february issue

NORTH STARTHE Issue 6, Volume 26

Blue Valley North Overland Park, KS February 24, 2012

“We’re all like puppets on a string,” junior

Grace Powell explains in our interview, having arrived 30 minutes later than originally planned. A dead car battery and a large chai tea later, Powell is ready to explain the method to her madness and the video that caught the attention of the North population.

Photo by Ali Fallucca

Story continues on page 5.

02 the north star news 02.24.12

Making the jump to Hollywood didn’t come at the drop of a hat for junior

Sarah McMullen. The recent Student Council treasurer and dance team member left North Oct. 13 to pursue a career in entertainment. “Choosing to leave Kansas was a decision that had a lot to do with how much stress I had,” McMullen said. “I was in over my head, and with dance team and Student Council, it just became way too much. There was a Nickelodeon job I was in the running for, and I ended up having to fly out three times in two weeks because I had to meet with the network face to face. At that point, I knew that if I wanted to succeed I just needed to be out there. After a 28-hour road trip, multiple trips to IKEA and some mishaps along the way, here I am!” McMullen, the 2011 LA Music Awards Pop Artist of the Year, now spends her time in Los Angeles

auditioning for acting roles and continuing her education online. Living in an apartment with her mother, McMullen has found the move easier than expected. She regularly receives callbacks from the Disney Channel, Nickelodeon and ABC Family for spots on various television series. “Auditions come and go. Sometimes [Sarah] has six in one week, sometimes she has one. You just never know,” Bonnie McMullen, Sarah’s mother, said. Some worry McMullen chose hastily by heading west before completing high school, but her early budding into the limelight is noteworthy. She landed a commercial spot with Exxon Mobil and performed beside Ashley Greene of “Twilight” at the National Dating Abuse Helpline’s Louder Than Words event. “[Sarah] knows exactly what she wants and is going full force for

it,” Jonathan George, McMullen’s manager, said. “She has done extremely well for being out here for a short period of time. She has come extremely close for major projects, so it will be a matter of time before something big takes off.” The future looks bright for McMullen in acting and California. She is uncertain when she will return, but is saving one special date. “I’m extremely lucky, and I always try to keep that in mind. If I end up staying out here, I’ll just

Every winter, the drama department carries on the grand tradition of musical

theater by bringing a piece of Broadway to North. The student actors this year were tasked with communicating the energy and exuberance of the hit “Legally Blonde”, bringing it to life for North audiences as only they can.

Student relocates to Hollywood McMullen leaves KC behind, aims for entertainment career

“Legally Blonde” evolves from Broadway to BVN

David TauberSports Editor

Liz GaaEntertainment Editor

Junior Sarah McMullen (fourth from left) was featured in an Exxon Mobil commercial with teens in January. Here she stands off the set for a photo with her co-actors. Provided by McMullen.

transfer my credits in from online school in 2013 a month before graduation and walk with my class,” McMullen said.

“Before I go onstage, there’s this buildup inside of me, and then onstage it’s like a huge release. It feels

like I have a story I’m telling, so I have to let it out with enough energy to keep myself going.”Sofia Belhouri, senior

After a successful three nights and positive audience response, “Legally Blonde” ended its run at BVN. Feb. 4 marked the last night of the seniors’ high school acting careers, leaving them with happy memories and life lessons. “It’s hard to leave them and the show, and it’s definitely sad, but I’m excited about what’s to come,” senior Sarah Hennessey said.

Francine GollubPhotographer

“[During auditions]I was really confident but as the process, went on, and we started to go through callbacks, I got a bit worried. I got the part I wanted, though.”

Michael Seck, junior

“I get quiet before shows. Moments before I go on I just get into this mindset where I am Elle. I convince myself nothing will go wrong, and if something does, I know we will be able to get through it.”Erica Punch, junior

“[‘Legally Blonde’ is perfect for BVN because] it has lots of girls’ roles ...80 percent of the kids who audition for the musical are female... and likable, singable music. It was a huge show, a new show just recently available. We were able to pull off the huge set and production.”Max Brown, musical director

In 2007, “Legally Blonde” started its successful Broadway run, earning more than $1 million a week on multiple occasions. The musical also spawned a broadcast and reality TV show on MTV and seven Tony award nominations. In September of 2011, the rights for the show were released.

“Legally Blonde” started the journey to the PAC stage as a self-published novel by Amanda

Brown. Due to critical acclaim, a movie was quickly released on July 13, 2001, starring Reese Witherspoon as Elle Woods. “Legally Blonde” was her breakthrough role and a big hit, grossing $95 million by October of 2001 and spawning sequels and spinoffs.

JCCC Honors: Dig deeper. Aim higher.

“As an Honors student, I am able to enroll inclasses early and have extra one-on-one timewith my Honors professors.”

Brandon, JCCC Honors student and Shawnee Mission North graduate

Johnson County Community College’s Honors Program stimulates andchallenges academically talented students. An Honors application is requiredfor admission. For more information, call Pat Decker at 913-469-8500, ext. 2512,or visit www.jccc.edu/honors

JUST KEEP SWIMMING

Swimmers log:4:45 a.m. – Wakey, wakey! I almost didn’t make it out of bed, but luckily senior Sarah Jurgensmeyer, my partner in this experiment, called me to make sure I made it to practice.4:58 a.m. – Arrive in the BVN parking lot. I didn’t see a single car on my way to school, and there was only one other car in the parking lot with the new female coach inside. 5 a.m. to 5:15 a.m. – Sarah and I hung out in the pool and waited for people to show up. The freshmen and sophomores showed up first, and then we waited until the upperclassmen showed up about 15 minutes later.5:25 a.m. – Sarah and I ate a few natural energy chews to get prepared and then we hopped into the pool and started the workout. The two of us stole

lane one, which some of the boys “wait years” to swim in. The sets we endured included a handful of 300s (12 laps), a few 200s (8 laps), 25 double-turn sprints (2 laps), a bunch of drills and more. 6:30 a.m. – Practice is done! Sarah and I only did about half the sets, but we were still pooped. It’s a hard workout for anyone who isn’t conditioned for that kind of exercise. We drank a good two and a half

water bottles throughout the hour, and despite the

It was Monday morning, 4:45 a.m. to be exact, and my alarm was blaring. As a cross-country runner, I’ve had my fair share of morning practices,

but this was by far the earliest. Just as I sampled a wrestler's schedule last year, I decided to take on the schedule of some of BVN’s most dedicated athletes–the swimmers–for a day.

exhaustion, we felt legitimately proud of ourselves for semi-completing the practice. Sarah and I swam approximately 1500 yards (60 laps) according to senior Zach Schwermann.6:45 a.m. – Shower time and then a team breakfast. Sarah and I stopped by Starbucks immediately after getting dressed because we needed caffeine, but we were the only people drinking any caffeinated beverages after practice. Most guys opted for chocolate

milk to go with their breakfast burritos. 7:30 a.m. – Breakfast time with the team was over, and Sarah and I were off to calculus. We were completely slap happy for the majority of the hour, cracking awkward jokes and checking Twitter the whole time. You could tell we started to crash about halfway through the class. I barely made it to the end of the day without falling asleep in at least four classes. I have so much more respect for this incredible group of athletes. I think it’s their emotional closeness and inimitable drive that gets them through it. As for afternoon practice? “Well, I mean, we do about three times this much in the afternoon,” senior Sihan Liu said.

Hayley BergerStaff Writer

Alex GoldmanCo-Editor-in-Chief

FAN OF THE MONTH“I bought a total of 40 Chick-Fil-A

sandwiches before the North vs. Northwest game,” senior Danielle Pfeiffer said.

It’s the night of big game and fans are squeezing into the bleachers. Hundreds are decked out in spirit wear, chanting back and forth for the Mustangs. One of the many is senior Danielle Pfeiffer, the North Star’s Fan of the Month. “When we won [the Northwest] game and everyone stormed the court, I think I can speak for everyone that was at that game, that was one of the biggest rushes any of us have felt, especially at a school sporting event,” Pfeiffer said. Many students are regulars at the basketball games, but Pfeiffer was the singled out of the Mustang faithful for her sheer dedication to North and all of its teams. “I might not be the one who is always decked out head to toe in whatever theme we have each night, but I am always one of the first ones to get there and last ones to leave, cheering them on at the top of my lungs simply because I love the sports, not to make a point or win any special award,” Pfeiffer said.

In the crowd at any of the games for the numerous sports here at North, Pfeiffer is most likely to be spotted cheering with her friends. She attends as many games as she can, and when she can’t, her support doesn’t falter. “I make sure to not only support our varsity boys

team, but also our younger teams both boys and girls,” Pfeiffer said. “If I’m not at one game then I make sure to still show my support to the players through Twitter and Facebook.” Pfeiffer went to North freshman and sophomore year, then transferred Northwest as a junior. Back to finish her senior year as a Mustang, her spirit has skyrocketed. “While I was at Northwest, I was always secretly hoping North would win,” Pfeiffer said. “Even now when they [Northwest] aren’t playing North, I don’t support them.” With the recent games against Northwest, Pfeiffer was in attendance to display her fandom through win and loss. “I was just cheering a lot[at the January game]. My voice was completely gone the next day and my throat hurt, but it was worth it,” Pfeiffer said. “The game [in February] was a sad loss, but no matter what, I will always support our Mustangs, and make sure to stay classy in the process.”

Senior Danielle Pfeiffer credits her steadfast loyalty to the Mustang basketball team to the Stable’s electric atmosphere. Photo by Christin Smith.

The BVN swim team practiced for months to compete their best at the state swimming competition this past weekend. Photo by Alex Scimmecca.

Newspaper, yearbook staff members live “day in the life” of the swim team

Senior supports North basketball through win, loss and everything in between

04 the north star sports 02.24.12

05the north star feature 02.24.12

No strings attached“I was inspired by the idea first,

not the music, and how I was feeling at the time. A lot of

things were pulling me down and I thought to myself, ‘I can’t be the only one going through this,’ ” Powell said. Not your average puppeteer, Powell bought 500 yards of electric shock string with the idea that she would create a video that exposed how she and many of her peers felt. “It was a music video for BVN’s fall showcase, symbolizing the struggles students go through with friends, school and even the inner struggles or passions that they are controlled by. But the end of the video represents the importance of breaking free and being your true self,” Powell said. Armed with the string and three volunteers at her disposal, Powell describes her filming process as hectic. “Filming took me about a week to fit everyone in. Mr. Brown wouldn’t let me use the little theatre after school, so we made plans to film on late arrival. Unexpectedly, two people showed up late so I filmed the part in the little theatre in about 15 minutes,” Powell said. Another roadblock presented itself when Powell’s designated ballerina failed to show up for filming. “I told her to meet me on this certain

day but she forgot, so I stalked her, checking her house and driving around town to try and find her. When I did find her, I picked her up in my car so there was no way she could leave. She was trapped, but I was determined to get it done,” Powell said light-heartedly. Powell works best under stress though, and used the short time span to her advantage. “I basically picked up the camera and moved it around whenever I needed a fresh perspective. The stress of trying to get the actors back to class on time kept everyone pissed off and that’s how I achieved the overall effect of seriousness and without laughing,” Powell said. Things calmed down after Powell gathered all of her footage and began the painstaking but rewarding process of editing. “Filming is incredibly annoying because you can’t tell the actors how to act, it’s their own facial expression. Editing is my favorite part. I get to sit down and live in my own thoughts,” Powell said. “I did it [editing] in three days. I knew exactly how I wanted it. I’m still shocked, I don’t know how I finished.” No one in Powell’s class was able to see the video before it was shown on the North Report.

“I stayed till 9 with Mr. Huette and Austin Dickey the night before it was shown. I didn’t even think it through. After [editing] I was like ‘I just give up.’ The next day I was sitting there in advisory terrified. I thought people would think it’s stupid because, come on, it’s puppets. It finally came on, and everyone started clapping. I felt accomplished,” Powell said. Powell realized her calling after the success of her music video. She plans on studying film at KU and saving up money for graduate school in California. Always striving to live outside of her bubble, Powell believes expanding your mind is the most important thing when making videos and in life. “Even if I’m driving and I see the sun hit the tree a certain way I get an idea...” Powell trails off. “I’m thinking about doing a story on the night-life of BVN from the perspective of the janitors. After we go home, all they see is the mess we’ve left behind.” Inspired by Quentin Tarantino’s retro approach, independent style and dark humor, Powell hopes her videos can one day achieve the same acclaim. “I love his work and have seen a lot of [his movies]. His style is so edgy and different. I wish I could obtain my own style and be known for it.”

Grace Powell explains the magic behind her music video

After filming others, North finally shines the spotlight on Grace Powell. Check out her music video and more at http://vimeo.com/user5909005/videos. Photos and page design by Ali Fallucca

Lily LiebermanStaff Writer

06 the north star feature 02.24.12

Black History month conjures lively praise

Critics are questioning the need for Black History Month this February. This is a startling

situation for a celebration that has been a part of America for so long. Black History Month, held since 1926, reflects African-American achievement and contribution. It’s now being examined, because in a time of racial equality, some say it’s unnecessary. Others don’t agree. “I think Black History month is very important, but you should carry that importance to other cultures,” Communication Arts teacher Natalie Johnson-Berry said. “Maybe each culture [should get] a particular month that is dedicated to them. I say that because we think we know about other cultures, but we really don’t.” Black History month was created to teach about African-American history after it was discovered that black history was extensively absent from textbooks in the early 1900s. February was chosen to also celebrate the birthday of icons Abraham Lincoln

and Frederick Douglas. Alternatives to Black History Month have been thought of as well, such as an American history month. “No, it doesn’t make much sense to have an American history month,” senior Sarah Sayyed said. “It’s not the same [as Black History month] and doesn’t strike me in the powerful way that [Black History month] does. That celebration was fought for.” “I don’t know much about [Black History Month], but I know it was a struggle to get it,” senior Kaleb Hidgon said. The diversity assembly at the beginning of this month was a spirited kick-off to the annual celebration. Whether it was a stunning statement from the Crayola Box video or passionate Japanese folk-drumming or thoughts on diversity itself, we all learned something. “It’s diversity; we can learn from each other,” Johnson-Berry said.

Not a lover of politics? Then you may not have heard of Donna

Brazile. She is primarly a Democratic political strategist. Brazile contributes her thoughts to many political events, such as the Republican and Democratic primaries. She made political history in 2000 when she headed the presidental campain for Al Gore making her the first African-American to direct that degree of campaign.

Neil deGrasse Tyson Donna Brazile

Berkeley LovelaceFeature Editor

If you have ever watched the Discovery Channel, then

you’ve probably seen Tyson giving his two cents on a particular subject making headlines. He is a renowned astrophysicist and science communicator. In his spare time he runs a plantarium at the Rose Center for Earth and Space or is doing research at the American Museum of Natural History. Tyson was awarded the Rotary National Award for Space Achievement (RNASA) for contributions to public understanding of space exploration.

Contributions

Photo of Neil deGrasse Tyson from ASTC. Photo of Donna Brazile from sffoghorn.

07the north star entertainment 02.24.12

Surfacing as one of TV’s great “wins” in the last couple years is FX’s “Archer,” a hilarious sketch

that reminds its audience that smart comedy doesn’t need an underlying meaning be funny; it just has to be insulting. At the helm of the series is spy agent Sterling Archer. Girded by the antics of his nerdy sidekick Cyril and the

“Skyrim.” It’s pure exhilaration. Nothing matches the rush of battling

a dragon priest with a firebolt spell and a Daedric battle axe. “‘Skyrim’ is a whole new world where I can experience new things. I can hide behind the mask of my level 50 Dark Elf. It’s so much like real life, it’s basically becoming my real life,” senior Tim Kilkenny said. The graphics in “Skyrim” are stunning. The splendor of the bright sun setting over the city of Whiterun is a glorious sight. “The elements of nature are so real, I don’t even have to go outside anymore,” senior Marcel Van der Merwe said. “Skyrim” gamers learn important skills that apply to their daily lives. “I am now 50 percent resistant to fire in real life. I don’t plan on testing that out, but I’m sure it would work,” Kilkenny said. “Not only that, I learned how to lead a university by becoming the Archmage of the College of Winterhold.” There are different approaches that one can take in battling the teeming foes in “Skyrim.” Some utilize magic and some stick to more conventional weapons, such as Elven swords or Ebony maces. Others even take the route of combining the two. “Sometimes I’ll wield a weapon in one hand and magic in the other. It’s a lethal combination. Or I’ll use the Dwarven Warhammer, which is probably a crowd favorite,” senior David Thompson said.

With all the time that “Skyrim” consumes in the daily lives of many North men, how do they handle the ever-pressing attention of girls? “Obviously, guys who play ‘Skyrim’ get a lot of girls,” Thompson said. How can so many guys become so enthralled with this game? “‘Skyrim’ is fueled by testosterone. Sometimes I’ll eat a lot of beef jerky, or I’ll lift weights while I play,” Thompson said. “Skyrim” is not for everyone. The faint of heart should not embark on the adventure of the Dragonborn, unless they’re prepared for “Skyrim” to engulf their lives. “‘Skyrim’ is an addiction. It controls lives. It’s not real, man. Stay away,” senior Drew Hartzler said. Despite the fantastic draws of “Skyrim,” some girls still struggle to understand the long-lasting appeal. “Isn’t it like World of Warcraft? Isn’t it for weird people?” a senior girl who wished to remain anonymous in order not to anger her guy friends said.

Archmages and Archer Video game and TV show infiltrate JoCo man caves

Reid EgglestonNews Editor

some real-world issues. The nuisance of overbearing women is especially evident in the dual role Archer’s mother plays as boss and parent. Her relationship with Archer hints at the issue of gender-based hierarchical norms that permeate society. The struggle of finding an identity in a very adult world is an equally prominent theme. Archer is a man whose birth father is never found, so the concept of a missing sense of self is easily threaded throughout. Reed exploits these themes by centering the attention of each episode on specific missions. Here, a great amount of detail is spent focusing on the sardonic dialogue between Archer and his co-workers, a characteristic that sets this show apart from other notable spy comedies like “Austin Powers” or “Chuck.” So while violence pervades the story line, there are tidbits of truth sprinkled throughout. Still, the message of the show is difficult to find amidst all the crude jokes about women in the workplace and blatant sexual references. And that’s okay, it’s been years since we’ve seen such an empty one-liner driven comedy make so many glaringly truthful appeals to humanity. As Archer himself said, “It’s pretty hard to stay anonymous when you’re the world’s greatest secret agent.”

terse quips of a domineering mother, Archer’s development as a character isn’t necessarily dynamic, but creator Adam Reed makes it work. By sending Archer, codename “Duchess,” on sometimes inane, always gut-busting missions, Reed keeps the focus off the lesson-oriented setup of modern TV comedy and on what viewers really want – raw hilarity. It’s actually Archer’s flatness that leads to this show’s success. Whether he finds himself stumbling onto the doorstep of a Central American drug lord or inadvertently shooting at his primary caretaker, Archer never

changes. It’s his chronic self-absorption that makes him so alluring.

But the show does touch on

Evan WatsonStaff Writer

“Archer” and “Skyrim” provide an opportunity to de-stress with friends. Illustration by Christin Smith.

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tball

gam

e

again

st Bi

shop

Mieg

e. "

e cro

wd w

as

so q

uiet

in th

e !rs

t half

that

one

coul

d

hear

the p

layer

s’ sh

oes s

quea

k as

well

as

ever

y las

t ins

truct

ion

that

the c

oach

es

were

givi

ng th

eir p

layer

s. "

e pro

blem

:

that

pro

test

gam

e end

ed u

p be

com

ing

Nor

th’s

!rst

loss

of t

he se

ason

.

“["

at ga

me]

was

terr

ible,

” sen

ior P

J

Woo

dwar

d sa

id. “

"e f

ans h

ated

it an

d

so d

id th

e play

ers.”

Wha

t was

don

e was

don

e. "

e

team

had

to m

ove o

n, an

d it

did

as it

succ

eede

d in

win

ning

its n

ext

thre

e gam

es. B

ut st

ill, t

he fa

ns fe

lt

like t

hose

gam

es w

ere m

issin

g

som

ethi

ng, s

omet

hing

that

they

felt

the

anno

unce

men

t of r

ule 5

2 had

take

n

away

from

them

. “

I fee

l lik

e rul

e 52 d

imin

ishes

wha

t

a cro

wd is

supp

osed

to b

e lik

e,” C

rook

er, w

ho h

ad n

ow co

me f

ace t

o

face

with

two

Nor

thwe

st de

fend

ers,

stopp

ed sh

ort o

f the

bas

ket.

He r

eleas

ed

the b

aske

tball

, a b

ank

shot

.

"er

e was

nev

er a

doub

t. "

e

mom

ent C

rook

er’s

gam

e-wi

nnin

g sho

t

foun

d th

e bot

tom

of t

he n

et w

ith th

ree

and

a half

seco

nds l

e#, N

orth

west’

s

gym

nasiu

m b

ecam

e Nor

th’s

“Sta

ble.”

Wha

t felt

like

1,00

0 spi

rited

Nor

th

fans

, who

had

stor

med

into

the

gym

nasiu

m n

early

!ve

hou

rs ea

rlier

,

went

ball

istic

and

storm

ed o

nto

the

cour

t onc

e mor

e, sto

rmed

out

of t

he

scho

ol, i

nto

the p

arki

ng lo

t, in

to th

eir

cars

and

cont

inue

d to

stor

m o

n.

THE S

HOT

THE A

FTER

MATH

Woo

dwar

d sa

id. “

Nor

th ge

ts ba

shed

by o

ther

stud

ents

and

scho

ols s

ayin

g

we h

ave n

o sc

hool

spiri

t, bu

t onc

e we

get a

hos

tile c

rowd

, we g

et to

ld w

e

can’t

do

a lot

of s

tu%.”

It s

eem

s as i

f the

main

thin

g

that

the s

tude

nts w

ant f

rom

their

adm

inist

rato

rs is

for t

hem

to al

low

the

stude

nts t

o be

spiri

ted

and

chee

r for

their

team

, whi

ch is

wha

t Mas

ters

on

says

he w

ill al

low

– wi

th a

few

stipu

latio

ns.

“To

me,

good

scho

ol sp

irit i

s

crea

ting c

hant

s and

ener

gy fo

r you

r

team

[ins

tead

of]

deg

radi

ng th

e oth

er

team

or p

ickin

g on

othe

r play

ers f

rom

othe

r tea

ms,”

he s

aid.

With

an as

sist f

rom

the s

tude

nt

body

, Mus

tang

spiri

t can

bec

ome j

ust

as in

$uen

tial a

s it w

as th

e !rs

t tim

e

Nor

th p

layed

Nor

thwe

st.

“"

e fan

s can

mak

e or b

reak

the

gam

e,” se

nior

Elle

n Fi

elds s

aid. “

Yeah

,

you

have

to h

ave t

alent

, but

with

our

stude

nt se

ctio

n go

ing c

razy

, we’r

e

unsto

ppab

le.”

THE R

EMAT

CHcr

ushi

ng sw

at. P

ushi

ng an

d sh

ovin

g

thro

ugho

ut th

e gam

e, Em

ery w

as

calle

d by

refe

rees

for l

ight

graz

es

towa

rd th

e end

. Stil

l, Em

ery s

core

d 14

poin

ts. P

acke

d to

the b

rim o

f the

Nor

th

gym

, fan

s play

ed as

cruc

ial a

role

in

the r

emat

ch as

in th

e !rs

t gam

e. In

the s

econ

d qu

arte

r, th

e Mus

tang

s

capi

taliz

ed o

n a t

echn

ical f

oul c

alled

again

st th

e Nor

thwe

st fa

ns fo

r illi

citly

usin

g whi

stles

. A

t !rs

t, it

seem

ed as

if N

orth

’s

“dad

dy’s

boy”

and

“ove

rrat

ed” c

hant

s

a%ec

ted

Fritz

and

soph

omor

e Clay

ton

Custe

r. Fr

itz !

nish

ed th

e gam

e 83

perc

ent f

rom

the f

ree t

hrow

line

,

howe

ver.

Custe

r pro

ved

his d

etra

ctor

s

wron

g, am

assin

g 18 p

oint

s, bu

t

crac

ked

unde

r pre

ssur

e, air

-ball

ing

from

the f

ree-

thro

w lin

e with

a ch

ance

to w

in th

e gam

e. Cu

ster r

edee

med

him

self

in o

verti

me,

!ndi

ng fe

llow

soph

omor

e Ben

Rich

ards

on b

elow

the

hoop

for t

he ga

me w

inne

r.

“It’s

just

craz

y. Ev

eryt

hing

is so

fast-

pace

d an

d in

tens

e and

then

,

when

I ca

ught

the b

all, t

he m

omen

t

slowe

d do

wn,”

Rich

ards

on sa

id.

"e s

talli

ng ta

ctic

used

towa

rd

the e

nd b

y Nor

thwe

st co

ache

s dre

w

criti

cism

from

bot

h pa

rent

s and

stude

nts w

ith lo

ud b

ooin

g. In

the

four

th q

uarte

r, N

orth

west

held

the

ball

for t

he !

nal 1

:50. I

n ov

ertim

e,

they

main

tain

ed p

osse

ssio

n fo

r the

!nal

1:27.

Leav

ing o

nly 5

.8 se

cond

s

on th

e clo

ck, ju

nior

Mat

t McH

ugh

cam

e up

shor

t with

a he

ave a

t the

buzz

er.

“It

was a

toug

h lo

ss,”

seni

or

capt

ain R

oss "

ornt

on sa

id. “

We’l

l

see t

hem

again

, tho

ugh.”

And

anot

her r

emat

ch th

e

Mus

tang

s may

hav

e. "

e tea

ms

are s

lotte

d in

the s

ame s

ub-s

tate

brac

ket,

setti

ng u

p a p

oten

tial

tiebr

eake

r at t

he b

ig sh

ow in

Mar

ch.

“It

will

be ex

citin

g,” h

ead

coac

h

Ryan

Phi

fer s

aid.

08th

e no

rth

star

fea

ture

02.

24.1

2

09th

e no

rth

star

fea

ture

02.

24.1

2

Seni

ors T

rey H

olm

es an

d Co

le Jo

hnso

n sit

in

silen

t pro

test

of R

ule 5

2 at

a ho

me g

ame a

gain

st Bi

shop

Mieg

e. M

any o

ther

stud

ents

acte

d in

a s

imila

r man

ner i

n th

e !rs

t half

crea

ting a

de

afen

ing s

ilenc

e. N

orth

lost

the g

ame,

58-5

0 in

ove

rtim

e, its

!rs

t los

s of t

he se

ason

. Pho

to b

y Ch

ristin

Smith

Nor

th st

uden

ts th

unde

r the

ir ap

prov

al as

se

nior

Con

ner C

rook

er m

akes

the g

ame-

winn

ing s

hot t

o pu

t the

team

up

for g

ood

42-4

0 wi

th ju

st ov

er th

ree s

econ

ds le

#. "

e stu

dent

s sto

rmed

the c

ourt

once

the g

ame

ende

d. P

hoto

by H

ayde

n W

erp.

Seni

or R

oss "

ornt

on b

oxes

out

Bl

ue V

alley

Nor

thwe

st fo

rwar

d D

amio

n H

unt i

n th

e !rs

t gam

e ag

ainst

Nor

thwe

st. "

ornt

on sc

ored

six

poi

nts i

n he

lpin

g the

team

bea

t its

riva

l.

Soph

omor

e Jaw

an E

mer

y loo

ks o

n fro

m th

e ben

ch

at th

e beg

inni

ng o

f the

rem

atch

again

st N

orth

west.

Em

ery c

ame o

% th

e ben

ch to

scor

e 14

poin

ts an

d en

ergi

ze h

is te

am, h

owev

er th

e tea

m ca

me u

p ju

st sh

ort i

n th

e end

as it

fell

69-6

7 in

ove

rtim

e. Ph

oto

by

Hay

den

Wer

p

Seni

or C

onne

r Cro

oker

driv

es p

ast N

orth

west’

s Cl

ayto

n Cu

ster o

n hi

s way

to th

e bas

ket.

Croo

ker

scor

ed 1

3 po

ints

in th

e gam

e. Ph

oto

by H

ayde

n W

erp

Nor

th fa

ns, c

lad in

whi

te,

chee

r on

their

team

in

the s

econ

d ga

me a

gain

st N

orth

west.

"e i

nten

sity

of th

e che

erin

g at t

he ga

me

coul

d on

ly be

equa

led b

y th

at o

f the

!rs

t riv

alry g

ame.

Ph

oto

by H

ayde

n W

erp

Sara

h Ca

mpb

ellD

esig

n Ed

itor

Dav

id T

aube

rSp

orts

Edito

r

Mich

ael H

o%m

anO

nlin

e Edi

tor

Mich

ael H

o%m

anO

nlin

e Edi

tor

10 the north star entertainment 02.24.12

“If I drive for you, you give me a time and a place. I give you a five-minute window, anything happens in that five minutes and

I’m yours no matter what. I don’t sit in while you’re running it down; I don’t carry a gun... I drive.” The Driver hangs up the phone, puts on his leather gloves and proceeds to do what he does best: he drives. With finesse, he maneuvers through the streets of Los Angeles. This first scene is movie-making at its finest. I had goose bumps by the end of it. The genius of “Drive” lies in its simplicity. He’s called “The Driver” because that’s his profession. If he has a name, we never learn it. During the day, he’s a stunt driver for action movies. At night, he’s a chauffer for criminals who need a quick getaway. A man of few words, Gosling portrays one of the coolest characters I’ve ever seen in a movie: calm and unobtrusive, yet dishearteningly violent when he needs to be. His silence, however, doesn’t take

away from the plot; it only adds to the mystery of the character. The plot thickens as The Driver gets involved with Irene, the girl next door. He does little things for her and her son, like helping with groceries and fixing their car. When the boy’s real dad gets out of prison, the Driver’s hero complex kicks in as he feels he must protect Irene and her son from a world of crime and corruption. But take note, this is no mainstream action blockbuster in the style of “The Fast and the Furious”. “Drive” is an art-house film, which, by definition, is a motion picture produced as an artistic or experimental venture. It has a different feel to it, with its use of stylish pink fonts and ’80s-esque soundtrack. Nor is “Drive” a film for the faint of heart. The first half of the movie is build-up for the explosions of violence during the last 45 minutes. I’m not the squeamish type, and there were at least two or three

occasions when I had to look away from the screen. The Driver could quite possibly win an Academy Award for most creative use of a hammer and nail. For these reasons, people either loved “Drive” or hated it. I fall into the former category. I knew going into the movie what to expect. At times I did get annoyed that The Driver didn’t talk much; there are points where you’ll just want to slap him in the face and yell “say something!” Regardless, the plot was interesting, the driving scenes were breathtaking, and the acting was praiseworthy. A movie as intense and well-made as this deserves multiple Academy Award nominations. “Drive” received one, for sound editing. In true Oscar fashion, Ryan Gosling was overlooked for his brilliant portrayal of an everyday hero, and more importantly, a meaningful movie about much more than just its action scenes was snubbed.

The stars are out in Hollywood and award season is officially underway. The 84th annual Academy Awards take place this

Sunday evening, a day many consider to be the climax of the awards season. The nominees for the coveted Best Picture award are “The Artist”, “The Descendants”, “Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close”, “The Help”, “Hugo”, “Midnight in Paris”, “Moneyball”, “The Tree of Life” and “War Horse”. The Academy is known for its tendency to nominate more obscure films rather than blockbuster action flicks for Best Picture. Among these lesser known movies is “The Tree of Life”. It follows a boy, Jack O’Brien (Hunter McCracken), as he grows up and comes to terms with adulthood in Waco, Texas. Few had heard of this drama before the Academy’s nomination; however, the star power of actors like Brad Pitt and Sean Penn helped attract a wider array of viewers. Also nominated was “Midnight in Paris”, starring Owen Wilson as a writer stuck in a failing relationship who takes a trip to Paris. While strolling around alone one night, Gil (Wilson) is transported back to the 1920s by means of a time-traveling car. Gil runs into such historical giants

as F. Scott Fitzgerald and Ernest Hemingway. His fiancee, Inez (Rachel McAdams) quickly becomes suspicious of these late night escapades. This nostalgic Woody Allen romantic comedy was also nominated for Best Direction, Best Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction. For those in the mood for a classic George Clooney dramedy, “The Descendants” is perfect. This isn’t your typical Hawaiian vacation gone wrong. Clooney plays Matt King, a lawyer left with a large plot of open land on the island of Kaua’i. King is torn with the decision of whether or not to sell the land to real estate investors or keep the only non-commercialized land still on the island left alone. After his adulterous wife falls into a coma, however, the stress of the decision is compounded when he realizes his wife’s lover will profit from the land sale. King, along with his two daughters, must cope with the pressures of his decision as well as the stress of his wife’s condition. Clooney was also nominated for

Best Actor in this role. “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part II” definitely felt the force of the snub this Oscar season. Though the final installment of the Potter epic received nominations for Best Art Direction, Makeup and Visual Effects, fans were yet again disappointed for the lack of acknowledgement given to director David Yates and his cast and crew. Another movie left in the cold is “Drive” starring Ryan Gosling. Gosling’s work in the dramatic picture goes unappreciated by the Academy. For many, the highlight of award season isn’t what awards the stars go home with, but what the stars arrive in. The fashion police and trend spotters have been on high alert in recent weeks keeping their eyes peeled for the top looks this spring. One to watch is the so-called “milk-maid braid”. Stars like Glee’s Dianna Agron have been caught donning this wrap-around braid. Another popular trend

is the draped dress, as worn by the curvaceous comedian Melissa McCarthy. Tune in this Sunday at 6 p.m. on ABC to watch

the drama unfold. Ashley RubenStaff Writer

Snub, sweep or surprise?Danny Rosenberg

Staff Writer

A preview of the 2012 Academy Awards

DON’T HESITATETO “DRIVE”

Source: http://www.drive-movie.com/

Photo from bloodyeyeballs/Creative Commons

11the north star ads 02.24.12

ADVERTISERS!PLEASE SUPPORT OUR

12 the north star opinion 02.24.12

It’s become a habit of mine to, once I feel as though I’ve exhausted a magazine’s content, turn it

over and try to read it back to front. This is how I stumbled across Rob Hoerburger’s “Lives” segment in the New York Times Magazine on a lazy Sunday afternoon. What caught my eye about this particular piece, the last page of the magazine, was that Hoerburger wrote about three of his friends, middle-aged men, who had all recently been diagnosed with HIV. He touched on how they all got HIV through

carelessness. It only takes one mistake. He wrote about how, after hearing about his friends’ diagnoses, next time he got a fever and chills, he was terrified that

it was a sign proving that he was next. Is this example a bit drastic? Yes. But is it applicable? Absolutely. From MIPs to car crashes to injuries to STDs to rescinded scholarships, every slip-up could lead to consequences that we don’t even want to consider. Every night we deem memorable, every “kids just being kids”, every “blowing off steam,” could affect us for life. Some of our peers have already learned this the hard way; some seem to have it ingrained in them and don’t go around doing things that will end up being the mistake we remember; and some will keep bouncing recklessly off walls, waiting for one to leave the metaphoric scar that lasts. The bottom line, however, is that the careless risks taken, whether we take them now or when we’re 24, or when we’re 45, could have grave effects on us. We’d better learn to get smart now. It only takes a moment to ruin a lifetime.

[Ellie’s Insights]

Consequences of carelessness

Ellie HolcombOpinon Editor

Inside Shawnee Mission EastTaking a look at a long-lasting rivalry

Sarah EvansBusiness Manager

“East hates North, North

hates East, and that’s how

it has to be.”

Ask a Shawnee Mission East student what they think of BVN, and the answer is likely

to be negative, as reflected by a SME classroom discussion about their least favorite aspects of Blue Valley North. “They want to be like us,” I was told. “They’re sluts.” “They’re ‘new money.’” Or, the attitude of many, “I don’t know, I just don’t like them.” It’s clear that the BVN/SME rivalry is alive and well. Insults, tweets and even fistfights have characterized the intra-school conflict over the past few years, and to put a stop to the negativity, I decided to go straight to the source. I pulled up to Shawnee Mission East at 9:40 a.m. on a Thursday late arrival. Surveying the parking lot, I found it was just as littered with Ford Escapes and new Jeeps as ours. Walking up three flights of stairs to my first class where I was going to shadow a SME student, I saw a diverse population of students with every social group represented. For a school we’re such big rivals with, it seemed pretty similar to our own. Senior Jake Belzer, who transferred to North after three years at East, knows the dynamics of both schools well. His decision to transfer was based on an educational and social environment at East that he felt was negative. When Belzer’s friends at East discovered he was transferring to a rival school, he was shunned. “I lost all my friends–everyone I talked to at East,” he said.

“But I didn’t care because I knew I was coming to a better school. It was something I wanted to do and needed to do.” The most dramatic effect of the rivalry in the past year was a fistfight between students that broke out at Briarwood Elementary last spring. “I guess BVN and SME guys were fighting over a girl,” Shawnee Mission East junior Eden McKissick said. “There was a rumor that got really

out of hand. There was a fight, and then it became more about schools being against each other than the people being against each other.” “East and North will never get along because of the whole fight at Briarwood,” Belzer said. “Ever since then, East

hates North, North hates East, and that’s how it has to be.” “With the history of the schools, the economic movement and statistics of the county, it seems like the central point has moved south,” Shawnee Mission East Principal Karl Krawitz said. This social shift, in addition to Shawnee Mission East being an older school, has created a dynamic in which BVN is criticized for being “new money.” “When we say ‘new money,’ people

aren’t actually thinking about what your parents do and what our parents do,” McKissick said. “It’s that you’re the new suburbia. For most kids that don’t like BVN and call it new money, it’s probably just an insecurity thing, just because they have nothing else to make fun of. It’s kind of human nature to try to downplay people that threaten you.” Krawitz remains convinced that hostile feelings toward Blue Valley North are the exception, not the rule. “What appears to be controversy may be limited to a very small percentage that take on the appearance of a larger group,” he said. “It’s a shame that we have a few people creating a firestorm which, for the most part, may not really exist.” McKissick hopes that an increased awareness about the true nature of the schools’ rivalry will help to ease tensions. “[We need to] understand that we don’t dislike each other because there’s something wrong with the other person, we’re just threatened by each other and a school that is able to replicate us,” she said. Shawnee Mission East is a slightly larger school than ours. Their passing period bell is a few tones lower. They cater pizza from Little Caesar’s instead of Pizza Hut. But apart from insignificant differences, both schools have a very committed student body

brimming with potential. Blue Valley North and Shawnee Mission East are much more alike than we are different, and once we realize that, both schools can breathe a little easier.

Photo by Sarah Campbell

“We’d better learn to get smart now.”

13the north star opinion 02.24.12

“All right, guys, this is going to be serious.” Thus began lukewarm discussions

on diversity, bullying and prejudice in many advisory classes this year. As a mentor who works with a ninth grade advisory, I understand that these subjects are important. And yet —what do we really expect to get out of sitting kids down and teaching them about diversity? Will a bullying lesson stop a kid from heading out when the bell rings and yelling a racial slur? Here’s the problem with pre-packaged social lessons: they can become counterproductive. One thing high school kids love to do is make fun of their school, the mammoth, impersonal institution that keeps them scurrying around on bell schedules and filling out bubble sheets. Students take every opportunity to challenge that authority, in the grand tradition of sticking it to the man. What happens in the advisory curriculum is that

anti-bullying, anti-drinking, pro-diversity rhetoric becomes part of that authority — and therefore the object of students’ derision. It’s hard to take these issues seriously

when they become tired buzz words. Despite all the years of anti-bullying lessons, we see casual instances of cruelty every day. But to tell someone to “stop bullying” would be to mouth

the words of authority figures. So no one does it. Is it all or nothing then? Do we either cheapen the meaning of such crucial concepts or not talk about them at all? I don’t think so. I still hope that advisory can provide a means of connecting with students. The North Report is one such tool. By celebrating students who are different because of unusual passions or experiences, as Broadcast II often does, we can show the importance of tolerance and empathy without having to lecture. The diversity assembly and cultural fair perform similar services, bringing that much-overused term, “diversity,” alive with genuine celebrations of our varied ethnic roots. On the whole, talking about issues such as bullying and diversity is better than pretending they don’t exist. But we must be careful not to make acceptance uncool.

How to teach tolerance Accepting the realities of anti-bullying instruction

up, sending the contents of my truck flying in all directions. In a surreal ‘I-just-wrecked-my-car-like-an-idiot’ daze, I look up to see another North student spinning out 100 yards ahead of me. Then another driver in a silver sports car is distracted by my accident and rams the side of his car across the grate of the sewage drain. Why all this chaos? The district refused to allow students one snow day. Those who did not drive themselves had to make arrangements with their parents. That’s a red flag; when students can’t drive themselves

because of conditions, leaving school parking lots half filled, it is an obvious sign that it’s safer to just stay home. After all, how many snow days have there been when roads were clear, skies were clear and the snow had turned to slush and melted by noon or earlier? Several. Aside from high school students, younger kids who have to wait for the bus or walk to school were stuck in freezing conditions with wind whipped snow and icy sidewalks all around them. Yes, we had a three day weekend. Sure, most people never want to go

Jessi GlueckCo-Editor-in-Chief

Christopher ShanklinStaff Writer

Snow day snatched from studentsMisguided decision to have school costs students cars and dollars

It’s 7:22 a.m. on Feb. 13. Just one hour earlier I was impatiently waiting for Blue Valley USD 229

to appear scrolling across the screen of the Fox 4 news channel in vain. Now, the hood of my car is heading into the traffic light at 127th and Nall. I take a slow left-hand turn and lose control on 127th and Nall when my tire catches some snow or black ice. My fate is sealed. I mutter curses and pump the brakes as I calmly handle the steering wheel as I was taught, but to no avail. In an instant, my body whips and the hood of my beloved ’98 Toyota Tacoma crunches

All right class, let’s get serious. It’s time to talk about bullying.

Photo illustration by Berkeley Lovelace and Sarah Campbell

to school. The bottom line is that had there not been school, I would have a car, several other students would not have dents on their own automobiles, and others would not have been a part of other mishaps on the road. The damage could easily have been a lot worse; people could have gotten hurt. It was a poor decision to keep school in session with such conditions. Maybe the next time this happens, the district will think it over a bit longer.

14 the north star opinion 02.24.12

Rich politician proves wrong man for presidency

Ellie HolcombOpinon Editor

Not everyone needs college

When I asked a group sophomores what their plans were after high

school, they paused for a moment, confused, and proceeded to answer in a way that implied that I should already know the answer – going to college. When they asked me what college I planned on attending, I decided to see how they would react to a student who was not going to college. “Who says I’m going to college?” I said. The students were shocked. Instead of asking me a different question, they replaced it with an awkward silence. I felt as though I had been shunned because I hadn’t decided if I even wanted to attend college, let alone where I would go. In fact, it seemed as if my response had insulted them. Think about it: students are expected to work hard, be challenged, act older than their age and learn life skills; all leading up to college.

Why should students be expected to accomplish all these things? College is not for everyone. School, in general, can be physically, mentally and emotionally draining, especially for certain students who feel pressured to please their parents, teachers and elite colleges. While trying to meet the expectations of everyone around them, people can sometimes overlook the commitment aspect of college. Nobody takes the time to think twice about committing a minimum of two years. Being committed to two or four years of college is not as easy as it sounds. Think about it: students have to transition from being in a high school class of 20-30 students to attending classes in an auditorium with over 100 students. That often means less personal attention, less interaction with other classmates and a substantial long-term workload. Even though these college conditions

Olga DeckmanStaff Writer

Something completely shocking, new and revolutionary has happened as the race to the

Republican nomination narrows: a new breed of candidate, a wealthy,

successful man, is arguably leading the race toward his party’s support. Now for full disclosure: I’m not being completely serious. Our nation, built on principles of the common man having the opportunity of power, has for a long time been run by the richer men of society. Mitt Romney isn’t a novelty in this regard. The former Massachusetts Governor started out on a path to filthy riches working for Bain & Company, a global management consulting firm. He moved up to vice president status in the company and gained financial success as well as smarts. Now, he makes around $20 million or more a year and paid 13.9 percent taxes in 2010, 15.4 percent in 2011, as his recently released tax returns illustrated. A large amount of his money is made by investing. When money is earned from investments, it’s taxed at a much lower rate. Therefore,

Romney’s (and other wealthy Americans’) tax percentages are extremely low compared to the amount of money they bring in, or compared to other Americans. The problem many have with Romney, however, isn’t just how rich he is. It’s how he sees his own wealth, others’ financial situations, and how the economy should be run. He pays a very low percentage of taxes compared to working class Americans, and is in the top .006% of Americans wealth-wise. Yet in America’s current economy, where “crisis” is the word most commonly used to describe our nation’s debt, unemployment, and downward spiral, Romney favors taxation plans that would ultimately help people like him. Not the middle class, where an average tax payer’s rate is about 15% higher than Romney’s, but the richest, who could afford much higher

percentages of taxes than they are asked to pay. Furthermore, Romney seems completely out of touch with what the average American is experiencing. In 2010, he made $374,327.62 giving speeches after publishing a book. When asked for a breakdown of his income, he referred to this amount, which alone would put him in the coveted “1 percent” as “not very much.” Romney is admittedly good at making money; his millions annually have proven that. But what America needs now is not someone who is simply good at making money, simply a “good and successful businessman”. America needs someone who can relate to the masses to help our nation grow, and Mitt Romney has proven that, with his riches and excess, he’s not the man for the job.

Romney’s policies pose problems for next generation

may not be an issue for some students, they shouldn’t be thought of as one-size-fits-all. This is your future, and you have every right to live your life on your own terms. When I tried to interview students who were not attending college, I was disappointed at how no one of the wanted to admitt that college wasn’t in their future plans. It wasn’t really the students I was disappointed in, but our school district. In our little Blue Valley ‘bubble,’ not going to college is unheard of. There is often a preconceived notion that comes with attending a school in the Blue Valley area; every student over-achieves, has a

great college and future laid out for them. It’s time to realize that college is not the only path for fulfillment and happiness.

It’s time to recognize other paths to success

Illustration by Berkeley Lovelace

15the north star opinion 02.24.12

The North Star Staff The North Star is the official publication of Blue Valley North High School, an open forum distributed to all students nine times a year. This publication may contain controversial material. Kansas law prohibits the suppression of a student publication solely because it may contain controversial matter. Blue Valley Unified School District No. 229 and its board members, officers and employees may disclaim any responsibility for the content of this publication; it is not an expression of school policy. Student authors and editors are solely responsible for the content of this publication. Letters to the editors are encouraged from students and non-students alike and should be less than 500 words in length. All letters must be signed and turned into room 411 at least one week prior to publication. All letters require a signature. Names will be published. The North Star reserves the right to edit with regard to libel, without changing the substance of the letter. The North Star will not publish obscene or libelous material.

The North StarBlue Valley North High School

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[EditorsAlex Goldman, Jessi GlueckNews editorReid EgglestonFeature editorBerkeley LovelaceSports editorDavid TauberEntertainment editorLiz GaaOpinion editorEllie Holcomb Online EditorMichael Hoffman

[Photo editorChristin SmithDesign editorSarah CampbellMultimedia EditorAli FalluccaBusiness managerSarah EvansIllustratorBerkeley LovelacePhotographersAli FalluccaFrancine Gollub

Staff writersSarah EvansLily LiebermanChris ShanklinRachel AndersonHayley BergerEvan WatsonDanny RosenbergAshley RubenOlga DeckmanAdviserMelinda Gilman

The controversy over the Blue Valley Northwest juniors’ spirit day assembly rocked our Facebook feeds and our TV

screens last Thursday, as kids from both schools blasted vicious comments back and forth. It turned into a good, old-fashioned social media showdown, the kind where neither party entirely knows what they’re fighting about – they just know they’re angry, and they’re going to tell the world with the help of all the expletives and misplaced witticisms they can think of. And so the tendency, with this as with all other Facebook wars, is for the calm and moderate among us to step back, admit that both sides were at fault, and forget about it. That can’t happen this time. Yes, the NBC news story could have included more sources from Northwest. Yes, there exist actions more overtly anti-Semitic than mimicking a cultural dance. Yes, Blue Valley Northwest students have the right to free speech. But they do not have the right to consistently turn a school rivalry into the public mocking and denigration of a people. Everyone wants to view what happened at that assembly as an isolated incident. It isn’t. Last February at a Christmas-themed basketball game (the theme was yet another jab at North’s Jewish

population), a few Northwest students saluted Hitler. Since then there have been reports of students chanting “Kristalnacht” at basketball games. The extent to which anti-Semitism infiltrates public, school-sponsored, school-sanctioned events is unacceptable. This display of prejudice was painful for many of us. But the truly frightening thing isn’t so much that this happened – it’s that this happens. What makes us, after all these years, after all those Holocaust videos, after all those diversity assemblies, find intolerance funny? Is this school spirit?

We must do something to break the trend. The students who were involved in this and the other anti-Semitic acts over the past year need to understand that what they did was wrong. And it can’t be allowed to happen again. On the right, we provide suggestions for future efforts to

promote tolerance. But in the end, it’s up to each of us to stand up to bigotry we see among our peers. We should hold ourselves and our friends to a high standard of civility. We must stop cheering when things like this show up in our gymnasiums. This is not another adolescent scuffle. This is intolerance. This causes pain and hatred and bitterness. This is real.

Prejudice and progress: learning from the conflict between North and Northwest

•Form a student leadership team of North and Northwest students to communicate about what we can learn from this experience.

•Have editors of North and Northwest newspapers meet and exchange opinions on the situation (we have plans for this already!).

• Include a discussion of anti-Semitism more prominently in events like the Diversity Assembly, where it often goes unmentioned.

•Work with administrators to figure out why this happens – why is it funny or weird to be Jewish anyway?

•Stop the craziness on Facebook and Twitter. A continuation of cruelty solves nothing.

“The truly frightening thing

isn’t so much that it happened – it’s that it happens.”

The North Star Staff

HOWTO MOVEFOrWardSTAFF EDITORIAL

Think you’re clever? Prove it by writing the best caption for this photo. Keep it “school appropriate” and drop it by room 411. The winning captions will be published in

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february issue

Documents

bonnie mcmullen

worry mcmullen

north population

north audiences

hollywood mcmullen leaves

north starthe issue

north star news

student actors