Vol. 21 | Issue 7 by OE Hawk's Eye

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The Olathe East

Volume 21 Issue 7

1 ge Pa

The Hawk’s Eye Gets Hairy

Expert Tips to Prepare You for College

Meet the Twins and Triplets at Olathe East

The Technology Behind Today’s New Music

Page 4

Pages 12 and 13

Page 18

Ta Co b nt le o en f ts

HAWK S EYE

A Cappella erupts at Harmony Explosion at Olathe East

By Kelsey Knecht

ou know exactly what A Cappella means. You’ve seen “Pitch Perfect”, all of those ‘doo wops’ and competitions. Or maybe you’ve seen the recently cancelled show “The Sing Off”, where different co-ed A Cappella groups from all kinds of walks of life compete to win a recording contract. Did you know that there are numerous A Cappella groups right here in our very state? Aca-believe it, folks. On March 2, more than twenty barbershop quartets competed to win the ultimate prize of an A Cappella quartet in Kansas City- the gold medal at Harmony Explosion. Acafellas and ladies unite every spring to compete against quartets from around the district for the winning title. One of these quartets, Locked In, placed second last year with their country jam “Sold!” behind the reigning senior quartet, “Thrill Ride”. This year, “Locked In”- made up of Jacob Cleek, Adam Holthus, Jadrian Salmans, and Chris Opperman - is expecting to win that gold medal with their new song, “UnbelievWe picked ‘Unbelievable’ because it really shows able.” Will they win the gold or fall short? off our ranges, tells a story, We’ll follow them and is a song that will catch through the process of winning an aca-victhe judges’ eyes. tory. Acapeople, - Jacob Cleek unite! First off, the boys had to pick their song.“We picked ‘Unbelievable’ because it really shows off our ranges, tells a story, and is a song that will catch the judges’ eyes.” claimed Jacob Cleek. They started working on the song in the beginning of January, knowing that they would need each part to sound perfect and correspond with the others by March 2, as well as adding choreography to set themselves above the rest of their competition.“We don’t exactly add a bunch of choreography, because the song doesn’t call for it. We will use gestures and lots of quirky hand motions to talk about the girl that our song revolves around.” Adam said. Jan Holthus, the director of barbershop here at East (and also Adam’s mother), copied the music for each member and made a recording of each part for the group to practice with. She also recorded the song on the piano so “Locked In” could use the recording as they please with accompaniment until they were ready to sing the whole song A Cappella. Since their competition last year was all seniors from both South and East, they will have virtually no trouble whatsoever winning this year. Also, the rules have changed this year: there is an upperclassmen division for juniors and seniors and the sophomores and freshmen will be in a division of their own. If the rules had changed last year, then the sophomore girls group “Alotta Fermata” would not have been able to beat the senior girls group last year. First, “Locked In” went to Pre-Lims. Pre–lims are the semi- finals for the final round, where each quartet sings in order of division for four judges from the Kansas City singing world. Then the quartets are split up to learn a song to sing at the very end with all of the quartets participating. During lunch, the quartets that

Harmony Explosion...........................................................................3 Dangers of Tanning............................................................................4 By Maddy Branstetter

College Hunting..................................................................................5 Senioritis Strikes..................................................................................6 By Sean Murray

Editorial School Spirit.........................................................................................7 By Aaron Rhodes

Grammatical Errors............................................................................8 By Lauren Merino

Double Standards...............................................................................9 By Jessica Goddard The Harmony Explodes Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Feature

Car-Buying Guide..................................................................10 & 11 By Sean Fiore

Multiples...................................................................................12 & 13

See page 19

By Katie Thompson

Parenting Baby.................................................................................14 By Lauren Hart

Vegetarianism...................................................................................15 By Paige Schick

The Madness has Begun Courtesy of www.ncaa.org

EnterTainment

Spring Break Vacation....................................................................16 By Joseph Bush

Hairoscopes........................................................................................17

See page 24

By Peter Hung

Music Technology............................................................................18 By Lauren Heinrich

Sports

March Madness.................................................................................19 By Austin Porter

Tennis for Dummies........................................................................20 By Courtney Child

Player Profile......................................................................................21 Hayley Bondank works it Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Pitch Perfect

News

By Brianne Grudek

See page 3

NEWS

Vol 21 | Iss 07

By Matt Gwin

Advertisements.................................................................................22 By Aaron Yuratovich

Kelsey Knecht// Staff Writer

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made the finals are posted on the auditorium door. The groups that didn’t make it are allowed to stay and watch the finals and sing the song that all the quartets sing together. Then, the finals commence. Each group gets to sing their song a second time for new judges. After all the songs have been sung, the quartets are ranked by their points in the bronze, silver, and gold medal range. They announce the quartets in the final round from lowest to highest points- bronze to gold. The highest-ranking quartet in the gold medal category wins, then gets announced in several events. They win a medal and certificate from each member. At the end of the day, the winning quartet goes home with a sense of pride and a boost of confidence. In the end, “Locked In” stole the winning gold medal from “Stay Sharp”, which consisted of Arthur Clifford, Luke Harbur, Connor Bosworth, and Aaron Fink. The boys were ecstatic to finally win and bring home the gold. Now they can walk the halls of East with Aca-swag.

“

Cover Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Locked In Courtesy Zack Neuman

The Perfect Fourths Courtesy Zack Neuman

MARCH ‘13 | 03

NEWS

Left in the Dark

While tanning has been accepted as a way of life for many teens, the dangerous truths about artificial light still continue to remain in the dark

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Taking the Next Step How to choose the right college for you.

NEWS

Brianne Grudek// Staff Writer

Maddy Branstetter//Staff Writer

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04 | THE HAWK’S EYE

a consent form. Some states also require that parents remain present while a teen tans. However, Kansas cannot be seen on any of the lists of states restricting a minor’s tanning. For this reason, it is extremely important that the teens of Kansas are educated about the dangers of tanning. While their actions may not have a direct impact on them today, education could prevent probable dangers in the future.

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People choose to ignore ideas or truths that inconvenience them, regardless of whether or not they have been proven. As hard as this may be to believe, the students of Olathe East are about to be shown this hard truth with the change of seasons, just like they are every year. In a matter of weeks spring break will be upon the school’s students. Not too far down the road from spring break, prom. Finally, summer. Leading up to spring break, prom, and summer a migration of teenagers, mostly girls, will take place to local tanning salons. A point to be made though is that nearly everyone tans, so why do we not accept the habit as a lifestyle? Sure, many people tan, but do they know the dangers? Here’s a quick list: according to the Skin Cancer Foundation’s webpage, tanning increases the risk for Squamous Cell Carcinoma by 2.5 percent, and for Basal Cell Carcinoma by 1.5 percent. Both are types of skin cancer that are more common in the users of tanning beds than in non-users. Also found on the foundation’s website are startling facts that make skin cancer even scarier. Not only do children (those under 18) rarely get a proper diagnosis of skin cancer from doctors because they do not think of checking young children for the signs, but research shows that since the skin of teenagers is still developing – skin cells are dividing and changing rapidly – teens are more susceptible to skin cancer. Coupled with the trend of an estimated 2.3 million teens tanning a year, these statistics are a bit frightening. The most dangerous thing is that most students are blind to these statistics, or at least the number of teens tanning would suggest this. Perhaps this can be attributed to the state of Kansas itself. According to Aim at Melanoma, an organization that has a goal of combating the Tanning is not part of a deadliest form healthy lifestyle. Tanning increases of skin cancer, your risk of premature aging of the 17 states have skin completely outlawed including wrinkles and brown spots. tanning for More devastating is the increase in minors and 33 risk of developing skin cancer. states have restrictions on Wear sun screen out in the sun and who may tan, stay out of tanning beds. Don’t ever and have allowed those of think that skin cancer can’t ages 14,15,16 happen to you - it can and it can kill (depending on you! the state) to tan as long as -Nurse parents sign

g for n i k o just lo nd I am g new a thin some xciting! e

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eier

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fireman, doctor or a teacher: answers that most children will say when asked what they want to be when they grow up. In freshman year of high school, the dream of college is within reach. By the time junior year comes around the questions of where to go to college top the list of things to do. Junior Taylor Rusch has already begun the search, “I have been looking at Pitt State; my sister is there and loves it. I am looking into doing Broadcasting/Communications and Journalism. Class sizes are awesome and everyone is friendly. It is a great school.” Entering senior year the college selection process has begun. Picking a college can be a problematic task. Some aspects to consider would be the size, location, and majors offered. The most vital questions to answer when choosing a college is whether the college in question can allow goals to be reached. Choosing a college has no right or wrong answer. After all, this could be the location that the next four or five years will be spent preparing for the future. Doing extensive homework in choosing a college can be important. Keeping an open mind is key. Size does matter in deciding on a college. The size of the institution can be crucial in learning. A smaller university will provide smaller class sizes, while a larger university will have larger class sizes that can reach up to 400 students. Decide the learning environment that work, then look at the colleges that fit in. Senior Sam Laflin stated, “I chose to go to a small school because I want to have a one on one relationship with my teachers and I feel like I will learn more. I also like that it feels like a home and you are not just a number.” Location adds another consideration in choosing a college. Whether a student finds the need to stay close to home or get far away, location makes the college choice challenging. Some students are ready to leave the nest and live independently. Senior Courtney Heier is looking to go out of state, “I am just looking for something new and exciting! I have been here almost eighteen years so why not go somewhere with an amazing number of opportunities to do phenomenal things and chances to grow as a person! I can come home whenever, so why stay close,” she stated. Other students want to stay close to home so they won’t miss out being around family and friends. Sometimes just talking to friends, family, or teachers will

give a student perspective on going to college close to home or far away. “Students will go to a particular college such as the University of Kansas because family has attended, Arkansas is much like that,” remarked Marilyn Charlton, Olathe East Counselor. The ability to pay for college weighs on minds of many high school students and parents. College costs keep going up and students are looking for ways of paying. The competition for college scholarships, academic or athletic, increase each year. The decision to go to one college over another by a student can be made based on ability to pay or scholarship offered. Senior Abby Schmitz stated, “I chose Hastings College because my parents went there and the offer of a scholarship made the tuition the same as staying in state.” In an era of technology, finding out about colleges is just a few clicks away. Students need to research colleges that are of interest to them. Counselor Charlton added, “I ask students pick out at least three to five college choices and then start to narrow the choice at the end of junior year and the beginning of senior year. Some will visit campuses in and out of state during the time. Some will go because of different majors and size of campuses.” College websites offer valuable information about majors, housing and extracurricular activities. Research a potential university website and if there is still interest, contact admissions. “I definitely think that college visits help because you have no idea what the campus or people are like until you visit and experience it,” added Laflin. Some students will make a college choice quickly while others will wait until the last possible moment wanting to play it safe. Since a high school student has never been to college before, the decision is not an easy one. “Falling in love with the school I am going to go to was definitely helpful in making the decision to go out of state,” commented Heier. Researching colleges will help with the stress factor and making that final decision will give a renewed energy of excitement for the future. Charlton summed up the college search by stating, “A tip for students searching for a college is asking themselves: why am I going to college? Is it to get an education, to broaden my interests, to study abroad, but most importantly, why am I going to school?”

MARCH ’13 | 05

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Rejuve

NEWS

Smells Like No Spirit

EDITORIAL

Does having school spirit matter?

(faosmif) tablets

Left: A student falls asleep in class Right: A student enthusiastically raises his hand Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Before Rejuve ®

Vol 21 | Iss 07

After Rejuve®

Sean Murray//Editor Product Information: The phenomenon that affects high school seniors across the globe as soon as they realize that in just a few weeks they can legally leave the school and never come back, commonly known as senioritis, finally has a cure! This almost instant disease that penetrates the mind and body of seniors as soon as fourth quarter rolls around has many phantom symptoms including but not limited to: frequent thoughts of “Why am I still here?,” sudden urges to get up and leave, refusal to give in to teacher’s demands, ability to tune out all instructions, disregard for tardy policies, instant drowsiness upon stepping foot on school grounds, using the “my dog ate my homework” excuse every day. If you are experiencing symptoms similar to those listed, you need Rejuve! Just one injection of Rejuve slowly and painfully into the buttocks will relieve all symptoms and leave you ready to learn. Now who doesn’t want to fill their brain with meaningless knowledge? Side Effects: Side effects may include feelings of enthusiasm at hearing a teacher’s name, plans to stay at school as long as possible, losing a social life due to a growing interest in education, buying apples solely for the purpose of giving them to teachers, repeating teacher’s lectures out of admiration, dreaming of sitting in the same chair that your teacher does, and countless others.

Since this is the small print section of the ad, we assume you aren’t going to read any of the crazy things that happened to a small percentage (75%) of our users, such as: development of wings for flight, intense fear of rain, fungus hanging from chin, excessive hair growth under tongue, fingernails flipping over, skin changing to scales on your elbow, craving for pink slime, dislike of clothing, sensitive belly button, freckles on eyeballs, change in gender, significant drop in IQ, desire to grow a unibrow, moustache growth on both knees, can only see the color yellow, lips turn inside out, and other random cases.

MARCH ‘13 | 06

rom the time a child starts elementary school, all the way through college, school spirit is something forced upon children by most public and private schools. Parents and teachers tell kids how important it is to love your school. Schools hold pep rallies and write songs and chants. Students get swept up in the madness, wanting to be a part of something important. What people don’t understand is that school spirit and events only matters as much as the students make them matter. High school is a place where teenagers go to get an education. We are privileged in having sports teams, and sure, more fun can be had when more people are there to cheer on the team but people completely blow that out of proportion. People who play sports are bewildered when people don’t come to the games. It’s pretty simple. If nobody’s interested in the sport, nobody’s going to come to the games. Not much can be done to change that. Sports are for the enjoyment of the players. Anybody thinking we can achieve a utopian society of football fanatics, equivalent to that of a professional team, is crazy. What you can do though, is show support for your fellow students in out-of-school activities. There are kids that dance, in bands, that write,and with all sorts of other talents. The school could not possibly offer all of these activities. Having school spirit is not crucial, but showing support for the community is. There are also people out there who were very upset with the student body for letting the WPA dance get cancelled this year. The dance was placed at school on the same night as a sporting event and the school’s musical. The dance was also given a Mardi Gras theme. Between the dance being the WPA (usually the least popular dance of the year), the lame (yup) theme, and the horrible planning, nobody should be surprised that less than 50 people bought tickets. Still, Hawks voiced their disgust with the people that didn’t go. The recent OE Confessions Facebook page has also very plainly displayed that our students are not as classy as they like to think. One threat of a shooting, and multiple drug postings later, the page is shut down but the way our students have been portrayed can’t be changed. Students would much rather rant and complain about their fellow students than go support them. It’s definitely not positive, but there isn’t much you can do about it, and it’s not a that big of a deal. In conclusion, getting teenagers excited for anything is hard, especially their high school sporting events and dances (things that won’t matter to a majority of the school after they walk out the doors for the last time). Don’t get your feelings hurt.

Aaron Rhodes//Publicity Manager

An anonymous and unhappy Hawk Courtesy of Zack Neuman

MARCH ‘13 | 07

Lauren Merino//Staff Writer

The most overused grammatical errors that drive people crazy

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.

et peeves belong to everyone. Being either insignificant annoyances or legitimate hatreds, there are peeves for just about everything. But, from the perspective of a nitpicker, obvious grammatical errors lay around everywhere, waiting for dozens of disappointed facepalms. Sadly, it’s beginning to feel like no one notices clear-asa-bell mistakes anymore. Suddenly it becomes acceptable to mix up there, they’re, and their like THEY’RE a used deck of cards. No. Sorry if I’m bursting any bubbles, but the rules of the English language will not change any time soon. The language will do nothing but grow. SINCE our language was created as one of the most difficult to master, it might be hard to make SENSE of the many homonyms that they expect us to know, like for example since and sense. If you’re part of the group that doesn’t understand that one, don’t worry. To get that one wrong can be slightly understandable. Now for one that drives me insane, lose and loose. Really? You LOOSE your pants all the time? No. Your pants are LOOSE. But you LOSE them a lot. It absolutely amazes me that so many people still struggle with plural vs. singular words. This should be considered ridiculous. You are not an independent WOMEN, you are an independent WOMAN. Mixing up “its” and “it’s” is another grammatical issue that is common but easily avoided by taking a few seconds to rethink what is being said. “It’s” is a contraction of “It is”. “Its” is showing possession for the subject, as in “the car’s radio” as “its radio”. Now for the grand daddy of all grammatical errors. Your vs. You’re. It’s two words that, yes, are pronounced the same but have different SPELLINGS and MEANINGS. It actually amazes me that not only people our age but adults still mess these up. I understand that writing “your” in the place of “you’re” could very well be a cause of being lazy, but even if the writer knows the difference, how hard can it be to add an apostrophe and an e? It seems just as easy as differentiating between past and present tense. While CHOOSING what tense to use, it might be a struggle to CHOOSE what verbs to match the tense. But once the right verb is CHOSEN, the award includes looking and sounding brainy.

08 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Unfortunately, in 2013 it seems that the average Facebook newsfeed consists of vapid, idiotic opinions and stories representing almost no human intelligence. I hope I’m not the only one that finds myself scrolling through my Facebook looking for stupid statuses to make fun of. So do us all a favor and listen a little more closely in English class. Learning what grammar is serves as the first step as being an acceptable human being, so learn away and don’t let anyone deprived of grammar tell you what to do.

Beati ng Do Hamm wn the e r on G ramma r Put your grammar to the test

Double standards in our society.

a) Grammer isnt that

hard as you think. b) Grammer isn’t as

hard as you think. c) Grammar isn’t as

hard as you think. d) Grammar isn’t

that hard as you think. Answer is C

The Double-Edged Sword alking down the hallway, you hear the latest gossip about that girl who is a total slut and sleeps with everyone. “What a whore. How dare she just throw herself at every guy like that? We should start a riot.” Then you hear about the popular guy who sleeps with every girl at every party. “What a king, a stud, a champion sent down to us from the heavens above to teach us his masterful ways.” Obviously hyperbolized, but is this not how we view the whole man-slut vs. woman-slut issue? During the Victorian Era in England, men were expected to be sexually active, while women were supposed to be abstinent. Sound familiar? I’m not seeing much progression on those views of society and, we have Snuggies. Come on, guys. We haven’t gotten past the same “logic” that thought that disease was spread by rotting matter. But this also proves that double standards have been around for a while. I can’t say that personally I haven’t fallen prey to the double standard mindset, so in no way am I above anyone. Everyone has dealt with this problem in one-way or another. A misconception about double standards is that they are limited to gender. In reality, contrasting principles range anywhere from race to general level of attractiveness. Do you consider the black guy or the white guy in the hoodie a threat? Yeah, racism at its worst. Or what if a “pretty” girl wore a short, tight black skirt with a low cut top? Everyone would be complimenting her on how gorgeous she looks, but if a girl who by society’s standards isn’t “pretty” wore the exact same outfit she would be shunned. Society’s general hypocrisy towards one another is abundant and relevant in many aspects in our school. You know the “popular kids” or “suck ups” or “teacher’s pets” that can do whatever they want, but step out of line once and you’re dead? But how does this affect people? Well, first off, total self-worth damager. You get called a double standard long enough and you become that double standard. It’s like stereotypes. Double standards are just another way to categorize people. Its physiological term called closure; it’s when our mind fills in details that are not really there. Our minds want to categorize everything. It is how we perceive the world around us; categorizing people just makes sense. Double standards, they suck. And unfortunately they are everywhere. Now I could just sit here and rant about how I hate them and how we need to stop, but that really is not a probable quest. It’s not like there is nothing we can do, but we definitely can’t obliterate them from society. That doesn’t mean they should not be addressed. Though we can’t completely demolish double

Jessica Goddard//Managing Editor standards from our judgment-stricken society, we can stop ourselves from acting upon the double standards. Break away from the traditional man-pay-all. Ladies in relationships, ever thought of buying your guy a nice dinner and treating him to an evening out? I’m sure he would be beyond flattered. Or if you catch yourself making an instant judgment based on a double standard, stop yourself. Are you seeing the whole picture here? If you aren’t, try finding a different perspective; you might discover that things are not always what they seem.

ou st o y bigge our d t in ha he W is t dard nk n ? thi le sta hool ub sc do

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A guy sleeping around v.s. a girl sleeping around. -Kelly Dwyer, Junior

Stereotypical “sluts” Drawn by Peter Hung

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Issue of The Issue

EDITORIAL

Vol 21 | Iss 07

“

EDITORIAL

A guy says that he wants a sweet girl and then dates a not-so-sweet girl. -Maria Kuripet, Junior Courtesy of Jessica Goddard

MARCH ‘13 | 09

FEATURE

A quick guide on the ins and outs to buying your first car Sean Fiore//Bussiness manager So you just got your driver’s license and your parent said you have to buy your own car but you don’t know the first thing about how to go about doing that. That’s where the Hawk’s Eye brings expert advice. Dave Ramsey, economist guru, says the number one rule will always be to buy used. Buying a used car yields many benefits. The biggest benefit is savings because the average price of a new car in the U.S. is just over $31,000, the second you drive that new car off the lot it automatically loses 10-25% of its market value (autoblog.com). Buying used means you avoid depreciation. The savings continue when you pay for insurance as well. Selection is also a very nice benefit because when buying used, you’ll be able to find a wide variety. Before you even boot up the computer and look for a car, you need to set some ground rules for yourself. First and foremost would be setting a price. This will depend on many factors but will also determine what you can and cannot start looking for. When it comes to pricing out a car you need know the market. Looking at websites such as cars.com, autotrader.com and eBay are efficient ways to average out the price of vehicle you’re seeking. Kelly Blue Book concidered the authority on the subject. They compile all of the information about used cars and what they are valued at. Now KBB can be over or underpriced depending on the availability of the car you’re in the market for.

A look under the hood Photo Courtesy Zach Neuman

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The biggest piece of advice I can give you is not to fall in love with the first car you drive. You can always shop around, and more often than not you’re going to find something better. -James Ross, Used-Car Salesman

One of the major tests for a potential new car is to drive it cold. You are able to test the spark plugs and alternator this will also give you the best and truest indication of the car’s mechanical and electrical conditions.

Remember, this is your first car. Don’t expect an awesome sports car. You should think about practicality first and foremost.

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Car Buying 101

FEATURE

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Make sure to check all fluids before test driving and or buying a car. You can learn how to check them as well as learn the difference between good and bad fluids from YouTube videos.

As attractive as a big V8 might sound in theory, you’re going to end up regretting it at the pump. The best option is a fuel sipping V6 or a turbo charged V4.

The exterior of a car should be the first thing you check. Look for dents, scratches, scuffs, repainted surfaces and ill-fitting panels, all of which could be signs of poor repairs (autoblog.com).

BMW 328i touring Courtesy of us.bmw.com

Test the breaks to see if they’re sharp or if you feel like you’re putting your foot into sand.

While all wheel drive and 4-wheel drive aren’t a necessity, they are a nice amenity to have with the unpredictable Kansas weather.

10 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Listen and feel for the gear box (whether it is manual or automatic). Transmissions are amongst the most expensive repairs on any car.

Also check out the tires. If the treads are worn, they haven’t been changed recently which means the tires are going to have less grip than they potentially could. This would be something you have to replace down the line.

March ‘13 | 11

News

Seeing Double elbuoD gnieeS Twins and Triplets at Olathe East High School

hey feel each other’s pain, they finish one another’s sentences, they have the power to be two places at the same time, and they can read each other’s minds. No, they are not super heroes. They are multiples. Although they look alike, dress alike, or have the same pair of shoes, they are each individuals that are completely different in most aspects minus the color of their hair and the color of their eyes. Twins, and triplets, seeing them together is a fascinating opportunity, some talk at the same time, sit together at lunch, and embrace each other with a huge smile when away from one another is only a short period of time. In 2003 the Thompson triplets were asked “ What is the greatest thing about being a triplet?” The three seven year old girls were smiling up to a reporter with big blue eyes and match-

NEWS

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Katie Thompson//Staff Writer

ing dresses. The smallest one answered the man with four simple words, “ You’re never alone.” Then there are some multiples that act like they have to put up with one another just because they were born two minutes apart and happen to have the same birthday. However they act, whetherer joined at the hip, or not joined at all, to everyone around them they are a marvelous production of a wonder that most people have thought about one time or another. Having a sleepover every single night, having two or three times the amount of clothes, having a friend there for you whenever you need him or her, and of course never being alone. Out of the 100 million twins worldwide, Olathe East has a fair share of these wonderous siblings.

Jason and James Courtesy of James Kor

Brenna, Haley, and Katie Thompson Courtesy of Brenna Thompson

Confessions of a Multiple

OE sophomore twin Greg Hodges loves his brother Grant more than anything. “My favorite thing about being a twin is waking up to see my brothers beautiful face every morning. My least favorite thing is that he beats me up.” Greg said that the number one thing he and his brother fight about is who loves each other more. “We hug for an hour every night before we go to bed.” Jess Perez loves being a twin to have someone to sleep with; she does not like to sleep alone. She also enjoys having someone there for her. Jessie stated, “My least favorite thing would be I have to consider her in a lot, like going to the mall with someone she usually has to come and we have to split almost everything. When Jessie was younger she used to talk to boys pretending to be her sister Jordan because she was shy, and usually they never noticed. “My favorite thing about being a twin is having someone there for you always and having someone to try on clothes for me at a store when I am too lazy to do it myself,” Bailey said. Her least favorite thing is when people call her by her sisters name (Brooke). She and her sister do not really fight over clothes because neither of them are keen on sharing. “My favorite memory was when we were little we shared a room. Every night when our parents shut the door, Brooke and I would get out of bed and see who could make the biggest shadow on the wall.” Brad Krull’s favorite thing about being a twin is always having someone there to do stuff with, like play soccer or Xbox. Brad said “ I do not have a least favorite thing that I can think of, maybe how people always ask me and are so surprised to find out I have a twin because we are so different. Brad remembers watching his brother fall off of a wakeboard at the lake and smack the water and Brad started crying, not because he felt his brothers pain, but because he was laughing too hard.

Parker Evans, a triplet at Olathe East confessed that he and his brother switch classes very frequently. His favorite thing about being a triplet is that you always have someone to talk to, either his brother or sister, and the worst thing is that they get on each other’s nerves. Parker said, “The funniest memory would be all of the adventures we went on as kids.” Ashley Lamb loves having a twin sister to always have someone to hang out with. Ashley stated, “The worst thing about being a twin is having to share things, especially clothes.” Ashley and her sister Alexis are fraternal twins. The cutest thing she can remember from being a twin is when she was little she and her twin would wear matching outfits. Ashley said, “The number one thing we fight about is clothes.” Jason Cor’s most vivid memory of being a twin is being so excited to play with his brother that he ran into a tree on the way to the sandbox and threw up. He loves having a brother to use his forms and homework to study off of. “My worst thing about being a twin is having to have missed my Pokemon birthday party when I turned 7. We still have some of the party arrangments,” he said. Jason and his brother are not identical twins. Brenna Thompson is a member of the all-girl trio here at Olathe East. “I have so many favorite things about being a triplet. I love always having someone have my back. We are best friends. Our life is a sleepover every single night; we make the littlest things so much fun.” Brenna’s least favorite thing is fighting over clothes all the time and becoming distant occasionally with one of her sisters. “My sister, Katie, and I are the most obnoxious people ever when it comes to traveling on a plane and we love to be weird and insane. We do not care who is watching. My sister Haley and I have the craziest stories; we turn everything into a crazy memory.”

Brent and Brad Krull Courtesy of Brad Krull

Jessie and Jordan Perez Courtesy of Jessie Perez

Myths about Multiples

Bailey and Brooke Nelson Courtesy of Bailey Nelson

12 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Alexis and Ashley Lamb Courtesy of Ashley Lamb

Greg and Grant Hodges Courtesy of Greg Hodges

1. Twins and triplets do not necessarily look alike at all or have the same DNA. 2. Identical twins do not have to look exactly alike. 3. Twins can look exactly like one another and not be identical. 4. One is not good and one is not evil. 5. Twins are not always born C-section 6. Multiples should not be separated in school 7. They are not always the best of friends 8. The older one is not the leader all of the time and the younger is not always the follower 9. They are not always in competition 10. They cannot tell what the others is thinking

MARCH ‘13 | 13

FEATURE

Omnivore vs. Herbivore

Dear Baby, RealCare Baby teaches real-life lessons

Lauren Hart//Staff Writer

hen students sign up for the Parenting and Childhood Development class here at Olathe East, one of the largest assignments is taking the RealCare Baby home for the weekend. Parenting is much more work than a teenager might imagine; they do not realize all the care required to take care of a baby 24/7 until given that responsibility. Just like a living, breathing baby, the RealCare Baby requires the caregiver to provide for him or her over a weekend which also teaches huge life lessons. Parenting teacher Sarah Talcott said, “One of the biggest lessons this program teaches students is responsibility. Babies are cute and fun, but teenagers don’t get the chance to experience all the hard work. Having a baby is life-changing and is worth waiting for.”

Dear Baby,

Thank you for showing me that I do not want children of my own until much later in life, but I guess that is what the project was supposed to teach me. Thank you for making me realize what I really want my future to look like and teaching me lessons that I will retain forever. You taught me lessons in responsibility, time management, patience, and you also gave me a tremendous reality check. Thank you for making me believe that I was in for an easy weekend. You led my mind in the wrong direction. Taking care of you was probably one of the largest responsibilities I have ever had and certainly was not all fun and games. From the moment you were activated, there was never a dull moment. I was always doing something to tend to your needs. You were supposedly programmed to follow a routine, but as soon as I thought I had your routine figured out, you changed it, just like a real baby. Now, sure you are only a plastic baby, but a tremendous amount of work goes into taking care of you. The responsibility of being a parent is anything but routine, and I realized this very quickly. Time management was also another concept of mine that you tested. You cried at all hours, having no regard for what I was currently doing. Anytime you cried, I had to drop everything to take care of you. I faced a real challenge trying to take care of you, while also trying to sleep, do my homework, or even trying to eat. It was near impossible to multi-task. You also tested my patience again and again. Thank you for waking me up at 2:14 a.m. after you had awakened three previous times. Being patient was a tough undertaking in the early morning hours while you were still crying. What could you possibly want now? Thank you also for making me play a guessing game with you anytime you cried. Do you need to be fed? Do you need your diaper changed from the one with the green sensor to the diaper with the yellow sensor? Are you just fussy? Please do not be fussy. That means that there is not anything I can do to stop the loud shrill of your voice for three whole minutes. All I can do is rock you. For three entire minutes. In case you were unaware, your wails would get louder and louder until I was able to successfully scan your back and figure out what you needed. Who would have thought that figuring out what your wails meant would be the easiest part. Trying to get my hospital-like, ID bracelet to register with you was maybe the most difficult part. I had to scan your back where there is a sensor to ensure that I am, in fact, the one who is taking care of you. Once I heard the chime that meant my ID bracelet had registered, I breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. Regardless of my patience levels, the weekend was a reality check. I did not even consider how people would react when I took you out in public. I could never have imagined the looks I would get. When I went to dinner and brought you along, did you have to cry five times? Although you did stress me out, I am grateful for the tremendous lessons you taught me, and for that I would like to thank you. RealCare Baby Courtesy of Zack Neuman

14 | THE HAWK’S EYE

FEATURE

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Sincerely, Your loving mother for the weekend

Is being a vegetarian helping to create a healthier diet?

Paige Schick//Staff Writer

o eat or not to eat meat is the issue at hand. It’s no secret that Americans struggle with eating healthy. With fast food restaurants around every corner and grocery store shelves stocked full of processed foods, of course eating healthy is a problem. But is becoming a vegetarian hurting or helping the cause to be healthy? Only 5% of Americans call themselves vegetarians, defined as having a diet excluding meat, poultry, and fish. The vegetarian diet mostly includes fruits, vegetables, grains, nuts, and dairy products. A person’s decision to become vegetarian can be linked to many different reasons. “I started [being vegetarian] by religion and then carried on by choice,” stated sophomore Saurabh Harohalli. Reasons range from animal cruelty and personal health, to world hunger concerns and spiritual reasons. Sophomore Ellen Ediger stated, “I became a vegetarian because I thought it would be healthier, and it was something new and fun to try.” Without the protein from meat, vegetarians do have to become more creative in order to consume the recommended amount. Harohalli commented, “I eat beans, lentils, eggs, soybeans, and sometimes high protein grains.” Studies show that vegetarians have lower risks of developing heart disease, as well as colorectal, ovarian, and breast cancers, diabetes, obesity, and hypertension (high blood pressure); however, converting to vegetarianism involves several risks. Some vegetarians lack many essential nutrients and vitamins they need to maintain a healthy

diet. “I eat beans a lot,” explained Ediger. In order to become a successful vegetarian, you have to really focus on what you’re eating to insure a beneficial diet. Though meat is not the only source of protein, vegetarians have to make sure they substitute other foods for the protein, nutrients, and vitamins they would be receiving from meat. Including meat in your diet is important for most people, but it is not essential. After coming off a recession, America is still trying to get back on the successful track. Unfortunately, this has affected the quality of our meat. Many big time meat factories have started to forego necessary actions to keep meat healthy, including the animals themselves. In order to make meat as inexpensive as possible, many factories spend less money taking care of the animals and feed them food that is not acceptable for us to ingest. They have sacrificed many essential nutrients and vitamins, causing the intake of meat to be more harmful than helpful. Most people don’t consider being a vegetarian, so dieticians recommend buying meat carefully. Meats labeled “all natural” are probably your best choice when buying meat. The moral of the issue isn’t whether or not being a vegetarian is bad, but in turn it’s actually what we choose to eat. Look at food carefully before you eat it, vegetarian or not. Make sure you find a balance in your diet to be successful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Omn No More This is how we make our premium beef.

Cartoon Courtesy of Peter Hung

Ew, they use stomach guts and add all these chemicals...

Goodbye, I would rather eat raw real meat than cooked “premium meat.”

Wait, I still have to show you the cages we keep the cows in!

MARCH ‘13 | 15

ENTERTAINMENT

Awful Spring Break Spots Five places absolutely not worth visiting

h, yes, spring break. That time of year where the weather begins to get slightly tolerable, people begin to party delightfully hard, and something probably happens on MTV. This year, unless you had the foresight to book a vacation back in November, top spring break cities such as Miami, San Diego, and Las Vegas are probably all out of the question in terms of space. In the case that any would-be spring breaker still wants to find a party locale from the slim pickings still available, here are a few of the cities that are actually less preferable to staying home and watching Seinfeld reruns.

The fabled “cannonball loop” Courtesy of Wikipedia

HairoScope

Stats on girls’ perception of their most beloved possession

* Straight

Metcalf South Shopping Center, Overland Park, KS: One of the Kansas City metropolitan area’s many fine malls, containing upwards of three stores in a three-story indoor mall. However, customers may want to take Macy’s off of their potential shopping locations, as heavy snow forced the roof to begin to cave in during late February. Take a trip back in time to the 1980’s by looking at the fantastic retro décor and the numerous nonfunctioning granite fountains. The white tile floors throughout the whole mall shine and reflect the excellent work of the custodial staff, as well as the image of shame to any customer looking. Come to the top floor on Fridays to see a random guy doing yoga by himself.

16 | THE HAWK’S EYE

only a few girls had in depth reasons as to why they style their hair a certain way.

Lon

24 Ponytail

Wavy/Curly Political Map of the United States Courtesy of stock.xchng

Photos of beautiful hair Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Which hairstyle do you think men prefers?

Have you dyed your hair before?

44 Yes - 32

No -

Downtown Boise Courtesy of stock.xchng

83 girls were polled, some questions were left blank, and interestingly

Most Common Hairstyle

Action Park, Vernon Township, New Jersey (Circa 1990, if at all possible): This amusement park’s multitude of rides was only rivaled by its multitude of injured guests. Popular rides included Bumper Boats that leaked gasoline into a snake-infested pool, a wave pool full of drunken park-goers, the alpine slide, in which riders took carts down a concrete track at high speeds and the “Cannonball Loop,” a looping water-slide that allegedly dismembered a test dummy. Over the park’s history, six total deaths were reported due to drowning, electrocution, and head trauma. Fortunately for those in the area, the park closed down in 1997, and is now unaccessible for visitors.

Boise, Idaho: A large metropolitan city in the greatest state in the union: Idaho. Being the third largest city in the American Pacific Northwest, trailing only Seattle and Portland, Boise is home to over 200,000 people. With an average March temperature of 54.6 degrees, Boise is the perfect temperature for staying inside. Popular tourism destinations include the basketball arena named the Taco Bell Center, as well as the only football field with blue artificial turf. The local cuisine features potatoes and little else.

Peter Hung // Editor

Corn Palace, Mitchell, South Dakota: The main tourist attraction to the small town of Mitchell, South Dakota: A building painted with corn. While the outside is covered in multi-colored corn, the inside is rather depressing, holding a basketball court and a small concert hall. For concert-goers, the Corn Palace tends to book many acapella groups and eighties cover bands.

Do you still dye your hair?

53 Yes - 28

Blonde - 11 Red - 5 Dark brown - 8 Natural - 2 Brown - 8 Blue - 3 Black - 7

No -

What makes you want to do a certain hairstyle?

Dreadlocker

Is your hair naturally curly or straight? impress someone - 11 going on a date - 5 have time or not - 16 depends on mood - 18 what I’m wearing - 6 looks good - 2

That isn’t paint. It’s colored corn. Courtesy of Wikipedia

Long - 29 Wavy/Curly - 27 Straight - 20 Ponytail - 4

What is your favorite hair color?

Favorite Hairstyle

Joseph Bush//Staff Writer

ENTERTAINMENT

Vol 21 | Iss 07

lazy = ponytail straight = casual curly = fun/cute/flirty

V.S. Straight -

Curly/Wavy

rt Sho

1 11

Ponyt ail

12%

Braid

32%

Straight

53% Curly

MARCH ‘13 | 17

Electronic Beats Moving Feet How electronics influence music today

Lauren Heinrich//Staff Writer

to-tune was originally used to adjust a singer’s voice if they sing off-key while recording a song. Artists like Nicki Minaj and especially T-Pain are known to use auto-tune today to make them sound ‘different’ and ‘try something new’ for the hip-hop culture.

Would it or to h cost more to ave co have a mp instrum c ents? A uter techno tual instrume logy a nts a com ccordin sa pu g to Be adding ter ranges f st Buy, ll of the ro a tional on music so m $200 - $3 cost for equipm ftware ,000 a ent wo n that pe uld va or buying a d rs r y on w ddiwith a on wants to h d ll of t he ins o. A typical at exactly betwe trumen band c en $2 ts and ,000 a osts, a com nd equ pu door s terized ban $3,000 tota ipment, wings d or a l. So w either way w n actual one ith ith the , the total c o s t . Close up on th eM f Lauren H ixer einrich

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A DJ Mixing Courtesy of Lauren Heinrich

In the past two or three years, electronic dance music has exploded with tons of artists and songs popping up from all over like Skrillex, Skream, Deadmau5, Digital Mystikz and Bassnectar. Dubstep can be expressed as a type of music that moves people, to have people get up and dance and break loose for a while. Dubstep has grown to be so vastly known that a new catagory in the American Music Awards, Favorite Electronic Dance Music, was added just last year. Skrillex took home two Grammy’s this year for Best Dance Recording for “Bangarang” and Best Dance/ Electronica Album for Bangarang. While dubstep is growing widely known by music lovers, having and using auto-tune in a singer’s voice is becoming more and more heard in today’s trendy music culture. Au-

18 | THE HAWK’S EYE

All About the Madness Every team making its mark one shot at a time The Big 12, Big 10, Big East: all of the conferences that people all over the country gather together for one month and go crazy cheering for their favorite college basketball team. This is the month that teams long for and have been preparing for all season long. Ladies and gentlemen, this is March Madness. Everyone wonders what team will come out on top. Teams all across the nation have their own strategy on how they are going to take charge of the conference this month. The Big 12 is full of competitive teams all with strategic coaches and skillful players. Kansas, one of the top-ranked teams in the nation, seems like they are already prepared to take the championship with leading scorers Ben McLemore and Travis Releford. Kansas State is one of the major contenders with Rodney McGruder averaging 15 points per game. In the SEC, the Florida Gators are planning to end their season well with Kenny Boyton. In the Big 10 with 5 teams ranked nationally and with Indiana ahead with a record of 21-3. All of these teams are few of many major contestants that will all continually work hard in the road to nationals. This year the championship contenders so far look as if they are going to be playing in some pretty tough match-ups. The tournament seems likes a memorable one with teams like Michi-

SPORTS

Austin Porter//Staff Writer

gan, Indiana, Florida and many more. Without a doubt, this season has been full of many upsets and surprises: Kansas going on an 18-game winning streak and then a 5-point loss to Oklahoma State, the unranked Missouri Tigers defeated one of the top-ranked teams, the Florida Gators. The returning champions from Kentucky are having a surprisingly disappointing season, currently placing third in their conference and not even being ranked nationally. It’s safe to say that UK will not be securing the title again this year after their unibrowed-star Anthony Davis getting drafted. This season has been an exciting one but unfortunately soon will be drawing to a close. Whatever team you root for, everybody can say that his/her team has gone through ups and downs this season, but everyone still hopes that the team will end up on top and take the title. Whoever ends up winning, anyone can agree that this season has been an amazing one full of many admirable turnouts. How the season may end could possibly decide how these players’ futures will turn out. The road to Atlanta will be an epic, dramatic, breathtaking conclusion to the arguably most popular sport in the world.

Marcus Smart

et’s face it, technology is growing not only in electronic devices but in music as well. So long are the days where every band had a member who played an instrument and sang live all of the time. Artists today want to sound perfect instead of being true to themselves. Plus, some music doesn’t even have lyrics to sing-along to. Womp womp WAA dubdubdubdubdub WAA. Name that song. What... you can’t? That’s because it’s dubstep and usually not a bunch of real words are expressed. Legendary songs that everyone would know include “Just a small town girl...” or “Hey Jude, don’t make it bad...” All this musical genre contains is a bunch of computerized beats and sounds to create a song. Those songs are from the genre of dubstep, or ‘electronic dance music’ as it is defined.

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Ben McLemore

ENTERTAINMENT

Maroon 5, however, used to be a rock band that produced many chart-topping songs. Now they are more of pop-rock band to keep up with pop music lovers. Maybe Maroon 5 changed their sound to keep up with the popular demands of the pop music industry or maybe, like every artist at some point, decided to change up the sound to keep things fresh. Music change is inevitable. We can either embrace electronic music or reject it, we can adapt to it or push it away and we can love it or hate it. Either way, electronic music is here to stay. Dj Booth equipment Courtesy Lauren Heinrich

MARCH ‘13 | 19

SPORTS

Courtney Child//Staff Writer

Nothing but the facts on this classic country club sport In the original, classy game of tennis, most people don’t Scoring know the basic rules, standards, and progressions. These aspects play a key role in the sport and can affect how a player approaches a match. Four main categories -- Tennis Balls, Scoring, Racquet Type, and Court Type -- make up a match.

Tennis Balls The different tennis balls change as the player gets older and more skilled. Yellow balls with red patches are for children eight years old and younger who play on the 36’x18’ court. Foam balls are also used for this age group. Yellow balls with orange patches are for children 10 and under who play on the 60’x17’ singles court and the 60’x27’ doubles court. Yellow balls with green patches are used for the 78’, or full court, as are the yellow balls with a single green dot. These act as a transition from the green-patched balls to the normal yellow ones. The all yellow, “normal” tennis balls are the bounciest, hardest and heaviest and used for the full court as well.

The start of a tennis game at “love”, or zero, originates from the French word “l’oeuf” which means egg. The shape of the egg mirrors the number zero. When both players or both teams have 40, the term used is “deuce”, which originates from the French words “a deux”. “Deux” means two, and it means that the player or team must win two more points in a row in order to win the game. As for the rest of the scoring, increasing increments of 15 is just how it’s scored. 40 was originally 45, the number that logically follows 30, but as the game progressed, it became easier for the scoring if the fourth number was changed.

20 | THE HAWK’S EYE

Nick Hinrichs and Brenna McDannold lead OE’s track squads

lathe East and state titles in track have become synonymous over the past few years, with the ladies bringing home five straight and the men winning in 2007 and 2010. Some of the most recent success can be attributed to senior Brenna McDannold and junior Nick Hinrichs. If these two continue to perform at a high level, and their many talented teammates do as well, East could have a couple more state trophies to add to the case.

Racquet Type

Court Type Grass courts are used in Wimbeldon, and best for players who like to serve-and-volley. They have the fastest surface of all courts, but their high maintenance also makes them the rarest. Concrete courts are a very fast surface used in the US and Australian Grand Slam tournaments. They fair the best for players with hard serves, and they change depending on the amount of sand in the topcoat and the type of surface underneath. This affects the ball speed and its gripping ability. Clay courts contain crushed shale or brick and are used in the French Open. Clay takes the spot for the slowest of all the surfaces and is best for players who spend most of their time on the baseline and hit consistently with heavy spin. Clay courts also bounce the ball the highest.

Dashing Toward State

Junior Hannah Heaton serving up the competition Courtesy of Zack Neuman

Most people have one brand that they love and are afraid to try a new one. When searching for the perfect racquet, it’s important to look at string patterns, length, weight, stiffness and racquet head size. The top four brands are Babolat, Prince, Wilson, and Head. Wilson will always be a safe bet as they continually produce solid racquets. The racquets do most everything quite well and have a moderate stiffness. Head racquets are not very stiff, and are the hardest to adapt to and control. Prince racquets give the most power. Babolat is the most prized of the top four, and is consistently considered the best. They built racquets that are similar, but yet different enought so that everyone is able to find one that fits them the best. Before you buy, always test out racquets to find the one that fits you best. What’s perfect for you could easily be someone else’s least favorite.

McDannold sprints off the line Courtesy of Dylan Klohr

“

Tennis For Dummies

SPORTS

Vol 21 | Iss 07

Matthew Gwin//Staff Writer

Hopefully the guys can bring home State too, like they did my freshman year. -Brenna McDannold

Senior Brenna McDannold heads the five-time defending champion women’s team. Last year at State she finished fifth in the 3200 M, seventh in the 1600 M, and helped OE to third in the 4 x 800 M relay. Like all athletes, McDannold wants to constantly improve this season in addition to qualifying for State in the same events as she did as a junior. Besides her own events, Brenna hopes the Lady Hawks take the 4 x 400 M relay for the third straight year. She will also be rooting on the men’s team to win State again as they did her freshman year. Unlike Hinrichs, McDannold has been running for quite awhile—nearly half her life. She started at the age of nine because she knew a friend who ran track. These days, Brenna spends approximately 12 hours a week running, conditioning, and keeping herself in tip-top shape. She does more than just practice, though. McDannold constantly runs by herself and always makes sure she eats correctly. A combination of all that work and determination coupled with her incredible ability will help put Olathe East in a position to win its sixth straight State title.

Nick Hinrichs was a key contributor to last year’s state runner-up squad, finishing third in the 800 M and helping the Hawks to a second place finish in the 4 x 800 M relay and a fourth place finish in the 4 x 400 M relay. He hopes to qualify for state in all those again this year, along with a new event he hasn’t picked out yet. In addition to performing well at State as an individual, he wants the team to finish first, not second, this year. With new talent being added to the wealth remaining from last year, Hinrichs thinks they have a good chance to do just that. With all that Hinrichs has accomplished, one would probably think he’s been running since elementary school. However, Nick didn’t start running until seventh grade when a couple of his friends signed up for track at California Trail. Even more amazing is that he only started running competitively his freshman year. Despite all this, he aims to break the school record in the 800 M. It’s quite a lofty goal as a junior, but if he fulfills his dream, he’ll love the feeling after a run even more than usual.

Hinrichs strides toward the finish Courtesy of Nick Hinrichs

MARCH ‘13 | 21

M ix th e

Jesse Niederklein, DO BS ‘02, Anesthesiologist, Via Christi Hospital

“

Choosing a university is one of the biggest decisions you’ll make.