December2018

THE PATRIOT VOLUME 53 / ISSUE 4 / DEC. 20, 2018 Shawnee Mission South High School 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, KS 66207 913.993.7500

A TWIST ON TRADITION Everyone has their own celebration that incorporates the traditional winter holidays.

02 / CONTENTS

STUDENTS from left to right: Juniors Gini Horton, Brandon Kirmer, Julian Duff, Ali Harison, and senior Blake Hardesty.

COVER BY NICHOLE THOMAS

THE PATRIOT

ON THE COVER

STAFF

AVERY WOODS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF MIAH CLARK ASST. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, A&E EDITOR ANSLEY CHAMBERS COPY EDITOR ABBY COX PHOTO EDITOR EMMA HARDING ASST. PHOTO EDITOR ADDIE SOYSKI NEWS EDITOR MEGAN SMITH SPORTS EDITOR NICHOLE THOMAS FEATURES & INFOGRAPHICS EDITOR LILY WAGNER OPINION EDITOR GINI HORTON WEB EDITOR ALI HARRISON ADS EDITOR, ASST. NEWS EDITOR BRYNN TAYLOR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER CLAIRE BRISSETT EDITORIAL CARTOONIST

REPORTERS JULIA CALDWELL CIARA DIAZ KATIE HIEBL MILAD JAHANI LEXINGTON LINK MCKENNA PICKERING ANNALIE POLEN EVAN SHIBEL

PHOTOGRAPHERS HANNAH CARTER TRINITY CLARK KYLA HUNTER QUINN KASPAR JILLIAN MCCLELLAND KATE RILEY LUCAS SILVA ABBY YORK

MISSION STATEMENT The Patriot is a news magazine that aims to objectively present topics affecting Shawnee Mission South High School, as well as connect with readers on issues concerning the student body. Staff members reserve the right to express their views in the Opinions section. These pieces are labeled and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the staff as a whole, except the Staff Editorial, which represents the views of the editors. Each section editor designs their own section’s pages, unless otherwise specified. Under the First Amendment and Kansas Law, The Patriot staff is entitled to freedom of the press and neither the school nor district is responsible for any content or coverage.

The staff encourages letters to the editor; they will only be published if signed. The editor-in-chief reserves the right to refuse or edit any letters for reasons of grammar, length and good taste.

THE PATRIOT ONLINE @SMSPATRIOT

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

@SMSPATRIOT

Find the hidden Rocky in the issue and win a gift card!

CONTENTS / 03

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

TABLE OF CONTENTS

04.05 The Calendar Panel 06 Refugee Take-Home Tech 07 Marijuana in Missouri 10 11 13

Lot 08 Parking Renovation

Plans are put into place to fix some of the problems with parking.

12

Multi-Sport Coaches Pace in Theatre Q&A with Jake Potthoff

14 Cool Car Kids 15 Trying to Fit In 16.17 Twist on Tradition 20 Staff Editorial 21 Bad Questions Debate: 22 The Real vs. Online Textbooks 24 PDA of The Brands: 25 Battle North Face vs Patagonia 26 Take Note 27 Craft Corner 28 Art for the People

NEWS

PHOTO BY KATE RILEY

Caldwells Ball Well Brothers bond over their shared love of basketball.

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK

SPORTS

18.19Perspectives A look into what goes on at winter running.

PHOTO BY ABBY COX

FEATURES

23 PHOTO BY KATE RILEY

Parking Lot Personalities A description of each type of driver at South.

OPINION

29

The Look: Naomi Mitchell A look at the style of South students.

PHOTO BY ABBY YORK

A&E

SPORTS CLUBS ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE OTHER

the CALENDAR

04 / NEWS

THE PATRIOT

S

M

T Jan. 1

• Winter Break

Jan. 6

Jan. 13

Jan. 20

Jan. 27

Feb. 3

Feb. 10

Jan. 7

• Classes resume

Jan. 14

• 2019 Enrollment Starts

Jan. 21

• No School

Jan. 28

• Band Concert • Orchestra Concert

Feb. 4

Feb. 11

• Bowling League Meet

Jan. 8

W Jan. 2

• Winter Break

Jan. 9

• Girls Basketball Game • Wrestling Meet • Boys Basketball Game • NHS Meeting • Boys Swim and Dive Meet

Jan. 15

• Bowling Meet • Girls Basketball Game

Jan. 22

• Bowling Meet • Boys Swim and Dive Meet • Girls Basketball Game

Jan. 29

• Bowling Meet • Boys Basketball Game

Feb. 5

• Boys Basketball Game • Bowling Tournament • Girls Basketball Game

Feb. 12

• Boys Basketball Game • Girls Basketball Game

Jan. 16

• Bowling Meet

Jan. 23

• Boys Basketball Game

Jan. 30

• Come Look at South Night

Feb. 6

• NHS Meeting • Parent Teacher Conferences

Feb. 13

• Cappuccino Day • Jesus Christ Superstar Opening Night

DESIGN BY NICHOLE THOMAS

WINDING up, junior Mac Wissel throws the ball during the dodgeball tournament final at the winter assembly. Wissel’s team lost the match.

PHOTO BY ABBY COX

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

TH

F

Jan. 3

Jan. 4

• No School • Counceling ACT Power Prep • Boys Basketball Game • Girls Basketball Game

• No School • Girls Basketball Game • Boys Basketball Game

Jan. 10

• Boys Swim and Dive Meet

Jan. 17

• Boys Basketball Game • Boys Swim and Dive Meet

Jan. 24

• Bowling Meet • Boys Swim and Dive Meet • Girls Basketball Game

Jan. 31

• Boys Swimming League Prelims • Bowling Meet

Feb. 7

• Bowling Districts

• • • •

Jan. 11

• Girls Basketball Game • Boys Basketball Game

Jan. 18

• Boys Basketball Game • Wrestling Tournament

Jan. 25

• Varsity Boys Basketball Game • Wrestling Meet • Boys Basketball Game • • • •

Feb. 1

Boys Swim League Meet Girls Basketball Game Boys Basketball Game Wrestling Districts

Feb. 8

• Boys Basketball Game • Girls Basketball Game

Feb. 14

Boys Swim Prelims Jesus Christ Superstar Cappuccino Day Valentine’s Day

KEY

Athletic events in bold= home game

For more information visit: Athletics- www.sunflowerleague.org Band- www.smsraiderband.org Theatre- www.smstheatre.com Choir- www.smschoirs.com General- www.smsouth.smsd.org

BENDING over, senior Caleb Kutz gets ready to dive off the block. Kutz has been swimming for South for four years.

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK

S Jan. 5

• Band All-State Auditions • Orchestra All-State Auditions

Jan. 12

• Boys Wrestling Meet

Jan. 19

• Boys Basketball Game

Jan. 26

• Girls Basketball Game • Wrestling Meet • Boys Swim and Dive Meet

Feb. 2

• Boys Swim League Meet • Sweetheart Dance

Feb. 9

• ACT Exam • Wrestling League

NEWS/ 05

WHAT’S UP WITH THE WEB

.

smsouthnews.com

Boys Basketball Secures Another Win

BY EVAN SHIBEL REPORTER Boys Basketball Starts Season With a Win

BY EVAN SHIBEL REPORTER Three South Area Schools on Lockdown Following Car Chase

BY ALI HARRISON ADS EDITOR & ASST. NEWS EDITOR

06 / NEWS

REFUGEE PANEL N

THE PATRIOT

Refugee speaks about life in Kansas City.

BY GINI HORTON WEB EDITOR ational Arabic Honor Society held a panel featuring an Iraqi refugee and the president and founder of KC for refugees.

KC for refugees helps refugees that come to Kansas transition into a new life. They help by running drives for needed items like clothes, canned goods, and children’s toys. They are also partnered with FC global, who helps tutor refugees as well as offers a soccer league for them.

“Providing support for others helps you develop a bond and an understanding that we really need in this community, and this time,” President and founder of KC for refugees Sofia Khan said. “With extreme hate crimes and racism towards minorities, this is a time when we should develop the ideologies that these are people like us,

it will change your perspective on what humanity is and what our role is in this country.”

Waleed Shaikhli spent his time speaking about the hardships he faced in Iraq and coming to America. Shaikhli and his family were able to come to America in six months, while most are stuck in the process for years.

“We have connections with several programs within the community. Some are related to us, like drives you can do if you don’t want to be directly involved and just want to get involved in donations,” Khan said. “There is a lot of needs for the refugees that are ongoing...FC global helps with tutoring, and they teach soccer with a soccer league. There are lots of ways to get involved.”

WALEED Shaikhli speaks at a refugee panel on Dec. 7. The event was planned

by National Arabic Honors Society.

PHOTO BY ABBY COX

TAKE-HOME TECH

SMSD board reviews 1-to-1 technology program and its potential future improvement.

A

BY BRYNN TAYLOR SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER

t the most recent Shawnee Mission School District board meeting, Nov. 26, Superintendent Mike Fulton spoke to the board about the importance of the continuing conversation about technology in the district.

Assistant Superintendent of Personalized Learning and Interim Director of Special Education Christy Ziegler and Executive Director of Information and Communication Technologies Drew Lane were invited by Fulton to share information about how some parents are concerned because of the use of technology. They began speaking about issues that will be addressed with a technology advisory committee. It is expected to be formed in the beginning of January of 2019.

“With the one child, I cannot keep up with the technology and how fast it changes,” district mother Adrienne Maples said about the 1-to-1 program. The 1-to-1 programs are also

known as ‘anywhere, any time’ or ‘laptops for students’ programs.

These programs provide students with personal portable computers to enhance opportunities for learning.

Not being concerned with the new addition of the initiative, Maples talks about how she can see the benefits of children having access to technology with appropriate boundaries and guidelines.

But when a nine-year-old from her neighborhood brought up something very concerning on her iPad and started showing younger schoolmates what she has found, parents had a fear about what their children had access to.

The devices help schools engage the digital generation by nurturing individual (or 1-to-1) learning experiences. Multiple parents also shared public comments about the use of technology. Fulton said that he appreciated the parent insight and input and that the information will be helpful.

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

MARIJUANA IN MISSOURI

NEWS / 7

Missourians vote to legalize medical marijuana.

BY ALI HARRISON ADS EDITOR, ASST. NEWS EDITOR

W

alking around downtown Kansas City, Mo., a native will see the usual shops, restaurants and other stops, like Bo Ling’s, Tiffany’s, Melting Pot, or Forever 21 on the plaza. A year from now, however, one might spot a new business on the block. After Missouri voted to legalize medical marijuana on Nov. 6, that new business could be a medical marijuana dispensary.

On the Missouri ballot this election day were three medical marijuanarelated items to be voted upon, only one of which was approved by 66% of voters. Missouri Amendment 2, otherwise known as the Medical Marijuana and Veteran Healthcare Services Initiative, is an amendment to the Missouri state constitution to legalize medical marijuana, tax the sales at a rate of four percent and use the tax revenue to pay for healthcare services and other benefits for veterans. There is a legal minimum of 24 dispensaries in each of Missouri’s eight congressional districts. Additionally, all medical marijuana must be grown in a licensed cultivation facility in Missouri.

Although the vote was in 2018, the actual beginning and overall effects won’t be seen until the middle of 2019, making this process much more intricate than it may seem on the surface. The amendment declares that the state Department of Health and Senior Services, which was invited to regulate and watch the who medical marijuana program, will release the application process for identification cards for qualifying patients, patient cultivation, and primary caregiver no later than Jun. 4, 2019. The department will also begin accepting dispensary, growing facility, testing facility, and related product manufacturing facility applications no later than Aug. 3, 2019; these applications will be accepted or denied within 150 days of submission.

In order to access medical marijuana, a patient must have one of nine qualifying conditions or a licensed doctor’s recommendation for an unmentioned one, and that patient will have to apply to be a licensed user. Patients cannot buy more than four dried ounces of marijuana or equivalent in a 30-day period and cannot possess more than a 60-day supply - all in addition to being able to grow a maximum of six cannabis plants in their house, but more supply can be purchased with a note from two independent physicians. Possessing any more than the legal amount can lead to revocation of their patient identification card, a fine or even imprisonment.

Despite being legalized within the state, marijuana use and possession of any kind are still criminalized under federal law. The only way states can get around this is through the Rohrabacher-Fahr agreement, which prohibits “federal agents from raiding medical marijuana growers in states where medical marijuana is legal,” according to Ballotpedia, an online encyclopedia of all things politics, elections, and government.

Si ficibulium eorenatis cut qua no. Serum priam incere adduc me hosuli, quam adductume te, sper apereto hore, quam pes, es halesin ihicae vitam movenicono. Etrum te, ute, entius, Ti. Caeliacibus esta di publienit esse taturnum vivium re, nocae, perudeli et? Habesse, duces hacientres vere mo ne opubis dem hebatuscre abus oporum hor horio, conterfiri, tamdiem sitin viu iam sendeo ex num, elisulegerei pari publis coenatude nonsum int.

Upiore in scite audam condum vitem prei te, o verfinc leroptis. Virtien temquam ut firmium firicit, quam et dium ocaesserrae nordienat.

Latqui conimpotifex maximis, sultum inerend actus, omnit, quod con vatus condam facio viris, nimaio praedet iorteat L. Patrem, que auctam popubis silint,

24 MILLION IN ESTIMATED ANNUAL GOVERNMENT REVENUE

66%

OF MISSOURIANS VOTED FOR LEGALIZATION

7 MILLION IN ESTIMATED ANNUAL GOVERNMENT

93%

OF AMERICANS SUPPORT LEGALIZATION

08 / NEWS

THE PATRIOT

PARKING LOT RENOVATION

Daily traffic jams lead to a new parking lot and theater.

E

BY CIARA DIAZ REPORTER

veryday people fight to get to class on time. That’s difficult for people who ride the bus or who don’t get to school early enough to find a good parking spot. When it’s unusually hot or cold, everyone wants to park close to school so they don’t have to suffer in the weather.

All of this causes a lot of chaos and disorganization in the parking lot.

As a solution, Principal Todd Dain made a plan for a new parking lot to help the car and bus traffic in the mornings and afternoons.

The new lot will have two loops: one for buses and one for cars. The estimated project cost is unknown until presented to the district. If approved, the district will give South the necessary funds. The goal is to finish the project before school starts back up in the fall of 2019.

In addition to the parking lot,

there will also be upgrades made to the theater. “...a new theater is going to be constructed and they want to fix the south side of the school before starting to build the theater,” Dain said.

The big goal of this renovation is parking lot safety.

“One of the main reason it’s going to be rebuilt is for the safety of our students,” administrator Nicholas Platko said. “It’s not safe how people crossover [the crosswalk].”

These changes will benefit our school because students will not have to deal with traffic caused by buses on top of the chaos already caused by impatient parents and student drivers.

With the new parking lot, everyone will be much safer in the morning and in the afternoon when the traffic is at its peak.

STUDENTS’ cars fill the parking lot before school.

PHOTO BY KATE RILEY

SAFE Club Promoting seatbelt safety.

JOIN US!

Meet us in the library every other Thursday at 8 a.m. for food and discussion about general and seatbelt safety. We would love to hear your ideas on how we can promote seatbelt safety at South - most ideas can be implemented!

QUESTIONS? Contact Officer Lathrop, Mike Fase, Julia Inzerillo, or any other club member.

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

SLEIGH-ING THE ASSEMBLY

PHOTO BY ABBY COX

1 4

2 3

PHOTO ESSAY / 09

PHOTO BY ABBY COX PHOTO BY ABBY COX

5 5 PHOTO BY ABBY COX

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK

1. Pep Club executives Caroline Mcaffree and Ben Curtis dramatically introduce the wrestling team at the winter assembly.

2. The cheerleaders perform their winter assembly routine for the school on Nov. 30. The winter assembly marked the beginning of winter sports team’s seasons.

3. Dressed for Miracle on 34th Street, senior Owen Russell

comes out to do a small performance for the crowd.

4. The Raider student section gives spirit fingers during free throws at the game on Nov. 30. The boys basketball team kicked off their season with a win against the Blue Valley West Jaguars.

5. The Drum Line performs one of their pieces during the winter assembly.

10 / SPORTS

WHAT’S

THE SCORE?

Your update on sports stats.

BY MILAD JAHANI REPORTER

GIRLS BASKETBALL WINS

LOSSES

THE PATRIOT

COVERING ALL FIELDS

Many teachers coach sports at South, but a handful coach more than one.

1 4 BOYS BASKETBALL M

BY EVAN SHIBEL REPORTER

any teachers will begin their teaching career and also begin an endeavour into coaching. A select few coaches will not only take on the extra work of one coaching job, but sometimes even a second. Many times these two sports they coach will go hand in hand, but sometimes they don’t.

J.J. Wannamaker is one example of a coach of two sports that go hand in hand: cross country and track. With many of these athletes participating in both XC and track, he says he enjoys getting more time with the same kids, as well as being able to get exposed to some different crowds within the track team.

“Coaching two sports benefits me because I get to spend more time with the student athletes. It is all about building relationships 4 WINS: Garrett BuRgard, Marty and being able to see them grow from the beginning to the end,” Levendusky, LOUIS LOEB, QUINN MCCALMON Wannamaker said.

5 WINS: SETH RENFRO In many sports, both the athletes and coaches are very important to each other.

6 WINS: GABE SMITH “I look at my teams as part of my family,” Wannamaker said.

Aaron Dean, on the other hand, coaches two sports that are near polar opposites. He’s an assistant coach for boys soccer in the fall and the javelin coach for the track team. He says that he gets a wide THE FIRST BOWLING MATCH IS spread of student athletes, which is an important aspect of coaching.

“You get to reach out to more kids and get to impact more people JAN. 15 by coaching two sports. The two sports I coach, of course, are very different from each other so I get two very different sets of kids,” Dean said. He also explained how important coaching has been to him during his teaching career.

“I feel like something would be missing if I stepped away from coaching. As long as I am teaching, I will probably be coaching,” Dean DIVERS:SAM ALDEGUER, PEYTON said.

JANNER, SPENCER HELD All teachers and coaches put in a lot of time for the betterment of their students and athletes, but these multi-sport coaches really show SWIMMERS: JOE TURK their athletes how much time and effort it takes to teach and coach us AS OF DEC. 13, 2018 every single day.

PHOTOS BY KYLA HUNTER

WINS

3

LOSSES

0

WRESTLING BOWLING

BOYS SWIM

STATE QUALIFIERS

SPORTS / 11

PACE YOURSELF Many members of the dance team also perform in SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

theatre productions.

W

BY ADDIE SOYSKI NEWS EDITOR

alking into the theatre amongst the rush of students, staff and parents for one of South’s many shows, one might not expect to see non-theatre students performing. However, Pacesetters often take the stage to accompany the theatre department in beloved musical performances.

“The roles I’ve played have been dance related because I’m a dancer first and then have fun doing theatre on the side when I have the chance. Most shows I’ve been a part of were musicals, so singing and dancing were included in them,” senior Christine Carter said.

While both activities include dance, they still differ in many ways.

“It’s just a new experience,” junior Caroline McCaffree said.

“The dance team is very different from performing with the theatre. You get to dance in both of them, but with dance team, it’s more ‘here’s the team, here’s our routine’. With the theatre, you’re able to put your character into it and I get to sing, which I really like. I get to do a bit of everything all at once.”

Junior Lily Jenkins also sees a large difference in the performance styles of the two activities.

“The shows for theatre are more exaggerated. They’re more characterized. Dances for Pacesetters are more like dances you see on ‘Dance Moms,’” junior Lily Jenkins said.

Not only do the activities possess stylistic differences, but they also differ in their group dynamic. “theatre does more of their work together whereas dance is done a lot on our own. We are required to take dance classes outside of school...Theatre still has to practice outside of school because they have lines to memorize and songs to practice but, overall, theatre does more of their work together,” Carter said.

PHOTOS BY ABBY COX

McCaffree usually performs in one or two shows a year, her favorite having been ‘Footloose’.

“It was really fun because lots of people knew them. That was a very fun show,” McCaffree said.

The performances are not the dancers’ usual routines. They learn new choreography and go to separate practices along with their normal dance responsibilities. This can be a demanding experience for even the most dedicated dancers. Practice times depend on what the show and the schedule for that day. Most typically go to from after school to 5:30, but during tech week, practices can go to 9:30.

“Doing both dance and theatre can be stressful because there are some days when you’ll get to school before 7 a.m. and be there until 9 p.m. It’s hard to balance time and schoolwork and sleep doing both,” Carter said, “It’s also really important to communicate conflicts with both sides because rehearsals and shows and practices and games do interfere and sometimes you have to figure out the best way to do them both.”

However, it isn’t just tedious labor. The dancers typically enjoy the process of learning a routine, perfecting it and using it to the benefit of the show as well as the backstage preparation and antics like singing and games. It also offers an opportunity to bond with fellow dancers and build new friendships “I like the friendships that are made within theatre. All of the theatre people have really strong bonds, which can be intimidating at times, but everyone is really nice and have common interests,” Carter said For many dancers, the extra time and work that they put into learning dances for theatre productions pays off. The experience has been an overwhelmingly positive one for many of the performers and they leave with lots of new memories.

“It’s definitely a very rewarding experience. I can really be myself and no one will judge me and that’s just such a great opportunity to experience because in high school you don’t always feel like you’re fitting in. Theatre is a judgement-free zone,” McCaffree said.

12 / SPORTS

THE PATRIOT

CALDWELLS BALL WELL Brothers bond over their shared love of basketball.

BY ANNALIE POLEN REPORTER

I

magine not only seeing your siblings at school every day, but also having them as your coach. For Jake and Sam Caldwell that is their reality. Sam Caldwell is a senior at South while Jake Caldwell, his older brother, is a teacher. Jake is also the freshman A and B basketball coach while Sam plays as a guard on the Varsity basketball team.

Jake attended South from 2009 to 2013 and played basketball with a state winning team.

“I played for Coach [Brett] McFall,” Jake said, “We won the State championship with Coach McFall so it just makes sense for me to come back here and coach.”

His team not only went on to win state, but also had many more accomplishments.

“My senior year we were 25 and 0. I was captain of the team and we ranked 32nd in the nation,” Jake said.

This success led Sam to play and pursue similar goals.

“His senior year his team won State, which has pushed me to try and make our team the best team it can be,” Sam said.

Jake also feels that his basketball experience influenced where Sam is today.

“When I was a senior he would skip school to come watch our games when we would travel to Dodge City,” Jake said. “Our whole family has been a basketball family going from my dad to me to my brother.”

As Jake has come back to teach and coach, it has set up a very unique relationship for the two brothers.

“It’s actually really fun. I’ve seen him and all his friends that are seniors this year since they were young. I coached them back when they were in seventh and eighth grade

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK as middle schoolers, so it’s fun that I’ve seen them grow up,” Jake said. “Getting to be a coach now on staff is a really fun experience for all of them and especially for [Sam] and I.” Sam is also glad to have his brother around.

“It’s pretty cool having him come back from where he was teaching before. Just being around him more is a lot of fun,” Sam said.

Beyond basketball, Sam is a lab for Jake’s math classes, which makes for a unique relationship between teacher and student.

“It’s kind of an interesting dynamic. You kind of expect your students to call you by a certain name, ‘Mr. Caldwell,’ but you don’t expect your younger brother to call you that. It’s different from normal teaching, but it’s still fun,” Jake said.

Sam also explained how they have a very close relationship.

“Him and I are really close.

We hang out all the time. I’m at his apartment all the time,” Sam said.

As Jake begins his first year coaching basketball at South, he looks forward to the opportunities it will give him.

“I think the best part of coaching is getting to see the students in a different light where you’re not in a classroom setting. Getting to see people outside of school doing something fun like basketball is a nice experience,” Jake said.

Like many brothers, they are very competitive.

“I am better at basketball 100%,” Sam said. “He’s more athletic than I am, but I have more skills.”

Jake felt similarly.

“We’re different; he’s probably a better basketball player than I am, but I was probably a little more athletic than he is,” Jake said. “He has more basketball skill, but I make up for it for being able to run faster.”

Q&A

SPORTS / 13

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

JAKE POTTHOFF

with Senior Jake Potthoff gets excited for his last basketball season.

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK

BY JULIA CALDWELL REPORTER

Q: How long have you been playing basketball?

A: I’ve been playing for pretty much my whole life.

Q: Why is basketball important to you?

A: Basketball is just something that I can do and put my time into when I need to get my mind off things. It’s just fun to play and work out.

Q: What are you looking forward to for your senior season?

A: I’ve been looking forward to playing with all my friends that I’ve been

on the team with all throughout high school. I love to just have fun playing the game with all of them.

Q: How are you feeling about this year’s Varsity team?

A: I think that we should be pretty good this year. We have a really good team.

Q: What are some of your goals for this season?

A: This season, I want to make First Team All Sunflower League

and I hope we have a good season as a team too.

Q:

How do you prepare and get ready for basketball during the off season?

A:

I stay in shape and get ready for the season by lifting weights and working on my jump shot.

Q: What made you start playing basketball?

A: I started playing because my whole family plays basketball and they’re

all pretty good. It was very inspiring to me and encouraged me to play.

Q: What is your favorite memory of playing basketball [at South]?

A: My favorite memory so far has been scoring 20 points against North on

pink night for my mom.

Q: What are you miss most about playing for South next year?

A: I’ll probably miss the coaches and all my friends the most. I’ll definitely

miss being able to play with them all the time.

Q:Who’s your favorite team to play against?

A: My favorite team to play against is definitely Shawnee Mission East because

we always have a huge crowd for the game. The atmosphere is always so cool to be able to play in.

Q:What’s your favorite position?

A: For our offense, we don’t really have assigned positions, so Coach [McFall] can

put any of us anywhere on the court. I don’t really have a particular favorite position to play. I’ll play pretty much anything, usually point guard.

F

or senior Donovan Parten and juniors Hunter Anderson and Kamyar Karbalaei, cars are more than just a mode of transportation, but also away of life.

“Cars pretty much control my life.

Every aspect of my life revolves around cars,” Karbalaei said.

Parten feels similarly.

“I like cars a lot,” Parten said. They’re

BY ANNALIE POLEN REPORTER

3.

2.

just a fun hobby and pastime. I like to drive them and fix them up.”

These students also have very unique cars. “[The coolest part of my car is that] there is a light that comes on that shines on the ground of the Mustang symbol,” Anderson said. Next time you see one of the these cars in the parking lot you will now know what these students enjoy doing to make them so cool.

A look at the coolest cars at South.

COOL CAR KIDS

1.

4.

1. Junior Hunter Anderson 2014 V6 Mustang 2. Senior Anthony Young 2014 V6 CAMARO 3. Junior Kamyar Karbalaei 2010 BMW 335i M SPORT 4. Senior Donovan Parten 2005 Mazda RX-8

PHOTOS BY QUINN KASPAR

14 / FEATURESATURES THE PATRIOT

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

Q&A

FEATURES / 15

with Josh Eppenauer

Through practice and passion, freshman pursues magic hobby.

BY ANSLEY TAYLOR COPY EDITOR

Q: A:

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK

What inspired you to learn magic?

myself performing magic and showcasing my skills on camera.

I watched a movie called “Now You See Me 2”. There was

I add music and some basic editing to make these videos fun to

a scene where the magicians were hiding and throwing a card

watch. The second hobby is called cardistry, which is basically

around the room. That scene really got me interested in throwing

the art of shuffling and manipulating playing cards in different

cards. Then a few months later I was bored one day, so I decided

ways. This is directly related to what I do in magic. I can use my

to learn a few card tricks from a magic book that I had. After

fancy card-handling skills to present my card magic with more

learning them, I performed the tricks for my parents. They loved

spectacle and fluidity. Cardistry is also just fun for myself to

it and magic stuck with me ever since.

Q: A:

How did you discover that this was a talent of yours?

I performed some tricks for my parents. My

dad found some magic tutorial videos for me

learn and practice. To practice, sometimes I like to just sit down, listen to music and fidget with cards for a while.

Q: What pushes you to keep practicing?

A: I think what pushes me to keep practicing is

to learn from. Later, I discovered that

the reactions I get from other people. When they

YouTube also had tons of tutorials,

want to see more and more magic, it motivates me

so I learned from those videos

to keep practicing.

too. As I got better, I started for

performing strangers,

free time. It depends on what I have to do

as well as my friends

Q: How much time and effort do you put into this?

A: I practice pretty much whenever I have that day, but usually I find time every

and

day to practice. Most of the time I

family. I just

just watch tutorial videos to learn

really

new tricks and occasionally I

enjoy

performing magic

and

being

learn something from a magic able

book. After I finish learning, I

to amaze people with just simple

plug in earbuds and just start

everyday objects.

practicing the moves over and

Q:

Do you have any other talents?

If so, how do they connect to magic?

A:

I have two other hobbies that

relate to magic. The first one is filmmaking. I enjoy making videos of

over until I’m comfortable with performing it in front of other people.

18 / FEATURES

THE PATRIOT

PERSPECTIVES

Runners battle the cold to stay in shape through the winter.

BY NICHOLE THOMAS FEATURES EDITOR Head pounding, heart racing, hands freezing, kids running. Through all of the pain, students choose to run in mind-numbing weather to prepare themselves for track season. Feet hitting the pavement, the boys take off down the streets and trails around South for their warm up.

Winter running is overseen by the cross country coach JJ Wannamaker. Even though he is the sponsor, the boys seemed to be running everything by themselves.

Before practice they plan their warmup and their workout on their own. Starting ahead of the boys ran the group of girls starting their workout. Both groups had little conversation, no doubt blocking out the cold while their bodies warmed from the exercise. After a mile, they headed back towards South.

When arriving, not a single boy was out of breath, walking off those two miles with ease. For the average person, running those two miles would’ve been the entire workout, but this was not the case. They continued warming up on the field with stretches. The close bond of the group was evident. Inside jokes and sharing familiar stories occupied many of their conversations.

For senior Mason Fitzmaurice, this is the last winter running season he will have. He seemed to be taking the practice very seriously, running ahead of all the boys during the workout, pushing himself to the brink.

“

We can wear gloves or just put our hands in our sleeves but you usually just have to ignore it because it’s too cold.

”

Junior ELI PRICE In some/most practices, the boys run shirtless, wearing only shorts or pants in freezing weather. A few boys said they couldn’t feel the cold because of the running, except in their hands and ears.

Although, at the end of practice, the cold seemed to be getting to a couple of the boys. Because of this, I asked the boys if

PHOTOS BY ABBY COX

they ever got sick as a result.

“The guys who run every day are sniffling until about March, it’s okay though,” junior Ben Curtis said.

As a bystander, the cold seeped through our clothes as we watched the boys run and our hands became numb to any sensation. It seemed impossible to do anything but run, run away from the cold, run away from the stress of school, run into the freedom it brings.

“Definitely the fingers [get the coldest] and the fingertips. Yeah, just the fingers in general. We can wear gloves or just put our hands in our sleeves but you usually just have to ignore it because it’s too cold.

[The cold] gets too much,” junior Eli Price said.

When asked, “Why do you run?”, everyone seemed to struggle with an answer. Running is part of their routine, it is part of who they are. Their goals for many practices is to improve their endurance, but there’s more than that.

Watching the determination on their faces and the playfulness and joy in between reps, you could tell running was their passion.

“Running is great. I can’t stop,” Curtis said.

FEATURES / 19

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

2.

1.

3.

Cosmic Bowling

4.

PHOTOS BY ABBY COX 1. Senior Mason Fitzmaurice leads the way in the runners’ 4X1600 repeats. They ran 1 mile between each workout, for a total of 4 miles.

2. Junior Brad Schluben and Sophomore Evan Shibel endure the cold during their after school warm up. They ran 2 miles before starting their workout.

3. Junior Ben Curtis has been running for 7 years including 5 years of Cross Country and 3 years of Track. “I want to improve every day, keeping the ball rolling. The work, that’s the best part,” Curtis said.

4. During their 4X1600 repeats, the runners pushed through the 28 degrees wind chill, with limited layers to keep them warm.

$10

Bowling with shoes Cut out coupon and redeem at front desk.

Saturday 10pm-12:30 am www.missionbowl.com

20 / OPINION

THE PATRIOT

Feminism LGBT Rights Conservative Voices Breast Cancer Awareness

STAFF EDITORIAL

Are social media censorship algorithms helpful or hurtful?

A

s of December 17, beloved social media platform Tumblr has blocked all “images, videos or gifs that show real-life human genitals or female-presenting nipples.”

This decision was made after child pornography was discovered on the site.

That combined with complaints over the years of bot accounts pushed Tumblr to join other sites such as Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and Twitter, to deem most nudity as pornographic content, making it “unsuitable”.

What social medias decide to be “suitable content” is uneven across each platform, as is the monitoring of posts.

There is a large number of user complaints on all media platforms of unnecessary removal and demonetization of posts of a wide variety, as well as complaints of how well truly inappropriate content is monitored.

Poet Rupi Kaur had a post that included period stained sweatpants deleted from her Instagram because the content was deemed sensitive.

MACMA (Movimiento Ayuda Cancer de Mama), an Argentinian charity for breast cancer, had to use a male model

to raise awareness of how women can check their breasts for breast cancer.

A female model was not used due to the fear that the post would have been taken down. Youtube is also famous for their frequent demonetization of videos from activists across the political spectrum. Conservative channels have had videos removed because they have been deemed as “hate speech”, while LGBTQ+ channels have faced the same treatment for discussing “adult content.”

Defining “hate speech” or “adult content” has become a major issue for platforms to deal with, especially in the polarizing political environment we are in currently. It would be nearly impossible for platforms to handle all posts individually, but sweeping algorithms often flag content that most would consider to be suitable.

Earlier this year, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, among others, banned conspiracy theorist Alex Jones from their platforms for violating policies on abusive behavior and hate speech. While this is one instance of social media platforms taking action against such content, often times white nationalist

propaganda is ignored, while some types of activism that feature nudity are censored. Feminine health groups find their support for breast cancer screening blocked, Free the Nipple advocates lose their voices, discussions about sexuality and sexual harassment are often silenced based on the key words posted.

While these social media platforms have the right idea when trying to censor truly obscene content such as child pornography, their algorithm often loops in activism with things that shouldn’t be blocked. People lose their voice in problems that affect them every day, ultimately silencing those who are finally comfortable enough to speak up.

Free speech is a right that all Americans should value greatly; social media algorithms that are meant to protect us often conflict with our rights without us knowing. Are we losing out on valuable posts and conversations that have been blocked from our feeds because of algorithms implemented by social media platforms? Or are we being protected from hateful and violent content?

9/11 EDITORS AGREE WITH THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS EDITORIAL.

OPINION / 21

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

PHOTO BY JULIA CALDWELL

ARE THERE BAD QUESTIONS? Some things are better left unasked.

BY LEXI LINK REPORTER

W

e often hear teachers say, “There is no such thing as a stupid question.” The phrase is meant to encourage students not to be afraid to ask questions during class. While asking questions to improve understanding in class is typically a good thing, sometimes a question comes up that makes you wonder how the person asking ever got to high school in the first place.

Questions can be stupid for a variety of reasons. We have all been in a class where the teacher has just finished giving instruction and that one student who has been sitting in the back of class watching Breaking Bad looks up, pulls out their earbud and asks, “Wait, what is going on?”

The teacher’s exasperated sigh leads into a long-winded explanation of what the student failed to hear because they were too busy staring at a MacBook screen.

While I really have nothing against people who would rather sit back and enjoy a t.v. show during class, it’s rather frustrating when extra class time is wasted on a student who obviously doesn’t care enough about the class to participate in the first

place.

Another time when questions are stupid is when the student was too busy talking to their classmate to hear what the teacher said. I don’t particularly care if you would rather gossip about the argument happening between Person A and Person C, but I have no sympathy if you have to stop the class to have the teacher explain something that you happened to miss due to your gossip session.

Questions can also be considered stupid if you have the capability of finding the information yourself. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that we should Google our way through school. I am saying that if your teacher has taken out the time to create a document with information for when something is due, what time you’re leaving for a field trip or what supplies you need for class, you should not be asking those questions. Teachers create those documents for the purpose of not having to answer the same questions repeatedly.

If your teacher has made that type of document and you have the audacity to ask a stupid question, I will not feel bad if they

tell you to refer to the document.

Lastly, some questions are just flat out stupid. I don’t mean people having trouble understanding a concept that others may find simple. However, what is stupid is when you have just finished a book in class and you ask who the main character is. If basic thought or understanding about what is happening can answer the question, it’s a stupid question.

Everyone has asked a stupid question.

We are high schoolers; we are inherently stupid. Asking a couple stupid questions is totally fine. No one is going to get mad at you for zoning out for a couple of moments and then trying to get back on track.

But if you are constantly asking stupid questions during class, you’re just wasting everyone’s time.

Overall, I have no qualms about students not participating or paying attention in class, but, no matter what teachers may say, there are stupid questions and I’d rather you not waste my class time to have those questions answered.

22 / OPINION

THE DEBATE

THE PATRIOT

Real textbooks.

PRO

BY KATIE HIEBL REPORTER

W

ith all the technology that is provided today in schools, using new online textbooks may seem like the most logical and best thing to do. New online textbooks seem like a great idea because they are

83%

A

s technology becomes more accessible to schools, many districts have started to turn away from old paper textbooks and start using the online versions as well. Many people complain about online textbooks, but the online versions of textbooks are more useful compared to the paper versions for many reasons.

One of the biggest reasons that online textbooks are better is because of how accessible they are. Some people make the argument that online textbooks may not be accessible when there is no internet, but overall online textbooks will always be more accessible than paper textbooks. You can access an online textbook almost anywhere, from almost any device, but if you leave your paper textbook at school over the weekend, there is nothing you can do.

Another great thing about online textbooks is that you have access to an entire website dedicated to the

PHOTOS BY ABBY COX

cheaper, don’t use as much paper and aren’t a pain to carry around, but some question whether or not online textbooks are as beneficial as physical textbooks.

In my opinion, real textbooks are always a better option. When reading, I find it is much easier to comprehend and retain information. This allows for better classroom participation. A study

by Lauren M. Singer and Patricia A. Alexander supports this opinion by correlating student comprehension with real textbooks higher than when students read digital textbooks.

Also, students don’t have to worry about WiFi connections or VPN issues, which can often be problematic. Students without WiFi at home are unable to connect to the online textbooks which prevents them from getting work done on time. The New York Post says five million homes in the U.S. with school age children don’t have internet access at home.

TWITTER POLL* information included in the textbook. Not only do you get the basic information from the textbook, but you also have access to much more than you would get with just a paper textbook. You have the ability to search through a page using command F, you can simply click on a vocabulary word and receive the definition, you can use the search bar to look up where particular topics are in the textbook. Online textbooks are quicker and easier to navigate overall.

Another plus to digital textbooks is that they are typically cheaper than paper textbooks. Instead of only having a shared class set, students can each have their own textbook for a cheaper price.

Cheaper textbooks mean that there is more money available for other classroom materials. Some school districts may have to worry about students not having computer access, but in SMSD, there is no reason to be concerned over computer access because every student has their

I find WiFi and VPN issues to be a frequent problem which is frustrating.

The next day I have to find time during other classes to finish homework which puts me behind in that class. Or I try to use my phone, but the small screen is difficult to use and some applications are not available.

Another benefit of reading a real textbook is there is less chance of getting distracted. You won’t have the urge to start looking at other assignments or doing internet searches. In a study done by the New Republic it was shown that 67% of the people that took the survey said that they were more likely to try and multitask while using an online textbook.

While real textbooks can be heavy and expensive, students will never have technology issues. Comprehension, retention and focus will improve. So instead of downloading a copy of The Glass Castle for your English class, make a trip to your local bookstore.

17%

*of 54 votes

own MacBook or iPad. Yes, many people like the aesthetic of paper textbooks and enjoy reading from them, but overall, online textbooks are more accessible, more convenient and cheaper to purchase.

BY LEXINGTON LINK REPORTER

CON

OPINION/ 23

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

PEOPLE

OF THE

LOT

Everyone’s true nature comes out in the parking lot.

BY ANSLEY CHAMBERS COPY EDITOR

P

art of the high school experience we all crave is tasting the freedom that comes with sitting behind a steering wheel. While being able to transport yourself and others is a responsibility and a privilege that comes with tons of bonuses, there is only one thing that can absolutely ruin your perfect afternoon.

Imagine: you’ve arrived safely at school and made it through your day; it’s Friday and the squad has made plans to go home, change clothes and then head out for an iconic squad night that every Instagrammer will be made aware of. You make your way, non-aggressively through the crowded halls and into the stunning parking lot of Shawnee Mission South, a true work of art, a gift from the gods, holy ground for sure. You hop into your modest car and prepare to battle your once close friends turned mortal enemies. The people you told to “have a good weekend” just six minutes before are now blood thirsty, ravenous monsters, pure evil that you have a duty to defeat. There’s a couple things standing in your way; all are terrible drivers.

The first is the rarest, but most annoying in a high school parking lot: the Grandma. This person drives slower than a sloth on a Sunday morning.

They’re especially frustrating in winter after any ice or snow has long evaporated, yet they insist on driving 15 mph slower than the limit and making extra wide turns that require a significantly larger amount of time than should be allotted for a right turn and pulling so far out that they’re on the other side of the yellow line, which is by far more dangerous due to the ability for other cars coming from the opposite direction to assume that there won’t be any vehicles driving on the wrong side of the road.

Next up: the person who’s just Too Cool For School (TCFS). They throw caution to the wind and just drive over the median. Sometimes they’re just in such a hurry to leave the parking lot (like everyone else) that they don’t even cut the line,

but avoid it altogether and drive straight over the grass into 107th. TCFSs somehow suffer no consequences for their actions which are quite annoying and unfair to those of us who actually follow basic rules of the road and don’t cause more chaos among the already scared sophomores driving on their own for the first time. Problematic, right? We have a parking lot system, equipped with medians and painted lines, for a reason. If everyone just drove as they pleased in South’s lot, nobody would be driving because everyone would have wrecked.

The Parking Lot Partier (PLP) plays their music loud enough for everyone to hear- even those of us who play our own choice of music loud enough inside our inclosed cars, but what do we know?

Clearly the PLPs know what songs are best. How considerate of them to roll down their windows and crank up the bass for everyone to hear. I do have one suggestion: at least turn the bass down to we can actually tell what song it is instead of just hearing it crackle and feeling it from the opposite side of the lot. PLPs are typically quite social.

They let us know by yelling out their window to say “hey” to everyone they know and referencing whatever activity is on the agenda for after school.

Sometimes they even get out of their running cars and walk up to their friends’ windows to have a conversation while waiting for the line to move.

Parents are actually some of the biggest nuisances in the lot after school. For some reason they think that they’re superior to the rest of us.

They don’t understand how the zipper works.

They have no patience. Parking in inconvenient places such as the middle lane and bus lane. Not to mention the embarrassment that they cause.

One other thing that people need to be aware of: cars have windows. Passionate couples, that’s still PDA because cars have windows. Junkies, it’s more obvious when we can’t see in your foggy windows. Do I need to continue? Cars have windows.

PHOTO BY TRINITY CLARK PHOTOGRAPHER

24 / OPINION

PSA FOR PDA

THE PATRIOT

Public Displays of Affection are taking over the school.

BY MCKENNA PICKERING REPORTER

P

DA is everywhere.

It’s online. It’s at the mall. It’s at school.

It’s at work. It’s literally everywhere.

You can’t escape it. To some, PDA is a fundamental part of a high schooler’s journey to find themselves through the passionate passageway revolving a r o u n d fake love and teenage hormones.

To others, it makes us really uncomfortable. I see it before the firsthour bell and it’s just too early in the morning to see couples being all loveydovey.

The couples act like they never see each other so they have to get all their fun time done in less than the five minute passing periods. The wall in the main hallway is crowded with couples cuddling, caressing, canoodling, etc. That makes people super bitter because some of us are either painfully single, are missing a significant other or simply find this inappropriate for the halls at our place of education.

The amount of PDA you see is overwhelming. There are plenty of couples that are super indiscrete about being in a relationship. They create blockades in the hallway or the front of the school before the bell. It’s all you see in school and it’s problematic for others.

The impact of seeing all that PDA is just bothersome.

When you walk by it gives off a very uncomfortable vibe.

Most of the couples I see haven’t gotten too bad in the halls, but sometimes there’s always one or two couples that just feel like they need to go all out with their significant other right then and there… in b r o a d daylight… r i g h t in the middle of the hall.

And don’t get me started on what goes on when I’m actually in class.

The only acceptable PDA I’ve seen is in movies when it’s made to be cute. Then and only then will anyone really enjoy PDA, for example in the movie “To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before”. To be honest, the hand in the back pocket spin is the cutest scene in the movie.

Unless it’s the less morbid version of “Romeo and Juliet” with the forbidden love, there’s no point of doing anything of the sorts during school. You will see each other again in a matter of hours.

Don’t get me wrong, there are some forms of cute PDA like holding hands while walking or hugging when you’re not in the way of anyone. It can be cute and acceptable as long as it doesn’t get to be too much.

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

BATTLE THE NORTH FACE

PHOTOS BY KYLA HUNTER

S

W

BRANDS

BY MCKENNA PICKERING REPORTER hen it starts to get chilly outside, you look for a nice, warm, fuzzy jacket to stay cozy. The North Face brand has many options on coats, jackets, and sweatshirts galore for the winter and fall weather.

North Face and Patagonia are very similar in their products. They sell the exact same things at different prices.

So you look up “best winter coat” on Google. For women, Patagonia “Tres 3-in-1 Parka” and then right next to that it says “$600.00”. North Face’s women’s “Hey Mama Parkina” is half the price of that. Then you take a look at men’s coats and gear. Patagonia’s options for men are very limited when it comes to big, bulky coats for this absurd Kansas weather. They are all small jackets and just don’t seem like they could keep a guy warm. North Face, however, has coat options and yes, they are more expensive, but that is only because

BY LILY WAGNER OPINION EDITOR

aying that Patagonia is better than North Face seems like an obvious statement that doesn’t need much evidence to back it up, but let’s start with the basics: the clothing itself. If I’m being nice, North Face clothing is tacky at best. Much of their “Copper Capsule Collection” is visually offensive while Patagonia offers a Fair Trade Certified collection and a line of down jackets that are almost entirely made of recycled materials. A complaint made against Patagonia is that it is the clothing of choice for frat boys across the country.

Well good news for you. Patagonia clothing comes in many styles. Feeling like a California surf bum? A stoic mountain man? A floral yoga goddess?

They’ve got you covered.

It can be argued that Patagonia is too expensive, but what you’re paying for is an excellent quality product that does exactly what it’s for: protecting you from the elements so that you can enjoy your

33%

of the

A&E / 25

time outdoors. I’ve spent many chilly nights on backpacking trips, warmly encased in my “Better Sweater”.

The other major reason why Patagonia is better than North Face is their environmental advocacy. They design their clothing to not only cut down on waste, but also to be made of mostly recycled fabrics and materials. Patagonia has also launched campaigns to protect threatened environments around the world like Bears Ears National Monument in Utah or the place the company itself is named after: the Patagonia region in Chile and Argentina.

And if nothing else can convince you that Patagonia is better than North Face, I offer you the Patagonia logo. Purple, orange and blue sunset goodness with a skyline of Mount Fitz Roy, a mountain that is actually in Patagonia. Compare that to North Face’s sad, all black half rainbow? We have a clear winner.

of the fact that Patagonia doesn’t have anything but fleece and small puffy jackets for men.

The best “coat” I saw for men was “M’s Micro Puff Jacket” which kind of resembles a coat, but not really. May I add, it’s $250. North Face provides jackets; for example, the “3-in-1 Jacket”, which includes a coat on the outer layer, a jacket, and a vest to act as the insulated area of a coat. The North Face men’s “3-in-1 Jacket” sounds like the Patagonia women’s “3-in-1 Parka”, but the North Face one isn’t $600.

When it’s not snowing and it’s a crisp spring day, you will most likely want a light jacket or just a plain old zip up.

Patagonia jackets stand as coats, which just seems like too much to wear. North Face jackets, on the other hand, are light and use semi-thin material so it keeps you warm, but not too warm.

PATAGONIA

67%

RESULTS FROM AN @SMSPATRIOT TWITTER POLL OF 27 STUDENTS

26 / A&E

TAKE NOTE

THE PATRIOT

Note taking skills to get you through high school.

BY EVAN SHIBEL REPORTER PHOTOS BY EMMA HARDING

E

veryday in high school you will most likely hear a teacher tell you to “take out your notebooks” or to “take notes.”

We hear this often, but you may ask, “how do you truly take effective and memorable notes?”

There have been many studies done on this topic and my conclusion is that there isn’t one way to take “proper” notes. Notes can and should be individualized to each person and have everyone’s personal methods to them, but throughout all of those individualizations, there should be a few common effective themes, and here are just a few.

KEEP YOUR NOTES CONCISE // Quick and concise notes will help with getting thorough notes while still being able to keep up with the lesson.

ALWAYS GET THE TITLES OF SLIDES OR PAGES //

This can help you get the main idea of every topic that is being lectured.

TRY TO CONCLUDE EVERY TOPIC // Make sure that by the end of each lesson, you are able to understand the topics being discussed.

COLOR CODE // Color coding organizes your notes so you can easily find everything you need.

EVAN’S STATIONARY FAVORITES PILOT G2 PENS // These pens are the best

when it comes to their range of colors as well as for speedy, smudge-free writing.

COLLEGE RULED PAPER // This paper is by far the best for keeping notes organized and tight.

BALLPOINT PENS // Any ballpoint pen will do when it comes to bettering your flow of writing.

NOTECARDS // These are a staple that can be very useful for vocabulary terms or smaller notes.

ZEBRA MILDLINERS // These highlighters come in a variety of subtle colors and make notetaking more effective as well as aesthetically pleasing.

MECHANICAL PENCILS // These are far superior to gross wood pencils. Period.

A&E/ 27

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

CRAFT CORNER Last minute gift inspiration for your holidays.

Hot Cocoa Jar

Coffee Card

MATERIALS

STEPS

Hot Cocoa Mix Mini Marshmallows Mason Jar Ribbon Pens or Markers

1. Take your hot cocoa mix and fill the mason jar two-thirds full.

MATERIALS

STEPS

Coffee Sleeve Ribbon Coffee Gift Card Glue

1. Glue the bottom edge of the coffee sleeve and wait for it to dry.

2. Fill the remainder of the jar with the mini marshmallows.

3. Write preparation instructions on the side and decorate further however you’d like.

2. Make a hole in the top left corner of the coffee sleeve.

3. Add a ribbon for decoration.

4. Write your “to:” and “from:” and the gift card’s amount on the back of the sleeve.

5. Slide the gift card into the sleeve.

Sugar Scrub

MATERIALS

STEPS

Mason Jar

1. Heat the coconut oil in the microwave for 15 seconds, or until melted.

1/2 cup of Coconut Oil 2 cups of Sugar 1 tbsp of Peppermint Extract Green Food Coloring

2. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar and melted coconut oil.

3. Mix in the peppermint extract.

4. Add one to two drops of food coloring.

5. Put the scrub in the jar and decorate.

BY LEXINGTON LINK REPORTER PHOTOS BY EMMA HARDING

28 / A&E

ART for the PEOPLE Inscriptions staff prepares for upcoming showcase.

E

BY MEGAN SMITH SPORTS EDITOR

very year, the poets, painters and photographers of South come together to create an anthology of their work: Inscriptions. This after-school club meets on Wednesdays to discuss submissions, design and other elements of the literary magazine.

“This year I’m excited to see all of the new stuff that people come up with and submit to Inscriptions,” senior Abby Walker said.

You can submit to the literary magazine until Mar. 22 on paper or to their email, smslitmag13@gmail.com.

“This year I hope to be able to collaborate with some like-minded, creative folks,” junior Matthias Miller said.

Staff members help design the pages that go in the magazine, find people who are interested in submitting their work to Inscriptions and select the art that will be showcased in the completed literary magazine.

“I just really wanted to be a part of something really cool,” Miller said.

Raiders can also submit their work to New Year New Art, a yearly showcase that the Inscriptions staff will be hosting Jan. 30 in the library. New Year New Art gives people the opportunity to display their work for other students before the literary magazine comes out later in the semester, the same day as the spring poetry slam.

“New Year New Art is one way for you to show others what you can do and get an audience for your art besides your parents or friends,” sponsor and librarian Julie Fales said.

THE PATRIOT

NEW YEAR NEW ART WHAT Inscriptions’ annual visual and literary art showcase WHEN Jan. 30 3:00 pm WHERE The Learning Commons WHO Any art lover GEE, THAT SOUNDS COOL, CAN I PARTICIPATE? Sure thing! Sign up with Mrs. Fales in the Learning Commons, your English or art teacher or with an Inscriptions staff member

PHOTOS BY KATE RILEY

INSCRIPTIONS STAFF MEMBER

Abby Walker

INSCRIPTIONS ADVISOR

Julie Fales

What made you decide to join Inscriptions?

What is New Year New Art?

Why should people submit to Inscriptions?

What’s your favorite part of Inscriptions?

I joined Lit Mag because I thought it would be fun and I wanted to get more involved my senior year. It seemed like a good place to help my design get better.

It was something that the editor, Miah Clark, started last year to have either 2D or 3D art and spoken word displayed in the library to motivate others to submit creations to the literary magazine.

I feel like it gets them out there. Even if not as many people read Inscriptions as the newspaper or yearbook, it’s still a good opportunity to show off your talent and show others that it’s easy and fun to do.

Seeing all the students who are on staff rally together to get a variety of students to submit their creative work and compiling into a completely student-produced magazine by the end of the year.

EL H C T I M

L

SHIRT concert $22

PANTS forever 21 $25

SHIRT cavers $10

R JUNIO

JEANS charlotte russe $15

PANTS charlotte russe $30

TOP charlotte russe $20

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM A&E/ 29

BY EMMA HARDING PHOTOGRAPHER

THE LOOK.

NAOMI

30 / PHOTO ESSAY

THE PATRIOT

A NIGHT WITH ORCHESTRA

3 On Dec. 13 the orchestra performed in the cafeteria for the annual Pops Concert. Students from Indian Woods Middle School come up to South to also perform. The students have been preparing for this concert the whole year.

PHOTOS BY ABBY COX

1 4 2 5

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

ADS / 31

SMSOUTHNEWS.COM

PATRI

FEATURES / 32

T PICKS

South voted on what their favorite holiday things were.

52%

IS “NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS” A CHRISTMAS MOVIE? YES

68%

NO

32%

OR

THE GRINCH

“ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU”: BOP OR FLOP? BOP

FLOP

82%

18%

OC OL

HOME ALONE

65%

PHOTOS COURTESY OF IMBd, HOUSTON PRESS

65%

CH

OR

35%

48%

WHITE LIGHTS OR CHRISTMAS LIGHTS

CA N

AT E

OR

DY CA N

35%

ES

CH

IP

CO O

KI

ES