March 2013

hi.life JLabMag .com Inside what you need to know now The Hi.Life takes a look at how the vending machines will change in LSHS. Also be sure to catch up on local student musicians. Need help getting ready for prom? Read inside for the best ways to ensure a great night.

Lee’s Summit High School Volume 94 Issue 8 March 8 Price $0.50

Sugar Rush +pg 14

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jlabmag.com TABLE OF CONTENTS 03

MARCH 8, 2013

HI.LIFE

7

14 7. News The contract with 7up is no longer in existence. Be sure and check out what will be in the vending machines for the 20132014 school year.

18

14. Center Spread Sugar intake is a part of daily life, but how much is too much? What are the side effects of sugar and when has a sweet tooth gone overboard.

24. Entertainment Check out the latest reviews on 2013’s music stars. Learn about all of the latest music and albums by bands like the Strokes and the Flaming Lips.

24. Sports The spring sports season brings a favorite for several high school seniors. Check out what expectations senior baseball players have for their final season.

27. Features Lots of people have siblings, but for the Gates’ , it’s a little different. See what it’s like to be a part of a family with triplets. Also, make sure to look at the prom check list to make sure you’re ready for the big dance.

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jlabmag.com STAFF PAGE 05

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

Branching Out

When we were younger and new situations or experiences scared us, what did we do? We hid under the covers, closed our eyes and covered out ears, or maybe even called for our parents’ comfort.

At our current age, we often don’t hide away from new situations and experiences. We simply ignore them. While it isn’t bad to avoid negative practices, such as becoming addicted to tobacco or alcohol, we will never grow as individuals and won’t discover what we want in life.

“Unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow.”

Although it may seem like a frightening concept to many seniors, and even underclassmen, it is a reality that we all must embrace sooner or later. In less than a year for some of us and a few more years to go for the rest, we will soon be out on our own to explore what kind of person we want to grow up to be. Perhaps some of us will go on to be musicians, others brilliant scientists, and a select few will become the heads of major corporations, but none of us will get there if we don’t know what to expect along the road leading to our futures.

Think on yourself for a moment. Do you have a job? For many readers it will be a definite yes. Just by having a job, you already have insight into what a work environment is like, and you also will be getting a feel if it is the type of industry you want to work in for the rest of your life.

Now think about what your job requires you to do and its pay. For most of us, there is only a raise in pay if the minimum wage is raised and we usually work mindless or boring jobs that give us no sense of satisfaction. Would you want to do this job for the rest of your life? Probably not.

While it seems like a terrible situation to work a boring job with low pay, it is actually the best at this time in our life. It helps us to realize our goals and to strive for a future that is better for ourselves.

Even if you are the shy kid, always try and get involved and experience as many things as possible.

Kevin Adams MAKING IT HAPPEN

Editor in Chief: Kevin Adams Managing Editor: Haley Gillilan Photo Editors: John Wood and Zac Harris News Editor: Shelby Wagner Features Editors: Mary Jo Roccaro and Kailyn Smith Entertainment Editor: Haley Gillilan Fashion Editors: Jordan Julian and Victoria Gardner Opinions Editor: Sean Stevens Sports Editors: Jonathon Barr and Andrew Potter Copy Editors: Paige Seymour and Daniel Graham Ads Manager: Tierney VanMeter

Writers and Photographers: Aaron Hagan, Aaron LaPaz, Allison Litthong, Andrew Potter, Andy Jarnevic, Anna Meyers, Annelise Hanshaw, Ashley Hagan, Brooke McLanahan, Cara McCauley, Cole Raymond, Darren Clay, Dia Sims, Endia Sears, Grace Rodgers, Grace Tibbitts, Hannah Nickles, Ian Nickens, Jared Shepherd, Jesse Butler, Josh Harris, Jude Spaulding, Logan Phillips, Maddy Wylie, Matt Rellihan, Megan Terry, Morgan Bruce, Nathan Michael, Payton Seymour, Sydnee Pointer, Taelor Oller, Tristan White and Victoria Gardner.

Advisor: Marc Russell

06 NEWS jlabmag.com

$

Rai ing the Wage

Scholarship Struggles

Obama’s proposal to increase minimum Seniors deal with the wage may not be as good as it seems. pressure of filling out scholarship. any high school students have and doesn’t require the company or

M

low-wage jobs around town to pay for gas or insurance, and some may be saved for college. Most students with jobs also would like to be paid more than they are. With a new proposal being brought up by the nation’s president, high school students may be getting what they have wanted; however, it may not be as great as it seems.

Recently, during his State of the Union address, President Barack Obama spoke on what his plans were to help the nation’s economy and help low income families. One point made was Obama’s plan to raise the minimum wage amount from $7.35 to $9; a significant change. By the end of 2015, after a gradual rise in pay, the minimum wage rate nationally will be up to nine dollars. Sure, this sounds great to any high school student that is being paid less than nine dollars an hour, because who would not want to be paid more?

Though this may seem like a winwin situation with not only helping the economy, but also raising the salary of low-paid workers, many being teenagers, there are possible down sides to this change. Many companies hire teenagers to work low-wage jobs because it is cheap

$7.35

store to use a lot of money on their workers. With a raise in minimum wage, this could make companies less open to hiring so many minimum wage workers, if they don not absolutely need to. The rise in minimum wage could actually end up lowering teenagers’ incomes to nothing because companies simply will not want to spend money that they do not necessarily need to spend on employees. Many still say that whether or not this gradual rise in minimum wage would lower employment rates, over 15 million U.S. citizens would still have a raise in their pay after this change.

Overall, President Obama’s plan to raise minimum wage should help lower the country’s debt, because with more money in people’s pockets, the more they spend to help the economy.

The cost of items should not rise much at all if minimum wage were to rise, so in the end, more money would be spent. Though the country would be in less debt, high school students and other minimum wage workers may be getting the raw end of this deal.

$9.00

$

Scholarship after scholarship flows into the senior’s mailbox. Sorting through them will be tedious, but worth it.

“I am currently a senior at Lee’s Summit High School going through the process of filling out scholarships,” Senior Jordan Spatz said.

Spatz is not the only student dealing with the challenges of applying for scholarships and picking the right college.

“Finding scholarships is kind of difficult, especially when you are young like I am and don’t really know where you want to go or what you want to be, “ freshman Caitlin Forgione said.

Luckily for students, scholarship scouting has become easier with a little help from the Internet. An easy way to find scholarships that the college of choice gives out is to check their website. Another way to find scholarships is to use reliable websites such as Zinch. com. Requesting information by visiting the guidance center can also be helpful in the search for scholarships.

“I got my scholarships by going to competitions in Cathridge, Wisconsin,” Spatz said.

Scholarship money can add up to large amounts and can be really helpful during the college experience, especially since tuition has gotten more expensive throughout the years.

“Usually the scholarship gives you money to study the subject that you won or received the scholarship for. So far the highest paying scholarship I have received was for $60,000,” Spatz said.

More often than not, scholarships are specialized to a field. However, scholarships are not meant to be stressful. For more information students should see a counselor in the guidance center.

by Nathan Michael

by Maddy Wylie

jlabmag.com NEWS 07

Unused Monitors

Students question the purpose of the flat screen monitors found around the school.

Vending Machines

New drink options give a wider array of beverages to select.

Students rush there everyday. They stop by on the way to class or lunch. It is Lee’s Summit High School’s main source of refreshments.

Before, during, and after school, both students and faculty constantly use the vending machines.

However, next fall they are being replaced.

“Our district’s contract with 7 Up has expired and is changing to Cocacola in the fall of

next year,” said activities director, Chad Hertzog. The Lee’s Summit school district had a ten-year contract with 7 Up that expired this year.

Hertzog explained that companies were then able to bid to have their products placed into Lee’s Summit schools. Many times companies offer incentives to the district to encourage them to accept their bid. After the district accepts, they are

When basketball is close it can come down to the final shot at the buzzer, but when the concession stand still has a line it’s kind of difficult to see.

For the next basketball season this should not be a problem. The nine, until recently “unused,” flat screen monitors, a senior gift from the class of 2009, are going to be put to new uses in the 2013-2014 school year.

When many of these students say unused, what they really mean is that the information provided is not uniform throughout the school and not quickly digestible since most students only get to see the information in passing. Others have said that they don’t know given bonuses from the company. In this case, Coca-cola was chosen and our district will start a seven-year contract with them.

Although the bonuses for the Lee’s Summit school district are unknown, in other districts such as Rockford, Illinois, the incentives were published. According to The Rockford Register Star, under a ten-year contract, Coca-Cola paid the district 7.5 million to

the purpose for the monitors and therefore the lack of uniformity would certainly be a negative those users.

“The most important thing is student success.

We would like to promote student involvement by showcasing student success,” athletic director Chad Hertzog said. Hertzog recognizes that the students would like to see more from the monitors and is open to suggestions from the students.

Hertzog also realizes that some students have issues with the lack of uniformity in content; but for all of the monitors to carry the same information would be to network them. Currently, each is on its own hard

drive. “Centralizing the information would cause an unnecessary drop in bandwidth and a drop in the video quality,” Hertzog said.

Perhaps there is a good solution out there, but for now the students can let Hertzog know what information they want to gain from the monitors and the feedback from the students could very easily influence the content. Showcasing student success is the current purpose assigned to the monitors but perhaps change could be seen in the coming 20132014 school year.

sell its beverages exclusively.

“This was talked about by the district, then approved by The Board of Education, February 14,” said Hertzog. The only change will be from 7 Up to Coca-Cola products. All of the snack machines will remain the same.

Some students such as sophomore, Cole Harvey, currently never use the drink vending machines.

However, with the new company, this

may change.

“If they are replaced by regular Coca-Cola products, I might actually buy one from time to time,” said Harvey.

Whether the choice to begin a contract with Coca-Cola is a good one or bad one is simply an opinion of each consumer.

by Zac Harris

by Grace Rodgers photo by Morgan Bruce

08 NEWS jlabmag.com

Jobs

There is no shortage of employment opportunities for teens in Lee’s Summit.

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ost of us dream of becoming something big when we grow up. But in order to become big, most students must start out small. If someone is looking for a job, they don’t always need to be cliché, there are a plethora of cool, or fun jobs right here in Lees Summit.

Many people fail to realize just how many cool jobs there are in their own backyard.

For instance, if someone is looking for a great summer job, look in to Lee’s Summit Parks and Recreation. There you will find loads of jobs pertaining to the summer at Summit waves, where you can become a lifeguard, deck attendant, or even a concession person. Also you can work at the day care program, camp summit, if you are 18 or older. Legacy Park Community Center provides year-round jobs that will surely keep you moving, whether you are a life guard, work room attendant, or even a custodial assistant.

If one is looking for a job working with animals, then Camp Bow Wow is the place

for you. If you are sixteen or older you can apply to work with dogs on a regular basis. This includes washing them, feeding them, picking up after them, watching over them as they play, and even playing with them. Be beware, someone with this job might get attached to the animals quickly.

One last job you might want to consider, is a job at a local restaurant.

Someone interested in working with food or being a leader by communicating with people should definitely take up on this job. Several places to look at are fast food restaurants such as, McDonalds, Wendy’s, Burger King, and Hardy’s.

Some local dine in restaurants include, Cia Bella, Garozzo’s, Chili’s, 54th Street bar and grill, and steak and shake. These all will be interesting and will be sure to make you happy.

So before you get ahead of yourself by dreaming big, start out small and see where it can take you.

by Megan Terry

The ROTC group visited the White House earlier this year.

ROTC

ROTC cadets visit our nation’s capital earlier this year.

From flying simulation planes, to drilling, to learning the art and science behind flight, ROTC is the class when it comes to learning about a plethora of things pertaining to flight. And, just earlier this year, a perk of the class was going to our nation’s capital, Washington D.C. on the cheap.

“It was about $300. Travel was $230, and everything else was about $70,” junior Matt Stubbs said.

The trip, aside from being cheap, was rather long.

“We were there for five days. We left on a Wednesday, and got back on a Monday,” Stubbs said.

While there, the cadets got to visit quite a bit.

“We visited the Pentagon, and toured it. We also went to Arlington, and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. We got to visit all the monuments, saw the Washington Memorial, the White House. On the last day, we hung around the Pentagon City Mall,” Stubbs said.

The best part is that it was not only fun, but worth it.

“It was very much worth it, and I want to go back. My favorite part was watching the changing of the guard at Arlington,” Stubbs said.

Whether it is from a textbook, or from visiting the capital, it can be said that our ROTC is certainly learning a lot about our nation and what it takes to run it.

by Sean Stevens

The ROTC group visited the Vietname Monument earlier this year.

jlabmag.com ADS 09

Meetings every other Wed. at 7:00-8:30 in the LMC. The club where you can be you.

The ROTC group visited the White House earlier this year.

March Fashion

10窶ェASHION窶ニlabmag.com

Levi Strauss & Co Jean Jacket $59.00 Rebeliou s One M int Studded Top $35.

00

Floral City Studio 0 Dress $59.0 Celebrity Pink Dark Jeans $29.50

Mint Calvin Klein Flats $69.00 Marc Fisher Peach Heels $79.00

zfFF

Fossil Tea

l Wallet $

65.00

silver Style & Co 98 clutch $26.

By Victoria Gardner

jlabmag.com FASHION 11

St. Patricks Day

By Victoria Gardner

de St.Patty ’s Para

2

1

3 4 5 1. City Studio Mint dress $49.00 2.Style & Co gold clutch $26.98 3. Planet Gold white tank $7.50 4.Oh Mg! Mint Cardigan $29.50 5.Celebrity Pink black jeans $29.50 Scho ol Day 6. Style & Co nude flats $45.00

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Outfits of the Month

Find inspiration with these two outfits of the month.

ngs

arri e r e h t fea

Forever 21 $7

statement

necklace

JC Penney $25

collare

d shirt

A.N.A. $25

rt pencil skiTarget $12

plum tight

s

Forever 21 $10

wedge boo

ts

Forever 21 $35

jlabmag.com  FASHION 13

cardigan Worthington $25

layere

Wet Seal $7

plain tan

k top

d neck

lace

red belt

JC Penney $5

Forever 21 $12

irt

ot sk d a k l o p Arizona $25

black tig Deb $7

bow hee

led boot

Charming Charlie $35

s

hts

by Jordan Julian photos by Alison Litthong and Jordan Julian

14 CENTER SPREAD jlabmag.com

America s Sweet Tooth

Over the course of our countries history, many things have been developed from simple inventions and discoveries. In 1776, our founding fathers never would have imagined a world in which man has walked on the moon and it was possible to cook a meal in under a minute. At the same time, they also probably wouldn’t have imagined how much sugar the average American consumes in today’s world.

Since the founding of the United States, it has become a world leader on a political front. Unfortunately, it has also become one of the world’s largest consumers of sugar per capita, more than tripling since 1776 to 67.6 pounds consumed per year by each American.

Sugar Drives the World Far before sugar became such a widely used commodity and common household item, it was used in mid 500 B.C. by India as both a sweetener and as a part of prayer rituals. After its discovery by European spice traders, sugar exploded in Europe among nobles and was held as a luxury.

After realizing the fortune to be made in the sugar industry, European nations quickly began establishing trade routes to India. Coincidentally, Christopher Columbus was attempting to find a westerly route to India, but instead discovered the Caribbean. Once it was discovered that the cane flourished in the Caribbean climate, European nations flooded in to take the islands. The cane was not all that was brought over, however, and over the course of many centuries, millions of Africans were taken out of their homes and were forced to work on sugar plantations.

Because sugar became the main focus of industrial nations, it quickly became available to the common people and the Age of Honey was replace by the Age of Sugar, or “white gold”.

The Un-Sweet Side Effects The overconsumption of sugar in today’s society has become both normal and detrimental to health. Unfortunately, by consuming so much sugar, there are many side effects that can be dangerous if they go unaddressed.

The first of many include obesity, both in childhood and often continuing into adulthood. This is mainly caused because while sugar does not replace other calorie sources in our diets, it only adds to the calorie intake. While a healthy product is sometimes less tasty and low in sugar, an unhealthy product that is delicious and higher in sugar is more often consumed, leading to this problem.

Another extremely harmful side effect of high sugar consumption is diabetes. Oddly enough, sugar causes the body to release insulin, but if too much is let into the bloodstream; eventually the body won’t be able to process the sugar correctly and will cease production of normal levels of insulin. This problem with sugar is especially tricky for individuals with a family history of diabetes, which makes them more likely to develop it in the first place.

While it definitely has negative impacts upon health, sugar can also give momentary spikes in energy that seem great at first, and they are. By quickly achieving high levels of energy, we can be more productive than we were before. Unfortunately, this period of high energy quickly disperses and we are left feeling devoid of strength and initiative, and we don’t like it.

So how do we get it back? We eat another candy bar or have another soda to get it back, starting a vicious cycle with an addiction to sugary foods at its heart.

by Kevin Adams photo courtesy of AP Images

110 lbs.

100 lbs.

90 lbs.

American Sugar 1onsumption Over the Years

80 lbs.

70 lbs.

60 lbs.

50 lbs.

40 lbs.

30 lbs.

20 lbs.

10 lbs.

1776

1900

2013

jlabmag.com CENTER SPREAD 15

Sugar Rush

The Average American Consumes 1.3 Pounds of Sugar Each Week OR Nearly

4995 POUNDS

IN AN ENTIRE LIFETIME

That’s About

4,068,654 M&M’s

The Recommended Daily Intake: NO MORE THAN

9.0 TEASPOONS PER DAY

Table Sugars and Candy Cakes, Cookies, and other Desserts

The Average American:

20.5

Regular Soft Drinks

Sugariest Sources

TEASPOONS PER DAY

Fruit Drinks Dairy Products Other

The Average American Consumes the Equivalent of:

72.8GALLONS OF SOFT DRINK PER YEAR

35.4% 20.5% 15.7% 13.4% 8.4% 6.6%

S

tudent

potlight

16 ENTERTAINMENT jlabmag.com

Some of the main focuses of a high school student are being able to maintain good grades, get ahold of a steady job, and pick the college that is perfect for them. In the case of these three students, they have one more thing to add to that list; music.

Juniors DeVonte Cobbs, Jack Barnhart, senior Dustin Keyhill all share one of the same interests, but they portray this interest in three different ways.

by Cara Maples-McCauley photos by Taelor Oller and courtesy of Devonte Cobbs and Jack Barnhart

DEVONTE COBBS

“Music is a very big part of my life. It is the way I express my feelings and my thoughts.” (Watch out for DeVonte’s mixtape, “Visions of Success” dropping this month!)

jlabmag.com ENTERTAINMENT 17

DUSTIN KEYHILL

“Music is an escape from regular life, which can change who you are and how you feel.”

JACK BARNHART “Music is basically my freedom of expression.”

18 ENTERTAINMENT jlabmag.com

2A13 Playlist 2013 is looking to be a great year for music fans.

The Flaming Lips-"The Terror" Release Date April 2

Phoenix-"Bankrupt!" Release date-April 22

Longtime Alternative-Rock fans will appreciate this, the thirteenth studio album from the Oklahoma-native Flaming Lips. Frontman Wayne Coyne has said in a press release that the main theme of the album is “If there is no love, there is no life.” One fear over the prospect of “The Terror,” however is that it will sound so much different from past Flaming Lips albums.

Since the huge success of "Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix," in 2009, fans of the French indie-pop band Phoenix have been clamoring for a new album. The wait is finally over, after four year, and a lot of foreshadowing on the band's website, "Bankrupt!" was announced in January of last year. In February, the band released the first song on the album "Entertainment," on their website.

Jimi Hendrix-"People, Hell & Angels"- Release date March 5 Music lovers rejoice! Hendrix is back! People, Hell & Angels consists of twelve previously unpublished studio tracks, recorded outside of The Jimi Hendrix Experience in 1968 from the legendary musician. The songs on the album were recorded at a time when Hendrix was experimenting with new styles of music, so fans can expect a different sound.

Depeche Mode-"Delta Machine" release date-March 22 "Delta Machine" is the highly-anticipated thirteenth album from the ever popular British synthpop band Depeche Mode.

On February 5 of this year, the band released the album's first single "Heaven." With so many older bands releasing new albums and completely changing their signature sounds in the past couple years, the fear for "Delta Machine" is that it will not sound like classic Depeche Mode and ultimately turn away longtime fans.

The Strokes-"Comedown Machine" Release date March 26 The fifth studio album from one of the most popular indie rock bands ever, Comedown Machine offers a slight change in the Strokes sound. “All the Time” is the first single released off the highly anticipated album and is available for download on the band’s website.

by Jared Shepard photos courtesy of AP images

jlabmag.com ENTERTAINMENT 19

Porting into the IOS In a world that is starting to get driven towards the modern standards of today, it is reasonable that great video games are remade or rebooted for different systems. For example, Chrono Trigger ported from the Super Nintendo onto the Nintendo DS, Super Mario 64 also was remade on the Nintendo DS, and Conker’s Bad Fur Day was remade on the Xbox. Those were past reboots of video games, but some games are taking reboots to the next level, which may be viewed as an extreme step for some games while an easy stride for others. This next level is the IOS; Chrone Trigger is reviewed to see if the port was worth it.

As stated before, Chrono Trigger was a video game classic for its time during the days of Super Nintendo. A story of a boy named Crono who’s life gets turned upside down when a teleporter experiment goes wrong by becoming a time portal into the past and future. Crono then begins a journey to save the world. The game was a hit and it was remade for the

A princess trapped on an island in the sky, a boy who must go on a dangerous quest to save her, and a villain who has betrayed his kingdom. Jack the Giant Slayer has this and more depicting climbing a massive beanstalk to save a damsel in distress in this humorous and compelling adventure.

Jack the Giant Slayer is a live-action sci-fi fantasy film about a young farmhand, Jack (Nicholas Hoult), who stumbles upon a bag of magic beans with the power to bridge the gap between two worlds and his quest to save the princess, Isabelle (Eleanor Tomlinson) from the fearsome giants giants.

The story was relatively charming with a good, yet lengthy intro, a compelling middle, and a somewhat fitting end save for the prologue. The adventure takes place in Gantua, the land of the giants. Where Jack, and the king’s own men, the guardians, climb up a giant beanstalk to find the princess and bring her back to her kingdom. However their quest takes an unexpected turn when Roderick (Stanley Tucci), the princess’s fiancée betrays them and uses ancient magic to command the giants.

The acting was enthusiastic and the characters were certainly interesting enough.

Other than Jack and Isabelle, there’s the captain of the guard and brave would-be martyr, Elmont (Ewan McGragor). Elmont was a great character in the sense that he was serious yet at the same time he had a bit more personality to him than other characters of his archetype. Then there were the comic relieftype characters. One of these characters was the sidekick Crawe (Eddie Marsan), another member of the guard and one of Elmont’s most trusted officers; Crawe was encouraging and relatively funny. There was also the henchmen type character

Nintendo DS, making many fans glad to see it again. Then a decision was made by Square Enix to move it to the IOS, but this decision fell short due to the stark contrast between the high definition hud and the low pixelated graphics, the virtual joystick problem that always occurs when implemented, and the action interfaces are hard to use. Although updates can be made, the port’s introduction gave a bittersweet aftertaste, due to the flop of a culture classic, and the price for this flop being a whopping $9.99 giving the game a poor two out of five.

by Jesse Butler

***** Jack the Giant Slayer

Wicke (Ewan Bremner). While he was not the sharpest knife in the drawer, Wicke was certainly an evil yet humorous character. He did most of Roderick’s dirty work.

However these characters were not the only personality in the movie. There were the giants, Fee, Fye, Foe, and Fum, the generals of the giant army. They were led by the two-headed giant of legend Fallon. The viewer really only got to see personality from Fallon and Fee. Fee was rather bitter about Fallon taking what would have been his kill, the princess, which made him seem rather rebellious and bitter. Then there was Fallon, this two-headed giant was certainly interesting, one head was the true leader in this, he was evil. The other head however was actually rather comical, he only spoke in unintelligible garble in a similar manner to the Looney Toon’s own Tasmanian devil and was by far more harmless than his brother. One could not help but feel kind of sorry for the giants despite their evil however, the seemed lonely and somewhat sad being stuck in their stratospheric prison.

What really made the movie though was the prologue. It depicts the story being told over generations and eventually being distorted into the story that children hear today, which truly made the story unique to that of other movies that put twists to childhood tales.

by Jude Spaulding photo courtesy of AP Images

*****

20 OPINIONS jlabmag.com

Keyed into Learning

Walking into our school, you might not notice at first glance all the amped up security measures that have recently been put into place. With extra door locks, and more cameras, our school is doing quite a bit to make our school as safe as possible.

When school security is tested, students begin to fear for their safety daily. And though boundless policing can make students feel safe, they can also make teachers and students feel unsure.

Our school has been taking various measures to keep its students safe. Such measures include locking all doors entering and exiting the building. As well as locking classroom doors to ensure safety. Locking the doors can be helpful to a point. Honestly, if someone wanted to do harm, a locked door would not stop them. Yes, it might slow them down, but it would not stop them.

Let’s say that the doors are locked and a student goes to the restroom. If an intruder were to come in, that student would be in danger. I think just closing the doors would create an impact. But we have other options that it seems we are overlooking. We could follow in the steps of other schools and use a key card system. Such a system would

operate like this: students would wear an I.D. tag or ‘key card’ around their neck. This key card would be used as a way not only to keep track of attendance but also to make sure no one is in the school who shouldn’t be. On the other hand students who are a threat would not be stopped. But this will always be a problem.

We could also put in metal detectors in, but that idea also fails because there are weapons that are not metal that can be used. Not to mention the cost of these detectors. Also if a student wanted to shoot someone, a metal detector would not stop them.

Our school is probably using the most logical costeffective methods. We might not all agree with locking the doors, but it seems to be making a positive mark on the way we think about school security.

by Megan Terry

Locked Outta Luck? Here’s a Map. =Unlocked

jlabmag.com OPINIONS 21

Clockin’ In The student rushes through the tiled floor of C building with no time to waste. She stops for a second to check the time, but she cannot find a clock. Knowing she cannot afford another tardy, she sprints up the stairs to English.

Less than .7 percent of all the passing periods is what the district allows before a student’s faced with a two-hour detention. Eight mistakes is all it takes to get a student a full two hours of detention.

A high-traffic area is the C building, especially during rainy days. It is also an area with very few clocks. The clock there now is in an awkward position and leaves students questioning how much time they really have.

Before class begins for the day, students can be seen talking, reading, or scribbling down the rest of their homework in C building. With that large portion of students, frequent time-checking can be expected.

“They were here before I was principal. We’ve had to spend thousands of dollars to make sure they line up with our tardy bells,” Principal John Faulkenberry said. “That area didn’t use to exist.”

The root of this issue can be traced back to when C building was added to the school. That was before Dr. Faulkenberry was our principal, and now he’s put the effort and money into making sure the clocks work properly. I think the next step is to make sure those clocks are visible.

“Sometimes before or after band practice I need to quickly check the time once I’m done so I can make sure how much time I have to pack up,” freshman Parker Jenkins said.

Important aspects like the PAC, instrumental lockers, and

What time

is it?

HAMMER TIME.

locker rooms play into this problem. They are all located in the C building, and a lot of students use them.

“If we were doing what I wanted, we would be in their seat and tuning when the bell rang.” Director of Orchestras Carrie Turner said. “The more kids trickle in, the less we get done.”

The lack of clocks is especially important for the music program--whose classrooms are located in the affected area. There are more students enrolled in each of those classes, and for band and orchestra students, they have instruments to unpack and tune. With a few extra minutes, a lot more can be done in a class hour.

“The C building is used a lot. That’s where parents spend the majority of their time,” Faulkenberry said.

As most visitors to the school go through the C building for events like musicals, basketball games, and concerts, this area welcomes those who may need an extra look at the time. It would be convenient to have a more apparent clock for those not in the student body also.

“Students get to carry their phones around. Students should sync their clocks with the bell,” Faulkenberry said.

Having the privilege of phone usage helps the situation but does not completely solve it. I would suggest having a cell phone or iPod available when time-checking is critical.

If the situation continues, cell phones can prevent a few headaches.

Trying to get through the rest of the year with as few tardies as possible may prove to be easier when the time is easier to be seen.

by Annelise Hanshaw

Adventure Time!!

Time for you to get a watch.

22 SPORTS jlabmag.com

March Schools on the Rise and Decline

Despite the ups and downs of the 2012-13-college basketball season, March madness is around the corner. Sixty-eight teams come into the tournament with an ultimate goal to be crowned national champions.

Here are some schools that are rising and falling in the final weeks of pre-tournament play.

Georgetown

Rise

Georgetown: despite starting the season out of the preseason top 25 polls, the Hoyas are ranked in the top 10. Potential big east player of the year Otto Porter Jr. leading the team in scoring and rebounds.

The Hoyas have a legit shot of making a run to the final four.

Syracuse

Saint Louis: a potential Cinderella team in this year’s big dance. The billikens are lead by junior forward Dwayne Evans in a tough conference in the Atlantic 10. With a high seeding, the billikens hope to make some noise in March.

Decline

Syracuse: after starting 18-1 at the beginning of the season, the orange have been struggling lately with a 4-5 record ever since January 26th.

The hall of fame coach Jim Boeheim has to find momentum coming into the tournament.

Saint Louis

Arizona

Arizona: with a start of 140, the wildcats looked like a top 5 team. Some key games down the stretch proved that Arizona is struggling lately. Arizona was hoping to get a #1 seed, but now may fall to a #4 seed in the tournament.

Story by Darren Clay Photos courtesy of AP Images

Madness Matt’s

jlabmag.com SPORTS 23

Final 4 T

Michigan St.

M

ichigan St is one of the strongest teams in the league this year. With quality wins over Kansas, Ohio State, and a 23-point massacre over Michigan.

Leading scorer junior Keith Appling is exceeding pre-season expectations, While senior rebound leader Derrick Nix is doing fantastic with a making over 52 percent of his field goals. Tom Izzo one of the best coaches of all time always finds the strengths of his teams. Michigan State will be hard to stop and if they keep performing they will not be stopped.

Kansas Kansas

K

ansas is one of the toughest teams in the nation to go up against. With one of their most talented teams in years Kansas is trying to repeat last year in going to the National Championship. With future lottery freshman Ben McLemore scoring an outstanding 16.2 points per game and shooting over 42 percent from three point range. Jeff Withey, the future first round draft pick is blocking over four shots per game. Kansas is looking to win their sixth national championship and if McLemore and Withey play like they should they have their chances.

Kansas

T

Georgetown

his would be a very exciting game as two teams no one saw making the championship. Georgetown’s Otto Porter Jr. will be the best scorer on the court, but not far behind will be freshmen phenom, Ben McLemore of Kansas. They will be forced to guard each other and it will be a very unique match-up as both are sensational from beyond the arc. Markel Starks will have to guard the streaky Elijah Johnson who can become invisible, as fans have seen in many games this year, or he can explode like he did against Iowa State with 39 points. The deciding factors in this game will be the big men. Georgetown will have to find a way to stop senior center Jeff Withey, who is a threat on offense (13.5 points per game) as well as defense (3.8 blocks per game). Georgetown will make their threes, but that is not going to be enough as Kansas will take home their second championship in five years.

Indiana

he most talented team seen this far is hands down Indiana. With the Hoosiers junior guard, Victor Oladipo and sophomore forward, Cody Zeller (both in running for NPOTY) Indiana struggled however against unranked opponents having lost three times as the number one team to Wisconsin, Illinois, and Minnesota. It all comes down to which team comes to play in the tournament the 6-0 against ranked opponents Indiana team or the 18-4 Hoosiers who struggled against unranked opponents.

T

he Hoyas are having their best year since Greg Monroe and Roy Hibbert left. Their chemistry is climbing as they won twelve out of their last thirteen games. Junior forward, Otto Porter Jr. is in the running for the National Player of the Year award, putting up almost sixteen points per game.

Porter is also the teams rebounder and is shooting a mind-blowing 45 percent from three point range. The Hoyas do struggle to rebound the basketball however (242nd in the nation), but if they win out they will be rolling straight to the Final Four.

Georgetown Story by Matt Rellihan

24 SPORTS jlabmag.com

Baseball Preview

A first look at this year’s LSHS baseball team and what will make them successful this year.

Hitting Away- A rule that was instituted last year required all of the high school teams to use BBCOR bats, such as the ones picture above. Common brands are Easton, DeMarini, TPX, and Marucci.

A

s spring weather is just around the corner, baseball season starts to pick up. The senior baseball guys have high expectations for this year, and as their last year playing high school baseball, they intend to make the best of it.

“It will be a fun year, and we have the tools to have a good year,” pitcher and outfielder Jordan Knutson said.

The baseball team’s main goals are to win conference, district, and possibly state championship. With many returning seniors, Josh Lenhardt, Jordan Knutson, Justin Givens, Jake Fromson, Austin Buhr, and Jackson McIntosh, as well as good underclassmen, the teams feels they will play hard on the mound. The team hopes to improve from last year, and make it further in the playoffs.

“A personal goal is to help my team win as many games as I can,” third baseman Austin Buhr said.

The boys are expected to give 110 percent at every practice and game. The season will be successful for them if they can truly say they gave it their all and left it all on the field every game. The Tigers hope to be well above .500 and go far in playoffs.

“Anything can happen in rivalry games,” pitcher and first baseman Justin Givens said.

With a tough schedule playing against many schools, Blue Springs, Blue Springs South, Liberty, Rockherst, Ray-Pec, and Lee’s Summit North are their biggest competitions. Liberty, Blue Springs, and Blue Springs South have gone to state the last two years.

“I will miss being on the same team as my friends,” shortstop and pitcher Jake Fromson said.

“I’ll miss my teammates and all the fun times we had,” second baseman Jackson McIntosh said.

“I will miss playing ball with my brothers that I have played with for four plus years, and most of all Coach Mellody,” Givens said.

“I’m going to miss competing with the people that I have grown up playing against. It is fun going against people that I know and that won’t be the case in college,” Knutson said.

This is a bittersweet season for the senior boys. They are going off to college next year, and while the adventures of college life lay a few months ahead, this is their last season with the people they’ve come to know and play ball with.

Jordan Knutson is going to Missouri State University to pitch, Givens got a full ride scholarship to Maple Woods Community College, and Jake is going to Kansas State University.

Coach Mellody has enjoyed building relationships with all his baseball boys, but the time has come for their last season together.

“We are looking forward to a great season,” coach Mellody said.

Bats Galore- Many of the players playing high school baseball in the United States use BBCOR bats such as the ones picture above.

by Sydnee Pointer photos by Brooke Mclanahan

jlabmag.com FEATURES 25

26 FEATURES jlabmag.com

E

veryone has seen them. High-flying, brightly colored spheres that drift lazily through the skies. They are not fast. They are not sleek. They do not serve peanuts or have restrooms.

What hot air balloons do have to offer, however, is a different view of the world.

“It was exhilarating. For someone who was frightened of heights, I did not think that I would enjoy it, but I did,” passenger Carol Hestand said. A hot air balloon ride really is an extremely entertaining activity that surprisingly, is not that rare. There are quite a few hot air balloon companies around the Kansas City area, but the company to set eyes on is the Sunshine Balloon Company. Located by Lake Lotawana, the Sunshine Balloon Company is a small business dedicated to giving customers a warm and excelsior experience. Not only are they friendly, but they are also available all the time.

“We like to fly year round,” pilot Michael O’Neill said. Well there is currently snow on the ground, and in the air, so flying would not be recommended. Try again later; it is an incredible experience that will not soon be forgotten.

“I thoroughly enjoyed it and I have gotten over my fear of heights. It was a wonderful experience and you get to see things from a different perspective,” Hestand said. As seen from the pictures surrounding this page, the view is breathtaking. Even someone like Hestand, who was afraid of heights, did not let that get in the way.

“Many people tell me that they are afraid of heights. I believe that they are afraid of ‘the Edge.’ Most all of those people have been up in an airplane or a tall building while hundreds or thousands of feet in the air and they are not afraid.

It is getting close to the edge of something that they could fall from that scares them. I can get most people over that fear,” O’Neill said. A typical balloon ride appointment will start with a rendezvous between balloon crew and passengers prior to the ride. The crew will then drive out to the desired lift-off location where they will put the balloon together set up for flight.

“We like to fly from areas that will give us great scenery while in flight and lots of good landing sites downwind. Using Jackson county open space is our favorite,” O’Neill said. There might be other concerns towards riding in a basket hundreds of feet in the air, such as: is it really safe?

“The aircraft is inspected on an annual basis by an FAA approved repair station and then re-certified for flight operations,” O’Neill said.

Not to mention that the pilot is a professional, having spent 25 years in the flying business. Once in the air, one is surrounded by the imagery of nature: trees rustling in the wind, water sitting placidly on the nearby lakes, and even John Doe’s house, all from a birds-eye view.

When the journey has come to its end and breaker-breaker has landed, the ride is topped off with a small celebration.

A hot air balloon ride is definitely one of the best things to ever happen to anyone. So why wait? The Sunshine Balloon Company is always looking forward to seeing a new face.

When there is nowhere to be in a hurry, when noisy engines, rotors, and screaming infants are not wanted, and when the skies are bright and sunny there is nothing better than a good oldfashioned hot air balloon ride. Hot air balloons will prove to anyone that they can easily fly over the rainbow.

by Ian Nickens photos by Mary Roccaro

Flying High

A whole new meaning to a bird’s eye view.

jlabmag.com FEATURES 27

Seeing Triple

C

Sibling appreciation and rivalry at its best.

an people be both the best of friends as well as the worst of enemies? Siblings are usually known for having this relationship with each other, but these siblings paint it in a rare light.

Sophomores Chance, Marisa, and Parker Gates are three of a kind, but that goes not much deeper than their appearances. These triplets are as different as can be, yet they remain united not only as siblings, but as best friends. Few people know what it is like to have a twin, much less be a triplet.

Parker, Chance, and Marisa have sixteen years of experience.

“It’s like having two of your best guy friends living in your house at the same time. You’re never bored. I like it. It’s really fun. I wouldn’t be the same person without it,” Marisa says.

Never being bored and not having much privacy are understandable manners for siblings, but age difference is a factor that Marisa, Parker, and Chance do not have.

As a result, sharing is a constant obligation.

“I would share possessions, but Parker basically steals from me anyway. Other than that, we like to play Xbox together,” Chance says.

Games are able to relax and bond family members, but they are not the only things that can.

“I always share homework time with both of them. We have some of the same classes, but our interests are very different,” Parker says.

Naturally, being identical twins causes occasional misunderstandings to occur.

Marisa, being a girl, never has this problem; however, her brothers do from

time to time.

“Every few months someone will call me Parker; even our teachers have trouble,” Chance says.

“A lot of people mix us up, but it’s fun to play along,” Parker says.

The boys have never switched places for a day, but they have been known to prank a familiar substitute teacher or two.

Competition is one of the most classic aspects of human nature. Siblings often increase the frequency of minor competitions, but triplets amplify this to a whole new level. Sixteen years of competitive energy is quite a record, and having different interests does not stop the Gates’ from continuing that streak,

“We compete about everything. Pretty much every conversation is a competition.”

“It’s like having two of your best guy friends living in your house at the same time. You’re never bored.”

and mothing is off limits for topics to compete about.

“That’s one of the cons about being triplets. Even twins have no idea. We compete about school, grades, every test, friends, sports, games, even texting.

I always win it all, though,” Marisa says.

Sixteen years of being triplets makes one anticipate the many stories that must lay behind it. Growing up was different for Chance, Marisa, and Parker than

most siblings.

“It was very out of the ordinary, and sometimes very hard. There are always those moments when you just want to kill each other, but it always works out.

I think I’ve had a better childhood than most kids usually do,” Chance says.

Wrestling and cuddling is common for siblings, but triplets have that and other aspects to concern themselves with.

“Let’s just say there were a lot of injuries. Brothers and sisters don’t play nice. Most of our childhood was hanging out and getting into a lot of fights.

When you’re a triplet, it sucks to have to share your birthday party with two other people every year. You kind of have to be at different ends of the spectrum.

There are a lot of memories, good and horrific,” Parker says.

Constant sharing and always being together may get annoying at times, but the triplets make it work.

“It was very different. Most siblings always complain about being around each other, but with triplets, it’s so much worse. You have to learn how to love each other. You have to share everything. One on one time with anyone is rare. But we were always each other’s safety blanket. You always have someone to hang out with. Being with the same two people all the time is both good and bad. Some of my best memories involve Parker and Chance, and I’d never change that,” Marisa says.

Triplets seem to magnify every aspect of being siblings. They might argue every so often, but it always gets resolved. They’re each other’s best friends and worst enemies.

by Grace Rogers photos by Aaron LaPaz

“You’re always going to be close with your family and siblings.”

28 FEATURES jlabmag.com

Trip to the Movies

The change in the movie theatre experience.

1

Large Coke

=

10.8

tbsp. of sugar

521 OR calories OR

41

There were films released in

1275%

only

26 in 2011.

Average popcorn bags used to hold

5-6 cups.

Today they hold

Then

Now

Oreos Chance I’ll buy it

anyway

80%

Average markup of movie theater popcorn

in 2012, but there

25

ADMIT

$

ONE

20.

$

Average cost of a movie ticket in 2012?

$8.12

Top 5 Films of 2012

by Mary Roccaro statistics provided by http://www.onlinemba.com/film/