Spotlight Dec 2017

spotlight

volume 17 issue 4

dec. 12, 2017

{blue valley west}

16200 antioch rd., overland park, Kan.

INSIDE | Winter in KC pg 5 | Holiday Traditions pg 16 | Plaza Lights pg 28 |

LETTER I

from the editors

t happens to all of us. We begin the year with a strong resolve to succeed and erase our past academic faults. However, with time, effort gives way to laziness and we quickly fall back into our poor habits.

While this cycle is common, it is ultimately detrimental.

Why let your grades slip and erase all the hard work you have done throughout the semester? While it is easier to slip into laziness, it is more rewarding to work hard and finish the semester strong.

You will kick yourself if you look back at the unsavory grade on your transcript and know that if you would have put in a little more work, you could have reached a better grade.

One of the four cornerstones, as we are so often reminded

by Dr. Potts, is grit. Grit can be easy to talk about but difficult to practice. The last bit of a semester is the perfect time to display grit.

While this grit may be burdensome, complaining will only make it harder to succeed. It feels better in the moment to share upset sentiments with classmates, yet it only worsens

POLICIES

Spotlight is printed at least six times per school year for the BV West students and community. Its goals are to inform, entertain and interpret through editorials and bylined articles while providing an open forum of communication for the diverse student population and

your mindset when you later approach the task.

It is a negative mindset that drives the school apart when we should be cherishing our times together. Celebrate the small victories of an A on a test, or the big ones, like the end of a semester-long class. Looking back on high school, so often the days spent complaining fade out of memory fast. You do not want to forget all of high school because it was spent complaining; just enjoy the experience, for all the good and bad moments.

As Dr. Potts always touts: finish strong. We’re almost able to relax and spend time with family and friends over the break. Keep that in mind as motivation and work hard towards your goals, taking pride in all you do.

Have a great semester, it has been a thrill to be your E.I.C.’s thus far.

Your E.I.C.’s,

Rachel Pickett Mikaela Schmitt

faculty members.

Spotlight aims to be fair, accurate and impartial. The content of the print publication, online news site and social media accounts is determined by its student editors as determined by the Kansas Scholastic Press Act and may contain

SPOTLIGHT

17-18 staff

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Rachel Pickett Mikaela Schmitt

WEB EDITOR

Hannah Holladay

MANAGING EDITOR Jonah Park

ILLUSTRATOR Jaden Dudrey

REPORTERS

Jacob Braun Hannah Cole Jillian Dunlay Natalie Fiorella Bianca Garcia Shelby Hoelting Stephen Kinder Behr Kitts Dana Nasr Chelsea Park Lauren Prehn Lanie Render Jaden Webster Rachel Zimmerli controversial subject matters as the staff exercises their First Amendment rights.

Spotlight does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the faculty adviser, the administration of BV West or USD 229.

in this

ISSUE

o o o o o 08

14

NEWS

05 winter in KC 06 early departure 07 schedule

SPORTS

08 wrestling

FEATURE

10 vaping 12 semester in summary 13 chiropractors

24

25

28

14 custodians 16 holiday traditions

OPINION

22 gun control 24 finals

A&E

25 repertory show 26 music review

PHOTO ESSAY

28 plaza lights

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4 ADS

BVWNews.com

Winter in LAUREN PREHN

reporter spotlight.laurenprehn@gmail.com

C

o

NEWS 5

@BVWSpotlight

Upcoming winter events in the Kansas City area

The Kansas City Repertory Theatre’s adaptation of Charles Dickens’s, A Christmas Carol, is back for its 37th season. Follow the ghosts of Christmas as they venture through time, teaching Ebenezer Scrooge the true meaning of Christmas.

The Kansas City Repertory performs this Christmas classic at Spencer Theatre now through Dec. 24.

With a number of ice rinks to choose from around the Kansas City area, two of the most frequently visited are located at Crown Center and Park Place. The perfect get-together for friends on a weekend or during winter break, both locations are near shopping areas where people can explore after skating and enjoy a cup of hot chocolate.

Both rinks provide affordable skate rental fees of $3, and admission tickets range from $6 at Crown Center and $8 at Park Place.

Located just outside of Weston, Mo., Snow Creek is the only ski resort in the Kansas City area. Because Kansas City only averages 13.4 inches of annual snowfall, Snow Creek makes the most of its own snow. However, this does little in limiting the activities available at the ski resort. Snow Creek is open from mid-December through mid-March and consists of 12 trails that resort-goers can ski, ride and tube down.

Additionally, Snow Creek has lessons and skiing and skateboarding races.

The Nutcracker, a holiday season classic, is sure to captivate all who go to watch the enchanting performance. Performed by the Kansas City Ballet at the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, this will be the 45th annual presentation of The Nutcracker. The ballet, which is approximately two hours and 15 minutes long with a 20 minute intermission, runs from Dec. 7 through Dec. 24.

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6 NEWS

BVWNews.com

CHELSEA PARK

DEPART for a HEADSTART

reporter spotlight.chelseapark@gmail.com

Attending high school for all four years is not the path for everyone

M

ost students go into high school planning to attend all four years. However, there are a few seniors who depart the hallways of BV West before their four years are up in exchange for a head start into college.

Chloe Hayne and Layne Nudson have decided to leave high school early for headstarts towards their majors. However, the direction they are taking in leaving, along with their visions of their future, differ greatly from each other.

BV West senior and college freshmen Hayne left high school after her junior year to work towards her major. Currently, she attends college as a freshmen, but is still enrolled as a senior at BV West with one unfinished credit.

“I’m doing a backwards dual credit thing,” Hayne said. “I had senior English left, so I am taking classes this year in Charlotte at Johnson and Wales University that counts for it. [I am also] getting a head start on doing classes that I enjoy towards my major. In May, I will come back to [BV West] to graduate and I’ll also be done with my freshman year of college.”

Nudson is also a senior at BV West, but she only attends the high school. She plans on leaving high school after first semester to start going to college early. While she will begin to attend college next semester, she also has one credit left to finish.

“I only have my fourth ELA credit left which I am going to take online, and at JCCC next semester, I will be taking 12 credit hours that will allow me to develop study habits [and] get ahead,” Nudson said. “I want to pursue a rigorous degree

[in engineering] and I know I need to take baby steps to do so.”

A longtime goal of Hayne helped to influence her in making the big decision to depart high school a full year early. From a young age, this dream of hers has stayed consistent.

“I’ve always wanted to be in the culinary field since I was young, so the goal of being a chef is what gave me a big push to college early,” Hayne said.

Nudson, however, came to make this decision later than expected, as her own growth as an individual encouraged her leave early.

“What influenced me the most is falling down and getting back up so many times in high school and figuring out who I am and what I need most to become a better student, teacher and learner,” Nudson said. “I’ve realized that I’ve struggled with staying focused in classes. And for me to take passion and pride in what I’m doing, I need to indulge myself in things that I truly love learning about.”

Deciding to leave high school early is a major decision that carries responsibility and requires determination. Hayne juggled the advantages and disadvantages of leaving BV West as a junior to ultimately make her decision.

“The pros are that you get a jump start in your career and you get to take the classes related to your major sooner,” Hayne said.

“For me, there wasn’t any major con, [but] leaving those I was close to was hard.”

Nudson agreed that she would benefit from leaving early, but drawbacks still remained.

“I can start my next chapter in

life, and I can decide who I want to surround myself with,” she said.

“But I am going to miss a lot of my teachers. There have been so many teachers who have truly influenced me, and made me the person I am today.”

Despite having to miss out on some memories and opportunities senior year offers to students, Hayne was set on the idea on attending college early.

“I don’t think I’ll regret it at all, I really enjoy my school [Johnson and Wales] and I’m not upset that I’m missing out on [some] things,” Hayne said. “There wasn’t anything that would have persuaded me to stay and not go, it was an opportunity I couldn’t pass up.”

Nudson shares similar sentiments, but remains focused on the future.

“There is Prom and Sweetheart, [and] I’ll miss checking up on [friends] to what they are doing, who they are becoming,” Nudson said. “But everyone has their own time in life where they choose to start a new chapter, and I want to start mine a little earlier.”

Making this decision may not appeal to everyone. Leaving all that is familiar to pursue one’s goals requires great determination, passion and diligence. Nonetheless, both encourage younger students to consider starting college early because it can allow students to do what they love sooner in life.

“It depends on the individual,” Nudson said. “Prepare yourself for it and get excited for it, but also make sure you really absorb those years of high school so it’s not something you regret later on.”

o

Changing

NEWS 7

@BVWSpotlight

SCHEDULES

Comparing the temporary schedule and original schedule

LANIE RENDER reporter spotlight.lanierender@gmail.com

Original Schedule: There is a regular start time of 7:45 on Tuesday and late arrival of 9:00 on Thursdays

Advisory

With a start time of 8:30, students receive extra sleep on Tuesdays while losing 30 minutes On Tuesdays and of their previous Thurs- Thursdays, students have 30 minutes for day later arrival Academic Check Up

Minutes for announcements during 4th hour

e!

AC

60

An hour of Power Hour every day

We asked Jaguars...

*Buses will run normally on these days.

prefer the old schedule prefer the new

52%

48%

Proposed Schedule: Thursday and Tuesday

On Tuesdays, students are granted an hour and a half, and on Thursdays, 80 minutes

+4

im UT

80

90

On Tuesdays, students receive just over an hour for Academic Check Up

Twitter poll taken on @bvwspotlight, Dec. 4, 150 votes

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8 SPORTS

BVWNews.com

PIN IT TO WIN IT

Logan Caldwell wrestles an opponent from Topeka West during a meet on Dec. 5, 2017.

Photo by Addison Moeler

The wrestling team prepares for the upcoming season

BIANCA GARCIA reporter spotlight.biancagarcia@gmail.com

E

at, sleep, wrestle. As winter approaches, so does wrestling. But this sport is unlike any other, involving intricate techniques such as takedowns, pins and joint locks.

Wrestlers do not necessarily have to be the strongest to win, but instead they have to be quick and smart strategists to win.

To make BV West’s wrestling

team the best that it can be, wrestlers need to dedicate a great deal of time to training and practices in order to be ready for meets.

“Wrestling is very demanding, and it takes a lot of mental toughness just to come to practice every day and work as hard as we work and get beat up and keep coming back,” head coach Randy Lowe said.

“It really is good for you and makes you better.”

Every day after school, wrestlers go to practice and train. Older wrestlers lift in the weight room and also run and condition, and then after that, they do thirty minutes of

drilling technique, thirty minutes of learning new moves and then thirty minutes of live wrestling.

One problem that the wrestling team will face this year is the fact that there are not enough wrestlers to fill in all fourteen weight classes based on weight at weigh-ins. This can affect the wrestling team’s success.

“Having some more guys would help but we can’t do anything about that, just continue to work hard and hopefully they get better,” Lowe said.

Senior Keegan Elliott started wrestling in third grade after he got

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SPORTS 9

@BVWSpotlight

tired of baseball. He made the varsity team his freshman year and has been wrestling on varsity ever since. In addition to being on the varsity team, Elliott is expected to be a role model for others.

“Being a leader on the team is a lot of pressure,” Elliott said. “Lowe always holds us accountable for everything. But after all, we are one big sweaty family.”

One goal of Elliott’s this year is to place at the state competition and to beat his pin record of thirty pins.

He also wants to focus on making sure that he stays in the appropriate weight class.

“I run with three or more pairs of sweatpants, a long sleeve shirt, sweatshirt, and tuck in my sweats into my socks,” Elliott said. “We work out a lot during practice, so I drink 8 ounces of water and limit myself to 700 to 1,000 calories a day.”

Junior Tate Marcom, currently on the junior varsity team, plans to compete in some varsity meets and to also letter. He also sometimes struggles to keep weight.

“I cut out all sugars, not too many carbs and eat lots of protein,” Marcom said.

While many focus on the dietary habits of the wrestlers, a key point to being successful in wrestling is to have communication, fun and traditions with teammates.

“We bond in a very weird way and struggle together as a family,” Marcom said. “One thing that we do is run up and down the stairs that feels like an oven while singing songs.”

One of the most important meets of the year takes place in Nebraska in December. This puts pressure on wrestlers since it is so early in the season but after it is over, they get to

WRESTLERS’S FAVORITES:

do fun activities.

“After Nebraska, we make Walmart and Pizza Ranch runs,” Elliott said. “We get to eat as much food as we want, and we only have five to ten minutes to do it. We all run around the store like crazy people.”

Something new this year that the wrestlers made is a pin chain.

Whenever someone wins by a pin, then that person gets to wear it. A pin is holding an opponent’s shoulders or shoulder blades on the wrestling mat for a certain period of time.

Since wrestling is a single person sport it is hard to have rivals, especially since there are so many different people to go against.

“I think of it as everyone is a rival, and I always do my best no matter what,” Marcom said.

I like singing in the stairwell while running up and down the stairs.

SENIOR HENRY BROUSSARD

Water has never tasted so good.

JUNIOR JOSEPH MCELWEE

Logan Caldwell wrestles an opponent from Topeka West during a meet on Dec. 5, 2017.

Photo by Addison Moeler

I like bonding with the team and eating food at the end of practice.

JUNIOR MAX MILLS

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10 FEATURE

BVWNews.com

PHIX-ING

the vape

PROBLEM

JONAH PARK managing editor spotlight.jonahpark@gmail.com

DANA NASAR reporter spotlight.dananasar@gmail.com

Bringing attention to the effects of vaping and its impact in school

V

aping has quickly risen to popularity among high school and middle school students in the past decade. Although its long-term health effects are still unknown, it is legal to sell various types of e-cigarettes to those over 21 and is legal to own an e-cigarette at 18. The student resource officers (SROs) at BV West are doing their best to suppress the problem, but have only caught a few of the offenders.

“There’s multiple reasons why it’s a problem,” SRO Jeffery Magee said. “First of all, it’s illegal for a student, because they’re underage. Second, the school’s regulations say you can’t have tobacco products including e-cigarettes on school grounds. More importantly, it’s bad for your health.”

Because e-cigarettes were publicly introduced relatively recently, the exact health effects of vaping are ambiguous. However, some vape flavoring contains chemical

diacetyl, a chemical known to cause “Popcorn Lung” according to the American Lung Association. Popcorn Lung is a serious disease, scarring the lungs’s air sacs, causing the airways to narrow. A Harvard study found that 39 of 51 e-cigarette brands contain diacetyl.

“The stuff that’s in this vape juice, nobody knows what’s in it when they buy it,” SRO Brandon Faber said. “They’re not regulated by the USDA, FDA, not inspected by anyone. You could be sucking chemicals into your body that are dangerous.”

Because of the risks of using e-cigarettes, the SROs intend to stop the school-wide problem with the help of the administration.

“There’s more doing it [vaping] than we’ve caught,” Magee said.

“The future is between the administration and the law enforcement in my opinion. The more we find people and enforce the rules within our boundaries, people will hopefully realize that it’s not a wise choice and that the consequences aren’t worth it.”

They believe students have a responsibility to stop the problem as well. To stop a school-wide problem, a school-wide effort is required. Instead of accepting vaping as a norm, Magee acknowledges how the collectiveness of the BV West students can enact change.

“The school is like your own little city,” Magee said. “You guys, the citizens, this is your place. So the more the students allow this to be acceptable, the worse it’s gonna get.

If the students start saying ‘you know what we don’t want that crap in our school,’ then things will probably change.”

While the SROs have a firm position on the issue, some students are also standing their ground in opposition to keep vaping. Although there are harmful risks these students still find reason enough to continue their habit.

“It [vaping] is convenient, low key and perceived safer and more acceptable than cigarettes,” an anonymous student said.

Because vapes are compact, they are easy to conceal. Students are able to vape anywhere if they can conceal themselves while doing it.

E-cigarettes are also making their debut within BV West. Students have popularized the idea that high nicotine intake is prestigious because, according to the student, “it’s harder to handle.”

“Phixes and Juules act more like a cigarette would and contain more nicotine, while vapes are more fun to smoke and cheaper to maintain,” the student explained.

Although many students understand the risks of vaping, some do not feel the need to stop because they are simply not addicted to it.

“I stopped vaping regularly and I feel fine,” the student said.

Psychology teacher, Kevin Bandy, disagrees.

“Addiction usually takes place at a young age.” Bandy said. “When the brain is still developing it can be very vulnerable to stimulants like nicotine.”

Concluding that although students may not feel a dependence on nicotine as of now, they may form one over time.

On the note of reporting school vapers or distributors, this student made it very clear.

“No comment, no snitching.”

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FEATURE 11

@BVWSpotlight

More than 2 million middle and high school students were current users of e-cigarettes in 2016.

Some e-cigarette vapor contains known

cancer-causing and

toxic chemicals.

The effects of repeated exposure to these chemicals are

not yet clear.

E-cigarette use rose from

5.3%

to

16.0%

among high school students and from

0.6%

to

1.5%

among middle school students from 2011 to 2015.

Facts from fda.gov

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12 FEATURE

BVWNews.com

BEHR KITTS Statistics reviewing the 2017 fall semester

WRAP-UP

reporter spotlight.behrkitts@gmail.com

SHELBY HOELTING reporter spotlight.shelbyhoelting@gmail.com

NUMBER OF ASSEMBLIES - 6 out of 11

J

A

G

S

STUDENTS IN WINTER SPORTS - Total: 164 Boys Basketball - 49 Girls Basketball - 29

Boys Swim and Dive 38 Wrestling - 48

BOOKS IN LIBRARY 6,600 books

STUDENTS WHO STUDY IN THE LIBRARY 220 students a day

STUDENTS AT BV WEST Freshman - 381 Sophomores - 398

Juniors - 421 Seniors - 375

Total: 1,575 students

BACK on TRACK

Comparing self-practice and chiropractic work

LANIE RENDER

J

reporter spotlight.lanierender@gmail.com

oints popping can sound heavenly to some but repulsing to others. Yet, it is very common to be sitting in class and hear the casual sound of a neighbor popping their necks, back, knees or fingers.

Is all of that popping and cracking a good idea or are people doing permanent damage to their joints?

In actuality, the intense noise that comes from cracking is not as harmful as it sounds. The joints in our body contain oxygen, carbon dioxide, nitrogen and other fluids.

When pressure is placed on the joint, the gas bubbles are released which creates the popping noise.

However, the act of self-cracking is often discouraged by doctors, particularly in the neck area.

The neck is surrounded by the spinal cord and blood vessels; essential parts of the body. When an individual moves the neck past its normal limits, there is a possibility for extensive damage. According to The Joint Chiropractic of Georgetown, there is chance of a dislocated disc in your neck. With this part of the spine out of sorts, manually cracking causes a force pulling the vertebrae in the wrong direction.

These brave few take the responsibility of self-adjustment into their own hands, despite the risks.

Others see a chiropractor to alleviate their pain.

Compared to self-adjustments,

the doctor creates an extensive process for treatment. A chiropractor thoroughly examines a patient through x-rays and physical examinations to determine proper treatment. Rather than simply cracking joints to alleviate tension or rotating the neck blindly, chiropractors have a trained reasoning to determine their procedures.

Senior Jana Owens regularly visits her chiropractor. Because of her dedication to volleyball at a high level, she sees her practitioner often to keep her back feeling strong.

“I went to the chiropractor and discovered my muscles were pulling on my spine and causing it to twist towards my right side,” Owens said. “I’ve been going back every so often to relieve pain.”

A local practice, Swickard Chiropractic, states on their website that they emphasize treatment “through manual adjustment and/ or manipulation of the spine.”

However, the chiropractor can also provide advice on how individuals can manage their own health through exercise, ergonomics and pain-relieving therapies.

The question of self-adjustment and chiropractic help plagues individuals. Given the information, self-cracking has a list of health risks, yet cutting out a doctor is appealing for some. With this knowledge: crack at your own risk.

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FEATURE 13

@BVWSpotlight

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14 FEATURE

BVWNews.com

KEEPING IT CLEAN Custodial staff works day and night to ensure cleanliness of school

HANNAH HOLLADAY

W

hile students cycle through a day of school work and extracurricular activities, they are often unaware of the actions going on behind the scenes. Custodians spend hours during the day and night to keep the building as clean as possible and provide an environment that students and staff take pride in. It can be a thankless job, but is of great importance to the school. Each custodian provides a service that, whether knowingly or not, helps each day run more smoothly for all the building’s inhabitants.

“I like doing things for people,” lead custodian Albert Woods said.

“What better way to do it [than by] cleaning up a high school?”

Woods has been in the Blue Valley district for almost 30 years and began his career at BV West on the day the school opened. His familiarity with the building and love for high school’s fast-paced atmo-

web editor spotlight.hannahholladay@gmail.com

sphere has helped him develop an effective system for cleaning. He has learned to lead, problem-solve and serve the school with the help of his expertise and his team.

“I just work it out [when there are problems],” Woods said. “It makes me think more and I just come up with an idea and go with it. If I need to bring administration in on it, they don’t have a problem in helping me out with any issues

that I have. I have a good crew also that helps me out with getting this building straightened up every day.”

This analytical thinking is critical in a job where there are constantly new situations and adjustments to be made.

These time constraints and more expansive spaces to clean have been challenges for the staff.

Lead custodian Albert Woods operates the floor machine in the commons.

Photo by Hannah Holladay

In addition to the difficulties brought by JAG, Woods has been working with an influx of new employees for several years. With the help of his assistant lead custodians, he has trained incoming staff members and coordinated with his coworkers to make sure the day and night shifts run smoothly and fulfill the required tasks. Although this process is not always easy, Woods continues to work to keep the building in shape, no matter the circumstances.

“Nobody loves this building more than Mr. Woods,” principal Dr. Brett Potts said. “He is always, always, always thinking about how he can make it look better, how he can become more functional for our students and staff and how he can be more responsive to our needs. That attitude rubs off on those who work with him, the other custodians.”

The custodial staff’s commitment to excellence is a major factor in their success. Their individual efforts help the day run smoothly, but the commitment of everyone who uses the building is important in preserving cleanliness. It is easy to forget how impactful an improperly cleaned building could be.

“I don’t want our students to

take for granted that they come to school in a beautiful facility that is very well taken care of,” Potts said.

“If these custodians slacked off just a little bit, people’s experience here and their attitude and pride they have in our school would be diminished.”

A clean school affects everyone who steps foot in the doors of BV West. Each window washed, bathroom cleaned or trash can emptied helps eliminate obstacles to health and functionality, making the learning process occur more smoothly . With the custodians’s contributions each day, BV West is a place where all can take pride in what they do and the work they accomplish while in the building.

“I take a lot of pride in what I do,” Woods said. “It wasn’t going to be my life’s ambition to be a custodian, but it’s a stable job. I have fun seeing kids come into the school as a freshman and then graduate… it’s good that we can put them into a nice, clean and safe environment on an everyday basis.”

BY DAY TASKS INCLUDE lining and emptying trash cans

monitoring JAG cleaning kitchen cleaning bathrooms

6:00 a.m. to 3 custodians with 3:30 p.m. rotating shifts

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FEATURE 15

@BVWSpotlight

8

HOUR SHIFTS

2

RIDEABLE FLOOR MACHINES

15-20

MINUTES TO CLEAN A RESTROOM

12

BY NIGHT

TOTAL CUSTODIANS

TASKS INCLUDE mopping hallways and stairwells cleaning locker areas cleaning staff areas straightening classroom desks

10 custodians 3:00 p.m. to working 11:30 p.m.

IAN AXELROD

Freshman Ian Axelrod shares his Hanukkah traditions

NATALIE FIORELLA

A

reporter spotlight.nataliefiorella@gmail.com

s the year comes to a close, the holidays get even closer. BV West students celebrate many different holidays. One of them is Hanukkah, a Jewish holiday.

Hanukkah, sometimes referred to as a “festival of lights”, is celebrated over an eight-day span. It is celebrated because of the candle lights that miraculously burned for eight days.

Typically Jewish families around the world celebrate by lighting the menorah, special prayers, playing dreidel and eating fried foods like latkes and Sufganiyiot.

Lighting the menorah is something that is done each night of the eight day period. There are nine candles on the menorah, used to represent each day of the holiday.

The ninth branch is used to light the rest of the branches. On the first night one candle is lit, then two on the second night, and so on.

Special blessings are said before the menorah is lit, and traditional songs are sang afterwards.

Ian Axelrod, a Jewish sophomore, celebrates Hanukkah in many different ways.

Over the eight day period they make latkes, which are basically potato pancakes.

Playing dreidel is another tradition that Axelrod’s family always participates in.

“It’s a spinner that has four sides to it,” Axelrod said. “If you spin on a certain gelt, you get some gelt, which are chocolate coins. The different sides mean different things, if the player gets nothing, anything, all of half of the gelt.”

Anytime I’m with all my family during Hanukkah it’s memorable.

FRESHMAN IAN AXELROD Something that is important to many is spending time with their family, and when there is an opportunity to incorporate religious traditions that is an added perk for families that are strong in their faith.

Axelrod is also apart of a youthgroup, BBYO, that meets up around six times a month. Anytime a holiday is coming up BBYO won’t have many programs, so the members have time to spend with their families. Regardless of the religion, holidays are always a fun time to be brought together with loved ones.

ARNOLD& BARNES

Senior Coleman Barnes and sophomore Destiny Arnold share their Christmas traditions

T

HANNAH COLE

he holidays are a time for family, friends and joy. There are many different holidays and traditions that students at BV West celebrate.

Christmas, in particular, is a major holiday observed by many. Christian families across America typically go to church, hang up lights and give presents in celebration of this day. However, many families have their own unique traditions.

Senior Coleman Barnes, who is an Evangelical Christian, says he has many Christmas traditions that his family and friends enjoy annually.

“We watch ‘Elf’ every year and we go on Christmas light rides,” Barnes said.

Barnes also shared some of his favorite family memories from past years.

“My grandma makes pies for Christmas dinners, there’s a history of some guys eating the pies before she notices,” Barnes said. “One year we were ready to eat dessert and we realized all the pies were gone.”

With his friends, Barnes enjoys having FCA Christmas parties, white elephant gift exchanges or simply just hanging out and being around others. For him, the best part of it all is getting together with friends and family to celebrate.

Sophomore Destiny Arnold also has her own special traditions that

D

reporter spotlight.hannahcole@gmail.com

she celebrates annually.

“Our family always reads the Christmas story on Christmas eve,” Arnold said. “Then, on Christmas we open presents and have a huge meal together for brunch.”

Arnold also enjoys traditions with her youth group and friends.

She typically has some sort of holiday party at her church. Many of her friends have birthdays around Christmas, so they have combined birthday and Christmas parties.

While celebrating her unique traditions she also upholds some classic Christmas activities. She attends charity events at her church, decorates her many Christmas trees and enjoys baking cookies with her family.

One of Arnold’s favorite parts of the holiday season, however, is the time she gets to spend with her older brothers.

“It’s very special because I don’t often get to see them anymore,” Arnold said. “I am the youngest kid and the only girl of four. I have seen my three brothers grow up and now they are guiding me as I go through high school and eventually college, so the bond we have is very important to me.”

BV West students celebrate many holidays with many traditions, these are just a few.

MARYROSE LIN

Sophomore Maryrose Lin shares her Chinese New Year traditions

MIKAELA SCHMITT

T

editor-in-chief spotlight.mikaelaschmitt@gmail.com

he holiday season does not end in December for many, but instead continues to the 23rd day of the 12th lunar month of the Chinese calendar, or Feb. 16 on the Gregorian calendar, traditionally used in America. This marks the beginning of the Chinese New Year, a 15day traditional celebration.

The celebration began as a time to honor ancestors and deities. Many of the original practices and traditions remain, perhaps with a modern twist in certain families.

For sophomore Maryrose Lin and her family, celebrating Chinese New Year is a vital part of the holiday season. It is an opportunity to celebrate their heritage and unite their large family from across the world.

“Chinese New Year by itself is really crazy, so having family is a big deal to us,” Lin said. “There’s always family drama, but we try to take it away during then. Everybody is happy to see each other… and everybody celebrates together.”

The festivities begin with a large meal, followed by gifts and family activities. Lin’s family takes a unique twist on the traditional gifting of red paper envelopes filled with money.

“We hide envelopes full of money and there’s one golden envelope every year that all the kids go find that has $1,000 dollars in it, so of course that’s [the] jackpot,” Lin said.

Chinese New Year, and other Lin’s other winter festivities, center around the lunar calendar. Her birthday falls on a different “traditional” calendar date each year, dependent upon the timing of the lunar calendar.

Lin’s religion, while not the root of Chinese New Year, impacts the celebrations as well.

“My whole family is Buddhism, so we have our traditions with that,” Lin said. “We go to temples and… we also have an altar in my house. We have specific dates, and that’s all to the lunar calendar.”

Nonetheless, Lin and her family embrace the holiday spirit in all aspects, from “Friendsgiving” and Christmas celebrations with friends, to other family traditions.

“We celebrate all different types [of holidays], we’re not just for Chinese New Year, we also celebrate Christmas,” Lin said. “Christmas is crazy because we go overboard.”

This year Lin will be celebrating the classic holidays with a unique change, although many of their traditions will remain. She is traveling to China for approximately a month to celebrate her birthday and Chinese New Year.

“It’s my first time there for a New Year’s and my birthday,” Lin said.

“Everything is gonna be in China so it’s going to be crazy.”

The holiday rotates around the Lunar Calendar instead of the Gregorian Calendar typically used in America.

$ There is one golden envelope with $1000.

Red envelopes with money are hidden in the house for kids to find.

$

The Fu symbol is placed in front of the home on Chinese New Years eve to invite wealth and luck for the new year.

ELLIE KWON

Sophomore Ellie Kwon shares a unique perspective on the holidays

T

JILLIAN DUNLAY

hough the holiday season is often associated with religion, not everyone shares an interest in the religious aspect of the holidays.

However, this choice does not mean WHAT WINTER HOLIDAY DO one is unable to celebrate along with BV WEST STUDENTS PREDOMI- others; sophomore Ellie Kwon idenNANTLY CELEBRATE? tifies as atheist, and her outlook on religion does not interfere with her desire to embrace the holidays.

“My family celebrates Christmas as more of a cultural thing rather than a religious holiday,” Kwon said.

“We do the standard stuff like presents, cookies etc. We literally do the most stereotypical thing you could do for Christmas.”

Atheism is the absence of a belief in God(s). Though Kwon herself identifies as atheist, her family shares various beliefs.

“I don’t identify with a religion at all,” Kwon said. “I’m atheist. It doesn’t really affect how I celebrate the holidays, but it does affect the rest of my family. My mom and my sister are Christian, and they don’t go to church because they’d rather stay at home and spend time with the whole family.”

Although atheism may not carry specific holiday traditions, it has opened Kwon’s family up to a variety of ways to celebrate the holiday Out of 157 votes. Poll conducted on season.

“We don’t really have any tradi@BVWSpotlight Twitter on Dec. 2 tions, my family is pretty much up

Other

Christmas Hanukkah Chinese New Year

92% 4% 2% 2%

reporter spotlight.jilliandunlay@gmail.com

for anything new,” Kwon said.

Kwon’s family may not affiliate themselves with the religious focus of Christmas, but they still value the quality time they share with one another. All in all, Kwon’s family demonstrates how the holiday season is about appreciating and enjoying the company of family and friends; most importantly showing how one does not need a specific belief in order to cherish the holidays.

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22 OPINION

BVWNews.com

defense

personal freedoms ineffective

2nd amendment constitution ng i t n

infringement

hu

protection

right to bear arms

mental health

The cons of gun control

tradition

THE QUES

GUN CO

DRAKE BREUCKMANN guest writer dabreuckmann@bluevalleyk12.net

Drake Breuckmann is a senior.

He participates in Forensics and is the vice president of membership for DECA. Breuckmann plans on attending University of Kansas or University of Missouri following his senior year to pursue a degree in business.

E

my right

very time a mass shooting occurs in the United States the question about gun control comes up. People start to think if some sort of gun control would’ve prevented such an attack. While liberals attempt to take away our gun rights, conservatives believe we should keep our rights. The Left tries to find new ways to take away our rights but the reason they never can is because the facts

are not in their favor.

First off, two major countries that banned the use of guns by civilians are Australia and Britain.

The Crime Research Prevention center found that there was an increase in the homicide rate after Britain banned handguns in 1997.

Since 1997, there has only been a single year where homicide rates were lower than they were before the ban. As for Australia, the University of Melbourne found that Australia’s gun ban had no effect on the crime rate or homicide rate.

This goes to show how a gun ban wouldn’t stop crime or homicides in the United States.

The Left also has the idea of a universal background check to not put guns in the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. There are a few problems with this logic. These new background checks would have no effect on these firearms from getting into the hands of the mentally ill or those who commit

suicide with the firearms, which account for 60 percent of the adult firearm deaths in the United States according to a Justice Department study. The new background checks would also only affect people who legally obtain firearms. The same Justice Department study reported that a legally obtained gun was used in only 11 percent of violent gun crimes in the United States.

If criminals want to use a gun to commit a crime, they will find a way to obtain a gun whether it is legal or not.

In short, gun control doesn’t work. It hasn’t worked anywhere in the world and it won’t work in the United States. It will only have negative effects on this country’s well-being. The Left needs to realize that taking guns away from law-abiding citizens won’t stop criminals from getting guns. It would only make our country a more dangerous place.

safety

children

mass murder

security

background checks

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OPINION 23

@BVWSpotlight

dangeroudsment

TION OF

n

common sense n o i t a t e r p r e t n i s mi

NTROL

ame d e t a d t u o

The pros of gun control

RACHEL PICKETT editor-in-chief spotlight.rachelpickett@gmail.com

I

began writing this piece with 100 percent confidence in my belief that gun control laws need to be passed, and I still do believe that.

However, after falling through a rabbit hole of statistics and persuasive articles, I have realized that the gun control debate is more complicated than most are willing to admit. Both sides present intelligent, reasonable arguments and there is not one solution that would solve all of America’s gun problems. Despite its complexity, gun control is a conversation that must take place.

First, it is important to understand the prevalence that guns have in American society. A 2012 Congressional Research Service report estimated that there were 310 million firearms in America in 2009.

That means in the United States, there are almost as many guns as

there are citizens. Americans are also increasingly reporting that they own guns for protection reasons rather than hunting-related activities, according to a study done by the Pew Research Center. Guns are woven into the fabric of American society, and there is no getting away from that, but we should reevaluate their role.

Talk of gun control is most often brought up in the wake of a mass shooting. However, mass shootings only represent a fraction of the gun-related deaths that occur each year.

Suicide accounts for the largest type of gun-related deaths. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 92 Americans are killed everyday in gun-related deaths. 58 of those deaths are suicides, 30 are homicides and the rest are made up of accidental shootings, police-related instances and undetermined deaths.

Simple laws could prevent some

instances of gun-violence. Federal laws requiring universal background checks, mandatory waiting periods between the purchase and delivery of guns, a uniform process of license and registration and safety training could all save lives.

These laws in no way infringe on American’s Second Amendment Right to bear arms. If these laws were enacted, Americans would still be able to purchase guns. These simple measures would simply create a more uniform system of the distribution of guns.

It is important that gun violence does not become normalized. Death by gun cannot be a normal occurrence for a country as progressive as the United States.

I understand that there is a chance that gun control laws could solve absolutely nothing, but the alternative - being bystanders as hundreds of lives are taken - seems too horrendous to consider.

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24 OPINION

BVWNews.com

FINALS, FINALLY Are semester finals really necessary?

JADEN WEBSTER reporter spotlight.jadenwebster@gmail.com

F

inals are quickly approaching and classes have started to review a semester’s worth of learning. However, most students dread taking finals and spend long nights studying concepts they learned three months ago. Students may complain about their finals and the possibility of failing the test may haunt their dreams, but these tests have a silver lining.

A cumulative test gives feedback to teachers so they can see how well the semester was taught and if there are learning targets that need to be reviewed during second semester. For students, the final provides a way for them to raise their grade at the end of the semester. It is also thought of as a way to reflect the student’s hard work throughout the semester on

Students learn before the upcoming tests and finals.

Photo by Liliana Jones

the final grade, which is also why finals are weighted the way they are. If the student has mastered the concepts, then a final exam should not be difficult. The exam would still challenge students by having them apply their knowledge instead of regurgitating facts.

In addition, finals are used as a method to prepare a student for college. Students need to be ready to take semester exams in college and need to know how to study for those tests.

A final exam may not be ideal for all classes. In some cases, a project or presentation is a better way to measure how much information students have retained from the semester. These types of finals work just as well as an exam because they are still testing stu-

dents and seeing if students can apply the knowledge that they have learned.

Without finals, classes would continue to cover new material during the time that students would normally be reviewing. This alternative would give students more work and leaves students likely to forget concepts that were taught in the beginning of the year or semester. Finals also provide an easy way for the curriculum to transition into winter break instead of having a unit begin in the first semester and end in the second semester.

Finals, whether they are a test or a project, help students and teachers more than they harm.

Do you think finals are a good representation of academic achievement over the semester?

Yes

12%

No

88%

Twitter poll taken on Nov. 11, 170 votes

Jackson Weems works to complete his assignments and meet deadlines.

Photo by Quinn Burkholder

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@BVWSpotlight

A DIR E CTOR’S

BV West’s production of A Thousand Clowns raises money for CASA

JACOB BRAUN

T

CUT

reporter spotlight.jacobbraun@gmail.com

he lights are dimmed. The stage is set. A hush falls over the house as they prepare to experience the lives of the characters.

On Dec. 1 and 2, BV West’s repertory theatre held its production of A Thousand Clowns by Herb Gardner. The show follows the lives an out-of-work comedy writer, Murray Burns, portrayed by senior Michael Zipse, and his niece, Nick, played by sophomore Kyra Winslett. While living his eccentric lifestyle, Murray is faced with losing custody over Nick when social workers show up to the untraditional home.

“Murray has to reform his ways a little bit to keep the people that he loves in his life,” director of the show and BV West senior Alex Leondedis said.

After directing a show last year for the regular repertory class, Leondedis wanted to direct again before graduating.

“I wanted to do something that I had read before and something that I cared and felt passionate about,” Leondedis said. “After reading the first sentence I thought [the play] was going to be horrible, but I read it and I fell in love with it, and I knew this was the thing I needed to do.”

Being a director comes with a lot of responsibility, especially with a smaller production cast and crew.

“I had help, but I still stayed after and built the set,” Leondedis said.

“And I’ve been working on props and costumes. So compared to a lot

of directors that I know who just direct and have people who do the other stuff, in this setting it’s more all encompassing.”

With this high amount of responsibility, there are perks that come along with this leadership role.

“Directing in general is a fascinating process,” Leondedis said. “You get to be inside the heads of all the characters instead of just one. And it’s all about creating the world of the show and building pictures that compliment what is going on in the characters’ minds.”

Besides directing at BV West, this past fall, Leondedis got involved as an intern in a community theatre in which he shadowed a director.

Because of his involvement in directing shows in different settings, Leondedis has developed an inclination towards becoming a director.

“With proper college education on directing, I would love to do this again in the future,” he said.

Besides directing this show, Leondedis raised money for the Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) organization for his Jaguar Pride Coalition (JPCo) medallion project. Each year, every senior JPCo member is encouraged to come up with an event that strengthens the BV West community. CASA is a national association that works to provide representatives for children that are going through foster care or custody issues. While the show is not just about social work, it has

parts that correlate with the goals of this organization.

“CASA representatives go in and interact with the child and bolster good relationships, when maybe not all of the relationships with the adults in their lives are positive,” Leondedis said. “It does a lot of tangible good in a system that can go either way.”

Leondedis raised money through the show’s ticket sales and selling of red clown noses for $1. He worked alongside Katherine Harris, BV West’s social worker and former clown, in order to make this medallion project a success and to give back to the CASA group that does so many beneficial things for children in the area. Over the course of both nights, Leondedis raised $165 for CASA. All in all, Leondedis has learned a lot through this whole production process.

“It’s a wonderful process to have free reign to create and bring your vision forward,” Leondedis said.

“And I learned more about what CASA does and how monetary donations can impact lives all around the area. It’s just been a phenomenal time to work with the thing I love to do and to help out some people in an organization that I love and believe in.”

If you are interested in learning more about CASA go to http://www. casaforchildren.org.

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26 A & E

Best selling music reviewed

BVWNews.com

BILLBOARD 2017

STEPHEN KINDER

reporter spotlight.stephenkinder@gmail.com

#

1

ROCKSTAR

What first appeared to be a video snippet on Twitter in 2016, “Rockstar” by new American rapper Post Malone and the veteran 21 Savage, reached the US Billboard Hot 100, and stayed on it for eight weeks. This feat is remarkable and

record breaking, as many songs are barely last a week on the countdown. Many people claim that the beat to the song is “oddly hypnotic,” due to the loops of the chorus in the song. “Rockstar” became relevant once again in November,

2MANS #

NOT HOT

by B i g Sha q

by Post Malone

when Emil Nava directed a music video for the song with Malone and 21 Savage. Outside of the US, “Rockstar” made it to the number one position in European and Asia billboards making the newcomer a worldwide sensation.

Sometimes, legendary songs are written by those who have no musical background; which is true for British comedian Michael Dapaah.

Dapaah had a video uploaded of him rapping the song, Mans Not Hot onto Youtube back on Aug. 29. Soon, the video went viral due to the funny way Dapaah rapped out the lyrics. Many memes and different versions of the song were uploaded all over the internet. The video went viral shortly after with over a two million likes.

Because of the popularity of the original video, Dapaah, or “Big Shaq” made an actual music video of the song and it was released formally.

The new version of the video reached 93 million views by Dec., and landed him with producers such as DJ Khaled. After the music video was released, Dapaah was featured on numerous podcasts and national talk shows.

TOP 5

#3LOOK WHAT

YOU MADE ME DO

by Taylor Swift Coming out of the darkness after a long silence, Taylor Swift released the single “Look What You Made Me Do,” breaking the record for the most watched video on Youtube within 24 hours. Despite this achievement, many criticized the song as “petty” thinking it was directed to Kanye West.

#4

THE SHAPE OF YOU

by Ed Sheeran

It is hard to believe this song was released in 2017. “Shape of You” by Ed Sheeran made it to the number one song in charts in over 40 countries around the world.

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A & E 27

@BVWSpotlight

Photos courtesy MOXIE and Tribune News Service

5

# 1-800-273-8255

by Logic

Mental health is always an important issue. Logic released the song “1-800-273-8255” to raise awareness about mental health and the epidemic of suicide among people. The title of song is the phone number to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The music video released with the song was uploaded onto Logic’s Vevo on Youtube on Aug. 17. The video was directed by Andy Hines and depicts a young man struggling with fitting in because of confusion regarding his sexual orientation.

The video landed 170 million views, with 270 thousand comments.

A month after the music video was released, the single was given a Double Platinum award from the Recording Industry Association of America. Afterwards, Logic was given the honor of performing the song at the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards.

Behind songs like “Rockstar,” this song with a social message made it to the Top 100 chart in the United States, and was the third highest song on the chart. The impact of “1-800-273-8255” was enormous. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline said that three weeks after the song was released, the suicide prevention lifeline got an increase in calls by 27%, and 300 thousand people visited their website.

“1-800-273-8255” is considered a huge landmark for mental health, as it put issues such as depression and suicide under the limelight.

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28 PHOTO ESSAY BVWNews.com

KANSAS CITY’S

PLAZA LIGHTS

RACHEL ZIMMERLI reporter spotlight.rachelzimmerli@gmail.com

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PHOTO ESSAY 29

@BVWSpotlight

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30 CARTOON

BVWNews.com

JADEN DUDREY illustrator spotlight.jadendudrey@gmail.com

WINTER WORD SEARCH

COCOA COZY EARMUFFS EGGNOG FINALS

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INTERACTIVE 31 @BVWSpotlight Bring your completed word search to Room 233 for a prize!

FROST HOLIDAYS IGLOO JINGLE MITTENS

PAJAMAS SKATING SLEDDING SNOWMAN TOBOGGAN

Blue Valley West Spotlight 16200 Antioch Road Overland Park, Kan. 66085 bvwspotlight@gmail.com Web: www.bvwnews.com Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram: @bvwspotlight

Photos by Liliana Jones, Katherine Lucas, Peyton Schram, Emma Wallace, Lexi Dechant, Mady Fancher and Molly Saporito

Thanks for a great first semester, Jags.

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