The North Star, Volume 37, Issue 1

CONTENTS

Feature

(8,9) From Sunrise to Schooltime by Bennet Palmer (12,13) Homecoming Goes Hollywood by Q Wallace (14-17) Far from Home by Anna Sandage and Stella Ain (18,19) Literature Through a Social Lens by Anjali Kambhampati and Madi Garrelts (20) What’s in your Backpack? by Emmett Abar (22,23) Guide to CAPS by Ella Schafer (24,25) Going Gold by Owen Perkins (28,29) Dropping Down by Madisyn Stogsdill

Online

News

(4,5) School Security by Addison DeVore (10,11) Little Green Lies by Audrey Kohnen (26,27) Quit Culture by Alex Robertson

Student

(7) Ready to Work by Calla Jordan (21) Caffeinated by Lauren Austin

Arts & Leisure

(30) Fall Fun by Ruby Bierman (31) Crossword

Editorial

(6) Qatar’s Cup by Ella Thomas

Tatted Up by Kelsey Chellberg Kickin’ It by Jessica Assafeen Tiger Parenting by Aanya Kabra North Time Permanently Gone for 2022-2023 by Sejin Hahn Benny’s Baseball Soapbox: Picks for Rookie of the Year by Bennett Palmer Abi’s Closet: Transitioning from Summer to Fall Fashion by Abi Patterson

(8) Jeremy Chugg pours a cup of coffee. Photo by Bennett Palmer (28) Catie Bosch making a schedule change. Photo by Madisyn Stogsdill

(19) Booktok novel set at Barnes & Noble. Photo by Madi Garrelts

SOCIALS

(pg 15-17) From the top: Elisa Sophia Veneri, Mohammed Jarrad, Alice de Dolordot. Photos provided by those pictured

@bvnnews

bvnnews.com

STAFF WRITERS

Stella Ain

Alegria Aguilera

Jessica Assafeen

Kelsey Chellberg

Addison DeVore

Madi Garrelts

Aanya Kabra

Anjali Kambhampati

Audrey Kohnen

Abi Patterson

Owen Perkins

Alex Robertson Madisyn Stogsdill

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS

Anna Sandage

Ella Thomas

North Star Podcast

COPY EDITORS

Emmett Abar

Lauren Austin

Ruby Bierman

Bennett Palmer

DESIGN EDITORS

Ella Schafer

WEB EDITORS

Sejin Hahn Calla Jordan

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Arshiya Pant Lexi Newsom

PODCAST HOSTS

Calla Jordan Abi Patterson

As The North Star publishes the first issue of its 37th volume, we are reminded of the role this publication has played throughout the history of BVN. For 36 years, students and faculty alike have been handed a vehicle for the stories that fill our halls everyday. From what students need to know, to who needs a louder voice, we aim to transform a 1600-person school into a close community.

Now, for perhaps the first time in our publication’s history, we must bring attention to the issues that face us within our own walls. Inside a room that you walk by everyday, 20 or so students work tirelessly, interviewing, writing, designing and doing everything in between. But all of this work depends on funding — something that,

unfortunately, has run short.

Perhaps it wouldn’t be noticeable at first, but imagine not seeing next week’s schedule on Instagram, no monthly crossword to fill out when bored in class, no smiling faces forcing a newspaper into your hand on a late arrival day. A small moment in your day is over a month of hard work.

Those of us in room 409 recognize the importance of student journalism as unequivocally integral in the culture of an academic environment. Whether the majority of our readers agree with this sentiment or not, surely we must all favor the survival of student-led clubs and organizations. The diminished support of students’ passions and hard work is the antithesis of education’s purpose.

409 is filled with students united by their love of journalism; it is a home of people who care about the information you receive, as we recognize it has the power to shape your life. The value of our time is defined by the value we bring to our readers, to you.

For the reasons listed above and more, we ask for your patience as we face financial struggles, and as always, we encourage you to contact us, share your story and perhaps, send your support.

Sincerely, The North Star Staff

SCHOOL SECURITY

By: Addison DeVore

As students entered the new school year, several changes had been made to BVN security. Doors with sensors and new hall passes were two new policies that first caused students to talk among themselves.

During class periods in the 20212022 school year, there were frequent occurrences of students skipping class and hanging out in the hallways. School Resource Officer (SRO) Tina Morse has stated she likes the new hall pass system.

“[Hall passes] put something on their chest which shows you do have somewhere to go,” Morse said.

There have been mixed reactions from students to the passes. While some argue that they are far too restrictive, junior Elijah West is content with the system.

“I think it’s actually kind of strategic. I understand why it’s been put in place, and I actually think it’s pretty useful,” West said.

Junior Mason Ain is on the edge about the new security measures, emphasizing that they often underestimate what

students have to do.

“It’s a lot more things I need to do[than] just to go to the bathroom or something,” Ain said.

Although some agree with the security enforcement, others find it tedious. Sophomore Samantha Haas has concerns with the practicality of the hall passes.

“First of all those things are dirty — people take those to the bathroom,” Haas said.

Aside from just hall passes, there’s also a monitor in the security office that the officers can use to look at all of the doors. The monitor has a map of the school with each door having a green icon next to it that indicates whether it is locked or not. SRO Tony Latas said the new technology has allowed more modern security in school.

“The doors are going to bring us to a level of security in our building we haven’t seen before,” Latas said.

The monitor gets the information of who accessed the door last, and if it’s unlocked or not from magnets on the

doors.

“There have been a few glitches where the magnets weren’t lined up, so it says it’s unlocked when it’s not,” Morse said.

The doors are meant to prevent students from exiting the school and

teacher has two hall passes in their room for students to use. Graphic by Ella Thomas

“

Kids just want to get work done or have free time to go chat with friends, not do anything distracting.

–Samantha Haas “

With negative and positive reactions to the new security system, student resource officers and students share their opinions.

Each

people from entering that shouldn’t. One of the main doors students would use to go out for lunch was the pool door.

“[Students] don’t think it’s a big deal, but if someone wants to get in this building, they’re going to find an unlocked door to get in,” Morse said.

Security issues have been a problem in the past due to people leaving so frequently. Senior Annika Zmijewski agrees with how the security is set up but believes that the key to successful security lies in preventing issues altogether.

“In today’s current day and age, I think that it doesn’t hurt to be careful with our security systems, but I think that the thing that would help prevent school shootings would be banning guns or at

least restricting them,” Zmijewski said.

According to Latas, the district had been working on these security improvements for several years.

“[The safety and security director and other district officials] had been looking at that for a long time to make our building a safer place,” Latas said. “The district has been waiting for money and the right plan to implement these security measures.”

Although the new security measures were met with mixed reactions, the SROs encourage students to acknowledge that these guidelines were put in place with the intentions of keeping students safe.

The monitor located in the security office tells the SROs who opens each door and at what time.

POLICE

QATAR’S CUP

By Ella Thomas

Soccer fans erupted in cheers at the Power & Light District when Kansas City earned its status as a host for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The tournament will allow Kansas City to host up to seven World Cup games in the 67,000-seat Arrowhead Stadium.

As we excitedly anticipate the 2026 World Cup, what can we learn from 2022 host Qatar’s wrongdoings?

The small, desert-like peninsula is known for its extensive oil production and employment of foreign workers. The lucrative petroleum and natural gas industries are responsible for Qatar’s large income gap. Although the city is home to lavish living for the millionaires who profit off the oil, lower-class workers, mainly immigrants, do not benefit from the extensive oil economy.

The same workers who spend most of their time working for oil companies are also building the stadiums for the World Cup. All eight of the stadiums that will host World Cup games are expected to be grand. Modern architecture combined with innovative technology is expected to make amazing stadiums for the games.

But at what cost?

First, the games had to be pushed back months due to the hot summers in Qatar. Temperatures rise to around 105 degrees during June and July. The start date was pushed back to Nov. 20.

However, by the time November rolls around, Qatar’s extensive air conditioning technology will no longer be needed. The air conditioning in the new stadiums lower the temperature inside to 77 degrees, but in November it will only be 75-85 degrees outside compared to the blistering 105 that occurs in the summer.

Qatar has spent $6.5 billion on building new stadiums and renovating the old — not to mention the accommodations that have to be made

nation-wide.

A lack of planning combined with a large amount of construction has taken a significant toll on the workers responsible for all of this building.

The Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have pointed out “thousands of unexplained deaths and injuries, wage theft and exorbitant recruitment fees.” Qatar officials allegedly improved working conditions after this was revealed, but some are still worried.

There is little to no documentation of the stadiums being built partially due to Qatar’s strict photography rules. Because you cannot use professional photographic or video equipment anywhere in Qatar without a permit, organizations worry that the abuse is continuing under the radar.

Sadly this is not where Qatar’s criticized behavior ends. To start, Qatar spent a whopping $220 billion on its bid (about 15 times what Russia spent in 2018). Then came the bribery.

Soccer fans should not have been surprised when FIFA officials discovered how the nation secured the bid.

In April of 2020, an official U.S. investigation into the 2018 and 2022 bids affirmed the allegations that many assumed were true long before. The investigations and indictments proved FIFA officials and top board members were secretly filmed, paid off and bribed with unusual gifts in order to vote for Qatar and secure the country’s win.

It was uncovered in the investigation that Jack Warner, of Trinidad and Tobago, had been paid an estimated $5 million via shell companies that existed on paper but had no significance other than to bribe officials. Others testified that they had been promised sums near a million dollars to vote for Russia in 2018 or Qatar in 2022.

It’s disappointing to see Qatar already

CO$T OF THE CUPS

QATAR’S BID

RUSSIA’S BID

struggling to save the 2022 World Cup when many fans had such high expectations for the host country, as it will mark the first World Cup to be held in the Arab world as a primarily Islamic country.

But what does all of this mean for soccer fans? More specifically, what should Kansas City soccer fans watching the games from home and BVN do?

Some countries have already stated that they are participating in this year’s World Cup solely to play soccer. Others have recommended boycotting the World Cup entirely — not watching any broadcasts or buying merchandise. Some fans prefer to ignore what Qatar has done and just enjoy the event.

Instead, we have to be responsible viewers. If you have read this far into the article you have already done half your part. Educating yourself on the media you consume is half the battle, now viewers just have to remember. When you watch the first World Cup game in two months think about what went into the stadiums, talk about it with your friends and family, and most importantly hope that Kansas City will not have the same fate.

As we excitedly anticipate the 2026 World Cup, what can we learn from the 2022 World Cup host, Qatar, and their wrongdoings?

READYTOWORK

By Calla Jordan

Being a student comes with many responsibilities — being prepared for class, having assignments completed on time and having to balance school activities with schoolwork. Many students at BVN also work part time jobs while playing sports. How are they able to balance these commitments?

According to senior Alex Bellm, balancing a job with school has been difficult in the past.

“I had a hard time with my first job at Old Navy because I didn’t realize that I would have to plan so far ahead and take off days that were important,” Bellm said.

Bellm has since left Old Navy and started a new job at Dick’s Sporting Goods. She feels that not only is Dick’s more flexible with schedule changes, but it also has a more positive working environment.

There are a variety of different jobs high school students are applicable for, ranging from retail to the food industry to even starting a small business. Senior

Brady Fisher has experienced a variety of responsibilities and tasks at several jobs including: Camelot Core Animal Clinic, Tallgrass Creek Senior Living Home and The Brass Onion. Fisher’s favorite job so far is hosting at The Brass Onion.

“I have learned how to have compassion when working with people and that it’s really important to have respect for everybody no matter if they’re being rude or not, because you don’t know how they could react,” Fisher said.

“It’s a great environment. Everyone is so sweet and I just love working there,” Fisher said.

According to Fisher, not only is it possible to balance both a job and school, but it is also beneficial for students because of the real life experiences they can gain. Jobs teach students how to organize time and adapt to new situations.

Senior Zoe Thomason has worked multiple jobs throughout high school, several which were in the food industry. According to Thomason, the hardest part about switching jobs is adjusting from the old dynamic to the new dynamic. This summer, she started working at Sunset Grill as a server and has enjoyed the experience. Thomason has stated that the restuauraunt has a fast-paced working environment and has also helped her practice and improve her customer service skills.

“I really do like interacting with people and if you do too, I suggest being a server and coming to Sunset Grill. [At] a lot of places, you can’t serve if you’re not over 18, but at Sunset, you can,” Thomason said.

Graphic by Lauren Austin

FROM SUNRISE TO SCHOOLTIME

By Bennett Palmer

Every school day is important, and the preparation for that day is just as or even more so. A morning routine, simple or not, is a significant part of each student’s day. And while students can obviously imagine their own morning routine, many do not know what

goes into the start of their teacher’s day. How do teachers get prepared? What is their routine? Why is their routine unique?

Four teachers at Blue Valley North speak about how they start their mornings, what their routine is and what they do to prepare for a lengthy day at school.

Q: What is your waking-up routine?

A: I get up at 5:15 a.m., and I use an alarm clock that is similar to an Amazon Alexa. I usually have to go let my dog out, take a shower, get ready, etc. My husband makes the coffee, so by the time I’m ready, the coffee’s already made.

Q: What do you do for breakfast usually?

Amy Schulte (Science)

A: I always have breakfast. I eat cereal, or I have a Quaker granola breakfast. I’ll usually buy whatever’s on sale at Costco, usually the pack of 24 Quaker cartons with some sort of blueberries or strawberries in it.

Q: How do you manage your own self-care before school? How do you recharge after a stressful day/night?

A: So, before school, I pretty much follow the same routine. I usually leave my house at about 7 a.m. A lot of the times I listen

to my pastor’s devotions on my way to school, which are usually around 15 minutes long. Usually though, I’ll take my shower and have breakfast and get myself ready. Just taking a shower is self-care for me. But then, after school, I usually just relax and have dinner with my husband.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for getting ready for school?

A: Just make sure that you’re getting to bed at a reasonable hour so that you can wake up early since school starts early. I would recommend that students who stress themselves by running late that they could get up just five or 10 minutes earlier. It might alleviate some of the stress and risk of being late to class, since there is a lot of student traffic in the mornings.

Four teachers at BVN speak about how they start their mornings, what their routine is and what they do to prepare for a lengthy day at school.

Photo by Bennett Palmer

Photo by Ella Thomas

Jeremy Chugg (Broadcast) & Krista Chugg (Social Studies)

Q: What is your waking-up routine?

A: (Krista Chugg) Well, these days, we have an infant, so we don’t even need to set an alarm. So he’ll usually wake me up around 5 a.m. on average. I usually shower at night because I just don’t have a lot of time in morning, but sometimes I will. I’ll usually do my hair and do my makeup around five minutes before I leave as well.

(Jeremy Chugg) I probably get up a little bit later, probably like 5:30 a.m. I pretty much shower every morning, and then I brush my teeth, do all my hygiene things that you’re supposed to do, etc.

Q: What do you do for breakfast usually?

A: (Krista Chugg) I usually don’t eat breakfast. On school days, I’ll make a cup of coffee when I actually get to school. Sometimes I’ll have a Belvita granola bar if I have time. I recommend the blueberry or cranberry orange flavor.

(Jeremy Chugg) On school days, I

Patrick McCarty (Performing Arts)

Q: What is your waking-up routine?

A: I usually just get up and go. It’s not a great answer, but it’s my routine. I just get up when the alarm goes off and start doing my “robo-morning” things. One thing I do in my routine is to drink two glasses of water as soon as I get up. It helps my functions get a little better each morning.

Q: What do you do for breakfast usually?

A: Usually, my favorite is Jimmy Dean breakfast sausages. I can just get them out of the freezer and pop in the microwave. It’s quick and easy, and I can do that while I’m getting ready for school.

sometimes eat half of a banana, while the other half I use to make my son’s breakfast. Other than that, though, I don’t eat breakfast. I’ll also just get coffee when I get to school and hope for the best.

Q: How do you get your kids prepared for the day? What is their routine?

A: (Krista Chugg) Our baby, Noah, basically just needs to eat and change his clothes. He’s pretty happy, so I can feed him and do other things while he’s just hanging out. Our other son is in kindergarten, so his prep is a little more intensive. He’s a little nervous about it so it’s kind of hard for him to get going. (Jeremy Chugg) It’s all about getting him confident and motivated for his day. He loves school when he’s there, but getting through the doors can be more challenging.

Q: How do you manage your own self-care before school? How do you recharge after a stressful day/night?

A: (Krista Chugg) We do, but it’s hard because when you’re at this stage and have two young kids, each morning is pretty go-go-go because we’re just getting them ready. There’s a lot of prep that has to be done: lunch being made, preparation for getting them out the door and getting ready ourselves. So, I would say in the morning, there’s not a lot of time for that.

(Jeremy Chugg) In the morning, it’s crazy. Our kids go to different places for the day, and they need different things for their days every single day. It’s just a lot of drop-off and pick-up every day. Although, in the mornings, I do enjoy listening to music or sports talk radio because it’s relaxing.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for getting ready for school?

A: (Krista Chugg) I like the idea of using your drive to get ready. I know a lot of people are podcast people, or they like to listen to music. I think that you should make a “get you going” playlist of songs you’re really into, or they kind of get you “pumped up.”

(Jeremy Chugg) My advice for anyone is if you can establish a routine, like or a set or pattern of things you do, then you can get yourself into a good consistent spot every day where you feel prepared. So, that’s what we try to do every morning and we also try to do with our kids.

Q: How do you manage your own self-care before school? How do you recharge after a stressful day/night?

A: I use the drivetime to school to wake myself up and think through my day. I have to make sure I have time in between classes to decompress, or just kind of reflect on the previous class. After school, I try to get as much work done, so I actually have the luxury of going home when I need to. For me, it’s about balancing working hard for a little bit and then stepping away.

Q: Do you have any suggestions for getting ready for school?

A: My best suggestion and advice is to make sure your sleep schedule is consistent. I think two glasses of water before you got to bed and when you wake up is really good

for getting all your organs and brain functioning. I’ve found that when I go to bed late one night, early the next and get up late the next day, it mess[es] up my energy level and my cognitive abilities as well.

LITTLE GREEN LIES

Misleading claims are misguiding many, even those who care about the envrioment.

By Audrey Kohnen

Recently, a major fast-fashion company was sued under the accusation of using “greenwashing” marketing tactics. Greenwashing is the act of making products look or sound eco-friendly when in reality they are normal products labeled as sustainable. H&M is the world’s second-largest clothing company by sales volume and produces around three billion garments per year, much of which goes unsold or discarded. A report by Quartz found some instances in which H&M allegedly fabricated information about the sustainability of its products.

With sustainability being on trend, many brands are trying to attract consumers. Greenwashing comes from the desire of the economy to use whatever it can to make a profit. Senior Lily Ren shared her thoughts on the issue.

“The reason companies struggle to switch to sustainable clothing is due to the scale and complexity,” Ren said.

As second-hand clothing sales are at an all-time high, many people are looking into ways to be more environmentally friendly. It’s not easy being green. Sustainable materials are often more

expensive than mass-produced options. AP Environmental Science teacher Daniel Smalley spoke about his personal struggle with being eco-friendly.

“I’m under economic forces, as a consumer, as a teacher, a dad and as a person with time that is limited,” Smalley

said. “And I don’t always apologize for that because I’m part of a greater system that doesn’t award me adequate pay and salary. So it isn’t entirely my fault ... It’s a luxury to become completely eco-friendly and sustainable. But it is possible to minimize waste even if it’s not a complete elimination. For instance, thrifting has become co-opted by pop culture in recent years.”

Smalley pointed out his recent observations with clothing trends, and how the growing popularity of going green has affected the way many dress.

“I think that there is a generational schism. There’s a generational difference in the value of our products. I can get like a used vintage shirt, and there is an ethic that goes with that. But there’s also a sense of style that’s growing along with it as well,” Smalley said. “I think it’s just a generational thing. So if you look at the people with the best style in this classroom, they’re wearing more retrolooking things.”

While attitudes towards sustainability vary between generations, they also vary across countries. A recent study shows that when looking at consumers who

“ Every company wants to make a profit or at least break even. Because of the monetary incentive, they want to produce as much as possible, as quickly as possible, and as cheaply as possible.

have made a change to their purchasing behavior toward sustainability, Austria leads the way at 42%, followed by Italy at 41%, Spain with 35% and Germany with 34% of consumers trying to lead more eco-friendly lives.

Fabio Faccio is the CEO of Lojas Renner. Renner is the largest fashion retailer in Brazil. Their goal is guided by the principles of sustainability, to promote and execute responsible fashion to society.

“Most of the positive examples of sustainability are from small-scale brands, as being sustainable at scale is more challenging,” said Faccio. “We are the top ESG-rated retailer in the world on the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, so I believe I can cite our brands as good examples: Renner, Youcom and Ashua. Other eco-friendly examples in fashion, I believe I can cite are Patagonia and Lululemon.”

ESG ratings use environmental, social and governance factors to evaluate companies on how far advanced they are with sustainability.

Although more companies are trying

to become eco-friendly, there are still brands that aren’t making that change. 22% of Americans have begun to shift their purchase behavior towards being more sustainable. Disruptive sustainability is business development that not only systemically reduces waste and cost but also grows new markets, rethinks business models and creates sustainable long-term profit streams. The rise of sustainable disruption and increasing consumer awareness serves to drive the expectation for affordable, sustainable alternatives.

The Green Gap: A recent analysis shows that with sustainable products 75% to 85% more expensive than conventional ones, there is a large gap between prices and what the mass market will tolerate. Even customers that want to shop sustainably may not be able to afford or just don’t want to spend more. This causes a gap between consumers’ intention to act sustainable and their actual behaviors.

By 2021, Renner grew from 75% to 100% energy generated by renewable sources 80% of products have the lowest environmental impact

75% 100% of suppliers are audited and with social and environmental certification 100% certified cotton used

100% 80% 100%

“We have several initiatives to make our products increasingly sustainable. Since 2018, we have launched not only internal targets but also public commitments in this regard. Our first cycle of public commitments ended in 2021, and we were able to surpass all the goals.”

- Fabio Faccio, CEO of Lojas Renner

HOMECOMING GOES

By Q Wallace

Taking photos, having a good night with friends, dressing up. All of these traditions and activities tend to come to mind when students think of homecoming. But this year’s event is different because it is one of the first “normal” homecomings in a few years.

Ever since the pandemic struck, BVN has been under many different cautionary measures, and some of the upperclassmen attending the school haven’t had a normal year in high school until 2022. The head sponsor of STUCO, counselor Catie Bosch, talked about the preparations for homecoming over the past couple of years.

“Last year we didn’t know if we were going to be able to even have an assembly, and we were also forced to have homecoming outside at the football field, so this year, we’re able to do everything inside just like what we used to do,” Bosch said.

According to Bosch, STUCO is very excited about these changes.

“Homecoming this year is going to be in the commons. It’ll be totally decorative, and we’re gonna be able to have an assembly, and it’s going to be a normal assembly that’s inside rather than being out on the football field,” Bosch said.

“

There are many different aspects that go into the preparation for homecoming: shopping for dresses and suits, planning a group of friends to go with, finding dinner reservations and planning an after party. There is even a homecoming parade, which is Bosch’s favorite part of homecoming.

“I love the homecoming parade, I think it’s so much fun,” Bosch said. “It’s so fun to get all of the sports and activities and clubs involved, and we are even getting the community involved. That’s the one thing with homecoming

that everybody can participate in, and it’s really incredible.”

Among those attending is sophomore Hannah Ard.

“I’ve been preparing for homecoming since summer. It’s a lot to think about what with dates, finding a dress and finding a group,” Ard said.

Ard is going with a large group of friends, already has a dress and has a more comfortable state of mind going into this year’s homecoming.

“I’m very excited for this year’s homecoming,” Ard said. “I’m going with Tanner Johnson, and I feel more comfortable around all of my group since this is our second year going together. As a matter of fact, Tanner is going to host the after party as well. My group and I are all very excited for homecoming night and all the fun events to go along with it. We probably won’t be going to the dance.”

For junior Sam Potter, this year’s homecoming will be his third. Potter will be going to the dance with a large group of people as well and plans on having a good but quick time at the dance.

“We will probably end up going to the dance, but it’s never fun, so we will probably end up leaving about five to 10 minutes in. We also have an after party to get to,” Potter said.

I’ve been preparing for homecoming since summer. It’s a lot to think about what with dates, finding a dress and finding a group.

–Hannah Ard “

Diving into students’ preparations for homecoming

2022.

Posing together for homecoming photos, Sam Potter and Nathan Book prepare to take pictures with their dates. Picture provided by Sam Potter

According to Potter, he feels much more at ease with this year’s homecoming now that he is an upperclassman.

“It isn’t that big of a deal anymore because everyone is used to the getting ready part after doing it for multiple dances,” Potter said. “Two years prior, it was a lot different then, when I was a freshman. My freshman year was the COVID year, so that homecoming looked a lot different during that period of time and it was a bit of a let down. And then last year gave us the first full look at what homecoming is like.”

Freshman Lauren Freberg will also be going, and this will be her first-ever homecoming. She stated that she has very mixed emotions and doesn’t quite know what to expect. However, she thinks things will be a lot different from middle school dances.

“My emotions going into my first homecoming are very exciting yet nervous because I don’t know what it is going to be like, since I have never been,” Freberg said. “I do feel like homecoming will be different than my middle school dances in a good way … There is a whole different dynamic at North than at Overland Trail Middle [School].”

The many preparations going into this homecoming have matured from previous years. For every grade level, homecoming is a big part of students’ high school year.

Frankie Tryban places a corsage on Hannah Ard’s wrist as they prepare to take photos for the 2021 homecoming dance. Although Ard felt the first dance was hectic, she predicts that this year will be much easier. Photo provided by Hannah Ard

Far From Home

By Anna Sandage and Stella Ain

Many students have lived their whole lives within the boundaries of 66209. Each day for 12 years, these students go to school and live their lives, hardly leaving their neighborhood. However this isn’t true for all students at BVN.

Some students have traveled far beyond their neighborhoods to experience high school in America. Leaving their homes and traveling across the world meant facing adversity and starting from “square one.” Students from countries around the world, including Belgium, Saudi Arabia and Italy, have recently made BVN their new home. What does this adjustment look like, and how are these students settling into their new normal?

Elisa Sofia Veneri

Making the choice to leave her family back in Italy and spend the year living the “American Dream” wasn’t necessarily easy for senior Elisa Sofia Veneri, but she knew it was the right choice.

“I wanted to be an exchange student to change my life,” Veneri said. “To become a new, better person.”

Once Veneri decided to be a foreign exchange student, she had to go through a detailed, time-consuming process.

“I found an agency, mine is AFS, and then I signed up,” Veneri said. “The process involves a lot of papers to sign and a lot of things … describing yourself.”

According to Veneri, getting placed in a host family home and moving to an American city was an exciting experience. When she learned she would be living in Kansas, Veneri was skeptical. However, as she has gotten used to the area, she has become content with her placement.

“My expectations [coming to Kansas] were very, very low, like all farms,” Veneri said. “But now I am happy because Kansas is all green and there is more city here, I like it a lot.”

Eager as she was to make the move to the United States, Veneri also had to make

the adjustment of leaving her family in Italy.

Verona, Italy

making new friends.

As Veneri had anticipated, getting settled in with a new family took time and effort, but she feels at-home with her hosts.

According to Veneri, before moving to the U.S., she had envisioned what life was like based on pop culture and media.

“When you are from another country, they see TV series or movies and are like, ‘OMG I will be like these people when I come to America,’” Veneri said. “High school is similar to what I had seen on TV and completely different than my high school in Italy.”

Veneri stated that so far American high school life has lived up to the “hype” despite the differences between schools in America and those back in Italy.

“[Going to school at BVN] has been cool,” Veneri said. “It’s a big school, and we have a lot of classes and a lot of teachers.

Aside from the change of pace inside the school, life outside academics is also much different than life in Italy for Veneri.

“[Leaving my family] was sad, and I cried,” Veneri said. “But now I am cool with it, I know my family here is a good family.”

On top of the apprehension of leaving her family, Veneri had other stressors as she moved.

“I was definitely most nervous about the language,” Veneri said. “[I also worried about] all the things [involving]

“Here you all are very happy, and you always smile,” Veneri said. “But in Italy, we are serious, when you all walk on the street you never say ‘hello’ to someone.”

Despite the adversity and challenges of being a foreign exchange student, Veneri believes that her time here will be beneficial to her and help her grow as an individual.

“

High school is similar to what I had seen on TV and completely different than my high school in Italy.

–Elisa Sofia Veneri “

Senior Mohammed Jarrad may not be in the foreign exchange program, but he has moved long distances to find the life that is right for him, in order to accomplish his dreams.

For Jarrad, pursuing his goals meant moving across the world from Saudi Arabia to the U.S. regardless of what adversities he may face.

“I saw an opportunity here [in America],” Jarrad said, “... a better opportunity for me to use my diploma in order to go to a pre-med school than my old school would have given me.”

Pursuing his aspirations meant that Jarrad would leave his family and move in with his uncle in Kansas. According to Jarrad, despite the initial struggles, he has been able to embrace his experiences so far.

“Living with my uncle has been fun,” Jarrad said. “[My uncle has] been introducing me to a lot of different things … different types of people, it’s going well.”

According to Jarrad, he felt many different emotions regarding his move to

America, and among those feelings were nerves.

“My thoughts about coming to Kansas were vague, but I was somewhat excited

subjects and slower paced on others,” Jarrad said. “Back home you used to sit in the class and the teacher would come to you. But here you go to the teacher.”

In addition to the different structure of learning, Jarrad also stated that the general function and layout of schools here are different to those in Saudi Arabia.

“I didn’t think that high school would be in a different school,” Jarrad said. “At my old school, we used to have elementary, middle and high school altogether. Here the high school is like its own school all alone.”

According to Jarrad, in addition to the academic differences, the general culture and lives of those living in Kansas are unique from those in Saudi Arabia.

–Mohammed Jarrad

and at the same time, nervous,” Jarrad said. “I was nervous about trying to adapt timewise and educationally.”

Among one of the biggest changes for Jarrad was the different systems and styles of learning.

“The education is completely different. Here it is a bit faster paced on some

“ Mohammed Jarrad Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia

“People here are a lot more mixed, they are from different parts of the country, unlike in the Middle East,” Jarrad said.

Despite the hardships he has faced, Jarrad recognizes and accepts that the adversities are for the best.

“It was a long, painful, tough process moving here, but we have to move on, we are human.”

“

“It was a long, painful, tough process moving here, but we have to move on, we are human.”

Alice de Dolordot

Brussels, Belgium

After traveling roughly 4,538 miles all the way from Brussels, Belgium, Alice de Dolordot was ecstatic to attend a year of school in America despite already having completed four years of high school in Belgium.

“I am most excited about the high school experience,” de Dolordot said. “Like football games and cheerleaders. The American Dream.”

De Dolordot was inspired by a family member to become an exchange student.

“My dad went to the same program when he was my age,” de Dolordot said. “So I already knew about it and just went on the internet site.”

While de Dolordot’s father was an exchange student in Chicago, de Dolordot herself was assigned to Kansas.

“At first, I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it. Now that I [got] to know the state, I really like it,” de Dolordot said. “I’ve had a good placement.”

Although de Dolordot had to leave her family in Brussels, she is enjoying her time getting to know her host family.

“It’s a little bit weird when you’re arriving in a new family that you don’t know and that you’re going to be living with for a year,” de Dolordot said. “But I’m getting used to it, and they’re really nice.”

The seven-hour time difference between Brussels and Kansas is not the only difference de Dolordot has had to adjust to.

“You [all] eat really early, at like 6

p.m., while in Belgium we eat at 7:30 or 8 p.m. Everything is huge, like the stores and supermarkets,” de Dolordot said, “even the school is huge.”

De Dolordot has also found other idiosyncrasies in American culture.

“Everyone is really nice and will always compliment you on your style and things like that,” de Dolordot said. “Well in Belgium, it’s weird if you compliment someone. You can do it, but it’s not normal.”

There have been a few things de Dolordot didn’t expect of the “high school experience.”

“I noticed that the teachers were really nice and close to students and I didn’t know [it] would be like that,” de Dolordot said. “So I find that really interesting.”

Throughout her time as a foreign exchange student, de Dolordot hopes to acquire valuable experiences.

“I hope to [become] more open to people because here it’s going to help me to meet people,” de Dolordot said. “I want to become a better person while going here.”

“

“I want to become a better person while going here.” –Alice de Dolordot “

Literature Through a Social Lens Literature Through a Social Lens Literature Through a Social Lens

By Madi Garrelts & Anjali Kambhampati

Sitting on the couch after school, junior Gwen Chiaverini finds herself scrolling through TikTok. She comes across a video naming someone’s top five romance books. The video lists several hashtags, but one catches her attention: #BookTok.

Although Chiaverini doesn’t follow #BookTok, she gets many videos recommended to her on her “for you” page.

“The books I’ve read are not directly from BookTok but are from other influencers who get the books from BookTok,” she states.

The hashtag “Booktok” rose to fame during the pandemic, a time when many

reviews for many books across different genres and styles.

Due to the trend’s extreme popularity, it has also made specific books and authors rise to popularity. Examples include “It Ends With Us” by Colleen Hoover, “The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo” by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and “A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder” by Holly Jackson.

“I love them so much because they’re just easy reads,” Chiaverini said. “I didn’t start reading outside of school if it wasn’t for an ELA class until like end of last year. So I just really like that [Colleen Hoover] books have helped me get into reading. Because now I’ve gotten into reading other books besides hers.”

As more books rise to popularity, BVN library has had its own spike in popularity.

Librarian Abby Cornelius stated that the rise of BookTok has led to more difficulty in finding specific books.

“When people want stuff that just came out, it’s really hard to get,” Cornelius said. “Also, we have had a lot of

people who are asking for books, and we’ll look in our catalog and like, every copy in the district will be checked out.”

Even with the new difficulties for finding certain books, Cornelius said she’s glad more people are starting to read outside of school.

“If social media is getting people to read more, by all means it is amazing,” Cornelius said. “I remember being busy, and I didn’t read very much in high school. I started reading on my own again because I had time, but the more you can read, the better. It makes you smarter, you live longer, you experience stories, you are entertained; there’s really no reason not to read.”

Senior Allyson Duval, employed at Barnes & Noble, agrees that the rising popularity of reading is a positive notion.

“It’s great to have people getting interested in reading,” Duval said. “You don’t see a lot of [reading] when people get older. It’s more like social media, and you get busy. So having [reading] be so popular, and having people looking for these books and looking forward to reading them, is just really, really great.”

looked for new hobbies.

This social media phenomenon has influenced young minds to read more, especially during the pandemic and in recent light. According to Toner Buzz, young adult fiction sales have jumped 30.7% from 2020, and adult fiction sales have increased 25.5% from 2020. Publisher’s Weekly Reports also stated that print book sales rose more than 8.9% since the start of the pandemic.

Now containing over 74 billion views, the hashtag is mostly associated with people giving recommendations and

Duval also mentions that #BookTok follows her to work.

“[The table] has been there since I started working, and we have other themed tables but one is the #BookTok table. Basically how it works is the bookseller, like me, sees a book on #BookTok that has been getting popular. We then can exchange the books out and rearrange the table.”

Even with the differences in opinion over this new trend, many can agree that #BookTok has changed the world of reading forever.

“

“ But the more you can read, the better. It makes you smarter, you live longer, you experience stories, you are entertained; there’s really no reason not to read.

–Abby Cornelius “

“The hashtag “BookTok” has allowed social media users discuss and recommend literature. How did it rise to popularity, and how has its influence impacted the world of reading?

Photo by Anjali Kambhampati

Photo by Madi Garrelts

What’s in you r

What Subject Takes Up the Most Space in your Bag?

1st Math

2nd Ela

3rd History

4th Science

Students wear them everyday, but what is in common between students’ backpacks, and how do BVN students utilize their space?

BAC K PACK?

How Many Extra Bags do you Bring to School for Extracurriculars?

Although students mainly have their backpacks for academic purposes, some after school activities require extra ‘baggage’ or equipment that students would be carrying throughout the day. This can be anything from sports equipment to musical instruments; either way the extra bags add to what students already bring on a daily purpose.

By Emmett Abar

All information collected for infographics is collected by @bvnnews on Instagram via polls.

How Heavy is your Backpack on Average?

Some subjects require a more hefty amount of supplies for basic classwork than others. The result is that certain subjects take up a larger amount of space in students’ backpacks.

Block schedule switches classes from day-to-day, but even with that in mind, students expressed that they don’t change what they bring to school, keeping supplies for all their classes in their bags no matter what classes they have that day.

What Supply Takes Up the Most Space in your Backpack?

Backpacks have to hold multiple different supplies for a wide range of classes, and even with how much students’ schedules vary, there are still some similarities between which supplies take up the most space in students’ bags.

With all the supplies in students’ backpacks, it is not surprising how heavy they can get. Students say their backpack is at least around seven to eight pounds with the average being around eleven pounds.

Caffeinated

By Lauren Austin

Whether it’s seven or eight o’clock in the morning, both students and teachers have expressed their need for caffeine in order to survive the eight-hour school day. With coffee shops surrounding North, and the school store selling caffeinated drinks, how does the availability of caffeine affect the students and teachers at BVN?

Out of 172 students at North, 107 voted that caffeine is necessary to get through the day, whether it’s before or during school.

Junior Caroline Matthews explains her day with caffeine.

“I started to like the taste of coffee and then it made me feel energetic and I could do my homework more easily without getting tired,” said Matthews. “Then I started drinking coffee more regularly, and now it’s like, I wake up, I drink coffee, I get through the day. I, if I’m tired, I drink coffee again.”

This routine is a common occurrence at BVN, with coffee shops reporting how much students and teachers spend yearly on their coffee habits.

Places like the Perfect Brew report that “women spend about $2,327 per year on their coffee habit, while men spend almost $400 less, at $1,934 per year.” Both numbers reflect the prospering coffee culture that BVN thrives on.

According to senior Lily Ren, caffeine intake can lead to addictive symptoms.

“If I don’t have a lot of caffeine intake, I’ll go through withdrawals in class; I will have migraines, will not be able to focus

[and will] be super tired,” Ren said. Matthews shares this attitude towards caffeine.

“I drink it because I’m at the point where my body needs it,” Matthews said. This addiction towards caffeine not only affects students, however. Teachers depend on caffeine to get through the school day, as well.

To Chris Ollig, science teacher and sponsor of the Coffee Club, coffee is more than just a cup of caffeine.

“Caffeine isn’t necessarily my motivation, but it ironically kind of relaxes me in the morning. I think it’s just the process of sitting and drinking it, not the coffee itself,” Ollig said. “I really liked the flavor of coffee, and it’s become a habit. And the caffeine wakes me up a little bit, but mostly if I don’t drink it, I get headaches.”

Although caffeine may already be part of students’ daily schedules, precautions of the stimulant must also be taken when incorporating caffeine into a daily diet.

“For kids and teens, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggests caution. Adolescents ages 12 to 18 should cap daily caffeine intake at 100 mg (the equivalent of about one cup of coffee, one to two cups of tea or two to three cans of soda),” stated the AAP.

Despite the recommendations, the caffeine culture will continue to drive students and staff through the work day, as they look to it as a necessity to get through the long school year.

Out of 172 students and staff that voted, 107 voted caffeine is nessesary to get through the day.

STARBUCKS

“Starbucks likely used between 2.916 and 2.946 billion cups at their stores, or an average of 8,070,428 per day.” -Buisness Insider

News

How does caffeine affect students at North?

“One monster is equivilent to four cups of coffee.” -NBC

By Ella Shafer

FUTURE

‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ A question asked to students since the beginning of elementary school up until their graduation. The problem with this question is that most students don’t know what each career path entails, how to achieve their dream career or if they’ll even enjoy it once they get a job. For some, the Blue Valley Center of Advanced Professional Studies (CAPS) is the way to find a quick and efficient answer to what they want to do with their life.

Future of Food is a hands-on class placing students at the intersection of business, science and food. Special emphasis is placed on sustainability, preparing students to meet impending food challenges faced by a rapidlygrowing population.

Senior Addsion Brandau enrolled in the Future of Food course to pursue her passion for cooking.

“I chose Future of Food because I have always loved to cook and thought, ‘why not get my final science credit cooking during school,’” Brandau said. “I also really like the fact that the class size is very small. I have seven people in my class this semester.”

Another factor that influenced Brandau’s decision to enroll in CAPS was her previous experience in cooking.

“Before taking this class, I have taken cooking classes and enjoyed learning the science behind food via YouTube videos from Bon Appetit and Buzzfeed when I was younger,” Brandau said.

Digital Design and Photography is a course designed to work directly with industry experts in digital photography, graphic design, web design and 3D animation to shape students’ skills and level of expertise.

Senior Maya Ivkovic originally chose the Multimedia Journalism Program, but it has been suspended.

“I ended up replacing it with Digital Design and Photography (DDP) because it sounded like an interactive, creative class that would be fun to experience,” said Ivkovic.

In Future of Food, students develop a new food product in the CAPS Test Kitchen, write a business plan for its implementation and pitch it at the CAPS Shark Tank. Their first food experiment was with bread.

“We treated it as a science experiment and changed only one variable, the flour,” Brandau said. “Then, we learn about all the science behind making the bread and are able to use our product to compare and contrast what we learned like the gluten and protein structure.”

Looking to the Future of Food

Future of food cooks two to three times a week, making a variety of foods including strawberry jelly, bread, scones, roasted hatch chili pepper recipes, potstickers and kimchi. According to Brandau, they have also taken a few field trips, such as going to the 888 International Market for a scavenger hunt and a professional kitchen to learn knife skills.

In order to have time to do all of these experiments and field trips, CAPS classes

right away, with very little step by step learning,” Ivkovic said. “It was difficult to work the camera, but once I learned it, I had fun doing creative projects.”

In DDP, Students will develop communication, project management and the professional skills necessary to succeed in today’s creative business environment. Specifically in DDP, they will build professional portfolios, LinkedIn profiles, resumes and cover letters to be used for college applications, internships and employment.

take up the first or last three hours of the school day. According to Brandau, it can be a struggle to choose between classes to take at the high school with those slots being used up.

“I knew I wanted to finish my four years at North doing orchestra,” Brandau said. “My biggest problem was deciding if I was going to do Spanish, a class I have loved and want to pursue in the future, or government, since it is required.”

Brandau had to sacrifice taking AP Government in person in order to allow room for CAPS and the other classes she wanted. However, the CAPS experience makes her choices worth it.

“CAPS has allowed me to feel more independent and comfortable being myself in class,” Brandau said. “Many classes we take at BVN are because you have to take that class to graduate, while a CAPS class is something you chose because you are passionate about it.”

is ‘how much extra work will CAPS give them?’. Students can be overwhelmed with homework when taking seven classes at the school. According to Ivkovic, CAPS can be a break from the eight-hour school day.

D.D.P.

Ivkovic also realized the learning curve that comes with design programs in CAPS, since she had no prior experience.

“I wish I had [taken design classes earlier] because we jumped into projects

“CAPS gets me ready for life after high school,” Ivkovic said. “I feel like I’m learning more about the business world. Also, it’s a good environment to get away from everyday school.”

One question that many students face

“There aren’t any individual papers or tests, [DDP] is a project based class,” Ivkovic said. “You have to be up to doing creative things though.”

She also emphasized the difference of atmospheres between CAPS and BVN.

“It doesn’t necessarily feel like you are in a class,” Ivkovic said. “In Digital Design, the doors are always open, there is a wall of windows, you have giant monitors in front of you and there is always someone working outside.”

Advice from Students...

“Learning when to eat for lunch on odd days and how quickly I have to leave school on even days to make it to the CAPS building on time was definitely a change that I had to get used to in the last month,” Brandau said.

The Teacher Education program at CAPS has a variety of different strands such as foundations, internship, innovation and gaming. Senior Caroline Lieberman is enrolled in Teacher Eduction Foundations, where students learn up-to-date educational technology and incorporate cutting-edge skills into every aspect of observation and course work.

“I have been interested in teaching my whole life, and I chose to do this program to explore my love for education,” Lieberman said.

According to Lieberman, one of the great things about CAPS is that it gives students the opportunity to look into different careers before deciding what path they want to take in college.

“It is so easy to get involved with CAPS. You don’t even have to be 100% sure what you want to do after high school because most of the programs at CAPS teach you so many wonderful skills that you will need for any career,” Lieberman

“You or whoever takes you to CAPS should be up for a lot of driving. We drive back and forth from your high school, CAPS building and other field trips,” Ivkovic said.

said.

The opportunities that CAPS provides makes the transition from high school to college, including choosing majors, easier and less intimidating.

“Managing CAPS on top of my other classes can be challenging at times,” Lieberman said.

Time Management

was observing different grade levels,” Lieberman said. “It was so cool actually being able to go into classrooms and see what goes on at different grade levels.”

“CAPS is a great way to explore your interests before college, and it inspired me to pursue teaching as my major,” Lieberman said.

According to Lieberman, CAPS is very different from her other high school classes.

“CAPS gets their students ready for a professional environment while also focusing on making sure their students get real-life experiences,” Lieberman said. “We do fun projects and even got to create our own lesson plan in one of them.”

Teacher Ed.

The Teacher Education program not only gives students skills to become efficient teachers but also allows them to get hands-on experience in actual classrooms.

“My favorite part of Teacher Ed

Dress Success

As CAPS simulates a professional environment, the dress code is quite a bit different from BVN. In the CAPS guidelines, the dress code states that students must wear business casual attire. In other words, students should “dress for success” every day.

“ I didn’t have a pair of dress pants I really liked before CAPS, so I had fun getting a few pieces from my mom’s closet and going shopping for a weekend ... Once you have a few pants that fit well and blouses, getting ready in the morning is easy.

Addison Brandau

–

As a member of the BVN Colorguard, Lieberman already has a busy schedule with practices and performances. One concern she initially had was if the workload was going to be too much.

“Making room in my schedule for CAPS wasn’t very difficult but managing my other classes on top of CAPS is challenging at times,” Lieberman said. “However, since I love CAPS so much, it normally wasn’t a problem getting everything done.”

According to Lieberman, her love for CAPS is fueled by its applicability to her future.

“CAPS benefited me in so many ways,” Lieberman said. “It made me feel more prepared for a professional environment, and it also helped me feel more ready for college.”

“The dress code is a little difficult to get at first ... It takes some time to get used to dressing nicely, but once you do you can experiment with your style.

- Maya Ivkovic

“Personally I like getting to dress up and look professional for CAPS. It is fun coming up with different cute outfits to style every day.

– Caroline Lieberman

Going Gold

The Gold Out game and the story behind it.

By Owen Perkins

Acrisp autum breeze blows across the stands as students and parents alike pile into the bleachers on the beautiful fall evening of the Gold Out game. Cheerleaders line the tunnel as football players charge out into battle against the opponent.

This is a night considered by many to be their favorite football game. Students buy shirts in school the week leading up to the much-anticipated game, but why do they do it? Why does BVN have a game dedicated to the color gold? Is it just for the fun of it?

Senior Austin Lo is on the Executive Board for Team Up for St. Jude, the organization responsible for the Gold Out game every single year.

To understand the game and why it even exists, students first need to understand what Team Up for St. Jude is.

“Team Up for St. Jude KC is a charity organization, powered by teens, helping children with pediatric cancer in our community get the medical treatment they need; we do this by raising tons of funds from our events, restaurant nights, sponsorships/donations, etc,” Lo said.

The games help raise money for St. Jude.

“Blue Valley North raises

the most money out of all the schools participating in Team Up and has raised more than $400,000 in seven years,” Lo said.

This money helps support St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital, a charity hospital that helps children with life threatening medical conditions. Not only do they provide care, but they do it completely free of charge so the families’ sole priority is on the health of the children.

“Seven years ago, Tatum Trysla started Team Up for St. Judes KC when she was a sophomore at Blue Valley North High School. Her brother, Clayton Trysla, was diagnosed with stage four brain cancer

and was being treated at St. Judes Children’s Research Hospital,” Lo said. “On one of Clayton’s trips to the research hospital facility in Memphis, Tatum wanted to start raising money to support her brother; now, Clayton is a happy, kindhearted teenager. Today, we are raising more funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, raising more awareness for Childhood Cancer Awareness Month and supporting children with pediatric cancer, like Clayton, to get them the medical treatment they need.”

“Blue Valley North raises the most money out of all the schools participating in Team Up, and has raised more than $400,000 in seven years.

–Austin Lo

This is why the organization was founded, but it has affected many more children than just Clayton. Thousands of children have been helped, and the money raised contributes to the cause, allowing St. Jude to remain payment-free. Gold Out is more than just a game; it helps many children and their families through difficult times.

By Alex Robertson

Over the past few months, students and teachers at BVN have been quitting their sports, clubs, classes and jobs. A movement toward prioritizing mental health and personal time has driven many students to lighten their schedules. Quit culture is spreading and the extracurriculars at BVN are starting to feel the effects.

One such activity that has been drawing attention for its declining numbers is girls’ volleyball. State champions to entry-level players have left the program. Many want to try new activities or have more free time.

Junior Sophie Munro played volleyball during her freshman and sophomore years. She helped the team win a state title and has recently decided to step away from the program.

“At the end of the day, you have to

do what’s best for yourself,” Munro said. “And for me, that was quitting volleyball and taking the time to focus on myself.”

As a varsity athlete that also played

According to Munro, leaving the volleyball team gave her the opportunity to join new extracurriculars that she has “never gotten the chance to try.”

Matt Allin has been the head volleyball coach for the past 26 years. In his time, he has seen athletes come through BVN and the volleyball program.

“Sophomore to junior year is always a big year where kids decide not to play,” Allin said. “That’s totally normal and that’s happened the whole time I’ve been here.”

club during the high school off season, Munro was limited to the activities she was able to participate in. Leaving volleyball allowed her to expand her involvement and try new activities.

The pandemic forced students to think about what they were involved in and decide what mattered to them. Allin believes this time at home made students reevaluate how they use their time after school.

“Students realized what was important in life, and some might value their free time a little bit more while other students

“

At the end of the day, you have to do what’s best for yourself.

–Sophie Munro

“

Students and teachers have been reevaluating how they choose to spend their free time.

want to delve into sports and the hard work that [sports] take,” Allin said. “Then others realize that it’s just not for them.”

The lockdown forced students to step away from the high-pressure school environment and take a break. Upon returning, many students opt to keep that free time in favor of returning to their prepandemic teams and activities.

While this sudden shift might seem new for high school students, it traces back to a development in the corporate world.

The Great Resignation, a movement that emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, saw millions of workers leave their jobs.

According to Business Insider, “Over 4 million Americans have quit every month for 11 months straight…”

John Holloway has been a teacher at BVN for the past 28 years. He has taught physics for a combined total of 25 years. This year, he moved into a new position as a technology integration specialist.

Holloway made the transition when physics enrollment dropped and a teaching position was no longer available. This factor, combined with an increased need for Canvas help, created a new role.

Holloway also found personal interest in the new position.

“I felt like it was something I could do

with the learning curve of lockdown technology, and many teachers had extra classes to teach.

“I had four different preps, and some were online and some were in person. I was just working 16 hours a day and just constantly staring at a computer,” Holloway said.

As teachers were asked to go beyond what they had ever done, many felt stress and strain. They questioned if they could juggle the life they wanted and the increased demands of teaching.

“It’s just a quality of life question,” Holloway said. “I think COVID has exposed, ‘we only have so much time and what do I want to spend my time doing?’”

really good at, that I could be of service to teachers and to students,” Holloway said. “There’s a lot of problem solving that I enjoy doing.”

During lockdown, teachers had to learn how to teach through a screen. Workloads increased as teachers struggled

Students and teachers alike are struggling to justify the demands of their activities and jobs respectively. Although it may seem quit culture is ravaging the halls of BVN, really, students and teachers are creating and embracing a new culture, one that puts themselves and their mental health at the top of the list.

“

It’s just a quality of life question. I think COVID has exposed, ‘we only have so much time and what do I want to spend my time doing?’

– John Holloway

yes - no

Dropping Dropping

By Madisyn Stogsdill

As another new year arrives, BVN welcomes another old tradition: schedule changes. While history may be repeating itself, it surely isn’t through numbers. According to students, the record amount of classes being dropped has revealed an even larger issue: the stigma in doing so. Whether faced with backlash or encouragement after changing a course, the decision to drop is not simple. Students respond in different ways to schedule changes and the opinions associated with it — and so does their administration.

“We have literally 500 schedule changes. This is just in three days of this semester. Everybody wants to change their schedule, and for how much work we did in February, that’s really hard,” Bosch said. “I have to process all of them and it’s me going into the system and manually entering in each one of those. It just takes a lot of time.”

Due to its unspoken commonality, dropping a class or simply changing one’s schedule can occur for many reasons. Oftentimes the course load is simply too large or the class too fast-paced, leading to switching an advanced class for a lower level one. However, in extreme cases, one may drop the class entirely, opting for a study hall instead. According to Junior Reagan Smith, students feel that any change to their schedule results in some judgment.

“I do believe there’s a stigma around changing classes, especially if you’re dropping one. For example, I switched … and even the teacher joked in front of everyone about how I couldn’t last a week in something more difficult. She wasn’t being mean or anything, but I think the real issue is that she felt comfortable enough to

even say that,” Smith said.

Schedule changes are common each school year but have never been more popular than now. Such a high demand has caused the entire district to change the method for how these requests are processed and how counselors deal with them.

Down

Dropping Down Down

couple of days in the beginning where it’s pretty easy, so that if a kid transfers in late it won’t be that hard for them to catch up. Like if someone decides to switch from AP to general physics, it’ll be a lot of the same stuff they would do in each class. So what they did in my class won’t end up being a waste of time if they transfer into something that’s a different level of learning.

For many, an impermanent disruption in curriculum is worth avoiding an “F” in the grade book or a class bully. For these students, the decision is not difficult, but acting on it can be. Since the process involves so many individuals, not just a single student, many students such as Smith feel the criticism is not worth the risk.

“At this school we tend to view chang ing a class as proof that you don’t try very hard or lack some sort of intelligence,”

This process has also changed the way teachers approach planning the first few days of school. According to former AP Physics teacher John Holloway, this has led many to specialize lessons within the first weeks of school to accompany any disruptions. While it may slow the process of learning in the long run, it at least gives students a longer period of time to make up their minds.

“For me, personally, I usually build in a

“

As a counseling department. we decided to make [the schedule change forms] on paper so that we could get a parent signature, so there’s some more student ownership over classes.

–Catie Bosch “

Students discuss the stigma surrounding schedule changes for this school year.

“At this school we tend to view changing a class as proof that you don’t try very hard or lack some sort of intelligence. I’m taking three AP classes, but because I’m not taking the highest level of math, I’m looked down on, despite my other efforts. All of this is just a part of a larger issue of this school which is being overly competitive and perfectionist.”

–Reagan Smith

Catie Bosch works on a stack of schedule change forms in her office. Photo by Madisyn Stogsdill

FALL FUN

By Ruby Bierman

Overland Park Fall Festival

The Overland Park Fall Festival is held annually by the city of Overland Park. At the festival, attendees can browse products from over 50 local and regional artisan vendors. Vendors range from handmade candles and mugs to homemade birdhouses. It also hosts a variety of different acts including musical performances by Suzette Woods, Cowardly Lions, Back Alley Brass Band and Leveetown. For younger audiences the festival has a puppet theater, a science show and Jim Cosgrove, a children’s music artist. The event also highlights the Overland Park Farmers Market, where for over 40 years, vendors have sold farm-to-table products. The event takes place on Sept. 23 from 5-8 p.m. and Sept. 24 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. The festival is located at 7935 Santa Fe Drive, Overland Park, KS 66204.

Halloween Haunt

This event allows for anyone to explore Worlds of Fun throughout the month of October while the monsters are out and fog-filled pathways are full of other attendees. Halloween Haunt includes all the park’s yearlong rides in addition to haunted houses with live scare actors. Though scary attractions are the popular choice during October, rides for young kids and families are also available. The carousel and bumper cars are open for anyone not ready to face the scare attractions. Food is also easily found throughout the park, whether it’s a quick slice or a sweet treat of a funnel cake or Icee. Halloween Haunt is open on select weekends from Sept. 16 to Oct. 29.

KC Renaissance Festival

The Kansas City Renaissance Festival has been bringing the Renaissance to Kansas City for 45 years. At around 200,000 people attending, it is one of the largest Renaissance festivals in the U.S. Running every weekend from Sept. 3 to Oct. 16, it has activities for the whole community, with every date holding a different theme. Themes include “Swashbucklers and Sirens,” “Highland Fling” and “Heroes and Villains,” among others. It includes activities such as jousting, games, rides, a variety of faire food and even an artisan market. A ticket entails free parking, all stage shows during the festival, contests, themed weekend events and entertainment around the festival. The festival is located at 633 N 130th Street, Bonner Springs, KS 66012.

Fun around town doesn’t end when school starts. Here are some fun fall activities for the whole family.

Entrance to one of the many haunted houses in Worlds of Fun. Photo by Ruby Bierman

A fun display inside of the Renaissance Festival. Photo by Alayna Hall

By Lexi Newsom, Arshiya Pant

“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 September issue of volume 37. This issue of “The North Star” is published digitally through ISSUU and in print by “Record News.” 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.