The Express - October 2015

Students discuss stereotypes regarding the Muslim community and the effects of stereotyping.

Page 8

Breaking down stereotypes

VOLUME 23|ISSUE 2|OCTOBER|BLUE VALLEY NORTHWEST HIGH SCHOOL

CONTENTS

Muslim students disprove negative stereotypes typically linked to Islam.

Feature

Two students take their online gaming skills to another level within a community that competes in tournaments together.

Seniors Claire Ross, Sarah Ross and Isabelle Aube discuss what it is like to have fathers who live away from home because of their careers.

4It’s in the cards

No place like home5

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 20150 2

Breaking down stereotypes

This year, the science department replaced hard copy textbooks with online versions. Students and teachers discuss the effects in the classroom.

Techbooks

Students took the iSideWith quiz that matches their views on issues with presidential candidates’ views. The Express asked students a series of questions before the quiz and compared their answers with their quiz results.

Party with the politicians

8

12

26

Senior Pavan Rao reads his AP Chemistry text book on an iPad after school. This year, all science classes have switched to online texbooks in place of hard copy text books (Emily Staples).Cover:Juniors Furqan Mohammed and Janna Ferdous pose in a photo illustration for a story discussing the breakdown of stereotypes in the Muslim community (photo illustration by Emily Staples).

THE EXPRESS STAFFEDITOR-IN-CHIEFNatasha Vyhovsky

PRINT EDITORLaney Breidenthal

ONLINE EDITOROlivia Baird

FEATURE EDITOREmma Bruce

PHOTO EDITOREmily Staples

OPINION EDITORAyesha Vishnani

PUZZLE EDITORAvery Mojica

SPORTS COORDINATORMorgan Lewis

CHIEF WRITERClaudia Chen

SENIOR ENT. WRITERZac Johnson

BUSINESS MANAGERMadison Graves

REPORTERSLauren FischerEden KurrGabe SwartzXiqing WangKaitlyn NoonBrandon Fagen

PHOTOGRAPHERSJustin LehtinenJack OxleyTJ VoreNicky Lentsch

ARTISTAbdul Qaddour

ASSISTANT ADVISERKimberly Hillstock

ADVISERJim McCrossen

Contact InformationMailing address: 13260 Switzer Rd, Overland Park KS 66213Phone: 913-239-3544Website: BVNWnews.com

Responding to the PublicationLetters to the editor can be submitted electronically on our website at BVNWnews.com under the “Contact Us” tab. Letters may be published either on BVNWnews.com or in our print edition. Letters must not contain personal attacks against an individual and may be edited.

AdvertisingThe Express and BVNWnews.com accept advertisements. Pricing and information can be obtained by contacting us at [email protected].

PurposeThe Express is the official high school news publication of the Blue Valley Northwest High School, an open forum distributed to all students seven times a year. This is the summer issue of Volume 23. Subscription rates are $10. The Express is printed by Osage Printing, 400 N Liberty St Independence, MO 64050. This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees disclaim any responsibility for the content of this student publication; it is not an expression of School District Policy. Students and editors are solely responsible for the content of this student publication.

Entertainment

Check out a review of local parks in order to learn which ones have the best playgrounds and the most soccer moms.

21

Slides, swings and soccer moms

Moving toward success

0 3THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015

Sports

Senior Joe Corner moved from Salem, Oregon to play for the Under 18 Sporting KC club team.

18

Opinion

Junior Brandon Fagen suggests that people should think about the big questions in order to understand more about the world.

Think big

30

Read about four last minute Halloween costumes here.

Hauntingly humorous

24

Senior Abdul Qaddour shares his views about balancing rigorous AP courses with demanding extracurricular activities.

Balancing chaos

30

With the upcoming 2016 presidential elections, informing ourselves and constructing our own views becomes more important.

In[forming] your own views31

The Express | Issue 2 | October 2015

A shaman creeps across the screen, and the player stops to analyze the shaman’s move. The player selects a

card and decides to take an aggressive strategy. Their card casts a spell at the shaman, killing it on impact and ending the Hearthstone match.

Hearthstone is an online card game in which players take turns playing their cards, and the goal is to take an opponent’s thirty health points down to zero.

Each player’s “energy” of the game, mana, starts at one and increases every turn. This leads to restrictions on what cards can be played right away and how many highly effective cards one can play at once.

There are four different modes in Hearthstone: Play, tavern brawl, adventure and arena modes. Adventure mode is a singleplayer endeavor against the computer, while play, tavern brawl and arena modes are multiplayer competitions.

Sophomore Kyle Feather, who has been playing Hearthstone for more than two years, competes in both local tournaments and online battles.

“You can access it from your computer or from your phone,” Feather said. “It’s like I have a deck of cards in my pocket at all times,

and I don’t have to play with it if I don’t want to.”

Feather said because Hearthstone exists digitally, there is much more freedom for game play.

“By using an online format, you’re able to use things like animations and actions,” Feather said. “It’s a lot more interactive even though you lose the in real-life experience.”

When playing the game, players earn the gold with which they buy cards. One of the best ways to get gold, Feather said, is to go to tournaments.

These local tournaments are generally sponsored by Google and are held in various Google locations across the metro as well as at a local gaming shop called SoPro Gaming.

Senior Justin Henry has been playing Hearthstone for a year and a half, and has attended two local tournaments.

“[Tournaments] are...qualifying [events] for going to bigger tournaments that eventually have large prize cash payouts,” Henry said.

According to Toney Wallace, an employee at SoPro, the main purpose of local tournaments is to advance to larger-scale competitions, including national and world-wide.

“Hearthstone is pretty strong right now

just because it’s a fun game,” Wallace said. “Tournament-wise, it’s one of our more popular tournaments.”

The game play during tournaments, which consists of up to 64 people, is called “Swiss” play. Players break into groups of 16 and play against each other within the smaller group. The winners move into a group, and the losers move into another. The number of wins and losses each player has determines who wins the tournament.

Henry said the local competition scene isn’t as large as it is online.

Because of Hearthstone’s arena mode, in which players compete in a tournament fashion, most of the Hearthstone gaming takes place online.

Feather said he enjoys Hearthstone’s social capabilities because it is very easy for a player to connect with others while playing, even if the other player is a random opponent.

“When you’re playing video games, when you meet people through video games and then you see them in real life and realize that they’ve gone to your school for two or three years, it kind of blows your mind,” Feather said. “We all really love and appreciate the game. We just love talking about it because it’s fascinating.”

It’s in the cardsby Eden Kurr

Hearthstone is more than just a game for two students who compete locally.

Left: Senior Justin Henry plays the online fantasy game Hearthstone on his phone during lunch Oct. 20. Henry plays in Hearthstone tournaments locally at SoPro Gaming. “The nice thing is you can relax a lot while you play. You can just chill out while playing,” Henry said (photo by Jack Oxley).Right: Sophomore Kyle Feather plays Hearthstone at home on his computer Oct. 1. Feather plays Hearthstone in tournaments sponsored by SoPro Gaming on 95th Street and Metcalf Ave (photo courtesy of Kyle Feather).

0 4

05The Express | Issue 2 | OCTOBER 2015

No place like homeby Morgan Lewis

From another state to another country, seniors Claire Ross, Sarah Ross and Isabelle Aube each have a father who lives somewhere else for

work but remains part of the family.

There are families who wake up in the morning with a parent who could be anywhere in the world. Some parents

stay in one state while others travel around for different jobs, but they still remain in contact with their families everywhere they go. Seniors Claire Ross, Sarah Ross and Isabelle Aube each have fathers who work in other cities, but they still find time to come home and visit.

“[My father] chose to move far away because it would’ve increased his income, and with Sarah and I both going to college at the same time, it would have really helped,” Claire said. “Also eventually it will have led to bigger promotions, and the job he had in Kansas, he reached the height of that, so there wasn’t really anywhere else for him to go.”

Aube said her father is an architectural engineer and is currently in Calgary, Canada but travels and visits almost every weekend.

Claire said her father tries to visit twice a month from Normal, Illinois, where he works as a State Farm manager in their headquarters.

John Ross, Claire and Sarah’s father, said he thinks communication is hard when body language cannot be seen; their family must be literal when they communicate.

“The way we communicate is different, I would imagine,” John said. “We aren’t in the same household, so we don’t have as much face to face communication. In that respect we have to communicate better because when you’re sitting across from somebody, body language can say one thing while the words say something else.”

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 201506

Aube said she misses communicating with her father every day. According to Aube, her father’s project in Calgary is finishing up, so he visits more often than usual.

“It’s weird because he comes home often now so it’s not that much different,” Aube said. “I think the hardest part is communication. It’s harder talking on the phone with someone than it is talking to them in person.”

Mary Aube, Aube’s mother, said the children used to visit their father over the summer or in March. Mary said their father had this job since before they were born, so they stayed in Kansas and occasionally went wherever he was.

“It depended on where he was, so if he went to California, it was a cool place to visit so we’d go,” Mary said. “When he went to Chicago, [it was not as cool], so we didn’t go with him then. He used to drive home on weekends at that point. Then he went to Calgary, [and] I went once. It was a long trip and the kids were busy with school, so I would always be the constant of staying home.”

Claire said her father moved to Illinois last December to continue his career in State Farm management, but their family moved in with their cousins after her father left. According to Claire, the hardest part of her father being gone is not being able to spend time together. Claire said being apart is not always ideal, but it does not have a negative impact on their relationships.

“[Our father being gone] did affect our family as a whole, obviously because we’re farther apart, but at the same time I think it

affected [our relationship] in a positive way because now I think we do cherish our time together a lot more often versus taking it for granted,” Claire said.

Sarah said not having a father figure around hurts their family. She said her mom must take over some of her father’s roles when he is gone.

“[The hardest part is] probably not having that dad figure anymore; there’s a lot my mom does then there’s some stuff you want your dad to do instead,” Sarah said. “Not having that around is weird. Because it’s just my mom, my sister and me, my mom has to take sides instead of when it’s my dad we split.”

Georgia Ross, Claire and Sarah’s mother, said their family life is different from others by them living apart, but still having a strong connection.

“It’s different because [my husband and I are] apart, but we’re still married,” Georgia said. “There are times I feel a little like a single mom, but I still have the support of my husband. It’s just unusual but very doable because we have a strong family and a strong marriage. You miss the little things, the little pockets of time that I would normally have company, but I don’t.”

Aube said that while she supports her father’s career choice, she wishes he could stay in town more.

“I don’t want to be selfish and say that [I wish he had a different job] because he really enjoys his job, but I do wish he could stay in town,” Aube said. “That’s the job he likes and he’s been working there ever since he got out of

07THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015

college, so it’s probably not going to change.”Mary said she is blessed that their father

has this job, even if he has to be gone most of the time.

“The pros are [their father] provided a really wonderful lifestyle for us,” Mary said. “He made good money, [but] unfortunately that’s the way of the world, and a lot of jobs are coming to the point of having to travel. You have to go where the work is. It wasn’t always in Kansas City. The con was not having him around and him not seeing [the kids] every day and missing games and [other things] sometimes. You have to do what you have to do to pay the bills.”

Georgia said she believes the whole situation turned out as well as was possible. She plans to join her husband in Illinois once the two girls go to college.

“I feel blessed my husband’s been with a really good company for a long time and that we have the support of lots of friends and family here in town. I’m excited for the future too. It’s just kind of one of those things when something you’re not positive is going to be great happens, you usually get real creative and figure out how to make it awesome, so that’s what we’re doing as best we can. I miss my husband sometimes, don’t get me wrong, I definitely do.”

According to Sarah, it took a while to adjust to the new lifestyle of only having her mother at home. She said once they figured it out, everything got a lot better.

“I feel like I’m now in a good place, but at first it was really not great because it was a

lot of changes,” Sarah said. “Now we’re pretty much comfortable where we are.”

John said he feels like he is on an adventure, but he has to focus on why he left instead of the fact that he is not around his family. He said he reminds himself that it is because he wants to help them.

“My feeling is I’m able to keep my eye on why I did this and why I made the change, and that was for the benefit of everybody in the family and to make sure I didn’t do this because I didn’t enjoy family,” John said. “I did it for the opposite reason; I love them very much, and I want to be in the best position to provide for them, rather it be college or later in life with whatever it is they do.”

Claire said she keeps in mind that her father left to help their family and that it will ultimately help them.

“I know he definitely [went out of town for work] for the benefit of us, which is the thing I have to keep reminding myself, but at the same time it sucks not being able to live as a family,” Claire said. “We’re still a family, but I just have to remember to tell myself that it was definitely for the benefit of us and he doesn’t want to leave, but it will be a good thing in the long run.”

Page six, left: Claire and Sarah’s dad, John Ross (photo courtesy of Claire Ross). Page six, right: Ross family photo: Sarah, John, Georgia and Claire Ross (photo courtesy of Claire Ross).Page seven, left: Aube family photo: Mary, Andre and Isabelle Aube (photo courtesy of Isabelle Aube). Page seven, right: Isabelle’s dad, Andre Aube (photo courtesy of Isabelle Aube).

08

Breakingdownstereotypes

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015

09

When presidential candidate Donald Trump was asked how he was planning to deal with the “Muslim problem” at a recent public event, he said, “We’ll be looking

into that and many other things.” Another candidate, Ben Carson, said he would not support the idea of a Muslim president.

Senior Saja Alagha, who is Muslim, said relations were fine between Muslim people and the rest of society before 9/11, but since the terrorist attack, negative

stereotypes have developed. “People obviously don’t see [Islam] as a religion of peace because they think

we cause so much violence, which isn’t true,” Alagha said. “It’s the terrorists that cause [violence].”

According to Melanie Hull, adjunct associate professor who specializes in Islamic studies at Johnson County Community College, these stereotypes

are centered around the idea that all Muslim people are terrorists. Hull said these stereotypes stem from the attacks on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and the media’s coverage of Islam that has since followed.

Hull said due to the public’s fear that resulted from 9/11, the media tends to cover Muslim individuals connected to terrorism more than regular

Muslim individuals.Alagha said she is angered by those who judge Muslim people by the

actions of 9/11. She said if the attack had not occurred, people would be more accepting toward Muslim people.

“It makes me really mad thinking that people think all Muslim (people) are related to that group (of terrorists),” Alagha said. “It’s

just something that really shook America, and it’s really changed everybody’s perspective on Islam.”

Hull said terrorists will interpret the Qur’an, the holy text of Islam, to justify their acts of terrorism. However, Hull said

most of the verses of the Qur’an deal with peace.

Muslim students feel the effects of the stereotypes of their faith in the media and in the public, saying awareness and education could help diminish the stereotypes.

Breakingdownstereotypes

by Xiqing Wang


Left: Juniors Furqan Mohammed and Janna Ferdous and other Muslim students experience the repercussions of stereotypes of their religion. (photo illustration by Emily Staples).

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015 10 THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015

w

Junior Furqan Mohammed, who is Muslim, said for him, Islam is built around inner peace and living life in a just manner.

Moben Mirza, a member of the Board of Trustees of the Islamic Center of Johnson County, said the media normally portrays the actions of extremists, as if they represent the entire community.

“The easiest example that I could give you right now is ISIS,” Mirza said. “That’s the group of people in the Middle East who are raping and pillaging and murdering all under the banner of saying, ‘We are Muslim; this is our faith,’ and they aren’t representative of the faith of the Muslim (individual).”

Mohammed said the majority of the time, he does not feel the effects of Muslim stereotypes because most people do not see him as a Muslim individual because of his appearance. However, he said physical stereotyping becomes prevalent in airports.

“My parents almost always have to go through a ‘special selection’ where they get patted down,” Mohammed said. “Mostly because my mom wears a headscarf - I think that’s what triggers it - and my last name also triggers it. There’s mostly more surveillance.”

His dad, Abdul Subhan Mohammed, said because of his last name, he tends to get chosen for pat down checks and occasionally, a special interview process in which the Department of Homeland Security asks him questions regarding the reasons for his trip.

Mohammed and his dad said they both take airport security checks lightly. However, Mohammed said he still believes they are discriminatory because he sees them as xenophobic (the dislike or fear of people from other countries) and prejudice.

“Most of the time I take [the airport security check] as a joke and think it’s kind of funny because there’s not really harm done, but I think it’s also unfair,” Mohammed said. “I don’t really express that; I kind of internalize it.”

Junior Janna Ferdous, who is also Muslim, wears the hijab, a headscarf worn by Muslim women. She said people stereotype Muslims based on their physical appearance.

Ferdous started wearing the hijab at the beginning of her freshman year in 2013 and continues to wear the hijab now. Ferdous said due to the accepting community of Overland Park, she did not face discrimination when she started wearing the hijab. However, she said she believes that if she wore the headscarf in other places she lived, she would have been judged because of it.

“I think people judge based on their environment and their culture, what they’re taught to judge and what they’re taught to not judge,” Ferdous said.

Hull said although there are Muslim individuals who believe the hijab is mandatory, there are also Muslim individuals who are not as strict regarding the wearing of the hijab, depending on cultural interpretations.

“Many Muslim women will say it’s a personal sign for them of their commitment to the faith,” Hull said. “[They will say] it’s

a personal choice, it’s a way to participate in the world, in the community, in the workforce and be respected for intellect and ideas rather than physical appearance.”

Mohammed said the stereotype of Muslim women being more conservative stems from the wearing of the hijab.

“Not all people follow the religion the same way,” Mohammed said. “Some people are a little stricter; some people are a little more relaxed. For example, some people believe that the headscarf, the hijab, is absolutely mandatory, but there’s also a lot of people who say that it’s the girl’s choice on whether she wants to wear it or not.”

Alagha said although she wore the hijab for a brief period of time in seventh grade to experience what it would be like, she did not commit to wearing it.

PEOPLE OBVIOUSLY DON’T SEE [ISLAM] AS A RELIGION OF PEACE BECAUSE THEY THINK WE CAUSE SO MUCH VIOLENCE, WHICH ISN’T TRUE. IT’S THE TERRORISTS THAT CAUSE THE [VIOLENCE].

- senior Saja Alagha


w

“You have to be super confident to wear [the hijab], and I wasn’t,” Alagha said. “I was still really young. I know a lot of people who get a lot of hatred from it, so I didn’t want that.”

Despite her original fears of what wearing a hijab would cause others to think of her, Alagha said she has decided to start wearing the hijab after she graduates high school in 2016.

“I used to not feel confident,” Alagha said. “But I think if I wore it (now), I would feel super confident. I am proud of my religion, and this is who I am.”

Ferdous said Johnson County has a large Muslim community, so more people are familiar with individuals who are Muslim. Ferdous said because of this, she does not face as much discrimination.

“Because I live in this area where most people are open to ideas, and I haven’t gone anywhere outside, I haven’t really been introduced to it,” Ferdous said. “But I’ve heard a lot of stories, and it’s kind of an expected thing in a world where everyone judges, but I personally haven’t experienced it yet.”

Sophomore Kira Flynn said education about various cultures and religions would ultimately lead to a greater appreciation for the ethnically, religiously diverse community the U.S. houses.

“[Everyone needs] to come to the conclusion that we don’t need to pick on others or hate others because of their differences,” Flynn said.

Ferdous said the fear that people have of the unknown also plays a large part in the origin of Muslim stereotypes.

“People are scared,” Ferdous said. “They see one thing and they judge every other thing from it. But I think society as a whole is becoming more open and I think that should progress, instead of pushing or attacking some other culture or some other country.”

Mirza said people who have never gotten to know a Muslim person will have misconceptions about Islam.

“If you don’t know somebody who’s Muslim, you’ll always see somebody who is Muslim how somebody else has painted (it) for you,” Mirza said. “If that painting has come from a media bias or a stereotypical basis, then it will be [misconceived].”

Mirza said Muslim individuals will have different interpretations of the faith based on their personal backgrounds. Mohammed said the most reliable way to learn about Islam is from talking to people rather than using online sources or trying to read the Qur’an. Mirza said the Muslim community works on having a strong understanding of their religion so they can combat these stereotypes. In addition to this, Mirza said they engage in local, regional, national and international organizations who deal with tackling stereotypes.

“We educate our communities,” Mirza said. “We have held lectures on Islamophobia, and we activate the youth in some of these senses. We have an interfaith community in Kansas City that we participate in, so that’s a good way to get your ideas about what you believe and talk to other people of different faiths.”

Mirza said the atmosphere of a high school could play a key role in breaking the stereotypes passed down through generations. He said with most high school students’ tolerance and willingness to listen to their peers, barriers put up due to stereotypes can slowly be diminished.

“As generations move on, people become less ideological about approaches; they don’t pick corners as much,” Mirza said. “The idea should be that we are open to dialogue with each other, and I think [the younger] generation is going to change this.”

TechbooksThis year, all science classes gave their students access codes to online textbooks as opposed totraditional hard copy textbooks.

by Madison Graves


Technology has increasingly become a part of everyday life, from checking social media to relying on devices for news and information. This year, all science

departments district-wide have adopted the online method of textbooks as opposed to the typical hard copy.

According to science teacher Nanet Sula, the cause of the change was cost-based. As opposed to purchasing a hard copy textbook for each student, the science departments bought a class set of 40 hard copy textbooks for each science subject in each classroom. Rather than a physical textbook, students receive a digital code which can be used to access the online textbook.

“If we had ordered (a hard copy textbook) for each Chemistry student, we have 375 Chemistry students, so it would have been more than double (the cost for classroom sets),” Sula said. “Each student will be given an online textbook code that they can access on any electronic device including phones, tablets and computers.”

Some BVNW students say they do not like the change and would prefer having hard copy textbooks.

Senior James Lowe said having homework assignments online makes assignments online doing the homework more difficult.

“You have to have internet, and every time my internet goes down, I can’t do my homework,” Lowe said. “You’re constantly flipping between tabs, and sometimes you have four or five tabs open and...it’s just inefficient.”

Junior Ritu Agarwal said she prefers hard copy textbooks as well because she

learns better from a physical book. “For me, it’s harder to understand stuff if it’s on the screen,”

Agarwal said. “It just makes more sense for me if I can see [the material] and flip through stuff.”

According to assistant superintendent for academic services, Tonya Merrigan, the main reasons for the change were to provide students with the best resources coupled with the significant cost reduction to provide online textbooks compared to hard copy textbooks.

“We looked at the cost of books, and the cost of books is astronomical,” Merrigan said. “As a typical example, a chemistry book is about $200 a book, online access is much cheaper, probably half that much.”

Sula said the online textbook gives students access to a lot more resources in terms of learning material than an ordinary textbook.

“There are practice quizzes, there are tutorials, there are extra PowerPoint presentations,” Sula said. “Maybe the way I present to the class didn’t click with the student, they can go look at the way the textbook is presented in a PowerPoint. There are a lot more resources out there rather than just a textbook.”

According to science teacher Keri Schumacher, the online textbook not only offers more resources for students but also lightens their load with the number of textbooks they carry around on a


daily basis. “When you’re standing at your locker making a decision of what

do you have to take home, sometimes you make that decision based on how many books do [you] want to carry,” Schumacher said. “It allows [students] that access. Students that are traveling, that gives them a lighter load. Students that go between different households between their week, [online textbooks] might allow them more continuity.”

Schumacher started using online textbooks in her classroom four years ago, before any of the other science teachers. Schumacher said her experience with the online textbooks would model how online would work for the classes.

According to Schumacher, when the change first came around, she received a mixed reaction among the students.

“I would say that most students were okay with the change,” Schumacher said. “I would say that most kids just liked having that hard copy textbook. When I tell [students] I don’t have hard copies, that forces them to use [the textbook] electronically, and they get a little better about it.”

Sula said the biggest challenge so far has been students unable to access the online book because of malfunctions on the website.

“[Students] get frustrated if they can’t get on,” Sula said. “I’ve got some students that aren’t doing the assignment because they can’t get online.”

Schumacher said the biggest difference was students, as well as

parents, adjusting to the new format.“If your kid doesn’t bring a book home, [parents] don’t feel like

they have what they need to do their work at home,” Schumacher said. “You don’t have to have a hard copy of everything in order to complete what we’re doing in the classroom at home.”

Both Schumacher and Sula said they believe the conversion from hard copy to online textbooks will spread to the other departments as well within the near future.

“It’s just going to move that way across the nation, I don’t think [the change] is localized just here to our district,” Schumacher said. “I think we will see more things going electronic.”

Merrigan said the goal of online textbooks was to have the best resources for students throughout the district.

“One thing we’ve heard from our graduates...is that although Blue Valley does a fantastic job preparing students for college, one of the things that has been a struggle sometimes is that when you get to college, there are some classes where you only have access to online textbooks,” Merrigan said. “One of the things they have said is that it would be more beneficial for students to have more work online.”

Sula said online textbooks are becoming more popular with modern movements, and students will have to adjust to the change.

“Being the wave of the future, I think colleges are going this way,” Sula said. “I think you’re going to see that in college, so the students are just going to have to get used to it whether you like it or not.”

Students in Keri Schumacher’s sixth hour Anatomy and Physiology class take notes over the nervous system on their iPads (photo by Emily Staples).

News flash The Express takes the news and breaks it down.

The Democratic debate

Call to rename JCCC building

Students in favor of Confederate flag removal

appeared the most presidential...but the person who stood out to me the most was [Sanders] because he wasn’t afraid to voice his true opinions,” Ramaswamy said.

Webb ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination Oct. 20, and Chafee ended his bid Oct. 23. Vice president Joe Biden, who was expected to run for the bid, announced Oct. 21 he would not run.

The next Democratic debate will be aired on CBS Nov. 14, and the next Republican debate will be aired on Fox Business Network Nov. 10.

Democratic candidates Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Jim Webb, Lincoln Chafee and Martin O’Malley met in Las Vegas, Nevada Oct. 13 in the first Democratic presidential debate, sponsored by CNN and Facebook. Public opinion declared Clinton the winner of the debate, and Sanders came in second.

Senior Aiswariya Ramaswamy, who watched the debate, said she thought Clinton was a leader throughout the debate, but she said Sanders made more of an impression on her.

“I think Hillary Clinton definitely

With 2015 being the 25th anniversary of the opening of the Carlsen Center, a cultural and educational center on the Johnson County Community College campus, students are calling for the building’s name to be changed.

An editorial written by the JCCC student newspaper, the Campus Ledger, said the name of the building needs to be changed because of sexual assault allegations against former JCCC president Charles Carlsen, which caused him to voluntarily

retire in 2006. The allegations were never proven, however the staff editorial said, “The fact that we have allowed Carlsen’s name to remain a cornerstone of our college is unacceptable.”

The building was dubbed the ‘Carlsen Center’ because Carlsen helped establish the building in 1991, but the editorial said the name should be returned to its original name, the ‘Cultural Education Center,’ or something that better reflects JCCC’s values.

Associated Student Body senators at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss) voted Oct. 20 in favor of a resolution, which asked Ole Miss to remove the state’s Confederate flag from its campus. The student senators voted in favor of the resolution 33-15.

Allen Coon, president of the Ole Miss College Democrats, called on the student senators to approve the resolution after the shooting at the Charleston church killed nine African Americans.

“The presence of the Mississippi state flag on the campus of the University of Mississippi divides our student body, undermines efforts to promote inclusion and violates the UM Creed, which calls for us all to respect the dignity of each person,” Coon said in a statement with CNN.


erspectivesPPhotos of Husky life

1. Senior Lauren Beischel cheers on the boys varsity soccer team during their final home game of the season. The team won the Oct. 12 game against Blue Valley North 3-1. “I love coming to support the soccer team because [of] the energetic atmosphere and being in the crowd,” Beischel said (photo by Nicky Lentsch).2. Sophomore Luke Leavitt performs in the marching band half-time show at the football game Oct. 9 against Blue Valley West. Leavitt has played the trombone in the marching band for two years. “Being in band is fun; we are under the lights, and the music we play is nice. I like that it’s Queen; they’re one of my favorite bands,” Leavitt said (photo by TJ Vore).3. Sophomore Max Johnson works on a structure for the egg drop lab during science teacher Michealyn Podany’s third hour physical science class. Students placed an egg in the structures they created and dropped them off the stairs to test forces on an object. “The egg drop project was fun, and even though the egg broke, I thought we had the best design in the class,” Johnson said (photo by TJ Vore).

1.


1.

3.2.

5.

4. Sophomore Kyle Feather cracks an egg on his head while participating in the class competition during the Homecoming assembly in the gym Oct. 2. Feather had to pick one egg, which could have been either hard boiled or raw, and slam it on his head. “It was exhilarating being able to represent the sophomore class. I guess I was surprised [when the egg broke],” Feather said (photo by Justin Lehtinen).5. Junior Ariel Glorsky goes back to her desk after performing a skit about being stuck in a bathroom during Improv Club Oct. 5. “I have fun making up scenes with my friends in Improv Club; it’s really fun to be in,” Glorsky said (photo by TJ Vore).6. Sophomore Madi Martin paints freshman Austin Bates’ face for the Pink Out boys varsity football game Sept. 26 against Blue Valley North at the District Activities Complex. Martin was at the game to sell shirts for breast cancer awareness with Dawghouse (photo by Emily Staples). 7. Junior Omar Raheel takes notes over federalism in history teacher Corby Lange’s fifth hour class (photo by Justin Lehtinen).

4.

6.

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015 16 THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015

4. 6.

5.

7.

8. Jewelry teacher John Butcher helps junior Brianna Petersen solder a bezel in his fifth hour jewelry class. The bezel is used to hold a stone, which will be attached to a ring. “This can be frustrating and satisfying,” Butcher said (photo by Justin Lehtinen).9. Senior Patrick Banning participates in the Oct. 14 taste test experiment for the fifth hour AP Statistics class. “I enjoyed going around and trying all the food and drinks and seeing if I could guess the one that’s not the off-brand food or drink,” Banning said (photo by TJ Vore).10. Art teacher Melanie Mikel meditates with Meditation Club on the platform outside of BVNW. Meditation club meets Wednesday afternoons at 3 p.m. “Meditating is great for creating balance in your life,” Mikel said (photo by Justin Lehtinen).11. Junior Sankalp Gupta dissects a sheep’s brain during a lab in science teacher Keri Schumacher’s fifth hour Anatomy and Physiology class (photo by Emily Staples).

8.


8. 9.

10. 11.

D

12500 W. 119th St.

1 8

This park features soccer fields, trails, an off-leash dog area and a small playground. Another playground area is being built, but it is not in use yet. If adults who are way too involved in their kids’ sports peeve you, or if you are allergic to dogs, then I would highly recommend against visiting Stoll Park.

Playground rating: 4/10Minivan count: 11Soccer moms spotted: 9Defining feature: Parents who yell at the referees during their kid’s soccer games and people who don’t clean up after their dogs.Overall park rating: 7/10

This park honestly seems like a bit of a waste, seeing as Stoll Park is so close. The playground was decent, and the slides were quality. This park also has walking trails, which seem to be the park’s primary purpose.

Playground rating: 7/10Minivan count: 4Soccer moms spotted: 3Defining feature: People who don’t realize there are better parks within walking distance.Overall park rating: 4/10

Quivira Park

11901 Quivira Rd.

Slides, swings and soccer moms

Thomas S. Stoll Memorial Park

Not all parks were created equal. Read a review about five local parks, complete with a minivan count and playground ratings

by Zac Johnson


D

12500 W. 119th St.

1 9

This park has a decent sized open field for activities, though it is a unclear whether or not this is actually part of the park or someone else’s property. The park also has a small playground and walking trails. I don’t really have anything negative to say, but then again I don’t have anything positive either, so I guess that’s a negative.

Playground rating: 5/10Minivan count: 3Soccer moms spotted: 2Defining feature: A family biking together with matching helmets and biking outfits.Overall park rating: 5/10

I couldn’t really tell where this park started and ended, but it had a pretty nice playground if I do say so myself, and I guess that made up for it. It doesn’t have any parking, so there were no minivans. There was a creek that ran straight through the middle of the park, and while it was polluted and filled with Solo cups, it seemed to be a major feature.

Playground rating: 8/10Minivan count: 0Soccer moms spotted: 1Defining feature: Elementary school kids playing the most intense game of hide-and-seek I’ve ever seen.Overall park rating: 6/10

This neighborhood park features a decent sized playground, a basketball court, a tennis court and a shelter for picnics. This park seemed to draw a diverse crowd and featured a lot of bikers in tight clothing.

Playground rating: 5/10Minivan count: 2Soccer moms spotted: 2Defining feature: An older man doing tai chi on the tennis court. Overall park rating: 8/10

12500 W. 143rd St.

Amesbury Lake Park

9543 W. 123rd St.

Shannon Valley Park

11100 Grant Dr.


Kensington Park

Moving toward success

by Abdul Qaddour

Senior Joe Corner moved nearly 2,000 miles from his life in Salem, Ore. to join the U18 Sporting KC club soccer team, a step toward his goal of playing professional soccer.

t was a late Sunday night in August for senior Joe Corner in Kansas City, who had just traveled 1,827 miles from Salem, Ore.

to pursue a lifelong goal - playing soccer at the professional level. Corner understood that the under 18 (U18) Sporting KC (SKC) club team would allow him to come closer in reaching his goal, and he was willing to leave everything he knew behind to reach it.

“I had to sacrifice a lot,” Corner said. “I had to leave my mom and my sisters, I had to leave my old school, I had to leave my senior year, I left all my friends.”

Corner has been playing soccer for 12 years, and the last team he played for prior to SKC was the Portland Timbers’ U18 club team. Corner’s mother, Sue Corner, said he has been passionate about soccer his entire life.

“He was a little tiny guy with a ball at his foot,” Sue said. “It was never something we had to encourage him about. He has always been very driven about soccer.”

Sue has yet to see Corner since he left to play for SKC in August. Their schedules prevent them from seeing each other until Thanksgiving. Sue said she was initially against Corner playing far away. According to her, it was a hard decision because of their close-knit family and the requirement for Corner to move to another state his senior year.

“It was hard to think of him being away before I was ready to let him go,” Sue said. “I would be ready in a year when he was setting

off to college, but this was a year early.” Corner said one of the reasons he decided

to make a move from the Portland Timber organization was to be looked at by more colleges.

“I contacted Sporting late last spring,” Corner said. “I wanted to make a move from the club I was at in Oregon, and I knew Sporting had a good program.”

Corner then contacted the U18 SKC director Jon Parry to set up a tryout. Corner tried out in August, right around when school began, and ended up making the SKC club team. In order to play, Corner had to move to Overland Park, leaving his old life behind in Oregon.

Jeff Corner, Corner’s father, said that the decision was a family one. He said his family had to weigh Corner’s needs, and the expectations of the family, in order to get Corner into a situation that could help him reach his full potential playing soccer.

“There was a lot of consideration, lots of talk, lots of late nights, lots of things that had to be considered both on an emotional level but also on a practical level,” Jeff said.

Jeff said a lot of the decision involved discussing costs, logistics and whether or not Jeff could effectively work from Overland Park. He also said that there were around six months of talking as a family prior to Corner even contacting SKC for the opportunity to join the club team.

“My dad does have to go back often (to

Oregon), so he’ll be with me for two or three weeks, and then he’ll go home for two weeks or so and I’ll be on my own,” Corner said.

Corner’s teammate Paul Whitener said players like Corner bring in a lot of different styles to the team, and once they mesh, they form a well-rounded team that creates success. Whitener also said Corner’s impact specifically has been helpful as an attacking presence to the team’s defense.

“(The transition) was very easy; people are nice here,” Corner said. “I knew there were going to be people that I played soccer with at school.”

Jeff said the transition for Corner has gone exceedingly well, and he feels as though he fits in well at BVNW.

“The academic culture, the social culture, the lifestyle here is very similar from where we came from,” Jeff said.

Jeff said the SKC club requires these players to work practically seven days a week. The players are required to travel all across the nation, which can require a student to sometimes miss a week’s worth of school.

Whitener said the schedule for SKC players is very busy and can become a problem for players who also have to balance schoolwork. He said his schedule forces him to leave straight from school in order to get to practice.

“We don’t get home until 6:30 p.m. (or) 7 p.m. some nights, and then we get to start right with homework,” Whitener said. “That sometimes doesn’t get done until 10 at night.

I


Left: The U18 Sporting KC club soccer team poses for a picture (photo courtesy of Joe Corner).Right: Senior Joe Corner, a player on the U18 Sporting KC club team, warms up for his soccer game against the Columbus Crew, a U18 club team based in Columbus, Ohio (photo by Justin Lehtinen).

So we have to fight to get some sleep that night, and you start it all over the next day.”

The SKC club team is fully subsidized, so SKC pays for almost everything the athletes need for the season.

“We have one small fee (at the beginning of the season), but otherwise everything is free,” Corner said. “They pay for our flights, our meals, all our travel expenses, all our gear, our cleats, facilities and everything. We get tickets to all the SKC home games.”

Jeff said it is a big privilege to be invited to play for one of the Major League Soccer-affiliated academy teams. He said there are high expectations for the players in return for being a part of the club team. According to Whitener, not all club teams have as many perks as SKC.

“I’m loving it so far,” Corner said. “The training environment is awesome. It’s a really good program and I’m enjoying it a lot.”

The season for these players runs from the end of August to the end of June; it concludes with the under 18 national title game, held at StubHub Center, home of the professional MLS team, the Los Angeles Galaxy. Although the U18 SKC team has never been among the final eight teams to play at StubHub Center,

Corner said he has high hopes for the team and himself for the current season, and hopes they can make the playoffs.

“We want to be one of the better teams in our division and in the country, which I think is going to happen,” Corner said. “I want to be on the field as much as possible, score goals, help my team win games. That’s really the most important thing.”

Both Whitener and Corner said they intend to play soccer past their current club

level. Corner said they have both been considering staying at SKC for an additional year after high school in order to play for the club team,and hopefully increase their chances of playing collegiately.

Both students have said they intend to play not only at the

collegiate level but also at the professional level if the opportunity were to arise. Corner said he hopes he can play for a school on the east coast, preferably within the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC).

“What we hope to get out of this is putting (Corner) in the best situation possible to pursue his goals,” Jeff said.


I WANT TO BE ON THE FIELD AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, SCORE GOALS, HELP

MY TEAM WIN GAMES. THAT’S REALLY THE MOST

IMPORTANT THING.

-senior Joe Corner

HaUNTINGLY HUMOROUS

1. Truly “last minute” - This costume is perfect for the literalist. For an actual last minute costume, simply grab a sheet of poster paper and write “:59” on it. Punch two holes through the poster, loop a string through them and wear the poster around your neck.

2. Cactus - If you’re tired of being thirsty every Halloween, dress up as a succulent this year! To become a water-retaining plant, cut up some straws and tape them to green clothing. Stand with your arms parallel to your head all night for maximum cacti effectiveness.

by Claudia Chenphotos by Nicky Lentsch

1.

2.


Not sure what to be this Halloween? Here are four quick and quirky ideas.


3. Inspirational quote - When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. When life gives you inadequate time to make a Halloween costume, you become an inspirational quote. Tape a plus sign on the right side of a shirt and an arrow on the left, and tape the word “LIFE” in the center. To finish the look, hold lemons in your right arm and a bottle of lemonade in your left.

4. Cereal killer - Cut slits into the fronts of mini cereal boxes. Tape them to your clothing and stick plastic spoons through the slits. For an extra spooky effect, walk around carrying a big spoon or ladle. You are now the perpetrator of a cereas crime.

3.

4.


Party with the

politiciansby Natasha Vyhovsky

Before taking the quiz, Gould said she did not associate with a political party because she said it would likely be what her parents have chosen, and she wants to able to form her own opinion.

She does not know which candidate she would vote for if she could vote in the 2016 election.

“I don’t really know simply because I haven’t had the extensive time to research that and make a decision on my own,” Gould said. “I’ve been listening to what other people are arguing about, and I can’t say I really like any of the two major candidates running right now.”

According to the quiz, she sided most with Republican candidates John Kasich and Marco Rubio.

“I’m not surprised that I share a lot of the same views as my parents,” Gould said.

Gould said the quiz is a good resource, but she said one should research more and not repeat exactly what their parents say.

“I listen to a lot of people argue about their points, and they have zero backup,” Gould said. “They just like the person, or it’s simply based on things they’re regurgitating exactly what their parents said.”

Before taking the quiz, Widgren said he associates with the Republican Party and would vote for Ted Cruz in the 2016 election if he could.

“I’m not too politically involved, but I did listen to some closing remarks [Cruz] had at - I don’t remember which debate - but I was really impressed by it,” Widgren said.

After taking the quiz and matching most with Republican candidates Marco Rubio and Mike Huckabee, Widgren said he was not particularly surprised, even though Ted Cruz was his third top match. He said he had Rubio in the back of his head before the quiz, too.

“I wasn’t that surprised,” Widgren said. “I heard good things about [Rubio] too, but I haven’t done much digging into it.

While he said the quiz did not influence his political stance, he was surprised to learn about certain issues, like environmental issues and offshore drilling, that are more involved with the government than he previously thought.

Widgren said he thought the quiz was general and not very in-depth, but that it could serve as a decent indicator for who one sides with.

Before taking the quiz, White said she associates with the Democratic Party, and she plans to vote for Bernie Sanders specifically.

White said she sides with both Sanders and Clinton, but while Clinton shares some of White’s ideas, she believes Sanders shares all of them.

“He wants to give power back to the middle class, and I think that’s really smart,” White said.

White’s decision has been influenced mostly by Sanders’ presence on social media; she said seeing his stance through Twitter has shaped her opinion of him.

After taking the quiz, White said she was not surprised at all to match 100 percent with Sanders and 91 percent with Clinton.

Taking the quiz did not change her decision regarding who she plans to vote for, but she said it solidified her stance.

“If anything it made me want to vote for [Sanders] more,” White said.

Sophomore Maggie Gould Sophomore Ben Widgren Senior Sophia White


Before taking the quiz, Gill said she associates with the Democratic Party, a choice she tried to make on her own without influence from those around her.

“That’s not because of my parents,” Gill said. “The Democratic Party—my mom told me to read about it and not follow what she follows, and I read about it, and I think that’s what I am.”

Although she will not be 18 years old by the 2016 election, she said she would vote for Bernie Sanders.

After completing the quiz, Gill’s top matches were Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden (Biden did not announce candidacy).

“I wasn’t quite surprised, because prior to taking it, I knew what I stand for and I knew what each candidate stands for,” Gill said.

Gill said her position has not changed at all after taking the quiz, because she expected the results she got. She said the ISideWith quiz is a great resource for voters to see who they associate with.

For future presidential elections, Gill encourages students to inform themselves.

“I want [people] to think about their decision and not blindly follow anyone because everyone else is following them,” Gill said.

Before the quiz, Rosenblatt said he does not associate with one political party; instead he leans toward candidates who put out “the best information.”

“I’m not really up to date with the candidates, but definitely not Donald Trump, definitely not Hillary Clinton,” Rosenblatt said before taking the quiz.

Rosenblatt said he tends to get his information and views from listening to his friends talk.

“I just go off what other people say, and if I hear that people say, “Oh, she’s a bad person,” I might look into it a little bit, but mostly...I just go with that,” Rosenblatt said.

Rosenblatt matched most with Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, according to the quiz.

“[It is] shocking because I don’t like Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton,” Rosenblatt said. “Those are the two that I don’t like the most.”

Rosenblatt was surprised because he had “never really seen the [candidates’ points of view] on issues before.”

“I don’t think it’s about just the issues,” Rosenblatt said. “I think it’s also about the person you’re electing and if they have the personality to be able to withstand the decisions they’re making.”

Do you associate with the same political party as your parents?

Do you associate with a political party?

No 29.7% Not sure 1.7% Yes 68.6%No 56.4%Yes 43.6%

Before taking the quiz, Lecki said he associates with the Republican Party, but he did not know who he would vote for in the 2016 election. Lecki said he does not have an interest in learning about politics.

“I just don’t care,” Lecki said. “I just usually go with what my parents [choose] honestly. Whatever they believe, they give reasons for why and then I kind of go with those reasons.”

Lecki said he has not talked with his parents about politics or the presidential candidates; however, he said he knows they are against Donald Trump.

Upon taking the quiz, Lecki matched most with Republican candidate Lindsey Graham, with Marco Rubio as his second match. Lecki said he had never heard of Graham until receiving his results.

Going forward, Lecki said he will most likely associate with Graham when asked who he sides with.

He said, however, that he plans to inform himself more thoroughly when the time comes for him to vote for a presidential candidate, although he will not be 18 years old in November 2016.

Junior Ian Lecki Sophomore Ian Rosenblatt Sophomore Sirat Gill

The Express invited students to take the iSideWith quiz during lunch Oct. 5. The quiz asks questions about various issues in politics and uses responses to match quiz-takers with presidential candidates. We talked to them before and after the quiz to see how their expectations matched their results.

For information on the leading presidential candidates, read candidate profiles on BVNWnews.com.

The Express surveyed 266 students during lunch Wednesday, Oct. 7.THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015 27


ENTERTAINMENT

CROSSWORD by Avery Mojica

28

Title: The Double Puzzle

DOWN

1. Wedding promise4. Nickname for the old Mets’ ballpark8. Handled, as a matter (2 words)13. Smokers’ residue18. ___ carte (extra, 2 words)19. Measure of warmth, for short20. 1960s Secretary General for the United Nations22. Smell badly23. Hint to solving this puzzle: Part One (4 words)26. Coke rival27. Brand of bottled water28. Also29. Trumpeter ___ Armstrong31. At the peak32. Darken, as a windshield33. Hint to solving this puzzle: Part Two (4 words)37. Droop38. Popular brand of pens39. Eggs, in a biology lab40. Vincent Van ___41. Fold-up mattress43. Gesture indicating indifference47. Girl Scout units51. When tripled, it’s a common winter refrain (3 words)55. More achy58. Popular snack sandwich59. ___ and downs

122. Be bombastic123. World’s smallest island nation 124. Requirement in AP Chemistry125. Painful places126. Fix, as a clogged printer128. Hint to solving this puzzle: Part Four (3 words)132. ___ Gay (WWII plane)133. Enter headlong (2 words)134. Assuage135. “With all ___ respect...”136. Having divergent lines137. War zone in the 1950s138. Annoyance from a faucet139. Desired response to a prom-posal

1. Hotel employees that park cars2. “Grease” co-star ___ Newton-John3. Active type of hours4. Eminem song featuring Dido5. Take an ax to6. :D7. Kitchen garment8. Spanish possessive pronoun for “your”9. Past-tense verb that sounds like a number10. Langauge that Dory tried to speak in “Finding Nemo”11. Magician’s deck of cards12. With precise timing (2 words)13. Snake that killed Cleopatra14. Rare way to score in baseball (2 words)15. In the know of (2 words)16. CNN journalist David ___17. Some Uno cards21. “Wheel of Fortune” category24. Scarf down25. Kind of bird in “Ice Age”30. Alexander Graham Bell, nation-ally speaking33. “One size ___ all...”34. Some Sony products35. Derisive laughs36. Shrek, for one38. Common conjunction41. Shrek’s partner42. Hopeless remark (2 words)44. Greets with guffaws (2 words)45. Expensive vases46. ___ Xers (children of Baby Boomers)48. Rolled grains49. “Raise Your Glass” singer

CROSSWORD CLUES

SUDOKU

61. “Little Orphan ___”63. Sicilian volcano64. Word omitted from many rhym-ing dictionaries67. Mythical man-goats69. Rap’s Dr. ___71. What’s up?72. “Rolling in the Deep” singer74. Reading or Short Line, e.g.: Abbr.75. One with big biceps77. “Doctor Who” network80. Grocery store code: Abbr.81. Sushi condiment83. “Break Free” singer ___ Grande87. Popular animated snowman89. Small sailboat91. Road goo92. Pop rocker ___ Stefani93. Luau dances95. Popular brand of jeans97. Athletic event typically spread over two days101. Soda addict’s request103. Fabric used to make 95-Across105. 1984 Weird Al Yankovic spoof of a Michael Jackson song (2 words)106. ___ in (gather rewards)108. ___ Tacs (breath mint brand)110. Common road abbreviation111. Common cooking spray114. Hint to solving this puzzle: Part Three (4 words)121. Work with 91-Across

50. Kill a dragon51. Toilet, in Britain52. “To ___ is human...”53. Earl Grey, for one54. Largest New Deal org.56. Bumper cars, e.g.60. Buckle up (2 words)62. Humor writer ___ Bombeck65. National economic measure-ment: Abbr.66. Slippery fish68. 1999 and 2001, e.g.: Abbr.70. Place for many piercings73. Make sleepy75. New person on staff76. What the N in “SNL” stands for77. Physicist Niels ___78. Feeling depressed79. Cow’s offspring81. Made a rug82. “Breaking ___”84. Hole-punching tool85. Prefix meaning “new”86. “Raggedy” doll name88. Type of story where everyone lives “happily ever after” (2 words)90. British word reference book: Abbr.94. Big bunch96. Jedi enemies98. Stuffed animal from the 80s99. Abbr. on many memos100. Piece of formal neckwear102. Past participle of “lie”104. Personal Nintendo avatar107. Pattern in many kilts109. 451, in Roman numerals111. 105-Across, for one112. Word found in 18 of the 23 Monopoly properties113. They’re left behind by slobs114. More factual115. ___-Barbera (big name in cartoons)116. Command from a waiter117. Soviet moon program that started in 1959118. Cry heard at an opera house119. Calculus pioneer120. Took risks121. Luau offering125. Part of a flight?127. Angry129. Tell a tall tale130. Crime lab evidence131. CBS series with settings in three cities

by Avery Mojica

29

ACROSS

Opinion

Think big


T hink to yourself: why do we exist? Pause for a moment and think about why you believe what you believe. Ask

yourself: why does anything exist at all? A few weeks ago, I walked into Mr. Christensen’s AP U.S. History class expecting a regular class day, but he had something else in mind. After the bell rang, he announced that we were going to do something a little different. He asked, “Are humans inherently good or inherently evil?” Then we split into two groups based on our stances on the question and talked about it.

Although we barely scratched the surface of the argument, it was a good activity. The purpose was not to come to a conclusion, it was simply to think about it. Christensen said that oftentimes, we go through our lives without thinking about things. Ordinary people can have opinions on big questions, and contemplating them is important.

Since the beginning of time, in every culture, human beings have asked questions

like, “Are we inherently good or inherently evil?” Some of these people were naturally curious and were looking for answers. They knew that thinking about big questions would help them understand more about themselves, their world and their own beliefs.

Have you ever thought of where all the knowledge we acquire in school goes? Most of us forget about it after we get the grade we want, but I propose that students use this knowledge gained through school to think about profound questions. We should ask ourselves questions like, “Why does pain exist?” “Does a god or do gods exist?” We can use the knowledge we learn in our science and history classes as well as outside sources to formulate opinions on these subjects. When we think, we realize things we may

never have realized before. Through thinking and questioning, many people have changed their views. Take for example, Martin Luther, the founder of Protestantism. He was known for questioning the status quo, and he found

problems with it. In the end, he started a new sect of Christianity. The questions we should ask are big. Really

big. And to truly even get a stance on them requires a lot of thought. The cool thing is, when we spend the time to think about things, we gain a better understanding of what we believe. We should welcome the chance to understand more about ourselves and our universe.

Balancing chaosLet’s go through the day of a football

player who takes four or five AP classes. His day starts at 6:30 to get

ready in time for school. The student has to maintain focus through seven classes. Players are then expected to be dressed and ready by 3:15 for a three hour practice, which also requires a whole lot of focus and energy. It’s 7:00 p.m. by the time the student has had the time to shower, eat and sit down to get started on homework. Assuming it’s a hard day of school, the student has anywhere from four to five hours of schoolwork. That’s about six to seven hours of sleep.

The school has emphasized the necessity of sleep to stay mentally healthy, yet, this daily schedule is not healthy and not consistent at all with what the school recommends. It all seems a bit hypocritical. If a teenager is feeling this stressed, they would normally try to find a solution to make their life easier. So, what are the options?

The first is cutting something out of their schedule entirely. This sometimes means giving up a lifelong hobby or sport - not an easy decision to make, but a necessary one

for many. The other option is simply cutting out those AP classes to enjoy a lifelong hobby. In essence, the school is asking students to make their lives pretty one-dimensional and, unfortunately, life past high school happens to be more than that. So high school is teaching us to not really balance life, but live it in a pretty one-dimensional fashion - this, of course, makes sense.

The second option is not quitting anything and finding a more efficient way to complete assignments. So, what is it the more efficient way? You probably guessed it - cheating. But that’s absurd! Every Blue Valley student is supposed to be academically honest, regardless of sleep lost in the process. Unfortunately, teachers, students do not have too much of a problem with cheating nowadays. Selfish students, right?

The third option is probably the least common. The student works as hard as he or she can and gets whatever sleep and grades given. As awesome as this may sound to teachers and administrators, students will most likely avoid this option. A student’s grades fail to reflect how many all-nighters

they pulled or how academically honest they were in completing their work. Credit should be given where credit is due, and the system students are currently working under is failing to do that.

School has created a system which essentially weeds out people who attempt to do just that. It forces students to give up sports and activities they have been involved in to achieve their desired grades, or vice versa. That’s not balance, so I’m still curious as to why administrators and teachers are so surprised to find students who are willing to cheat, students who are extremely tired in the classroom and students who don’t enjoy school at all right now.

by Abdul Qaddour

by Brandon Fagen

15

In[forming] our own viewsWe are surrounded every day by information packaged in the opinions of others; what

we’re taught in school, what we hear on the news, or from our parents and even what we read

in textbooks. It’s important, then, to be critical consumers of news and information when we

form our own values and our own views, especially concerning politics, when 505 students

currently at BVNW will be old enough to vote in the 2016 election.

In the future, we can, and will, be a part of the change, which necessitates holding intelligent

conversations about things that are happening around us. Having these conversations, in turn,

requires knowledge, which is due to the fact that you can’t truly contribute an idea or opinion if

you don’t know anything about it.

We want so badly to be treated like adults, but part of being an adult brings the

responsibility of being informed citizens.

“I’m too young” is not an excuse. We’ve passed the age where being uninformed is

acceptable. In a society with issues of prejudice, corruption, human rights abuses and the like,

the sooner you wipe your lens of ignorance and see the other side of an issue, the sooner change

can take place.

It is important then to understand that everyone and everything from which we receive our

information is biased in some way, even if it claims not to be. We must take information with

a grain of salt because everything is biased. So, in the process of informing ourselves, we can’t

rely on one medium alone or accept anything at face value.

We need to look in more than one place and construct our own views. Additionally, being

informed allows us to filter out the bias, whether it is from a more liberal news organization

like CNN or the New York Times, or it is from a more conservative news organization like

Fox or the Wall Street Journal. We have to understand and recognize these biases when we are

gathering our information. Everyone and everything will relay a certain bias, and the more

informed we are from various sources, the more clearly we can decipher the facts.

New idea?Got a story?

Took a photo?

SEND IT TO US

The Express c/o Blue Valley Northwest High

School13260 Switzer Rd

Overland Park, KS 66213

[email protected]

Room 902

Suggested length under 1,000 words

Please include subject information about photos.

*The Express has the right to edit all submissions.

Staff editorial

THE EXPRESS | ISSUE 2 | OCTOBER 2015 3 1

Will you be able to vote in the 2016 election?

Yes 33.5%

Not sure 0.7%

No 65.8%

Do you know who you would vote for or would like to vote for?

Yes 52.3%

No 47.7%

editorial cartoon by Abdul Qaddour

The Express surveyed 272 students during lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

The Express surveyed 218 students during lunch on Wednesday, Oct. 7.

Blue Valley School District #229Blue Valley Northwest H.S.15020 Metcalf AvenueOverland Park, KS 66223

Non-Profit OrganizationU.S. Postage

PAIDStilwell, KS 66085

Permit No. 38

Visit the Dawg House in October &

November for:• 20%offofallComfortColor

T-shirts• $10OrangeSpiritJerseys

&• TheDawgHousePurpleTuesday

SaleonNovember17th

Documents

The Express - October 2015