Nov-Dec

contents.

Staff

Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry Mangaging Editor Zahra Khan Copy Editor & Opinion Editor Alyah Craig Copy, News & Co-Sports Editor Jenn Carmony Features Editor & Co-Sports Editor Emma Stauffer Indepth Editor Ashley Tindall Spotlight Editor Derek Katzer A&E Editor Regan Johnston Online Manager Liz Gammon Ads Manager Caroline Parry Reporters

Ethan Atkins Jade Garbani Sarah Blankenship Jordan Honeycutt Shane Bass Lucas Kilgore Catherin Franklin Anthony Savastino Rosie Frederick Alexis Tindall Jenna Henderson

Photo Jay

Photo Jay Managing Editor Ashley Ritter Photo Editor Charlene Nguyen Online Manager Kaleigh McCarthy Camera Operator Mercedes Peck Camera Coordinator Emma McDonald Photographers Sabrina Brooke Grace Bushroe Connor Callahan Alyssa Griffith Hattie Ludwig

Hannah Mayfield Pearl Pritchard Makenna Smock Kayley Twenter Kylee Williams

On the Cover

Junior McKenna Stephens and photography teacher Julie Miller work on taking photos for the Advanced Placement Studio Art class in the greenhouse. AP Studio Art is the third and final class that LHS has to offer on the photography side of the Fine Arts Department.

Photo by Mercedes Peck

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the bell December 2019 Contents

Contact Us Liberty High School 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, Mo 64068 Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry slow9330@lps53.org Adviser Lori Oyler (816) 736-2827 x 2827 lori.oyler@lps53.org

Correction

On page 35 of the October issue, the Last But Not Least spotlight was printed “Todd King”, but should have read “Tod King”.

Questions, Comments or Concerns?

If you have questions, comments, concerns, or a topic that you would like The Bell to cover, write a Letter to the Editor.

Your letter must be a maximum of 250 words and your topic must be appropriate for our underage audience.

Writing a Letter to the Editor does not mean that it is guaranteed to be published.

Submit your letter to: Opinion Editor Alyah Craig acra5623@lps53.org or the Editor-in-Chief Sidney Lowry slow9330@lps53.org

contents.

Features 6

The Bigger Picture

by Lucas Kilgore

8

Lending a Hand in the Library

by Shane Bass

Petitioning for Power

by Caty Franklin

11

Ice & Snow, Take it Slow

by Rosie Fredrick

Photo by Sabrina Brooke

Spotlights 14

Freshman Grant Herzog

by Emma Stauffer

15

Sophomore Ciara Keenan

by Jordan Honeycutt

16

Junior Patrick Reynolds

by Jenn Carmony

17

Senior Claire Rogers

by Sarah Blankenship

Indepth

News

10

Photo by Kylee Williams

20

Perseverance with a Purpose

by Ashley Tindall and Derek Katzer

Contents lhsnews.net

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contents.

Letter from the Editor Ladies and Gentlemen, I am so proud to announce that this is the smoothest production of a newspaper I have ever experienced in my life. Every single deadline was met by every reporter, section editor and leadership team member. It may have taken our Adviser telling them if they did then they would get donuts, but that’s beside the point.

We started the process of producing this issue at the very end of October and with that came the topic of Halloween. As we all started talking about our plans for Halloween night, someone said “Hey, did you guys see the petition that was sent out for us to have Nov 1 off?” After that comment was made, we all had questions running through our minds. “Will it work?” and “How does a petition work? Are there a specific amount of signatures required?”

This sent us down a wormhole of petitions that have been sent out in our time in Liberty Public Schools. We immediately thought about how in 2015, a petition went around for us to have a day off of school for the Royals parade to celebrate them going to the World Series. It was the only day that we have successfully been given, so we wanted to know why it worked when all the others haven’t. On page 11 we found out what makes a petition successful as well as what to do when students

want to make a change.

With Halloween soon coming to an end, we started thinking of other holidays around the corner. Thanksgiving was coming up quick, so we decided to help out students that needed a quick and easy recipe for every dinner they will be going to in the months of November and December on pages 28, 29 and 30.

After making the food featured in our cooking story, we also took into account the many students that will be participating in

Photo by Hannah Mayfield

making New Year’s Resolutions. We asked students and teachers what kind of resolutions they make, as well as how to be successful in keeping them on page 20 and 21.

With every resolution that students make around LHS, I have decided that mine is going to be continuing the streak The Bell staff is on now with meeting deadlines. It may take me a few more donuts, but that is a sacrifice I am willing to make.

Photo by Grace Bushroe

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Photo by Makenna Smock

the bell Contents

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

25

It’s OK Boomer/Not in Toon...Tune?

by Sidney Lowry and Zahra Khan

Opinion

26

Overdoin’ It/Let’s Hear it for the Boy

by Alyah Craig and Regan Johnston

27 Mismanaged Time Management/Last

Race for Liberty

by Liz Gammon and Anthony Savastino

A&E 28

Photo by Alysh Craig

Sports What’s Cookin’?

by Regan Johnston

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

32

Success Never Sleeps

by Anothony Savastino

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Contents lhsnews.net

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features.

The Bigger

Picture

Advanced Placement Studio Art student junior McKenna Stephens edits a photo she took. She values the photography classes offered at LHS. “I think it’s important to LHS because it shows the diversity we have in this school, especially the art program,” Stephens said.

Take a look at LHS photography classes and their importance.

Reported by Lucas Kilgore Design by Emma Stauffer Photos by Sabrina Brooke

A busy studio, students working fanatically and a deep burning passion in the heart, room 113 is filled with a desire to inspire.

Classes with different levels of photography skills are offered at LHS, including Digital Photography, Advanced Studio Art and AP Studio Art. Students see the benefit of learning the art of photography.

“We start with Digital Photography which is a year long course,” Photography teacher Julie Miller said. “If they wish to go on, the next class is Advanced Studio Art. We emphasise photography because it’s actually 2D design, and then after that they can do AP Studio Art again and in Studio Art the emphasis is again on photography.”

Students take these classes for personal enjoyment and possible careers in the future.

“Photography will help them later in life if they want to pursue careers or hobbies in photography,” senior Bristol Hough said.

“A lot of our students capture important moments at LHS that we can memorialize through photos.”

LHS photographer’s work is shown off and used as competition pieces, as well as being displayed around the school.

“We display at Belvoir Winery,” Miller said.

“We display there year round. We change it

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three times a year.”

Along with displaying at Belvoir Winery, a local winery and hotel, some student’s photographs are shown off inside Mid Continent Public Library and even the Capital building in Jefferson City.

The camera provided to beginner photographers is Cannon EOS Rebel T6.

The congressional competition is a Jefferson City held art competition.

the bell December 2019 Features

“The last three or four years we’ve been doing the senate competitions and we’ve also entered the Congressional competition,” Miller said. “The Senate competition is held in Jefferson City. We’ve had two winners in the last four years and their work hangs in the Senate Tunnel for a whole year.”

Photography allows creativity and diversity to flourish.

“I think it’s important to LHS because it shows the diversity we have in this school, especially the art program,” junior Mckenna Stephens said.

For some students, photography is a form of creative expression.

“It’s a really good outlet to show a message or to just remember a scene,” sophomore Morgan Strother said. “A lot of it’s online, you can digitally make things look different. It’s cool to have a certain idea of what you want an image to look like and then seeing it come to life.”

It’s the creativity and effort put forth into the craft that counts.

“A good photo is a photo that takes time into consideration,” junior Orrin Richardson said.

“Explore, get creative and try different things that you’ve never tried before and see what works.”

features.

Photo by Morgan Strother

Photo by Bristol Hough

Photo by McKenna Stephens

Photo by Morgan Strother

Above are the highlights of the work of Digital Photography, Advanced Studio Art and AP Studio Art students.

Photo by McKenna Stephens

Photo by Bristol Hough

Features lhsnews.net

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news.

Ice and Snow,

Take it Slow

Turn on your defrost. Junior Ian Dickerson is prepared to drive in winter weather. Kansas City’s winter started early this year, getting snow as early as Halloween. Ice-covered roads can be hazardous when young, inexperienced drivers are behind the wheel.

Photo by Pearl Pritchard

Students and educators share their own experiences and tips on driving in unfavorable weather.

Reported by Rosie Fredrick Design by Jennavieve Carmony

Waking up early to scrape ice off your car and driving on icy roads on the way to school probably isn’t the best start your day. These driving conditions make it more likely to get into wrecks. Many people get in wrecks all year round, but during the colder months, challenges are thrown at students and not everyone knows how to deal with them.

Senior Grace Flournoy says there is more than ice playing a role in the dangerous winter conditions.

“I think the school parking lot and roads are dangerous because some people are not cautious,” Flournoy said. “A lot of people in the parking lot are not able to drive very well.”

However, Flournoy is not the only one who

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Photo by Charlene Nguyen

the bell December 2019 News

watches for other driver’s mistakes. Junior Ian Dickerson says not to assume other drivers will follow rules.

“

Never assume other people are always going to follow the rules of the road. Make sure you’re always on your toes.”

- Junior Ian Dickerson

“I make sure everyone around me is safe by making sure I’m always following the rules of the road,” Dickerson said. “Never assume other people are always going to follow the rules of the road. Make sure you’re always on your toes.”

How can students become safer drivers?

Some students say the issue is how much time people give themselves to get to school.

“I take it slow and allow myself enough time to get to my destination without rushing,” Junior Alexis Fishel said. “I’m extra cautious of my surroundings and other drivers.”

Sophomore Evan Marley says to manage your time better, leave much earlier in order to

have plenty of time to go slow on ice.

“Driving slower on the roads can prevent sliding,” Marley said. “You should always plan on leaving 5-10 minutes earlier and take extra precautions. I wake up a lot earlier and let the car warm up before.”

Dickerson says speeding is not the answer.

“When driving in the winter with ice on the road, you always want to make sure you’re going the speed limit, if not under it,” Dickerson said. “Always take more time than you usually would when braking. Start braking earlier and don’t brake as hard. Don’t accelerate too fast because it could cause your wheels to spin out.”

If you don’t follow the rules of the road, consequences may follow you. School Resource Officer Kim True’s way of keeping the parking lot in order is by making sure students know they’ve made a mistake.

“It’s hard to prevent mistakes, I can’t be in every part of the parking lot at the same time,” True said. “Any wrecks I do see, I talk with the students involved. Admins have gone as far as taking their parking privileges until they can learn to abide by the rules.”

For everyone’s safety, pay attention to those around you, and give yourself more time.

features.

Lending a Hand

In the Library

Jay’s Library Advisory Board member senior Alex Simmons works on a display for the library. Both organizations work to make the library a more fun place, and help staff and students.

JLAB members and Digital Media Managers work to better the Library.

Reported by Shane Bass Design by Emma Stauffer Photos by Emma McDonald

“We were noticing an imbalance in the time we were able to devote to technology, literacy and building a fun atmosphere,” librarian Christine Anderson said. “We knew we needed help and wanted to hear what the kids thought.

They helped us bring the fun back.”

Jay’s Library Advisory Board

Many libraries are categorized as silent and unexciting, but thanks to Jay’s Library Advisory Board (JLAB), ours at LHS is neither of those things. Making the space more entertaining by designing decorations and setting up contests is a regular club day for JLAB students.

JLAB works to make a fun place for students by providing a better learning environment and creating fun competitions.

“The library is seen as a very boring, negative space and JLAB tries to make it more fun and exciting,” senior Gabi Watkins said.

The competitions that JLAB produces are a good way to get students involved.

“It gives students an opportunity to do something fun in the library,” senior Abby Rosheim said.

JLAB also designs seasonal decorations.

“This year we made the library more spooky.

We decorated it with pumpkins and book related decorations, then we planned the pumpkin competition,” Watkins said.

JLAB was created with the intent of bringing a student mind into the library to help make it more fun.

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Digital Media Manager

AP Studio ArtSenior Michayla Johnston 3D prints an item during her Digital Media Manager hour.

the bell December 2019 Features

One Digital Media Manager is helping a teacher, another creating a video on how to use a 3D printer. This is a normal day in a Digital Media Manager class.

Digital Media Managers (DMM) is a yearlong class offered at LHS. DMM students help students and teachers with technology.

“We help teachers, students and administration if they need help with something printed, something carved into wood, something laser engraved, T-shirts pressed, or anything along those lines,” junior Ari Revella said.

Many people need help in the library on a daily basis, the DMM are there when anybody needs help.

“Many people come into the library needing help from a DMM,” senior Carissa French said. “Anytime somebody comes in asking for

help, I will stop what I am doing and help that person.”

The class also helps with many job opportunities in the future.

“We get the chance to be certified for a G Suite Program. You take a test at the end of the year and get a certificate,” senior Michayla Johnston said.

The class takes an application to join and students must meet certain requirements.

“They do have to apply, have good time management, problem solving and be independent,” librarian Lori Riedel said.

The application requirements are not very technical but more focused on hard work and a motivational drive.

features.

“There is an application that you have to fill out, so you explain your background with technology, certain classes you have taken with STEM and then you have to have a teacher referral,” Johnston said.

Are you interested in joining JLAB? The club is still accepting members. Just talk to librarians Christine Anderson or Lori Ridel.

When? Fridays during Liberty Hour Where? Room 302 in the library Top Left: Digital Media Manager senior Carissa French works on her computer during her DMM class hour. Top Right: Senior Lillian Floyd cuts construction paper to add to a display the club is working on. Below: Senior Gabi Watkins prepares the background for library display.

Features lhsnews.net

9

news.

Petitioning

for Power

Can I get your signature? Senior Alec Centa and Catherine Duncan talk about their thoughts on students petitioning the school. In recent years, LPS has seen two major petitions grace student’s laptop screens. “A cause without a backing serves no purpose,” Centa said.

Photo by Hannah Mayfield

Petitioning the school allows students to share their voice.

Reported by Caty Franklin Design by Jennavieve Carmony

Petitioning the school initially seems like a great way for students to get something they want, but it can actually be a great way for students to have a voice in their school district.

Many students saw or signed the petition to get off of school on Nov. 1, the day after Halloween. Petitioning is something that can be done in a variety of ways and Liberty Public Schools has seen many different attempts to achieve various things, but what goes in to a petition can make all the difference.

“Without attention, no one can do anything about an issue.” Senior Alec Centa said. “If the superintendent never knows this is something the kids want, then nothing will be done about it. A cause without a backing serves no purpose.”

District Executive Director of Secondary Education Dr. Julie Moore agreess.

“A lot of decision making goes through our Board of Education, so having a petition and sharing your voice is great, but really it’s that step of going to the Board of Education and saying that this is how students feel that really matters,” Moore said.

The Nov. 1 petition was spread widely at

the student level, but there was never any direction, communication or correspondence on the district level.

One instance where student voice played a factor in the district’s decision was when Liberty Public Schools gave a day off for the Royals Day parade.

“An example that comes to mind is when the Royals won the World Series and whether or not we should have school when the parade was held downtown,” LPS Superintendent Jeremy Tucker said. “While not formal petition was delivered to the District, we were getting quite a bit of feedback from students and families via social media. That was a complex decision as families that weren’t attending the parade had to come up with childcare for the day and it was not an inclement weather decision that would later be forgiven under statute.”

Something that students may not understand is the administrative steps that go behind actually putting a petition topic into effect. Once a petition is brought to light, it takes a minimum of two months to go through the Board of Education.

At one monthly meeting, the idea is pitched, and at the next monthly meeting the Board

has the opportunity to ask questions. After both of these meetings, the Board has the opportunity to vote on the subject. With things like days off of school, it can take even longer.

“We have a group called Team Liberty that proposes a calendar and it goes out and then the Board votes on the calendar there,” Moore said. “Changing it requires going back to the Board. In the case of the Nov. 1 petition, it would have been very difficult in a short amount of time to go to the Board.”

Both administration and students agree on the power petitioning gives students, and just how impactful that can be.

“I also think students are petitioning to speak their mind, which is a really valid point.

Students should be able to express that,” sophomore Catherine Duncan said.

The administration also agrees.

“Petitions are always insightful in letting us know about issues that are important to students,” Tucker said. “A good approach would be to insure that as a district we are creating communication channels at both the school and district level for students to provide feedback, share their ideas, and express their concerns.”

News lhsnews.net

11

Photo by Sabrina Brooke

Small businesses around the community gathered at Historic Downtown Liberty to fill it with a variety of games for children, concessions and live music provided by 5 Star Jazz Band. Santa himself was also available for a photo opportunity, helping to assist the Mayor’s Annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony in prompting holiday cheeriness.

Debbie Fritz, a local who partook in the event representing the company Party Trailers.

She enjoyed the atmosphere Hometown Holidays provided. ““We work with the community a lot and provide games for kids like virtual reality, Xbox and giant Jenga” Fritz said. “We have these games for kids who have never done virtual reality or any video games like that. I’m a pretty silly person and the people that come are the same way. Everyone is really positive because we have quite a bit of fun events going on.”

Photo by Alyah Craig

Photo by Alyah Craig

Photo by Kaliegh McCarthy

Photo by Sabrina Brooke

Photo by Alyah Craig

Photo by Sabrina Brooke

Photo by Alyah Craig

Photo by Sabrina Brooke

spotlights.

Freshman

Grant Herzog Herzog shares his passion for running, band and making people laugh. Reported by Emma Stauffer Photo by Alyssa Griffith Design by Derek Katzer An assortment of colored jerseys fly by the observers as waves of feet pound down on the dewy grass. Their owners all have one goal: make it to the finish line, fast.

Among them is freshman Grant Herzog.

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lllAdrenaline pumping through his veins, Herzog focuses on the finish line ahead as his teammates yell their support from beside the course. Herzog finally pushes his foot across the line with every ounce of energy he has. He

the bell December 2019 Spotlights

gasps for air as his teammates pat him on the back and share their congratulations.

“My favorite thing about being on the cross country team is that everyone cares and everyone is a great family,” Herzog said. “We help each other out and we laugh a lot. Even if I’m the last person, everyone just cheers me on.”

After participating in the running program Let Me Run in elementary and middle school, Herzog discovered his love for running and joined the cross country team in high school.

Herzog enjoys many aspects of the sport, but has a special place in his heart for the last few seconds of the race.

“I like when you get to the end and the adrenaline kicks in and you go as fast as you can,” Herzog said.

Not only is Herzog involved with the cross country team, but he is also involved in band.

Herzog has been playing the trombone since sixth grade. He has enjoyed his first marching season of high school and is looking forward to concert season.

“I like marching season because you get to play at the football games,” Herzog said. “We have cool uniforms and I like the formations.

Concert season is fun, you get to play pieces.

We’re going to have a winter performance and we get to play Christmas songs.”

While Herzog’s involvement in two extracurriculars as only a freshman is unique in itself, Herzog has a quality that sets him apart from others: his sense of humor. Whether it’s a hilarious sound, internet reference, or sly remark, Herzog loves to make others laugh.

“I have enjoyed making people laugh since sixth grade,” Herzog said. “I was always the funny kid in my classes. Laughing is very important because if you make people laugh you can make them have a better day.”

Herzog’s biology teacher, Brianna Lindenmeyer appreciates his sense of humor and attentiveness in the classroom.

“He makes the class more fun and can always crack a joke and lighten the mood,” Lindenmeyer said. “He will speak up and be engaged in what we are doing and will work well with anybody in the class.”

Herzog’s friend, freshman Allan Vandehey enjoys being friends with Herzog and appreciates his comedic side as well.

“He is loyal and caring,” Vandehey said. “We always watch YouTube videos at lunch. I think he can listen and agree with me. If I needed to vent I could. He makes some funny remarks and has some good, funny references.”

Herzog emphasizes the importance of humor and simply being kind.

“Laughing is the best thing for you,” Herzog said. “Be nice to someone and make them laugh. If you are nice to people, people will be nice to you.”

spotlights.

Sophomore

Ciara Keenan

Keenan talks about her passion to perform on stage.

Reported by Jordan Honeycutt

Photo by Kylee Williams

The hum of the audience and curtain in place indicate it’s show night. Sophomore Ciara Keenan is waiting for the sign to go out and do what she loves.

Keenan found her passion in performing at a young age. When Keenan entered middle school, she finally got to show the school what she loved to do.

“When I was in fourth or fifth grade, I realized I wanted to do shows,” Keenan said. “When I got to sixth grade they had auditions the first week and I’ve kept with it.”

Keenan performed in every middle school show and last year she was part of the ensemble in “Mamma Mia.” “I think ‘Mamma Mia’ was my favorite show,” Keenan said. “It was a really big cast with people I hadn’t been around in a few years and new people from my grade and the grades ahead of me. It also allowed me to make a lot of friends who are still here and have graduated.”

Keenan’s theater teacher, Mick Turpin, has good things to say about her work.

Design by Derek Katzer

“Her mindset is to get better every day,” Turpin said. “She is constantly coming to me for suggestions or questions on how to analyze her current literature pieces, her speeches and how to improve her delivery style.”

Keenan’s proudest moment comes from speech and debate this year.

“The first tournament of the season I was a fill in debate partner and I got the case the day before, learned basically the whole thing and I hadn’t debated in a year and a half and we actually got third in the tournament,” Keenan said. “Then I also got third with my Humorous Interpretation for the speech side.”

After finding her love for debate, Keenan found there was more that pushed her to suceed.

“My team motivates me the most because they encourage me and I can encourage them,” Keenan said. “Being part of a group that had succeeded before and continues to succeed, that motivates me.”

Keenan has goals she’d like to accomplish in

speech and debate as well.

“For speech and debate, I really want to get first in something,” Keenan said.

Keenan is trying to become a valedictorian by the time she graduates.

“I would really like to be a valedictorian,” Keenan said. “It’s kind of always been my goal.

I’m very academically inclined.”

Besides speech and debate and theater, Keenan is always trying to be better.

Sophomore Mallory Chapman considers Keenan a dedicated person and a great friend.

“I love how she’s one of the funniest, sweetest, kindest, most genuine people you’ll ever meet,” Chapman said. “She’s always helpful and if I’m ever somewhere in need, she’s always there.”

Keenan and Chapman have been friends since eighth grade and have gotten closer since.

“She’s special because she’s so genuine and she truly cares,” Chapman said. “If I came to her with any problem, she’d actually care.”

Spotlight lhsnews.net

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spotlights.

Junior

Patrick Reynolds Reynold shares his journey of discovering his true self.

Reported by Jennavieve Carmony

16

Photo by Hattie Ludwig Design by Derek Katzer

the bell December 2019 Spotlights

High school is hard for anyone, but school can bring about special challenges for LGBTQ students. Junior Patrick Reynolds, a transgender man, has been out publicly since eigth grade.

“When I was in seventh grade, I learned about the trans community,” Reynolds said. “I came out as trans to my parents after surgery high on anesthesia.”

Reynolds’ parents have been supportive all along his journey, including personal advocacy for the trans community.

“There’s a lot of internalized and externalized transphobia and homophobia within the LGBT community,” Reynolds said. “My mom has been a real advocate for me. She talked to the administration so I could use the name that I wanted, she got it changed in PowerSchool before it was legally changed.”

Although Reynolds has gotten support from his family, his transition has not been without challenges in school.

“In eighth grade when I came out publicly to the whole school, I was bullied pretty badly,” Reynolds said. “In high school, it is different. If people don’t like me, they stay away from me, and I feel like that is an improvement.”

For those who are questioning their gender or sexuality, not everyone can find a label that explains how they feel. Reynolds understands this and offers some advice.

“It takes a lot of time to figure yourself out,” Reynolds said. “As long as you’re on the journey, you are making progress, it’s okay to feel the way that you’re feeling. It’s hard to put a label on yourself and you don’t have to do that.

I understand the want to do that, but there’s really no need. You’re allowed to be who you want to be.”

This openness to people is apparent to many around him, including senior Alexis Chestnut.

“He’s easy to talk to, I got comfortable with him really quickly,” Chestnut said. “He’s really friendly, super funny and really fun to hang around. He’s someone that you can easily trust.

He’s accountable for himself.”

Outside of the LGBTQ community, Reynolds is an active member of GSA, Creative Writing club, Crochet club and Nintendo club.

“We had a Super Smash Bros tournament on the 13th, which was pretty cool. On my own Switch, I love to play Mario Kart.”

During school, Reynolds is taking a class called History of the Holocaust taught by Tim Baldwin.

Baldwin enjoys having Reynolds in class and believes he’s an asset to the classroom.

“He’s kind, polite and funny,” Baldwin said.

“He’s an awesome student. His best assets are that he’s genuinely curious and loves learning for his own sake.”

spotlights.

Senior

Claire Rogers

Rogers shares her passion for gymnastics.

Reported by Sarah Blankenship

Photo by Mercedes Peck

Design by Derek Katzer

Performing in front of hundreds of people can seem intimidating, but the adrenaline rush only pushes senior Claire Rogers to perform her best at State and Junior Olympics Nationals.

Roger’s main focus outside of school is gymnastics. She has done gymnastics for eight years and is a part of Fusion Gymnastics.

“I do all four events so that means vault, bars, beam and floor,” Rogers said. “My favorite to compete in would have to be vault.”

Although Rogers has faced setbacks from injuries, she is working hard to rebound and she is hoping to compete this year.

Rogers has received many awards for competing for gymnastics and has accomplished so much within her eight years.

“I won State every year that I’ve gone through for Missouri,” Rogers said. “So level five through my first year of level 10 I’ve won all around and individual events. When you get to level 10, you make it to Junior Olympic Nationals and I made it my first year on level 10. That was definitely my proudest moment.”

Between having many achievements for school and gymnastics, Rogers always makes sure others have a positive attitude.

“Even though we just became friends this year, we have a strong friendship,” junior Ally Pilsl said. “I feel like she is easy to talk to and you can go to her for anything.”

Rogers uses her happiness and positive attitude to make everyone’s day brighter.

“I feel like a lot of people, especially in our school, are in bad moods and I feel like if they are happy their day will be better,” Rogers said.

Being involved in activities and clubs within the school has helped her grow academically.

“I’m involved in National Honor Society, Spanish Honor Society, Leadership and Young Life,” Rogers said.

English teacher Kelsie Kleinmeyer sees the growth in Rogers.

“Claire is kind, motivated and committed,” Kleinmeyer said. “She works hard at all that she does, whether it’s completing school work, planning an assembly, or competing in gymnastics. Claire perseveres and doesn’t let things keep her down.”

Many schools have already been looking to recruit Rogers for gymnastics.

“Right now I’ve been talking to colleges for gymnastics and it’s between Mizzou, Arkansas and Minnesota,” Rogers said.

Kleinmeyer has high hopes for Rogers.

“I have no doubt that Claire will go on to do amazing things,” Kleinmeyer said. “Her genuine kindness, positive attitude and overall zest for life leads me to believe wholeheartedly that she will chase after her dreams and accomplish them while helping others along the way.”

Spotlight lhsnews.net

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The Spirit Stop Official Blue Jay Spirit Wear

Student-designed and a student-operated store.

JOIN TODAY!

When 1st Hour and Lunch or contact Marla Badalucco marla.badalucco@lps53.org Twitter: @TheSpiritStop1 Facebook: Liberty Spirit Instagram: thespiritstop spiritstop.liberty.k12.mo.us

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indepth.

Perseverance with a Purpose

Students and staff prepare to end the decade with self improvement.

Reported by Derek Katzer and Ashley Tindall Design by Ashley Tindall

Photo by Makenna Smock

It’s that time of year again. Snow is falling, the temperature is dropping and people are preparing for a New Year. As 2019 comes to an end, the time of resolutions and promises approaches.

What is a New Year’s Resolution?

For some, New Year’s resolutions are a tradition. For others, New Year’s resolutions have significance in their life.

“A New Year’s resolution is an opportunity to start over and do what will help us to grow into a better version of ourselves,” Registered Nurse Becky Kovak said.

New Year’s resolutions help students realize what they need to improve and help them push themselves to become better.

“It’s a goal,” senior Tiffany Saxton said. “It can be anything from losing weight to raising enough money to get an item that you want.

I think because it’s a goal, it is something for people to look forward to and something to keep them on track. It’s something to help them improve.”

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

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Why Do People Make Them?

Every person has something about themselves that they want to change or improve. Some people use these faults to craft a resolution that they can use to adapt and become a newer version of themselves.

“I usually make resolutions because ‘everyone else does it’ and then I’m like ‘I’m going to do one,’” Saxton said. “Then it also just helps me. I know that there is something I want to do and I know what I need to do in order to reach it.”

Sophomore Brady Matherly makes New Year’s Resolutions for a similar reason.

“I make these resolutions for me to become a better person,” Matherly said. “I can have something knowing I can complete it and I have something to look forward to for the rest of the year until I do it.”

Although many people use the New Year as an initiative to improve themselves, English teacher Kelsie Kleinmeyer constantly evaluates what she wants to work on and change about herself.

“One thing I started doing a couple of years ago was choosing a word of the year,” Kleinmeyer said. “That was something that became a theme that I tie a lot of things back to. One year it was ‘cultivate’: the idea of getting the ground laid and set for the future and resting where I was at. I found that I like doing that because it’s a big picture, rather than one resolution that I focus on.”

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Top: A healthy option for lunch provided by the school is an assorment of fruit and vegatable cups including apples and grapes. Left: The school provides many opportunities for students to lead a fit lifestyle. From physical education classes, such as Weightlifting and Team Sports, to afterschool sports.

Right: Sophomore Kylen Young lifts weights as a part of his healthy lifestyle.

the bell December 2019 Indepth

What is a Healthy Lifestyle?

A healthy lifestyle is something that most people try to meet, but most people fail to do so because there many different aspects: sleeping, eating right, limiting harmful activities, exercising and balancing a social life.

The National Sleep Foundation reccomends that teenagers ages 14 to 17 should get between eight and 10 hours of sleep each night and young adults between the ages of 18 and 25 should get a total of seven to nine hours of sleep.

“I would say that I don’t really live a healthy lifestyle,” senior Justin Caster said. “I struggle with getting to sleep at night because I stay up late to do homework.”

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reccomends that children and adolescents ages six to 17 should complete at least one hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity daily. Breaking up their week with three days of aerobic, three days of muscle-strengthening and three days of bonestrengthening exercises.

How to Keep Them

Commitment and resolutions go hand in hand. They may not be the most important thing, but if you are serious about them, you need to figure out how to keep them.

Little steps or writing out a plan are two sure fire ways to remember and work toward completing your resolution.

“I take it one day at a time or one little thing at a time,” Saxton said. “I’ll go from something like starting with saving a little amount of money, it might be one dollar, then I might move up to five. Just kind of go with the flow.”

Setting aside time is one of the ways that Kovac keeps her resolutions.

“Lately I’ve been trying to do something based on the ‘Miracle Morning’ and it includes four different concepts,” Kovac said. “In the ‘Miracle Morning,’ you are investing in yourself.

So you do exercise, reading an educational book, a meditation and journaling. I can usually hit two of those each morning.”

Freshman Madison Kroening takes a more strict method in ensuring she follows through with her resolutions.

“Sometimes I bullet journal it down and I’ll

indepth.

“I’m going to go workout today after school, even though I don’t want to,” Kleinmeyer said.

“I know it’s good for me and helps me mentally and physically. I know there are things that I don’t want to do that will help me in the long run.”

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Resolutions and Healthy Lifestyles

Many people use their resolutions to commit to a better life. In a poll ofLHS students and staff over 50% of kids selected one or more topics of resolutions that were related to improving their health.

“I think that most of the time New Year’s resolutions are all about healthy lifestyles,” English teacher Kelsey Luebbert said. “A New Year’s resolution is doing something, like changing to be more healthy or living a better lifestyle. That seems to be the biggest thing that everyone sets their mind to.” have charts and the like, showing if I achieved my goal or not,” Kroening said. “I make sure I go through it and bullet journal the charts and if it is not filled in, then I know I didn’t do it.”

What to Remember

While resolutions are a fun way to spice up your life and commit to a goal to improve, there are things you should know when going into it.

“Remember what it’s for and don’t take it too seriously,” Saxton said. “Just take time, relax and if it doesn’t work out, then it doesn’t work out.”

Luebbert agrees.

“I think people should remember that it’s not make or break if you don’t end up meeting your resolution,” Luebbert said. “It’s nothing to get down on yourself about. It’s more like a fun goal.”

Photo by Makenna Smock

Indepth lhsnews.net

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indepth.

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

Tips for living a healthy lifestyle

“Exercise your mind and your body, because it is not just about the physical aspect of things. Mental health is super important to. So, you have to give yourself a break if you need to.”

- English teacher Kelsey Luebbert

“I feel a healthy lifestyle is mostly just your mindset. Make sure you are not doing too much, that you are not going to the extreme of it.”

- Senior Tiffany Saxton

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

10 “Get a good amount of sleep each night, try to eat protein with every meal and snack, and get as many steps in during the day as you can.”

- Registered Nurse Becky Kovac “We do stuff at the high school with goals and a lot of times kids do not take it very seriously, but I think it is a very good thing to get into the habit of doing. Even if you don’t accomplish your goals, at least you’re learning to push for something.”

- English teacher Kelsie Kleinmeyer

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Photo by Hattie Ludwig

the bell December 2019 Indepth

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

staff ed.

Do students at LHS prioritize a healthy lifestyle?

Reported by Ashley Tindall Design by Alyah Craig A healthy lifestyle is something students are always told they should lead. From health class to the news, it can be found anywhere but in every place there’s a different definition. So which ones are students supposed to believe?

The Bell staff discussed the topic of a healthy lifestyle, mostly focusing on three aspects of what they believe that consists of: exercising, eating right and managing a relatively positive state of mind.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, people between the ages of 14 and 17 should get between eight and 10 hours of sleep; while people ages 18 to 25 should get seven to nine hours of sleep. For most high-schoolers, this is a hard goal to reach due to homework, jobs, extracurriculars and a million other things that can keep students up late.

Exercise is an activity that many people know they should do but they end up lacking the time to do it or they do something they enjoy instead.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services released an article that stated children and adolescents between the ages of six and 17 should participate in at least one

hour or more of moderate to vigorous activity daily, including at least three days of aerobic, muscle-strengthening and bone-strengthening activities of choice.

The staff all agreed on what healthy eating was: balancing fats, proteins and carbs without excluding a group. While students may try to balance their eating habits, popular diets broadcasted in the media catch their eyes and end up depriving them of a necessary foods.

Staff Vote Yes: 1 No: 18 lllA staff member also brought up caffeine and the physical and mental effects it has on students. While it may wake students up and give them a burst of energy, it isn’t usually found in the definition of “healthy eating.”

The mental health aspect is where the staff

felt that a healthy lifestyle truly stemmed from.

If you can’t keep the engine working then the car won’t go anywhere.

A staff member brought up the idea that in today’s society it’s normal to not care about mental health and with the stress placed on students it’s usually forgotten. Self care days may not benefit the people in the long run, just in the moment.

In today’s society, people are focused on instant gratification and what they can do now.

They focus on fixing small parts instead of working on the whole. For example, students spend the week maintaining grades but usually only set aside one day a week where they take care of their mental health.

For these reasons, the majority of The Bell staff has concluded that students do not prioritize a healthy lifestyle. While students know what it would take to live a healthy lifestyle, they typically don’t have time to acheive it. This concludes the point that in a society focused on the now, people should be focused on the future and really think about the choices they make and the life they want.

Photo by Emma McDonald

Opinion lhsnews.net

23

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Snacks will be provided and Friday will feature a camp-wide Pizza Party! $250 for members $310 for non members Contact: Tessla • Call: (816) 781-7939 • Email: Tessla@clayview.com A one-time non-refundable $20 registration fee per child is required to reserve a place for the winter. The week limited to a maximum of 30 children.

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It’s OK, Boomer

opinion.

I promise it’s not what you think.

Reported by Sidney Lowry

In the past three months I’ve heard “OK boomer” a countless amount of times. I go to open my Instagram – “OK Boomer.” I scroll through TikTok – “OK Boomer.” It’s driving me nuts.

At first I didn’t know what it meant. I Googled it and immediately over 95 million results showed up. It’s a meme from Generation Z (people born from 1996 to 2009) that was a response to when Baby Boomers (people born from 1946 to 1964) would say something outdated or out of touch with reality. Its rise in popularity with Gen Z caused an uproar.

They consider “OK, Boomer” a sign of disrespect. I can’t understand why. I was recently talking to a teacher about the meme and she said that if a student said that to her, they would end up having a sit-down conversation over it.

When I think of “OK, Boomer” as many of my other peers do, I think of it situationally. Say that you end up striking up a conversation with an old family friend, but by the end of it they end up calling you a ‘snowflake’ because you showed “too much emotion.” A natural response to that because of the recent trend would be to say

Design by Alyah Craig

Photo by Alyah Craig

“OK, Boomer.”

The phrase is meant to shut down unnecessary arguments that people from different generations would have. Gen Z and Boomers both have very head strong feelings and

opinions towards political and social topics.

They both have such strong feelings, that they both aren’t going to change their mind, so is the argument really worth it?

Both generations are on opposite sides of the spectrum, usually when it comes to politics, the argument that is meant to convey their opinions is likely not worth it. Boomers want to argue about their views and then Gen Z’s shut it down with two words.

Boomers think that because we aren’t willing to listen to their point of view that we are disrespectful with our thoughts, opinions and actions. The reality is that we have heard what they have to say numerous times and don’t want to waste time on an argument that won’t change our opinions.

Avoiding an argument is not the same as dismissing a viewpoint or other perspectives. To me, “OK, Boomer” isn’t meant as a way to call people old or to say that I don’t care about their opinions, it is meant as a quick way for us to stop an argument that isn’t worth our while.

And with that I say, It’s OK, Boomer, we understand that you have your opinions, but we have ours, too.

Not in Toon...Tune?

The Mandela Effect and I are not freinds.

Reported by Zahra Khan

Do you ever feel like you want to relive your childhood all over? Those days where you would watch Looney Toons all day, your mom would bring you your favorite dinosaur nuggets that were the best thing ever, nothing could top that. Some things you remembered as a kid were different from how it really is. That is the Mandela Effect.

The Mandela Effect refers to a situation when people believe an event occurred one way, when it really is another way. For instance, a large amount of people recall Nelson Mandela dying but he had been alive the whole time. One well known Mandela Effect involves the Looney Toons.

Remember at the end of each episode that full screen saying “That’s All Folks” and shortly after the words “Looney Toons” pop up? Well, it was never “Looney Toons” it has always been “Looney Tunes.”

Growing up, every single sentimental moment I had has a very special place. It’s like walking back into a wonderful dream where everything is great and all is right in the world. Specifically, I remember those nights where I would sit in my living room

Photo by Ashley Ritter

with my brother and we would watch Disney movies for what felt like years. We watched Monsters Inc., Toy Story and any Disney princess movies I convinced my mom

to put on. I loved to watch “Snow White.”

I used to close my eyes during the “intense” parts like when Snow White ran through the dark forest and couldn’t turn my eyes away every time the evil stepmother called for the mirror. Her words still ring in my head.

“Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all?”

Sounds about right? Nope, this quote was never true, not entirely anyway. Most people, including me, remembered the line as “Mirror, mirror” when it was in reality “Magic mirror on the wall.”

The Mandela Effect didn’t stop there for me. Over the course of 12 years I realized that Curious Goerge, the monkey, never had a tail, the Monopoly man in the game Monopoly never had a monocle and that the brand “Febreeze” is really “Febreze.”

These recollections, although minor, played a big part in my childhood. No matter how big an effect something like the Mandela Effect has on me, it will never change how I perceive my life or how I will continue to live it.

Opinion lhsnews.net

25

opinion.

Overdoin’ It From Christmas presents to everyday life, it’s prety clear that I have a problem.

Reported by Alyah Craig

With the Christmas season rapidly approaching, the thought of extravagant presents has been on my mind for way too long. And no, I’m not talking about my list of wishes, I’m talking about my need to give anything and everything to those around me. Believe me, it’s a legitimate problem.

I’ve been a chronic overdoer since the day I learned that achieving more got you big-ticket items: sparkly gold stars from the hands of a lovely kindergarten teacher.

It’s not that I want to try and outshine everybody in my ability to do more than needed, it’s that sometimes I physically can’t help it. My brain goes into some automatic state of mind, only enabling me to work on the extra credit aspects of my life rather than my actual work. I realized that I had a problem when my overdoing gene started to affect my gift-giving agenda.

A birthday or holiday will be right around the corner and suddenly I get an irresistible itch to spend a copious amount of money. One trip to Zona Rosa and then boom, a fat dent in my bank account has been made. I reason with myself by saying I want them to have everything they deserve and that since I work, the money really

Photo by Ashley Ritter

isn’t going anywhere. However, at the end of the day, a $500 bill is still a whole lot of money.

Don’t get me wrong, I genuinely think the people I love deserve the world, but while the

overdoing gene is raging, another part of my brain is under pure stress over the number of times my card is swiped.

With every purchase and cheery greeting of a cashier, my willingness to participate in all things shopping-related goes out the window. So, as one can imagine, the Christmas season is a bit of a bittersweet time for me.

As of November 1, I can say that I have officially started a Christmas list that originally began at a grand total of $700. After narrowing down some things that I felt were too unnecessary, $400 is most likely the quota for a mere seven gifts, with a brand new Apple Watch taking up a majority of that. All I can say is, money definitely does not grow on trees, especially in the winter.

As time is growing closer to a holiday that I’m beginning to despise, that itch is coming back.

Thanks to the helpful online shopping platforms, I’m expecting the first round of presents to be on my doorstep at least a month before this column is even released.

At the end of the day, it’s my money that is going toward the people I love.

Do I have a solution to my problem? Absolutely not. Do I honestly care? Nope, not really.

Let’s Hear It for the Boy

Aren’t I a little big for this closet?

Reported by Regan Johnston

My head is spinning. I finally get an outlet to say those words that always seem stuck in the pit of my stomach: “I’m transgender.”

But if I couldn’t say it before, how can I possibly say it now?

What if I talked about how every time someone refers to me as “she” I mentally flinch? I could talk about how my skin crawls every time I look in a mirror. It would be awesome to tell people how happy I was when I came out.

It’s much easier to stay silent, to be content with the way people see you. The problem with being content is I’ve wasted years of my life not being my true self, and frankly, it’s made me quite miserable.

Even if I don’t exactly know how to say it, it has to be said: My name is Regan Johnston and I am a transgender man.

The reason those words are so hard to say is because there are a million different ways to come out, and a million different ways for people to react. Sometimes if I think about it too much, it’s enough for me to feel like throwing up.

There’s just no good way to get everyone to understand where I’m coming from.

One important thing I have to realize not

26

the bell December 2019 Opinion

Photo by Ashley Ritter

everybody is going to understand and I’m going to have to be okay with that. So this is me being okay with it.

With that in mind, here’s a few things I want everybody to know: First things first: being transgender is hard.

It’s messy. Messy socially, physically and mentally. Correcting people about my gender is completely mortifying for the both of us. I have testosterone shots every other Saturday I have to schedule plans around and unfortunately, have to inject myself. I used to have a petrifying fear of needles, but I guess that went out the window when I knew I wanted a mustache.

While being transgender may stink, if I had the option to be born again, I don’t think I would change anything (besides adding some abs). I am the way I am because of my gender situation.

I have empathy, compassion and I am basically a master of zen because of all the misgendering and awkward situations I have to put up with.

On top of that, I love watching how much I’ve grown in such a short period of time. I know one day I’ll be a great man, but even better, a great person. That’s good enough for me.

Mismanaged Time Management

opinion.

I’m starting to feel like it might not be me who hates time, but rather, time who hates me.

Reported by Elizabeth Gammon Design by Alyah Craig Time and I have never really gotten along. Ask everything. I’m even late to things I look any one of my friends, relatives, or even teachers forward to like family get togethers, dance and they’ll second that notion. In fact, I was practice and Homecoming dinner. I was even recently threatened with an in-school suspension two days late to my expected birth date. from the counseling office, which would I’ve heard many adults say that they learned permanently taint my record with my bad habit. time management in high school. My dance This is a problem, not a personality trait, that I teacher of 15 years was one of these adults, so I need to fix/needs to be fixed. asked her how she did it. She just laughed while At the beginning of this school year and pretty I genuinely searched in her eyes for a legitimate much all of last year, I was late to first hour answer to my question. almost every morning.

I don’t want this to just be 414 words of The gag is, I don’t sleep in late or hit the excuses. I want to change (mostly because I snooze button. In fact, my first-generation have to). In college, some teachers even lock Samsung phone that I had at the time didn’t their doors so you physically can’t get in. I feel even have a snooze button. that this is the negative reinforcement I need.

So, what was the real issue? I get ready for the So the real question is, can I break this habit? day in a timely manner. I wake up at 6:50 a.m.

The answer? I have no idea. It shouldn’t be every day and I’m dressed and ready by 7:30 a.m. that hard to be on time if everyone else can And from there, I don’t know where the time successfully do it every single day. goes. The next time I look at the clock, it often For now, I’ll attempt to kickstart my change says 8 a.m. and I have to clamber out the door in by setting copious amounts of alarms that go off an attempt to make it to school on time. every five minutes, simply to remind myself that I don’t feel time pass. I just feel like I’m always time exists and that it is, in fact, passing. waiting for something to end or rushing to arrive at something that I’m 10 minutes late to.

It’s not just school that I’m late for, it’s Photo by Ashley Ritter

Last Race for Liberty

Looking back at what cross country has taught me.

Reported by Anthony Savastino

A couple of weeks ago on November 16, I was faced with the last cross country race I would run in high school. It was at Nike Cross Regionals in Terre Haute, Indiana and our race consisted of 500 runners from all around the Midwest.

I walked into the race like any other runner: stressed. However, this race felt different. A crowd of thousands of people surrounded the starting straight-away, waiting for the gun to go off. Usually, a starting gun would fire and mark the beginning of a race, but at Nike Cross Regionals the race is started with a round of fireworks. The fireworks were launched behind me and boomed across the course.

The race definitely hurt, but I was enjoying every step of it. The race was decently fast, but the course was fairly muddy. At the last 600 meters left in the race, I turned onto the final path. The finish was made to be a make or break moment in the race, it was a flat and open field that stretched for what felt like an eternity.

At this moment all the pain went away and my eyes closed in on the back of every

Photo by Alyssa Griffith

competitor in front of me. I used this finish to my advantage and caught as many people as I could. I gave it all I had at the end as I crossed the finish line.

I came through the finish with a time of 17 minutes and 2 seconds for a 5K. I knew this was my last race, but I realized that the journey wasn’t over.

This was my sixth year of running.

Running is a part of me. I spend every morning before school and every afternoon running. It has not only made me physically stronger, but it taught me things about life.

I learned about hard work, confidence and teamwork. I learned that to be a good runner you have to put in nonstop work and be confident while doing it.

When I finished my race at regionals, I realized just what it meant to be a runner. It doesn’t all matter about one race, it matters about what you take away from the sport.

The great thing about running is that it doesn’t end after high school. Whether I choose to run in college or not, there will always be a community for running and there will always be a race to join.

Opinion lhsnews.net

27

Winter Word Search

Snow Cold Winter Gloves Coat

Snowball Hat Boots Fireplace Earmuffs

Scarf Frost Sweater Sled Blanket

Blizzard Firewood Flannel Forstbite Ice Games lhsnews.net

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A&E.

What’s Cookin’?

Students review homemade holiday recipes.

Reported and designed by Regan Johnston

Sugar Cookies Prep time: 25 min The sugar cookies were super easy to make.

The hardest part was continuing to mix the dough after adding in the dry ingredients and making the frosting.

Photos by Charlene Nguyen

The holidays are coming up and there is guaranteed to be one thing on everyone’s mind: food. Holiday food can be hard to make and most high schoolers aren’t looking for Ramen on Christmas. Lucky for them, I spent

Gillespie's Rating: 4.7

Directions:

Backenstoss' Rating: 5 “They were super good. Most sugar cookies I’ve had in the past are super crumbly and when I picked them up they would fall apart so they’re hard to eat, but these had the perfect texture. That paired with the frosting was really good.”

- Sophomore Justin Backenstoss

Jensen's Rating: 5

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the bell December 2019 A&E

Ingredients: 2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoon baking powder 1 cup butter, softened 1 1/2 cups white sugar 1 egg 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

“They taste pretty good, but I think the icing could have been thicker and they could have had more decorations. It was overall well done and the cookies were really moist. I felt loved and supported while I ate them like my grandmother’s Christmas dinner on a nice frosty evening listening to Nat King Cole.”

- Junior Nancy Gillespie

“I thought those were really good. I liked how they were cooked. Not overly done or underly done, just perfect. I thought the sugar cookie was a great sugar cookie, however I did not like the frosting. If you are going to use frosting, go with a buttercream frosting.”

- FACS Teacher Shannon Jensen

three hours cooking the three most popular holiday recipes according to LHS. Using the internet, I found the most convenient and easy to make recipes for sugar cookies, stuffing and pumpkin pie for students at LHS to sample

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees 2. Stir together flour, baking soda and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, mix together the butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in egg and vanilla. Then, gradually blend in the dry ingredients.

4. Roll rounded spoonfuls of dough into balls (or cut shapes out of the dough) and place onto ungreased cookie sheets.

5. Bake 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until golden. Then, let them cool.

Difficulty Rating: 3 out of 5

A&E.

Stove-Top Stuffing Prep time: 35 min Even though this was the quickest stuffing recipe I could find, it was not easy to make. For those who are less experienced with cooking like me, have someone there with you to help out with all the moving parts. If it wasn’t for my Photo staffers and one of my friends helping me out, this stuffing would have been toast.

Conw ay's Rating: 4 “It tasted pretty good, but I think the bread pieces could have been smaller. I’m just used to the smaller pieces with stuffing and you get more flavor with smaller pieces. Maybe make the bread pieces more crunchy. The seasoning was pretty decent.”

- Freshman Jaliyah Conway

Ingredients: 1 (16 oz) loaf of French bread 1 carton (32 oz) of chicken broth 1/2 onion 4 cloves of garlic 3 celery sticks 3/4 stick of butter

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees 2. Cut bread into small, bitesize pieces and put them on a baking tray with sides. Bake in oven for 12 minutes.

3. While bread pieces bake, heat 3 cups of chicken broth in the microwave for about 4 minutes.

4. Saute finely chopped onion and celery in butter, garlic, and seasonings of your choice.

5. Once onion and celery are transparent, add in baked bread pieces and stir together.

6. Pour the hot chicken broth over the bread evenly and stir.

7. Once mixed, cover pan with a lid and let it sit off heat for 10 minutes.

Difficulty Rating: 5 out of 5

Herrman's Rating: 3.5 “It tasted OK. It’s not my favorite thing in the whole world. The seasoning was a little too strong. It would have been better with less seasoning because I think stuffing is traditionally a simple dish. I liked the texture of it. To make it better, probably cook it for a little bit longer.”

- Junior Jackson Herrman

Jensen's Rating: 2 “I would say that it was good but it was not my favorite stuffing recipe. I like chopped onions, chopped celery, poultry seasonings, butter and sometimes even some sausage or sage in my stuffing and this one just lacked those things. I liked the big pieces of bread instead of little pieces. I think for a simple recipe this would work. For college dorms or a Friendsgiving.”

- FACS Teacher Shannon Jensen

A&E lhsnews.net

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A&E.

Pumpkin P ie Prep time: 1 hour Shemw ell's Rating: 5 “Delicious. I don’t really like many pumpkin spice things, like pumpkin spice lattes. The pumpkin pie was really good because it was a more mellow pumpkin taste. It didn’t overpower all the other flavors. Personally, I like a bit of a thicker crust on my pie. This year for Friendsgiving I’m actually in charge of pies, so I might need the recipe.”

- Senior Abigail Shemwell

Ingredients:

Covarrubias' Rating: 5 “It has a really sweet taste and the crust is really crunchy. The filling and whipped cream taste great as well. All together, it tastes really good. It also has a really fresh taste to it.”

- Sophomore Tanya Covarrubias

Jensen's Rating: 5 “I thought that pumpkin pie tasted pretty great. I could really taste the cinnamon and nutmeg. I think pumpkin pie is pretty basic and so it tasted just as good as any other pumpkin pie. I don’t like pumpkin pie, but I could make it for family. It turned out really nice.”

- FACS Teacher Shannon Jensen

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the bell December 2019 A&E

I was shocked at how easy this pumpkin pie recipe was to make. All I had to do was gather the ingredients, mix them together, put it in a pie tin and bake for about an hour. This is the perfect pumpkin pie recipe that will bring relief to those who have already been cooking all day and those who need a relatively easy dessert to make. Just remember to bring the whipped cream to go with it.

2 eggs 1 (15 oz) can pumpkin puree 1 (14 oz) can sweetned condensed milk 1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees 2. Combine eggs, pumpkin puree, sweetened condensed milk and pumpkin pie spice in a large bowl and mix until completely combined.

3. Pour pumpkin mixture into pie crust.

4. Place pie on a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake for 35 to 40 minutes until pie filling is set.

5. Let cool.

6. Place in fridge until ready to eat.

Difficulty Rating: 2 out of 5

sports.

Success Never Sleeps The Liberty wrestling team is ready for the season ahead.

Reported by Anthony Savastino Design by Emma Stauffer

What makes a good team? Is it the hours put into the sport? The effort? The teamwork? The leadership? This year, all of those pieces are coming together for the LHS wrestling team.

“We have a lot more wrestlers that are going to step up and be leaders, both by example and with their voice. We had that leadership last year, but we have more kids this year that are willing to step up into that role,” assistant coach Kellen Laws said. “The only month we take off is August, we have kids work the entire spring and the entire summer. We wrestle in big national tournaments to make it so that whenever they show up to the state tournament it’s just another day.”

There are other factors that have also been introduced to the wrestling team this season.

There is a new wrestling room, which affects the team in a big way. This new wrestling room will take up the entire space of the old weight room and include all new mats for the wrestlers to use.

“It’s going to be really nice as far as having a lot more kids. We can utilize the space a lot more,” Laws said. “We’re not going to have kids all over each other. There’s a lot less chance of having kids get injuries with kids getting really close and compact. We can separate everybody, with the more experienced kids, the younger kids and girls.”

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Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Juniors Nick Duong and Easton Hilton set up for a match during pratice.

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Many people may not know that girls wrestling has been an officially sanctioned sport in Missouri since last year.

On top of boys wrestling, LHS is also now

the bell December 2019 Sports

Sophomores Kyle Dutton and Jeremiah Halter wrestle each other during practice. The wrestling team is busy preparing for the season.

home to a girl’s team.

“Last year we really didn’t have any sort of interest,” Laws said. “This year we have anywhere from eight-10 girls that have come out.”

With interest growing in girls wrestling, the coaches have been trying to figure out how girls wrestling will look along with boys wrestling, especially at the match that LHS hosts.

“We are setting up a schedule for the girls right now,” head coach Dustin Brewer said.

“Some of them will be at the same meets as the boys and some of them will be separate.

Actually, here at our tournament, we are going to do both girls and boys this year.”

Girls wrestling at LHS may be a new sport but there definitely is interest and motivation to keep the sport going.

“If you are a girl and are looking for something to do during the winter, don’t be afraid to come out a try wrestling,” junior Kai Breeden said. “Even though we all struggle with different aspects of wrestling, we get to help each other and teach each other new things.”

With the wrestling team finishing in second place last year at State, the team has big goals for this year and they know what they have to do to win a championship.

sports.

“We’ve been going to practice every chance we get and work hard every day,” senior Jeremiah Reno said. “The team is working more on stance, motion and defense.”

The team is not only working hard to improve, but they have a lot of returning wrestlers that add to the team.

“We have a lot of really good seniors,” senior Ross Manion said. “Last year we only had three seniors and now everyone is more experienced.

It’s going to be a good season.”

In addition to the overall goal to win State, every person on the wrestling team has individual goals.

“I just want everyone to improve and get better,” junior Olivia Peetoom said. “We are taking everything little by little and breaking it down so we can improve and perfect it.”

Overall, the wrestling team is looking for big things this year.

“We try not to focus on the big tournaments and not create a big deal, publicity and hype for one specific dual tournament,” Laws said. “We try to go into each and every dual the same way, treat it just like its anything normal and not let anything get too high or too low.”

Photo by Emma McDonald

Top: This summer, the old weight room was renovated into a new wrestling room.

Bottom: Junior Nick Duong tackles junior Easton Hilton during a practice match.

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

“I have been wrestling for thirteen years and I am very honored to not only win for my school, but to win for my teammates and my family. I plan on spending my last season here at LHS working on my weaknesses and turning them into strengths. My goals in wrestling are to win the NCAA championship and to someday go to the Olympics to represent the US.”

Coach Dustin Brewer

“Jeremiah is a great wrestler and gets lots of well deserved recognition. Jeremiah is hard-working and dedicated, he is the first one to walk in as well as the last to leave. He is very coachable and always trying to get better, which is why he is a great athlete to coach.”

Senior Jeremiah Reno Reported by Jenna Henderson Photo by Kylee Williams

Teammate Senior Greyden Penner

“Jeremiah pushes himself as well as the team to get better. He is constantly putting in work and making sure the team is also. Jeremiah puts effort into every practice, he is always doing what he is supposed to do. I am going to miss his presence on the team.”

Sports

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Banner created by junior Aryonna Straws

This year we are publishing some of our stories online because we don’t have room for everything in this print issue.

Check out these online stories at lhsnews.net.

Photo by Kayley Twenter

Forei g n a nd E x plor i n ’

by Jade Garbani

T i kTo k Feve r

by Ethan Atkins

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Use the QR code OR read more stories at lhsnews.net

last but not least.

English Teacher

Leslie Muench Reported by Jenna Henderson

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Design by Derek Katzer

Freshman Addison Carrillo

“Muench differetiates from other teachers at LHS. Not only is she the StuCo leader, but she puts enthusisam into whatever she is doing. I would say one of Muench’s focuses would be that students understand what is going on in her class and if they didn’t you could easily talk to her about what is going on.”

Senior Emily Mckenna

“Muench has made StuCo fun my first year by always making it interesting. It is both of our first year being involved in StuCo. It is almost as if we are all trying to figure things out together as a team. She makes sure to give everyone a chance to talk, we then build conversations off of that.”

Freshman Avery Gartin

“Something I admire about Muench is her personality: she is young and understands student life. She understands that high school can be very stressful these days and she is willing to provide mental health practices. Muench has such a good vibe that students always feel they can talk to her about their issues, which makes her very relatable.”

Senior Ana Dolsky

“I think Muench is a great leader for our Student Council. She is hardworking, creative, dependable and energetic.

Muench has a lot on her plate at times, but she ensures that whatever it is that she is doing, she is doing it to the best of her ability. She cares deeply about everyone and wants everyone to be successful. She has become a teacher I can rely on.”

last but not least lhsnews.net

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