LHS Newspaper September 2012

LHSNEWS.net

Scan & Visit

Volume 89, Issue 2

the Bell

Liberty High School September 28, 2012

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Table Of Contents on the cover: Sophomore Alyson Gerstner throws the pitch to the opposing batter. photo by Jaileen West

page 22

Junior Haley Ferguson arranges the coffee table at the Annual Orchestra Pancake Breakfast. photo by Rachel Untch

page 31

The Square may seem calm now, but when the Fall Festival roles around, it thrives with both Liberty kids and adults. photo by Sammi Novak

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page 6

Check out the choir getting Medieval at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. Juniors Daniel Evans and Turner Staton look through the choir costume closet. photo by Nathan Hunt

the bell staff

our mission

Editor In Chief Nathan Hunt Reporters Features Editor Michaela Lamb Haley Vickers Sports Editor Lauren Kenney Mat George Alix Messer Opinion/A&E Editor Preston McConnell Diana Timmermans Nick Palmarine News Editor Meredith Crouch Madi Denton Amanda Kovac Ads Manager Grace George Shelby Curtis Aly Copp Online News Manager Zach Kilgas Jake Boese Sydney Perkins Managing Editor Sarah Hartley Madi Hayter Molly Meeks Website Technical Support Tyler Eggleston Photo Journalism Adviser Photo Editor Sammi Novak Lori Oyler Assistant Photo Editor Breann Koch

Our Mission for the 2012-2013 school year is to unite a diverse group of people and ideas to compose an informative and entertaining 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 us Address 200 Blue Jay Drive Liberty, MO 64068 Email thebell@liberty.k12.mo.us Phone (816) 736-5353 Twitter TheBell_LHS

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news

jays’ jabber talking locker Student Council unveiled their Talking Locker. The locker number is 1278. This locker provides an outlet for students to express their ideas.

“It is a place where students can put ideas that they would want to be heard and not normally be able to go up and tell somebody.

It is for when somebody has an idea that they want to get out there but they don’t know who to go to. The Talking Locker is a great place where they can do that,” member atlarge Kaylee Botello said. photos by Diana Timmermans

yearbook sales If you haven’t purchased a 2013 yearbook yet, don’t miss your chance!

Books are on sale for $55 from now until Nov. 20 (Thanksgiving Break). After Nov. 20, the price increases to $65. The LAST day to purchase your book is Jan. 11. After Jan. 11, you will have to wait until distribution day and purchase an extra book on a first-come, first serve basis.

Hide and seek!

On July 19, Liberty High School held districts for cheerleading. While Varsity placed second overall, the JV squad placed first.

The squad, along with Varsity, is prepared for a great year and both squads are hoping to make it to nationals.

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Help find the Twitter bird! News Editor Madi Denton forgot her Twitter password, and only the Twitter bird knows it. The first person to catch the bird and tweet it back to the room 513 at the beginning of seventh period will receive a prize courtesy of The Bell Staff.

jv cheer wins

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the early bird gets the worm

by Aly Copp

Students get hands on experience working in the Early Bird Learning Center.

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The early birds get recess time everyday at the playground located at the back of the school.

Fake babies, toy making and learning about the different stages of pregnancy are all subjects students explore in Child Development 1 as a freshman.

Something a lot of people do not know is that if one continues to take Child Development throughout their high school career, they actually get to interact with children on a regular basis. The thing that makes this possible is the Early Bird Learning Center.

The Early Bird Learning Center is a lab school that the high school uses with the Child Development curriculum, so students can get a hands-on learning experience using the ideas of Child Development. The Learning Center has a total of 19 kids in it this year, aging from 3 to 5 years old.

The Learning Center is located in room 105 in the 100’s hallway. They have their own playground fenced in behind the school. The kids in the Learning Center eat their lunches in the teachers lounge.

They have a choice to either bring their lunch from home or eat a cafeteria lunch.

“If I could change anything about the learning center, I wish we could have more children and actually be working in the Learning Center more than we already do.” Child Development teacher

Paige gets excited about her favorite activty, coloring time. photos by Shelby Springer

Ms. Giesler said.

As a sophomore, there is a choice of taking child development II, where the students set up stations and play in regards to physical, social, and emotional development. As a junior or senior, students get the opportunity to be in the Child Growth and Development class. This is a class where the high school students actually get to go and teach lessons to the preschoolers and come up with a developmental checklist to reflect what the student has learned in class and see how it relates to children and their developmental process.

“It’s fun to interact with the kids, and practice more in real life, rather than just learning from a textbook all the time,” sophomore Taelor Kirtley said.

The sophomore students recently did a snack lab with the preschoolers, where they had to come up with a healthy snack that they could make alongside the children using picture directions.

Senior Halie Ewing and junior Brady Newland, who are in a child development class now, went to the Early Bird Learning Center when they were children.

“I think this is a good program,” Newland said. “Whenever I was in

preschool here, I loved it whenever the bigger kids came in and hung out with us. And I’m sure the kids love it whenever we go over there now. I enjoy it, and I think they do too.”

The Learning Center has been around for 15 years.

“I was at the Learning Center the first year it ever opened, so we did a lot of new things,” Ewing said. “I had a high school buddy and they would always come over and do activities with us.

I specifically remember making play dough in the culinary room. And one of the classrooms that I have a class in this year was my indoor recess room when I went to the Learning Center.”

Ewing said that she likes the Child Growth and Development class a lot because it gives her a good opportunity to work with the children. This is a good thing because she hopes to be a first grade teacher when she gets older. She also thinks it is cool how the children in the learning center, are kids of teachers throughout the district.

“I think my favorite experience each year is just seeing what my Growth and Development students learn from their experiences with the kids. It’s just amazing what they can pull from this experience,” Giesler said.

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Junior Oliva Bisges looks over the new rules on the electronic handbook. Photo by Madi Denton

who needs rules?

by Madi Denton

Students adjust to a new school year and a new handbook. rules behind attire.

“I love this new dress code! I have a lot of Summer clothes that I could not wear because they were not considered school appropriate that I can wear now,” Moon said.

There are some changes for the guys, too.

“When it comes to hats, the idea was that it was a security issue, and what we’ve found was that we weren’t having any trouble seeing a kid on the video,” Coffman said.

It is now allowed for students to wear hats in the building. Hoods do not fall under this category and are not permitted during class.

“I don’t normally wear hats, but I know a lot of people that do and I know that they take advantage of being able to wear them now,” junior Cameron McCoy said.

The reins were also

loosened when it comes to IDs. “It used to be the policy that every student had to wear the ID around their neck or have it visible at all times. Now, what we’ve changed is that you have to have it with you. It has to be producible,” Coffman said.

This new rule is extremely popular among the student body.

“I like the fact that we do not have to wear the IDs anymore. No body wore them, even if you got in trouble for not having them on. It is saving a lot of arguing between people,” senior Gadison Quick said.

Yet, not everything is as relaxed. Administration is taking cutting classes and being tardy much more seriously this year.

“It is a day of suspension for every cut, so you need to be in class,” Coffman said.

Students get two free tardies a week and upon the third one, they receive a Saturday detention. The more tardies a student aquires, the more severe the consequence becomes.

Not all punishments are permanent.

“They can appeal. If they get a letter on Monday that does not mean it is set in stone. They have until Wednesday to come down and talk to one of us,” Coffman said.

These new changes were put in place to lighten the climate here at the high school, but still hold students accountable for behaviors that affect them academically.

“The students and teachers get along better now because they aren’t always arguing over the rules. The school is a much happier place,” Moon said.

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“It almost seems too good to be true,” junior Summer Moon said.

For many students, the recent changes to the student handbook are surprising.

The administration has decided to relax their stance on many policies that were enforced last year.

“Some of the bigger changes involve student IDs. They also involve student dress code, and also with cuts,” Assistant Principal Brett Coffman said.

When it comes to dress code, administration is taking it much easier on the students.

“We just want basically, you covered from the shoulders to mid-thigh.

Just have that covered and everything is good,” Coffman said.

The ladies here especially benefit from the changes in

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news

let them eat pancakes

by Alix Messer

The juicy sausage, sticky syrup and fluffy pancakes were enough to make your mouth water.

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The orchestra hosted their Annual Pancake Breakfast September 8th.

Over 200 people showed up to eat pancakes. Each person started off with three pancakes and most came back for more.

“I’ve heard a lot of great things about Chris Cakes, who’s making the pancakes, and I’m pretty excited about it,” junior Ian Langford said.

Chris Cakes also catered sausage and orange juice to go along with the pancakes.

Even before the pancake breakfast, the volunteers also made posters to advertise for it.

“I’m not sure what I’ll be doing [when I volunteer] because I haven’t done it before,” Langford said.

While Chris Cakes does the pancake flipping, orchestra student volunteers help serve the food.

“I helped serve sausages, participated in the cake walk, and tried to beat the pancake record,” Langford said after volunteering. “I only got to 15 pancakes. The record the server had personally seen was 37, and the alltime was 72.”

Not all students could make the

pancake breakfast, because the ACT was being held at the same time.

“If I didn’t have ACT I probably would [have volunteered],” senior Sam Livingston said.

People at the breakfast can also earn desserts by participating in the cakewalk.

“Students and parents make cakes to donate,” orchestra teacher Mary Lou Jones said. “A ticket allows you to walk around the circle while music plays. When the music stops a number is drawn randomly and the person standing on the matching number wins a cake.”

At the end of the breakfast, the cakewalk table was still full of desserts, and the extras were given away to the people who played in the last round. But there is not just food at the Pancake Breakfast. Following the smorgasbord of food, a silent auction took place where orchestra students can make themed baskets to sell.

“My friend and I made a Nike basket filled with running stuff,” Langford said.

The money the students make from their basket goes to their orchestra

Junior Murron Paeth sits and pours syrup on her pancakes. photos by Rachel Untch

account, where the money can be used for either instrument repairs or to pay for an upcoming class trip.

Fellow orchestra members that participate in another strings group outside of school, called Strolling Strings were going to provide entertainment at the pancake breakfast, but due to a change in plans, they had to cancel.

“We had one rehearsal. We were going to play at the pancake breakfast [but there was a change of plans],” sophomore Gessica Seaman said.

The orchestra pancake breakfasts have always seemed to be a success.

“It’s always pretty busy and there’s a lot of people coming in and out,” Livingston said. “And there are a lot of pancakes!”

Every effort put into this, “Provides students with a way to earn money for trips, lessons, repairs,” Jones said.

Chris Cakes’ and the orchestra students’ hard work has continually paid off. Hopefully next year there will be even more people that come to enjoy the pancakes.

Junior Jacob Zimmerman chooses a pie after winning the cakewalk.

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news

Senior Ashley Bird sits in class with a Twaiwanese exchange student. The exchange students were able to be paired up with students to follow around to see a typical school day. photo by Ashley Van Black

skype it up

by Meredith Crouch China Skype club members discuss plans for the visiting Taiwanese and the possibility of traveling to Asia.

Christopher Vu said.

Not only are club members helping these students with their English, they are also building friendships with them over Skype and overseas.

“I actually made friends before I went over there. The people who we spent time with while we were over there were the people we had been Skyping so we already knew them. We had already made a lot of close friendships so it made the trip more personal.” senior Alexander Doniphan said.

Students may have several unfamiliar students touring their class rooms in these last few weeks of September, or saw them when they visited last year.

These students are visiting from Taiwan in order to experience American culture. Alexandria Donovan hosted some of these students in her home last year.

“I hosted two of them and they were very sweet and spoke very good English. My family loved having them.

Their English was wonderful, I was very impressed,” Donovan said.

Club sponsors also planned fun activities for the Taiwanese to do while they are here. Some ideas they have are touring Arrowhead Stadium, going to the Nelson Atkins, going on a hayride and touring the local hospital. They will

also be touring a grocery store because in China and Taiwan they do not have massive grocery stores like there are here.

But what truley attracts most students to joining this club is the opportunity to travel to China and Taiwan for two weeks over spring break.

“There is some sight seeing then we will visit the schools that we Skype with and usually they’ll plan activities for us and show us around their town and around their school. They’ll usually have a feast or a big dinner for us,” Barreca said.

Alexandria Donovan described some of the differences of their culture.

“Their everyday life is different, they have longer school days and they get nap time because their days are so long.

The toilets are different too, you had to squat to the ground,” Donovan said.

“I think more students should join because it will be really fun to get to know how the culture is different in Taiwan and China,” sophomore Madison Goodwin said.

China Skype is still accepting new members. . If anyone is interested in traveling the money for the trip is due in January.

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All students have the chance to find their place somewhere in the school.

There is even a club that gives high school students the opportunity to help students in China and Taiwan with their English, while learning about the unique culture of these countries along the way. This club gives students the opportunity to travel to China and Taiwan in the spring. They also get to guide the Taiwanese students around school when they come visit and even host them as guests in their homes.

The weekly China Skype meetings are different from the average club. Each Thursday at 6 p.m. (When it is early morning in China) club members come back to school to start Skyping.

“What they learn in school is a basic text book English and we help them to learn English in a more conversational way so they can speak in a social conversational setting,” club director John Barreca said.

There is a new topic each week for our students to discuss with the Chinese and Taiwanese.

“One topic would be their favorite book and the next week it might be their favorite animal and what they do.

We exchange fun information about each other and we get to know them.

We basically have fun with it,” junior

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Above. Member at-large Ally Wepler and senior representative Staci Gann chat about senior fence decorating ideas. Right.

Students played team building games. photos by Lauren Pouliot

Constitution resolution

by Zach Kilgas

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Student Council inacts new StuCo membership policies.

In the past, rumors have circulated that running for Student Council was nothing more than a popularity contest. Not anymore. The Student Council Constitution has been revised to reflect the changing school. New rules have been put in place to help recruit new Student Council members that have a willingness to volunteer and serve their school.

This summer, the Leadership Council met to routinely review the Student Council Constitution, and implemented a brand new rule, editing the previous system. The new rule requires candidates, for Student Council to be submitted into an “interview process prior to running for a student council position.” Executive treasurer, Jessyka Verikas said.

“This year we eliminated club reps, and made it opens to anyone in the student body. All they had to do was fill out a packet and then go through an interview process. Also, through the interview process we were able to get kids who wouldn’t normally run for Student Council because the fear of giving a speech or fear of a popularity contest. Already, we were able to

get kids that are going to be really dedicated to everything that they do within student council.” Executive President, Alex Zaborac said.

Effective August of this year, people who would like to apply for a position on Student Council must go through a series of interviews with the three club’s advisors as well as the Executive President, and Executive Vice President who are observing.

Since Student Council plans major school events such as Homecoming, Court warming, Prom, and Spirit weeks, the dedication of each member is highly valued.

The new interviewing procedures helped discover students with a willingness to work hard for their class and school and those who display leadership characteristics.

“The enforced professionalism required to be a leader on Council”, Student Council Advisor Erin Ramsey said.

The only problem foreseen to confront the new law is next year when the freshmen come up to the high school. Then it will have to be reviewed and edited in order to conform to the

school’s new population.

“Every new idea is a work in progress, of course there will be some changes made when the freshman are at this school, but yes, this change has been successful already.” Executive Vice President, Tyler Hannsz said.

“I think the interviews were very successful and hope that it continues on in the upcoming years, although like most new ideas I’m sure there might be little changes in the process,” Zaborac said.

In a later interview with Melanie Prince, Student Council Advisor it was confirmed that the new interviewing process would most likely be around for a while.

“I know we’ll have to review the process with the new freshmen, but we review the Constitution every three years, so potentially it’ll be around for another three years.” Student Council Advisor, Melanie Prince said.

The new process has already proven to be helpful for Student Council by delivering dedicated members, and will ensure the professionalism needed to be a member.

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MIA: OJ

by Alix Messer

The mystery revealed on what happened to the orange juice.

The date is August 15th, 2012 and the time is 11:34.

It is the first day of school.

The first lunch bell rings.

People grab their lunch and a milk, grumbling about the new carton. And then another realization, there is no orange juice.

“I drank [orange juice] every day. It was my favorite,” sophomore Mallory Bell said. “Now I just get water because I don’t like milk. If they don’t have water, my second choice is chocolate milk.”

Chocolate milk seems to be the second choice now that there is no orange juice. Even though chocolate milk is available, some people do not even like that.

“I drank orange juice

every day last year. But I don’t like the new chocolate milk they have,” junior Austin Thomas said.

However others are not phased by the missing orange juice.

“I don’t like orange juice at all. I don’t like the taste of oranges,” senior Jarett Fitwater said. Despite the different views, it was never up to the students or faculty to take the orange juice away.

“Faculty did not have a say in it at all. The people who are part of being in compliance with regulations and policy were the decision makers,” principal Dr. April Adams said.

Due to new changes from the National School Lunch

and Breakfast program, which the USDA put into effect in July, 2012, the juice was taken away.

“The rule states that for grades 9-12 one cup of fruit per day must be offered and no more than half of the fruit component may be in the form of 100% juice,” Adams said.

Not only is the orange juice being taken away because of the daily fruit rule, but also because it has considerably more sugar than a single orange.

“They probably thought that the orange juice had a lot of sugar in it,” said Thomas.

With this new change, administration is open to looking for solutions for students missing OJ.

The size of the cartons, previously 8 oz, could affect availability because a reduction in size could allow juice to come back.

“However the question is, would 4oz orange juice cartons be a good choice?”

Adams said.

In the near future, the orange juice could come back to the lunchroom, to be seen on trays once again.

“Right now the 8oz orange juice would come back only if the ruling would change,” Adams said.

But for now, the change has not gone unnoticed.

“Many students and even some teachers were questioning about the orange juice disappearance,” Adams said.

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Juniors Remi Rocha, Amy O’hare, and sophomore Elaina Newtsman enjoy their lunches without orange juice. photo by Lauren Pope

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Juniors Kayla Ford, Elizabeth Bradshaw and Katherine Seever talk about volunteer options. Over the entire year, Key Club is involved with 50 service projects.

lend a helping hand

by Lauren Kenney

Join Key club in their attempt to help out others within the community.

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It is time to unlock the way into Key Club.

Meetings are every Wednesday morning at 7:15 in the Student Council room. All you have to do is attend a meeting and fill out a new member sheet.

Each year there is approximately $6,000 from money and goods that are donated. Also, there are about 100 members each year

and the goal to meet the requirement is 40 hours.

“Key Club has over 50 service projects a year and rarely any requests are turned down,” Key Club sponsor Erin Garvey said.

Each week, there are at least four projects and something new is always going on.

Students do not have

to do all of the service projects; they can pick and choose what they would like.

Members work to benefit Special Olympics, AdoptA-Family, The Food Drive, and various other foundations.

Some of these activities consist of donating food items, reading to elementary students or donating

books.

“We go to the Special Olympics bowling and just really help support them. It’s a great way to have the chance to become friends with them,” senior Sammi Novak said. People could be making a big difference in someone else’s life and not even know it. This is a great way to help out the community.

“It’s a good way to show people all the different ways you can help other out. Plus it looks very good on college applications and scholarships,” Garvey said.

“It’s a great way to get involved in the school.

It is very easy and laid back which makes it that much more fun,” junior Brianna Schweitzer said.

Seniors Victoria Hollar and Sammi Novak check the sign up sheets for opportunities to be able to get out and volunteer to gain hours. photos by Nathan Hunt

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Mr. Bunch and Mrs. Ross review with the class before starting a test. Mr. Bunch and Mrs. Ross started co-teaching together this year. photo by Rachel Untch

Two Heads are Better Than One

by Amanda Kovac

Co-teaching brings new learning opportunities for students. active learning.” The two collaborating teachers may have completely different teaching styles, enabling the students to learn in different ways as well.

“I think it will definitely benefit some of the students to have more than one person in the room. I think the extra support in the class will benefit all of the students,” Candice Cole Algebra Two teacher said.

In a five year study at St. Cloud University, it was found that students in cotaught classes on average outperformed those in regular taught classes due to the extra attention each student receives with more than one teacher in the classroom.

Cole and Ross confirmed that even though co-

teaching is more timeconsuming, if done right, co-teaching can be a very beneficial way to learn. They shared that the students have responded to the coteachers really well.

“I was at a bit of a disadvantage because Mr. [Patrick] Williams knew a lot more of the students in my class than I did to start with, which I think was great because a lot of the students were more familiar with him than they were with me and so I think he came in and it was a very positive response from the students,” Cole said.

The reason co-teaching works so well is because the teacher-student ratio is lower and each individual has a chance for more attention.

“My co-taught class is great because the teachers work really well together,” sophomore Daryn Brown said.

The study on co-teaching at St. Cloud found that coteaching creates a strong bond between the two teachers, allowing them to share ideas freely and give students the best learning experience in a comfortable environment.

Continued studies on the subject are trying to overcome the lack of constants in the experiment to better find how coteaching affects the students.

In the meanwhile coteaching is becoming what Wichita State University calls a national trend.

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When it comes to managing a classroom, it appears two heads are better than one, especially in the case of co-teaching.

“It is a collaboration of two teachers who share the responsibilities of the classroom, the teaching, the instruction,” Rhonda Ross, Algebra and Geometry teacher said.

Co-teaching is not new to Liberty, but it is starting to become a bigger part of the education at the high school.

The math department started co-teaching last year. Many people at the high school see co-teaching as a highly helpful tool.

The Eastern Washington Co-teaching Consortium states, “[Co-teaching] engages students in

12 photo by Summer Turner

news

Girls and Technology: Rewired

by Sarah Hartley

the bell

Unique awards are offered only to young women who are interested in technology.

Instead of makeup and clothing, think of keyboards and hard drives. Since 2007, the National Center for Women & Information Technology, NCWIT, has hosted an awards event for teenage girls in high school interested in computing.

The awards are strictly based on interest and the qualifications are simple; participant must be in high school, must showcase strong leadership ability, must have a good academic history, and must have plans for a postsecondary education.

Throughout the past four years, over 850 girls have already been publicly recognized for their aspirations in computing and have received many prizes; $500 cash, a laptop computer, a trip to Charlotte, North Carolina for the Bank of America Technology Showcase, an awards ceremony and an engraved crystal award for both the student and the student’s school.

This year, Missouri and Kansas will team up to host their own local Affiliate Awards following the end

of the national program. Jessyka Vernickas said.

All entries from Kansas Whatever the stigma or and Missouri entered into history is for girls in IT, Nationals will be used for there is no denying they have this event and prizes for the plenty of opportunities to winners will be similar to the excel in the industry. national prizes.

According to NCWIT, it “We are experiencing a is estimated that there will significant drop in female be 1.4 million computer graduates coming out specialist jobs available in of college that choose a the U.S. by 2020, of which computer-related field,” only 30 percent will be Business and Computer filled. Thus, the IT market Teacher Angie Klein said. is and will continue to be There is not a definite answer for why there There’s a stereotype that are so few women in it’s a boy’s thing so girls just the industry, kind of back away from it, but there is speculation.

“IT is considered m a s c u l i n e ,” junior Emily Morgan said. sophomore Aaron Bass said. “IT isn’t ‘pretty,’ it’s not overflowing with jobs, what most girls want to do.” especially for graduates in This idea that it isn’t for girls the near future. comes up more than once.

“I think there is always an “There’s a stereotype that IT job open,” Vernickas said. it’s a boy’s thing so girls just “It’s not something that a lot kind of back away from it,” of people do.” junior Emily Morgan said.

In terms of benefiting our “It’s kind of nerdy,” senior school, these awards are

“

”

hoping to help girls branch out and participate in areas that are lacking a strong female population.

“I’m hoping this event benefits our district in creating an awareness of the field,” Klein said. “There’s plenty of jobs and not enough people coming out of colleges to fill the jobs.

The jobs are now becoming more diverse. There are other things to do than just be a programmer.”

“It could benefit the girls interested in technology,” Vernickas said. “They could get scholarships for school.”

Girls looking to play a role in an important time in history, the technology era, should be sure to participate in this event. The application process ends on October 31st.

For more information regarding the event, visit http://ww2.ncwit.org/award/ award.index.php, or stop by Mrs. Klein’s room.

“It’s a growing industry,” Morgan said. “It’s super helpful in everything that you’re going to need to use for business or any job opportunity.”

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Features

silly teachers, Pranks are for Kids

by Grace George

The long standing prank war between the social studies teacheers has come to an end.

THE BELL

From plastic mice to frozen shirts, fart machines to cling-wrapped rooms and fake emails to a desk in the bathroom, you could say the Social Studies department has a well known history for playing pranks. Though the prank war is not still going on between the teachers, they have left their mark in the building.

“There’s no way to describe the pranks, you just have to watch them,” senior Staci Gann said. “Watching some of the videos, I literally couldn’t breathe, I was laughing so hard.”

Brett Coffman, Tom Rottjakob, and Zach Werner all agree that former social studies teacher Tisdahl was the most fun to prank. He switched to teaching at the Junior High and then left the district. Having pulled many jokes on him like putting his clothes in the freezer, cling-wrapping his room and sending fake emails from his account, they always had a good time with him.

“He was an easy target,” Werner

said. “He never picked up on anything he never knew it was coming.”

The pranks have not been going on for a few years now. “Most of the teachers who were involved are no longer in the social studies department so it is more calm.”

Rottjakob said.

But some ask, are they really over?

“I do miss the pranks, but who knows when they’ll start back up again?”

Werner said.

Coffman pulled one of the pranks.

“Back when I was a social studies teacher, I had a classroom across from Tisdahl’s and I could see him through a window. One day I hid a fart machine under his desk and I kept pushing the button to make it make noise,” he said. “He was getting annoyed with it all day and finally found where I had hidden it. I saw him walking to my room with an angry look on his face so I handed the remote to a girl in my class. He walked in and saw it in her with the

remote in hand, but soon found out I was the one pulling the prank. That was up there in my favorite pranks.”

Werner said one of his favorite pranks was placing a moving fake mouse on the ground next to a teacher who was deathly afraid of mice. They took a video of some pranks, including this one.

“The prank was funny because a lot of planning and preparation went into it,” said Werner.

“Classic!” Junior Caitlyn VanVleck replied after watching the mouse video.

Now there’s only one question left on everyone’s minds are: Will the pranks start back up? Or is the war over forever? Nobody knows the answer. Maybe the social studies teachers are having a secret prank war as we speak? Maybe it will never happen again, and it’s all history. We’ll just have to wait and find out. But, they say history repeats itself, and the social studies teachers know this best.

Pranks include everything from flipped desks, plastic wrapped rooms, fart machines and fake mice. photo by Michaela Lamb

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features

And the Band Played On

by Molly Meeks

The band prepares to march in the upcoming Fall Festival parade.

The Liberty Fall Festival has rolled around again, which for band members means it is time to march in the annual parade on Saturday September 29. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m.

The band marches in the parade every year but for some, this is the first time they will appear.

“I’m excited because I’ve never been in the Fall Festival! This is my first year marching in the parade, but I did march in the parade in Hawaii,” sophomore Kristen Lonsdale said.

While about a fourth of the band is excited at the chance of a new experience, most juniors and seniors are veterans.

“Street marching is easy, I’ve done it for three years now,” senior Audrey Arns said.

During the parade, the band will be street marching, which they practice every morning at the beginning of

marching band practice. The band stands in a block with the drumline at the center and walks the route around the square. Throughout the entire parade, students must stay on the correct foot, always walking in step with each other and staying in straight lines.

Street marching might be easily accomplished with daily practice, but beating the heat may create more of a dilemma.

“The uniforms are really hot, so we are probably going to get really sweaty,” Lonsdale said.

A wool uniform worn over a t-shirt and shorts can be sweaty business.

Some cooperation with the weather may help, and could be the difference needed to keep students from overheating or possibly passing out.

“Party Rock Anthem” by LMFAO, the song played for the Sapphires pregame performance, is the music

selection for this year’s parade.

“I really like the song we’re playing. I have never heard bands play songs that were popular or that we would hear on the radio or something,” Lonsdale said.

Some may have not noticed that during the song band, members shout, “Shake That!” and sing, “Everyday I’m shufflin.” Yelling and singing may seem a little strange but is sure to add excitement to the parade performance, and band members will make the most of the day either way.

“I am excited, because it’s fun to hang out with your friends and make jokes about all the dumb stuff we have to do. I like seeing people along the parade,” junior Danna Burgeson said.

The band will march in this annual event for about 45 minutes. They will be looking out for Blue Jays lining the streets, as they help bring a festive spirit to the streets of Liberty with music.

THE BELL

The clarinet section of the band practices their marching routine in anticipation of the anual Fall Festival Parade. photo by Kristin Poe

16

Spotlight on Sophomore

Mary Mwaura

by Aly Copp

My Worst Ever...

Day

This sophomore is an active debater, color guard member and is known for being friendly and outgoing.

“When I was a lot younger, maybe eight years old I was going to the fall festival with my brother and my dad for the first time.

My parents were like “Okay we’re going to go get some food” and I wanted to go but I just decided to stay. They left, but [a while later] they weren’t back with any food and I was hungry. I knew the direction they went and where they were going so I decided to try and find them. I couldn’t find them at all, and I was really scared because I was so young.

There was a police officer that came up to me and he was like, “Are you Mary?” and I said “yeah” and he was like “Are you looking for your dad?”and I said “Yeah.” My parents called the police to try and find me. It was a very traumatizing experience for me.”

Hair Day

Thoughts on Mary “Mary is an incredibly motivated student. She is focused, and determined. She is incredibly detailed and diligent in how she works, and I think that those are some of the hallmarks of why Mary is so successful in class,” Debate teacher Timothy Baldwin said.

photo by Ashley Van Black

THE BELL

“My hair can get pretty crazy, when I take it out of my braids it gets kind of afro poofy. There’s times when I have to go to the pool that I have to make sure that it’s braided or else it will get really weird and tangled. One time I didn’t do that and it was in a big poof. And my hair, whenever I swim, it weighs me down, so I came out and it was all matted against my head and I couldn’t untangle it and it was terrible. I think my friends kind of just tried to ignore the subject, but you could definitely tell they noticed.”

Spotlight on junior This Junior plays rugby and is commonly seen with a bright smile on her face.

17

Alanis Butler My Worst Ever...

by Haley Vickers

Embarrassing moment “I guess it is recently, I was walking back from color guard and I had my backpack with me and we were going inside the school.

And you know that little wire thing that’s on the pavement, before you go out to the turf field? Yeah, well everyone is really careful about stepping over it or stepping on it. I ended up tripping on it and falling straight on my face. My friend was standing right next to me and she was laughing and she was like ‘Oh, are you okay?’ and I was like ‘Yeah. Don’t worry; I just fell on my face.’”

Test Experience “Chemistry, it’s always been a chemistry test. I just kind of suck at chemistry. I was fine with the math, it was just, I guess, trying to connect all the dots. I’m a really slow learner.”

Rugby experience “During our state game last year, I got hit. One of the girls pushed me out of line and I threw the ball back before I got pushed out. I landed on my shoulder. It popped out, so I popped it back in and went back into the game. I kept playing so hard, but then I got hit continuously. I ended up passing out at the very end of my game. So that kind of freaked me out.”

“Alanis is always super friendly and happy when she comes into class everyday. She is really into rugby. You know that about her the first time you meet her. That will be the first thing that she tells you. She is just a lot of fun to have in class,” math teacher Erin Ramsey said.

THE BELL

photo by Ashley Van Black

Thoughts on Alanis

18

Spotlight on Senior This senior plays running back on the football team and aspires to play in college.

Matthew Zombo My Worst Ever...

by Lauren Kenney

sport “Hantis, because I don’t know the rules very well at all.”

Nightmare “My worst nightmare is playing football in front of a bunch of people and then in the middle of a play accidently trip and fall for no reason.”

School Photo “I was at daycare one day and I was hanging upside down on a slide and this kid came out of no where and went down the slide which caused me to fall off and I had a busted lip for my picture.”

Pet Peeve

photo by Jessica Renzelman

THE BELL

“My worst pet peeve is when I tell a long story to someone and then I get finished and they look at me and say ,‘What?’”

thoughts on Matthew “Matthew is more of a team player this year, and when he got all that publicity [for running 346 yards] at the first home game. He gave a lot of his credit to his offensive line men,” Varsity football Coach John Neldon said.

19

Spotlight On teacher

Mrs. Welzenbach My Worst Ever...

School Subject “Chemistry, I just didn’t understand my teacher. I was just completely oblivious to what she was saying.

When I went to college I had to take chemistry and I was terrified to do it. I finally just sucked it up and did it... I was shocked at how much I already knew...In high school my brain just wasn’t developed, I went to college and it all made sense. I just thought, “Why couldn’t this have happened while I was in high school?” Now it’s one of my favorites.”

This teacher taught science before she traveled around the world to countries like Turkey, Ecuador and Scotland.

Hair Cut “Well I thought it was my worst haircut, my mother thought it was the best. But when I was about four I had a boy’s bowl cut, that was really popular when I was younger. And then I was the Tin Man for Halloween, and looking back I was one cute kid, but at the time I was constantly asked if I was a boy and I was devastated.”

Food “Sea cucumbers, without a doubt.

They are a Chinese cuisine and I love Chinese food so the guy at the store said, “Hey, try these if you like real Chinese food.” So I did and they tasted like slimy tubes of snot.”

“The most interesting or impactful thing for me is her genuine enthusiasm and love for teaching. Her enthusiasm is actually contagious and has prompted me to try to be a better teacher,” science teacher Stuart Jorgensen said.

THE BELL

Thoughts on Mrs. Welzenbach

20

. g n i d

n e V ing.

d n e V

That horrible moment when the vending machines eat the money meant to buy some Cheetos. This has been happening more and more to students as they adjust to the new vending machine policy.

Beginning last year, the vending machines have been turned off by administrators at different times during the day, but most noticeably during class. This means, when the bell rings, the machines turn off, even if someone’s money was just dropped into the shot. No Cheetos, no refunds.

the bell

photo by Michaela Lamb

. e n Go

INDEPTH

ans merm m i T iana and D b m a L chaela

by Mi

“It’s ridiculous, people get hungry all the time and the vending machines [turn off] half way through the day? No, who does that? Why would you do that?” junior Ehi Oribhabor said, “I have to suffer through second hour, stumble through third, and fall all over fourth hour just to make it though the day and I have to wait until lunch.

I barely make it every single day. Somehow I do.”

This attitude is common among students who have become accustomed to the vending machines being available all day.

However, some students were taking advantage of the open vending machines during class last year; leaving to get food, ignoring teachers’ individual food policies and gathering around the machines during class times.

“Since turning the vending machines off, people aren’t congregating [around the vending machines], they are going to class,” assistant principal Brett Coffman said. “It was a tardy and class cutting issue.”

Since the machines have been turned off

during class times, there has been a decrease in tardies. Students who are normally grouped around the vending machines have moved on, and are making their way to class.

However, some students are persistent and are losing their money when the machines turn off.

The office does not refund lost money from the vending machines.

There are notices that lost money will not be refunded, on the vending machines themselves, as well as administrators informing the student body of this, but the office is still getting complaints.

21

InDepth

Junior Nathan Soeum spends a passing period in line waiting to be able to use the vending machines. photo by Sarah Andrews

problem. The Federal government created new guidelines that Liberty has to follow in order to be able to provide lunches to students who need meal assistance.

“We are part of the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program. And the law reads that a certain percentage of nutritional value must be met in the food we provide during meal times.” Principal April Adams said, “And the vending machines are not in compliance with that law. In order to be in compliance with that law we have to turn our vending machines off

during times when the cafeteria is open.”

Liberty’s compliance guarantees that the school will be able to provide free or reduced cost lunches to students who qualify for the program.

“We place more value on the fact that we are able to provide those students

meals than our vending machines,” Adams said.

Currently the school is bound by a contract that will not allow them to provide healthier food options that would allow the vending machines to be on at all times, however, there may be a plan in place to change this.

Get snacks while they last The vending machines are only on during certain times throughout the day.

Before school, when breakfast is not being served in the cafeteria.

During passing periods.

All the time, starting after 6th hour.

The Bell

“We are standing out there saying ‘guys go to class… don’t put your money in,’ but they do it anyway,” Coffman said. The office is unable to reimburse students because the money made from the vending machines goes directly to a company, according to Coffman. Liberty only sees a small return from the profit which goes into the General Activities Fund, which benefits clubs and school-sponsored activities.

Another reason the vending machines are on a new schedule this year is they posed a legal

22

Features

Fall Festivities

by Preston McConell

The anual Fall Festival brings business and attention to Historic Downtown Liberty.

THE BELL

Get ready to go! Grab your friends and family to support the Liberty community this weekend. The Fall Festival is a well-known celebration that comes to the Downtown Liberty area each year. This time of the year is a big deal for the Liberty area and brings in people from all over with an expected attendance of 30,000-40,000 people each year.

This will be the 36th year of the festival, taking over 200 volunteers to make this all possible. Throughout the 36 years, the festival has been in many other locations around the town other than just downtown.

Many people have been going to this carnival their whole lives and some have been going since last year. Families from the Liberty community all get to come together and spend a good time in a small town atmosphere. Students also enjoy getting together with their friends, just having something to do that is out of the ordinary.

“I enjoy going to the fall festival because I see all my friends there and it’s a fun place to hangout,” senior Ryan Keenan said.

There are so many things to do at the fall festival. A main attraction is the rides at the fall festival, and there are favorites.

“It’s the one when you twist around, like the tea cup thing and it goes really fast in circles. The reason why is because one year me and Sam Griffen road it together and Sam got sick and had to go home,” junior Anthony Scalco said.

For some people though, the rides at the Fall Festival just aren’t for them and they go to the Festival for other reasons.

Sophomore Jackson Jones, who has never ridden a ride there in his life, goes to get the root beer in a bottle.

On the other hand, Keenan agrees with Scalco on what the best ride at the Fall Festival is.

“I’d have to say my favorite one is the one that goes around in all those circles,’

Keenan said.

Though there are many enjoyable rides at the Fall Festival, there are many other things that bring people to the carnival. There is a parade at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday to kick off the weekend. A total of 209 vendors come to the area, providing many different attractions from foods, businesses, crafts, and nonprofit organizations. Also, for the late night crowd, there is a live band and entertainment that goes on at the stage by the Liberty Jail.

Scalco has another reason for attending.

“The babes,” he said.

Ryan comes to be with friends.

“The root bear! And the bottle!” Jones said.

There are many reasons to go out to the Festival and enjoy a little free time around some friends and in an environment that only comes to Liberty once a year.

Downtown Liberty gets a makeover in preparation for the annual Fall Festival. photos by Sammi Novak

The Bird House Liberty High School Store

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(816) 781-1997 Maysy’s Nail and Spa www.MaysysNailandSpa.com 1181 W Kansas St Liberty, MO 64068 Phone:(816) 429-7970

Full Set: $20 White Tip $25 Pedicure: $23 Mani & Pedi: $35 (For Liberty High School Students Only)

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Features Left. Senior Arty Tuggle spots his partner Kwaku Duah.

Right. Senior Ben Mays smiles while benching. photos

by Shelby Springer

Fight Till the Finish

by Haley Vickers

Students undergo annual fitness tests in their gym classes. body, push-ups area, but really weak in their cardiovascular, as far as the pacer.”

Students agreed that boys tend to enjoy fitness testing more than girls.

“Girls are really worried about getting sweaty and gross and guys just don’t really care and just do it,” senior Victoria Hollar said.

“Boys like to show off what they can do,” sophomore Sharee Zombo said.

There is also a disagreement on which tests are the easiest and the most difficult. “That depends on who you ask,” Neldon said. “I think the easiest test is probably the sit-ups test. Most students tend to do really well on that one. And probably the hardest test would be the Pacer.”

Hollar agreed. “Sit-ups are easy,” she also added, “The flexed arm hang is difficult because I have no upper body strength.” Forth said, “The sit-ups only goes up to 80 and you don’t have to sit up that far.”

Students also have opinions on which test is the most important; pre, mid, or final tests. The grading for these tests depend on the teacher, but there is a scale that grades students depending

on how well students preform.

Students work hard to do their best on the final because in the end, that is the test that affects their grades.

“One, the final effects your grades and two, it shows how much you have improved,” Zombo said. There are also many who question if fitness testing is a good judgment of how physically fit students are.

“I try to grade on their improvement, instead of really where they are at. I feel like that can be a little discouraging,” Neldon said, “So just because they are able to max out on the sit-ups, doesn’t mean they’re a great athlete. And maybe they don’t do too great on the sit-ups, but they are a really great soccer player.”

Whether students are involved in athletics or just an average physical education student; fitness testing is something everyone has to participate in at some point. Fitness testing is an important part of student’s physical education grade and is a way for students to accurately measure their overall physical fitness and improvement over the semester.

THE BELL

“…79…80,” the recording plays to tell students to relax, “You have now completed the push-ups test.” Students in physical education class, participate in fitness testing three times a semester.

They take a pre-test, a mid-test and a final. These tests include the push-ups test, the sit-ups test, sit and reach, the flexed arm hang, the mile and pacer.

The gym classes also measure students’ height, weight and their Body Mass Index (BMI) to complete a full range of measurements to record students’ overall physical fitness.

“Fitness should be a lifelong process, something that you work towards through your life, just to maintain a healthy life style,” Body Sculpting teacher and athletic trainer Deanna Neldon said.

Most students have very strong opinions on fitness, which pushes students both mentally and physically.

“It shows your ability and what your strengths and weaknesses are and your overall fitness,” junior Brandon Forth said.

Neldon said, “The tests give them a guide to where they are at physically.

They might be strong in the upper

26

opinion

liberty love it If You’re a Bird, I’m a Bird The best thing about Twitter is the community it creates. There are so many diverse types of people on Twitter, but even so, they all find a way to bond together. Now LHS has its own way to bond on Twitter. In the past year, Liberty Twitter accounts like Liberty Love, Liberty Poops, Liberty Meh and Some More Love have popped up out of the blue. I feel that Liberty Twitter accounts, despite some negative reviews, are a great thing for our school.

One of my favorites is Liberty Love because I can see people I know and think, “Wow, that’s so true.” Not only has this account been a big hit, but some students in Kearney set up their own Love account because they loved the positivity that it was bringing to Liberty. I have heard not one, but many times, about how great Liberty Love is for saying so many nice things about students at our school. “I had been wanting to start a positive Libertythemed account for a while, and then the rude Instagram account came out a few days before the school year started and I knew it was time to finally get some love into our community.” Love said. For me, this statement really shows how great of an idea the Liberty Love account was.

Other Liberty Twitter accounts are not so positive, but people can still relate.

Liberty Meh started as a joke between two friends and was a local Twitter hit

the bell

Amanda Kovac

Which "Liberty" accounts do you follow on Twitter? @LibertyProblems 28% @LibertyLovee 52% @LibertyMeh 26%

@Poop_On_Liberty 11% @LibertyFacts 12% @Some_More_Love 7%

Other

Reporter

almost overnight. They touched on all the things Liberty residents wonder about, but never talk about. “A few people thought it [Liberty Meh] was stupid, but this is something everyone knows but doesn’t say, like how are there so many elementary schools in Liberty, or do we really need another bank? And why is our monumental water fountain broken?” the account creators said. I found these comments hilarious because it is the truth and nothing but the truth. They were just the sort of sarcastic, cynical humor that I love.

With accounts like Liberty Poops, and the ever controversial Liberty Problems, I think that they are over-exaggerated.

However, there has to be an account for the pessimists of Liberty to appreciate and use to pass the time until they can get out of town.

The main idea of a Liberty Twitter account is to have something for people to relate to, and all of the Liberty Twitter accounts have accomplished this. I think a town Twitter account is a great idea and can bring people closer together, but I do think there is a point when things can get out of hand. The Liberty Twitter accounts we have now are great, but I do not think there should be any more than this. These sweet, funny, sarcastic, slightly exaggerated Twitter accounts are more than just for the birds.

33%

People may select more than one checkbox, so percentages may add up to more than 100%.

*204 students polled

pro

pro

pro

pro

pro

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opinion

liberty over it who gives a hoot?

con

con

I have direct-messaged Liberty Love, via Twitter, asking for a shout-out to Breakfast Club members who helped with the training for the seventh graders, but they claimed that compliment as their own. There are students who have gotten multiple shout-outs, when some have not even gotten one. A lot of people have done amazing things in our community that haven’t been noticed, but then again, credit isn’t everything. But it is nice to be recognized for the good things you do, it is almost encouraging to keep doing them.

Liberty Love isn’t the only the controversial account, Liberty Problems is too. The one that had happened during my freshman year, I noticed caused a lot of drama and negative attention. The current Liberty Problems says, “There were previous ones, the other ones around were stupid. It wasn’t really intentionally to bully people; it was just to laugh at the school.” Then, Liberty Problems added, “The other account was just making fun of people, don’t get me wrong it makes fun of people, but you can laugh at it. It’s not direct bullying.” I feel that regardless of how you put people down, it’s still bullying and that’s wrong.

People may start these accounts with good intentions, but behind the mask, they can lead to cyber-bullying, or in some cases, harassment. Personally, I believe that there shouldn’t be any Liberty accounts created by students. Each can turn problematic and some start out that way. The comedy accounts require someone or something in Liberty to be the butt of the joke, the hate accounts are hurtful, and won’t change anything about the “problems” they tweet about.

con

Madi Hayter

con

Reporter

con

the bell

It’s not all fun and games behind a mask on the Internet, whether it’s good or bad. Liberty has proven this to me.

Many Liberty accounts have been created, both positive and negative. Liberty Love has been named a “pioneer” of love accounts. It’s given us some uplifting spirit, complimenting people and groups.

But there are also ‘hate’ accounts that showcase the downsides and dislikes, even including lies. Then there are the parody accounts such as Liberty Meh, and Liberty Poops. As these accounts have progressed, most of these turn into drama, dividing our town.

One of the problems with all these accounts being anonymous is trying to figure out who is behind the screen.

Seniors Audrie Estrada, Kathrine Kuhlmann, and Courtney Gartner were suspected of being Liberty Love. They described the feeling of being questioned by their peers. At first, it was flattering, but eventually, it got annoying. “I thought it was kind of ridiculous, when [Audrie] said no, it wasn’t her, then they got to another level to saying it was her mom. I don’t think people would go to that extent for just one Twitter account,” Gartner said.

I feel people should stop tormenting possible members of Liberty Love.

Everyone has been blamed for something they did not do; the feeling is aggravating.

Another problem is that some don’t see all love in Liberty Love. “It makes them feel bad, because they’re like ‘nobody likes me, I’m not on Liberty Love,” Kuhlmann said.

The kids who don’t get noticed feel isolated. To me, they are singling out people, making them feel less involved.

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opinion

Staff editorial Should the school require students to take one cup of fruit with their lunches?

After seeing student after student toss their required piece of fruit directly into the trash, the question arose, do students need to be forced to take fruit with lunch? The overall feeling of The Bell Staff is, yes. Taking a cup of fruit at lunch allows the school to provide free lunches to students who need them. Even if most people do not eat the fruit, following the new state guidelines provides a lunch for someone who would not eat otherwise.

Besides helping others, the new rule does help students eat healthier. Obviously, someone is more likely to eat the fruit when they have it on their tray. One staff member admitted, “because of the new rule, I’m eating more fruit this year.” Some still say that the school is stepping on students’ rights by making them take food they do not want, and that it should

be up to the students to decide the food on their tray. In truth, it is not hurting anybody to grab an apple before they checkout, it is actually helping. Besides, nobody is forcing anyone to eat the fruit. Others say that food is being wasted because there are some who walk directly from the checkout line to the trashcan. Most agree that wasting food is bad, especially when the school is trying to provide food for those who cannot afford it. But some may not have realized that we could be helping just by buying the food. Farmers are making more money with students being required to buy fruit at lunch. Overall, through interviews and lengthy editorial board discussions among staff leadership and reporters, The Bell strongly believes the pros outweigh the cons on this issue.

what the bell thinks...

17 Yes, it should

2 No, it should not

staff Columns

the bell

follow the leader The past few months have opened my eyes to the potential I have to make an impact in the lives around me. Being blessed with leadership positions as the Executive Secretary of Student Council, the Editor in Chief of Newspaper and a role model for the second graders I teach. I have grown and learned how to become a more responsible leader.

Of course, I am still learning everyday; opportunities for improvement present themselves frequently. It is my job to take those opportunities as they appear and run with them, because in the end, it will only make me a stronger leader.

There are numerable traits of a successful leader; one being that they know the important lesson that perception is reality.

Everyone has their own perception on life, as they should. Being a leader, you keep this in mind when addressing issues with an individual or large group. Make sure to maintain a manner that does not radiate the wrong meaning. It is true that you cannot control what people think, but you can influence how they might perceive a certain conversation or situation. In order to lead well, one needs to be able to adapt and correct the

Editor in chief Nathan hunt

negative perceptions that will pop up throughout their life.

A quality that even the best of leaders come to wrestle with is the task of giving constant support to every issue they lead.

Life is not always fair, something you do not need me telling you, and there will be decisions made that you end up not agreeing with. Yet, an exceptional leader will take this decision and sell it like there was no better option in the entire world.

This is a sign of a true leader, because while some would check out and bash it with all their might, the true leader goes around building up the change, expressing excitement and handing out praise.

Having the chance to be a leader is a privilege. Not only are you a role model for your peers, but also you represent the group or community you are leading. A thing to realize is that everyone has the potential to be a leader. So I ask you, fellow leaders, to lead by example. When you are at forks in the road, take a second to think about the best path to head down. Be mindful of your actions and keep in mind that perception is reality.

opinion Please, just go home Homecoming, it is the thought on everyone’s mind, boys and girls alike. For some reason it is an epic tragedy at our school to not get asked to Homecoming.

I am pretty seasoned in the art of school dances. I was fortunate enough to be asked as a freshman and a sophomore. I used to get really excited to pick out my dress, get all my accessories and match with my date. I am now so jaded, I can see right through the nonsense. Most of the student body is blissfully unaware of this daily nonsense that happens from the second week of school until the middle of October.

This one is for the boys, I seriously feel so bad for the whole male population of Liberty High School. I am so sorry that girls expect possible Homecoming dates to parachute down during the half time show of the football game and “pop the big question” or maybe you buy her 24 red roses, five balloons, and a cake with “Homecoming?” written in your date’s favorite color icing. Honestly if I was a dude, I would never put in that much effort for one dance. You guys amaze me with the things you manage to pull off. Congrats. But wouldn’t it be nice to just go up to a girl during lunch or in the morning before school and say “Hey, want to go to Homecoming?” and just roll with whatever response she gives you. That is how it used to be, way back when most of our parents went to high school.

29 Opinion Editor Diana Timmermans

Ever since about 8th grade, I have discovered that girls like to upset themselves. They like setting outrageously high hopes on everything, Homecoming is no exception. I am tired of all the social networking posts saying things along the lines of, “oh my gosh. I’m going to Homecoming with the best guy ever <3.” and “This Homecoming is going to be the best one yet.” I really sympathize for you because odds are Homecoming is not going to live up to your anticipation. Do not get me wrong, Homecoming is pretty fun, but when you hit retirement age you are probably not going to remember every single detail of every Homecoming dance. It really makes me sick to my stomach when girls complain either about not having a date or not being asked in a super Über cute way. I am a firm believer that most girls live by this quote, “For some people, love doesn’t exist unless you acknowledge it in front of other people.” Not saying acknowledging love is a bad thing, but making a huge scene about it is not necessary either.

I am not saying I hate the utter existence of school dances, I just hate how that is all everyone has been talking about since the second day of school. Everyone needs to take a chill pill when it comes to Homecoming. Simmer down and don’t buy into the hype; I might see you at the dance.

ackers the cat Ads Manager Shelby Curtis kind of name Ackers is. As we rounded the corner on my street, we started thinking about what my mom would say when we showed her ‘lil Ackers and told her the tragic story. We arrived at my front door, and bravely, we knocked. My mom opened it, stunned by the cuteness of the cat, but then she quickly recovered. All she said was “No” as she cuddled the little guy. We knew we couldn’t take the little kitten back to the mean people who dumped it, so we called everyone we knew.

Out of probably 50 people we called, there was not one person who wanted Ackers. I’m sorry to say this story doesn’t have a happy ending. After more begging, we finally got in Nathan’s truck, and drove back to the house from where we had gotten Ackers. We were glad they accepted him back, and the little girl was happy to see her kitten again, but we were sad. For almost two hours, we had a new kitten to play with, and we will never forget him.

The moral of this story is, don’t take cats from strangers, it will only break your heart.

the bell

It’s story time! For next seven months or so, I will be delighting my audience with a true-life anecdote! So without further ado, the story of Ackers.

Once upon a time...I was walking to the park with my two best friends, Nathan and Morgan.

We had a jolly good time. After an hour of swinging and sliding, Morgan noted that it was getting dark and suggested we should head home. Nathan and I agreed. About halfway to our street, we noticed a family sitting out on their porch. In the front yard, a small gray and white kitten pranced about playfully. We ‘oohed’ and ‘awed’ and I rushed over to pick the kitty up. One of the people came down off of the porch, and while laughing, asked if we wanted it. We assumed he was kidding, but then he made it clear he wasn’t. We were all shocked, we didn’t really know what to say.

Obviously, these people didn’t want the cat, and we didn’t know if they would take care of it or not! So we did what any human with a heart would do, we took it. As we were walking away, their three-year-old daughter was crying and screaming for ‘Ackers’ to come back. We still don’t know what

30

arts & entertainment

what’s trending? the glass castle

by Zach Kilgas My family borders on the unusual side, excuse me, I meant to say we are just weird. For instance, my grandmother has accumulated a large number of past husbands. She is a “collector,” or what any person in their right mind would call, “hoarder.” In recent years, her “collection” has expanded from newspapers to her trailer full of expired Hostess Snow Balls. Next is my uncle, who crashes funerals for the fun of it, which in some twisted way, gives him satisfaction. In my family, the ridiculousness, construction projects and stories never stop.

So this summer, when by chance I picked up Jeannette Walls’ memoir, “The Glass Castle,” I was in love. I finally found a family who was crazier than mine.

This is the true story of young Jeannette growing up in a nomadic family. Her family is constantly on the move, “fleeing from Gestapo,” who are supposedly chasing her father, or just “moving on” to find a new home. Each town brings a new adventure, new pets

and more plans for The Glass Castle.

Her parents carry burdens, preventing them from caring for their children in ways considered “normal” by most of the world’s standards.

Throughout the book, Jeanette’s father, Rex, teaches his children of the complexity of the universe. Once, for

Christmas, he gave them each a star of their choice, but his alcoholism becomes ever clearer and more painful for Jeannette and her siblings. Her mother’s problems are wildly different, ranging from being a sugar addict to being pregnant for 14 months. The children are forced to fend for themselves, sometimes doing dangerous tasks for kids their age.

Ultimately, The Glass Castle is a story of escape. Her story is the escape from a hospital after six weeks of recovery.

Her life is her escape from their home in Battle Mountain after a shoot-out.

Finally, her great escape is from a house without power or a working toilet, and the vicious cycle of poverty.

This inspiring memoir shows the other side of the fence for many, encouraging empathy for those who have much and goes further to give hope to those who are experiencing trials as unique as my family. As wacky as we are, we have nothing on Jeanette Walls’ family. For once I am thankful for my family, my whole family.

the bell

buzzed about books...

“I’m reading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins.

I love the suspense and I think Finnick is hot,” sophomore Lillian London said. photo by Diana Timmermans

“I just started reading Blame by Michelle Huneven. The book is not as fast paced as the topic would make you imagine. It’s interesting, but I wouldn’t say ‘good’.”

English Langauge Arts teacher, Taryn McGee said. photo by Nathan Hunt

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arts & entertainment

Huzzah for the LHS Choir By: Sydney Perkins

Liberty High School’s choir will be singing and attending at the Renaissance Festival this fall.

Junior Hannah Goodwin looks at possible dresses to wear for the Kansas City Renaissance Festival in the prop closet. photo by Nathan Hunt

The shows and performances are things students ordinarily do not see everyday. The Renaissance age is known for its outrageous clothing, great food and knights in shining armor.

The shows range from comedy to medieval reenactments.

Walking around, students are surrounded by period music, dancing and might even see jousting or fire eating.

“Its really fun and just a goofy day for us to dress up and go sing,” Cadd said.

Thanks to the Festival students are provided a unique opportunity to demonstrate their talents - Huzzah!

the bell

Every fall, Women’s Honors Choir and Concert Choir perform at the annual Kansas City Renaissance Festival in Bonner Springs, Kansas. Both choirs have been performing at the festival for over 15 years. It has now become a tradition that was first started by a previous director. Current directors, Dr. Rika Heruth and Mrs. Sharon Parker, keep the tradition alive. This year’s performances will take place on October 8th.

Students are set to arrive at 10:00 am and will perform until 4:00 pm.

It is easy to understand why the choir participates in the Kansas City Renaissance Festival.

“The students get a realistic glimpse into what secular vocal music was like during the renaissance and the role that singing played in daily life,” Heruth said.

A lot more planning goes into performing at the Kansas City Renaissance Festival than students might think. Both choirs have less than two months to learn the music and put their performances together. Learning music quickly can be hard, not to mention the a cappella musical style.

“It is pretty difficult because the music is really challenging since there is no accompaniment. It is just us singing without any other music,” junior Sarah Cadd said.

Music styles dating from the Renaissance age to the present have changed drastically.

“Its very heterophonic, which means it goes different paces, and it’s not all together,” sophomore Nina Hawkins said.

Throughout the day, students will be participating and interacting with the festival’s many activities.

“Students are assigned three to four performances on different stages throughout the festival area,” Heruth said.

“When not performing, students are free to enjoy the festival, watch other shows and performances, look at crafts and sample the wonderful food!”

Something quite unique about the Kansas City Renaissance Festival is that everyone is dressed in costume. When attending the festival, it is a must to represent attire from the actual Renaissance time period. This is no exception for the choir. They take part in dressing up as well and are able to take their costuming to new levels by making their own costumes.

There are a few members who take it a little too seriously.

“A lot of people at the festival take it really seriously and sometimes it can be kind of funny,” McCarroll said. “There are guys that wear like goat legs and they’ve got horns and they have a whole bunch of different makeups on and different dresses,” Not only do the teachers love taking part in the Festival, but the students do too.

“This is a tradition that our students cherish, and it marks a super fun kickoff to our performance season each fall,” Heruth said.

32

arts & entertainment

Liberty’s Top

the bell

The dish

Restaurant reviews by The Bell reporters Grace George and Nick Palmarine.

Grace: The pizza at The Dish was delightful. We ordered the pepperoni with a side salad and it seemed that a lot of other customers did as well. It came out of the oven with a perfect temperature and a mouth-

watering taste. The service was all right at best. We watched a couple wait at the front door for about five minutes before even seeing a host. Later into the meal, a worker left her cleaning supplies at the end of the table.

Nick: Out of the three places I went, The Dish was one of the better experiences. The pizza was excellent and the service was pretty as well. It was a little busy because it was around dinnertime, so it took a while to get our pepperoni pizza, but once we did, it was very good.

The pizza was the thin crust pizza It seemed like The Dish was trying

The waiter was very kind and patient while we ordered. The meal was only about six dollars per person, so it was not too expensive. Overall, it was a great experience with awesome food.

to go for a family type atmosphere with crayons, coloring pages and television’s. Our waiter did a great job, refreshing our drinks and asking what more he could do, at just the right times. Overall, great service and even better pizza. If you’re looking for great pizza, The Dish is the place to go.

33

arts & entertainment

Notch

Pizza Pies

Minsky’s

Nick: If you are trying to enjoy some pizza and catch a game, Minsky’s is definitely the place to go, televisions with all sorts of games surround the interior of the restaurant.

The service was fantastic and I absolutely loved the “Papa Minsky’s” pizza, which is their most famous pizza, it is basically a loaded meat lover’s pizza.

Of the three places I went to, the experience I had at Minsky’s was probably my least favorite. When I first got there, around dinnertime, I noticed it was pretty crowded and it seemed like there were

little kids running around all over the place. While this should be a good thing for a restaurant, I did not particularly appreciate it.

Unlike The Dish, Minsky’s does not provide crayons and coloring pages for children but they do have a game room at the corner of the restaurant. If I had to make one suggestion to Minsky’s, it would be to tone it down on the family aspect of the restaurant but to keep doing what they are doing with their pizza.

Overall, phenomenal pizza and service, Minksy’s is the place to be for a fun family time and great pizza.

Grace: Minskey’s is a place where you can get any type of pizza you want, and sit down for a delectable meal.

It’s a great hang-out spot to go to watch a game because there are always multiple televisions on. If you are someone who likes to watch games with other sports fans, this is the place to be. It’s a more laid-back restaurant, so there is never any need to

look fancy. Minskey’s is the kind of place you can go for a night out with your friends, or a dinner for the family.

Sometimes the restaurant can get a little crowded but only because everyone in Liberty wants their yummy pizza. Have no fear though, while you are waiting to be seated, you can make your way over to the arcade to play some fun games.

photos by Molly Meeks

Pizza shoppe

had a crunchy kind of crust and what tasted like a special type of recipe. I noticed how the very cool temperature; besides that quality I had a great experience and I would definitely recommend it to anyone looking for great pizza and even better time.

pizza wasn’t hard like some places. The service is good and it’s not too crowded.

The wait for the food wasn’t bad, considering we were there around dinner time.

One flaw of the restaurant is the cold temperature but other than that, it is a good quality place to spend time with your friends and family.

the bell

Nick: I first walked into the Pizza Shoppe around lunchtime; it was not very crowded so the service was great. The pizza at Pizza Shoppe was even better; I really enjoyed the pepperoni pizza. Compared to The Dish and Minsky’s the pizza at Pizza Shoppe was very unusual, it

Grace: Pizza Shoppe was different in a good way. Unlike some of the pizza restaurants, it is very family-oriented. They have a variety of different types of pizza and every kind is enjoyable. We chose to eat sausage pizza, and we were very happy with our choice.

There was just the right amount of sausage on the pizza and it the crust of the

34

Sports

Behind the tape

by Jake Boese One position at LHS that does not get a lot of attention is that of athletic trainers.

One job that does not get much recognition around the athletic department is the athletic trainers. The school trainers, Jared Sheets and Deanna Neldon, put in a lot of hard work and dedication to try and keep all LHS athletes healthy.

There are many necessities on for the trainers on game day.

“We take ice water, 24 water bottles, a bag of injury ice, towels, a portable taping table, vacuum splints, AED (defibrillator), med kit, separate bag of tape, two sets of crutches,” Sheets said. “We also bring a suture kit in case of a cut; if there is a doctor, they can stitch them up because we cannot.”

The trainers feel the same excitement on game day as the players.

“It’s always an exciting day. If it’s a big game you want to see the team pull off the win,” Neldon said.

At times being an athletic trainer can be quite a gruesome job, seeing all types of injuries.

“The worst I’ve seen and dealt with is a full knee dislocation and a femur fracture here at Liberty,” Sheets said.

Athletic training sparked Sheets’ interests early on in life.

“It started in high school, I had knee surgery junior year. It made me want to get into the medical field. Doing athletic training gave me the best of both worlds, because it let me do medical work and sports,” Sheets said.

For Neldon, she experiences the joy of getting to assist people in staying on the field.

“I got into it because I like medicine and I love sports.

I like helping people who are hurt get back out onto the field,” Neldon said.

Neldon and Sheets’ schedules can be very tough, but their ultimate priority is the players.

“The hardest part is the long hours. Also, when you see someone not get to play the rest of his or her season because of an injury,” Neldon said.

With all of the difficulties of being a trainer, Neldon and Sheets say they love their job and deserve high praise for the work they’ve done to help out athletes.

“They are both really nice and they wrap a mean ankle.

They’re really dedicated to helping athletes,” junior Kellan Turner said.

Friday Night Home Game Trainer Schedule 3:00

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4:10 - 4:45

Team eats pre-game meal 25-30 players getting taped in the athletic office

5:15

Load up supplies and arrive at William Jewell

6:00

Team begins practicing, help players stretch out

7:00

Last minute taping and beginning of game

7:00 - 9:30

On sideline helping with any injuries during the game

9:30

Game ends and ice is given to those in need

10:30

Load everything up and get back to LHS

35

Sports

TRAINER

SUPPLIES • • • • • • • • • •

Ice Water 24 Bottles of Water Injury Ice Portable Taping Table Vacuum Splints AED Defibrillator Medical Kit Separate Bag of Tape Two Sets of Crutches Suture Kit

Trainer Jared Sheets gives senior Jake Stansbury a leg taping to compress his thigh. photo by Breann Koch

“

“

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Senior Spencer Hurla gets ice taped to his thigh by trainer Deanna Neldon. photo by Mat George

They are very useful when I happened to injure myself during past basketball seasons. When I pulled my hip flexor, they showed me some important stretches that helped relieve the pain and get me ready for the game.

-senior Sam Sutton

36

Sports

Chemistry Equals Success

by Jake Boese The men’s soccer team’s chemistry helps attribute to its success.

THE bell

Last year’s Blue Jays soccer team had four seniors. This year’s team experienced a vast growth in leadership and experience potential this year with ten seniors.

The number of returning players helps the team have tighter chemistry.

“With the great amount of experience and leadership that we have this year, it is really drawing us together as a team,” senior Spencer Hurla said.

Time spent together before this season also helped the team become closer.

“It all started with the team trip to my lake house that helped us unify,” sophomore TJ Stansbury said. “It also helps that most of us have played with each other for a long time so we know what our team is going to do before we get out on the field,” The team’s focus this year is primarily on sticking together.

“This year we have increased our focus on our team unity so that when we get out on the field we are all on the same page to accomplish one common goal,” Hurla said.

The team hopes their unity will help them be successful.

“It’s the focus we’ve come into the season with,” head coach Thomas Rottjakob said. “We have come in this year as a team and not as individuals. Over time, the teams that act more as a family and not as individuals have a higher success rate. If you are willing to do whatever it takes for your team and teammates you can accomplish so much more.”

The team believes that by helping someone else you are

also helping yourself.

“The principle of helping others in return will also be beneficial to one’s self,” Rottjakob said.

With all the returning players being so comfortable with each other, difficulties can arise for the younger players.

“It’s a little bit harder because you don’t have a say in a lot of things. It’s good though to have guys to look up to knowing someday you’ll have to do the same thing,” Stansbury said.

With more experienced players, it means the team also has more returning talent.

“The amount of talent throughout our team is exponentially greater than any of the last three seasons,” Hurla said. “Realizing this, we are constantly being pushed to the max so that we can reach our fullest potential by the time post-season rolls around.”

The amount of talent from top to bottom on the team means that everybody is successful, and not just one player shines.

“It’s all about the team and how everybody sticks together and nobody stands out. If no one argues we can have a better bond and not break down,” junior Charlie Raasch said.

The team believes that if they keep up the chemistry, they can improve upon last year’s season.

“Our goal is to not get down on each other and do better than last year. We want to make a name for ourselves this year,” Raasch said.

The team huddles before the game to discuss the plan for the nights game. photo by Cody Winters

37

Sports

Living up to expectations

by Mat George The volleyball steps up this year in order to fill the losses.

“Bump, set, spike it. That’s the way we like it.” This is a common phrase used by fans at volleyball games to get the crowd cheering and the volleyball players pumped up. The Jays’ volleyball team has started the season off strong with a record of 15-3-1 and placing first in the Winnetonka tournament. First place is a huge accomplishment, especially after losing important players from their starting line-up.

Filling in for the graduated players and open spots is not an easy task for anyone.

The coaches have to create a whole new line up and the players have to be able to get into the swing of the new playing style.

“We lost three people who were vital.

We have done a good job of filling in their spots and roles,” junior Mattie Ann Swenson said.

The team had to make many decisions that would help make them be successful this year. One of these decisions is to make sure the team gets along well with each other. This means they have to be

able to talk and support each other.

“We’re all best friends and we have great chemistry on and off the court,” senior Lauren Holm said.

Since the team was triumphant last year, there were some very high hopes for this season.

“We set high expectations for ourselves, and our coaches are holding high expectations for our team,” Holm said.

The team has done a lot to make sure that they can be the best they can be during the season.

“I think we’ve been working hard all pre-season. We need to transfer it all when it comes game time,” Swenson said.

The team faces some challenges as the season progresses.

“We need to stop getting in our own heads and psyching ourselves out.

We just need to relax,” junior Megan Coleman said.

Since a lot of players from last year graduated, some people had to step up and act as the team leaders.

“Lauren Holm is a senior and has really taken ownership of the team,” Coach April Fleming said. “She has the most experience and has done a good job of leading by example,” she said. “Holm was chosen as captain by the team, along with Mattie Ann Swenson. Mattie works hard every day and demands perfection.”

“

Senior Lauren Holm serves the ball to the opposing team.

Junior Lindsay Buehler sets up to bump the ball to one of her team mates. photos by Kelsey Buehler and Kristin Poe

“

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I have known most of them since they were in elementary school so the relationships and trust amongst the girls and the coaching staff is strong. They are just great girls! Hard workers, respectful, and enjoyable to be around.

- Coach April Fleming

38

Sports

Dancing the night away

by Madi Hayter The Sapphires teach a clinic for aspiring dancers.

THE bell

The next generation of Sapphires was born on September 20th when the annual Sapphire Clinic took place. The clinic helps prepare girls K-5th to be Sapphires. This year they did a pom dance to the summer hit, “Call Me Maybe,” by Carly Rae Jepson. Senior Macayla Witt choreographed this year’s dance.

“It’s for kids who want to learn the technique to make the Sapphire team when they get older,” sophomore Brittany Holtzclaw said. Brittany added, “the first graders work on basic technique, and slowly build up on their technique.”

Not only will this clinic benefit the children, but it will make the Sapphire team stronger in the future.

“You figure out what is required for the team, and what we need to know,” junior Mikaela Vittoria said.

For the freshmen on Sapphires who are in National Junior Honor Society, this benefits them in their volunteer hours. It also benefits the Sapphires, who are in National Honor Society or other community service clubs, because the time they spend teaching is counted for their service hours.

“It will go towards National Honor

Society, and A+ Program.” Witt said.

Last year, this event was a huge success with 30 to 40 girls participating in the clinic, from across the Liberty school district. With such a large group the clinic is held in the gym. To start off the day, the girls are split into groups based on their grade. They then start receiving instructions, and dance techniques, from the current varsity and junior varsity Sapphire members.

“The clinic is a great way for the Sapphires and cheerleaders to serve as positive role models for the young students in Liberty. The high school girls enjoy the experience of sharing something they are passionate about doing and hope that their love for their sport rubs off onto the younger students. The elementary students love the one-on-one attention from the high school students. Both young and older also enjoy the opportunity to show their school spirit and community involvement.” Coach Willis said.

The process of the camp is consists of a few steps. Each of the group’s captains chooses a song and creates the choreography. The second step is for the rest of the group to be taught the

dance. Finally, it is time for the clinic and the girls to show what they worked on for the past two days and perform.

“Parents come; some Sapphires parents come because we dance in it.

People invite their grandparents, it’s just fun for them,” Vittoria said.

The kindergartners through eighth graders learn both a pom cheer and a dance.

“The clinics are simply fun for all.

The elementary students have an opportunity to learn, grow and have a blast doing it, while the older girls are reminded about the positive and powerful impact they make each and every day.” Coach Willis said.

“We usually try to pick a common song, like a pump up song. We mainly do jazz and pom, since that’s what we’re known for, sometimes we’ll do hip-hop, but we don’t really do any slow music.” Vittoria said.

Therefore making this more enjoyable for all of the girls.

This learning experience helped educate these girls on what it is like to be a Sapphire. They learned how to master their technique, this taught the possible future Sapphires how to be a part of the team.

Sapphires perform their kickline during half time at a home football game. photo by Breann Koch

39

Sports

you play ball like a girl

by Nick Palmarine Alyson Gerstner has big shoes to fill while pitching for the Lady Jays.

The Softball Team reached the quarterfinals last year before being knocked out of the State tournament by Blue Springs. They look to try and reach the quarterfinal game again this year, led by sophomore pitcher Alyson Gerstner.

Gerstner’s returns from a year’s experience on the team, as a freshman and the softball team is looking to ride her pitching farther than where they finished last season.

“She played Varsity as a freshman last year, so it’s not new to her,” Assistant Coach Zach Werner said. “When you’re in that circle, when you’re a pitcher, you are definitely a leader.”

While Gerstner burst onto the scene last year with her offense and defensive play in the outfield, her biggest impact on the field this year is her pitching: which former student Chelsea Ross provided last year. Gerstner has earned a lot of attention with her pitching performance against Blue Springs on September 7th, in which she allowed one run in seven innings of work.

“I prefer pitching because it’s more fun, and you get to be the center of attention,” Gerstner said.

Although she is a player who brings a big impact to the game, she is still learning and looks towards the upperclassmen on the team to help her.

“I look up to Caitlin VanVleck,” Gerstner said. “She is always teaching me things about the game, especially about hitting and pitching.”

While Gerstner looks to VanVleck to teach her things, VanVleck turns to Gerstner in times of need.

“She’s the type of person, that if I am down I can look to her to pick me up,” junior Caitlin VanVleck said. “She always has a positive attitude, which helps people around her have positive attitudes.”

She has earned the respect of VanVleck as well as the rest of the team.

“I think the team likes her a lot, she always has a positive attitude, which helps people around her have positive attitudes,” Werner said.

“My favorite part about the varsity team is that we’re all like really good friends, it’s just fun playing,” Gerstner said “Before every game, we get in a huddle and yell ‘Can I get a Blue Jays?’ at the top of our lungs, at different times. It’s just really loud and fun.”

The Lady Jays softball team hopes to be able to get behind Gerstner’s pitching and get back on track to the state tournament.

Alyson Gerstner delivers the pitch to the opposing batter. photo by Jaileen West

THE bell

Alyson Gerstner blows people away with her pitching at the ALS game against Staley. photo by Sarah Andrews

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