JagWire Newspaper Volume 15 Issue 5

jw J AGWIRE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • VOLUME 15 ISSUE 5 • FEB. 5, 2014 • MVNEWS.ORG

CAFFEINE how its use affects students pages 8-9

2

NEWS shortened day

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5

FEATURE military families

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13

SPORTS rec basketball

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14

A&E grammy predictions

2 NEWS shortened-day seniors

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

Shortened-day seniors impact class sizes, school groups, spirit

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

SHORTENED-DAY SENIORS SURGE SCHEDULE STATISTICS

In communication arts teacher Justin Bogart’s Blue II AP Literature and Composition class, giving students individual attention used to not be a problem — he had 23 students first semester. When second semester began and many seniors switched to having shortened-day schedules, the class gained five students for a total of 28, and helping individual students became harder.

This is the fourth year seniors have had the chance to have a shortened-day schedule for second semester, and nearly half of all seniors chose to go shortened day this year — more than any time in the past.

For Bogart, this makes it harder to do his job as a teacher.

“Providing individual attention ... becomes difficult,” Bogart said.

More seniors went shortened day this year than any other year

GOING SHORTENED DAY

Seniors who want to go shortened day must have passed all of their first semester classes, not need to recover any credits and still be on track to graduate with their shortened schedule. They must be in good standing with the school, have all fees paid and have all books turned in. Their kept classes should be in sequential order.

Seniors who do Kansas State High School Activities Association activities must attend school for at least five classes (discounting seminar and any pass/fail classes).

Seniors who are in audition-based, application-based or Ed-Tech classes cannot drop those classes.

In addition to this, the application to go shortened day requires seniors to write a paragraph about why changing to a shortened-day schedule would benefit them. A parent must then sign the application, indicating that going shortened day would indeed benefit the senior.

Senior Ben Kelm decided to go shortened day because he didn’t see a necessity for all of the classes on his schedule, he wanted more time to study and he planned to take a class through Johnson County Community College. Now, he has five classes and a seminar — more than the average shortened-day senior, who has 4.62 classes.

“There were some classes that I felt I didn’t need to be taking,” Kelm said. “The prospect of having some more time for school work was good.”

Design by Nick Booth

135 out of 281 seniors have ABOVE: Alongside fellow classmates, senior Libby DeWitte watches the Winter Homecoming pep assembly on Friday, Jan. 16.

“I thought [the lack of seniors] was sad,” DeWitte said. “The year isn’t over yet and we’re already splitting up and losing school spirit.” Photo by Margaret Mellott

CLASS SIZE VARIATION

When seniors go shortened day and rework their schedules, many year-long classes change in size at second semester. For senior Kate Schau, a student in Bogart’s Blue II AP Literature and Composition class, the resulting class size inequality isn’t beneficial.

“My English class was smaller and now it’s huge,” Schau said. “It’s really annoying because now I feel like I have to shout to say anything.”

Junior Olivia Fox’s situation is opposite Schau’s — her Physics class lost some seniors who went shortened day.

“We have a whole empty row in the back now,” Fox said. “It’s good because we get more one-on-one time with the teacher.”

However, smaller classes have hindered some. After having 43 seniors in his Sociology of Community Service classes first semester, social studies teacher Cory Wurtz now only has 18.

“It’s affected the people that they serve,” Wurtz said. “I was unable to take a group to the food kitch-

en in January because of numbers.

There’s going to be less people that get support that’s needed.”

For math teacher Jessica DeWild, class sizes vary year to year.

“Last year, my morning classes were humongous and my afternoon classes were small,” DeWild said.

“There was probably a 10-student differential. [This year], I was pleasantly surprised when my numbers stayed the same.”

Counselor Trish Chandler said the classes affected by shortened day may be different each year, but overall, she doesn’t notice a large effect.

“I don’t see [class sizes] being any huge difference,” Chandler said. “No matter what I do … there’ll probably always be some situation.”

SCHOOL-WIDE EFFECTS

Last year, shortened-day seniors also affected attendance of groups like SLT. SLT sponsor Erin Hayes said that changed this year.

“So far, it hasn’t been bad,” Hayes said. “A lot of them come back, check in and attend, which is different than last year.”

NHS sponsor Kristen Chavez said while the same has been true for NHS, she has also been willing to accommodate to some seniors.

“Most of the kids ... till get up and come to meetings,” Chavez said.

“I’ve had a couple of kids just say, ‘hey, can I come to the after-school meetings?’ and I’m OK with that.”

Chavez notices an impact on school spirit by not having as many seniors in the building at once.

“From a school culture viewpoint, it kind of lessens the impact of the seniors,” Chavez said. “It does take away from school spirit.”

POINTS TO CONSIDER

In Kelm’s view, seniors who will use their shortened day productively shouldn’t worry about the effects of their decision on the school.

“I think that for seniors who use this time to get a job or take community college classes, then they need to use this time to do what’s best for them,” Kelm said.

For Fox, who is considering shortened day for next year so she can work more, class offerings also play into the decision.

shortened-day schedules (1 person = 10 students)

“It’s kind of like a senior privilege,” Fox said. “If you have all of your credits, you shouldn’t have to take extra fluff classes.”

OTHER POLICIES

Some school districts don’t have a shortened-day policy. According to Shawnee Mission school district assistant superintendent of communication Leigh Anne Neal, the Shawnee Mission district does not offer shortened days to seniors. Instead, a senior can graduate early, although this is not recommended.

If Mill Valley took away its shortened-day policy, Chandler said it would negatively affect class sizes.

“Classes would definitely be tight,” Chandler said. “Electives would definitely be very crowded.”

To minimize the effects of shortened-day seniors on class sizes, Bogart suggested the school prepare more in advance for seniors wanting to go shortened day.

“We need to be able to anticipate this a lot better,” Bogart said. “We just have to have a sense of who’s eligible for this … we’ve created a lot of work for ourselves.”

quiz bowl NEWS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE

ARE YOU SMARTER

3

THAN A QUIZ BOWL MEMBER?

See if you can answer sample questions from a Quiz Bowl meet Language Arts For what crime is the principle character Jean Valjean thrown into prison in the novel “Les Miserables?”

Social Studies Who was President at the time of the Stock Market crash in 1929?

Math Find the length of a diagonal of a square that has an area of 50 square feet.

Science What is the term for the deeper layers of tundra soil that remain frozen all year long?

Fine Arts

What composer wrote “Camptown Races?”

Language Arts: Stealing a loaf of bread. Social Studies: Herbert Hoover.

Math: 10 feet. Science: Permafrost. Fine Arts: Stephen Foster.

ABOVE: Senior Jack Earlenbaugh, junior Rohit Biswas, sophomore Tom McClain and junior Patrick Gambill compete in Quest at Washburn University on Saturday, Jan. 24. “They have a format that’s more intense and competitive.” McClain said. Photo by Clayton Kistner

he earn t l s r e b m ua wl me pete in ann o B iz Six Qu nity to com t in Topeka n tu oppor Quest eve d e is v tele NI R RI AEf om ie mail.c h

BY ToO -c n r-i rni@g edit ire.toriae jagw

For the second

consecutive year, the Quiz Bowl team competed in the annual televised Quest competition on Saturday, Jan. 24. Sophomore Tom McClain described this event as “a televised game show [where] teams from area high schools come in and answer questions,” including categories such as science, math and fine arts.

This season, the Quiz Bowl team has had a high level of success, but for McClain, Quest is Quiz Bowl taken to another level.

“Quest is televised, and then they sort of just go out of their way to make [the questions] very difficult and push us a lot and bring out the very best teams,” McClain said.

Only 16 high school teams from Kansas qualify to compete in this tele-

vised event, and Mill Valley went into the event ranked eighth.

Quest coordinator Michael McGuire said the televised aspect of Quest makes it more exciting for the competitors. “[For Quest], there’s the opportunity to get on TV,” McGuire said. “The structure might be similar [to Quiz Bowl], we ask academic questions, people buzz in and get called on, but I would like to think Quest is more appealing.”

The Quest team is made up of senior Jack Earlenbaugh, juniors Rohit Biswas, Patrick Gambill and Ryan Schwaab and sophomores Tom McClain and Ben Stadler. Ultimately, Quiz Bowl coach Mary Beth Mattingly makes the final decision of who will compete on the Quest team, choosing based on which team members have the highest scoring records.

Initial qualification began on Saturday, Dec. 6, known to Quest hopefuls as Super Saturday. On this day, schools from all over Kansas traveled to Washburn University and participated in a mock Quest round without competing against an opponent. The teams who score the highest in the Super Saturday rounds then get to move on to the top 16 teams, where the televised rounds begin.

Since qualifying, the team has

prepped as if Quest were a regular meet, answering practice questions that could end up being asked at Quest.

“For Quest we just go to normal ... practices,” Biswas said. “There’s no set ‘this is what’s going to be asked’ [at Quest], it’s just generic knowledge.”

While the teams prepare for Quest in a more condensed amount of time, McGuire begins behind-the-scenes work as early as July. This work includes ordering questions, getting the event approved by KSHSAA and scheduling taping dates .On Saturday, Jan. 24, the first taping date of the event, six games took place in a single-elimination fashion.

Mattingly was proud of the way the team competed against Wichita East.

“We were back in forth ... They would get 20 points, then we would [get 20 points],” Mattingly said. “It was a strong game all the way.”

Due to the request of Quest administration, the team’s results cannot be revealed until the event is aired on KTWU. As the Quest coordinator, McGuire enjoys that teams get to show their full potential.

“I like the underlying motive that it’s an academic competition,” McGuire said. “Here’s an opportunity to showcase the people that are working their minds with academics, we want to showcase and celebrate them.”

More for Your Money When it comes to higher education, JCCC delivers more for your money.

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See your school counselor for details or visit www.jccc.edu/collegenow.

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military families FEATURE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

5

RAISED BY

THE MILITARY

Students experience a unique upbringing with military parents

BY MARGARET MELLOTT

reporter/photographer jagwire.margaretmellott@gmail.com

BY SAM LOPEZ

sports editor jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com When someone asks junior Morgan Schuler where she’s from, she doesn’t really have an answer.

For Morgan, being the daughter of retired Col. Mark Schuler in the Air Force meant growing up and learning to live in more than one place.

“You don’t have a permanent home,” Morgan said. “[Being in the military] definitely affects how you go about your life so you have to keep it in the back of your mind that you’re going to leave in a year or two.”

Morgan has lived in a plethora of different places that include Virginia, England, Germany, Alabama, Wyoming, Montana and currently, Kansas. With each move, she has had to leave behind an entire world and enter a new one. Sometimes, that meant leaving her temporary home on short notice.

“When I moved from Montana to here I had two days notice,” Morgan said. “I found out on a Wednesday and … on Friday I said all my goodbyes and we left that weekend.”

However, packing up your life

in a matter of days is only one of the worries military kids have. Although senior Jordan Rider didn’t move around growing up she had to worry about whether or not she would see her father, Tony Rider, a 1st Sgt. in the Marines, again.

“Most kids are worried about going home and what’s going to be for dinner while I was worrying if my dad was ever going to come home [from his deployment],” Jordan said.

“Those were some of my main concerns that most kids did not have to deal with.”

Fortunately for Jordan, she hasn’t had to worry about this since her father’s last deployment in 2005.

However, her life still constantly revolves around the military.

“He is always on the phone with the Marines. A lot of times I wish I could talk to him but he’ll be on the phone,” Jordan said. “There are some downfalls but it’s all worth it. Having a dad in the Marines has shaped who I am today.”

Growing up, Morgan’s life was also constantly revolving around the military which made it hard for her to make friends.

“You’re kind of like a ticking time bomb,” Morgan said. “I’ve actually lost friends because I have had to explain that I’m moving in a year.”

Despite this, Morgan has learned to cope and deal with being a military kid.

“I know there’s a lot of hard things that come with [being a military kid] like learning how to

ABOVE: Col. Mark Schuler and junior Morgan Schuler sit together in their living room on Thursday, Jan. 29. Photo by Jena Smith emotionally deal with [moving] and never having long lasting friends,” Morgan said. “One of my favorite quotes is … ‘God never shuts a door without opening another,’ so I just kind of live my life with that philosophy.”

Although being brought up in a military family meant overcoming unique obstacles, both Morgan and Jordan said there are multiple perks to having a parent in the armed forces.

Advantages for Morgan were lessons she learned while living in the military.

“The advantages for me personally, are that you learn to be more independent,” Morgan said. “You have to figure things out for yourself. It’s an interesting life.”

For Jordan, having a father in the military meant not having him at events in her life but she still appreciates being a part of a military family.

“He’s missed a lot because of the Marine Corps. He’s missed sports things and anniversaries,” Jordan said. “I definitely think all of the sacrifices are worth it [though]. I am grateful for all the things the mili-

tary has offered my family.”

Although all Morgan knew in her childhood was the military life, she doesn’t plan on pursuing a career with the military.

“I decided that I did not like the military lifestyle. I like to travel and go see different places and cultures, but I want to be able to travel and have a central home that I can come back to,” Morgan said. “So I guess no to joining the military. It’s just a very uniform lifestyle. You’re always being watched, it’s a lot of pressure.

You have to completely surrender yourself to your job.”

PARENTAL PRIDE Students explain why they are proud of their parents’ careers

Design by Jena Smith

Senior Jordan Rider’s father, 1st Sgt. Tony Rider, is in the United States Marine Corp.

Junior Morgan Schuler’s father, retired Col. Mark Schuler is in the Air Force.

“I will never be ashamed to say that my dad is a marine and has served our country.”

“[My dad] has sacrificed a lot of his

SENIOR JORDAN RIDER

JUNIOR MORGAN SCHULER

time and he’s really dedicated to helping our country.”

6 FEATURE gluten free

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

THE STRUGGLE TO BE GLUTEN GUIDE

GLUTEN-FREE

Alternatives to favorite foods with gluten

INSTEAD OF...

Ghirardelli Chocolate

Lucky Charms cereal

Gluten-free diets cause and solve problems for students and teachers

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

Ixtapa Mexican Restaurant

TRY...

Dove Chocolate

Rice Chex Cereal

Jose Pepper’s Border Grill & Cantina

Design by Adri Talavera

opinion editor jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

BY GRACE VAN INWEGEN

reporter jagwire.gracevaninwegen@gmail.com When people eat out, they usually do so to not have to worry about food preparation. For people with gluten intolerance like junior Ellie Wilson, dining out can be more trouble than it’s worth.

“I don’t eat out as much as I used to just because it’s kind of hard [to find something to eat] at some places,” Wilson said.

Gluten is a collective term given to the proteins found in wheat.

Gluten intolerance is a term given to any adverse reaction to gluten, including celiac disease. Ingesting gluten can lead to symptoms including digestive problems, pain in the abdomen, bloating and fatigue.

Junior Katie Burke learned she had celiac disease, a disease where gluten causes damage to the small intestine’s lining, two years ago.

This disease affects around 1 percent of the U.S. population according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.

Burke realized something was wrong when she started passing out.

“We went to a bunch of doctors

and they couldn’t figure it out,” Burke said. “Then I got allergy tested and the doctor [said I] tested higher than [he had] ever seen for a gluten allergy.”

Sophomore Hunter Paxton learned of his gluten intolerance while getting an X-ray for a hamstring injury. “[My intolerance] was severe,” Paxton said. “Eventually, if I didn’t change my diet, I would get really sick and have to go to the hospital.”

Unlike those with gluten intolerance, social studies teacher Jack Johnson chose to become gluten free after his son experienced health problems. According to the NDP group, a consumer research firm, 30 percent of adults in the U.S. wish to start a gluten-free diet. “[My son] had problems with his digestive system and so … our dietitian said to try a gluten-free diet,” Johnson said. “We noticed that a lot of people sold gluten-free products and so we decided as a family, we’ll go gluten free.”

For Burke, these gluten-free products come at a cost.

“It’s really expensive. We buy a lot of our food at Whole Foods,” Burke said. “Price Chopper has done a really good job adding more gluten-free food.”

Despite the addition of gluten-free products in local grocery stores, Wilson still chooses to go to organic grocery stores.

ABOVE: Junior Katie Burke prepares gluten-free cookies at her house on Friday, Jan. 30. LEFT: Junior Ellie Wilson shops at Natural Grocers for gluten free cake mix on Friday, Jan. 30. Photos by Brooke Wiebe “Eating healthy in general is just more expensive,” Wilson said. “We go to Whole Foods or Natural Grocers.”

Johnson has had to become more accustomed with finding alternative food options.

“There is just so much that I’m so used to eating that I couldn’t eat anymore,” Johnson said.

“We have really replaced those … usual sides of bread with vegetables.”

As Burke has become more accustomed with her different diet, it has grown into a normal as- TEACHER JACK JOHNSON pect of her life.

“When I first found out, it was so hard, it was the hardest thing ever,” Burke said. “Now it’s becoming a lot easier the older I get.”

“We noticed that a lot of people sold gluten-free products so we decided as a family, we’ll go gluten free.”

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

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8 FEATURE caffeine dependence

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

CA

C

Students and teac

CAFFEINE DEPENDENCE Information from the Food and Drug Administration about the effects of caffeine, caffeine dependence and caffeine tolerance What is caffeine dependence?

A person is dependent on caffeine if they experience withdrawal symptoms when they suddenly stop consuming caffeine.

What is caffeine tolerance?

When people use caffeine everyday, their bodies get used to it, and then have to take in even more of it in order to get any good effects like increased concentration.

What are some withdrawal symptoms?

Severe headaches, muscle aches, temporary feelings of depression and irritability.

How much is too much?

According to the FDA, many doctors suggest a limit of 100-200 milligrams of caffeine each day, which is one to two 5-ounce cups of coffee. This can differ depending on the size or gender of a person, but most experts agree 600 milligrams, or four to seven cups of coffee, is too much.

What are the dangers?

In addition to various usage and withdrawal symptoms and potentially causing caffeine tolerance or caffeine dependence, a caffeine overdose can be fatal.

Photo illustration by Madison Ferguson Information from the Food and Drug Administration

If I am caffeine dependent, how can I overcome it?

Suddenly stopping your use of caffeine can cause large amounts of withdrawal symptoms, so reduce your caffeine intake slowly to make symptoms as mild as possible.

As her alarm goe nior Sara Hemplem feeling tired and gro for school, she grab Mountain Dew to w caffeine keeps her e al hours, but once she feels herself slip same fogginess she she gets home, she or two more cans o including a large d ald’s. Later that n drinks another sod awake while she st of the day, she has c 160 and 250 milligra Hempleman isn ing to the Food and tion, the average A nearly 150 milligram day.

“If I don’t drink [ a day, something’s man said. “When feel tired [and I ge sounds so bad, but can’t really function Hempleman has caffeine regularly ev Now, she depends o According to d Wolarik, Hemplem function without ca

ALTERN COFFEE

W do Pik sti mi Tr Ma yo

caffeine dependence FEATURE

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

AFFEINE

CRAZE

BY LIZZIE KULCSAR

reporter jagwire.lizziekulcsar@gmail.com

BY SARAH MYERS

9

BY ADRI TALAVERA

features/A&E editor features/A&E/social media editor jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com jagwire.adritalavera@gmail.com

EFFECTS & STATISTICS See the effects of too much caffeine on the body and statistics on the use of caffeine Stimulates the central nervous system (brain, spinal chord and nerves) to make you temporarily feel more awake and alert Causes headaches, nervousness and diziness Causes heart to beat faster, and sometimes beat in an uneven rhythm Raises blood pressure

chers experience the effects of too much caffiene and lack of caffeine, yet struggle to give it up

es off at 6 a.m., juman gets out of bed oggy. Before leaving bs a 12-ounce can of wake herself up. The energized for severits effects wear off, pping back into the awoke with. When e refuels with one of soda, sometimes drink from McDonnight, Hempleman da to keep herself tudies. By the end consumed between ams of caffeine. n’t alone — accordd Drug AdministraAmerican consumes ms of caffeine every

[soda] at least twice s wrong,” HempleI don’t have it, I et migraines]. This I actually feel like I n without it.” s been consuming ver since she was 10. on caffeine daily. dietitian Mary K. man’s inability to affeine is a common

effect of regular caffeine intake. Continual progression of the habit, however, leads to more serious long-term effects. These effects could include heart attacks and bone loss in women.

“Beverages that teens love are usually loaded with caffeine and other stimulants, along with too much sugar and too many calories.” Wolarik said.

“Taking all of this into consideration ... moderation is key.”

Junior Rachel Morgan also relies on caffeine to stay alert and focused throughout the day.

“When I first started drinking caffeine, it would be insane,” Morgan said. “I’d go crazy for a long time and then I’d crash. Now it just keeps me awake.”

Morgan said her reliance on caffeine has made Lent, a religious tradition where members of certain Christian denominations give up selective luxuries for 40 days, a seemingly impossible obstacle to overcome.

“I’ve thought about giving up Diet Coke [for Lent], but it’s never going to happen,” Morgan said. “Partially it’s my surroundings and partially it’s just my brain telling me I should have one, even though I probably shouldn’t.

Talking about it makes me want to go home and drink a Diet Coke.”

Also incapable of abstaining from

caffeine consumption, social studies teacher Dustin Stinnett said he drinks at least two cups of coffee a day.

Although he has never tried to stop drinking coffee, Stinnett believes he would not be able to give it up for more than one day.

“One of the reasons I know I have a dependency is I need coffee to feel normal,” Stinnett said.

Although dependency on a seemingly-harmless substance like caffeine seems trivial, Wolarik has encountered the effects of caffeine firsthand.

When her son was 14 years old, he began having nystagmus episodes — meaning he would have sudden, rapid involuntary eye movements. The episodes were accompanied by dizziness and generally ended in him collapsing.

“These episodes were ultimately caused by his over-consumption of sugary, caffeinated drinks that all teens [drink],” Wolarik said. “I eliminated all sugar and caffeine [from his diet].

Today, John is 17 and episode-free.”

Although she would like to cut caffeine from her diet, Hempleman deems it unlikely.

“I don’t think [my caffeine consumption] will lessen in the future,” Hempleman said. “I would like to see it go down, but I think I see it staying pretty constant.”

NATE CHOICES Try these caffeine-free alternatives to popular drinks

While Starbucks oes have a “decaf” ke’s Place Roast, it ill has 25 illigrams of caffeine. ry an Orange ango Smoothie our next visit

SODA

Many popular sodas have decaf options, but you can also try these non-caffeinated sodas: Sprite, 7-Up, Mug Rootbeer, A&W Rootbeer, Sierra Mist and Fresca

ENERGY DRINKS

Try drinks that use nutrients instead of caffeine to energize, like Powerade or Gatorade. Simple water can also help keep your mind and body alert

Causes body to be jittery and shakey Other effects: > Dehydration > Makes falling asleep/ staying asleep difficult

hours is how long caffeine stays in your bloodstream

What is your biggest source of caffeine?

4%

Coffee/tea 21%

36%

39%

4-6

Soda I don’t drink caffeine Energy drinks Online survey of 215 students

90 percent of people in the world use caffeine in some form

DECAF ROUTINE The JagWire recommends tips on how to get up or stay up without the use of caffeine GETTING UP: >Make a wake-up playlist, filled with energetic and up-beat songs that make you want to get up and dance. Avoid soft or acoustic songs that put you to sleep >Do some stretches or jog. Warming up your body can also warm up your mind >Stay hydrated. Caffeinated drinks dehydrate you, water assists in natural processes of the body, making you more energized >Open your curtains to let natural light wake you up as you get ready

STAYING UP: >Take a 20-minute power nap to re-energize your brain, providing the focus needed for studying. Make sure to set an alarm so you don’t go to sleep for the whole night by accident >Chew gum to give your mind something to focus on. Small snacks with energy- boosting protein can also help >Work at a desk or table rather than on a comfy and sleep-tempting bed or couch Design by Tori Aerni and Katherine White

10 OPINIONS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

STAFF EDITORIAL

JAGWIRE INFORMATION

STAFF

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Tori Aerni Katherine White MANAGING EDITOR Justin Curto PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Karissa Schmidt NEWS EDITOR Nick Booth FEATURE/A&E EDITORS Sarah Myers Adri Talavera OPINION EDITOR Jillian Leiby SPORTS EDITOR Sam Lopez WEB EDITOR Jena Smith BUSINESS MANAGER Raven Hodges REPORTERS/PHOTOGRAPHERS Sharnelle Bennett Claire Biles Madison Ferguson Clayton Kistner Lizzie Kulcsar Margaret Mellott Braden Shaw Grace Van Inwegen Brooke Wiebe JAGWIRE OFFICE 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 the Sedalia Democrat.

PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS Kansas Scholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association Journalism Education Association The 2014 JagWire was named an All-American newspaper by the NSPA and earned an All-Kansas rating from KSPA. The Mill Valley News website earned an All-Kansas rating as well.

CENSORSHIP POLICY Kansas Senate Bill 62 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.

EDITORIAL POLICY We value your opinions. If you wish to submit a column or a letter to the editor for 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.

SOCIAL MEDIA Twitter/Instagram: @millvalleynews Facebook: Mill Valley News

SHORTENED-DAY PROCESS NEEDS CHANGES Administration and students must take steps to create a more efficient shortened-day process

Illustration by Jason Chen

With almost half of the senior class — 133 of 281 seniors — having a shortened day, the effects of such scheduling have become more apparent than in past years.

While shortened-day schedules are beneficial for many students, there are still aspects of the process that need revision.

Currently, when seniors apply for shortened day in December, they must provide a paragraph to explain their reasons for changing their schedule. The counseling department should replace this with interview-style meetings during the first week of school with students who would like to go shortened day.

This would give these students a chance to discuss their reasons for the change and which classes they would drop. Students would then be able to alter their

schedule in the beginning of the year with the rest of the schedule changes, which would stop overcrowding and under-crowding to occur at the change of semesters.

These meetings would also encourage seniors to have legitimate reasons, such as wanting to work more, take a college class or have more time to study. Seniors could consider their decision over summer break, so by the time they met with the counseling department, many would have well-thought out reasons.

The counselors would have to hold up their end of the deal as well, by not allowing students with invalid reasons to shorten their schedule. The counselors could even require a note from a manager or another authority figure proving that the student will use his or her time off wisely.

When seniors drop classes for their shortened-day schedules, they often change the blocks when they have year-long classes, causing unequal class sizes. To lower the amount of seniors who go shortened day, which would lower class size inequality, the district should offer resources for the administration to add more classes for students to take. If class offerings were more varied, fewer seniors would feel as if they had to take “pointless classes” to fill up their schedules. Adding more classes exclusively for seniors could also give those considering going shortened day an incentive to have a full schedule.

Before going shortened day, seniors should consider more than just what they will do with their time. By going shortened day, seniors could potentially miss out on many high school events that they will not get to experience again, like spirit days, pep assemblies and generally spending time with their classmates. Also, colleges may discredit seniors for not having a full schedule in their second semester, which could make or break acceptance or scholarships.

Those who decide that shortening their schedule is the most beneficial option after weighing the pros and cons should make sure to use their time wisely, arrive at school on time and not flaunt their extra free time to their full-time peers.

In order to improve the process of going shortened day, both counselors and students need to make changes. If the counseling department took potential shortened-day status into more consideration when placing students in classes and required more concrete reasons for going shortened day, class sizes would not vary as much. Students considering shortened day should weigh the decision more heavily.

The JagWire recognizes that going shortened day can be beneficial for some seniors, and with an improved shortened day process, such a decision will have less of a negative effect.

YOU SAID IT How has shortened day affected your classes?

“I just forget about it [until I’m] at the assembly because only half of [the seniors] are here”

“I have friends that are seniors and I don’t get to see them in some of my classes”

FRESHMAN LAURYN HURLEY

SOPHOMORE TYLER LAMB

“Most classes have stayed the same because more people have come [into the class]”

“A few of my classes have shrunk in size and it hasn’t had a great impact on me”

JUNIOR KATLYN SEYB

SENIOR MASON MORRILL

STAFF VOTE The JagWire staff votes on this issue’s staff editorial

Agree

Disagree

18

2 Absent

0

OPINIONS

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

SLT NEEDS TO WORK HARDER EARLIER IN THE YEAR

BY SAM LOPEZ

sports editor jagwire.samlopez@gmail.com

The students and teachers in SLT need to work harder to create a legitimate team As a sophomore, one of the honors that I have had here at Mill Valley is being a part of SLT. For those who don’t know what this team is, it’s a group of students and teachers who get together about twice a month and we plan out activities or projects that help create a more friendly and spirit driven environment around the school. In fact, SLT created the Class Cup competition which has been a great way to support school spirit by pitting us against each other. It’s all a friendly competition, yes?

However, after participating in SLT for

about a year now there’s one thing that I’ve noticed. There doesn’t seem to be any drive to actually enforce the ideas that we come up with in our bi-weekly meetings.

One example of this is the fact that we didn’t exactly accomplish anything in the first semester. I am a part of the student-teacher relations group within SLT and one of our main responsibilities is picking the teacher of the month.

We’ve talked about teacher of the month since the very first meeting with SLT, back in the first quarter. When did we finally succeed at picking the teacher(s) of the month? Sometime during the week of Jan. 12 and we had to pick three teachers because we didn’t do any the first semester.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I was excited to get this thing going. It’s just a matter of how late we did it. This goes for SLT as a whole. Not only did we, student-teacher relations, procrastinate our duties, but so have other groups that make up SLT. We go over what we want to accomplish in our meetings, yet it seems nothing actually gets done.

Another example that I recall from first semester is the fundraiser for the exclusively-water-bottle fountains for each class hallway. Now water-bottle carriers wouldn’t have to wait in line to fill up.

Unfortunately, we didn’t even raise over $100. To put this into perspective, we have just upwards of 1,300 students and each water-bottle fountain would have cost us approximately $400-$500. So, if every single student were to bring in $1 or 2, every class hall would have a fountain.

I understand that now, in second semester, we’re starting to get a little bit more done, but that entire first semester is gone with what contributions from SLT? It’s a great group and it produces phenomenal results when we actually try. We could actually accomplish something if we set monthly goals and had incentives to get SLT to do something big and fun for Mill Valley. As a body of students that want to create a positive and fun environment for everyone, we need to have the drive and ambition to actually accomplish our goals.

KNOWING HOME IMPROVEMENT SKILLS WILL HELP

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com

Completing Eagle Scout project taught necessary-in-life home improvement skills These past few weekends have been the most productive ones I’ve had in a while because, throughout the month of January, I worked toward completing my Eagle Scout project. For my project, I built three cabinets for a Kansas City nonprofit called Avenue of Life to use in their kitchen. While I learned a lot about organization, leadership and man-

agement through the project, I also learned some equally valuable skills in construction, fixing things and overall home improvement.

Before I did my Eagle project, I saw no reason to learn home improvement skills, from sketching out and building a structure to using power tools to measuring wood and making sure it’s level. When it came to home improvement skills, I was pretty stupid.

Now that I’ve completed my project and know about home improvement, I see that the skills I learned are actually important. Before, if I were living on my own and needed to fix something, I wouldn’t have had any idea how to do it — and would probably have ended up spending a lot of money paying someone else to do it. Now that I have a rudimentary knowledge of some home improvement skills, I can most likely fix general problems on my own

(with the help of the internet, of course).

Also, I now have more of an appreciation for people who work in construction and home improvement. Before, I had written many such workers off as people who just weren’t able to go to or finish college. After actually having some experience in their industry, though, I see that construction and home improvement is as hard as, and arguably as respectable as, many other careers — it requires some engineering and math skills, a lot of trial and error and sometimes hard physical labor.

I’m glad that I had the chance to learn all of this through my Eagle project. My dad, who knows more about home improvement than anyone I’ve ever met, used to tell me that I ought to learn some skills from him, as I’m going to need them later on. Maybe next time he says this, I’ll actually listen.

NEW YEAR DOES NOT NECESSARILY MEAN NEW YOU

BY LIZZIE KULCSAR

reporter jagwire.lizziekulcsar@gmail.com

People should not wait for the new year to make goals and change their habits It’s now February and if you made New Year’s resolutions, like most people, you’ve probably forgotten what yours even were. Society has painted a picture of the first day of every new year as a happy rebirthing and a time for change and improvement. Although this is a good thing, change shouldn’t only per-

tain to Jan. 1, it should happen year round.

We’ve heard all of the cliche resolutions before: eat healthier, work out more, drink more water, quit (insert bad habit here).

Honestly though, if someone truly wanted to make that change they would change it whenever they wanted to, and the change would stick.

No more going to the gym for a month and then forgetting about it. Change doesn’t just magically happen. If you want to improve, you have to work for it, and the tradition of that happening solely because it’s a new year needs to stop.

Maybe my frustration stems from never being able to fulfill my own New Year’s resolutions. They were always the same every year because I never did them. So one day I decid-

ed, “hey, I’m going to start doing this and see what the positive benefits are.” I figured out that it was up to me, not the year.

This is why everyone should quit with New Year’s resolutions and make reasonable resolutions they can stick to whenever they want to. It doesn’t matter if it’s the beginning, middle or end of the year, change is always possible. If you’re finding it hard to stick to your goals, find a buddy to hold you accountable, look for inspiration or think of how great the outcome would be if you would stick with the hard work.

The new year hype might get people excited but you’re the same person you were on Dec. 31 as you are on Jan. 1. The strike of the clock on midnight doesn’t make you better, your hard work does.

11

ALLIES NEED TO REMEMBER THE “T” IN “LGBT”

BY CLAYTON KISTNER

photographer jagwire.claytonkistner@gmail.com

Death of teen should inspire conversation about transgender rights and awareness “Fix society. Please.” These were the final words of 17-year-old transgender girl Leelah Alcorn’s suicide note that she posted on Tumblr on Sunday, Jan. 28.

Leelah’s story isn’t uncommon. According to The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization that focuses in suicide prevention among lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth, nearly half of all transgender youth have thought seriously about taking their own lives, and a quarter will make an actual attempt. Despite this, many members of the general public, and even those of the LGBT community, are not educated on the existence and struggles of transgender people.

A transgender person is someone whose gender identity (an internal, deeply held sense of one’s gender) does not match the sex they were assigned at birth. The clash between assigned sex and gender identity is so often what drives transgender people to feel as though they don’t belong, or in some cases, that they are immoral or sinful.

“Transgender people are often left in the dust as allies rally around gay rights.”

The 21st century has been monumental for the advancement of many aspects of the LGBT movement, specifically the progress brought by marriage equality. However, transgender people are often left in the dust as allies rally around gay rights, focusing their attention on same-sex marriage while transgender poverty and homicide rates rise to alarming levels.

Though people claim to support the LGBT community, many will only come to the side of the LGB community at most.

In a society where members of the LGBT community are already ostracized within their own social circles and families, it is a tragedy that transgender people often cannot find solace with the persons who can understand them the most.

Leelah sought for her death to mean something. Whether or not the public, especially the LGB side of the LGBT community, should be educated on transgender issues is not a question — it is essential to the acceptance and survival of the transgender community.

Design by Jillian Leiby

12 SPORTS briefs

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

TRANFERRING TO THE

Eastern Kansas League

BY TORI AERNI

Information on the school’s recent acceptance of it’s EKL offer

BY GRACE VAN INWEGEN

editor-in-chief reporter jagwire.toriaerni@gmail.com jagwire.gracevaninwegen@gmail.com

> Date of offer: Wednesday, Nov. 12

NEW VOICE IN BASKETBALL

> Date of acceptance: Monday, Jan. 12

North, Blue Valley Nothwest, Blue Valley Southwest, Blue Valley West, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. James, Gardner-Edgerton and Bishop Miege

> Goes into effect: 2016-2017 school year

for issue 6 to read more { Watch information on the league change. }

LEFT: Announcer Elliot Arpin announces for the boys basketball game against Bishop Ward High School on Saturday, Jan. 17. “Its fun to be involved in the game ... It’s almost the same as showing up as a regular fan,” Arpin said. Photo by Karissa Schmidt

A new announcer is introduced to the boys basketball program There’s a new voice at basketball games this year. First-year announcer Elliot Arpin splits announcing duties with announcer Mo Loridon.

Arpin originally began announcing at boys soccer games because he enjoyed the sport, and was then asked by athletic director David Ewers to announce basketball games.

Arpin enjoys his new position because he has to carefully watch every play.

“It’s fun to have to pay attention to the whole game; you have to have to know everything that goes on,” Arpin said.

Because Loridon also announces, Arpin doesn’t have much of a time commitment.

“It’s not too bad;” Arpin said. “It’s almost the same as showing up as a regular fan for the game.”

Loridon’s favorite part of announcing is bringing energy to the game.

“I like to make nicknames for the basketball players and make noises,” Loridon said. “It goes by faster when I have fun with it.”

The hardest part for Arpin is announcing the names at a fast pace.

“You have to pay attention to ev-

erything so if someone scores a basket and you can’t see who it is, you have to figure out who it is or who the foul is on,” Arpin said.

For Loridon, organizing the information for announcing is the hardest part.

“I actually made announcer sheets,” Loridon said. “They are like spreadsheets; it helps me organize names, numbers and heights.”

Arpin enjoys announcing and wants to do in the future seasons.

“I like bringing the energy and not making it stiff,” Arpin said. “I love it it’s a lot of fun.”

SWIM STROKES Sophomore Spencer Smith explains different swim strokes Freestyle: “[For the freestyle stroke] you just move your arms back and forth”

Design by Sam Lopez Photos by Karissa Schmidt

Breaststroke: “It’s more with your legs and you look like a frog in the water”

Backstroke: “[The backstroke] is basically the freestyle on your back”

Butterfly: “You’re kicking your feet together like a dolphin and you move your arms back and forth”

OPPONENTS: Blue Valley, Blue Valley

Q&A

WITH MIKE BENNETT What made you want to coach at Mill Valley?

One, it was where my wife’s family’s from, they live in the area so it was obviously one of our goals to get back here. I’ve been coaching basketball for a long time so obviously this job has a lot of upsides. It’s a big school, a lot of kids and good tradition here at Mill Valley for basketball.

How long did you coach before coming to Mill Valley?

[Counting grad assistant] this will be my 12th year. I’ve coached at Missouri Western, Hallsville High School [in Hallsville, Missouri], that’s my alma mater, and then now here.

So far how do you think the season has gone?

Our expectations are a lot higher than what we’ve achieved so far, but we’ve been snake-bit a little bit. We’ve had some injuries that we’ve had to deal with, and it hasn’t gone the way we had planned, but I think we’re getting better every day. I think

Boys basketball head coach embraces his first year with the Jaguars that’s the most important thing.

What has been your main focus this season?

Our main focus has been defense, and that’s the issue that we’ve tried to address every day, and we’ve got to get that.

That’s the issue that we really want to attack and get better.

What has been the most difficult part about coaching here?

Not being around the kids all the time. I used to work in a high school so being around the kids all day long and seeing them and talking to them and just building a relationship with them. It’s a work in progress and we kind of had to do it on a very short notice in the summer.

What has been your best experience coaching here?

Just meeting the new kids and meeting the new players. I think it kind of jump started what I was doing and just wanting to be better and wanting to build those relationships.

SPORTS

recreational basketball

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

13

FLINT HILL TROPICS

“The best team in all the lands” JUNIOR CHASE MIDYETT

HOMETOWN HOOPS

LEFT: Junior Jack Nielsen, Flint Hill Tropics player, competes against rec. team Dirty Mike and the Boys on Tuesday, Jan. 20. “Everyone out there is competitive,” Nielson said. “When one is in a competitive environment it is usually fun.” Photo by Claire Biles

Students create teams and participate in a recreational basketball league at Okun Fieldhouse

BY CLAIRE BILES

reporter/photographer jagwire.clairebiles@gmail.com

BY BRADEN SHAW

reporter jagwire.bradenshaw@gmail.com With five minutes left in his recreational basketball game, junior Shane Calkins, member of Original Blaze, gets the ball passed to him from a teammate, shoots a three pointer and misses.

This is just an average night for this Okun Fieldhouse rec basketball league. The games start at 6:45 p.m. every Tuesday night and a mix of students and parents come to support all of the teams. A total of 10 teams play with Okun, seven of which consist of students from Mill Valley. These teams include Original Blaze, Flint Hill Tropics, the Beavers, the Shawnee Badgers, St. Jaquan’s, the Terry Geise Disciples and Dirty Mike and the Boys.

Junior Sid Jambunathan, cohead coach of Original Blaze, created his team to compete in every

game and have a good time with his friends.

“We had a great interest in basketball but we also want to hang out and Original Blaze is a great way to do that,” Jambunathan said. “It is a great experience.”

Sophomore Luke Sosaya, member of The Terry Geise Disciples, enjoys the laid-back nature of the league, something that can’t be found in other competitive leagues.

“It’s a fun time,” Sosaya said. “A time to get to mess around and not be so serious, unlike school basketball.”

Games can bring unexpected situations to the coaches, but Jambunathan always manages to keep his cool under pressure and control what his team does.

“My general approach is to wing it, that generally works out,” Jambunathan said. “We get into the heat of the moment and we just go.”

Junior Chase Midyett, head coach of Flint Hill Tropics, looks to this season to make an impact in the league.

A

TEAM

EFFORT Head coaches describe their teams in one sentence Photos by Claire Biles Design by Sam Lopez

THE TERRY GEISE DISCIPLES

“This is my first year but I am continuing on what my brother did,” Midyett said. “We lost [our last game] so we hope to go undefeated the rest of the season.”

Freshman Jackson Drees, head coach of the Shawnee Badgers, has set a goal for his team to get to the top of the league by the end of the season, similar to Midyett. “[We started the team] to win games,” Drees said. “The approach doesn’t matter, we just get the job done … [we want to win the league] championship.”

Drees also thoroughly enjoys being a part of the Okun rec league because of the people involved and is proud of the job that his team has done thus far.

“It’s a great league,” Drees said.

“There’s great people; a lot of great coaches, great players. We’ve got [freshmen] Nick Deverill and Gage Miller out there — great young talent.”

Sophomore Jake Atkins, head coach of Dirty Mike and the Boys, enjoys the familiarity of his oppo-

nents and the excitement that each game brings.

“There is a lot of competition out there,” Atkins said. “It’s interesting playing different people that we know throughout the school and seeing other teams compare.”

Playing in each game is a way to relax and compete with your peers in an athletic setting, according to junior Clay McGraw, member of Original Blaze.

“You’ve got to have fun,” McGraw said. “You can’t take the game seriously and you have just got to enjoy it. It’s a good time to get together with some friends and just have fun on Tuesday nights.”

The Okun rec basketball league stays competitive, but in the end sophomore Ross Acree, co-head coach of The Terry Geise Disciples, joined to have a great time playing basketball with his peers. “[The league] is a little more laid back since it’s kind of just a fun thing to do,” Acree said. “It’s a fun [activity] to do. It’s a great league; everyone seems to have fun with it.”

ORIGINAL BLAZE

“[We are] eccentric, blazin’ and audacious” JUNIOR ZAC KORNIS

SHAWNEE BADGERS

“The Badgers are a family” FRESHMAN JACKSON DREES

DIRTY MIKE AND THE BOYS

“[Dirty Mike and The Boys] are unstoppable” SOPHOMORE JAKE ATKINS

“[We are] the most dominant team on the planet”

“The best there is around”

“We are an awesome team”

SOPHOMORE ROSS ACREE

JUNIOR HARRY HALL

FRESHMAN PRESTON COLE

ST. JAQUANS

THE BEAVERS

14 A&E grammy predictions

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

THE SHOWDOWN

GRAMMY EDITION Ten students predict who will win album and record of the year at the 57th annual Grammy Awards on Sunday, Feb. 8

BY JILLIAN LEIBY

opinion editor jagwire.jillianleiby@gmail.com

BY SARAH MYERS

BY GRACE VAN INWEGEN

features/A&E editor jagwire.sarahmyers@gmail.com

reporter jagwire.gracevaninwegen@gmail.com

MUSIC STUDENT PREDICTIONS:

STUDENT PREDICTIONS:

ALBUM OF THE YEAR

RECORD OF THE YEAR

TO MY EARS JagWire staff predicts who it thinks will win album and record of the year ALBUM OF THE YEAR “X”

BY ED SHEERAN

1

1

“BEYONCE”

BY BEYONCE

“STAY WITH ME (DARKCHILD VERSION)”

BY SAM SMITH

“He’s really talented and has a great voice. I wish I could do what he can” SENIOR JARED ANDERSON

“I feel all albums that Beyonce comes out with on a spiritual level” JUNIOR TYLER SHURLEY

2

2

“X”

BY ED SHEERAN

“CHANDELIER”

BY SIA “I like how to song flows and how she can really hit the vocals” SOPHOMORE GABBY KORNIS

“I really like the overall mood of the album” FRESHMAN SIMON STEWART

3

OTHER NOMINEES: Photos by Sharnelle Bennett Design by Sarah Myers

“IN THE LONELY HOUR”

BY SAM SMITH “[His music] is really soulful, which is something I like in today’s society” FRESHMAN LILY RIDDLE

“Girl” by Pharrell Williams “Morning Phase” by Beck

3

8

JagWire votes

RECORD OF THE YEAR “STAY WITH ME (DARKCHILD VERSION)”

BY SAM SMITH

“SHAKE IT OFF”

BY TAYLOR SWIFT “She’s been on top more lately ... so I think she’s going to get it” JUNIOR RILEY WAGNER

OTHER NOMINEES:

“All About that Bass” by Meghan Trainor “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX

7 JagWire votes

local culture

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

HOMEGROWN HITS

A&E

15

The JagWire recommends music, movies and books made by Kansas City residents

Music

LOCAL

BY KATHERINE WHITE

editor-in-chief jagwire.katherinewhite@gmail.com

Not A Planet: “The Few, The Proud, The Strange”

Not A Planet’s first album title, “The Few, The Proud, The Strange,” might as well refer to itself. The band is made up of few members — a trio that met in Kansas City in 2010. Proudly, it tours the nation to perform their music. And the strange? Well, its music might not be bizarre, but it is also not Top 40 either. Not A Planet experiments

Movies Jeremy Osbern: “AIR: The Musical”

with indie rock trends, combined with storytelling lyrics.

Guitarist Nathan Corsi’s bluesy rock guitar riffs are what take Not A Planet from interesting local band to binge-listen worthy. Acoustic-based songs like “Girl Comes Down” provide a sharp contrast to the rest of the album.

Outside of just guitar work, Not A Planet also tries different musical techniques throughout the album.

This kind of variation is great to see on an indie rock band’s first album, when so many end up with identical-sounding tracks. The final song, “I’ve Got a Secret,” even starts with an organ and the sounds of a crowd.

Music aside, the band has a great Kansas City origins story — the original members actually met because one helped run the local bands segment on radio station 96.5 The Buzz. Becoming a local band after meeting over a radio station’s local bands segment might be the ultimate homegrown story.

BY NICK BOOTH

news editor jagwire.nickbooth@gmail.com Shot and produced entirely in Kansas, “AIR: The Musical” is a great example of the kind of film that can come out of the Sunflower State. The film centers around three separate love stories in a unique romantic comedy musical.

The movie was made mostly in Lawrence, but many of its scenes were shot in other cities like Kansas City and Topeka.

Although it suffers from some subpar acting and lower production quality, “AIR: The Musical” tells a story with lots of heart.

The variety of music itself makes for some very interesting scenes.

The independently produced movie makes up for its issues by telling us a great story. “AIR: The Musical” is available to buy or rent on Amazon or Google Play instantly. The DVD is available on Amazon.

Janelle Monae: “The Electric Lady”

The Grisly Hand: “Country Singles”

LEGENDS A look at other famous people and businesses in Kansas City

Charlie Hustle

Janelle Monae’s sense of style and relaxed tunes featuring brass backgrounds, smooth beats and collaborators such as Solange Knowles keep her at the top of the list of female R&B artists to watch

Books

Stephen Roth: “A Plot for Pridemore”

This six-member group takes an indie pop twist on country, with folksy vocals and unique instruments. Fans of country, folk or alternative looking for something a little different should check out its music

Founded in Kansas City by Chase McAnulty, clothing company Charlie Hustle produces T-shirts modeled after vintage designs

BY JUSTIN CURTO

managing editor jagwire.justincurto@gmail.com In his debut novel, “A Plot for Pridemore,” Kansas City-native Stephen Roth tells the story of a small Missouri town’s last attempt at staying relevant.

In the novel, Roth manages to do something few writers can — he creates a storyline that is both character and plot driven.

Each chapter focuses on a different Pridemore resident, with his or her own quirks and qualities.

As the mayor’s plan progresses, “A Plot for Pridemore” also becomes quite the page turner.

Roth creates an amazing sense of place, putting many small-town characteristics together to form Pridemore. A few Kansas City references add to the reading experience for someone from the city.

Regardless of where you’re from, “A Plot for Pridemore” will make a great reading experience.

Colby Garrelts

James Beard Award-winner Colby Garrelts is the co-executive chef/owner of bluestem in Kansas City, Missouri and rye in Leawood

Design by Justin Curto

16 PHOTO ESSAY dance team

SILVER STARDOM

MILL VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL • JAGWIRE

The Silver Stars perform at pep assmeblies, halftimes of sporting events and competitions

ABOVE: Sophomore Julia Kemp strikes a pose in the Silver Star’s hip-hop routine at Olathe South on Saturday, Jan. 17. “We practiced really hard ... all the way to competition and it showed,” Kemp said. Photo

by Brooke Wiebe LEFT: The Silver Stars perform for the student body at the pep assembly on Friday, Jan. 16. Photo by Karissa Schmidt

ABOVE: Junior Abbie Hughes stretches before practice on Tuesday, Jan. 20. “This year we did really well,” Hughes said. “It is definitely our most successful season.”

Photo by Claire Biles RIGHT: Competing at Olathe South, freshman Emma Barge performs the Silver Stars hip-hop routine on Saturday, Jan. 30.

“Individually, I think I did pretty well,” Barge said. “I wasn’t nervous while I was doing the dance. I was just thinking about having fun.”

Photo by Brooke Wiebe Design by Madison Ferguson and Karissa Schmidt

ABOVE: To add to the excitement of a performance, senior Morgan McLeroy performs a tilt at the pep assembly on Friday, Jan. 16. “My favorite thing about [dance] is the friendship I have built with my teammates. We are not just a dance team,” McLeroy said. “We support each other inside and outside of practice.” Photo by Madison Ferguson

ABOVE: Sophomore Paige Habiger completes a pirouette during halftime at the boys basketball game on Friday, Jan. 9. “[Dance] boosts my confidence,” Habiger said. “[My skills] are at best when I perform.”

Photo by Madison Ferguson LEFT: Freshman Emmy Bidnick prepares for the annual light show during practice on Tuesday, Jan. 27. “If you don’t put your hands in the right spot, then [the audience] can’t tell what [the shape] is,” Bidnick said. Photo by Karissa Schmidt