Volume 25 Issue 3
december 2016
Holiday Issue
3 7 11 14
NEWS
3| What Data Analytics Can Really Do 4| Why Give Blood? 5| Vine Goes Bankrupt 6| IPS Students with Jobs
ENTERTAINMENT
13| Hardcore Holiday Party 14| ‘Tis the Flu Season 15| Best Chicken in the Area
SPORTS
7| State Championships
EDITORIAL
8| Christmas Cartoon 9| Stress in School
FEATURE
10| OE Celebrates the Holiday 11| National Honorees 12| Club Time
Notification Statement of Non-discrimination: The Olathe Public Schools prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion or disability in its programs, activities or employment, and provides equal access to the Boy Scouts and other designated youth groups to its facilities as required by: Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title VI and Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and other relevant state and federal laws. Inquiries regarding compliance with applicable civil rights statutes related to ethnicity, gender, age discrimination or equal access may be directed to Staff Council, 14160 Black Bob Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913-780-7000. All inquiries regarding compliance with applicable statutes regrading 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 Road, Olathe, KS 66063-2000, phone 913-780-7000. Interested persons including those with impaired vision or hearing, can also obtain information as to existence and location services, activities and facilities that are accessible to and usable by disabled persons by calling the Assistant Superintendent General Administration. (04/13)
00010101101010010010010101010 Who’s Watching Who? 010100100101001001001001010010 A Look at How and Why Companies are Tracking Your Information 10010010010101001001001001100 110010010000100000000111110101 010101010110111101000100100101 101011111101010010010010010101 100110100100100001001001001001 001001001001001001001001010101 010010010010010010010011011110 101001011010001011111001010100 101010110101001001110010010110 010010101001010100101001001001 010101101001001101001001110001 101010010010101001110100100100 101010010010010010101001010010 100100001101001001001010101001
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eb browsing, posting on social media, Google searches and numerous online interactions fill our daily lives. What if the spying eye of “Big Brother” was watching all of these activities? What if there was not just one “Big Brother,” but hundreds, possibly thousands? That reality of today could continue to expand as the interactions people enjoy online become more important to companies and organizations around the world. Mass data analytics, constant collecting and processing of data, provides insight for businesses around the world. This field of study uses massive amounts of data and tries to identify trends in the information. Electronics company Intel said, “The digital economy is driving a...cycle where connected devices and cloud-powered services are generating data.” Online posts might identify products that would interest the user. A sudden change in online shopping habits could, for example, show retailers that a potential shopper is expecting a child. Companies all around the world use this data analytics, including those whose products fill many people’s daily lives. Search engines are one example of a tool that uses this data collection. These browsing tools create a comprehensive list of one’s previous searches and use those to establish what materials that person would be interested in. This shows up in recommended viewing lists, recommended searches and other lists of proposed websites to visit. Far more complex and quite a bit disconcerting ways exist to use data analysis Cheryl Schmidt, business and computer teacher at Olathe East, knows there needs to be boundaries. “I have mixed feelings about it. Because you’re using one of their products for free, if that’s what they want to do to get you to use their products I think they should be allowed to have a little bit of access [to your information]. But how much access, that’s where it’s crossing the line on how much data they’re collecting,” Schmidt said. In an interview done for Information Weekly, the CEO of CybeRisk Security, Yoram Golandsky, said, “The amount of information we can find on a person from Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and blog postings [is significant], and that’s without leaving the office.” According to Facebook, the online social media company can
Jacob Wilson//Graphic Designer
predict whether or not a relationship will last. Using a variety of information collected from users, they and then determine, with a fair amount of accuracy, the future of the couple. This alone may not concern some users; however, ways to collect and use this plethora of information may not be so benign. In a study done by The Wall Street Journal, nearly every one of the top 50 phone applications possesses the ability to track a phone’s location. Not only do they track this information, they transmit it to third parties. Several of these apps also know the user’s phone number, age and gender and transmit those statistics too. Students all throughout Olathe East use these apps. Junior Cole Young presents concerns for this situation. “I feel ‘exposed’. I don’t like that they do that. I don’t know what these third parties do with that information. I mean it’s pretty much endless what they can do with that,” Young said. One use of the data collected from many different sources is for companies to target an individual’s accounts. In the same interview with Forbes, Golandsky said “This is the way we get people to give us their passwords. If I have all that information on you, your whereabouts, what you like to do, the ability to socially engineer you becomes a very easy task.” Junior Ian Jackson is not sure how these companies can see private information as just another way to profit. “[It is] like these people that run the [companies] don’t really see your personal information as personal. How can [you] keep your information safe? How can [companies] promise to keep [your information] secret when these other companies who you haven’t given any information to can find out about your personal life?,” Jackson said. The reality has become apparent that everything done online could be used against you. Online security is failing as more and more people become complacent in their online interactions. People could focus more on securing their online information and protecting their personal information. As more concern for a lack of security rises, a boost in overall information security could develop. Big Brother doesn’t have to win.
News
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From Vein to Vein
After the donation, blood remains at the shelter and ready to be
Kylie Graham//Staff Writer
Everything You Need to Know About Blood Drives
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wo seconds of pain in one’s non-dominant arm could go on to save the life of another person. Concern fills students dealing with blood donations, despite the massive impact of only ten minutes of discomfort. In an effort to persuade students to participate in the next Olathe East blood drive or donate at a Community Blood Center location, Chelsea Tibbetts and Pat Parton from the blood center uncover exactly what happens before, after and during the donation.
When Should I Donate:
In the winter and around the holidays the blood center sees Photo taken at The Community Blood Center. its lowest levels of donations. “People have a lot of stuff to do around the holidays and often neglect to take time to come in and donate. While this time is unbelievably busy, blood is still needed,” Pat Parton Director of Production and Distribution at the Community Blood Center said. Therefore, if possible, squeeze in some time to donate this holiday season and give the gift of life.
How Do I Prepare for My Donation?
The process of donating blood does not simply begin and end the day of donation. “Be prepared at least a week before the drive,” said Chelsea Tibbetts, Assistant Director of Donor Distribution at the Community Blood Center. To be prepared, students must drink lots of water, eat well and get good rest. This may be difficult for a typical teenager because of packed schedules and little-to-no down time, but experts stress the essential need to take care of your body to ensure a successful donation process. After donating still be sure to drink water and eat well as your body needs time to fully recover.
sent out within the next two days. The blood center collects blood regularly in case of a natural disaster on uncommon need of blood. “It’s the blood on the shelf that always saves lives,” Parton said.
How Can I Help the Success of my School’s Blood Drive:
Specific to high school blood drives, advertising among and by students has proven the most important. “‘The bandwagon approach’ proves to be extremely successful when dealing with high school drives,” Tibbetts said. To help raise the amount of collection students need simply to talk to their friends about donating. The more friends you can convince to donate the more lives you can save. Another tool used is social media. “Social media helps put a face and reason behind the donation,” Tibbetts said. When students see their peers talking about the blood drive online, they become more inclined to give.
How Can I See the Impact of my Donation:
On a routine bases, donors do not get to meet the recipients of their blood simply due to patient confidentiality. “Occasionally, hospitals will reach out to patients who might be willing to meet their donors,” Parton said. In that case, the blood center will contact donors and schedule a meeting. In other cases the blood center will send blood to the military. When that happens, donors will be informed on the end location of their donation.
Commonly Asked Questions:
No one likes needles but one small prick could go on to save a life. When donating, don’t look at the needle. Donations usually take about 10 minutes and only hurts at the initial prick. After that the only feeling should be a
After a Donation:
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Anyone who has traveled to a country with a risk of malaria will be temporarily unable to donate for 12 months If you are anemic
After your donation, the Community Blood Center will send you a letter with all your vital statistics including your blood type.
The number one way to prevent fainting during donations is to simply drink water. Drink lots of water the day of and the day before you donate. Make sure to eat a good breakfast, lunch, or dinner depend-
Vine is Not Fine
Erin McCarthy// Staff Writer
Time to say goodbye to an app that’s known and loved. Goldfish are rumored to have six-second attention spans, which when Junior Bella Canedo said, “I don’t even go on it anyway, but it’s still pondered, does not seem too impressive. Only focusing on something sad. Its the end of an era.” for that short of a time seems silly, but The creators of the content that has made many most people have done so many times laugh had many mixed reactions about vine shutthroughout the past three years. When ting down. Some were sad and posted vines thankthe entertainment application Vine was ing their followers and the app that gave them released on January 24, 2013, most people their start. Others took a more comical approach were skeptical. How could something that making one last funny vine to send the app off. only lasts six seconds keep the attention of Most surprising of all, though, was most creators millions of people throughout the world? claim that they saw the app’s death coming about a Vine always had issues competing with year ago and were not shocked at all. The creators other platforms like YouTube and Snapblame the corporate incompetence on why many chat, in the way a younger sibling would of the famous viners had left so long ago to start on struggle trying to compete with older YouTube or other entertainment venues. brothers. The application allows people De Storm Powers, who is one of Vine’s most to post six seconds of comedy, singing, famous creators, claims in a YouTube video that or dumb pranks on a continuous loop. In Vine’s corporate leaders did not create a welcomtheory, this sounds pointless, and someing community for the creators, which may come times was, but caught just enough buzz as a surprise to most watchers. Creators were not to sustain the new app. This led CEOs of paid through Vine; they had to get third parties other media platforms to gain interest in involved through sponsors and product promothe new fad. tion. Most of the creators didn’t even have an email The company who owns Twitter to contact Vine CEOs if something went wrong. bought Vine as an extension of Twitter Apparently about a year ago, Vine also realized Photo Courtesy of Mikie Brown hoping to catch enough buzz to sustain the app was headed downhill and held a “secret the app. However, as Twitter is having meeting” for themselves and all their creators to financial issues, they have to make cuts. try to create a solution. When the creators gave the Vine and all their employees were the first company their demands, the CEOs did not oblige, to go. In the beginning many millennials were unsure about this new app, and one by one the creators left, taking all their fans and views with them but after a few hilarious vines, they were convinced. The app was a hit for Powers said, “Vine didn’t die; it committed suicide.” about three years, but Vine struggled to compete with other social media Luckily Vine shutting down does not mean all previously made vines apps like Snapchat and YouTube. Many “viners” had left the app months will be deleted; it just means that no one will be able to post new material ago to either start on other projects, or just because they were bored with on the app anymore. Just in case, most creators also posted all their vines the platform and the short amount on other platforms like Facebook and YouTube so their fans can easily of time they had to entertain. access them. The exact date of when the app will be shutting down for The viewers of Vine were very good has not been released yet so if anyone wants to make one more vine, confused when they heard vine was they should make it soon. Vine ending is also the ending of an era which shutting down about two weeks ago, helped shape the way most viewers think and brought a new generation even though many have not even of comics into the world. With a heavy heart we say goodbye to Vine. opened the app in months.
One of Vines most famous creators advertises about also having a Youtube channel
Photo Courtesy of Mikie Brown
Safety (Inter)Net If someone is a fan of vine and is afraid that they will lose all of their favorite “re-vines” forever, do not worry! Many famous creators are moving all of their vines onto these other platforms: Youtube Facebook Tumblr Instagram News
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CREWS Promotes Vocational Skills
Special Needs Students Obtain Opportunities That Will Help Them Succeed in Their Lives Blythe Dorrian// Co-Editor
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REWS, “Crews Related Experiences With Students,” an elective class for juniors and seniors, gives special needs students the foundation of work skills and an environment to practice these skills in environments besides school. The students attend businesses and restaurants, such as Marshall’s, Family Video, Chick-Fil-A, and Old Chicago several times during the week to gain experience in work. Job placements and days rotate according to the student’s needs discussed in IEP meetings every year. Marti Schmidt, Sharon Brashears and Candice McGinnis serve as the main transition specialists for the
Students work at their jobs doing normal duties. A past student works on cleaning ceiling tiles. Claire Mahon, senior, works at ChickFil-A sorting napkins. Courtesy of Candice McGinnis.
Crews program. Chick- Fil- A began to work with Olathe East over three years ago making them the longest job exchange participant. At work, the students may focus on one task like refilling just ketchup, instead of being tasked with refilling all of the condiments. “They do what regular employees would do,” McGinnis said. Marti Schmidt, a transition specialist who has worked for over forty years, helps students at Olathe East succeed. Schmidt attended the University of Missouri for undergraduate studies in special education, and University of Central Missouri for her Master’s and specialist degrees. Graduating with three degrees, Schmidt received degrees in psychology, elementary special education, and a minor in social work. Schmidt switched to being a transitions specialist in 1988, but originally started classroom teaching after she graduated in 1973. “I didn’t know that I was going to go into special education when I first started school. I didn’t have any idea, but I
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enjoyed helping people,” Schmidt said. Public law 94-142, a federal law addressed by Congress in 1975, stated that all special education students needed teachers to help provide for their needs. “I didn’t enjoy going to school when I was a student, but I enjoyed it later on,” Schmidt said. One of Schmidt’s past students has been employed at Walmart for over 20 years, as well as one of special education teacher, Jolene Hagstrom’s students still being employed at Chick-Fil-A. “Getting a job right after CREWS depends on the student. Some students just have an attitude that is more inclined to working a job; they want to please people. “I always strive to make a change and do things better. You never stop improving because there are always ways to improve; you’re never
“CREWS is a way for teachers to observe what skills a student is capable of and how well they progress. It is an exploration program, not just for employment for students to see if one day they will like stocking shelves,” -Candice McGinnis satisfied”, Schmidt said. Interpersonal Skills, one of the introduction classes for special needs students in CREWS, helps with vocations by learning soft skills in the classroom. These methods teach students how to talk to bosses and co-workers to help succeed better in jobs. Interpersonal Skills, taught by Amy Hill, extends job skills and practices them during school hours in the same building. Students from both CREWS and Interpersonal Skills learn how to develop these skills that they wouldn’t have without these classes.
Hawks At The Top
Gymnastics and Boy’s Cross Country Make Olathe East’s 50 State Titles Jacob Stofer//Managing Editor
Boys Cross Country: 1st ever at state ( Title #50)
Raymore-Peculiar Invitational, Olathe East Class Classic, 4th at Turner Invitational, Missouri Southern Stampede State Titles (1): 2016
Coach Glenn Daniels handing out awards Photo by Blythe Dorrian
Group Photo after Winning the first State Title in program history Courtesy of Glenn Daniels
Girls Gymnastics: 1st place at State, ( Title #49) (October 22nd, 2016)
With the State Trophy At Shawnee Mission South Courtesy of Mallory West
State Titles (7): 2002-03, 2007-08, 2012, 2015-16
Photo by Blythe Dorrian
Boy’s Soccer: 2nd place at State, Sunflower League Champions League Titles (15): 1994-95, 1999, 2003-09, 2011, 2013-16 The Boy’s team jump for joy after winning the Sunflower League over Shawnee Mission North Courtesy of Amanda Faunce
Courtesy of Amanda Faunce
sports
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Worst Timing
Lindsey Proctor//Staff Writer
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editorial
The Stress Of Happiness
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The Toll that Stress Takes on Your Life
Micah Hinton//Staff Writer
he image of a teen has its perks: friends, parties, events you don’t have to pay for. Being a typical teenager isn’t what they show on Mean Girls, It’s back-breaking backpacks, sleepless nights, overdue books you were forced to have and really judgmental peers. With all this stress on the necks of the adolescents today, do we truly know where this stress could truly lead to?
In the eyes of almost every parent, stress for a child in high school is almost imaginary. They typically believe teens have life extremely easy, and in some cases they do, but stress comes free for anyone with a brain and most definitely a danger to experience. Stress is the body’s natural response to challenges. When affecting a student, stress typically causes an interference with their learning ability, communication and physical, emotional or mental health that could cause problems at home and school Only acknowledging the stress in my personal life, I can name parents, the judgmental eyes of teachers, religion and the introduction of evolution, the pressure of college acceptance and the confusion of college applications, the battle of sexuality and society’s rules of love and so much more that I’m sure I’m not facing alone. The dangers of stress don’t stop with the battle of the mind. Stress is like the roots of a tree; It grows and branches to other problems that might poison the mind into life-threatening decisions. For instance many clinicians and addiction medicine specialists suggest that stress is the number one cause of drug abuse. Weed, LSD, cocaine, meth, molly, bath salt, heroin, amphetamine and many more illegal substances are at the fingertips of so many teens today. I’ve witnessed the stress of a teen pregnancy lead to the marriage of LSD. I’ve seen the diagnoses of psychological problems fall into the hands of the cocaine demon. Drug addiction, a chronic often relapsing brain disease, causes compulsive drug use, despite harmful consequences to the drug addict and those around them. In a survey ran by the Teen Rehab Center, 21.3 percent of 12th graders have smoked pot in the last 30 days along with the 81 percent admitting it would be easy to obtain marijuana. People often underestimate the complexity of drug addiction. Snorting, smoking or injecting illegal drugs is harmful to the soul and brain and can all be provoked by the simple trigger of stress. Prescription drugs are just as much of a threat as the illegal drugs men-
tioned before. One of the most common reason for prescription addiction for teenagers would be depression or anxiety. Anxiety disorders are the most common of all mental illnesses, effecting 25 percent of all teens and 30 percent of all teen girls. Anxiety medication is also the easiest prescription drug to get your hands on legally or illegally along with depression. Depression, (major depressive disorder or clinical depression) a common, but serious, mood disorder, causing severe symptoms that affect how you feel, think and handle daily activities, such as sleeping, eating or working. The researchers of Elements Behavioral Heath Association looked over 60,000 teenagers who, through surveys and tests, would further be described as feeling isolation, sensitivity, being misunderstood, worried, excessive sadness and general dissatisfaction. Anxiety disorders can be commonly be paired with depression or vice versa. Teens with an abundant amount of stress while assessing anxiety, depression or both will sometimes turn to illegal drugs or become a prescription drug addict. Drugs are not the only deadly killer brought on by stress; sometimes teens are their own worst enemy. Among the ages 14 to 17, suicide looms as the third leading cause of death according to statistics from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Each day in our nation an average of over 5,240 suicide attempts are made by young people grades 7-12 according to The Parent Resource Program. Stress affecting teens can be a real danger, rather leading to drugs, anxiety episodes, depression or suicide. Parents, teachers or any peers of a teen need to be aware that stress affects teenagers, and like a demon, taints and manipulates the mind into someone that nobody wants to be. If any of the symptoms you have read from this article match anything you’re facing, please seek help from a school psychiatrist, a counselor or a professional outside of school.
“My parents aren’t the problem. Its the simple fact of me wanting to succeed.”
-Brittany Hinson
What Olathe East Finds Stressful: Brittany Hinson, with a 3.8 GPA talks about how stress effects her. “My parents aren’t the problem. It’s the simple fact of me wanting to succeed in life.” She talked about how having a grade slightly below a 100% such as a 93%(which is an -A) or teachers putting in grades late or slow is something she can’t stand and will do anything to avoid.
On the left, photography teacher Mrs. Sellers said, “I’ve seen kids get so stressed out they shut down, feeling as if they got themselves so far in the hole they will never get out.” (On the right) Jaylyn Davis with a GPA of 3.2 said, “Trying to get all seven hours of homework done in one night stresses me out.” She even described herself as low and needing to work harder even though she has an acceptable GPA.
editorial
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Holiday Traditions What Olathe East Students do for the Holidays
8% Does Not Celebrate Christmas
92% Celebrates Christmas
68% Does Not Celebrate Christmas on Christmas Eve
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very year people hope the snowfall will stick to the ground, sitting by the fireplace to keep them warm, and reacquainting themselves with the people we can call family on Christmas Day. Families from all over the world celebrate their own original and and unoriginal traditions. Even celebrating Halloween on Christmas is a tradition to some. A survey was given out to four different classes to learn about any unique traditions students celebrate during the holidays. A student’s family takes pride in the ornaments they collect every year. She said, “My family collects Santa’s. We have over 100 Santa’s that are spread around my house. My brother and I pick out a new ornament to put on the big tree every year.” One student with a unique tradition said, “We have a pickle that we hide in the tree and all the cousins look for it and get money. Plus, my Meme [grandma] keeps Christmas decorations up inside all year.” One other student said, “My mom always makes a trail of candy canes from my room to the tree and she always puts pajamas out for us on Christmas Eve.” According to the surveys which were completed, 92% of the students celebrate Christmas while the other students celebrate either a different holiday or no holiday at all during the winter. Among those who do celebrate Christmas, 32% report a well-known tradition: celebrating on Christmas Eve. One student said, “We open pajamas on Christmas Eve, and put Baby Jesus in the manger feature on Christmas Day, and eat breakfast
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Margo Dulny // Staff Writer
30% Celebrates Christmas for Family and Faith
32% Celebrates Christmas on Christmas Eve
Christmas morning.” Another student celebrates Hanukkah instead of Christmas, however their family has different traditions than those who celebrate Hanukkah traditionally. “Hanukkah] happens to be over Christmas this year! [We] don’t do all eight days, we do one or two,” the students said. Christmas, traditionally a Christian holiday honors the birth of Jesus, but even non-believers celebrate the holiday. In 2014, 70.6% of the American population identified themselves as Christians. But only 9% of the students said they celebrate Christmas for their faith. 21% of those students said they celebrate for their families. One student said, “I actually celebrate the meaning of the holiday because I love Jesus and [I] am not lukewarm with my faith.” Another who celebrates for her faith said, “We have Christian values with the non-Christian values. Our Christmas is important due to our religion.” Another student who also considers Christmas as an important time said, “We take our time opening presents and instead have more family time. Because it is more about the reason than the object.” A student that values family as well said, “I have a big family so we always do a secret Santa with all us grandkids. I love coming together as a family and seeing their smile Photos By Blythe Dorrian when they open gifts.”
Next Level Talent All American Soccer Game
Felicity Wenger//Staff Writer
It’s one thing for someone to make their way onto varsity, but a whole different story to be featured in a national game. Senior Griffin Stone got the opportunity to play in the All-American High School Soccer Game this year. “It’s kind of unexpected because it’s such a big honor,” Stone said. He has competed in games all over the Midwest, even playing at a regional level. The game took place in North Carolina on December 3. “It’ll challenge me because I’ve never played at a national level before…and I think it’ll be fun to play with some of the best players in the nation,” Stone said. He wasn’t nervous about the players having talked to a few of them. However, he had a few nerves about the game itself considering it was tougher than the average high school game, but was pretty confident overall. During Stone’s sophomore year he played center-forward, but made the switch to play center-back as a junior. Stone had to do the exact opposite of what he learned but is not concerned with his current position. “All the years of playing forward really helped me because I already knew what the forwards wanted to do,” Stone said. Stone also ran track which he believes helped him be a better player. “[It] definitely helps especially while defending because you have to be really fast and physical,” Stone said.
As far as the game goes Stone’s main goal is to keep the other team in line. “You gotta know what the opponent wants to do and you gotta stop them from doing that” Stone said. Stone gets most of his motivation from his parents and grandparents. They attend all his games, backing his every move. “It’s one of the best things after games to come over after you’ve won to thank them and see the smiles on their faces,” Stone said. They will be traveling along with him to the big game as they consistently do. “My parents will be there supporting me. They always have…it really means a lot to me,” Stone said. He knows the game attracted attention from coaches so he plans to keep his eye out for any good offers. Photo courtesy: Griffin Stone “Right now I plan on going to KU and being a regular student, but obviously this game will bring national attention from coaches. If I get any offers worthwhile, I’ll entertain them,” Stone said. Stone was named All American last week at the game and will be receiving his award very soon.
U.S. Army Band
Melanie Eszter//Social Media Chair
“I was just sitting at home and I showed my dad and I was like, “hey, dad,” I made the army band. It was really exciting, and my whole family celebrated,” said Senior Andrew Wray. He was accepted into the U.S. Army All-American Honor Marching Band, an honor band for students in grades nine through twelve. That day he became one of the 125 students from around the nation to get selected for this esteemed opportunity. This prestigious group will perform on January 7, 2017 in San Antonio, Texas for family and friends. All of the selected members will travel down to San Antonio on January 2 and begin their intense rehearsal process for the entire week leading up to the performance. Wray was ecstatic to find out that he was accepted and he cannot wait to play the drums in this national honor group. “I’m glad that I get to be able to play with all these other kids that really love music and enjoy it a lot,” Wray said. This program associates itself with the U.S. Army, but that does not mean that the members have to enlist in the army. However, some sponsors might want some of the selected musicians to transition into one of the service bands. Therefore, Wray was also recognized for his achievement by the army through the Selection Tour, a small assembly on October 10. Wray then received his jacket from the Army representatives at the assembly. “They talked about what it means to be accepted into the group and my parents, my Photo courtesy: Andrew Wray family and all the band students got to come and see it,” Wray said. To be accepted into the program, Wray had to submit a solo percussion audition video of himself playing the drums. Wray’s immense musical background gave him an advantage in his submission. Wray’s band career began at the age of two when he first touched a drum set. He has also been encouraged along the way by his family who are very involved in music. Wray has been taking private percussion lessons through The Culture House for 10 years, practicing anywhere he can, whenever he can. Along with that, he is finishing his fourth year of high school band, after playing in middle school band as well. He played in jazz band, marching band, drum line, and plays in church. Wray also played on percussion ensembles, mallet instruments and with the orchestra and choir on a couple of occasions. Wray, a percussionist of last year’s All State band for Concert Band was, chosen as a section leader for the tenor line section in the Olathe East band. As a section leader or part of the band leadership team, Wray encourages others and helps them with their questions and experiences. Wray feels that the band program has helped him to grow as a person, from freshman year when he first was welcomed by the band directors and fellow students to his senior year where he’s made long-lasting friends and relationships. feature
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Join the Club
Mikie Brown//Staff Writer
Learn More About Some of Olathe East’s Most Unknown, Most Impactful Organizations
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very Thursday from 10:06-11:18 am, one can find the majority of many animals as we can,” member Noah Wayne said. Olathe East’s students spread throughout the school’s classrooms, “The mission [of the club] is to increase appreciation for wildlife gymnasiums, and theaters. A few play board games, others rigorously through education, restoration, and conversation of habitats and wildlife,” plan volunteer opportunities, and some spend their morning in prayer. club sponsor Ms. Josie Stiles said. Over thirty clubs and organizations now call Olathe East home. Some, She and Ms. Tiffany Richards have been the sponsors for OEWC since such as Drama Club or KAY Club, are generally well known to students its inception two years ago. and staff alike. However, the unique groups The Perspective, the Wildlife While most of their humanitarian work happens on school grounds, Club, and Life 101 truly deserve magnified attention. many Wildlife Club members take their passions for the environment to Nearly all students desire a the outside world. creative outlet to express them “We have a team in our club that plans field trips, and some selves fully and freely. Little do of the people in the club just went to Cedar Cove (a non-profit many of East’s attendees know, organization in Louisburg, Kansas devoted to the care and presthat outlet resides right in their ervation of endangered large cats). They helped clear cattails own backyard in the form of The from the pond out there,” Wayne said. Perspective - a literary magazine With roughly 50 students involved, room 106 rarely sees a founded by seniors Claire Mitchlack of enthusiasm or assistance. In fact, a couple of the group’s ell and Felice Peñas, and junior core attributes stand out within the exciting Wildlife Club Hannah Goldberg. adventures. “We wanted to write and talk “My favorite thing about the club is the ideas and the deterabout what matters, so we creatmination of the students that are there. They really love animals ed The Perspective. Part of it is to and want to help them,” Wayne said. engage students with the world, If you’re looking for a reason to join Wildlife Club, look no to share critical and global issues further than the future of our own environment. and make this information acces- Two issues of The Perspective “If you want future generations to have the same outdoor sible to other students, and part experiences available to them, come be a part of a voice that of it is just a place for students to share what they’re passionate about. We advocates to protect wildlife,” Stiles said. just care a lot, and we know other students do too. We want to reach out While serving others no doubt constitutes as a noble activity, students to people through this,” Mitchell said. must also remember the necessity of caring for themselves. The three girls High school, brought this artistic though a place of platform to East at passion, creativity, and the beginning of community, harbors this school year. copious amounts With a small staff of peer pressure, of eight zealous stusometimes leading to dents, the magazine dangerous decisions. has been thriving Olathe East’s Life 101 ever since. club dedicates their “Anyone intertime to avoiding these ested can submit fallbacks and helps writing, art, or students excel in that photography to very subject: life. be reviewed and “The purpose of the potentially featured group is to provide in our magazine. support and informaThe purpose of The tion on issues relevant Perspective is to in the life of teens, Some OEWC members helping clear cattails out of Cedar introduce new ideas with the ultimate goal Cove Feline Sanctuary Pond. and points of view being to live a healthy Photo courtesy of Josie Stiles to the our peers as and joyful life without well as people outsubstances. In the side of the East community. We really welcome anyone who is interested,” past this has been a really positive place for kids to connect and learn to Mitchell said. manage life,” club sponsor Tammy Robinette said. The Wildlife Club holds the title of another one of Olathe East’s Open to any and every student, Life 101 has been district-wide for the underrated organizations. The club’s members work tirelessly to preserve past ten years. our magnificent planet and help out all who inhabit it. With the extensive amount and wide variety of clubs that Olathe East “Wildlife Club is a club where we preserve [the lives of] offers, every student possesses the opportunity to find a place where they animals, and we help to give them better habitats than they belong. Whether discussing teenage struggles, writing epic poetry or have right now. We just save as saving wildlife, your newest niche could be right around the corner.
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Hardcore Holiday Hoedown
Lindsey Proctor // Staff Writer
Throw a Fun Festive Party This Christmas Season
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ingle Bells plays for the twelfth time. Peppermint overpowers everything. Ceramic Santas litter every surface. Christmas will always top other holidays, but if one more verse of Deck the Halls plays, someone is going to get decked. Time for fun festivities! East students offered their favorite ideas for the holidays.
Films
Music
Ironically, a favorite song turned out to be the fun and spooky “This is Halloween” from The Nightmare Before Christmas. However, if you need something more festive, another preference was “Santa Baby.” Voters also liked the cozy “Christmas in Kansas City,” along with Pentatonix’s cover of “Mary Did You Know?”
Activities
Voters decided their favorite Christmas movie as the hilarious Elf and the festive, yet spooky, The Nightmare Before Christmas. Students also mentioned classics such as It’s A Wonderful Life and White Christmas, while others suggested Scrooged, The Santa Clause and A Charlie Brown Christmas.
Most holiday activities chosen take celebrators outside, such as finding the best sledding spots or looking at the Christmas lights of the Country Club Plaza. For indoor frivolity, students recommended hanging ornaments on the Christmas tree, stuffing stockings early, and taking cheesy family photos.
Sweets
East students voted pumpkin pie as their favorite dessert with sugar cookies and gingerbread closely behind. People also suggested red velvet cake and poppy seed cake. If Kansas actually gets snow this year, try your hand at some snow-made ice cream. And Hey, what’s wrong with fruitcake?
Decor
One celebrator suggested the fun, yet messy idea of using salt to resemble snow on the tabletop. Another recommended cute, miniature Christmas trees. Pinecone bird feeders can both embellish a party and help any straggling birds that remain north this winter.
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Tis’ the Season for Cold and Flu Season Stay Healthy for the Holidays Addis Sharpe// Business Mananger
T Recommendations For Key Health from Nurse Johns Stay at home • Staying at home is important to stop “It is important that they the spread of illness. stay home.” Get flu shots • The Center for Disease Control report“I definitely recommend the ed that flu vaccines have nearly a 60 flu shots.” percent efficiency rate. *Flu shots are available at any nearby CVS or Wash hands Walgreens. “Make sure you wash your • 80% of communicable diseases are hands; that’s the quickest way transferred by touch(touching of food, to spread any type of germs.” one’s nose, one’s mouth, etc.). *30 seconds is the ideal washing time Change toothbrush • Instead of buying a new toothbrush, “Change your toothbrush one can put the toothbrush in antibacafter a fever.” terial mouthwash. Stay healthy • Living a balanced life will decrease the “You want to have a good chances of getting sick. mix of vegetables and fruit, make sure you exercise and keep yourself in good shape.”
he season of clogged tissues, Tylenol, sore throats, and sweatpants has arrived to many miserable sufferers. “You definitely want to keep yourself as healthy as possible. You want to have a good mix of vegetables and fruit, and make sure you exercise and keep yourself in good shape,” said OE Nurse Johns. The importance of taking precautions this time of year, especially this winter season, cannot be underestimated. “Drink fluids, take medicine, and do what you can do prophylactically to keep the fever down and treat the symptoms,” Johns said. “If students are running a fever, they should stay home. Also [they] should not hang around someone that is running a fever. They should stay away,” said Johns. “[The flu] can be very contagious and can land you in the hospital,” Johns said. Whether coughing, sneezing, or a crushing headache, get well and enjoy the joyous holiday season.
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Are You Chicken?
A rating of common chicken places in Overland Park Melanie Eszter// Social Media Chair
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ou have probably had chicken strips before and already have a favorite place that you go to satisfy your craving. But before you hop in your car and drive to Popeye’s or McDonald’s, check out these mind-blowing chicken joints, as rated by the Hawks Eye staff on a scale of five being the best to one being the worst.
Raising Canes Chicken Fingers, located on 7501 W. 135th St Overland Park, opened in mid-October of 2016. This place only serves chicken fingers and has only five things on their menu: chicken strips served up on a sandwich or by themselves with Texas toast, fries and coleslaw. When you walk in, the delicious smell of chicken hits your nostrils and you notice a vibrant atmosphere, usually busy. The workers were friendly and the place was upbeat, with welcoming guests. Once you take a bite into their sizzling chicken strips, you will immediately get a kick of flavor from the crispy breading. To the staff this chicken strip was very juicy and crispy, not too crunchy or chewy. The chicken was also tender, easily pulled apart with steam filling the air. The chicken was hot, so you might want to wait before eating right away, and maybe enjoy your drink or fries first. The chicken also came with a tangy pepper sauce which gave a nice balance when paired with the fresh chicken. The chicken was affordable at $6.38 for a three piece chicken finger combo. Overall the staff gave Raising Canes a 4.5 due to its amazing texture, and tastes as well as its appealing smell and look.
Disclaimer: These are the views and opinions of the Hawk’s Eye staff, and are not meant to devalue any establishment. If you think we have mis-rated these venues or would like to share your own views with us, we would love to hear about it. Tweet us @OEHawk’sEye
Slim Chickens, located at 9001 W 135th St, Overland Park, opened its doors in August of 2015. In comparison to Raising Cane’s, there was less chicken for about the same price, and the chicken was not as hot or crispy. Although the quantity of chicken was made up for in flavor, being fresh and savory, and tasted magnificent when paired with ranch dressing. However the dark atmosphere filled the store and the lack of customers was noticeable compared to the other establishments. The prices are 6.99 for a Chicken Plate which is more expensive then Raising Canes. The staff seemed divided, as some thought the meal was very appealing, tender and well-seasoned as others believed the chicken was soggy and hard to chew. Overall, the chicken had a pleasant flavor and on first impression; I would definitely eat there again. Half of the staff would rate this place a 2, or on the lower end of the spectrum, but in all honesty, Slim Chickens deserves a 4 or 3.7 for its overall taste.
Many readers have been to Chick-fil-A; therefore, this fast food establishment was used as a base comparison to the other places. The closest Chick-fil-A to Olathe East is located on 12087 S. Blackbob Rd Olathe, opening 10 years ago. Continuously feeding customers since then, this fast food joint is still a place for your chicken fix. The chicken fingers at Chick-fil-A were rated by some of the staff a bit rubbery and a little bit sweet. The breading was not too chewy but pairs well with honey mustard, a personal favorite. The chicken itself was tender and the flavor was amazing. Now if you ever have tasted a Chick-fil- A chicken finger, you know what we are talking about. Therefore, we have to give Chick-fil-A 3.5. for being very tasty and well-seasoned. On the side of price, Chick-fil-A was the cheapest place ,costing $3.59 for a three-piece chicken strip box. In the end, Raising Canes became the staff ’s favorite out of the venues mentioned. With that being said, other places were not taste-tested but they are still worth a stop. Some of the honorable mentions: Go Chicken Go and Strips Chicken, which are both located in Olathe as well as Chicken Now located in Overland Park.
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HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM THE HAWK’S EYE! We Want You in Waterway Blue!
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