Volume 39, Issue 4

North Star

the

Mustangs Beyond The Horizon

FIND OUT WHERE THE CLASS OF 2025 SENIORS ARE GOING TO COLLEGE ON PAGES 14-17.

BLUE VALLEY NORTH HIGH SCHOOL | OVERLAND PARK, KANSAS | VOLUME 39 | ISSUE 4

Contents News 4,5

Bump, Set, Spike Cash Durbin

6,7

A.I. in Eduation Emily Hathaway

Student Life 20,21 Happy Campers Van Freeman

22, 23 Dear Underclassmen Josie Jones

26,27 Season Recap

Editorial

Feature

24,25 Seniors Signing Off

Addison DeVore

8,9

Skipping from Solitude Safa Al Ameer

10,11 Dealing with Distraction Hannah Markiewicz

12,13 Oh the Places You’ll Go Olivia Moore

14-17 Mustangs Beyond the Horizon Anjali Kambhampati & Lilly Copeland

18,19 Chill or Thrill?

Anthony Sutcliffe

Online Into the Portal Paul Struby 2 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

The North Star Seniors

30

Club Days Disconnect Lauren Kopitas

Arts & Leisure 28,29 ISpy

Addison DeVore & Madi Garrelts

31

Crossword Addison DeVore & Madi Garrelts

Pages 14-17 Discover where

SOCIALS

WEBSITE

@bvnnews

bvnnews.com

the 2025 seniors are going to college.

A Look into the Issue...

The North Star Staff EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Addison DeVore Madi Garrelts

STAFF WRITERS Pg. 8,9 “Teachers should be a little bit more aware of the state of mind a lot of the seniors are in, but at the end of the day, it is down to the seniors still,” Oma-Savage said.

“They are still students. It’s still four full years of high school, you don’t just get to quit once you’re in your final year.”

Anthony Sutcliffe Emily Hathaway Olivia Moore Van Freeman Safa Al Ameer

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITORS Hannah Markiewicz Cash Durbin

DESIGN EDITOR

Anjali Kambhampati

WEB EDITORS Paul Struby Josie Jones

Pg. 10,11 “If I click on a long-form video, I have trouble keeping interest in it before I click off and just start watching shorter videos,” Brune said.

COPY EDITORS

Lauren Kopitas Lilly Copeland Anjali Kambhampati

Website Instagram

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 3

Bump, Set, Spike

NEWS

A new BVN boys’ volleyball club team joins the growing list of schools in the Blue Valley District as the sport grows and tries to become official.

By Cash Durbin

T

his spring was the first time since COVID that BVN has fielded a men’s volleyball team. With the help of sophomore Joshua Lobert, the team was formed, and BVN teacher and girls’ volleyball coach Matt Allin joined the team as the head coach and club sponsor. The end goal for the team is to make boys’ volleyball an officially sanctioned KSHSAA sport.

Lobert has played club volleyball since the sixth grade and wanted an opportunity to play for the school while his club season is over.

This began with asking Allin if he would sponsor the club if he found enough participants.

“I just want to get some more reps in when the club season ends,” Lobert said. “And then for the team, I want us to have a winning record and just learn from our mistakes and be a better program.”

With this being the first season that BVN has a team again, the team is confident about how they compare to other schools that have had time to build their program.

“Even though we’re a firstyear club, compared to other schools, like Blue Valley West, which have had the program for a while, we’re able to

keep up with them, and we’re doing pretty well,” Lobert said.

Senior Adam Wang joined the team this year after hearing about it through Lobert. This is Wang’s first time

“

4 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Cash Durbin

Even though we’re a first-year club, compared to other schools, like Blue Valley West, which have had the program for a while, we’re able to keep up with them, and we’re doing pretty well, –Joshua Lobert

Since this is the volleyball club’s first season, the team has tried hard to build team chemistry.

“The team chemistry has definitely gotten better and improved throughout the season, just simply by practicing with each other,” Wang said.

Lobert, however, thinks that the team chemistry is good due to their mentality of having fun and not being as serious.

“Team chemistry is really good because we want to play, and it’s just for fun, so we don’t take it as seriously,” Lobert said.

Both Wang and Lobert think that the student support for the team is spread through word of mouth but that having an account on Instagram for the team will eventually cause more students to show up and support the team at their games.

“I think social media is a big part of it,” Wang said. “We currently have an Instagram, bvnboysvolleyball, and we post Game Day posts, and word of mouth is key.”

Wang has enjoyed the season so far and is happy that he decided to join the team when Lobert told him about it. Wang also recommends the club team to anyone even slightly interested

“

playing volleyball on a team but has set himself some goals to accomplish during the season. “[I want to] get better at the fundamentals of volleyball and understand the game,” Wang said.

Sophomore Joshua Lobert sets The team helps up Freshman the ball to his teammates.

Matthew Lobert after he fell Photo by Cash Durbin. while celebrating a win.

Photo by Cash Durbin. in it.

“I’d say to definitely try out, it’s a really fun sport, it’s a team sport, and you get to bond with your friends,” Wang said.

The coach of the team, BVN English immersion teacher Matt Allin, is also the coach of the girls’ team during the fall season. He has led the team to a state championship 4 years ago and many appearances in the state tournament since. Allin said that he was approached by Lobert about starting a team, and he said yes as long as Lobert found players who were interested in playing. The end goal for the team as of right now is to become KSHSAA official, which means that it becomes a sanctioned sport and gives more opportunities for boys to

Head Coach and Club Sponsor Matt Allin shouts intructions to his team during a game.

Photo by Cash Durbin.

play across the state. However, this track is difficult to achieve, and Allin is expecting it to take a while for it to potentially happen.

“It’s really difficult to [get sanctioned],” Allin said. “We’re trying to take the correct paths, but it has to be approved by KSHSAA, the Kansas State High School Activities Association, and before it even goes to a vote, you have to jump through all these other hurdles, and it’s just a long process. So I don’t expect it to be next year. It’s going to be a while.”

Allin said that while this is the first season for the team this year, it isn’t the first time that North has had a boys volleyball team. Before COVID-19, many schools started to make teams and play club competitions against

Senior Adam Wang serves the ball over the net.

Photo by Cash Durbin.

each other, and BVN was a beginning team that started the sport up for local high schools.

“We were one of the first teams that had it in 2019,” Allin said. “Then they didn’t have it in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID, but then it came back in 22.”

Lobert is happy with how the team has done this year, but as his time at BVN goes on, he hopes the program will become an officially sanctioned school sport “The goal of this program is to make an official KSHSAA sport, and this year there was a vote for all the athletic directors on making it an actual sport,” Lobert said.

Scoreboards of multiple games the Mustangs have played this year against local high schools.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 5

NEWS

AI in Education

Should AI be used in education?

By Emily Hathaway

K

eagan Hanson, a business teacher at BVN, believes that not using AI goes both

ways.

“If I’m expecting you guys to not use AI to do the assignment, then I don’t feel like I should use AI to grade it,” Hanson said.

Freshman Emerson Wakeman shared a similar opinion.

“I believe that’s it’s unfair and if students can’t use AI but professors can,” Wakeman said. “The rules around AI are very specific at our school and if teachers can get around them, then why can’t students?”

AI can automatically grade assignments, essays and assessments.

This could be used to identify knowledge gaps and discover learning paths for students.

6 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Emily Hathaway

“I think AI can be a guide for them [students] if they know how to use it correctly,“ Levy said. “It’s almost like having another teacher there for them because it can provide feedback and what not.”

Hanson offered insight on why teachers use AI. “I think the main benefit of AI is helping you save time on tasks that aren’t super important,” Hanson said.

“So if I’m responding to an email and a clerical thing where no one’s going to look at it, then I might have AI help me come up with something a little bit more succinct. Then I can spend my time on the stuff that really matters, which is building relationships with students.”

In addition to the benefits mentioned, Hanson added that there are also risks and concerns associated

with AI. “I think the main risks and challenges of using AI are similar to the risks and challenges of the internet. I’m worried students might rely too much on AI and then not think for themselves and think that’s not just an issue with students,” Hanson said. “I think that’s an

Chat GPT logo.

issue for adults and teachers too where it can become dangerous if we rely too much on technology because we might stop thinking for ourselves.”

Levy agreed with Hanson’s point on the dangers of relying solely on AI. “If we use it as an assistant and helper, it’s just another tool a student can use to help achieve their best work,” Levy said. “But, if they become too dependent on it, it’s going to be a slippery slope…They must commit to it with the idea that it’s not a magic box that’s just gonna give them the answers.”

Hanson believes that the most important thing in education is building relationships with students.

“I don’t use AI very often, [but] when I do, it helps me save time on the less important tasks and have more time to do on the important tasks, like building relationships with students, talking to them and helping them with what they are going through in life or things that they are struggling with,” Hanson said. “If I have to spend a lot of time doing paperwork or creating lessons, I’m not able to spend as much time building relationships with students, then I think that’s a downside.

AI helps me save time on some of the

little things that are less important so that I can spend more face to face time with students.”

Initially Hanson believed her perspective on AI was more lenient

“

If im expecting you guys not to use AI to do the assignment, then I don’t feel like I should use AI to grade it.

– Keagan Hanson

“

because of her age.

“It is important for us to teach students how to use it properly, which is why I don’t love that AI is banned for students,” Hanson said. “I think that it is kind of like when the internet came out and when we were learning how to use Google and teachers freaked out about that. Instead of banning AI we should be teaching students how to use it and how to still think critically while using AI as a tool.”

Levy initially believed that AI

would not be beneficial and that students would just use AI as a crutch, but over time his perspective changed and he now believes that AI, if used properly, could be helpful for students and education in general.

Wakeman shares a similar view to Levy, and believes that AI could be helpful.

“AI can help you use more accurate answers and use your data better,” Wakeman said. “I think that AI is good for all around helping you when it comes to making a study guide or helping you ask questions, but a risk of AI is that it would give you misinformation.”

In addition to Wakemans concern, Hanson spoke about how she is concerned that currently students are just copying and pasting from AI without really digesting the information.

“You don’t have to remember every little thing you learn in high school but I think it’s important for students to learn how to think critically,” Hanson said. “A lot of the time if you’re just copying and pasting from AI and not even reading/understanding the answers then that can cause deficits in learning.”

Do you have a strong opinion about the use of AI in education?

61%

No

Yes

61% - 93 Votes 39%

39% - 60 Votes

Of 153 people polled on @bvnnews on Instagram.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 7

Skipping fr

FEATURE

Why do students at BVN skip class?

By Safa Al Ameer

C

lasses are a place to learn; however, some people find it difficult to attend classes when they have nobody to talk to.

On the other hand, there are cases like senioritis, where seniors see no point in coming to school if they’ve already been accepted to college.

As of the 2022-23 school year, over one quarter of U.S. students in kindergarten through 12th grade missed a month or more of the school year. This is nearly double the number of students who were chronically absent before the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on School Health.

Research shows that missing ten percent of school negatively affects a student’s academic performance. That is roughly two days a month, according to “10 Facts about Student Attendance.”

Junior Kennedy Dunbar admits that she used to skip classes during her freshman year due to not having friends in class. She says her GPA is still recovering from the grades she got that year.

“In retrospect, it wasn’t exactly me skipping, it was me not catching up on the work that I skipped [that caused my grade to go down],” Dunbar said.

For Dunbar, friends can be distracting or encouraging in class.

She has friends who can’t get

getting distracted,” Dunbar said.

“And it’s like, ‘‘Only tell me if it’s, my mom or my sibling’ that type of stuff.’”

According to “The Benefits of Friendships in Academic Settings: A Systematic Review and MetaAnalysis,” friendships increase grade point averages as they provide emotional support, reduce stress and result in Teachers should be a little collaborative learning. bit more aware of the state Sophomore Harshil Sunkara says he met his of mind a lot of the seniors now-best friend in a class are in, but at the end of where he had only one the day, it is down to the friend. Sunkara believes that friendships in classes seniors still. They are still help motivate learning. students. It’s still four full “We tend to collaborate years of high school, you well and cooperate, and so we can learn the material don’t just get to quit once together, and then it you’re in your final year becomes easier outside school, also, because we Peter Oma-Savage can study together because we’re in the same class,” Sunkara said.

Sunkara says he wouldn’t skip a class due to anything done and then friends that not having friends as that was never keep each other “honest.” the purpose of class for him.

“I’ll have [my friend’s] phone “For me, it’s always been about and she’ll have mine that way, we’re the education and the work, so not I never really had that issue [of skipping],” Sunkara said.

Similarly, Freshman Maklin Grote has also never skipped classes because of a lack of friendship, but only because that has never been an issue for her. However, she can see herself doing that if it ever becomes one. “[Friends are a] big part of why

“

8 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design By Safa Al Ameer

“

om Solitude I go to class, but they’re not the full reason,” Grote said. “It makes sense [why someone would skip] because I wouldn’t want to sit through a class that’s really boring, with no friends in there because that would be kind of miserable.”

Grote says classes such as her weights class, which is all girls, have caused her to make more friends. Yet she thinks that sometimes you are pressured to make friends in a class without friends.

“It forces you to make friends more than encourage you because even if you didn’t want to, it would either have to be you in that class without friends or make some,” Grote said.

Although lack of friendship is one reason why someone might skip class, other reasons, such as senioritis, also contribute, at least to Senior Peter Oma-Savage. Oma-Savage describes senioritis as “your work ethic disappearing in the last few months of school.”

He says you don’t have to be a senior, as the cause of it had to do with something else.

“Burnout [causes senioritis] and like just being so close to the finish line? People think they can just crawl over it,” Oma-Savage said.

Most school districts don’t look at all the right data to improve school attendance. They track how many are skipping school without an excuse, but not how many are missing so many days in excused and unexcused absence that they are headed off track academically, according to,“10 Facts about Student Attendance.”

Oma-Savage said that although grades don’t matter as much when accepted into college, students should still try in school so they won’t build bad habits going into college. Although senior skip days do help, Oma-Savage said that teachers should keep an open mind.

“Teachers should be a little bit more aware of the state of mind a lot of the seniors are in, but at the end of the day, it is down to the seniors still,” Oma-Savage said. “ They are still students. It’s still four full years of high school, you don’t just get to quit once you’re in your final year.”

PHOTO Senior Huntly Ford reading independetly from peers.

Photo by Safa Al Ameerw

Would you skip class that you don’t have friends in?

30%

70%

No

Yes

Of 166 people polled on @bvnnews on Instagram.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 9

FEATURE

rac st

D e a li n g W i t hD i

tion BVN students describe how their shortened attention span affects their day-to-day life inside school.

By Hannah Markiewicz

S

croll, watch, scroll, repeat.

For many people, living in the digital age consists of a constant flow of information, making it difficult to focus on anything besides a screen. Moreover, 85% of 184 students polled on @bvnnews on Instagram agreed that their attention span has decreased.

According to reporter Tessa Nussenbaum on “The Standard,” having the ability to immediately scroll past anything boring on apps like TikTok and Instagram significantly affects the concentration of high school students and makes it difficult to focus.

Freshman Molly Stevens, sophomore Noah Brune and sophomore Emily Patterson describe their experiences with technology and its effects on their attention span. “[I find social media distracting]

because it does lower people’s attention span, it definitely lowered my attention span, I try not to spend too much time

“

10 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Hannah Markiewicz

Everybody is just scrolling for hours and hours and instead of watching longer videos on YouTube or watching shows or movies, or reading books, they’re just looking for that short rush of dopamine –Emily Patterson

on there,” Brune said.

For Brune and Patterson,

consuming content on social media has made focusing in daily life more challenging.

“I have both Instagram and TikTok but I spend a lot of time on reels,” Patterson said.

“If I open the app, I’ll just start scrolling and I just stay on there for a while and I won’t even realize.”

Brune and Stevens both said they use social media every day, and the effects of this daily use carry into school as well.

“I try to [stay off my phone] if I’m working on an assignment, but sometimes I do check,” Brune said.

While BVN implemented a new phone policy this year requiring students to put their phones in caddies during classes, the rule isn’t always enforced, and the usage of phones in school is still very prevalent.

Phones leave people no time to be

“

bored as getting on a phone to keep busy and scrolling past any boring content is an option at the fingertips of many BVN students.

“Everybody is just scrolling for hours and hours, and instead of watching longer videos on YouTube or watching shows or movies, or reading books, they’re just looking for that short rush of dopamine,” Patterson said.

For Brune and Stevens, having access to their phone likely means checking it during class. Although they can go back to their work afterwards, this is proven to be unlikely.

According to a professor at UC Irvine, Dr. Gloria Mark, Juniors Samantha Chen and Jameel Ahmed looking at their phones during AST. on “CNN,” an interruption of Photo by Hannah Markiewicz one task causes people to move the use of technology in schools are who just don’t have any attention span on to the next task, and this will go popular right now, what will this mean because they spend so much time [on on for four tasks before refocusing on for the future? their phone],” Brune said. “If you’re the original task at hand. Additionally, “[I worry about the future of trying to hang out with somebody and she mentions that in 2004, the average they’re just constantly on their phone, attention span on a screen was two and people’s attention spans] a little bit,” Stevens said. “If someone’s in a job scrolling reels or something, that’s a a half minutes, and in May of 2024, it interview, they might get distracted by little concerning.” was 47 seconds. their phone or have a short attention Students may not know how “If I click on a long-form video, span.” technology will affect their attention I have trouble keeping interest in it Adding to Stevens’ point, according spans in the future, but they do seem to before I click off and just start watching to Peter Dizikes on “MIT News,” be worried about it now. shorter videos,” Brune said. technology has created fewer jobs than Trouble with focusing on content the amount it has taken. Moreover, outside of the short-form videos on social media can arise in school as well. even if people aren’t able to be as productive in the workplace, there is “It’s not too hard [to focus on a more likely than not technology that long video in class], but I think it’s can do their job more efficiently. been affected,” Stevens said.

“There are a lot of people While social media and

85%

of 184 students polled on @ bvnnews on instagram agreed that their attention span has decreased.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 11

FEATURE

OH, THE

PLACES YOU’LL GO What factors have caused some BVN seniors to attend college close to home while others have decided to move far away?

By Olivia Moore

C

ollege is often a lifechanging experience for young adults, allowing them to develop independence and discover who they are. It can either benefit high schoolers, providing them with clarity for their future and new life skills, or it can put a wrench in their plans and harm their mental health.

Therefore, deciding which college to attend is an enormous decision for high school seniors to make, and there are numerous factors to consider besides academics, including the campus, the proximity to friends and family and the cost.

49% of 148 students polled on the @bvnnews Instagram have decided to attend college close to home. One of these students is August Dunn, who has committed to Kansas State University (K-State).

“It wasn’t difficult to make a decision on K-State because I have a lot of history with the campus, and it’s a big part of my family,” Dunn said.

Although Dunn was already familiar with K-State, she made sure to visit the campus and figure out if it was the right school for her.

“I definitely had to consider the people down there and the environment. The people at K-State are all super friendly,” Dunn said. “I

also like that it’s a big school, and the campus is really pretty.”

Senior Greysen Williams agrees that visiting college campuses is a crucial step in deciding which college to attend.

“You really need to visit and see

“

12| THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Olivia Moore

I definitely had to consider the people down there and the environment. The people at K-State are all super friendly. I also like that it’s a big school, and the campus is really pretty.

–August Dunn

because they want to be close to their family.

While Dunn didn’t directly decide to attend K-State because of how close it is to her family, she has discovered the proximity to Kansas City to be beneficial and convenient.

“I’m really happy that I chose a school that’s fairly close to home,” Dunn said. “K-State is a good distance where it’s easy to see my family, but far enough where I’m not going to school with everyone from high school.”

On the other hand, Williams, while not having decided on which college she wants to attend yet, knows that she does not want to stay in Kansas.

“I want to get out of the bubble of Overland Park,” Williams said. “I feel like a lot of kids tend to go to the University of Kansas or Kansas State, which is completely fine, but I want to go out and grow into my own person without having the same people around me.”

Senior Ben

“

how you feel,” Williams said. “You should feel valued at college, which I feel like a lot of people forget.”

An additional factor to consider besides the campus is the proximity to friends and family. For some high school students, the main reason why they choose to attend college in-state is

make sure that I’m not coming home too often and figuring out how to grow up on my own,” Williams said.

Although Dunn is staying in Kansas, she believes that she will develop ample independence and learn important life skills as well.

“I think that students who go to college in-state develop the same amount of independence because you’re still living by yourself,” Dunn said. “You’re in a completely different environment, even if it’s closer to home.”

While being far away from friends and family in college allows students to grow into their own person and learn life skills, it can also present August Dunn at Kansas State University. challenges such as homesickness.

Photo provided by August Dunn.

According to the National Library of Medicine, up to 70% of Graverson, who will be attending college students claim to experience Auburn University, also knew that he homesickness, but freshmen are the did not want to stay in Kansas. most susceptible. The National Library “I think it would be pretty fun to of Medicine states that homesickness get out of here, meet new people and can cause students to experience find a place to call home,” Graverson social anxiety, difficulty adjusting to said. college and academic challenges. This Moving out-of-state for college shows that it is important for students also allows students to experience new to determine if they are at risk for cultures and learn about unfamiliar homesickness before moving far away. regions of the country.

However, Graverson did not “I’ll be going more southern, so have to consider homesickness when it’ll be interesting to see southern deciding on a college. hospitality and how other states’ “I’ve never been much of a guy cultures are,” Williams said. “One that gets homesick, so I don’t think it’ll of the schools that I’m looking at is affect me,” Graverson said.

Oklahoma, and they have a big faith On the other hand, Williams says community.” that it will be difficult to move away Despite Dunn attending college in from her family, but she also knows Kansas, she says that she will still have that it is important for the process of opportunities to meet new people. growing up.

“I think my social circle will be “My mom had said that she’ll completely different because none of always be there for me, but she doesn’t the people that I’m friends with right want me to come home too often,” now are going to K-State, which I’m Williams said. personally excited for,” Dunn said. “I Graverson agreed that it is love meeting new people.” important to not rely too heavily on In addition to college allowing your parents in college. students to meet new people, being “They’re always a phone call in a new environment forces them to away, which is nice, but I also know develop independence and learn new that I’ll have people down there too,” life skills.

Graverson said.

“Without having your parents to One of the most important factors tell you what to do, you’re kind of on for students to consider when deciding your own, so you have to make smart on a college is the cost. In-state tuition decisions,” Graverson said. is the leading determinant for some Williams says that being far away students to attend school in Kansas. from home will allow her to become a However, Williams was driven out self-reliant adult. of Kansas by merit-based scholarships.

“As an eldest child, I already have “If I didn’t have the opportunities a lot of independence, but I think that that I did, then I would be looking at being away from them [my family] will

more in-state options. Since I have more merit-based scholarships, that will help me with the cost,” Williams said.

Deciding which college to attend involves meticulously researching several factors, including the campus, the proximity to friends and family and the cost. Attending college in-state or out-of-state both have advantages and disadvantages, but no matter the location, college allows students to meet new people, develop independence and grow into their own person.

Ben Graverson (right) at the University of Auburn.

Photo provided by Ben Graverson.

Are you going to college far away?

YES

51% NO 49%

Of 148 students polled on @bvnews.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 13

Beyond the Horizon

FEATURE

MUSTANGS

THE CLASS OF 2025 Blue Valley North High School

14 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

Design by Anjali Kambhampati

Kansas

University of Kansas Sara Aamir Henry Allen Anass Alshobaki Ashley Alverson Yoanna Atanasova Greggory Baldridge Nate Beckman Audrey Bell Matthew Bell Jonathan Blackford Sarah Blake Alana Brion Nathan Broekhuizen Rachel Bronson Gretchen Brown Simon Chacey Madelyn Cool Andrew Cox Jaliya Davis Christopher Dennis Audrey DuCharme Cash Durbin Christian Eide Anfal Faisal Nate Fink Paul Fischbach Colin Fiscus Micaella Gamboa Charlie Gates Emma Grewal Samantha Haas Cal Hauser Addison Hess Mia Hutteger Addison Irey Anjali Kambhampati Ivy Khiew Nora Knopke Jackson Kochanowski Roey Levi Ryan Lo Nathan Lokko Ellianna Loveland Paul Maganga Vivek Marujolla Margaux Masilionis Hayden Mathews Alex Meierotto Jackson Melcher Thea Melvin Marcel Mena Suhana Mohammed Noah Morris Chloe Neeld Katelyn Page Ben Parish Henry Parisi Julia Parker Justin Parmet Ben Pierceall

Brandon Pierceall Sierra Pint

Ella Racen Dakota Raper Kushal Reddy Katie Rees Nivedita Rekha Alex Rhodes Wilson Riekhof Ryan Roberts Tommy Robertson Olivia Russell Ilyas Saadi Addie Sanford Andee Schraeder Timothy Sheplak Jagannath Sritinath Nair Iman Suleman Emerson Talley Baron Tate Ashwin Thapa Reece Toben Mahek Trambadia Slade Troyer Neeti Ved Ash Wallace Olivia Welhoelter Miles Wheeler Margaret Wilkinson Noah Wilson Ainsley Yeretsky Anna Ziegenhorn Kansas State University Olivia Ashworth Sophia Beach Andie Bell Vishnu Bolla Blaire Curdy Payton Daniels Jay DeBaun Addi DeVore Augustine Dunn Jake Fields Ella Grant Addi Griffith Caleb Harder Alyssa Hart Robert Hayes Givhan Ella Herrold Ava Jacobi Julie Jeffries Tag Martin Addison McRae Jackson Morton Gavin Nelson Connor Nutt Gavin Rice Charlotte Slutsky Jack Sutton Tyler Vanderleest Audrey Wolff Lily van Zon

Yusef Albaba Emma Bilbruck Leslie Bush Ethan Carpenter Christian Chavez Sasha Estingoy Allison Felkner Edward Hughey Daniel Jimenez Alex Lancaster Rory Place Aaliyah Robinson Jayden Robinson Andrew Thomas Evelyn Whitworth Wichita State University Madeline Bishop Donni Essex Jacob McRae Ava Moran Pittsburg State University Evan Bellm Huntley Ford Dylan Sarna Butler Community College Lana Barefield Jaden Loehr–Chase Emporia State University Libby Skid Ava Vaupell Kansas City Kansas Community College Mikyala Royster Emma Otsuka Washburn University Alexander Michiels Q Wallace

Cowley County Community College Holden Groebl Highland Community College Carson Davila Mid America Nazarene University Abraham Rios

Missouri

University of Missouri Karleigh Breitenstein Simone Brown Lilly Copeland Connor Cott Faith England Joshua Fendler Madilyn Garrelts Peter Gartelos Connor Golding Lola Greenyer Lily Logan Kate Lucas Peter Oma–Savage Owen Perkins Yasmine Snyders Addison Stout Hudson Thielmann Caleb Twyman Finn VanderVegte Hudson Walter Alex Wolf University of Missouri, Kansas City Dipsika Biswa Janeska Lopez Paritosh Patel Uliana Shulunova Adam Wang University of Central Missouri Tanyla Jackson Maryville University Alyvia Whigham Missouri State University Kaia Bunte Missouri Welding Institute Ryan Danda Missouri Western State University Tommy McDowell Northwest Missouri State University Natalie Herrington Truman State University Lauren Langer Saint Louis University Sainishitha Gudla

Ottawa University Gabe Watson

Johnson County Community College

Muhammad Abdurrahman

Gabriel Aguirre

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 15

Illinois

Northwestern University Rikki–Anne McLeod Caroline Place Joshua Shin Illinois Institute of Technology Tom Dang Shayan Surani DePaul University Nikolai Humphrey Eastern Illinois University Camylle Graves Illinois College Claire Zell Loyola University Chicago Alexis Ballard North Park University Wrigley Nolen

Texas

Texas Christian University Maddy Hall Johnny McMonagle Alex Moynihan Ava Rabroker Abilene Christian University Jada Farrington Hampton Stites Greysen Williams Baylor University Aylin Ulusarac Flight Aviation Academy Murad Frazier Texas A&M University Athan Tran

Arkansas

University of Arkansas Betsy Bogdan Addison Brown Emery Cannon Kennedy Clark Kate Hickey Gwen Murphy Josie Richardson Julianna Riegel Jackson VanSyckle

Nebraska

Creighton University Jack Hamilton Jacob Liesmann Olivia Martin Ava Van Erem Addie Wilkie University of Nebraska, Lincoln Blake Sebastian Cael Verzani University of Nebraska, Omaha Briley Early Shelby Smith

Indiana

Indiana University Sophia Anderson Miles Jackson Davis Weber University of Notre Dame Mia Glasow Emerson Harse Adele Van Lieshout Purdue University Emma Ramboldt Cherry Yu

California

Concorde Career College Maggie Allen University of California, Berkeley Lauren Kopitas University of California, San Diego Max Zhang San Diego City College Hannah Ard San Diego State University Vega Mercer Stanford University Logan Parks

Colorado

Colorado State University Evie Freed

16 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

Margo Hauser Jack Ramsey Cameron Wood

Mississippi

University of Mississippi Chloe Costa Anna Fleming Barrett Jennings Jackson State University Jordan Tiger

Arizona

Arizona State University Hunter Mayor Izzy Robertson Maryn Triplett

Florida

Florida Gulf Coast University Mamie Phillips Florida State University Emily Plummer University of Tampa Ruhi Shah

Georgia

University of Georgia Hamsini Isukapalli Georgia Institute of Technology Rishika Vunnama Savannah College of Art and Design Siena Masilionis

Iowa

University of Iowa Amelia Brown Grace Waldron Iowa State University Mithran Rajesh

Massachusetts Harvard University Caroline Massman Aubrey Shaw

Tufts University Luke Wakeman

Michigan

Central Michigan University Noemi Nightingale College for Creative Studies Ashton Morgan University of Michigan Beau Barren Julia Taylor

Oklahoma

University of Oklahoma Tanner Johnson Will Sandage Oklahoma City Community College Shawn Bufford

Tennessee

University of Tennessee, Knoxville Trevor Bennett Aleena Bills Vanderbilt University Avery Christie

Alabama

University of Alabama Morgan Thorpe Auburn University Ben Graverson

Minnesota

University of Minnesota, Twin Cities Elliot Karpin Nathan Roelofs

New York Ithaca College Charlotte Barton

Merchant Marine Academy Zurich Balda

South Carolina University of South Carolina Ali Hinds Malia Nicholson

Washington,D.C. American University Landon Nelson Howard University Elijah Dixon

Idaho

Brigham Young University, Idaho Anne Henderson

Maryland

Johns Hopkins University Fathia Rahman

Montana

University of Montana Ivy Spachman

New Jersey

Princeton University Delia Gregory

North Carolina

International Michelle Valenti

University of Florida, Valencia, Spain Ada Boyd

Elon University Sebastian Gonzalez Layton

Universidad Europa de Madrid Payton Stover

Ohio

Zoe Bohlender

Ohio State University Mia Shipman

Pennsylvania

Carnegie Mellon University Sriram Srinivasa Kalki

Washington

University of Washington Shivram Venkatachalam

Other

Paul Mitchell Cosmotology School Addy Deskin 18-21 Program Mary Burke

Undecided

Johan Arboleda Diaz Audrey Brown Princesa Esqueda Zaytoon Malik Aditi Mishra

Work Force Cristiauna Barr Sean Walker Brayden Wasko

Gap Year Ebrima Faye Janie Stilwell

All seniors were notified of this survey, however, not all responded.

This data is representative of the 310 seniors that responded or were able to provide further information when contacted.

By Anjali Kambhampati and Lilly Copeland Photos by The North Star Staff

Senior Year at a Glance

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 17

FEATURE

Chill or Thrill?

BVN Students discuss their schedules during the upcoming summer.

By Anthony Sutcliffe

S

ummer marks the end of football many students’ stressful camps and time-consuming school throughout year. For some, summer the summer. is a time for relaxation, with only a However, few activities scheduled for the next for the three months, but for others, summer rest of the is the busiest time of the year. During day, he is summer, activities like sports and relatively camps come full swing, filling up many free. people’s schedules.

“Football is five days a week from There are plenty of reasons about 6:00 to 8:30 in the morning, and why someone might plan to have a basketball has camps during the week,” laid-back summer schedule. Brooke McMonagle said.

Dahmer is a For both freshman at Dahmer and BVN who McMonagle, intentionally the small During the summer, made her number of I feel like it’s my summer activities they time to relax and schedule less are involved in busy. means that they chill without school.

“During have a lot of –Brooke the summer, free time and Dahmer I feel like it’s flexibility. my time to “I’m relax and flexible most chill without of the time,” school,” Dahmer McMonagle said. said.

“All my mornings Even though Dahmer isn’t busy, are filled up, but after that, I’m she has a good idea of what she will be flexible.” spending most of her summer doing.

Other students pack their summer “I’m probably going to be going schedules with activities like sports to the pool a lot, hanging out with my and summer camps. Junior Tatum friends and just relaxing,” Dahmer Schroering is one of these students. said.

Schroering is involved in three Sophomore Will McMonagle also sports at North. Each sport has a camp has a laid-back summer schedule. In for kids during the summer, which the mornings, he has basketball and Schroering attends and volunteers at.

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18 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design By Anthony Sutcliffe

She also spends much of her summer as a camp counselor at the JCC. “I have morning workouts for volleyball from eight to ten,” Shroering said.

Shroering’s schedule doesn’t lighten up after that either, as her busy day continues into the evening with work.

“After workouts, I go to camp for the rest of the day,” Schroering said.

“Then I go home, have dinner, and go to bed.”

Sometimes, Schroering’s schedule makes her question whether or not she likes how busy her schedule is.

“Sometimes I do [wish for a laidback schedule],” Schroering said. “But then I ask myself, What would I do during the day?”

Another junior, Thomas Dent, packs his weekends with activities like baseball and work during the summer.

“I probably have a good amount of free time during the week, but the weekends are full from baseball,” Dent said.

During the weekends, Dent has baseball tournaments. Depending on the success of his team, games can start as early as 8:00 A.M. and end as late as 10:00 P.M. Despite how busy his weekends get, Dent would not change a thing.

“No, [I don’t wish I had a less busy schedule], I like playing baseball,” Dent said.

McMonagle agreed with Dent. He said sports during the summer make him feel productive.

“I do these activities so I don’t sleep in and waste my summer,” McMonagle said.

Even though they have busy schedules, Schroering and Dent have

found a time in the summer when they could schedule a vacation.

“Usually in the summer, we have at least one vacation,” Schroering said.

This year, Schroering and her family are going to Arizona. She also spends a lot of time with her family at her lake house. Dent and his family have also planned a trip to get away.

“I’m going to Colorado over the summer,” Dent said.

The free time that Dent does have is very important to him, as he spends most of it with his older brother.

“He’s back from college, so [the summer] is one of the only times I can spend a lot of time with him,” Dent said.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 19

Happy Campers

STUDENT LIFE

How are BVN students involved with camps over the summer?

By Van Freeman

W

hen the final bell rings on May 23, the students of BVN are free to enjoy their summers however they please. Some students may relax, while others get involved with summer camps. But what camps do they go to and why?

Senior Maryn Triplett shared her experience with Camp WIN, a girls’ summer camp that teaches girls 6-12 different sports. “[Camp WIN takes place] over the course of four days, and they do four sports each day,” Triplett said.

“It introduces the girls to a bunch of different sports. They can try it out and see what they like, so after the camp, they can get involved with sports.”

Despite starting out as a camper, Triplett will now be a camp captain this year at Camp WIN. Similarly,

20 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Van Freeman

junior Camille Garrett will be a teen staff member at her summer camp, Youth Front.

“I first heard about it years ago, when I was in second or third grade,” Garrett said. “My older brother went when he was in middle school, and then I started going when I was in middle school.”

Youth Front is a Christian summer camp that’s goal is to promote children’s development with a variety of different programs and activities to help build faith, friendship and leadership. “[As a member of] Teen Staff, you are assigned a certain job for the week that you’re there, and the jobs consist of being a lifeguard, helping out with the day camp kids or you could be on the kitchen staff and prepare food for the campers, or just clean up after

them,” Garrett said, Junior Grant Hunnicutt is also working at a private church camp called Summer in the Sun. “You get to see a lot of different perspectives, and there’s a lot of challenges you have to overcome, with all the kids’ problems and all their fights.” Hunnicutt said.

This is Hunnicutt’s second year at Summer in the Sun, but his first year as a counselor.

“I’m a counselor for the kids,” Hunnicutt said. “I just watch over all the kids and make sure they have a good time.”

Triplett enjoys working at summer camps due to the community and fulfillment it brings her.

“I think it’s great for kids and parents, and also for high schoolers,” Triplett said. “It gets you active and

doing something. It also means being keep students active. able to contribute to the community “At Youth Front, your phone gets and just being a part of something that’s taken from you basically the whole bigger than yourself.” time you’re there,” Garrett said. “I feel Garrett also shared her own opinions like that’s helpful, because if we did on the appeal of summer camps. have our phones, I definitely think that “The appeal [to me is] having fun kids wouldn’t be as engaged with each and making new friends, because a other.” bunch of people that aren’t from where Triplett shared a similar method, you live come together, and you get to instead focusing on keeping the captains hang out with them,” Garrett said. “And engaged. you don’t know anyone, so you just get “For [Camp WIN], all captains can’t to be yourself.” bring their phones at all, and all the kids Despite the shared sentiments are under fifth grade, so they don’t really that summer camps are a fun way to have phones,” Triplett said. “Some get involved during the summer, the of them do have Apple Watches and students acknowledged the negatives stuff, just so they can keep in contact of signing up with their parents for summer [though]. I think camps. it is a great way The appeal [to me is] “It is to unplug and having fun and making a time disconnect from commitment,” the digital world new friends, because Triplett said. which we’re so a bunch of people that “Specifically often connected aren’t from where you for Camp to. I think it’s WIN, it’s actually a great live come together, and about eight escape.” you get to hang out hours a When asked with them. And you day for the their overall counselors, opinions on don’t know anyone, and it does going to a so you just get to be take a lot of summer camp, yourself. mental and they all had emotional positive things –Maryn Triplett effort, to say. resilience and patience, so it can be a bit emotionally and physically draining at times.”

“I think it’s just for the Hunnicutt agreed it takes a lot out of kids to have fun, so I enjoy him to work at a summer camp. seeing how they have fun, “It’s sometimes stressful, because and inspiring people to do there’s a lot going on.” Hunnicutt said. things [they wouldn’t].”

Despite the stresses these camps may Hunnicutt said. bring, the students aim to help where Garrett shared a they can. similar opinion, citing the “I’m in a bit of a new position memories made at summer [this year] where I’ll be helping the camp. captains, and kind of facilitating “I definitely think people them, to help guide them a little bit should go [to summer more, to take some of that pressure camps], because like I said off,” Triplett said. earlier, it gets you more Another issue involved, and you can make that summer camps more friends that way. And may face is keeping I just think, overall, it’s students engaged really fun, and creates a lot and off their phones. of memories.” Garrett said.

However, Youth Front and Camp WIN have ways to

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MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 21

STUDENT LIFE

By Story ones Josie J

E D

U N D E R As the end of the scho ol year quickly comes to a close, seniors share advice that the 2025 class wa nts underclassmen to kn ow.

Don’t procrastinate!

- Olivia Welhoelter

uit Don’t q ng fun! i h somet Morris - Noah Be involved in as many extracurricular and social events as possible while still working hard in school to accomplish your goals! - Rory Place

22| THE NORTH STAR | MAY2025 Design By Josie Jones

Fin d g o o d f r ie n d s !

- Is a b e ll a Ed wa rd s

A R C

l A S Sm N E Just have fun!

- Anna Fleming

ls yo u Us e t h e t o o d yo u ! h ave a ro u n nge l - C a r te r L e

Fall in love with making mistakes!

- Allison Felkner

achers Just ask te for help! ckson - Miles Ja

Respect and maturity goes a long way with adults and teachers!

- Huntley Ford

23| THE NORTH STAR | MAY2025

EDITORIAL

So Long Seniors The Seniors of the news staff reflect on their time with the North Star Publication. From all of us, thank you to this publication and our amazing advisor Mrs. Van Wyhe. We appreciate the memories this staff has given us.

By The North Star Seniors

Madi Garrelts

When thinking of my high school experience, I know I’ll always think of the newsroom as one of my favorite places. Walking in there each day to be greeted by the other North Star staff with big smiles will always warm my heart. I’d love to thank Addi, my incredible co-editor-in-chief. I could have never done this without you by my side. I loved all the Starbucks editing days and the silly talks we shared. I can’t wait to see you shine at K-State, I hope they know they’re getting a good one! Thank you also to Anjail, I know I dragged you along sophomore year to be here with me, and I’m so glad I did. Since fourth grade, I have been able to make so many incredible memories with you, some of my favorites being right here in the newsroom. I know I’ll also miss all the fun talks Anjali, Lilly and I shared in our little corner. As to the rest of the staff, I’m going to miss you so much. The work you have put in this year has been incredible. All of you are so special, and I feel so lucky to have met all of you. I can’t wait to watch what you guys do next year, and know I will always be rooting for you!!

Addison DeVore

Ever since I was young I knew one of my passions was writing. During my freshman year I applied to be on the news staff not knowing it would be the best decision of my high school career. Photography, writing, design, all wrapped together on top of making amazing memories. I have loved being on the sidelines at games and capturing our biggest Mustang wins. I am grateful for Sejin and Anna being great mentors to me last year and for last years staff for always being supportive. Being an editor-in-chief this year has brought me so much perspective and has taught me so much about myself and others. I am thankful for my coeditor-in-chief, as I couldn’t have done it without you, and will miss you next year.

Mizzou journalism is going to be shocked by your amazingness. And to Paul and Olivia, good luck carrying on as editor-in-chiefs!! I am so excited to see what you do. For the rest of the news staff, I am so proud of how much you have grown this year and will miss you so much.

Lauren Kopitas

Though an extremely timid student when I first began high school, newspaper and adjacent outlets have encouraged my expressive growth at BVN, uplifting the inquisitive spirit that I now recognize as my young adult self. I’ve spent two years as a staff writer and copy editor on The North Star, and my experience both within and beyond the newsroom has further developed my understanding of journalism as the unbroken voice of actuality. It’s been a privilege to lend the enduring tool of language to lesser-known niches of the school community, and as I progress through higher education, I’ll continue to elevate the world’s untold stories. Meanwhile, I encourage all of The North Star’s readers to keep seeking global and personal analysis in the media that challenges them to think outside the box and perhaps abandon it for good.

24 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

Lilly Copeland

I joined the newspaper staff with hesitation and uncertainty about what to expect. I needed a class for my seventh hour, and a friend suggested it as a way to build my resume while having fun. However, I could never have anticipated the memories and relationships I would gain from this experience. I have served as a staff writer and copy editor for the past two years, highlighting the stories and experiences of our BVN community. Additionally, I have met some of my best friends through the class. I will never forget my talks with Madi and Anjali in our corner of the room, going to KSPA at KU, laughing through the ceremonies at Quill and Scroll, and the interesting conversations we had at my junior endof-year dinner. While I may not be pursuing journalism post-graduation, I will always appreciate the people I met and the memories I made in this class. If you are ever considering Newspaper, don’t hesitate like I did and just join.

Cash Durbin

The thing about BVN I will miss most in the days after I graduate will be the newspaper and the community surrounding it. Throughout my 2 years on staff, I have made and developed lifelong friendships that I wouldn’t trade for anything. From walking into room 411, my first day junior year, scared of all the new, unfamiliar faces, to my senior year, loving all the friendships I gained through this class. The newspaper put me into situations that I never would have imagined when I first entered high school, from photographing my favorite sports and developing a love for photography to interviewing random strangers about their businesses at the Kansas State Fair. For me, the memories that will stick with me the most are eating a hamburger with donut buns at the state fair with Paul and placing top 6 and qualifying for state in 2 regional categories for KSPA my senior year. I will always love all the memories, fun times, and experiences I have made through the newspaper, and I thank all the people who have made it as great as it was. Mrs. Van Wyhe, thank you for being a supporter of me and letting me keep doing news while also exploring my other passions and interests in this last semester.

Thank you, BVNNEWS!

Anjali Kambhampati

Room 411 will forever be a nostalgic place for me, and the past three years with BVN news have been such an amazing experience. I remember walking into newspaper as a sophomore and being so intimidated by everyone on staff. I never left Madi’s side, my forever day one, whom I’m glad I became so close with through this class. This class and the people in it have brought me out of my shell, and I am so thankful for all of the memories. I will always be grateful for Sejin’s pep talks in the corner of the classroom and Lexi’s kindness. I am going to miss every single staff member so much next year, and I’m sad that walking to newspaper won’t be a part of my routine anymore. I will miss writing, designing, and taking photos, and I know that future staff will do amazing things. Finally, I am so grateful for Mrs. Van Wyhe and all of her support and guidance. She is the best newspaper advisor ever, and the future staff is so lucky to have her. Thank you BVN news for all the great memories,

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 25

NEWS

Season As spring sports come to a close, read about the end of their season.

By Addison DeVore

Baseball The team is currently ranked 14th with 10 wins, 7 losses and 1 tie. They will be competing in regionals on May 19.

Softball The team is ranked fourth in the 6A East-Regional category and currently has 16 wins and 5 losses. The team will head to state on May 29.

Girls Soccer The team is currently first in the EKL with 9 wins, 1 loss and 0 ties. Regionals will start May 19.

26 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025 Design by Addison DeVore

Recap Boys Tennis Player Jack Sutton has a singles record of 9-9 and Emerson Harse has a 10-8 record. Abhinav Kambhampati has a double record of 10-13. They will be heading to state on May 16.

Girls Swim & Dive

The team placed first in the Shawnee Mission Invitiational with a final score of 413. The top swimmer was Margo Hauser who scored 40 with four golds. They will head to state on May 22.

Boys Golf The team placed first in the BVN Brookridge Invitational with a score of 298. Player Drew Krystyn tied for third with a score of 73. State will be held on May 26.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 27

ARTS & LEISURE

28 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

Design By Madi Garrelts

I SPY

By Addison DeVore and Madi Garrelts

Dewy the Monkey

Palm Beach Sign

Sunglasses

Daisy Necklace

MONTH 2024 | THE NORTH STAR | #

EDITORIAL

Club Day’s

D I S C ON N E C T How do students’ and administrators’ varied responses to this monthly event suggest a generational misapprehension?

By Lauren Kopitas

O

n the final Thursday of every month, the school’s halls abound with chatter seeping from packed classrooms as students reluctantly engage with their Club Day curriculum of choice. Though helpful in theory, these monthly meetings fall short of the effects they were created to realize. Instead, they detract work time from students’ busy schedules, prescribe spotty socialization, and perhaps even further distance students from administrators in what could be termed a behavioral misreading.

Junior Ashley Sharma suggested that Club Day doesn’t quite fulfill its intent to minimize student stress via extracurricular activities and new friendships. “[The event] was clearly put in place to give students the opportunity to explore their interests outside of class and meet new people, but in such a competitive school, most students are frustrated by the fact that Club Day takes an hour of free work time out of their schedules,” Sharma said. “That might not sound like a very big amount of time, but AST’s flexibility is critical to some peoples’ success here.”

Though the productive potential of AST periods for both students and teachers limits Club Days to a monthly

30 | THE NORTH STAR | MAY 2025

basis, their infrequent appearance in Thursday schedules proves equally limiting. Many students feel that this irregularity limits their own ability to create significant connections with fellow club members.

“Because kids in the same club only see one another once a month -if that -- they don’t have much time to develop strong friendships with people around them, which drives down the value of the meetings,” Sharma said.

“Enriching relationships that actually make you want to go to class and clubs . . . are partly the result of exposure over and over again.”

While broad, the list of Club Day offerings contains few options in which a cohesive community has taken root throughout the school year. Most meeting attendees complete homework assignments or simply talk with existing friends, and notably few participate in club activities due to the occasion’s emptily obligatory tone.

“With Club Day, I feel like admin wanted to give kids the opportunity to socialize, but they knew that we couldn’t be totally trusted after what happened with kids stealing things from the bathroom during North Time,” Sharma said. “However, Club Day as a more rigid replacement for North Time doesn’t feel organic. It

feels forced, it feels disconnected from students’ needs, and that’s where it doesn’t work.”

Though it would be easy for administrators to dismiss students’ disdain for Club Day as a symptom of the generation’s often-cited ironic insularity and minimal social etiquette, this mentality cannot be minimized by school staff until it is intuitively understood. In the meantime, administrators’ advice or urged socialization may feel like a hollow prescription for well-rounded living, which could be interpreted by students as a signal of disconnect or even condescension.

“Students who were used to directing their own school days just a few years ago during the pandemic have returned to structured learning after getting used to a structureless world,” Sharma said. “They’re now expected by adults to remember social rules only to find out that they can’t, or that they were never really taught those rules to begin with.”

Immerse yourself into the summer with this issues end-ofschool themed crossword. Use the articles and your knowledge to answer all of the questions.

By Madi Garrelts and Addison DeVore

ARTS & LEISURE

W CR SS R D

ACROSS

3. A new technology that is controversial in schools.

6. The day that the editorial in this issue is against.

7. The summer camp that helps teach girls sports in the Happy Campers story.

8. The Dr. Seuss story referenced in the college destination story on pages 12 and 13.

10. A reason some students skip school, according to the story Skipping for Solitude.

DOWN 1. The percentage of seniors polled on @bvnnews on instagram that said they were going to college close to home.

2. The new boy’s sports team BVN has implemented.

4. A cold summer desert.

5. The 2025 graduation ceremony will be held at the ___.

9. When the sun goes down at night.

MAY 2025 | THE NORTH STAR | 31

and more

@bvn news The North Star is the official high school news publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distirbuted to all the students four times a year. This is the May issue of volume 39. This issue of The North Star is published digitally through ISSUU and in print by Valley Print Logistics. 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.

Blue Valley School District #229 Blue Valley North High School 12200 Lamar Avenue Overland Park, KS 66209