October 25, 2010 Issue #1 by The Pride

HARRISONVILLE HIGH School 1504 e. elm Harrisonville, mo 64701 (816) 380- 3273 hhsnews.com

the

PRIDE c October 25

Volume XIII, ISSUE I

In this issue: • Red ribbon week / choir pg. 2 • camp barnabus pg. 3 • Over participation pg. 4 • Obsessive relationships / Halloween Pg. 5

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Social Issues pg. 6 & 7 pda / MSA pg. 8 Cheer team goes to state pg. 11 20 questions pg. 12

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THE PRIDE

News

Broken lockers replaced and re-occupied Students say Story By Haley Nothnagel - Staff Writer

The replacement of broken lockers has caused relief for students. Photo By Lexi Eghbali

Students now have full use of the new lockers. Photo By Lexi Eghbali

24-28-12. Students turn the dial on their locker on the first day of school full of anticipation for their new classes and schedules. They lift up the handle, and as they are locking their lockers, they find out that they will not lock Many freshmen and sophomores have had this problem this year. Students have reported that their lockers were dysfunctional, causing panic. “I was thinking, how am I going to carry all my books around with no locker?” said sophomore P.J.

Patton. Although the students were worried, they were reassured that the lockers would only take a couple of weeks to fix. “[It took] one week to install [and] two weeks to order and get them here,” said Principal Andy Campbell. Even though the lockers have been fixed, many students were wondering how they broke in the first place. “Something inside them just broke. We’re not sure how they broke. We fixed

them by buying new [lockers] and putting them on,” said janitor Wanda Ohler. These new lockers may have fixed the dilemma, but may have caused somewhat of a setback in the financial aspect. “Money for this type of thing comes from part of the budget set aside for repairs and maintenance,” said Campbell. Though it may have caused some chaos, it was just a minor setback and the lockers are now working and re-occupied by the students once again.

HHS choirs work hard for excellent performances Story By Livia Dunham - Staff Writer

Members of Forefront listen closely to Mr Mathew’s instructions. Photo By Lexi Eghbali

Choir students focus in on their practice. Photo By Lexi Eghbali

The HHS choirs started off on a good note. With competitions and concerts quickly approaching, the choirs have been working hard to be the best they can be. There are four different choirs: Music Makers, Forefront, Royal Accord, and Serenata. Each choir is separated into two groups, show choir and concert choir. The show choirs sing and dance, and usually perform three songs and a ballad. The concert choirs perform four songs. While the show choirs go to competitions, the concert choirs have concerts held at the High School. This year the Royal Accord’s songs are: “All Things Bright and Beautiiful”, “Je le vous dirai (Dare

Not I Say It)”, “Pie Jesu”, and “Dry Bones”. Serenata’s songs consist of: “Welcome the New Day”, “In Paradisum”, “Autumn Song” and “Stand Upon The Rock”. The Royal Accord and Serenata’s first concert will be held in the PAC, on October 14 at 7:00 p.m. The Music Maker’s ballad is “ Music of My Heart” by NSYNC. Forefront’s ballad is “Yesterday” by the Beatles. The show choirs have been using a lot of extra time to perfect their shows. Music Makers have practice every Tuesday night from 7-9 p.m. Everyone has high expectations for the choirs. Senior and Music Maker president, Sarah Roth, said that she thinks Music Mak-

ers will be very successful. “We are more committed and drive to do better. We want to move together as an ensemble,” said Roth. Music Makers practice on perfecting singing and dancing until competition season, in which they run through the show to get used to it. The concert choirs push themselves as well. “[Our goals are] trying to keep a balance and create a powerful womanly sound,” said senior and serenata member, Courtney Carotenuti. They do warm-ups before their practices and also split into sectionals to perfect their individual parts. Each choir is working hard to be the best they can and to keep improving.

no with Red Ribbon Week Story By Lauren Aman - Staff Writer

On a day-to-day basis people around the world are using drugs and/or alcohol. Every year HHS has “Red Ribbon week”. “Red Ribbon week promotes being drug and alcohol free,” said HHS counselor Carolyn Johnston. There are also other ways the school is promoting being drug free. HHS is having more drug prevention assemblies, putting it on the announcements, and just keeping it fresh in student’s minds. According to Johnston, on October 27 there will be guest speakers coming to HHS and talking about their personal drug and alcohol recovery path. Each day is represented with a different phrase. Red Ribbon week starts Monday the 25 and goes through Friday the 29. o Monday - put a cap on drugs; students wear their favorite hat. o Tuesday- team up against drugs; students wear any jersey or other sports- related clothing. o Wednesday- pledge to be drug free; students wear red. o Thursdaydrug free America; students wear red, white, and blue. o Fridayshow school spirit; students wear blue and white.

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FEATURES

“Oh, I’m

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Camp Barnabas

bound!”

HHS students attend life changing camp

Senior Olivia Steinmetz poses with her camper, Ryan. Photo By Sara Steinmetz

Story By Abbey Fisher - Staff Writer

According to CampBarnabas.org, the mission of this camp is to provide life-changing opportunities to people with special needs in a Christian camp setting. The kids that go may have developmental challenges, post-traumatic burns, blood disorders, cancer, complete loss of or damaged hearing

or vision, or other problems. Because of the stress of having a disabled child in the family, the siblings of disabled children also attend camp with their brothers and sisters. The 123-acre camp in Purdy, Missouri provides a “typical camp experience” to over 1,300 campers and 1,800 volunteers each summer. Each camper has his or her own Christian in Action, or CIA, who takes care of and spends the week with him or her. There are also volunteers called Barnstormers who clean, work in the kitchen, and serve meals to the campers and CIAs. Senior Olivia Steinmetz has volunteered at Camp Barnabas twice as a CIA in the last two years. “[The experience is] completely exhausting but the best week you’ll ever have,” said Steinmetz. Steinmetz plans on continuing to serve at Camp in the following years. “It just feels good to help someone else and know they look up to you,” said Steinmetz. HCC Youth Pastor Troy Roemer agrees with Steinmetz. “[A week at camp is] tiring, hard, but I wouldn’t trade it for the world,” said Roemer. While the camp is a place for the campers and volunteers to have an unfor-

C A M

E V O

ITH

In late July, 11 HHS students from Harrisonville Community Church worked at a camp called Camp Barnabas. Camp Barnabas is a Christian summer camp that makes it possible for kids with mental and/or physical disabilities to have the time of their lives, just like a non-disabled kid would.

A camper helps move the cross during the Cross Carry. Photo By Sara Steinmetz

gettable and amazing experience, there can be many struggles that go along with it. Roemer said that going to camp gets kids out of their comfort zones, and it is hard to watch them “melt down” because they do not think they can do it. There are also practical issues with it— like changing diapers, bathing, and carrying kids that might be the CIA’s own age. “Our society teaches that that’s weird,” said Roemer. Roemer also said that it can be emotionally hard for volunteers when they see the pain that the campers go through and know they have problems that they cannot fix. Between the challenges, struggles, and unforgettable memories, Steinmetz and Roemer agree that going to Camp Barnabas is a life changing experience. Roemer said that it can also change how a person views disabilities. He said that you have to learn to accept that this is how these kids are for their entire lives, and you have to help them work within their disabilities to make the best of their week at camp. Steinmetz said that going to camp made her realize that she wants to help people with special needs as a career, so it completely changed her plans for life.

Junior Tim Roemer and his camper, Ethan, pose for a picture. Photo By Sara Steinmetz

Junior Sierah Stephens, and her camper, Logan, pose for the camera. Photo By Sara Steinmetz

Junior Holly Jo Wright poses with a camper from her cabin named Valeria. Photo By Sara Steinmetz

THE PRIDE

page FEatures

page Features

Overparticipation in school activities affects students HHS bumps up

security

Story By Lexi Eghbali - Staff Writer

Junior Emily Tracy follows the band after their performance. Photo By Bailey Ginnings Photography

Junior Emily Tracy groups alongside her dance team memebrs. Photo By Bailey Ginnings Photography

For many of the students, with the start of a new school year comes many decisions; what classes to take, what clubs to join, what sports to play, and how to fit it all into their schedules. But how many activities can a high school student handle being included in? “When I was in football and baseball our practices would get out on average about 6:30-7pm, and when I finally made it home and ate dinner [it was about] 8pm, and I hadn’t even started homework. And by the time I got that done I was stressed and tired,” said senior Jt Blalock. However, other people strategically plan their activities to fit well in their schedule. “I am involved in a lot of school activities, but I’m not stressed because they all occur at different times on different days,”

said senior Tanner Sutton. Most would agree that more activities means less free time, let alone time to do required schoolwork. “More activities generally mean less sleep, and that can affect grades. Also, being busy also means less time for studying, so there are definitely some negative side effects,” said sophomore David Roth. Some teachers in HHS strive to be flexible in these situations. “Whatever is going on outside of school life doesn’t stop or effect learning; we work around that. It matters that [the work] is done, not when it is done,” said communication arts teacher Teresa Foss. Foss encourages students to become involved with extracurricular activities, and advises them to “wait until they can do [the schoolwork] right before they do it”.

Students participating Story By Lauren Aman with the school in diverse - Staff Writer ways say that the benefits outweigh the disadvantages. With more parking spac“Being involved in dif- es being occupied by students, ferent things helps me feel it is hard to tell what goes on involved and it lets me make in the parking lot, but secunew friends. At times it rity is taken very seriously. can be stressful, but it is to“The school and its tally worth it,” said Roth. parking lot is surveyed by With organization, some teachers and are also seen students can avoid the stress. by cameras,” said School Re“In student council I dele- source Officer Mike Prindle. gate things to other people and Prindle and a few faculty make sure they get it done. In members monitor the secusports or everyday life keep- rity cameras on a daily basis. ing an agenda definitely helps “The whole parking me out; it keeps everything in lot can be seen, but the line and nothing is ever late. far end is hard to tell who I have an in school agenda is there and what is beand an out of school agenda,” ing done,” said Prindle. said senior Karson Wilson. Megan Sassenrath With first quarter com- and Jennifer Manger are ing to a close, it is beneficial the main teachers who have for all students to find a way a constant look on what to fit all activities in their goes on in the parking lot. schedule, or cut activities, in “While watching from order to exclude the stress. the commons area many students come in and out of those two doors. Students go to their cars, get something and then have a fellow Junior Mallary Halls said, classmate let them back in. “[Teens] start worrying more Other students walk through about what they’re doing that the parking lot after the bell night and what they’re wear- rings, then they come back ing rather than what classes in and go to their class that they’re falling behind in.” they are suppose to be in,” There can also be harsh said Jennifer Wickstrom. outcomes when a high school Students are supposed to relationship ends. Accord- sign out through the office and ing to teendepression.org, then come back in through one of the biggest factors the front entrance doors. that causes teen depression “We keep a sign out book is the feeling of loneliness or for the students that sign out abandonment, which many to go to their cars. We also teens feel after a break up. try and keep track of the Relationships can even get time students spend in the in the way of friendships. While parking lot, if it has been a teens can make life lasting re- while them we go check on lationships in high school, they them to see if everything is need to be aware of their deci- alright,” said Susan Manion. sions and the consequences.

Relationships may lead to consequenes for students Story By Abbey Fisher - Staff Writer Signs of an obsessive or abuse relationships should be reported. Photo By Kayt Dahn

HHS has working security cameras in the hallways. Photo By Elizabeth Rudell

High school: the place for learning, making memories, and establishing relationships that can change lives. But sometimes, high school students can take these relationships too far. Junior Holly Reynolds believes that high school relationships can have too much influence over a person. “The more you trust someone, the more you’re willing to do for them and push your boundaries,” said Reynolds. “Pushing your boundaries” can be as simple as choosing to hang out with a significant other and ignoring friends, or even pushing physical boundaries into things like sex and violence.

The Center for Disease Control website states that one in 12 teens report being physically hurt by a boyfriend or girlfriend in the last 12 months, which doesn’t even account for the teens who don’t report acts of violence. The CDC website also says that in 2006, 435,436 girls in the United States aged 15 to 19 gave birth. “[When someone is in a relationship they] base their entire life around that person,” said sophomore Austin Welhoff. When a person focuses all of their attention on one person, this can also affect his or her friendships, involvement in activities, and schoolwork.

Features

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Helping the world... one shoe at a time.

TOMS Story By Emily Hix - Staff Writer

Imagine going completely barefoot for a full twenty-four hours. There would be glass and rocks to avoid while crossing the parking lot, gum and dirt in the hallways and classrooms, Athlete’s Foot in the gym, and mud or snow on the trail to the CCC. There would also be countless mysteries on the floors of the bathrooms. A day without shoes could make for a very difficult day. For millions of people across the world, a day without shoes is a constant reality. After witnessing first hand poverty while traveling in Argentina in 2006, Blake Mycoskie decided to change this by creating the shoe company TOMS. The company’s mission statement is simple: “With every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a new pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One.” Mycoskie was enthusiastic about the new company. “It seemed like such a simple way to make a tangible, positive impact in the world,” said Mycoskie on his informative DVD, included with a purchase of TOMS wrap boots. Many children’s fu tures are hindered by their in

ability to buy shoes. Soil trans- without arches but only if mitted diseases, such as Podo, you’ve been wearing them which causes painful swell for days on end,” said Leslie. Spanish teacher Sue Bohnert also owns a pair of TOMS. During her trips to Mexico, Bohnert often sees ing and boils on the legs and children without shoes. “Generally the skin [on feet, and cuts and sores, make it impossible to walk or work, their feet] is very calloused causing these people to be- because they grow up walking come social outcasts with no without shoes,” said Bohnert. TOMS shoes provide income. Many children are unprotection that calluses able to attend school because cannot, while providing a shoes are required as part of the dress code. Without edu- product to the consumer. “I like the style and the cation, these children are unfact that they give a pair for able to reach their potential. TOMS are beginning to every pair you buy. They’re spread throughout the hall- also made from natuways of HHS. Sophomore ral fibers,” said Bonhert. TOMS can be purchased Ella Leslie owns a pair of red canvas TOMS, which online at the official webThe she wears to school often. site www.toms.com. stores closest to Harrisonville “I like them because I get a pair of awesome shoes that carry TOMS are Norand so does another kid who dstrom department store at can’t afford them,” said Leslie. Oak Park Mall in Overland According to Les- Park, The Bunker in Kanlie, the shoes are a smart sas City, and Taylor Shoe at financial investment. Town Center in Leawood. Prices for TOMS range “My Converse were $68 and these were $58 so you’re from $44-$54 for the sangetting two [pairs of shoes] for dal style and $98 for wrap the price of one,” said Leslie. boots. TOMS are avail In Leslie’s opinion, able in men, women, and the comfort level of these children sizes and styles. TOMS first shoe donasandal-like shoes has not been compromised for a tions were sent to Argentina cheaper manufacturing price. where 10,000 pairs of shoes “They’re very squishy! were distributed. 50,000 pairs They have arch support were donated to South Afwhich can bother people rica and over one million

have been donated across the world as of September 2010. TOMS have three guiding principles that ensure that their shoes are truly helping to improve the lives of the children who receive them. These include making sure the children who receive the shoes truly cannot afford them, in order to prevent negative effects on local shoe shops, replacing the children’s shoes every six months to one year, and creating partnerships with groups that teach locals about soil transmitted diseases and how to prevent them. The shoes the recipients receive are modified based on local weather, terrain, or local style. Black is often the standard color because it goes best with most school uniforms. One Day Without Shoes is sponsored by TOMS to raise awareness about the impact a pair of shoes can have on a child’s life. The date is set for April 5, 2011. More information about how to get involved with TOMS is available on the official website, www.toms.com.

The Earle Organic Cotton Women’s Vegan Classics are $58 per pair. Photo By Elizabeth Rudell

The Canvas Women’s Classics run around $44 per pair. Photo By Nick Bowers

The Vegan Women’s Wrap Boots are sold around $98 per pair. Photo By Nick Bowers

Habitante Vegan Classics are around $54 per pair. Photo By Nick Bowers

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THE PRIDE

drama gossip

“Drama is everywhere.”

Features

alcohol

“Kids coming to school drunk.”

“Gossip... can hurt many people’s feelings.”

favoritism “The “cool” kids get all the attention.”

racism

“People are getting hurt because of race.”

neglect

ISSUE facing

H harrasment

“Constant sexual harrasment to all the girls.”

“You see kids walking down the hall with no one.”

Story By Kayt Dahn - Editor-in-Chief

The opinions in this story are based off the survey recently sent out by The Pride. The following information is taken from student responses directly from the surveys. Every effort was made to give these surveys to students from every race, gender, grade, and group in order to represent all students at HHS. It is no hidden fact that human kind has issues. People judge, harass, upset, hurt and neglect others for a numerous amount of reasons. Everyone has people that they prefer over others, things that they would rather do over others. Yet, at some point it becomes unprofessional. The question is though, at what point does it cross the line? Work places, sports teams, clubs, and families all over the world are affected by favoritism, racism, addictions, crimes, pregnancies, cliques, drama, abuse, and harassment; high school is no excep-

tion. High school is supposed to be the “time of one’s life”. It is also a time for learning and growing in your education. However when some students are facing these issues, high school can become a place of trepidation for some students. “When a student comes to school the student is suppose to feel safe. With drugs and hateful girls and gossiping in school, a student can’t really be safe, and can’t focus on what they came to do,” said one survey. These issues affect the students daily, however, they are never talked about. It seems that people would almost rather ignore the problems rather than acknowledge them and take the steps to correct them. Responses that came back varied greatly. One issue that was mentioned on nearly every survey was drug/ alcohol use at HHS. “I see guys pull out chew in the middle of the hallway. I see kids with lighters all the time. I see kids pulling out canisters and putting alcohol into their drinks,” said one survey. All of the above are against school policy and if caught can result in some type of suspen-

sion. According to teendrugabuse.us, over 60 percent of teens nationwide claimed that drugs were sold, used, or kept at their school. With the issue affecting this many students, other problems are also brought up. “To some degree the school is caught in the middle. They could ‘crack down’ on the negative behaviors but then there would likely be a higher drop out rate as a result,” said one survey. The school has a clear layout of what punishments go with what offense. In spite of this, other questions have been raised. Do some students receive “special attention” from teachers and coaches? “[The school doesn’t] really do anything now. They can actually reinforce rules instead of picking favorites, they can look out for the people who aren’t as lucky as to have nice clothes, just look out for the people who are downgraded and hurt based solely on looks or what clique they’re in,” said one survey. All types of students get involved with things they should not, but are there a select few

given more privileges? “[Athletes] are doing drugs but [they’re] barely getting punished,” said one survey. Unfortunately this is not just an issue that occurs on the field. “Football players always seem to be favored by coaches. Much like soccer, cheer, dance, etc.,” said one survey. “Popular kids”, “preps” and “jocks” are always made out to be the favorites. Students everywhere see this in entertainment, and have the cliché assumption of this. But are teachers even falling into the mainstream beliefs? “The teacher will pay more attention to their favorites, which are usually the “popular, preppy,” more energetic kids,” said one survey. When certain groups are proclaimed it causes problems. Cliques are everywhere and students begin to feel excluded, that is when the problems start. “[When there are] groups… preps, jocks, druggies, nerds, weirdies… people clash and fight,” said one survey. Cliques are not the only

thing to affect students at HHS, so does racism, body image and pregnancy. “People are nasty and cruel towards everyone if you are not white in this school,” said one survey. Girls at HHS, and high schools all over are showing up pregnant. According to pregnantteenhelp.org, over 750,000 teen girls will become pregnant annualy. Pregnancies, cliques, race, and body image are all things that cause students to be bullied. HHS is not the only school to face issues like this. According to how-to-stopbullying.com, on any given day there are 160,000 students who miss school in fear of being bullied. High school years are terrifying enough without having to deal with these issues created by society. So why do students choose to make things more difficult? Why do teachers go along with it? High school is a scary place for all students, yet when faced with these issues it can become a place of nothing more than petrifying.

“Ki

THE PRIDE

Features

cliques

affection

HHS pregnancies

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“Couples are all over each other in the hallways.”

“Everyone sits in their groups at lunch.”

“Two of my friends are pregnant.”

drugs

rumors

ids were selling drugs.”

“People get made fun of for being overweight and poor.”

abuse

“I’ve been a victim of fighting and verbal abuse.”

“Girls spreading rumors and talking smack.”

Story By Melissa Hicks - Features Editor

The opinions in this story are based off interviews with HHS students, and the writer. Rumors and gossip seep through every school’s halls. They are written on every bathroom’s stalls. Rumors even take over every city’s malls. How well do the students of HHS handle rumors and gossip? The Editor-in-Chief of The Pride made an executive decision to see how the students of HHS would respond to a rumor. Students may or may not have heard about junior and Copy Editor Sasha Gubina moving back to Ukraine. One tweet was sent through Twitter on Sunday, October 17, 2010. The tweet simply said, “Sush is moving back to Ukraine!” This tweet was sent through 34 of my own followers. Some may or may not have received the tweet. By Tuesday, October 19, 2010, several students asked Gubina if she was moving

back to Ukraine. It took less than three days for a rumor to spread, starting from one tweet. The tweet was a falsely stated rumor. The content of the tweet was not at all true. Gubina is staying in America. Rumors and gossip can start with a minor misunderstanding. After the rumor is passed on, the “my little secret” leaks out to somebody else and again becomes altered. The original story varies due to all the misunderstandings. People either need to listen well or just keep their mouths closed. Let us get this straight, if you have a secret and tell somebody about it, what does the secret then become? Well it definitely is not a secret anymore. Maybe people should think about what they say before saying it. If you leak out a secret to one person, then you might as well be sharing it with a whole group of people. In some cases that may not be it, but who does not like to spread a little interesting story to somebody? “Rumors spread like crazy. As soon as something happens, everyone hears about it,” said senior Katy Hansen.

Rumors do not necessarily have to be about what the source said to somebody else. Maybe a nosey somebody likes to eavesdrop on others’ conversations, read a text over a neighbor’s shoulder, or even glare at a misinterpreted action. You always hear the saying, “It’s not what it looks like…” The reason people say that is because they know somebody has a wrong thought in their head. According to hubpages. com, 85 percent of rumors in high school are not true. Rumors can create negativity between a student and the rest of the student body. Rumors can also create problems besides the rumor itself. Rumors may lead to bullying, whether it is a point-and-stare in the hallway, a mean Facebook message on Honesty Box, or a slap in the face. “When rumors are spread about me, I take them as opinions of my appearance or actions. I take them very personally and wonder why people even thought that, so I try in all my power to realize my fault and how I can fix it,” said junior McKinlee Merit. According to schoolsecu-

rity.org, more than two-thirds of the student population of a high school in Daytona Beach, Florida, were absent due to rumors of violence that was believed to occur on May 2, 2008. The rumors increased due to a threat, jotted on a restroom wall. Rumors had spread throughout the area with several other schools reporting high absenteeism reportedly from 36 to 46 percent. Gossip and rumors are clearly an issue around the United States. I believe this is one issue that will never disappear from this school. “My advice would be to let it pass and not dwell on what is being said because chances are that within a few weeks no one will be talking about it anymore. But obviously you should be more cautious of what you tell and who you tell it to because it only takes one person to leak it to the rest of the school,” said sophomore Lena Quinlin. If 85 percent of high school rumors are not true, then why do high school students believe the ones that spread? Why do they still talk about it? Students must think that it is fun to talk behind somebody’s

back because that is what I am seeing from people. If there is somebody out there who is being talked falsely about, there is no way to stop it. That does not mean that you cannot handle it in a positive way. “When rumors are spread about my peers, the advice I would give them is to try your hardest to not let it take you down. Stay strong and be the person you are. It’s high school, the very few you’ll see out of high school, out of graduation, shouldn’t be the ones saying those things anyways, so brush it off. At the end of the day, you’re still you. No matter what is said,” said Merit. Now students, remember that rumors are misunderstandings with an inaccuracy rate of 85 percent. Rumors can also cause bullying, so there is no reason to spread them. Since everyone is now well informed… HHS shall be drama free! Just kidding.

THE PRIDE

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Students display excessive affection in hallways Column By Sadie Welfhoff - Opinion Editor

A couple walks hand in hand, down the hall, in between classes. Photo By Kayt Dahn

Junior Garrett Streit and Freshman Haley Parker embrace to say goodbye before going their separate ways to class. Photo By Kayt Dahn

MSA scholars share smiles after the Holi Festival which consisted of paint throwing. Photo Courtesy of Mallory Taulbee

Junior Carlee Brown, participates at a comedy slam at MSA. Photo Courtesy of Mallory Taulbee

The three letters P, D, and A, represent a lot more than just letters of the alphabet to high school students. Public displays of affection are a normal part of relationships and teenage relationships are no exception. When I see couples in the hall showing affection, I either think “aww that is so cute” or “eww get a room please”. There are some types of affection that couples show that I really do not understand, for instance anything they would not want their parents to see

if they were standing there. It makes no sense to me that people want to show what they do to everyone standing next to them in the hall. I spent a month in Japan with a host family this past summer and from what I observed, the Japanese have a very different idea about what types of affection should be public. I rode the subway every day and saw many couples ranging from teenagers to the elderly. The only types of affection I saw were hand holding, putting an arm around each other, and the occasional hug. For an entire month, I only saw one couple briefly kiss. From what my host family explained to me, the Japanese consider affection a fairly pri

Junior Sydney Kroenke and senior Tyler Hern share a tender moment on the way to class. This type of PDA is acceptable. Photo By Kayt Dahn

vate matter and they do not want the whole world seeing their intimacy. Through media such as commercials, music videos, and television shows, the Japanese are as open about intimate matters as the United States. But in the real world, the Japanese keep displays of affection to a

minimum. I do not think couples showing affection is a bad thing but I hope that they not want their peers to feel uncomfortable. If a couple truly cares for each other then that will show without them having to make out in the middle of the hallway.

we focused on understanding how math related to music. In the evenings, many speakers, both funny and motivational, visited us. In the afternoons and during the weekends we were able to participate in activities, some of those being sports casting, ceramics, meditation, religious debates, and many more. Spending three weeks at the University of Missouri with 330 amazing people really changed my life, and as we

were told, it has been difficult explaining to the outside world exactly how it felt to participate in this program. Here is my advice to the sophomore class: if any of you reading this get a chance to participate in this program, please take the chance and go through with it. MSA will literally change your life, just like it has changed mine, forever.

Two students spend three weeks of summer at Mizzou Column By Sasha Gubina - Copy Editor

This summer, I was part of a three weeklong program, the Missouri Scholars Academy (MSA). I highly encourage HHS sophomores to show interest in this program because it is an opportunity presented only once in your high school career. MSA is a program for 330 gifted students of Missouri, where a few students from each school in Missouri were given a chance to participate. The top students in the sophomore class took an IQ test, and then the student with the highest score was selected. There were two students chosen to represent HHS. After Carlee Brown and I were chosen, we had to

write a couple of essays, and then there was the long wait to see if we have gotten in or not. Fortunately, both of us made it into the program. Those three weeks were by far the best three weeks of my entire high school experience. The curriculum of MSA is completely different than the curriculum of a normal high school. Before the start of the program, the scholars got the chance to pick an academic major and minor. Each morning after breakfast, scholars attended their major for three hours, followed by lunch and then a one and a half hour minor. In my major, which was Politics and Policy, the students got to talk about world issues, practice running a campaign, and study the basic policies of the Missouri government. Unlike my major, my minor was When Does a Sound Become a Song, where

During the first day of MSA, students gathered in the gym to get to know each other. Photo Courtesy of Mallory Taulbee

THE PRIDE

opinion

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Lady Gaga, Buddy Holly- idols of different generations Column By Elizabeth Rudell - Managing Editor

About two months ago, I mourned the death of a singer who died 34 years before I was born. I entered the New Theatre in Overland Park, ready to see the Buddy Holly Story on August 29, 2010. I had never heard of Buddy Holly before this night and was not anticipating it like I had other plays I had seen before. As the curtain parted for the first scene, I expected a play. What I got was a rock concert. In a mere two hours, the Buddy Holly cast played 30 of Holly’s greatest hits while telling his 18-month long journey from rock star want-to-be, to

rock and roll hall-of-famer. Buddy Holly was 19 when he skyrocketed to fame. Initially, he was forced to play country, despite his greatest dream to play rock and roll. Unfortunately, at the peak of his career, he was killed in a tragic plane crash on February 3, 1959 at the age of 22. I realized that the generation that resides here at HHS, we have not had experienced this kind of music star to take the stage during our lifetimes. Sure, we have heard of them but have we lived through that level of super stardom? I did not think so. Until Lady Gaga started to sing ‘Just Dance’ in my head. Then I really started to think about her. Sure, she is an extremely eccentric artist. There probably is not an active recording artist in the world willing to take the kind of risks that she has already taken.

Life after high school Column By Stormi Ross - News Editor

Everyone has fears about their future, especially seniors who are only months away from not only graduation, but also the rest of their lives. The future is not as terrifying as people make it out to be. With the variety of choices for young adults, it is possible for nearly everyone to succeed. Some of the options are college, apprenticeships/ internships and even the military. Personally, as a senior, I had to decide what I was going to do with my future: I chose

the military. In August, I joined the Navy, and since then I have learned that many other seniors are choosing the Navy, or other military branches as well. Some of the senior, who have joined the Navy are TJ Snook and Cody Pritchett. The military has many benefits such as health care and financial stability. The military will also assist you with college. My reason for joining the military was to earn the “Post 911 G-I Bill”, which will pay for college, as long as one can get accepted into it. Take that step, for after graduation and make the choice. There are many choices of success to choose from.

Think about it. Was Madonna’s style a little odd back in the 80’s? Was Michael Jackson’s style of music and dancing weird in the late 70’s? And Elvis invented rock and roll way back in the 50’s, did he not? Lady Gaga, in my opinion is bounds and leaps from the auto tuned artists that companies have been producing the last few years. She has already influenced several artists in the world, even unintentionally. Any artist with just a hint of uniqueness is compared to her. Even so, she has something that many artists today do not have: a voice. Many mainstream singers seem to lack in that area of their career. I mean, they are singers. They should be able to sing, right? Sometimes, it is as if the American mainstream music

industry cares solely about image. I have no doubt that there are underground bands that have the talent to be more successful than their seniors. Unfortunately, they do not have the fame that Gaga does. Maybe one day, but not right now. After all, a year ago, Gaga was in a bar with seven people as her audience. Now, she entertains thousands at her concerts. Do not get me wrong … I am not trying to sell any of The Pride’s readers a Lady Gaga CD. However, I do believe she is the artist that we will be playing for our kids in the car. I believe that she can become “classic artist” of our generation. She has just as much talent, charisma, and determination as Buddy Holly, Elvis Presley, and Michael Jackson did back in their days.

Lady Gaga performs live at the Sprint Center for her tour, The Monster Ball. Photo Courtesy of Evan Dir

Buddy Holly was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 Photo courtesy of morethings.com

The Pride Staff 2010-2011 Editor-in-Chief: Kayt Dahn Managing Editor: Elizabeth Rudell Copy Editor: Sasha Gubina Enthusiasm Editor: Livia Dunham Features Editor: Melissa Hicks News Editor: Stormi Ross Opinion Editor: Sadie Welhoff Sports Editor: Staff Writers: Lauren Aman, Victoria Bostic, Nick Bowers, Lauren Mackay Lexi Eghbali, Abbey Fisher, Emily Hix, Leslie Hunter, Advisor: Haley Nothnagel, Maria Sanchez Brad Lewis

The Pride is written, edited and published by the newspaper production class at HHS. The paper is an open forum, distributed to the students, faculty, parents, alumni, and other members of HHS. All decisions concerning grammar, layout, content, and photography are made solely by the editors themselves. Our mission is to report news truthfully and accurately and to act as an open forum for student expression. Opinions in editorials do not reflect the views of Cass R-IX school district, its staff or the adviser. All comments, concerns, and complaints should be forwarded directly to the Editor-in-Chief. If readers would like to submit letters to the Editor, they can do so in room 304.

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THE PRIDE

sports

Athletes of the Month

***The Athlete of the Month is chosen by The Pride Sports Editor and in no way reflects the views of The Pride staff.

By Lauren Mackay - Sports Editor

Harrisonville students watch in disappointment as the other team scores a touchdown. Photo By Lauren Aman

Sophomores raise school spirits during the homecoming pep assembly. Photo By Leslie Hunter

Ryan Schliem

Senior Kayla Kendrick cheers on her teamates, waiting for her turn to go up to bat. Photo By Leslie Hunter

This month’s male Athlete of the Month is junior Ryan Schliem. He is currently leading the entire KC Metro area, all classes, and is second in the state of Missouri. He has scored 27 goals so far this season. “He is very deserving, not only for his statistics, but for his leadership and the positive energy he brings to the HHS Soccer Team,” said Soccer Coach Dan Coleman.

Kayla Kendrick

Junior Ryan Schliem collides with a Grain Valley player during a game. Photo By Abbey Fisher

Sport: Soccer Position: Forward Grade: Junior

Sport: Softball Position: Short Stop Grade: Senior

This month’s female Athlete of the Month is senior Kayla Kendrick. She is currently batting .458 and has stolen over 30 bases this season. “She [Kendrick] leads by example, she definitely provides comic relief during practice,” said senior Molly Williams.

THE PRIDE

sports

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Mercenaries add spirit to sporting events Story By Maria Sanchez - Staff Writer As if there is not enough spirit in the Harrisonville stadium on Friday nights, The Mercenaries cause it to explode with excitement. They are students dressed in bold costumes and odd masks. Their jobs are to cheer for HHS as well as pump enthusiasm into the veins of the crowd. Senior Caleb Grabill, a proud member of The Mercenaries, recalls how it all began last year. “We wanted to have a

student section at basketball games so the JV players sat together at the varsity games and we would cheer as loud as we could,” said Grabill. According to senior JT Blalock, who is also a member, the group brings spirit to both basketball and football games at HHS. “We basically taunt and annoy the other team. People might see us as weird but most would say we’re the coolest kids in school since we dress

up in costumes and random outfits, ” said Blalock. Although The Mercenaries “taunt and annoy” the opposing team, Blalock admits he knows the group could be annoying and even sometimes he gets annoyed. But overall, their goal is to cheer for Harrisonville Wildcats. “We are looking for a sponsor so we can make it an official school group but we currently do not have any adult members,” said Grabill.

According to Blalock it does not bother him that The Mercenaries are not an official group, he is just glad to be a part of it. The football season is coming to an end, but that does not mean The Mercenaries will cease to bring Wildcat spirit as they plan to attend basketball games throughout the season.

New season turns competitive for cheer Story By Victoria Bostic - Staff Writer After competing in the July 23 MCCA KC Regional at Lee’s Summit North, the Harrisonville High School cheer squad will be continuing on to state competition on November 20. State competition will take place in Columbia, Missouri. The competition is organized and sponsored by the Missouri Cheer Coaches’ Association (MCCA). Due to injuries, only twelve girls participated at regionals, but fifteen will be competing at state. The girls placed second overall in the 4A small division. According to head coach Emily TaylorRives none of the girls on the squad have participated in competitive cheer prior to this contest. Sophomore Lena Quinlin said, ”Before [the contest], I was just really nervous that things were going to go wrong and we were not going to place.” Afterwards, Quinlin was relieved because the squad

did well enough to advance to state. Senior captain Megan Wagner feels the competitions will ultimately bring varsity closer together. From this experience she hopes to improve the teamwork on the squad and prove that the girls can compete and do well. “I am hoping that the girls will gain confidence and pride in cheerleading and in their personal lives through self determination and teamwork. Both qualities that all competitive cheerleaders and squads must have,” said Taylor-Rives. In order to enter the competition, the school from which the squad is from must be a member of Missouri State High School Activities Association, and the coach must be a member of MCCA. For the competition all squads must perform a routine that is at least two minutes long and no more than three. Taylor-Rives said,

The cheeleaders have a pregame pep talk. Photo By Lauren Aman

They must incorporate stunting, cheer, and dance.” This is all new for coach Taylor-Rives and the squad. Taylor-Rives said, ”I believe that the HHS Cheerleaders have worked very hard over the last few years to become not only spirit leaders but competitive athletes as well. After careful thought and consideration I realize that this group of girls were THE group to get us into competition. With their talent and leadership I believe they will set a great precedent

for future competitive squads.” According to TaylorRives the difference between performing at a sporting event and at a competition is that there are no consequences for messing up at football or basketball games. Making a mistake during a competition routine can affect the squad’s score and determine their place. Quinlin hopes all the girls on the squad can gain experience from competing against other schools, and learn to give it their all.

The Mercenaries pump up the crowd at a home footballgame. Photo Brad Lewis

Taking their place in the front row the Mercenaries cheer on the team. Photo By Brad Lewis

The cheeleaders show their pride and spirit while doing a pyramid in their homecoming routine. Photo By Leslie Hunter

Sophomore cheerleaders pump up the crowd at the homecoming assembly. Photo By Leslie Hunter

THE PRIDE

the flip side

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20 Questions WITH

Q: If you are stuck on a deserted island and had one wish, what would it be? Why? A: A mansion because then i wouldn’t be deserted anymore.

Y W LL

Q:What is your favorite breakfast food? A: Cinnamon rolls.

ARd e

Q: Who do you admire most in the world? A: Jamie Tworksky (founde r of “ To Write Love On Her Arms”).

Q: If you had to bake a cake and were only allowed to use 2 musical instruments, which ones would you use? A: Guitar and flute.

Q: What is your favorite childhood movie? A: Finding Nemo.

Q: What is your favorite season? A: Between summer and fall.

Q: Where do you see yourself in 30 years? A: Working at a bakery, married with three kids and hopefully grandkids.

Story By Livia Dunham - Enthusiasm Editor

Q: What is your favorite sport? A: I don’t really like sports.

Q: What is your favorite ocean creature? A: Sea horses

Q: If you could go on any vacation, whee would you go? A: Tokyo, Japan. Q:If you could change one thing in the world, what would it be? A: Stop hate. Q: If you could be any president, who wouuld you Q: If you had 10 minutes be? alone with any celebrity, A: Teddy Roosevelt. who would it be and what would you do? A: Jim Carrey; we would talk because he is so hilarious.

Q: Donut or sausage biscuit? A: Donuts...definitley.

Q: Dip ‘n Dots or Ice cream sandwich? A: Dip ‘n Dots. Q: If you could carve a potato into the shape of anyone’s head, who would it be? A: Abe Lincoln.

Q: If you had a pet unicorn what would its name be? A: Sparkles! I love unicorns!

Q: What is the most recent fruit you have eaten? A: Grapes.

Q: Who is your favorite super hero? A: Spider man because he shoots webs.

Q: Which planet would you like to live on the most? A: Jupiter, it’s big.