Hawk's Eye March 2009 by Olathe East Hawk's Eye

17 06 volume

issue

Swimming Takes State

The Olathe East Swim team takes the state title for the first time in history

Tire Slashing:

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

A wave of destructive criminal activity hits Olathe East

Advisor

KarenBourland

Editors

BenSchmitz EmilyFiore JohnWood Business Editor

PeterDu Copy Editor

EmilyFogle Senior Staff Writers

CalieeBehnke BrettCrawford KatieHunter Junior Staff Writers

EmmaBrockschmidt TessaMagana NehaWahid EricYarns TaraBoyd Sophomore Staff Writers

ZachHunter LexiPanfil MaggieHouston SarahMiller

End of Newspaper:

Zach Hunter discusses the demise of print journalism

Funny Boy, Master Bowler:

John Gibbs opens up about Olathe East Bowling

news

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

Skunks

Vs.

f f a t S [emily fiore]

Students arrived at school early on Monday February 16, welcomed by the unpleasant but familiar stench of skunk. The stink had made itself known not just outside the school, not just in the commons, but in every last hallway and classroom throughout the campus. The rumor mill began to turn, and by noon the most widely accepted recollection of the event had something to do with the student naturalist class and their impulse buy of baby skunks. However, this was not the case. The real “tail”, if you will, of what went down to result in such a consequence can only be recounted by East’s very own Mr. Alex Estrada, head of custodial services. Apparently the battle between the skunks and the staff has been raging since last year. Staff members had noticed a few prominent holes in the foundation near the 100 hall North exit (that’s the science hallway exit to the front parking lot) and close to the kitchen exit door. “I didn’t know what kind of animals would be [making] their home under the sidewalk, I

asked [Dr. Barry], he thought it was a gopher,” Estrada recounted. A few days later, Estrada put poisoned gopher food in the holes in order to rid campus of the pests, but he said they did not take the bait. Puzzled, Estrada let the holes be until a few weeks later when another custodian witnessed an adult skunk pressing itself through one of the holes. “We decided to fill the holes with dirt [while the skunks were vacant],” added Estrada. During the week of February 9, the skunk had apparently dug up the dens two more times despite the staff’s effort to fill in the burrows. The Friday of that same week, someone must’ve had a run in with the skunk because the familiar fumes of skunk stink poured through our halls. The next day, Estrada stuck a hose into one of the burrows to flush the skunk out, but got a little more than anyone expected. What was previously thought to only be one skunk was actually a family of four. The custodians filled the holes with dirt, but found them reopened again the next day, and that’s when the district called in professionals to deal with the problem. The family was captured on Thursday by a custodian, and the skunks will be released by a wildlife technician in a field near the Olathe city limits.

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

Tire

the

Slashers

Target East

Students face vehicle destruction from vandals [john wood] Since early February, over ten vehicles have fallen victim to the destructive act of tire slashing within the parking lot of Olathe East. While this sort of vandalism is familiar to police and administrators, the recent spree of slashings has called for alarm. Sophomore basketball player Ryan Hocker had his tires slashed after a game one night. “We were driving home and I realized my car wasn’t acting right,” recalled Hocker. “So we pulled over and saw that the tires had been slashed.” In the end, the repair cost of his Jeep Grand Cherokee totaled $600. A similar situation occurred to junior Emily Pinkston after she attended the musical one Thursday night. It was a short time after driving through the parking lot when Pinkston realized her tires weren’t functioning as usual. For her Dodge Caravan, the repair cost amounted to $250. With the victim list growing and a culprit yet to be convicted, students and teachers have become fearful of their cars’ fates should they decide to

risk parking their cars at East after school. “I just got a new car. But lately, I’ve had to worry about parking it at school,” said senior Kathleen Sherman. “Who knows if I could be the next person to get their tires slashed?” For some, leaving a car in the parking lot does not feel as safe as it used to. An investigation is currently taking place to pursue the guilty party. “We’ve got some leads we’re looking into,” said SRO Jeff Jewett. Officer Jewett also gave suggestions for students to help prevent your car from gettting vandalized. “Definitely don’t leave your car parked overnight and park in an area that’s well lit. You’re better off parking in an area where there are more people coming and going.” “If it’s the same person, they’re looking at felony charges,” said Jewett of the perpetrator’s punishment, if caught. “They’re destroying people’s property for no reason and they’re going to get caught.” Until then, students and faculty will have to continue parking their cars in fear. “It’s unfortunate that someone gets their kicks from slashing tires,” said junior Justin Rumps, who had all four of his tires slashed in February. “I hope the vandaliser is brought to justice.”

“to justice. I

hope the

vandalizer

news

Victims Ryan Hocker

Jeep Grand Cherokee

Repair Cost:

$600

Emily Pinkston Dodge Caravan

Repair Cost:

$250

John MacBride Buick LeSaber

Repair Cost:

$240

Annie Beile Toyota Camry

Repair Cost:

$200

Cody Bennett Honda Accord

Repair Cost:

$130

Justin Rumps Volkswagon Jetta

brought

”

Repair Cost:

$400

news

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

If you can dream it, you can do it East leadership class organizes Statewide Retreat

[lexi panfil]

Covey calls it finding your passion and leaving a legacy. East calls it the leadership program. Participants of the Leadership program at Olathe East have accomplished some of the most profound tasks for high school students in the area such as Tanner Austin’s hunger banquet or Arin Enge’s tennis lessons for special need students. This March the Leadership IV class took their accomplishments to a whole new level. In the past, the East leadership program traveled to the State Leadership Retreat to discover new and exciting ideas about leadership. Once again, they traveled to the conference with 2009 proving itself a year for new experiences all around. This year, Mrs. Falen who is the Leadership IV instructor, proposed the idea that East’s leadership kids could facilitate the entire conference. Shelby Hoytal, executive director of Kansas Volunteer Commission for the Kansas State Department of Education, gave her consent and came to Olathe in January to meet with East students. The Leadership IV students were given complete control

Rick Settle sporting a Buzz Lightyear costume

Kathy Falen

The “Dream Team” with Dr. Pat Bosco

of the retreat. The theme chosen for this year’s retreat was an inspirational quote from Walt Disney, “If you can dream it, you can do it.” East students designed t-shirts to wear, planned activities such as “Buzz and Woody” performances, secured superintendent Dr. Pat Bosco for the address at the retreat, and toured the retreat to meet with the camp director. As always, the retreat proved itself a huge success. The quote was inspirational, and everyone enjoyed the Disney theme. East students patrolled teambuilding activities, put on performances dressed as Toy Story characters, and listened to guest speaker Dr. Pat Bosco talk about his leadership experiences. “The weekend was amazing,” said Kathy Falen. Mrs. Falen’s “Dream Team” that organized the retreat were: Garrett Baldwin, Ginny Brown, Lauren Kadel, Libby Marden, Courtney Reinke, Rick Settle, and Josh Rydberg.

the hawk’s eye • february 2009

entertainment

I am thrilled to have this opportunity to experience music at its finest. I can’t wait to soak up the culture and knowledge of New York and create some beautiful music! Meghan Phadke

lathe East, do you remember the half-time shows during football season? Do you remember the strains of “Carry On My Wayward Son” in the middle of a basketball game? Do you recall the tune of “Hey, Hey Baby?” The Olathe East Band features as a prominent part of the school, providing music and entertainment. However, on March 13, the band, escorted by the band director Mr. Griffin, will depart for New York City, the ‘Big Apple,’ to provide a different sort of entertainment. They will perform four pieces: ‘Cloudburst,’ which features audience participation, ‘Folk Song Suite,’ ‘Little White Lines,’ and ‘Strange Humors,’ at Avery Fischer Hall in Lincoln Center. “It is a good opportunity and an honor to perform in this prestigious hall where the New York Philharmonic performs regularly. Performing for the patrons of the arts is an honorable experience,” said Meghan Phadke, Junior. The entire band seems to share her sentiments of thrilled excitement, although some are more excited for the wonders of the city. While in New York, the students will be given opportunities

[emma brockschmidt]

to see musicals and plays on Broadway, (either Les Miserables or Phantom of the Opera,) to stay in a luxurious hotel in the middle of the lights and the action, to dine in restaurants where burgers that should cost five dollars are actually twelve, not including French fries, and to buy the infamous t-shirts which proclaim: I LOVE NEW YORK. The band takes a trip biannually, always looking for opportunities to perform and showcase their award-winning talents. Some years, like the most recent Hawaii trip, the drill team will accompany them. However, this year’s trip will deliver only the Olathe East Band in New York City by the afternoon of March 13. They will stay for almost five days in the busiest city in the United States, flying back on St. Patrick’s Day. While some are not happy about leaving so early, they are thrilled to travel to such a place over spring break. As Meghan Phadke said, “I can’t wait to soak up the culture and knowledge of New York and create some beautiful music!”

spotlight

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

Olathe East Tightens the Belt The school braces for next year’s budget cuts.

[eric yarns] [emily fogle]

For the past two years or so, everyone in the country has been bombarded with the notions of an impending depression, but students in Olathe have not seemed to be too concerned when it came to the subject of the welfare of the public school system. Just recently those notions have begun to impact the way schools all over the nation are conducting their affairs. The Olathe school district has taken a hard punch when it comes to its own wallet. Some estimates have put next year’s cuts at around $6 million. Budget cuts have already made themselves felt in the current school year. Each of the 45 buildings under the Olathe district has been told to cut $350,000 from this year’s budget, totaling $2.2 million, according to the Kansas City Star. “Teachers and coaches and sponsors don’t have the money they thought they did at the beginning of the year,” said Dr. Tom Barry, Principal of Olathe East. In efforts of meeting budget constraints this year, the Olathe district has instituted a hiring freeze for all positions. This hiring freeze isolates the district, forcing schools to hire from with-

“

in the district, or, if needed, to absorb staffing losses. The district has also put in place a retirement incentive for the over 380 eligible district employees, which administrators hope will encourage some teachers to retire early. At Olathe East, two teachers plan to retire at the conclusion of this school year - business and computer teacher Gary Byrne and Spanish teacher Susan Docking. In addition to retirement, Olathe East has laid off one employee of the custodial staff, but lay offs are not planned for in the future. “If it gets bad enough, if the cut is big enough, there could be lay offs, but we’re hoping that won’t happen,” said Dr. Barry. Olathe East has also tightened its belt in many areas of its own budget. The building capital fund, which funds all of the schools miscellaneous purchases, has taken most of the blow from the cuts. Dr. Barry explained that from now on teachers will have to

”

Next year’s the bigger worry.

pay for those miscellaneous purchases out of their own department budgets. Specific department-based cuts, initially, are likely to only substantially affect sports, activities, and elective classes. The school will have to begin exercising that good old “hand-me-down” concept and hold off on buying new sports uniforms for a greater period. “Athletics and activities took a cut, as did the departments,” Dr. Barry said. Academic classes will likely see only small changes as a result of the budget cuts. Administrators will scrutinize activities and field trips heavily. The school plans to install automatic shutoff mechanisms for all school computers in order to save on electricity costs. Some aspects of Olathe East will not be altered by the budget cuts. Activities such as prom, which usually pays for itself through ticket purchases, will not be affected. On the larger scale, the bond issue construction to accommodate the incoming freshmen will also not be changed. As Dr. Barry explained, “The money from the bond issue comes from a separate fund that was already voted on.” Next school year, administrators speculate that the budget cuts will be even more severe than previously though. A possible budget cut of 18%, a $20 million cut, is on the table. “Next year’s the bigger worry,” remarked Dr. Barry, “we’ll see what next year brings.”

spotlight

East Seniors College Bound the hawk’s eye • march 2009

[neha wahid]

Students work to keep grades up as colleges shift focus to senior grades Senior year is a right of passage—twelve strenuous years spent slaving away during the first leg of our education. No more raising hands and asking to go to the bathroom. No more lunches spent confined in the commons. Teachers who actually care when you decide to skip their class become a past predicament. The benefits of college life are so close that we can almost reach out and touch them—but we must first make it through senior year. Generally, universities focus on a student’s junior year academics when determining his or her acceptance into the school. This is expected—by the time senior year rolls around college applications are sent, the ACT is over, and stress disappears. Even so, it is important to keep grades consistent during senior year. Take challenging course even if you have already been accepted into the University of your choice. Universities often revoke admission from students whose grades are not kept at a certain level. College acceptance remains contingent throughout senior year—schools reserve the right to reject students if they feel that they have not challenged themselves enough during their last year of high school. One or two poor grades will not make a difference—a significant drop in grades during senior year, however, can cause colleges to rethink acceptance decisions.

“

”

Colleges revoke about 300 acceptances every year

Typically, a warning letter is sent to students advising them that their college acceptance could potentially be revoked. What are the repercussions of letting grades slip during senior year? Most private schools will allow students to re-take a course during summer and postpone their acceptance for one or two years. Students will then be accepted on a probationary basis. The majority of four-year colleges will make exceptions for students whose senior grades lowered due to special circumstances such as a family death, divorce, or a particularly challenging course that negatively affects a student’s grade. Students who are rejected for a long-term suspension during senior year, however, will not receive a chance to prove that they are mature enough to handle the college experience. Slacking off during senior year can cause problems in college. High school is the main source of preparation for the college ex-

perience, and keeping up with an extensive workload ensures success. According to collegeboard.com, over a quarter of freshmen in fouryear colleges do not make it to their sophomore year. This statistic could be due to a variety of issues—financial problems, multiple changes in major, or external demands. The most common reason, however, is academic unpreparedness. Students who received good grades during their senior year of high school are less likely to drop out of college because they have already adapted to the rigorous workload. So skip a Friday night out with your friends to finish up that overdue English essay—it won’t kill you. Study an extra fifteen minutes to keep up that history grade. Face it; no one wants to receive that dreaded letter in the mail apologizing for the fact that our “academic record no longer meets the standards for admission.” The University of California in Los Angeles, for example, has been sending an increasing number of these letters in recent years. Colleges revoke about 300 acceptances every year—and the number is increasing every year. Half of these rejections are a result of disciplinary issues, while the other half are due to dramatically lower grades. Whether your senior year is about to draw to a close or is still to come, do not allow yourself to be a part of this statistic.

Avoid “Slacking Off ” During Senior Year

Continue to take challenging courses and continue to participate in class discussion. Stay motivated to do well on tests by making study groups with your friends. Remain active in sports, extracurricular activities, and volunteer work--this will help you focus more on school.

opinion

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

ave

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

pirit

Olathe East needs to pump up school spirit [tara boyd]

Our boys swimming and diving team won state a few weekends ago. How many of you were there to cheer them on? In the past two years Olathe East has won five state championships. Two have come from gymnastics, one from girls’ soccer, one from girls’ track and field, and one from boys swimming and diving. However, attendance at these games, with the exception of girls’ soccer, is slacking compared to the highly attended boys’ basketball and football games. Mr. Thuston, who often announces at basketball games, said, “Our students do a good job of traveling to support our teams especially in boy’s basketball, soccer and football. There are a few schools that do a better job of supporting volleyball and girl’s basketball. Our fans could improve in their support of these sports.” We have great support when it comes to “Whiteouts” and rivalry games, but an occasional white out is not enough. Why not wear our school colors to every game? Come football season everyone goes all out. People wear orange and blue from head

“There are a few schools that do a better job of supporting volleyball and girl’s basketball.”

to toe. If you went to a University of Kansas basketball game at Allen Fieldhouse you would not wear black; you would wear blue or red. Visiting schools should be scared to enter our gymnasium, not because we are rude, but because we are obnoxiously loud and crazy, supporting the team the entire game not just one half. On February 27, Olathe East students came out in full force and proved that it is not that hard to attend a game. The entire front row of students painted lovely school spirit on their chests, but how about next time if you plan on showing up and making a grand entrance try showing up when the game begins, not at halftime. At the Lawrence High School basketball game the students banded together and sang the entire fight song. How many of you know the words to the fight song? I’m not saying we need to sway to the music, but a little participation with the fight song would be nice. The fight song after all is the symbol for the spirit of Olathe East. Junior Abby Weisz said, “Good for the students who come everytime. Everyone else needs to step it up.” Olathe East there is only one more sports season. Get out there, wear blue and orange, and support our Hawks.

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

Death

Of The

Newspaper If you’re a frequent reader of the Kansas City Star, you may have noticed your literary load lightened in recent days. According to a recent article in The Star, Kansas City’s favorite paper is axing employees for the fourth time since June, and the company plans to cut 110 million more in expenses this year. This means your paper will lose a lot of its bulk over the next year. The Star isn’t the only paper feeling the pain in this time of economic turmoil, The Miami Herald, The Sacramento Bee, even The New York Times are all struggling to keep their readers engaged. But it’s not the big guys we should be worried about; it’s the local homegrown papers that are really feeling the heat. And if the economy continues to go south, its papers like The Olathe Daily News, and The Lee’s Summit Journal that may go extinct. So why is the once profitable area of journalism going the way of the horse and buggy? According to Eric Alterman of The New Yorker “The rise of the Internet, which has made the daily newspaper look slow and unresponsive; the advent of Craig list, which is wiping out classi-

[Zach Hunter]

fied advertising–have created a palpable sense of doom.” That “sense of doom” should be scaring more than just the newspaper biz: if you ask me, the death of journalism is just a precursor to the complete collapse of the English language. Without complicated thought provoking stories to stimulate the brains of the people, the vocabulary of the average citizen will plummet. No one will say words longer than three syllables, and online articles will be wrtn ntirly n crzy abreviatd txt lingo. Today, you can get it full-length newspaper quality articles on the web, but the majority of surfers opt to get the condensed versions that have been filtered through countless editors who smear the article with their biased opinions, and dumb down the story so that even that even their most dunderheaded readers can understand the message. We have to save the press from this coming intellectual extinction. If we don’t the only thing that will stay black and white and red all over will be Karl the globetrotting zebra with a copy of The Merchant of Venice tattooed on his back.

opinion

column

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

Brett Crawford ’s

What To Do About:

Paying It Forward

This article may come as quite a shock to all of you, because it’s not going to be as funny as the last ones. That doesn’t mean that it won’t be entertaining or insightful, but this isn’t your typical WTDA. Last weekend, I was at the Chipotle in Waldo with my good friend Sam. We were a little strapped for cash and I was helping him count his quarters and dimes to see if he had enough money to get a burrito. After we concluded that he had $6.80 in all change, he dropped it all over the floor while we were waiting in line. With some of his quarters missing, he no longer had enough to cover the cost of a burrito. When he asked me to borrow a dollar I realized I had left my wallet back at the venue we were scheduled to play. With roughly six dollars and twenty cents,

oblige. At first we refused, trying to take the humble route, but this modern-day Gandhi contested saying, “Guys I know what it is like. I was a student too once, and I remember having to count my pennies at the grocery store to buy food for the week. Just let me help you guys out tonight.” We stared at him with the biggest open smiles you’ve ever seen, and thanked him easily a hundred times. We ordered, assembled, and received our burri-

d ’ I u,

o t like

o y th

i w y a k ” . o t ’s nigh t i f i o t , s r y e u n g n i y d e r “H you y u b

we h a d enough money to get a couple bowls of rice and cheese. That’s when the magic happened. The man standing behind us in line spoke to us and said one of the strangest things in the world; “Hey guys, if it’s okay with you, I’d like to buy your dinner tonight.” His kind smile and glowing personality made Sam and I weak in the knees, and consequently we had to

the idea and do something good for another person. It’s like that Liberty Mutual commercial where the lady stops the guy from

tos, and thanked him again.He just smiled and said, “You’re welcome, guys. Have a good night.” It was one of those things you always hear about happening to someone else, but never happens to you. It was seriously so strange to have someone I didn’t even know offer to buy my dinner. The reason I’m taking the time to talk about this is because the idea of paying it forward is something everyone needs to understand and consider. Don’t think that I’m up on a soapbox here, kids, I’m just trying to get a point across. The concept of paying it forward is the idea that if you do something good for someone else, then they’ll carry on

walking into oncoming traffic, and then that guy helps another guy do something later on, and eventually after four or five of those instances, it all comes back to the initial lady who stopped the guy from walking into the busy street. So, all that being said, I can tell you “What To Do About Paying It Forward”, and that is simply pay it forward. Do something nice for someone this next week, and see if something nice comes back to you. I’m not telling you to go hang out at Chipotle and buy someone’s dinner, but do something small for someone and good things may come back to you.

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

CHMITZ

Feeling stressed? Need something to take your mind away from the struggles of everyday life? Well, I have a solution for you! The answer is to get LOST. When I’m too tired to work on homework and too lazy to do anything else, that’s exactly what I do… I get LOST. You may be thinking to yourself, “Self, why is this kid telling me to get LOST? What does he want me to do… run to a nearby forest, put a blindfold on, and run around for a couple hours, only to take it off and have a grand ol’ time getting home?” Although that may be quite the adventure, it’s not what I’m thinking. What I think you should use as a sort of remedy is to watch the hit ABC series, LOST. All you have to do is rent the seasons (or watch it on the computer), kick back, and enjoy the roller-coaster ride. Bryce Schippers is Olathe East’s regional LOST fanatic. In fact, he may be one of the biggest fans in the entire nation. Towards the beginning of basketball season, he personally sparked Anthony Nemec, Michael Starling, and myself into loving this epic series. Starting from the very first episode of season 1 (there are around 24 episodes a season, and the show is currently in the fifth stage, with a sixth and final one planned for next year), we embarked on a journey that will not soon be forgotten. And although Anthony and Michael have far surpassed me in

“

Sch

column

and

GRINS

Anybody else want to get LOST?

n [Be

itz]

LOST-watching abilities, I highly recommend it to anybody. For a little summary of what the show is actually about, the show revolves around intricate relationships developed between a variety of characters before, during, and after they are plane-crashed/ stranded on a deserted island in the South Pacific somewhere. Some of these main characters include: Jack, a former doctor and leader of the group; Kate, a seductive convict who was being transported to the U.S. from Australia before the crash; Sayid, a former member of Iraq’s national guard; Claire, a pregnant woman; John Locke, a man who is paralyzed before the crash; Charlie, a former superstar rocker; and Hurley (see picture at right), an extremely large man who provides much comic relief for those who may need it. Why is this show so good, you might ask? Nemec states that, “this show is good because it keeps you completely guessing and plus, Kate is the hottest girl alive.” Schippers adds, “it’s so unpredictable, you just never know what’s going to happen. Something crazy literally happens every episode.” Yes, plot twists are what make this show, whether it involves dynamite, building a giant raft, or looking back into each of the character’s lives (which is a staple of LOST), whoever watches this show is sure to turn into a die-hard. In conclusion, you should listen to me, Schipps, Nemec, or Big Red and watch this show. It’s more than you can ask for... And you don’t actually have to get LOST.

No, don’t go to a forest wearing a blinfold and run around for hours

”

L O S T

feature

Kings march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

of the

Joel Wagner preparing for a dive

Ben Scheffer was ready. Years of preparation. Months of painstaking practice. Weeks of seconds after the startanticipation. A day for it all to come together. ing buzzer went off, That day was Feburary 21st, 2009- the day of the 15-year-old found the Kansas High Schools Swimming and Diving himself the Kansas State Championship meet. He may have been State Champion in the only a sophomore, but Ben was nonetheless 100 yard backstroke. ready to hang with the “big dogs.” The pool But Ben wasn’t the was crystal clear and inviting. The air was thick only champion on this with the cheers teammates and supporters. The team full of such swimsmell of victory permeated the air. Benjamin mers. Across the pool, Scheffer had a date with destiny. All he had Austin Acheson could hardly sit. Less than 20 to do was meet her at the end of the pool. He minutes ago, he had found himself in a similar position to Ben: State Champion of the 500 would also have to be the first one yard freestyle. And not only that, but he to be there- seven other jealfound himself holder of a state record- his ous suitors eyed his prize. was the time to beat; four minutes, 35 He would have none of seconds, and a half. For the first time that, for only one hundred in Olathe East history, a student held yards lay between him a state record in a sporting event. and a state champion But Feburary 21 was not just a ship. One hundred yards day about Ben Scheffer or Austin out of the hundreds Acheson. This was a day about of thousands he the whole Olathe East Swim had swum in pracand Dive team. This was a day tice. One hunthat the Olathe East Swim and dred yards that Dive team would finally rid he would have to itself of its impressive, but ultifight for all the mately short of completely satisway. He cleared fying, streak of second and third his thoughts. A Ben Scheffer after his state place finishes, and take its voice echoed championship swim place as State Champion. across the natato rium; “Gentlemen, you may now enter the water.” Showtime. Ben was ready. But then again, how could he have not been? For the past few years, swimming had engulfed Ben’s life- meticulous practice through club teams, high school, and all his individual training all melded together to produce one of the strongest swimmers the Olathe East Swimming and Diving team had ever seen. Ben’s dad had brought his Salina High School to a state championship victory in his day, and his mother was an alumna of the KU Swimming and Diving Team. One could say, Ben was almost born to be in the water. So then, it should be fitting that, 51.22

Coach Youker in the moment

The State Team at victory

Olathe East Men’s Swimming

Sean Ahn in the 100 yard Breaststroke

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

The State Team with trophy

Pool

[Peter Du]

Joe Knight and Cris Smith at the top of the podium

and Diving team takes state by storm

Zach Duncan and Joe Knight celebrate a well done race

feature

“It was awesome- we’ve waited so long for this, it’s nice to finally get coach what he deserves,” said an ecstatic Austin Acheson. In California Trail’s pool area, a wall proclaiming the achievements of Olathe East’s swimming and diving teams proudly displays a series of blue and white plaques- white for state champions, and blue for runner-ups. The girls team proudly holds two white plaques to their name, but the boys team’s plaque count instead includes many second places- including last year’s crushing narrow loss to Shawnee Mission East High School by a measly two points. Today, asking anyone in the Olathe East Men’s Swimming and Diving team will assure you that a white plaque of their very own is on the way to California Trail. And they’ll also assure you it feels good. “It was a completely different atmosphere last year at the end of state” said Ryan Waldron, sophomore, “the team had swum their hardest but barely came up short. The bus ride home back year was much less fun than this years’.” And for good reason too- the Olathe East Men’s Swim and Dive team came, saw, and conquered the state competition; winning by over 50 points against runner-up Blue Valley North High School. “We’ve all trained very hard; it’s nice to see it all pay off,” said Jake Asnicar, two weeks after the hawks took home their state championship. After all, the season began in early November of last year, and just recently ended. Averaging on about nine practices during a school week, with at least three of those being morning practices starting at 5: 30 in the morning, it’s hard to say that these water hawks haven’t worked hard enough to earn their title. But the victory is a bittersweet achievement for the seniors of the Olathe East Swim and Dive team; for many, this season was the final of four memorable years of high school swimming. “I remember stepping onto the pool deck for my first practice as a freshman.” Senior Zane Handley reminisced. “I never would have expected to been part of a championship team.” “We’re losing a lot of great seniors this year,” said Zach Duncan, a junior who placed twelfth in the 100 butterfly at the state meet, “It’s gonna affect us quite a bit, it’s where we’ll need people to step up and give their all next year.” Where the team loses powerful swimmers like Austin Acheson and Cris Smith, it gains some of its thunder back through the potential improvement of freshman Ben Bravence, who took third in the 500 yard freestyle and fourth in the 200 yard freestyle, and current backstroke state champion sophomore Ben Scheffer. Junior Sean Ahn, who took two ninth place finishes at state will find much more pressure shifted his way. This was, after all, a state championship team. A title worth defending. The high school season may be over forever for this group of seniors, but not without one final send off. And what a sendoff it is- a final hurrah lie in their legacy as the first men’s team swimming state championship team in Olathe East history.

sports

march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

Interview with a

BOWLING SUPERSTAR An in-depth look at John Gibbs By: Brett Crawford

BC: All right, J Gibbs, can I call you J Gibbs?

JG: No.

BC: I hear you’re quite the cut up.

BC: No?

JG: It does happen.

JG: Sure haha. JG: No.

BC:Tell me a funny story.

BC: So, what’s it like being the best bowler in the world?

BC: How many trophies have you won?

JG: What kinda funny story?

JG: Haha well I wouldn’t say the best bowler in the world, but haha it’s all right.

JG: I have like three plaques, two small trophies and numerous medals.

BC: Any funny story.

BC: How many hours of mental meditation do you spend before a match? Is it called a match?

BC: How long have you been bowling?

JG: Uhm, yeah match, meet, whatever you want to call it. And I probably spend about thirty minutes getting ready.

BC: Were you in fact, born with a bowling ball in your hand?

JG: Since about the fifth grade I think.

JG: Alright so there was this one time we were in the middle of this bowling meet a match, right? And uh, Rachel Hocker was going to throw the ball, and she went and threw it, and the next thing I know she was like, laying on the lane in the gutter, and has to like crawl back out. It was the funniest thing ever.

JG: I was not. BC: Only thirty minutes? JG: Yeah haha BC: How many people have you beaten in a single day of bowling? Any fatalities? JG: Uh no fatalities, but I’ve beaten probably sixty people. BC: Does the rest of your team hate you for being so good?

BC: Oh, I need to check my sources I guess.

BC: Have you ever done something ridiculous while at a bowling match?

JG: Yeah probably. Haha.

JG: I’ve dropped the bowling ball before, but nothing more than that.

BC: What’s the hardest part about being a star bowler?

BC: Any words of advice for young and aspiring bowlers?

JG: Uhm, probably having to deal with all the crazy fans after, you know, meets and everything that always want autographs

JG: Just have fun, that’s key. That is the key.

JG: I hope not haha

BC: Tell me about the specs of your setup.

BC: Do you have any nicknames that you call yourself? For instance, every time you get a strike do you say, “J GIbbs owns the lane, suckas!”?

JG: I wear a nine and a half size Brunswick shoes. I throw a Hammer Spider I think, maybe a Black Widow, it is fifteen lbs and it is blue with orange grips.

Watchmen

the hawk’s eye • march 2009

Marvel is back and at it again. To add to the collection of hit box office movies, the 12 part comic series “Watchmen” headed to the big screen March 6 grossing only a little under 56 million. In the movie superheroes are scattered throughout mainstream society, mingling with everyday people. After a fellow superhero is murdered our main character Rorschach sets out on a journey to uncover a plot being set forth to kill and discredit all past and present superheroes. Filled with action, mucho violence and superheroes what could be better? The clock hitting that two hour and 45 minute mark signaling that the movie has finally, finally ended is what’s better. Maybe after reading the comic book the movie may make a little more sense however taking into consideration what Marvel has produced in the past with a seemingly healthy budget, “Watchmen” definitely could have been more favorable. Yet don’t get me wrong the superheroes reuniting, the costumes, even the actors did a good job at attempting to hold the movie together. However shots were extremely crowded, putting as much as possible into one scene. The actors seemed to barely have room to move around let alone breathe. Although the settings and even props were creatively configured it just seemed to be too much for individual shots. With the graphic novel being so widely respected should the creators of “Watchmen” just stop there? Leaving alone the treacherous waters of movie making and potential failure? Many critics and fans alike seem to believe so but everyone is entitled to their own opinion. However here we have options. Set aside a good 3 hours of your life and see it in theatres, wait for the DVD or my personal favorite, just sit back and wait for good ol’ HBO. Although all three include the possibility of wasting three hours of your life, the idea of saving money is enough to put anyone back in good spirits.

entertainment

The long awaited 12 part comic series hits the big screens. [caliee behnke]

3 out of 5 stars

scenes from the “Watchmen” graphic novel

The Truth Behind Liam Neeson stars as a former secret government worker who goes to France when his daughter is taken while on vacation. The kidnappers are a group of thugs who turn women to the streets to work as prostitutes or sell them to the highest bidder. This income gives them the money to buy more of the drugs they use to keep the women compliant and unaware. They become unable to cry for help or get out of their situation. While the movie is fast-paced and intense, the horror of the sex trade is not overlooked. So many people are sold through this devastating trade worldwide – over 2 million. Why is no one doing anything about it? Many government officials throughout the world are aware of it but choose to do nothing. Children become lost from their families when taken and because the authorities will not get involved (which was nicely portrayed in the movie), these children are almost never found. Amsterdam is one of the cities blamed for fueling this large sex trafficking problem because of their leniency of brothels and prostitution, especially in their famous red-light district. Taken describes the danger and despair of this situation while also presenting an action-packed thriller. Though, the movie ends with the daughter being rescued, many others are not as lucky. This movie should be commended for getting the word out about sex slaves to the many of us who had never heard of it.

TAKEN [maggie houston]

Sex Trafficking By the Numbers • • • •

Every year, over 2 million children are forced into prostitution against their will. Out of the169 countries involved in the trade, 14 of these were considered “Tier 3,” meaning they were judged as not making significant efforts to fight trafficking. An estimated 2.4 million people worldwide are used for sexual exploitation. Some experts estimate that sex trafficking accounts for 80% of all trafficking. Other estimates put it at around 40%-on the basis that other forms of slavery are even less reported.

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march 2009 • the hawk’s eye

HAPPY

SPRING

BREAK from the

HAWK’s EYE

dates to

remember

March 17 St. Patrick’s Day March 20 First Day of Spring March 23 Deadline for AP Test Sign-up

n o i l l i m 2.5 n o i l l 1 bi 3 12 d n a s u o 15 th travels d i k l o o ch of high s r e b r break o m f u N h c a e eb ing to th

n spent o y e n o of m s. Amount expense g n i l e v a t that go e l p o e p f umber o ogether. n e g a r e Av d trip t a o r a n o ol stuo h c s h g i grade h on a trip o g o Average t d e allowe r a s t n e rents. d a p t u o h t wi

“

nt on ta n e p s t k amoun ring brea p s e Average h t s during ning bed weeks.

A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by the desire to beat others. - Ayn Rand

”

Labels

‘09

On March 3, the fasion classes presented Labels, their yearly fashion show. This year’s clothing samples were designed by students. Jill Vohs, fashion teacher, orchestrates and coordinates this annual event. Glimpse their innovative and edgy looks— photos courtesy John Wood

MeKayla Chalupa

Jessica Cassity

Rachel Keating

Kristen Brown

Jessica Cassity

Haley Jarvis

Devin Amos