Editor In Chief Holly Sanders Editor In Chief Lily Riehl Design Editor Cory ThomasonBulletin Editor Nick HerndonFYI Editor Chris MohrLife Editor Jordan TannerIn Focus Editor Ashley McGeeSpeak Up Editor Amanda FisherBuzz Editor Patricia OkontaSports Editor Cody ClawsonGraphic Designer Nathan EllermeierGraphic Designer Shiloh MorenoPhotographer Jamila St. AnnConvergence Connor HickoxAds Manager Patrick McDowellAdviser Lori Oyler

ReportersHaley SheriffShelby CurtisMacKenzie SackettSam SuttonMaddie ChristieJacob BlandJaeJae ShawKelley RoweAnnie RuckmanMat George

Our Mission for the 2010-2011 school year is to inform, entertain, and educate our readers; to provide opportunity for the community to express attitudes and opinions; to provide an educational opportunity for both the students who produce The Bell and those who read it; and to provide a medium for commercial messages. The Bell student newspaper is a public forum of student expression.

200 Blue Jay DriveLiberty, MO 64068

thebell@liberty.k12.mo.us

(816) 736-5353

The Bell Staff Our Mission Contact UsThe B

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Experience Frozen Yogurt with MacKenzie Sackett.

ONLINE

Visit the House of Horrors with Haley Sheriff.

Relive Homecoming on http://www.lhsnews.net/

inside...Senior Derek Testorff and the marching band at the 2010-2011 Homecoming parade. “ I think the band was good. My favorite part of the band is the drumline,” senior Abby Mahanes said. [photo by Holly Sanders]

CLOSE UPWith the separation of high schools, we need to reconnect to our school identity. Can you help find our mascot? The first person to find and bring the hidden Blue Jay to Room 101 during sixth hour will win a prize.

Find the Blue Jay With high expectations, the Ultimate Frisbee team will be taking on more challenges this year, participating in various tournaments. The team is already getting ready for a much anticipated season. “We play three times a week and pick-up games on Wednesdays and Thursdays, senior Ricky Woodruff said. Since last year, the team has vastly improved due to its hard work. “Several guys last year had limited skills, now they are valuable players,” senior Stewart Duncan said. With 10 players currently on the roster, the team is looking to expand to 15 before the season opens in the spring. Read more at www.lhsnews.net

Cover shot:Seniors Michael Zenk and Megan Gentrup ride in the Homecoming parade, representing Mr. and Ms. Peppy. The front stripe has been turned pink in support of breast cancer awareness month.

Each year safety is a main concern on Halloween night,. This year be sure to be extra careful with a few tips.

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On October 28 from 6:00-8:00 p.m., children can come and visit different booths, taking part in games and activities at each.

Find a big group of friends and stick together. Never wander off alone.

Follow city curfew and do not stay out past 1 a.m. unless you are 18-years-old. Stay home or at a friend’s house.

If offered, do not accept rides or candy from strangers or go into someone’s house.

Stay in well known areas. If trick-or-treating, go in familiar neighborhoods.

After sorting through candy from trick-or-treating, do not eat any unwrapped candy or anything homemade.

by Mat George For some people, Halloween can be one of the most fun days of the year, but it can also be very dangerous. According to the Department of Justice in 2002, 58,200 kids were kidnapped, many occurring on this specific day. This reason is one of the many reasons that Liberty High School will be hosting Safe Halloween on October 28 from 6 to 8 p.m. for kids in grades kindergarten through third. At Safe Halloween, there will be numerous booths set up from many clubs around the school. Each booth has a different activity for the children to take part in. This means that the more booths there are, the more trick-or-treaters will enjoy themselves. “Some examples of past booths include a cake walk, bean bag toss, musical chairs, face painting, fishing game, coloring books…anything fun for the kids,” counselor Melanie Prince said. Although students cannot individually host a booth, any student in a club can participate. “Any clubs and athletic teams are encouraged to host a booth. Student Council always has a booth, as do each of the classes. We usually have 15-20 groups host a booth,” Prince said.

Putting this all together can be a difficult job, unless a lot of students help. “Setting up takes a while but the more people there to help, the easier things go,” senior Danny Murdock said. Although the event is mainly for the children, students can have fun with it too. “It’s a blast. We all get to dress up in funny costumes and play games and give out candy to kids. My favorite part is when we do the cake walk. It’s sort of like musical chairs except you get to dance and you get candy if you win,” Murdock said. Many students believe that after the event is done, the contributors will have a good feeling from helping out with this event. “I really like that we can provide a safe environment for the kids to have fun. I like working with them. I think it’s a good idea and a lot of people should come and get involved,” senior ChiChi Lu said. Students find volunteering brings them more than just service hours. “[I enjoy] doing the activities with the kids that go through, playing with them and seeing how it affects them are some of the good things that come with the Safe Halloween,” junior Kristin Filardo said.

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by Nick Herndon It is a given fact that in high school, students will be subject to some sort of clique, which is normally a bad thing because of the harsh reaction that students have towards other students in a different social status. However, there is actually a time in high school when being a member of a certain group of people is a good thing, and that is when you are a part of a club or organization. There are fifty clubs offered at our school, and here are a few of them...

photos by Abby Mahanes and Jordan Tanner

Scholar Bowl challenges students academically in a nontraditional way through game show style trivia questions. “[Scholar Bowl’s] been around sometime. If you look at the trophy case there are some pictures from as far back as 1993,” senior Anna Bunton said. Though the club does not offer any community service or sponsor opportunities that are open to students, they encourage all students to get involved. “ All students have to do to get involved in Scholar Bowl is email Rosemary Camp or go to room 200 after school to talk to Kim Scholes. After the students do that, they can attend practices and tournaments,” Bunton said.

Lady Jays Dance Club is made up of a group of students interested in improving dance skill and technique with plenty of opportunity to perform for peers and the Liberty community. “Students can try out at the beginning of each school year around the first of September and as the year goes on you can come and watch performances,” junior Natalie Motta said. The dance team performs at assemblies and competitions they are attempting to add another aspect to the team this year. “At this moment we do not have any community service opportunities but we are working on getting involved this year,” Motta said.

The Dinner and a Movie group, sponsored by Amy Tuso, views a movie and has dinner while discussing how the themes of the movies relate to life. “The last movie that we watched was What Dreams May Come with Robin Williams and the next movie we will watch is I am Sam with Dakota Fanning,” junior Anna Lacy said. With dinner catered by Hy-Vee and a movie in the LGIR, Dinner and a Movie is an organization that encourages students to enjoy themselves.

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“There are a million things I could say about Ben, but I could never find the right words to describe him. Your first impression will be misleading, your second will leave you unsure, but a third would let you know he was a one of a kind guy,” junior Joey Wheelhouse said.

BEN DEHART

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On top of working out for two hours a day, Ben also plays volleyball.

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“We went there [the audition] and I was dressed awesomely and they were like ‘here’s the deal, you are the bomb.com’... so in December I am going to go to Florida and they have this thing set up where there’s going to be like four different events that I have to dress up for and like ‘dress to impress’. “

“It is more acting than it is modeling, but I’m not going to sound like this guy but I always look at myself in the mirror and am like, ‘Hey hey hey,’ so why not?”

“I am at the gym two hours at day and then I have to watch what I eat, so I don’t eat the school’s food. I pack my lunch every day and that take about two minutes, so, adding all of that up, about two hours and 2 minutes.”

“It’s not like this is going to take up my life right now, but if this thing works out in Florida they said if I miss more than two weeks of school at a time then they have to hire a tutor for me, so that would be like if I went to different states and what not.”

“I would prefer to do acting, but if they like me modeling more than acting I’ll go with that. I feel like my circle is well rounded.”

What is the modeling/acting deal you are currently pursuing?

Is the gig more modeling than acting or more acting than modeling?

How much time and effort do you have to go through?

Is this something you would like to do in your future?

Which would you prefer to do more of, modeling or acting?

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Trey Songz may be screaming “bottoms up” in his new song, but for the administration and some high school students, such behavior is unacceptable. To the teenage eye, grinding is just a form of dancing. To others, it is a watered-down form of a sexual act. At many high school dances, students gather around the dance floor and feel the rhythm of the music. They get together with their group of friends and begin to do their choice of dance. Some students choose to grind with the person of their choice, and other students find this very uncomfortable. Administrators have received complaints about the way students are dancing from adults and other students at the dance. “The grinding that occurs is very inappropriate for school. It really has no purpose or place,” principle Dr. April Adams said. “It makes people feel very uncomfortable.” When students are stopped for dancing inappropriately, they are awe struck. Many say what they are doing is not wrong and is not a big deal. Also,

the students think that since everyone else is doing it, it is acceptable. “That’s just the way we dance,” senior Derek Chung said. “I have no idea how to dance other than that.” Though there are no new rule changes, high expectations have been set after chaperones and students expressed

their concerns about the way many of the students are dancing. Students are expected to lessen the grinding and to use other forms of dance. “At Liberty High School, we are maintaining the same expectations that we had last year, which is, you need to be appropriate,” Adams said. As a result of students not knowing

other ways to dance, the administration has put together free classes to help out with this predicament. During the first semester, students are allowed to attend classes after school every Wednesday. The classes are held from 3:15-4:15 p.m. outside of the main gym doors for students to learn classical dances such as the bachata, the merengue and many others. In the future, students may have to attend dances with fellow coworkers and it would be inappropriate to attend one grinding. “It is taking a positive risk. It is a life skill to learn how to truly dance and it will help you in the workplace,” Adams said. For Junior Assembly, or JA, each dance now has a theme to help get rid of dirty dancing. The ho-down dance has students dressing up in western attire and excludes music that encourages students to grind. “[They] play a couple more country songs than what they normally do,” junior Kristin Filardo said. “They’re not playing as provocative music as they used to.”

Bumping and grinding leaders to higher expectations from the administration.

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The grinding that occurs is very inappropriate for school. It really has no purpose or place.

-Dr. April Adams

by JaeJae Shaw

Appropriate dancing is a must for the administration this year. “Yes, there’s a lot of expectations to clean it up. They tried to play cleaner songs, less dirty songs I guess you could say,” senior Caleb Lewis said.Pictured below: Ben Reynolds and Olivia Nalley[photo by Rhonda Dempsey]

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by MacKenzie Sackett It seems that every week celebrities such as Kim Kardashian and Taylor Lautner are photographed looking fabulous while leaving the famous Los Angeles frozen yogurt shop Pinkberry. The frozen yogurt trend has been in Hollywood for a few years now but has finally come to Liberty. Frozen yogurt has been around for quite a while now, and according to a 2007 issue of the New York Times, frozen yogurt was introduced in the 1970s and became a huge hit in the 1980s, with sales reaching 25 million in 1986. The trend has come back and its sales are better than ever. Over the years, the standard flavor, Original Tart, turned into other flavors such as Red Velvet Cake and Pistachio. To put atop these unique flavors, customers can choose from a variety of toppings and then pay just 39 cents an ounce for their creation at Yogurtini and Lemon Tree. “There are so many varieties of flavors, and you can mix it up and add in what ever kind of toppings you want and you can make it your own,” senior Erin Howard said. This past summer when the new shops opened, they became an instant hit with students. The healthier alternative to ice cream was a fun new thing to try with family and friends. “It’s fun to go with my family and friends and just share fellowship over frozen yogurt and talk about what God’s been doing in our lives,” sophomore Carly Riemensnider said. Frozen yogurt is a much healthier alternative to ice cream. According to TCBY (The Country’s Best Yogurt), frozen yogurt consists of milk solids, milk fat and live active cultures. It is also high in calcium and protein. “It’s all fat free, except the red velvet and peanut butter, which are low fat. They are also between 90 to 120 calories per serving,” senior Taylor Scantlebury, an employee of Lemon Tree, said. With the recent success of Lemon Tree and Yogurtini, frozen yogurt seems to be sticking around for a long time. It is no doubt that “froyo” will give guilt free satisfaction to anyone with a sweet tooth. “Frozen yogurt does not have as many calories as regular ice cream, but it tastes the same, if not better. You’ve just got to love it,” Howard said.

FROZEN YOGURTStep aside ice cream, frozen yogurt has finally made its way to Liberty.

PERCEN

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students’ favorite frozen yogurt place

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Two new frozen yogurt shops have recently opened in the Kansas City area. “Frozen yogurt is delicious and it is so much healthier for you than regular ice cream,” junior Chelsea Sharp said.[photo by Holly Sanders]

Lemon Tree35%

Yogurtini31%

Other Frozen

Yogurt Places33%

by Haley Sheriff Belvoir, meaning beautiful view in French, seems hardly the thought to come to mind when first encountering the 20th century manor. Located off 291 Highway, the structure has been rumored to have been a psychiatric clinic with numerous souls confined within its cold, red brick walls still occupying it today. Familiarly known as Odd Fellows, the site never was actually an asylum; however, strange, otherworldly occurrences have been reported since the start of its renovation into a winery. “It’s a very pretty, very elegant house,” junior Amanda Brown said. “ I’ve heard that it’s haunted, but I figured that was just a rumor, so I don’t really care. It’d be really cool if it actually was, though.” Nick Spantgos and his team, the Paranormal Research Investigators, were called in six months ago to decipher the unnatural activity occurring in all three buildings on the property: the Administrative Building, the Nursing Home and the Old Hospital. From May until June, they uncovered no evidence of paranormal activity until investigating the second floor of the Old Hospital building.

“It was five o’clock in the evening, and I was on my way to meet the owner. Something caught my eye in the window and when I turned to look I saw a tall, dark man walking across the room in the Nursing Home,” Spantgos said. “We investigated the home the next Saturday and discovered that the room I had saw him in had a very unstable floor.” With the aid of night vision cameras, thermal imaging and even equipment they have created themselves, the crew is able to determine whether or not what is happening is paranormal or caused by human interference. Each member is specialized in some medical or engineering field, including Spantgos, who works full time as a pharmacist. “Our motto is ‘Logic First, Paranormal Last,’ meaning to think logically before considering something to be paranormal. We prefer to use the scientific method and common sense to find explanations before jumping to conclusions,” Spantgos said. “We even captured a woman’s voice distinctly asking, ‘Do you like your room?’” A female voice has also been recorded within the Old

There’s something odd at the Old Odd Fellows Home, but things are not always as they seem.

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Hospital building. The probable source of the circulating asylum rumors, there has been no evidence of foul play or torture during its service in the early 1920s, though there were no regulations on medical practices at that time. “There is nothing evil or aggressive about the activity here,” Spantgos said. “People usually misinterpret a haunting to be something demonic, when in most cases it is nothing of the sort. The most common hauntings are ‘residual,’ an action stuck in time that replays itself repeatedly, and ‘intelligent,’ when something interacts with you to pass on a message.” The winery opened to the public this fall, hosting The Ghost and Grapes tour and Wine Tasting until December to give locals a chance to experience the paranormal themselves. Now that it is an established place of business, with plans of hosting weddings, an art gallery, an ice cream and a deli shop, it is now a felony to trespass. Anyone caught is eligible to at least four to five years in jail and a considerable fine. “I was hoping the renovation wouldn’t be successful,” sophomore Ben Nelson said. “There won’t be any creepy places to go on dares anymore. It takes all the fun out of the town, and Liberty can be pretty boring.”

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ADMINISTRATION:This fireplace is located in one of the numerous rooms on the second floor of the Administrative building. Widows and orphaned children of members of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows were common residents in the main facility. Each floor housed about 10 families, and each room could snugly fit three to four people.

OLD HOSPITAL:Besides the female voice, Nick Spantgos has witnessed other evidence of paranormal activity within the Old Hospital Building. “While me and my partner were investigating the hallways, we began to hear footsteps, but we were the only people in the building at the time. They were so heavy that they actually vibrated the broken floor tiles,” Spantgos said. Complete with a laboratory, this was at one point the only hospital in the area.

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PRO Blame the media’s portrayal and the upbringing of today’s youth, but there is something absolutely disgusting about eating lunch at school. It is not just the idea of a “mystery meat” movie moment happening that might make students sick, but that they have little choice but to endure a seemingly unchanging menu for the entirety of their 12-year public school career. But, as the public school system has done before, it should once again open up to new perspectives, criticism and finally, one day perhaps, change. Now, it is time to face the facts: that people act the same way that they are treated. What is needed is to give students the same rights as they will have later in life and treat them like the responsible adults we all know they can be. While the issue may be just as simple as it first seems, it could mean the difference between a productive, self-sufficient society and the lazy, easy-way-out option that America seems to have become accustomed to settling for today.

Even the guidelines, regulating what can and cannot be served, fail to take into account that the only person who can decide what is really consumed by a person is the actual person who consumes it themselves. More options would at least bring about more chances of success. In fact, the only growth the current policy seems to be causing is around the waistline. The lessons that really matter, however, like time, money management and maturity are pushed aside and left in the hands of the school administration. They try to tell students when to eat, what to eat, and how to balance their limited budget. But maybe the best lessons learned are those learned through experience. Somewhere along the way, though, the freedom and independence that should reign through this time of life was thrown aside. Instead control seems to have taken the front seat. The students of Liberty High School are just along for the ride. So much for entering the “real world” with grace.

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The idea of open lunch never fails to leave the minds of high school students, or, at least, not yet. As with many districts, such as North Kansas City, that already allow it, Liberty High is left with a dilemma: whether or not to allow open lunch. Although I have nothing against open lunch, it poses many threats, not only to the school but students as well. With only one person operating the door system, it would be hard to manage the safety of students, since so many students would constantly come and go. Also, there would be only one clipboard on which students can sign in and out. By the time everyone who wants to participate in open lunch signs out, it will already be time for class. Open lunch would also increase the threat of collisions in the parking lot. With so many people leaving, the

school would need officers directing traffic like at the end of the school day, so no incidents occur. With the short amount of time that is given for lunch, excessive school skipping might occur and the administration would have to propose new punishments for those who do not obey the policy. Also, open lunch would mainly consist of fast food due to the short allotted time. The school provides many food choices that are considerably healthier than fast food. We are already being provided with an outside eating area, a student café and a new coffee shop that we will receive after winter break, so why do we need open lunch? Unless the time during lunch periods increases and the administration finds a way to incorporate it into our school day, I see no open lunch in our future.

S T A Y I N S C H O O L , K I D S !

F O O D F O R T H O U G H T

Chris Mohr

OPEN LUNCHCON

Ashley McGee

With the homecoming dance come and gone and the controversies over the supposed “new dance rules” settled, it appears that the status quo has not been disrupted nearly as much as students initially thought. Let us clarify for administration one last time: there were never any new rules being enforced, simply extra enforcement of already established rules. And so, as a Bell Staff, we hold the opinion that the enforcement of said rules did not hinder our experiences in any way, and, for some, improved the atmosphere of the dance as a whole. One very noticeable difference between this year’s Homecoming and dances of previous years was that of the music selection. Yes, popular rap songs were still heavily favored over anything else the DJ played, but, being forewarned by administration of the new policies, the DJ had a scattered mix of songs on his playlist that do not often make an appearance at Liberty High School dances. It turns out that it is much more difficult to “dirty-dance” to the Bee Gee’s “Stayin’ Alive” than any avid grinder would have imagined. And as a result of the out-dated

MARCHing FOURTH

11and exuberant choice of music, the Cokely Fieldhouse was a bit more of an exuberant room on the night of the dance. In addition to it being livelier, the dance floor was also a much more comfortable place for many students. Instead of feeling pressured to grind along with the rest of the attendees or else stand out as the only group with any prudence, the pressure was not as heavy as years past. Whether it was due to a fear of being kicked out for grinding, or because of a knowledge that many other types of dancing would not get one kicked out of the dance, the dance floor appeared to be a much more welcoming place. It is true, students still grinded, and chaperones turned a blind to many of those students whose dancing did not call for apprehension. The Bell Staff is not suggesting that administration should take any more measures, but we would simply like to applaud accomodates for helping create a Homecoming that accompanies most dance-goers but also takes a broad step towards good-sense.

0are not affected by dance rule enforcement

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are affected by the dance rule enforcement

STAFFVOTE

Amanda FisherSpeak Up Editor

As odd as this may sound, I was practically born in a movie theater. From the tender age of as-far-as-I-can-remember, I have been obsessed with entertainment. Instead of watching “Barney,” I was watching “Titanic.” Why would a young girl have this obsession? My mother is the executive assistant for film and marketing for a film exhibition company. With her really cool job comes amazing perks. Not only does she attend ShoWest (a mini Oscars), but we also see movies and get concessions for free. Talk about a cheap Friday night with friends. In one particular instance, I used my perk to my advantage. I had the biggest crush on the cutest guy and I rallied up all of our mutual friends and got them in to a movie. Ten 13-year-olds on a movie’s opening night was a bad idea. As I sat in the middle of the row, trying not to stare too much at my crush, I could not help but have mini panic attacks due to the increasing volume my friends were projecting during the movie.

I did not want to be the lame friend and “shush” them so I let it slide, that was, until we all got asked to step outside. My heart was racing. We were immediately questioned. I sincerely apologized, trying not to cry, and was abruptly cut off with, “Wait, aren’t you Angela’s kid?” to which I replied, “Um…yes.” He then said to us, “Okay, go back inside and be quiet.” I felt like the bomb. However, though we got back into the movie, though I got the boyfriend a week later and though my inner rock star got to shine, I had never felt more used. Sure, I did promise them a free movie to get that cute boy to come along, but still, I was using a perk intended for my mother and our family, not for random friends. I decided right then and there, I would never let 10 people into a free movie again. Instead, I take my best friends to movies. Along with my perks and friendship, I get the perk of knowing that these people will stick by my side regardless if they paid nothing or $7.75 for their ticket.

STAFF EDITORIAL [photo by Rhonda Dempsey]

Friends in High Places

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Many people who live in Liberty realize it is not very big, but that does not mean there is nothing here to do. Liberty is a growing city with new businesses opening constantly, providing students with more variety. There also are many places to go that have been around for a while. Many students choose to go to the Plaza to hang out or other places outside of Liberty, but city residents do not have to leave Liberty for entertainment. Whether it is a place to go with friends or an awesome restaurant, Liberty is full of surprises.

by Shelby Curtis

Los Compas In Downtown Liberty on SE Kansas Street, Los Compas is a very popular Mexican restaurant and is decorated in a traditional Mexican style.

“I always seem to see people I know there because it is so popular,” sophomore Tyler Hannz said.

Food prices start around $2.75.

Crepes On The SquareIn Downtown Liberty, Crepes on the Square is a fairly new restaurant in Liberty. With everything from breakfast to dinner crepes, it is no wonder this is a favorite place for Liberty students.

“They have the best crepes in the world!” junior Fallon Laird said.

Prices for crepes start at $4.19.

Carolyn’s Country Cousin’s Pumpkin PatchIn the fall, mostly around the time of Halloween, Liberty residents go to Carolyn’s Country Cousin’s Pumpkin Patch. Located on 52nd Street, Carolyn’s is a place for family fall activities such as picking pumpkins, hay rides and corn mazes. In addition to that, Carolyn’s also has a gem stone mining experience for kids, train rides, fossil digs, pig races and many other activities.

“I’m a farm hand, I help people purchase their pumpkins,” sophomore Spencer Hurla said.

Prices are $8.00 weekdays, and $10.00 on weekends.

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Cody’s Quick StopLocated on East Mill Street, Cody’s Quick Stop is much like a convenient store. They have everything from a few groceries to soft serve ice cream. Many students go to Cody’s after football games for ice cream.

I love their ice cream, especially the swirly kind!” sophomore Alix Messer said.

Twin Drive-InMany people go to the movie theaters to see the newest films, but some students prefer the Twin Drive-In, located on East Kentucky Road, right off of 291. The theater allows people to be in the comfort of a car to watch not one, but two, movies.

“It’s cheaper and you can bring whatever food you want,” senior Jordan Valiente said. Though the theater is right outside of Liberty in Independence, it is still very popular with students.

Tickets are $8.00 if 12 or over

Scream In The Dark SixOn October 29 and 30 at 5:30 p.m. the Liberty Junior High will put on their famous Haunted House. Students get involved by being in things such as Studio 10, Renaissance and Players Club.

“I liked watching all the people that came through and deciding what would scare them the most, that way it is always different,” sophomore Lauren Bather said.

Tickets cost $5.00.

Heritage HallMany teenagers from Liberty dance the night away at the Heritage Hall on Friday nights. Heritage Hall is located in Downtown Liberty on West Kansas Street.

“They [Heritage Hall dances] can be fun if you’re with a big group of people,” sophomore Allison Blomdahl said.

Tickets cost $5.00

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Students use Halloween costumes to express themselves.

A large portion of the student body shows that they like to be original, stand out and not resemble other peers and classmates. Students express themselves through clothing, music and activities they are involved in. One particular area where some students lack creativity and originality, however, is Halloween costumes. Most no longer gather materials from home, start from scratch and create their own costumes. Today, students simply walk into the gaudiest costume store, select a pre-made outfit and purchase it. However, one student in particular chooses to differentiate from the status quo, to make her own costume every Halloween. Senior Lisa Richardson randomly chooses a costume idea and uses whatever she can find around the house to design it. “It’s a lot more fun than buying a costume,” Richardson said. Although Richardson does make her own costumes, she is one of the few. The majority of the student body purchases them. There are many benefits when choosing to buy a costume. It requires less time and effort, and the costumes are ready when purchasing them. On the

downside, however, costumes from Halloween stores can get pricey. “I spend probably about 40 dollars on a costume,” sophomore Lauren Kenney said. Not every student has a job outside of school, so money for a costume might be an issue. This is where making a self-made costume is beneficial. For other students, money certainly is not an issue. “I spend however much is needed to get the job done,” senior Kyle Rueckert said. With Halloween only a little over a week away, students are starting to think of ideas and look around for costumes. Typically they search for something that suits them well and is in their price range. As those things might vary and costumes may start selling quickly, students are eager to get started. “I haven’t started looking yet, but I probably will soon,” Kenney said. Students like Richardson, who still make their Halloween costumes, stand out from the rest and show originality. She takes pride in the costumes she designs and puts together and has a lot of fun in the process of doing so.

- senior Brecken Brownfield

- junior Delaney Kiley

- sophomore Erika DeVerter

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My original costume would have to have a blow torch to go with a fireman outfit and a fireman hat.”

“My costume has to contain: leather, body glitter and fake hair to make it original.”

“[An original costume] has to be unique, fun and the correct size for your body type,”

AN OUTLET FOR ORIGINALITY

by Maddie Christie

Senior Lisa Richardson shows off her creative Halloween costume: a laundry basket. “I love Halloween because I get to scare little kids,” sophomore Sami Cintron said. [photo by Jamila St. Ann]

Pull. “BANG!” Reload. These are the normal sounds of a practice for the school sponsored trapshooting team, coached by T.J. Geoglein and Ken Lenger. There are three major forms of competitive shooting: skeet, sporting clays and clay pigeon shooting, which is the form the Liberty High School team uses. Trapshooting has been a sport since 1793 when shooters used real pigeons, but since pigeons were near extinction they switched to fake birds. “There are five stations 16 yards away from the trap house. You shoot five clays at each station. What you do is say ‘Pull’ into a microphone and it shoots a clay out of the house and you shoot it,” sophomore Nate Carl said. Every Sunday at practice, the competitors shoot two rounds of 25 shots per round. A score of 25

out of 25 is called a perfect round. In competition, students shoot 100 times with only one shot at each clay. “The best I have done is a 50 out of 50 twice, and one time I got a 98 out of 100,” Carl said. Trapshooting is most popular in the United States and many people like to participate for fun, as well as competition. “I think trapshooting is fun, really fun,” Carl said. “My favorite part is trying to get a perfect score.” This is the only school sport that requires a deadly weapon for participation: a shotgun. Even though the students are not allowed to take guns to school, they have to own one to be a part of the team. There are many types of shotguns that one can use. “I use a browning BT-99, 12 gauge shotgun,” Carl said. It is a special gun to him. However,

some people cannot use those guns, including sophomore Shona Choice. “I use a 20 gauge instead of a 12 gauge because I am not big enough to use one,” Choice said. The only problem with trapshooting is its price. If a person wants to participate, they will need money to buy equipment and make it a lifetime hobby, not just try it once. “It is fun, but it is not a cheap sport,” Choice said. Coming up at the end of this month is the team’s next meet. “We have a meet coming up on the 30th [of October] and I think some students should come and watch us. It is at 9 a.m. at Kansas City Trapshooters Association [KCTA],” Choice said. KCTA is located in Smithville. “I like trapshooting because of the people that do it. They are really fun to be around,” Choice said.

EYE ON THE TARGETby Sam Sutton

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Trapshooting is just one of many sports sophomore Nate Carl likes to participate in. “The best I have ever done is 50 out of 50, and one time I got 98 out of 100,” Carl said.

Trap shooting team lights it up at KCTA in Smithville.

Being a starter on the football team is something many high school boys dream of. However, for senior John Wickwire, this dream is not possible. As a sophomore, Wickwire wanted nothing more than to play for the high school football team, but there was one problem. “My sophomore year I wasn’t able to be on the team because I have a steel plate in my head… So I went up to the coach and asked if there was anything I could do to be on the team without actually playing and [coach Joel Wells] said I could be the main film guy,” Wickwire said. Wickwire is now the head technology man for the Jays football team. He is in charge of all camera work and website production. “I film and help out with all the equipment. I am like one of the managers,” Wickwire said. Along with all of his filming duties, Wells likes Wickwire to put all the film on a website. This website is for the players and the coaches to be able to see the day’s practice and games. “Once I film everything I put it on this website called huddle.com so the coaches and players can see everything. I am basically in charge of all the tech stuff,” Wickwire said. As small as a job filming may seem, it plays a huge role for the team. “His filming gives me the ability to watch what I am doing in practice and in games so I can fix something if I am doing it wrong,” junior Brandon Chapman said. “I appreciate his dedication to the team and for being there everyday.” Wickwire attends every practice and game so he can catch all the plays on tape. “Coach Wells just wants the film to be good. He does not want me to miss any plays or catch any late plays. A late play is where I start filming at the exact same time the play starts. He wants to see all the set ups before the play begins,” Wickwire said. Wickwire has also shown much dedication and met all of Wells’ requirements so well that he has been offered jobs at colleges around the metro area. “The head coach for Northwest Missouri State has been contacting me a lot about filming for them next year,” Wickwire said. Having the opportunity to film at the next level is something Wickwire looks forward to. It may not be his first career choice, but it is definitely an option. “My dream is to coach football. Assistant or head, it does not matter to me. If that does not work out then I would like to film for the NFL,” Wickwire said. No matter what the future holds for Wickwire, he will always be able to remember what he has done for the Liberty football program. “He [Wickwire] is the most valuable guy we have. I cannot even express what he has done for this program. Sometimes he does not get the credit he deserves but I am very proud of him,” Wells said.

by Cody Clawson

John Wickwire is living the dream, filming for the football team.

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John Wickwire loves attending practices to film and learn how to coach. “I really wanted to play football but my doctor said I could not so I have to follow his rules,” Wickwire said.[photo by Jamila St.Ann]

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