The Tiger Print — May 2015

Blue Valley High School — Vol. 45 — Issue 7— May 2015 — Overland Park, Kansas

Moving on: Senior class shares memories from years at BV, discusses future plans, Pages 15-32.

Photo illustration by Molly Johnson.

2 inthenews May 2015

inside this issue NEWS

2

‘HANDS DOWN’ THE BEST Student band receives school, local radio attention

page 4

OPINION

6

INVISIBLE SCARS Emotional abuse hard to discern; signs reveal hurt’s depth

page 7

national news explained

HILLARY CLINTON ANNOUNCES CAMPAIGN After failing to secure the Democratic presidential nomination in 2008, Hillary Clinton announced in a video April 14 she would begin her run for the 2016 White House. There had been much speculation on whether or not Clinton would run after controversies including Benghazi and the use of her personal email account for work-related matters. After hiring some of the top advisers from President Barack Obama’s 2008 success, Clinton has already made several changes to her campaign from last time. In the days following her announcement, she took a bus across

FEATURES 10

several midwestern states with a main goal of getting to know the people. Clinton took an unplanned stop at a Chipotle in Maumee, Ohio, as well, a burst of spontaneity not seen before from the cautious political figure.

Why is this a big deal? After the hype of being the first 2016 Democratic candidate wears off, all Clinton will be left with are her stances on the issues and a trail of scandals following both her and her husband. Democrats all support her on the major points such as gay marriage and climate change, but others fear her tendency for outbursts that she demonstrated as Secretary of State.

Other critics of Clinton claim she wouldn’t have the same level of support if it weren’t for her gender and familial relations. As of April 24, she was the only potential Democratic candidate, and the debates among her and her Republican counterparts are shaping up to be spirited, to say the least.

LOVE WINS Student works at JCC to honor Reat Underwood’s memory

page 13 SOUTH CAROLINA POLICEMAN CHARGED WITH MURDER

ENTERTAINMENT 35 GRAD PARTY PROBLEMS How to deal with awkward social situations, numerous graduation parties page 40

SPORTS 42

LA-CROSSING LINES District lacrosse team includes variety of players, locations

page 44 Photos courtesy of MCT Campus.

Stories by Sheila Gregory.

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

After being pulled over for a burnt-out tail light, unarmed black man Walter Scott was shot in the back several times fleeing from police officer Michael Slager. Slager claimed self-defense, saying Scott reached for his taser. This was not the case, however, after a cellphone video was released by a bystander who witnessed the event transpire. Contradicting Slager’s report, Scott simply ran from him with no physical altercation. The video also showed Slager handcuffing a motionless Scott when first-aid should have taken precedent. Slager also dropped what appeared to be a taser next to Scott’s body in an attempt to authenticate the self-defense claim. Slager has now been charged with murder and has been fired from the police force.

Why is this a big deal? From Michael Brown to Tamir Rice to Eric Garner, Scott has become the next name on the ever-growing list of black men who were killed by police officers with little to no cause. What sets this case apart is the video depicting exactly what happened. There is no he-said,

she-said, like in Ferguson where the truth depended on who was asked. Protests and marches have been initiated all over the country in attempts to fix the unjust system.

There are hopes for Slager to be convicted of murder, contrasting other cases similar to this one, and the video could be the deciding factor for the sentence. Police departments everywhere are taking measures like body cameras to ensure the fake story Slager tried to give is not accepted when a situation like this inevitably arises again.

Going Global Trip’s purpose lies in learning, entertainment

a year in

May 2015 inthenews 3 meganhegarty staff writer A group of 14 Blue Valley students will travel to Costa Rica from July 13-24 to learn about the conservation efforts and ecology of the areas they visit. While there, they will whitewater raft, plant mangroves, zipline, visit a cocoa plantation, tour the rainforest and hike a volcano.

Sophomore Tanner Botts is one of the students going to Costa Rica and said he’s looking forward to being exposed to a place so unlike home.

“I’m excited to experience a completely different culture,” he said.

Although sponsor science teacher Andrew Hulse said the trip sounds like it’s just for fun, he said it will also be a great learning experience.

“Along the way, the main focus is on how Costa Rica is one of the world leaders in sustainability and the ability to use all of their natural resources in a productive manner,” Hulse said.

Costa Rica hasn’t used a single fos-

YEARBOOK

$64,000 to print yearbooks 58 weekly

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1,300

total yearbooks printed

1,193 yearbooks sold

75 portrait pages

focus pages

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50

reference pages

theme pages

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52 club

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pictures taken

sophomore | junior | senior staff members

hours spent

staff member

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365 hours spent by each co-editor-in-chief ABBIE PIERO

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sports pages

sil fuel in 2015 as of March 23 and has managed to support an entire country with a large tourism industry from only renewable resources.

“Each stop, we’ll have a conversation about how this local area is able to sustain life,” Hulse said.

Hulse said educators have to balance entertainment and learning to make it enjoyable, which is why they’re ziplining and whitewater rafting.

“I think it’s important to always include fun in education because as long as you’re interacting with it, it will make it more memorable,” he said.

Hulse said traveling is the best way to learn.

“If you can go and engage in another culture, you begin to see the world in a different way,” he said.

“Traveling is key to broaden your horizons, and my hope is that once our students engage with another culture, they will begin to see the world is a little bit bigger than they had imagined.”

DARCY DEHAIS

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senior ads sold

Yearbook information gathered from Darcy Dehais.

Page designed by Alli Williams and Megan Hegarty.

4 inthenews May 2015

Director’s Cut courtneycarpenter staff writer

April 3 was Blue Valley’s first Film Festival Awards Ceremony.

The ceremony took place in the PAC at 7 p.m. and had a $3 entry fee. The Film Festival’s creator, sophomore Maria Gnoza, said there were eight entries total, averaging five minutes in length and ranging from documentaries to narratives.

“For the first year, eight entries is actually pretty good, considering films take a ton of work to do,” Gnoza said. “I’m very happy with what we’ve done this year and am looking forward to next year as well on a much larger scale.”

The films were previously viewed March 28 by the judging panel — two Kansas City film professionals, Kansas City Film Festi-

BV celebrates winners from first Film Festival

val member Michelle Davidson and Emmy Award winner and actor Kendal Sinn.

The films were judged based on three categories — plot, creativity and editing — on a scale of 1 to 10.

The top three films’ winners were sophomore Jeremy Chenoweth with “Dare You,” junior Bailey Klehn with “Hidden Scars” and junior Gennifer Geer and senior Sam Reber with “Better Tomorrow.”

The winners were awarded roses, and the judges were given chocolate and gift cards.

Gnoza said she was extremely pleased with this year’s turnout.

“We had around 40 people in total show up,” Gnoza said. “That was more than I had originally expected, so how could I be upset with that? I cannot wait until next year when the whole district joins in — it’s going to be a blast.”

Living the Dream chloebreau staff writer

Every little kid dreams of becoming a rockstar at some point in their childhood.

For The Greeting Committee — senior Pierce Turcotte, junior Addie Sartino and sophomores Austin Fraser and Brandon Yangmi — this idea is becoming a reality.

“I can’t stop thinking, ‘I am living in a dream,’” Sartino said. “This is my dream. This is all I’ve ever wanted.”

The band released their debut EP titled “It’s Not All That Bad” on March 27.

Gaining popularity throughout the student body, the EP caught the attention of local radio DJ Lazlo from 96.5 the Buzz.

“I’m super happy about the success of the EP,” Turcotte said. “Its popularity has spread like wildfire. It’s been great to release something that I’ve helped create and got such a Page designed by Chloe Breau and Megan Hegarty.

Junior Bailey Klehn receives her chocolate and roses from sophomore Kelsie McFadden. Klehn said her movie took about 20 hours of work. “I know people who deal with depression,” she said. “I wanted to show how it effects everyone differently with some visual help.” Photo by Courtney Carpenter.

The Greeting Committee releases EP, gains attention from local radio host Photo by Chloe Breau.

positive reaction.”

The Greeting Committee’s debut single off the album, “Hands Down,” was played along with another song, “Make It Right,” on 96.5 the Buzz the day of the EP’s release.

“It was an amazing moment and a moment I will never forget,” Yangmi said. “My girlfriend started crying because she was so happy — I still can’t believe it happened.”

After the songs aired, Lazlo commented on the album’s artwork and production quality.

“It was amazing,” Fraser said. “It was a once-in-a-lifetime feeling that’s very unique and special.”

The Greeting Committee hosted an EP release party at Llywelyn’s Pub on March 28.

“My favorite part was seeing people in the crowd sing along to our original songs,” Sartino said. “It’s just unreal to watch that.

Pierce crowd surfing was pretty cool, too.”

The four got started after Sartino released her own EP and wanted to make music with others rather than by herself.

“I decided being alone onstage was uncomfortable and lonely,” Sartino said.

“Brandon and I had already been friends for about a year, and we had written music together before. So, I texted him and said something along the lines of, ‘I have a favor I need you to do for me. I need you to help me make a band.’ Fortunately, he agreed, and he recruited Austin and Pierce.”

The Greeting Committee will play at The Granada in Lawrence on May 24. For band updates and information on how to purchase tickets, you can follow them on Twitter at @thegcband.

“I [want] to say thank you to everyone supporting the band in any way,” Yangmi said. “You are slowly helping four high school kids get closer to their dreams.”

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6 outloud May 2015

Think Before You Judge Negative comments lead to excessive categorizing, tense relations

charlotterooney staff writer Everyone has had something mean said behind his or her back.

Everyone has said something mean behind someone else’s back.

The truth is, no one is perfect, and you have no right to judge someone else on his or her behavior.

If she’s in tight shorts, she’s a “slut.” If she’s in baggy pants and a shirt, she’s labeled “weird.”

Page designed by Charlotte Rooney.

Photo by Isabelle Allen.

If he goes to a party, he’s brainless and shallow. If he stays home with his parents, he’s boring and nerdy.

What happened to being a genuinely nice person who accepts people for their behavior, whether you agree with it or not?

If you can’t keep your mouth shut because someone wore a crop top to a party, you may need to work on your people skills.

Regardless of what the people around you wear or how they spend their weekends or how much or how little makeup they have on, they are still human beings and deserve respect, and to get that respect those people should not have to fit your mold.

Just because you have straight As, are planning on going to college and are considered the golden child does not mean you are better than anyone else.

Just because you fight the system, sport beanies and wear black does not mean you know more about the “real world.”

People have different styles and different things they are comfortable wearing, saying and doing, and whether or not you are doing those things does not mean you are above someone else.

You cannot control someone’s behavior with mean comments, judgmental tweets or disapproving looks. The only thing you will accomplish is making someone feel less confident and secure about what they felt great about seconds before.

Instead of whispering something snarky to your friend as someone else walks down the hall, compliment that person with what you do like about them — their hair, shirt, shoes, humor, tweets — and keep quiet about the rest.

Disagreeing with someone’s lifestyle is not a reason to trash them, and if that’s your plan on dealing with different types of people, then you’re not going to get very far.

Instead of talking badly about them, maybe you could have an intelligent conversation with them — and, hey, you may learn something.

Bruises on the

May 2015 outloud 7

Heart

gennifergeer managing editor “I am trapped. He’s everywhere, overwhelming me, almost suffocating.”

These are not words you use to describe a person who loves you.

Yet this is how Anastasia Steele dotes on her heartthrob Christian Grey.

With the release of the film adaptation of “Fifty Shades of Grey,” several public figures, organizations and publications openly criticized the movie for romanticizing abusive relationships.

The most frightening thing about this box-office hit is its lack of awareness. To find the abuse, you have to be looking for it.

Not because it’s a stretch to call it abuse, but because it’s hidden so well. As Hollywood portrays it, the relationship is romantic, loving.

Just like a real-life abusive relationship.

What makes an abusive relationship so dangerous is its invisibility to the abuser, the victim and evev

Box office glorification of abusive relationships skews reality

everyone surrounding them. If someone involved isn’t actively hunting for the signs, it will remain hidden.

However, Hollywood doesn’t always mask abusive behavior. Disney’s recently released “Cinderella” depicts the usual story, and though her stepmother’s cruelty is exaggerated, Cinderella experiences manipulation typical of an emotionally abused child. Her stepmother isolates her from the rest of the family, constantly insults her and convinces her it is just her duty as a daughter to serve the family.

Using roundabout logic, a parent can easily disarm a child and exert damaging control. As with abusive romantic relationships, emotional abuse of children is harder to discern than physical abuse.

Though physical abuse can result in blatant bruises and broken bones, emotional manipulation and degradation are harder to see. The abuser can believe he or she is just voicing his or her opinion, standing up for his or herself or is adequately punishing the victim for bad

behavior. In turn, the victim internalizes toxic words, lives a lifestyle of fear and develops deep-rooted self-hatred.

You can’t see the control an abuser exerts over the victim like you can see physical harm. It’s difficult to define the brightline — where does a mean comment turn into abuse?

It depends on the damage.

Abuse is constantly telling you people won’t like you for your beliefs.

Abuse is scaring you into hiding your feelings.

Abuse is using the words “I love you” as a bargaining tool.

No one deserves to be degraded, ignored or exploited like they’re a robot instead of a human being.

If you know people who are experiencing this, telling them they’re “overreacting” when they talk about their situation only reinforces their feeling of unworthiness.

Instead, open their eyes to the signs of an abusive relationship. Victims feel trapped by their abusers. Maybe they don’t have someplace else to go. Maybe they feel guilty for their abusers’ failures.

Maybe they’ve watched that someone they love threaten suicide if they don’t change.

The best way to handle such an engagement is to leave the situation.

It’s scary — I know.

But once you gather courage and support, it’ll end up saving you.

Page designed by Gennifer Geer. Photo illustration by Sophia Ragomo.

8 outloud May 2015

staffeditorial TIGER PRINT newspaper the

editor-in-chief Sally Cochran

adviser Michelle Huss

managing editor Gennifer Geer

photographers Isabelle Allen Sophia Ragomo

photo editor Molly Johnson news editor Sheila Gregory opinion editor Riley Miller Cartoon by Christine Rice.

Definition of personal success not determined by college attendance staff editorial

22

agree

0

disagree

After high school, almost every graduate attends a college of their choice. Very few immediately join the workforce or the military. Whenever someone mentions they’re doing something different — say, taking a gap year to travel or pursuing a career in art — more often than not, they’ll receive that dreaded, “Good luck with that” look.

The question is, why?

Why are we all so against doing things that are out of the ordinary? Or at least accepting that others want to

do so?

The dictionary definition of success is this — “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.”

Everyone has a different purpose, as well as different aspirations and goals — meaning there is no true definition of success, so why do we act like there is?

Why do we act like achieving high test scores and attending college is the only key to succeeding in life?

Success can be becoming the CEO of a major company, but it can also be just doing what you love to do — whether it be making music, working with livestock, doing volunteer work in your free time or even becoming a freelance writer. For some, success is simply happiness.

We need to stop acting like getting a college degree in order to make money in order to be extremely well-off is the answer to it all. For some, it can be, but that’s not always the case.

Instead of putting so much pressure on each other to conform to the desired traits of society, why not push each other to discover our true dreams and our own definitions of success?

No one wants to spend thousands of dollars on college only to find what they actually want to do with their life doesn’t require a college degree.

The world doesn’t need billions of CEOs. The world needs many different people doing many different things.

features editor Maddie Davis entertainment editor Rachel Lock sports editor Matt Antonic

cartoonists Mandy Novicoff Christine Rice staff writers Chloe Breau Hope Brown Courtney Carpenter Grace Gearon Megan Hegarty Lauren Huesers Makayla Nicholis Charlotte Rooney Ifrah Sayyada Alli Williams

“The Tiger Print,” published seven times a year, is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily reflect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Unified School District #229.

Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication. “The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content. Letters should be submitted to Room 450, emailed to thetigerprint@yahoo.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print c/o Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

y = mx + me

May 2015 outloud 9

94 2 7 58 3 54 28 973 Numbers play too key a role in life; focus on characteristics

isabelleallen staff writer & photographer

Numbers.

They play a bigger role in your life than you think. Most commonly used for mathematics, they are often used to define you or at least elements of you.

Think about it.

The things constantly hanging over your head routinely involve numbers in one way or another.

Take a look at your grades. Decided by how well you perform on tests, quizzes and homework assignments, you receive a cumulative grade point average.

These simple numbers printed on paper or in StudentVue decide whether you get into college and the jobs you will have after the fact.

Since when does my future depend on a number? In the education system, forever.

Consider your weight. No matter what

that number on the scale is, you aren’t satisfied. A simple two or three-digit combination that shouldn’t matter dictates your self-esteem.

Look at your bank statement. If it doesn’t matter to you now, it certainly will later that you have a balance of $7.12 in your checking account. What do you need to pay for that your parents don’t already buy for you? Once you leave the nest that was built for you during adolescence, you’re in deep waters with student loans, car payments, rent and utility bills.

With numbers being as important as society makes them, it’s only up to you to not let them be the definition of a human being.

Instead of characterizing people by a numerical measure that can't be attained, fixate on positive qualities of yourself as well as others.

Say someone gets a 36 on the ACT. Don’t label them as a “36” — look at them as a person who has worked incredibly hard for what they have earned.

Learn to view people as a bunch of little details that create individuals, entirely unique and entirely themselves — even you.

Try your best to focus on being happy.

Gratify yourself on other terms than numbers and percentages.

Page designed by Isabelle Allen.

10 upclose May 2015

MESSING with MEDIOCRITY city on rare nights to just sit around with musicians and mess around, but mostly it’s just jamming with whoever’s down for it.

I just have fun and keep my mind open to new experiences.”

The bell rings to end sixth hour, and Through all this activity, William’s said immediately the halls become impossible to his reputation has grown — although, the navigate — even more so than usual. aspiring rapper doesn’t care all that much Students flow curiously to a complete about his “street cred.” standstill at a massive clog in the senior “Credibility is just a byproduct of my locker area. The blockade is inevitable — success, so I have a little, but I’m on the path within the ring stands two boys, the princito getting even more respect,” Williams said. pal and a couple cops.

“I don’t go seeking it out or anything. That The disruption is a rap battle, and leadjust has to happen on its own.” ing the standoff is senior Charlie Williams.

Another way for Williams to expand his Williams said his interest in rap music success was through the rap battles staged began before his time and can be traced all at Blue Valley. Up against him most recently the way back to his father, who was a DJ for was fellow senior Nick Nugent. a crew in Detroit.

“Charlie has been rapping for a long time “I’ve been listening to rap my whole life — since seventh grade — and it was just a because that’s just what I know,” Williams fun competition to be able to showcase his said. “I like jazz and easy-listening stuff talents,” Nugent said. “They actually began from the ‘50s, then I move on to soul music with some other kids doing rap battles, and the blues. I work my way up to ‘90s-era and then Charlie jumped into one of those New York hip-hop. I take all those in, and battles and was like, ‘Hey, I heard [seniors] then I just put me out.”

Jacob Bell and Luke Slagle did a rap On SoundCloud, Williams posts battle, and Jacob Bell won. I can audios of his raps under the artist blow Jacob Bell out of the water.’” name Mediocrity.

Nugent said Williams “All the songs up right publicized the battle “pretty now are borrowed instrulazily,” stirring the mentals from great waters for new peer Check out Mediocrity’s flows hip-hop acts with attention, which led on SoundCloud at myself over them, to the concept that it soundcloud.com/settle but those are amateur would be beneficial to do formediocrity hour,” Williams said. “I another one. recorded all those on an iPad “There was no one else to go in my closet.” against him, so I volunteered via Williams said he gets practice text the day of the rap battle with Jaoutside of his closet, too. cob Bell,” Nugent said. “Charlie promot“I like to just mess around with other ed it on Twitter, and since we know each musicians and rap over different live inother so well, we were able to come up with struments,” Williams said. “I’ll go out in the some cutting stuff to say to one another. It

makaylanicholis & laurenhuesers staff writers

Senior Charlie Williams practices rapping outside the school. Williams said he enjoys rapping outdoors because it gives him an excuse to wear his sunglasses. “I need to bring back that funky style — I feel like I’m funky,” Williams said. Photo

by Molly Johnson.

May 2015 upclose 11

Rap battles serve as stepping stones for student to pursue larger ambitions was a good time.”

Nugent said his interest in supporting Williams was rooted in a long history of backing Williams and his raps up.

“When I was in seventh grade, Charlie posted a rap on Facebook, and I listened to it, thought it was awful and ended up basically slamming him,” Nugent said.

“Charlie just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘I’m going to do it anyway.’ He ended up practicing it enough that I would give him a subject, like architecture or gardening, and he would have 30 minutes to write a rap about it. He came up with some really creative, clever word play for his flows.”

Nugent said over time, Williams began to improve as a rapper.

“Through his research of old style hip-hop artists, he was able to perfect his lyricism to portray a style that would allow him to say whatever he wants through the medium of rhyming and focusing on syllables,” Nugent said. “He just got better as we continued doing this.”

Though Nugent was intent on popularizing Williams’ skills, he said the battle was not rigged for Williams to win, though the lyrics were written beforehand.

“I spent a full three days trying to write my side, while Charlie spent probably half a day doing his because he was so confident in his ability,” Nugent said. “I practiced to compete, and I just wasn’t good enough.”

Free-styling is only one form of rap, and Williams said he was open about having written the lyrics beforehand.

“Show me a person that goes straight off the dome with specific rhyming and rhythmic lines, and I’ll show you someone good at memorization,” Williams said.

The day of the battle, authorities arrived at the clogged senior hall to break up the

deadlock.

“That was legendary,” Williams said. “Mr. Bacon kept getting closer to me, telling me to stop over and over again, but I just wouldn’t. The crowd was behind me, and somehow I held more authority in that moment. He came within maybe four feet of me, and I yelled something really loud right at Nick and directly into Scott Bacon’s ears. After that, someone started clapping, and the entire hall filled with applause. So, it was done — no punishment, not even a talk afterward.”

Nugent said he was a little less excited about the break-up of the rap battle than Williams.

“I was annoyed because I wanted Charlie to have the opportunity to come back against me,” Nugent said. “It was causing a disturbance, but the school needs a disturbance.

It was a great experience, and I’m glad we were able to lazily mobilize the entirety of the school.”

As for the future of Williams’ rapping career, he said his plans go beyond SoundCloud.

“It feels like the fulfillment of my predestination, like a prophecy,” Williams said.

“I’m working with a real producer right now in an actual studio, making original mixes, so I’m kind of a huge deal. [It’s] nothing I’m allowed to legally talk about, but expect big things in the very near future.”

“It feels like the fulfillment of my predestination, like a prophecy.”

— Williams

“He was able to perfect his lyricism to portray a style that would allow him to say whatever he wants.”

— Nugent ­­

“So, it was done — no punishment, not even a talk afterward.”

— Williams

Page designed by Lauren Huesers and Makayla Nicholis.

12 upclose May 2015

foodfight the

charlotterooney staff writer

We’ve all seen it — the brown lettuce, the sometimes crunchy, sometimes soggy meat, the seemingly unwashed vegetables and the food that sits for hours “on ice.” The pizza is only semi-edible with its hard-as-nails crust and its less-than-delicious grease.

The salad bar is used by students who like to eat healthier, but sophomore Brenna Stroud said it’s not quite up to par.

“The [greens] at the salad bar aren’t very fresh and usually have some brown leaves,” she said.

Cafeteria manager Julie Brooks said in order to change the food, Blue Valley would probably have to take the issue up with more than just the administrators, and it would have to be a district-wide decision.

“I would prefer less processed food,” Brooks said. “I don’t think that’s going to happen — we’d have to talk to processing.”

According to “The New York Post,”

European school lunches include rice, beans, soups, grilled or browned pieces of meat and several fresh, multi-colored fruits and vegetables.

The American school lunch usually includes a slice or two of pizza, a cheeseburger or a breaded chicken sandwich.

“The food is just junk food trying to be healthy food,” sophomore Mallory Norris said.

Norris said the lunch employees are really nice and try their best to do their job.

“The lunch ladies work really hard and are always nice when I check out my food,” she said. “They try their hardest to make the lunchroom food healthy.”

The options in the lunchroom are the same as they were a few years ago, Brooks said.

“They’ve taken out a lot of the salt and sugars, and they’ve made everything whole grain,” she said. “But basically they’ve used the same foods and re-did them.”

If students do want something healthy,

start with:

pick two:

Cafeteria standards deemed mediocre; students voice need for change

like a Naked juice or a salad, they have to pay more, sophomore Brooke Rowland said.

“The price of the Naked drinks are overdone because I can get one twice the size for less at QuikTrip,” she said.

Norris said the lunchroom does have healthier food, but it still needs some work.

“I would like the lunch room to have a greater variety of choices and more fresh foods than processed frozen foods,” Norris said.

Brooks said in order to get away from processed foods, the lunch employees would have to find people who can cook a meal and also find all the ingredients without any preservatives or salts.

“To start from scratch is the only way to have fresher food,” Brooks said. “Even with the Obama food plan, it’s taken almost three years to get whole grain in the lunchroom.

There are only a few of us who can cook, and the rest know how to reheat. You’d have to find more employees who can cook from scratch, and that’s also a really long process.”

1 serving of dairy

1 serving of protein

1/2

cup vegetable or

fruit

1 serving of whole grains

know your options Page designed by Courtney Carpenter and Gennifer Geer.

Infographic by Courtney Carpenter.

4

average hours spent preparing meals

cafeteria staff at school from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Information provided

by Julie Brooks.

May 2015 upclose 13

Sophomore discusses experience working at JCC after April 2014 shooting courtneycarpenter staff writer A close friend to late Reat Underwood, sophomore Maili Cotter-Brown works at the Jewish Community Center (JCC) — the setting of the shooting which took place more than a year ago.

Cotter-Brown is currently a lifeguard at the JCC and said she has had connections there since she was young.

“I went to preschool there,” Cotter-Brown said. “I went to after-school care there, and I took swim lessons and was on a swim team. Working there just kind of seemed to fit. It didn’t really originally connect with what had happened.”

Cotter-Brown said the JCC has changed since Underwood’s passing, and the overall security has been significantly increased.

“They never used to have policemen

working around the campus,” she said.

“Now they always walk around, and they’re at all of the entrances and exits.

That’s a shocking experience for me.”

Also for security purposes, Cotter-Brown said employees at the JCC have to partake in much more safety instruction than before.

“Every person that works at the Jewish Community Center has gone through training to know what to do if someone were to come in with a gun,” Cotter-Brown said. “That didn’t happen before Reat was there.”

Cotter-Brown said working where her friend was killed is a constant reminder of what took place.

“I haven’t spent a lot of time in that area of the building,” Cotter-Brown said. “When I do go through there, it’s a weird experience because I know that’s where it happened. It doesn’t seem real.”

Cotter-Brown said there has been

Cotter-Brown sits by the Reat Underwood Memorial bench in front of the school. “Everything that has happened has created community — in this school and in this area,” Cotter-Brown said.

support from all across the world for Underwood and the JCC, and that has only made the community stronger.

“The Jewish community was obviously affected, even though no one who was shot was actually Jewish,” Cotter-Brown said. “It was a direct attack on them, so the Jewish community itself has had to come together.

People in Israel knew about what happened to Reat, and they support the JCC and Reat’s family.”

Cotter-Brown said the organization and phrase, “Faith Wins,” which was started by Underwood’s mother Mindy Corporon, has influenced how she faces tragedy every time she goes to work.

“When I think about ‘Faith Wins,’ I know they don’t want me to be sad about Reat,” she said. “I try not to do that. I try to let happiness and love pour out of me instead of hateful things like the hate that caused this to happen to Reat.”

In response to the tragedies, the JCC has shown support through programs in both Jewish and non-Jewish communities. “They’re doing events to honor Reat, and they’re really trying to help,” Cotter-Brown said.

Photos by Courtney Carpenter.

Page designed by Courtney Carpenter.

14 upclose May 2015

Advocating for

Israel

Student joins AIPAC organization, discusses experiences

maddiedavis features editor

Israel

Stepping foot on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, in March, a surging crowd of 16,000 people is visible.

They aren’t tourists — they’re lobbyists.

They’re also members of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an organization that advocates for a better American and Israeli relationship.

Among them is one of Blue Valley’s own — junior Sam Saper.

Saper said her need to preserve Israel draws from family ties and personal heritage.

“Obviously I am very pro-Israel because I am Jewish and all of my family lives there,” she said. “To me, the country itself is a representation of the Jewish people, and I feel that I need to keep it strong. It is my duty to protect it, just as much as anyone else’s — even though I’m a teenager.”

Saper said she got started in the organization her freshman year.

“I was asked to go on a high school summit in October of my freshman year,” she said. “The leader who asked me was like, ‘Hey, do you want to go to Washington, DC, learn about Israel and teach other people about it?’”

Saper said there are two main opportunities for teens involved in AIPAC. “At policy conference, you arrive in Washington, DC, in a convention hall, and you listen to different lectures involving Israel on topics like inventors, arts, culture and things like that,” she said. “You go through that for a few days, and then you learn how to lobby. The next day, you go to Capitol Hill and lobby with other people from your state and try to convince lawmakers why the United States should have a good relationship with Israel.”

Besides the summit and policy conference, Saper said it is up to each teenager to share his or

Page designed by Maddie Davis Photo courtesy of Sam Saper.

Posing with fellow lobbyists, junior Sam Saper (left center) attends policy conference in Washington, DC. This year’s policy conference took place March 1-3.“With all of these people going in and fighting for Israel every day and the 16,000 supporters rushing Capitol Hill every year, it makes a statement to lawmakers,” she said. Photo submitted by Sam Saper.

her beliefs.

“Teenagers are mostly active by spreading the word and holding programs, but it’s mostly something that you do on your own,” she said. “It’s your job to advocate for yourself and for Israel.”

Although the organization discusses controversial topics and is pro-Israel, Saper said members attempt to view situations from both sides.

“We discuss sanctions, situations with the Palestinians and other topics like that,” she said. “We try to see problems involving Israel from both sides and look at the situation from all possible angles.

AIPAC is very involved with Israel, so we are biased. But in order to form our arguments, we try to make an educated decision.”

Saper said her favorite experience at policy conference involved a speech from the current Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“It was amazing when I got to listen to Benjamin Netanyahu speak because he has never spoken to us at policy conference before,” she said. “It was so inspiring that I was speechless afterward. Everyone was standing up and clapping, and then we all sat back down in our seats and just thought about what he said because it was so amazing.

We all needed a moment to commit his words to memory.”

Saper said she believes she is making a difference both nationally and in the community.

“I think being a teenager and being there advocating with the community makes advocating for Israel more of a community-wide concern,” she said. “Even just stepping foot on Capitol Hill for the first time my freshman year inspired me to go further in this organization. It was an eye-opening experience, and I realized advocating for Israel was something I really want to have be a part of the rest of my life.”

May 2015 seniorsection 15

63% applied to an out-ofstate school.

73% participated in Relay For Life.

22% were involved in a fender bender at school.

seniors

2015 senior columns pages 16-19

post-graduation decisions pages 20-23

senior superlatives pages 24-25

senior features pages 26-32

55% participated in at least one varsity sport.

86% were on the Honor Roll at least four semesters.

156 st 156 students surveyed.

Page designed by Sally Cochran.

16 seniorsection May 2015

‘The days I’ve spent at Blue Valley don’t click to 100 percent and disappear from my life the second they’re over.’ sallycochran editor-in-chief “Wow,” I reflected while wrapping up my March column. “That’s six out of seven.”

Out of all of the responsibilities of editor-in-chief, I had mulled over what would be the most daunting in the days after I was told this position was mine.

Would it be looking over all the little details? Ensuring spell-check didn’t become a false friend? Making sure every staff member knew what his or her part was?

Turns out, it wasn’t any of these things.

It was writing my perfunctory column each issue.

If you didn’t happen to know, the editor is required to publish an opinion piece in each edition of the paper. Much as I love to share my ideas, this turned out to be much harder

Pages designed by Sally Cochran.

than I expected.

Being definite about what I think? Being able to defend my claims? Being willing to put my ideas and thoughts out there? It was quite the challenge.

This year, I wrote. I wrote and wrote and wrote — oftentimes ending up with two, three, even four columns for each issue and choosing the best one.

(One of the rejects for March was a list of reasons I’m excited for “Pitch Perfect 2.” A high school newspaper may not be the best venue for that.)

After finishing each opinion, I would think to the most intimidating of them all — my senior column, where I am supposed to comment on high school sans the clichés.

Last time I had to write like this was with my senior speech, which may have just turned into a compassionless criticism of every past senior prank. What I’ve learned

from high school, everyone!

So, with all this in mind, I realized I had finished six out of seven.

I’m what you call “number-driven.”

Within each aspect of my life are defining numbers that help shape me. Most are little things — typically, my mom gives me about a five-minute warning before she wants to go somewhere, and more can happen to my appearance in those five minutes than most mortals think possible.

When I’m struggling my way through a tough swim practice, I focus on the numbers (or think through song lyrics — “Riptide”

by Vance Joy and “Seven Nation Army” by The White Stripes are definite favorites).

Knowing I’ve finished seven of eight butterfly drills and am 2,200 meters into the practice is better than “halfway-ish.”

Then, of course, comes school. I won’t lie — there have been days when I’ve calculated the hours, minutes and seconds left of class. Who hasn’t?

But, unlike the five minutes I’m given to get ready or the 5,500 meters in a swim practice, the (approximately) 700 days I’ve spent at Blue Valley don’t click to 100 percent and disappear from my life the second they’re over.

Graduation does not mark the true, final end of our experiences here.

My time at BV has had a limitless impact on who I am as a person, and the rippling effects of these high school experiences go beyond the number of seconds, hours and days we spent in class, at school events and, yes, doing homework.

Even though the countdown clock may be clicking to :00 after these last two weeks, the aftermath of these past four years will stick with us for a lifetime.

May 2015 seniorsection 17

‘The world is always changing. I can resist all I want, but sooner or later, it will change me.’ mattantonic sports editor For the last 18-and-a-half years of my life, this is the only place I’ve known. I’ve known one family, one house and one high school.

But in a few weeks, that life will be history, and so will we, the class of 2015.

Times are changing, they say, and they’re right.

Only a few more days, they say, and they’re right.

It’s time to go, folks. We made it, so give yourself a pat on the back. But before you just run away into the rest of your life, let’s look back on some of the things that have made us, including myself, the graduating seniors we are today.

Put on your imagination hat, glove or what have you, and take yourself back to 1996. The land we know today was a drastically different place — farmland and prairie and small-town America.

But things change. Change is noisy, always banging on the door. The people came, houses went up and the noise grew.

I’ll admit, I liked it better when it was open and quiet. It’s the way I am, an extremely conservative guy. I am not a fan of change.

After all, I’ve lived in the same house my entire life.

The world is changing. I can resist all I want, but sooner or later, it will change me.

The most popular theme in referring to our home, Johnson County, is that it is sort of a “bubble,” but it isn’t what we think.

We don’t come to a school with fights in the halls. Our peers are not gang members, and our “problems” pale in comparison to kids in the inner-cities.

For the most part, we enjoy stable households, two-car garages and streetlights. That is what the true definition of the “bubble” is. It isn’t wearing Vineyard Vines or driving new cars or having a stay-at-home mom.

Kids all over the country have those advantages, but they don’t necessarily go to a school that gives out a $10 bill every Tuesday.

Don’t leave this school with no intention of returning. Come back on breaks. Visit teachers who made our experiences memorable. Relive the Friday Night Lights. Stop in to say hello to Mr. Bacon. Respect what this amazing school has done for you.

To the majority of us who are continuing to college, it’s quite an exciting feeling, but there are many choices that you will make that will shape your future.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it — you will meet kids who try alcohol mixes and drug combinations you have never even heard of.

Cheating will see some of your classmates expelled and their careers ruined. It’s up to you how to handle yourself.

Our youthful “fail-safes,” the second chances some people got for stupid mistakes such as MIPs or drugs, will begin to disappear. It only takes one person to report a mistake and one mistake to ruin a career. If you want to be a drunk on campus instead of being productive, enjoy life behind a cash register.

I’m not going to give you the same old message about making the most of your time left. You know if you are sentimental about your childhood or not. But there are things you have time to enjoy before it’s all gone. Enjoy your school dances, parades, pep rallies and sporting events. But it is all just a blip on the radar of your whole life.

And now, enough about all of you, and a little more about me. Many of you have known me in some way since I arrived at Blue River in kindergarten. You may have known me as a nice, funny or weird. I don’t necessarily show my full personality walking through the halls.

But here’s a reality check — I won’t see half of you ever again. For that, I have regret in that so many people I have interacted with over the years will be up and gone, spread all

over the country to live their lives.

But I have hope that the technology that has bred social media will allow us all to remain connected long after the ink on our diplomas has dried.

I take great pride in hard work. It has gotten me far in high school — Eagle Scout, newspaper sports editor and a spot on the soccer team make a not too shabby record.

I’m off to the University of Missouri to study journalism at one of America’s finest institutes. The people closest to me have always known I bleed black and gold and always will. I have great hope for my future as a Missouri Man. When I graduate, I just may stay in Kansas City. I love it here.

But change will not wait for me. My career may wisk me all the way to the coasts or down to Texas. Who knows? I hope all of you are ready to take on the challenges the world offers today. But whether or not we are ready, it’s time to go.

Goodbye, good luck and godspeed.

18 seniorsection May 2015

‘And in a sort of twisted way, you’ll probably be a little thankful for everything that beat you down.’ mollyjohnson photo editor I didn’t go to Blue Valley all four years.

I moved to Overland Park halfway through sophomore year from Houston.

It was a rough transition to put it lightly.

I didn’t have any friends, obviously. I didn’t fit in. And, I certainly didn’t understand the proper manners of “the bubble.”

But, I had Mrs. Huss, my cousin, who let me be awkward in her room and tried to ease the pain of being “New Girl.” I joined track, which I was terrible at, and made some friends.

That following summer, along with other tragedies, my father died.

So, coming back to BV was hard, needless to say. My support group was small, and I still didn’t fit in.

I was in Photo I first semester, and things started looking up. I was not very good. I took pictures of my dog, and a lot of them were out of focus. But it gave me something to think about and work on, which was what I needed. Mr. Johnston was overwhelmingly helpful and supportive, which I will always be thankful for.

I submitted a couple of my photos to Scholastics and placed. It was incredible. I

started to like something in Overland Park, and I got positive feedback. I won a dang award.

Second semester I took Digital Imaging. I loved it. Mr. Mosier was finally a teacher who would be brutally honest and accept my sass as I started to break out of my shell.

I made my best friends. Thank every single god I got them.

They were real. I had real friends in Kansas.

I had three whole people outside of my family I could talk to. Three people who would let me rant, give me hugs and get coffee with me. Three people who let me take pictures of them and helped me along the way.

Now, I had friends and art. I was on the rise. I was no longer “New Girl.”

But, it was brutal. The first year I was here was the worst year of my life.

You might be having my year. You might be 16 and pretty terrible at everything you try.

Keep trying. It’s going to take some time.

But you’ll make real friends — you’ll find something that lights a spark in you. Everyone I know has.

High school wasn’t fun. But it made me, me.

You’ll get through it. And in a sort of twisted way, you’ll probably be a little thankful for everything that beat you down.

Because there’s going to be an art and three people who build you up.

Better than before.

Editor shares favorite photos taken over school year Page designed by Molly Johnson.

May 2015 seniorsection 19

‘I’m still trying to obtain the seemingly unachievable “significant” just as everyone else is.’ rileymiller opinion editor One of Blue Valley High School’s many traditions is to roll out that pretty red carpet for the incoming freshman class. All of the freshmen walk down an aisle of teachers, administrators and mentors welcoming them to their new school.

I, however, was one of the few, maybe even the only one, to trip.

And that’s kind of a depiction of how the rest of my high school career has gone — one big, awkward and disappointing stumble.

I bombed a lot of tests.

I got caught up in the “cool crowd.”

I turned in far too many assignments far too late — or not at all.

I burned bridges.

And I fell for the wrong boys — we’re talking the ones who never take you on an actual date and only really text you past 10 o’clock — shoutout to that one upperclassman who broke my little freshman heart.

I want to say high school has been great.

I want to be able to conform with the majority and say high school has included some of the best years of my life.

I really do, but know that if I ever do say that, I’ve probably fallen and smacked my head on the pavement — hard.

What I can say, though, is that these four years of high school, although pretty brutal to say the least, have been some the most important years of my life thus far.

I’m not saying I have it all figured out — that I’ve cracked the code to life — or anything along those lines, but I have learned some extremely valuable lessons that I’d be crazy not to share.

Throughout these four years many of my teachers and mentors have thrown out several aphorisms of their own.

One in particular being the standard, “No

question is a dumb question.” I was always thinking, “Haha, well, clearly you don’t know the questions floating around in my head right now.”

Whenever I heard the cliché, “Be yourself,” I thought, “Trust me, no one wants to see that.”

I was too engrossed in what everyone else thought of me.

But last school year, around this time, I came to this big realization — why does what others think of you even matter? I mean, aside from maybe a higher GPA, superior test scores or in this area, your daddy’s credit card, we’re all just...high schoolers.

And I hate to minimize the achievements of our overall intelligent and talented class, but in the grand scheme of things, as terrible as it sounds, we, as well as our problems, achievements and mistakes, are all, to some extent, entirely insignificant — and that fact will remain for the rest of our lives.

It sounds like an extremely pessimistic way of thinking, but there truly are a lot of good reasons to recognize your complete and utter insignificance.

There’s a famous Calvin and Hobbes comic that reads, “If people sat outside and looked at the stars each night, I bet they would live a lot differently.”

I mean, think about it, in 100 years, even 10 years probably, no one will remember what you did in high school. Even now, no one (who I know of) remembers that mortifying

fall I had freshman year.

Believe me, I’m still trying to obtain the seemingly unachievable “significant” just as everyone else is. It’s just important to remain humble in doing so.

Because at the end of the day, you are who you are, not what you did, especially not in high school.

So, ask “dumb” questions. At least you’ll get an answer.

Stop trying to achieve some image of what you think everyone wants you to be, and just be who you really are. That’s how you find your real friends anyway.

Trip in front of the whole school for God’s sake!

It’s just high school.

Page designed by Sally Cochran.

Johnson County Community College Zane Blackburn Zachary Butenas Alec Childress Dante Dawson Kaleigh Dykstra

Haskell Indian Nations University Natalie White

Fort State University Mackenzie Riscoe

Emporia State University Allison Bili Ashleigh Boeckmann Ashley Ferrara Jackson Maase Andrea Rinehart

Butler County Community College Jeremiah Birts Gannon Cornley II Tanner Neath

Benedictine College Tyler Jenkins Cody Sisson

Baker University Monica Morris

Avila University Olivia Totta

KANSAS

Kansas State University Lizzie Andrasik Collin Andres Sydney Behrndt Blake Berger Austin Blanchon Michael Boylan Rachel Cannon John Carpenter Jack Carrigan Jordan Chalker

Jacob Emmons Matthew Farrahi Connie Galindo Trevor Goins Holly Gray Jessica Hajek Matthew Hieber Spencer Huffaker Kennedy Humphrey Tessa Huston Jake King Casey Krug Jackson Loats Kendyll Lusso James Metcalf Kiera MonterossoMarquez Andrew Muir Derek Olson Madison Peavey Adam Sargent Kaine Sarno Catherine Thompson Ian Whelan Charlie Williams Taylor Young Aviane Zamudio

Samuel Cheesebrough Cole Christenson Kaleb Cox Hunter Dancer Jocelyn Dennis Jordan Doebbeling Ariana Dunlap Cody Dusthimer Catherine Eatherly Hunter Edwards Mason Fuller Carson Funk Joe Gorthy Alan Hansberry Mary Hastert Haley Hartman Corey Hettinger Justin Hutchison Don Jacobsen Luke Kennedy Haley Koenig Daniel Laverentz Stephen Laidacker Jackson McCreight Jonathan McHenry Reid Montgomery April Nicholson Alexis Nouhan Kirsten O’Leary Luis Oliveira Jesse Oropeza Erin Rambo Sean Reardon Monika Rhodes Erik Rimmer Braden Schroeder Anna Summar Alyssa Thomas Pierce Turcotte

Wichita State University Anna Hunter Emliy Lehl

Washburn University Adrienne Bieker

Chase McCubbin Drew McElwain Riley Miller Sean Miller Parker Moeder Rachel Morris Emma Neybert Amy Noon Chloe Ortbals Evan Randall Logan Robinson Natalie Romo Angela Ryan Catherine Ryan Walter Salaverria Erin Schaper Sidney Sibenaller Jack Snow Saleeha Soofi Jamie Southerland Rachel Stang Emily Stevens Jenny Tabakh Lindsey Taulbee Kyana Tehrani Jalen Thompson Menita Vedantam Tara Wiegers Roohan Zafar

BV seniors prepare for life after graduation

Luke Buescher Jenna Carey Cole Carlberg Gracyn Carr Daniel Carroll Hewett Chan Austin Crawford Annica Davis Kamandeep Dhanoa Mark Ekis Brianna Evans Manhattan Christian Collin Fehr College Katie Fine Whitney Sherraden Carter Floyd Julia Garrett Marinello Schools of Allison Gliesman Beauty Rachel Green Marissa Smith Emma Hardeman Drew Heffernon Pittsburg State University Linden Hoffman Molly Duke Dane Holland Rachel Moravac Lauren Holland Dylan Smith Morgan Holland Kellan Turner Julia Jankowski Megan Imber University of Kansas Alexis Ison Nicholas Allen Anjali Jain Garrett Ammon Katie Jarnevic Mazin Aql Kristina Jewell Courtney Baker Daniel Jezmir TJ Bayless Lynda Johnson David Berkowitz Molly Johnson Erin Birmingham Sydney Kampschroeder Shreya Bhandari Sam Kohn Kaelen Blackwood Zoe Larson Nick Bodine Joe Lasley Boyd Brooks Cooper Lee Amanda Brown Joe Lesko Megan Browne Brock Mason

Ashleigh Tysick David Upton William Van Cleve Stephen Waldron Seth Walter Tori Wiegers Hannah Wiesner Sean Wilson Ryan Younger Matthew Zimmerman

335 tigers 27states off to

20 seniorsection May 2015

Oklahoma State University Preston Lewis Madison Mrla

University of Oklahoma Brandon Fordiani

U.S. Air Force Academy Braydon Huschka Nicholas Williams

Fort Lewis College Mia Thomas

COLORADO

University of Missouri Matt Antonic Sally Cochran Missouri Baptist University Emma Gunnar Luke Slagle AJ Harris Jennifer Maxwell Missouri State University Chris Petruzzi Nicholas Nugent Sarah Supple Madeline Wadley Northwest Missouri State University University of Missouri– Brittany Bowzer Kansas City Sarah Khalifa Truman State University Peyton Marek Jason Anderlik Keenan McKenzie Andrea Hamilton Haajra Sirhindi Brittany Walsh University of Central Marisa Womack Missouri Cody Nelson Washington University in Jennifer Nelson St. Louis Tom Shanahan Allen Chen Rylie Walter

Vanderbilt University Chiranth Honnur Rashin Rajasingh

Lindenwood University Patrick McLeroy

Belmont University Alex Martin

TENNESSEE

MISSOURI

University of Tulsa Gabby Gunnerson Matt Jarnevic

OKLAHOMA

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sarah Olson Morgan Steffes

Northwestern University Sarani Pachalla

Kendall College Samantha Prats

ILLINOIS

Taylor University Katie Mercer

University of Notre Dame Maddie Coole Darcy Dehais

Indiana University Bloomington Joshua Hurst

INDIANA

University of the Ozarks Riley Anderson

Mallory Longwell Stephanie Mahaffey Rachel McGuire Dana Oudejans Amanda Palacio Claudia Reeves Hayden Reeves Hayden Renz Mattie Stafford

Creighton University Ryan Edmonds Andrew Hosler Abigail Rudigier Elizabeth Rudigier

NEBRASKA

University of Nebraska– Omaha Nicole Hagel

University of Nebraska– Lincoln Meredith Beal Connor Mohar Sam Virgillito

Dordt College Carson Hildebrand

Iowa State University Morgan Greenstreet Payton Hansen Jake Mikuls Drake University Zach Naatz Samuel Reber Alec Nichols Alex Vorhies Abbie Piero Megan Rogers Morningside College Payton Wise Abigail Lindmark University of Iowa Sam Jacobson

IOWA

University of Arkansas Kaitlin Bissing Taryn Bissing Cole Hahn Alyssa Hanna Sydney Hare Madison Hoy Annie Little

John Brown University Sammy Hoskovec

ARKANSAS

May 2015 seniorsection 21

University of California, San Diego Joel Thomas

University of California, Los Angeles Danielle Williams

University of California, Irvine Anil Patel

San Diego State University Savannah Martin Matthew McLain

California College of the Arts Addison Oppliger

CALIFORNIA

Lewis & Clark College Jacob Bell

OREGON

Utah State University Mimi Davis Nate Hardy Riley Stephens

Brigham Young University Jefferson Harwood

UTAH

Baylor University Shelby Beyers Cade Blackburn Grace Frederick Marcus Motley Ricky Shull

TEXAS

University of Montana Benjamin Keling

MONTANA

Southern Methodist University Beau Bequeaith

Rice University Luke Conners

University of Minnesota Natalie Thomas

MINNESOTA

Clemson University Jenna Bodenhausen

SOUTH CAROLINA

University of Arizona Colton Mantyka

Arizona State University Daniel Kim Mickey Lerner

ARIZONA

University of Michigan Jared Schifman

MICHIGAN

22 seniorsection May 2015

Mississippi State University Ryan Cyr

MISSISSIPPI

University of Alabama Kelli Kuharich Annie Milbourn

Yale University Arjun Prakash

CONNECTICUT

Full Sail University Jason Karner

Florida State University Paige Waldberg

Florida Atlantic University Honors College Brina DeWeese

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University Gabe Mason

FLORIDA

University of Pittsburgh Taylor Morton

Lehigh University Delilah Hsu

PENNSYLVANIA

Seton Hall University Jack Pagenkopf

NEW JERSEY

ALABAMA

Georgia Tech Harry Dyer

GEORGIA

New York University Richard Chen

Jewish Theological Seminary and Columbia University Eli Kahn

NEW YORK

George Washington University Emily Milakovic

American University Kennedy Etheridge

Other Colby Brock — moving to Los Angeles to pursue online career Makenzie Burch — tattoo artist Sam Golbach — moving to Los Angeles to pursue online career Brittany Hefley — gap year then enlisting in the army Jennifer Helmick — gap year to travel Kendra LaRoche — teaching English in Chile Jacqueline Ma — gap year then California Institute of the Arts Isaac Rankin — Access program then JCCC Parker Russell — pursuing an electronic music career TJ Weiss — gap year

WASHINGTON, DC

Undecided Bruno Fonseca Peyton Hubbard Jonathan Jarrell

Graduated at Semester Terran-Michael Smith

Pakistan Jamal Mughal

Kazakhstan — Nazarbayev University Anel Samekova

Austria — University of Vienna Anna Conradi

OTHER

May 2015 seniorsection 23

biggest bromance: Colby Brock and Sam Golbach

2015 Emily Milakovic and Luke Conners

most likely to win a nobel peace prize:

Riley Miller and Matt Antonic

most likely to get published:

Sam Virgillito and Sarah Supple

best eyes:

156 seniors surveyed. Photos by Molly Johnson. Page designed by Sally Cochran.

SENIOR superlatives 24 seniorsection May 2015

Lindsay Taulbee and Jefferson Harwood

most likely to walk the red carpet:

Peyton Marek and Ryan Edmonds

most likely to brighten your day:

Meredith Beal, Matthew Farrahi and Kaelen Blackwood

biggest party animals:

Alyssa Thomas and Seth Walter

cutest couple:

Ricky Chen and Jenna Bodenhausen

best dressed:

best friends forever:

Abby Rudigier and Elizabeth Rudigier

best hair:

Sarah Olson and Sam Cheesebrough

Arjun Prakash and Sarani Pachalla

most likely to become a CEO:

most artistic:

Ad Oppliger and Lauren Holland

May 2015 seniorsection 25

26 seniorsection May 2015

a

new

kind of band camp

Senior describes hopes, qualms for competitive Drum Corps sheilagregory news editor Their steps are second-nature.

The music comes as easily as breathing.

Making complex designs on the field, these performers have perfected their routine down to every little step.

Known as the Major Leagues for marching bands, Drum Corps International (DCI) is the highest, most competitive marching band organization for high school and college students.

There are several corps stationed throughout the United States, each one with a various amounts of players, performances and instruments.

After auditioning in November for the Colts, a DCI band located in Iowa, senior Luke Conners was one of 150 students offered a place in its summer program.

“Every prospective member is reviewed by the staff throughout the weekend to see if they can meet the requirements of being

a member,” Conners said. “Obviously this requires a baseline proficiency on the instrument, which was demonstrated in an individual audition, but the more important matter was demonstrating a positive attitude, driven personality, responsiveness to teaching and the sort of thing that makes a person not necessarily a stronger musician technically, but certainly a more effective member of a team.”

Conners said DCI, while similar to Blue Valley’s marching band, has its own distinctive characteristics.

“It’s much more complex and much higher level,” he said. “If there was a professional marching band, it would be Drum Corps.”

The practice time DCI requires is another aspect Conners said is taken to the next level.

“At Drum Corps, we have four weeks of spring training,” he said. “Those are 14-hour rehearsal days, seven days a week at a much faster, much more intense pace. The music is significantly more challenging, and the movement aspect is incomparable [to BV’s marching band]. When we might march a total of two to three miles in a longer band rehearsal, we’re averaging easily 10-15 [miles] in a single day of Drum Corps.”

Conners said he has taken several steps to prepare for these practices.

“Marching band in and of itself has helped greatly,” he said. “I’ve been playing more, just practicing outside of school. I also signed up for track to get in shape. Track has helped because I’ve been building endurance physically, which is a very strong aspect of Drum Corps when you’re marching 14 Playing his trumpet, senior Luke Conners competes with Blue Valley’s marching band. Conners was the trumpet section leader. “Being section leader meant I had to hold myself to a higher standard and understand the instrument and the approach at a deeper level,” he said. “I became a much better player and marcher.” Photo by Gennifer Geer.

c hours a day for a month.”

Despite the potential struggles, Conners said he is optimistic about the experience.

“It’s going to be the hardest thing I’ve done by far,” he said. “Hopefully, I’m going to have an amazing time just wearing myself into the ground every day. When you get 150 people who are all so dedicated to the same activity, it’s really a magical experience to see what you can produce as a team.”

Conners said he looks forward to the real-life experience of DCI. “When you are on the road for three months, you are basically on your own,” Conners said. “It’s a really maturing experience because people learn to deal with the greatest hardships they’ve ever faced — the most stress, both physical and mental.”

Conners said he encourages everyone to come to the Colts’ performance in Olathe on July 1.

“It’d be a great opportunity for people who are looking to learn more about the activity or anyone who wants to see some incredible performances,” he said. “It’s a whole world that’s rife with opportunities for exploration — find something you like, and run with it.”

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

May 2015 seniorsection 27

Tigers International Foreign exchange students reflect on experience, share post-graduation plans Senior Anna Conradi, foreign exchange student from Austria, said she has had a pleasant experience in America, but the most memorable moment was in a Texas burger joint.

“When I arrived here for the first time, I ordered a small drink,” Conradi said. “I was convinced it Conradi was a large drink, so I went up to the counter and told them they gave me a bigger drink than I had ordered. It turned out it was a small drink — I just wasn’t used to the big sizes here.”

Conradi said she was surprised by the strictness of school.

“I didn’t think the dress code and the teachers would be so strict,” she said. “There is also a lot of rules, like you [can’t] leave the class before the bell rings.”

Even though Conradi said she liked her visit, she plans to study in Austria and maybe visit America in the future.

“I am currently planning to go to the University of Vienna to become an English and history teacher,” she said. “I would like to take a gap year to travel to Africa to do some work where help is needed.”

Conradi said this experience has given her more than just memories.

“I used to live with an Indian host family first semester, so I learned a lot about culture and about cultural differences here,” she said. “I also learned a lot about myself — I’m very independent.”

Blue Valley is one of many schools that hosts a foreign exchange program for students worldwide. This year, BV hosted three individuals who came from different parts of the world. These seniors discussed their experiences and plans after graduation.

of the American culture Before she arrived at Blue Valley, senior caused her concern.

Anel Samekova, foreign “It’s just surprising how everyone just eats exchange student from lots of food most of Kazakhstan, said she was the time, such as junk in for a surprise.

She said she didn’t food,” she said. “When know what the people my host mom asked me were going to be like, Samekova if I wanted cereal for breakfast, I just looked at which astonished her. her because [cereal] is just “Everybody was just so open that people can talk to each a snack for me.”

Even though Samekova said other, even if you don’t know the person that well,” Samekova said. she enjoyed her stay, she is still going back home to see her family She said she enjoyed her time and study civil engineering at at BV because of its friendly Nazarbayev University. environment.

Samekova said she would miss “I love Blue Valley a lot because her host family, her friends and her it’s like a big, huge family who is always together and cares about classmates the most.

“It’s a good experience,” she said. each other,” she said.

“It’s helped me to grow as a person Though Samekova loved BV and find new abilities in myself.” and the people, she said one aspect

The western side of the world movies, so to have a first-hand has been quite fascinating, said experience is really different.” senior Jamal Mughal, a foreign Mughal said he was shocked by exchange student from Pakistan. an incident that took place during He said many things astounded his visit to Washington, DC. him during his time in America.

“Me and a couple other exchange students were exploring “It was a completely different experience,” Mughal said. “There a neighborhood [when] one are day-to-day routines that might man stopped us and asked what Mughal be different from the ones in we were doing,” he said. “We explained to him that we were Pakistan because it’s a different foreign exchange students from Pakistan, culture and religion. The only thing you know about America is when you watch and after hearing this, the guy proudly said,

‘Well, how does it feel to finally be free?’”

After graduation, Mughal said he plans to return to Pakistan and will attend college in either the United States or in Pakistan, pending his acceptance.

“I still haven’t decided on what college I want to go to, but I would like to pursue a career in medicine,” he said.

Mughal said this program facilitates learning about other cultures.

“I would recommend this to other people because it helps broaden your perspective of the world,” he said.

Page designed and stories by Ifrah Sayyada.

28 seniorsection May 2015

Military Man Opportunity to play football, family veterans inspire senior to attend military academy meganhegarty staff writer Imagine the amount of work that goes into playing any sport, especially football in college. Double that is what it takes to play football at a military academy.

Senior Braydon Huschka will play football for the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, Colorado, next year on a full-ride scholarship. He reports on July 15 and will be enlisted in the Air Force for at least five years after graduating.

“You become a commissioned officer right out of [college] graduation, so I’ll be in the top 5 percent of the military as soon as I graduate,” Huschka said. “I want to make a career out of it and serve at least 20 years.”

Huschka said he’s wanted to be in the military his entire life and has a long family history of military service.

“My dad was a soldier, his dad was a soldier and my mom’s dad was a soldier,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to go to a military academy.

I didn’t care what branch it was, as long as it was an

academy.”

He said the scholarship was the deciding factor when he chose the Air Force.

“It’s a $500,000 education that I don’t have to pay a cent of,” Huschka said. “I’m actually getting paid to go there.”

The strict atmosphere of a military academy makes the experience different from a normal college, Huschka said.

“You’re basically held to a higher standard,” he said. “You can’t drink or do drugs, obviously. Freshmen can’t walk on the sidewalk, and they even encourage hazing.”

He said being able to play football in college was important to him.

“Football has been a part of my life forever,” Huschka said. “It’s just one of those things I can’t let go of — it’s helped me through a lot and just been there for me.”

Once football starts, he said the training schedule is rigorous.

“The practices are different because they’re shorter, but there [are] three a day,”

Page designed and photo by Megan Hegarty.

he he said.

“Other schools I’ve seen have a lot more free time, but with football at Air Force, they don’t have [much].”

The Air Force Academy encourages their athletes to do well both on the field and in the classroom, Huschka said.

“They put a much higher emphasis on education, and the football team is required to have a three-hour study hall every day,” he said.

Huschka said he wants to use his time at the academy to become a strong soldier.

“I just want to be at a high level where I can be a really good military officer after graduation,” he said.

May 2015 seniorsection 29

metamorphosis

Seniors reflect on high school transformations

“I got lazy. I used to spend 20 minutes doing my hair every day, and now I spend less than five.”

— senior Ricky Chen “Eighth grade, I bobbed my hair. Then sophomore and junior year, I had hair down to my butt. I cut it short again senior year but not nearly as short as [before].”

— senior Marisa Womack

“One of the main things that changed for me is my hair, and I started wearing clothes that are more comfortable.”

— senior Julia Garrett

“Freshman year, I looked like a 5 year old, and I did until the end of sophomore year. Now, I don’t.”

— senior Eli Kahn

“I lost a lot of weight since freshman year and grew like six inches.”

— senior Jackson Snow “Not as chunky, but definitely still spunky.”

— senior Morgan Greenstreet

Quotes gathered by Hope Brown and Sophia Ragomo.

Page designed by Hope Brown.

30 seniorsection May 2015

Wild Into the

Senior to dedicate month exploring Alaskan wilderness gennifergeer managing editor

Alaska is known as the final frontier of uncharted territory. Nature dominates the terrain, and humans have to adapt to the harsh conditions. Those venturing out into the wilderness with only a backpack, their fellow adventurers and their own brains must carefully plan the endeavor.

Senior Sam Reber embarks on such a journey July 1 with the National Outdoor Leadership School.

Beginning in Palmer, Alaska, Reber will spend a month hiking in unmapped Alaskan forest.

“We leave from Palmer on foot,” Reber said. “I guess we just end up back in Palmer 30 days from then.”

Despite saying he doesn’t have much

Photos submitted by Juliona L’Heureux.

Page designed by Gennifer Geer.

experience outdoors, he isn’t concerned for the trip.

“The organization is like a school,” he said. “It’s a leadership program, so they’re not just taking me out, they’re teaching me the skills to do it on my own.”

Reber said the program fulfills a lifelong dream of his.

“I’ve been wanting to go backpacking and hiking across the world for a long time, but I think this is the best opportunity to learn how to do it,” he said.

He started planning the trip in January this year, but said it was an impulsive decision. “[Social studies teacher Kristoffer] Barikmo told me about the organization that puts it on,” Reber said. “By the end of February, I had to have a decision made because we had to start making payments for it early. It was a

spur-of-the-moment thing.”

Reber said he is excited to have signed up for the trip.

“It’s the summer before college, so I needed something to fill my time,” he said.

“I think the leadership skills it will provide will be very important, but I don’t think the hiking and the backpacking is going to help me as much in college unless I drop out of college and live on the streets.”

Though he’ll learn survival from the program, Reber said he thinks the experience will be trying.

“The farthest north I’ve been is Chicago,” he said. “I think it’s going to be a reality check. It’ll be a shock for me the first couple days [and] weeks I’m out there because I’m not used to it. I’ll have this newfound respect for everything I own because I won’t have anything while I’m out there besides a tent.”

May 2015 seniorsection 31

Cartoon by Mandy Novicoff.

What’s your most memorable high school experience?

Katie Mercer

“My first football game — as a transfer student, my sophomore year was the first time I had ever been to a school that had a football team.

To say I was excited for my first Friday night under the lights was an understatement. However, the memorable part was falling down the bleachers and getting a nice sized bruise.

Despite my clumsiness, that game was awesome.”

Kristina Jewell

“My most memorable experience was being on the swim team. Being with my best friends and teammates for three months, six days a week, five hours each day really made my years at BV so much more amazing.”

Jenny Tabakh

“The night before my first AP exam, I planned to relax and go to sleep early. Instead, [senior] Kyana [Tehrani] convinced me to meditate with her. We ended up falling asleep on the floor and waking up at 2 a.m.”

Rylie Walter

“I vividly remember the blackout freshman year. It was Dec. 12 — the day Zach Naatz asked me out with a note. It was cute because he was nervous even though he knew I wouldn’t say no. We have been together since, so I remember it really well.”

Zach Naatz

“Grilling out and unleashing my inner chef at the cross country State meet.”

Tori Wiegers

“TPing a friend’s house and being caught. The neighbors started yelling, and we bolted.”

Lindsey Taulbee

“I remember the day we came back to school after Reat died, and we all sat in the PAC wearing white.

Those of us who knew Reat were on stage holding hands. Those who didn’t were still seated and kept absolutely silent, and it showed us they were there for us and we had their support. I felt like we were an actual family that day.”

Ashleigh Boeckmann

“The most memorable moment I’ve had is the rap battles we had in the senior hall.”

Alex Vorhies

“My most memorable experience from high school was freshman year when I was in ‘Crazy for You,’ and we won best show in the metro area at the Blue Star Awards.”

How have you changed throughout high school?

Chloe Ortbals

“I am more outgoing and strong. I have developed into a person I am proud to be.”

Mimi Davis

“I have changed in my spiritual beliefs, my maturity level — hopefully — my Linden Hoffman “I loved Buckets for physical appearance Bacon senior year. It — thank God — and was a great and mean- my plans for the ingful experience.” future.”

Rachel Stang

“I’ve learned to love my life and love myself. I used to find ways to be upset about everything, but I’ve found that life is so much better when you have a happy outlook.”

Nicholas Williams

Andrea Rinehart

“I used to be quiet and keep my thoughts to myself — now I just say it.”

Justin Hutchison

“I learned how to do work I hate and grew as a person.”

Jake Mikuls

“I used to be a 9.5.

Now I’m a solid 10 no matter how you look at it.”

“High school has given me the wisdom that there is not Luis Oliveira Nicholas Nugent Megan Rogers always one correct an“Meeting Mason “Over the years, I swer. Every situation “I’ve learned how to become happy.”

Lynch and Nate have discovered who can be taken from Luke Kennedy Hardy. I ran out into I am and who I want many perspectives, “I have been more the junior hallway the to be. I have become a and you shouldn’t outgoing and less timday after crashing my lot more comfortable stress about finding id, frequently coming car and asked, ‘Who in my own skin and just one.” out of my comfort wants to take me to am a much happier Seth Walter zone to take new Lenexa?’ because I person overall.”

“By over a foot.” opportunities.” had lost my phone.

I was frustrated and What advice do you have for underclassmen? didn’t expect any Erin Schaper Zoe Larson David Berkowitz serious response to “Don’t worry about “If you take too many “Don’t argue with my request. To my other people’s opinAP classes, you’ll die.” teachers on Twitter.” surprise, this Dragon- ions, and make sure Whitney Sherraden Ashleigh Tysick Ball-Z-looking chump to take an easy course “Keep to your per“Keep your head held pops his head over sonal standards. I high. Don’t let anyone load senior year.” the lockers and told survived all of high drag you down. Have Payton Wise me to come with him. “Don’t sweat the petty school being straight- courage, and be kind.”

We drove in the pour- things, and don’t pet edge — no giving Haley Hartman ing rain with the top the sweaty things “Do your assigninto peer pressure down to Smiley’s Golf — thanks Gabby ments, but know that — and I couldn’t be Course, recovered missing a few isn’t Gunnerson.” any prouder of that my phone and made Grace Frederick accomplishment. You worth the stress.” some really strange Jennifer Nelson “Go to every game, can live through high “Don’t stay in friendfriends on the way.” and get involved.” school without the Luke Slagle ships if they are toxic.

Connor Mohar unnecessary stress “Scoring my first hat “Try harder.”

Find a new friend that stuff brings.” trick in my first varsiNatalie Thomas group, and you will be Brina DeWeese “Don’t be scared to ty game my sophomuch happier.”

“Senioritis is real — have big dreams for more year.” be prepared.” your future.”

Page designed by Lauren Huesers.

32 seniorsection May 2015

Education Without Borders

Senior capitalizes on opportunity to teach English abroad, experience culture rachellock entertainment editor

Instead of the traditional college route, senior Kendra LaRoche is taking an English teaching job in Ancud, Chile, on a gap year.

LaRoche said she is currently getting her Teaching English as a Foreign Language certification, which allows a student to teach in different countries without a college degree.

She said she will be teaching kindergarten to third-grade students on her own after a few months of assistant teaching.

“I was applying to colleges, and I just realized that I didn’t want to go right after high school because school has always been super draining for me,” she said. “I wanted to do something important and kind of figure out what I wanted to do before I went to college.”

Though she was initially unsure about the process, LaRoche said teaching abroad was always a proposition that intrigued her.

“I didn’t think at first that I could do it,” she said. “I’ve never gone so far out of my comfort zone like that. Then I started talking to people about it, and they said, ‘No that’s so exciting — I wish I could do something like that.’ I just thought, ‘Why can’t we? I’m going to do it.’”

LaRoche said she plans to attend Kansas State University after her gap year but isn’t limiting herself to that plan.

“We’ll see what happens after Chile — if I want to stay there an extra year, then I’ll do that,” she said. “I’m just kind of going with it.”

LaRoche said her family and friends were supportive of her future plans.

“My whole family was super excited,” she said. “They thought it was the best thing for me to do because they know how I feel about going to school next year. They said that if I was going to take a year off, why not do something like this with it.”

Social studies teacher Brian Mowry was an inspiration for her, LaRoche said.

Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

Page designed by Rachel Lock.

“I was thinking of how comfortable I am in this school setting and how it’s so easy to just get by. If I’m comfortable and not looking for new things and experiencing new things, I don’t feel like I’m learning.”

— Kendra LaRoche

“He said something in class like, ‘You’re not learning unless you are uncomfortable,’ and I was thinking of how comfortable I am in this school setting and how it’s so easy to just get by,” she said. “If I’m comfortable and not looking for new things and experiencing new things, I don’t feel like I’m learning.”

LaRoche said she feels this trip will change her outlook on life.

“I just felt like I needed to do something that puts me way out so I can come back and be OK with anything and not be uncomfortable in any position,” she said. “[I feel like] I could do anything after I go there.”

Along with a group of other students, LaRoche said her stay will be paid for in exchange for services such as farm help, planting and basket weaving through a program called World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms.

“Being away from my family and friends and not knowing anyone is the scariest part,”

she said. “If I want to talk to my family, I’ll have to go into the city, which is pretty far from where I’m going to be. I’ll only be able to talk to them a few times in the year, but they all plan to come see me during Christmas, so that’ll be exciting.”

LaRoche said her interest in South America led her to choose Chile for her location.

“Chile is just beautiful — it’s where I wanted to go,” she said. “They’re so blocked off from other influences of so many other cultures because it is hard to get there.”

LaRoche said her students will come from rural areas where they can’t afford private education, and public school English teaching is inadequate.

“Hopefully I have an impact on [my students] — I hope to help them,” she said. “I think it will be a really different perspective for me since I’ve always been the student.

Working with the kids and getting to know them — that’s the most exciting part for me.”

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May 2015 centerstage 35

+++

page of positivity+++

Happy stories shared; BV community gives compliments

+

What is one happy thing that has happened in your life recently?

“I got to spend my spring break with my mom and my aunt, and we had a really fun and relaxing girls weekend, which is exactly what I need before college.” — senior Sarah Olson

+

“Last semester, I got straight As, and I got inducted into National Honor Society. That was really exciting for me.”

— junior Valeria Caldera “I saw Adam Wade. He taught me how to math — it was gorgeous.”

— freshman Max Wang “I made JV baseball.” — sophomore JD Jones “I had my boyfriend and my one-year anniversary. We went to Panda Express, and then he took me to Kohls. He got me [a] ring.”

— sophomore Ashley Thompson “I got a kitten on Craigslist. He’s a flame point Siamese — he’s all white and has orange markings on his face and tail. He’s my favorite thing in the universe. He likes to cuddle.” — junior Rachel Pires

+

What is one compliment you’d tell someone if you had the chance?

“[Senior] Maddie Coole is always trying her best to create a happier atmosphere. She tries not to complain so much like other people do, and she tries to focus on other people’s circumstances.”

— senior Whitney Sherraden “[Senior] Luis [Oliveira] has the best laugh.” — senior Blake Berger “I would pay a compliment to Señora Gouger. I would just say thank you for always being there to listen and for all your help and advice.”

— senior Cade Blackburn

“I would give it to [freshman] Bobby Feller for being nice and showing respect.” — freshman Ben Jestel “[Sophomore] Kailey Meacham — I’ve never heard her say a negative comment about anyone.” — sophomore Marianna Montgomery “My friend [sophomore] Emily Homolka makes my day because she is really fun to talk to in Anatomy. She loves making jokes about the cats, and that’s always fun.” — sophomore Jillian Hardeman

What is something in life that makes you happy?

sophomore caleb alley

sophomore morgan hoffman

junior lizzy meizenbach

junior emma ivers

Page designed, story and photos by Sally Cochran.

36 centerstage May 2015

Summer

Stylings

Harem Pants: Light-weight pants, often in a baggy fit Wear with: A loose fitting crop T-shirt to create a nice balance to the loose fit of the pants. To play to the boho side of this look, include a pair of chunky leather slide sandals (such as Birkenstocks) and a leather wrap bracelet.

Feminine fashion ideas to replace traditional jean shorts It’s almost summer, which means breaking out the typical uniform: denim shorts. Bored with the usual routine? Look no further. Below is an array of alternatives to ensure you have a stylish summer.

Maxi Skirt: A long, breezy skirt ending at the ankle Wear with: A tight-fitting tank top in a coordinating color to the skirt.

Tie a denim shirt over the tank. For shoes, pair this look with short leather brown boots. On a sunny day, a floppy sun hat adds a nice touch.

Story and sketches by Sophia Ragomo. Page designed by Sophia Ragomo.

Shortalls: A mix between overalls and denim shorts Wear with: A muscle tee, preferably in a neutral color such as black, gray or khaki. Wear a bright bandeau underneath for a pop of color. For accessories, layered necklaces work as a more feminine element. To top it off with a sporty edge, add old-school tennis shoes.

May 2015 payin’thebills 37

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38 centerstage May 2015

KANSAS CITYSUMMER Summer events calendar for staying in town

MAY 29-JUNE 1 | WICHITA RIVERFEST

Live music, festival food, the River Run and more in downtown Wichita

ERNAT

CK/ALT

12-15 | PARADISE CREEK FESTIVAL Car show, parade, live entertainment, dance and BBQ in Plainville, Kansas

“Country Boy Can Survive” — Hank Williams Jr. “Fly Away” — Tim McGraw “Take Me Home, Country Roads” — John Denver “Toes” — Zac Brown Band “Something To Be Proud Of” — Montgomery Gentry “Love Story” — Taylor Swift “Arlington” — Trace Adkins “American Ride” — Toby Keith “Dirt” — Florida Georgia Line “Redneck Yacht Club” — Craig Morgan

D— RO

FESTIVAL A celebration of Slavic culture in the nation through food, history and entertainment in Sugar Creek, Missouri

RAY BRANDLEY — COUNTRY

“#88” — Lo-Fan “Future g people ” — Ala Shakes bama “Appare ntly” — “Nante J. Cole s” “Sad M — Beruit ac Robins hine” — Porte on r “Needle ” — Bo rn “Sleepin g Lesso Ruffians Shins ns” — The “Baby B lue” — A “Silent Movies ction Bronson ” — Ma Ward a dison nd The M “First” — Cold amma Bear W “What Up Man ar Kids ” — Th Kids e Cool “Hands Down” — The ing Com Greetmittee

ERLAN

JUNE 5-6 | SUGAR CREEK SLAVIC

5-7 | DOWNTOWN DAYS STREETS ALIVE Live entertainment, a variety of vendors, BBQ contest and carnival in Lee’s Summit

IVE

30 | THE COLOR RUN 5K KANSAS CITY “The Happiest 5K on the Planet” at Arrowhead Stadium

SOUTH

Sporting KC games Royals games T-Bones games Worlds of Fun Oceans of Fun 12 Baltimore Bar & Cafe acoustic Thursdays Downtown Lee’s Summit Farmers Market every Wednesday and Saturday Starlight Theatre Camping Blue Springs Campground Fleming Park Longview Campground Longview Lake Park Longview Lake Beach Pinstripes

13-14 | CROWN CENTER ANTIQUE FESTIVAL Shop from more than 40 vendors at nearly 100 booths

JAMIE

ANYTIME

29-31 | PRAIRIE VILLAGE ART SHOW Celebrating the 59th anniversary of one of the oldest shows in the city

SAM CHEESEBROUGH — RAP “Juice” — Chance The Rapper “Ms. Jackson” — OutKast “Often” — The Weeknd “Swimming Pools” — Kendrick Lamar “Off the Corner” — Meek Mill (feat. Rick Ross) “All I Need” — Juicy J “Young Jedi” — Logic (feat. Dizzy Wright) “Blessings” — Big Sean “Headband” — B.o.B. (feat. 2 Chainz) “Cameras” — Wiz Khalifa

Page designed by Alli Williams. Information gathered by Alli, Williams, Molly Johnson, Rachel Lock, Riley Miller and Sophia Ragomo.

May 2015 centerstage 39

WIN

The Tiger Print has two tickets for Van’s Warped Tour July 30 we’re giving away to one lucky winner.

Tweet @bvtigernews a video of you jamming to your favorite 2015 Warped Tour band.

The entry with the most favorites and retweets by May 11 wins. Favorites = 1 point; Retweets = 2 points.

19 | FOLK FEST Concert featuring folk, world and bluegrass music performed by local metro bands in Lee’s Summit 20-22 | FIESTA KANSAS CITY Celebrate Hispanic culture with food and live entertainment at Crown Center 23 | TYLER THE CREATOR CONCERT Arvest Bank Theatre at the Midland 27 | FROYO 5K A customized cup of froyo at the finish at the Liberty Memorial

JULY 16-19 | FRANKLIN COUNTY FAIR AND RODEO Rodeo, demolition derby and carnival in Ottawa, Kansas

17 | JAMAICAN JAM Free, live concerts featuring local KC bands playing the island sounds of reggae in Lee’s Summit 18 | INSANE INFLATABLE 5K 5K course filled with the world’s largest and most extreme inflatable obstacles at Kansas Speedway 21 | BOYS OF ZUMMER TOUR Wiz Khalifa and Hoodie Allen at Cricket Wireless Amphitheater 24 | PAPER TOWNS Movie adaptation of John Green’s Paper Towns starring Nat Wolff and Cara Delevingne releases in theaters 25 | BUZZ BEACH BALL Alternative bands at Sporting Park

25 | CONQUER THE GAUNTLET WICHITA 3.84 mile race with 25 obstacles including rock walls and the swamp crawl 27-AUG 1 | JOHNSON COUNTY FAIR Carnival, dog show, pie eating contest and parade in Gardner, Kansas 30 | VAN’S WARPED TOUR Bands like Asking Alexandria and BoyMeetsWorld at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

AUGUST 8-9 | SLIDE THE CITY

Slip-and-slide on 1,000 feet of slick vinyl through Kansas City

KEY

movie

SUMMER playlists

shopping

GABE EUBANKS — ROCK

“Free Bird” — Lynyrd Skynyrd “Bohemian Rhapsody” — Queen “Basket Case” — Green Day “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For” — U2 “Hotel California” — The Eagles “Revolution” — The Beatles “Honky Tonk Women” — The Rolling Stones “Dream On” — Aerosmith “Crocodile Rock” — Elton John “Smells Like Teen Spirit” — Nirvana

exercise concert festival

BRANDON FORDIANI — METALCORE

“Another Song About the Weekend” — A Day to Remember “Empty Space” — The Story So Far “High Regard” — The Story So Far “I’m Made of Wax Larry, What’re you Made of?” — A Day To Remember “Sarcasm” — Get Scared “Karma Made me an Arsonist” — Outline In Color “Rise of the Runaways” — Crown The Empire “Dear Youth” — The Ghost Inside “Chop Suey!” — System Of A Down “Glad You Came” — We Came As Romans

40 centerstage May 2015 the

Tiger Print’s SURVIVAL

Guide

Let’s face it — we can’t all be social butterflies. For some, social situations such as all the graduation parties coming up are places to thrive and experience the joy of meeting new, interesting people. But, for those who share the opinions that small talk

1.) Come equipped with an escape plan.

Bring the 007 out in you, and escape through the air vents. Then, army crawl through the grass, and run to your car. When you speed away, be sure to squeal your wheels for a dramatic ending.

2.) Drag a few friends along.

Things are always better when you are guaranteed to know someone there. Carpool to ensure he or she doesn’t show up late or mysteriously cancel, and it even helps you do your part to save the environment.

3.) Bring a sweet gift so you don’t seem rude for wanting to leave.

Yes, we are suggesting bribery.

4.) Always be armed with conversation topics.

Don’t be that one person who has nothing interesting to say.

However, if you are in a particularly boring conversation bind — talking to a senile relative, perhaps, or stuck braiding a younger patron’s hair — you can always employ the trusty smile, nod and walk away technique.

5.) Pretend you have a bloody nose.

When all else fails, you will always have this. And you can make your exit with a bit of dramatic flair.

Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

Story and page designed by Rachel Lock and Charlotte Rooney.

is tedious and meeting someone’s second cousin who still lives at home isn’t exactly what you’d deem “interesting,” we have a few tips to get you through the painful experience.

Here are the best ways to survive uncomfortable grad parties.

6.) Make a fake identity.

You can be a cooler, funnier version of yourself. Convince everyone you’re from a faraway place — but be sure to get the accent right. People will like you, but it doesn’t matter whether you like them because you’re from Finland.

7.) Play juvenile pranks.

You’ve been forced into bringing someone a card with money in it — at least you can have some fun. Equip yourself with whoopee cushions, air horns, silly string and fake spiders. The guests won’t appreciate it, but you may.

8.) Monopolize the food table.

Grad parties include grilled food, chips, bowls of dip and plenty of dessert. Bring a big bag, tip the table and get out of there.

9.) Make origami out of the napkins.

Guests will be impressed with your less-than-mediocre skills, and you may pick up someone interesting — or creepy. Look up some folding tips, and blow the crowd away.

10.) Engage the elderly in a game of bingo.

They probably can’t hear how annoying you are, so you’re safe. Call out some numbers, hear the oldies whine about losing and after an hour, you can leave the grad party quietly.

May 2015 payin’thebills 41

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42 tigerturf May 2015

Seasons May Change

Dual-sport students compare, contrast aspects of athletics Sophomore Marie Young — cross country and track

Question: What’s your favorite thing about cross country?

Answer: “Probably all the people I run with. I like all the courses and being outside. You get to run through a variety of places, not just a track. Pretty much the people are the best part.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing about track?

A: “It has more individual aspects, so I get to really focus on myself and not really worry so much about how I’m going to affect the team. I get to focus on my times and getting them to go down.”

Q: How do the two sports differ?

A: “Cross country has a little bit longer races, and you get to run on grass or gravel or dirt — you go through the woods or fields.

You get more nature in your runs. But on the

Junior Tanner Fox — football and baseball

Question: What’s your favorite thing about football?

Answer: “Probably how much of a team game it is. It’s a lot of fun to go out on Friday nights and play.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing about baseball?

A: “I would say probably how hard it is. People can’t just go out and play it and not practice. You have to work really hard at it.”

Q: How do the two sports differ?

A: “In baseball, you can get away with having a few really good players, but in football, every play matters. If one person messed up, then the whole

Junior Maddie Newell — basketball and soccer

Question: What’s your favorite thing about basketball?

Answer: “I really love all of the girls on the team. It’s cool that we get to play every team twice, so if we don’t do so [well] the first time, we get to have a second chance.”

Q: What’s your favorite thing about soccer?

A: “Soccer is more laid-back. So, I go from basketball, which is pretty intense, to more of a sport for fun.”

Q: How do the two sports differ?

A: “Basketball season is a lot longer, and we play every team twice, whereas soccer we play every team once, and it’s much shorter.”

Q: Do you prefer one sport over the other? Why? Page designed by Sheila Gregory and Hope Brown Photos by Sophia Ragomo.

track, you are just running in circles. It’s a lot more speed-based, too.”

Q: Do you prefer one sport over the other? Why? A: “I like cross country a lot better because it has the whole team-mentality, whereas track is very individual. The track gets boring because you are just running in loops.”

Q: Does participating in one sport help you excel in the other?

A: “I think track helps me in cross country because I get a solid base for speed. It also helps my confidence since I get to focus on myself in track. That helps me build confidence as a runner which then transfers into cross country.”

Q: How are the activities you do in each sport similar?

A: “The practices are pretty much the same — the people are the same. We do all the same routes.”

Story by Sheila Gregory.

team pays for it.”

Q: Do you prefer one sport over the other? Why? A: “Baseball because I’ve played that probably for the longest, and that’s the one I’m playing in college.”

Q: Does participating in one sport help you excel in the other?

A: “Both sports have a lot of speed involved, and they’re pretty fast games.”

Q: How are the activities you do in each sport similar?

A: “They both take a lot of time. You have to be pretty committed to do both of them.”

Story by Ifrah Sayyada.

A: “I like basketball better because I’ve been playing it longer, and I’ve dedicated more time throughout my childhood to basketball.”

Q: Does participating in one sport help you excel in the other?

A: “One of my factors for continuing to play soccer is that it helps keep my conditioning up. Even though basketball is more running short sprints, whereas soccer is continuous long distance, soccer does help with conditioning.”

Q: How are the activities you do in each sport similar?

A: “We practice every day after school, and JV and varsity practice together and scrimmage.”

Story by Hope Brown.

May 2015 tigerturf 43

Former BV swimmer becomes new assistant coach gracegearon staff writer Many underclassmen count down the days until their senior year spring break in Mexico. They dream of sandy beaches, salty water and fun resort activities.

For Blue Valley alumnus and school-record-breaking swimmer Alex Fraser, this trip changed his life forever.

After damaging his C-5 vertebrae while surfing in Mexico, his relationship with swimming seemed to be over.

However, this was not the case.

Fraser has recently been given the opportunity to assist his former BV swim coach Adam Bien, who has been coaching at BV for four years. Although he said it was initially difficult, Fraser is happy to be back at the pool.

“It was weird and frustrating at first, but I’ve learned to accept it for what it is,” Fraser said. “I’m glad to get the

opportunity to coach.”

When Fraser was no longer able to swim, Bien said he wanted to find a way to keep him working around the sport Fraser loves.

“Alex was one of the best leaders I have had on a high school team,” Bien said. “I wanted to keep him involved in the program and give him an opportunity to pass on his knowledge and work ethic. He knows what it takes to excel in our sport. He expressed interest in coaching in the future, so I wanted to take him under my wing and teach him what it takes to be a good coach and teacher.”

As an assistant coach, Fraser said he provides an extra set of eyes for Bien during the three practices he assists with each week.

Fraser said he enjoys his job and has fun learning from and working with Bien during these practices.

“I help coach Bien with whatever he

needs,” Fraser said. “Mainly I make sure everyone is doing the right thing and help kids with their strokes.”

Bien said Fraser’s experience as a recently graduated Blue Valley swimmer gives him a unique edge when coaching.

“Alex is only a year out of high school,” Bien said. “I believe this helps him really relate to the swimmers because he has done everything they do each year. With his obstacles he has gone through the past year, he gives great perspective to really enjoy what they are doing because you never know when it may be taken away from you.”

Bien said Fraser does not let his injury hinder his coaching.

“He has the same drive and motivation he had before, but now his goals are just different,” Bien said. “He lives by the motto ‘C-5 will not define me.’ He is going to live his life not as someone with disabilities but just obstacles to overcome.”

Page designed by Grace Gearon.

44 tigerturf May 2015

The Club Team Athletes join lacrosse organization due to lack of school-sanctioned team alliwilliams staff writer The inaugural season for the Blue Valley Tigers’ boys lacrosse team is in full swing.

The team — predominantly composed of freshmen — consists of students from both BV and BV Northwest. Since there are no school-sponsored lacrosse teams, they play in the Lacrosse Association of Kansas City (LAKC). The team is divided into two separate JV teams for games — JV1 and JV2.

“It’s the whole Kansas City and all the schools in it, whether you’re on the Kansas or Missouri side,” freshman Kyle Elmendorf said.

Elmendorf said the team originally got its start in 2010, but this is the first year playing in the LAKC. “It’s just a fun sport — it’s kind of the best of everything,” he said.

“It involves lots of running like soccer, you can pass [the ball] around like basketball and [it has] the physicality of football.”

The team practices for two hours weekdays and Saturdays at BV’s field, the field on Switzer and at BV Southwest’s field.

Senior Luke Slagle has been playing lacrosse since 2008.

“I had a football game in elementary school, and I saw Photos by Molly Johnson.

Page designed by Alli Williams.

[people] playing on the other field,” Slagle said “I just wanted to try it out.”

Slagle said for the past three years he played for BV North’s team.

“This is my first year playing for Blue Valley,” he said. “I used to do cross country, but I stopped my senior year. It helped keep my stamina up for lacrosse.”

Instead of playing for State, the Blue Valley Tigers compete for the LAKC JV league championship at the end of their season.

However, Elmendorf said the differences between high school sports and club sports don’t end there.

Elmendorf said he would prefer to play for the school if there was a team.

“All of the school-sponsored sports get to practice right after school,” Elmendorf said. “We would get to practice right after school [rather than having] to go back to practice.”

Freshman Brett Florack said he got started on the team because his dad, Paul Florack, is the head coach. Just like Elmendorf, Brett said it would be better to be on a school team.

“Right now it’s coming more from us, whereas [with] the school team, more people would probably play because it’s less effort to [join],” he said.

May 2015 tigerturf 45

Behind the Mic and On the Field

Soccer coach, announcer reflects on favorite moments of coaching, announcing careers maddiedavis features editor Welcome to fall — it’s football season.

You’re in the stands with your friends, feeding off of the energy from the crowd.

A voice booms over the loudspeaker — Blue Valley has scored a touchdown.

The crowd explodes as players chestbump and high-five coming off the field.

Fast-forward to winter — it’s basketball season.

The gym is packed from floor to ceiling, and it’s a close game on the court.

A player going for a layup falls to the floor after being fouled.

The commentator announces the player gets two shots, which could tie the game.

He sinks both of them, the crowd cheering as the score evens.

Pan to spring — it’s girls soccer season.

Before the game, the coach calls over his players to give them a pep talk.

Football and basketball announcer and boys and girls JV soccer coach John Dale is involved in all three seasons.

Dale started coaching soccer in 2008, announcing basketball in 2010 and announcing football in 2014.

Beginning his soccer coaching career in Colorado, Dale said he decided to continue his love for the game after moving to Kansas.

“We moved here in 2007, and an opening came up in 2008, so I was lucky to get on as the C-team coach,” he said. “It was something I just fell in love with when I was coaching in Colorado, and I jumped at the chance to do it again. It’s worked out beautifully.”

Having been involved in radio and broadcasting for about 20 years beforehand, Dale said he decided to start announcing at BV. “I attended a couple of football and bas-

ketball games, and it looked like fun,” he said.

“I’m very comfortable with a microphone. I just love announcing, so I figured why not combine two things I like?”

Dale said there are similarities and differences between coaching and announcing.

“When I’m coaching my team, my singular focus is the well-being of my players and the outcome of that game,” he said. “When I’m announcing, I have other things to keep track of, and I’m not actively involved in the bettering of the team. I need to make sure everything is communicated professionally.

However, I do say things like, ‘Oh, she should have made that pass’ or, ‘He should have made that block,’ so that is definitely very similar to coaching.”

As an announcer and coach, Dale said he sometimes struggles to announce calls he doesn’t agree with.

“When a referee comes over to me and makes a call, I have to be completely unbiased in the way I announce the foul,” he said.

“It’s difficult, but it’s part of being a professional.”

Dale said although he thinks the entire BV School District is a unique place, he is definitely biased toward the BV Tigers.

“I am a Blue Valley Tiger at heart,” he said. “You can kind of tell when I’m announcing because I try and read the other team’s starting lineup like I’m reading the obituaries, and then I read ours as though our players are soldiers who have come home from war. We are very exciting, and the other team is boring.”

The ability to see soccer players play basketball is another aspect Dale said he loves about announcing.

“I cheer for those kids,” he said. “It’s also neat when I see kids playing basketball who I don’t know who are freshmen, and then they’ll show up for tryouts for girl’s soccer

and I’m like, ‘I know you — you play basketball.’”

Although Dale said being a coach and an announcer can be jobs that don’t get a lot of recognition, he “I am said he has gotten a Blue his fair share of Valley compliments and gratitude.

Tiger at “I was heart. You leaving at halftime can kind of of the BV tell when I’m football game announcing against because I try Gardand read the ner,” he said other team’s “The starting lineup Gardner like I’m reading coaches the obituaries, stopped me on and then I read the way ours as though out and asked me our players are if I was the soldiers who public address have come announcer for the Kansas City home from Royals. It was very war.” flattering.”

Dale said he cannot — John imagine not coaching or Dale announcing in the future.

“I don’t plan to stop doing either of them,” he said. “I love doing both of them, and I will continue to do those activities so long as the people at Blue Valley High School let me.”

Page design and photos by Maddie Davis.

46 tigerturf May 2015

Fielding Success Spring sports teams’ seasons briefed, reviewed Stories by Matt Antonic.

Girls Swim & Dive

Last season, the Tigers swim and dive teams took 13th place overall at the State Competition.

With the graduation of top-five swimmer Katya Vakshteyn, coach Adam Bien said this year’s group is younger but remains competitive.

“Replacing a really good Division-I swimmer is tough,” Bien said. “We’ve got a lot of great young girls stepping up for us because we’re a really young team.”

Already on the season, all three relay teams, two divers and two swimmers have qualified for State. Several other individuals remain in consideration for qualifying.

Page designed by Matt Antonic.

Baseball

After taking the 6A State crown last season, the Tiger baseball program returned just three starters from the championship squad. However, coach Tony Scardino had a plethora of experience waiting to step up with eight new seniors ready to defend the title. The new faces stepped into their roles and posted six wins in the season’s first nine games with strong defense and dominant pitching.

“I think we have a great team,” senior Brock Mason said. “We are having a great season, and we’re winning State.”

After a win over BV West at Kauffman Stadium and a tournament in Oklahoma, the team sits at 6-6 as of April 27.

Track & Field

The boys and girls teams have both found success in the early going.

At the annual Blue Valley Relays, the boys took first place overall in the team competition.

On the other side, the girls sprint medley of sophomore Azia Lynch and seniors Mattie Stafford, Annie Little and Gabby Gunnerson took home a first place finish and managed to set a new school record in the process.

“We won BV Relays, and there were a lot of PRs set,” senior Blake Berger said. “Coach [Eric Driskell] always said we could do really great this season and finish strong.”

Boys Tennis

The Tiger boys tennis program finished a respectable fifth place last year at State, and coach Nelson Elliot stepped down after the season’s end.

With Elliot having moved on, new coach Kim Francis has stepped up to fill the void.

This season, nine seniors return under new management.

Senior Arjun Prakash said the season began with high hopes and high results.

“We won the Emporia Tournament, and the only tournament we’ve lost was against Northwest,” Prakash said. “We’re pretty happy with that.” After Emporia, the boys won convincingly against BV Southwest and Bishop Miege, pushing their record to 4-2.

Boys Golf

Although the Tiger boys golf team did not qualify as a whole at last season’s State tournament, the team finished with four top-50 placers in the competition.

Two of those placers, senior Jacob Bell and sophomore Nick Beardslee return for a new season.

“We didn’t start off great, but we’re getting better with every tournament,” Bell said. “I’m pretty confident that we should be able to do that and get to the State Championship.”

The team had a fifth-place finish at the mid-season EKL tournament and a seventh-place finish at Lawrence Free State.

Softball

Six seniors return for their final season with the softball team.

The team began the year in style, outscoring their first two opponents 21-2.

However, the team hit a rough patch, dropping four consecutive games to Piper and Blue Valley Southwest.

“We hope to do a lot better than what we have started so far,” senior Hannah Wiesner said. “Our main goal this season is to go to State and to improve with every game we play.”

The Tigers snapped out of their funk by splitting a twogame series with BV North on April 21.

Girls Soccer

The Tigers returned a strong core of last year’s squad but with an entirely new defensive lineup.

The season started strong with a victory, but experienced upperclassmen Kat Retz and Sarah Olson suffered injuries early on, leaving gaps on the pitch. The beginning of EKL play saw the team drop excruciatingly close 1-0 defeats to rivals BV West and BV Southwest, putting the squad in an early hole.

“We have been dealing with a lot of injuries,” Olson said. “I think the team has done a really great job at coming together and working through them.”

The team won 6-1 against Wichita Trinity, putting them at 7-4.

May 2015 tigerturf 47

TIGER

TURF BV SPORTS

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1. Junior Emily Hanna swims breaststroke at the April 14 home meet. BV competed against Mill Valley, St. James and DeSoto on Senior Night. “I don’t swim breaststroke — I am forced to swim breaststroke,” Hanna said. “I love swimming because I somehow find joy in hard practices.” Photo by Isabelle Allen.

2. Freshman Katie Beth Jones throws in the first flight for javelin. Jones said her favorite aspect of track is being able to work out with her friends. “I participate in javelin because I enjoy it and have fun getting better at it,” Jones said. Photo by Isabelle Allen.

3. Following through on his swing, senior Dylan Smith prepares to run to first base. The team won its game 4-3 on April 15 against BV West at Kauffman Stadium. “My favorite part of playing at Kauffman was being in a professional atmosphere,” Smith said. “Even though there weren’t as many fans, it was still really cool.” Photo by Megan Hegarty.

4. Up to bat, sophomore Ashley Mercer swings for a hit. BV played BV Southwest on April 9. “It was literally freezing during the games, but I told my coach I was going to hit the ball,” Mercer said. “And I did, so that’s pretty chill.” Photo by Isabelle Allen.

5. Running, junior Bridget Howard protects the ball against an opponent. The Tigers lost the game on April 7 against BV West 1-0. “This year, we’ve had a lot of struggles,” Howard said. “We’ve come together and overcome our obstacles.” Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

6. During practice, sophomore Kale Samber putts the ball. Samber has played golf since he was 10 years old. “I like that it’s more of an individual sport,” Samber said. “I have to rely on myself instead of my teammates.”

Photo by Molly Johnson.

7. Freshman Christian Hansen hits the ball while playing against BV West. He lost 6-8. “[I started playing tennis because] I used to live in Florida, and that was the popular sport at the time,” he said. Photo by Molly Johnson.

Page designed by Molly Johnson and Sally Cochran.

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48 snapshot May 2015

Senior-Faculty Challenge

Seniors fall to faculty in annual competition

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1. Playing alongside volleyball coach Dave Johnson, ELA teacher Keil Pittman spikes the ball. “I grew up playing sand volleyball,” he said.

“I travelled around and played tournaments and played against Dave.” Photo by Molly Johnson.

2. After tug-of-war, seniors Mattie Stafford, Sarani Pachalla and Kelli Kuharich laugh on the gym floor. Photo by Molly Johnson.

3. Circling a bat, senior Casey Krug races with his relay team. “It was fun to compete with all my friends against teachers we’ve known all these years,” Krug said. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

4. Eye on the ball, senior David Berkowitz serves to the faculty. “It’s cool to finally [play] after three years of watching,” Berkowitz said. Photo by Isabelle Allen.

5. Racing against four other teams, senior Linden Hoffman rushes to tag her teammate. “I’ve been waiting since freshman year to participate in this competition,” Hoffman said. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

6. Senior Danny Waldron grimaces while competing in tug-of-war. “There were a

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5. lot of strong players,” Waldron said. Photo

by Molly Johnson.

7. Male faculty members tug against the senior boys. “[Winning the senior-faculty challenge] means we’re the most dominant force in the school,” science teacher Kale Mann said. Photo by Isabelle Allen.

8. After volleyball warmups, senior Brandon Fordiani and his teammates huddle together. “My favorite part was being with my friends and goofing off,” he said. Photo

by Maddie Davis.

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