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Matthew Hilger Freshman plays his own tune pg. 5
February 26, 2021 | Vol. 17 | Issue 9 | Lee’s Summit West High School | 2600 SW Ward Road | Lee’s Summit, Missouri
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on the
Cover
CONTENTS
Freshman Matthew Hilger is working to compose music for the band to perform. Photo by Ellie Johnson Read more on pg. 5
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A look into the new documentary, “Framing Britney Spears”
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On the Web:
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Behind the scenes of the upcoming musical, “Grease”
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Freshman Laney Weatherby dives into her first swim season by placing at state FOLLOW US:
Editorial Policy
Senior Chase Taylor is one of many athletes preparing for the spring season. He said, “I feel anxious and excited because we didn’t get a spring season last year.” Photo and story by Keaghan McDaniel
Staff:
Editor in Chief: Anna Long Associate Editor: Anna Eulinger Design Editor/Web Director: Madeline Cantrell Photography Editor: Vanesa Nhotharack Chief Copy Editor: Ella Skelsey Advertising and Billing Manager: Christina Jarvis Sports Editor/Web Director: Josh Wood Social Media Manager: Natalee Still Copy Editors: Emily Gerhart Mia Guidolin Hayden Peters Staff Artist: McKenna Bell Campus Photographer: Sarah Hall Sports Staff: Ian McDonald Keaghan McDaniel Social Media: Haleigh Davis Meghan Cox Reporters: Victoria Newman Caroline True Publications Adviser: Carol Ullery Business Adviser: Karrie Smythia Intro Staff: Kennedy Birmingham Ciara Lewis Logan Bishop Conor Lueck Ellie Johnson Ella Melton Jacob Jones Peyton Osborne
Titan Scroll is a student publication of Lee’s Summit West High School. The Titan Scroll is a practicing public forum for student expression. We welcome all letters to the editor, but reserve the right to edit for libel and for space. No unsigned letters will be printed. Letters may be emailed to the editor, dropped off in room 2048 or mailed to 2600 SW Ward Road, Lee’s Summit, Mo. 64082. Volume 17 of the Titan Scroll is published twice each month during the 2020-2021 school year. Student editors make all content decisions. The opinions contained do not in any way represent the Lee’s Summit West faculty, administration, or the R-7 school district administration or school board.
@lswestonline
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Staff Editorial
Making prom possible Looking at ways to make prom work from the class of 2021’s perspective Looking towards a positive end to the school year, we are crossing our fingers for prom to be made possible. Some of us may have already bought our prom get-ups in hopes to bring good luck for prom, maybe even a few seniors hanging onto dresses or suits from last year with the chance of a prom happening. These are small signs of hope as we try to reassure ourselves that prom 2021 is a go. If the decision is made to host prom, it will likely look different than what we might typically expect. These are all merely suggestions, but there would most likely be mask-wearing and we could see rotating time slots where smaller clusters of students come in for 30 minutes to an hour. Another option to think on could be an outdoor prom, maybe on the football field. Just think about it; a prom hosted on the football field with lights and blasting music could revive the feeling of Friday night lights, all while giving us a much wanted prom. It would also be the perfect way to allow everyone to be at the dance at the same time at a safe distance, so we would be able to see all of our friends. Looking at prom from a social distancing perspective, it is very likely to happen. In the classroom, we have been able to make distances as small as three feet work to keep students safe. That wouldn’t be much different than a social distanced prom, especially since doing prom on the football field would allow us to have more than enough space. However, say worse comes to worse and prom 2021 gets canceled. What are we to do? Do we begrudgingly return our eye-catching dresses and suits that we’ve grown fond of and have gotten ourselves attached to? How will we ever be able to get the classic high school prom
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experience that takes place in nearly every coming-of-age film? We have already had a lot torn away from us during our high school experience, and this would just be the overly-sugary-store-bought-icing on the cake. We have a couple options: have a backyard prom with a small group of friends, or do a completely different activity, like going out to dinner or seeing a movie. It is far from ideal, but a backyard prom with our closest friends could end up being a fun night to remember. After all, prom is all about having a good time with our friends and soaking up the last moments of senior year. Let’s go all out and make it fun: string up some lights, compile a playlist of our friends’ favorite songs, set up speakers, and get a meal catered. Regular prom would be great, but how nice would it be to enjoy every single song that gets played and have a dance with the people we care the most about? On top of that, the prom venue and restaurant would all be in one place. Again, this would be far from ideal, but living in a pandemic has taught us to make the most of less-than-ideal situations and cherish the time we spend with friends and family more. With that being said, if prom does happen, we should still expect it to be far from normal, but let’s not let that stop us from having a good time. Dancing may have to be done at a distance of six feet, but it would be a great excuse to go all out and dance like we never have before. After all, the year we have had will make it that much more enjoyable and worth it.
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Weighing the weighted courses options Hayden Peters After a year of educational pivots, school has just started getting “back to normal,” and it’s already time to select new schedules for the upcoming school year. For some students, their first time walking through the halls of West was only a couple weeks ago. Now they are potentially facing the decision between enrolling in Honors and/or IB courses. Both are advanced course options for juniors and seniors, and each offers a different focus and methodology. For students deciding which classes to take next year, there is much to sort through in selecting the best option for their personal needs. It might be hard to tell the difference between IB and honors courses without prior knowledge of them. According to school counselors, it is very important to consider study habits as a student, and what would be a healthy amount of work to do each week. Christy Dabalos is the IB program coordinator at West. Dabalos recommends scheduling a meeting with her for further advice on IB courses in particular, and which one will be best for individual students. If you are interested in taking an IB course, there are three ways to do so. Students can take some IB courses, or work towards an IB Diploma or IB Career-Related (IBCP) diploma; all are designed to mirror freshman courses at most universities. According to Dabalos, IB classes require more homework and out-of-class time than Honors, and the subject matter makes all the difference between the two. “[IB] is aimed towards students who are motivated and want to learn, students who have a curiosity with different subjects, students who don’t mind coming to school and having to do some homework and you know, things like that,” Dabalos said. Dabalos also said it’s beneficial for students to push themselves to earn the college credit that comes with taking an IB course. “I think you have some people who if they get the college credit, that’s great. You know, it’s an added bonus. But then I think you have those people who just want to take the class because they like the class, but I do always get college credit questions,” Dabalos said.
“I think that I would be misspoken to say, ‘Oh, it’s fine, there’s never any stress’, that is just not true. With the class, if you have three days with no homework in an IB class, you probably should be doing something. It’s worth it though in my opinion, and totally manageable,” Dabalos said. Senior Quinn Engel has experience with either course option and has a piece of advice to share with anyone who is undecided about which path to take. “IB courses are better geared towards students who are able to manage their time effectively, though everyone crams for a test at some point. You have to be willing to do meaningful work outside of class hours,” Engel said. Engel is currently enrolled in IB Chinese, IB History, IB English, IB Math, and more. She is also involved in extracurriculars and clubs outside of school. “I think the classes have made me a better student. They’ve definitely taught me how to properly study, write academically, and take effective, useful notes. There’s more emphasis on trusting students to do their homework versus actually verifying it got done, so these classes have taught me how to hold myself accountable,” Engel said. Engel said that she was encouraged by her teachers to enroll in IB courses when it came time to choose her schedule for the next school
year. “For a lot of students who had previously been in honors courses, it was almost a given to continue on the IB track. Many of my teachers encouraged the students to take IB courses,” Engel said. One positive of IB classes, according to Dabalos, is the easy access to teachers, which isn’t the same in college. “I think, you know, most of our IB courses are very much modeled after a freshman level college course. Except the fact that these classes are meeting all year long, five days a week, your teacher is right there,” Dabalos said. Mary-Beth Rich who teaches Honors English 11 also has advice to offer to students currently enrolling. “If a student is undecided about taking an Honors class, I would have them answer these questions; ‘Do I like to be challenged? Do I take initiative? Am I good with time management? Can I handle the extra work assigned to me in an honors course? Do I like English?’ If the answer is yes, then I would take Honors. I think that many students will enjoy their time in an honors class and I would recommend that many students take at least one Honors course during their time in high school. If they don’t like it, they can switch the following year,” said Rich. Rich, similar to Dabalos, can offer a piece of advice to students who are currently enrolling. “Students do not necessarily have to be good readers or writers to do well in an honors class. Usually students who do well in honors classes have good time management skills and are willing to ask for help when needed or ask questions. Oftentimes, students who enjoy honors classes are inquisitive and enjoy diving deeper into the subject matter,” said Rich. Engel claims that her overall experience with taking advanced courses such as IB and Honors have been worth it in the long run, and she is happy with the skills they have helped her develop. “The classes are stressful, but it’s not stressful all the time. For most students taking a larger quantity of IB classes, their lives still don’t revolve around school, so it’s important to find that balance. I do think the stress of IB is worth it, mainly because I actually feel engaged in my classes and feel like I’m learning useful and important topics,” said Engel.
“I think the classes have made me a better student. They’ve definitely taught me how to properly study, write academically, and take effective, useful notes. There’s more emphasis on trusting students to do their homework versus actually verifying it got done, so these classes have taught me how to hold myself accountable” — Quinn Engel
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Ellie Johnson Matthew Hilger, freshman, works to compose multi-part band arrangements and is catching the attention of his peers and mentors. “I grew up hearing music constantly,” Hilger, a 13 instrument musician and young composer said. Hilger said he gets his talents from his entire family, but most notably his parents and siblings. His father was a vocalist in choir, his mother was a dancer, his older sister is a violist, and his older brother is proficient in a multitude of instruments. Having been actively playing music since he can remember and participating in the school band since the fifth grade, Hilger said that he has developed a detailed understanding of melodies and chord progressions. “Ever since we were young, I would play music and he would want to play the piano after I did,” Jake Hilger, Matthew’s older brother and student at UMKC said. “Me and my sister being so involved in music when he was growing up definitely was a factor in his involvement in it.” “It was already a family value, but it became life. It’s a common ground that we can all talk about. It’s been something that I can connect with him on,” Kathryn Hilger said. Kathryn is Matthew’s older sister and a graduate of the Cleveland Institute of Music with a masters in viola performance. In the last few years, Matthew Hilger has even begun composing his own pieces. His most developed composition, “Fjords of Maroon,” has been catching the attention of his family, peers, and even some of the music teachers in the district. “I sent out “Fjords of Maroon” a few weeks ago to [Clift] Thurmond, [John] Johnson, [Bryant] Knapp, [Beth] Files, my aunt, who is a voice teacher, my uncle, who is a band teacher, and [Holly] Dahn. I’m getting feedback
from those teachers, doing some final touches, and then publishing it hopefully,” Matthew Hilger said. Matthew said he’s been working on perfecting the piece for the last six months and has rewritten the main theme four different times. “I was blown away when I first heard it. I was pretty darn impressed. I wasn’t expecting him to have such an advanced grasp on composition,” Jake Hilger said. Matthew’s sister said she was also impressed by his talent and love of music at such a young age. “It was very surprising to me how he was able to put that together with no knowledge of music theory; which typically is essential if you’re going to write a successful composition. He figured it out just by ear and my jaw dropped. It definitely shocked me,” Kathryn Hilger said. With his mind prepared and motivation amped up, Matthew sits down for hours to create his pieces. “I’m writing sixteen parts at a time, going measure by measure, and I have to play the sounds in my head. I’ll write down eight measures and still have to continuously think about what I previously wrote. It definitely requires multitasking,” Matthew said. While Matthew isn’t looking to pursue a musical performance degree straight out of high school, he said he does wish to keep it in his life for as long as possible. “Most of it is self-motivated,” Matthew said, “Most of it is the joy of being able to say I don’t like this piece, I’m going to scrap it and start over on a completely different melody. It’s freedom.”
Freshman Matthew Hilger plays 13 instruments, including the trumpet, which he plays in the marching band. Top photo courtesy of Matthew Hilger. Photo left by Hayden Peters
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Staff Commentary
Fans work to #FreeBritney after her career in the public eye West alumni, model Isabella Emmack said, “Media has impacted others my age and I in many ways. For one being it sets the standard for beauty.”
Ella Skelsey After decades in the spotlight, Britney Spears isn’t putting up with the “Toxic” media. “I’ll say this. You know, I worked with all the boy bands, all of them, and not one of the boys was ever under any scrutiny,” Hayley Hill, former Teen People fashion director and Spears’ former stylist (1997-2001), told the New York Times in their documentary, “Framing Britney Spears.” The media is sometimes thought of as the cause of celebrities’ success, but it can also be the cause of their downfall. When the media uses images and words to shape the way the public thinks of the rich-and-famous, and young celebrities themselves, it can change the course of their career. Britney Spears grew to fame with her character in Disney’s, “The Mickey Mouse Club” when she was just 12-years-old. Three years after the shows ending, she began her career in the music industry by signing a record deal with Jive Records according to Billboard. Billboard also reported that her second album, “Oops! ... I Did It Again” sold “1.3 million copies in its first week.” Later in her career, she had multiple Las Vegas residencies, which she canceled in January 2019 “to put [her] full focus and energy on [her] family at this time,” Spears tweeted on Jan 4, 2019. All this combined, Spears had and has a fruitful career, but she was still under scrutiny by the media. In 2008 she was placed under conservatorship after her “seemingly erratic behavior—such as shaving her head and attacking a paparazzi’s car with an umbrella,” according to Harpers Bazaar. It was initially supposed to support her as she struggled with mental illness, divorce and limited time with her children, on top of constant media and press attention. According to celebrity videographer Daniel Ramos, the press wasn’t always a negative thing for Spears. “In the beginning, when paparazzi’s were following Britney, you could tell she enjoyed it … She would give it up, the shots, waving. She
was very friendly, a sweetheart of a girl. It was like she needed us and we needed her. We both needed each other, and it was a great
kind of relationship,” Ramos told the NYT. Ramos captured the infamous photo of a bald Spears attacking Ramos’s car with an umbrella, and said she never explicitly told paparazzi to leave her alone for good. “The goal is not to sort of, with these kinds of imagery, be negative about people. It was to enjoy their lives in a somewhat aspirational/ relatable way,” Brittain Stone, the photography director for US Weekly from 2001-11, told the NYT. The media might say that they support celebrities, but when they value sales over the person selling their magazines, they’re actually tearing them down for profit. Junior Mariela Silva-Lozano said she thinks that the pressure the media and press place on young stars leads to their demise. “Like Lindsay Lohan, for example. Like she went off the rails basically. It also didn’t help that everyone’s staring at her. Notice how almost every Disney kid at some point after they get out of Disney, they go crazy…” Silva said, “She went crazy because they have these contracts that say that they have to act a certain way all the time, because they’re supposed to be examples for children. But it sucks because then you can’t even have time to be your age and do things that people your age are doing.” Although this might be the case for major celebrities like Spears, the media still plays a part in everyone in the industry’s lives. West alum Isabella Emmack’s modeling career picked up in 2016 when she cut her hair. She began modeling in Fashion Weeks across the globe for Burberry, Moschino, Stella McCartney, Vera Wang, and was a favorite of Alexander Wang. Since then, she’s modeled in magazines such as Vogue, Vogue Italia, Vogue Paris, and Elle France. Emmack said that her experience with the media has helped grow hers and other’s careers. “Personally my experience with the media I would say is positive. I’ve learned a lot and found many opportunities for myself through all types of media: social, music, videos, and
news even. The access to information and to be able to share information through media has opened doors for many people, I would say is an overall positive thing,” Emmack said. Still, Emmack said she has felt the pressures of the media bleed into her personal life. “Media has impacted others my age and I in many ways. For one being it sets the standard for beauty and for what’s popular even if those things are not what you personally find interesting. Due to that I feel media has made me insecure to what I like because it is not the majority.” This idea isn’t limited to millennials, as it has been seen throughout the years. According to Silva, celebrities like Lohan, Bella Thorne, Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, and Spears are all examples of how the media can manipulate and hurt young celebrities, especially women. As a result of her struggles, Spears’ conservatorship was put in place. Over ten years later, fans are calling for an end to it, using her work history as evidence that she’s no longer in need of the restrictions a conservatorship offers. Silva voiced her support for the “#FreeBritney” movement and said, “I feel like if you can work and you can clearly produce things and you’re posting on social media, I think you’re competent enough to you know, control your own finances. You don’t have to have your parents literally controlling every aspect of your life.” Silva-Lozano also said that she thinks it’s okay for people to receive support and help when needed. “Sure, they [conservators] can help them. And obviously, if someone’s going to try to indulge, obviously, they should be the person that says, hey, don’t do that. But I don’t think that anyone should ever have complete control over somebody else’s assets, because it’s not theirs in the first place,” Silva-Lozano said. The point of “#FreeBritney” is that some fans believe Spears is competent enough to not need a conservatorship. Followers also question the intent behind her father, Jaime Spears’s role in it, as he didn’t play a major part in her formative years. In “Framing Britney Spears,” the senior director of marketing for Jive Records from 19982004 Kim Kaiman said, “Her mother would do whatever it took personally, and for the family’s sake, for Britney to be a star. Lynne supported Britney. I wanna say Lynne because I never talked to her father. The only thing Jaime ever said to me was, ‘My daughter’s gonna be so rich she’s gonna buy me a boat.’ That’s all I’m gonna say about Jaime.” While Jaime Spears is now only a part of her finances, Britney filed to have him removed from that half of the conservatorship in Nov. 2019 with no success. The battle continues with Spears’ supporting the court’s decision to limit her father’s power in the conservatorship in early February. Now, Spears is “In The Zone” and taking control of the narrative for the first time.
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Staff Commentary
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Hate crimes and COVID-19 Why the Asian community is having to take extra steps to stay safe amidst the pandemic
Vanesa Nhotharack is a second generation immigrant. Her family came to the U.S. in the early 80s as war refugees from Laos.
Vanesa Nhotharack parents decided not to tell her because they did not want to think she Vicha Ratanapakdee died after being brutally pushed to the ground. was being targeted. Noel Quintana was slashed in the face with a box cutter. Christian Hall Just before Christmas, my mom, younger siblings, and I went to Walwas shot by police seven times after having a mental health crisis. Mat- greens to grab last minute gifts. I stayed in the car while the other three thew Leung lost part of his finger after an assault at a bus stop. Henry went inside, and as my mom and I were switching seats a white woman Cheng and his grandparents were violently attacked at a train station, in a dark gray compact SUV drove up behind our car, blocked us in, his grandmother laying on the tracks as a train approached. Bawi Cung honked at us, and yelled, “Would you stop spying on us!” I had Nung and his son Robert were stabbed while gronever seen my mom cery shopping. For the past year, my grandparents seething with rage Violent incidents and microaggressions against and she said that had Asians and Asian Americans have risen since the have been terrified to leave their she been alone, she pandemic hit. Now two months into 2021, and the homes. Anytime I see them they’re 100% would’ve folspike in assaults is still prevalent. lowed that woman According to Stop AAPI Hate, a database created always warning me to stay home and confronted her at the beginning of the pandemic to track racially and stay away from people, not in face-to-face. charged hate crimes, from Asian Americans March 19, 2020 to De- fear of catching the virus, but fear have never been seen cember 31, 2020, re- of seeing my name on the news. as Americans. Despite ceived 2,808 first immigrating to the hand accounts of U.S., coming from war-torn countries, learning English in order to asanti-Asian hate, that of course does similate, working multiple jobs to support their families, and eventually not include the ones that go unreport- becoming U.S. citizens, we have always been viewed as foreign. ed. Those who are 60 years or older ac- Former President Donald J. Trump referred to COVID-19 as the counted for 126 of those reports. NYPD “China virus.” By doing so, he essentially enabled the xenophobic bealso reports that there was an 867% haviors towards Asian Americans. As the leader and face of the United increase in Asian American States, the words that come out of his mouth influence the actions of the hate crimes. American people. Yes, the virus originated from China, but that doesn’t On March 14, 2020, the allow you to call it the “Chinese virus”, “Wuhan virus” or the “Kung flu”. first day of our “extended Using these term reinforces negative stereotypes and spreads misinforspring break,” my dad mation. Plus, it’s extremely harmful and will only increase the violence bought my young- towards Asians. er brother a pocket Racism and discrimination towards Asians have always been present, knife and pepper whether it be microaggressions or physical confrontations. But then spray for me, again, how could it not? These behaviors are so normalized in the media, my mom, and in our entertainment, and in our everyday lives. People worldwide took younger sister in advantage of COVID-19 and used it as an excuse to openly show hate fear of us being the towards Asians. target of a hate crime. For the past year Asian actors and influencers, such as Gemma Chan, Two days later, Bawi Arden Cho, Daniel Dae Kim, Simu Liu, Olivia Munn, Sandra Oh, Chris Cung Nung and his son Pang, Maggie Q, Daniel Wu, Tim Chantarangsu, Ryan Higa, Kevin were stabbed in the face at Kreider, Chriselle Lim, Steven Lim, Kelly Mi Li, David So, and more a Sam’s club in Midland, TX. have taken to social media to raise awareness of the rise in crimes against Since then, my dad has kept a Asian people worldwide. Some have also been teaming up with organphoto of the little boy’s slashed izations such as #HATEISAVIRUS and #TheyCantBurnUsAll in an atface in his phone because he tempt to put a stop to xenophobia and anti-Asian hate. said he looks like my little #HATEISAVIRUS is a non-profit organization that was created brother when he was young- last April in order to, “dismantle racism and hate.” Since then, they’ve er. been able to raise awareness to the issues at hand, educate thousands of For the past year, my people, and raise money to donate to other organizations and save small grandparents have been businesses. terrified to leave their Raymond Yu, more commonly known as China Mac, created the homes. Anytime I movement #TheyCantBurnUsAll late August of last year. The name see them they’re al- comes from the elderly Cantonese woman who was set on fire in New ways warning me York City. As opposed to #HATEISAVIRUS, Mac’s movements] took to stay home and to the streets of L.A. and San Francisco to voice his frustrations with stay away from violence towards Asians. people, not in This year has been one bad thing after another for all communities. fear of catch- Now more than ever do people of color and white allies need to stand ing the virus, but together to help combat racial inequality. This is not a ‘your community, fear of seeing my your fight’ ordeal. In order to see real change, all communities need to name on the news. stick together. My grandma recently got The most important thing you could do to help and show support and her car keyed by someone in solidarity with the Asian community is to educate yourself. Look into her neighborhood, but to this the issues that impact Asian Americans. Educate the people around you. day she does not know it hap- There is strength in numbers, so the more people that are aware of what’s pened. My grandpa was the going on the better. one to find it, but he and my
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Seniors take their final bow Conor Lueck Seniors know it’s a bittersweet ending for all, not having had the full school experience while in a global pandemic. This year was especially odd for the theater department. For the first time since the early years of the school, the department is producing a spring musical but a couple of seniors agreed, it’s the best way to go out. Not only has COVID caused the department to switch the musical and play around, but it narrowed the seating availability from 850 to 144, with seats being in pairs of two, and six feet apart. It has also forced the cast into wearing masks while performing. A couple seniors said they are grateful to perform one last time, though they wish they could have a full crowd. Theater teacher Brad Rackers, who is directing Grease, the upcoming musical, said he
knows the transition shouldn’t interfere with the cast and crew too much. “This senior class is very resilient and had to survive. A group of very dedicated and hard working students. Always trying to get better and make the best show possible,” Rackers said. Seniors Max Twogood and Connor Kelly-Wright said they hope they get a chance to leave a bigger mark than just being known as the class who graduated during a pandemic. The pair have been doing theater for the past four years and credit one another with a big part in each other’s success. Kelly-Wright who plays the lead, Danny Zuko said he believes this show would be a monumental moment in his life. Kelly-Wright said he feels as if the cast is living through the characters because of the characters’ ages. Meanwhile Twogood, who plays Kenickie, said he’s been looking forward to leaving West with another show under his belt. Twogood said, “This show will be so special, up on stage with my best friends
for one last time at Lee’s Summit West.” Over the past four years, Kelly-Wright and Twogood said combined they have been in over 60 shows including seven musicals. They said they have had a lot of memories during their time at West. Kelly-Wright said he hopes his best one will be making “Grease.” Twogood said he believes that he’ll remember this show having to wear a mask during the show, singing, dancing and all. Many of the underclassmen have been mentored and became good friends with the seniors, and Kelly-Wright said that’s what he believes is so special about the West theater department. He said “Theatre is a family,” and students such as freshman Benjamin Bruner agree. Bruner said he has become good friends with a lot of people in theater, especially Kelly-Wright. “Connor Kelly-Wright has made theatre a second family to me.” According to Twogood, Kelly-Wright has also helped him grow as a performer, and is confident he will be a great lead. Twogood said, “[He] is literally flawless, and has and will continue to keep pushing me to become better in theatre.” Now, the cast and crew work together to put on the show after lots of excitement. Within hours of going on sale to the public, the musical successfully sold out every single show. Seats went for $20 each and Senior Connor Kelly-Wright is the lead for guests must wear masks throughout the entire viewing. “Grease” the upcoming musical “Grease.” He said this will premiere April 16.
will be the third musical production he takes part in. Photo by Conor Lueck
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Freshman dives into State Peyton Osborne for a while to become a team together because With a year like no other and a season like of COVID.” no other, freshman Laney Weatherby conclud- While Weatherby isn’t the first freshman to ed her swim season this past weekend against go to state, she is not a typical freshman swimtough competition. Despite being a freshman mer according to Ailshire “It’s somewhat typshe earned the right to finish ical, usually “She’s really compassionate, she’s a I have one or her season at State. Weatherby said they had to team player, she always works hard, two each year sit separated from other teams she always gives her best, she loves during both and there were no spectators to support our other teammates, the girls and allowed. In addition, teams boys season but just a really good teammate.” had to sit in the stands to what’s not typi— Lydia Grider cheer on teammates instead of cal is to have a on the pool deck. freshman qual Practices at home had been different as well. ified for State in so many different individual “A big change for us is instead of everyone being events like Laney has,” Ailshire said. on one side of the pool, we have to split it in half “Laney is just a very well-rounded swimmer, so some people were on one side of the pool she can swim all four strokes, fly, back, breast, and other people were on the other side of the and free and swim them really well. She’s got pool. And so we weren’t able to have the same really good technique and she’s a very very hard team comradery, we didn’t get to know every- worker and so you combine all those pieces and one as well,” sophomore Lydia Grider said. that’s gonna put her in a really good position to It's clear this swim season had its difficulties, be successful for this year and for the next three similar to other sports. “It’s been challenging. years,” Ailshire explained. Typically during a high school swim season we “Breast stroke is what I was good at the time practice every afternoon five days a week plus I joined swim and it just kind of became my two or three mornings a week, but because of favorite stroke,” Weatherby said, “Not a lot of COVID we’ve been restricted because we’ve the people liked breaststroke on the team that had to rotate because we share the Aquatic Cen- I was on so it was kind of cool to be a breastter with Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit North,” stroker.” Even though breast stroke is her favorhead swim coach, Jennifer Ailshire said. ite, Weatherby said that fly is probably her best Weatherby has been swimming for half her stroke and she likes competing in the 200 Indilife and said she stuck with swimming because vidual Medley(IM). 200 IM is where you swim she said it felt like a family to her. With a differ- all four strokes for 50 yards each. ent set up for swim practices that were COVID Weatherby swam the 200 yard IM, 100 friendly Weatherby said, “It has become nor- yard fly, and two relays, the 200 yard freestyle mal after a while but as a team you had to work and the 400 yard freestyle at State. Weatherby
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placed 13th in 200 IM, 5th in the 100 fly, her 200 yard freestyle relay came in 5th and her 400 yard freestyle came in 12th. As a freshman Weatherby had some takeaways from State. “It’s definitely very competitive and you race teams you haven’t raced all season, but as a team you definitely become closer but you are also definitely sad because the seniors are leaving,” Weatherby said. Even though she’s a freshman and hasn’t had a normal introduction to high school swim, Weatherby has made an impact on the team. “She’s really compassionate, she’s a team player, she always works hard, she always gives her best, she loves to support our other teammates, just a really good teammate,” Grider said. Ailshire also said Weatherby has had a positive impact on the team. “Laney is super positive and really fun to coach. She is just a very coachable athlete, she listens and takes feedback really well. It's just the positivity that she brings to the team and just her attitude helps her be an even better swimmer.” Weatherby said some of the things that drive her in swim are her team and knowing she accomplished something. “On the high school swim team everyone is cheering for you and every time you take a breath you can see them.” Weatherby also said that the competition in the pool helps motivate her. She and her teammates would race each other in the pool and motivate each other to go faster. As for Weatherby’s future she said she hopes to swim in college and break more records on the school board. She also said she hopes to medal in the top 8 in the coming years of State swim.
Payton Easley, Ella Fries, Lydia Grider, Hannah Jones, Addie Knapik, Neena Lorenz, Abigail Moore, Ella Thompson, and Laney Weatherby qualified for State 2021. Freshman Laney Weatherby placed 5th in the 100 fly and her 200 yard freestyle relay placed 5th. Photo courtesy of Laney Weatherby.
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