The Patriot March 2018

The

Patriot

Volume 52 / Issue 7 / March 9, 2018

Knowledge is light Shawnee Mission South 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, ks 66207 (913) 993-7500

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Contents 04

Patriot Staff

News

Newsfeed

School Spirit Column State Results Concussions

Features

Q&A with Alyssa Calvert

Cover photo by Cassandra AWAD

15 Cafeteria Workers 16 Cover Story: Arabic Program 18 Q&A with Isabelle Gusman 19 Boho or Beneficial: Crystals 20 Spring Break Plans Staff Editorial The Debate: Capitalism Guest Column with Caroline Ewing

A&E

Vaping

26 Reviews 27 Slang 28 Staycation Checklist 29 Spring Fashion 30 KC 1-2-3: Bubble Tea 31 Culture Corner

R.I.P. Vine

10 11 12 13 14

21 22 23 24 25

Opinion

Fan of the Game

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 Lead Editorial, which represents the views of the editors. 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-inchief reserves the right to refuse or edit any letters for reasons of grammar, length and good taste.

06 E-Cigarettes 07 Flu Season 08 Band Instruments

Sports

Editor-in-Chief

Sophia Belshe Assistant Editor-in-Chief

Avery Woods News Editor

Lily Wagner Sports Editor

Avery Woods Features Editor

Madison Holloway Opinion Editor

Sophia Belshe A&E Editor

Miah Clark Infographics Editor

Madison Holloway Web Editor & Social Media Manager

Nichole Thomas Ads Editor

Ansley Chambers Copy Editor

Addie Soyski Photo Editor

Cassandra Awad Editorial Cartoonist

Lauren Bass Photographers

Trinity Clark, Abby Cox,

Weston Glendening,

Jenica Kolbeck,

Jillian McClelland Reporters

Blake Atkinson, Daniella Campos,

Emma Harding, Ali Harrison,

Gini Horton, Pablo Jimenez,

Parrish Mock, Megan Smith,

Brynn Taylor Adviser Julie Fales

Table of Contents 03

newsfeed addie soyski and Brynn Taylor

by Ali Harrison copy editor Reporters graphic by madison holloway

a new captain

O

n Feb. 2, Dr. Michael Fulton was unanimously chosen to be the new district superintendent by the Shawnee Mission school board.

“After a lengthy and engaging search process, Dr. Fulton rose to the top as the right leader for our district, both now and into the future,” school board president Brad Stratton said on smsd.org.

The Shawnee Mission community gave lots of input, engagement and insight into the search process over the past months. Fulton was employed by the Pattonville School District for 23 years and spent the last 11 as superintendent. Before working for Pattonville, located in the St. Louis area, he served as assessment coordinator, taught in middle school and also was a fifth and sixth grade teacher.

Dr. Fulton moves into his new role July 1, where he will become the eighth superintendent to guide the Shawnee Mission School District. Fulton will be replacing current Interim Superintendent, Dr. Kenny Southwick, who has served in that role since last summer.

“I really don’t know much about him. I know that he spent time in the previous district for a very long time so there is a lot of history in becoming the superintendent.

It will be a challenge for him, but I’m looking forward to all the things he is bringing to our district,” associate principal Nicholas Platko said.

Dr. Michael Fulton

photo courtesy of shawnee mission school district

up in arms

After the Feb. 14 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, the idea of arming teachers was brought into the spotlight.

“I think giving them guns is a good idea, but we should not give every teacher a gun, but definitely have trained teachers, like a few trained teachers in the building.” sophomore Mark Early

“My opinion on having guns is that I think it’s unnecessary and you’re just bringing a weapon into school.” sophomore Paige

photo by weston glendening

kudos

Neumann

“I think it’s great [that the SROs are armed] because they are trained police officers and they are here to protect our school.” junior Blake Hardesty

Winners for Black History poetry and art contest

1st place went to Lilly Widener for her writing piece “This Is Me Saying Something” 2nd place went to Nina Kulikov for her drawing of “Nina Simone”

04 News

3rd place went to Amaziah Williams for her painting of “African Art Face” 4th place went to Superior Johnson for her writing piece of “The Acknowledgment”

relax and unwind

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fter enjoying yoga in class, juniors Carolyn Schneck and Tess Conley decided to make it an official club.

“I started talking about it sophomore year when I took weights with Mrs. Williams and we always did yoga Fridays and I just really liked it. It just really calmed me down and it’s really good for you. I was like, why don’t I start it,” Schneck said.

If you want to attend the club, meetings are Friday at 7 a.m. in the wrestling room.

photos by abby cox

navigating the currents

C

urrent Affairs Club is the newest club at South to discuss nonpartisan domestic and foreign politics in a safe environment. The club was founded by juniors Chandan Rajanna, Kelly Johnston and club president Milad Jahani, but the idea came from an activity from club sponsor Scott Hirons’ AP U.S. History class, in which they discuss current events and politics.

“We do current events every Friday, and current events day is the best,” Jahani said. “We discuss and debate whatever topics we want to talk about.”

Meeting times aren’t completely official, but they currently meet every other Wednesday afternoon until 4 p.m. in Room 173.

new governor... who dis?

W ithout an election, Kansas has a new governor. Exgovernor Sam Brownback was appointed by President Donald Trump to be the United States Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom after Vice President Pence broke the 49-49 Senate tie. He will be working in the U.S. Department of State to prevent any international religious persecution or discrimination and overall advocate for religious freedom as a part of U.S. foreign policy. He officially took office Feb. 1.

Next in the line of secession for the job was Republican Jeff Colyer.

After attending Thomas More Prep High School in Hays, he took pre-med classes and earned his undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1981, got his master’s degree in international relations at Clare Hall in

trumpdate

Kansas Gov. Jeff Colyer delivers a speech after his swearing in on Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2018, becoming the 47th governor of Kansas. (Bo Rader/Wichita Eagle/TNS)

Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1982, and his Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Kansas in 1986.

In the 1980s and 1990s, he was getting his residency in general surgery before becoming a plastic surgeon, then opened two local practices in 1994. In 2007, he began his two years in the Kansas House

of Representatives. In 2009, he was a member of the Kansas Senate, then in 2011 went on to be the lieutenant governor of Kansas under Brownback.

Now, he’s governor.

“I don’t really know a lot about Colyer’s policies, but from what I gather, they are sort of similar to Brownback’s. However, I do know that he has already talked about working to turn around mistakes made by Brownback,” sophomore Arden Larsen said. “Even though I wouldn’t want him as a long term governor, if he can use his time in office to find a workable solution to [Brownback’s education budget proposal], I think it would be really beneficial.”

The election for governor is still coming up in November, and Colyer was already planning on running.

Depending on the results, he could remain governor or be voted out.

On Feb. 7, Donald Trump proposed the idea for a military parade.

Trump met with those affected by the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the White House Feb. 21.

Trump tweeted in support of arming teachers Feb. 24.

Communications Director Hope Hicks resigned March 1.

Events as of March 1

News 05

phixing the problem

Ken Miguel exhales e-cigarette vapor at The Vape Bar in San Jose, Calif., Oct. 18, 2013. (Dai Sugano/Bay Area News Group/MCT)

School staff takes issue with rising e-cigarette use.

out reports about vaping and that stuff, then we’ll see an increase in awareness,” Winthrop said.

On a national scale, e-cigs have been losing by addie soyski popularity over the past year, according to a report by copy editor the Center for Disease Control. The increase at South graphics by nichole thomas is a statistical outlier. igh schools are often times associated with “That would probably be due to the drug use and modern cultural trends, but the easiness of accessibility, new surge of vaping and electronic-cigarettes the price drop, and the incorporates both. Teenage cigarette usage in the fact that it contains an United States is being surpassed by the likes of e-cigs, addictive drug: nicotine,” according to The New York Times. While e-cigs and Winthrop said. teens are exposed to vaping are widely believed to be safer District policy e-cigarette ads. than traditional means of smoking, bans all devices Shawnee Mission South staff are that could concerned this trend could pose be used to deliver a health risk to students. nicotine, regardless of if the percent of high school “Anytime you do anything vape liquid contains nicotine seniors have used an with inhaling, whether it’s or not. This policy is more e-cigarette in the past a cigarette or an e-cigarette, comprehensive when applied to month. you have no idea how much student athletes. Athletes must nicotine you’re getting. All of follow a drug and alcohol agreement the carcinogens in a cigarette that requires no use of any illegal substance can still be in an e-cigarette. It’s one of at all hours, all year, both on and off those things that’s not regulated enough. You’re still campus, and results in mandatory counseling putting that in your bodies,” nurse Angie York said. if breached. There’s also a possibility of not On Feb. 2, Principal Todd Dain sent an email to being able to participate that season. If any parents regarding the increase of usage by students on student violates policy, they could face and off campus. legal consequences that include “Hopefully, they’re getting a citation and going more aware after we to municipal court, as well as communicate a fine. There’s also a strong with the informational likelihood of a suspension. percent of teens letter.

Overall, I’d Some think this is an odd say some parents don’t know what is choice. are unaware of in their e-cigarette.

“They give out Minor in what their students Possession (MIP) for people are doing at home, or who they catch, which is weird, even at school. I’m just trying to because MIPs are for tobacco, inform them and caution them about the and e-cigs don’t have tobacco dangers of using,” Dain said. in them. It’s nicotine. They’re A concern for the lack of awareness is echoed by not categorizing it correctly.

Student Resource Officer Kyle Lathrop.

But as to the severity of the “If a kid’s doing something illegal, they don’t punishment, it should be up to advertise it to their parents. Their parents might be the administration,” junior Jason aware of the problem, but not necessarily aware that Bare said. their kids are doing it... There aren’t whistles coming from the Statistics gathered from the National FDA or the CDC. Once they put Institute on Drug Abuse.

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7 in 10

16.2

13.7

06 News

photo illustration by emma harding

share the health

This flu season has hit especially hard.

by pablo Jimenez reporter hile everyone had almost a whole week off of school in mid February because of the snow days, many students missed more school days before that because of the flu.

“I missed about a week of school, so it really brought my grades down and then I had to work back and get all my work done and turn it all back in. So it really brought me down, but I got back up,” sophomore Lily Hutton said.

2018 is turning out to be a record breaking year in Kansas City for the flu diagnosis, doctors are saying.

According to an article in The Kansas City Star Feb. 27, there has been at least 1,069 influenza and pneumonia related deaths in Kansas and 1,196 in Missouri.

“There is an increase, definitely, in flu cases. If you got the flu, whether you think you did or whether you have been diagnosed by a doctor, you are not feeling good enough to be at school, so you are at home. Therefore,

W

you miss all of the new instructions and the homework and it’s no fun when you don’t feel good,” nurse Angie York said.

As of Feb. 1, flu cases in Kansas were at 6.6 percent with Missouri at 6.5 percent of children having the flu. This season, only injectable flu vaccines (flu shots) are recommended.

1,069

Influenza and Pneumonia related deaths in Kansas

6.6

percent of children in Kansas diagnosed with the flu this season Some flu shots protect against three flu viruses and some protect against four flu viruses. Besides getting the flu shot, there are still other ways to help prevent the illness.

“Hand washing. I can’t stress that enough, and cleaning surfaces. Use Clorox bleach. Do your pencils, do your badges, do your desks, do your computers, anything like that,” York said. “People will go cough in their hands, which you are not supposed

to do. You are supposed to cough on your sleeves. Students will cough on their hands and then they will go and touch something. Then you come around and you touch it.”

Health officials also recommend frequent hand-washing and covering coughs to prevent the spread of the flu.

“You already spread those germs.

You know, don’t share utensils, don’t share drinks, don’t share your food. If you are sick, stay home until you are healthy,” York said.

Despite this advice, students are still coming to school sick.

“I know a few people that are sick and don’t go to the doctor and they come to school and then they start spreading those germs that cause other people to get sick. Just encourage people, if they are sick, to stay home and go to the doctor,” Hutton said.

The only way to really be sure that one has the flu is to be diagnosed by a doctor. The flu test is like having a strep throat swab.

“Just drink lots of water, rest, fluids and eat right,” York said.

News 07

A Minor change in the band With a unique instrument comes unique responsibilities.

by nichole thomas, Web editor n a high school band, you will find more than a dozen unique sounds all playing in harmony. If you listen closely, you might hear the unique piccolo runs soaring high above the band or the booming bass trombone keeping steady beats.

The musician has a large effect on the personality of the sound, and it becomes apparent in solos. Instruments like English horn and piccolo most often have solos. English horn is related to the oboe, but transposes (sounds) lower.

Sophomore Kira Setty, the first chair oboist in symphonic band, played English horn for a piece last school year.

Senior Kylie Hance is an All-State piccolo player who was selected to play the 2018 Masterworks solo for band. Her instrument is known for being extremely loud because of its high pitch.

“Sometimes I feel like I’m going deaf because it’s so high, and it can be damaging to your ears,” Hance said.

Along with piccolo, the alto clarinet is also known for being extremely high, but the tone on this instrument is a required taste. Band director Steve Adams recently purchased the alto clarinet to be played by sophomore Nichole Thomas in their upcoming concert piece. Sophomore Nic Camburako is playing the contrabass clarinet, which is the lowest transposing clarinet.

Saxophones are well-known for playing jazz music. In South’s jazz band, there are four different saxophones; the size and note range makes each unique. The soprano sax, played by senior Madison Burch, is the highest transposing and the size resembles a clarinet more than a “typical” sax. The other is the baritone saxophone, played by freshman Andrea Edwards. This is one of the largest woodwind instruments in the band.

Last, the bass trombone and sousaphone. Both are part of the low brass family. The bass trombone is played by sophomore Corbin Wood in symphonic band. The sousaphone is played only during marching season and during basketball games in the pep band. Sophomore Jacob Legg is the head-section leader for the sousaphone section in marching band and then switches to tuba during concert season, sitting first chair in symphonic band.

“Sousaphones are a lot larger and they take a lot more effort to play loudly. Tubas are smaller and it’s just easier to photos by abby cox get a clearer tone, while sousaphones are more of a messy tone,” Legg said.

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Contrabass Clarinet Sophomore Nic Camburako

Alto Clarinet Sophomore Nichole Thomas

He has played bass clarinet for four years.

“Everyone told me I’d hate playing alto clarinet, but I actually love it.”

Bass Trombone Sophomore Corbin Wood

Baritone Saxophone Freshman Andrea Edwards

“I like playing lower notes because they’re just more fun to play.”

08 News

“I prefer [playing] jazz music because there’s a lot more interesting rhythms.”

English Horn Senior Kira Setty

Piccolo Senior Kylie Hance

She has played oboe for eight years and started English horn last year.

“My favorite thing [about piccolo] is that it’s so easy to transport. It can fit it my pocket; it’s the best thing.”

Soprano Saxophone Senior Madison Burch

Sousaphone Sophomore Jacob Legg

“I automatically know I’m going to have a solo if it has a soprano part but it’s OK, I’ll just learn it.”

“The section is amazing... we have fun a lot.”

fun-bruary Junior Jainai Moore

1

2

Sophomore Paul Kincaid

Senior Aaron Wilson Junior Jordyn Martin

3 1. Freshman Nick Petrella smiles as he throws his winning scissors in the annual Rock-Paper-Scissors competition. Petrella beat junior Austin Conner to take the trophy home. photo by Trinity Clark 2. Senior Karoline Shelton receives the 2018 Sweetheart crown from alum Elizabeth Holmes. Holmes was the 2017 Sweetheart Queen. photo by Abby Cox 3. Students participate in the “diversity board,� which showcases the diversity at South.

The board filled up since it was installed last month by the Black Student Union. photo by Abby Cox Students pose to show off their costumes for meme day during the Sweetheart spirit week. Costumes included the dancing hot dog Snapchat filter, Kermit and multiple Vine

sophomore Sofia Lanan

references.

photos by Emma Harding

photo essay 09

of the

photo by savannah morgan

Star fans at every girls basketball game receive a reward.

by parrish mock reporter tudents shouting “air ball” and “defense” and bouncing on the bleachers is less common at a varsity girls basketball game than at some other sports, but girls varsity basketball coach Terry Tinich has been giving those students who do attend, and give their loudest cheers, a reward.

Tinich has several adults in the stands paying close attention to any fan who they think is giving the most school spirit. At the end of the game, Tinich talks with those supervising adults to figure out who was most spirited, and they are given the title of Fan of the Game.

“We are trying to build up a fan base for the girls games,” Tinich said.

Cinzetti’s has partnered up with the school to provide the winners with a free buffet and drink. Fan of the Game winners juniors Carolyn Schneck, Emma Ross and Faith Danaher go to every Friday night basketball game to show their school spirit by following the themes and cheering on both girls and boys teams. Both basketball player Meredith Bunker and former basketball player Emma Ross agree that the girls work just as hard as the guys, but don’t get anywhere near the same amount of credit.

“I think it is important to go to both the girls and the guys games because I used to be on the girls basketball team and I know the lack of support they get, so I think it is important to go,” Schneck said.

Although Ross doesn’t think the Fan of the Game

S

Fans watch the varsity girls basketball against East Jan. 9. The East game had the largest turnout of fans for the girls game because people wanted good seats for the boys game.

photo by haley hill

title and prize draw in more of a crowd, she thinks it’s more exciting for the people that do go, because they get recognition for their spirit. Newcomers are not brought in with the incentive, but the loyal fans appreciate the reward.

“I think it’s important to support the team,” Ross said.

Looking into the crowd of girls games, you’ll see the same few students standing in the student section every time. By halftime, the crowd size has increased to almost two rows of the stands. However, this is significantly smaller than the boys games, which fills up half the stands and sometimes more, depending on the opponent and day of the week. At away games, the boys crowds are usually half of what they are at home games, leaving the girls crowd to a measly three or four crowd members who show up for girls games.

Red Wing Store 8920 W. 95th Street OP, KS 66212 913-648-7860

10 Sports

friday night lights out Spring sports don’t receive the recognition they deserve.

mostly made up of parents and teammates. Track coach JJ Wannamaker said that less than 20 people not related to the participating athletes show up to watch.

Show some support for your peers and take an hour out of your day to go see a meet. by gini horton “I would love to see more people attend the meets reporter and support their peers,” Wannamaker said. “Track and photo by cassandra awad field students and athletes work very hard and deserve t’s Friday night. The stands are packed full of excited support.” fans eating concessions; months later these fans are Crowd Control does some work with boys tennis. There packed into the main gym. In the spring, however, are small crowds there cheering them on during matches, these stands sit empty as the athletes compete in a but this is one out of seven sports that get almost no stadium full of their parents and teammates. recognition.

“Besides tennis, there are not really any sports where “I bet some Crowd Control kids could get small groups you sit and cheer the together to go cheer, whole time. There is but I don’t think no other sport where it could ever be as School spirit is a school’s public image, you can start cheers organized as basketball and it should continue on throughout and such,” senior and or football,” Polen said.

Crowd Control member the year, regardless of the sport.

Having school spirit Harrison Polen said. “It’s brings students together, not like in baseball you whether it is over a can really sit there and start chants. In spring, there are rivalry or all wearing pink at a football game. School not as many fast-paced sports to cheer.” spirit is a school’s public image, and it should continue on Football and basketball both have a lot of students who throughout the year, regardless of the sport. attend, and boys soccer has a modest turnout, yet in the “I think it would be good for a group of supporters spring, I have never heard of any events, such as themed to pick an event or two to follow at a meet and show up games, going on during a girls soccer game or a boys and support the team,” Wannamaker said. “The group tennis match. The athletes in spring sports work just as could then pick another event or two the next week and hard, but they don’t get to see a sea of students all dressed support those athletes. It’s hard to spend a whole evening up in the same color or beach clothes. Crowd Control at a meet, but being there for an hour or two would be should be bringing more attention to these games. welcomed by the team.”

“Fall sports are always bigger because you have two Spring athletes have been missing out on the school really big spectator sports... and in the spring, there is no hype and attention that basketball and football get, and flagship sport, I guess. Some people go to girls soccer, and they work just as hard. There should be more recognition there are a lot of people in track, just not a lot watching,” for spring sports; at the very least there should be more sophomore Elias Henderson said. attention towards game times. We as a school should be Track and field events are some of the most better about supporting people at our school that deserve entertaining sports events to watch, yet the crowd is a crowd just as much as any other sport.

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sports 11

state results At State Feb. 16, the following swimmers placed in their events: 200 free relay: fifth (seniors Joe McAtee, Jeff Nasse, Adam Zahnd and freshman Charlie Krause) McAtee sixth in 50 free Freshman Joe Turk ninth in 100 breast 200 yard medley relay: 10th (Nasse, Turk, McAtee, Zahnd) photo by abby cox The boys varsity basketball team finished with an 11-10 season after losing to SM West, 59-63, in the sub-State game Feb. 28.

Seniors Nick Wissel and Hunter Schneider provided leadership for the team.

“I love this team. I love their hard work. And how they go out each and every day to get better. Not only as basketball players, but as people too,” Coach Brett McFall said. photo by trinity clark

ll tba e k s r s ba fou boy arting st

junior Evan Hickman guard “If we get there hopefully we do well but we really have to come together as a team.”

12 Sports

by pablo jimenez reporter

As winter sports wrapped up, some sports took the teams to state while others had individual representatives. Here are the final results for season.

Sophomore Nichole Thomas took eighth place at Regionals Feb. 27 to qualify for State. The boys bowling team qualified for State overall, with sophomore Jayden Dewey taking second, freshman Tucker Kramer taking ninth and Todd Hays taking 10th.

Dewey placed ninth in State March 1. photo by francie wilson The girls varsity basketball team lost to Gardner-Edgerton 37-52 in sub-State Feb. 27.

“We worked hard every game and even though we didn’t win as many as we wanted to we were known throughout the league for our intensity,” varsity coach Terry Tinich said. photo by francie wilson

Seniors Caleb Coissairt and Max Holmes placed third and seventh respectively at Regionals, qualifying them for State Feb. 23 & 24. photo by jenica kolbeck

athlete snapshots

photos and quotes gathered by trinity clark

How do you think you’re going to do at sub-State?

junior Jake Potthoff guard “I honestly think that we could win if we can play better defense.”

senior Nick Wissel guard “I think that we will play pretty well if we communicate like a team.”

senior Hunter Schneider post “Depends on how we play, we need to come together and play with confidence and we can then beat anyone in the state.”

Football is the leading sport in head injuries. Nathan Stiles, a football player at Spring Hill, died from a head injury received from playing football. photo by weston glendening

concussion care

Head injuries hit close to home for some South students.

by megan smith reporter fter getting a concussion in weights class last year, senior Abbagael Johnson was out for the entire girls swim season.

“I was doing incline press, and I reached to put the seat down, and I came up really hard and hit my head on the bar,” Abbagael said.

She went to the school nurse, who told her to go to the KU Med facility, where it was confirmed that she had a concussion.

“I couldn’t do any physical activity for quite a while, and I had to go see the trainer every day,” she said.

Concussions are one of the leading sports injuries for high school athletes.

They affect 1.6 to 3.8 million student athletes in the United States, primarily those who play contact sports like football, soccer or basketball, according to stopsportsinjuries.org. In the Shawnee Mission School District, if a student gets a head injury, the nurse fills out a symptom assessment, and if the student’s symptoms are consistent with a concussion, a letter is sent home to parents.

In order to diagnose concussions, high school athletes take a baseline test every other year without a

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concussion, and when they get a head injury, they retake the test. If they do significantly worse on the retake, athletes should go to a concussion specialist and have further testing.

“The school’s protocol was underdeveloped for quite a while, until the state legislature passed a law about concussions and awareness of them,” athletic director John Johnson said.

In a 2012 statute, the Kansas Legislature passed the School Sports Head Injury Prevention Act, which furthered the restrictions put on athletes after sustaining head injuries.

It holds healthcare providers liable in the event that a student athlete returns to their sport before they have been fully cleared from a licensed medical professional or fails to see a licensed medical professional for their concussion.

The protocol initially changed due to the death of a Spring Hill student, Nathan Stiles, during a football game in 2010.

Stiles got a concussion in a game and was cleared to play too early, but got hit again and was held out for only one game. When he began playing again, Stiles was hit and died of what is called Second Impact Syndrome.

In his memory, Stiles’ parents created the Nathan Project, a Christian organization that donates Bibles to those in need, over 5,000

of which have gone to correctional facilities in the Kansas, Colorado, Iowa and Missouri area.

Now, the nurse, athletic trainer and athletic director collaborate on each student athlete who gets a concussion and make sure that they are ready to re-enter their sport(s).

“I usually see the most concussions in collision sports like football and rugby and contact sports like soccer,” athletic trainer Whittney Findley said.

“They [the Kansas State protocol] have three, four and five step protocols. We use the five step protocol in high school, and what I’ve learned is that in high school, your brain is impacted by your age,” John said.

Because teens’ brains are more underdeveloped than adults’ or professional athletes’, it takes much longer for them to recover and return to their sport. Even after all symptoms are gone, the healing process may not be complete. Athletes can only return to their sport after all symptoms are gone and remain symptom-free after physical activity.

“They [South’s administrators, trainer, and nurse] really try to make sure your body’s ready to go back before you start practicing,” Abbagael said. “I think it really helped.”

Sports 13

Qa &

with senior

Alyssa Calvert

Athlete talks about her experience with CrossFit: training, diet and competition.

by daniella campos reporter

Could you explain what CrossFit is?

It’s rough, first of all, but it’s really high interval workouts. There’s a lot of different things you do.

It’s a mix of weightlifting, gymnastics, we do cardio, we do everything. But, we mostly work on gymnastics, because that’s really good for your body and good for your joints, and then weightlifting is a big part of it.

How did you get into CrossFit? There was a place down the street from my house. I’ve always been kind of interested in it, and I quit playing sports for school, so I was like, “Maybe I should try this.” There was a six week program during the summer and then I ended up just loving it, so I kept doing it.

What does a typical practice look like?

We go in, I like to get there a little early just to give me time to stretch and get ready. Our gym is nothing fancy, just a whiteboard on the wall. It has sections.

One section is the warm-up, so normally you either bike or row for five minutes. You start stretching some areas that you’re going to work a lot that day, [then] you have a more intense warm-up. So, for example, three rounds of kettlebell swings, or box jumps, something like that. Then we have our strength part, which normally it’s any type of lift. Yesterday, we built up as heavy as we could until we physically could not do it anymore. Third section is the workout of the day. That’s where it really gets you. It’s agility; anything to get your heart rate up. My coach also posts all of our workouts to this app we have for our gym. You can do them anywhere. I can see what the workout is today and do it.

Any special diets?

I mean, my coaches always say 80 percent is what you put into your body, 20 percent is what you do at the gym. So your diet is the most important part. I wouldn’t say I have the best diet ever, but I’ve really been focusing on what I eat. When you workout as much as I do, you need to be fueling your body with enough food, which is really hard. For a competition, carbs are your best friend. Rice, oatmeal, peanut butter. You want carbs to give you that energy. You got workouts back to back to back to back, so you have maybe an hour to an hour and a half between every workout. You want to be eating a banana, oatmeal, rice, whatever you can get in that’s going to give you energy to keep going.

Can you describe a competition? How long is it?

What do you do?

My first one was two or three weeks ago, and when you first walk in, it’s pretty intimidating, because there’s a lot of really big girls in there. You walk in and you’re like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re like 10 times bigger than me.’ My heart was beating so fast. I was so nervous. It was nice doing a group competition first, just because I had my friends with me. It was two days. Friday night we did one workout and then Saturday morning we got there super early and we did four other workouts. A lot of competitions like to throw in a floater workout, which you won’t know what it is until you get there.

So you’re competing against other teams or individuals. It’s a lot of fun.

What’s your favorite part?

It gives you this feeling that no sport ever How often do you train? could. All my family, when they came to I train anywhere from four to six days a week, my last competition, they were like, ‘I never anywhere from two to three hours a day. It’s would have seen you doing this. We can’t some long days, but it’s awesome. believe we’re here right now.’ It just gives you this rush. It’s awesome. photo by jillian mcclelland

14 Sports

During second lunch, cafeteria employee Jennifer Elgringhoff prepares walking tacos for students. Around 515 students purchase school lunch each day “I like it. I do! It’s really not bad because it’s simple, goes quick. [It’s] convenient because my kids are in school and I just come to do my work.” Elgringhoff said.

photos by Jillian Mcclelland

Ladies who lunch

A sneak peek into a day in the life of the cafeteria workers.

by Ansley Chambers Ads Editor

T

he cafeteria workers arrive at school as early as 5:30 a.m. to start preparing lunch for the students who are still at home sleeping. Behind the kitchen doors lies a steamy and aromatic room where the cafeteria staff is preoccupied cooking plenty of nutritious food.

While students wander the halls, enjoying the aftertaste of breakfast at 7:40 a.m., they’re not thinking about lunch, but cafeteria manager Cheryl Redmon is. It’s her job to keep everything organized in the kitchen. There are three department heads, including head cook Janet Eubank, who arrive by 7:30 each morning.

“I come in by 6:45 usually and I prepare the taco meats and any pasta we’re having. I cook all that or the sauces for the pasta,” Eubank said. “Then I decide on how much of everything else we make so that when my assistants come in, they know what to cook.”

A whole team of people come in between 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. to help prepare and serve lunch then clean up and get ready for the next day. Twice a week, Redmond orders food based off the pre-decided menu created for the district and how much students tend to eat of each item.

“I think [the food is] pretty good actually. It’s a lot better than when I went to school. We only had one choice and you either ate it or you didn’t,” Redmond said.

Students always have the option to bring lunch from

home if they don’t want to eat school lunch; however, the cafeteria staff eats the food every day so there is no need to worry about being served scary brown and green spoonfuls of unknown substances.

“We just try hard to make sure that [with] menus we’re given... it’s good, that it’s enough and that you guys are happy because you guys are our customers,” Redmond said.

Lunch is what gets most students through the day, making the cafeteria workers so important to the overall quality of students’ days. On average, 515 students purchase a complete meal every day. About 886 students buy single items every day.

According to the cafeteria staff, most students don’t cause any problems, but there are always a few troublemakers. While less than half an hour for lunch is not a lot of time, don’t eat your food in line. It makes it difficult for the staff to keep track of what all is being purchased. Sneaking food out of the serving area without paying isn’t cool.

“You know, I really like the kids. I’d say 99 percent of them are great. Oh, maybe sometimes if they cut... in the line... that’s kind of annoying,” Eubank said.

The cafeteria staff put so much time and effort into making sure that every student is provided a nutritious meal each day, so be sure to be kind and respectful to the people who feed you.

Features 15

Knowledge is light

Arabic program celebrates its 25th anniversary with a festival of culture and language. by sophia belshe Editor in Chief

“A

photo by cassandra awad

ssalaam Alaikum,” Arabic teacher Annie Hasan greets her class and hears a chorus of “Wa Alaikum Salaam” in response.

The traditional Arabic greeting is one of several ways Hasan starts class on a daily basis, before diving into the intricacies of Arabic language and culture.

Students at South have the unique opportunity to study four levels of Arabic, a language not offered at any other Shawnee Mission school.

This year, the Arabic program celebrates its 25th anniversary, and is the longest running Arabic program in the country. Prior to its residency at South, the program was offered through the Center for International Studies (CIS), where students would spend three hours of their day immersed in foreign language and culture.

They would take two hours of foreign language and one hour of geopolitics, all at a different building, much like students do now with programs at the Center for Academic Achievement. The old building, however, closed, likely due to lack of funds and enrollment, but the CIS program was moved to South in 2002.

“I think it offers a sense of community as a whole district... I think it makes us more viable on an international scope,” Directory of Secondary Services and former South principal Joe Gilhaus said.

“It’s not just about the English language or about America, we look at the bigger picture, which is the world view. When you look at all the different course offerings and languages we offer, as a district, I think it’s a huge bonus to create the best for all of our students and make them better, well-rounded students.”

The CIS program included four language options for students: Russian, Chinese, Japanese and Arabic. In 2011, the SMSD Board of Education decided that, due to low enrollment and the rising population of South, three of the four CIS languages would be phased out of South, consolidated, and moved to other schools. With the start of the 2013-14 school year, South no longer offered Russian, Chinese or Japanese, as these programs were moved to North, East and Northwest, respectively.

Arabic, however, kept its roots planted at South. The program has seen growth

in the past several years, with enrollment now over 55.

“We do kind of worry about enrollment every year, but this is the highest enrollment we’ve ever had, in the history of the program,” Arabic teacher Annie Hasan said.

To honor its anniversary, Arabic Honor Society (AHS) will be hosting a festival in the Learning Commons the afternoon of March 24. This celebration will include various booths, such as henna and calligraphy, as well as videos, performances, music, Turkish coffee and food, all organized by students.

“We just want to share the Arab culture and our club and our class in this authentic way that’s going to be really fun for students,” AHS member and senior Samah Boullaouz said.

Founded this year, AHS will also be initiating its new members.

“There were only a few schools before us that had an AHS, in the whole country, and our seniors were really adamant like, ‘We want AHS tassels [at graduation],’” Boullaouz said. “So they’re going to be turquoise.”

Like many foreign language classes, the Arabic program focuses on a mix of language and culture, with crossover as students become more comfortable with the language.

“When they’re in level one, they’re learning culture constantly, because it’s all new to them. By the time they get to two, to three, to four, it’s actually integrated into the reading,” Hasan said. “We talk about what’s an appropriate cultural reaction to certain thing, versus what would, typically, be kind of an American reaction to things. Most of it’s just integrated into music they listen to or videos they watch in class, whatever it might be.”

Today, Arabic is spoken by nearly 300 million people

“the only way to understand different cultures, is ... to actually speak to people and create relationships. I think it is very important to learn any language, but especially Arabic right now.”

16 Cover Story

-Arabic teacher Annie Hasan

Arabic is the official language of over 20 countries around the world.

worldwide and is an official language in over 20 different countries as well as the United Nations, playing a key role in global communications and international affairs, according to clsscholarship.org. According to a 2014 Pew Charitable Trust study, Arabic has surpassed Italian and Polish on the list of top 10 non-English languages in common use in the U.S., with use surging more than 70 percent since 2000. For these reasons, the U.S. State Department has named Arabic a “critical language,” creating scholarships for language study in the U.S. and overseas.

“I think it’s one of the most important languages to learn of our time. I, myself, have benefited from numerous scholarships to further my language studies as a teacher,” Hasan said. “I also think it’s more important than ever before to try and build as many bridges with the Arabic speaking world as possible, and I think the only way to increase understanding, and really understand different cultures, is to not use Google Translate; it is to actually speak to people and create relationships. I think it’s very important to learn any language, but especially Arabic right now.”

Senior Brittany Kulla is a semi-finalist for one of the State Department-funded study abroad programs, the National Security Language Initiative for Youth (NSLI-Y). Applying for this program is free, but requires essays, short answers and general information about the applicants.

“I’m the oldest you can be for this specific program, and it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Kulla said. “I love the [Arabic] culture and the language is beautiful.”

While many students across the language department share Kulla’s love of learning about different cultures and languages, the goal of the March 24 Arabic celebration is also to share a culture not many students know much about.

“People have conceptions of what they think that Arabs and Arab culture is like, and most of the time, when you don’t understand something, it’s because you don’t know it well enough, or you don’t like something,” Boullaouz said. “The first step to learning about a culture is learning about the way people speak, because communication is just so important... You can only learn so much by just looking at people. You have to learn how to speak with them, and the only way to do that is through language.”

Common arabic Phrases Marhaba - hello Maa salama - goodbye Shukran - thank you Afwan - you’re welcome Mish Mushkila - no problem Yalla - hurry up; let’s go Khallas - enough; stop Wallahi - I swear Mabrook - congratulations Insha ‘Allah - “God Willing”; hopefully

Cover Story 17

QA &

with

Isabel Gusman

By Blake atkinson Reporter Photo by Cassandra awad

Junior talks about first year of Ethics Club and success at competition.

What is the ethics bowl?

The National High School Ethics Bowl is an extracurricular, collaborative, discussionbased tournament where high school students attempt to produce the most optimal outcome using their best judgment and knowledge of philosophical concepts and moral ideals to solve ethical dilemmas.

Why did you decide to start the club?

Towards the end of my sophomore year, I decided I wouldn’t be doing policy debate anymore, so I could reserve time to independently study philosophy on the side through online courses, but as soon as I found that there was an organization specializing in this particular subdiscipline, I figured devising a team would both be beneficial to South and my interest in ethical inquiry. It was a risk I was willing to take.

Who else was on the team?

Ethics Club sent two teams: Teams Green and Gold. Green consisted of Lexington Link, Nate Pulliam, Lucy O’Connor, Ben Shaw and me. Gold consisted of Arden Larsen, Cyan Ridge, Addie Soyski and Caroline Tuohey.

What did a typical meeting look like?

At first, it was intensely structured, with emphasis of the objective, watching YouTube videos of what a round looks like and what philosophical argumentation should exemplify, introducing logical fallacies and such. Yet as we grew on to each other, thus making meetings more informal, our moral compasses finally started to align and meetings became easier to facilitate.

What went into preparing for the Ethics Bowl?

A lot of food. Slim Jims and chips and water bottles, to be precise. We would sit in a circle and munch on snacks while we annotated each case. Occasionally, I would AirPlay videos of what a round looks like so we could return to our meeting and emulate the procedure. Some of us did outside research which was especially helpful for the cases that dealt with bioethics. The structure was very laid back since I was improvising the entire time, but now that I’ve gained an idea of what to do and what not to do, we’ll be booking for next year.

What troubles did you have getting ready?

Lack of attendance and comprehension of the subject. Some people would barely show up half the time which delayed our case progress, forcing us to adapt to time constraints as Feb. 3 quickly approached. Then when people would show up, it eventually turned into an echo-chamber of obscure yet enticing discussions or, rarely, heated arguments between members.

What was the competition like?

On a broad scale, both teams underwent three preliminary rounds and as soon as the schools qualified to be power-matched into semifinals, which included Team Gold, at that moment the pressure was on. Personally, I enjoyed the amount of stress and critical thinking that came with it. It taught us all how to think quickly and insightfully on the spot, which is a skill priceless in the real world.

What plans do you have for the club in the future?

With all the positive feedback I got from the club members and especially with [English teacher Drew] Baranowski officially implementing the case studies in his English 10 curriculum, I’m confident South has an overwhelmingly solid future in the Missouri High School Ethics Bowl. I plan to keep it alive for next year, and if someone is willing to facilitate it after I graduate, I’ll be more than happy to help coach.

18 Features

Boho or Beneficial?

Hippie trends don’t always have to be hoaxes.

by Miah Clark A&E Editor

graphics by Miah Clark

C

rystal healing uses the natural vibration, structure and color of crystals to allow positive, healing energy to flow into the body and allow negative, ailment-causing energy to flow out. Our entire bodily system is nothing more than energy, which shows up in various patterns and densities on different parts of our body. When these patterns of energy work together in a balanced way, that is when we are at our best health.

Crystals radiate pure patterns, which are created and established in subatomic particles. When these particles combine, they produce atoms, molecules and minerals.

Based on the unique chemical composition that each crystal has, they have different properties that are used to heal different things. For example, the most natural elements are known to purify, and carbonates are known to help build strength, while expelling unwanted elements.

As well as their chemical composition, the structure of crystals is also important to their healing ability. These structures and geometric patterns reside in our systems and organs, and when paired with crystals of similar structural patterns, the energies produced from our bodies and the crystals align, allowing your bodily energies to balance and thus bettering your health.

While skeptics often reason that there are few statistics about the effectiveness of crystal healing, it is fact and physics that our bodies and crystals both radiate energy, and that the energies given off by our bodies, if thrown off balance, can affect our well-being. While you obviously cannot rely entirely on crystals to cure intense ailments or injuries, they are still a worthy investment for smaller problems, including headaches, muscle pain or common colds.

Watch out

To read about more Hippie Trends visit smsouthnews.com

Miah’s Picks blue kyanite transmits and amplifies high-frequency energies, and is known to align and balance your body’s energies almost instantly.

It is great for calming, allowing thoughts to flow clearly and even issues with your throat or voice, such as a cough or hoarseness. green aventurine works to release negativity and blockages of negative energy.

It is great for healing ailments of the lungs, liver, sinuses and heart. The energy it emits is very soothing, and helpful in working through emotional issues. It is also known for its promotion of creativity and perception. lepidolite is made up of mica and lithium, literally being the crystallized and most raw form of a mineral used in common antidepressants.

The vibrations of this stone help shift and restructure old energy patterns, helping you open up to receive higher frequency energies.

It is said to “bring light and hope to situations,” and is great in assisting with depression, bipolar disorder, OCD and even one’s day to day stresses. indigo kyanite is very similar to the blue kyanite, and a wonderful stone for overall balancing. It is also great for headaches and stimulating dreams, and has even been said to promote mindfulness and inspire loyalty within someone.

A

n easy way to incorporate the benefits of crystals into your day to day life is with jewelry. But with retailers you may love including Etsy, Charming Charlie’s, Forever 21 and many more broadening their products to include crystal representative jewelry, these aren’t the places you really want to be shopping at if you are looking for true healing results. Counterfeit crystals, while still pretty, are most often made of plastic, which sadly does not contribute to your wellness. When shopping for crystals and crystal jewelry, make sure you do your research to guarantee that the stone you are buying is real and of a high quality. Trustworthy stores including healingcrystals.com and Heaven and Earth Jewelry.

Features 19

springing into break

Whether it’s all the way in Europe, or staying here in Kansas, students and teachers plan to get the most out of their break.

by Parrish Mock Reporter

W

ith a former basketball player and now professional player friend in northern Italy, social studies teacher Brett McFall and his wife decided to take a trip across the pond.

They will be starting their trip in Switzerland to ski in the Swiss Alps. Then they will be heading a little north to Munich, Germany to visit Dachau, the first of the Nazi concentration camps opened in Germany that was intended to hold political prisoners.

“I am especially excited to visit the concentration camp, because, being a history teacher, I have always wanted to do something like that,” McFall said.

The traveling doesn’t stop there, because then they will head to Italy and spend five nights with a former South basketball player, and now Italians professional player. McFall is also hoping to sneak in a day trip to Venice, Italy.

S

ophomore Rochelle Adamous will be spending her spring break enjoying time with her friends, doing some spring cleaning and celebrating the Persian New Year, all while staying right here in Kansas.

“I like to go hammocking, chill at the park, watch backyard movies on a sheet and talk around a fire with my friends, because during school weeks it’s hard to spend time with them,” Adamous said.

Persian New Year is celebrated around the time of Spring Break, so it’s easier and cheaper to just stay in Kansas instead of flying somewhere else.

H

eading to Hilton Head, South Carolina, seniors Saba Levendusky, Elena Kernen, Madison Holloway, Claire Kelley, Bethany Ward, Emily Coleman and Jenna Alfaro will be making their way down south. Thanks to Claire Kelley’s grandparents, the girls will be staying in a condo on the beach and will enjoy shopping, swimming and bike rides along the coast.

“I’m excited to bike on the beach and get a tan,” Levendusky said.

20 Features

Staff Editorial: Languages

Editorial Cartoon by Lauren Bass

O

ver 20 percent of Americans speak a language other than English at home, according to the 2011 U.S. Census. But even though many citizens speak multiple languages, American culture is still starkly monolingual.

Taking a foreign language in high school is not nationally mandated in America, though it is required by certain colleges. In contrast, most Europeans start studying their first foreign language by the age of nine.

For 20 European countries, studying a second language for at least one year is compulsory. Though Europe has a much different geography which allows for cultures to mix more easily, Americans are still at a disadvantage.

With a much faster world around us and the large amount of immigrants and foreigners that we may see or communicate with daily, we need to be able to understand multiple languages in order to get our ideas across.

Immigration has become a subject of debate throughout our nation.

Americans are often hostile towards immigrants, especially when they don’t speak English. We tell them, “Speak English, you’re in America!”

But when we go to other countries, we expect them to cater to our

monolingual needs. American tourists are infamous for being ignorant towards the fact that not everybody speaks English. We are often resented by other countries for our arrogance in believing that we should always be accommodated.

Some American schools are working to lessen the language barrier between certain minorities.

The Blue Valley School District has a world language immersion class, where most of the curriculum is taught in Chinese. Kindergarten students are enrolled in the class and they spend their entire elementary schooling learning in Chinese, in addition to the mandatory English classes. The French immersion school, Académie Lafayette, located in Kansas City, MO, is a K-8 school where most of their subjects are taught in French.

These charter schools are selective and require an application.

Bilingualism also makes you smarter. A brain that is used to switching between languages proficiently is more capable of multitasking and switching from one task to another, according to britishcouncil.org. Bilingual people also outperform monolingual people in memory tests according to APA PsycNet. According to the U.S.

National Library of Medicine, the onset of dementia symptoms can be delayed by up to five years in elderly people who are bilingual. The brains of bilingual patients with Alzheimer’s function similarly to those with less cognitive degeneration as well.

It’s important to have a few years of foreign language under your belt as you graduate and head out into the real world. Two years of a foreign language is often required by colleges, though it isn’t required to graduate. It can also help you get a job, because bilingual applicants are much more attractive in the business world compared to monolingual applicants.

Being able to speak two languages broadens the reach of a company and gives them more foreign business opportunities.

So learn another language. Get cultured. Being bilingual is beneficial to your life and our country.

7/9 editors agree with the views expressed in this editorial

Opinion 21

The Debate: Capitalism Pro:

By Gini horton Reporter Photos by Cassandra Awad ince when did capitalism become a dirty word? Capitalism is economic opportunity and creative freedom, not a heinous crime. Too many people don’t appreciate the benefits of our capitalist economy. With it we have freedom and liberty.

Some argue that a government regulated market would be better. However, as soon as the faulty, corruptible people in government are put in charge of putting regulations and taxes on the free market, there is less freedom. If the government were put in charge of the market, there would no longer be the guaranteed creative freedom we have now. The government would be able to pick and choose who succeeds and who fails. America is the land of opportunity, and opportunity is liberty.

With socialism, everything would hypothetically become an equal playing field for everyone. Socialism, however, kills the light of opportunity and ambition by removing risk and competition. If you are going to go to work and make the exact amount of money as everyone in your field, why should you work harder than anyone else?

Socialism takes away the incentive to compete. Socialism puts the government in charge, but the government can’t create wealth; it can only hinder it by taking away the freedoms the free market brings today.

Capitalism gives people the opportunity to pursue their dreams freely. Without capitalism, you wouldn’t be able to control your goods and services completely. Capitalism has kept the world on track for success since the Industrial Revolution. There is a reason economies grew at that time.

Great Britain became a world power in the Industrial Revolution because of capitalism. History has proven time and time again that capitalism is the system that works best.

Recent generations have been giving up on capitalism and leaning towards economic systems in which there is a value of equal outcomes as opposed to equal opportunity.

They do not take into account that, by nature, humans live different lifestyles. Instead of celebrating our freedom to choose our lives, we are feeling bad for other people and getting rid of our opportunities out of guilt.

Capitalism is the only proven way to lift people out of poverty. Unfairness in living conditions come from a difference in how people like to live. When you look at the rest of the world, capitalist markets make the most money. According to the 2017 IMF, the United States has the strongest economy, so not sharing hard earned money is not selfish, it is common sense. Capitalism is common sense; it is how the world works.

S

Con:

By blake atkinson reporter

S

ince the Industrial Revolution, the world has been dominated by the capitalist system. While this system has lead to prosperity in many western countries, it has done so on the backs of the third world and the poor of their own nations. This system must be reformed or replaced before humanity is able to progress.

According to UC Berkeley, in the 1970s, the top one percent of wealthiest people controlled 8.9 percent of the wealth. In 2013, it had more than doubled to 22 percent.

According to the AFL-CIO, the average CEO in 2016 had a 341:1 ratio in terms of pay to his workers. In 1980, it was just 42:1. This massive rise in income inequality has been largely thanks to the anti-labor policies of the Reagan administration, which has allowed for many working class employers to muscle out unions and many middle class employers to stop unions from ever forming. Many people claim that these people are simply not trying hard enough and relying too much on welfare, calling for cutting things such as Social Security. However, the average CEO has $47 million in their retirement funds, while the average for all 401k accounts is just $18,000, forcing them to rely on social security in their older age.

Another problem is the lack of wage growth.

According to the Economic Policy Institute, since 1948, productivity has gone up 241.1 percent. However, wages have only gone up 112.2 percent. A large amount of growth happened during the post World War II boom and wage increases have largely stagnated since 1972. Part of this stagnation is due to monopoly policies. Nearly every major industry is controlled by a few large companies or corporations. While, theoretically, competition will help raise these, nearly every company in our country avoids competition like the plague.

A common argument for capitalism is the free market’s ability to create the best living conditions. But after the 2007 recession, the government spent billions to keep many large American corporations from folding, even though the free market should have let them fail. During the Great Depression, the only thing that stopped conditions from worsening was massive government spending and work programs. The free market solution of sitting back for the first few months just made everything worse.

While full blown socialism or communism might be hard to reach in America, we can look at other countries such as Sweden. They have managed to take free market capitalism, mixed with large social welfare, so the government has control over important industries. They have managed to provide very high living standards while still maintaining the capitalist system.

Response: Pro: 44% 22 Opinion Raider Poll of 32 voters via SMSPatriot on Twitter

Con: 56%

photo illustration by Emma harding

Dead on the Vine “I’m a bad [app]...

You can’t kill me.”

The main demographic of Vine, what would be considered to be late Millenials and early Generation Z, devoured the bizarre humor that was common on the app.

Today’s teenagers favor an absurdist style of humor. It has

By Lily Wagner been compared to the Dadaist movement from the post News editor World War I era. Current teen humor is an extension of that respected art movement, borrowing its rejection of tradition and feeling of being disillusioned with the world. uch to the dismay of its users, the Vine app was The importance of Vine extends beyond its popularity shut down Jan. 17, 2017. It was replaced by Vine as a social media network. Vine was and is relevant and Camera, which allowed users to create short accessible across all races, religions and socioeconomic videos which would then be shared on Twitter. At the groups. It gave minorities, more specifically people of time, Vine’s closure seemed like the end of the world to its color, a place to create that lacked the restrictions and users, but it was for the better. The app had been hard to discrimination that made other platforms more difficult use, difficult to navigate and at times, overwhelming. to succeed on. Vine was a launching ground for creators In the weeks after Vine “died,” a Vine rebirth began. like King Bach and Victor People began posting “RIP Pope Jr. After gaining Vine” compilations across “Vine is essential to current teen large followings on Vine, social media. Vine “threads” culture. We watch Vines with our many creators shifted their appeared on Twitter. “Milk careers to focus on acting, and Vine” was published, friends like we would a TV show.” music and comedy. featuring famous vines For now, Vine as a printed as poems modeling platform is dead. The app no longer functions as a video the style of “Milk and Honey” by Rupi Kaur, a popular sharing network. The website is essentially an archive. poetry book. Suddenly, it was easier to access the best The Vine community, which according to The Motley Fool vines. They could be consumed in a manner similar to the was 200 million strong as of 2015, has dispersed back onto “binge-watching” that is currently popular. other social media sites.

Vine is essential to current teen culture. We watch However, with the prospect of “Vine 2,” the video Vines with our friends like we would a TV show. We dress sharing service could have a shot at being resurrected. up as our favorite vines for “meme day” during Spirit Dead or alive, Vine seems to have its significance Week. We weave the most iconic punchlines into our cemented in not only the hearts of its conversations. Vines became inside jokes between creators users, but in pop culture history. and users.

M

Opinion 23

To vape or not to vape The regulation for South students’ choices will increase with these products.

By Brynn taylor reporter Photo by Cassandra awad he ongoing problem of students vaping at school has finally gained more attention because of a letter sent out by Principal Todd Dain. It mentioned the products being used and how the school is trying to regulate their usage. This problem is one I am far too aware of.

The Juul and Phix are popular devices in some students’ everyday lives and is something we may have heard of. Currently, it’s almost normal to see one being used in the school bathroom or in the Shawnee Mission South Environmental Science Lab (SMESL). Some say it is the rebellious nature of teenagers that is making us choose to smoke when we shouldn’t. Even though it is water vapor, there are still tobacco and cannabis e-cigarettes being used. I think it’s ignorant that students and adults want to smoke something dangerous out of a rather safe thing. I call it safe because we are able to help addiction to cigarettes by using vapes, but we are creating addiction again by introducing these products to young people.

Smoking blunts or pipes for pleasure can cause a dramatic change in dependency on the drug. Minor inconveniences from the drug include trouble thinking and remembering, bloodshot eyes, dry mouth, the “munchies”, fast heart rate and slowed coordination.

If you vape on your own time and it isn’t affecting your school life, I honestly couldn’t care less. But students shouldn’t be doing it at school or during class. Some kids are going to the bathroom, taking a hit, getting a buzz,

T

then going back to class after five minutes, but some kids leave for 30 minutes at a time. That’s almost a whole class period. I’ve also noticed that some teachers are super oblivious to the situation and I’m stunned. Having to leave class just to get in a quick high should not be something that is affecting our learning time.

Leaving class for so long can really take a toll on a students’ grades. We shouldn’t be so reliant on an electronic device, whether it be a vape or even your phone or laptop. There are many other things that can take up your time. In general, if you’re mad or upset, or maybe just bored, do something you like to do. It could be a sport, reading or hanging out with your friends. There are other ways to feel calm and less stressed. You don’t need to “vape” as a remedy. Plain and simple.

Vaping is a common thing, but that doesn’t mean everyone does it. Many kids who strictly don’t vape can’t be persuaded in any way to even try it. That goes the same for those who vape all the time. If you tell them to stop, there’s no way they’re going to listen to you, unless they want to stop.

I don’t have a problem with vaping if you are trying to get rid of a tobacco addiction. It’s when kids start doing it at school (which is against school policy), and start to interrupt their learning time and change their priorities to revolve around vaping. That is when I have an issue with it. Keep vaping in your private life. Bringing it to school can only lead to bad things. Stay safe and be smart about your rebellious acts, as in this day and age, anything can have a consequence.

“I think it’s ignorant that students and adults want to smoke something dangerous out of a rather safe thing.”

24 Opinion

Crank dat caroline English teacher revives her high school column.

P

By Caroline ewing Contributing Columnist

lease consider this column a gift to you. And -- in advance -- you are so welcome. This is a comprehensive list of reasons you should thank your guardians for settling in the 435 corridor between Mission and Pflumm (and never bothering relocating to South Leawood when it got fancy). This is about the underappreciated nuances of our beloved institution. Next time you feel inclined to disregard the federal mandated call to adhere to your educational responsibilities (skip school), or the next time you are feeling lackluster about the education system, or the next time you are feeling disengaged in what some call “school spirit,” just give this article a once over and hopefully you will feel better.

1) The Bowling team. They are so cool. They just won the Sunflower League #wow. The other day, I saw a bowler wearing army pants and flip flops... so I bought army pants and flip flops.

2) Mr. Budetti’s tweets. I know he is generally regarded as the most hilarious man, but until his tweets are printed as an addendum in the Heritage yearbook and personally autographed by the man himself, we are not appreciating them enough. Thank you, Tony. We will all be better off when lent is over and you return to the internet where you belong. In fact, I would prefer not to see you in person until then. It’s just a constant reminder of what we have all temporarily lost.

3) The bottles of ranch in the cafeteria. Definitely something no one talks about, definitely something that is awesome. Craftily positioned at several posts throughout the assembly, and surprisingly not that distasteful.

4) Annaleigh Hobbs’ unique rendition of the morning

photo by jenica kolbeck

announcements. Apparently, some people don’t like them?

Get over yourself. Hobbs’ announcements are the best thing that has happened to third hour since Todd Dain wrestled that evil man. In fact, I have it on good authority from Ramona Weigel (the legend herself) that these are the most well-read/entertaining announcements ever in the history of announcements.

5) Our school colors! The Green and Gold!! Yay!.... Wait.

Nevermind. They are dreadful.

6) How you can look/dress any sort of way and nobody really cares. Generally, most everyone from every clique or walk of life wears a hoodie 50 percent of the time, and the other percent of the time all bets are off. I don’t even blink anymore when I see a student with green or blue hair, or a full length denim dress, or a full fledged sun hat walking down the halls. For a while, I was slightly taken aback by a radically confusing trend of young people dying their hair silver, but I have since adjusted (even though you look like oddly unwrinkled senior citizens).

No. I am no longer moved by much. Heck, last week I saw an odd, blonde lady wearing a “love yourself” sign and waving a rubber chicken in people’s faces. Nobody cared.

7) The theater program. I’m obsessed with those people.

And I now have an inexplicable adoration of Disney plays where the characters can fly.

8) The Green Bean... I am their first and most loyal customer. Do I wish they would appreciate me more?

Yes. Do I wish they would assign someone to shake my hand and announce my arrival each morning? Yes. Do I wish they would erect a statue or at least a nicely drawn portrait of my face near the TV that doesn’t work? Yes. But despite their perpetual underappreciation, I still love them. Roasterie coffee is just something I never thought I would have access to in a high school setting. LONG LIVE THE BEAN. 9) The students. The staff. Todd Dain.

Letter to the editor

M

y name is Asher Norberg and I am the copy editor of the SMNW Passage. I am typing this out of my love and respect for student journalism. I was reading the December issue of The Patriot and had some questions as to why you chose to run the column, “In Defense of Donald.” As the former opinion editor, I love columns of every political persuasion, given that they are well researched and fact-based.

This is why I have such a huge issue with this column.

The only source it cites is the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Trump himself. In some cases, this column is flat out false. “In less than a year, the economy has grown more than it has in the past decade.” From the research I have done, that claim is false. If there is any evidence of this claim, I would love to see it.

Furthermore, the U.S. President has little control over

the U.S. economy, and even if he did, it will take years to see the economic effect of the legislation the Trump administration has passed. The writer giving Trump credit for the economy he inherited is also interesting, considering it makes up the majority of her defense of the President. There are also spelling errors in the sidebar of this column. “Withdrawl” and “withdrawls” are not words. I believe the word Gini Horton was looking for was “withdrawal.”

Again, I have complete respect for student journalists who choose to voice their opinion in the form of columns.

If my paper were to run anything like this column, I would encourage someone to speak up in defense of factual information.

Asher Norberg

Opinion 25

turtles all the way down

by avery woods sports editor asst. editor in chief ohn Green’s newest novel, “Turtles All the Way Down,” explores the issues a high school girl with obsessive-compulsive disorder faces with a twist of mystery and romance. When a $100,000 reward is posted for finding a disappeared billionaire, 16-year-old Aza gets pulled into searching for him by her best friend Daisy. They eventually meet the billionaire’s son, Davis, and romance blooms. All throughout the events, Aza battles her tightening spiral of obsessive thoughts and feelings. It starts slow, but once it gets going, it’s a page-turner. I enjoyed the brief romance, but I feel like the disappearance of a billionaire really isn’t the gist of the story. The conflict is more between Aza and her own brain as she tries to ignore the compulsions that she experiences. I think that the best part about this book is not only the humorous writing and deep ideas, but how Green describes OCD without romanticizing it. Green used his own experiences with OCD to contribute to this realistic novel.

He illustrates how helpless Aza feels and the reader really feels as though they are experiencing her struggles, too.

reviews

J

little dark age

by jenica kolbeck photographer GMT has been attempting to top their hit song “Kids” from their album “Oracular Spectacular” for 11 years.

The band continues to fail. Their most recent album, “Little Dark Age,” is no exception.

The album is repetitive and monotonous.

The band stays with their electric roots throughout the album, but some songs later in the album, such as “When You’re Small” and “James,” sound as if they have early David Bowie influences. The first half of the album set the bar very low, so these songs and others later in the album were a kind of a relief. By far the best song on the record is “Hand It Over,” a mellow song that is easy to listen to for fans of any music genre. While this song is in no way better than their 2007 cultural phenomenon “Kids,” it isn’t bad. The album as a whole still disappoints.

M

the end of the f***ing world

T

by madison holloway, features & infographics editor his pitch-black rom-com is a Netflix original TV show based off of Charles Forsman’s graphic novel series “The End of The F***ing World.” It follows James (Alex Lawther), a self-diagnosed psychopath and Alyssa (Jessica Barden), a social outcast with the mouth of a sailor as they travel across Britain committing crimes and falling in love. The show puts a refreshing spin on classics like “Bonnie and Clyde and “Romeo and Juliet” by exploring topics like suicide, rape and mental health with a boldness you won’t find in many “onair” TV shows. Although the show includes plenty of sensitive, and sometimes graphic, content, it never feels exploitative or overdone. Truly, the most shocking thing for audiences will be how crushingly relatable James and Alyssa’s struggles are. The show does these issues justice with characters just as vivid and honest as its imagery. A gritty voice, hilariously ironic soundtrack and quirky visual style are constants throughout the whole series. The turbulent plot and unique characters will surely keep you at the edge of your pillow while you binge-watch this show over Spring Break.

26 A&E

What’s the

Word?

Breaking down the definitions of your favorite slang words.

L

by ali harrison, reporter et me spill some tea for y’all: as another year comes and goes, so does another set of slang. Whether it’s shortening words like “legitimate” to “legit,” changing the meaning of words and phrases like “bet” and “lit,” or even making up words like “skrt,” we, as humans, and especially as teenagers, change our language to evolve with us. Totally rad, right?

“Slang is saying something that means something else,” freshman Emontise West said.

For example, when the cool kidz say they’re going to “throw hands,” they’re not going to do so literally. They just mean they’re going to fight, lowkey, tho.

Because slang words are trends, they fade in and out of use. Some aren’t verbal, but are instead used on social media. Everyone uses acronyms like “lol” and “omg,” but there are newer ones like “wdym” and “wth.” Online slang goes hand in hand with the production of memes. TheRE wAs tHE sPonGeboB mEme wHeRE evEryONe cAPItaLizeD rANdoM lEtTers tO mOck eACH OtHer. The reverse is also big facts: memes are produced. The “salt bae” meme with guy sprinkling salt. That meme wouldn’t have been possible without the development of the word “bae.”

As well as slang being popular for the crazy teens, it can be regional. Midwesterners use “ope” when we run into something or someone. No other Americans use it, just us in the fly-over states.

There’s also language specific based slang. For instance, figurative language, a more formal and literary version of slang, doesn’t translate between languages. English idioms don’t directly translate.

Basically, slang is a fat part of language and overall culture. Without it, we’d literally have an exact idea of what everyone was actually saying.

Deh?

slang stats

bet

lit

n, v, adj

Yes, I agree, sure, that’s a plan.

legit /li’jit/

adj

skrt /skert/

n, v

abbreviation of legitimate, meaning not fake, real; used to describe a noun that is of a particularly excellent quality

an onomatopoeia for the sound of burning rubber when you peel out in a car; often used as “skrt skrt,” said with a minor voice crack

lit /lit/

adj

when something is turned up or popping, typically a party

lowkey/'lō ', kē /

adj

to not announce something; not much emphasis, closely aligned with a normal night out doing the usual stuff

yeet /yēt/

v

to violently throw an object that you deem to be worthless, inferior or just plain garbage; an extremely expressive word that can be used in many situations

tea /tē/ ope /ōp/ gossip, the scoop, news

n n

only used in the Midwest when someone cuts in front of you rudely, when you’re surprised, when you bump into someone, or when something is offensively funny

South’s favorite words

low key

bet /bet/

deh?

53% 24% 14% 9%

taken from a poll of 43 votes via smspatriot on twitter

A&E 27

staycation checklist Staying at home can still be fun.

by daniella campos reporter

KU game

Grab a ticket to go see one of the best college basketball teams just an hour away at the Big 12 Men’s Basketball Championship Game at the Sprint Center.

$195 for one ticket March 9: 6 p.m March 10: 5 p.m.

1407 Grand Boulevard, Kansas City, MO 64106

The Zoo

Go with your family or with friends for a day. It’s getting nicer out, anyways. $16 for adults (12 and under) $15 for seniors (55 and older) $13 for children (11 and under) Free for children ages two and under 9:30 a.m. - 4 p.m. daily 6800 Zoo Drive, Kansas City, MO 64132

The West Bottoms

Old industrial buildings are now cute stores, restaurants, antique stores and coffee shops. Go explore them.

The Pink Daisy antique furniture

1413 W 11th St, Kansas City, MO 64101 Good Juju antiques 1420 W 13th Terrace, Kansas City, MO 64101 Blip coffee shop 101 Mulberry St, Kansas City, MO 64101 Lucky Boys bar and grill 1615 Genessee St, Kansas City, MO 64102

in theaters

“Rascal Rebel Rabbit” “Pad Man” “Entanglement” “The Female Brain” “Golden Exits” “Monster Family” “First, We Take Brooklyn”

The Nelson-Atkins Museum

Analyzing intricate pieces of art and wandering the glass maze are for sure a good way to spend your spring break.

Free, unless for special exhibits 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Wednesday 10 a.m. - 9 p.m. Thursday through Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Saturday through Sunday 4525 Oak St, Kansas City, MO 64111

World War I Museum

With the ability to experience and appreciate history so conveniently close, why not stop by?

28 A&E

$16 for adults $14 for seniors (65 and older) $14 for college students (ID required) $10 for youth (18 and under) Free for children six and under 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday 2 Memorial Drive, Kansas City, MO 64108

FASHION

Welcome the warm weather with these hot seasonal styles.

spring

by miah clark A&E editor photos by jenica kolbeck

Pictured: sophomores Avery Yarbrough and Matthias Miller

florals With plants beginning to bloom outside, why wouldn’t you want them to do the same on your outfits? Spring up an outfit with a floral pattern of any variety.

Pictured: seniors Tara Phillips and Samah Boullaouz

pastels While autumn entails warm colors, winter with cool tones and summer vibrant shades, spring calls for softer, muted colors. Fit the mood by pulling some pastels from your wardrobe.

No spring outfit is complete without the perfect shoe.

Pictured: sophomores Emily Lang, Matthias Miller and junior Broc Pashia

Pictured: sophomore Matthias Miller and senior Bella Goddard

denim Outfit just not feeling springy enough? Slap some denim on it.

Jeans or a jacket are the perfect way to up your cool factor and cool down your look to fit the spring aesthetic.

A&E 29

KC1 The

23

: bubble tea

Exploring KC’s boba drink varie-TEA. by megan smith reporter

blue koi

B

lue Koi is a Chinese restaurant with locations in both Leawood and midtown Kansas City. They serve a variety of traditional Chinese and East Asian foods and have several vegan- and vegetarian-friendly options.

However, the best thing there is the bubble tea, available blended as a smoothie or over ice. I ordered the mango bubble tea with soy milk, and while it took a few minutes to get to my table, it was worth the wait. However, it is a little expensive at $4.50 per drink, but not much more than other places. I would definitely go back, because Blue Koi has a variety of flavors, and the servers were very nice and accommodating.

boba

B

oba is a beverage stand in Oak Park Mall that serves smoothies, bubble tea and iced tea. I ordered a mango bubble tea and it came out fairly quickly, as there was not a long line. The tea was very sweet, because the mango flavor was a little too strong and overpowered the taste of the tea and tapioca pearls. The drinks aren’t too expensive, costing only $4 per tea. I probably wouldn’t get the same thing again, but might try a different flavor or a smoothie. The employees were very friendly, and still got my drink made quickly when more people began to show up.

tea drops

T

ea Drops is a tea house in Old Westport that serves iced tea, smoothies and bubble tea. They have a variety of flavors, such as mango, strawberry, honey and kiwi. The atmosphere is very welcoming and cozy, the staff is both attentive and friendly and the seating is comfortable. After I ordered, the server brought my tea to the table very quickly. I got a mango bubble tea with tapioca pearls and soy milk. After trying these three teas, I can confirm that Tea Drops was definitely the best. The drinks are a little expensive; each tea costs $5. The only downside is the lack of parking in Westport, but there are parking lots just down the street from Tea Drops that generally have availability.

30 A&E

Culture Corner art

A

Sophomore

NINA kulikov

“

I started painting about 5 years ago, but only got serious in the last couple of years. I usually paint at home, school or with my painting teacher, Lacey Lewis, in her studio down in the West Bottoms.

S

by gini horton reporter group of professional artists gather to see their art in a local gallery; among them is sophomore Nina Kulikov.

“I love what I do and I love the fact that I am represented in this field among professionals,” Kulikov said.

Kulikov has been painting for about five years. She paints at school, home and at a studio in the West Bottoms that belongs to her painting teacher, Lacey Lewis. Kulikov got into the Hands That Heal exhibit at the InterUrban ArtHouse in downtown Overland Park. The studio is a nonprofit organization that encourages art in the community.

“The best thing about painting is being able to make something that makes me and other people happy, or at least feel something,” Kulikov said.

The Hands that Heal exhibit gave Kulikov a chance to paint local caregivers. She painted a portrait of Candace Birdsong, a woman who portrait by nina kulikov dedicated herself to taking care of her sister with cancer.

”

holidays

t. Patrick’s day is a celebration of Saint Patrick, who is credited with bringing Christianity to Ireland. He was taken to Ireland as a slave from Great Britain in the fifth century. He is celebrated on March 17, and has been for more than 1,000 years. Today, St. Patrick’s Day is celebrated throughout the world, primarily in North America and Ireland.

“I like celebrating the culture, everything is different, you get to try cool new foods, and when I went to Ireland for orchestra, it felt very similar,” sophomore Anna Crain said.

In Overland Park, the St. Patrick’s Day parade takes place on March 17 and includes a parade, food and cultural celebrations.

st. patrick’s day

Want to celebrate? The Kansas City St. Patrick’s Day Parade will take place Saturday March 17

A&E 31

South Speaks:

by MADISON HOLLOWAY Features & infographics editor Photos by Cassandra Awad

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

Sophomore Matthias miller “I want to get a plant and then... I want to not kill it. I want it to grow. I want a Pathos or a Sycamore Tree.”

senior ashley lauver “I want to work with Doctors Without Borders, preferably in Africa because I really want to go there before I die. I don’t know exactly what I would want to do with them, but depending on my specialty as a doctor, I want to be either an OB-GYN or a pediatrician.”

32 Features

junior Lauren Moreland “I want to swim with otters. They are my favorite animal.

They are really cute and fun and I know that there are places where you can swim with them safely, with someone who knows how to handle them.”

Freshman Nathan Fullbright “I want to get a car. I really want a Nissan GTR R-34.

It’s a legend in the car community because it’s just an amazing car.”

What do you want to know? Got a great idea for the next question?

We’d love to hear it! Submit your ideas to @SMSPatriot on Twitter.