December combined

SCAN & VISIT

LHSNEWS.NET

The

December 18, 2014 Volume 91, Issue 4

Bell

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Table of

Contents

An Array of Bluejays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .06 Having a Blue Christmas.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .07 A Cultural Christmas.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .08-09 An Invasion of Elves.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 ACE of Clubs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .11 Step to the Bluejay Beat.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 The Sweet Tooth Clubs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 Young Democrats and Young Republcans.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .14-15 Born to Toss Live to Catch.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16-17 Senior Thinh Nguyen.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Junior Rachel Backs.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Sophomore Corben Phillips.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Freshman Kinsey Collins.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21 Teacher Rhonda Ross.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Administrator Brett Coffman.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .23 Gimmick of the Games.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Coffee Craze.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26-27 True Love's First Kiss.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28-29 Don't be a Scrooge.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30-31 Bluejays Earn Their Wings.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Pasta Plates and Gold Medals.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39 Athlete of the Month.. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42-43

Photo by: Aubrey Lytch

TOC 03 Photo by: Madi Hayter

See Page 13 Photo by: Danni Hammontree

See Page 06

See Page 30

Photo by: Bri Goszewski

Photo by: Natalie Grusch

See Pages 39

SEE PAGE 16-17

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On the Cover: Freshman Trevor Harr plays Lord Farquaad finishes the musical number, “What’s Up Duloc?” in this year’s production of Shrek The Musical. Photo by: T.J. Stansbury

Missouri All State Jazz Band

Congratulations to: Zachary Garland-Foster Previously spotlighted, Zachary Garland-Foster (junior) earned the Baritone Saxophone chair in the Missouri All State Jazz Band. He will be performing a concert on Saturday, January 31 at the Missouri Music Educators’ Association convention at Tan-Tar-A. Over 1400 students were there auditioning for spots in the group.

Enjoy Your Break LHS!

December 19, 2014- January 6, 2015

Staff

Adviser --> Lori Oyler Editors in chief --> Aly Copp & Zach Kilgas Opinion Editor --> Amanda Kovac A&E Editor --> Kennedy Allison Features Editor --> Tara Prindle News Editor --> Alex Wilson Sports Editor --> Jeffrey Walters Ads Manager --> Michael McHale Online Manager --> Erica Schmitz Reporters --> Sarah Hartley Katie Crouch

Katie DeClue Teryn Deshler Sol Kim Teresa Parra Kasey Allshouse Brooklyn Balsdon Kati Benhardt Kamden Bernard Daryl Gichui Addy Gray Emily Johannes Jackson Peña Hope Scobee Lacy Williams Annika Fuller Hannah Leonard Teegan Saunders Jenna Spence Hannah Berry

Mission

Our mission for the 2014-2015 school year is to unite a diverse group of people and ideas to compose an informative and enter taining magazine using articles, photographs, and commercial

messages. As journalists in training we endeavor to give the best representation of the community of Liberty High School. The Bell student newspaper is a public forum for student expression.

Contact

Address --> 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO Phone --> (816)-736-5353

Email --> loyler@liberty.k12.mo.us Twitter --> @TheLHSBell

Jabber

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“I just love Christmas music” -@maaac_z6

“During the holidays my room consists of christmas lights, candles, and christmas music” -@Lliz19

@mlhayter

“the Taylor Swift Holiday pandora station is the best thing that’s ever happened to me” -@hillaryprotz

“Watch every movie during abc family’s 25 days of christmas with me so I know it’s real” -@TheSavinator711

News 06

An Array of Bluejays Story by Daryl Gichui

Photo by Danni Hammontree

Diversity Dinner unites Bluejays of every culture.

We’ve all listened to Latin music before, or even eaten delicious food from an Asian restaurant, but have you ever considered the interesting culture that hides behind that plate of sweet and sour chicken? Diversity Council can help you find that.

On December 4, Diversity Council held its annual Diversity Dinner at Liberty North High School. The event featured food, various performances and a visit from the Kansas City native comedian B-Rich.

Also, visitors were split into focus groups to discuss diversity with professional speakers and how they became successful as a minority.

“Just being able to have that different perspective from all these different people that come from different backgrounds I think it’ll just be good for not only us but for the younger kids that’ll be there since we will be instilling in their mind that there’s all these different cultures and that we should open our minds to them,” senior Mary Mwaura said.

Diversity Council is a mixed group of culturally interested students that meet, discuss, and experience different cultures.

This group focuses on exposing different cultures to students and making them aware of the interesting diversity within the LHS body which otherwise would not be noticed.

“The purpose was just to encourage diversity within our school. There are a lot of cultures in LHS but not a lot of representing,” senior Chiarra Franklin said.

Diversity Council meets during Liberty

Hour B every Thursday in the counseling office. In an effort to discover different cultures within LHS the council invites guest speakers to their meetings to talk about the cultures they come from and students can ask them questions to get a better understanding.

“We just started our guest speakers [and] recently we had Señora Ruiz come in and speak about Guatemala. Some upcoming speakers we have [are] one of our foreign exchange students Sky Sindern who’s going to be talking about life in Germany and how it’s different in the U.S.,” senior Riley Peek said. “It’s interesting to have [these] new approaches because we tend to only see certain aspects of life through a certain lens and it’s nice to have a new perspective.”

Along with uncovering culture within LHS, Diversity Council also offers students the opportunity to experience different cultures around Liberty. Recently they went to the Nelson-Atkins museum of Art and visited the Native-American exhibit.

Students were also able to explore the other cultural exhibits around the museum.

“It was wonderful, the display was extremely vibrant and educational.

It provided information and a true appreciation for the Native-American culture,” teacher Brenda Wiederholt said.

Diversity Council also went to Winstead’s after visiting the exhibit for the restaurant’s great culture and it’s great grub.

“The visit to Winstead’s is always a treat because it’s fixated on Kansas City culture

and has been for the longest time,” Peek said. “It originated here and kind of spread from Kansas City a little bit, but I love Winstead’s it’s amazing.”

The club feels as it is gaining momentum when it comes to new student members, however many current members believe the club still has some growing to do in order to cause somewhat of a cultural change in the community.

“I think that we’re getting there, there’s a lot of work to be done when it come to getting minorities, and under-represented cultures the spotlight I think that it will take a while to get to the point that we want to be at,” Peek said. “That might not happen this year, it might not happen in two years, but I think that we are making that first step and putting our foot in the door and that’s what’s making a difference.”

The whole purpose of the Diversity Council is to present different cultures to students and become more aware of diversity within our school. The result of this being that LHS becomes a more cultural and equalized school.

Anyone who is interested in the club or the Diversity Dinner is invited to join and experience and there are no conditions or limitations to become a member.

Senior Jane Awoh agrees, “As a community we’re just showing that regardless of your race, your orientation, your religion, [or] your beliefs; that everyone is just as important as each other and that we can all get along.”

Junior Skyy Miller and senior Jane Awoh listen to many different speakers during the course of the Diversity Dinner.

Having a Blue Christmas Story by Jenna Spence

News 07

Photo by Michael McHale

Students carry on Holiday traditions.

Christmas is a highly celebrated holiday, and for most students, one of their favorite times of the year. Students at LHS talked about their Christmas traditions that they and their family celebrate. Students talk about spending time with their family, decorations, and food.

A lot of students get together with their family on this special holiday.

“We spend [Christmas] morning at my house, and we do the usual family stuff,” freshman Hailey Smith said. “Typically in the afternoon, we go to St. Louis where my grandma on my mom’s side lives.”

“I go to my grandma’s house on my mother’s side. She lives in Topeka, Kansas.” junior Sierra Harding said.

Some students spend Christmas in one house all day, and others might be rushing from one house to the other.

“I go to a lot of places to celebrate Christmas. My parents are divorced, and so I always celebrate with my mom’s family on Christmas Eve,” senior Michael McHale said. “We always go to my Aunt Melanie’s house and do a big Christmas Dinner there. Christmas morning, I usually spend with my mom and my step dad. In the late morning and early afternoon, I usually go over to my dad’s house and celebrate with him and my step mom. Then I go over to my Grandma’s house. It’s really all over the place.”

One of the first things that people think of when they hear Christmas is the food.

To be more precise, the Christmas Dinner.

“We eat some ham and some turkey. We usually have both. We also always have the pink pudding with the marshmallows. My

grandma makes the best,” Harding said.

“My Grandma Scarlet makes this stuffing that is absolutely delicious, so all of us pig out on it,” McHale said. “One [thing] that we asked her to do is that my sister, my dad and I all get our own pan of it.”

Christmas is a very enjoyable holiday for a lot of students at LHS. “My favorite part about Christmas is all of the pretty lights. I am going to go watch them turn on the lights this year with my family,” Smith said.

“I love getting together with the family and celebrating so much joy,” Harding said.

“And the presents. Mostly the presents.”

“My favorite thing about Christmas would, besides being out of school, be getting to spend extra time with my family,” McHale said. “We all work, we all have things we have to do, and I don’t get to see a lot of them all of the time.”

A sure sign that Christmas is here is all of the Christmas decorations. Families put lights on their house, figures in their yard and trees in their homes.

“A couple of days after Thanksgiving, it’s typically me yelling at everyone to do everything. My dad does the outside, and my brother, mom, and I do the inside,” Smith said.

“My mom puts up all the Christmas stuff right after Halloween,” Harding said. “We don’t decorate the outside because my mom is afraid of heights.”

“I make it a point in my family to decorate on Black Friday. That’s what we do. The day after Thanksgiving, the tree goes up, everything is out, the movies start playing.

It is time, people!” McHale said.

One of the more popular Christmas traditions is the presents, whether it comes to buying them, wrapping them, or opening them.

“Typically I go first opening presents,” Smith said. “and then my brother, then my mom, and then my dad.”

“I have officially made up my mind. I want Taylor Swift tickets for the 1989 tour,” McHale said. “I’m so excited.”

While presents, family, and food are things people might look up to, some people don’t feel as excited about Christmas.

“I didn’t think negatively about Christmas when I was a kid so much. The commercialism of it and the hecticness with the family isn’t fun to me,” Biology teacher Trace Larson said. “I do participate in Christmas traditions, but it’s not a fun thing for me. I don’t enjoy it and I don’t like doing it. To me, everybody spending money on presents isn’t what it’s all about, so that part isn’t fun for me. My wife and kids are all about it. My parents are all about it too. I’m the one who doesn’t really care. I’m more about the Christmas dinner, and getting together with family.”

Even if you enjoy Christmas, you might not enjoy Christmas music. Others can easily say that they go crazy for it.

“I listen to [Christmas music] year round.

Not religiously, but if my iPod is on shuffle and a Christmas song comes on, I will get into it,” McHale said. “ I honestly don’t think you could go wrong with All I Want For Christmas Is You by Mariah Carey. I love that song. I know every word to it.”

One of the various Christmas Trees set up in LHS. Many staff members are showing their holdiay cheers by decorating rooms and hallways.

News 08

A Cultural Christmas Story and Photos by Lacy Williams

German Classes and Club show their holiday spirit.

German Club celebrated a traditional German Christmas without leaving Liberty.

The first event was the annual gingerbread house making, then Christmas carols and soon to come, a concert at the Kauffman.

The gingerbread houses were made from graham crackers, icing and a ton of different candies. It was an opportunity to be a part of the club and eat a ton of sugar while being immersed in the German culture.

The gingerbread houses were built on December 4. “[As well as building gingerbread houses] we drink hot chocolate and listen to [German] Christmas carols,” German teacher Cynthia Biermann said. “It’s a

warm fuzzy feeling.”

The gingerbread houses were made from each individual’s creativity.

“Frau Biermann has the graham crackers and we have all the accessories, like icing, and then we display them,” senior Varun Lahoti said. “Of them [the houses] we pick a winner.”

Although there is a winner, it’s not a big deal.

“Usually if you’re the winner, yours is the last one to get destroyed in class,” senior Mason Carey said.

The Christmas carols were something that most people enjoyed and attended. The classes learned traditional German carols

and English carols translated into German, like “Rudolf the Red Nose Reindeer.”

These are the songs that were sung on December 12 at Benton House of Shoal Creek retirement home.

The reason for going to the retirement home was because there are many residences that have German heritage and they enjoy the performance. “[My favorite part is] seeing how happy it makes the residence when we go,” Biermann said. “The last time we went several of them teared up and sang along. It makes us feel good about ourselves.”

Left: A near completed gingerbread house made with frosting, cotton candy, and gumdrops as decorations.

Bottom: (Left to right) Varun Lahoti, Coleman Howard and Byron Arnold work together on the foundation of their gingerbread house.

News 09 The group also goes and sees a concert or performance at the Kauffman Center every year.

“It’s only been three years and we’ve already made the tradition of going to the Kauffman Center,” Biermann said.

The concert at the Kauffman is going to be March 6 and 7. The concert is Beethoven’s Leonore. The club is already preparing and talking about what the concert will be like.

The students enjoy acting more mature and having fun going to a fancy event.

“We all get to dress up and pretend we’re rich and pretend we are part of a fancy society,” Biermann said. “It’s fun to see everyone dressed up.”

At German Club meetings, the group decides which day works best to go.

“When we come back we reflect on the concert,” Lahoti said.

To be in German club you do not have to be in German class.

“Even though I take Spanish, German Club is something that has given me so

many friends and so many great experiences in my high school career,” senior Hannah Ogden said.

The goal of German Club is simply to enjoy the German culture.

“My goal is that when they graduate out of the program, they look [back] fondly on the things we’ve done and the memories we’ve made in German club,” Biermann said.

Top Left: One of the many Ginger Bread Houses German Students created.

Bottom Left: German Club gathers together in front of their Christmas Tree.

Bottom Right: Another Ginger Bread castle made by German Students this time using marshmallows as decorations.

News 10

An Invasion of Elves Story by Lacy Williams

Photo Courtesy of Anna Davis

This winter Thespian club has decided to spread holiday spirit.

Singing and dancing elves at a car dealership is not a typical Christmas scene… Unless you are part of the thespians troupe.

“The thespian troupe has been contacted

by Gary Crossley Ford in Liberty to be a part of special events like the Christmas promotions in December,” senior Anna Davis said.

On December 13 and 20, LHS’s thespian troupe will be playing the part of singing elves.

“Basically [we] dress up and we go down to the dealership and walk around and talk to customers, and we sort of entertain them while they’re trying to find a car,” freshman Molly Day said.

This will be the second time the troupe had gone to car dealership. The troupe was asked to volunteer for approximately six hours during the Halloween season to help raise money for the theater department and promote the holiday specials at Gary Crossley.

“During Halloween, Gary Crossley contacted us and had people go out dressed like zombies and the they invited us back,” sophomore Corben Phillips said.

The people at Gary Crossley Ford appreciated having the troupe willing to

dedicate their time to help.

“The people from Gary Crossley enjoyed our presence and our ability to volunteer in such a unique way,” Davis said. “They decided to continue coming back to us for their special promotions.”

The last time the troupe volunteered, they received $500 for the theatre department.

“Gary Crossley has generously offered to donate money to our thespian troupe and theatre program,” Competitive Theatre and Forensic Coach Michael Turpin said.

A majority of the students are going to be caroling elves because of their love for music. “[I picked caroling] because I enjoy singing and it will give me a chance to interact with people,” Phillips said.

“I love theatre and choir so this is a perfect time to do two things I love at the same time,” Davis said.

The club is mainly for the students who love and are in the theater productions at LHS. The students are responsible for organizing, fundraising and promoting all of the productions.

They meet once a week on Tuesdays, Liberty Hour B, to organize fundraisers and creating the programs for the upcoming shows.

“Thespians is a club of kids who do what they can to get done for the theatre,” junior Josh Munden said.

The majority of students in the club are in most of the shows. The club allows students to have extra time to devote to their passion, as well as learn the business side of theatre. They also get the chance to be with friends who share the same passion of theatre.

“I love working closely with the theatre department and even more having the opportunity to go out into the community,” Davis said.

There are many opportunities of leadership positions. As a group, the leaders work together to come up with events for the troupe to do and help organize fundraisers.

“We have a board of five members and then five representatives,” Davis said. “[There is] one [representative] for the senior, junior, and sophomore classes.

[There are] two representatives for the freshman class.”

The thespian troupe is a very welcoming group and anyone is able to join.

“The thespian troupe looks forward to making a difference in the school and to extending arms into the community,” Davis said.

(From Left to Right) junior Josh Munden, senior Anna Davis, sophomore Emma Davis, Mary Muir and Trevor Harr pose for last month’s Thespian event.

The Thespian club plans to out do last month.

A

News 11

Ace of Clubs Story by Alex Wilson

Photo by Arley Emery

ACE Mentoring provides students with access to experts in different fields.

High School is a time for some students to decide what they want to do for a living.

There are many options for students to take and it can be a bit overwhelming.

Luckily, ACE mentoring strives to help students discover their passion.

“ACE mentoring stands for Architecture Construction and Engineering,” Club sponsor Dennis Blochlinger said.

“Students meet with professional architects, engineers, and construction workers, and mentor under them.”

The goal of ACE mentoring is to help students find interest in architecture, construction or engineering fields. ACE mentoring allows students the opportunity to complete real world scenarios with the mentors.

“When I was a sophomore we did a competition against other Kansas City area schools,” senior Nick Coffey said, “We were tasked with having to make a building that would solve a problem. In our case we had to build a house for a handicapped family or at least design it on the computer.”

Students do various activities relate to architecture, construction, and engineering throughout the year. Students go on field trips every two weeks and meet Liberty Hour B on Tuesdays and after school Wednesdays.

“We meet after school and take the bus typically to a construction site or our mentors place of hire. While on a construction site we go on a tour and see what the mentor’s average day is like.

[While at a] place of hire we talk and ask questions to the mentor,” senior Michael Coday said. “Then we might have a competition. For example, once we had to build a bridge out of gumdrops and toothpicks. We then stacked books on the bridge and the bridge that could hold the most weight won.”

“Students can meet with engineers and architects to learn more about the profession,” junior Riley Evans said.

“We go on field trips and have sessions where we go through activities with the architects to design a building to see what its like.”

“We [also] go on field trips to local construction sites.” Coffey said.

Many students enjoy ACE mentoring and have learned from the experience, For instance they’ve been on construction site tours to observe and examine what an average day of work is like for employees.

They have also built structures out of limited materials to see if their structure is up to the test. ACE mentoring will continue to grow along with the school and will continue to help students drive their passion.

“It really made me more interested in the whole thing,” Coffey said. “Everyone who is a part of the club is really nice.

You learn to work as a team especially on developing these projects.”

ACE mentoring has been at LHS for about seven years and each year drives new students towards architecture, construction, and engineering. ACE mentoring is perfect for students interested in those fields or for students who are looking for a career choice.

A Club Members meet to hear about architecture, constuction and engineering on Tuesday’s Liberty Hour B.

News 12

Step to the Bluejay Beat Story by Kamden Bernard

Photo by Danni Hammontree

Bluejay Steppers is a new club at LHS.

Stepping, or step dancing, is a form of dance in which the participant’s entire body is used as an instrument to produce rhythms and sounds through a mixture of footsteps, spoken word and handclaps.

“We are a club that is focusing on step and dance. In the school, we would like to go into something permanent, but right now it’s just a club,” Advisor Kara Geisert said.

The girls stick to the same type of music to dance to that match with the music they do.

“Hip-Hop and Rap, that’s the only music we dance to,” freshman Deja King said.

Right now, the girls are just learning and having fun. They are working on ways for step club to become big at the school.

“Right now we’re just practicing a routine. I know the girls would like to raise awareness, so they are trying to come up with ways to do that,” Geisert said. “They’re thinking about a flash mob.

They would love to be in the assemblies.

We would love to have a way to highlight their abilities. We just aren’t there yet we’re really small.”

The group would love to have a mixed group but as now there are only girls.

“It’s just girls, if boys want to join then they can,” sophomore Akou Tsatsou said.

All the girls are very connected to each other and are friends. They came together to be Blue Jay Steppers.

“On the first day of school we got to know each other. Then we just come together to become the Blue Jay Steppers,” freshman Tomisha Robinson Said.

They connect more through the fun practice. They mess around and have fun while coming up with new steps.

“We just come in and practice and talk about what we are going to do. Then we just add steps to what we already did,” said King.

“If we have one girl who doesn’t know how to dance, we teach her how to step,” Tsatsou said.

The girls would love if more people join for the for the history and fun behind it.

“I think it’s a great form of exercise I think it’s a great historical dance. I think it’s fun and a great way to let off steam in the middle of the day,” Geisert said, “Also think it’s good for comeratery and good to have a team that can just get together and have fun. I think it’s great just to go have fun.”

‘It’s fun, you get to know each other and just help each other out,” King said.

“It’s fun. Come and join. We just have fun when we step,” Tsatsou said.

The new club is working on becoming a group to stay at LHS. Everyday practice during liberty hour A. Stepping may also draw from elements of gymnastics, break dance, dance, or March. Each of the girls loves to be around each other and they are great friends.

Left: Jacklyn Young, Akou Tsatson, Déja King-Dial, and Tomisha Robinson are the very first members of Bluejay Steppers.

Bottom Left: Jacklyn Young in the middle of a Bluejay Steppers meeting.

The Sweet Tooth Clubs Story by Teegan Saunders

Features 13

Photos by Aubrey Lytch and Danni

Cupcake club and Dessert Club bake up some

Life is sweet-- especially for members of Cupcake and Dessert Club. In Cupcake and Dessert Club, everything they do is ladened with sweet cupcakes and yummy cookies.

Dessert Club to brings everyone together to enjoy tasty treats.

“I thinks it pretty cool cause you can bring in anything that you like for people to eat and also it a good way for people to hangout and communicate with one another,” junior Jared Broyles said.

Being a member of Dessert Club himself, Broyles praised it a lot. The club was started this year by two freshmen, Ashley Diaz and Jackie Almaraz.

The club also does charity work.

“We play hangman, the wax museum and just simple things like that,” Diaz said. “We do charity work. For Halloween we brought candy in for the children at the hospital.”

The club is already pretty popular.

Being a club based around dessert they have an array of sweets ranging from cookies to sometimes even cake. There is a dessert of some kind every time, but it is not yet a sign-up requirement.

“If someone wants to bring in they can and then some people can’t bring in stuff so other people bring it,” freshman Payton Cossette said. “We’re thinking of getting a schedule.”

If you are not a part of this club yet you can join at any time.

“It’s a good experience cause I’ve met a bunch of people in the club who I am friends with now and it’s really fun to be doing something during liberty hour instead

of just sitting around,” Broyles said.

Cossette agreed. “[I like] the food and probably getting to know everyone because, it’s not only [about] dessert. You can also get to know everyone while you’re there,” she said.

For more information talk to one of the members or look on the school website at Clubs under Students.

Cupcake Club understands and tames the beast of the cupcake.

Of course, this is not the only sugary sweet club in the walls of LHS. There is Cupcake Club that focuses specifically on cupcakes but do not let that stop you from joining.

The goal of the club was to have people with the same love of cupcakes be able to get together and express themselves.

“We’ve played a lot of get to know you games and we’re playing Kahoot right now,” sophomore Baylee Chestnut said.

The members get to play games, hangout, and meet new people.

“I’ve met a couple of new people through the club already, so that’s been a lot of fun,” freshman Miles Allain said.

The group does several activities when meeting and tops it all off with a delicious treat. Sometimes it’s chocolate cupcakes, other times it’s red velvet and they even have rainbow cupcakes. When coming to the club, you never know what you will get.

“We played a Kahoot game and everyone really got into it and I also really liked when we had our last meeting, we had everyone make their own little personal cupcake and

we had everyone share,” Junior Mikayla Hill said. “I got to know what people liked and what people didn’t. It was a lot of fun.”

The club even has some festive cheer for this time of year.

“For Christmas, we’re actually going to have a Christmas party. Two meetings from now, I think we’re going to do probably another Kahoot game, since this one turned out really well and we’re probably going to do a lot of different treats other than cupcakes, but cupcakes will be the main one,” Hill said. “We’ll have a lot of fun and play a lot of different games.”

The club is full of different people to meet and fun experiences just waiting to happen.

“Right now we are having a brand-off bake-off where we bake different brands of cupcakes and see which one is the best,” Chestnut said.

The club has been a part of the school since this year, when Hill started it.

“One of my goals for the club [was] to meet a lot of new people and to get to know people who have the same interest as me,” Hill said.

Both clubs have fun with a sprinkle of sugar just to top it off. If you are ever free at one of the times of the club, check it out yourself. It’s sure to be a sweet time!

Dessert Club meets: every first and third Tuesday during liberty hour B in room 612.

Cupcake Club meets: The club meets every first and third Friday of the month during liberty hour A in room 207.

Left: (Top row) freshman Morgan Benton, freshman Hannah Schrag, freshman Grace Tourney, (Bottom row) freshman Tayler Wislon and freshman Lindsey Kleeman all enjoy their cupcakes.

Right: (Left to right) junior Jasemine Ross, freshman Allison Myers, freshman Madeline Pittman, freshman Emily McCoy and sophomore Ayraka Straws try out new cupcakes.

Features 14

I’m a Donkey on the Edge Story by Hannah Leonard

Photos by Madison Hayter

Young Democrats Club proudly represents the Democratic population.

Great opportunities in the political scene have been opened up for students at LHS with the forming of Young Democrats Club.

Thursday mornings at 7:30 a.m. students are welcome to meet in room 901 with Speech and Debate teacher Tim Baldwin to discuss the Democratic aspects of politics.

There are currently 29 students in the club who proudly support their political party while gaining experience in the world of politics, though there is no limit for how many students may join.

“I love politics and I am very proud to be a Democrat. I want other people to feel that way too,” senior Olivia Wilson said.

The club worked on campaigning for midterm elections and now that those have passed, the Young Democrats are looking to do service work for their political party and our community. This has been beneficial for representing our school and for the members to gain a political background. “[Young Democrats Club] helps me know what is going on outside my personal life and to learn about some things that I wouldn’t normally think about,” sophomore Alison Potter said.

Many volunteering opportunities were offered to the club from the Clay County Democratic Central Committee.

The club has allowed students to meet political candidates and learn more about campaigning for elections.

“One thing we have done is talk to a lot of people that run for office and thats

Left: Senior Olivia Wilson leads the Young Democrat’s Club. Right: Sophomore Jacklyn Drewry and Senior Riley Peek discuss politics.

been very cool. I get to know more about the candidates themselves,” junior Paul Ambrose said. “Initially I feel like just being involved in these sort of clubs just helps you become a more educated citizen about the way things are going politically in your state.”

The acceptance and support of the members to one another has given students a safe environment to express themselves without judgment.

“It’s not set in stone, one single belief, we like to explore different things and also respect different political views,” Potter said. “Olivia Wilson and Riley Peek are the heads but at the same time everybody has room to participate and give their influence and what we should do.”

Having a Democratic base that all the members share has given them a place to belong.

“I think sharing a political view with the other people is helpful because it means we can all speak our minds without any fear of people getting angry or getting into an argument,” Ambrose said.

The club encourages all students to put thought towards political issues and what they believe best suits them as an individual and how they will contribute to the community through politics.

“I don’t think it is important you identify with a political party necessarily, but I think its important that you think about what you want from your government,” Baldwin

said. “I think it is important to think about what you want from your society, what you are willing to contribute to your society, how that society is formed and what you conceive in a government.”

Though not all students support the Democratic Party at LHS, the Young Democrats Club wants students to become more involved with their government.

“Generally we want to make a difference in the community in a meaningful way,” Ambrose said.

The views of the Democratic Party may be seen as very broad but the club has one belief they feel is most powerful in being a part of our independence.

“Equality underlines it all. We are all created equal regardless of gender, sexuality, race, or where we were born,” Wilson said. “I think the underlined theme for the Democratic Party is we are all created equal and its not somebody else’s jurisdiction or their ability to say that ‘you were born this way so you can’t have the same opportunities and rights that I have’.”

Baldwin believes every student has a political responsibility.

“Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat I think it is important that kids become politically active and that they take a roll in, and take agency in, changing their country,” Baldwin said. “Its a part of what their obligation is as a citizen.”

The Elephant in the Room

Story by Katie Crouch

Features 15

Photos by Desiree Johnson

Students join Young Republicans Club to express their conservative opinions.

Ever think about what your political beliefs are; or for whom you would vote in an election? A group of students here at LHS decided to start a club to discuss republican beliefs and ideals: Young Republicans Club.

Young Republicans Club is a new addition to the clubs LHS has to offer. Meetings are held every Tuesday during Liberty Hour B for students who express republican beliefs and want to discuss with other like-minded students.

“I think it’s a really cool concept to be able to get together with people who have the same values as you and talk about them,” senior Alexia Harman said.

It is often not encouraged to voice your political views during class or with other students, but Young Republicans provides an outlet.

“In todays society talking about your political views isn’t something people do a lot, especially at this age, it’s not really a big deal,” Harman said. “Not a lot of people really care at this age, so it’s really cool to find people that care about it and know that what we’re talking about is important. It’s a unique situation.”

According to a club member, the ideals of the Republican Party are not as complicated as they are sometimes made out to be.

“Republicans are typically seen as oldfashioned,” Harman said. “They’re very set in the ways of the Constitution and following those kinds of beliefs. They don’t believe as much in government regulation and government control I guess you could say, especially with the economy.”

Young Republicans club was started by seniors Luke Simpson and Nathan Wilkerson.

“It’s basically just a fellowship for likeminded people to come together and talk about current events,” Simpson said.

Teacher and club sponsor Michael Hammer decided to sponsor the club not only to give republican students the freedom to talk freely about politics, but also to serve their community.

“I got involved because these students want to get involved with their community and help support programs that will help make our society a better place,” Hammer said. “The club has set goals and is involved with a couple of community programs.”

Since this is a new club to our school, Republican students did not feel represented. They now enjoy being able to discuss their beliefs freely with other students with the same beliefs.

“I’m excited to have a place to share my political views with people who feel the same way,” junior Jordan Cowger said.

Cowger enjoys participating not only to discuss her own beliefs, but also learn from and teach others about the topics at hand.

“I definitely think it’s important to be educated and that’s why I wanted to join this club and help promote it, because everyone needs to understand what they believe as opposed to doing whatever people tell them to do,” Cowger said.

Students talk about current events and issues in the United States, but also are working on a service project that goes beyond the walls of LHS: Operation

Gratitude.

“Right now we are planning to send care packages to deployed troops,” Harman said. “We are doing a lot of planning and figuring out logistical things and what the club needs to look like and how we are going to achieve that.”

More information from Young Republicans Club will be on the way about Operation Gratitude and how students at LHS can be a part of donations.

If you are a student who is interested in learning more about politics, members of the Young Republicans club encourage students to attend meetings and learn about what being a Republican is all about.

“I would encourage everyone to hear both sides of the story. Go to a Young Republicans meeting or go to a Young Democrats meeting just to see where you fall,” junior Cole Kelley said.

Political clubs like Young Republicans club and Young Democrats club are great opportunities for students who seek a place to discuss politics with like-minded students, and both options are provided for all students’ political opinions.

“I think both clubs are both great outlets for people to learn more,” Harman said. “I think it’s great that both groups are at this school and it gives students the opportunity to get involved and learn about politics.

Especially so people know what their views are before they turn 18 and are able to vote on major issues. They’re both good outlets for that.”

Left: Junior Vance Howerton, freshman Shea Williams and junior James Bono discuss recent happenings in Young Republicans Club.

Right: Students read Steadfast Conservative during the club.

Features 16

Born to Toss, Live to Catch Story by Hope Scobee

Photos by Natalie Grusch

Winter Guard begins competitions.

“Winter Guard, for those who understand, no explanation needed. For those who don’t, no explanation possible,” freshman Natalie Griffin said.

Winter Guard is a fun, extended indoor Color Guard/dance activity performed in an indoor gymnasium area.

“A lot of my friends that were in color guard and now doing winter guard asked me and were encouraging me to join so I decided to try it out and I really enjoy it,” freshman Grace Dressler said.

Winter Guard uses different colors and styles of flags, rifles, and sabers to enhance the visual effect of recorded music.

“They’re not “poles,” they’re flags.

They’re not “guns,” they’re rifles. They’re not “swords,” they’re sabers. We don’t “twirl,” we spin. We don’t “throw,” we toss.”

Although Winter Guard uses a lot of the same techniques as Color Guard, the two are also a lot different in comparison.

“In my opinion, the show is much more difficult,” McCann said. “There is different music and we perform inside rather than on the field. There is only one song, no band and Winter Guard is more time consuming and takes a lot more effort.”

Some students may think Winter Guard is a club that anybody can join, but that’s not completely true. This sport can help you earn half a credit going towards fine arts

and can even help people earn scholarships to colleges.

“This season, I am most excited to see what the guard can accomplish. We have nine members with only one member with previous guard experience,” coach Amber Hess said. “I am very excited to see the members challenge themselves and work hard to reach their goals. I know they are going to have a lot of fun!”

Students involved in Winter Guard come in before school some days and stay after school two to three days a week for three hours each day for practice that will pay off during their annual competitions, like Winter Guard International in St. Louis.

Some people may wonder if Winter Guard is a sport. The answer is yes!

“We start with stretching and dance basics. Then we go on to across the floors, which are basically jazz walks and runs and other dance basics, to learning and cleaning the routine and doing run throughs,” Griffin said.

The Winter Guard team balances their school works with practice time. That is why the girls like to spend their free time bonding together as a team.

“This season is the second annual bowla-thon where we get pledges to donate money that will help pay for our costumes, shoes and other things,” Griffin said. “We go to retro bowl one day before practice

and have fun and bowl as a team.”

Not only does Winter Guard have an annual bowl-a-thon to raise money, there are also multiple times throughout the season when the team sells chocolate bars to students, teachers and parents to help with costs and admission to competitions.

Since there weren’t enough girls moving from Color Guard to Winter Guard, the team had to have Winter Guard tryouts for anyone who wanted to be a part of the team.

Members of Color Guard were in charge of teaching new members the basics and give out information.

Winter Guard competitions have requirements that each team has to have in order to be eligible to compete.

“The team has to have at least five members depending on what division we fit under to be eligible for competition.

The team has to have a routine that meets specific standards for what the competition requirements are,” Dressler said.

The team is planning to have a successful season with nine members consisting of seven freshmen, one junior and one senior.

“I wanted to join Winter Guard because all of my friends in Color Guard were planning on doing it as well and I loved the thought of performing and competing at a more difficult level,’’ McCann said.

Left: senior Marci McCann tosses a flag up in Winter Guard practice. Bottom: freshman Myranda Swearingen spins with her flag.

Features 17 Left: Senior Marci McCann tosses her flag as she practices.

Bottom: Madison Cundy holds her flag ready to go as she waits to start.

Bottom: (Front row) Eden Nguyen, Myranda Swearingen, Lorena Calderon and Natalie Griffin (Top row) Marci McCann, Jamie Hughes, Madison Cundy and Logan Marley

Features 18

What activities are you involved in?

“Potato club, German club and I’m also in Link Crew. In Potato club we mostly just sit around and eat potatoes. I think there are over 30 people that signed in. There are lots of people at the meetings too, probably like half of them. Mac Congey usually brings in the stuff or has ideas for it; he’s the one that made it up. There’s nothing really to say about potato club other than we eat potatoes. We’ve had French fries, cheesy potato soup and potato chips. We meet on Thursdays during Liberty Hour and anyone can join.”

What do you do outside of school?

“I work at 54th street. It’s annoying to deal with some customers because they are really rude, but then you see the regulars and it’s cool. Perks of working there are meeting new people, half price on some food. And tips are good because they come in cash. I’ve become good friends with Gabby who’s from Staley, so you can meet other people from different schools.”

What are your plans for winter break?

“Nothing’s really planned. My family doesn’t really celebrate Thanksgiving or Christmas. My family celebrates Vietnamese New Years; it’s in the middle of February. My parents are from Vietnam. When I was younger my family and I and my extended family would get together at my grandpa’s house. The adults would give the kids these red envelopes with money inside of it and then we would have a big feast.”

Maria Knowles' thoughts on Thinh:

Senior

“She’s happy, a hard worker and a very courteous young lady. Very good student and is pretty hard worker in class and she also made class kind of fun too. She has a spunky personality. Her kindness stands out most about her and her silliness. I had her when she was a sophomore; I wish I would of had her again as a student. It’s always nice to see her in the hallways, when I see her it makes me smile.”

Thinh Nguyen Story by Teresa Parra

Photo by Madison Hayter

Features 19

What activities are you involved in?

“I’m involved choir, Environmental Club, NHS, and Graphic Design. In Environmental club we have done a stream clean up. I designed the t-shirt for it. I’m involved a lot in graphic design. It’s a class but I do a lot of designing stuff. I’ve learned that I like it. I won the water bottle design. I won the t-shirt designing contest from last year. I figured out I was good at it as soon as I won the water bottle. The water bottles are at the elementary schools and middle schools right now, but hopefully they will eventually be here.”

What are your favorite things?

“I really like art, just like crafting. I like anything art really: drawing, painting, Pinterest and sculpture. I enjoy spending time with family and friends. I like singing. I work at Chick-Fil-A. If I have free time I hang out with friends and get coffee. I like to read things like Harry Potter, anything popular, Divergent and The Fault in our Stars.”

What are your goals?

“I think my goal is to never lose sight of faith when I go to college. Find a place where I’m happy to be after high school, even if it might take a while. I want to continue to just always be involved in a community. [This year] I’ve learned a lot even though I’ve only been here one year. It has helped with responsibilities, learning how to study better and work around a busy schedule.”

Andi Morris’s thoughts on Rachel: “She is so consistently creative I’ve come to expect really good work from her. Her design skills are incredible. One of the many things that I appreciate about Rachel is that she doesn’t take any shortcuts. I feel so fortunate to be able to work with such a talented devoted student.”

Junior

Rachel Backs Story by Teresa Parra

Photo by Tara Prindle

Features 20

What plays/musicals have you been in?

“My favorite would definitely have to be Tarzan, because it was really fun to run around. I was an ape last year and I got to swing from ropes. But I’ve been in quite a few productions. I’ve been in Tarzan, Shrek and I was in Macbeth and The Nerd. I’ve been in musicals since I was in elementary school and its just been a whole lot of fun.”

Who is your role model?

“My role model would have to be my grand dad. I didn’t really know him a lot because I was really young, but by the way my family talks about him, I really want to live up to how much he provided for the family and how much he was there for everyone.”

What is your most embarrassing moment?

“This year during Shrek, we were supposed to fall down whenever the dragon comes in during the wedding scene. So another knight and I fall down and whenever we went to get back up, he stumbled and put his hand on me and pulled my pants down on stage. Luckily we were kind of in the back, so I don’t think anyone really saw it. That was the show we recorded, so it’s probably on the video.”

Rika Heruth's thoughts on Corben: “Corben is a joy to work with and a real blessing to the LHS choir program! He shows so much positive energy and leadership that he inspires those around him, including me.”

Sophomore

Corben Phillips Story by Teryn Deshler

Photo by Morgan McNea

Features 21

What do you like about theater?

“I like being able to portray different characters other than myself, singing and acting. I was surprised being a freshman and getting Fiona.

It’s a lot of fun. Everyone is so nice and supportive of everybody. I’ve taken voice lessons for about seven years and I’ve acted ever since sixth grade. Singing and acting that’s me.”

How did you get into doing theater?

“I was in singing and then I take theater classes and that has always gotten me interested in acting and singing. That started about in the fifth grade. I’ve been in] over ten [musicals]. [They are] Small Actors, Rhythm City, Sleeping Beauty, I did Aladdin Jr. twice, School House Rock, Once On This Island, I Hate Shakespeare and Shrek The Musical.”

How do you feel when you're on stage?

“The first show is the worst. That’s when the most nerves hit you. The rest is just fun. I got a lead role in the sixth grade so it is kind of like the same deal. I think the most embarrassing moment was probably doing the farting scene in this musical. Nothing like embarrassing about me, but just what I have to do.”

Michael Turpin's thoughts on Kinsey: “Kinsey is a very talented young lady. She was wonderful for us in the musical. Even though Kinsey is very young, I think if she keeps a good positive attitude and a great outlook on performing arts. She can have a great future career on whatever she chooses to do.”

Freshman

Kinsey Collins Story by Brooklyn Balsdon

Photo by Hailey Smith

Features 22

What made you want to teach math?

“Well, I always wanted to be a teacher when I was young, and math was my favorite subject, so I just kind of fell into math because it was what I enjoyed doing. I teach Algebra I, mostly freshmen.”

What is your favorite memory?

“I can’t name a specific one, but probably when students write me letters. When students write me letters, I keep them and I have two that really stick out of students that were not my best students; they hated school and had never done well and I guess I really made an impact on them. That was when I realized, ‘this is why I’m doing this.’ Sometimes it’s sad because in 27 years, I can tell you two, but I know there are others. But those are two that shared with me, and it just really meant a lot.”

If you weren't a teacher, what would you be doing right now?

“I’ve always been interested in being a nurse. That is actually my future plan.

When I retire from teaching, I hope to become a nurse. I’m actually retiring at the end of this year and I’ve been accepted into nursing school.”

Nick Coffey's thoughts on Rhonda Ross: “Mrs. Ross is a great teacher and an awesome person to be around. She is always eager to help if you need it and makes you feel like you could come to her for anything. She’s more than just a teacher, she’s a great friend.”

Teacher

Rhonda Ross Story by Teryn Deshler

Photo by Molly Filger

Features 23

What do you like about your job?

“It’s challenging. It makes me think everyday. It’s hard and I like that. You have to think about what you do and how many people are going to be impacted by what you do. You have to make sure that you communicate with all the people that you are going to impact and sometimes it’s more challenging than other times, it’s definitely something that has it’s rewards.”

What does your job consist of?

“My job consists of many different things. I deal with student discipline here but I am also in charge of end of course exams, helping with the ACT, helping students when they have a problem, evaluating teachers, talking with parents, going through our issues in the community, going to sporting events and supervising those, just making sure the school runs really well and taking care of students.”

What are the rewarding parts of your job?

“The biggest reward that I get is seeing students that I have had since sophomore or freshman year that I have worked with them and their parents consistently over and over and watching them graduate. That’s the day that is most rewarding. Graduation.”

Jenny Ward's thoughts on Mr. Coffman: “I think he is a great person to work for and you never know what he’s thinking or what he’s going to say next. He always keeps it entertaining around here.”

Administrator

Brett Coffman Story by Brooklyn Balsdon

Photo by Madison Hayter

Gimmick of the Games

A&E 25

Story by Sarah Hartley Photos by Kennedy Allison and Sarah Hartley

Our reporter gives a different perspective on Mockingjay: Part One. The two-part finale trend that has been pushed lately, most recently with Mockingjay: Part One, really needs to stop.

The excitement of Mockingjay disappears early on in the film as dull scenes and filler material take over. Some might disagree, but I do not believe that the Hunger Games series deserves a two-part finale compared to other franchises.

Fans are introduced to a shaken Katniss Everdeen in District 13 at the start of the film, following the traumatic events of the quarter century Quarter Quell game in Catching Fire. The most notable cause of Katniss’s stress is the capture of Peeta Mellark, her partner in crime and love interest. The guilt that Katniss feels for not being able to rescue Peeta is apparent all throughout the film in an over-the-topmanner. Their relationship was rushed in the book and is rushed even more in the movie. Whether it’s the fault of the actress or the character, her obsession with locating and rescuing him seems kind of insincere and laughable.

District 13, the last of the districts that was thought to have been destroyed by the Capitol long ago due to rebellion, is the underground setting of the film. It is decided early on that they need a symbol for their newest rebellion. They turn to Katniss, the “mockingjay,” for her passion and smolder. Still deeply affected by the loss of Peeta, however, Katniss at first

refuses to be spotlighted. This is another flaw in her obsession with Peeta; she only thinks about him. Everything else that holds significance is suddenly unimportant to her.

This all changes when Katniss gets a glimpse of Peeta on Capitol television. He

appears healthy and well, but urges the rebels to drop their weapons and embrace peace. Katniss is fueled with anger at the Capitol’s manipulation of Peeta and agrees to be the mockingjay if two conditions are met by District 13: all tributes are

“It wasn’t ‘oh-mygosh-I-want-to-seeit-again’ good, but I liked it the best out of all the Hunger Games movies.”

rescued from the Capitol at the first given opportunity and will face no retribution.

You would think there would be some excitement after this scene, but there isn’t.

The pace of the rest of the film remains slow.

I have heard the argument “There’s so much stuff that happens in the book!” but it is forgotten that Mockinjay is only 390 pages, whereas Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows for example boasts 759 pages. The Mockingjay book was incredibly dull and void of a lot of action, which is why I was extremely confused when I heard it would have two movies.

I guess that is what happens when a film company wants to milk a franchise dry.

There is only one prominent action scene in the film, and even then, it isn’t too exciting. Katniss shoots down a Capitol fighter hovercraft alongside her other lover interest, Gale. The flames and fast-paced music are cool, sure, but for a movie that falls under the “action” category, it is quite embarrassing.

Overall, Mockingjay: Part One is a film whose only purpose is to set up the finale in the Hunger Games series. Fans of the books will appreciate the detail of part one, but that is the film’s only redemption. The book really should have been one two-and-a-half hour movie.

“I would tell people to see Mockingjay: Part One, especially if you didn’t read the books. It gives you a lot of information you may have missed in the first two movies that is important in Part Two.”

A&E 26

Coffee Craze Story by Hannah Berry and Katie DeClue

Photos by Kennedy Allison

Bell reporters travel to local coffee shops to give us the inside scoop.

Starbucks Hannah - I visited the more popular coffee franchise, Starbucks, for take on the coffee available in Liberty. The staff at Starbucks was very kind, however Starbucks is often busy so it took a while to get my drink. The atmosphere in Starbucks is warm and inviting -good for catching up

with friends or studying. At Starbucks they have a larger seating space where you can stay and enjoy your coffee.

Starbucks does not offer very many food choices; I wish that they had a wider variety.

Starbucks also has a drive through, however the line is often wrapped around the

Caribou Katie -This has been one of my favorite beverages! This mocha had a distinct chocolate flavor and smell. The chocolate flavor took over the coffee flavor, which if you’re not a heavy coffee drinker like me, it’s perfect. The coffee in it was strong, but not as strong as the coffee in the mocha I had at

Barista de Casa. It had whipped cream in it, which made it sweeter, and gave it a creamy, smooth taste. It’s the perfect drink to wake you up in the morning or give you a jumpstart for your day. As far as the atmosphere, there were many armchairs and couches people could sit at and a fireplace. All

these factors made the place very warm and inviting. I felt that the location was convenient for students, being about a two minute drive from the high school. The employees were nice and polite, and there wasn’t an overwhelming crowd inside. I will definitely be coming back to Caribou.

vehicle entrance; if you want your coffee quickly I suggest going inside. Since Starbucks is a franchise, it has a known image that it upholds across the nation, there are so many like it, I would say the only thing that sets Liberty’s apart is the kind staff.

A&E 27

Barista de Casa Katie - My mocha from Barista de Casa was a good, hot drink. The coffee was exceptionally strong in this beverage and especially over the chocolate flavor, which was very faint. I will admit that I don’t drink my coffee black, but that I do enjoy sweeter espresso drinks such as lattes and cappuccinos. I found the coffee to be a bit strong for me but I would definitely

drink this mocha if I needed something to wake me up in the morning. I would recommend this drink to people who enjoy their espresso very strong and need a boost for the day or night.

The shop is located right on the Square next to the Jesse James Bank and Museum. Although you have to look for it on the side of a building, it is a true

hidden gem. The atmosphere at Barista de Casa was comfortable and friendly and the service was excellent. It wasn’t busy but it had enough people in there to make the place abundant. I really loved how this is a locally owned place because that made it even cozier.

Overall I loved all that Barista de Casa had to offer.

Papa’s Coffee Express Hannah - Papa’s Coffee Express is an old drive-through bank that has been transformed into a convenient, locally owned and delicious coffee shop. Papa’s, located in the parking lot right across from Feldman’s. It has great coffee, great service, and great prices. Immediately when I entered the shop I felt welcomed; I really liked the décor, which contains local artwork and posters. Papa’s is small, however there is seating space if you want to stay to enjoy your

fresh brewed drink or on occasion live music, it’s a very relaxing place.

The service at Papa’s is exceptional; every time I have had the opportunity to visit the baristas have been sure to create an atmosphere that is calm and enjoyable. The convenient location makes it a great stop for LHS students. The optional drive through provides a quick convenient stop for busy customers. I think it would be nice if Papa’s had outdoor seating, but it doesn’t seem ideal due to the

location. Papa’s Coffee Express is definitely worth a visit; you’ll love the coffee, atmosphere, and people.

I prefer Papa’s Coffee Express because it is locally owned and the atmosphere is unique there isn’t any other place like it. The baristas at Papa’s are genuinely kind and the atmosphere is cozy. Although it is small, Papa’s is individual, it offers a little of Liberty along with your visit.

A&E 28

True Love's First Kiss Story by Amanda Kovac

Photos by Danni Hammontree, T.J. Stansbury and Lindsey Barnes

The Theater department presents Shrek as their musical extravaganza.

The Set

When I first laid eyes on the set of Shrek, I was blown away. There was so much detail.

During the first song, “Big Bright Beautiful World,” I could only marvel at the time and effort that must have gone into creating Shrek’s home. As the production went

on, I discovered the set, much like Shrek, resembled an onion. Layer after layer showed itself. Separate from the lush green swamp was Lord Farquaad’s castle, dreary torture chamber included, Fiona’s simple tower, the dragon’s dungeon, complete with slaves, a cave, and lots of green forests for Shrek and Donkey to travel through. I was amazed by how functional the set was. I

even noticed that the cast and crew made good use of the spinning function of the stage used during Tarzan last year. This year the spinning floor piece was used to flip around walls for the set and to show the passage of time in Shrek and Donkey’s travels. It was a brilliant and clever idea that really added to the efficiency of the musical.

Left: Junior Truman Butler poses with a sign at his swamp.

Right: Sophomore Trevor Harr performs a scene in his dungeon.

The Costumes

Another commendable aspect was the costumes. Much like the set, the costumes held great attention to detail. It’s hard enough to make costumes for a musical without all the mythical creatures, but the crew went above and beyond my

Left: Freshman Dylan Moran struts his stuff in his sassy donkey suit.

Right: Senior Austin Cable preps for his role as Pinocchio.

expectations to create magical costumes.

I still don’t know how it happened, but Pinocchio’s nose grew. Additionally, I witnessed a dragon singing and a bird exploding, all because of clever costume designs. My two favorite costume designs had to be the costume for Donkey, with his sassy hips, and for Lord Farquaad, a costume that was nothing short of amazing.

It consisted of kneepads and fake legs, making him appear only four feet tall. He also sported a shoulder length wig and the most perfect-penciled eyebrows. I was rolling with laughter at his waddling gait before he even spoke. It didn’t hurt that Shrek and Donkey were cracking short jokes throughout the show.

The Cast

This year, the musical had a young cast.

With junior Truman Butler as Shrek and, even more impressive, freshman Kinsey Collins as Fiona, I was enthralled. I was curious as to how a junior and a freshman managed to secure the two leading roles, but I was quickly given an answer.

One of the most impressive things to me was Collins’ beautiful voice. After hearing her first song, “I Know It’s Today,” I almost forgot to take my notes because I was so invested in the performance.

Despite being young, she has a strong voice. I found myself especially enjoying the song, “Morning Person,” where she pranced around and messed with nature.

Her chipper mood was not deterred by the fact that she ripped off a deer’s antlers, or that a bird exploded when she sang too high. Additionally, I loved the bipolar Fiona she portrayed, especially during her bitter or excited states. The longer the musical went on, the more I believed Collins was a perfect fit for the part of Fiona.

As for Shrek, Butler did a brilliant job portraying all of Shrek’s conflicting emotions, as well as keeping the production humorous and entertaining. One of his solos that stood out as amazing was, “Build A Wall.” Though I felt for a hurting Shrek, I also really enjoyed him because Butler

A&E 29 was so convincing in his role. I also should mention, “I Think I Got You Beat,” a duet between the leads that started off sad but ended with the two engaging in a goodnatured farting contest. One of the nights, during the contest, there was a small technical difficulty that led to a delayed fart noise in the middle of Butler’s next sentence. Like the great actor he is, he took it in stride and quickly claimed, “That one was a straggler,” before moving on like it was no problem.

As hard as I tried, I couldn’t ever decide which creepily flamboyant character I loved more, freshman Dylan Moran as Donkey or sophomore Trevor Harr as Lord Farquaad. The two characters were sassy, smart-alecy, and hilarious. I loved how Donkey pestered Shrek with questions and, of course, the endless oneliners. My favorite was probably Donkey’s fairytale replacement for a swear, “Mother Hubbard!” I also appreciated Lord Farquaad’s sidesplitting dramatics and his bathtub ballad, which were hysterical.

Farquaad’s knights proved to be as cowardly as their leader, but with a subtle nod to Monty Python via a terrific use of coconuts, I forgave them.

The Dragon, voiced by freshman Callie Broyles, was another extraordinary

portion of the show. Manned by three crewmembers, the dragon was wheeled onto the stage and used like a giant puppet as Broyles’ captivating voice resounded through the theater to the song, “Forever.”

Another of my favorite songs in the production was the song, “Freak Flag,” with all of the fairytale creatures. The three little pigs, the wicked witch, the sugar plum fairy, the fairy godmothers, and all others joined together in a song about accepting the weird parts of you and being proud of those oddities. The upbeat nature of the song had me tapping my feet and wanting to confess my quirks, all at the same time.

It’s easy to overlook the work of someone you can’t see. The pit deserves a round of applause for the effort that they put into the musical. Much like cast and crewmembers, the pit members were required to meet almost every day for rehearsals and it showed. The music accompanying all the songs sounded magnificent.

Overall I enjoyed the show and wish the cast and crew luck with this year’s Blue Star awards. Donkey summed the production up nicely when he said, “Shrek, you’re alright.”

Far left: Trevor Harr miraculously becomes 4 feet tall for the role of Lord Farquaad. Left: Freshman Kinsey Collins singing her first song, “I Know It’s Today.” Above: The entire cast comes together at the end to perform the final song.

Indepth 30

Don’t Be A Scrooge Story by Kati Benhardt and Emily Johannes

Photos by Arley Emery and Michael McHale

Students explain different ways to give back to the community during the holidays.

It is that time of year again. The halls are filled with happiness as Christmas break awaits us. As the holiday approaches, some students are spreading the Christmas cheer by giving up their time for great causes.

For some, giving back is a great new adventure. For some, it is a tradition done with families. Both giving and receiving have huge rewards. Being able to make someone’s day and having your day made by others is amazing.

Snow Squad

Giving back for the holidays can be done in many different ways, big or small.

Liberty High School has partnered with Liberty Parks and Recreation to help with the volunteering opportunity, Snow Squad.

The main goal of the Snow Squad is to designate volunteers to households of elderly people or disabled citizens. These volunteers will be in charge of removing snow with an accumulation of 2 inches or more from areas near a volunteer’s assigned household. Snow removal areas vary; sidewalks so their mailbox is accessible, driveways cleared for Meals on Wheels.

“I think this is great for our elderly members of the community because they’re able to leave their homes if needed,” English language arts teacher Laura Hartman said. “Also, Meals on Wheels, if someone needed to deliver something, they could do that.” With out volunteers the service program would not be possible.

“The snow squad is dependent on volunteers. By pulling together as a community, we are serving individuals who otherwise may be snowed in and unable to access essential resources,” Liberty Parks and Rec Community Service Manager LeAnn Lawlor said. “Often we have more homeowners requesting assistance than we have volunteers. The need for volunteers is vital to the success of this service.”

When signing up, know you will be giving these homeowners your much-needed time and that it will be very much appreciated.

Only sign up if you know you can be depended on when the rough weather comes. To volunteer get an application in Laura Hartman’s office or from Jenny Ward in the main office.

Operation Christmas Child

Mrs. Kleinmeyer’s Gifted Communication Arts classesclass collects the donations during Liberty Hour.

There are many different opportunities for groups to serve. Fellowship of Christian Athletes gave back by volunteering for Operation Christmas Child at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church. This is a service opportunity where shoeboxes are filled with toys and basic necessities for kids in other countries.

“It’s non-profit and they could be making a lot of money by saying you have to turn in five dollars with each box,” senior Tim Gibson said. “They cover all of the costs and they get a lot of donations in the end. I love that they give to the kids that don’t get anything in the first place.”

This is the first year Operation Christmas Child has had a drop off in Kansas City.

“We packed the boxes, packed the shoe boxes into bigger boxes and we filled up a really big trailer with all of those boxes,” sophomore Carla Ross said.

FCA wanted to be a part of this service opportunity for a few different reasons. “[We wanted to be a part of Operation Christmas Child] to make a few kids’ days, but also to help out the church who

Indepth 31 chemistry teacher Ryan Brewer said. “It takes a lot of people to make it happen. It helps us grow our character and make us more willing to serve through service.”

Senior Chase Chapman agrees.

“I like having a community of people that believe in God and want to do so respectfully and meet together for the same purpose,” he said.

Students Give Back

Although one would think that students love to receive presents and only give as an obligation, these students say otherwise.

“I prefer giving because I’d rather make things for others,” sophomore Kaylee Hoeflicker said. “I’m more of a giver than a receiver.”

Students participate in activities both in and out of school. “I usually go to ring the bells at different Price Choppers and stores to help collect money for the Salvation Army,” freshman Malissa Pennington said.

“And at my church, I collect food cans and I package them and I take them to our food pantry and I just do different things to give back to the community.”

The majority of students responding to the poll agreed with Hoeflicker and Pennington, saying that giving is something they do during the holidays, even if it’s not necessarily a lot. However, there is a minority saying that giving isn’t part of their holiday, whether it is because they

don’t feel giving during the holidays is any different than any other time of the year or just because they don’t have the time.

The Liberty Community Christmas Tree Program The community does many things to support those less fortunate during the holidays. The Liberty Community Christmas Tree program organizes food drives and helps families around the city of Liberty who can’t provide for their family over the holiday. Many members of the city are involved, whether it be through collecting food, volunteering to sort and deliver the food, or adopting a family for the holiday to buy gifts for. In fact, many students at LHS are involved, whether they know it or not. The canned food drive at the end of November collects food for the program, which in turn gives the food to families who will benefit from it.

“It’s a very satisfying, fulfilling and rewarding experience to help out other families, especially the children when you see their faces when you deliver the presents or take them shopping to get something they need,” Liberty Community Christmas Tree board member Amy Abbiatti said. “[It’s] very fulfilling and it’s why I participate.”

Thanks to all these different volunteering experiences, people who may not be able to provide for their family over the holidays

Do you feel more compelled to give to the needy during the holidays?

15%

13%

13%

51% - Yes. I give some during the holidays.

19%

2%

51% 2%

- Yes. I always give a ton more.

- I just don’t have time for charities.

19% - I don’t have anything against it but I don’t usually give more during the holidays.

15%

*212 LHS students surveyed

- No. The holidays don’t feel any different.

get the chance to a merry Christmas, the community unites and students help others through giving time, food and even something as simple as snow removal.

Students could bring in cans to help their 7th hour win a pizza party.

Join Snow Squad If you would like to volunteer to help the Snow Squad shovel elderly peoples’ driveways and sidewalks in January, applications are available.

See Laura Hartman or Jenny Ward in the main office.

Opinion3227 Opinion

Do you feel more compelled to give to others during the holidays?

Giving back comes in all shapes and forms; it strengthens communities and brings people together. The simplest acts of benevolence—the ones thought of as “random acts of kindness” or “no big deal”—can be incredibly meaningful. But is giving back deemed more important during the holidays? In a season associated with its bright display of lights, neatly wrapped gifts and cheerful music, it is easy to get caught up in the commercialism of the holidays.

The Bell staff asked themselves whether or not the holidays affected their desire to give back to the less fortunate.

A majority of The Bell staff said that the holidays did factor into their decision to give back. The staff discussed how there are kids who do not receive presents and families who do not have the money to afford a nice

holiday meal. These factors attributed to their decision to donate to the less fortunate at this time of year. One member said, “It is a good feeling to receive gifts from someone, and it’s important to share that feeling with those who cannot.”

The familiar sound of the Salvation Army bells was also mentioned. “You know when it’s time to give back and donate,” one member said. The bells are supposed to inspire the passerby to place donations of cash and checks inside the trademark red kettles and give back to those in need.

One staff member of The Bell felt that giving back was a selfless act and something that they felt the same about all year.

Whether it is donating canned goods or old clothing items, volunteering is something that can be done at any time of the year.

This staff member felt that donating during the holidays seemed more of a requirement rather than a generous action. Other staff members discussed that their personal financial situations overshadowed their desire to spend money for the less fortunate.

They agreed that while volunteering is important, as a high school student, it is hard to put forth the time and the money.

As high school students, the Bell Staff agreed that it is difficult to take time out of their schedules and give back to the community, but the holidays are a time to celebrate, give thanks, and reflect. Consider giving what you can, and help spread the joy of the holiday season. The Bell Staff wishes everyone a happy holiday.

The articles on these pages do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment in a letter to the editor.

Editorial Cartoon

Staff Topic Vote Yes - 20 No - 7

Illustrated by freshman Daryl Gichui

Photo by Amanda Kovac

Let It Go and Let It Snow

The dinging of an alarm is mocking you.

Now, forcing your eyes to open, you shift over to turn it off. As you throw the covers off yourself you see a dull light fighting its way through your blinds. It`s a school day.

Then it hits you, the silence; there are just a few creaks here and there. There is a feeling in your gut and heart almost praying and hoping for something, snow.

You`re half awake but discover a new found energy as you scamper to the nearest window. It’s a gloomy morning with frost on the windows and a solid two inches or

so on the icy ground. The ding of an alert on your phone saying school is cancelled sounds like a choir of angels.

Back to bed you go. That’s how the average snow day starts for me. Depending on how dangerous the weather is, my family may plan a movie day with some close friends, I might walk to my friend’s house who lives right behind me to hangout, or just spend a lazy day at home.

Some people loathe snow days because of the added days at the end of the year. I think, however, that every once in a while, a break is good. Students need to rest their brains and scientists say that sleep and relaxing are the best ways to do that. Your brain needs time to absorb and remember the information you learned at school all that week. Snow days allow the needed rest.

I love waking up to a snow-covered ground all bundled up inside with warm foods and no schoolwork. Christmas cookies, soup, tea and hot chocolate are the perfect seasonal snacks to have while catching up on reading good books and TV shows. Then

Opinion 33 the sleepiness from the warm drink sets in leaving you a curled-up ball dozing off.

If anyone is going to help me support snow days it will be the seniors. Seniors do not have to make up snow days and therefore have nothing to worry about when the snow falls. When you’re a senior you’ll be wishing for snow days too and who wouldn’t? A nice warm, cozy house on a gray winters day, not cooped up in the classroom but rather in the comforts of your couch.

Then there is the bonus of family time. In the hustle and bustle of school and work, family time is rare. Waking up to be given the ability to be with my family is what I value most. Throughout the whole day, no matter what you’re doing you do it as a family and that’s important.

Snow days allow students to relax, go sledding with friends and family, to watch movies and play games, or just spend a day sleeping and relaxing. What`s not to like?

Pro/Con: Snow Days

Say No to Snow Days

Story by Annika Fuller

When we were in elementary school, snow days meant sledding, snowball fights, and building snowmen. However, as highschoolers, we usually end up in our pajamas all day, watching movies and doing homework that was due the same day, things we could have done on the weekend.

As high schoolers we are expected to continue our studies even on days we have off. Teachers still send us lessons we must complete on snow days, making these “off days” full of more work than we would have done at school.

Last year on one of our many snow days, I woke up around nine thinking of nothing but hot chocolate and movies. These thoughts were immediately crushed when I looked at my phone to see a Remind101 from one of my teachers, saying we had to read an article and answer comprehensive questions, making that snow day more work than I wanted it to be.

May I remind you that ACT and EOC testing dates don’t change. So while we were having an all right time at home doing nothing productive we could have been receiving valuable lessons on how to be prepared and ready for the tests that may or may not determine how our futures turn

out. When do we usually have snow days?

During the beginning of the new year, closest to these important tests. I need those days of teaching by my teachers so I can learn any last minute facts that may be on the tests.

Snow days happen in the middle of the school year when teachers administrators and students are still stressing over the year, meaning those days aren’t spent in total relaxation. Summer days, however, are spent with little to no thought of school giving us a whole new degree of relaxation we don’t experience during the school year.

Snow days take away those weeks of total relaxation and replace it with winter days that make our shoulders tense up thinking about what we will have to do for the next day of school.

It is universal knowledge that school is hard, tiring work. This fact should make you take stop crossing your fingers and toes in hope of a snow day and instead hope for school so we can have the full summer we were promised before Missouri decided to snow like we depend on it for our water supply. Say “no” to snow days and stay in school, kids.

Photo by Amanda Kovac

The anthem of summer break; the warmth of the sun on your face, the breeze caressing your cheeks and sleeping until the sun comes through your window. We always long for more days out of school as the next school year draws near, so why yearn for more snow days when they take away your glorious summer break?

Last year, LHS had eight snow days, which took away a week and three days from our summer break. I noticed when I was deprived of eight glorious days of sleeping until noon. I know the coldness of winter days make your bed look extremely friendly, but the way school feels when it is dark and gloomy outside makes the day go by fast. Teachers feel the same dull and drowsy feeling we do, making lesson plans slide into stories and class bonding time.

Story by Kasey Allshouse

Opinion 34

Beware the Grinches

When I think of the holiday season, the images that pop into my mind are Christmas trees, stockings, family and of course, food.

I think of happy things like Buddy the elf eating maple syrup and snowball fights. It seems as though it would be absolutely impossible to be in a bad mood this time of year, right? Wrong!

This time of year has me in my own little bubble of bliss. Apparently other people in

the world do not have the bubble, or it has been brutally popped.

I work at Famous Footwear, and never in my life have I been insulted multiple times in a row and gotten eyes rolled at me, as much as I have in the last month. A majority of the customers this time of year are coming in and shopping for the perfect Christmas present in the form of a pair of shoes.

I now visibly cringe when I can’t find the correct size of a shoe that a customer wants. I know this close to Christmas, the answers, “We don’t have that here,” or “There is nothing more I can do to help,” are inexcusable answers.

The moms with their children’s Christmas lists in hand might as well be shooting laser beams at me with their eyes with the look that I get when I utter any phrases even remotely negative.

This is nothing compared to what I witnessed at Home Depot one afternoon.

Amidst the giant tacky inflatable snowmen and the blindingly colorful Christmas lights, two adults stood in the aisle yelling about

Start It With a Party

Being totally frank, I love New Year’s Eve. Yeah sure, Christmas is awesome because of presents and Santa, but there is something uniquely special about New Year’s. It’s a restart, but also a time for each person to set their tone for the coming year.

For me, New Year’s has always meant being in the warm refuge of San Antonio, Texas counting down the seconds from thirty—the room becoming more and more excited as the seconds fall. My family’s

faces stick in my mind, smiles fill their faces and their voices get louder and louder as the seconds before the New Year get lower and lower. The room is set to a consistent crescendo. Finally, when the clock reaches 12:00 a.m. the new year begins.

All at once we shout, “Happy New Year!”

The shouts continue as we begin to embrace each other. My grandmother remarks on how old she feels having reached the new date.

My cousin complains that we should have flying cars because its (insert updated year here.) Silly string flies through the air; while my grandpa opens a bottle of champagne, launching the cork across the room and spilling some on the floor, but nobody is bothered because they have something else on their mind, fireworks.

Suddenly the party moves towards the door and rushes towards their stock of fireworks. Moments later the midnight sky is illuminated by every color imaginable.

We continue to embrace each other as roman candles turn the night blues and greens.

We sing along to the stereo as our rockets explode in shades of red and purple. I laugh

Editor in Chief

Editorial by Aly Copp which one of them needed the last faux mini Christmas tree on the shelf. It was an ugly little red monstrosity, but obviously it was the object between life and death for these two soccer moms. Soccer mom #1 exclaimed that she had gotten there first, therefore it was rightfully hers. Soccer mom #2 retaliated by saying she had been looking for this tree for the past two weeks therefore it would be going home with her. I was getting ready to go grab a tub of popcorn and a soda to watch the show when a manager came and calmed the pair down. I never did see who got the little red Christmas tree.

What I’m trying to say is that Christmas is not about shoes or little red Christmas trees.

It is about something so much more than that. What, you may ask? That is for you to decide. In the famous words of Buddy the Elf, “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear!”

Editor in Chief

Editorial by Zach Kilgas at my paranoid mother who carefully waves the sparkler away from her body. There’s something compelling about fireworks and everybody always joins in. Grandparents are young again while even the youngest of grandchildren is watching over them, yelling at them playfully to throw the smoke bomb before it begins its job.

The hours pass like minutes on New Year’s. We sport shorts and t-shirts in the warm Texas air. Usually around 4:30 a.m. the last of the fireworks have been blasted to smithereens, but no tears are shed. As we wander back into the house our goofy grins remain plastered to our faces.

To conclude the night, we talk, about anything and everything. We set goals for the New Year and ourselves. Finally, exhaustion washes over us and our beds call for us.

In my younger years, I asked my grandma why we stayed up so extremely late and did so much on New Years. She responded, “Zachary, you spend the year the way you start it, so why not start it with your family having a party?”

Closing The Book

It always shocks me how fast December approaches. Yet here we are again, about to close out the most recent chapter of our lives known as 2014.

I’d say this year has been a pretty big one for me. My little brother turned one, I got accepted into Missouri State and began my fourth and final year of high school.

As soon as the thought of this being my final year in high school entered my mind, a rush of emotions flooded through me.

Ads Manager

Editorial by Michael McHale I had never realized that the end of 2014 marks the end of so many different things.

Once 2015 hits, things will slowly but surely change for everybody. If you think this semester has flown by, just imagine how fast next semester will go.

I still can’t believe I’m a senior sometimes.

A few weeks ago in Advisory, my class sat in a circle and shared what our plans were after high school. After hearing everyone’s plans, it hit me. This would be the last year that we would all be together in Mrs. Stephens’ room.

I still remember walking into what was Liberty Junior High (now known as Heritage Middle School), knowing absolutely no one, feeling completely alone and nervous beyond belief. Little did I know that my four years in Liberty would fly by. Back then I was a clueless freshman. Here I am today as a reminiscent senior, ready to graduate and get out into this crazy yet amazing world.

I’m really happy with how far I’ve come this year. I managed to break out of my comfort zone a few times, I made some new friends,

A Little Jar of Moments

A few years ago on a December night over break, I was scrolling lazily through Pinterest, knowing I would probably never get around to making the custom candle holder that looked so pretty when someone else had done it. Boredom plagued me and kept me scrolling, until I found a project that changed my point of view.

The idea of this project was to write down all the good things that happened and put the slips of paper in a jar to crack open at the end of the year, as a reminder of all the little things that made you happy along the way. I

Opinion Opinion 35 27

and discovered a lot about who I am and what I want to do with my life.

My advice to all of you would be to let go of the past, but not completely abandon it. I know it seems easy to dwell on things in the past, but it’s not healthy. In order to grow up and move on, we have to be able to just let some things go.

With that being said, I also think it’s just as important to remember your past, because when you think about it, that’s your story, and no one has the right to tell it but you.

We’ve all made mistakes in the past, but even through the bad times we can find plenty of positives to help us grow, and I think that’s what life is all about.

So as we end the semester and 2014 comes to a close, I urge all of you to take some time to reflect on your year and get ready to hit the ground running in 2015. Be sure to keep in mind that just like C.S. Lewis once said, “There are far far better things ahead, than any we leave behind.”

Happy Holidays, Blue Jays!

Opinion Editor

fell in love with the idea of focusing on the little moments and not the stressful times, so on January 1, for my New Years resolution, I grabbed a mason jar from the kitchen and added some decorative tape (to make it a bit more interesting).

My fascination with the project lasted until May, when summer started and I forgot all about any responsibilities I had.

Even though I technically failed the project, since I only completed the first half of the year, on New Year’s Eve I was still able to look back on some of the best experiences of my time as a sophomore. I never attempted the project again, because I knew I would probably forget, but as the new year approaches, I can’t help but reflect on the highlights of my year. It’s made me realize that, though the jar was fun, I don’t need it. I can still remember little things that made me happy over the course of the year.

Some of those moments were really small, like getting to watch my cousins for a night, cuddling up on the couch and watching The Smurfs outsmart Gargamel, or getting an A on a test that I didn’t study for.

Other moments for me were huge. I got to

Editorial by Amanda Kovac

experience filling out a college application for the first time. I got a composite score of 25 on my ACT. I got to design posters that were hung around the school and, as a bonus, made for a great piece to add to my portfolio. While I was reminiscing, I noticed all of the little things were moments that helped me focus on the present, while, as a natural planner, all of my bigger moments tended to relate to my future.

As the year is coming to a close, I’m happy to have had so many little moments in my year but I can’t help but look forward to whatever new and special experiences 2015 holds. To be honest, I’m more excited than I am nostalgic about the end of 2014, with the promise of graduation in the spring and a new school in the fall, not to mention a few more moments to be shared with my family and friends.

While I have no intention of keeping another jar filled with small slips of paper, I plan to keep the positive experiences at the forefront of my mind.

With that being said, merry Christmas and happy New Year!

Editorial Photos by Amanda Kovac, Tara Prindle and Aly Copp

GAMES 36 8

6

5 1 9 10

4

2

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Holiday Word Search E G G N O G M O H A T I E

E D C V H I I S O D V L P

V E E T O F A L L C F Y H

O C M U H T N U L L N R A

T E I P O L V A Y R P R S

C M A Q H M U I M T O E E

D B S N O C C E M W V M G

M E M V G Q C I O V O A G

R R L W T H S E M A N N O

E W O R K S E R S Q U C S

I X R Q L I L A N R Y H L

N C U E C W N E V S Y R D

D D I P O T Z Q I S X I R

GAMES 37 E O T U A S Y M W G E S H

E A M A U A L T I M H T A

R I E S A O M V R R E M T

U T E E V U S U G T L A T

A G T E W T T N F U F S Z

M F U Q R H W C T B L T M

U P V G G T G D M E M D B

Z M R I A A R F I C C M K

T N L U I U E H W D H J G

S M I S T L E T O E S E H

W O O A M W N N S G I O I

Eggnog

Christmas

Light

Snowflake

Snowman

Santa

Tree

Elf

Green

Gift

Ho Ho Ho

Holly

Ornament

December

Sleigh

Love

Wish

Reindeer

Merry

Mistletoe

V C N V E K A L F W O N S

Blue Jays Earn Their Wings

Sports 38

Story and Photo by Addy Gray

The basketball team gives back to the community.

“Every time a bell rings, an Angel gets its wings.” Our Lady Jays Basketball team members are making some angels fly as they are one of the organizations that joined in on ringing bells for the Salvation Army and came together to give back for the holidays. The Red Kettle Christmas Campaign enables The Salvation Army to provide food, toys and clothing to over 6 million people during the Christmas season and helps more than 34 million Americans recovering from all kinds of personal disasters nationwide.

“Each year we want to give back to the community, and one of the ways we do that is working with the Salvation Army by bell ringing,” History teacher Zachary Werner said. “We have girls go to different locations throughout Liberty and ring bells to raise money and raise awareness for the fundraising opportunities and charities the Salvation Army supports. It is important we give back and that is one of the ways we do it.”

The Lady Jays rang bells in the first snowfall of the season while working their shifts in groups of three to four.

Although the weather did not cooperate

the way they would have liked, the girls seemed to still have a good time.

“It snowed a little the first part of our shift and we were all freezing, but toward the end we got used to it and it ended up being pretty fun,” freshman Sina Selepeo said.

The Salvation Army is just one of the few programs the Lady Jays get involved in throughout their basketball season.

“We also do Adopt a Family and we do the Mayors Christmas tree,” senior Chiarra Franklin said. “The Mayors Christmas Tree Foundation is where we will meet at the square and gather food to deliver to elderly people or people who can’t get out of their homes.”

One program the basketball girls will be involved in this year is the Sidekick Program. This program will match up each Lady Jay with an elementary “sidekick” to mentor and look over.

“Our new program this year is working with one of the elementary schools, to pair a student who may struggle in school with attendance or what ever it might be, with one of our older girls for them to have someone to look up to and mentor them,” Werner said.

These girls are working hard to

dominate the courts while making a difference in their hometown. The Lady Jays’ feel that giving back to the community is a very important part in their program and enjoy making a difference in peoples lives.

“It was a lot of fun, and definitely worth it,” junior Hanna O’Leary said.

“It feels good to help others and make a difference, also knowing you are helping make someone’s day is great.”

Junior Morgan Fleming, freshman Kayel Newland, sophomore McKenzie Hull and Junior Sydney Offield ring bells to raise money for Salvation Army.

Sports 39

Pasta Plates and gold medals Story by Tara Prindle

Photo by Bri Goszewski and Madi Hayter

An inside look on LHS sports traditions.

Each LHS team sport has diverse traditions that make the athletic program unique and special. It could go from eating pasta for a much needed win or a quick prayer before a game. Whether it is football, basketball, wrestling or swim, each sport has important superstitions and traditions that help the team not only win, but also bond together.

Football has a fun, yet simple tradition that helps them get focused and mentally prepared before the game, while still having fun together.

“For pregame, our kicking game goes out, then our passing game goes out, then as a whole team we go out for warm-ups. We go through all the situations that could happen during the game,” senior Coleman Howard said. “We always sing a song before where we repeat after a coach before we leave the locker room before every game.”

Women’s basketball has similar traditions to prepare for games.

“Before our games we hit the top of the doorway, we go warm up, go into our huddle and then we pray,” freshman Emilyn Richardson said. “The coaches take part. They’re the ones who motivate us to do this stuff. A coach once told me ‘a team that prays together stays together’.”

Some traditions can be as simple as eating a team meal together or doing secret Santa around the holidays.

“We have pasta parties the night before every [swim] meet. We also do secret [Santa] for our home meets, we draw names and we’ll get presents for everybody,” sophomore Mallory McGee said. “[And the] pasta parties help us win, it’s pretty beneficial.”

It’s very similar to what men’s basketball does for their traditions as well.

“For pre-game we all just sit there and Senior A.J Cambric goes up for a lay up during basketball practice.

On the left: Coach Estep talks to sophmore Brennen Hicks about what he should do in his next meet.

On the right: Junior Sydney Offield plays defense against Junior Hanna OLeary.

mentally prepare, a lot of guys listen to music, just get locked in for game time,” junior Vance Howerton said. “Throughout the season, we don’t do anything really special, besides team dinners, which is team bonding, I love bonding with the team and we do a gift exchange around Christmas.

It’s a running tradition, it’s really cool.”

For wrestling it isn’t always about what you do during the season, it’s the mentality they share with their teammates.

“We always get a workout in before we compete,” wrestling coach Mike Hammer said. “We always have pre-match warmups before we go. It’s just like in most sports where we go over our drills and try to stay warm.”

“We talk a lot about bonding and how we share a common goal. It’s not all about winning or losing; it’s about working very hard to be successful. So in a way, we bond in the mentality of the sport,” Hammer said.

It takes a good team to win matches and games, but it takes a great team to come together and play for each other.

Even though traditions might not necessarily help a team win, it does give them a better bond and better sense of connection with their team, which, in itself, is a win.

“We jump on top of each other in our huddle before the game to get pumped up before the game because we’re all brothers and we’re just out there to get a job done,” Howard said. “I don’t know if the traditions help you win, but it does give us a better sense of closeness with our team.”

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Sport

Womens Basketball

Sports schedule Event

December 19th - Febuary 5th

Lee’s Summit West Women’s Swim & Dive Blue Spring Invite Women’s Swim & Dive Indep. Invite (Dive) Wrestling Lee’s Summit Tourny Women’s Swim & Dive Indep. Invite (Dive) Women’s Swim & Dive LS North/ LNHS Jewell Tournament Men’s Basketball Women’s Swim & Dive COMO Invite Women’s Basketball Kearney Women’s Swim & Dive Park Hill/LNHS Wrestling Lee’s Summit North Men’s Basketball Blue Springs Women’s Basketball Staley Women’s Swim & Dive Northland Invite (Dive) Wrestling Liberty Tournament Women’s Swim & Dive Northland Invite (Swim) Women’s Swim & Dive Northland Invite (Swim) Women’s Basketball Ruskin Women’s Swim & Dive PH South/LNHS St.Joe Central Wrestling Women’s Basketball Park Hill Women’s Swim & Dive KC Invite (Swim) Men’s Basketball Lee’s Summit Women’s Swim & Dive KC Invite (Prelims) Women’s Swim & Dive KC Invite (Dive) Women’s Swim & Dive KC Invite (Finals) Wrestling Lincoln NE Tourny Wrestling BS South Tourny Men’s Basketball CW Stessman Invite LS North Tourny Women’s Basketball Truman Tourny Women’s Basketball Women’s Swim & Dive Blue Springs PH/Ray-Pec Tri Wrestling Wrestling Winnetonka Tourny Truman Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Park Hill Ruskin Wrestling Women’s Basketball St.Joe Central Women’s Swim & Dive Conference(S&D) Men’s Basketball Ruskin 810 Shootout Men’s Basketball Wrestling Liberty Tourny Women’s Basketball North KC Tourny Men’s Basketball Truman Wrestling Truman/LS Tri Wrestling PHS/ Oak Park Tri

Level Varsity Varsity Varsity

Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varstiy Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varstiy Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varstiy Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity Varsity

Location

Liberty HS Centennial Henley Lee’s Summit Henley Lee’s Summit Jewell MU Liberty HS Libery CC Liberty HS Blue Spring Staley Park Hill Liberty HS Gladstone Gladstone Ruskin Liberty CC Liberty HS Liberty HS Henley Liberty HS Henley Henley Henley Lincoln NE BS South Liberty HS LSN Truman Centennial Liberty HS Tonka Liberty HS Liberty HS Ruskin St. Joe Henley Ruskin Municipal Liberty HS NKC Liberty HS Truman Liberty HS

Time& Date 5:30 pm 12/19

4:00pm 12/19 4:00pm 12/19 TBA 12/19-20 10:15am 12/20 TBA 12/22 TBA 12/26-30 9:30am 1/3 5:30pm 1/5 4:30pm 1/6 5:00pm 1/7 5:30pm 1/8 5:30pm 1/8 4:00pm 1/9 5:00pm 1/10 8:00am 1/10 1:30pm 1/10 5:30pm 1/12 4:30pm 1/13 5:00pm 1/14 5:30pm 1/15 4:00pm 1/15 5:30pm 1/16 4:00pm 1/16 8:30am 1/17 1:30pm 1/17 TBA 1/16- 17 8:00am 1/17 TBA 1/19-23 TBA 1/19-23 TBA 1/19-24 3:30pm 1/20 5:00pm 1/21 TBA 1/23-24 5:30pm 1/26 5:30pm 1/27 5:00pm 1/27 5:30pm 1/29 4:00pm 1/29 5:30pm 1/30 1:00pm 1/31 TBA 1/30-31 TBA 2/2-6 5:30pm 2/3 5:00pm 2/3 5:00pm 2/5

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Chiarra franklin Story by Jeffrey Walters

Photo by Desiree Johnson

“It’s so fast pased that you don’t have time to care if you’ve messed up or have time to celebrate. I love them [Teammates and Coaches]; I think we have an amazing team and we’re really close. [Traditions] I always eat 5 almonds before every game because my number is five. I started the tradition last year because I ate 5 almonds and then had a really good game so I continued it for every game.”

-Senior Chiarra franklin said.

“Chiarra is a hard worker on and off the court, on the court she always gives 110% she pushes everyone else around her and she’s always a positive leader.

Off the court she works really hard in school and she’s a good influence and drives people to do the best in school and the best in the community. I’m just really proud of Chiarra and all that she’s accomplished. I know she’s going to go really far.”

-Junior Sydney Offield said.

Senior Basketball Position: Small Forward Height: 5'7" Favorite Food: Crab

“I’ve coached Chiarra for four years. She’s just a hard working player that I’ve coached, she works diligently on the court to get better in all areas of her game.

She is involved in activities of the court.”

-JV Coach Zach Werner said.

Mason Stirtz Story by Jenna Spence

Photo by Arley Emery

“I have been playing basketball ever since first grade. [I think my coach being my dad affects me]. Positively because he pushes me harder than most people. I could see how people might view this a bad thing, but they don’t.

Everyone is supportive about it. Some one that I did look up to is Kellan Turner, but he graduated. I think I play one of the big leaders on the team. I need to lead and help the team as much as I can. It’s kind of a team leadership between me and a bunch of guys in my grade.”

-Junior Mason Stirtz said.

“Mason is a leader. He leads by example, so if you need help with something, Mason is always a good guy to watch. He executes, and he’s always doing the right thing. Off the court, he’s easy to talk to. We’ve become close over the years. He’s a nice guy, and he won’t make you mad. He’s a good guy to talk to.”.”

-Junior Joe Kinder said.

“I am proud of him like all the other guys he has put in a lot of work and time this offseason to make himself a better athlete in the weight room and with conditioning he’s had a ball in his hand a lot as far as getting shots in and working on some shooting and skill development he has a long way to go but he’s made some good strides and we’re proud of him and I think he’s going to have a good season, we need him to have a good season for him to be successful, I think he has a chance!”

-Varsity Basketball Coach Roger Stirtz said.

Junior Basektball Position: Shooting Guard Height: 6'2" Favorite Food: Tacos

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Mckenzie Hull

Story by Jeffrey Walters

Photo by Madi Hayter

“I love this sport because it’s a great way to meet a great group of people, and it keeps me grounded and humble. [My teammates] They help keep me up when I’m down there very encouraging.”

-Sophomore Mckenzie Hull said.

“I love playing with McKenzie Hull. She’s an amazing worker. She’s improved so much since her freshman year and worked really hard this summer on her shot and I think that she’s going to impress a lot of people and is going to have a huge impact on the team and I am very proud of her.”

-Junior Sydney Offield said.

“McKenzie is just a really hard working kid. She’s really bought into the system and understands her role on the team. She’s someone we look to, to score a lot, the first two games she’s averaging 16 points. She’s played really big inside for us, off the court she’s a hilarious kid, she’s fun to be around. She’s just a great teammate to have.”

-Girls Basketball Head Coach Noah Simpson said.

Sophomore Basketball Position: Forward Height: 6'2" Favorite Food: Spaghetti

Jalen Lewis

Story by Jenna Spence

Photo by Bri Goszewski

“I was very surprised when I found out I was going to be playing varsity. I found out the week of the tenth [of November]. All of my teammates are really nice.

I like them all. I look up to everybody. A goal for me is to win state this year.

I want to play basketball after high school. I don’t have any scholarships yet, though.”

- freshman Jalen Lewis said.

“He’s a good basketball player. He plays hard, he shoots very well, and he’s a good teammate. Off the court, he’s a good friend and he looks out for others.

He puts others ahead of himself. He’s just a really good person. He has a lot of athletic ability.”

-Freshman Jeremiah Garrett said.

Freshman Basketball Position: Point guard Height: 5'8" Favorite Food: Pasta

“On the court, Jalen is a very talented and skilled athlete. Jalen wants to be very successful, so when he combines his solid work ethic and good talent, the chances for being an elite player are increased. He has a strong desire to win. I have high expectations but I also understand he will go through a learning curve.

My goal for Jalen, like all our players, is that he maximizes his abilities and talents.”

-Varsity Basketball Coach Roger Stirtz said.