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Kansas City? What’s Happening in the Help An Uncommon View on Race Relations in the 60s Now Playing:

Renaissance Festival Bonner Springs 9/3-10/16

Movie Premieres: “Drive” “I Don’t Know How She Does It” 9/16

Movie Premieres: “The Thing” “Footloose” “The Skin I Live In” “Trespass”

American Royal Parade 9/17

Foo Fighters Sprint Center 9/16

Grand Opening Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts 9/16-9/18

Dance Team and Cheer Perform at Rockhurst 9/23

Uproar Music Festival at Sandstone

World’s of Fun Halloween Haunt 9/17-10/30

Plaza Art Fair 9/23-9/25

Insipring. Beautiful. Gut-wrenching. These are only a few words I could use to describe the movie I went to on a stale, 100-plus degree Friday night. I thought I was going to see a movie with goodreviewsthatmade a lot of money opening week. I had seen plenty BY TAYLOR ESCHER of those and this was Managing Editor just another. Well, there IwasatAMCwithasurprisinglyfulltheater.Isettledintomyscratchy,maroon seat and took a deep breath as the introduction music played...The Help was just beginning. TheHelpfollowsthestoryofEugenia“Skeeter” Phelan, played by Emma Stone; Aibileen Clark, played by Viola Davis; and Minny Jackson, played by Octavia Spencer. Skeeter is an aspiring journalist who moves back home after college to Jackson, Miss. in the 1960s. She gets a job working for the Jackson Journal and reunites with her “friends” from the Junior League. Skeeter seeks out advice from her friends’ black maids to help her write a column about home maintenance. Little does she know that these women will change her life. After observing how the maids are treated by the Junior Leaguers, Skeeter wants the maids’ point of view to be heard and sets out to write a book of their stories. Storiesaretoldandlivesareunraveled.Wediscover the prejudices and hatred hidden behind the smiling, powdered faces of the popular women of Jackson. Many of the so-called “brightest” in society have the darkest hearts. The story focuses the most on Aibileen and Minny. Both get shifted around from house to house trying to fulfill their duties, but are punished unfairly for crimes they did not commit and forced to endure what the Jacksonians considered, “separate but equal.” They defy society by telling their stories and put themselves and their families in danger for a noble cause. The director, Tate Taylor, did an incredible jobofplacingtheaudienceinto1960sMississippi. He contrasted the southern plantations’ floral couches and black and white televisions to the maid’s modest cottages with sparse decorations alsoparallelingthecharacter’slives.Thecostumes were perfect for the time period and everyone had big hair and fancy, bright dresses. The Help has grossed over $124,000,000 since September 4, 2011. This story has started a new conversation and gained interest from people all around the world. This story inspired me and raised my consciousness. The Help shows us that we must continue to monitor our words and actions. This movie reminded me of what Sion teaches us: to be accepting of others despite their skin color, race, or religious beliefs. A favorite quote of mine was,“Courage sometimes skips a generation.” However, because of movies like The Help and places like Sion, it’s not skipping ours. As The Help shows, standing up for what is right isn’t always easy. It’s painful and can lead to loss and heartbreak. The actors in this movie pull you into the story. You are rooting for the main characters in all of their endeavors. This story makes you want to stand up and shout (as a few people did in the movie theater). AsIlookedaroundbeforeleavingthetheater, I was struck by the variety of ages and ethnicities of the audience. While it appeared we all came from different perspectives, everyone seemed moved by the power the film. I threw away my large Coke Zero and headed toward my car in silence. I too was struck by the power of the film. The Help is a must see for the Sion community.

9/24

Sporting KC vs. Columbus Crew 9/28

Taylor Swift at Arrowhead Stadium 9/24

10/14

American Royal Barbeque 9/29-10/2

Anything Goes for this Musical Fall Musical Features First Tap Performance

BY VICTORIA KENNER Reporter

On November 18-20, seats will be filled with excited spectators for Sion’s first tap show ever.

“Anything goes for putting on a great show,” Gary Adams, musical director, said. Students auditioned from September 7-9. Penny Selle, musical director, and Adams have chosen the cast, who will work with Suzanne Norberg’s daughter, Kathy, the show’s choreographer. “It’s hard to be sad when watching a tap show” Adams said.

Adams, Selle, Shawn Watts, co-director, and Mary Lu Johnston, costume director, are excited to direct Anything Goes, originally written by Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, this fall.

Senior, Mary Tutera sings “So in Love” for her Anything Goes audition. (Photo by Victoria Kenner)