December 2018 Le Journal

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LE JOURNAL NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL | DECEMBER 2018 | VOLUME 37

ICE SKATING DESTINATIONS

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BROOKE MCKEE: A PASSION FOR FASHION

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RETHINKING POPULAR SPORTS LOGOS

Distracted Driving

THE NEW DRUNK DRIVING A look at the most common distractions while behind the wheel

CONTENTS

Australian exchange students arrive Dec. 28

06

Food For Thought Wraps Up

07

Project brings new Blessings Box to the bus stop in front of school

02 LE JOURNAL

Senior Elizabeth Ericson is committed to dancing

20

Meet the new dive coach Hannah Bortnick

21

Cross Country completes their season at Sectionals

The holiday season is not the only time people can give to those in need

Sophomore Mary Hudak raises chickens

11

22

Junior Brooke McKee explores her interest in Fashion

Self-driving cars are more dangerous than they are safe

12

American sport team names and mascots can be stereotypical and offensive

13

A&E

10

18

Driving is a heavily relied on mode of transportation, but the distractions that come with it are often overlooked. Read about the dangers of distracted driving

LEJOURNALLIVE.COM

WHAT’S ONLINE

ON THE COVER

14

08

SPORTS

05

Seniors Chandler Rawson, Kelsey Wilcoxson and Gabby Grimaldi trek through the snow as they bring in donated canned goods for the annual Food for Thought food drive Nov. 12. (Photo by Ava Rawson)

OPINIONS

NEWS

FEATURES

PHOTO OF THE ISSUE

24 25

The Museum of Illusions Review

27

What to do on a snow day quiz

The newest Grinch adaptation is worth the watch

24

Messenger Coffee Review

College application fees are a steep price to pay

@lejournalsion @lejournalsion www.lejournallive.com Annual Thanksgiving Interfaith Prayer Service

Student Athletes Keep Busy

Array Boutiques Review

Chicago Convention Vlog

@lejournallive

EDITOR’S INK OUR TIPS Gift Giving 1. Know the Person Be able to give them something that they would not buy for themselves, but something that they would (obviously) still want. Pay attention to what they would buy for themselves,and they would love to get it from you.

2. No Regifting Even if you think the person who gave you the “well meaning” gift didn’t put it as much thought into it as you could have. No gift meant for you is meant to go to someone else, no matter how cost effective it is.

3. Think of the Four Gift Guide Rule Something that they need, something that they want, something that they can wear or something that they can read.

4. Don’t Forget the Wrapping If you are lastly unsure of whatever you have gifted the well deserving person then, the last step is superb wrapping. Sure it is what’s on the inside that counts but a beautiful outside never hurt anyone.

5. Do it Yourself Homemade gifts are priceless, and there is nothing that says effort like literally throwing yourself, and all your well meaning holiday goodness into something that could only have been made by you.

F

inals week is just around the corner which also means that Christmas is too! We can’t believe that first semester is just about over and the stress of finals is looming over us.

But there is plenty to look forward to over break so let that serve as motivation.

It’s time to start thinking about what to get people for Christmas. And if you’re not sure about the whole gift-giving thing, check out our tips to help find the perfect present. Of course it’s not winter without participating in snowy activities, so bring on the skating, sledding and hot chocolate (pg. 26).

Holiday season is also the giving season. In this issue we discuss if only giving during this time of year is a good thing and what that means for the rest of the year for charitable organizations (pg. 11).

Speaking of giving, Food For Thought came to an end after two weeks and the school raised over 12 tons of food for Redemptorist Social Services. As a result from all that canning and Venmo (pg. 6), we get to enjoy Feb. 15 off.

As the weather changes and roads get icy, car accidents are more likely to happen. Driving, and its dangers, dominates our everyday lives. Not only does weather affect our driving, but so many other things such as eating, driving others in the car and even changing the music (pg. 14-17). We also look into self-driving cars and if they really

SNOW DAY After a full day of snowfall, senior Kiera Walz brushes snow off of her car in the senior parking lot before driving home.

The Kansas City metro area received one to three inches of snow from the snowfall Nov. 12. (Photo by Ava Rawson)

are a better mode of transportation (pg. 12).

And we can’t go into break without fashion, football and food. Junior Brooke McKee brings her love of fashion to school to start a new club (pg. 22). Even if you’re not an avid Chiefs fan, there’s no ignoring their impressive season so far (pg. 21). And if you want to try something new over break, we review Messenger Cafe (pg. 24) so you can check it out.

After break, it’ll be a new year and there will be new faces in the hall.

The Australian exchange students arrive over break and the host families have lots planned for their visit (pg. 5). They will have to get used to the difference between the metric system and the imperial system, so we discuss if the United States should use the metric system (pg. 11) Keep up to date on things happening on lejournallive.com and follow our social media for updates on events. You can watch our Chicago vlog from our NSPA/JEA High School Journalism convention and see what we did on our trip.

Le Journal would also like to correct a mistake made in the previous issue. Junior Anna Switzer’s name was misspelled in Her Majesty’s Theatre story.

Rock those finals and enjoy your winter break. See you next year, Sion!

Sincerely, Cecilia & Ava

LE JOURNAL 2018-2019 LE JOURNAL IS THE OFFICIAL STUDENT PUBLICATION OF NOTRE DAME DE SION HIGH SCHOOL - 10631 WORNALL ROAD - KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI 64114

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LE JOURNAL ACCEPTS LETTERS TO THE EDITORS IN RESPONSE TO PUBLISHED ARTICLES. LETTERS MUST BE SIGNED, VERIFIED AND NO LONGER THAN 200 WORDS. LETTERS MAY BE EDITED FOR LENGTH, GRAMMAR, SPELLING AND CONTENT. LETTERS WILL NOT BE PRINTED IF CONTENT IS OBSCENE, INVASIVE, ENCOURAGING DISRUPTION OF SCHOOL AND/OR IS LIBELOUS.

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DECEMBER 2018

03

MOTHER DAUGHTER MASS The annual Mother Daughter Grandmother Mass will take place Dec. 5 in the gymnasium. All mothers, grandmothers and other significant women in students’ lives are invited to celebrate Mass with the students. The Mass is in accordance with the Immaculate Conception which is celebrated Dec. 8. Pictured at last year’s Mass, alumna Peyton Dow ‘18 and her mom, Melissa DeLeon ‘89 sing the school song.

“It will be so fun to be able to show my mom what I get to do everyday, the people I get to be around and the awesome culture that Sion provides,” sophomore Madeline Hammett said.

(Photo by Ana Pendergast)

MISSOURI ELECTION RESULTS More than 110 million Americans across the nation rushed to the polls Nov. 6 to vote for their senators, representatives and governors. In Missouri, republican Josh Hawley defeated incumbent democrat Claire McCaskill to become senator with Roy Blunt. Not only was a new senator voted in, but Missouri citizens also voted to legalize medical marijuana.

Utah and Michigan also legalized medical marijuana making it legal in 32 states. “I got in line at 6 a.m.,” senior Lilly Concannon said. “I was ready to do my civic duty and vote even that early in the morning.”

(Photo by MCT Campus)

HOLIDAYS // INTERFAITH

NEWS IN BRIEF

Christmas Celebrated by followers of Christianity Celebrated Dec. 25

Hanukkah Celebrated by followers of Judaism Celebrated Dec. 2 - 10

Diwali Celebrated by followers of Hinduism Celebrated Nov. 7

Kwanzaa Celebrated by those of African descent Celebrated Dec. 27 to Jan. 1 (Illustrations by Dani Rotert)

Sharice Davids made history as the first openly gay representative to be elected from Kansas and the first Native American woman to be elected to Congress. Davids defeated four-time incumbent Kevin Yoder to capture Kansas’ third district. She wasn’t the only democrat to come out of election night with a win in Kansas as Laura Kelly topped Chris Kobach to become the 48th governor of Kansas.

“We’re starting to get diversity especially with Sharice Davids being not only a woman but also Native American and part of the LGBTQ community,” senior Hope Locke said.

“We are definitely starting to head in the right direction.”

(Photo by MCT Campus)

WORLDWIDE

KANSAS ELECTION RESULTS

CALIFORNIA FIRES Three wildfires on the California coasts have killed at least 66 people with hundreds of others still missing. More than 300,000 people have been displaced from their homes, apartments and college dorms due to the Camp Fire, Woolsey Fire and the Hill Fire, according to California officials. While the fires aren’t connected, they all started around Nov. 9. Damages from the fire could exceed $15 billion, according to an analyst with Citi Investment Research. “When we were stuck in the cafeteria, just watching the whole side of campus burn,” alumna Lanie Jones, Pepperdine University freshman, said. “That’s when it was really freaky.” (Photo by MCT Campus)

New Brazilian President Far-right Jair Bolsonaro was elected in the most recent Brazilian presidential election Oct. 7. His campaign was followed with controversy by homophobic and misogynistic comments Bolsonaro tweeted, according to CNN. Non-supporters have taken to the streets to protest his presidency. Bolsonaro will be taking over for Michel Temer of the Worker’s Party.

The Border Caravan

A group of over 4,000 migrants from all over Central America, many from Honduras, are travelling through Mexico to the United States border. The caravan began in Honduras, but picked up more people on their journey.

United States troops have been stationed at the border to control the migrant group and have used tear gas to subdue the crowds, according to CNN.

Congo Ebola Outbreak

More than 200 people have died in Congo from Ebola with at least 330 cases of it since August. This is the second outbreak this year, but the outbreak is the worst in the country’s history. There are more than 1 million refugees and internally displaced people caused by the Ebola epidemic, according to World Health Organization.

UPCOMING AND LOCAL NOV 30-DEC 23

THE NUTCRACKER BALLET AT THE KAUFFMAN CENTER

04 LE JOURNAL

DEC 1

WINTER FORMAL GYMNASIUM

DEC 11

CHRISTMAS CONCERT GYMNASIUM

DEC 21-JAN 6 CHRISTMAS BREAK

NEWS

Aussies in the U.S. The Australian exchange hosts prepare for their students’ three week visit, starting late December.

BY AVA STOLTZ NEWS & SPORTS EDITOR

The Australian exchange students will come from Our Lady of Sion College in Melbourne, Australia to Kansas City Dec. 28 for three weeks at their hosts’ houses as a part of the international exchange program between the schools.

The students participating in the exchange are juniors Avery Kuhls, Sela Kincaid, Sam Shively, Jenna Barackman and sophomores Kate Vankeirsbilck, Haley Langle, Madeline Hammett, Grace Hills, Mattie Mills and Emma Aguayo.

The Australians’ visit to Kansas City will include the girls coming to the school and attending classes with their host, going on trips with their host families and excursions around Kansas City set up by the school to see classic American experiences and Kansas City monuments.

“They’ll do a trip to the grade school and around town to museums and build in some local sightseeing for them,” Mission Director Anne Riggs said. “This year we are thinking about taking them to a basketball game since it is a sport that is not hugely popular in their country.”

Avery Kuhls “I’m most excited to show her Kansas City and the culture here and for her to meet all my friends.”

Madeline Hammett “I’m really excited to take her to Chick-fil-a because I don’t know if they have that. But that’s like my pride and joy.”

Shively is hosting Australian student Angelina Tomasi and is excited to have an international connection with someone. She said she started decluttering to make room for Tomasi so she can feel more at home. She is excited about taking her on trips and showing her classic American foods, according to Shively. “[Angelina] really wants to go to Chipotle and Taco Bell,” Shively said. “So I think we are planning to go to a bunch of fast food restaurants around town so she can try everything here.”

During Tomasi’s three weeks in America, Shively will also show her around Kansas City.

Tomasi is looking forward to experiencing a different lifestyle and culture and meeting her host family, according to Tomasi.

“I am most excited about experiencing the culture that I know will be so different from Australia,” Tomasi said. “I am looking forward to challenging myself and making the most of this opportunity, and I am excited to learn a lot more about myself and my personal abilities.”

Langle will be hosting Alice Webb. Together they will go on a ski trip to Copper Mountain in Colorado, and she has already started preparing for their trip together by gathering together warm clothes Webb can wear on the trip so she doesn’t have to buy anything. She is also excited to show Webb around Kansas City and the differences in the two Sion schools, according to Langle.

“I want to take her to barbecue definitely,”

Emma Aguayo “I’m most excited to take her to New York Ciy and I’m excited to show her Times Square, and the differences between America and Australia.”

Mattie Mills “I definitely want to take her downtown. I think we will go to the musical “The Book of Mormon.””

(Photos & Illustrations by Ava Stoltz)

Langle said. “She told me she’s really excited to see the differences in the schools since hers is a lot more strict than ours.”

After the Australians spend three weeks in Kansas City, their hosts will spend three and a half weeks in Australia during the summer and go to school and sightsee with their host. While they are in Australia, the hosts are excited to take the Americans to the major attractions, show them around town and show how their lives are different, according to Tomasi.

“I can’t wait to bring her to all the places I love to go in Melbourne, and I can’t wait to show her some of the major tourist attractions,” Tomasi said. “I can’t wait for her to meet my family, see how I live, see my house, my school and the area I live in.”

Riggs is leading the exchanges for the first time this year, and is helping to plan the Australian, French and Costa Rican exchanges.

She helps with the administrative parts of the exchange, including the paperwork and helping plan the itinerary. She also coordinates with the exchange coordinator for each country to plan the trip and match the girls. She said she’s looking forward to planning these trips in the future and learning along the way.

“I think that each year the program gets better and better,” Riggs said. “We learn things and tweak things to make the exchange the best it can be.”

Kate Vankeirsbilck “I really want to take her to a KU basketball game because my family and I are super into KU. Also I want to take her iceskating at Town Center.”

Grace Hills “We are going to California together and then for her 17th birthday we are going to suprise her with a trip to Disneyland.”

DECEMBER 2018

05

NEWS

For years the Gulf of Mexico has been home to a secret oil spill, leaking thousands of gallons of oil per day into the ocean due to a mudslide in back in 2004.

BY KAITLIN LYMAN REPORTER

Taylor Energy Company’s Mississippi Canyon well site, located 12 miles off the coast of Louisiana in the Gulf of Mexico, sank due to a mudslide caused

by Hurricane Ivan in Sept. 2004, spilling thousands of gallons of oil into the Gulf.

More than 20 well casings broke during the storm, yet Taylor Energy only plugged nine of them, according to Industrial Equipment News. Once Hurricane Ivan passed, the company organized a secret clean-up operation, hoping to uphold the company’s reputation to the public.

Little did they know that their cover up would grow into the biggest environmental disaster the United States has ever seen.

The oil and gas industry is underregulated which leads to continual oil spills like this. The environment pays the price as there are 330 thousand gallons being spilled inside the Gulf annually, according to a video on RT America.

The Gulf of Mexico, which is rich in oil, accounts for 20 percent of U.S. oil and gas production, making it a top drilling site for many oil companies. When the Taylor Energy oil spill occurred, the company filed a false report to the Coast Guard stating only five gallons of oil leaked per day.

But in reality, since Hurricane Ivan, the site has been discreetly leaking 10,000 to 30,000 gallons of oil per day. If it wasn’t for the British Petroleum oil spill on the Deepwater Horizon in 2010, Louisiana citizens wouldn’t have realized the abnormality of the situation. Suggested cautions didn’t come from the Coast Guard, the government or oil companiesthey all came from citizens of the Gulf, according to CNN. The Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement estimates that the spill could last a century. Oil from the wells has risen to the ocean surface displaying a slick sheen. The U.S. Coast Guard as the On Scene Federal Coordinator has had minimal involvement with Taylor Energy, from 2004-2008, because the oil was not visible above on the surface of the water within proximity of the site.

“We can’t trust large corporations to clean up after themselves and it highlights the importance of the EPA regulated body,” Environmental Science teacher Amy Vandenbrul said.

Sophomore Cirese Mendolia stacks cans for the Food For Thought Drive Nov. 12. (Photo

by Ava Rawson)

Food For Thought Wraps Up The annual Food for Thought drive concludes Nov. 12 with a total of over 12 tons.

BY KATIE FITZGERALD REPORTER

GRAND TOTALS

24,892.64 lbs

12.44632 tons

GOAL

DAY OFF SCHOOL

10 tons

Friday Feb. 15

The graph to the right represents totals, in thousands of pounds, of cans brought in per grade level

10,210.94 4,267.51

Pounds of Cans

14-Year Oil Spill Spoils the Gulf

8,597.85

1,816.34

Freshmen

Due to the large amounts of oil in the water, many animals have been rescued and treated for the effects from being exposed to the oil. (Photo from Wiki Commons)

New to Food for Thought this year, classes created Venmo accounts for donations that went towards class totals. (infographics

by Katie Fitzgerald)

AT&T

Sophomores

Juniors

2:18PM

Seniors

84%

Freshman Class paid FFT

Freshman class did not collect Venmo donations Sophomore Class paid FFT

$900.00

Junior Class paid FFT

$1,350.67

Senior Class paid FFT

$941.25 A month after the Deep Water Horizon oil spill began, oil and dispersant settle on the water surface in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. (Photo from MCT Campus)

06 LE JOURNAL

NEWS

Tri-M Holds Annual Benefit Concert The annual music honor society concert raised funds for Safe Home.

BY DANI ROTERT CO-PHOTO EDITOR

The fourth annual benefit recital hosted Nov. 13 by Tri-M Music Honor Society raised $655 for Safe Home, a woman’s shelter, beating last year’s donation total.

“We made more money than last year which I was nervous about at first, but I’m just really happy

that we got to donate everything to Safe Home,” Tri-M President senior Sarah White said. “A lot of people were there to come and support us.”

Singers, pianists, guitarists and other musically talented students came together to put the benefit concert together. Tri-M members were not the only ones invited to perform, but also soon to be inducted students and other interested students. Each performer paid $5 to perform in the concert which was added to the donations for Safe Home.

“It was a great experience. I loved singing Senior and President of the Tri-M music society Sarah White signs a check at the annual Tri-M Recital benefiting this years charity, Safe Home for $655.

(Photo

by Dani Rotert)

SOCKS

A LOOK INSIDE

Blessing Box Beginnings Blessing Box soon to come to the bus stop in front of Sion.

UMBRELLA

GLOVES

SOAP

BY AVA RAWSON PRINT CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF

(Illustration by Ava Rawson)

knowing it was for a good cause,” junior singer Maya Bair said. “I am always a little nervous performing a crowd, but raising money made it all worth it.”

White volunteered at Safe Home for her senior service project and put together the fundraiser. While the concert was free to attend, water bottles, bags and stickers with the fine arts emblem were sold along with snacks. The items donated by the Fine Arts Booster Club to be sold to raise money for Safe Home.

“The Fine Arts Booster Club donated money for us to buy supplies that we could sell and donate the profit to Safe Home,” White said.

Safe Home is a domestic abuse shelter in the Kansas City, Kansas area. They provide shelter for those who are victims of domestic abuse and the victims’ children. They provide counseling, any supplies they may need and a place to sleep.

“I volunteer at Safe Home every Wednesday with one other member from Tri-M,” White said.

“We play and socialize with the children of the victims.”

Following the concert and a small reception with goods to buy, new members of the national society were inducted in a small ceremony.

The inductees, junior Ceresa Munjak-Khoury, sophomores Ana Colliton and Grace Steyer, held candles while members chanted beside them.

“It is really cool to be in an honors society, especially music. I am very passionate about it,” Steyer said. “I loved doing the concert because I was able to perform for a good cause.”

Principal Natalie McDonough and the Student Advisory Council are heading an initiative to bring a Blessings Box to the bus stop outside of the school for people who may need help with food, personal items or other needed items. McDonough was inspired by a video on facebook of a boy that started a Blessings Box in the Kansas City community and thought that it would be something good for the community to take on.

“I had been thinking for a while that it would be great for us to do a service project together,” McDonough said. “It would be something fun but it would also help somebody.”

With the public bus stop within walking distance of the school, McDonough thought it would be the perfect place to implement the

Blessings Box. This way those who need items from the Blessings Box, can pick them up as they wait for the bus. This particular bus stop is not a covered one, just a sign adjacent to the sidewalk, so they plan to stock it, in addition to other items with umbrellas to brace the rains while waiting for the bus.

“It is not too hard to do once it is there, it is just something we could probably once a month and check in,” McDonough said. “We have a public bus stop up there and so I thought it would kinda be a great location because people get on and off the bus there.”

The Blessings Box will include a range of many different items such as non perishable foodstuffs, soap, deodorant, gloves and umbrellas.

It will be compartmentalized into sections for the different categories of blessing that the box will contain.

What items will be stocked will be based on whatever the students feel there is a need that they feel needs to be filled.

“It is the giving season,” senior

Student Advisory Council member Lilly Concannon said. “And it is getting cold, so gloves and socks could be helpful to put in the box for people who maybe don’t have those things.”

The box itself was donated to the school by the daughter of alumni coordinator Cristen Hudson Summers ‘95. Sophia Summers had her grandpa construct the box with the intention that it be a mini-library, but the idea never came to fruition. Students are looking forward to getting involved in the process of filling the box itself, according to junior student advisory council member Brie Bowes.

“I think it’s a really cool studentbased project,” Bowes said. “I think that it is more special to our school if the students decorated the box, if the students stocked the box.”

(Photo submitted

by Natalie McDonough)

DECEMBER 2018

07

A I LY D I S C I P L I N

TILT-TASTIC Senior Elizabeth Ericson extends her body in a tilt in between classes Nov. 5.

(Photo by Ava Rawson)

BALLET BOSS

Senior Elizabeth Ericson displays classical ballet grace from the tip of her finders to the point of her toes, Nov. 5.

(Photo by Ava Rawson)

THUMBS UP

Senior Elizabeth Ericson ensures that her fingers are in the perfect position while practicing Nov. 5.

(Photo by Ava Rawson)

FEATURES

Dedication to dance has encompassed her days, her nights and even college applications.

BY AVA RAWSON PRINT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

P

reparation starts before school stops, as she uses whatever time possible to begin what will soon be a tightly wound bun on the crown of her head before driving to collect her tights, leotard and thoughts at her home before dance. Senior Elizabeth Ericson’s pre-dance routine with its scheduled half-eaten dinner and the lacing of pointe shoes at stoplights is all in a day’s work.

She took classes as a child and was always moving and bouncing around. She had a background in gymnastics too when she started dancing, which helped prompt her parents to put her into classes.

When she was little she was always moving and had background in gymnastics before starting dance classes. In addition to her energy, she loved putting on dance shows, showing her love for the stage according to her mother Lauren Ericson.

“She would make us stay at the dinner table and she would put on a show for us,” Ericson said. “Sometimes it was jokes that she would tell, sometimes she would act something out and sometimes she would dance. She would do it almost every night, and we called it the after-dinner show.

That’s my favorite memory, just from how much fun she had doing it.”

At her studio, Culture House, Ericson dances five days a week. Her training always starts with over an hour of ballet technique. Then it’s on to pointe and then jazz, modern or contemporary depending on the day. Overall, she dances close to 20 hours a week.

“Sometimes I will put my ballet shoes on under my birkenstocks if I am really running late,“ Ericson said. “Then every day starts with ballet.”

It is understandably hard to manage homework when you are not dancing for the majority of the week. But with her 17 hours a week spent in the studio in addition to the daily grind of school, it gets harder. Late nights are a common occurrence with the looming burden of schoolwork and everything that comes with it fades to the background as dancing is the only thing on her mind.

“My favorite part of the day is the car ride home just because I can listen to my podcasts and my music and I feel satisfied. I feel like the day is complete,” Ericson said. “And I try not to think of the homework waiting at home.”

Her current studio provides her with a strong foundation in ballet, but with Ericson’s weekly dance marathon of jazz, modern and contemporary classes it is a plethora of styles. She said the major difference is the rigidness found in ballet is absent from the latter two. One of the major reasons she loves contemporary and modern styles of dance over ballet is because she falls into the very structured formatting of ballet too often, according to Ericson.

“I think the strong base on ballet has really helped in other styles,” Ericson said. “I am wanting to go into a modern or contemporary major in college and I think my love of that has grown out of ballet.”

She switched studios after reaching the top level of the dance program that she was at in the beginning of her high school career, which was a musical theatre focused studio. With her background in musical theatre firmly established, in addition to her dance schedule, she is helping to choreograph the school’s upcoming musical “Into the Woods.”

“I think that it is really cool that we have a student choreographer,” senior Jordan Harrison said. “I don’t think we have ever had one before.”

On top of choreographing for the musical, Ericson also has to choreograph audition pieces for college, staying after in the studio to work on them. In addition to writing supplements and bookmarking the common application homepage, she has to film a ballet variation and choreograph a modern or contemporary piece. For the audition, Ericson has to physically be present at all the schools she is applying for.

“I have my first audition in less than a month, which is terrifying, so that’s something that no one can really prepare you for,” Ericson said. “It takes a lot of energy time and money to get to all of the colleges. It is three billion nevers because your entire life is prepackaged in these auditions. It’s just a ton of pressure that you put on yourself.”

In addition to the pressure - senior Elizabeth Ericson of college, dance - and especially ballet - have the reputation of being tiring mentally on the dancers themselves. The ever elusive goal of perfection leads dancers down a never ending path. But Ericson puts a nice twist on it. Because there is no ending, she said it’s up to her to face a steady stream of neverending improvement and constant gratification.

“I think with dance there is such an extended satisfaction from improving and there is constant improvement,” Ericson said. “It can definitely be a negative with reaching for perfection that you’ll never obtain. But it is also satisfying doing that because you can keep on continuing to get better and better without and ending place.”

The mental trials where the dancers serve as judge, jury and executioner would be near impossible to endure without the support of her family throughout her journey according to Ericson.

She chalks most of the heavy lifting up to her inspiration and best friend, her mom, as she has supported in her life, inside and outside of dance.

“I do have a lot of moments where I just get supper distraught with dance and how it makes me feel and how I feel about myself,” Ericson said. “She’s always been a constant to speak the truth to me and tell me that I am enough and that it doesn’t define me. So I think that without her telling me that, I wouldn’t still be dancing because I probably would have given up before.”

“It can definitely be a negative with reaching for perfection that you’ll never obtain. But it is also satisfying doing that because you can keep on continuing to get better and better without and ending place.”

DECEMBER 2018

09

OPINION

Volunteering: Not Just for Christmas Giving during the holidays is greatly appreciated, but don’t forget that people still need help during the rest of the year.

BY CECILIA MOHÁCSI PRINT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

(Photo from MCT Campus)

The time for giving is in full swing during the holiday season. Busy shoppers can’t go without passing a door manned by a Salvation Army volunteer ringing bells for loose change or to church without seeing angel trees prompting them to buy a gift for a child at Christmas.

There seems to be a larger emphasis on donations and volunteering during this time of the year.

But people forget that help is needed year round, leaving organizations scrambling for help in the holiday off-season.

Out of the total amount of donations every year, people give the majority of that during the

Measurement Mayhem In a world where almost every country uses the metric system, the United States should use it as well, rather than relying on the imperial system.

BY KENNEDY WADE REPORTER

There are 195 countries in the world. Of those 195 countries, each one uses the metric system of measurements, with the exception of three: Libya, Myanmar and the United States of America. For every degree in fahrenheit converted to a degree in celsius, every mile converted to kilometers, every inch converted into centimeters, there is a question: Why hasn’t the United States switched over to the metric system? While teaching an entire country over to a new system of measurements seems to be a momentous task at face value, it would certainly make things easier in the future if the United States synched up with the rest of the world. The imperial system is outdated, and should

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cm

Christmas season. A survey found that respondents reported giving about 24 percent of their annual total between Thanksgiving and New Year’s, according to The Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University.

Several nonprofit organizations reported that they received over a quarter of their contributions between October and December, with 16 percent of all organizations receiving over half their year’s total contributions during those same months, according to the Nonprofit Fundraising Survey.

The donations are greatly appreciated and always accepted.

If there is a surplus with money or items left over, they can often be put to good use later.

However, organizations cannot simply rely on the influx of donations from two months out of the year to supply themselves for the long haul unless a thought out business model is used to budget for the year.

Apart from handling large amounts of donations, organizations find themselves trying to deal with an increased amount of volunteers.

The holidays and the emphasis on

be discarded in favor of the metric system.

The imperial system was, at a time, used worldwide. When the british colonized, they brought the imperial system with them. However, when the metric system was created in France in 1795, it began to spread across western Europe, making international trade easier. Great Britain itself, the creator of the imperial system, dropped it in favor of the metric system in 1965. The United States did not, and still uses the imperial system to this day. Switching to the metric system would allow easier communication in both investment and trade.

Although not compulsory, the metric and imperial systems are often both taught in America.

Rulers have both centimeters and inches, and modern cars often show both kilometers and miles per hour. Americans are expected to learn both systems of measurement so that they can properly understand the world around them. This is unreasonable, especially because learning the imperial system isn’t necessary worldwide, and heightens the risk of making conversion errors.

A 125 million dollar Mars probe mission failed because a mistake in the conversion between the metric system and imperial system, according to the Los Angeles Times. The United States switching over to the metric system would mean one less system to memorize, as well as put an end to mistakes in converting between the two systems.

giving make people feel inclined to help out and volunteer. So if you find yourself feeling that way and want to volunteer at a soup kitchen, know that you will not be the only one.

This is also the season of “feelgood” volunteering. The holiday joy and happy feelings translate into a quick motion of giving while the other side humbly receives and all is right in the world. This just turns the act of helping into a self-gratification driven process that is just one more part of Christmas. Angel trees or gift donations at churches, for example, provide people the opportunity to pick a present for an anonymous child and bring it back a week later. But does the gift truly make a difference or does it just make the giver feel good?

There is nothing wrong with wanting to help a little extra during the holidays, but the fact that need doesn’t come and go like Santa Claus is something to be considered.

Instead of joining thousands of others trying to help during the Christmas season, make it a New Year’s resolution to start in January and go beyond feel-good volunteering.

The United States hasn’t made the switch yet due to a few important factors: everything in America is based off of the imperial system.

Anything that utilized feet, pounds and fahrenheit would have to be changed to meters, grams and celcius. This would require a massive amount of time and resources that could potentially take years, and for something that isn’t especially urgent, switching systems simply isn’t a top priority at the moment. However, in an increasingly globalized world, the differences between the imperial and metric system is becoming increasingly obvious. A slow process of taking the imperial system out of school curriculum and transferring existing uses of the imperial to the metric system would make the transformation less confusing, and allow the United States to steadily transition.

While reteaching America might seem impossible, the metric system is already more prominent in day to day life than most people realize. Most liquids are measured in milliliters, grams are often used for weighing a smaller object, and thermometers show both celcius and farenheit.

The United States government mandating the switch would require reeducating those who already knew the imperial system and replacing many existing remnants of the imperial system, but in the long run it will be worth it for the sake of synching up to the rest of the world.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Self-Driving Is a Collision Course

(Photo from MCT Campus)

Autonomous cars pose a greater threat than benefit to both passengers and pedestrians, and to the future of society.

Self-driving cars used to live solely in futuristic movies and dreams.

However, with the improved technology of the day self-driving cars are, unfortunately, becoming a reality. Though the idea of sitting back and letting the car drive itself my seem ideal, there are numerous problems with selfdriving cars that must be fixed before they should be allowed on the road.

Self-driving cars not safe, unreliable, prone to hacking, and immoral.

Completely autonomous cars are still years away, but the rise of partially self-driving cars poses an imminent threat to society. Current models, such as the Tesla, Waymo, and Uber’s selfdriving car, have proven unreliable. Uber’s self-driving car hit a pedestrian during testing in Tempe, Arizona. The laser systems failed to identify the woman, and the human driver failed to use the fail-safes, resulting in the first death with a self-driving car involved. Many believe that taking human error out of driving will decrease the risk of accidents. Though machines cannot get drunk, distracted, angry or tired, they still come with their own set of problems. Machines are easily hacked, can have unexpected failures and can not make decisions like humans. The removal of humanity from any task, even driving, can bring into question the morality of it. Also, we must also look at the effect it will have on society and job security.

Self-driving cars do not solve the problem of drunk or distracted driving, but only worsen it, making the situation more dangerous. If someone was unable to drive a car manually they should not be allowed to pilot a self-driving car. For now, and the foreseeable future, self-driving cars still need a fully capable driver to be able to operate them in case of failure. Since self-driving cars cannot be prepared for all situations or conditions, they are equipped to allow for a manual override. However, if people opt to use a self-driving car, rather than safer options such as public

transportation, Uber, Lyft or similar companies, they will be unable to operate the car in case of an emergency.

Since self-driving cars are programmed for the safety of a passenger and do not have the moral decision-making skills of a human, if an accident were to occur, it could be worse than if it had a human driver. For example, a car would be more likely to hit a group of people than a wall if it calculated that the chances of survival were better. However, a human driver could asses that while hitting the wall could do more damage to themselves, it could save the lives of the group of people. A machine would not be able to make this decision and therefore causes a greater threat to pedestrians.

Self-driving cars come at a steep cost. Since not everyone is willing to drive self-driving cars or pay for them there would be a mix of self-driving and manual cars. This mix would only cause chaos. A car driven by a human has a better chance of anticipating what other cars around them will do.

In a situation where a car driven manually could come to a gradual stop, a self-driving car may not be able to react as fast.

Though many self-driving cars have front-end collision systems, it would do nothing to prevent being hit from behind. Not only is this dangerous for the driver of the self-driving car, but also for other cars on the road.

This also brings into question the issue of liability in car accidents. When a self-driving car is involved in a car accident, is it the fault of the driver or the car? This will not only complicate the insurance business, but it could lead to a multitude of lawsuits, in an already overcrowded court system.

Self-driving cars are also prone to hacking. Not only is this dangerous for the passengers of the car but can lead to city-wide problems. They can cause city-wide traffic jams and can be used for acts of terrorism.

Ultimately, self-driving cars are not fully ready to be introduced into society. Before we can utilize self-driving cars, we must ensure their safety, ensure the ability of the driver, and begin to answer the questions of liability and morality. Hopefully, one day we can solve these problems, but for the time-being, self-driving cars pose a greater threat than benefit.

This editorial reflects the views of the Le Journal Staff.

Eleven out of 19 members voted in favor of this editorial.

(Illustration by Ana Pendergast)

Types of Self-Driving Cars LEVEL ZERO

LEVEL ONE

LEVEL TWO

LEVEL THREE

LEVEL FOUR

LEVEL FIVE

No autonomous features

One autonomous feature at a time

Two autonomous feature at a time

Fully autonomous with intervention

Fully autonomous with intervention

Fully autonomous and no intervention

FEATURES INCLUDE: - collision warning - cruise control - lane departure warning

FEATURES INCLUDE: - automatic brake, acceleration, and steering - lane correction

FEATURES INCLUDE: - automatic brake - automatic acceleration - automatic steering - lane correction

FEATURES INCLUDE: - can complete portions of a journey with intervention needed a times

FEATURES INCLUDE: - can complete a full journey with intervention needed in times of emergency

FEATURES INCLUDE: - no human intervention - no brakes or steering wheel included

POPULAR MODELS: - Honda Accord - Ford Escape - Toyota Camry - Dodge Charger

POPULAR MODELS: - Chevrolet Malibu Premier - Mazda 3 Grand Touring

POPULAR MODELS: - Tesla Autopilot - GM Super Cruise - Nissan ProPilot Assist

POPULAR MODELS: - Audi A8 (not yet approved in the United States)

POPULAR MODELS: - no available models

POPULAR MODELS: - Google Waymo (testing not complete, most likely years away from being released) DECEMBER 2018

11

OPINION

Pride Over Prejudice Offensive team names and mascots should have no place in American sports.

(Illustration by Jenna Barackman)

BY JENNA BARACKMAN REPORTER

Mascots should never demonize or give into stereotypes in the name of ‘team spirit.’ People are not mascots.

The Washington Redskins are a part of the problem. The word ‘redskin’ is a derogatory phrase that dates back to 1769. As it became more widespread in the era of Westward Expansion, it was used as a means to dehumanize Native Americans, according to the Washington Post.

In fact, dictionary.com and the MerriamWebster Dictionary define the word as “offensive” and it is commonly listed as a racial slur. On top of this, the team’s old mascot, though it has been recently changed to a much less cartoonish (but still offensive) image of a Native American, illustrates an image of a completely stereotypical interpretation of a Native American: bright red skin, a feather in his hair and overdrawn eyes and lips. It is similar to images of ‘blackface’ with exaggerated facial features.

But the Redskins are not alone in this controversy. Our own Kansas City Chiefs, though they did change their old, offensive mascot to the letters “KC” inside of an arrowhead, still use Native American imagery in the name of their stadium, Arrowhead Stadium, and in their new logo.

So why are these teams still allowed to be nationally recognized and commercialized? One statistic, along with the argument of ‘tradition,’ seems to have long-time fans of these teams convinced that they are on the right side of history.

The famed statistic, coming from a Washington Post poll of 504 Native Americans across the country, concluded that a whopping nine out of 10 Native Americans do not take offense to these team names, logos or mascots.

But there’s more to the story than one statistic that

conveys the opinion of not even a fraction of the Native community in America (.00001% of the total Native population, actually). If this is really what is considered an accurate representation of Native American people, it just shows how much has been taken and stripped away from them to the point where even their imagery is being taken.

Now organizations against these logos, mascots and team names have risen in Native American communities. The National Congress of American Indians has organized hundreds of protests across the country and have even taken the issue up with the Supreme Court to get these names appealed.

Much of the appeals are based on Dr. Michael A. Friedman’s studies, which shows that offensive mascots, team names and logos have significantly negative effects on Native Americans, especially adolescents.

While the creators of these logos continue to make millions off the use of Native American imagery, little to none of that money is put to use to help suffering Native American communities.

Native Americans are the most likely people to experience violence at the hands of another race, according to the Department of Justice. Fortyfour percent of Native Americans live in poverty, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Native women are three and a half times more likely to be sexually assaulted or raped, according to the Huffington Post. Only 51 percent of Native American teenagers will graduate from high school this year, according to the Huffington Post.

Native American communities are suffering and instead of receiving aid, they are being ridiculed.

A portion, if not most, of the money made from exploiting Native American traditions must be used to help Native communities. These cartoonish images, branded as ‘honoring’ Native

Is the Kansas City Chief’s Native American Imagery Offensive?

culture, cannot be allowed to fly on flags and be on T-shirts while the people depicted are suffering.

In addition to this, fans often think that dressing in traditional headdresses and in other items exclusive to Native American culture is in the name of football or baseball is okay, or, in some cases, respectable, because it is the mascot of their team. In actuality, these depictions are offensive to many natives who have fought against this cultural appropriation. These mascots give cultural appropriation validation it does not deserve.

The Chicago Blackhawks are an example of using Native American imagery but also giving back to the culture from which they took it. The Blackhawks funded the restoration of a 48-foottall statue titled “The Eternal Indian,” which is a significant part of Native Americans’ cultural identity in that geographic area, according to NewsMaven. They frequently donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to American Indian Center and the Trickster Art Gallery, a gallery which specializes in the showcasing the history and culture of Native Americans, according to the NHL. Through their use of the Native American war hero “Blackhawk” in their logo is still not just, their adamant help to Native American communities does make them appear more respectable since they give back.

Native Americans are not our Sunday Night Football entertainment. They are not mascots to poke fun at and are certainly not costumes. They are not a marketing ploy or a brand. They are people, and we need to stop pretending to ‘honor’ them by using their imagery.

If we truly want to honor them, action should be taken to make sure that Native communities get the help they need.

Is the name Washington Redskins Offensive?

20.5% - yes

37% - yes

60.3% - no

19.9% - no *146 Students Polled

19.2% - maybe

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42.3% - maybe

OPINION

The Cost Of College Applications Most aren’t free, and the expense of applying to college can quickly get out of hand.

BY TAYLOR PITZL WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

‘Tis the season! No, not just the season of Christmas carols and sugar cookies. It’s college application season. The early deadline for most colleges, usually either Nov. 1 or Nov. 15, has passed and the regular decision deadline is just around the corner, usually Jan. 1 or Jan. 15.

Seniors across the country are scrambling to finish their applications. These applications don’t just take up valuable time, they also can become costly pretty quickly.

College applications are usually more expensive than the sticker price. With lots of little fees, the costs can easily stack up, often to hundreds of dollars.

Most college applications cost around $50 to submit. But, along with the $13 fee per school to send ACT scores and the $12 fee for SAT scores, the actual cost of applying is much more.

While the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is free to submit, the College Scholarship Service, a supplemental financial aid form, costs $25 to send to the first school and $16 for each additional one.

The average number of college applications for the Class of 2018 was five applications per student, according to a Le Journal survey of the entire class conducted last year.

For the average student applying to colleges with the average $50 application fees and sending ACT scores, the cost was $315. This price doesn’t include the fee to take the tests, the submission of

$55

FREE

$45

the CSS or SAT subject tests or the cost of visiting colleges. Most students take standardized tests multiple times in an attempt to improve their scores, along with expensive test prep. Just the testing process itself can be extremely expensive and add even more cost to the process.

While both the ACT and College Board claim to be not-for-profit companies, in reality, both rake in the cash. In 2015, the College Board’s profit was $70 million, according to Reuters. In addition to the high cost to take the test in the first place, $46-$63, the price for preparation services, books and the cost for sending scores all add up.

However, the ACT and College Board do offer fee waivers for qualified students, which covers basic registration and score reports for up to four colleges.

Some fees may be necessary to offset a university’s cost for reviewing applications, but there are clear ways the process could be made more efficient and cost-effective. For example, instead of submitting scores to individual schools, the College Board and ACT could collaborate with the Common App and send official scores just to the Common App itself, rather than each individual school.

Alternatively, the testing systems could offer free score reporting for at least three or four schools, after the testing date.

Also, more schools could adopt free applications like Creighton University, Baylor University and Tulane University.

College tuition is expensive, and it seems like the process of applying to colleges itself is a good introduction to that. The cost of testing, visiting and applying to colleges adds up quickly so students should take care to monitor their costs. Carefully choose which schools to apply to and don’t waste the time or money on schools that aren’t a serious contender for matriculation.

$60

$45

$75

$75

Colleges with Free Applications Creighton University Omaha, Nebraska St. Louis University St. Louis, Missouri Grinnell College Grinnell, Iowa Tulane University New Orleans, Louisiana Marquette University Mliwaukee, Wisconsin Baylor University Waco, Texas Loyola University Chicago (online application only) Chicago, Illinois

$85

FREE

(Photo by Taylor Pitzl)

DECEMBER 2018

13

COVER STORY

The New Distracted Driving is the newest epidemic as car accidents grow to be the number one killer of teens.

STORY BY FEATURES EDITOR KAMRYN ROGERS AND EDITORIAL EDITOR MALEAH DOWNTON DESIGN BY REPORTER KENNEDY WADE

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COVER STORY

ne moment junior Helen Willis was glancing at her phone to pick a song to play. The next, she was slamming on the brakes, desperately trying to avoid a crash.

Even though she didn’t get in an accident that time, distracted driving is always an accident waiting to happen.

Driving distracted is comparable to drunk driving because it follows the same psychological pattern: when drivers get away with driving distracted, they then continue to practice this same bad habit until a crash occurs or they are caught and face consequences.

Car crashes are the number one killers of teens in the United States, according to Teen Safe.

Even though they are often unintentional, drivers’ reckless and irresponsible actions are at the forefront of these fatal crashes.

Distracted driving, as defined by the National Highway Safety Administration, is when any activity diverts a driver’s attention from focusing on the road. The current generation of youth, according to IT World, is the most distracted generation in human history. As technology and other gadgets engulfs society, it is essential that these items don’t impede one’s ability to safely drive. Director of Orthopedic Trauma at Kansas University Medical Center Dr. John Sojka believes these advances in technology put our society in danger.

“Even folks that have never even entertained the concept of bringing a cellphone in the car with them are at risk because there’s somebody else out on the road that’s going to be texting and driving or using navigation systems,” Sojka said.

This epidemic is dangerous for all parties

involved. When behind the wheel, you put yourself, passengers and other drivers at risk when driving distracted. Sophomore Heaven Butler and her cousin were driving on the highway when a man who was texting while driving hit them causing their car to flip over onto its side. Though this accident happened five years “It created a ago, it has left Butler physically, mentally and huge phobia emotionally scarred. for me. Just “It created a huge phobia for me,” thinking said. “Just about ruining Butler thinking about ruining someone’s someone’s life because I wanted to drive life because distracted makes me I wanted feel horrible.” to drive When driving distracted distracted there is not makes me feel only a possible chance for injuries and death, horrible.” but repercussions with -Heaven Butler the law. In Missouri, texting and driving is illegal for drivers under the age of 21, according to the Department of Motor Vehicles. In Kansas however, texting and driving is prohibited for all drivers and operating any mobile device while driving is illegal for permit and intermediate drivers, according to the DMV. In both states, failing to abide by these laws results in a possible fine. In Missouri, novice drivers could face two points on their driver’s license for distracted driving.

Even though there is an age limit on texting and driving in Missouri, that by no means makes

it acceptable. Kansas City Police Department Officer Joe Smith disagrees with Missouri’s current age restriction.

“I don’t think that there should be an age limit,” Smith said. “I think there should just be an overall law in regards to texting and driving and the use of cell phones.”

Distracted driving, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, is categorized into three categories: visual, manual and cognitive.

All forms hold major effects on a driver’s ability to focus. Activities falling into more than one of these categories are especially dangerous.

VISUAL DISTRACTIONS Visual distractions are the most common with drivers. Even if it is only for a split second, these are the things that take the driver’s eyes off the road. It could be something as simple as looking at a billboard or even changing the temperature controls in your car. Sometimes it’s inevitable. Weather conditions are forever sporadic. There’s always a possibility of a blinding sun or the pouring rain. But in those cases, it’s important to assess your driving abilities before getting behind the wheel.

Global Positioning Systems especially are a common reason people become visually preoccupied on the road. Sojka believes that any navigational systems should be used with caution.

“I think they are useful if they are used in the correct way,” Sojka said. “I think most navigational systems ought to be used where they are set up before the car is in motion.”

But despite all these other visual distractions the one that is always avoidable is looking at ...Story continued on Page 16

DECEMBER 2018

15

COVER STORY Continued from Page 15...

your phone. Any text, post or song selection can wait until you are at your destination. Your eyes being anywhere but on the road in front of you consequently interferes with your recognition, perception and overall “Whenever driving performance. my friends Senior Sarah Tappan was once rear-ended because try to use their phones, the person behind her was distracted changing I always take the song on their phone.

“It’s one of the it away from reasons I’m really against them and distracted driving,” tell them I’ll Tappan said. “Whenever text or do my friends try to use their phones, I always take whatever from them and they need.” ittellaway them I’ll text or do -Sarah Tappan whatever they need.”

MANUAL DISTRACTIONS Manual distractions are the most preventable for drivers. As defined by the DMV, manual distractions are any activity that causes the driver to remove one or both hands off of the steering wheel. This could be reaching into a purse, adjusting a seatbelt, fiddling with the radio, eating or applying makeup.

Multitasking is not acceptable for driving, according to the National Safety Council. Trying to do many things at once distracts drivers from focusing on the road and impairs their reaction time. These little things build up and make drivers more and more susceptible to accidents. Senior Brenna Richart experienced this as she reached over her seat to grab a tissue. When she looked up, she was no longer on the road.

“I was coming home from a sleepover and I was really tired,” Richart said. “I reached over to get a tissue and I look up and I’m in a tree.”

The essential thing to remember when it comes to manual distractions is that it all can wait, according to AT&T’s Distracted Driving campaign. Even if a driver finds it urgent and necessary to finish up their makeup because they are running late, it can wait. Let’s say a driver needs to eat their breakfast because they didn’t have time at home, it can wait. If in any case there is something urgent needing attention, that is when a driver should pull over and tend to that urgent task. When drivers believe these “urgent” tasks are more important than investing their focus entirely on driving are when accidents happen. Drivers should not further endanger themselves by focusing on unimportant tasks that can always be done at a later time.

Of 220 Students Polled:

35 199

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have been in car accidents due to distracted driving. have been in a car with a distracted driver.

Distractions

COGNITIVE DISTRACTIONS Cognitive distractions are the most difficult to measure, according to American Automobile Association Foundation for Traffic Safety. This is because in one way or another they are present in all distracted driving. Cognitive distractions are anything that causes a driver’s mind to drift away from focusing on the road, according to the DMV. This can be as simple as worrying about an upcoming test or as drastic as being under the influence of alcohol or drugs. Even though these two things are entirely different, both affect drivers’ ability to properly operate motor vehicles.

When a driver’s mind wanders, mentally, they are not devoting their attention to driving.

This is common when drivers operate a vehicle for long periods of time. With this, there is also the danger of drowsy drivers. Drowsy driving is the dangerous task of driving while fatigued. One in 25 adult drivers report that they have fallen asleep at the wheel, according to the CDC. While driving fatigued, reaction times are extremely impaired, according to a study by the Physiological Society.

Drivers could also experience highway hypnosis. Highway hypnosis is when a driver’s brain is not fully alert to what is actually going on, according to the Defensive Driving Team.

When this occurs, it is as if the driver’s brain is on autopilot. This is caused by automaticity.

Automaticity is the ability to perform an activity without consciously thinking about it, according to ThoughtCo. This is seen in everyday activities such as walking or riding a bike. This becomes highly dangerous when driving do to the inability to anticipate the actions of others on the road.

Emotions also play a major role in cognitive distractions. Whether a driver is sad, upset or immersed with happiness these feelings impede their thoughts and divert their attention from the road. Even though often unavoidable, there are times when these emotions reach a point in which drivers should not be behind the wheel.

Senior Sophie Hewitt witnessed emotions getting the better of someone. After telling a guy that she wasn’t looking for a relationship, Hewitt and him were in an unforeseen accident.

According to Hewitt, because he let his emotions get the best of him he put his and others lives at risk.

“Before we got in the car accident he said to me, ‘You do realize you made this extremely awkward’,” Hewitt said. “Then we got t-boned on my side and I wasn’t crying, I was just really annoyed. We haven’t talked since.”

Along with emotions, another cause of distracted driving is other passengers in the car. Passengers pose a greater threat of causing

182 150

find that their mind wanders when they drive.

become distracted when driving with others.

Visual Distraction Sophomore Jaden Runchey: “I was driving in the pouring rain and the other side of my windows fogged up. I had to slam on the brakes because there was another car next to me that I almost hit.”

Manual Distraction Junior Elyse Makar: “Sometimes I eat breakfast on my way to school. I get a mug and pour cereal and milk into it and just drink it while I’m driving.”

Cognitive Distraction Junior Lily Henkle: “Sometimes I forget that I’m driving and then I look back on the road and realize that I don’t remember how I got there.”

accidents than cell phone use, according to the NHTSA. In their study, it was concluded that more than half of distracted driving accidents were caused by conversations with other passengers. Interacting with passengers is the main secondary activity people take part in while operating a vehicle.

In a survey sent out, 70 percent of students said they become more distracted when others are in their car. Junior Inaya Khan once overreacted while her mother was driving, causing the situation to escalate even further.

“She was drifting a little towards the curb.

In reaction I was like ‘Oh my gosh, watch out!’”

Khan said. “She then completely swerved into the other lane when she wasn’t really that close to the curb. She was swerving around until she finally got back. After, she said ‘Why’d you say that!’”

With cognitive distractions, comes the most infamous: drunk driving. Even though the dangers of driving under the influence has been hammered into the youth of society, it still is a massive issue.

In 2012, 29.1 million people admitted to driving under the influence of alcohol, according to the National Council of Alcoholism and Drug Dependence. In 2013, 3.8 percent of adolescents and adults also admitted to driving while using drugs, according to the NCADD.

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are distracted by weather conditions.

drive when they are tired.

COVER STORY

Driving while intoxicated has been proven to be detrimental. Every 50 minutes, someone dies due to distracted driving, according to the NHTSA. Few however, hold knowledge of the actual extent of which it impairs one’s driving skill.

While operating a vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, drivers’ judgment, depth perception, concentration, coordination and motor skills are drastically impaired, according to the NCADD. As dangerous as drunk driving is, it is just as threatening to lives as texting and driving, according to the LA Times. So these alternative forms of distracted driving need to be treated with the same urgency as drunk driving. Both are a plague to our society and a danger to all the lives of people on the road.

RESOLUTIONS It’s needless to say that most distractions are avoidable but there are some that are impossible to prevent. Instead, they must be managed. First and foremost, before hitting the road address all vehicle systems. This includes but is not limited to adjusting GPS systems, mirrors, “When climate change people are in controls and sound my car, I’m systems. Decide on a route and check automatically traffic flow before just more you get underway. on edge and When it comes to any personal grooming excited.”

-Christina Peters do it either before or after you get to your

destination, according to www.decidetodrive.org.

Fixing that one stagnant strand of hair or applying that extra coat of mascara can wait until you are not behind the wheel.

You should try not to eat and drink while in the car but if that is not an option, try to stick to more manageable foods. Not things that require utensils and holding such as burgers, tacos and cereal, according to www.decidetodrive.org.

Another thing that will decrease your chances of being a distracted driver is limiting the amount of people you let get in your car. Junior Christina Peters once was driving with two of her friends and almost crashed on a left turn because she thought she had a green arrow.

“I just went because in my mind I was just like green light, go,” Peters said. “When people are in my car, I’m automatically just more on edge and excited.”

In Kansas, when you turn 16, you’re allowed only one non-sibling passenger. Then once you’ve reached the age of 17 there are no passenger restrictions, according to the Kansas Department of Revenue.

In Missouri on the other hand, once you’ve surpassed the first six months of holding your license, teenagers from the age of 16 to 18 aren’t allowed to have more than three passengers in their car that are under the age of 19 and not immediate members of your family according to the Missouri Department of Revenue.

If there are people in the car, use them to control the music or temperature controls. The more people in your car, the more lives that are in your hands. So make sure to be responsible and take care of those with you, according to Sojka.

WRECK-LESS CHECKLIST

1

Set navigation to your destination before you drive.

a playlist before you 2 Pick start driving and stick with it. your phone on “Do Not 3 Put Disturb” mode.

4 No Cellphone Use. Eating or fixing your 5 No appearance. the number of people 6 Limit in your car. your undivided 7 Give attention to the road.

(Car Photos by Ava Rawson)

DECEMBER 2018

17

FEATURES

BABY

CHARLIE

FOURLEAF

NINJA

RAINBOW

VIVE

This Chick Loves Chickens Sophomore Mary Hudak hatched and raised six chicks for a science experiment.

A

“

random thought turned into so much more. Sophomore Mary Hudak submitted her payment of $20 to eBay and waited patiently for the eggs to arrive.

A few weeks later, her package had finally come. She rushed to the door to grab the fragile package. Inside were six small eggs. She had already prepared an incubator for their arrival.

Once Hudak had put the eggs into the warm and cozy incubator, she began to work diligently on her science experiment. Her goal: to see if a few random eggs off the Internet could hatch into healthy chicks.

The experiment proved to be a success and since the eggs have hatched, Hudak has been the proud owner of six chickens, two seramas and four silkies.. The seramas are still little, but the silkies are almost the size of a football.

“I just got them as a science experiment because I love animals and I wanted an excuse to have more,” Hudak said. “I love chickens because to me they look like tiny dinosaurs.”

When Hudak first asked her parents for permission to foster the chickens, the answer was no. But Hudak was able to convince her mom that it would be a fun, family experience. Her mom’s only requirement was that the chicks needed

BY PAULA SWEENY CO-PHOTO EDITOR homes after they were hatched. But that two week span quickly turned into two months of taking care of the chickens.

Hudak’s parents aren’t the biggest fan of the chickens, but Hudak said that they have been good sports and she really appreciates them.

“Mary is a compassionate person, and she has cared for the chicks with the same dedication that she has in caring for our pets,” Hudak’s mom, Beth Hudak said.

Hudak is disappointed because her neighborhood has a strict rule about chickens so she is searching for homes. Chickens can live for eight to 10 years or even more depending on the care. And Hudak is hoping that her chickens live long, healthy lives.

The best thing about having chickens is their surprisingly friendly and adorable demeanor, Hudak said. But she constantly acts as the mother hen, cleaning up after them and chasing them down when they attempt to fly away. The care is not too different from the average pet. Hudak refills their water and food multiple times a day and then cleans the whole pen once a week. Despite the chores, Hudak said that she could spend hours with her chickens because they are so comical and vivacious.

I do have a bit of a quirky personality and having unusual animals is a way for me to express that.

- sophomore Mary Hudak

“

“I’m so fond of these little birds because I hatched them myself,” Hudak said. “From eggs to bird, these little guys relied fully on me and I think that’s really important and special that I get the job of raising them.”

She brought the chickens to school for Science and Engineering club and was able to show them off to students and faculty. Science teacher, Erin Paterson, was impressed with Hudak’s experiment and encouraged Hudak to bring them in. Patterson and Hudak named one of the chickens, who has special needs, Vive. Vive was born with deformed lungs, twisted feet, and a permanently infected eye. Hudak had to give the chicken oral medicine for two weeks and eye drops for one week.

“Mary has been very passionate about this endeavor of hers and in the weeks preceding her bringing in the chickens, she made the rest of the club obsessed about them as well,” Paterson said.

“She knew facts about each chicken, they all had names, and she had fun stories about each one’s personality. It was remarkable.”

In the future, Hudak is thinking about raising ducks, peacocks, or turkeys. She often asks to foster many different animals so her family wasn’t surprised when she asked to hatch eggs. Hudak loves exotic pets and animals. She even helped nurse a sick squirrel.

“I do have a bit of a quirky personality and having unusual animals is a way for me to express that,” Hudak said.

WINGIN’ IT Admiring her chicks, sophomore Mary Hudak cradles silkie chicken Four Leaf in her arms as serama chicken Rainbow sits on her shoulder at her house. (Photos by Paula Sweeny)

18 LE JOURNAL

FEATURES

(Photos submitted by Mary Hudak)

(Photo by Paula Sweeny)

DECEMBER 2018

19

SPORTS IN BRIEF STA GAME PREVIEW The basketball team will face St. Teresa’s Academy at STA Dec. 4. The freshman team will play at 4 p.m. followed by JV playing at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 7 p.m. The theme for the game has yet to be announced. “I’m really excited about this season, especially the STA game,” junior Lily Henkle said. “We have a small team, which I think is an advantage because we all play well together.” Last year the team beat St. Teresa’s 50-42 to take the Irish cup and they are hopeful they can do it again for the upcoming game, according to Henkle. Pictured is senior Mia McLey stealing the ball during last year’s Irish Cup game.

(Photo by Paige Ritter)

DANCE TEAM UP-AND-COMING This is the first year that Dance Team will be competing in Dance Team Union regional competition at Lee’s Summit West Dec. 15. “We have been doing new conditioning workouts and perfecting our dances to make sure we are the best we can be,” junior Libby Slaymaker said. “We’ve never been to DTU before so it will be interesting to see new teams compete and see how we compared to them.”

Pictured is senior Kristen Rogge during a performance Sept. 12 in between JV and Varsity Volleyball games.

(Photo by Molly Conway)

DIVE TEAM MOVING The dive team is currently practicing at the Red Bridge YMCA until construction is finished at Longview Recreation Center.

Construction is expected to be done after Thanksgiving Break. Until then, the swim team and the dive team will share the pool space with two lanes left open for their practice. “We like sharing with the swim team because we can sort of cheer each other on,” dive coach Hannah Bortnick said. “But it will be good to get back into the Longview pool with more space.” Pictured is junior Caroline Knopke during swim/dive senior night last year.

(Photo by Ava Rawson)

SPORTING KANSAS CITY PLAYOFFS Sporting Kansas City defeated Real Salt Lake 4-2 Nov. 11 at Children’s Mercy Park during the Western Conference Semifinals of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. Hungarian national and Blue Valley Northwest player Daniel Salloi scored two goals during the game, including the game winner in the 97th minute. He is the first homegrown player in MLS history to score twice in a playoff match. The win moved them on to the Western Conference Championship against the Portland Timbers in two games. The first game ended in a 0-0 draw Nov. 25 at Providence Park in Portland. The second game is Nov. 29 at Children’s Mercy Park.

(Used with permission by Sporting KC)

Diving Into a New Team

Head dive coach Hannah Bortnick shows a dive at practice Nov. 19.

(Photo by Ana Pendergast)

she temporarily left diving but her love for the sport couldn’t keep her away from it for too long.

“The people I was doing it with were the ones that kept me in it,” Bortnick

BY ANA PENDERGAST said. “To see them every WEB MANAGING EDITOR day, I had to go to practice,” Bortnick said.

Standing on the Bortnick isn’t a new podium senior year, making finals for the first face for all the divers.

Junior Caroline Knopke, time. That’s the new dive who placed third at state Head Coach Hannah last year, had Bortnick Bortnick’s favorite as a coach for her club memory from when she team before. Knopke has was the one standing on known Bortnick since she the long, slippery board. was 11 and looks forward Now, she’s hoping to getting to work with to make new memories Bornick again this year. coaching the dive team.

“Getting to have a new “I would love to see coach is always refreshing more divers make it to and exciting,” Knopke said.

State this year,” Bortnick Bortnick is looking said. “And at least one of forward to the year and them make the podium.” helping each girl improve.

Dive wasn’t always After each dive, she offers Bortnick’s only passion.

She focused on gymnastics advice to help them improve their dives for all throughout middle school. Though she dived competition. She hopes to on and off for club teams, well at state this year. The it wasn’t until high school team is looking forward to this season with Bortnick that she started focusing as their coach. Co-captain, more on dive. senior Grace Watkins “When I quit thinks the team has already gymnastics, I didn’t even improved since starting know that I was going practice with Bortnick as be diving. I had done coach. country club diving on “She been pushing us and off,” Bortnick said. a lot harder this year, and “I was burned out from helping us get better and gymnastics.” get all of our dives in at For Bortnick, practice,” senior captain dive is more about the Watkins said. “It’s different people than the sport. with a new coach because Getting to see her best friends every day was the she has a different teaching style and workouts. But I best part, according to think it’s going to be good.”

Bortnick. After college,

New head dive coach Hannah Bortnick begins her first year as a high school dive coach.

STORM SCHEDULE DEC 10

VARSITY HOME BASKETBALL VS BENTON HIGH SCHOOL AT 7:00 PM

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DEC 11

SWIM AND DIVE MEET AT LSR7 AQUATIC CENTER AT 4:00 PM

JAN 5

DANCE TEAM REGIONAL COMPETITION IN CHICAGO

SPORTS

Chief’s Kingdom

Travis Kelce

Tyreek Hill

Sammy Watkins

Tight End

Wide Receiver

Wide Receiver

Patrick Mahomes II Quarter Back

Kareem Hunt Running Back

BY STEPHANIE VINCE REPORTER

RECORD

YARDAGE

TOUCHDOWNS

INTERCEPTIONS 11

Wins - 9

Offensive

- 4777

51

Losses - 2

Rushing

- 1274

FIELD GOALS

TURNOVER RATIO

Passing

- 3503

17 / 18

+4

SACKS 36

(Photo By MCT Campus)

May the Course be with You The cross country season came to an end after the Sectional meet Oct. 27 in Liberty, Missouri.

BY MOLLY CONWAY PRINT MANAGING EDITOR

runners had to place in the top 30 at the District meet at Lake Jacomo Oct. 20. Henkle’s 10th place finish and Richart’s 29th place finish in the District meet advanced them to the Sectional meet.

“I was really excited I got 10th at Districts and qualified for Sectionals. I was really nervous before the race, but also really excited,” Henkle said. “I think that I did as well as I could have for that day, but it didn’t go as well as it could have.”

Other competitors in the District meet included seniors Gretta Allen and Kelsey Wilcoxson, juniors Rose Orrick and Nina Trouve and sophomore Dillian Elmquist. Orrick placed 35th, Trouve 36th, Allen 37th, Elmquist 42nd and Wilcoxson 45th. The top four teams from the district meet moved onto the Sectional meet. The team finished 6th.

“We actually did a lot better in Districts than most of us thought we would so it was exciting that Lily and Brenna qualified to run in Sectionals,” Orrick said. “Cross country is such a challenging sport, and I’m really proud of the whole team and how we did this season. I really enjoyed running with everyone on the team this year.”

Throughout the season, the cross country

Senior Brenna Richart and junior Lily Henkle placed 62nd and 44th respectively in the Sectional cross country meet at the Wildflower Cross Country Course in Liberty Oct. 27.

“I thought Brenna ran really well. I was hoping Lily would’ve qualified to move on though,” Cross Country Coach Reynold Middleton said. “However, based on where we were at the beginning of the season, I think overall the team did as well as we could have this year.”

Henkle finished with a time of 21:29 and received 44th place in the Sectional meet, while Richart finished with a time of 21:53 and received 62nd place. Henkle and Richart were both really nervous heading into the race, but as soon as the second gun went off they put their nerves aside and got in the zone and ran the best that they could, according to Richart. The top 30 runners from the Sectional meet advanced to the State meet.

“I thought Sectionals for me went even better than I thought it would. I felt surprisingly good and really strong all through the race and I think I did the best I could,” Richart said. “Throughout the whole race I was just telling myself that it was my Senior Brenna Richart crosses the one mile mark at the Sunflower Cross Country Course. (Photo By last race and I needed to give it my all.”

Molly Conway) In order to qualify for the Sectional meet,

team competed in eight regular season meets including the Rim Rock Farm Classic held at KU Rim Rock Farm, the Tim Nixon Invitational in Liberty and the Blue Springs Invitational at Lake Jacomo. Both the varsity and JV teams won their divisions at the Excelsior Springs Invitational at the Excelsior Springs Golf Course Oct. 2 which was quite an exciting time for the team, according to Middleton.

“The Excelsior Springs meet is a really hilly and tough course so it was really exciting that both the JV and varsity teams won the meet this year,” Middleton said. “It’s always fun to win the meet.”

The season didn’t quite end as Henkle and Richart had envisioned as neither of them advanced to the State meet, but they enjoyed being teammates and competing with the girls on the team throughout the season, according to Richart.

“It has been such a great four years getting to know the other girls on the team, and I can’t imagine not having any of these girls on the team.

I love how close we all have gotten because of cross country,” Richart said. “Running together not only helped us grow closer, but it also really helped us push each other to be the best we could be.”

Senior Brenna Richart and junior Lily Henkle play with Henkle’s dog, Chloe, after the sectionals race. (Photo By Molly Conway)

DECEMBER 2018

21

FEATURES

A Look Inside McKee’s Closet: LESS IS MORE “This look is much more minimalist than my usual style but I enjoy the change from my normal, colorful outfits to more monochromatic, sleek outfits,” McKee said.

(Photo by Stephanie Vince)

BOLD CHOICES “I would wear this outfit on a trip or on a day trip downtown because it’s fun and versatile with the sweatshirt,” McKee said.

(Photo by Stephanie Vince)

EDGY CHIC “I would wear this outfit for a more edgy event, like one of my dad’s motorcycle events,” McKee said. (Photo by Stephanie Vince)

PAPARAZZI Topped with green boots, junior Brooke McKee explored downtown Los Angeles. (Photo sumbitted

by Brooke McKee)

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An Eye for Fashion Junior Brooke McKee explores her interest in the Fashion Industry

BY ALLIE DIERKS A&E EDITOR

S

simply fun to wear, McKee is always interested in trying new things, according he was the 4 year old walking the runway in aisle two of to Julie. the grocery store. In her straw hat, big pink sunglasses, and lots of jewelry, the world was her runway. She would pay attention to the “Brooke has a good eye for mixing classic pieces with something eyesmall details and add a hat or jewelry to make her outfits unique as catching to add a little pop,” Julie said. “It’s a running joke in our family, that a very young girl. In fourth grade, she began designing her own outfits. Her you shouldn’t leave the house without Brooke’s ‘okay’ on an outfit.” favorite Ed Hardy dress was transformed into an original work as she added McKee has brought some of the things she learned at FIDM to Sion a tutu to the bottom for texture and paired the outfit with her sparkly, pink with her new fashion club during white weeks, that she leads with Kalt. At a combat boots. luncheon with other fellow fashion club leaders, McKee debuted her upcycled Junior Brooke McKee has since ditched the boots for more current looks jean jacket and was asked to make a video for FIDM’s website. The video can inspired by her fashion icons Rihanna, Kelsey Simone and Zendaya. She has be found on FIDM Fashion Club’s website with tips and tricks on how to since started a small fashion business and is hoping it will become a future upcycle a jacket. career, according to McKee. “At FIDM, we took classes on leading fashion clubs and had the In June, McKee attended a three-day camp at the Fashion Institute of opportunity to meet with fellow fashion club leaders, so I was able to get lots Design and Merchandising University in Los Angeles, California, where she of good ideas,” McKee said. was able to explore this career in a more professional setting.

She is hoping to have speakers throughout the year with activities to “Each day we got to test out different majors they offer with different show different parts of the fashion industry to the club members, according to classes for each major,” McKee said. “We took classes learning how to sketch a McKee. She is hopeful the club will also have the opportunity to upcycle a jean nine-headed figure and drape fabrics onto mannequins.” jacket to sell at the Sion Gala.

Throughout her three days at FIDM, McKee was “Fashion club has been learning about trends and working “Brooke will one not only able to participate in classes, but also take part on design competitions, McKee said. “We just had a speaker day have her own who taught us fashion illustrations,” McKee said. in special fashion shows, contests and listen to keynote clothing brand. speakers. Being able to hear to a panel of FIDM graduates McKee is hopeful to attend a normal four-year university, speak, like Kimberly Culmone, Vice president of Mattel She’s creative and and then possibly attend a university like FIDM for graduate Barbie clothing, and fashion blogger Chriselle Lim, allowed school while still working to grow her business. Kalt is excited compassionate to see what is in McKee’s future and is certain she will be multiple perspectives of different jobs in the fashion industry for students to get a variety of career options. The beyond belief, and successful based on her experiences leading fashion club with students also had the opportunity to design a purse for the her and attending the camp.

I am excited to Skid Row Denim line.

“Brooke will one day have her own clothing brand. She’s help support her creative and compassionate beyond belief, and I am excited to “We got to do lots of different things through the variety of classes,” McKee said. “We even got to take some on her journey in help support her on her journey in any way I can,” Kalt said. classes in interior design.”

“I think it’s really important to do whatever you are passionate any way I can.”

Junior Dana Kalt also attended the camp with McKee. about and not wait until you are an adult or in college to start The most interesting thing they learned about was trend-Junior Dana that process, and that’s what Brooke is doing.” forecasting, according to Kalt. This is the act of predicting As for the little girl who used the grocery store as her Kalt what colors, graphics and materials will be in style months runway, McKee has already begun selling upcycled jackets to and months in advance for each age group. friends and family. Her website, BooRay Clo. will be launching “The FIDM libraries have full collections of multiple magazines and tons soon, and she hopes to continue this as a career and encourage other young of books for researching when fashion repeats itself versus some looks that are people to do what they love and are passionate about, no matter their age. more timeless,” Kalt said.

“I want to create a large company that is well known, but not known as Julie McKee, McKee’s mother, has been able to see her daughter’s fashion a fast-fashion or basic brand,” McKee said. “I want to have my own clothing style develop and change since she was the 4 year old covered in jewelry, company that celebrates uniqueness and expression. And I want to make wearing sunglasses and a straw hat. She wears fashion that is unique and quality pieces at reasonable prices, so it would be ethical and have long lasting individualized to a specific theme. Whether it is beachy, hipster, city-chic or clothing,” FIDM FUN (far left) During the camp, juniors Brooke McKee and Dana Kalt participated in one of the many classes and took a picture by the FIDM sign. Kalt is helping McKee with her marketing by taking pictures for her new website, BooRay Clo. which will be launched in Dec. (Photo submitted by Brooke McKee) COME ON VOGUE (left) With “Vogue” on her back, junior Brooke McKee shows off one of her designs, an ‘upstyle’ jacket. (Photo submitted by Brooke McKee)

DECEMBER 2018

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A&E

Mind Games and Doubletakes walls with geometric patterns. Framed illusions hang on the wall similar to an art museum and engage visitors right as they walk in. Around the corner, the room opens up to reveal an open space and the entrance to the

BY CECILIA MOHÁCSI optical size illusion room. In the room, the floor is steep PRINT CO-EDITOR IN CHIEF and uneven with the walls angled, but from the viewing The new Museum of Illusions is sure to delight and window and pictures, it appears as though one person is half the size as the other. When they switch places, they trick anyone and everyone interested in mind games. A visit to the exhibit will make for a fun afternoon for all appear to change sizes.

The most technical illusion is a bridge that extends ages.

The Museum of Illusions is a new, permanent exhibit through a revolving tunnel and as guests walk straight located inside of Union Station open every day of the across, the room feels as if it is spinning and they feel off balance. Every illusion on display has explanations and week from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. It is a part of a chain of museums that can be found around the world, and is one directions for how they work in both English and Spanish, allowing visitors to easily interact with the illusions. of only two in the entire United States.

On display are a variety of illusions, ranging from The wide variety of illusions throughout the exhibit is a plus; however, several of the wall exhibits can be viewed pictures on the walls to entire room illusions. It is an interactive museum and guests are able to touch, sit and online for free from a simple Google search of illusions. walk through several parts of the exhibit.

For younger kids, these would still be a new and fun experience though.

The most exciting attractions include a room that creates a size illusion between two people, an infinity The downside of this museum is the cost. Tickets mirror room and a revolving room that makes visitors feel for adults are $15 and child tickets are $10, both not like they are falling over even though they are standing including tax. For a museum that only takes roughly 45 still. These larger exhibits are definitely unique and are the minutes to an hour to get through and some illusions are repetitive, the price is a little steep; However, curiosity will highlights of the museum. keep the guests coming despite the price.

Walking into the museum, guests are greeted by red

The new Museum of Illusions in Union Station is worth a visit despite its cost.

The Museum of Illusions Kansas City logo is displayed on walls throughout the museum. (Photo By Cecilia Mohácsi)

Print Co-Editor-in-Chief Cecilia Mohácsi and her brother Gabriel Mohácsi stand inside the size illusion room. (Photo By Tibor Mohácsi)

Coffee Grind Messenger Cafe, a trendy new spot, opens up downtown.

BY SELA KINCAID REPORTER

Opening the glass doors of an old brick building, the sweet scent of fresh pastries and the bitter smell of espresso are omnipresent. The white walls and black, modern accents that make the area feel open and spacious contrast with the old brick facade and vintage ambiance. The only thing left from the original building was the classic bath tile floors that had been worn down over the years. Messenger Cafe Co. + Ibis Bakery, a new coffee shop downtown located at 1624 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, Missouri, has three floors to explore. Prices are reasonable, ranging from $2.50 to $4.75 for their varied beverage options.

The bakery and roasterie sit right across from each other on the first floor. When walking in, customers see the bread being made on one side and the finished products and beverages on the other. The checkout line at this cafe always seems to have a steady stream of customers adding to it due to its popularity with people who

live and work downtown. The second floor of the cafe has more seating and lounge area than the first level, complete with a large coffee processor centerpiece making the fresh coffee for the cafe.

When reaching the final floor there is a quiet room off to the side named the Dunlop Room, a reserved space for private parties and business meetings. There is an open roof seating area on the other side of the third level, complete with a wood burning fireplace and picnic tables in direct sun.

Finding a parking spot was the hardest part of going to the Messenger Cafe. Although it

might be out of the way for most people, Messenger Cafe is worth the drive.

The pastries vary from sweet to savory. The chai bread from the bakery was full of flavor and not overpowering for a sweet baked treat. The chai tea, for those who don’t enjoy the bitterness of coffee, was full of a well mixed blend of cream and spice. The coffee and chai tea were also well worth the money.

The downfall of the cafe are the sandwiches and other food items, as they were overdone. The food requires a mature palate, as there are many added ingredients. Picky eaters might not enjoy many items on the menu, such as the chicken salad sandwich, which has roasted and pulled chicken, vegetable slaw with apricot pale ale vinegar, pea tendril, mayo and a toasted Ibis croissant.

All in all, this cafe exceeded expectations. It not only had strong coffee but also has an amazing atmosphere that welcomes customers.

There was room for customers to get work done while also giving the opportunity to meet new people. Messenger Coffee sets up the ideal coffee shop scene, giving you a relaxing cup of joe.

(Photo By Sela Kincaid)

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(Photo by MCT Campus)

Best Grinch Version?

Junior Kristina Kreidler The Drew Carey version, I like it because it is really sweet and the costumes are good.

Sophomore Madeline Hammett Definitely the original because when I was little my dad would dress up when we watched it.

Freshman Liesl Riffe My favorite version of the Grinch is the original. It’s my favorite because it’s the one I grew up watching.

(Photos by Grace Parrott)

Evolution of the Grinch How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - 1957 Dr. Seuss Original Book

How the Grinch Stole Christmas! - 1966 Boris Karloff, Thurl Ravenscroft

How the Grinch Stole Christmas - 2000 Jim Carrey, Taylor Momsen

The Grinch - 2018 Benedict Cumberbatch, Cameron Seely

No Need To Be Grinchy The newest adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ the Grinch is excellent, but doesn’t top the 1966 version.

BY GRACE PARROTT REPORTER

Everything was better when we were young, the main embracer of this rule is Christmas.

Who doesn’t remember the designated time after Thanksgiving, whether it was the gross old closet or the dirtiest part of the basement, going in and digging out the most precious belongings.

Mismatched boxes filled with ornaments. The random little figurines that always managed to show up. The tangled balls of the twinkling lights. Most important of all the ugly, blue, and dusty Rubbermaid box, buried in the corner.

The movies. Whether it was the Barbie version of the ‘Nutcracker’, ‘Mickey’s Christmas Carols’, ‘A Christmas Story’ or, the prized, the king, ‘The Grinch’.

Released Nov. 9 and raking in $67 million in ticket sales on opening weekend, Dr. Seuss’s “The Grinch” is an instant classic, although nothing can compare to the 1966 made-for-television, ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas’.

The 1966 version, and the hands down champion of Christmas, is animation’s first attempt to bring Dr. Seuss’s Christmas classic to life. This introduced generations of children to Whoville’s ‘Welcome to Christmas’ anthem. Who can forget the memorable scene of all the whos standing hand in hand, robbed of their gifts but their Christmas spirit forever intact.

Although it may be older, there is no reason to forget the original. Newer isn’t always better.

It inspired childhood memories of Christmas for 40 years and never failed to entertain and evoke emotion. The enduring image is the iconic ending when the beating heart of the Grinch growing three sizes, when he is no longer the ugly lime green creature of the opening credits.

Released in 2000, ‘How The Grinch Stole Christmas’, featuring Jim Carey as the live action version of the Grinch, haunted the dreams of

children everywhere. Rather than learning a life lesson, children began checking under their beds looking to see if a green monster was there. If anything is to be learned from the early 2000’s, it is to forget. We forgot bejeweled trucker hats, and we can forget the Jim Carey version of the Grinch.

The newest adaption of the Grinch is sure to become a holiday favorite. Viewers are introduced to the new visual style through drifts of snow winding through a winter-y forest. The animation is absolutely beautiful, and the snow seemed to come to life. Each tuft of snow has individual glittering specks, and it is easy to see how the technology has evolved.

Every effort was put into creating the perfect Christmas-based town, each house is decorated and darling, with circular windows and rounded doors, decked out with lights and wreaths and candy canes. Every shop and storefront is Christmas from top to bottom, with banners and carolers and lights, and general Christmas galore.

It is immediately evident this town loves their Christmas.

Although incorporating the standard characters, The Grinch and Cindy Lou Who, the real showstopper is the Grinch’s partner in crime, his dog, Max. Max is the star of the show and the crowd favorite. His facial expressions, his reactions, his whimpers and his barks, Max communicates just as much as any speaking character.

Overall, “The Grinch” will always be a Christmas classic. At the end of the day, we can throw out the Jim Carey version, that can simply exist in the nightmares where it belongs. The newest remake is incredible, and is a must see this holiday season. The characters are lovable and it brings previously ignored characters to the front light and viewers will meet several new Whos.

But, the forever favorite is the 1966 version.

Nostalgia is untouchable, and nothing can compete with childhood Christmas memories. Although the newest adaptation is a definite hit, can one even compare Mean Girls to Mean Girls 2? It is a good try, and sure it will work for what it is. But, at the end of the day, a classic is a classic.

DECEMBER 2018

25

A&E

THE BEST OF WINTER

BY PRINT CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF AVA RAWSON AND PRINT MANAGING EDITOR MOLLY CONWAY

ICE SKATING

SLEDDING

THE ICE AT PARK PLACE

LEAWOOD CITY PARK

11565 Ash St Leawood, KS 66211 $$ 11

10601 Lee Blvd Leawood, KS 66206

HOT CHOCOLATE McCLAIN’S MARKET 10695 Roe Avenue Overland Park, KS 66207

$$ 2.75

CROWN CENTER ICE TERRACE

SWOPE MEMORIAL GOLF COURSE

THE ROASTERIE

2425 Grand Blvd Kansas City, MO 64108

6100 Swope Memorial Dr Kansas City, MO 64132

4511 W 119th Street Leawood, KS 66209

$$ 10

$$ 3.29

KANSAS CITY ICE CENTER

JEWISH COMMUNITY CENTER

SCOOTER’S COFFEE

19900 Johnson Dr Shawnee, KS 66218

5801 W 115th St Overland Park, KS 66211

10650 Roe Avenue Overland Park, KS 66207

$$ 12

$$ 2.75

SILVERSTEIN EYE CENTERS ARENA

LEAWOOD PIONEER LIBRARY

STARBUCKS

2425 Grand Blvd Kansas City, MO 64108

4700 Town Center Dr Leawood, KS 66211

13121 State Line Rd Kansas City, MO 64145

$$ 11

$$ 2.95

(prices listed include cost of admission and skates)

(Illustrations and photos

by Molly Conway and Ava Rawson) *location closest to Sion listed

26 LE JOURNAL

A&E

HOT CHOCOLATE IN A JAR

Perfect to give to a...

Friend

INGREDIENTS 2 cups of cocoa powder 1 cup of sugar 1 cup of chocolate chips 1/2 cup of mini marshmallows

HOW TO MAKE 1. Pour cocoa powder into jar 2. Pour sugar on top of cocoa 3. Pour chocolate chips in 4. Put marshmallows on top

Sibling Neighbor Teacher

Perfect for a...

DIY Christmas gift Hostess gift Maison gift exchange Secret Santa

WHAT SNOW DAY ACTIVITY IS FOR YOU 1. Your favorite Christmas Movie is a. Home Alone b. Elf c. All of them

5. What you miss most about fall a. Fall break b. The promise of a Thanksgiving meal c. Playing in the leaves

2. Your favorite winter scent is a. Peppermint b. Sugar cookies c. Pine trees

6. The warm drink that gives you life in the winter is a. Warm apple cider b. Peppermint Hot Chocolate c. Eggnog

3. Your favorite Winter Sport is a. Ice Skating b. Sledding c. Anything down a mountain

7. Your winter wardrobe is not complete without this in your closet a. Your Christmas fuzzy socks b. Your festive apron c. Your winter boots

4. Your favorite Christmas decoration to put up is a. The tree b. Hanging the stockings c. The lights

8. The best part of Christmas is a. The holiday specials b. The food c. The football games

Mostly A’s Your winter wonderland will be spent inside, snuggled up with a book or a good holiday movie.

Mostly B’s Your snow-filled days will be consumed by an endless amount of baking seasonal treats.

Mostly C’s Your time will be spent playing out in the snow skiing, and winning every snowball fight.

DECEMBER 2018

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Take a Break

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Students took part in seasonal activities over Thanksgiving break Nov. 17-25.

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1. ICE ICE BABY While working at Park Place’s ice rink, senior Kathleen McDaniel helps freshman Sophia McClure stand up after falling on the ice. “I really like all of the people and the environment I work in,” McDaniel said.

“Everyone is a lot of fun and it is a very easy and chill job.” (Photo by Molly Conway)

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2. IN HOT WATER After ice skating, senior Elizabeth Puthumana and Rockhurst High School senior Nick Lynn stop at Winstead’s for hot chocolate and burgers with the other Costa Rica exchange participants. “It was nice to hang out and get together outside of school and catch up since even the Sion girls are in different grades and don’t have many overlapping classes or activities,” Puthumana said. (Photo by Dani Rotert) 3. BROWNIE POINTS After putting her brownies in the oven, junior Ceresa Munjak-Khoury licks the spoon clean.

“My friends and I didn’t really have a fancy Friendsgiving,” Munjak-Khoury said. “But we did get together and had a night where we played cards and baked brownies.” (Photo by Ava Stoltz)

28 DECEMBER 2018

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4. BABY IT’S COLD OUTSIDE While having brunch, Xavier High School senior Libby Kramer senior Megan Broomfield enjoy their hot chocolate while Kramer visits from Iowa. “It was so great to be able to hang out with Libby over the break,” Broomfield said. “Since we have been friends forever, her moving away a few years ago was hard, but getting to see her ever so often, especially during the holidays, reminds me to treasure the time I have with her.” (Photo by Cecilia Mohácsi) 5. SKATE IT OFF During Thanksgiving break, juniors Lilly Denney and Sam Shively ice skate together at Park Place. “It was a really nice day and we wanted to go before it started to get colder and before the rush of people,” Shively said. (Photo

by Sela Kincaid) 6. FEAST YOUR EYES While holding their dishes for Friendsgiving, seniors Brenna Richart and Chandler Rawson laugh about how no one brought turkey to their Thanksgiving dinner together. “Getting together to eat food and hang out was a really good way to show that we are thankful for each other,” Richart said. (Photo by Ava Rawson)

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