The Blazer, Volume 35, Issue 4

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

Blazer

THE CUSTODIANS

Lauren Stephenson

HANNAH DAMRON Jenna Goetzmann

POETRY

Kayla Locke

BACKPACKS

January 7, 2014 Volume 35, Issue 4

Kracinda Mitchell

PINTEREST

McKenna Douglass

MISSION TRIP

McKenna Douglass

TATTOOS

Allie Weber

EATING DISORDERS Abby Sola

PART-TIME

Madison Reed

SCHOOL TRADITIONS Kyle Stubler

OVERCOMING ODDS Kari Porter

HIGH SCHOOL SWEETHEARTS Starla Stephens

KANSAS BASKETBALL Abby Buie

BLAZERETTE COMPETITIONS Shelby Simpson

Photo by Madison Reed

Volume 35 Issue 4

e n e i g y H

Swept Away by...

The real world is a faraway get entrances cleared off, so place in the eyes of some it’s safe for everyone,” head s t u d e n t s at Gardner Edgerton High School.

They cannot wait to finish their education and start making money.

For students, high school can be stressful, having to wake up early enough to get to school on time and be ready to turn in homework.

They also know that there is a lot more work ahead of them and it is not necessarily a thrill to look forward to. Not only that, but balancing sports as well as making time for family and friends are important too. But as the -George Buckingham backbone of GEHS, the custodians arrive to the high school with the intent of custodian Joe Cibulski said. maintaining its high quality Before custodian George and undertaking difficult tasks. Buckingham worked at GEHS, “[The most difficult part he worked at a lumberyard for of my job is] snow removal. 22 years.

Especially if school stays in “It was real fun playing in [session], then we’re trying to the mud, but I like this job

“

better,” Buckingham said.

He has been working

You’re not gonna like it here, you’re gonna love it

”

at the high school for six years and said he feels GEHS is a fun place to be. He likes getting up at 5 a.m. and opening up the building.

“All of it, I just love all of it,” Buckingham said.

The atmosphere was agreed to be fun and friendly. “[I like] being part of the family they have here,” Cibulski said.

“Whenever I see a new kid, I always tell them, “You’re not gonna like it here, you’re gonna love it,” Buckingham said.

Even though being at GEHS can be fun, there are times when the task at hand is discomforting.

Buckingham said some of the worst accounts were bad enough to gag a maggot. “[People sometimes put] ketchup packets under the toilet seats, so when someone sits down it goes all over,” custodian Lonnie Bushnell said.

Thankfully this is usually the worst situation.

Cases of absolute nastiness are few and far between.

“The biggest mess was when the [2010] ESPN game was here. Normally after football we’re done by 11:30,

s e o Her but that night we didn’t get done until 1:30,” Cibulski said.

It was storming out and raining hard so everything was soaked.

Troy Trenary is the lead night custodian. He has been a Boy Scout leader since 1994, is willing to lend a hand to anybody, and loves the satisfaction of doing a good job. “[The sickest mess] besides [a] fountain incident, was when

tennis shoes were put in the toilet and flushed,” Trenary said.

The tennis shoes appeared to be fairly new. The water was not clear when the shoes were flushed. The worst messes are not at all common, and the majority of messes are not intentionally made, unless the trash left on lunch tables counts.

In the summer when the students are on break the work

is slightly different.

“In the summer each room is cleaned ceiling to floor, and each locker. We do more deep cleaning, put new wax on the floors, we’ve got time to go in and clean everything,” Buckingham said.

The most obvious change in the summer is the absence of most people.

“After you do it long enough you miss the kids and staff,” custodian Nancy Shockey said.

Lauren Stephenson Staff Writer

While an audience is watching a play, their eyes are set on the stars beneath the spotlight. Most of them fail to notice the people working hard backstage. Similarly, the custodians soldier on, never asking and rarely receiving proper recognition, gratitude, or even a simple thank-you.

Without them, everyone at GEHS would surely be engulfed in their own accumulated filth.

Meet the Custodial Dream Team Nancy Shockey used to play the violin. She likes to watch comedy movies and likes to listen to most music. In her spare time she likes to look into genealogy.

Bob Nugen loves model railroading H.O. He has a large table at his house that he uses for model railroading.

His favorite music is religious bluegrass.

Troy Trenary has been with the district for 13 years. He used to work at Shawnee Mission Med Center and was the lead night worker in environmental services.

Russell Jones loves spending time with his family; he considers it the most important thing. He did tykwando in high school and likes to watch MMA.

Jason Davis loves riding Harleys and hanging out with his 10 year old daughter. He played French Horn in band and was on the debate team in high school.

Larry Peer likes helping others out, playing baseball, and fishing. He also likes to play board games. His favorite class in high school was art.

James Allen loves to fish and finds it very relaxing. He likes fixing houses, remodeling homes, and working on cars.

He played football while at GEHS.

Joe Cibulski loves playing with his dog and spending time with his girlfriend.

The best part of his job is working with George.

George Buckingham likes playing golf, shooting darts, and playing ping pong. He also likes spending time with his family.

Lonnie Bushnell has been working at GEHS since Nov. 2013. He enjoys working out, watching football, and spending time with his grandson and family.

Ben Adams graduated GEHS in 2007. He went to state championships his sophomore year and had the best team. His favoite TV show is CSI MIami.

Not all of the custodians may have been available. The GEHS newspaper staff thanks the custodians for their help and time.

Snatching t he amount of hours spent in a gym, wearing a singlet, and lifting weights is usually not what you would expect of a female. Sophomore Hannah Damron is chasing her dreams of becoming an Olympic weightlifter by spending an endless amount of hours every week to accomplish her goal.

“I usually spend 12 hours a week weightlifting,” Damron said. “Every day I spend about two hours in the gym.”

Spending numerous hours in the gym is another way Damron can reach her goal. Damron spent a lot of time in the gym before she was even old enough to lift weights. The Damron family history of weightlifting began with her dad lifting for high school football. As a result, her

brothers started to join the bandwagon of lifting weights, which motivated Hannah to keep the tradition going.

Damron started weightlifting when she was only 11.

“Lifting with my brothers really helps motivate me to do the best I can do, and to be dedicated to show up to every practice,” Damron said. “My goal is to go to the Olympics for weightlifting.”

Damron competes in

different lifts including Clean, Jerk and Snatch.

Damron said her favorite lift is snatch, because it is the lift she’s best at. Her record in this lift is 135lb. Her highest weight lifted for jerk is 176lb.

While her record for

e s u a c e b g tin f i l t h g i e w d “I like n a e p a h s in ti keeps me pays off, k r o w d r a h l the a n o i t a n r e t in o t o g o t g eet gettin m I e r e h w s oc mpetition ave the same h t a h t e l p o e new p ” . e m s a n o i pass

Clean is 161lb.

“The most difficult lifts for me are Cleans because I psych myself out and end up not being able to do the actual lift,” she said.

The day of the competition, Damron does special routines to get herself ready for her lifts. As a superstition, she believes in wearing orange Nike socks and a lime green sports bra for good luck.

“I eat chocolate, stretch, and write my goals down before every competition,” Damon said. “This just helps me not think too much about my lifts.”

At each competition, she has to do six repetitions to complete the lift.

The only reason Damron becomes nervous is because she wants to get all six out of six reps. During her time doing competitive

the Gold weightlifting Damron has been to over 40 competitions.

The most local competition Damron has participated in was in St. Joseph, Missouri. She has traveled as far as California and Dallas. When Damron competed at Nationals in St. Joseph, she received a first place rating and won first overall at nationals.

A part of her success came from all of the support from her brothers and Coach Boris Urman.

“Boris always yells at me and gives me constructive criticism which helps me motivate me to do my very best.” Damron states.

“It gives me a way to connect with my brothers, and meet a lot of new people from traveling,” she said.

Damron is going to continue to chase her dreams of becoming an Olympic weightlifters by working hard every day and doing the sport she loves the most. The motivation from her family and coaches is one thing that has made Damron successful now and will continue to later on down the road.

“Weightlifting impacts my life because I have to keep up with school work, as well get enough rest all mixed in with weightlifting in itself which requires extra effort,” Damron said. “Also it gives me almost a second family that I work out with every day for two hours.”

Jenna Goetzmann Staff Writer

Holding the weights above her head, Hannah Damron performs a clean lift at her most recent competition.The competition was held in Aurora, Col. Photo courtesy of Hannah Damron.

A Break From Reality Kayla Locke

Staff Writer

The majority of poets at Gardner Edgerton High School use poetry as an escape from reality.

More students at GEHS write poetry than one may think. GEHS even has a poetry class that is taught by English teacher Stacy Audsley.

What truly is poetry though? Is it just another written story?

According to sophomore Paige Rifford, “It is not exactly another written story.

It’s different because not everyone can understand it.”

Is it a record of the best and worst moments belonging to the best minds? Is it a creative

way to tell a boring story?

Junior Hanna Desmarteau said that “poetry is all of these things and so much more. Poetry means a million different things to a million different people, but the broadest generalization of the meaning of most poetry is a way to express your emotions in an easier way than talking.”

Why is that? Why can people seemingly explain thoughts better on paper than aloud? Poems sound so nice written down, but when attempting to say everything aloud the words get

all jumbled up, twisted out of proportion and confused. All poets at GEHS have said they write their own poetry just about every day and read other classmate’s poetry as well.

Poetry is similar to music. Everyone has their own style. Not everyone is going to like what each person writes about, but someone, somewhere is going to love it. Regardless of what other’s think, if someone enjoys writing, then they should pursue it. People never know what doors it may open up for them.

Confusion:

Finger Tips

Mekenzi Ford

Jaycee Zeck

My life seems so real now Everything is finally making sense I don’t understand how But everything is to my expense What I want I don’t know And so I hunt In hope it will show to see my future; that would be a sight.

Something I don’t think I could handle on this particular night.

Confusion at its finest That’s what I endure You surely can’t call me your highness For I am unsure Choices they swarm me They suffocate and choke I musn’t flee For I am not free I am broke Life is strange, cooky, and bent I hope this is to much of your amusement.

Maybe when people leave that’s not what hurts Maybe what hurts are all the things that smell like them.

All the things you did only with each other.

Maybe what hurts is the aftermath, the other thinking.

The thoughts that leave your brain bleeding.

Maybe what hurts is their impact.

How they’re never coming back.

But maybe it’s not that they’re gone it’s not that they’re away But maybe it’s their finger prints and how they’ll never fade.

UNtitled: Alexis Engle Please do. Burn me from the inside out until I’m nothing but particles hanging in the air and fogging up that little shaft of sunlight that shines in from the window and the smell of me will linger and it’s a stench that you’ll try to cover with something else on your clothes and you’ll cloak your bedroom in overly sweet smelling perfume, but still that little earthy smell of me will still emanate for a few days until I disappear completely.

Or so you think until you catch the identical scent on your favorite shirt and hardly remember but I did happen.

UNtitled: Alyssa Claire Morgan There is good and bad in the world, happiness and sadness, laughter and tears, excitement and fears.

There is life and death, but I am here and so are you, for some reason.

For some odd reasons, things don’t always go as planned, the day turns into night, sickness is found no matter how hard we attempt to fight.

For some exciting reason, the world keeps spinning, every generation keeps imprinting.

For an amazing reason, we have been brought to now and most of us don’t even know how.

Yet there still is terror and evil in the world, for some reason.

But we have to overcome these things with a somehow, some way, and a grand reason.

We can look past the darkness, and the color of crimson.

Not yet do we know these somehows, someways, or grand reasons, but we were created to find those “good reasons.”

JCCC Honors: Dig deeper. Aim higher.

“The Honors program enhances your college education and provides opportunities to gain hands-on experience in areas of interest.”

Amanda, JCCC Honors student and Gardner Edgerton High School graduate

Johnson County Community College’s Honors Program stimulates and challenges academically talented students. An Honors application is required for admission. For more information, call Pat Decker at 913-469-8500, ext. 2512, or visit www.jccc.edu/honors

What’s in Your

Backpack?

With a new school year come new rules and in 2013 students were gifted with the privilege of being able to tote their backpacks from class to class, as long as their teacher approves of them being in the classroom. Every student finds this luxury to have different benefits. Some use their backpacks to carry everything they need for the day and others use it to carry the essentials for their upcoming class. Most students carry basic school-needed supplies and very few carry outrageous items that keep them in their comfort zone.

Junior Tyler Norton carries his wrestling “I keep the lipstick that I am wearing that day inside of my purse. I make sure sweats in his backpack in order to feel I always have a snack with me. My cell closer to the sport he loves. phone is in my purse at all times. I also “I keep a Sonic Screwdriver in like to keep encouraging notes in my my backpack. It can be used to bag to brighten my day. I also have a can, minpulate and fix items.” compact mirror in my purse. I keep all -Junior Eli Lewis of this in my bag at all times because these are the items I use daily.”

-Junior MiKayla Bond

most common

-Junior MiKayla Bond

Items 1.

The essential “pencil pouch” is a must have, in a student’s backpack.

2.

3.

A calculator, whether is be a graphing or scientific, is a much needed accessory for a students backpack.

4.

No one wants to have a backpack and have to continue to lug around text books, so most students tuck those away in their backpack.

5.

One folder to carry all homeowork is key to staying organized.

Having a pocket inside of your backpack to carry your cell phone and car keys is essential for students to have.

Information provided from sophomore Juliet Ramsdel, junior Dani Sprague, and senior Garrett Mullins.

Pom your Hand In the

of

McKenna Douglass Copy-Editor

Organic Artist 1. Begin by painting an entire canvas a basic color with acrylic paint

1. Stack two sheets of tissue paper on top of each other.

4. Pinch and place a small rubber band in the middle. Obtain a ribbon.

2. Fold in half to create a long horizontal strip.

5. Slide the ribbon under the band and cut off both edges on each side.

3. Make 1 inch creases back and forth like a paper fan.

6. Spread out each side like a bowtie.

Begin to pull apart each section of paper.

3. Place the object flat on the painted canvas and spray over the entire piece.

7. Start with the outside sections and then work on the inside.

All photos by Kenna Douglass.

2. Choose a color of spray paint and an organic object such as leaves, rocks or flowers.

4. Lift the object .The outlines can be painted over. Allow the paint to dry.

Canvas can be hung for decoration.

8. To finish, fluff the pom pom up and lengthen the ribbon out. It can be strung up for decoration.

A Firsthand Account of a

Kenna Douglass Copy Editor

Globetrotter

S

tepping outside of one’s comfort zone can be very difficult. Doing so requires an individual who is willing to, sometimes literally, stumble their way through the process of entering a new setting.

Leaving home may cause nausea, home-sickness, extreme uncomfortableness, stress and overall- fear. Many people make resolutions that can entail doing unusual behaviors, such as deciding to act upon a whim or living life on the edge. This resolution means a person will do something illogical or way outside of what they normally do — take a chance.

Deciding to pursue an unfamiliar idea was my way of leaving my comfort zone. I chose to go on a mission trip to the second most populated country in the world: India. My journey would not begin on an airplane, but when I decided I was going to make this dream a reality. I stayed in the state of Tamil Nadu that has a population of over 4 million people living in both extreme poverty and extreme wealth.

These photos tell a visual story and show a vibrant world much different from the luxurious American lifestyle we all know.

A woman sits and waits while her bucket fills with water derived from a local sewage system. Many people do not have access to clean water and therefore suffer from bacterial illnesses. Photo by Kenna Douglass

This fireplace is the basis for cooking and meal preparation in the slum homes. In the evening, people burn plastics to repel mosquitoes, but it results in hazardous air that affects many people’s lungs. Photo by Kenna Douglass

My team happily distributes rice to the people of the slum and the people show their gratitude for our actions. Photo

by Kenna Douglass

This girl smiles big for the camera to show the pure joy of meeting me. She lives in one of the slums I visited and befriended me after I gave her “chocolate” (bubble gum). Photo

by Kenna Douglass.

My team performed a prayer walk in this slum by wandering through and praying for various people living there. Photo

by Kenna Douglass A baby looks confused after her mother asked for a photo and wanted me to hold her in a slum that I was visiting.

Photo By Kenna Douglass

A motorized rickshaw known as a “trishaw” quickly passes by. Trishaws are the most practical form of transportation in India. Photo

by Kenna Douglass

A young girl fills water jugs as a chore for her mother and then uses the water to wash dishes and do laundry by hand. Photo by Kenna Douglass

Helpers unload the white Ponni rice onto the floor in order for us to scoop up and put in Ziploc bags for later distribution.

Each large bag weighs at about 200 pounds and held 12 full gallon Ziploc bags of rice.

Photo by Kenna Douglass

4, rning Febrteuamasprenyt th e mo

of packing 18 bags for e us to My gs ba of gallon Ziploc ppy rice into dozens We were all ha in the slums. on ed ti el bu av ri tr st di we rice Later on d a good time. s nt re pa e os wh to do it and ha for children me ho lt DS cu AI ffi CT to a PA s. It was di d are now orphan are died from HIV an because they en dr th the chil en be d ha en dr to connect wi These chil y. sh d an of ed e rv us very rese ciety beca ed by their so ct je s ie re or d st an d ar scorne often he In the U.S., we e iz e. al as re se t di no r ei th f AIDS but do of g in ht s fig ve li e about thos e people’s allenging thos ch e d th an s th ou wi ri how se struggle e children who os k th oo g tl in ou et Me my d are. d me an day overwhelme but y, et ci so by disease every d le kids are belitt ey on life. Those but something th , es ak st mi r ei th et of pp e pu us a ca d be not performe . When the team all sm th wi gs were born with ba em ds and gave th ces show for the ki joy in their fa re pu e th w sa I , ose em th th of in e gifts Each on en every day. se ted t ra no te ul is ad at un th l and their ia ec sp s wa children s. me my happines happiness beca The Rescue and Restore home sits in a small community outside of Chennai. It has three levels. The boys rooms are downstairs. The girls on the second floor and an open roof where an additional room for the workers is being built. The building houses about 17 children total.

Photo by Kenna Douglass

ry 6, Februa rs south of Chennai our team drove two hou

Today a leper ntainous area where to a beautiful mou casts out n bee e hav lepers colony resides. The ion from rs and live in isolat for thousands of yea When we . ion rts of civilizat society in the outski village ful uti bea ough their arrived, we walked thr actual an is ony col . The of and greeted people ons ati red all my expect community and shatte one a d ere ent was like. We n what their lifestyle tha ide ins the on hotter ed room building that was ect aff with various people outside and filled Sadie and ses from our team,

by Leprosy. Two nur p their wra and ple at the peo Heather, began to tre were ay of infections and dec wounds. The sights seen r eve anything I had ed disturbing and unlike ect aff nd, bli an, partially before. An older wom tures ges e mad y, ros lep ds by in both feet and han uched her. So I did and cro for y pra to me ing ask k, to bac her on ing my hands next to her while lay ated. tre t fee her had as she give her a human touch, s on dal side and put her san my I then helped her out ng bbi gra by she thanked me her swollen feet and and s eye her h oug thr gratitude face and showing her ng and The feeling was renewi n. sio res exp ul gratef what ed der won same time and I heartbreaking at the that in ced pla e wer like if I e. my life may have been hop dship and clinging to same lifestyle of har

February 7,

We drove to the Rescue and Restore Home this morning. A safe place for children who have endured the worst of liv ing in slums or suffered abuse. We sanded and painted the exterior of the home to give the building a face-lift.

It was nice to do manual lab or but difficult getting all the nooks and cranni es of the building. The kids from the home wer e at school while we wer e painting so we were abl e to accomplish a great deal of painting. From massive walls to window frames, our team was hap py to give back to the people who help suppor t the beautiful childr en who live there. The wor kers of the home made lunch for us and the locals who would stop by for a bite. They made mac kerel fish, white rice, and spicy chopped up potatoes which smelle d amazing and served wit h hot masala chai tea .

A group of gypsies sto pped by and ate with us. We all sat on the floor and ate with our right hands— an Indian custom. In the evenin g, our team traveled to a nearby Gypsy slum and distributed rice to the people. It was loud and chaotic. We played wit h some of the children, held some naked babies and spoke to the people .

Masses of people lined up for rice but grew angry when we ran out and began to riot. We had to quickly leave the area and return to the Rescue and Restor e Home for dinner. The children had returned and entertained us by telling us their heartwrenching life stories and performing remarkabl e cultural dances. The children and workers thoroughly showed the ir gratitude for our wor k and the impact we had made on them.

Heather, a nurse from my team, treats those affected

by Leprosy in a makeshift clinic, with care. She cleans the people’s wounds and then tightly dresses their feet with gauze and bandages. Photo by Kenna Douglass

TATTOO MANIA There were m any reasons chose to get people tattoos, wheth er it was a spur of the moment deci Staff Writer sion or a wel thought out pl lan. Some, like sophomore Je Scherzer, had ssie more personal reasons.

“I got my tattoo because a hear stands for suic t on your left ide,” Scherzer wrist said. “Someone committed su icide two year close to me s ago, and I di suicide awaren d it for him an ess.” d for She got the ta ttoo in remem wanted it to st brance of a lo ved one, but sh and for awaren ess and help w e also Regardless of ith prevention whether or no t more extrem for others. the death of a e circumstance loved one, Sche s occurred, lik rzer planned to Although sh e get many mor e would like to e tattoos. have more tatt could have ne gative effects oos, she belie on certain aspe ved they that some empl ct s of life. She recogn oyers may not vi ized ew ta ttoos in a posi “I think peop tive light. le with tattoo s are stereoty Scherzer said. ped “Like for jobs, interviewers do very much,” and it’s connot n’t like them, ated with bein g unprofession Scherzer has al.” not had to de al with an em since her tattoo ployer , but when sh e does she plan keep her tattoo s to from being se en in order to appear profes sional.

Allie Weber

or Emilio Last January juni tattoo. st fir s Fowler got hi to Skinquest with Fowler walked in t he his mind of wha a clear image in wanted.

‘All I See on my back says “My first tattoo le wrest r, Jordan e a really good us ca just be d’ ol G is his motto and I ol and that was id y m is s, ow rr Bu wler said. took after it,” Fo art and his zodiac pass over his he .

He also has a com erals on his arm e in roman num at hd rt y bi ad d re an al n d sig an ed to get more He said he intend . oo tt ta xt his ne had an idea for y right tting an ox on m ge on “I plan ac my Chinese zodi pec because it is . sign,” Fowler said

Junior Josh Lang was in fluenced by many p eople when it came to getting his first tattoo, members to from family idols. His fath to the idea w er’s contribu as vital, bein tion g that it was that inspired the quote the tattoo itse lf.

“My tattoo says ‘No we shall prosper. apon forme d against yo ’ I got it beca use my dad al u games or so ways says it b mething imp e o fo rt re an Lang’s intere t,” Lang said. st for tattoos another influ w as sparked at a ential person young age, d in his life, his “I knew I wan ue to sister. ted a tattoo like 12,” Lang when my sist said. er first got h ers, and I was With the ide a for the tatt oo set, only o be dealt with ne more deta . This was wh il needed to ere an inspir help with th at ional idol ste e location of p ped in to th e ta ttoo. “[I got my ta ttoo on my b ic ep because] his there,” La Trey Burke h ng said. as Trey Burke is a profession al basketbal who plays fo l player r the years in colle Utah Jazz. He spent his two ge playing for the Mich Wolverines b igan efore being drafted by th Minnesota Ti e mberwolves.

Deadly Disorders A senior student tells of her struggles with a dangerous eating disorder.

Abby Sola

Staff Writer

The Long-Term Effects: Anorexia Nervosa:

•Heart rate and blood pressure lower; can result in heart failure •Reduction of bone density results in dry, brittle bones; weakness; fatigue •Severe dehydration, which can result in kidney failure •Dry skin and hair; hair loss is common • Growth of a thin layer of hair called lanugo all over the body

Bulimia:

•Electrolyte imbalances can lead to irregular heartbeats and possibly heart failure or death •Potential stomach rupture during periods of bingeing •Inflammation, possible rupture of the esophagus, tooth decay and staining from frequent vomiting •Irregular bowel movements and constipation as a result of laxative abuse •Peptic ulcers and pancreatitis

Binge-Eating:

•High blood pressure •High cholesterol levels •Heart disease due to elevated fat levels •Type II diabetes mellitus •Gallbladder disease

All information is credited to: NEDA Feeding Hope http://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-factseating-disorders

Photo illustration by Madison Reed

Sometimes people take the simplest things for granted. Waking up for breakfast, going to lunch when that mid-day bell rings, or even going out with friends for a nice dinner seems simple, but for others, they can be viewed as a real struggle. The urge to eat and satisfy hunger is not always stronger than the longing to look “picture-perfect.” When this longing continually tends to beat out the desire to eat, it can potentially lead to an eating disorder.

According to CBS News, over 500,000 teens struggle with an eating disorder, with more than half of them suffering from some sort of mental illness such as anxiety or depression.

Bringing these statistics a little closer to home, there are at least two students per year within the halls of GEHS who fight an eating disorder.

The most common eating disorders are Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia and Binge-eating, according to womenshealthzone.net. Anorexia is the purposeful exclusion of meals, getting by with eating as little as possible. Bulimia is eating an excessive amount of food and then taking extra measures to make sure there is no weight gain. Taking medicine to induce vomiting, taking laxatives, or an extreme amount of exercise and fasting are all ways that people with Bulimia will avoid gaining weight. Bingeeating is very similar to Bulimia, but instead of taking special care to get rid of any weight gain, they just let it digest.

According to Health Aide Julie Bilhimer, exercise Bulimia is becoming more and more

common among people within the last 10 years. Exercise Bulimia is when people will overeat and then force themselves to work out all the time, Bilhimer said. It is used as a cover to mask the real problem — overeating.

A senior student, who wished to remain anonymous, said the prime factors that lead to the start of a Bulimic or Anorexic cycle are stress and anger.

“Whenever I was angry and stressed so badly I went a week without eating and then when I did try to eat, I threw all of it up,” the senior student said.

For this student, being alone also triggers the thoughts of wanting to be skinnier. The sadness that comes from sitting alone with just one’s thoughts is sometimes enough to make this student cut themselves. Cutting the parts of the body they do not like and obsessing over selfimage keeps the anger present and the eating disorder alive, according to the student.

“ ” I’m so miserable, I can’t take it anymore.

“Every time I look at myself or see food or see someone smaller than me [it affects me],” the senior student said.

Having anorexia or bulimia will change the way someone sees themselves, according to the student. To them, looking in the mirror reflects a different image than what everyone else sees.

Feelings of disgust, hate, anger, frustration and depression can all occur with one little glance at their reflection, the senior student said. The pressure they feel to keep up with society’s idea of “perfection” blinds them from realizing what they are doing to their body.

Although these eating disorders are extremely detrimental to physical health, the mental health suffers a hard blow because of the harsh way their confidence suffers.

Constantly putting oneself down for the way they look is as dangerous to one’s health as not eating or intentionally throwing up, Bilhimer said. Without positive thoughts, the eating disorders can fester and grow until they become extremely toxic to overall health.

“I hope everyone knows my door is always open and everything is private,” Bilhimer said.

Opening up to one’s parents or even talking to a GEHS staff member is the first step to getting help. Talking about things and putting them out on the table can work in ways unimaginable if given the chance, Bilhimer said.

“I guess I’m not really getting help,” the senior student said. “Maybe I’m helping myself.”

Even though times may be tough, just keep pushing through. Getting help, educating oneself, or simply thinking positive can mend and heal a broken mentality, according to Bilhimer. No matter how alone one feels, remember that someone cares. Nothing is more important than human life, and protecting it is the least we can do for one another.

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A Family Tradition

The Curse of Part-Time Are seniors using their extra time wisely?

Madison Reed Web-Editor

Ah, second semester. In many ways, the first day of second semester is much like the first day of school: new classes, new teachers and the anxiety of not knowing anyone in class. For seniors, the new semester also brings a new privilege: part-time schedules. During the second half of the year, seniors have the opportunity to go parttime, meaning they can drop any classes not needed for graduation in the spring.

Basically, seniors can drop all classes except for English and one semester of Government.

The only exceptions are if a senior is involved in sports or extra-curricular classes, like Band or Choir, or are lacking the total number of credits required for graduation.

The Kansas State High School Activities Association (KSHSAA) requires any student that participates in sports or extra-curriculars to be a fulltime student, meaning they have to keep at least five classes. Another problem with going part-time, that very few seniors actually know, is that

when dropping classes to go part-time, the classes that are dropped are shown as a “W” or withdraw on the student’s transcript — something colleges will see.

Part-time scheduling causes problems when all of that extra time is not filled with something useful, like

“even if that means just going home and relaxing.”

Seniors have worked hard all four years of high school.

Second semester signals the home stretch, with graduation finally within reach. Many seniors see parttime scheduling as a privilege earned from four years of

classes at Johnson County Community College or more hours at work. Not every senior thinks that the extra time necessarily needs to be filled.

“I think extra time should be spent doing whatever you want,” senior Haley Dean said,

hard work, a privilege that is rightfully earned.

“I think if we have enough credits we should be able to go part-time. In a way I think we have earned it,” Dean said.

Everyone knows, however, that the beginning of second semester typically worsens

“senioritis.” Senioritis is the general lack of interest in schoolwork that seniors develop in their final months of high school. If seniors drop more classes than they are actually taking, they could shirk their responsibilities all together.

“Going part-time causes a drop in grades, attendance and motivation,” English teacher Kelly Peterson Miranda said.

During the second half of the year, seniors need to stay focused on school and do what they can to prevent senioritis.

“Take classes you are interested in and that you enjoy,” Dean said. “You won’t dread school as much if you’re going to a class you like to be in. Another way is to not take super-hard classes.”

Part-time scheduling can be used for taking college classes, a part-time job or even volunteer work. Seniors need to be careful that the extra free time they get is used for something productive. It is easy to fall into the habits of laziness, but this final year of high school is the most important and seniors need to be sure and keep up with their responsibilities — while maybe enjoying a little more free time as well.

Main: Senior Tommy McLennan enjoys the extra time he has on Mondays to catch up with friends.

Seniors stayed in the commons during empty blocks on all block days. Far Left: Seniors Darian Jeanneret, Xenia Reyes, Georgia Summers and Claira Hollingshead leave the school early. Seniors needed to find productive ways to use their extra time when they went part-time. Left: Seniors Makenna Miller and Kyle Whedon work on homework during their extra block.

Photos by Madison Reed.

IT’S SO ‘TRADISH’

All schools have their own unique traditions they embrace each and every year, from school pep assemblies to the girl’s powder-puff game. Gardner Edgerton High School has held some of the same traditions since when some of the faculty went to school at GEHS. Senior Jacob McIntire, spoke about some of these different traditions.

“The big ones [GEHS embraces] are singing the fight song and alma mater before and after pep assemblies,” McIntire said.

The alma mater is not only a tradition for pep assemblies, but also for sporting events. After every football and basketball game, win or lose, the student section shows their Blazer pride by singing the alma mater in joy or in defeat.

English teacher Julie

Gillette, who used to go to high school here at GEHS, spoke on some of the other traditions GEHS has held from back in her high school days.

“When I was a senior, that was the first time we had homecoming king for the fall and winter dances,” Gillette said. “It had only previously been queen.”

Almost all, if not all, schools hold a fall and winter dance.

The tradition throughout these high schools , like GEHS, is to crown a king and queen for each dance.

English teacher, Kelly Peterson Miranda thinks that this tradition should be gone forever.

“I think the whole homecoming queen and king is kind of out dated and it is just a popularity contest full of drama. I wish we could change that up a bit,” Peterson Miranda said.

Now, GEHS has plenty more traditions than just the

fight song and alma mater or crowning king and queen of the dances, but that does not mean that some students wish more traditions could be added. For students like junior Jacob Haywood, pink Wednesdays and a mascot are what GEHS needs.

“I wish we would wear pink [Wednesdays] because Mean Girls did it and that turned out to be successful,” Haywood said. “[Also,] we need to utilize the mascot that we have which hasn’t been used for years.”

Asking some of the teachers what traditions were like back in their high school days, Peterson Miranda gave ideas on what her high school teachers used to do as a tradition before every Christmas break.

“One tradition I would love to see added is every four years at my high school, the staff put on a Christmas play and they only did it every four years so you only got to see it once,” Peterson Miranda McIntire, who has attended GEHS all four years, spoke about some of the changes

Kyle Stubler

Photo-Editor

that have occurred here at GEHS since he was a freshman.

“A lot has changed and being a student council member, I have been a part of it. Like the new building, and new lockers this year. There have also been changes in the way things are run during the new student/freshman day as well,” McIntire said.

With the times changing and new students entering high school, the traditions are going to change. But while all of these changes are occurring, some traditions here at GEHS, may always be the same.

Adversity, in its most basic form means difficulties or misfortune, but how one takes adversity and overcomes it gives it an important meaning. When one is faced with struggles it may be easy to simply give up, but it is those who put up a fight who find the true meaning of life. It may be hard to believe that adversity has affected the students walking these halls, but there are hundreds of stories and each one is different.

Among those fighting adversity every day is junior Matt Rose who, at the start of his freshman year, was diagnosed with an enlarged heart and heart murmur that will affect him every day for the rest of his life.

“My condition makes it to where I can’t participate in any strenuous activity,” Rose said. “I can’t play a full game of basketball with my friends because I have to pace myself.”

Most may not consider how their everyday life would be affected if they were to face unfavorable odds but for those who wake up every day facing obstacles, adversity becomes a common feeling. History teacher Walt Cochran is no stranger to adversity himself. At 8 months, his daughter Lindsay Cochran was diagnosed with Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), which, according to the Families of SMA website, is an inherited disease of the motor nerves that impacts the muscles used for breathing, walking, swallowing, and even head and neck control. After her diagnosis,

don’t have to do this by ourselves.”

Finding a new normal may be the best way for individuals with everyday challenges to cope.

Senior Taylor Claybon learned how to create a new normal when in the fifth grade she was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes. Type I Diabetes affects only five percent of patients diagnosed with diabetes and is most commonly found in children, according to the American Diabetes Association. In this type, the body does not produce enough insulin to convert sugar and starches into energy needed for the body to function.

“I can’t drink juice or eat donuts every day for breakfast,” Claybon joked with a smile.

Those who have these challenges begin to get used to the adversity they face and it becomes a part of who they are, which is

“We don’t have to do this by ourselves.

“ ”

everything changed for the Cochran family.

“I dreamed of walking her down the aisle and coaching her volleyball team,” Cochran said, “but we’ve learned to live a new dream and what we’ve learned is the importance of family, the importance of living your faith, and the importance of community. We

why it often may be hard for others to see someone is struggling with something. “[Lindsay] doesn’t dwell on her disability,” Cochran said. “She dismisses it and has accepted that her purpose in life is to make others happy and to share with others what life is like with a disability.”

To those who see Rose, Claybon and Cochran every day, many would not guess the obstacles they have had to overcome. The positive attitudes they exude are often times a source of hope for others. “[I have a positive attitude] knowing that I am living life to the fullest,” Rose said. “No regrets.”

Although it may seem challenging to stay positive at times, Claybon said, through positivity one can overcome the obstacles in their way.

According to Cochran, the best way to overcome a challenge is to choose hope. Through hope one can learn to see the beauty in a situation. He said overcoming adversity is a state of mind and a state of the heart. He knows that he must choose hope and try to react positively to the circumstances he is given. It may seem easy to give up, but Rose, Cochran and Claybon know they cannot give in to their obstacles.

“You shouldn’t give up,” Claybon said. “Stay positive and remember let those positives overshadow the negatives.”

Claybon also said she cannot make excuses for why something does not go her way. She was raised to excel in everything she does, such as track, and she knows she is not allowed to use her diabetes as an excuse to why she does not succeed.

She said the way she was raised has been a huge advantage to her in terms of overlooking the challenges she faces.

Cochran, Claybon, and Rose look ahead to their future and they know that what they have faced has

only made them stronger. Rather than only seeing what they cannot do, they focus on what they can.

When Lindsay Cochran was asked by her preschool teacher if she would be excited to run in heaven, she explained that she would simply be excited to kneel. It is that kind of attitude that has helped her see the glass half full, Cochran explained.

“Everyone struggles and bad things happen to good people,” Cochran said. “Stress is relative.”

Overcoming Adversity Staff Writer

Kari Porter

Pictured from left to right: junior Matt Rose, senior Taylor Claybon, and history teacher Walt Cochran. Photo by Cheyanna Schaefer

Kansas Kings

of the Courts

Abby Buie

Staff Writer

The 2013-2014 Kansas College Division 1 mens basketball teams all have a winning record with few losses.

Wichita State is still undefeated and ranked third in the nation. The University of Kansas is ranked eighth, and even though Kansas State is not currently ranked, they were ranked earlier this season.

8

20-6

Kansas

Points per game: 79.5

18-8

28-0 Kansas State Wichita State Points per game: 69.3

3

Points per game: 75.1

WSU

Field Goal percent: .503

Field Goal percent: .435

Field Goal percent: .450

3-point percent: .352

3-point percent: .324

3-point percent: .337

Free-Throw pct: .696

Free-Throw percent: .647

Free-Throw percent: .736

Rebound Per game : 38.1

Rebound per game : 36.5

Rebound per game : 38.8

Assists per game: 15.7

Assists per game: 15.7

Turnovers per game: 13.3

Assists per game: 13.5

Turnovers per game: 12.0

Steals per game: 5.8

Steals per game: 6.2

Blocks per game: 5.7

Blocks per game: 2.8

Leading Scorer: Andrew Wiggins, 16.2 points per game

Leading Scorer: Marcus Foster, 15.1 points per game

Leading Blocks: Joel Embiid, 2.5 blocks per game

Leading Blocks: Shane Southwell, 1.0 blocks per game

Leading Steals: Andrew Wiggins, 1.1 steals per game

Leading Steals: Will Spradling, 1.3 steals per game

Leading Assists: Naadir Tharpe, 5.2 assist per game

Leading Assists: Shane Southwell, 3.1 assist per game

Leading Rebounder: Joel Embiid, 7.8 rebounds per game

Leading Rebounder: Thomas Gipson, 6.3 rebounds per game

KU KSU

*Information from www.kuathletics.com, www.k-statesports.com, and www.goshockers.com.

Turnovers per game: 10.3 Steals per game: 7.2 Blocks per game: 5.0 Leading Scorer: Cleanthony Early, 16.2 points per game Leading Blocks: Kadeem Coleby, 1.2 blocks per game Leading Steals: Fred VanVleet, 2.0 steals per game Leading Assists: Fred VanVleet, 5.2 assist per game Leading Rebounder: Cleanthony Early, 6.3 rebounds per game

r e t f Life A Dating Starla Stephens Staff Writer

High school sweethearts share their stories of romance and love.

All high school teenagers have different goals. Some may want to go to college, and others might desperately want to find their one true love. Very few end up staying together through college and even fewer end up marrying their high school sweethearts.

There are only some rare, unique couples who stay together for the rest of their lives after high school.

According to MerriamWebster dictionary, love is a feeling of strong or constant affection for a person. Some high school relationships are only lust, while a few couples are absolutely serious about one another.

Brandon Miller and Amanda Simpson, 2008 GEHS graduates, met in fifth grade at Nike Intermediate School.

They have been together for six years and are engaged to be married. One of their favorite memories is going to Dallas for a band trip their senior year of high school.

“Love means being your spouse’s number one fan and supporting them in every aspect of their life,” Simpson said. “Love means being completely faithful to one another.”

The word “love” means different things to different people. But all in all, it is the same feeling of affection for another human being. High school sweethearts find their true love early on, while many others have to wait for it.

Commitment can be a big issue in high school sweethearts. Ironically, school can completely destroy a relationship by pulling in outside factors. School is time consuming and can drag two people apart.

Kim and Paul Fibelkorn, both music teachers for USD 231, have been married 27 years.

Yearly, they go to the Starlight Theatre each month, so they have set date nights during the holidays, Kim said.

“It was not hard to stay with Paul throughout college because I knew I had met the right person,” Kim said.

Social media can also have a drastic impact on sweethearts. It can be a huge distraction and also might be used for the wrong reasons.

Ashley and Jared Gorney met in elementary school and have been married for 15 years. They both are teachers at Gardner Edgerton High School.

“It is harder to stay with one person now-a-days because there are many more outside factors,” Ashley said. “Social media can make it easier to cheat and hide secrets, but it can also help catch cheaters and liars.”

The secret to a happy marriage or relationship may be forever unknown.

Each couple is completely different, but all have a few special perks that they have come to realize.

“The secret is giving time, patience, and forgiveness to each other,” Paul said. “There will always be days

Top left: Ashley and Jared pose at a school dance.

Bottom left: Amanda and Brandon take a break from dancing. Top right: Kim and Paul happily smile for a photo together. Bottom right: Ashley and Jared celebrate graduation together. All photo credits go to the couple.

when you are not happy with each other, but your spouse is worth the kindness.”

Being high school sweethearts can be a hurtful mess or it might change your life forever. Every couple has different pros and cons to their relationship.

Some things may make the relationship implode while other things can be the secret everyone desperately wants to know.

Pointing Toesand Shelby Simpson

Editor-In-Chief

The Blazerettes are striving to reach their full potential. This season they have more routines than any team has ever competed with. The close-knit group of 14 girls has taken on six team routines and 15 other small ensembles, solos or duets.

“Everyone is very dedicated and has given lots of their time to this team,” junior Chandler Howard said. “It is very intense, but fun, and we all get along really well.”

Starting in June, choreographers came to Madison Elementary to teach the Blazerettes their competition routines, which were then worked on until January, when competition season began.

“There is so much excitement learning a new competition routine,” junior Amy Eichman said. “But then we drill and kill until we are competition ready.”

1

Practicing for three hours, three or four times a week, was the start of preparing for competition. The first step was learning the routine and then getting the memory down. After that, the team had to clean the routine and make sure each step and arm movement was the same, and, lastly, the team pushed their technique and showmanship to make the performance exuberating to watch.

The two competitions the Blazerettes competed in were 5-Star at Olathe South High School and Kansas Spectacular at Olathe East High School. In the state of Kansas, dance teams are not allowed to be awarded a place, and scores cannot be shared comparative to other teams. Instead, routines were placed into the circle of winners by category.

“I love the positive attitude, and although I sometimes feel lost in a sea of dance teams, when I get on the floor with my team,

there is always a bubble around us,” Eichman said.

Being together an average of 12 hours a week, the team grew closer since summer.

“Our love for each other [has grown],” freshman Harley McKinney said. “We have faced a lot of adversity this season but learned that if we stick together nothing will bring us down.”

2

All Photos Courtesy of Shane and Alli Ph

dTurning Heads 4

3

5 1. With sass and precision, the team performs their jazz routine “Oh My.” 2. Team lyrical “Don’t Worry” is a breathy and fluid routine where each dancer tells a story.

3. In the military style team hip-hop “Marching In,” the Blazerettes end on a strong note.

4. Sophomore Tori Hill, junior Morgan Wheeler, junior Chandler Howard, junior Alison Faris and freshman Harley McKinney perform their small ensemble “Bottom of the River.”

5. Junior Amy Eichman, senior Paige Johnson, junior Shelby Simpson, and junior Carly Graceffa perform their officer routine “Royals.”

6. Senior Brittany Alsup holds her fellow senior Paige Johnson in their duet “Smash.”

The team received a division 1 rating on all of the routines they took to competition. They also received the sportsmanship award, which is voted on by all the other teams at the competition.

6

dear blazer nation, Welcome to our newly re-designed .

magazine

news

When you walked into seminar today and heard there was a new newspaper edition, you probably didn’t expect to see this. People always tell you not to be afraid of change, right? So we took the plunge, and we think you’ll like it.

As journalism continues to change every day (minute, really), so do we. Since our newspaper is distributed about once per month, versus once per week or once per day, we publish more feature stories than news stories. The feature stories are simply more suitable for a magazine format.

The blazer staff Editors-in-Chief

Alexandria Howard Madison Reed

Copy Editors

Kenna Douglass Kracinda Mitchell

Photo Editor

Staff Writers

Kyle Stubler Abby Buie

Jenna Goetzmann

In the meantime, we are also working to evolve our new , where more daily information will be placed. Our news room mirrors what real world news rooms look like.

Brittney Orwick

www.gehsnews.com website

Kari Porter Bailey Prigel Kayla Richards-Locke

Journalism is continually changing, and we are changing along with it — .

along with it

Shelby Simpson

Dylan Schultz

we must change

Starla Stephens

Lauren Stephenson But, we wanted to do our change right, too. We Allie Weber have taken the time to study and research magazine design, using magazines from Time magazine to ESPN. Then, we took our old paper, packed it with Diana Klote , and , to deliver the re-energized The Blazer just for you. We want to remind you that, most importantly, The Blazer The Blazer is the official high school publication of Gardner Edgerton High remains a medium for a forum of School, printed by Osage Graphics in Burlingame, Kan. This is a student publication and may contain controversial matter. Gardner Edgerton School District No. for our student ideas and a 231 and its board members, officers, and employees discalim any responsibility body, while also maintaining for the content of this student publication; it is not an expression of school district journalistic integrity. policy. Operating with an open forum, students and editors are solely responsible

Adviser

color more pages designs

contemporary

voice

And, just from us, change isn’t so bad after all.

Sincerely,

The Blazer editors Alex Howard, Madison Reed & Shelby Simpson

for the content of this student publication.

Editorial opinions represent the views of the individual writer, not the staff as a whole. All submitted letters to the editor must be no longer than 300 words, typed and signed by the author. Letters will be considered and published on a space-available basis. The Blazer staff reserves the right to edit all submitted material for content and libel. For advertising or other information, please call or write: Journalism 425 North Waverly Road Gardner, Kansss 66030 (913) 856.2640 kloted@usd231.com