the tiger print — september 2012

TIGER THE

PRINTBLUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

Vol. 43 Issue 2 September 2012

Stilwell, Kan.

ACADEMIC EXCELLENCEBlue Valley earns prestigious recognition as a Blue Ribbon recipient for the second time. page 2

PERFECTING PLAYBoys soccer team focuses on team dynamics, improvement. page 22

COMEDY CREWFi!h Wall Comedy Troupe sets high expectations for this year. page 20

Erasing illusionsClub aims to encourage individuality,positive self-image: Pages 12-13.Photo illustration by Bailey Outlaw.

inthenews2 September 2012

Events calendar

check out bvtigernews.com to

on BV’s Blue Ribbon

Sept. 25 — College planning meeting at 7 p.m. in the PAC

Sept. 27 — Yearbook Picture Retakes

Sept. 28 — Yearbook Senior Ads Absolute Deadline, 3 p.m.

Oct. 4 — Senior Graduation Announcements, Cap & Gown Meeting, 12:30-1:20 p.m.Veteran’s Writing Project, 7-9 p.m. in the BV Library

Oct. 5 — Blood Drive

Oct. 11 — Veteran’s Writing Project, 7-9 p.m. in the BV Library

Oct. 12 — No School, End of First Quarter

Oct. 13 — First Annual Talent Show, 7 p.m. in the PAC

Week of Oct. 15-19 — No Block Schedule, Testing

Oct. 17 — Repertory !eater Show “Twelve Angry Jurors”

Oct. 18 — Senior Graduation Announce-ment Orders, 11:30 a.m.-12:40 p.m.Veteran’s Writing Project, 7-9 p.m. in the BV Library

kennedy

Friday, Sept. 7, Principal Scott Bacon announced Blue Valley was awarded as a Blue Ribbon School.

Out of 269 schools across the country, only 29 public high schools received this honor.

Bacon said the award is validation of moving towards the school’s dream of being the best in the country.

“Our challenge is to dream bigger and do what we do best — better than we’ve ever done before,” he said. “It’s a very honorable tribute to our school community —it’s some-thing we are very excited about. I think it is the a"rmation of the hard work everyone has put in. At the same time, we need to challenge ourselves to be better than we are.”

Director of Communications Kristi McNerlin said this award is a re#ection of the e$ect the sta$ and community have on the school.

“!e Blue Ribbon Award is one of the highest awards a high school can receive,” she said. “When a school receives this award, you know that it speaks for the quality of educa-tion that school provides. Our board and administration are very proud of the accomplishment of Blue Valley High.”

!is is the second time BV has earned the award. It was named a Blue Ribbon school back in 1988-89 and now this year.

“It’s very unique,” he said. “If you go back over the his-tory of Blue Ribbon Awards, there’s really only eight or nine high schools in the state of Kansas to earn that distinction. It’s very di"cult to earn it in the %rst place, but to earn it for a second time, that’s just even more unique.”

!is year, no other schools in the BV district received this recognition.

Aside from academics, Bacon also said the school atmo-sphere has changed over the years.

“I like to think even beyond academics, about the culture of our school, my hope would be we treat each other better than we used to,” he said. “!e entire school community has progressed and we want to continue to do that. We’re not perfect and we obviously have areas we can continue to grow in, but I think over time, this symbolizes that we need to keep trying to get better and better.”

McNerlin’s son, senior Ryan McNerlin, attends BV. “As a parent, it feels great to know my children are going

to a school in one of the best school districts in the nation,” she said. “I know they’re getting a great education, and they are in a great environment. As a parent, I’m a huge fan of Blue Valley High, but I am also a huge fan of all of our schools. I know Blue Valley is a special place, and it has been a tremendous experience for [my children]. I am very happy with the education they are receiving.”

McNerlin said she is looking forward to celebrating with the BV students and sta$.

“!is is an award that speaks so highly of the schools we have in Blue Valley,” she said. “When people hear that, it is just validation of the quality we have in our schools. People are very happy and congratulatory towards the students and sta$ of Blue Valley High.”

Bacon said winning the award takes a team e$ort.“I’m just really, really proud of our sta$, students and the

parental community,” he said. “Something like this doesn’t just happen. It takes everybody and I think the reason we’re receiving it is because the students have worked very hard to perform to the best of their ability. I think our sta$ is the hardest working sta$ anywhere, and the parental support is the best you’re going to %nd. And here we are.”

The Blue Ribbon Award Quick Facts

A new exterior wall mural was recently installed as a gi! from the class of 2011. How-ever, due to color variation, it was removed and will be replaced at a later date. It will be 50 feet long and 5 or 6 feet tall, made of sheet metal aluminum and spray painted with a weatherable paint. "is mural of tiger eyes will be secured to the building and will be seen from the west parking lot.

“"e class of 2011 decided that, originally, they had wanted to put up a digital sign out in front of our school, but the county said we couldn’t do it,” Principal Scott Bacon said. “So, they came up with a wall mural instead. We worked with a company in Texas and came across an impression of a tiger and decided, ‘Wow, that looks pretty good.’”

Science teacher Azie Taghizadeh helps in the process of brainstorming with each senior class.

“I think students will be excited to see something di#erent instead of just white walls,” she said. “I hope even visitors coming in will think it makes our school di#erent.”

Class gi!s are usually decided during

each class’s senior year and funds are raised by that class.

“"e senior class gi!s are a tradition that goes back a long time, and every senior class has the opportunity to leave the school with some sort of remembrance of their class,” Bacon said.

From freshman to senior year, each class raises money that ends up going toward their class gi!. One of the ways they raise money is through the Senior-Faculty Challenge. Once the seniors have their class picnic at the end of the year, any money le! goes toward their class gi!. Taghizadeh said classes usually raise between $4,000 and $9,000.

She said this year she would like to have more input from the class as a whole on what the senior gi! should be.

“It would be nice to get suggestions from people other than the executives,” Taghizadeh said. “It would be cool to see their thoughts so they can give back to the school that maybe gave them so much.”

Bacon said his favorite thing about class gi!s is the creativity.

“Typically, I will sit down with the senior class o$cers, and the %rst thing they’ll ask is ‘Do we have some pressing needs?’” he said.

inthenews 3September 2012

Class gifts from years 2010, 2002 and 1989

The Eye ofthe Tiger

Class of 2010 leaves their mark on Blue Valley with new outdoor mural

“And so we kind of go through those pressing needs, and then my directive to them is to try and be creative. If they can come up with something that really meets a need of ours, then great. If they have something a little out of the box that they want to pursue, then that’s great also. But, if they do that, we typically have to get approval.”

Bacon said class gi!s set our school apart from other schools.

“We will have something that no other

school, that I’m aware of, has and ever will have because our tiger is copyrighted,” he said. “So the way ours looks is the only place it is going to look exactly like that. It will be unique to Blue Valley High School.”

Bacon said the mural will make a prideful statement.

“When people come over the hill towards the school from the west, the %rst thing they are going to see are the eyes of the tiger,” he said.

haileymcenteedesign & news editor

Phot

os b

y Meg

an B

all a

nd E

llie F

ehlig

.

19892002

2010

inthenews4 September 2012

rileymiller

!is fall, Blue Valley’s Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) and Diversity Club will host a talent show at 7 p.m. Sat-urday, Oct. 13 in the Performing Arts Center to raise awareness for their causes, along with money for charity.

GSA president senior Archana Vasa said the club noticed the GSA and Diversity message wasn’t well accepted last year,

and they hope to alter the perceptions people may have and pro-mote what they stand for.

“We "gured something needed to be done,” she said. “So we decided to try and expand a lot, and we "gured the best way to expand was to be

doing this fundraiser.”!e students received the idea from Spanish teacher and GSA sponsor

Jill Gouger, who once did a talent show for two di#erent groups when she was in high school.

“It was a great way for people, students and faculty alike, to showcase their talents, and for all of us to see people outside of

the context of the classroom,” Gouger said.Diversity Club co-president senior Anna Zheng said she

thinks it’s a great way to bring di#erent groups together. “!at’s kind of the whole point of diversity and GSA,

kind of just joining together,” she said. “We don’t want to exclude anyone.”

Vasa said she didn’t think one group would be able to pull o# the fundraiser alone.

“I thought Diversity Club could really help us,” she said. “Especially because

diversity and GSA go hand-in-hand.”Vasa said many students have

already decided they want to help or participate in the show. !e club

members looked for students with experience to be part

of the tech crew and help backstage, sta# members

to judge the show and students to put on

the acts.Zheng said

over the years she’s been at

BV, noth-ing like

this has

been done.

“It makes me feel good about myself and it makes me feel like I’m making a di#erence,” she said. “It might not be a big di#erence, but I just feel like it will help students at Blue Valley feel more welcome and be more involved in things that they normally wouldn’t do.”

Students volunteering for the talent show will receive community service hours for being a part of this event. As for the audience, there will be a $3 charge to get into the show. Friends, family, or peers can join the cast in raising money for charity. !e funds the club raises will go to United Way. !is appeals to most of the students because it’s a charity that many BV teachers are involved with.

Zheng said the clubs have decided for half of the funds to go to the charity, and the rest will be split between the two clubs.

!e judges will narrow it down to "ve "nalists a$er all of the participants have per-formed. !en the audience will decide who wins. Gi$ cards to local businesses will be awarded to "rst, second and third place winners.

United Way factsUnited Way is the most successful philanthropic

organization of its kind in the U.S.

2012 marks United Way’s 125 anniversary.

territories.

In 2007, United Way topped $4 million in revenue

Collaboration Causefor a

Leading a Gay-Straight Alliance club meeting, GSA president senior Archana Vasa reviews de-tails of the upcoming talent show. !e talent show will take place at 7 p.m. Oct. 13 in the Performing Arts Center. “!is is a chance for people to showcase their talents in an informal setting,” Vasa said. Photo by Ellie Fehlig.

Preparing for the talent show, two clubs assist each other in preparing for the unprecedented event

payin’thebills 5September 2012

outloud6 September 2012

When I was a kid, everyone always asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. !ere were the typical answers like teacher, vet, singer and the most popular — professional athlete.

O"en times, parents pressure their kids to be the best athletes. !ey want their children to excel at every sport they attempt, convinced they have “a gi".”

We’ve all seen them — they stand on the sidelines of their child’s game, screaming at the top of their lungs. In our heads, we are thanking our parents for not being that way.

In high school, I understand why sports get so crazy. College scholarships can de-pend on a player’s performance in one game alone.

But 11-year-old kids are traveling all over the country for soccer games. It’s too intense. !ere is so much pressure on these kids to win. At age 11, they should be worrying about their next spelling test, not their next

tournament.News #ash: most kids are not going to become professional athletes. I always played sports to have fun — not because I was being pressured to win a

tournament. I mean, isn’t that what it’s all about anyway? Playing for the love of the game?

I think parents want to live vicariously through their children. !ese parents weren’t good enough at these sports, so they’re praying to God their kids will be. Or they’re afraid to be considered failures as parents if their child fails. But if your child skips a few football practices only to end up with an academic scholarship, what is there to be mad about?

Like in the classic chick-#ick “A Cinderella Story”, when Austin quits football for Sam in the end, his dad yells, “You’re throwing away your dream.”

Austin yells back, “No, Dad, I’m throwing away yours.” And he was. He didn’t like football; he wanted to be a writer. Moral of the story: When it comes to $nding your career, start with what you enjoy

doing. No one else’s opinion matters but your own.

Some sayings just never die. I can guarantee many things we say today were once popular in the decades prior to ours. Many of them are the cutesy, cliché quotes that are used in everyday conversations. Some of these well-known sayings, however, can be a double-edged sword.

“It’s the little things.”I’ll be the $rst to agree that it’s the nice, little things

people do for you that can make a bad day so much bet-ter. For example, I was just having a really tough week a few weeks ago. Naturally, I started venting about it to my friend, telling her how I didn’t know how I was going to make it through the rest of the week without having a mental breakdown. !e next morning at school, she was

“It’s not what you say, but how you say it.”It’s so true on so many levels. !e tone of voice used

when talking to someone can a%ect the rest of their day, whether you know it or not.

Good moods are contagious. So, if you were to come up and talk to me all happy and excited, chances are I’ll be happy and excited as well, thus putting me in a good mood.

But if you talk to me like I’m a $ve-year-old, well, chances are I’m going to give you a dirty look and walk away. !en I’ll probably complain about it to my friends, which will most likely put them in a bad mood, too.

See what you did? One snarky little comment and you’ve

“Honesty is the best policy.”

One thing that really grinds my gears is when people mistake honesty for being mean. No, I’m not saying this because I want you to hate me, or I want you to go cry in a corner. I’m saying this because you need to know. Plus, if I lied to you, I’d have to use so much e%ort remembering the details and making sure everyone else involved knew the lie, as well. Honestly, that’s way too much work.

Everyone deserves to know the truth. No exaggerations. No omission.

Trust me, if I could spare your feelings, I would. But sometimes, that’s not possible. So it’s time to suck it

up, accept the truth and move on with life. Because, well, there’s no point in dwelling in the past.

“Everything happens for a reason.”Probably the most cliché quote ever. But hey, it got me

through some tough times. And I’m sure it’s helped you cope with things, too.

!e universe has a way of working things out. If it’s meant to be, then it most likely will be. When

that’s going to happen? I don’t know. But it will. It might require some patience, dedication and hard work, but I’m a $rm believer that everything will work out eventually.

Unfortunately, though, that doesn’t give anyone an excuse to act like a complete imbecile just because they think “Everything happens for a reason.”

“The truth hurts”

waiting for me at my locker with my favorite Sonic drink, a raspberry Sprite.

My day instantly got better. See? !e little things do matter.

Unfortunately, it’s also the little things that can destroy a day, as well. For me, it’s when people don’t use their blinker. I mean, really? !ey’re there for a reason. Use them — preferably before you start braking.

put a damper on $ve people’s days, just like that. Now, I’m not saying I always speak with the sweetest

tone of voice — trust me, I don’t.I’m sarcastic and blunt in just about everything I say. But

being sarcastic and blunt is completely di%erent from being condescending.

Clarifying

carolinemeinzenbachopinion editor

WeightoftheWorld Children experience life’s pressures from parents too soon, should have time to enjoy childhood before making major life decisions

jansenhesssports editor

Clichés Popular sayings can be misunderstood, have multiple meanings

Freshman Jillian Bode:“Everything happens for a reason.”

What is the most cliché saying?

Senior Grant Milbourn:“Everything happens for a reason.”

Sophomore Lizzy Merchant:“Believe in yourself.”

Junior Andrew Lester:“Teaching is its own reward.”

outloud 7September 2012

“I’m a good multi-tasker, so nothing will happen if I text and drive.”

In a survey with AAA Insurance and Seventeen Maga-zine, 34% of teens who drive distracted said they’re used to multi-tasking and !nd it easy to do.

“I’m not actually texting, I’m just reading the message my friend sent me.”

When reading a text message, your eyes are o" the road for an average of 4.6 seconds, according to the Ad Council. It might not sound like much, but if you were driving 55 mph, it would be enough time to drive the length of a football !eld.

“If I just send this one text while I’m at a stoplight, it’s no big deal.”

Many teens think it’s safer to text at a stoplight, but thousands of accidents occur at intersections every year. #is could be because 73% of teens glance at their phones and 60% send texts at red lights, according to an AT&T teen driving survey.

No matter what the excuse, texting and driving is dan-gerous and has not been taken as seriously as it should. Lately, it has become a huge issue among both teenagers and adults.

annawonderlichbusiness manager & managing editor

Look at your phone. Is the last text you sent or received worth getting into an accident for while driving?

Drivers are putting their lives at risk just to send a text as simple as “What’s up?”

According to the Ad Council, 85% of people who text and drive agree that it is a problem, and 89% recognize it reduces reaction time.

My question is, if they know it’s a dangerous habit, why do they still do it? Many drivers overestimate their driving skills and believe an accident could never happen to them. In fact, a Harris Poll said that 57% of people rate themselves as better than the average driver.

Not only is texting and driving dangerous, it’s also illegal in most states.

Beginning Jan. 1, 2012, a Kansas law banned texting while driving and began charging a $60 !ne. Drivers can’t “write, send or read a written communication,” so even glancing at your phone when you get a new text, changing the song on your iPod or talking to Siri is distracting.

Is sending one text worth $60 and possibly the cost of car damages or even your life?

In a world with never-ending communication through technology, I know how tempting it can be to check your phone as soon as it rings, even if you’re in the car.

However, driving is already crazy enough — paying atten-tion to the road, going the speed limit, checking your mirrors, looking at signs, etc. — so adding a phone into the mix isn’t a very safe combination.

#e best ways to avoid this temptation are to put your phone away, turn o" the ringer or have another passenger text for you.

No matter what you do, next time you’re behind the wheel, please just put the phone down and drive.

The average teen sends 3,000-3,500 text messages per month.(Pew Research Center)

60% of drivers use cell phones

while driving. (Harris Poll)

Texting drivers are 23 times more likely to get in an accident than non-texting drivers. (National Highway Transportation Safety Administration)

#is summer, I read the book !e Hap-piness Project by Gretchen Rubin.

She wrote this book about her experi-ences while trying to become “happy.”

#e author felt she was just going through the motions in life, and was not genuinely happy. In order to change this, she chose speci!c parts of her life that she thought needed modifying. #ese catego-ries included patience and acceptance.

By the end of the book, Rubin has trans-formed into a much happier person.

A$er reading the book, I asked myself, “What exactly is happiness? Am I genuinely happy with my life?”

People throughout history have tried to pinpoint a single thing that happiness is, but in reality, it can mean di"erent things for everyone.

For some, happiness is seeing their new-born baby for the !rst time.

For others, happiness is getting that job that they’ve worked their whole lives for.

People o$en spend their whole lives searching for happiness.

Honestly, they are wasting their time.While reading !e Happiness Project, I

realized happiness isn’t one achievement or one big moment in our lives — it is our attitude towards life itself.

I am a !rm believer that the people we surround ourselves with have a huge impact on our happiness.

In my life, my friends and family are my rock.

#ey can make me smile and laugh through practically any situation. In short, they are my happiness.

Do the people you surround yourself with make you feel this way?

If not, some adjusting in your friend group may be necessary.

Another way to create happiness for ourselves is to make those around us happy.

One quick smile at a passerby in a hallway at school can create minutes of happiness for both of you.

Telling someone you like their hair or any other kind of genuine compliment can also have the same e"ect.

I !nd happiness in other people’s happi-ness; therefore, I chose to surround myself with positive, upli$ing people.

As far as our attitudes towards situations go, in order to be happy, we must take a “glass half-full” approach.

Bad things will happen to all of us at

some point in our life — it’s inevitable.But it’s how we deal with these situations

and how we change our attitude towards them that dictate our level of happiness at any given time.

As self-help author and motivational speaker Brian Tracy once said, “You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude towards what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.”

By letting the bad things go and focus-ing solely on the good, we are bound to be happy.

To me, this quote very closely sums up what happiness is: “Happy are they who take life day by day, complain very little and are thankful for the little things in life.”

maddiejewettfeatures editor

Drivers should consider consequences before texting and driving, getting behind the wheel

Positive outlook, friends contribute to overall happiness

outloud8 September 2012

kellycordingleyeditor-in-chief

Our mothers and grandmothers went through trials and fought battles that we’ve never experienced in order for the women of this century to have access to the what they did not.

Now, the Republican Party seems to be taking steps backwards in regards to women’s rights.

If the Republicans take control of the White House, Planned Parenthood funding would be withheld until they agree to stop performing abortions, according to !e New York Times online.

Right, it is clearly the best option to

completely cut o! Planned Parenthood. It isn’t like they do anything except abortions, like help struggling women with nowhere else to turn.

Title X, a family-planning program for low-income families that provides birth control, breast and cervical cancer screen-ings and STD screenings, would no longer be funded.

Women who cannot a!ord insurance have a higher risk of falling ill and not receiving treatment if their resources are cut o!.

A large number of far-right conserva-tives seem to feel it is appropriate to dictate what a woman may or may not choose to do with her own body.

Take conservative radio host Rush Lim-baugh, for example.

In early March, he verbally abused a col-lege student who had spoken at a Congres-sional hearing about contraception being included in President Barack Obama’s healthcare bill.

During his radio broadcast, he called her vulgar names and insinuated she was

promiscuous to an audience of approxi-mately 14 million people, according to New York Times online. Limbaugh seems to be the spokesperson for the uber-conservative agenda.

But who is he to pass any judgement on a woman who wants to protect herself — an adult woman, no less?

"e student, Sandra Fluke, appeared at the Democratic National Convention on Sept. 5 to give a speech in support of Obama.

Not doing too badly for herself, huh Limbaugh?

In her speech, she warned the Ameri-can people that under GOP nominee Mitt Romney, the future for women looks bleak.

“During this campaign, we’ve heard about the two profoundly di!erent futures that could await women — and how one of those futures looks like an o!ensive, obso-lete relic of our past,” Fluke said.

In another case in early August, Republican Mo. Senate reelect hopeful Todd Akin seemed out of touch with real-

ity and with women by saying during a discussion on pregnancy due to rape that, “If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down.”

Right. Next time some poor woman is raped and impregnated, let’s ask her why she didn’t “shut the whole thing down.”

I’m sure he didn’t mean the words to be understood the way they were by the pub-lic, but how insensitive and crass.

I cannot explain how, why or when it seems the far right of the Republican party returned to such primitive beliefs.

"e GOP preaches about a hands-o! government, yet they want to restrict so much.

I guess it is easy for a party dominated by men to assume they know what is best for women, but that assumption couldn’t be more incorrect.

Each and every woman has di!erent ideas and beliefs about what is best for her.

No one else but her should be making those kind of decisions.

Lostin translation

Under Republican Party, many women’s rights will no longer be a woman’s decision

Get the facts: Title X supports six in 10 of all family planning health centers in the United States.

Less than 3% of services provided by Planned Parenthood include abortions.

Romney supports cutting aid to Planned Parenthood but allowing States to create abortion laws.

Information gathered from Fox News online and plannedparenthoodaction.org

Planned Parenthood aids nearly 3 million people, including men, women and children every year.

Access to family planning is directly linked to declines in maternal and infant mortality.

outloud 9September 2012

staffeditorial editor-in-chiefKelly Cordingley

website editorOdi Opole

photo editorBailey Outlaw

design and news editorHailey McEntee

features editorMaddie Jewett

entertainment editorAbby Bamburg

opinion editor Caroline Meinzenbach

sports editorJansen Hess

circulation manager, business managerAnna Wonderlich

sta! writersRaine AndrewsSally CochranColin GregoryMeghan KennedyRiley MillerMitch SundquistDanielle Williams

photographersMegan BallEllie FehligAlex Kontopanos

cartoonistsBecky WinegarnerKatie Wells

adviser Michelle Wilmes

!e Tiger Print is published 10 times a year for students, faculty, and the surrounding community of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. !erefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not necessarily re"ect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Uni#ed School District #229. Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. !e Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:

!e Tiger Print c/oBlue Valley High School6001 W. 159th St. Stilwell, KS 66085phone: 913-239-4800

Pacemaker #nalist, 2009, 2010, 2012. Member, Kansas Scholastic Press Association, National Scholastic Press Association and Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Cartoon by Becky Winegarner.

TIGER The

PRINT

Almost every !ursday between 4th and 6th hour, students trudge into their respective Tiger Time class-rooms.

Note the word ‘trudge’ — they aren’t thrilled to be there.

Sometimes there is a lesson, some-times Tiger TV.

For the freshman, lessons usually include four-year plans.

For the sophomores, lessons usu-ally include four-year plans.

Sometimes, junior’s lessons include four-year planning, too.

Clearly, seniors aren’t too con-cerned with a four-year plan for high school.

Lucky seniors.We stick with the same Tiger Time

teacher and class during the four years we attend Blue Valley. We’re supposed to bond and get to know the place where we spend most of our time.

Oddly enough, Tiger Time doesn’t exactly prepare us for life beyond high school.

!ose four-year plans don’t need to be repeated over, and over and over again, either.

Juniors either don’t care, or have their future classes #gured out already. Sophomores are usually too ornery to pay much attention, so it seems the freshman are the only ones who bene#t from four-year plans.

Students who care enough to plan would do it with or without being told to create a four-year plan, anyway.

Tiger Time is a wonderful concept — get to know your peers, grow as a student at BV, plan your life.

But in reality, most students would much rather have an extra 50-some minutes to work on homework, or be released from school early.

Maybe it is the monotony of it all — every !ursday seeing the same people, trapped in the same freez-ing room we don’t want to be in and working on something fairly useless in the grand scheme of life.

Our math homework deserves more attention than a Tiger Time les-son does.

As far as getting to know our peers, a much better option would be class meetings or class activities.

!ose 15 or so students we spend time with in Tiger Time are probably bored of seeing the same faces every !ursday for four years.

Let’s switch it up some.As previously stated, Tiger Time

is a nice concept, but it has so much potential to be something more useful.

!"#$$%&'(")*(#+

17agree

4 disagree

Tiger Time doesn’t

upclose10 September 2012

mitchsundquist

Social studies teacher Brian Mowry started his sixth year at Blue Valley this year and has taught Area Studies: Asia and Area Studies: Middle East since he began. He also began teaching AP Government when Blue Valley South-west opened.

Students enjoy Mowry as a teacher because he has a unique style of teaching. Senior Dalton Funk, who was in Mowry’s Area Studies: Asia class his junior year, said Mowry is unlike any teacher he has ever had.

“He is one of my favorite teachers of all time,” Funk said. “He doesn’t teach how a normal teacher does. He’s really original.”

Mowry said he wanted to be a veterinarian from an early age. However, his AP U.S. History and English teachers dur-ing his junior year of high school persuaded him to teach.

“!ey were just dynamic and awesome,” he said. “I thought, ‘Yeah, this is the way to go, I think that’s where my talents lie.’”

Mowry has lived and traveled around the world. He lived in China for a year and in Israel for two years a"er he mar-ried his wife. Not only do these experiences give him stories to tell, but he said they also provide extended knowledge for the Area Studies classes.

“When I got the job [at BV], Principal [Scott] Bacon had talked about how he had those two classes,” he said. “!e fact that I lived in China and the Middle East kind of led me to those.”

Athletic Director Matt Ortman, Mowry’s brother-in-law, said he believes Mowry’s travels provide his students with an extraordinary learning opportunity.

“When he teaches Area Studies: Middle East and Asia, he’s got real-life stories to tell, and he’s very knowledgeable on the subject,” Ortman said.

Funk also said Mowry has an extra edge due to his traveling.

“He is extremely enthusiastic about what he teaches because he has been through it,” he said. “He wants to share his knowledge.”

Mowry is involved with a number of activities at BV, such as coaching freshman basketball and sponsoring the National History Honor Society. Otherwise, he spends his time outside of school in a variety of ways.

“I am currently training for a triathlon, so that’s taking up a lot of time because I’m swimming a ton,” Mowry said.

“And I just got a #shing license, so I’m going to try to start #shing.”

Mowry said he enjoys teaching at BV because of the col-laborative atmosphere.

“Teachers work very well here together and are willing to share and experiment,” he said. “It makes it a fun and challenging place to work.”

Mowry said he is popular with his students because of his “hands-o$ ” teaching approach. He said he prefers to let his students motivate themselves and give them a chance to fail, which he believes is a great lesson to learn.

“I’m not the best motivator, and it’s partly by design,” Mowry said. “If you’re waiting in your life for people to motivate you, you’re going to live a pretty mediocre life.”

Due to world travels, teacher has better understanding of classes, students

(Top) Sight seeing in Egypt, social studies teacher Brian Mowry jokes around while visiting monuments. Mowry lived in Southern Israel from 2005 to 2008, but he frequently visited the Pyramids in Giza. “It was a day trip,” he said. “You could get there in four hours from where I was living.” Photo courtesy of Brian Mowry.

(Bottom) Visiting Giza, Egypt; social studies teacher Brian Mowry poses with his wife and brother-in-law, athletic direc-tor Matt Ortman. Mowry visited Egypt in the Winter of 2005 and Spring of 2007. “Whenever someone would visit, they would always say ‘Hey let’s go see the pyramids,’’’ Mowry said. Photo courtesy of Brian Mowry.

oldingindsM

upclose 11September 2012


!e battle for the White House has already begun, and will only escalate as election day, Nov. 12, approaches. Each candidate is under constant scrutiny, and every speech is picked apart and analyzed. !is year, to help students understand the "ner details of our election system and of each campaign, Blue Valley o#ers the America Decides class to all students.

“What’s nice about this course is that there is no book, no set curriculum,” America Decides teacher Kristo!er Barikmo said. “We get to teach about what is happening.”

Barikmo is new to BV this year, but is familiar with the area. He attended Rockhurst High School and taught at Notre Dame de Sion High School before teaching for a few years in Colorado.

Barikmo said it is essential for citizens to be active in government and informed.“You have to understand what’s going on to know what happens next,” he said. “I

"rmly believe in 20 years, you’ll use more economics and American government infor-mation.”

In the age of technology, more information is published through social media sites, and election information and propaganda are no exception. !rough the use of tech-nology, Barikmo said he is even more excited to help students understand the logistics of the election

“I think, ‘How can I help students understand what’s going on?’” he said. “‘Why did [Mitt] Romney pick that running mate? Why does the election only really rely on nine states when there are 50?’ !ose questions are really important for Americans to look at.”

Senior Bri Woods said she took the class to become more informed, even though she won’t be able to vote this year.

“I used to feel dumb about politics,” she said. “I wanted to be more educated, and I wanted to sound smarter.”

Woods said the "rst thing the class learned was the election process, then they started talking about the candidates.

“We will go over what each candidate stands for,” she said. “Next time, because I can’t vote this time, I’ll be able to "gure this stu# out for myself and not just listen to the media.”

Woods said she would be even more interested in the class if she was eligible to vote this year.

“If I could vote, I might care more,” Woods said. “I only missed being able to vote by a few days, which really angers me.”

Understandingthe electionClass offered only during election year returns to BV, students analyze campaigns

63.3% of Kansans voted in the 2008 Presidential election

46.9% of registered males voted in 2010

47.6% of registered females voted in 2010

Information gathered from the United States Census Bureau online and CNN.com.

Cartoon by Becky Winegarner.

Kansas has voted Rebublican in the past three elections

indepth12 September 2012


From Hollywood to local malls, images of size 0 models tell young girls how they should look. Collar bones jutting out, every rib traceable, faces gaunt — certainly the way ‘everyone else looks’. Guys are bom-barded with the idea they should be big and bu!. "ey see the images of professional athletes with bulging arms and commercials for supplements to build muscle mass quickly.

"ese stereotypes are the ones a new group at Blue Valley plans to rebel against.

REbeL was originally started by psychologist Dr. Laura Eickman and Blue Valley Northwest students. Eickman said she got the idea for the club because she realized more and more of her clients were struggling with how they felt about themselves.

“I met with high school students, and most of their concerns were about #tting in and their image,” Eickman said. “None were truly con#dent.”

She said she was able to understand where the stu-dents were coming from.

“I know what it’s like being a female in our culture, feeling like I look good enough,” Eickman said. “I know very few women who like their bodies.”

When BV’s school psychologist Julie Seitter found out the program was expanding, she said she jumped at the opportunity to bring it here.

“It sounds cheesy, but we believe everyone is beauti-ful,” Seitter said. “"e media says beauty equals skinny, but really, beauty comes in all shapes, sizes and colors.”

REbeL is a peer education group, meaning the stu-dents are the ones doing the teaching.

“"e girls in the club are such a nice, diverse group,” she said. “"ey talk about the obsession in high school to be skinny, and the idea that if you’re not skinny, you’re not worthy. "ey’re passionate about changing opinions about what is beautiful.”

Seitter said the information found on the Internet about weight loss or body image can be destructive.

“"ere’s so much dangerous information online about dieting or steroids for that ‘perfect body,’” Seitter said. “A lot of what girls are doing today is dangerous, unnecessary and unhealthy.”

At the end of last year, students #lled out an appli-cation to become a club member, and sponsors went through them. If they were accepted, the members went through a day of training before this school year. "e club only accepts applications once at the end of each school year.

Prairie Star Middle School participated in a pilot pro-gram of REbeL last year, which allowed many incoming freshmen to participate in the club their #rst year at BV.

“"ere were many that loved it and wanted to be involved in it here,” Seitter said. “It’s such a great, posi-tive message. Girls can be so vicious sometimes, it’s like, ‘Are we really so jealous that we can’t acknowledge each

other’s gi$s?’”REbeL member senior Jennifer Schweiger said she

joined the club to help high school girls, especially un-derclassmen, with how they view themselves.

“I feel like freshman year, there was the most pres-sure [to look perfect],” Schweiger said. “We want to help them deal with that.”

Seitter said the club will do surprise activities, both in and out of school this year.

“We want it to be a surprise because it’s usually the best way to get someone’s attention,” she said. “Be look-ing for great messages throughout the year.”

Seitter said the main idea of this club is to get out a positive message.

“We want to generate discussion, and I think it will, especially among the girls,” she said. “"e main idea is to just be yourself.”

Although the club is all girls currently, it is aimed and both genders, and boys are encouraged to join.

“"e goal is to empower individuals to feel better about themselves,” Eickman said. “It isn’t just for girls, but guys too.”

Even though the REbeL program is local, leader senior Oksana Spindler said every teenager can bene#t from the message.

“I think every teen in the world has felt they look di!erent than they should,” she said. “"ey think they should change for society, but they’re beautiful the way there are. "ey shouldn’t have to change.”

New club promotes positive self-image

indepth 13September 2012

other’s gi!s?’”REbeL member senior Jennifer Schweiger said she

joined the club to help high school girls, especially un-derclassmen, with how they view themselves.

“I feel like freshman year, there was the most pres-sure [to look perfect],” Schweiger said. “We want to help them deal with that.”

Seitter said the club will do surprise activities, both in and out of school this year.

“We want it to be a surprise because it’s usually the best way to get someone’s attention,” she said. “Be look-ing for great messages throughout the year.”

Seitter said the main idea of this club is to get out a positive message.

“We want to generate discussion, and I think it will, especially among the girls,” she said. “"e main idea is to just be yourself.”

Although the club is all girls currently, it is aimed and both genders, and boys are encouraged to join.

“"e goal is to empower individuals to feel better about themselves,” Eickman said. “It isn’t just for girls, but guys too.”

Even though the REbeL program is local, leader senior Oksana Spindler said every teenager can bene#t from the message.

“I think every teen in the world has felt they look di$erent than they should,” she said. “"ey think they should change for society, but they’re beautiful the way there are. "ey shouldn’t have to change.”

New club promotes positive self-image

Statistics gathered from The National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders online.

Almost 50% of people with eating disorders meet the criteria for depression.

42% of 1st-3rd grade girls want to be thinner.

Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental health disease in the U.S.

An estimated 10-15% of people with anorexia or bulimia are male.

Showing her friends her sticky note, leader senior Katie Wells works on writing positive messages for REbeL. “We wanted to put the notes up all over the school so the student body could have a positive message right before Homecoming,” Wells said. The club plans to conduct surprise activities throughout the year. Photo by Odi Opole.

Anorexia is the third most common chronic illness among adolescents.

Photo illustration by Hailey McEntee.

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!ey are both shy and they speak similarly. !ey have a similar hair color and the same posture.People have even asked them whether or not they are twins.Junior Paige Peterson and freshman Kayla Peterson have two classes together this semester — America Decides and Spanish 1.Paige said many people have asked them if they are twins.Paige said she does not particularly enjoy having two classes with her younger sister.“I like having my sister at my school,” she said. “!e only thing I don’t like is having a class with her, because everyone thinks we’re twins — I think it’s weird.”Paige said, in order to help her sister transition from middle school to high school, she gave Kayla moral support.“I did give Kayla some advice,” Paige said. “But mostly I just told her that I’d always have her back when she needed me, and obviously to get out of the upperclass-

men’s way.”Kayla said Paige helps her when she sees her in the halls at school, along with at home.“It is nice to have an older sister at my school because she is always there for me, and I know she will help me when I need it,” she said. “She helped me "nd my

way to classes and understand the school more.”Kayla said, throughout high school, she expects to become closer to her sister.“I think we will get closer because we will understand each other’s strengths and weaknesses better and give each other help when it is needed,” she said.Kayla said Paige sets a good example for her.“She always does a good job in the things she sets her mind to, so I feel like I have to do a good job at whatever I do, too,” she said. Paige and Kayla feel di#erently about having classes together.“When I found out we had classes together I was really happy because she could help me in those classes,” Kayla said. “Having classes together will help us under-

stand each other more. Since we have to work together, we will have to get along to "nish what we need to.”

“Hey, that’s mine.”“Go away.”“Mom, he’s being annoying.”!e Overman siblings have had their ups and downs; however, both of them hope that being in high school together will help them put aside their di#erences.Senior Katie Overman and freshman Tom Overman haven’t gone to school together since elementary school. Katie said she hopes attending the same school will allow her to build a stronger relationship with her brother.“I think it will make us a lot closer — Tom being at BV,” she said. “We go to school together and can have some mini-bonding during that time and just kind of chit-chat. I also

feel like he is a bit more mature and easier to get along with. Him and my little sister have always been really close, so hopefully we can be like that, too.”Tom said going to the same school gives them more things in common.“We see each other more o$en, and we have some of the same topics to talk about — the dances that are coming up, or something like that,” he said. “I’m glad Katie and I go

the same school because she gave me a lot of advice, and we can be a lot closer now.”Katie said being close with her family is important to her.“I think it’s really important for family to get along and be friends,” she said. “In 20 or 30 years, it will be super cool if we could say that we have always been best friends.”Tom said he looks to his sister for advice and guidance.“She gave me tips on what the di#erences between middle school and high school were,” he said. “Pretty much, she told me who the good teachers and bad teachers were. I

really do look up to her. She makes all the right choices and makes pretty good grades. I want to follow in her footsteps and stay away from the bad decisions that lots of people make in high school.”

Katie said though there is an age di#erence, it may help them in the long run.“I’m a senior and he’s a freshman, so we’re in two totally di#erent spectrums,” she said. “He’s excited to be starting high school, and I’m sad to be ending it. We’re both at some

of the best times of our lives. It’s great that we get to experience them together.”

Siblings.!e "rst friends we make as children.!e ones we share family vacations with.!e ones we laugh until we cry and cry until we laugh with.!e ones who see us at our worst and our best.!e ones who can o$en be not only our best friends, but our worst enemies.

strengthening thebond maddiejewett

features editor

OVERMANS

PETERSONS

Tom Katie

Kayla Paige

upclose16 September 2012

Margaret UpchurchQuestion: When did you start working at Blue Valley?Answer: In December of 1999.

Q: Why did you choose to come to BV?A: I had worked here before when it was the only school in the district, and I had three daughters who graduated from here. I knew the secretary here, and she called me and said, ‘I’m retiring and my principal asked for a recommendation. I recommended you. Are you interested?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ because I just love this school.

Q: What is your job?A: I’m the administrative assistant to Mr. [Scott] Ba-con. I basically assist him in anything that he needs to get done. I’m also the o!ce manager, so I put out a lot of "res. My job is 12 months, so I work all year.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other sta# members?A: I feel like it’s a wonderful sta#. $e o!ce sta# has an especially great relationship. We’re friends — we do a lot of things together outside of o!ce hours. Every-body gets along and supports each other in their jobs really well.

Q: And with the students?A: I don’t get to interact with students as much as I would like to. Just being in the back corner, and most of the things I deal with are not directly related to any particular student. But the ones I do get to interact with, I enjoy very much. I hope they feel like they can come to me when they have questions or need something.

Q: What do you like about your job?A: I feel like it’s a wonderful atmosphere with a lot of energy. I love being around the students, because as you get older, it’s easy to lose contact with what’s new and exciting in the world. Being around high school kids keeps you enthusiastic. I feel good about getting up every morning and coming to school.

Q: What do you dislike?A: Sometimes there is not enough time to really do a job as well as you’d like to. But, besides that, there’s not much I don’t like.

Q: Describe your schedule for the typical day.A: I do morning announcements. I check with the people at the front desks to make sure substitutes are covered and that there are no problems that we need to deal with in the building. I answer emails. It really varies from day to day.

Jan WilcoxonQuestion: When did you start working at Blue Valley?Answer: Last school year, in August of 2011.

Q: Why did you choose to come to BV?A: My daughter went here, but I had also volunteered in the o!ce for three years. I knew the sta# that worked here, and I knew what this job’s responsibilities were, aside from the computer part.

Q: What is your job?A: I job-share with Cathy Porter. So we’re responsible for all the students as they check in and check out. We also record the attendance in the systems when the parents call in or students are gone from classrooms.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other sta# members?A: $ey’re great. I love working with the people in the o!ce.

Q: And with the students?A: I get to do brief interactions with the students. It’s all coming and going and ‘How are you?’s, depending on the reasons they are coming and going.

Q: What do you like about your job?A: First of all, it is a job-share so I work two to three days a week, and Mrs. Porter works the other days. Cathy and I are friends, and we communicate well. I like the school environment because I loved high school myself.

Q: What do you dislike?A: Sundays are very hectic. $e new system [Synergy] is a little challenging to learn, but I wouldn’t say I don’t like it. It’s just new and di#erent.

Q: Describe your schedule for the typical day.A: We start at seven, and the "rst thing I generally do is listen to the messages that have come in since the day before. $en we’re responsible for entering all of the data into the computer, so I do that basically all day long. We write some reports to see who’s showing up absent in classes, and we haven’t heard from the parents. We will then send out emails to notify them if their child is not there.

Cindy SnellQuestion: When did you start working at Blue Valley?Answer: $is is my eighth year here, so 2004.

Q: Why did you choose to come to BV?A: I actually worked here one year when Mr. [K. Dean] Snell became a math teacher in 2000 and then, because my son was younger, I got a job somewhere else because it was easier. I came back later because I liked it so much here, and I knew it was a great place to work.

Q: What is your job?A: I oversee the workings of the counseling o!ce. I get to be the gatekeeper for the counselors and for the Registrar. I get to meet most of the students here in the building as they come through and ask questions. And [I] also help their parents if they have things they need to "nd out.

Q: What is your relationship like with the other sta# mem-bers?A: I hope they feel the same way, but it’s excellent. $e people here are very easy to work with, and they have a lot of moral character and integrity. $ey are a lot of fun. So it’s really good to come to work every morning.

Q: And with the students?A: It’s fun at this desk because by the time the kids graduate I know almost all of the students in the senior class. I enjoy getting to know them, encouraging them and watching them change and grow as they go through high school.

Q: What do you like about your job?A: I love meeting people, and I love talking. It’s the one-on-one interaction with people everyday because everyday is a little bit di#erent.

Q: What do you dislike?A: I dislike when people have to graduate. Or when other sta# members retire or have to take jobs somewhere else because you feel like you’re losing a part of yourself.

Q: Describe your schedule for the typical day.A: Usually in the mornings, it’s just servicing students who come in and have di#erent needs. And then, during the day, it’s just answering phone calls and doing speci"c duties. A%er school, there is always a lot of activity with students, also.

Q Aand with the Blue Valley

Stories by Abby Bamburg.

SnellWilcoxon Upchurch

I feel good about getting up every morning and coming to school.

-Margaret Upchurch

“”


FullFreshman class size largest in building, adds class sections and sta!

ofFRESHMEN

sallycochran

On Aug. 16, the 200 hall was even more jammed than usual due to the 389 students in this year’s fresh-man class.

“You can tell the di!erence between the freshman hallway and all the others,” senior Erica Lange said. “Let’s just leave it at that.”

According to Registrar Mary Urso, the number of incoming freshmen was fairly evenly split between Blue Valley Middle School and Prairie Star Middle School.

Additionally, 30 students came to BV from out-of-state, private or parochial schools, such as St. Michael the Archangel.

“It’s kind of di!erent because you really don’t know everybody,” freshman Lavanya Aggarwal said. “If some-one waves at you, you may not know who they are.”

Principal Scott Bacon said BV has added sta! to accommodate students in classes, programs, clubs and sports.

Science teacher Melanie Mahoney said because BV

added more biology sections and a new teacher, her class sizes have decreased from last year.

“"ere is not nearly as much bumping around in class doing labs,” Mahoney said. “Kids seem to respect each other’s space more when there is more space. When we have fewer people and fewer disruptions, I feel that we can get more done.”

Although the freshman class is larger than those of recent years, Bacon said he is not worried about prob-lems related to its size.

“We’ve been bigger before,” he said. “As far as grow-ing, we’ve experienced this.”

Bacon’s challenge for this freshman class is un-changed from the one he has given to those in the past.

“I challenge them to be the most accomplished class that ever has set foot in Blue Valley High School,” he said.

He said BV’s mission will not be changed by the new freshmen.

“We typically have our goals, and dreams and our challenges to pursue,” he said. “"e size of class really doesn’t make a di!erence.”

!is year’s freshman class crowds the 200 hallway during passing period. "is is the largest class in the last few years to come to Blue Valley. “the kids I went to middle school with last year, I wouldn’t even know if they still go here,” Freshman Anna Robacker said. “It is just that packed.” Photo by Bailey Outlaw.

1,401 total students

freshmen from 31389Students in the freshman class

Seniors - 24%

Juniors - 24%

Sophomores - 28%

Freshman - 23%

Freshmen23%

Seniors24%

Sophomores28%

Juniors24%

centerstage18 September 2012

Android vs.

iPhone

- Facebook and Twitter widgets that speed up the feed

- Game-loft

- DoubleTwist for music (can play three songs at once)

- Google apps (turn-by-turn navigation app)

- 59% of smartphones sold in 2012

- Game-center

- Apple apps

- Syncs any song from iTunes

- Eight megapixel iSight camera

- 23% of smartphones sold in 2012

- iPhone 5 released Sept. 21

“I love the iPhone. It’s the only phone I’ve ever had and it can do everything.” Junior Jake Ackland (owns an iPhone)

“I don’t like Android. The whole phone is glitchy and iPhone is way better.” Junior Rosie Fisk (owns an Android)

“Besides mine being so old, I like it. Basi-cally the reason people like iPhone more is just because you can have more of your music on it.” Senior Erica Lange (owns an Android)

Erica Lange Rosie Fisk Jake Ackland

Photo illustration by Hailey McEntee.

Information gathered by Abby Bamburg from ansonalex.com and msnbc.com.

centerstage 19September 2012

Adam Young, otherwise known as Owl City, released his new album, “!e Midsummer Station”, Aug. 21.

It features 12 songs and one of the most popular songs on the album is “Good Time”, which features Carly Rae Jepsen — who sings the widely

popular song “Call Me Maybe.” I really like how she is in

the song because she is

becoming a well-known female art-ist. Also, their voices together sound exceptional.

!is album can be great to listen to whether you are blasting music in your car or just at home doing home-work. “!e Midsummer Station” has a good mix of tempos and can suit many musical preferences.

Midsummer Station”

“The

Dustin Lynch’s new album was released Aug. 21. For all y’all who

like country music, this is the album for you. !e music is a

great mix of upbeat and slower songs.

!e most popular song on the album is “Cowboys

and Angels”, which is a ballad with beautiful lyrics. !is album consists of 12 songs and one bonus track.

Lynch wrote or co-wrote a total of ten of the songs on this album, which is really refreshing because the lis-tener gets to hear some of his feelings through the music.

Dustin LynchTobyMac’s new album “Eye

On It” was released Aug. 24. It includes 12 songs and a deluxe version of the album is also avail-able, which includes six additional remixed tracks.

!e top selling song in this album is “Forgiveness” which

features Christian hip-hop art-ist, Lecrae. !is album is

upbeat and fresh with

its electro-pop style songs. Amidst the modern sounding songs there also lie great messages. !e lyrics are very insightful and the music is pleasing to hear.

!is album can be purchased on iTunes and the deluxe version is the 18th top selling album on iTunes as of September 10th. I strongly suggest check-ing out “Eye On It”.

Reviews of additional albums are available on bvtigernews.com

Hittingthechartsrecently released albumsStories by Hailey McEntee.!"#$#%&'#()$*%+&#,&-.(/*%0

“Eye On It”TobyMac

Dustin Lynch

sallycochran

Fi!h Wall, Blue Valley’s comedy troupe, performed for the "rst time this year at 6 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 7th in the Black Box #eater.

“We want to bring a lot more new games and keep some traditions the same,” co-president senior Grayson Yockey said. “We want to evolve each and every game.”

#is year, the team of acting stu-dents is lead by ‘Improvodores,’ a cross between improv and commodores, Yockey and senior Bri Woods.

“Both have a great understanding of how improv works,” director Je! Yarnell said.

Yarnell said they also have indi-vidual skills to bring to the team.

“One of the great things about Bri is that she has a lot of stage presence and a lot of big energy on stage,” he said. “She’s successful in about every scene she’s in. Grayson has a lot of big ideas. He brings a lot of one-liners to it.”

#e troupe’s personality changes every year due to incoming members and graduates from the previous year.

“Each year the team evolves into something else, and each year we have our strengths and our weaknesses,” Yockey said.

Fi!h Wall has performed more than all of the other improv teams in the district combined.

#is year, they expect to perform

about 10 times, six to eight of which will be at BV. Also, the team plans on performing outside of school.

“#is team is good at adapting,” Yarnell said. “Sometimes we are performing in public, and adults are watching us. It’s a varied audience once we leave the school.”

Yarnell and Yockey said this team is set apart with a de"nite rehearsal schedule.

“We will rehearse every week,” Yarnell said. “Most schools either don’t have [a team], or they don’t rehearse as much as us. And some teams don’t even form until second semester.”

Yockey says they are di$erent from other improv troupes.

“We’re funnier,” he said. “Not that we’re better. But we’re better looking.”

evolution

Judging Fi!h Wall auditions, co-presidents seniors Bri Woods and Grayson Yockey critique participants. Yockey said this year, Fi!h Wall will be working harder than previous years. “We’re go-ing to be helping the people in the teams do games more than we are going to be doing games,” Woods said. Photo by Megan Ball.

Performing Spit Take, seniors Bri Woods and Grayson Yockey try not to spit at each other. Woods and Yockey are Fi!h Wall Comedy Troupe’s co-presidents. “We have to come up with a scene, but talk with water in our mouths,” Woods said. “It is really messy, but a crowd favorite.” Photo by Odi Opole.

Creating new traditions, BV’s Fi!h Wall Comedy Troupe incorporates new games, adapts to changes

stage20

“-co-president senior Grayson Yockey

Not that we’re better. But we’re better looking.

“

tigerturf 21September 2012

colingregory

At the beginning of practice, the members of the Blue Valley Cross Country team run a mile.

A!er stretching, they run some more and keep run-ning. "ey end up running a total of #ve miles for every practice.

"e runners are also expected to train signi#cantly in the o$-season.

“I ran 35 miles a week and li!ed virtually every day,” senior member Alec Butenas said. “It’s about two and a half hours a day, six days a week.”

Coach Diana Huber said she believes in maintaining the training regimen.

“We encourage the runners to train as much as possible while still being able to enjoy themselves,” she said.

With the largest cross country team in BV’s history, Huber said her job becomes more di%cult with the grow-ing number of kids.

“I have to be #guring out new ways to organize prac-tices and deal with things like clothing demands,” Huber said.

"ere have been other changes made regarding the high number of runners.

“Well, we’ve had to add two new coaches in as many years in order to deal with the growing population,” assis-tant coach Kyle Braden said. “We’ve been forced to become more organized, even when it comes to little things, like posting schedules.”

As a senior leader, runner Colton Donahue said there is an enhanced sense of responsibility.

“"e enlarged number of people puts more responsibil-ity on me as a senior to keep track of things, as well as to be on time at practice,” Donahue said.

He said he holds the responsibility of being a role model for underclassmen.

“I try to give them the best tips possible for success,” Donahue said. “I need to be someone who sets an ex-ample.”

With a record number of cross country participants, Butenas said he knows it is even more important to be a good leader.

“I try to help out and give tips whenever possible, especially if I notice [underclassmen] are doing something wrong,” he said.

Butenas said, since the start of the season, everybody has had high expectations.

“We’re going to win State, man — I really think we can,” Butenas said. “We also want to be in the top 25 of the school’s history.”

Huber said she has aspirations for the teams to go to State and for Donahue to be the undefeated State cham-pion.

Donahue said he is equally determined. “I want to break my own personal record,” he said. Braden said he enjoys the friendships made with stu-

dents. “Getting to know all these kids that I wouldn’t ordi-

narily get to know is why I love coaching cross country,” Braden said.

Cross Country Close Up

mitchsundquist

On Sept. 20, administrators counted the number of students currently enrolled at Blue Valley. One week later, Sept. 27, BV will #nd out whether they will be 5A or 6A for all athletics and activities this year, excluding football.

Schools are separated into classes to even out the competition.

"e 32 schools with the highest enroll-ments are put into 6A, the next 32 into 5A and 4A through 1A are divided into classes of 64 schools.

Although class may a$ect activities and

athletics, it doesn’t come into play until State competitions.

“Regionals and tournaments are going to be at di$erent sites when you’re in 6A com-pared to 5A,” Athletic Director Matt Ortman said.

Schools are permitted to play other schools outside of their class during the regu-lar season, but may only play schools in their class during State tournament competition.

Football is the only sport with the pos-sibility of being in a di$erent class than other sports in a school.

"is year, football plays in 5A but will be 6A next year, regardless of the student count this year, because it takes the count into e$ect

every two years. Football player senior Ryan McNerlin

said there is usually better competition among 5A schools, but being in 6A has its advantages.

“I would prefer playing in 6A because it’s more of a reward to win it all,” McNerlin said. “You can say you’re the best team in Kansas no matter what.”

Athletics are not the only activities a$ect-ed by class. It also determines which schools the non-athletic activities, such as debate, forensics and band, will compete against.

Senior Asim Zaidi, a member of the Scholars’ Bowl team, said the competition will be tougher in 6A.

“Six-A is more competitive because when you have bigger schools, you’re likely to have smarter kids,” he said.

"e Scholars’ Bowl team went undefeated in Regional and State competition last year, but Zaidi said he thinks there will be more of a challenge this year.

“More 6A schools compete at a high level,” he said.

Other than the competition, there is only a slight di$erence between class 5A and 6A. Regionals and sub-state tournaments are set up di$erently between the two classes.

Despite the di$erences in the class, the State tournaments are held on the same dates.

Class size expected to change to 6A; a$ects activities, athletics

Team’s hopes and numbers are high going into new season

5Afrom

to6A

Warming up prior to practice, senior leader Xavier Adams jogs around the track. “I want to contribute as much as I can at State,” he said. Adams has partici-pated in cross-country all four years. Photos by Megan Ball.

Practicing with teammates, seniors Colton Donahue and Alec Butenas joke while running warm-up laps. “Everyone’s hard work in the o$-season is paying o$,” se-nior Xavier Adams said. Butenas received his #rst varsity medal of the season on Sept. 8 in Paola.

tigerturf22 September 2012

meghankennedy

When the 2011 State championship game came to a close, the varsity boys soccer team accepted the State runner-up trophy with tears in their eyes. !ey realized they had not only lost the "nal game, but that they were los-ing 18 players and friends as well.

As they thought about it, they realized there was always next year to capture their "rst State title.

Coach K. Dean Snell said although the loss was disap-pointing, he was just happy to have made it that far.

“I told the team, in a post-game meeting, ‘!ere are 32 teams that were looking for the opportunity to play for the state title, but only two could’,” he said. “At that point in the season, we were better than 30 other teams. It was an up and down run to get there. So as time went on, it was a great accomplishment.”

Even though they couldn’t claim the state title, current co-captain senior Bryan DeBaun said the game was bit-tersweet.

“It was an awesome experience, but it was awful losing,” he said. “We were all crying a#er, but to know we were the only team to make it to the State "nals [in BV history] was awesome. Especially since the team we lost to has been making it to the state "nals for, like, seven years in a row.”

DeBaun said the sting of getting second at State pushes the team to reach their full potential this year.

“Obviously, we’d like to go to State again, but we’re in 6A this year,” he said. “It’ll be a lot more competitive playing the bigger schools with better athletes. It won’t be easy to make it that far again, but if we play as a team, I think we could do it.”

Snell said he has changed the way he coaches to get the team adjusted to the varsity mentality, but his philosophy will remain the same.

“!e majority of the team last year had been on varsity for at least two years, so I didn’t have to explain as much to them,” he said. “!is year, it is a whole new team for me, and I am a whole new coach for them. Some of the more detailed things are what I need to talk to them about.”

!e team only has two returning varsity lettermen, De-Baun and co-captain junior Ben McDonald.

“I think this year will be di$erent because we basically have an entirely new varsity team,” co-captain senior John Lesko said. “We usually have more returning varsity players who can help the new players get used to the faster speed of play, but we don’t have that this year. We really have to push ourselves.”

!e team also has two sets of siblings. Lesko’s younger

brother, sophomore Joey Lesko, and sophomore Carson Funk and senior Dalton Funk are all "rst-year lettermen.

“Between the siblings, there is a lot of mutual respect,” Snell said. “I really don’t think there is a line between the sophomores, juniors and seniors on the team because they all share a common goal, and that’s awesome.”

Lesko said the captains, McDonald, DeBaun and him-self, plan to bring the team together.

“I think the most important thing this season is going to be to learn to play better as a team,” he said. “We’ve been practicing really hard, and we’ve all been encouraging each other and pushing one another to work harder.”

DeBaun said the captains all have very di$erent person-alities on and o$ the "eld.

“I’m quiet during school, but when it comes to a game, I’m the loudest one there,” he said. “John Lesko is pretty popular, people tend to like him. He’s easy to look up to. Ben is also popular in school, but he is quiet during the game. We all have very strong opinions on what the team should do in soccer and that helps.”

Snell said the group of guys are very coachable.“!ey listen very well, and the chemistry between them

is very good,” he said. “!ey do things without being asked, and they always go above and beyond of what I ask them. !ey are very disciplined and well-trained, as well.”

DeBaun said due to limited defense experience, they have problems communicating.

“!ey don’t really tell the other people ‘Forward, forward’ or how to defend the opposing players, so they can make their job easier,” he said. “We are really good at making combination passes. If we pass well and quickly, we can move around the defense pretty e%ciently. Last year, we relied more on the talent we had, but this year we need to focus more on possessing it and attack the best we can. We always want to "ll the shoes of the seniors from last year, but it’s a di$erent kind of feeling. You just have to live up to what you can do.”

Snell said the team just needs to play the best they can, even if it doesn’t show on the scoreboard.

“One of our focuses is to improve every day,” he said. “We always want to get better from yesterday and give our best e$ort. !e expectation is [that] we play to the best of our ability. If we work hard, good things won’t happen — great things will.”

Sliding for the ball, sophomore Nick Allen makes an o$ensive play. !e Varsity soccer team is focusing on playing well as a team this year, not just going to State. Photo by Megan Ball.

Change of paceDespite only two returning varsity lettermen, boys soccer team focused on improvement

tigerturf 23September 2012

B V S P O R T S

TIGER TURF

sports in brief

jansenhesssports editor

Every Tuesday, Wednesday and !ursday night, junior Brooke Zimmerman practices at the Overland Park Soccer Complex for an hour and a half. All those evenings of training and all those weekends of games and tournaments have paid o".

On Aug. 19, she verbally committed to play soccer at Missouri State University (MSU).

Zimmerman has been competitively playing soccer since the sixth grade as a right defender.

“I play soccer because it just clears my mind,” she said. “I just have fun playing it.”

Zimmerman said there were many factors that played into her decision to attend MSU.

“Well, I’ve been talking to them for a while,” she said. “I got a pretty good o"er from them, I love the campus and one of my best friends is going there. I wanted the team to be good. I wanted to feel comfortable in the atmosphere and have a place that gives the athletes a lot of academic attention.”

MSU o"ered Zimmerman a full scholarship, as long as she scores at least a 24 on her ACT.

“I’m in ACT Prep to help me get ready for that,” she said. “I’ll just have to study really hard and keep working really hard.”

Zimmerman came into contact with MSU through multiple college showcase tournaments she competed in. Before playing in those tournaments, she emailed college coaches and asked them to come watch her play. As soon as the scout was interested, the coaching sta" contacted her club coach.

She was also interested in the University of Kansas, the University of Nebraska and Creighton University.

Zimmerman said a weight has been li#ed o" her shoulders since she committed to MSU.

“I feel like I have a lot of pressure relieved,” she said. “It’s not like I feel like I have to not work as hard, but I feel more relaxed. I know I have to work really hard in

school, but at soccer practice I just feel more comfort-able and relaxed, like I don’t always have to be perfect.”

Zimmerman will be playing soccer at MSU with a former teammate, junior Makenzie Pfei!er of Kearney High School.

Zimmerman joined Pfei"er’s team four years ago. !ey played on Kansas City Futbol Club (KCFC) Futura Academy together until this year, when they made dif-ferent Sporting Blue Valley teams.

When Zimmerman and Pfei"er $rst met, it was upon the request of the Futura coach. Pfei"er said he had asked her to get Zimmerman acquainted with the team, since she was considered the loud-mouth.

“I ended up thinking, ‘Wow this girl’s really cool. I de$nitely need to hang out with her,’” Pfei"er said. “We ended up spending the entire practice together. I love her to death. [!e team is] best friends now. We all just wish she lived closer to us.”

Pfei"er plays right mid$eld and has played soccer since she was $ve years old.

Pfei"er said her decision was more based on how well she would be able to adapt to college life.

“I love Spring$eld, [Mo.],” she said. “!e soccer team was awesome, and the girls were nice and accepting. I also know a lot of people who are going there from other towns. I think it was mainly a comfort thing and know-ing that I’ll have friends to have fun with. !e coach also seemed really nice and I just thought it would be a nice $t for me.”

Although the scholarship amount isn’t determined, the school will be funding her tuition and books, so all she has to pay for is room and board.

Zimmerman said she is looking forward to spending her college years with one of her closest friends.

“Mackenzie is a lot like me,” Zimmerman said. “We’re pretty much the same person. She’s so fun and we always have fun together. I’m sure there will be some times in college where we get sick of each other and we want to kill each other, but I know it’ll be really fun because she’s one of my best friends.”

Longtime teammates look forward to sharing collegiate soccer experience together

FOOTBALLPrevious Action: 9/7 v BVN (47-28 W) 9/14 v Salina South (28-7 L)Upcoming Action: 9/21 @ Bishop Miege 9/28 @ BVNW Record: (1-2) VOLLEYBALLPrevious Action: 9/18 @ GardnerUpcoming Action: 9/22 @ Fayetteville Invitational 9/25 v Olathe South Record: (7-6)

BOYS SOCCERPrevious Action: 9/17 v Gardner 9/18 @ Bishop MiegeUpcoming Action: 9/24 @ BVW 9/27 v TurnerRecord: (2-5)

CROSS COUNTRYPrevious Action: 9/20 LaCygne InvitationalUpcoming Action: 9/22 Rim Rock Invitational 9/29 Metro

GIRLS TENNISPrevious Action: 9/4 v BVN (W)Upcoming Action: 9/21 @ Miege 9/25 @ Topeka WestRecord: (4-2)

GIRLS GOLFPrevious Action: 9/17 Blue Hills TournamentUpcoming Action: 9/26 Overland Park Tournament

Results current as of Sept. 16.

Junior Brooke Zimmerman runs a#er the ball during soccer practice. Zimmerman has played soccer since kindergarten and recently committed to Missouri State University. “I’m excited to be going to a good soccer school, to be with my best friend and for a whole new experience,” she said. Photo by Alex Kontopanos.

incolor24 September 2012

(Above) Cheerleader sopho-more Meredith Beal does a scorpion pose. Cheerleaders performed for students during the event.

(Le!) Seniors Clay Rhodes and Jacob Wormington address stu-dents. Rhodes and Wormington thanked students for support of the football team.

(Below) Cheerleaders seniors Bethany Pence and Stephanie Woltkamp watch as the cougar burns. Burning the mascot produced a lot of smoke. “I thought it was better than the last years,” Woltkamp said. “It was crazy for the cheerleaders, trying to "nish the run-through.”

Burnin’UpHomecoming tradition !res up students prior to football game through dancing, free food

(Above) Seniors Ryan McNerlin and Clay Rhodes place a model of the Salina South High School mascot in the bon"re. Burning the opposing team’s mascot before the Homecoming game has been a BV tradition for years.

(Right) Several cheerleaders dance for the crowd at the bon"re. #e disc jockeys had multiple dance competitions and gave away prizes based on applause at the bon"re.

Photos by Megan Ball.

the tiger print — september 2012

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