The Patriot

Patriotthe

media violation

@08 - 010

the entertainment idustry’s oversexualization of minors.

a glimpse of foreign lives @06 - 07 peek into the lives of our newest foreign exchange students.

raider rewind @04 - 05 the raider’s first varsity soccer game

@Kyara Morales-Rodriguez columnist for Daily Easter News

“Sex can have a place in teen series, but sexualization shouldn’t.”

Shawnee Mission South High School | 913-993-7500 5800 W 107th St. Overland Park, KS. 66207.

“Just because people start having sexual feelings in their teens doesn’t mean we can write teen girl characters to be strippers.”

@Anna Baker writer for Cooglife

Staff

Head Editors

Noel Mohamed | Editor-in-Chief Simon Cox | Assitant Editor-in-Chief

Management Editors

Fletcher Knowles | Head Copy Editor

Section Editors

Ren Park | Culture Editor

Reporters

Kareem Dadkhah Greta Waller Emmalee Rich Evan Dahlke Jameson Peeples Photojournalists

Julia Schnittker Gabbie Granoff Adviser Tucker Love

mission statement

The

Patriot is a newspaper 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 Opinion 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. Under the First Amendement 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 Editorin-Chief reserve the right to refuse or edit any letters for grammar, length, and good taste.

with the BAND

Quite frankly, Quite Frankly is one of the hottest must-see rock bands in Kansas City. One day, they’ll fill up stadiums and coliseums and concert halls from coast to coast, but for now, they’re playing venues such as the Truman and Starlight Theater and building their very own local fanbase.

Senior Carolyn Armstrong is the lead vocalist when she’s not being a Pacesetter, a Pep Club member, playing tennis and/or starring in school musicals. How she balances all of this is a mystery.

“I feel like every activity that I do speaks to a different part of me,” Armstrong said. “I think it makes it worth it that I get to express myself in so many different ways. I’ve opened myself up to a lot of people who I wouldn’t have been friends with otherwise.”

That would be particularly true for her fellow band mates. The band began to form in 2017 with bassist Scout Matthews as the founding member. Both Armstrong and Jolson Robert (singer and multiinstrumentalist) joined soon after. Jolson’s younger brother, Gavin Robert, joined after the band’s first guitarist. Scout Matthews, Carolyn Armstrong, Jolson Robert and Eli Peterson (drums) all met at a local branch of School of Rock–a program that

teaches teenage bands how to play and perform rock. The bandmates bonded over Sonic and a love for music.

Over time, the band has expanded and constricted, with members coming and going, but the current lineup has been together for the longest and is, according to manager MJ Matthews, tighter than ever.

“They get along so well, and they trust each other,” Quite Frankly’s manager, MJ Matthews, said. “Trust is a huge part.”

The band members hang out before shows to gossip and talk about their lives–a ritual that Jolson said has brought them closer.

One of the many highlights at one of Quite Frankly’s recent gigs was their rendition of The B-52’s “Love Shack.”

Armstrong’s vocals were nothing less than spectacular, coaxing nearly everyone in the crowd to the dance floor. The audience erupted into

Gavin Robert, Jolson Robert, Eli Peterson, Carolyn Armstrong and Scout Matthews at their 2021 homecoming performance.

by ren park `

cheers when Jolson amazed every onlooker with his unexpected (but absolutely insane) saxophone skills. That paired with the instrumental talent of Matthews, Gavin and Peterson added up to a musical spectacle that left even original fans of The B-52’s blown away.

“I think it’s like when you go to a concert, and you get to scream all the words of your favorite song,” Armstrong said. “That’s how I started describing it to people, because I don’t know how else, besides that feeling when you just get to let go of everything with music.”

The other band members feed off her energy.

“Even if she’s upset about something, she’s never mopey or grumpy,” Jolson said. “She always finds a way to pull it together. She never complains about anything.”

Gavin added that Armstrong is also both a good friend and a trustworthy ear.

“I have a bit of a habit of spewing verbal garbage,” he said. “Rarely do I find a person who will put up with it, but also be receptive, and bounce off, and joke and goof around.”

The band’s ability to work together has gotten them far. They’ve played more than 100 gigs–even opening up for national touring acts such as The Greeting Community, The Darbies, John Corabi, The Jacks, Liliac, and LA Guns.

One day, Quite Frankly will be a global sensation. One day, they’ll fill up stadiums. For today, all that matters is getting their music out there.

“The dream is to go on one of those big stadium tours,” Armstrong said. “For now, we’re just enjoying our gigs, enjoying songwriting and being in each other’s company.”

Photo by Rachel Horsley.

get to know Quite Frankly’s very own Carolyn Armstrong. story

a recap of varsity boy’s soccer first game against Shawnee Mission

Northwest.

Careful to avoid a foul, Senior Jack LaVergne (#20) steals the ball from Northwest August 26.

Photo by Julia Schnittker

Senior Carlos Pavan-Villeda (#10) watches as a South and Northwest tackle for a 50-50 ball August 26.

Senior Luke Olson (#14) awaits the whistle during a stop-in play August 26.

Sophomore Alek Beckley (#3) prepares to throw the ball into play. August 26. Photo

Photo by Julia Schnittker

by Julia Schnittker

Photo by Julia Schnittker story by noel mohamed

Senior Kieron Smith (#12) maneuvers for the ball during the Raiders’ first Varsity soccer game, against SM Northwest, on August 26. Photo by Julia Schnittker

Sophomore Rudy Delgado (#4) waits for the ball to enter play during a goal kick. Photo by Julia Schnittker

TRAVELING

theater

senior Naida Kosek travels across country for acting program.

story by emmalee rich and noel mohamed

Tisch special programs: a young actors or actresses dream. It offers a wide range of classes: Drama, Production & Design, Dance, Photography and Imaging, Game Design, Recorded Music and Dramatic Writing. At Tisch, the students are taught by the finest and work with some of the best young minds in the world.

Tisch is a collaborative, rigiourious and hands on program. Some of the requirements for admittance are: you must be a junior or sophomore, you must have a 3.0 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and you have to live in NYU assigned housing. Tisch NYU is NOT an easy school to get into.

Within this program, students’ curriculum is based on the NYU Tisch undergraduate program.

Senior Naida Kosek was accepted into the drama course at Tisch Summer High School Program.

“It was very exciting to find out that I got in because I was nervous I wouldn’t. I knew it was kind of a big deal and a lot of people were applying so when I found out I was really excited because I knew I’d go get to see New York for the first time,” Kosek said.

While Kosek was thrilled to see New York for the first time, there was a bit of anxiety about going to a brand new city.

“It was great, it was a little overwhelming at first because I wasn’t very familiar

and I was by myself but I met a very good group of people and I got navigate the city with them. It was stressful but gratifying and fun to explore,” Kosek said.

The students follow a rigorous schedule, so they can maximize the time they have at school.

“We would wake up around 7 a.m, because we’d have to walk to the dining hall to get food, and then our classes started around 9 a.m, and they’d go till 7.30 p.m, we’d have a lunch break, but we’d do our movement class, voice and speech class, and then our acting class. Then we’d do our workshops for the other studios,” Kosek said.

Throughout the Drama course, Kosek was able to focus on improving certain acting techniques that would help her when applying to college and help her ultimately become an actress.

“...I studied the Meisner Technique, which is a certain technique in acting. I learned a lot about repetition, and then coming into a scene with a set emotion. Then, exploring in the scene and recreation based on what your scene partner is giving you so it feels more natural and raw. I also learned a lot about independence…I learned that it’s probably not reasonable to go to NYU for college but it was a gratifying experience,” Kosek said.

Kosek learned many things through Tisch program, one of them having nothing to do with acting.

“I think I’ll apply to college in New York, but I’m not necessarily sure because the cost of living is a lot. It’s a lot day to day and for me, personally, I have OCD and it was a lot everyday to kind fo consistenly do that, but I think I’ll consider it still but I want to keep my options open,” Kosek said.

Kosek has always wanted to be an actress, but when she was younger she wasn’t sure she could do it. “Acting is everything to me. I’ve grown up watching films and movies and I’ve always had a big imagination, and, when I was younger, I’d put myself in imaginary scenarios or situations which was fun. Now, I’m studying it here and then pursuing it in college. It’s just the only thing I’ve ever dreamed of doing, and the only thing I want to do with my life. I love it,” Kosek said. “However, it kind of felt very out of reach, and then as I got older I really realized that I wanted to pursue it. Like 100%.”

Unlike her old school in Indiana, South has a theater department that fosters the student’s minds. “Coming here helped me realize it was a realistic goal. Back at my old school in Indiana, I never had a theater department like this. Then, I came here and realized that there are other people pursuing this, and it’s an option in college. There are people who will support you, and there’s a way to actually do it. That’s when I realized, that it’s definitely

wanted to do,” Kosek said. This year, Kosek was cast as the lead in the theater show Wait Until Dark “I am playing Susan Hendricks in Wait Until Dark the show is a thriller and kind of a mystery. It’s about a blind woman, who I’m playing with, and she has this doll in her house. However, she doesn’t realize it has a lot of money in it, so it’s worth a lot, and this con man name, Roat, played by Ace Coefield, wants to get the doll from her. He hires a bunch of other guys and the three of them come into her apartment and pretend to be different people and she doesn’t know because she can’t see. As the show progresses, she starts to figure out what’s going on, and then there’s a big fight scene. Some people get killed, so it’s intense,” Kosek said.

Actress and Prop crew head, Carolyn Armstrong, has worked with Kosek since she moved to South one year ago.

“Naida is one of the most talented actors that are at South right now. She is amazing and realistic and every time I watch her my jaws drop. I can’t wait to see what she does with her part this year,” Armstrong said.

VIOLATION media

Sexualized representations of teens in media negatively impacts high school students

story by kareem dadkhah

Apart from being some of the most popular shows amongst teens for the past decade, they all portray teenage characters with adult actors in adult situations.

A 2011 study conducted by the “Parents Television Council” researchers analyzed the most watched television shows in 2009-2010 amongst 12-17 year olds. The

study found that “underage female characters were shown participating in a higher percentage of sexual depictions compared to adults (47% to 29% respectively).”

Ten years later, media has continued to depict minors in questionable ways.

However, the entertainment industry hasn’t always portrayed teen sex. Why did

we go from shows like “The Brady Bunch” to “Euphoria”? Why did Tiktok go from dance videos to “thirst traps”?

Social media usage skyrocketed during the Covid-19 lockdowns.Tiktok grabbed the attention of bored teens across the US, leading to the rise of streaming services on social media platforms.

“Companies are trying to make a profit and ‘sex sells’. Social media is right in our face,” Feminist Club co-president senior Gracie Peterman said. “These shows and things

like that, they’re going to take advantage of that [how sex sells] too, because the more viewers they get, the more money they make.”

The idolized characters in teen-catered television are often portrayed by actors well into their twenties.

Hit TV show “Outer Banks” stars 22-year old Madelyn Cline playing 16 year old Sarah Cameron, an ideal bodied, blonde haired “pretty girl”. Characters like Cameron are seen as society’s beauty standard. Teenagers can’t live up to

“Gossip Girl” “Euphoria” “Pretty Little Liars” “Elité” “Riverdale” “Skins”

actors like Chase Stokes who played John B, “Outer Banks” sixteen year old “heartthrob” at the age of 27.

“I think a lot of high schoolers, especially young men who haven’t grown into their bodies yet, will expect themselves to look like those actors,” senior Vivian Ivory said. “It’ll mentally mess with them and they might gain Body Dysmorphia. They’ll expect women to not be interested in them because they don’t look like these 20 year olds who are supposed to be 16.”

There are a multitude of reasons why teenages don’t play these roles: regulations on film time for actors under age, factoring time out of the day for school and they can’t film the explicit scenes that adults can: explicit drug use, nudity and party culture(see Skins, Euphoria, Elité).

This standard the media has created sends mixed signals to today’s youth. Some question themselves and their worth because they “don’t look like” or “live like” the characters portraying their age group on

screen and online.

“They will see these beautiful actors acting their age, but having everything that they don’t have yet. and it’s okay to not have a body type that someone has on a show. It doesn’t mean you’re any less worthy, but it does make you feel some type of way,” Ivory said.

On the contrary, the teens who are embraced by the overly mature standard, are pushed even further in the opposite direction.

“But then there’s also

people who live for it. And will purposefully make certain content for that because they know that they’ll get attention from it and if they’re not used to getting attention. They’ll feed into it and it can really get them hurt,” Ivory said.

The same “The Parents Television Council” study found that “73% of the underage sexualized incidents were presented in a humorous manner or as a punch line to a joke.”

This harmful portrayal of teenagers is packaged as en-

Photo by Julia Schnittker

tertainment, to be laughed at.

“I think that it’s gotten a lot worse because I’ve seen girls that are in sixth grade that went to my elementary school wearing full on makeup and everything like that,” senior Hadley Carson said. “There are some girls just wearing bras to school. And they’re trying so hard to look a certain way. Just because that’s what they think, either men, or the

people they want, crave.”

Kids and teenagers are fed repetitive messages and imagery on what the “ideal” of everything is. A lot of this imagery is about appearance and body and how it “should” look.

“ …with having an eating disorder, they crave validation from anyone and everyone about their bodies and the way that they look and I feel like a

lot of girls feel that if they’re not dressing a certain way and if someone doesn’t compliment their outfit or how their body looks, they feel like they’re not seen or anything,” Carson said.

This isn’t just a women’s issue too. It affects all youth regardless of gender.

“When you see social media, it’s really a glorified version of someone’s life,” senior

Dominic Dawson said. “You don’t see the struggles that they go through…I feel like most of us want to feel like people are jealous of us, right? So if everybody is jealous of everybody and everybody is insecure, then people find their own way to cope with that. And, you know, sometimes it’s just not the most healthy mechanism.”

DISCUSSED dress code

students, faculty share thoughts, feelings on dress code.

reporting by kareem dadkhah

comments on an incident last school year —

Iwas sitting down in my seat and before I even sat down, I checked to make sure that nobody could see anything — just in case, like I always do. As my teacher comes into the classroom, [they] stop dead in front of everyone and the whole class goes silent. [They] look me up and down and says, “nobody needs to see all that. Go to the office.”

“

Iwant to be clear, I want people to do what they want to do. And I don’t think that we need a rigid dress code. I think like people should be able to do what they want to do. But like, that only goes to an extent.”

“ “ senior Jonathan Swanberg

The purpose of the dress code is to make sure that students are dressed appropriately for the school day.”

What do you mean by appropriately?

Vivian Ivory

It’s defined by our handbook which is sent out by the district. They define the appropriate dress code as well.”

I

imposition

code

rules about like spaghetti straps or shoulders; that creates an issue that’s not there. I have never met a single person who has a problem with either of those things, or been disturbed by them whatsoever outside of religious standings or other morals.”

If a student’s appearance attracts undue attention to the extent that it may become a disruptive factor in the education process, a buliding administrator will ask the student to make the necessary changes. In the event that the change does not take place in the time allowed, the administrator will prescribe the consequences. Clothing with vulgar, profane, ethnically derogatory messages, pictures, symbols, or depictions of gangs, illegal substances, or alcoholic beverages may not be worn. For further information about the school dress code, refer to Board Policy JCDB or your school guidelines. No wearing distinctive type of clothing or exhibiting distinctive appearance that connotes gang affiliation. Tradtional tribal regalia or objects of cultural significance shall not be prohibited at a public event.

“

think that the

of dress

with

junior Joseph Goodman

“

associate principal

Becky Thiessen

SMSD Dress Code 2022-2023 handbook

senior

A glimpse of foreign lives

peek into the lives of the newest foreign exchange students.

story by jamison ---

Alessia Cattafesta

Alessia Catttafasta is a senior from Italy. She plays tennis and she won her first match on Thursday, September 9. Her favorite classes are math and weight training.

The biggest thing different about South is the school hours because back in Italy, school was from 8am1pm. In Italy her school is smaller with only 1,000 students.

Bianca Ma’squeti

Bianca Masqueti is a senior from brazil. In Brazil she hangs out with her family and her friends. She lives with her mom and dad.

She likes to hang out with her host family because they're funny and very friendly.

Her favorite type of

food to eat in America is pasta. School is much harder in Brazil because there's a lot more classes that you have to take like Spanish, Portuguese, and your normal core classes too.

Ellen Lundin

Ellen Lundin is a senior from Sweden.

Her favorite thing to eat in Sweden is Swedish meatballs. She lives with her mom, dad and her younger sister. She also plays tennis for South and she won her first match on Thursday, September 9. She started playing tennis because she played a little bit in Sweden and it looked interesting to her.

She also likes to hang out and watch movies with her friends and her host family. One of her favorite classes is photography, because the teacher is really nice.

In Sweden there’s only 3,000 people in her school but they don’t switch classes so they stay with the same people. So she only sees the same 30 people every day.

Riko Uehara

Riko Uehara is a senior from Okinawa in Japan. Back in Japan she lives with her mom, dad, grandma, older brother, younger brother and little sister.

Her school in Japan only has one class with the same people in it. They also have to put their phones away when they get to class. In Japan they only have two exams per semester but there's nine subjects in three days.

“People in Japan walk slower

than Americans so it's very hard to get from class to class in just five minutes,'' Riko Uehara said.

Her favorite class that she's taking this year is yearbook because the teacher is very nice and her school in Japan doesn't have a yearbook.

She also plays tennis for South and she won her first match on Thursday, September 9. When school gets out she likes to play tennis with her teammates and likes to hang out with her host family.

lift lift off off

a recap of first pep assembly to kick off fall sports.

story by noel mohamed

Senior

Savannah Montgomery waves to the crowd to a roaring applause during Varsity cheer introductions.

Photo by Julia Schnittker

Senior Pep Exec Fletcher Knowles runs the track to hype up the crowd.

Photo by Julia Schnittker

Senior Pep Executive Fletcher Knowles leads the stadium in a school chant during the Fall Pep assembly. Photo by Julia Schnittker

hard, Play hard

junior Sylvia Brown attends selective summer music camp.

story by greta waller

6:30: Wake up. Run to breakfast. Attend a two hour morning rehearsal, one hour sectional, and class in music theory. Rehearse the Mendelssohn Octet. Play during a private lesson and a 2 ½ hour afternoon rehearsal.

At 5:30, find a cabin and get some solo practice in. Eat dinner. Relax at a bonfire or perform at an evening concert.

Sleep at 10:30.

Repeat.

This was Sylvia Brown’s daily schedule at the Interlochen Center for the Arts. For seven weeks, she lived in a cabin with 18 other girls, 800 miles from home, playing cello for eight hours a day.

“It was a bit terrifying,” she said. “It was the first time I’ve been that far from home for that long.”

Interlochen is a competitive boarding school in northern Michigan where students in grades 3-12 can study music, theater, dance, visual arts, writing, and film. Their summer program includes 2800 students from across the globe. Brown was one of just 26 cello players accepted.

“I applied in January and got my acceptance letter in February…by that time, I was set on going to Interlochen.”

The application process was rigorous. Brown submitted 16 minutes of solo repertoire and learned excerpts from different types of compositions. After a one-week intensive, she auditioned with those excerpts. Her scores determined which orchestra she qualified for.

“It’s very competitive,” she said, “so you have to train your mind. You block out the stress. You accept what you're about to do and go for it.”

Brown has been learning to “go for it” for five years. After a brief stint on the violin in sixth grade, she switched to the cello in middle school. In eighth grade, she joined the Kansas City Youth Symphony. In ninth grade, she became a part of the Kansas City String Quartet. She qualified for district and state orchestra as both a freshman and a sophomore, acquiring first chair cello at last year’s district competition. She has also played locally with the Overland Park Orchestra and the Heartland Chamber Music Festival. Despite these achievements, Brown says some of the most meaningful times spent playing cello are three classes she takes at South: symphonic orchestra, chamber orchestra, and independent music study.

“If I’m stressed out with school, cello is my way to escape,” she said. “I can express my feelings without words.”

In addition to the hours she plays at school, Brown practices

for two hours every day, takes two lessons every week, and tutors elementary cellists. Jonathan Wiebe, South’s orchestra director, started working with her in eighth grade.

“She didn’t have any issues with working hard,” Wiebe said. “I don’t think she’s the most talented kid in orchestra, but she works that much harder and accomplishes more.”

It was that earnest work ethic that propelled Brown to the cabins of Interlochen, where she learned that working smart is just as important as working hard. Being surrounded by world-class musicians created the perfect mix of competition and camaraderie. When campers were dismissed from classes at 5:30, most would spend their evenings working on songs independently. Brown’s mentor challenged her to rethink her practice strategy.

“Instead of practicing for four hours, I’ll practice for two hours,” Brown explained, “but I’ll stay really focused and set goals.”

During a two-hour practice session, some of Brown’s goals may be to improve her technique or memorize a movement, but her cello aspirations reach far beyond. She is already looking forward to returning to Interlochen next summer and applying for other festivals and camps in 2023. After high school, she hopes to major in cello performance and enter the professional orchestra scene.

“Every faculty member I worked with does it all,” she said. “They play in a symphony, they teach lessons, they play cham ber concerts. That’s what I want to do. I want to teach, but I also want to perform.”

Shaped by her experience at In terlochen, Brown is making strides toward a fulfilling professional career. She is researching scholar ships to both Universities and Con servatories. But as a junior at South, she hopes to reclaim her first chair spot at districts during tryouts in November.

n life and especially going into Senior year everyone one has questions. I, as much as anyone, wonder “Where am I gonna go to college? What’s the perfect job for me? Will I ever find my soulmate?” And it is hard not to feel lost. I talked to my friends and family and they couldn’t tell me anything concrete. I read articles about where I should go to college and took quizzes telling me which job I was best suited for but it all felt so nuanced and complex. I needed answers.

One day while I was walking through the streets of Westport, I saw a sign saying “Janet Planet - Psychic Readings” I initially ignored it but I kept thinking about it. But I caved, I called Ms. Planet. She greeted me with a smile. She said the Cosmos had felt my disturbed aura.

After an arduous week of waiting, it was time. I was gonna meet Janet Planet. I walked up the stairs in Pros pero’s Books and I saw her. She had curly bleach blonde hair, iridescent blue eyes and a beauty mark at the top of her left cheek. She was wearing an ornate white blouse and was clad in turquoise jewelry. Immediately she recognized me and called me over to her table. She looked deep into my eyes and then shut hers, as they would remain for the rest of the reading.

I was a little skeptical at first. She opened by talking about how she felt a strong line of men in my family. Something that you could say about anyone. But I didn’t come to learn things I already knew.I wanted to know my future. Much to my surprise, she told me that I might be ready to settle down.. I replied that I was only seventeen, which seemed to surprise Janet and the spirits she was in communication with. Nevertheless, if I was destined to

settle down I needed to know who my Soulmate was. The spirits told Janet that I was destined to be with a woman that I was around but I never saw (to my current partner’s dismay). A woman that was always in a place right before I was there. While I was rationalizing what she said, I was cut-off. Janet had found the path of my future.

She told me to grab a sheet of beige paper. I turned it over and saw it was labeled “FOOD TRUCK”. All of the sudden, something shifted. The Spirits had made their decision:I was destined to be a food truck vendor. I asked Janet if there was a mistake about the card, but it was final. I was to spend my days selling gyros from a mobile restaurant.

But that wasn’t all, I needed to know where. I asked Janet what city my food truck would roam the streets of but the spirits seemed to have trouble conjuring. I willed for a place of warmth and suddenly, she coughed (a spirit lurking in her lungs, she explained). The spirits had obliged: I was to move to Guam. I was going to run a gyro-selling food truck in Guam. My life has been set right in front of me.

Suddenly,the spirits relented and she promptly collected payment as the next spirits of the next subject entered her body. I embraced the women who told me what my life was supposed to become and I walked out a changed man.

All my concerns about what I want to study or what my life was supposed to become are resolved. There are no overwhelming questions in my life. Just dreams of Gyros and Guam.