May Issue 2018

The

Patriot

Volume 52 / Issue 9 / May 11, 2018

First in the Family Shawnee Mission South 5800 W 107th St, Overland Park, ks 66207 (913) 993-7500

Finals Schedule May 22:

Hour 1 FINAL - 7:40- 9:15 (95 minutes) Hour 2 9:20-10:55 (95 minutes) Hour 4 11:00-1:00 (90/95 minutes + 30 minute lunch) 1st lunch 10:55-11:25 ~ Class 11:25-1:00 (95 minutes) 2nd lunch 11:45- 12:15 ~ Class 11:00-11:45; 12:15-1:00 (45/45 minutes) 3rd lunch 12:35-1:05 ~ Class 11:00-12:35 (95 minutes) Hour 6 1:05-1:50 (45 minutes) Hour 7 1:55-2:40 (45 minutes) *Optional MacBook Roll-in

May 23: Hour 2 FINAL - 7:40- 9:15 (95 minutes) Hour 3 9:20-10:55 (95 minutes) Hour 5 10:55-1:00 (95 minutes + 30 minute lunch) 1st Lunch - 10:55-11:25 ~ Class 11:25-1:00

2nd Lunch - 11:45-12:15 ~ Class 10:55-11:45; 12:15-1:00 3rd Lunch - 12:35-1:05 ~ Class 11:00-12:35 Hour 4 FINAL 1:05-2:40 (95 minutes) *Optional MacBook Roll-in

Red Wing StoreSTORE RED WING 8920 W. 95th Street W 95TH ST OP,8920 KS 66212 OVERLAND PARK, KS 913-648-7860 66212

May 24: Hour 3 FINAL - 7:40- 9:15 (95 minutes) Hour 6 9:20-10:55 (95 minutes) Hour 7 10:55-1:00 (95 minutes + 30 minute lunch) 1st Lunch - 10:55-11:25 ~ Class 11:25-1:00

2nd Lunch - 11:45-12:15 ~ Class 10:55-11:45; 12:15-1:00 3rd Lunch - 12:35-1:05 ~ Class 11:00-12:35 Hour 5 FINAL 1:05-2:40 (95 minutes) *Optional MacBook Roll-in

May 25:

Seminar - 7:40-8:45 (65 minutes) {no passing} Hour 6 FINAL - 8:50- 10:25 (95 minutes) Hour 7 FINAL - 10:35-12:10 (90 minutes) 1st lunch 1210 -12:40 ~*7th hour Classroom 12:30-1:10 (40 minutes) {designated classrooms (mostly freshman & sophomores)}

2nd lunch 12:40-1:10 ~* 7th hour Classroom 12:00-12:40 (40 minutes) {designated classrooms (mostly juniors)}

*Last Chance MacBook Roll-in Early Release 1:10 dismissal (Buses depart at 1:17)

Contents 04

Patriot Staff

News

Newsfeed

Spring Sports by the Numbers Summer Sports Softball vs. Baseball

Features

Lifetime Sports

Cover photo by Cassandra AWAD

10 11 12 13

14 Q&A with Maddy Westcott 15 College Alternatives 16 Cover Story: First Generation College Students 18 Senior Plans Staff Editorial 20 The Debate: Free College 21 Guest Column with Sara Schafer 22 Body Image 23 Editor Sign Off 24 Respectful Tourism 25 26 Summer To-Dos 27 Summer Road Trips 28 Grad Party DIYs 29 Country Music Debate 30 KC 1-2-3: Farmer’s Markets 31 Culture Corner Table of Contents 03 Opinion

A&E

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 Teacher Goodbyes 07 New MacBooks 08 Joy Knowles | AcaDec

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

newsfeed addie soyski by lily wagner copy editor news editor graphic by madison holloway

a move towards peace

N

orth Korea has announced that it will shut down its main nuclear test site. This, as well as a promise to bring North Korea back into the same time zone as South Korea come after a meeting between South Korean president Moon Jae-in and North Korean president Kim Jong Un. The meeting took place at Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone between the two countries.

“I think it’s really good step in the right direction for both North and South Korea. We’ve had threats of the use of nuclear weapons from North Korea for a while now, so the fact that they have been having denuclearization talks with South Korea is awesome,” sophomore Arden Larsen said.

United States president Donald Trump played a role in getting the two countries to begin talking after years of silence and military intimidation. Trump has expressed desires to have a meeting with the North Korean president, a meeting that might be in the works.

“If they go through with it, it shows that they are realizing that nuclear weapons aren’t the answer and hopefully other countries will too,” Larsen said.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, left, with South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a welcome ceremony at the border village of Panmunjom in the Demilitarized Zone, South Korea on April 27, 2018. (Korea Summit Press Pool/Sipa USA/TNS)

The last day of school is may 25 Despite only using three snow days, the last day of school was not adjusted and left on its originally announced date.

“I feel like they probably had their reasons for not switching the day I just wish they would explain it better rather than just being like ‘this is the day because we said so.’” junior Mason

“I don’t feel like a day really affects me that much.”

sophomore Kate Herrmann

Hoyt

photo by abby cox

kudos 04 News

The 2018-2019 Patriot Staff

Editor In Chief: Avery Woods

Features Editor: Nichole Thomas

Assistant Editor in Chief: Miah Clark

Opinion Editor: Lily Wagner

Photo Editor: Abby Cox

A&E Editor: Miah Clark

Assistant Photo Editor: Emma Harding

Copy Editor: Ansley Chambers

News Editor: Addie Soyski

Ads Editor: Ali Harrison

Sports Editor: Megan Smith

Web Editor: Gini Horton

graduation info

S

photo by trinity clark

outh’s graduation will take place May 15 at 8 p.m. in the stadium.

However, if there is bad weather graduation will take place in the gym.

Graduates should arrive at 7 p.m. to line up in assigned classrooms.

Senior Annaleigh Hobbs will give the welcome speech and senior Joy Knowles will give the commencement speech.

Buses for Project Graduation depart at 10:15 p.m.

All Shawnee Mission graduation ceremonies are viewable online on the district’s website.

2018-2019 student council

T

he 2018-2019 Student Council executives have been announced. Freshman Sadie Holloway was elected secretary. Sophomore Lydia Kernen will be vice president, with sophomore Parrish Mock as president.

Freshman Grace Vavak will be the publicist and freshman Izzy Stapp will be the treasurer. Next year’s executives were voted on by the current StuCo executives. StuCo executives are responsible for planning a wide range of events and service projects. photo by abby cox

a threat to students’ rights

T

he American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas has threatened to take action against the Shawnee Mission School District after students covering and participating in National School Walkout events were censored by school administrators.

At Shawnee Mission North, a group of students did not return to the building after the scheduled walkout. The students stayed outside to protest and discuss gun violence.

Student journalists covering the unauthorized protest were asked to go back inside the school and then had school-issued cameras taken from them by North associate principal Brett Wenciker.

At Hocker Grove Middle

trumpdate

Students form a peace sign on the football field to support victims of school shootings. Students had the choice to participate or not.

photo by emma harding School, an administration-approved demonstration was ended early and a student’s speech was allegedly torn up

by Hocker Grove associate principal

Alisha Gripp after school shootings were mentioned.

In addition to this, students at Shawnee Mission East had contents of speeches and event programming censored by school administrators and at Shawnee Mission Northwest, an adult journalist covering school walkouts for Reuters, an international news agency, was denied access to the school’s campus.

“Student protests should be centered on what the students believe, not what the school administrators want,” junior Lexi Link said. “The point of student protests is to show our irritation and discontent with the happenings of the country and it’s hard to do that if we are not allowed to talk about it.”

On April 25, rapper Kanye West tweeted his support for Donald Trump.

The first inmate to be released from Guantanamo Bay during the Trump administration was returned to Saudi Arabia May 2.

Trump legal adviser Rudy Giuliani said that Trump reimbursed his lawyer Michael Cohen for the $130,000 payment to adult film star Stormy Daniels as hush money.

Events as of May 3

News 05

class is dismissed Departing faculty reflect on their time at South.

by pablo jimenez reporter hile over 300 seniors are graduating, 11 faculty members will be leaving their Raider colors behind. They’ll miss the community of students and faculty after being at South for a combined 184 years.

Math teacher Terri Love has taught math and one year of P.E. for the last 17 years. She has taught all around in places like Missouri, Virginia, Texas, Alabama and South Carolina.

“The thing I am going to remember the most is just the kids are so wonderful here. This has been my favorite place to teach,” Love said. “I am going to come back to sub here.”

Special Education teacher Bonnie Travis has taught at South for 20 years. She taught American Government in South Bend, Indiana for two years and taught a world geography class in Phoenix for one.

“I am going to miss my colleagues, people I work with and the students. I love helping them,” Travis said.

Another teacher leaving is Debate and Forensics coach

W

ryan flurry

associate principal “I am going to miss talking with the students in the halls about their lives and how they are doing.”

Next Year: Principal of Career Education at the CAA

john greene

spanish teacher “So many years have come by so there are a lot of stories that I have in the back of my mind that I have enjoyed sharing with people.”

Retiring

debra o’brien

librarian “My favorite thing is the faculty.

I think we have a great faculty. I think the kids are great. I just think it is a great place to come to every day.”

06 News

Retiring

Natalie King. She has been at South for seven years, and this was her first teaching job. She will be resigning to stay home with her kids. As a side job, she and her husband bought a company that makes video textbooks for debate classes. They are going to work on it as a part-time job.

“I am going to miss the structure in my day. I am staying home, so I won’t have the chance to be able to go to school,” King said. “I am also going to miss how successful the debate season was and students that have done a very good job this year. But I have a good person that is replacing me so I think the students will be fine.”

Family and Consumers Science teacher Chris Hornbeck taught at South for 35 years. She started out at Indian Creek and then taught at North for about seven years.

“I have just had so much fun [sponsoring] Homecoming and Prom and Sweetheart. It keeps you young. The other thing I like about teaching is that you always get to start over again,” Hornbeck said.

Teachers are not the only ones who are changing positions. Instructional Coach Kristin Zuck will be the Secondary Curriculum Coordinator for Science and Math at the Center of Academic Achievement.

travis gatewood

english teacher & KSMS Sponsor “I think it is a unique place with a lot of positivity and I feel privileged to have worked here and serve the community.”

Next Year: Secondary Curriculum Coordinator for English & Social Studies at the CAA

josie herrera

associate principal “I really enjoyed meeting kids at the lunch room and kids that I might not have ever gotten to connect with.”

Next Year: Principal of Nieman Elementary School

ramona weigel

math teacher “It has changed so much since the beginning. But we still have good academic rigor. We still have a lot of kids who perform well and do well outside of high school.”

Retiring

photos by jenica kolbeck

English teachers Pam Schaff and Samantha Garbe with theater director Mark Swezey look at their old and new computers. Teachers got their computers for next year early to work with over the summer.

photo by jenica kolbeck

hardware update available Teachers and students to receive new computers.

BY brynn taylor REPORTER atteries not staying charged and internet running slow are just a few reasons the Shawnee Mission School District chose to get new computers for teachers and students for the 2018-2019 school year.

Since receiving laptops in 2014, students have adapted to online assignments and internet learning methods.

When students found out they will be receiving new MacBook computers, many questions rose to the surface.

When will we get them? What will they look like? How much will they cost?

“Students and staff will be receiving MacBook Air 13 inch models, where the students in the past have the 11 inch, the smaller model. Everyone, teachers and students, are getting the 13 inch model like what the teachers have had,” associate principal Ryan Flurry said.

The current software the district uses, JAMF, will be replaced with a new software management platform. The district is planning to use Manager to send out apps to both teachers and students. The previous version, which included Self Service, is going to be disconnected to create a much easier way to manage the devices from a district standpoint. Because students and staff are receiving the same computers, it is going to make the process easier to fix any software or internet issues.

“I definitely think it’s a smart thing that we will have the same computers as students,” business teacher Shelly Kemper said. “We will be able to work the same programs and see what the students are looking at as we go through lessons. I also think that the students’ computers are in

B

pretty bad shape and definitely needed an upgrade. I never really used Self Service anyways, so maybe the new software will be used more often.”

For the last three years, MacBooks have not had insurance that families could purchase. The ongoing method that involves paying for damage has made it seem less difficult for a student to keep their MacBook in good condition. If a student does end up breaking or cracking the computer, they will have to follow the protocol involving payment for first initial damage (dents or cracks) which will be $100, then $200, etc. It is more accessible for parents spending $100 to fix an issue rather than spending $700 and getting a new computer.

Teachers started receiving new MacBooks April 23 and will have sessions to swap out old for new till the end of the year. Some teachers have decided to not turn their old computers in until they feel more comfortable with the new computers. Students will turn in their current devices at the end of the school year, with the exception of students who are doing summer school or some summer camps.

Students are excited to be receiving computers, but there may be some downfalls.

“It is going to be very beneficial because the new computers are going to run faster,” sophomore Kennedy Ash said. “Because the ones we have now the internet works sometimes and other times it doesn’t work at all. You can be in the same room with someone whose computer works, but then yours does not end up working.

Having new computers is going to positively affect the school environment and help students with homework.

However, the heaviness of the new MacBooks may start to weigh us down during the day considering that they are larger in size.”

News 07

knowles goes to nationals Senior Joy Knowles brings her forensics career to a close.

by gini horton reporter eer into the world of forensics, a world of performance and passion, of hard work and determination.

“She has improved a lot because during her freshman and sophomore years I was on maternity leave during the bulk of the spring semesters,” debate and forensics coach Natalie King said. “She has done well because her older siblings also did forensics while they were in high school and helped her a lot.”

Senior Joy Knowles will be competing in domestic extemporaneous speaking at forensics nationals in Washington D.C. May 26 and 27.

“Domestic extemporaneous means I write a speech about current events in the U.S.,” Knowles said. “We have 30 minutes to get our research together and gather an argument and we answer the question or proposal.”

P

Knowles has been participating in forensics for four years, and has been competing in domestic extemporaneous since her sophomore year.

“I started doing this event my sophomore year because I found out about a scholarship, and it just turned out to be my best event,” Knowles said. “I am really grateful for it because I would have never done it without the scholarship, and it wasn’t even a big scholarship. It’s taught me how to stay up to date with current events and how to present something I am passionate about in a professional way.”

This year, she qualified for Catholic nationals instead of East Kansas nationals.

“With Catholic, they are more strict on rules. For my event, they are really strict on how you prepare your speech. You can’t use any technology to prepare it,” Knowles said. “With East Kansas, that is a bigger tournament... It is the competition everyone is preparing for. They are both different accomplishments for different reasons.”

photo by abby cox

dec-ing the competition The Academic Decathlon team competed at Nationals in late April.

S

itting quietly in a room full of kids taking a standardized test sounds like the average person’s nightmare, but it’s just a competition for Academic Decathlon.

“You spend a lot of nights just looking at study guides. AcaDec just gives you packets upon packets of material that you just have to absorb,” senior Ben Hanson said.

A team of nine students went to Frisco, Texas for AcaDec Nationals April 18-20. They took a test made up of 10 subjects: essay, speech, interview, math, science, social science, economics, art, music and

08 News

Junior Amelia Mullin and seniors Creighton Young, Ben Hanson, Townes DeLuca, Evan Haseltine, Lauren Bass, Charlie Stallbaumer, Nicholas James, and Nick Dunn competed at AcaDec nationals on April 18-20.

photo courtesy of evan haseltine

literature. The team was placed into Division One, which is the best division, and they placed 10th out of 16. “[To make Nationals] you would have to win State, and that varies every year depending on how strong our team is versus how strong

everybody else is,” Hanson said. “This year I think it was our strongest score to date in my four years since my freshman year, since I wasn’t on the Nationals team that year, but it is definitely a challenge, but we normally can do it.”

The students competed against almost 80 other students from the U.S., China and Great Britain. The team represented Kansas at the competition. Senior Lauren Bass got bronze in essay and gold in interview.

“It’s the same 10 competitions you have to compete in [for State],... but when you are at Nationals, you are in one giant room where everyone is taking the same test at the same time.

It’s like the SAT, but so much bigger.

It’s the same difficulty as State, but it’s just different people,” Hanson said.

Next year, the topic for AcaDec will be the 1960s.

signing, smiling 3 2 seniors

1

photo by bergen cooper

5 photo courtesy of Grace Reiman

photo courtesy of Samah Boullaouz

4 photo by weston glendening

6 photo by weston glendening 1. Hours before their last Prom, seniors Grace Reiman and Karoline Shelton take Prom photos at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. Shelton was nominated for the 2018 Heritage court.

2. KSMS members junior Mara Baine and senior Samah Boullaouz hold hands and look over their shoulders at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art before Prom. Most of the KSMS members went in the same group attending prom.

3. Senior Harrison Polen signs at the Senior Signing Ceremony April 24. Polen plans to go to Belmont University to major in music management and law.

4. Decked out in KU attire, senior Margo Hunter signs to the University of Kansas for rowing.

5. Senior Luke Rushik speaks about his baseball career before he signs to Greenville University to play baseball. Rushik will major in audio engineering in the fall.

6. At the National World War I Museum and Memorial, seniors Amelia Dubois, Kelsey Patterson, Danielle Reichart and Maddy Westcott show off their corsages while taking photos before Prom. The theme for the 2018 Prom was Night Under the Stars.

photo courtesy of Danielle Reichart

photo essay 09

sports by the 10

numbers

th place

The golf team placed 10th out of 22nd at the Sycamore Ridge League Tournament May 2. The team was lead by sophomores Dylan Bloom and Beau Barnes both with scores of 76.

“Golf is really competitive at the top end but if all of our boys are firing on the same cylinder on the same day, then I think we have a really strong chance,” golf coach Joseph Cline said.

As the spring season ends, here’s how teams are doing. by avery woods assistant editor in chief, sports editor quotes gathered by blake atkinson reporter

2

10 5

wins

wins, losses

The softball team has won two games this season for the first time in three years.

“Now that there’s a win, it’s like, ‘Look how far we’ve come.’ We can only go further,” junior Kate Spencer said.

As of May 2, girls varsity soccer’s record is 10-5.

“I feel like we have a really good chance of getting through State, but I don’t want to jinx it,” senior Robyn MacDonald said.

6 9

wins, losses

The varsity baseball team’s record was 6-9 as of May 2. The team’s last game is today against Lawrence.

“We are trying our best to make it to State. It’s always difficult to win State, but hopefully we do our best and get as far as we can,” senior Jake Jarrell said.

7

th place

10 sports

The varsity tennis team placed seventh overall in the Sunflower League, with junior JD Norton placing 10th in singles.

“State is the main goal and once we get there, just enjoy the moment,” Norton said.

11

medalists

Eleven people placed in the District meet for track and field.

The State qualifying meet is May 18.

“I feel pretty good about my chances at State. I feel like I have a great chance to get out there and win, and that’s what it’s all about,” junior Sam Macklin, who placed eighth in long jump at KU Relays, said.

12

qualifiers

Twelve girls swimmers have qualified for State.

“My times are better this year then they were last year so I’m really excited,” senior Claire Nash said.

Nash qualified in the 200 medley relay, the 200 free, the 100 free and the 50 free.

su

r e mm

sports

Student athletes go above and beyond by training in the summer for upcoming seasons.

On the JV squad, sophomore backspot Brinley Pace, freshman base Karlee Mullins, freshman base Grace Vavak and freshman flyer Jayden Moore do a full down cheer stunt. This and other stunts were practiced during summer camps to get ready for next year. photo courtesy of sms cheer

by parrish mock reporter

P

eople might think the high school goes quiet after the last bell of the year, but the school is actually as lively as ever with almost every sport training during the summer for next year’s seasons. Football and volleyball both start their training in May and cheerleading, cross country, baseball, basketball and soccer all start in June.

Football also does weights training to bulk up on top of their practice. Their weights starts at 7 a.m. followed by other technique training on the turf.

“It definitely helps, training in the summer. We get a lot of practice before the season starts and we get stronger,” sophomore football player Jack Mullen said.

Not only do the athletes get stronger during the summer, they also bond as a team. This summer the cheerleaders are leaving their home field and going away for the first time in seven years for their summer camp.

This means closer quarters for the team.

“I think this time definitely helps the girls get to know each other a lot better, especially between the returners and the new members,” junior cheerleader Blake Hardesty said.

Other sports, like cross country, all meet up somewhere like Roe Park and decide on what they are going to run

for the day.

“It helps you stay in shape, whether you’re coming off of track or you are coming off of swim. You can kind of regain it so when you go into the season you aren’t completely out of shape,” freshman cross country runner Chloe Wannamaker said.

During the volleyball camp, May 29 to June 1, they play queen of the courts, work on footwork, conditioning and weights training. Queen of the courts gives the girls a sense of competition, as they are competing with their team to be at the top court.

“For the girls that are new, everyone gets to know them and how they play by themselves and with others. If you act more like a team, you’re more likely to win more games,” sophomore volleyball player Ashley Haines said.

The coaches highly encourage their teams to go to these summer camps and weights training. They want their teams to be the best and build up muscle and strength for the season.

“We are trying to keep up with other teams, because they are training just as hard or even harder, so if we don’t train then we will fall behind,” girls basketball coach Terry Tinich said.

sports 11

softball

U

The Lady Raiders have by ali harrison reporter won two games for the photos by weston glendening first time in three years.

p by four runs. The clock rings. The game is over, and the Raiders win. After a moment of shock, everyone cheers and hugs each other. The softball team had won their first game in three years.

After not being a sports highlight the past few years, softball is making a comeback.

“I think we started this season on a higher note than we’ve started in previous years, and have a win under our belt, which is always great,” senior captain Kate Spencer said.

After their three year losing streak, they now have a record of two wins, and they want more. The best feeling for the softball team isn’t winning, it’s knowing they played hard and earned their win. Sophomore pitcher and second-year varsity member Anna Levorson said that, for her, it’s especially fun to win knowing she pitched her best.

Alongside an increase in scoring runs and games won, the team bonds and positivity are also on the rise with team dinners, especially with the JV team.

“I... am loving to hear all the JV girls saying that they’re already doing their own team bonding and team dinners and getting along pretty well,” Spencer said. “That’s just really great to hear.”

The JV team has already had a team dinner at sophomore Madison Montgomery’s house, where they bonded over a pizza dinner. However, the girls bond most at practices and games, whether it’s cracking jokes in the outfield or jamming out on the bus ride to away games.

“I think the best time we come together is when quipped with we break it down. You get in the circle and go, ‘1, 2, Gatorade and 3, Raiders.’ That’s the best thing,” junior Anissa sunflower seeds, Grady said. bags framed with As the season begins to come to a baseball bats and grass close, both JV and varsity are hoping stains on every piece of to end on the same good note they clothing, a team of boys walk began on. They hope to win towards the buses after a double some more games header before going home to do and continue their homework for the next day of friendships into school. This is the life of a baseball the next season. player.

For most, spring time means Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals, but it means everyday practice and games for the high school baseball teams.

“We had a rough start to the season, but it’s looking good,” JV sophomore Ethan Offutt said.

Varsity currently has a record of 4-3, JV at 6-8, C-Team at 8-5 and D-team at 4-4, all as of May 1. Despite the beginning of the season trying to get everyone into gear, all of the boys are hopeful for a prosperous season and have big goals set for their teams as well as themselves. With the season almost over, all teams are working as hard as ever to accomplish these goals at practices. Every day after school, they practice various drills in preparation for weekly games and in preparation for state.

“As a team, our goal is obviously going to State,” JV freshman Skylar Ray said.

It won’t be easy to get to State, but they plan to. They will keep putting in hours of effort at practice in order to maintain and perfect their skills.

“We do catching drills, like blocking. We really focus a lot on hitting. A lot of reps of ground balls and fly balls, increasing their hand-eye coordination,” coach Christopher Bervert said. “We get better every day.”

All teams will continue progress in both offense and defense in order to play well against even the hardest of competition and make it all the way through League and Regionals to State.

E

12 sports

With baseball season nearing the end, teams aim for State. photos by emma harding

baseball

To ensure lifelong health and wellness, engaging in lifetime sports such as golf, swimming and tennis is important.

tennis

lifetime sports

by megan smith reporter

A

s the weather improves, people of all ages flock to tennis courts to play this lifetime sport with friends and family.

“I’m probably not going to play at the collegiate level, but I think I’ll probably play just to play,” junior Jack Calderwood, a tennis player, said.

He trains and conditions year-round and plays tennis for fun in the summer.

“It’s cool. We have a lot of fun. When the weather’s nice, it’s good to be outside. Every day you can be out on a tennis court is a fantastic day,” Calderwood said.

He plays tennis because he likes the people who play, the coaches and the game itself.

“Tennis is a sport you can play for the rest of your life. It’s a good sport to keep yourself in shape,” tennis coach and chemistry teacher Kurt Hodge said.

While tennis can be fun, it’s also beneficial to your health. It improves reaction times, lowers resting heart rate and improves metabolic functions and muscle strength, according to BetterHealth. gov.

swim

Sophomore Milan Bajich practices his serve at the South tennis courts. Bajich played tennis for two years at South.

photo by weston glendening

S

wim is a beneficial lifetime sport because it builds endurance and still keeps your heart rate up while taking impact stress off the body.

“People should swim because it’s a great lifetime sport,” swim and dive coach Bruce Bove said.

Senior Claire Nash, who is on the swim and dive team, will swim in college at the University of Nebraska at Kearney. She tries to swim year round, and swam with Kansas City Swim Academy during the off season this year.

“In the past, I have lifted weights or swam by myself in the off season to stay in shape,” Nash said.

Nash qualified for State in the 50 freestyle, 100 freestyle and 200 freestyle, as well as the 200 medley relay and both freestyle relays.

Trying to keep up speed throughout her races is the most difficult thing she trains for, but it’s rewarding after she drops Varsity swimmer junior Olivia Chudik takes a time. Getting to see others drop time is also rewarding.

“Seeing people improve is definitely the best part of being a breath while swimming the freestyle. Chudik’s best time in the 100 freestyle is 30.42 seconds. coach,” Bove said. photo by abby cox

golf

“I

’ve been playing since I was 8, so it’s really cool to play for South,” junior Hayden Polen said.

His favorite part of golfing at South is getting to play every day with his friends. He also said that he likes the laidback and fun nature of the team because they’re all friends and they have a lot of fun.

“Getting good to where you can compete with the top players is really hard because it’s such a small margin between the best in the state and normal varsity,” he said.

Because of this small margin, Polen golfs in the summer to improve his game.

Golf is a sport that is good for both the body and mind, as it increases heart health, brain stimulation and reduces stress, according to the European Institute of Golf Course Architects.

“This will definitely be a lifetime sport,” Polen said.

Junior Major Close lines up his shot.

Close played golf for South for three years.

photo by francie wilson

sports 13

QA &

with

Maddy Westcott

By Blake Atkinson Reporter

Photo by JILLIAN MCCLELLAND

Junior tells about the stresses and rewards of graduating early and the dedication it has taken to reach her goal.

Why are you graduating early?

“I decided I want to graduate early because I was ready for change and I heard that it was relatively easy.”

Why were you ready for a change?

“I think it’s easy once you’ve been going to South for two years to just get stuck in the same routine. I’ve been around the same people since seventh grade and I’m excited to meet new people and try new things at K-State.”

What went into graduating early?

“I had to do two online elective courses. I did PE and health, and I had to do a full year of English and a semester of government.

I decided I was going to graduate early in November, and I did the two elective courses in December/January and then I did government starting in like February and I’m doing English over the summer. The elective courses were way easier. It’s just a series of quizzes and then a 25 question final. Government was watching tons of videos. It was actually hard and time consuming.”

What are the benefits of graduating early?

“I think it gives me a touch on college essays saying that I’m graduating a year early and I just get out there sooner.”

What are you going to do when you graduate?

“In the fall, I’m going to K-State and I’m going to study either journalism or graphic design.”

Why did you decide on K-State?

“I think K-State is a really good mix. It’s a division school and a big university, but it has a small community feel at the same time. It’s also far away, but not so far away that I can’t come home and visit.”

Do you think there are going to be any downsides to leaving high school early?

“I will miss out on graduating with my friends I’ve been with since middle school and senior benefits. But I was already on varsity cheer and I’ve been to Prom so I don’t know if I’m missing out on a lot. I think it’s going to be more exciting to go to college early.”

What have people you know said about you graduating early?

“I think people just want a straightforward answer from me about why and I can’t really answer that because I don’t really know 100 percent reason why I’m doing it.”

Did anyone try to discourage you from graduating early?

“My friends were definitely upset that we weren’t going to get to do senior year together, but now everyone’s been really supportive, especially my parents.”

What is some advice you’d give to students wanting to graduate early?

14 Features

“I would go into the year knowing that you are going to do it and get ahead of it. Like over the summer, figure it out and you will be way less stressed out.”

A different future

Students explore non-college options after high school. by addie soyski reporter

F

or many high school students, not attending college for at least two years immediately following graduation is inconceivable.

It’s often believed to be the only path to a successful and fulfilling career; however, there are plenty of other avenues being pursued by students all across the country including enrollment in the armed forces, doing humanitarian religious work and enrolling in a trade school or even going directly into a career.

“I think there are more students than we realize that could benefit from a job training program for work,” counselor Mike Heil said. “I do not think college is for everyone and I think that’s important. As counselors, parents and students, we think the only option after high school should be college.”

For kids who don’t want to pursue a college or a trade school, military is another avenue.

“I’ll be an infantry man in the U.S. Army... you go to basic and then you go to special training... it’s 17 weeks,” senior Ryan Weber said.

Preparing for a career in the armed forces involves weeks of training and other preparation.

“There’s a test that students take prior to entering the military and it’s called the Armed Services Aptitude Battery or ASAB,” Heil said. “That determines career placement based on a test that’s similar to an ACT that have a few components like mechanical aptitude to determine what job placement a person goes into after their boot camp.”

Even training can be started at the high school level and gives students a head start in pursuing their military careers.

“I’ve already started training [to be a Marine] so it hopefully won’t be too difficult...You have to study a lot of history about the Marines as well as a lot of physical training,” senior Christy Foster said.

Military training is not only good for preparing for combat, but can be an asset in any career.

“The military actually have very nice training to go with the career opportunities in the military that are very similar to civilian occupations outside of the military,” Heil said.

Senior Bethany Ward is attending college, but is also spending a year and a half doing religious work, as is common practice at her college.

“I plan on attending Brigham Young University for a semester and I’m going to apply to serve in Latter Day Saints (LDS) mission,” Ward said.

“I will most likely serve for 18 months starting January of 2019... I’ll know [where] before I go, but I don’t know yet. Once I get back, I’ll go back to

Photo Illustration By Weston Glendenning

BYU and finish [school].”

Despite attending a university, there is still some pressure to not leave college until graduation.

“There’s definitely some outside pressure where people say ‘Oh, a year and a half when you’re making those big decisions about career and major?’

But I’m not too worried... I’m really religious and I think it’s a really important thing to do,” Ward said.

Trade schools and career programs can be good options for students who do not want to attend a traditional university. Strong career programs can be found at Johnson County Community College.

“Most students who don’t go to the military normally will take a look at Johnson County Community College because yes, JoCo has courses that can get you to a four year school or lead to a two year associates degree,” Heil said. “But it also has trade school options for students, for example a plumbing program, an electrician program, an automotive technology program, a welding program, a railroad engineering program, maintenance.”

There are also private training programs available in the wider KC metro like Vatterott College and Right School of Business.

While a traditional college experience can be a great path to a career, there are other avenues that can offer the same success.

Features 15

First Family in the

Despite the challenges faced by first-generation college students in their college process, post-secondary education is an opportunity for all.

by miah clark A&E Editor our years, all leading up to one evening when the efforts and achievements of the high school journey send students on to the next: college. And for a number of seniors, they are the first within their families to accomplish such a feat.

Fifty percent of the college population, according to a 2010 study done by the Department of Education, is firstgeneration college students.

“It makes me proud to think that I’m getting something out of [my parent’s] sacrifice,” senior Merida Acosta said.

“They came here to give me a better education and finish what they didn’t.

“It makes me It just represents making proud to think their sacrifice worth it.”

When Acosta’s parents that I’m getting came to the United States from Mexico, her something out of mother had finished her [my parent’s] basic education, but her father had not finished sacrifice...They high school. She is one came here to of five siblings, the oldest of whom chose to work give me a better rather than finish their education and educations.

“My older siblings finish what they didn’t finish high school didn’t. It just because they had to work they preferred to represents making and make money faster than to wait four years [to their sacrifice graduate],” Acosta said. worth it.”

With just her and her sister at home now, her family is at a point where -senior they are financially stable Merida Acosta enough to send her to college, which she always had the goal of going to. Acosta will be attending Kansas State University in the fall, where she will pursue early childhood education.

While many students struggle in the college search and application process, first-generation college students are handed a whole new set of difficulties.

“It’s hard to navigate the college application process when you’re the first in your family to

F

16 Cover Story

do it, and no one knows how to help you and sometimes it’s hard for you to ask for help, because you don’t really know how to,” college adviser Jasmine Morgan said.

Morgan is a first-generation college student herself, who struggled to balance her responsibilities in school, work and her family while searching and applying for colleges.

“I didn’t know what I needed,” Acosta said. “I didn’t know I had to do an ACT for college until my senior year, and I had to figure that out all by myself.”

Similar to Acosta, lower percentages of first-generation college students take college entrance exams compared to those whose parents had post-secondary education.

“It’s h First-generation college students can feel stranded, the usual support system of their the coll family not able to help, not having had the process college experience to advise their children.

“Because no one in my family has gone first in through the process, I had to become more it, and n independent,” senior Andy Mangandi said.

Mangandi’s mother came to the United to help States from Guatemala to have children, as the medical help she needed to do so was -c not present in Guatemala. Mangandi will be Ja attending Rockhurst University in the fall to major in nursing, a profession for which he attributes his interest to his mother’s child-bearing journey.

Still, Mangandi and Acosta believe their experiences as first-generation college students have only made them work harder.

“They understand the goal of being the first in their family to go to college. They find that so important to them and that pushes them to get through those challenges that are sometimes difficult in the college application process,” Morgan said.

Both high schools and colleges provide specialized assistance for first-generation students, including one-onones with college advisers or targeted financial aid. Firstgeneration students of South are able to reach out to their counselors or Morgan for guidance in the college process.

“It’s hard to make [college] a priority in your life, especially in my experience with students who are actively involved in their communities and in the classroom, or outside of the classroom with clubs and organizations,” Morgan said. “Time is just not on their side, so you need somebody similar to what I do pushing you and reminding you that you have to have a plan after you graduate high school, that it’s crucial to your success.”

Morgan takes extra time to check the progress of firstgeneration students in their college processes, ensuring that they stay updated and informed on application requirements, tests and scholarships. South’s school counselors offer the same types of assistance.

“There is help, you just have to look for it,” Mangandi said.

counselors or Morgan for guidance in the college process.

“It’s hard to make [college] a priority in your life, especially in my experience with students who are actively involved in their communities and in the classroom, or outside of the classroom with clubs and organizations,” Morgan said. “Time is just not on their side, so you need somebody similar to what I do pushing you and reminding you that you have to have a plan after you graduate high school, that it’s crucial to your success.”

Morgan takes extra time to check the progress of firstgeneration students in their college processes, ensuring that they stay updated and informed on application requirements, tests and scholarships. South’s school counselors offer the same types of assistance.

“There is help, you just have to look for it,” Mangandi said.

A lack of advertising for assistance for firstgeneration college hard to navigate students can leave some students alienated. ege application “I know a lot of other Hispanics who are like ‘I s when you’re the don’t know how to do this, your family to do so I’m just not going to,’ or I know people who are no one knows how too scared or too prideful you.” to ask for help, so they just don’t get it,” Acosta said. ollege adviser Acosta’s college, Kansas asmine Morgan State University, offers specialized help to firstgeneration college students through their First Scholars Program. Selected students receive personalized support, development and leadership opportunities and annual aid amounting to $5,000, which is renewable for a total of $20,000 over all four years. Acosta was unable to take advantage of such opportunities due to other circumstances, but was still pleased to know that such help existed.

“They gave me opportunities as a minority,” Acosta said.

“There are a lot of clubs and there are a lot of people on staff of Hispanic heritage, so when my parents came with me on a visit, there was a person who could speak their language and make sure they actually understood what was happening.”

With minority students more likely to be their family’s first generation in college than white students, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, the specialized financial aid Acosta did receive is still beneficial and important in equipping first generation students with the resources and assistance they need to succeed.

Mangandi’s school, Rockhurst University, partnered with KC Scholars, a scholarship given to Kansas and Missouri students in need of financial aid who are going to instate schools. After Mangandi received the KC Scholars scholarship, he was given a full ride from Rockhurst to attend their school.

Not all first-generation students will be attending major universities like Acosta and Mangandi, with only 25 percent of said students attending four-year schools. Despite the offering of specialized assistance to first-generation college students from large schools like Kansas State and Rockhurst,

attending large or far away schools is not a possibility for all first generation students.

“Being from a Mexican family, it’s hard to live away from home,” Acosta said. “One of my brothers, he got a scholarship to a school in Florida, but we couldn’t all move to Florida, so that was hard.”

Morgan is a firm believer that the school a student chooses should fit them in ways beyond one’s educational goals, especially when it comes to first-generation college students.

“I help students find the school that is the best match and fit for them, with academically matching but also finding a school that fits them personally, that fits them socially, that fits them financially... where they will thrive as a student and as a person,” Morgan said.

Despite the additional challenges first-generation college students are faced with, post-secondary education is still an option within reach.

“College is definitely becoming more accessible for students; a lot of schools and universities are being more flexible and allowing a lot more students to be able to have access to college,” Morgan said. “And it’s not as hard to get into certain schools; you can get into almost any university in the state of Kansas with a 2.0 GPA and a 21 ACT score, which is a lot for people who aren’t very high achieving to of all entering still have college as a possibility.”

First-generation students have counselors, college advisers college and the support of their schools and families to help guide them through their college journeys during high freshmen areschool, all to ensure their smooth transition into college. first “Sometimes it’s going to seem like generation there’s not really a way, but there is,” Mangandi said.

“Don’t give up and keep students searching, even though sometimes it may feel impossible.”

facts & figures 30%

of first-generation students,

42% 48% 28%

are black are Hispanic are white

an estimated 50% of the college population is comprised of people whose parents never attended college

Cover Story 17

Oh the Places

We’re Going

Check out these seniors’ plans for Madison Holloway after high school. by Features Editor

A

Adams State University Jacob Gusman

Arizona State University Andrew Bauer Braeden Burgard Cora Selzer

Avila University Shannon Henshaw Kameron Ozburn

B

Baker University

C

California Polytechnic State university Mason Zeller

Cardiff metropolitan State University (UK) Rhys Jones

Central Methodist University Dottie Powell

Clemson University McKinsay Kane

Danielle Hoff Jonathan David Muirhead Jonathan Norton

Coastal Alabama Community College

Belmont University

Coffeyville Community College

Kaylie Castile Harrison Polen Adam Zahnd

Benedictine College Steven Ampofo Hunter Schneider

Berklee College of Music Lillian Richards

Brigham Young University Lillian Sheldon Bethany Ward

Bethany Global University Saba Levendusky

18 Features

Avery Rooney

Darriona Morris Audrey Reynolds

Colorado School of Mines Rachel Miller

Cottey College Ashley Beckstrom

Creighton University Ashley Lauver

D

DePaul UNiversity Brittany Kulla

DePauw University Nick Wissel

Doane University Caleb Cossairt

Drake University Elena Kernen

E

Eckerd college Tara Phillips

Emporia State University Gabriel Carter Ashley Imes Madelyn Mendez Samantha Sanders Alexia Snyder

Emory University Joy Knowles

F

Fort Hayes State University Maxwell Holmes Michael Pierce Brietta Wheeler Alexis Zubik

G

Greenville University Luke Rushik

H

Hillsdale College Karoline Shelton

I

Illiniois Institute of Technology Kylie Hance Jackson Peters

J

Johnson County Community College Mena Haas Jack Harvey Todd Hayes Kayla Islas Pablo Jimenez Morgan Klein Rachel McFadden Jeffery McKinzy Amber Mills Kayla Mungai Isabelle Myzer Ethan Niewald Jorge Palacios Joseph Paolercio Desnee Pittmon Abigail Rieber Joseph Stoermann Raeven Townsend Leslie Vargas Patrick Wiley

K

Kansas City Art Institute Lauren Bass

Kansas State University Jake Acosta Merida Acosta Jed Aldrich Jenna Alfaro Ryan Bare Madeline Bermond Lauren Bridson Madison Burch Trent Burch Amelia Dubois Noah Fulk

Bella Goddard Annaleigh Hobbs Laura Legg Cienna Maere Nick McKee-Rist Max McKnight Isabella Oxley Danielle Reichart Kyra Ringler Brian Rooney Peter Sears Hilda Solano Charlie Stallbaumer Katherine Spencer Kevin Thomas

M

Manhattan christian college Katherine Petersma

Maryland Institution college of Art Cassandra Awad

MidAmerica Nazarene University Kaitlyn Fields

Missouri State University Amatista Rodriguez-Rush Patrick Sturm Elinor Vaughn

Montana State University Sean Allen

Moody Bible Institute Alex Duncan

N

Nebraska Wesleyan University Erin Viets

Newman University Mackenzie Anderson

O

U

Oklahoma State University

United States Army

Joel Quarnstrom

Lara Gonzalez Ryan Weber

Oklahoma Wesleyan University Jordan Drier

Ottawa University Alexis Appleman

Ozark Christian College Josiah Schools

P

United States Marine Corps Huseyin Bilgen Kayla Martin

University of Arkansas Emily Coleman Nicholas Monks

University of Central Missouri

University of Maine Jeffrey Nasse

University of Minnesota Claire Kelley Adam Nicholas

University of Missouri-Kansas City Alexandra Ledbetter Samir Malik

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Duane Bebee Benjamin Hanson Annika Knudsen Robyn MacDonald

University of Utah

Matthew Kakareka Kira Setty

Haleigh Clark Owen Jones Trevor Rabe Tiarra Steinhauser-Wall Cheyenne Wheeler

Philander Smith College

University of Kansas

University of Washington

Park University

Paige Reynolds

Pittsburg State University Mitzy Navarro Sue Prado

R

Recording Connection Clark Wroldsen

Rockhurst University Andy Mangandi Anthony Summers

S

Southern Nazarene University Abbagael Johnson

Sophia Belshe Samah Boullaouz Breanna Bresel Sydney Burns Lilian Chandler Reagan Christie Andrew Crawford Nicholas Dunn Joseph Early Max Ferrara Connor Flynn Evan Haseltine Madison Holloway Margo Hunter Nicolas James Hannah Klein Emily Lavely Kaylee Leung Caroline Mack Graham McCalmon Stefan-Damian Panagiev Alana Parsons Kelsey Patterson Fadumo Said Sara Schafer Bennett Vavak

Spencer Held

University of Virginia Taylor Laws

Anne Tennant

W

Washington State University Grace Reiman

West Los Angeles Community college Michael Brooks

Wichita State University Ashlee Thao Elizabeth Long

William Jewell College Preston Kroner

Features 19

Staff Editorial: Free Press

photo illustration by sophia belshe

W

hether you think of them as treasured gatekeepers, pesky know-it-alls, or downright unethical snakes, journalists have been an important facet of American society since the founding days of our country.

But students’ freedoms to give readers the truth have recently been under attack. At Shawnee Mission North, student journalists’ cameras were reportedly taken away during the April 20 National School Walkout.

These actions, allegedly taken by Associate Principal Brock Wenciker, directly violate the Kansas Student Publications Act, specifically Section 3a, which states that “material shall not be suppressed solely because it involves political or controversial subject matter.”

Under the Kansas Student Publications Act, student journalists are given the same rights, responsibilities and respect as professionals. Students are free to choose the content they cover and the way that they cover it. While student journalists are, of course, held to the same legal standards as professionals, administrators cannot censor anything that they do not wish to be printed solely based on content.

North student and Mission reporter Grace

20 Opinion

Altenhofen spoke during the Shawnee Mission School Board April 23 about the situation. Altenhofen alleged that Wenciker “said they weren’t allowed to cover the event because he didn’t approve of the subject matter.”

The school district sent out an email April 27 expressing its apologies for the actions taken by the North administration. They assured the students that censorship actions like these would not happen again.

In recent times, the news media has found itself under attack from politicians and citizens alike. Though we are protected by the Constitution, the press is often under attack for printing stories that are controversial or present facts that some people may not want to hear. The term “fake news,” often used as a way to roundabout censor credible news, has become a common part of people’s vocabulary.

Now more than ever it’s important that our news is not censored. The attack against the press indicates that there is more to cover. History has proven that if people are against reporters digging into an issue, there must be more to the truth.

We as students have the right to know the truth, and our school administration should not be able to censor that truth. We should be able to cover what is important to the

student body. We should be able to educate our fellow students on what’s going on in their school, in their city and in their world.

The same goes for an opinion. Our Opinion Section is important because it gives students a public platform to present their point of view on certain issues. If it weren’t for the Kansas Student Publications Act, these pieces could be censored. It’s important for students to express their views on certain topics and to spark educated debate among the student body.

Because we’re a newspaper, this issue matters to us, but it should be important to you, too. Our mission is to print what matters to you. And if what we print is suppressed, then nobody is getting the full story.

That’s our commitment to you: the full story. Over nine issues this year we have been committed to giving you the facts, the stats, the story, the entertainment. It’s our right to decide what we print, but it’s your right to receive that information, too.

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

The Debate: Free college Pro:

Con:

By Nichole Thomas Web editor

T

he idea of free college has been around for decades, but was not brought up as a serious topic until the 2016 election. Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders was a big advocate for free tuition.

If college were free, money would no longer be an obstacle for students who can’t afford tuition.

Student loans won’t be a pesky nuisance for the rest of our lives. We can finally be educated without being financially drained.

Countries including Norway, Finland, Sweden, Germany, Slovenia and France offer tuition-free college.

Last year, New York became the first state to have free tuition for two- and four-year state colleges. This is only applicable to students whose households earn less than $125,000 a year. Many other offers like this are seen around the county. Oregon offers a scholarship to their state residents offering free tuition, but high-income families are excluded.

Free tuition offers are not easily attainable for most people. Qualifications can include a high GPA, over 10 volunteer hours a week or living on campus for four years. These seem like reasonable compromises to make in exchange for free or reduced tuition; well-deserving students who want to be educated will be given the opportunity to do so, whereas students who don’t work hard in school and don’t have the intention to graduate would still have to pay. But families earning just over the minimum income per year are left behind. Affording college is especially difficult for them if they are raising more than one child. Something must be done in order for these middle class students, with average or below average GPAs, to get into college.

Having free college does not mean that “everyone and their brother” will be accepted. Diplomas will not lose their value because more people have them. And what is wrong with everyone having a diploma? This means people in our society will have a higher education.

Shawnee Mission South students live in close proximity to Johnson County Community College. A full-time Johnson County student has tuition costs of $2,310 at JoCo. That doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but when you add fees for books and supplies, housing costs, and other estimated expenses, you will be spending close to $22,000 in four years. It would take approximately 5-8 years to pay off that student loan.

For America to thrive, politicians and educators need to figure out a solution for the costs of college. Education should be available to everyone regardless of their finances.

Raider Response:

Pro: 66%

Poll of 50 voters via SMSPatriot on Twitter

By ansley Chambers Ads editor

D

espite high costs, college can’t be free. There are bills that need paying, food that needs cooking and respected professors who need paying. Universities can’t be free. The money has to come from somewhere.

While in Germany university is virtually free, income taxes are 42-45 percent, according to InterNations. In the U.S., taxes are 10-39 percent, depending on income. It’s not fair for everyone to pay more taxes to make college free if not everyone goes.

What if you go to college in a different country? You can’t pay taxes in one country but redeem the benefits in another. Why should future lawyers and doctors get free education while people who don’t go to college pay taxes for it? Public K-12 schools should be free because minors must attend school; however, after turning 18, no further education is required. According to the New York Times, 65 percent of people continue their education, but it’s not a law. Why should college be optional, while the taxes to pay for it aren’t?

If college were free, it would be subsidized by taxpayers, making scholarships, a good way to earn money for college, irrelevant. There are many opportunities for everyone to earn scholarships. According to College Raptor, 1.2 million students out of 1.8 million graduates receive some financial aid. Free college may seem like a good idea, but in reality, it’s not possible to expect every U.S. citizen to pay professors enough to maintain a quality education.

If you want a reduced cost on college, put in effort to earn as many scholarships as possible.

It’s not only unfair to those who don’t continue their education after high school, but it’s unfair to the hard workers. Many students practice for sports, AP tests or hobbies to earn scholarships. Assuming private universities would still be pricey, fewer people would go to these schools due to cost. They would raise prices to continue making profit and balance the economy.

Without scholarships, everyone from valedictorians to straight D students would get the same amount of recognition. While colleges would be selective and barely passing students wouldn’t get into Ivy Leagues, it’s not the same. What if a trumpet prodigy wanted to go to a state school?

Some say it isn’t fair for bright minds to go to waste due to money, but a rough background isn’t an excuse. They should put in effort to earn scholarships like everyone else. Everyone should earn their own accomplishments. Free college sends the message that hard work isn’t important by taking away from those who earned it.

Con: 34%

Opinion 21

get schooled

College admissions works against students.

By Sara Schafer Contributing Columnist lowers are blooming, the sun is shining and millions of souls are being crushed every day. Lovely. Throughout my life, I thought I knew why we say “April showers bring May flowers”; however, it wasn’t until my senior year that I became aware that the phrase “April showers” refers not to the high volume of rain that often appears in the month of April, but rather the tears of high school seniors trying to grapple with college decisions.

I am fortunate enough that education has always been valued by at least some of my family. Since I was young, college was inflated into this idyllic and paramount vision in my head, and going to an elite school completely equated success. I thought I had a plan: get good grades, participate in a variety of sports and activities, do well on standardized testing and boom - college. The years of hard work and stress all boiled down to a few pages. Numerous hours were spent writing, revising, rewriting and re-revising my essays, yet in the moments before I pressed “submit,” I couldn’t help but wonder if any of it was enough. Does my application reflect who I am? Do I have a shot? How many other kids have perfect grades, high test scores and extensive activity lists? (Spoiler alert: a lot).

On the other hand, you create new bonds with your peers through the college application process. We agonized over the months of waiting for a decision, laying down and watching our fates dangle in the air as if were watching the clouds, trying to make out shapes despite so much abstractness. Many schools do not release decisions until the end of March or early April. With May 1 deposit deadlines, many students have less than a month to make a crucial decision. And sometimes it doesn’t end there. Colleges and universities are increasingly taking advantage of waitlists - also known as college purgatory. Students have to wait months to hear whether they have been accepted. Schools are constantly trying to increase their national rankings, which are affected by acceptance rates as well as yield, the number of admitted students who accept their place at the school.

Elite colleges and universities try to admit as few students as possible, and they want to guarantee that those students accept their place. The waitlist gives schools the opportunity to round out their class after admitted students accept or decline their place at the school, although it is at the expense of applicants.

There is growing consensus that the college admissions process has become convoluted and is in great need of reform. Dealing with my own issues and frustrations with the entire process only made me more aware of the broader trends of inequity and absurdity that characterize the system. Harvard professor Lani Guinier described it as a “lottery” that’s “stacked in favor of the Adonises of our world, the children of the wealthy.” For low-income and first-generation students, the application process is especially overwhelming and unclear, and there is often little guidance. Other aspects of admissions disadvantage lower socioeconomic classes as well, like early decision, which colleges and universities are increasingly taking advantage of. Nearly 50 percent of some schools’ incoming freshman class is made of early decision applicants. However, early decision is a legal contract, requiring that, if admitted, a student must matriculate regardless of the financial aid package they are offered. It’s evident that an economically advantaged family would be able to assume that risk, while such uncertainty is often simply not plausible for low-income individuals.

By the end of the whole experience of applying, waiting, receiving admission decisions and finally deciding on a school, I honestly felt drained, disillusioned and barely excited for the future. This is not meant to scare underclassmen, but rather be a wake-up call. Keep in mind that, depending on where you apply, the process is not as cut and dry as it may have been portrayed to you. Prepare yourself for the timeline of events and a lot of waiting. Try your best to start early and be proactive. Take advantage of the resources you have here at school, but also do your own research. Be realistic and prepare yourself for any outcome.

F

22 Opinion

Beyond the acceptance rate Statistics reveal problems in the college admissions process

17.5 percent of students from Stanford are in the top one percent economically

18.6 percent come

from the bottom 60 percent Students can be

34.8 percent more likely to be accepted early decision

Admissions officers often spend less than

15 min

reviewing an application Statistics gathered from the Equality of Opportunity Project, The Early Admissions Game by Christopher Avery and U.S. News

Love yourself Body confidence is lacking for many teenagers.

marks, we have cellulite and we have hair. Men will never understand the pain of being expected to shave your legs every time you wish to wear any pant above the knee. I’m sorry if my leg hair bothers you, but I have better things

By Nichole Thomas to do with my time, and so do most women. Even talking Web Editor about things like body hair repel people, which is idiotic. s a child, picking an outfit to wear to school was We all have it, but society has taught us to hate it. unremarkable. As long as my modesty was in Eventually, when we got to high school, we stopped check, my parents and peers didn’t care. For some putting our insecurities on the forefront. Girls started reason, when I got to middle school, what I wore was embracing their unique body types. This had a lot to no longer acceptable. My friend groups were decided do with the media, once again. It became a trend to based on the way I presented myself. The “preps” flashed show pictures of stretch marks and cellulite. Girls with their whales. The “athletes” sported Nike. The “hipsters” all different body types began campaigning for equal wore whatever they picked up in thrift stores. School was representation in the modeling community. already a stressful place, now I had to add to the anxiety Even though our of “looking nice.”

“Even though our society has opened their society has opened The media influenced what I perceived minds, that doesn’t mean our insecurities have their minds, that doesn’t mean our insecurities as “fashionable” or gone away.” have gone away. With “pretty.” Anything that summer coming, this becomes apparent. Swimsuits show wasn’t expensive or trendy was unacceptable in the eyes all of my insecurities, and I’m sure it does yours. Many of the popular. Along with fashion expectations, body of my friends feel pressured to put on more clothes or expectations took a toll on everyone around me. My sometimes just avoid the pool altogether. I’d like to say friends were calling themselves fat and complaining that there was an easy solution to this, but nothing will change their thighs touched when they walked. Were your thighs the minds of the people. You can only control yourself. If not supposed to touch? Mine did. Am I fat too? you feel confident, others will notice. Don’t be afraid to be These insecurities became a common topic of you. discussion among my friend group and many others. My On the same note, no woman should ever feel the need closest friend was always shamed for having a “boyish” to workout to please the eyes of others. Their preferences body because she didn’t have curves. Many of us didn’t on how you look don’t mean anything. If you are OK with have curves. For God’s sake, we were 14! We were young your appearance, that will be enough. girls trying to imitate 20-year-old models. Whose idea was As we grow up, our looks become less important. In a that? way, maturity comes with an air of confidence. Embrace Society painted the perfect woman as having curves, your imperfections now, while we are yet simultaneously being scrawny. I’m sorry to inform still young. you, that’s not going to happen for the large majority of Be confident. women. We have hips, we have thighs, we have stretch

A

Opinion 23

photo illustration by Jillian McClelland

Signing Off

Final thoughts from the 2017-18 Editor-in-Chief.

By Sophia Belshe Editor-in-chief Opinion editor our years ago, a bushy-haired, curious, terrified freshman walked into Room 195 (RIP) to start a class called 21st Century Journalism, the prerequisite to newspaper. I couldn’t tell you why I did it; maybe something about a flier in the mail, maybe because my dad was the Editor of his high school paper or maybe I just had a free elective and didn’t know what else to do.

But I do know that I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t walked into 195 on that first day of high school.

Every day since then, I’ve walked into the newspaper room as a writer, Ads Editor, Assistant Editor, Opinion Editor and now, Editor-in-Chief. I fell in love with my school with each story I wrote, no matter how insignificant or frustrating the task.

I’ve loved every second of being Editor of this paper.

Well, not every second; there is an extreme stress and pressure that comes with the job. But it has been the greatest privilege of my high school career, and I’ve done everything in my power to give you the best most authentic news I can, with the help of an amazing staff.

The Patriot editors and staff, past and present, have been some of my closest friends, fiercest allies and greatest teachers. You annoy me with missed deadlines, endless misplaced commas and too many Vine breaks when we’re on deadline, but you have taught me so much, and you are some of the best South has to offer. And I, of course, have undying appreciation for my adviser, Julie Fales, who will be missed next year when she moves upstairs to be the Learning Commons-arian.

To every source I’ve ever bothered for an interview: thank you for your candor, for letting me share your story.

Not every piece was groundbreaking, but journalists tend to forget we would be nowhere if sources were not

F

24 Opinion

willing to humor all of our prodding questions.

That’s why I became a journalist in the first place: I had too many questions. People don’t understand why I’d put up with low pay, no job security and a career where you can never please everyone, but it’s because I fell in love with the stories. People deserve to have their stories told, to feel understood, and if I can help someone achieve that, I have the responsibility to do so.

Because sharing our stories, learning about each other and talking about our differences is the only way to solve the division our society has succumb to. Whether it’s in the world, country or right here at South, we are more divided than ever, but I strive to heal that polarization with honest story telling.

You can say what you will about the press, the infamous “media” that everyone loves debating about. You can say it’s biased, fake, alternative, liberal propaganda.

You can say it’s run by power hungry conglomerates who don’t care about the consumer. You can say what you want. They hate your freedom to say what you want.

But journalism is not about one side or the other. It’s about the truth. It’s about the public’s right to know and their right to be heard. And no matter what, I’m never going to give up on that.

And so what I ask of you is this: keep an open mind.

As much as I love South, we tend to panic and get overly defensive the second someone challenges our views, political or otherwise. It’s natural, but if we can become more aware of that, we can begin to shift to a more open dialogue, where everyone is heard and understood.

It is not going to be easy, but this generation of Raiders is shaping up to be the greatest yet. We have to power to take all this school has taught us and actually go change something. We just have to use it.

Yours faithfully,

Sophia Belshe, Editor-in-Chief

touring today What you need to know to be a respectful foreigner.

should probably take note of is about sitting in the back a cab. When you travel around you are going to need transportation. In Australia, New Zealand, parts of Ireland, The Netherlands and Scotland, sitting in the back of the cab is considered rude. It is a matter of being equal in a

By Pablo jiminez sense.

Reporter To Americans, finishing a meal shows the host that lmost everywhere around the world, traveling is you enjoyed their food. In China, Philippines, Thailand and a really big deal. It is needed for business trips, Russia, it shows the host that you are still hungry and the family matters or just to get away from things and food they have given you has failed in being enough. It is to be able to relax. According to the brktrail.com, there also to be noted that refusing foods in Arab countries like were a total of 31.23 million people who traveled overseas Lebanon is extremely rude. This isn’t a bad thing, though, in 2007, the highest number in the last 15 years. When because it is always good to try new things. traveling, some choose places with cultural and language Dressing is also a big factor when going to another differences. This sometimes gets difficult and one must country. In some cultures, women aren’t allowed to wear know how to treat the culture with respect. short clothes. Men also have to be careful in how much Start by being polite. This works anywhere. Being skin they show, like in South Korea. There you hardly see polite can mean not Korean men shirtless, being loud. When even at beaches. Wearing “When you are in a foreign country English you are in a foreign flip flops, sweat pants country, English speakers have a tendency to speak loudly and or baseball caps is speakers have a slowly so they can be understood. Doing that considered disrespectful tendency to speak in places like Japan makes you look rude and you make the people and Europe. That’s loudly and slowly so they can be why it is good to study feel like they aren’t intelligent.” understood. Doing that other countries’ way of makes you look rude dressing. One mistake and you make the people feel like they aren’t intelligent. and you could be seen as the stereotypical tourist who has Talk normally and use pictures to talk to them if you no respect for where they go. need help.

These are some examples that prove why you should When you go to different countries, there are a lot of take notes on places you are going to visit that aren’t in different customs. For example, tipping is something that is the U.S., especially for students who are graduating and used a lot around the U.S., but in Japan and South Korea, want to travel or to go to universities around the world. So tipping is seen as an insult. The workers feel they are paid just in case you do travel out of the U.S., it is always best to do their job and take pride in doing it well, so they to be knowledgeable of the country and its citizens so it don’t need an extra payment. Another custom that you can be an enjoyable trip.

A

international tourism by the numbers - In 2015, there were 32,787,353 overseas U.S. Travelers. If you take out travelers going to Mexico and Canada that number of total travelers drops to 21,162,643 travelers - In the past 15 years the total number of overseas visits peaked in 2007 at 31.23 million - The lowest year for number of travelers was in 2002 when only 23.4 million visits were taken overseas - There has not been a distinguishable and regular increase in the number of overseas visits in the past 15 years - Yearly visits have fluctuated from -7.3% to 11.9% from 2000-2016 (omitting incomplete data from 2016) statistics gathered from brktrail.com

opinion 25

summer to dos by gini horton reporter

S

ummer is generally used as an excuse to sleep in and do nothing for 12 weeks, which is a major waste of time. Summer is a time to explore and try something new every day without stressing about school. Spend your last days of school looking for things to do, whether it’s a quick activity or an all day adventure. Here are some ideas to help you on your noble quest to beat boredom this summer. Now, young student, go out into the vast world of Kansas, and try new things. Go on your quest with these tools, and don’t come back if you haven’t had fun yet.

film M

ovies may sound extremely cliche´ as a solution to your boredom, but if you are going to watch TV, you might as well do it in a theater. There have been some great movies this year, and there are still great ones to come, so get outside and watch a movie. The Boulevard Drive In has great prices and shows really good movies, plus it’s a drive in theater so it’s way cooler than a regular theater. AMC theaters are also really good. They have the best movies and the theaters are everywhere. There is one in Town Center and the mall on Ward Parkway.

K

26 A&E

photos by jenica kolbeck

food

ansas has so many amazing restaurants, instead of eating at Joe’s KC or a fast food chain, try something new. Spend the summer going to a new restaurant every time you go out to eat. There are enough restaurants to eat at for years. Town Topic Burgers, Seasons 52 or a food truck are solid eateries to start your list. Town Topic is your classic burger dive. It’s small, greasy and ridiculously delicious. Seasons 52 is a nicer restaurant located on the Plaza. With all natural ingredients, it’s a perfect place for a sit down dinner with friends. Kansas has many places with access to food trucks. The West Bottoms has trucks ranging from barbecue to Mexican. There are also so many mouth watering places to get dessert, including Foo’s Frozen Custard, Betty Rae’s, Tous les Jours and Chez Elle. Foo’s Frozen custard has creamy and smooth custard perfect for a hot day, and it is conveniently located at 95th and Mission. Betty Rae’s has all your classic flavors on delicious waffle cones. Tous les Jours, a trendy pastry cafe stocked with some of the most mouthwatering treats you will ever encounter. Chez Elle is a great crepe place downtown with a cute exterior and outstanding food.

ready, set, road trip

A list of six easy spots to visit with family and friends over the summer. by parrish mock reporter hen on your three hour drive to Wichita, the Museum of World Treasures is a great place to get out and stretch your legs and learn about the different eras throughout history. Also featured are exhibits about the Korean, Vietnam, both World Wars and even some pop culture. The admission is $9.95 for adults and $7.95 for children.

Close to the museum is a large IMAX theatre where you can catch a late night movie and grab dinner at the small diner inside. If you happen to stay another day, spend it walking through the Sedgwick County Zoo and feed the giraffes and pet some camels.

I

T

T

ven though the two hour long drive to Manhattan is just to a college town, it’s full of fun eats. At Mr. K’s Cafe and Bar, not only is there great food, but they are also home of a dessert treat called a Cookie Bake. This treat is a slightly undercooked homemade cookie with a scoop of ice cream on top. Another delectable dessert location would be Varsity Donuts. This fun campus spot has been open since 2011, but has recently been blowing up in popularity. Varsity Donuts has all kinds of different variations of donuts to choose from. here is more to the small town of Lawrence than just the KU campus. If you’re looking for the taste of college, minus the lack of culinary effort, go to Ramen Bowls. This new kind of restaurant started their business journey in Honolulu’s Chinatown, where they learned the culture of the island’s food. After your hunger is satisfied, take a stroll down Mass Street and get some much needed shopping done. Shops include Urban Outfitters, Kansas Sampler, Sharks Surf X Supply and many more. Also on the plus side Lawrence is only a 30 minute drive away.

get the heck out of dodge OP

3 hours St. Louis 4 hours Manhattan 2 hours

OP

Branson

OP OP

OP OP

n Branson, there are many different and unique places to visit. Silver Dollar City has a cruise called the ShowBoat, A Branson Belle, a water park, cabins and camping available and an 1880’s theme park. Inside the water park there are water slides like Kalani Towers Drop Slide and safer places for smaller kids like Coconut Cove. The 1880’s theme park includes over 40 different shows throughout the year and many different rides for all ages. Also in Branson is a museum filled with wax figures of famous celebrities and even some fictional characters. he city of Bentonville is home of Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. Inside Crystal Bridges’ permanent collection includes pieces from the Colonial era to current day. Also included are iconic images such as Asher B. Durand’s “Kindred Spirits,” Norman Rockwell’s “Rosie the Riveter,” and Andy Warhol’s “CocaCola,” as well as major works by modern and contemporary American artists, including Georgia O’Keeffe, John Baldessari, and James Turrell.

The museum was founded in 2005 by the Walton Family Foundation as a nonprofit organization for all to enjoy.

bent0nville

lawrence

manhattan

wichita

E

t. Louis, famously known for the Gateway Arch, is home to more. Ulysses Grant was America’s 18th president who owned a farm in St. Louis, and people can now tour the farm and its brewery. A classic activity to do when it’s nice outside is to visit a zoo. Luckily, St. Louis has a great zoo. Still, one must visit the Gateway Arch. People with claustrophobia would not like the ride up to the top because you are in a small capsule-like elevator for approximately five minutes, but once you are up there everyone else looks like ants. From the top of the Arch people can see over the entire city and even further.

branson

S

st. louis

W

Wichita

3 hours Lawrence 30 min Bentonville 3 hours

A&E 27

Grad party In order to have an amazing grad party, you’ll need amazing decorations.

the banner

Making your own decorations can get stressful and expensive, but these banners are super cheap and super fun. Hang them around your house or venue for a festive and happy vibe.

MATERIALS:

Construction paper Scissors Hole puncher Twine or string Markers Triangle stencil

STEPS:

If you’re making your own stencil like I did, draw out the size you want you banner triangles to be, then cut.

Using your stencil, draw out your triangles on your construction paper so they are all the same size.

Cut out all of your triangles and align them the way you would like them to look on the banner.

Punch out holes in two of the three corners of your triangles.

Weave the string or twine through the corners, making sure to be consistent on which sides are face up.

If you’re not careful, you will have some triangles with string on their front side, with others with string on their backside.

Write out any saying you want, or don’t write anything at all!

Hang up your banners anywhere you like, making sure to give them some slack so they’re not strung tight in a straight line.

28 A&E

diys by daniella campos reporter photos by jenica kolbeck

‘words of wisdom’ box

Decorate a little box and set up little note cards and pens beside it for relatives and friends to write notes to you for the future.

MATERIALS:

Box Decoration for box (optional) Small pieces of paper Pens

STEPS:

Decorate your little box with whatever you like, maybe your high school colors, college colors, or anything.

Cut up paper and place them beside the box with pens.

yee-haw or yee-nah

Students debate whether or not country music is enjoyable. by megan smith

by ali harrison reporter ountry music is unreasonably the joke of the music community. Any time someone says they like country music, the surrounding crowd groans.

“Wow, I didn’t think anyone in Johnson County liked country music.” Here I am, y’all.

Living in Kansas, we all have a duty to respect the music of our homeland. Our state song is “Home on the Range” and I don’t think it was written, sung or even covered by Katy Perry. No disrespect, but not everyone is capable of expressing the authenticity of country music.

It’s above and beyond many pop performers.

Country music has evolved over the years and now can have various sounds besides the unreasonably unpopular banjo tune. New artists like Florida Georgia Line bring a pop sound to country and Jason Aldean has a few “country rap” songs under his belt like “Dirt Road Anthem.” Although it’s not traditional, like homeboy Johnny Cash, a true country icon, it draws in those who wouldn’t normally appreciate country music. From there, they can dive head first, fearless, into the field of country music.

Undeniably, it is the most relatable genre of music, even more so because we live in the Midwest. Every song is about life, and can specify various aspects such as love and friendship, life and death, memories and life events.

At the Academy of Country Music Awards April 15, Blake Shelton sang “I Lived It” from his new album “Texoma Shore.”As he sang about all of his memories, you could see that he thought back to the specific moment he made those memories, and you could hear it in his voice.

The best singers do this, which is precisely why Lil Pump, Lil Xan and all the other Lils don’t.

If you didn’t like country music before this, you probably still don’t because you weren’t raised on it like myself and many others. Oh well, I guess I should’ve been a cowboy.

C

“‘Country boy, I love you’ *unidentifiable noise and tongue emoji*”

photos by emma harding

W

reporter e all know, somewhere inside us, that country music isn’t good. Every song sounds the same, and they’re all about the same three topics: America, cars or the farm. Every song uses the same instruments, and everyone’s voices sound the same. Before listening to a country song, you can already tell what it’s about, what it will sound like and that it will be awful.

Contrary to popular music trends, country music has never evolved to suit the time period. In the ’60s and ’70s, there was rock n’ roll to reflect the rebellious attitudes, in the ’80s and ’90s, R&B and hip-hop emerged, but through all of that, hidden in the landfill of music, there was country.

“Artists” like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan and Jason Aldean have for years infiltrated what was once considered good music and turned it into a genre of shallow, meaningless songs about drinking or bad relationships. Their “hits” include “Boys ‘Round Here,” “Huntin’ Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day” and “Big Green Tractor,” all of which fall into the aforementioned themes of country music.

Subjecting another human being to country music should be considered a form of medieval torture. Having to sit, Blake Shelton playing, eardrums on the verge of rupturing due to the deafening roar of fiddles and “yeehaw’s” is truly the worst thing a person could experience.

Country music has always sounded the same, and it’s always been just as bad because it’s just a combination of the worst songs in every other genre of music with banjos and words like “redneck,” “beer” and “tractors” thrown in.

Let me be completely clear with y’all, as country singers so horribly say, and clarify that I don’t dislike all country music. I have no issue with singers like Johnny Cash or Willie Nelson, as their songs actually have content. Artists like Luke Bryan, Kenny Chesney and Blake Shelton should take a few pointers from their predecessors to make country music great again.

“please name three good country songs: you can’t”

A&e 29

KC1 The

23

Find fresh produce in your neighborhood.

:

by brynn taylor reporter

F

rom apples, bananas and oranges to pottery, paintings and antique furniture, Merriam Marketplace is a family friendly location with many shops and food stands. Monday through Friday, the market place is open from 8t a.m. to 4 p.m. I couldn’t help but feel like I was on vacation at this unique, under the radar market.

When a friendly lady at the welcome desk told me about the market, I realized it was not as busy as the other two, but there was a nice amount of people here. I also got some homemade dog treats for my dog. There were a lot of good looking herbs, tomatoes and other early summer veggies to choose from. I would definitely say this market is one of my favorites, but make sure to get there early or all the good produce will be picked already. The food truck lineup was also endless, from crepes to sandwiches and drinks like smoothies and, for the parents, a brewery on wheels. It was very exciting to be able to get a big bag of vegetables for under $15. I would highly recommend this to pet parents and root veggie lovers.

farmer’s

markets MERRIAM MARKETPLACE

S Kansas city river market

F

tretching north of the downtown I-70 loop to the Missouri River, and bordered by the Broadway Bridge on the west and the Heart of America Bridge on the east, the Kansas City River Market is the place to go for food, fun, history and live shows. It’s open every day of the week, Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. till 8 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. For $45, you can take a tour and meet some nice people, try some mouthwatering food and learn a bit of the history of Kansas City while exploring the city on foot. My tour guide was very enthusiastic and quite knowledgeable which was immensely intriguing. You can tell she loves her city. I got there about 11 a.m. on a Saturday morning. It is always better earlier in the morning because some of the vendors were already out of their products. I bought a pot of flowers for $10, which would have cost me double at a florist or a garden nursery. The fresh fruit and vegetables were endless, even though they were limited. All the prices were better than the local supermarket, like Whole Foods or Sprouts.

There are lots of different places to grab a bite to eat if you are hungry too.

or more than 30 years, the Overland Park Farmer’s Market has been providing a farm-to-table food market. Vendors offer customers a wide variety of products including fresh produce, local foods and homemade specialty items every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. Most vendors who sell at the market do not accept cards, so it is wise to bring cash. The venue is not pet friendly since it is a family friendly market, but they do offer pet treats for sale. The vast variety of leafy greens was exceptional. From butter leaf to arugula and even microgreens, which I didn’t even know was a thing, but are surprisingly good in smoothies and green juices. The succulent variety was also quite impressive. With many different cacti and house flowers that were beautiful, considering the change in weather. Leaving with a full bag of greens, kombucha from a tap vender and two new plants named Maui and Sandy, and I will definitely come back for more food and flora.

30 A&E

Overland park Farmer’s market

Culture Corner poetry by addie soyski copy editor

bust a rhyme spring slam

T

he growing gathering of students in the Learning Commons is not a gaggle of kids skipping class or circling around a fight. The interest in the usually empty space is the result of the spring poetry slam. “[It’s] Nerve-racking. It’s a lot of fun and I’m really happy I did it, but it takes a lot to get in front of so many people and perform something that’s really personal and perform in general,” sophomore Diana Mark said.

The theme for this display of original poetry was “Busta Rhyme,” spurring performers and audience members to don their ’90s themed gear, including colorful jackets, hooped earrings and retro braids.

Writers’ Workshop teacher Caroline Ewing’s students, as well as others, who signed up to perform had the stage for all hours except fifth. First through third hours were not scored, while fourth, sixth and seventh hours were part of the competition. Teachers could take their classes to observe.

“It kind of gives insight into your peers’ lives and what they go through, and it also showcases their talent because we have so many incredible poets. It’s not like a sports game where everyone goes and it’s great. Some of them are just so sincere and it’s really powerful to hear what other people have to say,” Mark said.

Senior MC Chuck Martin welcomes students to the Poetry Slam with a few laughs. The event was themed Bust A Rhyme, and featured many poets and musicians from around South.

Junior Jose Rodriguez sings “Tenerife Sea” by Ed Sheeran at the second semester Poetry Slam. The crowd was moved and cleary enjoyed his performance.

Fashion

photos by trinity clark

piercings “ Senior Alexia Snyder belly button

Sophomore Asha Saifullah

Senior Tara Phillips nose

nose

I think people are getting a lot more accepting of piercings so I thought it would be a fun little thing to do.”

”

- Senior Tara Phillips

A&E 31

South Speaks:

by MADISON HOLLOWAY Features & infographics editor Photos by Cassandra Awad

“What is one of your favorite memories from high school?”

Senior Claire Kelley “The most memorable high school experience for me was being honored as the 2018 Homecoming Queen. It was totally unexpected and it just made me feel like part of such a great community.”

senior Jackson Peters “Sophomore year I assistant stage managed for a show called ‘Harvey’ and we had an inside joke with the other stage managers about asparagus, so I ended up eating raw asparagus by the bags until I threw up at school the next day.”

32 Features

Message from the Editor:

Senior Abby Tennant “Sophomore year, at the East game, Pace performed a hiphop dance and it was to “All I Do Is Win” by DJ Khaled and when it got to the part where it said, ‘Everybody’s hands go up!’ the whole crowd stood up and put their hands up. It was just a really cool experience.”

Senior Bella Goddard “Our KSMS trips. I think those [were] just such a blast.

Gatewood and McFall are amazing. I love being with everyone. We’re all so connected. We’re like a family and it just becomes even more like that on the trip.”

-Madison Holloway

Thanks for speaking up, South. Never stop letting your voices be heard. Features Editor