Volume 46 Issue 6

THE

GRIFFIN RITES Winnetonka High School

March 18, 2016

Vol. 46 Issue 6

Staff

Contents Attention to racism

4 7

editor-in-chief Emily Elliott 7

co-copy editor Amber Murray

French Club

8-9

co-copy editor Savannah Moore

online editor-in-chief lead design editor Rachel Adamson design editor Emily Noyes

Addictions

editorial editor Mallery Zion

10

Television review

11

FAME

12

Law enforcement

14

8-9

arts editor Alyssa Magrone entertainment editor Jocelin Egeland

15

comic strip Marley Kennaley

16

writers and photographers Amy Chavarin James Palmer Kati McMullen Hayden Weatherman Ciara Arena Angela Sluder Kaitlyn Minet Riley Stephenson Anna Sonnenstatter

Sports preview

Policies The Griffin Rites staff strongly supports the First Amendment and opposes censorship. Freedom of expression and press are fundamental values in a democratic society. The mission of any institution committed to preparing productive citizens must include teaching students these values, both by example and lesson. We welcome letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for grammar and length, but we will not change ideas. Letters may attack policies but not people.

They must be signed and submitted to F6 or mailed to Dr. Shannon Rennaker attention at 5815 NE 48th St., Kansas City, Mo. 64119. Advertising space is also available. Please e-mail shannon.rennaker@nkcschools.org or call 816-321-5597 for information. Our organization is a member of the Journalism Educators of Metropolitan Kansas City, Journalism Educators Association and the National Scholastic Press Association.

video editor Paige Hale

On the cover- representing TV technical difficulties to correlate with the editorial.

Photo illustration by Hayden Weathermen

adviser Dr. Shannon Rennaker

Dangers of online challenges

By Griffin Rites staff

W

ith YouTube celebrities becoming more influential and increasing in numbers, more youth are intrigued with becoming a YouTube celebrity, even if this means taking on challenges that may hurt themsleves and others.

This behavior is also considered a fun way to pass time.

The oddly popular fire challenge calls for participants to douse themselves with rubbing alcohol, set it on fire and then proceed to extinguish the fire before it becomes too risky.

A 15-year-old boy from Kentucky suffered 2nd degree burns from this challenge in 2014.

More dares that are commonly known like the cinnamon, salt and ice, banana and Sprite and the condom challenges have all been popular topics at one point on social media.

The thing about these YouTube activities is that kids see and hear about what happens to people who do them, yet they continue to participate in these actions.

Lesser known challenges had more dangerous consequences and resulted in deaths.

For example, doing the cold water challenge resulted to a boy in Minnesota drowning in a lake. He decided to do the challenge with no one watching over him, and he unfortunately could not make it out of the frigid water.

The root of wanting to participate in these challenges comes from both curiosity and peer pressure. This is essentially a modern day truth or dare.

Not all of these challenges have dark intentions; the ALS ice bucket challenge was promoted to help spread awareness of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a nervous system disease that attacks the neurons of the body.

The kids of this generation are much too easily-influenced for challenges like this to be circulating. The more challenges we see publicized on the internet, the more deaths we are going to be seeing with our young generations.

Internet superstars and personalities really need to consider their audience when making these videos.

The Griffin Rites (Winnetonka High School) does not condone this self-harming behavior. If you know someone who is hurting themselves, you need to report the incident(s) to an adult.

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | Editorial | 3

OSCARS BRING ATTENTION TO RACISM 2016 Oscars: Celebrities call for boycott

By Kaitlyn Minet and Amy Chavarin

T

his year’s Oscar nominations are sparking up theories of racial discrimination.

This is the second year in a row the Academy did not nominate a single actor or actress of color for any of the acting categories, according to Hollywoodreporter.

Out of 161 nominees for all categories, there were only 12 people of color nominated.

Some believe that the Oscars seem to veer from colored people as nominees.

“I think there should be more black actors nominated; I feel it should be more diverse,” junior Westly Bertha said.

Others believe that the Oscars are not intentionally discriminating.

“I don’t necessarily agree with it [the controversies]. I think that to nominate somebody based on color is not exactly what we want,” English teacher Stephanie Healy said.

Jada Pinkett Smith posted a video to Facebook on Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday calling for a boycott on the Oscars; several others have decided to join her.

“I think people who are boycotting have the right to and it’s a

constitutional one. They believe in it [boycotting] so they can do what they want,” Bertha said.

Reported by CNN, there has been an increased amount of people telling Chris Rock, host of the Oscars, to also boycott the award ceremony.

“I think it would have a better impact especially because he is the host of the whole show. It would definitely send a pretty strong message if he decided not to show up,” senior Riley Dougherty said.

For next year’s Oscars, others feel that nominating more minorities will be a significant priority.

“I think another problem that’d occur is people being pressured into nominating minorities next year,” junior Charity Smith said.

Although racism might still be an issue, some believe people need to do their best to avoid it.

“I want everybody to love each other.

Respect is such a key; respect a person for who they are not by what they look like,” Healy said. “It’s a pigmentation it’s not their character.”

“I want everybody to love each other.

Respect is such a key.”

4 | News | March 18 | Winnetonka HS

|Page design by AmyChavarin

RELAY FOR

LIFE

When: April 15-16th, 6pm-6am Where: Winnetonka Track Cost: $25 for a night of games, food, and fun!

Go to tinyurl.com/NorthlandRelay to sign up!

Poetry Lounge Join us for coffee, treats, and poetry Friday, April 22nd 7:00-10:00 pm Little Theater $3

5815 NE Antioch Rd. 64119 816.452.7200

Auditions will be held on March 31 2:30 – 4:00 in D3 and April 1 2:30 - 4:00 in the little theater Bring with you 1-3 original poems you want to perform at the poetry lounge

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Jdéteste e te

By Anna Sonnenstatter

J

“

e te déteste” is the title of the music video that the French club has begun producing.

“Je te déteste means I hate you, which sounds so awful, so I keep saying that at the end [of the music video] we should do a “je t’aime”-sign, like “I love you”-sign, just to be like ‘I don’t really hate you’,” French teacher Erica Stones said.

Last year Stones’ classes created music videos as a project, which then sparked imagination for the French club to create their own music video.

“We just got off like the movie-making thing, so we were like ‘it would be really cool if we did a music video with French club’, because there are so many more people,” senior president Jordyn Eskijian said.

As the French club is connected to other schools, the video would give the students an opportunity to present their club.

“If we put it on YouTube, we could send them [the other schools] the link and they could look it up and see what we look like and be able to put faces with names,” Eskijian said.

The students decided to dress up as cliché French people, while they sang and danced similar too the Harlem Shake music video.

“We will be singing and having fun.

We have costumes, props and we will be outside. We’ll be on the stairs, in the theater, showcasing the whole school and having a good time,” Eskijian said.

Top: Freshmen Sutton Ward filming the music video on March 4. Middle: The French Club posing by the French flag on March 4. Bottom: Juniors Abrar Nourein and Laura Nsoh-Awasom working on the music video on March 4. Photos

by Anna Sonnenstatter.

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | News | 7

I’M ADDICTED TO...

COFFEE

By Jocelin Egeland

I

“ drink it anytime, any place, anywhere. It could be 10 o’clock and I’ll drink it,” junior Emma Evans said.

Since the eighth grade Evans has been addicted to coffee.

“I used to not like coffee, then I went to Starbucks and I just liked it,” Evans said.

Evans’ friends and family have noticed her addiction from the beginning.

“I’ve known Emma since freshman year. She was addicted then and she is still addicted now.

It’s been a vicious cycle,” junior Susan Engstrom said.

Without her daily dose, Evans is not the same person.

“It’s kind of like a medication because she is really irritable when she doesn’t have it and she kind of gets mean,” Engstrom said.

However, Evans does not notice a difference in her personality.

“I don’t think it affects my demeanor, I think I’m still a happy person,” Evans said, “I think I drink it more for the taste.”

Many of her friends have contributed to her addiction by buying her the ultimate Christmas gift.

“I saved up for like a month so I could put a bunch of money in the Keurig fund,” Engstrom said, “A bunch of us saved our money so we could buy her a Keurig.”

Her addiction does not come without a price.

“She spends probably half her paycheck on coffee every week,” Engstrom said.

Not only does Evans love the taste of coffee, but she is entranced by the aroma.

“The smell is beautiful. I think when I grow up I want to have a coffee shop in my home and not open it to the public, just have it brewing all the time,” Evans said.

Through all the money spent and time taken out of her schedule for coffee, Evans swears she does not have a problem.

“I’m not addicted,” Evans said.

8 | Feature | March 18 | Winnetonka HS

Junior Emma Evans enjoying her coffee at Starbucks on March 7.

Photo by Emily Elliott.

|Page designs by RachelAdamson

I’M ADDICTED TO...

WORKING OUT

By Kati McMullen

J

unior Luke Whistler spends roughly nine hours during his week at the gym.

Luke has been addicted to working out since he was 13 years old.

“In seventh grade, I watched the Batman movies and I was a huge dork and was like ‘that’s got to be me’,” Luke said.

He has a set routine that he completes during the week.

“Over five days, I’ll do legs first, then chest and triceps, back and biceps, deltoids and traps and then I’ll rest and go again,” Luke said.

Luke works his gym

schedule around his school and social life.

“Everyone who texts me knows there’s an hour and a half period of the day where I won’t text them back,” Luke said.

His family approves of his addiction as long as it does not go too far.

“The whole family’s pretty cool with it unless it gets in the way of things we want to do,” Luke’s sister Maddie Whistler said.

Just like any addiction, Luke faces opinions and judgment from other people.

“Calves are a genetic thing.

I wasn’t born with big calves.

When I’m in the store, people ask me how I can stand up.

Some people say they don’t want me to look like a cloud,” Luke said, “It gets me really flustered.”

I’M ADDICTED TO...

SHOPPING

By Ciara Arena

P

Senior Haley Swanigan at her job organizing the clothing rack on March 3.

Photo by Emily Elliott.

eople express their emotions in different ways: some people cry, scream, throw fits, or in senior Haley Swanigan’s case, shop.

Swanigan is viewed as a shopaholic by friends as well as herself. Most times she turns to shopping as a stress reliever.

“I have a really bad habit of going shopping while I’m sad; it makes me feel better,” Swanigan said, “It’s like retail therapy.”

Swanigan has always loved buying clothes, but she noticed her shopping habits worsening as early as middle school.

“I’d say I go shopping about 17 to 18 times a month. I really

Junior Luke Whistler working out at World’s Gym on March 3. Photo by Emily Elliott.

have a problem,” Swanigan said.

When it comes to enjoying a night out, Swanigan must decide if she wants to spend money with her friends or on more clothing.

“I think, ‘well I could go out with my friends and use the money for that, but really I could buy this new top and be just as happy’,” Swanigan said.

Although Swanigan prefers to shop alone, senior Kevin Vo tags along periodically.

“Haley for sure loves to go to stores like Charlotte Russe and Forever 21; stores that have a good variety of clothing,” Vo said.

Working at the clothing store, Francesca’s, may be another causation toward her addiction.

With customers asking about her fashion opinion, Swanigan must stay up to date with her wardrobe.

“The way my job is, you have to shop for other people,” Swanigan said, “Shopping is literally my job.”

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | Feature | 9

Failing Grade for Television Series

By Alyssa Magrone

C

ontrary to the book series, “Shadowhunters” the television series fails in capturing affection and building a dedicated audience.

“Shadowhunters” is a new show that is based on “The Mortal Instruments” book series. The plot line contains everything from complicated romance to paranormal creatures.

While the books were able to keep readers entertained for six books with a prequel trilogy and several short stories, it is doubtful the television series will keep viewer ratings to a second season.

One of the biggest disappointments of the show was the casting. Although the actors look the part, they fail to portray the characters with their mediocre acting abilities.

The actors are not all to blame; the directing is what fails to bring the characters to life. The acting would possibly be considered adequate, if they even remotely embodied the personalities of the characters.

Jace, a main character, undergoes a major character change from arrogant to

kind. However, while it took several books to see this, the change was apparent in the first 45 minutes of the pilot.

The lack of true character and rushed development is almost as disappointing as the sudden romance that advances. While it is common knowledge television show adaptations must move faster compared to written novels, “Shadowhunters” sped up the plot past the books speed limit.

Apart from the book, the show remains unrealistic. While the plot line itself is pure fantasy, the graphics do little to bring the monstrous creatures and fight scenes to life. A 1970’s horror movie could produce better quality.

Fans of “The Mortal Instruments” will be utterly let down again by another attempt of book to screen adaptations. “Shadowhunters” will follow the movie “City of Bones” and fail to carry out the legacy that is “The Mortal Instruments.”

The only audience this show could appeal is illiterate tweens with bad taste in acting and blind to notable imagery.

“Shadowhunters” is worthy of nothing but an F.

“A 1970’s horror movie could produce better quality.”

Photo courtesy of eonline

10 | Entertainment | March 18 | Winnetonka HS

|Page design by EmilyElliott

FIGHTING FOR Andy Mumma

By Amber Murray

W Jaryn Lasiter

Joe Bell

Kali Holman

Randy Jackson

Priscilla Ahumaraeze

Sylvanya Engdahl

hile watching a play many people do not take into account the auditions, callbacks, lighting, sound, stage crew and other jobs that go into the production.

“Every play is a little bit different in the way I go about choosing it, but for this spring I was looking for something that was a really big show,” director Sheri Coffman said.

After deciding the play, FAME, the director works backwards to find the audition dates.

“I do a process called “back blocking” where I start with the production date and work my way back through the dress rehearsals, the straight through rehearsals and the blocking rehearsals until I get to the point where I’m ready for the auditions,” Coffman said, “I do everything in reverse order and then I flip the schedule.”

The spring play auditions are an open audition process, which is different than musical auditions.

“Open allows the other auditionees to be in the room, while closed is just you and the director. Personally, I find open more intimidating in the fact that your competition is watching you,” senior Director Janae Bell said.

After auditions the director has a difficult decision to make; who to call back.

“It is hard deciding who to allow to move forward [to callbacks], but ultimately, it is for the better of your show. You must look for the best of the best,” Bell said, “You don’t call back those who are not hungry for

Fame

the part.”

After callbacks the cast list is posted; some students are devastated, while others are jubilant.

“I’d be disappointed [if I did not get the part I wanted], but I also think that Dr. Coffman would find a place for me in the show and that whoever does get the part, is meant to be in that place,” sophomore Kylee Zerbe said.

Some students understand the inner turmoil that a director goes through after posting a cast list.

While excited for a great cast, she does understand that some students will be angry and disappointed with her choices.

“Coffman actually leaves school directly after posting [the cast list] to avoid that immediate shock factor [that can follow],” Bell said.

This year “FAME” will preform to all four sides of the little theater.

“The entire stage will be the School of the Preforming Arts. It will be set up in a section of the dance department, the drama department and the instrumental music department,” Coffman said, “It is one existing set; the set does not change.”

“FAME” will be a play that allows students to have cameos during the performance; giving many students the opportunity to participate.

“I think it’s awesome. I think it’s so fun and we have a lot of talented people that can do that [perform during the show] and make it fun and good, so I am excited for it,” Zerbe said.

“FAME” will be performed on April 8 and 9 in the little theater.

Headshots of the FAME cast, taken on March 7.

Photos by Amber Murray

|Page design by MalleryZion

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | Arts | 11

Law enforcement

ID: 75284275

By James Palmer

T

oday, crime fighting is mainly glorified in the media: Facebook memes, movies and TV shows. The focus of junior Dylan Berry, however, is to truly represent what it means to serve and protect.

Law Enforcement Crime Scene Investigation [LECSI] is a Northland Career Center [NCC] program dedicated to training future police men and women.

Berry does not only want to be the hero of his story, he wants to alter his legacy for the better.

“I want to be a cop because a lot of my family were on the opposite side of the law and went down the wrong road and I want to be able to do the things that they never got to accomplish,” Berry said, “I don’t just want to put the bad guys away; I want to help make the community a better place. That is what it is all about.”

The police can have the power to change lives, to possibly prevent a robbery or stop a murder, but some times, the simplest deeds have a huge impact on society.

“You have to build a community. If you see some kids playing football, play with them. Help someone make dinner or something. I know it sounds silly but you have to inject yourself into the community to make them see you are not above or below them,” Berry said.

According to Berry, TV and social media portray police in a bad light. Often the focus is on police shooting innocent people. Seldom are police recognized for the good they do.

“There is definitely more to the story than people see.

People will post a video and say ‘oh well all of the evidence is there,’ but, in reality, if you were not there, you cannot say,” Berry said.

Often where there are police, there may be risks of casualties and many other forms of devastation. Police are susceptible to being killed in the line of duty everyday.

“I’m not really afraid of the possibility of getting shot, because if I do, at least I will die doing good,” Berry said.

12 | Focus | March 18 | Winnetonka HS

Name: Dylan Berry Program: LECSI Career: Police Officer

|Page designs by EmilyElliott

H

igh school student by day, FBI profiler in training by afternoon.

When junior Marena Draskovich was a sophomore she discovered the Law Enforcement/CSI program at Northland Career Center (NCC) through her counselor. This early opportunity sparked excitement in her future aspirations.

“I get to spend half of the day at regular school and half learning about my future profession,” Draskovich said.

The dream of this career was not brought on by the schooling opportunity though; Draskovich spent a lot of time intently focusing on media revolving around criminal justice.

“I started to want to be an FBI profiler because of all the ‘Criminal Minds’ I’ve watched,” Draskovich said.

“I know TV is different than real life, but I just want to be able to learn why criminals do what they do and be able to solve crimes and put the bad people behind bars.”

Deputy Scott Childers reports that his passion for law enforcement was sparked by his father’s involvement in such, but also says that other interactions help greatly in kids’

contact with this career pathway.

“Usually the way most people realize they want to be in law enforcement is: it’s a calling. I think with a lot of kids it can be the TV shows that impact them to where they realize they want to be in law enforcement,” Childers said.

Draskovich has her future goals planned out and is aided by this extra schooling utilization.

“I want to start out as a homicide detective for the Kansas City Police Department and work towards becoming an FBI profiler at the Behavioral Science Unit,” Draskovich said.

She is aware of the requirements needed for the career she is intending on entering, and plans on absorbing all the experience she can muster.

“To be considered for the FBI, they like to see rigorous diplomas from college, so I will be going to college for my doctorate, majoring in psychology and minoring in criminal justice,” Draskovich said. “I plan on attending Washburn University because they have recently built the Kansas Bureau of Investigation on campus so we [people involved in criminal justice] can take classes there and detectives will be in the same building.”

ID: 36527928

Crime scene investigation

By Mallery Zion

Name: Marena Draskovich Program: LECSI Career: FBI Profiler

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | Focus | 13

SPRING SPORTS PREVIEW

Coach Heath Lay boys baseball

Coach Nathan Stephenson boys golf

Coach Joeseph Wendt boys tennis

“Our goals will be to compete for a conference and district championship. We want to see our team make progress throughout the year and not peak until the end of May. I am ready to see the young men back on the field, playing the game I love to coach. I want this season to be special and would love to see as many fans as possible come out to support us throughout the season.”

“I would like to see the boys each set their personal best this year.

I would also like to see the boys place in the top three in our conference.

So far it looks like each player has improved.

The two areas that will help us the most are consistency off the tee box and improved putting. If we improve in those areas, I think we will do well this year.

It’s never too late to come out for golf, we are always looking for new golfers to join the team this year or next.”

“We have extra high goals set because we have almost our entire varsity back from last year and we think we can win the conference championship. We are going to be serious and practice extra hard. Some teams are really experinced and no matter how good you are, these teas are unrealistically good, but this year we have a really good chance of going far.”

14 | Sports | March 18 | Winnetonka HS

|Page designs by RachelAdamson

Photos by Emily Elliott

Coach David Flynn girls soccer

Coach Mike Cowger boys rugby

Coach Dale Brown track and field

“A goal for us is to continue to work skills and confidence in the goal. We are going to focus a lot on attacking and coordination for the players. Also, working on cohesiveness of the team and working with the captains and letting them learn what leadership really looks like and trying to establish a culture of respect for the senior leaders. We want to focus less on the score of the game, but the improvements from one thing to the next.”

“One of my favorite parts of every season is seeing our new players take the field for the first time.

For most of them rugby was something wholely new and peculiar just a few months ago. Early on these young men saw past the novelty of this new thing and saw to the heart of it.

They recognized the tenets of character, physicality, endurance, and camaraderie that the game teaches and tests.

They are excited for this season and eager to test themselves.”

“Every year around this time, the goal is to make a team where we can realize where our strengths are, where we need to improve and help the kids develop good work ethic. It [attitude] also helps starting this season off with the right mindset because practices get harder and you have to want to be there.”

Griffin Rites | Vol. 46 Issue 6 | Sports | 15

“Put me in coach!”

Senior Emily Glotfelty practicing her passes on March 7.

Photo by Emily Elliott

By Emily Elliott

S

enior Emily Glotfelty has had a passion for soccer since age three.

Glotfelty recently tore her Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL), which is causing the start of this soccer season to be a hassle and a worry for all.

“Typically an ACL recovery is six to nine months, but with my progress, he [the doctor] took me in at the end of February to see if I could be cleared and he only cleared me for soccer drills,” Glotfelty said. “I go back towards the end of March to see if I can be completely cleared.”

The team is hesitant when it comes to practice in fear of hurting Glotfelty’s ACL more than it already is.

“We are limiting any contact and the girls are under strict order when it comes to Emily.

When the ball gets away from Emily, the girls are not able to go after her, but she is able to be at practice and do the drills,” coach David Flynn said. “We are protecting the knee and she is building up confidence.”

With practice beginning, she is able to strengthen her knee and rebuild the same muscle as before.

“Emily is coming around really well and she is running on it [her knee] to strengthen it up. She has lost a step or two because she hasn’t been able to run and condition during the off season like she normally would, but

16 | Sports | March 18 | Winnetonka HS From WHS 4815 NE 48 St. KC, MO 64119

she is rapidly gaining confidence to work with the ball and go through all the drills,” Flynn said, “I feel comfortable letting her out on the field, but we still have a couple more weeks until she is fully recovered.”

Glotfelty is known to carry an attitude that her teammates admire, even with an obstacle like a torn ACL. “She is really aggressive and she never likes to leave the field. She is the type of player that wants to have an impact on the game and she is willing to fight hard for it,” Flynn said, “She can serve as an example for others that if you have a good attitude, you will get a good result.”

Although Glotfelty is hesitant towards soccer because of her knee, she is more worried about ruining her other knee or causing more damage to the rest of her body in the long run.

“It’s a little nerve racking; I have a brace to wear just in case something could tear again, but then again, I have another knee,” Glotfelty said.

Even though she will not be able to play during the first two games because of her recovery time, she is not letting her ACL get in the way of her passion and the activity she wants to pursue in later years.

“Soccer practice is a good time for me to let my mind rest,” Glotfelty said, “With studying, you always need a break; soccer is that break for me.”

|Page design by HaydenWeatherman

TO: Griffin Rites subscriber