Vol. 23 | Issue 5

Olathe East Hawk’s Eye

Volume 23//Issue 5 January/February 2015

Discover Your Class’s Eligible Bachelors pg. 12 & 13

Helping The Homeless

Viners Taking Social Media

By Storm pg. 17

What Doesn’t Matter After High School pg. 20 & 21 How East is Making a Difference

pg. 4 & 5

TABLE

OF CONTENTS

NEWS

WPA.......................................................................................3

Lauren Hart Homelessness....................................................................4-5

Matthew Gwin

SPORTS

Follow us!

Instagram: @oehawkseye Snapchat: @oehawkseye Twitter: @OEHawksEye

Football Update....................................................................7

Matthew Gwin New Sports Fields.................................................................8

Logan Brockschmidt Students’ Gym Memberships..............................................9

Paige Schick

pg. 27

FEATURE

Winter Break Trips.............................................................11

Annie Beurman Eligible Bachelors..........................................................12-13

Lauren Heinrich Students In Internships................................................14-15

Natalie Friend Getting Pulled Over Stories..............................................16

Katie Thompson Viners...................................................................................17

Aaron Rhodes Rising Star...........................................................................18

Noah Marks

EDITORIAL

What Doesn’t Matter After High School...................20-21

Brenna Thompson When is Satire Taken Too Far?.........................................22

Alexa Buechler Why Do Teenagers Drink?................................................23

Jordan Meier

ENTERTAINMENT

Panda Bear Album Review................................................24

Brock Holmes Top 10 Movies of 2014.......................................................25

Gavin Miller Things Coming Back In Style............................................26

Jacob Stofer Quiz: How Basic Are You?................................................27

Amy Du

pg. 8

A student-run publication Olathe East High School 14545 W. 127th Street Olathe, KS 66062 ADVISER

Karen Bourland

EDITORS

Courtney Child Paige Schick

COPY EDITORS Lauren Hart Lauren Heinrich

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Annie Beurman Camille Denis Matthew Gwin Brock Holmes

Aaron Rhodes Brenna Thompson Katie Thompson

STAFF WRITERS

Logan Brockschmidt Alexa Buechler Natalie Friend Jordan Meier Gavin Miller Jacob Stofer

BUSINESS MANAGERS Hannah Cruise Amy Du

[January/February] 2015

Olathe East’s First WPA since 2012

O

lathe East has not seen a school-wide WPA type dance since 2012; however, this year will be different. On February 28 from 8:00 to 10:30, StuCo will be hosting the “Frozen Formal”- a women pay all dance.

This WPA will be different from past years’ attempts.

Emily Nicholson, school StuCo secretary, said, “The reason we haven’t had WPA recently is because we tried to do something different with it in years past. These different ideas haven’t worked and we’ve had to cancel it or not have it at all.” In hopes of boosting attendance to this year’s dance, StuCo has shifted the event from a casual mixer to a formal dance.

Normally, the sophomore StuCo class is put in charge of planning and organizing the dance. StuCo sponsor Mr. Mike McDonald said, “The sophomores didn’t want to plan it this year so they kind of tossed the event out if anyone wanted to claim it. There were enough seniors interested in putting it together, so we decided to give it a shot.”

McDonald said, “What’s happened in the past is that the structure of WPA hasn’t been appealing.” StuCo has thought of new ways to make the dance more appealing in hopes of keeping WPA as a tradition for years to come. In order to get students excited for the dance, the week before the dance will be a spirit week. Adding to the excitement, that Thursday during seminar will be the faculty/senior basketball game and that night is the fashion show. That Friday night is the much anticipated basketball game against long-standing rival Olathe South.

Nicholson said, “We are hoping that the fact that the dance is formal again, that there’s a spirit week beforehand, and that there is a court will make people want to attend.”

These extra events happening at school that week combined with a royalty court are sure to make WPA different and better than it ever has been. Just like homecoming and prom, this Frozen Formal will also have a court, but instead the court will be comprised of all girls.

Lauren Hart// Copy Editor

McDonald said, “This court is a bit different than the ones we have for other dances. Each sport and club will nominate one girl from each grade and we will have the first round of voting. After that, we will announce the winners from the freshman, sophomore, and junior classes. The senior girls who were nominated will be narrowed down to 10 and then have a second vote between them to pick the final ‘Miss Hawk’.”

The student body at Olathe East does not have a stellar history of attending school dances. Because ticket sales have been low for past school dances, there is not much room in the budget for the Frozen Formal.

StuCo has had to get creative with ways to cut costs.

McDonald said, “WPA can be a great fundraiser for us, we just had to think of ways to cut the cost of putting on the dance.”

“The goal with school dances is to make money, not spend it. The more and more people who come to school dances, the more money we have to spend on decorations, and DJs, and photo booths, but since we don’t have a history of people coming to WPA, we can’t spend too much on the dance,” said Nicholson.

Another way StuCo has saved money on the dance is by using past decorations, especially the prom decorations from last year. Most of the money spent on school dances goes to buying decorations and hiring a DJ. McDonald said, “We are not hiring an outside DJ for WPA. Instead, senior Robbie McCarthy will be the student DJ. The DJ is normally what costs us the most, so renting equipment and using a student DJ will definitely help with the cost.”

“Everyone on StuCo is getting excited from everyone else’s ideas and we really felt like we could make [WPA] work this year,” said Nicholson.

Tickets will go on sale the week before the dance during lunch periods for only $10, so don’t miss the opportunity to attend Olathe East’s first formal WPA in years.

“The reason we haven’t had

WPA recently is because we tried to do something different with it in years past.”

-Emily Nicholson

4 [News]

Funding the Future

The Hawks Fund Helps OE Students through Times of Need Matthew Gwin//Senior Staff Writer Mrs. Rini hands Dr. Weber a drink at The Coffee Shop, one of the ways The Hawks Fund raises money for students Courtesy of Matthew Gwin

L

ook closely at the car jam-packed with belongings sitting in a local parking lot on a cold winter night. Probably just a family cashing in on some sales or moving to a new home, right?

Definitely not a homeless person. No way someone has to live in that tiny car. Not in Johnson County.

Now look closely at the faces throughout the hallways of Olathe East. Those certainly can’t be the faces of displaced teens. Not at Olathe East.

Unfortunately, homelessness and Johnson County are not exclusive. In fact, Johnson County has a higher homeless population than its less-affluent neighbor Douglas County.

Even more sobering, homelessness and its effects are not isolated to adults, either.

According to Principal Dr. Bill Weber, Olathe East identifies 16 of its students as homeless, meaning they have no permanent housing.

“We define homeless as someone with no place to call their own, who could be on the streets tomorrow,” Weber said.

Rarely will these students be seen on the street, though. Rather, they often stay at friends’ homes, hotels, or local shelters.

Like those shelters and friends who open their doors, Olathe East also offers homeless students – and any others in need – a much-needed ally through The Hawks Fund.

The Hawks Fund was launched in 2010 by Marjie Rini and Lina Wilson, parents of OE students, after Rini discovered a student who she mentored at the time was homeless.

“I started asking questions about the homeless population here at East and realized that there were 22 kids who were homeless that year [2010],” Rini said.

“Lina and I were involved in the school district through our kids and had no idea that we had this problem here, so we decided that we were going to help those kids,” she added.

After the groundwork was laid during the 2010-11 school year, The Hawks Fund was operating full-fledged by the fall of 2011, which coincided with Dr. Weber’s first year as principal of the school.

Rini credits Weber for helping build the program to what it is today.

“He is the catalyst. If we didn’t have Dr. Weber, it wouldn’t have happened as wonderfully as it has,” she said.

The Hawks Fund consists primarily of three components, all aimed toward bettering the lives of less-fortunate Olathe East students.

First, monetary donations are required to maintain the Fund and buy items for students on a need basis.

Secondly, donations of items such as clothing and toiletries are stored in The Loft, a storage space located inside the school.

Finally, students who choose to do so can receive adult mentoring.

“We want your money, your time, or your stuff, because people have one of those to give,” Rini said. “You can help kids in any of those ways.”

In addition to the three-pronged approach, The Hawks Fund also began The Hawk Pack program last year.

For those students without consistent access to meals outside of school, The Hawk Pack program provides breakfast and lunch for the weekend. Each Friday afternoon, 60-80 students receive a bag containing these four meals so they won’t go hungry.

Additionally, The Hawks Fund places a special emphasis on helping senior students pay for the extra expenses related to graduation.

[January/February] 2015

Amazingly, The Hawks Fund assists students in all these capacities while operating solely on donations.

“Everything that we do is by donation basis,” Weber said. “We don’t use any school money. We don’t use any student fundraising money. Everything that we do is based on donations that we get from our partners or donations that we get from parents.”

With those donations and through its various programs, The Hawks Fund reaches a large number of Olathe East students, not just those who fall into certain categories.

“It’s a little bit of case-by-case basis,” Weber said. “The two main categories we look at are, obviously, the homeless population . . . [and] students who qualify for free and reduced lunches.”

“There are also many, many situations where, honestly, people don’t fall into either one of those two categories, because they don’t and it’s just a hard time right now, or . . . as parents you’re too proud to fill out the forms. It really falls to us as school staff just to make our best judgment.”

“You have people who come in – and again they don’t qualify in terms of this or that – but they’re crying in the office because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from, or they don’t know tonight where they’re going to be sleeping.”

Weber emphasized that even the smallest ways in which The Hawks Fund helps students can make a world of difference.

“Something that you and I probably take for granted . . . is something that is just amazing to them,” he said. “To think that even $20 – that’s a huge deal to these people and what they’re trying to get through.”

“I don’t have the funding where I can give people places to live, but . . . just being able to do a little bit of something is a huge piece.”

“They’re crying in the office because they don’t know where their next meal is coming from.”

-Dr. Bill Weber All those little helps certainly add up, though. Weber estimated that, in total, The Hawks Fund spent roughly $15,000 supporting students last year.

As a result, Weber believes that the need of Olathe East students has decreased since The Hawks Fund was implemented.

“Do I think that the need today is greater than it was four years ago? Probably not,” he said. “I think our numbers look a little bit bigger now than they did four years ago, but I think that’s because we’ve tried to make it a little more welcoming and [create] a little more awareness.”

In short, The Hawks Fund has one simple goal: to ensure all Olathe East students can have the same high school experience, regardless of need or other circumstances.

“We just wanted kids’ high school experiences to be better,” Rini said.

So far, The Hawks Fund has accomplished just that.

Johnson County Homelessness Statistics On January 22, 2013, 213 Johnson County residents were “literally homeless,” meaning they slept on the street, in cars, or in a shelter 53% of those 213 people were children under the age of 18 Families with children under 18 accounted for 88% of people identified as homeless The homeless population in Johnson County decreased 32%, or by 102 people, from 2011 to 2013 54% of the “literally homeless” population works more than 40 hours a week 71% of homeless families with children had a working adult

6 [Advertisement]

[January/February] 2015

New Faces, New Places Olathe East Tabs Jesse Owen as Next Head Football Coach

O

lathe East has named Jesse Owen its next head football coach, effective for the 2015-16 school year. Owen will become just the second man ever to hold the position of Olathe East football

coach.

He takes over for Jeff Meyers, who was relieved of his duties in November after leading the Hawks program since the school opened 23 years ago. Meyers has accepted an offer to become an assistant coach at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo., and will assume that role beginning this fall (see sidebar).

The OE administration feels confident that Owen is the right man to lead the program.

“There was a good list of attributes that the players and parents Coach Owen applauds his team’s effort while coaching at Eudora expressed interest in the next head football Courtesy of The Eudora Reporter coach having, and I really do think that he fit that mold fairly well,” Principal Bill Weber said.

Weber emphasized that the committee – comprised of Weber, Athletic Director Kraig Taylor, and several district officials – targeted individuals who could work with the players and coaches already involved with the program. “[We were] looking for somebody who’s going to work with our student-athletes and help to strengthen them, not only in the game of football but in school in general,” he said.

“Another piece that was important in this process was to find somebody who could come in and work with the assistant coaches and continue to move the program forward,” Weber added.

Owen arrives with limited experience as a head coach, having spent just one season as the head coach at Eudora High School. However, Owen has no lack of familiarity with the sidelines, the playing field, or the area.

“I do think he has a strong football background but also a strong understanding of Olathe and Olathe football,” Weber said.

As a student, Owen played a key part in Olathe North’s 1997 State Championship run before continuing his playing career at Pittsburg State University.

After graduation, Owen did his student teaching here at Olathe East and helped coach football during his one year at the school.

From there, he took a job as a P.E. teacher at California Trail Middle School, in addition to taking on a coaching position at Olathe North.

After spending three years at CT, Owen returned to his alma mater.

All in all, Owen patrolled the Olathe North sideline for 11 years, a stretch that included two State Championship game appearances.

Owen hopes to bring the same success he enjoyed as both a player and coach at Olathe North to the Olathe East program.

“He has a fairly clear vision for Olathe East football, and it was very evident that he put a lot of time and thought and effort into thinking about that,” Weber said.

“Now he’ll have an opportunity to make that a reality.”

Matthew Gwin//Senior Staff Writer

Crossing the Border Former OE Coach Jeff Meyers Lands New Job across State Line

A

fter 23 years at the helm of the Olathe East football program, Jeff Meyers will look to begin anew this Fall with a new job in a new state.

Meyers, who was relieved of his coaching duties by OE in November, has accepted an assistant coaching position at William Chrisman High School in Independence, Mo. “What they’ve asked me to do – they have a very young coaching staff – so it’s going to allow me to be in a position to help mentor a young coaching staff. That’s an exciting opportunity and challenge for me to have,” Meyers said.

In addition to being a part of the football staff at William Chrisman, Meyers will assist in coaching the track and field team and continue teaching P.E. Besides the financial benefits he will receive from coaching and teaching in both Kansas and Missouri, Meyers was drawn especially to William Chrisman over other opportunities in Missouri.

“It just was a good fit,” he said.

Outside the walls of the school, Meyers looks on from the sideline Meyers’ life won’t during his time at Olathe East be changed too Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt drastically. He plans to keep living in Shawnee, where he has spent over a decade as mayor, and make a daily 35-minute trek to William Chrisman.

Although Meyers enjoyed his time at Olathe East, he’s looking forward to writing a new chapter in his career.

“I’m just really excited about having a new opportunity and getting to know a new coaching staff, student body, and faculty,” he said. “It’s going to be a new adventure for me in my career as a teacher and a coach.”

8 [Sports]

The Inaugural Season of Turf Fields at ODAC and CBAC Is Taking Place Logan Brockschmidt// Staff Writer

S

imilar to the most recent mail-in election which provides extraneous funds to the district, two years ago the school district was approved to receive a bond worth $244.8 million. Most notable on the bond were the funds to begin construction immediately on the new Olathe West High School, which is set to open in August 2017. Other items on the bond were to invest for growth, safety and security, technology, and aging facility needs. Significant for athletes however, was an approval to renovate the Olathe District Activity Center (ODAC) and College Boulevard Activity Center (CBAC) fields. The renovations ended up costing close to $6.4 million. The turf itself is going to end up costing $2.55 million and the construction costing $3.84 million. For the CBAC tennis courts, there are plans to put in three scoreboards that would be hard-wired, and would have photo-rendering capabilities.

The proposal was voted 7-0 on March 6, 2014. Construction begun on the football and soccer fields on June 30, so that there was enough time to finish the fields before these past seasons for soccer and football.   At ODAC, the football and soccer fields were renovated prior to this season, while construction for the all-turf softball and turf-infield baseball fields begun after these were completed. The football field is able to double as a soccer field, as the school board went forward with plans to have soccer markings included. The baseball fields are a completely synthetic turf for the infields and foul ground, but there is natural grass in the outfield. In the left and right field corners, there are also bullpens going in, to aid with creating a safe warm-up area. The softball fields are com-

pletely revamped, where they opted to go with a completely turf surface.

These changes are designed to support increased playability for all levels when there is inclement weather. The CBAC fields are identical to those at ODAC, but the fields at CBAC include 12 tennis courts. Of those courts, a third of those are set aside and marked for 10-and-under tennis players who are just learning the game.   The fields are aimed to maintain the competition of the area with those in nearby districts. The addition of turf, instead of grass and dirt, seeks to eliminate the days that activities are cancelled due to incliment weather. It is unsure if the fields will be preserved for the future, but for now they look pristine.

Derek Miller making a sliding catch near the sidelines.

The new turf includes padding to ease players being tackled and sliding.

Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

Above: Outline of New Softball Fields at ODAC Below: Outline of New Baseball Fields at ODAC

Logan Steen does battle in the corner. The soccer fields went from soccer in the spring to turf in the fall.

Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

Students

[January/February] 2015 Paige Schick//Co-Editor

AND

Local Gyms and Their Rates

the

Gym

Why Teenagers Choose to Incorporate Going to the Gym into Their Weekly Schedules

I

n our fast-paced, constantly changing world where everything seems to be at the tips of our fingers, it’s easy (especially for teenagers) to fall victim to the comforts and pleasure of sitting on the couch at home watching TV or playing video games. But with obesity becoming more and more of an issue into adulthood, many teenagers are encouraged to start a healthy lifestyle young.

We all know the least kept New Year’s resolution is going to the gym more. Yet, every year people still attempt it.

In a physical activity study, only 12.2% of high school students met the Healthy People 2020 objective for aerobic and muscle-strengthening physical activity, which calls for 60 or more minutes of aerobic activity every day and some muscle strengthening on three or more days per week.

Many teenagers use the avenue of sports to obtain their exercise and stay in shape on a regular basis.

But what do those teens who choose not to play a sport do? What about athletes during their off season?

Senior varsity track runner Drue Bailey said, “I work out because I like to do what’s best for my body, and it makes me feel good.” Many teens incorporate going to the gym into their weekly schedules in hopes of staying fit and healthy.

Senior Jacob Moreno said, “The reason I go to the gym is so I can get stronger, faster, and better physically. It also helps after a long day of school.

It helps forget about your problems and just focus on your workout.”

Bailey said, “I try to go at least five days a week, but sometimes I get really busy, and it gets cut down.”

Teens are recommended to exercise at least one hour everyday. Because teenagers are still grow-

ing, it’s better to opt for bodyweight exercises such as crunches, lunges, push-ups, or squats. Cardio workouts on a treadmill or elliptical are beneficial options as well. “I do a half-mile warm up followed by an ab circuit. After that I usually lift.

My favorite exercise is one-legged squats though,” Bailey said.

“My routine is different everyday. I mix it up so I will focus more on one selected area, but I try and do at least a little of upper, lower, and core body work,” Moreno said.

Most gyms also offer group fitness classes that could help keep your exercise schedule in line.

Swimming, yoga, pilates, cycling, or other weight or cardio classes provide an alternative for those who prefer not to workout on their own.

In addition to utilizing the equipment and group classes offered, many teens like the further amenities that gyms provide. Some gyms also extend spa, café, and locker room features that are useful for gym members.

Putting down the video game controller or turning off the TV and getting up is one of the hardest parts. Finding motivation to work out can be a struggle, but sometimes just setting aside the technology can help.

Moreno said, “My motivation is that I’m the oldest kid in the family. All my little brothers and sister look up to me and say they want to be like me, so I always want to get better and better so I can show them that they can do anything they put their mind to and give 100%.”

Getting a gym membership is just one way that teenagers try to keep active and break the monotonous daily routine of school and afterschool naps or video game or TV sessions. Maybe your resolution isn’t to go to the gym more, maybe it’s joining one.

11320 W. 135th St., Overland Park, KS 66221 $10 a month, no commitment Includes a free t-shirt, unlimited access to home club, and unlimited fitness training

13655 S Alden Olathe, KS 66062 $45 a month Group fitness, indoor/outdoor pool, cardio equipment, yoga/pilates, indoor track, and basketball courts

17800 West 106th Street, Olathe, KS 66061 $58 a month Group fitness, indoor/outdoor pool, innovative exercise equipment, boot camp, racquetball, cycling, indoor track, spa, and yoga/pilates

16851 W 90th St. Lenexa, KS 66219 $70 a month or $55 as a student for the summer Includes 24/7 access, group classes, free lockers, and innovative exercise equipment

10 [Advertisement]

[January/February] 2015

The Last Trip of the Year Ending the Year with an Adventure

Annie Beurman//Senior Staff Writer

W

hen it comes to winter break, most people will spend it kicking back and relaxing with school being the last thing on their minds. Staying up all night, sleeping all day, watching movies on Netflix and hanging out with friends are some normal things to do. However, some are lucky enough to go on a vacation and spend their holidays in another state or even another country. Three Hawks went on such vacations and had some unforgettable times to share.

Senior Caroline Apel visited Orlando, Florida for about a week to attend the Mizzou bowl game. “We went to Universal Studios, and I got to spend practically the entire day in Harry Potter World. We went to Disney World, and my sister and I dressed up as princesses and met all the characters. Spending New Year’s Eve at Disney World was really cool because they went all out with the fireworks and showed clips from their different movies on the castle. I would go back in a heartbeat,” she said.

Natasha swimming with dolphins

Caroline and her family in front of Cinderella’s Castle

Photo Courtesy of Natasha Dramicanin

Photo Courtesy of Caroline Apel

Natasha Dramicanin spent a week of her Christmas break in Cancun, Mexico with her host family. “The trip was a Christmas present from my host grandparents. We just wanted to relax and have a fun time together. We [went] to a lot of different restaurants and I had a chance to eat Mexican, Italian, and Brazilian food. I [went] parasailing with them and that was so fun… and scary,” she said. Most people wish to return to a wonderful vacation, just like Natasha. She said, “I just love that place: weather, nature, people. I would like to go again with the same group of people because I adore my host family, and it’s going to be hard to leave them in June.”

“I never before had a chance to swim with dolphins. I’ll never forget this.”

-Natasha Dramicanin Shelby Rushing, an Olathe East math teacher, along with her parents, visited her sister and her brand new nephew for twelve days in Temecula, California. “[While there, I] helped with the baby by changing diapers, feeding him, and babysitting. [I also] treated my mom and sister to pedicures, went shopping in downtown Temecula and went to a casino buffet with all you can eat crab legs, sushi, prime rib, and chocolate fountains,” she said. “I became an aunt and got to meet my beautiful new nephew, Rudy. Spending time with family and celebrating a new life was the most memorable [thing.] Of course [I would go back!] Beautiful weather and getting to spend time with family will keep me going back.”

Mrs. Rushing with her new nephew, Rudy Photo Courtesy of Shelby Rushing

12 [Feature]

Check out these Bachelor Hawk’s that are Currently Flying Solo

T

he perfect combination of roses, traveling across the globe, and broken hearts each help to create the basics of the show The Bachelor. January 5 marked the hit ABC show’s season 19 premiere with Chris Soules being the new bachelor, an attractive 33-year-old farmer from Iowa. The purpose of the show is to find love and potentially get married. The Bachelor takes place in various locations each week from Los Angeles one week to London the next. In each destination, the bachelor goes on dates with different women, some being individual and others group dates. Each week throughout the season, the bachelor eliminates contestants that he no longer has strong feelings for until he gets to the final two contestants, one of which he proposes to.

To beat the soon Valentine’s Day blues, The Hawk’s Eye decided to make its own version of The Bachelor. Randomly selected male students from each grade were chosen as ‘potential bachelors’.

Senior Logan Coates

Age: 18

Hobbies:

Drumline, Soccer

What do you look for in a girl?: Someone who is easy to talk to and have fun with

Ideal first date?: Going to dinner at a nice restaurant and then a movie afterward

Favorite cheesy pickup line: I have mass and you have mass, so technically we are attracted to each other.

Junior Sam Douglas

Age: 16

Hobbies:

Drumline, Baseball

What do you look for in a girl?:

Someone who is nice, involved in activities, and loves God

Ideal first date?: Going to a Royals’ game Favorite cheesy pickup line: Are you from Tennessee? Because you’re the only ten I see.

Photos courtesy of Lauren Heinrich

[January/February] 2015

Sophomore Wyatt Walberg

Lauren Heinrich//Copy Editor

Age: 15

Hobbies: Theater

What do you look for in a girl?: Honesty, respect, creativeness, singing, and athletic ability

Ideal first date?: Dinner and a movie Favorite cheesy pickup line: I wrote your name in the clouds, but the wind blew it away. I wrote your name in the sand, but the water washed it away. I wrote your name in my heart, and forever it will stay.

Age: 50

Freshman Jack Bettis

Age: 15

Hobbies:

Football, Basketball

What do you look for in a girl?: Pretty and honest

Ideal first date?: A long walk on the beach Favorite cheesy pickup line: Are you religious? Because you’re the answer to all my prayers.

Hobbies:

Going to the lake in the summer with family

What do you look for in a girl?: Humor and money

Ideal first date?: Just hanging out and having a nice dinner, and she buys

Favorite cheesy pickup line: Were you sitting on a box of candy?

Because you sure are sweet.

Teacher Brent Reynolds

14 [Feature]

T H E I NSI Natalie Friend//Staff Writer

N I NG R E T DE S CO O P O N IN

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Ea e ath Ol at nts of the benefits of an ed to stude l, but many kids are unaware oo sch any opportunities are provid er aft s job g tin get heard of students scoop on interning. outside the school. We’ve all resources, here’s the inside er oth d an s rce sou nt de m senior stu internship. Taken both fro

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The How, the Why, and the What on Student Internships Current Olathe East Interns

ouglas Fred D f o y s e Court

Fred Douglas Senior Fred Douglas recently began an internship with his church and even got an early-release from his daily school schedule.

Fred works with his youth minister and youth pastor as he learns how to be like them.

“They teach me the business. We plan events for the next day. Sometimes we go to hospital calls if they need us there; I learn how to be a youth minister,” said Douglas. Not only is he interning with his church, he also helps lead the youth group there on Sunday nights and encourages other kids to join in.

“I thought that I could be really good at this, and I wanted to be more prepared and the best that I could be.” Douglas said, “My favorite thing is knowing that one day I’ll make a difference, and just being a positive influence right now.”

“It’s actually a lot easier to get things done. There are less classes so there’s less homework,” he said. When he doesn’t intern, he can usually get his homework done by three o’clock, the time everyone else is just getting out of school.

He knows how much an internship can help him in his career, especially since so many teenagers, college kids, and graduates struggle to do so. “A lot of going out for a job is who you know, and how much experience you have. And I feel like this will give me a little bit of an edge.”

Although Fred leaves every day right after fifth hour and drives to his internship, it is not an easy privilege to attain. Not every student can just leave the school, so don’t be too hasty. First, he had to make sure all of his credits required to graduate were out of the way. Then he had to get three letters, one from himself, his parents, and his mentor in the internship.

Those letters explained to Dr. Weber and the administration that Douglas’ time was being well spent and educational. Mr. Lee Meyers, one of the vice principals, spoke on that subject.

“There are reasons why Dr. Weber will allow a shortened day: i.e. taking JuCo classes, making an income to help support the family, possibly an internship. But it doesn’t happen often,” said Meyers.

Taber Fisher Taber Fisher, current senior and internee, works with Garmin, a multinational corporation and producer of navigation equipment like the GPS. He works with prototypes, finds bugs, and fixes them.

He also did an independent study in neural networks, which was an online Stanford class for programing pseudo-artificial intelligence systems.

“My favorite part of the internship is actually working on real life

things. Not doing menial classwork and worksheets every day,” he said. He does have some difficulty with scheduling though.

Getting out of the East parking lot at three is no easy task, and he knows it well. “The most difficult part is actually trying to get out of the parking lot each day. I have to work 13 hours a week, and if I don’t get there at a certain time then I don’t get my hours,” Fisher said.

Although he gets less sleep and had to give up playing golf on the school team, it was worth it for him. He said, “It’s a great resume builder and great real-world experience. So when I do come back from college, I have contacts which will help me get jobs.”

Fisher hopes to go to college and double major in engineering physics and computer sciences, which his current internship will greatly help him with.

Courtesy

Fisher of Taber

[January/February] 2015 : esources R e n i l n O ips.com Internsh atch.com Internm rg Idealist.o m ce.co Experien .com tro Mediabis om Indeed.c

Finding Internships Online:

Past Olathe East Interns

Courtes y of Nik ki Kuhn

Nikki Kuhn Nikki Kuhn was another senior who was involved in the Leadership 4 internship program last semester. She worked with a support center here in Kansas.

“I wanted to be in a traditional business setting, but I also wanted to be working with the community,” said Kuhn. She got to do an number of odd jobs, varying from secretarial work to community-based work.

“Some days I’d work in the homeless closet, some days I typed donation sheets and business documents; I wrote thank you letters; I typed a lot of alumni information…all kinds of things. I did a bigger project where I passed out jackets which had been donated and took them around to schools where kids needed them,” said Kuhn.

Kuhn has 7th hour cheer class, so she was only able to volunteer her internship time once a week. Yet this worked out well for her because she had two other jobs, the internship, school, and cheer at the time. Due to the flexible nature of her internship she was able to balance all the pieces of her life rather well.

Although she isn’t sure about what she wants to major in yet, she knows she would like to continue doing something with volunteering and the community. “It showed me that you could connect business and community together,” she said.

Paige Engle Paige Engle said, “It’s a great way to gain experience. It also looks great on a college resume. My internship experience was a lot of fun.”

Even as she was involved in Student Council, cheerleading, Spanish National Honor Society, and other activities, she was still able to balance an internship with her senior year school schedule and social life.

“I was very lucky to have such an understanding director. She was so great about helping me find time to complete tasks around my school/ work/extracurricular schedule,” said Engle. Because of the required cheer class 7th hour, Engle had only 50 minutes per day to work in her internship through the Leadership 4 class. She worked for Inclusion Connections, a non-for profit organization that works with teens with developmental disabilities.

Because of her schedule, Engle had specific tasks tailored to her situation.

“My main focus for the semester was to recruit peer to volunteer at Inclusion. It’s SO much fun. I highly recommend volunteering to anyone who has a heart for teens with disabilities. You can sign up to become a peer and receive emails about volunteer opportunities at www.ickc.org under the volunteer tab,” she said.

Even though her internship is over, Paige is not finished helping out. “I’m currently helping Mrs. Horn with Inclusion’s next event FashionAbility, a fashion show featuring members from Inclusion, on February 19. A lot of students from East will be modeling in the show— come check it out!

Information is on Inclusion’s website,” Engle said.

She hopes to pursue a major in Public Relations and a minor in Leadership at K-State. “I feel like I’ve learned a lot about non profits through working with Inclusion. I’m not 100% sure what I’ll do with that after college, but I love interacting with people, so hopefully something that allows me to help people,” Engle said.

1.

Understand the search process. If you know what you’re looking for, start specific and use keywords. If you’re not sure, start broad and refine from there. You can narrow your choices by things like paid or unpaid, college credit or not, or by hours required. Avoid internships that lack descriptions or don’t list responsibilities and if a company seems sketchy, investigate into its history and business operations.

2.

Check dates. Each online internship posting lists a date when the internship starts. Many internships have open dates and are available year-round, allowing you to do your internship at a time that fits your schedule. Don’t hesitate to ask questions!

3.

Update your resume and cover letter. Make sure that you add all new information, including clubs, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work that you’re involved in. Figure out what you’ll say during an interview and you could even role play with a friend to prepare.

4.

Explore virtual or remote internships. There are growing online opportunities. But be sure to check them out carefully and find a clear description of the type of work you’ll be doing. View the work of former virtual interns; review the terms of payment, academic credit, and expected hours.

5.

Follow up on your online applications. Make sure that your name stands out. Check to make sure your application was received and indicate your enthusiasm for the internship, emphasizing your skills. Perhaps call the company to follow-up as well.

e job gle on th Paige En Paige Engle of Courtesy

RealLi Scho fe Resour ol C ces Care ounselo : rs er Ad v Paren isors t Ment s o rs Your Loca Teachers News l Buisness pape e r List s ings

16 [Feature]

Katie Thompson//Senior Staff Writer

Didn’t Cop a Ticket

Student’s Pulled Over Stories

What Does it Take to Get out of a Ticket?

G

etting pulled over is never fun. Seeing those red, white, and blue lights flashing behind the vehicle you are driving, and just thinking “oh, no.” People tend to respond to getting pulled over one of two ways. One: They admit they are wrong and face the police officer with respect and dignity, or things go quite differently. The offending driver puts on either his or her cry face or gets ready to give a performance good enough to win an Oscar. Both can result with driving away ticketless, but is the risk of lying to a cop really worth it?

Officer Jeff Muhany has had his fair share of working the roads, and believe he has seen everything. Based on Muhany’s experience, the majority of people he stopped would remain polite and did not try to talk their way out of the traffic citation; however, the ones that did make up whatever lie they could as quickly as they could crashed and burned.

“I had someone tell me once he was in a hurry to get to the gas station as he was about to run out of gas. Looking into his vehicle a little closer, specifically at his fuel gauge, which registered at ¾ full, it was clear to me he did not need gas. I pointed this out to him and the look on his face was priceless, as in, busted,” he said.

This liar was not the only one Officer Muhany caught red-handed. He admitted the most common lie was about hurrying to visit a sick relative in the hospital.

“I would inquire what hospital and offer to follow them there while I held onto their license, of course. Basically, if they were telling the truth, we would go to the hospital, confirm the story and they would not receive a citation. If they were lying, they would just tell me that was not necessary and we would move on with the traffic stop/citation issuing,” he said.

Many drivers just get mad and frustrated towards the cop, but Jeff Muhany reveals the kinder a person is towards him, the better chance they have.

“Every once in a while somebody would touch my soft spot and truly be having a horrible day. It was obvious they were down on their luck, and again with compassion I couldn’t write the ticket,” he said.

Whether the offender is lying, telling the truth, or pretending to run out of gas, nothing beats officer Muhany’s final story of a traffic stop very late at night on a suspected motorist Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol.

“As I approached the vehicle to speak with the driver I observed the driver filling her mouth with nacho cheese Doritos. Her mouth was so full she could not talk; it was a mumble at best. She was obviously trying to cover the odor of an alcoholic beverage. I was right, and she eventually was arrested for a DUI and transported to jail.”

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“I got pulled over for not having a seatbelt on a parking lot, and once for going five over on Black Bob. I got out of the ticket because it was two days before my birthday.”

-Bobby Schoonover “Some of my friends had the cops on them at a long enough distance away and decided they could not get pulled over, so they turned into a neighborhood and escaped the cops. I’ve gotten away with a ticket by pretending I didn’t have a voice and was late getting home.”

-Dylan Mathieu

“My mom’s friend got pulled over driving home from the hospital and the officer saw her nursing nametag and uniform and told her he was sorry for slowing her down and let her go free.”

-Aaron Murray

“Had some friends go through a DUI checkpoint threefour times for “fun.” They brought the cops doughnuts and coffee. The cops refused but they said “This is Johnson county, don’t you know we only do bagels and lattes?!”

-Alex Von Bevern

“My sister-in-law got pulled over and she took off her shirt and was just in a sports bra and the cop did not give her a ticket.”

-Molly Taitt

“I was speeding and I got away with it because the officer saw my scout shirt. If you want to get out of a ticket, wear your Boy Scout shirt; cops like Boy Scouts.”

-Wesley Burris

“I got pulled over, the woman cop asked me what happened and I told her exactly what I did and that I did it with intention. She laughed and went back to her car.

Came back with a ticket and asked if “I got my moving violation worth out of my burnout” I replied, “Damn right I did.” Took my ticket and was on my way.”

-Alex Von Bevern

Do It For The Vine

[January/February] 2015 Aaron Rhodes//Senior Staff Writer

The Pros and Cons of the Popular Video App

V

ine is an app for making and sharing six-second videos on Apple and Android devices. Released in 2013, the app quickly gained popularity, mainly among teenagers and young adults. Twitter quickly acquired the company for $30 million after they saw the app’s enormous potential. Vine, like any other app or digital platform, had its instant celebrities. Some of them were already famous on Twitter or YouTube, but many rose to popularity through word of mouth and revining (sharing other peoples’ Vines with your followers).

While most Viners are guilty of nothing more than making people laugh, some have caused uneasiness among some viewers. Nash Grier, the app’s most popular user, boasting 10 million followers and has been called out for making sexist, homophobic, and racist videos in past years. In April 2013, he posted a video of himself making fun of an HIV test ad, yelling “Fag!” at the TV. In September of the same year, he posted a video mocking Asian peoples’ names. Grier topped off his highly offensive 2013 in December by making a long video to his followers saying that he and his friends would never date a girl that didn’t shave or fit other conditions.

In February 2014, top five Viner Curtis Lepore, was accused of raping his girlfriend and fellow Vine star Jessi “Smiles” Vazquez. He got out of the charges by pleading guilty to felony assault. Despite the serious charges against him, he continued by making a string of rude tweets after he was let go including one saying “FAV this if you would willingly have sex with me.”

On the brighter side, Vine played an important part in the spread of the ALS Water Bucket Challenge in 2014, a campaign that raised millions of dollars to fight amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. And when people can come together and laugh (and nobobdy’s getting hurt), what’s the problem with that? Every generation has their entertainment and Vine is a small part of ours.

So while some people might want to be careful with whom they follow, Vine is still a culturally relevant platform for entertainers, teens, and adults alike and generally a substantial amount of fun.

Student Poll Do you think that it’s wrong for people to follow or be a fan of a celebrity who has done committed serious crimes?

Bailey Larkin, junior - “That sucks, but plenty of other comedians get away with it, so there’s not really any stopping it.”

Favorite Viner - Thomas Sanders Cole Dudgeon, senior - “People don’t usually make money off it so I don’t really care.”

Favorite Viner - Cody Ko

Vine star Nash Grier Photo courtesy Huffington Post

Parker Davey, freshman “No, not really” Favorite Viner - Us The Duo

18 [Feature] Courtney Child // Page Designer Camille Denis // Page Designer

Rising Star

Noah Marks’ Writing Raises the Bar Noah Marks // Guest Writer

Rising Star senior Noah Marks takes writing to a whole other level. In order to buff up his résumé for the Shooting Stars scholarship, he chose to guest write for The Hawk’s Eye. “I thought I’d see if everyone else thought [my writing] was good, too,” Marks said.

“I wrote about something more personal, something closer to me, closer to my heart. In itself [the story] is a nonfiction writing, but it’s more of a fiction[al] memoir. I just changed up a couple details, made it more interesting.”

His inspiration comes from the world around him, with some touch ups and details to add to the plot.

“Large life events really inspire me to write because I’ll either write about that event, per say, or maybe out of that event I can make a whole short story out of a completely other character but using

W

“

hat it is about her, one cannot exactly tell. Most would never wish to acquire a second glance of her -- to see this short, pale, half-pint of a girl sitting at her desk, silently doodling her cares away. Many would never think of her as much more than the small, silent one in the corner of the classroom, nothing more than a speck of dust sat upon a crumb that lies in the corner of a forgotten room.

To most, she was merely nothing more to them than another teenager attending the local high school. But to one boy, whose troubled eyes have seen both creation’s work and destruction’s reign, she was more than just a humble mouse. For, he could see in her what no other could, and that which he saw both terrified and entranced him. A mouse she was not, but rather, a beautiful lion whose queenly elegance was second to none. She was a familiar among her peers, yet everywhere she went she stood out to him, for he could see the beautiful flames pouring out from her heart, engulfing her in a heated beauty and crowning her eyes with a fiery gaze that made one feel as though she could a person for who he truly was, see the sins

of one’s past and hopes of one’s future. He wanted nothing more than to be hers, and had decided that, as the old saying goes, “What the heart wants, the heart will get.”

Then, out of nothing there was something. The day was September 6th, a Friday. After school, the two went and got everything prepared. Food, blankets, silverware, and other items were thrown in the truck, and they were off in no time.

They reached a quaint little spot, void of people except for the occasional passerby.

Their night was enjoyable, and they loved each other’s company. As night truly fell upon day with its dark blade, the stars started to shine brightly through the death of day, and night had taken over. The cold set in, and the two huddled in the back seat of the truck, holding each other close under a warm blanket’s embrace. He looked up, and saw the cute little face huddled close to his chest, breathing lightly with her big eyes shut so light and elegantly. Then they opened slow and wide, and they met each other’s gaze. The night belonged to them, not to kings or queens, not to gods or prophets, not even to the common man and woman. No, on this night, it belonged to them.”

-Noah Marks

that event,” Marks said.

In his future, Marks hopes writing will play a major part.

“I’m a really technical person. I like working with machinery, things like that.

But, I also really love writing, so if I could write a few short stories, maybe even a book—that would be amazing.”

Marks has some tips for aspiring writers, too.

“One: practice ALL the time, because if you don’t, you’ll immediately lose how you write, and it’s hard to begin all over again. And, try writing about the things you wouldn’t normally write about. Big things are interesting, but if you can take something small and turn it around into a great story, you never would have figured, ‘Whoa, I turned this story about a balloon into this story about a balloon that shoots aliens.’ Just take something small.”

Read below for a sample of Noah Marks’ writing talent.

[January/February] 2015

More for Your Money When it comes to higher education, JCCC delivers more for your money.

Save money on four-year university tuition with college credits in high school. High school students can earn more than 24 college credits through College Now! Sign up for College Now classes this spring.

See your school counselor for details or visit www.jccc.edu/collegenow.

JCCC Honors: Dig deeper. Aim higher.

“I was first pulled in by the scholarships, but the Honors Program allowed me to further understand my studies and connect with professors. I also was drawn in by the potential to study abroad.”

Lizzy, JCCC Honors student and De Soto High School graduate Johnson County Community College’s Honors Program stimulates and challenges academically talented students.

An Honors application is required for admission. For more information, call Pat Decker at 913-469-8500, ext. 2512, or visit www.jccc.edu/honors.

12345 College Blvd. | Overland Park, KS 66210

20 [Editorial]

That’s So Last Year

Brenna Thompson// Senior Staff Writer

Taking a Look at What Does and Doesn’t Matter After High School

H

igh school shapes a person’s teenage years, a time when one chooses his/her friends, decides future plans, and starts having more freedom. Yet, this can also be stressful filled with pressures to fit in, fights with parents, and break ups. However, does all the trivial drama really matter after high school? So many students would bend over backward just to be considered one of the “popular kids.”

What they may not know is popularity does not necessarily exist after high school. Yes, people can be well-liked in their work place, or accepted in their sorority, but the popularity contest seems to hit a dead end after high school.

OE alumnus Jake Wilkerson said, “You have to be mindful of that and realize that your life is just beginning and that reputation, relationships, and high school achievements are often not long lived and essentially mean nothing for your future.”

Reputation

In high school, a bad reputation equals social suicide, and that one false rumor can send one’s status in a downward spiral that may never resurface. OE alumnus Max Langmack said, “In high school, reputation only lasts as long as high school does.” OE alumna Aubrey Gahagan agreed.

She said, “The people on campus won’t know if you were Miss Popular or at the bottom of the food chain. After graduation the reign of popularity ends, so focus less on being queen/king bee and focus more on who you are as a person.”

“After graduation the reign of popularity ends, so focus less on being queen/king bee and focus more on who you are as a person.”

Former Hawk Mia Rosinski said, “Basically, you get the chance to start over in college. If you are not proud of your reputation in high school, change it! College is full of kids you have never met; they do not really know anything about you.”

If one has not already, college is the time to stop censoring oneself for the acceptance of others.

Langmack advised, “Don’t make the mistake of not trying something because you’re scared or think it will make you look uncool.”

Mia said, “You shouldn’t worry about how you compare to other girls; how pretty they are or the clothes they have that you don’t. Do not change yourself for other people.”

However, just because the common opinion or one’s character does not necessarily cling to him/her after graduation, this does not mean one should act bitter or cruel in high school.

Previous Olathe East student Jake Wilkerson said, “Although you probably won’t see [your classmates] again, you still have the power to make a life-influencing impact on those that you encounter.”

Ultimately, do not succumb to the peer pressure to fit in; it’s more than okay to stray from the norm. In fact, abnormality can lead to achievement.

Wilkerson said, “It’s the people who stand out, who follow their dreams, and focus on being themselves rather than what other want them to be who will more likely be successful and more at peace with themselves looking back.”

Parents

Most teenagers know the ongoing rivalry with parents. High school is a time when students start driving, become legal adults, and some start dating. All of these can cause tension between parents and kids, especially since we always think we are right.

Langmack said, “In a way, I think it’s only natural for students to start being slightly rebellious during their high school years. With parents, they’ve spent seventeen years molding you who they would like you to be. Therefore, it’s only natural for friction to occur.”

So, what happens when these stubborn birdies leave the nest? Total freedom in college, right? Well, the truth is being parentless maybe is not always what it’s talked up to be.

Langmack said, “While you’re [at home], enjoy the perks. Free food, free Wi-Fi, a room to yourself, and people who love and care for you.”

Parents, although they may seem cruel and frustrating, are only looking out for their precious children.

Rosinki said, “They love us and want the best for us. Looking back, a lot of the rules I had while in high school were really for my own good, I just didn’t see that until I was older.”

Gahagan agreed and said, “Listen to your parents. You probably will not agree with them, but soon you will not have their guidance. You will not have a parent to remind you to go to bed at a certain time, or to do your homework.

Your parents really do have your best interest at heart.”

After high school, there is time to be friends with your parents, but while one still lives under the same roof, the best decision is to respect and obey them.

Langmack said, “After I left high school I found my parents were more my equals in a way.”

“A lot of the rules I had while in high school were really for my own good, I just didn’t see that until I was older.”

Relationships/ Friendships High school relationships seem to be frequent and inconsistent; however, there are those few sweethearts that remain together throughout all of high school. College, on the other hand, is a completely new playing field, and some relationships do not make it past first semester.

Gahagan said, “Just as high school ends, so do relationships. There is nothing wrong with wanting to stay with your boyfriend/girlfriend but do not plan your life around them. Most likely you will break up.”

In high school, teenagers are still very young and many people grow up in the few years after.

Wilkerson said, “People change. I would recommend all the young couples to be mindful of that and just realize neither of you truly know who you are.”

However, high school relationships are not black and white.

Langmack said, “To say that couples should or shouldn’t breakup after high school is a generalization. What’s right for one person may not be the same for another person.”

Friendships on the other hand are a little trickier. With no romantic connections involved, maybe it is easier to drift away from the people one once called his/her best friends.

Wilkerson said, “The reality is, almost all of the people you know in high school will no longer be in your life once you graduate. People go to different schools, mature in different ways, and have different plans for their lives.”

Gahagan said, “It’s hard to maintain friendships when you never see the person. For most of your friends, you probably will not see them until your class reunion.”

Distance can also be a major factor.

Rosinski said, “Your friend group is going to get broken up distance wise. The friends you are used to seeing every day become friends you see maybe once a month.”

“There is nothing wrong with wanting to stay with wanting to stay with your boyfriend/ girlfriend, but do not plan your life around them.”

[January/February] 2015

Grades

To some students the most important aspect of high school is grades.

These students strive for all A’s, the highest ACT score possible, and cram their schedule with AP courses. However, do students put too much pressure on themselves to achieve academic perfection? The answer is surprisingly yes. Although getting good grades is important, so is making friends, finding your true interests and hobbies, and figuring out what one wants with his/her future.

Langmack said, “If you are paying all of this money to go to school to get a degree, you want to do well. However, social life and relationships are important as well.”

Rosinski said, “For those who take high school too seriously, it’s easy to miss the great moments of life by thinking of the future all the time.”

A grade is just a letter; what really matters is how one uses the skills that come with obtaining a “good grade.”

Gahagan said, “After you get admitted into college, the most important thing is that you know how to study. Getting a B or C in a class does not mean you are dumb and a bad grade will not be the end of your high school career.”

Wilkerson agreed and said, “I can’t stress enough how important it is to set a foundation for a good work ethic that will carry over into other obstacles or challenges you will face later in life.”

Unless one is looking to go to an Ivy League school, one C is not going to destroy the chances of getting into college.

Rosinski said, “It’s not that your high school GPA follows you through college, or into the job market, but it opens and closes doors to being admitted to college.”

Essentially, creating good memories should be an assignment on every student’s syllabus. Rosinski said, “No one remembers each assignment or the long nights of studying, but they do remember prom, homecoming, and the football and basketball games.”

“Getting a B or C in a class does not mean you are dumb and a bad grade will not be the end of your high school career.”

22 [Editorial

Satire Taken Too Far?

The United States and France Faced with the Problems that Come with Freedom of Speech Alexa Buechler// Staff Writer

S

ony Corporation cancelled The Interview’s release because the movie satirized North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong Un. The terrorist group, Guardians of Peace, threatened any movie theatres that decided to show the movie on the big screen.

Two extremist Muslims shot and killed twelve people and injured even more at a French newspaper office. The newspaper, Charlie Hebdo drew political cartoons mocking the Muslim religious figure the Prophet Muhammad. Charlie Hebdo became well known for their cartoons, satirical articles, and jokes mocking everything from religion to political parties, similar to the United States’ online newspaper The Onion.

But, should people push the boundaries of this freedom if they risk their lives? Should they push their freedom if people consider the satire hateful?

Both the United States and France display pride in their freedom of speech and press in their individual constitutions.

French teacher, Vicki Swetz displaying her support with a ‘Je suis Charlie’ sign.

AMC Entertainment and Cinemark Theatres decided to post- Courtesy of KSHB Action News pone the release date of The Interview. When Sony gave theatres people, consumerism or people who are attached to their devices all the the opportunity to drop out, many theatres took the liberty of doing so. time. You’ll find their satire is on pretty much everything,” said Swetz.

Degrading publicity came from both sides. Some believed the movie should Swetz also said, “I don’t think their new one went too far because their not have been aired at all and new one is a very gentle image, but in the past they’ve done some things I’m should have been cancelled in uncomfortable with, but I defend their right to do it.” all theatres.

The newspaper that came out on January 14, 2015— after the shooting— Junior Lauren Bishop said, “I pictured Mohammed yet again. The picture demonstrated Mohammed thought the movie was comical crying with a sign saying “Je suis Charlie.” The title of “Tout est pardonné,” and ironic, but in some ways or “All is forgiven.” more than others, they dragged “It’s not a magazine that expresses the way I would express my opinions it out too far. Although, I feel of things. They’re really pretty vulgar sometimes, but they’re definitely doing like [the movie theatre threat] it in humor,” said Swetz. was empty, and if you are “I think as long as you’re not targeting one population, as long as you’re looking for an easy-to-follow, not a hate magazine, a magazine written by some member by the Ku Klux comical movie, The Interview is Klan, and all they do is target one thing all the time. That I have a problem a suitable choice to consider.”

Courtesy of USA Today with, and to me that is hate speech. This is a little bit different. This is point For Charlie Hebdo, instead of simmering away as no big deal, hundreds of political cartoons started to ap- ing out the weaknesses or the silliness. They go far.”

The French’s march for freedom took place in Place de la Republique. pear from not only France, but Spanish and English-speaking countries as “It was named after the revolution for the fact that they were a republic well. All of these cartoons demonstrate the anger toward the two extremist Muslim brothers Chérif and Said Kouachi who obstructed the French’s free- and not a monarchy anymore, so in a way, it’s to commemorate freedom. It wouldn’t surprise me if other [marches] were held there too,” said Swetz dom of press. The two brothers went to the newspaper office with the intent Gun violence doesn’t typically occur because the French don’t have the of stopping the obscenities, but instead, Charlie Hebdo came back stronger right to bear arms. The French took a national day off to mourn because of than ever and with the French population to back them up. this rare tragedy.

“The press plays a huge part [in their culture]. It plays a bigger part in Swetz also said,“It’s not just France. It’s all of Europe. They have kind of a French culture than it does here. For example, the printed press is still very, very vibrant press of satire that we don’t very alive and the people buy papers on a daily basis, more than they do even have. Mad Magazine is the biggest here. In any city in France every couple of blocks there would be a newspapress magazine of satire that we have and per stand with newspapers and magazines,” said Madame Vicki Swetz, OE it’s pretty gentle.”

French teacher.

The Interview and Charlie Hebdo dif She also said, “It’s not that freedom of the press there is more important ferentiate because The Interview mocks than freedom of the press here, they just have a more vibrant printed press.

Kim Jong Un for the laughs of teenagers It’s more obvious.” and make millions of dollars and Charlie In comparison to the United States’ situation with The Interview, the Hebdo creates their cartoons to express French take their freedom more seriously. themselves and utilize their freedom of “That magazine, Charlie Hebdo, goes way farther than I’m ever comfortpress. able with. It’s not a magazine that I share the opinions of. I just feel that they have the right to do the satire that they wanted to do as long as they’re satirizing all aspects of society. They’re not targeting one aspect of society.

Courtesy of NY Times You could find them of other governments, of our government and of just

[January/February] 2015

Jordan Meier//Staff Writer

I

Why DoT ee

t started out as a one-time thing with your friends. One beer on one Saturday night—you thought you would be done. Then you started casually drinking once or twice a month and before you knew it, you are waking up almost every Sunday morning with “the world’s worst hangover.”

Teenage alcoholism is a major problem in the United States, and has been for many decades.

Studies done at numerous health organizations around the country have found that alcohol happens to be the most commonly used and abused drug among teenagers. But what makes alcohol so appealing? Is it the easy access, or the fact that alcohol can let your “fun” side loose that attracts teenagers like moths to a flame? Psychologists have been trying to pin point the answer to that question for years, and yet seems to remain unanswered.

“I think part of it is the excitement of a new experience, a new feeling and just thrill seeking,” Olathe East’s psychologist Roger Pitts said.

Some teenagers believe that drinking is a right of passage in high school to try alcohol, despite the fact that it is against the law. Teenagers want to try alcohol for the experience and the momentary thrill it causes. Students of Olathe East are no exception to this idea of thrill seeking, as 82% of students who took a survey on their personal experience with underage drinking said that when they drink they do so for fun or for the thrill.

“There is [also] a social component that I think comes into play when people feel like to be a part of a group they have to participate in everything the group is doing,” Pitts said.

Social pressures heavily influence teens to drink, whether that pressure comes from older siblings, a group of potential friends, or media influence.

Some teenagers are so desperate to fit in that in dire situations they will do almost anything to look cool in front of their peers, including taking a risk and breaking the law.

Alcohol also seems to be an effective way to forget your problems for a little while, which may be part of the appeal. Drinking will alleviate your stress and remove all the drama from your life until you sober up and those problems are still there, maybe even made worse by the alcohol. It is natural to try and run away from your problems, but for some people alcohol is the only way they can run.

“Alcohol is a depressant, so a lot of times kids are trying to, knowingly or not knowingly, self-medicate, and a lot of times that only tends to intensify the problem,” Pitts said.

When it comes to underage drinking, most of the time, the immediate thought is that teenagers drink because they think drinking makes them cooler. In reality, though, students don’t just drink to look cool, they drink for the thrill; they drink because they think they have to in order to fit in; they drink to forget about their problems.

Teenage alcoholism continues to be a major problem in our country and will remain an issue until we start a movement to fix it. This problem is fixable, but the solution starts with us.

na

ge rs Drink ?

An Expected Answer to a Commonly Asked Question

Underage Drinking By the Numbers

10.8 Million

The number of teens in the US who drink.

11.4%

The percentage of all alcohol

consumption in the United states that is consumed by people under the age of 21.

4,700

The number of people who

were killed in 2013 due to underage drinking accidents.

24 [Entertainment] Seeds Become a Tree

A review of Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper

T

Brock Holmes // Senior Staff Writer

he psychedelic-pop scene has changed drastically in Panda Bear’s absence. Following the release of 2011s Tomboy and the massive critical success of Animal Collective’s Merriweather Post Pavilion, Animal Collective, Panda Bear’s main band, put out the less-than-stellar Centipede Hz in 2012. With the lukewarm reaction in Panda Bear’s recent work, Tame Impala was able to claim the psych-pop throne with little effort. So, when it was announced that Noah Lennox would drop another record under the Panda Bear moniker, most publications became ecstatic, and some skeptical.

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper perfectly showcases the strengths and weaknesses of Panda Bear’s songwriting. It begins with a beautifully synthetic lead in on “Sequential Circuits” and the ebbs and flows demands the listener to remain engaged, where as the next song “Mr. Noah” dares the listener to continue.

“Sequential Circuits” lulls the listener into a pleasant trance, only to be interrupted by the synthesizer driven distortion of “Mr. Noah.”

Another reason to dislike the track, and occasionally, the album as a whole, is the combination of powerhouse lyrics and indistinguishable vocals. Lyrics like, “Don’t want to get out of bed / unless he feels like it’s justified” exposes Noah’s knack for stimulating lyrics. They would pack a harder punch, however, if Google wasn’t necessary to understand them.

The album regains its momentum with the next two tracks. “Crosswords” and “Butcher Baker Candlestick Maker” return to the sugary rhythm of “Sequential Circuits”, but adds enticing but subtle synths.

Grim Reaper makes its greatest impressions when distortion takes a backseat to ambient bliss. On tracks like the sophomore single, “Boys Latin,” the abrasive synth gets overtaken by the mesmerizing self-harmonization and rare sing along chorus. The gems of this album come from vocal driven tracks in which Lennox can boast his natural talent for creating a melody. On “Tropic of Cancer” and “Lonely Wanderer”, Panda Bear leads the songs in with a gorgeous harp chord, and proceeds to add the most melodic set of harmonies on the entire record. This one-two punch delivers the symphonic cornerstone of the album.

The final three tracks on this album reveal the more experimental side of Noah Lennox. Panda Bear expressed his influence of 90’s hip-hop on this record, and nowhere on the album does it show more than on the danceable “Principe Real.” While this song bounces with charismatic swagger, the following song, “Selfish Gene,” replaces the energy of the previous song with a mood that neither intrigues nor stimulates. Within the context of the album, this song comes off as bland, despite the atmospheric vocals.

The album reaches its conclusion with “Acid Wash,” a song that begins with gospel-like choruses, and ends with dense electronic outbursts and fades away with a tempo that resembles soldiers marching into battle.

Panda Bear Meets the Grim Reaper was supposed to act as a revival for the career of Noah Lennox. Although the transitions between tracks could be a bit more fluent, Noah Lennox creates lush soundscapes with complimentary vocals. Although each track develops its own tone, the work as a whole fits into a very pleasant niche. Grim Reaper provides its greatest melodies when it finds harmony between experimental grandiosity and restraint. Though frustrating on occasion, it leaves its audience fulfilled and acts as a proper catharsis.

Is this album the groundbreaker that Merriweather Post Pavilion was?

Not quite. Does Grim Reaper reclaim the throne for Noah Lennox? No. What the record does is capture the listener’s attention, and hold it hostage for the 51-minute running time.

[January/February] 2015

1. Birdman

The 10 Best Films of 2014 The Ten Standout Cinema Experiences of Last Year

The film of 2014 is Birdman. A breathtaking, one-of-a-kind masterpiece in every area of production, this elegant meditation on the show business blurs the line between art and reality and features mind-blowing cinematography, amazing acting from an unbelievable cast, and magnificent direction from Alejandro González Iñárritu. A cinematic tour-de-force so unique, so intelligent – so perfect – that it will be remembered years from now as one of the great films our time had to offer.

Gavin Miller//Staff Writer

2. Boyhood

Richard Linklater’s Boyhood is the most talked about filmmaking achievement of 2014 –filmed over 12 years following the same cast of actors as they, and their characters, grow up. This must-see is just as moving and genuine of a story as it is ambitious and impressive as an accomplishment.

More so than possibly any film to come before, Boyhood is about life. The resounding theme of the piece is that life is not about the monumental moments, but those that come in between.

Boyhood

Nightcrawler

Under the Skin

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Birdman

Gone Girl

3. The Grand Budapest Hotel

Quite possibly Wes Anderson’s finest yet, The Grand Budapest Hotel combines the director’s visual creativity and sense of humor with a mature story and no shortage of interesting characters. Ralph Fiennes’ turn in the lead role is one of the very funniest, best performances of 2014, and combined with the purely Andersonian color palette and storytelling, makes for an irresistible confection.

4. The Zero Theorem

Terry Gilliam’s The Zero Theorem – a return to form for the director, and one of his most memorable and visually extravagant films to date. The meaty intellectual themes of the film muse on the future, the governement and how technology has changed our lifestyle. This is a fascinating, visually sublime cinematic concoction, and compellingly arbitrary science-fiction cinema.

5. Under the Skin

One of the most analyzed and puzzled over films of last year, Under the Skin is an intoxicating, unshakable experience and a wholly unique piece which features Scarlett Johansson tapping into unprecedented depths in a brave performance. Shocking and always bizarre, Under the Skin is a commenable act of filmmaking and a disturbingly presented statement on superficial human perceptions of beauty.

6. Goodbye to Language

“I didn’t see a finer film than Tusk last year.”

-Junior Trysten Daum

7. Whiplash

“Godzilla was the best movie of 2014.”

-Junior Dominic Arnone

8. Tusk

“Theory of Everything is my everything.”

-Junior Annie Colwell

Jean-Luc Godard, king of French cinema, has returned to redefine art cinema for the second time in his career with Goodbye to Language 3D – an experimental, free-form explosion of philosphy with no narrative, structure or plot.

The most stunningly intense film experience of the year came in the form of Whiplash. This psychologically visceral movie about drumming and the inception of great music could be accurately subtitled “Blood, Sweat, and Tears”.

Kevin Smith’s latest, the indescribly bizarre Tusk, is a horror comedy about a man who is physically and mentally transformed into a walrus by a Canada-dwelling psychopath. A love-it or hate-it movie for sure, but undeniably original, this is the most out-there movie of 2014.

9. Nightcrawler

Jake Gyllenhaal gives the performance of his career as the entrepreneurial sociopath Louis Bloom in this darkly funny, wildly compelling critque of the American dream and capatalism.

10. Gone Girl

Gone Girl is an intriguing crime mystery with big themes on its mind.

Essentially an examination of the frightening psychological aspects of marriage and love, the impeccable production of the film along with the electrifying performance of Rosamund Pike makes for a pitch black, disturbing thrill.

Honorable Mentions Selma Enemy Godzilla The Babadook Lucy Interstellar

26 [Entertainment]

Jacob Stofer//Staff Writer

M

any things have come and gone. Many different hobbies from the past have returned, and have helped this generation embrace them. Here are a few that are making their comeback into American entertainment in the 21st century.

In this generation, iTunes and Spotify have been the dominant way of how people listen to music. However, another way is making its big comeback into American pop culture. Vinyl. Vinyl was the only way people could listen to music before 1991, when the digital CD became the dominant way to listen to music, and vinyl saw a decline in sales from 1988 to 1991. Heading into the 21st century, vinyl was still being produced and sold.

The Black Keys, an American garage and blues rock band from Akron, Ohio, is an example of a band that still releases their albums on Vinyl. Another example is former White Stripes front man Jack White.

With the high demand, there are very few vinyl pressing plants in the United States. One pressing plant is in Salina, Kansas, called Quality record Pressings. Only 16 vinyl pressing plants are left in the USA. Many Olathe East teachers owned vinyl when they where young.

“At the time, it was the best sound. It was better than 8-tracks or cassettes.

I liked how big they were, the cover art. My first album was Glass Houses

by Billy Joel. I used the album covers to decorate my wall,” said Olathe East English teacher Keith Larkin.

Every year on the third Saturday of April, vinyl fans observe a holiday by the name of Record Store Day, where vinyl stores and fans celebrate the culture of the independently owned record stores around the world. From March 1973 to October 1988, Pink Floyd’s Dark Side Of The Moon was on the Billboard’s Top 200 for 736 weeks. If you are wondering how long 763 weeks is, that times out to 14.1057 years, 169.269 months, and 5152 days. To this day it is the longest album on the charts. No record will ever come close to it. With the industry rising at a fast rate, vinyl will replace compact discs,

and Internet music as the dominant way to listen to music.

The only way that Americans used to watch was through television. Now people are moving into an electronic age, where people can watch TV on their tablets, phones, and computers. Many shows have been revived to be played online and on demand. Shows like the ABC Cult series, Twin Peaks will make its return to TV after 25 years in 2016 on Showtime for a limited time only, for a run of nine episodes.

“It was so eerie, and the music, you never know if the characters are good or bad; everyone acted suspicious,” said Mary Ann Davenport. Many other shows, like Friends and That 70’s Show, are making there way on to Netflix, where fans can watch their favorite shows over and over again.

For decades, the entertainment industry has been the driving force to where people can watch movies and TV shows. Many movies, such as the Star Wars series and the Jurassic Park Films will see new movies in their respecful film series in the next few years.

“I think it is going to be awesome, with all the new special effects. Hopefully they do better than The Last Air Bender,” said Ethan Hunt, senior.

Other movies, such as Titanic, which was released in 1997, but rereleased in 3D 15 years later in 2012, took in $343,550,770 in the United States and international, the highest rereleased movie in history. The Pixar classics Toy Story and Toy Story 2, released in 1995 and 1999, respectfully saw its 3D releases in Disney Digital 3-D in 2009. In 2017, Toy Story 4 will be released.

Therefore, the Pixar fans out there will have to wait two more years to see the next movie in Pixar’s beloved film series. Other pixar films series, like Finding Nemo will see its sequel to the 2003 orignal film, intitled Finding Dory will be released on June 17, 2016 and Cars 3, the third installment to the Cars series will be released in the near future.

With all of these trends coming back into style, other American trends will catch on and once again become more popular than they have ever been before.

“At the time, it was the best sound.”

-Keith Larkin

That 70’s show cast Courtesy of fanpop.com

Freinds Logo and Cast Courtesy of proprofs.com

Star Wars the Force Awakens Courtesy of Imbd.com

[January/February] 2015

How Basic Are You?

Amy Du//Business Manager

A Plague That Has Infected the Youth With Over-Priced Coffee and Unintentional “Twinning”

Ba·sic /bāsik/ (adj.)

1. Forming an essential foundation or starting point; fundamental. offering or consisting in the minimum required without elaboration or luxury; simplest or lowest in level.

Ex.”basic and unsophisticated resorts” Synonyms: plain, simple, unsophisticated, adequate; Moreunadorned, undecorated, unornamented, without frills; spartan, stark, austere, limited, meager, rudimentary, patchy, sketchy, minimal; homespun, meat-and-potatoes, bread-and-butter; rough, rough and ready, crude, makeshift

More than 15: Basically, You’re Basic

You own a “Keep Calm and ____” shirt You feel inspired by Marilyn Monroe You follow astrology You love Lauren Conrad You adore brunch At least 100 hours of your life has been dedicated to Netflix Half of those hours went into Pretty Little Liars You own seasonal candles You quote “Mean Girls” all the time You really do keep up with the Kardashians You are on a constant quest to find mason jars You own monogram everything You consider your style “soft grunge” You own a pair of white Converse You like to “detox” You own a pair of Uggs They’re pink or covered in sequins Chipotle is your liiiiife You listen to Taylor Swift Taylor Swift is your IDOL You’re obsessed with Paris You have a wedding board on Pintrest You refuse to drink any other coffee other than Starbucks You use the word literally, literally all the time Bae is a common word in your vocabulary On Tumblr, you say, “I’ll never not reblog this.”

More than 10: Pre- Basic

You’re a borderline basic! You are Don’t let haters get you down! up to date with all of the recent From the latest fashion to the trends, yet you still know how highest trending hash tags, you’re to have fun with not-so-popular always on top of it. Like. Literally. activities. You might still get abEven though you might prefer something more basic, make sure normally excited when you receive Starbucks gift cards, but you could you always consider a variety of options in your life. You just might also care less about wearing pink on Wednesdays. like it.

More than five:

Less than five:

In Denial

Totally Unique

The idea of basic disgusts you, but you still have basic qualities.

Just because someone considered basic eats Chipotle doesn’t mean you should stop eating Chipotle.

Enjoy the best of both worlds.

You took this quiz fully aware that you’re the total opposite of basic!

Maybe you only took it to show your friends how unique and hipster you can be. Now, don’t go hating on pop culture just because you prefer your coffee black. Sometimes it’s nice to take interest in the newest trends.

ON THE FLIPSIDE Calendar Thursday January 29-Saturday January 31 7:30pm (Fri & Sat), 2:00pm (Sun) Winter Mainstage Play: Catch Me If You Can in Auditorium

Teacher Trivia

Tuesday February 3 7:00pm: OE Area Band Concert in Main Gym

Thursday February 5 7:00pm: Orchestra Concert in Auditorium

Thursday Febuary 12 & Friday February 13 No School: Parent-Teacher Conferences

Top 5 Snow Day Activities 1. Sleep In 2. Watch Netflix 3. Go Sledding 4. Drink Hot Cocoa 5. Snowball Fight

Which Olathe East teacher has co-written on the show NUMB3ERS? Last Issue’s answer:

Mrs. Swyers’ father ran for president.

Notification Statement of Non-discrimination: The Olathe Public Schools prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability in its programs, activities or employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups to its facilities as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and other relevant state and federal laws. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable civil rights statutes related to ethnicity, gender, age discrimination or equal access may be directed to Staff Counsel, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913-780-7000. All inquiries regarding compliance with applicable statutes regarding Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act may be directed to the Assistant Superintendent General Administration, 14160 Black Bob Rd. Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone (913) 780-7000. Interested persons including those with impaired vision or hearing, can also obtain information as to the existence and location of services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by disabled persons by calling the Assistant Superintendent General Administration. (04/13)