The Tiger Print — April 2016

On Our Way: Seniors reflect on past four years, look to post-BV future

Blue Valley High School — Vol. 46 — Issue 7 — April 2016 — Overland Park, Kansas

Photo illustration by Maddie Davis and Sheila Gregory. File photos by staff.

class of

2 inthenews April 2016

inside this issueNEWS 2

HEALTH AND WELLNESSMental Health Awareness Month prompts discussion of coping, ways to help others page 3

OPINION 6 ACCEPTING EACH OTHER

People of all backgrounds should set aside differences page 8

FEATURES 10 MASTERING THE MUSIC

The Greeting Committee members describe background, touring experience page 10

ENTERTAINMENT 37 VIRTUAL REALITY

Technology creates new entertainment opportunities

page 40

SPORTS 42 PASSING ON TRADITION

Seniors create friendships with freshmen on varsity soccer team page 44Photos courtesy of MCT Campus.Stories by Julie Freijat. Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

Syrian refugees relocate to Mis-souri This April marked the beginning

of a renewed effort to assist and relocate Syrian refugees into the United States. Ahmad al-Abboud and his family made the next step in their lives on April 6, arriving at the Kansas City International airport. The family traveled through war-torn parts of Syria and eventually arrived in Jordan, where they lived in

a refugee camp and later a storage con-tainer. They were a few of roughly 1,000 refugees who were given the opportuni-ty to come to the United States last fall.

Why is this a big deal? Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback has already issued an executive order keeping Syrian refugees from settling in Kansas. This develop-ment is the one of the first of its kind in the United States and can possibly be a gateway to either harsher or a repeal of certain immigration laws. The arrival of the refugees will be an influence for laws across the country over the next few months.

Zika virus threat growsThe Center for Disease Control and Prevention

recently issued a travel alert to 30 terri-tories where the Zika virus has spread. The virus, originating in the Zika forest of Uganda, is spread primarily through mosquitoes and typically causes mild symptoms including fever, rash, muscle pain and red eyes. It’s threatening connotation stems from its link to birth defects in pregnant women. In 2015,

Brazil reported thousands of babies born with microcephaly, a syndrome in which the newborn’s head is significant-ly smaller than usual. This can lead to delayed development and other issues. Currently, there are 346 travel-related cases in the United States, 32 of which involve pregnancies.

Why is this a big deal? There is no vaccination for Zika, though the Obama Administration recently lobbied Con-gress for roughly $1.9 billion to counter the spread. The World Health Organiza-tion estimates four million people could be infected by the closing year.

local • national • internationalnews explained

Supreme Court split on Obama’s immigration order In 2014, President Barack Obama is-sued an executive order to shield around four million undocumented immigrants from being deported after the House of Representatives blocked bipartisan immigration reform that had already been passed by the Senate. Currently, the Supreme Court is at a stalemate on the issue — the conservative side is challenging Obama’s authority to make the order. Essentially the action grants undocumented immigrants deferred action status and a work permit while protecting them from the risk of depor-tation.

Why is this a big deal? Immigration has been and is one of the most polarized

political issues in America. Regardless of your stance on immigration, the point still stands that whichever way the Court leans will lead to more politi-cal unrest. Not only will it determine Obama’s immigration legacy but it also affects the candidates for the upcoming election who like to target these highly debated issues to further their political agenda. The decision will also deter-mine the fate of millions of people.

50%

60%of adults

didn’t receivetreatment

of youth didn’t

receive treatment

last year

April 2016 inthenews 3

Fighting the StigmaMental health month helps raise awareness, open conversation

emileeholscher & ifrahsayyadastaff writers

In the month of May, mental health awareness is exhibited through spread-ing the word, providing support and educating people on what it means to be mentally healthy.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 20 percent of Americans suffer from a mental illness, and each person is likely affected by it from someone close to them.

Blue Valley psychiatrist Julie Seitter said it’s important to raise awareness about mental health conditions.

“Once they know the symptoms, they can let go of the fear of wondering why they feel a certain way,” Seitter said.

Resource teacher Kate Julian said she assists many students who struggle with different mental illnesses.

“We need to be more open about mental illness and not discuss it in whis-pers,” Julian said. “Society has made fun of mental illness. Do you see movies in which people with cancer are being made fun of?”

Seitter said discussing mental health more openly allows people to understand it better and to try to help those in need.

“Thirty years ago, a lot of mental health disorders were never discussed, and families would never think about tell-ing their best friend if a family member was struggling,” Seitter said. “Now, there are television ads, movies, TV shows, school assemblies, posters and many other things that are opening minds and hearts to the struggles many people face.”

Seitter said it’s easier for students to cope with mental illnesses at school when they have a good support system.

“When staff build relationships with students, students feel safer and more

comfortable at school,” she said. “Many students come to school wearing masks, hiding their feelings behind a smile all day to make others think they are fine.”

Julian said she believes adjusting small aspects at BV will make significant changes for both people who are coping with a mental illness and people who are trying to help.

“I would like for the teachers and staff to think about ways to reduce stress with-in the classroom,” she said. “Good mental health means having the skills necessary to cope with everyday stressors.”

Seitter said there are many ways to handle the effects of a mental illness.

“We can all benefit from practicing mindfulness, meditation, surrounding ourselves with positive people, expressing our emotions with safe people, having a mentor, eating healthy, exercising regu-larly and taking time to do the things we enjoy,” she said.

Page designed by Emilee Holscher and Ifrah Sayyada.

90%of people who commit suicide have underlying mental illnesses

{numbers}by the quick ways to relieve stress:deep breathing

visualization 1-800-950-6264

NAMIHelpline:

Talk to your doctor and stick with a treatment plan

43million adults experience mental illness

every year in the United States

50%of all lifetime cases of mental illness begin by

age 14

of those who suffer

from mental illness

4 inthenews April 2016

Perfect SplitDance team, color guard separate for

2016-17 school year

lanes

from 3 lanes

BV CONSTRUCTION

Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT)

Johnson County FundsCity of Overland Park

updates

$8.6 millionbudget $7.6

millioncost

new 10” bike lane

+ streetlights

SPEED LIMIT

45new trees planted along 159th & Nall

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on ro

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funding from:

12,000 vehicles per dayafter construction:

30,000 vehicles per dayJan. 25, 2016 Fall 2016start

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to 4

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2 roundabouts installed:

E

laurenhuesersstaff writer

For the first time at Blue Valley, members of the school dance team have decided to split the group into two separate teams — dance team and color guard.

Freshman Celie Strain said up until now the dance team and color guard were one group.

“If you wanted to just do color guard, you would be in dance team,” Strain said. “When band season was over around first quarter, you would just have a study hall while the dance team rehearses.”

Sophomore Emma Andersen said the process of splitting the team took a lot of time and effort.

“We had to go to the District Office,” Andersen said. “Blue Valley West and Northwest had done it last year, so we really wanted to do it. The coaches, principal and a lot of parents on the team got together to say why it was a positive change, and they let us do it.”

Strain said she decided to try out for color guard only because of the schedule conflict dance team presents.

“I play in the band, and I love to dance, so color guard was just a really good way to combine those two interests,” Strain said. “I also don’t have enough room in my schedule to do dance team and band second semester.”

In addition to giving the members more freedom to pur-sue their dancing interests, Andersen said the separation will improve the team’s overall performance.

“Our dance team is going to be a lot better — we’ll have stronger dancers because there are separate tryouts [now],” Andersen said. “It will be good for the school because we’ll have a better reputation as dancers and can show more school spirit.”

The only concern for color guard is having enough people show up to tryouts, Andersen said.

“I don’t know if there’s going to be enough people,” she said. “It’s a big time commitment, and it’s not a sport a lot of people do.”

Despite this concern, Strain said she has high hopes for the upcoming year.

“It will be positive for both groups,” Strain said. “The dance team will have more time to practice for competitions first semester, and the color guard can be focused and make the competition show even better.”

159th & Nallnew traffic signal

Infographic by Courtney Carpenter. Photo by Maddie Davis.

159th & Nall traffic

April 2016 payin’thebills 5

THE YARDSMITHresidential lawn care

serving Johnson County since 1999

[email protected]

#good

#bad

6 outloud April 2016

charlotterooneyopinion editor

Scrolling through Twitter on any given day is becoming a never-ending pity party for girls all over the world.

Constant posts about the guy who didn’t like you or how much you wish you looked different are getting old.

Accounts geared toward women only talk about boys, makeup and clothes — as if we have nothing else to discuss.

I love makeup. I could talk about eyebrows all day, and I’m always up for a discussion on ripped jeans or a cute guy, but I’m also capable of speaking on import-ant topics that have nothing to do with my looks or who I think is attractive.

Twitter accounts such as “Typical Girl” and “Common White Girl” tweet things about that guy who didn’t like you, how great your makeup could look if you used a certain product or a couple photos of a beautiful woman saying everyone wants to look like her.

Ironically, these accounts also joke about the annoying guy who liked you and how you turned him down or making fun of other people’s bad makeup or clothes.

The guy who didn’t like you isn’t a bad person — he just wasn’t interested.

And yes, I look fine without that $45

foundation, but thanks. While that girl is beautiful, I’m comfort-

able in my own skin. Regardless of the irrelevant posts being

made on a daily basis, women should be encouraged to talk about topics all over the spectrum — from good products to politics to current events. We shouldn’t be expected to only talk about how to make ourselves look the best or how to impress others.

These accounts are relatable for girls because they talk about things girls usually like, but girls and women have more to gain than makeup tips. We should broaden our horizons and think about more than the perfect makeup tutorial or the newest hair style.

This isn’t meant to shame anyone because again, I indulge in tutori-als, online shopping and a vast array of products.

However, I also make an ef-fort to stay updated on global news and important issues like climate change or ISIS.

There’s more to life than makeup, hair and boys, and these Twitter accounts should have more to say than that, too.

#empowermentTweets from popular accounts limit women to less important topics

Page designed by Charlotte Rooney.

best twitter accounts for

womenEmily Ratajowski — best known for spreading body

positivity and commenting on politics, despite criticisms.

Vox — covers everything from recent medical news to upcoming bands to

politics and environmental actions. Lena Dunham — launched “Lenny

Letter,” a biweekly newsletter that tackles politics and social

issues. TED Talk — posts inspirational

and informational videos.

Stroud

‘I love @heartsonpups because looking through [the feed] always makes me happy.”— Junior Brenna StroudRoudebush

“I love @ItsBabyAnimals because the photos are cute, and they always make me laugh.” — Senior Camille Roudebush Ortiz

“My favorite accounts are @artoftheserpent and @ARTMOD because they post beautiful artwork and runway looks.”— Junior Savannah Ortiz

April 2016 outloud 7

Page designed by Macie Lawrence.

macielawrencestaff writer

Does it seem like there’s never enough time in the day to get everything done?

Feel like you’re always running late? Welcome to the 21st century. A world filled with distractions every-

where you look. How is it even possible to get home-

work done at all, let alone fixate on doing assignments without being diverted by a wide variety of electronic devices?

What might at first glance seem innocuous, doing homework or studying while watching TV, texting or checking twitter can genuinely impair learning the material as well as lower test scores.

Every day, students and teenagers complain about how there aren’t enough hours in the day, or there’s too much on their plate to manage.

But do teens actually not have enough time, or are they just not utilizing their time well enough?

According to BeyondBookSmart.com, students were observed studying for a 15 minute period where they were asked to study something important. Research

found was that students generally com-menced to lose focus after about three minutes. On average, students only spent about 10 minutes of the 15 minutes actu-ally studying.

In today’s society, everyone is busy — and we like to be.

But when you can’t handle your tasks because you’re convinced you have too much going on, contemplate how you prioritize your activities.

According to Baylor University’s latest research, high school students spend anywhere from five to nine hours per day on some sort of electronic device.

If you’re complaining about having no time to do the homework assigned, stop checking your phone every five minutes to scroll through Twitter because time definitely adds up, and you end up losing hours of study time.

Besides electronics being an obvious issue, it is important to keep a regular sleep schedule.

A large number of teens do not get the required amount of sleep that is needed.

Sleep deprivation can cause many health risks and therefore, cause students to struggle to excel in their everyday activities.

Students are held to extremely high standards by their friends and family. Teenagers are expected to get straight A’s, play multiple sports, get a job, be social and still live a normal life.

Being vigilant of how you utilize

your time as one resource in organizing, prioritizing and prospering in your stud-ies will relieve stress and save time.

According to BeyondBookSmart.com, if students are focused when doing homework, they generally retain more of the information when it comes time to take a test.

If students do their homework while multitasking, it results in less information being remembered and therefore, more time will be required for test preparation in order to achieve a similar result.

With all of these expectations, it is important for students to learn how to manage their time well while maintaining a social life.

first things first

raise yourvoice

Students struggle with time management from excessive electronic usage

“I think phones, unfortunately, have negatively impacted students use of time. Instead of spending free time doing homework or visiting their teachers, they are spending time on their phones.” — ELA teacher Kelsey Bakalar

time management-complete most important tasks first-devote your entire focus to the task at hand-be conscientious of amount of electronic time

-utilize weekends -make a list-take a break-get sleep

8 outloud April 2016

Diversity’s DemisePeople need to come together, accept each other’s differences

Page designed by Ifrah Sayyada. Cartoon by Mandy Novicoff.

ifrahsayyadastaff writer

Elections are right around the corner with candidates fighting for a chance at the nomination.

Many are debating political issues with friends and family members.

Others are keeping a close eye on what comes out of each candidate’s mouth for words that can later be used against them.

With the nation intently following ev-ery step of the election process, it’s vital to address a growing problem that has been brought to the limelight.

Diversity — specifically what it means to society and our nation.

Diversity has been under attack re-cently by presidential candidates as well as international leaders.

Many leaders are now using scapegoats to force blame on problems we face today onto one specific group.

Some infamous examples are blaming Muslims for the actions of a horrifying terrorist group that belongs to no religion, falsely accusing a whole nationality of being rapists or drug dealers and even stating gay and transgender communities will turn God against humanity.

And what is even more shocking to me is the fact that these insolent accusations are rapidly gaining support nationwide.

It terrifies me to the point where sometimes I don’t feel safe in my own country.

To attack others for simply being dif-ferent is something we had not expected of the world today.

It’s 2016.

Technology, innovation and creative ideas have advanced and allowed us to grow and learn new things we had only dreamed of a few years ago.

If we have changed so much, why do we still witness so much rage and hatred toward other groups?

We should know Muslims are not terrorists — terrorists are terrorists.

We should know Mexicans are not rapists — rapists are rapists.

You can’t label them with a race or a religion — because if they had the morals or beliefs of these innocent groups, they wouldn’t even think of committing those actions.

There are about 2.2 billion Muslims in the world and that number is growing steadily every day. ISIS comprises less than 1 percent of that.

There are also about 128 million Mex-icans in the world, most of whom belong to close-knit families.

Which makes me wonder, what is the logic behind accusing billions of people over the actions of a few?

Yet, many state we need to hold an entire community accountable because they are the root of many problems.

Building a wall, banning people from entering the country due to their race or

religion, forcefully searching certain plac-es of worship or houses are some of the very examples some presidential candi-dates have stated as actions they will take to “protect” the country.

But do we really think that is correct? Do we really think turning on each other will help?

Instead of listening to these absurd claims on how we should channel hate to solve our problems, try using compassion to do the same.

People state they want change. So if people really want change, stop singling groups out and attacking others for being different.

Stop listening to everything one per-son tells you, and try to learn about others yourself.

Educate yourself on issues by talking to people who are different than you.

Gain different perspectives. When you do that, you will finally help

make a difference.Whether you are the majority, the

bystander or the minority under attack, you don’t have to isolate yourself.

Work together to find a solution. When the world learns how to collab-

orate and listen to each other, we will have truly progressed.

April 2016 outloud 9

Junior and senior year of high school is the time to really start thinking about college — and with that comes the cost of tuition and living. College costs significant-ly more than it did when our parents went. Even with scholarships, it can be grossly expensive.

The high price of college is contributing to not only the wage gap but the class sys-tem. Those who can’t afford college have a harder time finding jobs paying more than the minimum wage, meaning they can’t move up the class system.

Even if you’re smart, your family not being able to afford college halts the hopes of a quality higher education.

It’s understandable that colleges have employees to pay and a campus to maintain, but the costs of some private universities are upward of $65 thousand per year — and that’s just ridiculous. That’s covering more than the costs of employees and upkeep.

The current student debt in America is $1.2 trillion — 40 million Americans have student loans they have to pay off, and 70 percent of students with bachelor’s degrees graduate from college with debt. Not only is this bad for the economy, but it shows that the majority of families can’t afford to send their children to college.

A middle class family of four earns an average of $70 thousand per year. Even going to in-state schools like KU costs about $17 to $20 thousand per year, which overall costs roughly $70 thousand for a

four-year degree. That’s not even including universities like Northwestern or Notre Dame that cost almost as much as a middle class family brings in yearly.

Smart students being denied the opportunity of the college experience because they can’t afford it isn’t right, and it shouldn’t be happening in such an oppor-tunistic country like the United States.

College shouldn’t be so expensive that it excludes anyone who doesn’t have thousands of dollars just laying around to spend. The class system makes it harder and harder for some students to go to college, and without college it’s very likely they will stay in the class they were born into.

Of course, there are the success stories of people who started businesses from nothing and built them into million-dollar companies, but they are few and far between and not feasible for everyone.

The cycle of lower income families not going to college has to stop in order to make the United States a more equal and opportune country.

Colleges are supposed to be there to make a higher education accessible to students, but they are so expensive that middle-class families have to think of ways to pay for college, and those who have less money can’t even go.

Making tuition affordable and making financial aid and scholarships readily avail-able will give more Americans the chance to go to college.

High price excludes low-income families from attending college, causes excessive student debt

“The Tiger Print” is an official publication of Blue Valley High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication.

Letters to the editor are encouraged for publication. “The Tiger Print” reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content. Letters should be submitted to Room 450, emailed to [email protected] or mailed to:

The Tiger Print Blue Valley High School 6001 W. 159th St. Overland Park, KS 66085

the

TIGER PRINTnewspaper

photo editorSophia Ragomo

photographerIsabelle Allen

cartoonistsMandy NovicoffChristine Rice

staff writersTalia AmjadiJulie FreijatConnor HeatonEmilee HolscherLydia HsuLauren HuesersMacie LawrenceAmelia LockTatum SandersIfrah Sayyada

co-editorsMaddie DavisSheila Gregory

web editorRachel Lock

news editor Alli Williams

opinion editor Charlotte Rooney

features editorHope Brown

entertainment editorCourtney Carpenter

sports editorMegan Hegarty

adviser Michelle Huss

Cartoon by Christine Rice.

10 upclose April 2016

A dream among some young musicians is to have the opportunity to perform live across the country. For many, it seems out of reach. But for a group of Blue Valley teens, this dream has become a reality.

Juniors Brandon Yangmi and Austin Fraser, senior Addie Sartino and alumnus Pierce Turcotte are all members of the indie-alternative band The Greeting Committee.

The band formed in 2014 and has rapidly gained fame, performing at 96.5 The Buzz Beach Ball in 2015 and various events since.

“It’s surreal to look back on the past year and how quickly things have happened for us,” Sartino said. “We’re so lucky. I don’t mean that in the sense that we haven’t worked for it, but some stars definitely aligned for us to be where we are now.”

Each member has a different variety of in-spirations — Turcotte honed in on some bands and genres that motivate him.

“I definitely have lots of punk and rock in-

fluence like Coheed and Cambria, Rise Against and the Smiths to name a few,” he said. “How-ever, other genres like electronic, jazz, folk and classical all inspire me to write music.”

Recently The Greeting Committee was given a chance to tour with Kitten, reaching several states. This is the first opportunity of its kind for the band, and Yangmi said he highly anticipated the experience.

“I was very excited to leave and go on the road, especially because it’s our first time on the road with no parents,” Yangmi said.

Though the band has to deal with the stress of school, they are able to find solace in their music. Fraser said conveying his emotions and connecting with others is what makes music special.

“The amount of expression you can put into music can be really amazing if you are passion-ate about it,” he said. “The feeling of playing music with others also really connects people, and it’s just so much fun.”

BRIGHT LIGHTS Members of The Greeting Committee

share background, progress

Photos by Sophia Ragomo. Story and page designed by Julie Freijat and Amelia Lock.

ROAD TO SUCCESS The Greeting Committee

formed

Debut at BV talent show

First gig at Hagcoming

EP released

Signed with Harvest Records of Capitol

Records

Performed at Buzz

Beach Ball

EP re-released through Harvest

Records

Tour with Kitten

“There’s this moment of pure excitement that comes after writing something great. It’s all over our faces, too. It’s a mix of pride and childlike giddiness.” — Sartino

Fall 2014

Sept. 2014

Nov. 15, 2014

Mar. 27, 2015

June 20, 2015

July 27, 2015

Oct. 2015

March 2016

April 2016 upclose 11

With the band’s growing fame comes more oppor-tunities for them to share their music. The Greeting Committee recently took a two-week tour with Kitten set up by the band’s manager Lazlo, a DJ from 96.5 The Buzz.

“We are supporting Kitten on this current tour, and they are all wonderful people,” Yangmi said. “It is a laid back environment where everyone is sharing equipment and getting along great.”

The band said they already have more events like this planned.

“I’m excited to do some traveling and playing shows outside of KC,” Turcotte said. “We are finally getting the opportunity to tour and go to some pretty big festivals across the U.S.”

The band said they hope this tour will bring them more fans and future opportunities.

“You have to play tours in order to get more tours, which is extremely challenging and frustrating in the beginning,” Sartino said. “However, this tour will give

us more credibility than we’ve had in the past.”Along with the touring and gigs The Greeting

Committee has been working on, they’ve been busy writing new songs.

“I am really looking forward to making new music and recording our album,” Fraser said. “It’s been a

while since we have released any new music, and I want people to

see what we have been working on and get feedback.”

The band said they believed their work

seems to have paid off seeing as they have secured a position playing at 2016

music festival Lollapalooza in Chicago.

“I’m looking forward to the adventure that’s going to come with all of this,” Sartino said. “I’ve been given the opportu-

nity to form bonds with many inspiring people and see so many amazing things. I’m going to take advan-tage of it because who knows when it’s going to end.”

2016 TOUR & UPCOMING EVENTSPhotos by Sophia Ragomo. Story and page designed by Julie Freijat and Amelia Lock.

“Brandon liked the word ‘greeting’ and wanted to utilize it in our band name. We went with The Greeting Committee when Brandon saw a picture of John Lennon wearing a T-shirt that said ‘The Greeting Committee.’” — Turcotte

TOUR LOCATIONS

The Loading Dock: Salt Lake City, Utah

Black Sheep: Colorado Springs, COMoon Room: Denver, CO

The Tank Room: Kansas City, MORose Music Hall: Columbia, MOFirebird: St. Louis, MOBeat Kitchen: Chicago, IL

The Balcony: Philadelphia, PARock & Roll Hotel: Washington D.C.Club Hell: Atlanta, GA

12 upclose April 2016

hopebrownfeatures editor

Although many families own pets, not every family has multiple pets — or a new one every few weeks.

Junior Brooke Rowland and her family have fostered puppies and kittens through Wayside Waifs for the past five years.

The Foster Care Program provides temporary homes for animals who are sick or injured and is a resource when the shelter doesn’t have enough room to provide adequate care for all pets.

“A lot of times, Wayside Waifs will be overfilled with too many animals,” Rowland said. “It’s best for the puppies and kittens to grow up in a good environment. It’s not good for them to be in a cage too much [at Wayside Waifs].”

When a dog or cat is available for fostering, Wayside Waifs contacts foster parents through email.

“Sometimes they’ll send out an email to all foster people, and sometimes they’ll just send it to us,” Rowland said. “We told them we’re interested in puppies because one of my dogs passed away.”

Rowland said she usually fosters pup-pies and kittens until they’re 8 weeks old.

“The youngest kittens we’ve ever got-ten were 2 weeks [old], so you bottle feed them,” she said. “The youngest puppies we’ve gotten were 5 or 6 weeks [old].”

After an average of two to four weeks, the fostered animals are put up for adop-tion.

“There’s some days when they have a big fostering [event], and they’ll get adopted within the first five minutes we drop them off,” she said.

Rowland said she recommends foster-ing if someone is frequently available to care for the animals.

“With puppies, they can nap for an hour,” she said. “Then when you have them out, they’ll need to pee immediately

and 15 minutes

later. With kittens, we’ve had them out in the basement with a litter box, and they’re self trained.”

Rowland said although she likes cats, she enjoys fostering puppies more.

“Sometimes when you get really attached to animals, it’s sad to bring them back,” she said. “People always ask if I cry about it — no, I’m fine.”

After recently fostering two puppies from the same litter, Rowland and her family adopted one of them, Clover.

“They’re basset hound mixed with a shepherd,” she said. “They kind of look like a rottweiler and have dark markings. They’re so cute.”

Although Rowland isn’t sure if she will pursue a career involving animals, she said she plans to foster in the future.

“It’s really impacted my life because I like having the idea I can get a random email and know I can have puppies for a temporary amount of time,” she said. “It just makes me happy.”

Junior participates in program to care for animals from shelter

Page designed by Hope Brown.Photos submitted by Brooke Rowland.

fosteringfurry

friendsHolding her pup-py, Clover, junior Brooke Rowland smiles for the camera. After fos-tering Clover and another dog from the same litter, Rowland and her family adopted the puppy. “We’ve always liked an-imals,” Rowland said. “One of my old dogs, Scout, is adopted — he’s a lab mix, and we [adopted] Clover. All of my friends come over and see [the dogs].”

Page designed by Macie Lawrence.

Botts

Jones

across the globeStudents shed light on what it’s like to travel with BV

macielawrence & taliaamjadistaff writers

Every year Blue Valley teachers offer exotic trips to different destinations around the world.

Each place is unique whether it is the streets of London or the mountains of Costa Rica.

Sophomore Peyton Anderson spent her spring break visiting England and France for 10 days along with teachers Jenny Buchanan and Dianne O’Bryan and 20 students.

“I’ve always wanted to go to Paris ever since elementary school,” Anderson said. “I wanted to sign up because I heard a lot about the Costa Rica trip — it looked really fun.”

Junior Tanner Botts and sophomore Katie Beth Jones traveled to Costa Rica last summer.

“I decided to go because I have always wanted to go to Costa Rica, and a lot of my friends were going,” Botts said. “I was hoping to see lots of animals and the different cultures in Costa Rica.”

All trips through the school are planned through educational

travel agencies.“EF Tours organized the trip in

a way that we could do the coolest activities that the place had to offer in the amount of time we had,” Jones said.

Both Botts and Jones said they didn’t mind taking a trip through the school and are already signed up to go to the Galapagos Islands in the summer of 2017.

“At first I was kind of worried that there would be too many rules since it was through the school, but the teachers were not strict at all — they made it fun,” Jones said.

On the contrary, Anderson said she had a few doubts about the school trip because she was worried it would be purely knowledge and school-based.

“While it was partly educational, we went on a ton of tours,” Anderson said. “My favorite thing we did was touring Windsor Castle or Buckingham Palace in London because we got to see the queen as she was leaving the palace.”

All three students agreed they were able to explore new things and encounter experiences of a lifetime.

“One of my favorite parts was the hot springs,” Jones said. “It was

a park that had these really nice pools that were filled with water from the natural springs. The water was super hot, and it was really relaxing. I was not expecting that to be my favorite part, but everyone loved it.”

Botts said he enjoyed experiencing activities he doesn’t get to do in Kansas.

“We did things like zip lining, hiking, white water rafting and went up volcanoes,” Botts said. “It was really cool.”

Anderson said if she were to go back to France, she would rather not go on a school trip so she could venture out on her own.

“If you like being really organized, the school trip is a great idea since they have a very tight schedule,” she said. “If you like to just go out and do your own thing and be on your own time, I would recommend going with your family or friends.”

All three students agreed the trips were well worth their time.

“It was a great experience with great friends and teachers,” Jones said. “It was so cool to see visit other parts of the world and also relate it to what we are learning in school. I cannot wait to go again next summer.”

April 2016 upclose 13

Anderson

14 payin’thebills April 2016

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seniors 2016senior featurespost-graduation plans senior superlativessenior columns

pages 16-21pages 22-25pages 26-27pages 28-35

April 2016 seniorsection 15

196 seniors surveyed. Page designed by Maddie Davis.

16 seniorsection April 2016

sheilagregoryco-editor

The decision to go into an art field is a difficult one for most students. Conser-vatory applications are competitive, and it gets to be even more so once students graduate from there.

However, after 15 years of dance, senior Audrey Holland said she decided to pursue her passion in a six-month Las Vegas program, the Theater Art Prepara-tory School (TAPS).

“You train six to eight hours [a day] Monday through Friday,” she said. “You do basically every single style dance-wise you can think of. The training comes from professional dancers — people you would know in the dance world. We also do commercial acting, Broadway acting, singing and makeup.”

This style of instruction is very dif-ferent from a four-year dance or theater school, Holland said.

“Most dance schools only specialize in a couple of styles, so it [could be like a] contemporary school,” she said. “But if you want to be a jazz dancer, that’s not for you. It’s really great my place does everything, so I’ll be ready for anything.”

The choice to attend TAPS rather than a traditional school was a difficult one for her family to come to terms with, she said.

“My dad really wanted me to go to school and get a business degree” Holland said. “But I said, ‘Dad, I’m not going to be able to focus on what I really want to do if I do that. This is what I live for, this is who I am,’ and he agreed. They want what’s best for you, and when your life is going to be really unpredictable, it’s hard for them to grasp that.”

Holland said cost was another moti-

vator to enroll with TAPS.“Most dance schools are smaller,

private and expensive,” she said. “As a dancer, you don’t get paid a ton. So if go somewhere like that and end up $200,000 in debt, how am I going to pay that back? This one is $15,000 for tuition, but you don’t have to pay for books or other school stuff.”

However, Holland said being accepted at TAPS was not a guarantee.

“[The director] accepts between 10-20 people,” she said. “He’s doing 16 for this upcoming year. We have 14 right now. It’s a pretty low acceptance rate. I know at least 20 people around here that applied but didn’t get in.”

Holland said she worked hard to land one of the few spots at TAPS.

“I had a resume, a headshot and a demo reel — that’s about two minutes of you performing all different types [of dance],” she said. “I did silks, jazz, tap, ballet, contemporary — all the stuff I am good at. It took a really long time to make the demo reel because you want to make sure you have great shots.”

The type of dance Holland said she wants to pursue fits the Las Vegas setting.

“I want to do concert dance, like dance behind singers when they’re on tour or in music videos,” she said. “Anything with the film and music aspect is what I want. Vegas is the new LA — there are a ton of jobs there now. It’s the heart of the dance world.”

Seeing the talent at TAPS in the beginning is what Holland said she was most anxious for.

“I’m nervous about the first week,” she said. “That’s when you see who’s good at what. It’s great to have people that are better than you because then you can push yourself to be like them. I’m scared to see what people will think of me. It’s going to be very different and unfamil-iar.”

Despite her worries, Holland said the experience will be very influential.

“I’m most excited to be on my own,” she said. “I’m very independent, but I’ve never been all by myself. I feel like I can do it, and it will help build me up. I’m excited to pursue my dream.”

Acceptance into rigorous dance program to take place of four-year college for senior

Page designed by Sheila Gregory.

W A K I N Gup in

Vegas

In a figure-eight foothold, senior Audrey Holland practices her arched-hyperextended over split. Holland has been dancing for 15 years. “It’s really hard because it requires a lot of muscle work,” she said. “But the end product is always worth it.” Photo submitted by Audrey Holland.

alliwilliamsnews editor

Wake up — 0430.Start training — 0500.Breakfast — 0600.Continue training — 0630.Basic Combat Training (BCT) is a

program required for United States Army and National Guard members — meant to train civilians to become soldiers in 10 weeks.

After graduation, three Blue Valley seniors will begin their journey in the U.S. military. Andrew Kerr is enlisted in the Army National Guard. Christian Minnick and Alex Rooney are enlisted in the Army.

“Basic Training is going to be rough,” Rooney said. “They break you down, and they build you back up the way they want to.”

The daily schedule in BCT includes both physically and mentally strenuous exercises, Kerr said.

“Physical fitness will be the most difficult part for me,” Kerr said. “I’m not really a runner, and running two miles is as rough as it is when we work out. It’ll probably be the hardest part for me.”

The next step after basic training is Advanced Individual Training (AIT), which gives the soldiers hands-on train-ing for their personal career path within the military.

“After BCT, I [will] go to AIT for 13-14 weeks,” Kerr said. “I’ll leave in June to Fort Jackson in South Carolina, and then I go to Fort Lee in Virginia where they’ll teach me the mechanics. I won’t come back until late November.”

Though not a common post-graduation plan for BV students, Kerr said he always knew he wanted to be in the military one day.

“My family was proud of me,” he said. “They had an idea that I wanted to join the military, but no one really knew it was going to be the National Guard. There were people trying to tell me what jobs to get, but I just chose the one I wanted to do.”

Minnick said his decision was influ-enced by his two sisters who are currently in the Air Force and his grandfather who served in the Navy.

“I like the structure of it,” Minnick said. “It’s a day-to-day thing. You know what you’re going to be doing. Whatever job you get, you’ll be a professional at it. When you get out, you’re promised really unique skills that will help you later on.”

To make their commitment to serve official, the students had to swear-

in back in January. “I’ve wanted to

join the military since eighth grade,”

Rooney said. “I wanted to feel like I was doing something productive in my life instead of sitting around in an office. I wanted to feel like I had a purpose in life, and defending the best country on Earth felt like a good route to go.”

The U.S. military is split into five branches — Air Force, Army, Marine Corps, Navy and Coast Guard — which can make choosing the branch to pursue difficult, Minnick said.

“I interviewed with all of the recruit-ers,” Minnick said. “I decided Army was the best branch because they let you choose your MLS — which is your job — whereas the other ones pick for you.”

According to GoArmy.com, while serving either on active duty or in the Army Reserve, soldiers get the opportu-nity to go to college.

“I chose the Army because [it] has the best educational benefits,” Rooney said. “[They also have] the most bases around the world, so I can visit a lot of different countries.”

Kerr said his decision to join the National Guard was last-minute.

“I either wanted to be infantry in the Army or a rifleman in the Marine Corps,” he said. “I ended up talking to someone who set me up with a career, and I just went with it. I went down and I filled out all the paperwork, and before I knew it, I was swearing in.”

After BCT and AIT, soldiers are re-quired to serve four years in the military and will have the choice of whether they want to continue after that.

“I will possibly serve my entire career,” Kerr said. “I may go until I retire.”

Although Minnick is excited about his future in the military, he said he isn’t sure how long he plans to serve.

“[I’m most looking forward to] when I get out of the Army and I’ll be able to have a $100,000-a-year job, and it will be smooth-sailing from there,” he said. “They’ll give me all the training. I plan on getting my bachelor’s [degree] eventually for something to do with computers.”

Kerr said he expects the military to have great impacts on his life.

“From joining the National Guard, I’ll have a lot better discipline than what I’ve had through high school,” he said. “Mostly, I’m looking forward to getting out of town.”


3 BV students commit to post-graduation military plans

serving our nation

Minnick Kerr RooneyPhoto and page designed by Alli Williams.

a new mission18 seniorsection April 2016

Page designed by Connor Heaton. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

Senior explains Mormon mission trips, reveals personal motivationconnorheaton

staff writer

Through math, music, writing or a good book, students

strive for knowledge and wisdom, with many

wishing to impart said knowl-

edge to any and all who may listen.

Some more religiously inclined students,

though, plan to dedicate their entire lives to this pursuit, enlisting as mis-sionaries for their local church and spreading their values across the globe.

The Mormon Church is known

for producing these door-knocking, bible-

wielding messengers of God. Senior Spencer Callister is making final preparations for his own mission trip later this year. Callister plans to go to Brigham Young University in Salt Lake City, Utah, after high school but not before spending two years on a

mission. “I’ve started my mis-

sion papers, and I put my availability for August,” he said. “I’ll have the sum-

mer to prepare.” He said every mission is differ-

ent, and he won’t know where he’ll

go until months after submitting the mission papers.

“We submit papers about ourselves and then send them to Salt Lake City where the church’s headquarters is located,” he said. “They pick a place for us to go depending what we say on our pa-pers. We’ll go there for two years, but sometimes they cut it short. It usually involves us going around [promoting the] church, knock-ing on doors and meeting with people — teaching them about our values.”

Callister said he has been a member of the Mormon Church his entire life and lives by their beliefs and traditions.

“It has really blessed my life, and I’m really thankful that I’ve grown up in a church with strong values,” he said. “It has helped me make the right choices, not get into trouble and build myself into a better person. We strongly be-lieve in agency. We believe we have the right to make choices, but we do not have the right to choose the consequences. The reason why we are here is basically to learn and become better [people].”

Although it represents a higher cause, Callister said he believes his choice to go was because it was something he was called to do.

“It was just something I felt would be one of the most import-ant pieces in my life,” Callister said. “Without it, I don’t know what I’d do or where I’d go.”

Leaving for two years for a mis-sion of seemingly random location can be a very daunting task, but he said he has Blue Valley to partially thank for his ultimate motivation.

“I am inspired by the returning missionaries who come home, especially the ones I actually knew since I was young,” he said. “The seniors who graduated my

freshman year are coming home now from their missions. Its really motivating just seeing how much they’ve improved — it’s crazy.”

Callister said the mission will be very goal-driven, but he hopes to learn how to put effort into everything he does.

“[The most difficult thing] would probably be the amount of focus it requires — but it is going to be worth it,” Callister said. “We go to the [Missionary Training Center] in Provo, Utah. There’s no hazing or anything, but they train you how to work like a missionary. If you’re going foreign, they’ll give you a month to learn the language. My dad went to Belgium, and he had to learn Dutch within a matter of weeks.”

For Callister, mission trips are a family tradition.

“My oldest brother was able to serve a mission, and my second oldest brother is serving a mission in Salt Lake City working with family history,” Callister said.

During college, one has Twitter, Facebook and Instagram — they have connections. Out on a mis-sion, though, Callister said he will have hardly any.

“I’ll have very little contact with them,” he said. “I’ll get to phone my mom two times a year — Mother’s Day and Christmas — but I think at the same time, it will also strengthen my relationship with my family. I’ve seen families with missionaries out in the world who have really been blessed in many ways. By doing this, I’ll be able to bless mine. My brother is out on a mission, and we have been blessed very much — we have learned how much we really need each other and how much we love each other. We really wouldn’t be able to do this without each other.”


studying abroadSenior plans to move to India to attend medical school

Photos and page designed by Maddie Davis.

maddiedavisco-editor

Rather than attending a four-year college in the United States on a pre-med track, senior Debalina Majumder will attend a medical school in India.

Majumder said as a child she loved playing doctor with her dolls and teddy bears. Since then, she has always wanted to pursue a job in the medical field.

“My grandpa was paralyzed for over 10 years, and seeing him stuck in bed as a child frustrated me,” she said. “I never truly understood what was wrong with him, but I knew that if I was a doctor, I would try to fix him.”

Majumder said she is mainly interested in practicing pediatrics partially because her childhood was filled with a lot of visits to the doctor and unexplained questions, which she said wants to help other children avoid.

“It’s never fun to be sick as a child,” she said. “I love working with kids — it’s a very delicate but engaging process and leaves you feeling accomplished. Their brutal honesty and eternal playfulness really captures my attention.”

Although she looked at colleges in the United States, Majumder said she and her family ultimately decided it would be best to go to India for school.

“The decision to do med school in India rather than the U.S. came as a surprise to me this year,” she said. “My parents left India with me when I was less than a year old. My mom decided it was time to move back.”

Majumder said family ties in India also influenced her decision.

“The typical Indian family is a joint family, and it was difficult for the four of us to be so far away from the rest of our family,” she said. “We have missed a lot of things, such as not getting to say goodbye to my grandpa when he passed away, my uncle’s marriage, the birth of my new cousin and countless birthdays. It’ll be nice to finally start making all that time up.”

Majumder said medical schools in India are very different from their American counterparts.

“Instead of going through four years of pre-med, you enter med school right away,” she said. “In four years, you receive a degree which entitles you to practice medicine in India as well as perform surgery. If a student chooses to work toward an

MD, that requires an extra two years.”Majumder said she has not yet finalized a

decision on which medical school she will attend in India.

“I’m still deciding between schools,” she said. “Also, I have not yet applied to any schools, as I am taking a gap year after graduation since admissions in India start at the age of 18, and I turned 17 a few weeks ago.”

Majumder said the admissions and decisions process for college in India is brutal and many intelligent students are turned away.

“To be accepted into med school, you need to have an 80 percent or higher on all subjects,” she said. “You also must have completed biology, chemistry and physics, as well as pass an entrance exam.”

Majumder said at most schools where she and her family are moving, classes are taught in English because they are international schools.

“My family is from Kolkata, so I’m fluent in Bengali, but we are moving to Pune, which is a city near Bombay, and they more commonly speak Hindi, which I am not as good at,” she said. “I will still put in the effort to learn Hindi, but India is a rapidly changing country, and English is becoming more and more of a common language.”

After she graduates, Majumder said she plans on traveling to the impoverished areas of India and providing services there.

“Obviously, my friends are upset that I’m leaving, but everyone knows how passionate I am to become a pediatrician,” she said. “It’ll definitely be weird to actually live in India for the first time, but I’m used to moving — and this time I’m doing it to accomplish something I love.”


SE IORwho’s that

?N1-Kobe Gelles. 2-Bridget Howard. 3-Noah Patterson. 4-Cameron Lee.

5-Ainoa Rohaut. 6-Nick Felling. 7-Rachel Trout. 8-Anna Hill. 9-Madison

Wilkins. 10-William Carter. 11-Olivia Carter. 12-William Liu. 13-Alyssa Hess.

14-Zaynab Jamil. 15-Juliona L’Heureux. 16-Mandy Novicoff. 17-Hayden Cashion.

1. 2. 3. 4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

9. 10.

Photos submitted by participating students. Page designed by Maddie Davis.

11. 12. 13.

14. 15. 16. 17.


Photo by Isabelle Allen. Page designed by Rachel Lock.

]

Senior plans to take solo road trip across the USrachellockweb editor

You throw some bags into the back of your Ford Explorer, the vehicle that’s about to carry you across the United States.

Equipped with a map, extra supplies, and the clothes on your back, it may not seem you are ready to take on the adventure ahead of you, but you feel strangely calm.

In a few moments, you will be far away from school work, the sound of the bell, and a plan that dictates your every move — for an entire year.

With no one at the helm but yourself, with the world ahead of you, you take off into what was once unknown.

Senior Paige Dorko is taking a year off to explore the United States on a road trip starting in San Diego.

“I’ll be traveling to every single state and seeing all the different things it has to offer,” she said. “I’ll go to the Grand Canyon, Las Vegas and all the touristy, scenery things you can see there. It’s just me and my car traveling across the United States.”

Despite this seeming like a big undertaking, Dorko said she is not particularly concerned and is not tying herself down to a specific plan.

“I’m bringing clothes, snacks for the road trip, good music — obviously — just to keep myself entertained and a lot of energy drinks

because I’m going to have to stay awake,” she said. “The good part is that I have a lot of family in each of the different states, so I’m basically going to be living from couch to couch.”

Dorko said other people having doubts has not discouraged her.

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” she said. “This is all totally random. I’m going to leave whenever I get the chance to — I’m going to take all my stuff, throw it in my car and just go.”

Though her parents were originally skeptical, Dorko said they support her and are paying for half the trip.

“They [said,] ‘You know, obviously you are going to be 18 and you can make that decision for yourself, but we will help you out with it,’” Dorko said.

Dorko said this trip will bring her a greater understanding of people across the country.

“I just want to experience life firsthand with everything that it

has to offer,” she said. “I want to meet people. I want to

learn things about different personalities, things that go into each state and how people live [there]. I just want it to be a huge learning experience and to see history.”

There are a few destinations Dorko said she is particularly interested in.

“When I was younger, I went to the Grand Canyon

and Yellowstone National Park, and that was gorgeous, so I’ve always wanted to go back there,” she said. “I really want to go to New York City — I’ve wanted to do that forever.”

Dorko’s idea for this trip came when her future plans changed, she said.

“Originally, I was going to move in with my boyfriend, and we ended up breaking up recently,” she said. “I had planned on taking the year off and working to save up money for our apartment. Once he and I broke up, I realized I didn’t have to save money for that anymore, but I still wanted to take the year off.”

However, Dorko said she’s taking a gap year as an opportunity to do something she loves.

“I have so many places I want to see before I die, so why not take the year off and do that instead?” she said. “I came to the conclusion that I’m going to go on this crazy, wild adventure roadtripping and see what happens.”

After her gap year, Dorko has plans to go to school in San Diego to become a social worker.

“[I want to] help kids get out of bad situations and help them heal from that,” she said.

Dorko said she thinks people should chase their dreams whenever possible.

“Anything can happen,” she said. “I’m going on this unplanned road trip across the United States by myself. Anything can happen in life — you just have to go with it.”

Grand Canyon

New York CityPittsburgh

San Diego

Yellowstone National Park

Paige’s Points of Interest[


COLORADOColorado Mountain

CollegeOctavia HarroldNathan Switzer

Colorado State University Alexis DurrJenna Rolá Kencey Spindler

University of Colorado Boulder

Lucy HallDerek Peck

University of Denver Morgan SmallRachel Trout

ARKANSASHarding UniversityAlethea Gochenour

John Brown UniversityShawn Alexander

University of Arkansas Jennifer AcklandAlec BarkleyTaylor DeBeyKyle DlugoposkiTyler ElmendorfAndrew HylandNate MannConnor McCarrickMaegan RiceLauren SawyerGrant SpicerMax Sundquist

TEXASBaylor UniversityBryan AnJessie JilovecJack Weber

Collin CollegeKhira Glynn

Texas Christian UniversityLance JewettGeorgia Killen

ILLINOISDePaul UniversityStephanie Meyers

Greenville CollegeKyle Spriggs

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Ally Berkowitz

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

AJ Johnson

ARIZONAArizona State

UniversityElyse Kats

Northern Arizona University

Rachel Borcherding

University of ArizonaJustin SmithMelanie West

NEW YORKMarymount Manhattan CollegeMadeline O’Donnell

Pratt InstituteSophia Ragomo

Syracuse UniversityLydia Hsu

WASHINGTONThe Evergreen State CollegeSamantha Selph

Seattle UniversityKat Retz

Tacoma Community CollegeMarcus Chan

oh, the places you’ll go389 seniors off to 30 statesWASHINGTON,

D.C.American UniversitySerena Nangia

George Washington University

Lindsay DavisNimisha Halder

GEORGIAGeorgia Institute of TechnologyCameron Lee

Savannah College of Art and Design

Hannah Judy


KANSASBaker UniversityJarrett AlleyBrendan FletcherAJ Totta

Butler County Community College

Ethan Eichelberger

Cowley County Community College

Jared Demmel

Emporia State University

Sophie Woltkamp

Fort Hays State University

Devin Graff

Fort Scott Community College

Ricky Williams

Haskell Indian Nations University

Megan Knight

Hutchinson Community College

Brandon FreihoffLawson Holbert

Johnson County Community College

Austin AlvarezEric AndersonMichael Berryhill

Jillian BodeAlex BuchertAustin CrawfordAlex FitzsimonsHaley ForsaithAndrew FournierNick GemperliMariam HabibMaries HannaConnor HeatonAdriana HerdoizaSebastian

HernandezJessica HonadelZaynab JamilTanner KeenanAdam KellyStuart KochJoJo ManninoDustin MartinNayar MasoudGabe MorganSophia PikusRachel PiresGaret ScaffJoe SchuchardtAnna SharpTristan SmithMatthew StiglianoDaniel StrommeCailey TassinVincent TeelTyler Van CleaveAmanda WatskeyChampale WilesLuis Zamudio

Kansas State University

Sofia AcostaAnna ArendsAustin BadeRobin BajpaiLauren BarashQuinten BotenMallory BradyJonah Brandley

Will BrennanLaurel BrownDeni BurnsCooper ButlerMaggie CarterOlivia CarterWilliam CarterAbbey CrawfordSam CordesMatthew

CummingsKeegan DonahueMaddy EblingLucy FletcherTanner FoxKobe GellesAubrey GilchristDrew GregoryBrandon GrothenDustin HallGunner HalterMelanie HarrellTaylor HartmanThomas HempyAnna HillBridget HowardAdam HoughtonJoey HuangJackson HundeltGarrhett HurstDoug KellermanMorgan KillmarHannah KoenigKatie KralicekBrendan KramerAdam KunkelJosie LewinTanner MaupinTyler MaupinNathan McClainColton McCumberTeah McLaughlinCarter MoravekIan MosierNick NascheMaddie NewellJackson Newkirk

Colin O’BrienErin O’TooleTom OvermanNoah PattersonBen PenceKayla PetersonMichael RaylRyan RichmeierNicole RobbenLexi RobertsWill SandersBrian ShrumKorri SimmonsConnor SossiJoey SoutherlandKatie StachowiakKatie StinsonCharley

ThomeczekMadison WilkinsMatt WiseEthan Wood

MidAmerican Nazarene University

Aaron Thompson

Ottawa UniversityBrittany CanadyBraden Zotinca

Pittsburg State University

Skyler HausbackHunter HuberColin JanesJordan KlugAdam KrankerCamille

Roudeboush

University of Kansas

Bonnie AndersonZeena AqlAnne Arney

Haley BabcockLibby BillmanRitter BraithwaitChloe BreauEmily BridgesSam BrileyMegan BoushkaMatilda BrooksAshley BrownNoah ButenasValeria CalderaAlli CarolloBella CarpenterConor CoreyHank DailyGrant DaughteryAlli DavisAlex DeBeyNiko DrososMorgan ElfstrandBrendan ElliotNicole ForlenzaGrace GearonJames GesslerLogan GlennAlly GillamMichael GiudicessiNiels HansenKatie HatfieldAlyssa HessChristopher HongMarie HornungLauren HuesersAustin HurtZeeshan IjazEmma IversMichael JefferiesGrant JohnsonAustin JungOmar KhanJi Eun KoReid KosicMcKenna LawsonHunter LeblancCassidy LeeDrew LeValleyHunter Liggett

Tanner MadlJacob MarshallMichael MeissenerBrooke MetzGrace MichaleCourtney MooreJoe NicolMakayla NicholisAditi RastogiTatum SandersNabil SanvatChris SchroerJacob SecrestMillie ShahBrady SloanCam SmithTrevor SpraetzBrock StegemanHannah

StyczykowskiSean TarwaterMercedeh TavacoliAlex TurnerAna WelchJoey WiederholtHampton WilliamsJoJo WilliamsMaria WonderlichKelly WoodEmma

WormingtonHunter WrenAngela WrightSophia ZhangEthan Zimmerman

Washburn University

Cassie Nichols

Wichita State University

Dylan BergerhoferEvan Katz

KENTUCKYMorehead State UniversityLiz Allen

University of LouisvilleMeredith Strickland

WYOMINGUniversity of WyomingKayleigh Mohar

MARYLANDUniversity of Maryland, College

ParkSam Saper


IDAHOBirmingham Young

University — IdahoZoë HolyoakCameron MalmMax Schow

MASSACHUSETTSNortheastern UniversityHelen KontopanosJosie McKenna

IOWADrake UniversityBranden BienzHope BrownCatie Kerr INDIANA

Indiana UniversityMandy Novicoff

University of Notre Dame

Sheila Gregory

MISSISSIPPIMississippi State UniversityNatalie RapkenMatt Romero

University of MississippiPaul Feighner

NORTH CAROLINA

Barton CollegeColin Strickland

Davidson CollegeJeff Gurley

Elon UniversityAbigail Krump

MISSOURIMissouri State UniversityMax BreshearsKyle DerringerMollie HoganJuliona L’HeureuxMarshall McCarlClaire NamethAndy StebbinsCharlie Stebbins

Northwest Missouri State University

Liz Kimball

St. Louis UniversityKathleen McDonnell

University of Central MissouriAlex EppersonNick Felling

University of MissouriSam BrumittMaddie DavisMadison DohertyRider HarrisJohn ShoemakerCourtney ThompsonJake Watkins

University of Missouri- Kansas City

Selma BaghdadiBrianna BalmannoSarah HerzbergEmily HoZac KeyserPJ MeachamLizzy MeinzenbachMadison MorrillAinoa RohautKella ValentinRhyan Whitehead

William Jewell CollegeDaniela Litardo

WISCONSINUniversity of Wisconsin-

MadisonEmily Hanna

LOUISIANALouisiana State

UniversityMcKenzie Seaux

OKLAHOMAOklahoma State University Hayden CashionMaggie ConnersMatthew EwingBen Manning Griffin MottAlexis Vance

University of Central Oklahoma

Tiffany Tuck

Rhema Bible Training College

Garrett Olinger

University of OklahomaTyler ChamberlinDemond GlynnMeg HollingsworthWilliam Liu

University of TulsaAmanda Miller


OTHERAfghanistanMuhammad Mughal —

attending medical school

IndiaDebalina Majumder —

attending a medical school

ItalyEmanuele Calosci —finishing final year of

secondary schoolEmiliano Cataldi —finishing final year in

secondary school

MilitaryAndrew Kerr — National

GuardChristian Minnick —

ArmyAlex Rooney — Army

MexicoDaniel Gonzalez —

finishing final year of secondary school

NorwaySarah Jonhaugen —

finishing final year of secondary school

Other Zane Brewer — taking a

gap yearSpencer Callister —

completing a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Ian Curry — taking a gap year

Paige Dorko — taking a roadtrip across the United States

Andrew Feehan — taking a gap year

Kyle Ingraham — taking a gap year

Tyler Jones — taking a gap year

Derek Norby — completing a Mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Addie Sartino — pursuing a career in the music industry

CALIFORNIAAmerican Musical and

Dramatic Academy Los Angeles

Brycen Gunn

California State Polytechnic University, Pomona

RC Shaffer

Minerva Schools Lavanya Aggarwal

Moorpark CollegeNatalie Drew

San Diego State UniversityHannah Valentine

Stanford UniversityGracie Goheen

University of California, Berkeley

Rachel Lock

University of Southern California

Jacob Lester

PENNSYLVANIAPennsylvania State UniversitySydney Anderson

SOUTH CAROLINA

Carolina Coastal University

Alexa Tiefel

College of CharlestonMolly Kebe

CONNECTICUTYale UniversityElizabeth Vore

Davidson CollegeJeff Gurley

Elon UniversityAbigail Krump

UNDECIDEDMaddy BergemanBrandon BlandoArya EdalatiGabe EntrikenBruno FonescaSean GrayTyler HuschkaZachary LefinNathan LuzumIan McKenzieMin MoonAlex RamiyevJager RappeChristine Rice

FLORIDAFull Sail UniversityBailey Klehn

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Jonathan Hearl

UTAHBrigham Young

UniversityJessica Jones

NEBRASKAUniversity of Nebraska-

Lincoln Matthew LaverentzAlex LentferAaron PetersonHannah ScottenJeff Simeroth

Creighton UniversityJerod ChaffinKatherine DunlapMolly Rogers

NEVADATheater Arts

Preparatory SchoolAudrey Holland


2016 seniorsuperlatives

most likely to be a soccer mom

bridgethowardmost likely to be

president

lindsaydavis and nathanluzum

most likely to be friends forever

hopebrownand

aletheagochenour

cutest couple

hannahscotten and

jeffsimeroth

most likely to brighten your day

noahbutenas and mandynovicoff

katretz and coltonmccumber

most athletic

Photos and page designed by Sophia Ragomo.


most artistic

allyberkowitz and

maddiedavisbiggest flirts

demondglynn and zeenaaqlbest dressed

paulfeigner and georgiakillen

class clowns

garrhetthurst and adamhoughton

biggest party animals

alexturner, hannahvalentine and ritterbraithwait

most school spirit

joeschuchardt and

serenanangia

best hair

robinbajpai and

natalierapken

sheilagregoryco-editor

Sitting in the carpeted pod at the end of eighth grade, the high school counselors came to have a chat with us children on the brink of entering our new lives.

Most of it was just talk about how Blue Valley was bigger with more expectations and more freedom, but to this day, what sticks out in my mind was how often they reiterated to get involved.

“Join all these clubs,” “Try out for sports,” “Take different elective classes,” they said.

And I, being the timid person I was, said no thank you, I’ll stick to choir and hurdles. That’s what was safe to me, and in a time of transition, I played it close to the chest — despite the fact I wasn’t good at either of those activities.

But, once the dust of high school settled, and I realized I didn’t have much to do, I knew something needed to change.

Looking back, I have never been more grateful I took that leap of faith to join what was unfamiliar. I started distance track. I signed up to write on this lovely publication. I let go of what I wasn’t good at — I really can’t sing; I don’t know why I ever did choir.

What I have done for the past four years of high school, I owe so much gratitude to.

My three true loves — cross country, newspaper and track — are the reasons I am the person I am.

Through late nights, speed workouts, endless inside jokes, “family” meals and a whole lot of time, I grew into a person I am truly proud to be.

I am no longer shy.

I gained so much confidence. I am so much happier.But before I go on, some thanks are in order. To any person who has participated in cross country: I

understand your pain. Thank you for the tempos, dinners, races, laughs, moans, sweat and love. You all mean so much more to me than you could possibly know.

Cross country was the first time I really felt like I belonged somewhere in high school. There is something about putting countless miles in with other people that cements a bond unlike any other. Even though I complained my way through practices, I wouldn’t trade a single moment of it — don’t tell Huber.

To the select group of runners who took their talents to the track in the spring, I really feel your pain. While this sport comes as an afterthought to many cross country runners, it holds a special place in my heart. I started distance track my freshman year instead of cross country.

It introduced me to running. It taught me how to rely on myself.It has given me so much.However, my skills aren’t limited to running in circles quickly. Joining newspaper my sophomore year was the best decision

I made throughout high school. This amazing publication has provided me with so many opportunities I hadn’t even imagined.

I have my best friends because of newspaper. I had my first Twitter fight because of newspaper. I’ve talked to people with backgrounds and ideas completely out of what I had thought possible because of newspaper.

Thank you to my hard-working and dedicated staff who never fail to make me smile. Thank you to my amazing co-editor Maddie Davis who shares the same aggressive hatred of Comic Sans. Finally, thank you to our fearless adviser Michelle Huss who has put up with me almost every day since freshman year. You are the best mentor and friend we could’ve asked for.

Let’s wrap up this lengthy opinion with what we all have in common: Blue Valley.

This leaky, freezing, humid, flooded, dilapidated and crowded school has been my home for the past four years. We’ve all had vastly different experiences and memories here, but whether you enjoyed it or hated every second, we went through it together.

I found my place in activities and sports that welcomed me with open arms.

I found my friends in classes I never thought possible to take.I took a leap of faith that shaped me into who I am. Now we’re off to what lies after graduation — the biggest leap

of faith yet. Thanks to my time at BV, I can say with full confi-dence that I am ready.

I will not forget my years as a Tiger. I will not forget my news-paper staff and cross country team.

Take your leap of faith — it could be the best thing you never saw coming.


“Looking back, I have never been more grateful I took that leap of faith to join what was unfamiliar.”

maddiedavisco-editor

Throughout my three years on staff for “The Tiger Print,” I have thought about what to write about for my senior column.

Well, here I am, still not entirely sure. I know I could pull sections of one of my many college essays

about overcoming adversity or being a leader. But that’s not what I want to do.

Most of you — even if you get all the way through this — will not remember anything from this story even an hour from now. And if you do, you’ll probably just remember a single sentence or idea that spoke to you.

That’s why I’ve decided to compile a list of things that I’ve learned starting from birth up until now. My hope is that at least one thing from the list will stick with you.

1. If you are trying to convince your mom that you didn’t spill paint on the carpet, it’s best to wash the paint off your hands first.

2. Your siblings are your best friends even if they accidentally flush your favorite Beanie Baby down the toilet.

3. Just because you don’t achieve your goals the first time doesn’t mean you should stop trying.

4. When your mom tells you to bring a jacket, bring a jacket.5. I know that breaking up with that boy who said he loved

you seems like the end of the world, but I promise it will be OK.6. You are an artist even if you don’t think that you have a

creative bone in your body. Your form of creativity just may be different from other people’s.

7. If you don’t like where you are, move. You are not a tree.8. It’s OK to take a break every once in awhile. You deserve it.

9. There is more to life than retweets and likes.10. Every pizza is a personal pizza if you try hard enough.11. Try having a civil conversation with someone you don’t

agree with. You might learn something.12. No matter what your math teacher tells you, as long as

you have your phone, you will always have a calculator with you.13. Concerts are beautiful, and you should go to them.14. Life is not a highway. It is definitely a roundabout because

nobody understands those.And finally — and most importantly — your future isn’t go-

ing to be perfect, but that’s OK. Along the way you’ll learn a lot, meet new people, and find out more about yourself.

I know I am.


“Along the way you’ll learn a lot, meet new people, and find out more about yourself.”

Co-editor shares favorite photos from school year


“So here it goes, high school — it’s not you. It’s me.”

rachellockweb editor

Moving on — something we often use to describe graduating high school and heading off to whatever lies in store for us after.

When I hear “moving on,” however, I never get that feeling of completeness, of finishing strong, of saying goodbye.

Moving on sounds more like getting over a breakup than a farewell — so we might as well treat it as that.

So here it goes, high school — it’s not you. It’s me.

No, seriously. It is not your fault I have reached the

age where I need to leave the nest and (hopefully) make something of myself.

We had some good times together — school dances, newspaper late nights, numerous theater productions.

And some bad — AP stat.But all good things must come to an

end. Sure, everything was going well

freshman year when the relationship was still new and exciting; but honestly, I think both of us are getting a little tired of each other. It’s not a bad thing — we did what was right for both of us at the time and we just, well, grew apart. No hard feelings.

I truly do wish you the best of luck, but I think we need to see other people.

There are plenty of other fish in the sea and hey, a hot new class of freshman will come into your life next year.

To be quite frank, there is someone else in my life.

Your suspicions were right — the late nights on the computer were me visiting websites for other schools and the missed days for “family trips” were indeed college visits.

I denied it and denied it, but yes, it’s true.

There is a new special someone for me. You were right all along and even

though it will hurt, you need to hear me admit it — it’s college.

I really don’t want this to come between us, and I’m sorry it had to end this way.

Maybe we can still be friends. But in all seriousness — I want to

thank you for being a place I could make mistakes and learn more about myself in the process.

My time with you taught me so much about what I am capable of and how to work hard to achieve my goals. I made so many unforgettable friends and will never stop counting myself lucky for that.

There were so many things about you that made you special — the wonderful “Tiger Print,” the drama department, Fifth Wall, the school spirit.

You will forever hold a place in my heart.

The invaluable lessons I have learned here will help me in the next chapter of my life.

I am sorry we have come to the inevitable end of this relationship.

All those who come along next will be incredibly lucky to have you — I can only hope they will have as good of an experience as I have. I know you’ll find the one eventually.

I hear that Scott Bacon is a catch and he won’t suddenly graduate like everyone else. I’ll give you his number.

Best of luck to you. Goodbye, high school.


“I don’t want to wish away any of the minutes I have left here in Kansas City, the place I will always call my home.”

sophiaragomophoto editor

Do you know the saying “you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone?”

As cliché as it sounds, it couldn’t be more true.

Before the time I was 4, I had lived in England, Virginia and New Jersey prior to moving here to Kansas. My entire family — grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins — all live in New Jersey, so Kansas felt like a world away.

When I was younger, I lived for the summer vacations in which we would all be reunited. Kansas merely seemed like a hiccup in the path that would eventually

lead to us all being together.My biggest misconception

was that the only place that could ever be my home was where my relatives were.

The moment I first began to realize this was when I got to high school. To me, the idea of high school was kind of like jumping out of an airplane — exciting and terrifying all at once.

Honestly, I never expected to miss high school this much. I thought it would just be another phase in my life I would have to get through to find something more exciting.

To my surprise, it actually became one of the chief events that shaped me into the person I am today.

I owe all of the wonderful things I have found here at Blue Valley to “The Tiger Print.” I don’t know how to explain it, but Room 450 is a magical place.

Mrs. Huss, the best adviser I could ask for, is the perfect mix of a friend and a teacher. Not only is she an InDesign wizard, but a loving and supportive figure as well.

I also found my passion in this room. Photography only became a skill I had to acquire to join newspaper, but now I can’t imagine my life without it.

Those who also call this room their home are a group of remarkable human beings. Somehow, everyone who joins staff is a perfect addition to the newspaper family, bringing smart political humor, a positive attitude or mad design skills to the table.

The friends I have found in this room are what make “The Tiger Print” special. Through all of my bad headlines, poorly-timed jokes, and crazy antics, they still love me just the same. Out of all the things I have here at Blue Valley,

the times I have spent in this room with them are the times I will miss the most.

Family to me no longer means just those I am related to.

Family are those who pick you up when you’re down.

Family are those who love you unconditionally.

Family are those who make you a better you.

Now that everything I have known for the past 14 years is being left behind, I now realize how good I had it here. Even though I would like to say I have no regrets in life, my biggest regret is that I didn’t embrace my life in Kansas sooner.

It is here that I’ve found out what things I love to do.

It is here that I’ve found people who love and support me.

It is here that I’ve found the best group of friends I’ve ever had.

I am ecstatic to see what Brooklyn has in store for me, but I don’t want to wish away any of the minutes I have left here in Kansas City, the place I will always call my home.

Photo Editor shares favorite photos from

school year


hopebrownfeatures editor

Throughout my life, I’ve always been scared.

When I was little, I was terrified of the Easter bunny because I didn’t know what was hiding underneath his immense, smiling rabbit face.

In middle school, I was petrified of gym class after I was hit in the head with a flying basketball.

And on my first day of high school, I was nervous I would be shoved into the lockers by the intimidating, bearded upperclassmen.

Now, as a senior in high school, I’m about to embark on my biggest adventure yet and dive into perhaps the scariest thing I’ve ever experienced — college.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m beyond elated to become a college student.

However, moving on from high school, my best friends and my family is also terrifying.

In the last four years at Blue Valley, I’ve experienced a roller coaster of emotions.

I’ve ended many friendships with people I foolishly thought would always be there for me.

I’ve suffered through many midnight hours of studying the night before a math test.

I’ve even lost important people in my life such as my grandpa, one of the greatest men I’ve ever known, and my rabbit, Shawnee, who was the only pet I’ve ever had.

Although the past four years have hosted their fair share of negative experiences, they have also been the best years of my life.

When I stepped into BV as a timid, quiet freshman, I didn’t know what to expect.

I was scared of all of the new events high school offered, and I didn’t know how to thrive in this new environment.

However, over the next four years, I met many peers and teachers who influenced me. With each encouraging phrase or gesture, I became more comfortable at BV.

I joined the cross country team, an idea I’m still not sure why I pursued, but one I’m immensely glad I did. I had a love-hate relationship with running, but I met some of my best friends during runs when we thought our legs were going to give out.

I joined the newspaper staff my junior year, and in Room 450, I found where I truly belonged. From making jokes about Comic Sans to judging Donald Trump, the newspaper staff is a family. Whenever I was upset or stressed during school, I would remind myself that fifth hour would make everything better. Walking in and being greeted by all of the staff ’s smiling faces (and sometimes a beautiful plate of cookies) made my bad days a million times better.

In high school, I also found my best friends, and even though I didn’t become close to some of them until senior year, I don’t regret it. I finally have people in my life who are there for me no matter what, and we can hangout and just talk and still have the best time.

And perhaps one of the biggest lessons I’ve learned over the last four years is you can always count on your parents. Although they may annoy you to no end with their embarrassing mom-dancing or overly friendly personality, they are there for you when no one else is. Without the support of my parents, I know without a doubt I wouldn’t be as motivated or successful as I am today.

All of the people I’ve interacted with and all of the experiences I’ve encountered over the last four years transformed me into a more confident and independent young adult.

However, although BV is now my second home, the purpose of living isn’t to be comfortable. The most rewarding part of life is getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things. Do something scary — you never know what could change your life.

High school frightened me, but I used my fear as motivation. I worked hard in school and made the most of my high school career.

Without BV, I wouldn’t be where I am today, on my way to becoming a Bulldog at Drake University next year.

Yes, I’m scared for college and for what the future holds for me. But I’m going to embrace this new, terrifying experience.

“The most rewarding part of life is getting out of your comfort zone and experiencing new things.”

lydiahsustaff writer

“Some infinities are bigger than other infinities.” — John Green

Four years here and then four years gone in a blink of an eye — time really does fly.

It would be great if I could reminisce over everything that has happened to me in the last four years, but — truth be told — in my head, it’s one big blur.

Everything is jumbled together. I’m not trying to write off high school

as something not important or trying to say I didn’t make memories here, but high school is just high school — whatever happened to you here will not dictate your future.

No one will remember your many State titles won or that you were top

ranked out of the entire class. Sure, you might, but in the end no one really cares enough to remember.

I’m not trying to downgrade the many achievements and recognitions this class has had, but it’s the truth.

To be completely honest, I probably won’t see or talk to most of the people in this class after I walk out of the doors and throw my graduation cap into the air.

For a majority of us, our life journeys with each other end on May 15.

I’m fine with that because life moves on, and we all have the rest of our lives to get to.

High school is four years out of the rest of our lives — it’s a small infinity out of the many more and many larger ones to come.

Although the moments within this brief period of my life flash quickly

through my head, I am truly grateful for each and every one of them.

Within this infinity, I’ve met characters who flew headfirst with me into adven-tures through city and country roads and have experienced days filled with laughter as well as autumn nights spent with a then stranger beneath the stars above our heads that stretch far across into the bil-lions of infinities being created in galaxies eons away.

There were moments of sore feet as my heartbeat pulsed to the rhythm of music off in Wonderland as well as early morn-ing breakfasts and pancakes drowning in a sea of syrup without a care in the world.

Within this little infinity of mine, I also watched the light in my best friend’s eyes leave the world in the hours before dawn as my family and I raced to save his life.

I watched myself fall into the last warm, furry hug I would feel from him.

I stood beside my mom as she lay asleep in the hospital bed after surgery and X amount of chemotherapy treat-ments, and I ingrained every detail of her peacefulness into my mind knowing I’d be shown her strained brave face by the time she was awake.

In the end, I’ve discovered that high school is an infinity.

Even though at times it seemed to drag on, sometimes it sped up to the point where I couldn’t keep up and wanted to scream “stop.”

Yet, I learned to be present in every millisecond of it — to treasure what I have, to appreciate moments for what they are.

Truth be told — I wouldn’t want to reminisce about every experience of high school.

My body lived in those moments. My emotions walked through those

halls. My soul wandered through life’s

lessons and now, my mind is ready to embrace my next infinity — jump into a car, grab some old friends and go.

We’ll be gone in a blink of an eye, and that’s not a terrible thing. Okay?


“Although I am grateful for this little infinity, within a limited number of days, it will finally reach its end.”


laurenhuesersstaff writer

I’ll be the first to admit it. I am a nerd.I grew up with books in my hands,

wildly reading anything I could find. I couldn’t help it — every story took me away into an adventurous fantasy, and it was often hard to bring me back to reality.

It comes as no surprise, then, that I secretly expected high school to be like Hogwarts.

I wanted a wise, old headmaster who spoke the most random of phrases.

I wanted teachers as strict as Snape and as compassionate as Hagrid.

I wanted trap doors guarded by three-headed dogs, Triwizard Tourna-ments, Forbidden Forests and two best friends who always stood by me.

I wanted adventure and spontaneity. I

wanted magic.Nevertheless, I can say today, as I fin-

ish my last year of high school, that I did not find magic in the way I wanted.

I did not find moving staircases, but a one-floor building.

I did not eat food graciously made by the house elves but bland lunches that soon made me lose my appetite.

I did not find any mythical creatures or precious stones.

Instead of taking OWL and NEWT examinations, I wandered through AP tests and countless finals.

I didn’t find exactly what I wanted to do — turns out you can’t be an Auror if you’re a Muggle. Instead, I discovered that I have close to no idea of what I want to do in the next few months.

In the midst of all this disappointment, I did, however, find magic in the friends

I made and the adventures we went on together. As soon as I figured out I wasn’t going to Hogwarts, I decided to find mag-ic even in the most Muggle things.

Homework assignments were more bearable if I established a certain parch-ment length requirement.

The dishes were done with a swish and flick of my wand.

Football games were Quidditch matches.

Anything and everything that I could change, I did.

High school wasn’t what I had hoped it would be, but I’ve learned to be OK with that. I’ve learned to make my own adven-tures. My imagination was the only thing that got me through all those AP classes.

I still find magic in everyday things, and for that, I am immensely grateful. Always.

“As soon as I figured out I wasn’t going to Hogwarts, I decided to find magic even in the most Muggle things.”


“What I thought was the worst news of my life turned out to be exactly what God intended for me.”

tatumsandersstaff writer

High school is filled with ups and downs starting with freshman year all the way to senior year.

Freshman, sophomore and junior year were really fun.

I made my friends. I had a reputation as a helpful and

smart girl. I was in F.U.S.E. — Freshman Utilizing

Senior Experience. We helped freshmen get involved in high school.

I was a volunteer at my church in the nursery as a kindergarten leader.

I was a leader in mentoring of at-risk students.

I guess you could say I had a lot “go-ing” for me.

Then, in February 2015 — my junior year — I was told some news that made me think the last year of my high school would be ruined.

I was told I would be moving from Moore, Oklahoma, to Overland Park, Kansas. I would be leaving my best friend Alexis to be the new girl.

I don’t know if anyone knows about how hard it is to be the “new girl” — but let me tell you.

Moving the Spring Break of your junior year to a place you’ve never even heard of is life-changing.

I got here, and I had no friends. I didn’t really start making friends

until two or three weeks into the last quarter of school.

I was invited to Prom by some people who didn’t want me to feel left out.

I spent time at a new church as a nurs-ery volunteer, and I worked constantly the summer before my senior year.

On the first day of my senior year, I was excited but nervous. It made me re-alize I wasn’t going to be graduating with Alexis by my side.

It’s not very fun having to go to school for a full schedule your senior year, but if I wouldn’t have taken my full schedule, I wouldn’t have met my best friend Tiffany

Tuck. We’ve done everything together: Spring Break, Sweetheart, our senior trip and, of course, Prom.

When I thought my life was ruined with the one little phrase “We’re moving,” I was so blind to the new opportunities God was giving me — a new path I was given to take.

Instead of going to the University of Oklahoma, I will attend the University of Kansas.

Instead of moving back to Oklahoma, which will always be home, I will be stay-ing here in Kansas, my new home.

What I thought was the worst news of my life turned out to be exactly what God intended for me.

If I never would’ve moved here, I never would’ve experienced what I have now.

Moving here brought me closer with

my mom and dad. I’ve met a lot of new people and made

a lot of new friends. God brought them into my life to show me everywhere I go I will have amazing people come into my life, and some will stay and some will leave.

Those who stay are who God meant for me to meet.

Those who left were a lesson to show me who I needed to be around more and who will benefit my relationship with God.

The main lesson I’ve learned after this whole move is to just trust God.

He’s doing something great even when it sounds awful at the time.

He’s going to bring you a new experi-ence that you will never be able to under-stand if stay where you are now.

36 payin’thebills April 2016

EXPIRES 5/31/16 EXPIRES 5/31/16

Stop by Robeks on late arrival and get your day of to a great start!

Idea #3Summer Road Trip, $100-150Being crammed into one car and driving through states with your friends or family is a great way to spend more time with them. Stay at a cheap motel and get lost somewhere, and since it’s the summer before college, it’s the perfect time for you to create more lasting memories with all the pictures you will take on this trip.What You’ll Need:• money• camera• car

Idea #4Congratulation Video, $25-30For a more personal gift, create a video including family, friends and others congratulating the graduate. In this video, it can include people giving advice, reminiscing about the memories and sharing old photos. Among others you could buy, iMovie and Movie Maker are programs to use to create a video.What You’ll Need:• recording device• computer

April 2016 centerstage 37

Idea #1Picture Frame, $10-15 A personalized decorative frame with a picture of you and your friend is a great way to relive the good times in high school. It’s a perfect gift you can put on your desk or nightstand in your dorm next year in college.What You’ll Need:• picture frame• glitter/puff paint• picture of you and your friend

Idea #2Stationary Letter, $15-20A letterset is perfect for keeping in touch with friends and family members who are out-of-state. Although letters are outdated, they are great surprises to send and receive during the school year. Make sure to know their addresses. What You’ll Need:• stamps• pen• envelopes

Unique, creative presents for graduating seniorsGrad GiftsYou have been invited to a private event on May 14. Going. Maybe. Can’t Go.Graduation Season is just around the corner, and with that comes many graduation parties. Instead of giving

your graduating seniors solely cash, give them something personal and special this year.

BV2kinds of people

at

Survey shows student habits, difference in preferencesBased on a poll of 173 students.

Information collected by Alli Williams.

Page design by Lydia Hsu and Alli Williams.

vsBuy all newsupplies and get completely organized 82%

SOLSTICE

Get a new pack of gum

and a pen from last year

18%

school supplies

spirit daysDidn’t know

they were supposed

to dress up

41%Go

all-out with their

outfit

59%vs

during the day

Go to their locker

after every class42%

vsCarry a backpack overflowing withpapers and books

58%note-taking

Take a picture of the board

75%

HEATS OF FUSION AND SOLIDIFICATION

• This gain of heat causes a change

of state instead of a change

in temperature.

• The temperature of the

substance undergoing the change

remains constant.

25%

vsCopy information all down neatly in a notebook

38 centerstage April 2016

Specific activities, events, places are must-dos this break

Pages designed by Courtney Carpenter.Information collected by Charlotte Rooney and Courtney Carpenter.

April/May-Strawberry Swing Indie Craft Fair: April 30-May 1-The Color Run: May 7*-GO Project Family 5K: May 7-B&B Theatres Retro Night: May 12**

**B&B Theatres hosts a monthly retro night, showing a movie for only $5 a ticket. For the month of May, B&B is featuring the movie “The Sandlot.”

*The Color Run is an annual highly-anticipated race, named the ‘Happiest 5K on the Planet.’ The race takes place in a multitude of locations across North America, South America, Australia, Europe and Asia. Runners are battered with flying paint during the race, easily making it a unique 5K for all. Tickets are on sale now.

June-Old Shawnee Days: June 2-5-Prairie Village Art Show: June 3-5*-Lee’s Summit Downtown Days: June 3-5-Deanna Rose’s Farmstead Dairy Days: June 13-Busker Festival at City Market: June 16-Outpace Poverty Race: June 18-Fiesta Kansas City: June 19-21-Great Lenexa BBQ Battle: June 24-25**

**Originally started in 1982, the Great Lenexa BBQ Battle is a two-day statewide barbecue competition with more than 190 contestants and 245 judges. This is perfect for families to enjoy great barbecue, children’s games, live music and entertainment.

*The Prairie Village Art Show hosts more than 90 tents and booths full of art including digital media, ceramics, glass, jewelry, painting, photography and sculpture. Foods stands and trucks make for a fun treat, and the event is free to attend if simply browsing.

July-Flags for Freedom: July 2-KC Riverfest: July 4-Cass County Fair: July 12-17-Buzz Beach Ball: July 16-17-Johnson County Fair: July 17-23-Chipotle’s Cultivate Kansas City: July 23Chipotle’s Cultivate Kansas City is a free music festival touring around the United States. Enjoy fresh food, drinks and additional games and entertain-ment at Penn Valley Park from 11 a.m. - 7 p.m.

April 2016 centerstage 39

Summer Restaurants:-The Mixx: This restaurant has a full salad bar where you can make a personalized salad with a variety of ingredients. If sal-ads aren’t for you, there are soups, wraps and sandwiches on a separate menu that you can enjoy in the clean, light ambiance of the eatery.-t. Loft: This place is perfect for summer with healthy choices for clean eating. The menu includes salads, bowls, protein balls and appetizers. Juices, smoothies, shakes and teas are also available.-Café Gratitude: This is a vegetarian and vegan restaurant and bakery that offers salads, numerous appetizers, wraps, entrées such as lasagna and eggplant parmesan and drinks such as smoothies, shakes and caffeinated drinks. You order by saying “I am…” with options like “vivacious,” “energized” and “charismatic.” -Lulu’s Thai Noodle Shop: located in the Crossroads down-town and in Westwood, Kansas, this restaurant offers small plates, noodle dishes, rice bowls, curries, sandwiches, salads and soups. The menu hosts gluten free and vegetarian options. -Sheridan’s Unforked: Unforked’s menu includes tacos, que-sadillas and sides such as chips and guacamole and signature fries. Drinks like frozen lemonade and several smoothies are also available.

Volunteer Opportunities: There are plenty of organizations in need of volunteers, especially during the summer. If you’re over 16, the availability of a car is best to travel out of your neighborhood and into the community. -Deanna Rose: petting zoo assistant -Wayside Waifs -Elderly Assistance: Kansas Hospice Care -Assist Elderly with Grocery Shopping: Metro Lutheran Ministry

Ways to make money: During the summer, with more time in the day, it is generally easier for students to find odd jobs. Here are some non-traditional ways to make extra cash. -Have a bake sale-Walk dogs-Sell items on eBay/Craigslist-Flip Garage Sales -Housesit/babysit-Tutor neighboring children

40 centerstage April 2016

Photo by Sophia Ragomo. Page designed by Connor Heaton.

Enter theMatrix

VR: Virtual RealityField of View: The extent of the observable world seen at any given moment — the bigger the number the better quality.Headtracking: Translating the movement of your head to what is shown on the screen.Latency: The delay from what happens on the screen to what the user actually sees. Incor-rectly calibrating this can quickly lead to motion sickness.Resolution: The overall image quality. 1080p is the default standard while 1440p and 2160p are much higher but require more intense power.

DOWNLOAD your very own Google Cardboard VR goggles FREE:

Were reportedly very interested in VR-according to a 2015 Statista survey-

44%

Oculus sold their VR product to Facebook for

$2 Billion

HTC Vives were sold

Remember that scene in “The Matrix” where main char-acter Neo plugs his mind into a computer and is planted into a realistic computer simulation of our world? While not quite as advanced now, Virtual Reality opens a door into these worlds — with potentially game-changing results for education, advertising and entertainment alike. Specifically, VR is done through a device made to connect to either one’s computer, gaming console or even cell phone. When the user puts on the headset, he or she feels like they’re wearing goggles — the lenses of which broadcast an image or video to the user whose brain is tricked into thinking it to be real — hence creat-ing a “Virtual Reality.”

15,000 in 10 minutes,

of people

The Oculus Rift is a very powerful system with state-of-the art headtracking and a massive selection of games and VR experiences.

The HTC Vive —while the most expensive — is the most powerful VR product out there. It comes equipped with a motion controller so you can use your hands in VR. Resolution: 2160pCost: $800FOV: 110 degrees

The Gear VR connects to newer Galaxy phones and is a nice option for those who want to experience quality VR at a lower price.

Resolution: 2160pCost: $600FOV: 110 degrees

Resolution: 1440pCost: $100FOV: 96 degrees

Created by Google, this headset offers fantastic quality at a more affordable price. It is made out of cardboard and allows for more people to get a taste of the VR cake. Resolution: 1080pCost: $15FOV: 90 degrees

BV has its own supply of Google Cardboards in the library.

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Question: How long have you played?Answer: “I’ve played for about six years now. I played all three years in school plus this year, but I also have played club outside of that.” Q: What are you looking forward to for the season?A: “Just qualifying again [for State] and getting more guys to go with us. We fin-ished really well last year. We got third as a team, which is really good for how our team traditionally does.”Q: What do you expect from the team this year?A: “A lot of guys have been training off-season, so I expect to see a lot more guys qualifying just to get us more points. Overall, our team is going to be better, so I expect a better record.”Q: What legacy do you plan on leaving behind?A: “I just hope to be a part in changing the culture of the team. Traditionally we haven’t really been good and [didn’t] have a lot of pride. I hope this year with everyone getting better and with this being my senior year, we can do better as a team overall and just change the culture

and the outlook that our players have on being a part of the tennis team.”Q: What are your responsibilities for being captain?A: “I’m responsible for leading warm-ups, setting an example to my team-mates, helping the coach lead the team and promoting a productive competitive culture.”Q: Why do you think you were chosen to be captain?A: “I’m pretty good, so that kind of helped, but also [probably] because I feel like people can look up to me. I’ve played for a while, so I’ve had experience, and I feel like that played a big role.”Q: What do you think your impact is on the team? A: “I feel like they know that I’ll be able to help them and that I’m willing to help them. If they have any questions, I’m pretty knowledgeable on the sport, so I can help them out.”Q: How did the team impact you?A: “They’ve helped me become a better leader because I was captain last year. Also through the camaraderie in working together as a team made me more con-scious of my teammates and how to work

well with a group. Although it’s an indi-vidual sport, you are a team and how you perform does impact that team, so just working with the guys and playing with them has really taught me you got to look at things with a bigger perspective.”Q: How has the coach encouraged you throughout high school?A: “I had a different coach my freshman and sophomore year. Our new coach, who I had last year, is a lot more encour-aging and a more positive figure. She also has experience playing, so that’s helped a lot. I know just through her coaching last year, she was able to help me and Min [Moon] qualify for State and eventually do well enough to get third [at State].”Q: Do you plan to play in college?A: “I was thinking about it, but I decided it wasn’t a good fit for me, and I want to pursue my other passions.”

42 tigerturf April 2016

Page designed by Lydia Hsu. Stories by Megan Hegarty, Lydia Hsu and Tatum Sanders. Photos by Sophia Ragomo.

leading the packSpring sports are in full swing at Blue Valley, and with so many students participating in these outside activities, senior athletes are responsible to guide the team alongside the coaches.

Boys Tennis — senior Tyler Elmendorf

Captains share insight on leadership, experience

SoftballApril 28 • V/JV @ BV SouthwestMay 3 • V @ St. Thomas AquinasMay 4 • JV @ St. Thomas Aquinas

May 5 • V @ Bishop MiegeMay 6 • JV @ Bishop MiegeMay 10 • V/JV @ BV West

May 16-20 • RegionalsMay 26-27 • State

Boys TennisApril 28 • V @ BV North,

JV @ homeApril 30 • V EKL @ BV North

May 4 • JV @ Shawnee Mission Northwest, V @ home

May 7 • RegionalsMay 13-14 • State

Boys GolfApril 29 • V @ Carey Park

May 3 • V @ Deer Creek, JV @ Prairie High

May 4 • JV @ Overland ParkMay 9 • JV @ Swope Park

May 11 • V @ Alvamar

April 2016 tigerturf 43

Question: How long have you been playing golf?Answer: “I’ve been playing for seven or eight years now.”Q: What are you looking forward to this season?A: “Probably just playing with my friends. I enjoy it because it’s very relaxed, and we have a lot of fun. I really like the group of guys that play golf.”Q: What do you expect of your team this year?A: “Last year we had four people go to State. We’re hoping to qualify more or the whole varsity team this season.” Q: What legacy do you plan on leaving behind?A: “I want people to enjoy golf. I want people to know they don’t have to be up-set after a bad round. There are a lot more

stressful and boring things you could be doing besides golf.” Q: What are the responsibilities of being a captain?A: “There’s not too many for golf. We just have to make sure everyone knows where to be and when. We keep things orga-nized. Most importantly, we encourage our other teammates.” Q: Why do you think you were cho-sen to be the captain?A: “For golf, the captains are the return-ing senior golfers. There isn’t an election process or anything.” Q: What do you think your impact has been on the team? A: “We’re always trying to help each other even though golf is an individual sport. We aren’t all playing together, but we have to help each other to do well as a

team in the long run.” Q: How did the team impact you? A: “They have pro-vided me with a lot of good memories and fun times. Playing golf has made high school a lot more enjoyable.” Q: How have the coaches encour-aged you throughout high school? A: “They always want me to do my best and put effort into everything I do.” Q: Do you plan to play in college?A: “No. It’s a huge time commitment. You have to practice every day and miss Monday and Tuesday classes for tourna-ments. I’d rather focus on my academics in college.”

Softball — senior Hannah Styczykowski

MUG

Boys Golf — senior Paul Feighner

Question: How long have you been playing softball? Answer: “I’ve played at BV all four years and before that, since I was in fourth grade.”Q: What are you looking forward to this season? A: “I’m looking forward to meeting all the underclassmen and getting to know all my other teammates better.”Q: What do you expect of your team this year? A: “I expect us to give 100 percent and communicate with each other through-out the season to help make us individu-ally and as a group better.”Q: What legacy do you plan on leaving behind? A: “I hope to be a leader and someone that the younger [players] look up to. I want to be someone for them that they can come to when they need something, have a question about how something works or [need] any advice in general.” Q: What are the responsibilities of being a captain? A: “You have to be a good role model for everyone on the team and be someone that’s approachable and a good leader. You have to be able to lead stretching,

throwing and running and be sure every-one is having fun but is staying focused at the same time.” Q: Why do you think you were chosen to be the captain? A: “I think the coaches see me as a good leader. Plus I’m the only senior and have been in the program the longest.”Q: What do you think your im-pact has been on the team? A: “I hope to impact our team by doing my personal best and taking advantage of the coaches and my teammates by asking them if I need clarification. [I’m] using what I’m learning every day to better my-self and give our team a good record and keep the momentum going into State.” Q: How did the team impact you? A: “I have made so many amazing friends through softball and don’t know what I would do without all of them. They’re all so positive and are great peo-ple to be around. They make me happy.”Q: How have the coaches encour-aged you through high school? A: “All five of the coaches have been so helpful to me not only as a softball player but as a person, too. They do all that they can every day to better each and every one of us. They all are very fair and are

great people to talk to. They also make practices really fun by taking it seriously just the right amount. They make sure we’re all engaged but are really good at making sure we’re all having fun, too.”Q: Do you plan to play in college?A: “No I do not. I’m trying to do the best I can to take advantage of these last times that I’ll get to play softball at this level. I know how much I’m going to miss the program, the people and the sport, of course.”

Running up the field, senior Bridget Howard passes the ball to a teammate. Howard is one of the varsity team captains. “We worked hard during the offseason, and now it’s time to prove ourselves,” she said.

taliaamjadistaff writer

Through many successful seasons of girls soccer at Blue Valley, this season is a unique one — four freshmen made the varsity team.

Freshman Anna Todd said she heard from the boys that tryouts were going to be difficult.

“You have to do a lot of running and conditioning,” Todd said. “I really tried not to over think anything. I just wanted to try and play my best at tryouts and see what happened from there.”

Senior Bridget Howard said the fresh-men who made varsity are deserving and a great addition to the team.

“I love having freshmen on the team,” Howard said. “The four girls who made varsity proved themselves from the begin-ning, and each deserved a spot.”

As one of four freshmen on varsity, Todd said while she feels pressure to play well, the girls are great teammates and friends.

“At the beginning I was really ner-vous,” Todd said. “Since I’m a freshman, I didn’t want them to think I was trying to show off in any way. So far it’s great, and we’re already becoming best friends.”

Soccer coach K. Dean Snell said the freshmen on varsity bring talent to the team.

“Aside from the great physical skill

and speed [the freshmen] have, they also bring what we call a very high soccer ‘IQ,’ meaning a very good understanding of the game in all phases — attacking, de-fending and ball-skill abilities,” Snell said.

Howard said the girls on the team have bonded well.

“Our team chemistry this year has been unlike any other,” she said. “We decided to do big sisters and little sisters, which has been a lot of fun. It has brought us together with the underclassmen. We do things outside of soccer, and it makes us closer as a team.”

Howard said being named captain for the 2016 season changed her role on the team.

“Staying calm and positive in intense situations and motivating the team when times get tough are equally important qualities when it comes to being a leader,” Howard said. “Being a good leader not only applies to on the field but off the field as well. It’s important to be a good role model to the underclassmen and help them adapt to the varsity level.”

Todd said her personal mission on this team is to become the best player she can be throughout the season so she can help the Tigers reach their goals.

“I play center midfield and defensive mid,” Todd said. “I hope to try and score as many goals as I can when I get the op-portunity in the game, try to play my very best in every single match and distribute the ball to my teammates.”

Snell said the team works hard daily.“We try to improve every day whether

it is in a match or practice,” Snell said. “If we can continue doing this, we will be able to look back and say we played to the best of our ability every day. When we do this and we outperform our opponents, that’s when we recognize success.”

As a team, Todd said the goal is to win games and qualify for State.

“We want to make it as far as we can, hopefully in the playoffs and eventually try to win State,” she said. “Personally, I want to try and get better in my position to contribute to my teammates.”

Todd said starting the game as a fresh-man can be a little stressful when you are swarmed with upperclassmen, but once you start playing, it all goes away.

“I feel pressure because during games you don’t want to be the one that messes up a lot,” Todd said. “At the same time, I still have three more years to play, so I have a lot of time to learn and improve myself as a player.”

Howard said many unique opportu-nities come along with the soccer season, and she is excited to experience all of it.

“I’m looking forward to our bus rides, team dinners, bonding and winning,” Howard said. “High school soccer is [great] because we all know each other so well, and I am going to miss the girls a lot. I’m looking forward to a great season with this team and making it a memorable last year of soccer here at Blue Valley.”


Teammates express thoughts on girls

soccer season, bonds created

by players

striking at

success

Photos by Isabelle Allen. Page designed by Talia Amjadi.

Changing directions, freshman Anna Todd looks for an open teammate to pass to. Todd is one of four freshman on varsity. “I didn’t expect to make varsity, but when I did, I was really happy,” she said.


For any high schooler, playing a sport is a major time commitment. After school practices every day and grueling workouts make it hard for any student to keep up. Members of the swim team, however, takes the time commitment to the next level.

Senior Megan Boushka has been a varsity swimmer all four years of high school and is one of only three seniors this season.

“My freshman year we started with six or seven girls [in our class],” she said. “People quit because of injuries or just be-cause swimming is super intense. It takes dedication, so a lot of people quit unless they were competitive club swimmers.”

Boushka said the time commitment makes balancing swim and school hard.

“I lose a lot of sleep trying to keep up with school,” she said. “I sleep maybe five hours a night, which is not good for my health. I get sick a lot during season because I’m in four weighted classes and swimming for hours a day.”

She said although swim is a lot of work, the girls are closer because of it and spend a lot of time together outside of the sport.

“It definitely makes practice go a lot faster if you’re laughing and having fun in your lane,” Boushka said. “It makes the morning practices and getting up at the crack of dawn easier. Every Thursday, most of the team goes out to breakfast after morning practice. We have team dinners before every meet, and we always have a team sleepover where we go on a scavenger hunt.”

Flipping and twisting in midair before landing with barely a splash in the water sounds daunting to anyone unfamiliar with diving. That said, those with gymnas-tic and cheerleading backgrounds usually have a leg up on the competition.

Junior Abby Loudenback has just that. She was a gymnast for 10 years and on the Blue Valley cheer team for two years before joining the dive team.

“I had done gymnastics in the past and thought dive would be something fun to try,” she said. “My gymnastics back-ground was really helpful. Already being able to flip and tumble helped more than anything. Gymnastics helped with cheer, which in turn helped with dive. They all have similar base skills.”

Dive coach Bridget Allen coaches both the Blue Valley and the BV Northwest

teams, so the divers split their time prac-ticing between at both schools.

“Every other week after school, we have practice at BV,” Loudenback said. “The other week is at Northwest, and then on Thursdays we have practice in the morning.”

Although she said getting to know the girls from BV Northwest is fun, it makes it harder to get better as a diver.

“We don’t get in as much practice time because there are so many people,” she said. “It makes us not able to improve our dives or try new things.”

Loudenback said the casual atmo-sphere differentiates dive from other sports.

“I like being with my friends at prac-tice,” she said. “It’s really laid back and not as competitive or stressful as cheer.”

DIVE IN Swim team places emphasis on hard work, dedication

Story and page designed by Megan Hegarty.

Dive team benefits from previous cheerleading, gymnastic experience

Freshman Elaina Ismert swims backstroke during the meet against BV Northwest. This is her first year swimming. “I was really scared at first, but I met some new people,” Ismert said. “I’ve gotten better as the season has progressed.” Photo by Alexis Vance.

Twisting in the air, junior Morgan Hoffman works on one of her dives at practice. Hoffman was a gymnast before she participated in dive. “The hardest part of dive is learning how to go into the water correctly,” she said. Photo by Maddie Davis.

TIGERTURFBV SPORTS


1. Senior Jacob Lester jumps over a hurdle. Lester placed sixth in the 300-meter hurdles at BV Relays. “I became interested in hurdling because my dad did when he was younger and said he liked it,” Lester said. “I figured I would give it a try.” Photo by Alexis Vance.2. On the follow-through, sophomore Michael Secrest gauges the golf ball’s position. There are 15 players and two coaches on the 2016

boys golf team. “My favorite part of playing golf is getting out of school early and having team dinners with the guys,” he said. Photo by Alexis Vance.3. Dropping his bat, senior Derek Peck runs toward first base. Peck plays shortstop and outfield for the varsity baseball team. “Together family carries the tribal sword, and that’s what our team prides ourselves on,” he

said. Photo by Alexis Vance.4. Senior Min Moon returns the ball. Moon and Tyler Elmendorf won the doubles competition at the Wichita Collegiate Invitational on April 23 — more than 40 teams entered. “The best part of tennis is the competitiveness,” he said. “You can’t rely on other people — it’s all about you. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.

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5. Looking up, junior Connor Kinkade prepares to lift himself over the bar. Kinkade started pole vaulting the summer before his freshman year. “I became interested in pole vault because it’s different from other events in track,” he said. Photo by Maddie Davis.6. Dribbling the soccer ball, senior Cassie Nichols runs up the field. Nichols has been on varsity since her sophomore year. “We

have had some great wins so far, including over Blue Valley West,” she said. “If we keep working hard in practice and continue to push ourselves every day, the second half of our season looks very promising.” Photo by Isabelle Allen.7. Sophomore Grace Garcia throws the softball during a game. The Tigers’ next game is against Saint Thomas Aquinas on May 3. “So

far this season, we are communicating better every game and have better team chemistry than ever,” she said. Photo by Isabelle Allen.8. Breaking the surface of the water, junior Sarah Wilkinson swims the butterfly. The State swim meet is May 20-21. “I prepare for a swim meet by staying positive and setting goals for myself,” she said. Photo by Alexis Vance.Page designed by Maddie Davis.

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48 snapshot April 2016

challengeacceptedAnnual senior-faculty

challenge creates laughs, competitive spirit

among students, staff

1. Yelling at his opponents, science teacher Kale Mann celebrates after winning the tug-of-war competition against the seniors. The senior-faculty challenge took place on April 21. “I participated in the challenge to continue the faculty domination of the senior class,” he said. Photo by Maddie Davis.2. Running back to her teammates, science teacher Manal Siam races in the relay chal-lenge. The faculty beat the seniors 151-99. “The best part of the challenge is teaming up with the other faculty members and having fun with the senior class,” she said. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.3. Laughing, seniors Natalie Drew, JoJo Man-

nino and Olivia Carter compete in the tug-of-war challenge. The faculty won each round of the tug-of-war competition. “My favorite part of the challenge was the seniors thinking they were going to win when everyone knew we didn’t stand a chance,” Mannino said. Photo by Sophia Ragomo.4. Looking up, senior Nicole Forlenza gets ready to spike the volleyball. Volleyball was the first event in the challenge. “I’ve watched the challenge since I was a freshman, so finally being able to be a part of it was amazing,” she said. “It’s such a fun way to get the senior class together.” Photo by Sophia Ragomo.5. Attempting to pop a balloon with no hands,

senior Madeline O’Donnell laughs as senior Courtney Thompson cheers her on. The relay challenge also included running in a life jacket and flippers, jump roping and more. “Playing against each other in different games closes the gap between teachers and students,” Thompson said. Photo by Maddie Davis.6. Senior Noah Patterson displays his confu-sion after hearing a trivia question. The trivia portion of the competition was a new addition to the senior-faculty challenge this year. “I wanted to beat Mr. Wade in trivia, but it back-fired,” he said. “The questions were definitely rigged.” Photo by Sophia Ragomo.Page designed by Maddie Davis.

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Documents

The Tiger Print — April 2016