JagWire Newspaper: Volume 22, Issue 2

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STRENGTHENING STEM EDUCATION

The new Cedar Trails Exploration Center offers new STEM-based classes in the district

VOLUME 22 ISSUE 2 November 19, 2021 Mill Valley High School | Shawnee, Kansas

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Oct. 14, 2021

TABLE OF CONTENTS

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

OPINIONS

STAFF EDITORIAL

4-5

6-7 8-9 10 11

NEWS

SCHOOL DISTRICT POSITION SHORTAGES

NEWS

SCHOOL BOARD

FEATURES

CAR CULTURE

FEATURES

EXCHANGE STUDENTS

FEATURES

OLIVIA KERSTETTER’S CROSSFIT SUCCESS

12-15

CEDAR TRAILS EXPLORATION CENTER

16 17 18

Quinn Franken

GRAPHICS

Gabby Delpleash Avery Gathright

OPINIONS

Hayden Resch

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OPINIONS

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SPORTS

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MONEY/CURRENCY SPOTIFY IS BETTER THAN APPLE MUSIC COLLEGE HAS TURNED INTO A BUSINESS NEW SPECIAL OLYMPICS BOWLING TEAM

SPORTS

DUAL ATHLETE

22-23 A&E THIS OR THAT ESSAY 24 PHOTO THE MUSIC MAN

5900 Monticello Road Shawnee, KS 66226 Phone: (913) 422-4351 Fax: (913) 422-4039 Email: jagwirenewspaper@gmail.com Adviser: Kathy Habiger khabiger@usd232.org JagWire, a monthly publication of Mill Valley High School, is printed by Valley Offset Printing

Professional Associations Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association Journalism Educators of Metropolitan KC The 2021 JagWire earned an All-American rating and Pacemaker finalist from NSPA and an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. It is also a member of the NSPA All-American Hall of Fame.

Online Editors in Chief Photo Editor

Assistant Editor

Madelyn Welch

Reporters & Photographers

Kaitlyn Burke Grace Brookshire Emma Clement Julia Coacher Liz Coenen Alayna Dill Amy Hill Katelyn Krosky Sydney McGlasson Natalie Merley Chloe Miller Baylen Monson Sophie Sena Julia Shumaker Elizabeth Summa Abigail Troilo Luke Wood

Junior Tamerlan Ardasenov works in his bioscience class Friday, Oct. 22. Photo by Hayden Resch THUMBNAIL PHOTO

De Soto senior Josephine Butler works with salt mixtures Friday, Oct. 22. Photo by Hayden Resch

PUBLICATION INFORMATION JagWire Office

Editor in Chief

ADS

COVER PHOTO

FEATURES

2021-22 STAFF

Editorial Policy We value your opinions. If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor to the JagWire, you can do so by handing it in to a member of the staff or to the print journalism room (C101). Additionally, you may email any member of the staff with opinions, as well as tweet us at @millvalleynews. Anonymous content will not be accepted. Please understand that we have the right to edit all copy that runs in this publication.

Censorship Policy The Kansas Student Publications Act guarantees the same rights for student journalists as are guaranteed for professional journalists.

These rights include, but are not limited to, all First Amendment rights, including the rights of freedom of speech and the press, insofar as published items may not contain libelous, slanderous or obscene statements, may not incite or promote illegal conduct and may not cause a substantial disruption to normal school activity.

This law also prevents censorship of any kind by the adviser, building or district administration.

ON THE WEB @millvalleynews @millvalleynews1 @Mill Valley News

JagWire

Design by Julia Shumaker

Staff Editorial

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Staff Editorial

GIRLS MISSING IN STEM

Cultivating environments that are more inclusive and diverse can combat the underrepresentation of women in STEM fields by jagwire staff

C

an you name a famous woman leader in tech? Alexa and Siri don’t count.

When asked this question in a 2018 survey, nearly 92% of respondents said they couldn’t name one. Of the 8% who claimed they could, only about 4% actually did; and about a quarter of them named Siri and Alexa instead of real women.

In our own district, the male to female ratio regarding STEM-invested students is 719 males to 578 females; monumentally closer to an equal 5050 as opposed to the global ratio of STEM-invested males to females where only 27% of females hold STEM related jobs, according to the 2020 U.S. Census.

While the district’s new Cedar Trail Exploration Center building, CTEC, encourages females to take on leadership positions in STEM, women are globally underrepresented on all rungs of leadership in the field. According to a survey of women in STEM careers, 91% said gender discrimination

remains a career obstacle and 100% reported self doubt and lack of confidence as an obstacle. These findings are not surprising as statistics show

“According to a survey of women in STEM careers, 91% said gender discrimination remains a career obstacle and 100% reported self doubt.”

JagWire Staff

that women researchers typically earn less, receive less funding at the crucial start of their careers and are cited less often than their male counterparts.

It is clear that in all facets of STEM, we need to create environments that

are more inclusive. The recent implementation of the CTEC building serves as a viable catalyst for closing the gender gap in STEM locally; however, more actions need to be taken to close the STEM gap worldwide.

Paths to further encourage young women to enter into the STEM field can include the implementation of methods such as implicit bias training, balanced and diversified decision-making committees and the primary school institution of policies and ad programs that aim to support women in STEM careers.

Research makes it clear: we need to change the STEM culture. Data suggests that gender diversity serves the potential to broaden the viewpoints, questions and areas explored by researchers, allowing greater potential for new discoveries. Without women and other underrepresented groups in science, the world will miss out on valuable innovations. By raising awareness for the active disruption of gender norms in this evolutionary field, we take one step toward increasing female representation in STEM.

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FEATURES

Nov. 19, 2021

THE STRUGGLES OF STAFFING

Due to the district facing various shortages throughout the year, staff has been stretched thin across the district

Bus drivers Glen White and Veronica Hollinger are two of several bus drivers effected by lack of staffing this year Friday, Oct. 29. Photo by Amy Hill

by avery gathright online editor in chiefv

by sophie sena writer/photographer

D

ue to COVID-19 and difficulties filling positions, the school district has faced multiple shortages this year, each affecting the district in a myriad of ways. While some of these shortages, such as a lack of certain food items, are material, many are staff-based, such as the shortages of bus drivers and substitute teachers.

The district has been working to ensure the increase in shortages remains manageable. With the district currently having 22 available jobs for special educators and 11 for student nutrition employees, district executive

director of secondary education Brian Schwanz explains how the heightened levels of staffing shortages have required the district to be flexible.

“The amount of openings we currently have with paraprofessionals and student nutrition created challenges in maintaining services at expected levels,” Schwanz said. “As such, the district has had to adjust responsibilities on a daily/weekly basis to meet service levels.”

Schwanz elaborated that although the district has had challenges in facing issues presented by the shortages, it is not alone in these issues, and action is being taken to improve the situation and make the district’s available positions more desirable.

“Challenges in hiring are not exclusive to public education, as compe-

tition for available workers is evident across industries,” Schwanz said. “We requested that the Board of Education raise the pay for paraprofessionals and student nutrition employees, which was approved by the Board. Also, we are taking a recommendation to the Board of Education to raise the daily rate for substitute pay. We are hopeful these changes will help us in the current competitive hiring market.”

The cafeteria has also been affected by shortages of both staff and supplies.

According to student nutrition assistant Pam King, the cafeteria has faced a variety of food shortages. “[The shortages are] really across the board because we are short on main entrees, fruits, vegetables, lunch items, breakfast items [and] snack items,” King said. “For me, it’s the

JagWire

breakfast and snack issues that are most frustrating because that’s what I deal with.”

King has been disappointed by the shortages because she believes meals should be an enjoyable part of students’ days.

“It’s been very stressful. We’re all having to do a lot more, and sometimes we may have to not put out as much stuff, we don’t have enough staff to accommodate it,” King said. “I feel like your meals like breakfast or lunch are a happy part of your day, and that it’s an important part of your day. And when we don’t have what you want and what you like, that is very frustrating for me.”

The district has also been facing a shortage of bus drivers. Junior Josie Foltz has noticed this shortage, and explained that her bus has been driven by several drivers due to staff shortages, occasionally causing her to arrive home later.

“We’ve had a consistent bus driver after the first couple weeks of school, but I’ve had a couple substitute drivers since then,” Foltz said. “During the first couple weeks, I had three different bus drivers. Our first driver trained a driver who drove us for a week, and then the driver that was just trained had to train our current driver the next week. I usually get home from the bus around 3:40, but when we were trying to figure out the route and were having different drivers, I would get home around 3:50 or 4:00.”

According to Schwanz, the shortage of bus drivers has also forced the district to adjust certain activities’ schedules.

“Although the district’s bus transportation provider continues to hire drivers, we have had to alter the times for when students leave school for activities so that we can continue to run our normal daily bus routes without interruption,” Schwanz said.

The district has also been dealing with a lack of substitute teachers, which, according to Schwanz, has forced teachers to look to one another for assistance.

“We have relied on current staff to help cover classrooms during their plan period or absorb a class when a substitute teacher is not available,” Schwanz said. “While this is not ideal, our teachers have stepped up to the challenge to help meet the needs of students.”

Design by Julia Shumaker

FEATURES

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Substitute teacher Gretchen Aerni directs drama students in the PAC Thursday, Nov. 4.

Photo by Sydney McGlasson

Senior Rheagan Handy goes through the lunch line visiting with student nutrition assistant Pam King, Friday, Oct. 29.

Photo by Sydney McGlasson

DISTRICT WIDE VS. NATION WIDE A look at shortages both at the district level and nationwide level

Food shortages include:

Breakfast items Fruit/vegetables

Now Hiring!

Hard to find items include:

Main entrees Snack items Staff shortages: 22 special education openings

11 food service

Canned goods, snacks and cereals.

This is because they require ingredients sourced from around the world.

Now Hiring!

869,000 in

openings

Source: District Food Services and USD 232 Human Resources Page

Nationwide Job Openings: 1.8 million in professional and business services manufacturing

1.7 million in Source: The Washington Post

health-related sevices

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NEWS

PANDEMIC PROVOKES CHANGE

Nov. 19, 2021

Controversy surrounding COVID-19 prompts unique school board election

The USD 232 school board held a regular meeting at Cedar Trails Exploration Center Monday, Nov. 1, the day before the election occurred. Current board member Danielle Heikes won reelection for Position 4 with 4,040 votes. Photo by Liz Coenen

by gabby delpleash online editor in chief

by emma clement

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writer/photographer

ith November being election month, the community’s annual election of new members to the school board has received a much greater deal of attention this year than in previous years. The board election, held on Tuesday Nov. 2, was historically unique in that it

presented a stark choice on the future of USD 232 and featured two different slates of candidates with radically different platforms.

As of Nov. 3, board positions 4, 5 and 6 will be filled by current board president Danielle Heikes, Calley Malloy and Brandi Jonasson respectively. The 2021 election voter turnout increased from approximatley 3200 votes per candidate in the 2017 election, to approximately 7600 votes.

Additionally, in 2021 two candidates ran per open position, in comparison to the unopposed candidacies that frequented previous elections.

Prior to the pandemic, board elections were nonpartisan; individual candidates ran with the purpose of providing a service to the local community. The spontaneous addition of “disease mitigation protocols” to the list of board responsibilities forced board members to make health deci-

WHAT DOES THE BOARD OF EDUCATION DO?

Source; USD 232 Board of Education “Distric Goals” page

Legal control of USD 232 is vested within seven distinct individuals that...

- Hire & evaluate the superintendent

- Establish the operating budget for the district

- Establish operating policies for schools

- Authorize curriculum development and revision

- Set goals for the district - Authorize the appointment of district staff

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sions for students and navigate around an endless feed of criticism.

With the pandemic’s aftermath and the approach of this year’s election, a new group of parents emerged who wouldn’t have run for office under normal circumstances. Among those parents was position 6 candidate Emily Carpenter.

“I wouldn’t say the pandemic itself made me run for school board, but it made me start paying attention,” Carpenter said. “I started watching all the school board meetings and researching the role and responsibilities of the board. I started asking questions of the administration and the school board.”

In similar circumstances is recently elected board member Brandi Jonasson, who asked herself “If not me, who?”

“I really feel that this is where my passion is,” Jonasson said. “[Serving on] the PTO at Prairie Ridge Elementary used to be my thing. After my daughter graduated fifth grade I wasn’t sure where I wanted to serve next. All I knew was that I wanted to step up my advocacy by doing something different and giving back more.”

Brandi’s entrance into school board politics during irregular times changed the lives of her family including her son, junior Foster Jonasson. “[During her campaign] my mom had been out of the house a lot,” Foster said. “There’s been a lot of people at my house in the recent months and I’ve heard people around school mention it too. This is a good thing for her because it’s what she’s passionate about and it’s what she likes to do.”

Like Foster, sophomore Ashley Makalous’ life had also been affected by her parents’ involvement with the board. Makalous’ parents, Kevin and Stephanie Makalous, have been involved with the board since 2016, giving her a different perspective.

“For my dad’s race in third grade, I brought his cards to school and handed them out to the kids in my class even though they didn’t vote,” Makalous said. “For my mom’s race, I got to do my first set of mailings and built signs and helped with as much stuff as I could.”

Re-elected board president Danielle Heikes acknowledges how there has been an increase in attention on the board, and how the debate on face masks has created a greater division amongst board and community mem-

Design by Chloe Miller NEWS

Carrie Handy, the Director of Human Resources and Elementary Personnel, presents principal Jim Crutchfield from Horizon Elementary School a short video congratulating teachers for their hard work at the board meeting. Photo by Liz Coenen

bers.

“When COVID-19 hit, there was no win-win situation any longer,” Heikes said. “As a school board member, the decisions that we’ve made have not pleased everyone. In fact it’s become more divided as time has gone on unfortunately.”

Makalous’ parents gave Ashley first hand exposure to the new stressors that infiltrate the life of board members.

“Nothing affected me until I was in high school and now I think about the board everyday,” Ashley said.

“All I knew was that I wanted to step up my advocacy by doing something different and giving back more.” board member Brandi Jonasson

Despite the changes and challenges, Heikes doesn’t regret running for re-election this year. All of the drawbacks Heikes experienced are made up through the relationships, partnerships and communication.

“The way that I’m able to give back to the school district that I love so much has been extremely rewarding,” Heikes said. “I hope to be able to continue in that role.”

VOTER TURNOUT The 2022 election brought fourth an influx of voters when compared to 2017

2017 ELECTION VOTES CASTED:

3200 2021 ELECTION VOTES CASTED:

7600 RESULTING IN A VOTER PERCENT INCREASE OF APPROXIMATELY:

137%

Source; JOCO Election Office

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8 FEATURE

CARS f MILL VALLEY

Nov. 19, 2021

Four students drive distinctly different cars than the average student in the Mill Valley parking lot

DASHBOARD SYMBOLS

What do the symbols on your dash mean?

Check Engine Light: Will come on when there is a problem with the engine.

If the icon starts flashing something serious is going on and you need to get your car checked as soon as possible.

Tire Pressure Monitoring System: This alerts you when your tires are underinflated. If your tires air pressure is too low it could wear down your tires and possibly cause them to fail.

Traction Control:If you have turned on traction control the symbol will flash once. If you turn if off the light will stay on. If it turns on itself then something is wrong and needs to be checked.

Broken Bulb: When this turns on it means that one of the bulbs is broken and needs to be repaired. You can either repair it yourslef or go get it replaced.

Warning Light: When this turns on it means that something has gone worng with your car. It is usually accompanied by a message so you know what is worng.

by baylen monson writer/photographer

by abigail troilo writer/photographer

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hen the bell rings at 2:55 pm, hundreds of students rush out to the parking lot to hop into their cars and head their separate ways. Among these students are juniors Keegan Gracy and Charles Beal and sophomores Cannon Rhodes and Kenten Laughman. One thing distinctly sets these boys apart from others: they don’t own your typical sedans. These four own unique cars, whether they be souped-up or simply old-fashioned.

Gracy owns a 1981 Chevrolet Camaro with a unique brown color that he’s had for one year. Gracy takes pride in the way his car looks, especially its style and color. Gracy said he loved the look of this particular car, and he was already on the hunt for a vintage car to buy at the time. The Camaro remains with all its original parts, except for a new exhaust.

“I loved the look of [the Camaro] and was looking for a cool vintage car to buy,” Gracy said.

Similarly, Beal’s blue 1974 Nissan Datsun 260z remains mostly

original. Besides small fixes such as cracks on the interior dashboard, the Datsun is the same as it was when it was new. Beal, along with his father and brother, all take an interest in cars. These factors are part of what pulled Beal to buy the Datsun two years ago.

As an older car, Beal’s Datsun has some unique features that are less commonly seen today. The way that the car looks and functions is much different than newer cars.

The outside of the car has a sleek, clearly vintage look. The inside has no high-tech screens, seat warmers, or Apple CarPlay that many are used to.

“I like the fact that it’s standard transmission… and an old car [that] has many features that aren’t in modern cars,” Beal said. “For example, the roll-down windows.”

Like Beal, Rhodes drives a Nissan, although Rhodes’ is slightly newer. Rhodes owns a 1995 Nissan 240 SX SE, which he has had for roughly nine months. Similarly, Rhodes’ family’s passion for cars is what led him to get his car.

“I’ve been growing up around cars my whole life,” Rhodes said.

“My grandpa had one [of these cars] when I was a kid, and I loved it, so it turned into my dream car.”

JagWire

Design by Grace Brookshire and Photos by Sydney McGlassen

CAR CHARACTERISTICS Charles Beal: Nissan Datsun 260Z

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Pop culture and history facts about the four cars that each of the boys own

Keegan Gracy Chevrolet: Camero

The average price of a Nissan Datsun 260Z is $21,000

The first Camaro came out on Sept. 29, 1966

The Nissan Datsun 260Z was named the 2nd best sports car of the 1970s in 2004 by Sports Car International

The yellow body and black striped Camaro was made famous by the 2010 “Transformers” movie where the Camaro appeared as Bumblebee.

The Nissan was only sold in the United States for its model year in 1974 but sold in other countries til 1978

Kenten Laughman: BMW 328

2022 Chevrolet Camaros range from $25,000- $32,000

Cannon Rhodes: Nissan 240SX SE

The first model of the BMW 328 was sold between 19391940

The Nissan 240SX SE was sold in North America from 1989-1999

One of the newest models of the BMW 328’s costs around $40,000

The 1999 Nissan 240SX SE original price ranged from 18,000- 25,000 dollars but now is worth less than 10,000 dollars

After WWII the manufacturing plant where the BMW 328 was produced was in a soviet union zone

Rhodes says that his car is one in 500, making it a very rare car that’s in high demand, and popular for drifting. What makes Rhodes’ Nissan even more unique are the modifications he made to it. Rhodes added a sports exhaust, coilovers to lower the car, and a cold air intake for the engine.

Laughman’s 2010 BMW 328, the newest of the students’ four cars, has also been modified to his liking. He did all of the work himself, and it cost him around $1,300.

“I lowered it, I got wheels, I have a ski box on top, [and] a cold air intake.

I did tiny other things [like] lights and blacking out [the car],” Laughman said.

To Laughman, his BMW is more than just a car and he believes it represents himself in a way.

“I think it displays a little bit of me.

[I] kind of made it my own. It’s not just out of the factory,” Laughman said.

Previous to buying his car, Laughman had an idea of how other people

build them, and that’s part of the reason why he bought it.

“I liked the way it drove, I thought I needed an all wheel drive car for

“I think [my BMW] displays a little bit of me. [I] kind of made it my own. It’s not just out of the factory.” sophomore Kenten Laughman

Kansas, and I liked how some people built them so I decided I wanted to do that,” Laughman said.

These vehicles seem like every car fanatic’s dream, but they too come with their issues. Older cars require more upkeep, and can have troubles in harsh weather. “[My Camaro] likes to break down

The car is known for drifting and is even featured in the “Fast and Furious” movies

often and takes forever to get the heater going,” Gracy said.

Beal has a similar problem to Gracy: he also has troubles with the heating in his car.

“In the winter [older cars] often struggle to start up on a cold morning. That’s usually the worst. As we get into fall and winter, driving to school in the morning can sometimes really be a pain,” Beal said.

Specifically for Beal’s Datsun, the car only has two seats, and most cars today can fit four or five. The small size of the vehicle can be troubling, and even comedic to Beal.

“It’s always really funny as I’m walking away,” Beal said. “I look back and it’s just completely dwarfed by all the cars parked around it.”

Despite these inconveniences, all four of these vehicles have unique backstories. Whether it be a shared passion for cars with family, or a hunt for the perfect car to modify, these students show a little bit of who they are every time they drive.

10 FEATURES

NEW

Design by Amy Hill

COUNTRY CULTURE

Junior Diego Medina poses with his host family in front of Mill Valley Friday, Oct. 29. Photo by Natalie Merley

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any of us can only dream about spending the school year in another country, but for exchange students, Eva Garcia from Spain and Diego Medina from Mexico, this is their reality.

Medina and Garcia have had to adjust to an entirely new atmosphere.

From differences in family, culture, and schooling, the world in which these students live has been completely flipped.

Medina said that America is different in “an economic way,” and that, “it’s weird living with another family.”

Both students say that school in Kansas is much different than school in their home countries. According to Garcia, there is a wider offering of classes compared to Spain.

“Here you have more specific subjects,” Garcia said. “In Spain, you have math, you don’t have any other [classes] like calculus.”

Medina emphasizes that the atmosphere at Mill Valley contrasts from the environment of his original school.

According to Medina the typical life in Johnson County is also different compared to his home country Mexico.

“I don’t see many people that don’t live good, not like in Mexico,” Medina said.

There are multiple reasons for exchange students to want to come to another country. Medina has very practical reasons for wanting to come to the U.S., believing that he can bene-

Nov. 19, 2021

Traveling from Spain and Mexico, Eva Garcia and Diego Medina are completing their junior year in a new country by katelyn krosky writer/photographer

On a sunny afternoon, junior Eva Garcia stands alongside her host family Saturday, Oct. 30. Photo by Natalie Merley

fit from his experience in Kansas. Medina says being in Kansas could help him in the future.

“It gives you a lot of work opportunities and it’s also good to learn another language,” Medina said.

The process of becoming an exchange student is not always a simple one. Garcia said that there was a long process she had to follow to come here.

“You have to do some exams, and some tests, go ask for a visa, and then look for someone who wants to host you for this high school,” Garcia said.

In addition to this, it is also not an easy task to host an exchange student, and includes various steps. Garcia’s host parent and district patron, Susan Kamunyu, confirms this. Kamunyu is a volunteer for the organization ANB Education; this organization helps exchange students experience American culture through local host families.

“ANB Education was looking for a host family. I just told them I’m interested and it was connected to ANB, and that’s how I did my application,” Kamunyu said. “There was a background check, they have to come to your house and meet your family.”

Furthermore, Kamunyu feels that this process was completely worth it, and encourages others to do the same, “you learn a new culture,” and, “do something good for humanity,” Kamunyu said.

Though Garcia and Medina’s life has changed dramatically they still value their experience here in Kansas.

CONTRASTING COUNTRIES EVA GARCIA

Main difference between U.S. and Spain:

everything here is much bigger than Spain

Favorite food: jamon serrano (ham) Favorite thing about Spain: the food

Favorite hobby: swimming

DIEGO MEDINA Difference between U.S. and Mexico: totally different economically Favorite food: tacos

Favorite thing about Mexico: different cultures

Favorite hobby: playing guitar

FITTEST TEENEARTH JagWire

Design by Quinn Franken and Photo by Katelyn Krosky

FEATURES

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ON

by kaitlyn burke writer/photographer

Taking the win at the 2021 Crossfit Games in Wisconsin, sophomore Olivia Kerstetter was named the fittest teen on earth in the 14-15 age division

WEIGHT ROOM RECORDS

Sophomore Olivia Kerstetter’s personal records for respected lifts

HANGCLEAN

SQUAT DEADLIFT BENCH

245 295 355 195

lbs lbs lbs lbs

S

ophomore Olivia Kerstetter has dedicated her life to CrossFit since she was eight years old.

Winning the 2021 Most Fit Teen on Earth CrossFit Games competition, in the 14-15 age division, is just one example of Olivia’s recognizable successes throughout her career.

Competed in by 4 million people world-wide, CrossFit is a mentally and physically challenging sport. It is considered the “Sport of Fitness”, requiring athletes to be well rounded in all areas including, cardio, strength, gymnastics, and other specialties.

Training hard, following specific diets, and committing her summer to CrossFit is just a part of the dedication Kerstetter shows. She trains year-round, taking summer as “in season,” 5 days a week, 8 hours each day, working towards the ultimate competition, the Fittest Teen on Earth Cross-Fit games. This competition is held towards the end of July into early August, there are qualifiers held to get in, and it is an all around competition.

A measure of running, lifting, swimming and more make up the amount of points earned total. Although it is time consuming, Kerstetter believes CrossFit is rewarding.

“I feel like it is worth it, especially this year whenever I won the games, it’s kind of hard to believe because that’s all you train for and then when it finally happens, it’s surreal,” Kerstetter said. “I have a lot of fun in the gym. I really enjoy it. I’ve made so many new friends, it’s definitely worth it.”

Kerstetter’s Coach, Jill Glasenapp, has been coaching Kerstetter through her successes.

“I have been coaching Olivia for approximately 2 years. She has worked out at the gym I own since she started CrossFit when she was 8 years old” Glasenapp said.

Kerstetter has many traits that separate her from other competitors.

“Olivia’s mental toughness and competitive edge definitely separates her from competitors,” Glasenapp said. “Olivia is an extremely smart athlete, in that she knows exactly what she is capable of, and what she needs to continue to work on. She is not afraid to do extremely hard work to reach her goals, and she is a gracious champion.”

On her Instagram account, @oliviakerstetter_cf, Kerstetter shares her CrossFit journey with 20,000 followers. Kerstetter posts CrossFit successes, meal plans, in-action pictures and videos.

“My favorite part about my Instagram is just how much love and support I get from the people following me,” Kerstetter said. “The amount of people that believe in me from all over the world is so cool and motivating.”

CrossFit is not just something athletes compete for, it can also be just going to the gym, making new friends, building a community, and feeling like you’re a part of something.

“You don’t have to do CrossFit just to compete,” Kerstetter said. “A lot of people just go to the gym, you can make so many friends. You don’t have to be good to compete.”

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FEATURES

Nov. 19, 2021

STRENGTHENING STEM EDUCATION The Cedar Trails Exploration Center brings new STEM classes and promotes different STEM pathways to all students by avery gathright by abigail troilo by emma clement online editor in chief

W

writer/photographer

writer/photographer

ith the opening of the Cedar Trails Exploration Center at the start of the year students and teachers alike are able to further STEM education in the district.

CTEC has provided students with new avenues for learning in STEM fields in an environment that welcomes curiosity and innovation. However, for some, the opportunities have provided a reminder of the ever-present gender gap seen in STEM departments. This gap comes with a variety of challenges, opportunities, and experiences. Despite this, CTEC has proven to be a place where students can learn and thrive, regardless of their gender, something students appreciate.

NEW BUILDING, NEW OPPORTUNITIES Open to the district’s juniors and seniors, CTEC is located in Lenexa and offers classes and activities that neither high school building could offer on its own.

CTEC Director Dr. Cindy Swartz believes the building provides students with more opportunities that will help them in their futures. Swartz recommends CTEC to students who are looking into STEM careers.

“It’s going to be very rewarding to come out to a facility that has a program and has classes that are definitely aligned to [students’] future career

interests,” Swartz said. “We’re trying to make sure that we have local business and industry partnerships with all of our classes, so the students will be a little bit more connected to business and industry by coming out CTEC.” Senior Maddie Vosburg, who is enrolled in Digital Electronics, has found that CTEC provides students with the tools to decide what they want to do later in life.

“For me specifically, I want to go into a technology career path, and so I think it opens up a lot of opportunities and learning experiences from that,” Vosburg said. “For me specifically, I was debating what I want to do in college, so these classes allowed me to kind of explore more of the [electrical] side of engineering or software engineering that I might want to go into in college. That has pointed me to the direction I want to go in the fu-

JagWire

Design by Quinn Fanken

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PATHWAYS OFFERED AT CTEC A glimpse at what classes are taught at CTEC BIOSCIENCE

This pathway is an avenue for learning more about clinical medicine, biochemistry, physiology, and public health

Applied Biochemistry AP Biology Biotechnical Engineering Biomedical Innovation

DESIGN

These experiences can assist with a future careers in design, marketing, production or branding

ture.”

For science teacher Neil McLeod, who teaches robotics at CTEC, the building provides many new resources, such as an open area in the center of the building that the team uses to hold meetings and practice driving their robots, that have helped the robotics team.

“Before, for the robotics team, we were based out of Mill Valley High School, [in] just one of the classrooms, and we didn’t have a designated computer lab for programmers to work on,” McLeod said. “Between the computer lab and the fabrication lab and the atrium practice area, it’s quite a step up from what we had before,” McLeod said.

For junior Connor Bauer, half of his schedule consists of CTEC classes. Bauer is enrolled in Computer Science, Emergent Technologies, Ro-

Principles of Illustration Graphic Design Fundamentals Computer Graphics Graphic Design Animation Game Design

EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Future careers on this path may include programming, robotics or automated systems

Robotics AP Computer Science Principles Digital Electronics Intro to Welding AND MORE Photos by Alayna Dill and Hayden Resch

14 FEATURES

Nov. 19, 2021

STEM BREAKDOWN The difference of males versus females in the STEM field

84 % 16

% OF KANSAS’S HIGH

SCHOOL ENROLLMENT IN STEM CLASSES IS MALE IS FEMALE Source: US Department of Education

27% ONLY

OF STEM WORKERS ARE FEMALES

Source: US Census

OPPOSING THE ODDS

Three female student leaders at CTEC share what their leadership position entails

SENIOR MADDIE VOSBURG

botics and STEM, and has enjoyed his experience in the new building. “[CTEC has] been great,” Bauer said. “The teachers are cool and all the equipment’s awesome. It provides a way for us to get hands-on experience and use real life equipment and tools to solve real life problems.”

According to senior Julianne Long, who takes Emerging Technologies and Graphic Design at CTEC, the building provides a nice environment where students easily get along.

“There’s a much better environment there,” Long said. “There’s a lot of the high school pressure cooker vibe at Mill Valley, and at CTEC it’s very much if you like learning and art and engineering and science, come here, and you’ll fit right in.”

Similarly, junior Maddie Hanna, who is enrolled in Principles of Illustration and Biotechnical Engineering, has found that the building has a friendly environment.

“It’s such a good place to just figure out if that’s really what you want to do and the teachers are there to help you.

Everyone knows each other so we’re here to help each other out and [in] all the different classes you can help each other, so it’s really nice,” Hanna said.

INCREASING EQUITY Though CTEC has provided students with new STEM opportunities, some students have found that it has shed light on the disproportionate amount of males in STEM. Many students attending CTEC have experienced this uneven ratio in their classes. Vosburg, who works as

SENIOR STEPHANIE LININGER

an intern at Cerner during one of her blocks, finds that more students in her classes tend to be male. “​​There’s definitely a lot more males than females. In my Digital Electronics class, I want to say there’s maybe four or five females and I think it’s a class of 20, so it’s definitely male-dominated,” Vosburg said. “And [at Cerner] I am the only female on my team, probably of ten to twelve men. Within the past two years, there’s probably

“I don’t want [male co-workers] to judge me because I am a girl, or [have them] see me as inferior to them. It definitely makes me work harder and take pride in myself that I can work with men like this or maybe even better than them.”

senior Maddie Vosburg

one or two girls that I’ve worked with at Cerner, so I think this career field is definitely male-dominated.”

According to McLeod, his robotics classes are comprised of entirely male students, and the robotics team is about 75-80% male. However, in the

JUNIOR JULIE STEEB

“I am the student leader of the Emerging Technologies

“I would say as a leader of CTEC our job is to help with

“My job as a leader at CTEC is to communicate the

strand. As a student leader, I try to help my classmates

events the building puts on. I hope more people join

projects that we are working on and facilitate the

when they are struggling and I strive to set a good

the program and get to use this amazing resource that

needs of others. I represented the Design strand and I

example in the building.”

our district has provided to us as students.”

was asked to speak at our open house.”

JagWire

other STEM classes he teaches, the gender ratio has been “pretty close to 50/50 across the years.”

Although some classes have a more even gender distribution, Swartz explains that the district has been working on advertising strategies aiming at increasing gender equity in STEM classes even before the existence of CTEC. “Something in Career and Tech Ed that we’ve been talking about quite a bit is equity in CTE and STEM, and just making and thinking about how we advertise some of our pathways,” Swartz said. “Let’s say I wanted to advertise construction. Maybe we start thinking about adding in more images of females in construction. Kansas has talked about equity for quite some time, and I think a lot of it has to do with our federal workforce and innovation opportunities because they want to make sure that there’s equity in employment. If you don’t see someone that looks like you in that career, then how do you see yourself doing it?”

Nationwide, women are nearly half of the U.S. workforce but make up only 27% of STEM workers. As the only female on her team at Cerner, Vosburg has experienced both the positive and negative effects of this gap personally.

“I don’t want to sound dumb, especially working on a male-dominant team,” Vosburg said. “I don’t want [male co-workers] to judge me because I’m a girl, or them see me as inferior to them. It definitely makes me work harder and take pride in myself that I can work with men like this or maybe even better than them.”

Although Long believes she feels similar to how boys in STEM do about the field, she also recognizes that there are some positive elements to being a girl in STEM. “[I feel] no different than I think a boy in STEM would feel honestly,’’ Long said. “I want to go into engineering and I’m considering the University of Nebraska’s engineering department. While there are definitely going to be less girls in the engineering department, just because it isn’t encouraged in girls as much as boys, you can actually get scholarships simply for being a girl that wants to do STEM. They want girls in STEM, it makes them look better. So I’ve honestly been a little biased for being a girl in STEM.”

Design by Quinn Fanken

FEATURES

15

Operating a robot, junior Julie Steeb uses a remote to command the robot to pick up a box and place it on top of a shelf Friday, Oct. 27. Photo by Hayden Resch

Testing different pieces, senior Jordan Manning works to complete his assignment of putting together a robot Friday, Oct. 22. Photo by Hayden Resch

16 ADS

Design by Hayden Resch

Nov. 19, 2021

A MESSAGE FROM THE

MV BOOSTER CLUB

SUPPORTING EVERY ACTIVITY, CLUB AND SPORT AT MILL VALLEY

Need $$$ for your club or activity?

- Sign up to work CONCESSIONS - OR present a FUNDING REQUEST to the booster club

- We will give out TWELVE $500 scholarships to 2022 MVHS seniors whose parents/guardians are booster club members by December 16, 2021

Want to be eligible for scholarships?

Find us:

WWW. millvalleyboosterc.wixsite.com/mvbc

@mvjagsboosters

@MVjagsBoosterClub

Your only source for news in the Valley

MILL VALLEY NEWS www.mvnews.org

Sign for our email newsletter on home page @millvalleynews on Twitter /millvalleynews on Facebook millvalleynews1 on Instagram

Recent awards: 2021 NSPA Pacemaker finalist 2021 KSPA All-Kansas award KSPA monthly contest winners What you’ll find: District & building information Activities & clubs coverage Fall sports coverage Multimedia stories Features on students & staff MVTV broadcasts

Design by Chloe Miller GRAPHICS

JagWire

MONEY MADNESS

17

From cattle to coins, money has always played an important role in our society

FUNDING FATHERS The notable faces of the United States currency

TIMELINE A brief history on how money has evolved 9,000-6,000 BC: BARTERING

Historically, many societies have used cowries as money, and even as recently as the middle of the 20th century, cowries have been used in some parts of Africa.

The cowrie is the most widely and longest used currency in history.

Defined as the exchange of resources or services for mutual advantages, this practice dates back tens of thousands of years. Cattle, grain and other vegetables or plant products served as a standard form of barter in many cultures.

1,200 BC: COWRIE SHELLS

1,000 - 500 BC: METAL COINS

Bronze and copper cowrie imitations were used by China at the end of the Stone Age and can be considered the earliest form of metal coins. These developed into primitive versions of round coins. Outside of China, the first coins developed out of lumps of silver and soon took the round form of today.

1806: PAPER CURRENCY

The first known paper banknotes appeared in China. Over this period, paper notes grew in production to the point that their value rapidly depreciated and inflation soared. Beginning in 1455, the use of paper money in China disappeared for several hundred years.

1816 - 1930: GOLD STANDARD

Thomas Jefferson

Franklin D. Roosevelt

George Washington

John F. Kennedy

George Washington

Thomas Jefferson

Abraham Lincoln

Alexander Hamilton

Andrew Jackson

Ulysses S. Grant

Benjamin Franklin

NATIONAL DEBT CLOCK

Scan the QR code to see a real-time count of the U.S. debt In 1816, gold was made the standard of value in England. In the U.S., the Gold Standard Act was officially enacted in 1900. The Depression of 1930 marked the end of the gold standard. Following shortly after, international gold standards ended as well, and the complexities of international monetary regulation began.

PRESENT

CURRENCY AROUND THE WORLD

A look at the different forms of currency around the globe

Today, currency continues to change and develop, evident by the use of cards and the discontinuation of the half dollar in 2002.

FRANCE Euro €

FUTURE

S

Abraham Lincoln

In our digital age, economic transactions regularly take place electronically, without the exchange of any physical currency.

Digital cash in the form of bits and bytes will most likely continue to be the currency of the future.

Source: PBS

KUWAIT Kuwaiti Dinar

UNITED KINGDOM British Pound £

ISRAEL Israeli New Shekel

JAPAN Yen ¥

SOUTH KOREA Won ₩

P 18 OPINION

Design by Grace Brookshire Nov. 19, 2021

REFERRED

LATFORM

Spotify is a better streaming service than Apple Music, and there are a lot of differences and similarities between the two competing music platforms

by kaitlyn burke

S

writer/photographer

potify is a better music platform than Apple Music. Conducted in a JagWire survey, out of 92 student responses, 77% of students prefer Spotify over Apple Music. Comparing student preferences, price, features and platform use, it is evident that Spotify is the preferred music platform over Apple Music.

Considering the price, Spotify and Apple Music compare quite nicely.

Spotify comes in at $9.99/month for a single account and $14.99/month for a family plan, both allowing unlimited access to music, creation of playlists and podcasts. In comparison, Apple Music has a required $9.99/month fee for a single subscription or $14.99/ month for a family subscription of unlimited music and access to playlists.

Although Spotify premium is a good option, with no advertisements while listening, and listening to any songs whenever you want, Spotify of-

fers a completely free alternative to using the app. Having a free Spotify account still allows for the creation of playlists, listening to podcasts and songs, following friends’ accounts, access to public playlists created by others and much more. Unlike Spotify, Apple Music does not offer a free alternative. Users are able to download songs for a small cost, but in comparison to Spotify, Apple Music stands out negatively in this way.

A feature that stands out to many Spotify users is the variety of podcasts available, ranging from true crime to your daily horoscope. Apple Music, on the other hand, lacks the podcast feature. In order to listen to a range of podcasts, Apple Music users would have to go into a separate app called “Podcasts”. Spotify stands out in this way; not only can those who use the app listen to music, but they can also listen to a wide variety of podcasts on that same app. In a survey conducted, Spotify was ahead of Apple music with 155 million users in Dec. 2019, while Apple Music only had 60 million sub-

OPPOSITE OPINIONS

scribers as of June 2019. Apple Music subscribers miss out on opportunities to discover new people, interests and podcasts that Spotify users have access to.

There are many differences between these two music platforms that show Spotify is the preferable platform. Spotify is specialized to specific music tastes and interests. Making

“Apple Music subscribers miss out on opportunities to discover new people, interests and podcasts that Spotify users have access to.”

sophomore Kaitlyn Burke

playlists based on music most listened to, and podcasts that correlate to all different interests are prime examples.

While Apple Music costs the same amount, the music platform lacks certain characteristics that put Spotify in the lead. When making decisions on which platform to use, Spotify is the better option than Apple Music.

92 students filled out a survey on if they prefer Spotify or Apple Music

Apple Music

22.8%

Spotify

77.2% Survey of 92 students

Sophomore Reagan Roberts:

“My parents pay for Apple Music or else I would use Spotify.”

Sophomore Anna Strack:

“Spotify has better features, and I like all the podcast features.”

JagWire

Design by Liz Coenen

OPINIONS

PRICE OF EDUCATION

19

THE

The price of college has become an unnecessary inconvenience for families and students by alayna dill

A

writer/photographer

s a junior starting the journey for a college, it has come to my attention how unaffordable college has become. Over the past four decades, college prices have increased over 213% at public schools, as reported by University of the People, making it so that students are forced to take out thousands of dollars in student loans.

According to Business Insider, college is becoming more expensive due to a variety of factors, including a lack of state funding, an increase in financial aid, and a surge in demand. Only one of these factors is a reasonable excuse for colleges to increase prices. A decrease in state funding forces colleges to charge more so they can continue to run athletic programs and provide scholarships. This is reasonable, as students want the option of joining different activities, but a surge in demand does not mean that

TUITION INCREASES Overview of the growing price of college tuition

1985

Total Living Cost

$2,900

Total Fee Cost

$1,980

Total Tuition

$10,470

colleges should hike up their prices to unreachable heights. An increase in financial aid, while at first seems like a good reason to increase prices, is not a reason to increase prices either, as colleges should be working to decrease their prices. Even though financial aid is needed, colleges cannot increase prices for all students to give aid to a select group.

This increase in prices has caused a student debt crisis, with $1.5 trillion in student loan debt collectively allocated between 44 million Americans. The crisis has caused the worth of college degrees to go down, as the average student acquires about $30,000 in debt and a degree no longer automatically gains you a ticket to middle class life.

In order to eliminate or at least decrease the high cost of higher education and make it more accessible to students with lower family income, the government should give funding to all colleges. While education is handled on a state to state basis, the government needs to recognize the student

debt crisis and step in, making it easier for all students.

Until a solution to this problem is found, both future and current college students can get financial relief

“Over the past four decades, college prices have increased over 213% at public schools.” junior Alayna Dill

by applying for the Free Application for Federal Student Aide, or FAFSA, where the government grants people money for college depending on their family’s annual income. Another way to earn money is by applying for multiple scholarships in order to get college money by simply qualifying or writing an essay.

Source: National Center for Education Statistics

2000

Total Living Cost

$3,850

Total Fee Cost

$5,220

Total Tuition

$14,950

2021

Total Living Cost

$8,000

Total Fee Cost

$12,220

Total Tuition

$20,470

20 SPORTS

Design by Quinn Franken

BOWLING BUDDIES

Nov. 19, 2021

by kaitlyn burke writer/photographer

by julia coacher writer/photographer

Special needs students take part in new Special Olympics bowling team along with De Soto students Sophomore Lyndon Budimlijaand and freshman Dylan Roberts assist freshman Lane Vaillancourt at the bowling event at Mission Bowl Monday, Oct.18.

Photo by Elizabeth Summa

Sophomore Lyndon Budimlijaand and freshman Lane Vaillancourt celebrate together Monday, Oct. 18.

T

Photo by Elizabeth Summa

he Unified Bowling team has started its first year. Coach Jamie Pollard, a special education teacher, leads the team along with assistant coach Amy McClure. The Unified Bowling team was created as part of KSHSAA, which recently partnered with Special Olympics and school districts across the state to achieve the goal of making high school sports more inclusive.

Mill Valley and De Soto students have worked together to create one team, consisting of 11 MVHS students, and 5 DHS students. The regular season, excluding regionals, has gone from Oct. 4 to Nov. 3, and together students competed against schools in the area.

The Unified Bowling team practiced at Park Lanes on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:30-5:00 pm.

During bowling practices, the athletes work together to improve their bowl-

ing skills and also have had a lot of fun being able to spend time with each other outside of school.

Pollard was very enthusiastic that KSHSAA has given the students who do not get the chance to compete in high school sports an opportunity they haven’t had before.

“It has been a lot of fun to see the teams and individuals improve each week and help each other out,” Pollard said. “ [My favorite part is] watching our athletes and partners smile, work together and have fun.”

The Unified Bowling team competed in a Baker Format in five regular-season competitions. In a Baker Format game, according to Pollard, the athletes bowl the 1st, 4th, 7th and 10th frame. Partners bowl the others.

They play 6 games, and the scores of all 6 games are recorded.

During the season, competitions have been held at several locations including, Mission Bowl, Olathe Lanes

WHAT ARE UNIFIED SPORTS? Special Olympics Unified Sports® is an inclusive activities program that combines Special Olympics students with intellectual disabilities and students without intellectual disabilities on teams for competition and inclusive activities fostering an environment of social inclusion.

East and Park Lanes.

Senior Jack Weber, a peer who assists the bowling team’s athletes, has especially enjoyed the opportunity to help the team improve their skills and create a fun environment. “[My favorite part is] hanging out with all the kids, meeting new people and getting better at bowling,” Weber said. “It’s fun to watch, helping the kids at the tournaments and watching them get strikes and throw the ball in the lane.”

Senior Kyle West, one of the bowling athletes from MVHS, has enjoyed participating in the Unified Bowling league and has had a fun and successful season.

“I have enjoyed being here with my friends,” West said.

Weber said being involved with Peers in Learning and getting the opportunity to help out with the Unified Bowling team “has been a rewarding experience.”

UNIFIED SPORTS FAST FACTS Special Olympics Unified Champion Schools was created in 2008 Unified Sports are now in 4,500 elementary, middle and high schools across the country

215 colleges have Special Olympics clubs

Source: Special Olympics

JagWire

TW CE THE EFF

Design by Hayden Resch

RT

SPORTS

21

Senior Ryan Wingerd balances being the captain of the soccer team and the kicker for the football team by julia coacher

G

writer/photographer

oing straight from one sport to another every day is not an average routine most athletes go through. Senior Ryan Wingerd is one of a few students who has taken on the challenge of competing as a dual-sport athlete in soccer and football.

Wingerd has been playing soccer for about 13 years. He plays forward and is the second leading goal scorer for the team. He has no prior experience playing football. Wingerd and the varsity football coach, Joel Applebee, discussed a potential kicker spot on the football team. Wingerd took on the position and is the starting kicker for the football team and the captain on the varsity soccer team.

Dual sport athletes are often challenged with managing school work on top of multiple practices and games they attend weekly. Wingerd holds himself accountable to get his school work done while participating in both sports.

“It’s hard, you have to be prepared for it, and you have to get your work done,” Wingerd said. “I try to get assignments done as quick as possible.”

Wingerd has a busy, time-consuming schedule. His day begins at 6 am with Zero Hour for football. After school he goes to soccer practice from 3:15-5 pm. From soccer practice he goes straight to football practice until 6:30 pm. Then it all starts again the following day.

While football and soccer may seem to be quite different, from Wing-

Wearing his pink captain’s band on the soccer field, senior Ryan Wingerd leads his team to midfield to assume his position as right wing on Oct. 28. On the football field, Wingerd winds his leg back for a kickoff Friday, Oct. 29 for victory over Highland park. Photo by Luke Wood

erd’s perspective as a kicker, the two sports are more similar than different.

“For football, I kick the ball as hard as I can. It’s a little different for soccer because you can’t kick it over the goal. It’s different but not much,” said Wingerd.

Head soccer coach Jason Pendleton sees many rewarding parts to receiving the opportunity to participate in two high school sports at the same time.

“I think when you participate in two sports at the same time you have greater depth of high school experience,” Pendleton said. “[Wingerd] is getting to experience playing soccer with his friends and something he is passionate about, but also now contributing to the best football program in the state.”

WINGERD’S SOCCER RECORDS: (2021) ALL SUNFLOWER LEAGUE SECOND TEAM

Communication between coaches has helped avoid confusion and create a more successful atmosphere for Wingerd.

“Coach Applebee and I discussed [Wingerd] and what the plan would be and which sport would be the priority if there was a conflict, so both coaches have to be on the same page, and I think that’s the critical part,” Pendleton said.

According to Applebee, Wingerd’s hard work and determination has helped him manage being a dual sport athlete.

“There’s a lot of work that goes into it, I mean just managing the time and Ryan does a great job of that, so that’s made it really, really easy because he’s done a really good job,” Applebee said.

WINGERDS’S FOOTBALL RECORDS: (2021) 90% CONVERSION RATE

8 GOALS

11 CONVERSIONS

2 ASSISTS

1 ON-SIDE KICK RECOVERY

VARSITY CAPTAIN

THIS THAT FOOD EDITION

22 A&E

Nov. 19, 2021

OR

Students reveal their fast food favorites

35%

65%

“You can never get sick of Cane’s, but you can get sick of Chick-Fil-A. The Texas toast just makes it 10 times better.”

“Chick-fil-a is great for on-the-go meals and they have a really good sandwich. I get a Chick-fil-a sandwich.”

junior Marko Skavo

freshman Bella Guess

70%

30%

“I picked Culver’s because it has a nice family relationship with it. We go out there sometimes and it’s just a nice place to go.”

“My favorite thing to get at Shake Shack is a burger and fries with a chocolate shake.

Culver’s is for old people.”

HI

POTL

ICA N G RI

L

L

M

EX

junior Cassidy Eckhoff

E

C

junior Dean Sisney

77%

“Chipotle is better because it has guacamole and is healthier. I get a chicken bowl with guacamole white rice.”

junior Jayda DeWitte

*Survey of 252 students

23% “I chose Taco Bell because I haven’t been to Chipotle that much. I like the Doritos locos tacos.”

freshman Dave Adcox

JagWire

Design by Sophie Sena and Photos by Natalie Merley

63%

A&E

23

37% “I like Dunkin a lot more because although it is out of the way, it’s cheaper than Starbucks is and I think their quality’s a lot better.”

“Starbucks’s location is close to me and I think they have better drinks. I like pumpkin cream cold brew with cold foam.”

junior Ashlyn Hogg

junior Reece Moulthrop

DQ

48%

52%

“I honestly chose Sonic because Dairy Queen takes forever to go through. I like Sonic’s tater tots.”

“Dairy Queen ice cream is superior. It just brings joy and is better than Sonic’s grape slushes.”

sophomore Sarah Coleman

freshman Lucienna Guess

34%

66%

“McDonald’s is closer to where I live. I get a double quarter pounder with no mustard.”

“Freddy’s is just better. The meat tastes fresher than McDonald’s. I get the double cheeseburger.”

senior Nick Brubeck

junior Devin Sitcler

55% “Smoothie King has fresh ingredients. My favorite thing is the strawberry kiwi smoothie.”

sophomore Banner Hall

45% “Smoothie King has more variety and more flavors than Tropical Smoothie Cafe.”

junior Anna Stottlemyre

24 PHOTO ESSAY

Design by Hayden Resch

Nov. 19, 2021

MASTERING THE MUSICAL A behind the scenes look at the production of the “The Music Man”

Harold Hill, played by junior Finn Campbell, leads the rest of the cast through a dance number Thursday, Nov. 4. Photo by Luke Wood Tommy Djilas, played by junior Garret Cowen, and Constable, played by sophomore Blake Powers, practice their lines Thursday, Nov. 4.

Photo by Elizabeth Summa

Prepping for the musical, senior Lauren Payne talks to a group of student directors and cast members to discuss rolls Monday, Oct. 24.

Photo by Elizabeth Summa

Making a proclamation to the town as the Mayor, junior Bryce Jennings takes center stage Thursday, Nov. 4.

Photo by Luke Wood