Vol. 21 Issue 4

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The Olathe East

Volume 21 Issue 4

4 ge Pa

Getting Splattered at the Color Run

November at Olathe East Gets Hairy

A Review and a Preview of OE Sports

Analysis of the Year’s Hottest Video Games

Page 5

Pages 10 and 11

Page 16

Ta Co b nt le o en f ts

HAWK S EYE Cover Courtesy of Paige Schick

News

Service Opportunities .....................................................................3

By Kelsey Knecht

Band Champions................................................................................3

By Laurent Hart

Color Run..............................................................................................4

By Pagie Schick

See page 4

Hawk-a-Palooza...................................................................................4

By Brianne Grudek

Feature

No Shave November..........................................................................5

By Aaron Rhodes

What Would You Do?........................................................................6

By Courtney Child

Team Huddle Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Thanksgiving Foods...........................................................................7

By Lauren Heinrich

Violence in Media...............................................................................8

By Jordan Meier and Austin Porter

See page 9

Sports

Cross Fit.................................................................................................9

By Kellan Richards

Fall/Winter Sports..................................................................10 & 11

By Logan Brockschmidt and Matt Gwin

Editorial

Issue of the Issue: Money..............................................................12

By Maddy Branstetter

Technology Overload.....................................................................13

Overhead Lift Courtesy of Google

By Sean Fiore

Things We Take for Granted.........................................................14

By Lauren Merino

Black Friday Stories..........................................................................15

See page 17

By Katie Thompson

ENTERTAINMENT

Wii U....................................................................................................16

By Joseph Bush

Halo 4..................................................................................................16

By Peter Hung

Play Review........................................................................................17

By Callie Boyce Bond in Action Courtesy of Google

Skyfall Review...................................................................................17

By Sean Murray

NEWS

Vol 21 | Iss 04

NHS Service Opportunities Great places to get those service hours out of the way

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ational Honor Society’s new batch of inductees feel quite smart for getting in when they get the news that they must complete 25 service hours before April to actually get inducted. Here inductees can find the answers and tips about where to serve and can be done with the hours in no time.

Hope Faith is located in Kansas City, Missouri and is a nonprofit, non denominational ministry that serves the needs of the homeless and the less fortunate. The volunteer hours are Monday through Saturday, and people interested can come at anytime in the day.

Volunteers can help in specific areas of the ministry, such as cooking in the kitchen, helping the less fortunate shop in the clothing storage space, do nails and hair in the salon, or provide musical entertainment for the people while they eat. To sign up for volunteering, contact Hope Faith at info@hopefaithministries.org.

Wayside Waifs is a shelter for homeless pets. They offer a Teen Service Program for students looking to complete hours.

Applicants must have a group of four to ten people, and must be sixteen or older. Volunteers can either work four hours a

Kelsey Knecht//Staff Writer

day for one week, or once a week for five weeks. To contact Wayside, go to www.waysidewaifs.org and fill out the teen service program inquiry.

For those applicants who like to perform, luck is on your side. NHS allows members to count any kind of show that they are not paid for as service. Rehearsals for the shows don’t count, but the actual performances do. Any kind of dance or theatre works for service hours from the shows performed in.

Also, technical crews of shows can get service hours for helping with the performances. Inductees should use what they love to their advantage, and earn their stripes along the way.

Sure, these hours may seem unattainable to some. But if you just look around, you’ll find there are a multitude of service opportunities exist. Whether it be working with pets, serving the less fortunate, helping out at church, or even mowing a neighbor’s lawn, your hours will start coming together if you just give it a shot. The NHS hours are mandatory because the sponsors are trying to help inductees see that service can be uplifting, and that the world doesn’t revolve around Johnson County.

Orange and Blue Champions Marching band takes home the Grand Championship

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he “blue hour” begins between sun- ing the show takes about six months. A set and complete darkness when the writer puts together the sheet music for the sky turns deep shades of blue. Music players and the students are able to pracbegins to fill the air and the Orange and tice over the summer.

Blue Brigade starts marching.

When Jeff Smikahl, director of Orange and Blue Brigade bands, found out that his band Courtesy of Jeff Smikahl was getting new uniforms, he decided to also update the name of the marching band to the “Orange and Blue Birgade.” Going along with the new uniforms, he thought of making the new field show a blue theme. “I was looking for pieces that had the words blue in the title,” Smikahl said. Some of the selections include Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” and Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo Ala Turk”.

The field show, made up of three On October 16, the Orange and Blue different movements, has several pieces Brigade received Outstanding Percussion, of small selections from a piece of music. first in the 5A division, and the Grand Smikahl started picking out the music for Championship at the Missouri State comthis year’s show last November. Design- petition. Drill team received a 96 out of

Lauren Hart// Staff Writer

100, placing them two points behind the first place team. Just four days later, at the Heart of America Marching Festival, they won Outstanding Marching Execution, Outstanding Percussion, Outstanding Color Guard and second place in the Class Class 1 division.

Band camp takes place for two solid weeks in July. Students work through the blazing heat of summer to put this show together. Cathy Alcorn, Drill Team director, said, “The hardest part of putting the show together was cleaning the sets and making everything precise. It is difficult to control everything. ” The students’ dedication throughout the summer and arriving at 7 a.m. every morning helped contribute to their Grand Championship Win, something that has never been accomplished at East before now.

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 03

NEWS

A Dash of Color Olathe East’s first ever Color Run

O

Paige Schick//Staff Writer

ne and a half miles, four color sections, 100 runners, and a whole bunch of fun is what students experienced during the first ever Olathe East Color Run, sponsored by the Future Business Leaders Association (FBLA).

FBLA is a club for students interested in anything revolving around business. “The money raised will go to entry fees. It’s so expensive to be in FBLA. To allow all students to be in the club, I don’t feel like it’s fair to put financial burden on them,” stated Shanna Evans, club advisor. Students are encouraged to participate in FBLA to discover more about business and get practice for future business relations. Evans explained, “If you’re going to major in business and are eventually going to compete in events, it’s a great way to get exposure and meet people.”

Participants ran through bursts of colors including red, orange, yellow, and blue. Sophomore Ryan Fischer stated, “The experience was legend--wait for it--dary!” Jacob Bolli, sophomore, replied, “What he said.” Senior Makenzie Greeley also commented, “It was super-duper fun!” The run was very successful, raising a substantial amount of money for FBLA and providing much fun for students.

Olathe East color runners Courtesy of Paige Schick

Hawk-A-Poolaza

Brianne Grudek//Staff Writer

Students help raise money for the canned food drive

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awk-A-Poolaza is a fitting name for a week of tournaments between staff and students. The games began on November 5, kicking off this week of festivities with the volleyball tournament. Seven to eight groups of students worked together to create teams to compete against the staff to win gift cards to local restaurants. Each team donated ten dollars to participate and the money went to the canned food drive.

Team TGOD which consisted of Rebekah Gurka, Justin Matthews, Joel Larkins, Caelan Neal, Quynton Barnes, Erik Johnson, and Michaela Alexander capThe Sand Huskies tured the win for the students in volleyball Courtesy of Alex Starr tournament by beating out fellow students and faculty. “Spiking the ball into the teachers’ faces was the best part of the tournament,” stated senior Rebekah Gurka.

The Sand Huskies dominated the dodgeball tournament, which was the second part of Hawk-A-Poolaza. Sophomore Vinny Sis-

04 | THE HAWK’S EYE

illo said, “Winning the whole thing, being with friends, beating the seniors and getting dressed up by wearing jerseys were the highlights of the game.” In addition Sisillo commented, “Chad Thomas was our MVP with his great throws.” The Sand Huskies consisted of Chad Thomas, Vin Sisillo, Andres Cooper, Adam Thies, Ezra Talbert, Ryan Dickerson, Alex Starr and Seth Eaton.

One of the other activities involved in Hawk-A-Poolaza is the Mr. Hawk contest.

“Mr. Hawk is a scholarship opportunity for males to display their other talents instead of just being known as another pretty face while helping the school raise money for the canned food drive,” stated history teacher Nathaniel Thuston.

Mr. Hawk debuts on November 15.

“Come out and support fellow students and encourage them to shine in this evening of stars,” Thuston added.

FEATURE

Vol 21 | Iss 04

50 Shaves Of Gray

Students hate/embrace No Shave November

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Aaron Rhodes//Publicity Manager

ovember can end up being strange in high schools.

Back in the 1990’s people dubbed November as “No Shave November” and the tradition began. The title is self-explanatory. Those who choose to participate don’t shave their bodies for the whole month of November. Participants end up with beards, moustaches, and hair in other places people might usually be shaving. While some people end up with a scruffy goatee and some hair above their lip, others find that they’re capable of growing a full-on beard

and looking stylish with it.

Along with No Shave November comes the charity organization Movember. Since 2004 the Movember team has raised awareness for prostate cancer and other mens health issues by encouraging guys to grow mustaches as “mo bros.” The organization has partnered with LIVESTRONG Foundation and the Prostate Cancer Foundation to raise money through their website. It’s a great cause so be sure to check out their website at Movember.com.

“No Shave Novemb er is an interesting time of the year. Fo those men who ca r n grow a legitimate beard, this month is a fantastic excuse to avoid any Gillette products during your morning routi ne. For those men who are still growing peach fuzz, mayb e one more year of maturity is at stake personally do not .I take part in No Sh ave November sim because I’m stuck ply in the latter clause.

However, since the original purpose of No Shave Novemb er is to raise awar ness of Men’s Healt eh, its a wonder ful ca use under whateve circumstances. In the r end, it’s all your ch oice!”

-Luke Harbur, junior “I don’t shave anyw ay.”

-Chris Mar tin, junior “It ’s nasty, it’s itchy . If you’re going to do No Shave November, at least sh ave your face. Girls shouldn’t participate.”

-Roman Minard, so phomore “I think its an inter esting tradition. In my opinion it is amusing to see tee nage boys try to gr ow beards and what not but only a few pull it of f, the rest just look funny, but at least they try.”

-Cour tney Claxton, senior “No Shave Novemb er is fun for guys, but what about the girls that want to participate? It’s one of those unfair double standards.

Guys can go an en tire month without shaving, but if a gir l accepted the chall enge, they’re “disgusting.” I think it’s funny to watch all of the guys attempt to show of f their masculanity.

Especially when they fail.”

-Janelle Dotson, jun ior “I think No Shave November is a cool thing and a interesting tradition, ca use it gives teenage boys a chance to attempt to grow a beard and not have to worry about shaving the whole month of November, which can be sweet for some gu ys but for others no t so much but hey least they tried rig ht which is what re ally counts.”

-Dorran Wehr, junior

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 05

FEATURE

What Would You Do? Students react to dire situations

Courtney Child//Staff Writer

Fight or flight instinct reveals a person’s inner, initial reaction of a situation. According to The Body Soul Connection, when humans experience acute stress, it triggers this ‘fight or flight’ response. Harvard physiologist Walter Cannon discovered the reaction and found that this protects us from bodily harm. The response corresponds with an area of the brain that, when stimulated, creates a sequence of nerve cell firing and chemical release that prepares our body for fighting or fleeing. Which situations do people act in, and why? The Hawk’s Eye randomly polled seven of Olathe East’s own to see what they would do in these scenarios.

If you were kidnapped? One said that she would make the situation mirror the movie Taken, or tell Siri, the helpful application on the new iPhones, to get her out. One said that she would go with the kidnapper and be very compliant. She would talk a lot, and maybe sing. Another decided that he would simply let it happen, and if they find him, they find him. One replied that he would just try to escape and fight them. Another replied that he would try to take control of the car, attack his attacker, scream, and try to get away. Similarly, one decided that he would mess with the driver, trying to crash the car, or sigA girl being kidnapped Courtesy of Zack Neuman nal that he was in trouble out the window.

Lastly, one decided that he would kick his attacker repeatedly in the “guy area” if his attacker was a guy. If it were a girl, he would try to break one of her nails. If he was taken in a car, he would buckle up and rip the emergency brake.

If someone offered you drugs? All six polled for this question would decline, though one jokingly said that she would take them and resell them, but actually decline.

If you witnessed a fight? Out of the seven, three replied that they would whip out their phones to videotape it. Two decided that they would join in on the scuffle. One said she would simply watch, while another said that he would back them up if they were his friends, or get between them if he didn’t know the fighters.

If you knew someone used a fake ID? Three would ask where they could get one. Two replied that they would tell them not to use it because it’s wrong.

One would just let them handle it and another would report them.

If you saw a student smoking in school? Out of the six polled for this question, only one would join him or her.

Three would make him or her stop somehow, whether that be directly asking, blowing the cigarette out or taking it from them.

Only one replied that she would tell a teacher. Also coming in with one vote was that he would spray them with air freshener or something!

If you knew someone brought a weapon to school and planned on using it? Three chose to report it to a school official or teacher. One person chose to tell him or her to go home and also at one vote was to leave school and get out of there. Also with one vote was to warn everyone that he or she had a weapon.

If you saw someone shoplift? Two would tell an employee or manager, and another two would steal the shoplifted goods from the criminal.

One would tackle the shoplifter, and another one would choose not to mess with the situation because it’s not his business.

The Hawk’s Eye also asked what would make a person trustworthy, right off the bat. If they had just been introduced to them, what characteristics or actions would make that person come across as one they can trust? One decided that a person can’t base that off of looks. Three replied that their clothes play a big role. Also, if their hair is clean, or if they look you in the eye and are friendly. One decided that the actions of this person help give him a good idea. One also stated that if the person is direct and seems real, they can be trusted.

So, what would YOU do?

06 | THE HAWK’S EYE

FEATURE

Vol 21 | Iss 04

Battle of Thanksgiving Traditions

Hawk’s Eye polled people on their favorite Thanksgiving traditions Lauren Heinrich//Staff Writer Even though no record exists of what exactly the Pilgrims feasted on, historians have a pretty good idea of what they might have eaten for the first Thanksgiving meal. That includes deer, lobster, seal and swans. Sounds pretty weird, right?

The most common food on the table today, however, is the turkey. Almost ninety percent of Americans consume it every year. That along with stuffing, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce and pumpkin pie creates the perfect filling and a satisfying Thanksgiving meal.

Other Thanksgiving traditions, besides the turkey, include volunteering in the community by serving free meals and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

‘Gobbling’ Turkey Facts

Turkeys have poor night vision In the U.S., about 280 million turkeys are sold for Thanksgiving celebrations Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be the national bird of the U.S. Turkeys have heart attacks The average American eats between 16 and 18 pounds of turkey each year

Number of People polled

Which do you prefer?

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 07

FEATURE

Crime Scene Infection Jordan Meier// Staff Writer Austin Porter//Staff Writer

The development of a criminal mind

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Criminal Plotting Courtesy of Zack Neumen

rime shows are always exciting all the way to when the Kyle Shaw. Shaw set off a bomb made out of fireworks, a plastic credits roll. Sometimes people need a break from come- bottle and electric tape outside a Starbucks in Upper East Side dies that dominate a good portion of the channels and New York City in 2009. Police said Shaw had planned to start his just need to watch some super smart people solve murder cases. own “Project Mayhem” and replicate the plan created by Brad These shows are addicting as they usually air a new episode ev- Pitt’s character. In 2010 he pled guilty to attempted arson, or the ery week, grasping one’s attention for an hour out of their day. criminal act of deliberately setting fire to property, and attempted Jokingly people will say “I’ve watched CSI so many times I know criminal possession of a weapon, according to the New York Post. the best way to kill someone.” Of course we know they are just The teen was sentenced to three and a half years in prison and joking but are there people out there who don’t joke about it? five years of probation.

Is it possible that people take these shows seriously? What most Over the summer, the shooting at a Dark Knight Rises midnight people may not realize is that in this day and age the media showing even exuded signs of media inspiration. Although, 24affects Americans in more ways than imagined and crime shows year old James Holmes motives still remain a mystery, police remight not just be thought of as enterported that the criminal stated, “I am the Joker!”

“This country is still too dan- when he was arrested that early Friday morntainment anymore.

On May 1, 2011 a 10-year old boy gerous-The crime rate is still too ing. The massacre that took place at the Century shot his father in the head. Then he Theater in Aurora, Colorado has parallels to high. The level of violence we put 16 confessed to the police and was armore than one scene from Frank Millers 1986 rested. The child told the police that up with is still unacceptable.”

Batman comic book series “The Dark Knight Rehe didn’t think he would be punished -Bill Clinton turns.” The smoke bombs Holmes used in his misbecause of a Criminal Minds episode deeds mimicked the “smile gas” the Joker used that he had recently watched. In the episode, the boy explained to murder a television studio audience in an issue of the comic to the police a boy his age had killed his abusive father and book. Holmes also booby-trapped his apartment, which was a wasn’t arrested. Then later in an interview during the boy’s mur- known favored technique of the Joker. der trial he said, “A bad father did something to his kids and the Criminals can get their inspiration from anywhere and everykid did the exact thing I did he shot him. He told the truth and where. The media today plays a major part in this as violence is wasn’t arrested and the cops believed him. He wasn’t in trou- continually used to capture the intended target’s attention. People ble or anything. I thought the exact same thing would happen to don’t think about how diluted this can make peoples’ realities. me.” The boy, now 12, was charged with the death of his father, With the continuing increase of violence portrayed in TV and neo-Nazi leader Jeff Hall. movies it’s no wonder the crime rate in the United States slowly Not only television shows affect the criminal activity today, but increases. movies as well. The 1999 hit movie Fight Club inspired 17-year-old

08 | THE HAWK’S EYE

“

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SPORTS

Vol 21 | Iss 04

Crossfit “Forging Elite Fitness” in our hometown Kellan Richards//Staff Writer

Some members of Crossfit Olathe flex their muscles for a group photo Courtesy of Jesse Rosser

3, 2, 1, Go. As the weights start to shift, and the sweat starts to pour, the members at Crossfit Olathe begin racing against the clock to complete their grueling Workout Of the Day (WOD) or what they call “Sweaty and Sore.”

The 6,000 square foot warehouse that Crossfit Olathe calls home has nothing but the bare necessities, allowing its members to have nothing on their mind but the workout in front of them.

Jesse Rosser is the owner of Crossfit Olathe, which opened its doors just under six months ago in June. Rosser first got involved with Crossfit two years ago. After battling the boredom of a bench extensive, squat-less workout plan, Rosser’s friend introduced him to Crossfit. The results that he saw were promising, leading Rosser to joining Crossfit Lee’s Summit. When he dove deeper, Rosser discovered that the Crossfit “movements have integrity, and there is a science behind them.” Soon after Rosser got his level one Crossfit certification and began coaching at Crossfit Lee’s Summit, where he stayed until he opened up his own gym, Crossfit Olathe.

“Sustainable, effective, functional, fun, and social,” are the characteristics that Rosser believes separates Crossfit from all other workouts out there right now. Also this is why he believes that the Crossfit Community is growing so rapidly. That community itself, along with the fact that Crossfit works, will drive you to achieve the results desired. Another part of Crossfit that attracted Rosser was how it can be scaled to fit any fitness level. The basic WOD can be adjusted for beginners or altered so that every member finishes close to the same time. This makes it so the overweight, first time Crossfitter feels just as accomplished as the super-fit athlete by the time they finish the workout. Due to this, Crossfit Olathe has been able to take in people from many walks of life, including a 65-year-old stroke

survivor, who after just a few weeks of Crossfit workouts was able to get around without his cane once again.

A typical workout at Crossfit Olathe begins with a class run, or group warm up, then moving in to 20 to 30 minutes of skill/ strength focused movements. Moving forward they progress into talking about the sweaty and sore, going into how each movement is going to work and how much weight each individual should use. Then they start beginning the controlled chaos of competitors challenging themselves against the tick of the clock.

As they finish the community of participants turn around to encourage their fellow Crossfitters as they strive toward finishing the workout. “The last person to finish is our king for the day; they get the most out of their workout, the satisfaction of working hard plus the encouragement of those around them,” said Rosser.

This sense of community and the relationships developed are two of many reasons why Crossfit has taken the country by storm.

The Crossfit Games have been held every summer for the past five years, recently gaining traction after being televised nationally on ESPN. Reebok has even developed a Crossfit-geared clothing line, complete with shoes and shorts that have been formed to fit the needs of the Crossfit athletes. But Crossfit is more then a workout regimen; it goes deeper than that. The final goal of Crossfit is developing health, which means remolding your lifestyle to a more natural, raw state of living. Where the food is organic, hard work is valued, and health is the only form of prosperity that is yearned for.

Crossfit gyms are popping up all around the country, including several gyms here in Olathe, making it easy to hop right in and check out this innovative, honest, and effective lifestyle.

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 09

SPORTS

GIRLS CROSS COUNTRY

As the Lady Hawks flew back to the stage after winning their regional at Lone Elm Park, they had momentum on their side, but had no clue how they did due to the complex cross country scoring system. Freshman Allison Vermillion said“I was very shocked. I had faith in the team but we didn’t feel like we ran as well as we have run.” There was lots of hugging and screaming going around “We had to warm up together, do our pre-meet run together, and get focused together to be able to win,” stated senior Brenna McDannold. The seniors were able to win an additional state title, and the underclassmen were able to taste success.

While Brenna plans on continuing running at the Naval Academy, competing in both track and cross country, the returning Hawks are going to be trying to continue the dynasty that the seniors have been a large part of. There are the inspirational seniors, who are rooted in faith, those who run until they can’t any longer.They have trained at 6:00 am during the summers, enduring the screams of Coach Daniels.

They have been running in the heat, rain, up and down the hills of Greenwood St. and running park loops until they were gasping for air, and wanting them to end.

But when a state championship in their arms, they realize how the hard work has paid off.

Raise

GYMNASTICS

The Lady Hawks Gymnastics team was leaping back on the stage after a hard-fought meet at the Sunflower League Championships. The team spent the week leading up to the state meet working on new routines and attempting to add points to their routine. “When they first tell you to try a new routine, it almost seems impossible, and once you do the routine, it seems so easy,” stated freshman Darby Gertsema.

The team focused on helping each other and by helping each other, they were able to improve themselves. They came into the meet, and they sprang into action. With the entire team coming off strong, performing well on every aspect. Every athlete doing their event strong, with no falls off the beam for any of them.They fought injuries, and battled through sprained ankles. sprained knees and other pain to get the final prize. Many of these girls trained many hours a week, outside of school. They have gone through numerous ice packages, and it was all worth it. “I love the sport and all the things I have accomplished, the plan of competing in gymnastics in college is not in my plans,” said senior Allison Meads. The team is much like many athletes, going up with their best, against everyone else’s best.

They show off what all the training has accomplished.

the

Banners

Olathe East crowns two more state champions

Logan Brockschmidt// Staff Writer

As the fall sports season draws to a close, Olathe East has been proud to add two more state championship banners to the gym. With the girls cross country team racing up and down the hills of Rimrock Farm and claiming first place out of many of the best 6A teams in Kansas, winning by 11 points over Garden City. The gymnastics team was able to win state by flipping down and vaulting over Lawrence Free-State by 1.85 points for the title. These athletic achievements will now be perpetually shown on the Wall of Fame.

Girls XC team lifts the State trophy Courtesy of Riley Gay

Top Row from left to right: Coach Gunn, Coach Mason, Coach Daniels Middle Row from left to right: Emily LaRocco, Alie Carr, Amanda Sharp, Allison Vermillion, Natalie Kopplin, Kelsey Quiring, Coach Evans, Coach Bozarth Bottom Row from left to right: Jamie Dickerson, Brenna McDannold, Riley Gay, Jennifer Hale, Makenzie Greeley

10 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Girls Gymanastics team champs Courtesy of Dylan Klohr

Top row from left to right: Assistant Coach Mindy Flacks, Darby Gertsema, Cassidy King, Allison Meads, Ashley Kelly Bottom row from left to right: Mackenzie Hill, Erin Newkirk, Maddie Sanders, Shannon Sewell, Coach Julie Bayha

SPORTS

Vol 21 | Iss 04

Flirting with Forty

Matthew Gwin//Staff Writer

Five teams aim to bring OE its 40th State championship Men’s Basketball: After last season ended with a defeat at State to Wichita-Heights, the Hawks are hoping to soar even higher this year.

The team returns seniors Scott Brown and Kyle Smith, junior Ezra Talbert, and many talented others. OE opens at home with perennial power Blue Valley North, and will once again participate in the Hy-Vee Shootout. Brown said, “The team has a better chemistry than past years because they share the same common goal.” Those goals include winning the Sunflower League and again reaching State. Hopefully the talent on the court and the chemistry in the locker room will power the Hawks to another unforgettable season.

Women’s Basketball: Last year, the Lady Hawks were plagued by injuries and could not live up to their full potential. This year, led by seniors Audrey Markway and Abby Harrington, OE will attempt to play faster to compensate for their lack of size. Markway said, “The team wants to compete with everyone, always give their best, and never give up.”

Much like the men, the ladies all get along with each other on and off the court. That combination could lead to a successful season.

Wrestling: The wrestling team had a stellar 2011-2012 season, but they still want to improve from last year. Despite having many qualifiers, only 2012 graduate Myron Tipton placed at State. With that in mind, the team would love to see several Hawks on the podium for their respective weight classes. Those dreams could very easily become reality with seniors Grant Sparks and Dakota Reynolds, and a long list of juniors quite capable of achieving at very high levels. However, the team wants more than just individual successes. “We’d like to place top 20 [as a team] at State,” Sparks stated. The wrestlers have a nice bond too, much like the other East sports teams. Reynolds stated, “Because wrestling is such a hard sport, most guys quit early. The guys left are the real wrestlers, and everyone respects each other.” That unique bond and a surplus of talent could lead to an outstanding season for individual wrestlers, and the entire OE squad.

Bowling: Last season, junior Aaron Yuratovich took State as an individual and the men’s team also did well as a group. Unfortunately, many seniors graduated, so the team needs some younger bowlers to step up this year. The goals still remain high, though, with the team wanting to make State. Winning it all will be a bit of a challenge, with defending champion Olathe North strong yet again. However, the team’s best asset may be their ability to have a good time and stay level-headed. “We probably allow ourselves to have more fun than we should,” Yuratovich admitted. Whatever will help guide the guys to another award-winnig season. The women’s bowling team also lost a stockpile of talent due to graduation.

Like the men, the ladies hope to see potential in young bowlers and produce some good results throughout the year, ideally leading to an appearance at State.

Swimming/Diving: After wrapping up last season with a fourth place finish at State, the Hawks’ swimmers have high expectations for this year. Despite losing studs Ben Bravence and Jared Johnstone to graduation, the team appears to be overflowing with talent. “We hope to finish either first or second at State, and win at least one relay,” senior Jason Kor said. At the same time, the team doesn’t want to count their chickens before they hatch. The team aims to compete, do the best they can do, and not focus solely on winning. In order to win State, the boys will have to take down defending State champion Blue Valley North as well as Shawnee Mission East, who have won the Sunflower league the past nine years. Hopefully those grueling nine practices a week will propel the Hawks to another memorable season, and maybe even that coveted State title. The diving team returns everyone from last year’s squad, including junior Zack Neuman and senior Andrew Waldron, who both qualified for State. “We want to send as many people as possible to State and score points for the team,” said Neuman. All signs point to another stellar season for the OE diving team.

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 11

EDITORIAL

Issue of The Issue

Maddy Branstetter//Staff Writer

Column for Rants: Materialistic Mentalities

E

ver had anything annoying to gripe to somebody about?

Ever notice somebody doing something that makes you want to grab and shake him or her while shouting “HEY! STOP THAT”. Well now we have the chance to rant on numerous issues we experience. Hopefully you all can relate and say, “OMG, I hate when they do that!”, and if not, you’re probably the offender we’re speaking of.

This holiday season, we are all swamped with want. Want for food, gifts, happiness. We seem to forget that greater than want for material items is our own ability to be happy that lives inside each and every one of us. I’m tired of money ruling the world, controlling emotions. I’m tired of people seeming to think that they need money to be happy, never really finding happiness because they’re hopelessly looking in the wrong places. I’m tired of seeing people so saddened, so distraught over the fact that they do not have an iPhone 5 but an Andriod instead. Why do we let a piece of paper control our lives and our chances of happiness? This isn’t right. This isn’t fair. Isn’t natural. This issue isn’t of a certain circumstance, it’s an everyday thing that is more and more accepted as a normal way of life. If people want to live their lives held in the grasp of an easily-destroyed piece of paper and refuse to see the issues made, they are more than welcome to. But the issue of this issue, and everyday life, is this: material objects will never provide happiness, and can easily disappear. To rely on them for happiness, like so many people do today, is nothing more than a waste of common sense.

And honestly, I’m tired of people lacking this common sense. As Thomas Paine once said, “Common sense is not so common.” And after spending two and a half years walking the halls of Olathe East, the truth of Mr. Paine’s statement has been proved one 100 times over.

Welcome to Johnson County, where while educational opportunities are rife, the majority of the educated lack any sort of credible knowledge corncerning what is actually good for them. Some of students live in their own little bubble, believing that there is no such thing as unhappiness, as long as they have an Iphone, Ipad, Ipod, and at least $60 in cash on them at absolutely all times.

Everywhere I go I feel as if I’m surrounded by negativity, all because no one here seems to think that they have enough. They let that ruin their happiness.

What I will never understand is how all of you are made so happy by something so fragile.

12 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Has it ever occoured to you that someone could easily grab your money out of your hand, and rip it to shreds? Because all it is is a piece of paper that you seem to think possesses some kind of extrodinary magical powers. Which I understand to some point. I get it. Money is useful: it buys food, houses, cars. But I hate to break it to you, but there’s no promises that you’ll always have everything you want, so why not learn to go without before it’s too late?

I know that’s an offensive idea to some, but do they ever venture to think that maybe they won’t end up like their parents, well off and raising kids in one of the riches counties in the nation? All I’m saying is that happiness is a choice, and in the environment that we, as students of Olathe East, live in daily this little bit of common sense isn’t something widely known or acknowledged. People have become highly materialistic.

That’s fine. As the old saying goes, pick your poison. Money and material objects are not forever, but the conscience choice to be happy is. As another old saying goes, “All that glitters is not gold.”

More than Enough Cash Photo Courtesy of Zack Neuman

EDITORIAL

Vol 21 | Iss 04

iAddiction

Sean Fiore//Business Manager

How to make our addiction to technology useful

M

y name is Sean and I am an addict. I spend anywhere from five to seven hours starring at a screen every day doing nothing more than looking at memes. I cannot get enough, even as I write this I am eye to i™ with a Mac. Every day is a struggle as an iAddict.

Generation Y has the upper hand on every other generation when it comes to adapting, using and living with technology. We can look at this as a blessing and a curse. On one hand we have limitless access to infinite knowledge and on the other there’s Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and that’s just scratching the surface of what our generation uses in the span of a few hours. The odds aren’t stacked in our favor. This has taken our simple love of technology and turned it into a full-blown addiction.

On average a person spends 2035 hours a week on the computer, this combined with the 150 times a day we check our phones and what do we have to show for it? A few laughs from pictures of silly cats on the internet, maybe a higher cell phone bill because you went over your monthly data plan. We are cursed with internet having so much content that is entertaining and takes little to no thought to enjoy. In this day and age it’s almost unavoidable.

Being so plugged in can actually be a blessing if we take advantage of our connection with technology and applying it. More and more employers are looking for computer-savvy young people with fresh and new ideas. In fact the second most demanded profession by employers is a software engineer, plus to sweeten the deal software engineers

have one of the highest paying salaries out of college. (Forbes.com) Now I am not telling you to go and apply for college and become a software engineer but it wouldn’t hurt to learn how to write code. This would be a nice addition to a resume; there are even classes at Olathe East to teach this very skill. If writing code doesn’t appeal to you there are hundreds of thousand of programs that apply to a skill or job you might be interested in.

So here’s what I am trying to express here; log out of Facebook, stop reading those tweets and look into a skill or program that interests you. Whether you like designing things in CAD, editing photos in Photoshop or making apps for smartphones, find that spark and start learning. We can all take our curse and turn it into a blessing with something that would interest us. Maybe somewhere down the line it could start paying dividends.

“Being too plugged in“ Photo Courtesy Zack Neuman

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 13

EDITORIAL

Diary Of An Ungrateful Teenager #FirstWorldProblems Lauren Merino//Staff Writer

14 | THE HAWK’S EYE

C

ontrary to popular complaints, we have it insanely good in Olathe.

Surrounded by endless opportunities, choices, and privileges, we still somehow find a numerous amount of things to complain about. With Thanksgiving around the corner, it is about time to acknowledge a few of the many little things we take for granted every single day.

EDITORIAL

Vol 21 | Iss 04

The Chaos Begins Stories from the best buy and beyond

Katie Thompson//Staff Writer

After a bounty of stuffing, turkey, pumpkin pie, mashed po- and even when the present in mind is just right, purchasing tatoes and gravy, families gather around couches, grandpar- it becomes the next challenge. If one could manage to find ents fall asleep in rocking chairs, and even children’s eyes the perfect gift on sale, it seems as though they would go to begin to flutter shut, with their bellies full of a Thanksgiving great extents to walk out of the store grasping the perfect gift feast. All is peaceful, yet outside excitement stirs. People are to their chest; however, this achievment requires running into already gathering around Targets and Best Buys, wrapped in the store, for you are not the only one wanting to snatch up layers upon layers of clothing and blankets, huddled togeth- a deal on such a great present. Standing outside in the freezer in warmth. They are awaiting the opening of doors, letting ing cold for up to hours, and staying up late into the early them into a land of ridiculously low prices, special deals, and morning, chaos. All of these things contribute to a day like the diminishment of their unending Christmas lists. This day no other, and just as the clock strikes midnight, Black Friday only comes once a year, Black Friday. has commmenced.

Buying the perfect Christmas gift is a challenge in itself,

Junior Erin Spelger is a virgin to the craziness of Black Not everyone is a fan of Black Friday; however, some would Friday. She has never experianced the deals, or the chaos that much rather avoid the extreme agressiveness, as well as chaos the midnight shopping has in plan for her. This year will be the that shopping the night after Thanksgiving holds. Attendence first year she is participating in the madness. She is planning on secretary, Ginger Ewonus has never had any thoughts of going to Oak Park Mall as soon as it opens, and is excited to participating in Black Friday and says that things are just too become one of the many people who survive this year’s Black agressive. Instead of shopping the day after Thanksgiving she Friday. would rather spend time with her family. Usually this day con One attendance aide, Marianne Davidson, has been a sists of a family activity, such as going to a movie, or playing a game. Although Ginger has never particBlack Friday veteran for over five years, and It is so cold outside, ipated in Black Friday she does admit she this year she is already preparing for the would go if she really wanted something, and the line of people wrap day of deals. She usually goes with her sister and they try to get to their store destination around the entire store, wait- she says would be worth it, but this year as usual Ginger will wait until the madness has right when it opens. Marianne used to wait ing to enter.

It is insane calmed down until she begins her Christmas in line, but she has found over the years that shopping.

-Kayla Bui arriving to the store shortly after it opens gives her less time of waiting in the freezing Kayla Bui, a student here at Olathe cold and more time to shop. This year she plans to start out at East experienced the true Black Friday experience last year. around midnight. Marianne knows all about the agressiveness She waited outside in the freezing November temperature, of Black Friday stories. Four years ago she was in Target and wrapped in blankets and jackets. She was very excited, but had two items in her cart. The line to check out was too packed nervous at the same time. Kayla stood outside Best Buy and to get her cart through so she made a decision to leave her cart waited for her turn to enter. She said, “ It was so crazy that with her items in it while she waited in the line. Marianne was they had to control how many people could go into the store shocked when she went back to recover her cart and found it at one time.” Finally Kayla got her turn, and was rewarded by gone, with the items and all. walking out with a flat screen television. Kayla went shopping from ten until two o’clock in the morning, and is very excited to The line to get in participate again this year, in Black Friday.

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NOVEMBER ‘12 | 15

ENTERTAINMENT

Previewing the Wii U

Joseph Bush // Staff Writer

Can Nintendo match the success of the Wii with a newcomer?

I

n Nintendo’s over-100-year-old history, the company has never seen any success quite as monumental as the Wii. The Wii was one of Nintendo’s most unique, and more importantly, most profitable ventures ever. Understandably, a follow-up has an incredible task facing it. How can Nintendo top or even match the success of the original?

They will try with the Wii U, a direct sequel to the incredibly successful Wii. What does the Wii U do better than the Wii? The differences all start with the hardware. The original Nintendo Wii was criticized for not having the capability to play games at the same high definition settings that its competitors had. The Wii U has greatly improved processing and graphical capability from the Wii.

Wii U Joypad Courtesy of Nintendo

16 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Console Courtesy of Nintendo

Launch Software Preview: New Super Mario Bros. U - Nintendo’s most recognizable mascots return in a new adventure that draws heavily from the side scrolling adventures of the past.

Call of Duty: Black Ops II - The latest shooter in the successful and long-running Call of Duty series. Looks to the future to change things up.

ZombiU - A new zombie thriller that strives to be truly interesting amongst a sea of generic contenders.

NintendoLand - A series of mini-games based in a virtual theme park.

The most interesting feature of the Wii U may be the innovative controller, which features a few staples of typical gamepads but also something new, a touch screen similar to current tablets such as the Kindle Fire and the iPad. This feature could theoretically open up new possibilities for games, combining graphics on the screen and on the Joypad. However, history shows that developers tend to lean towards using new features as the ends of the game, rather than using these features as the means to create a truly excellent experience.

Master Chief is back Peter Hung//Editor

However, graphics and processing power do not guarantee a console to be great. Nintendo itself learned that lesson with the Wii, which was relatively outdated at launch, and only became more outdated as the years went by. Yet, the Wii still remained the highest seller of its much more powerful competitors by far. Nintendo cannot expect to have success without quality software.

A few exclusive launch titles are planned along with a number of others available elsewhere.

Some are detailed in the sidebar to the right.

E

ver since Bungie’s job of creating Halo video games have exchanged to 343 Industries, questions about the franchise have emerged as to whether Halo 4 will be a masterpiece or a disaster.

Let’s be clear, Halo 4 will not disappoint any of its hardcore fans and will most certainly make any buyer satisfied with their purchase. From the short time where Master Chief has to jump on a ladder like platform to avoid falling debris to the revealing moment of the Didact, a Forerunner (an ancient race of beings with advanced technologies that took on the responsibilties of perserving all life forms), the player reaches an epiphany of how much work 343 Industries put into Halo 4.

The graphics look superb, which is evident in Forerunner architects along with Cortana, who both share glowing lights that move from the bottom of their body to the top.

Memories of the first Halo game come back when Master Chief discovers the marvelous floating buildings on the artificial planet Requiem. Senses of urgency like when Master Chief first encounters the chaotic Flood pop up when the Prometheans are introduced as the primary enemy in this game.

The cinematic sound certainly makes this game even better. Every shot fired sounds crisp and powerful. Even Chief’s suit creates sound every time he reloads.

To seal the deal, Halo 4’s multiplayer improved with the addition of load outs and awesome new guns that still holds balance in gameplay.

The underlying fact: Halo 4 deserves its critical acclaims and video gamers money.

New Enemies: Prometheans

Knights

Watchers

Crawlers

Vol 21 | Iss 03

Backstage Stars

ENTERTAINMENT Callie Boyce//Staff Writer

A look behind the curtains of East’s theatre productions

A

t every school production, chatter that fills the dark theatre is silenced once the first actor appears on stage.

The audience admires its sons, daughters and fellow classmates as they perform passionately. At the end of each performance, as the crowd applauds wildly and several waves of standing ovations fill the auditorium, the actors and actresses revel in their accomplishments, knowing that their hard work and dedication has finally paid off. These actors are the stars.

But there is a star that the audience does not see. They won’t be found center stage; no, this bunch will be found dashing behind the curtains. They’re the people that make the performance possible. From settings and effects, to props and costumes, these students make the show come to life. They are the crew.

Junior Kelsey Proctor shares her experience working behind the curtains. Proctor has been a part of twelve productions at East and most recently served as the backstage manager in The One That Got Away. “The first week we worked three to five every day and all the weeks after, we were here until six and that’s not even including show week,” Proctor stated. During the days leading up to the production Kelsey and the rest of the crew found themselves working late into the night. “Once, I was here past nine o’clock.”

What then does the crew do during their long committed hours? “The Techie crews take care of everything that you’re not thinking about,” Kelsey explained. “They handle the lights,

the sounds, the props, the costumes, the construction, the publicity, all of it. Those 15 seconds between scenes when the curtains are down is when the backstage crew is busiest. We have to change props and costumes and fix whatever needs to be fixed.”

While Proctor tries to stay as organized as possible, complications present themselves in each and every production. “Most people have two or three costumes per show,” Proctor clarified.

“But Bryce Paratore had 13 costumes. Eight or nine of them Kelsey Proctor managing backstage were quick changes, which Courtesy of Zack Neuman means the costume crew had just seconds to help him switch costumes.”

As a backstage manager, Proctor must keep track of costumes, props, and the order of all things backstage. “But I really like it. You form a bond with both the cast and crew. I mean, I feel like the crew could get a little more credit,” admitted Proctor. “Because techies really are the unsung heroes of the production.”

The Best of Bond

Sean Murray//Editor

W

Taking the Bond series to a whole new level

ith all the classic elements of the timeless Bond series as well as stunning aspects of its future, the latest installment of this captivating series takes the man of mystery’s tale to a new level. From epic action The name’s Bond scenes to romantic encounters, Skyfall has it Courtesy of Commander Bond website all. Not only does the film rely upon visually spectacular and physically awesome stunts that the James Bond collection is famous for, the film also makes sure to involve a variety of complex intricacies for the viewers to wrap their minds around as the movie progresses making it one of the best the series has ever produced.

The movie begins with a gripping action scene strikingly similar yet slightly unique from those before it. All the while, the typical arrangement of suspenseful classical music provides a wonderful complement to the backdrop of enthralling scenery that returning viewers come to expect. Along with this, the film’s producers decided to rely more on the traditional introduction credits format rather than trying to revamp them.

But best of all, the plot of Skyfall focuses on fighting the enemies of the future with the wisdom of the past. Although Bond is introduced to a new Q (short for quartermaster) that is young and a technological genius, he is not given an array of new gadgets like he has been in the past. Instead he has to rely on past experience, and in some cases old weaponry, to conquer his devious new enemy. The film’s antagonist, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), is a former MI6 agent who seeks revenge

on M (Head of MI6) for leaving him to die after he made a judgment error during a mission and was captured by enemies. In order to defeat his modern clever foe, James Bond (Daniel Craig) utilizes throwbacks such as the Aston Martin DB5 from five decades ago and Bond’s father’s hunting rifle that he trained with as a kid.

In addition to these links to the past, Skyfall also incorporated some inherently modern elements. The mechanically advanced weaponry that the film uses, including Bond’s palm encrypted Walther PPK that only he can use and Silva’s remotely detonated explosives, ensures that the movie is adequately modernized. Also, the use of navigational tracking devices and computer hacking help to counterbalance the film’s devices from the past.

By the time the credits roll, viewers are left with exactly what they expected and more. Chalk full of entertainment for fans of the series and newcomers alike, Skyfall is a wonderful addition to the James Bond collection. It turns out you can “teach an old dog new tricks,” but he might revert back to his old ones anyway.

Rating out of 10:

The film’s sinister villian Raoul Silva Courtesy of City Out Monaco website

NOVEMBER ‘12 | 17

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18 | THE HAWK’S EYE

M ix th e

“

“

In

by the

Thanksgiving, after all, is a word of action.

-W.J. Cameron

HAWKS EYE Dates a student run publication Olathe East High School 14545 West 127th Street Olathe, KS 66062

ADVISER Karen Bourland EDITORS Peter Hung Sean Murray MANAGING EDITOR Jessica Goddard Graphic EDITOR Zach Neuman BUSINESS MANAGER Sean Fiore Aaron Yuratovich PUBLICITY MANAGER Aaron Rhodes PHOTOGRAPHERS Kelsey Knecht SENIOR STAFF WRITERS Joseph Bush Brianne Grudek STAFF WRITERS Callie Boyce Maddy Branstetter Logan Brockschmidt Courtney Child Matthew Gwin Lauren Hart Lauren Heinrich Jordan Meier Lauren Merino Austin Porter Kellan Richards Paige Schick Katie Thompson

to REMEMBER

Finals Week December 17th-19th Monday 17th hours: hours 2,4,6 Tuesday 18th hours: hours1,5 Wednesday: 19th hours 3,7 December 19th: Quarter ends, Semester break begins

Image of the

Numbers 248 million

Turkeys raised in the U.S.

2.4 billion

Pounds of sweet potatos produced

by U.S.

76%

Percent of people who nap after their Thanksgiving meal

1.06 billion

ISSUE

Pounds of pumpkins grown in the U.S. for Thanksgiving

1942

“Hawksgiving”

by Peter Hung

The first year of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City

Ph ot os to ry

Bleeding Orange and Blue

Notice of Non-discrimination: The Olathe Public Schools prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or disability in admissions, access, treatment or employment, in its programs and activities 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 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable civil rights statutes related to ethnicity, gender, the ADA or age discrimination may be directed to Staff Counsel, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913780-7000. 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. (06/10)

Blood Drive fun on November 8th, 2012 Courtesy of Zack Neuman