The Express - March 2015

ThEExprEss volume 22 | issue 5 | march | Blue valley Northwest high school

order up!

Junior ethan hulke participates in cooking competitions and said he desires to turn his craft into a future career.

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Contents

5 Above: While exercising in the fitness center, freshman Elizabeth Trupp wears her Fitbit to track her physical activity (photo by Caroline Trupp).

Cover: Junior Ethan Hulke places shredded pork belly tacos that he prepared at Broadmoor Bistro on a plate (photo by Emily Staples).

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Fitness tracker frenzy

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Raising bank for higher education College costs have been exponentially increasing in recent years. Read about the different options available to pay for education after high school.

natural beauty Senior Lauren Buster creates her own natural beauty products and discusses the impact they have on her.

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A league of their own As students put hours toward the growing trend of competitive video gaming, professionals open eSports cafĂŠs hoping to attract players by strengthening the Kansas City gaming scene.

order up!

Junior Ethan Hulke competes in cooking competitions and plans to continue his craft in the future.

the express | March 2015

the express staff

editoR-in-ChieF

Sarah Hirsch

MAnAging editoR

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Just my luck Students and staff at BVNW share superstitions in their lives and how they have been affected by them.

perspectives Student life is showcased through a variety of photos.

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Ankit Kadakia

entertainment Solve this issue’s crossword and Sudoku puzzles. Find the answers online at BVNWnews.com.

news editoR

Natasha Vyhovsky

FeAtuRe editoR

Laney Breidenthal

spoRts editoR

Greyson Woerpel

photo editoR

Maddison Robinson

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enteRtAinMent editoR

opinion Read student columns and the staff editorial.

Zac Johnson

opinion editoR

Olivia Baird

puzzle editoR

Avery Mojica

soCiAl MediA MAnAgeR

Claudia Chen

During the REbeL Be You Week, junior Michala Sliefert participates in yoga under the instruction of Lindsay Cullen in the atrium. The week-long program ran from March 2-6 (photo by Jenny Lu).

Business MAnAgeR

Madison Graves

RepoRteRs

Emma Bruce Brandon Fagen Cameron Hamm Flammy Huo Morgan Lewis Ayesha Vishnani

photogRApheRs

Aggie Cain Hope Lancaster Jenny Lu Emily Staples Nicole Tenold Caroline Trupp

gRAphiC designeR

Hannah Adams

AssistAnt AdviseR

Kimberly Hillstock

AdviseR

Jim McCrossen The Express is the official high school news publication of the Blue Valley Northwest High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This is Issue 5 of Volume 22.

Subscription rates are $10. The Express is printed by Osage Printing, 400 N Liberty St Independence, MO 64050.

This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified 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.

the express | March 2015

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FITNESS TRACKER FRENZY

by Zac Johnson

W

hether to see the data and results at the end of The Fitbit not only functions like a normal pedometer, the day or to improve their fitness, students and counting steps, but also takes in data about the wearer’s others throughout the BVNW community have calories, weight, sleeping patterns and eating and jumped on the trend of monitoring their health drinking habits. by purchasing watches and bands that keep Both Murphy and Trupp exercised daily before track of their individual fitness. acquiring their devices, and their exercise habits have Among those who have purchased a device is not changed. However, each said that some of their daily freshman Elizabeth Trupp, who plays tennis on average habits have changed in order to meet goals such as a three hours a day, six days a week. Her tennis coach certain amount of steps per day. was the first person to introduce her to her device, a “Sometimes if I get home at the end of the day and I Fitbit. haven’t reached my goal for steps, I’ll go and take my dog “The Fitbit is a band that you wear on your wrist and on a walk just to try and meet my goal,” Trupp said. “It it has a tracking device on the inside,” Trupp said. “You feels pretty good knowing you actually made it that many take it out, and you can charge it, and it’ll track all of steps in a day, and it kind of gives you a push to actually your fitness and steps and active minutes.” go and do it.”

Trupp said that her band cost Murphy said she enjoys around $80 when she bought the Fitbit because the bands (usage) isn’t really “My fitbit it, and so far it has been worth that hold the device come in focused on working out; it’s many different colors and the money. As of March 2015 a standard Fitbit costs around $100 More for Me to just get up and can be switched based on and is sold online and at multiple preference. Murphy has 14 Moving” different retailers. different bands she exchanges “A lot of fitness trackers are daily to correspond with her really expensive and this is like outfit. Additionally, she said one of the first ones that does a lot but is still pretty being able to see her progress is one of the main allures cheap,” Trupp said. of the Fitbit, and having all of her data in one place is Trupp said she uses it specifically to see how many convenient for her. miles she has walked or run in a day, how many calories “I’m fascinated by the data and looking at the she has burned and how many steps she has taken. upload,” Murphy said. “[I] also have a Fitbit scale that Others who also own a Fitbit, like principal Amy basically puts all the data together for you. So instead Murphy, use their monitors for somewhat different of having to go on and log your weight and percentage reasons. of body fat every morning, your scale just talks to your “My Fitbit (usage) isn’t really focused on working out; Fitbit account and uploads all of it.” it’s more for me to just get up and moving during the Trupp said being able to see her data and compare day,” Murphy said. “Otherwise it can be really easy to get it with her friends is something that makes the Fitbit caught in meeting after meeting after meeting, where different from other devices, but checking data every day I’m just sitting all day.”

The express | March 2015

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“I thought [the data] was really cool at first, but then I thought it was kind of stupid because it got really annoying to wear it 24/7,” Trupp said. “You got really connected to it because it does everything, [tracking] exercise, sleep and eating.”

Despite its benefits, Murphy and Trupp both said they definitely consider the Fitbit to be a trend.

“I think that they are definitely a trend but they’re also definitely helpful, and they’re starting to morph and add features to them,” Murphy said. “I think it’s just another form of technology, and I’m in awe to think about five or ten years from now how things will be.”

Though popular, the Fitbit is not the only exercise band on the market. Varsity cross country runners, such as juniors Matt Taylor and Andrew Kastendick, use the Garmin running watch to track their exercise habits.

“Matt and I use a Garmin running watch that tracks our distance and pace,” Kastendick said. “It’s really helpful because we can track our progress with it. But I also think there’s a fine line between something being helpful and something being a trend; I guess it just depends on how you use it.”

Taylor and Kastendick have been running outside almost every day since the second week of November, and Taylor said the amount of runners on the trails gradually decreases throughout the winter.

“We always run during the winter, and when it gets warmer we start seeing more people, but when it’s cold we really don’t see anyone,” Taylor said. “So unless [people] are using [Fitbits] other places, then I doubt people are using them enough for them to stick around.”

“You got reallY connected to [Your fitness tracker] because it does everYthing”

-freshman Elizabeth Trupp

The Garmin running watch Taylor and Kastendick use tracks their distance, pace and speed. Despite the fact that they check their progress regularly while running, both runners said they do not feel the need to monitor every detail.

“For me personally, I’m not really concerned about my calorie intake, weight or number of steps because I just trust that running is enough,” Kastendick said. “I really think watching what you eat and actually exercising each day should be good enough for most kids who are in high school. I just don’t think tracking everything is necessary right now.”

Kastendick said to him, it seems like a lot of people are using fitness tracking devices just to see the numbers rather than actually wanting to exercise. Even so, both Kastendick and Taylor said that they can definitely see the benefits of Fitbits and other activity trackers.

“Even if people are just doing it for the numbers, at least they’re still staying active,” Taylor said. “I can definitely see how they would be useful especially if they tell you stuff about your calories, weight and steps, and you’re interested in that stuff.”

Murphy said she believes this is just the beginning for the technology of digital watches.

“I think we’re just starting to scratch the surface on what technology is going to be able to do and tell us,” Murphy said.

Top left: Freshman Elizabeth Trupp stretches with her Fitbit on. She said she uses her Fitbit often, but does not feel the need to track every single detail all the time (photo by Caroline Trupp).

Bottom left: Junior Andrew Kastendick runs with his Garmin running watch. Kastendick said he runs almost every day, using the watch to track his exercise habits (photo by Nicole Tenold).

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the express | March 2015

Raising bank

by Natasha Vyhovsky

higher for education

Grants Scholarships

Grades

Paying for higher education can be a daunting task with today’s increasing tuition rates, but according to BVNW parent and banker Kurt Knutson, there are numerous

32 ACT + 3.85 GPA =$20,000 scholarship ($ 31 ACT + 3.75 5,000/yr) GPA = $16,00 0 scholarship 28 ACT + 3.5 GP ($4,000/yr) A = $8,000 sc ho larship ($2,00 25 ACT + 3.5 GP /yr) A = $4,000 sc holarship ($1, 24 ACT + 3.75 000/yr) GPA = $4,000 scholarship ($ 1,000/yr)

FAFSA: The Fr ee Applicatio n for Federal attendance an Student Aid ca d your expect lculates, base ed family inco Your FAFSA ca d on the cost me, how muc n also be used of h aid you need by individual co Information from the gove lleges and stat can be found rnment. at FAFSA.gov. es to offer ad ditional aid.

Pell Grant: A Pell Grant may provide aid ba financial need sed on your co , the cost of at mpleted FAFS tendance and aid website.

A, as well as yo other qualifica ur tions outlined on the federa *Information l student from the U.S. Depa Ed ucation Federa

Other

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rtment of webpage.

sistance with for government as s, you are eligible rce med Forces who Fo Ar d e th me of Ar e er e in th ildren of a memb Ch . ing GI Bill: If you serv us ho ll benefits. r Bi ooks, fees and/o o be eligible for GI tuition, supplies/b 11, 2001, may als . pt Se er Affairs aft s or an of Veter duty on U.S. Department died in the line of mphlet from the pa l Bil GI 1 9/1 st m the Po - if you’re *Information fro grades aren’t good good- even if your y could get ett u pr yo ... are od es go ad ge: “If your gr “If your grades are id. sa n so ut Community Colle Kn stly,” going to be less co going there, it’s .” nt ou am low lly , and then it down to a rea is to learn a trade money on college ve sa to y wa e ty. on rsi Knutson said college or unive Learning a Trade: your way through at trade and pay th in t en ym plo find em

the express | March 2015

F

ounder, chairman and CEO of Overland Park-based Freedom Bank Kurt Knutson said while he sees taking out student loans as a last resort, he understands that they can be helpful and necessary to get through higher education.

Senior DJ Robinson plans to attend Benedictine College after graduation to pursue a degree in accounting. Although he has received a 60 percent

scholarship for football and academics, as well as achieved his desired grades, he suspects he will have to take out loans to cover some of the remaining $14,000 annual costs of tuition, dining and housing fees. “[My parents] are helping a little bit,” Robinson said.

“I’m still filling out my FAFSA stuff..I don’t really know how I’m going to pay for [the rest],

but I’ll find some kind of way.”

Knutson said taking out loans can be risky simply because it is getting more difficult to ensure employment soon enough after graduating.

He said college educations today have become more difficult to understand in terms of their value.

Knutson said you can get a good education at schools that do not cost much. However,

Robinson is confident that he will be able to pay off any potential student loans due to the prestige of his school.

“When I get out of college, I’m going to be able to pay those loans off pretty quick, even with my entry-level job, just because of the fact that I’m going to have Benedictine on my resume,” Robinson said.

-founder, chairman and CEO of Freedom Bank Kurt Knutson

Federal & State Loans

University Loans

The federal government offers two main types of loans: subsidized and unsubsidized.

Subsidized: Need-based loan for which the U.S. Department of Education assists in paying off interest.

Unsubsidized: Loan not based on financial need. All interest is paid by the borrower.

Some individual colleges and universities offer their own loans, which can be found on their respective websites, often on their financial aid page. KU does not offer its own loans; however, an independent non-profit organization, KU Endowment, assists with loans.

*Information provided by Christal Williams, director of financial aid at JCCC

Loans

*Information provided by Knutson and Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, Director for News and Media Relations at KU

Bank Loans

Additional Private Loans

Individual banks can offer private student loans, although interest rates vary from bank to bank. Additionally, bank loans are never subsidized, so the borrower must always pay his or her interest and principle.

There are multiple different start-up companies aimed toward providing resources to help students plan for and manage student debt. Upstart and Pave are two where students and graduates can borrow money from lenders in return for a certain percentage of their income for a set time after they graduate.

*Information from the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid webpage

the express | March 2015

*Information provided by Knutson

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Natural beauty

by Ayesha Vishnani

Senior Lauren Buster discusses her transition from buying to creating her own beauty products naturally.

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Previous page: Senior Lauren Buster applies mascara that she created herself with natural ingredients. Above: Buster tests out the foundation she prepared recently. She has been crafting her own beauty products since this past summer (photos by Hope Lancaster).

C

overgirl’s Lashblast mascara contains 34 ingredients including glyceryl stearate, ammonium acrylates copolymer and disteardimonium hectorite. Senior Lauren Buster’s homemade mascara contains three: activated charcoal, aloe and bentonite clay. Her mascara is just one of many natural beauty products she has created.

Buster said she first began seriously using natural beauty products the summer before her senior year. She said she started by researching the chemicals that go into beauty products.

“If you read the ingredients of anything you buy and there’s something you don’t know, obviously you shouldn’t put that on you or ingest that,” Buster said. “In my food I like knowing every ingredient, and for my makeup, I like knowing exactly what’s in it.”

Buster’s mother, Jan Buster, said she was initially concerned with her daughter making her own natural beauty products.

“I thought ‘Oh, it will be a mess’ or ‘Oh, it will be too expensive’ or ‘Oh, it won’t work as well,’” Jan said. “But I was wrong. I realized it wasn’t a mess, and she just took control of it.”

Buster said she believes there is a connection between healthy eating and using natural beauty products, and this impacted her decision to make the switch.

“I eat pretty healthy, and I work out a lot,” Buster said. “So it just kind of made sense for me to go from being healthy with my body to being healthy with what I put on my body.”

Jan said her daughter’s interests and skills allowed her to

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make the switch successfully. “[Buster] loves cooking and is a much better cook than I am,” Jan said. “She likes to take it upon herself to do new things and do them well.”

When she stopped using products from the store and from her dermatologist and started using her homemade natural beauty products, Buster said she was surprised by the difference the change has had on her skin.

“Before, when I would have mascara and eyeliner on, my eyes would just go crazy,” Buster said. “They would be hard and itchy and I thought that was normal. I’m not going to say my skin is perfect because I know it’s not, but it’s the best it’s ever been using natural products as opposed to ones I get from the doctor.”

Her mom said she also noticed how Buster’s skin was clearing up. She said her daughter used to take prescription medication for acne, yet after switching her makeup, she no longer takes it.

Whole Foods body care specialist Joan Benson also emphasized the benefits of utilizing natural beauty products. Benson also said it is important to evaluate the ingredients of beauty products.

“Anything you put on your skin is going to go in your body,” Benson said. “You really want it to be as safe as possible; you want the cleanest possible ingredients.”

Buster said a predominant ingredient she uses is bentonite clay. Benson said this is a beneficial ingredient because it pulls the toxins out of the skin.

Benson said though the overall cost is not significantly

the express | March 2015

“I wish that everyone could feel as good as i feel when i use [my makeup]” -senior Lauren Buster

different from high-end beauty products, for someone like Buster who makes her own products, it could be far more expensive because she buys her own ingredients. However, she said it is nice because Buster has complete control over what is going into her products.

Buster said it is also a far more tedious process making the products instead of buying them from a store.

“Obviously you can’t go to the store and pick up anything that you want,” Benson said. “You have to make it, get the ingredients and get the containers. It’s more of a hassle and sometimes you have to play around with the recipes before it works for you.”

Buster said she was able to enjoy the process due to her love for cooking. She said the recipes she uses are inspired by ones she has found on Pinterest.

“Pinterest has helped a lot because [it has] a lot of cool things and recipes in general,” Buster said. “I’ll take what I like from each recipe and make it my own.”

Buster said she has made a variety of products including face wash, deodorant, mascara and eyeliner. Her friend, senior Olivia Blackwell, said she has swapped recipes with Buster, and they have discussed the positive results of the natural beauty products on the skin.

“[Using natural beauty products] does wonders to your skin,” Blackwell said. “It makes you feel like you’re not wearing any makeup, and I can read everything on the bottle.”

Blackwell said she appreciates Buster’s dedication to the whole concept of natural beauty.

“She was just very passionate about natural beauty, Blackwell said. “It’s really special to see her find her niche.”

Buster said she thinks the reason why many people do not use natural beauty products is due to lack of awareness and unfamiliarity with the activity.

“It’s just kind of a weird concept at this point,” Buster said.

“Whenever people hear that I [create my own makeup] they’re just kind of like, ‘Oh that’s kind of weird, why’re you doing that?

You can just buy it.’”

Currently, Buster said she is making the product just for herself and a few friends. However, she said she would be interested in selling it and sharing her positive experience with other people.

“I would love to sell it and get it out to other people,” Buster said. “I wish that everyone could feel as good as I feel when I use it.”

Above: Activated charcoal is one of the ingredients Buster uses to make mascara. It comes in a capsule. (photo by Maddison Robinson).

the express | March 2015

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A league of their own

by Cameron Hamm

Some students look toward video gaming as a way to play competitively online.

lectronic sports are more popular than ever, and more than 67 million players log onto the game “League of Legends” each month.

The large number of professional and casual players, cash prizes for winning tournaments and engaged spectators are all factors which have lead to a growing community of those who excel at the game.

ESports, competitive video gaming that draws people from all over the world to large scale tournaments, consists of many games, including “League of Legends.”

Senior Andrew Barrett, eSports player, said League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena game, in which teams of five players spar against each other with the goal of defeating other players in order to gain points. The difference between regular video games and eSports is the level of competition available for games such as “League of Legends,” which draws in millions of players from all over the world.

Barrett said “League of Legends” is appealing to many casual players because of how accessible it is; there are no daunting requirements to become an active player, leading to a diverse community, he said. “[‘League of Legends’] is free to play for anyone with the internet capability to download it,” Barrett said. “It’s not a hardcore gamer community… [where] it’s exclusive and you have to have [specific requirements].”

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Senior Vashu Chogada, who has logged nearly 80 days playing “League of Legends,” said the game is simply a fun way for him and his friends to connect.

Chogada said he never played many sports, and finds a unique appeal in “League of Legends.”

“I just never got into sports,” Chogada said. “I play tennis occasionally but it wasn’t something [where] I was like, ‘I’m going to keep doing this.’ With [‘League of Legends’] I can play with most of my friends… who don’t play [sports] either.”

Chogada said the video games he competes in deserve to be labeled as sports because of the amount of time required to compete seriously and the unique culture eSports has developed.

“Professional players typically spend about 10 to 12 hours a day playing the game,” Chogada said. “It’s like any other sport, just without the physical aspect.”

Barrett agreed with Chogada, and said the term eSports does not represent how large the gaming culture is becoming.

“If anything, I don’t think the term eSports is taken seriously enough,” Barrett said. “When you think of eSports, you think, ‘Oh, people playing video games,’ maybe you think of small tournaments, but unless you actually have some knowledge of what the scene is, you don’t necessarily think of… [how video games can actually be a sport].”

The idea that video gamers are unhealthy is mostly a misconception when it comes to eSports, Chogada said.

“If you look at professional players… it’s important [for them] to be mentally fit,” Chogada said. “Your mind works with your body, if your body is unresponsive, you won’t play well. [It involves] both mind and body.”

Chogada said he spends plenty of time analyzing the strategies other players use, and how they compare to his own performance. Barrett does the same, and said the level of strategy required to win a match is something that attracts him to “League of Legends.” Because a typical match can take up to a whole hour, Chogada has to prioritize schoolwork in order to make room for the game.

Even though Chogada has logged 80 days in “League of Legends,” he does not regret any of it because of the connection it gives him with his friends. Chogada was new to BVNW his freshman year, and he said playing “League of Legends” was a way for him to find a group.

“I’m happy with [playing ‘League of Legends’] because it lets me make friends,” Chogada said. “Even if [my friends and I] go to different colleges, we can still be friends regardless of where we are. I don’t think I’ll ever regret [playing ‘League of Legends’].”

Barrett said “League of Legends’” growing popularity is evidenced by its huge growth in recent years; even corporations such as Samsung and Razer are getting involved by sponsoring teams.

“Literally millions watched online for the world championship [last season],

the express | March 2015

[while] 20,000 people were [competing],” Barrett said.

However, while eSports is growing in many places around the country, SoPro Gaming owner Lee Jarman thought it was not growing fast enough. Jarman said he wanted to fix this by opening a video game cafe in Overland Park.

By opening this cafe, Jarman said he hopes to give local players a chance to participate in eSports and become locally recognized.

“By opening up a place for people with common interests to come and socialize, [gamers will] have an opportunity to compete and actually get their name out there,” Jarman said. “...It’s hard to stand out in a crowd… with the vast amount of people that are [playing online games].

[This store] gives them a chance to be recognized amongst people that like the same things they do.”

Jarman also said he hopes the cafe will draw not only more gamers to the Kansas City scene, but also to tournaments.

According to Jarman the regions that have a strong eSports scene started with stores like his cafe.

“Could you imagine an e-sports event at something as big as the Sprint Center?”

Jarman asked. “That would be amazing.

[If] the demand isn’t here, ...those kinds of events won’t happen. So [SoPro Gaming] is kind of like the ground floor.”

Jarman attributed the growth of professional gaming to the large number of people who play games like Candy Crush and Farmville. Because more people are playing electronic games more often, Jarman said it is becoming more accepted to put more time into professional video games. “...With the newer generation coming in… [gaming is] becoming more accepted as a whole in society,” Jarman said. “[People think] it’s not a waste of time…

You’re not so weird to want to spend hours

in front of a screen. People don’t see it as a problem as [much as they used to].”

Barrett attributed the growing interest in eSports to a feature unique to video gaming, the ability for fans to spectate. Through a service called Twitch, professional “League of Legends” games are broadcast live, giving players a chance to watch professionals and learn how to improve.

“Twitch itself has helped promote the game,” Barrett said. “Think of it in basketball terms; if you could watch Michael Jordan practice, play a pickup game or even… watch him play a scrimmage against another team, just think of how many more people that could potentially attract.”

Barrett said being able to access a professional match and observe it adds to what makes eSports so popular, the fact that anyone can compete. Barrett said most fans of professional sports, while entertained, could never see themselves playing at the same level. However, with eSports, anyone can improve.

“A lot of people [watch professional sports and say], ‘How could I ever do that?’” Barrett said. “[People who watch the] professional [‘League of Legends’] scene… think, ‘I can do that, that’s not beyond my physical capabilities.’”

Barrett said there is a ranking system that labels players according to their skill level. Barrett, who holds the rank of ‘platinum,’ is in the upper three to four percent of North American players.

Barrett said the higher ranks give him the motivation to improve.

“It’s always, ‘OK, how can I get better?’”

Barrett said.

Barrett said what interests him about eSports is found not only in playing with his friends, but watching high stakes, professional matches.

“It’s a really engaging spectator sport, at the competitive level,” Barrett said. “I

dislike watching many traditional sports, [but ‘League of Legends’] is just fun to watch with your friends and banter.”

Because of its recent growth, Chogada said it would be interesting to see more high schools such as BVNW follow the technological trend sports are moving toward.

“If schools started supporting eSports it would be really prevalent [culturally],” Chogada said. “The world’s moving toward a technological future, you might as well move with it.”

Top: Senior Vashu Chogata plays “League of Legends” in the library on his laptop (photo by Aggie Cain).

Left: A screenshot of the “Leaque of Legends” game played by senior Vashu Chogada.

the express | March 2015

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Order up!

by Morgan Lewis

Junior Ethan Hulke cooks competitively and intends to compete in the state culinary competition. He plans to turn his craft into a future for himself.

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Trupp Photo by Caroline

he tension rises as the clock ticks down to the end. The scorching heat burns and the dish is almost complete. Finally, everything ends up on the plate right as the time is up. Junior Ethan Hulke competes in cooking competitions and has been cooking his whole life.

Hulke’s father, Craig Hulke, said that his son started cooking when he was very young. He would watch his parents cook in the kitchen and he would occasionally help in the process.

“It all started when he was little,” Craig said.

“He would help me or help his mom in the kitchen just hanging out and do little stuff like crack an egg. He just progressed from there and took on more complicated stuff like frying an egg.”

Hulke said there are many reasons he enjoys cooking, including that he can move around instead of sitting in one place all day. The coworkers in the culinary industry are also close to each other and he enjoys the environment.

“Firstly, just the atmosphere surrounding it, it’s not a desk job, [and] I don’t really like sitting around doing stuff for eight hours straight,” Hulke said. “You are working on average 12-16 hours a day, professionals do, so it’s a really close knit group of people who work there so that’s a lot of fun.”

Hulke said he takes classes at the Broadmoor Technical Institute in Overland Park. There is a

The express | March 2015

Above: A goat cheese tart dish served at the Broadmoor Bistro inlcudes a puff pastry, caramelized onion and balsamic.

Right: Hulke checks on a pot of food during their weekly dining opportunity run by students. Hulke cooks at the Broadmoor Technical Institute every Wednesday (photo by Emily Staples).

restaurant there on Wednesdays where he works.

“When I’m [at Broadmoor] in the morning I’m taking a class called Commercial Baking 1,” Hulke said. “Then the restaurant thing is an elective course on your schedule. It’s called Restaurant Management, so those are classes but we don’t consider them classes.”

Hulke said the atmosphere at the cooking competitions he has participated in is very tense, but he said it is also very relaxing to prep for a competition or cooking for fun.

“It can be pretty tense because everybody wants to win so the atmosphere is pretty tense,” Hulke said. “Then if you’re not cooking it’s really relaxed. Everyone’s probably feeling really good about themselves [and] how they did.”

Hulke said he wants to have a career in cooking later in life. According to Hulke, there are many fields but he is undecided on which he will go into.

“You can pursue just being a baker, and even from that you can be a specialist in sugar, cake [or] chocolate so it gets really detailed,” Hulke said. “Cooking is [more] generic. There aren’t different kinds of cooking like there are for baking.”

Justin Hoffman, a teacher of career and technical education at Broadmoor, said there may be many roadblocks ahead for Hulke with his career. Hoffman said the balance of work and life is hard for many people in the food industry.

“A lot of times, people in this industry have a hard time balancing [work and life] and that’s when they get burned out or that’s when they are no longer happy with what they’re doing,” Hoffman said. “So he’s going to have to find a

The express | March 2015

way to balance everything out. He can continue along a positive and productive path.”

Hoffman said Hulke has talent, but has to work really hard. He is,however, a hard worker and has a great attitude according to Hoffman. “[Hulke] is very talented but it takes more than talent to be successful in this class and in this industry,” Hoffman said. “He grows and so every day he gets more and more talented because of the things he is learning.”

Hulke said Broadmoor allowed him to compete in many cooking competitions, which are arranged similar to sports. They go to State and Nationals and the farther up the competitions, the tighter the judging gets.

Hulke said that during a competition, there are many aspects of grading. It is tense and there are little things the judges pick on.

“For the state one, you get graded on a lot of different things, not just the overall flavor of your food,” Hulke said. “It’s also sanitation, organization, then small things such as knife cuts. You have six people walking around looking at you, staring at what you’re doing.”

While Hulke wants to go into a cooking career in the future, he has hopes for something else later in his life. “[Later, Colby Garrelts, the owner of Rye], has a nicer restaurant in Westport called Blue Stem and so probably senior year [I want to] start working there after I’ve worked at Rye so it’s not a big leap,” Hulke said.

Hoffman said Hulke has a lot of hard work ahead of him, but will have a very rewarding career in the end.

“Ethan has a huge amount of potential,” Hoffman said. “If he stays on the right track, he’s going to end up being very successful.”

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Just my

LUCK

by Emma Bruce photos by Nicole Tenold

2.

1.

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1. Bats and bows Sophomore Sarah Lasnier said she is superstitious, especially in softball.

She said she learned most of her superstitions when she began playing competitive softball.

“I picked up a lot of [my superstitions], like not crossing bats in a dugout, from teams that I’ve [substituted] on or on my softball team,” Lasnier said.

Lasnier said her softball superstitions include always listening to “Hair of the Dog” by Nazareth before games, never using her game bat for practice and not allowing anybody to use her game bat.

“One time, I let a girl use my bat and I hit horribly for the next two weeks,” Lasnier said. “I had to get a new bat and everything.”

Lasnier said one of her earlier superstitions came from her father.

She said she always wears a blue bow when the Royals play postseason games. When Lasnier is not playing, she places the bow on the handle of her bat.

2. headbands Softball is not the only sport at Northwest with superstitious athletes.

Seniors Lauren Reeder and Cece Kizer both said they have superstitions for soccer games.

“We wear certain headbands,” Reeder said. “I have to wear pink for home games and a different one for away games.”

Kizer said her headband color changes every year. She also said she always eats peanut butter and jelly before games.

“I don’t know why [I’m superstitious],” Reeder said. “It gives me a reason [to think] that everything will stay the same.”

Kizer said if the team loses, she does not blame her headband, but she thinks about what would have happened if she had not worn it.

“It’s all in preparation to win,” Kizer said.

the express | March 2015

3.

3. cultural beliefs

4. step on a crack

Some students learn superstitions from their parents. Junior Megana Chinalachaiagari said her parents came from India, so the culture affected their superstitions.

She said her parents only tend to follow superstitions on important decisions.

When buying a house, they believe it is bad luck to have it facing the south, so they take that into consideration. However, she said small superstitions, like drinking water if you sneeze before leaving the house, are not taken as seriously.

“I think I fall somewhere in between [being superstitious and not],” Chinalachaiagari said. “I follow it, because my parents follow it, but at the same time, I don’t believe in all of it.”

Sophomore Olivia Edwards said her superstition came from a childhood experience. She said she doesn’t step on sidewalk cracks, because she believes it will break her mother’s back.

“One time when I was younger, in first grade, my mom broke her back,” Edwards said. “I had stepped on a [large] crack in the sidewalk, and I actually thought that was why she broke her back.”

She said she does not talk about her superstition publicly, but said people have noticed her avoiding the cracks when walking together.

“I know [my mom won’t break her back] every time I step on a crack,” Edwards said. “Eventually, when I got older, [the superstition] went away.”

5. Driving habits

6. Family superstitions

When English teacher Zach Harsch drives past a graveyard, he always holds his breath and when he drives over train tracks, he coasts and lifts his feet up.

“They come from when I was younger,” Harsch said. “They seem silly now, especially when I say them, and I can’t believe I do [them], but I do. I’m just a creature of habit and [my superstitions] are just something that I’ve always done.”

Harsch said that although he’s broken his superstitions on multiple occasions, he continues with them out of routine.

Sophomore Ritu Agarwal said she has a superstitious mother as well. However she said she thinks superstitions are dumb.

Agarwal said her mom has smaller superstitions, like sweeping toward the door and thinking that certain animal statues have different meanings “The sweeping [superstition] was from [my mom’s] grandma,” Agarwal said. “Some [superstitions] are just common in India. Mostly they’re from her grandparents or just India-wide. Some her friends told her [about]. The one about the animal statues was something a family friend told her.”

4.

6.

5. the express | March 2015

23

PERSPECTIVES

photos of husky life

2.

1.

3.

1. From left, sophomores Grace Nelson and Caroline Kampschroeder and junior Theresa Dennison dance during halftime of the boys varsity basketball game against BVN (photo

by Aggie Cain).

2. Senior Shafaa Mansoor titrates a weak acid in her AP Chemistry lab (photo by Nicole Tenold).

3. In Photo I, sophomore Sarah Rooney uses a black bag to put her (photo by Emily Staples).

The express | March 2015

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5.

5.Junior Regan Muth receives a REbeL

26

6.

7.

the express | March 2015

8.

basketball team celebrates

9.

English Language Arts

the express | March 2015

27

ENTERTAINMENT

crOssWOrD

by Avery Mojica

Title: Spring Showers

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the express | March 2015

crOssWOrD cLUes acrOss

1. Gear parts 5. Heavyweight animal 10. Lincoln ____ 14. Baby-to-be, maybe 15. _____ Station (tourist attraction in Kansas City, MO) 16. Vicinity 17. Female horse 18. Browning the skin?

20. Where you might see cumulus clouds 22. Ancient Greek marketplace 23. Word with coal or arm 24. Parts of a play 25. “Yes, captain!” (2 words) 29. Sound heard after being told to open wide 30. Quixote and Juan, e.g.

40. It’s served in spots?

41. Japanese electronics company

42. What April showers bring 45. Fraud 46. Story of one’s life, for short 47. Snapchat device, usually 49. Graduation cap hanger 53. Moves back and forth, like a tail 55. Hi, in Hawaii 56. Times for staying in?

61. Relief from a long winter... or when 18-, 20-, 31-, 42-, and 56-Across are relevant 63. Layered snack 64. “Every now and ____...”

65. Standard unit in science 66. Flower that is often found in a white variety 67. Facile 68. Russian leaders, long ago 69. 4 of them may make a mile?

sUDOKU

DOWN

1. Hair styler?

2. Track shape 3. Fashion know-it-all 4. Captain Hook’s partner 5. BVNW mascots 6. Yukon native 7. Sierra Nevada trees 8. Pan partners 9. Cat ___ Hot Tin Roof (2 words) 10. History teacher at BVNW 11. Hunter in the sky?

12. Variety 13. Long stories 19. Ballpark snack 21. James Bond, e.g.

24. Salt, in Spanish 25. Man with an apple named after him?

26. Talks like this he does?

27. A deadly sin 28. “The very thought!”

29. From a distance 32. “Songs of Innocence” band, spelled out 33. Formerly, in a name

34. Clean 35. Distributor of industrial containers; also a former big name in Exxon 36. Seacrest who hosts “American Idol” 37. Not all 39. Boot company 43. One may put it in their car 44. Ones who put their names in ink 50. A Greek letter 51. Aches 52. Like a bald head 53. “_____ second!” (Whoa!, 2 words) 54. Like an archer 56. MapQuest data: Abbr.

57. Raggedy Ann, for one 58. Diva’s solo 59. Business review website 60. Sauces for sushi 62. Time standard: Abbr.

by Avery Mojica

29

OPINION

Brilliance by boredom

Try to remember, when was the last time you were feeling bored? Since we usually find downtime during the day, whether it be waiting in a line or passing time in a study hall, it isn’t too hard to think of a time boredom encroaches into our lives. However, the most common response to boredom, the whipping out of the smartphone, may be causing trouble in our young minds.

According to a recent study done by

the research group Flurry, mobile phone users spend on average two hours and 57 minutes each day on their devices.

This data may not be startling, and I may appear late to be jumping on the “smartphones-could-be-bad-for-us” bandwagon, but after listening to NPR on how creativity spikes when our minds are inactive, something came to mind.

While it’s no secret our classrooms can become quite stale sometimes, perhaps we, the student body, should take it upon ourselves to use our phones less during times of boredom, and just give our minds a few minutes to decompress. Sometimes freedom from information is the greatest luxury.

According to the study about creativity, when we’re bored our minds begin to search for something to stimulate us. This results in things like daydreaming, where our brains make connections between conscious and subconscious thinking that can result in some really cool ideas.

The college breakup Four years, countless hours and incessant studying: all leading up to a pile of envelopes in your mailbox. Whether it is a “sorry-we-don’t-want-you” sympathy note or the invitation you were dying to receive, these pieces of paper have an unnerving power over their victims.

From AP classes to extracurriculars, the majority of our high school career is centered around preparing for college, but not just any college. After all, if you could have a Ferrari, why would you choose a Prius?

This mentality stems from the whole brand-name game colleges play. Ivy Leagues have snatched the upper hand by flagrantly displaying their academic prestige, while state schools are given the “not bad” label. If an applicant were to choose a state school over a more prestigious one, we assume that because she decided to avoid the 8-percentacceptance route she’s missing out.

Wrong.

A research study conducted by the American Educational Research Journal

shows that students’ collegiate success depends far more on their characteristics versus the selectivity of the school they attend. To top it off, a case study by Alan Krueger of Princeton found that students who were accepted into Ivy League schools but opted for less-selective schools earned the same salary as graduates who chose to attend Ivy Leagues.

So what does that mean?

Gone are the days where we depend on the merit of colleges to determine an individual’s capabilities. Sure, they provide you with connections, but ultimately you cannot depend on your college as a crutch for the long-term. Driving a Ferrari may get you there in style, but what’s the point if you could save gas and still get to the same place?

Ultimately, the problem with college rejection is that we often take it too personally; we measure ourselves by the assessment of some random admissions officer who can reject four years of our lives in a matter of minutes. This is why it is essential that we disengage from the

by Cameron Hamm

Now compare that to the stimulation we receive when checking our phones. Our minds become stuffed with silly photos, meaningless tweets and myriad amounts of information that can clog our creative channels.

After checking out an app that logs how much I personally use my smartphone, I realized it was time for a change of scenery. Over the course of a week, I had spent nearly 15 hours on my phone, a fact that unnerved me. I can’t even remember those 15 hours, and I worry I’m losing out on a chance to be mindful and conscious when I’m plugged in so often.

With difficult decisions coming up such as planning for college and mulling over the latest challenges life throws at me, my brain needs a break. And whether that comes from spending time in my own head through meditation, or just pondering the streetlight through my windowsill, I know my brain will be thankful for the times when I think about nothing.

by Ayesha Vishnani

content of the letter and instead focus on improving the content of our character.

It’s cliche, but it holds significant merit in the grand scheme of higher education.

A university cannot change what we can accomplish in our lives; it simply provides us with the tools we need to reach our full potential. So why not take the rejection as a challenge? Not just to prove the college wrong, but to help us realize that our potential for success is not determined by a single door closed but rather the ones we have yet to open.

FIND COLUMNS, REVIEWS AND MORE ONLINE AT BVNWNEWS.COM 30

The express | march 2015

STAFF EDITORIAL

Time to branch out It’s easy to get comfortable. It’s easy to go about our set routines, mesh into our usual groups and associate with the same people every day. Taking the easy route is painless, so it’s no wonder we rarely put in the effort to stray from our comfort zones and delve into the task of meeting new people.

We should stop writing off people as “that one kid in my chemistry class” and start making a conscious effort to get to know our peers.

Instead of asking your regular person for math answers or the test date, take a second and ask them what sort of music they enjoy. If you take a moment to learn more about a person, you may find that you have something in common, and instead of seeing just another face in the crowd, you may see a new friend.

A common trend for the senior class is to break down all of the barriers created by cliques and grow together as a mini family during that last year together. It’s bittersweet, considering everyone will be parting ways soon and those freshly-made friendships won’t get the length they seem to deserve. If this process started much earlier, think of all the new relationships we could develop at BVNW. We would be able to have different experiences that would shape our characters in new ways.

When we come back for our class reunions, we don’t want to spend the whole time pointing out people and regretting that we never got to know them. Imagine how many alums look back and wish they had become good friends with former BVNW students Arash Ferdowsi, co-founder and CTO of Dropbox, or Colin Dieden, lead singer for The Mowglis. Whether or not your classmate ends up being famous, they can still have an impact on your life. BVNW is a big school with lots of variety. Everyone is worth getting to know, and all the effort toward making friendships is worthwhile.

are there people at BVNW you wish you knew but don’t reach out to?

Yes 83% No 17% out of 462 students polled during lunch march 4.

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editorial cartoon by Madison Graves

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