The Bell 4/19/2013

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April 19, 2013

the Bell

Liberty High School

Volume 89, Issue 7

2

Table Of Contents on the cover: Junior Kaitlyn Clark runs the ball down the field at a home Varsity girl’s soccer game. Read more about their season on page 27. photo by Lucas Carrel

After 35 years of teaching and leading the LHS band, Paul Warnex is retiring. photo by Rachel Untch

page 16

page 7 Learn about why classes are being dropped from the curriculum for the 2013-2014 school year. photo by Sammi Novak

the bell

page 6

Read about sibling relationships around LHS. Senior Cade Crow gives a thumbs up while posing with sophomore and sister Claire Crow. photo by Sarah Andrews

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

3

news

jays’ jabber Jake elliot awarded honors Junior Jake Elliot received the National Award for Read 108 and has been named a National All Star. This prestigious honor is only awarded to three high school students nationwide. This award includes a scholarship of $1,200.

photo by Spencer Hausman

scholar bowl Scholar Bowl won the Gold Division Conference Scholar Bowl Tournament. Varsity members Chris Tervort, Chris Vlamis, Helen Alpern, William Xiao, Spencer Nelson and Haley Ferguson pose with their first place plaque. photo courtesy of Karla Schaeffer

Hide and seek!

Seniors Yuxuan Xiao and Christopher Vlamis have been selected for the 2013 Missouri Scholars 100, a statewide program that honors 100 of Missouri’s top academic students in the graduating class of 2013. These students will be recognized at a luncheon in Columbia, on Sunday, April 28.

the bell

Help Sports Editor Mat George find the JLab Barbie! She usually relaxes on the editors’ computer, but today she lost her way! The first person to find the Barbie hidden in this issue and return her to room 513 at the beginning of seventh period will receive a prize courtesy of The Bell Staff.

state academic honor

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news Left Senior Sami Cintron reviews her main points for FBLA competition.

Right Juniors Kayla Ford and Hannah Pottsman generate information for their event. photos by Jessica Renzelman

Business as usual

by Amanda Kovac

FBLA and DECA attended competiton to show off their business abilities.

“I liked winning first and then forgetting I did. I forgot I competed in [Introduction to Business.] We took tests a long time before, like a month before,” sophomore FBLA member Luke Simpson said. “I forgot I even competed in it, and then they called my name for first place and I didn’t even realize that I won.”

Both FBLA and DECA had to complete tests. Some enjoyed it more than others.

“Just seeing how

excited they were and how they enjoyed it was a neat thing for me,” -FBLA Sponsor Sara Havermann said.

“My least favorite part was that we had to take a 100 question test right before we [competed,]” senior DECA member Dustin Kleeman said. “It’s 8 a.m., you go there and they’re like ‘Here’s this 100 question test,’ and we’re like, ‘Oh man.’ They do that to kill our brains, and then make us go and do the actual competition.”

Other competitors would argue that the test is not the most difficult part.

“The hardest part was getting it all done in time and following the rules.

There were a bunch of little things you had to do to make it the way they want it,” FBLA president, senior Alex Zaborac, said.

The competition was not all bad.

“I think after the events were over, just getting to sit at the table with all of the club members and just talking, and listening to them talk about random stuff,” Havermann said. “That was probably my favorite part, just getting to bond with them.”

Howard agreed that spending time with the members was important.

“I think the thing that I enjoyed the most was seeing how into it the group of three was, and how excited they were, because for all of them it was their first time,” Howard said. “Just seeing how excited they were and how they enjoyed it was a neat thing for me.”

Overall, the Liberty business clubs did well. Students who advanced to state competition through FBLA will compete on April 21 to determine who will move on to compete nationally in June.

“I’m really excited for the kids that placed at districts,” Havermann said.

the bell

Our business clubs, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) and Distributive Education Clubs of America (DECA), went to competition in January and February to show other competitors how Liberty does business.

The DECA competition was held February 12 at Zona Rosa.

“We did decent. We only had three kids compete at the district competition and all of them finished in the top 10 in their event,” DECA sponsor Scott Howard said. “They just didn’t finish high enough to move on to the next level. This year we had over 700 kids for our DECA region, so it was a pretty intense competition.”

The competition for FBLA was held February 8 at Pleasant Valley Baptist Church.

“We were there all day, and they also had to take online tests prior to going.

They spent, depending on the number of events they were in, one to two hours on online tests beforehand,” FBLA sponsor Sara Havermann said.

Liberty FBLA got down to business and showed other competitors who was boss.

“They did really well. We had eight of the 10 participants place at districts and six of them qualified for state,” Havermann said.

6

news

Leaving the Podium

by Molly Meeks

Liberty says goodbye to their long time band director, Mr. Warnex.

the bell

Band director Paul Warnex recently received the MSHAA Outstanding Music Educator of the Year award.

This year, Paul Warnex will “hang up” his conducting baton for good He has been band director for 35 years at Liberty High school.

Warnex conducts the marching band, pep bands and the symphonic band, as well as, conducting and assisting the Junior High and Middle School bands. He has a degree in trombone performance and has played in bands and directed at schools all over the Midwest. His years of experience, and many of his personal performances in bands all over the country, provide him with the ability to shape the districts’ early musicians into exceptional performers by their graduation.

“He’s great, and generally he’s a very fun teacher to have,” senior Monica Gehrig said. “He’s very personable with the students and he’s very nice to everybody and everything seems to get done during class time.”

When contest season rolls around, Warnex whips his band into award winning shape, and almost always receives superior ones at contest. In music contests, scores are on a scale of one to five, one meaning flawless and five meaning the performance was poorly done. Warnex and his bands

Warnex leads rehearsal for band contest that occurred April 5. They received 1 ratings for A Little English Girl and A Variation of Korean Folk Songs. photos by Rachel Untch

have received 23 consecutive superior ratings at full band contest.

“I mean we get stuff done in band and I like that. We play a lot and he’s very picky, which is good because we always get ones at contest,” junior Justice Tyson said. “He wants to get stuff done, he’s always like ‘Come on guys, let’s get this done.’ He demands respect and so he does get a lot of respect.”

Warnex, capping his retirement year, was awarded the MSHAA Outstanding Music Educator of the Year for the 2012-13 school year. Each year the award is given to one director, among hundreds, in the state of Missouri.

“I think my favorite part of him is I like having a standard of excellence that is definitely applied in every aspect of the music program that I’ve been participating in,” Gehrig said. “The fact that I know we have a very solid director, helps ensure to me that we are going to have a very solid performance.”

The process of filling the open position as band director began with giving applicants.

“The new director will definitely have big shoes to fill,” junior Erin Martin said. “I mean I’ve only ever had Mr. Warnex. He cares about us, and he

shows us he cares by the way acts, he shows his emotion.”

Eddie Owen, from Staley High school, will be Warnex’s replacement.

“Mr. Owen student taught with me years ago, he’s the band director at Staley High School,” Band Director Paul Warnex said.

Owen was a student teacher with Mr. Warnex early in his teaching career, it is as if he is returning to where he started. Trying to do the job of a 35 year veteran will not come easily for Owen, especially with new freshmen and sophomores coming up next year.

“If the new teacher is like Mr. Warnex plus a few extra good things, then I’ll like him. If not then who knows,” Tyson said. “I think it really depends how he approaches it, so we can still have an awesome band.”

Warnex has molded Liberty’s musicians for as long as anyone can remember, and cannot easily be replaced. Liberty will be losing one of the greats.

“I’ve been teaching for 35 years. My favorite part of teaching is having contact with all of my students and their parents,“ Warnex said.

Accepting The Change

by Haley Vickers

Liberty High School prepares to cut back on classes and teachers in the upcoming school year.

Change is not always a bad thing.

And at Liberty High School, many changes are occurring between this school year and the upcoming 20132014 year. The freshmen are moving up to the high school, Liberty time is being added to the schedule and technology is advancing in the district.

There is also a huge change occurring with the classes being offered next year. Some courses that were offered this year will no longer be available.

“We have a lower number [of students in each class] than any of our peer districts around here,” deputy superintendent John Jungman said.

“We have to get to where we have at least the same class sizes as the districts around here. Blue Springs, Lee’s Summit and Park Hill are our peers, and they all have larger class sizes than us on average,” he said.

Liberty is a growing community.

There are many students in the district that are concerned about the freshmen coming up to the high school, which may be affecting the classes that are offered.

“Freshmen are going to have more opportunities than they had before.

They are going to have a huge gamut of elective classes that they didn’t have at the junior highs,” Jungman said.

“It should allow us as a system to be more efficient, any time you have a large population, you can be more cost effective.”

“It has provided freshmen more choice. Currently, at the ninth grade

level, there is a very prescriptive curriculum,” Dr. April Adams said.

“The sequence of courses does not allow for variety and selection. But when students come up to the high school, their elective options triple.”

Most underclassmen have already filled out their schedules for next year.

There were fewer classes offered in the course catalog and students wondered about the change.

“A lot of people think we are dropping a lot of classes, and what we have actually done is gone through and analyzed all of their courses and they determined what courses could actually become 9-12 courses,” Adams said. “We have always been a 10-12 high school…Our enrollment tells us student’s interest. We didn’t go in and slice and dice the course catalog. We analyzed it to determine what courses could morph into a 9-12 and then removed courses that had very low enrollment.”

Teachers and staff are also encouraging students to not include a study hall in their schedules for next year.

“We need to be taking advantage of our time on a daily basis. We have a lot of kids sitting in study halls right now that could be benefitting from a course,” Jungman said.

Dr. Adams agreed, adding, “I think that the decision to take a study hall should be carefully thought through.

There are students that have very rigorous schedules and for those

students, it does make sense [to take a study hall]. But I think what students are going to find is that with Liberty Time, they don’t need to take a study hall.”

Many classes are offered at Liberty that require a lot of class time and individual attention from teachers.

“Advanced Publication getting cut will affect the [yearbook] staff because now our editors will not have the extra time to get pages done,” junior Kelsey Neth said. “I think it is necessary because without it, we just have 50 minutes a day to get a lot of stuff done.”

With the reconfiguration happening, for a 9-12 building, 12 new teachers are joining the staff next year. This will affect the number of classes and also the courses that are being taught.

“Our teacher employment is directly aligned with enrollment,” Adams said. “If we have students enrolled in courses, we need teachers for those courses. If course enrollment goes down, then we have to reduce teachers in that particular certification area.”

Due to the changes, there will be more students in each class next year.

“If you do research, where we are at with class size, it really doesn’t make a huge difference now,” Jungman said.

“If we get over 35 or 40, obviously it starts to break down. But anywhere between 15 and 30, relationships and achievement clearly stay the same, especially at the secondary level.”

photo by Sammi Novak

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Fly Through

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On The

Liberty

This summer, the city of Liberty is going to be connected by a new bridge connecting the northwestern part of the city with the southwestern part of the city. Ultimately, it is planned to relieve congestion that happens on the 1-52 bridge, crossing over I-35.

“I think it will make my commute a lot easier when it is rush hour here in Liberty,” sophomore Jackson Jones said. “Plus I’ll be able to get to the south part of town a lot faster.”

Phillips Grading and Construction Company, a family owned business out of Boonville, Missouri, will construct the bridge. They have done many other projects around the metro and have completed them as promised. Some of the jobs are Platte County Highway HH, Bly Road in Independence, Jackson County I-435, Jackson County Route W and many other projects around the entire state.

“Our years of experience are the foundation for our thorough understanding of moving the earth or building a bridge, the right way.”

Wyatt Phillips, Vice President of Phillips Grading and Construction Company said.

Flintlock

Flyover

The name of this bridge is called the Flintlock Flyover and brings new opportunities to the city of Liberty. Our representative since 2000 in the House is Sam Graves. He used the pork barrel form to get our city the money. What pork barrel legislation does is allow the congressman of a district to tax a slice of federal tax money and bring it back to his district. 80% of the flyover will be paid for from this style, the rest will be from Kansas City and Liberty.

This will affect students at Liberty, too.

People will finally be able to get over I-35 without worries of running into 30-minute traffic jams, opening up more time for them to get to school and also give them a safer commute. According to information provided by Missouri Department of Transportations website under Flintlock Road Overpass, the school district has many bus routes that go on I-35 daily, transporting around 5,000 students over the highway. This will help the entire district move students more efficiently and lessen congestion on 152.

With this project going on, many roads will have to be shut down around Liberty.

Road closures will include parts of highway I-35 coming through Liberty, Pleasant Valley and Kansas City.

“Shutting down of those roads won’t hurt me too much,” Jones said. “Besides maybe I-35, I could see that causing a lot of traffic everywhere, but I don’t think it’s supposed to be closed for very long.”

With the connection of Liberty through the fly-over, Liberty businesses will experience changes. This may help people that do not always go across town get over there and experience more of Liberty.

“I think it will be a great new thing for Liberty,” senior Kelsey Buehler said.

“Finally having a new fast way to get across town will help people get to places they want to be quicker without going over the bridge.”

The main part of the Flyover is expected to be completed in September or sometime in the fall of 2013.

QuickTrip

Walmart a

South Valley

10

Spotlight on Sophomore

zoda ballew The Last Time

by Zach Kilgas

i borrowed money “It was last week when my dad gave me money but I was supposed to give him the leftover change, but honestly who is going to give away their left over money. Thats ridiculous. I keep that.”

i spent too much “My mom gave me her credit card and I was supposed to go to the movies but I went shopping and bought a lot of clothes.”

i made a mess “I tried to make a chocolate shake because everybody refuses to buy them for me, and the shake turned out to be really nasty and it got all over the kitchen and the cabinets and it was a huge mess. It was a bad day and a bad time. I’m never cooking again.”

i had coffee

Thoughts on zoda “I would like to tell you that Zoda is the funniest girl in this class, and that she keeps us all on our toes, but she’s so quiet, she doesn’t ever speak. I just wish she would talk more. She’s going to know that’s a lie,” Spanish teacher Harmony Beldon said.

photo by S ummer T urner

THE BELL

“Two days ago, but it’s pretty much a drug.

Once you start drinking, you can’t stop. If I don’t have it often, I freak out.”

Spotlight on junior

jeff kinder

by Sydney Perkins

i had an injury

The Last Time

My height was an advantage “When looking for someone in the halls.”

Thoughts on jeff “Jeff is a really smart and very friendly guy that I have enjoyed having in French class.

You might not guess it, because I’m not sure he tells many people, but he can speak French quite well,” French teacher Jessica Lumetta said.

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“I was fouled hard going up for a shot and fell and hit my head. I don’t really remember the game. I had a headache for the next couple days.”

i went on a trip “I went to Colorado for vacation last year.

I hiked a mountain, we went to a Rockies game, and enjoyed the weather.”

i pulled an all nighter “It was over Spring Break, I was playing the new ‘MLB: The Show’ game with Zach Hoeflicker.”

All 6’10 feet of Kinder is not able to fit on the page!

Tu rn er

THE BELL

ph ot ob yS um m er

12

Spotlight on Senior

shelby murtha

by Aly Copp

The Last Time

i injured myself “That would be walking from this mountain in Colorado, and I slipped on some ice. I looked like an idiot. It hurt my ego.”

i challenged myself “I accidentally went down a double black diamond on a mountain while I was snowboarding. That wasn’t fun. I ended up in like four feet of snow.”

i got hit in the face “It was during [basketball] practice.

Someone threw a ball and I wasn’t paying attention on the sidelines, and it nailed me in the face. I fell flat on my back.”

i laughed out loud

THE BELL

“Like five minutes ago, I was putting tape on a girl named Melanie Kieffer.”

Thoughts on shelby “Shelby is very intelligent and makes very good grades. She is a really good basketball player and is a really good friend. She has a lot of good friends that really care for her and she is just an all around great person,” girls Basketball coach Zach Werner said.

ph ot ob yS ha wn aK in gs to n

13

Spotlight On STAFF

chuck zavos

by Lauren Kenney

The Last Time

i jumped on top of a desk “It was about a month ago. I jump on the desks because sometimes when everyone is being really quiet it helps wake the students up. Other times it actually has to do with something we’re doing in the class that day. Hopefully it gives them something to remember me by.”

i read a good book “I read a collection of short stories by a Canadian author Alice Munro. The first book was called Friendship, Hateship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage, and the second one was called Too Much Happiness. I liked them because they connect to the human condition.

Even if the book has nothing to do with my life, it helps inform me about our world. There is always some sort of magic in a story that makes it all worth it.”

i went out of the country n gsto Kin na aw y Sh to b pho

A bunch of us were going on a road trip in 2000 from New York to Detroit so we stopped in Canada for a friend’s wedding who just so happened to be an ex-girlfriend of mine. We’re still pretty close friends to this day.

“His laugh is the most hilarious thing ever.

He’s very passionate about writing. He believes strongly about homework because he says you need time in class to learn and time outside of class to put it to practice,” senior Liam McCarroll said.

THE BELL

Thoughts on Mr. Zavos

TOMORROW’S

SOLDIERS

TODAY

There are many heroes in America.

Some are born for the job, like a king or queen. Others grow into their role, like a lawyer. A different kind of hero is raised in Liberty High School. Here, students prepare for the armed forces by participating in Future Soldiers of America (FSA) or are influenced in unique ways that prepare them for their goals.

Jeffry Wilkins, the sponsor of FSA and history teacher, gives lessons on military and battle techniques every Thursday in room 911.

“I occasionally will give a class on land navigation, drill and ceremony, deploying hand grenades, move under fire, etc..... typical warrior tasks,” Wilkins said.

Not only does he have a wealth of knowledge, but also a wealth of experience.

“I have had a myriad of experiences both great and rough. Throwing my first live hand grenade, live rounds being fired four feet above my head while crawling through mud under barbed wire, spending days out in the bush while rain was pouring down, to all the interesting people I’ve met,” Wilkins

said. “It is tough to pick just one. I’d have to say my first Airborne jump from a C-17 though would stand out as one my favorite memories.”

Through Wilkins’ knowledge, there comes a responsibility of training and teaching the new recruits. But it is up to the recruits to decide which branch of the military they will go into.

“I can’t say that this is for sure where I’m going, but I want to go into the Air Force,” sophomore Rachel Young said.

The Air Force also has a reserve, for people who want a part-time career in the Air Force.

“I want to go into the Air Force Reserve,” senior Annie Doyle said. “I know the Air Force pertains a lot to family life and they have good educational benefits.”

Many students are influenced by their family members who have served in the military.

“I would say that my step-grandfather and uncle influenced me most about going into the military,” Young said.

No matter how much influence though, these high schoolers have to work hard to get into the military. Not only do they have strength and endurance training, but many opportunities to enhance

by Alix Messer design by Michaela Lamb

their knowledge of the military.

“If a person has ANY interest at all in the military, I think that to explore the opportunities available through cadet programs is highly worth it,” Young said. “My experiences at Civil Air Patrol have also helped me lead the group of people at FSA and educate them about the basics of military life. Whether they [the students of FSA] enlist or not, it’s my goal to help give them the tools necessary to succeed and become a leader.”

Since there are four different branches of military, there is a wide variety of jobs and careers to be obtained. With so many branches and different careers within those branches, it is sometimes hard to decide which branch to go into.

“The advice I give out the most to students interested in joining the military is to do your research into each branch,” Wilkins said, “See what job opportunities they each have to offer and to pick the branch and job that best fits into your future plans.”

No matter which branch is picked, whether full-time or part-time, medic or staff sergeant, we thank you, the military family of LHS.

Double A day at school is usually one place students can go where their family cannot. For some students, however, the exact opposite is true as they share the school with their family members.

The expereince can be good or bad, but it largely depends on the people themselves.

TAKE story by Mat and Grace George

design by Michaela Lamb

WHO Belongs to WHO? Figure out which LHS students are related!

Match the siblings up and be the first to come to room 513 with the correct answeres for a prize!

A. B.

C.

D.

Answers: A & C, Nathan and Jason Volkman, B & F, Deseree and Daniel Verdusco, D & E, Cade and Claire Crow

“Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero,” are wise words of author Marc Brown. Going to school with a sibling can be enjoyable, but difficult as well. There are many different types of sibling situations in Liberty High school.

Some may be separated by a few years, some may be twins and some might have been brought together by new marriages.

There are many great things about having a sibling that goes to the same school.

“Me and my sister Sharee used to not get along that well,” senior Matthew Zombo said. “Once I got on her level with sports it got much better and we became cooler with each other. I’m really going to miss all of her smart little comebacks when I leave for college next year.”

One advantage to having a sibling in the school is at school and sporting events, so you have someone to talk to and to hang out with.

“My favorite part about having a twin is being able to go on adventures with Connor,” junior Cameron McCoy said.

“We have the same friends so we get to go everywhere together.”

Another thing that many siblings take advantage of in this school is transportation to leave school everyday.

“When I was a sophomore, I used to have to ride with my brother, which was nice,” junior MacKenzie Clawson said. “It’s good to know that I can still count on him if I still need a ride.”

Not all siblings think that the free ride is “nice.”

“I would have to say that the worst thing

E.

about going to school with my sister is giving her rides in the morning,” senior Michael Hidy said. “I have to wait for her every single morning and she takes forever.”

Waiting for a sister to get ready isn’t the only disadvantage of going to the same school as a sibling.

“The one thing I really hate about going to school with Michael (older brother) is always being compared to him,” sophomore Jenna Hidy said. “I’m always being compared to him and since his grades are better than mine, sometimes it really stinks.”

Students aren’t the only ones at Liberty High School who have been affected by siblings in the school.

“One negative effect with having a sibling at your school is constantly being compared to them,” guidance counselor Melanie Prince said. “I was in school with my brother and it had both pros and cons.

When I walked in people thought we were dating. He was a basketball player so he was very well known and people called me by my brother’s name.”

Many students here come from blended families so the change to getting new may be challenging.

“It was hard to have to adjust to having a step-sibling,” junior Caitlyn VanVleck said.

“I had to move from Lees Summit to a new house in Liberty.”

Since the school is enormous, most siblings don’t have to worry about being overwhelmed by seeing their brother or sister all day long.

F.

“I don’t see her much in school, so it doesn’t really bother me that she’s here,” senior Casey Clawson said.

Even as twins, the Spieser’s hardly see eachother.

“The only time I see Ryan during the day is on the car ride to school,” junior Rachel Spieser said. “I really do think that I’ll miss him once we go our separate ways in college.”

An additional challenge with going to the same school as your sibling is knowing that you’ll have to part one day and not have someone in the school who knows you better than anyone else.

“My sister Sheridan went to school here last year,” junior Turner Staton said. “I do think I miss her being here a little..mostly I miss her friends. It was nice that when I first came here I knew a lot of people because of my sister, but it also kind of stunk because she knew about everything that happened at school.”

Whether your sibling is your twin and your best friend, your blood sister or your enemy, or your new brother that you’ve been hoping for your whole life, having a sibling in your school is a memorable situation. Though times may get difficult, there is always someone who has your back, and that is something that no “superhero” can do.

“

Sometimes being a brother is even better than being a superhero,

“

- author Marc Brown

18

Teach Taught And BE

by Amanda Kovac photo by Summer Turner

Calm down! There is no ghost in Liberty High. It is only coach Robert Stough, back from college to student-teach.

Stough graduated in 2008 from Liberty. This year, he has made his return home to student teach with coach Roger Stirtz in physical education classes.

“My mom [Ann Bertoldie] still teaches here and my step-dad just retired a few years ago, and I figured I could come back here,” Stough said. “You don’t get paid while you student-teach, so I might as well go somewhere where I can still live at home during the semester.”

Although it was only a few years ago Stough believes the school has not changed much since he was a student. “[There] are a few more state banners, and a couple more things in the hallways, like the all state things with the plaques on it, but they’d just started that when I graduated. We didn’t have the student store, and we didn’t have the coffee shop. It was just a snack thing, only open during lunch. There’s a few minor things here and there, but other than that it’s all the same.”

Some students believe that coming back to Liberty was a commendable move.

“It’s cool that he’s loyal and wants to keep being a part of the program and hopefully one day work in it too,” senior Morgan Perkins said.

Though student teaching is to kick start a career in the future, Coach Stirtz enjoys reminiscing.

“We have a lot of fun, just sharing stories of back in ‘08... Some of our student teachers have been from various other schools around the state and that’s great and stuff, but it’s been fun to have a couple that are former Blue Jays and have that common thread,” coach Roger Stirtz said.

Some students believe that Stough’s teaching style is similar to those who mentor him.

“In the PE department here most of the teachers are really laid back, and it’s nice that coach Stough can come in and be just as laid back and enjoy his job like coach Stirtz and Frigon and Neldon do,” Perkins said. “He knows what’s fun and what’s not. He’s got a bunch of fun ideas and makes it enjoyable.”

Coach Stirtz understands that teaching styles differ in many ways, but it should not matter as long as it is effective.

“Everyone has different methods and different ways of going about teaching and it doesn’t matter what subject it is. Some of the ways that they go about their business in running a class successfully is different from how I would do it,” Stirtz said. “I just have to step back and let that happen, and sometimes let them learn from their mistakes and help them analyze and think through but being different is totally fine. As long as it’s successful that’s the most important thing.”

Stough shows a love for the school that brings him home again and causes him to hope for a future with his very own high school.

“I’m a big Blue Jay fan,” Stough said. “I kept up with it while I was in college and kept up with the school. I probably won’t get a job here after I’m done, but I can still keep my hopes up.”

“But no matter where I land I’m still going to be rooting for Liberty, looking for improvements that need to be made to keep this a successful school,” he said.

If there is any doubt left, Stough is not a ghost, only a student teacher who once walked the same halls he now teaches in.

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20

arts & entertainment

what’s trending?

The fault in our stars

by Madi Denton “Sometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book.” This statement could not be more true, and it just so happens that it comes straight from the novel that strikes me with this feeling. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green is not just some book. It is, in itself, what I would consider a “game changer.”

I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve read a lot of books, and I’m also unafraid to say that none of those writings have moved me in the way this book has. Never before have I laid in my bed, bawling and contemplating the meaning of life for hours, all over a book that I happened to read in one night.

John Green’s novel follows Hazel Lancaster, a 17 year old terminal cancer patient.

Struggling with her condition, Hazel’s parents force her to attend the Cancer Kid Support Group at her local church, and it’s here that she meets Augustus Waters, the boy who turns her world upside down.

Now I’ve never been one to “fall in love” with a fictional character. Somewhere in the back of my head, I’ve always been able to somewhat disconnect. This is not the case with Augustus. Green creates a character that seems so real, that by the end of the novel I felt like I personally knew Mr. Waters, and that we were close friends.

The same goes for Hazel.

Towards the beginning, I was convinced she was a whiney teenager with no ability to emotionally handle her diagnosis. Yet, as the book continued, Green managed to show her in a whole new light, and I felt that if this were to be real life, she and I would get along rather well.

This book is a must read for anyone and everyone.

I think that this book carries many lessons that can be learned from, and aside from the outlandish situations, many relatable situations. So many books can be deemed good, but this book is most definitely great. It is beyond worth the read.

the bell

What’s the buzz on books?

“I am reading The Host right now, and I like it because it’s different. It’s by Stephanie Meyer, and it’s nothing like twilight. It’s a whole new concept, and I really like that,” junior Cheyanne Miller said.

“My favorite book is called The Eves Daughters, and I like it because it starts out present day, and it goes back through four generations showing how the mistakes of the past family affects the present,” Librarian Wanda Gibson said. photos by Sydney Perkins

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22

opinion

More fairytales? happily ever after forever

Michaela Lamb

the bell

Features/ In-Depth Editor

pro

pro

Who doesn’t love a classic fairytale?

We all have our favorites from when we were children, and fairy tales are a huge part of any child’s life. They teach us life lessons and shape who we grow up to be, but Disney took the liberty of sugar coating most of the stories to make them more appropriate for little kids.

Remaking the classic Disney fairytales in a way more reminiscent of the original Grimm’s stories is a great way to extend the lessons we learn in our childhood to a young adult audience.

The original fairytales, written largely by the Grimm brothers, were much darker than the Disney versions most children are familiar with. For example, in the original Little Mermaid, ‘Ariel’ turned to sea foam when her true love fell in love with another woman.

Most of the Grimm Fairytales ended in heartbreak and death for the main characters. They were meant to teach children the harshness of life and that sometimes what appears to be a blessing is really a curse. These are great lessons that kids need to learn, but not at an age where it would traumatize them for life.

The happy, sing-a-long Disney versions that teach values like loyalty and honesty are much better suited for children. But everyone grows up eventually and the fairytales we are used to are doing the same.

The newer movies appeal to a larger audience, mostly young adults. They let us enjoy the guilty pleasure that we

pro

experience from watching a fairytale as a teenager, but they also cater to the side of us that likes explosions, scary monsters and more grown up love stories that don’t always end in a kiss from Prince Charming. They are more of a throwback to the original Grimm versions of the stories, but they have a few modern twists. In the recent movie, Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters, Hansel is a weapons toting, fearless middle aged man instead of the little boy being fattened up by the evil witch. This plotline is more interesting to adults who don’t necessarily want to see the damsel in distress rescued by her true love and live happily ever after. We like to see cool visual effects and a complex story line with a crazy twist that we never saw coming.

Remaking Disney classics also seems to be a trend in Hollywood. We’ve seen Snow White and the Huntsman, Hansel and Gretel, and Jack and the Bean Stalk is the next, revamped fairytale to be released in theaters. Hollywood has exhausted the scary movies, the spy thrillers and the chick flicks, so until something new comes along, there will probably be a lot of grown up fairytales coming to a theater near you.

Overall, I don’t see anything wrong with the new remakes of Fairytales. After all, Disney’s versions are more kid friendly remakes of the originals, so really these are a throwback to how the stories were meant to be.

pro

pro

23

opinion

Be our guest!

Scary Tales

con

con

torn woman, with a horrifying, not to mention, morbid fate. Hansel and Gretel are now fully grown brutal witch hunters, who are also taken on one terrifying and morbid journey. Jack is now a giant slayer, murdering multiple tall beasts. And I would hardly call Beastly an accurate remake of the original Beauty and the Beast, that remake is just plain creepy.

Honestly, how is trapping some random teenage girl in an apartment with an ugly teenage boy romantic?

Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for movies full of action, adventure and fighting. My movie preferences generally lean towards movies full of violence and adventure, rather than mushy romances, excluding, of course, every Disney movie. But you can’t touch my perfect fairy tales.

Do not ruin my childhood memories.

Today’s children may grow up thinking that Hansel and Gretel is a mature story full of scary witches and Jeremy Renner killing magical beings. I know I can’t stay stuck in the past with all my childhood memories and Disney stories, but, let’s not completely destroy them for the next generation.

When I think of fairy tales, I want to return to the magical world I grew up in, not pulled into the dark forest with blood-red moons and creepy fairy tale heroes. I’m only 16, there is time to squeeze in a few more original fairy tales.

I will say, however, the muscled men cast to play these scary tale heroes are not all bad, wink wink.

con

Molly Meeks Managing Editor

con

con

the bell

Let’s just be honest, fairy tales are a part of every little kid’s life. The fact that the movie industry is remaking every fairytale into deadly, gory and disturbing scary tales is ridiculous.

When I was a little, I spent my entire life listening to, reading or watching fairy tales. Even though I am 16, one of my favorite movies in the world is still Aladdin. But I also fell in love with other well know characters, such as Hansel and Gretel or Snow White. Throughout my childhood, I was constantly taken to a magical world, full with tales of happily ever after, the place where Snow White lived with seven dwarves and a handsome prince’s kiss rescued her from death, where Hansel and Gretel, children, were trapped in a candy house, but managed to defeat the witch, escape and return home safely. There was Jack, who climbed a bean stalk, battled a giant and brought home a goose with golden eggs. Everyone remembers little Red Riding Hood, a little girl taking cookies to a wolf she believed to be her sick grandmother, and Beauty and the Beast, a story of true love found when an ugly prince traps a beautiful girl in a magical castle complete with talking furniture.

But not anymore. Now my fairy tales are transforming into horror stories.

Snow White is now is a fierce, bad to the bone fighter, with a love interest who, although incredibly attractive, is no prince. Innocent Little Red Riding Hood is now an emotionally scarred, love

24

opinion

Staff editorial Are classes getting cut the best way for the district to save money?

As most students are aware, next school year is the infamous year when the freshmen will be moved up to the high school. There are many opinions about the topic circulating, but no matter what they are, positive or negative, the freshmen are still coming. Due to this change in the high school set up, there will be adjustments made within the school to accommodate the large number of students.

One big change occurring is that some classes are being cut next year. The administration has gone through the course catalog and decided which classes are necessary for a 9-12 grade curriculum. The only classes being cut are those that had low enrollment.

Our neighboring districts, like Blue Springs, have larger class sizes than we do at Liberty.

The combination of lowering the number of classes offered and adding the freshmen will increase our class sizes so we can be more like the schools around us of similar size.

Almost the entire Bell staff agreed that this change would not be beneficial for saving the district money. The members do not like the idea of having more students in each class.

One member pointed out that having larger class sizes would decrease the amount of oneon-one attention that each student gets.

These new changes will take some adjusting and eventually, students will. The purpose of these adjustments is to save the district money but the Bell staff believes that it is not the best way to accomplish this goal.

what the bell thinks...

4 Yes, It is the best way to save money.

13 No, It is not the best way to save money.

The articles on this page do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the entire Bell staff. Please feel free to comment, criticize, or condemn anything you see on this page in a Letter to the Editor at thebell@liberty.k12.mo.us

staff Columns

the bell

the great and powerful A couple weekends ago, my friends and I ventured to see Oz The Great and Powerful. While this will not be a review of the movie, I will say that it truly amazed me. How Oz was depicted in that movie was magical.

The next day, lounging at home, scrolling through the guide, I happened upon The Wizard of Oz. I excitedly tuned in, reveling in the fact that I just saw Oz the previous night, and now was watching the original. As I sat watching the opening credits, a dedication scrolled onto the screen, and it was a pleasant surprise to read that it was dedicated to, “the young at heart.�

After watching both these movies, I realized that it is so crucial to be young at heart. It is critical to never let your

photo by Sammi Novak

Editor in chief Nathan hunt

age define you. Oz is such a fascinating place, a wondrous adventure with such colorful characters ranging from the munchkins in Munchkin Land to the outlandish citizens of the Emerald City. Being able to continue to be amazed by the draw of adventure, no matter what your age, is such a great characteristic to posses.

I aspire to always have this quality. I want to keep my soul youthful, always full of adventure, always yearning for that fascination of a mysterious world beyond my own. I plan to take risks, to have the brains, the heart and the courage to follow the yellow brick road to not only a successful future, but also a wild, unknown adventure yet to be discovered.

25

opinion

Tell me more, tell me more As summer is rapidly approaching, most girls are basically dreading the thought of swimsuit season.

I’m not usually someone who is uncomfortable with their body. I am even so okay with my body that I can tell you that I tip the scales at around 115 pounds packed in a frame that reaches 5 foot 3 inches tall on a good day. Sure I’m short and I’m not a twig but I’m not over weight. So needless to say, I don’t have body issues… until now! The only reason I’m second guessing myself now is because everyone seems to be flocking to their social networking sites to post about their “awesome workout session” and “how they are seeing major changes.”

Meanwhile, they are putting hours in at the gym, I’m just channel surfing or updating my twitter feed.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not saying exercise isn’t important, because it

welcome to my life

is very important. I am saying that you should make a commitment to exercise all year around, not just when it comes time to shed some layers. When you exercise, you should exercise for yourself, not for anyone else or for the Internet. I understand people live for gratification, mostly instant gratification, but exercising should be enough self-gratification, you don’t need anymore “likes”.

Shouldn’t the only like you really need is your own? And that my friend is what we call confidence. A little confidence in yourself will be all you need to survive summer. And I know what you are thinking, “it’s easy for her to be confident,” but take a step back, every time you have a shred of doubt this summer, remind yourself, “why do you care what everyone else thinks?” Just don’t care what everyone thinks; everything is so much easier that way.

Ads Manager Shelby Curtis by tripping over someone’s foot?

Secondly, I was at the beginning of the group that was going out, and as I crashed to the ground, no one really stopped to help. They just rushed past me to recess as I was bawling on the ground. Only two boys kind of leaned over me, but then they got bored and left too. So the friend I tripped over was kind enough to take me to the nurse. This is the worst part; the nurses didn’t believe me that my bone was broken. You could argue that I have never had a broken bone before, so how could I know?

Some things you just know. So I went to the hospital and got a pretty blue cast. The next day I went back to the nurse’s office and sang the “told-youso” song.

Moral of the story is…never trust your classmates, they will leave you in the woodchips.

the bell

Once upon a time…I broke my first bone. It was the start of spring in 5th grade, the first warm day of the year.

Like the other children, I was excited for recess. Maybe a little too excited.

You might be thinking, she hurt herself, rough-housing, swinging on the monkey bars, or playing a nasty game of kickball. You would be wrong.

In reality it is much sadder than that.

Now, this was the first broken bone I have had, but not the only one. Since then I’ve broken my arm bike riding, broken my foot playing football, and my ankle completing a dare. Those are reasonably normal ways to break bones. However, in this instant, I was fast walking. No, not even a full run, more like a slow jog. I was slow jogging out to recess, and I tripped over my friend’s foot. I tripped. Tripped. Yes it was tragic for many reasons.

First off, who breaks their arm

opinion editor diana timmermans

26

Sports

Weather the Storm

by Jake Boese

The snow provided obstacles for the girls’ soccer team to overcome.

THE bell

The girls’ soccer team, along with all spring sports, has had a rough practice schedule to begin the 2013 season. With all kinds of extended winter weather, the team has had to hold fewer practices outside on the turf compared to most seasons.

“It’s been a nightmare,” head coach Thomas Rottjakob said.

“Even when we get out there it’s so cold we can’t work on the tactical side of the game. Players who haven’t played with each other usually have the first three weeks for that. We can’t work on what we need to offensively and defensively in the gym. Everyone on the Kansas City side is having the same issue so we’re not too far behind.”

The gym cannot provide the appropriate amount of space for effective practices.

“We’ve been practicing in the gym so the space is really limited,” sophomore Emma Baldridge said. “We don’t get good touches on the ball and when we practice on the turf it’s really slippery so it’s pretty hard.”

The practices have not been completely negative though; they have provided a bonding time for a team with some unfamiliar player.

“The worst thing we had to do was shovel,” junior Kaitlyn Clark said. “But we had a competition with the orange and yellow team to build the best snowman. And then we played capture the flag during the blizzard.”

The tough practice conditions have lead to a slow start to

the season, but the players know they can turn it around.

“The first game we didn’t play well at all. We have a bunch of good players so once we start playing as a team we’ll be pretty good,” Baldridge said.

Many leaders left the team this past offseason, leaving a void to fill for this team’s seniors.

“We lost a lot of players so my expectations aren’t too high but we do have a lot of potential,” Clark said.

This year’s seniors have plenty of experience to be able to step up.

“We know what Rottjakob expects out of us,” senior Alexa Wright said. “All of the seniors have stepped up as leaders.

We coach ourselves on the field since we know what coach expects.”

The seniors have been players that the younger, more inexperienced players can look up to.

“My sister is a senior so that does a lot for me; she is a great role model. The seniors do a lot to lift us up if we make mistakes,” Baldridge said.

The team knows that improvement will lead to success as the season continues.

“We need to make sure we get better every day,” Rottjakob said. “As a coach that’s always what I strive for. We have a lot of inexperience at certain positions and if we improve we can be really good by the end of the season.”

Senior Madison Allshouse sprints up the field to help her team out. photo by Sammi Novak

27

Sports

Zac Dittmer Height: 5’9” og an Flo ers ch

Team Rank: 1st

“Zac is the hardest working, most passionate golfer I have coached in all of my years in coaching. Not coincidentally, he has been the most successful, particularly at the state level.”

-Coach Forrest Bertoldie “Zac is a fantastic golfer, I’ve learned a lot about the game from him. He has inspired me to keep playing throughout the tough times.”

-Senior Sam Sutton “I have had a few good memories with golf, my favorite would be shooting a 64, my best round ever, at Shoal Creek Golf Club. I was also able to play the Tom Watson Challenge at Indian Hills Country Club, which is another great memory of mine,” senior Zac Dittmer said.

ph oto by L

Favorite Food: Lobster

Athletes of the month

“My favorite memories would be winning state my freshmen and sophomore years for LHS and then winning state my junior year for my club team, Viati,” senior Haley Baldridge said.

“Haley is a really hard worker, she always has a good attitude and gives 110% into everything she does. She is a great leader for our team.”

-Senior Regan Lawler

by Nick Palmarine “Haley has come into the season looking stronger than ever. She has become a much more dynamic player and is someone who is going to help improve our team play. She has started to work harder than she ever has in the past. She is a great kid and a good role model for the younger kids.”

-Coach Thomas Rottjakob

Height: 5’8”

Favorite Food: Watermelon

photo by Lucas Carrel

Haley Baldridge

THE bell

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