Le Journal February Issue

LeJournal Freedom of

Expression A Look at the Threat to this Vital, Core Right Page 14-17

A PUBLICATION OF NOTRE DAME de SION 10631 WORNALL ROAD, KANSAS CITY, MO 64114

VOLUME 33 ISSUE 4 FEBRUARY 2015

INSIDE THE ISSUE sports

news 4

Catholic Schools Week Campus Ministry focused on school mission Neuroscience Club Students compete in the Brain Bee competition.

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@Sionisbeautiful New Twitter account compliments students

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a&e

Cheer wins Nationals for the first time.

The Irish Cup Rivalry

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Staff Editorial Freedom of Expression

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Cuban Embargo U.S. considers lifting Cuban embargo.

Government intervenes in girl’s cancer treatment.

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Freedom of Speech and Expression Following the Charlie Hebdo attack, the world is examining the freedom of expression.

features 18

Bilha Kahindi Sophomore discusses life in Kenya.

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Retouching School Pictures Photoshop creates harmful perceptions of women’s bodies.

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America’s College Promise Two years of free community college

Erika Ellwanger Guidance counselor celebrates individual differences.

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Paul Kramschuster Theology teacher shares his worldview.

LeJournal 2014-2015

Le Journal is the official student publication of Notre Dame de Sion High School 10631 Wornall Road Kansas City, Missouri 64114

Missouri Interscholastic Press Association National Scholastic Press Association International Quill and Scroll Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City

PRINT MANAGING EDITOR Mary B. Freeman WEBSITE MANAGING EDITOR Chioma Okuagu NEWS EDITOR Ellie Schwartz EDITORIAL EDITOR Sydney Daniels ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Meghan Kearney

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‘American Sniper’ Review of the new war drama The Academy Awards A preview of the big night

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Restaurant Week T. Loft

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Recipes Power Bullet smoothie recipes

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Photo Essay Seussical Cover Photo Illustration

By Sarah Harris, Ellie Schwartz and Sophie Nedelco

HUMANS OF

SION

Emma Romano, junior What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?

MEMBER

CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sarah Harris Ellie Stingley

25

Maryliz Henning Cheer Captain

cover story

App Review Review of the trivia game Trivia Crack ‘Serial’ Review of the investigative podcast

Sydney Manning’s Column Team Loyalty Robotics Competition

The Exchange Experience

editorials/opinion

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We’re going to our CYO game.

SPORTS EDITOR Madison Heide FEATURE EDITOR Anna Schroer PHOTO AND SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sydney Manning LAYOUT EDITOR Georgia Evans REPORTERS Chloe Barrett Rachel Ergovich Alex D’Alesio Natalie Sopyla Selena Hunter Laney Ulowetz Anna Ciani Sara Watkins Sophie Nedelco Aubrey Makar

Paige Dussold, sophomore What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?

I’m going to be in Phoenix playing soccer on Valentine’s Day.

Nora Malone, sophomore What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?

I’m going to my friend’s house and we’re going to watch movies and eat a lot of food.

THE EDITORS’ INK

BY SARAH HARRIS AND ELLIE STINGLEY CO-EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Single Awareness Day aka Valentine’s Day is around the corner and depending on your relationship status this can mean different things.

If you’re single, this holiday can mean a girl’s night out or getting flowers from dad. And there’s no shame in that, we all know dads can afford nicer flowers and chocolates than teenage boys.

But if you are in a relationship, take advantage of this one day of the year designated for you.

Cheesy Valentine instagrams, roses at school and a fancy dinner are nothing to be embarrassed about.

Regardless of what your night will hold, this day is the perfect opportunity to let people know how much you love them.

In Paris, France, the city of love, couples will celebrate in the most romantic spot in the world for the upcoming holiday. But only a few months ago love was overshadowed by violence. The events at Charlie Hebdo, a Parisian satirical magazine, show it is obvious that not everyone feels all people should have the right to share their opinions.

Although the United States and several other countries have a policy for freedom of expression, many other countries do not. Sometimes our laws supporting this freedom make us believe we are completely protected from terrorists. However, there are people so strongly in opposition that they commit horrific acts as those that occurred in Paris last month. The satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was the victim of these hateful acts (see pg. 14-17).

These terrorists committed such acts because they were offended by what Charlie Hebdo was publishing in regard to Islam. Should there be a line for freedom of expression? (See pg. 6) The question of freedom of expression came

again when the Oscar Nominations were presented on Jan. 15. The Academy was accused of not encompassing enough diversity in actors and in movies in the nominations list. The Academy voted and the movies that were picked were the best in their opinions, yet others are trying to undervalue these opinions. For the nominations see pg. 25.

Among the nominations was “American Sniper,” a film based on the true story of former Navy SEAL sniper Chris Kyle. With a record 160 confirmed enemy kills, Kyle has been deemed the most successful sniper in American military history. In the film, viewers will see more than the life of a serviceman, but also of a father and husband whose love for his country and family motivate him throughout his adult life. To find out more about the movie, see pg. 25 That love and any other type of love is what this time of year is about. Whether you’re celebrating a romantic love or the love between friends and family, it is never a bad time to show those people how much you care about them.

(And we can establish that flowers and a love note are not the only way to do so. Chocolates and candy will suffice.) So tomorrow wherever you are and whoever you are with, it is important to remember that everyone doesn’t have someone to celebrate with. So let’s be thankful, and have a Happy Valentine’s Day or Single Awareness Day, whichever you prefer.

Sayonara Sion, Sellie

Photo of the Issue Seniors Maggie Kane, Emma Lamphear, Jacquie Whalen and Maura Healy dress in their onesies and pajamas to cheer on the Varsity Basketball Team at the St. Teresa’s vs. Sion game Jan. 26.

The theme for the game was Day Care, so Sion’s student section spent the night singing remixed nursery rhymes and participated in screaming battles with STA’s students. The Stars defeated the Storm 57-43. (Photo by Sophie Nedelco)

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NEWS IN BRIEF

Securing Sion Dance Team Nationals The dance team returned from the Universal Dance Association National Championship competition with the fifth place title in Varsity High Kick. They also earned a spot in the top 20 for the Pom Division. The girls competed in Orlando, Florida Jan. 30.

Spotlighing Faith and Service, not just School Spirit

NOW THEN

The campus ministry team focuses on every aspect of faith during Catholic Schools Week.

BY CHLOE BARRETT REPORTER

The national theme of Catholic Schools Week this year was communities of knowledge, faith and service.

The Campus Ministry team worked to reinforce this theme each day of the week, with each day focusing on an aspect of faith in a way relating to the collective experience of Sion.

“Even if you’re not Catholic you can get something out of this,” Campus Minister and theology teacher Stephanie Pino-Dressman said.

Monday was Eucharistic Adoration and Tuesday was lunch with the Sisters. Wednesday was dress as your favorite teacher and Thursday was dress in class colors that represented a faithfilled life of unity, joy, love and peace. And Friday was dress head-to-toe purple Vivé Sion day with a school breakfast.

The shift from Student Council to the Campus Ministry team heading Catholic Schools Week was a move hoping to highlight the religious experiences at Sion. Pino-Dressman said the purpose of Catholic Schools week is to highlight the unique way Sion is a Catholic school.

“For Sion, the emphasis is on interfaith dialogue and the importance of knowing other faiths than our own,” Pino-Dressman said, “and how service is integral to the life of our students and knowledge of self [and] where you stand in your faith.”

During Lunch with the Sisters, junior Guthrie Kimball discusses life as a nun with Sister Julia Kubista of the Sisters in Jesus the Lord.

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Poetry Out Loud This year Alyssa Moncure won the school Poetry Out Loud competition and qualified for State.

According to librarian Jennifer Campbell the competition was transformed into a coffee shop atmosphere in an attempt to encourage students to attend and listen to the students preform.

New signs above exit doors pose as an added security measure.

BY MARY B. FREEMAN MANAGING EDITOR

Security is the reason for the new signs plastered above every entrance to the school.

Marked with a letter, a dash and a number, these signs have been put in place for any potential threat inside Sion.

“It was recommended by homeland security so that if we have any threats on the school we put signs above our doors so that we will easily be able to tell first responders where to go,” Director of Facilities and Operations Andy Sheer said. “So for example if we said there is danger around door E-8 they can come through that way, not waste any time and go right to the source.”

According to Sheer, each letter on the signs represent the direction that door is facing (for example S means south) and each number represents the assigned building section the sign is located on.

E-8 Top of the stairs in the South Six

N -16

S-4 The door from the courtyard that leads to the junior hallway

The library entrance

BRAIN BEE Students celebrate their success at the regional Brain Bee where they were quizzed on a variety of neurological questions.

BY ANNA CIANI REPORTER

Five students competed in the Brain Bee for the second year at University of Kansas Medical Center Jan. 31. The squad consisted of seniors Katie Andrews, Alexandra Dykeman, Maria Nessim, Amabelle Palomares and Anna Schroer. They progressed through five out of seven rounds in the oral questions category.

Competitors were tested on knowledge of the brain’s function as well as neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, strokes and depression.

According to one of the team sponsors, Marilyn Stewart, the team held practices during lunch study hall in the weeks leading up to the competition.

“Preparation was intense. The girls were held accountable for a large amount of difficult material,” Stewart said. “We are very proud of our girls and how the team finished.”

The Brain Bee team includes psychology teacher Linda Blasdel, seniors Alexandra Dykeman, Amabelle Palomares, Maria Nessim, Katie Andrews, Anna Schroer and math teacher Marilyn Stewart. (Photo by Harper Lanning)

Next year the team will become a purple week club in order to allot more time for collaboration and preparation.

The main purpose of the Brain Bee, according to founder Dr. Norbert Myslinski, is to inspire them to pursue a career in neuroscience in order to help treat and find cures for neurological disorders.

Brain Bee competitions are held locally throughout 30 countries. The winner of each local bee is invited to attend the national bee, and the winner of each national bee is invited to attend the international competition in Washington D.C. Aug. 7 through Aug. 10.

@SionIsBeautiful “I like [the account]; I think it’s good to be spreading positive thoughts throughout Sion,” freshman Ellie Chaffee said.

The anonymous creator of the account says that its goal is to share genuine compliments straight from the students at school. All of their tweets come directly from quotes sent in by students, so the user plans to keep the account active as long as there are still messages coming in. The account is purposefully anonymous because the creator wants the tweets to seem impartial and sincere.

She says she wants people to stay away from complimenting outward appearances, so the account delves deeper to girls’ personalities and characters.

The Sion Twitter owned by an unknown person is dedicated to making Sion girls’ day.

BY LANEY ULOWETZ REPORTER

While scrolling through your Twitter newsfeed, you may recognize a bold, purple “NDS” picture frequently retweeted. This new account called “Kind Thoughts NDS” popped up recently and has left many students smiling. The account is dedicated to giving out sweet compliments to the Sion community.

Kind Thoughts NDS

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@sionisbeautiful

1

CHILE

“My best memory has been when we went to an elementary school. The kids were so cute and nice.”

.

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@sionisbeautiful . Jan 27

person I know. Her spirit and smile brighten my day.”

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(Photo by Sara Watkins)

Carolina Hugolini

VIVE SION “Evie Hauptmann is the most positive and uplifting

Kind Thoughts NDS

Camila Chahúan

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Jan 27 VIVE “If Alyssa Moncure is not your favorite human being on SION this planet then who is?”

Kind Thoughts NDS

Exchange Students from Brazil and Chile reminisce about their favorite memories at Sion.

@sionisbeautiful . Jan 27

VIVE “Claire Raulston is one of the most grounded human SION beings. She is equal parts generous and hilarious.”

Kind Thoughts NDS

From All Around the World

“I loved and I will remember all the moments that I passed with the people that I met.”

(Photo by Sara Watkins)

Francisca Mecklenburg CHILE

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@sionisbeautiful

.

Jan 25

VIVE “Allie Weinrich’s smiles brightens my dreadful 5th hour(: SION she is a legit sunshine.”

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BRAZIL

(Photo by Aubrey Makar)

“My best memory is when I spilled a whole hot chocolate on my lap and everybody helped and gave me another one for free.”

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THE

OPINION

DRAWN THIS EDITORIAL REPRESENTS THE VIEW OF THE LE JOURNAL STAFF. NINETEEN OUT OF 21 VOTED IN SUPPORT OF THIS VIEW.

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In the wake of the attack at the Charlie Hebdo newsroom, the question of limiting freedom of expression is brought to the front line of discussion.

“I

magine all the people living life in peace” the timeless John Lennon lyrics rang through the crowd of thousands gathered at the Republique Square in Paris. Citizens young and old, French and foreign harmonized together sharing in the ballad of peace among all people in the wake of the killings in France. Is this government sponsored rally going to offend someone? Can people sing a song of passion, or is that too expressive? Where is the line?

The now infamous Al-Qaeda attack at the Charlie Hebdo satirical magazine in France has sparked a century-long debate of where the line of expression should be drawn. A topic heavily rooted in France’s history dating back to pre-revolution, the freedom of expression, including the freedom of speech and religion, has been a cherished right and privilege of the people. The question at hand though is where the line should be drawn. When should freedom of expression be limited, or should it be limited at all?

Our right as people to have freedom of expression is a question that is always relevant. In whatever society we live in the application of that expression is where the idea becomes hazy in the combination of our morals with the law.

In the United States freedom of expression is a natural right, meaning we are born with it. Famous applications of this right are the protests performed by the Westboro Baptist Church, Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech”, news platforms and any religious practice. With such ample opportunities to express our right there is no doubt that someone somewhere will disagree. The world is made up of some 7 billion people so if we were to aim to not offend all of those people we would have no rights at all.

When we start to limit our freedom of expression that are offensive to certain groups of people, where does that line end? Do we continue to limit our freedoms until everyone in the world is content with expressing nothing?

Death, war, attacks and hatred. These are all things that have come out of the practice of the freedom of expression throughout the world.

They validate the argument that there should be a line drawn when we as people are expressing our beliefs. And in some countries that is currently a reality.

Neonazism in Germany is illegal. That is a line drawn in the right of freedom of expression in German law. One could argue that the people’s rights are being infringed upon, yet the world does not need to see the hatred of the Nazi party.

The issue is the difference between government mandated limits and those placed upon by people.

The problem with drawing the line is that the mark would be different for every person, every society, every religion and in the end we would have no rights if the line was drawn for one group of people. It’s not the right of expression that has to change or be altered. It is the person that needs to work towards, as John Lennon said and the people of France sang out, “to live as one.”

OPINION

U.S. Looks to Lift Embargo Opening trade with Cuba could benefit the economies of both countries and help democratize Cuba.

BY AUBREY MAKAR REPORTER

After 50 years since the commencement of the Cuba embargo, the United States has still not achieved the results they hoped for. There seems to be little point in continuing this if it harms the economy of the United States and Cuba. Just because Cuba refuses to act in the exact way the United States wants them to, does this mean that we should continue to enforce the embargo until we get our way?

The embargo has been harming the United States’ economy since 1960. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce opposes the embargo and says that it usually costs the United States approximately $1.2 billion a year from lost sales.

And a March 2010 study by Texas A&M University calculated that removing the embargo on agricultural exports could create as many as 6,000 jobs in the United States.

While the embargo was issued to dismantle and frazzle Cuba enough to create a representative democracy, this change has not occurred. This goal

of the embargo was focused on helping the Cuban people escape their communist government, but it has failed to make any change in Cuba.

Cubans are not allowed to attain technology, medicine, affordable food, or other goods from the United States. The embargo was implemented in order to command the government of Cuba to conform to the U.S. state of mind but now is only harming the citizens. With this embargo enforced, not only is the United States preventing the use of modern technology for Cubans, but it is also taking away medical advances that could help Cubans.

The embargo was originally enforced after the Cold War when the United States wanted to implement a democracy in communist Cuba. From 1960 to present times the embargo seems like an ancient relic of the Cold War. After all, we’re not still sewing our own clothes and most women have substantial jobs in society.

If this artifact of the past is continued, the message sent out to the world is that the United States continues to be too stubborn to accept that Cuba can do what they want with their country.

Sure, communism is not the ideal image of a functioning government for most Americans, but there is a possibility that if the embargo was lifted, Cuba would be more willing to try to comply with some of the United States’ ideals.

With President Barack Obama breaking down the walls of the embargo, Americans and Cubans alike might have to accept the new ideas that are executed in order to better the lives of those affected by it. But, if the Cuban Embargo is not completing the goals that were set in its birth, what is the point of carrying on with it? In order to make a change in the economy of the United States and Cuba, the embargo should be lifted to benefit all.

In May 2002, Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in a live speech broadcast on Cuban television, called on the United States to end the then 43-yearold economic embargo. (Photo by MCT Campus)

State Steps in to Require Treatment State government forces minor to pursue chemotherapy due to lack of maturity to make her own decision.

BY ELLIE STINGLEY CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

When 17-year-old Connecticut teen, referred to as Cassandra C in court records, was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, she decided to refuse treatment. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a cancer with an 85 percent survival rate with proper treatment, but after being diagnosed Cassandra decided to refuse the chemotherapy needed to save her life, according to NBCnews.com. Without the treatment, doctors say Cassandra will die within two years.

Because Cassandra is under the legal age to make her own medical decisions, the Connecticut state government stepped in. Currently, she is undergoing chemotherapy in Connecticut Children’s Medical Center against her will. This has stirred controversy, posing the question of the government’s authority to force Cassandra to receive medical treatment without her consent.

The answer is yes, they did have the authority and the obligation to take the action they did.

If Cassandra were 18, the decision would not be questioned legally.

However, Cassandra is a minor who has failed to show the required level of maturity to make such

a decision. According to bostonglobe.com, she ran away from home after two days of treatment.

Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said that Cassandra has also made it apparent to doctors that her decision to refuse treatment was deeply influenced by her fear of going against her mother’s wishes, to not receive treatment, according to nbcnews.com. Red flag number one. Her mother, Jackie Forton, reportedly neglected to bring her daughter to at least four doctor appointments this past fall, according to bostonglobe.com. Red flag number two. This suggests a mother in denial of her daughter’s illness, not of one doing the best for her child. In this case, one in which the guardian of a minor is failing to sufficiently care for her child, the government needs to step in.

The missed doctor appointments suggest that Forton was influencing Cassandra’s decision in a negative way, one that could alter her life forever.

This is not to propose that Forton does not want the best for her daughter; it just appears that she does not know what that is. Therefore, the government needed to take control of the situation to ensure the best future for Cassandra.

Although minors are typically not allowed to make their own medical decisions, the Mature Minor Doctrine allows mature and competent minors to make their own decisions, according to uslegal.com. To determine maturity, the court evaluates age, circumstances, intelligence and understanding of the situation. This doctrine

is effective in several states, however, not in Connecticut.

Even if the doctrine were effective in Connecticut, Cassandra has not displayed sufficient maturity to make this decision. Her apparent fear of going against what her mother thinks is right shows that this decision could have very possibly not been made just by Cassandra. It appears as though her mother is influencing the decision very heavily. This was further suggested when Forton did not bring Cassandra to her doctor appointments.

Because of the extreme circumstances and the actions of both Forton and her daughter, the Connecticut state government had the obligation to take action on behalf of Cassandra’s best interest and to save her life.

Medical decisions should be respected as long as the person making them possesses the understanding and maturity to do so. Cassandra does not fit this description. It can be believed for multiple reasons that her mother had a bigger effect on the choice than Cassandra did herself.

When a life or death situation occurs such as this, when both the guardian and patient fail to exhibit the necessary abilities to make such a lifealtering decision, it is indeed the government’s job to ensure the safety and welfare of the patient. A significant duty of the government is to protect the people and, in this case, that is was they are doing.

They are trying to save Cassandra’s life.

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OPINION

◀

Before

School pictures for both Sion and St. Teresa’s Academy were heavily edited, making students almost unrecognizable. (Photos

by DeCloud Studios)

After

▶

Photoshop Pictures Fail Recently photoshopped school pictures prove that expectations of appearance have elevated.

BY RACHEL ERGOVICH REPORTER

N

ow more than ever it seems like there is an immense amount of pressure on how teenagers present themselves.

From a young age girls see images of stick-thin models on television screens, billboards and in magazines. It is ingrained into their minds that in order to be “attractive” they must look like these size-zero models, most of whom have had their waists whittled and their limbs elongated in Photoshop.

According to The Huffington Post, 42 percent of girls in first through third grade want to be thinner. Fifty-three percent of 13-year-old girls don’t like their bodies. That number rises to 78 percent by the time they are 17.

Among girls the three most common mentalhealth issues are eating disorders, depression and depressed mood and self-esteem, all of which are linked to the representation of women in the media. Of all mental-health issues, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate, according to The Huffington Post.

Perhaps the most upsetting statistic of all is that young girls are more afraid of gaining weight than losing their parents, getting cancer or nuclear war.

Why? Because by the time they turn 17 years old, girls will have seen 250,000 commercials on television that tell them to strive to become sex symbols or to have a body size that they will never be able to achieve according to healthyplace.com.

So it’s easy to imagine my surprise when I found out that students at St. Teresa’s Academy’s

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school pictures were photoshopped so much that they looked like “a prettier twin sister.” These are the girls who are arguably most affected by the unrealistic expectations that Photoshop creates.

While most people would feel the need to place the blame on DeCloud Studios, the company that photoshopped the pictures, for the whole incident, there are multiple parties that should take at least some of the blame.

First, obviously, is DeCloud. Susan Hoefer, the manager of DeCloud, told The Kansas City Star that it was a simple mistake. It could have happened to anyone. She said that the pictures had been run through a retouching program, and no one had noticed.

The retouching wasn’t just localized to St. Teresa’s Academy either. It happened to Sion’s senior pictures, too. (We noticed the photoshopping on our photos in November). That’s what makes their statement even harder to believe. The pictures from at least two major Kansas City high schools (not to mention both all-girls high schools) were “accidentally” run through a retouching program and nobody noticed?

That’s over 700 pictures that were edited. And who knows if the same thing happened to any other schools?

The second group of people that should take responsibility for this whole backlash is the St. Teresa’s administration. This whole incident was started when students received new IDs for the school year.

It’s hard to believe that in the process of receiving the IDs, sorting them by grade and handing them out to the students not one teacher or administrator noticed that the picture on the ID didn’t quite look like the girl that they had seen walking down the hallway so many times.

Finally, the girl who made this issue known.

I have no problem with her being upset. I would be too. I respect the fact that she didn’t accept that

her photo had been excessively retouched. There’s a problem with the way she brought it to everyone’s attention.

I believe that social media is a great tool. It’s how we find out about what’s going on in the world.

It was created for us to interact with one another.

It’s where we can voice our opinions. It’s not a place to call out your school and question whether or not they “practice what they preach.”

When the same thing happened at Sion, the issue was handled quietly and privately. Only a very small amount of people knew what had happened.

If the people at St. Teresa’s Academy had dealt with the issue quietly and privately, only a very small number of people would have known. There would be no local or national news story. There would be no negative attention drawn to St. Teresa’s, DeCloud or Kansas City.

We need to find a way to fix the skewed perception of how women and girls should look.

Yes, some of it should be aimed to teach girls to not pay attention to what they see on television, billboards, and in magazines. But we need to shift our focus to the people who continue to promote the use of Photoshop and other photo editing programs to alter the way a woman looks. The use of companies that do this should be discouraged.

The chances of eradicating the use of Photoshop to alter and enhance women’s bodies are slim to none. It sounds pessimistic, but it’s the truth. It is the responsibility of authority figures to teach girls that the images they see aren’t real.

Society needs to teach children from a young age that it’s okay to be a size 0, but it’s also okay to be a size 12. The most important thing is to love you for who you are.

Start teaching all children, not just girls, that it is not acceptable to modify a woman’s body through a computer program. Teach them that airbrushing someone’s face is the lowest of low. Teach them that it’s what’s on the inside that counts.

OPINION

Photoshop According to Sion

133 students participated in this poll.

35%

Say they would not want their school photo photoshopped.

39%

Would be okay with their school photo minimally photoshopped.

65%

Say Photoshop should not be used on school photos at all.

64%

Are not bothered by the use of Photoshop in professional photos.

Investing in Future Generations President Barack Obama’s proposition to provide free community college gives hope to younger generations.

BY SYDNEY DANIELS EDITORIAL EDITOR

It is the monster that lurks under the bed that is one’s high school career. It waits to lash out and remind us of its existence in our later years. It rests in the backs of our minds and college pamphlets until it waits to rear its ugly head during the college application process. I am currently fighting it with scholarships.

That monster is college tuition. It is the paradox that lies at the base of our American system. We are inculcated with hopes and dreams.

We are taught to pursue our goals. “You can do anything,” they tell us. We can do anything. With the right amount of money that is. It is hard to believe that everything is achievable when college for many can cost up to $60,000 a year. Higher paying jobs require degrees from institutions of higher education. Unfortunately, those degrees can come at astronomical costs.

President Barack Obama announced in his Jan. 20 State of the Union address that he wanted to make college available to all citizens, regardless of financial matters. The program, dubbed “America’s College Promise,” will provide two years of free community college for nine million Americans.

It was modeled after Tennessee’s statewide community college program and Chicago’s similar program. It is estimated to save students about $3,800 per year, according to the Washington Post.

However, this program comes with a hefty price tag for taxpyers, totalling $60 billion over 10 years, according to the New York Times.

This will allow many to avoid taking out loans to finance their education. All responsible students will be afforded this opportunity. The requirements are that they attend classes at least part time and maintain a 2.5 or above grade point average. The federal government will pay for 75 percent of the costs while the state governments will pay for the remaining 25 percent according to the Washington Post.

America’s Promise should cross party lines, at least in theory. Higher education isn’t a political matter. It’s a national matter in the sense that everyone benefits from furthered education. It will help the lower class raise their socioeconomic standing by making them more attractive to employers. It will traverse not only financial barriers, but generational ones as well. The parttime stipulation makes it much easier for adults with families and other responsibilities to go back to school and earn a higher degree.

For many, Community College is just a stepping stone. A way to complete their core credits before transferring to a four-year university where they will take fewer classes. The Obama administration has yet to provide any details as to the implementation of the program, but it definitely shows promise.

Our government may slay the monster under the bed. One can dream in peace, provided with the free tool of education to do so. Hopefully, those aspirations will come to fruition once students of all ages are armed with the weapon of knowledge.

Abby Smith SOPHOMORE

“I think it’s a good concept that would benefit lots of teenagers that otherwise would never have the opportunity. But at the same time, I think some students would try to take advantage of the program in the wrong way.”

Emily Baranowski SENIOR

“With college tuition going up, I think everyone could use it to their benefit. I think this will give every person their right to finish their education.”

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Teams Play for Peace Sion and St. Teresa’s will participate in the Irish Cup as a fundraiser for Children for Peace.

BY ALEX D’ALESIO REPORTER

Candy cane footie pajamas and Playtex binkyholding fans give life to the yellow bleachers.

Spirited chants dance throughout the air.

“Roll it and shake it. Victory let’s take it.”

As halftime approaches, spectators rush to snag their coveted bag of tasty Sour Patch Kids at the concession stand before the lines transform into a never-ending train crossing Martin City.

The primary basketball matchup between the Sion Storm and the St. Teresa’s Stars generates an overarching sense of familiarity. While the Stars, racked up 57 points to 43 and claimed the victory, this was not the final showdown.

Next meeting between the two friendly rivals will be on home turf Feb. 26. While this promises to engender the typical rivalry, it comprises a different underlying significance that might not be as familiar to students.

At the end of this game, one team will be presented a crystal cup, otherwise known as the Irish Cup. Since 2008, the annual basketball game has served as a fundraiser benefiting Children for Peace in Ireland, a program that brings Protestant and Catholic teenagers from Belfast to Kansas City for two weeks during the summer. This year’s goal is $750. Last year brought in $550.

Started in 1998 by Athletic Director Dennis Conaghan and Tom Quinn of the Ancient Order of

Hibernians, the program aims to help kids realize the common history in the struggle for peace and civil rights. In doing so, it also provides them with the tools to abridge their differences and tackle any obstacle to peace.

“They have something called peace walls in Belfast,” Conaghan said. “Behind these peace walls, however, there is not peace - these are the segregated neighborhoods of either the Protestants or the Catholics.”

Today, an immense amount of prejudice corrupts Belfast, Conaghan said. In fact, there is such a large amount that he equates being a Catholic resident in Ireland to being black during the 1960s in Selma, Alabama.

However, in bringing the kids to Kansas City, CFP aspires to show them that no discrimination separates a Protestant from a Catholic in America, imbuing in them a sense of hope.

“I didn’t ask [the religion of] who I hosted,” senior Maria Wagner said. “It doesn’t matter to us whether they are Protestant or Catholic. We show them that we accept all diversity.”

Before becoming a part of Children for Peace, the majority of these Protestant and Catholic teenagers have never met or talked to someone of the opposite faith.

According to Conaghan, over 90 percent of the schools in Belfast are either 100 percent Catholic or 100 percent Protestant. Therefore, the organization strives to make such peace in diversity a familiarity for them.

In order to create this familiarity; however, the organization relies strongly on game attendance, since the Irish Cup does serve as a major fundraiser.

Junior Camille Keane drives by the St. Teresa’s players to go into the paint for a lay-up. (Photo by Sydney Manning)

A New Era of Excellence The cheer team takes on Nationals for the first time in history.

BY MEGHAN KEARNEY REPORTER

The music booms from the loud speakers that encircle the team. They check to make sure their purple bows sit comfortably and securely in their hair. With bent heads and sweaty palms, some try to imagine their routine one last time, others doing last minute stretches.

All the girls are mentally preparing themselves for the moment they have been training for since cheer tryouts eight months earlier.

A loud voice announces, “Now performing, Sion cheer team.” At their cue, they run to center stage.

The cheer team placed first at the National Cheerleading Association High School Open Nationals in St. Louis, Missouri Jan. 18. Others attending the competition inlcuded schools from New Jersey, Illinois and even Texas.

“We were just going there to have a good experience,” senior co-captain Courtney Linscott

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said. “Because this was our first time, we just thought whatever happens, happens.”

The team is under the direction of new coach Lisa Lauck who led the team to its first national victory. Knowing that the team wanted to be competitive, Lauck entered them in the regional and state competitions. They eventually qualified for state, and then entered the national meet to compete at the NCA event.

“I knew that the team never really did any competition before and that it was a goal and aspiration they had to be competitive so it started with regionals, then state, and then nationals,” Lauck said. “Their regionals routine was the only team who didn’t have any penalties so I knew they were solid performers, but going to nationals is grander than competing locally.”

According to Lauck, a team that has not been competitive in the past has to focus on a goal of clean routines, hitting stunts and everything that goes with that before winning for the first year.

Linscott has seen the positive transformation of cheer team from her freshmen to senior year.

“It’s amazing to see where we have come since

The team performed at the Parent’s Showcase before nationals. (Photo by Maddy Lewing)

freshmen year [when] we could barely do anything to now,” Linscott said. “The fact that we are just competing in general and that we did so well is a huge change and I’m so happy that we could go through everything, even when it was bad, just makes this win so much better.”

Lauck only believes that there is no where to go but up. “[We will ] continue to push ourselves at competition, push ourselves to learn stunts and themes and just wow the crowd. That’s the most important part,” Lauck said. “Cheer our teams and wow the crowd.”

In Good Times and In Bad Times Columnist reflects on the bittersweet past year of sports.

BY SYDNEY MANNING PHOTO EDITOR

BY CHLOE BARRETT REPORTER

It starts with building blocks and puzzles that get harder as the years pass. Now it’s robotics, the hardest challenge yet. Robotics is creativity, precision and coming up with new ways to solve problems. For the Sion Techies On a Robotics Mission, it is months of preparation for one day.

After receiving their challenge on Sept. 1, the team began to brainstorm ideas and build their robot, with the help of mentor Ron Cosner.

Creativity was emphasized as the team looked for inspiration to come up with new ideas. But not all of their ideas worked.

“You just have to keep trying, because in engineering it’s all about trying and failing and then retrying to get it to work, so you just have to be open,” junior Abbey Valentine said. “It’s a lot of problem solving.”

The team of five students, senior Mary Mertes, juniors Beth Borgmeyer and Valentine,

tkins a Wa

Robotics team competes in tech regional tournament.

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by Sa

Robotics Rising

o Phot

“Time to find a new team to intently follow until March,” I tweeted on Nov. 29. It was that dreaded time of year where my sports life came to an abrupt stop. One by one, each of my beloved teams finished their seasons. The Royals lost the World Series a month before, Cross Country ended the season at state, Sporting KC had a pathetic loss in the Major League Soccer Wildcard game and I had just driven to St. Louis and watched the Rockhurst football team lose in the state championship game.

At that point, it seemed like nothing was left. My Friday night lights vanished as quickly as they appeared in August and my Saturdays could no longer be spent at Sporting Park. Sure, the NFL just kicked off, but I’ve never been very into professional football. Sion basketball didn’t start playing games until December either, and I needed something to bring my overwhelming passion back into full effect. How many college football bowl games could I watch come New Years? Is college basketball exciting all the time or just in March? Would anything get me as amped as I was two months ago when I still had postseason hopes?

Soon, I realized what I had been doing wrong. Every sport I have ever became a fan of was for a specific reason, one that was beyond my control. Something or someone drove my love for the game. Maybe I couldn’t find a new team to love, I just had

to pay more attention to the ones I already loved.

Sion is an amazing place for so many reasons, but the spirit of Sion is what tops it all off. Some of that spirit is devoted to the wonderful and successful sports teams we are privileged to have.

During the time when it may not seem that anything is going on, there are two Sion teams working their butts off. Basketball and swim teams are the pride and joy of winter sports, yet I hadn’t been paying much attention to either. I had no excuse to neglect my own school and my friends that played on these teams. Sure, I have homework, a job that takes up some of my evenings and family obligations on top of that, but how many times have I gotten home and watched Netflix for five hours? We all have some spare time on our hands, so I have tried to take some of that and put it towards my school sports.

Next year, I’ll still have all my professional teams to cheer for, but Sion will be just a bittersweet memory.

I have decided to take that time now, because I won’t have that opportunity once May comes.

As March quickly approaches and spring sports start training, my excitement for the upcoming seasons is growing. Along with the teams I already love, I have another opportunity to expand my love and support. The future holds a lot, including college and much more, and I look forward to spreading my passion without losing loyalty from any of my beloved teams. So, Vive Sion, I Believe that We Will Win, let’s go Blues, Be Royal, MIZ, Go Cardinals, and God knows what’s next.

sophomore Angelina Adams and freshman Gillian Cruz, arrived at the Swinney Recreation Center at University of Missouri-Kansas City early on a Saturday morning in mid-January. The morning was spent preparing, meeting as team and talking with judges about their robot, as they waited for the action to begin.

“It was very stressful, just getting everything organized and making sure you have everything,” Valentine said.

Matches began with a 30 second autonomous period, programmed by S.T.O.R.M.’s programmers Mertes and Cruz, during which the robot had to operate on its own. Valentine, S.T.O.R.M.’s driver, was then allowed to pick up the controller and maneuver the robot herself.

The goal was to score as many points as possible for the alliance. Points could be scored by successfully coming down the ramp, knocking over the metal pole in the center of the arena to release the balls, picking up these various-sized wiffle-like balls and placing them in tubes of varying heights, carrying the tubes up the ramp and ending the match in the robot’s designated place, according to team sponsor and math teacher Marilyn Stewart.

S.T.O.R.M. had five matches to get through in order to make it to the next round, and almost none of the matches went according to plan.

“It was kind of like spur of the moment

Senior Mary Mertes and sophomore Angelina Adams work to repair their robot in the final round of their competition.

(Photo by Chloe Barrett)

decisions,” Valentine said. “It was kind of stressful, but we just had to work through the problem quickly and just keep going.”

As they went through the day, the team understood the game better and got a firmer grasp of what they had to do to succeed. The last match was the most successful, as the team was able to get two balls into a tube and push some tubes up the ramp to score points for their team, according to Valentine.

After qualifiers, which included over 40 matches in total, came the selection of alliances.

The top four ranked teams earned their spots as alliance captains, and were allowed to choose two other teams to make their alliance with. STORM, at 33rd place, didn’t make the cut, but with an improvement from last year’s standing and a program only getting started, the team is excited to meet their next challenge.

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Chants and

Changes

Senior Maryliz Henning has been a part of the cheer team over the last four years. As the team established themselves, Henning has adjusted with the successful differences that separates this year from the rest.

BY MADISON HEIDE SPORTS EDITOR

S

he yells with the crowd. But the glittering emblazoned letters across her chest striking against her shiny white uniform immediately distinguish her from those in the stands. She smiles, her face covered with glittering makeup, her demeanor radiating with spirit, passion and enthusiasm.

She then lifts a purple pompom into the air, and the army of over two dozen other girls directly resembles her motions.

Senior Maryliz Henning has been a cheerleader since her freshman year at Sion. But she has been participating in cheer since seventh grade where she began just because some of her friends were doing it. Henning is now captain of the National Champion Cheer Team.

But the road to success was not easy, and Henning had to grow and adapt as the Sion Cheer program changed over the years.

The team has completely transformed since her freshman year. During her freshman year, they constantly struggled to even hold girls up during a pyramid. When she was an underclassman the team did not even attempt to run any complex stunts, because nobody knew how. And each year the team got a new coach, basically starting from scratch according to Henning.

But finally, with Head Cheer Coach Lisa Lauck, the team began to come together. It was under Lauck’s leadership that a decision was made to compete again after seven years.

And when the team voted Henning as a captain, it was easy for the team to reach success.

“She has what I would call a quiet strength about her, she doesn’t yell, but she has a calm strength,” Lauck said. “She is a great leader, who is reliable and dedicated. She is a great example to the other girls.”

Cheer was Henning’s way of becoming involved at Sion. She was able to create bonds and relationships and make friends that truly made Sion home.

Not only did she learn effort and teamwork, but she learned how to be a leader. Henning flourished under her position as captain.

“She brings the team together to focus but also keeps the mood upbeat,” junior Emmie Gragg said. “It is hard to be a leader without being bossy, but she does it. She makes everyone feel comfortable.”

Winning Nationals was a defining moment for Henning as a cheerleader.

It was a statement showing all her hard work had paid off, and winning Nationals did not only make Sion history, but it started the tradition of excellence that will now be expected from the cheer team.

“It really meant a lot to win Nationals because we were the first ones to actually go to Nationals and also win,” Henning said. “We were all talking about how we made Sion history which is so cool.”

According to Henning the strong beginning will only grow under Lauck and the continued effort from the team, but Henning is proud she helped to lay the foundation for success. She smiles, remembering her legacy at Sion, and begins the count off for the next cheer. Pom poms flash in the air. The season isn’t over yet.

“She has what I would call a quiet strength about her, she doesn’t yell, but she has a calm strength.”

-Cheer Coach Lisa Lauck

Cheer earns 2008 Sion a seventh place finish at state

Cheer is Universal 2010 Sion Cheerleaders Association Show-Me Regional Champs

begins 2011Henning Varsity cheering at Sion

Maryliz Henning talks through the next cheer sequence at practice. The team supported the Varsity Basketball team at St. Teresa’s Academy Jan. 26.

(Photo by Sydney Manning)

at Camp in 2012 1st Home Pom and

Xtreme Routine

changes 2014 Cheer leagues to the

National Cheer Association

wins 2015 Cheer NCA Nationals

Freedom of n Expression o i s s e

r p p u S

The world questions the future of free expression following recent violence and government intervention.

STORY AND LAYOUT BY SOPHIE NEDELCO, ELLIE SCHWARTZ AND SARAH HARRIS

O

live green magazine covers boasting “Je Suis Charlie” plastered all of Europe as 5 million copies of Charlie Hebdo sold out within hours, according to the New York Post. Following the murders of 12 people by Islamic jihadists over a previous issue ridiculing the Prophet Muhammad, this cover was more than another work of satire. The issue stood not only for the remains of the freedom of expression that had been so violently attacked but also for resilient liberty. Around the world, freedom of expression is limited by terrorists and governments.

While it’s almost impossible for Americans to imagine this threat extending into their own borders, west of Los Angeles in sunny Culver City, California, they experienced just that. All it took was a blank screen and a simple message to provoke even the “Land of the Free and Home of the Brave” into questioning where to draw the line and limit freedom of expression.

The computers go black. The data is downloading miles away, but the theft isn’t noticeable yet. Someone is hacking Sony. It’s a thief that can’t be identified by security cameras or witnesses; this is a thief from over 9,503 km away.

A North Korean thief.

Within seconds the previously blackened screens reappear with crystal white skulls on them and a warning message saying “this is just the beginning. We’ve obtained all your internal data and warn that if Sony doesn’t obey [our] demands, [we] will release the company’s top secrets,” according to Deadline.com. The company was later faxed a message regarding their reason for their threats, the new Sony movie, “The Interview” and what they expected Sony to do with it.

According to USA Today, the private message read, “Now we want you never let the movie released, distributed or leaked in any form of, for LE JOURNAL

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instance, DVD or piracy,” adding “and we want everything related to the movie, including its trailers, as well as its full version down from any website hosting them immediately.”

Although at the time of the attack North Korea hadn’t been identified as the culprit, the communist country released a statement in early June of 2014 calling the movie “an act of war and an undisguised sponsoring of terrorism.” The country also called on the United States government and the United Nations to take down the movie, according to USA Today.

After being approached with negative feedback from the beginning of making the movie, many wonder should they have published the movie knowing North Korea is hostile toward the United States and protective of their leader?

“If they know something will be horribly offensive or radically offensive I think in some cases they have a responsibility to not publish that. We are trying to create a world where there is dialogue and respect and being offensive can often detract from that,” Theology teacher Alex Hall said.

Furthermore, after the hacking made worldwide news North Korea called the attack a “righteous act,” according to BBC.com. Yet, the country continued to deny its involvement. After weeks of diagnostics on the hackings origin, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is certain it was someone in North Korea. “[The discovery of several Internet addresses] associated with known North Korean infrastructure communicated with IP addresses that were hard-coded into the data deletion malware used in this attack,” the FBI said in an interview with BBC. Days and weeks dragged on as the employees did work without computers, email or voicemail in fear of the hackers. Sony pulled the movie,

and several of the actors and actresses in the “Interview” cancelled public appearances. The country had succumbed to the North Korean threats.

America had been bullied by another country. If America let one country dictate their liberties, who is to say another won’t try?

Story continued on page 16

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Continued from page 14

shooters, Islamic jihadists associated with the “The whole reason we have freedom is for the Al Qaeda Yemen branch, acted in response to ability to share information. Without that how the publication’s cartoons depicting the Prophet do we know if we are free or not? And that’s what Muhammad, according to BBC News. Two more freedom is based upon, the ability to communicate days of terrorism followed, leaving a total seventeen with each other about important societal issues,” dead in Paris.

First Amendment lawyer Bernie Rhodes of Lathrop Although many question whether Charlie and Gage LLC said.

Hebdo should have been able to publish content Throughout the world the surge of hate crimes offending religions, this content was completely against individuals exercising the freedom of legal in France because it did not directly cause expression is a sign. The world has transitioned into violence, according to the Economist. The freedom a new era. An era where publishing satire is risky of speech is deeply entrenched in French society. In and protesting peacefully could result in death. Yet fact, mocking tradition and religion is a tradition in in the midst of it all it seemed as though the United France, tracing its roots back to Voltaire and radical States wouldn’t be victim to the phenomenon. criticism of Catholicism, according to the Wall Many people in the United States and 85 Street Journal. percent of Sion students polled believe that there is Strong satire can effectively question the status a threat to freedom of speech throughout the world quo. but no one imagined in our own backyard. And “To some extent with satire, it’s the point then came the Sony hacking. to get people frustrated And now the Boston gag enough so that … they have order preventing any of to think about underlying Boston’s city employees the assumptions and basic right to say anything bad principles,” Hall said. about its 2024 Olympic bid.

Just as Charbonnier’s “That is the government secularist message was trying to tell people what offensive yet ingrained in to do and I believe that his publication, so too is the law will be struck down as -history teacher Mary Murphy freedom to use blasphemous unconstitutional,” Rhodes and insulting messages to said. criticize religion ingrained Although the Sony hacking and the new in France. Is the death of limitless freedom of Boston gag order about the Olympic submission speech inevitable as well then? didn’t result in violence, they are little reminders Millions took the streets protesting the attack that no country, society or global superpower can with the slogan, “Je suis Charlie.” Airlines passed escape the new wave of terror on the freedom of out the controversial post-attack cover. More and expression. more were printed as demand grew exponentially Across the Atlantic Ocean, terrorists proved following the attack, according to BBC News. that this wave is crashing upon the shores of The masses stood with Charlie, many of whom Europe and more specifically, France, a nation with disagreed with its content personally. a rich history of satire and freedom of speech. But “Would I make those points in the way [Charlie this wave was not gentle. With this wave, tragedy Hebdo] would? No. I would like to see them be and death descended upon France and the rest of less provocative, but having seen that provocative the world. speech and the world support it can only be good,” Death was inevitable for Charlie Hebdo editor European history teacher Mary Murphy said. “The Stephane Charbonnier, but not a natural death. He truth comes out when you have a free marketplace knew it was only a matter of time before he would of ideas.” die for expressing his secularist ideals and cartoons, However, many, while opposing violence according to girlfriend Jeannette Bougrab in an to combat offensive remarks, argued that there interview with French TV station BFMTV. should be limits to free speech. The Pope spoke After a bombing on Charlie Hebdo offices in against insulting religion, according to CBS News.

2011 and threats on his life since then, Charbonnier In general, some argued against what they see as continued to publish cartoons criticizing and Charlie Hebdo’s purpose to offend, as explained by mocking religion despite predicting continued the Express Tribune. In the Muslim community, threats and violence against him. some disapproved of depicting the Prophet The expected violence arrived on Jan. 7 as Muhammad in cartoons. brothers Cherif and Said Kouachi opened fire at a “There’s certain things you shouldn’t depict Charlie Hebdo press conference in the Paris office, in cartoons, like the Prophet,” freshman Loulya killing 12 people, including three policemen. The Alabed said. “They shouldn’t overdo it, but they

“The truth comes out when you have a free marketplace of ideas.”

Do you believe there should be a line drawn with freedom of expression?

45% said yes

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Do you believe there is a threat on freedom of expression throughout the world today?

85% said yes

274 students were polled.

also shouldn’t limit what people can say. You have to be respectful of other religions.”

A third stance pointed out the irony in France’s response to the attacks. Fifty four people have been arrested for defending terrorism since the attacks, and France plans on expanding its surveillance and phone tapping procedures in the near future.

France has the strictest anti-Semitism laws in Europe following World War II, according to Al Jazeera America, persecuting hate speech directed at Jews, yet protecting Charlie Hebdo’s anti-Muslim and anti-Christian sentiments.

Perhaps the government itself and the general climate of Europe, verging on Islamaphobic at times, are contributing to the decline of free expression.

“Muslims’ experiences in European countries is often one of second-class citizenry. This and other factors contribute to a general feeling of isolation and disenfranchisement,” Director of the Center for Terrorism & Security Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, John G. Horgan said in an email. “Those contribute to radicalization.”

With tensions and prejudice on the rise, mocking Islam can be seen as fanning the flames, inflating the hate against Muslims that can potentially lead to conflict. In turn, the cultural makeup can be used as evidence to limit hate speech. Should freedom of expression change over time and differ across borders?

Increasing Islamophobia in Europe, government intervention, and general disapproval of hateful speech threaten free speech. The extent of this threat, whether it means the unavoidable limit of free speech, is unclear, but it’s already taken its toll on Belgium, limiting freedom of expression.

A short car drive from Paris is all it takes to arrive there.

Crossing the border into Belgium, the drive ends as the car slams on its brakes, stopping at the edge of the boundaries of free speech. The edge is high above a pit. A pit that has engulfed far too many. A pit that has swallowed over 350 young Belgian Muslims and recruited them for terrorist organizations in Syria, according to The Washington Post. But that same pit void of the freedom of expression has also swallowed the 11 million innocent citizens of Belgium, and the 740 million citizens of Europe.

It is the pit of Islamophobia. It is the pit of fear of the “other” where freedom of expression goes to waste.

In the pit, everyone is the perpetrator and everyone is the victim.

Within the days following the attacks in Paris leaving 17 dead, governments across the world were on high alert as plotted terror raids became

evident. In Belgium, 13 jihadists were arrested after the discovery of a planned attack on police officers.

Along with these jihadists, 46 other extremists were accused of aiding Sharia4Belgium, a terrorist organization that has been held responsible for funneling young Muslims to Syria, according to The Washington Post.

But, of all countries, why does Belgium have the highest number per capita of jihadist recruits?

The answer lies in the divide.

In Belgium, there is a line. A line separating the Dutch speaking North and the French speaking South, according to The Guardian. And not only must Belgians deal with this divide but also adhere to laws such as the 2011 law that banned any garments that obscure one’s public identity, effectively discriminating against Muslims that wear the full-face veil. The coherence of “country” means little to the people that inhabit these regions, and the coherence of terms like “freedom of expression” mean even less.

In its past, Belgium has never been effective in assimilating immigrant groups such as Muslims.

This, according to The Washington Post, may be one of the driving factors in the reason young Muslims are turning to radical extremist groups like Sharia4Belgium.

“People have different opinions about the world around them and their place within it,” James Forest, professor and director of the Security Studies graduate degree program at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell, said in an email. “Radicalization is a process that is informed by those opinions and influenced by other people, some of whom promote an extremist ideology.”

The worldview that young Belgian Muslims, for example, have as a result of

governmental suppression of expression is one where free expression is non-existent, and they feel unaccepted and out of place. In Belgium, they are nobody. But in Syria, where they are given an identity and a purpose, they are somebody. Around Europe other Muslims and ethnic groups are dealing with similar prejudices and the resulting choices. Many believe these are the only options: stay and continue to feel exiled or seek acceptance in terrorist groups.

“People turn to extremist groups when they feel they don’t have a voice,” Horgan said.

“Governments have to reduce that sense, and increase opportunities for all communities.”

Increased security measures have been taken throughout Europe, but according to The Washington Post, Muslim communities in Belgium are asking that more long-term measures be put into place in order to better integrate immigrant communities to help prevent more terrorism.

However, excuses cannot be made for terrorism. We cannot blame a whole society for the criminal decisions of a few. But as for the lack of freedom of expression, this is a fault of everyone.

Everyone has fallen into the pit and contributed to discrimination and oppression.

When society draws the wrong line for freedom of expression, and when peoples’ voices are completely eliminated, what will happen? No one will be there to pull them out of the pit and speak up for their silence.

Therefore, free speech advocates must stand up against this resistance before it’s too late. Out of the recent violence, motives have been questioned and issues have been raised. Issues that are now vulnerable for the world to see. Issues that are no longer concealed behind country borders.

Every country has its own fight to protect the freedom of expression. The millions of protesters across the globe that supported “Je Suis Charlie” joined this fight. A fight to defend the right to express controversial opinions.

“The ‘Je Suis Charlie’ protests are beautiful. The whole world is supporting France,” junior Michaela Elsbernd said.

“It is helping people speak their minds, and giving them courage in the face of terrorism.”

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BILHA Kahindi

STORY BY ANNA SCHROER FEATURES EDITOR AND SYDNEY DANIELS EDITORIALS EDITOR LAYOUT BY ANNA SCHROER

Thousands of miles away from her hometown Bilha Kahindi transitions to life in America.

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frica.

The land of poverty, Ebola, the safari and violence. At least that’s what the media tells us. What it doesn’t tell us? Africa is the home of many people from all backgrounds and ethnicities.

And Africa is the homeland of our new Sion student.

One new student who is 8,421 miles from her mother, her father, her brother and sisters. This is the distance from her hometown. Her country. This is the distance she is from Kenya.

Bilha Kahindi is a sophomore from Nairobi, Kenya.

Kahindi, a transfer from Thomas More Prep Marian High school in Hays, Kansas plans on staying at Sion for the next three years before moving on to university. Kahindi’s move is due to her parents wanting her to study at a top tier university such as Oxford, Yale or Harvard.

For her entire life she has lived in the capital of Kenya. Her parents went to work, her mother a professor at the University of Nairobi, her father an entrepreneur. Kahindi went to school, wrote novels and participated in the teenage nightlife. Months ago the lifestyle Kahindi was used to changed when she got off the plane in America for the first time.

“My plane landed in Detroit and everything was different than it was back home, “ Kahindi said. “ It was kind of scary because I was there alone.”

The cultural differences were a stark surprise, according to Kahindi. Teenage pregnancy is extremely taboo, and one could be disowned for even thinking about sex before marriage.

Which is why the show “16 and Pregnant” was shocking to the Kenyan native.

The national religion of Kenya is Christianity, according to the Kenyan Information Guide, but many people are Muslim as well, according to Kahindi.

The differences continue into family life. Kahindi said Kenyan value systems are steeped in respect for elders. Even slamming doors and raising of voices is viewed as dishonorable regardless of one’s age. Gender inequality is not prevalent in large cities like Nairobi, however in the rural countryside, the sole job of women is to raise children and complete domestic duties such as cooking and cleaning.

In Kenya, first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes a dowry. Then the baby carriage. After marriage, the groom is to pay a dowry to the family of his bride. The dowry can be paid with shillings, which are Kenyan money, cattle or land according to Kahindi. The parents, aunts and uncles of both the bride and groom gather in a meeting where they negotiate payment.

The bride’s parents total how much they’ve invested in their daughter and how much she means to them before settling on a price. According to Kahindi, the dowry makes marriage more important than just going to church and getting a certificate.

“My cousin was purchased for 4.5 million Kenyan shillings [or almost $5 million] in addition to a herd of cattle,” Kahindi said. “Though, in some cases if two people love each other, but the man can not afford to pay a dowry, the couple will run away T h oma sM together.” ore Pr In the United States during presidential elections, the television is plastered with ep sensational political advertisements. In Kenya during presidential elections, tribes go to M war. There are 42 different tribes in Kenya, each with their own language.

Kahindi wants to become involved in the aviation field because she has a penchant for planes. However, she wants to stay on the safe side and do the paperwork. Not the flying.

“I want to be an attorney to go into aviation. I don’t want to die or go missing somewhere which is why I don’t want to fly planes,” Kahindi said.

Her flight to America started the educational journey to achieve academic accolades. Now living with her aunt and uncle, Kahindi still continues to write novels and work towards her goal of becoming a lawyer 8,421 miles away from her native country, Kenya.

Bilha is more than the exchange student from Africa. She’s the girl who speaks English, Kiswahili, Kikuyu, Meru, Luo, Kamba and Mesai. She’s the girl who sings in the shower and believes the bathroom tiles are her screaming fans. She’s the girl who’s prepared to take America by storm.

Photo courtesy of T ool ( h om Sch a s M or eP

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THE GOOD Theology teacher Paul Kramschuster forms his outlook on the world from the many values taught to him throughout his life.

BY MARY B. FREEMAN MANAGING EDITOR In the United States there were 45.3 million people living below the poverty line in 2013, according to the United States Census Bureau. Seventy percent of people with mental disabilities are currently unemployed, according to the American Psychological Association. About 50,000 youth in the United States sleep on the streets for six months or more, according to the National Alliance to End Homelessness. These are the exact statistics that Theology teacher Paul Kramschuster works to combat, and his many life experiences have given him the tools to do so.

Growing up in the small town of Mora, Minnesota in an old farmhouse, Kramschuster, son of a cattle buyer and seller, was very involved. From football to hockey to jazz band to class president of student council, Kramschuster’s vast opportunity to fully experience life has been present his entire life.

Raised with strong values and an even stronger Catholic faith, Kramschuster has long lived a life of adventure and exploration. Whether it be in the midst of his peers in his hometown, at college with his nose in a book, in his early twenties spending four years at Holy Family House or at Sion, the search to live out the values he has been taught has never ended.

It began with his parents. Both were Catholic and Kramschuster was firmly raised in this faith. However, it was not only the faith that his family instilled in him, but also the strong values they taught him growing up and the belief that he was going to be well-educated that strongly influenced Kramschuster’s life.

“My father never taught me the [cattle] trade,” Kramschuster said. “I remember when people would come up to me and say ‘so are you going to follow in your fathers footsteps’ and before I could answer my father would always say ‘no, no he’s going to college.”

Further than Kramschuster’s parents’ beliefs in a higher education, however, were their beliefs in doing good in the world, a value that has been passed down to Kramschuster through example. One such example was of the infamously teased “Art the Fart,” an older man in Mora living with Tourette syndrome. Kids in Mora would tease “Art the Fart”, messing with him to get him riled up. But one day, Kramschuster came home from school to find Art in his kitchen, sipping a glass of lemonade, about to mow his lawn.

“I guess I saw that here is someone that a lot of people think is unsafe and crazy and my father would give him opportunities to earn money,” Kramschuster said. “He treated him as a real human being, someone who was worthy of paying attention to and having conversations with. That was a huge lesson that [I saw] as a kid.”

Graduating from high school with only reading the bare bones of the assigned books in English class, Kramschuster then went on to St. John’s University in Minnesota. It took until his junior year of college for Kramschuster LE JOURNAL

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to establish his major in the Humanities, master’s degree in the Bible and the way he would live his life.

After spending a year in Salzburg, Austria studying abroad his junior year of college, Kramschuster came to the realization that he had many unanswered questions about life, and he was upset to realize that he had not read any more than what had been assigned to him in class.

“It was The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne,” Kramschuster said. “I remember going to the bookstore and buying that book and then reading it. I realized that I hadn’t read anything yet. So I just started reading.”

He has not stopped since. Whether it be German, Russian, French, political or Biblical literature, Kramschuster has read and been influenced by them all. The themes that lay interwoven in the many novels he has devoured have played an important part in shaping him into who he is today, someone who is aware of the issues in the world.

However, it wasn’t until after college that he saw them come to life when he worked at Holy Family House, a soup kitchen and homeless shelter in Kansas City, Missouri.

According to Kramschuster, this is where he saw the gospel and all that he had learned come alive.

“I understood [the gospel] in a much more profound and experiential way [at Holy Family House], what [I studied} in the intellectual sense,” Kramschuster said.

“The gospels became more alive and real in that context.”

Holy Family House is where Kramschuster met his wife, a woman who was volunteering at the same time as him. It is also where he met Frank. One day Frank knocked on the door of Holy Family House and said that he was being kicked out of his apartment because his building was closing down. Frank had known it was closing for a long time and had done nothing. So, Kramschuster helped him move some of his things out.

Eventually Frank came to Holy Family House and told Kramschuster he had nowhere to put his belongings. He had nowhere to live, but Frank told Kramschuster he would go find a place to stay, and he did.

“The place [he found] was covered in cockroaches and it was a shock for me to walk through that building

and see how some people lived. I had never experienced anything like it,” Kramschuster said.

Kramschuster then found Frank a better place for to live and became his payee, meaning that a check from the government for Frank came to Kramschuster for his rent, utilities and groceries and Kramschuster would ensure that they were all paid Kramschuster moved Frank into different buildings for years. Because of Frank’s hoarding tendencies, it was difficult for him to find a permanent residence. Over time, Kramschuster and Frank developed a strong friendship.

Kramschuster truly cared for Frank. He was childish in many ways because of his developmental disability, but Kramschuster never stopped helping him, not until the day Frank died.

“I do remember very clearly that right before he died he wrote me this little note [about] how happy he was that we could become friends and that I helped him out and that he cared for me,” Kramschuster said. “I don’t know if I changed his life, but perhaps more so that he changed my life and my understanding of what it is like to struggle in poverty and how difficult the world was for him.”

Now, Kramschuster strives to pass on the values he has learned throughout his life. Whether to his children or to his students at Sion, he strives to live a mission of influencing others through his unique understanding of the world.

He is committed to promoting peace, justice and love.

“It is important that [I take] my past experiences, the way my mom and dad raised me, the values that I have learned through reading, experiences I had of being with and living with people that are on the underside of that system and pass on that type of information,” Kramschuster said.

This value system is seen by Kramschuster’s students. Junior Emmie Gragg said she enjoys the controversial conversation that often rules Kramschuster’s classroom. Gragg believes that this kind of discussion causes classes to thrive.

“He has definitely influenced me. He helps me to not conform,” Gragg said. “I feel like I learn something every day [in his class], whether it is something funny or something about the Bible or something about myself.”

Although his students see the greatness of Kramschuster, he sees his life as what he is supposed to do. For all his works towards justice and striving to be good in this world, Kramschuster finds no pride.

“I don’t know what I am most proud of. I don’t think I have a lot of pride,” Kramschuster said. “More so [I have] a sense of paying attention to where I feel I am called to be and [who I am] supposed to be and then the difficulty of trying to live up to expectations and it’s hard.”

Through the many journies of life that Kramschuster has experienced, each has been a lesson that he will continue to pass on to others. Kramschuster looks forward to the day when justice, peace and equality run rampant, but until then he will continue to work for the cause.

“To me, the most important thing, which I think is at the heart of scripture and at the heart of who Jesus was, is of being aware of suffering in this world and allow the suffering of innocent people to form your way of being in the world,” Kramschuster said. “If you want to speak about truth at all, you have to be able to see and give witness to suffering in the world.”

Fun facts most students do not know about Kramschuster 1. Worked as a garbage man in high school 2. Logged in Alaska for two summers in college 3. Has been arrested for trespassing while protesting 4. Slept next to his first motorcycle the first couple of nights he owned it 5. Was not a participant in any Apartheid rallies, but would have been 1. Kramschuster participates in a protest with Holy Family House. (Photo submitted by Paul Kramschuster)

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2. Kramschuster poses for his high school picture.

(Photo submitted by Paul Kramschuster)

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3. Kramschuster poses for his high school football team picture. (Photo submitted by Paul Kramschuster) 4. Kramschuster holds the note that his friend Frank gave to him. Kramschuster considers this note one of his highest honors. (Photo by Mary B. Freeman)

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A Journey

of Self-Discovery After a three month trip abroad, counselor Erika Ellwanger learns to accept the differences of others and seeks to foster this acceptance within the Sion community.

BY NATALIE SOPYLA REPORTER

T

he click of her brown riding boots echoes on the floor as she walks down the hall. A chorus of “hellos” follow as she greets students at their lockers, smiling at each one of them in turn, making sure no one is left out. Arriving at her office, she is greeted by another group of girls waiting outside, pink schedule sheets in hand. For the past week, this has been her routine, and yet guidance counselor Erika Ellwanger still faces each day with that same cheerful disposition.

Her office seems to reflect her personality; brightly colored chairs stationed across from her desk, a bulletin board on the wall filled with photos of friends and family. All of these things create an atmosphere of comfort, acceptance and happiness, qualities that she tries to instill in the students she counsels.

When Ellwanger arrived at Sion six years ago, she felt it was where she was meant to be. Having grown up in the small town of Atlantic, Iowa, she had no problem adjusting to the tight knit community of Sion. Her experiences growing up, she said, helped her to learn how to empathize with and relate to the struggles of others.

Ellwanger doesn’t want anyone to feel as though she’s judging them. She is constantly gravitating towards the people who are unique or different and who don’t always fit in.

“I really like the idiosyncrasies of people,” Ellwanger said. “I think somebody who dances to the beat of their own drum, or the people who get looked at funny, those are the kind of people I’ll be drawn to.”

For Ellwanger, it was through her experience traveling abroad where she encountered many types

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of people and learned to accept these people and their differences. After graduating from Iowa State University, Ellwanger embarked on a three-month journey through Europe, traveling to Spain, Italy, France and Switzerland with her husband, who was her boyfriend at the time. Initially, Ellwanger had difficulty adjusting to life in another country.

“It took me a little while to get over the culture shock,” Ellwanger said. “At first you’re like ‘Wow, I’m just not in America.’ Then once you get your roots in, you’re okay.”

Ellwanger says that the length of time she spent abroad helped her to get over her initial difficulties.

Immersing herself in the culture and lifestyle of the vibrant locations she visited helped open her eyes to the ways of the world. She was able to meet people not only from the countries she visited, but from other countries as well. She is quick to assert that the feeling of adventure, mystery and romance that is stereotypical of many European destinations is legitimate. “[Paris] is like the city of romance. You get there and you feel it,” Ellwanger said. “It’s true what they say.”

While Ellwanger enjoyed experiencing the excitement of these new destinations, there were times when getting lost in the process of exploration proved to be a bit too risky of an experience.

Laughing, Ellwanger recalls an incident in which she and her friends were yelled at by locals while walking along a dark side street in Paris.

Yet through both the good and bad aspects of her experience, Ellwanger came home with a new perception of herself and others.

“I learned that I’m stronger than I thought, and that I can problem-solve and figure out things better than I thought. It takes a little bit of independence,” Ellwanger said.

Fifteen years later, Ellwanger is continually finding ways to project the strength and confidence she found in herself overseas into the minds of her students back home. Sophomore Emma Warren says that what she likes about Ellwanger the most is that she is able to easily tune into what her students are feeling and knows exactly what to say to make

someone feel better.

“She knows when something’s wrong; she can see it on your face,” Warren said. “She gives really good advice.”

Ellwanger works tirelessly to advise the whole Sion community by spreading the message of positive self-image. Through her involvement in REbeL, she seeks to foster in girls the idea that the differences between their bodies and those of models should be accepted, loved and celebrated.

Ellwanger can relate to what girls today are feeling, having shared some of the same experiences herself.

“I’ve learned things from REbeL. I’ve probably spent most of my adolescence and adulthood hating my body too, not realizing that it’s okay to be who you are,” Ellwanger said. “We’re all women, we see all these images. I think I have gotten as much out of it as anybody else.”

As a member of REbeL, junior Anna Lillis has seen firsthand how much passion Ellwanger brings into the organization. Lillis says that Ellwanger completely embodies the core values of REbeL, and always encourages others to do the same.

“REbeL is all about loving your body, feeling good about yourself and having a lot of self confidence, and [Ellwanger] just throws out confidence,” Lillis said. “She’s so empowering, and she compliments everyone and makes them feel good about themselves.”

Ellwanger enjoys seeing the messages of REbeL circulating among students because she says even the little changes are important. Her experiences of learning to celebrate the differences and similarities among other cultures have inspired her to help girls embrace the differences and similarities among themselves.

“People have lots of threads of sameness, and lots of interesting threads of color and differences,” Ellwanger said.

In many ways, it is Ellwanger herself who projects this color and happiness, and as she flashes a smile at the students she passes in the halls, she shines a little bit of her own light into the lives of those who may need it the most.

Inspired by a three-month trip abroad in college, counselor Erika Ellwanger seeks to teach her students to accept and love the similarities and differences between themselves and others. (Photo by Natalie Sopyla) Above left: Ellwanger and her husband pose in Rome. Above right: Ellwanger and her husband on a street in Valladolid, Spain. (Photos submitted by Erika Ellwanger)

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REVIEWS

“Serial” Seeks Success New podcast series lures in listeners with thought provoking investigations.

BY ALEX D’ALESIO REPORTER

Finding Asia. No, not the continent, but one of the 7 billion people in the world. “Like a bloodhound” host Sarah Koenig pursues this task at hand. This critical objective, after watching one of the 12 episodes of “Serial’s” season one, prevails as an essential yet mind-boggling aspect of a re-opened 1999 case.

Asia McClain, now a 33 year-old stay-at-home mother, possibly holds the evidence that proves Adnan Syed’s almost 16 years in prison undeserved.

She could be the gateway to discovering if Syed truly did murder his former girlfriend, Hae Min Lee. After writing to Syed just days after his conviction convincing him that she would be a solid alibi, McClain’s betrayal of her own words and choice to talk to the prosecuting attorney makes listeners’ minds spin a mile a minute.

How do you determine the character or motives of someone? Of a murderer? A supposed

alibi? A prosecuting attorney?

Certainly, there is no blanket cure for these unanswered thoughts; however, the series which has held a top spot on iTunes since its October release awakens such critical thinking skills in its over five million viewers.

From the creators of “This American Life,” the podcast series engages listeners in an hour-long episode each week, progressively detailing new discoveries and previously over-looked connections primarily through the voice of host Sarah Koenig.

Faithfully fulfilling her role as a reporter, Koenig presents a web of personal and acquired interviews with Syed himself and related persons.

Resembling a “Criminal Minds” or “The Mentalist” type of plotline, the series, accessible on serialpodcast.org or iTunes, proves intriguing and thought provoking. Undoubtedly, anyone interested in forensic science or criminal law would develop an instant obsession.

However, revolving around such an abnormal premise, murder, the show sometimes seems so surreal that it becomes hard to remember this ‘story’ actually happened. With that being said, this nonfictional series is not for the faint of heart.

Countless times, Koenig presents cringeworthy details, at one point interjecting an interview from

Syed’s ex-friend Jay recounting Lee’s “blue lips” and dead “pretzeled up body” in the trunk of Syed’s car.

The intensity and intricacy of the case witnessed through the accounts of friends and ex-friends, defined through the tone of their voice and the pauses in their speech, make listeners constantly question the validity of their statements and form speculations in hopes of leading to some reasonable conclusion.

Yet, to generate a balance with such intensity, Koenig creates a somewhat conversational atmosphere. Throughout the episode, she interjects questions flowing through her mind, questions surely similar to those racing through the minds of viewers.

After her first meeting with Syed, she can’t help but question, admittedly out of idiocracy, how a man with “giant brown eyes like a dairy cow” could possibly kill his former girlfriend. How could an honor roll student, a man that led prayer at his mosque, commit such a horrendous act?

“Serial” will easily recruit new addicts. With such a comfortable conversational touch to an impeccably severe aura, the series keeps listeners constantly wanting more. And after all, in order to find the vigorously sought conclusion, viewers must watch to the very end.

Oh Snap! It’s Trivia Crack Who was nominated as the 2013 “person What is Van Gogh’s first name? of the year” by TIME Magazine?

What city was found by Alexander the Great?

How many minutes must an ice hockey player stay seated for a minor penalty?

Trivia Crack, a free educational game, allows students to play against their friends by being quizzed in multiple choice questions in categories of art, entertainment, geography, history, science and sports.

(Illustration by Meghan Kearney)

Student Ratings (out of three stars) From a survey of 162 students

What are the berg, the bise and the bora?

Questions and answers according to trivacrackanswers.com

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Answers: Alexandria, Pope Francis I, Vincent, Two, the Incredible Hulk, William Hershcel, Winds

Wolverine appeared for the first time in what comic series?

What is the name of the first scientist that discovered Uranus?

REVIEWS

Movies with the Most Nominations for an Oscar

. . . . .

The 87th Academy Awards show, hosted by Neil Patrick Harris, appears live Feb. 22 on ABC

American Sniper (9 Nominations) “I loved it. It showed how the troops are affected by war and how emotionally chanllenging it is when they come home.” -junior Aimee Rogers

The Grand Budapest Hotel (9 Nominations) “The quirky perspective and plot made it enticing but it was no ‘Gatsby.’ And Ralph Fiennes was no Leo.” -senior Lexi Churchill

Boyhood (6 Nominations)

“Although it is a little long and slightly boring, the idea behind “Boyhood” is magnificent.” -senior Katie Kentfield

The Imitation Game (8 Nominations) “The actors are great and I really like the story. It keeps you captivated and is suspenseful.” -freshman Karolina Rooney

Birdman (9 Nominations)

(Info from http://oscar.go.com/nominees)

“It had a good depiction of an aging actor trying to hold on to his career at all costs. He was willing to put all of his time, talent and treasure in the quest for him to reclaim his relevance and importance to audiences, his friends and ultimately, himself.” - theology teacher Bonnie Haghirian

american sniper (Photo courtesy Warner Bros.)

Oscar nominated and American phenomenon, “American Sniper” proves to be a relatable and powerful film.

BY ELLIE STINGLEY CO-EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The most confirmed kills in American military history: 160.

Throughout four tours to Iraq between 2003 and 2009, former Navy SEAL Chris Kyle became the most successful American sniper in history. The largest recorded distance between Kyle and one of his targets: 2,100 yards.

However, in an interview with Time magazine, Kyle said he was a better father and husband than sniper, a trait in which he holds pride.

His story, shown in the Warner Bros. production of “American Sniper”, tells of his struggle between duty and family.

In the film, Kyle’s story as a sniper, father, husband and a hero is brought to the big screen. Adapted from his own book, “American Sniper”, the movie shows not only the life of a soldier at war, but all that it comes with: effects on mental state, marriage and family.

After 10 minutes of the film, viewers will become engulfed in Kyle’s life and astounded at his passion for protecting his country. Audiences will feel connected to Kyle when he joins a different kind of battle back home while readjusting to civilian life as a husband and father of two.

Portraying this soldier and family man is Bradley Cooper.

Having seen other movies featuring the A-list actor, viewers will find it hard to believe that the man on the screen is the same slim and trimmed man in “Silver Linings Playbook.”

In an interview with Men’s

Health, Cooper said he had to gain 45 pounds to match Kyle’s physique.

Complete with Kyle’s Texas accent, Cooper’s transformation led to a performance worthy of an Oscar.

Alongside Cooper is Sienna Miller who portrays Kyle’s wife, Taya.

Miller brings a vulnerability and reality to the film of which few are capable of portraying.

Miller helps to reveal the adversity families face when a loved one is fighting overseas, something that is not often shown in movies.

Her performance adds dimension to the film, ensuring that it shows the lives of families such as the Kyles and their own battles, although not on the actual battlefield.

The unimaginable hardship experienced by military members such as Kyle is depicted in “American Sniper” in a new and enlightening way, refusing to glamorize any aspect.

It portrays the obvious struggle and bravery involved when service men and women travel overseas to fight.

In addition, the film shows the difficulty military members and their families experience upon returning home.

The struggle comes with

knowing war is still happening. With knowing that there is more to do, more people to possibly save.

Unlike movies of its genre, “American Sniper” successfully and respectfully includes the trials that families of military members experience during and after their loved one’s deployment.

The fear of not knowing if their loved ones will come home alive, the desperation experienced while their loved ones fight in battle thousands of miles away is straining on a family.

Also, the mutual struggle they feel when their soldiers come home and must adapt to civilian life, like Kyle. It helps audiences to further understand the unimaginable.

After the two-hour production fades to the black screen and the credits begin to scroll, the theater is unmoving, silent.

The audience collectively takes a deep breath for a moment. Some may smooth away tears or feel a strong sense of pride to have been protected by such an honorable man as Kyle.

The movie shows Kyle as the incredible American sniper, an American father and husband and, finally, the American hero he was.

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T.Loft Offers Peaceful Sanctuary Tea and juice shop offers a welcoming atmosphere for people looking to improve their health and wellness.

BY SARA WATKINS REPORTER The tall gray door that opens into the soft gray walls. Wood tables and benches stretching along the extensive wall. Welcoming couches and chairs, calling for someone to sit on them while sipping on a freshly squeezed juice or tea.

T.Loft is a shop devoted to translating the freshness of fruits and vegetables into a cup. Along with freshly made juices, T.Loft offers a variety of protein balls that are a great way to start your day.

T.Loft also provides customers with a menu of

salads and bowls of cooked veggies that are both filling, and delicious.

Prices for drinks range from $4.50 - $8, and meal bowls start at $7.50.

Every morning, smiling faces and fresh juice are just the thing to get a student fueled to start their day.

“It’s such a great alternative to junk food, but it still tastes so good,” junior Anna Fotouhi said.

The inspirational quotes fill the space and give the store a more welcoming atmosphere. The mission statement of the business, posted on the slate gray wall framed in a crisp white frame, reads, “...our mission is to provide you with the BEST fuel for your body, then get out of your way and watch you do amazing things.”

There are two locations in Kansas City: State Line and 80th and one in Park Place in Leawood.

A TASTE OF KC

Restaurant Week proves to be a cherished tradition of Kansas City.

BY GEORGIA EVANS LAYOUT EDITOR Coming from a family where Spanish culture is encouraged on a daily basis, going to one of Kansas City’s most popular Spanish restaurants “La Bodega” for dinner is the most obvious choice.

For an appetizer, entrée and dessert, it was $33. The first course was a mixed green salad with toasted almonds, goat cheese and roasted bell peppers with a balsamic vinaigrette. Next, we had a choice among three different soups, and we chose the classic black bean soup. The two choices for an entree were a pan-roasted trout and the chef ’s daily

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entree. And the best part, dessert, was a Spanish coffee and chocolate flavored custard served with a cinnamon whipped cream.

Kansas City Restaurant Week is a tradition that celebrates what the best Kansas City restaurants have to offer. Selected restaurants determined specific menu items new and old to serve to those who participate.

“Restaurant week was a great excuse to go to new restaurants I’d been meaning to try as well as some old favorites,” senior Meredith George said.

All lunches were $15 and dinners were $33.

Between Jan. 16 and Jan. 25 restaurants opened up their doors to all that took advantage of this Kansas City treat. A large portion of the proceeds are donated to Kansas City’s Harvesters Community Food Network, so the week is a win-win.

Green Smoothie 1 banana 2-3 handfuls of spinach ½ cup of orange juice or pineapple juice 1 cup frozen fruit *add ice for a thicker smoothie

Peach Smoothie

½ cup orange juice ¼ cup plain yogurt ½ tsp honey 1 peach 1 banana, frozen

Blending Up a Storm Healthy and sweet smoothie recipes from the LeJournal Staff

Blue Chai Smoothie

½ cup plain nonfat yogurt ⅓ cup fresh blackberries ⅓ cup frozen spinach ½ cup orange juice ⅓ cup fresh blueberries 1 tsp chia seeds ½ banana

PHOTO AND DESIGN

BY LANEY ULOWETZ REPORTER

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oh the

THINGS you can THINK!

Students performed “Seussical the Musical” at Avila University’s Goppert Theatre Jan. 23-25.

TOP LEFT: Junior Aree Tomes wears the red and white striped hat as the lead role, The Cat in the Hat. (Photo by Sophie Nedelco) TOP RIGHT: Senior Anna Redmond, playing the role of Jojo, sings with her fellow Whoville members. (Photo by Sydney Manning)

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MIDDLE: Senior Lena Kincaid dances with junior Olivia Neal during “Amazing Mayzie.”

(Photo by Sydney Manning) BOTTOM: Sophomores Maddi McMaster and Clare Carey apply their stage makeup before the dress rehearsal. (Photo by Sydney Manning)