The Liberty High School
Bell
November 22, 2016
Volume 93, Issue 3
Visit us at lhsnews.net
Congratulations Varsity Cheer! After over a month of hard preparation and following this year’s slogan “If the Slipper Fits,” the Varsity Cheer team won State for the eighth year in a row on November 5. They performed a two minute, 30 second routine at Hearnes Center, pulling 18 points ahead of their final competition, Eureka High School.
The Cheer team celebrates their win after being presented with their first place state championship plaque.
Staff
Photo by Kathy Weaver
Mission
Editor-in-Chief --> Hannah Leonard Our mission for the 2016-2017 school year is to unite a diverse Managing Editor --> Emily Johannes group of people and ideas to compose an informative and Copy/Opinion Editor --> Lacy Williams entertaining magazine using articles, photographs, and commercial Spotlight Editor --> Katie Moon messages. As journalists in training we endeavor to give the best A&E Editor --> Annika Fuller representation of the community of Liberty High School. The Bell News Editor --> Riley Kelley student newspaper is a public forum for student expression. Features Editor --> Joey O’Kelly InDepth Editors --> Delaney Tarpley Paige Twenter Sports Editor --> Caleb Lautenschlager Ads Manager and Cartoonist --> Daryl Gichui Jabber Editor --> Teegan Saunders Online Manager --> Kamden Bernard Reporters --> Alex Rogers Liberty High School Madeline Hensley Address --> 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068 Jenna Spence Phone --> (816)-736-2827 Haley Stephenson Email --> loyler@student.lps53.org Caroline Parry Twitter --> @TheLHSBell Daisy Smith The articles featured do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Liz Gammon Marcus Myvett entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment, compliment or critize anything Zahra Khan you see in this issue in a Letter to the Editor at lwil1524@student.lps53.org Adviser --> Lori Oyler
Contact
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On the Cover: Junior Amos Mwaura as Maurice, freshman Logan Reiter as Chip and sophomore McKenzie Greenwood as Mrs. Potts reunite after the curse is broken in LHS’s production of “Beauty and the Beast.” Photo by Lacy Williams
TOC November 22, 2016
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Table of 06 #ICanHelp 08 Assassin 2016
Contents 10 Culinary Pro-Start
12 Kindness in Bags
Photo by Mercedes Peck
Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
13 Hungry Jacks Photo by Chrystian Noble
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14 Weston Charles-Gallo 15 Kendall McMullen 16 Reggie Parks 17 Myranda Swearingen
20 The Taboo About Tattoos & Piercings 24 Columns
18 Matthew Dye 19 Melissa Allshouse
Photo by McKenna Hegger
26 Staff Editorial 28 Beauty-ful Nights 30 Style 32 Marvel vs DC 34 Style
36 Athletes of the Month Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
38 Shine Bright Like A Sapphire Photo by Chrystian Noble
39 Just Keep Swimming
04 Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
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Jabber
I love senior year ya know? You gotta appreciate the little things. Like drawing a sharpie mustache on ur face and it not coming off -@creativekaylee
JAYS TAKE STATE....AGAIN! Congratulations, Cheer! -@Blue_Jay_Nation
I’m wearing my gingerbread socks today, happy first day of November :) -@alliehansen
I’m a credit card because I’m always being used or denied -@TitusAdkinson
Where does the time go when I’m doing homework? I can blink while doing math and suddenly two hours have passed -@addison_henson
My strange addiction is that I’m addicted to online stock market games -@DannyDeVitoMom
50 years from now, when my grandkids ask what my biggest accomplishment is, I’m saying I knew a guy who got 55k retweets once @TitusAdkinson -@atison1899
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TOC November 22, 2016
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#ICANHELP
LHS learns more about encouraging positivity on social media. Story by Paige Twenter The culture of bullying has gone from spit-balling and name-calling to shadethrowing and subtweeting faster than you can spell out your entire day using emojis. Bullying has cultivated over the past few decades to fit a new forum that can reach anyone and everyone: the internet. Recently, there has been an emergence of social media sites that feature the opportunity for anyone to connect. Unfortunately, social media also gives the opportunity for people to harass others behind the protection of a screen.
Deleting Negativity
Students filed into the new fieldhouse for the #ICANHELP assembly on November 8. They listened to the co-founder of the #ICanHelp project, Kim Karr, and gained knowledge to spread positivity online and maintain a forward-looking digital footprint. “The thought process of #ICanHelp was definitely getting the education out to just as many students as you can,” Karr said. “So I was talking to students, asking, what are the needs, what are the problems. I was then trying to get the support from the snapchats and the twitters and the instagrams.” The initial idea to have this non-profit organization come to LHS came last
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March when a handful of StuCo members at the StuCo state convention heard the speakers there and decided our school needed to hear this message.
“I think we all just need to be positive and happy and love each other!” -Senior Drew Higgins
“The high school tries to bring in a couple of speakers each year to talk about important subjects,” StuCo leader Erin Ramsey said. “So much of our lives are lived online anymore that I think it’s really important that we talk about how to behave in a positive way online.” There’s more to just spreading positivity required to make that change online and that’s to delete the negativity. Just because a person doesn’t seek out mean posts
doesn’t mean there aren’t hurtful things posted. “It’s negativity that causes a lot of issues in society today, especially with everything that’s going on in our world,” senior Drew Higgins said. “I think we all just need to be positive and happy and love each other.” A gift and a curse with the anonymity that social media encompasses is the power teenagers get to type things they wouldn’t normally have the courage to say aloud. “It’s just one of those things that now you have a fear and now this generation has been called the generation of wimps because you have all these fears and it makes you not want to do things,” Karr said. In times of crisis, the world needs a leader. The same can be said for online issues regarding cyber-bullying. Accounts with a large following have a responsibility to post positively and shut down haters and trolls. “A digital leader is someone who doesn’t put anything bad on social media and doesn’t bully people,” Higgins said. “Someone that sticks out in my mind is always trying to uplift people instead of putting people down.”
Left: Students listen to speaker Kim Karr’s presentation. Right: Seniors Ethan Moore, Jenna Conard and junior Heather Shipley share shout-outs to various friends and teachers. Photos by Grace Buehler
News November 22, 2016
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Photos by Grace Buehler
Left: Students watch speaker Kim Karr deliver her message of positive online behavior. Right: Speaker Kim Karr uses a megaphone to call the audience to action.
When a person allows themselves to be happy online and spread good thoughts, then that will reflect back onto them. If that person is posting cynical comments, they may experience negativity. Being a leader online extends farther than a circle of friends it starts affecting school life and the future. “I think it’s really important for students to really be thinking about themselves and the brand that they put out there on social media for themselves because that’s how they’re going to be viewed by the outside world,” counselor Scott Gillespie said. “So I think it’s really important that we use these social media accounts as an opportunity to show who we truly are.” A substantial issue with social media is the lasting effect it has. It doesn’t matter if a person only sends a photo on snapchat to one person for one second, it made an impression on that device and others’ devices and will stay forever. “I think too it’s instantaneous whereas you can see automatically who’s responding, who’s viewing, liking, disliking, retweeting, not retweeting,” administrator Bridget Herrman said. “It’s instantaneous so the gratification is not delayed, it’s now. It’s imprinted online if you can screenshot it.” A digital footprint is a legacy imprinted on the earth for everyone to see. Online, it can be difficult to establish the tone of an Instagram comment or the context of a subtweet. Even a simple joke between two friends can have consequences if taken too far. Logos courtesy facebook.com and pinterest.com
News November 22, 2016
“All it takes is several of those people who see it and going ‘yeah I believe that’ and then they fire it off to their own following and suddenly that spreads like a wildfire and that can be dangerous and really scary,” Gillespie said. “I think that we’ve seen the consequences with that, with student mental health, with victims of bullying and harassment going as far as committing suicide.” People who face the future with optimism are the ones who are met with positive results which spreads to everyone around them. “I talk to students everyday who have goals for their future and what they’re wanting to do but we’re starting to hear more and more of students who are losing those opportunities because somebody found things on social media or found their digital footprint and didn’t like what they saw,” Gillespie said.
A Solution
Change starts with one person. A post or text supporting others and standing against negative posts can set a chain reaction of spreading positivity. “I just want it to be like I can go onto social media and I don’t have to worry about a Twitter fight or someone bashing on someone on their private account,” sophomore Maliyah Baker said. It’s an easy thing to disconnect oneself from real life when behind a screen. Technology can be a good outlet to sometimes get away from the stresses of life, but that feeling of separation can
become dangerous. “When young adults post pictures that they’ve taken of people that they think look a certain way or acting a certain way that maybe they want to poke fun at, sometimes they forget that those are real people,” Ramsey said. “Ultimately, I want all of us to think before we post and if we wouldn’t want it said about ourselves then we probably shouldn’t post it.” To prevent negativeness there needs to be positive mindsets of digital leaders and more defenders than bystanders. “You just have to be there for people not only online but in real life too,” Galetti said. Social media sites have policies put in place to terminate bullying and the option to block accounts, but hate still finds loopholes and appears. It’s up to everyone to put a plug to negativity online. An example of a positive environment is the new social media site called ZeeMee, which helps students create a platform for colleges to see their professional side. A few options to cease cyberbullying is making their account private and defending victims. “I think that there’s always people that you can go to if you’re dealing with frustrations,” Gillespie said. “If you’re dealing with just stress, anxiety, whatever the case may be there are definitely healthier ways to cope with those things. Get out, be active, talk about it, find those other outlets that are more productive and a lot healthier.”
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Assassin 2016
Upperclassmen participate in an intense student-run competition. Story by Caleb Lautenschlager
Have you ever felt like someone was watching you? For the players of the 2016 LHS assassin game, it’s a feeling that is encountered almost everyday. Assassin is a student organized water tag game played amongst juniors and seniors. “Basically you get a target every two weeks and in order for you to win the game you have to assassinate your target with water,” senior Ben Ahumaraeze said. “But if you are assassinated by the person that was assigned to you, you’re also out.” The object of the game is simple and the rules are just as simple. In order to complete an assassination and move on to the next round, you must hit your target with water in some way within the two week window provided without being assassinated yourself. There are some restrictions for where you can assassinate. Assassinations cannot occur anywhere on school property at any time, at school organized events, at work, school sporting events such as school
football games, or at church. These rules require players to get creative on ways to get their target out. “Sometimes it’s hard if you don’t directly know your person,” junior Kate Turnage said. “So then you have to use your connections and people you know to be able to figure more out about your person.” The assassin game was first introduced to LHS last year. It was organized by now senior Emily Azpell, who was inspired to start the game due to its success at other schools. “I started it last year because it was such a success at Park Hill South and it looked like a lot of fun,” Azpell said. The success quickly spread and the game became a massive hit here at LHS. “It just brings people together in different ways and it’s a lot of fun to sneak around and talk to people to find out more information,” Turnage said. Photo by Jack Barreca
197 upperclassmen were asked, “How hard is it to stay in the game?” Here are their responses:
Extremely hard 12.8%
Extremely easy 11.7%
Easy 4.6%
Hard 19.9%
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Photo by Jack Barreca
Medium 51%
Left: Assassin participant junior Jacob Lang runs with one of the most common weapons used in the game, along with water balloons and spray bottles. Right: Assassin participants junior Hannah Roos and junior Kate Turnage pose with their water squirters.
News November 22, 2016
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197 upperclassmen were asked, “Did you play Assassin this year? Here are their responses: Yes 31.6%
Photo by Jack Barreca
No 68.4%
The initial success from last year helped make this year’s assassin already a huge success with over 140 people signed up to participate. The large amount of people makes for a lot of fun, but can be challenging to organize. “I have a pretty big spreadsheet with over 140 people in it and it can be difficult to make sure every single person knows the rules,” Azpell said. “I also have to contact every single person and tell them who their target is. That first day where I send out all of the targets is pretty stressful because if you forget someone then you have to redo every single one.” If you have the skill and determination to be the last one standing in the end and become the LHS assassin champion, your effort does not go unnoticed. Not only do you get the title of LHS assassin champion, but you also receive a cash prize. “To play you have to give two dollars and the winner will receive all of the entry money. They usually win about 200 to 300 dollars,” Azpell said.
To keep up with the lastest assassination news on Twitter, follow:
@Assassin2016LHS
Photo by Isabella Siefkas
Top: Assassin participant Max Martin shows off his water gun technique. Bottom: (Left to right) junior Hannah Roos, junior Kate Turnage, senior Emily Azpell, junior Jacob Lang, and junior Andrew Stepp all participated in the 2016 Assassin competition.
News November 22, 2016
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Culinary Pro-Start The Culinary Pro-Start team holds their 2016 tryouts. Story by Caleb Lautenschlager Tryouts for the 2016 ProStart team were stirring, steaming and sizzling on November 1. After writing a short essay about why they’d like to be a part of the team, the chefs cooked a dish for a panel of judges. The top chefs competed for five positions on the team. The tryout process is intense and puts each contestant’s skillset to the test. They are given approximately 15 minutes at the beginning of tryouts to prep everything, the only rule is they can’t turn any cooking equipment on during the allotted time.
After 15 minutes of cutting, chopping, and organizing, the contestants get 45 minutes to prepare two identical dishes for the judges to view and taste. Contestants are judged on food appearance, safety, organization, technique, and taste. All of the LHS competitors made the cut. Now, they will meet every week to practice their menus until they compete in state competition in February. Team members are: Senior Sammy Borchardt, sophomore Brantley Downey, juniors Santana Garcia, Caleb Lautenschlager, and Alexa Slocum.
Photos by Caitlyn Pearson
Right: chefs sophomore Brantley Downey, senior Sammy Borchardt, juniors Santana Garcia and Caleb Lautenschlager
10 News November 22, 2016
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Professional chefs from local restaurants judge each contestant on their dishes. Dishes ranged from pork chops with a potato and cranberry glaze to garam masala chicken sliders and other unique and exciting dishes.
Photos by Caitlyn Pearson
11 News November 22, 2016
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Kindness in Bags
Be Kind and Unwind Club makes necessity bags for the homeless. Story by Katie Moon
Kindness can be shown in many ways. Be Kind and Unwind Club is showing their kindness by giving bags to the homeless that provide some necessities. The collection will be during the week of November 28, ending on Friday, and the club is hoping to receive enough items and money to fill 50 bags. “There are a lot of people in the KC Metro area that for one reason or another have no home,” sponsor Jeffry Wilkins said. “For them, having the daily essentials of life can be hard to come by. These homeless bags are a way to help some of these people out even if it is of a small scale.” Be Kind and Unwind will be asking clubs to donate items such as toothbrushes, snacks, hats, gloves and notes with kind messages. They will also be collecting loose change at lunch and in classrooms. The money collected will be put into buying more supplies that may have not been donated. “We chose this idea because we feel as it starts to get colder there are a lot of things that the homeless are going to need. We wanted to do something to help out in the community and this is one of the first things that came to our mind,” senior Taylor Hough said. The members participating are trying to become more involved in community service and provide help to those most in need.
“Sometimes just a small gesture of kindness can have a positive impact on a person’s day. I’m hopeful that we can do just that; brighten a person’s day with a random act of kindness,” Wilkins said. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, Be Kind and Unwind is hoping to spread holiday spirit to those they are helping and encourage others to do the same. “I hope that this raises the awareness of the homeless in our community and can influence more people to volunteer and help out as much as they can,” junior Darian Althoff said. As winter is arriving, the weather is getting colder and the holiday season is a time to provide warmth to those who do not have it. “Thanksgiving is a time of giving,” sophomore Chrystian Noble said. “I care less about be thanked for doing this and more about making sure that the homeless people will be comfortable. Days are getting colder and these bags will provide them with hats and gloves to keep them warm.” Community service is a way many people can make themselves feel a part of something. However, it not only raises the mood of those involved, but also of those who are being helped. “It makes me feel really good to be a part of this,” Hough said. “We are
all going to be doing something really amazing for our community and helping out people in our community that don’t have anything. I am really excited to deliver the bags and see the expressions on their faces.”
Top left: sophomores Bailey Daniels, William Laycock, Sarah Keenan and Delaney Tarpley wait for instruction as seniors Francesca Croce, Katie Moon and Taylor Hough write on the whiteboard. Top right: junior Mariah Shipley discusses the homeless bags with vice principal Sara Wickham. Bottom: Freshmen Sarah Nathaniel, Ace Lundy, sophomore Gavin McPhail, freshman William Floyd.
12 News November 22, 2016
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Hungry Jacks
Lumber Jack club meets to to chow down on pancakes. Story by Liz Gammon
Human vs. Pancakes, a war that has been going on for decades. On one side hot, syrupy pancakes. On the other side are the hungry lumberjacks that look to devour them. Every Friday at 7 AM the lumberjacks head off to room 609 to eat. The mission is to lower the population of the flapjacks by eating a total of over 5000 pancakes. In the morning ELA and creative writing teacher Chuck Zavos sets out griddles and mixes pancake batter for Lumberjack Club. As soon as the smell of fresh pancakes wafts through the hallways, kids come running in. Students come and go, some staying in to talk or eat more pancakes and some grabbing breakfast really quick and rushing out the door. Freshman Moroni Lehnardt is the creator of Lumberjack Club. “Lumberjack Club is a place for people to come and eat pancakes,” freshman
Moroni Lehnardt said, “because everyone needs pancakes.” Lumberjack Club started off unsure at first due to how different of an idea it was.
“I just thought Lumberjack Club was kind of an unique idea,” Zavos said. “I didn’t know if it would fly or not. Obviously it has.” As soon as Lumberjack Club was in effect, people signed up to help demolish the pancakes. The club contains mostly freshman though anyone is welcome to join or just pop in for pancakes. Pancakes are obviously a well know breakfast food. Some students would argue that having the club at 7 AM is too early, however the students who attend the club find it to be a fitting time. Some have brought up the point of classes into the
Photos by Chrystian Noble
timing of the club. “I think that’s just the only time they can fit it in,” freshman Anthony Basa said, “I don’t think they can take the time out of someone’s first hour just to eat pancakes.” Some view the club’s purpose in a different way. “[An] explanation for having the club is to kill all the pancakes,” freshman Mara Detienne said. “Although in the club we make more pancakes. But I still like it because I get to eat food.” Lumberjack Club is a place for hungry students of all ages. Free pancakes at school, who could say no? .
Left: Club head Chuck Zavos gets creative with his pancakes. Right: Freshman Moroni Lehnardt and sophomore Scott Cook have goals of 5,000 pancakes.
Features November 22, 2016
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What do you like about yearbook?
“The benefits of yearbook are being able to capture interesting stories and create a platform that will last forever. The school as a whole is so diverse and everyone is so involved which makes it 10 times more incredible that I and everyone on staff get the opportunity to highlight that.”
How do you want to make an impact?
“I’m the type of person who doesn’t believe in cliques. I like being friends with everyone, so I like being able to have connections with everyone, as opposed to the stereotypical high school. I just feel like I’m genuinely a nice person who gives everyone a chance. I just like being friendly.”
What is your family like?
“I was adopted May 12, 2016. I have two dads and six siblings. I was in the foster care system for probably about three years. My family has picked me up off my feet when I was at my weakest point in life with nowhere to go. They made me feel that I may actually have a bright future and I can overcome anything that is thrown in my way.”
Jessica Cordonier’s thoughts...
“Weston is incredibly hard working. I think he is wonderful and he brings a lot to the table as far as his work ethic, which has helped him become this amazing person and have an amazing presence.”
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Senior Weston Charles-Gallo Interview by Daisy Smith
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Ashley Ritter
lhsnews.net
What are you involved in? “I am involved in color guard, band and winter guard. The reason I like to do guard is because when I first came to high school I thought that it sounded like something that would be fun and the feeling that I get is a very home type of feeling. We’re all like one big family.”
What makes you unique?
“I think definitely my drive. I’m very driven towards things that I enjoy. I have been a captain for two years on guard. It’s something that I enjoy doing and I push myself to do those things, which then makes guard my main priority. I spend many hours of the week just doing it.”
Who is your role model?
“My aunty Angie because she’s kind of the same as me. She’s very driven and we kind of have the same interests career wise. From school my biggest role model would have to be my coach Amber. She was my coach last year and she was the first person to teach me to do the things I’ve done in guard.”
Emily Simpson’s thoughts... “Myranda is one of the most responsible students I have ever met. She is wise beyond her years and a natural leader. She’s always the first one to volunteer when assistance is needed and is enthusiastic about it. On top of being a fantastic and trusted leader, she is a fun and spirited individual who can easily put a smile on your face.”
Junior Myranda Swearingen Interview by Daisy Smith
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Connor Callahan
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How are you involved at LHS? “I’m in band, football and rugby. I play the drums in band. I’ve been playing the drum set since I was five. I started band when I was in sixth grade when I lived in St. Louis, then I came here and started playing in the LHS band. I started playing the drums in church when I was five and I’ve played ever since then. When I’m older, I want to go into music and be a producer. I’d like to play football in college.”
Where did you live before Liberty?
“I’m born and raised in St. Louis and moved here the summer before eighth grade. I get homesick sometimes. The transition was weird, I had to move to a whole new city and a different school instead of a different school in the same city. I had to meet a whole bunch of new people. The first person I met was actually coach Frigon during summer school.”
What do you love? “Watching sports and hanging with friends and family. My favorite sport to watch is college football; I like to watch the Nebraska Cornhuskers. I have an older sister. She’s my best friend; we tell each other everything. I also look up to my mom. We have our arguments from time to time, but she’s always here for me when I need someone to talk to.”
Chad Frigon’s thoughts...
“Reggie is a very likeable kid; always has a big smile on his face. I think that he is somebody who is going to have fun every day and is going to enjoy whatever it is he is doing. Right now he’s only a sophomore, so we’re expecting a lot out of him the next few years as he continues to get better as a football player.”
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Sophomore Reggie Parks Interview by Jenna Spence
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
lhsnews.net
How do you manage your time?
“I am in orchestra, choir, ‘Beauty and the Beast’, Breakfast Club and Thespian Society. A lot of things that I do take place during the school day so that helps me balance everything. I love music, so it’s fun to be in orchestra and choir. Being in both helps me get better at both because I really have to understand music theory and how to read my music.”
What are your hobbies?
“I play the piano and I take dance. I’ve played the piano since kindergarten and I take lessons once a week. For dance I take ballet, pointe, tap, jazz, hip hop and modern. I normally have classes four days a week. I don’t ever want to have to give up any of the things I do, but it all depends on how busy I get with school work as time goes on.”
What are your future goals?
“I would really like to live near a beach or at least a beach of a lake, somewhere near water. I’ve never been to an ocean beach but I’ve been to one at a lake and I really like it. I want to do something in either theater or science. My mom used to be a science teacher, so I think that’s why. I love doing experiments and labs and that kind of stuff. I would like to teach science.”
Michelle Davis’ thoughts...
“Kendall is phenomenal for her age. She is talented, musical, works hard and has a good heart. I see her only getting better with time. She can do anything; she can be a great performer in any capacity. She is very warm, friendly, kind, sensitive and beautiful inside and out.”
Freshman
Kendall McMullen Interview by Jenna Spence
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Jenna Axsom
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How did your parents impact you?
“My dad was a teacher and administrator at Lillian Schumacher Elementary. My mom was a second grade teacher at Manor Hill. I always saw the joy that it brought them. All I have known my whole life is education. From early on, even in high school I thought I would head towards education.”
How has LHS changed?
“When I was here, my senior year was the year that we split the district into Liberty and Liberty North. My graduation year was 2011 my class actually got to stay together causing LNHS to not have a senior class their first year open. The years before that we didn’t have freshman, but there were a lot more people in the school then compared to now.”
What music do you enjoy?
“I told my students the first day that we will listen to anything from Johnny Cash to Justin Bieber. Some of my favorite bands are Kings of Leon, The Black Keys and The Red Hot Chili Peppers. Whenever you walk into my class there is a pretty good chance one of those bands will be playing. I like country, hip- hop and everything in between. I’ll give it all a listen. Beyoncé? Sure.”
Sydney McBee’s thoughts...
“I really like Mr. Dye because he has the same music taste as me. He always has a high energy, even if the class is dull, which is often because I have him first hour. He cracks jokes frequently and always allows us to work out our own pace.”
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Teacher Matt Dye Interview by Madeline Hensley
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Morgan Clark
lhsnews.net
What did you do before working at LHS?
“I am so blessed to have been a stay-at-home mom since we had children and am a proud police wife. I had always been active in the kids’ schools, volunteering to teach art and music weekly in the elementary schools in California. I’ve also always been involved in church. We even held church in our home for several years in California.”
What was your major in college? “I started college as an art major and was an apprentice to the sculpture teacher. I loved making giant projects. I really enjoyed working with metal (doing mig and arc welding) and wood, using all of the machinery you’d expect. However, I just didn’t see myself creating art in a studio. I switched my major and got my degree in Art Education K-12.”
Why do you like having your daughter at school with you?
“I absolutely love seeing her smiling face every day. Kasey is not just my daughter; she is one of my very favorite people. She brightens my life every single day, so getting to be up close and personal with her throughout her high school career has been the best gift ever. I also like to embarrass Kasey whenever possible. It’s my duty as a parent.”
Kasey Allshouse’s thoughts...
“One of my favorite things about my high school experience is having my mom here because if I am having a really bad day I can go to her and get a hug. It is nice to have that support system at school even though I really didn’t think I was going to enjoy it when I found out she was going to work here. It turns out it is nice to have my best friend at school.”
Administrative Assistant
Melissa Allshouse Interview by Madeline Hensley
Spotlight November 22, 2016
Photo by Jenna Axsom
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T
The
aboo about
attoos & Piercings
Staff and Students address the positives and negatives of having tattoos and piercings. Story By Zahra Khan and Riley Kelley
A
rt comes in many forms. One form 0most people don’t think about is tattoos and piercings. They have lllllllllbeen around for thousands of years, but they have come a long way since then. Tattoos today give people the chance to express themselves in a different way, but with that comes responsibility.
Self expression
S
ome people choose to express iithemselves through fashion, lmakeup, or a colorful hairstyle. For others, tattoos and piercings can be a creative and more permanent form of self expression that reveals the person’s interests, passions and emotions. “I think that, sort of back to the old cliche, it’s just someone’s way of expressing more of themselves or who they are,” teacher Jessica Cordonier said. “In the same way that people use fashion to do that, tattoos are a more permanent way of expressing who you are or how you feel about things. [My tattoos] mostly reflect the books thatiI love and the messages that I think are
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InDepth November 22, 2016
important to carry through in my life.” Several students, teachers and staff find meaning in their tattoos. “Most of my tattoos are musical. My first one is a keyboard because I play the piano,” choir teacher Baker Purdon said. However, there are some people who just get tattoos for the looks. “They have no meaning behind it, not a single one. I just like them,” custodian Jesse Green said. “I drew most of my tattoos, I was always into art and thought wearing them would be a good idea.” To sophomore Austin Wilson, his three tattoos are a lot more than just body art. “I view them as stories,” Wilson said. “People don’t get them just to get them, there is usually a story behind it. Some can be family or some can be an inspiration or what you have completed in your lifetime. I have one on my left pec and then one on each calf.” Wilson’s first tattoo, located on his chest, serves as a constant reminder of the values he was raised by with a quote from his mother. His other tattoos, located on his calves, serve as a memorial for his late uncle who died of cancer alongside symbols of his accomplishments when
Photo by McKenna Hegger
hiking the Appalachian Trail. Wilson feels that his tattoos represent who he is and symbolize his family’s military background as well as his own desire to be in the military. Senior Katherine Shaffer might only have one tattoo, but the simple black tattoo on her wrist holds an enormous amount of meaning. “It’s the day my mom died so it’s basically the day my life changed,” Shaffer said. Using the tattoo as a memorial for her mother has allowed Shaffer to express what is important to her and she believes that everyone should have the opportunity to use tattoos as a form of self-expression. “I view them as something everyone can get if they want them to express themselves,” Shaffer said.
Health & Safety
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esponsibility begins with iihealth and safety concerns. iBefore getting a tattoo or piercing, iit is important to be aware of any health and safety hazards that come with the process. Before heading off to get a tattoo, it is
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essential to take time to find a quality tattoo parlor, because no one wants to deal with unsanitary equipment. “If the tattoo artists are not using a sterile needle you can develop an infection from that,” Nurse Karla Hausman said. Many people also get allergic reactions from the ink itself, but these reactions can come years after getting the tattoo. Scarring can also occur when getting a tattoo, which can be the fault of the tattoo artist. Then there’s piercings, if you don’t take care of the piercing properly, then it will have to be re-pierced. “I had to get my nose repierced twice, it closed up because I took it out and it hurt getting it pierced the second time,” senior Kelsey Hampton said. Some students and teachers got the bad end of the needle with their experience. “When I was in high school, I pierced
my tongue. It was the first thing I pierced. It broke my teeth and I got some dental issues from it,” Green said.
Job Stoppers
M
any people have plans after iiiiiiiiiiiiiiihigh school that include getting iiiiiiiiilliiiemployed, but tattoos and piercings may get in the way of that. Some companies don’t hire people based on their visible tattoos in places such as the neck or hand, or anywhere that can’t be covered. “You should think about it before you tattoo your ‘Job Stopper’ (hands and neck),” Green said. “It puts a restriction of what people think of you and the jobs you are able to get.” However, it all depends on what image the company wants. “The impact that visible tattoos may
have on future employment depends on the job as well as the philosophy of the company. The image the company wants to portray to customers is a key variable on whether visible tattoos matter in employment decisions,” counselor Greg Casel said.
Judgement
S
ociety can weigh harsh iiiiiiiiiiijudgement when it comes to iiuiiiiiitattoos. People with tattoos and especially tattoo artists can be subject to judgment from others, but professional tattoo artist Jeremy Latta claims that society’s negative outlook on body art has improved over time. “It used to be really bad,” Latta said.
Continued to pages 22 & 23
“I view them as something everyone can get if they want them to express themselves.” -senior Katherine Shaffer
“There is usually a story behind it. Some can be family or an inspiration or what you have completed in your lifetime.” -sophomore Austin Wilson
Photos by Morgan Clark & McKenna Hegger
InDepth November 22, 2016
We asked 434 students: What’s your opinion on teenagers having tattoos?
6.7%: Love them 59% Like them 16.8% No opinion 5.7% Don’t like them 11.8% Hate them
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6% 16.1% 11.8%
Left: Austin Wilson shows his meaningful calf tattoos. Above: Wilson shows his tatted quote.
19.6%
Below: Senior Andrue Johnson shows his arm
46.5%
Photos by Mckenna Hegger
We asked the student body what their opinions were on piercings. 434 students responded. I love piercings and I think they’re really cool. I like piercings in most cases. I don’t have an opinion. I don’t like piercings I completely hate piercings continued from page 21
“When I started in this business, everybody looked at you as if you were some kind of trash or what not. Nowadays, you’ve got 3,000 different TV shows so everybody sees it and everybody knows.” Cordonier knows to hold her head high and remember who she is no matter what others may think or say. “I imagine probably there are moments where I am stereotyped,” Cordonier said. “I just really try to concern myself with how I treat people and I try to live with that as my focus rather than how I am treated or perceived. If someone thinks iiiiiiiiiiiiiiinegatively of me without iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiknowing me, that is not really iiiiiiiiii iiiiisomething I can control.” iiiiiiiiiiiiii iiiiWilson does not let people iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii i who judge his tattoos
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InDepth November 22, 2016
bother him. “I think people today, when they look at tattoos, they label you. When I go out to restaurants and I’m with my family, people will look at you, but people look at you every day,” Wilson said. “I don’t really mind it.”
Pain
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ain is another factor that needs to to iii be considered when getting a tattoo. iiiiEven for a tattoo artist, the pain can be intense. “It hurts,” Latta said. “It’s like a cat scratch on a sunburn.” Sitting still through the pain may be difficult, as Green points out. “It depends and how long you can sit for. The longest I sat was for five hours,”
Green said. “I have gotten used to the pain level, you know what to expect.” Piercings can also deliver a high level of pain. “My nose ring was probably a seven, it hurt pretty bad,” Hampton said. Purdon suggests that the support of others may help with the pain. “I am a wimp, I cried in almost every tattoo I got. I always had a best friend come with me,” Purdon said. For some, the positive outcome outweighs the pain and the process of getting the tattoo or piercing can be thrilling. “It’s exciting, it’s always going to hurt, but the after-product is cool,” Green said.
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Tattoos and Young People
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ost people wait until their late teens to consider getting some ink, but for Latta, a love for tattoos and a do-it-yourself attitude sparked an earlier start. “I was 13 years old and I tattooed myself,” Latta said. “I did a terrible skull on my own arm. My grandparents, who raised me, finally saw it and I got in trouble.” Although he had an early start of his own and gives a few tattoos per week to people ages 18 years old or younger, Latta has some words of wisdom for young people who are considering getting tattoos. “Don’t get a tattoo unless you absolutely know what you’ll want for the rest of your
life,” Latta said. “At 16, 18, or 25, you don’t really know what you want. You just think you want something.” Although tattoos can be a way for people to express themselves, Cordonier suggests that people should wait until they truly know themselves and their goals before getting them. “I think that people should always wait until they know their career field and their passions and who they are and who they want to be before they do something that impacts them permanently for the rest of their lives,” Cordonier said. Counselors Brenda Wiederholt and Greg Casel suggest that no one under the age of 18 should get piercings or tattoos, even with parental consent. While students younger than 18 can get tattoos
with parental consent, the counselor suggest that these rules should have more restriction. “A potentially negative aspect about tattoos is that they are permanent. Something that students might enjoy now could turn into a regret 20 or 30 years in the future,” Casel said. Questioning how it may look as a person gets older is something that is brought up a lot when it comes to tattoos. Some people care and some don’t care how it will look when they get older. “I don’t care what I look like when I get older, I’ll be an old bag of wrinkles from the many faces I use during the day teaching high school,” Purdon said.
Photo by McKenna Hegger
What does getting a tattoo feel like? “It’s like a cat scratch on a sunburn.”
“They have no meaning behind it, not a single one. I was always into art and thought wearing them would be a good idea.” -Custodian Jesse Green
23 InDepth November 22, 2016
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Don’t Be Salty Fam, It’s Lit! Editorial by Editor in Chief Hannah Leonard
There are an infinite amount of ways to communicate with each other. Countless languages, letters, symbols, texts, “DMs” and codes are all used to let one person share the thoughts they have in their head with someone else. Dialect changes from one region to another and creates diversity
Photo by Lacy Williams
in culture. It is only natural then for certain populations to speak differently than the rest of the world, whether they be from different global locations or even different age groups. In high school and college, students communicate using informal words and phrases known as slang. Some slang is revived from a previous decade but each year there are words that take on a new definition to fit a more modern and “crispy” context. Due to the ignorant (ratchet) tone that can be interpreted with these casual forms of speech, in some circumstances it is hard not to be “savage” and “throw shade” on fresh terminology that has developed. However, I will admit I am guilty of uttering the occasional slang word. In a lot of cases slang words say more about a person’s feelings than formal terms of speech. This use of vocabulary is considered to be “awesome sauce” by
younger generations because of the comfort level with the casualness and representation of friendship or “fam” that slang words display. How else would society be able to identify the “ballers” or call out who is “hangry?” Another reason why these silly words are so popular is because of the humor found in them. Whether it’s the very sound and pronunciation or the unconventional definitions, slang words make situations like the ones described in relatable memes “lit.” It remains important that proper English, especially when writing an essay for school, a future college, or an employer, is used and not forgotten. The greatest threat that slang poses, however, is misinterpretation or usage in a negative context. Slang words are to be used at an appropriate time and not “troll” or offend people, otherwise there is no need to get “salty” over them.
Who Doesn’t Love Food? Editorial by Managing Editor Emily Johannes
I really love food… like a lot. A lot a lot. This makes it easy for me to think of my favorite holiday: Thanksgiving. There’s turkey, mashed potatoes and so much bread and gravy on
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Opinion November 22, 2016
Photo by Lacy Williams
everything. Just thinking about the spread we have every year is making me reach for my lunch right now. For Thanksgiving this year, my family is going to visit relatives in Houston. You’re eating a single turkey in Missouri? They’ll do you one better: two turkeys, one of them being deep-fat fried and a ham to go with it. You have pumpkin pie for dessert in Missouri? Again, they’ll one-up you with pumpkin pie, coconut cream pie, assorted cookies and my favorite: toffee. You can’t take your skinny jeans to Texas because you wouldn’t have any pants to wear. Loose pants with elastic waistbands are going to be my best friend this next week. For example, the mashed potatoes my gramma makes are glorious and I’m not ashamed to say that I will most likely be eating them for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a couple days. Just woke up? Mashed potatoes. Took a nap at 10:30 and now it’s lunchtime? Mashed potatoes. Spent all day
watching football in my pajamas? Mashed potatoes. No pair of self-respecting pants are going to want to try to get on my body after that. You can’t talk about feasts without talking about bread. Bread is one of my mainstays and has always been by my side through thick and thin. My gramma makes these rosemary rolls that are heavenly. Angels literally sing praises over these rolls… light, fluffy, with salt and herbs on top. They are a Thanksgiving staple. Tears almost come to my eyes when I think about them; they are that good. Honestly, these columns are usually supposed to have some sort of message, but all I see in this is a girl and her love of carbs and there’s nothing wrong with that. I hope what you take away from this is to have a great Thanksgiving weekend, eat lots of food and hug your gramma (or whoever cooks) because they’re the best for making you food.
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Double Sided Editorial by Copy/Opinion Editor Lacy Williams
There are at least two sides to every person. There’s a part of us everyone shows, acting like everything is ok. But there’s also a part of us that not many see. That one maybe a depressing side that I know I try to hide. Mental health is way more important to me than physical health (sorry every PE
Photo by Mara Fryer
teacher ever). I know so many people who have struggled with depression, anxiety and self-esteem issues for a majority of their lives. And as high schoolers, I’d guess the majority of us have something to that degree, myself included. Society seems to push us to think that mental health issues are just a way to get attention, especially on social media. As the assembly guest speaker said, everyone seems to be looking for more likes and followers; sometimes it ends up spinning out of control. Another problem is the pressure of school. From experience I can tell you, they’re very wrong. Depression can be caused from a small thing such as failing a test. Most people don’t realize it’s as simple as that to kill one’s self-esteem. It creates a completely different mindset. I have suffered from depression and verbal abuse since I was in sixth grade. If
you’ve met me, you know I’m the most bubbly, energetic person. You see the public side of me. I’ve learned to love myself and appreciate who I am through music and writing. My sophomore year of high school I made the KC Metro All-District Mixed Choir. To me, that was the first time I actually felt I succeeded in something and had talent. That is the reason I sing to this day. I actually feel like I’m good enough for something. Yes, I still struggle with depression and verbal abuse, but I’ve learned ways to feel better about myself and trust that everything will be ok. Friends are there for you and they do care. We all have our problems. So instead of just thinking about ourselves and our own problems, remember other people are struggling. We should be positive to one another instead of putting each other down, especially when we may not see both sides of a person.
Crossing Our Fingers Editorial by Ads Manager Daryl Gichui
This summer a group of us boys on the Cross Country team decided to push ourselves and each run 1000 miles in the 14 weeks of the off season. 12 miles became our daily diet on runs and we often added runs on Sundays to meet our goal. We jumped through hoops, worked around
Opinion November 22, 2016
Photo by Lacy Williams
schedules, jobs, vacations, injuries and growing pains and stepped into August in great shape. After all that time, the work seemed to pay off. Many of us were running personal bests and we were even able to move from the bottom 40 in the state to one of the top seven best, competing with powerful schools like Rockhurst, Park Hill South and St. Joe Central. We were on cloud nine going into the state series during October and even became Suburban Red Conference Champions. Unfortunately, after sectionals we were unable to move on as a team and qualify to state. However, our top two runners Ryan Flood and Max Martin moved on as individuals. You would think that after working so hard and so long that a team would just move and wait for next year to come, but instead we came back to have a team meeting and talk
about what happened. It was refreshing, there was no finger pointing, no pouting, no “I wish I would have’s” and only a few tears. We each congratulated each other telling one another how proud we were of what we accomplished and even formed realistic ideas for improving further on down the road. Sure we didn’t make it as a team to state, but that didn’t mean that we weren’t still a team. We all still supported Max and Ryan and went to Jefferson City to cheer for them. The future looks bright for our squad and although we’re not excited about it, we are fortunate to only lose one incredibly strong senior this year. We really were able to set ourselves up to do some more amazing things during this next season, so don’t be surprised to see a group of scrawny boys clutching a big shiny trophy come this time next year.
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Does LHS Use Social Media In A Positive Way? Story by Paige Twenter Twitter is an easy distraction from the whirlwind of numerous assignments given daily to students, which is (un)conveniently not blocked on school computers. This combination of social media and education in school raises the question, does LHS use social media in a positive way? The Bell staff agreed 20-0 that yes, LHS students are mostly positive when using social media but there are still areas for improvement. One teacher said that although social media’s easy access allows certain students to bully one another outside the classroom, it’s an easy way for teachers to contact and share with one another. Also, with the LPS LEADS hashtag (when used seriously) teams and clubs at LHS can promote wins and applaud students’ achievements to meet the masses instantaneously. One staff member mentioned that social
Staff Vote: Yes: 20 No: 0 26
media allows the school to collectively come together as one unbreakable force. Another upside to all this newly-breaking technology is that it gets translated into learning, like flex spaces equipped with apple TV’s and every student in the district receiving their own laptops. However, with all these well-intended changes comes a whole new set of challenges. One teacher said the immediacy and quickness of social media can result very badly when something is said in the heat of the moment. For instance, following the infamous Liberty vs. Liberty North football game, twitter exploded with digs, insults and memes directed to harass Liberty North. Just because a post might be funny to one person doesn’t mean that everyone will find humor in it. That sort of negativity should not be shared online for everyone to see.
The main issue concerning social media isn’t only the distraction it brings to students but the bullying that spreads like a wildfire is only a few keystrokes. Of course, with any new technological advancement, there’s always going to be some sort of set-back. Like, why can’t the YouTube video continue playing when you open up another app? Or why are charger cords so easy to break? The list goes on and on. The difference is, it’s up to students at LHS to make that positive change to online lives. Ask yourself before you hit send: would I say this aloud? If not, then there’s no reason to post it. It’s up to all of us to stand up and lift others up instead of tearing them down through subtweets or nasty and hurtful polls. The change starts with one and it ends with all of us, together.
Illustration by Daryl Gichui
The articles in this section do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment, compliment or critize anything you see in this section in a Letter to the Editor at lwil1524@student.lps53.org
Opinion November 22, 2016
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Beauty-ful Nights
‘Beauty and the Beast’ was performed in classic LHS style. Story by Delaney Tarpley and Annika Fuller
Photos by Lacy Williams
The audience was singing “Be Our Guest” long after the curtains closed on this year’s musical production of Beauty and the Beast. The drama team performed 12 shows for students and the larger community in the Little Theater.
The Preperations
Despite what the audience saw, there were many other components that went into the show from behind the scenes. One sophomore in particular, Macey Kern, had the very important job of stage manager. “The stage managers have to make sure everything’s running smoothly,” Kern said. “We have to make sure all of the actors know where their props are, all of the crew members know how to work the fog machines and the dry ice machines, and most importantly we have to keep everyone sane.”
Many people didn’t realize the amount of time the cast and crew put into the show to make it what it was. “I think once I counted it all up, I actually had spent 78 hours working on cueing
the show,” said sophomore and lighting designer Kyle Munden. “All of the lighting that you see during the show, is cued. So everytime you see the lighting change, that’s a cue that we have made. There are over 200 cues in this particular production.” The amount of time spent working on the show was similar when it came to building the set. “Stagecraft builds the set for the most part, but I came in for about 3 or 4 weekends before the show to help out,” Kern said. “It’s a very long process.” Whenever the show was going on, there were several people who were working behind the stage or up in the tech booth to make sure everything ran smoothly. “There can be up to six people in the tech booth at a time during the performance, while there are about 12 crew members backstage.” Munden said.
Above Left: The trumpet section of the pit plays “Gaston” during the performance from the cafeteria. Above Right: Sophomore Kyle Munden and senior Emma Davis work on sound and tech as the show is beginning. Middle: Senior Emma Kern works on lighting before the show. Below: Sophomore Andrew Cable works on creating costumes for the show.
28 Photo by Chrystian Noble
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However, there are two very important crew members who aren’t either backstage or in the tech booth. “I was in the audience for most of the shows,” junior and student choreographer Maya Vitug said. “This is the first time I’ve choreographed so it’s fun to help people develop the characters, but there were some challenges because we didn’t have a lot of time to rehearse.” Another important crew member was conducting the pit. “I am the assistant student conductor,” junior Hollis Hagenbuch said. “I get to work with the cast while listening to them through a speaker and I also get to work with the pit at the same time. So I really
enjoy the collaboration between both.” The audience and cast had various expectations, but director Don Johnson only expected the actors to do what they rehearsed, everything else is unknown. “Every performance is different, it’s the live art,” Johnson said. “Sometimes we have to warn our kids to not put it on autopilot, you have to keep pushing, keep thinking because that’s when things happen.” There were many challenges felt by the directors during the rehearsal time. “Trying to get 50 people on one stage and doing one thing can be difficult at times,” said Baker Purdon, music director for the musical. “Trying to get the work
done after school also is difficult after we’ve all had a full day of school and we’re all already exhausted.” Despite these challenges, the way that the cast and crew treat each other adds to the performance aspects onstage and adds to friendships off the stage. “This year if you walk down the hall everyone’s nice to each other,” Edens said. “Everyone talks to each other. There are no cliques between people because everyone is family.” ‘Beauty and the Beast’ has been a notable Disney classic for years. From first graders to staff members, the story of Belle and the Beast is well known.
Photos by Chrystian Noble
Photo by Lacy Williams
Top Left: Sophmore Sarah Roebbeke sews part of her costume. Top Right: Junior Macy Kern paints a wall for the houses on set. Bottom Right: Music director, Baker Purden and accompanist Rachael Householders conduct the pit. Junior Dekayla Craigg and senior Emma Kern works on the wolf puppets for the wolves scene.
A&E November 22, 2016
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What We Thought The stage, at first, was dark. Then suddenly lights are narrowed to a small part of the stage where we see the Beast before the curse. In the prelude of the musical, it all seemed very Disney. The cast and crew of ‘Beauty and the Beast’ were able to transform the small Little Theater into multiple locations. “We really have to build everything and involve the audience and make the audience a part of the show as the townspeople basically,” director Don Johnson said. There were gargoyles as props, and as the people to rotate the props. Small details like that created a “they thought of everything feeling” when the musical finished. It was evident the cast felt comfortable with each other and their lines, as little nerves were seen as the performance wore on. “We are all really upbeat, so we all get along really well,” freshman Jake Islas said. “We work hard and do everything to the best of our ability.” Belle, played by junior Molly Day, was an easy character to relate to. “I [looked at] a lot on recordings and videos to try and see how people portray Belle differently because I [wanted]
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to make the character something I can connect with,” Day said. “I’m a little more sassy than the traditional Belle, mostly because that’s how I am in real life. I feel like it adds to the character and makes the relationship between Belle and Beast a little different.”
The Beast, played by Weston Brown, had a strong persona with an even stronger voice. Using a voice modulator, the Beast’s voice was able to sound as frightening as he looked. He commanded the stage when he was there, however balancing out Belle’s softer side. Photos by Lacy Williams
Above: The Beast, sophomore Weston Brown, and Belle, junior Molly Day, dance to the song “Beauty and the Beast” sung by Mrs. Potts, sophomore McKenzie Greenwood. Below: Junior Kayla Hill as a napkin, junior Katie Waterman as pepper, sophmore Kelsey Pierce as a napkin, junior Jackson Witt as a knife, sophomore Jake Kane as fork, junior Josie Wilkerson as Babette, junior Dylan Moran as a wisk and freshman Fiona Burroughs as a tea cup perform the “Be Our Guest” scene.
A&E November 22, 2016
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LHS lost seniors last year who had wonderful singing voices. However, according to senior Berit Nuetzmann, “This year had awesome new talent both vocally and character wise.” The side characters added a lot of the silly personality which may have been lost in the seriousness of the Beast, or the determination of Belle. Lefou, played by sophomore Jonathan Edens, had mastered physical comedy as he was pushed around by Gaston, played by Nehemiah Devanney. Gaston was a beautiful egomaniac, who no one wishes their son to become, but hopes their child will have as much talent. The “Silly Girls” were fun to watch.
Lumiere, played by Jake Islas and Cogsworth, played by Joe Galetti, seemed to understand who the candle and clock truly were. Babette, played by Josie Wilkerson, Mrs. Potts, played by Mckenzie Greenwood, and Madame De La Grande Bouche, played by Alana Pendergraft, all had captivating performances that created the desire to know not only their characters but the actresses off stage. The ability to have both good acting and good music creates an entertaining and well developed musical. “Beauty and the Beast really meshed both components to create a great show,” Nuetzmann said. Photo by Lacy Williams
Photo by Lacy Williams
Photo by Mercedes Peck
Photo by Lacy Williams
Photo by Lacy Williams
Top Right: Cast performs the song “Belle” as Belle, junior Molly Day, sings her solo. Middle Left: Silly Girls, sophomores Lauren Rankin, Kelsey Pierce, Katherine Vlamis, juniors Katie Waterman, Emily Goodwin and Meredith Ackerman surround Gaston, junior Nehemiah Devanny as he goes to propose Belle. Middle Right: The Beast, sophomore Weston Brown, transforms into the Prince after the spell is broken. Bottom Left: Mrs. Potts, sophomore McKenzie Greenwood, freshman Logan Reiter, Cogsworth, junior Joe Galetti and Madame De La Grande Bouche, senior Alana Pendergraft, watch as Belle comes to greet the Prince after the spell is broken. Bottom Right: Lefou, sophomore Jonathan Edens, cowers into the wall to avoid being Gaston’s punching bag.
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War of the Comics There is a waging battle between Marvel and DC Comics. Story by Marcus Myvett
Bam! Pow! Wham! Marvel and DC have been dueling it out ever since the comics were created. Now it’s time to hear what LHS students have to say about it.
MARVEL
Marvel was first created in 1961 by president of the company, Stan Lee. It has grown from one superhero group to countless superheros, such as Spiderman, Ironman, Captain America and Hulk. Marvel has made over 20 movies and over four billion dollars, not including all their other merchandise. Also, in almost every Marvel movie, Stan Lee has made a short, funny cameo interacting with the main characters, giving him more publicity and fame. Some of their most popular movies have been Captain America: Civil War, The Avengers and Guardians of the Galaxy. Many students at LHS prefer Marvel. Junior Cayden Chapman is one of them. “I like Marvel because it makes better movies with high quality CGI,” Chapman said. Sophomore Shelby Erickson also likes Marvel more than DC because it has more diverse characters and they all come together and intertwine in the end.
DC While some people like Marvel, others like DC more. DC was created in 1934 by company president Malcolm-Wheeler Nicholson. It’s first superhero, and one of the first superheroes ever created, was Superman. DC Universe has also grown over the many years in it’s existence. It has made over 30 movies. It has not brought in as much money as Marvel has, according to Box Office Mojo, but it is still popular with a lot of people, including LHS students. “I like DC more than Marvel because DC has a better fan base and a more deep story to their heros,” said freshman Jayden Hayes. “With everything that they do, there are Easter eggs/foreshadowing making you want to know more about it.” Freshman Karrel Simpson also likes DC over Marvel because he thinks that all Marvel super heroes make their own suits and don’t really have superpowers.
Photo by Isabella Siefkas
Above: junior Cayden Chapman fights the bad guys with Thor’s hammer. Below: freshman Jayden Hayes sports a Superman hat.
32 Photo by Mara Fryer
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what his superhero name would be and what his powers would be, Simpson said that his name would be Dark Chocolate, and his power would be superspeed.
Photo by Grace Buehler
CAPTAIN AMERICA: CIVIL WAR VS BATMAN VS SUPERMAN: DAWN OF JUSTICE
Two of the most famous comic-turnedmovies from each company is Marvel’s Captain America: Civil War and DC’s Superman VS Batman: Dawn of Justice. Each movie has made over 900 million according to Box Office Mojo, and both are very popular. “I think Captain America: Civil War had the better plotline and I enjoyed the movie very much because of the fight scene in the airport. Also because the story was indepth,” said Hayes. “But I really enjoyed Superman VS Batman, because the movie itself was pretty good, but whenever they released the ultimate edition, it made the movie make more sense. It added another layer to the depth it already had. It added more to each fight scene. It made each piece of dialogue more important.”
293 students responded to “What has a better plot, Superman vs Batman: Dawn of Justice or Captain America: Civil War? Results: -63% say Captain America was a great movie. -12% say Superman vs Batman! It was awesome! 293 students responded to “Iron Man or Batman?” Results: -39% say I am Batman! -34% say I am Iron Man! 295 responded, “Which do you like more, Marvel or DC?” Here are the results: I have no opinion I don’t like either 3% 10%
Super Jays
Both companies are planning to make more movies about bringing all the heros together, Marvel making Avengers: Infinity War pt. 1 and 2, and DC is going to make The Justice League. When asked
I like both equally 31% DC for life! 13%
Marvel all the way! 43%
Photo by Ashley Ritter
Above: Sophomore Shelby Erickson admires Thor. Right: freshman Karrell Simpson kicks for Captain America.
A&E November 22, 2016
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Fall Fashion
What are YOU wearing? Photos By; Mercedes Peck, Morgan Clark, McKenna Hegger
Clockwise: Abi Davila, Reagan Kruger, Dionne Preaster, Victoria Southall, Shariff Brown Jr, Kaseon Morgan, Kate Towns, Alyssa Funderburk, Kate Towns and Carter Groves Center: Matthew Kiser
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Sports Calendar Swimming
Girls Basketball
November 29 - Girls Varsity and JV Tri Meet/Match @Liberty Communuty Center
December 1 - JV and Varsity @Kearney
December 6 - Girls Varsity and JV Tri Meet/Match @Park Hill South December 13 - Girls Varsity and JV Tri Meet/Match @Liberty Community Center December 16 - Girls JV Meet @Blue Springs Centennial December 22 - Girls Varsity and JV Meet @Lee Summit December 28 - Girls Varsity and JV Meet @Blue Springs YMCA
Wrestling
November 29 - Varsity and JV Match @ Fort Osage December 3 - Varsity tournament @Leavenworth December 9-10 - Varsity tournament @Lee’s Summit North Decemebr 13 - Varsity tournament @Truman High School
December 3 - Varsity vs Olathe South December 5 - Varsity tournament @Liberty December 7 - Varsity @Liberty North December 9 - Varsity tournament @Liberty North December 12 - Varsity and JV vs Lee Summit December 27-29 - Varsity tournament @Rockwood Summit
Photo by Lacy Williams
Boys Basketball December 2 - Varsity and JV vs Fort Osage December 3 - Varsity vs Shawnee Mission-North December 8-10 - Varsity tournament @Leavenworth December 13 - Varsity and JV vs Grandview
December 16-17 - Varsity tournament @Lee’s Summit December 20 - Varsity and JV Match @Liberty Sports November 22, 2016
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Athletes of
Kelsi Schmitz Interview by Caroline Parry
“Golf is an individual sport, but also lots of teamwork is involved with it as well. I enjoy being out there with my best friends. We went to state and that was a lot of fun as well. Going to state as a team was my goal because we have been wishing for it since my freshman year and we finally did it. I look forward to playing in college. I was thinking about Park University, but I’m not sure yet.” -Kelsi Schmitz .
Photo by Grace Buehler
Grade: Senior Height: 5’10’’ Best Score: 80 Favorite Food: Bread
“My favorite memory with Kelsi was rooming with her down at state this year. Our junior year was a lot of fun too because we had a great time together. On the course she is not too serious and has a fun attitude. Off the course she is a great student and a great friend. Golf can be serious sometimes and she breaks the ice.” -Senior Brianna Walker “The girls had a terrific season culminating in a fourth place finish in the state championship. Our success was based upon the play of seniors Brianna Walker, Kelsi Schmitz, Katie Parrott, Morgan Basye and junior Bailey Kenney. These set the example for the team and all 24 members of the team saw the value of disciplined hard work as demonstrated by these five. -Coach Forest Bertoldi
Nolan Burroughs Interview by Alex Rogers
“I’ve been running cross country since eighth grade. I joined because I wanted to be in a sport where I was with my teammates all the time and could earn my spot wherever I want to run. If I wanted to be varsity, then I’d just have to work hard enough to be on varsity. It wasn’t up to a coach, it was up to me. The best part about it is just being with my teammates for hours. Practice is like going out with your friends, but running.” -Nolan Burroughs “Nolan is a great teammate and can always provide good knowledge to work off of or think about in improving our physical state. He can always give good input to help us improve. He can always be a fun guy to be around, but he also helps push us to reach our potential.” -Sophomore Daniel Garrison “Nolan is a well-rounded young man. Nolan is a hard worker, success-oriented and a dedicated runner. For the last couple of years Nolan has been a scorer for a strong cross country team. Nolan is extremely smart and keeps an interesting conversation going on the distance runners’ longer run.” -Coach Robert Marquardt
36 Sports November 22, 2016
Photo by Kate Marshall
Grade: Junior Height: 5’9’’ Fastest 5k: 18 min Favorite Food: Mac & Cheese lhsnews.net
the Month
Joslyn Thieme Interview by Caroline Parry
“I’ve been playing softball since I was five years old. Softball shows me good life lessons, like how to be a good leader. I’m looking forward to seeing what new people are going to come on the team. I can’t wait for competitions for next season also. My goals this season was to win a lot of games, conference and districts, but we didn’t win districts. My goal next year is to win districts.” -Joslyn Thieme “My favorite memory with Joslyn is getting to catch her pitches. On the field you always know she will do the best she can. She is really reliable; she will always shut down the other team. Joslyn is always really positive and she will always try her best.” -Senior Lexi Resa “My favorite memory with Joslyn was her first game of the season, she really didn’t do all that well, then she bounced back up during the same tournament and threw great from that point forward. Joslyn is a good player, so just having her talent is important. She is calm and level-headed.” -Coach Scott Howard
Photo by Mara Fryer
Grade: Sophomore Height: 5’7’’ Position: Pitcher Favorite Food: Pizza
Tait Harvey Interview by Alex Rogers
“I’ve been swimming for about seven or eight years now. My favorite memory from the season is probably going to state and how fun it was when all the guys connected with each other. It’s been really fun and just getting to spend time with each other and all our team bonding, it’s just been super fun.” -Tait Harvey “He’s a fun guy and very enthusiastic. He’s a good guy to race with because he pushes everyone to go faster and still have fun. [My favorite memory of him during practice] was when two seniors on the Liberty North swim team would always make fun of him and he would try to create a comeback but could never deliver it properly. He’s just a funny guy overall.” -Sophomore Sam Coday Photo by Teegan Saunders
Grade: Freshman Height: 6’1’’ Best Event: 500 Favorite Food: Chinese Food Sports November 22, 2016
“He really steps up and swims well at big meets, which is hard for a freshman to do. He is on our school record 400 Free Relay team, which is great for a freshman. It has been great coaching him and I’m excited to see what he can do over his high school career. He works hard and does everything we ask and it really paid off for him this year.” -Coach Chris Murphy
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Shine Bright Like A Sapphire The Sapphire team hosts a clinic for future Sapphire’s. Story by Haley Stephenson This year the Sapphires have introduced a new clinic designed to help those wanting to tryout work on the skills needed to become a Sapphire. On Sunday, November 20, those passionate about dance made their way to the Cokely fieldhouse to work on what it takes to be a Sapphire. “We just had a lot of girls asking for a summer camp or who wanted to learn more about the program,” coach Maggie Willis said. “So we thought that this might be more beneficial during the school year when they aren’t on vacation, we just wanted to provide the opportunity.” Anyone from grades 6-11 was welcome to sign up for a fee of $40, which included a shirt. Most experienced Sapphires agreed the clinic would be beneficial to those looking to try out. “I think the purpose of the clinic was just to help the girls calm their nerves for tryouts,” Willis said. “We’re proud of our program and we want kids to be successful throughout the tryout process so I think this gives them time to see what elements we want them to work on. From there they have several months to work on that, and we can see all of their hard work when they come back for tryouts.”
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Photo by Chrystian Noble
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Nationally ranked Sapphires and coaches were there to guide the dancers through what they’re looking for in a future Sapphire. “They were doing different sections so people were doing across the floor, pom and hip hop station,” freshman Danielle Roepke said. “That’s what I did, there were three of us and we did a little combination and help them prepare for what is going to go on at tryouts.” These experienced individuals were not only looking to ensure the upcoming
Photo by Chrystian Noble
Sapphires are prepared to be thrown into the world of practice, routines, crowds and competition. They’re looking for their ability to improve based on instruction. “We’re looking for willingness to adapt to your surroundings, you just have to realize that if you don’t know something, you just need to ask,” junior Alexa Smith said. “Watch, absorbing everything around you really helps, just so that you can blend and get an idea of how things operate.” The transition from dancing in a studio to dancing competitively can be hard on some new Sapphires and the experienced dancers are working to ensure that the transition goes as smooth as possible for all new members. “It was interesting and difficult transitioning from eighth grade cheer and having it not really be as important to me, to being a varsity Sapphire,” sophomore Chloe Balsdon. “It was kind of intense and scary with all of the seniors and other varsity members, but I managed.” Senior Taylor Stufflebean, who has been a Sapphire since freshman year, is working to help new Sapphires on their transition. “It’s different, it’s a different style that you have to get your body used to,” Stufflebean said. “But the program is great, not just for dancing. You learn about responsibility and being prepared and organization as well as being confident in yourself too. Other than dance, it has prepared me in that way. I’ve learned so much in the four years that I’ve been in the program.” Stufflebean speaks on what sets the Sapphire’s apart from studio dance. “We work really hard and we always want to do our best,” Stufflebean said. “So we treat everything like it is our biggest performance over, or a competition. We always want to do the best that we can and show our community that we really do work hard.”
Top: Junior Annie Pottios and senior Hannah Doherty stretch before starting practice. Bottom: The LHS Sapphire team works on one of their routines during practice.
Sports November 22, 2016
lhsnews.net
Just Keep Swimming Boys swim travels to compete in state. Story by Joey O’Kelly
Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
After taking this season by storm, the boys swim team dove head first into the state competition on November 3 and 4 at the RecPlex in St. Peters, Missouri. In total, seven swimmers and two alternates qualified to represent LHS. The team has been preparing for state for a while and have made some adjustments. “I have been doing the most I can by working hard at practice, going to bed a little earlier than usual and just eating a lot more,” sophomore NoahWitzki said. “I’m really looking forward to the competition. I’m seeded pretty well in the state. I think it’s going to be really exciting.” While the team has been training for specific meets all year, they have always had the state competition in the back of their minds. “We train differently as the season finishes,” coach Chris Murphy said. “Our practices are shorter with less yardage so that the guys have more energy at the state meet. We also concentrate more on the little things like starts, turns and relay exchanges.” As with many teams, the members consider their teammates to be a brotherhood. They have the upmost
support for each other and push one another to get better. “The message I would give is to represent this school to the best of your abilities. You guys worked hard all season for this meet. Enjoy it. Have a fun time,” junior Bradyn Cowger said. “They always cheer me on and it feels nice,” Price said. “I hope they have the best performance they’ve ever had.” This year has been full of new records and medals for many of the members on the team, eventually resulting in state qualifications. “I love watching everyone improve throughout the year,” coach Murphy said. “Every coach and swimmer loves to see time drops.” Each team member had a high goal for state and many accomplished and even exceeded those goals. “My ultimate goal for state is to be happy with what I do and maybe end up in a good spot in state,” Witzki said. “My goal is to swim the best I can and get my best times, maybe get some freshman records or team records in the relays,” Harvey said. Setting records is always a good aspiration to have. “My goal is for everyone to have
season-best times both individually and in relays,” coach Murphy said.
State Results
100 Fly
Witzki - 50.36 new school record
400 Freestyle Relay
Murphy, Coday, Harvey and Witzki - 12th in state new school record
200 Freestyle
Murphy - 1:43.40 4th place
500 Freestyle
Murphy - 4:45.27 4th place Coday - 10th place
Dive
Price - 359.95 12th place
Photo by Caitlyn Pearson
Top: Senior Tristen Price works on his dives at practice. Bottom: An LHS swimmer works on his his freestlye during practice.
Sports November 22, 2016
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lhsnews.net
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