February Issue 2021

The

February 2021

Bell

Volume 97, Issue 5

Liberty High School lhsnews.net

Contents

Letter from the Editor

Staff

Editor-in-Chief & Ads Manager

Regan Johnston

Managing Editor & Copy Editor

Emma Stauffer

Online Manager & Indepth Editor

Paige Hodges

Opinion & A&E Editor

Derek Katzer

News & Co-Sports Editor

Caty Franklin

Asst. Copy, Features & Co-Sports Editor Spotlight Editor

Sarah Blankenship Ethan Atkins

Reporters Lejla Aganovic DJ Binns Lucas Kilgore Alex Klein

Ari Revella Lucia Umbreit Sadie Watkins

Photo Jay

Editor-in-Chief

Charlene Nguyen

Section Editor

With another semester gone and a new year ahead, The Bell decided to take a look at some programs at LHS, both old and new.

LHS and LNHS speech and debate students were busy hosting the yearly Liberty Classic Invitational (Page 6). This year the Invitational looked a little different because most of the competition took place digitally due to COVID-19. They hosted around 962 students from every single high school in the Kansas City Metro area and even a few schools out of state.

The school prepared to start a micro-school program for next year called EDGE (Page 8). EDGE is a school within a school designed for students who want to solve problems and leave a positive impact on their community, country or even the world.

Students who join EDGE will learn common-core materials like math, science, history and English while solving different problems in the community.

Sophomore Sam Bruvsen and junior Kegan Maynor worked on starting their Intramural Volleyball team (Page 22). Anyone can join the team. They meet mornings from 7-8 a.m. and the schedule for when they meet in February can be found on page 22.

Not only did The Bell look at programs around the school, we also researched some of the key differences between protesting and rioting (Pages 14-17). The Bell feels it is important for people to know the distinction between these two, following the storming of the Capital on Jan. 6.

The school’s staff and students are not the only ones focusing on improvement. Now that we’re in a new semester, The Bell leadership team decided to do some reflecting on what makes a successful student, or a successful person in general. The team came up with three different necessities: finding ways to stay motivated, learning skills that you will use for the rest of your life and setting goals for yourself, and not being afraid to achieve them (Page 18).

With all of these new programs and supportive school staff, there are many opportunities for students to succeed while going into this second semester.

Hattie Ludwig

Photographers Julissa Balderas Kendin Bittiker Richard Burns Chloe Gerardy Nicholas Dillon Kalea Faubion Katie Glasford Claire Hamilton Santana Hiatt Bianca Jackson JP Ngugi

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The Bell

Brynna Namanny Brenna Oxley Collin Parker Dhanita Patel Henley Schmalz-Turner Erynn Sly Aidan Thieme Emra Tmusic Aidan Waggoner

February 2021

Contents

On the Cover

Varsity sapphire and sophomore Olivia DiGiovanni dances at halftime at the men’s basketball game on Jan 21. DiGiovanni has danced for 12 years at Stars Unlimited and was on varsity her freshman year. “At first it was definitely a lot and overwhelming, DiGiovanni said. “Trying to balance studio and sapphires, I was able to adapt more, though it was a lot of hard work and practice.”

Photo by Claire Hamilton

Contents

Features

06

What’s the Big Debate?

Reported by Lucas Kilgore

News

08

On the EDGE of Something New

Reported by Sadie Watkins

06

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Spotlights

10 11

13

Photo by Henley Schmalz-Turner

Freshman Brodie Foster Reported by Ari Revella

Sophomore Olivia DiGiovanni Reported by Sarah Blankenship

12

Junior Theo Bonney-Kwofie

13

Senior Amber Mears

Reported by Lejla Aganovic

Reported by DJ Binns

Contents

lhsnews.net

3

Contact Us Design by Aryonna Straws

Want more stories? Check out The Bell’s website at lhsnews.net or scan the QR code below.

Liberty High School 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068 Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston (816) 448-1272

rjoh3357@lps53.org

Adviser Jamie Gumina (816) 736-5353

jamie.gumina@lps53.org

Twitter @TheLHSBell Online lhsnews.net

Questions, Comments or Concerns?

If you have questions, comments, concerns or a topic you want The Bell to respond to, write a letter to the Editor.

Your letter must be a maximum of 250 words and appropriate for an underage audience.

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

Submit your letter to:

Opinion Editor

Derek Katzer dkat7119@lps53.org or

Editor-in-Chief

Regan Johnston rjoh3357@lps53.org

Newsbrief

Check out the Academic Fair

Available on the LHS website, students and parents can view information about the various classes available for next school year. Scan the QR code below to go directlty there.

Photo Courtesy of LHS Website

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Contents

Contents

InDepth

14

Where’s the Line?

Reported by Derek Katzer

Opinion

18

A Man of Focus/ #JournalismMatters

Opinions by Regan Johnston & Emma Stauffer

19

Write it down, you might just achieve it

Opinion by Paige Hodges

14

Photo by Hattie Ludwig

A&E

20

Candy for All Occasions

Reported by Regan Johnston

Sports

20

22

Bump, Set, Spike

Reported by Lucia Umbreit

Photo by Charlen e Nguyen

Contents

lhsnews.net

5

Features

What’s the Big Debate?

A look at the 2021 Liberty Classic Invitational.

Reported by Lucas Kilgore

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

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Features

Design by Sarah Blankenship

Competitive theatre and debate has been a staple of many high schools across the country for a very long time. Over the weekend Jan 15 and 16, Liberty and Liberty North came together to host a virtual competitive theatre and debate tournament called the Liberty Classic Invitational in the new LHS Fine Arts wing.

“The Liberty Classic Invitational is the largest speech and debate tournament held in the state of Missouri year to year and is one of the largest tournaments held under a single roof in the United States,” debate teacher Timothy Baldwin said. “This year, we’ll host the largest virtual high school debate tournament in Missouri.”

Due to safety concerns, this regional tournament was held online. It includes schools from inside and outside Missouri.

With 52 schools within the region, every single high school in the Kansas City Metro area competed. 962 students competed in the tournament, which included competitive theater, debate and speech.

It was all virtual, which posed some interesting challenges like communication and organization.

“Because the tournament is held virtually, it can be difficult to coordinate judges and competitors to ensure that we are on time,” Baldwin said.

Photo by Hattie Ludwig

Features

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Liberty hosted the debate events and Liberty North hosted the speech events.

The debate events included Policy Debate, Public Forum Debate and LincolnDouglas Debate. There were multiple competitive theater options like dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation and duos, which are more like stories.

The tournament had to be broken up to ensure there was a smooth competition for the 1,000 students who prepared using a new method due to the size of the event.

“Usually there are multiple days,” sophomore Molly Bearce said. “A lot of times Friday into Saturday. If you make it into semi-finals, the next day you will usually compete again.”

With such a crazy year, this tournament had to change. Due to hundreds of resilient students and staff, these events could go on. With seven rounds of competition, organization is difficult. Students were broken up into multiple teams to judge, monitor rooms and keep track of every event and individual round.

“We ended up recruiting just a little bit over 700 judges,” Fine Arts teacher Mick Turpin said. “Trying to communicate and facilitate a tournament through a screen as opposed to just having hundreds and hundreds of people in your building was extremely difficult.”

These challenges made students and staff think creatively. Safety was the number one concern on everyone’s mind and this tournament is no different, especially being the largest tournament in Missouri.

“Communication is really hard,” senior Regan Mills said. “You have to communicate with the judges we recruited and you also have to communicate with all the competitors and their coaches. Getting everyone to their rounds at the right time is

the hard part.”

This competition was an opportunity for students, teachers, competitors and all parties involved to learn.

“When we started round one, on Friday, it was definitely a learning experience for everyone,” Turpin said. “The only reason we were able to make it through the entire weekend was because of our students on the team. We had some great upperclassmen leaders that put a lot of great systematic things in place.”

This was the largest tournament in the State, and it was run by a small number of students and staff.

“The time we finished on Saturday was one of the earliest finish times I’ve ever seen as a coach,” Turpin said. “The kids did it really well.”

Overall the tournament was a success, in the eyes of the students. Their hard work paid off, and they are proud. Hopefully the success from this tournament inspires more students to branch out and try competitive theatre and debate. To learn more, students can contact Mick Turpin or Tim Baldwin to get involved.

“If I had to change something it would be over communication,” Turpin said. “It was hard to plan ahead because we had never done it before and we had no idea what to expect or how to practice for it with real people, with real software in real time. Now going through it I think we would have a better idea of what to plan for and what to communicate out now knowing what this looks like. We still held the largest tournament in the State, and that’s something I think a lot of the kids are proud of.”

The Liberty debate team displays trophies from previous tournaments in the new debate room. (Bottom left) Junior Keegan Watkins and senior Olivia Sherman take notes in debate class. (Top right) Senior Aryana Yazdi actively listens as Mr. Tim Baldwin lectures.

Features

lhsnews.net

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News

On the EDGE of Something New

LHS unveils a new microschool, all about humanitarian and student focused learning.

Reported by Sadie Watkins

Design by Caty Franklin

lllEDGE is a brand new microschool starting at both LHS and LNHS for students who want to “earn credit and learn through real-world experiences,” Serena Comegys, EDGE ELA teacher said.

EDGE stands for Empowering Discovery of the Global Experience and is a new micro-school that focuses on humanitarian issues through project-based learning. This microschool will be held in the new wing called The View. All four of the core classes necessary for EDGE learners will be held in the new wing: math, english, social studies and science.

Photos by Hattie Ludwig

lllElectives taken outside of the microschool will be a choice of the student, but the core classes taken inside will be connected to the current issue the student is studying.

“It’s a global microschool that gives interdisciplinary learning opportunities,” Comegys said. “So instead of having all of your core classes separate, you’re learning things all at the same time and learning how different content areas connect in real life.”

Students will be assigned globallyfocused topics such as climate change, or access to clean water to help students immerse themselves in the subject matter.

Students will study the topic in-depth then

create a solution to the problem and take action. The humanitarian issues will be chosen from the UN’s 17 sustainable goals which are selected with the goal of creating a “blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all,” according to the UN. “Students will dig into this and investigate on local, state, national and global platforms,” Comegys said. “As they do that they determine what action they can take to make a difference. So they might write a letter to the school district, it might be a TedTalk, some sort of call to action that identifies a specific problem that proposes a resolution.”

Students will be part of a village which is several different communities within EDGE with a teacher who helps lead and organize students. They will meet with these students every day to help plan out their week and projects.

“Every student will be placed in a village with the same needs and interests, not only to create bonding and fun but to have the teacher assigned to help you schedule and organize,” assistant principal Sara Wickham said. “Students will have a bit more autonomy in planning their day.”

EDGE was inspired by other schools with similar goals such as High Tech High in San Diego, Think Global in NYC and KM Global

The View, which replaced the old fine arts wing, opened early January. With many open spaces, like different conference rooms and the eSports room, the View brings a space for more collaboration in the school.

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News

News

in Wisconsin. The organizers of the new microschool visited and took note of several different ways these schools worked and brought them together to form EDGE. But the other schools came at a cost, some upwards of $94,000 a year, and that brought up a new objective for LHS’s version.

“The challenging thing about that school is that it comes with a really challenging price tag,” Wickham said. “One of the things we are super excited about is that it’s a public school option and that you don’t have to pay a big price tag to participate in it. Our goal is to provide it for students who want to experience it.”

The 2021-2022 school year will be the first year of EDGE and staff and students are excited for a new start.

“I am really excited and passionate about EDGE,” Elise Carpenter, the EDGE science teacher said. “I think it’s going to be a great opportunity for those who like to take charge of their own learning and who are interested in making an impact.”

EDGE is looking for self-motivated students who want to take charge of their learning and are willing to make a difference in their community and possibly internationally. EDGE is looking for about 120 students split between LHS and LNHS. There are plenty of goals EDGE has set out

for its students, including networking and broadening options after high school.

“Hopefully students will feel like this is a relevant and engaging learning experience,” Wickham said. “Here’s an opportunity to personalize and focus on issues they’re passionate about. And weave in choices in different ways with how you’re learning. Sometimes we don’t have enough opportunity in school to connect experiences and professionally network and have to do different things, and one of our goals is to provide those opportunities.”

Freshman Madigan Reynolds has applied to the microschool and is very excited about this new start.

“I think growing up in the 21st century has opened kids up to be actively involved in the problems that constantly change our world and I think the idea of doing things that may make an actual difference is super inspiring,” Reynolds said. “I also love the flexibility and the independence that comes with the micro-school idea, because not only are you building problem-solving skills, or building knowledge, but you’re also building self-sufficiency skills.”

Overall, EDGE is a new experience for students who want to make a difference

in not only their community but possibly nationally. Applications were due Feb. 1, 2021, and all information is on the high school website.

Want to learn more about Edge?

News

lhsnews.net

9

Spotlight Freshman

Brodie Foster

Foster shares how he’s kept busy during quarantine.

Reported by Ari Ravella Design by Ethan Atkins and Emma Stauffer

It could be said that freshman Brodie Foster had quite the interesting summer, as he spent a chunk of it in Europe. His family had traveled to Germany to visit extended family, when the United States cancelled all flights to the U.S. His trip to Germany helped him pursue taking German for the foreseeable future, and possibly pursue taking the biliteracy test for German later on. While staying at his uncle’s house waiting for the clear to fly back to America, urgency was rising from his friends.

“I was getting texts from people saying ‘are you stuck there? Oh my god, you’re going to be stuck there for months and months,’ and I just responded with, ‘no, it’s going to be fine,’” Foster said. “We had family living in Germany, so we weren’t worried about it. We didn’t have to pay for a hotel the entire time.”

When Foster was eventually able to get back to the United States, things didn’t go in his favor.

“We had to quarantine for two weeks whenever we came back from Germany, and then my mom got COVID-19, so then I quarantined again, so I did pretty much nothing for about five weeks,” Foster said.

Him and his mom eventually decided to try to break from that boredom by trying out pickleball.

“We went there almost every night for an hour or two,” Foster said. “It was just a hobby, my mom saw a pickleball set on Amazon that had two paddles and a few balls. She got into it more than I did, so she bought herself a fancy racket.”

Freshman Avery Branson has been close friends with Foster since seventh grade, and has personality down to a tee.

“He’s definitely a very hands-on type of person,” Branson says, “He is obviously

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Photo by Katie Glasford

really smart. He’ll tell you why he’s right and why you’re wrong. He’s very straight-forward, he’s not going to mess around. We’re very close, and he knows exactly what I need to hear when I’m overwhelmed. He’s just a very good friend.”

ELA teacher Brain Gehrlein expresses how much of a dedicated student he is, and what he considers Foster’s best qualities.

“He’s very insightful, he’s got a great sense of humor, he’s very personable and fun in class, he works really hard and he cares a lot about doing his best in this class,” Gehrlein said. “He pushes himself, he studied real hard for the quizzes he did, so he’s a wicked student. He’s a goober, in a fun way.”

Spotlight

Foster Playing Pickleball

Photo by Dhanita Patel

Sophomore

Olivia DiGiovanni

DiGiovanni expresses her passion and love for dance.

Reported by Sarah Blankenship

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight. The sound of little girls dancing fills the studio room. All of them not knowing dance will soon become a huge part of their lives, like sophomore Olivia DiGiovanni.

Hardwork and dedication comes easy for DiGiovanni. She has been dancing for 12 years and intends to pursue her passion of dance through college.

“I dance for the Sapphires and I dance

for a studio, Stars Unlimited,” DiGiovanni said. “It allows me to stay active and stay physical to get a good workout. It also allows me to escape the stress of everything else going on.”

DiGiovanni pushed herself during tryouts her freshman year and she made varsity for the Sapphires. With only three to four freshman making it each year on varsity, it’s a win for her.

“At first it was definitely a lot and overwhelming,” DiGiovanni said. “Trying to balance studio and Sapphires, I was able to adapt more. It was a lot of hard work and practice, but it definitely paid off.”

DiGiovanni’s determination was noticed by her friend, sophomore Rachel Homoly who she met in fifth grade and became closer once they got to high school. Now they are inseparable best friends.

“She is passionate and dedicated to the things she loves and always gives it her all,” Homoly said. “She stays motivated and is always up for trying new things to better herself. She is uplifting and encouraging and will always be there for you when you need it.”

Spotlight

With all of the stress DiGiovanni has faced, she has still achieved great awards when dancing with the Sapphires.

“Going to Nationals for Sapphires last year will be something I never forget,” DiGiovanni said. “We got second which is a huge deal competing against all of those teams because we didn’t have a name for ourselves since the competition is so big.

We also won State last year.”

Math teacher Morgan Perkins has caught sight of what good she can do for others.

“The care, kindness and support that she shows to everyone around her is unmatchable,” Perkins said. “While there is so much divide in our country, I continue to see Olivia being a light to those around her. Honestly, if everyone showed the compassion that Olivia does, our country would be in a much better place.”

Even though she has to juggle multiple classes of studio and Sapphires, dance isn’t the only activity DiGiovanni partakes in at school. She is also part of The Spectator yearbook.

“It’s my first year on staff, so I’m only a reporter,” DiGiovanni said. “I plan on being on staff next year, as well. I like that I can be involved with the school and go and report on topics that I didn’t know were happening within the school.”

DiGiovanni has stayed motivated to accomplish great things and Perkins sees a bright future for her.

“Olivia will be able to accomplish anything she sets her mind to and puts her heart into in the future,” Perkins said. “She has the work ethic and drive to get her to wherever she wants to go in the future. I’m excited to follow her journey.”

Check out the LHS Sapphires on Twitter

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

Spotlight

lhsnews.net

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Spotlight Junior

Theo Bonney-Kwofie Bonney-Kwofie describes his plans for the future and his plans to achieve them.

Reported by Lejla Aganovic Design by Ethan Atkins and Emma Stauffer

The scratch of a pencil on paper.

Equations extending as far as the eye can see. The tick of a clock looming in the background. While this situation may sound stressful, it is in moments such as these that junior Theo Bonney-Kwofie can work on math, a subject that he is skilled at and truly enjoys.

“I enjoy the fact that there’s one right answer,” said Bonney-Kwofie. “You’re either right or you’re not, and it’s fun to me to figure out what is right.”

Bonney-Kwofie has always wanted to enter a career in the math field, which has steadily risen as executives in influential companies stress the importance of analyzing data and risks. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment is expected to grow 27 % from 2019 to 2029. Bonney-Kwofie plans to benefit from this and become an actuary, someone who uses math and statistics to analyze financial risks for companies.

“I enjoy math and it’s a good career choice in terms of going into the math field,” said Bonney-Kwofie.

Actuaries must earn a Bachelor’s Degree with a major in mathematics, actuarial science, economics or business before taking the ten certification exams at various stages in their career. Bonney-Kwofie was drawn to the idea of becoming an actuary due to its salary, simple structure and worklife balance.

“Later in life, I will hopefully have a family and I would like to be able to spend time with them outside of work,” said Bonney-Kwofie. “Family is important to me.”

Likewise, Bonney-Kwofie feels motivated to do well in school because he knows that he must earn good grades to get into a good school and become an actuary.

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Photo by Kalea Faubion

Although his parents are strict, Bonney-Kwofie has found that their encouragement is a driving factor behind his desire to have a successful career.

“My parents made me want to become successful, and I happened to stumble upon the idea of becoming an actuary, which I liked,” said Bonney-Kwofie.

Moreover, Bonney-Kwofie has always performed well in math classes, finding it to be an enjoyable and stimulating subject.

Mathematics teacher Matt Kiser taught Bonney-Kwofie in Advanced Algebra II as well as in Advanced Pre-Calculus.

“Theo is a very strong math student and he has a very strong work ethic,” said Kiser.

“He always makes sure assignments are done in a timely fashion as to understand the material.”

Bonney-Kwofie works hard to pay attention in class and avoids procrastination for major assignments and tests by thinking of a definite future as an actuary and the approval of his parents.

“I don’t want to disappoint my parents,” said Bonney-Kwofie. “They’ve been really open. For whatever career I would like, they make sure that I focus on my studies and keep good grades.”

Bonney-Kwofie perseveres through struggles by maintaining a positive outlook and a great attitude toward others. One of

Spotlight

his friends, junior Jacob Tatum, believes that Bonney-Kwofie is a great person and a hard worker.

“The best thing about Theo is how he always spreads his good attitude to everyone around him,” Tatum said. “I think he’s a great student, too. He does what he’s told, knows how to do his work and does it well.”

Bonney-Kwofie hopes to go to college at Purdue, Drake or New York University, who offer great mathematical and actuarial science programs, as well as connections with the working industry. Whether he’s in the workfield or devoting time to his family, Bonney-Kwofie is guaranteed to leave an impact on those around him.

Photo by Kalea Faubion

Senior

Amber Mears

After breaking her hand, Mears is finally back to playing the game she loves. ff

Reported by DJ Binns

Senior Amber Mears has played basketball since she was eight years old, and it has been a passion of hers ever since.

Mears had to stop playing in December due to fracturing her hand during a rebound.

“I was heartbroken, it was like a piece of me was not there,” Mears said.

Though Mears struggled with not being

able to play basketball, she has not lost confidence in the game. Matt Kiser, a math teacher of Mears for two years, is very impressed with her growth in the classroom.

“I taught Amber in Advanced Algebra II last year and now she is in my College Algebra class as a senior,” Kiser said.

“Amber has become a more confident student this year compared to last year.”

She has continued to go to games for six weeks and cheer on her teammates until she is able to play again.

“She makes sure to come to every workout and event we have even when she couldn’t play,” senior Aryonna Straws said.

Mears took part in many more activities at LHS, such as basketball, soccer and student council.

Mears doesn’t have much free time, but she enjoys it when she can.

“I hangout with my friends or listen to music,” Mears said.

Even though she doesn’t have a lot of extra time, she enjoys being busy.

“I have been busy, with only one day a week as a break since kindergarten,”

Spotlight

Mears said.

Straws had met her when Mears transferred from private school in their sophomore year, and admires her optimism.

“She was so positive, we met at a basketball workout,” Straws said. “She was a little shy and had a perky soul.”

Straws has continued to enjoy playing basketball with Mears.

“It is fun being on the same team, I don’t know what I would do without her,” Straws said. “She is so positive and uplifting.”

Mears was very disapointed to be unable to play the game she loves with the team she loves.

“I had worked so hard months before and during drill practice,” Mears said. “So it felt like all of my effort went to waste.”

However, she continued to be as positive and supportive as posible.

“I did everything I could to support my team until I returned,” Mears said.

While Mears was away healing, her teammates and coach supported her.

“When I came back to playing they helped me, due to it being hard to get back into the schedule of practices,” Mears said.

This has been a difficult year and basketball season for Mears. However, she continues to persevere, practice harder and support those around her while remaining her positive self.

Visit the LHS Basketball Website by Scanning this QR Code

Photo by Henley Schmalz-Turner

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lhsnews.net

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Where’s the Written by Derek Katzer Photos by Kage Lenger

?

Line

Designed and edited by Paige Hodges

It’s time we change the way we change the world.

“C

ongress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances” – The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. The five freedoms: speech, religion, press, assembly and the right to petition the government. Liberties that make all U.S. citizens, regardless of age, race, or preferred political party, the freest in the world. The First Amendment protects individuals’ right to pray in schools or work, to report news, and express views through peaceful protests and assemblies. However, recent demonstrations have caused many to speculate what is considered the appropriate way to protest. Leaving Americans to wonder, where’s the line?

Protesting v. Rioting

Protesting is a fundamental right guaranteed by the First Amendment. By definition, MerriamWebster states that a protest is “an usually organized public demonstration of disapproval.”

Protesting allows the citizens the right to hold the government or whomever accountable and peacefully bring attention to problems they want addressed.

But this freedom does come with restrictions. For example, protesters can not yell threats or phrases that incite imminent violence, or conduct protests that pose serious traffic safety. Individuals can not protest on private property without permission, and need a permit for large gatherings that require sound amplification (people can protest, without permits, on sidewalks at any time).

Demonstrator calls for justice during national Black Lives Matter protest movement, sparked in the days after an unarmed George Floyd was killed by police in Minneapolis last May.

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InDepth

Have you particpated in a protest or demonstration?

“Protesting is an inalienable right, recognizd by the Constitution.

RIOTING is a crime. Referring to rioters as protesters infers that their actions aren't criminal when, in fact, they are. When law enforcement professionals take action against protesters then we are seen as government agents oppressing the people.”

- Sophomore Sutton Richardson

81 out of 104 say “yes”

11 out of 20

students used the words “violence” or “destruction” to describe protesting

23 out of 104

say “no”

“Protesting is showing a display of opinion without causing violence.

Everyone has the right to peacefully protest regardless of what the matter is as long as it remains peaceful. Rioting is when violence is intended and actions are being done against authority. For example, there is a difference between taking a knee during the national anthem or marching in a street and storming a federal capital building.” - Senior Amy Hirsch “A protest is a peaceful assembly between people to make their voices heard and known. Whenever property is damaged, a person is damaged, or any other violent activity occurs it becomes an unlawful gathering, i.e a riot.”

- Junior Aiden Norris

12 out of 20

students used the word “peaceful” or “respectful” to describe protesting

Protester kneels in front of J.C. Nichols fountain in protest, holding a sign quoting the words of Martin Luther King Jr. to remind onlookers of the infamous incidents effects on the nation.

InDepth

lhsnews.net

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In addition, protesters cannot counterprotest in a way that violates another group’s space or safety, which includes blocking walking space or entrances or do anything considered vandalism or looting.

“As individuals, you have the right to voice your opinion, you have the right to hold up signs, you have the right to march in the street,” licensed Attorney Kierra Moody said.

It is imperative that demonstrators stay within their rights, otherwise their actions can be counterproductive or cause legal consequences. As Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. once said, “The right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.” The line is drawn between your protected rights and others begins, so when one crosses the line they are infringing upon someone else’s rights.

“Instead of letting the anger turn into something nasty; I just continued to use

kindness instead,” 2020 graduate Jayda Heater said. Heater was a participant in the national BLM protests during the summer of 2020. “By being peaceful along with all

“

The Right to swing my fist ends where the other man’s nose begins.

- Oliver Holmes

”

the other protesters, we were able to make a bigger impact…When we were all calm and peaceful, the power behind our chants intensified. You could feel the emotion and the strength that everyone had.”

Protests are not without anger or frustration. People march because they want change; they dislike the status quo.

They want

their elected officials to listen to their voices, the voices of their constituents, and make change.

“Protesting equals a call for justice, a call for accountability for any wrongful actions, and in many cases a demand for legislative changes,” Moody said. “That’s what protesting means to me. Rioting on the other hand is mass chaos and the purpose of a riot is to cause fear. It’s a disturbance of the law and a disturbance of the peace.

To me, there is no end goal of a riot. It just creates mass destruction.”

Use Your Voice

Remaining silent is contributing to the problem and without those who have chosen to speak up, the country’s current state would be completely different.

Throughout American history, peaceful protesting has been utilized to advocate for real change. The protests from these past few years have already proven to be just as influential. Americans have power—when they see injustice they can stand up and speak out against it.

“One of the homeowners in the neighborhood I was running in called the cops because I looked ‘suspicious’,” Heater said. “A cop car rolled up next to me and stopped me then asked me what I was doing in the neighborhood. The fact I had to explain to him that I lived a few blocks away and was just heading home from a run changed my perspective entirely. It opened my eyes to other injustice in the world.”

After national Black Lives Matter protets, a multitude of change has been made.

Conversation has been sparked across the nation, corporations—Target, Google, Netflix, etc—made statements and officers involved in shootings were charged. Most of all, Minneapolis, Washington, DC, Chicago and Denver have banned the use of chokeholds. These are just some examples of how “using your voice” can create change.

There are many ways to create non-violent resistance. Actions the country’s future depends on.

A protester stands in solidarity with other demonstrators across the nation standing against police brutality. Protests were the weekend of May 29 and held in the Country Club Plaza of Kansas City. “The power and unity that people showed, while protesting, made me want to continue to protest and fight for what is right,” Heater said.

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The Bell

February 2021

InDepth

Peaceful Protests That Led to Social and Political Changes 1955

Montgomery bus boycott — caused a ruling by the

1960

Greensboro & Nashville Sit-ins — college students

1963

March on Washington — led to the famous “I Have A

2003

Iraq war Protest — It’s known as the biggest protest in

2018

March for Our Lives — high school students pushed

Supreme Court that segregation on public buses was unconstitutional. successfully desegregated downtown lunch counters

Dream” speech and helped the Civil Rights Movement gain support from many white Americans. world history.

lawmakers to turn over 280 gun safety bills into law and the turnout among young people, ages 18–29, rose to 31% in the 2018 election (the highest youth turnout in years).

For more information, search “14 of the biggest marches and protests in American history” on Bussiness Insider

Demonstrator holds up sign while practicing peaceful protesting during the national Black Lives Matter protests calling for charges to be made for officers involved in the murder of George Floyd.

InDepth

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Opinion

A Man of Focus

Self motivation isn’t enough. Sometimes I need John Wick.

Editorial by Editor-in-Chief Regan Johnston Not many know this about me, but I am a huge fan of John Wick. I’ve seen all of the movies, rewatch them when I’m bored and can most likely quote the first one wordfor-word.

I like John Wick for all of the normal reasons a teenager likes action movies, but I also admire the character himself. He sets a goal for himself and sees it through to the end and I think people could learn a thing or two from his dedication. I certainly have.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that a legendary fictional assassin is someone you should look to as a role model, all I’m saying is that it is rare to find “a man of focus, commitment [and] sheer will,” as Viggo Tarasov, the main antagonist of the first movie, claimed he was.

I’ll have to admit, sometimes when I’m feeling overwhelmed and discouraged, I think about that quote. I think about the fact that, if Wick wanted something, nothing would be able to stop him.

I would like to think I possess that

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

strength and willpower too, because sometimes I’ll reemerge from hours of doing homework and realize I haven’t eaten or uttered two words to anyone all day long because I was so dedicated to getting my work done.

While I don’t strive for revenge like Wick

Design by Derek Katzer

does, I do strive for success and everytime I succeed, even if I wasn’t sure I would, all I can think is that I too must be a man of focus, commitment and sheer will.

However, now that I’m in the second semester of my senior year, I hear Viggo’s voice in my head a lot. Now I can finally see the finish line; I can feel senioritis kicking in and it’s a lot harder to get myself motivated to work.

So in those times, when I feel like mailing it in, I close my eyes and think of John Wick. Suddenly, I’m invincible.

Sure I get intimidated by math tests and essays, journalism work and college applications. But most of the time, I’m the first one to give an answer during class, even if I’m not sure I’m right. I ask for help when I need it and I’ve worked hard to be where I am today so I can be successful.

So while school work and professional assasination are not the same thing, we still have a few things in common: focus, commitment and sheer will.

#JournalismMatters

What I have learned as a student journalist and of journalism’s importance in our world.

Editorial by Managing Editor and Copy Editor Emma Stauffer Over the course of my three years as a member of the LHS Newspaper staff, I have been able to attend two journalism conventions, one at the State level at Mizzou and the other at the National level in Washington DC. At those conventions, I had the opportunity to take classes taught by journalists, teachers and other professionals, while surrounded by other high school journalism students.

As I listened to horror stories of extreme censorships from students, a lecture about implicit bias in the news and a tutorial for how to discuss difficult subjects in a school publication, I came to a conclusion: journalists, including student journalists, have power, an important and integral power that needs to be protected.

Each day in Journalism I and Newspaper we learn, whether directly or indirectly, about the importance of accurate and balanced reporting. We study the First Amendment right of Freedom of the Press, including times in our country when this

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The Bell

Febuary 2021

Photo by Charlene Nguyen

has been challenged, such as the Pentagon Papers. We look at the Supreme Court cases that have established what a journalist – and more specifically a student journalist – can and cannot do, such as Bethel v Fraser and Tinker v Des Moines. In a world with

Opinion

terms like “fake news” and distrust of the media becoming normalized, it is more important now more than ever to hold our publications to higher standards and emphasize the reporting of truthful news.

I have learned that it is important to rely on multiple sources of news, not just a sole one and to make sure that they are credible, unbiased and reporting the truth always. I believe that it’s always a good idea to get multiple perspectives on a topic.

Before I joined the Newspaper, I had trouble finding the place that I personally felt like I belonged at LHS. Being able to include people in our newspaper and tell stories that are just waiting to be told makes me feel like I have contributed to the mission of The Bell. Like the large scale public news is essential to our nation, I believe our journalism programs here are essential to LHS. Having a forum for students to share their opinions, tell stories and report relevant news is, in my opinion, crucial to the culture of high schools.

Opinion

Write it down, you might just achieve it

The importance of goal setting and knowing what you want.

Editorial by Online Manager and InDepth Editor Paige Hodges “If you are not honest about what you want, you will be forever disappointed,” my mom said to me while I furrowed my eyebrows in confusion. At the time, I didn’t understand why she directed those words towards me.

But I thought about what she said that night. She was right. I never claim what I want. I never write any of my goals down, so I do not have to hold myself accountable for achieving them. I even avoid talking or thinking about any future plans or decisions in hopes they are forgotten.

Don’t get me wrong, of course I have dreams, I just have a hard time acknowledging them. Acknowledging my goals would mean accepting the possibility of failure—and that scares me.

Except, today, January 19, 2021, I am changing that narrative. In order to become the person I want to be, I have to be honest with myself; and writing goals down is the best way to do that.

A Goalband article says, “people with

Photo courtesy of Paige Hodges people to avoid being vague and motivates them to take action, which will ultimately help them see they are the one in control.

I am no expert on the mind, but I know what I was doing wasn’t working, so I am going to give myself a chance for once and believe. Jeff Boss, a leadership strategist, says “whatever the mind believes, the body achieves. The body follows the mind.” So, if you’re reading this, it’s NOT too late to get what you want. Whether you’re striving to be the youngest known inaugural poet like Amanda Gorman, playing a sport, choosing a prom dress, or simply have a crush on someone. Write your goals down—“shoot your shot”—you might just achieve them.

written goals are 50% more likely to achieve than people without goals.”

Holding my goals in the deep cabinets of my mind is not enough. I need to write them down, claim each one, and work towards them. Writing down goals forces

Forbes Article - Reasons Why Goal Setting Will Improve Your Focus

Attention 9th and 11th Grade Students KC Scholar Scholarships Open Now KC Scholars is offering two scholarships to current 9th and 11th graders. Do you want more information? Scan this QR code to visit their website.

Opinion

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But which candy suits each Valentine’s occasion? The Bell gathered up some popular candies and decided if they were for friends or for dates based on their taste, popularity and how appropriate they would be for a date.

While FunDip is a popular candy, it would not be appropriate for a date. This candy is mostly for ‘fun’ and mundane occasions but makes the perfect valentine for friends and acquaintances.

Airheads are quite sweet and popular enough to be found at any regular grocery store, but because of that, they are not significant enough to be given to a date or significant other. Airheads are popular year-round and have never been seen as a very romantic candy.

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While Rice Crispy Treats are marketed on Valentine’s Day, they are marketed towards being a valentine given to friends and acquaintances, not dates. The Bell would go as far as to say that Rice Crispy Treats are the ‘friend zone’ of Valentine’s candies because of how basic and mass-produced they are.

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Reported by Regan Johnson Designed by Derek Katzer Photos by Charlene Nguyen

A clever twist to both chocolate and roses, this is a low-risk candy that is sure to put a smile on a date’s face. It’s a simple gift for any chocolate lover, popular for dates on Valentine’s Day and as appropriate for a date as real roses or chocolate.

The Bell

Febuary 2021

A&E

Conversation hearts are perfect for a date because of the cute little notes, from which they got their name, that can be found on each of the hearts like “XOXO” and “Be Mine.” While their chalky taste is not necessarily the most romantic, they are a good conversation starter and a classic go-to candy for Valentine’s Day.

This traditional candy can be used for dates all year long but is especially popular during Valentine’s season.

The chocolates can vary, depending on which box you get, so people can personalize for their date’s tastes.

Valentine’s Day Trivia 1

Approximately how many candy hearts are produced in the United States for Valentine’s Day each year?

XOXO

5

The first box of chocolate was put together

by Richard Cadbury in what time period?

2

About how many Valentine’s Day cards are exchanged in the United States yearly?

3

Valentine’s Day

4

What Roman festival did Valentine’s Day evolve from?

6

Happy

How many towns are named “Valentine” in the United States?

Valentine WELCOME TO

According to Roman mythology, what is the name of the Roman goddess of love, also the mother of Cupid?

Answers: 1) 8 billion 2) 1 billion 3) Lupercalia 4) Four 5) Late 1800’s 6) Venus

Sports

, , BUMP,SET,SPIKE Volleyball Intramurals are becoming more and more popular among students.

Reported by Lucia Umbreit

Design by Caty Franklin

Volleyball is the newest intramural sport at LHS. Although in America volleyball is typically seen as a women’s sport, creators sophomore Sam Bruvsen and junior Kegan Maynor hope to encourage anyone who wants to play to give it a shot.

“I feel as if there’s a lot of things that people enjoy doing but since they’re targeted to a specific group of people they feel as if they can’t do it, and that’s not the case at all,” Bruvsen said. “Kegan and I know ourselves to be very ‘if you want something, go get it’ kind of people, and not everyone is like that, so we really wanted to make an opportunity for those guys who just want to play volleyball.”

The original idea of Bruvsen and Maynor was to start a men’s volleyball team. However, men’s volleyball is still an emerging sport for the Missouri State High School Activities Association, which means students would have to wait before it could become an official school sport.

“Because it is such a new idea, we decided to just start with intramurals and give people who are not on our girl’s volleyball team an opportunity to just come in the mornings and play,” Athletic Director Jason Cahill said. “From there, we’ll see

Photos by Kaela Fabion

what happens and if it builds momentum.”

Whether it’s intramural volleyball, another school sport, a club or any other extracurricular activity, there’s no denying the importance of getting involved.

“Studies have shown that the more engaged in school you are the more successful you will be,” Cahill said. “And sometimes students just need a release, they just want to go play and be active and do something with their friends and this is an avenue to do that, whether it be extracurricular clubs, or intramurals or sports, we’re trying to offer as many of those opportunities to students as possible.”

Although volleyball is just an intramural for now, meaning it is recreational and open to anyone, Bruvsen and Maynor have big plans. Their ultimate goal is to develop a competitive men’s volleyball team similar to rugby, which is a club but not an official school sport.

“We want to have a solid team with a solid coach and a solid foundation, and right now, we’re kind of in the process of getting that,” Bruvsen said.

The main issue was finding a coach who was a member of the school district to monitor and attend practices, which is the

district rule.

“We have to dissociate our competitive team from the school until we’re able to find someone who’s willing to monitor,” Bruvsen said. “So as it sits right now we’re having our before school intramurals on scheduled days.”

Bruvsen and Maynor encourage anyone to come to the intramurals, which they say are great ways to try out the sport and have some fun. They have only three months of recreational experience each, and had never played volleyball before first meeting with Cahill, so they invite anyone to try it out, experience doesn’t matter.

“It’s a really fun sport that doesn’t require super specific talents,” Maynor said. “Even if you have the slightest bit of interest, you should give it a shot because you never know what it might mean to you after the first couple practices.”

Feb Practice Dates: Wed 2/10 Fri 2/19 Fri 2/12 Tue 2/23 Tue 2/16 Wed 2/24 (7-8 am) Intramural volleyball players bump the ball back and forth at one of their morning practices. “We really wanted to make an opportunity for those guys who just want to play volleyball,” creator and sophomore Sam Bruvsen said.

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The Bell

February 2021

Sports

History Teacher

Last but Not Least

Matthew Dye

“

Senior Makenna MacGee

Mr. Dye has impacted my high school life by making his classes fun and interactive. He always makes the class laugh with his corny jokes.

”

“

Senior Allison Adams

I’m really going to miss having a teacher to talk to about sports and psychology/ sociology as comfortably as I can with him. It’s hard not to have a great conversation with him, no matter what it’s about.

”

“

Senior Graysen Yahne

Mr. Dye is one of those teachers, after you take a class with him, you sign up for more classes with the sole purpose that he will be your teacher. I remember asking him, after he signed off on my enrollment paper for sociology, ‘What even is sociology?’ But I knew regardless of what was taught, I would enjoy it because I had Dye as my teacher.

”

Photo by Emra Tmusic

Last but Not Least lhsnews.net

23

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Happy Valentine’s Jays