February 2010 by Lee's Summit HS Hi-Life Magazine

HL In the know

Hi.Life Magazine

February 2010 | Issue 5 | jlabmag.com | $1.00

years later

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In This Issue

Hi.Life | The Student Newspaper of Lee’s Summit High School February / Vol. 81 / No. 5 / jlabmag.com

20| PERUVIAN CONNECTION A not so new boutique but probably one most students are not familiar with, Peruvian Connection gives the Kansas City girl an insight into Paris fashions. An alpaca, the logo for the boutique, tells the story of how it all got started.

14 | HI. LIFE ANNIVERSARY The Hi.Life is celebrating its 80th anniversary this February. Find out about the history of the Hi.Life, read old stories from the 1940s until now and catch up with former Hi.Life editors and staff members.

7 |ROXBERRY HYPE Since it opened in Lee’s Summit in October, Roxberry is the place in town where everyone wants to hang out. From delicious smoothies to sweet rolls and a playlist you can ‘rock’ out to, Roxberry is the place to be.

23 | TEACHER VS. FOOD English toffee, English teacher. Find out how English teacher Cathy Sheridan and the delicious Sheridan’s ice cream are different and what they have in common.

30 | DANCE TEAM AT STATE The Tigerettes dance team will be competing for state competition this year on their own dance floor, the fieldhouse. Find out how the dance team has been preparing for months to show off their moves.

13| SWEETHEARTS Check out the story of Kristin Little, a counselor at Lee’s Summit High School, who married her high school sweetheart.

On the Cover The background of the cover is compiled from the covers of past issues. Most of the covers are from the nineties and early 2000’s when the Hi.Life changed formats to a newsmagazine. by Michael Bushur

Departments 6 NEWS 8 FEATURES 14 COVER STORY 20 FASHION 22 ENTERTAINMENT 26 OPINIONS 28 SPORTS

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j l abmag . com

News.Podcast.Photos.Past Issues

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advisor | Mr. Marc Russell writers & photographers | Alisha Gillespie, Amy Notestein, Anna

-Marie Gallo, Ben Quinnelly, Bradley Roberts, Brittany Webster, Brittni Keyhill, Burkett Powell, Colin Taylor, Edgar Enriquez, Ellen Spaar, Emily Dowdle, Erin Rottinghaus, Hayley Mershon, Haley Gillian, Haley Merriott, Hollyann Tiffany, Jessie Curtis, Jordan Buhr, Jordan Shawhan, Josh Byard, Julia Huisman, Kara Klein, Kassi Torrence, Kevin Adams, Kimberley Tabe, Kristina Hagan, Kristin Sands, Laina Gunsallus, Lily Schiffbauer, Lindsay Nelson, Luke Jarnevic, Marissa Raukar, Maâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Ryah Cooper, Max Olson, Michael Holcomb, Michael Rellihan, Mikayla Frommer, Miranda Vaughn, Morgan Pena, Najee Sears, Nathan Baker, Nathan Williams, Nicole Kelleher, Patricia Sjuts, Pete White, Presley Lewis, Rebecca Wadle, Sarah Kensinger, Sia Nero, Sierra Lewis, Stephanie Rowden, Summer Richards, Taryn Hall, Taylor Dyer,Tyler Fromson, Tyler Wilmore

Letter from the Editors Online This Month

Anniversary Eighty years ago this publication was founded at Lee’s Summit High School. The Hi.Life has informed and entertained tens of thousands of students during that, and proceeds to do so to this day. This publication is one of the oldest traditions at our school, and we are very proud to continue that legacy. While compiling this issue we had the opportunity to reflect on the past, read old Hi.Life’s, and speak with former staff members. What we found is that throughout the past eight decades the Hi.Life has been an important part of Lee’s Summit High School, and a very important part of the lives of all the past writers, photographers, and editors. Over that time much has changed. We have experienced a national depression, gone to war with Germany and Japan, then later Korea, and Vietnam. We have sent a man to the moon, added two states to the union, and seen tremendous advances in medicine and technology, totally revolutionizing the way we live. Along with all these changes, the Hi.Life has and still continues to change as well. After careful consideration, we have decided that it is necessary to increase the cost of the Hi.Life. For the past decade, the Hi.Life has cost fifty cents. Over that span of time, the way in which this publication is produced has changed, resulting in higher production costs. The money that students pay for the Hi.Life accounts for a relatively low portion of our budget. Each copy costs almost five dollars to print, meaning that the greater number we sell, the more money we lose. The majority of that cost is ink, which is significantly more expensive than most people think. This year, we have made the editorial decision to increase the amount of color used throughout the Hi.Life in order to make it more visually appealing. By reducing our circulation by twenty percent an raising the price by fifty cents, we will be able to save several thousand dollars over the course of the year. If we did not make those changes, we would run out of money before the end of the year. That money saved will be allotted to purchase new cameras, software, and computers that will allow us to produce a higher-quality publication. We strive to produce a publication befitting of the students at Lee’s Summit High School, with relevant content and interesting design. We are confident that with these budgeting changes we will be able to continue to uphold the standard of excellence held by the Hi.Life for the past 80 years.

Student Profile Eat This Not That Larping at Lee’s Summit High School Superstitions

The Scoop on Snow Days

Follow JLabMag on Twitter or Facebook for the most recent updates.

Michael Bushur and Taylor Rice

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Help for Haiti

News Briefs Mr. Tiger:

The boys are putting the finishing touches on their opening dance and talent acts. All of their personalities are showing through and the competitive atmosphere is forming for the anticipation of who will be named the next Mr. Tiger. Mr. Tiger will take place on March 12 at 7p.m in the PAC. Tickets will be on

sale the week before the show. They will be $7 in advance and $10 at the door.

Poetry Out Loud: Poetry Out Loud is a national competition of 400500 participants who must effectively recite their poems. Poetry Out Loud has two local and three regional competitions. After all the hard work of the students who participated, sophomore Aisha Rehberg was selected to represent Lee’s Summit High School in the upcoming regional competition held on Feb. 13 at Writers Place in Kansas City.

Pennies for Patients: National Honor Society has been working hard to collect money during lunch periods in support of the Pennies for Patients organization. Pennies for Patients helps kids with Leukemia and Lymphoma. So far NHS has already raised over 200 dollars. This organization is one of the many service projects run through NHS. Students can help support this cause by donating during their lunch shift.

Varsity Basketball Update: The boys basketball team recently took second place in the Culver’s tournament held at Lee’s Summit High School. Catch the next boys home game on Feb. 16 at 7 P.M. The girls basketball team also brought home two wins from their special trip to Springfield, Missouri over the weekend of Jan. 22-24. The girls will take on the Panthers on Feb. 15 at 7 P.M. by Miranda Vaughn photos by Taylor Rice & Michael Bushur

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On Jan. 12 an earthquake devastated the island country of Haiti. The earthquake, measuring a reported 7.0 on the Richter scale, destroyed Haiti’s capital city of PortAu-Prince. The crisis did not end there though; as of January 24 there have been 52 aftershocks measuring 4.5 or higher. With about 3 million affected by the earthquake and the current death toll is in the tens of thousands and is rising due to continuously increasing amount of those found in the wreckage How can a student here at Lee’s Summit High School Help? > Text HAITI to 90999 in order to donate $10 to the Red Cross’ Haiti fund. > Text YELE to 501501 in order to doante $5 to the singer Wycleef Jean’s relief fund for Haiti. > Text SAVE to 20222 in order donate $10 to the Save the Children Fund. > Text FRIENDS to 90999 to donate $5 to the UN World Food Programme. > Visit the web sites for UNICEF, K.I.D.S (Kids In Distressed Situations), and/or Healing the Children in order to donate money that goes directly to the children in danger in Haiti. by Emily Dowdle

Roxberry Rocks. Roxberry Juice is new to Lee’s Summit, but it’s already creating a lot of hype. “I went there everyday maybe twice,”junior Reina Hill said.

photo by Brittany Webster

Roxberry Hype New juice store opens at Summit Woods

store is doing very well. Blackham said that their fruit has no preservatives. “We use IQS, which is instant quick frozen. This means the fruit is picked fresh, then frozen immediately to preserve it,” Blackham said. Blackham explained the ingredients that go into making a smoothie. “Most of our smoothies have real fruit juice or freshly squeezed orange juice. Then, we add fruit, ice, and either non-fat frozen yogurt or sorbet,” Blackham said. Blackham explained the reasoning behind the strange combination of smoothies and rolls. “A smoothie is a meal replacement, but we also knew that people like to chew. We like to call this the ‘chew factor’,” Blackham said. Blackham explained that the bread roll was an extra treat. Instead of having a triple scoop ice cream cone, try a healthier alternative. Roxberry uses all fresh fruit, and there is also the option of adding vitamin, energy, or many other boosts in a smoothie.

The purée of the blender, the slurp of the last drop of smoothie, the enticing aroma of a Roxy roll, all which only mean one thing: Roxberry Juice. “My wife and I live in Lee’s Summit and we wanted to have a Roxberry in our hometown. This location is our first but we want to have ten in Kansas City over the next ten years,” owner of Roxberry Juice, Rick Blackham said. Blackham explained that most of the employees and the cliental are high school kids and that he and his wife love being around them. “I was inspired to become a business owner because I wanted to be my own boss,” Blackham said. Blackham explained that unexpected events can occur when opening a business. “We did not expect a refrigerator to go bad, or for a snow storm to happen,” Blackham said. Blackham said that regardless of these set backs, the by Kristin Sands

Google Domination- Google has come a long way from a search engine to being able to send email with Gmail, take a virtual tour of your street with Google Earth, create documents, presentations, or spreadsheets with Google Docs, and much more.

Google it Google offers new services

When people need information fast, almost everyone turns to the Google search engine. However, behind the search engine is an entire corporation that is constantly attempting to invent and test new technologies, all with the same goal: according to the Google site, to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. However, Google has created more than the Google search engine, Google Earth, and Gmail. There is a wide variety of other systems and applications that Google offers for free to anyone who takes advantage of them. > Google Chrome: Google Chrome is the web browser created by Google, and is available for download on both PC

and Mac. Google Chrome is designed to be simple and fast, as it only has a bar for tabs and an address bar, which can double as a search bar. >Google Docs: Google Docs is an easy way to upload files to be accessed from any computer via Google. First, it is necessary to have a Google account, and this account uses the same username and password for a variety of other Google products, such as Gmail. After logged it, users have the choice to upload files or create new Google Docs. “Upload” simply refers to uploading a document as is. However, create new gives the ability to create documents, spreadsheets, or presentations using Google. > Google Calendar: Google Calendar is also a Google application that requires a Google account. First and foremost, it is a calendar in which users can schedule and delete events, but Google takes it to the next level. Google Calendar has the capacity to send out reminders to its users, much like the RED system, and following Google’s main goal of information

photo by Colin Taylor dispatch, users can also share calendars with other users, so as to reduce the amount of scheduling miscommunications. >Picasa: Picasa is Google’s photo and image service, and the service comes in two parts. First, program which must be downloaded to the computer. This program is used to upload photos to a user’s computer. There, people can edit their pictures in program that is similar to the Mac’s iPhoto. Photos and images on the computer will automatically sync with the program, so users do not have to go searching through their computers to find a particular image. Second, users can use a Gmail account linked into Picasa to share individual pictures, or it also has the capability to compress entire albums and send them with minimal effort on the part of the user. by Ben Sobek and Kevin Adams

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Eat up. Many people will go to extraordinary lengths to loose weight. One of the crazier diets around is the tapeworm diet. “With a tape worm diet, the worm gets all your nutrition, not you,” said Metabolic Counselor Pamm Collins. by Nicole Kelleher

Cha-Ching. The majority of the District’s revenue comes from local taxes. by Nicole Kelleher

R-7 Spending

District sets yearly budget

Every year, the district comes up with its annual

budget to spend on its schools and various projects. The annual budget of the district is around 200 million dollars. The money coming from many different sources. “67 percent of the funds comes from the taxes of the Lee’s Summit citizens, 30 percent is provided by the state, and the remaining three percent is given by the federal government,” president of the Lee’s Summit Board of Education, Gene Brixey, said. Whenever the district funds a new facility, project managers are assigned to make sure that is completed is within budget. “There is not necessarily a limit to how much money can be spent, our project managers make a minimum budget request, and then our architects and engineers review the requested funds,” Brixey said. Even with all of the programs and facilities the district spends money on, those account for only a small portion of the budget, most of it going to the staff. “The largest percent of the budget is spent on teachers and staff. 59.6 percent goes to salaries and another 14.5 percent goes to benefits, totaling about 74 percent in all,” Brixey said. Although the salaries of teachers and staff take up most of the district budget, the Board of Education tries to spend as much as possible on its students. “As much money as possible goes into educating each student. Money goes into everything from supplies to instruction so that each student can get the best education they can,” Brixey said. Thanks to the previous year’s 54 million dollar no tax increase bond, an enormous investment was made on the district’s new aquatic center, and although it was expensive, it will be one of the district’s greatest investments. “The Lee’s Summit R-7 Aquatic Center is self sustaining with all of its profits from sales going directly into the district’s budget,” Brixey said. With a large chunk of the bond money gone, the district still had money at their disposal to fill various other needs by the district’s many facilities. “We have different kinds of money, one is capital to be spent on various projects and another is instructive for things relating to the students learning,” Brixey said Even though what is being done may not be too noticeable, improvements to our schools and community are happening thanks to the careful budgeting of the school district. by Kevin Adams

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DANGEROUS DIETS

Some types of diets can be more harmful then helpful

tkins, Cabbage Soup, Tape Worm, Anorexia and Bulimia: These are popular diets that people follow to lose weight. What people do not recognize is how dangerous they can be. One of the diets people always hear about is the Atkins Diet. There are commercials on T.V. about it and ads for it on the Internet. Even if it is one of the most popular diets, it is also ranked one of the most dangerous diets. Atkins consists of four phases. In those four phases you can eat poultry, fish, and some low calorie fruits and vegetables. Atkins strips ones diet and limits them to very few and other important nutrients. “Atkins misses the extra nutrients you get from a variety of foods. Minerals are needed for body functions. You get most of your minerals from veggies and fruits, and I feel these are lacking in what I know of Atkins Diet,” said Metabolic Counselor Pamm Collins. Fruits and vegetables are part of any healthy, balanced diet, but they have high carbohydrate and calorie counts so they are very restricted with Atkins Diet. Another dangerous diet is the Cabbage Soup diet. This is a diet that one is supposed to be on for seven days. During those seven days, the only consumptions is that of cabbage soup. This is another diet that will not maintain a healthy balance in the nutrients one’s body needs. “Again, the body needs lots of different products for functions. Limiting to only cabbage looses the overall good nutrition that your body needs,” Collins said. This diet is dangerous because it is lacking in over all balanced, and if one goes on this diet, they should be on it no longer than the recommended seven days. Next on the list: The Tape Worm diet. Some people are so desperate to loose weight that they turn to a parasite for help. Once someone swallows the tape worm larva it will grow inside them and feed off of all the nutrients and fat they consume. The tape worm will continue to gain nutrients from stored fat in its host’s body. “With a tape worm diet, the worm gets all your nutrition, not you,” Collins said.

Anorexia is another ‘diet’ that is very hazardous to one’s health. Anorexia is a lack of intake of foods. Without food and nutrients the body will not function properly. Malnutrition can cause a bloating belly and loss of muscle tone. The loss of input for the body can also cause problems with getting rid of the toxins in one’s body. While this diet has bad physical effects, it also has bad mental/psychological effects. “Anorexia is a mind set. A person feels like they are fat no matter how much they lose. So anorexia is all mental, not physical. It would take therapy to change your mind set,” Bulimia is also very dangerous. This is a ‘diet’ where one will eat but throw up on purpose right after their meal. “Bulimia affects the esophagus and stomach. Stomach acids burn the throat, causes sores in the mouth, and can rot teeth. Also, it does not feed the body, so your body gets no nourishment,” Collins said. With this diet, one’s esophagus can be ruined and can cause stomach problems for the rest of their life. Dieting will always be around, but while these drastic diets seem to be the quickest choice, they are not the best. “Dangerous diets might seem like a quick fix. You can drop weight quickly but will gain it back without healthy changes,” Collins said. While there are many drastic diets out there for people to find and take, it does not mean that one cannot diet. If one is wanting to start eating healthily, it would be good to watch calorie intake. One should not intake more calories than they burn in a day. The recommended daily allowance is 2,000 calories, but it varies depending on one’s age, sex, weight, height, and amount of fitness they get. Another healthy dieting tip is that one should limit their intake of sugary foods, salt and refined-grain products. Also, one should eat often. Researching is very important. One should talk to their doctor or a nutritionist before they start dieting so unhealthy diets like Atkins, Cabbage Soup, Tape Worm, Anorexia, and Bulimia can be avoided. by Mikayla Frommer

Random QUESTIONS WITH...

ROBIN HARVEY

Avid music fan and a member of the Drumline, Robin Harvey answers this month’s batch of random inquiries, lists his favorite things, and offers his own tips on drumming. by Kara Klein photo by Taylor Rice

Would you rather try to escape in a huge mansion from one man with a machine gun or from six experts with bows and arrows? One man, because one man is not as threatening as six. If you could meet any celebrity, which one would you most want to meet and why? Probably Neil Peart, because he has amazing drumming abilities. Who is the person in your life that you admire most and why? There is this guy named

Nathan Richards (he is a local drummer) because he has done everything I want to do. If you could send one million dollars to any charity, who would you send it to and why? Right now, Haiti because they’re in so much need right now. If you could travel to one place anywhere in the world, where would you travel and why? Europe because they have (in the music world) an amazing music scene.

HOW TO BE THE PERFECT DRUMMER Harvey offers his advice Robin Harvey has been drumming for over seven years now. He practices a lot and watches other drummers to learn from them. Harvey has plenty of advice to offer new drummers. “Practice all the time, play (drums) with different people, and

listen to other drumming styles,” Harvey said. His advice goes beyond simple suggestions. “Find one style of drumming and practice from that and build all around that so you become good at one genre and then work at other genres after that,” Harvey said. Using Harvey’s advice, new drummers can improve their skills. “You have to have a passion for what you do. It takes dedication more than anything else. If you want to play music more than anything else, then you play music more than you hang out with your friends and you end up hanging out with people who play music. Do things in school and out of school that could make you better,” Harvey said.

My Favorite Things Are... food 1 Favorite salads

book 4 Favorite Into the Wild

board game 5 Favorite TV show 2 Favorite The Office Apples to Apples color 3 Favorite green

6 Favorite actor/actress Zach Braff

song Favorite movie 7 Favorite “First Aid” by Blink 182 10 Into the Wild

8 Favorite Genosha

band/singer

Favorite sport

9 basketball

Favorite type of pet 11dogs

DISH ON MS. FELDSTEIN >> JLABMAG.COM 9

-I feel like I can still remember what being in high school is like. I think it’s hard to remember that as teachers, we’re not new to the experience. But I know that my class isn’t the most important thing in someone’s life, even though I wish it was. But yeah, I remember what it’s like. -I was kind of an over achiever, I think. I really wanted to get good grades. I often did not do the work that I needed to do to get those grades, and I ended up at the last minute getting stuff done. That was definitely me. But I was really competitive about grades, and I was in clubs and in sports. That’s probably why I didn’t do my work on time. -I think not taking advantage of things. I think all through my schooling, I wanted to get good grades, I wanted to be successful academically, but I wouldn’t take advantage of those opportunities over the long term. Even in college I think it took me a while to figure out how to manage my time and do all of that stuff. I’m really surprised that a lot of my students are a lot better at that than I was at their age. - I would like to go back to school. I really like to learn. I’m kind of a dork I guess, but I really like school. I think that’s my biggest hope right now. I’m actually taking the GRE, so in a couple years maybe I’ll go back, finish work, and get my Ph.D. It would be a long process, I’m not talking anything immediate, just a long term goal.

Jenna Feldstein The Interview by Max Belanger

-I got into teaching when I was in college. I was pre law and I started working at the writing center on campus, and I really liked it. I had a few kind of influential professors who helped me realize that I was pretty good at it and maybe it was something I would want to do. I looked into it and switched majors, then my junior year I added an English major, then dropped the pre law. -Law just seemed like something I would enjoy doing. I’m more of a humanities minded person, and I was a history major. I liked the argument aspect of it. -Marie Orton, she’s a professor at Truman, and she’s one of the professors that in her class I really learned how to think. And it was the most random class ever. I needed a class because I was enrolling late because I did everything late, and it was really interesting to me. It was an Italian civilization class. She also really inspired me to enjoy academics, to enjoy learning, and to become a teacher and hopefully pursue a graduate degree.

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-I was teaching journalism outside of Columbia, and I was living there finishing my master’s. I started at Mexico Senior High School. That was my first year teaching. It was a really nice place to learn some things, and then I was just ready to not live in Columbia. It gets small! Especially when you’re not in school anymore. You’re kind of a little stifled. -Yeah, I taught in China for a little while. Actually four years ago now is when I would have left. I went from China to Columbia, but there was a year in there when I was at graduate school. I taught English two days a week at an elementary school and then four days a week at a high school. -I loved it, I really loved it. I taught in Shuizhai, a good translation would be like “town near river”, and I taught in what they consider a middle school, but it’s like a high school. It’s three years though. And then I taught in a little village called Da Tian, which is like “little big town.” (It’s kind of funny- I think there’s a country band with the same name.) But I taught at an elementary school there. So I would commute between a bigger town and a little town.

-I like to read, and I like to write. I like to have a lot of varied experiences, go to a lot of different places, see a lot of different things. I’ve been to Europe and Asia. I have a lot of friends from college that have just sort of moved all over. I have a friend in Portland and another in Colorado, but he just moved here. It’s nice because you can go stay somewhere and bum a weekend. -I actually do have a favorite book, but just by chance I guess, any English teacher probably has twelve, but The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford. Usually you get it with its companion novel Love in a Cold Climate, and both are excellent. Nancy Mitford was a really interesting author and a lot of her work is based on her life. It was from the Interwar period. It was the time of the changing aristocracy in England and they lived in a period between two major conflicts so everyone forgets about that period. But it’s really just a funny, satirical love story, but there’s a lot of cool stuff that happens in history. -How mature they are and how capable they are. I think, as a new teacher, it’s hard to gauge where kids are at. Like what they want to know, how ready they are for things. But I think I’ve been really impressed with how ready a lot of the kids are to learn and to get going. -I hope my students learn what they need to be successful later on. That’s what’s most important. I wish that they could love English as much as I do, or love grammar or the book we’re reading, but really I understand that’s not what everyone enjoys doing. Just so that they can leave prepared for the next step.

Getting a G.E.D.

Former senior Chris Kinman reflects on his decision to end high school early

“Throughout high school I was always more worried about the social aspect of going than the learning part,” Kinman said. When students or others propose that the General Educational Development (or GED) is for people who are not smart or just lazy, it is a huge misconception. For years it has been on people’s minds that the people who take the GED do not have to try hard. However, it is a lot harder than most realize. One out of every seven high school graduates receive a GED instead of a traditional diploma. Many go on to pursue a higher education. Reina Hill knows someone who dropped out and does not think it is the best option. “At first it was a shock cause you never want to hear that your friend is dropping out, I was disappointed,” Hill said. “I was never for him dropping out but he told me the things he wanted to do and why he dropped and it made sense.” The common belief is that dropouts are lazy. Connie Ficken, a counselor, thinks otherwise. “If you don’t do well in a school setting and you think you want to drop out and just take the GED, there are other options or options to help you get where you want to be,” Ficken said. The GED is an alternative to a high school diploma, and is an option for people who can not or do not want to complete regular high school.

It is a series of five timed tests, and once all are passed, the GED is given. What most people do not know is that the test itself is hard. The GED test is also not given all at once, it is broken down into subjects. Students who take the GED can take preparatory classes for the test but they are not mandatory. Summit Ridge Academy offers a program called Missouri Options, which is a GED course, but students end up with a high school diploma. The GED gives students a chance to go out in the real world with the equivalency of a high school diploma. Most employers, when faced with two people with the same qualifications but one has a GED and one has a diploma, they would most likely pick the one with the diploma. This is simply for the fact that a GED gives off the feeling that the person is a drop out and would not commit to the job. It is a good idea to go further with education after taking the GED. Most colleges in the United States will admit someone with a GED, but will likely require the student to take a standardized test such as the SAT or ACT. Having a further education looks better to future employers and on the application for a job. In all reality, people who have taken the GED and people who have gotten their high school diploma both can succeed in life. It is just a matter of how they go about doing it. by Marissa Raukar

Lead Foot

Students escape cost of traffic tickets

W Super Speedy. Those red and blue flashing lights behind you can only mean one thing. Sometimes you get a ticket, but other times you just get off with a warning. “I wanted to frame my warning, but I haven’t told my parents yet,” junior Brette Borchert said. by Brittney Webster

ith a heavy foot on the gas pedal, a car is racing down the highway. There are no other cars around, just the image of a blurred road out the window. What a rush. And then…red and blue lights are flashing in the rear-view. The car pulls to the curb. The officer approaches the car… It is thought that there are ways to get out of speeding tickets: be polite, act like you had no idea, say it will never happen again, etc. It turns out that these may not only be rumors. Along with a number of other students at Lee’s Summit High School, sophomore Vince Jerome has had a run in with the law enforcement. “Well, it was a lady officer,” he began when asked about the experience. “She

what’s on the

radar this month

MONOPOLY MAKEOVER

aper or plastic? In modern society, the answer has become obvious. That may be the reason why Monopoly, the classic money board game has transformed to fit the times. Cash money has been replaced by credit cards, metal tokens by plastic tabs, and the board is now round. These new changes have left some customers angry, while others say it is about time the game’s company renews its look. No longer will players be able to brag about their large wads of bills. A new era has arrived and it will continue to change... just like society.

was ridiculous. I didn’t even say anything, she just snapped at me. She said I was stupid and endangering myself. I was so close to getting a ticket.” When asked how to act when pulled over, Jerome answered with, “Be polite and apologetic. That’s what saved me.” Vince is not the only one that has escaped a ticket. Junior Brette Borchert had a run in of her own. “So, I was going 70 in a 65 when I was pulled over, how dumb,” Borchert said. “It was about 9:30 at night and it was really foggy outside. I was trying to hurry because I was supposed to be somewhere. It was so foggy I didn’t even see the cop. When he pulled me over, I put a scared face on. I mean, I was worried, but I knew it could help to look really scared. He was a nice guy, though. He let me go as a ‘new driver’ and advised me to ‘travel

by Tyler Fromson in packs’ when the weather is bad.” With another smile, she came to a close. “I really wanted to frame my warning, but I didn’t tell my parents—I want to keep my car—so I don’t think I’m going to be doing that.” Vince and Brette had something in common: they both acted appropriately towards the officers to whom they were encountered with. Statistics have shown that people who behave properly when pulled over are the ones who receive warnings rather than tickets. Obeying the speed limit is the right thing to do. However, if pulled over, it’s best to be polite and patient. It might be possible to drive away from it ticketfree. by Lindsay Nelson JLABMAG.COM 11

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I Married My High School Sweetheart Sometimes high school relationships work out, just ask Kristin Little.

ristin Knipmeyer and Blake Little have known each other their entire lives. Literally. Knipmeyer’s mother and Little’s mother have always been close friends, and when Little’s mother became pregnant, Knipmeyer’s mother threw her a baby shower. Knipmeyer’s mother had just given birth to Kristin, and so Kristin attended the baby shower with her mother. Little did the two mothers know, Kristin and this incoming baby would eventually become husband and wife. Knipmeyer and Little grew up together. Since their mothers were such good friends, the two became close as well. Growing up in Lee’s Summit, they naturally attended LSHS together. Knipmeyer became a member of the Tigerettes, and Little was a varsity athlete. On a Friday night after a big basketball game, Little asked Knipmeyer to go to 54th Street Grill

Holidays Explained Rubber duckies, corn dogs, and potato chips all have one thing in common: their own national holiday. SOME HOLIDAYS ARE more commonly known than Make it Last. For some couples, high school is only the beginning. by Laina Gunsallus

“We have really been together our whole lives. I just didn’t realize how together we really were until high school,” said Knipmeyer. with him. Knipmeyer thought this was just two friends hanging out, but Little had other plans. The two became a couple, and became inseparable. They stayed together throughout high school, and went to college together. In college, things got hard, as they always seem to do, and the two split up. “You always have to grow up in college,” Knipmeyer said. As college continued, the two broke up and got back together several times. Then things finally changed for the better. “I was living in London for awhile, to study abroad, and Blake was going to live with his aunt in Africa,” said Knipmeyer, “but he decided to come visit me in London for a bit before he went. We just had the best time. That was when I knew that we were going to make this work. I guess that was when I knew that he was really the one.” Upon returning to Lee’s Summit after

school, the two were still together. Little and Knipmeyer took a trip to the Botanical Gardens in St. Louis, where Little popped the question. “It caught me off guard; I wasn’t expecting it. The Botanical Gardens has such a pretty atmosphere, I should have known, but I didn’t!” said Knipmeyer. Knipmeyer accepted the proposal, and became Kristin Little on July 12, 2003. The Little’s have been married for 7 years this July, and still reside in Lee’s Summit. Kristin Little is a guidance counselor here at Lee’s Summit, and Blake Little is the coach of boys junior varsity basketball and girls varsity softball at West. “I don’t think of him as my high school sweetheart. We have really been together our whole lives. I just didn’t realize how together we really were until high school,” said Knipmeyer. by Ellen Spaar

others. There is a lesser known holiday each day of the year. Holidays are declared after congress approves them to make it onto the federal calendar. Anyone can make a holiday as long as they have it copyrighted. Sometimes holidays are created by marketing companies to boost sales in a particular item. These holidays are sometimes called Hallmark holidays. One holiday that is not as commonly known as federal holidays is National Potato Chip Day. This observance occurs on Mar. 14 every year. One way to celebrate this holiday is to eat nothing but potato chips all day. This holiday was created corporately to boost sales in potato chips. Find more information at www.bmchips.com/ national-potato-chip-day.aspx. Another holiday that is not as commonly known is National Corndog Day. This observance occurs on Mar. 20 each year. This holiday can be celebrated by attending a National Corndog Day celebration or throwing a party. This holiday was created corporately to boost sales in corndogs. Find more information at www.condogday. com/about. Finally, another unusual holiday observance is National Rubber Ducky Day. This holiday occurs on Jan. 13 every year. Celebrate

this holiday by getting in the bathtub with rubber duckies and taking a long warm bath. This holiday was created corporately to boost sales in rubber ducks. Find more information at www. mypunchbowl.com/holidays/nationalruber-ducky-day. Find these and other unusual holiday observances at www.brownielocks. com. Other types of holidays are religious. Therefore, people of different religions may not know exactly what a holiday is about. Purim is a Jewish holiday that remembers the defeat of a plot to exterminate the Jews. There is a public reading of the book of Esther while bleeping out the villain’s name. Customs include costume parties, drinking, and eating fruit-filled triangular cookies. More information can be found at www.judaism101.com. Yom Kippur is a Jewish holiday significant as a day of atonement and reconciliation. It’s observances include fasting, prayer and repentance. Customs include staying home and not going to work or school. More information can be found at www.judaism101.com. Ramadan is an Islamic holiday significant as a day of spiritual purification to become closer to faith. Observances are prayers and the custom is to fast. More information can be found at www.holidays.net/ramadan. by Kara Klein JLABMAG.COM 13

Histo r y

1949

2002

2009

Eighty Years Of Hi.Life [1930 thru 2010]

The Hi.Life became the student newspaper of Lee’s Summit High School during the 1929-1930 school year. Over the past eighty years the publication has seen countless changes, hundreds of students have served on staff leaving their mark on both the Hi.Life and the school. An archive has been maintained dating back to the Christmas issue of 1948. That year a staff of 12 writers and editors produced a 24 page publication printed on letter size paper using a mimeograph machine, as that photocopying had not yet been invented. Over the following decades the Hi.Life changed formats several times. In the Sixties the Hi.Life was published on a small format newsprint. In the Eighties the change was made to a tabloid style newspaper. In the Nineties the Hi.Life took on it’s current magazine format. From humble beginnings in a repurposed closet, the Hi.Life is now produced in a state-ofthe-art journalism lab using professional software and printers. For our 80th anniversary we take a look back at the Hi.Life’s beginnings, republish a few old articles, and hear from past advisors and editors.

14 Hi.Life 02.10

Teaching the Hi.Life [By Kim Fritchie] We experienced a MAJOR change in the late 1980’s when we switched from type set for us at the Lee’s Summit Journal to using MacIntosh computers to do our own desktop publishing. That was a HUGE step. That meant that we no longer had to go to the Lee’s Summit Journal to get the type, lay it out there, have them process our pictures, and work a solid three nights in their offices to finish laying out the paper. There were only two Macs in the entire school, and they were located in the Graphic Arts building (green building). I worked with the administration and our librarian, Mr. Pentlin, to gradually purchase many more Macs, so within a few years Hi-Life editors and staff were able to use about eight Macs located in the library. The newspaper classroom used to be room 115, so access to the computers was right across the hall. We also started purchasing Macs for our own classroom, so we wouldn’t have to share with the rest of the school. Two editors each month were responsible for driving our layout mats down to Harrisonville to be printed on regular newsprint in a tabloid-size format. We printed 3,000 copies of the Hi-Life, and gave them out free to every single student in the school. We paid for the paper through a budget designated by the administration and ad revenue. Now, the Hi-Life is a news magazine in the 8 1/2 by 11 format on white paper.

Deadlines were VERY important to my students and me, so we were adamant about getting the paper to press on time. In the 12 years I was adviser, we only missed one printing deadline due to the editors not completing their pages on time. That was a very bad day. Second, we experienced what I call the “death of senior wills”. Our May issue always used to contain the “Senior Poll” and “Senior Wills”. The students voted on winners of the Senior Poll (Most Likely to Succeed, Cutest Couple, etc.). All seniors were allowed to submit a Senior Will in which they willed something of theirs to an underclassman. That was very hard to edit because of all the inside or hidden messages that were sometimes inappropriate for school. I had to personally read every one. Well, I completely missed the inside meaning of one which was very negative toward one girl, and after that, our building principal told me there would be no more senior wills. The students were very upset, but I understood why that had to happen. Finally, the Hi-Life won many awards at MIPA. We always entered the competition and went to MIPA Awards Day at MU. It was great recognition for our hard-working newspaper staff. I also made sure that the students had the opportunity to attend Summer Media Workshop at the University of Missouri. I taught there for several summers too. I LOVED working with the Hi-Life staff. It was

2005

1954

really one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. When you work with the student editors so closely and spend so much time with them, you develop wonderful friendships. I still receive Christmas cards and e-mails from many of my former students. Some have gone on to become journalists, writers, and photographers professionally. That really makes me proud. I believe in student creativity and students’ ability to convey their thoughts and feelings in writing. I think the Hi-Life will continue its strong tradition and change and adapt as times change. Lee’s Summit High School is an awesome school with a rich tradition and history, so we all need to work to preserve and continue that tradition. The Hi-Life was a very important part of my life for the 12 years I taught at Lee’s Summit High School and advised the newspaper staff. I used to bring my little girls up to school for the three nights we spent working on the newspaper before it went to press. Now, my girls are 29 and 26. They still remember all the great times they spent with the newspaper editors at school. I was blessed to have had the opportunity to teach at LSHS and advise the Hi-Life. Kim Fritchie was the newspaper teacher at LSHS during the late eighties and early nineties. She is now an assistant principal at Pleasant Lea Middle Scchool.

1999

JLABMAG.COM 15

Sn ap s ho t s

School Board Considering Dogs [By Kendra Flory, 1997] There sniff and search, rummaging through personal things, sometimes not finding anything. Then they move on to the next locker. Maybe this time they will uncover pot of paraphernalia. This could be the case if drug dogs are brought to LSHS. “If people are stupid enough to bring drugs to school property they deserve to be punished,” junior Jessi West said. If the dogs are brought in, there would be a general search of buildings and parking lots. State law requires if a person is found with drugs, they are turned over to the police. The school board has not yet locked at the option of bringing dogs in by surprise of telling everyone before. If dogs were to find something in a student’s locker, it would give police enough cause to thoroughly search the locker and the student. “It’s an invasion of our privacy because it could your locker partner’s stuff and you’d have nothing to do with it. It could have been planted,” senior Mark Spates said. One concern raised with the possibility of this event is a tarnished view of the Lee’s Summit community. “People would like to see drugs taken off the street,” Officer Mike Black said. “ Our community is no different from anyone else’s.”

1955

16 Hi.Life 02.10

LSHS Outgrows Boundries

[By Jared Holmberg, 1993]

uring the Christmas season of 1952, students of LSHS went to their separate homes to open their Christmas presents. One present, though, brought them back together-- the opening of the largest presents in Lee’s Summit that year- the newest version of the district’s high school. In contrast, 1993 brought with it the most crowded school in the state of Missouri. Students could no longer brag about their new, spacious surroundings as their predecessors had 41 years before them. Construction was started on the new school in 1951 on a 32 acre lot off of 291 North and 50 highway. In 1952, the present school (now Div. II) was finished, at least for the time being. That year began what would become a plot of land literally filled with building additions, parking spaces, mobile classrooms, athletic fields and green buildings. The first addition to be added to the 1952 school building was a section of shop classrooms. Next, the library and the north-south corridor (in Div. II). Then, the second floor of the East wing was added. Then, drafting rooms were added to the west side of the buildings as well as a few extra classrooms. All of this construction completed the

2000

high school building (now Div, II of LSHS). However, much more was still to be added. In 1963, a new junior high school was built “down the hill” to the north. In 1972, the building became Div. I of the present high school. The Field House was constructed in 1964. It was considered one of the finest athletic facilities in the Kansas City area according to Mr. Francis Titus, former LSHS basketball coach and math teacher. “There was none better around here, and everyone desired to play in the Field House,” said Titus. Next came the two green buildings in the North side of what is now a fifty-acre lot. These two buildings now house more industrial technology and weight rooms. Over the years many modular classrooms were added to accommodate for the growing number of students at LSHS. Finally, the Performing Arts Center came in 1978. It became a “playhouse” for school theater productions, a great number of assemblies and music activities. From the beginning, there has continued to be one problem that has plagued LSHS- too many students and not enough space. Once against principals, teachers, architects and citizens will gather together to plan yet another high school to be completed by 1995 if the Bond issues passes Feb. 2.

2004

1.5 Million Saved [By Christopher Imgarten, 1997] On Tuesday, Mar. 11, science teacher Ron Baker made a quest appearance on Fox 41-TV news. “We are doing a story on how Mr. Baker is saving the Lee’s Summit School District money,” reporter Jason Oldham said. Baker serves as the district’s energy manager. “He has educated the people to save money during unoccupied times. He has saved the district $1.6 million in five years,” Oldham said. The custodians were taught to keep the buildings within the comfort zone but still save money. For instance turning off the lights when there is no one occupying the room. His

training in environmental science has helped him become the district’s energy manager. “My training let this job be a natural extrusion,” Baker said. The district made a decision to control the cost of utilities in the building, then they posted the energy manager job opening. baker’s job is to keep track of all the utility costs for the buildings in the district. Baker also uses a program to keep track of the energy accounts for each of the buildings and tells them if they are improving. “I see if the participants are doing what they are suppose to do,” Baker said.

How far will Metheny Go? [By Jodi Martin, 1992]

With the proceeds from a garage sale brought his first guitar at age 13. “MY passion for music was instinctive. I always knew have a deep relationship with music,” said Pat Metheny, jazz guitarist and former LSHS graduate. Metheny has won six grammies, a gold record and has written the background music, several movies, such as “Under Fire” and “Twice in a Lifetime.” Metheny has also been featured on “The Tonight Show” and “The David Letterman Show”. “The awards are nice and the T.V. shows are cool, but that’s all superficial,” Metheny said. When I go home at night I don’t think ‘Wow, I was on the “The Tonight Show,” I think,’ Why did I play that A on a B flat?” Recently Metheny released his new album,”Secret Story,” which makes his 18th album. Accoding to Mrs. Lois Metheny, his mother, Metheny’s big break in music was in college playing at a jazz festival. Gary Burton, a jazz vibraphone player, spotted him to join his group. After Metheny played with Burton’s group for sever years, he started his own group. “Pat had a dream, and that dream came true,” said Mrs. Lois Metheny. Metheny says his dream has always been to be a good musician and the fact that he

has become a well known is a by-product. At the age of 15, Metheny experienced the spotlight of being a musician when he began playing in area jazz clubs. “It was odd because I was a student by day and a musician by night...but i learned a lot back when I played in KC. I can’t really explain what because I speak through music,” Metheny said. Pat was a quiet student, according to Mr. Dick Warford, his former World History teacher. “I was real serious,” said Metheny. “I think others would have said I was quiet, but I didn’t have much to relate to with the other kids. I was always frustrated because there wasn’t much insight on a lot of the aspects of American culture, particularly jazz and the affects of black Americans.” One aspect Metheny said he would like to change about the world is racism. “People are people. We all have the same fears, the same instincts,” said Metheny. “America would not be the great thing it is if it were only whites.” Metheny doesn’t want his physical appearance to interfere with his image. “I always wished I was invisible. I feel like there’s me and music, and music is much more important,” Metheny said. “Music is a metaphor for life itself.”

Should students with AIDS be allowed in school? PRO

[Staff Editorial, 1986]

There is nothing wrong with AIDS vistims, except they are sick, and somewhere along the way they got a bad break. Maybe they received some bad blood in the hospital. They shouldn’t be penalized by being refused the right to attend school. AIDS victims are able to function as “normal” people except for the fact that they might need more rest. Concern that AIDS might spread is one of the major fights for keeping AIDS victims out of school. SOme think that AIDS can be spread through perspiration or saliva. WRONG. As communicable diseases go, the flu is more catchable than AIDS-one sneeze and half the class is infected. Remission can occur in infected victims; and if so, they will need an education later in life. Schools have a non-discrimination policy that ensure everyone has the right to an education-whether handicapped, or diseased. AIDS victims should be also have that right and not be forced to have a teacher come to their home because some undereducated parent thinks their son or daughter might be around when the infected person sneezes.

CON

Poor Johnny, he is home sick today with a contagious stomach virus. His mom would not let him go to school. There is Pete: he is a whole different story. Pete has AIDS and his mom sends him to school every day. Now that doesn’t make sense does it? If your child is sick, you keep him at home, or the school will send him home if he is sick enough. Then why do we have children that are in fact carrying the AIDS virus going to school where there is possibility that they may infect other perfectly healthy children? AIDS has been making headlines lately, and one of the hottest issues is the safety of the public. The issue includes public schools and the risk of infection in them. Although AIDS is not easy to transmit during normal daytime activities, there always those “freak” accidents where a child could contract the virus from another child. Why should chances be taken with the safety of our healthy schoolchildren? It’s like using them as guinea pigs in a scientific expirement. Even though this policy seems hard on the children who have AIDS, it would be for the benefit of the general public.

JLABMAG.COM 17

I n ter v i e ws

into Human Resources. It was a bad fit for me. I would have made a much better English teacher. It didn't occur to me that I could really try being a writer until about 10 years ago. I always loved writing; I just never believed I could make a living doing it. I never in a million years would have thought I'd have a novel on bookstore shelves. HATE LIST is story about the aftermath of a school shooting, told from the point of view of the shooter's girlfriend. It's really a story of healing and of hope, and of looking beyond "reputations" and "stereotypes" and seeing who people really are underneath. A lot of things came together at just the right time, I think, when it comes to what inspired the novel. I was bullied in junior high and the first part of high school, and I always sort of carried that around with me for a long time. Also, as a parent, I have a lot of questions about school shootings, especially what we can do to stop them. I feel very sad that these kinds of things happen -- school is supposed to be a safe place for your children to be. So I had all these thoughts sort of swirling around for a long time... all I needed was a spark to put them all together. That spark was the Nickelback quote at the beginning of the book. The song, "If Everyone Cared," got stuck in my head one night while I was sleeping, and when I woke up, I just had these two characters in my mind -- I could "see" them very clearly -- and the story just sort of came together.

Jennifer Brown [Interview By Jessie Curtis]

My writing for the Li.Life was an accident, actually. I took Creative Writing, taught by Kim Fritchie, who was also the sponsor of the Hi.Life. We kept journals for our Creative Writing class, and she noticed that my journal entries tended to read like humor essays. She also noticed that I liked to draw, and could do it reasonably well. So she asked if I'd be willing to join the Hi.Life as a humor columnist and cartoonist. I would also have to take a couple beats as a reporter (I believe my beats were the Superintendent's office and the drama department). At first I wasn't so sure, because I'd never taken journalism class, and really didn't have a lot of interest in newspaperwriting -- I was all about short stories and poems! But I went ahead and gave it a try. I knew it was going to be difficult, but it was a LOT harder than I thought it would be! I really had to battle my extreme shyness throughout the entire year. But I made it! And now, looking back, I can say my career as a humor columnist truly began in 1989 at the LSHS Hi.Life! When I left LSHS, I was certain all I wanted was to be an English teacher. But after I got to college, I changed my mind. I majored in Psychology at William Jewell College, and after I graduated, I went

18 Hi.Life 02.10

I don't know that it really impacted my choice to be an author, but I still use writing rules and techniques that I learned back then. I had Mrs. Fritchie for several classes -- Creative Writing, Hi.Life, and Honors Shakespeare, if not more -- and having that one teacher supporting and refining my writing like that was very helpful. She was never easy on me, and certainly wasn't afraid to tell me when something I'd written wasn't good, but she was very supportive of my ability to write. You will get rejected. Period. Might as well come to terms with it now. It doesn't mean your work isn't good, and it doesn't mean you should just give up. Writing is more about perseverance than... well, pretty much anything else! You have to maintain your belief that you are really good and that eventually it will happen to you. Also, rewriting is a beautiful process! Embrace it; your work will be so much better if you rewrite enthusiastically. It can be stressful. A lot of pressure to make deadlines, even if you're sick or your kids are sick, or you and your kids and the dog are all sick. The rejection can be wearing and disheartening. And, for the first several years, the pay is horrible (if not nonexistent). Oh, and hate mail (which, I've decided, everyone who works at a newspaper gets at sometime in their writing career) isn't much fun.

Emma

Roberts

[Interview By Taylor Rice] Graduated in 49’. I wrote my editorials and I turned them into Mrs. Wilson our teacher, and what actually was printed I didn’t recognize. She didn’t like my writing very much so she corrected all of my work. Ever time I got my editorial back it had scribbles all over it. What was it like on the staff? We had our room upstairs which no teacher ever came to and that probably wouldn’t be safe today. But I don’t remember anybody doing anything bad ever. We had a mimeograph that we ran the paper off manually. I don’t know that Mrs. Wilson ever even came in the room. There were never any major problems that I was aware of. It was all hand mimeographed and we wrote articles depending on what our specialty was. The specialities were sports, birthdays, news and features. There was a lot of gossip in the newspaper when I was there. We based a lot of content on word of mouth from the students and teachers. I’m sure it’s not that way now. (Laughs) Did this influence any of your career aspirations? No, oh heck no. I became a nurse. I didn’t think about going into journalism or any of that. It was just a hobby for me. I was involved in a lot of things at school as well. What were some everyday activities for you as the editor? Everybody turned their stuff in and the paper always got out. I don’t remember doing anything but editing and writing my editorial. But no teacher came in; it was always student led and run. We were good kids then. Was your time at Hi.Life enjoyable? I liked it. I liked having a place to go, when you wanted to duck out, but I didn’t take it too seriously.

What kind of stories did you report? I wrote about whatever was going on at the time in school or whatever season. I usually didn’t write about sports. I was on the basketball team but all you had to do was turn out then. I lived on the same block as the school, so I always walked and would think of ideas for my editorial then.

Jean Alley [Interview By Taylor Rice] I was the Editor-in-Chief the year after Emma was. I worked for the school district for twenty five years as a nurse. I graduated in 1950. What are your memories of Hi.Life? When we were on the Hi.Life we were definitely chosen by the staff and the english teacher Mrs. Wilson. She and I did all the corrections. We worked in a room and the room went into the attic. I wrote about current events going on in the school, like dances or basketball games. One day one of the kids brought a hoot owl into the room and the superintendent at the time ran around trying catch that owl. It wasn’t a very big room and it had a large roof. I think the owl finally got out. What were some of your everyday activities on staff? We had an hour that we were allowed to work on the staff on the paper. I wrote the editorials. I was also the person that was in charge of the advertisements. Most of the places we got advertisements from are long gone and they probably paid five dollars at most for the ads. We had a lot of ads though.

What else did you do at school? I also played in the band, I played the french horn. It was actually a music appreciation thing. I was in the glee club and I also did a lot of home economics things. I was a well-rounded student. My own children went there and they had to try out for all these things and they never made it. It was a different world then. How many students graduated in your class? We had eighty or ninety when I graduated, which was almost double what the class before and the class after us had.

Did you enjoy being on staff? I had fun doing it. I really enjoyed it. My favorite part was putting it all together- getting the articles and just making it whole. How did you print? We put it on a platter and did a stencil and then ran it off of a machine. We did that ourselves and always had ink on our hands because of it. It took a while because we would run it then let it dry and then staple. We ran about 200 issues. It was free and everyone got one. There were about 12 people on staff when I was there. Sometimes we would have to stay after school to make sure everything got printed and ready to go. Did being on the Hi.Life staff influence your career aspirations? It really did help me a lot as a nurse in writing as we had to do a lot of writing. I am on the board of directors at the hospital I work at and I wrote articles for the newspaper for that.

JLABMAG.COM 19

‘ INTERVIEW

PERUVIAN CONNECTION

>>WE ARE STILL FIGHTING THROUGH THE COLD, CLOUDY DAYS

and relief of this weather won’t come for another couple months, yet there is still something to look forward to. The upside of winter is that with the help of sweaters, scarves, and thick socks; feeling comfortable and being fashionable is easily done. Peruvian Connection supplies classy, elegant, and comfortable fashions of all sorts to keep you cozy during the cold months to come. With Annie’s anthropology research in the Andean marketplaces in Peru, the idea for a classic, ethnographic clothing store was created. This quality boutique grew from a mail order catalogue to having a locations all over the United States, and now in England.

WHEN AND WHERE DID PERUVIAN CONNECTION START? “The business started as a mail order/catalogue company back in the late 1970’s. We opened our first retail store, which was more of an outlet, in Lawarence, Kansas, in the late 1980’s. We later relocated the store to Kansas City.”

WHO DO YOU THINK IS THE “PERUVIAN WOMAN”? “She’s a highly educated, worldly individualist. Often affluent but as often as not; saves up for a single piece that she views as an investment. Peruvian Connection has many customers who are artists or employed in an arts related field.” WHAT KIND OF STYLE WOULD YOU SAY MOST OF YOUR CLOTHING IS? “Uniquely classic designs based on ethnographic textiles from around the world, and are handcrafted of fine natural fibers, including alpaca, pima cotton, silk, and wool. All of our pieces are original designs made exclusively for Peruvian Connection. They are unavailable anywhere else.”

20 Hi.Life 02.10

HOW DO YOU CHOOSE THE CLOTHING YOU SELL AND WHERE ARE MOST OF THE DESIGNERS CHOSEN FROM? “Each piece goes through a long process from initial design through prototype stages then finally into production . The entire process takes almost a year. Not everything that is designed and developed actually makes it into the catalogue or stores. [They are chosen from] Kansas City, New York, and England. Several of our designers were educated at the Art Institute in Kansas City; one of the top schools in the country.” WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO BE A BOUTIQUE OWNER; HAS THIS BEEN SOMETHING YOU’VE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO? “No, I started off as an archaeologist and social anthropologist. I was living in Peru doing research on Andean market women, when the idea of starting a fashion business first came up. My mom and I started the business together and we were partners until she died in 2007.”

WHERE ARE ALL YOUR STORES LOCATED? “Our flagship, full-line retail store is in Washington, DC. It’s the only store that offers the entire current season collection. We also have stores in Santa Fe, New Mexico, Manchester, Vermont and Henley-onThames, England. And of course, our home town store in the Crossroads district of Kansas City.” WHERE DO YOU SEE YOUR BOUTIQUE IN FIVE YEARS? “I see us opening Peruvian Connection stores in other major US and European markets, including San Francisco, Chicago, Boston, London, Berlin, Brussels just for starters.Each store will be unique in an authentic space that reflects the market where it’s located.” by Lily Schiffbauer

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: clothing display, Peruvian Connection catalogues, sitting area, table of sweaters.

begining the bleaching. After dry, prepare bleach solution (1/4 cup of bleach, 3/4 cup of water) in a cup or bucket.

2. Take leg of the tights

and place into the bleach solution. Let soak over night. Make sure the other leg of the tights do not get into the bleach solution.

3. After bleached, ring out

and wash in warm water. When the tights are dry, take the sandpaper and lighty rub it on the tights (this works better if the tights are worn). by Lindsey Bales

‘

DO-IT-YOURSELF

1. Wash tights before

{Bleach Dyed Tights}

EED OU’LL N WHAT Y ightly-colored of br •1 pair tights aper • Sandp c lea h

•B ket r Buc • Cup o

BEFORE AFTER

1+2

DIY

Cardigans are a must-have in any woman’s closet. Here are some ways to spice up a single cardigan.

Cardi Party

1 A dressier look consists of a nice dress worn with tights, belt, and boots. Wear a cardigan over the top to complete the look.

A more fashionable approach to the cardigan is layered with a long sleeve sweater and pencil skirt. Finish it off with tights and flats.

For a classic sophisticated look, layer the cardigan over a nice shirt and belt it at the waist. Pair it with jeans and flats.

4 An easy every day look for school consists of a t-shirt and a loose cardigan over the top. Complement it with dark jeans and boots.

5 For a more loose, casual look, wear a button-up underneath the cardigan. Wear it with an old pair of jeans and comfortable shoes. by Amy Notestein JLABMAG.COM 21

Hit List Date Time

Roxberry Smoothies Find out what the big deal is all about and grab a Roxberry smoothie that contains shaved ice, dairy, fruit, and real fruit juice with your date! Choose from a list of over 35 different smoothies and cherish the deliciousness of your treat.

Places provided to guarantee a grand time for that “certain” time- whether it be a time with your intended, family, or just time with your friends. These are reliable places to have a good time. by Miranda Vaughn photos by Morgan Pena

Girl Time

Guy Time

Family Time

John Mayer Concert

Missouri Mavericks

Noodles & Company

After the recent release of John Mayer’s new album Battle Studies many girls found themselves raging about how accurate Mayer’s lyrics were able to relate to things happening in their own lives. Plan the ultimate girls night and get your tickets now to see John Mayer at the Sprint Center on Monday March, 22 at 8:00 P.M.

Hockey For the perfect guys night, catch a Missouri Mavericks Hockey game at the new Independence Event Center. Independence Event Center is located on East Valley View Pkwy which is also close to over 30 restaurants for your dinning pleasure before or after the game.

Dear John Catch the most recent romantic drama based off of Nicholas Sparks Dear John. The perfect love story about a solider who falls for a conservative college student while he’s home on leave. Dear John is now in theatres.

22 Hi.Life 02.10

Auto show Tea Party Miss those days of dressing up and walking around in your mothers heels. Plan your own dress up and tea party for your girlfriends. It may sound cheesy but who doesn’t want to be a kid again, and who doesn’t love to dress up? It’s time for a big girl tea party.

The upcoming Auto Show is a perfect opportunity to see over 500 vehicles on display. Show-goers will get the chance to examine not only the newest trucks of 2010 but they will also receive a preview of what’s to become in 2011. The Auto Show will take place March 3-7. Tickets are available any show day at the box office or through Ticketmaster.

A fast casual restaurant with a menu full of pasta, soups, and salads from three main cultures including Asian, Mediterranean, and American. For a fast but healthy meal, check out the new Noodles & Company coming to Lee’s Summit soon right off of Chipman Road.

Mario Kart Wii It’s tournament time! Grab ahold of a Wii controller and be ready for the race of your life. The game is full of colorful characters and wacky tracks but Mario Kart is fun for the entire family, it doesn’t matter if you have never played before. It’s catchy and a thrill for everyone. It is guaranteed you won’t move from your T.V screen for hours.

Fresh Prince Annual Mr.Tiger program kicks off

It is the talent portion of the pageant, always a crowd-pleaser, and the striking contestants in button downs and starched slacks takes a turn, like thousands of women have done in pageants across America. But at this pageant, all the competitors are male, vying for the title of Mr. Tiger. Each year LSHS holds the Mr. Tiger show in the PAC. Student Senate gets the yearbook and goes through all the boys in the senior class to figure out who will be great candidates for the much anticipated show. They choose boys from all different groups. From the football players to the band members, Mr. Tiger contestants are very diverse. Once chosen, the elite group of gentlemen has a great deal of responsibility. “I wake up at six in the morning, come to school at seven, dance, and learn all of the stuff,” senior Emmanuel Idun said. Not just anybody can be in the Mr. Tiger show. To be the cream of the crop, the boy has to be committed and dedicated to his job. It takes a lot of integrity to be in the show. “You have to be a good example, and do your best in everything that you do,” Idun said. With that being said, it is still a competition of men fighting to be crowned Mr. Tiger. So he must have a personality that stands out in a crowd. “It takes lots of practice and being able to break out of your shell,” senior Aaron Kolarik said.

“I wake up at six in the morning, come to school at seven, dance, and learn all of the stuff,” senior Emmanuel Idun.

Something that Idun and Kolarik can both agree on is that if they do not win the competition, there is one contestant who they are sure will - Connor Williamson. “If I don’t win, I think Connor Williamson should because he’s a funny dude and he’s talented,” Idun said. At the Mr. Tiger show, the audience expects to see a wide variety of talents. A few of the talents included in this year’s show will be rapping, singing, dancing, comedy, and instrument playing. But there is a difference in this year’s show opposed to the shows in the previous years. This year there are not as many boys, so they have to work harder. Also, there will be more original talents. “A lot of them can do their own talents and they have unexpected talents. I definitely think that the boys had to think of more original talents because the past years’ were so good,” contestant coordinator Reina Hill said. To choose the theme for this year’s show, the members of Student Senate got together and started spitting out ideas until they came up with something that they all agreed on: the Fresh Prince of LS. This year’s T-shirts will be a gender friendly purple with the theme, and other bright colors to

mimic the actual “Fresh photo by Taylor Rice Prince of Bel-Air” logo. The tickets will look similar to the shirts. “It’s something that you’ve never seen before. It’s not just like a sports game. The boys really show you who they are. it won’t be a waste of your money and you’ll be happy that you chose to come,” Hill said. The show will be at 7 p.m. on Friday, March 12, at the school in the PAC. Tickets to the event are six dollars in advance, and eight dollars at the door. They can be purchased during the lunch shifts the week of the show. By the end of the night on March 12, the contestant who wows the judges with his genrehopping dance number or his jaw-dropping solo, will be named the new Mr. Tiger. by Sia Nero

Teacher vs. Food One is a frozen custard store, one is an English teacher. Here is a comparison between the two.

Sheridan’s

Mrs. Sheridan

Started in Overland Park

Started teaching in Overland Park

Makes kids fat

Makes kids read

Super sweet

Serves ice cream English toffee

Teaches English drinking coffee JLABMAG.COM 23

Student Directed One Acts Students of all grades get a chance to shine on and off the stage

Star Potential. Sophomores Brooke Myers, Kimberly McCarty and Vince Woods practice outside the Lecture Hall for their one-act “The News in St. Petersburg” directed by Ellen Spaar and Olivia Lynn. “We had to cram in as much rehearsal in a little amount of time. It got somewhat stressful,” Myers said.

24 Hi.Life 02.10

dmit it. You have always wanted the control of a cast of high school kids at your fingertips. Well, Olivia Lynn, junior, does. She is one of the many directors that are at the reins of this year’s student directed one acts. “Being a director is kind of weird because the people you’re directing are only a few years younger than you. Most of them I’m friends with, so it’s different to have to be the leader with people that I’m normally in shows with,” Lynn said. One acts are very different from regular school productions. Juniors and seniors only are allowed to direct, and freshman and sophomores are the only grades able to perform in the actual scenes. “It feels more relaxed, usually you’re all friends, and you’re closer to the director, rather than it being a teacher,” said Lynn. Freshman Melia McDaniel says one acts are different because the cast is so much smaller than a high school musical. It’s one of the main reasons she decided to audition. “I wanted to see what it was like to be in a smaller thing, with only a couple of people.” Lynn’s decision to direct came from past experience with the one acts. “Mainly, I had done them as a sophomore and freshman,

and I knew that I’d have fun,” she said. Even so, she was on the flip side of the audition process this time. “Basically we had a line of directors, and we pulled up kids at random and ask them to read from scripts that we’ve printed out and copied for everyone, and then we judge off of that.” Lynn revealed that time for preparing for the performance is running short. “We don’t have that long, because of the snow days. But we will practice everyday after school.” However, McDaniel isn’t too worried. “We get a lot of time to read over our lines and memorize them, and to work on our accents,” she said. Still, McDaniel admits that she’s starting to develop stage fright. “It’s kind of scary. I really don’t want to mess up,” she confessed. McDaniel is not alone. Lynn comes clean about some nervousness she has as well. “Even though we’re not actually in it, we still want them to do well. But I know that the kids I picked are capable,” she said. When show dates come around, McDaniel will go by a good rule of thumb. “I just have to remember it’s a comedy. It they laugh, it’s good.” by Haley Gillilan photo by Kassi Torrence

Oh, What A Day

A look into this day in history

Today has played an important role in history, whether a future celebrity was born, or an event that affected the world or country occurred. A lot has happened on this day, last year and many years ago. Celebrity Birthdays-Feb. 11: 1849-Inventor Thomas Alva Edison, would be 163 years old 1934-51st Governor of Missouri Melvin Carnahan, would be 76 years old 1934-Actress Tina Louise, turns 76 years old 1936-Actor Burt Reynolds, turns 74 years 1938-Singer and writer Bobby “Boris Pickett, would be 72 years old 1953-43rd Governor of Florida Jeb Bush, turns 57 years old 1963-Musician Sheryl Crow, turns 47 years old 1964-11th Governor of Alaska Sarah Palin, turns 46 years old 1969-Actress Jennifer Aniston, turns 41 years old 1980-Actor Matt Lawrence, turns 30 years old 1981-Singer Kelly Rowland, turns 29 years old 1992-Actor Taylor Lautner, turns 18 years old

This Day in History:

1794-First session of U.S. Senate open to public 1809-Robert Fulton patented the Steamboat 1945-Yalta Agreement signed by President Franklin Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Soviet leader Josef Stalin during World War II 1970-Japan became the fourth country to put a satellite into orbit

1978-China lifts ban on Aristotle, Shakespeare, and Dickens 1979-Ayatollah Khomeini’s followers seized control of the Iran government 1990-South African resistance leader, Nelson Mandela, was released from prison after more than 27 years

Unique Holidays: National Inventors’ Day- Inventors Day is a day set aside by a country to recognize the contributions of inventors. President Ronald Reagan proclaimed Feb. 11, 1983 as National Inventors’ Day in recognition of the enormous contribution inventors make to the nation and the world. Make a Friend Day-This day is an opportunity to meet someone new, make a new friend, be friendly to everyone, extend the spirit of friendship, and do special or nice things for others. Feb. 11 is a great day to celebrate. There are several celebrities’ birthdays, some unique holidays, and even some influential events that have occurred. A lot has happened in the past on this day, and there are to be many more influential events to occur in the future. by Sarah Kensinger photo by Morgan Pena

Brain Freeze The value of being healthy and fit is being pushed more than ever in today’s society. Being physically healthy is very important, but the heart and lungs are not the only organs that need to be exercised. The brain needs to be strengthened too. Globe Life wrote that psychologists have found that ‘mental conditioning’ can help strengthen the mind. People that practice daily ‘brain exercises’ show less signs of memory loss later in life. Keeping the brain stimulated is probably the easiest work out a person can do; it is simple and easy—not to mention fun. Work out your mind right now; give these teasers a try: 1. You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat? 2. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? 3. The man who invented it doesn’t want it. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it? 4. What can run but never walks, has a mouth but never talks, has a head but never weeps, has a bed but never sleeps? 5. You use a knife to slice my head and weep beside me when I am dead. What am I? 6. I never was, am always to be, No one ever saw me, nor ever will, And yet I am the confidence of all To live and breathe on this terrestrial ball. What am I? 7. I can be cracked, I can be made. I can be told, I can be played. What am I?

Just Another Day. February 11th might seem like just another day, but so many events are happening in the world. You can make a new friend for “Make a Friend Day” or make a new invention to become a part of National Inventors’ Day.

You are now smarter. An apple a day keeps the doctor away; a teaser a day…makes your mind stronger. Maybe in a week you can make that rhyme. Go to www.jlabmag.com for the answers! by Lindsay Nelson photo by Brittany Webster JLABMAG.COM 25

He Said, She Said INBOX LETTER to the editors

Dear Editors, My problem arises with the upper A staircase. Not only does it seem smaller than all of the other stairwells, but it seems more traveled, too. I use them at least seven times a day, and I am getting tired of the abuse I encounter. Only having six minutes to get down to the bottom of B whilst stopping by my locker, I am hurried. When I try to save time by pushing my way through the crowds waiting to go downstairs, I get the dirtiest of looks. I’d rather have people think I’m weird for needing to hurry than get a tardy, though. I feel this staircase is the start of my problems for the day. With money to re-do the FACS department, I don’t want understand why this problem hasn’t been resolved sooner. Someone needs to stop this madness! PS: I love the Hi.Life. Keep up the good work!

Brette Borchert

The Inconvenient Food

t’s no secret that most Americans live lifestyles that are far from healthy. Right now, 40 million people are obese with another three million being morbidly obese, and it doesn’t look like we’ll be losing the weight anytime soon. The current trend shows that within ten years, 50 percent of Americans will be obese, not just overweight, but obese. In short: we are the fatties of the world, and our extra pounds are turning out to be quite critical to living healthy lives. Childhood obesity itself is so alarming that it is gaining attention in Washington. The First Lady Michelle Obama has decided to start a campaign to help children overcome their weight. But why has it become this drastic? Why exactly have Americans become so fat? The answer surely has to be more complex than a bunch of people being hungry and not exercising. There has to be something that we’re not directly seeing that is affecting our lives daily. It’s the food! In all actuality it’s convenience, not the food itself. This is what makes us eat the bad food in the first place, and it can affect us most in our health. We Americans live such a fast paced lifestyle that we eat what is convenient and when it is convenient for us. And when we begin to eat for the convenience of it, our health takes a backseat. The food does, of course, have a part in it as well. What a lot of people don’t realize are the ingredients that go into the foods they stuff in their faces: fats, trans fats, fructose corn syrup, salt, not to mention the multiple sugars that seem to be in everything. You know those low fat yogurt

cups? Guess what they put in them to make them low fat? Sugar, that’s what. If you really think about it, food now has a completely different meaning than it did fifty years ago. Instead of sitting down to a nice chicken dinner with the family, we now pop some frozen chicken strips into the microwave because it is easy (Back then, chicken was an infrequent delicacy, but it’s now common thanks to growth hormones that cause them to grow in half their normal growth cycle. Additionaly, we ingest those hormones with the chicken). When we are hungry, we have some yogurt from a portable tube to tide us over instead of an apple. Our great-great grandparents wouldn’t know what to do with the food that has become the norm to us. If only we could step away from processed foods and go back to a more natural diet. Now, don’t let this word (diet) give you the wrong idea. This isn’t some crazy food fad that guarantees weight loss. This also wouldn’t mean limiting your choices to leafy greens; it just means eating natural foods. It’s not about being skinny or fat, it’s about eating healthy. There is a price issue to keep in mind though. The argument that it costs more to be healthy is only backed up by the prices at the grocery store. But think about it like this: the long term costs of healthcare far outweighs the price of maintaining a healthy diet. The two of us are definitely not experts on health, nor are we claiming to be poster children for eating healthy, but we’re not advising anything dangerous. There’s nothing wrong with putting down that greasy double pounder and eating a banana instead.

In short: we are the fatties of the world, and our extra pounds are turning out to be quite critical to living healthy lives. ”

by Julia Duckworth & Max Belanger <<Have an issue? Email it to TheInbox@jlabmag.com and you too could be published in the Hi.Life>>

26 Hi.Life 02.10

M.O.S.

Staff Editorial

Man-On-The-Street

ym class is all about running laps around the track, ducking from dodge balls, and getting nice and sweaty before the next class. Students throughout the entire school are required to take a gym class, but many question this requirement. Why is it that we are required to take at least two gym classes in our high school career while other schools offer the classes online? LSHS has several online classes, but P.E. is not one of them. Some students dread P.E., but for others it is the best part of their day. Other schools tend to have a different view of the term gym class, though. In some schools in Minneapolis they have now started offering online gym classes and have been blown away by the success of them. Students are required to go online to view given assignments from teachers and must workout for thirty minutes three times a week, then record the details of the workout into an online journal. So the question is, why does Lee’s Summit High School not offer online gym classes? LSHS’s very own gym teachers have been very opinionated about the classes. With gym classes being online there is no way to motivate the students or make sure they are actually doing the work that is required. Also without the in-school classes, the teachers could possibly lose their jobs. Gym classes should be in school. Although these courses may be convenient, the in-school classes are necessary for the health of the students. Staying in shape as well as relieving stress is important to the health of any student. Having the classes in school makes it easier for them to be motivated by their peers to work harder and enjoy what they are doing. Without having other peers around one is less likely to try harder or see results faster. Therefore having gym classes in school is more effective and beneficial to the students.

etch-a-sketch

How do you feel about online physical education classes?

{freshman}

“It would be totally different taking a P.E. class online. P.E. is supposed to be physical activity and working out, and taking an online class would take away from that. There would be no physical benefit. I’d like it though because I hate running,” freshman August Lira said.

{sophomore}

“I would feel okay taking an online P.E. class. It would be easier and would probably be less work. There would be no workout at all. I think that P.E. classes at school are fun though. If I had to choose, I’d rather take a P.E. class at school,” sophomore Laith Alhabashi said.

{junior} “I would not take an online P.E. class because in P.E. class you have to be physically involved. I would rather participate physically in a class than sit in front of a computer screen,” junior Montrae Strickland said.

{senior}

“I would like taking a P.E. class online because there would not be any physical activity. If I could take an online P.E. class, then I would have more room in my schedule to take classes that I wanted to take rather than P.E.,” senior Jennifer Bennett said.

{teacher}

“There is no way a teacher can grade effectiveness without seeing the student’s progress; whether it be game play or physical fitness. P.E. teachers help students by observing and modifying their activity. Without teacher observation it is not possible to have an effective P.E. class,” P.E. teacher Angela Oswald said.

illustration by Bianca Wang

by Amy Notestein photos by Laina Gunsallus JLABMAG.COM 27

Border War A look at the ongoing rivalry between Lee’s Summit and Lee’s Summit North and the current record between the two schools.

he field house is rocking and the players are pumped up. “Everyone is really excited and ready to go, I didn’t really hear the crowd and I just focused on the game,” guard Sam Sealer said. The stakes are high when you play North. The first game against LSN, the boys basketball team was able to come away with the W off of some missed free throws by North. The second time around though the Broncos got the better of the Tigers and came out on top. “I was thinking about the game, not trying to dwell on it, and knew we had another chance to get them back,” Sealer said. The Tigers will have another shot at the Broncos when they play them at North and possibly at Districts. “We’ll keep it in the back of our minds but you don’t really need any extra motivation when playing North,” said Sealer. At 9-7 the Tigers look to build on their wins over Lee’s Summit North, St. Joe Central, and Blue Springs South. They look to improve on the losses they have encountered to advance through Districts. “All of them, because we haven’t lost a game by more than 5 points. Downcourt. Senior Sam Gilkey leads the Lady Tigers basketball team downcourt during a game against Liberty. by Laina Gunsallus But the one we should’ve won was over Shawnee Mission East because we lost by two points on t.v.,” guard Krysten Maddox said. The Tigers look at themselves as the underdog and believe they can are our rival and Blue Springs because Asia transferred there because they had sneak up on some teams and move on through Districts. the better team,” said Maddox. “I think we’re the underdog but I think we can upset some people.” Krysten sees the Tigers getting at least 5 out of their next 7 if not more. Good The game the Tigers look forward to are their games versus Blue Springs and luck to the Lady Tigers. Lee’s Summit North. “We get most excited when we play North because they by Max Olson

28 Hi.Life 02.10

Host With the Most

he crowd cheering, pom poms shaking, pens scrambling to write down scores. That is the sound of the dance team competition underway. This year, all the hard work and cheering will be at LSHS for the dance team competition. This year, LSHS will be hosting the state dance team competition on Feb 27. LSHS was chosen to host this competition because Lee’s Summit West

had some difficulties with their gym floor. A pipe in the ceiling broke and flooded the fieldhouse,

Terrific Tigers. LSHS’s Tigerettes preform at a comptetition at LSNHS. by Tyler Bailes

State dance team competition moved to LSHS. ruining the floor. The entire gym floor has to be redone and will be closed until the middle of March. “I am happy that it is local versus the travel to St. Louis,” Tigerette coach Shauna Keyhill said, “we should be able to have more of the Tigerette supporters present when we dance and that is always a good feeling.” Hosting a state competition can be hard work for one school, but luckily LSHS will not really be running the whole show. “We are in charge of everything except for the concessions, which the LSHS booster club will be running,” LSW coach Veronica Scott said. Schools from all over the state are invited to the competition. There is not a set number on how many schools will attend the competition yet, but some of the classrooms will be used as dressing rooms for the visiting teams. “It is a little nerve racking to have the entire state competition here,” Keyhill said, “but I don’t see that as a negative.” Since the moving of the competition, the West dance team feels disappointed and wishes it could still be at their school. “They are just disappointed to not be able to show off their own school,” Scott said, “they are very proud to be at West and would have loved for state to be able to see it.” The Tigerettes are looking forward for

Question and Answer with a passionate new coach s the new coach Eric Thomas prepares for his first season as head coach at Lee’s Summit High School, he takes some time from his busy schedule to answer some questions about his past and coaching styles.

What are your predictions for your first season? “I feel that it is going to be a good year, we are going to work extremely hard in the off season and play to the best of our abilities,”

What are some of your past coaching jobs? “I started at Warrensburg for five years as the defensive coordinator. From there I went on to be the head coach at Cameron, where I lead them to two state title games. We won one of them. After Cameron I moved to ColumbiaHickman.”

What type of offense and defense will you be running this year? “Both our offense and defense are going to be very adaptable, it will vary on the different personnel of our team, if we have good running backs then I will find a way to get them the ball, our defense will also be very adaptable, our base defense is going to be a 3-4.”

Why do you think Lee’s Summit High School hired you? “I believe that Lee’s Summit was looking for a coach that had passion for the game, someone who is willing to work with high schoolers and be able to teach them the fundamentals of the game, also they wanted someone that would work hard and put their time into making this team the best,”

competition this season. The dance team will be performing two routines at state. A prop dance called ‘Spies’ and a jazz routine called ‘Everybody.’ The Tigerettes will be competing these dances against different schools from around the state in their division. “It is fun to compete because you get to see what other people are doing,” Bruce said, “and you can watch and improve yourself by seeing what works and what doesn’t.” The dance team has been practicing many hours a week to prepare themselves for this competition. The competition is expected to be harder this year so all they can do is give it their all and hope for the best. “I feel very confident. I think at this point in time our routines are harder and more technical than in the past,” Keyhill said, “I think they are cleaner and continue to grow stronger as we practice.” As the gym clears out and the lights slowly dim, the competition comes to an end. As some teams celebrate how well they did, others just hope for better next year. The sate competition will be a success and the Tigerettes, along with many other dance teams, will be back next year to compete for the title of state champions. by Summer Richards

What training sessions are you planning for the off-season? “Right now we have had four different sessions, we are working a lot of the fundamentals of lifting and working hard on our explosiveness, our off season we are going to get a lot bigger and faster, during our workouts I do not allow any time to rest or walk, its hard workouts that will get us ready for a great season,” by Luke Jarnevic

New Coach, New Era

New Coach. “I feel that it is going to be a good year, we are going to work extremely hard in the off season and play to the best of our abilities,” said Coach Thomas. Looks as if this next season is going to be promising. Good luck Tigers! by Morgan Pena

JLABMAG.COM 29

Tryout Tips Coaches offer advice for tryout success

t is the last day of cuts, you are exhausted from the vigorous work you put in to try to make the varsity team. In previous cuts, you know good players got the news that they were not going to be playing. As you nervously wait in line the coach calls your name and you may be thinking to yourself if you did everything possible to make the best appearance. Well, here is some advice from the coaches themselves to help you calm your nerves and make your tryout the best it can be. On the first day of tryouts you should just try to show the coaches the basic skills and not try to do anything too hard and show that you want to be on the team. “I first look at there ability, see if they have a good swing, and commitment, make sure a kid will be there everyday and have a great attitude,” golf coach Williams said. “I look to see if they have the basic fundamentals so we (the coaches) know we can work with them,” said baseball coach Melody. There are some easy things a player can do to stand out in front of the coaches. “Be competitive, we look to see how you handle yourself after a good shot or a bad shot,” said Williams. “Always be busy and working hard, if you are standing around you can’t do anything,” Melody advised. There are some things players can do to

improve there tryouts that do not need any skill what so ever. “I like players that are positive, good leaders, and good people. Typically if you bring negativity you have been cut in the past, but not always,” stated Melody. “Handle yourself well, don’t be happy go lucky, we want you to be competitive but we don’t want you to blow up after you shoot a bad shot,” Williams explained. Now there are some things you can do in anticipation of the tryouts that could be the deciding factor for whether or not you make the team. “Do a lot of off-season stuff, golf in the summer, it can be hard in the winter, but you can still go hit nets and golf in indoor facilities,” said Williams. “Be prepared when coming into tryouts, players who want to make the team should have been practicing during the winter. Odds are, if you come in to tryouts and have not thrown a ball since last fall, you won’t make the team,” Melody said. Now people may think that coaches place some bias when choosing players, but both varsity golf coach Williams and varsity baseball coach Melody say this is not true. “Absolutely not, you can be a senior and if a freshman scores higher than you he will make the team, scores don’t lie. Golf

is not as subjective as other sports like football and baseball,” Williams stated,”Players who have played on team years past may have a slight advantage heading into the tryouts only because I have seen them play more and know who I am getting, when I see a new player who might have transferred from another school they have a shorter time to improve, but I have kept many kids like that in the past.” “I hope there is no bias. If deciding between two players it may come down to grades or behavior. To be honest, if it is that close I rather keep them both.” said Melody. Now no one is perfect and coaches have made mistakes in choosing players, but it dos not happen very often. “Yes, in golf you take five golfers and the four best scorers, I have had scenarios when two guys battle for the fourth spot. Sometimes the JV sixth beats the varsity fifth, but you never know if those scores really mean anything because there is different pressure on varsity and things like tat, golf is very mental, and I try to make a fair decision,” said Williams. “I am sure parents have said I have made many bad decisions but I have not had a kid play professional or college ball that I have cut,” Melody said. So if you really know the fundamentals of the sport you are trying out for and give it your best effort and put in a lot of time, you will be able to give yourself the best shot at making the team you want. by Michael Rellihan

In training. A prospective player throws a ball in during pre-season training

30 Hi.Life 02.10

Batter up. Another prospective player at-bat during preseason training. by Colin Taylor

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JLABMAG.COM 31

Enrollment Fair Underclassmen investigate enrollment options for the upcoming year

by Taylor Rice

5 32 Hi.Life 02.10

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1) Members of AM Static, the improvisation team, play games with audience participation and talk about the theatre department in the PAC. 2) Freshman Jordan Rice makes a valentine from the German Club display. 3) Freshman Mallory Murphy decorates a cookie for the cooking classes display. 4) Junior David Tuntiya experiences a display in the Physics room. 5) Senior Zoe Wallace teaches Junior Kaylie Tipton how to start making a coffee cup for a pottery display in the art hallway. 6)Senior Sarah Bohlman shows Sophomores Clayton Goth and Brittany Wagner the different parts of a catâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s digestive system in the science display.