Livewire Vol 6 Issue 2 November 2015

z Perfection Sleeping  JOB

DRAMA

COFFEE

z

z

religion

Eating Disorders

SEX EXCERCISE LOVE Part one in a six part series

gambling TOBACCO

acceptance Adrenaline Nicotine Relationships Laziness Shopping Idolization

Authority Caffeine

Wealth

INTERNET NewsmagazineBEHSoctober2015issue2.indd 1

Drugs

Weight Loss

alcohol

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Contents

October 2015 Volume 6, Issue 2

Student Life

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Cole, Reiners Best Boot Forward | Two East students come back from basic training.

The Guy With The Mixtape | A feature on William Smith and his social media outlets.

New Places and New faces | A feature on foreign exchange students at Bullitt East.

One Woman Show | Mrs. Walker takes a step forward in leading houses.

Dawn of The Nerds | East’s sci-fi club history and activities.

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Sports

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Athletes To Watch | Zach Taylor and Christian Foster are featured based on athletic achievement.

adviser editor-in-chief executive editor website editor business & advertising cocopy editor cocopy editor copy editor copy editor copy editor sports editor creative editor creative editor

Switching Sidelines | Former quarterback, Konnor Polson, transitions to basketball.

Red Zone Not-So-Rowdies | A look at the decline in the red zone rowdies.

Kickin’ It In With Old Friends | Cassie and Megan Lancaster are back at Bullitt East.

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On To The Next Level | Taylor Roby and Lindsay Renneisen have verbally committed to play at the collegiate level.

Kicking and Screaming | 2015 feature on the boy’s and girl’s soccer team.

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Addiction | Editor-in-Chief Haley Steinmetz describes this years theme.

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Caffeine Addiction | A look into a common form of addiction that most people tend to ignore.

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Academics

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Standards Change and Grades Range | Standard Based Grading is redefining the grading system at East.

Harris Out, Craven in | Leo Craven has become the teacher for Advanced Placement English Language and Composition.

Shapin’ Up | Athletic Conditioning is back at Bullitt East.

aDDICTION

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Students Decide The Faith | This page emphasis the importance of a student voter.

staff writers Sarah Allen Matthew Childress Brennah Denkhoff Lexie Fisher Kim Houchin Haylie Jenkins Sean Johnson

Larry Steinmetz Haley Steinmetz Jessica Mattingly Sydney Riley Lindsay Renneisen Rachel Grant Abbie Alstatt Zach Combest Isaac Shelton Taylor Hollifield Grant Skaggs Eric Sanchez Haley Snyder Derek Rogers Kelsi Sego Bethany White Maggie Wisdom Luke Young Haley Young

Livewire was re-founded in 2001 by journalism teacher, Larry Steinmetz. In the past, the Livewire has been a weekly newspaper, but moved to a newsmagazine published five times a year in 2011, and increased to six in the 2015-16 school year. The staff remains committed to bringing the Bullitt East community the most up to date news in a quality format and timely manner. To get breaking news, sports updates, and more go online to belivewire.com.

The staff appreciates your patronage and, as a public forum, encourages any feedback you care to offer. Letters to the editor must be typed and submitted via e-mail, to Mr. Steinmetz’s mailbox, or directly to room 324 within one week of the publication to which you are responding. Letters will not be censored, but must be deemed appropriate by the editor and advisor in order to be published. In order to be eligible to appear in the paper, all letters must be signed and verifiable. Names can be withheld upon request, but must be submitted with the original letter.

Livewire is published by the students and for the students of Bullitt East High School, E-mailing Mr. Steinmetz directly is the best way to reach the staff. His address is larry. steinmetz@bullitt.kyschools.us. The Livewire is printed by Publishers Printing Company.

Bullitt East High School 11450 Highway 44 East, Mount Washington, Kentucky, 40047.

(502) 869-6400.

Separation of Church and State | The Editorial Board’s views on the importance of separation of church and state.

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COLE, REINERS PUT BEST BOOT FORWARD by taylor hollifield Copy Editor

PV2. TRAVIS COLE Travis Cole, senior, has recently graduated from boot camp at Fort Leonard Wood, which is known for its large areas of land.

Cole’s expectations for boot camp was nowhere near the reality of it all. His experience has allowed him to walk out a man rather than a boy. Cole plans to finish out his contract with the National Guard, then enlist in the army full-time possibly attending college.

PV2 (private second class) Cole had heard many stories of what basic training is like from his recruiter and several friends, whom have already experienced this difficult task. “I thought after hearing some of the stories my friends told me I would be more prepared going in than other soldiers, but honestly it was nothing like I was told. I can definitely say it was nothing like I expected it to be,” said Cole.

One thing he has that most soldiers don’t is his Eagle Scout, which Cole thought he would use to his advantage. In some ways it was useful, but in others it wasn’t much of a help. For example, most soldiers start out as a private, but Cole started at a higher rank known as a PV2 due to his Eagle Scout. On the other hand, boy scouts go camping all the time, but never do the leaders leave them in the woods

to find their way back to the campsite. Cole explains that during a land exercise his drill sergeants made him and his battle buddies (fellow soldiers near) go out into the middle of the woods leaving them alone with nothing but a compass to find their way back to camp.

“It took us three hours to find our first plot point back. We were still out in the middle of the woods by the time it was midnight trying to find our way back, and we weren’t the last group to finish either. I can definitely say I got lost in the woods,” said Cole.

His MOS (military occupational specialty) is known as a 31 Bravo or an MP (military police), which means he was faced with different tasks than some of the other enlisted members. Every service person has to pull security.

There is two different types of security the privates have to pull. There is fireguard shift, which has to be pulled every single night.

Based on how the schedule is made every member has to pull at least an hour throughout the night. Basically what they will do in fireguard is count all the equipment to make sure there is nothing missing, and if there were for something to come up missing they would have to report to a drill sergeant immediately. Then there is field security where each private has to pull three hour shifts throughout the night. Basically in this shift, the soldier on watch will sit there with his weapon making sure they aren’t being ambushed.

During reception, which is when the soldiers first arrive and are getting registered in, there was several suicide attempts for reasons unknown. Not only did Cole have to pull

fireguard shifts and field security, he also had to watch the suicidal privates. Essentially this watch was only meant for 31 Bravos. Mostly what Cole would do is watch the suicidal privates at all times wherever they went he went even the bathroom. Cole had to carry their guns for them and take everything away from them they could possibly use to their advantage. Cole said, “I had to watch them 24/7 and ask them how they tried to commit suicide and if they said by their shoelaces, then I would have to make sure they have no shoelaces.”

While there were some different tasks Cole was faced with than other privates, he still experienced everything else along with the others. For example, each servicemen has to go into the gas chamber, which is an exercise to make them trust in their gas masks and realize what it would be like without it. The drill sergeants will run through a series of test while their masks are on to show that the mask does work and it will keep them safe, and then the drill sergeants made them unseal their masks while yelling the soldiers creed (a standard by which all US Army personnel are encouraged to live by) to make them realize without the masks they won’t be able to breathe.

Everything Cole experienced has made him more of a man than he was before going in.

Boot camp has matured and opened up Cole’s mind and eyes to realize how immature and unorganized the civilian world really is. In boot camp they have standards and if those standards aren’t met then they get corrective

Cole working at Fort Leonard Wood this summer. Photos submitted by Travis Cole.

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training. In the civilian world Cole has noticed there are no standards or any organization.

“Not only have I realized how immature the civilian world is but also how immature the people are. Everyone thinks they are prepared and know everything about the real world, but they don’t and they aren’t,” said Cole.

His plans for the future are to finish out his contract, which all he has to do is one full year of active duty in the National Guard and once his contract is up he plans to switch all of his documents over to active duty. During his one year contract Cole plans on going to state college or community college to get a major in marine biology. Once his contract is over he hopes to be deployed to Germany on active duty and start taking college classes online.

“I am an American Soldier. I am a warrior and a member of a team. I serve the people of the United States, and live the Army Values. I will always place the mission first. I will never accept defeat. I will never quit. I will never have a fallen comrade. I am disciplined, physically and mentally tough, trained and proficient in my warrior tasks and drills. I always maintain my arms, my equipment and myself. I am an expert and I am a professional. I stand ready to deploy, engage, and destroy, the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.

I am a guardian of freedom and the American way of life. I am an American Soldier,” said Cole.

PVT. ELI REINERS Senior Eli Reiners, spent his summer training to become an American soldier at Fort Jackson, which is known for being relaxed on their strictness.

PVT (private) Reiners totally disagrees with the nickname Fort Jackson has been given over the years. He plans to go straight to AIT (advanced individual training) for his MOS, which is a 92 foxtrot or a petroleum supply specialist, after he graduates. His plan for the future is to enlist full-time and then eventually go to college.

Some people believe Fort Jackson is the easiest boot camp out of them all, but Reiners begs to differ. “I definitely disagree because we never got a day off and went hard all day everyday,” said Reiners. His drill sergeants only let his company have three calls total for five minutes while they were gone at basic, while some of the other boot camps got to call home every Sunday for at least 15 minutes. Like Cole, Reiners also had to experience the gas chamber exercise, but his drill sergeants made them dry shave before because they were in the field for a navigation training. Reiners explains that dry shaving before made their faces burn in the gas chamber like nothing he has ever felt before.

A 92 foxtrot gathers samples of petroleum from the field, fuels the vehicles, plays with new petroleum based prototypes, and they get to ride on missions and support gun, which basically means he’s the soldier who supports his battle buddies with a gun.

As soon as he graduates, he plans to go Photo submitted by Eli Reiners straight to AIT. “I will definitely be going after I graduate to get depth training on the specifics of my job,” said Reiners. Every Rieners finally reunites with his guitar after graduating from basic training.

MOS has a different AIT, but every boot camp is the same. For example, everything Cole experienced at basic Reiners also experienced except for job based tasks. At AIT, Cole will be doing something completely different than what Reiners will be doing. Some of the tasks he will complete at AIT will be fueling and watching the vehicles or planes take off.

Reiners is on the same contract as Cole he has to complete one year active in the National Guard. Afterwards, he plans to enlist in the Army full time and then come back to the National Guard part time and attend college. Reiners has expressed an interest in history and hopes to major in it.

“Ever since I learned the Army’s values I live by them. Loyalty, bear true faith and allegiance to the U.S. Constitution, the Army, your unit and other Soldiers. Respect, treat people as they should be treated. Selfless Service, put the welfare of the nation, the Army, and your subordinates before your own. Honor, live up to all the Army values,” said Reiners. page by Taylor Hollifield

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The Guy With the Mixtape by abbie alstatt Copy Editor

Jack), along with Hutchens, are involved in the majority of what Smith does. Woods, Wooten, and Smith hangout every weekend. “That’s what we do for fun,” said Smith. They’ve all been on his channel, and they create when they’re inspired by “some stupid thought”.

Smith said, “When people hear William Smith, I want them to think like, oh, the guy who makes the videos, or the guy with the mixtape.... something more than a face with a name.”

At the moment, Smith has 145 subscribers.

But that number will undoubtedly go up due to “Hip Hop Heaven”, Smith’s mixtape that dropped on September 5th. The videos for the tracks “God’s Traphouse” and “Suburban Boyz” both have about 300 views, which is crazy for Smith. Along with that, the video of the entire mixtape received over 100 views in less than three hours. “That’s insane for my track record, I was blown away,” said Smith. Himself and Hutchens were the driving forces behind it all; they call themselves “the Bleacher Boys” because of their affiliation with basketball.

Smith said, “Isaiah currently does and I used to play basketball, I’m very familiar with the bench.”

An individual known widely around Charger Nation.

Sophomore William Smith gets himself involved in just about everything creative that he possibly can.

Smith loves entertaining people. He draws, makes comedy and podcast videos on Youtube, and recently has experimented with music. His ultimate goal is to create his own animated series.

not the only name he’s known for. His YouTube channel, Triangle Jeff, is quickly gaining popularity. “It’s just, name’s not Jeff, I have no affixation with triangles, it’s just, it’s catchy.

It’s a little memorable,” said Smith. However, Smith does not do this alone. His long-time friends, Sean Woods and Noah Wooten (aka

The entire production of the 8-track mixtape took roughly one month, but what’s more interesting is how it all got set into motion.

Smith said, “It started as something completely unserious.” One day, Hutchens sent a picture of himself in a hip-hop kind of pose to Smith. Smith decided to photoshop himself into the picture, and give it the look of an album cover; everything just took off from there. That exact photo actually became the cover of the mixtape.

“We were just messing around one day and thought it was funny how many people actually make rap music so we decided to channel

Smith started all this when he was only in third grade, but it really took off in fifth grade with the production of his “Moving onto Middle School” Youtube video. “William has always been a tech sort of guy,” said his cousin, Isaiah Hutchens.

The main reason that Smith does this type of entertainment is because he wants to be more than just a passing face in the hallway.

He said, “I really wanna have something to be remembered for.”

With the rate that he’s going at, William Smith will be a hard name to forget. Although, that’s

Photo submitted by William Smith William Smith and Isaiah Hutchens on the “Hip Hop Heaven” mixtape cover.

Photp submitted by William Smith The cover for the single “Suburban Boyz”. Noah Wooten(left), William Smith(top middle), Sean Woods(right), and Isaiah Hutchens(bottom middle).

6 page by Abbie Alstatt October 2015

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SOCIAL MEDIA

TriangleJeff

trianglejeff

trianglejeff

trianglejeff

@TriangleJeff

the Bleacher Boys

that into comedy,” said Hutchens. Hutchens enjoys hip-hop so he started writing a few of the first verses of “Suburban Boyz” and showed Smith. That’s when Smith knew it was more than just something to joke about. Smith and Hutchens are the Bleacher Boys; this is their mixtape. Nevertheless, Wooten, Woods, and a friend of Hutchens, Samuel Bader, all helped out. Bader ($imillion$) is featured on the track “Pimp Poetry”. Woods (Swoody) and Wooten (Nowah) are both featured on the “Suburban Boyz” track. Wooten rapped a few lines, but he wasn’t so happy about it. He said, “If it wasn’t so important to William i wouldn’t have gone through with it.”

#1 on iTunes

is the co-host, and of course Smith is the host.

Hotline Bling

There are currently three episodes up, with more to come. Infact, Hutchens will be feature in the next episode that is dedicated to discussing the mixtape.

On top of all that, Smith is also an excellent artist. Even though he enjoys everything he executes and produces, animation is his dream goal. “I start small on a little bit of everything so hopefully in my future everything can be combined into one,” said Smith. With him, it’s all about getting involved in creating things, which also gets his Despite the fact name out that Smith and there. Woods his friends were said, “I see serious about William workthe production ing freelance of the mixtape, as an animathe actual tor or storycontent and board artist message is not. or something For Smith, one along those “the Bleacher Boys” logo made by William Smith. of the goals of lines.” the mixtape was to form clever comparisons Right now Smith considers himself a hobbyin the lyrics that get people interested. There’s ist, but he wants to make his own animated no real theme to it all. One song is about an series to be considered an entertainer. It takes awkward conversation, another about picking a lot of dedication. The big obstacle currently up girls with poetry; “silly things,” said Smith. holding him back from fully pursuing animaIf there is something that loosely connects all the songs, it’s the album cover and track two, tion is school, and the rest of the things that “God’s Traphouse”. Smith wants everyone to come along with being a teenager. For now, YouTube videos is what Smith is content doknow that the mixtape and most everything ing. He said, “It’s a lot harder to draw out 100’s he puts out there is comedy. “If you look at me, you don’t necessarily think, ‘oh, this kid’s of frames for a minute animation than just to call up Jack(Noah Wooten) and be like ‘hey, got a mixtape out right?’,” said Smith. can you go out in the yard and jump over a The success and huge feedback of it all has tree and fall or something like that.’” been really satisfying to Smith. He said, “I Considering Smith recently put out a mixthought this mixtape was gonna be a disaster, tape, a lot of people are talking about him a disaster. I didn’t know what I was doing, but it ended up being great.” and wondering what he’ll do next. There will absolutely be more music videos for songs on However, the mixtape is only a fraction of the mixtape. And, there has been some talk what Smith has up his sleeve. YouTube is regarding more music; there might be some what he has been involved with for a while; coming from Smith this Christmas to listen to he makes comedy sketches most of the time. while you open up some presents from Santa.

In Smith’s opinion, comedy should be kept Smith will also continue making YouTube simple. His video “Pop Off ” is a good example videos and sketching. No doubt, you will hear of this. One of the newer types of videos he’s his name again soon. recently begun making are podcasts. “The Jeff Jab”, is Smith’s podcast where himself Smith said, “When people hear William and friends basically just talk about whatever.

Smith, I want them to think like, oh, the guy Wooten said, “... just like talking normally, we who makes the videos, or the guy with the just record the conversation.” The inspiration mixtape.... something more than a face with a behind it is Smith’s love for listening to other name.” people’s podcasts while he runs track. Wooten

*as of 10/8/15

by kelsi sego Staff Writer

D

rake, Canadian rapper and Cash Money Records artist, released a new song called Hotline Bling. The song is blowing up the charts and it’s currently positioned at number one on the iTunes chart. It has captivated its listeners with its unique sound.

The song tells the story of Drake and one of his old flames. It tells how she has changed ever since they have parted ways. The chorus talks about when she would call him at a certain time of night and he would always know what she wanted. He is referring to his cellphone as a Hotline and the ringing of his phone as Bling.

The song continues to tell how she has changed specifically. She used to stay at home with him and how she is always out now. He talked about how he still thinks about her and he wonders what she is doing with other people. After the last lyric the song continues with a minute of instrumentals then concludes as if it was supposed to be played on repeat.

It starts out with a slow beat and continues that way throughout the entire song. It does not have a lot of bass like most other rap songs. That really sets it apart from others. Drake uses innovative beats to create a song unlike others.

The official Hotline Bling music video has over 4 million views on YouTube since its debut on July 25th. The Hotline Bling audio only version on YouTube has accumulated almost 16 million views since being posted on August 3rd, 2015.

Overall, Drake brings back his old school sound for this song. It has a tuneful melody and warm vocals.

The lyrics are easy to understand and to catch on too. The slow beat compliments his vocals. This is a great song and I would definitely recommend it to others. page by Abbie Alstatt

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WHATS

NEW B Y: H A L E Y S N Y D E R @haleylsnyder@gmail.com|@haleysnyder3

IOS9

IOS9 includes several bug fixes as well as improvements in accessability and performance. There is a new and improved Siri, changes in the notes app, and navigation improvements.

NEW PLACES AND

NEW FACES Maja Sandvik Norway

“I decided to do foreign exchange to experience something new. I love to travel and explore new places and learn about other clutures and traditions. There is no better way to learn about a country than to try to live it.”

Trond Hauga Norway

“I decided to do foreign exchange to have fun. My favortie part is the food and the people. I’ve tried a lot of the “fat” foods. Like Taco Bell!”

Eleonora Rossi Italy

“There are so many different things that you want to try and to see, so everyday I do something new and I

Carina Roennigen Norway

“I decided to do foreign exchange to meet new people, and discover a new culture and language. My favorite part so far has been the food and the people, the people at Bullitt East are so friendly and easy to talk to.”

My goals are to improve my english skills, graduate from Bullitt East, and try all of the fast food here.

The new Snapchat update is fun for obvious reasons, with facial recognition features, users can distort their faces and add animations to create a new effect.

Damiris Waltersbacher Germany

“I decided to do foreign exchange to practice my English and learn about American culture. In Germany, America is a really cool, trendy country and everyone wants to come here, so why not make it an exchange year?!”

never get bored.”

Pichaya Chumnongchob (Lucy) Thailand

Also, kids here are so dependent on your families and parents, because they need to bring you everywhere. In Germany, you can take the bus nearly everywhere. My favorite part of being here so far is the big shopping malls!”

Snapchat Update

Helena Koegler Germany

“Life here is a lot different than at home.

The school system is completely different.

Church and belief in God is very important here, you pray everywhere before you eat. In Germany, most families only pray in church, if they go at all.

MT_ Compliments Mt_Compliments is an anonymous tip profile started by a Bullitt East student where users send a direct message to the anonymous account holder. That person then tweets out whatever you send them.

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S9

l bug ovey and is a iri, app, ove-

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nya sers e That ever

page by Lindsay Renneisen

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ONE WOMAN SHOW by sarah allen Staff Writer

H

ome is where her heart is.

This year, April Walker is putting her heart into improving houses and making them more enjoyable for students.

It comes as no surprise that houses within the school are very different this year when compared to years in the past. Thanks to Walker, many students and teachers seem to be excited for houses more than ever before.

Things like community service and mixing in different groups of students seems to be a priority for the future of the houses.

Last year, many students at Bullitt East would dread house days. There was a high percentage of students who would get checked out of school on days where they had to meet in houses, just to get out of it, according to the office staff. The idea behind houses was to bring everyone together and to make a huge school not seem so big after all. However, many students, like sophomore Jordan Blain, claim that they didn’t do much for the school.

“I feel like they weren’t something any of us looked forward to. Everybody left on house days.” Said Blain.

One person who was an advocate for houses, however, was Walker, a teacher at East. This year Walker has retired from being the headmaster of the Pisti house for the past three years, and has moved on to taking over the houses. One way she has already changed the houses is the new importance that community service will be a huge part of this school year in all of the houses. “Community service is a vital component of a well-rounded human being. Once people realize that the world doesn’t revolve around them, their whole perspective on life changes and the earlier we can start that process the better.” said Walker.

Another change that walker has already made is the decision to let students pick the houses they are in. Last year students at East were put in their houses based on alphabetical order of their last names. This was one of the major upsets when it came to houses. “The last two years, the biggest complaint about houses was that students ‘didn’t know anyone in their houses.’ While being with your friends isn’t really the purpose of houses, we also wanted

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to listen to that student voice piece and we figured if students are happy being with their friends, and it will create more buy-in and participation to what we are trying to do then why not?.” said Walker.

This year, students were given a piece of paper and asked to number the houses they wanted to be in. The idea was that you would most likely be put in the house that was your first or second choice. Many students were very enthusiastic. Avery Pack, a sophomore at East thinks that these changes will be very beneficial to everyone. “I feel like a new spirit will be brought out in the student body as a whole.” said Pack.

thoroughly as well as visited many schools (including one in Atlanta) to see how they worked. Only then was the idea implemented.

Walker is very proud of being a part of the start of the houses, however she is very focused on the houses now. “Houses aren’t about me creating it or about my success in it, but more about creating a program where students can feel a part of a smaller community.

Houses are about community and Bullitt East is a school that is driven from community.” said Walker humbly.

With Walker being head of the houses, the upcoming school year will be very different than years in the past.

Walker said that she is both excited and honored to be house coordinator. Five years ago, the idea actually stemmed from Andrea Isaacs, another teacher at East, and herself. The idea wasn’t just thought up and active immediately. These two researched the idea

page by Eric Sanchez October 2015

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What’s Trending Socks Over Jeans by lexie fisher Staff Writer

ART BY ASHLEY SEIGLE A new style, Nike socks over jeans, is trending at East.

by kim houchin Staff Writer

I

t’s time to strap up your Zelda shield and lightsaber.

Gear up with your nerdiest items to join Sci-fi club, one of the largest clubs at Bullitt East.

Sci-fi club is well liked due to its acceptance of any type of person and their interests. Anyone at Bullitt East can join the club and become a leader. The club has many activities fit for everyone in every genre.

Sci-fi club was originally a thought from world civilizations and psychology teacher Doug Osborne and faculty adviser Zach Hardin. “I was the original faculty adviser for it,” said Osborne.

Osborne had no preparations for how big the club would soon become. “Our first year, we had five-ten people and then our second year, we had about ten-15 or 20. Fifth year and last year we got 96 which was our all-time high attendance and, this year, we’ve already hit in the 90s,” said Osborne.

Due to its large numbers of attendees, Sci-fi needs some type of leader. “Another thing as president is that I’m like the lead representative for Sci-fi, making sure that our voice gets heard,” said President Lukas Armstrong, “I’m going to try to make enough time this year to talk to student government and just try to get Sci-fi more proactive in school.”

Armstrong intends to make the club wellliked in the school network by helping out with the school. “Last year, we got to collect two days on dress down days. We didn’t need such a large amount, so we took the excess and spent it on pencils for teachers to give to students. Personally, I liked the feeling of helping the school and I wouldn’t mind doing it again,” said Armstrong. Armstrong is available during his 11:30 am lunch to answer any questions, comments, and concerns.

A factor that sets Sci-fi apart from most clubs

Answered by: Alyssa Huen is that it is completely student run. “I don’t run it, the students do and as good as it is is how much they put into it and as bad as it is is how much they don’t put into it,” said Osborne.

Activities are always a big thing when it comes to clubs. Sci-fi might be the epitome of variety in activities within clubs. “We used to do an activity, a movie, and a game-day every month and rotate, now we’re doing activities and game-days on a rotation and we’re going to do a movie day once every nine weeks,” said Osborne.

Another activity which has become one of Sci-fi’s biggest events is their lock-ins, which occur before every break (i.e. fall break, winter break, etc.). The lock-in before winter break will be an all-nighter going from six pm to six am. Their lock-ins include members bringing Xboxes to have Halo tournaments, karaoke, Apples to Apples, Cranium, Magic cards, Pokemon, and Yu-Gi-Oh. They start at four pm and end at 11 pm.

Q: How do you think this trend got started?

A: “The cheerleaders have always worn tall socks with their uniforms and I think it just caught onto everybody when we started to wear them to school too.”

Q: Why do you wear the Nike socks over your jeans?

A: “It’s comfortable, easy, and I dont care what I look like for school.”

Answered by: Wil Rigdon Q: How do you think this trend got started?

A: “I think the trend got started by preppy cheerleaders that had to wear the socks to practice later on, put them on over their jeans.”

Q: How do you feel about this new trend?

A: “I feel that the preppy clothes the girls wear with the socks over their jeans (which gives off a sporty look) are completely opposite and dont need to be put together.”

The members all pitch in five dollars to pay for pizzas and drinks. It’s fun for those who want to play and participate or those who just want to hang out and talk with their friends.

The meaning of Sci-fi goes deep within all members of the club. “Sci-fi is one of those places where if you’re not ‘normal’, per se, you’re kind of nerdy, a little geeky, you prefer to watch Star Wars than go party, this is the place for you. It’s a place where you can just be yourself and not feel afraid to be judged,” said Sci-fi member Sarah Thornsberry.

The club is open for anyone to join at anytime.

Sci-fi meets every Thursday in the library at 2:15 pm . If anyone is interested in playing Magic or just wants to hang out with their friends, then this is the club that will complete the high school experience. page by Kim Houchin and Lexie Fisher

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10/21/2015 12:12:42 PM

ATHLETES TO WATCH by derek rogers Staff Writer

Christian Foster

Submitted by Zach Taylor

Christian Foster focuses on her future Junior Christian Foster has big goals for her team as well as herself and is also working her way towards division one soccer.

The lady Chargers have an overall record of 10-6-2 with a 2-1 record in district. The district includes Fern Creek, Mercy, Jeffersontown, and Whitefield Academy.

Zach Taylor tees off at Stonecrest golf course on the Musselman-Dunne Golf Tour. He placed fourth in the tournament

Zach Taylor Zach Taylor drives to be a great golfer.

Taylor has been inspired by his family to be the best golfer he can be and wants to golf past the high school level.

Junior Zach Taylor has been golfing his since his was a kid and he has been on the golf team since 7th grade he has hopes to win regionals as well as state.

Taylo has been golfing since he was little with his father and his older brother, Wes. Wes was also on the golf team and graduated Zach’s freshman year. Taylor and his brother played on the team together for three years. “ He affected my game in many ways. First off, to not get mad and try to kill the ball. Contrary to popular belief, just because you hit the ball far doesnt mean your doing good. Another way he helped me was the competition. It helped me to better myself. From that

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time forward, I started practicing and playing every day,” said Taylor.

Zach began playing on the team when he was in 7th grade which was Wes’ sophomore year.

“Since the summer of or after the completion of seventh grade. I would have been on the team the summer before but Mr. Downs thought I was a fourth grader ,” said Taylor.

Foster also has big goals for herself. She came into the year with the aspiration to make 44 goals and break the season record. She recently broke the record and her new record continues to grow.

Her teammate and junior at Bullitt East Emma Pressley says Foster has lots of love for the Lady Chargers. “She loves our team.

Some of her closest friends are on the team and she loves being like

a family with us. When she plays with javanon she always talks about how she can’t wait for high school season. She’s considering playing soccer in college, so she’s really passionate about it. she always gives 110 on the field and when we don’t get the outcome we want on the field, she apologizes like it’s her fault,” said Pressley.

Foster constantly trains and practices to help insure that she plays division one soccer. When she isn’t playing for Bullitt East, she plays on an elite club team called Javanon. Javanon has won back to back club state championships. The team helps her get noticed by colleges which is important because she wants to play at the next level.

“I would definitely like to play division one soccer,” said Foster.

Foster always puts her teammates as well as her team first but also makes sure she has goals for herself for this year and the future.

Submitted by Christian Foster

Taylor is now one of the top players on the team and has aspirations of golf beyond the high school level.

“Depending on what type of scholarship I get, if I get one at all, I’d like to play golf in college. If I get an academic scholarship I’ll accept it over and athletic scholarship then hopefully walk onto the golf team,”said Taylor.

Taylor continues to grow as a golfer and has high hopes for himself and his team for the rest of his high school career.

Forward Christian Foster strikes the ball on goal to score.

page by Derek Rogers October 2015

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>> sports

SWITCHING SIDELINES by grant skaggs Sports Editor

seniorS to watch by zach combest Copy Editor

F

rom the endzone to the baseline.

After suffering a horrific shoulder injury during last year’s football season, Konnor Polson will not participate in football this season, but rather start in basketball again.

Polson is not playing this year due a severe shoulder injury. With him not participating in this year’s season, a replacement at Quarterback was needed, which changed the entire landscape of the offense. Instead of football, he wants to resume his basketball career after not participating his sophomore year.

During last year’s rivalry game against Bullitt Central High School, Polson suffered a posterior dislocated sternoclavicular joint after a hard collision during the game. This collision could have been life threatening as his bone almost came into contact with his heart.

Zak Kessler, junior, is taking the place of varsity quarterback this year. After having the quarterback depth chart disappear due to Pierce Kelly graduating, Polson’s injury, and several other players being kicked off the team, Kessler was left to fill in. With injuries and lack of depth at certain positions, the team has had many struggles within this year. Many question what if Polson were on the team and what would be different about the offensive landscape.

Polson said, “I don’t know[about what would be

different if he were on the team]. The team is just having trouble dealing with injuries right now. Also, some people quit and got kicked off the team this year that could’ve have been a big help.”

Emily Miles sets up for a spike against Jeffersontown.

Photo credits to the Endeavor staff.

Kessler said, “It [the offense] would be the same.

The only thing that would change would be that we might use the pistol formation because I’m not as fast[as Polson].”

Assistant Coach Kenny Thornsberry said, “Injuries have played a role in our season, but I’m not going to base our season on that. There have been other factors.

We are young, we have made some mistakes that should have been fixed.”

For this year, Polson instead heads back to the court to join the basketball team for the 20152016 season. Polson played on the basketball team as a freshman, but then decided to mainly focus on football his sophomore year. His reasoning for joining the team again can be

Emily Miles Miles is spiking for a big ending to her senior year.

Miles plays volleyball at East and has been playing for four years. “I love the program.

The team has amazing chemistry and can work through any challenge,” said Miles.

“I’m making the most of the time I have left here at east. I’m playing every game with heart and really taking the time to appreciate my teammates and coaches,” said Miles.

After high school she plans on attending UofL and major in business.

seen as a simple action.

Polson said,”I’ve played it [basketball] before, and since I can’t play football this year, I might as well play basketball.”

With people wanting to know if football will ever be in the future for Polson, he said, “There is always a possibility.”

Gordon serves for the 16-1 Lady Chargers volleyball team. Photo credit to the Endeavor staff.

Paxton Gordon Gordon has been playing volleyabll since her eighth grade year at Eastside.

“This year we [volleyball team] are a very close team and I feel like that is going to help us get a great record,” said Gordon.

Gordon’s future plans are to attend the University of Louisville and work nights at UPS so that UPS can pay her tuition for college.

Konnor Polson(5) playing Quaterback last year for the Chargers. This year he plans to play on the basketball court. Photo Credits to the Endeavor Staff

“I plan on going into the medical field,” said Gordon.

page by Grant Skaggs and Zach Combest

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Red Zone Not-So-Rowdies b y m a t t c h i l d r e ss Staff Writer

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rom Red Zone to dead zone.

The Red Zone looks to improve dramatically this year.

The student section has a special place in the hearts of the students at Bullitt East High School. The student section, otherwise known as the Red Zone, gives students a way to escape the daily stresses of school and allows them to be themselves while rooting for their high school.

Every year there are about two to four seniors that will lead charger nation in the chants and activities used in the Red Zone.

The leaders of the Red Zone for the year of 2015-2016 are Tyler Sharpe and Cassie Beaton.

Secretary Jo Perkins (known as Momma Jo) is in charge of organizing the events for the Red Zone. For example, themes for games and tee shirts exclusively for Red Zone members.

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The members of the Red Zone are also known as the Red Zone Rowdies; the Red Zone Rowdies are compiled of students all across Bullitt East High School. Anyone is welcome to join at any time. The more students attend the better the student section will become.

The sports programs such as basketball and football draw in the larger crowds for the Red Zone. Players such as Sharpe and Bailey Rakes see the Red Zone as inspiration during the games. In close encounters with tough teams, the players love to hear the crowd cheering them on.

The Red Zone has made many changes this year. For example, the Red Zone is now in charge of the pep-rallys to spread school spirit to everyone on campus and to grow the noise and attendance level of the Red Zone.

Sharpe, the starting shooting guard for Bullitt East basketball says, “The past year was kind of a let down because people weren’t cheering.

Then people stopped coming. This year we are making it more fun by giving more incentives to coming to games, such as free dress down.”

Students all across the school feel that the Red Zone has depleted in the past years. Two years ago students packed the seats for basketball all throughout the season. During Bullitt East’s incredible tournament run the student section continued to grow. There were high hopes for the seasons to come but the Red Zone has taken a complete turn around and is now in the rebuilding process to try and get it back to what it once was.

“It’s easy to cheer on your team when they are on a winning streak, but they need you most when they’re a little down. That’s when the Red Zone really needs to show up loud and proud,” said Momma Jo. The Red Zone is struggling but is fighting to make a comeback in the 2015-2016 season.

page by Matt Childress October 2015

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>> sports

KICKIN’ IT WITH OLD FRIENDS by rachel grant Copy Editor

T

he Lancaster duo returns to take a shot at Bullitt East.

Sisters, Cassie and Megan Lancaster, move back to Bullitt County and are playing soccer after being away for three years.

After moving from Spencer County, the Lancasters come back to where they grew up. Both girls are excited to play on Bullitt East’s girls’ soccer team and enjoy playing the sport with one another. The sisters say they will miss their friends from where they moved, but are excited to get close with their old ones again.

Ever since they were little, Cassie (12) and Megan (11) Lancaster have lived in Mount Washington. Cassie attended Pleasant Grove Elementary School and Eastside Middle School in the county. Megan also went to Pleasant Grove and Eastside in sixth grade, then moved to Mount Washington Middle School for seventh grade. The girls’ parents then divorced and they moved to Spencer County with their mother. Cassie started high school at Spencer County High and Megan attended Spencer County Middle School.

While Cassie didn’t think about her parents splitting up too much, Megan said, “I believe I handled the situation very well and maturely.”

Knowing that she would enjoy her last year of highschool better at BE than at her old school, Cassie said, “I love it here! It’s very different from my old school, in a good way though. The classes and people are a lot better,” Both sisters have played soccer since they were three. In Megan’s opinion, she would rather have played soccer at BE than at her old school.

She said, “I don’t mind having moved mid-high school because the soccer program here at Bullitt East is so much more excelled than my old school,”. Bullitt East’s student section, the Redzone Rowdies, are much more supportive of soccer than Megan’s student body was at her old school. She also believes that the team consists of stronger players that are all very close. The team members and the coaching staff pushes everyone to be the best version of themselves.

Participating in the same sport is very enjoyable for the sisters. “If my sister didn’t play soccer too, I probably would’ve never started,”. said Megan. Both Cassie and her older sister Katie, started playing the sport at young ages, which got Megan interested also. While Cassie and Katie are few years older than their little sister, it allowed Megan to be more competitive and gave her something to compare herself to with who she wanted to become as a soccer player.

Picture submitted by Cassie Lancaster

with through soccer and just hanging out in her free time. Cassie said, “I love being back with my old friends! Even though I’ve kept in touch with most of the ones on the soccer team” Cassie and Megan’s friends are excited for them to be back and playing soccer with them. Cassie’s long-term friend, Layne Cutler (12) said, “We love having Cassie and Megan back. She’s [Cassie] not only an amazing keeper but she’s also a great leader and friend to have on the team.”

Cassie feels she is more comfortable playing with her sister on the field than when she’s not. Because the Lancaster sisters have played so long together, they know how each other play and have a certain connection with one another.

“She is the keeper and I’m a defender, so we play off each other. I know that I can trust her back in the goal,” said Megan.

Although she moved mid-high school, Cassie was able to keep up with her childhood friends by seeing them at soccer gatherings and playing against them while she was on the Spencer County high school soccer team. Megan also kept in touch with the friends she grew up

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page by Rachel Grant

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ON TO THE NEXT LEVEL by zach combest Copy Editor

Taylor Roby Swinging at a fastball to college.

Bullitt East sophomore softball player, Taylor Roby, verbally committed to the University of Louisville on August 17, 2015.

Roby is a starting pitcher and first baseman for the BE and Southern Force (Travel Team) softball teams. Roby has a 64 mph screwball that keeps the hitters in the batter’s box guessing. Roby has been playing softball for seven years and this will be her fourth year playing for the Chargers. Even though she is a Kentucky fan, she still committed to Louisville to be a pitcher for many reasons.

“I chose Louisville because they are so close and I have been with that program since I was 10 years old. I am really close to the coaches,” Roby said.

Year Average Doubles Triples Homeruns Runs Battled In 6 0 25 2014 0.386 4 16 1 29 2015 0.452 7 24 1 54 Total 0.419 11 Louisville team. “I grew up watching former Louisville players and I want to be great like them,” said Roby.

Hoffman describes Roby as a driven, passionate, and hard-working person. Roby continues to work hard and strive to be the best.

As the 2015-16 season approches, Roby and the team are preparing every week to become

better. “My goal for our season is to make it to state,” said Roby. Roby was first team all state in 2015.

“I feel we have a really good chance of making it to state if we work hard and continue to improve all season,” said Roby.

The softball team must place first or second to get to the districts, but they must win the regionals to get to state this year.

Louisville wasn’t the only school to offer Roby a scholarship for softball. Roby was also offered a scholarship from, Northwestern, Florida State, and Jacksonville. Illinois State University planned on offering her a scholarship, but Roby felt that Louisville was the best fit for her.

“We have been promoting her to colleges for the last 2 years,” said BE softball head coach, Ricky Hoffman.

“I’m very blessed for the opportunity to play for Louisville and compete in the Atlnatic Coast Confernece (ACC),” said Roby.

“I feel like she will fit very well at UofL and she deserves every bit of what she has been offered.” said BE junior softball catcher, Karli Yarbrough.

Roby was contacted by all of the Louisville coaches before she committed. Hoffman contacted UofL a few times. “I’m thankful for the opportunity and will work hard everyday to make a difference,” said Roby.

The college commitment process can be nervous and exciting at times. “So many schools watch you play but you must stay focused” said Roby.

Lisa Pinkston and Tara Isabel (former Louisville softball players) are Roby’s role models.

Roby looks up to former and veterans of the

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Roby winds up for a pitch vs. a private school from Chicago, Illinois. Roby is a starting pitcher for East. “I hope for a successful season and I can’t wait to pitch my team to victory,” said Roby.

page by Zach Combest October 2015

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>> sports

Lindsay Renneisen Prowling the infield to turn a double play.

BE junior softball player, Lindsay Renneisen, also known as Pup, verbally committed to the University of Evansville on July 7, 2015.

Renneisen is the starting shortstop for the Bullitt East and Louisville Stunners softball teams. Renneisen started playing softball after she played tee-ball at the age of four.

BE head softball coach, Ricky Hoffman, has coached Renneisen since she was in the seventh grade. Renneisen started Junior Varsity and traveled with the Varsity team as a seventh grader.

The college recruiting process takes a long time for athletes. It starts freshman and sophomore year for many of them, and it is important to stay connected to the coaches and go to the camps.

Year Average Doubles Triples Homeruns Runs Battled In 2013 .446 7 2 7 34 2014 0.310 8 1 6 25 2015 0.359 8 1 5 31 Total 0.371 23 4 18 90 Renneisen’s advice to athletes who are looking to commit to a college is to start early. “Realize all that your parents do for you and know that you wouldn’t be there without them. Do your best wherever you go because you never know who is watching.” said Renneisen.

The University of Evansville offered Renneisen a scholarship after they watched her games and she had an official visit. Evansville was not the only college that was interested in her. University of Tennessee Martin and the University of Arkansas showed interest

in her but Evansville was the best fit for her.

“Evansville has a good coaching staff that is trying to turn the program around. I think Pup will have a big impact in turning around the program and contribute to the future success of the University of Evansville’s softball program,” said Hoffman.

“It feels like home there and I really like that the coaches came to so many of my games before they offered me a scholarship, and then I knew that I was important,” said Renneisen.

Renneisen really connected with the coaches even though she is not allowed to talk to them personally because she is too young.

The Evansville coaches talked to Renneisen through her travel ball coach.

“They [Evansville coaches] were really nice to me,” said Renneisen. Hoffman sent an email to the Evansville coaches with a video of “Pup” in the summer of 2014.

Last summer, Renneisen went to California to play in a softball tournament where colleges from all over the country were scouting players. The University of Kentucky scouts attended the tournament too but they did not offer her.

“Lindsay is very well rounded as a player and has a lot of natural ability. I believe once Pup realizes her true potential, she could be one of the best hitters in the state,” said Hoffman.

“I could be a game changer because I could possibly bring a lot to the table. Since I’m technically ‘small’ it’s rare to be a power hitter and also have speed,” said Renneisen.

Renneisen hopes to bring the boom to the Evansville softball team in the spring of 2017.

Photo :Endeavor staff Renneisen connects with a pitch during the J-town game. Renneisen batted third for East last season. “I was dissopinted in my hitting because I feel like it should have been better but at the level of competition we played, it was not terrible,” said Renneisen. page by Zach Combest

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10/21/2015 12:13:40 PM

KICKING AND SCREAMING b y s e a n j o h ns o n Staff Writer

G

The Bullitt East Chargers soccer team has had some rough times during the season, but has always seemed to get through them.

position is left wing for the defensive line and my role is to keep the opposing offensive players away from the left wing so they do not try to score. I keep the ball up with the forwards and I can aid in goal scoring,” said Drake.

The Chargers have had significantly better seasons in the past. The coaching staff has high expectations for the season. Although the team is suffering from injuries, they are finding ways to overcome them.

Drake has plans to go to college if he gets an athletic scholarship. If he does not get a scholarship, he plans to go straight into the marines after high school.

etting through the toughest.

The Bullitt East soccer team’s head coach Mike Brangers has been coaching soccer for 12 years. “The kids on the soccer team are great kids and fun to be around. I also feel young whenever I coach,” said Brangers.

Brangers was a very sporty and athletic person himself in high school. “I have always played sports and I really enjoy the competition.” Brangers also has a few leaders of the team that keeps the team in order when Brangers is not around. The leaders and key players for the Chargers this year are Alton Payton [Offense], Cooper Mahoney [Defense], Gunner Mahoney [Goalie], and Alazar Barsiman [Mid-field].

Junior Matt Childress also plays soccer for Bullitt East. He really enjoys playing, “I actually don’t plan on playing soccer after high school. I plan on going to the University of Louisville, but if the opportunity of a scholarship from a school for soccer opens up I may consider it,” said Childress.

Childress has only been playing soccer for about three years in total; once when he was nine and then he has been playing with Bullitt East since sophomore year.

Even though Childress has only been playing for Bullitt East for 2 years, he still plays a big role in the 2015 team. “I play left or right mid which is basically a wing. The purpose of that position is when the ball is in the middle of the field, the center mid will play the ball to one of the corners and me or the person playing my position will go to get the ball from that corner and look to cross it in,” said Childress.

Soccer has played a big role in all the players lives. Even through the tough times, it has built friendships and brotherly bonds to all of the players and has brought them all very close to achieve one common goal: to win.

Brangers’ expectations were to be district runner-up and to make it to the second round of the regional tournament. Whether or not the Chargers meet their expectations, Brangers will still support the team.

Bullitt East has an injury this year that has made the team believe that their defense will be slower. Junior Nate Drake was kicked in the back of the leg after stealing the ball from a Meade County player. “The bad thing about me being hurt is that we will be a lot slower in the back line and in the defensive position,” said Drake. #19 Ryan #7 Eric #21 aJohn Drake brings lot ofAlden speed and athleticism to Brigmon the back line.

“MySanchez BOYS #11 Paul Coleman #3 Trenton Cox #8 Brandon Newton VARSITY #6 Jake Brown #16 Artemio Zambrano #4 Alton Payton ROSTER #1 Will Elder #9 KC Korum #17 Jarret O’Neil

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#2 Alazar Barsamian #1 Gunner Mahoney #10 Lucas Adkins #18 Collin Shepherd #18 Harrison Glauber #13 Matthew Childress #5 Cooper Mahoney #20 Justin Alden #14 Nate Drake #12 Noah Wooten

page by Sean Johnson October 2015

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>> sports

RUNNER UP NO MORE b y e r i c s a nc h e z Creative Editor

M

ake a STATEment.

season.

The girls soccer team has high expectations for the 2015

The main goal for the girls soccer team is to win the 24th district tournament and the regional tournament, which will advance them to state. A number of key players will hopefully allow them to reach their goals. Faults within the team may halt their progress.

a team and we play for each other we can succeed to any amount that we want to. But if we get in the way of our team and we start to fight against each other, or just think of ourselves then that’s where we have problems,” said Foster.

With high expectations and a bright season ahead, The Lady Chargers soccer team will continue to work towards their goals.

For the past two years, The Lady Chargers have fallen to district rival Mercy Academy in both districts and regionals. The district tournament is held at the end of every year with the top two teams advancing to regionals. For the past two years those teams have been Mercy and East, with Mercy being champion. Once in regionals, only the top team will advance to state. Mercy and East have met in the regional final two straight years, once again with Mercy being the champion.

“Our goals are past just beating Mercy, we want to win districts then regionals, and if that means beating Mercy then that’s what we’ll do,” said Senior Captain Layne Cutler.

East also has the possibility of meeting North Bullitt in the regional championship if their goal of winning districts is met.

Behind the Scenes

With any team that has high expectations, certain players have a key role in making those goals come true.

“We have a really good team this year, all of our starters play a key role,” said Cutler. This is evident as they have scored 49 goals and lapsed 23 goals as of their win over LaRue County. Counting scrimmages, East has mercy ruled (defeating a team with a 10 point spread) two teams this year.

“I try to finish as many crosses as I can, with Layne and Taylor always getting a cross off for the team,” said junior Christian Foster.

of the box.

Junior, Amy Gentry and Senior Captain Kacie Heichelbach are also key players, finishing anything that comes across the top

Goalie Cassie Lancaster (12) is huge help as her skills help the team succeed in their goals.

Certain faults may come up through the year that could hinder East’s chances of meeting their goals.

“Dawson Mattingly has been out for a while, and we just have a tendency to have a lot of injuries so if we stay healthy we’re good,” said Cutler.

Foster feels as if they are their own obstacle for this year. “If we play as

Steve Mahoney

S

teve Mahoney plays a huge role in advertisement of the soccer teams at Bullitt East.

Mahoney is the father of three student athletes, all who play soccer for East. “I like to be an overall promoter of our students athletes. I’m very proud of what my kids partake in and that happens to be soccer,” said Mahoney.

Mahoney acts as a sort of communications director for the soccer teams. He travels with them to tournaments and away games.

“I work a job where I work over 40 hours a week and I honestly feel like I work more on this,” said Mahoney. Mahoney runs a twitter and instagram for the Bullitt Soccer teams. On his twitter he live tweets all games, posts weekly schedules, and includes pictures of the team warming up for games.

“It’s a labor of love, it’s rewarding. I like documenting what our student athletes do. To help share with parents that cannot be there, or they live far away, or for athletes that have come and gone so they can look at their career,” said Mahoney. page by Eric Sanchez

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10/21/2015 12:14:07 PM

by haley steinmetz Editor-in-chief

F

rom the time that the Livewire came about in 2001, one common word has bounced around the walls of room 324: theme. It’s a simple word and a simple concept, but it is also a word that has stumped countless staffers and editors alike. Each year, the staff debates how to tackle coming up with a theme and how to execute said theme. They choose whether they want the theme to last just one issue or one whole year.

They choose whether they want the topic to be light and fun or serious and controversial. They choose the main articles that follow along with the theme. They choose the designs that will best suit the theme. This year, however, the Livewire staff is mixing it up.

Last year, each issue had its own separate theme.

Over the course of the year, we covered eight different themes, including ones like “The Time Is Now” and “Small Town, Big Talent.” Each issue had several articles in the middle of it that went along with the theme in some way.

This year, we’ve decided to stick to one theme for the entire year: Addiction. When people hear addiction, many minds shoot straight to the serious stuff, like heroine or meth or other hardcore drugs. While yes, people are addicted to all of those things, the actual topic of addiction is much more broad. According to Psychology Today, “Addiction is a condition that results when a person ingests a substance (e.g., alcohol,cocaine, nicotine) or engages in an activity (e.g., gambling, sex, shopping) that can be pleasurable but the continued use/ act of which becomes compulsive and interferes with ordinary life responsibilities, such as work, relationships, or health.”

ADDICTION: A Local Look at a Global Issue Part 1 in a Series: CAFFEINE

b y j e ss i c a m a t t i n g l y Executive Editor

Maddie Smith is a senior at East known for her love of coffee. On a typical day, Smith consumes about six cups and reported that her record is seventeen cups in just one day. Still, she said, “I don’t really see myself as a caffeine addict, I see myself as a coffee addict.”

Many addictions, no matter how extreme, come as a result from stress. Caffeine, however, usually stems from exhaustion. When a person is feeling especially tired, they tend to turn to a caffeinated drink, like coffee in the morning, to wake them up. After that, drinking caffeine simply becomes habit and from there, people are trapped. Technically speaking, addiction is a disease that affects a person physically and mentally. Whether it’s something minor, or something serious like becoming completely dependent on a substance, addiction is nothing to ignore.

Caffeine addiction a type of addiction that many people take lightly, or brush off like it’s not a real type of addiction. However, according to HealthResearchFunding.org, “It’s believed that some 3 out of 4 regular caffeine users are actually addicted to the substance.” The site also says that, “Too much caffeine can produce mood swings, insomnia, increased tension in the muscles, and also impair your digestion and nutrition absorption.”

So, if people can be truly addicted to caffeine, and if it can lead to plenty of negative side effects, why do we not treat it like a real problem? Why do we brush it off and pretend like it’s not an actual type of addiction? In addition to the effects of actually being addicted to caffeine, the withdrawal symptoms are very similar to those of withdrawing from alcohol or narcotics. In other words, your need for coffee is similar to a drug user’s need to get high.

Now, if you ask me, that sounds pretty serious.

On the next page, you can read about the logistics and explanations of caffeine addiction. In the next issues of the Livewire, you can expect to hear and learn about several different forms.

Thank you for reading and supporting the Livewire. We hope that you will enjoy our yearlong look into this global problem.

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page by Jessica Mattingly and Haley Steinmetz October 2015

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THE SIDE EFFECTS: Caffeine Irregular heartbeat Insomnia

Stomach irritation

Anxiety

Caffeine is, according to Medicine Net, a stimulant compound found naturally in coffee, tea, cocoa, and kola nuts and added to soft drinks, foods, and medicines. For many people, the very first thing they do in the morning is turn to caffeine to give them a boost of energy. Due to the fact that caffeine is a stimulant, many medicines contain it. Caffeine can help with headaches, mental alertness, pain, asthma, athletic performance, and many more.

There are many side effects to caffeine consumption, such as irregular heartbeat, insomnia, stomach irritation, and nervousness. Caffeine usage during pregnancy is the most dangerous because, “When consumed in larger amounts during pregnancy, caffeine might increase the chance of miscarriage and other problems. Also, caffeine can pass into breast milk, so nursing mothers should closely monitor caffeine intake to make sure it is on the low side. High intake of caffeine by nursing mothers can cause sleep disturbances, irritability, and increased bowel activity in breastfed infants.” (webmd.com) Dona Hare, freshman health teacher, said, “It [caffeine] messes with their absorption of calcium, so it makes your bones more brittle. As they get older, they break and fracture and get osteoporosis.” Hare also said that she believes caffeine addiction can lead to alcohol addiction,

since people drink coffee for its effect and they do the same with alcohol.

So how can drinking Coke too much lead to alcoholism? How do addiction and caffeine relate?

Because addiction is categorized as anything that a person becomes dependent on, caffeine can fall under this category. When you become dependent on getting your daily caffeine fix, you get withdrawal symptoms just like any other drug. Withdrawal symptoms include headaches, fatigue, anxiety, irritability, depression, and difficulty concentrating.

Many argue that caffeine isn’t an addictive drug because the withdrawal symptoms are nothing compared to the symptoms that come with the real deal drugs. This is true, but many people still depend on caffeine to get through their days, especially the mornings. Due to the fact that addiction is such a broad topic, it leaves room to assume that consuming too much caffeine can lead to a serious issue.

Olivia Napier, another senior at East, has a different story about caffeine. Napier used to drink coffee, until her doctor made her stop. She was diagnosed with orthostatic intolerance very recently, which requires her to drink a lot of water since her blood does not circulate properly. Due to the effects of caffeine on the heart, she is no

longer allowed to consume it. “If my heart rate’s too fast then my body can’t handle it, that can be pretty bad for me.” Drinking caffeine can cause Napier to experience symptoms such as shakiness or dizziness during physical activity. She reported that back when she was allowed to drink coffee, she felt more awake and on task.

Caffeine is categorized as a drug solely because of its stimulant properties. An article on NPR. org titled “Wake Up And Smell The Caffeine.

It’s A Powerful Drug,” tells the story of Murray Carpenter, a man who wrote a book all about caffeine.This specific article said, “Naturally extracted caffeine is burned out from heated-up coffee beans. But most of the caffeine used in soft drinks is actually synthetically produced in Chinese pharmaceutical plants. After visiting one of these plants — the world’s largest, in fact — Carpenter can only describe it as ‘sketchy.’ ‘It was not what I expected,’ he says. ‘It was sort of a rundown industrial park.’”

Putting something created artificially in a ‘sketchy,’ rundown industrial park into your body does not sound appealing. Being addicted to a substance that makes your heart beat fast and takes away your ability to go to sleep does not sound appealing. Not being able to physically function in the morning because you are so reliant on a drink does not sound appealing. It’s time to wake up and see that caffeine shouldn’t be the only thing to help us do so.

page by Jessica Mattingly and Haley Steinmetz

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Standards Change and Grades Range b y h a y l i e j e n k i ns

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rades are going 0-100 real quick.

With standard based grading grades change very frequently.

Standard based grading is a system of reporting student proficiency in a number of specific standards. Teachers use standard based grading because they feel it helps show where students are at with each standard. Students do not like the fact that their grade is not always constant, and that one day it can be at a F, then the next week it could be an A. In standard based grading, homework isn’t worth points. Your grade is solely based on how well you have mastered a standard. Grading is more fluid, meaning that students have more opportunities to master specific standards that are difficult.

BE is still in the “baby phases” of standard based grading. No teacher has fully implemented this system. English teacher, Leslie Lloyd said,“We [teachers] are all slowly moving in that direction”.

With standard based grading students are graded using a one through a four for each standard. A four is equal to a 100 percent, a three is equal to a 90 percent, a two is equal to a 59 percent, and a one is equal to a 45

Parts of Speech

Staff Writer

Grammar Worksheets: 1st 9 Weeks Grading Period #1 Common Nouns #2 Proper Nouns #3 Pronouns #4 Adjectives #5 Verbs #6 Adverbs #7 Prepositions #8 Conjunctions

If students recieve a one on their Grammar pretest, such as in Mrs. Pierce-Foster’s class, they will have to correctly complete a practice worksheet and formative assesment.Also, complete a mastery test to earn a four in that section. percent. “You either know it or you don’t,” said Lloyd. She uses these levels of proficiency of each standard to make groups in her classroom.

Standard based grading helps teachers understand where each student needs help and where they have their strong points. This type of grading puts more work on the teachers, considering that they have to make each rubric for each standard ahead of time so students know what is expected of them. “Making sure your expectations on the rubrics are very specific is the hardest part,” said Lloyd.

English and math teachers this year are really “Hitting it hard”. Though standard based grading is not required, the teachers at BE really believe in it. “I feel like I get better work out

Leia Cope focuses on her grammar worksheet to raise her score of a one, and prepares for the mastery test.

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Pretest Score 4 4 4 4 4 4 1 4

of the students,” said Lloyd.

One of the biggest issues most students and parents have with standard based grading is the fluctuation of their grades. “In the beginning, I got a lot of emails from parents talking about how their child always turns their work in, and I had to explain to them that it’s no longer about turning in your work,” said Lloyd. With standard based grading a grade can change from an F to an A in the matter of a week. Students that struggle in some standards but exceed in others end up with a good grade in the class.

Sophomore, Rachel Carden, said, “I like the fact that homework isn’t graded because it means you never really have to do it, but my grade always changing is the part that stresses me out,”. Students not doing their homework is one of the reasons Lloyd is cautious about fully doing standard based grading.

Students who have not scored a four on a standard have an opportunity to go to remediation and have a mini lesson on it. During remediation, Lloyd talks with the students about their strong points and their weaker points. There are no penalties or points taken off if the students participate in remediation.

It is meant to help them and they can improve or resubmit an assignment to however many times they need in order to master it.

If BE were to ever fully go into standard based grading everyone would need a completely different grade book. Report cards would become more difficult for teachers to fill out. Though BE is moving towards fully implementing standard based grading it will take a long time and grading processes or books will need to be changed in order to be completely successful.

page by Haylie Jenkins October 2015

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>> academics

HARRIS OUT, CRAVEN IN FOR AP

by Sydney Riley Website Editor

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eo Craven, a teacher in the English department, is taking over Deshia Harris' spot as an AP English III teacher.

Deshia Harris, former teacher at BE, retired over the summer after many years of teaching.

Reading was the only class he taught. When Harris retired, the English department chairmen decided that Craven would be the right person to take on the AP job.

"He is a pretty amazing teacher and he is capable of teaching a lot of different things. He has really

Although this is Craven's first year teaching AP at Bullitt East, it is not his first time teaching high-level students. He is teaching both AP English III and College Reading this school year. Stepping into Harris' shoes is an intimidating task, but Craven is ready to take over.

Because AP English and College Reading withhold some differences, it requires Craven to switch up the thinking processes and teaching methods from class to class. However, the main goal of both classes is get students to think.

"Essentially, I'm still trying to challenge students to reach their full capability. Whether that is asking a student to identify where a comma goes, or asking a student, 'What did this author mean when they said this?' I'm still asking you guys to think," said Craven.

With Harris retiring and Craven stepping up, the switch can be intimidating. In 2012, Harris was voted teacher of the year and has been teaching AP English for six years.

Before Craven came to East, he taught an International Baccalaureate(IB) English class at Tates Creek in Lexington, Kentucky. An IB class is similar to an AP class, but is measured globally instead of nationally.

They are among some of the most advanced classes offered at a high school level.

"This is my first time teaching juniors that will take the [AP] test at the end of the year; whereas before I was simply just preparing sophomores for the experience," said Craven.

Aside from AP English III, Craven is also teaching College Reading. Last school year, College

department and other AP English III teacher.

done an amazing job with College Reading, and that's a strength of his that I didn't want to take him away from completely. But I think that he can continue to develop himself and push himself and I think AP is a really good way for him to do that," said Larry Steinmetz, a chairman of the English

"We have somebody who was the Bullitt County Teacher of the Year in 2012, and I worked with her a lot last year; but it was definitely intimidating and I was really nervous about taking it on.

But, I've been in this [AP] classroom for a month and I'm liking it," said Craven.

The AP English department can only grow from here with the help of Craven.

page by Sydney Riley

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ATHLETIC CONDITIONING IS BACK by luke young Staff Writer

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rom the classroom to the weight room.

Athletic conditioning has returned and is helping kids learn about and work on their bodies.

Athletic conditioning is a class that was formerly offered to students, then was taken away last year, and has now returned. It’s not just for athletes either, it’s for everyone. Robert Troutman is the teacher of athletic conditioning, and has big plans for the future of the class.

During freshman year, students are required to take a semester worth of physical education.

For many, the school induced physical activity ends after that. Some who opt into Mr. Robert Troutman’s class can get that extra physical activity, which is a good alternative to pricey gym memberships, as well as always having a workout partner and learning the proper techniques of working out. “It’s a great way for people who might not have the time to work out keep in shape, and to learn proper techniques to maximize their workout,” said sophomore AJ Moss.

This class isn’t just fun like the required PE class, it produces results. “I’ve noticed results

Moss (left) completing his workout with his partner.

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in my strength and endurance,” stated Moss.

Moss runs track and hopes to continue to increase on his gains and keep working hard when his seasons starts.

class contribute to a pathway, he wants more classes to teach. “I’m wanting to offer more sections in the future, whether it be next semester, or next year.”

There is more to this class than just lifting weights. Troutman likes to teach his students about the anatomy of the body. “I focus a lot on the anatomy, and kind of get them familiarized with the muscle groups,” said Troutman.

Troutman isn’t just improving his class, he is improving the whole P.E. department. Before troutman came to our school, we only had 2 teachers in the department, but all of the other high schools in the county have 3. “We are looking to embrace it (PE program) and make it a quality program, and i think that’s why we decided to go with the athletic conditioning section.”

Troutman likes his students to know what they are working on. Many of Troutman’s students are in anatomy classes, and view this as an extra way to learn about the body.

The course doesn’t just tailor to athletes.

Troutman has a wide makeup of students in both of his classes. “I have all kinds of guys and girls that don’t play any sport. I have some that are in JROTC, that are looking to prepare themselves for the military,” said Troutman.

Troutman hopes to improve the class in the future. Right now, he only has only two classes of 28 students. “My goal is to get it (athletic conditioning) to a pathway class.”

After the one year break athletic conditioning has taken, it still has problems. Moss commented that the class wasnt long enough.

This can be bad for students because it doesn’t work all parts of the body.

Athletic conditioning has started a promising journey that could change how we look at physical education in our community.

Not only does Troutman want to make the

Troutman (left) helping students with their technique.

page by Luke Young October 2015

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>> opinion

STUDENTS DECIDE THE FATE b y b r e nn a h d e n k h o f f Staff Writer

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very year Bullitt East students have the power to elect student body government representatives. The question lies on whether or not these kinds of elections have the power to impact their future voting decisions. Students should in fact be more aware of elections though because it affects their society’s future.

take the opportunity to vote.

Bullitt East students have elected senior Maddie Smith as the student body president for the 2015-16 school year.

Many Bullitt East students do not even participate in voting for Student Body Representatives. For the people who do vote there’s not very many people running to choose from.

“The sad thing is that most students at Bullitt East do not vote for the elected officials, so it’s hard to discuss plans or goals with them if they don’t vote,” stated Smith.

According to Smith the issues they’re planning to address this year have changed from previous years. “This year we are focusing more on issues the student body has and taking them to the administration and board to get things changed at school,” Smith explained.

The way students vote in student body elections in high school may affect how they vote in the future, but a lot of students do not even

From poll conducted by a Livewire staff member, 180 seniors completed the poll, but only 83 seniors plan on voting in November of 2016. Students are not taking advantage of their right to vote, therefore, a new generation of voters will not be representated.

Bernie Sanders

Jeb Bush

Ben Carson

24 Supporters

1 Supporters

11 Supporters

1 Supporters

3 Supporters

I Don’t Know

I Don’t Care

Don’t Like Canidates

No Trump or Hilary

Doesn’t Like Obama

?

30 Comments

32 Comments

No Yes

97

10 Comments

3 Comments

83

180 Seniors were polled

Copy Editor

Joking Response

13 Comments Differnt/ Interesting Viewpoint

!

22 Comments

Are you planning on voting in the 2016 Election?

by isaac shelton

180 Seniors were polled about the presidential election. The results are below.

Carly Florina

vote for which affects society’s future.

Students may want to start taking student body government at Bullitt East more seriously. It could educate them on many political topics for future references for voting as an adult.

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE 2016 PRESIDENTIAL CANIDATES? Donald Trump

For example many of the controversial topics right now include obamacare and passing gay marriage laws, which happened through President Obama’s leadership. If students do not know early on to get educated on these issues they may not know the right person to

2 Comments

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he seniors at Bullitt East either dislike or are indifferent to the presidential race candidates. From the poll, 30 seniors didn’t know anything about the presidential race, 22 didn’t care about the race, and 32 seniors didn’t like the candidates. That results to 84 seniors that have a negative connotation towards the presidential race.

As seniors in high school it’s extremely important to understand and follow politics at a national and local levels, because the government impacts everyone’s life in some way or another. Look at the past few months: the Supreme Court legalized gay marriage all across the nation. The main point is, in order for your views to be represented you have to vote.

There are several websites, such as www. people-press.org/typology/quiz and http://www. isidewith.com/political-quiz that determine a prospective political part based on simple questions regarding the environment and gay rights. The links above go directly to the questions, and the site will give you immediate results on a certain candidate or political party that your questions favored. page by Isaac Shelton

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CHANGE IS CONSTANT by isaac shelton Copy Editor

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very animal has the ability to adapt.

Politicians have many names, like jackass and elephant based on political party, but every political animal evolves over the years.

Watching the news, Donald Trump makes every politician seem like a one sided, hard headed person that refuses to give in to reason, but that’s a stereotype. Most politicians, and people in that matter, require further education before making a final statement regarding a debatable topic. However, the public opinion has the overall impact in a politician’s viewpoint.

Everyone has an opinion. That’s the honest truth and there’s no getting around it, but as humans we have the ability to reason and look at the other side’s point of view. The phrase, “you can’t understand someone, until you walk in their shoes,” can be essential in life. Understanding why another believes in a certain cause or political view can allow a creation of a counter argument, or realization why an individual believes the way they do can completely change the person’s point of view.

Even some people, like Republican Senator Rob Portman, can change his views on same-sex marriage. After years of holding a strong conservative view, Portman finally had a “change of heart” after his son, Will, announced that he was homosexual. “I’ve come to the conclusion that for me, personally, I think this is something that we should allow people to do, to get married, and to have the joy and stability of marriage that I’ve had for over 26 years. That I want all of my children to have, including our son, who is gay,” said Portman, who told CNN’s Dana Bash.

It’s no secret that politicians usually serve more than one term. Some are in office more than 20 or 30 years before retirement, and as the years go by technology advances. Look at the progression on communication within the past ten years. One minute there are flip phones around every corner, and now the general population has a smart phone. The main point is, as technology improves the ability to spread knowledge and educate yourself on a certain topic becomes possible.

Social media is a perfect example of communication all around the world. Twitter and Instagram have made it possible to spread new ideas or phrases using the # symbol or tagging someone in a photo. Several politicians have social media accounts that give informa-

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tion and updates to their followers. Even the older politicians, such as Hilary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, use social media to connect to younger generations.

Politicians also have to change their views based on the updated social norms in society.

Ten years ago politicians didn’t think about interracial marriage or gay rights because it wasn’t on the front burner in society. Now, a large portion of the public has been raised these ideas and cultures. So, in order for politicians to represent a new generation they have to adapt their policies and views. Even news stations like MSBC and FOX have targeted viewers based on new trending stories that connect to their viewers, and popular shows like Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal incorporate diversity that younger generations are accustom to.

In today’s society there are polls and surveys that capture America’s opinions on all of these issues. Politicians take the people opinions from the polls and transfer the results to their politics, because it’s their job to represent their state, district, county, etc. The President of the United States of America has changed his opinion on same-sex marriage several times within the past eight years based on public opinion. “For me personally, it is important for me to go ahead and affirm that I think same-sex couples should be able to get married,” said Obama who told NBC’s Tom Curry in 2004. Then, two years later he stated that states should decide whether same-sex citizens should be married. Now, since the Supreme Court legalized same-sex marriage in the landmark case this past summer, Obama has been a supporter.

People look at great politicians like they are Gods because of the power and attention they hold. The news stations, like Fox or MSNBC, focus on what these people stand for, and then the anchors either explain why their ideas or political views terrible or amazing. It really doesn’t matter what the news stations and the politicians say about a certain topic because technology will change, citizens will change, and America in general will change. Nothing stays the same, so don’t just look at a politician’s political view when Election Day comes.

THE ANIMALS OF THE BLUEGRASS

Melanie Roberts

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his year, long-time Executive Judge of the Fiscal Court, Melanie Roberts, has decided to run for the Kentucky House of Representative of the 49th District, which covers most of Bullitt County.

Roberts started her career as an elementary teacher for 20 years and moved on to politics after experiencing the affect that the state legislature had on the school system. “Upon taking the Oath of Office in 2007 as Bullitt County Judge Executive, I immediately discovered the affect the state legislature had and continues to have on our county. I have decided to seek the 49th District State House seat and serve with integrity, transparency, accountability and accessibility,” stated Roberts.

Currently, Roberts is serving her ninth year as Bullitt County Judge, and one term equals four years. During her political career her administration has partnered with Bullitt County Public Schools, created jobs, cared for veterans and seniors, and tightened the budget in the past nine years. “My vision for the future is to continue to listen to the people and continue to provide necessary funding for important and necessary functions,” stated Roberts.

page by Isaac Shelton October 2015

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>> opinion

STATE

CHURCH

separation of church and state staff editorial

In the words of our nation’s very first president George Washington, “The government of the United States is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.”

Ever since the United States of America was born way back in 1776, the line drawn between religion and government has been one questioned and argued over by many.

The concept of separation of church and state is still very relevant in today’s society, especially when dealing with court rulings. One of the main and most recent examples is the incarceration of Kentucky county clerk Kim Davis for her refusal to issue marriage licenses to couples. In order for the United States government to continue to be successful, separation of church and state has to stay as a main priority.

Separation of church and state is a concept that was first written about by Thomas Jefferson in 1802. Now, Jefferson is quite a well known man, as one of our founding fathers, third president, and the guy on the nickel who just so happened to write the Declaration of Independence. He came up with all kinds of ideas for this nation and contributed plenty for it during his lifetime, but one of the biggest was the theory that separation of church and state was imperative if the US was to have a strong, successful national government.

Since Jefferson was the one that wrote about it first, that makes the idea about 213 years old.

So why are we still talking about it? Why, in the year 2015, is this idea still a pressing issue for our nation? The problem comes into play when elected officials begin allowing their personal religious views come before their responsibility and duty to enforce the law of the land. That’s how separation of church and state has stayed as a controversial topic for our government for over two centuries now.

The concept was brought to the forefront once again in August of this year with the arrest of Kim Davis. To summarize the situation, Davis was a Rowan County Clerk in her 50’s who disagreed with the recent Supreme Court ruling to make same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states. She disagreed so much, in fact, that she decided to defy the ruling and refuse to issue marriage licenses to any couples. Her reasoning behind all of it was her personal religious views.

To reporters in her prepared statement, she said, “I never imagined a day like this would come, where I would be asked to violate a central teaching of Scripture and of Jesus Himself regarding marriage. To issue a marriage license which conflicts with God’s definition of marriage, with my name affixed to the certificate, would violate my conscience. It is not a light issue for me. It is a Heaven or Hell decision. For me it is a decision of obedience. I have no animosity toward anyone and harbor no ill will. To me this has never been a gay or lesbian issue. It is about marriage and God’s

word.”

Davis was arrested for contempt of court and released five days later.

Regardless of her intentions or reasoning, Davis put herself in the way of the law and went against the Supreme Court. She deserved to be sent to jail. She intentionally defied the law of the land as an elected official whose prime responsibility is to abide by and enforce this nation’s laws. Just because her specific religion does not agree with the Supreme Court decision does not mean that she is allowed to simply disregard it. She still has to do her job, no matter her own opinions or beliefs.

Christianity is not the designated religion of the United States of America. The Bible is not a legal document that every citizen is forced to recognize and abide by. There is no designated religion of the USA. In fact, that’s the whole premise of the USA: freedom. Freedom to choose what you want to believe in, freedom to choose which religion to practice, freedom to not practice any religion at all, if that’s what you want.

But that freedom can only extend so far.

Choose whatever religion you want, go to church every Sunday, devote your life to Christianity, but that does not change the fact that as an American citizen, you have responsibilities and laws to abide by. Again, the Bible is not a legal document that everyone is forced to recognize and abide by. The Constitution, however, is.

The bottom line is that church and state are separate. No matter who you are, the Pope, the president, Kim Davis, a high school student, an elderly person, a middle aged middle class citizen, whoever; laws are laws and government is government. Religious beliefs do not change that. The United States of America is the land of the free; which means that its citizens are free to choose whatever religion they want, or none at all. Thomas Jefferson wrote about in 1802 and people have been preaching it ever since: separation of church and state is imperative in order for the United States of America to have a successful national government. page by Haley Steinmetz

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Member

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