Hawk's Eye December 2013 Vol 22 Issue 4

Issue 4//Volume 22

Volleyball Receives 41st State Title Pages 6 & 7

What Are East Students Thankful For? #OETurkeyTweets Pages 20 & 21

Not Home for the Holidays

Olathe Anonymous Strikes a Nerve Page 32

TABLE OFCONTENTS SPORTS Soccer Finishes Strong....................................3-5 Volleyball Takes State..................................6 & 7 Retirement of Bryce Norris........................8 & 9 Cutting Weight Cuts Deep......................10 & 11

NEWS A Foreign Exchange Christmas.............12 & 13 Heisman Award Students.................................14 The Deal With The Dumpster....................15-17

p. 36 & 37

Feature Stories of Thanks......................................18 & 19 #OETurkeyTweets....................................20 & 21 Holiday Blowout......................................22 & 23 2013 In Review.........................................24 & 25 Birth Order Problems.................................26-28

editorial How Do You Want to Raise Your Kids?..........29 Olathe’s Anonymous Antagonizer...................32

Entertainment Catching Fire.....................................................33 KC Star...............................................................34 Music Vs. T.V....................................................35 HOLID.I.Y...............................................36 & 37 Next Generation Gaming.................................38 Connect the Dots..............................................39

p. 10 & 11 A student-run publication Olathe East High School 14545 West 127th Street Olathe, KS 66062 ADVISER

Karen Bourland

EDITORS

Lauren Merino Zack Neuman

PUBLICITY MANAGER Aaron Rhodes

STAFF WRITERS

BUSINESS MANAGERS

Logan Brockschmidt Amy Du Matthew Gwin Brock Holmes Jordan Meier Brenna Thompson Katie Thompson

SENIOR STAFF WRITERS

Courtney Child Lauren Hart

MANAGING EDITOR Jessica Goddard

PHOTOGRAPHER Heather Burton

Maddy Branstetter Sean Fiore

COPY EDITORS

Aaron Yuratovich Kelsey Knecht Austin Porter Hanna Melton

PAGE EDITORS Lauren Heinrich Paige Schick

Sunflower League’s Best

A 3rd Place State finish caps off a 20-1 season

Olathe East huddled together before starting the 2nd half against Shawnee Mission Northwest

Courtesy of Logan Brockschmidt

rocksch

B Logan

the opposing player to put his head down. We are down on the attacking end a lot, so other teams have to go a long way to score on us,” said Coach Hair. Not one team was able to put a goal past the Hawks’ defense or goalie Pat Rydberg during Sunflower League play.

But the domination wasn’t just on the defensive side; the offensive side kicked their way to a regional championship. Leading the charge for the offensive juggernaut was senior Ryan Dickerson who scored 25 goals for an unstoppable offence that has been limited to one goal or less three times the entire season. Spreading around the wealth, 15 different players scored.

Gathering honors, the Hawks soccer team was nationally recognized for their undefeated regular season. As of November 5, the Hawks were ranked the 16th soccer team in the entire country. Regionally, the Hawks were honored for being the second ranked team, behind St. Dominic of Missouri. In regards to a target on their heads after winning Sunflower League, Coach Hair said, ”I believe Olathe East has a standard of excellence in the community and we always receive everyone’s best performance.” The Hawks have been ranked as high as eighth on the FAB 50 poll nationally.

It wasn’t easy in their quarterfinal game against Shawnee Mission Northwest. Multiples

er taff Writ S / / t id m

Corner kick. 21 seconds left. Andres Cooper goes to the corner to try and win the game. He crosses the ball. Ryan Dickerson goes up, and puts a header in the back of the net. Olathe East mens’ soccer pulled out the victory. Saving a game in which they gave up a 2-0 lead with 10 minutes left in regulation, the Hawks won on September 5, and their record improved to 4-0, and they didn’t stop after that.

Ryan Dickerson--leading scorer, Andres Cooper--leading in assists, Pat Rydberg--leading in shutouts, and other seniors Jacob Cleek, Drew Coyle, and Drake Robertson, comprise the group of seniors that lead the team in terms of leadership.

“Team chemistry this year is one of the best that I’ve seen, [they] are very determined and [have]a strong desire to win,” said Coach Terry Hair.

Domination. That was one of many words to describe the way that they have played.

After scoring 17 goals and allowing four goals in their first four games, the Hawks scored 54 goals and allowed zero in the next 14 games.

“I believe that the players have bought into the principle that everyone needs to play defense, immediate pursuit, high-ball pressure causing

times were balls close to going into the net, but strong defense came out. On a SMNW cross that drew the goalie out, Jacob Cleek came in and kicked the ball out of the air. This kick saved the game and kept it scoreless; remaining scoreless throughout regulation and overtimes. When the PKs came, all four Hawks that kicked also scored. Pat Rydberg was able to only allow one goal past him, including getting a kick-save.

The Hawks suffered a setback against Manhattan Indians, losing 2-0 in the semi-final game. Both goals came in a matter of 15 minutes before the end of the first half. The Hawks were on the receiving end of three yellow cards. They got many good looks in the second half, but were unable to put one away. The next day against Derby in the third place game, pulled out a 4-1 victory in which numerous yellow cards were given to each side.

The Hawks leading scorer for the day was Zac Marquess, scoring two goals. Ryan Dickerson scored a PK, and Andres Cooper added another.

This wrapped up the season that included the most wins in school history, undefeated in Sunflower League, Sunflower League champions, Regional champions, and a third-place finish at the state championship. The team departs with seven seniors, and will return eight juniors from the varsity team. The Hawks are poised to continue success next fall.

4 [Sports]

“

Heather Burton//Photographer

I had the best senior season I could ask for and will never forget the memories I’ve made. I’m going to miss playing in front of big crowds and playing with some of my best friends. I will be playing soccer in college.

Vanlandingham going for a goal

-Andres Cooper

Soccer team holding their championship trophy

Varsity soccer boys lining up for awards

“ Cameron Hunter fending off Derby in the state game

”

This was the best team I have ever been a part of. We had the best team chemistry out of any team I’ve been on.

We had a great season, but it just didn’t end up the way we hoped. We made a lot of memories that I will always remember.

-Patrick Rydberg

”

Dickerson trying to header a corner kick

Varsity soccer team posing with their third place trophy

[Winter] 2013

Senior soccer boys posing with their large head cut-outs

“ East students posing before the soccer game

I couldn’t have asked for a better team to finish my soccer career with at East.

We accomplished a lot, and I made a lot of memories.

-Drew Coyle

”

Andres Cooper defending his teammates after a heated debute

Sortino dribbling towards the goal Dickerson shoving his way up field

Striking a goal kick

6 [Sports]

"

T

he Volley Hawks competed their hearts out and earned themselves a state title in early November.

Because the sport of volleyball has never won a state title for Olathe East, this momentous occasion deserves praise and celebration. Head Coach Brian Martin, along with assistant coaches Jennifer Rippee, Justin Franklin, Chant Stuewe and Kristi Stevens, are more than proud of what their hard work and preparation has achieved.

To get ready for the win, sophomore Abbey Bart said, “We really put emphasis on the spots we needed to work on in practice.” According to junior Michaela Alexander, “A lot of shadow drills” (Going through all the plays with no ball).

The volleyball girls have proven that practice really can make perfect. The outcome depends on how much hard work is invested, and their hard work is not short-lived.

The Hawks’ win comes as no surprise as they more than prepared themselves for the pressures of state. Bart stated about winning state, “I definitely see us winning again. We just have to continue working hard and keep our eyes on the prize.”

As expected, Olathe East was not even close to the only school with the state title on their mind. Thirty-eight teams had to be knocked out before the girls could claim victory.

“Our final games against Blue Valley and Blue Valley Northwest [were our toughest competitons] because they worked hard, and wanted to win just as much as we did,” Bart said, “We knew that it wouldn’t be easy, and we

Interacting with them and watching them grow both in skill and in maturity is awesome”

would have to work extremely hard and play our best.”

This feat was reached, remarkably, without a single senior on the team. Some would see this as a major disadvantage in a varsity sport. Obviously this group of girls believes otherwise.

“There were so many people that had played on the team before. They really stepped up and took over that senior role of leadership,” Bart stated.

She said, “Our fans were a big part of our win. In the third game when we were down 13-8; it would have been difficult to make a comeback if we didn’t have the support of our fans. They cheered us on at every single point of the game.”

Photo Courtesy of Sports Director Craig Taylor

Junior Michaela Alexander

Sophomore Abbey Bart

Lauren Merino & Zack Neuman//Editors

Serving Up State

[Winter] 2013 Alexander recalled, “The last team had a lot of fans too. When we were on their side with their fans, they were yelling at us, and we lost. Once we went back on our side with our fans, we played a lot better.”

The Lady Hawks had loyal fans to support them all the way to the final game. The energy of our fans made a big impact on the way they played.

“If we didn’t have them, there’s a good chance we wouldn’t have won.

Whoever has the energy in this sport is the team that usually wins,” Alexander said.

The girls left the season with 38 wins and only 5 losses, the highest number of wins and best percentage that Olathe East has ever had in volleyball. The well-deserved win gave the Hawks their 41st state title.

“Being able to teach the girls beyond volleyball [is the best part], like to teach them to be better people. Morals, values, I think I try to do that as much as possible and Coach Martin too,” explained Jennifer Rippee about her favorite part of coaching. Rippee has served as assistant coach here at Olathe East for four years now.

“Interacting with them and watching them grow both in skill and in maturity is awesome,” Rippee remarked.

To celebrate the girls’ victory, the volleyball banquet was held the next night.

Rippee said, “This was nice cause all we did was just celebrate the fact that we has won state, so it was a great party”.

(From top left to bottom right) Kristi Stevens, Justin Franklin, Carlie Fangman, Abbey Bart, Marissa Round, Maggie Jacobsen, Emily Blais, Emma Shore, Brian Martin, Jennifer Rippee, Michaela Alexander, Joanna Riggs, Kelli Kalinoski, Lindsey Benson, Haley Wagner, Allie Jones, and Anna Sykes honorably pose with the state trophy after winning the title

Football

The Hawks football team, despite losing their first game of the season, charged back with a 7-4 record. While they made the playoffs for state, they lost in the quarter finals.

Senior Bryce Norris-Bell said, “The team has been playing really strong and I hope the winning continues.” The road in the playoffs ended unfortunately with a 13-20 loss to Shawnee Misson East.

Tennis

The Olathe East Ladies tennis squad served up an award-winning overall season. The doubles team comprised of Mollie Magee and Erica Chang finished fourth at state competetion and also made first team all state.

The Hawks collected many medals this year and finished 2nd at Sunflower League.

Gymnastics After almost winning at league, the Hawk gymnasts gave the competition their all and finished with a memorable season, taking fourth in state.

Golf

The Lady Hawk golfers had a very successful season, earning more medals this year than any past seasons. Varsity Coach Kathy Lilley commented, “It was a great season for the ladies, with a third place finish in regionals and an eighth place finish at state.”

Cross Country

The Hawks Cross Country team wrapped up a very successful season with an eighth place finish on the boys side and a third place finish on the girls side at the state competetion.

8 [Sports]

Seasons Remembered

Brock Holmes // Staff Writer

Courtesy of Heather Burton Football, like many aspects of high school, delivers a mental and physical beating. Few know this more than senior Bryce Norris, the offensive lineman whose determination and love for the game resulted in disappointment. Bryce has played football for all four years at East, with little actual playing time under his belt. His passion for football was interrupted four times in four years by injuries. Bryce played his last game on October 25, when a busted kneecap ended his career. Bryce, due to the torn labrum evoked during his sophomore year of high school, will not play football in college. “I was intending on playing in college, but after my shoulder surgery I stopped thinking about football.,” said Norris regarding his college plans. “I was indenting on playing on a scholarship.

Luckily my academic standings were good enough that I can still go.”

Bryce described his sophomore shoulder injury, the one that kept him from college football, as being the most demanding recovery wise. “The full recovery process took eight months” said Norris, “I could not take my arm out of the sling for a month and a half. After I took my arm out, I could just move it a little bit. I still can’t do any motions above my head, and I probably won’t be able to for the rest of my life.”

Apart from frustration, Bryce’s story is also one of determination and fortitude. In this generation, many are choosing not to play football because of the possibility of serious injury. He stated, “[My parents] didn’t want me playing after I tore my shoulder”. Bryce returned this year after three injuries, one of which will affect him the rest of his life. “[I was] never unsure about playing football. It’s what I love.”

So what’s next for Bryce? He plans to attend Pittsburg State University after his graduation. He intends on continuing the recovery process for his multiple injuries, and of course, he continues to grow from his unfortunate circumstances.

A torn labrum is most common in sports such as baseball and swimming.

[Winter] 2013

Sophomore/Junior Year Torn Labrum

One rotator cuff and one labrum pinched.

Slightly more common amongst athletes, the torn labrum pinches in the back of the shoulder. A CAT scan diagnoses the labrum.

A broken fibula is commonly the result of repetitive stress

Freshman Year

Broken Fibula

Senior Year

Dislocated Kneecap

The kneecap returns to its groove by itself 90% of the time.

The kneecap can be returned safely if performed by a health care professional. Teenagers are the most vulnerable.

61% of kneecap dislocations occur during sporting activities

Occurs when the smaller leg bone on the outside of the leg fractures. The injury often causes damage to the ankle. The recovery process requires a brace, crutches for a brief time, and rehabilitation in order to restore strength to the leg and ankle.

10 [Sports]

Weighing In Insiders Look at the Life of a Wrestler Jessica Goddard//Writer Jordan Meier//Writer Austin Porter//Page Designer

Courtesy of Google Images

[Winter] 2013

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ith sweat dripping from their brow and victory on their minds, they dodge, duck, push and shove. They put in countless hours constantly training and practicing, pushing themselves to great new heights, perfecting every move. In those moments they fight to prove how hard they have worked. In minutes, the match is all over when they pin their opponent to the mat in a final smack. The Olathe East wrestlers are no strangers to victory; from their five Sunflower League titles it’s easy to see that the wrestlers work hard to be the best. The wrestling season has begun with daily practices in full swing.

“We’ll start by stretching and then we will warm up our legs on some heavy weight. Like squats or power cleans.Then we will move on, typically to cross fit,” said Nathan Milford about a typical day of conditioning.

After the conditioning ends, they head straight into practices.

Statistics Courtesy of The American College of Sports Medicine

While preparing for a wrestling match, wrestlers remain mindful of their weight, attempting to cut (or gain) enough to make it into their desired weight class. Cutting weight is a wrestling term meaning to losing a certain amount of weight in a short period of time.

Wrestlers cut weight in order to get into a weight class under them, because in theory if you achieve a lower weight class than your current weight, a wrestler will be stronger than the opponent.

“Cutting weight could be cutting one pound to cutting like 20 or 25. It could be pretty drastic or a simple amount,” said senior Nathan Milford.

Some people believe that flucuation of weight at such drastic rates tends to be unhealthy, but rest assured that the coaches try to help the wrestlers achieve their weight classes in the healthiest way possible. “[Wrestling] is restrictive, they have to achieve and maintain a certain weight, and they need to do it in a healthy way,” stated Coach Larson, head coach of the wrestling team.

The coaches are not the only ones trying to make sure weight cutting is done in a safe way. The KSHSAA wrestling handbook for the 2013-14 season, section 2.A states, “This program is designed to discourage severe weight reductions or wide variations in weight.”

And “Of primary concern to all parties should be the health and safety of each individual wrestler.”

Even though precautions and rules set into place to keep the boys safe and healthy, the program cannot be 100% fool proof. According to Dr. Doug Wiesner, an Athletic Trainer and Director for KU Medical Center, most injuries that are caused by wrestling can turn into long-term problems due to not being treated initially or not being treated properly. “The long-term effects are thirty to forty years in the future when they are older.” stated Dr. Wiesner.

Short-term effects range from injuries such as concussions, joint, or muscle injuries. These injuries are usually fixed by rest and/or physical therapy, but if not treated correctly or given enough rest time, these injuries can turn into long term and potentially serious problems.

Cutting weight remains a major controversy in wrestling today.

“There will always be cutting weight in wrestling.” Dr. Wiesner explained.

Unfortunately you cannot get around cutting weight in wrestling This practice remains at the core of the sport. “If not done properly they will be fatigued; cutting weight causes physical and physiological damage . [Cutting weight] can cause other injuries as well.” said Weisner.

These injuries are attributed to the wrestler being tired on the mat and also causes other long term health problems, and in rare cases such as eating disorders.

Wrestling can be considered one of the toughest sports, and cannot be recommended for everyone even though the wrestling associations do much to make this sport as safe as possible for all the participants. These boys go through numerous challenges in order to do what they love. No sport is perfect, and risks exsist in everything. You just have to be willing to accept them.

Wrestling by the Numbers

4-5 lbs.

are lost by wrestlers in high school and college in a week on average

6-7%

The percent of body fat that wrestlers have during the season (Normal teenagers average 15%)

2 in every 3

Wrestlers that use exercise, food restriction, fasting, and various dehydration methods to cut weight

4-6 weeks

The number of weeks it takes for a dislocated shoulder to mend

80%

The percentage of concussions that take three to four weeks to recover

12 [News]

How the Foreign Exchange Students are Celebrating this Holiday Season

Approximately 4,000 miles away from his home country, Sweden, senior Anton Bergenudd will be spending the holidays away from his family.

“I’ve always loved America because we look up to you back in Sweden. With all these American movies, you get an idea of what it’s like,” Bergenudd commented. His home away from home is still filled with the familiar holiday activities such as good food, family, friends, Santa, and Christmas.

He said, “We usually travel to Europe or somewhere or I stay home with my friends and family during the holidays in Sweden.” Although he won’t be able to be with his friends and family back home, he will be able to call them via Skype. This year he will probably be staying home and doing the normal Christmas routine.

“My favorite thing about the holidays is that I don’t have to go to school,” Bergenudd stated. Sweden has similar holiday traditions as America despite being so far away from one another, but it still holds some Swedish holiday time traditions.

They celebrate Christmas and have Santa, or Jultomten in Swedish, just like us.

Bergenudd explained, “One of our traditions is to watch Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse during Christmas time.” Meatballs and ham can be found among Swedish traditions as well. Even though he’s far away from his family, Bergenudd is excited to experience Christmas from an American point of view this year.

Florian Stockburger is far from home this holiday season.

The senior comes from Germany, but the differences won’t be troubling him this Christmas.

“We are staying here. [My host family’s family] is coming to their house,” he stated.

“We don’t travel for Christmas,” Flo said. Instead, he would usually hang around the house with his family whom he will be able to Skype on Christmas.

“I’m normally home, with my family…we have Christmas trees, with the whole family sitting together. We sing in front of the Christmas tree and get presents,” Flo explained. The similarities don’t end there.

“We put the Christmas presents under the tree days before. We put our Christmas tree up on the sixth of December and the Christmas presents,” he stated. Some parts of the holidays prove different, though.

“The major differences are the trees and the houses.

We don’t have as many lights on the outside…not the colorful ones [either],” Flo said. Although he is miles away, Flo plans to enjoy his holidays as much as he would back home in Germany.

[Winter] 2013

Paige Schick//Writer Heather Burton//Photographer Courtney Child//Page Designer

From the capital of Norway, senior Kristine Lundeby will spend the holidays here this year.

Christmas is a major holiday in her home country and can be counted as one of her personal favorites.

Christmas Eve holds the bulk of the Christmas celebrations.

Norwegians gather together to eat and open presents before the day of Christmas, making the holiday a two-day celebration.

Lundeby stated, “My favorite thing about Christmas is the food and getting presents. I love the Christmas atmosphere.” This rings true for many kids in America as well.

She said, “I’ve never had a Christmas without snow and people here decorate a lot more.” This year she will most likely be going to her host family’s grandparent’s house for Christmas. One Norwegian tradition she’ll miss this year is Christmas Eve brunch.

Lundeby explained, “We would eat porridge and make a bunch and only eat half of it. Then we’d eat the other half with whipped cream for dessert and we put a mandel in it and whoever gets the mandel in their piece gets a present.” A mandel in Norwegian means an almond in English.

Each family member hopes to get the mandel in their portion.

Although she will miss seeing her family, she can Skype them.

“I love the food here and spending time with my new family,” Lundeby said. She is excited to continue to learn more about American traditions and get to know her family away from home better.

“On Christmas we wear our pajamas,” the host mother of senior Mimoza Selmani states.

“What about my fancy dress I brought?” said Selmani, who is not used to our American traditions during Christmas time. All the way from Norway, Mimoza is Muslim, but her family feels it is important to celebrate Christmas.

“We dress really pretty with makeup, fancy dresses, and hair all done,” Mimoza said. In Norway, tradition mandates for all the family to come over and enjoy a feast similar to Thanksgiving, but a little fancier. The meal is filled with lots of pork and rice with cinnamon, butter, and lots of sugar called grøt. Mimoza’s Christmas time in Norway always includes snow, especially around New Years, and crazy neighbors who go all out decorating their house with lights. Seven purple candles are put up on the window representing the dates for Christmas.

“We count everyday of the month and you get presents for all 24 days,” Mimoza stated.

Mimoza’s first Christmas in America will prove to be one to remember for the rest of her life.

14 [News]

Heisman School Winners

Olathe East seniors win Wendy’s Heisman School Award

Lauren Heinrich//Page Editor

T

he Wendy’s High School Heisman Award honors high school seniors who excel in learning, athletics and leadership in their school and community. This prestigious nomination propels seniors to better themselves and the people around them and pushes them towards bigger and greater dreams.

Five stages exist for the Wendy’s High School Heisman Program.

First, every senior can apply. They receive a certificate of participation and a chance to win a Wendy’s gift card. Next, one senior male and one senior female will be chosen as the school winner. From there, those selected seniors go on to the state finals where ten senior males and ten senior females from every state are selected. Out of those state finalists,

M

ollie Magee shines at playing tennis. She has over 100 career wins and got fourth this year at state as well as making the first All State team. She began the sport in sixth grade, and she started playing competitively in eighth grade.

From the courts to the classroom, Mollie keeps soar-

ing. She is 19th in the senior class.

She is in all AP and college classes and has had all A’s throughout high school.

“I made the academic all state team,” Mollie stated.

She is also involved in many school clubs. She is the president of the Spanish National Honor Society, a member of National Honor Society, a Hawk Getting ready to play Leader executive Courtesy of Courtney and is on the exChild ecutive board for the leadership program. With those accomplishments, she does more than her fair share of community service.

“I try to give back to the school as much as I can, because I feel I have gained so much through it, I want to give back,” Mollie commented. Mollie also does more community service through her church.

Like Zack, Mollie didn’t advance in the competition.

However, she saw a positive through applying. “[The competition] experience is a good way to figure out what to say for scholarships and writing essays and really putting down on paper who I am as a person,” she said.

one male and one female from each state will be picked to be the state winners. Then twelve National Finalists, one male and one female, are chosen from the six geographical Heisman regions: Far West, Southwest, Midwest, Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and South Regions. From those twelve national finalists, one male and one female are named Wendy’s High School Heisman winners.

Mollie Magee and Zack Neuman applied and won the School Winners stage for Olathe East. They both go above and beyond in and out of the classroom. With each of them having 4.4 G.P.As and have gone, or will go in Zack’s case, to state for their sport for all four years at East, it’s no wonder they won the School Winner award.

Z

ack Neuman loves swimming and diving and he’s exceptionally good at it. However, he wasn’t always too fond of it. At the age of seven, while he was still in gymnastics, his parents ‘forced’ him to take swimming as well.

Diving into victory Courtesy of Zack Neuman

“I really didn’t like it at all. So I saw other people on the diving board and I was like ‘Hey, I wanna go try that,’” he commented. He swam and dived during the summers. He took ninth place at state his freshmen year, sixth place his sophomore year, and third place his junior year. “I’m not so much looking for state [this year] as much as I want to beat the school record.” Zack said.

Apart from being a star at swimming and diving; he also hits the books hard.

Some of his achievements include getting a department award for arts his sophomore year and junior year, and a social science department award his junior year. He has also been on the presidential honor roll every year of high school.

“I also got a 29 cumulative on the ACT,” he said. Zack is in National Honor Society, Hawk Leaders, is an important member of photography club, and is the Hawk’s Eye’s co-editor.

Even though he didn’t win any money or go any further in the competition, Zack is looking at the bright side.

“A lot of the time, diving isn’t recognized as an actual sport, so it’s kind of nice to know out of all the other sports and accomplishments that diving was taken seriously through this.”

[Winter] 2013

Damaged or Disregarded?

Diving into the world of the Olathe Half Price Books’ dumpsters Kelsey Knecht//Senior Staff Writer Courtney Child//Copy Editor

16 [News]

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ost people know of the conveniently-priced bookstore Half Price Books. Customers know that they sell used books for good prices. They know that anyone can bring in old books and sell them for cash. They know that they take all books, no matter what, off one’s hands. But do they know that nationally, Half Price Books donates millions of extra books to thousands of charity organizations—including Children’s Mercy Hospital and the Boy Scouts of America—each year?

The Half Price Books corporation was built on a foundation of improving and increasing literacy in all ages. They strive to bring the beauty of books into everyone’s lives, including those who do not have enough money to purchase their own.

“We do the best to donate as much as we can,” stated Olathe’s Half Price Books assistant manager Collin Thomas. “Anybody who wants donated books, we can do it.”

HPB does all it can to make sure books are recycled that they can’t donate throughout the country.

HPB founder Ken Gjemre pledged, “Books should fill our lives, not our land.” All HPB locations donated over a million books—2,318,719 to be specific—total last year. This year, they are already well over a million. HPB will also give a donation of books to any legitimate organization that completes a request form, found on their website.

Nationally, HPB ensures that children are not without books throughout their childhood. Who can imagine growing up without the comfort of his or her favorite bedtime storybook? One organization that receives an abundance of books is Racquet Readers, founded by the USTA and tennis player Sujaan Lal Sujaan. Sujaan has collected and donated over 5000 books since he began the charity. His core belief stands as, “The more you read, the more things you will know.

The more you learn, the more places you will go.” Half Price Books was built on this kind of belief.

Another charity that receives the benefits of book donations is Help Our Military Endure, or HOME. This organization, paired with HPB provides our soldiers overseas with books to read to their children over video technology and magazines to read as they

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serve their tours.

Half Price Books serves the national educational community as well. Educators, including schoolteachers and librarians, can acquire an Educator’s Discount Card to save 10% throughout the year at all HPB locations. This is their way of showing their support for the students around them. With their aid, the literacy level can be raised.

Another benign aspect of Half Price Books is how they help the American environment. They sell 100% recycled plastic gift cards, use light and heat repellent windows, purchase recycled office supplies, have 100% recycled carpet, offer a vehicle-charging station in select locations—and much more. “[They] view protection of the environment as a journey,” and do all they can to protect the environment. Their eco-friendly slogan, “take a s(eco)nd to think” can be found on restroom sinks and towel dispensers. They encourage their customers to make eco-friendly choices when choosing transportation or water bottles. They also founded “Green Teams” who volunteer to pick up garbage and clean the community. Last year, they planted a tree in each community near each of their stores across the nation.

Half Price Books works hard to benefit the environment in every way.

They donate books to numerous charities and have green stores nationwide.

Their efforts should be commended The current sign in the Olathe HPB for their hard window, stating what they will take work in the Courtesy of Courtney Child community—in every way.

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The overflowing dumpster behind the Olathe HPB location Courtesy of Zack Neuman

[Winter] 2013

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Hundreds of books line the bookshelves at Olathe Station Courtesy of Courtney Child

he endeavor started out with one question: why are books constantly spilling out of the dumpster behind the Olathe HPB store? What a juxtaposition a dumpster full of books is. Some teenagers have been known to occasionally use the books for “booking” people’s yards, or throwing hundreds of books from the Olathe Half Price dumpster onto people’s front lawns.

Collin Thomas, assistant manager of the Olathe store, explained the process of deciding to throw away certain books.

“If you saw some of the boxes they came out of, you wouldn’t want to touch them.

We throw away what we have to throw away. If you want to touch cockroach-infested books, you can. And trust me, we are working on ways so that people do not go into our dumpster because we don’t want those books being donated or thrown into people’s yards. Trust me, if we can donate it, we will. There’s a lot of stuff we can’t donate because of mold, disease, rat feces; we keep gloves and masks around here because of what we deal with.”

The district manager, Susan Cooper, commented on the manner of how the books are thrown away.

“Some books are water damaged, pet damaged, ripped, torn, or highlighted, so there are some

things we have to throw away that would fall into those categories.”

Is there a certain amount that they have to get rid of in terms of highlighting? And how much is too much water damage?

After learning about the situation, a Hawk’s Eye staffer brought in some of the books and VHS tapes that he had dumpster dived to retrieve. They were all in good shape-a Star Wars trilogy set, nice records, and quality copies of random books. The Blackbob Elementary School library clerk wondered if the right precautions were being taken as to discarding books.

“It’s mostly because of publishing rights,” she stated.

“When I worked at Walden Books, we had to rip off the covers of the books to take them home. You can’t just take them willy-nilly. You’re not supposed to take them.”

After that chat, the question remained: Is it just the Olathe Half Price station that was throwing away books?

The national website stated that all Half Price Books locations donated to over a hundred organizations instead of throwing them away. The Olathe store had said that they donated to many places too, but the dumpster out back raised questions. Senior Austin Brennecke said, “The manager of the store told me after I stated that I took books from the dumpster every week that I could take them as I pleased.” Did they actually throw these books away for a reason, or were they just dumped because they had no more room? Reporters noted that the store was stacked with boxes of books waiting to be sorted.

The Hawk’s Eye inquired to the answer to the unanswered question on the National HPB webiste. “If the books in the dumpster are a safety hazard, then why doesn’t it say so? Why is the dumpster so easy to get into?”

The Hawk’s Eye received an email back from Susan Cooper, the district manager, stating, “We would discourage anyone from tampering with items in dumpsters and are currently working with the landlords of our Olathe location about the dumpster maintenance.”

Three days later, the dumpster was still filled with books.

So the question is, what will happen to the thousands of abandoned books? The fate of the books lies in someone’s hands, and only time will tell who that is.

BU

NK

18 [Feature]

Attitudes o Two OE Students Who Cheated Death Have

M

ost eight year-olds have minds filled with thoughts of carefree frolicking in the park and passing time with friends, not yet corrupted or bogged down with the troubles of the real world.

Junior Weston Funk was not granted this luxury.

During the summer prior to his third grade year, Weston felt lethargic and was running a low-grade fever for nearly a week. Even worse, he collapsed near the end of a baseball game that weekend. All this prompted his mother to take Weston to the doctor.

“I didn’t want to go anywhere. I didn’t want to do anything, and my mom was getting worried, because I was always an active child,” Funk said.

Initially, the doctor felt confident the symptoms were not too serious, but some blood tests were run anyway.

What the results would find could not have been imagined.

“My white blood cell count was way, way over the top, something like 250,000. The doctor said to my mom, ‘It looks like your son might have leukemia. You need to take him to the hospital right now,’” recalled Funk.

At the hospital, the prognosis was confirmed. Weston did in fact have leukemia, specifically Juvenile Mylomonocetic Leukemia (JMML). The medical world considers JMML an aggressive form of cancer, and patients affected by the disease require a bone marrow transplant to survive.

Thus began the most debilitating, stressful, and painful four months of Funk’s life. Chemotherapy commenced, and with it came loss of hair, eyebrows, eyelashes, and energy.

All this time, a bone marrow donor was being actively sought.

The first two possible donors were Weston’s mother and father. Two tests, no matches. Next up was his brother Will.

Another test yielded another unsuccessful result.

“Once they showed that Will wasn’t a match, he went home and cried for hours, because he thought that I wasn’t

going to live because he wasn’t a match,” recalled Weston.

“Will really helped me through it, though,” Funk said.

“Every day I waited for him to come home after school and get to the hospital, so I could see him.”

Just as his battle with cancer was rough on his brother, Weston’s parents also felt the emotional toll. Funk, however, was too young to fret over death.

“I never really thought I was going to die, but I never felt good,” said Funk. “I was young, so I didn’t completely understand. I just knew I was sick.”

After months of uncertainty and fear, good news arrived in the form of a man from Alabama. Keith Bozeman provided something no one else could: a bone marrow match.

In hopes that he Weston with his older brother could be a match for someone, Bozeman Will after the transplant had signed up to be Courtesy of Weston Funk a donor over eight years before, just two weeks after Weston’s birth.

Bozeman gladly donated the bone marrow necessary for Funk’s survival, and late in the night of November 23, 2005, the bone marrow transplant began. The process stretched into the early morning of the next day: Thanksgiving.

The transplant was a success, and, after a nerve-wracking four months, Weston was officially declared cancer-free.

Bozeman and Funk met shortly after the transplant, and the two still talk about three times a year. Due to the transplant, Weston developed Bozeman’s allergies, grass and tree pollen, and his blood type changed from A positive to O positive.

As another holiday season approaches, Funk remains mindful of his struggles eight years ago.

“When I think about my cancer, I try to focus on the positives,” Funk stated. “I try to make an impact by telling other kids my story and raising money.”

“I have a different perspective on life. I’m thankful that someone made that one decision to donate. I’m thankful that I don’t have any long-term side effects,” said Weston.

“I’m thankful to be alive.”

[Winter] 2013

f Gratitude Developed a New Sense of Thankfulness Matthew Gwin//Staff Writer

A

s a night in late May spent with friends at Heritage Park came to a close, Michelle Dobratz’s life seemed to be falling into place. Summer had just begun, a trip to Europe was soon to follow, and on the horizon stood her senior year. Just as everything was looking up, things took a sudden and dramatic turn for the worse.

Coming home that fateful night, Dobratz lost control of her car and crashed head-on into two trees. Her next memories came from a hospital bed.

Michelle had cracked the C2 vertabrae of her spine in the crash, and her ability to ever walk again was in question. In addition to the risk of becoming paralyzed from the neck down, if the situation worsened, Dobratz would be forced to live out the rest of her days with the assistance of an iron lung.

“The doctors kept changing their stories, so I didn’t know what to think,” Dobratz said. “I just knew things were really bad.”

Luckily, a CT scan revealed that the crack was less severe than initially feared, and no procedure on the vertabrae would be necessary. However, Michelle was required to wear a neck brace to restrict any movement Michelle’s car absorbed that could cause additional the brunt of the crash problems to arise.

Courtesy of Michelle Dobratz “If the C2 vertabrae had moved, I would’ve had to wear a halo,” said Dobratz.

Once again, though, good fortune prevailed and the brace worked effectively. Her new accessory did, however, come with its share of shortcomings, banning Michelle from driving, riding on boats and roller coasters, along with many other summer pleasures most take for granted.

“I was counting down the days One of the trees also showed until I could stop wearing the the effects of the crash brace,” Dobratz admitted.

Courtesy of Michelle Dobratz Brace and all, however, Michelle traveled on her scheduled trip to Europe, in addition to enjoying some fun times back at home.

Today, Dobratz walks the halls of Olathe East looking like any other teenager, the neck brace now long gone. But a near encounter with death has changed her outlook on life and given her a new appreciation for one of the most fragile body parts.

“I sympathize with handicapped people, and I try to avoid staring at or judging them,” Michelle said.

“This made me realize that you use your neck a lot,” Dobratz added with a smile.

As it turns out, everything in Michelle Dobratz’s life was in fact falling into place.

The road there just contained a couple more potholes than expected.

Dobratz poses with friend Taylor Schoenborn in Europe Courtesy of Michelle Dobratz

20 [Feature]

Brenna Thompson//Staff Writer

  High school students tend to complain about school: the homework, waking up early, AP classes. However, when do students take the time to thank the people that make school a little bit better? East is a collection of caring students, patient teachers, and friendly staff.

We gave students a chance to thank the people and classes that make their day a little bit better.

[Winter] 2013

Don’t forget to remember what you are thankful for this Holiday Season!

22 [Feature]

E

veryone wants something for Christmas. Each year, people put together their lists of gift ideas and eagerly wait for Christmas to see if their wishes came true. Then, their bubbles burst when they don’t get what they wanted. Think getting socks for last Christmas was bad?

Check out what some of our fellow Hawks got for Christmas in years past: “I got a Pokémon matching game from my grandparents when I was like 10,” said Junior Tori Greenhalgh.

• Junior Stephanie Freeman said, “My step-grandma once sent me a puzzle book meant to be done on the

•

toilet.”

“I got my cousin’s old toys,” Senior Bryan Wills stated.

"

[I got a] 24pack of toilet paper.”

• • • •

Senior Brooklyn Aston said, “Nose trimmers.”

“24-pack of toilet paper,” Junior Josh Thomas stated.

“Speedos and I don’t swim,” Senior Jacobe Nguyen said.

Senior Jacob Cleek said, “I

once got a DVD for Christmas from my Grandma in San Diego that was a fiveand-a-half hour explanation of the Constitution. Needless to say I never watched that.”

So what if it’s not a new pair of Toms or a gift card to Starbucks?

Someone spent his or her time, money, and energy into buying you a present. Be grateful for every gift. You could have gotten coal. It’s the thought that counts, right? Right?

-Buddy The Elf

Olathe East faculty and students ring in their sweaters during this frigid holiday season.

Left to Right: Choir director Dustin Cates, Junior Allison Walker, Senior Justus Johnson

[Winter] 2013

Lauren Heinrich//Writer Kelsey Knecht//Photographer Aaron Yuratovich//Page Designer

T

ravel back to Christmas Eves in elementary school where cold milk and freshly baked cookies sat near a resplendently-decorated tree.

That sounds pretty common to most households. Yet, finding “the pickle” and covering the driveway with oatmeal and sparkles are what some East households do or used to do around this holiday season.

“Every year on Christmas morning, my sister and I try and find a glass pickle that my mom hid somewhere on the tree the night before. I’ve won for the past five years,” Junior Courtney Sottile said. She explained that whoever won got a surprise, usually being money or an iTunes gift card.

“We would sprinkle oatmeal with sprinkles on the driveway. Inside we would have cookies for Santa and carrot

"

holidays, the Hawk’s Eye wishes you a

My cousins and I have boxing matches.”

sticks for the reindeer. We don’t do that anymore,” Junior Tori Greenhalgh stated.

“My cousins and I have boxing matches,” Senior Elizabeth Martin said.

“My sisters and I bring out a tent and put it up in my room and that is where we sleep during winter break,” Junior Delilah Hsu said.

“Going to IHOP at two in the morning on Christmas,” Junior Claire Hausauer.

Whatever you do to celebrate the

safe and a good one.

24 [Feature]

2013 in Review

A Blast from the Past (12 Months)

S

Olathe East

enior Elizabeth Martin and junior Erica Chang (below) both achieved a perfect score of 36 on their ACTs this April. Additionally, seniors Matthew Gleason, Snigdha Sharma, and Jacob Stapleton (right) were chosen as National Merit Scholars due to their exceptional PSAT score from last October.

Logan Brockschmidt//Page Designer Matthew Gwin//Page Designer Aaron Rhodes//Staff Writer

Entertainment

After a confirmation of three additional Star Wars sequels last year, two more movies were announced in early 2013.

They will be spin-off movies featuring Han Solo and Boba Fett with no release dates announced as of yet.

Rapper Kanye West and reality star Kim Kardashian had their baby, North West, on June 15. Kanye proposed to Kim in October at a rented-out AT&T Park in front of

After extensive planning, the city of Olathe finally began the long-needed road construction on 127th St. between Black Bob and Pflumm this June. Unfortunately, this has caused major traffic headaches and garnered numerous traffic tickets for students and teachers alike.

For the first time in school history, the OE volleyball team captured the Kansas state championship this November.

In May, the softball team won their second straight state championship. Both teams are looking forward to strong seasons next year due to many returning seniors.

During Thanksgiving break, members of the Olathe East choir traveled to New York and had the honor of singing at the historic Carnegie Hall. The choir also enjoyed seeing many sights in the Big Apple, including a visit to The Today Show.

friends and family.

The pop star made headlines all year with her antics, most notably at the MTV VMA Awards in August where she performed her song “We Can’t Stop” and twerked with the married and much older Robin Thicke earning her heavy criticism.

The highly anticipated video game Grand Theft Auto V was released in mid-September, making $800 million on the first day which topped Call Of Duty: Black Ops 2’s record of $500 million.

[Winter] 2013

Sports

News In February, Pope Benedict XVI became the first pope to step down by choice in hundreds of years. On March 13th, Pope Francis was coronated, making him the first pope ever from South America.

Despite a mid-game power outage, the Baltimore Ravens staved off the San Francisco 49ers’ furious rally to win Super Bowl XLVII, sending Ray Lewis into retirement as a champion.

For the first time since 1965, the Wichita State Shockers men’s basketball team made an appearance in the Final Four by knocking out favorites Gonzaga and Ohio State along the way.

In September, the US national soccer team successfully qualified for next year’s World Cup in Brazil by beating Mexico.

USA went on to win CONCACAF, the North American group, proving they will be a force to be reckoned with next June.

In 2011, the Kansas City Wizards changed their name to Sporting Kansas City and built a new stadium. This July, they hosted the MLS All-Star game and later qualified for the MLS Playoffs for the third year in a row. After falling short the past two years, SKC fought through all five games and, on December 7 won the MLS Cup for the first time since 2000.

On April 15, two homemade bombs were detonated near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. The blast killed three and injured 264 others. A manhunt ensued for the two suspects, with one dying and the other being apprehended four days later. Boston then rallied around their baseball team with the “Boston Strong” motto. In October, the Red Sox beat the Cardinals to win the World Series in six games, for their third World Series win in the last decade.

On November 7, the deadliest typhoon to ever hit the Phillipines made landfall.

The typhoon killed over 5,000 people and left almost two million homeless.

After being imprisoned for 27 years due to leading anti-Apartheid movements, Nelson Mandela was finally freed and later elected as the first black president of South Africa in 1994. He spent five years as president and many more helping South Africa to become a more peaceful and prosperous nation. Sadly, Mandela died on December 5 at age 95 after a long battle with a lung infection.

26 [Feature]

Photo and graphic courtesy of Heather Burton

“My parents expect A LOT more out of me.”

“Everyone loves me!”

Oldest Ryan Ash

Daniel Gum

t

ges

un

Yo

[Winter] 2013

Amy Du// Staff Writer Lauren Hart// Copy Editor

“Christmas is like the motherload of all things!”

“Ha! I never get into trouble.”

e l d id

Brownwyn Troxel

ly On

Mackenzie Doherty

M

Only Though arguing with siblings seems to be nonstop at times, what would it be like without those siblings there to argue with? Though they may tend to be more spoiled than the average kid, they certainly do not have it as easy as one may think.

Selina Tucker admitted, “The only child is most definitely spoiled. I got a car before a lot of my friends and I don’t have to share it with anyone unlike some sets of siblings.”

Bronwyn Troxel added, “The worst part about being an only child is that I don’t have anyone to support or I don’t have anyone with me there all the time. I don’t have a sibling to go watch play a sport or perform in a show.”

Though getting almost anything you want is a major perk of being an only child, many only children would have to agree that not having any siblings to share special moments with is something they each long for.

Youngest Many would think of their precious baby brother or sister as the absolute embodiment of spoiled rotten.

Smothered in unconditional love and showered with the latest technology, you could say that they really do have it all.

Even though they aren’t the ones who have to set good examples and take care of a sibling, the youngest still have their own responsibilities.

Most of them have a major shadow to fill and that certainly isn’t a perk for being last.

Youngest child Shannon McLeroy, whose brother graduated last year, said “Although it’s not a real competition, I feel a lot of pressure to be just as good as my brother, if not better.”

Being younger than your siblings can make you easy bait for jokes and teasing as well.

After admitting that he is indeed spoiled, Mark Vanlandingham also added that the worst part, however, is “always being treated like a two year old.”

Some of East’s youngest kids, like Clayton Ramsey, even deny the idea that they’re spoiled at all. “The youngest really isn’t spoiled,” said Ramsey “It depends on the parents, but as for me, I’m not the spoiled one.”

Mr. Justin Williams

John Michael Donley

Mark Vanlandingham

Selina Tucker

28 [Feature]

Middle

Common stereotypes of middle children include being left-out, forgotten, and getting away with almost anything.

Many psychologists note that middle children tend to go with the flow more often because they are so used to change but the neglect they receive is often times unbearable. Not having attention on you at all times can have its perks but it definitely has disadvantages as well.

“I don’t have as much attention on me because I am the middle child,” says John Michael Donley.

Mackenzie Doherty agreed saying, “Since I’m in the middle, I don’t really get in a lot of trouble. I’m the middle ground.”

Kalli Elliott added, “My parents give me more freedom than they gave my older sister at my age but they are also harder on me because if my sister did anything wrong, they think I will too.”

Senior Genna Lind commented, “As the middle child, I can either be the younger or the older child. I can be the older child and experience some things before my younger brother while still being the younger one and having an older sister to help me through situations she has already experienced.”

Oldest

With people such as President Barack Obama, Oprah Winfrey, and Kate Middleton representing the first-borns, it’s clear that the oldest child would be born to lead and take the role of the third parent around the house.

With great power comes great responsibility. An oldest child gets privileges and wears the crown just from being born earlier, but there can be a lot of stress that comes with it as well.

As oldest in his family, Ryan Ash said “You get to guide your siblings in the right direction, but my parents expect a lot more out of me.”

Being the example setter in the family is a little intimidating especially when all of your siblings look up to you.

“My family follows the exact stereotype of birth order,” said Mr. Williams, the oldest of three siblings.

The first-born is also typically the “guinea pig” to new parents when it comes to rules and school. The firstborn is always the victim and the siblings after them get the new and improved set of rules.

“I have to drive my little sister around and I never got that luxury when it was little,” said Kennedy Poro, “My mom would make me walk two miles if I wanted to hang out with a friend from a different school.”

Hanna Melton//Senior Staff Writer

“My parents never let me have my phone when I’m at the dining table, even if I eat by myself. If I have kids I won’t care if they use a phone at the table, especially if they’re just eating a snack.” – Senior Haris Patel “For some reason, whenever we would do the dishes, I always had to completely clean the dishes before putting them in the dish washer. I wouldn’t put my kids through that.” – Sophomore Clayton Ramsey “My parents are pretty relaxed about everything, so I think I would want to be the same way with my kids.” – Junior Kennedy Poro “My curfew is 11:30 but when I have kids they will definitely have a bedtime of like 8:30. Also, my parents left it up to public school for “the talk” and I will probably just do the same.

That’s what public school is for, right?” – Junior Emily Nicholson “My dad always told me to take my shoes off upon entering a house because it was considered disrespectful to walk in with shoes on. I’ll probs do the same to uphold that Asian tradish.” – Senior Caitlyn San Pablo

Raised?

How Were You

[Winter] 2013

W

e hear rule upon rule, lesson upon lesson.

Every day we receive new reprimands and expectations. On many days, parents sure have a way of pushing our buttons. We grow up obeying our parents, well, for the most part.

We go through each day picking up on the things they teach us, but what will we take from these life instructions? Oddly enough, the little things seem to be remembered by us the most. The tiniest details of our upbringings can have the biggest impact on our feelings towards how we want to raise our own kids in the future.

The second I became the oldest child, I soon learned that my little sister was going to get everything, and I mean everything, at a younger age than my parents would have ever given me. Of all the challenges dealt to me by my parents, this will forever be one of my biggest pet peeves, and a definite unfairness I will never wish upon my own kids.

On the other hand, there will always be the warm traditions that I never want to forget. These many traditions will forever be a simple smile at the end of a terrible day. Without a doubt, my future daughter will climb onto her daddy’s shoulders every year to put the family angel on top of the Christmas tree and paint her room whatever color she wants. But most importantly, I will take the sense of self my parents have given me and make sure my kids always know who they can turn to during times of defeat.

As our parents enforce numerous rules upon us, we often tend to resent them. But we can also learn from the things that make us feel like loved and empowered human beings and never let that feeling fade for generations to come. This generation of strong-willed teenagers is determined to change the world, and in this case, take the way we have been raised and eventually evolve that into our own sets of rules.

Courtesy of Aaron Yuratovich and Hanna Melton

30 [Feature]

Flat-rate tuition.

Less than two hours away.

Pittsburg State University

www.pittstate.edu • Pittsburg, Kansas

[Winter] 2013

Driver Education at Johnson County Community College

Drive Safe, Drive Smart

• Kansas Board of Education certified instructors providing comprehensive training • 6 hours of driving • 6 hours of observation • 30 hours of classroom instruction • Optional at-home pick-up/drop-off service for driving portion of training • Automobile fleet includes a Toyota Prius hybrid car, which lessens the program's carbon footprint while promoting sustainability Course fee: $349. Register now for classes that begin in January and March!

For class dates and times visit www.jccc.edu/driver-training or call 913-469-4446 Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd., Overland Park, KS 66210

Happy

Holidays from The Hawk’s Eye!

32 [Editorial]

Behind the Screen

Katie Thompson // Writer Brenna Thompson // Photographer Brock Holmes // Page Designer

OE Anonymous: Breeding Ground for Cyberbullying

T

ears run down your face as you hide in the school bathroom, too ashamed and embarrassed to face the person who wrote such terrible and cruel things about you. The entire school can see the hateful remarks, and there is nothing you can do about it. The cyber bully is anonymous. They can say whatever they want, any lies, rumors, or gossip they please. You are helpless to their words on a Twitter page by the name of Olathe Anonymous.

Olathe schools, and the page cannot be stopped. Principal Bill Weber said, “We have no power to take it down; everyone has free speech.” He does admit that he has seen the page, but chooses not to read through the tweets. “Twitter is supposed to better communication with people, it is like the quote ‘If you don’t have anything nice to say do not say anything at all,’” said Weber. A twitter page can only be eliminated when an immediate threat affects the school.

Only the brave will stand up to the anonymous bullies. Junior Brittany Hohenadel is one of them. She commented on a post insulting a girl who previously attended Olathe East. “You all can stop with your annoying account. All this account is doing is bringing hate,” replied Brittany. She admitted this specific post seriously bothered her. “No one knows why she left this school, none of any of her life is their business. If I am the only person to stand up for her then at least she has someone on her side,” Hohenadel said. She also says that she is sick of seeing people harm others on the internet. “I just do not understand the point, or why people do it. They tear one another down just for fun. I do not think they realize that seeing those words, it hurts.”

In reality, this page, unfortunately, continues to reign over the students of Olathe, but the anonymous does not have to control us. OE Anonymous does not have to bring others down and hurt people. Students are the reason this page exists, and students can be the reason for the death of the account. A bully cannot continue to hurt unless they have flame to their fire. Olathe East, I am asking you, do not give them a reason to burn.

"

Olathe East should strive on being kind and caring to every person, teacher, and student walking through the halls.

Yet it is not in the halls where the problem lurks. @ Olathe_Anonymous is a Twitter account that was solely made to ridicule the student body of the Olathe high schools. The sequel page of @ OEconfessions, which was taken down due to bullying and vulgar language, is a step up from the cruel posts that were born in the OEconfessions page.

The previous page only stated the first and last letter of the victim’s names, making discovering the victim more difficult. The new page posts the full first and last names of each person, exposing them to the worst degree of hate.

The problem with the anonymous page? This smear page keeps growing.

The page that used to just surround Olathe East now consumes all four

They tear one another down just for fun. I do not think they realize that seeing those words hurt.”

[Winter] 2013

Katie Thompson//Staff Writer

T

he wait is finally over. Two years after the star-crossed lovers from district 12 hit screens in the Hunger Games, the second movie of the dramatic trilogy was released to the public at midnight on November 21, when the horn sounded and the games began. Catching Fire begins with the victor’s tour, and the President of Panem knows he needs to kill Katniss, but in the right way. He has complete control of Panem, and the only way to stop the girl on fire is to extinguish her flame. He does just this by throwing her back into the pit she fought so hard to escape from, the arena. Let the Quarter Quell begin, and let the odds be ever in your favor. Some new characters will appear in the second movie, including Finnick, Mags, and Gloss.

The Victor’s Games Review of the 75th Quarter Quell Tributes

Johanna Mason: played by Jena Malone- In her first Hunger Games,

Johanna pretends to be a weakling, feigning hunger and fatigue when in reality, she remains sly and cunning. Johanna’s proficient skill with an axe comes from her home, District 7. She holds hands with the other victors on the night before the quarter quell as a sign of rebellion. Jena Malone has been cast for this role. Starting as a child actress, this will be one of Jena Malone’s first big movie roles.

Age: 28

Other movies: Into the Wild, Pride & Prejudice, Sucker Punch, Contact

Finnick Odair: played by Sam Clafin- Finnick, the handsome victor from Distict 4, who gets reaped for the third quarter quell of the Hunger Games. The husband of Annie Cresta, Finnick, will be portrayed by ex-football star Sam Clafin. Sam Clafin, who plays Finnick, was born in the United Kingdom and discovered his love for acting after injuries ended his football career.

Age: 27 Other movies/shows: Pirates of the Caribbean, Snow White and the Huntsman, White Heat

Mags: played by Lynn Cohen- Mags won the Hunger games for District 4 over three decades ago, and selflessly volunteers for Finnick’s mentally distraught wife, Annie. Played by actor Lynn Cohen, Mags provides vital during the quarter quell inspiring fierce loyalty in Finnick. Lynn Cohen was born in Kansas City, Missouri in 1944 and lived here for the majority of her early life.

Age: 69 Other movies/shows: “Law & Order, Munich”, They Came Together, Sex

Beetee: played by Jeffrey Wright- Beetee, the victor from District 3, and

Gloss: played by Alan Ritchson- Gloss, the young and fearless District 1 victor, craves to go back into the arena and win for the capitol. Alan Ritchson carved himself the role of Goss after his trek from a small town in Florida, to Hollywood. Alan, the middle child of a military family, found ways to entertain himself while traveling around constantly.

Age: 28 Other movies/shows: Spring Break ’83, Fired Up, Blue Mountain State,

a genius with technical gadgets and contraptions; he becomes a key part in Katniss’s plan to make it out of the Quarter Quell alive. After graduating from college with a major in political science Jeffrey won an acting scholarship to NYU, but dropped out after only two months to pursue acting full time.

Age: 47 Other movies/shows: Casino Royale, Source Code, The Ides of March, Cadillac Records

Finnick Odair

Mags

and the City, Eagle Eye

Midnight Bayou

Beetee

Gloss

Johanna Mason

34 [Entertainment]

Electric Lady Shocks The World

Kansas-born Singer Janelle Monáe Takes the Entertainment World by Storm Aaron Rhodes//Publicity Manager

I

Monáe performing at a benefit concert in 2009 hosted by the Black Eyed Peas

f you aren’t familiar with Janelle Monáe by now, you could use some more soul in your life. If you haven’t at least heard her voice, you’ve probably been living under a rock. She has been nominated for six Grammy Awards, has been featured in Vogue magazine, is a CoverGirl model, AND is from Kansas City, Kansas.

After graduating from F.L. Schlagle High School, she moved to New York to attend a performing arts school. Janelle soon dropped out due to the pressure and the school’s lack of creative freedom. Monáe then moved to Atlanta, Georgia and performed locally and ran into Big Boi (of OutKast fame) at an open mic night. She was then introduced to Diddy and signed to his Bad Boy Records label. Monáe released her first LP, The ArchAndroid, in 2010 and received lots of buzz among music critics, but none of the singles achieved much chart or radio success.

Her biggest break so far, however, came soon

after in 2011 when the band Fun’s producer contacted her asking if she would sing on the song “We Are Young.” She agreed, recorded her vocal track, and the song was released a few weeks later.

As everyone knows, “We Are Young” blew up and ended up on every commercial, was covered by every band, and was on the top of the Billboard charts for six straight weeks. The album the song appeared on, “Some Nights,” has since achieved platinum level sales in twelve different countries.

Riding on all of this success, Monáe set out to record her second full-length album. “The Electric Lady” makes up parts four and five out of her seven part “Metropolis” story. The saga tells the tale of Janelle Monáe’s alter-ego Cindi Mayweather, an android sent from the future to defend Metropolis from a group called “The Great Divide”.

Photo courtesy of Mark Sebastian/Flickr The album overflows with ferociously upbeat neo-soul numbers, stirring R&B ballads, with minute-long interludes tossed in every now and then, narrated by robot radio host DJ Crash Crash giving updates on events in Metropolis and the exploits of Cindi Mayweather. “The Electric Lady” features collaborations with jazz and R&B fame and rising stars alike. Miguel, Solange, Prince, Esperanza Spalding, and Erykah Badu all have made unique contributions to the record.

Since the album’s release on September 6, Monáe has appeared on a multitude of T.V. shows to sing the album’s single “Dance Apocalyptic” and do more than her fair share of dancing. The Electric Lady has also taken her tuxedo-clad band on the road, touring across the country, including a show at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City. For this Kansan who referred to Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz as one of her biggest musical influences, this really is her “PrimeTime”.

[Winter] 2013

To WatchThator to Listen... is the Question Paige Schick//Page Editor

W

e’ve been dubbed as the generation of technology in that “we spend too much time on our phones or watch too much television”—according to our parents anyway. With so many different choices as to what technology to use, making a decision can be difficult. From iPhones, iPods, and iPads, to tablets and Androids, music and TV are quite literally at our fingertips.

But how does the typical high school student spend his or her time with a seemingly endless stream of technology? Do you spend your time sitting in the dark of your room watching reruns of television shows, Redbox movies, or Netflix?

Or maybe you lie down with whatever music-playing device you have with your zillion number of songs and playlists, put your headphones in, and just relax to the sound of music? Two Olathe East students talk about their preferences.

Erin’s Favorite Movies And TV Shows 1. Man of Steel 2. The Avengers 3. The Great Gatsby 4. Now You See Me 5. The Hunger Games 6. Castle 7. Hawaii 5-O 8. NCIS 9. Blacklist 10. Revenge

We’ve all been victims to our parents saying, “You’ve been watching too much TV, and you need to turn it off now.” TV and movies have long been sources of relaxation and entertainment in people’s free time. Today, you have the luxury of watching TV shows or movies wherever you are with the latest technology. This hasn’t helped the rising number of hours people spend staring at a screen, enveloped in whatever suspenseful, hilarious, or action-filled show or movie being watched. According to Science Daily, most teenagers spend around thirty hours a week watching TV shows or movies.

Junior Erin Harold is a longtime fan of TV and movies. “[I watch TV or movies] a lot more than I should. I probably watch two to four hours a day,” she stated. People love to watch TV for many different reasons. Harold explained, “They provide entertainment and are fun to watch.” Whether relieving boredom or just something you enjoy doing, television remains a popular source of entertainment. “[I prefer] to watch TV with my friends or family because then I’m not the only one that finds something funny,” Harold said.

The black and white, three-channel cable TVs have long since been upstaged. Fifty-inch plasma screen TV’s, Netflix, Hulu, laptops, and so many other devices are now available for instantly streaming favorite movies and TV shows when and where we want. Harold stated, “Netflix is very addictive. I once watched all eight seasons of Grey’s Anatomy in five days.” Harold loves to sit back on the weekend and relax with a good movie or TV show to unwind from her busy week.

As a dancer, she spends a lot of time taking classes, so she treasures the break on the weekends. “I listen to music a lot with dance, so TV and movies are a nice break from that and they are easy to multitask with,” she stated.

McKenna’s Favorite Songs 1. “Youth”-Daughter 2. “Electric Feel”-MGMT 3. “Lights”-Ellie Goulding 4. “Pompeii”- Bastille 5. “The Mother We Share”-Chvrches 6. “Supermassive Black Hole”Muse 7. “Bangarang”-Skillex 8. “TKO”-Justin Timberlake 9. “Genesis”-Justice 10. “1901”-Pheonix

With six pairs of Beats, 18 playlists, and 1,065 songs, senior McKenna Davis can always be seen walking the halls listening to music. If you wanted to know a specific song or artist, she’d most likely know.

Davis enjoys listening to all types of music depending on her mood, but she mostly listens to alternative. “I listen to music 24/7. People will get mad at me because they will start talking to me and I’ll be like, wait, what are you talking about?” she said.

Just like watching television, music can be used as an escape from everyday mundane life. Davis stated, “I feel like listening to music opens me up more.” Many different genres of music are prevalent nowadays. “Each person has his or her own type of music. It sets each person as an individual by what type of music you listen to,” she explained.

Davis would choose listening to music over watching television in a heartbeat. Most high school students know the pain of having little to no free time, so any spare seconds a teenager gets to relax, she or she is most likely going to jump on it. Davis said, “Watching TV doesn’t require a lot of effort, but neither does listening to music. You can just close your eyes and lay down.” She loves spending her time listening to music no matter what is going on or what type of mood she is in. “I can relate more to music than I can to TV shows,” she explained.

36 [Entartainment]

H

Oli

DIY

Homemade Peppermint Mocha

Tired of driving to Starbucks for overpriced coffee?

Try making your peppermint mocha at home. Crush up a candy cane and place some of the pieces into your favorite cup of coffee. Next, add either half of a hot chocolate packet or pieces of chocolate. Stir in milk and sugar and garnish with whipped cream, mashmallows, and the rest of the crushed candy cane.

Difficulty: 4/5

Ice Cream Ornaments

Why not dress up that plain scoop of vanilla ice cream? Take that perfectly round scoop and dip it in holiday colored sprinkles. Top the scoop off with a miniature Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup and place a small loop of licorice for an added touch. These ornaments are perfect for holiday parties; just be careful the ice cream does not melt.

Difficulty: 3/5

Candy Cane Puppy Chow

Melt Candy Cane Hershey Kisses and then pour over Chex cereal. Place this combination in a plastic bag with along with powdered sugar and shake until the Chex is fully covered. For a finishing touch, sprinkle crushed up candy canes over the top.

Difficulty: 3/5

Nutter Butter Reindeer

This relatively simple snack can double as an adorable Christmas craft. The Nutter Butter cracker will function as the head of a reindeer. Place some frosting at the top of the cracker and place a pretzel to act as the antlers. For finishing touches, use M&M’s as the eyes and the nose. Having done this, you now have yourself a tasty reindeer-shaped snack.

Difficulty: 2/5

[Winter] 2013 Amy Du//Graphic Designer Hanna Melton//Photographer Lauren Hart//Staff Writer

F

riends, family, and good food all define the holiday season. Many days leading up to Christmas are spent at the kitchen table creating crafts and leaning over the oven, baking snacks to share with friends and neighbors. The ever-familiar Christmas tree-shaped sugar cookies and candy cane reindeer can be found in many homes this holiday season. Along with these classic snacks and crafts, try these more unique do-it-yourself holiday projects. Hawk’s Eye staffers recreated these holiday treats in their own kitchens.

Oreo Peppermint Bark

Adding Oreos into peppermint bark makes for an extremely unique take on this holiday staple. Just melt milk chocolate chips, spread flat on a cookie sheet, and sprinkle with chopped Oreos. Place the cookie sheet in the refrigerator to chill for ten minutes. Next melt white chocolate chips and pour Oreo mixture over the already-prepared milk chocolate. Crush mini candy canes and sprinkle those pieces on top. Chill this creation until set and you are ready to enjoy.

Difficulty: 4/5

Strawberry Santas

Start by cutting off the leaves of fresh strawberries. Turn the strawberry upside down and slice off the tip, which will serve as Santa’s hat. Then, place whipped cream between the bottom and top layer of the cut strawberry. From there, you can use whipped cream and chocolate sprinkles to add the extra details to Santa’s outfit.

Difficulty: 1/5

Frosty the Snowman Pretzels

Get your round pretzels, almond bark, fruit roll-ups, and chocolate chips ready. Place two circular pretzels on top of a thin strip of a fruit roll up. Fill in the circle pretzels with the melted almond bark and carefully place two mini chocolate chips on as the eyes and three on as the buttons. Next, place a dot of almond bark between the two pretzels and wrap the fruit roll-up alike a scarf. Though tedious and time consuming, these pretzels are sure to taste as delicious as they look.

Difficulty: 3/5

Hot Cocoa Float

This holiday twist on a root beer float is sure to be a hit. Whip up your favorite hot cocoa and pour over peppermint ice cream. This inexpensive and simple holiday drink will be enjoyed by many this season.

Difficulty: 1/5

38 [Entertainment]

Battle of the Games

Next Generation Gaming Consoles Duke it Out Austin Porter//Senior Staff Writer

I

f you’re a gamer, you have probably been anxiously saving your money for months. The wait finally being over, the next generation gaming systems have arrived. Earlier this year in May, Microsoft announced their new successor in their line of Xbox gaming systems, which was due for release on November 22, 2013. Sony has also prepared their new system to compete against Microsoft. In late February, Sony held a press conference to unveil the PlayStation 4, which released a week before the Xbox One on the 15th. Without a doubt these two new consoles will be the biggest rivalry in gaming we have seen in ages, but the question on everyone’s mind, which of these two will win the title of best game system? No matter which system you may think are better, both are in a league of their own with all of their amazing features. If you are a true gamer and pre-ordered one, your days will most likely be filled with multiple hours of button mashing and lack of sleep.

XBOX ONE

PS4

The Xbox One had a pretty rough start with its debut at the E3 gaming conference on Monday June 10 when major controversy surrounded the issues with the Xbox One’s D.R.M. (Digital Rights Management) emerged. Originally Microsoft had a plan for a truly digital Xbox, but with an excellent price. This digital Xbox would mean the end of used games, and also borrowing games from friends, which was highly unpopular amongst gamers across the world. They also had a rule where users would have to sign into your Microsoft account at least once every 24 hours to function properly, even with offline gaming, which gave PS4 an early lead.

Eventually after much criticism the DRM issues were finally reversed, and the new console will release in late November, without all the unpopular rules.

Currently in reviews, the Xbox One could be lacking in potential buyers according to gamer magazines such as IGN, and GameInformer, however one thing that keeps Xbox users hooked to this new generation would be loyalty. Many who still play Xbox 360 are still dedicated to Microsoft, even after all the criticism the Xbox One received.

This year Sony announced the long-anticipated fourth edition to the PlayStation family. This will be the first release in the past seven years, which was the release of the PlayStation 3. The PlayStation 4 hit shelves November 15, 2013, coming fully equipped with the DualShock 4 controller, which also comes in a variety of different bundles that include a game for an extra price.

At E3 conference this year, the PS4 took a massive lead when they put down their opponents at Microsoft, saying that you can buy, share, or sell used games however you please, and you can log in whenever you want. However their fans were incredibly disappointed by the fact that online gaming will no longer be free like its predecessor, the PlayStation 3.

Now PS4 users must purchase a subscription to PlayStation Plus, which can be bought at $49.99 for a year, or $17.99 for three months. A subscription grants one access to exclusive discounts for games, content, and themes up to 75% off, along with other multiple benefits. Some Sony users might possibly think that this new change might be too big of a price and may decide to make the transition to Microsoft, but others who have been with Sony since day one will stay true and stick with the PS4.

Don’t You Wish All Finals Were Like This?

[Winter] 2013

Calendar

Teacher Trivia

December 20 & 21 Varsity Wrestling vs. Blue Valley December 21 Boys Basketball Shootout January 7 Basketball Girls 5:30/ Boys 7:00 January 10 OE vs. ONW Boys Basketball @ OE January 24 & 25 Kansas Spectacular January 28th OE vs. BVW Swimming Meet @ CT January 30-31 Winter Mainstage

TOP FIVE CHRISTMAS SONGS

1) Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer 2) Baby, It’s Cold Outside 3) Feliz Navidad 4) Little Drummer Boy 5) Santa Baby

?

Which Olathe East teacher is a former Olathe East student and cheer captain?

Last Issue’s answer:

Mrs. La Mar’s relatives own a chain of doughnut shops

Notification Statement of Non-discrimination: TheOlathePublicSchoolsprohibitdiscriminationonthebasisofrace,color,nationalorigin, sex,age,religionordisabilityinitsprograms,activitiesoremployment,andprovidesequal accesstotheBoyScoutsandotherdesignatedyouthgroupstoitsfacilitiesasrequiredby: TitleIXoftheEducationAmendmentsof1972,TitleVIandTitleVIIoftheCivilRightsActof 1964,theAgeDiscriminationActof1975,theAmericanswithDisabilitiesAct(ADA),theIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationAct,Section504oftheRehabilitationActof1973and otherrelevantstateandfederallaws.Inquiriesregardingcompliancewithapplicablecivil rightsstatutesrelatedtoethnicity,gender,agediscriminationorequalaccessmaybedirectedtoStaffCounsel,14160BlackBobRoad,Olathe,KS66063-2000,phone913-7807000.AllinquiriesregardingcompliancewithapplicablestatutesregardingSection504of theRehabilitationActandtheIndividualswithDisabilitiesEducationActandtheAmericans withDisabilitiesActmaybedirectedtotheAssistantSuperintendentGeneralAdministration, 14160BlackBobRd.Olathe,KS66063-2000,phone(913)780-7000.Interestedpersonsincludingthosewithimpairedvisionorhearing,canalsoobtaininformationastothe existenceandlocationofservices,activitiesandfacilitiesthatareaccessibletoandusableby disabledpersonsbycallingtheAssistantSuperintendentGeneralAdministration.(04/13)