Blog: The Thief, part 13
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
May 10, 2013
Rane looked different now. He was a few inches taller, a year older and now he wasn’t starved and grimy. He ran around the yard with the other orphaned-children, laughing and smiling, his past forgotten – if only for a moment. Eventually, even the children’s bountiful energy was exhausted.... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 12
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
May 3, 2013
The boy tilted his head to the side. “But I haven’t seen nobody here, where are they?” The boy asked his voice rife with a curious excitement. “Oh, they are all out in the back. Do you want to go out and see?” Miss Dower asked, while smiling as the boy’s spirits slowly rose. The... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 11
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 25, 2013
The boy trailed behind Miss Dower, wiping the remnants of tears from his face. Ann and Adrian stared silently at the two as they walked by. Miss Dower and the boy walked further down the hallway, past more scratched up doorways and through the numerous turns of the hallways. Miss Dower glanced... (more...)
jagPRIDE hosts DUI prevention activity
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 19, 2013
Police tape adorned the lunch room, setting the atmosphere for jagPRIDE’s driving under the influence checkpoint prevention activity on Wednesday, April 17. The event required that students put on Fatal Vision Goggles, which impairs students’ vision as if they had been drinking, and then... (more...)
Consider out-of-state college
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 17, 2013
When I was little and heard about college, I always dreamed that it would be an adventure. I believed that college was the time to move far away and enter a brand new environment, where you could experience different places and meet different people. Who will you become when you’re miles... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 10
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 11, 2013
Adrian leaned against the door after he slammed it shut behind him. Sighing, he looked towards the lady that led them inside. “So, Ann, never thought you’d be the one to stay,” Adrian said, giving her a slight, sardonic smile. Ann humphed and walked a couple steps closer to Adrian. “I... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 9
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 4, 2013
The boy stood anxiously, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. A few seconds passed as Miss Dower evaluated him with her acute stare. “Well,” she said, breaking the palpable silence, “This will be a ridiculous conversation if you stand there and stare at me like I’m a ghoul.... (more...)
Video Production class hosts annual April Fools’ Day Film Festival
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
April 3, 2013
The Video Production class hosted the sixth annual April Fools’ Day Film Festival on Monday, April 1. The event was held in the Little Theater during seminar and featured four student-developed comedies. The content of the videos ranged from a satire on humanitarian aid commercials to poking... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 8
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
March 28, 2013
With a slight groan, the doors swung open. The room was sparsely decorated; there were two beaten-up wooden chairs, an old desk with a book propped under a leg to sit level and a few faded paintings adorning the walls. An old lady sat behind the desk, staring at the window with her back turned... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 7
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
March 14, 2013
They waited for a second, the guard tapping his foot to some hidden rhythm. Impatient, he reached out again and knocked on the door, louder this time. A voice suddenly echoed from the inside of the house, calling out to the guard and boy. “All right, all right, I’m coming.” The guard... (more...)
Student discusses living with a hearing impairment
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
March 14, 2013
Junior Miranda Miller shares about life with hearing aids Could you describe your hearing loss? It’s partial; I would say about 40 percent is all I could hear without hearing aids. Hearing aids make me hear around 100 percent, but there are no exact numbers. When did your hearing loss start? It... (more...)
Clubs require more support
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
March 14, 2013
I remember in eighth grade when several high school students came to Mill Creek and gave a presentation over the student-life at their school. I found myself listening in awe as they described all the activities available. It seemed there was an activity for everyone. Do you like writing? There... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 6
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
March 7, 2013
The boy stumbled, wildly flailing his arms as the guard roughly pushed him forward. He careened forward and then a second later tumbled to the ground. The rough cobblestone pavement cut into the boy, skinning his knees and elbows. The boy didn’t move, he just lay prone on the ground, small... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 5
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
February 25, 2013
“Where do you think you’re going, thief,” the guard snarled as he turned the boy towards him. The boy said nothing, he just clutched the food tighter to his stomach, desperately trying to shelter it, as if it embodied his newly developed hope. The guard frowned down at the boy’s trembling... (more...)
Student learns how to deal with mom’s paralysis
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
February 12, 2013
Freshman Julian Teopaco and his mother, Serena, discuss living life after Serena experienced a paralyzing car crash How would you describe your mother’s condition? Julian: I mean she is paralyzed. I always describe it as she doesn’t have much or any function below her shoulders; she has... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 4
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
February 11, 2013
A guard had been watching, staring at the boy from in between cracks in the crowd of milling people. He wasn’t dressed in his normal gleaming armor, and instead was cloaked in cheap-spun cotton, looking like any other common man. Guards didn’t have high pay, well not counting how much they... (more...)
It is important to own up to our mistakes
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
February 7, 2013
We have all gotten a bad grade before. Maybe on homework assignments that seemed incomprehensible or on a test that had questions over material that we swear was not even taught. Then, someone always asks us how we did on the assignment. Obviously we do not want to share that grade, but lying... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 3
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
February 1, 2013
The boy took a few halting steps towards the vender, his gait was awkward, with his arms held stiff and close to his body, and his knees hardly bent during his timid steps forward. This could be it – the moment of triumph – or it could all go wrong and be the beginning of even longer... (more...)
Blog: The Thief, part 1
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
January 18, 2013
((This piece is the beginning of a series that will span a couple weeks.)) The noise, that’s what everyone always notices first. They pay no attention to the stalls, some draped with colorful cloths, others emitting aromas that entice the senses. It wasn’t the people, condensed together,... (more...)
Blog: Cursing Fate
Connor Oswald, Jagwire reporter
January 11, 2013
Somehow, it doesn’t seem fair that I am here, that we are here, kneeling down on loosely packed dirt, our heads and backs bowed down. We’re beaten down from their blows. We’re crippled by the all-too-common pangs of hunger. We’re weighted down by the dark circles that... (more...)
Blog: Indecisive intros
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
December 17, 2012
I’m still not sure how to start this blog, this conversation with an audience I’m pretty sure is non-existent. Do I go with a dramatic intro? Should I make it verbose? The type of intro that leaves your heart pounding so fiercely against your ribs that it feels like they’re... (more...)
Junior Alexis Crispin shares how an inability to save money has affected her life
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
December 12, 2012
Junior Alexis Crispin has always spent more money than she has saved. Crispin finds that more often than not, she buys either makeup, clothes or shoes. While she doesn’t buy a lot at one store, she spreads her costs over multiple locations. “It is not usually large shopping sprees [I go... (more...)
Senior Kaitlyn Gibson shares how saving money has impacted her life
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
December 12, 2012
The last time senior Kaitlyn Gibson spent her money was a couple weeks ago, when she purchased a water bottle, at work, for $2. This purchase fits perfectly within Gibson’s motto, which revolves around not spending money on items other than the essentials. “Don’t spend [money] if you... (more...)
Blog: Poetry Slam
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
December 6, 2012
OK, I have decided that for this week’s post to switch things up a bit. Instead of a short narrative, it is time to give another facet of creative writing the spotlight. Here are a couple poems. “Truth” Ain’t it funny, in that “silly, shake your head” kinda way? How we always... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 8
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 30, 2012
Wayward Hallucinations I saw it again, when I exited Central Park, that flicker of movement at the peripherals of my vision. But there was something this time that felt more real, more concrete. Maybe it was harder to dodge and hide with a ground full of overgrown, trip-prone tree roots. In... (more...)
Reading should have higher value in our society
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 29, 2012
CNN recently published an article about how the retirement of the well-respected author Philip Roth, who won the National Humanities Medal in 2010, went by with hardly a murmur from any of us. I’ll admit that without the CNN article, I, a self-proclaimed bookworm, wouldn’t have... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 7
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 16, 2012
Wayward Hallucinations The next weeks seemed to continue in a nauseating normality. I was still locked up inside my house, the hallucinations my only form of company. My parents had started disappearing for hours at a time, reappearing with their arms buried under bulging bags full of supplies,... (more...)
Competitive figure skaters share their experiences
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 13, 2012
On most weekday mornings, sophomore Grace Sulzman and freshman Hawkeye Mitchell arrive by 5 a.m. at the Kansas City Ice Center in Shawnee, where they slip on their skates and begin practicing the techniques they will need for their next competition. Mitchell, who has been ice skating for two... (more...)
Blog: Forging Paths
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 8, 2012
A hero, that’s what I told them when they asked me. I don’t know how old I was, but I was young enough that I could just stand there, my chest puffed out in pride, not realizing what was behind that word. I just wanted-or was it needed? To be someone, this time I didn’t want to be... (more...)
Robotics team competes at Cow Town ThrowDown
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 6, 2012
Robotics Team 1810 took part in the Cow Town ThrowDown Invitational on Saturday, Nov. 3. The competition reused the robot and Rebound Rumble event type from last season. Rebound Rumble is played by pitting two alliances, each made up of three robots, against each other. Each alliance attempts... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 6
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
November 1, 2012
Note: This story is a return to the series that was going on for weeks 1-5. From now on entries into this series will be marked with the title “Wayward Hallucinations.” My shoes crunched on broken slivers of glass from old store fronts and remains of giant flat screen T.V.s. I... (more...)
Blog: Runaway
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 26, 2012
Note: This is a stand alone story, has no relationship to the previous weeks. My eyes opened slowly. I sat up from bed, already dressed in my rough-spun clothing. The bed sheets fell off the mattress onto the floor with a slight rustle. Carefully I brought one foot to the floor, slowly shifting... (more...)
Behind the limelight
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 26, 2012
Senior Jamie Laning shares his experinces from working behind the scenes on the musicals and plays. What do you do for the musical? For the musical I run the lightboard and focus all the lights. [I] make sure they’re aimed where they need to be aimed and basically do whatever else needs... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 5
Connor Oswald, Jagwire reporter
October 19, 2012
Wayward Hallucinations The can would have been normal anywhere else. If you passed it at the grocery store it wouldn’t even earn a glance, hidden among the countless shelves. But sitting in my hand it couldn’t have felt more out of place. I looked up at my parents. They were standing now,... (more...)
Principles of Engineering class uses creative projects to teach concepts
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 12, 2012
The air in The Principles of Engineering class vibrated with a controlled chaos as students rushed around, trying to put the final touches on their compound machine for their in-class competition on Tuesday, Oct. 9. The competition involved teams of students designing and building compound... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 4
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 12, 2012
Wayward Hallucinations We stood unwillingly rooted to the floor as seconds crawled past. I kept trying to meet my parent’s eyes, hoping to pry out the reasons-the secrets – behind that small, what should have been normal note, but they would always glance away. Afraid that I would see... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 3
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 4, 2012
The raggedy carpet was coarse against my bare feet. The air in the room was still and quite; silence smothering everything. I opened my mouth slowly, and then slammed it shut, scared to break the silence’s dominion. Nervous of what I might hear, terrified of what I wouldn’t. I glanced... (more...)
Sky Zone indoor trampoline park opens
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
October 4, 2012
The squeaks of springs and the thud of bodies hitting trampolines, nearly drowns out the music playing at Sky Zone, the newly- opened indoor trampoline park at 6495 Quivira Road After opening on Friday, Sept. 26, the this became the first Sky Zone location to open nearby, the next closest being... (more...)
Early release succeeds
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
September 26, 2012
The early release program made its debut last year and was successful in decreasing tardies and absences by considerable amounts. Last year early release decreased excused tardies by 83 percent and unexcused tardies by 46 percent. It also decreased excused absences by 30 percent while lowering... (more...)
Seven questions with leaving staff member Deb Johnson
Connor Oswald, reporter
September 18, 2012
How long have you been at Mill Valley, and where are you going? I’m starting my 12th year and I am going to the Facilities Department. What are you most looking forward to at your new job? I think learning something new, the new challenges. What brought about this job change? I haven’t... (more...)
Blog: Wayward Hallucinations, part 1
Connor Oswald, JagWire reporter
September 13, 2012
Wayward Hallucinations I’ve always been a reader. Most of my childhood was spent with my nose buried deep in a book. I read anytime I could get my grubby little fingers on a book. I read during car rides, plane rides, at friends houses and on vacations. It was so bad my parents would ground... (more...)
StuCo members share opinions on worth of Homecoming week decorations
Connor Oswald, Reporter
September 10, 2012
Winding, taping, painting and tearing through vast amounts of colored paper, StuCo members spent three to five hours decorating locker banks on Sunday, Sept. 9th. Some of the decorations have already been torn down, which raises the question: is it worth it? To some StuCo members, such as freshman... (more...)
Seven questions with sophomore Lindsey Jackson
Connor Oswald, guest reporter
April 23, 2012
What instruments do you play? I play the violin, the piano, the ukulele, the bass and the guitar. What was the first instrument you started playing? I started playing the violin in fourth grade in elementary school, beginning strings. What is your favorite instrument to play? My favorite... (more...)