Vol. 41 Issue 1 August 2010 Stilwell, KS

the BLUE VALLEY HIGH SCHOOL

bvtigernews.com

Take a tourLEED-certified BV Southwest opens its doors today. page 3

The queen is crowned2010 graduate Kaitlin Long wins America’s Homecoming Queen competition. page 9

Sharing the stadiumBVSW moves in, BV West plays at the DAC. page 11

inside

0 2 AUGUST 2010

in the halls...

on the cover...

Back to School Night is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 23.

Parents have the chance to go through a shortened version of their child’s schedule to meet their teachers and learn about curriculum.Students are allowed to go as well.

“Back to School Night helps the parents put a face with the name of a teacher,” counselor Sandy Fryer said. “We hope it helps the parents feel com-fortable contacting teachers.”

By Courtney Woodworth.

caitlinhollandeditor-in-chief

Last year, as a junior, Felicia Walker would walk out of third hour and head straight to the vending machine in the senior hallway with her friends. She used to drop four quarters in, punch the letter-number combination and watch the bag of Lays chips fall.

Walker usually had swim practice in the mornings and looked forward to her mid-morning snack that would hold her over until lunch.

This year, that scenario will never happen. The Kansas State Board of Education voted for vending machine standards that will restrict what types of foods and beverages students can purchase throughout the day.

The restrictions force all schools in Kansas to move to an advanced stage in an effort to promote healthy eating.

The mandate says that foods that do not meet a minimal nutritional value will not be offered to students until one hour after lunch ends, and the same applies for zero-calorie soda.

Foods that are 200 calories or less per serving, or have sugar as 35 percent or less of their total weight, as well as water and juice beverages, will be sold the entire day.

While he feels promoting healthy eating is important, prin-cipal Scott Bacon is concerned about a potential decline in ma-chine sales. He said a portion of the money the machines make is kept in the school and used in ways that students notice.

“Pepsi has been very generous to us over the years, and we’ve been able to do a lot of things because of that,” he said. “My fear is that the allocation that we get every year is going to go down. If it does, then we’re going to be forced to make some changes.”

Steve Davis, district director of budget and operations, said it is hard to tell how students will respond to the change this early.

“I think students will understand,” he said. “It’s not something the principal or the district can control; it’s something every school in the state has to comply with.”

Bacon predicts changes in school traditions like doughnuts after state championships and community service days. His con-cern is that, because they are not directly tied to the classroom, they might be viewed as unimportant.

“I’ve been here longer than anybody else, just about,” he said. “I’m tied to tradition as much as anybody, but the budgetary issue really causes us to have to look at making a change.”

The money BV receives from Pepsi is usually used to finance doughnuts, speakers, academic awards breakfasts, recognition assemblies as well as some of community service day.

Now a senior, Walker said that she will still probably use the vending machines in the morning, but choose a healthier option rather than the chips she used to buy. She said, as a swimmer, she knows that a balanced lifestyle is important and students should be able to select the foods they want for themselves.

“I think offering other alternatives but not really taking stuff away, then also teaching stuff and through learning experience would help people to make a better lifestyle, so when you’re older you won’t have to change it,” she said.

Davis said students in the district are showing an interest in making healthy choices, and cafeteria food options reflect that. He said the vending machine change is another step toward more nutritional choices for students.

“We’re implementing a lot of nutritional focus type-things because our students are interested,” he said. “As far as food service goes, we’re looking at items that are new, innovative and healthy, and are interesting to students.”

Walker said she expects most of the student body will be frustrated with the change, and some students will just go get the snacks they want from stores before the school day begins.

“I do not think they will be happy at all,” she said. “I know a lot of people eat snacks, especially before lunch. Even all my friends go to the vending machines before fourth hour. I think there will be quite a few angry people, to say the least.”

“Pepsi has been very generous to us over the years, and we’ve been able to do a lot of things because of that. My fear is that the allocation that we get every year is going to go down. If it does, then we’re going to be forced to make some changes.”

principal Scott Bacon

Sold in the morning to the end of the day

Sold one hour after lunch to the

end of the day

Food:less than 200 calories

calories from fat less than 35 percent of total weightsugar makes up less than

35 percent of total weight

Food:more than 200 caloriescalories from fat more than 35 percent of total weightsugar is more than 35 percent of total weight

Drinks:diet soda

Sold near athletic facilities:electrolyte replacement drinks

So, thatcan I buy ?when

Drinks:water

juice containing 50 percent to 100 percent

real fruit juice

State implements new vending machine standard; school tradition funding at risk

inthenews

this month...

2. Back to School Night gives parents chance to meet teachers

1. Senior ads due this month

Senior ads are due to the office by Aug. 27. The ad forms can be found on the BVHS website home page (www.bluevalleyk12.org/bvhs).

Messages and photos can be used to personal-ize the ads.

“Senior ads are a great way for parents to make a tribute to their son or daughter before they graduate,” yearbook adviser Jill Chittum said. “Ads also help fund the yearbook a lot which keeps the prices of the yearbooks down for students.”

By Kelly Cordingley.

Welcome back for another year. The 2010-2011 year brings a variety of intriguing topics that will affect student life, ranging from budget cuts to vending machine sales. Photo illustration by Maegan Kabel.

Aug. 18 First day for all studentsSophomore class ring meeting

Aug. 20All-school picnic and Freshman Class Day

Aug. 23Back to School Night

Aug. 25/26School pictures

Sept. 3Pizza dance following football game

Sept. 6Labor Day, no school

Sept. 15/16Map testing: Math for freshmen and sophomores

Sept. 17Blood Drive in Auxiliary Gym at 8:30 a.m.

inthenews

0 3AUGUST 2010

architecture &technology

The school features advanced technology for students to use. The journalism room contains new Macintosh comput-ers on which the yearbook and newspaper can be designed (bottom).

All photos and captions by Maegan Kabel.

inthenews

peop

le &

trad

idit

on

Library para Maggie Padek labels, sorts and shelves books. Library paras worked throughout the whole summer to set up the library. Books were ordered from Nov. 2009 to Jan. 2010 and were processed over the summer as they arrived at the school. The librarians organized the books by genre to make them easily accessible to stu-dents. The shelves are on casters, which makes moving furniture around easy for the librarians. “I have to say I love our furniture,” Munson said. “I tend to change things up a bit to make things more functional and I like the flexibility of it.”

School specialist Bev Bertolone helps Social Studies department chair Mike Ortmann unpack books and set up his room. Ortmann, who originally taught at Lawrence High School, is looking forward to the new school year. “I think the possibility of working with the new staff and greeting the new students in the new building is exciting,” he said. Ortmann’s room has a modern feel with large windows in one corner, overlooking acres filled with trees. “I’m looking forward to the fall foliage,” he said. “It’s all very exciting.”

Biology teacher Lynn Martens stands in front of rows of textbooks and cabinets filled with science equipment. She allows students to name the skeleton and muscle-structure displays. “The students this year will get to do that, and the names won’t change after that.” After many years teaching at Blue Valley North, Martens moved to BVSW for the experience. “I transitioned because this is new, exciting and fun,” she said. “Not because I didn’t like North. It’s kind of neat to have the merging of the high school in two ways. It’s the healthiest mix of what Blue Valley has to offer for students and teachers.”

One feature of the BVSW courtyard is an upper deck of picnic tables, avaliable off the commons for students to use during lunch. Many of the hallways have access to the court-yard, which also has an amphitheater and a patio connected to the library .

The library has many windows facing the courtyard, al-lowing natural light to fill the room. One of the librarians, Becca Munson, worked on the design committee for the library, where she made sure to incorporate her vision for the library into the design. “We are a teaching library where we incorporate 21st century skills into the content areas,” she said. “The library is also a place to foster the appreciation of literature, so we have a magazine area along with comfy chairs to read a variety of books and other materials.”

The hallways of Southwest are wide and have cement floors. Some have tan lockers lining the walls.

Take a tour:BV Southwest

outloud

0 4 AUGUST 2010

Welcome (freshmen) and welcome back (ev-erybody else),

This year promises to

be an interesting one. With our school a little bit smaller we already see a difference from

years past on the surface. With the district’s budget tight-ened up, each student will most definitely notice a change or two throughout the school year.

Budget problems aren’t new.For years, the district has been forced to make cuts in

order to keep pace with the dwindling state budget. School board members have been doing the little things to keep the cuts focused at district office, away from students’ class-rooms and activities.

Students have been able to slide by without really know-ing or caring about the district’s budget situation.

Budget. That’s something our parents talk about. That’s the reason our teachers lecture about not printing in color all the time.

It’s our problem, too.Unfortunately, school board members are running out of

things to cut back on at district office. The dam is finally start-ing to crack, and students will see the result of the budget

problem in their school lives now.Whether it’s one more student in the back row of Algebra

II or less money for a club to use on supplies, it’s happening. And it’s not just our parents’ problem anymore.

The truth is, it’s our school. We should care about it enough to educate ourselves on the budget basics — and take it one step further. We should voice our opinions to district and state officials to let them know we know what’s best for our school.

An issue for everyone.All students, freshmen and seniors alike, should care

about the district’s financial situation. Upperclassmen have the advantage of knowing the school really well, what changes would be embraced by the student body and what would be rejected. Underclassmen should feel the need to be aware. The district’s budget will play a critical role in their education for the next few years.

There are ways to make a difference.It isn’t impossible, or even difficult, to stay informed on

the district and state financial situation. The board of educa-tion often has meetings where patrons are invited to attend, and information regarding the time and place for the meet-ings are on the local news and the district website.

The district website also has contact information for of-ficials in different departments, so it’s easy to communicate with the person who can best answer your questions.

Every day in school there are things to do that can impact

the overall budget. Little things like turning a faucet off in the bathroom instead of letting the water drip, or completely editing an essay before printing are easy ways to display budget awareness during school.

The financial problems our district, like many others in the nation, faces are frustrating. However, the current situa-tion provides high school students an excellent opportunity to speak their minds and make a difference.

This issue shouldn’t be discussed solely by our parents. It’s our problem more than anyone else’s.

Understanding basics on educational funding is important for all

editor-in-chiefCaitlin Holland

managing editorSara Naatz

news/web editorAnnie Matheis

opinion editorJacob Pruitt

features/entertainment editorJordan Huesers

sports editorChris Roche

copy editorEmily Brown

design editorJordan McEntee

photo editorMaegan Kabel

ads managerSam Brennan

staff writersJaida AnderlikJamie ChaffinJordan CoonsKelly CordingleyClay CosbyBenjamin GroveRyan O’TooleOdi OpoleCooper Page

photographersMaria FournierJuliana HimmelConor StormCourtney Woodworth

cartoonistEvelyn Davis

adviserJill Chittum

The Tiger PrintThe Tiger Print is published nine times a year for the students, faculty and the surrounding com-munity of Blue Valley High School. It is an open forum for student expression. Therefore, the opinions expressed within this paper do not nec-essarily reflect the views of the administrations of Blue Valley Unified School District #229.

Letters to the editor and reader responses are encouraged for publication. The Tiger Print reserves the right to edit all submissions for both language and content and encourages letters to be no more than 350 words. Letters should be submitted to room 450, e-mailed to thetiger-print@yahoo.com or mailed to:

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

The Tiger Print also encourages guest photogra-phy. Photos should be submitted to room 450 with information pertaining to the photo.

for more information:

Go to pages 6-7 to learn more about the current budget situation.

Includes info on:Base State Aid Per PupilCuts affecting students and parentsSchool board president Steve Klika’s opinion

District budget affects students directly

up close

0 5AUGUST 2010

emilybrowncopy editor

Senior Anthony Orwick was overwhelmed. The sights, the sounds and the people of France were

completely unfamiliar to him. As a foreign exchange student, he stayed with a host fam-

ily, whose beliefs and culture were the complete opposite of his own.

Cloudy weather and the death of his host family’s grand-mother made the beginning of his stay difficult.

But soon he found the change invigorating.“It wasn’t easy adjusting,” Anthony said. “I had to deal

with a very controlling host mother and the climate was so different. At the same time, I was enjoying myself because I was no longer in the U.S. It was like a break from all of my problems.”

Anthony’s mother Pam Orwick found his absence heart-breaking.

“I talked to him over ooVoo [video chat] but I really missed the physical contact, the hugs,” she said.

The first thing Anthony needed to learn was body lan-guage.

“You study faces and movement,” he said. “But if I was talking to someone and didn’t understand what they were saying, I would laugh and agree with them. It was always the easy way out.”

Anthony found French parenting to be very different from his own upbringing.

“Respect is a huge deal in their country,” he said. “You don’t befriend your parents. They aren’t there to be your friends. They are there to teach you how to live your life and to be responsible.”

It took him only a few days at the family dinner table to sense their love of debate. The typical conversation starter would be a question about politics.

“My host mother was very passionate about her opin-ions,” he said. “She taught me how to persuade others. In their minds they have to support what they say with logic and fact. There is almost an obsession with logic.”

He soon noticed that the political atmosphere of France was very different from the U.S. The French would strike on a weekly basis.

“There is this revolution mentality,” he said. “One time, I didn’t go to school because the teachers were striking. It wasn’t abnormal. Another time a bunch of farmers got to-gether and rode their tractors to downtown Paris. Hundreds of tractors were going about 15 miles per hour down the highway.”

Anthony said that the French people took their rights very seriously.

“They know their rights more than they know how to take care of themselves,” he said.

The hardest part of his stay in France was learning to con-trol his emotions. He said French people tended to be more reserved than Americans.

“There is a time and place for emotional expression,” he said. “You can act silly and funny at your house, but at school you must be calm and polite. On the streets, you don’t usu-ally talk to other people.”

The people he met in France were full of complexities, but he always found them open-minded.

“They love hearing new ideas,” he said. “They don’t resort to fighting; they resort to discussion — intense discussion at that.”

Two characteristics he did not see in the French people were snobbery or arrogance.

“French people are very modest,” he said. “When it comes to wealth, they feel it is extremely impolite to show it off, even if they have earned it.”

Despite obvious cultural differences, Anthony noticed that the French generally respect Americans due to strong relations between the two countries.

“There was a lot of love towards us,” he said. “They still appreciate what we did for them in World War II. A lot of the young people dream about going to America.”

Friendship in France was not a simple matter and did not happen overnight for him.

“They are open to talking and being friendly, but friend-ship to them means something different than it does in the U.S.,” he said. “To them friendship is a lifelong connection, no matter the distance. They have fewer friends than we do, and they are very close to those particular friends.”

Anthony’s trip was eye-opening, and he encourages oth-ers to travel, too.

“Getting outside your comfort zone, you have absolutely nothing to lose,” he said. “It is just fantastic. You can make mistakes and learn from them.”

Anthony’s mother thought his way of thinking changed during his stay in France.

“He is so independent; almost adult-like,” she said. “He has so many great ideas about politics and the world.”

While he was there, he learned to think, speak, act and behave like a French person.

“The only true way to learn a foreign language is to im-merse yourself into the culture and experience the people,” he said. “The French language is very complicated; full of contradictions, but beautiful. That is kind of how the French people are.”

‘There is nothing simple in France’Senior returns from foreign exchange experience, opinions on politics, society altered

Orwick poses with his host sister, Shémirahmis. She will arrive in America next month as a French exchange student, and will stay with him. He had three other host siblings, Hellisandre, Anthinèa and Nathanïel. Photo submitted by Anthony Orwick.

Orwick stands before the Arc de Triumph in Paris. He hopes to return to France in the future and stay with his friends to save money. “It is really cool the kind of connections you can make with people there,” he said. Photo submitted by Anthony Orwick.

indepth indepth

0 6 AUGUST 2010 0 7AUGUST 2010

jacobpruittopinion editor

Parents had their mind on their money, and their money on their mind when it came time to pay registra-tion fees for the 2010-2011 school year.

Activity fees are now $120 per student, with a cap at two students. Last year’s fee was $60 per student.

Some parents find themselves paying a mandatory fee even though their children do not participate in school activities.

Nancy McKean has two children attending BV, senior Thomas McKean and sophomore Jessica McKean. Nei-ther participate in sports or activities in school, but Nancy still paid $240 in activity fees.

“As compared to last year, the cost is over $200 for each of them [combined],” Nancy said. “You have to pay it up front, no matter what.”

The activity fee covers a wide variety of school activi-ties, as well as classes and co-curriculars.

“It’s an all-encompassing fee for anything involved in the school,” BVHS receptionist Pam Arnott said.

Parent sees importance in understanding budget situation

saranaatzmanaging editor

Budget cuts are projected to have a large impact on the funding of student activities, such as debate and choir, and their transportation to state and national competitions.

Things have changed over the course of a few years. The district no longer pays for food on national trips, though transportation and gas are still funded.

Debate senior Samantha Nichols believes raising money is imperative to fund national trips.

“We have a forensics showcase where our best acts come out to perform,” she said. “Last year, we passed around a hat and asked for money. Before our fundraising, I wasn’t sure how we were going to pay for all the rooms we were staying in.”

Trips that are farther away also pose a problem. For the debate team, upcoming competitions are in Dallas and Washington, D.C.

“I just don’t know how we can do a trip like that now,” she said. “There’s just less [money] to go around.”

The chorale seniors take trips to an out-of-state location each year. Over the next two years, the group plans on visit-ing New York in 2011 and Disney World in 2012.

However, neither these trips, nor the trip to state choir competition in Emporia, will be affected by budget cuts. The choir department raises money to help pay for the trips.

Students who were informed of upcoming school events through parent voicemail may also be affected.

“For choir, Mrs. Moeller communicated with us through the voicemail,” junior McKenzie Nicholis said. “That’s how I knew when big things were coming up. It will definitely affect us.”

Nichols said budget cuts are something no one wants, but students need to persevere.

“We’re still a really fortunate school district,” she said. “Instead of getting angry, we can take action. We need to make sure this doesn’t ever happen again.”

Student activities to be affected by lack of trip funding from district

caitlinhollandeditor-in-chief

Steve Klika, district board of education president, knows that more budget cuts are probable for upcoming school years.

This is after more than $5 million in cuts were finalized last spring, which included raising average high school class size by one, and cutting funding for student’s national competition expenses, among many others.

Klika said the district must prepare to make more cuts because the amount of funding each student receives from the state to finance their education is not enough.

“The disconnect comes at the state level,” he said. “The state has a tough time with the needs of the K-12 schools and trying to find ways to deal with the issue of rural versus urban.”

The district receives $4,012 from the state for each student enrolled this year. Some districts that have higher rates of at-risk students receive more funding from the state. Klika said because Blue Valley is a district with few at-risk students, the amount of funding BV receives is very close to the minimum amount, called the Base State Aid Per Pupil (BSAPP).

Klika said one possibility that would benefit Blue Valley students would be to implement a “local option” to raise money for schools. This would mean Blue Valley students’ education would be funded by Johnson County taxes, rather than state taxes.

He said the best thing for students to do is to get educated and stay informed, as well as contact district and state officials.

“I don’t want to discount kids,” he said. “Kids need to be heard. If you get involved in legislature you can prove that in large numbers you will make a difference.”

District representative suggests student involvement in legislature IN THE

how cutswill affect bv students

RED

$3,500

$4,500

$4,300

$4,100

$3,900

$3,700

$4,257$4,316

$4,374$4,433

$4,012 $4,012

05 - 06 06 - 07 07- 08 08- 09 09- 10 10 -11School Year

BSA

PP

Many changes were made for the 2010-2011 school year due to budget cuts. Parents, students and district representatives view the effects differently.

These cuts, along with all the others not listed, will save the Blue Valley School District $6,005,657.

No more financial assistance from District Office for national trips and KSHSAA state events.

Reduction of each high school activity budget by $1,500.

Increase in high school class sizes by an average of one student.

Reduction of BVTV equipment service contract and materials expenses.

Reduction of four high school office as-sistants.

Reduction of the number of seats available to high schoolers at Millcreek and Broadmoor vocational centers.

Increase in the Activity Participation Fee for high school from $60 to $120.

Increase in the learning resource fee from $80 to $100 per student.

Reduction of counseling positions at high schools by basing allocation on enroll-ment, for a total of 2 positions.

Reduction of .2 AVID staffing.

More than 40 different cuts were made to the district budget this year. Some of the specific cuts that will most directly affect students and parents at BVHS are:

The graph below represents the Base State Aid Per Pupil (BSAPP) for this year and the past five school years. The BSAPP is the amount of funding the state allocates to each student. Districts with more at-risk students receive more money from the state. Information provided by the Blue Valley School District. Graph created by Maegan Kabel.

upclose

0 8 AUGUST 2010

saranaatzmanaging editor

Carol Lowman squats in the middle of the gym, the Blue Valley Stridin’ Tigers circled around her. Her hair is pulled back to keep her mind on the detail of the music. She instructs the band to repeat the same section of the music until it is perfected.

Lowman is the new assistant band director for BV, and the fourth one in five years. She is replacing Daniel Kirk, who took the job as head director at Blue Valley West.

“[Kirk] kept us on our toes and made us work a lot harder,” drum major, junior Meera Chakravar-thy said. “He had a weird style of teaching that we really liked. He was always explaining things with metaphors.”

However, Kirk recently took the position of head band director at Blue Valley West. Because of this,

the band will have to adapt to another assistant band director.

Chakravarthy said that Lowman holds a great deal of potential as a leader.

“My first impression after hearing she had been part of the drum and bugle corp for the Colts [football team] was ‘Oh my gosh she’s going to make us a lot better,’” Chakravarthy said. “She’s also really nice and is bringing an entirely dif-ferent personality to the band.”

As Lowman learned more about the BV band’s history through word of mouth and past experi-ence in competitions, she was drawn in to the position of assis-tant band director.

“I know that the program has been really strong, with a really strong reputation,” she said. “I’ve heard a lot about it.”

Lowman said the band is living up to expectations so far.

“They are really positive and hard-working with a good outlook,” she said. “The band’s leaders have a

really good grasp on the skills they need.”

Kirk said he believes the band will continue to shine due to their work ethic.

“They have an amazing com-mitment to working hard and a dedication to the task at hand,” he said.

Chakravarthy thinks that the band can also benefit from the type of leadership Lowman brings to her position.

“She has a whole new way of doing things,” she said. “She makes it a lot more student-based so we can see what we’re doing. She doesn’t yell at us, she shows us what we’re doing wrong.”

Lowman said she believes teaching students to see what needs to be changed is more ben-eficial than telling them directly.

“I want to teach them to think critically about the product they’re creating,” she said. “Music is special because you work really hard with a group of people to perfect it.”

Kirk believes that Lowman’s leadership potential lies in her experience and kindness.

“She’s an amazing player and the students will love her,” he said. “You can’t help but like someone who’s nice to you.”

The band plans on using all the methods Kirk taught them as

well as all of the new techniques Lowman introduced. Chakravarthy said that Lowman’s enthusiasm for music will inspire the band to do all that they can to improve.

“She definitely loves what she does,” Chakravarthy said. “And she knows how to interact with the band and motivate us.”

Marching band welcomes new assistant director

Assistant director Carol Lowman judges a game of Tiger knock-out among woodwind players. The game, which helps improve finger accuracy and speed, involves playing a warm-up multiple times, getting faster each time. Lowman said she loves teaching at BV. ”I really want the students to commit to the show and to each other,” she said. Photo by Maegan Kabel.

upclose

0 9AUGUST 2010

Onstage there’s a spotlight. Three girls stand elegantly

dressed, waiting to hear their fate: Miss Texas, Miss Alaska and Miss Kansas.

Kaitlin Long, 2010 graduate, hears her name called, and goes to accept her title as America’s Homecoming Queen.

“I honestly couldn’t believe it when they said my name,” she said. “Once I processed what was happen-ing I was trying to remember what to do, and where to walk.”

The state pageant consisted of an interview, essay and an evening gown competition.

The national pageant had those three components plus a speech and an American history quiz.

Kaitlin competed against 49 other girls, who also won their state com-petitions.

“The first night I was super over-whelmed,” she said. “All of the other girls were so nice and so gorgeous. I

just knew it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

Kaitlin’s mom and dad were extremely supportive of her since the day she entered the competition.

“Kaitlin has always been a self-directed person, and made her own decisions,” Kaitlin’s mom Susan Pals-Long said. “This was a path she selected on her own.”

Her parents anticipate more suc-cess from her in the future.

“We are very proud of what she has accomplished and are sure that the best is yet to come,” Susan said.

For the competition she had to bring 60 gift bags filled with items that represent Kansas to give to the other girls and judges. She also had to make a video about high school activities and community service.

“[Mark] Mosier helped me film everything and put it together,” she said. “I definitely couldn’t have done it without him.”

Kaitlin came prepared, but she didn’t know what to expect. She was required to write a speech about why people should come to Kansas.

“Before I left I timed it and it was

four minutes and when I got there they told me it had to be one,” she said. “So I trimmed it down a lot one afternoon.”

Although the judges never told the contestants what they would be looking for, Kaitlin found out what the criteria was afterward.

“The judges said I had the total package,” she said. “They said I had great interview skills and the All-American smile. They also said I kept my shoulders back and stood straight, which was surprising because I feel like I slouch often.”

She will travel to Memphis, Tenn. in December to do the coin toss at the Liberty Bowl.

“While there I also get to visit St. Jude’s Hospital, which I am very excited about,” she said.

Blue Valley will receive a plaque to display in honor of Kaitlin’s accom-plishment.

“I never would have imagined leaving my mark on Blue Valley like this,” she said. “Winning America’s Homecoming Queen was amazing, and I am so proud to represent Blue Valley.”

courtneywoodworthstaff writer

Blue Valley graduate crowned America’s Homecoming Queen

Kaitlin Long flashes her All-American smile as she accepts her title as Amrica’s Homecoming queen. She went through many steps such as an interview and an evening gown competition before being crowned. Photo submitted by Susan Pals-Long.

centerstage

1 0 AUGUST 2010

Vans Warped Tour was a day with a heat index of 108 degrees. A few thousand eager fans braved the heat to see the concert extravaganza.

The doors opened at 11 a.m., and the last performance was at 7:50 p.m. The tour showcased about 70 performers, countless vendors and signings by many bands.

Each band put on a perfor-mance that kept my eyes glued to what I could see of the stage.

It’s considered a day in punk-pop heaven.

We the Kings They covered “The Middle” by

Jimmy Eat World. I don’t usually like covers, but they executed this one really well. It was a smart move on their part since people

walking by stopped a minute to sing along.

Pierce the VeilThese guys were by far the

best performers I saw all day. Every band member was incred-ibly talented. The lead singer and guitarist, Vic Fuentes, was not scared to get up close and personal with the fans. During the best part of their set, Fuentes stood on the fence as he sang “Chemical Kids and Mechanical Brides” to the audience.

Four Year StrongThey were my second favorite

of the day because, like Pierce the Veil, they showed their con-nection with not only their fans but other bands on the tour. During a chant in “Wasting Time (Eternal Summer),” the band shared the stage with perform-ers from Pierce the Veil, Set Your Goals and Suicide Silence.

courtneywoodworthstaff writer

Warped Tour June 25

The Sprint Center was packed with girls and women of all ages. Six-year olds screamed their little heads off, teens held up signs proudly boasting, “I LOVE YOU!” and all the parents were wearing earplugs.

It was 8:30 p.m., and the tense crowd had been waiting for their idol since six or seven.

The stage went dark, as laser lights and smoke surrounded a metal ball at center stage. Slowly, a figure rose up from under the ball.

It was Justin Bieber.Now, for all the haters: it was a good

show. While some artists lip-sync, some hardly sing (cough, Sean Kingston, cough), and others just don’t sound as good, Mr. Bieber has full rights to the ap-plause he gets.

He can sing, he can dance and he’s charismatic.

Charismatic enough to make me believe, anyway.

The whole concert was a high-energy party, and the line-up included radio hits such as “Baby,” “One Time” and other songs from the My World and My World 2.0 albums.

He sang songs that were obviously crowd-pleasers, even to the (okay, my) untrained ear.

Bieber did a lot of dancing — more

dancing than you would expect of the main voice on stage. He was popping, locking and moon walking with the best of them.

In between acts, there were short videos, including one with old pictures and home videos.

He also included heartfelt messages to fans throughout the concert and showed that he hasn’t let fame go to his head.

For first-timers and skeptics, Bieber showcased three things: he has good vocals, he has great footwork and he just oozes charm on stage.

Don’t believe me? Ask the girl who was given a dozen red roses on-stage while he sang “One Less Lonely Girl” to her.

Justin Bieber July 29odiopole

staff writer

Concert CrazyThree anticipated summer shows do not disappoint

She stands astride a fiery piano.

She lays engulfed in fog.Her fans scream for more.Lady Gaga gives a show that

won’t soon be forgotten.“I don’t want you to leave

here loving me more.”Her true fans couldn’t love her

more.The crowd screams and

releases any remaining uncer-tainty.

Tonight being different is cool, and being normal is bor-ing. Tonight we are all her little monsters.

This concert was going to be the highlight of my summer.

I had no doubt in my mind that the sold-out show would be the mind-blowing spectacular

that I expected it to be.Sprint Center. 8:51 p.m. The opening act, Semi-Pre-

cious Weapons, clears the stage and it goes dark.

8:59 p.m. The curtain goes up. Gaga’s

silhouette is illuminated on a giant screen surrounding the stage.

She proceeds through the show growling and purring at her fans, demanding screams and dancing.

She disappears from the stage during songs, and appears in a new avant garde outfit, each more extreme than the last.

Never is there a moment when the monsters aren’t enter-tained.

Even during her breaks and outfit changes, techno music is played to keep them dancing. She sings all her hits from albums The Fame and The Fame Monster.

There is only one point during the performance that Gaga and her fans calm down. She rises from the stage laying on top of a piano.

She revels her secrets and tells stories about her family. She begins playing the piano, sweetly at first.

But as she moves through the song, the piano catches fire along with her.

She plays with her hands and her heeled foot.

I was surprised to see Gaga so accepted in the usually conserva-tive Kansas City crowd.

Even as she preached her beliefs about rights for LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans-gender) the monsters screamed in agreement.

So, how was the Monster Ball with Lady Gaga?

“We burned that place to the ground.”

sambrennanads manager

Lady Gaga Aug. 4photo courtesy of gomoxie.org

tigerturf

1 1AUGUST 2010

anniematheisnews editor

Blue Valley Southwest will share the field at Blue Valley High School for the upcoming football season. Blue Valley West will no longer play home games at BVHS, and instead play them at the District Activity Complex.

The decision for BVSW to utilize BV’s field was at the district level.

“It makes sense, with Southwest being the farthest Blue Valley School south, it would utilize this facility,” principal Scott Bacon said.

Bacon said he doesn’t anticipate any differences for the nine football games this year compared to previous years.

“Certainly when we are in our home stands, it is not going to be any different,” he said. “What might make it a little bit unusual is that there will probably be a greater familiarity with our students and the students at Southwest, because half of its students came from BVHS.”

Football coach Eric Driskell said he thinks his team’s con-nection with BVSW players will be challenging.

“It will probably be intense, because it’s the first time they have been opposite of each other,” Driskell said. “And it does kind of draw some lines, because some of those guys are still friends. It could be tough on a lot of those kids because they have played together for a while, and at this point they are on opposite sides.”

Varsity football player, senior Alex Newell looks forward to sharing the field with BVSW.

“I like it better than sharing the stadium with Blue Valley West,” Newell said. “We kind of know a lot of the kids who are going to Blue Valley Southwest, more than we know the guys over at Blue Valley West. And even with either team sharing it, it’s still our home field.”

Newell said he doesn’t think the opening of BVSW will have a large impact on his senior year, because few junior and senior players transfered to BVSW.

“I am glad that we are playing them,” Newell said. “I think a lot of people from BV are looking forward to playing against Southwest.”

Sophomore football player Cody Kaemmer said he is excited to play against some of his friends and former team-mates.

“I think it will be fun because I’ve played with them before,” Kaemmer said. “You don’t really get to play against them very often.”

Bacon said he can see the two schools becoming rivals.“I think there has always been some sense of rivalry

between Blue Valley schools,” he said. “Everybody wants to be top dog in the district, so I think there might be a natural rivalry that will develop anyway.”

Driskell said the BV-BVSW rivalry might take time to mature.

“It seems like every time a new school opens, it becomes an instant rival,” he said. “West, Aquinas and all the other Blue Valley schools are pretty big rivals, too. It will be hard to match that intensity, but it will grow to be that.”

Newell said he doesn’t believe the rivalry with BV-BVSW will match the rivalry with BV-BVW.

“I think a lot of the reason we are rivals with West is just because the kids from Blue Valley don’t like the kids from

West,” Newell said. “But, I think if Southwest does become a rivalry, it will be more playing against the kids you grew up with and know; more like a fun rivalry game. Especially in football, everything is about competition, and you are always going to want to beat your friend.”

Junior Clayton Stiver, a former BV football player, will be on the BVSW team this season.

“I think everything will be easier until we play a game,” he

said. “The games will be harder, and I’ll miss the tradition.”Newell said he believes the number of fans in the stadium

on Friday nights might be different than it has been in past years.

“On Friday nights, if either we were home or West was home, and you drove by there, it was packed,” Newell said. “Even West had full stadiums. The only thing that might change with Southwest is there might not be as many people going out. It doesn’t really affect us, but it is kind of nice when you drive by there and see the whole stadium packed.”

New field arrangements will have a slight effect on the BV football schedule, which now includes one Saturday night game. Kaemmer said he doesn’t like the idea of a Saturday game.

“Friday night lights, it’s a high school thing,” he said.Newell said he would rather be playing on a Friday night,

but he doesn’t think a Saturday night game will cause that much of a difference.

“Friday night is when people go to watch high school football, so I think it might feel a little different playing on a Saturday night,” Newell said. “But it is still a night game, and still a weekend.”

BVSW will be BV’s first away game this year.“It’s our home field,” Kaemmer said. “But we will play the

same, it’s a rivalry game.”Bacon said the only time sharing the field will affect BV is

the one game of the season where the students must sit on the visitor’s side.

“We have been through this four times before, and we just deal with it and move on,” he said. “Who’s gone is gone. We have to work with who we have, and all of our teams are in a position to be very competitive at every level.”

BVSW to share BV stadium

Blue Valley football players practice over the summer at the BV stadium. With the new school opening, BVSW will share the field with BV and BVW will play games at the District Activity Complex. BV will play nine games this year, with one Saturday evening game. Photo by Maria Fournier.

Saturday game added to schedule as result of new school opening

6A and 5A - 64 biggest schools in KansasBlue Valley High School: 5A, 1,200 students

Osage City High School: 3A, 230 Students4A, 3A,2A - 64 next-largest schools

1A- all remaining schoolsCentralia High School, 85 students

=100 students

Because of BVSW opening, BV will become a 5A school. BVSW will open as a 4A school.

KSHSAA school sizes

incolor

1 2 AUGUST 2010

odiopolestaff writer

Money Magazine listed Overland Park as the 7th best place to live in the U.S.

The city placed twice before, sixth in 2006 and ninth in 2008. Overland Park was picked for its affordable housing and job availability.

The city’s unemployment rate, now 4.6 percent accord-ing to simplyhired.com, is still below the national average.

The article cited great schools, parks and a farmers mar-ket as perks to living in the area.

The Blue Valley School District is one of four districts that have schools in the city.

BV Secretary Heidi Wood has two children in the district. She cites the district’s standardized curriculum as one of it’s strongest features.

“I think it’s great that they have a lot of the teachers teaching the same thing,” Wood said. “Then it’s a little fairer,

and the curriculum doesn’t vary as much.”Her family moved to Overland Park from Ohio, and have

been in the district for thirteen years.“The schools were a big part of it,” she said. “We wanted

Blue Valley because it has a really strong reputation.”

Overland Park ranked 7th best city to live in U.S.

4. Bellevue, WA5. McKinney, TX6. Fort Collins, CO7. Overland Park, KS

1. Eden Prairie, MN 2. Columbia/Ellicott City, MD3. Newton, MA

8

4

6

1

9

7

10

5

2

3

8. Fishers, IN9. Ames, IA10. Rogers, AR

Top 10 Places to Live in the U.S.

Information from Money Magazine.

FroYo Frenzy: Over the past few months frozen yogurt shops have been popping up left and right in Johnson County. The Tiger Print went out to taste-test the different FroYo places our area has to offer. Review by Chris Roche.

OP fast factsnationally acclaimed school districtslow unemployment rate at 4.6 percentplaced 6th in 2006 in Money Magazine rankingsplaced 9th in 2008

[around town]2010[august]

YoBerryOrange Leaf Over the Top

Photos by Courtney Woodworth and Conor Storm.

Over the Top Cupcake and Ice Cream Shop

4825 W 119th StreetLocated on the far side of Town Center Plaza.

Pluses:Lists calorie and nutritional information next to all of the flavors.Can make your flavor into a smoothie by choosing your favorite fresh fruits to add.Has a wide variety of cupcake flavors and frosting choices.

Minuses:The prices are a little higher than other frozen yogurt shops, at 49 cents per ounce. They only serve eight flavors at a time.

Orange Leaf

48941 West 135th Street

Pluses:Very friendly service.Spacious atmosphere that accommodates large crowds well.More than 50 flavors stocked that can be interchanged, always something new to try.Invented the “Brownie Batter” flavor.Low price at 34 cents per ounce.

Minuses:Because they have so many flavors, your favorite might not be there forever.

YoBerry

16120 SantaFe Street

Pluses:Lowest cost of the three stores at 33 cents per ounce. The staff is really welcoming and interacts with customers.Offers boba tea in a variety of flavors ranging from red to watermelon.Has unique toppings like Rice Krispies.

Minuses:The shop is the farthest drive from the school.Doesn’t offer very much seat-ing inside the store.