The Tiger Print — September 2017

FREEDOMS OF FREE SPEECH

FIRSTAMENDMENT AMENDMENTISSUES ISSUES FIRST IGNITEDISCUSSION DISCUSSIONAMONG AMONG IGNITE STUDENTS,FACULTY FACULTY STUDENTS, |PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE

//THE TIGER PRINT

Blue Valley High School | Vol. 48 | Issue 2 | September 2017 | bvtigernews.com | Overland Park, Kansas

2 //september 2017 // contents

6

in this issue...

LADY POLITICIANS GAIN INFLUENCE

10

13 REASONS WHY NOT Staff writer Victoria Wilson calls for better television representation of mental health.

| DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU | PHOTOS BY THE TIGER PRINT STAFF

PERSONALITY-BASED YEARBOOK PICTURES Staff writer Allie Ament makes the argument for fun yearbook photos.

23 12

23

WORKING FOR THE FAM

Students express what it’s like to work for their family business.

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY ALLY SMITH

| PHOTO FROM IMDB

26

ALIENS MIGHT BE REAL

It’s very plausible that aliens are out there, even if we can’t prove it yet.

18 22

FEATURING NEW FACULTY

8 teachers join Blue Valley High School — we welcome them with a Q&A.

R

WHO IS GENERATION Z?

28

//TIGER PRINT THE

co-editors Julie Freijat Alli Williams Kaitlin Yu photo editor Melanie White

staff members Allie Ament Courtney Brown Cassidy Carpenter McKenna Cole Kyle Elmendorf Lily Goodwin

Molly Holmes Maddy Kang Noma Kreegar Nick Lamberti Shay Lawson Grace Lutz Sadie Myer

RENOVATED WEIGHT ROOM

Learn more about the legacy that former football coach Eric e left behind.

Carley Sherer Lizzie Skidmore Claire Stein Victoria Wilson adviser Michelle Huss

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students eight times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy.

Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

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@gmail.com or mailed to: The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

news // september 2017 //

3

OFF THE RADAR

the news you didn’t hear Betsy DeVos wants to rewrite campus rules about sexual assault.

| WORDS BY JULIE FREIJAT | PHOTOS BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

Earlier this month, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos said in a speech that her administration planned to rewrite the guidelines for handling sexual assault on campus.

While DeVos did not state any specific changes, she said the previous administration’s rules robbed accused students of their rights. This comes as instances of sexual assault on college campuses run rampant. DeVos’s plans to rewrite these rules stirred controversy, attracting groups from both sides to chime in with their opinions — including one of the previous secretaries of education, Arne Duncan, who heavily criticized DeVos’s actions.

POLITICS HEALTH This blood test can change lives.

A study published in the journal of “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” found that an experimental blood test can accurately diagnose Alzheimer’s disease with 86 percent sensitivity and specificity. Before this test, there had been only one conclusive test for diagnosing the disease which involved postmortem examination. Other than that, doctors relied on careful examination and brain scans to come to a conclusion. These methods are pricey and can take a long time. This new blood test can change lives — an early diagnosis allows for early intervention, which can improve the quality of life for patients.

The western United States is on fire. Literally.

In the past month, more than 70 wildfires were reported across nine different states — totalling 1.5 million acres of land. The total for this year is about 8 million acres — nearly doubling the 10-year average of 5 million acres. Nine firefighters have died battling the fires while upwards of 30 have been injured. While the fires span from the Pacific Northwest down to Denver, Colorado, Montana has been hit especially hard. The state spent over $50 million battling the flames.

ENVIRONMENT

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news // september 2017 //

5

Heat of the moment US expected to see warmer temperatures this fall

courtney brown staff writer Kansas always has had unpredictable weather. There’s always nice 70-degree weather for a week in the middle of February, it’s snowed in May and earlier this summer it was 60 degrees. The next three months usually begin to cool down, but this fall, the U.S. is going to experience above average temperatures, especially in the central part of the country.

However, areas in the Northeast will experience temperatures colder than usual.

Climate change is one of the factors causing this change in weather. The effects of climate change are beginning to show, making 2017 one of the hottest years to be recorded. Before this year, 2016 was the hottest.

Another addition is El Niño and La Niña— the cycling of warm and cold temperatures — though it is not expected to occur in 2017.

FAST FACTS

| INFORMATION FROM WEATHER CHANNEL AND NOAA

El Nin~o and La Nin~a occur every years

2-7

2016

The National Ocean service said the development of these two cycles can create abnormal weather patterns throughout the world.

However, according to the Weather Channel, the main cause of the upcoming warmer months is climate change.

Before it’s time to bring out the sweatshirts and hot chocolate and start enjoying everything we love about fall, there’s a couple warm months ahead to get through.

Earth is expected to warm by degrees this century

66

2017

is expected to be the hottest year yet

is currently the hottest year on record | PHOTO AND DESIGN BY COURTNEY BROWN

6 //september 2017 // news

|PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE Arm in arm, seniors Tristan Rios and Noah Kahn dance in the Chamber choir’s parent preview. Both the Chambers and Classy Ladies performed on Sept. 6 after just three weeks of preparation.

| PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE Talking to an underclassman, senior Halle Arnold advertises Book Club during the Activity Fair. “It was more of an opportunity to tell [underclassmen] more things about Book Club and make it easier to join the [clubs] you want,” she said.

| PHOTO BY MOLLY HOLMES Laughing, freshman Ava Raza plays musical chairs at the Freshman Frenzy. “We played musical chairs and had a relay [race],” Raza said. “[It] was really competitive.”

| PHOTO BY MOLLY HOLMES Dressed like Elvis Presley, principal Scott Bacon celebrates the baseball State championship. Bacon’s costume also recognized the accomplishments of the Bye, Bye Birdie cast’s multiple wins of the Blue Star Awards.

N I S NEW S O T PHO

news // september 2017 //

7

|PHOTO BY MELANIE WHITE Pretending to drive a car, sophomore Matthew Grigoratos acts in the Repertory Theatre’s first show of the year. “[My favorite part of Rep] is working with all the other people in the class,” he said. “It’s like a family.” | DESIGN BY MELANIE WHITE

8 //september 2017 //news

The Future is Female New wave of women politicians inspires next generation, shows potential as powerful political figures | WORDS AND DESIGN BY LIZZIE SKIDMORE

TAMMY DUCKWORTH

After losing both legs and partial use of her right arm in a helicopter explosion, veteran Tammy Duckworth became an important voice in the veteran community, fighting for better care of wounded soldiers, establishing a veteran hotline and working to improve veterans’ access to healthcare and housing. Duckworth was then appointed Assistant Secretary of Veteran Affairs under former president Barack Obama where she focused on decreasing the number of homeless veterans and addressing the distinct challenges Native American and female veterans face. Now, Duckworth works as a U.S. Senator for Illinois on four Senate committees fighting for clean water, safe infrastructure, public safety and supporting minority-owned small businesses.

KAMALA HARRIS

Kamala Harris has been a long-time advocate for civil and human rights.

Starting as the first female and African American Attorney General of California, Harris tirelessly fought for Californian’s rights to public safety and privacy.

She prosecuted criminal organizations involved in human trafficking, defended consumers and homeowners and won marriage equality for the state of California. Most recently, she was elected the second African American female Senator in U.S. history, working on four different Senate committees to fight cyber-crime and big corporate polluters, and to defend the Affordable Care Act and refugees and immigrants entering the country.

NIKKI HALEY

Becoming the first woman and IndianAmerican to serve as governor in South Carolina, Nikki Haley helped the state’s economy flourish under her governance. She talked to large corporations around the world to bring jobs to South Carolina, resulting in a decade record-low unemployment rate.

Haley also led the state when faced with a period of tragedy, speaking words of unity when met with the 1,000 year flood that devastated the state and when white supremacist Dylan Roof shot nine men and women in a hate crime. Currently, Haley serves as the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations under the Trump Administration, dealing with U.S. relations with countries such as North Korea and Iran.

RAISE YOUR VOICE

| Sivaanii Arunachalam, 10

“It’s important to have women in politics because, for so many years, males have dominated that field, and it’s time we put our two cents into matters like these.

Our country would probably doing way better.”

| PHOTOS BY TRIBUNE NEWS SERVICE

“Women are pretty underrepresented in governments across the world. Without equal representation in the government, women lose key rights and opportunities, and the sexist status quo not only persists but also thrives. Plus, women in strong positions act as a role model and an | Kevin Man, 12 inspiration, hopefully generating a new generation of less sexist people.”

opinion // september 2017 //

9

Ridding America of Confederate war statues benefits patriotism

alli williams co-editor in chief

The land of opportunity, the land of the free, the land of the brave.

As a nation, we believe in this democratic dream so fervently that we have gone to wars, fighting for the cause of spreading our system of government so democracy can be enjoyed by as many as possible.

Freedom is told through every anthem we sing and every firework shot in July.

So why do we allow our country to be filled with Confederate war monuments?

Why are we so stuck on honoring those who have tried — albeit unsuccessfully — to destroy the very values our nation was founded on and the values that allow us to stand out as a nation like none other?

The American Civil War took place during the 1860s between the Union — the United States — and the Confederates — those that seceded — over the conflict of slavery. After four years of fighting the bloodiest war in U.S. history, the Confederates surrendered. The Union won.

Don’t get roped into believing in this falsedilemma fallacy.

This argument isn’t about choosing between remembering the Civil War and tearing down Confederate statues.

There are simply more efficient and respectful ways for this nation to remind ourselves of such a destructive part of our history.

I’m all for education of history — I had a huge interest in learning about this era in school.

Take a stroll down the streets of Germany, and you won’t find any monuments of Hitler.

Even though they don’t exist, it’s pretty likely Germans won’t be forgetting about World War II anytime soon.

In August, a monument once donated by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1934 was removed from a KC park. According to the Kansas City Star, “the local memorial’s purpose was to recognize the women who supported the Confederacy and slavery.”

I’m sorry, what?

Recognize the women — the brave, patriotic women of our nation — for supporting the forced labor and captivity of human beings?

How noble.

Neither Kansas nor Missouri were ever part of the Confederacy, so why would this monument have ever had a place here?

America should not continue to honor the losers of the war so many of our ancestors sacrificed their lives for.

Rid our nation of these disdainful memorials, and protect our message of freedom for all.

| DESIGN BY ALLI WILLIAMS

10 //september 2017 // opinion

students should be able to express themselves in yearbook photos

allie ament staff writer

After a relaxing, stress-free summer you are forced to walk back into the doors of what is called school.

The first day is already dreaded enough, but having to worry about looking good for school photos just adds to the stress and anticipation.

From my past experiences, my yearbook photo is something I don’t ever want to see, nor do I want anyone else to see.

Sadly, the reality is that photo will show up everywhere for the rest of the school year.

Not only does it show up in the yearbook that all 1,600 students

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z

| PHOTOS & DESIGN BY NICK LAMBERTI

have access to, but it’s also on seating charts, on your student ID and on Synergy for attendance. You are haunted by that photo for which you were forced to smile awkwardly.

This year, I decided to spice up my school photo by giving the camera a little wink. I was told by the photographer to “just smile” and was immensely disappointed. Here I was again, forced to smile at the camera for the 11th year in a row.

It’s my school photo, why couldn’t I be allowed to make whatever face I pleased? I would have been very satisfied to receive a school photo that for once was my weird, silly self winking at the camera.

Going through the yearbook can be like looking at a herd of sheep — everyone looks the same.

!

!

Though it might look formal, your picture is your picture, so why not express yourself a little?

Imagine going through your yearbook now, except in every individual photo, a different personality is showcased how each person wants to be perceived.

If you want to showcase your “always laughing and having a good time” personality, go for a candid of you laughing.

If you want to showcase your chill and easygoing personality, throw up a peace sign.

The point is, do what feels comfortable and make your picture your own.

If how you choose to pose for your school photo is school appropriate, then why not have a little fun with it?

staff ed // september 2017 //

11

| CARTOON BY MARIE BIERNACKI

Inviting live bands to play at school dances would make students’ experiences more entertaining, enjoyable School dances are all the same now.

After dinner, people only pay and go to dances to socialize for an hour before going home or going to an after-party.

Once you’ve been to one dance, you’ve been to them all.

Some people don’t even go to dances — they’d rather do something else because it would be more fun.

Something needs to change. Dances need to be revitalized. Dances need live music.

Sure, DJs can be cool, but let’s face it — all they play is music that used to be Top-40 and songs like the “Cupid Shuffle” or “Don’t Stop Believin’.”

Live music will bring a new energy to dances that will invigorate students to have more fun.

If we contact a band early enough, then we create a custom playlist for them to follow.

Of course, the band can’t play the whole two to three hours of the dance, so we can have a playlist on a phone ready while they’re on a break.

If not the smaller dances, then at least bring live music to Prom, which is supposed to be different than the other dances.

At the current moment, the only difference about Prom is that it costs more and it’s hosted at a different place.

Live music would separate Prom from the other dances.

However, live music could be a commodity at all the dances.

They can be cheaper than DJs, which can cost around $1,000 to $1,500.

If we hire local music, then we’d be supporting their growth. The bands would love to play for us, and people would be very interested in supporting

local bands.

There are downfalls to getting local bands to play at the dance.

They could be lackluster or substandard. That is why we have to research the bands beforehand to make sure that the dance experience is the best it can be.

It would require more equipment to set up and check, and we would have to do more work to create good sound quality, but it would be worth it.

Imagine people dancing to the music like it’s a concert instead of awkwardly moving to the beat and talking to friends. Imagine people enjoying the music they’re listening to instead of being ambivalent to it. Imagine a dance more enjoyable and entertaining than any one you’ve been to yet.

Bring live music to our dances, Blue Valley.

This staff editorial is the representation of the opinion of The Tiger Print staff.

12 //september 2017 // opinion

Suicide

is

No Best-Seller

New Netflix show illustrates suicide and depression as a drama rather than a serious mental health epidemic victoria wIlson staff writer

The series “13 Reasons Why” gives the viewer 13 reasons as to why the fictional character Hannah Baker chose to end her life — I’ll give you two reasons as to why you shouldn’t watch the show.

The show illustrates suicide and depression as a theatrical production and sets a tone of ingenuity through the actors’ portrayals of their emotions and actions.

The series graphically shows Baker’s suicide, along with many other upsetting real life events.

The suicide scene adds to the theme of distasteful inclusions in the telling of Hannah Baker’s life.

Would it not have been possible to imply Hannah’s death? Or simply break to a scene shortly after?

To those who haven’t experienced depression and suicidal ideations, it may not seem like such a noteworthy point of discussion.

But to the people who have dealt with those types of feelings and urges, it can come across as triggering.

Making a simple change in scenes in order to shelter those who may react negatively or impulsively may have been the better route to go for this particular show.

But as we all know, censorship in the media doesn’t get quite as many

views as certain streaming platforms, such as Netflix, would like.

The second issue I had with this show is that the simple video production of the story displaces the importance of suicide awareness and mental illness onto superficial things like love triangles and fickle highschool problems.

“13 Reasons Why” was originally a book. Reading the story yourself and creating your own version of what the characters looked like and creating your own voice inflections when the characters spoke makes the story much more personal and thus reinstalls the severity of the overarching issues being written about.

Mental illness is serious.

It should be conveyed as so in the media, not through fictitious TV shows that place more importance on character relationships, interpersonal drama and publicity.

| WORDS AND DESIGN BY VICTORIA WILSON

opinion // september 2017 //

13

LIKE ME 16.1%

61.3%

12.9% %

According to Convince & Convert, 56 percent of Americans have a profile on a social-networking site. So it’s safe to say social media is an efficient tool many of us like to believe we benefit from.

We get to connect and communicate with millions of people we wouldn’t on a daily basis. s houernt on We learn and are exposed to more of our sp cial so dia world than we’ve experienced up until now. mech But just like everything, there is a dark side. ea y da Likes, comments, shares, retweets, favorites, followers, friends and subscribers have become a way to measure our value, rather than the actual content posted.

Once upon a time, before social media, self-validation was reliant on human interactions.

People simply took pictures to remember an event.

But now, people take pictures to post online to validate an experience. We have the mindset of “If I don’t post it, then it didn’t happen, and it doesn’t matter.”

A survey from the statistics company StatPro found that 68 percent of people share information on social media to define their identities, a phenomenon psychologists refer to as “contingent self-worth.”

So what can you do? Well first, unplug.

If you’ve noticed social media has made a negative impact on your life, taking a break might be most beneficial.

Second, refrain from making comparisons.

When you see people living the life you want to live, it’s hard to not feel a little envious and motivated to post something cool yourself.

But when you wait for other people to confirm that what you’re doing is cool, you’re basing your opinion of yourself on someone else.

Finally, get back to good old-fashioned face-to-face communication.

You can have one million or even a hundred million followers. In the end, your real friends are the ones that offer you a hand to hold and a shoulder to cry on.

There is no denying that social media is a major channel of our interconnected planet, but remember that it’s only a small part of your life and not your whole world.

“Social media helps motivate me. My Instagram is used for mainly art; therefore I am motivated to keep making art so I can keep engaging with that audience.”

-anonymous

9.7

mckenna cole staff writer

Social media should not be validation source

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“Likes signify people’s self worth. If they don’t get a lot [of likes], someone can feel bad about themselves.”

-anonymous

| DESIGN BY NICK LAMBERTI & MCKENNA COLE

14 //september 2017 // feature

WE THE THE WE STUDENTS STUDENTS | WORDS BY JULIE FREIJAT & ALLI WILLIAMS

CHARLOTTESVILLE CREATED NATIONAL DEBATE ON FREE SPEECH. HERE'S WHAT BLUE VALLEY THINKS.

feature // september 2017 //

“

15

CONGRESSSHALL SHALLMAKE MAKENO NOLAW LAWRESPECTING RESPECTINGAN ANESTABLISHMENT ESTABLISHMENTOF OFRELIGION, RELIGION, CONGRESS OR PROHIBITING PROHIBITING THE THE FREE FREE EXERCISE EXERCISE THEREOF; THEREOF; OR OR ABRIDGING ABRIDGING THE THE FREEDOM FREEDOM OR OFSPEECH, SPEECH,OR OROF OFTHE THEPRESS; PRESS;OR ORTHE THERIGHT RIGHTOF OFTHE THEPEOPLE PEOPLEPEACEABLY PEACEABLYTO TO OF ASSEMBLE,AND ANDTO TOPETITION PETITIONTHE THEGOVERNMENT GOVERNMENTFOR FORAAREDRESS REDRESSOF OFGRIEVANCES GRIEVANCES ASSEMBLE,

— THE FIRST AMENDMENT, U.S. CONSTITUTION

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here is a multitude of different kinds of people at Blue Valley. Whether the diversity involves race, religion, sexual orientation or simply contrasting political opinions, no two people think or function exactly alike. These differences are bound to cause disputes, create rifts and leave some feeling alienated. However, this struggle is not something specific to the school level. The world — and specifically the nation — constantly grapples with cultural and political differences. These problems leave citizens with a choice: to open a dialogue in the battle between defining what is acceptable and what isn’t, or to watch as the world erupts into chaos.

The Tiger Print spoke with students and faculty regarding censorship, the First Amendment and the events that took place in Charlottesville, Virginia.

“Kids, because they’re entitled to their opinions and entitled to free speech, think they can say things that are intentionally damaging or hurtful to an entire group of people,” social studies teacher Kim Thompson said.

“We are a bubble inside of a bubble inside of a bubble. If we can’t even protect the people here, that bigger bubble stands no chance.”

At Blue Valley, some websites are blocked due to content that is deemed not suitable for students. Senior Chandler Jones said he believes the school shouldn’t censor information from students in order to prohibit dangers such as bullying.

“All you are doing is preventing them from

”

doing it in school — not outside of school,” Jones said. “The best thing you can do in cases of bullying is not attempt to intervene or prevent, but to react. It is better to let things take their course and intervene at the right time [rather] than attempt to prevent and end up not helping much.”

The Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) requires all K-12 schools to use filters and regulate what students have access to on the internet in order to shield them from potentially explicit or harmful content. CIPA requires this as a condition to receive federal funding. Sixty-two percent of BV students surveyed said they believe the district should continue to censor potentially harmful content. Senior Noah Kahn said this should include content that could hurt students.

“The school should block pornography,” he said. “The school should also block bullying and hate speech because it’s an environment where students are trying to feel safe and grow up. There was a girl at our school, who, freshman year, people made anti-semitic comments toward, and now she’s at a different school because of it.”

Senior Adrian Barrett said he believes it is necessary for students to be limited in what they can access at school, however, he said speech shouldn’t be censored nationally.

“If you try to restrict speech in any way, it crosses a fine line of restricting freedom of thought, which I think should be protected,” he said. “No matter the horrific opinions people have, they should be able to express them.

Those ideas have a right to be heard.”

| PHOTO BY WALLPAPERSAFARI.COM | DESIGN BY ALLI WILLIAMS

16 //september 2017 // feature

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THEVIOLENCE VIOLENCEON ONEITHER EITHERSIDE SIDE[IN [INCHARLOTTESVILLE[ CHARLOTTESVILLE[ ''THE CAN'T REALLY REALLY BE BE JUSTIFIED, JUSTIFIED, BUT BUT II FEEL FEEL LIKE LIKE BOTH BOTH CAN'T SIDESHAVE HAVETHE THERIGHT RIGHTTO TOPEACEFULLY PEACEFULLYPROTEST PROTEST,, SIDES EVEN IF IF IT'S IT'S FOR FOR HORRIBLE HORRIBLE THINGS.'' THINGS. — SENIOR EVEN ADRIAN BARRETT

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arlier last month in Charlottesville, Virginia, the Unite the Right rally, organized and delivered by far-right groups, took place. The purpose of the rally was to protest the removal of a statue commemorating Robert E. Lee which stood in the city’s Emancipation Park. The rally turned violent when counter-protests and the far-right groups collided.

During a demonstration, a white nationalist drove a car through a crowd of counter-protesters, injuring 19 and killing 32-year-old Heather Heyer. President Donald Trump condemned this violence, though took a neutral perspective, blaming both sides for the brutality. This sparked a conversation regarding the handling of situations where two bodies of people disagree.

Thompson said her responsibility as a teacher is first to listen to students when they express an opinion, but if the opinion could constitute something hurtful, she asks them for reasoning and provides better reasoning in support of the contrary. Thompson said she also encourages her students to recognize empathy as a strength.

“In the recent political climate, it seems like empathy became a weakness,” she said. “It’s not. This isn’t a dualistic idea — it’s not one end of the spectrum or the other. You can care about the country and your family and also care about other people that you don’t even understand. No one says you have to understand what it is to be transgender, or what it is to be a refugee. But, you can have empathy or sympathy for them.”

Kahn said speech targeting a group of people should have repercussions.

“Hate speech should absolutely be punishable,” he said. “When you express an opinion that [threatens] the safety of others, the government should do something about that. There is no reason to threaten a group of people based on an opinion.”

In response to the violence in Charlottesville, Thompson said she believes there has been public confusion over the intents of the groups involved.

“The neo-nazis and [Ku Klux Klan]— their whole mission and purpose is to exterminate certain demographics — through violence, if necessary, and through laws if they can — whereas the purpose of Antifa is to eliminate those kinds of people,” she said.

”

“The purpose of Black Lives Matter is to remind the people in this country, ‘Hey, you forgot black lives matter, don’t forget black lives matter.’ People want to paint all these people with the same brush — and they’re simply not [the same]. Their tactics aren’t the same, their mission isn’t the same and their endgame isn’t the same.”

Despite falling numbers, groups like the Klu Klux Klan and neo-nazis still manage to garner media attention. Jones said censoring this controversial speech is not going to help end it.

“There are people who are going to use the First Amendment to be mean or hateful,” Jones said. “But, there are also lots of people who use the first amendment for productive conversation and the ability to criticize the government or peoples depending on what’s going on. I’m sure there are people out there who would exploit the First Amendment and say mean or hurtful things — but that’s the way it has to be. The best counter to that is having productive dialogue with them.”

Since the unfolding of Charlottesville, many have questioned whether or not the removal of confederate statues is necessary. Thompson said she believes the U.S. hasn’t figured out the difference between glorifying and remembering.

“We are inflating this idea of preserving history with preserving racism,” Thompson said. “Keeping a statue of a person that represents the subjugation of a people is not the same as preserving a history. We can remember this history, study it, put it in museums and schools and textbooks. But they don’t need parades.

They don’t need statues. They don’t need to be glorified in the face of people who will walk by every day saying, ‘I will always be a second-class citizen while this image looks down on my town.’”

Jones said instead of restricting dialogue or exploiting certain groups, it is better to open a conversation.

“Sure, some people are going to be incurable,” he said. “But those numbers are so small, they don’t even have a rate of growth. Look at the Klu Klux Klan — in the early 1900s their numbers were around 6 million, now they’re around 6 thousand. We made an unbelieveable amount of progress in that department, and I think, for the most part, those voices will remain unheard unless we give them attention.”

feature // september 2017 //

17

YOUR RIGHT

based on a poll of 160 BV students

68%

believe free speech should always be protected, even if it discriminates against a group of people

uips jk a sh lkh irwy dsd res llopi w cxy siejka

81% 42% 38%

believe the school district should censor pornography

believe aggressive and threatening content should be censored in America

believe the events in Charlottesville were the fault of all groups present, while

22%

don’t know what happened in Charlottesville

18 //september 2017 // feature

NEW FACULTY

Get to know the newest

Mr. Bessetti Subject: Band

Teaching Experience: 11 years

Why did you start teaching at Blue Valley?

“I student taught at BV West back in 2005, when [band director Avian] Bear started working at BVHS. I admired the progress of the program over the next few years before I returned to finish my Master’s degree at UMKC. Ms. Bear called me in the summer of 2010. We sat down for a bit to see if our philosophies were compatible, and I immediately felt that I had found a home.”

What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

“Concert Band — I have taught instrumental music for many years, but I have not had many opportunities to work with a concert band.

We are going to play fun and challenging literature.“

What was your first impression of Blue Valley?

“BV is an incredible school filled with incredibly supportive staff members and students. It really feels like being a part of a family and I love the culture that’s been created here. It’s truly great to be a Tiger.”

Mr. Laptad

If you won $1 million, what’s the first thing you would do?

“I would gather together my close mentors and friends to help me wisely invest, donate and manage my winnings.”

Teaching Experience: 1 year

Subject: Algebra 1 and Geometry

Ms. Newlin

What’s something about yourself most people don’t know?

Teaching Experience: 16 years

What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

“I’m excited for all the new challenges that I will be faced with. I’m excited to start fresh in a new setting, find my way, help others, make a difference and feel what it’s like to be a Tiger.”

Subject: Pre Algebra, Honors Geometry and Algebra 2

“I did not go to college right out of high school. I went to business school and was a secretary at an environmental consulting firm for a couple years before going back to school to become a teacher.”

What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

“I am most excited to get to meet and work with some awesome teachers and students.”

How does teaching differ from coaching? How is it similar?

“Teaching and coaching are one in the same. They both have a desired outcome that we must work diligently at to achieve. Both are about building relationships and positively assisting young people to be the best they can be.” | PHOTOS BY LILY GOODWIN

Mr. Terrell Subject: Physical Education, Weights, Study Hall Teaching Experience: 17 years

ON THE BLOCK

feature // september 2017 //

19

teachers at Blue Valley Mr. Dolezal

Subject: Government, Economics, World Geography, AP Macroeconomics Teaching Experience: 15 years

Why did you start teaching at Blue Valley?

“I really wanted to be a part of the culture of the school and experience teaching in a school that is replete with pride. I am excited to be here.”

What is your first impression of Blue Valley?

“It is different from where I am coming from in so many ways, but my first impression was how kind and helpful the staff are and how great the students are.”

Why did you start teaching at Blue Valley?

“I started teaching at BV because to me it was the perfect blend of high expectations, community ideals and friendly people.”

What was your first impression of Blue Valley?

“I was in awe when I first started at BV. The pride everyone has in this school is incredible to be surrounded by, and I, too, quickly gained a lot of pride in saying that I am a BV teacher.”

Ms. Swindler Subject: Special Education Teaching Experience: 18 years

Ms. Plankers

Subject: Business Essentials, Emerging Technologies, Business Law Teaching Experience: 1 year

What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

“I am so excited to work with my teacher colleagues. [Guy] Martinet and [Mindy] Kochuyt are amazing, and together I think we can really set students up for success. I’m excited to see the progress each student makes.”

What’s something interesting about yourself most people don’t know?

“I’ve been vegetarian for over 20 years.”

What are you most excited about for the upcoming school year?

“Getting involved in the school community in a way I wasn’t able to in the last two years when I was divided between BV North and Northwest.”

What was your first impression of Blue Valley?

“A very supportive working environment with lots of enthusiastic students.”

Dr. McDonald Subject: Latin

Teaching Experience: 3 years

| DESIGN BY CASSIDY CARPENTER

20 //september 2017 // feature RAISE YOUR VOICE | Alex Smith, 12

“

I support BLM because it's a group that wants to make all lives equal. BLM is getting black people in the media more than ever before, and I support [that]. Some approaches that BLM has done I don't approve of, like the violence [at some protests.]

#BLACK LIVES MATTER FEB 26, 2012

Justice For Trayvon Florida resident George Zimmerman shot unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin after Martin had left a convenience store. Zimmerman said he shot the teenager in self-defense after an altercation.

| Carson Foley, 11

JULY 13, 2013

“

Martin Luther King Jr. was so successful because he never harmed a soul. [However], BLM looks to hurt everyone in their path. If they wanted to be more effective, they would start showing a message of love. This goes all around, though; there is far too much hate from both sides of the spectrum.

For more on BLM, visit our website bvtigernews.com.

Zimmerman Trial

Trayvon Martin

Zimmerman was found not guilty on all charges. BLM cofounder Alicia Garza was following the trial. When she found out the verdict, she reported being terrified for her younger brother’s life and thought, “That could have been my family.”

JULY 14, 2013 #BlackLivesMatter hashtag used for first time

Opal Temeti

Alicia Garza Founders of BLM

Patrisse Cullors

feature // september 2017 //

21

How did America become so worried about race again? | WORDS AND DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU

| TIMELINE INFO FROM VOX, CNN, GLAMOUR AND NY TIMES

A

little more than four years ago, George Zimmerman was found not guilty of murdering unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin. A little more than four years ago, an activist group was birthed from perceived racial injustices — Black

percentage of Americans who worry a “great deal” about race relations

JULY 14, 2013 I Can’t Breathe

| INFO FROM GALLUP

17% 42% 2014

Eric Garner was selling untaxed cigarettes when New York police officers attempted to arrest him.

Using an illegal chokehold, the officers pinned down Garner. Garner gasped, “I can’t breathe,” 11 times.

AUG 9, 2014 Hands Up, Don’t Shoot Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed teenager. The U.S. Department of Justice determined that Wilson was fearful of his life and justified Wilson’s actions.

The shooting triggered protests, which escalated quickly when Ferguson police began using militarygrade equipment against protesters.

NOV 23, 2014

Only 12 Years Old

Lives Matter (BLM).

That case was the kindling for racial tension across the United States. BLM was the spark that started the flames, and that fire has now developed into a wildfire of race-related discussions and protests.

2017

JUN 13, 2015 What happened to Sandra Bland?

Civil rights advocate Sandra Bland and the officer who pulled her over scuffled until she was arrested. Three days later, her body was found hanging in her jail cell. Authorities called it a suicide, but her family claims she would never do that.

SEP 15, 2017 “I’m going to kill this mother*******...”

Tamir Rice

Cleveland officer Timothy Loehmann and his partner were responding to a 911 call, and within two seconds of pulling up to 12-year-old Tamir Rice, who was carrying an unmarked BB gun, Loehmann shot twice at Rice. He died the next day.

St. Louis officer Jason Stockley was acquitted of murder charges for the 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith.

Prosecutors allege that he said, “I’m going to kill this mother*******,” and planted a gun. Peaceful and violent protests have since erupted in St. Louis.

22 //september 2017 // feature

Generation Z:

Who We Are

& How We Shape the Future

Technology Defines Students’ Generation carley sherer staff writer

O

ur world is constantly transforming — generation by generation, we evolve. The future and the workforce as we imagine it now will widely be dictated by the technology-born generation, Generation Z. Although debated, Gen Z experts generally classify the Gen Z population as being born between the years 1995 and 2010. In the coming years, companies and employers will have to prepare for the unique workforce that is Generation Z. “Future jobs will have to have variety to hold Gen Z’s attention and must be challenging enough to test [their] entrepreneurial side,” Kansas City marketing expert Angie Read said. “Most [Gen Z’s] see themselves starting their own business someday, so that may be a challenge for companies looking to hire.”

Generation Z was born into a world with technology at their fingertips, allowing them to pick up technology usage naturally.

Though some experts would argue the group is generally distracted, with a short attention span, Read said she found it hard to find negative aspects of the generation. She described them as “independent, hard-working, financially responsible, globally minded [and] altruistic.” These traits are crucial to future success in the real world and in careers.

Senior Hayley McCune said there are key differences she notices between younger and older generations.

“My parents are Baby Boomers, and they aren’t as connected to cell phones or to technology in general,” McCune said. “They rely on it as much as we do to keep | DESIGN BY CARLEY SHERER

entertained.”

McCune said she constantly finds herself needing to keep her hands busy, and some form of technology usually satisfies.

Similarly, senior Lauren VanWinkle said her parents aren’t as technologically advanced as people in her generation.

“They tend to only do work while at [the office], whereas [Gen Z] is more likely to be tied to their work because they always have some form of technology with them,” VanWinkle said. “The Gen Z population is better at multitasking, and they need to stay busy.”

When imagining how Gen Z will work with other generations, it’s typically thought that they would get along better with Millennials than Baby Boomers; however, Read said Gen Z and Baby Boomers may have more commonalities than expected.

“Both generations have traditional attitudes toward things like work ethic, [and] personal success,” Read said. “Both generations are independent, determined and fiscally responsible.

Gen Z differs more from Millennials than people [might] expect. Although both generations are digital natives, Gen Z knows success must be earned — that it’s not just given. Millennials are more idealistic whereas Gen Z is more realistic.”

The use of technology by the young generation will transform what the workforce of the future will look like, and employers will have to challenge them and offer them feedback for their work, according to Forbes magazine. Gen Z will “expect complete transparency and authenticity” in life and will continue to be the creators of their own personal identities.

feature // september 2017 //

23

| WORDS BY GRACE LUTZ

Katie Luemmen, 11: KC Restoration — metal, stone and wood restoration business Question: What is your role at the family business?

Answer: “I go on sales calls with my dad. We get to go to downtown Kansas City because he has a lot of work at the Plaza.”

Q: What is your favorite part about working for your family?

A: “[My dad] is doing work for a new restaurant opening, so I get to see new places before opening to the public.”

Q: How did your family start the business?

A: “We started when we moved here from Califor-

nia, and restoration was my dad’s hobby that he picked up from his brother.”

Q: What is the most difficult part about working for your family?

A: “I don’t have a set schedule, and it’s really flexible. It’s difficult to make time to actually work.”

Q: Are you going to continue working for the family business after high school?

A: “[Yes.] I plan to go to college for marketing and business and run [the business] one day.”

| PHOTO SUBMISSION BY KATIE LUEMMEN

r their o f k r o w Students ses s e n i s u b family Ally Smith, 12: Garage Door Guys — garage door business

Q: What is your role at the family business ?

A: “I work with filing all the paperwork and

ing in information about certain job

sites.”

key-

Q: How did your family start the business?

A: “It was originally our cousin’s [business]

in Colorado, and we mutually decided to expand the business to the Kansas City area.”

Q: What is your favorite part about working for your family?

A: “When I’m sick or really busy with school, there is plenty of forgiveness on my days off. But we run our business from home, so in real ity, there is no staying home from work.”

Q: What is the most difficult part about working for your family?

A: “They are my family, so it can be hard to say, ‘No,’ to picking up extra work because it’s clear when they really need the help outside of what I would regularly do for them.”

Q: Are you going to continue working for the family business after high school?

A: “[No.] I am going to nursing scho ol after high school.”

| DESIGN BY NOMA KREEGAR AND GRACE LUTZ

24 //september 2017 // ads

TIGER PRINT THE

ONLINE

Check out our website for exclusive stories, photos,videos, digital copies of the newspaper and archives of Tiger TV.

a&e // september 2017 //

25

| DESIGN BY SADIE MYER

26 //september 2017 // a&e

60 years of searching for extraterrestrial life still has no lead nick lamberti staff writer One million solar systems. One hundred billion known galaxies. One hundred quintillion planets.* Only one planet with life. How can this be? The universe is so big and unexplored, which gives us reason to believe that aliens could be out there.

The first believed sighting of extraterrestrial life was in 1561, when the people of the city of Nuremberg, Germany, reported seeing a “celestial phenomenon that has been interpreted by some UFO authors as an aerial battle of extraterrestrial spacecraft.”

Since then, UFOs have been spotted all over the world.

Even NASA’s scientists believe alien life could be possible.

“I think we’re going to have strong indications of life beyond Earth within a decade,” said NASA chief scientist Ellen Stofan, who spoke to Iflscience.com. “[It’s possible] we could have definitive evidence within 20 to 30 years.”

Although sightings and theories have some facts backing them up, there still isn’t any actual evidence of alien life somewhere in space. Why is that?

It could be because we don’t have the technology to explore deep space yet. We can only send spacecrafts so far out without running out of fuel or data connection to space centers. Aliens could be too far out of reach for our technology to find.

We haven’t been searching for extraterrestrial life long enough yet — we’ve only been actively searching for aliens since 1957.

Maybe we aren’t being visited. Earth is in a very lonely place. It could be possible aliens don’t know about our solar system or galaxy because no other life has been discovered yet, so they would have no reason to broadcast into what they believe a lifeless part of space.

A last theory, from Ross Pomeroy at Space.com, is that aliens are already on Earth and walk among humans.

Could it be that aliens are collecting information about Earth without our knowledge? Could they be on the planet disguised as humans or other species of life? Is the government hiding any information about aliens visiting Earth?

It may be hard to believe that aliens exist, but when you look at all the possibilities and research people have done, extraterrestrial life is very probable and could be discovered in the near future.

*Scienceblogs.com

| DESIGN BY NICK LAMBERTI

sports // september 2017 //

27

A New State of Mind BV Cheer to compete at new competition maddy kang & shay lawson staff writers

B

lue Valley cheerleaders will compete in a brand new competition, this November — cheer State.

The competition will be in Topeka where BV cheer will go head-to-head with other teams in the state. The teams BV cheer will compete against will be in the 6A division out of the 90 total teams present.

Coach Mackenzie Fuller said Cheer State is different than any other competition BV cheer has competed in before.

“We will be creating a variety of routines,” Fuller said. “At practice, we’ll be working on stunts and mastering the format because it’s different than [National Cheer Association]. We’re really just focusing on mastering gameday cheerleading rather than just performing a routine.”

Cheer State isn’t the only new addition to the BV cheer agenda — there are new members on the squad as well.

“I’m really excited because it’s my first year competing [with BV cheer], and it’s our first year going to State,” freshman Maddy Bridges said. “With the right amount of work ethic, BV cheer should do well.”

Since this is the first year cheer State will take place, it enhances the desire to win, Fuller said.

“We will be carrying on a new tradition,” Fuller said. “We get to be a part of the first year and hopefully be the first team to win a State title. We’re also competing because we know how talented we are and want to show that to the rest of Kansas.”

Although there will be obstacles to conquer and work to put in, the cheerleaders are devoted to accomplishing their goals, Fuller said.

“The girls are really dedicated and committed to just being the best because they know from last year and winning Nationals that they are the best,” Fuller said. “They’re ready to carry that over.”

| PHOTOS BY SADIE MYER | DESIGN BY SHAY LAWSON & MADDY KANG

28 //september 2017 // sports Kyle Elmendorf Staff Writer

T

Worth the

his is the template you should use if you want the byline and the drop cap.

How the BV community came together to make a late coach’s dream come true

I

n early 2016, Blue Valley’s former head football coach Eric Driskell had a vision of renovating BV’s decade-old weight room. He aspired to change it from the sports teams’ weight room into the entire school’s weight room, for anyone to use regardless of whether or not they play a sport.

In order to bring this ambition to fruition, he needed to raise a large sum of money, so he contacted BV parent Susie Gurley to help with the initial goal of raising $80,000.

“He first started talking to me about it close to two years ago,” Gurley said.

“It was after football season. We’d worked closely together for Touchdown Club, and we raised a lot of money there. He was like, ‘Do you want to help raise some money for the weight room?’ and I said, ‘Sure.’”

The first official meeting for the renovations happened in March 2016. | PHOTO BY PHOTOGRAPHER Gurley said Driskell’s original plan This is the template for photo captions. was for most of the money to be used toward the first phase — the complete remodel of the room and equipment

— and the extra $20,000 for the second phase, which was for any additional

changes that needed to be made.

A majority of the money raised came through Fall Sports Night, where athletes sold tickets for a catered meal from Two Guys and a Grill. There was also an anonymous private donor who pledged to match all of the money

| WORDS & DESIGN BY KYLE ELMENDORF | PHOTOS BY LILY GOODWIN, CLAIRE STEIN & MOLLY HOLMES

Weigh t

raised in the night.

“I went to a local donor and pitched the donation idea to him,” Gurley said. “He challenged us, [saying], ‘Yes, I would love to help, but here’s what I want to see — coaches and athletes [from] all sports, involved in this project.’ So that was when Coach D and I came up with the Two Guys and a Grill plan for Fall Sports Night. We raised $10,000 from that event, and he ended up giving us more than [that]. It’s hard to raise $25,000 in one night unless you do something like that.”

Gurley said Fall Sports Night was so successful they decided to do it again and make it an annual tradition.

The project received a sudden setback in February 2017 when Driskell unexpectedly passed away from a ruptured brain aneurysm.

“The original plan was to be done over Spring Break,” Gurley said. “Then [in February], we had to step back and slow down. Very shortly after we lost him, [athletic director Matt] Ortman, [new football coach Allen] Terrell

sports // september 2017 // and I got together and said, ‘We have to finish this.’ It was of utmost importance to finish this to honor him.”

The project finished fundraising with a grand total of $90,000, surpassing their original goal. Gurley said getting all sports to become invested in renovating the weight room was a challenge.

However, one of Driskell’s goals was to

A

fter the money was raised, BV Athletic Director Matt Ortman and newly appointed head football coach Allen Terrell were tasked with overseeing the operation of the renovations.

Ortman said the size of the project created some challenges. “[My job was] mainly overseeing the operation, making sure we budgeted correctly and followed all of the steps through the district,” Ortman said.

S

enior Zach Terrell said he and the football team use the weight room almost every day with weights programs both in the fall and in the off-season. Terrell said he benefits from the renovations.

“That’s the coolest weight room I’ve ever seen, honestly,” Terrell said.

“It just gives you new motivation to come in and work hard — it gives you something to be proud of.”

Terrell said he enjoyed the subtraction of useless equipment, while adding more workout racks for small workout groups and more reps.

“The benches are way better,” Terrell said. “We got new upholstery, and they can stand up so we have more room to lift. We got turf, so we can do speed work as well. We can do more band work on the turf side, which will strengthen the ligaments in your knees

29

get everyone in the weight room and to change the narrative of who uses it.

“Raising money in general is always a challenge,” Gurley said. “Coach D and I were scrambling, trying to figure out what we can do that’s going to get everyone involved. A really big goal of [Driskell’s] was to say, ‘Hey, student body, this is your weight room. It’s not

just the football team’s. It’s not just the athletes’.’ It was his idea to keep it open during Tiger Paws so anybody could go in there and use it. Faculty and staff can go in there and use it as well. That’s been really cool to see — a lot of buy-in to, ‘OK, this is our weight room, not just the football team’s. It’s Blue Valley High School’s weight room.”

“Because of the amount of money that we were spending, it had to go through district, and we weren’t just able to do whatever we wanted to. We had a lot of checks and balances along the way.”

The renovations started the week of July 4, and a majority was completed the same week. Ortman said as the project was in progress, some of the plans for the weight room changed.

“We weren’t sure we were going to be able to put turf in the way it went down,” Ortman said. “We had turf built into it going a different direction, but as we kept working through the process, we realized we could put turf

down the way it is now and we could afford it.”

Ortman said the new weight room turned out exactly how Driskell imagined it; Ortman said he hopes these changes can last a decade. Additionally, Ortman said Driskell is honored by hanging a “Live Like Champions” sign by the main door, which is Driskell’s popular saying.

“This was his big project,” Ortman said. “This was his baby from the beginning. This was just a way that we could recognize him in the weight room. I know he would be really happy with it.”

and your muscles [and] will prevent injury.”

Terrell said the players also got to contribute in the renovation.

“We all helped out,” Terrell said. “We built it ourselves pretty much. We got it off the truck, put all of the racks together and put them where they’re supposed to be. We took out the old ones as well.”

Terrell said he thinks every sport can benefit from the upgrade, because it is so big now, multiple teams can use it at the same time, one of the goals the designers of the project had in mind.

Terrell said the inclusion of the “Live Like Champions” sign by the entrance has a special meaning to him.

“To me, ‘Live Like Champions’ is a representation of Coach Driskell and his philosophy toward coaching and playing football,” Terrell said.

“It’s pretty symbolic how we enter and exit through it whenever we enter the weight room with that sign up on top.

It’s a good symbol of what we should be as a program.”

30 //september 2017 // sports

FALL SPORTS

Girls Golf

Junior Lauren Reddin said last season the girls golf team came close to qualifying the entire team for State.

“Last year, we didn’t do as well as we would have hoped,” Reddin said. “Not all of us qualified [for State], which was disappointing, but this year is looking better for us as a team. I expect our team to do really well this season. Everyone has been practicing really hard, and we’ve all been improving.”

Reddin said there are specific skills the team has been working on this season, such as the team’s short game to improve accuracy over shorter distances.

“I hope our team improves on chipping

and putting,” Reddin said. “Our coach has been having us focus a lot on it at practice because it will help improve our scores. We started practicing [when school started,] and we’ve been practicing four times a week in order to prepare for tournaments.”

Reddin said she enjoys attending the tournaments and getting to spend time with her teammates.

“I’m looking forward to becoming even better friends with everyone on the team,” Reddin said. “My favorite part about golfing for BV is spending time with my teammates while playing a sport I’ve always enjoyed.”

| WORDS BY KYLE ELMENDORF | PHOTOS BY CLAIRE STEIN, EVELYN DIEDERICH, KAITLIN YU AND MOLLY HOLMES | DESIGN BY MOLLY HOLMES

Football The 2016 BV football team went undefeated in the regular season; won EKL, Regionals and Substate; and finally ended their season with a loss against Derby in the State championship game. Senior Benjamin DeZube said the Tigers were mostly satisfied with their results from last year.

“We did really well last season,” DeZube said. “We beat Shawnee Mission East in the Substate game, and we unfortunately lost to Derby in the State championship game. I would say we were pretty disappointed we lost in the State championship, but at the same time it was a really great season, and it was a lot of fun.”

DeZube said this season they have similar goals.

“The EKL is really good this year,” DeZube said. “We want to compete, hopefully win the

The BV girls tennis team had to cut 18 players, which was more than in previous years. Junior Gabby Lee was the only player on the girls tennis team to qualify for State. She lost in the quarterfinals at State and said she was disappointed with the result.

This season, Lee hopes to qualify for State and, at least, make it to the semifinals. She said the team also hopes for better results in the postseason.

“The team’s expectation this year

EKL and make it back to the State championship.”

He said now that he’s a senior, he needs to be an example for the younger players.

“I’ve gotten to watch a lot of good players,” DeZube said.

“It was really cool having really good guys to look up to, so this year we should lead like the players have before and serve as an example for the younger players.”

DeZube said he enjoys the opportunity to be able to play with his teammates.

“We have a lot of great guys on the team,” DeZube said. “I look forward to getting on the field with some of my best friends.”

Girls Tennis

is to qualify as many girls as possible at Regionals [for State], Lee said. “[We also want to] have some upset matches [in Regionals], especially against Blue Valley North.”

Lee said now that she is an upperclassman, she has a different leadership role.

“This year is the first year I will be an upperclassman on varsity,” Lee said. “I feel like I can help my other teammates with any problems they have. I try to

always cheer on the girls in their matches and encourage them to get better.”

Lee said a challenge of playing singles in tennis is not having anyone else to play with, but it’s also what makes tennis enjoyable.

“I love how independent tennis is,” Lee said. “Everything that happens in a match is dependent on the decisions you make every point. It’s a great characteristic of the sport.”

sports // september 2017 //

Boys Soccer

Last year the boys soccer team went 5-11 and lost in the first round of the State tournament, a result which senior Anthony Sobolevsky said was disappointing for the team. He said this season they have higher expectations.

“We didn’t finish the best possible way we could have,” Sobolevsky said. “It just ended up not in our favor.

This year, we know we’ve have the most experience we’ve had in the past couple years. Our goal is to have a positive winning record in the regular season, win Regionals and go for State.”

The Tigers opened up their season on Aug. 21 with a historic win against BV West.

“We’ve lost to BV West eight years in a row. This year is the year we finally beat them with the biggest crowd we’ve ever

31

had, and it was a really exciting finish. This was our second overall win in history against BV West, which made it even better.”

Sobolevsky said he also seeks to better himself, as well as his teammates as the season goes on.

“I hope to make my teammates better every practice and game,” Sobolevsky said. “Our number-one area for improvement is scoring, and we have the potential to do that. We have some great talent and some great seniors who can put the ball in the back of the net.”

Sobolevsky said he is going to do the best he possibly can in his final year of high school soccer, and he looks forward to every opportunity he gets to play with his teammates.

“I love soccer, and I’ve played it all my life,” Sobolevsky said. “Playing with my best friends I’ve had since childhood is a great feeling, and every practice and game is always great.”

Volleyball

Middle hitter senior Katie Upton is one of only two seniors on the volleyball team. She played on varsity last year and said the season didn’t end how the team wanted it to.

“We lost in the third set to Shawnee Mission East at Substate by two points,” Upton said. “[It] was tough for all of us to go out on that note.”

She said this season they have even higher expectations. “[I hope to] get to State and win,” Upton said. “I expect everyone to give it their all, and I really hope for us to be successful and to develop some really

good team chemistry.”

Upton said her role has changed on the team into more of a leader as a senior.

“As you get older you get more of a leadership role,” Upton said. “Coming in [as a freshman,] I looked up to the upperclassmen for leadership and guidance. Now I am the upperclassman, and I need to do the same.”

Upton said she looks forward to the competition and being able to form new relationships with her teammates.

“I just love playing with people I have become so close with,” she said. “I love to win and have fun with my team.”

Cross Country A major goal for both the boys and girls cross country teams is to qualify for State this October, senior Chris Meissner said.

“Last season [the boys team] finished fourth at Regionals,” Meissner said. “The top three teams at Regionals qualify for State, so that was pretty disappointing.

The girls team didn’t qualify for State either.”

Meissner said as he has gotten older, his role on the team has changed.

“Sophomore year, I was 10th on the team,” Meissner said. “I was an alternate for varsity when Regionals and State came. Last year I managed to make varsity as one of

the last runners on the team. This year I’ll be the top of varsity, so I’ll need to step up.”

He said now the younger runners, especially, will need to work hard.

“Our number-two runner went down for six to eight weeks — that’s really going to hurt,” Meissner said. “We need some of the younger people to step up and perform.”

Meissner said the friendships are what make cross country so enjoyable.

“My teammates are really great,” Meissner said. “I really enjoy talking to anyone, whether they’re on varsity, junior varsity, C-team, boys and girls, they’re all just great people.

It’s a great team atmosphere, and I really look forward to being a part of that this season.”

32 //september 2017 // news

2.

1.

ECLIPSE WATCH PARTY Students enjoy lunch, observe the eclipse together

3. | DESIGN BY KAITLIN YU 1. Showing off her eclipse glasses, junior Shanyn Longsworth sits among her friends. “I was really excited, but it turned out to be a bummer.” | PHOTO

BY NICK LAMBERTI 2. Blue Valley handed out eclipsesafe glasses to all students and staff.

“I thought it was cool when you put the glasses up to your phone and took a picture of the sun,” junior Sarah Prickett said. | PHOTO BY MOLLY HOLMES 3. Sophomore Jack Bowersox and his friends stand up to watch the moon pass over the sun. Overland Park, Kansas, resided just outside of the moon’s path, experiencing a 99.8 percent partial eclipse. | PHOTO BY NICK LAMBERTI 4. Students look upward as the sky turned dark. Some parents called their children out of school so they could travel to the path of totality, like senior Kelly Zhang. “My favorite thing was meeting the people from different states who came here to see it,” Zhang said. “People paid hundreds for flights here, so we were lucky with how close it was.” | PHOTO BY MOLLY HOLMES

4.