More than
Just A Game Read more about female athletics at BVN on page 16
BLUE VALLEY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS | VOLUME 35 | ISSUE 5
table of contents
Sports 16 22
More than just a game the Cost to Play
Health and Safety 12
“It’s Not Your fault”
Feature 05 The AAPI Experience 15 Influential People
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Student Life 04 08 10 21 24 26 28 30
Latin loading... Senior shenanigans Sunrise to sunset assassins agenda 5 covid-safe activities making memories: Prom 2021 Parking mania In the Mood for Food
Opinion 20
Letter from the editors
Olivia’s Oscar Opinions + Predictions by Olivia Miller, guest writer
STAFF
online
Decision made after mask mandate hearing by arshiya Pant
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF ellianna cierpiot yasmeen saadi
web editors angelica henson charitha lakkireddy
social media alex doege
copy editors maddie austin Caroline CLarke KARA DESKIN
staff writers
socials
reece bachta adelaide edwards caroline haines gaby kill arshiya pant ella shafer ella thomas jack toal
Twitter - @bvnnews snapchat - @bvnnews Instagram - @bvnnews website - bvnnews.com
The North Star is the official high school news publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distributed to all the students five times a year. This is the May issue of volume 35. This issue of The North Star is published digitally through ISSUU and in print through 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.
Photos by Arshiya Pant
May 2021 | The North Star | 3
News
Latin Loading... Latin classes are moving online. What impact will that have on students? By Gabrielle Kill
T
hrough all academic changes BVN is undergoing this year, Latin students are feeling especially hurt. The discussion of the possible end of Latin courses in Blue Valley has caused students like Georgia Fite and Lizzie Place to become upset. According to Dr. Lisa Stolper, assistant principal for curriculum and instruction, all Latin classes at BVN and BVNW will be moved online next year. “There was a point where we thought we weren’t going to be able to offer Latin because of low enrollment,” Stolper said. “As a district we made it work, but it made the most sense to combine [Latin] classes between all
the
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buildings and make it virtual.” This decision by district administrators is based on the goal of consolidating Latin classes to a single teacher to maximize budget. While a shift to virtual may reach more students, Jodi Johnson, French and Spanish teacher, feels uncertain about how this will affect learning. “For modern languages, I absolutely think [online class] is not as effective,” Johnson said. “I can tell the difference in my virtual students’ productive language skills versus my in-person students’.” Johnson also feels concerned about the loss of unique advantages that Latin can bring. “Compared to other languages, [Latin] is equally important in terms of benefits that you might get for improving your English ACT and SAT scores, or getting into a college,” Johnson said. “In terms of communication, it’s a dead language, but it’s got a different purpose.” Latin teacher Joseph Marx hopes that his students will continue to gain skills in analyzing structure and relationships within the Latin language. “I want [students] to be able to look at a novel word and say, ‘Does this come from something I know?’” Marx said. “It’s being able to see those relationships in language. I want them to be effective language users. Think: I have three short choppy sentences, can I put them into a really tight eloquent sentence together?” To Marx, the unique focus on human experience makes the class an invaluable learning opportunity for students. The Latin curriculum dives into the history and culture of Rome, which Marx sees as a way to connect to humans across continents and millennia. “Latin text is still communicative, it forces you to understand somebody who has a vastly different worldview from you,” Marx said. “It’s from somebody who wasn’t writing this for you, somebody who
can probably teach you something new.” This connection between unique perspectives is, for Marx, one of the most impactful experiences for learners. “[Latin] just grows empathy. Growing empathy is probably one of the best fruits of education, making a mean populus that is more effective at communicating,” Marx said. Lizzie Place, a sophomore in Latin 2, shares the enjoyment of the class. She lacks confidence in the strength of virtual classes but feels appreciative Latin has not been canceled entirely. Place plans to take Latin 3 virtually next school year. “It’s easier to study languages inperson, but a virtual class is better than no class,” Place said. Though Georgia Fite, a senior in Latin 4, will be graduating from the subject this year, she feels passionate about continuing Latin courses at North. “Latin is more important than other languages because it teaches you where [Romance languages] came from. I’m annoyed about Latin being canceled because it’s so foundational,” Fite said. “Latin should absolutely stay at BVN.” Though Koby Lofton, a junior in Latin 2, loves the class, he won’t stick with virtual learning. Upon receiving an email from his counselor that his only option was Zoom, Lofton said he felt “bummed.” “I was planning on taking Latin again next year, but the only option was to take the course virtually, so I opted out of it,” Lofton said. “If it was still offered in person I would recommend sticking with it.” Latin classes at Blue Valley North may be losing their physical classroom, but Lofton remains hopeful that the program is far from being phased out. “Latin could definitely make a comeback in the future with enough support,” Lofton said. “It’s helpful to learn, and I know some people enjoy how niche the class is.”
Feature
THE AAPI EXPERIENCE In the wake of increasing hate crimes, Asian American and Pacific Islander activism gains traction.
By: Arshiya Pant
Lily Ren being interviewed by FOX4 at a anti Asian hate rally on Mar. 27. Ren held a sign with the Atlanta shooting victim’s names. Photo provided by Lizzie Place
O
n Saturday March 27, sophomore Lily Ren was one of the hundreds of community members across the Kansas City area rallying to end violence and hatred against Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. After a shooting spree at a spa in Atlanta where six women of Asian descent were shot and killed, conversations rose about the years of intergenerational trauma, microaggressions and stereotyping of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders. The marginalization of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI) has existed in American history for decades according to The Washington Post. From the Supreme Court case, People v. Hall, in 1854, which ruled that Asian immigrants
5 | The North Star | May 2021
could not testify in court, to the bloody history of violence against the AAPI community that is perpetrated by hate groups and even everyday citizens, AntiAsian hate isn’t a new occurrence. The topic of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) oppression has
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You grow up knowing that there is pressure and a point of view and a narrative that’s being told about you before you can even build who you are. - JIMIN YOO
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been alive throughout American history, but within the past year, both the rate of hate crimes and conversations surrounding the issue have skyrocketed. According to an analysis done by the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism of California State University, hate crimes targeted towards Asian Americans increased nearly 150 percent in 2020. The treatment of the AAPI community has been a prevalent issue for years, so why is awareness being spread now? Dr. Kelly Chong, a professor of sociology who specializes in Asian American studies at the University of Kansas, accredits this to developments in technology and accessibility. “While it seems like the wider public has not really been paying much attention,
Feature
5 MOST COMMONLY REPORTED TYPES OF Anti-Asian DISCRIMINATION ONLINE HARASSMENT 6.8 %
VERBAL HARASSMENT 68.1 % CIVIL RIGHTS VIOLATIONS 8.5 %
*Data collected from the Stop AAPI Hate National Report many in the Asian American community have been paying attention,” Chong said. “The news outlets have been covering some of the incidents, but now we have social media and we have cell phones with cameras to record these incidents, so they’re harder to ignore.” Senior Grant Mao, a Chinese student at BVN, said that while social media has the potential to successfully increase activism, it may not be the most effective method of doing so. “I think social media can play a strong role, but I just don’t think it is being utilized as effectively as it can [be],” Mao said, “Many people just continue to post and think that their reposts are going to do something, but knowledge without action is nothing. Yes, social media can lead to action, but instead of just reposting or retweeting, people should actually do something about it, sign a petition, protest or something to keep that same energy but in real life and not just online.” The Stop AAPI Hate reporting
SHUNNING 20.5 %
PHYSICAL ASSAULT 11.1 %
center confirmed that from March 19, 2020, to Feb. 28, 2021, there had been 3,795 hate incidents toward the AAPI community in America. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, AAPI doctors have been the target of some of these incidents, usually involving racist remarks or microaggressions,
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SOCIAL MEDIA CAN LEAD TO ACTION BUT Instead of just reposting or retweeting, people should actually do something about it, sign a petition, protest or something to keep that same energy but in real life and not just online. - GRANT MAO
”
according to the Stop the AAPI Hate National Report. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a microaggression as a comment or action that subtly and often unconsciously or unintentionally expresses a prejudiced attitude toward a member of a marginalized group. Hospitalist Dr. Sally Ling, who has been with the St. Luke’s Health System for 21 years, expressed that while she has not personally encountered these incidents, she has heard of them and believes that the susceptibility of the patients may play a part in their behavior. “I have not personally encountered tension or hostility, but I have heard about some hesitation on the part of patients when they are not cared for by someone who looks like them or sounds like them,” Ling said. “In part, I think that is the perspective of vulnerability that a patient is in… ethnicity can be a part of unconscious or conscious biases.” Ling emphasized that within the workplace and among her colleagues, her experiences have been positive as people
EXAMPLES OF SYSTEMIC OPPRESSION OF AAPI PEOPLE THROUGHOUT AMERICAN HISTORY PEOPLE V. HALL
CHINESE EXCLUSiON ACT
JAPANESE INTERNmENT CAMPS
In 1854, this California Supreme Court Case ruled that an Asian person could not testify against a white person in a criminal proceeding.
In 1882, Congress passed a law limiting Chinese immigration into the United States, specifically, a 10 year ban on Chinese labor immigration.
After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, then President Franklin Roosevelt issued an executive order for all Japanese residents to live in camps for the remainder of WWII.
6 | The North Star | May 2021
Feature tend to be like-minded and focused on the care of the patients. She also mentioned that there are policies in place to protect healthcare workers from workplace discrimination. “Those who have chosen to work in the healthcare field want to help people,” Ling said. “In the workplace, I think there is generally camaraderie as we have similar aspirations. In our system, there are strong policies that would address any discrimination. Anyone can and should report such behavior to their supervisor or Human Resource department.” While Ling did not necessarily face microaggressions or comments during her career, these incidents are still relatively common. Mao gave examples of several common microaggressions. “There are always those little comments of microaggressions, like ‘Open your eyes,’ or ‘Ew, what are you eating,’ and especially with Covid, things like ‘kung flu’ or the ‘China virus’ and all of them just create a really negative image of Asians,” Mao said. “People always say or think, ‘Oh, it’s a joke, don’t take it so seriously,’ but it still is hurtful and just because it’s a joke, doesn’t make it okay.” Senior Jimin Yoo, a Korean student, said that the negative treatment of the AAPI community can result in internalized racism, which is the subconscious development of negative perceptions of a person’s own racial background due to harmful outward influences. “At school, when I was younger, I would make racist jokes or make racist comments about myself to use the comedy as a way to boost myself. I just want to tell whoever is reading this that internalized racism can be fixed,” Yoo said. Yoo explained how racism towards AAPI people damages AAPI youth and their self-image growing up. “It really, really hurts because that’s how you see yourself. You are the butt of the joke, you are something that can be made fun of,” Yoo said. “There’s a big stereotype surrounding you and you grow up knowing that there is pressure and a point of view and a narrative that’s being told about you before you can even build who you are.” According to Lily Ren, the media influences stereotypes that negatively impact the AAPI community. “The way we’re treated in the media is definitely the most stereotypical crap I’ve
ever seen. Like you’ll see [TV Hosts] who are making fun of the accents of Chinese or Asian parents who can’t speak English as well, they’ll say, “Oh, it’s Chinglish’ and they’ll be like, “Why aren’t you a doctor, why aren’t you a lawyer, why aren’t you a high-paid professor or an engineer,’” Ren said. “Because that’s put on the media, thousands of people will follow their lead. The stereotypes definitely get annoying.” According to Chong, one of these stereotypes is the model minority. The Dictionary of Sociology defines model minority as ‘a stereotypical view of an ethnic, racial, or religious minority group that is assumed to have achieved a high level of educational, economical, and professional success.’ Chong said many are quick to argue that the model minority label is helpful, but she explained how it is hurtful towards the AAPI community. “When a group is designated as a model minority, the implication is that ‘Oh, they’re doing so well, they have no right to complain, they should just be grateful.’ So when racist things happen to Asian Americans, these incidents are not seen as significant,” Chong said. “As a result, Asian Americans are made to feel like they’re not significant, so they’re afraid to voice their fears and experiences. And when they do voice them, they feel like nobody listens.” Ren said that the silencing of AAPI experiences is not only due to non-AAPI people, but that in her experience, it is also normalized within the culture. “It definitely is [normalized] because there are Asian parents who are like ‘when we were young we had it worse so I don’t know why you’re complaining’
or they’ll be like ‘we’re in America, they treat us as well as they can’... it’s the immigrant parent mentality of we made it to America, so we should be thankful that America has let us come here and we’ll let them walk over us,” Ren said. Ren explained that the younger generation has strayed from this narrative and is more determined to make actual change. Part of this includes signing petitions, not excusing racist behaviors in real life and attending protests and rallies. Having gone to a rally after the Atlanta spa shootings where six out of the eight people murdered were women of Asian descent, Ren shared her experience. “[The rally] was kind of like a memorial for all these people who had died, so I put all their names down because as much as we need to focus on the anti-Asian hate, we also need to remember the other victims, so I put them all there,” Ren said. Many have predictions about the future of the Stop AAPI Hate movement and AAPI activism in general. “Optimistically, I wish that this antiAsian hate activism will continue and can work with other cultural groups and organizations to make an overall push against racism, but realistically, I think that just like every other time, it is just a one-time instance of people trying to show that they’re ‘woke’ or just showmanship,” Mao said. “I think that these movements will soon stop, but I hope that they don’t and people continue to keep pushing alongside us because this is an issue that affects more than just Asians, but all of us as human beings.”
average OF ABOUT 11 CRIMES REPORTED DAILY
150% RISE IN AAPI HATE CRIMES IN THE PAST YEAR
10% of aapi adults experienced hate crimes in 2021
May 2021 | The North Star | 7
Student Life
Senior Shenanigans By Maddie Austin
BVN students and teachers give their perspectives on senior pranks over the years.
T
he last couple months of the school year, and the that has a background of some kind of goodness to it,” last couple months of BVN seniors’ high school Cornelius said. career — as their four years come to an end, the Math teacher Erin Nathan also attended BVN, graduating seniors’ minds are brewing with ideas for creating with the class of 1992. Nathan’s class and the class of a memorable prank, ready to leave their marks. 1991’s pranks both were memorable, but couldn’t be more The pranks are not a recent tradition. Librarian Abby random. The class of 1991 stole the Ronald McDonald Cornelius attended BVN from 1992 to 1996 and has been inflatable from a nearby restaurant and placed it on top able to witness several classes conduct a senior prank. Her of the school. Nathan explained how their walkie-talkie small senior class of 150 students conducted a prank on communication method was picked up by a baby monitor in the school consisting of lined-up traffic cones blocking the the neighborhood across the street from BVN, resulting in a entrance into the parking lot. However, since she has worked visit from the police. Nathan’s class’s prank also ended with at North, Cornelius mentioned how some some trouble involving a couple of students “jokes” have gone to extreme levels. and a strong opinion. “One year, a bunch of students “They came out with sledgehammers I think, since we had on full face masks, and they came and destroyed the speed bumps because running through the hallways with water they didn’t want them, and they thought it have done all guns,” Cornelius said. “There was oil on was kind of funny for the seniors until the our time in high the floor in the hallway so people were police showed up,” Nathan said. “They ran school, now that off and one kid left all his tools there, and he slipping everywhere while they were we’re seniors, shooting people with the water guns. ended up not walking for graduation.” we should have And they were throwing flour at people.” According to principal Tyson Ostroski, Other pranks that have fallen in for any situations involving vandalism or something to the more wild category, according to destruction of property, consequences are show for it Cornelius, include the gold-painted the same disciplines the school use, for toilet that students cemented in the example, a suspension for an activity or courtyard as well as the “parking lot of compensation for any property damaged. — Owen Schenk nails.” Students scattered hundreds of “However, it’s case by case,” Ostroski nails over the staff parking lot, and many said. “With seniors, that can also impact staff members, including Cornelius, had damage to their involvement in senior events, like class day or graduation, cars. On her way home from school, Cornelius experienced and that shouldn’t be worth putting in jeopardy.” a tire blowout that cost $1,400. As a consequence, the While multiple years in the past have resulted in trouble, students caught had to pay for street sweeper trucks to clean Nathan has enjoyed some of the pranks during her time the parking lot. However, while some pranks have gone working at North; for example, one year seniors rode their further than others, Cornelius has enjoyed seeing the more bikes through the halls. This year, Nathan said she hopes to “mild” ideas the seniors think of. One year, for example, the see a unique, but harmless prank. students organized a barbecue cookout in the parking lot. Senior Kennedy Atchinson said she feels that the senior “Of course, there is always going to be some prank is important before graduating to leave a mark on inconvenience with the pranks because that’s kind of the future classes. However, she does agree with Nathan that point, but I think the barbecue is kind of clever, something there are limits on how far the pranks can go, so problems
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8 | The North Star | May 2021
can be avoided. “I think the limit on a prank is making sure it doesn’t cause any damage or cost money to fix,” Atchinson said. However, Atchinson says she is excited to see what the class of 2021 comes up with this year. She looks forward to seeing the class come together to brainstorm and plan out ideas. Senior Owen Schenk places the senior prank at utmost importance as the school year is quickly coming to a close, strongly believing that it is the best method for the senior class to be remembered. Schenk has an older sister from the class of 2019 whose prank involved strength in numbers, several rolls of toilet paper, and more trouble with the police. “It was the class of 2019 that TP’d the school,” Schenk said. “I had to pick her up as a freshman. It was quite chaotic.” Inspired by the pranks done by classes before, Schenk says he is motivated to think of the best one yet. He mentions that the best pranks are unique and will remind future students of the legacy of the class of 2021. “I think, since we have done all our time in high school, now that we’re seniors, we should have something to show for it,” Schenk said. “Doing all work and no play is no fun.” Overall, the history and tradition of senior pranks at BVN holds strong and is anticipated each year. “I hope this year’s prank leaves an impact on the school,” Atchinson said “I hope it allows for younger classes to look up to ours and strive to do something different and special to them.”
Pranks of the Past Farm fun A student volunteer brought goats from Deanna Rose and released them into the school halls.
sPEED BUMP SABOTAGE Students used sledgehammers to destroy the newly constructed speedbumps in the school parking lot.
cricket chaos This prank being done multiple times, students have collected handfuls of crickets and released them in various places within the school.
If there were no limits....
“out Probably steal the horse front. That’d be funny. or put like a cow in the stands of the DAC or something.
” — Owen SChenk
“limits My senior prank with no would be bringing in a petting zoo inside the school.
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bike Barricade several Students rode their bikes down the halls shouting “Seniors”.
dysfunctional dissection During a cat dissection, students stole the cats from the science room and hid them in various teachers’ rooms.
— Kennedy Atchinson
May 2021 | The North Star | 9
Student Life
A
r i n s e u S to Sunset
Members of the BVN community observe the holy month of Ramadan
fter around 15 hours without food and water, junior Roda Ahmed breaks her fast at sunset with a sweet date. She is then welcomed into the kitchen where the scents of fresh fruits and veggies fill the air, while samosas sizzle on the pan and rice is placed on the table. Desserts and pastries patiently await her and her family as everyone digs into their meal. This is Ahmed’s Iftar, the meal eaten after sundown during Ramadan. Ramadan is an Islamic holy month where Muslims fast from food and drink during daylight.
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it’s not just about fasting, it’s about being a better person in general. - Roda ahmed
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This is also a month for reflection, prayer and generosity. Prior to Iftar, Ahmed prepared for her day by waking up around 4:30 before the sun rose for a meal called Suhur. She has a filling meal in hopes of sustaining her throughout her day of school. It can be hard to focus on school with distractions of hunger and tiredness, but Ahmed said she has found other things to focus on “In the past, I have spent my lunch
studying for tests and staying distracted with school work,” Ahmed said. Although fasting for Ahmed can be difficult, remembering the purpose behind the practice makes it easier. “It’s not just about fasting; it’s about being a better person in general,” Ahmed said. “So I’m giving more [to] charity and being kinder to people. I also refrain from cursing or doing anything like that. And just being a better person, listening to things, like lectures, to better myself.” Connecting to prayer is another important aspect of Ramadan. Many Muslims will pray together after Iftar at mosques or community centers. However, this past year Muslims had to turn to Zoom to connect virtually. Last Ramadan, freshman Akif Ansari would do prayers on Zoom with the imam, the leader of prayers in a mosque. Ansari is hoping this year he will be able to see friends and family with masks, social distancing and vaccines. Following the holy month of Ramadan is a celebration called Eid al-Fitr. Many Muslims observe this celebration in various ways. Ansari and his family typically celebrate with travel. “My favorite memories are from when I go outside the country like Dubai or even India because I am able to see my family,” Ansari said. Ahmed and her family also enjoy spending Eid traveling and visiting family members. “Last year we spent the weekend in Omaha, just going to the zoo and things like that,”Ahmed said. Hibba Haider is on the board of the Madiha Shahid dressed up for Eid al-Fitr
10 | The North Star | may 2021
Faith Always Wins organization in Kansas City where she represents the Islamic faith. She grew up in Pakistan where it is a predominantly Islamic country. There, she
Haider and her family pose for a photo at the Islamic Center of Johnson County for Eid al-Fitr. photo provided by Haider.
would celebrate Eid al-Fitr with a large family gathering where everyone was in high spirits. Since moving to the states she has found her own community and created her own traditions. “Even during my school days at medical school we used to have all these little get-togethers where we could open or keep the fast,” Haider said. Haider has also adapted her traditions to fit her family and make Ramadan something everyone is able to observe. Her children do not fast during the day like Haider, however they all come together for dinner after sundown to break the fast with her. For dinner, Haider loves making homemade breads, fruit salads and pakoras. Pakoras are a type of fritter made out of chickpea flour, vegetables and other various add-ins. She has also had to learn to adapt her traditions to her work schedule. She has experienced challenges at work where she has not been able to pray on time and has been hesitant to ask for any special accommodation regarding Ramadan. “It would be helpful if employers and schools granted a little bit of accommodation by knowing prayer times and not arranging meetings during times
of opening or closing the fast or certain prayer times, little things like that,” Haider said. As a student, Ahmed doesn’t think schools should pause everything for 30 days, but she would appreciate more mindfulness when scheduling events. This year Ahmed was originally scheduled to take an AP exam during Eid al-Fitr. “It’s like great, OK so the College
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we should be able to congratulate each other on their celebrations - hibba haider
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Board does not care about Eid apparently,” Ahmed said. Haider also feels that special accommodation is not necessarily needed but acknowledgment of other religious holidays and celebrations would
create a more inclusive school and work environment. “We should live to be able to live together, and we should be able to congratulate each other on their celebrations and know what they are,” Haider said. Although it has its challenges, Haider is able to observe Ramadan and make the time for her rituals. She starts her morning at 4 a.m. She typically has an hour before her morning prayer to eat and prepare her meal. Before she heads off for her day at work, she meditates and reads the Quran. Ramadan is when Haider feels most fulfilled spiritually and finds beauty even in the challenges. “The most fulfilling part is the spirituality of Ramadan; [it’s] to be able to have this self control, keep learning,” Haider said. “The self control that you get [while] refraining from eating and drinking [is fulfilling], not just for the physical part of it, but to empathize with the people who are hungry, who don’t have enough means... I like that people are actively [giving to charity] during this month; they’re looking forward to opening their hearts to give to their community.”
may 2021 | The North Star | 11
health and safety
‘it’s Not
your fault’ two students anonymously share their stories of sexual assault by adelaide edwards
A
t age 7, a female BVN student first experienced sexual abuse. Since then, she has been sexually harassed multiple times by various acquaintances and strangers. This student has asked to remain anonymous, due to the personal subject matter. She was first sexually abused by a family member. This physical sexual abuse continued for around three years. At the time, she felt like she didn’t know what was going on, but now she sees that she was being taken advantage of and manipulated. Even after the sexual abuse stopped, she did not want to tell anybody. Although she felt a range of emotions, she said the strongest was guilt. To this day, even the closest members of her family and friends are unaware she had been assaulted and abused. “I think one of my friends knows. I still feel guilty myself, because I was 7 and I didn’t know what it was; I wasn’t like, ‘No, stop.’ So I still feel like I let it happen,” the student said. “I don’t want to tell anyone. And since I’m related to this person and I still see him at family functions, it would be a whole thing that I do not want to deal with.” Because the sexual abuse occurred around five years ago, the student said she is concerned that if she were to tell anyone, even her friends and family might not believe her. “I feel like they wouldn’t believe me because I was 7. My family knows and loves this person and it was a long time ago like, ‘Why haven’t you mentioned this before?’” the student said. Because she was so young, the student first found her feelings incomprehensible.
12 | The North Star | may 2021
As she got older, she felt angry, and said she felt like her emotions couldn’t be explained. “I was little. I knew it was wrong, I was just like, ‘Gross.’ I was mad, but at me,” the student said. “I was mad at myself. It was a difficult feeling to explain.” Her assault still affects her day-to-day life. She has found herself hesitant to trust others, especially those she is in a close and physical relationship with. “In physical relationships now it’s just so hard to trust. I mean, having an
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I was little. I knew it was wrong. I was mad, but at me, -BVN Student
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experience like that when you’re little makes growing up and having sexual relationships so much harder because you are still uncomfortable,” the student said. “It’s scary.” The student struggled with an eating disorder this past year and began seeing a nutritional therapist to help her. She then learned that she has both anxiety and OCD, likely stemming from her traumatic past. She also believes that her body image and eating disorder both tie back to being sexually assaulted and abused. “Overall, I’m just stressed all the time and worried and thinking about what other people are going to say or do. And I come off as really carefree,” the student
said. The student has been sexually harassed multiple times since. According to the student, girls her age are often pressured to send nude photographs and with apps like Snapchat and Instagram, sexual harassment occurs more easily. To her, it’s disgusting. And that’s just the online side of things. “I’m a short girl, like you could mistake me for an 11-year-old, and I still get catcalled like twice a week, just being out with my friends,” the student said. Being cat-called on the street is not the only place the student is regularly harassed. She plays a sport that wears a uniform lacking in coverage in certain areas of the body. For anonymity purposes, the student has asked that the sport be kept private. In this sport, players participate in co-ed practices. Because of this, she has found herself the victim of sexual harassment multiple times, from coaches and other players. “There’s this one specific boy that I’ve known since I was like 10, and he goes to [another school] and he’s in my grade. And he is so gross, he would beg for nudes and he would harass me at practice, and I [was] 12! And he [was] 12, too,” the student said. “And I still [practice] with him.” The student has been through years of sexual harassment, assault, and abuse. Through all of her trauma, she has developed anxiety and an eating disorder. Her advice? “To deal with it, just [know] it’s not your fault. It’s not your fault, it’s never their fault,” the student said.
health and safety
April 2021 marked the official 20-year anniversary of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, according to the National Sexual Violence Resource Center. The NSVRC says that during this month, society reflects on events and statistics that press toward the need for change. The Kansas Department of Health reported that in Kansas high schools, around one in 10 students — male and female — reported being physically forced into participating in sexual behaviors. These assaults and harassments begin to go unnoticed and unreported. According to RAINN, only 23 percent of sexual assaults are reported to the police. That same source says that victims stay silent out of fear of being judged, harmed or not believed by the ones they love the most. Two anonymous students at North shared their stories to bring awareness to the subject.
A
couple months ago, a female BVN junior was hanging out with a group of people, when she experienced sexual assault for the first time. A boy took her to a room where he proceeded to do some things she was not comfortable doing. She told the boy no, but he proceeded anyway. Since then, she has not wanted to bring attention to the incident. “I was very much in denial right after it happened, but I did tell a few friends that it happened, just not to the full extent,” the junior said. “I didn’t think it was funny, but I kind of laughed about it and kind of made a joke about it, and I just didn’t want the whole talk.” This is a common reaction of victims of sexual assault. She has also chosen to keep this information private from the majority of her family, only telling her sister the few details she told her friends. Although she plans on telling her parents one day, she is not ready to take that step yet and is unsure when she will be. Following her assault, she did not
accept the situation immediately, and said she questioned her feelings. It took her months to realize and accept that she had been sexually assaulted. This questioning and denial is common among victims of sexual assault. Across a review of 28 academic studies, Laura Wilson, assistant professor of psychology at the University
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I was very much in denial right after it happened, -BVN junior
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of Mary Washington found that “60.4 percent of women who’ve been sexually assaulted do not label their experience as rape.” According to the review, the authors said this impacts a number of things in relation — from policy reform to attitudes toward survivors and a victim’s
own self-perception. “I was very much in denial; I was like, ‘Did this happen or did this not?’ I kinda just [thought] maybe he got the wrong impression and didn’t know, but I was making excuses to make it seem like this didn’t really happen to me,” the junior said. “And then after a couple sit-downs with myself, I was like, ‘Okay, this did happen to me, and I need to stop denying it.’ I kinda had to just be able to trust myself.” Since being assaulted, her experiences in relationships have been vastly different than before. She said she used to be very outgoing to hang out with boys her age, but now she finds it difficult to trust anyone. “I don’t really… I mean I have guy friends, but trusting a boy in a relationship-type-of-aspect has definitely not really crossed my mind at all like it used to,” the junior said. Being sexually assaulted has also given her a new perspective on how society views sexual assault victims.
40.5% 17.7 %
12.7 % images taken or shared without consent
25.3%
forced into participating in sexual behavior
29.1 %
none
unwelcome sexual advances
online comments or jokes
unwelcome touching or groping
being catcalled
29.1 %
being physically followed
45.6%
In-person comments or jokes
79 students were surveyed about their sexual harassment experiences
student sexual harassment
63.3 % 60.8%
health and safety
“There have been times where it’s not like I didn’t believe someone, but I couldn’t picture that actually happening because I didn’t know about it that much,” the junior said. “And then it happened to me and I was like, ‘Oh.’ It’s not like I ever invalidated anyone, I just couldn’t imagine that happening because it’s such a violent and awful thing. Whenever this happens to someone, they should be able to speak out and not feel alone.” Physical sexual assault was new to the BVN junior, so she had to quickly find ways to cope with what had happened. Her most helpful coping mechanism was her friends. “I would definitely say that after being sexually assaulted it would be very beneficial to know that you are supported when you’re ready to talk about it,” the junior said. “And also taking care of
1 in 4
yourself and keeping yourself — I don’t know if this is the best thing to do — but keeping yourself busy always and finding stuff you actually enjoy doing can help you take your mind off of it.” Although this was the first time she had been physically assaulted to that extent, she has been sexually harassed multiple times. “There’s definitely been times I’ve been pressured into doing things I didn’t want to do, but I still consented to it. And then there have been times where I have been cat-called and you know the run-ofthe-mill that I feel like society really kind of sees as normal, which it’s not,” the junior said. Because of this, she finds herself “hyper aware.” With mass media, she is surrounded by stories about women in dangerous situations. She said she is constantly adapting to keep herself safe.
students at bvn have been sexually harassed
“If I’m alone, and it’s dark and there’s not that many people around, I feel very unsafe that people will hurt me in some kind of way. ... Literally last night I was coming home from the gym, and I heard of people getting their heels slashed because people hide under their cars. And I checked it because I was scared and I was just like, ‘Oh, I’m paranoid,’” the junior said. “And so it definitely makes me more hyper-aware that this happens more than we think it does.” Although she used the word “paranoid,” she said she didn’t mean it in a negative way. “I could be a little too paranoid, but it’s kind of in a good way,” the junior said. “If I wasn’t paranoid at all, you never know it might save my life in some way ...it’s better that I have a little bit of paranoia than not.”
1 in 5
students at bvn have been physically sexual assaulted
82 students were surveyed about their experiences through a survey available through Canvas. Of the students surveyed, 68 were female, 13 male and 2 non-binary.
How do students stay safe? “Calling someone on the phone when i am alone.” -Abby Glenn
“I always have people with me when i go places and i make sure to lock my car doors as soon as i get in.”
“I always make sure to check my surroundings like looking under my car, making sure nobody is following me and that nobody is watching me.” -isabella noll
“I always feel safer when i am out with my dad or another guy.” -abby collins
“I try to look around and be very aware. Sometimes i ask people to go with me.” -Katherine moore
-olivia fields
Resources for victims: call: 1-800-656-4673 available 24/7
14 | The North Star | may 2021
visit: www.rainn.org chat available 24/7
talk: to a trusted adult or counselor
student life
leaving with a
thank you Seniors reflect on the teachers who have influenced them most during their time at North.
BY YASMEEN SAADI
“The te ac the mo her that has in st has b fluence ee d me Chines e teach n Wu Laoshi, er. She’s my work w allo ith for Chin her and work wed me to on proje ese NH S me gro w as a le and she’s he cts lped ader in think w wa as entire c possible. I wa ys I didn’t sa las her help ses in meeting ble to lead s becau .” se of
orite f my fav o e n o tting been eir has From le “Mrs. W r a while now. study hall to r s fo nth hou ea teacher her seve en I had to giv ys h s a r c a h me w lw a e . She’s ging m encoura a difficult topic I’m not myself on hen e speech on me w appy to help m k c e h c h o t n h e a r S . e th the as more ave school early I will w e h s d an man to le nd a wo having a h , g o t u o o r th yg ays be m will alw preciate.” ap forever is
- stev
en wa
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ne Tu
oli - Car
my junior an, I had her h at N . rs M “For to her and became close ly al re d an om. And year hours in her ro d an rs ou h t ardest times. spen some of my h in e e m d pe el h she e sure everyon a lot and mad s re ca es so ak al m e Sh She Covid started. r. Cox has was okay when M . ily m happy fa g bi a om ro her talk to, even if ere for me to th en be s ay w al unselor. He’s phabet for co al is h in t n’ as Iw e last four so much in th h it w e m d pe hel years.”
rimboli
- lilly cia
n with much bee y tt re p s a nbull h ... She’s “Mrs. Tur one freshman year mpiad y a d ience Oly c S me since h it w p at help or test pre been a gre our club. F runn ru ry e g v in at’s a th w and help o n k I did e apps, she really and colleg to say, but succeed in g in th l il of-the-m help me bout r that and fo e m lly cares a sh a u p re e sh ll t and can te ful for tha te that way. I ra g y ll a I’m re her, I me too, so e so much. Without lace n o d n iffere t p she’s just mpletely d o c a in e would b I am now.” from where
- hugo yu
“Señor ita been th Tankel and M e most rs. Bosc infl h have be en the m uential becau have se they I’ve enc ost dow ountere n-to-ea rt d can go to them at North. I fe h faculty el like I at any t and talk im t are suc o them about e of any day h great anythin lis g. they ge nuinely teners and I fe They e c l that to feel lo are abo ut s these te t and unheard me. It is easy ac at Nort h, but one con hers take that feeling versatio away in n. I fee them.” l lucky to know - cla
ra ta
ylor
May 2021 | The North Star | 15
SPORTS
More than just
GAME Do female athletes receive less support than their male counterparts? by reece bachta and charitha lakkireddy
16 | The North Star | may 2021
a
E
S
enior Stella Harber was 9 years old when she was shaken awake from her childhood dream of becoming a professional athlete. “I went to an MLS Cup game for Sporting KC, and I think it was there that I realized, “Wait… I’ve never even seen professional women’s soccer,’” Harber said. “It didn’t feel great knowing that being a professional athlete isn’t as great of an option as it is for a man.” Although Harber considers this a painful realization in her athletic career, it has not deterred her from pursuing softball at the collegiate level, and she has signed to play softball for Kansas City Community College in fall 2021. Harber said she expects to see similar inequalities in college that she’s noticed as a member of the girls softball team. These inequalities include differences in budget and how much fundraising each team does, along with student and community support between the boys and girls teams. The lack of budget allocated to softball becomes obvious, Harber said, especially when compared to the baseball team — the softball team is responsible for bringing much more of the equipment themselves for practices and games. “We’ve had the same set of jerseys for the whole four years that I’ve been here, but we’ve had the ones that we’ve had for at least six, seven or eight years ... there hasn’t even been talk of getting new jerseys,” Harber said. “We don’t have a budget at all. We had to buy cheap softballs, because we didn’t have enough. One of the girls has to bring a tee to hit off of that we have to use every day because that isn’t provided, while none of the baseball boys are having to do that because they have tees at the school. I’m sure
they provide some sort of budget that goes towards equipment, but it’s nothing substantial enough to actually get the equipment that we need.” Rosters posted to BVN athletic websites state that the baseball team has 62 players while the softball team has 12 players. Harber said that although some differences can be credited to the softball team having fewer players than the baseball team, she feels that it’s still the school’s responsibility to fix the financial
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There hasn’t been a single fan at the softball games from the school - stella harber
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shortcomings she said her team has experienced. “It’s a district that’s providing the money, but they have the means to make it equal,” Harber said. “They could take some away from baseball and give it to softball; that goes for all of the sports that have men’s and women’s teams.” According to BVN athletic director Kelli Kurle, the specific amount of money spent on each team depends on the sport and the amount of athletes involved. “It’s decided by things taken into consideration like how many players are involved in the program, the type of sport, like for example, golf is more expensive but has less people, but that’s because of the cost of green fees
to pay for the kids to play on,” Kurle said. “Cross country you don’t need a lot of equipment you just need uniforms versus football where you need a lot of the school to provide a lot of the equipment to keep it safe.” Kurle also said that fundraising and booster clubs determine how money is spent for equipment not provided by the school, like new uniforms. Bookkeeper Linda Kaphingst was in agreement that how funding is spent isn’t entirely in the school’s control, but rather the coaches’. Some teams also receive additional funds from teamspecific fundraising or school-wide booster clubs. Kaphingst agreed with Kurle and said that differences between the funding boys’ and girls’ sports received is immune to bias because it’s calculated objectively. “Funding is basically a number of participants — and they all do get a generous amount,” Kaphingst said. “They have an equation by cost per head.” Aside from what she feels is insufficient funding, Harber said the difference in how men’s and women’s sports are treated becomes obvious at every game when she sees the empty stands. “There hasn’t been a single fan at the softball games from the school,” Harber said. “It’s just parents, which I mean is fine, but as opposed to boys football, in the middle of a pandemic, there are hundreds of people who went to watch them [at state]. Sometimes we play at the same time as baseball...and you can just walk by and hear the sound difference of people cheering on the baseball side, and then on the softball side, it’s just quiet.” Harber believes that BVN can do more to encourage students to attend games and bridge the
may 2021| The North Star | 17
sports inequality between the boys and girls teams. “A lot of [the inequality] starts at the promotion level, so it’s important that [BVN] is promoting going to women’s sports,” Harber said. “That doesn’t mean don’t go to the guys’ games, obviously. Go to both. Promote both equally, as opposed to supporting the boys way more than the girls.” Just because attendance numbers are lower at their events, doesn’t mean there’s any less of an opinion on women in sports, according to Harber. “Female sports are definitely viewed as inferior ... or like they require a lower skill level,” Harber said. “Softball and baseball are good examples, like softball is called softball, implying that the ball is soft and it’s also a bigger ball, implying that the smaller baseball would be harder to hit. The public perception is that you have to kind of downplay the sport for women to play.” According to Harber, the public perception of women’s sports is tainted by sexism that has gone on for decades. “[The gender inequality in sports] is influenced by how people have been raised,” Harber said. “My generation was raised a lot differently than generations like decades ago… like, ‘women belong like at home taking care of the kids.’ That kind of mindset has carried over into sports, where maybe people think women shouldn’t be playing sports.” As a cheerleader, junior Luzia Thomas says she has experienced inequalities of being in a women’s sport. According to Thomas, on top of being treated differently from the teams they cheer for, cheerleaders also face the debate of whether or not cheer is even a sport. “I was talking about cheer in a class once and... some classmates and even a teacher joined in,” Thomas said. “I was talking about the [coronavirus] restrictions in there and they’re like, ‘Oh well, it’s not a real sport, so it doesn’t count,’ and it was just like, that kind of hurt.” Thomas also mentioned the student
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body being a big source of the issues of inequality between women’s and men’s sports, not just at BVN, but in the professional and college level leagues. “Well that’s just blatant sexism in the student body; it’s clear that women’s sports are not valued at all, and it’s pretty sad considering how cheer got third at state, volleyball was so close last year and the tennis girls are one of the best teams in the state and they get basically no respect from the students,” Thomas said. Considering there is no individual lacrosse team for any of the BV high schools, junior Olivia Still said it comes as no surprise to her that the team is represented even less as a women’s sport. Still is the Junior Varsity captain of the Blue Valley Titans lacrosse team, which is a team made up of female lacrosse players from all five of the Blue Valley Schools. “I feel like there’s not enough representation for it,” Still said. “I didn’t even know that girls lacrosse was a thing until I came here for the sports night to see all the sports and stuff, and there was not even a sign up until I talked to the coaches. There is also a lot of different rules. It’s less aggressive and there’s also a lot less teams … [and] games to go to.” Currently, Blue Valley has no team affiliated through them for both mens and womens lacrosse teams, but the boys lacrosse teams have more teams in their Blue Valley league in comparison to the girls teams. Still believes there is a lot that can and should be done to get more female athletes involved in women’s lacrosse along with getting more respect for the sport as a whole. Girls basketball coach Ann Fritz said that she thinks women’s sports have made improvements in gaining more respect and popularity, but there still is more to be done. “I think it’s grown a ton, and so I don’t like to say that it’s not [respected],” Fritz said. “We have made huge strides for women’s sports...and [gained]
that’s just blatant sexism in the student body, it’s clear that women’s sports are not valued at all and it’s pretty sad.
- Luzia thomas
18| The North Star | may 2021
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more respect for it so there’s been a lot of improvements and you just keep improving every day.” However, Fritz said that she felt some unfairness on the court both this year and this past year with officials, feeling like they got the less qualified referees compared to the boys basketball teams. “For this past year with COVID, we played on the same night as the guys and ... I always felt like we didn’t get the better officials,” Fritz said. “I felt like that was one thing that really hurt the women’s game.” Senior Ethan Wons said he’s witnessed plenty of inequality between the boys and girls sports teams at BVN, with the boys football and basketball teams getting the best ends of the deal. “Any high school values their football team — that’s the top at any college or any high school,” Wons said. “Their football team is like their bread and butter, so of course they’re gonna put all their money into that because they know Americans love their football. Same with basketball. Nobody boasts over whenever the girls tennis team goes to state. I never hear anything about that. I only hear about it at assemblies, but whenever the boys football team wins state, it’s the
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I remember last year we would always get a big crowd at the Northwest game because they would come early for the boys game, but it was so much fun to play in an environment where people were cheering for us. -Kayte Delong
biggest thing ever.” Although he’d like to see the gap bridged, he believes that there’s more than simply sexism that attributes to the differences. “[Professional athletics are] going to spend more money and time on whatever sport is going to make them money because everything revolves around money,” Wons said. “They would definitely prioritize sports [that would] make them money.” An obvious example to Wons was the NCAA March Madness tournament. Although it features both men’s and women’s teams, he didn’t recall them being promoted or supported equally. “[Women’s sports] just definitely
[don’t] get advertised enough,” Wons said. “The March Madness tournament is really big and there’s a guys portion and a girls portion, but nobody ever focuses on the girls, so I think it comes down to a whole money thing. Money runs the world, and if people running the tournament and sports know what the public likes to watch, they’re gonna beat that down people’s throats even more because it makes them more money.” The smaller audience or supporters at women’s sporting events, Wons said, is due to close-mindedness. Although he said he saw a difference between men’s and women’s games in the same sports, he believes it wasn’t as drastic as it’s treated to be. “Everyone just shuts their mind off and they’re not open to watching new things,” Wons said. “I’m not gonna lie, I’ve watched some soccer games and I can tell there’s like a difference in the level of play [between men and women], a little bit, but nothing crazy.” Senior varsity girls basketball player Kayte Delong is another female athlete
Emersen MacKenzie, Luzia Thomas and Molly Smith hold signs with phrases they’ve heard directed toward female athletes before. photo by Reece Bachta.
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who says she feels less supported by the school and believes that students, administrators, teachers and more should just be more aware of women’s sports and respect them just as much. “No one really supports the girls teams as much and doesn’t seem to get as much attention, even though we are as successful as the boys team, and it just kind of sucks because you can’t force people to care, I mean it’s like that in the world,” Delong said. “I remember last year we would always get a big crowd at the Northwest game because they would come early for the boys game, but it was so much fun to play in an environment where people were cheering for us.” Delong stated that she has felt the support from administrators at North, but as the student body goes, the respect and appreciation is exceedingly biased. “I feel like it’s just important to know that it’s just as competitive as the boys and we put the exact same amount of work in to be the best,” Delong said. “So we should be getting some attention at least.”
Stella Harbor catches the ball during a drill at practice. photo by Reece Bachta.
May 2021 | The North Star | 19
Letter from the editors - Opinion
It’s Just A Game
Sports are ingrained into American culture. It’s time to give female athletes the respect they deserve.
T
he importance of sporting events to American culture is undeniable. They mark our seasons almost more than the weather — baseball season, football season — we’ve got months structured around sports, around the appeal of a thundering auditorium and the prowess of professional athletics, but also the community of a high school game. They’ve always been a source of community, a way to feel school pride and build solidarity So, when sports stadiums sat empty for a year, it was devastating for many. We’ve seen photos of vacant bleachers, stands filled with cardboard cutouts of inname-only attendees, socially distanced crowds sat six feet apart. Those ideas can feel disheartening for those for whom sports are a community. For female athletes, though, those empty seats are nothing new. Women’s athletics are historically and categorically underappreciated. They’re derided and diminished. Their accomplishments are ignored in favor of all-male teams who are the same level of skill and professionalism. They’re given fewer resources and less support, and for professional athletes, significantly less pay. This year, an image from the NCAA March Madness tournament went viral which exemplified the disparities in treatment by showing the difference in the gyms the men’s and women’s teams had been given — while the men had a full, up-to-date gym setup, the female athletes were only given a few weight racks and some mats on the floor. Empty stands, and everything that comes with them, are an unfortunate reality that women in sports face every day of their career.
20 | The North Star | May 2021
So, as stadiums fill and fans return to games, will we return to that convention, and leave our female athletes playing for empty seats? Female athletes deserve the same level of respect for their equal level of hard work, strength, grit and achievement. Both in and outside of BVN, we need to celebrate female athletes and the work they put into their craft. We have to acknowledge their achievements, celebrating a girls tennis state win with just as much vigor as a boys basketball state win. During this year of pain and hardship, sports was oftentimes a big relief. As vaccines continue to roll out and sports regain themselves, we need to make sure female athletes know their efforts are seen and appreciated. Ellianna Cierpiot and Yasmeen Saadi, Editors-In-Chief
Student Life
Assassins Agenda
Seniors compete in an annual game in hopes of winning cash prize By Kara Deskin
Assassins is a toy water gun-based game played by high school seniors most years around spring time. Although BVN does not condone this game, many students participate in it to try to win a cash prize, this year amounting to more than $1,000. Here is a look into several creative ways that some players were eliminated from the game.
Fountain
Ben Novak eliminates Caroline Thummel by hiding in the fountain in the front of her house with a snorkel. After Thummel comes outside to retrieve a package, Novak takes her by surprise and gets her out. Both Novak and Thummel won a prize for this creative idea.
Camouflage
Owen Schenk hides in Cate Wietharn’s front yard in a bush before school in a camouflage suit. For 2 hours, he patiently waits for Wietharn to leave her house. When walking to her car, Schenk eliminates her. Thinking that she had swim practice before school, Schenk arrived at 4:50 a.m. and proceeded to wait until 7 a.m. when Wietharn left for school.
David Sjoberg sits on the park bench while Jake Marzullo offers a donation. “Jake was a very hard person to get”, Sjoberg said. “It had been six days of me trying to get him, and I even got in a high speed car chase where I almost wrecked my car.”
The homeless man
David Sjoberg dresses up as a homeless man near where Jake Marzullo works. Knowing that Marzullo gets gas every Saturday after his shift ends, Sjoberg posed as a homeless man with a sign asking for money on a bench at the gas station near Go Car Wash, and had done research to figure out that Marzullo often had given money to those sitting on that same bench asking for donations. When Marzullo came out of the store with change from something he had just bought, he brought it over to give to Sjoberg, and was taken aback when he was eliminated from assassins by a homeless man.
Caitlyn Moore and William Clippard pose outside his house after she eliminates him from the game.
The Set-up
Caitlyn Moore tricks William Clippard. Moore and her boyfriend, Chase Uhlig inform Clippard that they need to drop off “baseball stuff”. When Clippard came out of his house, Moore was hiding in the bed of a truck, and got him out when he came to retrieve his expected baseball gear. Coincidentally, Moore now had Uhlig as a target.
Girl Scout Cookies
Divya Gupta eliminates Luke Hendrickson by tricking him to help the Girl Scout program. She contacted her neighbor to dress up as a Girl Scout and brought her mom along as well. Gupta additionally printed out a petition for Blue Valley students to sign for an increase in funding for Girl Scouts. When they arrived at Hendrickson’s house, Gupta had the pretend Girl Scout say the petition had to be signed by a Blue Valley student, and when Hendrickson opened the door, Gupta eliminated him.
Divya Gupta smiles alongside Hendrickson who holds a box of lemonade cookies. “I had no clue how else to get him”, Gupta said. “But I did give him a box of lemonade cookies as consolation.”
May 2021 | The North Star | 21
SPORTS
The Cost
to PLAY Lacrosse
Dance Team
Lacrosse stick: $60-$150 Poms: ~$30
uniform covered in $600 entry fee
Elbow pads: $40-$60 Gloves: $20-$60
Additional student costs: Helmet: ~$400 Cleats: ~$100 Chest pads: $100-$200 $600 entrance fee covers: Uniform Referees *Pricing information Cost to rent field from Jack Toal 22 | The North Star | may 2021
general uniform covered in $600 entry fee
Additional student costs (reusable after first year): Team bag [includes team jacket (~$65-$70) and other items]: ~$150 Tennis shoes: ~$50-$70 Poms: ~$30 Other dance shoes: (depends on shoe/ dancer) $600 entrance fee covers: General uniform Coverage of choreography Competition *financial aid is confidentially available to those who need it
*Pricing information from Addi Miller
here’s a breakdown of what some student athletes pay to participate in their sports. By Yasmeen Saadi and Alex Doege
Softball
Baseball Mitt: ~$30
Two Jerseys provided by school Helmets provided by school Two pairs of pants provided by school + additional two pairs bought by students: ~$15-$30 each
Additional student costs: Two pairs of socks: ~$10 each Three belts: ~$5-$10 each Longsleeve undershirt: ~$20-$30 Cleats: ranges $30-$100
*Pricing information from Ella Shafer
Team fundraises for uniforms: - Tops: ~$89 per each - Pants: ~$50-$60 per pair Additional student costs: Batting gloves: $20-$50 Bat: $100-$200 Cleats: ranges $30-$100 Padding (varies depending on student/ position) *Pricing information from Mike Dudley may 2021 | The North Star | 23
5 Student life
Top
By Ella Thomas
COVId safe Spots
As we near the end of the school and move into summer students are looking for low-cost, safe activities to stay busy this summer. It’s important to remember the pandemic that is still current and preventing students from carrying out their usual activities. This list of 5 COVID-safe summer activities is a student guide to summer 2021.
Top Golf
Even if you don’t enjoy golf, you can visit Top Golf ’s driving range this summer. The venue is open-air and has taken COVID precautions to keep the experience safe. Top Golf also has food and golf clubs to use if you don’t have your own.
$$$
Picnics
An old trend coming back this year, picnics are an outdoor activity to enjoy this summer. Bring a few friends, a blanket and your favorite snacks and drinks. There are parks all over Overland Park that are free and scenic, where students and their friends can enjoy the outdoors. Parks include The City of Leawood park, Gezer Park, I-Lan Park and Ironwoods Park.
$$ 24 | The North Star | May 2021
Hours
For top golf Overland Park location
Mondaythursday
10:00am-11:00pm
FridaySaturday
10:00am-12:00pm
Sunday
10:00am-11:00pm
Dog Parks Who said that dogs can’t have fun this summer? Both the “Lea-woof ” dog park in the Leawood City Park and the Heritage Park Dog Park offers everything that your furry friends could want. The Heritage Dog Park is 30 acres and features a pond along with walking trails all around the park. If you have a small dog, the Leawoof dog park has two different sections: one for small dogs and one for big dogs.
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Drive-In Theatre With COVID still being present this summer, traditional movie theaters may not be safe for all. But this drive-in theatre may be a compromise. The Boulevard Drive-In shows current movies in 4k. The drive-in has speakers spread all around the venue or you can tune into their radio station to hear the movie even with your windows up. Because it is a drive-in theatre, visitors can bring their own food and drink to snack on as they watch the movie.
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Arboretum This 300-acre park features miles of nature to explore. With walking trails and gardens to explore, the arboretum offers fitness and scenery. Because this activity is outdoors students can enjoy the fresh air and good weather. This option is also cost-friendly with just a $3 admission cost for adults or $1 for children between the age of 6 and 12.
$ May 2021 | The North Star | 25
YEARBOOK DISTRIBUTION
SENIOR DISTRIBUTION
MAY 14 1:55-2:55 p.m. on the track
If you cannot attend, senior books may be picked up after school in room 411, starting Monday, May 17.
UNDERCLASSMAN DISTRIBUTION
MAY 19 during North Time 12:25-1:22 p.m.
Students will be dismissed by hall to pick up their yearbooks and return immediately to their fourth hour class. If you cannot attend that day, books may be picked up after school in room 411, starting Thursday, May 20.
If you did not pre-order a book, there are a limited number of extras that will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis on your grade’s distribution day.
Student Life
Making Memories
20 PROM 21
Top Left: Reece Nix, Zoey Kay, and Clara Taylor. Photo provided by Zoey Kay. Top Right: Wyatt Cutler, Chase Uhlig, Ozzy Scoggin, Sam Albert and Lukas Ellis. Photo provided by Ozzy Scoggin Bottom Left: Rosemary Lufkin and Colin Silva. Photo provided by Rosemary Lufkin. Bottom Right: Anna Kaiser, Gabby Gutierrez, Merritt Palmer. Photo provided by Gabby Gutierrez.
may 2021 | The North Star | 27
Student Life
PARKING MANIA
From lack of parking spaces to long lines and tickets, the parking lot has created controversy among students and teachers. By Jack Toal
E
arly mornings at BVN have become a familiar scene. Students sit still, stuck bumperto-bumper in their cars, trying to find a way to get out of the line. Managing to park is hard enough for students that haven’t been driving for much more than a year, but having to navigate a full lot with every spot being occupied and construction blocking movement has created a much larger challenge. Since inperson classes have re-initiated, there has been an increase in complaints and issues with parking among students. Junior Andrea Scott conducted an informal study in late March on the parking situation to see whether the complaints on parking were warranted or not. Scott went out at two different periods during the day as part of her one- time study. During the first hour of an odd day, Scott found that out of the original 536 spots, 124 total parking spaces were available after the start of the first hour on an odd day. Of those 124 spots, every space had been taken in the senior and visitors’ lots. A majority of the open spots were in the main lot, behind the senior lot, and out towards 119th. By 9:05, the second time she conducted the study in the day, all but 35 spots had been taken up with the remaining in the lot going out towards 119th. Along with the limited number of open spots available, there were 146 students parked in the lot without a parking pass. Of those 146 students, a majority were in the main lot and behind the senior
28 | The North Star | may 20201
lot, with the rest being scattered around the visitors’ and seniors’ lots, and along the fields leading to 119th parking lots. In addition to the issues in front of the school, there are also issues in the staff lot. Fourteen students with parking passes were counted parking inside the staff lot with no way of determining the number of additional students parked without a pass on their car. The current state of the lots have left some students frustrated with the enforcement of regulations. According to the School Resource Officers (SRO), Officers Tony Latas and Tina Morse, there have been more issues with tickets this year compared to other years even without being scaled to a non-pandemic year. “The parking rules this year are different because since we were hybrid for so long, parking wasn’t really an issue because only half the student population was here,” Morse said. “We didn’t monitor the senior lot because the whole lot was half open. Things have changed since people came back along with the construction.” Although students say that they feel the parking rules are confusing, the SROs believe that students should still be following the original rules online. “The rules are online and when you sign the parking agreement to get a pass you are signing that you acknowledge where you should be parking. When you get your permit, it outlines where staff parking is,” Morse said.
Junior Ryan Parisi has had to change his parking spot this year after receiving his ticket, which he believes was unwarranted. “I received a parking ticket of $25 for parking in the teachers’ lot in front of the baseball fields; although the area is always empty. A $25 ticket with no warning was unnecessary. I think my friends and I should’ve gotten off with a warning since we weren’t explicitly in the teachers’ way, but I do believe those who park right next to teachers in the lot should be ticketed,” Parisi said. “I changed my alarms to get up earlier to consistently make it to class. I’ve also had to start carpooling since there are very limited spots in the lot that I can access.” Sophomore Sumner Dowdy also had a similar experience with the teachers’ lot. “I have received a ticket since I started driving to school, but I don’t think it was deserved; the sophomores this year were never taught or told where to park. I unknowingly parked in the teachers’ parking lot and received a ticket,” Dowdy said. “I think a warning would have been more appropriate for my situation.” In response to the complaints, the SROs said that students should read and understand the agreements they sign before receiving a parking pass. “Unfortunately when you sign up for your parking permit and you sign the agreement, you’re signing you acknowledge you know where you should be parking so the argument ‘I didn’t know’ doesn’t bode well with me because you
What students think about parking...
96% believe the parking lot is chaotic, out of 178 surveyed.
do know, and now that you’re being held accountable, it’s unfortunate,” Morse said. Students have started to receive tickets at a rate the SROs have never experienced before. “There’s been an increase in tickets; we’ve written more tickets for the teachers’ lot than ever before, but that lot belongs to staff members and those members need to be able to have parking spots when they get here,” Latas said. “In [my] opinion, those that would previously enter from
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I don’t think [the ticket] was deserved; the sophomores this year were never taught or told where to park. - Sumner Dowdy
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Lamar and come around through where the connection was before construction... just went and parked next to teachers.” The lack of parking for teachers is only worsened by the lack of parking for students. According to Latas, since many students cannot access the spots they’d prefer, they resort to taking up teachers’ spots, making it harder for teachers to get where they need to go. One of the loudest complaints about
88%
of students have been late more often this year compared to last year, out of 197 surveyed.
82%
of students chalked it up to the line of cars outside of school, of 180.
parking spot availability has come from the senior class who, according to senior Ethan Herman, has seen underclassmen using the senior lots in abundance. On March 30, seniors parked horizontally in the senior lot taking up as much space as they could to assert their seniority. Many were forced to re-park while others received hefty tickets. “It was planned to do a ‘bad parking day’ to prove a point,” Herman said. “I’m aware I was parked illegally, but if no one moved I don’t think they would’ve given out tickets to everyone. It was to show to underclassmen that it’s our (the Seniors’) lot. I don’t think we’ve gotten our message across yet because there are still underclassmen there who don’t re-park.” Herman said he feels like the seniors this year are not getting the same amount of attention or privilege as previous seniors. “As seniors, we feel like underclassmen are constantly taking our spots because they come to the nearest spot from the entrance,” Herman said. “It’s not really fair because we’ve been here for four years.” Herman has also recognized the lack of traffic flow as a major cause for the parking issues. “I think the gym removing the exits makes [entering and exiting] harder to operate which disrupts the flow of traffic,” Herman said. Along with the exits near the football field, there have been large lines to turn in and out of the school which has caused long lines coming into school. “Sometimes I’ve been late to school
because of the lines, since it almost always stretches back to the four-way stop and I have nowhere to go,” Herman said. Other students have faced similar problems, especially within the main lot due to the lack of parking to go around. Dowdy finds it hard to make sense out of the decision to start construction right now, making parking very difficult to navigate. “With the gym taking away so many parking spots, it is so hard to get into the parking lot as now there are only two entrances for over 1,000 kids it just doesn’t make sense,” Dowdy said. “I believe if we had staggered arrival times it would make everything a lot easier with the lines and the busy parking lots. The busy parking lots create stress and anxiety for some people and having a different parking layout or timings could help.” SROs are not completely sure what is to come of the lot in the future, but there are some ideas up in the air currently. “Dr. Ostroski and I have talked about the future of parking and there’s going to be some changes. Nobody should end up with a parking ticket next year,” Latas said. “There’s going to be color coordinated lots... it’s unlikely there will be more parking built but there will be some spots that will be reopened once construction is finished... We believe the visitor lot is too big and we hope that a portion of that lot will be reallocated toward the students parking. The visitor lot could possibly become the senior lot which would make it easier for us officers to protect that parking for seniors.”
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Student Life
In the mood for food? Many BVN students have differing opinions on what is a hit or miss when it comes to the food served in the Cafeteria. how are the lunch ladies working to provide meal options that fit every student?
Daily Diet What do students wish was different about their school lunches? Some students interviewed mentioned that they wanted healthier options, especially fruits and vegetables as well as allergy friendly options. Sophomore Sumner Dowdy mentioned how although there are apples and grapes sometimes, she wished there were more options to choose from. “[The food is] mostly inclusive to everyone because there are so many options most of the time,” said Dowdy. “But I would make sure things are stocked most of the time so the options are always large.” Inclusiveness within the cafeteria is important to many BVN students. When
Ella Shafer
asked about the variety of cafeteria food options, 40 percent of BVN students interviewed claimed they need more inclusivity, especially with gluten-free options. Kathy Dietz has been wokring as a lunch lady for BVNfor 34 years and is in charge of all cafeteria operations. “I’ve been here for a long time and there’s only so much we can get.” Dietz said. “I’d like to give you more choices but there are only certain things we can do so I can’t really change that.” There are certain rules and guidelines from the government that the cafeteria has to follow and can’t change. “We have a dietician, she’s the one
that figures out our menu every week and month, and she has all these things that have to fit in there, including calories,” Dietz said. “We’re a federally funded program so we have to go by the federal guidelines put out.” Senior Abby Collins describes herself as “not very picky” and open to trying new things when it comes to food. “I really like the chicken fettuccine alfredo,” Collins said. ”Before Covid, the Hotspot used to have it every Thursday so that’s what I would look forward to. Normally, I look forward to the fettuccine alfredo and the orange chicken with rice.”
you came back, you are all our children when you come here and we miss you when you leave to graduate.” Dietz said. “We get attached to these kids, they’re like family to us.” Not many people get to know the people behind the food served each day, but Sickel believes everyone should appreciate all the hard work they do. “You need to know Kathy and then
her right-hand woman Laurie. They are both wonderful people and they need more credit because they have adapted to COVID protocols and I can't imagine the time spent wrapping everything individually when after 30 years of school lunch everything was just out there in the open,” Sickel said. “They’ve adapted amazingly and I haven’t heard them complain once, so yeah they deserve more praise.”
Lunch Bunch Despite Covid changing the way they work as well as making it harder to interact with the students, the head lunch ladies, Kathy Dietz and Laurie Simpson, talked about how much they still enjoy their job and look forward to coming in each day. “I love what I do, I’ve been here since 1987. I love what I do, I love the high school students. We were so happy when
*ranking results from BVN instagram poll
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#1
#3
Feature
the culinary critique
“I really like the chicken fettuccine alfredo, I think it’s one of the best options the cafeteria provides.”
“The pizza never disappoints, that’s usually my go-to.”
“The breakfast burritos are phenomenally wrapped and the ingredients are amazing.”
- natalie slutsky
- abby collins
- jason sickel
2021 School Lunch Bracket Pasta
Burger Popcorn Chicken
What Food Do You Enjoy The Most?
Pizza
french toast chicken nuggets
walking tacos
asian bowl
Spicy Chicken sanwhich
chicken bacon ranch flatbread
grilled cheese
nachos
meatball sub
chicken salad
country breaded steak
uncrustables
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Boys Basketball: State Champions
Left: The boys Varsity Basketball team celebrates after winning the state basketball championship game. Right: Basketball coach Ryan Phifer realizes the team has won. Photos by Gabby Gutierrez
Girls Tennis
“
Teamwork and harmony within the team was really important... being able to support each other, even with all the restrictions, was important for us to be able to do as well as we did this year.
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- Emme Mackenzie, team captain
Girls Dive
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Most of the time there hasn’t been a lot of [team members]... but this year there’s eight divers, so we actually have a team, and it’s fun. There’s people to practice with, and... i finally have a team.
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- Carolyn Nuss, senior dive captain