Hats off p

Hats off taking a closer look into current hat policy

Students have been seen wearing hats and beanies more inside the school, which has lead some to wonder if there has been a policy change. While the rule has not been changed, principal Larry Smith, Ed.D., said he would not rule out a change for the 2020-2021 school year. “We’re always looking at all of our school rules and policies and evaluating them every year. I would imagine we would review that one, along with many others, this spring and summer,” said Smith. North Kansas City School District has a set of dress code policies, which bans dress that “materially disrupts the educational environment or promotes the use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco or criminal or sexual activity.” Assistant Superintendent of Student Services Perry Hilvitz, Ed.D., said most infractions are case by case. “If it doesn’t have obscenity on it, and I say as a building administrator that it is still disruptive, I should be able to at least show you that in the past, what disruptions it has caused,”

said Hilvitz. Another reason the school does not allow hats is the secrecy of it. Administrators, like Smith, have said students with hats on are harder to distinguish on security cameras. “It is easier to conceal your identity when you have a hat on, especially from our camera system,” said Smith. “If you have a hat on, chin down walking through the building, they may not be able to identify who is under the hat.” Currently, stocking caps and beanies are allowed to be worn in school because administration believes that, in contradiction to billed hats, a student’s face can still be seen. “You can see them,” said Smith. The camera systems are seen as a prime way to identify students who may be breaking school rules. However, junior Michael Saye believes hats don’t affect that. “I understand their concerns with security,” said Saye, “but at the same time, it shouldn’t be that big of a problem.” Saye said he has been told the security cameras are the reason why he cannot wear his hat. He believes that hats do not affect whether a camera sees a person’s face. “They can make it to where it is not an issue. You’re walking through the school all day, and there’s cameras at every angle,” said Saye. “There is no way it doesn’t see your face at some point.” Administrators said their overall goal is to keep everybody safe and stop the issue before it even happens. “You might say, ‘How many issues have we had?’ But even if you had zero, it only takes that one time when there is an emergency and you cannot identify people because they have impediments around their face area. You do not know who they are,” said assistant principal Kevin Kooi. Overall, there has been no rule change about hats, but that could change in the future.

Written by Landyn Goldberg Photos by Sara Almansouri

to

and Mobility Beyond

It took less than a minute to decide what the rest of senior Sydney Healy’s final high school volleyball season would look like. Healy tore her anterior cruciate ligament, meniscus and medial collateral ligament after landing on her opponents’ foot at a tournament, which put an end to her season. “I got injured in Philadelphia at a volleyball tournament,” said Healy. “I landed on my opponents’ foot that was far over the line, and my knee just started to cave in.” Having an injury required lots of physical therapy, and in some cases even surgery, said Healy. “I had to get surgery to fix my ACL and meniscus,” said Healy. “I also had lots of physical therapy and I basically just took up as much time as possible trying to get better and recover.” Not only did Healy have a physical injury, she said that she also dealt with some mental health problems. “Honestly, I was very depressed,” said Healy. “I had been playing for so long, and then to just all of the sudden have to stop was hard. And I didn’t even know if I was going to be able to play again, so that made it even harder.” Senior Dayton Schafer had a similar story. His football season was cut short in September when he was injured during a game. Schafer tore his ACL, meniscus and mcl as well. “I couldn’t play for the rest of the season, and I am still trying to recover,” said Shafer. “I still can’t play any more sports for the rest of the year.” Shafer said he had faced many hardships, such as surgery, being on crutches for six weeks, followed by having to use a wheelchair and going through rounds of physical therapy. “It was a really slow process,” said Shafer. “There were a few times that I felt like giving up. I always wanted to stop going to physical therapy and let it just heal on its own, but I’m glad I didn’t because it has gotten better over time.” Healy and Shafer both said they had faced many hardships while recovering from their injuries, both physical and mental. However, they both said they had lots of support from coaches and family who helped and encouraged them. Sports injuries impact athletes physically, mentally written by Ashlyn Dohrmann Graphics by Selena Escutia

climbing to recovery

Post-injury steps described by Athletes

“I tore a couple ligaments in my ankle. I had to try and walk on it as much as possible and do a variety of stretches to get my ankle back into shape.” “I got a pretty bad concussion. I had to go through concussion protocol. I wasn’t able to look at screens for about three or four days, and I usually woke up with headaches, so basically just a lot of rest.” “I have an osteochondral defect. First, I had to decide if I was going to get surgery or try and take six weeks off. I had to do physical therapy and wear a brace for a while.” Jack Stoffel, 9 Wyatt Scott, 9 Morgan Ferrara, 11

Securing the Cure

During recovery, students use physical therapy equipment

Muscle Scrapers

30%

83% Resistance bands

Exercise Bike

47%

Balance Boards

44%

Jumping over hurdles Jan. 23, senior Sydney Healy focuses on not favoring her left side. Healy got injured during a volleyball tournament and had to attend physical therapy afterward. “It helps me get more strength in my left leg. In case I do land awkwardly, one of my legs will be stronger than the other,” said Healy. Photo by Emma Thom Survey of 190 students

Preparing to tumble Jan. 17, junior Isabella Lampe focuses for a cheer in the Nationals routine. Last summer, Lampe tore multiple muscles, causing her to take some time off. “Right now, it’s really hard to get all of my tumbling done, and my stamina is really low from being out for so long,” said Lampe. Photo by Emma Thom

During practice Jan. 27, sophomore Ella Bartkoski practices her dance for the Nationals routine. The cheerleading team traveled to Dallas, Texas, to compete in the JV Novice Division Feb. 1 and Feb. 2. “I don’t get to stunt or tumble, but luckily I still get to be in the routine and compete with my friends,” said Bartkoski. Photo by Emma Thom

08 Issue 4 Volume 12 talon Sports Court is now in Session

The varsity basketball teams have had winning seasons. Coach Sherry Butts said girls basketball started off rough with their first game, but they got right back up beating Kearney High School and coming in first at the Savannah tournament. “Our very first game, we kind of started off a little rocky, but we just pulled things together and got things done,” said Butts. Senior Fabiola Salgado said there are only 12 players, making it easier for the players to get to know one another. “I feel like in the past years we’ve had a lot of girls and not good relationships, but this year it’s different,” said Salgado. Butts agreed that the team has good relationships, and that’s why they are successful. “They have all came together, and they have a common goal, and they all want to work for it, and they want to do it for each other, not just one person,” said Butts. The boys basketball team started preparing for this season in the summer and fall. “The reasons for our success has a lot to do with the work we put in during the off season,” said senior D.J. Pitia. Their work showed immediately when starting off the season. They won the William Jewell tournament and were ranked eleventh in the state as of Feb. 11. Neff said each of the eight starters had their own talents that made their team successful. “They are finally in the position of success that they haven’t been in, in the past by way of talent they currently possess,” said Neff. They attributed their success to all the love they have for each other. “We just have really good chemistry on the team. We love each other, and we want to play hard for each other,” said senior Byron Alexander. It’s not only the crowd that sees that the players are very close but other coaches, fans and the media do as well. “After every game, people come up to us and tell us, ‘Your kids look like they love each other,” said Neff. The girls varsity basketball team had won 13 Basketball teams kill it on the court

out of 18 games as of Feb. 11. “I think the season is going pretty good just because we have a way better record than we did last year,” said Salgado. The boys varsity basketball team has won 17 out of 21 games, and Neff said each of the players is more talented than in past years. “All eight of those guys are capable of just being themselves, and they are enough collectively to lead to winning,” said Neff.

In the air, junior Kendrick Stone shoots the ball Jan. 15 at home against Park Hill South High School. Varsity ended up winning 55-44. The boys basketball team had won a total of 17 games and lost four as of Feb. 11. “It was a tough game against a tough team with a great atmosphere. They came out strong and got on us quick, but we kept fighting and eventually came out on top,” said Stone. Photo by Makenzie Hooton

On the court, senior Byron Alexander dribbles past a defender from Park Hill South High School Jan. 15. The players agreed that a big part of their success was due to the good relationships they had with each other. “I just feel like we have really good chemistry on and off the court, and it definitely helps us when we play against tougher opponents,” said Alexander. Photo by makenzie Hooton

In the air, freshman Elizabeth Boehm reaches to make the shot during the game against Central High School Jan. 16. The game went into overtime after a Central defender stole the ball during an in-bounds play and tied the game 36-36. “We work well as a team. We just need to work on finishing the game strong and not giving up,” said Boehm. Photo by Makenzie Hooton

While playing against Central High School Jan. 16, senior Fabiola Salgado drives to the basket. Varsity ended up losing 40-41 in overtime. “Central has always been a really hard team to play against, especially at their place. I think as a team we did pretty good. Obviously, room for improvement, but it was a good game,” said Salgado. Photo by Makenzie Hooton

With his eyes on the ball, freshman Kyan Evans plays defense against Park Hill South High School. Varsity ended up winning the game 55-44. “Being a freshman on varsity has always been my goal. I am always learning from my teammates and growing as a player,” said Evans. Photo by Makenzie hooton

As she drives to the basket, junior Morgan Ferrara makes contact with a defender at Central High School Jan. 16. Although the Lady Falcons lost, Ferrara said the team’s attitude remained positive. “Overall this season, our chemistry between the players have been amazing, and I feel like we all got a lot closer, and no matter what, I know I have my teammates’ backs, and they have mine,” said Ferrara. Photo By Makenzie Hooton

Keep it Green Student choices negatively affect school’s green effort

With climate change protests, plastic bag regulations and metal straws being on the rise, the environment is a relevant topic more than ever. For students, being environmentally friendly can affect nearly every aspect of life, including the school day. “I think that the environment should be important in our life at this age because teenage years are when we everybody starts really forming their beliefs,” said junior Olivia Hutchcraft. The school takes sustainable methods into consideration, enough so that Staley earned a LEED Silver when it first opened. LEED certifications are awarded by the U.S. Green Building Council, making Staley a “green school.” Though, there have been some changes in recycling and the cafeteria since the school’s opening. The district no longer recycles as a whole, and certain buildings must make the decision whether they wish to recycle. “In past years, Town and Country did our recycling. When we first started with them years ago, it was free to the district. In fact, they paid North Kansas City Schools for the amount of recycling we did,” said Doris Farage, the director of custodial services for the North Kansas City District. “They eventually quit paying us and started charging some of our buildings.” The school has decided to continue recycling, but in turn having to pay Deffenbaugh for its services. Issues have continued to rise with the school’s recycling, and there are concerns when it

comes to the effectiveness. “Stuff gets thrown in there that’s garbage and not recycling. It’s very consistent throughout the building. I’ve got 12 guys who probably spend an extra hour a night sorting through the bins,” said facility manager Ryan Davis. Students not using the bins in the correct way counteracts how much progress the school can make in reducing its waste. “In some of those buildings, we are being charged a large sum each month due to contamination in the recycle bins,” said Farage. Students themselves see the misuse of the bins at the classroom level. “We have recycling bins and stuff, but teachers don’t enforce that we use them. If you go up to a recycling bin, there’s usually not a lot of stuff in it, and most people just throw paper in the trash,” said sophomore Lily Rayl. On top of troubles with recycling, the cafeteria contributes a significant amount of nonrecyclable waste during the school day because of lack of student cooperation. “When Staley first opened, we did use a biodegradable tray there. That required the students to put the biodegradable tray in one trash can, the food waste in another trash can, and the rest that could not be recycled in another trash can,” said Jenna Knuth, district director of food and nutrition services. These trays contributed to the school’s original “green plan,” but changes had to be made after students stopped sorting their waste. “That only lasted for a few years, and then students started refusing to separate all that “

,, I’ve g ot 12 g uys who probably spend an extra hour a nig ht sorting throug h the bins. Facility Manag er Ryan Davis

and started throwing it in all the trash cans, so we couldn’t recycle or compost anymore,” said Knuth. With roughly 1,700 students in the school, the five-compartment foam trays get frequent use alongside the plastic utensils during every meal. “Once a year, we look into costs for either biodegradable or compostable trays. Last year when we looked, it was around $249,000 a year just to switch over to biodegradable trays, and then you also have to get your waste company to put them in a different trash bin than your normal waste, which they also charge us for,” said Knuth. “We don’t currently have enough money to pay an extra $250,000 each year to do something like that.” The school’s shortcomings can be improved through the hands of students to reduce their impact on nonrecyclable waste. Davis said taking extra steps before tossing into classroom bins is a way to improve and make the school greener. “Kids have to take time to think about, ‘Is this trash or is this recycling?’” said Davis. Hutchcraft and Rayl are just two examples of students who turn toward more sustainable methods, like avoiding single-use plastics out of concern for the environment. “To reduce my negative impact on the environment, I try to use reusable water bottles, cups and silverware. I will even bring silverware from home when I eat my lunch,” said Hutchcraft. Students are taking these extra steps into their own hands is for the purpose of a bigger picture. “We’re still really young, and we have a long future ahead of us. If the environment is going downhill, then our kids won’t have the same experiences left for them,” said Rayl.

Warner Bros: 12 Issue 4 Volume 12 talon opinion

2019 top album pick s

Brothers share their top Albums of 2019 J ACKBOYS was released at the tail end of 2019, but is a notable album for the commencement of not only the year but the decade. The work displayed in this project by Travis Scott and other members of his record label can serve as a recap on the success they’ve experienced the past several years. There is a remixed version of “HIGHEST IN THE ROOM,” with new features, including Lil Baby and highlights of some well-known and Jack Warner

The collaborative album “Revenge of the Dreamers III,” came out during the summer of 2019 and was a strong way for the record label to show that not only are they still relevant, but there is more to come. J. Cole specifically made his presence known by being an executive producer for the whole project and being featured on multiple tracks. Other notable artists such as JID, EARTHGANG, Ski Mask the Slump God, DaBaby, Bas, T.I., Smokepurpp and Vince Staples were featured. These artists

Confetti is the young Louisville-based artist’s fourth album of his career. It was an important album of 2019 because it proved that Harlow is still rolling off of the success of his previous 2018 album. While he is still rising to a higher status in the music industry, he was able to create a 12-song album with a notable feature from Bryson Tiller. The rest of the album is smooth as well, some upcoming artists. This packs the album full of the sound that fans already love Travis for, as well as some new sounds too. Features from seasoned veterans such as Young Thug and Quavo flow well with melodies from Cactus Jack member Don Toliver. Also, Pop Smoke shared a feature that turned out to be his most popular song to date on, “GATTI.” With the short length of the project, but the intense songs, it is fun and easy to listen to.

have created a strong reputation for themselves and delivered in their features on the album. However, the most exciting part of the album is the multitude of features from some lesser known and up-and-coming artists such as Guapdad 4000, Young Nudy, Jace, Mez and more. It is difficult to list the large number of collaborators and features, but they are truly what make this album an important project of 2019. The strong production coupled with constant features make the album fun to listen to for any fan of rap.

while providing some upbeat songs and still delivering on more relaxed songs with rich lyricism. Overall, Harlow is an artist that deserves more attention now and will definitely deserve more attention in the future. Songs like “GOIN BACK DOWN,” and, “RIVER ROAD,” showcase his ability and prove that he is going to be around for a while.

Charlie Warner

Pony,” by Orville Peck is one of the best alternative albums of 2019 and has put Orville Peck on the map. The masked singer blends elements of country and alternative rock to tell stories, with love being an important one. Songs like “Dead of Night” and “Roses Are Falling” tell stories of love, while songs like “Kansas (Remembers Me Now)” and “Take You Back (The Iron Hoof Cattle Call)” makes the listener feel like they’re in the wild L ookout Low,” is an example of a band mastering its craft. On Twin Peaks’ fourth studio album, the group really starts to reach the sound they have been developing since their early days as high school garage rockers. Since all of the songs on this album are recorded as live takes, it is obvious how tight they have become as a band and really matured. They show this maturity with Grateful Deadish guitar riffs on “Casey’s “ “

west. A trademark of Orville Peck’s style is his outfit and masks. Each one features a cowboy hat with a fringed mask, but he has a new outfit for nearly every concert, which adds to his mysterious cowboy identity, even though his music still holds up on its own. The vocals on “Pony” go from a crooning heartache to a voice that reminds you of Johnny Cash, and makes this album one of the best debuts in a long time.

Groove” and on “Dance Through It,” a song with primarily bass and piano, which is a little different for Twin Peaks. While on songs like “Lookout Low” and “Oh Mama,” the band keeps their fiery energy alive. In addition to this, “Unfamiliar Sun” is a beautiful acoustic track with lyrics about depression and falling in love. Overall, “Lookout Low” is another great album that stands out in the discography of a criminally underrated band.

Twenty Twenty,” is an album that consists of songs capable of being stuck in the listener’s head for a week. From extremely catchy lyrics and guitar riffs, to the trippy sounds of heavy synths and modulated voices, this album is extremely fun to listen to. “Personal Lies” and “Roddy” are songs that feature guitar licks that are simple and memorable, “

and “Tentpole Shangrila,” “BNBG” and “Mortal Projections” have mesmerizing synths. Every song is an adventure of its own and some are total opposites. For example, “Chateau (Feel Alright) is very laid back and is about missing passed times, and “Flash Mountain” is an upbeat, hard-rocking song.This album is full of smooth songs that showcase Djo’s talent.

written by Charlie Warner and jack Warner

Barstool Staley Students’ twitter accounts get personal

For some, it is very important to have school pride, and some have taken to Twitter to share their school pride. Several schools in the Kansas City area have students who made a Barstool account that is not affiliated with the actual Barstool media company or their school. At first, these accounts were innocent ways to talk trash to other schools. Different schools would start going back and forth, most notably Staley and Liberty High School. Since this was taking place on Twitter, it was out on the internet for all to see.The accounts were trying to outdo each other and get the biggest laugh from their followers. Eventually, this led to some posts that weren’t a laughing matter. These posts reflect poorly on all of the schools. While there is nothing wrong with friendly banter, either keep it clean or do it in private. If it is going to be posted for everyone to see, it needs to be lighthearted. When people post crude things they think are just jokes, it is highly offensive to some people. These people then see that the account has Staley in its name and think poorly of our school. This is exactly the opposite of

what we have built with our core values, of service, ownership, achievement and respect. It’s not respectful to slander other schools, especially when the account’s initial purpose was to take pride in the school’s accomplishments. At this point, the purpose of these accounts has completely flipped. Now, the accounts are purely for trash talking. While they still post about sports, they have also taken to figuring out the owners of the accounts and making fun of them. This is far from the original purpose of supporting our school’s sports teams. The moment when these Barstool accounts became more focused on who could roast each other better rather than highlighting their school’s athletic accomplishments, they crossed the line and became a problem. If they’re going to post about sports, a little bit of trash talking is natural. But the trash talking that these accounts have posted are beyond inappropriate and reflected poorly on us as a school. Overall, friendly banter between accounts displaying school pride is a good thing, but it is easy for these accounts to cross the line, which is what has happened.

Written by Charlie Warner

STAFF EDITORIAL : rethink , then recycle

Students need to be Aware of what they recycle I n a school that is advertised to be “green,” it can be assumed that the mere act of recycling in the classroom is important to the student body. Signs across the school boast just how green the building is. Some of the criteria that goes into being a “green” school are energy saving, nutrition and landscaping. Out of these things, recycling paper products, cans and plastic bottles should be a simple step for all students. Right? However, that is not the case. Recycling in the classrooms is not as easy as it may seem. Custodians often times have to spend hours meticulously sorting a concoction of part trash and part recyclable material from the classroom recycling bins. It is important that students hold up their end of recycling by doing their part – only putting in the bins things that are able to be recycled. This does not include items like bottles with liquid in them, food trays with food on them, chip bags or granola bar wrappers. Students who do not recycle correctly are disrespecting the fact that the school must pay for recycling services. Staley is one of the schools in the district that actually does recycle. Some schools’ recycling causes the district to be charged due to the contamination or materials that shouldn’t be recycled being in the bins. Because Staley pays for Deffenbaugh to come and take recycling, students must pay attention to the bins and not treat them like just another trash can. If students cannot comply to simple guidelines of recycling, the school might stop paying to recycle, and then there will not be the same sense of pride in being a “green” school. Properly recycling should not be something that is seen as extra or dramatic, but necessary. Students must think about what is going into the bins and keep food and liquid contaminated materials out. Keep plastic bags, tissues and napkins in the trash cans. By recycling properly, the student body can help uphold your end of being a part of a “green” school. The title should not be awarded to a school that cannot do something as simple as this. Cartoon by Jenny Le Graphics by Jenny Le

Put waste Rig ht Place In The

ITems That can be recycled empty cans

ITems That cannot be recycled Cardboard and boxes Newspaper and Office Paper

CERTAIN PLASTICS WRAPS AND BA GS

TRUE crime SHOWS mak e a comeback DOCUMENTARIES, DOCUSERIES BECOMING MORE POPULAR

True crime documentaries and series have made a big boom in entertainment. Market research group Civics Science asked people about their experiences with true crime television and documentary series, and according to the data, 62 percent of the respondents were interested in true crime. Sophomore Maggie Ferney is interested in true crime and thinks it’s entertaining to watch. “I think that it’s making a big comeback,” said Ferney. “I also think that people are just a lot more cynical now, so we kind of enjoy learning about it more.” Civic Science also found that in 44% of the respondents who were interested in true crime television, Netflix stood out as the most popular platform for true crime entertainment. According to data and statistics researcher Stephen Follows, 41% of Netflix movies are documentaries. “I do most of my documentary watching on Netflix,” said Ferney. True crime has also been incorporated

into the schools English Language Arts curriculum. In ELA teacher Annie Garcia’s ELA II class, true crime is a part of the curriculum. She thinks it’s relevant to her students.

“I “

,, It’s been the unit students have been really interested in and really invested in so far this year, which is awesome. ELA Teacher Annie Garcia

think it’s a really cool addition in our curriculum this year as we do have a new English curriculum,” said Garcia. The goal of the unit was to introduce students to different information and how to discern informational from fictional resources. “A lot of the resources that we tried to pull were from around this area, and some of my students had connections to those stories, which was really interesting,” said Garcia. “It’s been the unit students have been really interested in and really invested in so far this year, which is awesome.” International Baccalaureate Film Adviser at Central High School in Springfield, Missouri, Josh Cantrell also agreed and said that true crime TV is making a big comeback. “They engage the audience and make them interactive, putting pieces of the crime together themselves,” said Cantrell. He said people have always been exposed to the documentaries and they’ve become modern and relevant. “I think they are a part of our culture, no denying that,” said Cantrell. True crime television has made a big come back, and according to the people and statistics, it’s becoming more relevant in today’s culture.

Written by Cassie Ford Photos by Sara AlmaNSOURI Graphics by Jenny Le

True Crime Popularity Student Involvement with the true crime genre

if students watched any true crime in the past month

52.1%

47.9% How many true crime related shows students watched IN THE PAST MONTH

26.7%

23.3% 7%

16.3%

26.7%