said, “We started really late, and then my computer logged me out in the middle of my math exam. For 20 minutes, they tried to get it back on. Then, the entire class had to wait for 20 minutes while I took the remaining 20 minutes of the exam.”

Even with an extended North Time, Underhalter only had around 10 minutes

to eat lunch before her classes started because of the technical difficulties.

“There were so many issues,” Underhalter said, “Mr. Wessel came into our room so many times.”

Adam Wessel, one of the vice principles, was the building test coordination for the day. He oversaw every aspect of the test including the leadup and post-test responsibilities.

“It was the first time we’ve done it online,” Wessel said, “There were obviously some issues. Initially, just some things popped up that I don’t think IT knew was going to be problematic.

We were delayed in starting but once everything got started, I think it went fine.”

“

my computer logged me out in the middle of my math exam - Mandy Underhalter

ACT super score

ACT score

VS

“

Although there were issues with using the online format, Wessel does not think it impacted the students’ performance on the ACT. “Once we got started, there weren’t interruptions,” Wessel said, “Most of the problems were before testing even started for any of the students. I feel good that once an actual test started there weren’t interruptions. Just to be clear, this was not a Blue Valley North problem per se because it happened at all five high schools and at every testing location. It was a lot

of the issues with just specific things on different students’ computers everything from Siri being enabled to students with Spotify open; that created some problems.”

Senior James Stubbers took the written ACT three times throughout his high school career. Stubbers would have liked to try the online ACT format but does not think “it will make that big of a difference” in scores. Stubbers does, on the other hand, think that section retesting will have an impact on students’ performance on the test.

“That definitely changes the game,” Stubbers said, “It also changes what the prestigious 36 score means to us now. I think later on you are going to see colleges not look at the ACT scores as much.”

The new section retesting option also creates another expense in the standardized testing realm, which could potentially be difficult for some families.

There is speculation about the inflation of scores as a result of these changes as well as its impact on lower-income households, according to USA Today. Underhalter interpreted these new changes as the beginning of the end for standardized testing.

“I think it will go away eventually,” Underhalter said, “A lot of colleges are starting to realize that people shouldn’t be defined by a singular standardized test. In my opinion, the ACT is not about knowing the information, it’s about knowing how to take the ACT. I hope that it goes away, and people are able to have their essays and their grades show what their capabilities are.”

Online Testing

Paper testing

VS Current Events | March 2019 | The North Star | 9

Worth the Wait

The Kansas City Chiefs win their first Super Bowl in 50 years and take the Lombardi Trophy home

By Margaret Behner

10 Chiefs 2019-2020 NFL Playoff schedule

20 ByE week

30

40 Chiefs vs Texans 51-31

50

40 Chiefs vs Titans 35-24

30

20 Chiefs vs 49ers 31-20

10

M

assive crowds gather, filling up the streets of downtown Kansas City. Union Station has become a sea of red. Chants echo across the state line between Kansas and Missouri.

Eyes become focused on the road as Patrick Mahomes and company ride their way through the streets of Kansas City. The team and city now hold the title of Super Bowl LIV champions.

Following a playoff win in the American Football Conference (AFC) Championship game against the Tennessee Titans on Jan. 9, the Chiefs prepared for Super Bowl LIV against the San Francisco 49ers in the following two weeks. Junior Macy Parks attended both the AFC Championship game and was surprised with tickets to the Super Bowl games in Miami by her father.

“My dad and I always talked about [the Super Bowl] and my dad would say, ‘Oh if we make it, we’re going to go,’ but I never thought it would actually happen because it is such a big thing,” Parks said. “I was texting him throughout the [AFC] game and then he called me when we won and said that we were going to buy tickets. I was bawling my eyes out.”

Parks said the experience of flying down to Miami for the game and witnessing the Chiefs reclaim the Vince Lombardi trophy after 50 years was something special.

“The amount of respect I have for this team is insane,” Parks said. “We were down by ten in the fourth quarter of the Super Bowl but never lost faith and came back to win by a margin of 11,” Parks said. “When the clock finally reached zero I could see the emotion on the players faces as they realized what they had accomplished and I suddenly felt swept over by that same emotion.”

Parks said that the Chiefs fans completely outnumbered the 49er’s fans in the stadium.

She said it shows how much the fans

10 | The North Star | March 2020 | Current events

appreciate the team and how they are willing to support them even if that means traveling long distances.

“As we were walking into the stadium the amount of Chiefs jerseys I saw was incredible.

It was basically a home game for us,” Parks said. “At one point we started chanting the Tomahawk Chop and it felt as though the entire stadium was doing it along with us even though I knew that there were 49er’s fans there.”

Not only does Parks believe that the experience of watching the game helped her feel more connected to the team, she also said that she believes the Chiefs and football have brought Kansas City closer together.

“The fans have always had their own traditions at the games and everyone is just super excited,” Parks said. “[The Chiefs] have definitely made everyone connect. When I go to games, I meet people that are complete strangers and just have fun with them and somehow it feels like I could talk with them for hours. The entire city is bleeding red.”

The Chiefs won their first Super Bowl in 50 years with a score of 31-20 to conclude the 100th season of the National Football League, which has made the win feel special to Parks. The team was welcomed back to Kansas City on Feb. 5 by a parade attended by approximately 800,000 people according to USA Today. Junior Olivia Kramer, who attended the parade, recounted the overall atmosphere of the downtown Kansas City area.

“Everyone was giddy and happy and just having fun,” Kramer said. “You could tell that people didn’t care about the cold weather and that everyone was excited to see all the players and to celebrate a well deserved win. It was just a really good environment.”

Kramer also said the Chiefs parade differed from the Royals parade in multiple ways. She said that the crowd felt a lot larger

during the Chiefs parade, which was true with an to touch Travis Kelce so I would say it was definitely estimated 200,000 more attendees than the Royals worth the shoving and tumbling around.” parade according to Today. In addition, Kramer Both Parks and Kramer agreed that the Chiefs said that even though it was a major moment when have brought so many different people together.

Royals won the World Series in 2015, she didn’t feel Kramer attested to the fact that she knows a lot of as connected to the team as people who don’t normally she did with the Chiefs. She watch sports who have said that the attachment she seemingly become invested in felt for the Chiefs players the Chiefs and their season.

The amount of and the team flooded her Moreover, both the girls gratitude that this with emotions that helped mentioned team chemistry as her relate to the whole trophy holds in each a major factor for the teams experience.

Kansas Citian’s heart success on and off the field.

“It has been 50 years They both said that, as fans, is unmatchable. It since our last Super Bowl the team chemistry they ring and the entire city has saw translated and helped feels as though we supported this team, even the supporters become an were on the field through all of their ups integrated unit support system with the team every and downs,” Kramer said. for the team and city.

“The amount of gratitude Although the season game. that this trophy holds in has come to an end, the way -Olivia Kramer each Kansas Citian’s heart the Chiefs have rallied when is unmatchable. It feels as losing by double digits in though we were on the field every single playoff game has with the team every game.” become a trademark to the Kramer said that the moments leading up to the team and its players. After coming back from a 24-0 arrival of the players were a bit hectic, but that it was game in the second quarter of the first playoff game worth the wait. to their triumph at the Super Bowl against the 49ers, “It became a bit crazy right before the players got this team has earned the rightful name as the best to our section because everyone who had a good view football team in the nation, according to Kramer. As could see them coming down the street,” Kramer head coach Andy Reid said after the Super Bowl win, said. “Of course I am short and couldn’t see a thing “How ‘bout those Chiefs.” but I could tell when the players got to us because everyone’s voices collectively got louder. I actually got

“

“

“The entire city is bleeding red.”

A shot of the field from the stands of Super Bowl LIV. Photo by Macy Parks

- Macy Parks

current events | March 2020 | The North Star | 11

bvn in business High school students participate in business organizations

By Angelica Henson

196,950 211,000 students are members of FBLA nationally

30 bvn fbla members went to nationals

112

students are members of FBLA At bvn

future business leaders of America 12 | The North Star | March 2020 | current events

students are members of DECA nationally

22 bvn DECA members went to nationals

75

students are members of DECA At bvn

Distributive educational clubs of america

Your ad here email bvnnewspaper@gmail.com for advertising information

Follow us!

@BVNNEWS @BVNYB

Talk$ An insight on what it looks like to invest in the stock market as a student

By Yahav Sal

H

e opens the computer to see a chart pulled up, with a line stretching from the bottom right corner all the way to the top left.

All the reds and greens flashing in front of his eyes, the constantly changing numbers, all the percentages and news stories. He strategizes, and tries to decide what will be the best investment, and what will make him the most dough.

Young Investors Society is a new club created by juniors Chase Uhlig and Jake Marzullo based on their interests in the stock market.

Currently the club has 29 members.

According to Uhlig, his interest in the stock market blossomed after taking a personal finance class taught

by Allision Gossick, a business teacher at BVN. He knew that investing in the stock market was a great way to make money without necessarily having a job. He’s also always heard “start investing early in life. Start growing your capital,” and that’s

14 | The North Star | march 2020 | Business

what he wanted to do. He wanted to start saving up, and to begin earning money early so he could have financial freedom in the future.

“

I’ve always heard, “start investing early in life, Start growing your capital.’

- Jake Marzullo

“

“Ms. Gossick really got me into the stock market, especially after we played the stock market game.”

Uhlig said. “I really felt that it was something that I could profit off of.”

The Personal Finance class teaches the students how the market works and how to budget their money.

The students are taught to “[never] put money into something [they] don’t understand,” a quote by Dave Ramsey, according to Gossick.

“I invested in LuluLemon two months before Christmas because I knew everyone was going to buy Lululemon stuff for Christmas,” Uhlig said.

Jake Marzullo is another young investor who took this rule into account when investing in his first stock.

“My first stock was Caterpillar…

Someone had recommended it to me and you are always going to need construction equipment you know, so you want to invest in things you like,” Marzullo said.

According to Marzullo, his first investment in Caterpillar Inc. paid off. Each share of [CAT] went up $56 during the time he has been a shareholder of their stock.

Marzullo’s interest in the stock market stemmed from the success it has portrayed among the public

Terms to know

Bull Market

Bear Market

When the condition of the market is rising

When the condition of the market is decreasing

through wealthy people.

“I’ve always been interested in the stock market because all very wealthy and successful people have always said, ‘let your money work for you, don’t work for your money,’” Marzullo said.”I want to be really wealthy and successful, so I want to learn how to have my money work for me so that I don’t have to work one day.”

According to Gossick, investing at a younger age brings an advantage to a students’ future. There is a reason these students are beginning, or have begun to invest in the stock market.

“I think it’s really important for kids to at least understand what stocks, bonds and mutual funds are,” Gossick said. “They might not have the necessary time or experience to actually research individual companies, but at least they’ll know that early is the way to go.”

There are many different ways to invest, ranging from day trading

Market index A certain subset of companies that helps calculate the market

Blue Chip Stock The best and most reputable companies

to long-term trading. According to Gossick, over time, the market trends upward, so investing for the long term is always the safest strategy.

However, many people day-trade, which means they buy stocks they feel will skyrocket, and then sell them in a matter of days or even hours.

As Uhlig continued to spend more time in the stock market, he has developed a style of investing that he enjoys.

“I invest after I notice [a certain stock] is on the uptrend and then I set a stop loss,” Uhlig said. Which basically means if the price falls below a certain point my account will sell it for me.”

This wave of new investors is able to invest in the stock market with a custodial account. According to E*Trade, a custodial account is a brokerage account for a minor which means that the account is “managed by a parent or other designated custodian until the child comes of legal age.”

Mutual Fund A proffesionally managed investment program funded by many shareholders

Open And Close The trading prices in which a certain stock opens and closes during that day

One way students can gain experience in the stock market without spending real money is through the Stock Market Game, which is used in both Gossick’s Personal Finance class and Young Investors Society. The Stock Market Game is an online simulation of the global capital markets that engages students in the world of economics, investing and personal finance, according to Stockmarketgame.com.

“The Stock Market game is a good chance to invest without any consequences,” Gossick said.

Gossick believes there’s a reason for the students’ interest in the stock market increasing — “I think the money talks.”

Business | march 2020 | The North Star | 15

The shoe Biz Students explore the resell business and develop skills as young entrepreneurs

By Kara Deskin

S

ome teens work in a restaurant for their first job. Others mow lawns, lifeguard or work in retail. But certain individuals have found out how to make hundreds of dollars from a click of a button.

Although selling clothes through platforms like Poshmark or eBay come in handy for some trying to make a quick buck, sneaker resale is a more specific branch of this practice — a practice found to be profitable, with the sneaker resale market valued at over $1 billion, according to Niche Pursuits.

“You try to buy the newest shoes that are released,” junior Ben Shisler said. “And if you can get them for the retail price, you can sell them for more money, depending on the demand of the product.”

Shisler became interested in this hobby from his friend, junior Connor Moore, who considers the shoe selling business as more than a hobby.

“I make more money reselling than I do if I had a job,” said Moore.

“From a business standpoint, it has really helped me learn about entrepreneurship and how the business world works.”

As stated in Business Insider, “most sellers are between the ages of 17 and 20”, making Moore and Shisler just two out of many teens getting their feet wet in the resell business.

While most people wait to buy the shoes when they release on sites like Nike or Adidas, both Moore and Shisler have taken advantage of relying on bots to automatically make

16| The North Star | MARCH 2020 | Business

the purchases for them. According to Wired.com, bots are automated programs designed to perform a specific task. In this case, a bot’s task is to snatch a pair of shoes before they sell out. With shoes in high demand, like Kanye West and Adidas’ Yeezys, bots can be the reason why certain shoes landed in a student’s cart in the first place. While bots can come in handy, there is a price to pay when deciding to make the investment to buy one.

“

There’s always going to be ups and downs, but you just have to stay persistent.

-Connor Moore

“

“I think the most expensive bot I had was worth like $3000,” Moore said. “You can get them for all the sites or you can get them for just Supreme or Footlocker.”

Owning a bot seems like a huge expense, but it can be the gateway to making, as kids call it today, “bank”.

Shoe bots possess a range of benefits, from ensuring that a seller acquires multiple orders of the same item, to

purchasing the shoes at the exact time they are released, sometimes being at three in the morning. Once the buyers score their pair of desired shoes, they release their offer on sites like StockX or Goat, to ideally earn more than they bought them for.

“I think of it as more of a game than anything else,” Moore said.

“There’s always going to be ups and downs, but you have to stay persistent.”

Because this business can resemble a “game,” some resellers have experienced a risk and reward factor when earning cash. As sophomore Forrest Jacobs describes it, the shoe business can be an application to a well-known game of chance.

“It’s kind of like a stock market,” Jacobs said. “The shoe prices can vary instantly, just in days.”

With this in mind, sometimes these young entrepreneurs have to accept the downfalls that come with any kind of business. But as they develop their skills during high school, their growth may blossom and impact their futures.

“I teach kids how to think creatively and to focus on things that they like to do,” entrepreneurship teacher, Mr. Turrentine, said.

“And if kids go to college, they will be prepared because they will have already learned the business terminology and concepts at North to give them a step up.”

In fact, some students have been able to connect their skills learned in business classes found at North, to their understanding of the shoe

business.

“In entrepreneurship class I’ve used some of the things we’ve learned like supply and demand when determining if something would be a good investment to buy,” Shisler said. “When Kobe died, all of his shoes sky-rocketed in price, and Nike even took all the Kobe stuff off their website so people wouldn’t buy it and resell it.”

Shisler, Moore and Jacobs all have one common goal: To make the most money possible. After buying the shoes, comes the next step in the process, which is to sell them for a profit. These upscale shoes, like Yeezys, Jordans or Pharells, can result in an influx of cash if in high enough demand.

“Most of the time I buy the shoes when there is a lot of hype around it,” Jacobs said. “One time I made $600 for Sean Wotherspoon Air Maxes because they were in such high demand.”

But not every seller gets that lucky. Considering that reselling includes a wide variety of people from around the world, not every buyer or seller is necessarily deemed trustworthy.

“There is scamming all the time in the shoe business,” Moore said. “There isn’t any safeguard on whether your package gets shipped or not, so I try to stay away from platforms that I don’t trust.”

On the other end of the bargain, the companies manufacturing

these shoes often adjust to the resell market as well. Nike is an example of one of these companies that developed several methods to profit off of the resellers.

According to Highsnobiety, “Nike creates a market that nets the resell community millions of dollars a year, while cultivating the sort of rabid following that keeps the Swoosh at the forefront of consumer culture.” The brand maintains their success in the resale market by restocking shoes that were previously high in demand, and only allowing for “4% of the release to hit the resell market” in order to increase the hype and desire of the shoe.

These methods allow both company and reseller to profit off of the market.

Although not everyone gets the chance to succeed in reselling, self-employed businesses, similar to this one, are paving the way for the future. As the site Entrepreneur puts it, “entrepreneurship is the capacity to not only start companies but also to think creatively and ambitiously.”

With the impact of young entrepreneurs like these resellers at North, who knows how the business industry will change in the future.

“Anyone can be good at reselling”, said Moore. “You just have to put the time into it to succeed.”

Tips to Succeed

1

Find a Shoe Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Off White are common to resell

2 3

Know The Market Because the demand of the shoe and the price vary, know a good time to buy/ sell

Try StockX

StockX is an app that provides a platform to advetise shoes and allow for safe transactions

Business | March 2020 | The North Star | 17

Working Force Seniors Kiera Donovan and Carter Smith detail their experiences with internships.

By Charitha Lakkireddy

Kiera Donovan

“

We always talk about you need to be professional, this is how you’re supposed to do it, but you don’t get to experience that until after college.

- Kiera Donovan

Kiera Donovan edits a video in her Broadcast 1.5 class. photo by Charitha Lakkireddy

W

hat began as a weekend hobby for senior Kiera Donovan turned into an after school affair, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, when she landed an internship with Lifted Logic her junior year. Donovan was connected with Lifted Logic, a web design and development company in Kansas City, through Broadcast teacher Charlie Huette.

“I was taking Broadcast 1, my sophomore year, and [Huette] was like, ‘You seem to have a really strong interest in this, my friend owns this company, do you want to try for an internship?’,” Donovan said.

As an intern, Donovan worked with the cinematographers at the company to create videos and graphics for their clients’ websites. Although her job mainly consisted of the aforementioned tasks, she said she had the opportunity to work with many departments within the company.

“I interned with the videographers of the team,” Donovan said. “I also collaborated with the graphic designers. I worked with six coders because I did animations, creating graphics for websites. I edited 18 | The North Star | March 2020 | business

interviews, made lower thirds, made transitions. It gradually went from basic editing [and] understanding how to put interviews together, to [having] a good idea of animations and video graphics [the company] can use.”

She said she had been nervous going into the internship because she had only ever worked by herself and at home. She was unsure how a professional setting in the field would be different and if it would be a good fit for her, but she said she had been worried for nothing when she stepped into the office.

“The environment was really welcoming,” Donovan said. “It was...extremely laid back, but it was encouraging. It was free flowing because when you work in a creative field, you kind of have to have that energy, you can’t be sterile, you can’t be stiff, you can’t be in cubicles. They would usually bring their dogs in and they would all roam around, it was really nice.

I was like, okay this is an environment I can work in because I felt like I wasn’t too out of place, and that they were willing to help. I felt like I wasn’t the young, 5 year

“

old at a cocktail party.”

Donovan said pending her junior year at Lifted Logic was valuable to her because of the experience it equipped her with. She said it taught her life skills that many learn only after graduating from college and going into the workforce, so being so aware so early will put her at an advantage.

“We always talk about you need to be professional, this is how you’re supposed to do it, but you don’t get to experience that until after college, which is really sucky because when you then enter the professional world, all you know is school, which is very linear and this one way you study, you get grades and then sometimes you don’t get it and you move on to the next unit,” Donovan said. “Getting this internship, it really taught me this is how each of these things connect to how I can do my job. It really benefited me because it taught me a lot about how to interact with people, how to work with people around you and how it’s going to work in a professional world.”

Continued on bvnnews.com

D

Carter Smith

riving down the streets of the Plaza, senior Carter Smith lulled to a stop as one particular storefront caught his eye.

He was intrigued enough to pull over and walk into the store, Doob, looking for a position. A Los Angeles-based company, according to their website, Doob’s main purpose is to print 3D replicas of people — and with one of the first fully integrated 3D pipelines, they are a leader in their industry and widely accessible to normal people.

Walking in, Smith said he doubted that the company was looking to hire an 18 year old, but he wanted to see what he could do.

“I just nerded it out with the CEO for an hour, just about random stuff, showed him some abilities that I did have, showed him that I could be resourceful,” Smith said. “I automatically sent them a follow up email saying like, ‘Hey, thanks so much for your time, if you ever need anybody for community outreach stuff or maybe high school educational stuff, I can help,’ and they saw that as an additional value.”

After their first meeting, Smith reached out to the company asking for a position, but was denied because they weren’t looking to hire someone his age. That changed just a few months later, though, and he credits that to his ability to consistently stay in contact with the CEO, Nick Nikkhah, and prove himself as an asset to the company.

“Low and behold, three and a half months later I got an email for him. He was like, ‘Hey man, we’d love to give you an opportunity,’” Smith said. “Then it was just a long sit down interview with a bunch of questions which were super confusing but now make sense, and then I just kind of sold myself real well. That’s how you do it.

Be the person they want you to be.”

About four and a half months after he joined Doob, Smith, along with Nikkhah and the team he was working with separated from the company to establish a new startup. He said not much was different since leaving with

the startup, 3DHQ , except for his new position as head of product development.

“It’s the same company, it’s the same team,” Smith said. “We effectively just separated. My boss, the owner, Nick Nikkhah, decided that we don’t like this, I’m not making any money, I see more future and with this partner, let’s just do that.”

One warning Smith received before he agreed to leave for the startup was how much more pressure he would be under, considering his change in position and where the company was as a new startup.

“There’s so much weight on you because the scale of your job is so much different, so...if I mess up, it’s gonna cost a lot of money,” Smith said. “The negative is just stress, it’s stress and responsibility, but yet again that comes to a good thing, like having responsibility is not necessarily a bad thing.”

Experience that benefited him on the basis of intrinsic motivation was important, he said, but the experience that he could list on his resume was more valuable to him. He said he came to the job hoping to work at the company for a minimum of one year because that work history with an engineering firm is what many companies want to see “A company seeing that [work history] from an 18 year old going into college, not even in college, that’s huge,” Smith said. “It will open a lot of doors, which I necessarily wouldn’t have if I worked at Wendy’s.”

Although Smith has no current plans to continue work with the company in the future, he plans to use the experience he gained working for them as an asset for college, especially because his position at 3DHQ is similar to what he wants to do after graduating from college.

“What I do at work is closer to industrial design,” Smith said. “I want to do mechanical engineering, I want to do a lot more complex mechanical stuff.”

Continued on bvnnews.com

“

It will open a lot of doors, which I necessarily wouldn’t have if I worked at Wendy’s.

- Carter Smith

“

Carter Smith works with a Techno CNA Router. photo provided by Carter Smith

Scan this QR code to read the rest of both features on Bvnnews.com Business | March 2020 | The North Star | 19

From Portfolio to AP Art Next school year, the Blue Valley District will be offering AP 2-D Art and Design to students who have completed Portfolio Seminar By Annabelle Muller

T “Crashing Waves” by Elizabeth Goodwin

“Wave Pools” by Lauren Blood

“Frozen Innocence”

by Elizabeth Goodwin

“Little Lines” by Lauren Blood

he Blue Valley District is planning to introduce AP Art into the collection of art classes available at BVN to replace the current semesterlong Portfolio Seminar class.

According to College Board, AP Art is a class designed to “emphasize practice, experimentation and revision of one’s work as it develops, and thoughtful integration of materials, processes and ideas.”

Art teacher Tom Holland has been teaching art for 26 years. He is hoping there are a number of students interested in this higher-level art class.

“There are going to be two [classes of AP]. One’s going to be drawing which is what I’m [teaching], and then the other one is going to be 2D art which is really going to be coming out of photography,” Holland said.

According to BVN’s art department’s course description guide, AP Art students will create a presentable portfolio, featuring a sustained investigation into an individually chosen topic or concept that demonstrates inquiry and development of materials, processes and ideas.

The prerequisite for both AP Art classes is completing the Portfolio Seminar class at BVN. The two AP options are Drawing as well as 2D Art and Design.

Senior Elizabeth Goodwin said she was very passionate about art and enrolled in Portfolio Seminar. She knew continuing with art in high school would be beneficial for her and taking a self-directed art class was her next step.

“The first project that we ever do is to plan out our portfolio and have a piece of

20 | The North Star | march 2020 | health and education

art that really reflects who we are or what we want to express in our portfolio that we’re going to submit to college or wherever we want to submit it to,” Goodwin said. “We do eight pieces a semester, which is a piece about every two weeks.”

“

I really would be interested in AP art because it’s just more time for me to get to be around people who care about art.

-Lauren Blood

“

Students enrolled in Portfolio have the technical skills developed in previous art classes, using this hour as a way to improve their concepts and expression. Artists choose what they want to submit to show their best skills and will be continuing this in the AP Art class of their choosing.

“Being able to put meaning to these things and being able to bring meaning out from my life was always something I really struggled with and that was brought out when I took portfolio the first time,” Goodwin said.

Like Goodwin, junior Lauren Blood enjoyed the self-directed pieces and having individual freedom. She felt Portfolio was the right next step for her.

“It really helped me understand what other people

are looking for in the art world,” Blood said. “It helped me realize it’s important for me to share what I want to share with other people, but I also need to market myself as if I were to be someone who was an artist on my own, making my own money.”

AP Art in high school lets you earn college credit, according to Holland. The class also allows you to focus extensively on what you want to create. Students will have to go from beginning sketch to final product, and one of the goals of the curriculum is to observe the steps you took to get from beginning to end.

“I really would be interested in AP Art because it’s just more time for me to get to be around people who care about art,” Blood said.

AP Art would be a yearlong class, allowing students to focus on their art longer, bringing more opportunities for successful pieces. Holland said he believes the arts help teach creative thinking and creative problem solving, differing from common core classes because it’s more of a skill-building exercise and very process-oriented.

“It’s a little bit different than most other classes, we don’t really do testing, it’s more of a skill-building exercise and very processoriented,” Holland said. “I’m not so much interested in the outcome, but the process it took to get from A to B. We’re hoping that there will be enough interest in it, people will be attracted to it and want to be a part of it, our long term goal is to grow that.”

The Power of Music therapy helps patients with memory loss and communication

By Ana Curi Lopes

I

n a room of elderly people who have difficulties remembering simple things like where the bathroom is, a girl sings, bringing back memories of the past with Elvis songs.

Senior Amelia Benjamin runs Music Making Memories, an organization that offers music therapy for those suffering from Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. According to Benjamin, she and other volunteers sing old songs to the elderly to help bring back their memories.

“I [know] residents that don’t even remember their name or their husband’s or wive’s names, but remember every single word to ‘Amazing Grace,’” Benjamin said. “It’s eye opening to see how music can change someone’s day so quickly.”

According to a research by the University of Central Florida, music has several different effects on the body.

It affects most parts of the brain, which is why it is used for both mental and physical purposes. Music can be used for the recovery of memories because it directly affects the hippocampus, the part of the brain responsible for memories.

It increases the production of neurons, which improves memory.

The hippocampus is the first region of the brain affected by Alzheirmer’s, which is why music can be used as a treatment

for the disease.

According to Benjamin, music can help relieve anxiety and for a short period of time, the frustrations of the disease are lowered.

“That’s gotta be pretty depressing to someone to always be feeling like they’re supposed to be remembering what things are,” Benjamin said. “But when they’re finally able to remember words to a song, they feel like they’re heard and understood. That relieves anxiety and depression for that time being.”

“

“It’s eye opening to see how music can change someone’s day so quickly.”

- Amelia Benjamin

“

In music therapy, a therapist works with the patient to discover what challenge they want to overcome and make a plan, whether it’s through singing, listening to or playing music.

Besides being used to help with memory loss, music therapy has other

Amelia Benjamin singing with one of the elders benefitted by Music Making Memories. Benjamin usually sings with individuals rather than a big group. “I’m able to actually communicate with them and make that experience that much for them,” Benjamin said. Photo by Michele Benjamin.

uses, like helping students who have difficulties communicating. According to orchestra director Travis Hale, it allows patients to express their thoughts and feelings.

“Music is kinesthetic,” Hale said. “It allows students to feel things internally and actually gives them a chance to express [themselves] and speak through rhythm.”

According to Hale, music therapy can be useful for anyone, despite their musical background, but it is important that the patient likes music.

“It’s similar to what you would look for in any other therapy,” Hale said. “ But if you notice your child is musically inclined, whether it’s performing or they just enjoy it, that might be a good way to work with them.”

Besides helping those in need, music therapy is also beneficial to those who conduct the therapy, according to Benjamin.

Music is something that she loves to do, Benjamin said, so she helps people without even trying.

“It’s cool that my talents are able to help people,” she said. “ I literally sing and play the guitar and I’m benefiting people.

People who are musically talented can do what they love and help [others] at the same time.”

Amelia Benjamin and Olivia Keller after singing to three of the residents. Benjamin started the organization by herself and now about 15 volunteers are involved. “I’ve gotten a lot of leadership skills from running the organization and the volunteers,” Benjamin said. Photo by Michele Benjamin.

Health and Education | march 2019 | The North Star | 21

BreAKING Dancers say ballet affects body image of participants

By Caroline Clarke

A

ccording to a study published in the United States National Library of Medicine, dancers, specifically ballet dancers, are three times more likely than other teenagers to develop eating disorders. The same study reported that eating disorders were prevalent in 16 percent of ballet dancers, with specifically anorexia present in four percent.

At BVN, some dancers have personal connections to body image. Senior Tatum Cox has been actively involved in dance

since a young age, beginning her journey at 3 years old. However, her struggle with body image also began early. According to Cox, much of her childhood was spent in a toxic ballet experience that stressed nutrition classes and harsh dieting for young children. “[They would say] don’t eat fast food, don’t eat frozen food, don’t drink any soda, don’t eat a lot of carbs,” Cox said.

“You’re 10, you know? And you don’t know how to manage all that. It’s not the healthiest mindset to get into.”

22 | The North Star | MARCH 2020 | health and education

Cox’s struggle with body image and ballet’s emphasis on health followed her throughout her adolescence. In October of her junior year, Cox was taken to a hospital and diagnosed with anorexia after her heart had nearly stopped working.

Although she didn’t receive the diagnosis until recently, she believes that she has been suffering from anorexia since she was 9, with ballet playing a defining role in her diagnosis.

“It wasn’t the school’s fault,” Cox said.

“It wasn’t any teacher’s fault, it was just

the whole community. Obviously I don’t blame anybody, but that definitely does contribute to it in some ways.”

Cox continues to dance. On average, she spends a minimum of 25 hours each week at the Kansas City Ballet studio every week, where she practices ballet, pointe, modern, jazz contemporary, character and flamenco. However, Cox acknowledges that there is an idealized body image prevalent in the dance community.

“There’s definitely a [stigma] about dancers [being] thin,” Cox said. “There’s a certain aesthetic of what the body type is supposed to be ... I would say anybody, probably, in the dance world is aware of that.”

Now in recovery, Cox believes that education is an essential part of improving the community, because many ballet teachers don’t know much about the issue of body image. Cox added that she has been open about her experience as a way to help spread awareness and gives advice to other dancers facing similar struggles.

“You need to eat, obviously, because you need to be energized, especially if you have a really crazy schedule like most dancers,” Cox said. “It’s great to workout ... but you can’t overdo it. Just [keep] in mind, everything you do ... in moderation.

And also just that, health can definitely look very different on different body types.”

Lauren Yonke has coached the dance team at BVN for three years. She said that she enjoys coaching because she is able to

support each dancer as they develop their passion. As a coach, she plays a role in mitigating the issues of body image. “[My role is] being an advocate for the girls and teaching them that dance is dance,” Yonke said, “and the way they look doesn’t relate at all to what they love.”

“

It wasn’t the school’s fault, it wasn’t any teacher’s fault, it was just the whole community.

- Tatum Cox

“

Sophomore Maggie Crist is also a ballet dancer. She has been dancing for five years at the Kansas School of Classical Ballet and often spends 30 to 35 hours a week at her studio. She said that she enjoys ballet because it challenges her and provides an opportunity to improve.

However, she said that stigma around food and body image is another challenge that dancers face.

“I mean we’re all in a leotard and

tights looking in a mirror for several hours a day,” Crist said. “So it’s hard not to sometimes think about ... what you’re eating and your [body image].”

Crist also advised that dancers should eat enough food to help fuel them through practices. She noted that this strength and energy helps prevent injuries, such as stress fractures. Although she emphasized a balanced diet, many influential figures in ballet place more importance on body shape.

“Unfortunately companies often cast their dancers off of their body size, and I just feel like they should be more accepting,” Crist said. “In my opinion it’s more fun to watch somebody who’s healthy and strong than somebody who’s just really skinny.”

Although there is negativity surrounding body image, Crist said that her dance community supports each other. She said that her teachers make an effort to be positive about body image.

Additionally, there are movements on social media, such as Instagram, that aim to end the stigma and foster a more inclusive atmosphere.

“Even though sometimes we all get down on ourselves we all lift each other up, too,” Crist said. “We’re all in the same boat, so it just helps if we’re all positive about it.”

Left: Maggie Crist poses for a photoshoot in costume. She primarily performs ballet, but she also practoces modern, contemporary, and jazz. photo by Sheryl McAvoy

Health and education | MARCH 2020 | The North Star | 23

Sites of

Spring Break

By Maddie Austin

A look into the spring break destinations of some of BVN’s students

F

rom sandy beaches to ski slopes, some BVN students and their families travel to a wide range of destinations during spring break. According to TravelPulse, two out of five Americans travel during spring break, explaining the long security lines at airports and customs stations.

Clearly, many Americans have a sense of wanderlust and many experience the most amazing sights on their spring break vacation.

Senior Spring Break

For several years, parents of the senior class plan a trip during spring break for anyone in the grade to attend.

The trip is coordinated through a travel agency owned by a BVN parent. The parents are typically given three options to vote from at a meeting. For 2020, the options included Cancun, the Dominican Republic and Cabo. Cancun won the vote among the class, and the resort and excursions were booked soon after.

Having vacationed in the area prior, senior Bea Crist looks forward to the trip and traveling to Cancun.

“Ironically, we’re staying where I stayed last spring break, and it’s right outside of Cancun in Costa Mujeres,” Crist said. “We’re staying in the Riu Palace, and it’s really nice. It [was] built around three years ago and it’s allinclusive, so it’s convenient that all the food is included.”

This spring, there are about 50 seniors signed up for the trip, according to the Facebook group. Each family can book their trip according to their personal schedules and can stay for different lengths

of time. Crist booked a room for five days, but many seniors are staying for seven or eight days to spend more time with family. The group has planned one or two excursions on the island for the entire group.

“Right now, we have planned a one day excursion and it’s on a catamaran sailboat,” Crist said. “We’re going to go to another nearby island and then go snorkeling, which will be really fun.”

“

I want to find out more about the best classes to take and the ins and outs on campus.

-Cate Wietharn

Junior College Search

“

Opposed to the vacationing of the senior class, many juniors are traveling to tour their top colleges and universities in order to get a better feel for the school.

Junior Cate Wietharn has certain aspects she looks for in colleges, making her search easier to eliminate and narrow down schools.

“First I’m going to go to Texas because my family lives there and I’m looking at TCU,” Wietharn said. “I’ll also probably go to Indianapolis and see Butler, and maybe go to Creighton because my

24 | The North Star | March 2020 | Health and education

brother is there so we can visit him.”

Wietharn researched colleges mostly based on location, what majors they have and what they’re known for, and other specific characteristics she is looking for. Right now, she is more interested in private schools and out of state universities with a strong medical school due to her interest in pursuing nursing or pharmacy.

According to Wietharn, the whole point of visiting the colleges during spring break is to see campus life.

“I’m really excited to see the interaction of other students on the campus,” Wietharn said, “Hopefully, I can also talk to some other college students and kind of get an idea of what life would be like going there through the tour. Also, I want to find out more about the best classes to take and the ins and outs on campus.”

Junior Joseph Madigan plans to tour Ohio State University and, if time allows, the University of Indiana. Similar to Wietharn, Madigan signed up for a tour because he believes the best way to learn about the school is from the students themselves.

“I chose Ohio State and Indiana because I’m looking for a bigger school,” Madigan said. “Since my sister goes [to Ohio State], I’m interested in seeing a little of her experience.”

Junior Maddie Jones is also interested in out of state schools, her main interests including Washington University and Saint Louis University. Jones also chose the schools she’s looking at based on their location because she isn’t interested in a school far from home but wants to be farther away than an in-state school.

“I really enjoy doing tours,” Jones said.

“They give you admission statistics and other information that you don’t just get walking around campus on your own. I like to hear more about traditions from the students and walking around and seeing the buildings.”

Traveling Strings

The musical side of BVN is taking a road trip to Chicago through the orchestra program on March 20-22. The first time traveling in a while, the students are looking forward to their trip. Senior Nick Farell is the president of the orchestra

program and is involved with planning the itinerary for the group. The number of students allowed to attend the trip is small, so all students going are seniors.

“There are three or four girls, and four guys going to Chicago, which means there are fewer than ten people going on the trip,” Farell said.

On the trip, the students aren’t performing their own repertoire, but they are watching other groups. The BVN musicians hope to be inspired by the work of professionals so they can apply the musical techniques they see in well-known ensembles back to their own music.

“We will see quite a few shows in the city,” Farell said. “We’re not actually performing, but we’re watching the Chicago symphony which everyone is really looking forward to.”

In addition to watching other groups play, the group is exploring the Windy City and seeing the unique sights of Chicago. The group is going to the Art Institute and other well-known museums, as well as eating at popular restaurants to try the renowned deep-dish style pizza and more. *This story was current as of March 11, 2020.

Students’ Spring Break

83% are going somewhere hot

17% are going somewhere cold

*Poll taken from 95 BVN students

37% had their plans affected by the corona virus

63% did not have their plans affected by the corona virus Health and education | March 2020 | The north star | 25

2020 KC CONCERT TOUR GUIDE A guide for concerts coming to the Kansas City area for spring and summer

By Max Wolf

April 1st

April 3rd

April 8th

April 16th

Arvest Bank Theatre At The

Encore at Uptown Theatre

Topeka Performing Arts Center

The Bottleneck

Yung Gravy

Beabadoobee

Getter

Buddy

Midland

MAY

May 9th

May 14th

Flyover kc Festival

Providence medical center Ampitheater

June 6th

June 6th

The Truman

Kansas City Live! Block

Still Woozy

JUL

Rage Against The Machine Sprint Center

Tech N9ne

July 1st Halsey

Sprint Center

Sprint Center

June 23rd

Silverstein Eye Centers Arena

Kauffman Stadium

Russ & Benny The Butcher

Sprint Center 26 | The North Star | March 2020 | Health and Education

Run The Jewels

June 20th

July 1st Omar Apollo

May 14th

Joan Jett & Def Lepperd

July 6th

July 9th

&Kehlani

Knuckleheads Saloon

Justin Bieber, Jaden Smith, Sprint Center

Buddy Guy

BVN’S DECLASSIFIED CONCERT SURVIVAL GUIDE Concerts can be a lot to handle, but preparing and following several tips can make a better experience among a crowd.

April 16th Open Mike Eagle

APR

The Riot Room

May 24th

May 29th

The Truman

Providence Medical Center Amipitheater

Jacob Collier

June 24th

Circle Jerks

DaBaby

JUN

First, bring a bag, such as a small backpack or a drawstring bag. A bag keeps all possessions safe and accessible at all times.

Second, bring a water bottle to stay hydrated.

Next, dress accordingly.

Previewing the forecast can help with preparation for extreme temperatures and standing for long periods of time.

Have a friend or someone you trust with you. Concerts are environments buzzing with opportunities for things to go wrong, so it’s very important to be with people that you feel safe with.

Just as importantly, bring a Portable Charger to keep electronics charged and ready to use for pictures and GPS.

The Bottleneck

Go to the bathroom before the concert, it can be hard to get a good spot back after leaving.

It’s easier to just go before.

July 20th Tame Impala

Finally, just have fun. It’s best to make memories that’ll last for a long time, so just be prepared, and be.

Sprint Center

Health and education | March 2020 | The North Star | 27

KEEP IN TOUCH

Check out www.bvnnews.com for updates and information.

KCVM 02/20 216_7

Advertise in ValuMail Magazine Call (816) 283-0900

SPONSORED BY NORTHERN LIGHT YEARBOOK

ROSE NAILS

Acrylic Full Set

$30

Acrylic only. Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

Spa Pedicure

$25

With Human Touch Massage Chair & Crystal Clean Pipe-Free Technology Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

12076 BLUE VALLEY PKWY. OVERLAND PARK, KS 66213 913-258-8285

Dipping Powder $40 Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

Gel Polish Manicure $30

Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

Acrylic Fill-In with Gel Polish $34

Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

W W W. R O S E N A I L S I N K C . C O M

Manicure & Spa Pedicure Combo $38

Not valid with any other offers. With ValuMail coupon only. Expires 03/15/20

Money offers adolescents the first resources and opportunities to enact independently because it is considered as a form of free speech raditionally, the public’s first amendment rights to freedom of speech insinuate protesting or publishing an article in the school newspaper. However, individual expression can be as simple as how someone chooses to spend their money.

For high school students, money offers the first taste of independence.

With access to cash or a personal bank account, students can buy their own food, clothes, experiences, gifts, stock or, even, choose to save. According to the Supreme Court, the way people decide to use their money is a direct representation of their self image.

Because of money’s role and importance in the lives of young students, schools around the nation, including BVN, are implementing classes dedicated to the science of finances. These business classes and clubs detail the ins-and-outs of the stock market and entrepreneurship for the community’s young business leaders. School organizations like Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA) and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), compete in topics that cultivate skills in marketing, financing and leadership.

Along with these additional clubs

and electives, schools, such as those in the Olathe school district, are beginning to develop a new type of education that doesn’t stress the traditional college path. By introducing students to a variety of different trades, students are exposed to a new option after graduation.

These trade schools have a lot of advantages available to graduating students, including a cheaper education and a high initial salary.

Next year, BVN is taking steps to combat the stereotypes of AP classes and college readiness. With the institution of an AP art program, college classes offered in high schools are branching beyond STEM subjects, encouraging a greater focus on the liberal arts.

For some, these lessons learned within the four walls of a classroom are directly applied to the real world, whether to earn disposable income or to keep their family afloat. The stock market offers a great platform for students to explore the rigors of Wall Street behind a computer screen.

Its waves have forced our generation to become strong swimmers. Amidst the panic from the novel Coronavirus and the tanking numbers of major corporations, students around the globe have been forced to prepare and take their own precautions to keep themselves safe.

However, it doesn’t take a pandemic to cause economic fear.

For some students, this monetary issue is a daily battle. The wages that many choose to spend on a Starbucks drink or airpods are the only source of income for others. While money means freedom, the scales aren’t necessarily balanced.

In the midst of presidential campaigning, the public elects candidates to represent their issues, beliefs and concerns. Yet, the men and women battling for a space on the American ballot are some of the richest individuals in the United States. Due to a lack of financial dominance, it is nearly impossible for other qualified and educated individuals to win a space on the ballot. These unbalanced scales have advanced the wealthy by paving their way to the podium as the general public struggles to lift the failing economy under the crushing weight of its falling points. So as the presidential candidates throw their money at the polls, the nation is left to wonder whether the overfilled wallets of the rich are drowning out the voice of the public.

- The North Star Staff

March 2020 | The North Star | 29

Budding Bu$ine$$e$ Spotlights on four students who sell goods and services to their peers

By Alex Doege & Reece Bachta

“

First, it just started out with me just helping [customers] for free and then I saw that you could make money off of it. There’s an app called the Next Door Neighbor app that people will pay you to do it, and I just got on there and people were texting me nonstop for about $40 for a driveway. I carry around stuff in my truck for them and make money that way, I also mow lawns and just do anything I can.

I’m a more able-bodied athletic teen, so I realized most of the people I live near have a harder time doing these simple tasks and found an opportunity out of it. Usually return clients text me every time they need me to do something — for example, if it snows, and they text me to shovel their driveway. If they need something taken, then they usually text me, and I use my truck to transport things, which is really fun because it’s easy and I don’t mind driving around town. Word of mouth or just posting again on the Next Door Neighbor app is the best way to get new clients. Later on, in college, you’re going to need money, or also for my truck I need money, so I can put new tires on there and get gas. As a teenager not everyone takes me seriously. One time I had this man ask me to shovel his driveway, and my brother and I did it perfectly. He said that we didn’t do it right and we got into a three-hour argument about him taking pictures of the driveway. He was saying he was going to report us even though we did what he had asked and handled the whole situation responsibly. We took pictures of his driveway, and we redid it for him, and we just let the man have his way.”

preston mccarter

30 | The North Star | MArch 2020 | Health and education

David Sjoberg

“

I own a skateboard company and a clothing company. It’s called Tears, we make skateboards and we do screen print and do embroidery for clothing. I was in the eighth grade — it was March 3, I remember the exact date.

I was drawing stuff in class and someone was like, ‘Wow that’s really cool,’ and I was like I should make a brand out of this.

The original design, which we still use now, was a teardrop with eyes that had eye bags under them and stuff. The original people that had [the company] with was me, of course, Mathew Akridge and Cameron King. Right now it’s Schaefer Boyd and I. [I like] the control and being able to do what I want with [the company]. [It’s hard] getting the products here quickly and the cost of getting products made professionally is a big chunk for us. Right now I am building a website to sell stuff internationally, but I also promote it through Snapchat and Instagram.”

“

This past summer, I saw on a girl’s Instagram story that she had gotten a custom cup from someone from Starbucks. It was customized with a vinyl sticker that was homemade, and she bought it from someone on Etsy. I thought that was really cute, and it was a flower pattern with her name on the back, and I thought to myself, ‘I could probably do that.’ I had paint pens from forever ago.

After I made that first cup. I posted it on my Snapchat story and was like, ‘Let me know or swipe up if you want to purchase a cup.’ I honestly didn’t think anyone would buy it. The thing is, they’re really good quality, and you get a discount at Starbucks, so I used that to get more people excited. A bunch of people started asking to buy them, and I was like, ‘What the heck.’ Throughout the summer I had so many orders and had to have a spreadsheet and everything. I kept going into my local Starbucks. I was like, ‘Hey, can I get 12 cups haha they’re for gifts don’t worry I’m not crazy.’ Originally, I didn’t really have a set price and I finally realized it’s like $3 depending on where you get them from. I had like over 70 orders just this summer, and right now it’s not as high in demand.

This summer I really started wanting to get an iPad and an Apple Pencil, and obviously I couldn’t just buy one because I didn’t have any money, but I was able to make enough money to buy them myself.”

Ashley Shultz

TAYLOR Slusher

“

I realized how much money I spend on clothes due to my love of fashion and, with the current styles, I decided I could do it myself. I put really cute patches onto cheap sweatshirts, and I want to expand and put patches on other things like backpacks, or jeans. I try to stay updated with current trends for brands such as Brandy Melville, and I use those styles to inspire my looks. I’m currently working on producing an Instagram-based store and obviously am not sure of the logistics of that at the current moment, but I’m hoping to have that up soon. Well, I talked to my friends and see what they like, because all of my friends have different styles, and they’re all very creative in different ways. First we buy sweatshirts and only really think of its potential and the price point, buy patches, and go to my house and just iron them on and then crop the hoodie or make any other adjustments I feel fit. It’s actually quite a simple process. You just stick the iron on top of the patch for a few seconds to allow the glue on the patch to melt and adhere to both the patch and the article of clothing.

I’ve found a ton of little things can go wrong and you just have to work out the little tweaks to get the process down. I also like to make my own clothes because it means more to someone when you’ve put in so much effort, and I think it’s fun. It’s nice that I can make the clothes that I want, instead of having to go to Brandy Melville, and this way it’s a lot more size inclusive and I’m not disgusted spending 50 dollars on a shirt with just a patch on it that I can make at home. I’d say that in comparison I can make basic graphic shirts for less than half the true price of the shirts I’m basing the designs off of.”

Health and education | march 2020 | The North Star | 31

This page features senior memories submitted to the Instagram in response to the abrupt end of the school year. Top left: The BVN chamber choir performs at the annual Sunflower Award brunch. photo provided by senior Declan Carter. Top right (from top to bottom): Juniors Will Hancock and Garrett Brax lay on the risers during a choir rehearsal with seniors Declan Carter and Todd Eubanks. photo provided by Carter.

Middle left: The boys swim and dive team pose for a senior photo. photo provided by senior Gabe Freeman. Middle right: Senior Nigoria Khuramova and Haely Duque pose for a picture. photo provided by Khuramova. Bottom Left: Senior Nigora Khuramova and senior Alicia Seibert have a photoshoot in the sunshine. photo provided by Khuramova. Bottom Middle: Senior Gabe Freeman smiles for a photograph on a diving board, photo provided by Freeman. Bottom right: The BVN Chamber choir after their annual bonding trip to Ironwoods Challenge Course, photo provided by senior Alexandra Fulford.

Facebook: @BVNNews Instagram: @BVNNews Twitter: @BVNNews Online at bvnnews.com